I intended to continue this narrative and tell you about some of the other missions the club has worked on, however, I have to interrupt this book at this point because I’ve just been alerted that there is a problem going on right now with the Wright brothers. I do intend to document it and others as they occur, in the next book, ‘Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club. Book 2.’
B.S.
Note from Robert P. McAuley
After each adventure in time, President Bill Scott dictates to me what occurred so I can write them down for posterity. He told me that at this moment there are eighteen more stories on hand and, as time goes on, who knows how many more there will be after that? He informed me that I might let our readers know that Book II will feature two more stories: The Time Travel Adventure To Help The Wright Brothers Fly and The Problem With The Hindenburg Exploding Over The Ocean. We both hope you find the time to read them. The following is the opening of The Wright Brother’s Problem
Regards, Robert P. McAuley
The Wright Brothers Problem
DATELINE: JULY 6, 1907 PLACE: DAYTON, OHIO
On a warm summer evening, a butterfly fluttered gently across a garden lush with summer greenery and alighted on a swing that hung on a small white porch. It shared the wooden porch with three men and a woman. Warm light from the house’s living room spilled onto the porch’s floor and the butterfly watched as one of the men, who was short and bald, got up and poured lemonade for the four of them. He put the pitcher down and joined the others as they looked up at the stars. He sighed and said, “It’s a beautiful evening, isn’t it?”
The woman answered for them all. “Yes, a wonderful way to end a nice weekend. Family, friends, lemonade and the stars shining brightly in the sky.”
The screen door opened and a small, elderly man put his head out and said, “Good night, children. Good night, Mr. Osloe.”
Two of the men answered in unison, “Good night, Father.”
From the doorway, the man wagged a finger at his two sons. “Orville, Wilbur, don’t forget you have to finish Reverend Pots’ bicycle tomorrow. I gave him my word at this morning’s service.”
The young, dark-haired woman went over and kissed him on the cheek. “Good night, Father. I won’t be late.”
One of the men turned to the other and said, “Orville, how much time do you figure it’ll take to finish the reverend’s bicycle?”
The tall, balding man looked up at the stars again, thought and answered, “Should be finished and ready for a test ride by lunchtime.”
The third man on the porch was short at only five feet tall, and as he stood next to the brothers, he made them look even taller than their six-foot height. He smiled at the woman and spoke quietly as he held up his empty glass. “Miss Katharine, may I have some more lemonade?”
She brushed back a wisp of hair from her face and reached for his empty glass. “Of course, Mr. Osloe. Did you enjoy it?”
He smiled as he wiped his baldhead. “I do enjoy it, and I find it keeps me cool.”
Both men smiled at the man.
“Do they not have lemonade in your native land, Mr. Osloe?” asked Wilbur.
He sipped the frosty drink and said, “Not as tangy, Wilbur. I find this lemonade very agreeable.”
When they were finished, Katharine picked up the empty glasses and put them on a tray along with the pitcher. “Good night, gentlemen,” she said. She walked toward the door as Wilbur held it open for her. He pecked her cheek.
“Good night, sweet sister. See you for breakfast.”
She looked back through the screen door, “Good night, Orville. And you boys remember what Father said. He gave his word.”
At that moment, a streak of light flew across the sky, and the brothers became visibly excited.
“Wilbur! Did you see that? A shooting star!” Both scanned the heavens.
Wilbur responded, “Yes! Yes! It was a shooting star, and there could be more. Remember the night we counted three in one hour?”
“Yes,” Orville answered, “that was a wonderful evening. I propose we stay up a little later and watch. Mr. Osloe, will you watch with us?”
The little man smiled and joined them on the top wooden step. “Yes, my friends, I would enjoy that very much.”
Orville kept his eyes on the sky as he said to his brother, “To fly, Wilbur, to fly. Would that not be great?”
“Yes,” said his sibling, “and we got so close, then . . . well . . .”
Orville looked at his brother and patted his arm. “Don’t fret, brother. We’ll get it right soon. Watch and see. Right, Mr. Osloe?”
Their guest nodded. And the butterfly-probe flew off into the night.
DATELINE: 2066 PLACE: HISTORY TRACKING CENTER, NEW YORK
Alexis Shuntly ran the meeting. She stood at the head of a long, highly polished mahogany table. Seated around it were the other members of the Time Watchers Group, four men and a woman. They stared at a hologram in the middle of the table and the scene that was unfolding. The realistic moving pictures were the product of the Time Probing Butterfly that now sat on a shelf with other probes. After some minutes in which no one spoke, Alexis sat down and looked around at her colleagues through her thick glasses.
She squinted and said, “It’s 1907. They were supposed to be flying in December of 1903. What could have gone wrong?”
John Hyder, seated on her right, asked, “Did we get the computer projections on this? How bad is it if they aren’t the inventors of flight?”
“They were not the inventors of flight,” said a woman’s voice. All eyes focused on Maryellen Muldey, seated across from Hyder.
“They didn’t invent flight. What they did was become the first to fly a heavier-than-air machine that had direction controllability. They were the first to be able to fly in any direction they wanted.”
Alexis Shuntly opened a notebook and looked at Hyder. “The computer projects that the French became the first to have controlled flight. They were content to just fly about and sell their aircraft to other countries. The British were broke with the recession and didn’t see the need for aviation. History shows that an American, Bill Cody, was the first to fly in England and that influenced them to push aviation forward. But if the Wright brothers hadn’t shown the way, Cody wouldn’t have gotten into flying, and the Brits wouldn’t have been ready for World War One.” She paused to let that sink in, and then continued in a low voice.
“The Germans, on the other hand, would have put their money and resources into the aircraft Anthony Fokker was designing. He had some real winners and once World War One started, the Germans and their allies would have been unstoppable. France would have fallen and the Germans would have invaded and occupied Britain. The Americas, too, would have been targets.”
She put down the notebook and looked at the others. “Dear friends and fellow Time Watchers, if this is not corrected, we are all in great danger. Not just us but the world as we know it today. I don’t know why the Wright brothers didn’t make that historic flight, but it has to be remedied. Do we all agree that we must send someone back and guide the brothers? May I see a show of hands for a trip?”
Every hand was raised in agreement. Alexis pressed a button, the door opened and a tall man entered carrying a small notebook. He smiled at them and said, “You rang, Miss Shuntly?”
Alexis nodded. “Yes, Ted. We need a Time Trip back to 1903.” She held up a hand and said, “Wait, no, make that 1902.” She glanced at the others. “If they achieved their first flight in 1903, what year would they have started? I mean, when would they have first shown interest in flight?”
Maryellen Muldey looked up from her laptop computer and said, “They were making toy helicopters when they were little boys, but they started flying large gliders in 1900 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. I think our traveler would have to be present about 1901.” Murmurs of approval came from around the table.
Alexis ran her fingers through her short, brown hair and sighed.
“Fine then,” she said and turned to give instructions to the young man. “Ted, will you contact our liaison to the head of The 1800 Club who handles that time period and set it up?”
Ted consulted his notebook, then looked at her and said, “That’d be Edmund Scott from our time period contacting Bill Scott of the 2011 period.”
She looked at the others and seeing no disagreement, said to him, “Fine. Will you set up a meeting with Edmund Scott as soon as possible? I’ll brief him on the situation.”
She stood, and the meeting was over.
Continued in book 2.
Other books by Robert P. McAuley
Sky Ship
Romance in a Ghost Town
Vampire’s Bloodline
Aviation, Facts & Rumors Book 1
Aviation, Facts & Rumors Book II
The Dripping Sands Of Time
A New Jersey Yankee In King Arthur’s Court
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book I FREE!
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book II
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book III
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book IV
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book V
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book VI
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book VII
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book VIII
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book IX
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book X
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book XI
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book XII
[Time Travel Adventures of the 1800 Club 01.0] Time Travel Adventures of the 1800 Club: Book I Page 16