The Rangers Are Coming

by Phil Walker

  With the titanic industrial, scientific, and agricultural output of the United States dominating the world marketplace, America just grew more prosperous and poured the money back into more infrastructure, research and development, and the quality of life of the people. The flat tax system brought in more than enough money to fund all government activities. The actual size of the Federal government was kept small and the states played a bigger role in the administration of their business. However, the states themselves left a great deal of latitude for individuals to prosper and excel in whatever enterprise they desired.

  The states followed the lead of the Federal government in preserving important sites, and making sure that large parks, walkways, and recreational areas were in plenty.

  President Charles Gallagher was proving to be a very able leader. Arcadia believed he understood the “Big Picture” better than anyone who had ever held the office. He was constantly consulting with Arcadia over some adjustment he could make in policy today that would be valuable a hundred years from now.

  “The problem, Chuck,” said Arcadia at one their private meetings at the White House, “are the radical Muslims. However, they aren’t radical yet. Most of the Middle East is still dominated by the Ottoman Empire or the Europeans. The issue of oil is not yet an issue. There are plenty of Jews living in Palestine, but they are at peace with the Palestinians. The real boundary lines of all the countries in the Middle East haven’t even been drawn yet.”

  “Looks like your current plan of trying to reset history by working through Europe is still the right plan,” said the President.

  “The wave of nationalism among the major European powers begins about 1870. Not only do the Europeans start trying to see how much of the world they can annex to each country, they will get the idea their country, their culture, their politics, their national priorities are better than any other country. It’s like 10 big bullies living on the same block. They hate each other and often fight one on one. Then five bullies get together and start picking on the others individually. Of course the remaining five bullies make an alliance of their own, and the two gangs fight it out, regardless of the collateral damage to the neighborhood or its poor people. That’s the situation forming in Europe. It’s currently 1850 we have 20 years to become so strong that a gentle suggestion by us is translated into an order for everyone else. Moreover, we have to do this without taking a single action outside our borders.”

  “Most of the Europe nations are so dependent on our trade now, we can call the shots,” said Gallagher.

  “That’s actually not true,” said Arcadia, “if we cut off trade to any block of countries, we invite an open invasion of the United States. Bear in mind, we have more borders to guard than any one, are protected by one division of Rangers, and are outnumbered ten to one by the Europeans. We need to convince them that what we have is so valuable they will pay any price get it. We need to kill them with kindness and generosity. They need to like and admire us so much they want to be like us.”

  “How much do you think we can accomplish in 20 years,” asked Gallagher?

  “A lot, an awful lot,” said Arcadia. “We are pouring money and resources into our research and development centers at the Universities and some of the bigger companies. There are two main areas where we can make the biggest difference…microelectronics, and the generation of power that is independent from oil. We are closest in electronics. The discovery of the transistor has started several companies working on ways to miniaturize the transistor and then to mass-produce them into what are known in my time as ‘Mother Boards’. That’s the technology you are borrowing with our big plasma screens and the computers that run them. If we can get that done, then we can put plasma screens in every home in America and broadcast live programming, entertainment, education, news, weather, whatever you want. Moreover, we can produce real computers for personal use. That technology is only about a dozen or so years away. I’ve been getting regular reports and the news is very encouraging. Best of all, it is real Americans, not my bunch, who are making the discoveries.”

  “Amazing,” said the President, “What about power?”

  “You would ask that question,” said Arcadia. “What I am proposing we do is develop technology that doesn’t even exist in this form in my time. Fortunately, we don’t have to complete this project, just demonstrate its existence, and mobilize the rest of the world to help us complete it.”

  “What is it,” asked Gallagher with eagerness?

  “Solar Power,” said Arcadia. “Eventually the world will turn to this anyway.”

  “I don’t understand,” said Gallagher.

  “Look out the window, Chuck,” said Arcadia. “What’s the biggest thing in the sky?”

  “The sun?”

  “Right, the sun shines all the time, and delivers an endless supply of energy to the earth. We collect solar power in my time with big panels that turn the power into electricity. If we had the means to collect solar power all the time, we could deliver an unlimited amount of power to every corner of the earth.”

  “How would you do that,” asked the President?

  “By collecting solar power in space and broadcasting it back to earth and into our power grids. Trust me the technology exists to do this in my time. It’s just no single country can afford it. We can’t either, by the way, as rich as we are. However, there is something we can do that will fire the imagination of every person in the world.”

  “I have a team working down in Florida. You know on the 4th of July we launch rockets that fly up into the air and blow up in pretty patterns?”

  “Yes, of course,” said Gallagher.

  “That’s what these guys are doing. They’re building rockets, bigger and bigger and launching them into space. In 20 years, they’ll have a full blown space program developed and we will launch one of those rockets, with men aboard, to fly to the moon.”

  “Are you in earnest,” said the President, or is this a joke?”

  “No joke, Chuck, I’m deadly serious. Furthermore, people in America will be able to watch the whole thing on television screens.”

  “It can’t be possible,” said the President.

  “We’ve already done it,” said Arcadia, “starting in 1969, just a little over a hundred years from now, we sent several manned missions to the moon, and brought the men all back alive. We have walked on the moon.”

  “That would be quite something to see,” said Gallagher.

  “How impressive would it be to a European leader who has never even seen a diesel locomotive or a truck driving on a highway at 70 miles an hour,” asked Arcadia?

  “Offer them a piece of the good life of America and throw in a mission to the moon, and I think we can convince any country to do whatever we have in mind,” said the President.

  “See how busy we are going to be the next 20 years,” laughed Arcadia?

  The electronics piece came together in spurts and periods of frustration. The breakthrough came from the research lab at General Telephone. The President had broken up their monopoly of phone service in the country by making them share all their network of lines with other companies. This meant people could buy their telephone service from several choices, all competing with different kinds of services and prices. What the President did not do was to break up the research arm of General Telephone. In fact, he offered government contracts to develop the kind of microelectronics Arcadia wanted. It took them five years to develop a silicon board with grooves, into which tiny transistors could be soldered into circuits. Having an example from a cannibalized computer was a big help. They knew it could be done they just had to figure out how and have the precision machinery built to assemble the boards and connect them in a series to talk to each other in the standard binary code of 1 and 0. Then they had to learn to write codes to make their computers do the things they wanted. The first thing they developed was a code to do writing on a screen and a complimentary piece of independent design to make a
printer. The elementary computer typewriter was the gateway for dozens of other applications. Soon they had a computer that could do complex calculations, draw figures, communicate with other computers, and make a combined system that fit in a small box.

  The first time Arcadia saw the prototype she asked her computer tech, “How much of this did you give them?”

  “Just the basic computer,” said the tech, “They did all of this on their own by reverse engineering the whole instrument.”

  “Start them working on navigation,” said Arcadia. “One of these babies has to find its way to the moon and back.”

  “Do you have a reliable rocket,” asked the President, when she told him?

  “We launched a 100 pound pod with a radio beacon into orbit last week.”

  “Boy, Arcadia, I’m beginning to believe we’re going to pull this off.”

  “We only have ten years to go, 1870 will be here before you know it. Just so you know, I have Tony Carter working a separate plan with the Ottoman Empire that will run concurrently with our big project to consolidate the European powers. My hope is both plans come together about the same time.”

  “Nobody ever said you weren’t sneaky, and think in networks,” smiled Gallagher.

  Arcadia encouraged the President and he drove everyone else. In addition to the electronics, he was having companies built luxury buses, more roads, faster locomotives, and more power plants using natural gas being pumped and refined in a half dozen new refineries dotted around the continent.

  The schools were drumming into their student’s minds that the rest of the world was in darkness and it was the responsibility of America to bring them light and enlightenment to turn away from war and misery. The students worked very hard, and went smoothly into the fields in which they were the most qualified, and started making contributions of their own.

  The cities were made beautiful with concrete, steel and marble. They gleamed with colorful lighting. The cities were compact to allow the general use of mass transit, but the homes of the people were spacious and comfortable.

  In the 1860s when American history had 600,000 men dying in a civil war over slavery, Americans where using the great transportation system available to them and spending their free time in seeing the wonders of America from half dome at Yosemite to the geysers of Yellowstone, to the breathtaking wonder of the Grand Canyon. The price they paid was they worked hard, very hard, and felt they were serving the Lord on a mission of mercy involving the entire world.

  41

  Washington, D.C.

  It was Christmas time 1869, and most of Europe was celebrating the Holidays, in happy parties and merry spirits. It was at this moment that 62 year old, President Charles Gallagher chose to begin what was called “Operation Awakening.”

  The Ambassadors of every major country in Europe, and Asia, including China and Japan, started the long awaited ball rolling. They were all completely prepared and eagerly delivered their messages to the Prime Minister’s, Chancellors, Kings, and Heads of State of every country. The list of recipients were carefully assembled to create the biggest impact on each country. The message was personally delivered.

  The Honorable Charles Gallagher, President of the United States is pleased to make the following announcement.

  For nearly a century, the United States has been intimately involved in the economy of your country. You have benefitted greatly with peaceful trade with our country. We realize even though this process has been lively and active, the United States is one of the great mysteries of the world. Our policy of privacy regarding our business and the means by which we manufacture the goods you enjoy has always been of great interest and speculation on your part and the part of your citizens.

  As we celebrate Christmas this year, I have a personal gift for you and your family. The time for secrecy has come to an end. The United States of America will now be open for your personal inspection. We extend an invitation for you, and your family to pay the United States a visit and see, what we have hidden for so long.

  We guarantee several things. First, your personal safety. Next, an opportunity to view with your own eyes the rather extraordinary wonders we have accomplished. Next, the prospect for improving your relationships with your neighbors that will provide an incredible boost in your national pride and honor. Finally, we will be pleased to provide you with one million dollars in gold for your personal use.

  The United States is vast. You can expect to spend 30 very busy days with us. We will provide personal guides to show you and your family different aspects of our country. This will be barely enough time to show you just a portion of what we have accomplished, and for you to witness sights beyond your wildest imagination.

  Our open house will begin on June 1, 1870, at the White House, the Executive Mansion of the President in Washington.

  We will be pleased to provide you with special transportation to the United States.

  Please respond your willingness to attend our Open House via our Ambassador. He has all the details of the protocol of your visit.

  Welcome to the United States of America

  Sincerely,

  Charles Gallagher,

  President of the United States.

  The invitation was artfully written. It came as a personal invitation, indirectly sent to the one person who could claim preeminence in his country without mentioning that the same message was sent to at least 25 other world leaders. It was incredibly seductive. If there was one subject that dominated gossip in the world, it was the mystery of the United States. Now came a carte blanche invitation to see everything. The dignitary need not share the experience with anyone except his personal family. No fawning ministers or other members of the court need be included. Of course, there was also the money.

  Almost immediately, Gallagher started hearing back by radio from his Ambassadors. The initial response was shock and surprise. Gallagher had many conversations with his ambassadors.

  “Mr. President, the Prime Minister wants to know why he has to travel with his family to a remote location in France to take advantage of this special transportation we have arranged.”

  “What did you tell him,” asked Gallagher?

  “The prepared script, Mr. President, I told the Prime Minister after a century of secrecy that he should be prepared for anything from the United States. I have assured him he and his family will be completely safe and the experience we offer will be a very exhilarating.”

  “No doubt about that,” chuckled the President, “any other issues?”

  “He’s completely befuddled with the clothing we’re supplying,” said the ambassador. “He’s certain this wardrobe will not be nearly enough for a full months’ travel. I have assured him this will be entirely adequate, and we have some space and weight limitations. Also, the suitcase we’re providing is a total mystery to him. He’s not very happy, but he and his family are too excited to do more than complain. I hope they still feel that way when they see that big airplane.”

  “You have it hidden behind the big curtain with only the stairs and the entrance showing, don’t you?”

  “Yes sir, we were very careful about that. What I’m really worried about is who else they see getting on the plane.”

  “In the outfit we’re giving them to wear, they might not even recognize them,” said the President. “Relax, Carl and enjoy the moment.”

  Gallagher had quite a few conversations like that. He and Arcadia enjoyed them immensely.

  “I’m glad the total party of country leaders and their families will all fit on one airplane. Still, it’s 320 people, plus the crew. The flight attendants will have their hands full.”

  “I’m glad we were able to get the jet engines designed and the plane built in time,” said Arcadia. “It will make the flight to Washington only about 8 hours.”

  ***

  William Gladstone, Prime Minister of Great Britain, his wife Catherine, and their two youngest sons, 18-year-old Herbert, and 16-ye
ar-old Henry, were all uneasy. Gladstone was wearing a blue, single piece coverall. He’d never worn such an outfit before, but the shoes were very comfortable. Catherine was the same. She felt very undressed. The boys were wearing Dockers and light sweaters. They had on very comfortable tennis shoes. They didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.

  The U.S. Ambassador escorted them personally.

  The family endured the boat ride across the channel and were met by a good carriage that took them west and south from Calais and down into Normandy. They turned off the road and on to another road that led toward a big house, but the carriage turned onto a hard surface that led to a large curtain with a flight of stairs and a door with a curved surface at the top of the stairs.

  Men came forward and took the single bag that each member of the Gladstone family was permitted, away. They were left with small shoulder bags the ambassador handed to them. “For your journey,” he said with a smile. “If you will just go up the stairs, an attendant will show you to your seats.”

  The family climbed the stairs, and went through the door. A pretty young woman checked the paper the ambassador had given Gladstone as he said goodbye and shook his hand.

  “If you will just pass to the other side, you are in rows 10 and 11, seats A and B. Welcome aboard,”

  The Gladstone’s looked down a long row of seats, there were two seats on the side, four seats in the middle, and on the other side of the craft was another aisle way with three seats against the wall. There were windows all along the craft. The family walked down the aisle and located their seats. The boys went to the second row and Gladstone helped his wife across to the window seat. Then he sat down in the soft chair. He examined the shoulder bag. It held a newspaper, a book, a bottle of water, a tin of pills, and two large chocolate bars.