by Lee Ecker
On Monday morning, David and Kevin left the boat while moored in the New York Harbor. Brenda, Aimee and Laura joined them in the runabout with the intention of doing some shopping in the Big Apple before continuing up the coastline. Warren decided to stay aboard and relax.
As David and Kevin boarded a shuttle to take them to Andrews AFB, David said, “Kevin, the president is offering you a choice. You can stay on the Manhattan Project with us or become the Executive Officer aboard the Excalibur.
Kevin reacted with surprise, “You’re serious! I was wondering what I would do during the construction of the Manhattan. I’m sure, for you, it’s an exciting project, but I don’t think I’d be satisfied being out of action. I need to keep my hand in the flying end of it. I’ll have to think long and hard about another trip though.”
“Take a good look around today and we’ll wait a couple of days for your decision.”
“Who is the commander going to be?”
“I don’t know. The president wouldn’t say. Would that have anything to do with your decision?”
“Maybe. If you were going back, there would be no hesitation. I would go in a minute.”
“Whatever your decision, the president will back you. The commander, whoever he is, has never travelled beyond the speed of light, so I’m sure he would welcome your expertise.”
Their visit aboard the Excalibur was short and everything looked to be in proper order. The ship was undergoing a complete two year inspection and preventative maintenance cycle and would be ready to depart immediately afterward. They were renovating one deck level to accommodate a much larger number of passengers.
The next morning, Roger joined David and they met with an agent for the owners of the silver mine. The site was isolated and the out buildings made it look like a ghost town from the old West. Although shabby on the exterior, most of the buildings were constructed using weather proof materials and were in great shape on the inside. The agents were highly motivated sales personnel, eager to unload this piece of property which had been highly unprofitable in recent years. They didn’t use any high pressure tactics, but were enthusiastic touting the value of the silver in the ground and the rising price of precious metals on the world market. As they approached the main shaft, one apologized, “Sorry, the electricity has been off for quite some time and none of the equipment has been inspected recently. Check your portable lanterns now because it will be awfully dark in there until we get the generators on line.”
David and Roger had been silent up to this point, but David couldn’t resist the jibe, “Looks like the owners should give this thing away. It’s probably a liability anyway. Other than the terrific view of the mountains, I don’t see much value in anything here. How much are they paying in taxes?”
“Minimal. If it was a working mine, it would be different. The last few years it operated was mostly at a loss. They aren’t going to give it away, but I’m sure we can come to agreeable terms.”
David and Roger didn’t reply as they were led deeper into the mine. After he turned on the power units and checked them out, the agent resumed his tour, “This is the main level. In its prime, millions of dollars’ worth of silver was taken out of here every day. This area has been cut out of solid granite except for the silver, and doesn’t need much climate control. It’s almost always a constant fifty five degrees in here with very little moisture.” He picked up a silver streaked rock, “As you can see from this sample taken from this area, silver was abundant. But look at the walls now, there’s not a trace of the metal. The company expected to hit a larger lode of silver, but never found it.”
David and Roger were more interested in the size of the excavated cavern and found it to their liking. Roger turned to the agent, “I don’t see any signs of support. Has the mine been tested for stability? I wouldn’t want to be in here if there is a chance of a cave in.”
“Not much chance of that. It’s been tested frequently with no signs of instability. The ore taken from here apparently was in a pocket. The remaining rock is solid. Deeper in the mine, there are signs of additional pockets of ore, but it’s nowhere as rich as was found here.”
David remarked, “It’s obvious the mine was well maintained, but I’m not sure that we’ll be able to find a significant amount of ore. If we do make an offer on the property and begin operations, we would require an escape clause.”
“We would expect that. We think the owners would be agreeable to a reasonable down payment with annual payments dependent on finding ore.”
Roger and David followed the agents through the mine finding an occasional trace of the precious metal, but nothing significant. They went back to the surface, inwardly intrigued, but outwardly noncommittal.
They waited to discuss the merits of the site until they were on a shuttle to Reno, Nevada. David was far more impressed with the possibilities than he showed for the agent’s sake, “What do you think, Roger? Is that location ideal or what?”
“I think so. Although, we would need to cut an exit path for the Manhattan. It wouldn’t help to build it without a way to get out of the mountain. Too much is at stake to rely on their reports of stability though. Even if our reports come back the same, I think we should reinforce the walls and ceiling with high grade steel and concrete.”
“Maybe we should take a tour of the military site under the mountain in Cheyenne. They have occupied that site for several hundred years without a problem.”
“If you’d like, I will go there and see how they do it.”
“Okay with me, but you sound like you’ve already decided without even seeing the other site.
“We will be spending years at whatever site we choose and I don’t relish the thought of spending that much time in the desert. The scenery here is spectacular and the air is so fresh and clean.”
“At the Nevada site, we’d have to do a lot of excavating before going underground, and what excuse would we give?”
Roger thought for a minute, going over the project in his mind, “We wouldn’t need much of a cover story in Colorado. We could operate it as a mine for all exterior purposes. That would even give us excuses to come and go as often as we like. Even so, we could get a shuttle in at night without anyone the wiser, although it would probably be best if we didn’t try to do anything outwardly secretive.”
In Reno, Army General William C. Marshall met and escorted them to the other site. General Marshall was the opposite of the land agents at the mine. He ushered them around the site with obvious disdain, “Not much of a base here anymore. The only thing going for it is its remote location. I don’t know what you’d want with this place unless you’re doing something highly secretive.” He looked closely at them for a minute, “Haven’t I seen your face in the news recently? You look familiar. I know; you’re from that spacecraft, the Excalibur, aren’t you?”
“There’s no keeping secrets from you is there?”
“There was a decent story on you circulating around the Pentagon. Traveling faster than light makes you as famous as General Yeager when he broke the sound barrier. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“There’s nothing around here except snakes and lizards. It’s none of my business but I guess you must have plenty of pull. My orders to support you came from pretty high up in the Pentagon. What are you planning to do here anyway?”
David laughed, “Right the first time. None of your business. We were going to do some research on some materials not welcome around populated areas, but I’m not convinced the desert is the best place anyway. That hangar over there is about the only thing on the site of any value.” He pointed to the one building that wasn’t in need of immediate repair. He turned to Roger, “Maybe we should take our project out into space. The moon might be more hospitable than this place.”
CHAPTER 19
A month later David joined Kevin and the girls aboard the ya
cht moored in the Detroit River. In spite of her resolve to berate David for his long absence, Brenda was overjoyed to see him again, but restrained herself quietly welcoming them back aboard giving David a hug and a lingering kiss that ended way too soon for either of their tastes. Brenda and Laura were pretty much on their own as Warren and Aimee left a few days earlier. Laura was full of enthusiasm relating all their experiences from New York to Detroit. David asked, “Well, what was the most impressive sight in all your travels?”
“Niagara Falls! You should have been there. I know Mom would have enjoyed herself much more if you had been there.”
Brenda reddened, “I think not. He’s too involved in his work for me. I think Kevin would be better company. He’s been a gracious escort for us when you were gone, David.”
He ignored the jibe, knowing Kevin would be soon be absent. “We’ve got a few days off now so let’s enjoy ourselves. Tonight, I want to take you to a Detroit Tigers baseball game, and tomorrow morning we will be at one of the most unusual places in the whole universe. Mackinac Island is a unique place where there are no modern vehicles except for fire engines and ambulances. It’s a small island no more than five miles across, but the major mode of transportation is horse and buggy or bicycle.”
“Have you been there, David?” Brenda asked wistfully.
“Yes, my wife and I spent our honeymoon there.”
David was silent as if remembering pleasant memories mixed with unpleasant ones. Brenda broke the silence, “I’m sorry David. I keep putting my foot in my mouth. If you’d rather not talk about it…”
“David smiled, “No, that’s not it. I thought it would be hard, but I have nothing but pleasant memories of Marie. I have mourned long enough; It’s time to live again. I was thinking of how much it rained when we were there. Now, I think Kevin has an announcement to make.”
Kevin stood and became serious, “I don’t really want to, but I will be leaving the project and joining the Excalibur crew for another trip to O-2113 as the Executive Officer. I’m looking forward to the trip, but I will miss all of you.”
David shook his hand, “We’ll miss you Kevin, but this is a great opportunity for you. By the way, who’s the commander?”
Kevin shook his head, “Sorry David; I can’t say. The president was adamant. He asks that you not try to find out as it might adversely affect your own mission. He said, ‘Someday, you will know and that should be sufficient.”
“Okay, you can keep your secret. I admit I’m curious, but when President Albee says something like that, there is a good reason.”
He turned to Brenda, “I guess one of the crew will take me back to shore, will you accompany me?” He hugged David and wished him good luck.
Brenda left with Kevin promising to be back shortly for their conference meeting. Kevin put his arm around her shoulder, possessively leading her toward the launch. He sat beside her, drawing her closer and kissed her. She tenderly returned the kiss, sincerely wishing him well on his new assignment. Kevin began to demand more and Brenda pulled away. He held on to her hand and pleaded, “Brenda, please don’t reject me. I’m falling madly in love with you. Would you come with me aboard the Excalibur? We could stay for the entire trip or re-settle in the new world.”
Brenda drew back, “Sorry, Kevin. It can’t be. I’m committed to David.”
“But, he will be leaving you and you know he will have no time for you once the project begins.”
Brenda took off her dark framed glasses and took her hand from his, “I have no choice, but time is on my side. Say hello to your commander for me. I flew with him a long time ago. I know you will have a very enjoyable trip.”
Kevin’s mouth dropped, recognition coming slowly, “It’s you isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“David doesn’t know who you are, does he?”
“No, it’s hard but I think he’s falling in love with me anyway.”
“He’d be a fool if he doesn’t! And how about Laura?”
“For her sake, she must never know!”
They thoroughly enjoyed the baseball game although David and Brenda spent more time holding hands and watching each other than the game. Laura quickly became excited with the game and interrupted them frequently asking questions about how the game was played. Laura had read about baseball, but never experienced anything like it. A pop fly came close to their position once which caused a little excitement, but they weren’t able to get the ball. Hotdogs and soft drinks were their banquet for the evening.
When they returned to the ship, David gave the captain the go ahead to proceed and after they were underway gave Brenda and Laura his update. “We are now the owners of a silver mine in Colorado.”
“What for?” was Brenda’s quick response.
“Why do you care? Aren’t you going with Kevin?” He couldn’t help himself as he gently teased her. He had felt very close to her the entire evening, but every now and then, a twinge of jealousy overcame him.
“David,” She began all the while shaking her head, “It’s not like that. We shared some memories from when I knew him a long time ago. You know the astronaut corps has always been a close knit group.”
David was relieved, but kept his thoughts to himself as he answered her question, “Well it was a silver mine and we are going to make anybody aware of any activity in the area think it’s a profitable working mine once again, even if we have to haul ore in from somewhere else.”
Laura asked, “But Dad, how are we going to work on the project with all that activity going on?”
“We need to do a lot of excavation to enlarge one of the caverns so we do need to move a lot of rock. The mining operation will only be our cover, not of primary concern. And we can hire plenty of other people for that operation, so none of us need to be involved.”
The next morning they docked at Mackinac Island where David rented a carriage pulled by a team of horses. Laura was fascinated by the horses, since she had never seen an animal larger than a dog up close other than the wild animals on O-2113. She laughed with glee seeing the canvas bags hung behind the horses. The driver explained, “It’s unnatural, but the local laws are very strict and we are required to keep the island as clean as possible.”
They started off with the horses moving at a slow plodding walk which got even slower as they climbed the small hills. Laura urged the driver to go faster, but he just smiled replying politely, “Sorry, these horses work too many hours to wear them out running them. The authorities watch us pretty close and would slap us with an animal abuse charge quicker than you can say Mackinac Island. It’s not far across the island and we’ll trot going downhill. After this trip you can rent a bicycle and go as fast as you like.”
“But I don’t know how to ride!” Laura complained.
“Nothing like the present to learn.” David laughed, “Sit back and relax. You’ll get the hang of the bicycle in a few minutes of expert instruction from Brenda.”
Brenda snorted, “Ha! You can do the honors of that yourself buster. That is if you can ride yourself.”
“Well, I haven’t ridden since I was here before. Marie and I rode around the island several times. But it’s just like flying; once you learn, you never forget.”
They entered a wooded area darkened by the overhead foliage blocking out the sun. Brenda leaned back against David laying her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and it felt good. He had no illusions about his future with Brenda, but for the moment, he wanted her to enjoy the vacation. Laura stifled a giggle when she saw them.
The ride ended at the Grand Hotel where they ate lunch, then sat quietly on the long hotel porch sipping lemonade enjoying quiet moments together. Laura wanted more action and David agreed to go cycling with her. David showed her how to ride and she was soon pedaling like a pro while David and Brenda had a hard time keeping up with her along the trails. They d
idn’t care; they were taking their time enjoying each other’s company. They stopped for a walk up to the old fort and watched the drama of a reenactment of an early eighteenth century court martial. Laura watched with excitement, but David and Brenda were more interested in each other.
At the end of the day, David left boarding a small aircraft for the flight off the island to the Emmet County Airport at Pellston where he could board a shuttle on his way to Colorado. He didn’t want to leave, but he thought he was getting too close to Brenda and he didn’t know how he could fit that kind of relationship into his plans.
David and Brenda saw more and more of each other over the next few years, but there was always something between them that left them a step apart each time they got together. They held each other, kissed frequently, but when it became serious, they would back off for a time. They talked regularly over the videophone mostly on business. Brenda was disappointed, yet knew that a closer relationship should not develop between them.
She kept herself occupied while honing Laura’s flying skills in all types of aircraft and becoming a real mother to her. Laura earned her pilot’s license and Brenda found some older aircraft from the National Space and Flight Museum that were flyable. They were all equipped with Electro Magnetic Engines, but they utilized wings for lift and were controlled aerodynamically. It took all the power the president could wield, but the director of the museum finally relented and cooperating fully allowing Brenda to fly and instruct in the aircraft she requested. It only took a few flights in each for Laura to feel comfortable with them. One of the most interesting aircraft they found was the original DC9 that had been modified with the first Electro Magnetics engines in the twentieth century. It flew like a dream and Laura quickly became proficient in it. They flew several different aircraft, but the simulators were utilized extensively for most of the rest of her training. The remainder of Brenda’s time was occupied by President Albee with continual updates from the project, although she often shuttled to various places around the country in support of David and Roger.