Close Proximity

by M. W. Huffman

  “No. Just the enrollment issue. I sure hope we bounce back next semester,” Abby said.

  “Well you are in much better shape than many. We actually had to cancel some classes due to low enrollment. It isn’t just here Abby. Universities and Colleges across the nation are reporting record drops in enrollment.”

  “I guess education has taken a back seat for now.”

  “Yes, I believe survival is the new focus at the moment. Everything else seems to have taken a back seat, even if it is misguided,” he told her.

  She turned to go but he stopped her by saying, “By the way Abby, you will be at the President's Faculty Brunch on Sunday, right?”

  “Oh, I completely forgot about that.”

  “Abby, Abby. I’ve been around students and faculty my entire life. I know an excuse when I hear one. Do you know we have a record number of RSVPs this year? You want to know why?”

  “Probably not,” she replied.

  “Quite right. They all want to meet and see the University celebrity. Do you know I’ve seen your picture in the news and on the television more times than I’ve seen you the last three years?”

  “Point taken. I’ll be there.”

  “Good decision,” he said smiling and walking off.

  She sighed deeply. She thought she had managed to skip out this time. She absolutely hated going to those things. All fake smiles and plastic people.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Doctor Fritz Metzler had been an employee of the Government ever since he graduated from MIT. He had finished first in his class and was immediately recruited by the Government.

  His work included such projects as the B2 bomber, the stealth Nighthawk and other top secret projects that were yet to be released to the general public. Within five years he was considered the most important person in the area of electromagnetic propulsion.

  Metzler had always believed the only way to go faster and further than traditional rocket engines was with the advent of a new propulsion system. But like all military projects they always seem to be multifaceted. Many of the spinoffs from the propulsion program had worked their way into weapon systems.

  “That was very impressive Doctor Metzler,” Major Peters said.

  “Well, you must understand that that was a low power yield test. We simply cannot unleash the full potential here. In fact, we are having a difficult time finding a suitable platform to test its true effectiveness.”

  “Isn’t there any place you could try it out at full strength?” the Major asked.

  “Not at this point in time.”

  “What would you need exactly?” the Major asked.

  Metzler smiled and handed him a binder that was a good half inch thick.

  “You will find everything I need in there. It seems substantial but really the requirements are not all that great. I added the ‘why’ as well as the ‘what’.

  “Alright. I will take this back with me. If we did get the go ahead to precede what kind of time frame are we potentially looking at?” Major Peters asked.

  “I guess it would depend on how quickly the materials could be procured and what kind of manpower allocation I was afforded.”

  “I see. Alright then. I will report back to Washington and pass along this file. You should hear from me in the next day or so. There seems to be an urgent push to move forward on this.”

  “You know where to find me,” Metzler said and walked off.

  Major Peters was thinking what a strange bird Metzler was. It seemed to go with the territory when dealing with these 'over developed brain' people. The smarter they were, the weirder they were.

  * * *

  Doctor Metzler not an impressive figure of a man by any means. He was just a shade over five foot one, weighed no more than one hundred and forty pounds dripping wet and obviously had no knowledge of what a comb was used for. He talked to himself insistently and pushed his glasses up on his nose at least ten times a minute.

  On top of that, his intelligence made it difficult for him to explain to the layman what he was trying to get across. He just assumed that everyone understood what he meant when he threw out terms and scribbled out the math. Like many super intelligent people, he was quite eccentric.

  His latest project was called HPM and stood for High Power Microwaves. His theory was that by altering the wave sine of a microwave and focusing them in a multidirectional configuration, they could be used to move objects.

  It wasn’t long before he began to realize that HPM alone was not going to achieve the desired results he was looking for. He went back to the drawing board and theorized that using HEMP, which was High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse in conjunction with high powered microwaves, would result in the energy being produced in the correct configuration. He hypothesized that it could be used as a power source to propel rockets at much higher speeds and for virtually unlimited distances.

  His biggest obstacle at the moment was finding a platform for use in adequately testing his theory because the byproduct was an electromagnetic pulse that had the potential to destroy all computer controlled components. How far it would reach was unknown.

  While he was sure it would work, he couldn’t risk testing it inside the Earth’s atmosphere. It had to be done in space and even then it was somewhat risky.

  Now he was working on a directional shield to ensure the impulses went exactly where directed and would not reflect back to do peripheral damage. The exact configuration and material seemed to be eluding him. The test today had turned out well but it was at such a low power it was inconclusive as to its effectiveness at full power.

  Sitting at his desk, working on a calculation while talking to himself non-stop he hit on an idea. He froze as if in a daze. Even when his glasses slid down his nose he didn’t move.

  “Oh dear. My goodness. Yes, yes, that certainly could work,” he said, jumping up from his desk and running to the blackboard. Within minutes the entire board was filled with an equation. He stepped back and looked at it. Occasionally he would change one of the values and then recalculate. Covered in chalk dust, he finally laid down the chalk and did a little dance.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  ABC NEWS

  Several riots broke out in California and elsewhere today when stores started limiting the amount of products that could be purchased. Most of the large chains had decided that hording of certain items should not be allowed. Items such as flour and sugar were limited to twenty pounds per person.

  “This is the only fair way to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity,” A spokesman for Donner Foods said at a press conference early this morning. Customers endured long lines as crowds started to gather before the store opened. Several disturbances broke out among those waiting in line as people tried to cut in front of others.

  A spokesperson for Bay Mont Foods said that it was a sad day when they had to call in security to keep customers from jumping line and causing disturbances. Six people were arrested in Des Moines, Iowa when a group of young adults tried to rob people standing in line to get into the FreshFarm Food Store. The six youths brandished guns but several people waiting in line had concealed carry permits and were able to disarm the youths and hold them until police arrived.

  The manager of the FreshFarm Food Store said he was just glad that no one was hurt and was thankful that the situation didn’t escalate into violence. Asked if he thought limiting purchases of certain items was a good idea he replied, “Absolutely. Everyone should have a chance to purchase basic food needs.”

  * * *

  James and Brian were sitting in her outer office when Abby came in.

  “Hey guys,” she said placing her briefcase on the secretary's desk.

  “Doctor Montgomery,” they said in unison.

  “What can I do for you guys? Obviously something is up. What is it?” she asked.

  “We need to talk to you for a minute if you have the time,” James said.

  She opened her door and led them into the room.
Once they were all seated she folded her hands and waited.

  “Well, I guess we don’t know exactly what to do so we thought we would consult you,” Brian managed to get out.

  “Boys, I need a tad more information. It’s pretty hard to help with what I know so far. You don’t know what to do about what?” Abby asked.

  “We are both enrolled in Doctor Lambert's 514 Interstellar Medium and Star Formation class and…well to be honest Abby, the guy isn’t up to speed. I mean he is teaching stuff that we knew in some of the three hundred level classes. Not only is it boring but half the time he gets the math totally wrong,” Brian told her.

  She hated these situations. She had complained about Lambert on more than one occasion but the bottom line was that he was tenured and only had two more years to go before retirement. There was no way the University was going to do anything about him. She certainly empathized with James and Brian. Tuition was terribly expensive and they felt like they were just throwing it away. It was especially true for Brian. He probably could have taught the class.

  “Guys, I can’t say that I blame you but the fact is; you have to take the class for your advanced degree. There was talk that he may retire last year but he didn’t. He is the only teacher for that class so I don’t see that you have another option without dropping the class and picking up something else. If you are going to do that you need to do it immediately. Next week will be too late without special permission. I know he is boring well monotone at least,” she told them.

  “No boring,” James said.

  “But he is wrong so many times. We know it but what about the others who don’t know any better? He is going to send them out there with the wrong information. How can the University do that to the others? I mean isn’t that a problem for the University in its own right? I would think they would have done something about it before now,” Brian said.

  “Boys I hate to be blunt but we can’t resolve all the world’s injustices. For now it is just a fact of life you are going to have to deal with. I know it is a bitter pill to swallow but you need the class. Look, just take what you can from the class and forget the rest,” she told them.

  After they had gone she considered going to talk to Doctor Lambert but what good would it really do? This was just one of those times where you had to let sleeping dogs lie. Her real concern was that James and Brian were throwing away hard earned money. She was more worried about James. He wasn’t real good at hiding his feelings. She could see him just going off on Lambert when he made a stupid mistake.

  * * *

  President Strong sat in the Oval Office with General LaForge and Admiral Kincaid. The two officers had taken their jackets off and loosened their ties. He was one of the first Commander-in-Chiefs they had respect for. He was willing to listen and once he gathered the information he made a decision. Right or wrong, he could be decisive.

  “I understand the point of what you are telling me but it seems like one heck of a risk doesn’t it?” Strong said.

  “Yes sir. I don’t think we are ready to implement anything just yet but I did want to bring it to your attention.”

  “Gentlemen, what do you really think? I guess what I am asking is, does one risk outweigh the other? We pretty much know the story from Doctor Montgomery about what could happen if KA5 does impact the moon. So what happens if we use Doctor Metzer’s device? Would that cause even more damage or would it work and actually get rid of the threat.”

  “Mr. President, like you, we only have so much information. We know doing nothing is lethal. And there is the other problem.”

  “Meaning?”

  “If the media ever found out we might have something that had the remotest chance of success you would be crucified. This may sound trite but we are literally caught between a rock and a hard place,” Admiral Kincaid said sitting back in his chair.

  “Boy, I guess this is why I get the big bucks. Okay gentlemen, this is what I want to do for the present. I agree we can’t wait much longer if we are going to have time to act. I want to get Doctor Metzler and Montgomery together immediately and have them talk this over. If they say go, we go as fast as we can.”

  “That shouldn’t be too hard. Metzler is at the Skunkworks and Montgomery is back teaching at the University.”

  “We have a plan. We need to implement it immediately,” President Strong said, ending the meeting.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  “Abby, it’s Dan.”

  “Dan? Sorry, do I know you? I once knew a guy name Dan but that was a long time ago. I hardly have a recollection of him after all this time.”

  “Oh come on. It hasn’t been that long. I sent flowers for goodness sake,” he said.

  “That’s true but they are dead now. All I have left is an empty vase,” she replied

  “Okay. Maybe it has been a little while but how would you like to meet for lunch?”

  “Are you here?” she said, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

  “Not exactly. But I will be in a few hours. I want to sweep you away to this really unbelievable place.”

  “Dan. I’m in the middle of classes now. I can’t just go running off at a moment's notice.”

  “You’re not. You have at least three hours’ notice.”

  “I just can’t do that Dan. I have responsibilities. I have students who are paying for me to be here for them,” she explained.

  “That’s well and good Abby but I have orders from the President to pick you up and get you to a meeting.”

  “What is going on Dan? I’m not a government employee. He can’t just order me around like he does you,” she said, starting to get a little miffed at the situation.

  “Abby, calm down. The University President, John Dulles has already spoken with the President and he said that he would make sure you were able to attend.”

  “You went to the University President before you asked me?” she said.

  She was starting to get really upset. End runs were something she absolutely hated.

  “Abby, you’re getting ready to kill the messenger. I didn’t talk to Dulles. The Secretary of Defense called him and explained the situation. He agreed it was of the utmost importance. Then Strong contacted me and told me to make it happen,” Dan explained.

  That was met with silence.

  “Abby?”

  “Alright, but if something like this comes up again, I want to be asked first not after the fact. You can tell the President that for me.”

  “I don’t have to. He is here with me. We are on the speakerphone.”

  “Oh my God. Why didn’t you tell…wait, you're lying aren’t you.”

  “He could have been with me,” Dan chuckled.

  “Boy. No more smooches for you buster,” she replied, “However I have to admit you really had me going for a second.”

  “So, I’ll see you in about three hours. We will be coming into Litchfield Airport. Do you know where that is?”

  “Sure. It’s actually not too far from where I live.”

  “Great. Can you meet us there? We have an ETA of 1800 hours,” he told her.

  “Alright. I’ll be there. Will I be staying overnight?”

  “You should plan on it just in case. Back up a second, do you know what 1800 hours is?”

  “Oh, for heaven's sake, I’m an astronomer. I think I can figure it out. Listen buster, you have been pretty insulting and you are going to have to work pretty hard to get back in my good graces,” she told him.

  “I look forward to having the chance. I promise to work really hard at making amends. See you soon.”

  “Wonderful. Can’t wait for you to get here,” she said.

  * * *

  The sleek G650 Gulfstream jet barely touched down before the pilot had it heading back to the terminal. The ladder was quickly lowered and Dan ran down the stairs. He greeted Abby, grabbed her overnight bag and hustled her aboard the aircraft.

  She hardly had time to buckle up before she heard the tu
rbines wind up and they were wheels up.

  “That’s some rush you put on a lady,” she said, catching her breath.

  “Don’t give them time to think. By the way, you look great.”

  “Thank you. So what is this big meeting about?” Abby asked.

  “You are going to meet a Doctor Metzler.”

  “Fritz Metzler?” she asked looking puzzled.

  “Yeah, do you know the guy?” Dan asked.

  “Sort of. We both spoke at a conference a couple of years ago. I’ll have to say he is eccentric to say the least.”

  “Strange is a better work.”

  “Exactly. So why am I going to meet with him? By the way, where are we going?”

  “Just a short distance outside of Las Vegas.”

  “Nevada?”

  “Is there another?”

  “Wise guy.”

  “We are going to a little place called Groom Lake.”

  “I’ve heard that name before but I can’t remember what it was in reference to,” Abby said.

  “How about Area 51?”

  “Oh get out of here.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “Stop it Dan. That’s silly. Why in the world would I be going to a spy playground?”

  “All I can tell you is that you will be told everything when we get there,” he said cryptically.

  “Interesting,” was all she said.

  They talked about a myriad of things. Of course KA5 came up time and again. Dan filled her in on what he had been up to and she told him about her current classes.

  “This is the fewest number of students I have ever had,” she had told him.

  “People are uncertain about the future. No use going to school if the world is going to end.”

  “I think that is a pretty gross exaggeration. Yes we will have many problems but I’m pretty sure we will survive.”

  “But that’s the problem in a nutshell Abby. Pretty sure means no one knows exactly what is going to happen. It’s the uncertainty that makes people do weird things. One day a guy tells them they are all going to die and the next some other guy says KA5 will miss everything and hit the sun causing huge solar flares. People are getting fifty different opinions from fifty different people,” Dan replied.