TEMPUS CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
When my brother and I built the first man-carrying flying machine we thought that we were introducing into the world an invention which would make further wars practically impossible.
Orville Wright, 1917
“Cristian we have a small problem there is a Modified F18 fighter jet tracking us.”
“How is that possible?”
“I am not sure.”
“Any suggestions?”
“Move quickly it has deployed four missiles.”
“I see them. I have an idea” Cristian evaded the missiles for a few minutes but they were gaining. He turned around and flew right at the F18 and parked under him matching his every move.
“I could board the fighter and take it” offered M1.
“Thanks, M1, I don’t have a place to park it. Let’s wait and see what happens next.”
“Watcher find out who he is talking to. I would like to hear the conversation.”
“The transmissions are using basic encryption, Got it. Cristian they are tracking our shield.”
“Shut it down.”
“That will leave us vulnerable.”
The missiles were flying directly at the F18 “Abort missiles, Abort, self-destruct” Now yelled a frantic pilot. The missiles exploded away from the fighter.
“Watcher scramble his avionics let’s force him to go home. We will follow.”
“I lost him, my instruments are TU. I repeat all instruments are Tits Up.”
“Roger Return to Base.”
The F18 landed in the desert in Nevada.
“Continue to monitor their communications Watcher this may be a trap.”
“I agree Cristian those missiles would not have done any damage. But they did carry a marking agent that could help them track us.”
“Tell me when the pilot has cleared his aircraft?”
Cristian stayed low on the horizon behind a small mountain trying to avoid a second detection.
“He is ten meters away Cristian.”
He pulled the Ascalon up for a better angle.
“Squash that Hornet, take it out, just the plane.”
A subsonic small yield missile exploded on the ground destroying just the plane.
“Shields on.” He flew as fast as the ship would move into space.
“Are we being followed or tracked?”
“No, I am rotating the frequencies of the shields.”
“Watcher, can we fly under the water in the Ascalon?”
“With the shields on no problem.”
I think we will enter the ocean at whisky six off the coast of Vancouver Island and fly up the Fraser canyon from Vancouver just to be safe. I think we have been a little overconfident.”
“We will have to take out the underwater detection grid SOSUS across the whole pacific for a short while. Is that a problem?”
“Not at all.”
“Let’s go home, Watcher.”
Back at the cave, Lorelei was working on blueprints at the table.
“I was just working on house plans Cristian. How did it go?” asked Lorelei.
“We had a small problem with an F18, they used future tech and were able to track the Ascalon for a short while.”
He gave Lorelei the account of the afternoon.
“That plane doesn’t sound like much of a problem anymore.”
“There will be more.”
“At least it sounds like Mosby will be away for a while.”
“Years, I told the warden I caught him raping my ten-year-old daughter and her horse. I paid him in gold bars.”
“Yikes you play rough Cristian; he will have a lot of close friends there.”
“That he will, Lorelei.”
“How are the baby and mother doing?”
Both Watcher and Lorelei tried to answer at the same time.
“The baby and mother are healthy Cristian.”
“Thanks, Watcher” was Lorelei’s reply. She turned to face Cristian. “Cristian I know you will love me when I am fat and big as a house.”
“I could not do anything else.” Even though she knew, the words were a comfort. He walked over and gave her a long kiss and a hug. “How fat are we talking?” he said chuckling a little.
“Cristian Wolf,” she said chasing him into the bedroom.
In the morning Cristian was up before Lorelei and was having a conversation with M1 and Watcher.
“We have a list how do we get to them?” asked Cristian.
“Look at the names on the list. They control the media, the government, and corporations. Becoming terrorists will only serve their purpose, to restrict freedoms and keep people in fear. I believe that the acts blamed on terrorists are perpetrated by these people. They are the only real terrorists.” Cristian was formulating a plan in his mind “If we could break the back of the oil companies the Elder’s control would be weakened. The oil companies are behind the money.”
“Watcher why did electric cars fail in the late 19th century?”
“Battery technology was ineffective and expensive. The same reason they are failing now and will for many years.”
“What about solar power in the same years.”
“Solar power was demonstrated by a few inventors but was defeated by cheap coal.”
“What if we helped those inventors along a little, or even better brought them together to form an alliance, for the purpose of giving the world almost free power.”
“How would we do that Cristian?”
“We bring them here, show them the technology, we tell them about the Elders. We swear them to secrecy. What technology could we introduce Watcher?”
“Lithium batteries, Led lights, multi-layer transparent solar panels, vacuum tube hot water elements for solar heating, and the manufacturing methods and anything else we can find.”
“That sounds like a good start. Now we need to assemble a list of guests.”
“Cristian should I expect a few more guests for dinner?”
“Lorelei I love you and yes, not today.”
“We have a few preparations before we bring them here.”
“M1 I don’t think an exposed gun wall would make these people comfortable and we will need a small lecture hall, seating and quarters for our guests.”
“I will get started.”
“Thank you M1.”
Watcher we will have to go shopping for the technology mentioned.”
“We also have a building to sell and we have to assume our identities? I did it at some time might as well be now.”
Cristian went on to do the things he already knew he had done in the past and future. He stopped in at the office and left a note for himself signed it Robert Mitchum. He went back to see Arthur in 1891 and told him to take holidays every year. He stopped in to see the Kamloops project finished including a Victorian-style house for Lorelei.
He saw the operations moved to Kamloops. M1 built the shaft with an elevator to the cave from the warehouse office. He added the head of a statue on a desk that tilted to reveal a hidden button for the elevator door. Two bookcases slid to opposite sides to reveal a replica of a blue English police box door.
Opening the door led to the elevator, which really did look bigger on the inside? Beside the elevator, he had a couple of emergency Batman-style slide poles with fake jets to take them to the cave quickly.
At the bottom of the shaft in a glass case, the original costumes worn by Adam West and Burt Ward in the 1960s TV series. It was a tribute to Batman and his creator for fuelling his imagination as a boy. The police box door and the Dalek replica were another tribute to a TV Time Travelling Doctor. He thought his redhead was prettier than Amy Pond though, as it should be.
He spent many trips back and forth collecting everything from cars, art, and even bottles of liquor that would fetch a good price in the future. Cristian even found time to find the C-cell version of the Forbidden Planet Robbie toy robot, which he knew his buddy Leon was looking for. Leon always had a cup of coffee for him when he came by. The robot was a gift.
The building in Vancouver was sold; all the Vancouver properties were sold.
Then he travelled to the future and arranged with Arthur Junior to have him live in the house to keep it occupied until he could move in. He sold all the cars and motorcycles including the Cobra numbered 003 and signed by Carroll Shelby all the antique cars the Ferrari, Cadillac’s and Corvette’s, all except a Blue flame on blue 1969 Corporate Office Production Order Camaro. It had 15 miles on it. He kept that for himself.
All the trips were done to buy and sell gold to finance the fight against the Elders. In the back of the cave, a vault was constructed and filled with gold and old currency. It was to be used to finance the Alliance that would produce free energy for the world.
He wished for a simpler time where he could just sit on his front porch and enjoy his wife, his child and life. That would come after the war. After the rest of the world was free from the tyranny, and from the destruction of the Elders.
Inside the cave, a greenhouse with an aquaponics tank was added with led lights that mimicked sunlight. The lights were added throughout the cave. The cave had become a command centre. After a few of months of travelling, he went back in time for supper the same day he left.
“How long were you out there Cristian? Nice beard and your hair is longer.”
“Five months or so sweetie. I had a lot of work to do.”
“I know things started to appear here everywhere. The new doors an elevator, the house, a greenhouse, which I love. Fresh veg and herbs every day. Fresh fish. The lecture hall, living quarters. I also love the brass ladder on rails in the library in your new office. Why do we have a motorized wheelchair?”
“The chair is for one of our coming guests. Arthur Junior and his wife are living in the house right now. He has become the head of operations. His son Arthur Clark III is at school and will take over soon. I am sure you already know.”
“I see your warehouse is empty except for one car.”
“Yes, sweetie a lot has been sold. The car is for us.”
“That would explain the vault and the storehouse of food. I am sure there is enough for a few hundred years in the storehouse. Cristian the cafeteria and kitchen are wonderful” she looked into his eyes “I am so very proud of you.” Tears started to roll out of her eyes.
He held her as tight as he did the first time he held her. He felt something touching his legs. It was Cali and Deakes.
“We are not done yet, wife. The war is coming.”
After another fine supper, Cristian picked up his wife and carried her into the bedroom. “What about the mess and dishes?”
“I will attend to those Lorelei” Answered M1.
“Oh okay” was her reply.
“M1 I have some panels, batteries and other Tech in the Ascalon if you could take them to the lecture hall and set them up for demonstration.