The World
Chapter Twenty-Two
Fun ‘n Games
Well, Jim is in Jerusalem
and the city seems to be in such a stir.
He considers his responsibilities as Abdul drives him to the Jerusalem Hilton.
Israeli intelligence immediately realized that this
"Jim" is America's number one intelligence heavyweight
and is indeed the black commander,
Colonel James,
of the notorious "Area 51" project,
"Area 51" was the publicized version of "Project Gold Alien".
It seemed that John had no difficulty in staging the "Roswell hoax".
Whatever Jim had whispered to the Israeli border captain had all but secured the Israeli trust.
It was rumored that Jim had whispered to the captain in Hebrew that he was a heavenly peace enforcer.
Undoubtedly, many were skeptical,
but they all understood American humor
and hence showed an interest.
Oh who am I trying to kid!
Seriously folks this is just an intro to this latest episode.
It is just a story!
There is no Area 51 alien conspiracy!
There are no time travelers!
And foremost of all:
Travel back in time is impossible!
OK skeptics.
I challenge you to read on and follow my reasoning!
Advise me if you do not come out with a profoundly different world view
Or, if not, wre you, just partially entertained?
Oh yes, time travel is explained somewhere in this small tangled web I just weave.
After all,It is but a childish fantasy.
Itt would not surprise me, if fusion is now being actively developed using top secret funding;
the military kind.
It would also not surprise me that the US would consider such development to be of strategic importance.
Now what do you believe?
Have they have shifted the research over to secret government funding
now that they know it is feasible and wish to safeguard that technology ,
because of its importance to the strategic economic interests of the United States.
I am certain that there is much not being said,
but it is also imperative that the energy needs of the population be met in order to avoid catastrophe;
thus this technology can not be concealed for too many years.
Let's get hot with that development, gentlemen!
Jim reviewed the policy and found no major stumbling blocks. It seemed that he approved of the democratic foundations of these two Earth nations that he had visited thus far. The democracies respected the individual beliefs of their governed and tended to avoid legislating laws of a religious nature. This may seem somewhat irreverent of the government, but one must remember the government itself is not a sole individual but a congregation of individuals with varying beliefs. The government is primarily concerned with the economic stability of the neighborhoods within its domain, and its survivability depends on how successful it is in keeping its citizens duly employed and fed. This requires peace in the region so that one does not need to fear the destruction of the local means of livelihood. The community must rely on the good faith of its citizens in order to survive. The trick is then how to gain the respect and the consent of the governed. The success of a nation depends on how well this is accomplished.By offering to build a prototype plant in Jerusalem, Antiope Industries would aid in the unification process. The fuel would be the waters of Mt. Moriah itself, as the new technology would convert water to living energy. The means to produce this power would be given to man provided that they use it peacefully.
Jim would propose the name of the site to be named Albert Einstein Power Company, in honor of one of Israel's favorite sons. Apprentices would be schooled at the site as to proper rules governing atomic physics, and to learn how to safely handle large amounts of power. Jim knew that he would have to give the Americans the same technology, but all knew that this industry was simply Antiope Industries, and the means to control the energy was the closely guarded secret that Jim possessed.
To provide an extra punch, Jim could perform the miracle of creating millions of gallons of fresh water from a few drops of the water from Mt. Moriah. For you disbelievers; here is the trick. The energy created from the fusion of the hydrogen in the water distilled millions of gallons from the ocean.
With less than two hours to go before departure, the cab arrived at the outskirts of Jerusalem. Abdul knew the way to the Hilton. His little taxi looked somewhat out of place in the company of all the other finer limousines in the region. Jim had to get somewhat nasty with the guard who would not allow them near the Hilton. He had to burn the man's weapon hand in order to get by.
Helen tipped Abdul with another gold coin, and the two entered the building. Helen's dazzling beauty immediately caught every one's attention, as the hotel staff recognized the pair as their VIP guests. They still carried the four assault rifles that they had picked up in Gaza. Helen reluctantly surrendered the assault rifles to the bell captain, who was eager to lock these weapons safely away. Hilton management frowned upon guests toting automatic weapons on their premises. It tended to chase away their customers. However, Jim refused to surrender his Colt 45. Helen was permitted to keep her hand weapon as well, since no one could recognize what kind of weapon it was. Jim kept his cane, and Helen kept her parasol. The couple found their way to the conference room which was already filled with curious Israeli and Palestinian officials. For some odd reason, both parties had taken a favorable attitude towards this pair.
The Americans had not disclosed the fact that Helen was alien. This was classified information. Antiope Industries had just made a spectacular performance on Wall Street, and Helen carried the credentials of executive officer, Antiope Industries. Antiope Industries had been the buzzword for the day, and here was Helen in Jerusalem about to make another announcement. Every major world investor had learned to gain respect for the stock to Antiope Industries on that day. Antiope had warned the market not to play profit taking games with her company, and they had been seriously burned by doing so. No one ever before had so powerfully controlled the market, but still very few knew much about Antiope Industries. It was such a new company, and management was somewhat hard to approach. Antiope was always busy and scarcely available. Helen did not seem to concern herself with business and Batavia had been her only public speech thus far.
She could see that the lecherous old men still had fire in their hearts for her. She could easily arouse each and every one of them with a minimal effort. She could even get a rise out of the gay men. Jim pointed to the time indicating that time was getting short. Genie was fully charged and was performing preflight checkout.
"Password, Jim. I'm critical."
"OK Idiot. Fire up!"
It was not yet time for departure, but Idiot needed password clearance in order to enable its central reactors. It still needed to do an initial systems readiness test on each of the warp and antimatter functions and make programming adjustments. Due to the nature of this time jump, Jim had to secretly concern himself with the programming as Helen sold the audience the Albert Einstein Power Company.
"Gentlemen, as some of you may know, we demonstrated our new fusion control module yesterday in Batavia, Illinois, and created the most powerful, sustainable, and controllable fusion reaction the world has ever seen. We have the ability to maintain this process indefinitely and artificially. We can use this process to make energy to drive a thriving economy. We can use this process to take the waters from Mt. Moriah and provide everlasting freshwater for everyone and their garden. Indeed the land can be flowing with milk and honey as cheap power can make pure the waters of the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean. The price for this gentleman is a cessation to the Palestinian demand for a separate nation. The water shall be shared by both tribes for it knows not whether you be Jew or Muslim. It only knows that you are thirsty and seek its power and quenching goodness. We seek the consent and support of the Israeli government and hereby request a building permit. When can we start building this complex gentleman?"
"My lady, are you intent on using the waters from our sacred Mt. Moriah to power your infernal engine from Hell?"
"Of course, gentlemen. Any more questions?"
"I object. It would be immoral for us to profane our sacred ground with this engine from Hell. It could also cause an atomic explosion. Are you insane, my lady?"
"No, just a tough bitch, and you're a spineless worm. So what are you going to do if I build in spite of your objection, have a temper tantrum?"
"No I shall simply vote no and not allow you to build and profane our holy ground nor threaten this holy city. We Muslims can not allow you to profane our ground."
"Get real, gentlemen, we intend to provide each and every Muslim child in Jerusalem inexpensive electricity and plentiful water. You will no longer burn oil to make power. I do not intend on going through the expense of building this unit and being forced to bill Muslim and Jew under different infrastructures. I only want to bribe my city officials once. This complex is going to be intricately linked with Mt. Moriah because that is your fountainhead and our reactors need fresh water which requires minimal filtering. Fresh water and electricity will be distributed throughout the city using a unified distribution matrix which we also are constructing. I do not intend to deal with two squabbling governments in my attempt to keep your city flowing with fresh water and illuminated during the upcoming centuries."
"It seems I have heard this somewhere before. It sounds like a good plan I shall vote for it. Tell us more."
"We are setting up our site here, and the nations hall come here to learn the secret of infinite power. We shall shut out the knowledge to no one. The secret to controlled fusion shall then not be used destructively and shall be hoarded by no nation, but shall be shared by all humanity. What say you now, gentlemen?"
"I still object."
He turned and looked for support. He thought he was about to get some when Helen shot the individual. He fell dead on the spot.
Jim objected. "Oh Helen, you should not have done that."
Quickly he moved over to the dead individual. Using Genie he managed to masquerade a resuscitation of the deceased individual disguising his true actions under the guise of an earth surgeon. The guests were surprised to see the exceptional healing skills of Helen's bodyguard. Besides being a remarkable soldier this man was apparently an exceptional surgeon. A rare combination it was indeed.
"Don't piss her off," were the first words the revived individual heard.
The rest of the audience was shocked and amazed, but they approved Helen's bid for construction. Helen reconfirmed the bid using several channels. Satisfied, she concluded her business and turned to Jim. "Shall we go?"
Jim said. "It's about time. We have a helicopter waiting. Antiope is outside waiting for us. Did you enjoy our date?"
"I love you, Jim." She kissed him. "When are we going out again?"
The duo ignored the approving crowd as they left the room. They slipped around a corner and disappeared, reappearing inside the helicopter. Not being surprised, Antiope greeted Jim and Helen with a smile. "Need a lift?"
In spite of the early hour, the area around the Hilton was mobbed as all tried to intercept Jim and Helen before they got to the helicopter. All were surprised as Antiope lifted off with Helen waving at the crowd from the chopper as it was airborne. On the way back to the Dutchman, Genie intercepted communications concerning their visit. Apparently there still were a few individuals that did not care too much for the idea of building the Albert Einstein Power Company. Jim wasn't interested in arguing any more. In just a few minutes, he would be leaving, and time would take its course while he reflected on his options.
"So are you taking us with you, then, Jim boy?" queried Helen.
"Of course he is," emphasized Antiope, "otherwise yesterday's date would have been a sham."
"I was considering taking you back upon my return from Artemis."
"What if she insists on coming with you? Or insists on sending new guards for you?"Jim thought of Gemini. Reconciling that there was a very high probability that they would be his new escorts, Jim decided to take Helen and Antiope to the past, but he would have to pass near Cygnus first to establish the wormhole to the past.
"OK, ladies. You asked for it."
Antiope and Helen were elated. Genie would fold up the chopper and the Dutchman for later re-extraction as Idiot would reconstruct the Box enclosing Antiope, Helen, and Jim within its boundaries. Once enclosed, no outside radiation of any form would make it through the Box's gravitational shielding.
A destroyer was guarding the vicinity of the Dutchman where it lay anchor. Antiope expertly landed the small helicopter on the yacht's small helodeck. Before landing she thanked the Navy for guarding her yacht for her. "But boys, you simply are going to have to clear out now; we are scheduled for some very special operations. Give General Armstrong my best regards."
Maintaining radio silence, the destroyer turned away from the Dutchman and increased speed. The trio scouted the yacht to ensure everything was in place. Antiope weighed anchor and Helen started the engines. Genie turbo-boosted the engines a little as well and the yacht was soon out of visual contact with land and ships.
"Blackout all electronic surveillance of this region, Idiot, and then take us to invisibility mode. Establish complete gravitational shielding and zero our mass. Enter 100% radiation absorption mode, and project us away from Earth mass center away from solar center towards Cygnus, minimize temporal displacement. Maintain apparent visual field and merge it in with our field of arrival."
"I am then to assume we are to land in this same ocean location yet 3400 Earth years previous. I am to also acquire maximum antimatter charge in the process. I am also programming in an extra ten kilograms for John as well. In our bounce back to Artemis, I will have to fly through Cygnus and discharge some antimatter."
"OK Idiot. Effect displacement."
"Processing and implementing."
"I'll tell the ladies to get below so that we may change outward appearance. Do you have a model of a time-ship to demonstrate for the record?”
"Of course I do, Jim.""I see, we effectively transverse space by decreasing the actual 'distance' between points; that is we shrink space."
"Yes, the apparent shape of space is altered by reconstructing our gravitational tensor field to one that is of a distinctly different velocity relative to Earth's space. Our meter is a distinctly different meter in a different frame of reference, as is our second distinctly different."
"Thus there is no lower limit to the amount of time needed to traverse great distances."
"As long as one is free to control his velocity. I am your dream machine with self generating power capabilities. Power requires direction, but the direction must maintain continuity else an uncontrollable release of energy would result in the complete instability of local space."
"Poof and we go boom! Correct, Idiot?"
"Correct Jim. Have you advised to the ladies the risks of this form of travel? They seem to suffer from the illusion that time travel is risk free. This will be their first trip back in time."
"Idiot, they don't belong on the Earth we just left. I still believe our best course of action with respect to Earth is to not become involved. Somehow, I regret becoming involved in the first place. Now I have promised to give them the ability to harness fusion energy. Yet they hedge in accepting my help, and fear some great nuclear holocaust instead. I am advised that such secrets be given to only a privileged few. Who decides who the privileged are to be? The same system that distributes the wealth? Harnessing tremendous amounts of power leaves very little room for error, and we have too much potential power over this little planet to make mistakes.
""Yes, Jim, but so far our mistakes have not been critical ones. I still have a potential path projected in my active navigational controller for 3400 years ago, and as you are quite aware, we are on our way, and are no longer in Earth's gravitational field or local space. We are currently interfacing with the Cygnus singularity, the ladies will be losing consciousness shortly. I can effect transformation of the ship's appearance during the brief time that they are unconscious. I am making the transition very smoothly, Jim, almost too smoothly, almost as if.....Jim! We're being pulled in. Our controls require us to follow the direction made manifest to us. It is almost, as if, we're expected."
"This is highly unusual, Idiot."
"Jim, why did you decide to make this trip?”
