Book IV
Page 14
John poured himself a cup of coffee and said, “Would you like some?”
“Yes,” answered Earhart, “I’d love some. It sure does smell fresh. Did you just make it?”
“No, actually, it was made over a day ago,” said Bill.
“I’m not asking any more questions,” said Amelia, taking the mug passed to her, “you guys seem to have all the comforts of home right here.” She looked at Noonan. “Don’t they, Fred?”
Fred seemed to give in. He took a cup of coffee and after having a sip relaxed a bit. “Sorry, fellows. It’s been a long trip that didn’t look as though it was going to turn out well.”
Bill nodded and said, “Believe me, we understand.” He pointed to the rear and continued, “If either of you needs to freshen up, the washroom is in the rear.”
“I must look horrible,” said Amelia running her fingers through her hair as she got up. “I’d like to take you up on that.”
The rain pelted the aircraft and the wind picked up, as testified by the branches that flew past from the few trees on the small island. Occasional lightning flashes showed in the three porthole windows on each side of the Visionaire.
Fred ran his hand along the aircraft’s interior and asked, “How come it’s so quiet in here? I mean the rain and wind that beat on our Lockheed sounded like a train coming through a tunnel.”
“It’s well insulated.” Answered John. “The aircraft you flew in had no insulation because they wanted to save weight for longer range.
”The lavatory door at the rear of the aircraft opened and Amelia came out, her hair combed and clothes straightened. She sat in the plush seat and said, “Where do you two come from? This is no aircraft from Lockheed. Thank the Lord the powder room had a button marked ‘FLUSH’ or I’d still be in there trying to figure it all out. And,” she turned to Fred, “when I opened the door the light came on without me having to throw a switch. A gal could get used to this real easy.”
John reached into the small refrigerator and took out four sandwiches and asked, “Would you two like to join Bill and me in a light dinner?”
Noonan reluctantly took one and said with amazement, “It’s cold. Are you going to tell me you have a refrigerator small enough to fit inside this aircraft?”
John nodded and reached into an overhead bin and removed two pillows. “These are for the trip back, and,” he said, pointing to the overhead bin on the opposite side, “there are blankets in that one.”
“Once again, gentlemen,” Amelia said taking a sip of the black coffee, “where are you from?”
“New York,” Bill said.
“No,” she said shaking her head, “I’m knowledgeable enough to state flatly that electric-powered engines are not even close to being able to power an aircraft. And I noticed your landing lights. Too small for the amount of light they throw off.” She took a sip of her coffee then continued.
“Likewise with the flush system in the washroom. That was a type of vacuum flush, not a gravity-look-out-below type. This technology is just not available in today’s market. And please,” she put up her hand, “don’t tell me it’s experimental. My husband George Putnam is a very rich man and he would have most, if not all, of these contraptions you have. So, where do you come from I ask?”
John and Bill looked at each other and, sensing this was the right time to open up, Bill said, “It’s true we come from New York.” He paused, took a sip of his coffee and continued, “Amelia, you are known as a woman of vision, a woman who goes where others won’t. And you, Fred, are of the same breed. A navigator from Pan American Airways who guided huge flying boats safely across the Pacific. You both are a step out in front of all the others.” He paused for a second then continued, “Well,” he went on, sitting back and crossing his hands over his stomach as the wind rocked the aircraft, “I have a story to tell you, and some other gadgets to show you. Let’s start with, where are we from. As I said, New York, but it’s not where, that’s as important as when. You see we are from your future, 2011, to be exact.”
Both Amelia and Fred said nothing at first, then Fred ventured as he looked at both men as though they were from Mars, “You trying to tell us that you come from the year 2011?”
John nodded. “Wait before you say no. Let me show you some of the ‘gadgets’ we brought with us.” He removed the laptop from a compartment under the seat and set it up. When he powered it up Amelia and Fred’s eyes went wide.
Bill put in a CD and showed moving pictures of jet planes taking off and landing to let hundreds of people off; cars going at over 100 miles an hour at the Indianapolis Speedway; an Atlas rocket lifting off its launch pad; a submarine rising from the sea in a cascade of water; a helicopter taking twenty people on board and going straight up and flying away.
If the scenes weren’t enough to make them believers, the clarity of the color, high definition movies was.
Amelia sat there looking around the aircraft in a different way now. “My gosh! Two thousand eleven! This is fantastic. This is science fiction.”
“What happens to us now?” asked a sullen Noonan.
Bill put the laptop down and said, “Fred, that’s why we’re here. To rescue you.”
“From what?” he asked. “Running out of gas? Not reaching Howland Island? Ditching at sea?”
Bill shrugged his shoulders. “We don’t know. All we do know is that you two disappear and are never heard from again.”
Amelia looked at her watch and said, “Do you mean that by now we would be dead if you hadn’t come along?”
This time it was John who spoke. “We really don’t know. All we know is that you two go missing. And think of this; if we hadn’t met you and got you to a landing spot, you would have ditched into that cold stormy ocean by now, for lack of fuel.”
“True,” Noonan asked, “and although I’m happy you came along, my question is why? Why did you come to save us?”
Bill answered, “Because if you come back to the States, the world is plunged into a war that devastates the United States, Canada and Great Britain.”
“But . . . but, how could we be responsible for that happening?” Amelia asked sitting on the edge of her seat.
“If, by any chance,” Bill said, “you have pictures in your aircraft of Japanese ships at Truk Island, and you get them to Washington, it will start a chain of events that launches a world war with bad consequences for the U.S. and her allies.”
Amelia and Fred looked at each other and she said, as she looked out the window at her Lockheed rocking in the wind, “Why would you think we might have pictures of Truk Island?”
“Amelia,” Bill answered in a low voice, “we have the advantage of being from your future. To us it’s history.
She bit her lip as she asked, “So, you could have just left us alone and we’d probably ran out of gas and . . . and, well . . . you know.“
“Or,” Bill said, “just watched and see if you get lucky and find Howland Island and change history for millions of people, including your loved ones.”
Amelia and Fred sat silently for a minute, as Bill and John let them think things over.
“What happens to George?” Amelia asked in a low voice.
George Putnam?” asked Bill.
She nodded her head, “Yes, my George . . . if we don’t return.”
“There is another world war and he goes into it as a colonel in the U.S. Army and is a great contributor to the war effort. He lives a good long life, Amelia.”
She nodded again. “So, what do we have to do, to avert the events you told us about?”
Bill sat forward and said, “You have only one choice. We take you back and slip you into the United States. You both live under other names, never revealing your true identities at least until after the war is over in 1945. You can’t even let the government know you are back because the Japanese have informants who would report that you have returned. They would think that you have the photos and accelerate their plans for war. We’ll make s
ure you have the money needed to make you very comfortable for as long as you wish.”
Amelia had a faraway look in her eyes as she said softly, “To never fly again.” She hung her head.
Noonan looked at her and took her hand in his, “Easy, Amelia, there must be another way.” He looked away as he said also in a low voice, “I really was going to hang my hat up after this trip. I thought I’d open up a navigation school, maybe write a book of our experiences.”
“What do we do with my airplane?” she asked.
“Not sure,” said Bill.
“Tell me,” asked Amelia, “do they still have piston-engine aircraft in the time we are going?”
Noonan looked up with understanding at her question and half a smile on his face. “And, maybe they’ll need a good navigation school there.”
“What are you two thinking?” asked John as he saw a look of understanding between them.
Amelia sounded more upbeat as she proposed; “If you can travel in time in this aircraft, just drop us off in, oh let’s say, the 1960s. The war will be over and I can fly without ever revealing who I am and Fred can open his school.”
“Well,” said Bill, “it’s not like we travel through time in this aircraft, but dropping you off in the sixties, sounds okay to me. It does give you another option we didn’t think of.”
“So, where do you have to refuel to get back to the States?” Noonan asked.
“We don’t,” said John, “the aircraft is an ultra long-range type. But it’s a thirty-hour trip back to New York.”
“Ha!” laughed Fred, “that’s nothing to us.”
“Tell me,” Amelia asked, “do you have any moving pictures of the sixties on your gadget, Bill?”
He nodded, “Yes, I do. And let me tell you, the sixties were some great times. You’ll both love them. I suggest you live in New York City.”
“There’s still one thing we have to do before we leave,” said Bill. “We have to ditch your aircraft. We can’t let it be found.”
“How?” asked Amelia.
“First thing in the morning, remove any personal items you may have and then we start her up and roll her off the cliff into the water.” He looked at his watch and went on. “I know what I’m going to do now, wash up and get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”
All agreed and settled into the soft plush seats converted into beds. Bill dimmed the interior lights and John put on some easy sounding, 1960s CDs low. That night in the warm interior of the Visionaire, the four of them slept through the storm that ravaged the area.
The next morning, Amelia and Fred woke up to the smell of Starbucks coffee and bagels lightly toasted with cream cheese and jelly. All four of them ate with gusto as they planned their flight. The sun was up as Amelia and Fred went back to their Lockheed and removed some small items. She handed John a Kodak camera and asked him to take their picture by her famous aircraft.
After they stowed their possessions in the 2011 aircraft, the three men put two large stones in front of the wheels of Amelia’s Lockheed, and she climbed in and started her up. With the engines at a fast idle, she left the aircraft and they removed the stones. They watched as the little silver aircraft rolled forward over the edge of the cliff into the deep water forty-eight feet below. Bill and John walked back to their aircraft as Amelia and Fred stood by the cliff, each with their own thoughts.
The whine of an engine turning over alerted Amelia and her navigator that it was time to start a new adventure. Amelia naturally put her head through the cockpit door to watch the startup sequence.
Bill pressed the button that activated the radio and said, “High Flight to Club, come in please.”
Almost immediately it squawked back, “Club to High Flight, I read you loud and clear. How was the meeting? Over.”
Bill grinned as he answered, “The meeting went as planned and both are enjoying the Starbucks as we talk. Sorry, we didn’t get back to you earlier partner, just been very busy. Starting the trip home now and plan to keep to our schedule so, stay tuned. Over and out.”
She watched as John typed into the computer the coordinates for the return trip back to New York, then said, “Hold tight.” He advanced the throttles and they took off in a bright sunny afternoon.
Once at 35,000 feet, Bill entered into the interior. Amelia had the laptop and was watching some CDs he had set up for her. Noonan was napping and Bill said in a hushed voice, “Hey Amelia, go up front. John has a surprise for you.” He took the laptop as she went to the cabin door.
“Bill said you wanted to see me, John?”
John grinned and pointed to the co-pilot’s seat. “Grab a seat lady, I want to show you something.”
She sat and strapped herself in then asked, “All right, I’m seated, John, what do you want to show me?”
“First, let me tell you that this aircraft has the ability to perform exactly like any aircraft ever manufactured. Now, take the control stick and get the feel of a Twin Beech, the kind of aircraft I fly.”
She took the control stick and gently rocked the wings as she felt it out. She grinned over to him as she picked the nose up and added some power. The plane started a slight climb and she leveled off at 36,000 feet.
“Wow!” she said as she shook her head, ‘what power! I want one of these.”
Bill laughed as he asked, “Now, I’m going to program in a Lockheed Electra like you fly. What’s the dash number?”
“It was the Lockheed Electra 10E with the 550 horsepower engines.” she answered as he typed the information into the computer.
Amelia watched as he said, “hold on I’m going to press the engage button and we’ll be flying your favorite aircraft.” She held the control column as he depressed the engage button. The aviatrix’s eyes went wide as the aircraft went from the smooth flying aircraft from the future to the 1930s aircraft with its 1930s technology.
Although at first stunned at the change in the feel of the aircraft, she sat back and took on an air of confidence as she was suddenly at the controls of her familiar aircraft. She looked at him and said with a grin, “John, this is fantastic! I’m really looking forward to seeing some of the things in your time, but for now I’d like you to switch back to the modern aircraft, I’d like to get a feel for what’s in my future.”
The rest of the thirty-hour trip was flown at 35,000 feet and Amelia delighted in flying as much as possible. John gave her all the stick-time she wanted and marveled at how she handled it with the autopilot off. She’s a natural flyer, he thought as he watched her.
Fred Noonan kept the logbook and took readings and navigation fixes even though the computer was keeping the course. He and Amelia also spent time on the laptop going through the history CDs Bill had brought along.
They spotted the lights of New York at 10:15 p.m., and after a little pleading John gave in to Amelia and she made a low pass over the runway before turning into the wind and lowering the flaps and landing gear for a perfect three-point landing, at 11 p.m.
Using two flashlights, Matt guided them into the hangar and locked it behind them. He had a black four-door Ford sedan waiting for them and after introductions, drove Bill, John, Noonan and Amelia Earhart back to The 1800 Club, and by midnight they had entered the door taking them up to 2011.
DATELINE: 2011 PLACE: THE 1800 CLUB, NEW YORK CITY
Amelia stood in Bill’s den as she looked around and asked, “This is 2011? Can we go out?”
“Tomorrow,” said Bill, “I plan on taking you to a few places. Right now it’s brandy, a good cigar and sleep. Of course, Amelia, the cigar is optional.”
Matt brought them all a steak dinner followed by brandy, and Amelia amused the men by enjoying a cigar with them. He put out sleepware and after the many hours of droning through the air, they were all asleep by 3 a.m.
At 10:15 the next morning, Matt tapped on Bill’s door and entered with a cup of coffee. Bill stretched and took the hot drink, “Thanks, Matt. Am I the first up?”
“Great!” said Bill, as he hopped out of bed and headed toward his private bathroom and shower. “I’ll be down before that.”
Twenty minutes later, Bill walked into the den to see Amelia wide-eyed in front of the TV set. “Good morning, Amelia,” he said sitting on the couch next to her.
“Good morning, Bill.” She pointed to the set and continued, “My gosh, this is fantastic! You live in such a great time. I mean, we had radio, but this is something so very different.”
“We have our problems, too,” said Bill shaking his head, “every generation does.”
“Bill,” she asked with pleading eyes, “You will take me out today. Right?”
“Yes,” he said taking a sip of coffee, “I will.”
She looked into his eyes and said sincerely, “I’d like to thank you for saving us. I now realize that if you and John hadn’t shown up, we would have been lost at sea. I was almost out of gas and as you know we lost our means to communicate.” She put out her hand and he shook it. “Thank you again.”
Just then Matt entered with John and Fred.
“Breakfast is served, sir, in the main dining room.”
After good mornings all around, Bill escorted them to the large room. The smell of eggs and bacon greeted them and they all ate as though they were famished. The conversation was mostly small talk until the meal was finished.
“I’d like to take you on a trip that John set up.” Bill said as he drained his coffee mug. “He is a writer for Aerospace Technology Week magazine and knows lots of people in the aviation field.” He tilted his head toward John, “But let him tell you.”