by Phil Walker
“That was also well spoken,” said Washington. “You say that you have more to show me on your magic lantern?”
“I do indeed, Sir,” smiled Arcadia, “There are six full hours of video for you to see. It begins with the end of the war and struggle to form the United States, afterward you will see a second war with England, the expansion of the country, the outcome of the problem of slavery you do not resolve in the formation of the country and the results of that about 75 years from now, when the country fights a very destructive Civil War in which a tragic 700,000 Americans die. You will see the broad expanse of history and the involvement of the United States in world affairs. You are going to see some pretty awful things. You will learn the truth of the good policy somebody writes in the future, that the United States should avoid foreign entanglements.”
“That sounds like good advice,” said Washington, “Who said it?”
“You did, about 20 years from now.”
7
Mount Vernon, Virginia
Washington shouted in anger, wept, and shook his head in disgust as he watched the following 250 years unfold on the screen. Arcadia knew the presentation was carefully prepared to elicit the greatest impact, and also to be very credible with exact dates and the actual footage of events when motion pictures became possible at the beginning of 20th century. He was horrified to see the result of this American transformation and the nuclear explosions that wiped out the biggest cities and killed 150 million people.
When the video was finished, he was silent for a long time. Arcadia sat quietly and let him process all he had seen.
Finally, he said, “The Lord has given you a plan to prevent all of this carnage and destruction?”
“We are not certain about the rest of the world,” said Arcadia, “but we believe much of this can be avoided by building a different United States.”
“How do you intend to accomplish this?”
“I’m not going to do anything, except provide good counsel and the means to defeat the British in a hurry right now, all the real work will have to be done by you, and your colleagues, plus the men and women who will follow you in history.”
“So,” said Washington, “assuming that all you have said is true, and I am inclined to believe you more than ever now, what is the next step?”
“Send messengers immediately to Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, and Hamilton and ask them to come here as soon as they can. Tell them you have vital information to share and ask them to stop what they are doing and come to Mount Vernon.”
“And then, what will happen,” asked Washington?
“They will get the same briefing you got. Then they must make a decision on how to proceed. I will then transport all of you to the installation we have built, not far from here and show you wonders beyond your scope of belief.”
“I will send messengers with letters out in the morning,” said Washington. “You will spend the night, of course.”
“Absolutely not,” Arcadia spoke with firm authority. “I have already taken a huge risk in spending the day with you. I should have worn a mask, along with my gloves, but I was afraid it would alarm you.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Potentially, you and I are separated by two and half centuries. There’s just no telling, what kind of pathogens we have exposed each other too. The risk to me is less because I was vaccinated against every disease we know about from this time, but there’s no way of knowing if I have brought something lethal with me from my time that might infect you. It would be a tragedy if I’ve given you a 21st century disease that would kill you. It would make my mission much more difficult to accomplish. No, Sir, I’m leaving as soon as I can get a chopper in here to take me out.
She handed Washington an IPhone. “When all your guests have arrived, turn this on, by pushing this button and then enter the number one. I’ll come back. Arcadia demonstrated by using the phone herself. A man’s figure appeared on the screen. “I’m ready for pickup.”
“We’ll be right there.”
“I don’t know how long it will take to assemble the men we need,” said Arcadia, “Please do it as expeditiously as possible.”
Moments later, the helicopter sat down on the space in front of the mansion. Arcadia bowed to Washington and said, “You can watch everything you’ve see today as many times as you like, just push start, thank you, Mr. Washington and May God Bless you in the name of Jesus Christ.”
With that, she hurried to the chopper and was gone in just a few seconds.
Good to his word, Washington wrote long letters to each of the people Arcadia had mentioned. He knew them all, of course, and he told them that an extraordinary event was unfolding, and that it was imperative that all of them come immediately, no matter what their circumstances.
Young Thomas Jefferson was the first to arrive, since he had the shortest distance to come from Monticello. He pestered Washington endlessly. Once he had seen the equipment that was still in Washington’s office, he insisted on seeing the video. Washington finally relented and Jefferson watched the entire program twice, from start to finish, before he commented.
“You have not said it, George, but in order for this magical equipment and all the information it contains to be here at all, would suggest that your visitor comes from the future.”
“To make it even more confounded,” said Washington, “All of this was delivered in an incredible flying machine by a tall, blond, and very attractive woman, named only Arcadia, who told me that she was here because of a divine vision from God.”
“Amazing,” said Jefferson “was there a hint of sorcery or dishonesty to what she said?”
“No,” said Washington, “she was very frank, incredibly sincere, and her speech was sprinkled with strange words and expressions of the type that would be normal progression for English if it were to come from the future.”
“And she invoked the name of God?”
“Several times and she swore an oath in the name of Christ that all she was saying was true. You’ve seen the devastation she says the United States of the year 2025 has suffered, and she was truly grieved over the loss of what she said was 150 million people. I can’t explain it, but I think I actually believe her entire story.”
“It was very wise to include a section of past history with names and dates that we can confirm by our own studies,” said Jefferson. “Some of these events are so obscure that I don’t recall them. I can however confirm them. It gives credence to all the future history that is presented on this remarkable apparatus.”
Franklin, Madison, and Hamilton arrived together three days later, having come from Philadelphia. It took John Adams an additional week to arrive, since he had to travel the farthest from Boston. He came in complaining. He was as obnoxious and as abrasive as Washington remembered him to be.
Washington showed the video to the three. He found that he was learning more each time he watched the future unfold and had to admit, there was certain credibility to it. Franklin immediately accepted the time travel story, and did everything he could to examine the equipment without actually damaging it.
Adams arrived late in the day, and the entire group watched the entire video together for the first time.
“Do you actually believe this story, Washington,” asked Adams?
“I have no real reason not to,” said Washington.
“A person from the future claiming to be on a mission from Christ?” he said, “That seems to me to be complete folly.”
“I told Arcadia I would contact here as soon as you were all here. I am to use this devise.” Washington showed the others the IPhone. “Shall we proceed?”
“If we can expose this fraud, I say, so much the sooner,” said Adams.
The others nodded.
Washington turned on the phone and the screen lit up immediately. He pushed the button with the number one on it. There were pictures and music on the screen for a moment or two and then Arcadia’s face came into
focus on the screen. “Good evening, Mr. Washington. I gather all our fellow conspirators have arrived.”
“They have indeed, Arcadia,” said Washington.
“Have all of you seen the video?”
“John Adams arrived today and has just finished seeing it. The rest of us have seen it several times.”
“So far all you have is my word and the video, but I can assure you that what comes next will provide you with more proof of my sincerity. Are you gentlemen prepared to proceed?”
“I believe we have agreed we are,” said Washington.
“Very well,” said Arcadia. “Mr. Washington, you recall our conversation regarding the transmittal of disease when last we spoke?”
“I do.”
“Then let me begin with an apology. Our first priority is to insure that none of you contract any diseases that are present in the 21st century. Diseases for which we have developed immunity, but you have not. All of you are much too valuable to risk losing. Therefore, when you arrive at Fort Independence, the first thing that will happen is for all of you to undergo a physical examination and inoculation to vaccinate you against any diseases. It will not be overly uncomfortable, but it must be thorough. You will get your new teeth Mr. Washington, and that gout which plagues you, Mr. Franklin can be cured. There are also other advantages to modern medicine and I think I can promise you all will live long lives, well beyond that of your countrymen.”
“We are in your hands Arcadia,” said Washington taking charge.
“Then look for us at nine o’clock. Please avoid eating or drinking anything except water, and don’t bother to overdress, we will provide you with clothing.”
Arcadia smiled brightly, “I am very grateful for your help gentlemen. Get a good night’s sleep, and may the Lord bless each of you by the resurrected blood of Jesus Christ.” She switched off.
The six Founding Fathers were left looking at each other.
Fort Independence, Virginia
The entire household was wide-awake at dawn and in an uproar. The events of the previous two weeks were told and retold down to the youngest slave.
Washington and the others were not sure what “not dressing” actually meant, so they dressed in simple pants and shirts. Their pants were colonial and stopped just below the knees with long socks and shoes. The request to eat and drink nothing but water was observed.
At exactly nine o’clock, the sound of a rotor could be heard nearby. Soon a much larger craft in which Arcadia had arrived came into view and sat down on the big open area in front of the mansion, spraying dust everywhere. The engine idled down and the dust settled, even though the rotors continued to spin slowly. Arcadia was the first out of the craft. She was wearing the same shimmering white dress as before and was wearing gloves. However, this time she had a white mask over her face. Three men wearing white, one-piece overalls and also wearing masks jumped off the chopper.
Arcadia stepped forward and shook hands with Washington and then each of the others, calling them by their names. Jefferson, clearly struck by Arcadia, bowed deeply.
“Mr. Washington, if you and your friends will go with my men, we have clothing into which we ask you to change. It’s for you protection. The men had bundles of clothing in sealed plastic bags in their arms. Arcadia took Washington’s arm and led him back into the house. The others followed.
While the men were changing, the men gathered up all the equipment and took it back to the chopper. In a few minutes, the great men came out the front door of the house. They were wearing light blue, one-piece zippered coveralls. Each of them had slipped on a pair of light gloves, and there was a baseball cap on each great head. Underneath they were wearing boxer shorts, and had white socks with white tennis shoes that were easily the most comfortable shoes any of the men had ever worn.
Arcadia smiled again and said, “If you will just climb aboard.”
One by one, the men climbed the short stairs and into the helicopter. There were eight seats in the helicopter. Arcadia helped each man take a seat and showed him how to fasten his seat belt. The crew came aboard last and took the back two seats, while one of them went forward to join the pilot in the cockpit.
Arcadia picked up a pair of headphones with a microphone in front and put them on her head. She motioned the men to do the same. They fumbled a bit, but finally managed, hearing Arcadia’s voice in their headset clearly.
“In the pouch in front of your seat you will find plastic bags. If you should feel sick from your first experience aloft, please don’t miss the bag. Otherwise, just look out the windows and enjoy the flight.”
They did not realize that the chopper engine had roared to life and was preparing to lift them into the air. The headsets drowned out almost all the noise. Beautiful and soothing music was being piped into the headsets.
Suddenly they lifted from the ground, and were slowly lifting straight up. From Washington through Franklin, the group caught their breath and put their faces to the windows. The trees were below, the mansion was falling away, and the Potomac River came into view. The chopper turned slowly and went over the land that one day would be the Capital of the country, but now was just a radioactive heap. On this day it was just open land and mostly marshy.
Arcadia laughed a little and pushed Washington’s headset circuit. “Nice day to go flying, don’t you think?”
“It’s, it’s magnificent,” stammered Washington. He looked over his shoulder and saw Franklin and Jefferson enjoying the experience as much as he was. They grinned back at him in delight.
Arcadia told the pilot to take the scenic route back to the fort, but not to let the flight run longer than 15 minutes. She didn’t want to take a chance one of the men would get airsick. For Adams, it was almost too late, but he held on.
Soon, Fort Independence came into view. With all the buildings laid out in their precise pattern, it was impressive. The helicopter came to ground at the small airdrome near the other helicopters. As they landed, an open top 10-seat carryall came driving up.
Arcadia pulled off her headsets, unclipped her seat belt, and signaled her passengers to do the same. She went down the aisle and helped the men to their feet and out of the chopper to the carryall. She asked all the men to take a seat and when they were all aboard, she jumped into the front seat, next to the driver, and he took off down the main street to the spacious infirmary.
“This is where our doctors and technicians will give you a physical exam and vaccinate you for every disease we have names for,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll pick you up when the docs say they’re finished.”
The process had been planned carefully. Each of the men had blood drawn, their blood pressure taken, got a full body CT scan, and each got a visit to the dental chair, where x-rays were taken. Then vaccination guns were used to deliver a wide array of serums for diseases. They also got flu sprays, and a shot of high potency vitamins. The men were very curious at all the procedures, but endured them with silent patience from the men who were wearing masks on their faces.
Arcadia was notified when the exam was completed and went into the infirmary. “Thanks for putting up with that,” she said, “I’m breathing a sigh of relief knowing you have all been vaccinated. The test results will be done in a few minutes, and then we will know what further steps to take to improve your health. If you will just follow me, we will go into a conference room.”
She led them out of the infirmary and down a long hall before turning into a room that contained a large conference table. Arcadia waved all the men to comfortable seats. She sat down at the head of the table.
“I would imagine that all of you are still trying to catch your breath and collect your thoughts over what you’ve seen and experienced in the past two hours. I will try to answer any questions you may have.”
Washington was the first to speak up, “Flying in the air was an exhilarating experience, Arcadia. Now tell me, what is this place? Seeing it from the air showed me a very large camp with many
buildings and a lot of strange vehicles, but that doesn’t tell me much.”
“This is Fort Independence,” said Arcadia, “it was built on this site, which is called Main Ness Historical refuge in my time. It is five miles square, 25 square miles. This is the headquarters and training facility for the United States Continental Army.”
“Who is in command of this facility,” asked Washington?
“You are, General,” said Arcadia.
8
Fort Independence, Virginia
“I beg your pardon,” said Washington.
“Of course, we hope you will not give a lot of orders until your staff has had an opportunity to brief you,” said Arcadia.
“I have a staff?”
“All ready and eager to meet you,” smiled Arcadia
“I don’t understand.”
“Come on, General,” said Arcadia, “and the rest of you too. Did you think that this was some kind of an elaborate hoax, or the ravings of a lunatic, or some kind of conspiracy against you by Satan? I can assure you that nothing of the sort is true. The 13 colonies of America are just months away from beginning an active rebellion that will result in a war of Independence. You all watched the video that showed the future. There must be some thoughts in your heads about that.
“I was horrified to see that in just 90 years the United States would fight a Civil War over slavery,” said Jefferson. “We must do something to prevent that.”
“Correct,” said Arcadia.
“Within two hundred years, the United States will be embroiled in what appears to be global wars that are fought in Europe,” said Franklin. “We must avoid allowing ourselves to be drawn into that kind of conflict.”
