The Alpha Premonition: Book 1: A Gathering Storm

by Steve Catalano

  It was incredible just how easily the parts came together. Modules became sub-systems; sub-systems became systems - propulsion, environmental, communication, and navigation systems among many others.

  A basic structure had taken form, and it was bigger than a full-sized van, yet smaller than a motor home. And the hangar was quite full when you added all the tools and support systems.

  Paul Christian anxiously looked at his watch: 1:00 pm, almost time for a “hangar party” and visit that several of his friends and his children had talked him into. Beer and pizza did sound good. He had gotten up early for a run and workout, and had spent the rest of the time working in the hangar. Other than a small cup of coffee, he had not drank or eaten anything.

  First to arrive were Michelle and Steve.

  “Oh my goodness, Dad! This is amazing!”

  Several friends arrived in succession. Everyone surrounded the ship and surveyed it with keen interest.

  “Let’s have some of that beer and pizza, and I’ll give you the grand tour.”

  Everybody smiled and closed in.

  “We don’t know if we can wait that long!”

  “Well, you’re going to have to. I’m hungry.”

  Paul was answering so many questions. It was difficult to eat.

  “Guys, let me finish my lunch, and I will try to answer all your questions.”

  As he continued, Paul Christian told a few jokes and attempted to underplay the ship and its structure and future capabilities.

  “My friends, I’m not trying to hide anything, and while I would never swear you to secrecy, please try to help me keep things under wraps till the ship is done.”

  “As you can see, even with its tapered delta wings, it is a very unconventional design. I think you will be impressed by several other features that I have incorporated in the design.”

  “Paul, ‘I’m impressed’ does not do the situation justice.”

  “The basic structure is comprised of titanium and composite material.”

  The tour went on to show the structure of the ship and its primary components. What followed was an explanation of the computer system, AIMI.

  Next was a very rudimentary explanation of the quantum drive system, followed by environmental systems, navigation and avionics, and other basics.

  “Paul, what are these for?”

  “John, those are part of the inertial dampening systems - field emitters to be precise.”

  “What in the word does an inertial dampening field emitter do?”

  “In theory, it maintains one gravitational unit inside the ship, regardless of external gravitational forces.

  “You mean I could do a four G loop and only feel one G inside the ship?”

  “Precisely, but it’s all theoretical till I actually fly this bird.”

  “How many Gs could the system handle?”

  “Well, in theory once again, the more Gs, the more power supplied to the system. My calculations indicate this capability to be exponential at the very least.”

  “What kind of performance do you think it will have?”

  “John, I think it will fly really high and really fast!” he winked and smiled, as his friends all laughed in unison.

  Paul Christian then picked up a large curved sheet of titanium composite and fitted it to the ship.

  “I think you will find this interesting.”

  He picked up a tool that looked like a cross between buffer and a belt sander. While it was a two-handed affair, it was not particularly heavy. As he pulled the trigger, a bluish-green glow emerged when the tool touched the ship’s skin.

  “Paul, is that like one of the curing lights that is used for bonding, like the ones at the dentist?” his old friend Burt Roberts asked. Burt was an airframe and power plant mechanic and had Inspection Authority. In addition, he was an excellent pilot and instructor, as well as a qualified expert on building and restoring vintage aircraft.

  “Burt, you’re on the right track. It binds on a modular level. In addition, depending on the modulation of the device, it also tightens the structure on a sub-atomic level, making for a good, if not perfect, fit. This makes a strong skin even stronger, more resilient, and highly energy absorbent.”

  “Ok, Paul, enough! This is one of the most elaborate practical jokes I’ve ever seen.”

  “None of this technology exists, or is even in development, quantum drives, inertial dampers, ray guns that glue molecules together. Get real!”

  Many of his friends snickered and shook their heads. Paul wasn’t sure if they were critical of his detractor or him.

  “Guys, I do not know why no one has ever used this technology, but I can assure you that it’s real. Since I have not flown the bird yet, most everything remains unproven theory, but not all. Gene, throw that hammer as hard as you can at the ship.”

  “Ok, Paul. Here goes.”

  The hammer barely made a sound when it struck the ship.

  “Wow! Not a dent. Not even a scratch!”

  Next, Paul Christian took a torch to the surface. As the skin began to heat, it started to glow, not orange, red, or even white, but blue, a soft blue that grew in size the longer the torch was applied.

  “Now watch closely!”

  As Paul turned off the torch and put it down, he put his whole hand on the superheated glowing skin.

  Several grasps and cries of “No, don’t!” rang out. As Paul Christian pulled his hand away, his friends feared the worst - a burned and disfigured hand. What they saw was even more shocking. The same hand that had touched the superheated glowing skin was completely undamaged.

  “Come on over and touch the ship’s skin.”

  As the glow was dissipating, his friends did just that.

  “You want to explain to us what happened?”

  “Very simple, guys - 100% heat and energy absorption.”

  “So, you’re saying the heat energy just was absorbed and dissipated?” Questioned Burt.

  “Absorbed, yes, but not dissipated. Absorbed and stored. Even the energy from the thrown hammer - it just was such a small amount, it was not visible to the human eye.”

  His friends were speechless.

  “Paul, this is either one hell of a joke or stunt, or you are the next Einstein. Well, probably way past that even.”

  “Guys, you give me way too much credit. As I said, most of this is still theory, but I do believe that the calculations and computer test models will validate those theories, and when the ship flies, that will be the ultimate validation.”

  “When?”

  “Assuming all goes well, in less than a week I will be ready to flight test the ship. I’ll call you. You’re all invited to see the first flight.”

  The hangar filled with applause and smiles.

  “Once again, please keep all you have seen in confidence. I will be going public next week on the test flight.” Paul added, “Since this is the first ship I have ever built, I’m going to call it Alpha, as in the first letter of the Greek alphabet, to mean beginning.”

  “Paul, ‘incredible’ just does not seem to cover what you have done here.”

  Paul smiled as he thought about the premonition and dreams that had driven him this far.

  “Thanks for the beer and pizza, too. Great to see you all.”

  Even his detractor came by to shake his hand and wish him good luck.

  As Paul Christian closed the hangar, the blue glow on the Alpha had been completely absorbed.

  This fact was not lost on the surveillance team that had been watching with telephoto lenses and high tech listening gear. That team then emailed the sound and picture files to the central technical office of Homeland Security. The technician who downloaded the emails called in his supervisor.

  “These files are all empty - sound, pictures, everything - and
it’s not an equipment malfunction here or at the field level.”

  “So, any theory?” asked the tech supervisor.

  “Negating any internal sabotage, the only thing I know that could fry data like that would be an electromagnetic pulse, broad spectrum.”

  “Well, I have not heard of any thermonuclear detonations in the area, so I find that unlikely.”

  “Still, we should file a report and follow up on this, just in case.”

  “Agreed. This could be one of those unexplained abnormalities, or someone has developed a potent anti-surveillance weapon.”

  That report made its way to Assistant Director John Robinson. Once again he thumbed through Paul Christian’s file.

  “What are you hiding, Mr. Christian?” Mr. Robinson spoke to the file as if it was a person, “and what are you going to do with electromagnetic pulse technology?”

  Paul Christian decided it was time for a visit to his mother and brother. He caught a West Coast flight down to Los Angeles, where his mother and brother were waiting at LAX terminal three. “Hi Mom, you’re looking good, and you, Bro, you are as ugly as ever!” Paul smiled, and embraced first his mother, then younger brother.

  “Honey, you are the one who looks great, you look twenty years younger!”

  “Mom, I think it’s just the lighting.”

  “No way, Bro, you look younger than me, and I am twenty years younger than you!”

  “Tony, did your board hit you in the head when you were out surfing? Enough about my boyish good looks, how are you guys doing?”

  “We live at the beach, in a newly remodeled house, thanks to you. Life is grand!”

  “How ‘bout you, Tony? Still enjoying the weather-guesser job?”

  “Bro, they just renewed my contract for five more years. Doing the weather for the government, surfing and camping - doesn’t get any better than that.”

  They pulled up to their favorite restaurant on the water and enjoyed a great dinner.

  “So, my son, how are you and my grandchildren?”

  “They’re doing well - happy, good grades, and hanging out with good friends too. Michelle is still enthralled with ancient history and languages, and your grandson is busy with college and his girlfriend.”

  “That covers my grandchildren, but how are you, Mr. Financial Wizard, and how is your plane coming along?”

  “Doing great, Mom, and I have given the ship a name - the Alpha.”

  Paul pulled out his laptop and powered it up. There had been some modifications to tie it by data-link to AIMI. He typed in the security codes, followed by a retinal scan and external biometrics match-up for final authentication.

  “AIMI, open the Alpha file, and display eternal pictures.”

  “Voice metrics, retinal and bio scan authentication complete. Accessing files.”

  “Thank you, AIMI.”

  Paul Christian’s mother Louise was not into computers or any of the latest technology. She was very ‘old school’ in that regard, and did not even own a computer. Paul’s brother Tony, however, was very computer literate and current and up-to-date on the latest technology.

  “Bro, that’s quite a setup you have, very cool and advanced. I don’t recall seeing or even reading about laptop computer technology that’s as leading edge.”

  His mother and brother viewed the pictures of the Alpha and listened as he gave a thumbnail explanation of the ship’s systems.

  “Paul, this is quite an airplane you have built.”

  Tony shook his head and laughed, “Mom, this is no airplane, it’s an aerospace vehicle with the emphasis on space, am I right, Bro?”

  “In a few days the Alpha will be ready to fly, and I think you will be impressed and even proud.”

  “Son, I’m always proud of you. But this sounds a bit dangerous.”

  “A few years ago a privately funded group air-launched a space ship up to over 350,000 feet. I intend to change that record, by a lot.”

  “Please be careful, Son!”

  “Mom, all my computations and computer simulations have been perfect. The systems on the ship have been powered up and work as designed. In a few days the Alpha will be ready to fly. I just wanted to see you before that test flight. Here is a DVD that I have made. Please watch it just before my test flight. But promise me you won’t watch it until then.”

  Both Louise and Tony nodded.

  The next morning Paul went running down the beach a few miles. He then stopped by to visit his Uncle Frank, an early mentor who had encouraged his pursuit of aviation, himself a former Naval aviator.

  The afternoon included a surprise visit of his other Uncle Thomas. After a pleasant lunch with his mother and Uncle on her deck and the usual warm good-byes, Paul Christian caught a flight home. Recently he had a feeling that he was being watched.

  • • •

  After a happy reunion with his children, Paul Christian spent the next two days at the hangar working on the Alpha.

  “AIMI, run internal diagnostic on the Alpha - structural integrity, life support and environment, internal dampers, quantum drive system, field generators and emitters, navigation and communication, and all primary and secondary backup systems.”

  In less then a minute Paul had his answer.

  “All systems at 100%. Primary systems and secondary all nominal.”

  “Thank you, AIMI. Now please run a self-diagnostic on all systems - active, static, and all storage modules.”

  “All AIMI functions at 100% or better, all storage modules active and online. Paul, I have a question?”

  “Yes, AIMI?”

  “I have calculated a 90% probability that the Alpha will fly tomorrow.”

  “Make that 100%, AIMI. Tomorrow is a big day for both of us, and I want you to know, I could not have come this far this fast without you.”

  “Thank you, Paul.”

  “Transfer all AIMI command and control functions to the residence unit.”

  As the Alpha’s AIMI unit powered down, Paul manually powered down the rest of the ship, like a father putting his child to bed.

  On the drive home, he pondered the next 24 hours - nice dinner with his children, working up tomorrow’s flight plan, back to the hangar for systems power-up, and the first flight.

  Paul decided the flight plan could wait till morning - quite unusual for a man who never procrastinated. For some reason he felt the need to sleep on it.

  He had already invited all his friends to the hangar to observe the Alpha’s first flight. There would be others observing as well, others he would have never imagined.

  Paul Christian slept deeply. Images of planets and other celestial bodies were the most significant elements of his subconscious slumber.

  He woke up just seconds before the alarm sounded. He smiled broadly and jumped out of bed.

  Paul was almost euphoric as he hurriedly typed data into the Alpha numeric AIMI station.

  “AIMI, designate and file this data as Alpha flight plan 1, Alpha and Bravo. Transmit the Alpha portion to FAA, based on a 2000 GMT departure.”

  “Transmission complete. FAA flight plans on file.”

  “Thank you, AIMI. Transfer all command and control functions to the Alpha.”

  Paul prepared breakfast for his children, ran his usual route, and completed his workout. By mid-morning he arrived at the hangar and did the most thorough pre-flight inspection in thirty-six years and 20,000 flight hours of piloting. He touched seams, conduits, displays, and switches as if he were personally greeting and comforting them.

  “AIMI, master power on; master power override to auto”

  “Master power on; master power override to auto.”

  “Thank you, AIMI.”

  Paul then carried on some containers with food and drinks - water, sports drinks, fruit, energy bars, and numerous o
ther snacks. He gazed at the interior of the Alpha - simple, ergonomic, efficient - from its two primary flight deck seats, to its aft passenger seats.

  He opened the storage closet just aft of the secondary AIMI station, but forward of the small modular lavatory facility. Paul smiled as he realized the one item that he had not tested was the shower in the unit.

  Although he had had a clothing vendor produce a typical test pilot jumpsuit with many pockets and storage compartments, he opted for the med blue shorts and polo pullover type shirt instead. The shirt had ‘Alpha Flight Test Crew’ embroidered on the chest in white and light blue and a representation of the ship.

  Paul Christian’s cell phone started to ring. He answered. His friends had started to arrive.

  By 11 a.m., all his friends who were able to attend were there. His children Michelle and Steve rounded out the small crowd.

  He powered up the hangar console, which was a virtual twin of the secondary AIMI station on the Alpha. The only difference was an addition to the normal AIMI screens and alphanumeric keypads - a large, flat view screen above it. It almost looked like a big screen TV that you would see in a sports bar. It would soon display the most extreme of all sports, in a manner of speaking.

  “Cool duds, dude!” crowed his friend John Lohman.

  “Glad you like them,” replied Paul, as he walked over to a newly opened box. “I estimated your sizes, but better too big than too small.”

  Paul handed out shirts to his children and friends with their names and ‘Alpha Flight Test’ embroidered on the front. He then handed out adjustable baseball caps with ‘N1A’ on the front.

  “Is this a test flight or a fashion show?” laughed Burt Roberts.

  “Both, I guess,” chuckled Paul Christian.

  For the next 15 minutes, Paul Christian explained how those in attendance could monitor the flight using the AIMI station in the hangar, and gave them a perfunctory lesson on its basic visual and communication capabilities.

  “Son, I want you, John, and Burt to act as my ground test crew. Steve, you will be in communications with me in the Alpha. Burt, I would like you to handle external communications with other agencies as needed. John, can you coordinate between the two and handle the media in the event they show up, sort of a liaison?”