The Return of the Manhattan

by Lee Ecker

  “Yes, Laura.”

  “Dad, I’ve got a confession to make… I didn’t invite you on this flight to show off the aircraft.”

  He looked back at Mom, “Why then?”

  Laura bravely continued, “I want to take you and Mom aboard the Manhattan, I think it’s time you met my father.”

  “I don’t know about that; I’m beginning to think we should have stayed on the ground. You said he would be at your wedding; that’s soon enough considering.”

  Laura ignored the implied meaning, “That’s only part of it.” Neither of them spoke for a moment, “I want Mom to see my doctor.”

  Dad looked at her with disgust, “Laura, now I’m really disappointed, I thought you understood. She’s been through enough.”

  She sensed his disappointment and rejection. “I’m sorry, Dad, I… We knew you would look at it this way; that’s why Marty and I decided this was the only way we could…”

  He interrupted in a loud voice, “Marty! He had something to do with this?”

  Mom hearing him raise his voice, cried out, “What’s the matter?”

  He looked back seeing the alarm on her face, “Nothing, nothing at all, I’ll be back with you in a minute.”

  Laura devoted a few minutes to her flying, guiding the aircraft away from the populated areas before she spoke, “Marty wasn’t easy to convince, but he agreed to let me try after I told him the full story. You already know our story; maybe you don’t believe us.”

  He didn’t know how she did it, but he was now on the defensive, “Absolutely not! Your story was preposterous.”

  “Brad told me you have a strong faith in God, and believe Mom will be healed. Don’t you think God can work through many different and mysterious ways?”

  “Yes, but I think your magic must come directly from Satan. You’re trying to play God!”

  “I’m sorry; I thought you understood. You don’t even believe your son! Right now, I don’t even want to sit next to you. Why don’t you go back, and sit with Mom?” We’re going aboard the Manhattan, and I’m taking Mom to see my doctor, whether you approve or not.”

  Dad felt keenly disappointed with her, and had misgivings for coming along, but he didn’t argue any longer since he couldn’t force her to return to the airport. He went back with Mom, who was concerned, especially when she saw the angry look on his face, “What’s wrong, Dad? What were you and Laura arguing about?”

  “We weren’t exactly arguing. We came to an understanding. You know I didn’t believe a word of the story she and Brad told us, and now she knows it. I don’t think she is the Miss Right for Brad after all. I’m sorry we agreed to come along on this flight. At least I now know her for who she is!”

  Mom was shocked, “I knew no such thing! You mean you have been pretending to believe them? How can you say such things?”

  “I don’t believe it’s possible to travel through time. What’s been done is done, and that’s all there is to it.”

  “Well, I think you’re wrong! Are we going to land now?”

  “She says she is going to take us aboard that UFO, and take you to see her doctor. Bah! I think she’s a lunatic!”

  She sensed his disgust, but she remembered the first time she met Laura, and couldn’t deny the overwhelming feelings of love that emanated from her and Brad when they were together. She remembered the pain and suffering that Laura felt when she told of her refusal of Brad’s marriage proposal. Those feelings weren’t easy to forget. “Dad! I think you owe her an apology. I believe she is right, and this may be the answer to my prayers.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of.”

  “I can take it for myself; I resigned myself to live the rest of my life in this condition a long time ago. Sure I had hopes each time I went to a new doctor, but I left my life in God’s hands. If Laura is not who she says she is, then that will hurt. I’d be so sorry for Brad, and very disappointed in Laura. It’s best that we find out now rather than wait until after they’re married. You’ve told me many times that God works in mysterious ways. Who am I to question him in how he wants to do it?”

  When the Marie was on the beam, she began confiding with her father, “Dad, I blew it. I brought Brad’s folks with me today under false pretenses; I don’t think his father will ever forgive me. Brad probably won’t either.”

  “Dear, you now see how painful loving someone can be. Keep loving them, and we’ll see. How does Brad’s mother feel?”

  “I don’t know. I thought they both believed our story, but Brad’s father informed me he just went along for Brad’s sake.”

  “It’s not so bad; he’ll have to believe once he’s aboard, and sees the ship. His mother will have her choice whether or not she wants to be treated.”

  “I wanted so much to help Brad’s mother without confiding in Brad. I wanted his Mom to really surprise him when she walks up to him without pain for the first time in years. Brad blames himself for his mother’s condition. He thinks she would be healthy today if she hadn’t had her last child, him.”

  David came out to meet them, “Welcome aboard the Manhattan. I’m Laura’s father. She’s told me so much about you already; I feel like I know you.”

  Dad couldn’t bring himself to dislike David since he radiated the same kind of love and respect that Laura showed them, unless he was a very good actor. He helped Mom out of the Lear into her wheelchair and they were ushered into the main part of the ship. He finally spoke up, “Where are we, and what is this thing?”

  “I think Laura already explained,” David said in a matter of fact tone, “but you’ll have to see for yourself.”

  Mom spoke up, “Laura I’m ready, take me to your doctor! Leave these men to discuss whether or not this is real.” Dad began to object, but she would have no part of it. “Stay out of it, Dad! You stay with Laura’s father, and maybe he can convince you. I believe Laura, and if she says I can be healed, then I will be healed!”

  Laura was beaming, she knew she won with Mom, and her father could handle Dad. She took charge of the wheelchair, and went on down toward the hospital ward. She stopped, around the corner, out of Dad’s sight, threw her arms around Mom, and wept, “Thanks, Mom, I only want to help you. I couldn’t stand to see you suffer when I knew we could help you. Thanks for understanding!”

  “It doesn’t matter whether your doctor can help or not, Laura, I believe in what you’re trying to do, and you can’t hurt me by doing what you have to do. The only possible way you could hurt me is to hurt Brad, and somehow I don’t think you will do that. Laura, I love you as much as my own sons and daughters.”

  “Oh, Mom, I love you, and Dr. Baker can help you!

  “Good, let’s go see him!”

  Dr. Baker met them at the door, and escorted Mom toward the examining scanner helping her get as comfortable as possible on the soft table top. “Mrs. Anderson, relax and let this little machine get a good look at you. We want to be sure you have no other problems along with your arthritis.”

  “Doctor, do you know what causes arthritis?”

  “Honestly, no! We have discovered that some agent stimulates the nuclei of cells surrounding the bones, particularly in the joints, causing them to destroy themselves. We can’t isolate the agent, we don’t know what it is, and we don’t know how it invades the body, but we can neutralize it. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

  “You mean you don’t know why, but some drugs you have developed stop it?”

  “That’s precisely it. We developed the drug in relation to some genetic research, and discovered quite by accident it works against arthritis. It’s not really a drug, but you can think of it in those terms.”

  “But, if the cells are destroyed, how can you help me?”

  “It’s a three-step process: first we stop the spread, then we stop the pain, and then we induce your body to repair itself
. That’s the secret to modern medicine; we first take away the cause, and then get the body to do the rest.”

  “What about my plastic hip?”

  “That’s a good question; we may leave that in, but in any case you should never know the difference.”

  “How long will it take?”

  “It’s hard to say, we can stop the spread in a few hours. The rest depends on how fast your body reacts. You should get rid of the pain soon after, although it may take a couple of days, and maybe you can be walking again in a couple of weeks.”

  “I already feel better!”

  “Okay, now we’ve got some results from the computer. Let me get a blood sample, and then we can begin.”

  He took the blood sample, and let the computer analyze the blood as he discussed her diagnosis. “Other than your arthritis, you seem to be in pretty good health. The arthritis agent is very active, which means your condition could only get worse, unless treated. Are you ready?”

  “I’ve been ready for twenty years.”

  “Good, I’m going to hook you up to that machine over there which will give you a 90 percent blood transfusion. The other 10 percent will be the drug to neutralize the agent and cleanse the parts of your blood we want you to keep. That will help your immune system stay on track.” He brought the machine over to her, and began to connect the tubes to her arms. “This will take a couple of hours, so relax, and it will soon be over.”

  In less than five minutes, she was sleeping peacefully as the restoring process began to permeate every part of her body.

  Laura picked Brad up at Andrews Air Force Base the day before their wedding and they flew to Independence where he spent the night with friends. Laura stayed with his folks making final preparations for the wedding set for 2:00 P.M. the following day, while Brad would make one more trip to the Manhattan to deliver Laura’s father along with a few of Laura’s friends to the wedding. He wouldn’t see his family until the wedding.

  The president was true to his word keeping his activities a secret from the press, as he arrived with his wife and a very small group of Secret Service personnel. The Secret Service checked out the church hours before, and would be mostly inconspicuous in their surveillance during the ceremonies, and Brad assured the president that the crew aboard the Manhattan would protect him. Word was certain to leak to the press, but Brad and Laura hoped it would be too late to disrupt the serenity of the ceremonies.

  Brad’s brothers and sisters were buzzing over the cure their mother received, and finally in desperation, she sent them all on their way, leaving the house to Laura, Dana, and her other bridesmaids, preparing for the wedding. They were having all sorts of girl talk as Laura’s father arrived, bearing a large box, explaining he brought it back to Laura on his last trip, as he knew she would be married before she would ever consent to return. She was in seventh heaven as she unpacked her mother’s wedding dress, and tried it on with the girls watching and helping. It fit perfectly, and would have transformed any young girl into Cinderella, but on Laura it was absolutely stunning with each strand of material glistening in the light as it sparkled like diamonds reflecting the light, yet one could not detect the invisible threads which gave it its glamorous, otherworldly glow.

  Brad followed Bob Sparks, his best man, to the front of the church, and froze in awe as he turned and faced those in attendance. He saw the president and first lady, sitting in the front row, and his mother and family on the other side. He noticed his mother sitting on the front pew beside his father, without her wheelchair, with such happiness beaming from her face that he wondered how many pain pills she had to take that morning. His mind was so filled with the events surrounding him, that the absence of the wheelchair did not sink in, nor the fact that she looked almost as if he were seeing her twenty years earlier. It did look strange, but he supposed that it was the absence of pain, and the joy she was sharing with him and Laura.

  The organist played the traditional wedding march as Laura’s party made their way to the front. As the tempo increased, everyone stood, and he beheld Laura entering the aisle on her father’s arm in the most breathtaking wedding gown he could ever imagine. He didn’t even notice how easily his mother stood on her feet. He had eyes only for Laura as she made her way down the aisle.

  She was radiant, the happiest she had ever been in her life, yet a bit nervous as she felt her father’s steady pressure on her arm. She could hardly take her eyes off Brad, but managed to smile up at her father, as he smiled back, giving her the assurance she needed.

  The ceremony was brief, and they were soon man and wife. Laura’s last ceremonial act was to give Brad’s mother a bouquet of roses. He could hardly believe his eyes as his mother accepted with hands that were no longer misshapen as they grasped the roses, and tenderly touched Laura’s cheek as they briefly kissed each other before Laura rejoined Brad, and they made their way down the aisle.

  As Brad’s mother and father were ushered down the aisle, there was not a dry eye in the church as Laura whispered to Brad, “One of my wedding gifts to you.”

  Aboard the Manhattan, Laura bid her father farewell as they prepared to be released from the Manhattan for the last time. The Marie eased away from the Manhattan and they watched as the Manhattan was there one moment and gone the next.

  CHAPTER 50

  For the first time in many years, Roger Dorn left the ship after convincing David he needed a few hours by himself. He had no family left except for his wife and those aboard the Manhattan, but he manufactured an excuse to give him time and the opportunity to prepare for the trip he and Warren Baker had been planning for some time. He took the shuttle to the station on the outskirts of Washington DC going directly to the White House where he had no difficulty getting in to see the President.

  President Alan Talmage kept his curiosity in check, inviting him in and waiting for him to get comfortable before asking, “Roger, it’s good to see you, but I’m beginning to wonder what’s going on. What can I do for you?”

  Roger didn’t waste time with formalities, “I want you to invite David Ashton here on some pretense, anything to get him off the ship. I want him to be away long enough for me to take command of the Manhattan and accomplish a task he would not otherwise do or approve because of personal involvement.”

  “I don’t understand…”

  “Most of this happened almost thirty years ago when Commander White and Marie Ashton lost their lives during the pirate raid at Space Station Juliet?”

  “Of course, that was a small, but significant historical event for all time. It was tragic for your mission, but it signaled the end of the space pirates. We have you and your crew to thank for that!”

  “Then you would agree that David has accomplished all that has been asked of him.”

  “Yes, I agree. I don’t know how the nation can ever repay the debt we owe him and the entire crew of the Manhattan.”

  “I do.” He paused, “If you will grant my request, I will go back and take his wife Marie off that shuttle before it explodes and prevent her death. David has never fully recovered from that loss and now he has given up his daughter for the good of his country. You, by authorizing this mission, can make his life whole again.”

  The president shook his head sadly, “I can’t do that, even a change that small in time could affect the outcome of your entire mission. It’s too risky.”

  “I thought you would say that… David said the same thing. But I’ve thought it through and I know my plan would not compromise the mission. If we go back now, rescue her and Commander White, we could place her in a protective new identity status where David will not know she is here. If none of the crew aboard the Excalibur or the Manhattan is aware of her existence until thirty years later, what possible effect could that have to jeopardize the mission? Then a couple of days from now, when David comes to Washington he can be reunited with his wife. Your request will the
n not be under false pretenses. You and former President Albee alone will know who she is all those years. We can also save Commander White and his wife. Their presence, unknown to any of us on the mission will not change history either.”

  David remained aboard the Manhattan expecting Brenda to show up at any time. He was disappointed that she hadn’t already been there to welcome them back. He was a little bit on the stubborn side resisting the urging of his heart to call her or get to her as quickly as possible. A few hours later, David received a priority message calling for his immediate presence at the White House. Roger was out so that left Dr. Baker in command. He realized it didn’t matter as the ground crew had already taken over and would be checking out the Manhattan.

  Warren saw him to the shuttle and waited until lift-off before hurrying back to the control room where he welcomed Kevin Haugen aboard. Kevin had been absent all these years without much contact, but Roger thought it would be fitting that he should return to participate in the rescue of his commander. All they had to do now was wait for Roger’s return and they would be off.

  As soon as his shuttle landed, Roger joined Warren in the control room and took the PA, “Attention, all crewmembers! This is what we have been waiting for. Prepare for immediate departure. We are going back to change history once again and save the lives of Marie Ashton, Tom and Annette White.” He gave the orders and the massive doors were opened as the Manhattan launched into orbit and vanished.

  The entire crew radiated the excitement which seemed to pulse throughout the ship as they began their journey. This was something worthwhile they could do for their beloved commander. Many were part of the original crew and had vivid memories of Marie and the Whites, and were keenly aware of that loss. It took longer for the trip to Space Station Juliet than to travel back the twenty six years but they arrived perfectly timed to watch history being made as the Excalibur approached Space Station Juliet.