Nellie Nova Takes Flight

by Stephenie Peterson

  "Not exactly," Niles answered quickly, trying not to let his nervousness show in his voice.

  "We came to find you," Nellie told Amelia.

  "Well, I'm honored." said Amelia. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

  "I want to be a chemist," said Niles, relieved that Amelia did not want to know more about where they came from.

  "That's great. You seem like a swell kid. And you, Nellie?"

  "I'm not sure yet. Some sort of scientist, but I haven't narrowed down what I'll study. I'm interested in physics and engineering."

  Amelia looked at Nellie with kind eyes and nodded. "That's a brave choice for a young girl. I think that's aces! Girls need to know they can do anything that boys can. It's so important."

  Nellie just grinned. As extraordinary as she was, she was too excited to think of anything brilliant to say.

  "Would you kids like to come back to the airport with me and see my plane?" Amelia asked as she set some money on the table to pay for her meal.

  Nellie nodded, too overcome with excitement to speak. "Yes, please!" Niles exclaimed.

  "Well, come on then," Amelia said as she rose from the table.

  The kids followed her through the small café and out the door. The short walk was filled with Nellie asking Amelia about her solo flight across the Atlantic.

  "Was it scary?" she asked.

  Amelia nodded. "A bit, but it was invigorating."

  "What made you do it?" asked Nellie.

  "Women everywhere. And little girls like you. So you can be a scientist, Nellie, if that's what you want. So women can fly, in the sky or on the ground."

  Nellie, being from the future, knew how much Amelia and other women like her had changed the world. She knew that while there were still a lot of jobs where the men outnumbered the women by a lot, little girls everywhere could not only dream about becoming a pilot or a scientist, they could live those dreams.

  "Thank you, Amelia. For leading the way."

  Amelia smiled warmly. They'd reached the airport now and were walking toward the hangar where Amelia's plane, the Electra, was waiting patiently for its next adventure.

  The kids oohed and aahed over the plane. Both Nova children were in awe of the fact that they were seeing, touching, and sitting in the cockpit of Amelia's Earhart's airplane. Nellie kept thinking that she must be dreaming, but the moment was as real as real could possibly be.

  The kids chatted with Amelia about the plane, the flight, about the places Amelia had flown, what it was like to be a woman in a male-dominated field, and much more. Amelia was kind and easy to talk to, and better yet, she was more than willing to share stories with the Nova kids. She told them about the Ninety-Nines, a group of female pilots she'd helped form and the interesting women she'd come to know through the organization.

  After about twenty minutes, Amelia told the kids that she had to go get some rest. They thanked her over and over again.

  "The pleasure was all mine, kids. You are some really amazing little people!"

  Both children's cheeks turned as red as Niles' hair.

  As they left, Amelia took her newspaper from earlier in the day and signed it with the following note:

  Dear Nellie and Niles,

  Always remember, you can change the world.

  Best Wishes,

  Amelia

  They trudged through the rain back toward the church, happy to have met such an influential woman. But something didn’t sit right in Nellie's magnificent mind. The gears turned to dreary music, and the books flipped slowly. Nellie felt guilty. She caught sight of Amelia's note on the newspaper, and the music within her mind picked up its pace to become a happy tune.

  "She was so nice to us, and we didn't even warn her," she said to Niles as he dug through the shed where they had left the machine. It was difficult to see in the rain, and it was considerably harder than they expected to find it among the stacks of boxes within the shed. The invisibility shield wasn't helping matters any.

  "Huh?" asked Niles, poking his head back out of the shed while struggling to pull the Purple Flyer free from underneath pieces of the nativity scene.

  "It's not right," Nellie began. "I know we're not supposed to change history. But all anyone knows about Amelia is that she disappeared. What if she still disappears, but we take her somewhere safe? Sometime safe. She could go anywhere with us."

  Niles was unsure. He bit his lip, took a deep breath, and opened his mouth. No words came out. He began to pace back and forth in front of the shed. He did not look up from his black-and-white Chuck Taylor sneakers while he walked. After about four laps, he opened his mouth again and still couldn't bring himself to talk.

  "Niles, she told us to remember that we can change the world," Nellie reminded him. "We can't go and rescue everyone who ever met a bad fate throughout history, but we can save Amelia."

  Niles paced some more. He did not like the idea of changing history, but Nellie made a valid point. He opened his mouth again. "I . . . I . . ." he stuttered. He took a long, deep breath. "I think we should do it," he told her, his voice excited yet his mind still a bit unsure.

  "Yes!" Nellie squealed and jumped up and down. "Let's go!"

  Niles finally managed to pull the Purple Flyer free from the shed. He pulled with a bit too much force, however, and it sent him and the time machine flying. A wise man, a donkey, and a box of choir robes flew out of the shed and landed on top of the kids. A robe drifted down to Nellie's head, covering her unruly hair like a bad hat. They laughed, picked up their mess, and pulled the Purple Flyer upright.

  They got in. Nellie, who had read as much as she could get her hands on about Amelia Earhart, knew that Amelia went missing on July 2nd. Since no one knew exactly where she ended up, Nellie was going to try to get the time machine onto the plane right after Amelia's last radio call, at 8:43 a.m. Nellie put the name and location of the plane, the time, and the date into the computer.

  She looked over at Niles and asked, "Are you ready?" Niles nodded with excitement.

  "Let's do this!"

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The Purple Flyer began to glow. As before, it started to spin, slowly at first, but it quickly picked up pace until it lifted off the ground. Nellie and Niles watched in excitement as the machine spiraled through time. This had quickly become Nellie's favorite part of time travel. They stared, awestruck as they spiraled past knights on horseback, erupting volcanoes, crashing waves, and a parade through a city. Nellie gasped as a whale jumped out of the stars and crashed down in front of them. Niles poked her side, and they giggled.

  Nellie tried to prepare herself for what was about to come. Big moments in your life often come without you knowing how big they truly are beforehand. This wasn't that kind of moment. This moment was filled with the enormity of the situation. Nellie and Niles both knew that this was going to be one of the most important things they'd ever do. The mood became more solemn as the box's spiral ended, and it came to a stop inside the Electra.

  Amelia screamed. Fred Noonan, who was her crew for this flight, jumped out of his seat. Nellie and Niles walked out of the Purple Flyer a bit shaken up. The computer spouted off their location.

  "I don't understand what's going on," Amelia said, obviously distressed.

  "Who are you?" asked Fred.

  "Amelia, we met in Oakland. I'm Nellie and this is Niles," Nellie said quickly, not knowing how much time they had. Amelia's eyes flickered with recognition.

  "How did you get here? Why are you here?" Amelia asked.

  "I know it's hard to understand, but this box is a machine that travels through time. We live in the year 2015. In our time, you're still very well-known, but, Amelia, a lot of what people remember is that you disappear. Today. No one ever hears from you again after that call you just made."

  This may seem like a blunt way to put it, but Nellie needed to get her point across and quickly. What's a girl supposed to do when she has to get something so important across with so little t
ime? Thankfully for Nellie, Niles, Amelia, and Fred, it worked.

  Fred looked dubious, but Amelia believed them. "Something's been off all day. How do we get out of this plane?"

  "Get into the box," Nellie ordered in her most commanding voice, which I have to admit wasn't especially commanding.

  Fred and Amelia exchanged glances, but followed the kids to the back of the plane, where the purple time machine stood. Amelia peeked her head in and took in her surroundings. Then she stepped in and told Fred to do the same. He did. Nellie and Niles followed.

  "Where did you get this machine?" Amelia inquired, her voice filled with both suspicion and wonder.

  "Nellie built it," Niles said.

  Amelia raised her eyebrows and nodded in approval. Nellie blushed, her freckles standing out more than ever.

  "We'll take you anywhere, anytime, except your own homes and time." Nellie told them somberly. "You're so famous throughout history as people who were never seen again. If you just magically show up at home, who knows what could happen."

  Fred looked distressed, but Amelia just nodded.

  "You said you live in the year 2015? I think I'd like to see that. What about you, Fred?"

  "I don't know what to think. Are you sure we should do this?"

  "It's that or we go down with the plane. What other scenario ends in no one ever seeing us again?"

  "And you believe these kids? I mean they are as cute as a bug's ear and that gal's loaded with moxie, but do you trust them?"

  "How else did they end up on our plane like that?"

  Fred sighed. "Okie-dokie, 2015 it is. Do you kids live in the States?"

  "Yes, sir," said Niles.

  "All right. Take us home with you."

  Nellie and Niles wondered what their parents would think. But there was no time to discuss it. Nellie instructed the Purple Flyer to go home. The machine lit up. Neon green light radiated throughout the entire plane.

  "Whoa!" said Fred. Niles giggled.

  "Just wait," said Nellie right as the time machine began to spin.

  "And I thought air travel was daring," said Amelia.

  The machine spun faster and faster and lifted up into space. Fred and Amelia held back in the corner at first, but the kids encouraged them to look into the spiraling eternity outside the windows.

  "It's just so beautiful," Amelia gasped.

  "Oh my. It's . . it's . . ." Fred sputtered.

  "It's amazing," Nellie chimed in.

  "Absolutely amazing," Niles added.

  "I thought I'd seen so much, flying all over the world, but I've just seen a mere speck in the vastness that is eternity," Amelia whispered, her face solemn.

  They stood in silence, watching the wonder and beauty before them until the box spun haphazardly into Nellie's bedroom, hitting the ground with a bounce.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  "Whooo-eee," yelled Fred.

  "Oh my," said Amelia as she stood up.

  Nellie and Niles just grinned. They were excited to show Amelia and Fred their home.

  Before they could even compose themselves enough to make their way out of the box, Nellie's bedroom door flew open. Fox and Annie burst through the door.

  Fox, who had been excited to hear all about their adventures, grew agitated at the sight of Fred, who had exited the box first. Fox's body tensed. His face turned as red as his hair and his hands balled up into fists. Fox wasn't a violent man, but a father's instinct to protect his family is immense.

  "What is going on here?" Fox snarled, his voice louder than usual.

  Fox rushed toward Fred. "Who are you and why are you in my daughter's bedroom?"

  Amelia, being closer to the exit of the time machine got out next, followed by Niles, and finally Nellie.

  "Amelia Earhart?” Fox sputtered. “What…how…?”

  "Don't be mad, Daddy. We're okay."

  "We made it to 1937 Oakland and met Amelia Earhart," Nellie said, nodding toward Amelia. "After meeting her, we knew we couldn't let her disappear, Daddy. She was so kind, so inspirational. When we got back to the time machine, I couldn't come back here knowing that she was going to be lost forever. I just couldn’t. So we intercepted Amelia and Fred right after their last known radio communication, and we brought them with us," Nellie explained, waving a hand at Fred and Amelia as she spoke.

  Annie and Fox turned and looked at Amelia and

  Fred, dumbfounded. After an awkward moment of silence, Fox stuck out his hand and said, "Fox Nova. It's nice to meet you, Miss Earhart, Mr. Noonan."

  Fred took his hand and shook it, then Amelia did the same.

  "It's an honor to meet the parents of these brilliant kids,” Amelia beamed.

  Annie smiled and thanked her.

  "So, what do we do now?" asked Frank, looking around the room. "I want to see 2015."

  They started with the house, showing them advancements in technology. Cell phones, computers, tablets, Blu-ray players, and even the dishwasher were all sources of great wonder for Amelia and Fred. A lot had changed in the world in the years between 1937 and 2015, and they were eager to experience it all.

  Fred was most impressed with Niles's iPod.

  "Thousands of songs held in the palm of my hand! It does not even seem possible."

  Amelia, however was most taken with the internet. "It is hard to believe that a gal can access so much information at any time. It's a true wonder!"

  Nellie showed her photos and videos online of current-model airplanes. Amelia could not believe the improvements in aerospace engineering. While gazing at a photo of a commercial airliner online she sighed. "I can’t wait to see one of these beauties up close," she told the Nova family with a tone of reverence in her voice. "Can you imagine, Fred?" she said, turning toward her friend and partner in the sky.

  "I really can't," said Fred. He seemed less enthused than Amelia.

  In fact, Fred was pretty overwhelmed by all that had happened during day. He was beginning to feel quite haggard and felt ready for sleep. The realization that he'd never see anyone he'd known and loved was starting to catch up to him. It was a horrid feeling, knowing that in his own time his loved ones were so very worried about him.

  "Do you kind folks have a place I could take a rest?" he asked Fox and Annie.

  "Of course, let me show you to the guest room," Annie said to him and guided him to a small room in the back of the house. The bedding and curtains were floral patterned and the walls were a cheery yellow. A small white antique nightstand with a simple lamp on it stood next to the bed. There were no computers, cell phones, or any other modern devices in the room.

  "This room feels more like home," Fred said wistfully.

  Annie nodded. "Please let us know what we can do to make this transition easier for you, Fred. I can't imagine what you’re going through right now."

  Fred forced a weak smile and sat down on the bed. "Your whole family is being wonderful. Thank you, Mrs. Nova."

  Annie left him to rest. As she paced down the hall, she was overcome by the sorrowful air that had hung over Fred's room.

  The next morning, Annie and Fox both called in sick to work. They were not usually the kind of people who told white lies, however you can’t exactly tell your boss that you cannot come in to work because you have unexpected, time-traveling guests in your home.

  Annie was especially overwhelmed by her guests. It's not that she was an unwilling host. It was quite the opposite. She was such an empathetic person that she felt their unease almost as strongly as Amelia and Fred. Honestly, it was mostly Fred who was in a state of unease. Amelia had taken to the twenty-first century like a bird takes to the sky. She was happy—a bit homesick for family and friends, but she was so filled with joy about her new experiences that she didn't dwell on it.

  Fred rarely came out of the guest room. Around noon, Annie asked Nellie to bring him some food. Nellie knocked timidly on the door. "Fred?" she said in her sweet, small voice. "My mom made you some soup and a sandwich." Aft
er a moment of silence, which I must tell you was painfully awkward, Fred came to the door. His face was without expression as he took the plate from Nellie's hand. "Thank you, sweetheart," he told her. "That's very kind of you both," he said, closing the door before he finished speaking.

  Nellie could not help but feel guilty. She knew it must be hard for Fred to adjust to their time. But she felt when someone disappears without an answer that nothing good ever comes of it. Whatever fate had faced Amelia and Fred, it had to have been worse than sitting in the guest bedroom of Casa Nova.

  Nellie sighed sadly and walked into the kitchen, where she found Amelia and Niles sitting at the kitchen table. Niles was showing her his Kindle.

  "So you just type in the name of any book you want, and you can read it immediately?" Amelia asked, her blue eyes wide with wonder.

  "Pretty much," said Niles with a smile.

  "That's fantastic!” She was awestruck at the amount of information available to people of the twenty-first century. She looked up and noticed Nellie standing in front of her.

  "Oh, hello, Nellie!" she said cheerfully. "Niles was just showing me his e-reader. It's fascinating!"

  Nellie smiled and nodded in agreement.

  Fox and Annie walked into the room.

  "How'd it go with Fred?" asked Annie.

  "He seems really sad, Mom."

  Annie and Fox exchanged a glance in the way adults tend to do when something is wrong, but they don't want their kids to know. This, of course, is this is the universal signal to kids that something is, in fact, wrong.

  "Amelia," began Fox, "what should we do for Fred?"

  "He seems to want to be alone for now," she answered, her smile fading.

  Annie's sad eyes met Amelia's. "Hopefully, it will all seem better in a few days."

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Time passed, as it has a way of doing, with or without access to a time machine. After about a week, Fox and Annie were back at work, Amelia had made herself quite at home, but Fred . . . Well, Fred was not doing well. He was a fish out of water in the twenty-first century, and nothing seemed to put him at ease. The sadness that hung over him was so strong it felt like you could reach out and touch it.