by Mark Spaid
“All I know is the numbers work to overcome gravity and strong and weak nuclear forces.”
“But could it work in reality?”
“I don’t know but the theory exists…the numbers are there, Dave. It only remains for someone to find the equilibrium point then…wow…we’ll be at the tomorrow we always dreamed of but were also afraid to find.”
“Anything else?”
“Don’t laugh…time travel. You’re not laughing.”
“No.”
“Do you know something I don’t?”
“I might but let’s leave that for another time,” Dave said.
“Okay, if you say so but again the numbers are there to open a portal through which people could visit the past or the future. Now, I realize that having the theory doesn’t necessarily transmit into reality but the ideas are there and so help me they look doable.”
“From your tone, Ron, and the look on your face I sense there’s at least one more thing and I don’t think I’m going to like it.”
“You’re going to hate it. If the theory is completed then there’d exist a path to a weapon of unimaginable reach and ferocity. A particle beam of incredible strength.”
“I thought particle beams were science fiction.”
“All of this stuff was until now, Dave. Space travel was fantasy in the Nineteenth Century but now look at us.”
“Yeah, I see. So, are you going to finish the theory?”
“I don’t know if I can. I’m having trouble matching up the derivatives and integrating the work into seamless continuity. I keep hitting a Y in the road if you will. All four fields must meet in equilibrium for it to work experimentally.”
“I take it there’s no chance of you running or just telling them you quit?”
“I’m afraid to try anything because…” Ron started then stopped and looked away.
“What is it, there’s something else you’re not telling me.”
“Okay, the other day I was working when two men came into the lab and asked me questions and looked around. One was leaning over the counter and I saw a luger in his belt. That didn’t surprise me because I assumed, they all carried guns. They’re a rough looking crew. It was what I saw on his belt that caught my attention.”
“What?”
“A Swastika.”
“Oh, brother, I see why you’re scared.”
“Yeah and the reason I contacted you was to warn you that you might be next. I’m not solving it fast enough for them and I think they’re ready to dispose of me and bring in a new team. Namely, you and Sol.”
“They know about Sol?”
“They know about everybody including Peabody.
“Warren Peabody?
“Yes, him.”
“And my family?”
“Certainly, so when they come to see you, act surprised. I’ll be dead but maybe you can get out of it somehow.” I wish I had something positive to say.” Dave lowered his head and sighed. “Look, Dave, I have a feeling this thing might work. It may be solvable and that scares the bejiminies out of me. It could change the entire face of the planet including the past. My death will mean nothing if they get hold of this thing.”
“Yeah, I see what you mean…boy I’m not sure what to do.”
“I wish I could give you some encouragement but I’m fresh out of ideas.”
“Thanks for the information and the heads up.” Ron nodded.
“Now, they don’t know you’re here so, I’ll leave through the front. Wait a half hour then sneak out the back door…good luck, Dave.” Ron left and Dave did as he was told. He watched Ron move down the street and two men were right behind him. He watched until they were out of sight then waited half an hour, left and quickly went home.
Schensburg, Germany
On the Swiss border
January 1944
There was a very large house, hidden by trees and accessed by a narrow lane. It was heavily guarded inside and out and a large Nazi flag was displayed in the hallway on the first floor. It buzzed with medical staff; doctors, nurses and administrators. SS men patrolled the halls and a bemedaled major commanded the facility. The sounds of nurses’ shoes and soldiers’ boots could be heard on the hard floors. There was little talking save for an occasional whispering session between doctors and nurses. On the second floor there were six large rooms. In each room were four women in hospital beds attended constantly by nurses with armed guards just outside the door perpetually. Twenty-four women in the facility and they all had one thing in common. They were pregnant.
“Room five and patient one,” a tall and somewhat gruff nurse said as she and two other nurses entered a room on the second floor. She wore a head nurse badge and the others took orders from her without question.
“She’s eight months along and all vital signs are good. Baby sounds healthy,” a young nurse said as she took the woman’s blood pressure.
“Good and next,” the head nurse said. It went like that for all four pregnant women. After room six the three nurses met in the hallway and checked over notes on their clipboards.
“Shall we continue with our duties?” A young nurse asked.
“Yes,” the head nurse said and the two younger ones left.
“What’s your report?” A doctor asked the head nurse as they sat in his office on the first floor.
“All patients are healthy and the pregnancies seem to be fine.”
“So, we can expect healthy children?”
“Yes, by all means,” the head nurse said.
“Good.”
“Do the fathers know?”
“Do they know what?”
“That they have children about to be born.”
“They know one child of theirs will be born soon. As to the other three…that’s our assurance that a son will be born to all six of them,” the doctor said.
“What happens after that?”
“The mothers of the sons will wean the babies.”
“What about the other mothers and their babies, the girls?”
“They’ll be taken away.”
“Where?”
“That’s not for us to know,” the doctor said.
“What’ll happen to them?”
“Enough questions, just do your job and prepare for the births, nurse.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
“Who’ll be first?”
“Difficult to say as they were all fertilized at just about the same time.”
“Yes, that was the plan. The children will be raised together. They’ll be educated together then they’ll have brides chosen for them and they’ll have children of their own.”
“Why?”
“Because the children will be the ones who’ll restore the order,” the doctor said.
“After we’re gone?”
“Of course, we’re just the facilitators. It’s for us to make it possible for the empire to be restored.”
“I understand.”
“Let’s have a run down on the patients by room number.” The nurse read from her notebook.
“Room six, all healthy mothers…baby Eichman.”
“Yes.”
“Room five, all healthy mothers...baby Borman.”
“Good.”
“Room four, all healthy mothers…baby Goering.”
“Go on.”
“Room three, three healthy mothers one with a urinary tract infection…baby Goebbels.”
“Keep an eye on her.”
“Room two, four healthy mothers but one is antsy…baby Himmler.”
“And, finally.”
“Room one, four healthy mothers...baby Hitler.”
“Well done, nurse. See to their needs and make sure we have six healthy sons.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
CHAPTER ONE
“Papa, I hurt my finger,” ten-year-old Gabby told her father, Justin. It was he that Gabby went to when she was hurt or more like when she thought she was hurt. Anything, no matter how small,
was a crisis for Gabby and she craved attention. Everything had to stop and the world had to listen to her maladies and provide oodles of sympathy for the princess…and make no mistake about it she was a princess. But keep in mind she was Belinda’s daughter…the queen of attention grabbing and whining about her problems, real or imagined.
“Come here and let me see it.” It was a minor scratch but he gave it an appropriate amount of concern then put on a band-aid. “There, you should survive.”
“Thanks, Papa, I love you.”
“I love you too,” and with that she was off running to her room to play. For Gabby, playing was sitting in front of the mirror and admiring her looks and yes, she was absolutely gorgeous. Jozette and Andy’s daughter, Beth liked to play soccer and climb trees after her athletic mother but not Gabby. The two girls were friends and they did things together but if they went to the movies, Beth liked the special effects bonanzas whereas Gabby wanted a love story…yes even at age ten. Right now, she was examining her hair to make sure it was perfect and of course, it was. She was using make-up with Belinda’s help and advice. It was not gaudy; Belinda wouldn’t allow that. Their daughter wasn’t to be displayed and they quickly said no to any ideas of a youth beauty pageant even though Gabby would’ve won easily.
“I want to look beautiful like Mama…you do,” she said to herself with a flip of her hair and her nose in the air as she was satisfied with her looks and left her room for lunch.
“Gabby, I need to wash your hair tonight and your room needs cleaning,” Belinda said as she sat at the table eating a bowl of strawberries.
“My room’s clean.”
“Gabby, you threw your dirty clothes in the closet and there’re school papers under your bed that you hid with your comforter.” Gabby’s shoulders sagged and she sighed.
“I guess I can’t fool you, Mama.”
“No, you can’t, probably because I used to do the same things and my Mama caught me.” Justin chuckled and Gabby gave him a look.
“Papa, what’s so funny?”
“You.”
“I am?”
“Baby girl, you never stop amusing me, your mother either.”
“Mama’s funny?”
“Very funny.” Belinda gave a look with pursed lips and wiggling foot. “But she’s also beautiful beyond description and everyone loves your Mama.” Belinda relaxed so Justin was off the hook at least for now.
“Good morning, Mom and Dad. Hi Gabby,” Jessica said as she sat down to eat.
“Hi, Jess,” Gabby said smiling. Gabby liked her big sister and even though Jessica was eight years older she still played with Gabby when she could. They watched movies and took walks together, that’s when Dixie wasn’t around. Dixie was Jessica’s fiancée. They were both students at Indiana University but this was Saturday and it was a day they stayed apart deliberately. Dixie spent the day with her mom Jozette and her little sister Beth who was eight. Belinda and Jozette thought it wise to give their daughters some time apart and Dixie and Jessica thought it was a good idea too. Now, that was just the day. Nearly every Saturday night was a cook-out at someone’s house or they all went out to dinner. All meant Justin and Belinda’s family and Jozette and Andy’s family along with Lexi and Will and their daughters Darcy and Zara plus Warren and Ariel, Paulita, who was a friend of the girls, Little Wolf and Julieta; Little Wolf was Jozette and Andy’s son and occasionally Sterling and Mason. In all seventeen people that was referred to as the group or the gang. They did things together and sometimes got in trouble together; not from malicious thoughts and actions or any notion of doing anything untoward. They simply found trouble or rather it found them as Andy was fond of saying and from the past it was hard to argue with him on that point. (Anyone who has read the previous books will know what I’m talking about).
“We’re going to the mall in a few minutes,” Gabby said.
“Can I just stay…” Justin started.
“You’re driving,” Belinda said and cut him off from any plea for solitude.
“Yes, I am,” Justin said and sighed as he finished his orange juice. Was he henpecked? Yes. One could dance around the subject and lavish the answer with euphemisms to protect Justin’s manhood but the facts were simple. Belinda ran the show but then so did Jozette with Andy and Lexi with Will and Ariel with Warren. Little Wolf and Julieta; now that was different. They truly had a shared marriage with complete agreement necessary before doing anything. They both insisted on that and though it sometimes led to drag time as they hashed out decisions, it made for a near perfect marriage…I said near perfect.
“Let’s go, everyone, Belinda said and they followed her out the door. They shopped for three hours then ate a light lunch and went home to get ready for the cook-out at Lexi and Will’s house. When Justin or Andy hosted the cook-out they each were the chefs or barbecuers if that’s a word. Now, Lexi and Will simply had it catered. A lavish production with lobster, steak and the finest deserts imaginable. Of course, Ariel, who was worth about fifty-three million dollars, always insisted on paying for the affair and after a time Lexi stopped protesting and just accepted it.
“Warren are you happy at IU?” Lexi asked.
“I am, the desert got old and the project was starting to worry me.”
“Why, because it was failing?” Will asked.
“No, because it was succeeding,” Warren replied solemnly and that seemed to be a signal to move on to another subject.
“Julieta, I see you’ve expanded your Saturday clinic,” Sterling remarked.
“Yes, we’ve moved to a larger facility and now there are two dentists each Saturday.”
“I take it business is brisk,” Mason said.
“Yes, and then some. People are getting proper dental care for the first time in their lives.”
“Do you see primarily Hispanic patients?” Will asked.
“All minorities but it’s located in a Latinx district on purpose of course. I want to help my people who’ve experienced enough misfortune. I hope that doesn’t sound bad,” Julieta said.
“Honey, it sounds great to me,” Belinda said. “You help people with their teeth and I help them look beautiful…like me.” There was laughter and Belinda looked around not realizing what was so funny. In Belinda’s mind she was the most beautiful woman in the world and anyone could see that so just say it since no one could question her beauty
* * *
“How are classes?” Darcy asked.
“Mine are okay except history,” Dixie said.
“How about yours, Darcy. You asked the question?” Jessica asked.
“I like algebra, that’s my favorite, then there’s English grammar, kind of boring.” Jessica leaned on Dixie’s shoulder and made a snoring noise. “Hey, you asked me.”
“But you asked first, Darcy. Come on, who wants to talk about school,” Jessica said.
“Don’t you like college?” Darcy asked.
“Sure, during the daytime but at night and especially the weekends I want to get away from it. It’ll be there Monday morning,” Jessica said.
“Okay, I get it,” Darcy said.
“I got invited to a party,” Paulita said.
“Where?” Dixie asked.
“A fraternity.”
“I hope you’re not considering going,” Dixie said.
“Of course, not but it was nice to get invited.”
“No, it wasn’t. those guys have one thing in mind,” Darcy said.
“Maybe,” Paulita said.
“There’s no maybe about it,” Jessica added.
“Okay, I guess you’re right but why’re you ganging up on me?”
“Because you’re our friend and we worry about you,” Darcy said. Paulita thought for a moment.
“I guess I can live with that.”
“Hey, Darcy, I heard Tommy Chandler asked you out,” Dixie said.
“How’d you know that?”
“Everyone was talking about it on Thursday.”
&
nbsp; “Yuck,” Darcy said.
“Did you say yes?” Jessica asked.
“No, I don’t want to go out with Tommy Chandler.”
“Why not, he’s on the football team,” Dixie said.
“That’s one strike against him already.”
“He’s cute and this is coming from a lesbian,” Dixie said and they all laughed.
“Maybe he is but I’m happy being single.”
“I have been but I might move into the dating scene,” Paulita said.
“Good luck but I’m content to concentrate on my classes as boring as they seem to everyone else,” Darcy said and they laughed again.
“How’s your year going, Zara?” Dixie asked.
“Fine but I miss you guys.”
“We miss you too,” Paulita said.
“Does anyone want to go shopping at the mall tomorrow?” Darcy asked. “Mom will drive us.”
“How do you know?” Jessica asked.
“Daddy will do anything I ask and since he always has Mom drive it’d be her.”
“Well, I’m in,” Dixie said. I need new socks.
“Yeah, I’ll go,” Paulita said; they all needed something and it was settled.
* * *
“Belinda, I see that Gabby has your walk,” Lexi posed.
“Yes, I think she does.”
“Did you teach her?” Lexi asked.
“No, it just comes naturally. You can’t teach anyone to walk like me.” There was more laughter. They ate and talked for two hours then around ten, people started leaving. Jozette and Belinda were talking while Andy waited in the car. Finally, they left and Justin headed for the back door.
“Justin, there’s a man over there,” Belinda said in a panic. Justin looked and saw an elderly man standing next to a tree on the edge of their property.
“Who are you and what do you want?” Justin said as he approached the man.
“I didn’t mean to startle you or your wife. I apologize for the intrusion. I’ve been waiting until everyone was gone so I could speak to you alone.”
“Well, I’m not happy about being stalked.”
“I understand and if there was any other way, I would’ve been more up front.”
“What is it that you want?
