The Eve of Abounding Wickedness

by Mark Spaid

  “Yeah, that’s right. I like this. Hey, Sol, I think he may be onto something” Sol nodded as he walked close to the board.

  “Warren, you have a knack for finding a way around almost anything. So, as we increase mass or distance between two objects, we can use the basic formula. Yeah, the force is equal to the product of the masses divided by the square of the distance between them multiplied by 6.67 times ten to the negative eleventh. This could be the way. Let’s get started.” Dave was smiling from ear to ear as he perused the board. Warren started working on another board. For six hours they feverishly calculated and at the end the progress was clear.

  “I can’t believe we’re this far already,” Dave said. They continued for two weeks and finally, they had an answer.

  “I’m ready to build a teleportation chamber,” Warren said. “I can use these numbers.”

  “Do you have what you have everything?” Sol asked.

  “Yes, I looked around the other day and I found the equipment that’ll do it. There are only a couple of things that I’ll need.

  “How’s your progress?” Kleinschmidt asked as he arrived at the end of the day.

  “Excellent, I think we’ve solved the first equation. I’m ready to experiment. I need these two things and I can build a miniature teleportation device,” Warren said as he handed a paper to Kleinschmidt.

  “Where can I get the?”

  “Any electronics or hardware store.”

  “I’ll bring them tomorrow morning.” He left and Warren, Dave and Sol looked at one another and smiled.

  Simon Windsor’s house

  Kokomo, Indiana

  “Simon, I need to talk to you,” Everett Strope said over the phone and Simon listened to the instructions then got in his car and drove to a local café.

  “Hello, Mr. Strope.”

  “How’re things going?”

  “Not bad, my job’s a good one and Joseph is doing very well with his studies.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “Something must be wrong or you wouldn’t be here all the way from Bloomington.”

  “It’s your wife, Teri.”

  “Confound her, what has she done now?”

  “She went to a private detective.”

  “About our daughter no doubt.”

  “Yes; she must be stopped. She’s not part of the mission anymore. We have to take steps.”

  “I didn’t know she went to any detective.”

  “We know that. She’s been a problem since she gave birth to a girl.”

  “I know and she hasn’t been working at teaching Joseph what he needs to know.”

  “She must be silenced and replaced,” Strope said.

  “Soon, I hope.”

  “Tonight. As I understand it, she’s taken to cocktails before supper.”

  “Yes.”

  “Put these in her drink. They’re fast acting. After she passes out, leave with the boy. She’ll be gone when you return.”

  “What about another wife and mother?”

  “We have a woman who’ll be here in a week. She’s fully indoctrinated and is a big believer in the mission,” Strope said.

  “Oh, what about the detective?”

  “He was buried in a deep grave in the woods last night.” Simon looked at Strope and nodded.

  “I’ll give these to Teri as you say.”

  “Good,” Strope said and left. Simon put the pills in her drink and left after she fell on the floor. He came back three hours later and she was gone. He explained to Joseph that his mother had to go away and wouldn’t be coming back. Since her daughter was taken away, she’d been mean to her son and he resented he for it, in fact he hated her intently so, he was pleased to hear she wouldn’t be returning.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “Are you ready?” Dave asked Warren. Kleinschmidt had brought the items that Warren requested and he’d worked for two days constructing a miniature teleportation device.

  “Yes, I am. It only remains to choose something to teleport,” Warren used two bell jars which he wired together. They were about three feet apart and the goal was to teleport an object from one place to the other. They’d solved the first circle to Sol and Dave’s surprise but not Warren’s. He knew they were near an answer when the result kept getting smaller. They had it down to one ten trillionth; so small that only an electron microscope could even see a reflection. The error was so infinitesimally slight that in Warren’s mind it wouldn’t alter the matter in any way that would be recognizable.

  “How about this?” Sol asked and handed Warren a paper clip. He shrugged his shoulders and put it in the first bell jar and turned on the transformer. He’d figured the numbers needed for voltage from his calculations and was plugging them in as the transformer warmed up.

  “What if it doesn’t work?” Dave asked.

  “What if it does?” Sol added and they both looked at Dr. Isaacson and they knew what he was thinking.

  “Here, put these on,” Warren said as he passed them safety goggles.

  “We could be making history,” Dave said.

  “Or a big mess,” Sol remarked.

  “Hang on,” Warren said and threw the switch. Sparks flew from one jar to the next but it only took about two seconds and there was a pop at which point Warren shut off the device. The looks on their faces suggested the uniqueness of the moment; a combination of surprise, elation and some fear. The paper clip had moved to the second jar. Warren removed it and held it up.

  “Is it hot?” Sol asked.

  “No, room temperature.”

  “We’ve done, it” Dave posed.

  “Let’s try some different objects,” Sol said and they did. The rest of the day they sent through any number of things; different sizes and composition. They all had the same thing in common…they came through unscathed.

  “Gentlemen, what have you to report?” Kleinschmidt asked as he came in the lab at five pm like he always did.

  “Preliminary success,” Dave said.

  “Indeed, can I see it.” Warren used a rubber ball, passed Kleinschmidt safety goggles and they all watched as the ball moved from the first jar to the second.

  “Amazing; I didn’t think it was possible,” Kleinschmidt said as he leaned over and looked at the ball in the jar. Warren took the ball and handed it to him.

  “Room temperature and no apparent damage,” Warren said.

  “We used objects of various size and composition… metal, rubber, wood, paper, plastic, ceramic, cloth all came through undamaged,” Dave added.

  “Fantastic,” Kleinschmidt said. “My superiors will be very pleased.”

  “Mr. Kleinschmidt, since we’ve achieved a success today, could we have tomorrow off to spend with our families?” Dave asked. We’d be back the next day bright and early.”

  “I’ll check with my superiors.” He walked out of the room and made a phone call then returned a few minutes later.

  “You may have the day off but expect to work long hours for your next task.”

  “We understand and thank you,” Dave said and Kleinschmidt left.

  “Well, we can relax for one day,” Sol said and they went outside to their drivers and home.

  * * *

  “I still don’t know how you get a day off,” Ariel posed. Warren looked at Dave and he nodded. They were having a cookout, which seemed to be their entertainment of choice. It was at Jozette’s house and Andy was the chef.

  “Did you solve the UFT?” Will asked.

  “We solved something,” Warren said.

  “What?” Will asked.

  “I’ll tell you what Churchill said in 1942 in a speech during World War II. It’s not the end or the beginning of the end but it may be the end of the beginning.”

  “So, I’m not going to learn any more about what you did to earn the day off,” Will posed.

  “That’s right,” Warren said.

  “Let’s change the subject,” Tatiana suggested.

  “Justin,
have you found your suspect?” Dave asked.

  “I saw him once two Saturdays ago but I stopped chasing him since they’re watching us wherever we go.”

  “Probably a wise move,” Sol remarked.

  “I know we changed the subject but it has to be on everyone’s mind that we’re in a dangerous place,” Belinda said. Of course, I don’t understand what Dave, Sol and Warren are doing but I know it’s serious and they’re being forced to do it by some very bad people. How much trouble are we in because of this? Now, don’t snow me because I read about Dr. Ron Shapiro, his wife and kids…all dead because he refused to work with the same guys that have our three guys in custody for lack of a better word.” Looks were exchanged and Jozette nodded to Little Wolf.

  “Miss Belinda, you’ve grasped the seriousness of the situation and there’s no reason to sugarcoat things for you or anybody else.”

  “I understand why you guys do that when things are scary because you think I’ll fall apart and you’re probably right from the past but I’m different now, at least I think I am.. We’re all in danger and I want to know how much.”

  “Fair enough, Lind,” Jozette said and nodded at Little Wolf again. “Tell her.”

  “Miss Belinda, this is the worst predicament since I’ve been around.”

  “Will we come out of it alive?”

  “No one knows but the chances are slim. Mr. Dave, Mr. Sol and Mr. Warren are working on things that these people want. If they can’t give them what they want then they’ll kill us all.”

  “Even the children?”

  “Yes.”

  “What if they can give them what they want?”

  “If they get what they want and are able to do what they have in mind we’re still a liability and they could eliminate all of us anyway.”

  “There’s no hope?”

  “There’s always hope…if our people can make themselves indispensable then they may keep us around for a while.”

  “What does indispensable mean?”

  “It means these men can’t get along without them.” Belinda nodded and sighed.

  “I understand now…thank you, Little Wolf and thank all of you for telling me the truth.”

  “Are you okay, Lind?” Jozette asked. Belinda thought for a moment then nodded.

  “Perhaps better than anyone thinks.” There were puzzled looks at Belinda’s cryptic remark and they were right to be puzzled and would know why if they knew what Belinda was thinking as a smile came over her face. Tatiana and Jozette looked at one another but said nothing. Belinda was a woman of mystery sometimes.

  * * *

  “Have you noticed the adults seem worried about something?” Melanie said as the girls sat in their favorite place at Jozette and Andy’s cookout; an area away from house.

  “Yeah, I heard Daddy talking to Mom. They didn’t know I could hear. Zara heard it too,” Darcy said.

  “Well, what was it?” Mallory asked.

  “Mr. Dave, Mr. Sol and Mr. Warren are working for these guys trying to solve a physics problem.”

  “That doesn’t seem so bad,” Dixie said.

  “Normally, it wouldn’t be but these guys are really bad men,” Zara said.

  “How do you know?” Jessica asked.

  “I heard Daddy say that the last physicist who tried to solve it asked to leave and they let him. Then they killed him, his wife and kids,” Zara replied.

  “I’m scared,” Melanie said and Paulita put her arm around her friend.

  “Sorry, Melanie,” Zara said. “I shouldn’t have mentioned the bad things.”

  “It’s alright, Zara, I have to know but it gives me the creeps.”

  “We all have the creeps with these bad guys,” Paulita said. “And don’t think any of us aren’t scared for what might happen including the adults.”

  “Paulita’s right but remember, we’re not little twinkies. I know our parents want to protect us and that’s their job but remember what we did in the jungle,” Darcy said. “Melanie you killed a four-hundred -pound cougar with a sharpened stick.

  “I remember,” Melanie said.

  “What can we do?” Mallory asked.

  “We don’t know yet but I’m not going to just sit around and wait to die…I’m going to fight,” Darcy said.

  “Darcy’s right, we need to think about situations and how we can improve our chances,” Paulita said.

  “What do you mean? What kind of situations?” Melanie asked.

  “Say, we’re tied up in a warehouse or something,” Paulita said.

  “So, we can’t move our hands or feet,” Mallory posed.

  “We’re helpless,” Jessica said.

  “Not necessarily. We can put on a simpering, helpless baby voice and get them to untie us so we can go to the bathroom.”

  “Then what, jump out the window and run?” Dixie asked.

  “Possibly, but they’ll be looking for that. No, more than likely there might be an opening to do something once our hands are untied,” Mallory said.

  “We punch them?” Jessica asked.

  “In a way but you need to have some teeth behind any punch. A punch from us against some of these killers might just bounce off,” Paulita answered.

  “Then what do we do? Tell us, Paulita,” Melanie said.

  “Stash a weapon.”

  “Where?”

  “In your hair.”

  “A gun?” Mallory asked.

  “No, of course not…a small icepick or a long sharp hairpin. You know the ones that are thick. When you get your chance, pull it out and stab in the eye, the throat, the heart, anywhere that’ll work. Aim to kill…if you only wound them then they might still strike out and kill you.” They looked at one another. “Maybe it won’t work and they kill you anyway but get your licks in when you can. Go down fighting.” They all looked at Paulita but said nothing. There was nothing to say, mostly because they knew she was right.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “We know we can teleport inanimate objects but what about living things?” Warren asked as they stood in the lab on their day back.

  “They’re going to want to know,” Sol said.

  “Should we mention it or let them bring the subject up?” Warren asked.

  “Either way we’ll be doing it quick enough,” Dave said.

  “Good morning, gentlemen,” Kleinschmidt said as he strode in the lab wearing a big smile. His job was to find someone to solve the formula and bring the impossible to life…and he did. “Did you enjoy your day off?”

  “Yes, sir we did,” Dave answered.

  “I’m glad…now the men for whom I work are very pleased with your result so far but they’d like to see if living things can be teleported and so would I.” They looked at one another not knowing how to respond.

  “We’re not sure if anything could live through that, given the high voltage,” Sol said.

  “Understandable and I said I’d like to see it but that doesn’t mean it’s your next task.”

  “What is our next task, then?” Warren asked.

  “The real reason you’re here…time travel. Tesla mentioned that he’d stepped through a portal in his lab and saw the past and the future. Now, we don’t know how reliable he was but if there is a way, then you three must find it. We seek to travel in time and as soon as possible.”

  “We’ve had some success working the theory of time travel in the UFT but there’s much to do,” Warren said. “But if we solve the theory, we’ll need more equipment than what we have here and it’ll take construction time.”

  “Very well, tell me what you need and I’ll provide it. You’ve done well, gentlemen, and now I’ll let you get back to work.” He left and they began running numbers again.

  “I think we can set weak forces to infinity and try to solve the strong forces. The gluon pattern is predictable and controllable as we saw with teleporting,” Warren said. They worked on the math, though they all knew that time travel worked and no one understood it better th
an Warren but they needed to use some time to look good so they toiled away at equations that they knew would work. After three hours they sat and took a break.

  “How many volts, Warren?” Sol asked.

  “It’ll take a million.”

  “Is this room big enough?” Dave asked.

  “It really needs a taller ceiling. I’d like to see about fifteen feet. There’d have to be wires strung in a rectangle and down to the floor in order to create a sufficient field.” Warren was describing his own system that he designed.

  “But we need to solve the theory for time travel first,” Dave said and gave Warren a look that said don’t give away that we already know how to do this.”

  “Oh, yes, I was just speculating.” So, they began working the numbers looking for an answer.

  “We can concentrate on electromagnetism since that’s what’ll make this happen if it can be done,” Warren said.

  “We need to keep amperage out of this,” Dave said. “Voltage will guide this thing.”

  “What about leakage?” Sol asked.

  “That’ll be critical…we can’t let the voltage drop below a safe mark,” Warren said.

  “I’m curious as to how this thing could work,” Sol posed.

  “Well, I think we can abandon any thought of a time machine like we saw in H.G. Wells’ book. Our only chance is a portal that’ll open up a door to the past or the future,” Dave said. They all knew what Warren could do but they had to make it look good. They were being listened to so they put up a convincing show that they were discovering the way how for the first time.

  “Agreed, this is not science fiction so much as it is science solving the seemingly unsolvable. If we can find an equation that opens the portal then we can proceed to build the device,” Sol said. He wanted to project an aura of excitement. They worked for three days then on the next morning Kleinschmidt came striding in waiting to hear the good news and on this day, they obliged him.

  “We’re ready to construct the device,” Warren said. “But we need a bigger room with a taller ceiling, about fifteen feet.” Kleinschmidt walked out of the room to talk on his cell. He came back smiling.