by Mark Spaid
“Thanks for everything,” Dave said and shook Woody’s hand. They all thanked him then got in and headed for the rest to pick them up.
“Dave, you’re becoming a good liar like Justin” Jozette offered.
“What’re you talking about?”
“The Rottweiler.”
“Oh, that, well I had an opening and he sort of looked like he was a simpleton.”
“And…”
“There was a decal on the side window of his car that said, Rottweilers are people too…so, I took it from there.” Jozette looked at Tatiana and smiled shaking her head.
“I hear them,” Little Wolf said and went out of the cabin to see Andy and Jozette.
“Hello,” Jozette said and everyone came outside.
“Hi, Mom and Daddy,” Dixie said as she hugged Andy. Beth ran to her mother.
“We have a vehicle so, we need to get to the highway quickly,” Andy posed.
“Grab the food and let’s get going,” Tatiana instructed and they moved rapidly. It took fifteen minutes but they made it to the road and climbed in the RV.
“Fasten your seatbelts,” Andy said from the driver’s seat.
“There aren’t any seatbelts,” Belinda said.
“It was a joke everyone. Come on just because the world’s taken over by Nazis doesn’t mean you’ve lost your sense of humor does it?”
“Just drive, Andy,” Jozette said and he took off for Bloomington.
* * *
“You’ve done very well on time travel, Dr. Peabody, but now we need the weapon,” an SS Colonel said as he stood in the lab along with three other SS officers.
“I’m just getting started…it’ll take some time.”
“I understand but we need it as soon as possible.”
“I’m making progress,” Warren said.
“We’ll be checking on you,” the Colonel said as he and the other three officers left. Warren paced the lab for a few minutes then sat down and began working.
“I have to align photons with gluons and keep them in sequence with gravitons. How’s that possible?” He said to himself. He was careful not to talk out loud because he knew he was being recorded. He’d felt the Time Influx as did everyone in Bloomington and even around the world. So, he knew that the four made it back to where they wanted to go and they made some kind of changes. A few minutes later he realized that they had indeed made the changes they wanted when three SS officers walked in wearing the trademark black uniforms with the Swastika armbands. He’d been important to them before the Time Frame change and he was even more important now but only if he could produce. If he failed in any of their assignments for him, he knew he’d end up with a bullet in the head. Then they’d find someone else but for now he was their best hope and they’d use him to get what they wanted. “Where’s Ariel or any of them for that matter?” He asked himself. How many of the people he knew would still be around. “But, hey wait a minute, if I’m still here that means they came back to 1907 and brought me back here, which means that happened after the Time Frame change and after the world went all Nazi. I wonder how many things stayed in place. Dr. Steven Bellinger theorized that a change in the past wouldn’t necessarily change events or people in the future. He believed that once a person existed in space and time that they wouldn’t be wiped out even with a catastrophic change in the Time Frame, so, maybe that’s what happened here or maybe just partially,” he thought as he’d sat back on his stool to think for a minute and had taken a break from the math. “Maybe Bellinger was right,” he thought. “Of course, his ancestors wouldn’t have been affected by whatever changes were implemented in the 1940’s but the others might. Ariel was born long after World War II so her parents could’ve been killed or never met so how could she be born? Bellinger accounted for that in something he called The Physical Impregnation Syndrome. Once a person existed, they couldn’t be wiped out, regardless of any type or number of Time Frame changes. The person, however, could be placed in another sequence of events. So, they could have different parents and live in a different part of the world. If that was the case, Ariel could be in France, South Africa or Alaska; either way he’d never see her again.” He knew he’d recognize her but would she recognize him? After a few minutes he snapped out of it and resumed work on the UFT. He worked for four days non-stop and reported to Kleinschmidt every evening.
“I have to concentrate on photons and gluons. If I can unite those two then gravity will follow. If I use Xenon I can all but eliminate a chemical reaction. It’s an inert gas so it can be around almost anything and stay intact.” He made some calculations then went to his computer where he had problems and information stored. “Now, I can weaken the gluon hold on the quarks then the Protons and Neutrons will get weaker and collapse. So, during the discharge of the weapon, there’ll be nothing to interfere with the path. I can parallel a super laser alongside the Xenon based beam and not lose any strength.” He sat back and smiled. Then it hit him. “What am I doing? I’m making it easier for these yahoos to crush their enemies if there are any. Well, it can’t be helped now.” He began to think to himself about the scenario. “If they have indeed conquered the world then why do they need the weapon? I know why, because somewhere in the hinterlands there’s a resistance movement. There are pockets of rebels who’ve been sabotaging Nazi installations. Of course, the Earth’s enormous. There could be movements in France, Japan, Australia, South America, Africa and who knows where else. They simply don’t have the manpower to control every situation in the conventional fashion. They must have this weapon and I can give it to them. I think this might work then they’d have unlimited power and they could never be stopped. I have the power to give that to them. I, Warren Peabody, in effect, control the destiny of the world. Should I refuse and get shot. It’d stop or at least delay any suppression of revolt. Then they’d find someone else to finish what I’ve started. There’s no stopping it now. The secret is all but out of the bag. There are sharp people out there who could finish it for them and they’d have what I can give them now. So, my martyrdom would be for nothing. Am I trying to justify completing the work? Am I just chicken to die? The answer to both questions is undoubtably yes.”
He went back to his work and for three hours he tightened up the math, double checked all of his calculations and wrote up his findings, including what he thought was the equation necessary for the particle beam weapon. Was he proud of himself? No…he was trying to save his wife and friends and this was the only way he knew how to do it…and yes, his own skin as well. Little did he know that it’d already been decided to kill the rest of the gang anyway. He began making a list of things needed to build the weapon. At five, Kleinschmidt came in along with the other SS officers who’d been there four days ago.
“How’s it coming, Dr. Peabody? I hope you’re close for your well-being,” Kleinschmidt said.
“Here it is,” Warren said as he pushed a paper over to his captors and that was the only way to describe them and his situation.
“Impressive, of course, I don’t understand any of this,” Kleinschmidt remarked.
“It’s just the numbers and a coalescence of the theory. It only remains to build the weapon.”
“How long?”
“I don’t know but weeks certainly if not months.”
“Can you build a miniature for testing?”
“Here’s a list of things I need and I can build it right here,” Warren said.
“Very well, I’ll get these things today.”
“Can I go home for the day?” Warren asked. Kleinschmidt thought for a moment.
“Yes, you can and we’ll pick you up in the morning.” Warren went home, took a shower, poured himself a scotch, pulled all the curtains and sat in a chair with the lights out. It was his way of hiding from the world and right now, he needed that.
* * *
“Seventy-six miles to Bloomington, we should be there in ninety minutes or so,” Andy said as he plugged along at fifty mil
es an hour.
“There’s a stop ahead, maybe we should take a break so people can use the bathroom,” Justin posed.
“Good idea,” Jozette said and Andy pulled in and parked. It was gas station with three cars getting gas and various other things.
“What’s that?” Lexi said and it was a siren. They looked out the window and saw a car racing in followed by two more cars with lights and sirens. The car skidded to a stop and four people got out; three men and one woman. Four uniforms got out of cars marked SS Enforcement. They quickly had the four people in custody. They were being questioned and one officer had a gun shoved into the throat of one man. One man started to bolt and was shot in the back. Then the officers shot the other two men and the woman in the head. They talked to each other for a few moments then, loaded the bodies in the trunks of the cars and left. All the time this happened the customers were lying on the ground in the prone position. The general population was well trained to give way to SS personnel.
“Let’s use the facilities quickly and get out of here,” Tatiana said and they did just that. Andy was back on the road again as most sat in silence. Gabby and Beth had been shielded from seeing by Darcy and Paulita but the other girls saw and it scared them. They sat huddled against each other. Only Paulita wasn’t scared. She was thinking about the world they were in now and she knew it’d call for an inner toughness…she’d be ready.
“Andy, what’re you doing?” Dave asked. They were about a mile from the city limits at a wooded area that served as a picnic grounds on the weekends. Now, it was deserted and Andy parked under some shade trees.
“We can’t drive into the city in this thing. Where would we park and how would we explain twenty people?” Andy replied.
“Good point,” Dave said.
“More importantly are our passengers or rather three of them.” Dave looked around and it hit him.
“I see, yes, we are in an entirely different Time Frame,” Dave said.
“Little Wolf, Julieta and Paulita wouldn’t last long in broad daylight,” Justin said.
“We’ll wait in the woods until dark then make our way to town,” Julieta said.
“No, Paulita, don’t leave me,” Melanie said.
“I have to, baby, but the girls will be with you, besides you’re not a baby anymore. You showed that in the jungle. This is just another type of jungle,” Paulita said. Melanie had wet eyes but she nodded.
“Okay but be careful.”
“I will.”
“I think I’d like to go with you three if you don’t mind,” Ariel said.
“Are you sure?” Little Wolf asked. If we get caught, they’ll arrest you too, Miss Ariel.”
“I know but maybe my whiteness can help.” Justin chuckled at that.
“Actually, she might be right,” Jozette said.
“Should we break up into groups?” Dave wondered.
“I hate to split us up, then we have people who are out of sight,” Jozette said.
“I know what you mean but Dave may be right. Smaller groups would be less conspicuous. If we have thirteen people together it’s bound to draw attention, maybe the attention of the SS,” Justin said.
“Makes sense,” Andy agreed.
“Okay, how do we divide up?” Jozette asked.
“How about this: Andy, Jo, Beth and Dixie. Tatiana, Sol, Melanie and Mallory and me. Justin, Belinda, Gabby, Jessica, Lexi and Darcy. And, of course. Little Wolf, Julieta, Paulita and Ariel will already be on their own,” Dave suggested. There were nods of approval and no one dissented.
“Sounds like a good idea?” Justin said.
“So, we’re in groups but what exactly are we supposed to do?” Belinda asked.
“Good question,” Sol said. He’d been quiet since they were taken, thinking about the work they’d done and what Warren must be working on and it disturbed him. He was a disciple of Oppenheimer and he remembered what that great physicist said and thought after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Oppenheimer said they should take all the plans all the work, fuel, etc. and dump them in the ocean. A fanciful notion and completely impractical but one that signified Oppenheimer’s regret in making the bomb and exposing the world to catastrophe.
“We need to find Warren and talk to him but that’ll be hard since he’ll be watched around the clock,” Dave said.
“Mr. Dave, we can find Warren and report back what he says,” Little Wolf posed. Ariel was bouncing with excitement at that notion.
“Good idea,” Tatiana said.
“We could scout our homes and see if they’re vacant or if somebody else lives there,” Jozette said pointing to herself and Belinda.
“Makes sense,” Tatiana agreed.
“We can check the lab and see what’s happening there,” Dave sggested.
“I think as it stands, we all better wait until dark,” Little Wolf said and it was agreed. They moved to the forest and hid in case a patrol saw the RV and became curious.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Warren was right about the size of the Earth and the virtual impossibility of any country or empire to enslave the entire planet. There were pockets of resistance on every continent. The rebels were in remote areas that had few people to begin with and now that there were resistance fighters many people moved so they wouldn’t get caught in a cross fire when the government came in to clean out the troublemakers. South Africa, Western Australia, Brazil, Romania, The Philippines, Northern Canada, Northern Siberia and many other regions sported rebel movements. But as seemingly insignificant as these groups were, the Nazis wanted them wiped out. As long as there were rebels out there, the chance existed that it could grow into a unified movement.
Western Australia
Fifty Miles North of Kalgoorlie
“Sarah, the patrols are getting closer, Milo Murphy said as he stood before the commander of the rebel group known as Kilharney’s Legion. Sarah O’Reilly named it that after her hometown in Ireland. She and about fifty resistance fighters against the Nazis escaped capture and grabbed a plane for Australia. There was little Nazi coverage six years ago when they arrived down under and they were able to establish a base in a rural area. It wasn’t a town in any recognized sense…it consisted of a dozen shacks and a large garage for their vehicles. No electricity, water from an old well, no phones. It was spartan but they weren’t complaining. Was it Irish pigheadedness, an aversion to being told what to do, or just a desire to fight all oppression? Maybe all three or none but whatever the reason, they were the rebels of Western Australia. There were other groups in the country but they’d never connected with them. Saving their heads was their main occupation along with harassing the Nazis when they could.
“If they get closer, we’ll take them out,” Sarah said.
“But then they’ll come after us.”
“With what? We know their strength. They have no more people than we do.”
“But our ammunition is running low,” Milo said.
“I know that and we’re going to run at the supply depot tonight.”
“It could be risky.”
“Of course, it’s risky…that’s our life. This is Thursday and we know they only have three guards. We’ll use the same flanking move we always use and we’ll be inside, fill the truck and be gone in five minutes. There were three supply depots around the Kalgoorlie station for the Nazis and Sarah was right about the lack of manpower. It’d been three months since they raided for supplies so the guards might be complacent. They watched them from a distance for weaknesses and keep in mind that these SS men were the worst in the unit. They were stupid, careless, unmotivated and easily taken to drink. On this night they had two bottles of scotch that a legion member had planted around the corner by the front entrance to the depot. The guards found them and when darkness hit, they hit the bottle. Sarah and her people waited about two hundred feet away. They were armed with rifles and .38’s with silencers. The guards were getting sloshed and they had laid their rifles down.
“Ready?” Milo said and Sarah gave the signal with her right arm and the attack was on...it wasn’t much. They overpowered the guards without a shot, tied them up and gagged them. Milo motioned for the trucks to come in and they loaded every single thing in the depot including much needed gasoline. Two thousand rounds of ammunition, rocket launchers, rockets, grenade launchers, grenades, medical supplies and a huge store of food…canned rations but food nonetheless.
“Let’s get out of here,” Sarah said and they took off for their base. They arrived and had a meal…something they didn’t do very often. So, this was a night to celebrate. Guns and ammunition were dispensed to everyone and they’d need it because in a few days they knew there’d be an attack from the local patrol.
Romania
Thirty Miles North of Slobozia
Deep in the Romanian Forest
“Felix, we need food,” Daria Galca said to her commander. Commander was a loose interpretation. Felix Lascar had been her supervisor at a local warehouse along with the forty-three others who constituted the Romanian resistance to the Nazis. When they fled from their new bosses into the forest it was Felix who inherited the title and position of commander.
“I know that and there’s a commissary truck due by the circle road this afternoon,” Felix said.
“That’s kind of close, isn’t it?” Cezar Amanar said.
“Of course, it is but we need the food and we haven’t raided a supply truck for six months.”
“We can hit them from the trees above the second tier of the road,” Lorena Saguna posed.
“Excellent idea,” Felix said and they were off with eight others for the ambush point. The truck was on time as always but this time there was a car in front with four armed men inside. Felix looked at Daria and motioned for the others to get into position. Four were on the top of the road and four on the bottom. Felix, Daria, Lorena and Cezar were about thirty feet up overlooking the road. When the car was under them Felix and Daria each dropped a grenade; one in front and one behind the car. The explosion lifted the car off the ground and on its side. The truck stopped and was immediately commandeered. The driver got out with hands up but the passenger jumped out and began firing, hitting one of the men in the head. Three men opened fire and killed the shooter. One man survived the grenades and crawled out but was instantly shot and killed.
