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Space Warped II By Kelly Davidson Edited by Janet Miles This story dedicated to my friend, Matt B., whose conversations I miss greatly. I wish you the best, my brother, where ever you are. ************************************ The computer hummed softly as Helen Berry made her final notes. The document she was working on was well over a thousand pages, filled with opinions and facts about the Star Wing incident. But it was her briefing that people would care about the most. This was the meat of the document, and explained for the most part what had really happened. The report would be listed as a Level 5, the highest level there was. That meant only the president and a handful of military personal could read it. And no new presidents would see it unless she asked for it directly, which was unlikely since she wouldn't know of its existence. Presidents came and went, but the military was forever. There were still some loose ends that needed to be tied up, and thankfully, President Smith had left that up to Helen to take care of. Her most immediate concern was Mike Teller, the reporter who almost broke this story wide open. The fool really had no idea how close he was to the truth. The only thing that had saved them was he had no proof to back up his claim. Well, that and the fact he was a man and no self-respecting woman took his claims seriously. That didn't deter Mike, who was searching for the truth even as she finished this document. Helen would have to put an end to that soon. The question was how. The director coded the file to a secure disk that would only work on a handful of specially modified computers. From there it would be transferred to the security vault on the base where all her planets secrets were kept. Before that happened though, two more CD's, along with a full paper copy, would be made and stored elsewhere. The computer beeped indicating the CD was loaded. Helen ejected it from her computer and placed it in a plain envelope for pickup. Then she called for a courier to pick up the CD and her computer. Only after those in charge made sure the information was saved and secured would her computer be wiped clean and returned to her. It wasn't that big of an inconvenience since this wasn't the computer she used for day to day operations. Glad that this job was finally over, Helen turned to fix herself a much deserved drink. At least now things could get back to normal at Space Command. But just as she pulled the bottle from her desk, her plans were interrupted by an urgent knock at her door. "Come in," she called while rubbing her tired eyes. Her secretary rushed in with a look that something dreadful had happened. "What is it, Tom?" Helen asked and knowing bad news was coming. "I'm sorry, Ms. Berry. But you need to see this. It just came in. I really am sorry." Wiping the tears from his eyes, he turned on the TV which was already tuned to the 24 hour news station. There was a newswoman reporting the crash of a plane, while behind her a monitor displayed the smoldering wreckage of what remained. There were a few pieces intact, like the tail and, surprisingly, part of a wing. But the rest were[Janet Mil3] indistinct pieces of burnt metal. It was clear no one had survived this disaster. Then Helen noticed something odd. The newswoman doing the story had the same shocked, sick expression as her secretary. That wasn't common for a professional who was supposed to keep their emotions in check. "This has just been confirmed by our news desk. The President, the Vice President, and many of her cabinet members were killed in the crash. For those who are just joining us, President Smith is dead after her plane crashed 30 minutes ago while on its way to a conference. The reasons why the plane crashed are still unknown, but it is believed one of the engines exploded, which in turn ripped off part of the wing causing the plane to plummet to the ground. Witnesses to the crash said they saw fire coming from the engine before it exploded. Please stay with us as we bring you more updates on this tragedy." "Oh my God!" Helen said softly. ************************************************** Location: WKRP TV complex on the planet Ardor. Two weeks later. "What do you think the old biddy wants?" Mike Teller asked. It had been weeks since the press conference that had destroyed his reputation as a news reporter. Since then his boss had given him every crappy assignment she could think of, perhaps hoping he would quit. In fact it wouldn't have surprised Mike if the purpose of this meeting was to fire him. Pretty faces like his were a dime a dozen. The hell with the fact he was a damn good reporter. "She didn't say," his camerawoman and sidekick answered. She, too, had suffered from his boss' wrath, because where ever Mike went, she followed. "I'm sure it's nothing pressing." "That's for sure. I'm sorry you had to be dragged down with me." "Hey, I'm not complaining. Remember, I was there when 'we' made the decision to break the story." "Thanks, Tammy," he replied with gratitude. "Why do you think she wants to see us in Studio 16B? That place hasn't been used in months." "Perhaps she had a change of heart and is going to offer you your own TV show." "Yeah, right!" Mike snorted. The young reporter knew better. This building was used for daytime television, so at this time of night no one should have been there. A few lights had been left on to prevent someone[Janet Mil4] from stumbling around in the dark. Just ahead, Mike could see the room where they were heading and tried to prepare himself for the worst. He didn't regret breaking the story, even if it had been the worse career move of his young life. He knew the story Space Command was putting out was pure bullshit. Getting someone to believe it was bullshit was a different matter. Helen Berry had presented him to the world as a fool who had rushed to the wrong conclusion based on limited information. The fact that he was a man only made her story more credible. But Mike knew otherwise. He believed what this alien had told him, not Helen Berry. Unfortunately, until he could prove she had lied there was nothing he could do. No one dared to stick by him after the dust had settled. Not even his boss, who had been more than willing to do so before the lies overtook the truth. He was left to bear this burden alone. Somehow he knew this was all coming to a head tonight. When they entered the room, their boss was sitting underneath a spotlight smoking a cigarette. There was hatred in her eyes when she saw him. "Evening, Sharon," Tammy greeted her. "I'm glad both of you could attend this private meeting," she said bluntly. "Why here?" Mike asked. "Because I didn't want to be seen with you," a voice called from the darkness. Another spotlight flipped on not far from them revealing two overstuffed chairs. In one sat the woman Mike had wanted to confront since this all began. "Sharon, if you would be so kind as to close the door as you leave. Your employee and I have much to talk about." "Certainly, Helen." The news director turned to leave, not even bothering to look in Mike's direction. By an unspoken command Tammy followed her out. As they left, Mike nervously scanned the room to see if anyone else was there with them. It was a useless effort since the spotlight above created a black curtain around them that made it impossible to see past. Only after hearing the door shut tight did Helen Berry speak again. "You've been asking too many questions lately, Mr. Teller." The reporter stood his ground. "That's what I get paid to do, Ms. Berry. Ask questions." Helen smirked slightly. "Let me rephrase. You've been asking too many of the wrong questions. The Star Wing matter is now closed." "Perhaps, and then perhaps not, director. To be blunt, this whole thing smells like a cover-up." "Let it go, Mr. Teller." "Sorry, but I took an oath to report the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. What kind of reporter would I be if I turned my back on this?" "A patriotic reporter," Helen snapped then caught herself. "This is a matter of national security. All your questions are going to do is panic a lot of good people." "We both know there is more to this story than what you said at the news conference." Helen pointed to the chair across from her. "Sit down, Mr. Teller." The tone indicated it was an order that was not to be questioned. Mike did as he was told. "After you aired your interview with Cindy Parker, our switchboard was flooded with calls from frightened people." "Your response didn't help. Until the news conference, your agency neither confirmed nor denied what I said was true. People thought the worse, and rightfully so. Truthfully, director, your PR person screwed up." "Yes, I agree. But I didn't come here to assign blame. I'm here to offer you a deal." Mike shifted nervously in his seat. "What kind of deal?" "A position at space command." "That's very generous of you Director. What's it going to cost me?" Helen ignored his sarcasm. "First, you drop this witch hunt you're on. You won't find anything because there's nothing to find. There is no cover-up." "Then why offer me a job?" "I feel you could be useful to us. As you know, our organization has grown stale in the public's eyes. People aren't as excited about space travel as they use to be. They have turned their attention to other things. Worse, some of our higher officials have started questioning if we need to maintain our current level of activity. Space Command needs that money to keep our projects alive. The best way to do this is to shake things up, to excite the public to space travel again. "Hiring a male reporter on your news staff is hardly going to give you the excitement you're wanting." Helen nodded. "You're absolutely correct. Mike, how would you like to become our first male astronaut?" The offer stunned the young reporter. Had he heard correctly? A few minutes ago he would have deemed this position impossible to achieve, especially with everything that had happened. Now he was being offered his life-long dream? It was too good to be true. "Are you playing with me, Director?" he asked suspiciously. "It's a legitimate offer, Mr. Teller. We've always had our heroes at Space Command and that's carried us through the years. But lately that hasn't been enough to keep the public interested. What we've been missing is someone who can write about these experiences. I'm not saying we don't have good writers, but what we lack is someone who can write with the same passion you can. I've seen your work, and even for a man it's impressive. Impressive enough that, along with being our first male astronaut, you could go far and take us with you. You would be a hero to millions of young boys and men who want the same rights as women have. You could put our agency back in the limelight where it belongs." "Aren't you afraid that might cause a revolution?" "Mr. Teller, let's be honest. In time men and women will be seen as equal. The foundation for such a world has already been laid. Do I think this is a good thing? No, I don't. Men don't have the maturity or intellect to handle a crisis the way women do. It's been that way since the beginning, which is why our creator put women in charge. "Yes, men have their purpose. They are the organizers, nurturers, supporters, and they do these types of jobs well. Better than any woman can, I might add. But that doesn't make them our equals and we are fooling ourselves into thinking otherwise. Men think differently than women, and let's face the facts; this is a woman's world. To fit in, men will have to become like us. Some can adapt, but most can't. That means the world is going to have to change." "You mean the women, don't you?" "Yes, Mike, us! And that won't happen for a very long time. There will be meetings, demonstrations, laws signed, all steps in making men and women equal - and all futile. Until women change, there will be no equal rights. And such change won't happen in our lifetime. So while you may be a step in that direction, it's a baby step. Some may look back and say your becoming an astronaut was a big step in man's fight to be treated as equal. However, the reality is it will have little or no affect on our society as a whole. Ironic, if you think about it. The same men who'll praise your becoming an astronaut will see me as a visionary, and maybe even a civil rights leader. "Ironic is not the word I would use, Director. Let's put our cards on the table. The only reason you want to hire me is to shut me up." "I could find other ways to "shut you up" if I wanted. This job is a win-win situation for both of us. What is your decision, Mr. Teller?" "You mean I don't get time to think it over?" "What is there to think about?" Mike Teller realized that was true. His career as a reporter with this television station, or any other for that matter, was over. He may be able to freelance as an author, but that was a long shot at best. Director Berry had spelled it out. This was a woman's world, and there were few publishers willing to publish a book by a man. Especially a man who had been black-balled by one of the most powerful women on this planet. "When do I start, Director Berry?" Although Mike felt good about his decision, he still couldn't shake the feeling that he had just sold his soul to the devil. *************************** Six years later - Planet Earth Marc 'Pappy' Casewell smiled as he strolled down the peppered tile hallway connecting the main building with that of the administration offices. Over the years since his departure, the ex-astronaut had forgotten how much he missed this place. Why had he ever retired? Then he spotted a group of younger astronauts training outside and remembered. He was old, pushing 54. Despite his good health, space fight was a young man's game. Besides, he had spent more than his share of time away from his family. How many years had he missed while preparing for his missions? No, Marc thought to himself, he had made the right choice. He may have missed the job, but not all the pressure and sacrifices that came with it. Plus, he had grandchildren to spoil. All things said, the retired astronaut was content with his new life. As for why he was here, well, that was a mystery. NASA had flown him to Houston the night before and booked him into one of the finest hotels in the city. As an added bonus, they had provided a driver to take him to the Johnson Space Center that morning. All this fuss over an old, retired astronaut! Marc figured whatever his friend wanted it had to be big. Upon arriving, he brushed off his escort; a sergeant so young Pappy swore he could see pimples on his face. He didn't want anyone disturbing his thoughts as he made this walk. There were good memories and, unfortunately, some bad ones to rehash. The bad ones came first as he paused at the dedication wall located in the main lobby. It held the names and pictures of every astronaut who had died in the pursuit of space. There were thirty-five pictures in all, but there were only three that Pappy was interested in. He stared at the faces of the astronauts he had personally trained and silently said their names. His men - HIS BOYS! The moment was doubly painful by the fact their deaths were ruled human error. "Did I screw up?" he asked himself once again. For years Pappy had searched his logs trying to find the answer. Was he the reason why they died? Was there something he had forgotten to cover that could have saved them? The answer he came back with was always "no". He had trained them well - very well as a matter of fact. They should've been able to handle any emergency that came up. So what had killed them? Human error. One small, stupid mistake in judgment! It should never have happened and it didn't make sense. Marc brushed his guilt away and continued on his way. Not far away he entered an interior office and was greeted by a lovely receptionist who looked like she had just graduated from college. "Good morning, Mr. Casewell," she smiled and stood. "Mr. Moore is waiting for you." She walked to the door behind her desk, knocked, then opened the door and ushered him inside. "Pappy!" Charlie shouted while rising from his chair. A middle-age man dressed in expensive suit followed his lead. "How are you doing, buddy?" "Fine, Charlie," Marc answered in the same spirit. It was good to see his friend again. Years ago they had spent time aboard the International Space Station performing a grueling, but rewarding, mission. Working together had forged a strong friendship that continued to this day. But unlike himself, Charlie had decided to leave the astronaut service and take an inside job where he felt he could do more good. His road eventually led to being the director overseeing all space missions. "Pappy, this is Dr. Ryan, assistant to the President." "Call me John," the man smiled while extending his hand. "Marc," Pappy replied as he shook it. His nickname was reserved only to those close to him. "I hope I'm not in trouble with the IRS." Dr. Ryan laughed. "Nothing that serious, I assure you. Please, sit and I'll explain why you're here." Pappy took a seat close to Charlie who seemed nervous about something. "What I'm about to tell you, Marc, is top secret. No one, and I mean no one, can find out what we talk about today." "I've kept secrets before," Pappy replied an equally serious tone. Charlie nodded that this was true. "This is bigger than anything you've ever heard or will ever hear in your life," the man emphasized. "This is top level, national security material. Not even senior members of Congress have this information." Marc raised his eyebrows at the implications. "I get the picture. What is it you want to talk about?" "I understand you were part of the investigation into the failed Mercury mission six years ago. Can you please brief me on what you know?" Marc gave a painful sigh. Was this the reason he had been dragged out here? What else was there to cover? "There's not much that hasn't been made public. Three weeks into the mission there was a critical program meltdown. The main computer crashed for reasons still not understood and half the ships systems went dead. Everything had to be done manually until the computer could be brought on-line. Mission control decided to bring the men back as quickly as possible by slingshotting[Janet Mil5] the Explorer around Venus. Two weeks later the crew was dead. After a lengthy investigation it was determined one of them had set the environmental controls incorrectly. Since the computer was on the fritz, there was no warning alarm. The men were asphyxiated in their sleep." "A dark day in NASA history," the space director noted dryly. "Only it wasn't supposed to happen that way." Marc snapped his head around. "What does that mean, Charlie?" "What I mean, Pappy, is the crew wasn't suppose to be blamed. One of my over-anxious ground crew discovered what we had done and assumed the crew was at fault. Everyone was supposed to think it was a computer error." "Are you saying you had the crew killed?" "No, Pappy, I wanted everyone to believe the crew was dead. You see something happened to them... something you may find hard to believe." "Are they alive, Charlie?" The director slowly shook his head. "I don't know, Pappy. I would like to believe they are. The crew that came back looked just like them, but they weren't who they appeared to be." "What the hell does that mean, Charlie?" Dr. Ryan answered for him. "What he means, Marc, is that the crew of the Explorer is alive, only they claim to be someone else." "ALIVE!" Pappy exploded. "I attended their funerals. I morn for them like everyone else, maybe more! Do you realize the HELL you've put me through?" "It had to be this way," Charlie reassured him. "We had to... OH, HELL, Pappy, I didn't want to do it, but I had no choice. Until we found a way to bring them back it was safer to hide the truth." "WHAT TRUTH?" Pappy screamed as he rose from his chair with fists clinched. "What the HELL did you two do?" "If you sit back down, I'll explain everything," Dr. Ryan answered calmly. Pappy glared at the man, but did as he was told. "As I said, the crew is alive. However, they claim to be someone else. Through questioning and careful examination, we've believe their story to be true. These um...people, came from another universe, one that's very similar to our own. Somehow, they were transported to our universe by accident. It's equally possible the same thing happened to our crew, and they're trapped in their universe and in their bodies." "Is this some kind of sick joke?" "I assure you Marc, it's no joke. It's possible our men, the men you trained, are still alive in this other universe praying we'll find a way to get them back home. And after all these years we think we've found a way to do that." "Is that's why you brought me here? To be part of a rescue mission?" "Yes, that was one reason. But it's more than just that. We need someone to make first contact with this race and set up a dialog. "Are you serious?" "As a heart attack! The president himself signed off on this mission." Charlie took over the conversation. "Pappy, we discovered what happened shortly after the computer crashed. Somehow information on their ship got transferred with them. It screwed everything up, from navigation to life support. Their commander contacted me over a secure line and explained everything. At first I didn't believe him, but after I saw the data it was hard not to come to any other conclusion." "That doesn't explain why you faked their deaths." "I had to Pappy. Supposing the press found out our astronauts had been switched with aliens from another world? Think of the consequences! It would've been a circus. People would've panicked and that would've been just the beginning of our troubles. Congress may have closed us down and ended any chance of a rescue mission. So until we could find a way to get our people back, it was safer to play them off as being dead. That brought us time and extra funding to fix the problems Congress thought had caused their deaths. We used that money to find out what had happened and figure out a way to get them back." "But their bodies, I saw them." Charlie shook his head. "No, you saw someone else's bodies. Even with this being an emergency return, it still took four months. Three badly decomposed bodies were what you saw. Unclaimed corpses from the morgue that were similar in stature to our crew. I had them secretly loaded onto the shuttle before lift off and planted on the Explorer. Then we brought them down along with the crew who had once been Phil Walker, Denny Martan, and Roger Jennings. After landing, the bodies were removed for a proper burial and our three visitors were whisked away to a remote location. The two astronauts I sent were sworn to secrecy." "What about the water usage, food, and other supplies?" "All signed off on by me, Pappy," his friend noted. "Why do you think I refused your request to fly on the mission to pick them up? I knew you would never go along with this cover-up. " "My values haven't changed, Charlie. What makes you think I'll go along with this charade now?" "We have faith that once you hear what we have to say you'll do the right thing," Dr. Ryan replied for him. "We found a way to get to this other universe. It's risky, but it can be done. What we need is someone who is familiar with the Explorer to command the mission and, with luck, return our crew back to their original bodies and bring them home." "So why me? There are others who are just as qualified and still active." Ryan nodded. "True, and there lies the problem. Using someone who is active would bring unwarranted attention to the project. On the other hand, someone who's retired won't be missed." "Especially if they don't come back," Marc noted dryly. "I'm assuming my crew won't be regular astronauts either." "That's correct. In fact they're civilians, which is all the more reason we need a seasoned space traveler on board. Then there's the visitors from this other universe that will be making the trek with you. While they have experience in space, our ship and methods are alien to them." "What are they like, these 'visitors'?" "The nicest people you will ever meet, Pappy," Charlie explained. "Well mannered, professional, and very friendly. If you agree to this mission you'll be flown out to meet with them and the rest of your crew." "And if I decide to decline this offer? Who else do you have in mind, Charlie?" The flight director frowned. "No one, Pappy. Not only are you my best choice, you're my only choice. There isn't anyone else qualified to fly the Explorer and has the diplomatic skills to pull this mission off." Marc sat silently going over everything he had been told. Part of him was angry over the lies he had been told. He had lived with the guilt of failure for many years. But the other half was relieved to learn he wasn't responsible for their deaths and in fact, the crew, his crew, might still be alive. Now there was hope; hope that he might be able to bring them home. It wasn't a hard decision. "I'll go, Charlie." Both the men breathed a sign of relief. "In that case Pappy, welcome aboard." Charlie smiled and shook his hand. "Now that you're part of this mission, there is one more thing you need to know. The visitor's from this other universe. They're women." "WHAT!" **************************************************** The three men flew to a remote ranch in western Montana. In fact the only way to reach the ranch was by air. The nearest road was more than forty miles away and between it and the ranch was a thick, dense forest that was almost impassable. As the plane came to a stop at the end of the runway, a black Hummer met them. From there they were driven back to the main house. Marc stepped out of the vehicle and took in the surroundings. It was magnificent. He wondered how the builders had managed to get all the materials here to build such an impressive place. The house was only a single story structure, but it was huge and made of stone. No doubt this was done to handle the bad weather Montana was known for. To the west were roughly five acres[Janet Mil6] containing several buildings to house horses, tractors, and snowmobiles. Nearby in a small pasture, cows and a few sheep grazed on the lush, green grass. Surrounding the entire perimeter were some of the tall trees that made up the Flathead National Forest. It was both a peaceful and beautiful place. "Quite impressive, isn't it?" John commented. "All first time visitors feel that way." "The cost to build this place must have been enormous," Marc commented. "It was, even in 1930's dollars. It was suppose to be a retreat for President Roosevelt and those who followed him. But when WWII started it became obvious this was the wrong location for a presidential getaway. So Camp David was built and this place was turned over to the CIA to be used as a safe house. Come inside, our guests are waiting." John led them past the living room and into a large study that could easily have seated 30 people. It was there Marc spotted the three men he had trained for more than a year. Phil Walker, Denny Martan, and Roger Jennings sat there looking larger than life. Each gave him a smile of politeness, not one of recognition. "Marc, I would like you to meet Commander Cindy Parker." The former Phil Walker held out her hand and Pappy looked at it a little uncertain. "Relax, Marc, I don't bite," she smiled. "Sorry," Pappy grinned foolishly while shaking her hand. "This is Dawn Wilson, the engineer," Dr. Ryan continued as if nothing where out of the ordinary. "Nice meeting you, Marc," the old Denny replied pleasantly. "And, finally, Wendy Lewis." "A pleasure to be working with you," Wendy stated in the same tone as the real Roger Jennings would have. Marc felt numb as he shook each hand. They were older than he remembered, but clearly the same men he had trained. It was a little hard to comprehend that although they looked like his crew, they were actually someone else. Dr. Ryan continued with the introductions. "Over here is the rest of your crew. Samuel Smith, your science officer." The thin African-American man who couldn't have been older than twenty five grasped Marc's hand in a friendly manner. "Call me Willy," he smiled. "Willy is an expert in mathematics and theories of parallel universes," John explained. "I hope to prove many of them correct," he grinned confidently. "He also has several degrees in psychology and human behavior. We felt his background would prove useful to you, Marc.? ?I?m sure it will,? Pappy answered while carefully sizing up the man. Willy seemed like an easy-going fellow, someone who would be a pleasure to work with and an asset to the mission. ?Last, but not least, is your engineer, Lee Williams. Lee was the one who figured out how to get from our universe to the other.? The Japanese-American beamed. ?Please, you give me too much credit, John. There were others who developed the technology. All I did was piece them together. It?s nice to meet you, Marc. I?ve never met a hero before.? Pappy laughed. ?Please, none of that ?hero? crap! I did what NASA trained me to do.? ?You don?t give yourself enough credit, Commander. In any event, I?m looking forward to working with you.? ?The same,? Pappy replied. ?Now that everyone?s been introduced, we can begin. You know why we?re here. But before we begin, I must stress that what you hear today is top-secret, and must never, and I mean NEVER, be repeated to anyone, not even your loved ones. You must take this to the grave, gentlemen. Lee, I?ll let you go over the details of the mission. ?Thanks, John.? Lee stood and faced them. ?This mission actually started back in 1943. Its official name was Project Rainbow, but it?s more popularly known in urban legends as the Philadelphia experiment. The goal was to make a ship invisible to enemy radar, especially to the German U-boats that were devastating the shipping lanes at the time. So, the military took a small destroyer escort called the USS Elridge and equipped it with huge generators to produce an incredibly intense magnetic field around it. Then, they started experimenting, first with animals and finally with men. The project was successful; too successful in fact. Not only did the ship disappear off the radar screen, it also vanished from the bay. When the Elridge reappeared, the rescuers found things that defied explanation. ?Charred ashes of what had once been sailors were lying on the deck. Others,? Lee swallowed hard. ?Others had become part of the superstructure, but were still alive, the poor devils. Then, there were the men who had gone mad. Finally, for a lack of a better term, those who kept fading in and out of this world. Eventually, all of those who survived faded away.? ?I?ve heard of the legend. Do we know what happened to them?? Marc asked. ?Until recently, no. But after our friends arrived we were able to fill in the missing pieces. One of the men on board the Elridge took these pictures.? Lee handed them over to Marc to see. The five black and white pictures showed the remains of a destroyed city. Many of the structures were scorched, and it didn?t take a genius to recognize that some kind of explosion had reduced the city to rubble. Yet there was nothing in the pictures that allowed Pappy to identify what city it was. Even with the destruction inflicted, there should have been some tell-tale signs or landmarks. Lee saw his puzzlement and nodded. ?That?s right Marc; we couldn?t identify the city either. We knew from the hills in the background it had to be Philadelphia, but the setup was wrong. We assumed the Elridge had gone forward in time by a couple of hundred of years. That being the case, it was reasonable to assume that the city?s skyline had changed. Of course a few did suggest that the crew had been transported to another universe, but they were scoffed at. As it turns out they were right. What happened was that the Elridge and her crew were transported to another universe. The same universe Cindy, Dawn, and Wendy came from to be precise. They were able to identify the city as one that had been destroyed in a past war.? Cindy cleared her throat. ?If I may add something. When I was in the girl scouts I remember sitting around the camp fire listening to my troop leader tell us spooky tales about these strange, crazy men who lived in the Northern Forest Area. The city, once called Jane town, had been heavily bombed by the Krimita. Many believed the effects from the poison gas produced these hideous monsters? um, sorry, these men. They were supposed to be rough, fighting creatures. I heard rumors that a couple of expeditions sent to find out the truth never returned. I never believed those stories; that is until now.? ?Who are the Krimita?? ?An alien race that once tried to enslave them,? Lee answered. ?We?ll talk about that later. Getting back to the Elridge, they found the way there.? ?A lot of good it does us,? Marc retorted. ?If what happened on the Elridge is the norm, we could end up being deep-fried or becoming part of the ships bulkhead.? ?Not if we do it in space.? ?Say that again.? ?Space,? Lee repeated like it was a magical word. ?That?s the key. One of the reasons why there were so many problems was because the experiment was conducted in the earth?s atmosphere. Today we know it should?ve been conducted in a vacuum. Space solves that problem. Another error was that the scientists were engulfing the Elridge in an intense magnetic field. What they should have done was have the ship shoot through one instead. Of course, traveling to a parallel universe wasn?t the goal back then.? ?So how do we do this with the Explorer?? A huge smile appeared on the engineer?s face. ?Simple. We use three generators to create a magnetic field, thus warping space in on itself and opening a pathway between their world and ours. Then we slingshot the Explorer through.? Marc raised his eyebrows in alarm. ?Are you sure the Explorer can take the stress? It?s a big ship.? ?Only the command section will be sent,? Dr. Ryan jumped in. ?The hydroponics gardens and warehouse units will be left behind. Actually, this works to our benefit since it will appear the Explorer is still in orbit. You?ll have enough supplies to last at least a month, but I seriously doubt you?ll be gone that long. We expect you?ll be back in less than two weeks. You know about the refitting, don?t you Marc?? ?Just what I?ve read in the paper. NASA is preparing the Explorer for a trip to Jupiter?s moons.? ?That?s correct. In two weeks the work crew will come home and the Explorer will be unoccupied until the next refitting rocket is sent. That?s not scheduled to launch for six weeks. In three weeks you and your crew will be launched via a satellite rocket to the Explorer. Don?t worry, we?ve checked and made sure the rocket can get you there. Once docked, you?ll load the generators onto the Explorer, fly to the other universe, and hopefully return the Ardoran crew and our crew back home.? ?Supposing something happens to the Explorer?? Marc asked. John frowned. ?Make sure it doesn?t, Commander. I?m counting on you to bring it back in one piece.? ?Her,? Marc corrected. ?Huh?? ?It?s a 'her', Dr. Ryan. We refer to the Explorer as a she, not an ?it?. The Explorer may be cold metal to you, but to those who have spent time on her she?s a living thing. We treat her well and she does the same for us.? ?Sorry, her,? John nodded, clearly not understanding what the big deal was. ?Anything else?? ?What about the crew? How do we stop what happened to the crew of the Elridge from happening to us?? ?By using another magnetic force field,? Lee jumped in. ?We?ll create a reverse magnetic field around the Explorer to counterbalance the effects of the warp's magnetic field. Not only will this protect the crew, it?ll provide the power to propel us to the other universe. It?s the same principle the magnet trains use on their three hour runs from New York to Chicago.? ?And the memory transfers? How do we get these ladies back in their bodies, and our men back in theirs?? Marc asked skeptically. ?Well, that?s kind of complicated,? Lee confessed. ?Until Willy and I can look at the data that the other mission control collected, I can?t give you an answer. I?m hopeful we can figure it out.? ?What happens if you can?t? What about our men?? ?You bring them home ? as is, Commander,? Dr. Ryan stated. ?Even if they?re still women? Supposing they don?t want to come home?? ?Then use your best judgment. I?m aware of the time that has passed. Maybe they settled down, had families. If that?s the case I wish them the best of luck. But I want them to have the opportunity to decide. Your mission is to give them that option.? ?Fair enough, Dr. Ryan. Do you mind if I ask you, um, ladies, something?? Marc found it hard to call them ladies when they clearly were not. But referring to them otherwise may insult them, and he didn?t want to do that either. ?Certainly, Marc,? the one named Cindy answered. ?What is it you want to know?? ?Are you sure you want to leave? I mean, the option to stay was offered to you, wasn?t it?? Cindy cracked a small smile. It was the same smile Marc remembered Phil giving him just before the Explorer departed. ?Yes, we were given the offer. This Earth is a lovely world, and we did consider staying. There are many things on this world that don?t exist on Ardor. But what Ardor does offer us that your planet can?t is our families. I have a sister who I miss very dearly, and my crewmates have their own families who they want to see again. Going back is what?s right for us.? ?I?m sure it will be the same for Phil, Roger, and Denny,? Marc whispered. ?When do we start?? ********************************************************** The training was tougher than Marc had expected. A number of modifications had been made to the Explorer since he had left NASA. Most were due to the information they had picked up in the transfer with the Star Wing. While he was struggling to keep up, the other crew members were going through their own personal hell. It had been years since the three ladies had flown in space and they were rusty. As for Willy and Lee, they wouldn?t have been here if fate hadn?t stepped in. Yet over the weeks things came together. Not only did each person begin to master his assignment, they bonded as a crew. It wasn?t long before they were playing practical jokes on each other to relieve the stress they were under. During training they were serious, because each knew it wasn?t just their life that depended on getting things right. But after hours they laughed about the days events and entertained each other with their personal stories. Perhaps the most interesting to Marc were those that the ladies told. He had considered himself a veteran of space travel, but here were people who had walked on other worlds. They had visited the canyons of Mars, walked on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and explored the icy landscape of frigid Pluto. Places that Marc could only dream about, they had been there. He felt envious of their achievement, until one evening Wendy confessed her envy for him. Bewildered, Marc asked why. ?Because you had the best of both worlds,? she confessed. ?Not only did you get to work in space, but you had a family as well. On my world we?re away so long we can?t have a family. Sure, we get to explore different worlds, but the trade off is when we retire there isn?t anyone waiting to spend your golden years with. Many retire from service only to become part of the ground crew because they have nothing else to do. It really is a lonely life.? ?I guess I never thought about it that way before,? Marc rubbed his chin with a new appreciation for what he had. He vowed that this really would be his last mission. *********************************************** The trip to the Explorer went precisely as planned. The Vega class rocket had secretly been equipped with a capsule and beefed up to take the six astronauts and their equipment to the Explorer. Less than two minutes into the flight, a program was executed to indicate there was a problem with the trajectory. None of the controllers watching the readouts knew this was faked, and that the flight was in reality going as planned. Shortly afterward, the fight director announced that one of the engines had failed and the rocket had been unable to achieve orbit. As a result the rocket and the satellite it was carrying had either burned up in the atmosphere or crashed into the ocean. While such occurrences weren?t common, it didn?t raise any red flags to the media who had watched the flight take place. In another room, a small group of men and women loyal to Charlie took over the controls and guided the capsule to the Explorer. Once docked, the crew transported the generators and other instruments over and stored things away. Then they started going through their pre-launch check lists and turning on the gravity packs. After detaching from the main part of the ship, the Explorer did a five minute burn and left orbit. Its destination was a part of space that wasn?t being used by the people of Ardor. At least they hoped that was the case. It wouldn?t do to run into another ship. It took six hours to get to where they needed to be. During the down time everything was checked and rechecked. Then there was another burn to slow the ship down so they could set out the generators. That part was being handled by Lee and Dawn. ?Hold her steady, Cindy,? Marc ordered in a gentle manner. ?We?re drifting 5 feet per second, Commander,? she replied while her eyes were glued to the screen. Despite what people believe, a dead stop in space wasn?t possible. Gravity from the sun, planets, and everything else in the universe was extending their pull on the ship. In fact nothing in space was actually sitting still. Everything, from their own solar system to the neighboring galaxy and the distant Quasars were moving through space at tremendous speeds. ?Generators one and two on line and in position,? the science officer announced. ?Thanks, Willy.? The commander flipped on his intercom. ?Lee, how are you doing with number three generator?? ?Dropping it now, Pappy,? he replied. ?There she goes.? The viewing screen above Marc?s head showed a box-like device drifting away. The engineer used thrusters attached to the generator to maneuver it in place. Lasers from each generator would be use to measure the distance between them. Once at the proper distance, small maneuvering rockets would keep them where they needed to be. ?Looking good, Lee! Tell me when the last one?s in position.? Marc flipped off the intercom and turned his attention to Cindy. She had been strangely silent since they had started getting ready for the jump. Of the three aliens, she was the one who was the most talkative. ?Anything on your mind you want to share, Commander?? ?I was just thinking, Pappy. It?s been six years. I can?t stop wondering how different my world may be.? ?Some things would have changed, but I wouldn?t be surprised if your world is just as you left it.? ?Can I ask you something personal, Pappy?? ?Of course, Cindy. What is it?? ?Why you? I mean, you have a wife and kids back on your world. Why go on such a dangerous mission?? A calm frown appeared on Marc?s face. ?I trained those three men, Cindy. In fact I delivered them to the Explorer before they departed for Mercury. I guess you could say guilt is what?s driving me to do this.? ?Guilt? You, Pappy?? ?Yes, Cindy, guilt. I may be calm and cool on the outside, but inside I can?t help the way I feel. This may sound pretty stupid, but I was the last one to see them alive. I feel some what responsible for making sure they get back home safely.? ?But what happened was nobody?s fault, Pappy.? ?Deep down I know you?re right, Cindy. Still, I need to do this. Commander Walker is a personal friend of mine. More like a son, if you want to know the truth. In fact Denny and Roger are also like sons to me. I know if the situation were reversed they would come after me. So even if I wanted to, I couldn?t turn my back on this mission.? ?What if they don?t want to come back with you, Pappy?? The commander shook his head. ?We?ll cross that bridge if and when we come to it. I realize that may happen, but I doubt it. Phil and his crew are most likely as anxious to get back home as you are. Besides, it?s your body he?s living in. He has no claim to it anymore than you have on his.? ?Commander, Generator 3 is in position and on-line,? the intercom squawked. ?Thanks, Lee. Have everyone take their stations. Willy, bring the power on the generators up slowly and run your tests. Wendy, start going through your pre-launch procedures. I want the ship ready to depart by the time the generators are calibrated. Let?s get to work people.? The hours passed quickly as each crew member went about the tasks they had been trained for. Hundreds of things had to be checked before their trip could be attempted. Only one problem came up, which turned out to be a false reading due to a bad LED on the battery panel. Commander Casewell quickly replaced the LED and marked it off the list. After everything had been checked and they were clear to proceed with the mission Marc turned to them. On the faces of Willy and Lee he saw excitement. They were about to go where no Earth man or woman had gone before. There was a new world waiting for them, with people who were both similar and also very different from themselves. For them it would be the adventure of a lifetime. But on the faces of the Star Wing crew he saw apprehension. They were going home, but to what kind of home? And would things work out the way they had hoped? Marc nodded and said, ?Men? and ladies. This is what we came here for. It?s an historic moment for both our worlds. But this isn?t about making history, it?s about saving lives. This is perhaps the most important mission you will ever undertake. There has never been rescue in space like the one we are about to attempt. At least not on our planet and I doubt on Ardor either. Do your jobs well and good luck to all of you. Cindy, do you have anything you want to say before we go?? Cindy gazed at the men from Earth solemnly. ?Wendy, Dawn, and I would like to thank each of you. We know you?re not risking your life just for us. But we also know that if rescuing your men wasn?t part of this mission, you would still be going. Because of this you have not only our respect, but undying loyalty.? ?Thank you, Cindy,? Marc noted. ?Everyone, take your seats. Let?s see if Willy?s theory of parallel universes is correct.? Marc, Wendy, and Willy sat in the control room while the others took seats in the chamber below. Slowly the engineer brought the generators up to power while Lee made sure they remained 1000 yards from each other to create a perfect triangle. As the power grew, the space between the generators began vibrating like waves on the ocean ?The magnetic field around the Explorer is at full power and holding,? Wendy announced. Pappy gently maneuvered the ship so it faced the area being warped. As the power grew, so did the distortion and? a fine green mist appeared around the opening ?Willy, were you expecting that mist?? ?No, Commander,? he announce with delight. ?It?s amazing. It must be a byproduct of the magnetic field we are creating. Don?t worry Commander, I doubt if it?s dangerous.? Marc fidgeted, uncomfortable at the words. He didn?t like surprises or guesses. The Commander wondered how many more surprises they would encounter before this trip was over. ?Generators at 70%, Pappy,? Lee barked from below and also unable to hide his excitement. ?Power them up, Willy.? The science officer obliged and the space become even more distorted, actually bending in on itself. Then a hole formed in space; a deep black hole large enough to swallow their ship. An alarm on his panel went off. ?Generator 3 isn?t keeping up, Pappy.? Willy turned to his keyboard and rapidly typed in a command. Seconds later the alarm went silent. ?I?ve corrected the problem.? ?Was it the generator?? Marc demanded to know. ?No. It appears to have been a software problem. I fixed it. The generators will power down in 30 seconds, sir? ?Sit tight, everyone, we?re going in.? Marc fired the thrusters and flew the Explorer into the distortion. Just before it entered, Wendy took the controls. ?Magnetic field is holding,? Wendy announced. ?Hang on, everyone. You?re going to feel a jolt.? There was a sharp pull and the Explorer leaped forward into the unknown. For a moment there was nothing outside the main window but darkness. Seconds later it was replaced by a green mist and flashes of light. ?What?s going on, Willy?? ?The high speed between the two magnetic fields is causing the mist to flash.? ?It doesn?t even feel like we?re moving,? Cindy commented. ?Oh, we are,? Lee corrected her. ?According to the computer our speed is almost 400,000 miles an hour and increasing. Damn, that?s odd. We may be going fast, but according to the computer the distance the ship has traveled is only a few miles.? Marc was about to ask a question when a wave a dizziness hit him. He noticed the others seem to be feeling the same thing. ?What?s happening? Why do I feel so dizzy all of the sudden?? ?It must? be the effects? from the wormhole,? Willy slurred. ?Not life-threatening I think. Take a few breaths of oxygen. That should help.? The crew reached for their masks and Marc breathed in the pure oxygen and immediately felt better. With his mind now cleared, he pulled the mask away and asked the next question. ?Willy, how can we be traveling as such high speeds and not be going anywhere?? ?I?m not completely sure, Pappy. It must have something to do with the magnetic field inside this worm hole. Traveling close to the speed of light will slow down time. Maybe in this case it?s affecting the distance we travel.? ?But we?re no where close to approaching the speed of light,? Lee countered. ?How could it have such a dramatic effect on us?? ?We?re in undiscovered territory,? Willy answered. ?I don?t have a theory on what?s going on yet, but I?m convinced it has something to do with traveling near the speed of light. We?ve opened up a black hole. That?s a rip in space and time. Light inside here might have different properties. The speed of light might be reduced from 186,000 miles per second to maybe only a couple of thousand of miles. We have no way to be sure until I look over the data.? ?So shouldn?t we be in our universe by now?? Dawn asked. Willy shook his head. ?We have no way of knowing the distance between the two universes, if we are indeed talking about distance. We might need to figure out a new method to determining how far ?far? is when traveling in a worm hole. Distance may not be a factor in determining how close we are to getting to our destination.? ?What else could it be?? asked Marc. ?Time,? Willy answered. ?Perhaps the distance is short, but the time between the two universes has slowed, so a minute is not a minute by our standards. Albert Einstein?s theory was that the closer you got to the speed of light, the slower time became.? ?Except as Lee stated before we?re nowhere close to the speed of light,? Dawn pointed out, ?Besides, wouldn?t time have the opposite affect on us? Wouldn?t a minute seem more like an hour to someone on the outside, and thus we would travel farther? ?Perhaps the laws change when you travel between universes,? Wendy jumped in. ?Maybe going through a magnetic field magnifies the effect, thus we don?t have to travel as far to achieve the same results. It took us three and a half minutes to get to your universe, so there?s no reason to expect it wouldn?t be the same.? ?But that was when we were mentally being transported here, not physically. Suddenly, Dawn's face flushed with concern. ?What about the generators? What happens to us when they shut off? Won?t the worm hole, collapse?? ?Relax,? Willy reassured her. ?The generators punched a hole in space to the other side, or will anyway. Think of us as riding on a wave. Even if the hole were too close on our side, it would still open up on your side with us riding this magnetic field. In theory the worm hole can?t collapse until we get there.? ?What about the radio?? Marc asked before taking a few deep breaths from his oxygen. ?Sorry, Commander, but as I suspected the magnetic field blocks us from using it. However, we might be able to send a signal to the generators letting NASA know we made it.? ?Whenever that occurs,? muttered Dawn. ?That may be sooner than you think, guys,? said Lee. ?Our speed is dropping. We must be approaching regular space.? Sure enough there was a slight jolt as the Explorer shot out of the wormhole. Almost immediately the computer fired the retro-rockets slowing the ship down to a few thousand miles per hour. For a moment everyone was silent and the only thing heard was the quiet hum of the computers. ?Just over three and a half minutes,? Wendy stated. ?Want to hear something even stranger?? Lee added with interest. ?According to the computer, the distance we traveled was less then 10 miles. It appears your theory has some validity, Willy.? ?That or the computer is wrong,? Dawn pointed out. ?I still find it hard to believe our ship could travel so fast and not cover the same distance.? ?Which brings us to the most important question, where is here?? Wendy asked. Pappy unsnapped his straps and made his way to the radio. Cindy joined him while the others remained seated in silence. Turning to the frequency reserved for Space Command, she was rewarded with a conversation between their base and another ship. ?That sounds like Abby,? Cindy said in a cracked tone. ?Sounds of home,? Marc smiled slightly. ?More than you will ever know, Pappy.? Her eyes were slightly moist with relief. ?Marc, would you? mind if I talked to her in private?? ?We?ll go check on the engines. Let us know when we can start heading for Ardor.? ?Oh, I will,? she replied. ?I most certainly will.? ******************************************************** ?The water filter has been fixed, Abby. The tanks should refill in less than a day.? ?Good work, Lindsey. Anything else to report?? ?The Sun Devil is a good ship, Abby. I wouldn?t mind flying him again some day.? The flight director laughed. ?I?ll keep that in mind, Commander. See you in two weeks.? ?Copy that. Sun Devil out.? Abby flipped off the radio and turned to the radiowoman. ?Make a note of this in the log. I want a new converter placed in the Sun Devil when they dock.? ?Yes ma?am.? A loud beep caused the radio woman to turn back at her panel. ?There?s another message coming in for you, Abby.? ?Who from?? ?It?s a coded message, emergency frequency level one. For your eyes only, ma?am.? The eyebrows on Abby?s face rose slightly. Someone calling her on that frequency meant there was serious trouble. ?Pipe it to conference room one.? The female radio operator nodded and flight director headed for the sound-proof room nearby. She flipped on the recorder to keep a record of the conversation and took a seat at the computer. Carefully, she entered in her password and then waited. Once accepted, the computer asked Abby to place her hand on the palm reader. The computer clicked as a red light scanned her palm. Satisfied it was the flight director; it made the connection and displayed a string of numbers and letters on the screen. Quickly, the computer worked to decode the identity of the person sending it. When the answer came Abby recoiled in shock and contact her radiowoman. ?Chris, are you sure this security code is correct?? ?Yes ma?am. Is there a problem?? ?Only if you believe in ghosts,? she muttered to herself. ?Track the location of this signal and let me know where it?s coming from.? ?Right away, ma?am.? The flight director stared at the name long and hard in disbelief. It had to be a mistake, or someone?s idea of a sick joke. If it was a joke she would make sure the persons responsible would be scrubbing toilets for the rest of their lives. She cleared her throat and clicked on the intercom. ?This is director Abby Brown. Who am I speaking with?? ?Abby, thank God you?re still there,? a male voice responded. ?Where would I go?? she answered in an angry tone. ?Who in the HELL is this?? ?Who does it say I am?? ?Someone who you couldn?t be!? ?Abby, didn?t they tell you? I just assumed since we made it so did they.? ?They? Who are they? AND WHO IN THE HELL ARE YOU?? ?I?m talking about the men who got dumped into our bodies. Didn?t they make it?? ?Look, I don?t have time to play games with you, mister! What you?re doing is a federal offense. You?re facing a heavy fine and jail time for?? ?Abby, this is no joke,? the man pleaded. ?Something happened to Wendy, Dawn, and I six years ago. We got transported to another universe. I swear that?s the truth.? Chris knocked on the door. ?Stand by.? The fight director placed the radio on mute and motioned her to come in. The radio women handed her a note, and Abby scanned it carefully. Then she looked up at her with doubt. ?Are you sure about this, Chris?? ?Yes ma?am. I double-checked the location to be sure. The closest ship is a week away. What?s going on, Abby?? ?Thank you, Chris,? Abby dismissed her without answering. After the woman left she un-muted the call and growled, ?ALRIGHT, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE.? ?Abby, it?s me, Cindy Parker. I swear this is no joke. Surely by now you have a fix on our location and can see this is for real? ?We don?t have any ships in the area where you?re at. That means you?re either a ship I don?t know about or? an alien.? ?DAMN IT, ABBY, I?M NEITHER! Yes, this is an alien ship and I?m in an alien body, but it?s me, Cindy Parker. Who else would know my security code?? ?Lot?s of people,? the flight director countered. ?Sure, we keep them secure but that doesn?t mean someone couldn?t have accessed them.? ?How?s your daughter?s arm doing?? The director balked at the question. Leaning forward she asked, ?Which arm?? ?The left one. I was there when she broke it playing soccer. You told me you weren?t going to let her play anymore, remember? That was a month before I left on the Star Wing.? ?I told a lot of people that.? ?What about Jack?? Now the director?s face went pale. ?What about him?? ?Did you end it?? Abby cringed at the question. ?No one knew about him.? ?Except for me,? the person on the other end of the radio replied. ?Remember, I caught both of you leaving the motel room. We talked about it for almost half the night.? Abby sat in stone silence. Except for her lover, Cindy Parker was the only one who knew about her affair. Not even her husband had suspected anything. Then again, if Cindy had been able to find out maybe other people had, too. ?Abby, are you still there?? ?Damn it, this doesn?t make any sense. You can?t be Cindy Parker!? ?I am Abby, I swear it. Please, let me come home and prove it to you.? ?I?m? I?m going to have to get this approved.? ?Abby?? ?Damn it, I said I have to get this approved. If you are the real Cindy Parker you would know that.? ?Okay, Abby, you?re right. I was just going to say we?re six hours out. At least allow us to start heading in your direction. As you may have guessed, Dawn, Wendy, and I are more than a little anxious to get home.? ?You mean the others are with you?? ?Yes. All of us survived.? ?My God,? she whispered in horror. If they were her old crew, what had they been through? ?Alright, you have permission to start back. As for entering orbit, I?m going to have to contact some people and get back with you. Stay at least one hour away until you hear from us. Do you read me?? ?I hear you, Abby. Thank you. This is Commander Parker, out.? The signal went dead and Abby logged off the computer. For several minutes she sat there trying to figure things out. Cindy had been a criminal, or so they had been told. The evidence Helen had presented certainly made it seem so. That or Cindy had gone crazy which would explain the wild story she had told that she was really a man from the planet Earth. According to the doctors, her friend had been mentally disturbed for years. Her condition was due to the stress of losing her parents while on a mission and being unable to attend their funeral. Poor, confused Cindy had reached her breaking point and snapped. From there she spiraled down, blaming space command for missing out on spending time with her parents To get even, she had gotten involved with the New World Order and volunteered to blow up the Star Wing. Everything Helen had told her made sense. Now, with new knowledge, that story began to unravel. First, there was the deception to the press. The decision to fire the engines and bring them home had come from the loss of the bio-readers on her ladies, not a fire in the storage bay. And the cargo doors had all been closed when the engines were fired, so there wasn?t a bomb that flew into space as Director Berry had claimed. Yes, she knew Helen wasn?t being honest but up to now she had never questioned why. Helen?s job was dealing with the politics of Space Command. Abby always figured these white lies were done for national security reasons and went along with the story as asked. Next there were the brain waves, and how different they were. What had the doctor said, that they were thinking like men? Yes, those were her words. These women had the same thought patterns of a man. Then there was the mission Helen had authorized to the Star Wing after the crew had landed. When the ladies returned all data on what they found had been classified. Again, Abby had always figured Helen had her reasons for keeping this from her. True, it didn?t sit well with her since she was second in command, but she learned to live with it. It was politics, and Abby wanted to avoid them as much as she could. Now the flight director was coming up with a new idea. Maybe Helen had lied to the world, and Cindy Parker had been telling the truth. If that was so, then a great injustice had been done to the person who had claimed to be Phil Walker. Their first contact from a new world had been royally screwed up. The frustrated woman pushed herself away from the computer and left. She wanted to make the call to Helen Berry from her office where there was a secure line. It would be interesting to hear what Helen had to say. ******************************************** ?Very nice,? Helen praised her daughter. She got down on her knees and fluffed out the skirt of the frilly dress just a little more. Her daughter was turning out to be a fine young lady despite her earlier beginnings. ?Tommy wanted to wear it,? the little girl giggled.