Core Beliefs - Chapter 66 - A Variety of Vacations

Core Beliefs - Chapter 66 - A Variety of Vacations

On January 24th, 2013, Dr. Mandaville and his wife left on vacation to England. The next day, Suchet and his family flew to India to visit family. Two days later, Chris and his family departed for Australia on a holiday.

Doug and Ellie departed Wheatley and flew to Mexico for a break. In all, thirty people, via various routes, headed to the island nation of Dlrow Wen.

Matt, Ling, Timmy, and Susan prepared to depart three days after everyone else. At the airport, it seemed their passports had been flagged, and security kept making excuses to delay them.

Matt anticipated this might happen, and his family had arrived hours early.

After repeated questions about their travel purpose and searches of their luggage, they were finally allowed to board a second flight after missing their first.

Matt had purchased tickets for both, flying first class to France. After three days in Paris, they took a Chunnel train, then boarded a train to Germany, then a flight to Malaysia, where they spent a week before heading to the islands of Dlrow Wen.

***

It was February 12th. Matt and his family arrived on Dlrow Wen and were given the grand tour, finally shown to their accommodations.

Susan and Timmy had a blast on the beach, and there were many offers from babysitters.

Matt and Ling joined folks on the beach. It was casual and refreshing. They dined on fresh fish from the ocean, vegetables from the underground hydroponics farm, and a unique sweet pudding cooked from a local plant on the island. Overall, Matt gave the meal high marks, particularly since a very good wine accompanied it.

There were more than enough accommodations, and the facilities were as beautiful as Charley had envisioned them.

Over the months, they had brought everything about the island to a state-of-the-art facility. The communications, laboratories, medical facilities, and every aspect were as good as it gets.

***

Dr. Mandaville and the “Fantastic Four” were virtually non-stop, working on the next set of experiments.

Clarence and his family were there, and he was already focused on component miniaturization.

Everyone had regular routines, and the toolboxes continued carving out underground facilities.

Matt had two additional priority projects. One was a shield system for the entire tri-island group. The other was to get Charley’s underwater domed gardens started. These would take time, but others besides the “Fantastic Four” could make it happen.

***

February 15th, Dr. Mandaville declared that they were ready for the next set of tests.

Using the same routine as before, two men in a boat took the updated, redesigned sphere to the desired location. Suchet instructed Ellie to activate it. The sphere slowly elevated above the water.

Doug entered the directional commands, and the sphere began traveling in a straight line. The next set of instructions placed it into a circular orbit around the three islands at an altitude of 800 feet.

It was time to see if Dr. Mandaville’s new formulas and calculations would provide an answer to the speed question. Chris operated the computer that executed these commands and, at Dr. Mandaville’s prompt, transmitted instructions. The sphere continued to circle the island, and to the casual observer, its movements looked unchanged.

“We have a decrease,” Suchet shouted, “new speed is forty-five feet per second.”

“The route remains constant,” Ellie calmly reported.

Dr. Mandaville gave Chris the go-ahead for the next set of commands, and soon Suchet confirmed they were at 40 feet per second.

For two hours, they continued to alter the speed until Dr. Mandaville asked, “Should we try to land it?”

They slowed the sphere and let it skim the water of the caldera, watching until it coasted to a stop outside the underground harbor.

Over the next two weeks, they continued testing and redesigning the system. It was then that they decided to design a manned unit. The concepts started flying as everyone shared their vision of what a manned gravity-defying fly-anywhere-you-want machine would look like. Designing it was the most fun some had ever had.

***

Matt and family flew back to the States in late February. A corresponded from Senator Coldwell advised that Matt’s exposure of Representative Stebbins’ illegal actions had generated a domino effect. Congressman Stebbins rolled over several colleagues as part of a plea bargain. The net results were four impeachments and three censures.

It also meant that Senator Coldwell had two new committees to serve on: the Intelligence Oversight Committee and the Military Operations Committee.

“Matt, some of the newly departed legislators had a part in the trailing and break-in activities,” Saulman said. “I’m confident that the activities won’t continue, and if they did, I believe I would be able to give a warning.”

“So, you believe we will be safe?” Matt asked. “What about doing more research in the US?”

“Matt,” Saulman paused, “people remember the demonstration during the Stebbins’ hearing. It’s a good thing that I honestly understand nothing of the science,” Saulman chuckled.

Matt had other reasons for returning to the States. People had expressed interest in joining Dlrow Wen, and he needed to schedule interviews.

Ling needed to get back to the clinic, and there were people scheduled to receive the DNA procedure. The laboratory in the basement of Ling’s clinic was the only location where the entire process of preparing Regenerative DNA could be done.

In early March, Chris traveled to Germany, and Suchet flew to India with his family. They also had contacted potential candidates for Dlrow Wen.

***

Mid-March, a relief crew flew into ‘Well of Hope’ and arrived without incident. Everyone hoped the government had stopped trying to disrupt the city.

‘Well of Hope’ was truly becoming a paradise. Plants and gardens bloomed. Palms sprouted skyward. Over five hundred dwellings had been erected, and new, improved shields allowed expansion to add more farm and pasture land.

Animals grazed, crops were harvested, and something the indigenous people had never dreamed of a school for all, where adults and children learned not only the basics but also about health, art, music, and their cultures.

The various customs blended into a new culture while preserving their varied pasts. The combined activities and the sharing of customs brought the various tribes into a common mainstream.

It was hard for many of the original Dlrow Wen team to leave. They had fallen in love with the place. Charlie and Charley reveled in their accomplishments but realized it was time for them to move on. Lenny and his family were also ready to head home, and Harry and Annabel were not going to be left behind and miss the birth of their first grandchild.

Though the new crew arrived without opposition, a force of 50 soldiers showed up and took positions around the city. This wasn’t unusual, but it looked like they planned to stay more than a few days.

The team decided to avoid the soldiers and tasked a toolbox with enlarging the passage to the old military site and extending it to a ravine beyond the outpost set up by the newly arrived soldiers.

Two nights later, vehicles drove from a tunnel into the ravine beyond the perimeter the soldiers had established.

The passenger vans quietly motored into the desert.

Behind the departing team, the toolbox sealed the tunnel entrance.

It took a day to reach the border, and this time, the US Embassy and the local officials rushed to help with their departure.

Upon landing in St. Louis, they were happily welcomed by Joe, Cynthia, Matt, Ling, and others.

“Lenny, your mom and dad will be heading back from the island next month,” Matt said.

Other reunions took place. Many of the crew had a hard time saying goodbye to each other. Matt marveled at the special bond that had formed within the crew. It caused him to pause, reflecting on his journey and how he was literally walking a path he could never have imagined a year ago. Matt’s eyes moistened; joy hummed deep inside. Ling snuggled against him. He felt her love, her life, and Matthew Leahman was complete.

***

Dr. Mandaville oversaw the fabrication and assembly of the flyer. That was the short name for the Manned Gravimetric Manipulator. The design morphed according to the available components.

Chris had upgraded the new matter converters to create smaller components and parts.

Nuts, bolts, springs, and gaskets were computer-drafted and printed on one of the 3D printers. They still used the well-equipped machine shop for milling and finish machining.

***

On March 31st, the flyer, without an occupant, zipped around the island via remote control on a predetermined course. The programmed flight path included extensive maneuvers in the air and underwater. Based on the data and video feeds, every element functioned as it should. Even Herbert, the iguana they had placed on board, seemed to manage the experience with no ill effects.

The following day, Doug and Ellie boarded and began the first manned test. Doug had coded the control programs, and Ellie had been involved in the design of the manual interface. Neither was going in the flyer without the other.

They struggled with the controls, often overcompensating, making the unit pitch wildly.

Maneuvering was awkward because, inside the flyer, there was no sense of movement or gravity.

Eyes glued to the screen, their reactions always seemed a second or two behind.

They gradually mastered some basics and maintained acceptable control, but at times seemed to be working against each other rather than together. Overall, it was a success, but not a very satisfactory trial.

“It’s just like a video game,” Mandy Coruthers casually commented. “Any kid could do it?”

Ellis Mandaville raised his eyebrows and eyed the girl. “You know, I think the young lady has a point.”

The next day, Mandy and Michael Robertson boarded the flyer. Ellis insisted on an override that would transfer command to the control room if it looked like they were losing control.

Mandy was sixteen, and Michael was twenty. They were both avid gamers and sported huge grins as the door closed behind them.

Michael looked at Mandy. “Ready to show the old folks?”

“Let’s smoke this!” Mandy laughed.

They maneuvered into the caldera, gliding through the water. The first maneuvers were like motorboating, with various patterns.

It didn’t take long before they had precise control and boosted the speed. The flyer sliced through the water, leaving a small wake, performing figure eights, circles, and other figures at the new speed.

The kids reported each action before they executed the maneuver, and the flyer responded precisely.

Michael advised that they were ready to fly. The control room released control, and in an instant, the two were rocketing vertically.

A scream burst from the speakers in the control room of both pilots at the top of their lungs, but it was not from fear. It was a loud and prolonged “Yesssss!” as they shot heavenward.

Leveling precisely at one thousand feet, they boosted the speed to over one hundred fifty feet per second, well over one hundred miles per hour.

They circled the main island, zigzagged between the two smaller islands, and then they did something that scared the wits out of the control room as they crashed into the sea in the middle of the caldera.

The high-powered cameras on the island tracked their form just below the surface as they performed maneuvers, then disappeared into the depths.

The control room tried to reach them and was about to panic when the flyer popped up directly in the middle of the caldera and glided toward the underground harbor.

“What a ride!” the pair shouted. “Let’s go again!”

“My young friends,” Dr. Mandaville interrupted, “we are most impressed, but I remind you, this is an experimental unit, and we have more work to do before you take it for another joyride. So, bring it home, and let’s review your experience.”

“Okay,” came the subdued response, docking the sphere perfectly.

The kids’ report revealed several things. One was whether in the air or underwater, the speed didn’t seem to vary. Reviewing the underwater video, they saw a field extending around the unit, more so forward than aft.

“It’s the effective gravimetric field,” Dr. Mandaville explained. “It is shifting mass in front, around, and behind the flyer. I believe the extension we see in the direction of movement is determined by the frequencies and power used to generate the flyer’s speed.”

He paused before continuing. “The Flyer is in its own unique space. It is similar in theory to creating a separate universe, a dimension within a dimension. Things outside do not affect things inside the field.”

Suchet and Chris sat speechless. Only a couple of others grasped the significance of the doctor’s words.

***

In early April, Dr. Mandaville and his wife returned to Cambridge Port, reuniting with Lenny and his family for a time of relaxation.

The Martins returned to Wichita and Armonia House, resuming normal life, or as normal as it could hope to be.

Suchet’s family opted to remain on the island and planned to go back to India later in the year.

New families had arrived on the island and had taken up significant roles. Adil Patel had come to the island with his wife and two small children. He was a leading metallurgist and was busy equipping a lab to explore new alloys.

Benito Muscelli specialized in machine design. His competencies spanned manufacturing to robotics, and he eagerly established a lab and a fabrication facility. His pregnant wife and small son accompanied him.

Another new family was that of Amanda Springer. She held a PhD in electrical engineering PhD, and like Clarence Chambers, excelled in miniaturization. Her husband, Adam, was a seasoned administrator. With them was their daughter, Lisa.

Plans and designs for the second-generation flyer were a top priority. Michael and Mandy had great ideas about the control systems. They also joined forces with Lisa Stringer and conceived a simulator that resembled a fully immersive virtual reality video game.

The second-generation flyer was no more like the first than the Wright Flyer was to the space shuttle. When they started the process, they considered all aspects of utilization and incorporated a broad set of applications, making the new flyer more than a two-person toy. The new platform could be a people mover or freight carrier, or both.

It could operate underwater, in the air, and outside Earth’s atmosphere. New power supplies enabled speeds up to twenty thousand miles per hour.

The outer shell was over a foot thick and made of a reformulated, biased carbon-titanium material. When an electrical charge was applied, the material formed a molecular bond fifty times stronger than steel.

Embedded within the exterior shell were the gold plates that generated the gravimetric fields. These worked in conjunction with smaller versions of the beam generator, tuned to project the specific frequency composition that excited the gravimetric wavelengths.

The gravimetric waves generated by antimatter allowed the manipulation of normal gravity, creating a unique envelope between the world and the craft inside.

By varying the field intensity in different quadrants, the direction was determined, and by adjusting the frequencies and power, the craft achieved speed control.

The shape of the new flyer was oblong, like an oversized minivan with a flattened bottom, concave sides sloping to a rounded roof. The unit had similar aerodynamic ends. Overall dimensions were twelve feet in diameter by thirty-five feet long, holding up to sixteen people or combinations of people and freight.

Inside, the unit was split into three sections. The forward section served as the command-and-control center and could accommodate four people. There were no windows. Flexible plasma screens coated the interior. Inputs from several hundred optics and sensors embedded in the exterior shell cast an image of the outside world.

Sonar, ultrasound, optical sensors, and radar enable wide-spectrum viewing. It also had multiple communication systems, including a version of the beam data transmission system and the most advanced computers they could incorporate.

The rear area was the passenger and cargo area. Seating and cargo racking were modular, made from lightweight materials, allowing a range of configurations.

The middle and under the floors were where power supplies, environmental systems, and wall compartments held the onboard computers and other components.

They dubbed it the Gravity Excursion Module-A style and nicknamed it GEMA. Thanks to the island’s growing population and production capacity, the build took three months.

***

In May 2013, Ruben Coruthers left a message for Matt asking for a meeting. Matt drove to the Inter-Mole facility to meet Ruben in his office.

Ruben and his wife, Lana, were among those who had received the DNA treatment and, like others, displayed significant benefits.

Ruben was self-taught when it came to computers, but over the last year started designing circuit boards and developing new computer chips.

When Matt walked into his office, he noted the clutter of electronics.

Matt smiled and shook hands. “Good morning, my friend,” Matt said.

“Good morning, Mr. Lehman,” Ruben replied.

No matter how much Matt insisted, Ruben would not call Matt by his first name. For Ruben, it was a matter of respect.

“What’s on your mind?” Matt asked.

“Well, Mr. Lehman, I’ve been thinking about our communications situation with regard to security.”

“And?” Matt smiled.

Ruben was not smiling. “Mr. Lehman, over the last year, Lana and I have been doing what you might call connecting dots. I’m sure that the communication stuff we’re using can be compromised.”

Matt focused and listened.

“We share satellite bandwidth,” Ruben said, “which others control. Because we use a standard broadcast transmission frequency, our signals can be intercepted. I know we have good encryption, but like all encryption, it can be broken. I know because I’ve done it.”

Matt sat straighter and stared. “Ruben, you’re sure you broke it?”

“Yep, it took a while using a reverse probability program, but I checked with Ellie Lehman, and she concurred. She changed the encryption program really fast, but the fact is that if it was broken once, it could be busted again.”

“Well done, Ruben,” Matt smiled. “Now, I believe you’ve been working on a solution?”

“Yes, Sir,” Ruben replied, not surprised that Matt had interpreted his intentions. “I have been kicking the issue around and believe we can do much better. I propose that we create our own communication system. Put our own satellites up there. We have a high-density transmission beam that only works with receivers we know how to build. We have power systems, and I’ve kinda built specialized chips that give you more processing power and better security.”

Matt mused that he and Ling had discussed these very needs a few months earlier, and now Ruben was proposing solutions on his own. For a moment, the thought of this being destiny crossed his mind.

“Ruben,” Matt asked, “how far along are you on these plans, and what do you need to make this happen?”

Ruben reached into his desk and pulled out an odd-looking item about three inches thick and eight by eight inches square.

He set it in front of Matt and placed his palm on top.

“Ruben Coruthers,” Ruben said.

A glow appeared around his hand, which quickly disappeared. Ruben then tapped the top. No keys and nothing indicating the item’s function or purpose.

“On, please,” Ruben said. “Contact Lana.”

After a pause, his wife, Lana, appeared in a holographic image twelve inches tall, evidently in a kitchen somewhere.

“Hello, honey,” she said, then added, “Oh! Hello, Mr. Lehman.” She moved about the kitchen, but the projection followed her, always centered in the holographic image.

“Good afternoon, Lana,” Matt laughed. “You look marvelous.”

“I feel marvelous, and you are looking very good yourself,” Lana replied,

“Hey, what am I, chopped liver?” Ruben injected.

They all laughed.

“You put this together?” Matt looked at Ruben.

“It was a kick.” Ruben smiled. “I loved every minute, but now it needs help from others.”

“Okay, Ruben,” Matt said, “tell me what we have here.”

“The case material,” Ruben began, “and the projection membrane are both straight from the mad scientist lab of Melissa Kyle. That gal is certifiable as a genius deluxe. I’ve incorporated a scan that checks the entire hand for identification, prints, and blood vessels, and includes voice recognition.

“Any attempt to force the case open and the unit self-destructs. The processors are among the new designs I’ve been working on, and they are more powerful than anything off the shelf. I’ve included optics so the person at the other end can see us here. It’s also programmed, thanks to Doug and Ellie, to follow as you move. It has a micro-antimatter power supply and finally includes a basic model of the beam communication system.

“I mounted a relay on our facility tower to get a connection between here and the house.”

Matt saw Lana wave.

“Mr. Lehman,” Ruben said, “I believe with some help, this could be a secure system that all your key people and facilities could use. Kinda would make it safe to talk anytime, and only your imagination would limit the uses.”

“This is marvelous, Ruben. I think it has moved to the top of the priority list. I want to get you, Chris, Suchet, and Clarence together as quickly as possible, and if there’s anyone else you need, they are to be at your command. Let’s make this happen.”

Two days later, Ruben and his family, and Clarence and his family, were heading to Armonia House. Suchet and Pavitra were flying in from India, but the twins were heading for the island.

It took a week to flesh out the overall concept. Designs were sent to the island for the communication satellites.

Ruben and Clarence found themselves in the new labs at the silo, miniaturizing and redesigning components. Once the designs were proofed, they sent everything to the island for production.

The addition of manufacturing and miniaturization to the island’s capabilities meant they could turn out dozens for each one Ruben built by hand.

Doug and Ellie over-viewed the software requirements.

Matt, Ling, and Timmy also visited Armonia House while the effort was in high gear. The fellowship was great, but Matt wanted to confer with Suchet on an idea he had regarding the power supplies.

After several hours, Matt and Suchet had conceptualized a new configuration. The theoretical power would be 10 times that of current designs and would meet the GEM-A’s power requirements.

They designated it the P5 series.

Suchet sat amazed at Matt’s knowledge and understanding of the complex science, but at last realized that Matt knew far more than he let on and preferred to let others develop and take credit for technologies Matt could have already generated.

***

It was late June 2013 when the first satellite ascended. It was small, two-foot in diameter, self-powered by gravimetric drives, and completely controllable. There would eventually be twenty-two hundred. The island team guided it into a stationary orbit.

In days, another was launched. Each carried multiple communication systems and could link with multiple PCMs (Personal Communication Modules).

They revamped the unit that Ruben had shown Matt. The new version was more powerful and had added features. Its memory and programming were retained in the membrane layers of another material, perfected by Melissa Kyle.

By July, the new communications system was operational, with over fifty of the PCMs distributed. They held the first conference with twenty-eight PCMs on July 3rd. It was an astounding success. Matt declared the airwaves open, and data and ideas flowed like a river run wild.

Communicating was easy and instantaneous. In fact, so much was going on that Charlotte felt some protocols needed to be in place to prevent abuse.

One effect Matt hadn’t foreseen was the ability to reach out anytime there was a need. As a result, the entire Dlrow Wen family became even more cohesive.

Soon, people were latching onto specific subject areas and forming interest groups. These were not just scientific, but included arts, social conditions, and others. All in all, the results were stimulating and tangible.

***

On July 11th, the entire Lehman clan gathered in St. Louis. Charlie was in the delivery room. Her mom and dad were delivering with an OBGYN standing by if needed.

Just as with Ling, Charlie and the baby seemed to communicate and coordinate. Ellie held Charlie’s hand, intending to coach her, but realized Charlie was in total control of the show.

Just as the last set of contractions started, a tear appeared in Ellie’s eye. She gazed at Charlie, who was focused on bringing her son into the world.

Joseph Harold Lehman joined the family as its newest member. In the waiting room, Charley knew instantly, and a split second later, several others smiled in response to Ellie’s message that their boy was here, and all was well.

Joe and Cynthia glowed with grins from ear to ear, and Doug thumped congratulatory slaps on Charley’s back.

It took minutes to move Charlie to her room. Just as with Ling, there was no need for time in the recovery room. They called Charley, Joe, and Cynthia in. Each took turns holding the newborn. Ellie had shed her scrubs and joined Doug. They sat quietly. Doug sensed something going on inside her.

“Tell me, my dear?” he asked.

“Just as Charlie started the final push to deliver Joseph,” Ellie said. “I felt her entire spirit pouring a love as I have never sensed before into her child.

“The power of it overwhelmed me, and I realized that more than ever, she is a complete person. It was all because of how she gave herself to her son, so totally and completely.”

Their eyes locked. “Doug, I want that feeling someday?”

Doug held his wife and kissed her. “Any time you’re ready,” he whispered.

Less than two weeks later, everyone available was on the island for the unveiling of the first GEM-A.

As they revealed the craft, those who had not worked on it were speechless. They housed it in the underground harbor, which had been substantially enlarged.

Dr. Mandaville announced that Mandy Coruthers and Michael Robertson would handle the first trial.

It didn’t take long to get through the primary exercises before the extended test was authorized.

Over the next hour, the pair took the GEM-A through heart-wrenching starts, stops, turns, dives, and impossible-to-relate maneuvers.

“You have ten minutes to play,” Ellis said.

For a second, the craft hovered in the caldera and then vanished. This time, there was no panic in the control room. The monitors and equipment documented every movement. It hovered one hundred fifty miles above the Earth, well beyond the world’s gravitational pull.

The kids grinned on the video channel, “All is well, and we’ve engaged 1.2G of artificial gravity to keep things from floating around.”

They announced maneuvers and executed them almost as quickly as they relayed their intent; the last maneuver plunged the craft into the ocean beyond the islands.

“They’re approaching two thousand feet in depth,” Ellie said.

With the new equipment, the communications remained solid.

Doug noticed that the speed had declined and asked if they had reduced power. Mandy advised no.

“It’s the density of the water at that depth,” Ellis said.

In nine minutes and thirty seconds, they emerged and entered the harbor, docked before the ten minutes had expired. Total jubilation rocked the control room.

The two pilots joined the group and conveyed the physical, mental, and psychological aspects of the test.

Charlotte was impressed as they discussed the temptation to give in to euphoria, checking each other constantly to keep their heads. The physical effects were minimal as the environment inside GEM-A was completely controllable.

“Mentally,” Mandy said, “the challenge is to stay ahead of the game and understand that you have to think beyond your next point.”

“We took turns plotting and executing so that while I was executing one phase, she was inputting the next. Kind of like a tag-team,” Michael said.

“The reason these two took GEM-A out first,” Dr. Mandaville interrupted, “was because they not only participated in the design of the new controls but also in the simulation program. They have spent hundreds of hours developing this team system, and I believe that if anyone comprehended the true potential of the GEM, it would be them.” He gazed at the smiling faces around him.

“We’ll break for two hours and then begin taking groups on flights and start pilot training. I want to point out that all four chairs in the flight control section have maneuvering consoles. Our aces will supervise applicants who have completed the simulator training to make sure everything remains safe. I recommend you get something to eat before you launch into the ride of your life.”

For two days, the GEM-A wowed people as they realized they were flying faster than man had ever flown in the atmosphere and would soon be traveling faster than any spacecraft had ever traveled.

Dr. Mandaville sat down with Chris, Suchet, and Matt and outlined new data, making a shocking and exciting observation.

“Gentlemen,” he began, “the data indicates that once clear of Earth’s gravity field, the craft began to interact with the broader gravimetric waves of the sun and the universe. A good portion of them are the waves present everywhere and do not owe their existence to any physical body. What I found in the data was a new series of harmonics in this field. It is my conviction that if we can generate the proper counter-field, we can approach and possibly achieve the speed of light.”

The room was silent. The three others swapped stares with each other and with Ellis. No one doubted Ellis for a second. They had just come to grips that interplanetary and possibly interstellar space travel was possible.

“Dr. Mandaville,” Matt asked, “how do you see this interacting with time?”

“That, I am not sure of, but my instincts say if we reach the speed of light, it could go two ways. As we travel light-years away from Earth, the time on Earth would change by those light-years, and as we return to Earth, additional years would be added to the days that have passed on this planet. So, if we traveled five light-years out and back, though it would be a very short span for us, it would be 10 Earth years. The second is that we are removed from the time continuum. No matter how far or long we travel, when we return, we will arrive precisely when we left, with adjustments for Earth’s orbit and the movement of the galaxy, which can change the time by hours, days, weeks, years, or centuries. This is a mystery yet to be unraveled.”

Again, silence.

Chris stood, walked to Dr. Mandaville, and shook his hand. “In all my life, I have never dreamed of such possibilities, and now, thanks to you, I am looking at the opportunity to explore the universe. Thank you for making the impossible possible and dreams a reality.”

Chris returned to his chair, and Suchet also rose, shaking the doctor’s hand but unable to find words; his face spoke the feelings in his heart, and both men smiled at each other.

Matt was quiet, searching his mind when a sudden feeling swept his spirit, ‘This is your purpose.’ It was simple and clear, and he recognized the unspoken voice as the same one that had touched him during Ling’s sickness.

Sobered, he gazed at the others. “We make plans for other worlds and adventures beyond our wildest dreams. This is not our only mission, but I believe it is our ultimate destiny.”

There was something about how he said the words that made the three scientists not just listen but catch a glimpse of Matt’s vision.

They smiled, nodded their heads, and it was resolved: into space they would go.

***

Less than a month later, the Lehman clan was again gathered and waiting.

Ling was in the delivery room with Charlotte, serving as her coach, while the OB-GYN handled the delivery.

The doctor commented more than once that she was not sure why she needed to be there; it seemed the Lehman women were more than capable of delivering babies.

With minimal help, on August 21st, 2013, Simmi Lisa Lehman joined the family. Matt was ecstatic, and even Timmy was glad he had a sister. They were out of the hospital and home the next day.

Matt and Timmy catered to Ling and Simmi’s every need.

***

In early September, on the island, they tested a new design for the island shield. The results were mixed. It was better than the older design, but not as good as the team had hoped. Back to the drawing board they plunged, to find where they had missed the mark.

Ellie and Doug were pounding away at their studies. Both had received the DNA treatment and were progressively outdistancing their professors. Doug often stood in to teach graduate-level physics and engineering classes.

Ellie was working cases on the neurology floor at Baylor Medical, had quickly become the number one evaluator, and was assisting with surgeries.

Her advisor, Dr. Mary Poplar, had kept Ling informed of Ellie’s progress.

“Ling,” Mary chuckled, “she’s better than anyone we’ve ever had, including the famous Dr. Chang.”

Ling didn’t take it as a slight and reminded Mary that she had prophesied that Ellie would surpass her.

In her heart, Ling was very happy, and in her home, she was full of joy.