Chapter 18

We were still sitting in the conference room when suddenly, as if appearing from out of nowhere, Tana and Jana were sitting beside me. Falcon and Hawk, just as quickly, were seated beside Suma, and she was smiling. Eric was completely engrossed in the Chiropta flight video until he turned to look at Suma.

His head whipped around to look at me. I knew he had seen Falcon and Hawk, then he saw Tana and Jana as he looked at me.

Both girls smiled at him, giving him a cute little wave as they leaned forward. The four of them were dressed in their flight suits ... I was waiting for Eric’s reaction.

“Boyd ... are these your sons and daughters, who were in the flight video we just watched?”

“Yes, these are my four oldest – Jana is on my far right and next to me is Tana. Sitting next to Suma is Hawk, and next to him is Falcon.

“Kids, say hello to Corporal Eric Stanton, our new test pilot and soon to be, flight instructor with the Chiropta Program.”

Before he could say a word, the four of them were kneeling in the theater seats in front of him, holding their hands out to shake with him. This was fun to watch, since they are hardly ever exposed to anyone from the outside world ... and they’re making the most of this.

“Hi Eric, I’m Tana.”

“Hi Eric, I’m Jana.”

“I’m Hawk and I’m proud to meet you, Eric. Welcome to Lightfoot Ranch and Lightfoot Operational Headquarters.”

“Hi Eric, I’m Falcon and I want to welcome you to our compound also. We’ve heard a lot about you since you arrived this morning.”

“Hello to all of you. I saw you in the video we just finished watching. I was amazed when I saw all of you flying. That must have been recorded some time ago. All of you look so much younger back then.”

“No, actually it was a week ago yesterday,” Hawk told him.

They were enjoying this. My daughters are identical, as are my sons. The two sets of twins are so much alike, both the twin boys and the twin girls, love to stand facing each other, while combing their hair.

“Eric, have you trained for the Chiropta yet? We’d love to fly with you,” Tana told him.

“I was on the flight simulator for a couple of hours until we came in here to watch the first flight film of the Chiropta. Watching the flight of those two, I felt as if I was inside one myself. I’d love to just get inside one with the engines and electronics powered up, to get the feel of it.”

I looked at him as he turned toward me. He was already smiling when I asked, “Do you think you remember enough about the hand controls to run through all the maneuvers at ground level?”

“I honestly do, Boyd. I felt as if I was the one flying, when we watched that video. I had my hands and fingers moving as if I was actually flying. It just seemed natural to fly the Chiropta, sitting here in my seat.”

Carlton was walking with us through the assembly area. Adam was leading Eric over to be fitted with one of the flight suits issued by the CIA. Adam reached up to take a new suit off the rack and stepped over to hold it up to Eric’s back, then in front of him.

“This one will fit you perfectly. Just slip your shirt and shoes off, drop your pants and step into it,” Adam told him as he held Eric’s slip-on, flight helmet.

Eric looked around – the kids were standing next to me, and Suma was on her way over. He took his shirt off, turned his back and quickly dropped his pants, then stepped into the legs of the flight suit as Suma walked up.

Jana looked at Suma and pointed, “Nice butt, huh?”

Eric turned red, and Suma laughed aloud before answering, “Yes, very nice,” she said, and Eric laughed at himself and them.

“Come with me, Eric. We’ll pick out one of the Baby Bats which was born yesterday. You’ll get to carry it out to the middle of the building and place it in the open space near the front door,” Adam told him.

“You mean one man can carry each of those?”

“Yes, this model is smaller than the original design which you saw in the test-flight video, making this new design even more versatile. Though they are extremely lightweight, they are super strong and will withstand even more g-force than the military’s newest fighter jets.”

“What about the effects of g-force on the pilot?”

Carlton answered, “Not only is the pilot encased inside his specially crafted, life-sustaining, flight suit – he rests inside a reverse electromagnet field, surrounded by multiple applications of gyroscopes, and accelerometers, causing a total geomagnetic reversal – all of which acts to reduce the force of earth’s gravity, to zero-g inside the pilot’s tube. With g-force reduced to the minimum, you fly your Chiropta as if you were in a gravity-free environment, such as outer space. It also means, if you preset your GPS flight controls, the faster you travel, the less you and the Chiropta will actually weigh and the less friction that will be generated by the resistance of earth’s atmosphere and gravity...

“The same theory applies with Boyd’s ability to fly at thousands of miles per hour, and not generate heat as he reaches Mega-Mach-Speeds inflight.”

Eric lifted the Chiropta off it’s hanger as if he was prepared for a heavy load. “This Bat is virtually weightless.”

“Yes, as we said, this is the newest design. The first two – those you saw in the video – actually weigh twice as much as the units we’re building now. We changed to smaller, yet more powerful lift-thrust engines and thrust-rocket engines in order cut back on overall size and weight. You’ll be the first to fly one of these new compact models, though I’ve tested each of them by remote.”

“Are they battery powered? I forgot to ask – and I have yet to see any type of fuel storage.”

“They are not battery powered and they will never need refueling,” Carlton told him.

“Never?”

“Never! You’ll learn more about this as you learn more about the Chiropta, and our work here...

“If you’ll place your Chiropta on the floor near the doorway, I’ll show you how easily it is to release and spread the wings. Then, you may enter the pilot’s compartment...

“ ... Now, if you will, run your fingers underneath here, behind the folded wings, just above the pilot’s compartment. You’ll feel the rocker switch which opens and closes the wings. This is the only external switch that is active before and after you power up, and-or power down your craft.

“You may now enter your Chiropta, Eric, “ Carlton told him.

“I remember seeing this part on the flight video a few minutes ago. At the time, I felt like it was me entering the craft.”

“Yes, that was taken from the helmet cam – which by the way, is set to record mode as soon as you zip your suit, with the electronics in your helmet activated simultaneously ... When you pull yourself into position, you’ll feel the surrounding electromagnets automatically connect your flight suit – to the corresponding electronics onboard the Chiropta. You’ll actually feel as if you have become a part of the Chiropta, at that point.”

“I can hear you as if I’m still standing beside you. Can you hear me?” Eric asked from inside his pilot’s tube.

“Loud and clear ... Now, if you will, extend each hand into the gloves, then extend your arms deeper inside the padded wing cavities until they’re comfortable. Once you are there, you may flip the master switch – at which time, you’ll feel the five engines start instantly.”

“I feel them. I feel as if I’m next to a small electric motor.”

“That – is all you’ll ever hear and feel, even when you’re flying with full power at mach speeds.”

Eric continued, “OK, now I’m going to run through my pre-flight maneuvers. I remember exactly how it’s done, just tell me if I make any mistakes in my eagerness to fly.”

“ ... Very well done, Eric. Now, lift your craft about two feet off the floor, and turn slowly, to ease your craft through the doorway. Once you are clear, climb to one hundred feet and run through your turn, dive, hover and vertical climb maneuvers. If all systems are go, you’ll be ready for your first test-flight...

“At this point, I’ll switch you over to the closed flight communications of Boyd and his young Eagle Squadron. Enjoy your flight – believe me, you’re about to experience something no man before you has even dreamed of. This baby bat will test your ability to process reality, even more so than when you were on the flight simulator.”

I was as excited as Eric, at seeing this newly designed Chiropta being put through its initial test-flight. Modified and scaled down from the first two prototypes, each of these smaller, more powerful, and extremely faster Chiropta will be a one-man air force to be reckoned with in the very near future. With a wingspan of only eight feet, a body length of seven feet, totally undetectable in flight, and a projected top speed in the range of Mach-15 up to – who knows – this newborn bat is awesome. We haven’t armed them as yet. We’re awaiting the CIA’s weapons experts to release the data on their newest, most powerful laser cannons. The weapons experts have been kept up to date on the small, lift-thrust rocket engines, which Adam and Carlton have already installed in these newest Chiropta – to power the lasers.

It is beyond me, but Carlton confided to me that those tiny turbine engines, each of which are small enough to fit inside a quart jar, can generate the necessary energy to power a laser cannon capable of bringing down a plane from a distance of five miles, sink a ship from more than a mile away and melt a tank or armored vehicle from two miles away. All this power, combined with minimal weight, and the laser constantly recharging, gives it the ability to rapid-fire continuously.

“Eagles, we’ll conduct this test-flight in the same manner we did with the two original prototypes. I’ll fly up to a one hundred feet and the four of you fly upwards with Eric as he lifts vertically to meet me. From there, we’ll check out his Chiropta as he runs through all the inflight controls and maneuvers once more.”

“Aye, Aye, Captain!” Tana responded.

That broke the ice with Eric. I heard him laugh as he hovered at one hundred feet.

“Eric, how does it feel? Do you feel that you have full control of the craft, same as you did the flight simulator earlier?”

“Boyd, this is even easier to control than the small bat on the video. It’s as if the Chiropta is an extension of my hands, mind and body.”

“Good. Looks like all systems are go. Take it vertical to four thousand feet and we’ll be there with you.”

“May I fly it like I feel it?”

“Fly it as if the Chiropta actually is a part of you. By the time you begin training military and CIA pilots, you’ll be able to tell them all the dos and don’ts about it. That’s what we need ... test it and tell us if it will withstand whatever stress you can put it through. We need to know its limits, its strengths and any weaknesses.”

“Aye, Aye, Captain,” he responded – then he was gone in a flash of gray as he blew past me.

I followed him up, and my four Eagles were waiting for him at the top.

Not only did he take it vertical – he took it through a series of 180° vertical, snap-spins on the way up. This newest model looks as if Adam and Carlton have hit the jackpot. This little Baby Bat is very agile and it can really move through space – with a twist, a turn, and a shake of its tail.

I flew up beside him as he hovered effortlessly at four thousand feet. “Eric, look to the southwest and you’ll see an open area with no trees and very little vegetative cover. I want you to take your Chiropta over there and see what you can get out of it in a vertical dive. At the bottom, turn southwest and fly to the far corner. Tana and Jana will be there waiting for you. When you spot them, turn skyward again, and let it all out.

“From here, I’ll follow you all the way. Falcon and Hawk will be at the bottom when you level off to the southwest. Call out your speed at that point and I’ll check it against my speed indicator.”

“Got it, Boyd. I could hardly believe the feel of flying as if there was no gravitational pull whatsoever on that climb. If this indicator is correct, I was clocking 3,000 knots. This is unreal. It felt as if I was still on the ground and not even flying vertical while rolling and snapping my wings at each 180° of my roll.”

“You were just under Mach-4 on your way up, you should beat that on your way down...

“Now – take it away, Batman!“

My four Eagles were in position as I prepared to fly escort. With a thumbs-up, Eric began his dive. I kept a watch on his speed, and as we neared halfway he was at 4800 knots. In three seconds we made our turn to fly horizontal.

“5400 KNOTS! What does that compute, Boyd?”

“6200 miles per hour – you just broke Mach-8 on your way down. Now – take it to the top – all out!”

As Eric turned his Chiropta skyward, Hawk and Falcon were just off one wingtip, Jana and Tana were just off the other. I was flying within reach of the tailpipe on his thrust rocket, and swiped my hand past it.

NO HEAT!

“Boyd, I’m at 60,000 feet and this Baby-Bat is still begging for more. How much further do you want to push it?”

“If all your instruments check OK, take it up to 100,000 feet.”

“My speed indicator is reading a smooth, 15,225 mph. Man, this baby handles awesome at Mach-20.”

“Are you wide open?”

“NO WAY! I’m not sure wide open is even listed on the index page of this Chiropta’s operator’s manual.”

“We’re at 100,000 feet. Let’s take it back to the bat-cave and check it out from end to end. The first two prototypes we tested were not able to attain anything near these speeds, or this altitude.”

“Carlton, this small Chiropta is not only a total success, it is an amazing piece of futuristic military weaponry, and most likely – with a few modifications, a one-man space vehicle of the future,” I told him as Eric slid his body backward out the of the pilot’s tube.

“Tell me what you saw that makes you feel so strongly about this model, over the first two?” he asked, grinning broadly.

“Eric took it up to one hundred thousand feet, in a vertical climb, and it still performed as if it were a mile high. The anti-gravity effect built into the Chiropta means that there is no gravitational pull when he flies vertical to nearly twenty miles. There’s no limit to what this bat can, and will do for the military in the future, once you have it fully armed.”

“We’ll have thirty of these new models fully outfitted and operational by the end of the week, in addition to the two larger models that were first off the line. Each of the new units will have to be tested as soon as we roll them out ... The CIA has informed Adam and me that they prefer White Sands Missile Range for any and all future testing of the Bat and its ultra-lethal weapons.

“They have dubbed their version of this Baby Bat – BLASER – Bat-LAser-Strike-ERaser.

“This will be the first manned US Military Fighter which will not use bombs, missiles or bullets, yet, it will be the most lethal and most accurate Manned Attack Aircraft in history ... The laser cannons available for use, range from smaller needle-like, intermittent, chatter-type bursts – which could destroy a city, a submerged sub at the bottom of the sea, or an entire flotilla of seagoing vessels – in seconds. They are also capable of carrying the most powerful laser cannon yet developed, which will literally melt a hole in a mountainside three hundred feet wide and a half mile deep, if held on target.”

“There goes all the underground missile silos around the world,” I added.

“Yes, and there goes the underground nuclear operations in Iran and North Korea. The preliminary tests at White Sands, have shown that such a laser attack launched from an altitude of fifty two thousand feet, would be comparable to an accidental – underground nuclear catastrophe.

“The Brass, and the CIA arms experts should be here by the the weekend and then we’ll know for sure just what weapons they have in store for these BLASERs.”

As Eric walked up to stand beside us, he overheard the last parts of our conversation.

He was grinning when he informed us, “I’d love to be the man who pulls the trigger on the first ever BLASER, laser cannon.”

With the first thirty BLASERs now tested in-flight, checked – double checked and hanging in the closet – Adam, Carlton and Brenda took their super-techs into the Lightfoot HoverCraft chamber.

I haven’t been in this part of the new building since we made the move from my shop, when we concentrated solely on the Chiropta. Someone has been very busy in here. There were two dozen fiberglass bodies which I instantly recognized as bodies for the HoverCraft prototypes.

Twelve of the fiberglass bodies resemble a six-passenger Dune Buggy Convertible, with no wheels or wheel-wells, just smooth straight sides and rounded corners. The seats are molded inside the fiberglass body, and the seats have already been padded and upholstered.

Looking inside the first one, I noticed there were no pedals on the floor and no steering wheel. There were two joysticks, one extending from the dash in front of each front seat. There is no roof or doors, but there is a clear, wraparound front windshield on all the models.

While the others were talking tech and making parts lists, I checked out the next two prototypes. These resembled a two-passenger side-by-side ATV, again with no wheels.

The last two bodies resembled a four passenger, side-by-side ATV, basically of the same design as the two-passenger, except for the stretched body.

All the fiberglass bodies were suspended on four cables so they could be raised or lowered as needed while they went through final assembly. There were no wiring harnesses on any of them and I saw no holes or looms where a wiring harness would be installed. I picked up a data sheet from the seat and looked it over ... Not that I’d know anything about them, except for the fact that at the top were instructions for installing the wireless, electronic master-control module under the dash, which would connect wireless, to the sensors in the joystick and control all the thrust rocket maneuvers. On this particular unit, the thrust rockets have already been mounted underneath – on both sides, front and rear.