Chapter 20

That Saturday after breakfast, all of the families that made up my new household began moving into our new home. All of the kids had their own room plus they had a common area with a TV and couches similar to a day room so they could get together to hash out things.

Each of the women loved the idea of their own private closet and bathroom area. Similar to Chuck's house, each woman's area had a small bed so they could nap when they needed some alone time.

Cindy was funny as she didn't expect to have been assigned a special area that included rooms for her kids plus there was a similar space for Carmila and her kids when they wanted to visit. A nice room was there for Mom and Dad so everyone was taken care of.

Chuck's Brandy made sure each of my women had a part in having the special extra large bed constructed. This would be the first time we would all fit in one bed comfortably and there was room for bassinets next to the beds for our new mothers.

The area between my new place and Steve's was a long covered parking area that contained a variety of cars and carts. It was funny to watch how each of the children maneuvered around in order to gain an area for easy exit. There were too many cars, trucks, and carts for all of the vehicles to be able to get out easily. I'm sure we would learn to park for easy entrance and egress very quickly.

I was having coffee on the patio when Steve came running in, "Sal, come with us to the air park. We have an aircraft down and need to look for it."

That is the scariest part of flying. If you went down and didn't have time to transmit co-ordinates, it could take hours to find you.

I was given an old trainer, a Cessna one fifty and a designated area to look at. Niki had been at the patio when I left and ran to be with me. She would be the observer as I criss-crossed the area we needed to search.

The little aircraft was perfect for searching surface area as we could fly slowly enough an observer could visually inspect each area below us.

Just as we were circling to come back to crossing our area once again, Niki hollered, "There they are. Someone is waving at us."

I could see the 172 in the trees and called in to give the co-ordinates. Niki was reading the numbers on the aircraft and said, "That's another aircraft. That isn't who we're looking for."

I called back in and gave the numbers of the downed aircraft to find out that it was an aircraft that had been lost by an Orlando flying school. This was apparently way out of the flight path they had intended to be in.

We circled, as there was no place nearby where we could land to offer assistance. We soon saw emergency vehicles approaching and I was able to direct them to the aircraft's location.

Niki and I went back to searching our assigned area, but this time Niki felt as if she could find anything if it were there. We didn't find anything, but after close to another half-hour, our plane was found with both student and instructor out of the aircraft and okay.

I told Niki, "You know running out of gas in an aircraft works the same as in a car don't you?"

Niki was alarmed and looked at me, "You mean we're running out of gas?"

"No, Niki, we have plenty but it would be a good ruse to get you alone somewhere."

"No need, Sal. Just give me a time and place and we'll do the deed. But don't expect once to be enough. I'll want it again and again and again. Can you handle it?"

We both broke up laughing on our way back to the airpark.

After landing we refueled the trainer and pushed it into the hanger. Several other teams were doing the same and helped each other to maneuver the aircraft into positions to get them back out easily. As we walked toward the charter office, Steve was waving at us, "Hey, Sal, I've already heard from the Orlando school and their folks are okay. Their radio was dead and their cell phones couldn't get a connection. They had declared an emergency, given a general position and disappeared. Good job, you two. You saved their bacon."

Back on the patio, Niki was able to relate how she saw the aircraft within the trees. As the night progressed, the story became more embellished as Niki reveled in the attention. She finally said, "That's what we were supposed to be doing and I was lucky to have seen the aircraft. If it hadn't have been for Sal flying so slow over the area, I would never have seen it."

The day did turn out good, as the CS&S plane didn't suffer any major damage and everyone from both aircraft were fine.

In bed that night, Suki kept complaining that she wasn't comfortable and the baby was really low but kicking the shit out of her. When she sat up and said, "Okay, now that was a real one. A contraction and it was a big one. Come on, take me to the hospital."'

Everyone in the big communal bed was up and dressed in seconds. I carried the diminutive Suki to the Expedition and loaded her in the middle seat with Jenny and Marilyn. Rita sat up front with me and was smiling while holding her belly. She kept telling me to hurry to get Suki to the hospital.

Someone must have alerted the rest of the patio group, as by the time we reached the hospital, cars were pulling into the parking lot as if it were a parade. The attendants took Suki but Rita stopped them and said, "I think I'm about to have mine too. Could you help me inside?"

Oh, fuck. This couldn't be happening. Not both at once.

Someone else parked our Expedition as I was stumbling behind the two women being wheeled into the birthing rooms.

A lady in nurses' garb stopped me as I followed the women and told me, "You need to scrub and get a gown. Follow me and I'll take care of you."

There was a problem; I didn't know which room to go to. I looked in on Suki and the nurse shook her head telling me it wasn't time yet. I went into Rita's room and held her hand as she pulled my head down to kiss me. She moaned as she pushed as instructed and right there in front of all of us, my son was born. When I told Rita we had a son, she had tears in her eyes and said, "I only hope he is half the man his father is."

I was so choked up with the birth of my first born that I didn't recognize the tugging on my arm. A young orderly said, "Doctor Feeny, you need to come into the other birthing room."

It was difficult to leave Rita and our new son but I followed the orderly into the other birthing room and went up to Suki's head. She pulled me down for a kiss and said, "I'm going to give you a son. I've already heard Rita gave you one but mine will be special too."

I hugged Suki and told her, "If you have another girl as beautiful as Niki, I will be as proud."

No need. Suki gave birth to a six pound eight ounce boy who was super active from his first breath.

I took the news to the waiting room and told every one of my two sons. When I was asked what their names were, I didn't have an answer. I told them that I would tell them as soon as the names were chosen.

It took a while before it was time to take the women and newborns to their room. I was out in the waiting room area when Steve and Chuck came to me, Steve said, "You are now just exactly the same as Chuck and me. When our babies come, they come in bunches. Enjoy them, Sal, and I know you will be a good dad."

When I was finally able to join the two mothers, they were proudly displaying their new sons suckling on their breasts. There is something about watching a new mother nursing her baby that gives your heart a tug. A new dad wonders if he is deserving of the baby or the mother. I know I did and it was magnified or multiplied by the power of two.

A nurse finally convinced me to leave the mothers and babies for the night and go home. I was lost; I didn't know what to do. I felt as if I should be right there but my family convinced me to go home.

We all lay in the big new bed as I said, "This is really more than a guy should be expected to handle in one night. I don't even know what Suki and Rita wanted to name the babies."

There were giggles all around, but I thought it was more that they sympathized with me than they knew the names.

My sister in law woke me and told me that I needed to pick up Mom, Dad, Carmie, and her kids at the airpark. I was in too much of a fog to think of how they had found a flight into Tampa on the spur of moment.

Within minutes I was showered and dressed heading toward the airpark accompanied by Jenny who seemed to always be right next to me when I was stressed. We watched as a Lear touched down and taxied to the charter office.

Mom and Dad nearly leaped off the aircraft. Carmie and her husband came next, with their two kids looking out the door to make sure there wasn't some strange boogey man that was going to get them, considering the way their parents and grand parents were acting.

As we traveled home, they all asked about the babies. How much did they weigh? How long they were. What were their names? I gave all of the information I could but told them I didn't think the names had been chosen yet. It was Mom that laughed the loudest. She said, "You can bet the names have been chosen for months and months."

The patio was just coming alive with the week end women wearing their less than nothing apparel. Dad loved it and my brother-in-law was almost apoplectic. He fixated on Sue's bountiful chest with his eyes locked on them until Carmie punched him very hard.

When it became after eight thirty, it was agreed that I could go see my new sons and their mothers.

The hospital was good to let us go into the rooms to see Suki and Rita as a group. They were both nursing when we went in. That gave me the most gentle heart tug a man could ever have. Each boy was in his mother's arms, snuggled to her breast,

While I looked back and forth between the two boys I asked, "What have you decided to name them?"

At the exact same moment both said, "Sal".

I looked up quickly and heard Rita say, "My Sal was first so he's going to be Deuce."

Suki giggled as she nursed our son and said, "My Sal will be Trey."

Between the two women, they were giggling with each other and I swear the two infants were giggling with their mothers.

I asked, "Are you sure? You know they can have any name you want and not just name them after me."

Suki said, "The only man to name my son after has to be you Sal. The same for Rita, she was first so her's is Deuce and mine is Trey."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Niki leave the room and run down the hall to the waiting room.

There were constant visitors until the doctor came to inspect the moms and another came to check the babies. We were given instructions and appointments for checkups. I asked a nurse to write everything down for me as I told her I wasn't good remembering instructions.

She smiled, "Doctor Feeny, most men aren't good at remembering instructions so they are all down in writing and with one of the other women."

Mom and Dad were in nirvana. Their youngest now had two sons to show off so they were in hog heaven with the realization of being grandparents to two more critters.

We were back on the patio when Steve hollered, "Okay, everyone. Cindy, Mr. and Mrs. Feeny, you have to be right up front. Kathy, get next to Cindy. Our kids are calling."

The first thing I saw on the big screen was Val and Steve's kid, JJ. They were in front of a group of men assembled as if at an assembly.

Val said to us, "I'm glad to see my entire family along with all of JJ's. We have something special to report to all of you."

You could tell the man was hesitant but continued anyway. "Yesterday evening, we were traveling down a road on the way back here when we were hit by four IED's on four of our vehicles. I have to tell you that I was thinking that we were all toast but when the dust cleared, all of the vehicles appeared to be okay.

"One of the trucks had a blown tire but that was it. Four trucks were hit by IED's and the only vehicle casualty was a blown tire. We have a few hearing problems and a couple of broken bones from the shock but whoever created these trucks please accept our thanks as well as those from every man behind us. We are all alive because of what you sent us."

Jake stepped forward and said, "I've been telling everyone who would listen to me as to how great your vehicles were but now you've proven their worth. Mom, Dad, everyone, there are twenty men who are alive because of what you sent. Thank you Steve, Dad; I know you wanted us to have these and they did what they were supposed to do."

I watched as Val acted the leader and called all of the men to attention. He looked back at the men then turned to the camera, made a hand motion and all of the men hollered, "Semper Fi".

The screen went blank. I can assure you there wasn't a dry eye in the place. I turned to Steve and hugged him. "Thank you Steve. Thank you for taking care of all of them."

He smiled at me and said, "JJ is as important as your Val. Every man and woman over there is important. I'm proud we were able to help them."

Cindy came up to me and said, "Val sent me an email that said he was about to be rotated. If he only has a month or so, can we stay here? I want him to be here with you when he comes back. If we're lucky, perhaps we will just stay here from now on."

Mom and Dad came to me and Dad told me, "Son, this place is the perfect place for you to be in order to help your brother. I know you're not a part of the truck that saved them but you are a part of the total defense group. I'm proud of you son. I'm glad you're doing what you can right here."

Wow, my dad told me he was proud of what I had been doing. Actually, I was proud too but there was a long way to go before I would be a contributor.

As everyone was enjoying the gathering and talking about the short video conference we had, Steve told me, "How about skipping your flight stuff today and having a pow-wow with me, Wes, Dennis, Donny, Gerry, and Jeff. You and I never were able to finish a conversation that we started."

"Okay, Steve. In that case I'm going to have one of Tiny's great Bloody Marys. I haven't had one in months and months because I'm always flying on the weekends."

We all gathered at a table on the other side of the bar from the general mass of people. Steve began, "A few days ago Sal told me he thought he had detected some unusual characteristics of the composite that is being used on the new stealth aircraft and drone. Tell everyone what you found Sal."

I began my story, "The results on the friction tests indicated the skin was not heating from the air friction. As you know an aircraft skin will heat up when subjected to very high speeds. I've been trying to compare results of speeds in excess of mach three on up through mach four. I'm sure my analysis is correct and there is no appreciable temperature increase so it makes me think we might be able to create a vehicle capable of re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere."

After a pause I advised, "When one of our vehicles re-enters the Earths atmospheres, that's when everything becomes critical. We have to slow down the re-entry by retro-rockets or some other means. All of that will increase the heat and what will be needed for heat dissipation in order to get the aircraft back to earth without cooking the inhabitants. There is a lot of work to do but we have the basics to work with."

There were several coughs and throat clearings as the thought of what I was talking about was absorbed. I suggested, "What would it take to build an unmanned aircraft that we could use to skip in and out of the atmosphere to further test the friction data? We would then want to send the aircraft into space and re-enter to see if it held together. If we are able to gain the test information, inside and outside the space vehicle, the U.S.A. could get back into space with a reusable product."

Donny exclaimed, "We could keep building aircraft that were bigger and bigger until we had one the size of the shuttle or even larger. If we were able to use a combination of turbine and rocket power to get into space with rocket power to maneuver up there and to position us for re-entry, our aircraft could re-enter anywhere and fly home. Now that is exciting."

Wes suggested, "I can put a drone up that would be about a third the size of a small jet for us to use for testing. I'm sure I can install rocket power to maneuver in space and to use as retro-rockets. We can get plenty of equipment for testing inside with the telemetry to give us the data even if the aircraft fries."

Jeff and Gerry were smiling. Jeff said, "You see, Gerry, you were afraid that we were paying too much attention to friction, and now it has another prospective use."

Wes told everyone, "There is an aircraft that exceeded mach three and flew up over a hundred kilometers called Space Ship One. That aircraft was rocket powered as we all agree would be necessary to get into orbital flight. Everything that other aircraft have done has been sub-orbital so we'll be setting our sights higher from the beginning. Huh. Something just occurred to me. We should look into using ramjets with a big scoop that could gather air while the aircraft is skipping along the upper surface of the atmosphere, then use that air to power a braking blast. Once the air was exhausted, it could repeat the process. If we don't have to carry liquid oxygen into space to use for braking rockets we can save three-fourths of the propellant weight. Otherwise, we'll have to carry too much weight into space to be practical. That's what has killed the efficiency of all the other reusable space vehicles. The only alternative is to use friction braking to scrub off orbital energy, and that would waste the advantage of the low friction composite we're trying to take advantage of. And we could use a pellet feed solid fuel rocket for orbital boost and maneuvering, so that we don't have to use liquid oxygen even to get into orbit. The trouble with other solid fuel rockets is that you either have a lot of thrust or none, but an injected pellet design could resolve that with a low weight penalty! And wow, if we have a genuinely low friction aircraft, by scaling it up to airliner size and accelerating it to hyper-sonic speed with ramjets, we could skip it around the earth like a stone, New York to London in less than an hour on just the fuel for initial acceleration and then approach and landing."

Steve instructed us, "Okay, let's get the drone in the air for this experiment and see how high we can take it. If we can't get high enough with turbines, we'll have to use rockets of some sort using the solid fuel we just discussed. I suppose Sal will have to research some rockets to use. We can always contact NASA but so far, S&S and the feds have not been able to become buddies. Let's see how far we can get on our own and go from there. I do want to treat this as a hobby project and not take away from our work on the military aircraft and drones. It looks like Boeing is coming back to us with their hat in hand to discuss how they can have our drone. It is the same game. If they agree to our terms, we'll go all out for them."

Dennis was sitting back in his chair looking around. He leaned over to me and said, "You guys around this table make me feel like a shirker. Each of you exceeds my knowledge by so much, I feel inadequate often to just sit or work with you."

"You know, Dennis," I said to him. "You do a lot more than you think. You keep hundreds of small projects going and supervise the continuation of most if not all of every major project we undertake. I've watched how every person in your group depends on you and constantly seeks your counsel. Never fear Dennis, you are an extremely important cog in the gears that make this place work."

I spoke up to everyone, "Before we go, I need some direction and probably some help. While I have been assembling data on weapons, I have amassed a sizeable amount of information about lasers. I've been comparing them and expanding the information available until I may have a weapon that will be able to fire near continuously if we can produce the energy. According to my limited research, I've found ways to reduce the energy requirements to an extremely low level but still maintain a long-range strike. Second, the way the computer analyzes what I have come up with, the actual firing shouldn't heat up the weapon core. Well, actually, that's why the energy requirements are so low. The process is so efficient that almost all the energy goes into the beam instead of waste heat."

Steve asked, "What do you mean by long range?"

Wes asked, "What kind of strike?"

I continued in order to answer their questions, "The weapon will be able to have a wide beam that can be narrowed down to a couple of millimeters wide, according to the data I've been able to develop. A narrow beam should be able to travel about thirty-thousand meters."

Wes gasped, "That's like twenty miles."

"I'm not sure of the intensity and killing power at that distance but according to the data, it should be almost as strong as it would be at half that distance. For close in at five miles or less a broad spectrum or beam that could be as wide as say a football field would have the destructive power of several rockets. A pilot wouldn't have to be that accurate and wouldn't have to have a radar lock on a target. And here's something else: We've been talking about a reentry vehicle. As a suborbital vehicle with very low friction you could bounce around the earth with very little fuel. Once you start reentry, though, even with low friction the air passing over the skin of the vehicle generates a huge static charge. Instead of bleeding this off slowly, if we still have that static charge on when we fire the laser, the beam will create a path of ionized gas where it passes, and this will serve as a conductor to direct that static charge to the laser target as a highly directional lightning bolt for a follow-up kick. The down-side is that you wouldn't want to fire the laser at a thunderstorm..."

Wes turned to Steve, "Ah Steve, this may be more important than the drone or anything else we're working on. If we can duplicate the laser Sal has within his data, something like that could be put into a drone and selectively destroy targets at will without worry about running out of weapons. There should be a lot less collateral damage as well."

Steve was shaking his head, "Okay, all of you. What you just heard has to be on our top-secret list, with no discussions outside our group. Sal, see if you can put together what it would take to build this laser."

I told the group, "I already have it. We should be able to build a working model that will fit within less than a cubic foot right now. We might have to learn how to trigger and aim it but I have some of that information from several places."

Steve said, "Get the info to Dennis. Wes, if you work on this besides putting it into a drone, work on it at the R&D center. If Boeing comes on board, don't discuss it with them. We'll market this separately. I want to test it with our new military stealth fighter first."