Twenty-five minutes later they were back at the building where Metzler spent his time.
“Doctor Miller,” he said smiling at Abby when she came in.
“Montgomery,” she corrected.
“Metzler. Doctor Fritz Metzler,” he said.
“No. I meant I’m Doctor Abigail Montgomery,” she tried to explain.
“Are you sure?”
“Why don’t you just call me Abby,” she finally said.
She introduced him to Brian and James and explained why they were here.
“Young man. You understood what I had put down?”
“Yes sir.”
He looked at Brian for several seconds before, turning and taking a piece of chalk and handing it to him.
“I would like to see what you came up with.”
Brian shrugged and started writing. It took several minutes before he stepped back and looked his work over. He made two quick corrections and then turned to Metzler.
Metzler squinted and used his finger to follow along. He made one change and then looked at Brian.
“Very good. Actually, very, very good. You are a very bright young man. I see you left two variables out and just put in a question mark. Why is that? Do you think my calculations were in error?”
“Oh no sir. I am more familiar with astronomy than theoretical electrical equations. I didn’t know what this number was here. I plugged in one that I worked backwards but I’m not exactly sure I got it correct. Since it is a constant number, it has a huge impact on the final answer.”
Metzler picked up the chalk and wrote:
9.0 = xN/ 2.90
“It is a little different from what you are used to working with. The gravitational field and electrical force are not the same.”
“Okay. I get it. That explains why when I put your values in I got a different answer,” Brian said.
“Exactly. You are a very bright young man,” Fritz said smiling.
“Then all I have to do is put in the two missing data points and we will have the amount of power needed to move the object.”
“What is the mass of the object?” Metzler asked as James was reading off the data to Brian.
“1.8723989 X,” James told him.
“What? No, no. I meant the object you are trying to move,” Metzler said.
“Yes. That’s the mass.”
Fritz started talking to himself.
Fritz had been talking to himself almost non-stop. Even when Brian finished the calculations all he did was check them quickly and nodded.
“Can it be done?”
“Absolutely not.”
“You’re sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. I built it didn’t I?”
“What kind of mass could it move?” James asked.
“Maybe half of that at absolute full power. That is theoretical only. I have only had a chance to test it at very low power.”
“So if you had two of these, it may be possible to move that much mass?”
“In theory. In actuality? Who knows? Besides, it is a moot point. There is only one machine like it in the world and it is in the other room,” Metzler said dejectedly.
“But if you did have two, it could work.”
“Young man. Listen to me carefully. There is only one E-PEG.”
“Okay, let me ask this. How long would it take to build a second one?”
“It took me five months on that one,” he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.
“But you have drawings now. And if you had help could it be done in four weeks?”
“Possibly. I have many of the machined parts here already. I had enough made initially in case the first one blew up,” he said smiling quickly for the first time.
“What if Brian and I stayed here and helped you to build it. If Dan could make sure we had everything we needed, could we do it in six weeks?” James asked.
“Hold on,” Dan interrupted, “I only have clearance for you guys for the day, not six weeks.”
“Then that should probably be your first task,” Abby said.
“That is if you intend to have a chance of saving mankind,” James added for drama.
“You eggheads,” Dan said, dropping his chin to his chest and shaking his head.
“Well if we don’t do something we will all be fried eggs,” Fritz said.
It was so unlike Metzler that everyone broke up at the remark.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Dan had called the President from Groom Lake and was surprised that he gave the okay for them to work with Metzler. He didn’t even hesitate or ask Dan what he thought about the idea.
“Do it.”
“You are authorizing them to stay the full time?” Dan asked, not sure he had heard right.
“Yes Dan. Just get the damn thing made. I’ve already notified NASA that they needed to dust off a shuttle and get the thing ready to go into space. They said it was doubtful it could be done in six weeks. We are working on an alternative plan but it will get done,” Strong told him.
“Yes sir. I’ll let them know immediately.”
“Good, and see if Doctor Montgomery can come back with you. I would like to have her meet with Kincaid and LaForge again. They need clarification on several points and I sure the heck can’t answer their questions. Oh, and before you ask, I talked to John Dulles and have his assurances that he will make sure the doctor’s classes are adequately covered.”
“Yes sir, Mr. President.”
“When he hung up he walked back in the room and said, “Well don’t just stand there, build the damn thing.”
James and Brian did hi-fives and even Metzler joined in much to their surprise.
“Abby, the President asked if you would come back to Washington with me. It’s important or he wouldn’t have asked. He has already covered it with Dulles.”
“Boy, talk about putting me on the spot. I though we already had this conversation about me being the last one to know,” she said.
This was the second time it had happened and it was really starting to get on her nerves. She felt she was being manipulated and she didn’t like it one bit.
“Abby. I just found out myself. I swear. I had no knowledge of this until I called. Look if you don’t want to go I can’t make you and neither can the President.”
“That’s not the point Dan. The point is, I’m still not being asked. I’m being conned into doing other's bidding.”
“Abby, the circumstances dictate direct and immediate action. This thing is going to be in close proximity to us and our moon in just a short time. We are all going to have to go with the flow. Our feelings have to take a back seat to the reality of our situation,” Dan said.
She thought for a second and said, “Alright Dan. I don’t like it but alright. Don’t think I’m easy just because I’m giving in this time but I do understand the circumstances. The world in in jeopardy and I guess in the President’s place I might not go about things like normal. This does not however mean that I am always going to be this easy,” Abby replied.
“Why Abby, I never said you were easy,” he bantered.
When Abby and Dan landed in Washington, they were immediately taken to the West Wing of the White House and escorted to the Oval Office.
They were shown inside and Dan plopped down and sprawled out on the couch.
“Oh yeah, watch this,” Abby said and promptly jumped and landed on the couch flat out.
Just as she did, the President turned around from his chair where he had been quietly talking on the phone. He looked over at Abby who had a look of stark terror on her face.
The President started laughing. And laughing. He put his head on the desk and pounded it while continuing to laugh. Finally he stopped and wiped the tears out of his eyes. He looked at Abby who had her hands over her mouth and started in again. The more he tried to stop the harder he laughed.