Time Tunnel: The Towers Read online

  “Harold Kroto was reminded of the Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome that housed the US Pavilion at the Expo 67 world’s fair. He wondered if their mystery molecule might have a geodesic shape.”

  “The geodesic dome was their inspiration. With some trial and error, they determined that the following shape could array 60 carbon atoms in a closed cage configuration.”

  Gunther motioned to his assistant to place a transparency of a wireframe sphere on the overhead projector.

  “But, that looks like…” General Patterson began.

  “A soccer ball, yes,” said Gunther, “It’s a soccer ball. A combination of 20 hexagrams and 12 pentagrams connecting 60 carbon atoms.”

  “The scientists named the new molecule ‘Buckminsterfullerene...’”

  General Patterson had heard enough. He was convinced that Strangelove was playing some kind of propeller head joke. “Doctor! Seriously, a new molecule that looks like a soccer ball called ‘Buckminsterfullerene?’ What kind of fools do you take us for?”

  Gunther wondered for a moment how many varieties of fools existed in the Army.

  “General, as you will observe, I am not well equipped to be a stand-up comedian,” said Gunther from the confines of his wheelchair. “I realize it may sound a little strange, but everything I have told you is true.”

  “Then please tell me what in God’s name Buckminsterfullerenes have to do with alien technology!” commanded General Patterson.

  “The Gray technology is an adaptation of Buckminsterfullerenes, albeit a very advanced adaptation. Observe,” said Gunther.

  His assistant placed another slide on the projector. This slide depicted a diagram of a wireframe tube.

  “The Rice and Sussex scientists have shown us that it is possible to create new carbon molecules in a variety of configurations. This is a carbon tube, only one nanometer wide. These “nanotubes” are quite remarkable in terms of their properties. They are formed into a variety of shapes and sizes, to perform electronic functions, including conducting, insulating, or superconducting electricity. They can be configured to generate intense magnetic fields. They can also be configured into nanomachinery, like motors and gears. These carbon structures are the heart of the Gray technology.”

  “Trillions of carbon nanostructures are configured throughout the craft’s hull to perform a variety of functions, including computing, navigation, power generation, and communications.”

  “Given the precision with which the nanotube lattices have been integrated into the hull and surfaces of the craft, it is our belief that the craft was not manufactured in the conventional sense. We believe the carbon matter was programmed into this configuration. In essence, the craft was grown.”

  “Our efforts have been focused on reverse engineering the various functions of the nanomechanisms. This is exceedingly tedious work, as the nanostructures are integrated completely into the craft’s hull, and it is extremely difficult to microscopically analyze a section of nanotube lattices without damaging them. We can’t slice through part of the hull without damaging or destroying millions of nanotubes. In recent years, we have used X-Ray computerized tomography to map the infrastructure. This appears to be an effective approach, though the mapping process is slow due to limitations of computing bandwidth, even with our Cray supercomputer.”

  “In the course of our macro-level survey of the craft, we have found what we believe is its power source. The Grays appear to have mastered a way to manufacture antimatter onboard the craft and manage a controlled antimatter reaction.”

  “Antimatter? Can you explain?” asked General Chaffee.

  “Antimatter is the opposite of matter,” explained Gunther.

  “It is comprised of antiparticles. These particles have the same mass as those with which we are more familiar, such as protons, neutrons, and electrons, though their charge and other properties are precisely opposite those of their matter counterparts. For example, an antimatter hydrogen atom is the exact opposite of a matter hydrogen atom. The opposite of an electron is an anti-electron, or positron.”

  Gunther continued, “When an encounter between matter and antimatter occurs, they annihilate each other. The reaction yields a tremendous amount of energy. Antimatter is prohibitively difficult to manufacture and store with our present technology. Additionally, the output of an antimatter reaction would be impossible to contain with current technology.”

  Gunther asked his assistant to display a transparency illustrating a matter-antimatter reaction between an electron and a positron.

  “What would be the yield of an antimatter reaction?” asked General Chaffee.

  Gunther asked his assistant to display another slide. This slide presented Einstein’s famous “E = mc2” equation indicating the equivalence of mass and energy. Values were substituted for each variable:

  E = mc2 = 6.2kg x (3 x 108 m/s)2 = 5.58 x 1017 Joules

  “It would vary according to the amount of matter and anti-matter annihilated,” said Gunther. “For example, this formula shows us that the identical amount of mass of active material used in the Fat Man atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, only 6.2 kilograms, or 13.7 pounds, would produce a yield of over 6,000 times that of the Nagasaki bomb. To put that in perspective, the world’s largest nuclear bomb tested to-date is the Soviet Union’s so-called ‘Tsar Bomba,’ also known as ‘Kuzka’s mother.’ Tsar Bomba was detonated at Russia’s Novaya Zemlya archipelago on October 30, 1961. That bomb weighed 60,000 pounds and had a blast yield of 210 petajoules, which is 210 quadrillion joules of energy.”

  Gunther pointed to the overhead projector sitting on the table, “By comparison, an antimatter bomb with the mass of this 30 pound overhead projector would have over five times the blast yield of the 60,000 pound Tsar bomba—basically enough to destroy France.”

  The generals’ eyes grew wide.

  “Of course, the output of the Grays’ antimatter reactor is considerably greater,” said Gunther.

  “How much greater?” asked General Patterson

  “The resulting energy generated from this spacecraft’s reactor would be approximately one million times the Hiroshima atomic bomb.”

  The generals rocked back in their chairs, aghast.

  General Patterson asked the obvious question, “What can you tell me about the craft’s weapon systems?”

  “The craft does not appear to have any weapons,” replied Gunther.

  “But if it did?” asked the general.

  “If it did, this single craft, the size of a yacht, could easily generate sufficient energy to completely destroy the Earth in an instant,” replied Gunther with little more emotion than if he was reading the Wall Street Journal aloud. Gunther was not fearful of the Grays. He was awestruck by them.

  Gunther could see from the generals’ faces that their reaction was very different than his. The generals were very afraid. Gunther found their response amusing. He knew there was no possible defense 20th century Earth humans could muster against such vastly advanced technology. If the Grays wanted them to be dead, they would be dead. It was as simple as that.

  “However, that is not what concerns me at present,” Gunther continued.

  “So if Earth’s destruction doesn’t rate, what does doctor?” snapped General Patterson.

  “The absence of any apparent means of propulsion through interstellar space. We do not understand how this spacecraft was able to traverse hundreds or thousands of light years. Approximately 40 percent of the craft’s mechanisms appear to be dedicated to manipulate gravity. We have theorized that there is a possibility that the ship is somehow distorting space-time in order to appear to move faster than light,” explained Gunther.

  “Translation, Doctor,” said General Patterson.

  “Einstein’s general theory of relativity describes the relationship between space and time and gravity. A way to think about space-time is like an elastic fabric,” said Gunther, signaling to his assistant to place a slide of a wireframe matrix on the ove
rhead.

  “If you place a bowling ball into the fabric, it sinks into a well, pulling the fabric around it,” continued Gunther

  Gunther asked his assistant to display a diagram illustrating the gravity effect on space-time. A wireframe of a sphere sinking into a plane appeared on the screen.

  “This is a good way to think about the effect of gravity on space-time. Gravity bends and distorts the fabric of space-time. A simple example of this is the military’s GPS system. GPS relies on precise time in order to provide accurate positioning coordinates. However, because GPS satellites are moving rapidly in low gravity, time is measured slightly differently on those satellites than it is for terrestrials on Earth. Without compensating for the difference, GPS wouldn’t work,” explained Gunther.

  Gunther continued, “One theory is that the Grays have developed a way to manipulate gravity in order to bend spacetime. Think of a paper map. If you lay the map on the table, the distance between two points on opposite sides of the map might be 100 miles. However, if you fold the map, you can greatly shorten that distance—perhaps to 10 miles. Perhaps less. For great distances, like those involved in interstellar travel, it would appear as though the spacecraft could travel faster than light.”

  “However,” Gunther said, “from what we have discerned thus far in our efforts to analyze this gravity engine, I am skeptical that its purpose is interstellar travel. 40 percent of this spacecraft remains a mystery.”

  At that moment, the conference door burst open. Lara blew into the room, with an armed guard in tow.

  “Greetings Lara!” said Gunther, smiling, genuinely amused at her unexpected appearance.

  The generals were angry.

  “Miss…” began General Patterson.

  “Doctor,” corrected Lara.

  “…Doctor,” continued the general, “this is a closed meeting.”

  Lara ignored the general, “Gunther, you know that 40 percent you haven’t figured out yet? Well I know what it does.”

  Everyone in the room stared at her in stunned silence.

  “The Grays aren’t from another world. They’re from this one. That craft isn’t a spaceship. It’s a time machine!”

  Dreamland Research Facility

  Area 51

  Groom Lake, NV

  March 15, 1985

  10:45 hours

  The generals burst out laughing. Gunther’s perma-smile evaporated. His expression was shock. Lara was astonished at the generals’ juvenile reaction. After everything these people had witnessed—the craft, the Grays, the presumption of interstellar travel—why was it such a fantastic stretch to entertain the possibility that these beings might be time travelers?

  General Patterson was the first to regain some semblance of composure, “Doctor, aren’t you a biologist?”

  Lara raised one of the transparencies in her hand and shook it, “This is the result of the DNA test we just completed. As you know, mass spectrometric analysis performed on Gray tissue years ago confirmed a DNA signature. That’s what led to our project to map Gray DNA. We’re still years away from completing that index, but in the meantime, we took advantage of a shortcut.”

  “Most of our DNA is identical to all other humans and, for that matter, other primates. However, certain areas of DNA exhibit polymorphism, meaning they can take on many different forms. This polymorphism makes each individual’s DNA unique from every other’s. There is a new process, called restriction fragment length polymorphism, or RFLP, which is used to isolate and analyze these areas of human DNA. For the hell of it, I decided to run a RFLP analysis on Gray DNA—primarily to gauge some of the broad stroke differences between Grays and humans.”

  “I performed RFLP tests between Grays and several dozen human ethnic groups. These are the results of those tests,” Lara said, holding up one of the transparencies.

  Lara paused for effect.

  “And?” asked General Patterson.

  “And the Grays are human,” replied Lara.

  “More precisely, they’re from the Han ethnic group—they’re Chinese.”

  Again, the generals burst into laughter. Gunther stared straight ahead, grim-faced, saying nothing.

  “You’ve got a bizarre sense of humor, Doctor,” said General Patterson.

  “This is no joke, general,” said Lara through tight lips. “Look!”

  Lara slapped the transparency on the overhead.

  On the screen, a series of short fuzzy parallel bands appeared, organized in columns and rows. Each column had a heading that corresponded to each test subject. The five subjects, four Grays and one Han Chinese subject, enabled side-by-side comparison of the placement of the bands. The band placement corresponded to the relative weight of DNA fragments of each subject. Smaller fragments appeared at the bottom of each column. Larger fragments appeared at the top. Fragments of identical size were located in the same row. In one row, bands aligned for all five subjects.

  “The four markers for the Grays line up identically with our Han Chinese test subject. We’ve repeated the test three times with identical results. The results are conclusive. The Grays are human,” said Lara.

  “Well, they don’t look very human, do they?” said the general.

  “Inside, they actually look very human. That’s something I always found uncanny, that life in another star system could independently evolve into something virtually identical to humans. Aside from their heads—larger craniums and brains—and the eyes, they are virtually identical to humans anatomically. Their chromosomes are identical to humans,” said Lara, displaying a transparency of a Karyotype analysis of one of the Grays. Twenty-three pairs of wormlike squiggles displayed on the giant screen—the chromosomes of a male humanoid.

  “Now we know their DNA is human too,” explained Lara.

  The generals, speechless, looked at each other with confusion. Finally, Gunther broke the silence.

  “She’s right!” he said. “My God, she’s right.”

  Gunther looked directly at Lara. Tears welled up in his eyes and his smile returned to his face. After working this problem for decades, the gift of a lifetime had dropped into his lap out of nowhere. The generals stared at Gunther, stunned.

  “Dr. Appel, please explain this,” said General Patterson.

  “General, as I said previously, while we have never identified any function that would enable the craft to be propelled in interstellar space, we have discovered a mechanism that can manipulate gravity. While we have theorized that it could be used to warp space-time for interstellar travel, it could also fold space-time back upon itself. If what Dr. Meredith says about the Grays’ DNA is true, it is absolutely conceivable that the Grays are from our distant future.”

  The generals sat, stunned, mouths agape.

  General Patterson turned to Lara, “Holy shit, Doctor.”

  US Airways Flight #2071

  Central Virginia

  September 11, 2001

  09:50 hours

  Kyle Mason watched the lush green of central Virginia move beneath his gaze on his flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. He was on his way back from his NYC honeymoon to Fayetteville and Fort Bragg, where he would report for duty for his first Delta assignment.

  From his window seat on the left side of the aircraft, Kyle could see the Rivanna river snake around Charlottesville, the former home of Thomas Jefferson. Kyle smiled as he sipped on ice water. The sweet memories of the past 48 hours with his bride in New York drifted through his mind. Padma’s beautiful face was imprinted on everything he saw.

  The plane suddenly banked sharply to the left. Moments later, the pilot’s voice sounded through the plane’s PA system.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Rogers. I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news. We’re experiencing instrument problems, which means we’re going to need to make an unscheduled landing in Richmond.”

  A collective groan erupted in the passenger cabin.

  Captain Rogers continued, “There is nothing wrong w
ith the aircraft and no need to be concerned, but the FAA requires us to land immediately in the event of any sort of instrument malfunction. I apologize for the inconvenience. We will do everything we can to get you to your destination as quickly as humanly possible.”

  The captain’s announcement was a lie. Five minutes earlier, he had received a message over the plane’s tele-printer: “Emergency situation developing, all airways over the Continental U.S. are closed. Land ASAP at the nearest airport, advise your destination and ETA.” The closest airport to flight 2071 was Richmond International, due east. The order to close U.S. airspace to all commercial and private air traffic was unprecedented.