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  ‘Anyway, let’s just get all our heads around this problem of getting us in and out of there for the time being’ suggested Professor Stuart Keys as they all sat around and began brain storming their various ideas.

  ‘I reckon we should enter the area from the San Diego side’ suggested one scientist ‘it’s nearer the equator so will give you more hot air and so more lift.’

  ‘Possibly?’ they all nodded.

  ‘No, I reckon we should enter from where the tremor itself originally emanated from’ suggested Stuart Keys ‘then we can possibly view the very source of the problem.’

  ‘Why would flame not ignite though?’ another scientist puzzled.

  ‘Maybe a gas from the fissure has pushed out all the oxygen?’ suggested Professor Mellows.

  ‘Then everyone could be dead? That would explain why nobody ever comes out of there, they all get gassed to death the moment they enter the area’ suggested another scientist.

  ‘God, I hope not, millions of people live in that huge area’ commented an engineer ‘also’ he added ‘going in there could be a suicide mission, if that’s the case.’

  ‘Possibly true, but I don’t see as we really have any other choice’ shrugged Professor Keys.

  ‘What if the air is poisonous in there?’ suggested another scientist.

  ‘Then you could have some simple early warning devices fitted to the very front of the craft and take gas masks in with you of course’ smiled another scientist.

  ‘Excellent idea on the gas masks, but quite how would we power the warning devices without any electricity?’ smiled Stuart Keys.

  ‘I’m on it!’ nodded the scientist as he went off to sit somewhere quiet where he could work on a solution.

  ‘You could always take a canary in with you’ smiled Professor Mellows.

  ‘No, I’m anti-blood sports and a vegetarian’ smiled Professor Keys.

  ‘A vegetarian, in the land of the hamburger?’ she pondered.

  ‘I’m afraid so’ smiled Professor Keys. ‘Anyway, let’s concentrate on this craft’ he suggested.

  ‘Yes, quite’ agreed Professor Mellows ‘we need some sort of aircraft that we can operate manually that neither relies upon engines or heating air.’

  ‘I think I may be able to help there!’ announced a man just moving forwards.

  ‘And you are?’ asked Professor Mellows.

  ‘I’m Professor Edwards from NASA I have a workshop in Eugene. It’s just outside the dead area fortunately, because I’ve just spoken to my wife, son and daughter there on the phone’ he explained. ‘We constructed a powerful airship there to carry out scientific tests and check for signs of global warming around the North Pole.’

  ‘An airship? Indeed, that sounds ideal’ nodded Professor Keys.

  ‘Yes, but how long would it take to reach the area?’ asked Professor Mellows whilst looking down at a small computer in the palm of her hand. ‘By my estimation, even if you’re on the very edge of Eugene, it could still be over 40 miles away?’ she queried.

  ‘Good point’ nodded Professor Keys.

  ‘No, it’s surprisingly powerful’ smiled the NASA scientist ‘I overtook my friend in his car once doing around 40MPH.’

  ‘Really?’ queried Professor Mellows as she smiled and nodded her head. ‘Yes, but we might not have that power once we reach the power cut area’ she pointed out.

  ‘I’m already working on that’ interrupted Professor Keys ‘we could rig up a simple peddle option based on the modern clockwork engine. So provided the thing steers OK and can maintain its altitude we’ll be fine’ he smiled.

  ‘Clockwork engine?’ laughed a couple of the scientists sitting nearby.

  ‘You laugh, but I haven’t had to pay for any of my electricity in either my home or laboratory for years because of it’ Stuart Keys smiled.

  ‘Really?’ they now all queried suddenly looking interested.

  ‘Right, we’d better start by getting you folks to Eugene then’ smiled a Top Gun Pilot ‘we can get you part of the way to the Aircraft Carrier Hercules and then by Harrier Jump Jet from there. I hope you folks have a good head for speed, Professors, because we’re gonna get you there mighty fast!’ he laughed.

  ‘Great stuff, let’s get going then’ nodded Professor Mellows.

  ‘Hang on! I thought we couldn’t fly anywhere?’ queried Professor Keys. ‘Didn’t the President order all planes to be grounded?’

  ‘No, it’s just over the ‘dead zone’ now, as we are now calling it’ explained the pilot ‘everywhere else is just fine’ he explained.

  ‘Well at least that’s something’ nodded Professor Edwards.

  ‘Yes, I’ve just watched a television announcement and they say all passenger flights are back on again, well, provided they don’t fly anywhere near California that is’ nodded a scientist after checking on his eye phone.

  ‘Yes, even we have to divert our flight to over Mexico to avoid it’ smiled the Top Gun Pilot.

  Professor Keys, Mellows and Edwards then spoke to the other scientists and engineers on their way out and they agreed to pool any ideas they all had.

  Then, just as the Top Gun Pilot led the way out Professor Keys smiled.

  ‘We invented them you know?’ he stated cheerfully.

  ‘Invented what?’ asked the American Air Force Pilot.

  ‘Harrier Jump Jets’ he answered.

  ‘You haven’t got any now though have you’ smiled the Pilot.

  ‘No, we sold them all to you lot donkey’s years ago, you’ve got the last few left now’ replied Professor Keys looking rather sad.

  The remaining scientists and experts agreed to keep racking their brains for new ideas, whilst the three Professors all now flew off to Eugene.

  NASA wanted all the experts and scientists to be moved to their own facilities.

  The Pentagon however, refused, but agreed they would offer all NASA scientists working on the problem anything they needed.

  They were true to their word too, as experts from all over the world were now brought in to pour over the problem, with brilliant minds old and young alike working closely together, along with every piece of equipment they could possibly request to aid them.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Day Four:

  10th January 2021

  Eugene,

  Oregon, U.S.A.

  The Pentagon ordered in scores of engineers, mechanics, equipment and supplies to Professor Edward’s workshop in Eugene now and their men worked around the clock to build the pedal powered propulsion system jointly designed by Professor Keys, Professor Mellows, and many of the expert team now assembled back at the Pentagon.

  The simple mechanical cycle system was based loosely on the same principles as the clockwork radio, also oddly enough invented by an Englishman. Although based upon quite simple mechanical principles, it was none the less, also quite a powerful engine. It was in fact quite ingenious in its design.

  Professor Keys also requested an old fashioned film camera, that he similarly adapted to be used manually, also using his clockwork engine idea. After being converted, the camera only needed an occasional wind up to keep it working properly. Of course, it would have to use old fashioned colour film as no electrically operated digital system would be likely to work in the dead zone area anyway. They were not even sure film itself would still work.

  They had early warning gas systems based on rather low tech devices on the airship’s nose cone and would be required to wear gas masks around their necks to facilitate instant usage as and when it became necessary.

  In the end, Professor Edward’s large, but normally quite empty workshop became a hive of activity as literally hundreds of engineers and skilled mechanics were brought in to work there.

  ‘This must be what Santa’s workshop looks like’ joked Professor Keys as he stared at all the engineers and skilled mechanics workin
g frantically away.

  ‘I don’t know, I’ve never even been to Santa’s workshop myself’ smiled Professor Edwards.

  ‘Oh? I’m surprised to hear you saying that, seeing as you’re always flying over the North Pole?’ Professor Mellows joked.

  ‘He’s probably dropped in on Santa and drank tea with him loads of times really’ suggested Professor Keys with a smile.

  ‘No, of course not’ replied Professor Edwards ‘Santa’s American, so he only drinks coffee’ he laughed.

  ‘And I thought it was only milk and cookies’ smiled Professor Keys.

  After a great deal of hard work by the now well over two hundred and fifty engineers, scientists and mechanics all working hard around the clock, they were finally ready to leave.

  It was a remarkable achievement to have invented a new propulsion system and then had it built and ready to leave in such a very short period of time.

  All their back up systems relied not upon electricity or flame, but old fashioned elbow grease and clever mechanical and basically modern clockwork design.

  In short, it was quite ingenious.

  Professor Keys had just been re-united with his seventeen year old daughter, who he’d been forced to abandon back at their hotel whilst on their holiday in America, in order for him to report to the Pentagon as he had been ordered. Only he had the necessary security clearance to attend the initial emergency meeting there, so his daughter had to remain behind in their hotel instead.

  His daughter was now able to join him though and she flew into his arms and gave him a big hug before he introduced her to all the other main members of their onsite design team.

  ‘Professor Mellows, this is my daughter Jenny’ he informed her.

  ‘Pleased to me you, Jenny’ smiled Professor Mellows ‘why don’t you call me Joan’ she suggested.

  ‘Joan? Professor Keys queried as he only half paid attention as he was still supervising some of the airship’s mechanics.

  ‘Yes, that’s my name, I was named after my grandmother’ she explained.

  ‘Never mind him, he only half listens to me half the time as well’ giggled Jenny. ‘His name’s Stuart by the way’ she informed Joan.

  ‘As we’re all on first name terms, my name’s Jack’ smiled Professor Edwards ‘and these are my two children, Bill’s aged five and Charlotte is aged seven, and this is my better half Abigail’ he smiled as he held onto her.

  ‘Yes, Jack doesn’t listen to me half the time either’ his wife chuckled away ‘I think all scientists are the same’ she smiled.

  After the introductions, Stuart asked Jack how he thought things were going.

  ‘Really well!’ he replied ‘remarkably well in fact, I think the guys have done a great job. All being well we should be able to test her out soon and then we should be ready to leave. In a couple of hours probably, but maybe even sooner’ he smiled cheerfully. ‘I hope you’ve got your sea legs on though’ he laughed.

  ‘Why’s that?’ asked Stuart curiously.

  ‘Because the motion of an airship on a windy day like today can be very similar to being in a small boat in rough seas’ he suggested.

  ‘I’ll be all right, I go sailing back home in England around the Isle of Wight’ Stuart nodded ‘you’ve heard of the Needles?’

  ‘No, can’t say I have’ Jack shook his head.

  ‘Well the sea is always really rough off them’ Stuart smiled.

  ‘How many crew can we take, Jack?’ asked Joan curiously.

  ‘We usually carry ten people, but we have to make allowances for the extra weight of added equipment now’ he explained. ‘Also we don’t want to fly too low, as if as we suspect the engines do cut out when we enter the dead zone, we might not be able to gain much height if we’re on the edge of our limits, well, without throwing something or someone overboard that is’ laughed Jack.

  Then he turned to Stuart.

  ‘Has the film camera got a zoom lens fitted?’

  ‘Yes’ replied Stuart.

  ‘That’s good, as obviously we’ll be quite high up’ Jack nodded ‘so you always need one.’

  ‘So how many people can we take then?’ asked Joan again.

  ‘Oh, sorry, Joan, I didn’t answer you did I’ apologised Jack. ‘We’ll let’s see, we’ll need two people to work the manual system if the main engines do cut out, I’ll steer, and then we’ll need a fourth person to operate the camera if there’s anything there to film’ he explained.

  ‘I’ll do that!’ instantly volunteered Jenny.

  ‘Oh no, this is far too dangerous, Jenny, we don’t even know what we’re flying into yet’ objected her father.

  ‘But I’m the only one here who has experience of operating an old fashioned film camera. I operated the large 35mm cine camera at school when we made a Mocumentary and then I made a further three documentaries in college’ she insisted.

  ‘What’s a Mocumentary?’ queried Joan.

  ‘It’s like a ‘pretend’ one, made just like a serious documentary only poking fun usually at someone instead’ explained Stuart.

  ‘Oh right, sounds like fun’ Joan replied smiling at Jenny.

  ‘She’s got a point, Stuart, we’re gonna need someone used to operating a camera if we’re not going to return with something all shaky and unwatchable that is’ argued Jack in her support.

  ‘I can do it, Dad, no problem!’ insisted Jenny enthusiastically.

  ‘It’s not a question of whether you can do it or not, Jenny, it’s a question of the danger that might be involved’ he insisted.

  Then he looked towards Jack.

  ‘How safe are these things anyway, Jack?’

  ‘Well, we live in it for weeks over the North Pole’ he smiled ‘is that safe enough?’

  ‘Pretty safe then I’d say’ smiled Joan nodding towards Jenny.

  ‘Oh, all right then, you can go’ Stuart finally conceded as Jenny went and hugged him, ‘but you have to keep a gas mask with you at all times and do exactly as you’re told!’ he insisted.

  ‘Thanks Dad’ she smiled.

  After their un-powered test flight proved successful, they were then all set to go.

  The rest of the world’s press meanwhile only had one headline now:

  ‘What’s going on in California?’

  The newspapers consisted of nothing else as various technical experts they spoke to all argued amongst themselves as to what was really going on and all sorts of ‘conspiracy theories’ began to circulate around.

  Several newspapers claimed there had been a terrorist attack and so the President had ordered a complete news blackout until it was resolved, whilst others claimed it had been a natural disaster of some sort.

  People who had relatives in the dead zone area were meanwhile asking why they couldn’t contact their relatives and large protests had begun in various cities all around America.

  The President, realising he couldn’t just stay silent for long went on national television going with the large ground fissure opening up theory, caused by the recent earth tremor in the area. He then went on to explain how their scientists were now working around the clock to resolve the situation, but that everyone was to stay away from the area until the as a yet unexplained problem altering the magnetic poles had been fully investigated.

  He explained how it had presented them with a problem they were still trying to fully understand, but it basically meant electricity no longer worked and the depth of the fissure itself had temporarily trapped people inside the area.

  The President looked strained as he read out his own statement, but it did calm some people down, but unfortunately not others, as many of the protests continued all around the country just the same.

  Meanwhile, the National Guard and soldiers from the American Navy, Army and Air Force were all called in to both maintain public order, but also set up road blocks, blockades and regul
ar armed patrols to prevent people trying to enter the dead zone area themselves.

  Regular air craft patrols also deterred anyone entering the area by plane or helicopter.

  Professor Keys, his daughter Jenny, Professor Mellows and pilot Professor Jack Edwards meanwhile began to leave Eugene in the newly modified airship.

  ‘What do you think we’ll find there, Joan?’ puzzled Stuart.

  But she just shook her head.

  ‘Do you know, for once in my life I’ve absolutely no idea’ she smiled.

  ‘Exciting though, isn’t it?’ Stuart smiled back.

  ‘Well that and a little bit scary’ she admitted.

  ‘What I can’t understand is why we haven’t heard from anyone who went into the area to investigate’ puzzled Jack as he manned the controls.

  ‘Well if their electricity has been neutralised its no wonder at it’ replied Stuart.

  ‘But why don’t they just walk out again?’ questioned Jack.

  ‘Well we have to presume that for some reason they just can’t’ concluded Joan.

  ‘Maybe the theory of a fissure exposing a gas into the atmosphere is quite sound?’ questioned Stuart.

  ‘With that in mind, has everyone got their gas mask ready, just in case?’ questioned Joan.

  ‘Jenny have you yours?’ her dad asked urgently.

  ‘Dad, it’s around my neck!’ she replied sarcastically as Joan and Jack both looked at each other and laughed quietly.

  Just over an hour into their flight they then began to see some quite remarkable and very unusual sights.

  Below them were literally thousands and thousands of animals and birds, all drinking from a lake and even Jack took time out from the controls to stare down over the side and just marvel at them all.

  ‘What a sight!’ he commented ‘why, I’ve never seen anything quite like it’ he laughed.

  ‘It’s an odd collection of animals though, don’t you think?’ commented Joan as she studied them more closely.