Winds of Time by Bruce Alan Humphrey (ebook reader online .txt) 📕

this button I want you to state your name, clearly.”
John reaches up and touches a white button on the top of the panel. Tarl complies, “My name is Tarl Cray.”
“Good you are now the only one who can turn this Tedis on. Since no one is capable of copying your voice inflections no one can steal the Tedis if you happen to leave it in the open.”
Tarl gives John a smirk. Pointing to a blue button on the lower right quarter of the control panel, “Now push this button.” Tarl complies. A soft hum fills the cabin. He looks around to find the source. John says clearly, “You won't find it. And if you must know where it's coming from it's behind us. Also turning the power off does not mean the ship drops from the sky. The computer senses the ships altitude and adjusts the fall rate accordingly.”
Tarl turns his head to look behind him. There is a blank wall with no obvious entry. Not wanting to answer any questions on it John persists in his explanations, “Now if you will notice all seems to be normal inside. Correct?”
Tarl doesn't answer the man instead he watches intently.
"Now watch exactly what I do,” John pushes a small sliding button upward. Instantly the outside world through the canopy becomes blurry. It stays that way for several seconds before becoming clear again.
John announces confidently, “We are now invisible.”
“It's that simple?” Tarl asks in astonishment.
“That simple,” is the reply. “All of the controls are connected into a prototype computer behind the wall. It handles all of your commands without the slightest hesitation.”
Utterly amazed at its simplicity, due mostly to the ultra-sophisticated planes he flew earlier in his life, Tarl prompted John on how it flew.
“That is just as simple.” He pointed to a large square panel with numbered buttons, one through zero. “Using this panel you simply punch in a series of coordinates we will provide you with. The computer will then guide the ship effortlessly to its destination. Or if you prefer,” he pushed another button and a joystick protruded from the center of the panel. Tarl’s curious nature asks one too many questions.
“What makes it fly?”
“It operates exactly like an aircraft with one obvious change.”
“What's that?” Tarl inquires.
“It operates on the principal magnetic repulsion.” Tarl raises an eyebrow in disbelief, “You mean it repels the earth's natural gravity and lifts the machine.”
“Correct.”
“How do you steer it?”
Johns response is short terse and too the point, “Push the stick forward. That makes it go that direction.”
Tarl, taken aback by John’s sarcastic attitude quickly realized he asked one too many questions. He was there to learn how to operate it. Not ask questions on its construction.
“Now as we go around the control panel all buttons are clearly marked for their function. You see here exterior and interior lights.”
“Exterior!” Tarl exclaims.
John says sarcastically, “For when you are searching for something or someone when the invisibility is not needed. After all if you are spotted you can just turn it on and disappear!”
Tarl stifles his reply and listens to John as he proceeds through the remainder of buttons. Navigational input. Longitude here. Latitude there. Auto pilot. John tells him all he need do is punch in the coordinates of his destination push autopilot and the ship responds accordingly. Outside audio system, here. All others are merely status lights. Non functional.
He ends his briefing, “Of course you don't know what makes it work so these will show you if something is incorrect in the computer.”
“And if there is?” Queries Tarl.
“You're out of luck. The computer scrambles and the machine will become visible as will your mission. Oh it will bring you home all right but it can be shot down in the process. The propulsion system is infallible the invisibility screen is not.”
Tarl is amazed at the technology developed behind closed doors.
“Now lastly and most important of all, you are probably wondering how you are going to complete your mission in the time allotted.”
Tarl answers accordingly, “How'd you guess?”
Releasing some of his intellectual hostility toward those below him John says, “I can tell by your attention span.”
Tarl is about to retaliate when his antagonist starts his lecture, “By using this panel you can set your speed at whatever you deem appropriate.”
“How?” Tarl asks.
“Push the slide button up of down to increase or decrease speed. Be careful when adjusting it. The slide button is hypersensitive. If you push too hard, you will have to wait to overcome the effects of the kinetic energy on your body. In other words, you will to wait until you can adjust to the acceleration. Conversely if you pull down too fast you’ll have to crawl down off the panel that is if you haven't gone through the glass.”
Tarl learned not to question how the ship’s assembly, partly because he didn't want to knock its creator’s teeth out. Now sure, that he had Tarl under his control John finishes his lecture, “I have been told by Mr. Fitzhugh you have one hour to familiarize yourself with the Tedis. You're mission begins at the end of the hour.”
After turning the Tedis off John shows Tarl one last button, the exit, and shakes his hand, says good luck, and abruptly leaves. Tarl is both amazed by the technology behind this thing and astounded over the short amount of time he has to learn. He knew Fitzhugh though. He wouldn't press Tarl if it weren't serious. Not being one for procrastination, he set to his task.
First, close the door. The door bubble shuts silently. Confidently he says his name aloud, “Tarl Cray.” Immediately the control board lights up. Wasting no time, he reaches up and pushes the power button. The distinctive hum fills the cabin. Next, push the invisibility button all the way up. The men standing in front of the Tedis become blurry then settle down.
“Well I guess I got it right so far,” Tarl comments to himself.
Next is the joystick. It pops out on Que. “Well here goes nothing.” He notices that the people around the Tedis have moved out of sight. Carefully easing his hand around the stick Tarl gently pulls it back. The wall the Tedis is facing moves downward as he rises. Smiling at his success Tarl becomes a little bolder. He pulls back a little harder. The result is a sinking feeling in his head. The sensitive joystick sends the Tedis hurtling to the roof. His military training in airplanes helps him instinctively to let go easing it into a hovering mode. Recovering he looks out through the canopy. He is hovering about fifty feet off the hanger floor. To his amazement, the people are still looking straight ahead as if they were looking at the Tedis. He smiles at his newfound power.
“Now let's try a few small maneuvers.” Tarl gingerly pushes the stick to the left. The outside world turns to the right as the Tedis pivots. Returning it to the original position stops the turn.
“Now forward.” Ready for the sensation of forward movement Tarl over compensates. Leaning forward, he pushes the stick a little farther than he wants to. The Tedis shoots to the far wall. He pulls back which causes it to slow dramatically but not fast enough. The ship bangs into the corrugated steel with a loud clang. The jolt sends him over the panel and against the canopy. Releasing the stick puts the ship into a hover mode again. The people on the ground, who had been talking amongst themselves rush to the sound of the noise, John cursing all the way. They examine the floor of the hanger for signs of the ship. Not finding any, they breathe a sigh of relief.
With his hands resting on his hips in a manner that exhibits his anger, John curses loudly toward the ceiling. After peeling himself off the canopy, Tarl learned his final lesson in the operation of the ship.
“Touchy little thing,” he says in awe. He touches the off button and the Tedis descends slowly, gently touching down on the hanger floor.
Exiting the ship was the wrong thing to do; John is on him in an instant, “Have a nice time up there did we?” He says he a tone as sarcastic as a person could be. “What the hell do you think you're doing? I give you the most complex machine on the planet and you slam it into a wall!”
“I seriously doubt that you are smart enough to use it!”
After that comment Tarl who had been walking away from John’s onslaught turns and starts back. He reaches John just as a powerful voice speaks, “How are things coming along Tarl?” The two combatants subdue their anger quickly. Fitzhugh was standing off to the side; he must have come in a side entrance.
“Fine sir,” Tarl says confidently. He stares contemptibly at John eyes before marching over to his boss.
Reaching to shake his boss' hands Tarl says, “Hello sir.”
“How do you like our new toy,” Fitzhugh says with a big smile.
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Publication Date: 01-12-2009

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