Magestic 2, p.106
Magestic 2, page 106
1938
In the diner, I smiled when Jimmy explained what Lobster had done. ‘You just gave the administration over there a blow job, with a hint of better things to come.’
‘I set the tone,’ Jimmy responded. ‘But it’s a risk, because we don’t know how the Germans and Japanese will react. Still, I have taken steps to placate the Japanese, and tomorrow ... tomorrow we’ll fly down to Washington, then I’ll fly over to London, and I’ll go onwards to Berlin.’
‘You’ll parachute in?’ I queried.
‘No, they can land me at night, a quick descent from seventeen thousand feet.’
A US Marines officer approached. ‘Sir, German Rescue Force contingent now on the ground near Berlin, going through the portal as we speak – direct from 2047.’
‘Thank you,’ Jimmy offered the man as he withdrew.
‘Hearts and minds?’ I asked.
Jimmy made a face, taking a moment. ‘I doubt that a simple message would get us any points with the German Chancellor. He’s on his arse at the moment by the sound of it, imminent defeat on the cards. He is ... a wounded and cornered animal, very dangerous, if a Nazi leader wasn’t dangerous enough before.’
‘He could hold Britain indefinitely,’ I commented. ‘Good old English Channel to keep the fighters out.’
‘But what of their economy?’ Jimmy said. ‘Britain is an island nation, it couldn’t survive alone. Besides, they’re reporting that the island is weighed down with refugees from Europe, two hundred million people in an area that was cosy with sixty million!’
‘Food must be at a premium,’ I said, nodding to myself. ‘You’ll talk to him face to face?’
Jimmy gave a quick nod. ‘Only way. I need to know the person that he is, and what makes him tick. And then ... then I’ll work around him.’
‘He’s not an American President.’
‘No, but he can’t be too popular right now.’
1984
The Japanese High Command were puzzled, a drone having landed in the gardens of the Imperial Palace. The writing was in Japanese, an invitation to open a small cargo bay. Inside were the detailed instructions – also in Japanese - on how to convert coal to oil very cheaply, a gift that would have horrified the Americans of that world if they had known. The drone was also fitted with vials of super-drug, and instructions on their use, the letter stating that it had come from Jimmy Silo, Time Traveller.
1938
My dear partner, Susan, had been handed a task by Jimmy, and was now busily coordinating the release of the super-drug to various hospitals around Canada and the States, batches sent to Britain. Doctors from various medical centres had been summoned to Seattle, where Susan gave lectures on the application of the drugs. For now the number of vials were limited, and their usage one of priorities, emergency cases only.
Whilst she was busy doing that, Jimmy and I had sat down and made a few plans regarding Trophy Aircraft, and the future. We then called for a meeting of all directors and managers, Boeing chiefs asked to fly up for the big pow-wow, along with the US Army, Navy and Air Corp. The US administration’s liaisons sat in on the meeting as a courtesy. In a canteen at the aircraft factory, we assembled sixty people, drinks handily availably. When everyone had settled, Jimmy stood up.
‘Gentlemen, we’re here today ... to discuss the future direction of Trophy Aircraft. As you are aware, the war will end soon, but that will not mean that soldiers suddenly start to go home, turning swords into ploughs. We still have orders from the military in Britain and America, and those orders will be filled by us.
‘But within a week or so, some areas of munitions production will be cut back, other areas taking up the slack. The number of staff we now employ will be just about the most that we will ever employ, and after the war our production will shift partly towards civilian aircraft. We will still make weapons, and military aircraft, and will probably do so for the next fifty years.
‘However, more of the production of civil and military aircraft will switch to Boeing, and to a few other American companies. Because of that, I want five hundred engineers from our factories to be sent to Boeing, to work there and to help Boeing to improve its design and production methods. Those men should be volunteers first, and for the first three months will be paid for by us, thereafter to be effectively employees of Boeing.
‘Some technologies will remain here, not because we don’t trust our partners, but because other nations may wish to get hold of them. Certain items will continue to be made here, and Aluminium glue will remain here for now, as well as heat-bonded honeycomb. Production of the prop fighters will continue for another six months at least, as British and American units modernise and adopt the aircraft.
‘As the American Army is aware, we have fast jet aircraft, aircraft that obviously out-perform the prop fighters. But those jets are very expensive to make, and take a long time to make. As such, we will aim to have a smaller and cheaper jet fighter available to the American and British military within a year of now, the designs already being considered. That aircraft will be a production jet aircraft, the second generation of which will be made by Boeing.
‘Whilst on jets, we will require almost a hundred of our larger jet bombers to be produced over the next two years, the majority of which will be operated by the American Air Corp, which will be known as the United States Air Force in the future, blue uniforms. Those bombers will become Strategic Bomber Command, and will be capable of dropping conventional bombs, fuel-air explosives, or atom bombs.
‘As an aside to that, I want a passenger version of the heavy jet bomber to be converted as soon as possible, and I want four prototypes. I want at least eighty passengers in the aircraft, windows, two toilets, a food galley and two stewardesses. That aircraft, when ready, will fly its passengers non-stop from America to Japan, or from America to London.
‘Now, as you are all aware, the Goose production line will be ended, so too the Super Goose. The next generation of aircraft are currently being worked on, and I’d hope to have a prototype within a year. We will continue to develop propeller-engine aircraft – forever. Even where I come from in the future there’s still a need for them; jet aircraft will never completely replace them. What we will do, however, is continuously improve them, and improve the manufacturing processes.
‘Let me be clear ... when I say that this company, working with Boeing, will be at the front of this planet’s technological development for the next fifty years. Yours ... is an important task, and that is to assist me and my team to push the boundaries of technology, but only as fast as you can absorb new ideas. We will never release technology that you do not fully understand, because that would be dangerous. We are here to teach, and to guide, we are not here to simply make things for you. You must understand how every item works, and you must be able to make them for yourself.
‘OK, production of rifles, munitions and mortars will continue for a while, and then be scaled back. Tank production will also continue for a while, and future production will depend on orders from Britain and America. Those tanks are, however, expensive. We will also be looking at the next generation of naval vessels and aircraft carriers soon, although the aircraft carrier named after Trophy should sail the seas for a good thirty years or more.
‘Gentlemen, your priority is long-range jet passenger aircraft. Within a few short years I will be looking for a jet passenger plane that can carry four hundred passengers, non-stop from here to London.’
They were shocked, but also keen.
‘We will also be moving quickly towards launching orbital space rockets.’
They all sat up, especially the American military.
‘You have already designed guided missiles, and rockets that fly high. I want the budget for those rockets increased, and a facility created in the deserts of Nevada, which the Americans will give us free of charge.’ He held his gaze on the American military. ‘Those rockets, once ready, will launch what’s known as a satellite, basically a big radio receiver, into the earth’s orbit, about eighty miles high. Travelling quickly, they’ll remain in position over a target area, such as Hawaii. We can then send radio signals to that satellite, which will then be passed on to Japan or Hong Kong. It could also relay television images.
‘We will not, however, be sending a man to the moon, as was achieved on our world, nor wasting money thinking about manned expeditions to Mars. We will be cornering the market in global communications, as much for commercial television as anything else.
‘From today, I want all departments to start to make plans, plans to end wartime production and to switch research and development towards the areas I’ve outlined. The priority will be passenger aircraft. Any surplus aircraft that we have, converted for military use, should be converted back to civilian use if it’s practical to do so. As soon as the war is over there’ll be a great need for passenger aircraft; we’ll have no problem in selling them. What we will do in the future ... is balance production with the order books; we’ll make what people are asking us to make.
‘As an aside to that, I want an electronics research facility created here, and for that facility to employ four hundred people to start with. I want the best and brightest minds, scientists and engineers, and materials people. This new research facility will work on improving radios, electric control of aircraft functions, television, telephones, radio direction finding and radar. Basically, anything electrical will be researched and improved in this facility, with the guidance of my team.
‘One of its first functions will be to create an electric slide rule, what we call a computer. A series of valve switches can be created to add two numbers together; you’ll soon discover the wonders of binary. That first step will open up a world of possibilities for the future.
‘Gentlemen, you are all in a unique position, a position where you will influence the course of mankind’s future development. Yours is a privileged position, since you will see new ideas before anyone else on the planet, and you will see those ideas grow into practical tools that will benefit the people of this planet.
‘Some of you may have reservations about time travel, and the influence that I and my team have. Some of you may even see that influence as interference. But what you don’t know yet ... are which dangers lie ahead for this world, and how dangerous the future will be. We did not come here to alter the political map, or to give this planet a helping hand over a small hurdle. Without our direct interference, gentlemen, most of the people on this planet will be killed.
‘You’ve probably been speculating about time travel, after all you’re a bunch of very smart individuals, so I’ll tell you something now that is classified, and not to be discussed widely. There are thousands of worlds just like this one, existing side-by-side in parallel dimensions. On most of them, mankind developed atom bombs, and they used those bombs in a global war, killing most of the people on the planet, and taking themselves back to the Stone Age.’
He let them think about it, worried looks exchanged.
‘The future is not such a wonderful place. The planet will be crowded, food will be short, diseases will break out, wars, and natural disasters such as earthquakes will kill tens of millions of people. Myself and my team, we went through those trials, and we survived as a united planet. Most worlds did not survive those trials. I’m not trying to frighten you, but yours is an important task, and that task is to support me and my team as we guide mankind away from its worst excesses … and towards peace and prosperity in the future.
‘All of you will be offered the super-drug that is now available, and that will mean that you’ll live to be two hundred years old. I’m well over three hundred years old. What you do, gentlemen, is not a job. What you do ... is a calling. You ... are the front line for humanity, the people who will make the real difference, a difference of success and failure. Get it wrong, and a few million people will die. What you do in the future, gentlemen, will have a profound effect if you get it wrong. All you need ... is faith in me, and faith in yourself ... that you have the best interests of this planet at heart. Thank you.’
We left them all appearing a little stunned, which I guess was the aim.
On the plane, I commented, ‘The American military where sitting there, taking it all in.’
‘They feel involved, and at the centre of things, which means they won’t try and spy on us – or shoot us.’
‘They’ll end up with a massive advantage over Russia and China,’ I pointed out.
‘They’ll be so far ahead that Russian and China will never be a threat. They’ll have radar jamming, EMP weapons, nukes, lasers, satellites.’
‘Won’t that give future Presidents the idea that they can do whatever they want?’
He adopted a wry smile. ‘Not with Britain and Africa counter-balancing them, because both will have the same weapons.’
‘As well as a strong economic tie-up.’
He nodded. ‘Strong tie-up is something of an understatement.’
Down in Washington, we drove around to the White House in convoy, people on the streets and waving.
‘They know we’re here,’ I noted. ‘And they’re either curious, or they like us. Driver, what’s the mood of the people?’
‘Mood, sir?’
‘Yes, the mood of the people, since you are indeed a person,’ I said.
‘Everyone thinks the war will be over right soon, sir.’
‘And how do they see us?’ I pressed. ‘Do they accept our help, or worry about us?’
‘Well, I’d say they all think it’s fantastic, sir.’
‘We’re popular?’ I asked.
‘Yes, sir, very popular. You won the war for us.’
Jimmy said, ‘Driver, if we hadn’t interfered ... your own army would have won the war, but it would have taken longer. We just speeded it up to save lives.’
At the White House, we were surprised to find a bank of cameras and reporters lined up waiting, the President and his staff greeting us as honoured guests. Jimmy and I exchanged looks; they were milking our new-found popularity for all it was worth, one big happy family.
We stood and smiled at the cameras, handshakes given by the President and his staff as we entered the White House. I had to bite my lip and not say anything rude.
Inside, we made our way to a drawing room made into a meeting venue, but not a room I had used in our era. I think, in our era, this was a room used by lobbyists. Pity the room could not have stayed as a meeting room. I noticed a modern-era White House aide with a data-pad as part of the meeting.
Settled, the President began with ‘We’ve had a few comments from the Japanese that suggest they’re ready to fold.’
‘But still no unconditional surrender,’ Jimmy suggested.
‘They’re suggesting a withdrawal with honour,’ the President reported. ‘And a detachment of combatants.’
‘Our modern-era soldiers in Manchuria are destroying their forces,’ Jimmy pointed out. ‘The Japs will soon have no forces left to withdraw, honourably or otherwise. Time is on your side, Mister President, so just wait for the inevitable, and limit the number of casualties to your men.’
‘Should we strike their cities again?’ the President floated.
‘Possibly, but keep in mind that an occupied Japan will be easier to occupy if it’s not a charred tangle of wood. Since you’ll occupy, and no doubt rebuild, you should keep in mind just how much it may cost to rebuild.’
‘And odd view on the situation, but a practical one,’ the President agreed. ‘Since we will occupy and rebuild, as you say. And Germany?’
‘Still trying hard to get its forces home before negotiating,’ Jimmy explained. ‘But we’ve cut-off and surrounded Berlin, and decimated their infantry near the city. They know it’s just a matter of time, but they’re being stubborn. We did, however, have our people talk with Von Rundstedt yesterday and ask what terms he would accept.’
‘And ..?’
‘He won’t accept an unconditional surrender yet. So, as we speak, our people have employed a little modern technology to locate Von Rundstedt, and to kill him and his staff. That will create a power vacuum, and whoever takes over may ... wish to talk. If not, we keep going with the advance towards the German border.’
‘Where are the British forces?’
‘Right up to the border; Holland now liberated, Denmark partly occupied. I don’t believe that there’ll be any serious German resistance in France after tomorrow.’
‘Our lead units have reached the outskirts of Paris,’ the President keenly informed us. ‘Quite a welcome laid on. And our forces in Italy have met only retreating German units, or those wishing to surrender.’
‘Yes, Mister President, a rout – so far. But we hear that German units are digging in around the Alps, and intend to make a stand,’ Jimmy reported.
‘We were wondering ... if the black African soldiers could withdraw from Italy,’ the Chief of Staff delicately broached.
Jimmy studied the faces. ‘Your forces, gentlemen, are not strong enough in Italy to tackle a long mountain campaign against determined resistance. You may get bogged down, and you risk high casualties.’
They considered that. ‘Still, we would like them to ... let us and the British soldiers to take the lead,’ the President pressed.
Jimmy lowered his head for a moment, saying, ‘I’m aware of the ... sensitivities amongst your population towards Negro fighters, especially if they’re the ones winning the war for you. So I’ll arrange for leap-frog paratrooper operations in the hills to destroy the German defences, whilst making sure that the newsreels don’t report it. That way, the folks back home won’t get to see brave Negro soldiers, but you’ll also enjoy limited casualties – and you won’t get bogged down.’
‘That seems like a good compromise,’ the President suggested towards his team, and I had to wonder about the politics that was going on behind the scenes. Still, it was 1938, and their country, so I resisted telling them what I really thought about it.
