Future History. "Manhood?"

Maturity is a subject long debated by pchsycologists, philosophers, and theologins, but perhaps no better example can be found for it than when you learn to make your own sandwhich instead of whining and harrassing your family into making it for you. Physical maturity is something that cant be stopped and will eventually happen to everyone, mental maturity must be learned, and when all maturities become you, then you have achieved a state of life, manhood.

"Isotope inserted."

"Good, ease her into it slowly."

"Activating......"

Boom!!

"Damme!" The speaker clinched his hand and struck the plastic table by his side. Papers just settling from the explosion were unsettled again. A splinter of plastic sliced the hand of the man, and the blood started to flow. He brought is hand to his mouth and sucked the blood away untill the bleeding stopped.
"Get another isotope ready Henry."

"Sir, maybe you should take a break for a couple days, you've been running yourself ragged."

"Maybe your right Henry... I think I will. See you the day after."

"See ya."

Laser power. Imagine, a self replicating, cheap power source offering nearly as much power as atomic piles, but much safer to use. That was Mark Dlel's dream. he and his assistant - Henry Juer, a much less devoted man- had made good progress so far. But the proper ingredient remained unknown. Lasers were common machinery, used in construction and automotive industries, but the current ones were destructive if handled wrongly,and thus had limited use as power sources. Mark needed a new ingredient, some form of uranium, which would allow replication of the mother particles, as well as a control agent which would deactivate most of the danger of the super charged particles created by lasers. Henry had devised a ruby shell casing which would contain the laser and charge the particles, and mark was working on a system that would turn the cutting power of the laser into clean power. With the uranium in the mixture the source would destroy un charged particles and retain their ingredients and then release that as a charged proton upon contact with the mother elements. A simple, yet flawless power form. If only they could find the right isotope of uranium that wouldn't cancel out the nuetron!

Mark reached his town house and began climbing the steps leading to the door. If his invention kicked off, those steps would have to go. Perhaps an elevator? He checked his messages and found one from the chairman of the university board.

"Mark, proto inc. is going over my head on this one. That new batch of uranium is for government use. I'm sorry, but your gonna have to make do with lab grade stuff."

He called him back, after a few seconds a secratary picked up the phone.

"Chairman Lucas's office. How may I help you?"

"Dalene, get me ron will you?"

"He's on lunch break sir, would you like to leave a message?"

"Just have him call me back asap."

"May I ask whos speaking?"

"Dont be silly Dalene, its me, Mark."

"Ok sir. Sorry for the inconveniance."

"No problem."

He hung up on his end. What now. He and Henry had double checked every isotope in the university. They needed new material.
A servant entered and took his coat. Mark sat down on the plush cotton lounge that had cost so much.

"Damme. Probably going to those filthy atomic piles."

The servant didn't look up from placing a tea tray on the end table. "Atomic plants are very clean sir, not an ounce of polution escapes the facility. and there is very little inside."

"Polution no, but the radiation is simply disgusting. Laser power will change the world you know! Sure atomic power got us to the moon. But it wont get us farther! Good clean heat will get us to Mars, probably beyond!"

"Yes sir."

After tea, the phone rang. It was Ron Lucas.

"What did you want Mark?"

"What happened?"

"I'm sorry. But you know how pushy those government types are. they told me very plainly that high grade uranium is for government use only. not for some wacky hyper class room nut."

"Why... I'm no class room nut! I went to harvard you know! I just dont have a private lab of my own. So I use the university ones. But I'm no class room nut. Did you tell them i'm a respected member of the scientific community club?"

"Yes."

"And what did they say?"

"Nor egg heads."

"No respect for the ones who make this world go! I'll get my uranium if i have to challenge the president himself!"

"Hold it Mark, maybe your missing something."

"Me and Henry did everything. We even tried other super charge elements."

"I know, but have you tried mixing isotopes?"

"I'm sure we ha... wait. I dont think so. You think that may be it?"

"I dont know Mark, I'm happy with atomic power, but that just might be it. Atleast try all the possible combinations before you make a public fool of yourself ok Mark?"

"To think! Old Ron Lucas achieving something scientific!"

"Don't push it Mark."

"I wont! You genius! You may have solved it!"

"Why thank you Ma......"

Mark threw the phone down and grabbed his coat.

"Take messages Splin!"

"Yes sir."




"What do you mean compounds....?"

"Henry! Thats the key! Do you remember what happened with isotope 3?"

"Why yes, it absorbed the nuetron. Just like we wanted it to sir, but it blew up when it contacted the mother element."

"I know, but remember what happend with isotope 12?"

"It... why! It created another proton! But the nuetrons weren't being re taken and it caused to much pressure."

"Precisely, so if we combine the the two isotopes, then we'll have it!"

"By jove! you may be right!"

"Load it up Henry!"

BOOM!!!!

"No good Mark."

"So close..... they were doing just fine, then for no reason....."

"Maybe it was the capacitaters.. I've only just finished them."

"No, they were going fine, still are probably. Its the isotopes, they dont mix well."

"Shall we call it a day?"

"I'm not quiet defeated yet Henry."

"I dont think It's possible Mark.. why cant you just live with atomic?"

"For one... Wait! Isotope 1! Load it in with the other two."

"Wha...? Why?"

"Isotope 1 deactivated itself remember? It 'cooled' everything down!"

"Mark, you know what they say about too many cooks."

"Three shouldn't overload it Henry, Just load it up Ok?"

"Against my better judgement. Ok."




Mark enjoyed being rich. His laser power generater was now a widely accepted source of power, and revenue. Atomic piles were still in use, but the public was leaning more towards the idea of their power not suddenly blowing up in their face. Mark now had a country mansion, and Henry was doing well as a worldwide buisness man. The Loughburgh University tripled in size and had two new monuments added to it. The queen of england wanted to come and knight Mark, but he detested the idea of being called 'sir' Mark Dlel.

He was reclining in a new plush lounge that barely drew on his pocket, even though it was several times finer than his old one. Splin was serving tea on the ornate end table, and then phone rang. Normaly Mark would've answered it, but the news media drove him out of that habit. Splin now answered the phone.

"Sir, some guv' person for you."

"Very well Splin, I'll take it.. Hello?"

"Mister Dlel, the president is on the line for you."

...........................

Part Two.

............................

"Hello mister president?"

"Hello Mark Dlel. How are you?"

"Just fine sir. To what do i owe the honor?"

"Your new invention had really turned the economy around, and in a good way. But you say that this power will get us to Mars and beyond?"

"Yes sir. There's a way, I just know it."

"How would that work?"

"You mean scientificaly?"

"Yes, describe the process of making a rocket for flight using it."

"Well, one would simply have to have a way for the power to created to be
combusted at the rear of an object, a streamlined object, the force generated would smash a object with angles at odd with the air. Not to diferent from an atomic rocket, but this rocket would be able to fly almost infedinately."

"Very good mister Dlel. How much would it take."

"How do you mean sir?"

"To produce, how much would it cost."

"Well, not a whole lot. But you'd have to create a whole new engine type."

"Not me, you."

"Pardon?"

"It can be done yes? And what payment would you require?"

"Well sir, I had thought that I was done with the creating of things. After all I.."

"After all you created the laser generator, thus, you are the best man for the job."

"1.5 million to create the design and a worthy first model, re production i wont take part in though."

"Very well mister Dlel, you have it. Start whenever ready."

"Yes sir."


"Henry Juar speaking."

"Hey Henry, long time no see. This is Mark, Mark Dlel."

"Mark! Buddy! Whats up with you?"

"How would you like to create a laser powered rocket?"

"You mean? You finaly gotten it in your head to fulfill the rest of your dream?"

"Actually i had meant to retire, but the president caught up to me."

"No kidding."

"So what do you say henry? .75 mill in it for you. Thats half of what their paying, i
get the other half."

"Thats not to much for draggin me out of my eternal liesure."

"How bout old times sake to fill in the rest?"

"Well, I have been rather bored lately. Deal."

"Exelent! You can come down right away if you please."

And so the work started. They decided to use rubber tubes to channel the heat. Henry worked on creating a laminating cover for inside the tube so it wouldn't melt away, and Mark desighned the combustion section. A laser isn't an explodable force. Its power is in heat, so by itself it cant explode, so Mark used an iron, silicon, helium mixture. The iron would contain the other two componets, the silicon would provide insulation because of its heat resistance, and prevent the explosion from going the wrong way, the helium would be the propulsion as it reacted rather violently to laser heat. The iron was also capable of absorbing other substances so would last a long time. Eventually a new block would have to be placed, but the laser would never burn out. But could be shut off by shading the ruby mirrors. This could be achieved using a robotic arm which Henry designed and programmed. The working of their laser engine was just about finished all that remained was the vessel. Atomic rockets would work, but Mark wanted something more fancy, something that showed his love for the arts.

He hired several companies to supply the materials, and a private company to build the rocket. Henry assisted in programming the manual and atomatic controls which would activate and deactivate the engine, while Mark went over blue prints for such systems as onboard navigation, life support (the regulation of fresh air and heat throughout the vessel, and oversaw the implementation of these within the vessel.

Soon, the rocket lacked only finishing touches such as a paint job and such. The president himself stopped by to see the result.

When Mark asked him when the first mission into space for the new ship would be, the president told him there would be no mission, and to turn in the blue prints as soon as possible. Then he thanked him, wrote him a check, and left.

Henry walked up to Mark.
"No mission? Why go through all the work to build the bloody thing if he's not sending it into space?"

"I dont know Henry, but i do know that untill i get some answers im not turning in those blue prints."

Mark checked the government websites, called various officials, but no one would tell him anything. He was beginning to figure that nothing out of the ordernary was happening and that the president just wanted to let things cool down a little bit before the launch, but then he saw a public news broadcast.

"Jim Morgan says that the new bomb will be several times as powerfull as the one that fell on hiroshima, but he also says that its slowness and large size will make it an easy target for air to arms missiles. He says that it would need to be dropped from a high altitude to biuld up speed and that the enemy wouldn't see it coming. None of our present vessels are either large enough or capable of reaching the neccassary heights......."

"No! they aren't using my engine for bombing! No siree!"

Mark sat in his office holding the blueprints. The president was sending someone to pick them up. He couldn't let them have it....

He lifted the match, then put it down. So much hard work had gone into this rocket. It would be gone in a second. But it was his work! His designs! He couldn't just destroy it. He stood, and went over to the door, which he locked. the front door rang and he could hear Splin open it.

"May i help you sir?"

"I'm here to see mister Dlel."

"He's in his office, if you'll follow me."

Coming up the stairs. At the door. Banging on the door.

"Mister Dlel open up! Do you here me? Open up! I demand you open this door!"

There was no choice, he lifted the match again.

"Open the door!"

The papers were allight. The fire alarm went off.

Splin shouting "Get an extinguisher!!"

"Open the door mister Dlel! You are commiting a crime against the nation! Open the door!"

No choice he thought as he lifted the gun.

"Open the door!!!! Get a ram!"


The door flew open, the agent burst in weopon drawn. He saw the pashes, He saw the pistol.


The shot rang out.

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The End
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