The Gravity of Anti-Gravity Read Online Free Page A
Author: Tim Blagge
said with an impetuous smirk as he looked out the window, “is it raining outside?”
I hadn’t seen Pops with that look on his face since before my folks died. I could tell that Pops was as anxious to get started as I was.
-4-
The next morning after Pops gave me my first tour of the bomb shelter, we went back into the barn to clean up the mess we had made. “
What was it you wanted to tell me last night Pops?” I asked and apparently hit a nerve.
“Well let me tell you!” Pops started sounding like an evangelist on Sunday. “Just as we discussed before, when we get a working prototype, all of us, you, me, Joanna, Grandma, your friends, associates, professors – everyone you know could be in danger. The entire world will see the monumental potential of your device. I believe not only the evil, but lots of the good people on this planet will do anything that needs to be done to possess it. The device not only represents great wealth, it represents something even more seductive – Power.”
“There you go again, Pops. Sometimes I think you’re turning into a drama queen. All we’ve got to show for our efforts right now is a pile of junk.”
“True, but we have to agree right here and now. We can’t tell anyone,” Pops demanded.
“Not even the guys at the ‘In-N-Out Burger?” I asked.
“Keep going young man. You know I think I’m going to rename you Billy Smart Ass. Yeah, that sounds good – like some wise old Indian Chief, ‘Billy Smart Ass’. I think I like it.” Pops said with a broad smile.
“Now if you can get serious for just a moment, I’d like to elaborate on what the bomb shelter means to gravity, anti-gravity and Chief Billy Smart Ass.”
The next ten minutes I listened to Pops recap the dangers surrounding my device. Pops concluded this second dissertation by saying, “So, for now, we agree to let no one in on our project. It will take me at least a couple months to get the material and machine all the parts we need to get the ‘Flying Wallenda’ working again.”
“What’s that mean? What’s a Flying Wallenda?” I asked.
“Billy, I forgot how young you are. The Flying Wallendas were a family of circus performers in the early and middle 1900’s. A few of the descendants are still doing it today. They were a group of high-wire walkers who amazed the world. They would string a wire between buildings, at the umpteenth floor, in the wind and proceed to walk across without a net. I thought naming our device after them was appropriate.”
“That works for me.” I said.
“To continue,” Pops began again, “when we have a functioning prototype – one that someone could use or reverse engineer; we need to hide it in the bomb shelter when we’re not playing with it. If word of this gets out, we could have half the crooked world crawling around here trying to get it. And you may not agree with me now, but your contraption is a world changing bit of engineering. We can’t trust anyone and we must take every precaution we can think of to keep it out of the wrong hands.”
“OK, Pops, I’ll play it your way for now.” I said. “But before you start on rebuilding the damaged parts, I had an idea that might make the machine more controllable and allow us to be able to test a wider range of variables. I’ll draw up the changes and let you look at them.”
-5-
About three months later I finished the engineering drawings for the new and improved Flying Wallenda. Pops had suggested I quit the In-N-Out Burger so I could concentrate on my studies which I did. It was hard because I had become friends with several of the workers there. What I wouldn’t miss was being called Burger Nerd instead of Bill.
“I think I’ve finally finished the new drawings Pops.” I said.
“Well I should hope so. It’s only been three months.” Pops responded wryly.
“I know. I think the Professors at school have been trying to kill me with work. But I showed them,
I hadn’t seen Pops with that look on his face since before my folks died. I could tell that Pops was as anxious to get started as I was.
-4-
The next morning after Pops gave me my first tour of the bomb shelter, we went back into the barn to clean up the mess we had made. “
What was it you wanted to tell me last night Pops?” I asked and apparently hit a nerve.
“Well let me tell you!” Pops started sounding like an evangelist on Sunday. “Just as we discussed before, when we get a working prototype, all of us, you, me, Joanna, Grandma, your friends, associates, professors – everyone you know could be in danger. The entire world will see the monumental potential of your device. I believe not only the evil, but lots of the good people on this planet will do anything that needs to be done to possess it. The device not only represents great wealth, it represents something even more seductive – Power.”
“There you go again, Pops. Sometimes I think you’re turning into a drama queen. All we’ve got to show for our efforts right now is a pile of junk.”
“True, but we have to agree right here and now. We can’t tell anyone,” Pops demanded.
“Not even the guys at the ‘In-N-Out Burger?” I asked.
“Keep going young man. You know I think I’m going to rename you Billy Smart Ass. Yeah, that sounds good – like some wise old Indian Chief, ‘Billy Smart Ass’. I think I like it.” Pops said with a broad smile.
“Now if you can get serious for just a moment, I’d like to elaborate on what the bomb shelter means to gravity, anti-gravity and Chief Billy Smart Ass.”
The next ten minutes I listened to Pops recap the dangers surrounding my device. Pops concluded this second dissertation by saying, “So, for now, we agree to let no one in on our project. It will take me at least a couple months to get the material and machine all the parts we need to get the ‘Flying Wallenda’ working again.”
“What’s that mean? What’s a Flying Wallenda?” I asked.
“Billy, I forgot how young you are. The Flying Wallendas were a family of circus performers in the early and middle 1900’s. A few of the descendants are still doing it today. They were a group of high-wire walkers who amazed the world. They would string a wire between buildings, at the umpteenth floor, in the wind and proceed to walk across without a net. I thought naming our device after them was appropriate.”
“That works for me.” I said.
“To continue,” Pops began again, “when we have a functioning prototype – one that someone could use or reverse engineer; we need to hide it in the bomb shelter when we’re not playing with it. If word of this gets out, we could have half the crooked world crawling around here trying to get it. And you may not agree with me now, but your contraption is a world changing bit of engineering. We can’t trust anyone and we must take every precaution we can think of to keep it out of the wrong hands.”
“OK, Pops, I’ll play it your way for now.” I said. “But before you start on rebuilding the damaged parts, I had an idea that might make the machine more controllable and allow us to be able to test a wider range of variables. I’ll draw up the changes and let you look at them.”
-5-
About three months later I finished the engineering drawings for the new and improved Flying Wallenda. Pops had suggested I quit the In-N-Out Burger so I could concentrate on my studies which I did. It was hard because I had become friends with several of the workers there. What I wouldn’t miss was being called Burger Nerd instead of Bill.
“I think I’ve finally finished the new drawings Pops.” I said.
“Well I should hope so. It’s only been three months.” Pops responded wryly.
“I know. I think the Professors at school have been trying to kill me with work. But I showed them,
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