that the kantele drive was not producing a wormhole but a tear in the fabric of the universe. The distortion line left by the test was because the tear was incomplete leaving the test probe partially in our four-dimensional universe as well as out of it. This was an enormous help with the guidance and measurements of the test probes’ flights. Plus there was a good chance that enough of the 4-D universe would get through to the probe that it could be used for inboard guidance of a craft while in the tear.
Tabby took the time after the successful test flight to go over the data that had been compiled by NASA over the years on designing long distance spacecraft. The habitat problem was her greatest concern.
Even with a useable star drive, we are still talking of possibly years in space. Food, air, water, and most of all a livable environment had to be constructed. There had to be room for exercise and methods to relax between tasks. Early on, Tabby decided that there would have to be animals on board for both company and a distraction. This added a whole second line of problems with the feeding and maintenance of the animals. She cornered me with questions after a three-hour conference call between Manning, Schmitt, and me on guidance problems. I was happy for the break.
“I need to talk to you about the spaceship.'
“Okay, let's get out of here and go for a walk.” The trailer that I had lived in now housed a small security team for the lab and the farm. I saw a couple of men leave the trailer and sit in lawn chairs watching us head into the woods.
I waited until I got into the movement of the forest. A deep breath and I was calm. “What did you want to talk about?” My hand crept around her back and found a resting-place riding on her swaying hips.
“On the spaceship we need to recycle air, water, food which means green plants, dirt, insects, bacteria—a small ecosystem. Plus I felt we needed some animals for companionship if for nothing else.
“Am I right and do we have the room?'
“You are right. We will need at least one cat. In the past, sailing ships had some of the same problems. A cat or even a dog was common on those ships. They even had goats and other farm animals for milk and fresh meat. We will just have to make the room.
“You know we are going to have more room than you might think.'
“Why?'
“We can use all of the walls as ground. If we had a ten-meter diameter cylinder that is twenty meters long, we would have over 1,500 square meters of ground. Or ... about a third of an acre.'
“I want it large enough to take a walk through the trees.'
“Let's plant some apple, plum, and cherry trees.'
“Nice. Food plus visual enjoyment.'
We walked to the cabin and decided to call it a day. After making love next to the trickling pool, we decided to add that to the plans.
Three weeks later while walking from the cabin to the lab, I notice the animals looking both at me and a specific spot ahead. I felt Tabitha tense. She slipped behind and to the side while I stopped to move some fallen branches off the access road. My puukko was in my hand. Tabby was easing around a tree with her throwing knife out and ready. Two men came out from behind some trees. One had a microphone and the other had a video camera.
“Mr. Karpinen. I am Tony James from News First. We have been trying for weeks to get a comment from you about all the deaths that have occurred worldwide using your artificial gravity machine.'
“Camera and sound off.'
“Don't you want your response known to the public?'
“Camera and sound off.” The TV face on the man changed and he nodded to the cameraman to stop taping. Before either knew what was happening, Tabby came up behind them and double-checked that the equipment was turned off.
“Two questions before you get to ask anything. What deaths are you talking about? And what is this bull about trying to contact me?'
“Ever since you released the information on your artificial gravity devices people have been making them. Over the last two years there have been 35,000 deaths and 80,000 injuries world wide from people using your devices. They range from the spectacular crash of a homebuilt gravity plane into the Chrysler building in New York to the decapitation of an experimenter in New Deli when he turned the power up too high on the gravity device he had built in his garage and a sickle was pulled off the wall. Do you think the courts should hold you libel for these events?'
“Answer my other question. What is this bull about trying to contact me?'
“We called your corporate lawyer about the possible filing of a suit by the builder of the plane that ran into the Chrysler building.'
“Really, what is this possible suit all about?'
“The pilot of the plane is claiming that there should have been a disclaimer that you had to be a trained pilot before using your gravity device to power a plane.'
“So you are here asking for comments on a suit that hasn't been filed. I bet you were contacted by the lawyer of this pilot. Weren't you?'
“What are your comments about all the deaths and injuries caused by your device?'
“Come with me.'
I walked them out of the woods. Felix and his men pulled the reporter and his cameraman aside. While they kept the reporter busy, I called the sheriff’s office and asked for Tom. I explained how I had found a reporter and cameraman trespassing on the farm. Tom showed up in twenty minutes.
The FBI men had the two men surrounded. Tom nodded to them and said, “Are these the ones caught trespassing?'
“Yes.'
Tom gave me a wink. “I'll take care of it.” He got out cuffs and put the men in the back of the car and their equipment in the trunk. “What do you want me to do with them?'
“Just make sure if they want a comment they come to the lab and ask. I don't want them hanging around inside the property line. It might pay to remind them that people died here less than two years ago.
“How's Oggie? It has just been so crazy out here I haven't had much of a chance to keep up with local events.'
“Oggie's fine. She and the other gals are making money. I hear them talking on the phone between the soaps about it. They are talking about throwing a big picnic at the State Park. How about coming?'
“Give me a call with a time and date. Tabby and I will show up.'
“What was that? Did you just volunteer me for something?” asked Tabby.
“Just a picnic meal with the Coffee Klutch gals.'
“Mom was telling me about that.'
“Well bye Tom. I appreciate it.'
“No trouble.'
* * * *
No one knew how old the Cell was. Records were never kept. But Mikhail Bakunin's 'the passion for destruction is also a creative urge' and Enrico Malatesta's 'propaganda ofthe deed' were both quoted during the indoctrination of a new member using both the original Russian and Italian languages. The rumor was that at least one of those men was personally involved with the forming of the Cell.
The current leader of the Cell used the name Santa. He looked like Saint Nick but he was a true terrorist. That jolly bearded face had watched the pieces of a hundred bodies picked up after the bombs that he had made exploded. All members of the Cell used noms de plume during all meetings and communications. The history of the Cell was peppered with incongruous statements such as Olive Oil drowned the ambassador or Peter Piper blew up the building.
“We need to find a new target. Our actions have been marginalized by the news media over the last few months. The bombing at the economic summit only made the national news for two days. And we were unable to stop the ecumenical peace conference after Juliet was caught poisoning the food.'
Hamlet said, “I still think that we should supply equipment and intelligence to eco-groups. With the building evidence of manmade global disaster, everything they do will be reported.'
