Chapter 17: WHEN ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE

         It was Thursday morning at six am when Samantha's phone starts to ring, having had a sleepless night from worrying about Chase and her painful break up with Grey, she finally fell asleep around 3 am, three hours later. "Hello...", Samantha answers the phone still barely awake, "Who's this?....". A man's voice responds on the other line, "Hey Sam!, this is Garfield, I know it's early but I just got to tell you that Chase left the hospital against medical advice three hours ago, to do a top secret mission for the military. The guy just had his surgery 48 hours ago and could barely walk and I personally don't think he's qualified to do this mission. I strongly feel that his life's at stake, maybe you can give him a call and discourage him from doing this mission....". Samantha now fully awake with her pulse rate quickening responds, "Ok, got it.....I'll try calling him on his cell phone, but just in case I can't get a hold of him, call me if you get any updates on him, thanks...". Samantha hangs up the phone and quickly dials Chase's phone number, which quickly switches over to voice mail. Samantha then leaves a detailed message asking Chase not to continue his mission, even pleading to him, though unaware that Chase had left his personal cell phone at home and was driving on his way to Travis Air Force base which was an hour away from San Francisco. After calling Chase's phone three times, Samantha finally gives up and gets ready for her eight am flight to Area 51 in Nevada to talk to the scientists in charge of monitoring and operating, "Einstein's Time Machine".

        In the meantime, it was seven am when Sirha Uhlo and Zhiad Marwan's flight had finally landed at  San Francisco International Airport. Still disguised as women passengers, Sirha and Zhiad were making their way through Customs inspection, Zhiad was terribly worried because Sirha's make up was running, with his mascara melting down to his cheeks which made him look like the rock star, "Alice Cooper". Sirha looking depressed was still upset about disrespecting his great grand father for calling him, "Obama Bin Ladin", Zhiad tries to console him, telling him that he was just probably tired and had a bad case of jet lag. "Cursed that Obama! why does he even have a name similar to my great grandfather Osama....." Sirha says in between sobs, "I hope his soul rotts in hell!....I'm just glad that Obama does not have the same name as my great grand uncle Saddam Hussein!....", suddenly Zhiad's eyes got bigger as he lifts up a finger to correct his master, but quickly decides that it was just better to stay silent for now.

         Meanwhile at the airport's arrival waiting area, there were two thugs who worked for the mob boss Richard Sambrolini who was paid by the terrorists to pick up Sirha and Zhiad and to drive them to their terrorist hideout in the city of San Francisco. Romy and Ruben were both in their late 40's and were ex convicts with a long criminal history of working for the mob. As they were waiting, Romy was holding up a cardboard sign with Sirha and Zhiad's names. They did not write the terrorists last names because they were aware that these two terrorists were in the FBI's most wanted list, "Are you sure you got the right flight number?...", Romy asks. Ruben looks around at the busy terminal as he says, "Of course I'm sure....They should be easy to spot.....They're probably dressed like Saudi Arabian sheiks or somethin', with a lot of cash in hand, I bet....", as they both sneer. Ruben quickly pulls out a picture of Sirha and Zhiad standing side by side together wearing their white tunics and white turbans on their heads, they were both smiling and were  both showing  a "thumbs up" gesture. "They should be here by now, their plane already landed twenty minutes ago....", Ruben says as Romy glances at the pretty women walking by.

           After another five minutes of waiting, they see Sirha and Zhiad who were disguised and dressed as women, descend from the escalator 40 feet away from them. Ruben gets excited as he says, "Romy, check out those two babes.....they look hot!....". Romy's eyes gets bigger as he responds, "I'll take the tall slender  blonde, and you can have the short voluptuous brunette....". Ruben rubs his hands together as he says, "It's a deal!....".

           After getting off the escalator, Sirha and Zhiad, looks around feeling lost, as people were passing  them by on their way to their respective flights. Scanning around and not knowing what to do,  "Are you sure someone's gonna pick us up Zhiad?...", Sirha asks with a worried look on his face. Besides his worry, he was also irritated from constant itching under his armpits, upper chest and upper back from the appearance of scattered eczema due to an allergic reaction he got from wearing a laced bra. Seeing his master scratch frequently, Zhiad reassuringly says, "Relax Master....We paid Richard Sambrolini a lot of money to supply us with his thugs, they'll be here...And Mr. Sambrolini also promised to deliver our nuclear bomb to our San Francisco hideout with no questions asked". Sirha nods then suddenly scoffs at Zhiad saying, "I still can't believe you forgot our briefcase in New York which had $20,000.00 cash, and instead you brought a spare make up kit....What is wrong with you?!...". Zhiad sighs, trying to contain his frustration then says, "But Master, what are we gonna do with the money if we get caught in New York's airport terminal anyway?....At that time, bringing an extra make up kit was the most sensible thing to do so that we don't blow our disguise.....". Zhiad glances at his Master and says, "Ahh!...look at your make up, it's a mess!....Let me clean your mascara and do a light touch up!...", Zhiad rolls out a red lipstick and tries to smear it on Sirha's lips but Sirha quickly starts pushing him away. As they struggled and  wrestled each other  for a few seconds, civilians who were passing them by looked annoyed at their childish behavior. Finally giving up his struggle to apply more make up on his master's face, Zhiad reassures his master saying, "Don't worry Master, I still have $50.00 loose change with me....After we get picked up by our chauffeur, we'll ask him to drive us to a local thrift store, and there you can buy men's clothes if you want to.....". Sirha looking dismayed stares at his minion and asks, "And what about you, aren't you gonna change?....". Zhiad looks down at his dress then responds, "Well, if I can find a slightly used knee length blue floral dress that looks good on me, then I'll go for it....". Zhiad smiles in anticipation.

          Sirha looks out and see's Ruben and Romy 35 feet away from them holding a sign with their names printed on it. "Look Zhiad, there's our chauffeurs.....They have a sign with our names on it....". But before Sirha could rush to meet their chauffeurs, Zhiad quickly grabs his arm and pulls him back saying, "Wait Master, this could be a trap....they might be agents of Homeland Security or the FBI....". Sirha thinks for a moment then says, "You're right Zhiad, maybe the authorities know we're here. But how can we know whether they're with the mob or FBI agents?....". Zhiad quickly opens up his make up kit and looks at his reflection from a small round mirror then starts powdering his nose, "This is were my special training as a highly trained terrorist comes in Master....You better stand back.....", Zhiad says, while trying to impress Sirha, "Just follow my lead....".

           As Sirha and Zhiad starts walking towards Romy and Ruben, The two thug's excited faces quickly turns sour, "Arghh!...", Romy grunts, "These women looks hideous!....", Ruben says. Glancing off and on at Sirha and Zhiad who were both smiling as they were walking towards the two thugs. Romy whispers saying, "Look at that tall blonde, she looks like something out of that movie called, "The Night Of The Living Dead", as they both chuckle. Ruben blurts out saying, "The short brunette ain't that bad.....except for her pot belly, she's got nice muscular arms and legs.....Looks like Miss Piggy on steroids!....", they both chuckle even louder. Romy then stares at Sirha who was closing in and says, "Ooooh!, the blonde's even smiling, she's got a missing front tooth....", Ruben quipps saying, "Just look at the gap between her front teeth, it's so wide that you can probably look down her throat from here....", they both chuckle once again.

       When Ruben and Romy finally realizes that Sirha and Zhiad were approaching them, they both got nervous and started to panic. "What are we gonna do, they're coming towards us?!...", Romy asks. Ruben looking frantic says, "I don't know, you think of something!...". As soon as they were all within an arm's length of each other, Zhiads says. "Hello, boys....Do you both come here often?....". Romy stutters, then nervously says, "Yo no habla English....por pabor Senora....". Sirha looking puzzled asks Zhiad, "What did he say?...". Zhiad taps his lips with a finger,  thinks for a few moments then shrugs his shoulders saying, "I don't know Master, I think he's speaking German.....". Zhiad stares at the cardboard sign then blinks a few times and with a seductive smile asks, "So are you boys here to pick us up?.....". The two thugs looked panic stricken as they answer saying, "Sorry Miss, but we're not into orgies....Actually we're both Eunuchs"...". Zhiad smiles saying, "Master, I think they're both one of a kind....". Sirha rolls his eyes then scowls at his minion saying, "You fool, he mean't "Eunuch" not "Unique"...". Sirha noticing that their appearance made the two thugs very uncomfortable finally decides to confess their true identities as he explains saying, "Actually, we're really both men dressing up as women, and we just really need a ride?....If you want we'll even give you our last $50.00". Romy suddenly drops the cardboard sign out of sheer fear as the two thugs starts backing away while Ruben nervously says, "Sorry Miss, we're not really into gay sex.....If you're that desperate, try calling 1-800-Gigolo...". Then in a split second, the two thugs were off running as fast as they could, as if they just saw a ghost. Sirha lifts his arms up in the air then sighs in frustration asking, "Now, what are we to do?!....". Zhiad thinks for a moment then asks, "Did he say 1-800 or 1-900-Gigolo...".

 (Macrostrength Industries Main Office, Treasure Island, San Francisco California, 10 am)

       Dr. Marcos had just arrived for a top secret meeting with CEO John Layer. After entering Mr. Layer's office, "What took you so long?!...", John Layer yells while inhaling smoke from his cigarette, "You better have everything planned perfectly this time....I don't want any mistakes, you hear?!...". Dr. Marcos shuddered as he grasps the thick binders he was carrying as cold beads of sweat starts forming on his forehead, "I..I..I understand Mr. Layer, I believe that this time our pla..pla..plan will be flawless...worked on it all night...sir...". John Layer reclines in his seat blowing more smoke towards Dr. Marcos which made the doctor cough a few times as he started detailing his plans on how they'll sabotage and kill Captain Chase Brassman during this mission. "First, I did what you told me to do Mr. Layer, I bribed General Morris with the $200,000.00 and he accepted it. He said that he'll make sure to make Captain Brassman's mission a "Suicide Mission". He's the highest Pentagon official present in Mission Control and no one can challenge his authority, not even Dr. Spain....".

             John Layer shows a sinister smile as he drums his fingers on his desk waiting for Dr. Marcos to continue reporting. "I was also able to switch the nuclear reactor fuel, taking out the "Thorium" that is more safer and produces less radioactive waste, and replaced it with "Uranium" which is a much more unstable, explosive and emits greater radioactive waste that can kill more people on a much larger scale than "Thorium".....which means that once we sabotage the Protector's nuclear reactor, not only will Captain Brassman die from radiation exposure, but he'll also inadvertently kill hundreds of thousands of innocent North Korean citizens making him a villain,  who also will be remembered in history as a mass murderer...". John Layer laughs loudly as he starts to enjoy the presentation. "Continue on doctor, I really like what I'm hearing...". Dr. Marcos starts pacing the floor with his hands inside his pockets feeling a gradual sense of confidence as he continues detailing his plans, "Now to sabotage the Protector's "Compact Nuclear Reactor Power Pack" I've secretly attached some explosives that will detonate the core reactor's robust containment compartment...just press the F1 key on your computer keyboard sir and an explosion will occur.....Next, I am aware that Dr. Spain had built in five emergency cooling systems that will keep the reactor's core temperature at 280 degrees celsius in case of an explosion, so our aim is to sabotage all five emergency cooling systems so that the reactor's core temperature rises, and once the temperature reaches 1,300 degrees celsius which will be hot enough to melt the uranium fuel rods, a nuclear meltdown will occur and penetrate through the three barriers of the compartment containment system, and once the melted uranium goes through the last barrier then radiation exposure will kill Captain Brassman and the hundreds of  thousands of North Koreans near him. But not only that,  the melted uranium will also produce hydrogen and steam inside the Protector's nuclear power pack which will create so much pressure that if it's not released will lead to an explosion also killing Captain Brassman and a quarter of North Korea's population....the explosion will be much greater than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic blasts...sir..".

        John Layer applauds loudly as Dr. Marcos takes a bow smiling at his boss. "Bravo...bravo...Dr. Marcos, I think you're not as dumb as I thought you were after all. Now, one last thing....I want you to inform North Korea's high command that the United States will be sending a "Manned Aerial Vehicle" to destroy their Central Nuclear Missile Command in Pyongyang, that way, they'll be aware and will be waiting to ambush the Protector once it passes through the North Korean airspace....Make sure that no one can trace your call!...". Dr. Marcos nods excitedly as John Layer asks once more, "Where is Captain Brassman right now?....". Dr. Marcos thinks for a minute then answers, "He's in an Air Force C-130 cargo plane heading towards South Korea for final preparations and debriefing, maybe about five hours away from Seoul...". John Layer quickly stands up and slams his hands on the table demanding, "I don't want him getting any help or final preparations!...Damn it!...tell General Morris to order him to fly off the plane and start his mission now, the more we keep him on the edge the better our chances will be in succeeding to rid him from this planet!....". Dr. Marcos feeling nervous once more replies, "Yes sir, I'll inform General Morris right away and inform North Korea about the Protector's top secret mission....". After Dr. Marcos leaves the office, John Layer lifts his feet up on his desk sneering as he lights up another cigarette.

        (Area 51: Top Secret US Air Force Installation, Southern portion of Nevada, 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas)

           Samantha's lear jet had just landed fifteen minutes ago, as Samantha with her four secret service agents and some of Admiral Rivera's military team together with CIA agent Lawrence Villes were being escorted by six US military policemen inside a two story building. They were to meet the scientists responsible for maintaining and operating the "ETM", or "Einstein's Time Machine". Unfortunately, Admiral Rivera had been called to attend high level military talks with NATO military leaders and could not join them.          During the flight to Area 51, Samantha tried desperately to contact Admiral Rivera due to Chase's dangerous mission, but the best she was able to do was to leave a message with Admiral Rivera's secretary asking him to call Samantha ASAP. Admiral Rivera's military team who were able to join Samantha were, Ensign Wright, Masterchief Cardenas and Captain O'bland.

          Samantha, with her bodyguards and the four men with her were ushered inside the building's main lobby, they were quickly met by two scientists wearing white lab coats. Dr. Kelvin Wang and Dr. Matthew Flores. Dr. Wang is an experimental physicist and Dr. Flores is an astrophysicist who both worked under the leadership of Dr. Jameson Edwards who is a theoretical physicist and holds a Phd in world history. After the introductions were done, Dr. Wang orders Samantha's four bodyguards to stay behind since they were not given authorization to proceed to other sensitive and secret areas of the facility.

        As the whole group proceeded to walk towards the lobby's main elevator area,  they all entered inside the elevator and as the doors closed, Ensign Wright quickly asks, "So is it true, you guys keep an alien flying saucer here?...", as he nervously smiles. Dr. Flores turns to him saying, "Yeah, do you guys wanna see it?....the President did grant you full clearance..." Everyone glanced at each other in silent anticipation like little children waiting for a surprise. Dr. Wang pressed the number five on the elevator's control panel which brought them down five levels below the surface. After they got out of the elevator, they had to pass through  five sets of security doors that were each guarded by military guards. As they were walking through security checks, Dr. Flores starts explaining the high level of security enforcement that surrounds the facility. "Area 51 is protected by radar stations, ", Dr. Flores says, "and any unauthorized personnel are quickly removed from the area. Even military pilots who are training within Area 51's air space are given disciplinary action....". After they passed through the last security door, they arrived at a well lighted place which the two scientists referred to as the, "Forbidden Area". The place was as wide as a basketball gymnasium with high ceilings. In the center of the place was a huge shiny silver colored metallic flying saucer. It was about thirty feet in diameter and was floating in the air twenty feet above the ground. Samantha and her companions were shocked and stunned at what they were seeing.

       There were over a hundred scientists wearing white lab coats and engineers wearing blue lab coats who were busy walking around the floating UFO, they were performing tasks and readings, each holding a computerized tablet for analyzing and entering data. They were walking all around and under the space alien ship. Steam intermittently vented out from under the ship, and on the side of the space ship was a semi circular hatch which was wide enough for humans to enter in and out. From inside the space ship's entrance emanated a combination of blinking red, yellow and blue lights, and from the ships doorway was a metallic silvery colored ladder where scientists climbed in and out of.

       As they all stood in awe of their first ever UFO experience, Masterchief Cardenas says, "So it is true, there really is a genuine alien space ship...". Samantha and her companions then notices that the two scientists were snickering behind them as Dr. Wang bursts laughing then says, "Yeah, there is, but this one's a fake....". Samantha and her companions suddenly looked confused as Dr. Flores says grinning, "This space ship you're looking at is a decoy.....we keep the real UFO someplace else....You see, because we keep "Einstein's Time Machine", five levels below us here a secret, we use this fake UFO here to justify the need to have maximum security in, around and under Area 51. We let the civilian population think that what we're protecting is this fake alien space ship, but the real reason for the tight security is to protect the time machine...".

          Dr. Wang continues explaining as he says, "What we're really doing is providing security to the "ETM" or "Einstein's Time Machine"....We're giving the public a false sense of perception. We want to make them think that it's the UFO that we're protecting and not the "ETM"....It's really just a clever game of deception....". Ensign Wright loudly asks, "But what about that technology we're looking at right now, that space ship is floating above the ground on it's own...the steam, the blinking lights from within the ship....all those scientists and engineers working around it?....". Dr. Wang chuckles then grabs a bull horn as he announces through it saying, "Ok everyone, you can go back to your work places now....". Suddenly all the people working in and around the space ship starts taking off their lab coats as they started joking around while they walked towards the nearest exits. Dr. Wang explains saying, "All these people were just role playing, some of them are security guards, office clerks, cafeteria workers, house keeping and maintenance workers..." Samantha and her group were all disappointed looking dismayed as Dr. Flores continues explaining, "Actually, the space ship is made of recycled thin aluminum sheet metal and is suspended by thin metal wires, If you come closer, you'll see the wires holding the fake UFO up to the ceiling....The steam coming off the ship are from fog machines, the same one's used during rock concerts. The different blinking lights flashing from inside the ship are disco lights, which I think are the original ones they installed from the 1970's, when disco dancing became a craze.....".

         Dr. Wang sigh's wiping of a smile, as he tries to minimize the foolishness of their deception, "This are all just fake props, "Dr. Wang reiterates, "It's all a role playing game, we do this in case an intruder gets through our security, which is really impossible....but you can never say never...". As the tour continued, Samantha and her companions stayed silent, glancing at each other feeling sheepish. Finally, after another elevator ride five levels below, they entered into a futuristic looking capsule that was as big as a mini van. The capsule was attached to tracks that was similar to a subway station. After a minute, they were on the move at an excess of over 100 miles per hour. Large multiple gates automatically opened and closed with timed precision as they passed through them.

       After reaching their final destination, they all entered a large chamber which was as spacious as a movie theater. There they saw three rows of computer terminals which were all operated by personnel wearing headsets. The place looked like NASA's mission control. After standing for a few seconds, they were approached by an African American man who was wearing a white lab coat, "Welcome", he says as he shakes everyone's hands....I know your trip here was somewhat tedious, but consider yourself lucky....you don't have to do this everyday....,Oh, by the way, I am Dr. James Edwards, but you can all call me "James"....". The head scientist then stared at Samantha as he says, "Miss Peters, you someday will be a very important figure in sustaining world peace and will have the power to prevent nuclear wars between nations....I'm glad that the President gave you this opportunity to understand this technology that Albert Einstein has developed and how it affects just not you, but all of us living in this planet....So let's all go to our small auditorium so I may enlighten  your minds and satisfy all your curiosities....".

    (Friday: 3 am, Korean time, 800 miles from the North Korean Coastline)

          "Captain Brassman, we're ready to start our pre flight diagnostic checks....", Chase answers back from his helmet's comlink as he replies, "Mission Control, isn't it a little to late for that?!.....I'm already flying at an altitude of 25,000 feet at a speed of 955 miles an hour, what else can go wrong at this time?...". The aerospace engineers, scientists and flight technicians who were all assembled at Macrostrength's Mission Control at Treasure Island's hanger bay 1 in San Francisco, were all listening to Captain Brassman's response as they were focusing on their individual computers while they were keeping track of the Protector's telemetry readings. "Chase, how are you doing, my friend...", Garfield asks. Chase wincing  silently in pain says, "Just not a hundred percent I guess, didn't get to eat my candy bar, and my back is kind'a bothering me.....By the way, what's with this IV saline lock on my right forearm anyway?....". Flight Surgeon Sherry Jonick responds, "That's so we can give you a shot of intravenous morphine, just in case your lumbar incision becomes too painful and intolerable....What's your pain level right now, from one to ten, ten being excruciating?". Chase still feeling weak responds, "Zero pain doctor!....", Chase lied, not wanting to show any signs of vulnerability.

            After a few seconds, he looks around at the dark moonless sky as he say's, "Nice time to be flying, it's pretty peaceful and quiet out here, calm seas and the only thing I can hear is the wind, I don't even feel any turbulence anymore....". Garfield grins as he says, "Don't let your surroundings fool you, things can change at a turn of a dime.....". Dr. Nick Castle who was Dr. Spain's second in command calls out saying, "Ok Captain Brassman, our engineers, technicians and scientists are all about done with your suit's diagnostics,... look  at the holographic text messages below your visor, are there any computer reports of damage?....". Chase glances at the bottom of his visor then replies, "Yeah, SAM's reporting that she detects a foreign and unidentified power source....". Dr. Spain who was the over all team leader of Mission Control replies, "That's  expected, your computer's referring to the nuclear energy your suit is using from the nuclear reactor that's in your compact power pack that you're carrying in your back, we actually had to take out the jet pack just to fit the reactor in....Unfortunately, we don't have a link between your suit's central computer system and your nuclear power source.....there was no time to upload it's nuclear safety protocols....". Chase suddenly felt a mild surge of worry and concern but quickly brushed it off. Garfield tried to change the topic to a more positive mood as he asks, "Hey Chase, all the people here at Mission Control are all puzzled why you're still using text messages when communicating with your computer's Artificial Intelligence, computer voice activation response is available you know....". Chase smiles as he answers saying, "I named my computer's artificial intelligence "SAM" to remind me of Samantha Peters every time I'm in this suit, and to hear a voice different from hers would sound....you know....just artificial..". There were indistinct chuckles from the mission control personnel.

             Dr. Orugah of Guidance then reports, "Ok, you're now 630 miles away from North Korea's coastline and 930 miles away from your target....", Dr. Spain looks at his wrist watch which showed it being close to 12 noon in San Francisco, he then stares at John Layers hangar bay office which was in a second story structure,  fifty yards away from where he was standing, knowing that John Layer and Dr. Marcos who had video and audio monitors were watching and listening to everything that was happening . Dr. Spain then glances at General Morris, feeling a sense of controlled anger and displeasure for ordering the Protector to fly out of the plane with no preparations. Dr. Spain quickly shakes off his disgust as he speaks to Chase on his comlink saying, "Captain Brassman, I'm sorry we didn't have time to familiarize you with the Protector Type C, but let me give you a quick run down....Because your power source is now from a compact nuclear reactor system, you won't have to worry about running out of fuel or energy.....Your force shield is at 500%, this is a substantial improvement from using solar and electrical energy to power your suit, although we've managed to keep those two sources of energy as back up power sources just in case something bad happens with your nuclear reactor.....Keep your primary shield on at all times and don't worry about using your offensive weapons, we don't want to expose your nuclear power source to any kind of damage from enemy fire power....Just think of the "2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster that happened in Japan".

            Dr. Spain glances at Dr. Raul Eterna who leads weapons as he says, "Captain Brassman, on your belt are four explosive devices that looks like cell phones.....Once you reach North Korea's Central Nuclear Missile Command in Pyongyang, you have to penetrate inside their building and locate their "Control and Command" facility, just place all four explosives anywhere near their computer systems at a distance of  twenty yards apart, we will be the ones to arm them via remote control, and we'll give you two minutes to make your escape. Chase feels around his belt then answers, "Got it!...".

          Meanwhile, back in Area 51, Samantha and her companions were escorted inside a small auditorium where they took their seats together with Dr. Wang and Dr. Flores. Dr. Edwards stepped up on a small stage and stood behind a podium with a microphone attached to it. Being able to project his voice to his audience loud enough, he pushed the microphone aside, away from his face as he started speaking.

         "Let me start by telling you a short history of Albert Einstein's life before I tell you more about the time machine that he built...", Dr. Edwards explains as he rests his hands on top of the podium gently, "Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in Germany.....He was a scientist who was a believer in God....A pacifist who hated war but would  be involved indirectly in war, at around fifteen or sixteen years of age, he was already thinking of the essence and theory of the speed of light.....As a young adult, he worked at a patent office in Switzerland, and it was around 1905 that he wrote his thesis on "Special Relativity". He  changed how people think of the universe, one of his theories was about the relationship of time and space which revolutionized how the world saw the universe. In his twenty's, he was already pondering about the theory of time travel, after receiving the Nobel prize for his work on photoelectric effect, he started to focus his research on time travel by researching the notion of the existence of wormholes. A wormhole is a shortcut through space and time, it's like a tunnel that connects two different periods of time and space. From his research on wormholes, he started to design how to build a time machine. Out of all his papers that he published, it's his paper on how to construct a time machine that was the only one that he kept to himself.

           After arriving in America in the 1930's, due to his hatred for the Nazis, he continued his secret research on time travel. But in 1939, when he found out that Germany was now closer to creating a nuclear bomb, Einstein knew that the destruction of the whole of humanity was now possible. The first thing he did was to write a letter to President Roosevelt suggesting to him that America should work on creating nuclear weapons to combat the Nazi's nuclear arms ambition. With the knowledge that in the future, nuclear arms will  proliferate which will eventually lead to nuclear wars between nations and the end of human life on earth, this gave him a deep sense of guilt, he specially despised the fact that his famous formula, "E=MC squared", would be used as the basis for nuclear fission which will lead to the creation of nuclear bombs.  He also detested the public image he got, being called "The Father of the Atomic Bomb".

           Feeling a deep sense of obligation, he knew that there was no way to prevent nuclear wars between  nations  in the future, but maybe it was possible to undo nuclear wars by using a time machine. In a secret meeting with President Roosevelt, he explained to the President that the best way to combat a nuclear attack was not to prevent it, but to undo it. He said that he wants to build  a time machine to send messages back in time, to warn and inform the government in the past when, where and how to stop a nuclear attack from happening, thus changing the course of time and preserving the fate of the human race. it was a way to undo nuclear wars.

         President Roosevelt was intrigued and took Albert Einstein off the "Manhattan Project", so he could secretly work on building his time machine. To prevent suspicion from the press, the government released a spin coverage informing the public that Einstein was not qualified to work on the "Manhattan Project", because he was German and was a security threat. This gave Einstein a way to work on developing his time machine without being hounded by the press or the public.

        We are not clear on when the time machine was completed...We think that it was just before we dropped the atomic bombs on "Hiroshima" and "Nagasaki". The government found an old letter from Einstein addressed to President Truman, asking the President to use the time machine for the first time, to send a message to the past, asking to cancel the atomic bomb attacks on Japan. It's also rumored that President Truman decided not to reverse the atomic bomb droppings on "Hiroshima", and "Nagasaki", telling Einstein that the atomic bomb blasts in Japan will serve as an example, warning and a deterrent to all nations of future generations to show the destructive, lethal nature of nuclear weapons, also to instill fear to all world leaders making them think before they release nuclear weapons...".

        Dr. Edwards clears his throat as he continues his presentation to his audience, "Now let me tell you about  "Wormholes" and "Time Travel", but before I go there let me first explain what the public knows about Einstein's publicized research on "Wormholes".....Albert Einstein's "General Relativity" laws makes it possible for wormholes to be a reality. At around 1930, Albert Einstein and his physicist friend Nathan Rosen came up with the mathematical equation for creating a wormhole. Their math equation was eventually known as the "Einstein-Rosen Bridge", it was a hypothetical formula of how a "Wormhole" can be created by connecting different parts of space and time....A wormhole is a tool for travelling through space and time, it's like a subway station, and the train is the message that gets carried from the present to the past or from the past to the future. The problem with "Wormholes" are they are very unpredictable and unstable, they can collapse right away...".

       Dr. Edwards glances at his audience briefly then continues saying, "In order to stabilize a "Wormhole" and keep it from collapsing, the use of "Negative Matter" is needed, which works just like how a building's columns hold up a ceiling , preventing it from collapsing to the floor. Or in medicine, how doctors use a stent to keep blood flowing through an artery. Albert Einstein was able to accomplish two things that he kept secret and is still unknown to our world's scientific community. The first was that he was able to open up a "Wormhole", and the second amazing thing he accomplished was discovering "Exotic Matter", which emits "Negative Energy",  which is needed to stabilize and keep a "Wormhole" open and traversable at all times.".

      Dr. Edwards starts to pace the floor placing his hands behind his back as he says, "Therefore, the "ETM" is not really a time machine but more of a "Wormhole Stabilizing Machine". It generates the right amount of "Negative Energy" that gets emitted from the "Exotic Matter" and spreads it evenly across the inner surface of a "Wormhole" to prevent it from collapsing. The good thing about Einstein's invention is that the "ETM" is impossible to duplicate or replicate. In order to duplicate the machine, it first needs to be turned off and opened, and in turning it off, the "Exotic Matter" will be hindered from emitting it's negative energy which will result in the collapse and disappearance of the wormhole. We're not even sure whether the exotic matter will remain in the "ETM" or be swallowed up by the wormhole as it collapses....". Dr. Edwards sighs then gently taps his knuckle on the podium as he says, "Ok, now are there any questions from our dear guests?....".

     Samantha raises her hand as Dr. Edwards points to her, "You said that the purpose of the "ETM" is to undo a nuclear holocaust, but what about the possibility of decreasing it's occurrence...". Dr. Edwards looked puzzled at Samantha's question as she explains, "What I mean is, how about sending a message to the past to the right leaders that can sustain world peace and encourage them to run for office, for example, send a message to the late Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to run for President in the year 2016....with her extensive knowledge and experience in having deep diplomatic relations with nations around the world, she would be the  person who could prevent nuclear wars between nations and can enhance world peace,  which will eventually lead to less use of the "ETM"....I can only imagine that just like any machine the less you use the "ETM" the less chance it breaks down, the longer you can extend it's life...".

     Dr. Wang interjects saying, "So it's like preventive medicine, like getting a flu vaccine which is cheaper than taking the risk of acquiring the flu which will lead to having to see a doctor which is time consuming, buying antibiotics which can be costly and loosing salary income from lost man hours from being away from work....". Samantha nods saying, "Exactly....". Dr. Edwards shook his head saying, "Your idea has merits Miss Peters, but unfortunately, the decision to send messages to the past rests on our "Time Changers". Captain O'bland blurts out asking, "Time Changers?!..."

     Dr. Flores decides to address the question saying, "Time Changers are composed of a representative from each branch of the government. For the Executive, it's the President, for the Judicial it's one of the US Supreme Court Judges and for the Legislative, it's either a US senator or congressman....the selection is done by us scientists here at the ETM lab, and is kept with utmost secrecy. So in order to send a message to the past, two out of the three "Time Changers" have to give a "Yes" vote. That is why, when the late President Richard Nixon wanted to undo the "Watergate", scandal by sending a message to himself in the past, the two other "Time Changers", voted "No", which eventually resulted in his resignation from the Presidency of the United States....".

     Masterchief Cardenas asks, "What about John F. Kennedy's assassination, how come you guys did not warn him of it when you had sent a message to the past informing his administration of the Cuban Missile Holocaust which they were able to reverse?....". Dr. Flores answers, saying "Due to our inability to identify the true perpetrators of his assassination, it was risky to send him a warning, knowing that his eventual murderers could actually be part of his administration together with their collaborators in the intelligence community. We were afraid that if our message fell into the wrong hands that they'll not only assassinate President Kennedy but also come after the "ETM".....and having the "ETM" in the wrong hands could be disastrous to the fate of mankind....".

          Meanwhile, near the North Korean coastline, "Captain Brassman, you're crossing over North Korean airspace, decrease your altitude to 12,000 feet", Dr. Guzman of Control announces, "and lower your speed down to 700 knots, Dr. Hali-lee of "Wings" is sensing some instability to your left wing's aileron, we just hope it's nothing too serious, over and out...". Chase glances to his left staring at his left wing, when all of a sudden, red dots starts to appear on his visor's holographic radar system. "Do you guys see that?...", Chase quickly asks, "We've got multiple bogey's 4,000 yards and closing, twelve o'clock high, altitude 10,000 feet", Dr. Orugah of Guidance reports, "Looks like North Korean jet fighters with a mixture of "UAV's"...".      
          In less than a minute, more enemy jet fighters starts appearing in the Protector's radar. "Mission Control, I've got more bogeys, from my left, right and behind me....looks like someone informed them that I was paying them a visit....". Suddenly a missile hits the Protector head on as he tumbles through the skies, "I'm hit!...I'm hit!....". Garfield nervously stands up from his seat asking, "Are you Ok, Chase?!....". Chase grimaces then say's, "I'm Ok, the blast didn't hurt, my shield's holding up great,  but I must have twisted my back, pain's a little worse now....Why didn't SAM pick up that missile on her radar?....". Dr. Forteza of Defense answers, "It's got to be a stealth missile they're using!....". Flight Surgeon Dr. Jonick asks, "What's your pain level Captain Brassman?!, I need to know!....", but there was no answer. "Looks like an ambush!...", Garfield whispers to himself.

           "Captain Brassman, continue on with your mission", General Morris announces through his comlink, "Destroy all enemy aircraft that gets in your way!...". As the Protector continues it's heading towards it's intended target, the amount of enemy aircraft in flight between him and North Korea's missile command doubles to about forty war planes. In less than a minute, the aerial dogfight starts. Enemy aircrafts starts attacking by shooting their guns at the Protector. Chase flinches for a second then starts zig zagging through the air. The Protector starts by grabbing an enemy aircraft, as it breaks off one of it's wings, then zooms through the skies, it reverses course as it slams into another aircraft.

           The aerospace engineers, rocket scientists and flight technicians were all astonished at the power, speed and agility of the Protector. They were impressed that most of the Protector's telemetry readings were close to perfect without any signs of major damage to the Protector. With the Protector's force shield at 500%, he was invincible. By the time the other enemy jets and UAV's had arrived on the scene, there were close to 150 enemy aircrafts that the Protector was battling against. Chase glances at his visor's holographic radar and see's hundreds of red dots moving around which looked like an army of ants feasting on a dead fly. "BOOM!..", the Protector blocks a missile with his arms as it explodes right in front of him.

         The Protector then quickly banks sharply and grabs an enemy jet fighter by it's tail as he jostles with it in the air, the Protector then punches a hole in it's fuselage, pushing it away as the enemy jet spins out of control. With no time to waste,  SAM's radar warning light flashes as the Protector spins around and punches a UAV as it blows up in front of him. Even though the Protector was outnumbered 200 to one, Chase still made sure to give the North Korean pilots a chance to bail out before he obliterates the enemy aircrafts, being well aware that these pilots were just doing their jobs and had families to go home to.

         After fifteen minutes of aerial dogfighting, the Protector was able to incapacitate 24 more enemy jets and 42 more UAV's. As the Protector darts across the sky trying to reach his intended target, enemy aircrafts kept on shooting their guns and missiles at him as he eludes them by rolling, banking, diving and spiraling away from enemy fire. But just when Chase thought that he had the upper hand, John Layer decides that it was time to sabotage the Protector's compact nuclear reactor power pack. And as soon as the Protector rams into an enemy jet fighter, John Layer in his office simultaneously presses the F1 key on his computer which detonates the explosive device inside the Protector's,  "Reactor Containment Compartment". Chase felt a sudden jolt on his upper back which was as if he got hit by a baseball. Unsure of what happened, the Protector stops and hovers in the air as he starts to evade multiple missiles and gun fire that buzzed by him. "Mission Control, what's going on?!....", Chase asks.

        There was sudden chaos in Macrostrength's Mission Control as Dr. Cueto who supervises the nuclear reactor readings shouts, "Dr. Spain, our nuclear reactor containment compartment just exploded!...". Dr. Spain quickly runs towards Dr. Cueto's computer station as he orders, "Stop the reactor now....activate the control rods!...quickly!..". And as the nuclear reactor stops operating, Dr. Spain follows up his order saying, "Turn on the Emergency back up generator, let's switch from nuclear power to electric power....We can't use solar power yet at this time......". And as the Protector's source of energy switches from nuclear to electric power, Chase quickly feels the decrease in strength and power of his exoskeletal suit. Dr. Castle who was the second in command quickly announces to Chase that the Protector's nuclear reactor was severely damaged probably from the collision the Protector had with an enemy aircraft, not knowing that it was sabotaged by John Layer.

        As the engineers, scientists and technicians at Mission Control were trying to regain control of the Protector's damaged nuclear reactor, enemy fire was increasing as more enemy aircrafts were reaching the battle zone. The Protector cris crosses with lightning speed as he was about 200 miles away from the enemy's Central Nuclear Missile Base, but this time, as more missiles and gun fire hits him, his main power and shield strength starts to drastically decrease. "Boom...Boom", the Protector gets hit with two successive missiles as he tumbles through the skies once more, "Ahh!", Chase groans in pain as the missile hit causes his lower back incision to open up as blood starts to ooze out. Chase was stunned feeling dizzy and unable to focus on piloting the Protector, "Pain, ten!...", Chase yells out as Flight Surgeon Jonick picks up on the hurting pilot as she orders one of the SPIDERRS to give Chase a four milligram IV morphine shot through his IV saline lock. "That's to take the edge off Captain Brassman...".

          Meanwhile, back at Area 51, "In the next decade, we will be anticipating nuclear wars by different nations which were told to us by our future government in the year 2286...", Dr. Edwards explains, "And you Miss Peters will be crucial in preventing these nuclear holocausts from happening. It's not enough that you are able to offer cancer cures to leaders of nations, it's also important for you to become a US Senator to be able to use some political leverage during future diplomatic peace negotiations....". Dr. Edwards glances over towards CIA agent Lawrence Villes then says, "In the very near future, your close friend Chase Brassman will become America's first ever real superhero, and by marrying him, his popularity as a superhero will catapult you straight into a US senate seat...". CIA agent Villes continues saying, "The whole intelligence community is aware about your, "On again, off again", relationship with Grey, and we all know about his addiction to pornography and his sex tape that's circulating out in the world wide web.....And if you decide to marry Grey, with all his negative attributes, you won't stand a chance of becoming a US Senator someday which could increase the risk of nuclear wars between nations and the eventual end of civilization as we know it....".

           Samantha felt down cast, as she looked down towards her feet. She finally realizes one of the reasons why she and Grey can't and won't get married in the future. Noticing her dejected demeanor, Dr. Edwards says, "We're not telling you who to marry Miss Peters, we're just telling you what will happen in the future, depending on the decisions you make about your personal life.....In the future, you did choose to marry Captain Chase Brassman, nobody forced you....The best thing is to take one day at a time and let events in your life unfold as time passes by...". Feeling emotional, Samantha blurts out saying, "Just wish my mom's here, this is a time when I need her advice the most....".

          Dr. Edwards sighs as he stares at Samantha's sad facial expression as he says, "Well there's a good chance she will be, didn't your dad tell you?...", Samantha looked up with a puzzled look saying, "Huh?!...". Dr. Edwards excitedly explains to Samantha that Dr. Peters had made a deal with the "Time Changers", to invest twenty billion dollars of his money to research and develop a "Large Hadron Collider", below the Nevada desert which will have the same effect as the "ETM", and in return, the "Time Changers", will let Dr. Peters use the "ETM" to send a message to his earlier self in the past, informing himself to be vigilant about his wife's health. The plan is for his earlier self to monitor, diagnose, catch and treat the cancer sickness thereby saving her life....Which will automatically bring Samantha's mother into existence....". Dr. Edwards thought that this information would excite Samantha but it just made Samantha more upset, unaware that her dad made this decision without talking to her about it first, "What about the cancer cure that dad invented", Samantha pondered, "If  mom lives and never gets cancer, would dad still research  cancer's cure?...". The thought of bringing her mom back to life suddenly opened a new can of worms in her mind as she looks up at the doctor asking, "Didn't you say that the primary directive of the "ETM" is to reverse nuclear holocausts, then how could this be?....".

         Dr. Edwards explains that the decision was above him and it was the "Time Changers", who approved this deal. Their reasoning was that the money Dr. Peters was investing in the creation of a "Large Hadron Collider", which they hope will be a newer type of time machine still does fall under the guidelines of their prime directive which will be to reverse nuclear holocausts. Then before Samantha could ask another question, her cell phone rings and seeing that it was Garfield calling, she answers it quickly, "Hey! what's up, any news from Chase?!....". Garfield's voice sounded erratic as he tells Samantha that Chase is in grave danger and might not make it through his mission, he then tells Samantha that it is imperative that she gets a hold of Admiral Rivera and that they proceed to Macrostrength's Mission Control ASAP. Samantha quickly hangs up the phone and calls the Admirals phone but there was no answer. As everyone was watching Samantha panic, CIA Villes quickly makes a phone call ordering some of his CIA agents to go to the Admiral's meeting place and to physically take him and drive him to Macrostrength's Mission Control.

         Meanwhile, back near North Korea's coastline, the Protector dodges one, then a second missile and as he spirals in the air gets hit by a third missile as he tumbles across the sky, Macrostrength engineers, scientists and technicians were in total chaos and totally disorganized from the barrage of bombardments the Protector was absorbing. "Dr. Spain, the reactor meltdown has now penetrated through the second barrier of the reactor containment compartment, if it goes through the third one, the radiation will kill Captain Brassman...", Dr. Spain nods as he turns towards another engineer, "The last missile hit to the Protector's left elbow caused damage to the left rotary hydraulic actuator and a loosening of the left elbow joint's torque...". Dr. Spain yells asking, "Whats our main power and primary shield readings?!....". An engineer answers saying, "Main electrical power at 84% and shields holding steady at 94% doctor....". Chase yells while dodging more enemy fire, "Can I get another shot of morphine?!...". Flight surgeon Jonick responds, "I'm ordering one of the SPIDERRS to give you another four milligrams right now!...". Then another scientist yells "Doctor Spain, reactor temperature is starting to increase again, it's up to 876 degrees celcius, it seems that our second emergency reactor safety system has been damaged, the solar power generator has stopped spraying coolant inside the reactor, we also have some steam and hydrogen buildup which can lead to an explosion if we don't vent it out!...". Dr. Spain wipes off sweat beads from his forehead as he says, "Activate the reactor's third emergency safety system, lets hope that our "Electric Steam Condenser" has not been damaged and can lower the reactor's temp. And there's nothing we can do with the gas buildup right now, the only way to release this gas pressure is by turning off the Protector's shield....and we can't do that while he's under attack!....".

              And as the Protector was being challenged by hundreds of enemy jet fighters and UAV's from all direction, Dr. Spain requests General Morris to order the Protector to attempt an escape. General Morris curses at Dr. Spain telling him that the Protector needs to complete his mission or die trying. Then after a few more hits to the Protector, the attack temporarily ceases as all aircrafts starts pulling away leaving the Protector hovering in the air. "What's happening?...", Chase asks. Everyone at Mission Control watches as all enemy aircrafts starts to fly around the Protector in a clockwise direction. "They're encircling you, Chase....remember the "Battle of Bighorn?"....Custer's last stand?...". Chase gasps as he says, "Now I know how General Custer must have felt just before he and his men got slaughtered...". Everyone in Mission Control were now dismayed and angry at General Morris for ordering Chase to continue what appears to be a suicide mission.

           And as the Protector was watching the hundreds of planes flying around him, one of the Mission Control satellite technicians reports saying, "Dr. Spain, North Korean military forces are all gathering around their Central Nuclear Missile Command, they've just moved artillery, tanks, surface to air missile systems and  have drawn up their battle lines to defend against the Protector....they also have around fifty attack helicopters circling around the nuclear missile facility. "This is hopeless!...", Garfield shouts as General Morris ignores Major Powers comment. He then orders the Protector to advance towards North Korea's heavily guarded missile facility. Chase feeling battered and bruised takes a deep breath but before charging towards his final destination says, "Can someone just please let Sam Peters know that I love her very much?....".

            There was complete radio silence for a few seconds, then suddenly everybody  hears Samantha's voice on their comlink say, "I'm here Chase and nothing's gonna happen to you!...". And before General Morris could figure out what was happening, out from the shadows of the hanger bay came out Admiral Rivera saying, "I've heard and seen enough!....", as everyone looks his way. Admiral Rivera then approaches General Morris saying, "General Morris, I'm relieving you of your command as chief liason and charging you with high treason for using nuclear energy without proper authorization from me, the President of the United States and the Federal and State nuclear regulatory agencies. Admiral Rivera then asks two of his military guards to take General Morris to the nearest military base and to throw him in the brig. "I'm here Chase, Samantha yells as she speaks through a clear communication connection from her lear jet to Macrostrength's Mission Control.

          In the meantime,  John Layer cringes in anger as he see's Admiral Rivera take over Mission Control, Dr. Marcos reassures him that, it is too late for the Protector to make it out alive, reminding Mr. Layer that US forces are not allowed to enter North Korea's 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone to rescue the Protector. John Layer then smiles and realizes that America does respect a nations sovereignty not like Nazi Germany who invaded Poland, Russian government who invaded Crimea and Communist China who invaded islands of the Philippines that were within the Philippines 200 mile exclusive economic zone.

        "Dr. Spain, I'm giving you full control of this mission, "Admiral Rivera announces, "What's the status of the Protector and what's the best course of action for us to take?...". Dr. Spain, wipes the sweat off his forehead as he starts giving details of the mission, "Admiral, the Protector's situation is dire, our biggest problem right now is the Protector's nuclear reactor meltdown, if this meltdown penetrates through the third and last core compartment containment system, we will have a massive radiation leak, Captain Brassman and hundreds of thousands of North Koreans will die from radiation exposure, we need to ask the North Korean government to let the Protector escape before a quarter of their citizens perish from radiation exposure....". Admiral Rivera briefly closes his eyes and massages his temples then says, "We can't let them know that the Protector is nuclear powered, they'll think that we just sent a "Nuclear Suicide Bomber", to destroy their country....it will lead to an all out nuclear war doctor....". Dr. Spain speaks nervously saying, "We need to do something soon, all of our five emergency cooling systems except for our third one are all malfunctioning, which does not surprise me, given the fact that there were no field tests done to these systems before they were installed in the Protector's compact nuclear power pack.....The temperature inside the core is gradually increasing, it's at 978 degrees celcius right now and once it reaches 1,300 degrees, the core's meltdown will penetrate through the last core containment barrier which will release radiation waste and hydrogen gas and steam which can lead to an explosion as strong as an atomic bomb.

        "Solutions?!....", Admiral Rivera yells around asking for ideas from all the engineers, scientists and technicians sitting by their computer stations, "The only way we can prevent a nuclear catastrophe is by going under water", a nuclear engineer suggests, " we can cool the core compartment by filling it with sea water, that's what they did to the Fukushima nuclear reactor in Japan, then once the Protector is under water, we can shut down it's primary shields and vent out the gas buildup which will decrease the pressure inside the reactor preventing a nuclear explosion....". Dr. Spain nods then adds, "Fill the compartment with nitrogen gas first, we don't want the hydrogen buildup in the compartment system mixing with oxygen from the atmosphere, it will lead to an instant explosion....".

        Meanwhile, as Chase hovers in the air  watching the hundreds of enemy jet fighters and UAV's flying around him, the order was quickly given for him to escape and head towards the ocean and dive under the sea. In an instant, the Protector darts across the sky with his arms fully stretched out and his fists pointing towards the horizon. Fast moving enemy aircrafts were in quick pursuit, shooting their guns and firing their missiles aimed at the Protector. He "zooms" through the skies rolling and dodging most enemy fire but was hit a few times, "Ahh!...", Chase grunts as another missile hits his upper back, but this time, Chase just bites his lower lip as he grimaces refusing to ask for any intravenous pain medication. "Dr. Spain, main power is down to 79%", a technician reports, "force shields at 82% and dropping", Dr. Spain nods then hears another technician say, "We've got multiple damages, the posterior sacroiliac pulse generator just got fried and the clavicular pulse micro controller was smashed from that missile hit!....this could eventually lead to a systematic sensory malfunction", Dr. Spain remains calm and collect ignoring the non essential damage reports, with the knowledge that the SPIDERRS can repair them at a later time, as he focuses more on the Protector's ability to successfully evade and escape his pursuers. "Doctor, I'm sensing damage to the right femoral arterial servo valves, loss of function to the right lower exoskeletal limb hydraulic actuator is imminent!....". Dr. Spain calmly responds saying, "It's ok, as long as we are up flying, I'm more concerned with our central hydraulic systems, someone give me a status report!....".  An aerospace engineer shows a thumbs up saying, "We've got normal readings from the mid sternal hydraulic drives doctor!...".

           After five minutes of twisting and turning in a desperate attempt to evade enemy missiles and gunfire, the Protector finally reaches the ocean and quickly dives under the sea as the North Korean military starts to deploy multiple mini-submarines and deep sea divers in an attempt to locate the Protector for capture, dead or alive.

          At a depth of 3,000 feet, the Protector was able to find refuge inside an underwater cave. He was about twenty five miles from the North Korean coast as hundreds of enemy scuba divers and mini submarines started patrolling the area in a search and destroy mission trying to locate the Protector. After a short rest, Chase turns off his primary shield  as cold water quickly rushes and penetrates into his flight suit which makes Chase shiver, "How are you doing there buddy?...", Garfield asks, "I'm freezing...can you guys make this quick so I can activate my primary shields again?...". Dr. Spain replies, "We're venting out  radioactive gas build up from your reactor's power pack as I speak, this will prevent a dangerous explosion, unfortunately, this radioactive waste is detrimental to sea life... At the same time, we're starting to inject sea water into your nuclear reactor's containment vessel which is now starting to lower it's core's temperature to a safe level...".  After a few minutes, Chase was given the go ahead signal to activate his primary shields again which drained out the freezing water inside his suit. While all of the personnel at Mission control were evaluating the Protector's general condition, Samantha takes the time to encourage Chase, and even though she felt torn between her feelings for Chase and Grey, she tells Chase to stay strong and not to give up, even  promising him of a wonderful life that they'll be sharing together in the future. As hurt and weak as Chase was, Samantha's words invigorates Chase as his will to survive is re-energized.

        Dr. Spain suddenly yells, "Ok, everybody, give me a full status and damage report...". Flight Surgeon Jonick starts saying, "Captain Brassman's surgically operated lumbar incision had ruptured, I'm having one of the SPIDERRS  due a wet to dry dressing for now, he's starting to show signs of systemic infection, he's got elevated WBC's, got fever and chills and continued pain to the site. I've started him on some IV antibiotics and IV fluids for rehydration and we'll manage his pain as best we can, but the thing he really needs is to rest....". Dr. Spain nods as a robotics engineer takes his turn to report saying, "We've got multiple exoskeletal damage, starting with a short circuit to the right thoracic sensori neural drive. This could decrease the flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump...". Dr. Spain thinks for a few seconds then suggests, "Try resetting hydraulic flow by bypassing the upper abdominal pressure regulator, then let me know if the readings improve...". another engineer reports saying, "We've got readings of decreasing power to the left lower exoskeletal limb, I'm having the other SPIDERRS check it for a left arterial pressure control hose impingement and we need to scan it for a hydraulic fluid leak...". Dr. Spain leans forward on a computer station as he nods in approval. "Ok people!, I need suggestions on how we can get Captain Brassman back home safely....". There were indistinct murmurs from all of the Macrostrength personnel.

         After about thirty minutes, while enemy divers and mini submarines were scouring the area in search for the Protector, Dr. Spain and his staff of scientists, engineers and technicians together with the support of Admiral Rivera and Samantha had finally reached the only decision they could come up with. Their plan was to have the Protector blast out into space then detach himself from the compact nuclear reactor power pack that was attached to his back. This will prevent any chance of further radiation exposure to the environment and to the people of North Korea. Even though they had tons of calculations, system checks and repairs that needed to be made, they knew that time was of the essence. Their goal was for the Protector to release it's nuclear power pack when in space then attempt to reach the International space station. But their main dilemma was whether the Protector's rocket boosters and main propulsion systems were powerful enough, unsure whether there was enough energy and fuel for the Protector to travel 3,000 miles in order to reach the space station. They were also aware that with every minute that they waste, was more energy and fuel that was being spent which could prevent the Protector from succeeding, which added more pressure into acting on their decision sooner than later.

          "The best we can do right now is to save energy", Dr. Castle suggests, "by turning off most of his sensory, motor and robotic systems except for "Navigation", "Rocket Systems" and "Life Support"....We can increase his chance of reaching the space station....We do need to activate the suits "Depressurization system", to keep Captain Brassman safe from the hazards of space....there's about 6,000 tons of space debris and satellite shrapnel orbiting the earth...". Dr. Spain asks, "Will his life support hold?...". An aerospace engineer responds, "He's got two hours worth of breathable oxygen, the whole trip should be about 45 minutes, he won't run out of air...".

          But before Dr. Spain finalizes his decision for the Protector to escape by blasting off into space, he calls Admiral Rivera into a secret meeting. Walking outside the hangar bay, Dr. Spain confides to Admiral Rivera the possibility of a mole within their midst. From the time that the Protector was ambushed to Dr. Spain's recent discovery of their computer's analysis showing melted uranium and not thorium that was present in the Protector's nuclear power pack compartment. Dr. Spain explains that someone switched the nuclear fuel from "Thorium", which was a more stable and a safer nuclear fuel into "Uranium" which was more  dangerously  hazardous, unstable and volatile. Dr. Spain then tells Admiral Rivera that there was only two people who could have switched the nuclear fuel cells and that was either Dr. Castle, his second in command or Dr. Marcos, his supervisor. Dr. Spain and Admiral Rivera then devises a plan on how to get the Protector to safety with the knowledge of a mole in their midst.

          Meanwhile, in John Layer's office, Dr. Marcos was starting to feel increased stress due to the frustration his boss was feeling, "What are we gonna do now?!....I was expecting Brassman to be dead by now so that I can see the look on Samantha Peters face!....". Dr. Marcos typing in his computer answers, "He'll be dead soon Mr Layer, I promise....I'm sending an e-mail right now to the North Korean high command of the exact location where the Protector is hiding under water, I'm also informing them of Dr. Spain's plan of having the Protector blast off into space to detach itself from his compact nuclear power pack and to reach the safety of the International space station.....I'm sending the North Korean military the Protector's flight plans and the flight path he will take so that the North Korean jet fighters can intercept the Protector and shoot it down...". John Layer lights up a cigarette and inhales it's smoke as he asks, "How do I know your plan will work this time?!....". Dr. Marcos grins then says, "Well sir, from Mission Control's calculations, they won't have enough power and fuel for the Protector to reach the space station which is about 3,000 miles away.....their only last option is to turn off the Protector's primary shields in order to transfer that energy into their rocket boosters for the Protector to reach the space station. But once the Protector blasts off without the protection of it's force shields, all the North Korean enemy jets will be waiting to shoot him down....". John Layer blows smoke towards Dr. Marcos face making the doctor cough as he says, "This better work for your own good, doctor!....".

         "Dr. Spain, sonar shows enemy submarines and deep sea divers heading towards the Protector's location", a sonar technician says, " I think they know the Protector's hideout...". Dr. Spain and Admiral Rivera eerily glances at each other knowing that all their computer data, and plans were all being seen and heard by Dr. Marcos who they suspect is the mole in their operation. Dr. Spain asks, "How far are they, and how much time do we have?....". The sonar technician replies, "they're about 300 yards and closing, about 15 minutes away....". Dr. Spain looks to another aerospace engineer and says, "Contact NASA and inform them of our flight plan, tell them to have their mission control sync in with ours, once the Protector's in space, they have to guide the Protector's path perfectly towards the international space station, any miscalculations and we'll loose Captain Brassman in space....". The engineer nods as a radar technician takes his turn to report, "Admiral Rivera, the Seventh Fleet is closing in, led by our US Navy Carrier, the "Barack Obama", they're within 400 miles off the North Korean coast....".  Admiral Rivera nods as he and Dr. Spain glances at each other hoping that their secret plan to mislead the mole in their midst will lead to Captain Brassman's escape to safety.

         Dr. Spain then announces loudly, "Ok, ladies and gentlemen, enemy divers and subs are closing in, we need to get the Protector launched into space, Ok, turn off shields and transfer all remaining power into the rocket boosters, this should give the Protector enough power to reach the space station...." Dr. Castle speaks into his comlink, "Captain Brassman, are you ready for take off?....". The Protector stands up from a sitting position then heads towards the under water cave's entrance as Chase grimaces in pain then say's, "Ready as can ever be....". Suddenly, the Protector's primary shields turns off as cold water surges through Captain Brassman's flight suit, as he once again starts to shiver from the freezing sea water. Dr. Spain says, "Captain Brassman, we've set your flight path straight to the space station, but once you reach the ionosphere, NASA's Mission Control engineers and rocket scientists will take over in assisting you when to detach yourself from the  compact nuclear reactor power pack and they will direct you towards the international space station....". Chase crosses his fingers, sighs deeply then say's, "Got it!...".

       And just before they start the countdown for the Protector's launch into space, Admiral Rivera had an aerospace engineer tap into a US space satellite as it takes photos of hundreds of North Korean jet fighters flying around the Protector's flight path to space. They were all within an altitude of 30,000 to 40,000 feet waiting to ambush the Protector. As Admiral Rivera see's the concentration of enemy aircrafts waiting to shoot down the defenseless Protector, Admiral Rivera and Dr. Spain glances and nods at each giving the "go ahead" signal to go forward with their secret plan. After a ten second countdown, the Protector initiates his launch, Chase starts to feel his rocket boosters hum with energy, and after a second, a burst from his rocket boosters shoots him upwards towards the water's surface leaving a trail of bubbles behind him, and after a few seconds, he blasts off from sea, flying vertically. Dr. Spain quickly yells into his comlink, "Captain Brassman!, switch to auto pilot now!....". Chase was suddenly surprised as he quickly orders SAM to activate his "Auto pilot" system, and in a split second, the Protector banks into a different direction and flies horizontally towards a pre determined set of coordinates which leads him towards the US Navy carrier "Barack Obama". Everyone in Mission Control was shocked specially John Layer and Dr. Marcos who were fooled into believing that the Protector was flying towards space where it's path was filled with North Korean fighter jets that were all waiting to ambush the Protector.

          After the Protector lands safely on the flight deck of the carrier, "Barack Obama", Navy sailors wearing radiation deterrent suits, detaches the Protector's compact nuclear power pack and secures it in a radiation proof alloy box for proper nuclear waste disposal. In the meantime, John Layer screams with utmost hate and fury then quickly grabs the computer monitor in order to throw it at Dr. Marcos face but when he pulled on it, it would not budge. John Layer did not realize that Dr. Marcos had the computer monitor bolted down to the table, to prevent John Layer from using it as a projectile against him if their plans to kill Captain Brassman fails. And before John Layer realizes this fact, Dr. Marcos was long gone, running for his life.
(End of Chapter)