New York City on the edge of forever
Authors thoughts: This will be my second Astro fan story in my own setting. This one is close to being a crossover and will pull in plot ideas from an episode of 'STTOS', 'Back to the future', and 'The Philadelphia Experiment', which is to say this is a time travel story. I have a few other ideas cooking so I hope to add at least two other fan fiction Astro stories set in the same 'world'. I welcome your comments in a review, let me know if you like this divergent world for Atom. I've always wanted to see him as an American, though in reality he belongs to the world.
Dr. Emmett Brown: "Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads!"
USS Eldridge, 1951
C. R. Hamilton found his path blocked by a marine holding a rifle. The January wind blew through his coat and the cold caused his eyes to tear. "
"I just wanted to say goodbye to the old girl", he told the armed guard. "In a few days she'll belong to Greece."
The marine guard seemed unmoved, but he didn't feel threatened by Hamilton's presence on the dock.
"I can't let you on board sir", he said. "My orders are no one can board till the inspection is complete".
A small crew of civilians were on board the Eldridge making a final inspection before the ship would be turned over to its' new owners. The Eldridge had been decommissioned some four and a half years ago and had sat in mothballs awaiting either a reprieve or the scrapers torches. All of her special electronic gear had been removed years ago and silently hauled off under the cover of night to storage at an Area-51 warehouse. The CIA was now probably just making sure that they hadn't missed anything important at that time.
"Can I at least snap a few pictures of her before she's handed over to the Greeks?", Hamilton asked.
"Sure, why not?" the marine answered. "You were the Eldridge's C.O. weren't your?" he asked.
"Yes, my first command", Hamilton replied bringing his brownie up to his eyes to frame a shot.
"Well, goodbye old girl", he sighed as he put the camera back into his coat pocket and walked away.
Hill Valley Ca, 1985
Larry Conrad controlled the throttle on the small switcher diesel locomotive pulling a train of four gondolas. The yard engine had little trouble pulling the short train of lightly loaded ore hoppers. The Hill Valley spur was only a few miles long and connected several sidings running to warehouses and a few quarry pits up to the mainline on the other side of the Eastwood Ravine. The spur had once been part of the mainline back in the late 1880's when the first bridge had been built over the ravine. The current steel trestle had replaced an older wooden bridge just after WWII. The section of track he was on ran uphill on a gentle grade to reach the bridge and then downhill where it connected to the double tracked mainline. The single track spur had several sidings to allow traffic coming in the the other direction to pass. Larry's train had just passed the last siding before the bridge. As the train rounded a bend the bridge came into view and late afternoon sun was now in his eyes. He squinted and lowered the sun shades on the locomotive's windscreen to try and block the glare. Suddenly he saw a flash of light on the bridge. He blinked and then saw an automobile on the tracks heading straight for him at high speed!
"Idiot!" he yelled aloud to himself. What stupid thrill seeker would race a car over the railroad bridge?
Larry grabbed the horn handle and let out several loud blasts from the locomotives air horn hoping that the driver of the car would pull off the tracks before it was too late. Larry applied full brakes, both air and dynamic, but he knew he would never stop the train in time. At the last moment the driver of the automobile threw open his door and leaped out of the car into the bushes. Larry covered his face with his hands as if it would do any good and the locomotive plowed into the abandoned car and tore it to shreds.
Poindexter Drake, 1974 - 1983
Poindexter Drake felt that life had been handing him lemons forever. He was a very smart and devoted student and felt that he deserved all the top honors. In High School he graduated in the top 99.99% of his class, which is to say he felt he should have been AT the VERY TOP of his class, but in fact he was only number two. "Some G-D Chink" took the top honor he scowled, thinking of the Korean American that would be Valedictorian at his graduation ceremony. The same "G-D Chink" also took HIS spot at M.I.T. Poindexter mussed. HE had to settle for being admitted to Cal-Tech. Not actually a bad second choice, but he had been planning on going to Cambridge Ma. for past four years. He couldn't understand why the famous college would only take one student from his high school, and never even considered he might be inadequately qualified in some way.
The same thing seemed to happen to him at Cal-Tech. This time it was some "G-D Indian with a dot on his forehead" had dared to earn a higher GP average than HE had, and he once again had to settle for the number two spot on the stage come graduation day.
Still Poindexter had found himself with plenty of job offers after completing his undergraduate work. He weighed going on for his masters degree or accepting a position with some prestigious firm, perhaps continuing his education at night and working during the day. In the end Lockheed offered him a position at their famous "skunk works" working on several projects that would take him to the infamous air base at Area-51. He couldn't get in much deeper geek than that he felt.
But even there Poindexter Drake found himself being over shadowed by others. He was in a hurry to make it big time and wanted to discover or invent something that would make himself famous and rich, though not necessarily in that order. Poindexter was seduced by the dark side of the technology at Area-51 and allowed himself to coerced by foreign espionage agents attempting to buy secrets. For some reason Poindexter had convinced himself that he was so clever he could outwit everybody and defeat all the security systems at the base to pull off the heist undiscovered. He even thought he could cast the blame on someone else, and he knew just who would be his fall guy.
Dr. Albert Tenamann had been at Area-51 for three years when Poindexter started working there under his supervision. He thought Poindexter Drake was a rare genius who would do great things in science and technology and wanted to guide the young man toward a successful career. Albert was leading an engineering group in the design of a new type of aircraft that would become quite common some thirty years in the future, drones. Drake saw it this as his ticket to wealth and the Red Chinese government wanted it at any price. He almost got away with his plan to steal the data and plant the blame on tenamann. Poindexter's downfall was underestimating his rivals talent of observation. In the end tenamann discovered the plot, but just in time. Albert could have turned Poindexter over to the FBI or CIA, he could have caused the young man to end up spending most of his life in a federal pen for the crime. Instead, Dr. Tenamann managed to hid the theft and cover up the crime. He did give Poindexter a choice, leave quietly or face charges. Albert eventually gave Poindexter a very carefully worded letter of referral which allowed him to restart his career in technology somewhere else. Even so Poindexter Drake held a grudge and vowed he'd get his revenge someday.
Ken'ichi Yamamoto
Ken'ichi Yamamoto was born after the US occupation of Japan had ended. He was a distant relative of the famous Admiral who had suffered defeat in the battle of Midway. Ken'ichi was a bright boy and excelled in science. He graduated from the Tokyo Denki University with honors just about the time that the Tokyo Disney theme park opened. There were several openings for engineers at the park, many of the attractions involved automated characters.
Ken'ichi wanted to design robotic displays for the park, and he found himself working under an American engineer named Tenamann. Dr. Albert Tenamann was a genius in the design of almost anything, or so it appeared to Yamamoto. Tenamann tried to nurture Ken'ichi's engineering talents, but the young engineer felt he was not ever going to be put in charge of his own project as long as the American worked there. He felt he was being mistreated by management whom was putting more responsibility in the hands of a foreigner rather than a native born Japanese. He didn't know that Dr. Tenamann was a dual citizen of both the US and Japan.
The one good thing that happened to Ken'ichi Yamamoto at Disney Tokyo was Sachiko Yamada. She was working as a tour guide at the park and they made a point to have lunch together every day after he had first bumped into her. Just out of High School, Sachiko was working at the park to raise money for her college tuition.
Yamamoto accepted a position at the Honda company hoping to work on their robotic systems, especially the Asimo project. He had a good letter of recommendation from the Disney corporation and Dr. Tenamann had also put in a good word for him at Honda. However Yamamoto wasn't given an opportunity to work on the Asimo project, though he did work on factory automation systems that increased efficiency on the automotive and motorcycle assembly lines.
Sachiko was accepted on a foreign exchange program at the Polytechnic Institute in N.Y. Ken'ichi applied for a teaching coop there and was accepted. Both of them had learned some English while working at the Disney park and they would bone up on the subject before traveling to America. Both Sachiko and Ken'ichi fell in love with NYC and decided try and stay in the US. The Polytechnic Institute offered Yamamoto a full time position teaching on their engineering staff and he applied for a resident status leading to citizenship. He and Sachiko were married and they found an apartment in Brooklyn. Eventually Ken'ichi was in charge of the Institutes' robotics laboratory which gave him great satisfaction.
The only sadness in Ken'ichi and Sachiko's lives came from their lack of children. They had wanted to start a family ever since coming to America but the couple had remained barren. They had considered adoption but were either too busy or too scared to start the process of looking and applying.
Atom, Brooklyn NYC, Present Date
Simon Green arrived at Professor Yamamoto's office at the Polytechnic University on Jay Street Brooklyn with Atom in tow. The boy robot had never ridden on the subway before and it had the same impression on him that it would on any other nine year old boy who rode on the "F" train for the very first time. He insisted on standing in the front car so he could look out the "storm window" to get the engineer's point of view. Simon had knocked on the motorman's window when the train was sitting in the 50th street station and asked him if he wouldn't mind leaving the window shade pulled up so Atom could see out the passenger side widow of the R46. The motorman agreed, perhaps the $20 bill that Simon offered him had something to do with it.
"Good day Ken'ichi-san", Simon greeted Professor Yamamoto. Atom repeated the greeting adding a small bow as he finished the 'san'.
"Good to finally meet you", Yamamoto said. "It's too bad Albert isn't here, I was hoping to see him again after all these years"
"He left for Japan a few days ago", Simon replied. "I'm glad you agreed to met Atom, I hope you and your wife would like to adopt him".
"You know, we just about gave up with that idea at this point", Ken'ichi started, "We've both advanced a bit in age and wonder how long we can keep up with a child".
"I tried to explain that Atom is a special case, he could probably be of as much assistance to you as you would be his caretaker. Atom also has special needs that you as an engineer can provide"
Simon closed the door to the office and then pulled the shade down on the office window. He nodded to Atom who then removed his shirt and placed it on the desk. He then touched his right hand index finger to his chest and a blue light appeared under the finger. The outline of a panel appeared in the blue glow and Atom then opened the chest panel to reveal his inner mechanisms.
"My God!", Ken'ichi gasped, "Can this be possible?"
"Yes. Dr. Tenamann created a masterpiece here. Robert Levinson describes him as a class III cyborg because he has a human brain re-implemented as software on a hyper computer using quantum logic.", Simon told him, adding "Atom is actually a clone of Dr. Tenamann's nine year old son, Adam, though he is a lot more than that".
"Atom is what I've been trying to create myself for many years. When the Japanese government announced the 'project Atom' initiative a few years back I tried to get the Polytechnic Institute to align our robotics projects with it but there was little interest", Professor Yamamoto said.
"I have spare parts and fuel for Atom at the museum complex, and you're welcome to visit us at anytime. I've arranged a security clearance for you", Simon told him.
"Sachiko will be surprised", Ken'ichi said, "but I'm sure she will accept him as her own child".
"What about you Atom?", Simon asked, "are you OK with this?"
Atom looked Professor Yamamoto over quickly. He then looked at the picture of Mrs. Yamamoto on the desk and smiled. "I have a good feeling about this Simon", he answered.
"Atom I hope you will agree to being enrolled in the public school so you can interact with children your own age, whatever that is", Ken'ichi told him.
"I'd like that", Atom replied. "I miss my brother Adam".
"Then we'll see to it immediately", the Professor answered, "As soon as we give your new mother a chance to fuss over you".
Simon took the subway back to Manhattan alone, but he felt quite happy.
Poindexter Drake, 1992
After quietly leaving the skunk-works at Area-51 Poindexter accepted a position at Microsoft. True to his word, Dr. Tenamann gave him a positive reference. Actually Drake was lucky that the boys in Seattle didn't ask any embarrassing questions of Albert, and that he didn't volunteer any information that Poindexter wouldn't have wanted his future employer to know. Still he harbored a grudge against the doctor and promised himself revenge, eventually.
Poindexter became a valuable asset at Microsoft as the new Windows operating system began to become popular. With the rise of the Internet new avenues opened to him as he found himself with eyes and ears inside of places that would have been denied anyone without a proper security clearance. He started his hacking slowly at first as he learned the ins and outs of the network. Finally he found what he was looking for, a back door into the skunk-work's treasure trove that once had been his. He discovered a lot of new secret bits of technology that had been invented or stolen by the governments massive mind trust. Poindexter flexed his new cybernetic muscles and tested the weak spots in every corporate network he could find. He offered his services to every one of the companies whose networks he tickled, promising them he'd show them how to shore up their security from the 'Black Hats' that would rob them blind. He would also cause damage to those who wouldn't want his services, eventually. It wasn't long before his network security side line became a full time occupation and he said his goodbyes to Redmond and moved closer to the Nevada treasure trove that he planned to pick when the time was ripe.
Atom, Brooklyn NYC, Present date
Atom spent the afternoon with the professor either in the back of classrooms, lecture halls or engineering labs during classes his new guardian was teaching, or in Ken'ichi's office thumbing through his bookshelf. When it became time to go home Yamamoto called his wife on his cellphone to inform her that he was leaving and that their new family member was arriving. They exited the university and entered the Jay Street subway station to catch a southbound "F" train to the residential section of Brooklyn. The Yamamoto's owned part of a multi family home in racially mixed area just west of the Avenue U station of the former Culver El that carried the "F" line of the subway above McDonald Avenue. It was a short walk from the station to the house. The Yamamoto's lived in an upstairs three bedroom apartment overlooking the street.
"I'm home dear", Ken'ichi announced as he and Atom started to climb the stairs to the second floor from the street entrance. Sachiko Yamamoto greeted them at the doorway to the second floor apartment.
"This is our new son", Ken'ichi told his wife.
"Hello Sachiko-chan", Atom replied. "I'm very happy to meet you".
"Hello dear", she replied grabbing him in her arms with a huge bear hug.
"What should I call you?" she asked.
"I've been going by 'Atom'", he told her. "But you can call me Adam if you like".
"Atom?", she laughed. "I guess the other kids tease you because of your height?"
That sounded like a good enough answer to Atom. He and Ken'ichi had already decided not to tell Sachiko about Atom being a robot, at least not yet anyway.
"Yes, that is true", Atom admitted with a laugh.
"Let me show you the house son", Sachiko told him as she grabbed him by the hand and pulled him toward her. She had a solid grip Atom thought.
Atom's new room had been ready for several years as the Yamamoto's had tried several times for a child of their own. Each time Sachiko had missed a period they would start adding to the new child's room to be only to find it was another false alarm. When the couple had decided to adopt they had started to adjust the furnishing for an older child instead of an infant and the room was now a hodgepodge of decor, blue, pink, infant and teen all rolled into one. Atom didn't care, he looked around and saw that he had a bed, a computer desk, and a TV set. His needs were simple and had all been taken care of.
Area-51 storage locker at government warehouse 13, location top secret – present date.
It had taken Poindexter years of work to discover the existence of the equipment. It had taken almost as long to find where it was hidden. He felt the time and effort would prove to be very well spent. He was a bit surprised that Dr. Tenamann didn't have a hand in this, but he wasn't surprised that Robert Levinson did. Bob had actually been one of the few geeks at Area-51 that Poindexter almost took a liking to. They might have become friends if Bob hadn't been associated with that damn Tenamann.
From the technical details that he had been able to piece together the radar set should be able to break through the Kronos barrier to enable him to reach back in time and correct his past mistake that led to his disgraceful fall at Area-51. He'd also get his revenge on Tenamann. First however, he had to physically break into the storage area. He'd already made that possible by his cyber break in of the place. He now had a fake security pass and could disable all the security alarms when needed.
Poindexter had hired a motley crew of criminal types he had found by setting up a sting on Craig's list. He and his soldiers of fortune arrived at the desert facility at sunset waiting for the opportune time for their break in. Warehouse 13 was located somewhere in the American southwest desert. The huge building is mostly buried under the sand with just the front face and only entrance not buried. A well camouflaged road leads from the facility to a main highway. The road looks like an abandoned two lane blacktop in dire need of repair, but beneath its' cracked top lies a steel reinforced concrete roadbed several feet thick. The road could handle the weight of NASA's immense crawler used to move the Space Shuttle and Saturn-V moon rockets to the launch pad …. at 60 mph.
The private army stopped at the main door while Drake used an app on his cellphone to access the network and send a bit of Trojan software into the security system.
"Wait for it ….", he laughed counting backwards from ten. As he reached seven the huge overhead doors groaned and started to lift open. He and his army drove their vehicles into the complexes loading dock area. Half the force stayed to guard the entrance while Poindexter and the a smaller contingent headed deeper into the facility. Guided by a map application on his phone Poindexter navigated through the corridors finally stopping at a area containing a large plywood box several tens of feet on a side. The men removed chainsaws from their backpacks and started to cut their way into the cube. Finally they found what they had come for. It was rather unimpressive looking. A small pickup truck with a rather exotic looking electronics package sitting in the bed. Mounted on a small A-frame welded into the truck bed was a small satellite dish antenna. Poindexter slowly grew a smile that erupted in a full toothy grin. He laughed and rubbed his hands together. He climbed into the truck's cab and started the engine. He was happy to find that it had been left fully fueled and with a fully charged battery. How thoughtful of the government! With the engine running he walked to the back of the truck and found the control panel for the radar set. Drake switched it on and observed the readings on the meters and gauges. Finally he pressed a test button and looked the set over carefully. On one of the circuit boards was mounted a small "Y" shaped discharge tube that stated to pulsate with a soft blue glow. An LCD panel cycled though several readings and announced "Self tests, passed. READY".
"Excellent!", Poindexter laughed shutting down the system. "OK men, let's pack up and get out of here".
Atom, Brooklyn NY.
Atom was sitting on his new bed reading one of the magazines that Ken'ichi had left in the room for him. Suddenly he felt dizzy with a sharp pain in his chest. Atom had never felt anything like that before and was scared. The pain inside increased and he felt a spasm wrenching his insides. He painfully walked into the bathroom and stood in front of a mirror while he opened his chest panel. Inside his main computer card cage was a module that was pulsating with a soft blue light. Then just as quickly as it started the pain and dizziness stopped. The circuit module stopped glowing. Atom closed his chest panel and still in a daze walked back to the bed, laid down and passed out.