Story Notes: The giant doctor and his wife Jennifer (referred to in this story) are from the Land of the Giants: Flight of Fear (authorized edition novel; 1968)
Summary: Having finally repaired the Spindrift, the 7 travellers return through the warp, encountering a strange phenomenon on their way back to earth. As the children of Mark & Valerie and Steve & Betty grow up, the Flight 612 team wonder if anyone else will ever end up in the Land of the Giants.
It was 1986. After two and a half years of struggling against the constant threat of being captured by giants, Mark Wilson had been able to repair the Spindrift, with the help of its pilots and crew.
The team prepared to lift off and head back to earth. Steve and Dan eyed each other keenly in the cockpit.
"Do you remember what you asked me when we first got here?" asked Steve.
"Not specifically," said Dan.
"You said, 'Do you really think there is an escape?'. The gravity of this world seems no greater than ours. The ship should fly again, as it did just before the giant cat incapacitated it. I think we could head up to that warp and pass through it," said Steve Burton.
"Well whatever happens this time will be far less likely to take the passengers by surprise," said Dan.
Betty resumed her stewardess role, and checked that all the passengers were strapped in and ready to go. Barry's dog Chipper was able to roam more freely, but would settle down once the ship began to move.
Steve and Dan had just powered up and were ready for take-off, when a giant girl came walking towards them.
"Get her in the air quick!" said Dan, "We can't risk being grabbed again."
Steve recalled their run back to the ship, after the surprising view of the giant car driving overhead, and the huge boy staring into the cockpit.
The ship had lost so much power that night, struggling to break the boy's grip.
The girl drew closer, as the Spindrift reached her head height. She could still reach up and grab them, if they didn't climb fast enough.
They made it out of her reach, and were soon in space above the giant planet. Steve and Dan steered the craft towards the unmistakeable anomaly, which had been menacing the earth space lanes, ever since Marna Whalan's parents' craft had passed through it. On the earth side of the warp, it came out much closer to the earth's atmosphere, as a magnet for sub-orbital flight craft. It had even drawn four American teenagers on a flight through as well. The only other known earthlings to visit were Major Kagen, and whoever built the communications complex in the drains under the city, which had been blown up, when Captain Hasham's assistant had sprayed his foam at the earthlings.
Spindrift headed for the warp, and then let its own suction do the rest. As they approached the other side, they saw a large object drawing towards them, from the earth side of the warp. Somehow it was too big to be drawn into the warp. It receded in the distance, and the Spindrift pilots felt and saw a different kaleidoscope of views through the cockpit.
"It wasn't like this on the way through last time," said Steve.
"Maybe it's different in the other direction," said Dan.
"Or maybe that object affected the warp for a while. Anyway, we're coming out. Let's see if I can still navigate us down to London Airport," said Steve.
"We'd better turn on the radio instruments now, and see what transmissions we can pick up. Hopefully they haven't forgotten flight 612 altogether over the last 2 ½ years," said Dan.
Dan accidentally tuned into a commercial radio station.
"Well you heard it folks. We'll be back after this break, with more on Neil Armstrong landing on the moon. This isn't just a radio and television first. It's a first for the people of earth," came the voice.
"It must be a rerun," said Steve, as the commercial break began.
"Out now on LP record comes Summer of 69. Here all the latest hits like "Be a Clown," by Heather Young, "Jazz & Jive" by Sugar Ray Robinson and many more."
"1969?" said Dan.
Steve had an awful feeling of déjà vu.
"Get Mark up here," said Steve to Betty.
The stewardess left the pilot's cabin.
"What are you thinking?" asked Dan.
"That time Fitzhugh and I passed through the warp and went back to Earth, we landed in 1910. I assumed it was because we were in a time traveller's ship then. What could take Spindrift back to 1969?"
"Valerie's fashion sense playing havoc with destiny?" laughed Dan.
"No, it's something else," said Steve.
Betty returned with Mark.
"When we first landed on the giant world, you didn't believe it was full of giants at first," said Steve, "I trust you've seen enough to believe what I'm going to tell you next. We've been getting radio transmissions that point to it being 1969."
"What was the trip like for you two?" asked Mark.
"Now that you ask, we saw a large object on the earth side, while we were still in the warp. It was drawn towards us, but then broke free of the warp's pull of its own accord. It was huge. Could it have affected time?" asked Steve.
"Time! That's it!" said Mark, "This is the time of 1986 when Halley's Comet is due to come near earth. It must have caused a temporal anomaly in the warp, while Spindrift was passing through. We've come out in 1969 instead of 1986."
"Well if that's really true, we can't land at London," said Steve, "This ship will create a technology paradox, not to mention be hard to explain. Since all of us except Barry and Chipper have younger selves alive in 1969 in America, we'll have to stay in London, so we don't meet our younger selves."
"So what do we do?" asked Dan.
"Mark, could you rig a timed explosive, using the ship's hydrogen fuel cells, to denotate an hour after we left the ship?" asked Steve.
"Easily," said Mark.
"Then we take our clothes, no 1983 technology at all, abandon ship, and do our best to integrate into the society of 1969 London. Dan and I can easily get jobs as pilots using the old aircraft," said Steve.
"I can design things to build a new company, without inventing other people's inventions too soon and robbing them of their historically earned dues," said Mark, "and Val and I have talked of getting married as soon as we got back."
"It was our best kept secret, but Betty and I thought the same," said Steve, "And Betty wanted to keep her original promise to adopt Barry, if his cousins weren't able to."
"I think this qualifies as not being able to," said Betty.
Spindrift landed in a clearing in the middle of the night. Fitzhugh still had his stolen money, and would use it as capital to set Mark up in his business venture. Mark in return would give him enough profit sharing to keep him in comfort for the rest of his life. They weren't going to debate it. Everyone knew it was stolen money.
For the immediate future, they had to destroy the space ship.
Mark explained the technical aspects of their situation to the other passengers, and then Spindrift was abandoned.
The team were soon set up in London in a few weeks. The two weddings had limited attendance, because of the loss of their 1983 friends.
Barry moved in with Steve and Betty. One day, Dan used his new pilots job to take Barry on a free flight to the United States, making sure that only Barry left the plane. Dan hadn't become a pilot in 1969, but was still in athletic training for the Olympics he'd take on in later years.
Mark and Valerie gave birth to Don Wilson only 10 months after the wedding.
Barry stayed in a hotel, and went to a formal at his old high school early in 1970. He'd only been there for one year before his flight to London took a strange detour into the Land of the Giants. Now he was three years older.
He saw a slightly older teenaged girl who really caught his attention, and asked her for a dance.
She accepted, and they danced together for the rest of the evening. He invited her out into the garden later, and stroked her hair.
"You're a sweet kid," she said.
Her voice seemed familiar. So did her face. He'd been living so much in the moment, that he hadn't even asked her name.
"I'm Barry," he said, hoping she'd tell him her name too.
"I'm Valerie," said the girl.
"It's Valerie Scott!" he thought, "In 1970 she was in her late teens!"
He summoned up as much courage as he could and kissed her. He felt her tongue in his mouth and enjoyed it immensely. He embraced her. Although developing crushes on some of the giants just as he hit adolescence, he had never had the chance to hold a girl his own size in the natural way. Since both of the women in the Spindrift had been fully grown adults (Betty in her 20s and Valerie in her early 30s), they had regarded him as a safe innocent child, but he had felt too young to approach them romantically. Steve's romance with Betty had taken him by surprise, but he'd known for over a year about Mark and Valerie. Here he was romancing her younger self, the one who had not met him in real time yet, as he would not be born for a few more months. He'd get back to London and do his best to contain his secret, lest the Mark and Valerie he knew so well be surprised at his sudden romantic streak.
"You're rather good at this," said Valerie, when she came up for air.
Barry knew it would have to end sometime. She would go on as the original timeline dictated, meet his 1983 self on the Spindrift flight, and end up in giant land with him for three years. But this would be a one night affair to remember.
"I feel responsible for your innocence," said Valerie, "How far do you feel comfortable going?"
"Tonight's my first time for everything," said Barry, "But I'd like to do everything, except that one thing."
"You're very honourable," she said, "What would you say to us getting a bit more comfortable in the bushes on the far side of that school oval?"
"Okay," said Barry.
He walked her over, holding hands, and asked, "What should I do now?"
"Ever the gentleman," said Valerie, and lay down on her back in the moonlight, "Why don't you get comfortable too?"
Barry lay down beside her.
Valerie laughed.
"Can we try that again?" she asked.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"Of course not, but I was hoping you'd lie on top of me."
Barry lay down slowly this time, lowering his body onto hers as she invited, and felt the intensity of his passions going wild.
"You're quite big in some places, aren't you?" she giggled.
They stayed awake in those bushes for most of the night, indulging themselves until they fell asleep just after four am. They awoke in the middle of the Sunday morning, and Valerie invited him back to her place.
"I really have to go," he said, "I changed schools after year 7. This was my old school. I just came back for the party. I live overseas now."
He couldn't tell her about her future with Mark, only leave her to discover it , when it happened.
"You're the first boy I've heard of who wanted a one night stand without doing it," said Valerie, "I think that's why I responded. I want to wait too."
Barry returned to London on Dan's next flight, and was playing chess with Betty one night, while Steve was out on a flight.
Valerie called in on them, with baby Don Wilson, and said that Mark was working late on a new design at his office.
"Can I play with Don a while?" asked Betty, "I can't wait until Steve and I have one of our own."
"Sure," said Valerie, "I'll try to learn a few tips from the chess master here, so that I'll be more of a match for Mark. He's become hooked on the game since we got back."
Betty took baby Don into her room and enjoyed snuggling with the little boy.
"So how was your trip to you old home town?" asked Valerie.
Barry suddenly felt sorry for her. He was the only Flight 612 member young enough not to have a younger version of himself living in America. He didn't want to make Valerie jealous of his opportunities.
"It was nice," said Barry, "But it felt strange being out of time like that."
"I had a strange out-of-time experience too," said Valerie, "I woke up with a new memory this morning: a memory of something that happened to me in high school. Do you know what I mean?"
Barry sat there in shocked silence. He hadn't realised that the Valerie in her thirties (whom he'd known for three years) would acquire the altered memories of the teenaged Valerie he had romanced only days earlier. He could say nothing to her. She was now Mark Wilson's wife. He felt caught out, and utterly embarrassed.
"How early in that night did you know it was me?" she asked.
"As soon as you said your name was Valerie. Your voice seemed familiar too, and your face."
"Have you liked me at this age too?"
"I started to notice girls soon after we landed on the giant world, but I couldn't say or do anything," said Barry, "I'm so sorry, Valerie. I did leave that morning, so your younger self wouldn't have to ..."
"I know. It all makes sense now. You were the perfect gentleman I said you were. And you've done nothing wrong. I wasn't even seeing anyone in 1969. I'd had a boyfriend in 1967."
"I couldn't face Mark," said Barry.
"You won't have to. I wouldn't tell him. To me it was years before I met him."
"Thank you," he said.
"There is one more thing you should be aware of, Barry."
"What is it?" he asked nervously.
"It was the nicest night of my high school years."
Valerie walked around the chess table and kissed Barry's cheek. She gave him a hug.
"I'll see what I can do for you in the way of matchmaking," she said.
It had been the most embarrassing confession he'd ever made, but now that she had been so polite about it, he felt that the incident would strengthen their friendship, without undermining her marriage to Mark.
In 1974, Steve and Betty had a daughter named Joan Burton.
The years rolled by. By 1978, Steve and Dan could no longer continue as pilots. Their younger selves would be doing that. They had used false names for years, but the resemblance to their younger selves needed to be forgotten.
When September 1983 came up, the Flight 612 team were strongly convinced that it would be unwise to just reappear at Los Angeles airport several years older than they'd been when they departed.
Nor would there be any wisdom in trying to alter the course of history for their younger selves. Steve and Dan had tried that once, to the consternation of Berna and Thorg. However, it would not be wise. Steve and Dan had long since resigned as pilots. Besides, they had no need to avert the trip to the Land of the Giants now. It had all worked out so well, and led to two marriages and an adoption.
Barry was now grown up and living comfortably in London. Chipper and Fitzhugh had both died, with only the remaining Flight 612 team members at Fitzhugh's private funeral.
On one fateful night in September 1983, Betty Burton wore a long wig. Valerie Wilson had dyed her hair dark brown. Dan Ericcson, Mark Wilson, Steve Burton and Barry Lockeridge had disguised themselves as best they could.
When darkness had fallen, which coincidentally made sure that the aged team from 1969 didn't witness what had gone on that day between Berna and Thorg and Steve and Dan, the six surviving Flight 612 team members gathered just outside Los Angeles Airport. They were now 14 years older than they'd been when time thrust them back to 1969.
Also in attendance were Don Wilson, aged 13, and Joan Burton (aged 9). Both children had been told the legends of their parents' displacements in time, and had been sworn to secrecy.
Now they and the original six survivors watched a lone sub orbital space ship rise from the landing strip and fly off into the night.
They went back to London on the next flight, confident that it would take them there, since no subsequent flights had made it to the giant land during their three year stay in the giant land. They convened a party to remember the way it had all started for them in their 1983 memories, and went about their lives.
By 2010 Don Wilson was a lonely bachelor aged 40. He had made friends with a man in the same boat named Peter. They had met at the same scuba diving classes, and decided to go out diving together.
They picked a sunny day in September 2010, and began their dive in the open sea.
They noticed a beautiful shimmering part of the water, and swam towards it. They felt nothing tangible, as they continued swimming, and then the discolouration of the water seemed to fade away. They returned to the surface and were surprised to find that they were just near a shore. There were two women and three girls picnicking on the lawn between the shore and a forest.
"I thought we were out at sea," said Peter, "Where's your boat?"
"I don't know," said Don, "We must have really drifted down there."
"My goggles need wiping," said Peter, "The water's acting like a magnifying glass. Those women look huge."
They both pulled off their goggles and looked again.
"Don't ask me how, but they ARE huge," said Don, "I think something my parents told me is starting to get me worried."
Then one of the women saw him. Both ladies left the three girls on the large picnic rugs, and walked over to Peter and Don. They were gigantic women, towering over the men.
Peter and Don looked up.
"We must be in the Land of the Giants," said Don.
"What's that?" asked Peter.
"You'll soon catch up," said Don.
"Would you mind if I picked you up?" asked one of the women, "I'm Jennifer."
Peter thought she was stunning, and agreed to it. She picked him up and carried over to a large rock and sat down.
"I'm Peter," said the 42 year old who'd befriended the son of Mark and Valerie Wilson.
"I'm a widow," said Jennifer, "I'm 47 now. I met a little boy 27 years ago. He had a cute little dog. He was called Barry. He was your size, but younger. It was just weeks before I got married. I was 20 then. I met Louise at a single parents social group. She's divorced with a teenage daughter. My girls are 17 and 20. We became friends and our children get on well."
"Whatever brought us here vanished shortly after we swam through it. We didn't even realise it had brought us from our world to this one," said Peter, who was moonstruck by the giant widow Jennifer's beauty.
Meanwhile Don Wilson was coming to terms with the fact that an underwater anomaly had somehow launched him on the same adventure as his parents had once taken.
"I haven't seen little people for 27 years," said the other woman to Don, "I'm Louise. I saw a little space ship take off 27 years ago, from the far end of that forest. Back then the SID was run by an Inspector Kobick, who led a hunt for little people like you. I reported the ship's departure, and he assumed that there would be no more little people sightings. So he reassigned all the SID officers to regular police work. You're the first we've seen for years."
"I'm ... related to some of those little people who took off," said Don, quickly comprehending the need to avoid confusing her with his parents' time travel, "I heard a few stories about Kobick."
"After the hunt for little people ended, I began acquiring artefacts from earth, whenever they turned up on our world. I have the only collection of 27 year old little people artefacts," said Louise, picking Don up in her fingers, unaware of how tightly she was clenching him, "I'd like your permission to add you to it. I'd take good care of you."
"You probably can!" shouted Don, "But for goodness sake don't hold me in such a strong grip! I should call you Squeeze Louise."
"Sorry," she said, "I have a number of hobbies and interests, but Little People are my first love."
Louise and Jennifer soon introduced Don and Peter to their daughters, and explained the history of the SID's long forgotten pursuit of little people, and the need to conceal and protect them, so that the supreme council did not once again become aware of the presence of little people and reactivate the SID's rights to hunt and capture them.
Jennifer took Peter back to her house with her daughters, and a romance blossomed between the widow and the bachelor. Despite their size difference, they found that they were very compatible.
Louise had set Don Wilson up in a glass display cabinet with all the comforts he needed. He was interested in the collection. It included:
*a tiny medical book from ex-convict Dr Bruhl;
*a tiny chess set from the estate of Kronig;
*a tiny flare gun donated by retired SID Lieutenant Grayson;
*a tiny radio;
*the remains of Major Kagen's space ship;
*a collection of rare Enella metal recently found with a metal detector and dug up;
*a few lost bank notes, from Fitzhugh's robbery on earth.
Don was able to link some of the items to what his parents had told him about the giant world. Others were new to him.
"Would you mind if you and I got it on?" asked Louise one day, "I ask, because I can't get the idea out of my head."
"Normally I'd say there are certain things I can't do outside of marriage. With you it wouldn't even be possible within marriage. But I'd like to get closer to you," said Don , and a romance ensued.