"Nevada!" Amanda Bellows was not happy. "I might just call up Marty Peterson and give him a piece of my mind. Really Alfred, Las Vegas in September!"
"Now Amanda," Alfred Bellows placated, "I don't need to tell you its part of the game. We've been transferred before, and we'll be transferred again."
"I know Alfred," Amanda replied more calmly, "I just assumed our next duty station would be D.C. Its just over the past few years…" Mrs. Bellows stopped in mid sentence. Alfred was a good man, and she wasn't about to question his career.
"This could be very exciting, Amanda," Alfred said, "Remember the last time we were in Las Vegas." Occasionally Dr. Bellows does say the right thing. The Las Vegas comment earned him a wicked smile from his bride.
"I don't know Alfred, why don't you remind me," Amanda replied sultrily.
There were no more arguments in the Bellows household that afternoon, or evening. Dr. Bellows had to fly out to Las Vegas early the next morning, and had to rush to pack. The orders were odd. He was to wear civilian clothes, and to fly a civilian airline into McCarren Airport, where he will be met. The civilian clothes weren't that unusual. It was 1968, after all. The 'summer of love' was in full force and an Air Force colonel could be an easy target for protesters. The cryptic aspect of the orders puzzled him. He was a full colonel with code-word clearance, after all.
Amanda drove Alfred to the helipad on the base, and they said their goodbyes as Dr. Bellows boarded a helicopter that took him to Miami, where a civilian plane would take him to McCarran Airport in Las Vegas. A round about way to get to Las Vegas, but at least he left town on a good note, he thought. As the ever-efficient Colonel's wife, Amanda will be getting the house ready for the movers that the Air Force will provide. Dr. Bellows brought a camera with him to take pictures of the military housing at Nellis Air Force Base they will occupy.
The flight from Miami to Las Vegas was a relaxing one, and Dr. Bellows was actually able to get some sleep. He realized he had spent almost 24 hours now without even thinking about Major Anthony Nelson.
Alfred was greeted at the gate by a skycap with an electric cart with sign that said "Dr. Bellows".
"I'm Alfred Bellows," the doctor identified himself to the skycap.
The skycap invited, "Hop on sir, we'll get your baggage and take you to the other terminal."
Now Doctor Bellows was very confused. Other terminal? He thought he was just going up to Nellis, which was only a few miles north of town. But several years of experience on top secret projects taught him not to ask too many questions. They rode down to baggage claim and threw the suitcase on the cart. The driver of the cart then headed out on the tarmac.
"Sir, please put this on." The driver said, handing Dr. Bellows a photo ID already prepared for him.
They came to a private terminal with fairly heavy uniformed security. The uniforms had no identifying markings or badges on them though. After checking his camera at the terminal, Dr. Bellows was ushered onto an aircraft with a group of people with similar badges as his. The group was talking about last night's game, TV shows, movies, just as if they were commuters taking a trip they have taken the trip hundreds of times. Nobody talked to Dr. Bellows, and acted as if the stranger in their midst was nothing new.
Forty-five minutes later, they landed on a strip out in the middle of nowhere. The others started deplaning and headed to another building. At the foot of the stairs, a blond man in his early thirties stopped Dr. Bellows.
"Colonel, if you would come with me," the stranger said, "I'm Colonel Jones, head of R&D, welcome to Area 51."
"Thank you, Colonel," Dr. Bellows said, "I must admit, this is all so unusual."
"You'll see why in a few minutes," the young Colonel Jones replied. The two men climbed in a nearby jeep, where the driver took them to a large hanger.
Security around the hanger was extremely tight, the men were very will armed. They did not look like they would hesitate to shoot. Both men were allowed to enter after their identifications were carefully authenticated, and Jones entered a combination in the door. Inside the hanger were more senior enlisted men with automatic weapons. But the guards were not of Doctor Bellows interest anymore. He was looking at an aircraft the likes of he has never seen before.
"What in the world is that? Captain Kirk's back-up ship?" Dr. Bellows asked.
Colonel Jones laughed, "Its an SR-71 Blackbird, the latest generation of reconnaissance aircraft. You'll be directing human factors engineering on this project and others I can't show you just now"
Dr. Bellows smiled. He should have known General Peterson wouldn't let him down. This was definitely a choice assignment for any Air Force officer. When Dr. Bellows got word who was replacing him, it caused him a moment of tension. Then Alfred smiled, realizing it wasn't his problem. If NASA wanted Dr. Frank Burns, a brown-nosed poor excuse for a doctor whose psychiatric credentials come from being a patient in a mental ward, they could have him.
Later that afternoon Bellows took one of the flights that he later learned were called "Janet" flights back to McCarren. He was escorted to a bus that said "Nellis." The other workers went to busses that presumably went to parking areas. The bus took him to a restricted parking area of Nellis Air Force Base north of Las Vegas.
When he got off the bus, an attractive female sergeant was waiting for him with a jeep. "Colonel Bellows?" She asked, holding what appeared to be his service photo.
"Yes, Sergeant?" Dr. Bellows replied.
"I'm Sgt. Fair of special services. I've been instructed to show you available base housing, and take you to the BOQ." She explained.
The house was one of the better ones in the base housing complex, actually better than most you would find in military housing. Amanda should be pleased.
Sergeant Fair smiled as Dr. Bellows started taking pictures of the house, and asked, "For Mrs. Bellows, sir?"
"You better believe it, sergeant, my wife would skin me alive if I didn't get her the color scheme. It is a nice house." Dr. Bellows replied.
"I'm glad you like it sir," Fair responded, "I hope you also enjoy your short stay in our Bachelor Officer's Quarters."
"I'm sure I will," Bellows offered.
The BOQ actually was very nice, being on the scale of an economy hotel. Usually such facilities are for very young officers, or officers on temporary duty. As a Colonel, Dr. Bellows was entitled to a suite. Bellows thought he just might like Nevada.