Chapter 29
Saint John Hawke could not believe his ears as his daughter stood before him, flanked by the original Airwolf crew as she explained what happened in school.
"…They want to use the hangar for band practice." she ended her plea.
Sinjin looked at String's amused face. He then looked to Caitlin who stood puckering with her eyes rolling. He looked to Dom stood with his head rolled back as he too was dumbstruck by the request.
"Do you think that is a good idea?" he asked her.
"Hell no!" she shook her head. "But it's all these kids have. They are the losers of the school. They have broken homes; they have a low self esteem. They don't think they can accomplish anything. There is this big contest called 'Battle of the Bands'. It's the first thing these kids are willing to work together for. It's bad for us. Real bad for us but…it would be good for them."
Dom added, "Technically they would be using my hangar."
String stated, "But if one of those kids get caught up in the wormhole…they will be in Sinjin's hangar and looking at Sam's engine."
Caitlin added, "Then they would have the ultimate fieldtrip."
"It's a risk." Sam agreed. "But they have so little else and it would be just until the contest."
Sinjin added, "And you always wanted a rock and roll band to play with."
She blushed, "Busted."
Dom stated, "I hate to turn my back on kids. Especially troubled kids. I would normally let them use it."
Caitlin suggested, "We put them in the corner far away from the wormhole. They can't get swept up unless Sinjin activates the engine anyways. We just keep them on the other side of the hanger." She then looked to Sam, "And don't leave your phone laying around. You tend to do that. I'm always finding your phone laying around. Heck, you left your phone on the table when you went out to get your cinnamon roll fix the other day."
"I'll lock it up when they are around." she insisted. "I hate to see them not be able to at least compete just because no one will give them a place to practice."
Sinjin asked, "How are you supposed to practice with a band, help Ralph with the suit decodes and work on this project?"
She figured, "We can only practice about once or twice a week. The rest of the time…I'm too busy."
He asked, "This band thing will end, right? We got air shows this season and that helps with funding this little project of yours and with keeping Airwolf in the air."
"Yes." she confirmed. "It's just for a few months. The contest is in spring. It's November on the other side. It's February here. It's one season off. Mondale just won the election. Next is Thanksgiving vacation and then Christmas."
"Wait!" Sinjin held up a hand. "Who just won the election?"
"Mondale." she replied. "He beat out Reagan. I thought he was going to win."
Sinjin shook his head, "That's not right."
"It's not?" she asked. She admitted, "I thought Reagan got two terms but he lost."
"Reagan did get two terms. Won by a landslide." Sinjin told her.
The crew of Airwolf traded glances. Caitlin stated, "Reagan was projected to win by a landslide. They had technical issues and had to stop the count in a few states. It was messed up. Then Mondale won."
Sinjin's eyes grew wide, "That's not what happened." He went to the computer and looked up the election. "Mondale beat Reagan." He shook his head. "That's not right. We didn't change that. Reagan was president when I was rescued. He was president when me and the other POW's got our medals. He presented those medals to us. I met him and he was the President. Something changed!"
String figured, "We need to tell Michael and Marella." He referred to Archangel.
"We need a briefing." Sinjin agreed.
Sam asked, "What do I tell the kids in school? I have to tell them something in the morning."
"Keep them away from the wormhole." Sinjin stated concerned. "Wonder if there is another time travel program out there?"
String stated, "If there is…then no one is safe."
"Saint John." KITT spoke over the laptop computer speaker.
He replied, "Yeah KITT."
"I have analyzed the situation. If there are other time travelers then that would indicate there is more than one engine capable of warp drive. That would also indicate there would be a secret space program that we are not aware of. I had been actively archiving all public information and news articles. I have placed those files off line and I increased the efficiency and strength of the warp field for security purposes. That has isolated the original articles from changes in the timeline. I can concur, Ronald Reagan won two terms in office but a change has occurred and thus resulting in Walter Mondale beating Reagan out for re-election. I have utilized the network to notify Michael Knight, Bonnie Bestow and Jo Santini-Hawke of the change to the timeline. They are on their way in."
Sam figured, "We have already experienced a timeline shift and I didn't even know it and I'm from the future." She plopped down on a nearby chair at the table and puffed her cheeks.
String stated, "Now we have a documented timeline shift. With KITT we can monitor that." He stepped closer and placed his hands on her sunken shoulders, "We would not have known that if it weren't for KITT and we never would have had KITT salvaged and brought to us if it weren't for you and that mistake you made with the money. I guess some things happen for a reason."
She sighed, "Now I wonder how many timeline shifts there have been and who else has this technology."
Dom added, "And who those aliens are that gave Ralph that suit. I bet they have an engine like the one Sam made."
String gave a slight rub to Sam's shoulders assuring her that she was not alone. "We will figure it out, kid."
She gave a sigh, "All while I go to high school and have band practice." The whole idea sounded idiotic to her. In her mind she needed to double down on work and try to find a way to trace the timeline shifts.
KITT offered, "I will work on documenting each timeline we shift into. The warp engine has presented us with a beachhead. It isolates the inside of the hangar from the outside world events. Thus, Saint John was not affected by the timeline shift that just occurred."
Sam looked up to String as both understood what KITT was implementing.
Dom asked, "Beachhead?"
String agreed, "The engine warps space and time around it. Sinjin has been manning the engine, he's been sitting close to it this entire time. That has protected him the timeline shift. If KITT can magnify that effects we could extend it to the entire hangar and make this a beachhead in a time war. Whoever is in the hangar is safe from any changing timeline. Including death. You would be outside the shifting timeline."
Caitlin asked confused, "Including death, String? How would this protect someone from being killed?"
Sam explained, "The results of the first timeline is now isolated. So, say in the new timeline dad was never rescued and I was never born. The first timeline has now been buffered so no matter what happens to dad in the new timeline it won't after me or him here. But mom may not know me or dad if we step out of the hanger and go home for a bit."
"Exactly." String agreed. "We have a beachhead for the first timeline that can protect Sam and Sinjin from the changes. KITT is also protected as he now resides inside the beachhead. The network can be compromised outside. If someone were to go back and prevent KITT from being invented in the new timeline we still have KITT. It cannot affect KITT from the first timeline. We have now switched to a second timeline. We may or may not find much for changes outside. Sinjin and Sam would be the ones to notice any minor or major changes. 2022 is their time, not ours."
Dom added, "We've all been out there. We could see if there was some changes too. Maybe not to the extent that Sam and Sinjin could be would could see some general changes."
Sam smirked, "Like if McDonald's stop selling cinnamon rolls?"
"Or went back to looking like McDonald's again." he added.
KITT spoke, "Changes in major corporations would be a good indicator for a timeline shift. Another would be a phenomena called the Mandela Effect."
Caitlin asked, "What is that, KITT?"
"It's a theory I found online in the first timeline and in the new timeline. It based on Nelson Mandela. It's subject to memory. Officially, Nelson Mandela was released from prison and became the President of South Africa on May 10th 1994. Died on December 5th 2013. Many reported that they recalled he died in prison and was never elected to office. Those memories are considered a false memory by medial standards."
Sam debated, "How can we tell what would be a false memory and what would be a timeline shift?"
KITT explained, "That is why I took the liberty to documents and secure timeline public records, Samantha. The timeline shift occurred with the 1984 election. I am comparing public records I secured prior to what is available online today."
String figured, "KITT can compared and highlight any differences."
"That is correct, Stringfellow." KITT agreed.
KITT had a habit of calling everyone on by their full name which Dom found rather humorous. He kidded, "Kind of like being spoken to by a parent, huh String."
"Kind of." he had to agree.
"Is there an issue, Dominic?" KITT wondered.
String grinned to his friend, "Or teacher."
"Last time I was called 'Dominic' I was in the 5th grade." he confessed.
Caitlin asked, "What does KITT call Archangel?"
KITT replied, "Michael Coldsmith-Briggs the Third." He then explained, "I do not wish to get the two Michaels confused thus I call one of them by their full name."
Caitlin pondered, "I wonder what KITT would be like if he was human?"
Dom stated, "I know what he would be. He would be one of those stuffy English blokes."
Sam had to agreed, "I can see that. He would be an English gentleman, like Harry Potter."
String asked, "Who is Harry Potter?"
Sinjin sighed and rolled his eyes, "Oh' no."
Sam grinned, "I got a whole fandom to introduce you too."