Chapter 2: The Fog
"Science does not knowits debt to imagination." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Linwood, Utah, April 20, 140,001,943 B.C.
The Mysterious Beyond
A ruffle in a nearby bush was enough to shock Ichy awake. He could hear braches cracking and see the bush shaking.
"Who's there?" Ichy demanded. The only response Ichy got was more shaking and noise in the bush. Despite excruciating sores and his grievous lack of energy, Ichy decided to hightail it.
He jumped up into the air and flapped his wings, but his quick action would be in vain. Ichy, for all his brilliant efforts, has exhausted all his energy. He only remained airborne for two seconds before his sore left wing went numb and quit. He lost control and spiraled counter-clockwise before hitting the ground at ten miles per hour. The force of the impact severely hurt Ichy's right wing and legs, and sent Ichy tumbling head-first into a crescent-shaped rock formation.
Almost as if this wasn't bad enough, a huge bellydragger appeared out of the bush. With the notable exception of Dil, all bellydraggers were fearsome predators. Normally, Ichy would just fly away, but with both of his wings badly impaired, flying was no longer an option. The bellydragger seemed to sense this and approached his helpless prey. Ichy tried to run away, but he quickly lost his balance and collapsed again. The big bellydragger slowly approached him and opened his jaws. Ichy could see its sharp teeth and gleaming eyes. Trapped by the rock formation, Ichy had no way out. He could only watch as the bellydragger slowly approached him.
The Florida Strait, November 12, 1943 A.D.
US Navy Motor Torpedo Boat PT-148, Elco 80' PT boat
The experiment was finally starting. Cleve and Ruffy were watching from the top deck. Ruffy sent another crewman, Alford, to monitor the radar and exonerated Cleve. Although the charthouse had two deadlight windows, the view was badly obstructed by the life raft and ready boxes. Cleve was enraptured that he could finally satisfy his curiosity.
Both officers, Cleve and Ruffy, were busy observing the Eldridge. Ruffy was standing at the helm, and Cleve stood in the .50 cal gun turret to the right of the helm. Four enlisted crewmen also climbed onto the deck. Three of them gathered near the fantail while one of them kneeled by a torpedo tube on the port side. Both officers were using binoculars. However, in lieu of the standard Navy binoculars, Cleve was using a lighter and more compact civilian model. A few days ago, Cleve dropped and broke the binoculars issued by the Navy, and replacements were nearly impossible to get. Instead, he just bought a civilian one.
Cleve's location allowed a great view of the starboard side of the destroyer escort. Through the binoculars, Cleve could see the PT-147 bobbing alongside the Eldridge. He could also see someone in a bulky white outfit moving around the bow of the Eldridge. Things were going as planned.
"When is the experiment starting?" Cleve asked inquisitively as he moved his binoculars away from his face.
"They're starting right now," Ruffy responded with excitement, "Look!"
Cleve quickly glanced through his binoculars as crewmen raced to the port side of the boat. They too wanted to watch the experiment. The boat leaned to port, but it wasn't enough to discourage anyone from watching.
Cleve could see smoke coming out of the two field coils on the front of the vessel. The color of the smoke was not like anything that Cleve had ever seen. It had a deep stygian green color that seemed to be enveloping the entire ship. Instead of being dispersed in the air or being blown away by the wind, it began to rapidly surround the ship's hull, like a magnet being attracted to an iron.
"That's a really impressive smoke screen," a sailor commented.
"Yeah, with these new screens, the enemy will never see us. How do they get the fog to stick like that?" asked another.
Ruffy responded, "It's not just a smoke screen."
"What's that fog supposed to do then?" Cleve asked.
"Well," Ruffy said, "I suppose that there's no harm in telling you now. The commander apprised me after you guys left the room. The ship is supposed to turn invisible and…"
"Wait," Cleve yelped, "What?" Five sets of eyes trained on Ruffy. The lieutenant didn't like all the attention, but his face didn't change at all. He kept staring through his binoculars and acted like nothing has happened.
When he finally spoke, Ruffy asked: "You've all heard of Albert Einstein, right?" Cleve and the other crewmen nodded. Ruffy soon continued: "He came up with this theory that states that when an object has gravity and a magnetic field, it can turn invisible to radar. However, in previous experiments, the ship has been able to gain optic invisibility and teleport."
The boat was as silent as a church. The only sounds were the waves and rain droplets hitting the boat. Everyone stared at Ruffy with disbelief on his face. Cleve didn't believe it, but Ruffy was always veracious. The lieutenant, an old man who kept the Bible close to him at all times, has never lied to him before. Albeit doubtfully, Cleve submitted to Ruffy's story.
Ruffy was the one who broke the uncomfortable silence. He pointed in the direction of the Eldridge and exclaimed: "Look! The fog has covered the entire ship now!"
Almost instantly, all eyes trained on the Eldridge. Even with his binoculars, Cleve could no longer see the Eldridge or the PT-147. Everything was enveloped in a stygian green cloud. Oddly, Cleve thought that he saw some sparks and elfin flashes of lightning inside. The whole cloud seemed to be charged and filled with energy. Everyone watched in anticipation.
Then, it happened.
A huge flash of lightning raced across the sky and entered the stygian cloud. Instead of hitting the mast, the lightning struck the Eldridge right at the generator at the bow. Nearly one billion volts of electricity rushed into the field coils. The intensity of the electromagnetic field suddenly surges, and what happened next will puzzle scientists for decades to come.
According to Albert Einstein, who took months to work out the results of the experiment, the sudden surge the electromagnetic field, combined with gravity, had managed to break off and from its own space-time continuum.
With a thunderous "bang" and a bright white flash of light, the electromagnetic field and the generators surged. The blanket of green fog surrounding the ship suddenly expanded outwards, racing towards the surrounding PT boats. Cleve dropped the binoculars, quickly covered his eyes with his arm, and ducked in the "armored" turret. In truth, the turret was only made of ¾ inch plywood, but that was enough to shield him from the light and the force of the expanding fog. When the light died down and everything returned to normal, Cleve was the first one to get up and open his eyes.
The first thing Cleve did was to check himself for any injuries he might have sustained. He saw none. He dusted himself off and looked around the boat for any injured crew members. He also saw none. Fortunately, everyone managed to cover his eyes in time to avoid the blinding flash. The expanding fog managed to span the mile-long distance between the Eldridge and the PT-148 in less than nine seconds. Visibility decreased to around fifty feet. There was no telling whether if other boats suffered any damage.
Ruffy was quick to grasp the seriousness of the situation. "Quit standing around!" Ruffy ordered, "Cleve, turn on the search lights. Everyone else, get back inside."
Without thinking, Cleve ran to the search light near the helm and turned it on. Ruffy started shouting orders to the charthouse with the pilot tube.
"Alford," Ruffy demanded, "the experiment on the Eldridge exploded. Can you establish radio contact with the other boats?"
"Negative sir," responded Alford, "I think our antenna got damaged. All I can hear is a bunch of static."
"Cleve," Ruffy commanded, turning to Cleve "man the helm. Bring us to the Eldridge at full speed. We need to check on her ourselves."
Cleve ran to the helm and pushed the throttle forward. The undamaged engines roared into action. Half a minute later, they were dashed across the ocean at 30 knots. The engines and transmission were doing fine. Somewhat relived by a lack of damage on his own boat, Cleve turned his attention to the Eldridge. Amidst the confusion, Cleve could not find his binoculars, but fortunately, the Eldridge was visible without any visual aid. The stygian green fog that surrounded her was gone. Her bow was a mess. The two generators were blasted to pieces, and what remained was producing thick grey smoke. However, Cleve was not too worried. The damage was limited to the bow of the boat, and the crew should be fine. The rain would allay any fires onboard, and there seemed to be no critical damage to the hull. It seemed no worse than a hit from a 3 inch shell. However, as Cleve shifted his gaze towards the center of the Eldridge, his expression turned aghast.
The PT-147, just like Cleve's binoculars, has vanished.
Linwood, Utah, April 20, 140,001,943 B.C.
The Mysterious Beyond
The bellydragger took its time to approach Ichy, but Ichy had no ways of escape. The crash has badly injured his wings, and there was no way that he could fully climb over the rock formation. However, with his last morsels of strength, he managed to climb a little higher on the rock formation. It was this action that would save him.
Unknown to Ichy, Cleve's experiment 140 million years latter triggered a huge rip in the time-space continuum, causing a major time vortex to form. Because of specific factors such as location, the intensity of the magnetic field, mass of the objects involved, and time, the time vortex linked Cleve's experiment in the Florida Strait with the lake in Linwood, Utah. With a bright flash of light, the two times and locations connected. The following exchange would change both time periods forever.
The force of the vortex not only sucked in the PT-147 but also many random objects nearby, including Cleve's binoculars and a few fishes. The vortex spontaneously transports all the boat these objects to the lake in Utah, dumping them near the edge of the lake.
With a loud bang and a superfluity of smoke, the PT-147 was thrown at the shore of the lake, only yards away from Ichy. More than 51 tons of wood and steel crashed into the shore, cutting off the bellydragger's path to Ichy. Ichy did not notice, because closed his eyes to protect himself from the smoke. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about the intoxicating fumes. Ichy coughed and gaged, but it did no good. This is the end of me, Ichy thought with self-pity, Chocking to death on this green fog. Not from a natural cause like sickness and earthquakes, not from a hungry belleydragger, not from starvation… no, I just have to die from chocking on this fog. If I'm gonna die, can't I at least be with my family? Please, at least Dil? No… The last thing Ichy remembered seeing before fainting was the smiling face of his mother looking down at him. He knew it was just a hallucination, but he smiled. At least I'll still have good memories, he thought, At least I can die a happy sharpbeak.
The Florida Strait, November 12, 1943 A.D.
US Navy Motor Torpedo Boat PT-148, Elco 80' PT boat
"Are you sure we should get this close?" Cleve asked with vexation, "We don't have any protection against the radiation."
The PT-148 was getting close to the Eldridge. Cleve would see the faces of the worried workers on the ship, but he knew too well that the harmful radiation could kill anyone who wasn't dressed properly. The workers on the Eldridge had special suits, but the PT-148 did not have any.
"You got a point," Ruffy stated, "Get out the megaphone then. We still need to keep our distance."
Cleve pulled the throttle back and the responsive boat coasted to a stop. The waves were getting milder, and the rain was slowly abating. Cleve took out the megaphone from a cabinet under the helm and handed it to Ruffy. The training manual suggested that he always keep a megaphone handy, because radio messages can sometimes broadcast farther than they are supposed to and be picked up by the enemy.
"This is the PT-148," Ruffy shouted through the megaphone, "Do you need help with firefighting? Was anyone injured?"
"The fires are out," Someone onboard yelled back, "And thankfully, no one was injured. Don't come any closer. The radiation is still too high." The sound was loud and clear, despite the roar of the relentless waves.
"What happened to PT-147? Did it sink?" Cleve and Ruffy both knew that the boat did not sink. PT boats were made out of wood, and the boats were lightly loaded. There was no way for a PT boat to sink in such a short period of time. Cleve heard about a PT boat, the PT-109, that stayed afloat 12 hours after being sliced in half by a Japanese destroyer. Plus, there was absolutely no debris or oil slick.
"We lost track of it during the explosion," the man on the Eldridge replied, "Thankfully, no one was onboard. Should we send a diver down there to look for her? The water here isn't very deep—only 40 feet."
"Cleve, get your diving suit on," Ruffy said to Cleve, "You're going underwater." Every PT boat carried a hard diving suit. The Navy believed that every boat should have one, just in case quick repairs had to be made in enemy territory. All of the officers and crew were trained in diving, although Cleve found it to be a largely useless, but fun, task.
Cleve typically enjoyed diving, but not in such bad weather conditions. Below the surface of the ocean, the water is usually fairly calm, although the Florida Strait had a strong current. It was supposed to be just a quick dive, so Cleve did not complain. He walked back into the interior and pulled on his bulky hard diving suit. Cleve wasn't very big, and he put on his suit without much difficulty. Alford helped him onto the fantail and put on his helmet. The umbilical cable, fastened to the PT boat, provided him with oxygen. Ruffy tied a ladder to one of the cleats on the fantail, and Cleve descended down the ladder into the cool, rough water below.
Linwood, Utah, April 20, 140,001,943 B.C.
The Mysterious Beyond
It was almost dusk when Ichy woke up. The fog was gone, and in its place were dozens of fish that have appeared along with the PT-147. The bellydragger was gone, and in its place stood a strange angular piece of green wood, the PT-147. For a fleeting second, Ichy believed that he was dead. Such a twist of fortune was hardly believable, but the pain in his wings and stomach reminded him otherwise. So, I'm still alive, Ichy thought, I didn't chock to death on some green fog, and I shall not die from hunger. I have all this food in front of me.
Ichy took no notice of the strange, angular piece of wood that appeared before him; he was too hungry to care. He walked to a small finned swimmer with glistening scales. It looked just like the one he envisioned earlier. He scooped it up in his mouth and swallowed it whole. He immediately felt the pain in his gut alleviate. He moved closer to the boat and ate another one. He was already feeling full. Flyers couldn't eat too much at once, because they need to keep their weight down in order to fly. But they had to eat constantly.
Ichy was about to eat a third one when he noticed something. He noticed a glare to his right. Curious, he slowly walked up to it. There were two small black tubes joined together by a thin ribbon of rock. The tubes were covered on both sides by a frozen-water-like material. Ichy knew that the weather was too warm for frozen water to form. He put his good wing against the material and felt its temperature. It did not seem cold. Ichy put his eye up to the new material. All of a sudden, he could see the trees in the mountains in the distance. Ichy blinked, but he could still see the trees. He pushed one tip of the object to the left. His view shifted to a waterfall in the distance. The view was so clear that he could see the leaves of the trees near the waterfall. This is truly amazing, Ichy thought, I wonder if I can use this thing in the air. Cleve's binoculars found a new owner.
The Florida Strait, November 12, 1943 A.D.
US Navy Motor Torpedo Boat PT-148, Elco 80' PT boat
It was dark underwater. Cleve knew that about only 20% of the light at the surface manage to reach 40 feet underwater, and there wasn't much sunlight to begin with. Cleve walked along the bottom of the sea, looking for the wreckage of the PT boat. The waves and currents were a lot softer underwater, and the radiation was probably a lot lower too. But Cleve was still worried, because there were lemon sharks in the region, and they attacked people. Cleve had to act fast to prevent attacks.
He explored the region, but he found nothing but fish, water, and sand. There was absolutely no trace of any wreckage. Because Cleve got his air supply from his umbilical cord, which was connected to the PT-148, Cleve could stay down for an indefinite amount of time. But Cleve knew that it was pointless. He walked back towards the PT-148. Cleve climbed up the ladder and onto the boat. Alford and Ruffy helped him take off his helmet.
"So, did you find anything?" Ruffy asked.
"Nothing," Cleve replied, "There was absolutely no wreckage." Ruffy did not look surprised. They both knew that the PT boat didn't sink. It simply vanished.
"Alright then, we'll just have to call it a day," Ruffy said, "Alford, man the helm. Take us home. Cleve, you can rest inside for the trip home. You've done enough work today."
"What should we tell the rest of the crew about the PT-147?" Cleve asked, "Should we keep it a secret?"
"Tell them that you found a big hole in the side of the PT-147," Ruffy responded, "Cleve, Alford, you are not to discuss this experiment outside this boat or the base. Do not mention this to any civilian personnel or military personnel unknown to you. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" Cleve and Alford both responded. Cleve heard that Alford was trustworthy. He would keep his word. Cleve didn't mind holding a secret, and he had no intension of telling others. He had other things to worry about.
Cleve took off his suit and descended down a hatch into the charthouse. He folded his suit and stuffed it into a locker. He tried sleeping on his bunk, but the sea was too rough and the engines were too loud. He went to the cabin and played blackjack with the crews of the PT-148 and the Eldridge. They all watched the experiment and saw the explosion, but Ruffy ushered them in after the explosion. They still probably knew what happened by watching from the windows, but they certainly wanted to know more.
Cleve grabbed a quarter from his locker and tossed it onto the table. A crewman from the Eldridge dealt Cleve the cards. "So, the PT-147 was missing huh?" he asked.
Cleve shook his head. "It ended up on the bottom of the ocean floor," Cleve said, trying to sound genuine, "I went down there and saw a huge hole in her side. I reckon that it's possible to raise her, but a PT boat isn't worth much."
"That's unfortunate," the man replied, "The Eldridge looks pretty banged-up. It'll take a week for two for her to get repaired."
Cleve nodded but said nothing. He concentrated on the game. I can't afford to lose today, Cleve thought, I need to buy myself another pair of binoculars when I get back on shore.
Linwood, Utah, April 20, 140,001,943 B.C.
The Mysterious Beyond
Ichy looked for a way to secure the binoculars to him, but he didn't have to look farther than the binoculars themselves. There was a strap on the binoculars designed to be strapped onto the human wrist. But what was fit for the human wrist was also fit for an ichthyornis. Ichy slid his neck under Ichy's wing was feeling better now, so he tried to fly again. The binoculars were surprisingly light. Cleve's binoculars were made out of aluminum, and the glass was thin. In total, the binoculars weighted less than three pounds. Ichy leaped into air. The binoculars swung from side to side, and Ichy almost lost balance on several occasions. But the binoculars were light, and some practice should make perfect. He carefully landed on the top of the rock formation in front of him, slowly proceeding as to prevent damaging the binoculars. He held them up to his eyes. He could see even further now. He turned in the direction of the Land of Mists, and he could see the leaves on the trees. This thing is truly amazing, Ichy thought, I need to tell Dil. Without hesitation, Ichy lifted off into the air, grabbed a fish for Dil, and headed back to the Land of Mists.
And just like that, the PT-147 was forgotten. It was written off the Navy records as having been grounded and scuttled in New Guinea. The PT-148 would serve at the Pacific Front under the nickname Fertile Myrtle until the end of the war. The Eldridge was quickly repaired and put back into service. It would be later sold to Greece as the HS Leon and would serve until 1999. No one from the experiment leaked any information, and it remains a secret to this day. After the failed experiment, the Navy canceled the entire project. The tide of war was turning, and there was no need for dangerous and unreliable "super-weapons" like invisible ships. The Navy, initially, believed that there would be no permanent effects, but Einstein correctly believed otherwise. The magnetic field did not dissipate with the explosion. Instead, it lingered on, causing strange anomalies in a region known today as the Bermuda Triangle. What's more, according to Einstein, the magnetic field can be reactivated by both human intervention and natural causes like lightning. This effect would be responsible for the disappearances of many ships and planes such as Flight 19, which will be covered in the next chapter.