Flight

The two boys quickly found the helmet and pads and took pictures of them. They were careful to put everything back exactly as they found it. They poked around some more and then found the lights. "Damn, I bet he really was the UFO!" said Lee. "I'll bet you five bucks that he was actually it."

"How can he? People can't fly," said his brother.

"Don't know how, but I think he can. We've got to stake this place out and get more pictures before we turn him in to the police. He ought to get in trouble for dropping that tractor on the police car," said Lee. He laughed. "He thought it was funny, what he did to me. Let's see how long he laughs now."

The two boys almost camped out in the abandoned house near the farm for three weeks but in the end, they got their pictures. At last, there was no doubt. Ralph was flying.

"So, now what?" asked his brother. "Even with the pictures, who will believe you?"

"Officer Morris, the one who almost got hit by that falling tractor, that's who. He's stopped me a couple of times but I think he'll help me. Ralphie is going to be in big trouble now."

Naturally, Officer Morris didn't believe Lee any more than anyone else would have. He thought the pictures were faked. People can't fly. He knew that but he also knew that something had dropped a farm tractor on his shiny new police car only seconds before he would have gotten into it and he didn't like that. No one had offered up an explanation. He took Lee's evidence to the police chief who also looked at it and talked to Lee and the police chief called in the Air Force.

Ever so quietly, two men in a plain truck drove up to the farm house one afternoon and unloaded some equipment and drove away. They set up an observation post in the house with cameras and binoculars aimed at the barn. No one noticed them, especially not Ralph.

Ralph went flying one night, swooping around over the sleepy town and gliding back into the barn. Everything seemed normal until he landed. Suddenly, lights flashed on.

"Hello Ralph, I'm Captain Harris from the Air Force. I'd like to ask you a few questions."

Ralph, who hadn't quite landed suddenly fell to the ground.

"You were actually flying!" exclaimed a second well dressed man. "I'm Doctor Thomas. I'm delighted to meet you. This is truly amazing."

"I'm not so sure it is," said Ralph. "Am I in trouble?"

"Nonsense, son, why would you be?" replied the Captain.

"We just want to know how you do it, how you fly," added the doctor. "Can you show us?"

"Um, sure I guess. I just jump at the ground and miss, that's all. Just jump and miss."

"Jump and miss?"

"Yeah, like this," he replied and stood on a bale of hay and jumped and missed the ground and floated. "Just like this. I have to spin and think of something too. At first it was marshmallows."

"Marshmallows? You think of marshmallows while jumping?"

"Well, anything really. I just need a distraction and I have to close my eyes and spin, or try to. This really wasn't high enough to spin but my body has to think it is. It was harder at first but now it's pretty easy."

"And how in the world did you learn how to do this?"

"It was an accident," he began. He was not about to tell them he actually was going to kill himself. Instead, he simply said that he couldn't sleep, went to the quarry, slipped and fell and flew.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. I floated there for a while then landed and wondered what happened. I came here trying to duplicate it and it took me a couple of hours one night but I learned to fly."

"Simply amazing. How high and how fast can you go?" asked the doctor.

"Don't really know," he replied. "Not very fast I guess and I've never had any reason to go very high. I mean, why?"

"And can you lift anything?"

"Yes, I can. It's like they don't weigh anything either once I do." Ralph was glad they didn't ask about the tractor. He was still floating and lifted up a bale of hay. "Like this. Once I break it free of the ground, it's weightless like I am."

"Son, have you told anyone about this? Does anyone else know you can do this?"

"Well, I haven't told anyone though I think one or two people might know, one of them being a bully by the name of Lee Flick. He hates me."

"Don't you worry about him, son. We need to think about this for a few days or so. In the meantime, I want your word you won't say anything to anyone about this, not even your parents."

"Am I in trouble?" he asked again.

"No way. You're not in any trouble at all. You're a very special person and we just want to be sure we do this right. We've got to figure out some things first though," said the captain.

"Yes, we do. You do understand that what you're doing defies all the laws of gravity and biology that we know. You are indeed a very special person and we don't want anything to happen to you. We want you to be careful and not get hurt and not tell anyone what you are doing."

"And I think it might be best if you didn't do any more flying over the next few days."

After about half an hour of polite conversation and more questions, Ralph left and went back home. The two very well educated men just stood there and looked at each other and said "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it."

"He jumps at the ground and just misses as if it is just that simple and just that easy."

For Ralph, it certainly was.

He was relieved when he got back into bed that night. Someone knew his secret, someone important. The Air Force knew or at least someone in the Air Force knew. He was special. He was now someone important.

Five days later in the early evening, the Air Force officer and the doctor were talking to Ralph's parents. Privately, they had already told him what their story was going to be.

"Your son, Ralph, entered a contest that we ran in a couple of magazines."

"You didn't tell me about this," said his mother.

"Sorry mom, but I didn't think anything of it at the time and forgot about it until now. You know, nobody ever wins those things."

"They're all rigged," said his father and Ralph laughed to himself because this one certainly was.

"Anyway, from all the entrants, we had a random drawing and the prize is three months at a special Air Force Science camp, all expenses paid including travel. All your son has to do is pack his bags. We'll take him there and back and he can call you any time he wants. We'll even bring him home for Thanks Giving and Christmas. We'll also see to it that he keeps up on his studies. He shouldn't miss a day. All you have to do is sign here."

Well, it wasn't quite that simple but just about. There were official looking forms to fill out and the two men asked his parents lots of questions, a few of which seemed a bit too personal but by the time the two men left, it was agreed that two days later the men would return and take Ralph away.

Ralph tried to be very nonchalant about it as he told his friends. "It's no big deal, really," he tried to explain. "I just entered some silly contest and won, that's all. I don't even remember doing it, really."

Most of the kids couldn't believe it. There he was, nerdy, geeky Ralph, butt of all jokes, winning an all expenses paid three months at an Air Force Science camp. Lee Flick certainly couldn't believe it.

He talked to the police chief. "You mean to tell me he drops a tractor on a police car and he gets to go to a science camp? He ought to be going to jail!"

"Now listen here young man," glared the police chief. "First of all, there is no real proof he did that, at least nothing that will hold up in court any more than there is proof you broke into the school that night you broke your leg. I mean try telling a jury that he can fly like Superman or something and see where that gets you. Secondly is that when the United States Air Force comes here and says to leave someone alone and make sure everyone else does too, I make sure I leave him alone and suggest you do too, unless that is, you'd rather be in more trouble."

"It ain't fair!"

"Son, I learned a hell of a long time ago that very little in life is fair. My advice is get over it and get on with your life. If what you've told me is true, then it sure as hell looks like he pulled one over on you, but then again, considering all the bullying you've done to him..."

"I never bothered him."

"Don't lie to me. I know a lot more about you than I want to. I know what's gone on and quite frankly, it looks to me like you kind of got what you deserved. I suggest you move on or like I said, you may get into more trouble. I'm not happy that he may get away with dropping a tractor on my police car but if he did, it's no longer my problem. Don't make it yours."

Ralph was excited and could barely sleep. He was leaving what he considered a small hick town and privately, he hoped it would be forever. Just after breakfast, Captain Harris arrived and Ralph said his goodbyes to his parents.

"We'll take good care of him, ma'am," said the captain very sincerely. "Don't you worry about a thing."

He was driven to a small airport not too far away where there was a shiny new Lockheed Electra waiting for them. Like most of his generation, the generation before the Boeing 707, neither Ralph nor his parents had ever been in an airplane. It was pretty amazing to him as someone took his bags and he climbed up the stairs and found a seat inside the air plane. He and the Captain were the only ones in it.

"You need to understand a few things," explained the Captain once they had taken off. "We've got use of a small part of a base out in Nevada. It's being used for other secret stuff so don't go poking around or asking questions of the other people there. At the same time, if anyone asks you what you're doing there, you can tell them politely to see me or Doctor Harris who will meet us there. If someone doesn't like your answer, you can get a hold of me right away and I assure you, they'll like my answer even less.

"The next thing is that I've promised a lot of people that you will keep up on your studies so on our way there, we're picking up a couple of teachers. Needless to say, they don't know anything at all about your special abilities and I'd prefer to keep it that way. Understand?"

"Yes, sir, I do." It was incredible. He was so special, he even rated his own private teachers!

"Last thing is that this base is a bit primitive. You'll have your own rooms, probably a mobile home and you can come and go from them pretty much on your own, but again, we only get a little bit of the base. Don't be asking questions or snooping around. You'll quickly find out where you can go and where you can't. There's a common mess hall where you can eat your meals. Food is supposed to be pretty good but kind of basic. You may get a lot of strange looks at first because you're just a kid but as soon as we get there, you'll get a badge to hang from your neck so you shouldn't have any problems with anyone there."

"And if I do, they can see you?"

"You got it, Ralph. Look, all we want to do is find out how and why you do what you do, that's all. You do realize that you've managed to defy all the laws of science as we know them. People just can't fly."

"But I can."

"And that's what we want to find out. We want to know why. In the first day or two, there may be some medical tests but they won't be anything to worry about. They'll probably draw blood and take measurements and maybe put you on a treadmill but it shouldn't be anything uncomfortable or painful, then we'll start having you fly."

True to his word, the plane made a few stops and picked up a couple of passengers including his two tutors. Mr. Jenkins, an older fifty-ish man, would handle the math and science. Miss Hale, a twenty something cute blonde, would take care of English and History. Ralph thought Jenkins was pompous and Hale was cute but more of a party girl.

As the plane approached the Nevada base, the copilot came through and instructed everyone to close the window blinds. "If anyone is caught looking out the window, you will be prosecuted, no exceptions. We are entering a highly classified area," he announced.

Ralph casually wondered if they would really prosecute him but decided against actually finding out. It wasn't worth it. After all, he was going to fly.

Even though it was after dark when they landed, it was still quite hot outside. There was a jeep and driver who took Ralph and the Captain to see the commanding General. He had his picture taken and was issued an ID card that he had to hang around his neck at all times. Then it was to his very own trailer that he would have to himself. It had seen better days but it had electricity, running water, air conditioning and television.

"Don't snoop around, Ralph," cautioned the Captain. "You need anything, my trailer and office are right next door. We'll get going first thing in the morning."

The next morning the Captain walked him over to the mess hall, introduced him to a few of the people there and made sure that everyone knew that Ralph was actually supposed to be there. Then it was on to a small Quonset hut where Doctor Harris was waiting for them.

"Just a few basic tests this morning," he explained. "I don't really have the ability to do anything too serious anyway but then I don't know what I'm looking for either." He did run an EKG and an EEG and the usual basic blood pressure, heartbeat type stuff. It was all very, very ordinary. Had it been forty or fifty years later, they might have run a DNA test and found their answers but that was before DNA testing was even a dream.

"It's all too normal," proclaimed the Doctor.

In the afternoon, Ralph met his two tutors and spent four hours with them going over what was going to be covered over the next few weeks. Mr. Jenkins clearly thought that this assignment was beneath him. Miss Hale was more interested in some of the single young men at the base.

After dinner, the Captain and the doctor came by with a jeep and drove him out beyond the main buildings to an old, run down hangar. A guard stood by the closed door. "No one comes in without my permission," ordered the Captain.

Once inside the hot, stuffy hangar, they found a large trampoline had been set up. "Sorry Ralph, no bales of hay. I hope this is safe enough for you but it's the best we could do on short notice."

Ralph climbed up onto it, jumped up and down a couple of times. "Works for me," he agreed and then jumped up and started flying before anyone could say anything.

"I will be damned," said the doctor. "We didn't imagine it, did we?"

"No, we didn't." The captain looked up a Ralph. "How are you feeling? Any problems?"

"No, it feels fine, just like back home in Indiana. In fact, it feels pretty good to be doing this again."

"And you just jump at the ground and miss?" asked the doctor for about the twentieth time.

"Honest, I don't know how I do it. I just do it. That's all."

They had Ralph fly around the hangar for a while and do some simple maneuvers in the confined space. There was a jeep parked inside and Ralph was able to easily pick it up and fly it over to the other side of the building and gently set it down. "Light as a feather," said Ralph.

"Well, we have to get back to the base pretty soon," said the Captain. "I was told they've got something going on that we're not supposed to see."

"Let me just check his blood pressure and run another EKG and we'll go."

Everything was normal.

That was how it went over the next few days. One afternoon, he was measured for an air force pressure suit. "We'd like to see how high you can fly," explained the Captain, "and we certainly don't want anything to happen to you. That's why we've thought about giving you a parachute in case you get tired and start to fall."

That's how Ralph learned to sky dive. An Air Force officer arrived and spent a couple of days teaching him the basics without being told why. He even went up in a small airplane and made two dives. It was actually a lot of fun and Ralph was very tempted to surprise the officer by flying but managed not to. By then, flying had almost become automatic and he had to concentrate on not fly during the freefall before the parachute opened.

Ralph also spent a couple of evenings just floating around inside the hangar as they tried to figure out how long he could stay airborne. Mostly, it seemed to depend on how tired he was to begin with. They decided a practical limit was about three hours.

"They are closing down the runway for us tonight," explained the Captain. "We want you to put on the pressure suit and try and find out how high you can fly."

Not only did he have the suit but there was also an oxygen tank, radio and the parachute to contend with and it all made for a pretty awkward combination. Ralph managed it though and quickly became airborne as usual.

As it turned out, the pressure suit and tank were pretty unnecessary. Ralph had to really struggle to get more than about three thousand feet above the ground.

"Wonder if that means he can't fly in Denver?" asked the doctor, "or if the limit is above ground level?" Ralph certainly didn't know the answer to that one. Instead, there was another series of test flights.

As the days wore on, Ralph grew bored. He was either in the hangar flying, the mess hall eating, or in his trailer studying or sleeping. There was very little else to do. There was television of sorts at the base, but only three stations and reception was fuzzy at best. There were movies in the mess hall but he had seen most of them already, at least the ones that interested him. And although he had few friends back home, at the base, he had none. There was literally no one his age and because of his abilities, even if there had been, he wondered if he wouldn't have been considered a freak anyway.

"That's what I am, a freak," he sighed one afternoon. "I'm just some sort of lab rat or fire breathing circus clown." It certainly wasn't a happy thought and it made him more than a little bit depressed. Suddenly, he started laughing. He thought of the old cliché about grass being greener on the other side. It certainly wasn't, at least not if Nevada was the other side. He wondered if he shouldn't just go up to the Captain and tell him he wanted to go back home and to forget about all this flying stuff but he doubted they would pay him much attention. He had agreed to this and there was not much he could do. He couldn't just stop flying could he?

An answer appeared before him a few days later. He was flying around the hangar when his arm accidentally bumped into one of the support beams. It really hurt and he mentioned it to the Doctor.

"We'd better take an x-ray of it and make sure it isn't broken."

The Captain wondered if it was such a good idea. Ralph had never been x-rayed before and wondered if it would interfere with Ralph's flying. Ralph smiled to himself. Even if it wouldn't, it would. That was his ticket home.

They skipped the flying for a couple of days and once the bruise healed, it was back to the hangar. Ralph worried over his decision but that evening, his mind was made up. He climbed onto the trampoline and bounced up but instead of flying, he fell back down and bounced again and again. "I can't seem to fly today," he explained. He put on a show for the two men for another half hour or so until they decided to give up for the night. "I don't know why."

They reran the battery of tests. "Nothing's different," announced the doctor.

"Except you x-rayed his arm."

"That shouldn't have affected anything."

"And you know that because you know exactly how and why he can fly?"

The two men shook their heads but inwardly, Ralph smiled. They let him rest for a few more days and tried again but once more, Ralph just bounced around on the trampoline. He never flew.