Tom Swift Jr #35, Chapter 11: A Wooden Warning

High above the hangar floor Tom struggled to maintain his hold on to the iron railing. He desperately grasped it with both hands and attempted to pull himself back onto the walkway. But just as he was exerting all his strength to pull himself to safety the final struts securing the walkway to the ceiling snapped, sending the catwalk hurtling to the ground!

Irene screamed as she watched Tom fall and slam into the ground, narrowly missing the burning remains of the radioactive Falcon. From her vantage point on the surviving section of the catwalk she could see that Tom was badly injured. Blind panic gripped her heart. All thoughts of the intruders left her mind as she realized that Tom was not moving.

“No!” she screamed, running like mad down the metal walkway. She made it to the ladder and climbed down to the ground without realizing what she was doing. With all thoughts of danger thrown aside she ran to his body and knelt beside it. When she saw the extent of Tom’s injuries she began to cry.

“No no no no no!” she screamed. She buried her face in her hands. “Please, please don’t die,” she begged her unconscious friend. “You can’t do this, Tom. You can’t leave me.”

Irene struggled to pull herself together and ran over to a phone that was hanging on the wall. “Operator, I need a doctor in here immediately,” she said between sobs. “Tom Swift is – hurt. Real bad. Please, please send someone.”

After receiving a promise that a medical team would be there in moments she collapsed onto the floor.

* * * * *

A few hours later Irene was sitting in the surgical waiting lounge in the infirmary at the Institute. Tom’s father had just gone in to talk to the doctors, and she was waiting anxiously to hear the news. With her were Tom’s mother Mary and sister Sandy.

Emotionally Irene was a wreck. All she could think about was Tom lying there injured and still. The medical team responded immediately and took him straight to surgery, where he had been for the past three hours. A cold, dark fear gripped Irene’s heart. She felt like her world was coming to an end. Mary and Sandy had both tried to calm her down but she refused to be comforted.

When Tom Sr. at last emerged he walked over to his wife and sat down beside her. “So what did the doctors say?” Mary asked.

“It will take some time but he’ll recover,” Tom Sr. assured her. “He’s broken both of his legs in more than a dozen places, and broke some ribs, and bruised some internal organs. And he’s pretty banged up. But it’s nothing that won’t heal in time.”

Irene looked at him for a moment, and then replied, her voice filled with emotion. “I thought he had died,” she said quietly. “I was sure the fall had killed him.”

“But he didn’t,” Mary replied. She put her arm around Irene and held her. “It will be ok, dear. My son will live to get himself in trouble yet again.”

Sandy spoke up. “This isn’t the first time he’s been injured, you know. Don’t you remember the kite-flying incident?”

Irene cracked a small smile. “I remember. For a nine-year-old he sure could get into a lot of trouble.”

Tom Sr. nodded. “But he recovered from that, and he’ll recover from this, I’m sure. I know he gave you quite a scare, but remember, you gave him quite a scare too. When Xanthus shot you in my office my son was convinced it was fatal. His first question when he regained consciousness was to ask what had happened to you.”

“I know,” Irene said quietly. “I know, sir. But Tom can’t die. He can’t. I won’t let that happen.”

“You’ll be able to see him in a couple hours,” Tom Sr. assured her. “They still have him sedated from surgery, and they’d like to keep him under for a while. I told the doctors to let you know the moment he can see visitors. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you’d like.”

“Thanks,” Irene said. She stood up and hugged Tom’s dad tightly, her eyes filling with tears. “Thanks for understanding.”

* * * * *

True to their word, the doctors let Irene know a few hours later that Tom had regained consciousness and could see visitors. Irene spent every waking moment of the next week in his hospital room. At Tom’s insistence she assembled a team to begin work on rebuilding the Sampson engine and constructing a Falcon II, but she refused to be on that team. Her place, she said, was at Tom’s side.

“So whatever happened to the intruders?” Tom asked one day, as he was sitting in his hospital bed. “I don’t think anyone ever told me.”

Irene shook her head. “We didn’t. I thought I’d wait until you got better to break the news to you. It’s not pretty, skipper.”

“You mean they got away?” Tom said, surprised.

“Not entirely,” Irene replied. “Here’s what happened. After you raised the alarm their plane was seized, and they even caught the goons that blew up the Falcon. As we thought they were Brungarians. The plane was actually a Swift-model jet – I guess they picked one of our own planes so they could land without attracting attention.”

Tom nodded. “That makes sense. But if security caught them then how did they get away?”

“Security didn’t catch all of them,” Irene explained. “Just the ones that were in the hangar. It turns out that the hangar crowd blew up your jet to attract attention so that the guards would focus on apprehending them. And that’s exactly what happened. It allowed the rest of the group the time they needed to break into your father’s laboratory.”

Tom sighed. “What did they get?”

“Everything,” Irene said glumly. “They got his reactor design and the plans for making Tomasite. They even had time to break into your lab and steal both your hyperplane design and the blueprints for the Sampson 9000.”

“But how did they get away?” Tom asked. “I mean, we had their plane, didn’t we?”

Irene nodded. “Sure. But they just stole a truck and drove right off the base. Since they had stolen amulets and were using a Swift truck they didn’t raise any attention. After all, everyone’s focus was on the hangar.”

Tom shook his head. “That is bad news. But at least what they got was incomplete. I’m nowhere near finished with the Sampson engine, and the hyperplane plans aren’t finished. But it is a tough blow.”

“There is a tiny bit of good news,” Irene said. “Security was able to pinpoint the employees that helped the intruders get away. Based on the documents they found in their possession they were able to locate the spies at Swift Enterprises as well. Your dad thinks we may finally have uprooted all the traitors. They’re being questioned, and so far all signs are pointing to Xanthus.”

“Makes sense,” Tom said. “I guess we know what he’s after now. I just wish we hadn’t made getting it so easy for him. Is there anything else?”

Irene thought for a moment. “The intruders did leave a threatening note behind in your Dad’s office. Xanthus apparently took a piece of wood and burnt a message into it. Your dad really freaked out when he saw it.”

“What did it say?” Tom asked.

“‘Judgment Day is coming'”, Irene replied. “A bit unoriginal, if you ask me. But it sure was effective. I’d never seen your Dad so upset before. I think he was genuinely frightened.”

“Where did the wood come from?” Tom said. “They didn’t carve their threat into his desk, did they?”

Irene shook her head. “No, it was on a block they’d brought with them. I didn’t recognize the type of wood, but then I’m not a dendrologist.”

Tom nodded. “You know, speaking of trees, I can’t wait to get out of this hospital room. It feels like it’s been ages since I was in the lab. I wasn’t made to just sit still and do nothing.”

“You are getting out next week,” Irene pointed out cheerfully. “Of course, you won’t be able to walk for months but I’ll help you get around.” She smiled. “You’ll be out of here just in time to witness the completion of the Falcon II! I can’t wait to see that jet fly.”

Tom reached out and took Irene’s hand. He squeezed it. “Thanks,” he said softly. “For everything.”

She smiled, and then leaned over the bed and kissed him. “You’re welcome,” she replied.

* * * * *

Early the following week Tom was discharged from the hospital. Since he was unable to get around on his own the doctors gave him a wheelchair, which Irene immediately took charge of. Tom was not happy at the thought of being wheelchair-bound for the next eight weeks, but there was nothing he could do about it. With Irene’s help, however, he had little trouble getting around the Institute.

Work on the Falcon II progressed rapidly, and a few days later the plane was ready for its initial test flight.

“So who is the test pilot?” Tom asked Irene, as a team of highly-skilled workers made a final check on the atomic plane.

“Mark Spring has volunteered,” she said. “He’s actually from Swift Enterprises. You remember him, don’t you?”

Tom thought for a moment. “I’m not sure. We have a lot of test pilots, Ace. Is he the one with the wife and two kids?”

Irene laughed. “As if only one of them were married! But yes, he has a wife named Emily and two sons, Ted and Ray.”

“Isn’t Ted in college?” Tom asked.

Irene shook her head. “Not until this fall. He’s going to be studying aeronautics, but I think he really wants to be an astronaut.”

Tom laughed. “Then I’d better wrap this project up so I can start building rockets! I wouldn’t want to disappoint him.”

Early the next morning a small group of people gathered on the runway at the Institute. Present were Tom Jr., Irene, Tom Sr., Mark Spring, and a small group of emergency personnel. The Falcon II was ready for its first test flight.

Tom Jr. rolled over to Mark in his wheelchair and shook his hand. “Good luck,” he said, smiling.

“Thanks,” Mark replied. He then got into the jet and prepared for takeoff. The rest of the group retreated to the flight control tower, where they would watch the plane on radar.

“So what’s the plan for the test?” Tom Sr. asked, as they rode an elevator to the top of the tower.

“The plane will take off conventionally,” his son explained. “Once it gets off the ground Mark will engage the Sampson engine and bring the plane up to a maximum speed of 500 mph. He’ll then put the jet through a battery of tests. The entire flight shouldn’t take more than a half-hour. After he lands we’ll inspect the plane and make sure everything is sound, and then tomorrow we’ll attempt supersonic flight.”

“It will take off without using the atomic motor?” Tom Sr. asked, surprised. “Why is that?”

“The Sampson engine will only work if the plane is in motion,” Irene explained. “It can’t get the plane off the ground. It’s just one of the drawbacks to a ramjet design.”

“It’s really only a minor inconvenience,” Tom Jr. added. “All we need is to get the plane into the air. Once it’s flying the Sampson engine can take over.”

“Interesting,” Tom Sr. said. “It sounds quite different from anything I’ve built before.”

At the top of the control tower were three flight controllers. When the Swifts walked into the room one of them spoke up. “The Falcon II is requesting clearance for takeoff, Mr. Swift.”

“Then let’s do it,” Tom Jr. replied. He walked over to the control panel and sat down. After checking the telemetry data from his jet he nodded. “We’re ready.”

The flight controller made sure that no other planes were in the area and gave Mark clearance for takeoff. The Falcon II taxied into position, and with a roar of its engines it took to the skies! Once the jet had lifted off the runway and exceeded 200 mph Mark contacted the flight controllers. “Are you ready for me to engage the Sampson engine?” he asked.

Tom quickly checked the data on the screen in front of him. “The reactor temperature looks good and the flight systems appear to be stable. Tell him to go for it.”

The flight controller relayed the information and a moment later Mark flipped the switch. Instantly the jet surged forward in a mighty burst of power! The plane climbed rapidly to 500 mph, where Mark eased back on the reactor output.

Over the next thirty minutes Mark put the jet through a variety of tests. Tom closely monitored the engine’s performance while Irene kept an eye on the reactor. “It’s looking pretty good,” she said at last. “Of course, we are just using a fraction of its power.”

Tom nodded. “The real test will be tomorrow morning. Still, I’m very pleased! This is good news.”

Tom’s father clapped his son on the back. “It looks like you have reached another milestone, Son! I’ll look forward to tomorrow’s demonstration.”

Tom Jr. gave the order to have the jet brought in for a landing, and Mark brought the Falcon II back home. “She handles beautifully,” Mark radioed enthusiastically. “This is an amazing plane!”

After making sure the jet had landed safely Tom Jr. dismissed the emergency personnel that had been on standby and the group left the tower. “So how is your project going, Dad?” Tom asked, as Irene pushed his wheelchair toward the hangar.

“Very well,” Tom Sr. replied. “In fact, we’re going to turn on the reactor the day after tomorrow. You’re more than welcome to be there if you’d like.”

“It would be an honor,” Irene said. “I’m sure your reactor will be a success.”

“I hope so,” he replied. “The governor of New York is anxious for us to begin construction on the commercial facility I promised to build. He wants our home state to be the first one in the nation to have a nuclear power plant.”

“But what about your other project?” Tom Jr. replied.

“Oh!” Tom Sr. explained. “That other project. It’s coming along well. I have all the parts and have started assembling them. It will be ready when you need it.”

“What project is this?” Irene asked curiously. “Have I missed something?”

“All in good time,” Tom Jr. said mysteriously. “You’ll see.”

“You know, you can’t go anywhere without me,” Irene pointed out. “Walking is not on your agenda until August. If you’re going to work on this ‘other project’ then I’ll have to be involved.”

“Where there’s a will there’s a way,” Tom quipped. “But don’t worry – you’ll find out. Just be patient.”

Tom and Irene spent the rest of the day checking their experimental aircraft. To their delight the plane was in perfect condition! Satisfied, Tom ordered another test flight the following morning. After getting a good night’s rest the group once again found themselves in the flight control tower at the Institute, watching the Falcon II take off. When Mark asked for clearance to engage the atomic engine Tom granted it without hesitation.

The Sampson engine immediately roared into action. The plane’s speed built up quickly, and Mark soon exceeded the speed of sound. Tom reviewed the telemetry data with great satisfaction. “The plane appears to be stable at supersonic speeds!”

“The reactor looks good,” Irene commented. “I’m not seeing any signs of problems.”

“Then let’s keep going,” Tom said. He gave Mark permission to push the jet to its limit. Over the next ten minutes Mark slowly increased the speed of the plane, until it was at last roaring over the Arizona desert at a speed of Mach 3.

Tom Sr. whistled. “Nice job, Son! The Falcon II is officially our fastest plane. She’s something you can be proud of!”

Tom nodded proudly. “The Sampson engine is performing very well. I think next we’ll have Mark perform some maneuvers. I’d like to know – ”

“Tom!” Irene shouted. “The reactor – something wrong!”

Tom glanced over at the reactor’s telemetry data and frowned. “Strange! No, wait a minute. Those numbers don’t make any sense! They’re garbage, Irene. What’s going on?”

“I know,” Irene replied. “Something’s corrupting the data. I have no idea what the reactor is doing. I don’t like this!”

“We’d better have Mark land,” Tom said thoughtfully. “It may just be a broken sensor, or – ”

A flight controller interrupted him. “We’re getting an urgent message from Mark! He said the radiation detector in the cockpit is going off. Radiation levels are climbing!”

Tom gasped. “Have him land the plane immediately, if he can. We must be losing shielding!”