Tom Swift Jr #35, Chapter 6: Nitro, Arizona

It was a cold, overcast morning two weeks before Christmas. Winter had finally come to Shopton, and several inches of snow covered the Swift Enterprise grounds. Tom Swift Jr. was seated on a bench outside his laboratory, staring off into the distance and doing nothing in particular. A chilly wind ruffled Tom’s short blond hair, but he did not notice. As usual, his mind was far away.

His train of thought was interrupted when a short red-haired girl stood in front of him and playfully waved a hand in front of his face. “Earth to Swift, Earth to Swift. Come in, Swift! Do we have contact?”

Tom looked at Irene and smiled. “Hey there, Ace. What’s up?”

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said. “The meeting with Hank took much longer than I thought.”

“Oh, that’s right – you were going over the plans for the new tomasite plant, weren’t you?”

Irene nodded as she sat down on the bench beside Tom. “Ned wanted to have one last meeting before he put things in motion, but it’s looking pretty good. The manufacturing problems have been licked, the plans for the factory have been drawn up, and construction is supposed to begin next week.”

“Where’s the plant being built?”

“In California. Our main concern right now is that the plant won’t be able to produce enough tomasite to meet the demand. Ned told us he already has a huge backlog of orders! The press coverage we’ve been getting couldn’t be more positive.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Tom replied. “Dad has been working on that project for a long time. There were some rough moments, but he never gave up. Seeing it become a reality has got to be enormously gratifying. I’m really proud of him.”

“So now that we’ve cleared up what I’ve been doing for the past three hours, the next question is what have you been doing? Please tell me you haven’t been sitting here since 7 this morning.”

“I’m afraid so,” Tom said wryly. “I’m just bored. The wait is killing me.”

“But surely there’s all kinds of things you could be working on! Do you really mean to tell me that you’re out of ideas?”

Tom leaned back against the bench and looked at Irene. “I’ve done all the design work I can on the hyperplane. There’s just nothing else I can do until I can start building the reactor and running actual tests. None of that can happen until the new facility is built, and it won’t be open until at least March.”

“But what about the alarm system you were working on? Wouldn’t this be the perfect chance to start work on it?”

“Probably. But my heart’s just not in it. I mean, I’ve spent all this time working on my plane, and now there’s nothing I can do but sit and wait for four months. I’m going to go crazy!”

Irene thought for a moment. “I don’t suppose your dad would let you start building the reactor here, would he?”

Tom shook his head. “I already asked. It seems that the mayor doesn’t want us performing experimental nuclear work so close to town. Dad said I’m just going to have to find something else to do.”

“Then we’re going to have to find a new project for you,” Irene said firmly. She was silent for a few minutes, and then she got to her feet. “I think you need a challenge! Wait here – I’ll be right back.”

Tom watched Irene walk down the sidewalk and into the building that housed his laboratory. About five minutes later she emerged with a look of triumph.

Irene walked up to Tom and stretched out her hand. “This is just what you need! It’ll clear the cobwebs out of that brain of yours.”

Tom looked down at her hand and frowned. In her hand Irene was holding three pencils – a red one, a green one, and a blue one. “I need pencils?” he asked.

“No, silly,” she said, as Tom took them from her. “I want you to transform these ordinary household items into something magical and mysterious. Turn these into ultramodern Swift pencils!”

Tom scratched his head. “They’re pencils, Ace. What can you possibly do to a pencil?”

“Think of something,” Irene ordered. She stood up and stretched. “I hate to go, skipper, but I’ve got some Christmas shopping to attend to. I’ll be back sometime this afternoon to see how you’re progressing on your latest invention. Sound good?”

Tom shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

* * * * *

Late that afternoon Irene burst into Tom’s laboratory. “How’s it going?” she asked eagerly.

Tom was seated on a stool by his workbench, bent over a sheaf of papers. When he heard her voice he turned around, startled. “You’re back already?”

Irene shook her head as she hung up her coat by the door and walked over to join Tom at the workbench. “What do you mean, already? It’s been six hours! So what have you done with my pencils?”

As the girl picked them up off the workbench Tom looked at her and sighed. “I’m afraid you’re not going to be impressed,” he said at last.

Irene studied them, puzzled. She grabbed a spare sheet of paper and made a quick sketch, and then looked back at Tom. “I see that it still writes.”

“Yup.”

“Does it do anything else?”

Tom shook his head. “Not yet. See, first I measured the pencil to get an idea of its volume, and then I borrowed a sample of Dad’s modified tomasite to see how well very small quantities of it it converts heat into electricity. From what I can tell it is completely impossible to put a miniaturized nuclear reactor inside a pencil.”

Irene gasped, and dropped the pencil onto the workbench. “I would hope so, Tom! Why on earth would you ever want to do such a thing?”

Tom shrugged. “I was hoping the pencil could be converted into a portable power source, but it won’t work.”

“They make watch batteries, you know, ” Irene said. “If you want to put a gizmo inside the pencil then couldn’t you just use one of them?”

Tom nodded. “Probably, as long as the gizmo didn’t need very much power. You couldn’t use a watch battery to operate a soldering iron, for instance. But then I got to looking at these designs for the new research institute and, well, I’m afraid I got distracted. I really wish I hadn’t missed the grand tour that Dad gave to the company executives. I definitely blew that one.”

“Now there’s a good idea!” Irene said. “Why not make a trip down there and take a look around? There’s no reason why you can’t go by yourself, you know. It might get your mind out of this slump.”

Tom snapped his fingers. “That’s a great idea!” he said excitedly. “The labs are nowhere near done but temporary residential quarters have been set up. I could just stay with the construction crew for a few days and start thinking about how we can use the facility. That would be terrific.”

“Great!” Irene said, getting off the stool. “You’ll have to tell me all about it when you get back. Be sure to take lots of pictures, skipper.”

Tom looked at her, surprised. “What do you mean, tell you all about it? Aren’t you coming with me?”

Irene shook her head. She walked over to the door and grabbed her coat. “Christmas is only two weeks away, Tom, and I’ve got all kinds of things to do between now and then. I’m not at all prepared, and there are all kinds of parties and reunions and events between now and then. I honestly don’t think I’ll be able to leave town until after the holidays.”

“But Ace,” Tom said, and then stopped. “I know, you’re right,” he said. “This is a hectic time of year, and you’ve got your family to think about. I know you’ve missed your parents and want to spend time with them while they’re home for the winter. I’d do the same thing if I were you. But I would like you to come with me, if you can.”

“Why?” Irene asked, as she put on her coat. “I mean, come on, Tom. You’re going to visit a construction site, not battle an evil villain in the jungles of Central America. You won’t even be doing any inventing.”

“Because,” Tom said. He hesitated. “We’ve always done everything together, ever since we were kids. You practically grew up in my house. And this project – well, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It could be the biggest thing I’ll ever invent, and you’ve been with me through all of it. And when I go down to Arizona to plan out the next steps, well, I just want to do that with you.” He looked at her softly. “I know I’m being silly, and I know it’s just a construction site, but I just thought you’d always be there by my side.”

Irene stopped. She hung her coat back up, then walked back across the lab and sat down across from Tom. She looked at him and smiled, and then took his hand. “If you really want me to go Arizona with you then I will,” she said warmly. “And Tom, if you want me to always be there then just ask. I love you, you know. I’ve loved you for a long time.”

Tom looked at Irene as if he had never seen her before. He could feel his face turning red, but he was unable to speak. “I know,” he said at last.

Irene smiled. “I’m sure you weren’t planning on having that discussion today, Tom, and that’s ok. But think about it. The future’s an unwritten page. It can be whatever you want it to be. Just give it some thought.”

Tom’s heart was pounding, and he still found it hard to speak. She has such amazing green eyes, he thought. How did I miss that?

“Tom?” Irene asked.

Tom snapped out of his reverie. “Um, yes?” he replied.

“So when are we leaving?”

Tom thought for a moment. “As soon as possible, I think. I definitely want to be back before Christmas Eve.”

“What about late tomorrow morning?” Irene asked. “That should give us just enough time to pack, plan the trip, and talk your dad into loaning us a nice, fast jet.”

“That should work fine,” he replied. “I can be ready by then.”

“And how long were you thinking of being gone?”

“Not too long,” Tom said. ” How about a week? I can’t imagine we’d need more time than that. And if we got done early we could always come home sooner.”

“Great,” she said. She glanced at her watch. “I’m sorry, but I really do have to leave. I promised Mom I’d be home in time to help her prepare dinner tonight, and I was just stopping by to see how my pencils were coming along before heading home. I’ll see you tomorrow though, ok?”

“I understand. I’ll call you with the flight arrangements,” Tom called out, as Irene went to the door a second time and put on her coat.

“Or you can just tell me in the morning,” Irene said.

Tom walked over to the lab door and opened it for her. “Ok,” he replied.

Irene smiled mischievously, and then kissed him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, skipper,” she said, and walked out of the building.

I think I was wrong about the hyperplane project, Tom thought to himself, as he watched Irene walk to her car. Actually, that conversation was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. You really blew it, Tom old boy, but at least she understood. Why is it so hard to talk to her? Then Tom smiled happily as he walked back into his laboratory. But she is amazing! I am so lucky to have a girl like her. What would I ever do without her?

* * * * *

Late the next morning Tom found himself helping Irene load her luggage onto a small private jet on the Swift Enterprises airfield. The aircraft was a small, experimental plane of a relatively new design, built to travel cross-country at just under the speed of sound. It could hold up to six people, but only Tom and Irene would be on board.

“What have you put into these bags?” Tom groaned, as he grabbed the sixth large suitcase and stuffed it into the baggage compartment.

“I’m not about to take any chances,” Irene replied. “Personally, I find it hard to believe that a construction site is going to have all the comforts of home. I’d rather bring more than I need than risk leaving something behind.”

“You mean you left something behind?” Tom teased, as the two loaded the last bags onto the jet.

After making sure that all of their luggage was on board the two teenagers boarded the plane. As Tom settled into the cockpit Irene gave him a warning look. “Oh no you don’t, skipper. I’m going to be the pilot today.”

“We both have licenses,” Tom pointed out. “I can handle it. In fact, I bet I’ve got far more flying time than you do.”

“But I called it first,” Irene replied. “Besides, I’ve already filed our flight plan and talked to the control tower. You can be the pilot on the way back, if you want, but I get the trip there.”

“Fine with me!” Tom said, settling back into his chair. “Take us up, Captain.”

Fifteen minutes later the plane was high in the air over upper New York State, heading toward Arizona. “It’s about 2400 miles from Shopton to Nitro,” Irene commented.

“At least this is a jet,” Tom replied. “It’ll take us what, five hours to get there?”

Irene nodded. “We should arrive around noon local time.”

“Nitro is a strange name for a town,” Tom commented.

“I asked your dad about it,” Irene said. “He told me there used to be a nitroglycerin plant there during World War II. There’s a good chance it’s still there.”

“I guess a nuclear research facility will be par for the course, then,” Tom said, grinning.

“I’m so glad your dad let us take one of his jets,” Irene replied. “I absolutely love flying these things! This particular model is so responsive and easy to fly. I wish we could have taken something that was supersonic, but he didn’t have anything available.”

“You’ve flown supersonic before?” Tom asked, surprised.

Irene grinned. “Your dad has always had a love for aircraft, you know. He’s got some of the most amazing flying machines that have ever been built. All you’ve got to is ask him for the keys! Personally, I can’t wait to try flying the hyperplane. That is going to be amazing.”

Tom shook his head. “There is no way dad would let either of us serve as the test pilot for our project. It’s going to be a while before either of us are allowed anywhere near the cockpit.”

“Sure, but it won’t be an experimental aircraft forever. We’ll get to fly it one day, skipper. And when we do – wow! That’ll be a day we’ll never forget.”

Time passed. For a while Tom amused himself by reading technical journals, but at last he threw them aside and stared out the cockpit window. After several minutes he spoke up. “Do you remember the first time I ever flew you somewhere?”

Irene smiled. “Of course! I was what – eleven? So you must have been ten. You had just finished your training and were so proud of yourself! You offered to fly us all out to California so we could be with Ned on the Fourth of July.”

Tom nodded. “I still can’t believe Dad let me do that. There were quite a few people on that old plane – you, me, my parents, and Mr. Damon. I think it was the last trip he made before he died.”

“He was quite a character,” Irene said. “Larger than life, really, and always up for another adventure. I don’t think he batted an eye at the thought of being flown across the country by a kid. Your mom, though – she was a bit nervous.”

Tom smiled. “On one of their early dates Dad took her up in a plane and ended up crashing it. I bet that sort of thing sticks with you. But Mr. Damon was always such an enthusiastic man. He was always blessing something.”

“Like when we finally landed in San Francisco,” Irene said. “Remember what he said? ‘Bless my propellers, but that was some good flying there, young man!’ I was so sad when he died.”

“He lived a good, long life,” Tom commented. “His heart finally gave out, but I’ll never forget him. Do you think we’ll ever have adventures like he did?”

Irene smiled. “You’re a Swift, you know. Adventure is in your blood! I don’t think you’re building the hyperplane so you can stay home and spend your life watching TV.”

Tom laughed. “You’ve got a good point there, Ace.”

* * * * *

Five hours later, the plane had finally reached the skies of Nitro. Irene contacted the control tower and made the final approach. The airport was a very small, rural station with only one runway, a small hangar, and an even smaller control tower. Tom counted six planes on the ground, none of which were jets. I bet at least half of those are from Swift Enterprises, he thought.

“Why aren’t we landing at our own airstrip?” Tom asked aloud, as he watched a plane on the ground roll to a stop. “I’m sure the new facility has got one.”

Irene nodded. “It does, but they’re not ready to receive traffic yet. For now everything is being routed through the local county airport. When we fly back down here in April, though, we’ll be able to go straight to the institute.”

“Institute,” Tom said thoughtfully. “I like that! It’s so much easier to say than ‘nuclear research facility’. That gets cumbersome real fast.”

“Then Institute it is!” Irene said brightly. After verifying that she had clearance she landed the plane, taxied it to its designed parking place, and brought it to a stop.

“Very nicely done,” Tom said approvingly. “And right on time too! I am getting really hungry.”

The two got out of the plane and stretched. “Man, but it’s warm here,” Tom commented. The grounds of the airport consisted of brown, parched dirt, stretching for miles in each direction. In the distance he could see a few low hills. Some rugged desert plants were clinging to life in the soil, but they were few and far between. A layer of dust covered everything in sight.

Irene laughed. “Were you expecting to find snow in the southern part of southern Arizona? You did pack summer clothing, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know,” Tom said vaguely. “Mom packed for me. I really have no idea what I brought.”

Irene shook her head. “Men are so helpless. How would you ever survive without us?”

Tom glanced around the airport, looking for some sign of life. “This place looks pretty deserted. Is someone going to come and get our bags?”

Irene nodded. “I asked the control tower to send a vehicle to come get us and our luggage. It’ll take us to town, where we can get a taxi and go out to the Institute.”

“You mean no one is coming from Institute to get us?” Tom asked.

“It’s two weeks before Christmas,” Irene pointed out. “There’s nobody out there but a skeleton construction crew, and I didn’t want to bother them. I figured we could handle it ourselves.”

“Makes sense,” Tom agreed. “But what are we going to do for lunch?”

Irene saw something behind Tom. Her eyes widened. “My guess is we’re going to be running for our lives!”

“What?” Tom said. He turned around and gasped. A large, angry mob was approaching their plane!

Irene turned to run, but Tom grabbed her. “Wait,” he said.

“Are you crazy?” she asked, tugging at his arm.

“I want to know why they’re here,” he said. “I can’t imagine it has anything to do with us. Aside from dad no one even knew we were coming! Let’s calm down and talk with them. Maybe we can diffuse this situation.”

“You’ve lost your mind!” Irene shouted.

By that point the mob had gotten within earshot, and Tom could hear what they were saying. The group was composed of at least a hundred people, some of which were carrying signs. Tom could see anger and fear on their faces.

“You’re going to destroy us all!” one man shouted.

“Get out of here!” the crowd chanted.

“We’ll all be irradiated!” a third man said.

“Wait,” Tom shouted. He walked toward the group hesitantly. “What’s wrong?”

“You’ve come here to kill us!” one woman said. “Your flying nuclear experiments will level our cities!”

“They’ll ruin our livestock!” another man said.

“You’re a menace to society!” another voice called out.

A large rock soared through the air and narrowly missed Tom. As the mob got dangerously close Tom grabbed Irene’s hand and started running away. He could hear the mob’s angry shouts growing louder behind him.

“I told you!” Irene screamed.

Behind him there was a sudden explosion. The two were thrown off their feet onto the ground. As Tom looked behind him he saw that their plane had gone up in flames!