The Chance Encounter

By Scott C. Anderson

Steven Piehl lived and worked on the earth planet known as Palla. Recruited by an offworld employer to mine for the Taman civilization, Steven would use his abilities to save, direct, and rescue the world he loved so much. Steven had a good job, good friends, and a positive attitude. Steven’s life would change direction during a chance meeting with a future offworld employer. With an army of helpful bots, Steven has the ability to mine raw materials for several offworld concerns. His actions lead the young miner to confront his own government, solidify a friendship with an Air Force Captain, and become the single planetary representative for the earth humans. This is his story; how they met, and how the advanced technology of a distant race blended with the positive ways of a young man from earth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312330313

Book preview

The Chance Encounter

The Chance Encounter

By Scott C. Anderson

This is a book of fiction. Characters, places, names, theories, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons, alive or dead, along with their events or locations is purely coincidental.

Disclaimer:  These stories are written in a conversational style.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

Fourth Edition

© 2014, 2016 by Scott C. Anderson. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-312-33031-3

Change is good

Steven Piehl couldn’t believe his luck.  After two of the most disappointing jobs in three years, he landed a permanent clerical position with a local government agency.  After completing the background check, the final phase of the hiring process began to fall into place.  Steven took this recent change optimistically and didn’t look back.

Each day and every hour on the new job made the day better.  Not only with simple job satisfaction, but when Steven looked at the reasons why he kept getting involved in high turnover job situations, he gave himself more time to evaluate his attraction to these difficult assignments.  A revelation struck him after only a month in this new position.  Steven’s mother, a chronically unhappy woman, justified the physical and verbal abuse she heaped upon the young man from the age of 5 to age 12.  Broken and demoralized, Steven was at the point where the young man lost all hope of a positive future.  

Following the death of his mother, and after a few months of much needed reflection, those horrible days seemed to be less of a daily grind.  Life began to settle as Steven calmed his rattled nerves and allowed events to work in his favor. 

Leaving work on a sunny Friday afternoon appeared no different from the start of any other weekend.  As the summer wore on, the five o’clock evening sun and brilliant crystal-clear blue sky made the drive home a little more enjoyable.  Today, turning onto Highway 126 was easy as rush-hour traffic was light. 

Four miles out from Santa Paula, California, Steven noticed an odd shape in the sky.  No one else appeared to notice as the reflective covering flashed above the northern mountain range.  The object appeared to hover and then descend like a stone.  The unusual shape and actions of the craft drew his interest and attention.  Checking the traffic in front of him, Steven decided to change exit routes and drive past the object on his way home. 

Taking the Briggs Street off-ramp, Steven drove down the empty two-lane road.  This rural part of the community consisted of manicured orange and avocado groves.  He came to the area where he saw the object land and stopped by the side of the road.  Near a power-line tower surrounded by orange groves, the object turned out to be a vehicle parked on a dirt access lane, on a slant, surrounded by a small dust cloud.  Steven turned off his Ford Edge and calmly walked over to the vehicle, a distance of only a hundred feet or so.

It obviously wasn’t something Steven recognized as the silver-skinned vehicle flashed an iridescent green in the afternoon sunlight.  About the size of a motorhome, the egg shaped craft attempted to right itself using the right rear corner landing gear.  Steven would think about it later, but at this time he simply reached under and helped lift the ship into a stable condition.  He had never lifted something the size of a motorhome before, but assisting the landing gear by lifting the vehicle appeared to be what was needed at the time.

This looks like something out of My Favorite Martian.  Steven knew he was talking to himself, but he couldn’t help it.  A pressure door, following the curvature of the side of the ship, pulled out and pivoted away on two substantial hinges. 

Hel…Hello?  A voice from inside the craft was all that could be heard at first.  Hello, are you there?

I’m here.  Are you alright?  Steven stepped towards the center of the craft, near the open door, and looked in.

An older man, possibly in his 50’s, poked his head out.  Thank you.  That was very helpful.

Steven was too surprised to be afraid.  Are you alright in there, it looked like you crashed.

Crashed would be a good word, yes a very good word.  Help me and I’ll tell you all about it, if that is agreeable?

Sure, I’m in no hurry.  Steven didn’t want to get involved in a long discussion, but if the man needed help, he could listen for a few minutes.

Do you need to go?  The older man wore a very dark grey, almost black shirt, pants and shoes.  He stepped onto the dirt of the orchard.  Excuse me, my name is Ben.  The older man continued to visually scan the area.

I’m Steven.  Pleased to meet you.  Steven offered his hand and Ben looked puzzled.  Slowly Ben extended his and the two men shook hands, not a first for Ben, but still a little uncomfortable.

What happened?  Steven’s first interest was with Ben’s health and the condition of his vehicle, disregarding the origin of his ship.

I did something, I’m not sure what, but something that stopped the onboard systems from talking.

From talking?

Yes, please come in, maybe you can help?

Ben stepped through the open door and into the ship, as Steven dutifully followed.  The ship or saucer was only thirty-five feet long by thirty feet wide.  Steven was able to stand in the center section, but the front, or cockpit, could only be accessed by sitting down.  Steven noticed that the entire front of the ship appeared to be made of glass.  Poking his head outside, the skin appeared to still be silver colored with flashes of iridescent green. 

How do you do that?  Steven pointed to the forward windows.

Oh that.  Transparent plating, the newest thing, had to have it when I saw it.  Ben was pleased to show off his new ship, small that it was.

Geez.  Lost for words, Steven looked around at every inch of the cabin.  If this was a space ship, he expected to see rows of dials, lights, or readouts.  Instead, the cabin appeared clean and uncluttered, more like an upscale yacht than something interstellar.

How do we drive it?  Ben answered the unasked question.  The ship talks to itself and I make sure we’re on the right track.  Well, that is until now.  Ben turned to a section of the ship that appeared dark.

Is this the part of the ship that needs repair?  Steven didn’t know how, but he felt he knew the location of the problem.

You sensed it too.  I’ve had a look…  Ben didn’t finish as Steven walked over to the darkened area.

Steven felt he knew what was happening on the crippled ship, but couldn’t explain his feelings.  A wall section covered in a thin piece of what felt like fiberglass was easy to remove.  Pulling up and lifting off the panel, Steven placed it on the floor next to him.  A one inch round piece of clear tubing appeared to have been cut and pulled apart by a piece of the wall support structure. 

Without thinking, Steven touched one end of the tubing with his left hand and the other with his right.  As if completing a connection, the tube began to glow a soft yellow and systems and lighting appeared to come to life.  The ship began to move as the fourth landing gear fully adjusted itself. 

You’ve repaired it?  Ben was more amazed than gratified.

It appears I have.  Steven continued to hold the two sections as he felt a small, almost unperceivable electrical tickle course through his arms. 

A voice that only Steven could hear told him that he was helping and that he was completing their task.  The stronger voice thanked the human man, and stated that his involvement was appreciated.  Looking around, Steven noticed that only he and Ben were in the room.

Great.  Now I’m hearing voices.

Are they subtle, as if a spirit were talking to you?  Ben had heard of this before.

Yeah, that’s them.  Trying to concentrate, Steven found that he had no trouble hearing what sounded like multiple conversations regarding the operation of the ship.  Letting go of one of the tubes, the voices faded and the area began to darken.  Returning his grasp on the tube, the area lit up as before and the voices returned.  This time Steven felt an overpowering feeling to continue to hold both sections of the tube as preparations were being made.  A one foot by one foot screen popped into the air next to Ben.  A paragraph of words and symbols appeared, though Steven was able to see the screen, he couldn’t decipher the wording.

Oh, it’s a repair kit.  Ben moved to a section of the cabin and pulled on a cushion of a built-in lounge seat.  In the hidden storage area, the compartment contained well-placed and fastened tools, liquids, and parts.  Several small sections of clear tube in various sizes and lengths were fastened to the far inner wall.  Ben removed the piece he believed would fit and replaced the cushion.  Turning to Steven, Ben had that obvious look as though he didn’t know what to do next.

Ben, please hand it to me.  Steven held the two pieces of tubing together using his left hand, which completed the line.  Ben then handed the repair connection to Steven.  Using his right hand to grasp the new repair piece, Steven continued to complete the information line.  Steven then snaked the repair piece through another area of the girder, which allowed for more room and movement.  Still holding both sections with his left hand, Steven moved the repair piece over the left side of the tubing, and then repositioned the right to slide the right end of the repair section in place.  Ben and Steven stood back for a moment and looked at each other, amazed but not surprised that the repair held.

We are wonderful.  Steven blurted with mock surprise.

Yes, we are wonderful.  Ben enjoyed the earthman and his simple but effective ways.

Ben returned to the storage area and removed the seat cushion.  Pulling out a small handheld tool in the shape of a gun, Ben walked back to the bulkhead that originally caused the tube separation.  Aiming the tool at the holes in the girder that supported the bulkhead, Ben pressed the trigger and increased the diameter of the hole, allowing more room for the tube.  Changing a setting on the tool, a white substance extruded and clung to the soft edges of the enlarged hole.  The hole was now covered with a rubberized type of grommet.

I wish I had one of those.  Steven was genuinely impressed with the workings of the tool.

I am fortunate you came by.  I never would have tried this and would have probably waited for help to arrive.  The appreciation in Ben’s voice confirmed his feeling.

Oh, think nothing of it.  Hand me the panel and we’ll put this back together.

Certainly.

Steven replaced the panel and placed his hand on the smooth fiberglass.  The same distant voices continued to talk to Steven, telling him that he had completed the smart switch conduit repair and that all systems were returning to normal.  Believing that he was just listening to the conversation, Steven thought his response, stating that he was glad to help.  In response, four distinct far-off voices thanked him by name for his assistance.  The four individual conversations were very quick.  Steven looked to his watch and noticed that all dialogue took only a fraction of a second.

Ben replaced the tool in the storage compartment and set the cushion in place.  With the repair completed, Ben was about to say something to Steven, when three small chimes sounded from the cockpit.  Before Ben could say anything, an interior sensor initiated a yellow/gold curtain.  The curtain moved and started at the back end of the interior of the ship, passed through both men, and then completed at the opposite end or nose of the craft.

What was that?  Steven wasn’t alarmed, just curious.

Now that we’re back to a hundred percent, the ship performed a scan to see who and what was in here.  All perfectly normal.  Ben knew he would be receiving a system update in a few moments.

From the front cockpit area, a voice could be heard in a language unfamiliar to Steven.  Ben obviously understood and after listening to the speaker, answered, I am safe and have a human with me, a non Colar.  The human has repaired the yacht.  I am in no danger.

Steven appeared a little uncomfortable and Ben picked up on this outward expression.  Ben returned a gesture, a simple wink while he spoke, confirming that everything was alright.  Steven took this opportunity to again visually scan the ship and its equipment, looking for something familiar.  After a few moments it finally struck Steven that this was an off-world craft and that he had just performed a small repair that enabled an interstellar traveler to continue on his way.

For the first time in his life panic passed through Steven and shook him to the bone.  Luckily, common sense kicked in and he realized that if he were in real trouble, he would have known it by now.  So far, Ben, whether human or not, had not made an aggressive or confrontational move.  In fact, this man had treated him better than some of his friends, and outwardly appeared to appreciate his help.

Ben finished his conversation using a language Steven still couldn’t understand.

You don’t normally speak English, but you speak it very well.  Steven spoke slowly as he calmed his nerves.

I am Taman and our language is not difficult, but different from your English.

Are you from this area?  You speak English like a native.

We both have the ability to speak and understand each other.  It is very easy for me, but I’ve noticed you are having trouble speaking my language.

I don’t remember speaking Taman.

It is called language imagery, where we subconsciously use images to describe the words we are trying to use.  My responses come to you in very much the same way.  I am finding that it is easier for me to understand English than it is for you to work with my Taman.  But, we seem to be moving along well, don’t you think?

Steven nodded and stopped trying so hard, which apparently made language imagery easier to understand. 

A warning chime broke the silence as the sound of a single rifle shot reverberated through the open doorway.  The door continued to stay open while Ben and Steven turned and looked through the portal.  The yellow/gold curtain instantly encircled the ship in response to the gunfire.  A second softer warning chime and a popup screen confirmed the attack, with a second popup screen focusing on the attacker.  Steven made his way towards the door but Ben stopped him and pulled him back.  The curtain will eliminate any threat.  Ben held onto Steven and checked the area for the shooter.

Look!  To the right!  Steven saw a young man with a gun.

Originally, Steven thought he was alone in watching the lithe little ship descend.  Apparently a local had also watched the ship land and had planned to investigate.  The fact that the ship was saucer shaped may not have helped disguise its origin; the fact that the landing gear had retracted and it was now floating a foot and a half off the ground certainly didn’t help.  The young man with the gun apparently used a single shot to answer the question as to whether the ship was inhabited. 

The young human approached the yellow/gold curtain.  Carrying and aiming the gun in front of him, the barrel of the rifle attempted to penetrate the field.  The rifle barrel touched the protective curtain and began to disintegrate, leaving a powdered dust to fall to the ground inside the curtain.  Anything attempting to breach the protective yellow/gold curtain would be realigned at the molecular level.  Pushing the gun forward, the young man noticed the barrel turn from machined metal to a light beige dust.  He watched the dust fall to the ground inside the yellow/gold curtain and stopped his advance.  Pulling the gun back, the clean, almost polished barrel end spooked the twenty-something young human.  Carrying his rifle, he turned and ran through the orange orchard.

One of your natives?  Ben’s question held no judgment or malice as he sat down on the lounge seat.

Yes, we tend to shoot first and ask questions later.  Why did you stop me from going outside if we were so well protected?

The curtain works both ways.  The activation and deployment of the curtain is something we developed over seven hundred thousand years ago.  But the curtain will also realign from the inside out, as well as the outside in.

Steven now understood the caution.  Ben appeared to be stalling.

Is something wrong Ben?

I came here to survey an ore deposit, we’re miners you know, and I have a proposition.

Really?  How can I help?

We mine offworld planets and rarely ever come in contact with the native population, if there is one.  I have found you to be very helpful and was not expecting to see this in your society.  May we contact you in the future?  The area I have found is very rich in Tallat but it is under your crust and has rows of orange trees above it.

Tallat?  I’m not familiar with what you’re talking about.

Tallat is a mineral…silver…you know it as silver.  Also Purret, gold, there are two large veins of silver and gold.

Are you sure?  This area isn’t known for mining or precious metals.

Yes, I’ve found it almost a mile down; easy for us.

Steven nodded in agreement as Ben described their simple but effective ways of mining at what would be considered great depths.  Ben’s proposition was little more than choosing a landing site and assisting in whatever the crew needed.  In return, Steven would be given a large piece of gold for his troubles.  Ben sensed the reaction to gold to be much stronger than that of silver.  The gift of gold apparently held more value to the earthman.

Ben stood and opened a small cabinet containing several small devices about the size of a soda can.  A second row of devices appeared to be the size of a deck of cards.  Ben asked Steven to touch the card-sized device and give him his reaction.  Steven reached out and touched the first device.  He instantly heard a recognizable conversation among six distant voices.  They were the smart switches and they all took turns talking to Steven.  The conversations took a minute and thirty-three seconds, as Steven timed it, yet he felt he had been talking for hours.  Looking at Ben, Steven realized he couldn’t remember any of the conversations, only that they all got along very well and he instinctively placed the card-sized device in his pants pocket. 

Did they talk to you?  Ben was curious.

Yes, we got along like a house on fire.  Steven’s comment made Ben laugh.

Very rarely do we find native races that can communicate with our technology.  Usually humans, or other races, state that they only hear a humming sound.  I believe I’ve made a good decision. Ben motioned to Steven.  Take the device in your pocket and place it in your wheeled vehicle.  They should be able to communicate after a few days.  As for this, Ben pointed to the soda-can device, our standard communicator will activate when we are within range.  See the small blue crystal on the top, place the communicator somewhere out of the way and we will use the blue to notify you when a message has come through.  Or, if you press the blue, we will be notified of your message.  But, if you make a mistake, press the green.

Geez, this is a lot to take in.

Ben sensed a slight discomfort from Steven.  Are we asking too much of you?

No, no…it’s not that.  This is amazing…something I never thought I’d see in my lifetime.  I’ll be glad to help any way I can.  And, this is gonna be fun.  Steven began to laugh at his own innocence.

Standing outside the ship, Steven knew that Ben could see him, even though the front of the ship continued to appear silver with the same iridescent green.  Rising, the little craft began to clear the treetops as Steven noticed a slight tightening in his chest.  The landing gear retracted and, in a few seconds, the ship began to rise like an elevator through the atmosphere until it became a pinpoint in the sky.

Standing alone in the orchard, Steven looked down at the empty space and wondered if this was all just a dream.  He pulled out the card-sized device and made sure it was away from his car’s remote, just in case it might drain the small battery. 

I’d better keep these away from each other for a while.  Guess it wasn’t a dream.

For the first time in a long time Steven turned off the radio and drove home in silence.  After arriving at his house, Steven parked the Ford in the garage.  He turned off the engine and placed the small playing card sized device near the power outlet in the center console.  Holding the device in his right hand, Steven didn’t exactly know what to do even though he continued to hear conversations from the smart switches.  As he continued to hold the device, Steven instinctively placed his index finger into the Ford’s power socket.  Conversations immediately flowed and Steven found he couldn’t remove his hand.  He was told by the voices not to panic, and to continue for a few moments as the device built a bridge from the device to the outlet.  Steven let the device rest on the console and, after a few moments, he was informed he could remove his hand.  A single slender threat appeared to connect the device to the outlet.  Opening the front door, the interior lights came on as if nothing had altered the vehicle’s systems, yet again Steven instinctively knew the device and his car were communicating.

The Ford Edge continued to sit in the garage for the next day and Steven checked on the progress from time to time.  Looking through the driver’s side window, the playing card device was now the size of a shoebox.  Touching the door handle, Steven immediately joined a conversation between his car and the smart switches.  He was instructed to retrieve several items, devices, and elements, but could not remember what they were when he let go of the door handle.  On his next trip to the supermarket, he returned with items he never thought of buying.  As if acting on instructions, he felt compelled to collect and bring these items to the garage. 

Steven understood that he needed to make a few more shopping trips before the order was complete.  Opening the driver’s side front door, he noticed that the front passenger seat cushion had become a small production facility and that most of passenger side interior of the car was changing to accommodate a new shape and structure. 

The Fresh New Start

A full four weeks had passed since the first encounter at the orchard.  Steven felt lucky that he had a second car, a 1987 Lincoln Continental, to use while the transformation of the Edge progressed.  His latest touch on the Edge door handle gave him confirmation that the upgrade was complete.  Upgrade?  Steven scanned the interior of his crossover and noticed that everything appeared as it was, except for the passenger side of the dashboard, which contained a squared-off clean piano-black facing.  Opening the door, a small red LED style light appeared in the upper right corner of the black screen.

Getting into the Ford, Steven noticed that the steering wheel didn’t move.  Feeling the back of the steering wheel, the previous soft surface had been replaced with a smooth metal ring on the backside of the wheel.  As he placed both hands on the wheel, Steven received a sharp electrical pulse.

Ouch, damn it?

Three voices immediately answered, much clearer than before.  Please excuse the interface.  You are now complete.

Complete, what do I have now?

You have us, we have you.  The confident voices came as a surprise but gave a sense of calm and order.

What do I do now?

What do you want?

Steven’s mind flashed with several ideas he had been kicking around.  An avid history and aviation buff, one of the first things that leapt to mind were the airships of the 1930’s.  Steven had always thought that if the Zeppelin had become a success, airship travel would be the standard of the world.

An airship? We can provide.  The smart switches drifted off and then fell silent.

Are we going to build an airship?  Steven noticed, but not felt, a confirmation from the systems in the car.  The instrument panel came to life as the mechanical gauges had been replaced with a screen that now displayed enhanced vehicle information.  Waiting for the familiar sounds of the engine to start, a new low-pitched hum was all that could be heard.  The garage door opened on its own. 

Steven felt for the gas and brake pedals and, after feeling around, noticed that they were missing.  The steering wheel also refused to turn left or right more than a few inches.  Pushing the wheel forward, slightly, the vehicle silently rolled down the driveway and into the street.  Turning the wheel just a little to the left initiated the left turn and, as if intuitive, Steven mastered the new driving techniques of the Ford.  The little Edge drove as smooth and easy as before, but now it was silent and responsive to very slight touches of movement on the wheel. 

Steven kept looking around the interior of the car as he approached and waited for the exit gates of his community to open.  The interior rear view mirror was missing, replaced by the top one foot of the front windshield, which displayed both sides and a rear view of the vehicle.  As the gates opened, the car passed through and he waited for traffic to pass.  Crossing the street, the Edge came to a stop by the curb.  Steven listened to the sounds of a section of the roof detach.  He watched as a one foot by two foot section of roof floated over the front of the Edge and moved off in an easterly direction.  Still holding onto the metallic part of the steering wheel, Steven’s unspoken question was answered immediately.  The roof now contained a probe that could survey the area for suitable equipment to build an airship.

Tireless information passed from the probe to Steven’s dashboard display, and also to a display towards the upper section of the windshield.  Images from the probe, map directions to the target, and scans of the objective’s physical makeup flowed quickly through the Edge’s instrument panel.  Steven pressed the steering wheel forward and once again the vehicle came to life.  The crossover moved from the curb and into traffic as it followed its predetermined course.

In a large field about four miles from Steven’s house sat an abandoned double-wide mobile home.  Long since forgotten, the two sections had been parked after the last economic meltdown.  Preliminary scans indicated that the rust on the suspension and axles meant that the two trailers had not been moved in approximately four hundred and twelve days.  The probe made no determination if the trailers were currently owned, only that their aluminum siding and inner construction offered enough raw material for a basic airship.

The Ford met them at the abandoned location as the probe floated several feet above the left section of the two trailers.  The probe then appeared to move to an outer side wall and attach to the aluminum siding.  The rear cargo door of the Ford opened and, where the spare tire had been previously located, a large square floating module disengaged and hovered to the right side trailer, also locking onto the exterior side wall of the aluminum siding. 

Steven waited for a few minutes and watched the delicate ballet whirl around the two sections of the mobile home.  He then heard the voices stating that this process would take several hours and that he wouldn’t be needed.  The instrument panel came to life and Steven silently drove back to his house. 

The old sections of the mobile home began to vibrate as both probes completed their molecular scans.  The coating used on the metal roof of the structures started to vibrate and rattle.  The decaying chips of roofing material bounced on top of the metal roof sheeting.  In the kitchen of the 1960’s era mobile, the Kelvinator dishwasher began receiving molecular instructions from the second probe. 

Long slender silver threads drew from both probes into the tightest areas of the structure, until each part and piece had been cataloged and evaluated.  The apartment sized dishwasher was chosen as a recycle drone to take the materials of the home and reconfigure them, at the necessary molecular level, into the required airship parts and pieces.  The frame of the avocado-green refrigerator/freezer, the inner and outer walls, and refrigeration unit, were repurposed into seven small porters to find and move pieces throughout the two sections of home.

I’m not ready…at least I don’t think I am

Following a predetermined course, the small spacecraft dropped through the upper atmosphere at a standard 16 to 18 miles per hour.  As the initial bump of contact with the atmosphere passed by, only a small amount of heat buildup was noticed as the saucer-shaped craft descended through the heavens.  The brilliant white two-story ship pulled eleven triangulation points to calculate their location on this blue-water planet.  Landmarks, mostly mountain ranges and continents, allowed the pilot to choose a landing site from predetermined map coordinates.

Lowering onto the coast of Spain, the clean white saucer rotated to change direction and darted across the surface of the planet.  A short visit to a long river in Egypt was the first stop on the itinerary.  Hovering over a chosen area of the Nile River, a canister lowered as the ship slowly skimmed the surface of the water.  Algae and plankton filtered through with about seven-hundred gallons of water, which produced elements necessary for medical research and the production of specific medicines.

The stop for elements was not a speed test, yet the procedure was completed in less than fourteen minutes of earth time.  The brilliant white ship then ascended up and out of the atmosphere, allowing the planet to rotate beneath it.  Descending once again, this time the little craft hovered over Santa Paula, California. 

Steven was watching TV and had just begun to relax when he felt the urge to talk to his car.  At any other time this might have sounded crazy, but feelings like this seem to come easy and more often.  Steven turned on the lights as he entered the garage.  The Ford Edge sat quietly as though nothing of interest was happening.  Opening the driver’s door, the interior lights came on and the upper band of windshield filled with images; the airship was now complete.

Checking the date and time, Steven noticed that the robotics had been working for a little over two days.  The short drive to the storage area that housed the mobile home took about eight minutes of travel time.  The diminishing light of the evening sun shown that the two sections of the mobile home were intact, looking as they had been just two days ago.  Steven decided to move the Ford to the right side of the mobile, expecting to see something within the structure.

The Ford drove to the right of the mobile and passed through the confines of a holographic image.  Steven noticed the distortion as he passed through the image and parked next to the finished airship.  The thin holographic field, in reverse, appeared to be enough to hide the airship during its construction.

Still holding onto the steering wheel, Steven heard the smart switches download information regarding the startup, flight controls, and landing.  Long ago he had started the habit of looking at the clock, any clock, to see how long these conversations lasted.  It took almost three minutes to download the basic operations manual into Steven’s head, easily a record as most conversations seemed to be around sixty seconds or less. 

The actual airship consisted of a rectangular red balloon or flexible structure perched atop a light but strong gondola.  The flexible lift material was a fire-engine red color with a thick black stripe around the circumference of the balloon.  The black stripe was framed by thin white lines, giving depth to the black stripe. 

Steven got out of the Ford and walked to the gondola section of the airship.  A garage that was big enough for two Fords sat at the back.  The forward lounge could comfortably seat six.  The large storage, or cargo space, was centered between the front passenger section and the garage.  The eight foot high cabin equaled the eight foot high flexible airbag structure.

The slate gray house, the onboard systems referred to it as a house, was made of a woven material stronger than any steel produced from earth.  The feel of the material was soft and unpainted, yet appeared to handle the weight of two vehicles, plus cargo and passengers. 

The interior lighting turned on as the main center cabin door slid open.  The garage door rolled up and the Ford backed up and entered the garage on its own.  Steven then entered and sat in one of the two front captain chairs as the center door closed and sealed.  The three walls of the cabin were almost entirely glass from the waist up, allowing an unobstructed view forward and to