UNIVERSITY PAST TIME
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Tom looked at the hole in the bottom of the shaft and smiled. God! What a fuss the crystal that fitted into that hole had caused! The C.I.A., Navy and Army intelligence, the Board of Regents and even members of the legislature tried to bring pressure to find the secret of that small box and crystal. Tom wondered who had the crystal now and where it was hidden. He knew someone would step forth at the last second and hand it to Raj Jhangi.
Thank God they had all stood together, from the newest secretary in the steno pool, who had nothing to tell anyway, all the way up to the dean. Tom grinned as he thought of Boots Strand, the department’s secretary for the past 13 years. An innocent appearing student in jeans and a sweatshirt had questioned her. She had told him the same thing she had told a colonel: She wouldn’t recognize one of those “nuculus” things if one was on her desk; well, maybe she could, if they would describe one to her.
Boots had typed science tests and the answer keys for all the science departments before the college grew so large. She probably knew more all-around science than half the people in the department. She often caught mistakes in the tests and answer keys and corrected them automatically. Twelve years ago she became the dean’s secretary, but still often answered students’ questions about subject matter in many fields of science.
In another 90 minutes this would all be over and he, Beverly and the kids would be taking off for a two-week cruise down the
A noise from out in the parking area caused Tom to look out the doors. That had to be the loud voice of Captain Doling. Tom saw four men silhouetted against the large outer doors leading to the garage. He recognized the slight form of Dr. Don Warlin, the slightly round-shouldered form of Dr. “Raj” Jhangi and the portly shape of Captain Doling. As they entered the makeshift laboratory, Tom recognized Jim Lynn, the Quartermaster first class from the ship who was carrying a small walky-talky. Captain Doling walked to a seat in the first row and started to sit.
“I’m sorry, Captain,” Tom said, “but I’ll be sitting there and the other first row seats are for the heads of the departments involved and their assistants.”
The Captain glared at Tom and at the various members of the science faculty sitting in the first three rows of student desks, turned and stomped to the rear of the room. After a few minutes, Don Warlin walked over to Tom.
“Everything about ready, Thomas?” he asked.
Tom glanced over to Bill Ferguson with a questioning glance. Seeing Bill nod his head, he glanced at Raj. Raj smiled and gave a slight tilt of his head in affirmative.
“All ready,” Tom told the head of the Physics Department.
“Thomas, before we get too involved in this morning’s work and you take off, I want to thank you for sticking around and you too, Dr. Ferguson,” Dr Warlin said in his quiet way. “I know you want to get on that cruise and I know Dr. Ferguson wants to leave too. It’s been nice for you two to assist us like this. Both of you have been an asset to this department.”
Turning, Dr. Warlin nodded to Dr. Raj Jhangi. Raj, standing beside the apparatus winked at Bill. Bill slipped off his ring and handed it to Raj. Raj removed the black setting, rubbed off the red film covering the setting and with Tom’s help, placed the green crystal in the hole in the shaft of the camera-like box hanging from the drum.
“So that’s where the bastard’s been hiding that damn thing!” Tom heard Doling mutter from the back.
“At least for the past 12 hours,” Tom heard Brad reply to Doling. “Where it was before is anybody’s guess.”
After the crystal was secure in the small shaft, Raj immediately went to the control panel.
“Let’s get the show on the road,” Tom said, as he pic
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Dr. Tom Gorham is a professor at
Dr. John “Raj” Jhangi, a Professor of Physics, tries an experiment with an experimental powerful electromagnet with results that open a new realm in Physics. Tom’s job is to coordinate the efforts to solve the dilemma of the experiment. The Navy Department lends an old escort destroyer to the University to supply added D.C. power to expand the experiment while the Pentagon tries to obtain control over the experiment as a defense project. One of their observers, an officious naval captain, interferes with the experiment and causes the experiment to blow up, sending a portion of the University back in time. Efforts to return only puts the group further into the past and the people and a portion of the university winds up in the year 1003 A.D.
One of the primary problems facing the colony is the need for more people and children so the colony will not die out and the knowledge lost. Since women far outnumber men, much debate occurs as to how they can have more children when there are not enough males. This is solved by a sharing arrangement where a woman asks permission of a wife to share her husband for purposes of insemination, after which the man must have nothing more to do with the woman. This arrangement makes many women unhappy and requires modification.
The colony meets the Cahokian Indians and establish a common ground of support for each other when the colonists defeat a warring Indian tribe who attack the Cahokians. Further complications arise when the Indians desire to become “one people” which requires the council members to take an Indian “princess” and some women to marry an Indian “prince.” This is done to make “One People” and thus seal the pact.
The people struggle to survive; scrounging seeds, food and clothing from various sources and changing cars and trucks into fanning and mining equipment. By the end of the second year the colony is in good enough shape to search for and find oil, gold, coal and iron ore. The third year they are able to send the destroyer to
The book details the efforts for the colony to survive and grow and to reshape the direction of the world by having as their primary goal education of the people. The conditions of the various countries and the living conditions in the world in 1005 A.D. are described and the history of many of the plants and foods used by Americans today.
About the Author
This is the fourth book written by Dr. Glenn G. Tucker. He was born and raised in
Dr. Tucker is married to Dr. Beverly Tucker. They have four children and are now retired and make their home in