When air is not a
fluid, but a barrier,
we enter the boundary zone of supersonic flight.
When civilization is stopped by a wall,
we enter the Dark-Age boundary zone of death.
Can we break out?
"I still can't believe what is happening," said Sylvia, looking down from the twenty-fourth floor of the new Hilton on Kurfuersten Dam in Berlin. "I feel like I'm in a 007 spy movie. Yesterday morning we were camping and building a trail to the beach, in the evening we witnessed a Russian fishing boat launch a nuclear cruise missile right over our house towards Washington, minutes later we were scrambling like mad to avoid a nuclear war, and now, just over a day is gone by and we're living like royalty in one of the most fashionable centers of Europe on a mission to save the whole of mankind. Tomorrow, whether we like it or not, we will be ambassadors of the USA with a challenge to all nations that puts us onto the top of the world. It's unbelievable what is happening, isn't it? If someone had predicted this two days ago, I would have laughed."
"Gosh! I think we left our shovels and the chain saw on the beach," said Tony. "We didn't even get a chance to take our tools back to camp."
"Who cares about chain saws now?" said Sylvia. "Think of the excitement ahead! Think of the danger of sneaking behind the Iron Curtain, past mounted rifles, smuggling one of their top scientists into Italy for a week! Think of the adventures of floating in gondolas through the canals of Venice, and not least, saving the world from destruction! Who cares about chain saws in times like these?" She laughed as she said it.
"Yes, it's like living on top of the world all right," said Ross and took a deep breath.
"Indeed it is, let's drink to that!" I added. I had a tray of champagne glasses in my hand that I had just filled.
"From Uncle Sam?" Heather asked.
I nodded.
"Let's drink to Uncle Sam's generosity," said Heather and took a sip. We all did.
"But you have to be careful," added Ross. "It is a narrow, fast moving place, the top of the world. You need precise footwork, far more than a downhill skier in a race. One slip, and it's game over!" Ross raised his glass.
"Oh go on," I said.
"No, no! Jokes aside," said Ross. "You can't evade the fact that there are basic principles involved. If you ignore even one of them, you slip. But if you understand them you can move with total freedom. That's where the excitement begins! Once you understand the science of what you are dealing with, you can dance circles around anyone. You can face the guns and think nothing of them. You might even feel compassion for those who feel compelled to carry those guns."
"Let's drink to the principles," said Tony, raising his glass. "Let's drink to dancing on top of the world!"
"I think, what we are doing here is just as crazy as our Wreck Beach project," I said to Tony. "But I love it! I have a feeling that this one is going to work."
"Do you guys realize that this adventure could be a turning point in history?" said Heather.
"Right!" I said, and topped off her glass of champagne.
We were all assembled on the balcony again that evening after a few hours of sleeping. We were guests in the brand new Hilton in Berlin. We had three rooms on the twenty-first floor. The sidewalks below us were crowded with people going out to dinner, or to the movies or theaters. The glittering lights and the atmosphere of the city didn't reflect that we were in the midst of a Cold War that was fast heating up towards colossal chaos and nuclear destruction.
