Samantha's Hope

Introduction

Samantha’s Hope is about a dedicated Archaeologist lost in the Jungle for two and half years. It is a story about her Husband, and her two sons who never gave up hope finding her.  Also looking for her is her rival another Archaeologist.  He is looking for treasure the kind he can sell to private collectors and will kill to get what he wants.  Samantha’s Hope starts with a dream on an airship called Samantha’s Dream brought down by Pirates.  Samantha’s Hope is another airship with a crew of 5 teens, Professor Bellwether, and a federal agent who go looking into the jungle to rescue and find Samantha Canonshire Bellwether before the pirates and their captain Dr. Rasmussen Rivers the rival Archaeologist finds her first.  Dr. River will stop at nothing to find that treasure, murder, piracy, even killing Samantha’s husband and their sons if he could.  Our story starts on a planet colonized 650 years ago, left earth in the 24th century and lost contact with earth since.  Professor Bellwether, Sam’s husband a Professor of Earths ancient history and mythology, requires all his students to take notes during his lectures, not to depend on what the textbooks say.  You can expect crooked federal agents, a step-father who kills on orders by Dr. Rivers, even his own wife, and step-son if he could find the boy to keep his mouth shut.  Dr. Rivers the captain of the Jolly Rodger would make the ancient earth pirate Blackbird look like a Sunday school teacher.  Where there is hope, Dr. Rivers is not fall behind with his murderous crew.  Please take notes you won’t find this in a textbook on ancient earth history and mythology or will you?

Chapter 1

Professor J. Bellwether

––––––––

Quiet please!  Spoke up Professor Julard Bellwether.  This will be the last lecture in this series on ‘The Importance of Literature in the Revolution of Technology’.  I encourage you strongly to take accurate notes on todays Lecture.  I shall speak of the relationships to past Science Fiction stories where the author speaks of fantastical technology as subject of his story plot.  Science fiction, that becomes science fact in later years and decades. The earliest fantastical, known in the Science Fiction genre its roots going back to the text version of c. 2150-2000 BCE Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh.   Lester Del Ray was a supporter of using Gilgamesh as an original point in ancient history, that ‘science fiction elements were written before science fiction became a distinct genre.  Another approach is science fiction genre became possible between the 17th and early 19th centuries with the scientific revolution of that era with major advancements in astronomy, physics, and mathematics.  Which led to fictional stories about the future which in turn let to decades later for fictional science to become fact, and still does in fictional stories written in the 21st century."

What is Science Fiction but fictional tales of Science and technology, such as in Jules Verne story about a submarine powered by atomic fuel before atomic energy or the atomic bomb was invented.  Verne wrote Twenty Thousand League under the Sea in 1870 and the first atomic submarine was first lunched in 1958, some 88 years later.   The characters in such stories had identities, such as the hero and the antagonist.  The Hero saving the day by vanquishing the antagonist while telling a story of fantastical voyage to the moon as H.G. Wells, did in The First Men in the Moon in 1901.  A fact of technological achievement that didn’t arrive until 1969, some 68 years later.  In the 5th to 4th century BCE, Indian Poetry such as the Hindu epic Ramayana speaks of a flying machine that was able to travel into space, under water, and destroy entire cities using advanced weapons.  In Rigveda 1700-1100 BCE a collection of Sanskrit hymns speak of ‘Mechanical birds’ seen jumping into space a craft using fire and water.  Many example of Science fiction tell of technology that didn’t exist in the 8th and 9th centuries such as time travel and still don’t exist today in the 27th century, but physics as we know it today does." 

Science fiction of the past that has led to todays technology.  The list of Science Fiction novels and short stories today is in the thousands since the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, a storyline that has been rewritten and adapted in so many versions since then.  As fantastical these stories seemed to the first readers, when first published, they scoffed and laugh at such fantastic imaginations.  They entertained the young and old alike. The old scoffed, while the young grew up making Science Fiction, fact.  It is the imagination of the Science Fiction author who planted seeds in youths minds since such greats as Verne, Wells, Mark Twain A Connecticut Yankee a story of Time Travel, Jack London’s Unparalleled Invasion a story of Germ Warfare and Ethnic cleansing.  Edgar Rice Burrough’s 1912 Under the Moon of Mars to George Orwell’s ‘1984’ Totalitarian Regime, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut’s Utopia and Dystopia stories.  They have Science Fiction fact to some greater extend to lessor extend today.

Your final paper is to take one of these authors, mentioned today and listed on the handout and compare them to the late 20th to the early 21st century Science Fiction writers, film, and Television stories where even greater imagination of the fantastical technological marvels yet fiction then now fact today, like colonizing other planets.  Link the past to the present, and the present to tomorrow’s future. how yesterday’s Science fiction’s authors and todays new breed of Science Fiction authors will change tomorrows future with even newer innovations that today are fiction but will one day become fact.  No more than 10,000 words no less than 5,000 words, and don’t forget how Mythology and Fantasy in our last two lectures affect today’s technological innovations.  Remember, in the 5th to 4th century BCE, Indian Poetry such as the Hindu epic Ramayana speaks of a flying machine that was able to travel into space, under water, and destroy entire cities using advanced weapons.  Do we not have such flying machines today and advanced weapons of mass destructions. Your paper is due in 4 weeks, no more lectures, don’t forget the handout.  Enjoy your spring break everyone, just don’t overdo the partying and forget everything you learned this semester.  Dismissed.  Professor Julard Bellwether made his usual hasty exit to his office.

Professor, I thought you said no more lectures.  Cindy Paulsen said, the Professor’s teaching assistant as she entered right behind him.

Cindy, I did.  Professor Bellwether told her.

Then why did you tell the students not to overdo the partying during spring break then.  I am sure they get that from their parents as it is.  Cindy said.

Cindy, you will learn eventually as a teacher, you are an extension of parental responsibility to remind college students not to overdo the partying during spring break.  You can’t believe how many times I have had to tell a student no extension on their papers because they over did the partying on a beach and got so brain dead on booze and drugs.  They forgot they had the paper to do.  Sadly, some students never returns to class because they are setting in a jail cell for disorderly conduct, destruction of property, or worse, seriously injuring someone in a drunken fight on the beach.  In my days as a college student spring break was a chance to relax forget about classes, have a few beers, and yes even do some catch up studying on the beach.  These days, it’s all about over drinking, Drugs, even violence destroying private and public property.  Nothing has changed since the 20th century except location of those beaches 600 years later.  Total disregard of rationality, and responsibilities as a young adult.  Relaxing and having some fun in the Sun is one thing, but far too many Spring breaks end up in tragedy when it involves gun violence, and party riots between competing institutions of higher learning on the beach.  As faculty of those institutions in the past we encouraged the fun of the spring break.  Today we have to face the responsibility of that encouragement when we fail to remind our students the risk of overdoing it.  To many students have been innocently affected by the actions of other students encouraging bad behavior.  And those students who encourage that bad behavior have paid the cost for it in legal litigations, lawsuits, arrest and accessory to some serious charges like manslaughter, or murder.  It reflects on the Colleges and Universities when they get known as a party school and the only reason students attend that institution.  Times are changing Cindy, when such institutions face expensive lawsuits for ignoring their responsibilities.  Just because at 18 you leave you parents home, doesn’t mean that at 18 years of age you are a mature adult yet.  Nor does a higher education alone mature you.  Maturity comes from taking responsibility for your actions.  If I can remind my students to be responsible young adults, I am doing my part.  Just like as a single parent I have a part in my two teens life to make sure they have those same reminders Cindy and I hope their schoolteachers and faculty do the same when they are in school 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, 9 months out of the year.  Professor Bellwether said.

Thanks for the lecture Professor.  I would like to think I am a mature young adult now, and I admit my earlier years in college I partied during spring break and wasn’t always responsible for the amount I drank and how that overindulging caused me to make mistakes.  Getting pregnant wasn’t on my college curriculum.  If not for supporting parents, I wouldn’t be here nearing graduation and getting my doctorate in literature.  I have a wonderful 6-year-old girl Sally and her soon to be stepfather is a wonder with her.  I know not all women in my circumstances would have managed to continue with their education as I did.  To be honest, it might had been a different situation for me if I hadn’t turned my circumstances into a blessing or had parents who supported my desire to continue my pregnancy and education.  I may have even dropped out eventually because of my immaturity.  Instead, I found I had another person to think about, and I grew up fast Professor Bellwether.

You are the exception, given the circumstances you had to face.  Your future will be defined by the fact that you persevered and had moral support from your family.  But not all students have that perseverance to succeed because they lack in part or whole the kind of maturity needed to succeed in college.  Even today many who graduate with a degree often fail to find a job in that degree.  In some cases, it is picking the wrong degree, or sliding by with low grades, the slackers.  While others have to deal with current economics downfalls, or a gluttony of to many students earning the same degree, and fewer jobs available in that degree.  A rare few are disillusioned to begin with about the degree being suitable for them.  There are so many factors that come and go, during the 4 years earning a degree, 6 years or more to earn a doctorate, PhD, or medical degree that change the outcome.  Cindy, just so you know, I have submitted your name for the opening here as a full-time teaching assistant, in the Literature department, after you graduate.  It will build your resume and could lead to a Professorship here.  If you want it that is?  Professor Bellwether asked.

Want it, of course I want it.  Cindy said.

Well, since I have the final word on who that is, its yours.  Now why don’t you go over to Human Resources and get the paperwork out of the way.  They were expecting you yesterday.  I guess I forgot to mention it to you.  Professor Bellwether said.

Professor Bellwether, speaking of forgetting things, I forgot you had a phone call from you son Shawn.  He and his brother Cody, seems to be having a difference of opinion, about when their grounding is lifted.  Was that today or tomorrow?  Cindy said.  What did they do this time Professor?  Cindy asked.

What have those two not done of late is a very long list Cindy.  I best get home to find out what they added to the list.

***

Shawn, what do you think Dad is going to do when he finds out about the fight.  Cody asked his older brother. Both brothers were hiding out in the attic afraid of their dads anger.

Cody, I am not sure, usually it is a lecture, then grounding or taking away a privilege.  This time it’s not just us two fighting between us over some silly disagreement, or our usual hijinks like not thinking first before we do something stupid like the last time when we decided to ride our bikes up on the top of the garden wall and we tried to ride down the plywood panel together doing stunts.  Shawn said.

How did we know that plywood panel wouldn’t hold the two of us on it at the same time Shawn.

We are lucky it was our bikes that got broken and not us Cody.

We would have gotten away with it if Mrs. Burns hadn’t looked out the kitchen window just then and saw us go crashing to the ground and screamed.  Dad and she came rushing out before we could hide the broken bikes and plywood.  Cody complained.

Dad’s prized tomato plants didn’t do so well either.  We had so much tomato juice over us Mrs. Burns nearly fainted in fright we were badly bleeding.  Shawn shuddered.

It was worth the two-week grounding we got.  The thrill of riding down that plank from the compound wall and then the both of us spilling to the ground into the tomatoes was fantastic.  To bad our bikes didn’t survive the fall.  Next time we get a better piece of plywood and try it with our skateboards.  Cody, the daredevil of the two brothers.

There won’t be a next time Cody.  The Prof will certainly ground us for a year this time, or worse get so mad he will whack our heads off in anger with a chainsaw.  Shawn said.

I told you we shouldn’t have watched that ancient 20th century horror movie, last month.  You keep having nightmares.  Cody told his brother.

You’re the one who dared me to watch it after the Prof told us not too.

"You’re the one who always accept my dares Shawn.  You don’t have too you know.

Well, you don’t have to, be the one who always breaks our grounding by never listening to me when I warn you don’t do it.  You never listen to reason either.  Now the Prof is going to ground us for life for getting into that fight with Rex Tyrell when we should have gone home after school.  We were grounded after all.

Stop reminding me will you.  What is done is done.  We can’t undo it by you whining like a coward Shawn.  Cody said.

I am not a coward Cody!  Shouted at his brother.

Then why are we hiding out in the attic like cowards then!  Cody shouted back shoving his brother into a stack of cardboard boxes knocking them over.  The boxes spilled out their contents, shocking the two brothers when they realized the contents were things from their deceased mothers office.  The two with tears running down their cheeks replaced the contents one by one back into the boxes, going through memories of her office and the many wonderful artifacts she collected from her expeditions.  Cody picked up the last item finding it had broken in half revealing a small notebook inside the pieces.  Both boys looked at the notebook and had the same thought and spoke it aloud.

You don’t think this is what Dad was looking for after mother went missing two years ago, do you.  The two was interrupted by shouting downstairs.  Cody slipped the small notebook down the front of his pants pulling his shirttail out to hide it. 

***

Shawn, Cody, I suggest you two come out of hiding right this moment.  There dad hollered up the attic stairway.

Prof, I tried to tell Cody we were still grounded after school ended.  He wouldn’t listen to me; he went with Darrell Tykes and his twin Tad to the park to get even with Rex Tyrell for what Rex did to Darrell ’s bike.  Shawn hollered down to his dad from the attic.

Shawn, I told you to go home, you didn’t have to follow us to the playground.  Cody told his older brother who was 14 and Cody 13.

Shawn, Cody, down here right now, or so help me, I will ground both of your for the rest of the school year, plus take away all you Hologram video game privileges, and cancel our expedition this summer.  I am serious boys.  Now downstairs now, and Shawn it is time you start calling me dad, I am your father, not your Professor. If I were I would send a student out of the class for misbehaving.  Better yet send him to the Dean of Behavior and with you two’s record of misbehavior, you be kicked out of college and sent home to your parents in disgrace.  Now that gives me an ideal, I could send you to military school.  Naw that wouldn’t work they would send you home the first week.  I know, how about to the farm, I am sure your grandfather would love some extra hands slopping the pigs and milking the cows at 5 in the morning before you went to school smelling like a pigsty, no time for a shower.  I am sure the girls at the new school would just love talking to a walking pigsty.  I am serious boys!  Now get down here!  The boys dad shouted.

Shawn led the way with Cody right behind them running down the attic stairs right into their fathers hands around their shirt collars.  He shook both boys until he noticed Cody had a black eye, and Shawn a cut lip.  What in the name happened to you two?

Dad, you should see Rex Tyrell.  Darrell landed a kick right between the legs, right after Rex pulled a knife on him.  The same knife he used to slice Darrell ’s bike tires.  Rex went down like a lead ball dropped off a roof.  Then all hell broke loose when a couple of Rex’s buddies jumped us out of nowhere. Darrell, Tad, me and Shawn got the best of them, while Rex moaned and groaned on the ground grabbing his balls in pain.  Then Rex finally managed to reach for his knife and swung it at Shawns leg. That was when Principal Thomas, kicked the knife out of Rex’s hand.  You should have heard Rex scream when that kick broke his wrist.  And right behind Principal Thomas was the schools Public Safety Officer complaining how was he going to handcuff Rex with a broken wrist.  Cody told his Dad.

That’s just great how many days did Thomas suspend you two from school for fighting. Julard asked his son’s.

Dad, he didn’t suspend us.  It turned out Rex was banned from school property for fighting and other things like having a knife on him.  The playground has security camera’s now and so does the bike racks now.  Principal Thomas witnessed Rex slashing Darrell ’s bike tires, and us going after Rex.  We did nothing until Rex pulled that knife on Darrell, and Darrell defended himself with that kick to Rex’s balls.  Then the other two jumped us four.  All caught on camera, self-defense.  Rex was arrested and so where his buddies who had knives on them when they were searched.  Rex and his buddies will be facing weapons charges on school grounds.  A serious charge these days.  That is one less bully we have to deal with at school.  Rex even tried to claim the knife was ours, and we attacked them first.  Until the schools Public Safety Officer showed Rex and his buddies the footage on the security camera.  Shawn told his dad.

What have I told you two about looking for as fight to settled things. You should have reported the problem to the Public Safety Office or the Principal and avoided getting hurt or worse.  Julard said.

We were not thinking straight and forgot about the security camera’s.  Rex has always lied about doing anything and without proof he would get off from any trouble with the principle.  If we had known he was carrying a knife and his two buddies were, we wouldn’t have gone after Rex.  We even asked Principal Thomas why he kept that fact from the students and the parents about the camera’s.  Darrell and Tads parents are not happy about it either.  They have questions they want the school board to answer.  Cody said.

That is just great, spring break has started, and I was not planning on meeting with the school board and angry parents.  I always get dragged into the middle of these things since I been on the parents academic advisory committee as chair.

Gee dad I would think you would be just as angry that I was attacked by knife in Rex’s hand.  Shawn said feeling hurt.

Shawn, I am, its just that for a change I wish I could be just an angry parent not the mediator between parents and the school board.  I wouldn’t be angry if you two had come home right after school as told, you were both grounded as it was, right Cody.  Let that cut lip, and black eye be lesson for you to known when it is best to stay away from confrontations.  Even those that turn our not to be a fair fight.  You both are lucky this time and so are the Tykes twins.  Next time look before you leap into a fight.  Those other two couldn’t have been that far away or hiding that well.  You four were set up.  You two are still grounded, I am adding another day until tomorrow night, so off to your room and no hologram video games, music, TV or internet.  By the way, where is Mrs. Burns our housekeeper?  Don’t tell me she quit?

No, Dad it’s her weekend off remember.  Shawn and I let her leave early to avoid the bloodshed when you finally decide to whack us off in your anger.  That is why we were hiding in the attic.

If I thought you were serious boys, I would send you to the farm to live with your grandfather and his pigs and cows.

Dad you wouldn’t, grandfather is okay for a visit here, but please don’t send us to live with the pigs and cows.  I am just getting a few girls to be interested in me.  I wouldn’t have a chance if I smelled like a pigsty.  Shawn begged his father.

Okay, no farm, but I can’t promise you I won’t whack you off like a butchered pig if you ever get me seriously angry again.  Well maybe a hand on the behind will suffice.  Better yet, KP duty tonight since Mrs. Burns left early.

How about we order out dad.  Save us from burning down the mansion trying to boil water.  Cody reminded his father.

Right, the attention span of teenagers.  Now come here and give your old man a hug.  I am relieved you two are okay not missing a finger or two or bled to death with a knife slash to an artery in the leg.  Julard hugged his teens and added. Oh, did I forget to add no communicators until tomorrow night.

***

Later that night Shawn and Cody in the room they shared went over the notebook they found in that smashed artifact.  To their dismay outside of the dates at the top the of page, the rest was in a code or language they did not know or understand.  The last dated entry was two years ago, the night their mother left for her next expedition to never return.  Looks like we will have to show dad this notebook after all.  Maybe he will know mothers code or this language its written in.  Only the dates are in English and the last few pages where dated two years ago before her expedition.  Maybe those last pages have a clue as to what happened to her and why she never came back.  You know dad suspected something wasn’t right about that report there was no survivals found at the site of where her airship crash landed, and no bodies either.  She was an experienced archaeologist, been on several expeditions in that remote region of Jungle.  She never found any proof of any hostile tribes or even peaceful tribes in that region. Cody told his brother.

"Cody I don’t think we should tell the Prof just yet; I mean dad.  Now don’t look at me that way.  Since as long as I can remember Mother always called him Prof and I just assumed as young as I was that was his name until you came along and started calling him dad