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AE Year 12
Our family was at the Saturday Market in Atascadero when the plane came over and headed toward the airport. The airport buildings were wrecked in the Event, but the runway was still intact. We jumped in the van, leaving the trailer and our goods in care of the kids, and rushed out to the airport.
The plane, Danny called a DC3, had come to a stop, and the cargo hatch opened. Three men stepped out, and we rolled up to them. We hopped out of the van and ran up to them. The two older men introduced themselves as Gary Owens and Robert Wilson
The younger man took a second look, and then said, “Without the big tires I didn’t recognize the van at first. I’m Matt Garza, from Roswell.”
It took a couple of days for us to tell our stories. When Gary asked about jet fuel, Danny’s face fell. He explained how it had all been used to run the generators before the well and refinery were working.
We were producing some gas and diesel, but it would take modifications to make any usable jet fuel.
In a meeting the next day with our oil business partners, Daemon Long, and Alden Rodgers, we discussed the modifications required to produce usable jet fuel. They said it would take several months to set up a new cracking tower and produce jet fuel. It was not what our visitors wanted to hear, but they were grateful for the chance to obtain the necessary fuel. They had flown over the San Louis Obispo airport and it was under water, like all of the coastal airports.
The discussions then turned to payment.
Gary said, "I won't try to pass off a check, but we do have a cargo of heritage seeds, and a sample of a rocket gasifier that works very well."
Danny and our partners agreed that would be a suitable payment, if it included helping fabricate and install the new cracking tower.
It took six months to complete the project. Gloria Long was the 21-year-old daughter of Daemon, and she grew up in the oil business. She was a tough as nails tomboy, who became the manager on this project. Matt didn’t appreciate doing menial tasks at her direction, but she was cute. Three quarters through the project, cupid raised his head, and the two became an item.
When the construction was almost complete, Robert Wilson made the trip to El Dorado, and helped the mapmakers fill in more information, based on what they had seen in their flight out. While he was there, he met a man named Davie Goodman, who wanted to fly back to Roswell with them. When he offered to pay ten pounds of coffee for the ride, Robert accepted without delay.
When the last of the fuel was ready for loading, Matt asked Gloria to be his wife and return with him to Roswell.
The marriage was an excuse for a big party. Gloria’s parents were not pleased. They understood it would be a long time, if ever, before she returned. After the party, the newlyweds spent a brief honeymoon on our boat sailing around the coast.
When the day for departure arrived, the C-47 was loaded with gifts for the new couple, and for our other friends back in Roswell. The takeoff was normal, and I assumed they made it back home without a problem.
Because the seed cargo included many varieties we didn’t have, by the time we reached California, the fuel transaction more than paid a profit. After the rocket gasifier design was scaled and duplicated, it made many more vehicles and engines available for the region.
We promised to keep the runway clear and the ability to make more jet fuel, but Gary was noticeably uncommitted about making another flight back to California.
Later, when Davie Goodman came back through, we learned that the plane had safely returned home to Roswell.
