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The
entire crew has been, as you might say, on pins and needles. We all
know this must all be quite overwhelming.”
    McHenry
sat there feeling unexpectedly shy and hesitant. He tried to
remember his P.O.W. instructions and his oath as an officer, and he
searched his memory for anything he was taught that could be applied
here. These people already knew his name and who-knows-what-else.
No one had asked a single question. No interrogation was necessary.
    He
looked out over the sea to the south. “That's the Med, isn't
it?”
    “Yes,
it's getting dark down there now.”
    “That's
about where I ditched my plane,” he said numbly. “But I
guess you know that.” Most of it was coming back to him now.
He hoped the men got back okay.
    “We
knew precisely where you were going down. The ship that tried to
pick you up had a log entry about you, which included the
coordinates. We knew everything about you before you were selected.
Traveling through time is not something we can afford to be careless
about.”
    “I
know. The doctor told me all about it.”
    “Then
you understand the seriousness of the situation here,” Mtubo
interjected. “And the risks we undertook to rescue you.”
    “Yes,
I do. I just don't understand why.”
    “You
are a relic of history, Lieutenant,” Mtubo answered with some
disdain. “That makes you an interesting item.”
    “Do
not question your good fortune,” the Kommandant said,
turning back to where Germany and western Europe were fading in the
distance. “Men are giving their lives by the thousands back
there. You will be remembered as a hero back home, like all the
others, but you also have a second chance at life.”
    McHenry
turned his back and looked ahead. The moon shone down on a dark
planet now. “I'll have to play this one day at a time,”
he said finally, turning back to face the Kommandant .
    “And
what marvelous days you will have,” the Kommandant said
brightly. “Doctor!”
    Dr.
Evers stepped forward. “ Ja,
Kommandant!”
    “Show
Herr McHenry his quarters, and then let him see the ship.”
    “ Jawohl!”
    The Kommandant pivoted formally to McHenry. “The men will
look in on you to ensure you learn your way about the ship. If you
need any medical assistance, be sure that the doctor attends to your
needs.”
    “Thank
you, ma'am.” McHenry winced slightly as he heard himself say
the word ma'am .
He needed to be respectful, and cordial, but not subservient. But
he felt better about it when he saw Mtubo's stern glare. He took one
last look at the land on the horizon and then followed the doctor
down the short stairway to the open elevator doors.
    The
doctor issued a command to the elevator, and the doors closed. They
moved sideways and then downward. “We have prepared a private
room for you. We will stop there so that you know where it is and
then we will have dinner. I am sure you are hungry.”
    “You've read my mind, Doctor.”
    “Good. Leutnant Vinson might be there. You will meet more of the
crew over time, but it might be best if we start with the pilots.”
    The
door to his room had his name beside it. There was a number under
his name. McHenry recognized the last five digits as part of his
Army serial number. The rest was not familiar.
    “That
is your personal number,” the doctor said. “It is
actually five hundred years old. The Reich integrated everyone into
the system that could be accounted for — living or dead.”
    “I
see,” McHenry said numbly. He didn't like that the Reich knew
who he was.
    “Of
course, you were long dead at the time,” the doctor added.
    “Listed
as killed by a bird, no doubt.”
    The
room itself was small but very comfortable. This could almost have
been a stateroom on board any passenger ship. As if to highlight
that point, there was even a placard with emergency instructions on
the wall by the door.
    The
doctor showed him that the desk converts into a bed, and then
remembered to explain he could adjust the