“Little one, don’t be afraid.  I’ve come to talk with you.”

“Grandmama, why are you here to talk with me?”

“I have been watching you from beyond the grave and I believe you need to think about what you are doing?”

“I am and I’m proud to serve my country.”

“I know what will happen.  What about Tonya and Alexandra in Chicago?  Remember how they wrote letters to you and sent pictures of themselves?”

“I still have them.  How are they doing?”

“Considering you’re planning on having them vaporized by the same government you serve, not too bad.  At least Tonya’s unborn child won’t be aware of what is happening.”

“She’s pregnant?”

“She is expecting a girl in a couple months.  I want her to at least celebrate her first birthday; her marriage and the birth of her first grandchild if possible.”

“But my work is very important.  It won’t be used just to destroy lives.  It will be used for good too.”

“I remember the days before communism.  They weren’t the best of times.  But at least we were free to go to church and not have spies telling our every move to Moscow.  You want to help destroy your cousins in Chicago and the one on the way.”

“No, Grandmama.  I will help do the research to perfect my reactor and engine–”

“Please don’t.  I may be dead, but it would break my heart if you sealed the doom of your cousins.  Go along with the team leader and tell him your reactor idea won’t work.”

“But I know it will,” he protested. 

“This is your grandmama.  I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t really care about you.  I don’t care what you have to tell him.  Just don’t develop your reactor.  Work for ACE instead.”

“ACE?  What is ACE?”

“It is an organization that could really use your genius.”

“Why haven’t I heard of them before?”

“They want to remain a secret to most people.  But they do fine work in protecting this planet.  If you are successful with your ideas you could planet.  We wouldn’t want that.”

“No.  All right, I’ll do what you want.”

“Thank-you, little one.  You have made your grandmama very proud of you.  Maybe I could convince your cousin to name her girl after your mother Catherine.”

“That would be nice.  Thank-you for seeing me.”

“Oh I can see you all the time; just not in this dimension.”

For the next two months, Yacovworked with the team leader to perfect his repulsion-drive engine with the conventional reactor since he agreed his reactor would be too dangerous.  The cousins worked with him too and before the first testing of the engine on the range caught the flu, for some reason.  

As for Yacov, on the day the rocket was to be fired using his engine, the watcher was able to transport him to Newgate where was able to start working for ACE immediately.  The engine proved to be so powerful that it couldn’t be held in position and shoved the reactor that was above it through the top of the rocket.  The entire reactor and engine combination was immediately shut down and fell to earth about ten miles downrange.  Fortunately the reactor vessel didn’t rupture or else there would have been a massive leak of radiation. 

Yacov is not working on the next generation of hyperlight reactors and met a woman he is very happy to be with.  Their children are happy he decided to join ACE.  And a grandmother in Russia and often in America is also very happy.  She has three great-grandchildren to watch over too.