“I need a drink, Hoss,” Admiral Ferguson whispered to Admiral Miller, “I need a fucking drink.”
The Board also heard from expert witnesses, people with no personal knowledge of the facts they examined, but who could explain phenomena, both physical and psychological. They struggled to find an explanation for the unexplainable.
One expert, NYPD psychiatrist Dr. Benjamin Weinberg, was the man who had corroborated with Jack Thurber, on his book on time travel. “Benny the Bullshit Detector” sat in front of the microphone.
“Dr. Weinberg, thank you for joining us today,” said Admiral Miller. “We’ve asked you to testify because you have a reputation for judging the veracity of witness testimony, and you’ve also had input into Lt. Thurber’s book on time travel. So let me ask you a flat out question. You’ve heard the testimony of dozens of crewmembers of the California. Do you find their testimony to be honest and straight forward?”
“Admiral, I look for signs of lying. I have about a dozen things that I look for, including perspiration, voice, physical mannerisms, and eye contact. I’ve developed a reputation for spotting lies and helping prosecutors put together cases.”
“Is that why you’re known as the “bullshit detector?” asked Miller.
“Yes,” said Weinberg, chuckling, “it’s my favorite title. But to answer your question Admiral, not one person I’ve observed and listened to in these proceedings is lying. That’s my opinion. If they’re not telling the truth they are amazingly talented psychopaths, and you don’t find that many psychopaths together in one place, or on one ship.”
“Dr. Weinberg,” said Admiral Miller, “do you believe these stories?”
“It isn’t my job to believe stories or not to believe them, Admiral,” said Weinberg. “It’s my job to assess whether the witness believes his own story. But I will say this. I don’t know much about this time travel stuff, but ever since I worked on that book with Jack Thurber, I’ve noticed that I’ve developed an obsessive compulsive disorder. I never step on a crack…it may be a wormhole.”
“Thank you Doctor Weinberg,” said Miller. “We may ask for more of your help.”
The next expert they called to the stand was a Dr. Jerome Suydam, a professor of Psychiatry from the University of Chicago. His specialty is group hysteria. He testified that large numbers of people can show signs of hysterical reaction when faced with traumatic events. He discussed eyewitness testimony from groups who witnessed an accident, only to find that actual taped evidence contradicts what they believed they saw. It was his opinion that the crew of the California suffered from mass hysteria, causing all of them to believe a strange story.
“Doctor,” said Admiral Blake Jones, who also held a law degree, “we have heard testimony from 175 different individuals and over 400 written affidavits from crewmembers of the California. These people have talked about hundreds, maybe thousands of experiences over a four month period, and you’re saying that they’re thinking the same thoughts?”
Suydam mumbled about his long experience, the classes he’s taught, and the books he’d written.
Jones leaned over to Admiral Miller and put his hand over the microphone. “Where’d we get this asshole, Hoss?”
Miller just chuckled and said, “Thank you Dr. Suydam. We have no further questions.”
After Suydam stepped down, the Board heard from a MIT physicist who testified that a wormhole was a theoretical possibility. The man was obviously more comfortable with numbers than words, so he was excused after 30 minutes of testimony. But he did make an impression. Time travel is a theoretical possibility.
Lt. Jg. Nancy Forsyth was called to testify. It was the most dramatic testimony to date. Because of her expertise in design and presentation, she was asked to show selected photographs and video clips taken during the California’s four months in 1861. On a large screen, she displayed dozens of photographs, including pictures of Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet with Captain Patterson and her fellow officers. She also showed a video clip of Lincoln talking to Captain Patterson. She then clicked to photos of Robert E. Lee taken by Lt. Conroy. Forsyth also discussed architectural photographs. Using pictures taken by the SEALs on their recon mission, she highlighted the Charleston waterfront, comparing them to current day photographs.
Forsyth’s slide presentation was so dramatic no one asked questions. The drama increased when the next witness was called.
Professor Thomas Pendleton of Cal Tech is the nation’s most recognized expert on photographic evidence. He has testified many times before Congress and government investigatory bodies. Pendleton had examined every photograph from Forsyth’s presentation as well as hundreds of other photographs taken by California crewmembers. He compared photographs of Lincoln to the existing photographs taken with nineteenth-century cameras.
“Gentlemen,” said Pendleton, “the person you saw in those photographs is Abraham Lincoln, not a likeness, but Abraham Lincoln himself. And the people Lincoln is shown with are Captain Patterson, Lt. Thurber, Chaplain Sampson, and Commander Campbell. I’m a man of science, so I can’t give you a clue as to how this happened. All I can tell you, as an expert on photography, the photos are real.”
After a month of listening to testimony the Board began their deliberations. Admiral Miller arranged for a large photograph to be displayed on the screen for the duration of their discussion. It was the photo of Abraham Lincoln and Captain Patterson.
Admiral Miller set the stage for their deliberations. “Fellas, our job is to come up with findings of fact and to make recommendations. I want to be clear on something. Remember the testimony of Dr.Weinberg, Benny the Bullshit Detector. He said it wasn’t his job to believe the stories or not, only to assess whether the witnesses believed them. Well our job is different. We have to determine, as a factual finding, if this incredible story is true. I’ve drafted a summary finding of fact that I believe to be the truth. If you disagree, let’s hear it. Here’s my summary.
Summary Finding of Fact. On April 10, 2013, off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, the USS California encountered a wormhole, a phenomenon that modern science has not been able to explain. The ship was transported through time to April 10, 1861 and participated in the Civil War. The California engaged the naval blockade of the South, the Battle of Bull Run, the destruction of Robert E. Lee’s Army, and the missile attack on the City of Richmond. After four months, 1861 time, the ship again encountered the wormhole and was transported back to 2013. The ship had been missing for just over seven hours, 2013 time.
“So that’s the summary as I see it, gentlemen,” Miller said. “The actual record, consisting of hundreds of pages, will be attached. So this summary, if you agree, says that we believe the story. Does anyone disagree with the summary?” Not one hand went up.