July Fourth Anomaly

The air on July 4th, 1918, crackled with more than just the anticipation of Independence Day. It hummed with the quiet tension of a nation at war, and for Benjamin Hawthorne, it thrummed with a nervous excitement that tightened his chest. Today was the day. Project Asteria, Theodore’s magnificent, improbable creation, was poised to take flight, and Benjamin, as its chosen pilot, felt the weight of history settling onto his young shoulders.

He stood on the tarmac at Langley, the morning sun glinting off the polished silver and dark steel of the aircraft. It was a beautiful beast, unlike anything he’d ever seen, a testament to his brother’s singular genius. Theodore, a figure of quiet intensity in his usual rumpled suit, stood a few feet away, his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed on the machine. Benjamin walked over, a grin splitting his face.

“She’s a beauty, Theo,” he said, clapping his brother on the shoulder. “You’ve outdone yourself this time. I just hope she flies as good as she looks.”