December 31st, 2032

I walked quickly to the scrub room. My conversation with Admiral Ainsworth had taken a little longer than I’d expected but I thought it had gone well. I was sure that the Admiral didn’t really understand how far ahead of everyone else I was, but the crucible would come shortly. I had the nanites change my clothes to a pressure suit. It wasn’t bulky, nor did I have an air supply installed. My nanites made sure that I’d never need them. The suit was made from a single piece of composite fabric and had nothing on it except the words “Portal Inc.” on my left upper chest area. The gloves and helmet were the last two pieces of the suit to be added. While I didn’t need the suit to survive in a vacuum anymore, I didn’t want to give away all my secrets tonight. Being in the suit made it easier for the nanites to keep me functional. Once I checked the suit's pressure and temperature controls, I was ready.

I stepped from the scrub room and walked to the center of the room. Facing the Observation room and cameras I said, “Good evening Everyone. My name is Johnathan Bennard. Portal Inc and I are about to make an announcement. First, though, I’d like to offer the four major news agencies that showed up to cover this event an exclusive and a gift. The exclusive is simply that each of you is about to record something that has never happened before. The gifts, “I said as I waved my arms towards the back of the room under the monitor. Four of my employees in simple blue jumpsuits stepped into view of the Observation room and walked over to a box. Each employee opened a box and rolled a cart toward the back wall. The carts had coffee cups, pens, and notepads with the “Portal Inc” logo printed on them.

The reporters in the observation room looked on as the employees started rolling the carts towards the back wall and a circle of darkness appeared between each cart and the wall under each monitor. On the monitors, similar circles of darkness appeared behind the news anchors as they spoke to the cameras. Through the portals, anyone watching could see the faces of each of my employees as they rolled a cart through the portal into the studio. Like standing between two mirrors and looking at one, a copy of the scene plaid on the monitor getting smaller and smaller. The employees pushed the carts through each portal and in unison said “Courtesy of Portals Inc.” The attendants stepped back from carts and through the portals which all closed as pandemonium erupted at each news desk.

“What the hell?”

“Where did that come from?”

“Who was that”

As the News desks erupted my employees made their way out of the test chamber and the door sealed. I allowed the atmosphere to be removed from the room while the reporters in the studios composed themselves and the reporters in the observation room looked on silently camera’s rolling. When the room was turned into a vacuum I looked into the cameras and continued, “Again, my name is Johnathan Bennard and I am the CEO of Portals Inc. Our big announcement tonight is that our company has successfully created, tested, and utilized point to point transportation through space utilizing wormholes, what we simply call portals. A minute ago you witnessed four portals being opened, one each, to the studio of the news agencies recording this demonstration. As you saw, the news agencies were not informed of that part of the demonstration ahead of time. What they were informed of and what I will now show you is a portal to the moon.” The images on the TVs against the far wall changed to a scene of the Air Force Academy Church seen from 100 feet above. The image panned over and up until the moon came into center focus. “The televisions behind me just showed the image of the Chapel at the Air Force Academy from 100 feet above it. Watch me but keep an eye on the Moon.”

A portal opened behind me and I stepped through onto the sandy gray crater strewn plain of the Moon. Turning to the Portal I waved and the portal closed which caused everyone in the Observation room to gasp. All eyes turned to the TV screen and noticed that the image of the moon now shared an image of the ball dropping in New York City. As the timer counted down to “0” A bright white light appeared in one of the crafters near the center of the Moon at exactly midnight Mountain Standard Time. (MST). The view from Times square switched to people kissing and singing “Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind…” The TV and view of the moon went dark as a new Portal opened and I stepped back into the test room from the Moon. The Portal closed and I had the room refilled with atmosphere.

Once that was done I looked at the stunned faces of the reporters and spoke, “I believe this demonstration of our product and new technology speaks for itself. I would offer refreshments and such but it is New Year's Eve. Instead, I will offer each network immediate travel to your studios where you can join your friends and family to celebrate this new year. Myself. I think traveling 477,800 miles deserves a rest, even if it only took two steps.” A black disc appeared between the observation room and me. To those in the Observation room, it was a black disc. To me, it was a Portal to his office. I stepped through as I ordered the nanites to remove the pressure suit and dress me as I had been dressed. I picked up a glass, as if making a toast, and clinked it to Amanda’s, “Happy New Year Amanda!”