Jerome stood and looked out over the land his family had owned and worked for generations. Wheat, corn, and soybeans had been grown here since the founding of this country. Now he was faced with a decision that could cause the legacy to end. The windmill, from within which he enjoyed this wonderful view, was the cause of this whole mess.
He understood the reasons. The nation needed a solid energy source. A renewable one or in this case a perpetual one. How the windmill did its feat he did not understand. His duty now, standing for what could be the last time on this windmill he had stood upon hundreds of times during his life, was not clear at all. Hold to the past, by keeping this power source to himself and keep the land or show the government and loose it all.
Megan had told him it was his decision. This was his land now; since Pappy died Jerome was the sole owner of the property. She also knew this was a hard decision and she would support him either way. He knew she would.
They farm had always had enough power. It seemed to Jerome that is had power even when the windmill was not working. Pappy had told him they would never run out of power as long as the windmill was on the land. He explained nothing else. Since his death a month ago Jerome had taken over the farm and gone through the documents and discovered that Pappy had refused to sell the excess power to the local utilities. His reasoning was sound enough for a time. The windmill was in the middle of the property, almost exactly. It would be too expensive and too destructive to run the power out to where the utility companies could access it.
Jerome then went to the windmill and discovered the real reason. Pappy or someone before Pappy had incorporated a device that Jerome could not wrap is mind around. It seemed to amplify the slightest power generated by the windmill 100 fold or more. Only scientists could figure that out. Jerome tried to take the device out but could not. It seemed fused though he saw no visible weld marks, no bolts or screws.
Jerome had then brought Megan to the windmill. She also did not understand the mechanics but agreed it could not be taken out. She was the one that brought up contacting the government to “at least run some tests”. But they both knew they would take over and lock them out. He would lose the farm. Especially if the power output was what Jerome suspected.
What to do? What to do? Decisions had to be made.
