When Mike reported to the clinic the following day at the appointed time, he found no one there. Deciding to wait a few minutes, he was examining some test tubes filled with odd colored liquids when he heard someone enter the room from the supply closet. He turned and was surprised to find Dr. Horton pushing a wheelbarrow, which held a large black box of a machine.
"If you're ready to leave," he said, "would you kindly help me get this into the back of our jeep? I could never dream of lifting it! It took five of my young helpers to get it in here for me!"
Mike obligingly did as he was asked. Horton was amazed to see him lift it into the vehicle as if it was as light as a feather! There was snow on the ground that day, and it was heavily overcast. As usual, the doctor had planned an out-of-the-way spot in the woods for their experiments.
"What you are to do, Mike," the older man explained, "is to take the machine and fly as high as you can. It is to judge how high you can go without being affected by the sun's rays." Dr. Horton walked over and pointed to a red button on the top of the device. "This is a safety device. If you get in trouble and decide you must drop the machine, push this button first. It will store the information we need, plus activate a homing signal so we can locate it easily later on."
Mike was pleased to find an indentation on either side of the device for handles. He grasped them as best he could, and waited for the signal to start. No wonder Dr. Cooper had approved of this test. It was so simple! Mike's only thought as he flew straight up into the air was that he couldn't wait to see how high he could go. Higher and higher he flew. Soon Mike found himself passing through the heavy cloud cover. It was an odd feeling to fly through it, and the humidity dampened
his clothes. He had never flown this high before, and enjoyed the way the clouds billowed around him, looking like puffs of gray smoke. His nose began to itch, and he concentrated on looking up for awhile until the irritation went away, and it did, very slowly. It seemed like minutes later he was above the clouds and could see the bright sun to his right. He turned a little, so it wouldn't be directly in his eyes. His clothes dried rapidly at this level. "Just a little bit more," he thought aloud. "I can do it!" 
Mike was getting dizzy. The direct rays of the sun were beginning to take their toll on his sensitive body. His strength was quickly ebbing away. He flew with a final burst of power about a mile higher, then felt the machine slipping from his hands.