There should have been a sign haphazardly nailed on the Galley door that warned: ‘Beware! Mad Antarran Scientists at Play!’
I opened the door to find four women; three all roughly 157cm and one statuesque woman of about 183cm; all in long white lab coats and all having blue hair. Three had loose ponytails, but the tall one had a long, thick mono-braid down past her knees. Around them were four tables full of what I assumed to be high tech test equipment.
“Why, I haven’t seen this much high tech junk since we met each other at CMU, Christina!” I declared in amazement as I looked around the rear of the multipurpose compartment.
“Spoken like a true ‘Technophobe’, Hope.” Cora snorted.
“And you would know high tech from low tech how, Cora?” I challenged.
“I’m not as old fashioned as you.” Cora continued.
“Sometimes the old ways are the better ways, my big-boobed padawan.”
“Seriously? Is that all you two are going to do?” Link growled unhappily.
“No. We were going to add in some rude insults, maybe some bitch-slapping and hair-pulling as well, sweetie.” I smiled deviously.
“Not here you aren’t, Lady Hope! You stay here if you want to help us cure these people! If not, go somewhere else!”
Wow! This girl had a set!
“So… what you want me ta do, sweetie?” I asked politely.
“Coffee and tea would be nice.” Link giggled deviously. Simone and Christina joined in while Cora seemed uncharacteristically quiet.
“Done.” I said with a snap of my fingers. Four ceramic mugs of steaming liquid appeared on a rare clear space on one of the tables.
“You forgot the creamer and sweetener.” Simone smirked as she pointed to the containers.
I rolled my eyes and snapped my fingers again. Small packets of the two requested condiments appeared next to the mugs.
“How about something to stir with?” Christina smiled playfully.
“You want me to drink them for you too, girls?” I asked in annoyance.
“Oh would you, Lady Hope? They look too hot for my delicate royal hands to grasp without breaking a nail or causing a boil.” Christina laughed, pushing her luck. “No, actually, I like my coffee like my humor- very dark.”
She really did remind me of the second daughter I never had! I wondered if she wasn’t related somehow. Charli was doing her best to track down any and all data on the Everhardt’s of the early twenty-second century and previous. Degradation of informational records from the time severely impeded the process to an agonizingly slow, line-by-line ‘crawl’.
“I don’t do ‘Momma Bird’, Fiona.” I said and smiled. I wanted to see if she got that reference.
“Are you insinuating I’m an ogre, Lady Hope?”
Damn!
“Not any more than usual, sweetie.” I giggled before turning and walking away. “And only in the friendliest of conversations. Call if you guys need anything. Oh, I also don’t do ‘Guinea Pig’, so don’t even think about it.”
 
 
“Any luck, dear?” I asked as I walked into our quarters.
Charli was hard at work typing away on her DataTab.
“Records of the time are a freakin’ mess, Hope! How could anybody have really believed the ‘Cloud’ would make everything better?” She complained. “All it made was people, governments, and corporations lazier and less responsible!”
“But the ‘I want it all right now’ generation thought it was the cat’s ass, dear.” I replied sarcastically.
“Give it a rest, Hopewell. We both know we weren’t even thought of when that ‘godsend’,” Charlie applied finger quotes to that word with a frown, “of a file storage system went online. Skynet was far safer and better managed and it was fantasy! No wonder people thought I was some ‘anti-government’, radical ‘crackpot’ when I wrote my first personal backup program that stored everything on a set of antique 30T semiconductor drives.”
“My grandfather told me that was the way things were back when he met grandma. I always pictured ‘T’-Rexs trying to pick up those tiny things. I mean, how could something without thumbs pick up a thumb drive?” I said as Charli looked up at me and rolled her eyes in disapproval.
“Seriously, Hope?” Charli groaned. “T-Rexs came sixty-five million years before anything close to humans began showing up. And don’t forget that we’ve been around almost that long.”
“Yeah, I know. I guess if I actually felt our ‘age’ it would mean more, dear. Truth is I haven’t felt even close to the age we were when we blasted off toward FeLane the first time.” I responded seriously to my spouse. “So? Find anything interesting?”
“Christina’s parents accident? The investigation was never closed.”
“We already knew that.” I reminded.
“I know, but I also found several near-eyewitness accounts but they are all severely redacted.”
“Government?” I asked; my interest piqued.
“Possibly. Maybe very high level, too, but something just isn’t right. The redactions seem like they were added by computer.”
“How is that so strange? We did everything electronically- even then.”
“Redactions were done to a finished document that was requested by someone not having sufficient clearances to see everything. If done on a computer, the sensitive parts would have been simply erased or deleted. These files were deliberately blacked out using a computer to look like an officially censured release. They should’ve been blacked out with a permanent marker then scanned electronically.”
“Why does Christina seem to be getting more and more mysterious?” I asked.
“Why doesn’t anyone want us to find out the specifics of her past?” Charli added.
“Well, Demi did admit that she’s probably a new Goddess. Doesn’t that occur when two Gods get it on?” I asked.
“Possibly, but the myths really didn’t describe that. All they say is that Zeus and Hera had kids. End of sordid details.”
“Yeah,” I laughed, “After meeting Demi, I’d believe that she came to life by stepping out of a clam shell.”
“Could’ve been from under a cabbage leaf for all it matters, dear.” Charli looked up at me with a flat grin.
“So, anything on her ancestors? Or is that another dead end?”
“From the records I’ve found, the farm had been in the family since the 1840’s. The last known occupants where Louis Edward Everhardt, Colleen Christina Everhardt, and Christina Ann Everhardt from the 2100 census.” Charli was quiet for a few seconds.
“Hmmm. Here’s something. According to the 2090 census, Louis, Colleen, Christian, and a Caroline Ann Everhardt lived there.”
“A sister? Maybe she died young?”
“Hmmmm. Neither sibling appears in the 2080 record. So that seems the case. I’ll keep looking for a death certificate.”
“It wasn’t bad enough the kid lost her parents. Now it seems she lost her sister as well. Gods, this kid’s been through hell!”
“The thing is she’s managed to keep it together through it all.” Charli said looking up to me momentarily.
“Hope, Cora. Can you come up to my quarters?” I called into my comm as something struck me about a sister.
“On my way, Hope.”
 
 
“What’s up, girls?” Cora asked as she knocked and entered our quarters.
“Charli and I were wondering about something-.”
“Actually, Hope was wondering about something and I’m as in the dark as you, Cora.” Charli interrupted.
I glared at my significant, soon to possibly be my ex, other.
“I figured that was the case. Ask away, sister.”
“How rare is it for Antarran fraternal twins?” I asked.
“Hmm, Fraternal Twins? It isn’t unheard of…especially in the Norge family line, why?” Cora seemed confused by my seemingly random question.
“Huh! Got it!” Charli shouted in victory. She looked to me strangely. “How did you know, honey?”
“Know what, girls?” Cora seemed even more perplexed.
“Christina had a twin sister that apparently died in 2095. At age fourteen.” Charli answered, as she seemed to be concentrating on her DataTab intently.
“Caroline Ann Everhardt went missing February 20th, 2095, her body was never found and she was declared legally deceased June 23rd, 2095.” Charli recited as she read from her DataTab.
“Christina’s birthday is February 20th, Hope! The poor girl must have been devastated.” Cora said, appalled by that revelation.
“Here’s something from the Meadville Tribune, dated February 21st, 2095.” Charli said before she read it aloud.
“A local teen disappeared from her family’s farm early yesterday. Pennsylvania State Police responded to a call placed by Mrs. Colleen C. Everhardt, of Towpath Rd., Meadville at 11:55AM, stating that her daughter, Caroline Ann Everhardt, 14, had failed to respond to Mrs. Everhardt’s repeated calls for lunch. An investigation of the house, barn, and several outbuildings failed to produce any leads. Anyone having seen or knowledge of Caroline Everhardt’s whereabouts are urged to contact the Pennsylvania State Police, Meadville Barracks at #PaSPMdvl. It goes on to say that one of her shoes was found near the swamp that bordered on the property. It also gives a description of the twin. She was five-three, black hair, and one hundred two pounds.”
“Should we ask Christina about this?” Cora wondered aloud.
“Demeter told us not to piss her off, so I’m not sure, Cora. You think she would take us looking into her history the right way?”
“She’s Antarran. I can’t see her being thrilled about us nosing into her past, but she’s a very strong person, emotionally.” Cora answered then thought for a moment.
“She’s very intelligent. I’d say that she even expects us to investigate. She may even be wondering why we took so long to do it.”
“Charli? Have you found any family images from that old ‘Facepalm’ thing?” I asked.
“That would’ve been ‘SnapChat’, Hope. God, you are so old school!” My mate laughed as she typed. “The answer is no. That social media service was… I’ll be damned! Here it is.”
Charli turned her DataTab around so we could see it.
“Impossible!” Cora exclaimed in shock!
“Cora?” Charli asked, alarmed.
“It’s Christina. That is Christina.” She declared.
“No, this was Christian at the time, Cora.” We looked at both profile pages as Charli alternated the two separate pages.
“Typical for fraternal Terran twins.” I told Cora. “They usually have different physical traits due to separate eggs being fertilized.”
“But that Christian had red hair.” Cora insisted, pointing to the display. “Christina said she had black hair before her gene therapy.”
“Makes you wonder what really happened to Caroline Everhardt. I don’t think she ran away, got kidknapped, or even fell into that swamp Christina talks so fondly of. I think-.”
“You think what, Hope?”
Christina was suddenly standing just inside our locked door, hands crossed under her massive bust and an angry frown.
“I think you should knock before entering, sweetie.” I answered, narrowing my eyes at her.
“Charli was finally able to restore some corrupted files of the time and found some interesting things, Sugar Plum.” Cora told her honestly.
“I didn’t do it! I touched her hand and she just disappeared! I swear that’s what happened! She just…vanished…” Christina declared just before she broke down and began sobbing loudly.
I was at a loss! Christina had never lied or given any indications for suspicion. What had happened to the Everhardt twins?
“Care to tell us about it, sweetie? We just found your’s and Caroline’s social media profiles. What happened?” I asked gently as I helped her sit on our bed.
After a minute, she looked up at the three of us then looked quickly to the floor.
“I…I have no idea what happened. I mean… I think I may understand more now than at the time.” She started.
I could see this was going to be rough on her.
“Take your time, sweetie. We’ll help you through this if we can.” I comforted.
“It was our birthday-.”
“February 20th?” Cora asked.
Christina nodded.
“Caroline was thirty minutes younger than me. She came into my room asking if I knew what mom and dad had planned for our fourteenth birthday. For some reason she always got more excited about our party than I did.” Christina paused and took a deep breath.
“I told her that I wasn’t even thinking about a party and that it would be nice to just once sit it out in my room. I had plenty of studying to do and felt that was more important than another birthday party. She tried to convince me that I had been studying too hard and that I needed to have some time to relax. When I wouldn’t cave, she tried to pull me to my feet. That’s when it happened.”
Christina began to cry again and it took several minutes to calm her down this time.
“What happened? Can you describe it for us, Sugar Plum?” Cora asked carefully.
“That’s when she…when she disappeared!” Christina began crying even harder.
“How did she vanish, sweetie? Think back and see if you can describe how she vanished.” I prompted gently.
“She just wasn’t there anymore. One second we were looking each other in the eyes, the next I was all alone in my room and I felt weird.” She sniffled out.
“You felt weird? Define, ‘weird’, Sweetie.”
“Even though I was alone in my room, I didn’t ‘feel’ alone. I was so scared that I never told mom what had actually happened. Not that she would’ve believed me. Then the cops showed up and I lied. I told them that I hadn’t seen my sister for a few hours; that I was busy studying. That seemed to pacify them- especially when mom confirmed my constant study habit. Then dad found a shoe down by the swamp. I can’t remember her ever telling me about losing a shoe and we told each other everything at the time. Somehow, I knew someone or something planted it out there to throw off the investigation. I never told anyone this, you guys. Maybe I was a Current Mage then but didn’t know it? I don’t know.”
“I think you both were Current Mages or even something more, Christina. Here, look at this.” Charli said as she handed Christina her DataTab.
“That’s me!” she gasped. “Why does it say its Caroline’s page?” She said handing it back.
“Because that is Caroline Everhardt’s profile page, Sweetie. Here’s yours.” Charli changed pages and handed it back to her.
“But I never had red hair!”
“Told you, Hope! I know my own niece!” Cora crowed.
“That’s Christian’s page, sweetie. By that uploaded photo, you definitely had red hair and Caroline had the black hair.”
“We understand, sweetie. By coloring your hair, you might have been trying to keep her memory alive. I think it’s a really sweet gesture.” Charli told her.
“But I didn’t color my hair! I honestly don’t remember having red hair. Only my dad had red hair…or so he claimed. Mom said it turned gray right after they got married, and he always blamed mom for causing it.”
“Sugar Plum? What color was mom’s hair? Can you remember?” Cora asked.
“She had dark brown hair with plenty of gray streaks. She claimed that dad caused them.”
“Where was your mom from? Originally.” I asked.
“Conneaut Lake. Um, Pennsylvania. Why?”
“And her maiden name, Sweetie?” I asked, delving deeper so Charli had some place to start a search.
“I think it was Norwood, but mom’s people were pretty much gone by the time Caroline and I were born.”
“Got it! Colleen Christina Norwood and Louis Edward Everhardt were married at Trinity United Methodist Church, Conneaut Lake, Pa, August 25th, 2079.”
“They were married for two years before we were born? We were told we were the reason they had to get married. Those two can’t be mom and dad.” Christina argued.
“Found an announcement in the Meadville Tribune. March 5th, 2079.” Charli announced as she again turned around her DataTab so we could see it.
“That’s mom…I think? She looks so young in that picture.” Christina confirmed.
“She also looks a lot like you, Sugar Plum.” Cora added. “But I’ve seen that face somewhere before. Charli? Could you access the Galactic database and search the Royal Norge ancestry for any match?”
“Cora? How would one of your ancestors get to Earth? We didn’t even know Antarra existed at that time.
“Then why did the lifeboat’s flight computer accept the destination?” Christina proposed.
“Good point, Sweetie. How did the flight computer know where to go?” Charli agreed.
“Marta!” Charli, Cora, and I chorused.
“Marta Green?” Christina questioned in confusion. “The Propulsion Engineer from NASA?”
“We think she may have been more than just a Propulsion Engineer, sweetie.” I informed her.
“You mean like you said that Anna McCorkle was actually this Morgana chick? Who do you think she was?” Christina asked, her eyes wide in curiosity.
“My guess would be one of the Olympians- those that called themselves the Gods and Goddess’ of Myth.” I ventured.
“Wait. You mean Artemis and Hephaestus…they actually are the Artemis and Hephaestus?” Christina gulped as she blinked her eyes in disbelief. “I thought they were just jerkin’ my chain!”
“You still have those earrings on, right?” I asked.
She reached for her ears and nodded.
“Then try taking them out.” I challenged.
“Huh? Why would I want to, I like these earrings?” She questioned.
“Because I asked you to, sweetie. Just try to take them out. As an experiment.” I pushed.
“Come on! I can take them out any time I want, Hope.”
“Then do it, sweetie. Prove that they aren’t enchanted.”
Christina reached up and, one by one, took out her earrings.
“Well that was very revealing, Hope.” Cora laughed at me.
“Wait, Cora. Now show them to me, sweetie. Hold them out in your hand to show us they really did come out.
Christina held out her hand and we witnessed the earrings disappear. Looking to her ears, they were back in place as if never being removed.
I felt vindicated to say the least.
“You were saying?” I challenged.
“Lucky guess.” Cora rebuked.
“Why can’t I take them out for very long?”
“They have a compulsion on them, sweetie. The Olympians want to keep in touch with us. I’m guessing those are very special though. I’ll bet they’re a limiter of some sort.” I theorized.
“A limiter? But Artemis said they were an amplifier- that they would only limit my Current use when I was emotionally compromised.” Christina burst out.
I smiled wickedly.
“That’s not fair, Hope! You set me up!” She complained.
“You want our help, Sweetie?” I asked, still with that evil smile.
“I just want to understand what’s going on and who I really am.” She surrendered.
“And in that vein, I’d like to ask some rather personal questions, sweetie.” Charli redirected the conversation. “First off, you told us that your parents had no qualms about you um…coming out, right?”
“They seemed almost happy that I admitted I was ‘trans’. Mom made my appointments for the shrink and our PHP. That was June of that year, I think.” She answered truthfully.
“Can you remember your PHP’s name?” Charli continued.
“Um…Bloise? Dr. Marla Bloise, MD.”
“Hmmm. How about the shrink? What was their name, sweetie?”
“Dr. Libre, He had a weird Spanish accent. Um…Baccus Libre. Yeah.” Christina nodded.
I immediately saw the pattern.
“They’ve been watching her her whole life, haven’t they?” I proposed.
“At least since age fourteen, anyway.” Charli nodded up at me in acknowledgement.
“I don’t get it. What did you see that I didn’t in those three questions?” Cora looked at Charli and me- dumbfounded.
“Her physician’s name was Marla Bloise. In Arthurian myth, one of the mages was named Bloise or Blaze. Baccus Libre or Baccus Liber are two alternate names for Dionysus.” Charli informed Cora.
“Dionysus? A counselor? Yeah, right!” I’ve never seen the guy sober any time I’ve visited Olympus!” Cora snorted in disbelief.
“The guy did look like he had partied way too much the night before our sessions.” Christina admitted with fond recollection. “I think his favorite line was ‘So, how can we make you feel better than I feel right now, Christina?’ I always thought it his way of breaking the ice. So I would relax… open up to him.”
“Did it?” Charli inquired.
“Naw. He kept trying to get me to talk about my sister… you know.”
“Did he ever offer to hypnotize you? As therapy?” Charli questioned.
“Once, I think? It didn’t work though.”
“How do you know it didn’t work?”
“Because I never took my eyes off him! Something inside me just said not to trust him. I liked the guy as a counselor, but that was as far as it went. He creeped me out a little.” Christina admitted.
“And your lack of compliance to hypnosis? He found that…?” Charli left the question hang so she could complete it.
“He found that frustrating- claimed he ‘didn’t deserve this.’ But he always got it back together and continued the rest of our session.”
“Sounds like classic Dionysus, dear. The only thing he has patience for is fermentation.” I giggled.
“Huh. Says here that Dr. Libre was part of the Diana Prince Physical and Psychological Wellness Group. Incorporated January 20th, 2079.”
“You have got to be kidding me!?” I gasped while laughing.
“What’s so funny about that? Lots of companies are named after their founders.” Cora questioned.
“On Earth, we had printed media we called ‘Comic Books’, Cora. ‘Diana Prince’ was the civilian identity of one of the most popular comic book superheros ever conceived- Wonder Woman.” Charli answered.
“O! M! G!” Christina gasped. “I never thought about it! Even when I read the name on the building!”
“Hey Cora? I found something.” Charli alerted as she turned the DataTab around. “Look familiar?”
Caroline Norge was silent for a moment. Something that rarely happened! She looked between Christina and the display several times, each time looking more and more confused.
“This simply cannot be! Not even Chance or Savanna could accomplish such a feat!” Cora exclaimed.
“What? What is it? Let me see.” Christina insisted.
Charli’s DataTab was now in Christina’s hands and as she looked at its display, she gasped very loudly and crumbled to the floor!
I quickly bent down to scan her health. Finding her just unconscious, I picked up the DataTab from her grasp. There on the display was an image of a finely crafted portrait whose subject was a very regal looking woman.
Colleen Christina Everhardt!
With blue hair!
Or, as the caption identified: HMRH Colleen Christina Norge.
“Savanna, honey? Need your help here!” I called to the ceiling as I collected Christina and placed her gently back on our bed.
 
 

 
 
“You rang, Grandma Hope?” Savanna asked as she was suddenly ‘here’. I didn’t even flinch, it had happened so many times over the last nine years.
“Oh, hey Christina. Wait. Have you been crying? Grandmas? What have you been doing to Christina?” Savanna demanded, looking very angry as Christina came to and began to sit up.
“Charli was able to reconstruct some of the records from the twenty-first and twenty-second centuries, Savanna. Some of what she found just brought back …memories.” Christina explained as she continued to steady herself.
“Any idea who this might be, Munchkin?” I asked my granddaughter as I handed her Charli’s DataTab.
“Now why would I know who this…person…is? Oh, shit!” Savanna asked without looking then swore as she finally looked at the woman’s portrait on the display.
“That’s you!” Savanna exclaimed with wide eyes and open mouth. “How the hell have you figured out you could time travel already?”
I was flabbergasted to say the least!
“I haven’t figured anything out, Savanna!” Christina snarled. “How is my mother in a portrait that looks like it was painted several thousand years ago?”
“Ummmm… well, ya know…?” Savanna began to him-haw and looked extremely frightened by Christina’s intense glare.
“Answers, Savanna Summers! Now!” Christina commanded, and I swear Pegasus’ hull shook!
“Yes, Oracle. Enlighten us.” Cora encouraged sarcastically with narrowed eyes and her arms crossed under and obscured by her ‘ladies’. “How can Christina’s mother be the original Norge family matriarch? Space travel, let alone Transdimensional drive, wasn’t even a thought in any Antarran fantasy writers’ mind when that was painted!”
“You know I’ll find the answers, Munchkin. I always do.” Charli threatened.
“Ummmm… Nike is going to help you.” Savanna blurted out, looking at Christina in terror.
“Help me. Do. What?” Christina demanded.
“Set up the Norge Dynasty. Colleen and your father are the progenitors of the whole modern Antarran monarchy.” Savanna rambled quickly.
“And how, pray tell, is she going to do that, Munchkin?” I challenged.
“In a few days, Christina will take you guys back in time a few hour-.” She began to explain.
“Been there, done that, sent the postcards, Chica!” Christina interrupted angrily.
Thunder echoed through my bedroom.
“Look, dude! Whoever the hell you are. I don’t wanna hear it right now! I’m more than pissed at the moment so don’t friggin’ push me!” Christina growled looking and pointing menacingly to the ceiling.
Savanna looked appalled.
“You-you…you just told Zeus to basically kiss your ass! Why would you dare threaten Zeus?”
“Look, sister! I don’t care if he’s the man in the frickin’ moon! Nobody tells me what I can and can’t say or do. Got it? Good! Now… Let’s skip down to the part of this briefing where you tell me how I transport Mom and Dad to the other side of this galaxy and go back several thousand years at the same time?”
My granddaughter looked absolutely terrified! What did she know about this woman that we didn’t? Was it the fact that she was supposedly an actual Goddess?
Or, was it something even more unimaginable?
I knew that Savanna didn’t scare very easily, but Christina had her shaking in her shoes.
What kind of Goddess was she?
Savanna took a very deep breath to seemingly compose herself.
“You must figure that out on your own as all sentient subspecies do. For now, you must return to your assigned task of curing the Tarantians of their genocidal spiral into oblivion.”
Savanna appeared to prepare herself for the worst- closing her eyes, gritting her teeth, and turning her head to the side.
Christina’s eyes blazed a blindingly intense orange for a few seconds then faded to normal.
“Of course. You are absolutely correct as to the proper sequence of events, Sister Oracle.”
Christina was gone. Vanished.
“Mind telling your grandparents what just happened, ‘Oracle’?” I asked as Charli, Cora, and I looked between us.
“Right now, I think, Savanna needs to change her panties, Hope. Child, what is it about her that completely terrifies you?” Cora questioned. “You interface with Olympus all the time. You should be used to the Gods and Goddesses.”
“If that were the case I would have no such reactions, Aunt Cora. Christina is different…very, very different.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. How different is she?” I asked.
“She is not just a goddess. She is far, far more. That is more than I should relate at this time, however. Your present mission is of far more importance, sisters.”
Savanna disappeared.
“Ya’know? It used to be that only the damn Olympians would do this sort of shit!” I groused. “Now, my own granddaughter is pulling the same shenanigans! And she’s scared shitless of our newest sister to boot! What’s this reality coming to?”
“Shit?” Cora chimed in humorously.
“Easy, dear,” Charli tried to calm me. “It’s still the same old set of rules; they just stepped it up a few notches. I’m confident- as usual- we’ll be the last to find out what is really going on.”
“Not this time, Charli!” I growled as I began to concentrate on the Galley.
If Savanna, Chance, and Christina can do it, I was sure as hell going to try!
“I’ll be a sonnofabitch!” I exclaimed as I found myself looking at three of our four Antarrans.
“Congrats, Hope. Now, can you tell me how we do it?” Christina greeted without even turning to look at me.
“You’ll be the second to know.” I commented. I still couldn’t believe that I had done it!
Christina quickly turned and regarded me with a semi-amused grin.
Did her eyes just ‘twinkle’ at me?
“You want to tell me what about you scares the absolute shit out of my granddaughter, Christina Everhardt?” I demanded.
“You’ll be the second to know.” She repeated back my line.
“Not good enough, sister! What are you hiding?” I asked in my usual, tactful way.
Christina turned and frowned at me.
I felt…something. Something that sent a chill up my spine!
“Knock that shit off right now, young lady!” I commanded as I fought to counter that feeling.
It immediately stopped as her face paled. She looked frightened and surprised as to what I was referring.
“I’m sorry if that was me doing that, Hope. I’m not sure how I even do it though.” She apologized.
Don’t apologize, sweetie, act on it and try to find out what causes it. You’re a very intelligent girl, don’t be an ‘Academic’; use the street smarts God gave you!” I instructed.
“Hmmmfp. Does ‘God’ even exist anymore, Hope? My belief in the old myths have certainly been shattered. Does any other concept of religion stand any better chance?” She stated darkly.
“We all had to come from somewhere, sweetie.” I tried telling her.
“Yeah, I came from a damned syringe though, didn’t I?”
“In preparation for coming to us though, sweetie. You still had to come from somewhere…originally.”
“I suppose.” She considered for a moment. “I’ll give ya that one, Hope. It doesn’t make things any better. Everything I’ve been taught…that I thought was truth…it’s all bullshit.”
“Oh, you mean physics, astrophysics, mathematics, statics, dynamics, and electronics? Like our propulsion systems, our cybernetic A.Is? How about the fact that without your ingenuity, none of that…none of us would be out here; helping people in need?” I listed the ‘bullshit’ as she dubbed them.
“That’s not what I mean, Hope!” She argued.
“Then what do you mean, sweetie? You’re the one that needs to figure those things out. I’m a Marine. That’s my religion, but I also believe in a higher power; one way above even the Gods and Goddesses- above even the Titans.”
I stopped suddenly and regarded Christina a moment. Was that what she was?
If that were the case, wouldn’t my Chance be hashing it out with Christina right now?
Chance likes her, I thought to myself. Hell, I even like the kid!
Didn’t everybody hate the Titans? Weren’t they supposed to be the forces of nature? Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water? Things that could destroy humanity and even the planets, solar systems, even the galaxies?
Chronos was supposedly a Titan, I realized. Was time also a force of nature?
Sure was! Time controlled everything! Wind, water, fire, and earth- time controlled it all!
Someone who controls time controls everything.
Christina could control time…to a certain degree.
“Fuuuuu…”
“Hope? Is something wrong? Why did you suddenly go pale?” Christina was staring at me in worry. Link and Simone were also showing concern on my behalf.
“Nothing. Some things I was thinking about suddenly made way too much sense and I hadn’t prepared properly.” I said as I began to concentrate on my quarters again.
“Enjoy your trip, dear?” Charli asked as I found myself back in our room.
“Where’d you go, Hope?” Cora asked with a slightly shocked expression.
“The galley. I think I have a few things figured out, girls.” I answered just before Mt. Olympus appeared in my vision.
 
 

 
 
“Hey, Hope.” Artemis welcomed.
“Don’t ‘hey Hope’ me, Artie! You bring me here to give me a warning or something?” I growled.
“You know me so well, sister.” She smiled teasingly.
“Yeah, well…we’re comrades in arms still, aren’t we?” I asked.
“Always and forever, Hopewell Summers. My word is my bond, sister.”
“Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of.” I said narrowing my eyes. “Why?”
“Why, what, Hope?”
“Why so tight-lipped on this kid, Artie? She a new Titan or something? How we handle her…teach her, influences whether she will be destroyed or not? Something cruel and unusual-like? Hasn’t the child been through enough already?”
“Wow! I’ve never seen you so melodramatic, sister! This child, she has found her way into your heart, hasn’t she?”
“Yes, and she’s probably the proverbial Anti-Christ too, right? The four horsemen of the apocalypse all rolled into one? Ragnarok? Helhiem?” I answered then assumed.
“Those she is definitely not, Hope.” A deep, male voice answered.
“Zeus? To what do we owe the pleasure?” I asked the 190 cm man dressed in a flowing white toga with gold, lightning bolt trim.
“Father? I hadn’t expected you to be here.” Artie bowed reverently.
“Neither did I, but Hope will not take anyone else’s explanation as ‘gospel’, I’m afraid.” He explained.
“My long-time friend, I am asking you to treat Christina Everhardt like any other Corps member. Yes, she is Antarran by her code array. No, she is not an Olympian…per say. Neither is she Titan for that matter. She is more than any of us and yet not. She is completely new and yet indeterminably ancient and therefore constitutes an extreme unknown to all involved. I’m afraid that is all I can tell you, for it is all the Oracles, the Fates, and I know for certain.”
“But the kid wouldn’t hurt a flea, big guy! Have you seen how she reacts to possibly taking a life?” I asked in amazement that he actually was telling me the truth.
“I have and the Furies have surpassed my expectations as teachers, Hope. I can only ask that you continue her education. With wisdom and intelligence, comes morality. With morality, we all stand a better chance of living longer.”
“You make it sound like she could erase the universe with a blink of her eye.” I joked.
“In a word, that is probably a very good assumption, Hope.” He smiled worriedly.
“Okay.” I said, raising my hands in surrender. “I’ll leave it alone, but I’m still going to find out what she is, Allfather. You have my word on that. The more I know about Christina Everhardt, the more I can help her become…whatever.” I told him truthfully.
“Hope? Be very careful. The Oracles have warned of severe consequences should you push too hard.” Artie seemed very much concerned that I might do just that.
“Not to fear, I’ll use my best diplomatic behavior.”
“That is one thing even the Fates disagree with, Hope Summers!” Zeus glared at me. “Everything remains innocent. There is to be no ‘special treatment’ of Christina Everhardt!”
“Copy that, Allfather.” I acknowledged.
“So, I take it we’ve been warned?” Charli said as I was instantly back in our room.
“Status quo.” I said as I once again concentrated on the galley.
“Hope? You left without saying goodbye.” Christina blinked in surprise.
“Look sweetie, I just figured out how to do it, so I had to experiment- to get the feel of it- what I need and how much to concentrate on.”
“You popped into my quarters, so I decided to return the favor.” I added.
“You popped into my room? Why?” Christina stared in disbelief.
“No. I popped between my quarters and the galley a few times, sweetie. I have no desire to invade your privacy.” I clarified.
“That reminds me. I’m sorry for popping into your room, uninvited, Hope. For some reason I felt you were talking about me and I also felt I needed to speak for myself.
“We were talking about you, sweetie, but that is no excuse to interrupt a private conversation. If you were so curious, you should have knocked at the door and asked for admittance- like you normally would. We have nothing to hide, sweetie- nor would we even consider it. As Cora said, Charli had just finished repairing records from the twenty-first and second centuries. Electronic files of that time are very…messy. Charli has been working on it since we left base. We were hoping to help figure out what really happened to your parents. Why the accident investigation was never concluded.”
“I think we pretty much know the answer to that now, right? I’m the reason…or should I say Chance and I are the reason. I think it safe to assume the accident was staged to look like they died… somehow. No clue on how I would do that. I still have no idea where it even happened.” Christina reasoned.
“Charli is still looking, sweetie, but from that portrait she found in the Antarran archive, I’m betting they survived that accident.
Christina broke into a very happy smile- tears began to run down her cheeks.
“I-I hadn’t thought about that part. Thanks, Hope.”
“What’s this about a portrait of your mother in the Antarran archives?” Simone asked as she and Link came over, intrigued by our conversation.
“Charli found an actual painting of Mom in the archives. It was subtitled ‘Her Most Royal Highness Colleen Christina Norge’.” Christina answered.
“You’re kidding!” Simone said, stunned. Her DataTab instantly appeared in her hand and she began typing.
“By the Norge’s of old! And this time I really mean it! Will you look at this?” She said to Link.
Link’s eyes bulged and both blue-haired girls looked up and stared at Christina.
“This is the woman who started the Norge Dynasty! She looks so much like you, Christina!” Simone said quietly.
Link just kept looking between the image and Christina.
“Does this have anything to do with you being able to jump us back in time, sis?” She finally posed.
“That or we’re still in a drunken stupor back at base, sweetie.” I suggested. “I vote for the drunken stupor, myself. It makes way more sense that way.”
“That would be my vote too, Hope, but I’m starting to think this is all more than a fantasy. A dream or nightmare was never this linear for me.” Christina admitted nervously.
“So when do we go back, sis?” Link asked excitedly.
“My guess would be after Chance gets back from patrol. Savanna said that Nike was to help me. And who am I to not heed an Oracle?” Christina answered with a shrug.
“A better guess would be after we fix these people, sweetie. One mission at a time.” I proposed.
“Which reminds me. We may have something figured out as to our mysterious genetic virus, Hope.” Christina informed me.
“I’m all ears.”
“I’m thinking we can integrate my current into Tarantin Current- get them to play nice together to fight and destroy the Hobgoblin strain.”
“Hmm. A joint offensive?” I considered it a moment. “I like it. Risks?”
“We need someone to test it on, Hope.” Simone suggested.
“I already told you I don’t do Guinea Pig.” I warned.
“We would need a Tarantin, Hope.” Link specified.
“Major? Gov. Sceptus and his son, Reclos, are asking to come aboard.” Keats broke over the Comm.
“I’ll meet them at the hatch, Keats. Hope, out.” I responded.
“If you girls will excuse me? I think our Guinea Pig has just arrived.” I winked.
 
 
“And this is our multipurpose compartment. Right now we have it configured as a genetic testing lab in the back half and a Galley forward. Yeah, I know… real compatible, right?” I said as I finished the tour for Reclos. This was his first time aboard and as expected, his eyes never closed or blinked once from wonder. Nor had his mouth closed completely.
“Are you the lady that rescued me, my lady?” the young Tarantin asked Christina shyly.
“I am, young sir.” Christina smiled politely adding a nod.
The early teen ran over to her and wrapped all three sets of arms around her.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” He repeated until at last he quieted, still clinging to her- his head pressing up against her ‘ladies’ presented them prouder from her low-cut ‘T’shirt.
That had not gone unnoticed by Sceptus or Christina.
“My apologies, Lady Christina. Reclos shares a great many traits with his father, but has yet to master the nuances of subtlety.”
Could Tarantin’s blush? I know Christina was!
I noticed Christina blink on her Current sight.
“You are quite welcome, young sir. It was an honor to restore you to health.” She said as she scanned Sceptus surreptitiously.
He caught on and slowly turned around so she could scan his back.
Christina frowned.
“I take it the taint has returned, my lady?” Sceptus asked.
Christina closed her eyes and nodded once, sadly.
“Have you and your sisters made any advances in a cure?” He asked.
“Tenatively, Gov. Sceptus. It has yet to be tested.” Simone answered.
“Do you think it is safe?” He asked flat out.
“It is a combination of my energy and your energy that I have asked to work together to eradicate the tainted agent.” Christina explained. “So it is part me, part you, Governor. Being dual-compatible, it should not hurt either of us, yet I cannot say it will do what we want, how we want.”
Sceptus looked to his son then back to Christina. “Do it. You have returned my son and therefore earned my trust. Do it, my lady.”
“Pater! No! I will volunteer! You must continue to serve the people.”
“The recipient must be infected, Sir Reclos. You no longer contain the taint and therefore cannot participate in this experiment.” Christina said in a voice that reverberated throughout the compartment.
She suddenly looked confused.
“Continue, Lady Christina.” Sceptus acknowledged as he presented one of his top arms.
Christina held out her hand, open palm up and Link placed an injector into it. Without my Current sight on, it appeared empty. Blinking, I saw an amber glow contained inside.
Sceptus closed all four eyes and awaited the worst.
Christina smiled evilly and shoved the injector into his lower thorax- his butt in Terran terms.
All four of Sceptus’ eyes bulged open in surprise!
“Allow a moment for it to work into the blood, sir. Please tell me instantly if you experience any pain, itching, burning, nausea, headaches, megalomaniacal world domination, sudden urges to kill me, etc.” Christina said flatly.
Young Reclos looked on in anticipation of something visual happening- his face very concerned for his father.
 
 

 
 
With my Current sight enabled, I began to see this strange amber hue or as Christina would say, an aura, surround Sceptus. Something was definitely happening.
“I feel a little strange, Lady Christina. Not ill or painful, just…strange. Like when I was younger and foolish enough to touch an active energy canal- that same ‘tingle’.” He related.
Christina stood silent and observed. Every now and again, one of her brows would twitch as if she saw something promising or odd- like she was mentally checking off items she expected or didn’t expect to happen.
Finally the amber glow faded.
“How do you feel, Gov. Sceptus?” She asked after waiting almost a full minute for any latent effects.
“Surprisingly fit, Lady Christina. In fact, better than I’ve felt in years! Does this mean I am cured?”
“Allow me to examine you as I did earlier, sir.” Christina replied with a faint smile.
After a minute of scanning him- top to bottom, front to back, she declared him clean.
Sceptus was on Christina in an instant with all six arms wrapped around her in an embrace only a Tarantin could achieve!
“Thank you, my lady! A thousand times thank you to you and your Coven sisters! A planet-wide celebration shall be organized for your timely arrival and your miraculous achievements!”
“Don’t thank us profusely yet, Sceptus. You are but one of how many billions. We need to figure out a way to get this cure to all four planets without bleeding Christina dry of energy.” I stated, breaking his euphoric mood.
“Girls? I’m calling a huddle.” Christina interrupted as she motioned us all to her.
Charli, Cora, and Keats were suddenly next to me!
“Hope? What the h-?”
“Christina, not me, dear. You okay, Keats?” I asked seeing she was slightly more disoriented than Charli or Cora.
“I hate ‘flue powder’, Boss!” She grumbled. “But yeah, I’ll survive. What’s up?”
“Our Antarran sisters have come up with a cure for the Tarantin plague. Christina called an impromptu meeting to discuss distribution.”
Cora had already hurried the few steps to her tall niece; unceremoniously pulled Sceptus away, and lovingly wrapped her arms around Christina.
She seemed to revel in the fact that her head pushed into Christina’s cleavage so easily and completely.
She could die from asphyxiation in there!
Gods! Antarrans!
“Aunt Cora!? Please! We have a job to do and this is not helping with that.” Christina groaned in embarrassment.
“Hmmm, I could die a very happy monarch right now.” Cora mumbled from in between the abundant flesh.
Christina really blushed now!
“Cora? Do you mind committing ‘boobi-side’ some other time? You’re embarrassing the girl.” I said, hating that I had to be the voice of reason here.
“You will get no objections from Reclos or I, Lady Hope! By all means, let her continue.” Sceptus smiled.
“You guys are all alike.” I stated flatly.
‘And I should know’, I thought to myself.
“What I propose is in line with the Governor’s suggestion of a system-wide celebration, sisters. I think we could disperse the cure as an aerosol; fireworks over the major cities if we could design a dispersion medium to carry enough individual doses to the masses?” Christina suggested.
“We’ve done total planetary bombardments before, Christina,” I informed her and heard Sceptus gasp. “On JWC’s last mission, Lyra sent out a planet-wide signal flare to get our attention while planet-side.” I added to ease our guest’s apprehension.
“Would it not be more efficient to add it to the hydration supplies, my ladies? Several of our scientists previously theorized that as a possible method to spread the infection.” Sceptus offered.
“The dilution ratio might be too great to make a difference. It could render the cure ineffective.” Christina rationalized.
“But somehow the Hoblins succeeded, sis.” Link spoke up. “We find how they did it and we find our antidote.”
For being fifteen standard years old, this girl was very astute!
Christina nodded. “Gov. Sceptus? Would it be possible for us to run some tests and inspections on various reservoirs around the planet? By doing that, we should find the mechanism responsible.”
“Whatever we can do to help, Lady Christina.”
“Sceptus?” Charli said to get his attention. She had her DataTab in her hand, but this time I knew it wasn’t on. She sometimes did this to hide her talent of hacking directly into secure databases. “According to your interplanetary trade records, there was a long-term project involving major shipments of water being transported to the other three worlds due to some kind of drought on each? The originating reservoir(s) has not been recorded.”
“As I recall, we sent in excess of four billion cubic liters of water over three years to the other three globes. All donations came from our own reserve here in Webb City. It took a heavy toll on our filtration system, causing it to shutdown several times, but in the end, the cause was noble and quite fulfilling morally.”
“Then we should go there and sample that reservoir first, Governor.” Christina determined logically.
We were standing directly outside of a massive building!
Several uniformed Tarantins began running toward us, all holding weapons.
Keats angrily glared at Christina while the rest of us looked around in befuddlement.
“Stop! These premises are designated ‘out of public domain’. Imprisonment will now occur!” A tall, male Tarantin sprinting ahead of the other three, ordered.
He slid to a stop when he recognized our host.
“Governor?” He asked in confusion. “Please state motive for your unscheduled, unorthodox appearance?”
“These women are Witch Corps, Sergeant.” Sceptus stated plainly. “We are on a fact-finding mission for research into our system-wide problem. We seek entrance on the premise of taking a water sample for analysis. I insist you follow to certify the procedure. Take warning though, and do not anger these brave ladies, for they are much more than they appear.”
“Girls? I think that’s our cue.” I said with a chuckle.
We were all in our uniforms and the security guards, as well as Sceptus and Reclos, were instantly aghast by the sudden, miraculous change of clothing!
“Please hold.” Christina pleasantly requested, holding up a hand, as she appeared to already be scanning the four guards before us.
She simply held out her other hand and an injector appeared.
“Now stand very still. This may sting slightly.” She advised as she placed the device to the first guard’s thorax and squeezed the trigger.
As with Sceptus, his eyes bulged in surprise!
Christina repeated her procedure on the other male and two female Tarantin guards with similar results. After two minutes she had each spin in front of her to scan them.
The two female guards, when declared ‘clean’, quickly excused themselves claiming restroom privileges were badly needed.
“What did you just do?” The lead guard demanded, embarrassed and still rubbing his behind.
“She just cured your affliction, man! That is what they are here for!”
Both remaining guards’ mouths’ dropped open!
 
 
Collecting the sample from the reservoir was easily accomplished and as quickly as we had left Pegasus, we were back.
“Next time, I think I’ll stick to public transportation!” Keats announced as she hurried out of the Galley looking moderately nauseous.
“Can we do that again, Lady Christina?” Reclos asked as he laughed enthusiastically.
“Perhaps another time, young sir.” Christina smiled brightly. “For now we have this sample to examine.”
“Sceptus? Have I shown you our Library yet?” I asked.
“You have a library? Here? In Pegasus?”
“Follow me gentlemen and be amazed.” I giggled.
“Lady Hope, one can only experience so much amazement in any single, given day.” He advised.
“Oh, it won’t be that bad! It’s not a full-blown Library!” I chided as I motioned them forward.