We rejoin the Empress of Time and Space in Reilly Research Station’s Infirmary where two survivors of the ill-fated invasion force recuperate. A mysterious message received by CINCPAC causes more to be revealed about the Sisters of Kili and Alex must both hold and fold her cards with regards to members of the USS Detroit’s crew. Might the recently neutralized Janelle Hathor still have an ace up her sleeve, though?
The following story is just that- a story- fiction. As such, all characters are fictitious and any similarities to persons living or deceased are purely coincidental. Some research has been done for authenticity and so I didn’t screw it up too bad. Just so I don’t receive nasty-grams from any WWII vets, the Balao class submarine, keel number 353, was never built. No military missions of this sort actually occurred in the areas at the dates specified. Furthermore, I hold the highest admiration for every submariner- every veteran, WWII or other, for what they sacrificed, endured and accomplished.
Onward
Episode 1
“Revelations”
2030hrs, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, May 12th, 2028
For over an hour we watched them work- Emily and Corrine from Earth; Alexis, Melanie, Isabeau, Cassie, Reilly, Tibius, Nathan, Gailan, and Timus from Terra; and Cindy Riggby, formerly of Earth, now resident of Terra. My temporal twin, Alex Covington; granddaughter, Alexandra; and Alex Reilly stood back wishing we could lend any help at all. The four of us, the Empresses, resigned ourselves to just watching and waiting for the best healers on two worlds to save one woman’s life!
Cmdr. Anna Beth and her crew had crash-landed on Earth several thousand years ago- from where we now stood in 2028AD. They had been accepted among the native Egyptians in exchange for limited technology and some had even started families…
Until Assistant Director, Janelle Hathor, a corrupt, renegade scientist from Reilly Research Station, disappeared into a time slipstream created when I, Alexandra Frances Steinert, Empress of Time and Space, transported Reilly out of volcanic danger and onto Kili Island of 2027BC.
Apparently, she and three others magically appeared in the marketplace of ancient Memphis, Egypt after releasing their grip of the hand directly ahead of them in our daisy chain. The four women were immediately raised to Goddess status- something Janelle coveted more than Alex Reilly’s director position.
Once Janelle discovered the existence of other ‘mystical’ beings, she ordered their immediate arrest. Enslaving the most powerful of them, Anna Beth, and making use of the commander’s gift, she assumed control over the minds of the others. Hathor quickly became known as the mother of the Egyptian Gods, while she and her fully controlled minions reigned supreme over the land of the pyramids!
Still, an old vendetta needled at her. She continued to believe Alexandra Reilly, director of Reilly Research Station, had sent an alien lookalike back in her place to wrench control of the facility away from her! This alien resembled Director Reilly in every way, shape, and form except one. Hathor found she was captivated by the way this doppelganger spoke. Her forcefulness- her charisma- the verbal control she exhibited on everyone at the station- herself included. Within a matter of hours, she had convinced the entire population of Reilly that they were doomed- that the fusion giant they orbited would expand to engulf the facility, thereby killing everyone outright.
Somehow this alien had stolen her entitled power…and her deserved position!
Then a girl-child of no more than eight revolutions magically appeared in the marketplace several years later claiming to be from the future- from a far off planet called Terra. She claimed that her grandmother could travel through time and space better than she could. The child was taken to Anubis- what Hathor now called Anna Beth, but did not seem affected by her power! Hathor decided to take a different tact and asked the girl who her grandmother was and why she, being the mother of all Gods and Goddesses, had never learned her name.
“My grandmother is Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space!” The child replied regally and crossed her arms in a huff.
A plan for revenge quickly formed in Janelle Hathor’s power twisted mind. If she could use this under-developed revision of her nemesis to transport her and a small group of soldiers to Reilly Station, she would seize control and command the alien time traveler to take her to Alex Reilly!
The child, heir to the family legacy- the next and future Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space, thinking the game now over, disappeared mere seconds after depositing Janelle’s mercenary forces on Kili Island in 2028AD. What they found was a preliminary contingent of women, and a few men, preparing Reilly Station for some kind of conference and totally unaware of her lecherous motives. Reilly quickly succumbed to Janelle Hathor’s control, but she had underestimated her main opponent- drastically!
One member of that commando team still survived as well as Hathor herself. With Tibius, Grand High Counsel of Citadel, Terra’s help, I would be successfully depositing a much more docile Janelle Hathor back in ancient Memphis. Together, the two of us would spend a few days informing the families of the deceased. Another day for first finding Anna Beth’s family then reassuring them that she would be returned when fully recovered. They were to be informed of her strong will and impressive resistance. We’d also tell them she was finally free of Hathor’s nightmarish prison suit.
Anna Beth now lay before us severely malnourished and near death- a barely living testament to the harsh, diabolical treatment any two-bit tyrant would employ to secure a successful campaign of conquest, destruction, and domination of an otherwise peaceful society.
Unfortunately, Janelle Hathor chose the one ‘peaceful’ society on Earth more than capable of defending and defeating her pursuit of that type of greed and supremacy.
‘That’s exactly what she did Alex, good thing it didn’t work, huh? Everything has been entered into the archives by Randi as requested, Empress.’ Jacquelyn Cummins said in my mind.
I mentally thanked her and returned my attention to the group surrounding our patient.
“That should give her an outstanding chance for a full recovery. Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for your assistance in saving this woman’s life.” Emily praised those around her. All had been engaged in repairing the various wounds and trauma Anna Beth had received from our latest skirmish with Janelle Hathor and, unfortunately, us.
“Doc, I’d like to continue repairing her cosmetically. Looking like she had before that bitch-“ Corrine angrily nodded to the still unconscious woman in the next bed, “Got her paws on her might help in her recovery. At least she wouldn’t feel so self conscious!”
Corrine remained still and looked sadly at the hairless, pot-marked, frail individual. She knew all too well how it felt to look…different.
“Um…does anyone have an idea as to what she looked like?” She looked up at those of us around her.
“Lady Corrine, without her explicit permission, I cannot in good conscience, review her previous appearance in her mind. I would be disregarding Terra’s primary and foremost law- personal privacy.”
“Well I’ll just have to use my imagination then, Sir Tibius. No woman wants to look like a train wreck before her peers. What color hair shall we give her, Ladies?” Corrine asked, angling a finger to her mouth in thought.
As I wiped the residual tears from my eyes, I asked the question posed to us. It had taken a while for me to regain my composure after witnessing this most humbling scene of Reilly, Terran and Earthling working together to save one individual- the likes of such an act, though repeated before, had again proved emotional for both Admiral Demmit and the Empress.
Before I became melancholy over that thought again, I spoke my answer.
“Dark Brown.”
Or not. Young Alexandra- my granddaughter- had beaten Alex Reilly, my temporal sister Alex, and me to the punch.
“Maybe originally, yes, Empress, but wouldn’t spending years in a region of Earth known for its consistent and damaging sun tend to bleach one’s hair lighter?” I asked, noticing other heads nod in agreement.
“My niece and Alex are both right Corrine, maybe start with brown then add in streaks of lighter brown, maybe some red, and blonde.” Emily bartered.
Corrine put her hands to Anna Beth’s bald scalp. We watched as brown to blonde aggregated hair grew from the woman’s skull. As she let the hair grow, Corrine fussed with it, straightening it out until it extended about ten inches. She moved her hands away.
“Now for eyebrows: full, modestly well-kept, or thin and highly arched?” Corrine looked around at us again.
“Since she is of Terran origin, modest and well-kept, Lady Cosmetologist.” My youngest daughter, Alexis, responded immediately with an air of conceit.
“Of course, M’lady.” Corrine Masterson giggled slightly as she smiled. She proceeded to gently place her pre-arched pointer fingers just above Anna Beth’s eyes. After a minute she removed them and the unconscious woman had a pair of well-groomed, feminine eyebrows of aggregate browns. Corrine quickly slid her hand down to the woman’s abdomen beneath the standard hospital issue sheet and held it there another minute. She looked up just as quickly realizing the room had gone quiet.
“I’ll let her make the choice.” She smiled deviously. Returning to the woman’s head, she continued. “I’m going to trigger the production of melanin- she looks simply ghastly like this!
Before our eyes, Anna Beth’s pallid complexion became a beautiful, golden brown tan.
Corrine put her finger to her mouth once more. Thinking things over for a moment, she finally spoke.
“That’s what’s missing! How could I have missed something so obvious?”
She took a hand and held the fingers between her palms for a similar amount of time then took the other hand and repeated the process. She did the same for our patient’s feet. When finished, the woman sported a manicure and pedicure- but no colored lacquer.
“So that’s what ol’ Anakin Skywalker would’ve looked like had you gone to the dark side, eh, Corrine?” Allie joked. “Wonderful job, Miss Masterson.”
“A girl should always look her best, Empress.” She smiled with a giggle. “Whether she’s in the hospital or not!”
Emily’s patient began to stir, letting out a weak moan.
“Anna Beth, my name is Emily Rosen. I am a physician. My colleagues and I have repaired your wounds as well as we can. I’m afraid you must do the rest yourself, ma’am.”
The woman continued to moan lightly and seemed oblivious to what my sister said.
“M’lady, may I try?” Tibius asked quietly. He received a nod from Emily as she stepped back a few feet and looked puzzled by the wall display above her patient’s head.
“M’lady Anna Beth," He pronounced it Ahna-Bith, speaking his native Terran. “I am Tibius, Grand High Counsel of Citadel, Terra. M’lady, we are refreshed to have found you alive. Your recovery shall be displayed on every social monitor across the planet! Welcome back, M’lady Commander!”
To our surprise the recovering woman’s tongue went into high gear! The only trouble was we had no idea what she was saying! Even poor Tibius looked at a loss as the woman deliriously rattled on and on.
“Empress, I have sent for my mother. Maybe she can translate this.” Melanie tried to talk over the commotion.
I nodded my acknowledgement.
Tish appeared at the infirmary’s entrance about three minutes later. Anna Beth’s continuous rant was starting to become a source of irritation all around the room.
Making her way to the woman’s bedside, Tish listened closely, cautiously trying to interject a word or two into the one-sided conversation with no luck. My unusually calm linguist angered after a few nonstop minutes and seemed ready to turn and walk away.
“SHUT IT!” She shouted at the top of her lungs to the unstoppable woman on the bed.
The room went quiet.
“M’lady, she speaks a rather ancient vernacular of Terran. I’m afraid I am of little help to you.” Tibius admitted sadly, looking to Tish, he bowed slightly and moved aside.
“Sir Tibius, what you call an ancient dialect of the Terran language is also the rather specialized tongue used by Janelle Hathor’s Egyptian friends. I was studying this very language earlier today before…”
Tish let her sentence fall short; instead, she nodded to her daughter and closed her eyes in concentration.
“Empress, I have asked Melanie to have Randi transfer the basics of the language as I know it to the facility’s computer. Our uniforms are being downloaded the translation information now. We should be able to nearly comprehend her shortly.”
“You are simply amazing, Lady Takashi!” Tibius commended my petite linguist as he shook his head.
“All I did was listen carefully, sir.” Tish smiled.
“Why can’t I see? This place is filled with strange voices! Am I still confined to that vile prison? Has that horrid woman devised yet another way of torturing me? I must not show weakness! Why can’t I see? I remember a man speaking to me! Who is he? Why can’t I see? Any moment now the intense pain will again start! I must fight it! I must continue to concentrate my skills to disarm this confinement! Why can’t I see? Those women in the field, did they do this to me? Have I been used to hurt more people? WHY CAN’T I SEE?”
“Anna Beth. You are among friends. You are safe. The evil Hathor has been rendered harmless, my commander.” Tibius responded, gently putting a hand on her arm.
“Pharaoh, is that you?” The woman said as she abruptly stopped her rant.
“No, Commander, I am not Pharaoh. I am leader of a planet called Terra- a place over a hundred units from here. I am afraid you are no longer in the land of the pyramids, M’lady. You are, in fact, several leagues and, unbelievably, several thousand years from that location at the moment.” He continued to talk softly.
“Several thousand years? How is that possible? Have I been drawn through another anomaly?” Anna Beth paused a moment. “The child!” our patient’s mouth dropped open. “She claimed the child to have special abilities! That devious jackal, Hathor, she tricked the child!”
Our patient unexpectedly started to cry.
“I could not stop her from using the youngling! The prison made me do her bidding! I am as responsible as Hathor herself! I am not worth your efforts!”
“Commander, it was not you! The suit encasing you was designed to force your compliance. From what we witnessed, your resistance was very apparent, but only briefly.” I tried to calm her. “It must have taken everything you had- and then some- to do that!”
“Commander…Anna Beth, I hold no ill-thoughts for you.” Young Alexandra spoke quietly as she touched the woman’s left shoulder. “You see, M’lady, I was that child- I bare you no resentment. You have been used just as I have been.” My granddaughter comforted the woman.
“What is your name, woman? You do not sound like the child I met personally- in fact you sound quite similar to the voice just talking? What manner of deception is this?”
“Alexandra, M’lady, and there is no deception, I assure you! I am Alexandra, daughter of Alexis and Nathan, First Princess and Financier-Grand of Citadel, Terra; Granddaughter to Tibius, Grand High Consul of Citadel, Terra and Earther, Alexandra Steinert-Fleming, Empress of Time and Space.” She answered proudly. “Ten years ago I was the little girl that visited the land of pyramids and subsequently coerced into transporting Janelle Hathor and her assault team to Kili Island- the place where you now recuperate.”
Tibius’ smile couldn’t get any wider as young Alexandra followed Terran protocol to the letter. Alexis and Nathan smiled to one another.
“You are the granddaughter of THE Empress?” The woman suddenly looked shocked as she tried desperately to focus on the voice.
“Yes, M’lady, I am- though some now call me ‘Empress’ as well.” My granddaughter acknowledged and glanced up to the other three of us for support.
“That is impossible! The Empress is but myth- a story told by the very old to the very young!”
“I assure you, M’lady, the Empress is very real! In fact, there are three of us standing here before you.” Young Alex sounded slightly insulted.
“Thr…three of you? I know no mention of multiples in the old stories!”
“In all actuality, Commander, there are four of us attending your bedside at present. I am the past-present Empress; I came from eighty years ago. I am also presently here as my temporal twin and past twin will attest.”
“Allie, that didn’t make any sense to me and I AM the you of this time period!”
“Then you explain it, Alex!”
“Alex, I couldn’t begin to explain the convoluted logic around that statement, even though I’m the Past Empress!” Alex Reilly replied, unsure if she was making sense herself.
“Well then I’m doin’ the best I kin given y’all can’t come up with anythin’ better!” I growled in annoyance.
“Physician? I fear I am becoming delusional! I hear the same voice from four different locations! I require your attendance!” Anna Beth cried out.
“You four!” Emily pointed to young Alexandra, Alex Covington, Alex Reilly and I. “Out! Now!”
As we turned to leave, I noticed Tibius and Uncle Rick shaking their heads and chuckling. Mina was also stifling a bit of laughter.
“The Empress- all four of us- will be in the third floor observation lounge until needed! Come along ladies!” I said regally for all of us before leaving the room entirely.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, Cap, but you can get a little confusing these days.” Joss…my Jack admitted.
“You too, Jack?” I rubbed my face with both hands.
“Hey…I couldn’t follow that explanation and I knew what you were talking about! Anna Beth has been away for a long time. I doubt she understands time travel at all.”
“Jack, that’s how she and her crew got to Egypt in the first place- don’t you see?”
“Ummmmm….no?” Jacki- the present day Jack- frowned slightly as she and her twin looked at each other and slowly shook their heads. “I’m sorry, but Inter-dimensional, and Space-Time physics aren’t among my seven degrees, Allie.”
“Tibius stated that Anna Beth’s spacecraft left Terra before their sun entered its second phase, right?”
“Ya, we got that part, Alex.” Jacki said for them both.
“That was over four hundred Terran years ago. How do you account for them arriving on Earth eight to ten thousand years ago?” I asked as I raised my right eyebrow, staring at her while waiting for her theory.
“Maybe you go back in time when we travel to Terra, Alex.” Joss quickly replied, raising an eyebrow to punctuate the statement.
“I’m quite sure that isn’t the case, Jack.” I admitted mysteriously.
“How far ahead in time do we go to get to Terra then, Alex?” Jacki raised an eyebrow of her own and folded her arms in front of her. She glared at me.
Alexandra, Alex Covington, and Alex Reilly looked to me from across the table, also anticipating my answer. Jack looked at each of them in disbelief.
“You mean to tell me that none of you know either?” Jacki exclaimed as her and her sister’s mouths dropped open.
“Look Jack, I can’t get there on my own- I’ve tried, so why should I even ask?” Alex Reilly casually admitted to my Ex-O.
“I received the coordinates from grandmother, Aunt Jackie. I’ve never once questioned them. I just think of home and poof, I’m there!” Young Alexandra lifted her hands into the air for emphasis.
“Well I never said anything, sis- just like we agreed all those years ago.” Present Alex admitted looking around at the others. She smiled deviously.
“Unbelievable!”
“Aren’t we?” I smiled. Jack- both of them- looked so cute when they were confounded!
2030hrs, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, May 13th, 2028
I blinked as I felt the draw on my mind easing. The memories slowed and finally stopped appearing in my mind.
“Thank you for catching me up on what happened, Commander Steinert. I hope it was not too uncomfortable.”
“No, it wasn’t, Anna Beth, but you are the first Terran I’ve permitted that far in. Only Jack and Cami have gone that deep…and survived.” I winked at her as I giggled.
“I am honored, Commander. After learning of my uncontrollable exploitation, I still wonder though, why you so freely gave your permission.”
“I have seen the future, Anna Beth- I do that occasionally, you know.” I paused for a smile from her.
Nothing.
Obviously, she either didn’t find my small quip humorous, or…she just didn’t get it. I continued. “In it, you did not use your gift to take control of me or anyone else. That future- the one I had witnessed- has now passed us by to become history. You have lived up to your side of things as far as this timeline and vision is concerned, Commander.”
The woman in bed before me remained quiet for a few minutes, apparently evaluating what was given her both verbally and mentally.
“So you really are the ‘Empress’?” She said quietly as she looked at me.
As a demonstration I phased, walked through the bed, and rephased.
“Does that answer your question, M’lady?” I giggled as the woman’s head suddenly snapped to my new location.
“How did you walk to the other side of my bed so fast and so silently, Alexandra Steinert?” She asked.
I had forgotten about her blindness and now felt completely embarrassed by my grandstanding.
“I’m sorry, Commander, I forgot that you couldn’t see.” I paused. “I apologize again for having to disable your eyesight. At the time I deemed it necessary to save my friends, family, and to liberate this Island.”
“I would have assumed the same course of action if in a similar situation, Captain. I am sorry to have put you in such a difficult position in the first place.” Anna Beth said sadly as she turned her head toward the ceiling. I noticed tears forming at the corners of her useless eyes.
We remained silent for a while.
Corrine Masterson had done her best to rebuild the woman’s ruptured eyes yesterday, but was unable to go deep enough to repair her patient’s shattered retinas. As a result, Anna Beth had a beautiful pair of nonfunctioning, silvery-blue eyes.
I decided to pitch the option to her once more.
“If you would allow us to introduce Alex Reilly’s nanos into you, Commander, they might activate to repair your vision. Why won’t you let us try?” I asked.
“I risk losing my own talents if I acquiesce, Captain Steinert.”
“But you might get your sight back- and maybe a new gift or two, Anna Beth.”
“Thank you for the kind offer, Alexandra, but I prefer things this way. You see, it shall forever remind me of how foolish it was to ignore my instincts and avoid that devious offspring of Apep!”
Anna Beth turned away from me and started crying in earnest.
I noticed Emily at the doorway watching silently. The sad look on her face told me that she had heard our conversation. We both felt for the woman lying here weeping.
Looking to the next bed, just recently emptied, I again questioned my decision to release Hathor back into the wilds of Ancient Egypt. Part of me wanted to find some cruel, barbaric dimension or at least an obscure, prehistoric planet to leave her in or on. The other, more rational part of me simply wanted to get her out of this time period and trust that Tibius’ mental limiters would work. Still another part wanted to see her in the jaws of some hulking prehistoric creature!
After a moment, Anna Beth’s tears subsided and her Terran talent reappeared.
“I feel your despise for that woman yet you question your decision, Captain- why?” Anna Beth asked after fully composing herself.
“Sorry. What?” I asked, missing some of what she asked as I pictured some huge reptile with a tasty Janelle appetizer. ‘Impossible!’ I thought. Something so arrogant and evil just had to be gamey!
“There was no love shared between you and Hathor, yet you remain undecided about your choice for her fate. My knowledge of your training and powers would preclude any leniency and yet, despite all your military experience, that is what you chose. How could you risk a possible repeat of this dreadful situation?”
“I’ve seen my share of death…I’ve done my share of killing, Commander. We both know very well how violence, death, and destruction can humble a person. When I became the Empress, I vowed to use my gifts to help, not seek vengeance.”
“As wise as the stories foretold…” She mumbled.
“I have yet to see any of these so called stories about me, and I’m beginning to think it all some elaborate fantasy, Commander. According to them, I alone am considered the savior in two universes. A simple farm girl from Missoura could grow one huge ego from all this hype, ma’am.” I giggled.
“People of this age have such strange ways of conversing. If not for this amazing clothing I would have no idea of what you just said. I would very much like to see this ‘ma-zur-a’ you talk so frequently about.”
“I’m honored, Commander, but I’d have thought you would be eager to return to Terra. Though visiting foreign worlds many times, I cannot resist the urge to return home for very long. I thought you might feel the same way.”
“I do wish to go home, Empress, but from what you have shown me, home is not the way I remember it. Many things have…changed. For instance, when I left Terra, it was bathed in yellow sunlight similar to your world. That world now lighted by white sunlight seems so alien! I’m afraid my home has long since disappeared, Alex.”
“You forget who you talk with, Commander.”
“I have not, Empress. I appreciate the offer, but I have grown accustom to this world and I do not wish to leave it!”
“Surely life back in Egypt can’t be comfortable? Why would you want to stay?”
“Because, like you, Empress, I miss my husband.”
“Yes…I’d forgotten about that, Ma’am.”
“You are not the only one to choose a mate on alien worlds, Empress!”
“I didn’t think I was...I just didn’t...”
“That a Terran would mate with an Earther? This planet does have its fill of discrimination- it also has its...nuances.” Anna Beth smiled as she apparently recalled some happy memory.
“I take it he’s waiting for you back there?” For whatever reason, I reached over and laid a hand on hers even though I knew he claimed to be holding his breath until her return.
Though I knew she couldn’t see, Anna Beth looked down at my hand as I held hers.
“You are very intuitive…and devious, Alexandra Steinert- for a novice female that is.” She giggled at her sly attempt at Terran humor.
“I’m not a novice by a long shot, Commander. Remember, I may have been this way for just over two months of normal, linear time, but as I see and experience things, it’s been more like six or eight years!” I said flatly.
“How do you keep it all straight...time, I mean?”
“I guess you could say it’s part of my gift, and I’m still learning what I can and can’t do. Sometimes I think my imagination is the only limit I have.” I told her as I looked up to the ceiling and began to ponder the possible validity of such a statement.
“Isn’t that everyone’s limitation, Empress?” Anna Beth asked seriously before covering a wide yawn with her hand.
“I think it’s time someone got some rest, Commander.” Emily said as she only now approached her patient. “Our Empress can come back tomorrow after you’ve had a good night’s rest. Would you like anything to help you sleep?” She asked in her professional voice.
“No thank you, Dr. Rosen. I fear the strongest pharmaceuticals would be no match for the unspeakable horrors I have seen and committed.” Anna Beth sighed heavily.
“Well, if you change your mind, just let our A.I. know. RVP looks after us very well during our rest periods, and what did I say about that Dr. Rosen stuff?”
“It’s an old habit, Emily. Sorry.”
“Anna Beth, I’ll drop by in the morning if you’d like.” I said before I started for the doorway.
“I’d like that very much, Captain.”
“I feel really bad that we couldn’t do anything for her sight, sis.” I said as Emily and I walked back to the recreation room. I had spent most of the day sitting with Anna Beth and now I needed to get my blood moving again.
Entering the Rec room, I immediately picked up on the ruckus from the opposite corner of the large room.
“Honestly, Brandon, I fail to see the entertainment value in this!” I heard Uncle Rick’s voice complain.
“It’s not that hard, Admiral Demmit. Here, watch!” My future second husband laughed as Uncle Rick surrendered the strange looking controller. He began twisting and turning in his seat as he applied ‘English’ to his character.
The screen went red.
“Wait! What happened there?” Brandon cried in confusion.
The four men were engaged in playing some...um...first person shooter game I think Spencer called it. Apparently, Uncle Rick was more at home with the stock of a real rifle or machine gun than a game controller.
I noticed that the Van Pelt twins, as well as Random and Isabeau were laughing uncontrollably as they watched the men from a nearby Davenport. Apparently something was afoot in virtual reality!
Everyone here seemed to be releasing the stress of the last few days in his or her own unique way.
Tish and Melanie sat at one table conversing with Mina, Billie, and the Reynolds twins. Occasionally Billie would look annoyed, as a tiny mist would form directly over the table. The two linguists laughed uncontrollably while Mina just sat quietly stirring her tea with a straw until the phenomena disappeared.
Others of my crew either sat conversing with their own temporal twins or chose some of the other entertainment Reilly had to offer.
Jacki, Joss, Cami, and Cassi seemed to be engrossed in their own, specialized, version of something Jacki- present day Jack- called Jenga. This variation of the game pitted the player’s concentration on stacking the various sized blocks against her opponent’s strategies to combat that. As described, it sounded simple, until you realized that the initial block and its ever increasing, upward stack floated several feet above the table the four were seated around, and that the hairs on my arm nearest them stood to attention and began tingling the closer I got.
“She’s smarter than she lets on, Alex.” One of the Jacks said to me without either turning her attention from the hovering stack of blocks. I assumed that one or both was on offense.
“Who’s smarter than she lets on, Jack?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Anna Beth, Cap. She is a remarkably strong willed woman.” Joss- my Jack- said.
“Of course, Jack, she’s a Terran. They all have strong minds.” I reminded her.
“She’s different.” She said, her concentration remaining on the game before her.
“I know she’s different, Jack.” I replied matter-of-factly.
My Ex-O’s head turned slightly away from the game she was so diligently concentrating on before suddenly letting out a shrill yelp and jumping off her seat an inch or two.
“Hey! That’s not fair, Cassi! Jacki and I stated before we started that goosing your opponent was off limits! I win by way of technical infraction!”
“I did nothing of the sort, Aunt Jacki!” Cassi said with a hurt look.
I saw Cami’s lips twitch slightly.
“You! You sneaky...” Joss figuratively shot daggers at her sister Mind Warrior.
“Ladies! We will not bring about Armageddon while in Reilly! I’m sure Alex might take offense to her facility being laid waste!” I laughed. “Now what’s this about Anna Beth being different, Jack?” I smiled at them. I wanted to see how much they had learned from ‘listening’.
“She’s starting to see light, Alex.”
“Okay...and?”
“We estimate that she will regain her sight sometime in the next four days, Cap.”
“That’s wonderful, Jack. Have you told Emily yet?” I asked, my smile widening at the news and that Jack had been so preoccupied by their game that neither had noticed Emily behind me.
“Not yet, Alex. I have a bad feeling about her though.”
“Oh?”
“Ya. Something’s just not right, like maybe we shouldn’t trust her so much yet. I don’t know, Cap, it just feels...off.” Jack looked back at me, squinted one eye and raised only one corner of her mouth.
She looked so cute when she did that!
“Well, I can relieve you of one worry, you four.” I looked around the table. “Present day Corrine is receiving her third tat tonight.” I fought hard not to show my enthusiasm. “She’s been going in after Anna Beth is asleep hoping to reach deep enough to mend her retinas. She’s with her right now.” I informed them.
“You four don’t have the market cornered on developing your gifts, Jack.” Emily interrupted as she stepped out beside me. “And I encouraged her to try.”
“I didn’t know, Em.” Jacki looked apologetic.
“That’s surprising! I thought the ‘tabloids’ would have jumped all over that one!” Emily giggled and pointed to the four women around the table before she left us and made her way over to Spencer.
All four were still frowning as I decided to revisit Jack’s ‘feeling’.
“So...given what you now know about our patient, do you still have that feeling, Jack?” I looked at both of them.
“Yes.” My Jack...Joss said quietly with a concerned look on her face.
“Care to elaborate?”
“She’s going to test your trust in her, Cap.” She squinted up at me as she questioned her own feelings.
“Yes, Jack, she will. She will do what you or I would do...what we, as well trained officers, would do when unsure of our...’benefactors’.”
“Cap?”
“When I first arrived at Reilly, I had no idea where I was- I had no idea who you were, Cami.” I gestured to her as an example. “Everyone spoke strangely. I could barely understand the tech-talk y’all used. I figured I had been captured somehow and interrogations would begin at any moment- maybe followed close behind by torture.”
“You first thought us enemies, Alex?” Cami gasped as things now made sense to her.
“Yes, Sweetheart, I did. That’s why I invoked the Geneva Accords- name, rank, and serial number. It wasn’t until y’all started that dumb Navy, Naval, Naval Orange comparison talk that I finally realized that no interrogator would be that inept!” I giggled as I recalled the incident.
Cami was blushing as I looked up from the floor and my memory.
“So she’s going to test us, Cap? How bad will it be? Like when we arrived on Terra?” Joss inquired.
“No, Jack, she’s nowhere near that powerful. In fact, I’d like you four to go easy on her. She’s still healing and I wouldn’t want her limbs flying off in all directions.” I again giggled.
“So what’s going to happen then?” Cassi asked innocently.
“Billie gets her second tat!” I smiled deviously as I nodded to the table across the room.
“Alex, the girl is so guarded I have no idea what her first gift is!” Jacki griped in frustration.
“Really, Jack? She’s a member of Kili’s royal bloodline. She sees the future, of course.” I laughed.
“Does she know that, Cap?” Both Jacks raised the same eyebrow.
“Maybe? In a roundabout way.” My devious smile grew bigger.
“You really have become a first class tease, Alexandra Steinert.” Joss giggled.
“Guilty as charged, Commander.” I said as I noticed Alex Covington enter the room. We made eye contact and she started over to me. For whatever reason, I glanced at my wristwatch- 1911hrs. As yet I hadn’t seen my Sam or Cassie today, I realized. I also realized I felt something else...something not so welcome.
I winced slightly and my hand automatically went for my gut.
Jack noticed immediately.
“Alex, are you alright?”
“Ya, Jack, I think I just started.” I said, noticing that Alex had stopped in her tracks. “Hey, sis.” I shyly greeted her.
“You!” She pointed to me directly as her face immediately grew angry. “You stay away from me! Don’t y’all dare touch me- ya hear?” She exclaimed as she began backing away. That is until she flinched a bit and looked down as her hand moved to rub her own abdomen.
“Damn, not again! Alex, when are you going to learn how to count? This makes the fifteenth time!” She exclaimed as she angrily stomped over to where her Brandon sat- still perplexed at the decidedly mysterious self-modifying video game.
I could do nothing but blush.
Young Alexandra had been across the room talking with Melanie, Alexis, and Reilly when my present self had started to scold me. As she approached, she looked concerned- especially when she saw how red my cheeks were.
“Grandmother, Are you okay? Is there a prob...?” Her expression immediately changed as she too looked at her belly. “Never mind, I figured it out! Thanks a bunch, Grandma!” She shook her head with a slight frown, turned around and retreated back to her girlfriends. A short, animated conversation took place between them and Reilly turned to meet my eyes with a smirk. My niece rolled her eyes in amusement.
“Mom nature surprised you again, Cap?” Joss snickered. Good thing she’s not Japanese!”
I just forced a smile and walked away silently with as much dignity as I had left.
Since I wouldn’t be ‘driving’ for the next seven days, I decided to let loose and sample some of Kili’s homebrew.
2230hrs, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, May 14th, 2028
“Alexandra, I think it’s time you stopped refilling that glass and turn in!” Spencer suggested as he placed a hand on my shoulder from behind.
“Why? It’s not like I kin go en’where!” I groused.
“Emily, I think I should escort your sister back to her room.” He said as he gently took my arm.
“Spence, I’m not that drunk! I kin get ta mah room on mah own!” I complained, as he seemed to go slightly out of focus for a second, but only a few times.
“Ya, and I’m not that irresponsible to let you do that, Alex! Let’s go, time for the Empress to go nightie-night!”
“Nightie-night, ever’one!” I heard myself giggle. I remember thinking that a pale pink nightie would really be comfortable tonight.
“Wow! Alex, why did you do that? Emily would go ballistic if she saw me with you in that thing!” I think he said. “I better get you home before Tibius sees you!”
We were standing before my door.
“Open up!” I think I said.
“Are you sure that’s your pass code, Alex?” Spencer asked.
“Ith voice operated, silly! Why won’t ya open, ya ‘tupid door?”
“Alexandra, you have locked your door.” RVP informed me.
“How could ah lock the door if ah’m out here? Just let me in RVPee!”
“Access granted, ‘Empress’.”
I remembered placing a kiss on Spencer’s cheek…or was it his lips…anyway; I entered my room and passed out on the near side of my bed.
1000hrs, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, May 15th, 2028
The thick fog engulfing my mind cleared slowly as I felt a hand gently massaging my left breast. Whoever it was knew exactly how it was done. ‘Tibius’ I thought, but how had he gotten in my room.
My fog-shrouded mind refused my feeble attempts to focus as the massage continued. I began to feel the warmth of another body against my back- it made sense- of course someone was in bed with me.
Someone was in bed with me!
My eyes flew wide open and I immediately felt the sting of the reflected morning sunshine as it filled the room!
The fear of who was behind me kept me frozen in place on my right side. Still the soft hand gently caressed me.
“Mmmmm, Gailan, you feel so soft.” My voice purred from behind me as the soft hand slowly moved down to my hip and proceeded to take a slight right.
Still I was frozen in place as the hand began gently searching for something no longer there.
“What?” I heard Alex Reilly spit as I felt her abruptly sit up behind me. “How’d you get in my room?”
I stayed still and didn’t answer her. I was still trying to figure out that very same question as best my throbbing head could. A familiar face and tussled, dark blonde tresses appeared over me as my hangover suddenly abated.
“Alex! What in the Goddess’s name are you doing here?” She asked in a hushed, but angry tone!
I said the first thing that came to mind. “Trying to sleep.” I said sheepishly.
“How did you get in here? I thought I disabled door access after I came in!”
Rubbing my head in vain, I tried to focus on the answer. “ I…I think I overrode you. I can’t really remember.”
She pulled me onto my back and stared at me, eye to eye. I noticed her eyes drift down to my shoulders. Slowly she pulled back the cover from me.
“Where on Reilly did you get that?” She exclaimed as her eyes focused lower.
“Get what?” I honestly had no idea what she was talking about.
“The semi-transparent, boudoir covering you barely have on, that’s what!” Her face showed a mixture of shock, surprise, and curiosity.
I raised my head slightly to look. “I…I…I don’t know. How…how did I get into this?”
“You don’t know?”
“Honestly…no.”
Alex Reilly sniffed the air over me. “You were consuming large amounts of spirits, weren’t you?”
“I maybe had a few drinks.” My head was now clear. Thank goodness for our fast healing!
Alex just stared at me in disbelief.
“You had more than ‘a few’, honey! If my recall of your memory can be trusted, a dozen glasses of Kili’s trademark distillation will never qualify as ‘a few’!” Alex looked distracted for a second. “Oh, and you even brought me a present. Really Alex, you shouldn’t have.” Her sarcasm was overwhelming.
“I’m sorry.” I whispered as last night’s activities flooded back.
“Well…“ Alex paused a moment as she noticed the tears forming in my eyes. “I guess we’re all safe from the Terrans.” She forced a tight smile as she turned over and exited her side of the bed.
Standing before the mirror, her modest blue silk pajamas changed into a sheer pink nightie identical to mine.
“I’m archiving this for when Gailan calls.” She said over her shoulder. “Wherever did you dream this covering up from, Alex?”
“It just popped into my head last night…I think.” I looked around the room searching for the answer.
“I love it!” She said as it changed color to a pale blue. “This works well also!” Alex continued as she evaluated her reflection. “What do you think about this in blue, Alex?”
“I think exactly as you do, Alex. I was the one that thought it up, remember?”
“Actually, I do.” She winked as I took my place beside her at the mirror. I brought up the heads up display and thought about the pale blue. Alex Reilly and I now wore matching lingerie.
“Alex, I thought you ought to know that Anna…Beth…is…um…” Cindy barged into the room and stopped dead in her tracks, her mouth falling wide open.
Alex Reilly looked at me. “I’d guess you forgot to re-disable the door too?” She asked in a voice that didn’t sound entirely happy.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt anything, Empress! I’ll stop by later.”
She turned to leave.
I could feel my face burning with embarrassment.
“You didn’t interrupt anything, Cindy. Alex and I were just trying to decide on the proper shade. What do you think…blue or pink?”
Alex Reilly’s nightie became pink again.
“My money’s on the pink, Empress. Definitely the pink.”
“Thank you, Miss Riggby. Alex Steinert, you always have a better sense of fashion. Why?”
“Maybe because she saw us from the other perspective?” Cindy giggled as her hand covered her Cheshire smile.
“I hadn’t included that into my initial set of calculations, Cindy, thank you.”
I concentrated on my choice of clothes for the day and decided on a blue tank and a pair of short blue demin shorts. The closet in the wall to my right opened to reveal a pair of blue and white trimmed ‘cross-trainers’ as my present-day twin called them- a pair of white anklets were folded nicely atop them.
Retrieving the shoes and socks, I sat on the side of the bed and began putting them on.
“So, you were saying something about Anna Beth, Cindy?” I asked as I tied my shoes.
Alex Reilly had decided to follow my lead except her tank top and shoes were pink.
“The patient is acting funny, Captain. I haven’t been able to get a read on her. She must have put up a defensive barrier to my gift. My natural talent tells me she’s going to do something stupid though!”
“Of course she is, lieutenant. She’s first and foremost a soldier- just like you or I- one that is still not sure whether to trust us, and so she must try to escape. Anna Beth has just gotten a usable portion of her sight back and feels this is her chance to escape.”
“Why would she want to escape from Reilly? We saved her life!”
“Wouldn’t you fare better under interrogation if you weren’t dying, Cindy?”
“Oh. So, what should we do, Empress?”
“Nothing. I started this whole thing, so I’ll take care of it, Cindy. Just let Emily know that Anna Beth has fully recovered.” I told her as I stood up and headed for the door. Alex Reilly was right behind me followed by a confused Cynthia Riggby.
“Alex, are you sure you don’t need help on this?” Jack thought to me as Alex Reilly and I met Alex Covington and young Alexandra at the end of the infirmary hallway.
“Just stay back and do as I suggested last night, Jack. That goes for you too, Cami and Cassi.”
I motioned for my sisters to hold just outside the door to Anna Beth’s room before I went in. Anna Beth lay on her bed quietly. Knowing better, she appeared to still be asleep.
Her eyes snapped open and she stared into my eyes.
“You will transport me back to the land of the pyramids! Back to the day the evil Hathor imprisoned me!”
I felt sleepy, but not much more than to yawn. I decided to play along.
“I require more concise coordinates, M’lady. Earth day, date, and year; time of day would also be beneficial.” I droned.
Anna Beth stared at me in amazement for a moment.
“I wish to go back to midday, the one hundred sixth day of the three thousandth and twenty-first year before the birth of the Hebrew prophet!” She said slowly, making sure she did the math right.
“A preferred location in Egypt is also needed, M’lady” I monotoned. My eyes were starting to feel dry. I needed to blink- badly.
“Memphis.”
“You will need to stand next to me and take my hand, M’lady.” I said, standing upright again and staring directly ahead.
I felt her grasp my right hand.
“The trip will be short and uneventful, M’lady. This way, please.” I turned and walked stiffly through the doorway, still staring forward.
“We have arrived, M’lady.” I droned as I stopped in the middle of the hallway. RVP had photos of Egypt- specifically the Giza Plateau- displayed on the hallway walls.
“What? I said I wanted you to take me back to the pyramids! We are still in the same building!” She said in an angry voice as she turned me roughly to face her. As she again looked deep into my eyes, I saw the other three Alex’s emerge from a doorway behind us and across the hall.
“And why would you want to go back? To act on your plan to dispatch Janelle Hathor before she can capture you?” I asked as I blinked finally. My sisters joined me in surrounding her.
“You tricked me! You knew I would do this, didn’t you?” Anna Beth accused in anger as she pointed to me and stomped her foot hard on the floor.
I glanced around her and winked.
“We are the Empress! Of course we saw this attempt at revenge!” The four of us said in unison.
Anna Beth dropped to her knees and immediately broke into tears before us.
“Why didn’t it work? It should have worked!” She sobbed.
“I’m afraid your gift still does not work on me, Commander, but if your gift had even the slightest effect, you would still be here, I’m afraid. You see…my gift does not work while menstruating. That is my biggest flaw, Anna Beth.” I leaned over to offer her my hand.
“Why would you tell me your weakness? I have just tried to escape!” She seemed reluctant to take my hand.
“It would have been an escape only if you succeeded…and only if you were actually a prisoner- which you definitely aren’t, honey! Y’all are no more a prisoner of Reilly than we are, Commander!” I smiled as she looked into my eyes before taking my hand. I helped Anna Beth to her feet.
“But…you don’t know me…what I am capable of!” She blinked as she sniveled.
“Doesn’t matter, sweetheart!” Alex Reilly cut in. “We…” She pointed to the other three of us. “We have seen your future among us and will do everything in our power to see that you remain our sister! Be it here in Reilly, on Terra, or back in ancient Egypt, you are now one of the good guys, M’lady Commander- like it or not!” Alex Reilly punctuated her statement by crossing her arms in front of her and raising an eyebrow.
“Lady Anna Beth.” My granddaughter started, “M’lady, we wish you no harm, only that you trust us as you would any other friend or acquaintance. You have been given no basis for distrust- only the love of people who truly care for you.”
“But I tried to escape by taking one of you hostage!” She sniffed again.
“And just where would you have gone once outside these walls?” I motioned about us. “Have you forgotten that we are on an island in the Pacific Ocean? The nearest land is another group of islands about two hundred miles to the east- over a day’s journey by boat.”
“Right.” Alex Covington added. “By doing so you demonstrated your military training. Allie and I expected nothing less, Commander. After all, isn’t a soldier’s first duty after being captured, to escape?”
“There you four are!” Emily sounded excited as she approached from her office at the end of the hall. “I wanted to let you know that I…” Her voice trailed off as she noticed her patient surrounded by ‘the Empress’.
Anna Beth turned around in response to Emily’s voice.
“You are they’re sister?” She squinted at the still unclear, approaching figure, apparently taken off guard by our resemblance.
“Of course, Alex and I are sisters- now.” Emily smiled. She then looked around at the four of us.
“I guess you already know that her eyesight has started to return.”
We all nodded in unison.
“Stop that! Just stop that this instant! It’s hard enough to take when there are just two of you! Four is major overkill, Alex- especially when you look like a rainbow grouped together like this!”
Emily was right- as usual. All four of us had chosen the same style outfit; my blue top and matching cross-trainers; Alex Reilly’s pink top with matching shoes; Alex Covington’s bright yellow top and coordinated trainers; and rounding out the spectrum was Young Alexandra’s red top with matching cross-trainers. Together we did indeed look like a set of quadruplets dressed in different shades to tell us apart!
I quickly nudged Alex Reilly’s arm. “And y’all claim we don’t think the same, sis?” I giggled.
She turned to me, her mouth agape in disbelief. “I claimed we…you told me that, hun!”
I simply smiled and turned my attention back to Emily- both of them. My Emily…Amelia, had joined her twin.
Anna Beth looked shocked and near collapse, seeing two of Emily. Under their lab coats you could see that they also thought alike, wearing identical outfits.
“Emily, I think your patient needs some air. Is her vision recovered enough for sunlight?” I asked, noticing the woman’s color fade.
“Only if she wears these sunglasses, Allie.” She answered as she reached into her right coat pocket and produced a pair of spectacles with very dark lenses.
Anna Beth cautiously accepted them and carefully put them on.
“Stylin’, girl!” Alex Covington chimed out.
“I could have used these when we first arrived on Earth!” Anna Beth replied as she looked around through them.
“Now then, would you care to experience the beauty that we call Kili Island through free eyes, M’lady?” I inquired as I offered my hand.
1400hrs, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, May 15th, 2028
Once clear of Reilly, Anna Beth and I walked the mile or so then made our way through Mina’s present day village and finally out to the dock.
“And right here is where we moor the Sand Dollar, Commander. Would you care for a tour?” I asked with a wide smile.
“That is the strangest boat I have ever seen! What do you call it?”
“That’s my submarine…the Sand Dollar!” I pointed to it.
“No, that vessel out there!” She pointed farther out- past the two identical boats tied up on either side to the extended dock.
I turned to look where she was pointing.
“Detroit! What’s she doing in this close?” I gasped aloud.
‘Alex, Detroit is hailing us. They need you and Alex Covington aboard right away.’ Jack’s voice thundered through my head.
‘I’d like to oblige, but my Empress powers are disabled right now, Jack!’ I thought back- hopefully with as much volume or more.
‘Ya, I know. That’s why they’re coming in…to get you two.’
There was no way possible for the huge, modern boat to tie up, so after a few minutes, we noticed a large inflatable craft speeding toward our position. Alex Covington joined Anna Beth and I. We commanded our clothing to change back to our uniforms just as the rubber powerboat slowed at the end of the dock. Anna Beth seemed amazed by the sudden change in clothing as she stared down at her very own dress whites. I was thinking Randi had something to do with that!
“Admiral? Captain? CINCPAC has informed us that we are to remove you to a safe location!” Julia Masterson shouted as two of her men immediately jumped from the craft- each with a rope- temporarily securing the boat to the dock.
“Jules, what’s going on?” Alex Covington shouted over the engine.
“We can’t talk right now, Admiral, our orders are very specific though! Commander, if you would please step back?” Julia motioned to Anna Beth to step away from us.
“And why would she do that, Commander?” A gravelly voice shouted from behind us.
“Admiral Demmit, Sir!” Julia instantly stood to attention and saluted.
“Commander Masterson, we are all going. Is that understood?” Uncle Rick growled.
“But Admiral, my men…they won’t understand, sir!” She said perplexed.
“Commander, do the words ‘top secret’ still hold the same meaning today as they did back in ’44?”
“If not more, sir!” She answered.
“Good to hear!”
I noticed that the two men holding the mooring lines also heard our conversation. The two stared at Uncle Rick as if seeing a ghost. He quietly regarded them a moment.
“Do you men have a problem with me being here?” He growled.
Both men silently, slowly shook their heads.
“Good! Let’s go, Commander!” Admiral Demmit ordered as he quickly helped Anna Beth, Alex and I into the ‘Zodiac’, Alex called it, and we shoved off.
“What’s so all important about getting Alex and her sister off the island in such haste, Cmdr. Masterson?” Uncle Rick shouted over the engine.
“CINCPAK has received intelligence that an unknown foreign government has embedded agents into your crew, Admiral Covington! HQ feels you would be safer onboard Detroit, Ma’am! I can say more once we’re submerged.” Julia Masterson explained as she kept staring at Anna Beth.
Our Terran friend was desperately trying to act natural. I saw her eyes widen slightly when Jules mentioned that we would be submerging
1430hrs, USS Detroit- Wardroom, off Kili Island, May 15th, 2028
Our arrival on Detroit was somewhat less spectacular than I had anticipated. Alex, Anna Beth, and I were treated as your average everyday officers, but Uncle Rick…Admiral Demmit faced stares, gasps, collisions, and downright confusion as we were escorted into Detroit’s wardroom. I noticed that the familiar faces we passed had actual smiles as the old man walked by. Still, everyone stood to attention for the Admirals- alive or …presumed dead.
“Admiral Demmit, it’s nice to see you again, sir! I’ve missed your engaging stories these last forty or so years! In case we haven’t been officially introduced yet, I’m Commander Vernon Reynolds, Captain of the Detroit, sir.” Vernon offered his hand.
“Captain.” Admiral Demmit acknowledged him, shook his hand, and both waited until we women sat down. “So captain, what’s so damned urgent that CINCPAC deemed it necessary to interrupt our conference?”
Uncle Rick’s tone left no question that he was now in charge, and that this was an inconvenience to us.
“We have been informed that the Empress’ conference may have been infiltrated by spies of some unknown government, sir. CINCPAC, having some knowledge of the Empress, has ordered us to protect her at all cost. Julia and I understand that this is not necessary or even prudent, but we are still required to follow orders, sir.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way, Captain.” Demmit smiled. “Do we know anything more about this foreign government? How was the information obtained and is it valid?”
“All we know is that the Pentagon intercepted an encrypted communication. Their specialists were able to decode some of the message, but not all of it. The brass thought it menacing enough to order your retrieval.”
‘Jack, are you getting this?’ I thought to her.
‘Aye, Cap. I’m having the Randi’s run it as we speak.’
‘Keep me informed, Jack.’
‘Aye.’
Any clues as to its transmission point, Vernon?” I asked on a hunch.
“None, Allie, but Jones has a few thoughts on that…plus I expect Jacquelyn Cummins to relay information from Reilly’s instruments any time now.” He smiled.
“Ah, I suspect Mr. Jones has a few thoughts on us as well, Vernon.” I giggled as Alex’s eyes met mine. “Jack’s already on it as you expected.”
I noticed Anna Beth start to fidget. She looked slightly out of sorts- in fact she looked pale.
“Anna Beth, is everything okay?” I asked.
“I’ve forgotten how confining military compartments can be, Empr…captain.”
“It’s okay, Commander, we’re all family here.” I confided.
“Of course, Empress, I should have considered that.”
“Commander, are you a past sister or future sister? I don’t seem to recall you from any of our reunions.”
“Both! Anna Beth is an astronaut, Julia.”
“So you met at NASA? I’m Julia Masterson. My mom served with the Empress in World War Two. This is Vernon Reynolds. His mom also served with Captain Steinert.”
“Pleasure to meet both of you.” Anna Beth replied, seeming to relax a little. I could see that she was still not comfortable sitting here.
“So, you were an astronaut? What program? Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Shuttle, Aries?” Vernon went down the list in child-like fascination.
“Meridian. Meridian twelve, Captain Reynolds.” She answered proudly and then her expression changed to worry.
“Meridian?” Vernon looked confused for a moment. “Oh, I get it! Welcome to the twenty-first century, Commander!”
Anna Beth looked more relieved. “You are not surprised I am not from this time period?”
“Not at all! The Empress is always bringing home ‘strays’- if you know what I mean.” He gave her a warm smile and a wink.
“So where do you call home, Commander?” He quickly continued.
“Memphis, but I’m originally from Citadel, Captain.” Anna Beth again toggled her expression from proud to worry.
“I guess the military life never really leaves the system, huh? Funny, but you don’t sound like a volunteer?”
I noticed a slight twitch of Vernon’s eye brow- just like his mom, I thought.
“Do ah sound like um from the ‘Show-Me’, Vern?” Alex quickly countered. Uncle Rick winked back at her.
“Admiral, I didn’t mean to imply! I just…okay, they must talk differently in your time, Commander. Forgive me for any accusations, ma’am.” Vernon said, backing down from his unintentional interrogation.
“Vern, let’s agree that Anna Beth is from a very long way away and leave it at that. We will vouch for her character, Captain Reynolds.” Alex stated and we both nodded, as did Uncle Rick.
“Understood, Admiral Covington.”
‘Alex?’ Jack’s voice asked in my head. It caught me by surprise.
“Aunt Jacki’s talking to them.” I heard Julia say while asking Jack to continue.
‘Alex, Reilly’s high-gain antenna array picked up a message about an hour ago. Randi put it through decryption and you’re not going to believe who it’s from!’ She sounded surprised.
‘Enlighten us, Jack.’ I heard a slight echo in the background. Alex and I looked at each other and grinned.
‘Janelle Hathor! She apparently transmitted a very high power burst of information from Ancient Egypt that just got back here today! Are we ever going to be rid of that…?’
‘Never mind that Jack, what did the message say?’ I asked, again with the slight echo.
‘It warned that there are several aliens in attendance at the conference- aliens that intend on killing the Empress of Time and Space so as to overtake the world governments without her retaliation! Alex, that’s low…even for Hathor!’
‘We’ll take care of it on our end, Jack. Thanks.’ I smiled as I opened my eyes.
Until I noticed two marines enter the compartment.
“Gentlemen, please escort the Commander here to our brig! I want Lieutenant Hilf’s people watching her twenty-four, seven, understood?” Julia Masterson ordered as Captain Reynolds sadly looked at Anna Beth.
“Commanders, I will not resist. I will proceed to your brig peacefully.” She said dejectedly.
“Jules, you’re making a big mistake!” Alex growled out. Uncle Rick looked a little taken aback by her tone.
“I’m sure I am Empress, but your safety is of utmost concern!” She replied in a similar tone.
An almost familiar tingling followed by the hairs standing to attention all over my body could mean only one thing.
Detroit seemed to lurch in the upward direction.
“Jacquelyn Cummins, you better put my boat down this instant! We are only following orders!” Vernon Reynolds shouted into the ceiling.
A slight rumble told me that we were at or just above the surface- probably heading for the shallows around Kili.
‘Jack, what are you doing?’ I thought to her in a whisper.
‘Not us, Alex! Cami and Cassi are behind this!’ She replied, also at a whisper.
‘Make them stop or we all do time in Leavenworth!’
‘No can do, Alex! They’re serious about this! If we try to interfere they may just crush her back into a billet with all hands on-board!’
“Captain, I know this sound impossible but…but the equipment…it says we’re at plus thirty feet, sir!” Detroit’s RADAR operator burst through the door.
His face paled significantly at seeing Uncle Rick seated before him. He said the only thing he could, given the situation.
“Buaaah.”
“Get in here and shut the damn door, Chief!” Captain Reynolds shouted.
The stunned man imperceptibly nodded and slowly closed the door behind him- carefully making sure it was secure.
“Yes, that’s him, sailor! Alive and well here in 2028! Admiral Demmit, meet our RADAR and Surveillance Officer, Demetrius Jones. Jonesy, Admiral Richard Demmit. Have a seat, chief.” Vernon introduced the two men.
“Captain, I believe someone has a problem with your orders. I suggest…” The old man rubbed his forehead. “I suggest that we hear them out.” Uncle Rick recommended in his trademark gravelly voice.
Captain Reynolds touched the device on his ear. “Helm, all stop and assume surface configuration!” He paused as if listening.
“Those are my orders, Lieutenant!” He groused.
“Skipper?”
“Jonesy, if I miss my guess, we ARE about thirty feet off the water…and heading for shore. I don’t think the screws are of much good, do you?” The frightened chief shook his head. “All I can say for sure is please, do not…repeat…do not…piss these people off, sailor!” Vernon looked serious and defeated all at once.
“How’s that possible, sir?” He then looked at his first officer. “Ma’am?”
“Captain Reynolds, I implore you, I will not attempt any escape or violence. May I be seated until this vessel has become stationary? I am none too fond of water or any sudden, related, bone shattering stops!” Anna Beth pleaded. She now looked ready to vomit.
“Gentlemen, let her sit down. You two might want a seat also until we stop.” He motioned for the two perplexed Marines to each take a seat as he sighed.
“Admiral, would you like to handle this?” Vernon motioned with his hand to Alex Covington.
Admiral Demmit looked shocked as I nodded to Alex in support.
“Captain, everything will be okay and I assure you that we have not been infiltrated by an ‘unknown’ government! The Terrans have been our friends and allies since I first met them on their home world in 1944. They are hardly aggressive unless provoked and follow stricter moral protocols than anything we have here on Earth!” Alex explained.
All eyes were now on my temporal twin.
“Since 1944, Empress?” Julia gasped in surprise. “Why did you not mention any of this to us?”
“Because we all decided that the world…and the majority of our children…were not ready- especially the world in general, Jules! Earth has enough on its plate without knowing that people like us exist in many other solar systems!”
“You…you…you did not just say people exist in other solar systems…now…now…now I heard you right, didn’t I Admiral?” Chief Jones fought with his words as he tried to hold it together.
“Alex, do you really want to do this now?” Uncle Rick questioned.
“It’ll work out, Uncle Rick. I’ve seen a positive outcome from what happens here this evening.” I assured him.
“Wait! Y’all are tellin’ me you’re his nieces?” The astonished Chief asked, allowing both his pitch and accent to rise.
“Yes I am.” Alex and I said simultaneously.
Chief Jones’ eyes grew very big.
“Naw, hell no, ain’t no way! I’m dreamin’ this whole thing! I knew I shoulda' told ol’ Peterson to hold the anchovies an’ mushrooms on my pizza!”
I looked to Alex a minute. She nodded her agreement that this was how it was to transpire.
“Demetrius, I know it sounds like science-fiction, but Admiral Covington and I are one in the same. I am her past self from 1944. I am Commander Alexandra Steinert, the original and only captain of the USS Sand Dollar- SS353.” I told the three confused men calmly. Two of them nodded understanding.
“I’m not buyin’ it Admiral…or Commander…or whoever! Y’all would have to be over a hundred! What I see can’t be over twenty!” He paused a second. “Why does the Ex-O keep callin’ y’all ‘Empress’?”
“First off, hun, I’ll be a hundred an’ twelve in August, and shame on y’all fer forcin’ a lady ta admit ta tellin’ her age! Secondly, ah am called the Empress on accounta’ that’s who ah am- the Empress a’ Time an’ Space!” I looked him dead in the eyes. “Only not right now…I’m kinda at mah monthly dis’vantage, so any demonstration’ll have ta wait a few more days, hun.”
“We figured that when Aunt Jacki told us to come and get you, Alex.” Julia admitted as Vernon nodded in agreement.
The new arrival to the room began looking back and forth between Alex and I and hisCommanding Officers.
“Dude! Give it a rest, they aren’t going to bite!” Vernon Reynolds laughed. “I’ve known the Empress for most of my seventy-five years! She has yet to do anything evil!” He paused. “But then again, there was that one time when you…”
“Can it, Vern that was a teaching aid!” Alex interrupted with a hiss.
“You…you all knew…about this?” The chief just managed to squeak out. “You’re ssssseventy-fffffffive?”
“Both our mothers served with Alex on the Sand Dollar, Jonesy- as well as several other’s of our crew.” Vern replied, quickly glancing to the two marines in the room.
Detroit let out a moaning thud, shook moderately, and several distressing metallic creaks escaped her pressure hull. We had arrived on Kili- literally!
“Our flight crew has given permission to debark the submarine. Please be sure that your seats and tray tables have been returned to their fully upright positions and enjoy your stay on beautiful Kili Island. The weather today is a tropical eighty-seven degrees with light to moderate breezes out of the east-southeast, plenty of sunshine, and sixty percent humidity. As always, we thank you for choosing to fly Darough Air!” Randi Van Pelt’s pleasant, perky voice announced from the speakers throughout the grounded submarine.
“Is that who I think it is, Alex?”
“Of course, Vernon, Chief Van Pelt IS my communications officer, after all.” I giggled.
“So help me, Alex, if Jacki put even one scratch on my boat…”
“Or what, Captain? I’m sure Commander Cummins went easy on the American Taxpayer’s investment!” Admiral Demmit scolded.
“Um…not Jack, Admiral. Camille and Cassi Darough, sir.” I corrected him.
“Oh, well I’m sure the Daroughs treated Detroit with kid gloves too, Captain.”
“We will now start debarkation with the first class passengers. Those seated in the Wardroom please move topside via the nearest exit.” Randi’s voice came over the speakers again. She sounded like she was having way too much fun!
Vernon tapped his ear set twice. “All hands, this is Captain Reynolds. Starting now, I have authorized a two…” He looked over to Alex and me. Together we held up a total of six fingers. “I mean a six day shore leave! I want everyone on his or her best behavior for Admirals Covington and Demmit. Also, I am required to warn you that we have entered a highly classified, top-secret, Black-Ops area and must hold what we see and hear in the utmost confidence! Enjoy this unexpected shore leave. Captain Reynolds ou…oh, and don’t piss off the natives! Reynolds out!” He begrudgingly tapped the ear set twice again.
As we made our way topside, equipment could be heard shutting down behind us. A frantic sailor weaved and twisted to catch up to our group.
“Captain!” He shouted, almost out of breath. Vernon Reynolds stopped and we all turned to face the voice.
“Captain, the control rods in the Reactor just lowered themselves into the reaction chamber, sir! It effectively caused a shutdown! We’re dead in the water, sir!” The sailor looked over at Alex and I.
“Empress, what did we do wrong? Why are we aground at Kili?”
“Relax, Tim. There’s been a message received from our sisters in Memphis that has been decoded out of context. An old adversary has apparently gotten her hands on the Giza transmitter and means to scuttle our conference any way she can.
“Wait!” A beleaguered Chief Jones interrupted. “Y’all aren’t talkin’ about Memphis, Tennessee, are you? You’re talkin’ Memphis, as in Egypt, huh?” He regarded the smiles on Alex and my face. “Oh Lordy, it’s got to be food poisonin’- please let it just be food poisonin’!”
I don’t think the man’s eyes could open any farther without dropping out! As it was, there wasn’t too much lid keeping them in they’re sockets.
“I thought that was one of those old UFO conspiracy theories, Empress?” Julia asked from ahead of us. I saw a devious grin form on her. “Hey, Jonesy!” She shouted as her features began to change.
“Commander?” Chief Jones asked as he turned back to her.
“BOO!” A woman of African descent said as their eyes made contact.
That was about all Chief Demetrius Jones could take. His bulging eyes simply rolled up into his forehead and he dropped to the floor in a heap.
“Martin, Reagan, assist the chief topside, please.” Julia ordered as her appearance returned to normal.
“Aye, Commander.” The two replied, unaffected by what they had just witnessed.
“Why on Earth did you do that, Jules?” Captain Reynolds asked in surprise.
“Aunt Jacki said that Aunt Emily foresaw a critical spike in his pressure. She suggested I find a way to render him unconscious. A sudden drop in blood pressure is better than popping an artery, right?” She smiled as she raised her hands, palms splayed outward.
“Who was the woman, Jules?” Alex Covington asked calmly as she rolled her eyes.
“Demetrius has a photo of his mom in his quarters…”
“I’m going to have vivid nightmares of this for the rest of my life, or for however long it takes to make me clinically insane, Alex!” Uncle Rick scoffed as he rubbed his forehead again.
“It may get a tad crazier, Admiral Demmit.” I warned, as we again headed topside.
“Wonderful…just wonderful!”
Once we all made it onto Detroit’s aft deck, the true power of the Daroughs became evident. Both Sand Dollars had been moved shoreward several yards to ensure Detroit’s hull could fit perpendicular to the end of the dock. I estimated that another three feet of water would float her again- maybe at the next high tide.
We watched the gangplanks from both Sand Dollars remove themselves and hover over to their sister submarine. Once lined up properly Captain Reynolds, Julia Masterson, Admiral Demmit, Anna Beth, Alex, and I casually walked down them to the dock. Our two marine brothers cautiously hauled their unconscious chief safely down the modified gangplank as well.
The two very flushed, but smiling faces of Cami and Cassi Darough greeted us.
“You know, you two could be court-marshaled for this!” Admiral Covington scolded the two women.
“What fun would that be, Alex?” Cami wrinkled her nose.
“Sister, have they harmed you in any way?” Cassi asked Anna Beth directly.
“Except for reminding me of my arrival to this planet…no. I will be fine once the recalled memories ebb.” She admitted as color slowly returned to her face.
“Julia Masterson, I thought you were on our side!” Cassi turned abruptly to the Commander.
“I am, Cassi! We’re still in the Navy and are expected to follow orders, you know!”
“But Jules, she’s one of us!”
More residents of Reilly approached. Alex Reilly, Emily, Amelia, Mina, Reilly- but just for an instant, the Cummins twins, the Reynolds twins, and, unexpectedly, both Corrine’s!
“She’s a Terran, Cassiopeia Darough! She isn’t even from this planet!
“No, Julia Masterson, she’s from our planet!” Reilly appeared just behind the startled Ex-O.
“What?” Julia turned around then searched for Reilly, finding her back beside Cassi.
“You heard me, Jules, she’s from our planet! Cassi and I were born on Terra- Citadel to be exact!”
While Julia Masterson and Vernon Reynolds pondered this new information, I noticed that Alexis, my Cassie, Samantha, and young Alexandra had appeared off to our left.
“Grandma, y’all okay?” Alexandra asked with concern.
Two heads shot to the voice asking the question.
“She’s your granddaughter?” Julia managed to ask first followed by a gulp. Vernon’s mouth just dropped open.
“I’m also Terran by birth, Commander. As is my mother Alexis.” She motioned to her mother with a proud smile.
“Well, you certainly look like your grandmother!”
“Thank you, Lady Julia.”
“Lady Julia?”
“It’s a long, convoluted Terran tradition, Jules…don’t ask.” Alex giggled. “Let’s clear the dock so Detroit’s crew has more room.”
Alex took one arm and I took Anna Beth’s other arm as we guided her to shore.
“Where do you want the chief, Alex?” one of the marines asked.
“Take him to the Infirmary and have Emily or Cindy look at him. Mr. Jones is in for a rude awakening.”
“Isn’t that the truth, sis!” I laughed.
Looking on from the shoreline, I noticed about one sixth of the crew smiling while the rest simply looked confused. Several men gave Corrine…my Corrine a very lecherous stare.
Then it happened!
Corrine’s hair and chest began to change as her cheeks became flushed.
The Mastersons became twins.
“Bravo, Corrine!” Mina clapped as the now twins hugged each other tightly. Several others of my crew, past and present also applauded another realized gift.
“Oh, Momma!” Julia Masterson cried as she rushed to the two and wrapped her arms around them.
The lecherous stares become frightened disbelief at the sight. I felt a tear form in each eye. Corrine could now start to live a normal life and not be ogled as a freak! No longer would she be teased mercilessly because of her proportions.
I thought for a moment. Was this the right time for Corrine’s gift to reveal itself or had I again changed the future? Why had I initially seen her realize her gift back on Atlantis-Minor and a month from now?
One thing I knew for sure…Mina wasn’t going to like this!
A gentle tap on my forearm brought me back from my worrying.
“Outstanding job, Alexandra! I couldn’t have done it any better, Empress.” Mina congratulated me. She was holding back tears of her own, but smiled all the same.
Alex had dropped back a few steps. She was shaking her head and quietly talking to herself. “Why can’t I remember this? Am I still the real Empress? Did I cause some other tangent to occur?”
“No, sis, you’re still me!” I wrapped my arms around her.
We both felt the familiar tingle pass between us.
“Now you should remember doing this, Alex!” I smiled deviously.
“Ya know, sis, we never could follow the rules very well!”
“To quote one of our sisters- ‘what fun would that be’?”
We both giggled like a couple of schoolgirls!
1600hrs, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, May 15th, 2028
“Ma? Where am I? Mom!”
“I’m afraid your mother isn’t here, Mr. Jones.” I informed him as Cindy checked his vitals on the display above his head.
“Admiral Covington? Where am I? How did I get here?” Chief Jones started to look around the room frantically. “Is something wrong with me, Admiral?”
“Captain, Mr. Jones! Capt. Alexandra Steinert. I won’t make Admiral until 1975, chief.” I smiled.
“You’re that Empress, aren’t you? This isn’t no food poisonin’, is it?”
“I’m afraid not, Demetrius, I’m real, not some botulistic delirium. By the way, welcome to Reilly Research Facility. You’re in our Infirmary.” I said softly.
“What’s wrong with me, ma’am?”
“You just passed out, that’s all.”
“Master Chief Jones, you had a small aneurism on the left side of your lower cerebral cortex! If Commander Masterson had done nothing to lower your blood pressure, I would be prepping you for autopsy right about now! You are very lucky that we caught this in time!” Cindy told him with a serious, almost scolding tone.
“You mean she really did that? She made herself look like my momma?”
“I’m telling you right now, sailor, calm down!” Cindy wagged a finger at her patient.
“Demetrius, everyone in Kili society has gifts! Julia Masterson inherited her mother’s gift of shapeshifting and Captain Reynolds shares his mother’s gift of localized weather control.
“Are you all aliens, ma’am?”
“No one here is an alien, hun. We’re just…um…just…just a little different- we’re still human though!” I reassured him.
“Cindy, my latest scans of the chief indicate that the aneurism has been repaired, no other defects have been located.” Random’s voice sounded overhead.
“Thanks Randi, I’m recommending Mr. Jones limit his activities for a few more days, though.”
“I concur and shall continue to monitor his vitals while in this facility.”
“Random Peltierre why are you back in Reilly’s A.I.?” I asked in surprise.
“Mother and I are modifying the external interface module, Alex. We located several weak elements in the overall system software. Our goal is to alleviate the bottleneck when two or more external processors are added. Redesign is progressing and stands at forty-five percent complete. We shouldn’t be too much longer, Empress.” Isabeau’s voice replied.
“That doesn’t sound like something any normal human can do, ma’am!” Chief Jones whispered conspiratorially as he looked around the room for the owners of the voices.
“Cindy, I’m going to take the chief for a walk. You’re more than welcome to join us.”
I’d love to, Alex! RVP, I’m finished with the diagnostic equipment. You can put the Infirmary into standby.”
“Power save mode will initiate as you leave the room, Cindy. Oh, the test you ran on Demetrius confirmed Alex’s information and it does indicate type K-1 hibernation. Consultation is advised at the earliest possible opportunity!” Isabeau’s voice answered once more.
Cindy and I looked at each other, silently agreeing with the other.
“Thanks, hun. That’s why I’m here. You two don’t be long now, I have it on good authority that Chief Peterson and Tish are in the kitchen tonight.”
“We’ll be there, Empress!” Isabeau’s excitement made me laugh. Terrans seemed to love Ricki Peterson’s fresh apple pie!
“Shall we walk, Mr. Jones?” I offered him my arm as Cindy Riggby fell in behind us.
I waited until we had visited several areas of the facility before steering us back to the reason for our walk.
“Chief, you look like you could use a good, stiff drink.” I suggested, seeing the total amazement frozen on his face.
“What? No…no, I never touch the stuff, ma’am.” His face turned serious.
“Never, Chief?” My eyebrow raised in doubt.
“No, ma’am- not since I was six or seven. Why?”
Cindy smiled, but put her hand up to cover it as he admitted to consuming alcohol at such an early age, but instantly lost it as Chief Jones quickly turned his head to her.
“Alright, I’ll take the bait! Why would you ask me if I drink in such a cryptic way, ma’am? Am I being tested or something?” He looked at both Cindy and I with a combination of confusion and anger.
We were now coming around the corner to the Rec Room.
“Demetrius, have you ever been to this facility before?” I stopped walking to ask the important question. My serious tone and face made him think hard. He searched the floor, the walls, and the ceiling for the answer.
“Ma’am, as overloaded with all this as I am, I couldn’t say I haven’t been here before!” He said flabbergasted.
“Maybe this next part of our tour will jog your memory then. This is our Recreation Room.”
We entered the large room. Unlike the previous day, it was nearly filled to capacity!
“Demetrius! Good to see you up and around, Chief!” Vernon Reynolds welcomed him from the video gaming area off to our left.
Those in earshot turned from what they were doing to cheer and applaud him.
“Hun, y’all better wire that jaw of yours shut before it really falls off!” I laughed. “So, is any of this familiar at all?”
We started walking into the room and passed several of his fellow crew who congratulated him on his recovery.
He stopped and gawked at the strange competition between the Daroughs and the Cummins twins.
Chief Jones needed a slight nudge to keep him moving.
The introductory music to a game caught his attention and seemed to trigger some memory or feeling.
“Man, I haven’t played this one in years!” Brandon Covington said loudly to his fellow players. He noticed us as Demetrius gently steered us in that direction. “Chief Jones, I’m glad you’re feeling better! I’m Brandon Covington, Alex’s husband.” Brandon offered his hand.
Demetrius’ eyes grew wide again as he silently shook hands. His eyes kept glancing between Brandon and the large screen that displayed the start menu for the supposedly old game. I had no idea how old it actually was, but I knew what was going through Jones’s head.
“Ya, I can’t believe we still have it either! Want to give it a try, Chief?” Brandon laughed at his expression as he offered the controller.
“Is this the man you were telling me of, Empress Alexandra?” Tibius quietly caught my attention as he approached.
I nodded and began the introductions.
“Demetrius Richard Jones Jr, may I introduce Tibius, Grand High Counsel of Citadel, Terra.” I waited for the comment from Tibius for shortening protocol. To my surprise, Tibius simply extended his hand to the stunned man.
“Demetrius, it is customary to shake the man’s hand- both here on Earth AND on Terra- not to is considered rude and arrogant on Terra, chief!” I raised a brow and kept staring at the Chief then to Tibius’ hand.
“What?” The stunned chief looked at me a moment. “Oh! S…s…sorry. Sir, it’s an honor to make your acquaintance.” Chief Jones said cautiously as he took Tibius’ waiting hand.
“Yes, Mr. Jones, I am indeed what you call an ‘E.T.’, and I do look like everyone else on this beautiful planet you call home.” Tibius smiled as he paused when the man still shaking his hand widened his eyes even more!
“Yes…yes, I can read your thoughts, sir, but after our initial introduction, only if you allow it. Terran law prohibits…unsolicited intrusions.” Tibius purposely looked toward the heated Jenga game going on a short distance away between the Daroughs and Cummins.
“Chief, with your permission, I’d like Tibius to look for something in your mind, hun- only with your permission though.” I asked sweetly. “He’s done it to me many times. I guarantee it is completely painless.
“You get right down to business, don’t you ma’am?” Demetrius stared at me with misgivings.
“I’m only asking to clear some things up, chief- some things that you may have been asking yourself for years.” I said with a warm smile.
“You mean like why I seem to remember playing this exact game in this exact room? Ma’am, if that’s the way to get some answers and sanity…what the hell! Do it!” Chief Jones shrugged his shoulders. “How you gonna do this mind meld, man?” He asked making different gestures with his right hand.
Tibius and I exchanged confused looks- neither of us had any idea what he meant.
“Sir Demetrius, I need only lay but a finger to your head.”
Chief, before we start, I want to ask what you remember about your Grandmother?”
“My Grandmamma? What does she have to do with anything…oh…you mean she was…” He let a finger dither around the room.
“No, chief, she wasn’t one of us.” I cut him off before any assumptions were made.
“You could have fooled me! The woman had eyes everywhere…everywhere! You sure she wasn’t Terran? Or wherever those four over there are from?” He motioned with his thumb to my fully engaged Mind Warriors.
Tibius and I laughed and I rolled my eyes.
“The sharp wit is certainly familiar.” I acknowledged off-handedly.
“Sir Demetrius, I would like you to think about your grandmother. Try to recall any strange events during those years that you stayed with her, please.”
“Go for it, Sir Tibius!”
A smile formed on the Terran’s face as he reached to touch Chief Jones’s forehead.
The two stood motionless for a few minutes before Tibius lowered his hand.
“Th…that…that was freakin’ awesome! How’d y’all do that?” Demetrius exclaimed with an astonished look.
“Empress, once again you are correct and I am likewise astounded by your abilities! I ask again if you are part Terran, my love?” He asked as I blushed.
“What?” Jones looked at each of us a few times. “What’d you find in there, counselor? Am I hiding the cure for the common cold or something? What is it?”
I waved for Alex to come over as she and Emily walked in. I nodded as she made her way to us.
“Your turn, sis.” I said as I gave her some room by the chief and Tibius.
“So, you don’t remember me, chief- or should I call you Demetrius Ricardo De Johnes?” Her clothing started to change as she asked the question.
Alex was now dressed in a frayed, worn out pair of tight denim shorts. A heavily, sweat-stained, green t-shirt with cut-off sleeves and a worn pair of high top boots with some dingy white socks just showing above them finished off the unflattering fashion. She then produced a rubber band and fixed her hair into a ponytail. I didn’t know I could look so mousy- so librarian-ish!
Predictably, the man’s eyes just about launched from their sockets.
“Standard issue uniform, chief! Didn’t you get yours yet?” She smiled.
“Huh ah. Um, I think you’re lookin’ a little more familiar.”
“Let me help, Alex.” Our present day Corrine offered, appearing behind Emily. She came over to my twin and placed her hands over Alex’s scalp after gathering up all her hair. As she moved her hands down the back of her head, my temporal twin’s hair color darkened several shades. Reaching the end of her ponytail, Corrine smiled and stepped back to admire her work. Our activities had drawn a small crowd of mystified faces.
“I still prefer my natural color, hun!” I giggled as Alex retrieved a pair of non-descript, gold-framed eyeglasses from her pants pocket and placed them on her face. I was amazed that, given the derelict look, I still looked cute- though in an academic way!
“Aren’t you the cute little man- can’t find your mother, hun?” Alex asked Demetrius, pinching his left cheek. Her voice dripped with sweetness.
“Miss Allison?” He blurted out, totally dumbfounded by what he saw- by the long forgotten memories now flooding his brain! He paused a few seconds.
“But…but that was nineteen years ago! How…?”
“How did I know to find you beneath the rubble your house had become after the Earthquake? I have the gift of foresight, Demetrius! Do you know what that means?”
Jones nodded his head gently.
“Good, so I don’t have to answer questions you already know the answers too! I saw you struggling to stay alive, hun. I also foresaw myself extricate you and personally take you to the hospital so that my sister Emily, could treat you.” My twin nodded over to our sister. Emily’s clothes had changed also, becoming khaki shorts and a ‘T’ similar to our sister, but covered by a white linen doctor’s smock. “Together we treated your wounds and set your broken right arm. Your internal bleeding from the three fractured ribs required…well…” She sighed. “More sophisticated equipment. We used the chaos that Haiti was experiencing at the time to whisk you back here, where Emily could do you the most good.”
She paused to let what she said sink in. Neither of us wanted Cindy’s work destroyed so soon.
“I understand now, ma’am, but how…?”
“How did I know to concentrate on you?” Alex stared at him intensely a minute. “What makes you think you were the only one we rescued during that three month mission, hun? Demetrius, my crew and I recovered and treated over one hundred and ten men, women, and children on our mission to Haiti in 2010!” Alex suddenly paused. “We also saw our share of tragedy.”
Alex, Emily and I looked to the floor at the memories just conjured up.
“Ma’am?”
“We lost a good friend in that disaster, chief- someone that had promise even if he wasn’t one of us!” I struggled to hold my composure, but as I heard Emily sniff, a few tears escaped my own eyes.
“My father, Ma’am?”
“No. No, he wasn’t related to you, chief.”
“Then why search and confirm whatever information in my brain?” Jones looked thoroughly confused.
I took a long minute to regard the man and his valid question. His curiosity of what my response would be gave him a truly psychotic look! It was time…time to test Cindy’s work. If her repairs held, they would last his lifetime- or longer.
“Chief, did your Grandmother talk much about your great-grandfather? What he did- who he was- maybe his name?”
“I was told he was a sailor…before and during World War Two…that’s all I can remember, ma’am.”
A commotion from the Jenga table drew our attention momentarily. Joss’s face was bright red as the other three laughed.
‘Wow, I didn’t see that one coming, Cap!’ She said in my mind.
Apparently.
‘Should I make contact, Alex?’
‘No, Jack, he needs to be properly informed- they both need prepared!’
‘When you’re ready then, Cap. Just let me know.’
‘Thanks, Jack. Sorry you threw the game because of me- not!’
Instead of thinking anything back, Joss turned around and gave me an angry look while her cohorts continued laughing.
“Ma’am? Ma’am!” Demetrius finally caught my attention.
“Ma’am, how’s my great-grandfather figure into all this?”
“Your great-grandfather was a member of my crew, chief!” To any one that knew our story it would have sounded out like a battleship salvo. Chief Jones simply looked at me in bewilderment.
The man looked around the room. “Okaaaay. I don’t quite follow, ma’am. Did he die on one of your missions or something?”
This was going to be harder than I anticipated. “Or something, chief.” I decided to venture further. “In a way, we all died that morning, Mr. Jones.” I felt sadness overcast my face.
“Ma’am, if you got somethin’ to tell me about my great-granddad, just get to the point! Was he some kind of freako serial killer; A secret CIA operative; Allied traitor?” Jones was getting angrier because of what he probably considered my subtle hinting.
“Demetrius Jones, before March 27th, 1944, we were exactly like you!” I growled, as I looked him directly in the eyes. “We were all men before we visited Kili Island for the first time! Everyone that is, except Emily.”
A quick hush fell over the large Recreation Hall. I had no idea how many people had actually been listening. Now it appeared that a partial complement, maybe seventy, of Detroit’s crew knew our secret! I hadn’t realized I’d been speaking so loud- in fact, I hadn’t been talking that loud at all!
I shot lightning bolts at the Jenga table as I saw Joss nervously tapping her long, painted fingernails on the tabletop. Her face fixed to the far wall to avoid my glare!
“That’s right, everyone!” I shouted out. “RVP, video and audio for the whole Facility, also include all personal comm. devices on the island, please!”
“Empress, is this warranted?” Random’s voice answered.
“The time is now at hand, Randi, so yes, it is warranted!” I replied firmly in my still loud voice.
“Ready, Empress, but I can still cancel at your signal.” She advised.
“Let’s do this, Randi!”
“Please stand by for an important message from the Empress!” Randi’s voice rang forth throughout Reilly.
“That was just a little over the top, don’t you think, Miss Peltierre?” My voice echoed through the building as my face appeared on every monitor in the place. I silently rolled my eyes, annoyed by being caught that off guard.
“Hello everyone. Most of you know me as Admiral Alexandra Steinert-Covington. Whether you refer to me as Captain, Admiral, sister, mother, grandmother, or just plain friend, I have some startling information for our guests from USS Detroit. To all those that haven’t by now heard the rumor that spies from an unknown government have somehow embedded themselves within my crew, in all truth, the rumor is fact- only the unknown government is nothing of the sort. The government in question has, in fact, been known and allied with my crew and I for eighty-four years and is located approximately one hundred, eight and a half light-years from earth.” I paused as quiet murmuring filled the halls as well as the large room we were in.
“The spies to whom the recently received and decoded message refers are my daughter, Alexis, my granddaughter, Alexandra, and nine others- two of which are Alexis’ husband and father! These people were born and live on a planet called Terra. In every respect save one they are identical to you or I and offer you no harm in any way. In fact, I trust Alexis’ father with my very life. If not for his long-term consideration for my wellbeing, I would not exist at all! Therefore, our Terran friends are not to be feared and should be treated with the full respect that any visiting dignitary deserves.” I paused again as I noticed several people looking around frantically.
“As for me, you have already heard that I am known by another title, that of ‘Empress’. This title has been bestowed upon me in a very peculiar chain of events and I…we, did not start our lives as we are today. To fully understand, I will relate the events that brought about the supposedly magical things you have witnessed to date at this facility.” I cleared my throat.
“Originally, the crew of the USS Sand Dollar was your typical submarine crew. We left Mare Island Naval Yard in our newly commissioned boat as men eager to do our part in protecting the United States and the world from the evil Axis. Our first mission was to relocate…” I stopped as the murmurs grew exponentially in volume.
“That is what I said. We left Mare Island as men honorably serving our country in early 1944.” I said a little louder to quell the noise, which it did after a few seconds.
“Our first mission brought us to this island, Kili- to relocate its inhabitants to Hawaii before the Japanese Empire could invade and seize control- to possibly torture and/or kill them. Twenty-one women greeted us at the dock that afternoon and threw a bon voyage party complete with a locally brewed ‘punch’, the leftovers we brought onboard for another meal. Earlier that day, while surveying the island for invading forces, we stopped to take on fresh water due to a malfunctioning desalination plant. On our first night out from Kili, we found that the water we had taken on produced an incredible reaction when mixed with any strong alcohol such as the island punch. In a little over six hours, we became the people you see before you today. My entire crew transformed overnight!”
I paused again to look around the room- at all the unfamiliar, stunned faces. I noticed that those of my crew, present and past had bowed their heads as they recalled that fateful morning. Demetrius Jones looked stunned. I saw his eyes slowly moving up and down my body.
“But our transformation was not simply confined to our bodies; our minds as well as other characteristics began changing as well. We developed what those native to Kili Island called gifts. Each individual received certain enhancements- talents some would call them. Others would say…certain powers. My first officer, Jack Cummins, for example, is telekinetic and telepathic; my dive officer, Carroll Sheldon, is a mathematical genius; my radio operator, Randall Van Pelt, can control any electronic device. I…I found I received the gift of the royal bloodline of Kili- foresight. I share this gift with my children as well as my sister, Emily Scott-Rosen, Mina Smith- Queen of Kili Island, her children, and Billie Sangiere, Queen of Kili Island in 2027BC! We also received ‘common’ gifts that increased our lifespan and accelerated our ability to heal.”
I felt my feet leave the floor and I floated up and over to stand on a nearby table. The monitors indicated a camera followed me.
“Jack! Is this really necessary?” I asked in annoyance.
People in the room started applauding and I felt myself blush!
I waited patiently for the clapping to fade.
“The gifts given to us didn’t appear instantly after our change, instead they gradually manifested themselves. As my gift of foresight developed during our return trip to Pearl, I also started to develop a secondary gift. First, I found myself in the body of my future self.” I motioned to Alex a short distance away. She held up her arms and waved to everyone.
“Somehow I was able to take over her body and found myself in 2027. Next I found I could take people with me through time as Mina and I traveled back to the Kili Island of 1932- though I never physically left 1944. Amazing as that would seem, my gift developed further! In an angry tantrum- of which I am certainly not proud of- I found myself in a dark, empty…’place’, dimly lit by a distant yellow sun. Much to their surprise, I had totally disappeared from my friends and crew in 1944!” I paused again as a glass of ice water hovered off to my right. I took a sip. The cool wetness felt good as it dispelled the dryness from my mouth. Before continuing, I placed the glass back on its invisible shelf with no concern for it falling. A mixture of laughter, applause and gasps filled the room.
“In the place I dubbed my personal dimension; I came face to face with my brother- something benign enough until I tell you that my brother had died aboard the USS Arizona three years prior! As we talked and I convinced him I was really his brother, he reaffirmed the very fact that I had become so irate about- the fact that had brought me there in the first place! His patient reasoning however, and the fact that he was dead, convinced me that my newly developed gift of time travel automatically made me the Empress…the Empress of Time and Space.”
The murmuring grew louder again.
“In addition to time travel, I am able to slightly shift time around me to become invisible and actually pass through solid objects of this plane- a trait passed to my children. As expected, Cassandra, Samantha, Alexis, and Reilly appeared on the table at my sides. I quickly glanced to Reilly in confusion as a few people laughed.
“This one is not mine!” I pointed to her with a stunned smile. “She belongs to my past self, Alexandra Reilly!” I motioned to the third person that looked like me.
More people clapped as Alex Reilly raised her hands high and waved to everyone with a smile.
“Thanks, Alex! I knew I could count on you!” I said sarcastically before continuing.
“Alex is technically me…if I came from a different universe. What I mean by that, is she and those she shares this facility with back in 2027BC are originally from another universe. As a matter of fact, if RVP can bring up the Protoverse Chamber observation port camera, you will see the very universe they called home before their planet, made sun, expanded and consumed the large asteroid this very facility occupied.”
As I narrarated, views of Reilly appeared on the monitors like a slideshow. Most images were from the windows of the observation areas. The last image was the familiar tactical representation of Reilly’s ‘fusion giant’ expanding.
The screens then went black. I wondered what was wrong, not having foreseen this.
The faces of Random and Isabeau faded in on alternate monitors suddenly.
“Empress, you lied to me…to us!” Randi accused, their eyes seemed to burn at me from every screen.
I realized that I had just been caught, but glared back at her with the same intensity.
“And just how did I do that, Random Valerian Peltierre?” I questioned allowing a slight growl into my voice!
Isabeau’s face looked to her mother’s for a brief second.
“Empress, how could you risk your life…your very existence so carelessly?” Isabeau seemed to tilt her head slightly and both faces suddenly took on a sad cast.
“I had to take the chance, ladies. We have a standing motto here: No one left behind!”
Applause filled the room and the halls throughout Reilly. Glancing down to my left, Uncle Rick stopped clapping long enough to give me thumbs up and a big smile. Did he have a tear in his eye? Tibius, who had, to my surprise, tried to hide himself, looked slightly choked up.
“But how could you move a whole universe through a singularity the size of a doorway, Empress? My calculations indicated our own survival rate at only sixty percent!”
“Randi dear, every life is precious! I wasn’t just saving Reilly’s population. Hundreds of other civilizations in that universe were spared similar fates because of my efforts. Survey the Protoverse, Randi; examine Reilly’s original system closely- tell me what you see.”
I looked out over the growing crowd in the Rec Room. “Sorry folks, this’ll only take a few seconds. Reilly’s equipment is highly advanced and Randi Peltierre has been running it for well over nine hundred years- I think she knows her way around.”
Again the murmurs grew in volume.
“Captain, how can you do these things?” Demetrius Jones asked from the floor in front of me. Reilly and my daughters climbed off the table as I thought about my answer.
“Have you not been listening, Mr. Jones? The Empress has been very clear, I think, in her narrative of the events incurred during the development of her gifts. Let’s continue to listen, shall we?” Mina scolded. Her eyes were red and had been wet recently, but she held a wide, satisfied smile.
“Alex, our analysis has completed. Reilly’s Fusion Giant has ceased reaction and a thin crust has formed over its surface. Gravitational repulsion between it and the primary system star has returned to original planetary normals- the pre-experiment orbit has been resumed. We can find no sign or existence of Reilly on the planetoid. The catastrophe started nine hundred-eighty revolutions ago has now ceased.” Both women glared at me through the screens again as if still angry at me.
“As have similar failed experiments in other populated solar systems, Randi. Trillions of lives were saved when our universes exchanged in the wormhole phenomena you call a portal. I foresaw over three hundred ‘manmade fusion giants’ resetting themselves in the reversal, maybe more. Again, ladies, no one left behind!”
Another round of applause ensued.
“Why didn’t you inform me after our arrival on Earth, Empress? Despite all the simulations we ran prior to entering the portal- all the negative results- you still decided to do the impossible! Why?” Randi’s voice started to break as she finished.
“It was something Alex Reilly said in the recordings she left me, Randi. She suggested I use my intuition and imagination. Without those two fundamental human qualities, we would never have gotten out of our caves. Where would science be, Randi, without imagination?”
“Where would anything, or anyone be without imagination, Alexandra?” Mina added.
“Here, here, Mina!” I smiled and continued.
“I cannot, in good faith, say that my gifts…that any of our gifts have stopped developing. I’ve been to the past, and obviously here, the future…” I spread my hands out to encompass my audience. “I’ve also been to other planets, other dimensions, and another whole universe! I’ve even helped presidents make vital life and…” Mr. Lincoln’s face flashed into my mind followed by Mr. Truman’s. I automatically wiped a tear from each cheek with my finger.
“To make life and death decisions that affected our country’s future- you’re present and future!”
I took another sip from my still hovering glass.
Having continued for another twenty minutes or so, our curious story had finally been told. My water glass still hovered beside me yet had mysteriously filled itself twice more before I reached the end of our mind-boggling tale.
“So that is the story of the crews of USS Sand Dollar and Reilly Research Station ladies and gentlemen of USS Detroit, and Citadel, Terra. Surrounding you today are aliens from all different races, religions, creeds, places, galaxies, and worlds.” Looking out across the crowd, I noticed several unconvinced, concerned faces.
”Perhaps this one piece of philosophy will help redefine the preconceived notions of what an alien truly is for those of you still undecided.” I paused a moment until those few faces set their attention squarely on me.
“We are told that each one of us is an individual- true enough! We are born into this world as single entities- although some are lucky enough to share such an event with a twin, triplets, or quadruplets. We all inevitably leave this life separately. As such individuals, we are masters of our own individual little universes- our own little worlds. Therefore, anyone not belonging to our world- everyone else- is, by loose definition, an alien to our world. Yet we interact, care, and inevitably love some of these aliens every minute of every day. Employing this definition, everyone around us is fundamentally an alien. So logically, we all must be aliens! Think about that before allowing prejudice to impair judgment of those unfamiliar to you.” I paused a moment to look down at a few more contemptuous faces. “I thank you all for listening.”
Applause once again filled Reilly.
Mina had turned and buried her face into Uncle Rick’s shoulder. Uncle Rick, for his part, barely held his composure. I observed my three daughters applauding loudest; proud tears filled their eyes- I also noticed a glint of light twinkle from Demetrius’ shoulder.
Crouching down closer to him, I smiled. Glancing quickly at the nearest screen, I noticed that the camera had followed me and zoomed in tight on us, yet the audio’s volume automatically ceased.
“Chief Jones, has any of this had an adverse effect on your surgery?”
“Not really, ma’am. The surprise of being surprised and mentally set off balance has gotten old. I think I understand that my great-grandpa, as a member of your crew, was physically changed, right?”
I nodded with a smile. “And?” I asked.
“And that she is here somewhere?” He winced slightly fearing my confirmation.
“Yes. Master Chief Richard Samuels received the same changes and gifts we all did, but she is unawhere of your existence. I will have to consult with Ricky Lynn before I reveal you, Demetrius.” I informed him quietly. Professor and Lt. Samuels were on the far side of the crowded Rec Room and hopefully couldn’t hear me.
“But for now I have one more surprise for you, chief.” I looked to each side conspiratorially before I continued. “The pixie on your left shoulder has taken a liking to you.” I winked. “Once they do that, I’m afraid its terminal, Mr. Jones. Pixie infatuation is harder to rid one’s self of than head lice!” My smile grew wider as I saw a small tongue dart out at me. “Say hi to Demetrius, Peonie.”
“Man down!” I announced between laughs.
2000hrs, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, May 15th, 2028
I stood and greeted Lynn and Ricky Lynn Samuels into Alex Reilly’s director’s office. After making sure Demetrius was awake in the Infirmary, I left him and a grown up Peonie, and asked Alex if I could use her office. It was in the quiet Administrative wing away from everyone.
“Thanks for coming, Chief. I hope I haven’t caught you two at a bad time?”
“Naw, we was just doin’ some maintenance downstairs- nothin’ important, Skipper.” Lynn- my Ricky Lynn- began.
“So why call us into the Dean’s office, Alex?” Ricky Lynn concluded with a tense smile.
“Ladies, some new information just came to light earlier today. Does the last name, De Johnes, ring any bells?”
Both women remained quiet while they searched through years of memories.
Lynn was first to reply.
“I knew this cute, heavily tanned…um, Caribbean number- think her name was De Johnes, why, Skipper?”
“Do you remember using the ol’ Rick Samuels charm on the lady, Chief?” I winked.
Both girls blushed.
“I take that as a yes, then?” I giggled despite myself.
“Without sounding too hypocritical, we had fun, Skipper.”
“Apparently, Rick Lynn!” Another giggle escaped my lips.
“Ricky Lynn, I just remembered, did you close the coolant feed line by-pass valve on reactor two, and could you please run down to check it, sis? We can’t leave it open for too long.” Ricky Lynn asked her twin, Lynn.
“I thought you said you checked that before we left, sis?”
“I’m thinking it slipped my mind when Alex called for us.”
“Fine, I’ll be back in about ten minutes.” Lynn stood and rushed out of the room.
I waited patiently for Ricky Lynn to speak again.
‘You got it Alex, that valve will take about fifteen minutes to close. Will that be enough time?’ Jack thought back to me. I thanked her as Ricky Lynn caught my attention.
“I don’t want her to know about this…not yet, Alex.” Professor Samuels blushed. “I was a father, right?”
I nodded. Ricky Lynn looked down to her lap.
“I guess I never gave it much thought before, Alex.”
“Chief, your great-grandson is in the Infirmary recovering from a bad case of pixiosis.” I giggled.
“Huh?”
“Peonie has taken a liking to Chief Jones, Ricky Lynn. She’s watching over him as we speak.”
“She’s not…” She gestured with her finger and thumb about the pixie’s size.
“No, not now. I thought it best if she stayed grown-up. Demetrius is still far from accepting the family he is related to.”
“He isn’t carrying any nanos?”
I nodded grimly.
“Hibernating, but they’ve been in there long enough that he carries your markers, Chief! That isn’t how we locate him in 2010, but I told you I could feel family light-years away, didn’t I?” I smiled at her.
“I thought you was just joking, Skipper.”
“I never joke about family, Ricky Lynn. I may joke with them, but never about them.”
“Alex, how come I don’t remember meeting him?”
“As I recall, you were studying in Europe that summer- Switzerland, I think.”
“Oh, that’s right, the collider! Ya, that was the most fun I’ve had in years! Reilly still makes that thing look like Stonehenge!” She giggled.
‘Alex, she pulled her shrinking trick on me and closed the valve before I could compensate! Lynn’s on her way back already! Sorry.’
‘That’s okay, Jack, good try though.’ I thought back.
“So, does he know who I am, Skipper?” Ricky Lynn again caught my attention with a knowing smile. She knew I was talking with Jack.
“I told Demetrius that I’d have to talk to you before I arrange any meetings. I wasn’t able to see how you’d take the news.”
“It’s strange. To find out, after all these years, that I’m a pappy…kind of awkward now, ya think?”
“Not as awkward as meeting three fully grown daughters for the first time, I’m afraid.” It was my turn for the nervous smile.
“So how we gonna handle this, Alex? I really don’t want Lynn to screw up the time continuum.”
“Don’t worry, Ricky Lynn, Jack has your back. Let’s go meet Chief Jones. Sam, Cassie, and Alexis, you ready to cloak us to the Infirmary?” I never lost eye contact with Ricky Lynn.
“…what do you mean she heard me talking? I don’t know how, she just does it! Don’t ever accuse me in that way, Cassandra Fleming, you have yet to see the full strength of my Terran side!” Alexis growled as my three daughters appeared together in the corner of the room to my left.
“I thought by now you three would have stopped arguing like that!” Ricky Lynn shook her head as she laughed at my daughters.
“Chief, this is the first time they’ve met one another.” I said softly. “We work on my time standards, remember?”
“Got it. It still gives me headaches though.” She giggled.
Within two minutes of my Sam doing her thing, we arrived in Reilly’s Infirmary. Peonie was still next to Demetrius chatting away unhindered.
Cassie disappeared from our little cloaked group and reappeared in the doorway to the hall.
“Announcing her eminence, Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space!” She proclaimed.
To my annoyance, a trumpet fanfare played from the large room’s loudspeakers.
“If she wasn’t mine, I’d drop her off in the Stone Age for a stunt…” I threatened before I noticed Demetrius and Peonie staring at me. “You would think my daughters should have more respect for me!” I turned to Samantha, “Thank you sooo much, Samantha!” I closed my eyes in disgust for a second.
“We still love you mom.” She planted a kiss on my cheek, grabbed Alexis and Cassie’s hands and vanished.
“This place is seriously crazy! I thought things like this only happened in movies, Capt. Steinert. Um…you are Captain…Steinert, right?” Chief Jones asked cautiously.
“You have no idea how really bizarre this place can be at times, chief.” I laughed and moved aside to reveal Ricky Lynn standing behind me. “Chief Demetrius Jones, Master Chief- now Professor of Robotics, Ricky Lynn Samuels, PHD. Ricky Lynn, Demetrius Jones- your great-grandson.” I chirped happily as I watched the expressions on both faces.
“You’re a first class fox!” His eyes bulged as they focused on her.
This drew a punch on the shoulder and a well-aimed glare from Peonie.
“He’s definitely related, chief!” I laughed and winked to Ricky Lynn.
“Well, let’s have a look at ya, boy.” She approached as Peonie graciously yielded ground.
Ricky Lynn gently grabbed Demetrius’ chin and moved his whole head side to side.
“Ya- got her eyes alright! I ain’t seen none of me yet though.” She continued to move his head around. I could see Demetrius had had just about enough.
“Woman, would ya stop that, please? Why’s women always gotta do the head movin’ thing?” He said in an angry voice. “Y’all wonder why I don’t hang around longer on leave!” He added.
“Demetrius that is no way to talk to Ricky Lynn- even if she is your great-grandfather!” Peonie reprimanded as she raised a finger and started wagging it at him. “Don’t make me go pixie on your ass!”
Chief Jones did a double take of the young woman that had recently taken a liking to him.
“Use your imagination, chief!” I giggled, answering his unspoken question to his obvious discomfort.
“Honey, can I have a little time alone with my Great-grandson?” Ricky Lynn asked Peonie quietly with a soft smile.
“Sure! I’ll be down by the village with my sisters, Demetri! See you later!” She informed him, as her giggles grew quieter and quieter.
Peonie hovered in close to Chief Jones and placed a pixie-sized kiss on his cheek. She then zoomed off out the doorway.
“Peonie’s a good kid, Jonesy! That’s all um gonna say!” Ricky Lynn said sternly.
“Aye, ma’am!” He turned his attention from the doorway back to Prof. Samuels. “Um…did she really just…” He made his finger and thumb close on one another. “And, you know, fly away?” His voice stepped up an octave.
“That’s what pixies do, chief! Haven’t you ever read anything about mythical creatures?”
“So she’s really not a…a…a…hum…human?”
“She is every bit a woman as you are a man, Mr. Jones! Being a pixie is her gift, which she shares with her three sisters, her mother, and Yuuka, one of Alex Reilly’s crew! Did you hear what I said about prejudice earlier, Mr. Jones?” I scolded.
“Y…y…ya. It’s just…just…wow!” He shook his head while holding his forehead. “It’s just hard to fathom…you know?”
“Do you feel up to walking, Jonesy?”
“Aye, ma’am!”
Ricky Lynn offered her hand to help Demetrius up.
Both noticeably flinched.
“Awww now see, what the hell was that? Why did I get a shock from just touching you, ma’am? This some kind of Sand Dollar crew hazing or maybe some ritual thing?” Demetrius complained.
Ricky Lynn looked to me with some concern and a little sadness.
“Only if he wants it, chief, but I’m afraid there has been a migration.”
Demetrius looked between Ricky Lynn and I. “M…m…m…migration? W…w…what migration?”
“Alex, how much of this did you see happening?” Prof. Samuels looked at me curiously.
“Ya, Capt. Steinert, how much of this did you see coming? How far will it…whatever ‘it’ is…go?”
“Let’s just say…” Alex Covington started to say as she walked through the doorway, “That I wouldn’t put money down on any future vasectomy just yet, Demi De Johnes!” A wicked smile was apparent on her face as she stopped beside me.
“No…no you don’t! No! I’m gonna…” He pointed to Ricky Lynn then Alex and I. “No! Hell, no! No way! I am so out of here!”
“Don’t worry, hun, you’ll still have time to sow some wild oats!” It was my turn to display an evil grin as I stopped him from leaving. I made my eyes glaze over as if in a trance- just like Mina taught me!
“Demetrius Jones, four years hence will see you contract a mysterious and severe flu. Doctors will exhaust all avenues of treatment on your behalf- none will prove fruitful. One doctor will appear as if by magic and offer up a cure. Being the strong willed individual you are, the doctor’s offer will be declined. On your deathbed, a woman will arrive claiming to be your aunt. She will ask you to have a drink with her and begin talking about your Great-grandfather in great detail. A full bottle of single malt scotch is consumed. Demi De Johnes wakes up in this bed the very next morning surrounded by her family and close friends. This is to be your future, Mr. Demetrius Jones, unless you take action to change what will be!” I blinked several times for effect, but mostly to wet my dry eyes.
A very gray looking Demetrius Jones looked back at me in awe.
“Again with the eye popping, chief? I thought surprises were getting old- making you callus?” Alex questioned.
“Skipper, is this course set in stone?” Ricky Lynn asked as if scripted.
“No! No one’s future is predetermined. We all have the means at our disposal to make changes that inevitably lead us down a favored path, chief, but Demetrius must choose his own way- he must choose to believe and act on the clues and nudges given him today. Only he can take the right trail, Ricky Lynn.”
“Like you gave me back at Atlantis-Minor during the war.” She said as her head lowered remembering what I had said back then.
Abruptly, she turned to Jones and pointed a slightly abused, painted finger at him. “Listen to her and pay attention, boy! Alex and Mina told me about my future back in ’44! She enticed me to follow her suggested path by getting me promoted to lieutenant!”
“There was also that small talk we had about anger management and courtesy, Miss Samuels!” Alex winked as we both giggled.
“Ya, well that helped, but seeing things from the other side of the fence run things home for me- ‘specially what’s his name on that P.T. boat an’ that ugly, greasy lug on the Esmeralda!” Ricky Lynn blushed as she remembered the incidents.
“The consequences would have been far more devastating had I not intervened, chief!” I added. Alex nodded her agreement.
“Captain, could you tell me one thing?”
“That depends Demetrius- what?”
“You said that you run many different scenarios to decide which course of action results in the best outcome. Have you done that with me yet, ma’am?”
I winked.
“Wh…what is that, some kind of…of patented female response…sim…similar to…to asking a woman her age? Come on, Empress, all I asked was if you’d seen the right path for me! I didn’t ask about winnin’ the damn lottery!”
“Now do you see it, Ricky Lynn?”
“Aye, skipper. Fact proven.”
“Wh…wh…wh…what fact was just proven? Why won’t y’all answer my question, Empress? What was she s’posed to see?”
“Mr. Jones, have you ever heard the phrase ‘Genetics is a hard thing to beat’?”
“Something like that I guess, why?”
“Because you sound like him, Demetrius- Richard Samuels!” Ricky Lynn jumped in.
“Say what?”
“You sound like me before…this.” Her hands motioned down her body.
I hadn’t seen one coming, but another collapse wasn’t entirely out of the question at this point.
Jones stared at Prof. Samuels for a good two minutes. I decided to stop my teasing and answer the man’s question.
“The best course to follow, Mr. Jones, is to get to know you’re ‘long lost cousin’ Ricky Lynn Samuels. I’m sure your Grandmother will agree she is a fascinating person. I would also suggest that you follow your gut instinct to retire from the Navy in three years and for God’s sake navigate clear of Manila! The preferred timeline will see Professor Ricky Lynn Samuels and her kid half-sister, Intelligent Systems Design Engineer, Demi De Johnes, PHD attending more DARPA competitions as staff members of Team CMU.”
“Are you sure about that Alex?”
“Absolutely, Ricky Lynn! Someone has to replace Randi Van Pelt while she’s out working on that family she’s always wanted.” I smiled…Alex and I smiled. A tear immediately fell from Prof Samuels’ cheek as she smiled weakly.
‘Alex, Lynn is approaching!’ Jack’s warning echoed through my mind like a diving klaxon.
“Is that the answer you were looking for, Chief Jones?” I asked, ignoring the ringing in my head.
“If that’s the way you see safe, ma’am.”
“Wrong answer, chief! If that’s the way YOU choose, hun! I can’t make you take any certain path. Like I said earlier, you have to decide your own future. Girls, Lynn is on her way here now. We should get moving.”
“Everyone, take our hands!” Sam said as she, Cassie, and Alexis appeared behind us.
“What will happen when I do that?” Chief Jones asked naively.
“Wonderful things!” Sam said with an excited, but mysterious giggle and a wink.
Lynn appeared at the door to the infirmary and walked over and around the bed Demetrius had occupied just seconds before. An angry scowl filled her face as she felt the mattress and walked back out into the hallway.
“Emily, has you seen mah sister an’ Alex…er, I mean Allie? The A.I. said they was in the Infirmary just now.”
“They were just in with Chief Jones a minute ago, Lynn. I didn’t see them leave, I’m sorry. Did you need them for something, chief?”
“Naw. I just got this feelin’ that they’re hidin’ something from me- ain’t important though. Soon as I touch my twin, them nanos will sync up and I’ll know what that somethin’ is! Thanks, Emily.”
“Um…you’re welcome, Lynn. See you at dinner.” Emily waited a minute or two for the coast to clear then entered the Infirmary.
“Samantha and Cassie Fleming, Alexis, you materialize here this instant!”
“How did you know, Aunt Emily?” Sam pouted as we reappeared in the room.
“You girls aren’t the only ones with foresight! Demetrius, are you okay with what just happened?” Emily asked the chief with concern.
“I don’t understand it yet…helllll I don’t even believe it yet, but ya, I’m okay, doc. That was the craziest thing I ever felt! Never in a million years would I expect another person to walk right through me! You say it happens all the time, Empress?”
“Not all the time, chief- just sometimes.” Alex and I giggled.
“Mother Empress, would it please you if I took Professor Samuels and her Great-grandson for a walk? I know that you have other appointments pending.”
“Alexis, these two put you up to this, didn’t they?”
“No, Empress, they did not. I have seen your attendance in other sections of this facility in the coming hours. Father will be your last appointment, for example.”
“That appointment ain’t gonna happen, darlin’! I’ll tell you that right now!”
I turned abruptly, marched out of the Infirmary, and strode down the hallway to my next ‘appointment’.
0800hrs, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, May 18th, 2028
“So sis, I guess you’re anxious to get back to base?” My Emily…Amelia inquired as she sat down next to me at the table. Breakfast this morning was simply toast with elderberry jam, a bowl of fresh-diced pineapple, and a cup of fresh, hot coffee.
“I think Uncle Rick is in more of a hurry. He keeps forgetting that we’re going to return just a few hours after we left.” I answered, trying to keep the melancholy out of my voice.
“It’s hard for some people to grasp the concept of time travel, sis. As I recall you had problems at first.”
“Emily, I still have problems with it- especially the ‘friends now, but met them for the first time in the future’ scenario.”
“What fun would that be, Alex?” She giggled.
“None at all, sis. But it would be nice to meet someone now and see them in the future sometimes.”
“You love it and you know it, Alex!” She accused with a wink and a smile.
“Guilty as charged.” I said, surrendering.
“So how are you and Cindy getting along? I know you two had a lot of catching up to do.”
“Alex, that was one of the sneakiest things you could have done- taking her to Terra, I mean!”
“But that’s where she fit, Emily. She has everything she ever wanted there. A loving husband, two adorable girls, and the opportunity to learn a new way of healing! And, with my Granddaughter, she has everything she listed for Jack and I back at Pearl- Adventure; Danger; Intrigue, and Romance!”
“Pleasant awakenings to you both. May I share this table with you, Empress?” Tibius asked before setting his plate, saucer, and teacup down beside me.
“I believe that Terran protocol requires a positive acknowledgement from the present occupants of the table, Sir Tibius?” I reminded him as I casually took another sip of my coffee.
“Indeed it does, my love! Since we are on your home world…and…since you are so fond of abbreviating Terran protocols, I decided to reciprocate.” Tibius let a smirk leak onto his face.
That only meant one thing…
“What did I do now, Tibius?” I asked, already knowing what his reply would be.
“You did nothing, Empress Alexandra, nothing at all!” He said innocently.
“Bull! You do know that I already know the real reason for this innocent act, right?”
“Alas…foresight has such a dampening effect. Do you ever disable it, Alexandra?”
“Not while you’re around, sir.” I giggled. “I’m sorry I missed our appointment again last night, Tibius, a more important issue required my attention.”
“More important than I, M’lady?”
“Yes. My virginity is a thousand times more important, sir! A submarine captain with child is only useful for one thing- shore duty!” I said in a serious voice.
“But you still have a few days before…” Amelia stated before I cut her off.
“Doesn’t matter, sis! Them little critters refuse to die. They keep going ‘til their mission’s complete! Alexis proved that little fact didn’t she, Tibius?”
“As I recall, you wouldn’t let me forget. For three-quarters of your Earth year you complained about that and the fact you could not travel while in such delicate a condition!”
“More reason for canceling our meetings. I’m looking forward to getting back to base- without having to ask Alex Reilly for a ride.”
“To whom am I ‘giving a ride’, my revision?” My voice asked behind me.
Alex Reilly joined us at our table. She wore a telltale smile as she carefully placed her breakfast on the table, seated herself next to Amelia and started eating.
“Hopefully no one, sis. Tibius, here, was just asking why I cancelled our appointment again last night. I trust you kept yours with Gailan?” I asked trying to hold back my smile.
“Ack!” Alex choked on a piece of her vegetable and cheese omelet. “What makes you think I had an ‘appointment’ with Gailan last night?” She went on the defensive after taking a minute to wipe her mouth.
“Really, Alex?” I stared in disbelief. “There are only some things that we can hide from each other- the topic at hand is usually one of them, however that satisfied grin on your face this morning conveys much more information than our nanos ever could when syncing! Own up, girl! Alex Reilly had a gooood time last night!”
“Don’t be such a prude, Allie!” Alex winked and giggled as she and Brandon passed by our table and sat down at the one next to us.
My future self and her husband sported the same expressions as Alex Reilly.
“Apparently, the Auxiliary High Counsel of Terra has better luck at love than his superior!” Tibius mumbled as he placed a fork of steaming hotcake into his mouth.
Emily tried to hide her laughter, but almost succeeded in shooting orange juice from her nose.
“Oh, not you too!” I protested in amazement, planting my face into my hand.
“No, but it was worth the expression on your face, sis!” She blushed as she laughed…as everyone at the table laughed!
“Ah, the company of friends!” I sighed.
Our laughter was cut short by a four-place assortment of filled plates, glasses, cups, and silverware floating past us just to our right.
“My word Jacquelyn! Do the words subtle or modest mean anything to you?” Mina said loudly as she and Uncle Rick ducked and dodged the flying dishes.
“Anything at all?” She added as a coffee carafe quickly flew by to catch up to the rest. Admiral Demmit just shook his head a few times.
“Alex, have you seen Demetri this morning?”
I jumped at the small voice and the tugging at my right ear. At this point I was tempted to take my breakfast and retreat to my private dimension!
“No Peonie, I haven’t seen the Chief since early yesterday- why?”
“My love, why are you talking to…oh, forgive me Lady Pixie, your arrival went unnoticed.” Tibius apologized, finally noticing our small, winged guest as she looked out past my face using several strands of my hair as a safety rope.
I felt the slight breeze as she used her wings to rebalance herself on my shoulder.
“I think…” I thought I heard her sniff. “I think he is trying to avoid me, Empress.” Her tone was sad.
“Honey, the chief is very confused right now. Don’t forget that he has just experienced things that we have taken for granted for over eighty years. Give him a little time, Peonie. I’m sure he’ll show soon. Although, you know you could remain grown up while you’re with him. That might go a long way to winning him over.” I suggested. “In fact, you might want to do that now, hun, here he comes in four, three, two, one.” I pointed back to the doorway.
Peonie now stood beside me at her full height of five foot-four inches and excitedly waved to Chief Jones.
“Hun, I would also suggest knocking it back a notch or two. You might be scaring him away with all the enthusiasm. He’s not your first relationship you know.”
“Don’t remind me, Empress! My last boyfriend had no acceptance for who I really am!”
“Funny…the last time I visited Chicago, Christopher practically had a shrine set up in your honor at his apartment. That counts as acceptance in my book, hun.”
“They call that obsessive-psychotic behavior or stalking at the very least these days, sis.” Alex commented from the next table.
“Oh.”
“Hi Demetri! I haven’t seen you in a while. Where have you been?” Peonie beamed.
“Hi, Peonie.”
“Did I just hear the collision alarm sound?” I said quietly, putting a hand to my ear. I hoped she got the hint.
“I mean…I guess you’ve been getting acquainted with Ricky Lynn. I understand. I’m sorry for…um…intruding.”
“That’s okay, I still feel weird talking to a woman that was my great-grandfather…”
The clanking of plates nearby drew our attention to the empty dishes floating back to the kitchen.
“Among other things! Ma’am…does this go on all the time here?” Demetrius asked in awe of the sight.
“I’ll be the first to admit that it is annoying.” I said, just a little louder so certain people could hear.
“Oh, I don’t mind it all that much, ma’am. I’ve decided to just think of this place as a mad magician’s convention- something like those old Looney Tunes!”
“Careful, Mister Jones, those ‘old’ cartoons are first runs in my time and have only been around for nine or ten years!”
“Yes, ma’am, it might take some time, but I’ll try to remember that. Peonie, would you like to get something to eat? I haven’t had a chance to grab anything yet.”
Peonie giggled. A huge smile appeared. “I’d like that very much, Demetri! I was hoping we haven’t run out of pancakes…pancakes…with plenty of honey! Yum!”
I noticed the giddy girl was starting to shrink. I cleared my throat and shook my head slightly.
After a slight frown, Peonie regained the few inches she had started to lose and the couple left arm in arm for the buffet.
“You know he’s just another detent in that one’s lower extremity covering’s simplex suspension system, Alex.” Alex Reilly said with a smile.
Emily…Amelia and Tibius dropped their forks at the same time and stared at my past self.
“Empress, forgive me, but could you translate please?” Tibius asked while he continued to stare at Alex Reilly.
“Yes, Alex. What did she say?” Amelia seconded the motion.
I rolled my eyes. “She said that Demetrius is just another notch in Peonie’s belt!”
“That is exactly what I said, Sir Tibius- Emily! Why is it that everyone picks on my speech patterns and not Camille Darough’s?”
“Because Cami rarely mixes ‘Reilliese’ with ‘Earther’ and ‘Terran’ anymore, Alex! What is your aversion to Earth’s version of English, sis?”
“Oh leave the girl alone, Allie! As I recall you had similar problems with modern English and modern fashion when you first arrived in Arizona last year!” Alex Covington scolded from her table.
“’Scuse me skipper, but has you seen my sister around lately? She’s been givin’ me the slip these last few days!” Lynn Samuels interrupted. She looked at wit’s end.
“I’ve got this, Allie.” Alex volunteered from her table. “Ricky Lynn has been showing Chief Jones around my Sand Dollar, chief. He seemed very interested in her conversion to fusion power generation. I have yet to see her this morning though.”
“Jonesy? Thought he was RADAR and easedroppin’ er somethin’?”
“Ricky Lynn, Chief Jones is like you- he enjoys working with his hands and new technology. Now, do you know more about the fusion reactor than the woman who built it?”
“I am the one that builds it! I mean, I’m the one that’s gonna build it…um…when do I do that again, Skip?” Lynn was starting to confuse herself. I almost broke into giggles as she desperately tried to reason it out rationally.
“2017, Lynn. You’ve got a long time to study up, but I’m sure Ricky Lynn isn’t hiding from you, chief. You know how busy you can get, right?” Alex Covington gave her a pleasant smile.
“Ya, I guess yer right.” Lynn admitted before walking away mumbling to herself- something about ‘the Ex-O having something to do with it’.
“I do not believe I have ever witnessed the Empress giving false details before!” Tibius turned and looked at Alex Covington in amazement.
“Ricky Lynn asked that we not inform ‘Chief’ Samuels of her great-grandson’s existence, Tibius. If she found out now, this timeline would be changed because ‘Lynn’ would insist on joining us in Haiti instead of taking her place at the Super Collider project in Switzerland. That trip to Europe has to happen for more reasons than I wish to count!”
“I see. Would you wish me to hide…certain facts…so the syncing process will not pass them along?”
“I might take you up on that offer, Tibius, but only as a last resort. Our physiology has some resistance to your magic, you know.”
“This time I would…how do you say…make it ‘stick’, my love.”
“I don’t doubt that at all. I’ve seen how you make things stick, Tibius.” I giggled as I rubbed my flat, trim abdomen.
0830hrs, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, May 19th, 2028
“Ah, I thought I’d find you here, Allie.” Vernon Reynolds said as he found me sitting in the large Dining Room enjoying the last vestiges of my morning coffee.
“Oh, morning Vernon. We missed you at dinner last night. I trust Ricki and Melissa Peterson’s cooking wasn’t to blame?”
“No. That’s some of the best eatin’ in the world, Alex. I had to check in with CINCPAC. It took me over two hours to explain to the brass that the intercepted message was a hoax! Then SecNav herself joined the conference. Boy, what a fun time that was! If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was still angry at you for that little stunt off North Korea in ’12! She also informed me that she holds you personally responsible for any damage incurred to Detroit.”
“I guess she would’ve preferred drowning over my brilliant maneuver to rescue her high and mighty ass?” I exclaimed recalling my future self’s memories of the incident.
“I think you scare her, Alex. I know at least half the other Joint Chiefs get a cold chill up their spine when you enter the room!”
“They should, Vernon! Half those old geezers still don’t believe in me OR that a woman can skipper a submarine; the other half- they want to undress me! One of these days I may just do the later for them!”
“Try that little pink nothing you modeled for Alex Reilly and Spencer a few nights ago, sis! That’ll give em all heart attacks!” Alex Covington giggled as she and Brandon arrived late for breakfast. “I’ll have Darough Marine refloat Detroit this afternoon, Vern. Randi will reinitialize the reactor once they’re done. You should be ready for departure by first light.”
“I appreciate that Admiral, thank you.” Capt. Reynolds turned to walk away.
“Capt. Reynolds! You should see the setup on the Admiral’s boat, sir! The Sand Dollar has the ability to generate a hundred times more power than Detroit! How come the Navy doesn’t have that technology yet?” Demetrius Jones confronted his superior with excitement.
“Because we don’t, chief! And you never saw that equipment, understood?”
“But with all that power…”
“Zip it, Jonesy! That tech doesn’t exist anywhere on Earth yet, got it?”
“May I be of assistance, Captain Reynolds?” Gailan asked as he and Alex Reilly entered the Dining Room.
“That won’t be necessary, dear.” Alex wrapped her arm around her Terran mate’s forearm. “Chief Jones is family and will certainly die before revealing any of Reilly’s secrets!” A devious smile appeared on her face.
“Demetrius, come with me!” I ordered as I stood up.
My empty plate, cup, and utensils rose from the table, hovered a moment then moved toward the kitchen. All the while Chief Jones watched and shook his head in amazement.
“Let me guess. It’s Aunt Jackie’s turn to do dishes?” Vernon asked with a chuckle.
“Cami’s turn.” I corrected. “Mr. Jones, I want to show you something that will absolutely knock your socks off. Take my hand, please.” I asked. Once done, we walked out of the room together.
“Captain, this whole place knocks my socks off! What could be more spectacular?” Demetrius asked as we walked down the empty hallway.
“You’ll find out in a moment, chief! RVP?”
“Yes, Alex?” The facility’s voice replied. I was relieved Randi and Isabeau were disconnected.
“RVP, Demetrius and I will be back in a moment. I don’t want any alert when we return.”
“Acknowledged, Empress. Detection alert has been disabled. Enjoy your trip, Demetrius.”
“Enjoy my trip? What’s she mean by that, Captain Steinert?”
“Yo, Jonesy!”
The hallway around us seemed to ripple for a second.
“What the hell just happened, ma’am?” Chief Jones groaned as he stumbled slightly.
“The dizziness will pass quickly, chief. As for what happened, we just jumped into another dimension, and a few months farther into the year.” I told him nonchalantly.
Demetrius remained silent as he stared at me in disbelief.
“I must ask you to retain my hand, chief. We are out of phase at the moment and may need to remain that way for the duration of our visit.” I informed him.
“Out of phase? Like when your daughters hid us from my great-grandpappy?”
“The very same, chief. I have learned that it is prudent when visiting other dimensions until determined safe to rephase.
As I told him that one of my crew, Seaman Linda Jarret, walked right through me.
“Now that…that is just…wow!” He exclaimed. “Why are we here, Empress? Where are we?”
“In this dimension, chief, you took what you learned from Ricky Lynn back to Pearl. Copies of her design are being installed in every new Navy vessel being built.” I answered before I turned us and passed through the passage wall. We found ourselves in the larger second floor meeting room- what I termed a small auditorium.
“So, that makes ten more countries that have withdrawn from NATO for a new total of thirty-five. They have chosen to diplomatically boycott the United States’ stolen implementation of Reilly’s fusion reactor design. Ladies and Gentlemen, with that much power in the control of one government, how can we safely render assistance to this world?” The Alex Covington of this dimension told everyone gathered.
“What is she…are you talking about, ma’am?” Demetrius asked in confusion.
“The member countries of NATO are afraid of the new power of the US Navy vessels, chief. Here, the design of Reilly’s reactors has been incorporated to make vastly more powerful weapons. The United States is now the most powerful country on Earth. No one is willing to challenge that. The Earth must listen to their orders or face the consequences. In short, chief, we’ve become our worst nightmare!” I concluded.
“Can’t we do something to stop this, Alex?” Jack, of this dimension, asked from the front row.
“Not since they’ve perfected that neutralizing field. I can’t risk losing anyone else in further attempts to disable them.” Alex Covington replied, shaking her head sadly.
“Had I known the little thief would do something so stupid, I woulda never shown him around the boat!” We heard Ricky Lynn mumble close by.
We continued to listen.
“If the Mind Warriors of all three worlds could combine forces, we may be able to overload at least one of those shields so Randi can work her magic, Cap.”
“Wouldn’t work, Jack. The AI’s all have triple redundant security measures. If you would breach one shield it would trigger every other one to go local. We would have to overload each shield individually after that.” Ricky Lynn stood from her seat to add her expertise to the forum.
“It’s still worth a try! What if Randi cuts in just as the shield falls, Ricky Lynn?”
“No can do. The check-in time between AI’s is too fast! Alex, can’t you just go back a few months and tell me not to show that little shit the equipment?” Ricky Lynn growled in frustration.
“Madam Empress, I trust this forum is still open and unbiased so that anyone is safe to speak?” I shouted as I rephased us.
A gasp sounded throughout the room as all eyes focused on me. I squeezed Demetrius’ hand tighter.
“You!” Ricky Lynn sneered at Chief Jones.
“Ricky Lynn, let’s hear Alex out.” Alex Covington suggested from the podium. “Yes, Empress, it continues to be an open forum. My I ask your origination?”
“I am Empress of the original dimension, Admiral- from six months prior- the week before this all began.” I told everyone as I scanned the large room.
“And the traitor…why have you brought…him!” The distain in my future self’s voice was unmistakable!
“At first I thought to make an example of him, Admiral, but neither of us wishes that. Instead, I brought Chief Jones along to demonstrate how the best of intentions sometime lead to catastrophic ends. My I inquire as to the casualties so far, Admiral?”
I felt an extreme heaviness come over the room.
“Alex,” she said as she lowered her head, “We lost Nina, Kayla, Michelle, Romney, Erica, Corrine, Jules...”
“Corrine AND Julia Masterson? What happened, Admiral?” I gasped.
“They tried to infiltrate the Pentagon’s main security control room to upload a virus designed to disable all the reactors in service.” Alex Covington looked down momentarily then looked directly at the two of us.
“Alex, we lost Cassie!”
At that moment I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach and hit with a baseball bat over the head- all at the same time!
She broke into tears and rested her head on the podium for a moment. Abruptly Alex raised her head and forcefully struck the podium’s top with her right fist.
“Dammit, Chief, why wouldn’t you just do as we asked and forgotten what you had seem here!”
Alex Covington lowered her head once more as crying wracked her body.
“I…I didn’t know.” Demetrius said softly, but still loud enough to be heard. “I…I just thought…I just thought we could…um…reduce the amount of…of nuclear waste the…um…Navy generates.” He rubbed his forehead with his free hand. “I…I just didn’t realized they would turn it…turn it into a…a weapon!”
“Well they did, Mr. Jones, and I lost one of my daughters because of it!” It came out of Alex as an angry, wounded growl. I tried to tell myself Cassie wasn’t gone yet in our dimension.
Two people stood from among the audience and made their way across to us- a man and woman.
“Momma, please…please help us get my sister back. Alex and I are willing to do anything for that!” Samantha looked to her present mother still crying up front. Admiral Covington slowly looked up and tried to wipe away her tears. She nodded once. Samantha and her brother nodded back.
“Even…even if it means destroying this dimension and everyone in it!” Samantha said forcefully as she wiped away her own tears. “We’ve all decided to make that sacrifice to avoid this from ever becoming reality.” Sam fell into my arms sobbing uncontrollably.
“Please, mom, if you can make this right, we need your help!” Alexander pleaded as he joined his sister on my other shoulder.
“Kids, it ain’t up to your mother! This one here gotta make up his mind!” Ricky Lynn told the two crying on my shoulder. She stood and pointed at my shell-shocked companion. “You’re the one that caused the dimensional split! You’re the one that has to right it, Jonesy! Ain’t that right, Empress?”
I kissed my children’s heads and gently moved them away.
“Admiral, you know Ricky Lynn is right.” I released Demetrius’ hand- to his alarm- and walked the short distance to where Alex Covington stood. I gently touched her forearm to guide her to a chair Jack had levitated from somewhere.
There was no familiar tingle whatsoever. My twin broke into more tears as she looked into my eyes and shook her head in defeat.
“Oh God, I never thought I would have to make this choice! I know it has to be done, but I’m scared Alex!”
“It’ll be fine, sis. Remember how it felt with the other Alex.”
“But now I’m the ‘other’ Alex, Empress!” Tears ran freely from her eyes as they continued to plead into mine.
I glanced back to where I had left Chief Jones. “Do you see now how one small, seemingly benign choice can do immeasurable harm, Demetrius? By making the decision to share our technology with the world, you caused the balance of power that holds Earth’s governments in precarious check to dissolve! The United States has become no better than Rome or…or Nazi Germany!” I took my position at the podium.
“My sisters and brothers, I’m truly sorry that this divergence from the original timeline has taken place! Demetrius Jones is lucky in that he has witnessed, first hand, the result of an ill thought out decision. He now finds himself in a unique position- return prior to the dimensional tangent and not heed what he has seen here, or return prior to the tangent and disintegrate this reality by keeping the secrets of Reilly from the outside world.” I paused as I looked at Chief Jones.
Every eye in the audience had now centered to him, awaiting his answer.
“My sisters and brothers, in keeping with my gift, I already know what Mr. Jones has decided, but in order to avoid dimensional backlash…” I glanced sadly over to Alex Covington. “I need everyone here to understand and agree to what will happen once Demetrius and I return to our Reilly. The last time a dimensional split happened, I almost killed myself!”
I waited for the murmurs from the crowd to subside. “Let me rephase my last statement. My dimensional twin almost killed me! Once the timeline was corrected, she watched in horror as everyone around her- everyone she loved…cared about- vanished as the two timelines realigned and merged together. Her fear of dying and the unknown drove her to exert massive amounts of energy to hold the last vestiges of her reality together. The strain drove her mad! She blamed the Empress for destroying everything she knew and held dear. Her madness driven plan for revenge almost destroyed two universes! I wish not to repeat that! So, with everyone in agreement, this realm will merge painlessly back into the original timeline. I must stress that everyone…everyone here must agree not to resist what must happen! Regretfully, that is the only way to change this future and bring back our lost loved ones. I’m…I’m sorry.” I looked down at the desktop in sorrow.
Alex Covington gently tapped my shoulder and I yielded the stand to her.
“My friends, it is with a heavy heart that I choose not to resist and merge back into the Empress’s time stream. Can I see a show of solidarity for by standing, or against by remaining seated?”
Not only did everyone stand, but also applause filled the small auditorium!
It was very humbling to look out at all those willing to make the ultimate sacrifice…to give their lives in order to set things straight once more…to cease to exist!
I gave my twin a tight embrace, looked at her for one last time, and placed a kiss on her forehead before turning to walk back to Chief Jones.
“It’s time to go, Demetrius.” I said sadly.
As I said that, the process began. A gentle low vibration filled the room. This dimension had started to destabilize and dissolve.
“What the hell is that, Captain?”
“That…that is the sound of over nine billion souls being erased- never given the chance of making the selfless choice like those around us have, Chief. It is the sound of an entire dimension dying- devouring itself! A dimension that you created single-handedly is coming to its end. By simply deciding to change a choice you made six month ago in this reality, you have succeeded in negating it! Once the choice was made, there was no longer any place for it in the flow of the original time stream; therefore it will cease to exist very shortly. We must leave before that happens. Take my hand, Mr. Jones.”
I turned to the subtly panicking crowd.
“Y’all will forever be in my heart!” I placed my free hand over my heart and looked at this Alex Covington one last time. “Alex, we will return to being one shortly, my dear Empress!”
I phased us out and a familiar hallway surrounded us.
Directly ahead of us, Demetrius and I had just joined hands.
“Yo, Jonesy!” Demetrius exclaimed before the earlier ‘we’ disappeared.
“What just happened, ma’am?”
“I brought us back a few seconds before we left, chief.”
“Why would you do that? Doesn’t that cause some kind of crazy paradox thing? Are we going to explode or something?”
“I brought us back a few seconds earlier to prove to you that our trip actually happened, Demetrius- and no, we aren’t going to explode. There have been as many as four separate instances of me- not Alex Reilly; not my granddaughter Alexandra- just me- in the same place at the same exact time and the world is still here.”
“What happened to everyone there, ma’am? Did they really just disappear when we left?”
“As far as I know, they have been reabsorbed into this timeline, chief. Since what we witnessed hasn’t happened yet, I can only assume that those souls are still intact here.”
“Mom!” Cassie cried from the other end of the hall as she saw us. She broke into a run and quickly wrapped her arms around me when she reached us.
“Mom, I just had a very disturbing premonition! In it, I saw myself die!” She glanced back at Chief Jones a second. “Demetrius, you were in it too! Mom, Corrine, Jules, and three of my stepsisters were in some control room somewhere. It looked to be military. We came under friendly fire! I…I felt the bullets hit me. The burning…it was so intense!” She described the vision as she squeezed me tighter and her crying doubled.
“It’s okay, honey.” I whispered as I gently rubbed her back. “Demetrius and I have taken care of it. Those events won’t happen now…” I glanced back to Chief Jones. “Will they, chief?”
“No, ma’am! As a matter of fact, I was seriously thinking about that bottle of single malt scotch now!”
Cassie raised her head from my shoulder and looked at him. “Demi, we’re not ready for your arrival yet. Several more things must come to pass before you experience your Mahanilui, I’m afraid.” Cassie quietly told him through her tears.
“But, I thought…”
“The Mahanilui is not meant as a form of escape, chief! You must be willing to make the transition and all the changes that come with it- physically, mentally, and socially! I’m afraid you have a few more years before all the conditions are met.” My daughter continued.
“Oh, Cassie…” It was my turn to squeeze her tighter. “I’m so proud of you, honey! Finally, after all the hints I’ve given- the years I’ve waited patiently- you have fully realized your gift!”
“But I didn’t do anything special, mom. What are you talking about?”
“You used your gift to help someone else improve their life instead of your own! By giving Chief Jones here more clues to his future and especially by talking him out of another ill contemplated decision, you have not only given up your ‘BFF’ shopping buddy, but you’ve given the man a chance to experience more of ‘his’ life and not become a depressed, self-loathing Demi De Johnes. One, I might add, who would make several unsuccessful attempts to dispatch herself!”
“I did that, mom?”
“You did, Cassandra. Look for yourself.”
Cassie closed her eyes for a moment. “Ya…wow. So…could you, like, tell me how I did that without, like, thinking about it?”
“That’s the secret, honey! It’s second nature! Get it?”
“Um…maybe?”
I released Cassie and looked to the ceiling. “Are all my kids this oblivious?”
“No mom, just your oldest!” Samantha giggled as she and Alexis walked toward us.
“You know she just acts that way when you’re around, Empress- for the attention!” Both girls laughed.
“Demetrius, don’t you have something to give back to the Empress?” Samantha glared into his eyes as she extended her hand- palm up.
Chief Jones produced a small, paper-thin, black square from his pocket and placed it in Sam’s waiting hand.
I felt a shiver run through my body and noticed my three girls shudder slightly themselves.
His last act- that of returning the reactor plans- finished repairing the original dimensional split.
“Welcome home Empress.” I thought to myself.
“Was that what I thought it was, mom?” Cassie asked- her sisters nodded in consensus.
“What… like a recent tangential dimension returning to where it was originally spawned? Yes, everything is back the way it should be. Thank you, Mr. Jones.”
“But I…”
“Exactly, chief! By returning the memory card with the plans stored on it, you- a mere mortal,” I laughed, “Sealed a dimensional rupture with a single gesture! What millions of people: politicians, generals, khans, Czars, even common folk wouldn’t give to be able to do that!”
“It seemed so easy though! Once I knew where I made my mistake…once you showed me my mistake, I just made my decision to return what wasn’t mine to give.”
“And now you see the true power of the Empress, Mr. Jones!” Alexis replied. “She uses her gift to allow the rest of us to right our mistakes! I take it you saw the results of your mistake first hand? May I ask your impression of the altered future, Mr. Jones?”
“I…I didn’t know one small decision would mushroom into such a large debacle! Everyone here made such a huge decision to sacrifice his or her entire existence! To just decide to disappear into the unknown like that. I could never be that selfless!”
Demetrius Jones looked to the floor.
“I…I…I’m…I’m truly sorry for having put you through the distress of knowing your future self would…” He wiped some wetness from around his eyes.
“I haven’t lost her, Demetrius! Admiral Covington will always be here.” I pointed first to my head then to my heart. “But foremost she is always here- as are all my children- born or unborn! Chief, we all must endure pain if we are to learn the important lessons- those necessary for keeping friends and family together! As long as you put to memory the lessons learned today, the grief we experienced served a greater purpose. All I ask is that you reflect on all those who made the ultimate sacrifice before making, what you consider a small decision.”
“How can I do that, ma’am? I don’t have any special gifts like you do…um…not yet anyway.”
“You have three of the most precious gifts in the known universes, Demetrius- reason, a conscience, and the option to use them! Always remember that, hun! Now, let’s go see something really amazing! Everybody take my hands, please!”
The pleasantly lit hallway became the brightly sundrenched beach near Kili’s dock.
Once sure that we wouldn’t rephase into anyone, I phased us back in and told everyone it was safe to release our hands.
“Chief, if you insist on making a point of popping your eyeballs out every time I transport us, I may have you committed to the Infirmary for a few months! That condition is not normal!”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’m still having a hard time believing what I’m seeing here!”
“Then turn around, Mr. Jones and watch a true marvel!” I pointed to the dock.
The Detroit’s entire crew had gathered at the shoreline to witness my mind warriors have some fun.
I motioned for Demetrius and my daughters to move closer. We stopped next to Alex Reilly and Alex Covington.
“You got here just in time, sis!” My future twin greeted.
“I had a few things to attend to, but you knew that, didn’t you, Alex?”
Instead of answering, she took my hand. The familiar tingle said it all.
“Our unintentional saboteur has been set upon the correct path?” She asked quietly a few seconds later. Her eyes glistened in the sun.
“All has been set on course again, Empress!” I replied.
Alex Reilly took my other hand. Again, I welcomed the slight tingle.
My Granddaughter suddenly appeared on the rounded foredeck of Detroit.
“Ladies and Gentlemen of USS Detroit!” She shouted in decree. “On behalf of everyone here on Kili Island we hope you have enjoyed your stay with us. Aside from the mandatory water segregation, any comments on how we could have improved your visit should be addressed to your Captain or Ex-O. Before we commence our final demonstration, I would ask that what you have witnessed here the last few days remain here!” Young Alexandra seemed to stare directly at Chief Jones!
“The good deeds, volunteerism, and humanitarianism that define our society must continue to be withheld from the people of this world for if discovered, would likely be abused! As I speak with y’all, Reilly’s delicate and extremely sensitive equipment is scanning for any misappropriated information.” Young Alexandra paused a minute with a devious smile.
“As sensitive as our equipment is, it is still possible for some information to ‘migrate’. Y’all have been witness to the diverse gifts our society has been blessed with. It is our hope that the hospitality and kinship shown to the crew of Detroit will be rewarded in kind with trustworthiness and honor.” My Granddaughter scanned the crowd a moment.
“And now, without further ado, our final demonstration of the gifts of Kili Island!” Alexandra again smiled devilishly and disappeared from the massive foredeck.
A distinct murmur arose from those gathered.
“How did I do Grandmother Empress?” She asked reappearing before Alex and I.
“Well done, Empress! It’s my turn now!” I congratulated before phasing out.
Making my way to a convenient clearing in the crowd, I rephased.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the Detroit! I present to you the Family Darough! Mother and daughter of like gifts that are here to do what was thought impossible only six days ago! I give you Camille and her daughter Cassiopeia!” I announced as I presented the two.
“I always liked the circus. “ I heard Alex Covington say from the crowd.
“Ladies, when y’all are ready.” I said motioning gracefully to them.
Cami and Cassi joined hands and began to concentrate. At the end of the dock, Detroit began to shudder and rolled from its slight list to port.
Applause erupted from the crowd and I waved my hands to quiet them.
As the noise died down, a series of metallic creaks and groans emanated from the huge boat and slowly the massive pressure hull rose from the water!
Not a sound could be heard on shore. Everyone assigned to the modern submarine held their breath as light appeared between the keel and the small waves on the ocean’s surface.
Slowly the behemoth moved away from us, leaving shallow water behind. Several hundred yards off shore the flat black hull of USS Detroit slowly settled back into the ocean waves.
Cami and Cassi released each other’s hand.
“Wasn’t that amazing, folks?” I shouted and started to clap.
Applause and whistles rang out across the beach!
“Captain Reynolds?” I called from where I stood next to Cassi and Cami.
Reilly appeared a few feet away from me with Vernon Reynolds holding one hand and Julia Masterson holding the other.
“Well done, ladies!” He congratulated the Daroughs.
“Cami that was a wonderful demonstration! I’m sure even the most stubborn skeptics were impressed- maybe even a little intimidated too!” Julia embraced the senior mind warrior. “Cassi, you’ve developed your gift splendidly and I look forward to working with you again sometime, sister!” She also gave her a tight hug along with a kiss on the cheek.
“Alex, I don’t know which one of you is the bigger show-off- you or your present self!” Vernon embraced me. “Thanks for putting my boat back in the water, Empress!” He whispered to me.
“Thank those two, Vernon! They did all the heavy lifting!” We both laughed at my little play on words.
“You, um…you think ol’ Jonesy learned his lesson, Alex?” He asked quietly.
“Time will tell, Vern. Time will tell.”
Alex Covington, Alex Reilly, and Alexandra joined us.
“Sis, you ready to proceed?” Alex Covington asked.
“Admiral?” Vern looked confused.
“Vern, we need to get your people back onboard, right? Gather your Con staff and I’ll provide transport.” She smiled.
“While you’re doing that, sis, Alexandra, Alex Reilly, and I will relay the rest of the crew to the aft deck.”
“Empress?”
I turned to see Random, Randi, and Isabeau walking toward us. Brandi Van Pelt hurried to catch up behind them.
“Will you three wait up? I told you I was almost finished!
“Sis, I told you it wasn’t necessary to come along! It’ll be a while til you can sync up to the Westinghouse systems!”
“Exactly the reason I have to be here, sis! After today I won’t have anything to talk to for what, twenty years?”
“Hey! What are we, palm trees?” I glared at my communications chief, hurt that her fellow crew didn’t count as intelligent conversation.
“Sorry, Cap, but I feel lonely when I’m not plugged into a system! Somehow human conversation seems so slow to me.”
I raised an eyebrow to her statement.
“Brandi, I’ll see what I can scrape together to keep you company before you go back to the base, sis!”
“Would you do that?”
“Of course, sis!”
“Ladies, you wanted my attention for something?” I reminded my four comptrollers.
“Empress, I’m sure you already know that we need to be in contact with the reactor control system to start it.” Randi was correct in her assumption that I knew what had to happen.
I nodded in response.
“Alex, can I come along too?” A small voice said into my left ear.
“Mr. Jones, Peonie would like to accompany us to your boat. Would you have a problem with that, hun?”
“Just as long as she doesn’t bring any gremlins onboard, ma’am!”
“I don’t get it, Alex! I don’t know any Gremlins. Are they from one of the planets you’ve recently visited?” Peonie questioned.
I rolled my eyes. “No, hun, Demetrius was just trying to be funny! Go on over to him, honey.”
In a flash the Pixie landed on her beau.
“You realize that still creeps me out a little, right?” Chief Jones said quietly so as not to hurt the pixie’s ears.
“Alex, we’re all here and ready for transport.” Vernon caught my attention.
“Very well, Capt. Reynolds. Everyone, in case you’ve never experienced this before, the trip is painless as well as instantaneous. I’d like y’all to form a single file line and join hands with the person ahead and behind you. Do not release your hands until I tell you it’s okay to do so. Everyone is to move accordingly until standing in an open area away from any equipment or bulkheads. I’ll check with each of you before we rephase back into this reality. Understood?”
“Ma’am, are you sure this won’t hurt?” A small voice asked from behind Julia Masterson.
“Peyton, I’ve done this many times and I can assure you the Empress speaks the truth! You won’t even realize it happened, but if it would make you feel better, take my hand, Ensign.” Julia offered.
“Thank you ma’am!” The young woman looked relieved.
“Ensign, could you step over here, honey?” I asked after my old friend- the original version of my gift- signaled something wasn’t right here. I quickly received my answer just as the ensign arrived in front of me.
“Honey, what’s your name?” I asked gently with a smile.
“Peyton Tribesch, ma’am. Ensign Peyton Tribesch.” The small brunette looked at me quizzically.
“Of course it is, hun.” I continued to smile at her.
“Alex? What’s going on?” Vernon Reynolds asked. “Ensign Tribesch has been with us for two years now.”
“Capt. Reynolds, would you mind terribly if I borrow the Ensign for a second? I mean her no harm.”
“If you deem it necessary, Empress.”
“Peyton, take my hand, hun, I have something to show you…something wonderful!” I let my smile turn slightly devilish.
Ensign Tribesch looked back to her commanding officer with pleading eyes.
“Peyton, you have nothing to fear from the Empress- of that I am very certain! Just take her hand and enjoy.” Vernon Reynolds coaxed with a disarming smile.
I felt a warm, sweat dampened hand take mine.
“Honey, I’m not going to bite, so relax. Now, I’m going to phase us out of this reality just enough to make us disappear to the others, ready?”
She nodded.
“Here we go.”
I phased us out…
The bright, sunny beach of Kili became the dark, quiet, single yellow sun lit realm of my private domain.
“Where are we, ma’am?”
“Why are you here?” I said getting straight to the point.
“Ma’am?” The ensign’s voice became frightened.
“Why…are you…here?” I repeated slowly.
“I don’t understand! Why am I where?”
Before going any farther, I activated the HUD in my uniform and chose the correct language.
“I know who you really are, Peyton! Now, why are you here? I don’t want to hurt you or expose you! I just want to know why you are here in 2028!” I said to her in a very old form of Terran- the same dialect that Anna Beth spoke.
We stared at each other in silence for some time before I thought about calling someone who would loosen her tongue. Before doing that though, I decided to try one last time.
“Peyton…or should I call you by your given name, Persephone? Maybe I should go farther back and call you Proserpina? How’s mom by the way? Is she still hanging out with Janelle?”
Ensign Tribesch dawned an evil sneer. “You are indeed as wise and all knowing as the stories relate, Empress! Can we continue to speak in English? I find it much easier to communicate as opposed to my native language.”
“Fine.” I turned off my translator. “So, back to my original question, Peyton, why are you here?”
“Empress, if you know who I am then you should already know why I am here, right?” Her smile turned pleasant.
“Indeed, but I wanted to hear it from you, so spill it.” I smiled back as I motioned for her to continue.
“What that woman, Hathor, did was wrong, Empress! I took it upon myself to sabotage her plan to destroy you…I mean Alex Reilly, sorry. When your granddaughter arrived in our beleaguered city and I witnessed the shear devious skill with which she played her, I vowed to stop her tyranny and free my people of her! I had no idea as to your friends’ effectiveness in her defeat and capture when I concealed myself during transit.”
“So you stowed away when Alexandra brought Janelle and her attack group here?”
“Yes, ma’am. I was determined to be her undoing, going as far as warning the pixie of the mind mage.”
“Why didn’t Yuuka inform me about you, hun?”
“I have the talent to ‘suggest’, ma’am.” She looked down sheepishly.
I brought her chin back up with a gentle hand. “Never be ashamed of your gift, hun. Just use it for good, not evil.”
“There is a fine line between either, ma’am. What I have done was bad, but it was for the good of our people. I do feel just as responsible for what has happened here- especially for having to write myself into everyone’s memories, Empress. I am truly sorry and will assume any punishment deserved.” Her head lowered as she apologized.
“How old are you, Peyton- twenty-three; twenty-four; twenty-five?” I inquired using my most sincere smile.
“I have seen ninety-eight full seasons, Empress, but again, why ask?”
“Of those ninety or so years, how many have you endured under Janelle’s hand?” I continued without answering her question.
“The evil witch arrived shortly after my fortieth season, Empress…”
“So I should be the one responsible for all this, Peyton! I was the reason she became part of your life in the first place. I was negligent in my foresight for not seeing the disruption she caused to your time period. I…Peyton…am deeply sorry for dropping her into your home. I ask for your forgiveness, m’lady.” I bowed to her.
“Empress, you should bow to no one! A deity such as you should never apologize for anything!”
“Stop it! Stop it right now!” I put up my hand.
Did the sun of this domain just blink?
“I am no more a deity than Janelle Hathor and I resent the implication that I should be worshiped!”
“But you alone have the power to change history and the future, Empress! What commoner, what mortal has that kind of power, ma’am?”
“Honey, like I just got done telling someone else, we all have the power to change the future! The past…well, y’all may need my help for that, but you do have the power to change the future as I’ve said. Never forget that fact, hun.”
“How could I have the power to change any of my future?”
“I’m going to let you think that one out for yourself, Peyton. You have changed your future and I had a very small role in that, so honestly, you have done it already.” I gave her another devious smile.
My companion looked at me for a few minutes then looked to my right, at the dim yellow sun, for another few minutes as she contemplated my words.
“I did.” She said quietly a couple of times to herself. “I really did change our destiny!”
“Be careful with that word, hun! Destiny is a spiteful seductress! Many men and women have lost their lives because of a so-called date with destiny! It’s better to consider what you have done as ‘changing things for the better’ and let ‘Miss Destiny’ have the night off!” I giggled.
“I’ll remember that, ma’am.”
“See that you do, hun!”
“Empress, what is to happen to me now? I can only surmise I will not be rejoining the Detroit’s crew.”
“Why say that, Ensign?”
“By now my suggestions have worn away and I will not be remembered as Ensign Tribesch.” She sighed. “Though I do wish I could remain in their company. I felt comfortable around them…to be accepted as part of their family…”
“You do know that at least one member of Detroit knew about you?”
“What? Who?”
I waggled my finger at her. ”No. No. No. Not going to learn that from me, kid. Not today.” I giggled. “It’s time to go back home, Ensign Peyton Tribesch! Take my hand, please.”
Our surroundings changed and filled with familiar people.
“So, that’s all there is to it, Ensign!” I spoke as if continuing some demonstration.
The girl just looked at me in confusion.
“So, what do you think of the Empress’s mode of travel, Ensign?” Vernon asked with no change of expression or question as to who this woman was.
“I…I…I didn’t realize we had gone anywhere until the scenery changed!” Peyton looked at me, totally amazed.
“I told you I wouldn’t harm you in any way, Ensign.” I laughed at her expression- only for a different reason that only the two of us knew.
Alex Covington popped in next to me. “Hey, are Alex and I going to be doing all the work around here, Alex?” She winked at the still confused Peyton.
“Has Randi made the necessary changes, sis?” I asked out of the blue.
“Three years ago. Just like I planned.” Alex smiled at our Miss Tribesch. “When you’ve had enough of the military, just have Vern or Jules contact me. I’m sure your Ma will be happy to see you again, hun! I know for a fact that she and your Pa are very proud of you and all you’ve done for everyone.”
A very broken up woman wrapped her arms around me.
“Thank you so much! I love you, Empress!” She exclaimed through a faucet of tears.
“Thank you, Peyton Tribesch!” I replied.
“Hey, am I going to have to do all the work around here?” Alex Reilly exclaimed from behind us. “Oh, this is that sensitive moment I saw a couple nights ago right?”
Alex felt down her body with both hands as if making sure everything was still in place. “I guess everything is settled then, Alex?”
“It wouldn’t have affected you anyway, Alexandra Reilly!” I laughed.
“Well there was that one scenario.”
“Santorini will still happen! You still have a lot to do there.”
“Don’t remind me!” She rolled her eyes. “Let’s not forget about Yellowstone! I’ve been back four times and still haven’t saved my quota! Are you sure all of them need to be evacuated- I mean, two thousand people?”
“Gotta get ‘em all, Alex!” My twin giggled like it was some kind of reference to a joke.
“You three should really stop the Reilly speak, Alex, you’re scaring the poor girl!” Vern chimed in. I had completely forgotten about Peyton still standing next to me!
“I’m sorry about that, hun. That sometimes happens when we talk shop.” Alex gave her a warm smile as she apologized.
“It’s alright, Empress, I’ve had to deal with my own personal…demons…for some time now. It would be nice if I had sisters that I could share my innermost thoughts and experiences with!”
The three of us started laughing as she spoke the unsolicited wish.
“I’m serious!” Her expression changed abruptly.
“Honey, we don’t mean to laugh because you said something funny, it’s because of how ironic what you said actually is!” I explained for my sisters. When I saw no evidence that she understood what I meant, I quickly covered. “You’ll see what we meant when you go home on leave, hun! Let’s get everyone onboard, shall we?” I looked to my group- the last yet to board the Detroit.
“Capt. Reynolds, I’m sorry to have delayed Detroit’s officer’s from boarding. Everyone please join hands.”
Instantly we were in Detroit’s control room. No one blinked an eye except Peyton, who looked around in amazement. I looked around to see if everyone in the group was clear of any equipment or bulkhead. Satisfied we were all clear, I released the hand on either side of me. Randi and Brandi quickly headed aft along with Timothy Penne- Abigail’s second oldest. I was secretly glad Abby hadn’t come along- she was still skittish about her new ‘condition’. Meeting her second of four children might…well…it would have sent her to the loony bin for sure!
“Alex, I’m sure it was something that couldn’t wait! I, for one, am still mesmerized every time I’m witness to your departures and arrivals! Hopefully in a few years I can retire and we can share in a few adventures before we have to reinvent ourselves again. I’m sure Julia will happily second that.” He looked to his Ex-O who nodded her agreement with a smile.
“Um…I think I could scrape together a few instances where both your gifts would come in handy!” I couldn’t help but giggle. I nodded to Ensign Tribesch. “Take good care of her, Vernon, I promised her parents I’d get her home safe- and that her adopted family on Detroit would look after her in the mean time!”
“Aye, skipper!” Vernon straightened respectfully. Everyone in the control room joined him at attention.
“You do realize I’m Alex from 1944, right?” I raised an eyebrow as I reminded him.
“We’re not honoring Capt. Alexandra Steinert, ma’am, we’re honoring Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space! And there is no higher rank in the known universes, ma’am!”
I felt my eyes start to tear up so I changed the subject quickly.
“Peonie? I’m ready to leave, hun!” I called out in a slightly louder voice.
“Ma’am, is it okay if she stay a while longer?” Demetrius raised his hand as he asked.
“Chief, this isn’t elementary school. You don’t need to raise your hand to get my attention. But this also isn’t the ‘Love Boat’.” I winked with a smile and fought a giggle.
“Sorry, ma’am, I just thought it proper.” Demetrius suddenly looked around us, alarmed that his tiny girlfriend was no longer on his shoulder.
“Peonie, sweetheart, you’re doing it again!” I said in a singsong voice.
“The Empress is right, honey.” Vernon called out likewise. “On my boat, Pixies are to remain full sized! We don’t want to scare the rest of the crew now, do we?”
Having the gift of foresight can be advantageous to keeping one’s sanity around pixies…or any so called ‘mythical beings’ for that matter! My gift told me that she would be directly behind me when she returned to full size.
“Spoofing the Empress would not be the wisest undertaking, young lady! I might just take your hand and ‘poof’…!” I warned as she stopped growing behind me. I saw Vernon’s officers’ eyes widen as I aptly predicted her presence.
“Sometimes you can be such a buzz-kill, Alex!” Peonie’s voice protested behind me. Walking around to join Demetrius, she made another assumption- this one correct. “So…what is to be my rank this time, Empress? Ensign?” her clothing changed to match that rank. “Lieutenant?” Just her rank changed this time. “Or Commander?” Again her rank changed as she smiled.
“Capt. Reynolds, I’ll allow you the pleasure, sir!” I smiled in devilish satisfaction.
“This time, my dear,” He nodded to someone by the aft compartment door, “you are to play the part of the perky embedded journalist!” Vernon laughed as her uniform merged and remade itself into a rather attractive looking gray-pinstriped, women’s business suit with a white low-cut blouse and camisole, a matching, slightly above the knee gray skirt, and gray closed-toe, three inch heels.
Again everyone in the compartment seemed amazed by the transformation.
Demtrius looked at the new reporter, raised an eyebrow and smiled his approval.
Julia Masterson shook her head as she regarded the Pixie-turned-reporter- shaking her head slightly in disapproval. Reaching her hand up to cover Peonie’s face, she held it there for a moment. Julia’s smile blossomed as she removed her hand from the now, much prettier young woman. She had applied some modest makeup.
Demetrius’ face contorted as he looked on. Both eyes squinted slightly and he pursed his lips together as if sucking air through a straw- an expression that blatantly said this girl is the cat’s meow!
“I want you to pick one of the crew and write an expose on working conditions aboard a U.S. Submarine for the twentieth anniversary of the Navy’s decision to allow women to serve aboard them. I’ll want that submitted to me on my next visit to Ni’ihau, Hun! Vernon, I believe you still have six months left on this cruise?”
“Right as usual, Alex!”
“But what will mom say! She’ll want me back home with her, Alex!”
“Mom already knows about it and approves.” Sasha- present day Sasha- said appearing in the forward hatch. “Who do you think came up with the plan, my little pixie-poo?”
Demetrius looked at the cub reporter and mouthed, ‘Pixie-poo’?
“Mom, I wish you would stop that! I’m not a little girl anymore!”
“You’re right, sweetie, you’re a budding correspondent now! Time to go out into the world and experience it for yourself!”
Detroit’s main lighting came to full brightness and all her systems came online systematically.
“Con, Reactor Control!” The intercom erupted.
“Reactor Control, Reynolds, go.” Vernon responded.
“Skipper, the reactor is online and ready to go!”
“What, with no warmup?” Captain Reynolds sounded only somewhat surprised.
“Don’t ask, Skipper, I can only speculate!” The voice responded. It was evident he couldn’t believe what he witnessed himself.
“Very well, start the pre-launch checklist. Reynolds out.”
The Van Pelt twins arrived in the Con. Vernon squinted at the two smiling women.
“Thank you very much ladies! I’d have thought you wouldn’t know that much about heavy water reactors, Brandi!”
“You’re A.I. told me everything I had to know, Captain!” She seemed to blush slightly.
“Our A.I. told you everything, Miss Van Pelt? He looked concerned.
“Welllllll…I did have to show it who was boss!” I watched as my Randi stifled a giggle with her hand.
“You didn’t break Captain Reynolds toy now did you, Brandi?” I giggled myself.
“You might want to padlock that back door better, Vern!” Present day Randi laughed. “It would seem that the old ways are still the most effective at getting results!”
“But how did the reactor heat up so quickly?” Julia questioned them further.
‘That would be my doing!’ Jack answered in my…in our heads. ‘It was like rubbing two sticks together. Josie gave me the idea last year in Arizona.’
“I might have guessed.” Vernon mumbled as he rubbed his head.
‘You’re very welcome, Vern. It was the least I could do. Pleasant journeys to you, Captain! Commander!’
‘Jack, tell everyone we make for home 0800hr sharp.’ I informed her in thought.
‘Aye, Cap, 0800hrs sharp.’ She repeated, confirming my order.
“Well, Vernon, I guess we had better be going. I know you have a lot to do before you shove off.” I tried not to make it sound so sad.
“Before you go, Alex, I want to show you something in my quarters…if you don’t mind, of course.”
I motioned that I would follow him. Reaching his door, he motioned me in and closed the door behind him.
“Alex, how much longer do I have to pretend I know that woman?” He whispered.
“Who, Vernon?” I tried hard not to show my cards.
“Come on, Alex! You know full well of whom I mean!”
I smiled. “She is officially part of your crew, hun- for three years now!”
“Excuse me?”
“Your Alex had Randi enter her dossier into the Navy’s computer system three years ago! Full history and background, complete with a social! Peyton is a member of your crew, Vernon.”
“Why would you do this to me, Empress?”
I thought for a moment. Why would I do this to him?
“Peyton is a very special girl, Vern. She is the product of a union between a Terran and a man from Egypt!”
“Okay, but I thought those from Reilly that appeared in Egypt were bad.”
“Peyton’s ma just ended up on the wrong side, hun, and who said anything about Reilly?”
“I just assumed… Wouldn’t Alexandra have seen that woman’s ruse?”
“Not necessarily! My granddaughter, Alexandra, was too young to realize her limits when she provided temporal transport. I suspect that even now she underutilizes her gift…our gift!”
“You mean to tell me that this Janelle character has a heart? I thought she was the first antichrist!”
“Someone has to be the bad guy, hun! Janelle does have some good points about her though.” I held my finger and thumb close together- almost touching- to indicate how many. “For now, Peyton is to be treated as Ensign Tribesch. When we talked a little while ago, she told me how she stowed away during Alexandra’s transport in order to thwart Janelle’s evil plan. She hoped Hathor’s defeat would remove the hold on her ma and pa.”
“How did she react when you told her?”
“I haven’t told her a thing- not yet! The surprise will wait for her return to Memphis. Alex will meet you at Pearl when you dock and return her the following day. Until then…” I held my finger to my mouth.
“Aye aye, Empress! Mum’s the word!” He smiled.
“The Van Pelt twins are waiting for me so I better get going. It’s been good to see you, hun…um…even though I haven’t met you officially yet.” I shook off the slight confusion that statement conjured.
“Alex?” He asked quietly.
“Ya, Capt. Reynolds?”
Vernon Reynolds wrapped his arms around me and attempted to squeeze the life out of me. “Take care, Alex, It’s always a pleasure to serve with you, ma’am!”
“Hey! I’ll see y’all again. You can count on it, hun!” I said as I squeezed back, hoping he would ease up so I could breathe.
“Tell Admiral Demmit he made quite the impression on the crew! I’ll miss him terribly.”
“You haven’t seen the last of him, hun! The old man will make several special appearances in the coming years- trust me!”
“Explicitely, Empress!”
I smiled as my eyes began to fog.
“I better get going.” I said as I quickly wiped my eyes, squeezed past him, and hurried back to the Con.
“All ashore that’s a’goin’ ashore!” I offered as I held out my hands.
There appears to be a stow-away within USS Detroit’s crew. After returning Sand Dollar to 1944, Alex mysteriously collapses. Finding herself back in 1942 and in someone else’s body, can she maintain the timeline as she remembers it or will things spiral into nightmare? Can Alex find a way to save one of her beloved sisters?
Onward Episode 2 “Danger, developments, and confusion”
1820hrs, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, May 19th, 2028
Alex was waiting for my return from Detroit.
“So, does Vern still know about Peyton, sis?”
“Was there ever any doubt?” I answered with a wry smile on my face.
“Well…ya! Everytime you change our future I have to wonder if we’re going to sync up the next time we touch.” She said defensively.
“You know you could always go back to the moment. Why does it seem that I’m the only one of us that sees that?”
“I’m not sure, sis! I’m still puzzling over that one.” Alex paused for a minute. “Maybe you’re the ‘baseline’ Empress- the reference point if there is such a thing.”
“You tell me, sis. You’ve had what, eighty-four or so years to ponder that?”
There was a long pause in our conversation. My future self looked down as she started to answer.
“Alex, we aren’t going to touch until the next time we meet. We’ve seen that. And before you try to change that fact, I suggest you check our gift. It needs to be that way, we…we are not to touch one another!” My twin’s face took on a very dismal look as she looked back up. My gift only confirmed her statement- nothing more could be seen though as to any basis.
Now I was the one that began to worry- especially when the finicky airlock began moaning and groaning as I tried entering the station. Its alarm produced a very sluggish and feeble growl as I walked through. Despite all the noise, the monitors displayed nothing but a message stating that calibration was needed. One of these days I hoped Ricky Lynn could get to that.
0715hrs, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, May 20th, 2028
Admiral Demmit completed his thorough, but unnecessary inspection of Reilly just before 0700hrs. Alex Covington’s crew escorted the old man to the dock and we all said our goodbyes.
Mina had remained dockside having finally convinced her four daughters of her safety and the crucial mission back on Kili Island, BC. She was scheduled to depart with Alex Reilly later today. Mia, Kayla, Lailu, and Nina were already brooding at they’re stations.
My future twin and Alex Reilly were noticeably absent- as were our daughters.
It pained me to leave without saying goodbye to my future family. What hurt more was the news that Alexis, Alexandra, Tibius, and the rest of the Terran delegation had departed not long after I had returned from the Detroit last evening. Alex Covington had conveyed they’re goodbyes and well wishes to me post-departure.
Yet, that wasn’t why I hardly slept last night.
I was still perplexed by my failure to foresee the cause and need for my physical isolation this morning.
“Captain, are we going to get the Sand Dollar back into the war any time soon?” Admiral Demmit’s gravelly voice brought my attention back to our departure procedures.
“I thought you would like to do the honors, Admiral. You are the ranking officer onboard Sand Dollar.” I said as I tried not to meet his eyes.
“I appreciate the offer Alex, but as experienced as I am, I still can’t get us home from here! You might as well do your job, Empress!”
Why couldn’t I see the reason?
“Alex?”
“What? Oh…right. Jack, drop the moorings and take us out…slow astern.”
What was wrong with me? Except for my arrival in Reilly’s original universe, my gift had never let me down. Now it remained strangely quiet. Why?
“Um…Cap? Wouldn’t it be better if we stowed the gangplank first?” Jack nudged my shoulder gently to bring me back from my thoughts.
“Oh…oh… I thought you had done that already. By all means stow the gangplank, Commander.”
Jack cautiously stared at me for a few seconds before carrying out my…the orders.
“Aye, Cap. Stow the plank!” She shouted to the deck.
Minutes later we were under way and clear of the island’s shelf. I had again retreated into my internal tribunal to assess my conundrum.
Again Jack tapped me gently on the shoulder. “Cap, we’ve reached deep water and are awaiting your orders.”
“Oh…right…” I paused to actually think what to do next. Why was I so absorbed by this?
“Alex, are you okay? I’ve never seen you this distracted. Maybe if you talked about it, Cap?” Jack offered.
I looked at her and contemplated what or how much I should say.
“Captain Steinert?” Uncle Rick growled. “Alex, what’s wrong? I’ve never seen you act this way since that afternoon you appeared in my office after rescuing your brother! Should we head back to Kili and have Emily do some tests before we head back home?”
“No.” I said quietly still thinking only slightly about my job. “No, Admiral, I’ll be alright. Jack, call general quarters please.”
“Aye, Cap. General quarters, all hands to general quarters.”
A rough hand placed itself over mine as I held onto the bridge plating.
“Alex, I know something’s eating at you. What that something is may or may not be any of my concern, but the well being of this crew and boat deserves your full attention. I need you to concentrate on getting us back home…to 1944, okay?” Uncle Rick’s tone was gentle and kind. I looked up to meet his eyes. They showed deep concern- concern like a mother would show to her distraught child…loving concern…for me.
Gathering all the concentration I could, I made my announcement.
“All hands, this is the captain. At this time I would ask that everyone take hold of the pressure hull in some way and do not release that hold until I have given the okay to do so. All compartments please acknowledge when ready. Temporal transit will take place thereafter.” I said into the microphone.
“Aft torpedo, ready.”
“Maneuvering, ready.”
“Engine one and two, ready, Skipper!”
“Con…ready.”
“Foreward torpedo, ready!”
“Bridge, ready. Ladies, prepare for transit in three, two, one!”
A familiar island appeared ahead of us. I looked astern to make sure Kili hadn’t tagged along.
“Ladies you can secure from general quarters. Welcome to Ni’ihau, 1944!”
I felt a slight shift in my balance and a few stars suddenly appeared in my vision. Had it taken that much out of me?
“Jack, take us into the grotto, please, I’m going to my quarters. I think I might be coming down with something.”
More stars encompassed my field of vision.
“Better yet, have Emily meet me…”
Time: unknown, Location: unknown, Date: unknown
“So tell me, Kim, why this place again? I thought after last time, we had agreed to stay on base and hit the Officer’s Club for lunch?” A woman’s voice asked.
Where was I?
I looked around the small room with its chrome, reddish-brown, and beige veneer counter, at the large windowed wall facing the street, the matching chrome, reddish-brown, and beige veneer tables and chairs. It reminded me of someplace…someplace familiar!
“Kim? Kimberly Jenson? Honey, where are you?” The same voice asked.
I ignored the voice and continued my internal questioning. Where was this place? It looked like a small restaurant.
“Emily’s off in La-la land too, Chris! Any idea what’s going on?” Another woman’s voice asked.
If I had to guess, I’d say they’re dreaming about the two guys that just walked in.”
That’s it! This was the place! The place where Emily and I met! I realized I was now gazing at…at…me! Not me, Alexandra Steinert, but me Alexander Steinert! Lt. Cmdr. Alex Steinert!
Wait did that woman say Emily was here too?
“Fletcher’s even gotten into the act, Lieutenant. What gives?”
“I’m not sure, but I really don’t think they’re that appealing! Come on girls let’s concentrate on ordering!” The voice sounded agitated and insistent.
“Maybe we can all have what those three are having!” Yet another voice said with a giggle followed by two others giggling.
Was I really looking at myself? I noticed Steven Smith sitting across from me…the male me…at the table diagonal to where I was.
Everything seemed to fit what I remembered of that day.
This had to be June 8th, 1942!
I thought harder to remember the faces of everyone at Emily’s table that day. I couldn’t remember seeing anyone else’s face other than Emily’s though!
“Kim!”
A hand grasped my right hand roughly and started to pull it, as well as me, across the table. “Ensign Jenson, wake up! He’s out of your league, sweetie!”
“Huh?”
“Honey, he’s way out of your league! I don’t think Emily would have a chance with him even if she was available!”
“Emily?”
“Ya, hun. Emily maybe…you- not a chance!”
“Why am I here?” I asked in an unfamiliar voice.
“And they call me flighty! We’re here to get something to eat, Miss Dreamy!” The first voice replied.
“Alex?” I heard my sister ask.
“Here!” I answered. Her voice sounded like it was right next to me so I turned to it.
Emily Scott sat right beside me and as we looked at each other, a confused expression spread across her face.
I winked in acknowledgement.
Her expression shifted to ask the million-dollar question- ‘but how?’
My response was to slowly shake my head. I had no idea what was going on yet.
“I think I need the lavatory!” I announced as I looked at Emily, silently asking her to allow me exit from the booth we were in.
“I’ll join you, if you don’t mind?” Emily winked back at me.
“Girls, I think I’ll tag along too!” another unknown voice decreed.
I looked to that voice, but didn’t recognize the face.
One thing that did catch my attention was the fact that I was now a few inches shorter than my sister. My confusion doubled.
The woman’s lavatory in this establishment was typical of the small civilian owned eateries in the vicinity of the base- slightly bigger than a broom closet and not really well kept! The three of us barely fit with only enough room to allow the door to shut.
“I hope no one actually had to use the head!” I mumbled.
Emily didn’t waste any time. “Who are you two? I know who you’re supposed to be on this day, but I’m not sure why I’m here!”
“Well you’re looking at the wrong girl, Emily! I have no idea how or why I’m here! I don’t even sound like myself!” The unfamiliar girl exclaimed as she held herself from falling into the heavily stained porcelain throne.
“Let’s start by you telling me who you think you are, then!” Emily looked seriously at the woman.
“It’s me…Carroll! Who did you think it was?”
“Actually, you look a lot like Ensign Donna Fletcher!”
“Let me see!” The girl almost lost her battle with gravity as she tried to see her reflection in the hazy, cracked mirror above the disgusting sink.
Hang on a minute! Let’s get the introductions out of the way first! Is that you in there Alex?” Emily asked, staring directly into my eyes.
“Ya, its me sis, but I have no idea how…or why!” I lowered my head slightly.
“This is the day we met, right?”
“I believe that’s me sitting at the table across from you…us, yes.” I acknowledged quietly.
“But why here?”
“Honestly, sis, I don’t even remember how I got here! Last thing I remember was being on the bridge of Sand Dollar just after we returned to Ni’ihau! Maybe you can fill in the blanks?”
“I’ll try, but we don’t have much time! I assume I still have to agree to go out with you just before you place your order?”
“That’s how I remember it, sis. We should try not to change anything if we can help it.” I tried to sound confident, but found my mind still strangely quiet. My statement caused no reaction from my gift. Did I even have access to my gift in this body, I wondered?
“Alex? Alex, we’d better get back out there. The other girls are going to start wondering then the rumors will start flying!” Emily caught my attention again.
Since Emily was closest to the door, she left first and I followed. Carroll was the last one out- after checking herself out in the mirror.
“Great! They still have their blonde hair, but I’m a little, round-faced redhead now!” She hissed in annoyance, having finally seen her reflection.
We reseated ourselves at the table just as a waitress arrived and asked male Alex to place his order.
I quickly took the menu from the Ensign across the table from me and tried to hide myself behind it hoping history would repeat itself as it should. I already feared that just our being here had irrevocably changed things!
“Hi,” Said a voice that was so familiar yet now so foreign to me.
“Hi,” Replied Emily in a voice so pleasurable that it brought back the butterflies in my stomach again.
“I was…um…I was wondering if y’all have been here before? I…um…my submarine just tied up this morning for a two week leave and I was wonderin’ if you could recommend anything. Ma’am, I noticed that you haven’t ordered yet and thought I might buy your meal in exchange for your culinary advice. I’m Alex, by the way…Alex Steinert.”
God, did I really sound that nervous?
“Well, I’m really not what you would call a regular, but I’d go with the burger- pickles, onions, lettuce, and ketchup. You can’t go wrong with that, Cmdr. Steinert. Oh, I’m Emily- Emily Scott.”
“Thank you, Lt. Scott, but I prefer to be daring so I’m thinking ketchup and mustard instead. Care to join me at my table?”
“If your offer to pay doesn’t turn Dutch!”
Five women ow’ed and ah’ed as Emily looked back at us with daggers in her eyes.
So far, so good, I thought.
Emily and Alex ordered, just as I remembered. After the waitress shouted out their order to the kitchen, she approached the five of us still seated at the crowded booth.
“What’da ya want?” She asked rudely, as if annoyed by our presence.
“Chicken soup and a cup of tea.”
“Vegetable soup and soda.”
“I’ll split a tossed salad with Donna, separate sodas though.” The ensign across from Carroll ordered. ‘Donna’ tried to keep her mouth closed and just nodded.
“I guess you want us to cut that in two and serve each half on a separate plate too, right?” The older waitress asked sarcastically with a sneer.
“That’d be good, ma’am, thanks!” The unknown ensign replied with a forced smile.
“How ‘bout you…what’da ya want blondie?” The woman glared at me with all the hate and contempt she could muster.
I thought about it. This had all the earmarks of Brianna and I in St. Louis- of our treatment by that policeman at the train station.
“I’ll have the grilled cheese with lettuce, tomato, and a cup of coffee with two sugar cubes, please.” I said as pleasantly as I could.
I watched as she scribbled my order down with the others. When she was finished and as she turned away to the counter, I caught her.
“You know what miss, now that I think about it, I’m not that hungry anymore! I’ll have a fruit salad and a soda.”
I grinned as she scratched out my previous order in anger and wrote something else down.
Once she turned her back again I interrupted again.
“You know I’m really not in the mood for salad today. I’ll just have a coffee…black, please!”
“Anything else…miss?” She asked through gnashed teeth as she scratched off and rewrote my order again.
“Well…you could treat us-“
A less than gentle kick to my shin stopped me from finishing my real request.
“No…that’s all, thank you.” I finished, forcing a smile.
She hadn’t even waited for me to finish my sentence before walking away!
“Keep it up, Kim, and you’re going to get us kicked out of here. She’s just mad that they wouldn’t take someone her age. Let it go.”
“I’m tired of the attitude of some people! We should get the same respect the guys do!” I argued.
“Preaching to the choir, sweetie.” Our Lieutenant sang.
The orders for both tables came out in rapid succession. I observed Alex and Emily as I sipped my lukewarm drink. Everything seemed to be going as I remembered for them.
Soon Emily excused herself and returned to our booth. The inquisition started as soon as her skirt touched the seat.
“Well?” The lieutenant asked with excitement.
“Well what?” Emily asked back coyly.
“What is he like, silly?”
“I thought you didn’t like him that much, Chris?” Emily responded.
“I’m just jealous.” She giggled with a devilish grin.
“He asked to take me to dinner tonight!” Emily bubbled over.
I breathed a sigh of relief, as history seemed to have repeated itself perfectly.
Our pleasant waitress appeared with our check.
“Here’s yer bill, you gold-digger’s better leave me a good tip!” She warned as she threw down the slip of paper.
“I’m buying!” I exclaimed as I searched my…Kim’s purse for the tab. There was barely enough to cover, but I wasn’t concerned about leaving a tip, instead I found a pencil and scribbled on the check: ‘Tip: It would be advisable to treat the people protecting your ass with a little more respect!’
Dropping the money and ticket, I looked around the table. “I’m finished, let’s get out of this dive!”
After the other girls stared at me for a minute in disbelief, we all filed out the door and started our walk back to base. Glancing back through the window, I noticed the expression sour on the woman’s face as she read the check and stared out at us. I didn’t know if it would change things, but I used a gesture that had become popular in the future. I flipped her the ‘bird’, as my future twin called it.
It was satisfying even though the meaning maybe wasn’t known in this time.
“Kim, what did you just do?” Our Lieutenant- Chris was apparently her name- asked me with raised brows.
“I was just tellin’ her she was number one in my book, Lieutenant!”
Emily and Carroll…Donna both choked back a laugh.
“Funny it looked like some rude gesture that a New Yorker would use. I will have none of that in my squad, understand Ensign Jenson?”
“Aye, ma’am.”
“Emily, a girl with a medal should have better manners than to egg her on!”
“Yes, Lieutenant.” Emily replied quietly as she slowed to walk with Carroll and I.
“Sis, we need to talk!” I said, just above a whisper.
“As I remember it, Admiral Demmit will see me walking back to our barracks and call the three of us aside. Carroll and I can bring you up to date on what happened to you after he dismisses us.”
“The three of us, sis? Why would he invite us along?” I cautiously motioned between Carroll and I.
“Kim and Donna are the only ones that know about Uncle Rick and I, Alex.”
“But won’t he think something is wrong, Emily? I don’t think I’m acting like Kim Jenson at the moment.”
“More than you know, sis! There he is!” Emily finished by putting her finger to her lips.
“Lt. Caskey, how are you and your girls doing today?” Demmit’s gravelly voice sounded somewhat pleasant as he tipped his cap to us.
“Fine, Admiral! We were just heading back to our quarters from lunch, sir. Is there something I can do for you?” Caskey asked as we all stood to attention and saluted.
“I need to speak with your recently decorated nurse, Christine- in concern to a pressing matter she informed me of the last time we talked.”
“Ah-oh!” The two other ensigns in our group gasped.
“Ladies, I assure you your exploits of three days ago are not the subject of discussion.” Demmit laughed, then added, “I do want to talk to you two also, Ensign’s Jenson and Fletcher!”
“Ah-oh!” The two unknown ensigns giggled this time.
Admiral Demmit eyed the two for a moment. They quieted immediately at his stare.
“Yes…” The old man cleared his throat. “Well, I don’t want to keep you from your duties, Lt. Caskey. I’ll try to have Lt. Scott, and Ensigns Jenson, and Fletcher back before they go on duty. Ladies, if you please?”
Admiral Demmit motioned for us to follow him.
“Good day, Lieutenant, Ensigns.”
The four of us were quiet for a while before Uncle Rick looked around us and stopped.
“Alright, I want to know which one of you did this and why! Alex, I know you’re here! Show yourself, Empress!” He growled quietly as he looked around.
Our eyes went wide!
“I’m not sure why we’re here, Uncle Rick! I was hoping Emily would fill in the blanks, sir.” I slowly shook my head.
“Alex? How?”
“I wish I knew, Admiral! I haven’t possessed anybody since before the PT incident.” I continued to shake my head.
“Well, could you at least do that phase thing so we can talk in private?”
“Sir, I can’t! Not one of my gifts seems to be working. Uncle Rick, right now I couldn’t predict the next rain storm if I saw it on the horizon.”
“Uncle Rick, can we go somewhere so I can bring Alex up to speed on what I think has happened?”
“You…you know what’s going on here, Emily?”
“I have a rough idea, Uncle.”
“Then you are my Emily from…”
“From 1944. Yes, Uncle Rick. For some reason everyone attending Alex’s bedside is here…July 8th, 1942.”
“But why does Alex look and sound like Ensign Jenson?”
“Ya, and why am I this pudgy redhead, Emily?” Carroll cut in.
“Look, let’s get some place safe and I’ll lay out what I think happened, okay?”
“Fine. Let’s go to my office. I gave my clerk the afternoon off anyway…then we can all be enlightened!”
“Admiral?” I asked. “I would recommend that you try hard to remember what you did today and not stray from it or chance changing the future, sir!”
“Gee Alex, I hadn’t thought of that! Especially when I suddenly found myself in a meeting concerning the effectiveness of the Doolittle Raid!” His voice grew louder and angry.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I have no idea how this happened.” I felt a tear begin to form.
“I’m sorry Alex. I was just reminded why I hated that meeting, that’s all. It irked me that all Halsey and Nimitz talked about was how the attack group let themselves get discovered before reaching their target distance! I shouldn’t take it out on you.” Uncle Rick’s tone eased. “Let’s get to my office, girls.”
1321hrs, CINCPAC Headquarters, Pearl Harbor Naval Base, July 8th, 1942
“Donna…sorry…Carroll, make sure the coast is clear.” Admiral Demmit ordered once his young clerk had left the outer office.
She opened the door and stuck her head out for a second.
“All clear, Admiral.”
“Good, now can you please explain to me why I’m suddenly back in 1942 and why Alex is masquerading as Ensign Jenson?”
“I’ll get to that soon enough, Uncle Rick, but first Alex has a right to know what happened after she passed out on the bridge.”
“By all means, Emily.”
“Alex, you’ve been unconscious for three days now- deliriously so! You were running a temperature of one hundred and four!”
“Excuse me Emily, but wouldn’t that high a fever kill a man?” the old man asked in shock.
“A normal human, yes, Uncle, but I wouldn’t refer to us as anything close to normal, would you?”
Demmit shook his head.
“Alex, I can’t find any way to stop this bug! I tried antibiotics, sulfa plasters, my own gift- I even tried Chief Peterson’s chicken soup! Nothing, repeat, nothing worked! Carroll and I were at your bedside when you started hallucinating again this morning. You kept going on and on about how you would never see me again- how you missed me, Alex!” She sniffed.
“But how did we get here? I don’t even remember who was with you at lunch today! I tried, but all I remember is you! How did I know to jump into this…Kim’s body? Where is the real Kim? Why can’t I see the future?” I tried to keep myself calm, but I could feel my panic rising again.
“That’s what I’d like to know too, Alex! I wasn’t even on this side of the world on this date. Why am I here?”
“I’m afraid Alex isn’t to be blamed for our predicament.” Emily’s head sunk a little. “I am.” She whispered in embarrassment.
“That’s not possible is it, Alex?” Carroll looked at me in confusion.
“Technically she is my sister, Carroll. My daughters have a portion of my gift- why can’t Emily have a portion also?” I rationalized.
“I have one question for you, Uncle Rick. What were we doing when you came into Alex’s bedroom?”
“You three were holding hands…why? I thought you were doing some kind of mystical spell or some such thing so I just joined in. Thought you could use the extra power, I guess.”
“That’s a good one, Admiral! Us…casting a spell! Like that could ever happen!” Carroll scoffed as she looked around at our faces. Emily looked deep in thought.
“In a way…maybe…maybe I did cast a spell, Carroll. Well not really, but maybe that’s the closest definition that fits.”
Carroll didn’t look happy with what my sister was saying. I didn’t quite follow either.
“That’s clear as mud, Emily! Would you care to simplify for the old man?”
“Right before we found ourselves here, I was asking my gift what I should do for Alex. Instead, I started to think about our first meeting. I guess it ties into your delirious ramblings about not seeing me again, Alex. Anyway, I started to think about how things would have been if we hadn’t met- how you wouldn’t be so sick if we hadn’t gone through the Mahanilui. I’m not certain, but I think I wished we could do it all over again!” Emily paused a second. “Imagine my surprise when, poof, I was sitting at that booth again, staring at you!”
“You weren’t staring at me, sis, you were staring at the man I used to be.” I whispered sadly.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Alex! This must be really hard for you! I’m sorry for dragging us back here and reopening that wound!”
“Its okay, Emily. Right now I’m neither one of me, am I? Question is, why am I like this and why won’t my gift work?”
“That’s the answer, Alex!”
“Huh?”
“That’s why you are Kim!”
Carroll, Uncle Rick, and I stood there, silently looking at Emily in confusion for a few minutes.
“Now I know you two are true sisters! You’re starting to sound just as confusing as she does!” Uncle Rick sounded somewhat annoyed as he motioned to me.
“Sorry, Admiral, I’ve got no idea what point she’s tryin’ ta make!” I apologized while shrugging my shoulders.
“Oh Alex, think about it!”
“What’s there to think about, Emily? You jumped into your body. Uncle Rick jumped into his body. Carroll, because she wasn’t here at this time jumped into Donna’s body. Why didn’t I jump into my body? I was right there! You saw me there in the restaurant, right? Why didn’t I jump back into my own body too?”
“I agree that you are here today, Alex, but you are not you!”
“Honey, can we dispense with the cryptic double talk, your Uncle Rick is getting a throbbing headache!”
“Uncle, Alex didn’t jump into her body because it isn’t here!”
“But you just said that she WAS here! I don’t see the difference!”
“The difference is in the gender, Uncle! The male Alexander Steinert is here, but the female Alexandra Steinert doesn’t exist yet- not in relative, er…normal time anyway! We are here, in our own bodies, because we were here then…now. Alex, Empress of Time and Space technically won’t exist for another eight and a half months! She is physically not the same person I talked to twenty minutes ago- genetically speaking.”
“So, because I’m a girl now, I can’t possess my old body? Who wrote those rules?” I exclaimed.
“I guess I did, sis. I seem to be the one calling the shots here.” Emily said as she raised her hands and motioned around the room. I just wish I knew how I was doing it.”
“Have you asked your gift, sis?”
“Asked it what, Alex?”
“Asked it how you are doing this, of course!”
“You mean I should ask my gift how I’m doing this?” Emily seemed to freeze for a second. “Oh! Is that what it’s like for you, Alex?” She asked with surprise.
“What, sis?”
“The movie-like images flashing in my mind, a complete visual explanation!”
“Something like that…if I could ever get it working again! What’s it saying, sis?”
“Alex, you’re here because it’s not safe in your own body!” She told me as a few tears ran down her cheeks.
“Emily, what are you telling us? Is Alex dying?” Carroll gasped out.
“That’s not possible, sis! If it were true then why does Alex Covington still exist?”
“All I know, Alex, is that I have to keep you here until the bug has run its course! I have to keep your conscious safe and active until your body has recovered enough to put you back into it.”
“You can do that, doc?” Carroll scoffed.
“Apparently she can now, Carroll!” I looked away from Emily to her for an instant.”Why not just activate my emergency recall protocol? I’m sure Tibius could find the cure just like last time, sis.”
“I can’t, Alex! Alexandra informed me before they left that, under no circumstances, shall anyone be allowed to activate your recall! She wouldn’t tell me anything more except that you would wipeout everyone on Terra if we did!”
“What is this thing, Doctor?” Admiral Demmit growled.
“As near as my gift can define, it’s some kind of genetically selective virus, meaning it is designed to infect people with certain gene sequences- people of the same region, ethnic group, or family. Beyond that, I’m at a loss for anything more specific.”
Things became quiet as each of us thought things through.
“You say that my Great-grandniece told you everyone on Terra would become infected?” Uncle Rick asked as he sat down hard and adjusted his chair.
“That’s what she claimed, sir. It must be genetically keyed to their unique physiology.”
That one, simple fact stunned me!
“Admiral, you need to get away from me! You all need to get away from me now- before it’s too late!” I cried as I felt my heart start to race.
“Alex, what’s the matter? You should be safe here!” Emily looked alarmed.
“You all have to get away from me back on Atlantis-Minor! You’ll all be infected!”
“What are you talking about, Alex?”
“The Terrans! It’s keyed to the Terrans!”
“Alex, honey, we’re not Terran. If what Emily says is true, we shouldn’t be affected.” Demmit calmly rationalized.
“You don’t understand! You and Tibius felt the tingle, Uncle Rick!”
“So, we’re temporal twins, as you call it. That doesn’t mean I’m a Terran!” Uncle Rick argued.
“No, but you do contain the same DNA as Tibius! What if this virus zeros in on that?” I was starting to panic because I was dangerously close to disclosing the Terran origins- a story I was in no mood to tell wearing this body!
“Now how would I have the same…um…DNA as a man from the other side of the galaxy, Alex? I drank water from the village spring back on Kili Island- the water you told me was safe!”
The tone in which Admiral Demmit’s eyes stared at me made me shiver!
“You were born that way, sir.” Oh God, this wasn’t how it was to happen! “Your genes have always been a part of you.” I closed my eyes, not wanting to see his reaction or make eye contact. I was desperately trying to hold back my tears.
“And just how long were you going to keep this little tidbit from your commanding officer, Captain?” His tone brought back unwanted memories of my disciplinary hearing- now less than two weeks away again.
Unconsciously, I let my head tilt forward. I reopened my watery eyes to see a blurry floor and regulation men’s, black leather shoes.
“I didn’t want to alarm you, Uncle Rick! Truth be told, you and Tibius are identical in every way save one, sir.” I felt a few tears drip from my face.
“And what way would that be, Alex?” That disappointed growl still horrified me!
“Your undeveloped telepathy, Admiral. The very gift that allows you to look into other people’s souls, sir. If you allow it to come forward, it will develop fully. Denying it only confines it to just a ‘knack’.”
“You’re one of us, Admiral?” Carroll asked in astonishment.
“Not that I’m aware, Miss Sheldon, but I think Alex IS implying that I’m Terran!”
“In a way we’re all Terran, sir. Please, can’t we just leave it at that? The only thing that matters is we have to find a way for you and Emily to get back to base and far enough away from my physical body to avoid infection!”
“Hey, what about me? I didn’t ask to come along on this adventure, Alex!” Carroll protested.
“Alex, I’m committed now. If I release you, we both return and you conceivably die! I can’t let that happen. It would conflict with my oath! Plus, I could possibly lose my sister- there’s no way I’ll ever let that happen either! I’m staying! I’ll try to get Jack to pull you and Uncle Rick away from us, Carroll, but before I do that, we need to get out of your office, Admiral!”
“Why do you need to get out of my…” Admiral Demmit’s body seemed to shimmer for a split second. “So there you have it, Emily. The offer you’ve been waiting for! A chance to become that full-fledged doctor you’ve hoped for! I want you to think about it, but don’t wait too long! I can’t promise you this will wait for you indefinitely- I’d say three weeks tops.” The Admiral’s whole demeanor had changed suddenly.
“Emily?” He asked in concern. “Did you get all that, Lt. Scott?”
“I did, Admiral, it’s just that…well…I just met this man…today, and…and I thought he might be the one, sir.”
“Do I know this possible nephew, dear?”
“His name is Steinert, sir, Lt. Cmdr. Alex Steinert.”
“Steinert? I’ve heard good things about him from his captain. Very intelligent, strategically, and he has a good report with the enlisted men. He’ll make a good commanding officer one day- might even make Admiral if he watches himself.” Admiral Demmit squinted at Emily. “What about that Lionel? Did you break it off with him, yet?”
“No, Admiral, I’m going to, but I want to learn more about his angle before I do. I’m not so sure he likes me or is using me! Sometimes he seems a little too interested in certain commanding officers and my relationships with them, sir.”
“Well you keep an eye on him, Emily! One thing we don’t need around here is more muck-raking by the American press!”
“I’ll do that Admiral, and I’ll consider your offer thoroughly before I give you my decision, sir.”
“I would expect nothing less, dear. Oh, and I expect Cmdr. Steinert to behave like a gentleman, young lady! If either of those men do anything to…”
“You’ll be the first to know, Uncle Rick! Now, we’d better get back to our quarters, sir. Donna and Kim are due at the hospital at 1600hrs, and I have to get ready for this evening’s dinner with Lt. Cmdr. Steinert.”
“Emily, I have a feeling the future holds something special for you and Commander Steinert. Good hunting, dear.” Admiral Demmit confessed with a wink.
Had he read Mina’s time sensitive report already or was he just subconsciously channeling his ‘gift’?
“Kim, Donna, you two lend Emily an ear, but remember to use the utmost discretion where you talk, I don’t want our little secret getting out, understood?”
“Yes sir.” Carroll acknowledged.
“Aye, sir.” I confirmed.
“Dismissed, girls.” Demmit stood from his seat.
We jumped to attention and saw ourselves to the door.
“I guess Jack pulled Uncle Rick away from us.” Emily said when we found privacy- something difficult to find on a busy naval base!
“That would be my guess, sis. Why are you still here though, Donna?” I asked, hoping Carroll was still with us.
“Carroll Sheldon’s the name, Alex, and I decided to help, so I told Jack I wanted to stay with you.”
“What happened to ‘I never asked to come along, Alex’?” I asked her with skepticism.
“You’re my CO, ma’am, but above that you’re my friend and I would never intentionally abandon a friend, Alex!”
“Thanks, Carroll! I really appreciate that, but can you stand to inhabit this body until I whip this thing?”
“It isn’t all that bad, Skip, I just have to get used to the extra weight around the middle- say do you think I should try to drop some of it while I’m in here- do the ensign a favor?”
“It wouldn’t matter how much weight Donna dropped, Carroll.” Emily looked to the ground having said that.
“Why? I think it could help with her health. Carrying around an extra fifty couldn’t be good for her!”
“She ships out for Rahbal in four weeks, Carroll.” Emily said sadly.
“Ya, okay, and?”
“Her ship is attacked by a Japanese sub, Carroll! Donna and Kim both drown as a result! They never see me make full Lieutenant!”
“In that case, you better hurry and get well, Alex!” Carroll turned to me quickly.
“Your concern is overwhelming, Carroll Sheldon!” Emily groused.
“I don’t mind being her for a while; I just would like to die in my own body- on my own terms, doc!”
“The Empress could help out, sis.” I raised an eyebrow momentarily.
“And just where would you put them, Alex, Terra?”
“If my gift would ever start working again I could tell you that! You didn’t think to ask yours how long we’d be stuck here, did you, sis?”
“Right now it looks like two weeks unless something changes.”
“So what do we do in the meantime, sis? I know what you’re going to be doing, but I have no idea what Kim does, who she knows, what she likes to do when off duty- you know, things like that?”
“Well, she pals around with me and Donna most of the time.”
“Good.”
“She is just your average clerk/nurse, out at the hospital, so you’ll just be typing and filing patient records- maybe bandaging an occasional scraped knee…until another ship comes in.”
“Okay, got it!”
“There was also rumor that she had a guy before shipping out. I think it was Maj. Canton, Alex.”
“You’re kidding!” I felt my mouth drop open!
“No…I think that was the rumor. She would disappear for several hours one or two evenings during the week and come back just before lights out with feathers in her mouth.”
“You mean she likes to eat live birds, doc?”
Emily and I rolled our eyes. “No, Carroll, as in the cat that ate the canary?” I corrected.
“I knew that! I was just trying to add some levity here!”
“Are you sure that’s all you intended, Carroll? Donna was a bit of a ditz. Maybe a small part of her is still in there somewhere with you?” Emily giggled.
“Maybe that’s why Carroll entered her, sis.” I smiled devilishly.
“Hey! That’s not nice, Alex! I could easily ask Jack to pull me out too, then where would you be?” Carroll pouted.
“I would still be here waiting for my body to kill off that bug, Carroll!” I said in all seriousness.
“Oh ya.”
Emily suddenly put a finger to her lips as we heard male voices approaching.
“We better get back to our quarters, girls!” She motioned us to follow her.
1700hrs, Pearl Harbor Naval Base, July 15th, 1942
Working rotating shifts in a Navy Hospital was even worse than the long duty shifts we used originally on Sand Dollar! Today, I was scheduled for the evening shift. A particularly slow shift that, unless a hospital ship with causalities docked, was thoroughly mundane. A week in the body and life of Ensign Kimberly Jenson only proved one important fact. She deserved much better than this! Any primary school dropout could do her job and from what Emily told me about her friend, she had way more talent and a whole lot more ambition than required!
I found out early on how women were treated here. Early in my first shift last week, a handsome doctor entered my office and began a conversation. The topics ranged from how his profession wasn’t allowing him sufficient time to tan and tone his body, to how much paperwork he had to fill out for each patient, to how time consuming it was for him to file said reports! All the while he jockeyed around my desk trying to gain some premium viewing angles of this body’s cleavage. I secretly wished Jack could be here to ‘lend a hand’! Actually, I wondered if this was the very same doctor that had been annoying Cindy the previous December.
Emily and ‘Alex’ were right on schedule romantically, which, I guess was a good thing, historically. I just couldn’t shake the jealousy I felt for that…man! I would have given anything to relive our pleasant, but doomed courtship!
All week I had intentionally avoided Major Charles Canton. Unfortunately, my luck had taken tonight off.
“Kimberly, where have you been all week? I missed you kid!”
“Oh, hi, major. I’ve been busier than usual lately, sorry.”
“Major? Why so formal, honey? I thought we’d gotten past those formalities weeks ago?”
Ah oh!
“The Captain must have caught wind of us. She cautioned me to stay focused, major.”
“I see. Well, I could have a little talk with her. Maybe tell her that what you and I do while off duty is none of her concern, if you’d like.”
“She may have brought the issue up with Admiral Demmit, though! I don’t want you to face a tribunal because of me.”
“Don’t worry about that, Kimmie, Admiral Demmit and I go way back. I’m sure I could get him to see my side. I’ll have a talk with him tomorrow.”
“You really don’t have to do that, Charles. I’ve been thinking that we need to slow down- lay low for a while.” I slowly cautioned. I immediately realized my poor choice of words.
“Kimmie, I just love when you throw out those innuendoes! Don’t you have some rounds to make? I hear the upper floor is quite vacant this week.” Maj. Canton almost purred.
“Gomez and Tish,” I thought, but who were Gomez and Tish?
“What was that, my dear?” Canton sounded confused. Only then did I realize I had said it out loud.
“A strange couple I knew from back home. Gomez and Mortisha Addams. They live in this creepy, old house.” I informed him, now knowing where I had heard the names. My future twin’s recollection of an old TV show!
My future twin! She had told me weeks ago that she’d been watching me develop- making sure I didn’t fowl up too bad. Was she watching now, or had she seen fit to stay clear of my infection?
The overall rush of emotion that hit me as I felt an old friend wake from dormancy flooded my eyesight.
“What’s the matter now, Kimmie?” Canton asked with real concern.
“Oh…nothing. I’m just a little emotional today, that’s all.”
“Oh! Maybe I should leave then- let you work through IT in private?”
Give me a break! He thought that… hmmm, maybe I could use this to my advantage?
“That might be a good idea, Charles. You know how messy IT can be.”
Marine Major Charles Canton actually started to turn green! Imagine… a marine that couldn’t handle a little blood!
Maj. Canton excused himself in the most gentlemanly way possible.
“Um…you know…I just remembered that I have some procurement reports to finish…and then there’s that rear area inspection that the old man wants me to assist with…I might be off base for a few days…maybe a week…I’ll catch you up then. Take care of yourself, Kimmie!”
He was out of the office and down the hall before I realized he had stopped talking!
“Well, that was convenient!” I said to myself with a smile.
“You know he really loved Kimberly Jenson, don’t you?” A very familiar voice informed me.
“I knew you were watching, sis! How long have you been here?” I stared straight ahead, afraid that if I looked back at her I would give her the disease.
“Long enough to remember that we played that well, Alex, or would you prefer Kim right now?”
“Like you don’t know the answer to that by now?” I turned to see me leaning against the inner office doorframe.
“You’re almost through this, Allie. Just another day and Emily will return us to our rightful place. Hang tough, sis!”
“I know it’s almost over, Empress, I found an old friend just a few minutes ago!”
“I remember.” My future twin looked relieved.
“Peyton…is she alright?”
“I forgot we had a lot of time to figure things out while stuck here. Yes, Peyton is doing well in this very hospital…several decades in the future though. Emily used the antibodies our body developed to formulate a vaccine. She administered it to the entire Terran delegation before they left Kili. Alex Reilly took enough back with her to inoculate Anna-Beth’s crew and families also. So relax, kid, this is almost over!”
“Thank you, Empress!” I said with tears in my eyes. It felt so good to see me again.
“No. Thank you, Empress!” She winked at me and smiled before suddenly phasing out.
“Hey there, Kim! How are you hanging in there?” Emily appeared in the doorway to the hall with Carroll…er Donna.
“I think I might be beating that bug, sis! I got part of my gift back a little while ago!”
“Oh, that’s great news, Alex, but I thought I heard your voice in here just before Carroll and I arrived!”
“I was talking to Alex Covington, sis.”
“What did she have to say?” Carroll asked before Emily could say a vowel.
“She told me to hang in there!” My smile grew wider as I said it.
“So we’ll be able to go home soon, Alex?” Carroll again cut Emily off.
“That’s usually what it means, Carroll. Emily, she told me that my ‘antibodies’ would be used to make a vaccination for this thing and that you administered it to all the Terrans and sent a batch of the stuff back with Alex Reilly. She said that Peyton is recovering here as well…I mean here in 2028, that is.”
“I wasn’t aware Peyton was sick, Alex. When did you know that, a few minutes ago?”
“No, sis, I’ve had plenty of time to think things over. In a way I was following your prescription- you know, keep my mind active? Well, I was trying to put it all together- how I caught this bug; how it was transmitted; who gave it to me; who engineered the thing, you know.”
“And there I thought you were just thinking of new ways to avoid Canton! So, how did you arrive at Peyton, Alex?” Emily looked sternly at Carroll, daring her to cut her off one more time.
“I traced my movements, sis. I realized that, before a certain time, if I had contracted this thing you, all of us Alex’, the Terrans and the Reilly’s would be sick also, but you aren’t. So, that meant that I had contracted it sometime when I was relatively alone. The only time that happened was when I transported Peyton to my private domain and again when I transported Detroit’s command crew back to their boat. After my return, you and the other Alex’ stayed clear of me until we boarded Sand Dollar in the morning. The initial contact had only one common denominator- Peyton. Before that afternoon, I hadn’t seen her in or around Reilly. That’s why I rushed her off to my domain!”
“But how do you know she was infected?” Emily asked in confusion. Carroll nodded her head in agreement.
“When we were alone, she told me she had stowed away with Hathor’s raiding party. Apparently she wasn’t hidden as well as she thought! Hathor must have found out from Peyton’s mother what she planned on doing and somehow gave her the bug and made her the…the…”
“Carrier?” Emily interjected.
“Ya, carrier! It was probably her plan ‘D’ to get rid of Alex Reilly and I- her failsafe so to speak. I’m thinking she didn’t know about our close genetic relationship with the Terrans- not that the heartless bitch would mind killing them too!”
“So you…you figured this all out without your gift working, Alex?” Carroll asked in amazement.
“I’d like to think I was a good tactician before I received my foresight, Carroll! Are you sure Donna isn’t forcing her way back in there?” I giggled.
“You know what they say, Alex! ‘Smarts are only skin deep, but blonde runs clean to the bone!’” Emily downright laughed.
“Aren’t you the funny one, doc? I’ll have you know that I’m still mathematically advanced- even in this redhead’s body!”
“I rest my case, Alex!” Emily continued laughing.
Carroll…or Donna came in a close second to Jack looking so cute when perplexed.
After our laughter had died down, I asked an obvious question.
“So, are you and Alex going out again tonight, sis?” I closed my eyes knowing what tonight would almost do to my military career.
“No, we hadn’t planned on going out tonight, Alex, you should know that!”
“But tonight’s the night, Emily!” I cried out in shock.
“Tonight? That’s tonight?”
“What’s tonight? What’s going to happen tonight, Alex?” Carroll demanded.
“Tonight Lionel looses some teeth, Carroll! Tonight he forces my hand by questioning Emily’s honor and her relationship with me! Tonight he almost gets his big story about civilian abuses by the military!”
“I thought that was tomorrow, Alex!” Emily stared at me.
“No, sis, it’s tonight!” Alex disagreed, as she appeared leaning against the hallway wall.
“How am I going to get there now? It’s almost 6PM! I’ll never have time to get ready! I told Alex I had something else to do tonight. What happens if I miss this date?”
“You don’t want to miss this date, Emily, trust me on that! You miss tonight and we never get to Kili! We never get Sand Dollar, and we never get to see each other again…ever!” Alex warned.
“But how do I get to the base gate in five minutes?”
“Leave that up to your fairy godmother, Cinderella!” Alex giggled then disappeared momentarily. She reappeared with Corrine Masterson and Jamie Hilf in tow.
“Ladies, one of our own needs help getting to the ball! Shall we help her with that?” Alex still giggled.
Jamie held out one of our Kili uniforms while Corrine studied Emily’s face.
“It’s all charged up and ready for your big date, Doc! Better hurry though. Empress says she can’t time port ya like this.” Jamie advised her.
Alex reached over and closed the office’s door then locked it. “Privacy engaged, number one.” She continued to giggle.
I looked at my temporal twin. “I’m going to laugh when I make the connection to that, right?”
“Yes, its funny Alex, trust me.” Alex deadpanned. You two could help her out of her clothes you know! Up until a few months ago you were willing to try, Alex!”
“Isn’t this great…I’m the butt of my own jokes!”
“All in good fun, sis! All in good fun! Corrine, are you almost ready with the makeup? We have to fly in about two minutes! I told Alex I’d meet him by the guard shack promptly at six!”
“You told…Alex?”
“We sound similar, sis- especially with the excellent sound quality of these antique phones! Hurry up Miss Masterson! She has her future to catch!”
“Don’t rush me, Alex!” Corrine hissed as she held her hands across Emily’s face a few seconds then quickly gathered and cupped her hair a minute more. “There, all done. What do you think?”
“Just as I remember it!” Alex and I said in unison, our voices harmonizing this time.
“I never thought I’d be so thrilled to hear you two do that again!” Emily said trying to hold back her tears.
“Don’t you dare ruin my work, Doctor,” Corrine scolded! “She’s ready, Empress.”
“Then let Operation Fairy Godmother begin! Quickly, Emily, take my hand, but continue to concentrate on keeping Alex’s mind here in the past!”
“Ready, Empress.”
Alex smiled and winked at me. Emily and Alex promptly disappeared.
“So, did Alex bring you two straight from 2028 or were you here already on a mission?” I asked Jamie and Corrine.
“Boy, she wasn’t kidding when she said your gift wasn’t workin’! Alex, she picked us up in 1944! We’re your crew from Atlantis-Minor!”
“But…but…Corrine…you…”
“What can I say, skipper, I took some lessons from my future twin! I’ll hide my gift from the rest if you want…until the time is right, that is.”
“You’ll do no such thing, Corrine Masterson! You know how embarrassing that would be! Besides, other’s have received their gifts earlier than planned, why can’t you?”
“That’s what I told her, Cap! I said it would be a waste if she’d do that!”
“You did not! You said I’d never develop my gift- only my bust line, Jamie Hilf!”
“I said nothing of the kind!”
“Knock it off you two!” Alex said, suddenly appearing again. “Take my hands! We have to leave now! See you when you get back, sis, bye!”
Carroll and I were left alone in my office.
“So, Carroll, what are your plans for tonight?”
“Carroll? Have you been drinking on duty again, Kimberly,” came her reply?
“What?” I took a second to ponder her response. Emily must have lost focus and Carroll lost contact. “Sorry, Donna, this shift puts me to sleep! I think I was just dreaming. Someone named Carroll was in it.”
“Funny you should mention that name, Kim, I seem to remember a Carroll from somewhere- Carroll Shelby…Sheltie…”
“Sheldon?”
“Ya, Sheldon, That was the name! How’d you know that, Kim?”
“I bumped into a nurse by that name last December! Maybe you did too?”
“I think you’re right, Kim, I wonder what happened to her?”
“I heard she shipped out to one of the forward hospitals back in the spring.”
“We know about those don’t we, sister? I hope she’s safe.”
“I have a feeling she’s doin’ alright for herself, Donna.”
“Now how on Earth could you know that, Kimberly Jenson? How could you possibly know anyone is safe out there with any certainty?”
“Hey Donna, what’s the square root of 1068?” I raised an eyebrow.
“32.6802927… Hey, how did I know that?”
Her expression was priceless!
“Beats me, I was just being silly!” I smiled at her confusion. Apparently Carroll’s possession had some latency, I thought.
“Sometimes, I don’t know about you, Kimberly Jenson! I’m going to the Officer’s Club to get drunk! I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She didn’t know the half of it. “Bye, Donna. Thanks for stopping by.”
I wondered how much Kimberly Jenson would remember after I left.
Oh, wow, that much? I thought as another portion of my gift reawakened and another bout of joyful tears filled my vision.
1100hrs, Pearl Harbor Naval Base, July 22nd, 1942
“…And that Lt. Cmdr. Alexander Fredrick Steinert did willfully and wantonly attack a civilian representative of the United States Wartime Press Corp. 1900hrs, 15, July, 1942 with intent to disfigure and or maim and or murder!” The balding prosecutor stated as I watched my own tribunal from an entirely different perspective.
“Thank you, counselor, but this isn’t a civilian court. This is a military tribunal to determine the validity and extent of the charges brought against Lt. Cmdr. Steinert. Should the Commander be found at fault, the possibility of punishment will be discussed at his court marshal! I must warn you counselor as I had yesterday, this is a disciplinary hearing, not a murder case and it will continue as such!” Admiral Demmit reminded the enthusiastic lawyer.
Emily, Donna and I sat behind Alex awaiting our chance to testify on his behalf. If I remembered right, this being day two, none of us would still get that chance.
What I did remember was that it was the longest, most stressful, two days I had ever experienced! Alex certainly had that part down as I noticed his feet and hands constantly fidgeting. Had I really been doing that? I only had to look down and see my own feet moving in a similar fashion.
I had expected to be home already, but Emily seemed to be airing on the side of caution. As we watched the hearing continue, I was surprised to notice that certain parts I remembered quite vividly hadn’t happened this time. Most concerning was one section of Lionel’s testimony. In that portion, he was asked how committed he was to a relationship with Emily. Emily became angry at his response that they were intimate and stood up to let the tribunal know he was lying. That hadn’t happened this time!
“Emily, didn’t you hear what that SOB just said? I know for a fact that you never let him near you! What gives?” I whispered to her as I gently touched her hand.
“How could you know that, Kim? You’ve only met Lionel a few times. I can’t be sure we didn’t do anything- I’m having trouble remembering for some reason!” She whispered back.
Oh, no! My Emily was gone and I was somehow still here! It was all up to me to keep history straight now!
“Still you couldn’t have done anything, Emily- I know you too well! If you don’t stand up and defend Alex, his career is over! Do you really want to be responsible for that? Don’t you love him, Emily?” I asked, still whispering.
“You’re right, Kim, Alex isn’t at fault here! He shouldn’t take the blame for this- he was only protecting me!”
Emily suddenly stood up. “Admiral, Lionel is lying! At no time during our relationship did we share anything more than a kiss, Sir!” She announced with more authority then I’d ever heard.
“Lt. Scott, your outburst is out of line! You have not been called for testimony nor petitioned for any response! You will please be seated, Lieutenant!”
“But Cmdr Steinert and I were setup, Admiral! This man used both of us to create a false news article for his own personal profit!” She continued.
“Lt. Scott! That is enough! You will be seated or you will be forcibly escorted from this tribunal! Sit down, Lieutenant!” Admiral Demmit ordered in a louder, angry voice.
If you looked close, you could see the sweat rolling off Alexander’s face as he sat there facing our superiors-I felt it then and I could definitely see it from where I now sat!
The room’s door opened with a slight creak as someone tried to enter quietly. A young, brown haired man- a lieutenant by rank- approached the desks of the five attending officers. His walk seemed nervous and unsure.
“Admiral, sorry for this interruption, but I have information detrimental to this officer’s inquest- your permission to approach, sirs?”
I recognized the voice immediately! Spencer Rosen! What did Alex have in mind? Why was she trying to save this reality as the root dimension? Hadn’t it already been compromised?
“You may approach, Lieutenant…” Demmit motioned him to present the new information only after conferring with the other four officers. He stopped not knowing the man’s name.
“Lt. Rosen, Admiral- Communications Surveillance Specialist, Lt. Spencer Rosen. Sir, I have evidence in the form of transcript here that we recorded the night of 15, July, 1942- 2100hrs.” Spencer handed the folder to Admiral Demmit, who opened it and began reading. A brow rose several times during the read.
Fifteen minutes passed as each member of the tribunal read and sometimes re-read the new evidence.
“Lt. Rosen, are you certain this account is accurate? You are aware of the severity of the charges contained within these pages?”
“I am, Admiral, and I am sorry for the lateness of this evidence. We were only informed of this inquiry earlier this morning, sir- barely enough time to have it typed up by our secretary, Ensign Covington. Thank goodness she is the timeliest typist on base!”
“Gentlemen?” Admiral Demmit said. “In light of this new information, I suggest we convene for lunch to discuss the matter.” He nodded to the four other officers- each nodding their agreement.
“But Admiral, I have not presented anything pertaining to the charges against Lt. Cmdr. Steinert! The evidence I have collected is overwhelmingly specific as to the commander’s actions of the 15th, sir!”
“Counselor, I think you should have lunch with us! We have many things to discuss! This tribunal is adjourned for lunch! All parties will reconvene here at 1300hrs.”
Everyone in the room stood to attention and waited until the Admiral, his four attending officers, and Lionel’s attorney filed out. Lionel, looking quite humbled and swollen, lingered a moment looking at Alexander before exiting to the hallway. I remembered that look! He knew he had just lost his gamble for a permanent by-line!
I wasn’t so sure I was off the hook though. History had been changed- ever so slightly, but changed nonetheless! I wondered how it would feel to be the one being reabsorbed into the real or root dimension.
“I’m hungry, Emily. Let’s get something to eat!” Donna reached across me to tug on Emily’s sleeve.
“You know…if you didn’t eat so much, you would lose some of that belly of yours!” Emily forced a giggle. It was evident that she was still terribly concerned for Alex.
“I thought we agreed not to talk about my weight, Emily? Even so, I’m still hungry.”
“Fine, Donna, we’ll go get something at the O.C! Kim, are you coming?”
“I think I’ll just walk down the hall and get some water. You two go on without me, but thanks for asking!” I responded as cheerfully as I could, given that things hadn’t happened exactly right.
After a few minutes I became the sole occupant of the room.
Or so I thought.
“You understand we just changed history, Alex.” My real voice said calmly behind me. “You know what that means?”
“It means a new dimension has been spawned and I’m the one that gets absorbed into myself this time, right?” I turned around to see my twin seated directly behind me. Her face looked so sad, yet understanding.
“Alex, I’m not so sure that can happen this time! You are the base Empress after all! If you are merged back into another dimension, we may all cease to exist, but if we don’t reassemble, we all possibly cease to exist here! This is the worst kind of paradox, sis- one that Mina would never let us forget!”
“What would make you think Mina would survive something as catastrophic as this, Empress?”
“Mina should be safe back on Kili! I have no doubt that this can’t possibly reach her that far back in time, Alex.”
“You’re forgetting one important tacit, Empress- Mina was still here on Kili in this time period! We hadn’t gone to rescue them yet! No Rescue, no Mahanilui, no Empress- remember?”
“I already thought about that, Alex, and here’s the thing. Your body is up in 1944, so technically Mina is back on Kili BC. This dimension was temporary- a device Emily created to hold your consciousness safe until you got better…”
“Wait, you said my body WAS back in 1944!” My voice had jumped a few octaves.
“Just a slip of the tongue, sis, sorry!”
“No, Empress, I want to know the truth! Am I dead? Did I expire back at base?” I tried and failed to keep the sheer panic from my voice.
“Don’t be silly, sis! If you had passed, would I be here talking to you? She smiled defensively.
“I don’t know the answer to that and neither do you! Give it to me straight…or don’t you know the answer, Alex?”
“You tell me, sis, you seem to have all the answers! I could be just a remnant of our past memories here to keep you company in the afterlife, or…I could be just spoofing you because you’re taking all of this too seriously, Alex, you decide!”
“Empress, I don’t know what to think at this point! I didn’t think Emily could hold me here without being here herself- at least that’s what she told me earlier! Now that she…Emily of 1944, has obviously left this reality, how do I return home?”
“Have you tried clicking your heels together three times?”
“Knock it off, Alex, I’m serious! Tell me, how do I get home- to my…our body?”
“I’m afraid there is no way back, Alex, the Empress of Time and Space doesn’t exist- never has! All this” She looked and motioned around then touched my temple, “All this is just your imagination- pure fantasy! It’s all in your mind, Alex Steinert! There is no way back…or forward for that matter!”
“That’s impossible, you’re lying! I’m not caught in some kind of crazy loop! I just have to find the weakness and force my way out of this nightmare!”
“Go ahead and try, Alex, it’s your mind. Twist and bend it all you want, but you’ll still end up back here…with me.” She warned.
“No, I will not accept that! I’ll find a way out of this if it’s the last thing I do!”
“Knock yourself out, Alex! I’m just going to phase out right now since Alex’s tribunal is reconvening. I’ll see you afterwards.”
Alex disappeared just as the door opened wide and men started filing back into the room.
Donna and Emily took their original seats on either side of me as Alex, accompanied by two marine guards, returned to the ‘hotseat’.
Lionel and his attorney entered and took their seats also.
“This tribunal into the alleged allegations pertaining to Lt. Cmdr. Alexander Steinert is now in session. Cmdr. Steinert, before our lunch break this tribunal received information crucial to its decision regarding the charges of assault and battery leveled against you. We have reviewed and thoroughly discussed this new information and have made our decision.” Admiral Demmit announced. His tone was steady, but very sad.
I didn’t remember it going this way the last time! Demmit’s tone was one of elation then.
“Cmdr. Steinert, it is the decision of this tribunal that you will be held to all charges including the following: Illegal communications with a foreign government; passing of confidential information to a foreign government; treason; espionage; and willfully endangering a fellow officer’s life. You will be confined to the brig until the date of your court marshal! Cmdr. Steinert, I really had expected to clear you of all previous charges, but the recently introduced evidence is clear and undeniable! I’m sorry, son!”
I couldn’t believe my ears! I immediately stood after the Admiral had finished.
“I object! Admiral, this isn’t the way it originally happened! Alex Steinert was cleared of all charges and went on to receive his own command! This is totally unacceptable! Cmdr. Steinert must be released so he can go on to assume his rightful place as Empress of Time and Space! Millions of people will die if this does not happen, Admiral!”
I noticed the shocked faces all staring at me. Emily and Donna’s faces struck me the hardest. Somehow I expected them to be the understanding ones. In my moment of passion, I’d forgotten that my Emily and Carroll no longer inhabited these bodies.
In short, I must have sounded like a first class mental patient!
“Guards, arrest Ens. Kimberly Jenson! She is also to be held in conjunction with Cmdr. Steinert! Miss Jenson, we trusted you- Emily trusted you! How could you so easily abandon your country in favor of some unknown monarchy! Take her away!”
I searched the future to see if I’d be able to pull off my trademarked disappearance- I smiled.
“I’m sorry, Admiral Demmit, but you will not lay one hand on me! This room- this dimension- everything here is askew! Nothing here has happened the way it should have, therefore nothing here is valid- least of all my arrest and confinement! I’m very sorry, but I’ll be leaving now!” I announced as I concentrated on phasing out.
The barrel of a service revolver touching my right temple indicated that portion of my gift didn’t seem to be working at the moment! I was really in it deep now. Glancing over to see the gun’s owner, I was surprised to see Emily’s hand on the grip!
“Sis, why?”
“I’m not your sister, Kim, I’m your superior and you’re coming with me to the brig! This grand delusion of yours is over, Ens. Jenson! Move!”
“You wouldn’t shoot me, Emily. Killing is not in you nature!”
“She might not,” Donna said as I felt another muzzle place itself on my left temple. “But I would, now move!” She pushed on the gun harder.
“It’s a shame you won’t last more than three more weeks. I hope you learned to swim, Donna!” I stated as we moved out of the room.
“Shut up, Kim!”
Alex and his escort were now a few feet down the hall from us.
“Alex, it was fun while it lasted, right?” I shouted ahead to him.
Emily looked between Alex and I- her look was anything but amused. Alex turned and looked at me in silence. I could see the wheels turning, trying to put a name to my face.
“Was she really worth it? To cause you so much pain after getting so close and romantic? You knew it was all to help her boyfriend get a by-line, right? Did she even admit to you that she had no intention of continuing your relationship past your two-week leave? Did she inform you that she ships out for Norfolk next week?”
“Shut up, Kim! You have no idea what we did or didn’t do together!” Emily hissed.
“Wrong! I can tell you about that hideous looking mole on the left side of his back; about the scar on his right inner thigh just above his knee; I can even tell you how he likes his coffee, Emily Scott! I know more about Cmdr. Steinert than you will ever know!”
“Who are you?” He asked me in confusion.
Now was the time to drop my bombshell! “I’m you twenty-two months from now, Alex! That is, I was…until everything went FUBAR around here!”
“But…but you’re a girl!”
“Very astute observation, Alex! Ma and Pa would be very proud that you figured that one out by yourself! Grampa would be even more proud!”
“My Grampa’s dead!”
“Not in my world, Alex! I just talked to him two weeks ago!”
“Keep moving!” Donna ordered.
We were passing Admiral Demmit’s office now.
“I’m sure Lt. Philamina Smith would be appalled by the results of this mock trial, Admiral! Have you ever wondered about that time sensitive folder containing the location and date of the launch and commissioning of the USS Sand Dollar, or the complete crew list for her. You might not have even read the specifics on her first mission to Kili Island! Have fun talking the President out of using the Manhattan Project to end this war, Admiral!” I shouted to the closed door as we continued down the long corridor.
What was wrong with these people? I had just exposed myself as Empress and the course of history for the next twenty-two months and absolutely no one was the least bit interested? This had to be a nightmare!
Thinking about that premise caused me to rethink the last few hours here. Everything that happened- the characters involved- everything was happening contrary to history. I realized my worst fears were becoming fact here!
Maybe I had to do something equally unimaginable to get out!
“Within three weeks time, you and I will be shark food while Emily stays warm and safe in Norfolk! She will receive promotion to full lieutenant and her medical degree. You and I, Donna, will never see that happen! We will be forgotten- replaced by one woman’s personal ambition!” I tried to make myself sound trance-like.
“What kind of garbage are you babbling, Kimberly?” Donna demanded as she increased the gun barrel’s pressure on the side of my head once more.
“If you’re so intent on shooting me, do it! Do it now you rotund little ditz!” I shouted before I stopped walking. I turned to face her- the muzzle now depressed heavily to my forehead. I stared down into her eyes for a moment.
”Do it!” I shouted and paused. “You can’t do it! I knew you couldn’t- you don’t have the stomach for it, Fletcher!”
“Kim, I’ll do it if I have to! Please don’t!” Donna said with trepidation.
“Do it before I take the damn thing off y’all an’ do it m’self, Ensign! Do it! Now!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
“Time to leave, Alex!” Some familiar voice said over my rant.
A bright flash, sharp crack, and an intense pain were the last things I sensed before everything went black.
“Alex. Alex? Alex, it’s time to wake up! Alex!” A voice called to me.
Who was it?
“Alex! Alexandra Steinert! Time to wake up, Skip!” Another voice called.
“Alexandra Steinert, it’s time to come back to us, dear!” A man’s voice ordered gently.
Opening my eyes slowly, they were met with an incredibly intense light. Nothing seemed in focus so I quickly shut them again.
“Emily! Her eyes just opened for a second! Did you see that?”
“Carroll?” I mouthed slowly. Only some of the sounds came out.
I felt someone take my hand.
“Emily, she said my name!” I was now sure it was Carroll’s voice.
“You…you…you shot me!” I whispered as loud as I could at the moment.
“You hear that doc? She said I shot her! Isn’t that…wait…I didn’t…I did what? I didn’t shoot you, Alex! What are you taking about?” Carroll sounded confused.
“I think I know what she’s talking about, Carroll.” I heard Jack say in the background.
“Don’t keep it to yourself, Jack, tell us what she means!”
“A nightmare!” I got out before Jack could continue.
“She’s right! By her perspective it was a bonified nightmare- the worst thing that could have happened at Alexander Steinert’s hearing!”
“Her hearing? When? What hearing, Jack?”
“Remember Emily took her back to 1942- the day Alexander Steinert and Emily Scott met.”
“Ya, I was there, Jack! So was the Admiral! That was yesterday though.”
“From her perspective, that was almost two weeks ago, Carroll! While you and Admiral Demmit left Emily’s temporary dimension, Alex kept living the life of Kim Jenson- right through to the trial of her former self- Alexander!”
“So why does she think I shot her?”
“When Emily tried to terminate the temporary dimension, Alex must have continued it somehow. Her reality began to twist and redirect itself into her worst nightmare!”
“From what I could see in her mind, the hearing fell apart! She thought that Spencer Rosen had delivered information that would clear her male self; instead it declared him a traitor- a spy! Her worst fears manifested themselves in the form of damning evidence! To make matters worse, she found her Kimberly Jenson persona facing the same charges!”
Jack stopped as I tried to continue the story.
“I…I was placed under arrest.” I whispered a little louder now. My voice seemed to be getting louder with each passing moment. “Emily and Donna both…you both held pistols to my head! We were walking down the hall as I tried to convince you I was Alex…Alexandra! They wouldn’t listen to me! I even tried to convince Uncle Rick who I was, but his door never opened.”
“So how did I shoot you, Alex?”
“I…I couldn’t…I couldn’t let it go on any longer! I stopped walking. You tried to keep me moving, but I told you I wouldn’t move any farther. Carroll…” I felt water running down my face into my ears. “Carroll…I told you that you couldn’t kill me- that you wouldn’t shoot! Someone told me it was time to go…and…and…you shot me, Carroll! I saw the flash, heard the report, and felt…Oh, God, it hurt!” I could feel myself break into tears. I turned over on my side and cried!
“Alex?” I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Who told you it was time to go?” Emily’s soothing, professional voice asked gently.
“I’m…I’m…I don’t know!”
I tried opening my eyes again. This time things were a little clearer. I was in my quarters- in my own bed! Everything looked to be in the right places- pictures, clothing, and knick-knacks.
“Am I really home?”
“Yes, Alex, you’re back in 1944! We thought we had lost you for a few minutes, sis!” Emily looked relieved to see me looking at her!
“How long have I been gone?”
“You’ve been unconscious for three days, Alex- three long, sleepless days- for Carroll and I!”
“But you two were there for a week and a half!”
“Alex, you would be more understanding of these things than I would be, but it was only three days.” Emily smiled as she ran her fingers gently through my long, dirty, blonde hair. It felt nice to have her do that. “Everything is okay now, Alex, you’re back home now. Try to forget the bad dream, okay?”
“But I was really there! I almost even had to go on a date with Maj. Canton!”
“Chuck Canton? Alex, aside from Emily’s relationship to me that had to be the closest guarded secret on base at that time! How did you know about that?” Uncle Rick questioned me.
“Emily told me about the rumor right after you left, sir! Right before we left your office that first day!”
“Alex, Uncle Rick, Carroll and I all left around the same time! I never mentioned anything to you about Kim and Maj. Canton!”
“That’s not what I remember! I distinctly remember you and Carroll coming into my office about a week into my life as Kim Jenson- just after Canton thought I had started my period. He ran out of the room faster than a cockroach with his shorts on fire! You forgot your dinner meeting with Alex and Alex Covington brought Corrine Masterson and Jamie Hilf with her to help get you ready. It played out like a scene from Cinderella!”
“Alex, Cinderella hasn’t been made yet.” Emily reminded me. “How could I ever forget a date with you…him, Alex? That is something I would most definitely be on time or even early for! I would never forget about you, Alex!”
“Still, who told me it was time to go?”
“That would be me, ladies.”
Alex Covington and Emily Rosen walked in from the short hallway.
“I thought you said we wouldn’t meet again until after Sam was born, sis?” I scolded her.
“Technically, we came to see you, Alex! I meant that you wouldn’t come to see me…until…never mind! How you feelin’, sis?
“Confused… thanks for asking!”
Alex smiled and nodded to her Emily. Opening her purse, she produced a rather large looking syringe.
“With your permission, Empress?” Emily asked gently. I offered my arm and prepared for the pinch I knew was coming.
“Will you relax, Alex? We don’t take blood that way anymore!” She pushed the strange syringe gently into my skin and pressed a small button on its side. The device made no sound and brought no pain whatsoever! Emily held it there for a few seconds.
Uncle Rick looked on in silent, but curious, fascination.
“There. That wasn’t so bad now, was it?” She smiled as she recapped the device and placed it back into her purse.
“Are Alexandra, Alexis, and Tibius okay, Empress?” I asked my twin.
“Everything is as it should be, sis! Our family is healthy and growing, but now you have some sleep to catch up on! Don’t tell me that you don’t, because I know better!”
“How did you get into my nightmare, Empress?” I asked abruptly.
“Isn’t a dream or nightmare just another kind of dimension, sis- one that we can sometimes control and manipulate to our likes or dislikes?” She smiled at me then winked.
“I never thought of it that way, but what you say makes sense! I have to remember that, Empress.”
“You’ll never forget, Empress! It comes in handy in a few years!” She laughed as she leaned over to hug me.
I felt that wonderful tingle pass between us! I automatically closed my eyes and felt a few tears run down my cheeks.
“Em, is there anything else?” Alex asked our sister.
“No, that does it, Alex. I’ll process this and make enough for distribution.” Emily took Alex Covington’s hand, but let go again and walked around my bed to Uncle Rick.
“I’m going to miss you!” She cried as she wrapped her arms around the old man. “Don’t be a stranger, Uncle Rick. You have the means to visit us at any time, you know.”
Emily clung to him for several minutes before releasing him and walking back over to Alex.
“Ready, Empress.”
“We’ll be right back.” Alex said before disappearing.
“Why did she say she would be right back, Alex?” Carroll asked.
“Do you like needles, Carroll?” I asked offhandedly.
“You know I hate them, skip! Um…why?”
“Because you’re going to get one right now, Lieutenant!” Alex said from behind her and promptly pressed a similar high tech syringe into her neck.
“Alex, you almost made me…nope, scratch that, you did! I’ll be back in a few!” Carroll groused as she scowled at my twin and left the room walking strangely.
“Uncle, you’re next! Sleeve up!”
“Why do we need the antidote? I thought only Terrans and Reilly’s were susceptible?”
“Just roll up your sleeve, old man!” Alex giggled as she reset the same syringe and plunged it into Admiral Demmit’s awaiting arm. Alex moved beside Emily. “Sis, I’ll get…” The device left Alex’s hand and flew over to Jack’s outstretched arm, dispensed itself then flew back to her.
Alex rolled her eyes and proceeded to administer the vaccine to Emily.
“Could I have a word with Alex, please?”
Alex waited for Uncle Rick, Emily, Carroll, and Jack to leave before she said anything else.
“Come and get Emily or I should someone develop a reaction, Alex.” She said as she deposited the empty syringe back into her purse.
I was glad my gifts had returned!
“That won’t be necessary, Empress!” I said confidently as I sat up in bed.
“Welcome back, Empress!” Alex again embraced me, this time squeezing the breath from me.
Pulling the covers back, I saw that I was wearing my favorite pink nighty and concentrated on my uniform. I was rewarded with a seamless clothing change, though I noticed my feet were still bare. A quick search found my shoes waiting for me a few inches away.
“Alex? When do we finally tell the truth about the Terran’s, I mean, does it ever really come out? I haven’t been able to pin it down to any certain date or time- as much as I’ve tried.”
As far ahead as I can see, Alex, that secret will always be on the cusp, but never fully revealed. I can’t imagine the repercussions from that one!”
“Do you think they’ll ever put it together? I mean, really put all the pieces together?”
“Let’s stop talking about that one, sis, we’re confusing the hell out of Jack, and you know how persistent she can get!”
“Agreed.” I thought for a second. “I’m hungry! Let’s go to the mess hall, my treat, Empress!”
1300 hours, Atlantis-Minor, Ni’ihau, May 15th, 1944
“So, how you feeling, Alex?” Allie asked as we took our dishes back to the kitchen.
“Better now that I have something in my stomach. So…” I stopped and looked at my temporal twin. “So…did it really happen?”
“You being sick? Sure did. Why ask?”
“No. Did IT really happen? Do I have to go back and fix my hearing?”
“Sis, do you remember when I appeared behind you during the recess?”
“Yes, why?”
“Do you remember me telling you that everything was in your mind- that nothing was real?”
“As I recall, I told you that you were wrong and I’d do everything I could to prove that to you! I also remember you telling me that the Empress didn’t exist- that she never did!” I said, angered by the recollection.
Allie grabbed my blouse tightly. “Well, I’m still telling you that! We are still in your mind, Alex! In here the Empress does not exist and never will! It’s time for you to go, Alex!” Allie shouted and slapped me across the face hard!
1100 hours, Atlantis-Minor, Ni’ihau, May 15th, 1944
“Welcome back, Skipper.” Carroll greeted me as I opened my eyes and saw her leaning over me.
“What happened?”
“You’ve been out of it for three days now, Alex. Emily says you’ve been running a high fever- one-oh-six! She said she’s never seen anyone survive such a high temperature before!”
Carroll quickly lunged at me and wrapped her arms around me as best she could!
“Alex, I almost…we almost lost you!” She cried as she burst into tears.
“No such luck, lieutenant. I’m here for the foreseeable future.”
Carroll’s crying turned to intermittent laughter.
“You are amazing, Alexandra Steinert! Even as sick as you were, you can still make light of something so serious!” She backed off a little and gave me a gentle punch to my shoulder. “You better stop trying to kill yourself before Emily actually does it for you!”
“Is that what I did?” I looked at her seriously.
“No! You passed out on the bridge just after you transported us back to Ni’ihau…1944, Alex! Don’t you remember?” Carroll replied with concern. “Forgive me, Empress.”
Carroll bowed as she placed her fist to her chest. “Empress, Welcome to Ni’ihau, Atlantis-Minor Base, it is May 15th, 1944, ma’am.”
“I know what year it is, Carroll! I just wanted to make sure I was home and not in some twisted nightmare tightly folded into another twisted nightmare!”
“Huh?” She stated quite simply. “Alex, you never left your bed these last three days- not since Jack carried you off Sand Dollar after we docked in the Grotto!”
“Jack carried me?”
“Well, technically she levitated you here from the Grotto, but ya, she carried you!”
“Admiral Demmit, is he still here?”
“Emily shooed him off base as soon as a plane could get here, Alex! She didn’t want to risk him getting sick too!”
“So she knows? She figured out who the target of the virus was?”
“I don’t follow, Alex? She figured out what? Can a virus target a specific person?”
“Did she figure out that the virus was intended to attack me, primarily, and the Terrans secondly?”
“I’m sure she knows that Admiral Demmit is related to the two of you, if that’s what you mean. I still don’t follow, Alex.”
“Did she figure out that Uncle Rick... has Terran nanos in his body, Carroll? He was born with them!” I raised my voice.
“She does now, Alex Steinert!” Emily growled, appearing in the doorway. “Is there anything else you’d like to tell me about our Uncle? Is he also from another universe?” She waited for me to say something, instead I figured silence was golden and she could take that any way she wanted.
“Of course he’s from a different universe, doc! He’s an Admiral!” Carroll wisecracked with a smirk. Emily joined in, both laughing at me and my discomfort
I moved my arm to wipe the embarrassment…spelled s.w.e.a.t, off my face and found a strange, thin plastic tube taped to my right forearm. It was at that time that I noticed the other end attached to an upturned glass bottle hanging over and just forward of my right nightstand.
“It’s been three days, Alex. I had to keep you hydrated somehow!
“Oh.”
“If you’ll be patient for a few minutes more I’ll take it out, okay?”
I nodded.
Emily went to her opened bag and removed a small ball of cotton and a roll of bandage tape then came over to the suspended bottle and turned a small valve below it.
“Hold still now, sis.” Emily ordered as she placed the cotton over the insertion point in my arm and slowly pulled an amazingly long needle out.
Seeing my expression, Emily laughed a little. “Its amazing what the human body can hold, isn’t it, Alex?”
When I didn’t say anything, she continued. “This isn’t new technology, Alex. IV’s have been around for twenty years or more, I just borrowed the silicone rubber tubing and drip adjuster from Amelia before we left Kili.”
“Oh.” I mumbled.
“Is that all you can say? Oh? I expected more from my sister! Something like, ‘why on earth would you do that, Emily? You’ll change the course of history, Emily!’ But, no, I get a simple ‘oh’!”
When I didn’t say anything more, Emily just smiled at me.
“Want to talk about it, sis?” She asked in a gentle tone.
“Talk about what, Emily?”
“You want to talk about the crazy, twisted, nightmarish, dimension you made for yourself while you fought off that bug?” Emily had resumed her ‘professional’ voice, but kept it essentially to a whisper.
“How do you know that?” I responded in surprise. I began to wonder if I had actually reached my reality yet.
“I know you were in a dream-state for three days, sis- delirious at times! I wouldn’t be a good medical seer- or the Empress’s sister, if I couldn’t see those images, Alex! Did you really dream that Carroll shot you?” Emily began to giggle.
“I did what? I didn’t shot you Alex! I would never do that, Skip!” Carroll said, quickly going on the defensive.
“I know you wouldn’t, Carroll! It was all part of my dream- nothing more! Did you really put me into that dimension, sis, cause I still don’t know if I’m back! I’m really confused right now!” I tried not to show the panic still lingering in me.
“Try to use your gifts, Alex. From what I saw in the dream, you couldn’t, and I quote, ‘predict a storm even if you could see it coming’!”
“That’s a good idea, sis!” I said as I willed myself to phase out.
“Alex, I figured you would do that, but I didn’t expect the bed to go with you. Mariah would be mad if only half of it came back, you know.” Emily closed her eyes, laughed, and shook her head.
Slowly I pulled back the sheet and rolled out of my bed on the left keeping my hand on the mattress until I felt steady on my feet. I removed my hand and stood straight up.
“Well, the bed made it back in one piece, Doc!” Carroll said with some relief.
It was good to know that that part of my gift was working properly. I decided to take stock of myself. I was dressed in an outfit I hadn’t thought practical for nighttime in the tropics- pajamas- flannel pajamas- heavy, blue, flannel pajamas to be specific. In order to find out who was responsible I tried to bring up my clothing’s heads up display. Apparently I wasn’t wearing my Reilly clothing at the moment. I decided to rephase.
“What’s with the PJ’s, sis?” I asked. Both pair of eyes quickly locked on me from across the bed.
“Alex, you shouldn’t be out of bed yet. I’d like you to rest for a few more hours. We’re quick healers but even we need to let things catch up.” Emily scolded.
I crossed my arms and waited for the answer to my question.
“Oh, fine, if you must know, I put those on you, Alex!” Emily finally admitted. “I did it because with a hundred and six degree fever, I wanted you to stay cool! I’ve had to douse you with water a number of times over the last three days to keep the fever manageable and the fabric held the moisture! Had I not, your temperature would have gone high enough to kill even you, Alex! Need I remind you that we are still slightly human! Now get back into that bed before I have Jack do it for you, Captain Steinert!”
“Please not the Mind Warrior, Doctor Emily!” I cried with as much sarcasm as I could.
Suddenly I was two feet off the ground and rotating into a horizontal position.
“Jack, put me down!”
‘Doctor’s orders, Alex! No can do,’ came her response in my mind!
“Fine, We’ll play it your way then!” I said as I phased myself out and dropped straight through my bed.
“Ouch!”
I concentrated on the Empress’s quarters and found myself standing in the darkened building.
“I’ll decide whether I need more rest or not!” I said defiantly to the empty room. I kept myself phased out so Jack couldn’t find me.
Even though the curtains blocked most of the sunlight from entering, the heat from the sun wasn’t stopped from entering so easily. I could feel the stifling heat even in my phase-shifted condition. I had to change out of these pajamas!
My private dimension replaced the hot, darkened, bedroom of the Empress’s quarters. The weather here was at least bearable, but I could feel myself tiring. I had to find out if I was finally out of my nightmare though.
“Can we ever really escape our dreams, Alexandra?”
“Ma Scott?” I answered the unseen voice.
“I said you could call me mom, Alex, not Ma!” Emily’s Ma came walking into the light near me.
“Sorry, mom, I didn’t mean to insult you. Back home, it’s perfectly fine to call my mother ‘Ma’.”
“Then you can refer to me as ‘Ma’, Alex, but only you! Understand me, young lady?”
“Yes, Ma. Why are you here anyway? I didn’t call you did I? If I did, I didn’t mean to disturb you! It wasn’t on purpose, ma’am.”
“Alexandra, I took the initiative to appear here on my own, dear.”
“You can do that, Ma? I thought I was the only one…”
“There are special, limited exceptions, young lady! One being when a mother sees her daughter misbehaving like a spoiled child, Alexandra! Of course, this private little universe of yours is much easier to materialize in than earth!” Ruth Scott cut me off to scold me.
“Your sister only has the best of intentions for you, Alex. She would not confine you to bed rest if she didn’t think it necessary. What you did just now- using your talents to escape from Jacquelyn’s talent…its…its childish, Alexandra! I thought my girls would know better than to abuse such special god-given talents as yours! Shame on you, Alexandra!”
Ma Scott stood there, just staring at me for a while. I said nothing as I assessed my own actions of the last few minutes. One thing that was becoming evident though, I was really starting to feel tied. Indeed, I had acted like a child- a spoiled child!
“You’re right, mom, I acted like an impudent child- I’m sorry. It’s just that I have to find out if I’m still trapped in my nightmare. I’ve never been so confused in my life, Ma.”
“Come here, child.” She offered her arms and before I knew it, I was being held by Emily’s mother- my second mother. “I understand how things can get so confusing, Alex. My world…my dimension as you call it, can be just as confusing at first, dear.”
“I can imagine, but I just want to know if I’m back, mom.” I replied into her shoulder. A few tears unexpectedly left my eyes.
“Of course you’re back, dear, you wouldn’t be here if you were still locked in your dreams, and I’m not the type to invade them, my dear daughter. I’m not that malevolent!” Ma Scott giggled as she started to rub my back gently.
“I think I have to go now, ma, I’m feeling really tired. I’m sorry.” I admitted as my adoptive mother released me.
“See dear, Emily was right. You aren’t as strong as you think you are yet.”
“I thought I was better, ma, I guess I’m just too headstrong. Thank you for coming, mom, I appreciate it.” I hugged the woman then stepped back from her.
“You listen to Emily from now on, Alexandra. She knows what is medically best for you.” She said before starting to fade. Ruth Scott faded back in.
“Tell your sister I’m really proud of her, Alex. I’m proud of you both, dear.”
I stood alone in my private domain once more. A yawn escaped my mouth as I turned to gaze at the single yellow sun, ever stationary in the otherwise black emptiness. One day I would have to figure out what it meant.
My bedroom replaced the emptiness of my private sanctuary. Emily and Carroll were still there waiting patiently.
I appeared with my head lowered.
“You’re right, Emily. I’m not as recovered as I thought. I’ll get back in bed now, sis.” I admitted as I climbed back between my covers.
“What happened to you? Where did you go, Alex?” My sister asked as Carroll nodded her head in agreement.
“I…I think some of my Granddaughter surfaced. It was explained to me that I was acting like a spoiled child, which, I guess I was. I’m sorry, Emily, Carroll, and you too Jack!”
“It was explained to you? Who told you that, Alex?” My sister asked, confused.
“Mom. She told me.”
Emily eyed me cautiously for a minute. “Mom told you, Alex?”
“I went to my domain. Mom was waiting for me. She scolded me for not listening to you- for not following your orders, Emily.” I told her through a yawn as I turned away from her and Carroll and fluffed my pillow.
“You talked to Mother again? Alex, why?” Emily was flabbergasted.
“She came to me, Emily, not the other way around. She said there are special times that they can do that, but that it was much easier to materialize there than here on Earth.” I yawned several more times.
“They can do that? Did she say anything else?”
“She says she’s real proud of you, sis- she’s real proud…of…both…of…us.”I replied as a warm cozy haze fell upon me.
“Empress.” I heard a voice through my sleep-fogged mind.
“Empress, wake up. I need to talk to you.” The insistent voice said again. My warm haze began to disperse.
“Empress, I need to talk to you about something important. Please wake up, ma’am.” I thought the voice sounded a little like Corrine Masterson, but I still wasn’t sure.
“Corrine?”
“Yes, Empress, its me. I need to talk to you about something…important.”
I opened my eyes and was met by the light of the midday sun streaming through my partially opened curtains. Turning away from the obnoxious light, I looked into Corrine Masterson’s forlorn face no more than a foot away.
“I’m sorry for waking you, Skipper, but I…I…I need your counsel on something!”
She waited for my response as I took a minute or two to wake up properly.
“My door is always open, Corrine. What’s on your mind?” I asked wiping the sleepers out of my eyes.
“Skip, this morning I woke up and...and I looked in the mirror.”
“Okay…and?”
“And I looked like this, Skipper! I’m…I’m different! I look different!”
I took a second look at her. Nothing seemed different, she looked as proportional as always. I stopped to think on that. She looked proportional, not overly buxom! I rolled my eyes to refocus them. Yep, she had received her gift. But hadn’t she received it a few days ago on Kili…in 2028?
“Corrine, you just received your gift, that’s all. What’s the problem?”
“I…I can’t get my old form back, Skip! I’ve tried and nothing happens! I’m worried!”
“Did you have a talk with your future self before we left Kili, Corrine?”
“Ya, why?”
“I would’ve thought she’d given you some pointers for when this happened.”
“She told me how to change to this form, but not how to change back. How do I do it, Empress?” She stated quietly whispering ‘Empress’.
“Just relax, Corrine.”
“How can I relax when I look like this? What if someone sees me?” She whispered conspiratorially.
“Miss Masterson, you look exactly like your future self, and almost everyone has seen her, but I meant that’s how you resume your original form, honey- relax.”
“Oh.”
“I thought you would be overjoyed with your new look, hun- especially with all the ridiculing you’ve been taking since the change. Why would you ever want to go back to it, Corrine?”
“I…I…I just want to know I can go back, Skipper. Being stuck in that form, I’m just a little worried I might not be able to control it…or hold it for that matter!”
“Just try to relax, Corrine. Let all the worry- all the embarrassment fade away. You have my word that you can return to your original form. Go ahead, relax and see that I’m right.”
The person at my bedside began to shimmer and change, becoming bustier every second until the old Corrine stood there beside me.
I looked her up and down and gestured with my hand for her to appraise her body.
“It worked! It worked, Skipper! Thank you ma’am, thank you!” She leaned over and kissed my cheek.
“Thank yourself, Corrine, you did it all, not me.” I gave her my brightest smile.
“But you told me it would work, Skipper!”
“I told you nothing you hadn’t known already, Corrine. Now, wouldn’t you like to continue to show off that wonderfully normal body to those that have teased and ridiculed you the last couple months?”
Corrine Masterson changed once more, assuming the form she would display for the next three hundred or so years- except for those times her gift was called upon when needed for an adventure by the Empress. She turned to leave.
“I’m not so sure I should reveal my other gift yet, Skipper.” She stopped and turned back to me. “You said I would be receiving my gift in another month. Should I wait until the time you specified? I don’t want to be responsible for changing history, Empress.”
I moved to the edge of the bed and placed my feet over the side to sit up. Corrine stepped back to give me room.
“Corrine, I’m not so sure you’ve been listening to Mina or any of us Alex’s. You alone decide whether to change your future. By making a decision, you set the ultimate course through your life’s journey. I’m only here to see that you make the best choices possible- the ones that benefit the most people, friends, and family.”
I paused a moment.
“You alone must choose whether you should hide your secondary gift or not, Corrine Masterson! I’m just going to recommend that you choose not to hide it, but to develop it farther. Do you understand?”
“You need me on an upcoming mission, right, Empress?” She began to smile.
“That’s a definite possibility now, Corrine.” I winked at her and kept smiling.
“Will it be a dangerous one, Empress?”
“There’s always a chance of danger and intrigue, hon.” I admitted cryptically.
Her smile widened as her hair grew longer.
“I think you need to practice a little more, Corrine, things shouldn’t change randomly when you lose concentration, hun.” I giggled and pointed to her mid-back length brown hair.
Corrine Masterson took a handful and pulled it over her shoulder to examine the length and laughed.
“This is the best day of my life, Skipper! Thank you!”
She happily hugged me and turned again for the door.
“Good afternoon, Doctor!” I heard her sing as she passed Emily out in my office.
“Was that Corrine I passed out there, Alex?” Emily asked as she pointed out to my office when she appeared in my doorway.
I nodded.
“Wonderful! I was hoping she would get her gift earlier then you predicted.”
“She was worried that she would change things, Emily!” I giggled. “She wanted to know if I thought she should hide her gift! Can you imagine that?”
“She needs to build her confidence, Alex. Your approval means the world to her and to all of our sisters, you know. They look to you more now than ever before, my Empress.” Emily giggled back.
“Some won’t look to me quite so much in the coming years I’m afraid, Emily.” My giggling stopped immediately as I thought of Tish.
Silence filled the room for a while.
“We’re being sent on our longest mission in a few days, Emily.” I said out of the blue.
“Where?”
“Attack Group Escort for a campaign to New Guinea- Biak Island. From there we head for Saipan- same roll. We’ll be on patrol for four weeks straight.” I said sadly.
“And how many sorties will the Empress be making in that amount of time, Alex?” My sister inquired, raising an eyebrow.
“I’ll add another eight months or so under my belt, sis.” I admitted.
“Any places I know, sis?”
“A few.”
“Such as?”
“Vicksburg, DC, Chicago.”
“Chicago, Alex?”
“World’s Fair.”
“Oh.”
“What about Vicksburg?”
“Something about Great-Grandma- Brie is going to contact me with the specifics after we get to DC.”
“Am I needed for any of them, Empress?”
“Chicago and DC for sure, Mississippi is a maybe, sis. I’m afraid corsets will be the order of the day for all three trips, though. I’ll need you mostly for back rubs at the end of each day.”
“You had to go and spoil it, didn’t you?” Emily giggled again.
I raised my arms and shrugged my shoulders. “One good point though, sis.”
“What’s that?”
“Mina’s coming with us to DC.”
“I didn’t think it would be one of our better trips, Alex. Don’t we lose her there?” Emily looked a little sullen.
“Wrong trip, sis. Mina makes her fateful decision when we book passage on Grandpa’s riverboat. We may or may not lose her there though. I’ve seen at least three different acceptable conclusions for that one. It’s all up to Mina, though.”
“Is this the one where you first get mentioned in the President’s personal diary, Alex? The one you told me about two weeks ago after you returned from next year?”
“I’d rather not recall that trip, Emily, but yes, this is the one.”
“You’re going to try talking him out of going to the theater?”
“Worse, sis, I have to talk him INTO going.” I looked to the floor and turned my head away from my sister.
“Oh, Alex, I didn’t know! I’m sorry, sis!”
“Has to be…done…I’m afraid.”
“Can I ask how you figure to persuade him, Alex?”
“That’s where Chicago comes in.” I looked back at her as I wiped a tear from my cheek.
“So when do we leave?” Emily asked quietly.
“Night three when we surface for recharge. We’ll only be gone for five minutes…relative, but I’m afraid you, Mina, Jamie, Corrine, and I will be corseted for about twelve days- Empress time.”
“Corrine and Jamie? They’re coming along, Alex?”
“We’re going to require several wardrobe changes- who better than Corrine to change our hair color and length?”
“But Jaime Hilf?”
“We’ll need her acute hearing and her gift of empathy and persuasion arrive right on time, sis. She’ll develop it in DC.”
“Will she be up for it, Alex? That might be a little too extreme for her to handle, you know.”
“Can’t be helped, sis! For the record, Jamie has already realized part of her gift on our initial return from Kili. She needs to know how to control both parts of her gift and this is how I’ve seen she accomplishes it. Unfortunately, she’s going to whine like an air raid siren- so fair warning!”
“I’ll keep an eye on her, don’t worry, sis.”
“Thanks, now I guess I better get dressed and pay a little visit to Uncle- I’m sure he’s wondering how I’m doing. Am I cleared for travel, Doctor Scott?”
Emily closed her eyes for a moment. “Cleared for travel and immediate departure, Empress!” She smiled.
“Thanks, now where did you hide my uniform?” From the look on her face I could tell that I would have to ask a higher power.
“Jack! I want my clothing back! Now!” I shouted into the air. Emily burst out laughing. As we heard the wooden trunk at the foot of my bed unlock.
“She did that herself, Alex! I wondered how she was going to keep you on base.”
“Thank you, Commander.” I again called to the ceiling.
1400 hours, CINCPAC Headquarters, Pearl Harbor, May 15th, 1944
“That’s all, Mr. Ford. I want that encrypted and sent out immediately!”
“I thought this was a fully involved mission, Admiral, I don’t see Capt. Steinert’s Sand Dollar on the list, sir.”
“You don’t worry about the Sand Dollar, lieutenant, her captain has been fully briefed- trust me.”
I watched Admiral Demmit look about the air in his office and giggled to myself.
“But how, Admiral, I don’t recall seeing any other communiqués cross my desk for encryption today?”
“Lt. Ford, I gave you an order, I expect you to carry it out! Dismissed, Lieutenant!” Demmit growled in annoyance.
“Aye, sir!” Ford looked thoroughly confused, but stood to attention momentarily and let himself out.
“Come on out, Empress! I know you’re here.” Uncle Rick said in a hushed voice to the empty office walls after waiting a minute or two.
“You knew I was here, Uncle?” I asked with a quirky smile and a raised eyebrow as I rephased.
“Alex, we have a big push into New Guinea set for the 27th and I’m going to need all my available boats for escort duty. Of course I would expect you to be here!” He said as he finished signing some report and looked up at me. “Should I ask how you’re feeling, Captain Steinert?”
“That’s why I stopped by, Admiral. Emily just gave me a clean bill of health and I figured I’d check in, sir- though I thought you’d be more concerned.” I gave a little sniff for effect.
“You gave your uncle quite a shock when you passed out- I won’t lie to you, Alex, I was very concerned! Now that Dr. Scott has released you from her care, I expect you will do your best on this upcoming mission?”
“Admiral…” I leaned in closer to him, my face going stone serious. “I can’t be everywhere at once! Y’all are gonna lose a lot of good people in this one, sir. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear, but if I tried to save…”
“I didn’t ask the Empress to intervene, Captain Steinert! I’m asking if you will assume your responsibilities as captain of the Sand Dollar in the usual fashion! I want to know that my premiere boat crew will have the necessary leadership.”
“I’ll be in command for the entire four weeks, Admiral. Any extraneous trips will be undertaken when off duty, sir- of that, you can be assured!”
“Good, Commander, I...! Wait, you mean you’ll be assuming your Empress persona while off duty, Alex?” Uncle Rick looked surprised.
“The four of us will only be gone for five minutes, Admiral- and only on the third night of the mission…unless something unexpected pops up.”
Admiral Demmit rubbed his eyes and took a long breath.
“So who is the Empress going to help this time, Alex, or is that confidential?”
“President Lincoln, sir. He needs some advice on a certain issue.”
Uncle Rick’s mouth dropped open, his eyes popping wildly from their sockets.
Maybe I could have worded that a little differently- eased into the subject a little slower. At this rate my new uncle would suffer a severe heart attack before the end of this war!
“Sir, I’m not looking forward to this one at all! If I had the choice, I’d pass over the task expected of me.”
“But you’ll be helping the President, Alex.” Demmit eyed me critically.
“You could say that, sir.” I again pictured my forthcoming visit to 1865 and dropped my gaze to the floor.
“I’ll let it drop, Alex. I can see you’re conflicted. I trust you’ll assist the Commander–In-Chief any way you can. Now, I want Sand Dollar here by 1500hrs tomorrow for supplies and fuel. How are you doing on fish?”
“Chief Peterson just finished reworking the detonators last week, sir. I believe a Rec. for two additional Mark 14’s should top us off.”
Admiral Demmit nodded his approval.
“I’m sending orders for Sand Dollar to only refuel with a tender near dawn, Captain. You’ll be running submerged by day under the guise of carrying some new, specialized sonar equipment on her. All the information on when and where you’re to rendezvous is contained in this.” Admiral Demmit said as he handed me the brief.
“Aye, sir.”
“Alex?”
“Sir?”
“Alex, I know how mundane these missions seem to you now, given your…um…acute talent…for…for seeing into the future, but we really need you! I’m not asking you to hunt down and personally sink every enemy sub and destroyer, but just to guard the convoy as you have so many times in the past- before your Mahanilui.” Demmit said in a calm quiet voice. He looked like he was holding back.
“I’d have thought you would want me to clear the way, sir?” I asked with slight confusion.
“Alex, I took the liberty of examining the archives at Reilly on our visit. I know how history will unfold on this campaign- what the toll will be! We all know the risks, Alex. I’m not thrilled with our loses, but if that’s what it takes to win the war... Having reviewed the battle accounts, I want you to do only what you feel necessary to achieve the reported outcome- nothing more. Do you understand me, Capt. Steinert?”
“Understood, Admiral! I’ll try not to change the future too much, sir!” I reassured him.
Uncle Rick looked pleased at first- until he thought about my answer a little harder. He again rubbed his eyes.
He stared at me hard for a few seconds, probably to intimidate me, but I held strong.
Admiral Demmit scowled.
“My…niece…will not…change…our…future…anymore than she already has! It is to remain the concise, disturbingly bloody, history that I read while visiting Reilly Research Station in 2028! Is…that…clear, Alexandra!” Demmit growled.
“I’ll try not to change a thing, Uncle. That’s the best I can agree to.” I answered honestly as I looked directly back into his eyes.
“That’s all I ask, Alex, that’s all I ask. Dismissed, Captain Steinert.” Admiral Demmit sat back down at his desk.
Had I really just stared down the Admiral and…and won?”
I phased out, but didn’t leave immediately.
“Admiral?” Maj. Canton knocked at the slightly ajar door just mere seconds later.
“Chuck, come on in and close the door, please.”
“Are you sure it’s clear, Rick? I thought I heard Alex Steinert’s voice in here a second ago?”
He sniffed at the air a few times.
I hadn’t realized I’d spritzed any perfume on.
“She’s gone, Chuck, have a seat.”
“I heard she was pretty sick the other day. Is she okay now?”
“Dr. Scott gave her a clean bill of health. She just stopped by to let me know. I gave her her orders so she doesn’t have to attend tonight’s briefing.”
“Good call, sir. That might not go over so well with her fellow boat captains.”
“I told her I didn’t want the Empress to interfere with the mission, Chuck.” Uncle Rick said solemnly out of the blue.
“Why would you do that, Rick? Her knowledge of the upcoming battle could save so many lives! She could lead the convoy around any Jap patrols and direct our landing crafts to safer beaches! Why not take advantage of that?”
“Why indeed, Maj. Canton!” I growled, having rephased.
Canton jumped about a foot!
Uncle Rick rolled his eyes and dropped his stare to the desk before him. He then placed his palms into his eye sockets and elbows on the desk to support his head and new headache. “You opened the can this time, Chuck.” He said, shaking his head slightly.
“I’m waiting, Major! Why would Uncle Rick take advantage of a reliable resource such as the Empress of Time and Space?” I tried to keep my anger out of my voice- to no avail.
Did the light just flicker? But it was daylight yet…
“Alex, I just meant…you…it…so many lives could be saved on our side though!”
“On our side! What about the people on the other side, Major?” I moved to stare him down. “Shouldn’t I save them too? They do live on this planet and we won’t always be at war- why shouldn’t I save them too?”
“I just thought that…but you’re on our side, Capt. Steinert!”
“True as can be, Major! My allegiance to our country is beyond question, but my gifts are not to be abused by anyone! Admiral Demmit has shown remarkable restraint by ordering me not to influence this mission and I salute him for that! You, on the other hand seem to side with those that think I could bring about a quick end to this! Know this…there will be a quick end to this conflict, Charles Canton- an end so quick it would see Japan choose unconditional surrender within a week! The cost of which though is only a scant few hundred thousand unsuspecting civilians!” I began to cry as I recalled the destructive force due to be unleashed next August.
“Alex, I never meant to…”
“You never meant to assume we should use the Empress to help win the war? No, you never meant to anger me! You seem to forget that the blonde skirt before you can see the future, Chuck! Do you want me to show you what could have been if I interfered? I can do it- just one hop into a dimension where things happened exactly that way!”
Why did the lights blink again?
“Empress, stand down!” Uncle Rick ordered as he interceded. “You too, major!”
“But, sir!”
“Chuck, I’ve actually seen what Alex has only hinted at just now! The images of which have haunted my dreams every night since! Capt. Steinert has given me her word that the Empress will only intercede where necessary to guarantee that which is recorded, so history stays intact! It is my intent to protect and not abuse the talents of any of the Sand Dollar’s crew, Chuck!” Uncle Rick glared at him a minute.
“Believe me when I say that you don’t want to get on the wrong side of any of these women for any reason!”
“Tell me, Major, do you miss Ensign Jenson?” I asked as I thought of an illustration to my argument.
Canton’s mouth fell open.
“How…how do you know about…about Kim?” He asked, quite flabbergasted.
“I know the how, the why, the when, and the where, Major! I could take you to a place where you could talk to her- or would you just want me to save her for you?”
“You can do that?”
“Easily.”
“But Kim died almost two years ago, why would you do that? Why would you disturb her rest?”
“Why would Alex risk saving all those that would perish in the next few weeks, Chuck? If we had fewer casualties at New Guinea, what’s to say we wouldn’t lose more on the next beachhead- or the next? I think what Alex is trying to say is that she has to keep the world in balance, Major! The Empress has to balance our futures and try to repair any deviations that might threaten that.”
“Very astute of you, Uncle Rick. Think about my offer though, Charles Canton. I have seen several favorable futures involving Kimberly Jenson and yourself- a select few even manage to enhance our present timeline. I now task you with the choice of whether her future changes and for what reason. Admiral Demmit, I will now take my leave, sir!”
I phased out. My office replaced Admiral Demmit’s office.
“SHIT! ALEX!”
I turned to see Carroll had almost run into me- moreover, I had almost phased into her, not pausing to see myself clear!
“Sorry, Carroll, I guess I forgot to look around before I rephased.”
It’s okay, Skip, I almost…just…damn!” She cried in annoyance. “Excuse me, Skip, I have to…never mind, I’ll be back in a few minutes!” Carroll groused as she abruptly left my office.
“You better stop that, Alex! She’s going to have to requisition more undies from supply if you keep scaring her the way you have lately. That our next mission briefing in your hand?”
“I’m really sorry, sis. I didn’t mean to pop in like that. I should be more careful when distracted. Ya, these are our orders for the next four weeks.”
“What’s got you so flustered, Alex?”
“Maj. Canton.”
“Did he make a pass at you?” Emily’s eyes widened.
“No, it was worse! He assumed that I would help ensure the convoy’s success with my gifts!”
“No! What did Uncle Rick say?”
“I’m under orders to keep the Empress out of it, sis.”
“Good! I told you our uncle was a fair and reasonable man.” She smiled at me.
“He wasn’t the problem, sis. Canton! Canton seemed appalled by Uncle Rick’s order for nonintervention. It’s just frustrating to have someone assume…” I stopped before saying something I shouldn’t.
“You mentioned Kim, didn’t you?” She asked, tilting her head slightly. Her expression went neutral.
“His mouth dropped wide open, Emily!”
“Gee, I wonder why?”
“I asked if he wanted me to rescue her. I left it up to him. I was hoping it would help him see what I’m faced with as Empress. I didn’t think my bluff would give him hope though.”
“So…any scenarios save her and Donna and keep the timeline stable?”
“One, sis, only one.”
“Mina would have a field day with this, Alex!”
“Don’t remind me. It’s bad enough I have to hear her gloat about the president next week!”
“Speaking of which…” I pointed to the door as if shooting a pistol after I sat down behind my desk. On cue it opened and in walked Mia, Nina, Lailu, and Kayla.
“Sisters, we have seen that mother will join you for the upcoming mission. Why have you not gone to retrieve her?” Mia inquired officially.
“First off, Mina will not be officially part of the crew; she will be traveling with the Empress as we right several temporal problems in nineteenth century America. She will only be onboard for a day or two then I must return her to my sister Alex Reilly.” I informed them.
“Secondly, who among you has misinterpreted the near future to their liking?” I looked at each of them with a raised brow. I glanced up to see Emily snicker with a quirky smile.
“You didn’t?” I accused her.
“What? No, I thought it funny that you sounded exactly like Mina just now! I hadn’t had the chance to look and see what our next adventure would be or who would participate, Alex- not that I can do that anyway.” Emily stated, somewhat irritated by my accusation.
“Setengah-saudara (Half-sister), I am responsible for the flawed interpretation.” Kayla admitted quietly as she bowed her head. “I hoped by skewing the premonition, I would influence your departure to retrieve mother.”
“Saudara (Sister), we all miss her, but you have seen what must be for yourself!” I said sadly. “Mina would fight us tooth and nail if we meddled. You all know this to be true. If I found a way around this, I wouldn’t hesitate to implement the plan! We must remember that what happens in the next few weeks does so for a reason, and we have to accept it to stabilize our precious timeline. I’m sorry.”
“We have no doubt you would do everything in your power, Empress, but knowing you are losing a loved one is comparable to the most severe cruelties imaginable! The futility we all share in knowing there is no recourse but to watch and wait for it to happen angers all who know and love her, Saudara!”
“I know what it’s like to lose a loved one, sisters! The anguish I felt at the time; knowing I was unable to even assist in the recovery of my brother’s remains…” I choked down that far off, half-forgotten memory that had since been remedied with my gift.
“I guess we were hoping…” Nina wiped a tear from her eye. “Hoping that you had found a way… We should go. I’m sure your work has piled up during your illness, Empress.”
Our youngest half-sister turned and ran from the room out into the compound.
“We are glad you are again well, Saudara! Good evening.” Mia said as our remaining three sisters also turned and hurried out of the office.
“Alex, isn’t there some way…”
“I’ve tried to find any loophole possible, Emily. There just aren’t any that work out and hold the timeline! I never said that I’d quit trying though, sis. Somehow, someway, there has to be a viable solution!”
“I didn’t think you would give up, Alex. It’s not in your nature.” Emily gently took and squeezed my hand.
“I think I’m going to move this topic down the list a few slots though, sis. We’ve got to get Sand Dollar ready for departure in the morning. The Admiral wants us tied up at Pearl by 1500hrs for provisioning. We drop moorings tomorrow morn…”
“Excuse me, Cap, just wanted to let you know that the boat will be ready for departure tomorrow at 1000hrs.” Jack burst through the doorway, stopped and stood to attention while she finished my sentence.
“Thank you, Commander. That’s all for tonight.” I acknowledged her.
“Glad you’re feeling better, Alex. We were all really worried about you for awhile there.”
“Thanks, Jack.”
“Alex?”
“Ya?”
“Alex, will it really be as bad as you think?”
“The DC trip or the mission, Jack?”
“The mission.”
“”Well, it may turn out better than the history books will reflect, Jack. Answer your question?”
“Clear as loose silt, Cap, thanks!”
“Good. See you at dinner, Commander.”
“Aye, Cap!”
Emily and I waited a few minutes before continuing.
“Sis, I’m going to take a fast trip to Reilly- care to come along?” I asked with a devious smile on my face.
“We’re phased out already, right?”
I nodded.
“Thought you would never ask, sis!”
My office became the brightly lit clearing just outside Reilly’s discriminatory airlock. I had landed us just outside its range of detection and rephased.
“What…no welcoming committee?” I looked to Emily in confusion.
Shrugging our shoulders at each other we made for the door and entered.
“RVP, where is everyone?” I asked as I opened the inner door.
“Empress, Alex Reilly, Camille Darough, and their daughters are on a mission and will be back in a few minutes. Please proceed to the infirmary for nanotech firmware patch upload.”
“What?” I looked to Emily for a translation.
“I think I know what she means, Alex. Come on.” She said as she took my hand and led me up the passage.
Arriving in the infirmary, we were met by Cynthia, Reilly’s resident doctor.
“Hey, Cindy! We’re here for this so called firmware patch upload.” I said with a cheery smile and a small amount of sarcasm.
“Welcome Empress!” Cynthia fell to one knee. “Welcome to Reilly Research Station. It is the year before your Lord 2026, Tuesday, December 24th, 1332hrs.”
I let out a large sigh.
“I’m sorry, Empress, but it has advanced to become autonomous.”
“No, Cindy, I failed to note our arrival date- December 24th.”
Emily looked at me in surprise. “Christmas Eve!” She exclaimed before looking down at the floor a minute. She looked back up at me.”It hasn’t happened yet, Alex, does it still count?”
“Maybe not for those originally born to Reilly, but for we travelers from the future, most certainly, sis!”
“Merry Christmas, sisters!” Mina greeted as she entered the infirmary. “Although I believe it somewhat premature for such celebration.”
Mina approached us and embraced us both, placing a kiss on one each of our cheeks.
“Welcome back to Reilly, you two. I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes. That should give Cynthia plenty of time to process her flu vaccine.”
“Mina…um…Empress?” I gestured to myself. “We have all the time in the world, your highness!” For some unknown reason I spoke the latter part with a thick Scottish accent. I thought about why I’d do such a thing and nodded to myself, having found the answer in my future twin’s memory.
Three people stared back at me.
“H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine!” I exclaimed, amazed that neither got the reference.
“Alexandra, I consider myself well versed in Mr. Wells’ works- having met the man several times before leaving Britain- and that quote simply was not in the manuscript- of that I am quite certain!”
“But it was in the movie, Mina!” I spouted, sure that I was right about that fact.
Emily nudged me in the side. “Alex, even in our time they haven’t made that into a movie yet- and I think Wells is still alive!”
“Oh ya, well it was a good line just the same. Anyway, we’ll be leaving in the morning, Mina. I just got over that bug and I’m still not one hundred percent.”
Cynthia placed a syringe looking device to my upturned wrist and pushed gently. After a few seconds a beep sounded and she removed the strange device then walked into the lab next door with it. We watched as she placed it into a machine and pressed a few buttons. She nodded her head in agreement to something then rejoined us.
“Thank you, Empress. The antibodies have been read by your nanos and added to their reference database. I will use that database to prepare the patch nanos for distribution to all in Reilly.”
“Be sure to include enough for the ancestors in Egypt, Cindy. I’d like to beat Janelle at her own game! I’d also like one syringe of the Terran-Earther type vaccine for a fellow resistance fighter if it would be okay.”
“Of course, Empress. I’ll have it ready for you before you leave in the morning.” Cindy smiled at me and walked back into the lab.
“Peyton?” Emily asked as we turned to leave.
“Yup.”
“Alex, Eighty percent of carriers usually don’t contract the disease they carry. We still don’t know how Hathor did it!” Emily assumed her professional voice.
“Peyton isn’t exactly your normal human carrier, sis, and she passed it to me via touch- when I took her hand after the conference.” I reminded her.
“Alexandra, I have taken the liberty to enter our upcoming fashion requirements into the station computer- with Random’s help. The necessary information will be loaded into your uniforms overnight as they recharge. Though, because of the complexities the time period presents, we will be issuing companion foundation pieces as well.” Mina changed the subject as we walked down to the recreation room.
“Yes, I’m so looking forward to the use of corsets this trip, Mina.” Emily remarked in a sarcastic tone.
“Every woman of age was expected to wear one, or so I’m told.” Mina countered.
“So how did you manage to talk RVP into issuin’ us britches, Mina?” I inquired, marveling at her apparent success.
“You forget that I have pull with the hierarchy, Alexandra.” Mina winked playfully.
“Oh, and I don’t? Mina, what’s the use of being the Empress if no one recognizes it?”
“Alexandra, we all respect and admire you. Never forget that, love! I was just at the proper place at the appropriate moment. Now let’s go in and take part in the celebration, shall we?” Mina stopped and motioned to the open doorway.
“Merry Christmas,” rang out through the crowded Rec Room as we entered! A seven-foot pine tree stood decorated with strangely focused, multicolored lights and colorful ornaments in the far left corner. Holly vines draped in gentle arcs from the ceiling around all four walls.
Alex Reilly appeared in an empty spot directly ahead of us and immediately caught me in a very tight embrace.
“Happy solstice, my revision!” She exclaimed with excitement. “I trust your health superior, having vanquished Hathor’s mysterious influenza?”
“Y’all talk real funny, ya know that sis?” I told her in my best drawl adding my most sincere smile. “Happy solstice to you, Alexandra Reilly.” I returned her greeting.
“Y’all know um foolin’ with ya?” She responded with a devious grin while trying not to laugh.
I winked.
Two decorative glasses flew overhead and hovered just out of reach until Cami and her daughter, Cassiopeia, appeared through the crowd.
“Empress, welcome to our winter solstice celebration! Doctor Emily, we are also pleased you came along.” Cami greeted us.
“I managed to talk Alex and mother into resurrecting the old Homeworld tradition, Empress. I have been informed you yourself instituted the first celebration on one of your visits. Does it meet with your expectations, M’lady?” Cassi Darough bubbled enthusiastically.
I looked around the large room. One thing in particular looked really out of place at this gathering. Nodding, I motioned to Emily and we walked through the crowd to where Alex’s daughter, Reilly, stood. She had her back to us.
“Honey, has anyone told you about this little piece of holiday tradition, yet?” I asked, tapping her on the shoulder.
“Merry Solstice, Auntie Alex!” Reilly gleefully screeched as she turned around, reached up around my neck, and kissed me full on the lips!
Apparently, she had only heard a partial interpretation of this tradition, I thought as I struggled for air and looked up at the mistletoe hanging above us.
Emily began laughing hysterically!
Quickly releasing me, Reilly accosted Emily next.
“Merry Solstice, Aunt Emily!”
I took advantage of my sudden freedom and return of breath to compose myself.
A moment later Reilly finally released her other Aunt.
“Now what were you asking about the traditional, indigenous, toxic berry bush hanging above our heads, Aunt Alex?”
“I think you only got half the tradition, hun.”
“What portion am I missing, M’lady?”
“Mistletoe always works better with a man, Reilly- at least in my time anyway!” I laughed, knowing that in the future those criteria had been skewed or even dismissed as ‘old fashioned’ and somewhat unsanitary.
“I already know that, Aunt Alex. Do you see any men around here, though? I’m just making due with what’s available!” Reilly admitted with annoyance. She pointed behind us. “Your celebratory beverages still await you, M’ladies.”
Emily and I turned and reached for the hovering glasses that seemed to have followed us through the room.
Eggnog! Heavily spiked eggnog at that going by the burn traveling down my throat! I was going to have to make a point of reading the Homeworld’s stories of the Empress’s visits in the very near future.
I hesitated while Emily seemed to savor every drop of the stuff. Sadly, Eggnog was never one of my favorites. Instead, Pa would always tap a small barrel of what he called ‘Applejack’ that he’d brewed at harvest. That had become our traditional Steinert family toast to the holidays. The memory of that hint of fresh apple combined with the warmth of the alcohol warming your whole body- mouth to toes- made me think of home. What was it- four or more years- since I had been able to attend a Steinert family Christmas?
“Alex? Alex, what’s wrong, sis?” Emily’s question pulled me back to the party.
“Oh, I was just thinking this party is still missing something, Emily.” I replied as I tried to keep a tear or two from escaping my eyes.
“I know just what you mean, Alex!” Alex Reilly interrupted as she took my glass from me and handed me another smaller cup full of a clear liquid. She smiled deviously. “I too found the traditional beverage somewhat lacking…in, um…spirit. I hope this more suits your liking, Empress.”
She nodded at the small container as I stared curiously at it. Looking between her and the cup a few times, I finally decided to take a swig. Familiar warmth spread throughout my body as I downed the initial sip then several more in quick succession. Memories of Christmas celebrations at the Steinert farm filled my mind and my heart. I smiled.
“Sometimes our shared memories prove convenient, sister. I hope it tastes like we remember it. I only wish it were possible for me to go get Pa or to at least bring a barrel or two back. This is the closest formula I could replicate.”
“Its fine, Alex. Thank you.” I said as I closed my eyes and savored another sip.
“Emily, y’all like a slug too?” Alex Reilly asked.
“Sure, I’ll try some, Alex.” Emily took the proffered glass too easily.
Emily closed her eyes and slowly, cautiously, moved the cup to her lips. They shot wide open as the drink bit hard. She opened her mouth and began gasping for air. I had seen this reaction many times before when Ma and Pa had some of our prohibitionist relatives over to celebrate.
“Wow! Now that’s some strong hooch! Pa sure knows how to make liquor!” She said as she fanned her open mouth with her free hand.
Yet she took another drink from the cup!
I had never seen Emily drink hard liquor before! None of our dates had ever seen her order anything harder than wine, yet here she was, downing this synthesized version of Pa’s holiday cordial!
I unconsciously downed my own cup at the surprising sight. I never noticed it refill as I held it, but felt its weight increase. I downed the cup once more, but this time held it sideways.
“Are you going to wake in my rest chamber again, Alex?”
“What?” I looked to my twin with confusion.
“The last time you decided to…um…get stinkin’ drunk, y’all ended up sharing my bed, Alexandra Steinert! Is that what you intend tonight?” Alex Reilly laughed as she placed her hand to her hip.
Emily immediately looked to me in surprise and almost choked as she swallowed the last of her first cup.
“You…” She coughed a few times. “You…you two…slept together? I almost forgot about that!”
She started laughing uncontrollably. Little did she know that I wouldn’t be the one waking up in a strange bed tomorrow!
Alex Reilly and I exchanged winks before joining in on our sister’s laughter.
0800 hours, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, December 25th, 2026BC
“So tell me again how I ended up sandwiched between Camille and Cassiopeia Darough this morning, Alex?” Emily asked as she rubbed what was left of her hangover from her forehead.
“I would have thought yer Pa woulda’ told ya ’bout mixin’ drinks, sis! Pa always made it a point to remind me an’ Brie to drink one or the other and not both when we went ta town.” I snickered as I drank my morning coffee.
Cami had just walked past us and sat down at the next table. She looked back at us with a subtle grin.
Cassi walked past a moment later with a similar smile on her face. When Emily’s eyes met hers, the girl’s eyes quickly lowered to the floor and she hurriedly joined her mother at her table.
“Tell me…what exactly did I do last night, sis?” It was an order, not a question as she turned back to me.
“Ah can’t say for certain, but ah think y’all had fun.” My smile widened.
Mina joined us and sat opposite Emily.
“So, how are we this morning, Dr. Scott? I trust your lips have recovered from the excessive snogging last eve?”
I thought Mina’s smile would burst out of her strict British demeanor any moment.
Reilly walked past us and joined Cami and Cassi at their table. She too displayed a smile similar to her friend and her mother. All three giggled quietly amongst themselves, but stopped suddenly and lowered their eyes to the table as Emily glared at them in annoyed confusion.
“Don’t tell me I…” She stopped after turning back to me. I fought with everything I had not to laugh as our three friends restarted their giggling as soon as she looked away.
“Look over where Reilly was standing last night, sis.” I managed to just squeak out the hint before my smile erupted into snorts of laughter. The location I mentioned caused my sister to again look in the direction of the Darough’s table. The giggling once more stopped abruptly and three pair of eyes again lowered to the table.
“What happened to the Mistletoe?” She asked after finally deciding to ignore our three sisters to notice its disappearance.
“Word has it that the facility’s fire suppression system detected and extinguished a sudden blaze in the Darough’s shared residence late last evening, doctor!” Mina managed to get out before succumbing to a full-out fit of laughter! “Excessive frictional heat generation, I reckon!”
“Ya, that there Mistletoe sure is powerful stuff!” I snorted out.
Emily’s expression was priceless and I broke out into my own fits of laughter. She was not amused or happy at the moment.
Things were about to get worse, though.
As our laughter died down, Alex Reilly entered the Rec. Room. After filling her coffee cup, she approached and sat down beside me.
“So...busy night last night, Em?” Alex Reilly asked then waited a second for any response before continuing. “I caught Cami’s digital feed on the monitors last night. Randi just finished achieving them.”
The laughter that I thought had abated erupted all over again!
Laughter wasn’t all that erupted, unfortunately.
Emily banged her utensils down hard on the table and quickly exited the room without another word.
Maybe we went a little too far?
Hey, at least she didn’t wake up next to her twin wearing a very provocative, almost transparent, pink nightie!
At least I hoped that weren’t the case!
I’d have to watch the recording.
Alex Reilly handed me a very small rectangular object.
“I made a copy for you, sis- for those lonely nights.” She winked.
Alex, Mina, and I laughed for another ten to twenty minutes before finally composing ourselves.
When I finally gained access to Emily’s room, I spent another hour or so apologizing. Finally, I got her to realize that we all had our share of embarrassing incidents. In the end, we both agreed that, while embarrassing, it was also humorous, and that we would never talk about what happened again.
I never got around to telling her about the file storage device I had in my pocket.
Instead, Mina signaling that she was at Emily’s door conveniently changed the subject.
“Dr. Scott...sister, I am truly sorry for engaging in such adolescent behavior earlier. I ask your forgiveness, Love.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Mina! I should have known dormant male influences in our sisters would resurface at times. I just didn’t realize that I’d play right into it so easily! If anyone, I’m the one to blame. Like Alex, I felt the pull of the holiday seize me as soon as I realized the date. I imbibed and succumb to the liquor’s relaxing affects simply because it is December 25th.” Emily closed her eyes and lowered her head. “I should know better than to drink excessively and I should have realized both Alex’s would share a higher tolerance!”
My sister shook her head as if to shake off more thoughts.
“Mina? I’ve already discussed this with Alex and we’ve decided not to bring up the matter ever again. What happened last night was a mistake...one I would rather forget. I consider the incident and my reprehensible behavior- as much of it as I can remember- closed! The more I remember about it, the more disgusted I am with myself, and it’s something I alone have to face- no one else, Highness! Can we move on and go home now, Alex?” She said as she looked to me, her wet, red, puffy eyes making me feel absolutely terrible!
“Doctor, the first time such a thing happened to me, I absolutely abhorred myself as you obviously do- though I cannot declare the experience entirely unpleasant. May I remind you that my moral upbringing was far more stringent and claustrophobic than you presume yours to be?”
Mina reached out to brush a few stray hairs from my sister’s face.
“You must ask yourself if those learned morals may be too strict or if they were meant to be a guide instead. Ask yourself if there was any harm done- physically- to any party involved. Weigh that against the exhilaration- the release of stress- and last of all, the pleasure. Consider those aspects before implementing the stark judgment of our society’s Victorian morality and its somewhat strict taboos. Alexandra, and I’m sure your future twin, can relate to you the ever changing morals of modern civilization- its continuing cycles.”
Mina pulled Emily into a tender embrace.
“Child, by my observations, you appeared to be having a wonderful time last evening. Sometimes that is more therapeutic to one’s body and soul than any prescribed rest and relaxation. To blazes with the bloody taboos, I say!” Mina paused after her decree.
“We’re all adults here...all women, after all. There isn’t one among us who could claim immunity from these little indiscretions, isn’t that right, Alexandra?”
“Camille Darough could substantiate those claims better than I, Highness. She has been ‘listening’ for over eight hundred revolutions. Isn’t that right, Cami?” I said to the walls.
‘The Empress is correct, Dr. Scott. I have been witness to many hundreds of...um...covert rendezvous’.’ Cami acknowledged in our minds. ‘Emily, if Cassi and I had known of your post turmoil, we would have simply rejected your advances. We are truly sorry to have compromised your trust and friendship. If you would like, I can remove the conflicting thoughts, thereby making what happened null and void.’
“That won’t be necessary, Cami. I would rather use the memories for future reference…before I do something I would most likely regret. Thank you for the offer just the same.”
‘Again, Emily; Cassi, Reilly, and I are truly sorry if we caused you excessive trauma.’ Cami apologized once more, her voice faded away to almost nothing. It sounded so sad and remorseful.
“Alex, can we please leave? I need to get away from here.” Emily said near a whisper, almost pleading with me.
“Allow me to collect my personals, Empress. I shant be but a moment.” Mina said before I had a chance to reply to Emily.
“We’ll be waiting outside, Mina, take your time.” I told her before my sister and I left for the airlock.
“I’m sorry, Alex. I let things get out of control and I should have known better. You must think I’m a complete prude for my performance this morning.” Emily confessed as we reached the inner airlock door.
“To tell the truth, I’d have committed suicide by now, sis. I have such a dread fear of doing anything with…with…anyone…at…at this point in my life. Though sometimes, I can’t help fantasize about all the options available to me now! I know that must sound contradictory- it’s very confusing and I have second thoughts all the time- especially when future and past Empress memory’s come into play. I can’t put to words the feelings I have when I look at Brandon Covington…or when I first met Sanford Fleming.” I admitted.
“I won’t even go into the thoughts going through my head when I awoke with Alex Reilly snuggled up to me that morning! I fought with myself about the wonderful feeling of her touch…” I noticed Emily’s sad expression. An expression that suggested I abandon the conversation.
Instead, I opened the airlock’s hatch and motioned for Emily to enter.
Arriving outside, we were met with the usual pleasant tropical splendor of sunshine and a slight, sweet smelling breeze.
“Alex? Sis, I’m sorry. I know that you mean well, but…but I’m just not ready to talk about it. I know and am interested to understand your feelings and fears toward…our biology.” She motioned down her body then down mine.
Emily began to laugh suddenly.
“I can understand though, the feelings you had toward Sanford, Alex.”
“You can?”
“Yes, Alex, I had similar feelings when I met you in that restaurant at Pearl!” Her laugh stopped amidships. “Where’s Mina? I’d like to get home.”
“She’s saying her goodbyes, sis. Remember this is the last time she sees Reilly and her beloved Kili Island.” My eyes fell to the ground as I said it.
This was it.
The time was finally here.
Our last adventure with the woman who had not only started our wonderful new lives and so carefully guided our development, but also became mother, confidant, and friend to me and my crew.
“Let her have her time, sis.” I said quietly.
“I…I forgot, Alex. I had hoped that you could…you know.”
“I haven’t given up, sis! I will never give up- even if I figure something out after…” I let that thought drop as I noticed Mina stepping out of the airlock door.
“Empress…” Mina’s voice had taken a decidedly sadder tone. “I am ready to go. I look forward to our next adventure.”
The entire staff of Reilly suddenly appeared, surrounding us! As one they began clapping.
The applause was thunderous!
Mina burst into tears as she hurriedly took my hand. She quickly nodded to me.
I gently found and took Emily’s hand.
We found ourselves on the base’s commons…surrounded by Atlantis-Minor’s personnel. They too started applauding the instant we rephased!”
My four half-sisters ran up to us and mobbed their mother.
Emily and I moved aside.
Nina was the first to step away and moved toward me.
“Empress, I thank you for bringing mother here earlier than planned. I knew you could not resist the urge!”
“I couldn’t bear the thought of depriving my sisters some extra time with their mother- after all what kind of Empress would I be?” I said as I wiped away some escaping tears.
Emily gently put a hand to my shoulder. I turned to look at her. She nodded her approval.
Jack appeared out of the crowd and made her way over to us.
“Cap, Doctor, Ricky Lynn has informed me that Sand Dollar is refueled and ready for departure at 1000hrs tomorrow morning, ma’am.” She saluted as she informed me.
“Thanks, Jack. Emily and I will be in my quarters for a while. Good job, Commander.” I saluted back. Having never released Emily’s hand, I phased us.
The darkness and single, unmoving sun indicated we were alone in my private domain.
“What are we doing here, Alex?”
“Looking for counsel, Emily.”
“From whom, Alex?”
“Who else would be suitable counsel for such troubling thoughts, Emily Amelia Scott?”
“Momma?”
Emily immediately broke into tears as Ruth Scott slowly appeared and approached us.
“It is good to see you again, my daughter.” The two embraced each other.
“It’s good to see you again too, Momma!” Emily cried openly.
Momma Scott glanced over her daughter’s shoulder and mouthed ‘thank you, Alexandra’ to me.
That was all it took to get my own tears flowing!
“I wish I could leave the two of you in private, but I’m not sure I could, Ma Scott.” I said quietly.
“Nonsense, Alexandra. Come over here, child! You are more than welcome at this gathering of mother and daughters.”
Her arm swung out to grant me entrance.
“Emily and Alexandra! My two girls. My two heroines! I have never been so proud of my daughters- in either dimension!” She said as she squeezed Emily and I harder.
The outpouring of unconditional love woke certain feelings in me that I had forgotten long ago- feelings of motherly affection- warm and inviting- feelings I had not experienced since I was a boy of nine or ten- since I had become a man.
All thought of those ancient memories, the lack of such feelings, evaporated instantly! I was different now. No longer was I that male being who had to be strong and keep his emotions in check. I was Alexandra and I was here with my sister and, strange as it sounded, one of my mothers. Yes, I was with my sister and mother! Here, we were a family!
All too soon the reunion ended.
“So, tell me about your problem, Emily, after all that’s why I’m here.” Ma prompted.
“I...I...I’m not sure I can talk about it, Momma. It’s too embarrassing.”
“Nonsense, child! Nothing is too embarrassing between mother and daughter- isn’t that right, Alexandra, dear?”
“I’m afraid I have almost no experience on that topic, Ma. I’m still too new at this to agree or disagree.” I answered truthfully...and slightly embarrassed myself.
“Come now, Alexandra, you have three different sets of memories floating around under those dark blonde tresses! You mean to tell me that, in all those you cannot find one instance to lend comfort to your sister?” Ma Scott stared at me in disbelief.
“Well...there has been some experimentation, I guess- just a little.”
“I can vouch for her, momma, Alex, wasn’t exactly secretive or quiet about it!” Emily giggled.
“Emily!”
“So, child, you have no problem talking about embarrassing situations when it is not you? What is the difference if it is you or your sister?”
Ma Scott stared at Emily, awaiting an answer.
I stared at my sister also, wanting to know the answer to that one myself!
“It...just...seems...easier to...um...talk about some…someone else’s misfortunes I guess.”
“Fine, then let me tell her about yours, sister.” I tattled. “Emily and I traveled back to Kili BC to get Mina Smith for our upcoming mission. When we arrived it was Christmas Eve. Alex Reilly had arranged a huge party to celebrate the winter solstice, as was traditional on her Homeworld. We were presented glasses of eggnog- highly spiked mind you! Being raised on the farm, my initial family instituted a tradition of toasting the holiday with some of Pa’s special brew. Emily made the mistake of mixing drinks.” I said as I set up the tale.
“And that’s when you found female companionship, child?” Ma Scott interrupted.
“Hustler couldn’t have come up with a better photo spread!” I prattled.
Both women suddenly stared at me. I had to think a moment before I could explain my statement.
“A men’s publication featuring the posed and airbrushed photos of young women in the all together. The publication contains contributed stories, editorials, and reader discussions also. It will not be published until the late 1960’s.” I could feel myself blush as I explained. “But yes, Emily shared favors with Camille and Cassiopeia Darough, and Reilly Reilly that night.”
“Reilly was there too? Oh...my...God, Alex! Are you sure about that?” Emily’s mouth had dropped open.
“Ya, I have the recording right here, sis.” I answered as I pulled the small memory bank from my trouser pocket.
Oops!
“Alex Steinert, you pervert!” Emily snarled. “How could you?”
Ma Scott glared at me without saying a word.
My private domain remained strangely quiet as I tried desperately to find a way out of my self-assembled doghouse.
“I would like to see this recording, Alexandra.” Ma Scott said calmly after what seemed like hours.
“You what, momma?” Emily cried in surprise.
“I’d like to see what actually went on, Emily.” Ma Scott restated.
“I’m afraid that the only place to view the recording would be Reilly Research Station, Momma. The technology does not exist in our time anywhere else- unless the future possesses such devices.”
Had I just called Emily’s ma ‘Momma’?
“Then you have nothing to worry about in these times, Emily.”
“I can’t believe you’re sticking up for her, momma!”
I cannot condone what your sister has done- nor can I condone your actions of that night, but I do have one question in dire need of an answer, young lady.” Momma Scott paused as if trying to phrase the question properly. “Was it enjoyable, Emily?”
“Momma!”
Neither of us could believe our mother’s question...or frankness in its delivery!
“Oh, come on! You would have thought I’d asked about your first time with a boy! All I want is a truthful, honest answer, Emily! Was it enjoyable?”
“Momma, must I answer that?” Emily protested.
“Alexandra, did you find your time with Alexandra Reilly enjoyable?”
“How do you know about that, momma?” I asked, being totally caught off guard.
“Empress, I told you the last time we met I’d be watching my girls! The people in my dimension are very good at watching our loved ones- why, you’re grandfather demanded a cigar or cigarette after watching you, Alexandra! I thought that rather strange, but he would not talk of it any time afterwards.”
“Grandpa was watching...me...and...oh, I suddenly feel sick!” I groaned at her revelation. “I never thought anything happened that night.”
“Your sister watched that recording several times during your stay on Reilly, Alexandra.”
Emily’s mouth again dropped open.
“ That’s what I mean. You girls are more alike than you think. You should be better able to talk about embarrassing things to each other.”
“Momma, we talk about things!”
“Talk about what things, child?”
“We talk...about...um, things.”
“Yes, that’s very specific, Emily. Things...hmmm...yes, I know exactly what you’re talking about.’ Momma giggled as a smile came to her face.
I thought I’d try something that Alex Reilly and I had done to a few of our guests here.
Momma’s wrinkles slowly vanished as her hair color returned. She immediately looked years younger- maybe a few years older than us.
Emily nervously looked over to me then returned her attention to momma as she went on about what specific things Emily was trying to say we talked about.
“You and your sister must never be afraid to confide even the most humiliating of affairs to each other. A familiar ear is always soothing and confidential. Never forget that you two! And I want to thank you for the makeover, Alexandra.” She looked me square in the eyes. “Yes, I know what you have done to my features while I’ve been talking to your sister! It was not necessary, but much appreciated.”
Momma Scott pulled me closer and tried to squeeze the air from my lungs.
“We do look very similar, Alexandra, but I believe you have a little more on top than I do, otherwise we could be twins. Thank you for bringing Emily here to see me, child- I only wish I could be a part of your lives.” Momma sniffled quietly into my ear.
“I could try, momma.” I whispered back. “It worked for Billie Sangiere.”
“Heaven’s no, child! Upper management might take offense to going over their heads!” She whispered conspiratorially before pushing herself away from me.
“I...going over their heads, momma? How could I ever do something like that?” I asked dumbfounded.
“Alexandra, my daughter...our Empress of Time and Space...there are a great many things you have yet to learn about yourself- things you will find remarkable and most importantly, thought impossible.” Momma winked at me with a wide smile.
“Momma, I’m no Goddess, if that’s what you’re implying. I don’t even want to be mentioned in the same text as the man upstairs. That would be sacrilege!”
“Who says he’s a man, Alexandra?”
“You’ve met him?”
“No, I just posed the question, child. Why would I want to bother the higher-ups? They’re busy enough.”
“I thought we were here to talk about my problem, momma? Instead you’re embarrassing Alex. I’m getting a little bit jealous here!”
“But you already feel better about yourself, Emily, or didn’t you realize that yet?”
Momma Scott looked at my sister and raised an eyebrow to her.
“Gee, I guess I do feel better. How?”
“The same way I always talked sense into you, child. You’ll figure it out after my grandson is born.” She giggled then covered her mouth as she yawned.
“Empress, I am sorry, but I grow tired. I feel I have accomplished what you have asked me to do.” Momma Scott suddenly looked worn out. “Girls, it was very nice to see and talk to you again, but I’m afraid my time here is finished. I must return home, as should you.”
Again both of us were pulled into an emotional hug.
“We can return for more visits, momma. I know this crazy blonde that thinks she can summon the dead! She can bring us back if you’d like.” I said, trying to hold back the tears and keep my voice from cracking.
“I don’t think you’re crazy at all, Alexandra; enigmatic and implausible- yes, but crazy? Never!” She laughed. “Take care, my daughters. I shall continue to watch and possibly guide you both. Goodbye for now.”
Momma Scott slowly backed away from us into the shadows and vanished. Emily and I were alone in my domain again.
Emily wrapped her arms around me and rested her head against my shoulder.
“Thank you, Alex. Thank you for bringing me to see momma.” She cried into my shoulder.
“That’s what sisters do, Em.”
My bedroom replaced my private domain.
“We better freshen ourselves up, sis.” I suggested before once more wiping my eyes.
Emily nodded as she pushed away from me before heading into the short hallway and my lavatory.
With Sand Dollar assigned to escort duty, Captain Steinert and her sisters take on their most demanding mission to date. Can Alexandra successfully complete a mission seemingly doomed from the onset?
Onward
Episode 3
“Mission to Infamy”
2300 hours, 200 Nautical Miles North-northeast of Tarawa Island, May 18th, 1944
“Ensign Masterson, report to the Wardroom on the double!” I said into the squawk as Emily entered and sat down. Mina arrived next, but remained standing.
“Please have a seat, highness.” I motioned to her. She had been extremely quiet since leaving Atlantis-Minor three days ago- something entirely out of character for her.
“I’m still working the problem, Mina.” I casually informed her.
“What problem, Alexandra? Is there something still unknown about our latest journey?”
“You know there is, Highness! I refuse to give up on a solution, though.” I said just a little perturbed.
“Some things cannot be easily changed, Empress. I have come to terms with my future, however it may turn out. It would be wise of you to do the same.”
“Unfortunately, your daughters have yet to ‘come to terms’ with that, Mina- nor have Emily or I for the record.”
“Having met Mr. Lincoln, Alexandra, would you consider him accepting of our help or will he require...convincing?”
“All right, Mina, I get the point. Changing the subject, Abraham Lincoln is a fair man for his time. He is, unfortunately, unwilling to accept our presence at first and I must demonstrate the Empress’ abilities.”
“Really, Alexandra, you should not be surprised that mortals question your very existence!”
“Stop it! Stop it right now, Mina! I am still mortal- as is everyone here! What is wrong with you?" I asked in anger as I glared at her. My inner friend informed me of the answer to my question. I was shocked!
“Alex?” Emily asked, concerned by my expression.
“Her Royal Highness is planning on sabotaging her own future, sis.” I announced.
“That is none of your business, Alexandra!” Mina quickly protested.
“Bull!”
“Excuse me?”
“Bullshit, Mina! Your future IS my business! I will not allow you to change anyone’s future out of personal pity! You taught me that- you preached it until I took it to heart! I’ll be damned if I’m gonna allow y’all to ignore yer own lessons!” My voice raised an octave, I was so adamant!
The lights blinked almost imperceptibly
“Ya know what, Highness? You just try an off yerself this trip! Go ‘head, try it! Ah’ll have y’all back in the past faster’n y’all can say ‘balderdash’! Ah refuse ta let one’a mah bess friends do herself harm while ah’m still breathin’! Y’all are messin’ with the wrong gal, Phil’mina Smith!” I pounded the table once before I broke down in tears.
Out of frustration, I looked to the ceiling. “What do ah have ta do ta keep y’all alive, Mina?” I exclaimed.
I stopped crying and smiled so suddenly that Emily jumped! It’s amazing how asking the right question at the right time can simplify things!
“Did I come at the wrong time, Skipper?” Corrine Masterson asked as she appeared in the doorway.
“Right on time, Corrine. I smiled brightly.
Emily just stared at me quizzically and remained silent. She knew from my expression- just like two close sisters would- that things had taken a positive turn.
“Emily and I need our hair color changed, hun. One or two shades darker should do. Oh, and we need it a little longer too- maybe six, seven inches more? Curls require more hair after all.” I looked to Mina adding a little more mischief to my smile. “Mina needs hair down past her ass, Corrine.” I cut her off before she started to protest.
“You can start on Emily, Mina, and I while we wait for Jamie to finish her watch. Mina...” I glared at her, “Pray I don’t order her to make you a true blonde!”
“Skipper?”
“Miss Masterson?”
“Skip...how do I do this?”
“How did you make your own hair longer, Corrine?”
“I...I just thought about it.”
“Just gather our hair up in your hands and think a few shades darker, Corrine! I thought you said you talked to your future self?”
“I did, I just didn’t think to really listen to her, ma’am.”
“Just do what I said, Corrine.”
“How should I style it then?”
“Wait.” I stood and motioned for her to take my hand. “We’ll be right back, ladies.”
Corrine and I were suddenly in the open air standing on what appeared to be a cobblestone sidewalk. Men and women of the era walked straight through us, oblivious to our existence.
“Corrine, these are the hairstyles and fashions of the day. We’ll watch for a few minutes then I’d like you to match us each up with the appropriate style for our clothing and color, got it?”
“Aye, Skip. Are we really here- in 1865?”
“1864, actually. I thought the latest fashion would bring too much attention to us when we arrive here next January.”
“Skipper?”
“Just mind the women, Ensign.”
“Aye, Skip, but could we move to the side? I’m getting a little nauseous with all these people walking through me!”
I pulled her back so that we were standing on the lawn.
Ten minutes later Corrine said she was ready and the cramped Wardroom of Sand Dollar reappeared.
“Did you just do what I think you did, Alex?” Emily asked as we rephased.
“Maybe?”
“Alex, it looked like you just blinked! Where did you two go?”
“Corrine went shopping for our hairstyles, sis. She needed some examples.” I just smiled.
“Miss Masterson, you can commence when ready.” I motioned to my scalp.
“Aye, Skipper. Here goes nothin’!”
2315 hours, 200 Nautical Miles North-northeast of Tarawa Island, May 18th, 1944
Our travel party left the cramped Wardroom and headed aft to the Con. I dared not have us engage our Reilly Uniform’s changing abilities in such close quarters as our period dresses took up way too much real estate.
“What’s the weather topside, Jack?”
“Slightly overcast, three to four foot swells, Ale...wow! Where did you get all that hair, Cap?”
“Don’t you like, Jack?” I asked, batting my eyelashes several times. Emily, Mina, Corrine, and Jamie joined me in the compartment.
“Holllly...” Carroll exclaimed from back by the galley. “Is that how they actually wore their hair back then, Alex?”
“As near as we saw when we went back on recon, Carroll.”
It’s massive! That has to be heavy, Skip.”
“Just wait ‘til you see what we have to wear.” I rolled my eyes. “We’ll be departing from the foredeck, Commander.” I informed Jack.
“Can’t we have a peek here, Alex? I’m just dying to see how you look.”
“Very well, Commander.” I pointed to Mina, Jamie, Corrine, and Emily to move forward against the bulkhead.
When I was sure I had enough room, I took several large breaths of air then exhaled heavily as per Emily’s instructions. Focusing on the virtual switch on my uniform’s HUD, I triggered the change.
A series of disgusting ‘cracks’ signaled that I had not made myself small enough before the dread torture device known as a corset assembled itself and tightened around my midsection.
If I’d had any breath left in my body, I would have screamed! Instead, I merely saw more than my share of stars, my field of vision narrowed significantly, and I cried silently in pain!
Immediately I reached for anything that could support me- a pipe, a valve, some gauges, or a conduit leading to the diving alarm switch.
“Alex!” Jack shouted, and was immediately at my side.
While I tried to regain my breath, I heard Emily scolding Mina.
“What possessed you to bring up the corset in full closure, Mina? You just gave Alex four cracked ribs! Are you trying to kill us as well as yourself?”
“Doctor, I assure you that was not my intent! For your information, I only had catalog drawings and first hand observations of the bloody things in use! I have no present or previous knowledge of their installation! It was simply a slight miscalculation on my part. Alexandra, can you forgive me, love?” Mina started over to me, but I waved her back.
Jack was holding me up- physically for a change- just above my waist. I didn’t have the heart or breathe to tell her that’s where my ribs were.
“Alex, I didn’t know somebody’s waist could get so small!” She looked to where I was cut in two, turned bright red, and removed some pressure from my damaged ribs.
“Neither...” I gasped. “Did I...Jack!” I gasped again as I labored to finish my sentence.
“Randi Van Pelt to the Con!” Jack’s voice echoed over the pressure hull. She never even reached for the mic- nor moved her mouth!
“Ya, Commander?” Randi replied as she stuck her head out of our Radio Shack.
“Randi, the captain seems to be having a problem with her uniform. Could you maybe take a look?” Jack asked officially as she momentarily glanced back in her direction.
“Sure, what seems to be the pro...blem...Skip? Oh, that isn’t good, is it? I’ll find the problem in a minute, Skipper!” Randi stumbled as she got a better look at my situation.
“Thanks.” I gasped with what little air I could draw in.
Immediately, a small, blue window appeared in my HUD. Print of some kind quickly filled it and kept right on scrolling up from the bottom. The words stopped after a few seconds and an entire block of print became highlighted, flashing between red and white.
“There’s the problem!” Randi remarked with her eyes closed. “I’ll have the problem fixed in a sec, Skip.”
A larger block of print replaced the previously highlighted print. I immediately felt the constriction at my waist ease.
“There, Skip, I rewrote the subroutine containing your corset’s initialization values and incorporated a longer delay loop to gradually decrease circumference. I also adjusted the program to determine the smallest possible diameter acceptable, yet promote healthy lung function. Who wrote this program anyhow?” She tilted her head slightly.
“I’m afraid I gave Random the measurements, Miss Van Pelt. I may have misjudged the Captain’s size slightly.”
“Ya think?” Jack glared back at Mina. She looked back at me. “You look very pretty, Alex. I guess no matter what age we visit, we’ll always be breathtaking.”
“You would choose other words had this happened to you, Miss Cummins!”
“Sorry, Alex.” Jack winced.
“You’ve had your fashion show, Commander, but I have to change out of this Iron Maiden in order to scale the bridge ladder so, if you don’t mind...”
“Wait, Skip! I’d like to make a few more modifications to the program before you do that!” Randi insisted.
Again, a window of type print scrolled before my eyes and after another minute, Randi declared me done. I triggered the change back to my modern uniform and noticed I fell a few inches. I hadn’t noticed I’d been wearing three-inch heels. I didn’t even know they wore high heels back then!
“I’ll make the necessary changes to everyone’s uniform program, Skipper. It’ll only take about four minutes.”
“Can I come over and check Capt. Steinert’s ribcage while you’re reprogramming our clothes, Randi?”
“Go ahead, ma’am, that shouldn’t affect what I’m doing.”
I sucked in a huge amount of air and immediately expelled every cubic inch of it. This time I did moan- loudly- as I heard further cracking from my chest.
“Alex, are you okay?” Emily asked as she gently touched my unseen wounds.
“I’ll be alright, sis. It only hurts when I take a big breath...or smile.” I winced. “Good thing they’re only cracked, huh?”
“Good thing we heal fast, too.” Emily added as she looked back at Mina.
“All ready, ladies. That shouldn’t happen anymore.” Randi gave us a thumbs-up.
“Jack, you have the Con. We should be back in five minutes- barring any unforeseen difficulties.” I glared at Mina again! That was my final warning for her to behave and not jeopardize the mission.
“Alex, are you sure you can climb the ladder?” Emily asked with concern.
I’ll be fine. Let’s get this mission started. Let’s go topside everyone!” I said through tightly clenched teeth.
2330 hours, 200 Nautical Miles North-northeast of Tarawa Island, May 18th, 1944
“Hey, Salenzsky, look over at the Sand Dollar!”
“What’s wrong, she got company?”
“No, just look on her foredeck. Tell me what ya see.”
“Looks like some kind of initiation to me. How’d they get them wigs past the brass?”
“You know them sub mariners. They get all the breaks.”
“Ya...WOOW! Did you just see that? How’d they change into them old fashioned dresses so fast?”
“Not a clue, Salenzsky. Maybe they hid ‘em under their work clothes. HOLY SHIT! They just disappeared! We need to report this to the OD!”
“And what do we tell him? We seen five men with long-haired, girly-wigs come onto the deck then we seen their regulation clothes change to somethin’ from ‘Gone with the Wind’ an then we seen ‘em disappear completely?”
“Ya!”
“Don’t be an idiot! We’d spend the rest of the mission in the brig!”
“They looked good in them dresses though didn’t they?”
“Shuddup!”
Washington DC, January 10th, 1865
“No one let go yet! I want to make sure we’re really alone here!” I cautioned my companions. I had read somewhere that Confederate Marksmen had been reported fairly close to the White House at this time. Also, assassination plots against President Lincoln were fairly common these days.
“There’s snow on the ground!”
“Good observation, Jamie! It IS the middle of January, and this IS Washington DC after all!”
“And it’s dark out!”
“Ya?”
“Why doesn’t it feel cold though, Skipper?”
“Because I haven’t rephased us yet, Ms. Hilf. While we’re out of phase, our previous environment stays with us.”
“Oh.”
“Alex, shouldn’t we be inside the White House instead of outside it?” Emily asked. It was a good point- one that required our secondary mission to be revealed as an answer.
“According to my information, the Lincoln’s are having a little get together tonight. Unfortunately there is also an assassination attempt we must foil before our official arrival. Let’s all walk over to the side Portico, shall we?” I informed everyone.
“I still don’t see why I’m here, Skipper. I really can’t do anything, and I don’t see how my hearing can help stop an assassination.”
We were halfway across the snow-covered lawn by now, yet we left no tracks.
Mina took notice. “My word, Alexandra, just like walking across water!”
“That would be the three-inch heeled boots you put us in, highness! Did they even wear such things in this day and age?”
“I’ve seen old photographs of women wearing heeled boots, Alex, but I don’t think they ever went over two inches!” Emily answered candidly.
“Great! Just great! We come to Washington to help the president looking like high-priced prostitutes of the time! So much for not being noticed,” I cried, rolling my eyes as the sheer volume of our skirts caused them to bounce wildly and us to walk like drunken sailors while holding hands.
“Skipper, you haven’t answered my question yet.” Jamie nagged. “And look, there they are.” She pointed to the basement service entrance where two shadowy figures struggled with a moderate sized box.
“Miss Hilf, I want you to talk them out of it- simple as that! Just suggest they shouldn’t do it- that they will never succeed and concentrate on that. That should do it.” I smiled at her. We had almost reached our destination.
“Say again, Skip?”
“Walk on over and suggest they stop what they’re doing- maybe suggest they go to a saloon. Mind the dizziness as you let go of Corrine’s hand, though.”
I nodded and Corrine released her crewmate’s hand.
“Aw, for cryin’ out loud!” Jamie cried as she stumbled a few steps, almost falling face first in the inch deep snow.
Her sudden appearance got quick attention.
“Hey! Whatcha’ doin’ here, girly?” A man’s voice asked in a quiet, angry growl.
“Um...trying to stop you from...um...making a big mistake.” Jamie replied in a frightened tone.
“Mistake? Hell, we’re meanin’ ta remedy one, Missy!”
“I...I really think you should find something else to occupy your time, gentlemen.” She suggested cautiously as one of the men began to move closer.
“I could think ah somethin’ right here to occupy our time, ain’t that right, Tom?”
“Yep, I could do a whole lotta occupyin’, cousin- yes siree!”
“No...no, I was thinking more of going to a saloon for a drink, gentlemen! Leave this ill-fated plan and go have a drink. Yes, I think that is what you should do.” Jamie firmly insisted, just a little flustered.
“Ya hear that Tom, she wants us to go get drunk ‘stead’a puttin’ this here bomb in the cellar!”
“Sounds like a good i'dear ta me cuz. What’er we wastin’ our time here fer anyway?”
“Wastin’ our time? This was your plan, Tom! You says all we had ta do was put the box in the cellar; set it behind a few barrels and things ta hide it and skeedaddle! Nothin’ to it ya says! Now this ere fancy whore tells us we shouldn’t do it an ya takes her at er word!”
“I really think you need to discuss this further over a few well-deserved drinks, gentlemen!” Jamie insisted again, her voice even and maybe a little seductive.
“Ya knows what Tom? Maybe the pretty lady’s right! Let’s go down ta Randall’s an ferget ‘bout this all together!”
“You buy the first round, Cuz!”
“Why me? It were your plan!”
“Why don’t you two buy each other drinks?” Jamie suggested in an annoyed tone.
“Good i’dear, ma’am! Let’s go, Cuz!”
The two men gently placed the box on the ground and tipped their hats to Jamie.
“Have a nice night now, ma’am.” One of them said.
The genuine courtesy shown toward Jamie just now by the two seemed surreal- totally out of character for either one.
The two walked away, oblivious of the mysterious box they left behind.
I immediately rephased the four of us.
“That was very well done, Miss Hilf.” I said as I walked over to the wooden crate. Jamie looked thoroughly confused by what had just transpired.
Placing my hand on the large wooden box, I transported it somewhere it wouldn’t hurt anyone- after all what’s another explosion on Ford Island in December of 1941?”
“Where did you take it, Alex?” Emily asked.
“Where it shouldn’t harm a soul, sis!” I said as I looked at Mina calmly, but punctuated my hint to her with a slight nod.
“I understand, Alexandra! I’m not the thickheaded man I once was, you know!”
“No, but you’re still thickheaded just the same, Highness.” I giggled.
“Skipper?” Jamie asked quietly.
“Skipper, how did I just do that? Talking two bad guys into quitting, that is?”
“The same way you got Commander Cummins to show leniency during your first monthly, Miss Hilf!” I couldn’t help but smile at her confused expression.
“But I haven’t received my gift yet.”
“Ah, but you were the first to receive it, Jamie.”
“You mean I can talk people into doing stuff?” Jamie asked as her eyes went wide.
I laughed. “It’s a little bit more involved than that, Miss Hilf. We will require your gift several more times on this mission, so remember how you did it.”
“What, I just talked to them and suggested they...”
“Yes.” I laughed as I gently laid my hand on her shoulder, “Remember that.”
“Alexandra, if we stay out here any longer, we’ll catch our death of cold, possibly even pneumonia.”
“Quite right, your highness, we should be moving on now. Everyone please join hands.”
A warm, inviting, warmly lit hallway in the White House replaced the harsh, cold night.
“As before, remain holding hands until I find us a private location to rephase, ladies.”
“Jamie, I have to touch up your hair once the Empress finds us some privacy.” Corrine told our crewmate. Her hair had become windblown, some of it escaping her delicate hairnet and she looked a little disheveled at the moment. If we were to meet the President, we’d have to look our best!
A furnished, unoccupied room halfway down the hall proved the perfect place to phase in. As Corrine attended to Jamie’s hair, I explained our entrance into the gala.
“Okay, for tonight we are all cousins. Emily and I are sisters and...”
“No real surprise there.” Jamie interrupted sounding a bit catty.
I stopped and glared at her before continuing.
“Mina...Mina is our cousin from England, who has been stranded in the colonies because of the naval blockade. To say that she is not happy about being here, so close to the fighting is an understatement!”
It was Mina’s turn to roll her eyes in annoyance.
The four of us are originally from Hartford, Connecticut, while Mina still hails from her birthplace. We are in town at the request of Senator Abernathy, also from Connecticut and a friend of the family, so we can meet influential beaus as requested by our respective fathers.”
I noticed everyone cringe, except Mina.
“If asked, Alex, what do our fathers do?” Emily inquired.
“This is the Civil War, sis, munitions...of course. We all should be able to talk at length about old powder rifles. Be careful of our role in this society though. Women are not expected to carry on highly intellectual conversations. Y’all must ensure the man leaves the conversation feeling superior...which is unfortunate.”
Corrine was just finishing up Jamie’s touch up.
“Jamie, when we reach the entrance to the ballroom I’d like you to suggest that we've been invited, but only after Emily and I introduce us. Once inside, we have to find Sen. Abernathy and you need to suggest that we’re family friends and he’s known us all our lives. Got it?”
“Aye, Skipper.”
“One more thing…” I glared at Jamie Hilf. “We are cousins. Cousins call each other by their given or pet names. Understand, Jamie, Corrine, Emily, and Mina?”
“Yes, Alexandra, I think we can handle that small detail!” Mina replied smugly.
“Alex...hmmm, that’s going to take some time to get used to, Skipper.”
“Jamie!”
“I mean that’s going to take some time to get used to, Alex, ma’am.”
I rolled my eyes as I went to slowly open the door into the hallway. Once clear I ushered my cousins and sister out.
We were about midway between our original hiding place and the reception area adjacent to the ballroom when a man’s voice rang out behind us.
“Alexandra? You really should wait for your escort. It would not be proper to allow such beauty to go unattended in this day and age.”
I knew that voice!
Stopping, I turned around to see who knew me in this time period.
“Sanford Fleming, what are doing here?” I quietly asked in amazement.
“Father advised me that eligible young women should not go out after dark by themselves. He insisted I attend you and your cousins to this ball or suffer certain embarrassment.”
Sandy caught up to us and took me in his arms.
“Please my love, I would be tortured more from your absence than my father’s disinheritance!”
Immediately my stomach felt like a thousand butterflies took flight!
“Why are you here?” I whispered into his ear as he held me tight.
“The Empress remembered she forgot something when she was here, Captain Steinert.”
“And what, pray tell, did I forget, Mr. Fleming?”
“Women of the time were always escorted by their men, Alex. You forget that women’s suffrage was in its infancy during the Civil War and that it was not accepted for women to attend gatherings of state stag.”
Raising my head from his shoulder, I noticed my face peeking from the room we had just left- her visible hand giving me an enthusiastic thumbs up.
I winked my thanks to her and tried to put some distance between my…our escort.
Sandy looked very suave in his black suit with matching dark gray vest and pocket watch, the thick, black, silk ascot tied around his neck and collar, and black leather shoes. He sported a finely groomed mustache as appropriate for his bachelor status in this society.
In all, he looked very handsome!
Sandy and I shared a long glance before he looked to the others.
“Ladies, I believe we are expected?” He motioned down the hallway.
Sandy took my arm and offered Emily his other as we approached the heavily bearded man standing watch at the ballroom’s door.
“Good evening, sir. I believe we are expected? Sanford Fleming escorting Alexandra, and Emily Scott of Hartford, their cousins, Corrine Masterson, Jamella Hilf of Albany, and cousin Philamina Smith of Manchester, England.”
“We are invited to this occasion, are we not, handsome sir?” Jamie smiled and blinked her eyes a few times.
What a flirt!
“Ah yes, Mr. Fleming, I was informed by your father of your arrival here and escort of these beautiful flowers! Go right in sir!” The receptionist replied happily as he stepped aside.
We entered a beautifully decorated, ornate ballroom wondering how Sandy’s ‘father’ had passed on any message at all. Calming Chamber music filled the room as a large number of men and women socialized.
Mr. Lincoln stood just off center of the room talking to- and towering over- four union officers in full dress uniform.
Sandy guided us closer.
“Excuse me, Mr. President?” He politely interrupted the conversation. All five men stopped talking and just stared at us like four hungry wolves’ would a flock of unattended sheep! Only the President seemed to regard us as human.
“Excuse me, gentlemen, I must continue my duties as tonight’s host.” Lincoln said to his officers. “We’ll continue this discussion after dinner, thank you, gentlemen.”
Abraham Lincoln towered over my Sandy by about four inches. The president took a minute to apprise each of us before he said anything else.
“I’m sorry, sir, I would remember such vast beauty had I made acquaintance before.”
“Allow me, Mr. President.” Sandy offered. “I am Sanford Fleming Step-son of Col. Richard Demmit- now retired and these are my lovely charges for this evening: Alexandra and Emily Scott of Hartford, Connecticut; Corrine Masterson and Jamella Hilf of Albany, New York, and Philamina Smith of Manchester, England. Unfortunately, Miss Smith is not here quite by choice, sir.”
“It is regretful to have inconvenienced your return to England, Miss Smith. Unfortunately, we must sometimes make sacrifices in wartime. Seldom do such things affect the right parties, though, I’m afraid.”
“I’m sure her majesty, Victoria, is most displeased with the behavior of her colonies, Mr. Lincoln, but her highness has wisdom beyond her years and so chooses to refrain from taking sides. I had not expected to extend my visit with my cousins quite so long, but I understand the reluctance of the British Empire to go to war for just a single one of its subjects.” Mina said with her usual royalty.
Lincoln seemed unaffected by Mina’s courtly scolding; instead, he motioned us to one side of the room.
“Ladies, I’m afraid I must attend to my other arriving guests. I therefore leave you in the most able presence of my wife, Mary.”
Lincoln gently rested his large hand on his wife’s small shoulder.
“Mary, my love, I wish to introduce some lovely young women. Philamina Smith from England, Corrine Masterson, Jamella Hilf…”
“Jamie, sir. Just Jamie.” She protested.
“My apologies, Miss Hilf. Misses Masterson and Hilf are from Albany. Emily and Alexandra Scott here are from Hartford, Connecticut. All five young ladies are cousins.
“And who is this handsome young man, Abraham?”
“Again I am sorry, dear; this is Sanford Fleming, step-son of Colonel Richard Demmit. He has the pleasure of escorting these lovely ladies around Washington.”
Mrs. Lincoln stared at me curiously, which made me feel very uncomfortable! Had she met me already…in my future? Given her reputation, I was sure I’d find out soon enough.
“Thank you, Abraham, you and young Sanford should return to your complicated, compelling men discussions and allow us women to socialize.”
Mr. Lincoln took his wife’s hand and kissed the top of it.
“I thank you, Mrs. Lincoln.” He said gently, excused himself then he and Sandy walked away.
Mrs. Lincoln motioned the five of us closer to the ballroom’s wall. We stood there awkwardly quiet for some time.
“So, Alexandra, you and your sister are from Hartford?”
“That’s right, Ma’am, have you ever been there?” I answered her politely, still not sure if I’d met her on any future missions.
“Though I suspect not originally?” She glared at me.
This wasn’t good!
“I’m sorry, ma’am?” I said in surprise.
“I can always spot a fellow frontiersman, Miss Scott.”
“My sister and I grew up in Hartford, ma’am.” Emily insisted.
“Miss Scott,” Mrs. Lincoln looked to Emily, “You may have spent your childhood in Connecticut, but your sister’s accent tells me she grew up farther west- well west of the Ohio’s forks? Isn’t that right Miss Alexandra…Steinert, isn’t it?”
Whether it was the sudden shock of my real name being spoken or simply the severe compression of my corset, I began to see stars in my vision for a second time tonight.
I vaguely heard Emily and Mina gasp.
Mrs. Lincoln then guided me to a nearby open window.
“Empress, it was not my desire to drain the life from those pretty cheeks. Here, sit down and catch your breath.” She whispered quietly.
“You know? How?” I looked up into her eyes searching for any hints.
“Don’t you remember? You came to my aid three years past- right after…my son…left us.” Her voice turned angry as tears appeared in the corners of her eyes.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but if we’ve met already, you must know that time flows differently for me.” I tried to remind her without adding to her anger.
“So you claim, Empress! So you claimed!” Her angry tone continued.
Ma’am, if I have angered you in any way, I would be happy to leave the premises and not return, but I do have a mission to complete in order for the future of this country- the future of this world to remain on track.”
“Alexandra, you should know that I personally consider the ‘Empress’ the harbinger of death for my family! I assume your attendance here heralds the loss of another of my loved ones?” She asked candidly, remaining all too calm.
This woman was indeed perceptive!
“I gather from your silence that is the case. Who is it to be then, Empress? Will it be Robert or Tad this time?” The deep, dark scowl on her face dared me to tell her otherwise!
I had no choice but to start crying! How could I deprive this woman of another loved one…of her husband? She had already buried a son, Edward, fifteen years ago and another son, William, not quite three ago. How could I possibly ask this woman to bear any more pain?
“Mrs. Lincoln, please don’t blame Alexandra for what she has to do. Coming here was not her wish- more an unpopular, unpleasant task this world demands be done to satisfy its undying hunger for balance. Dear lady, she is no more the grim reaper than I am really a subject of Victoria!”
“You sound English to me, Ms. Smith!”
“I am a reigning monarch in my own right I’ll have you know, Mrs. Lincoln!”
“Excuse me, Mrs. Lincoln; I really don’t think you should be speaking so loudly! People in the room are already looking this way, ma’am.” Jamie suggested as she interrupted.
“So what is your specific power, Ms. Jamella Hilf? You arrived with the Empress, so you must be an auxiliary to her in some capacity.”
Jamie jerked back sharply at the question and her hand quickly covered her forehead. She quickly recovered and glared at the First Lady.
“First off, ma’am, my name is Jamie and apparently my gift entails empathy to those around me, and yes this is my first time assisting the Empress! I wish you to stay calm, ma’am!” She told Mary Lincoln as she verbally strengthened her suggestion.
Mrs. Lincoln’s demeanor lightened. “It seems your ‘gift’ is nothing short of magic, Miss Hilf. A talent someone would pay dearly for just two centuries ago!” She looked intently at Jamie for a minute or so. She seemed dead set on fighting her sudden, unexpected calm.
“Mrs. Lincoln, I’m sorry about our first meeting, but for me, it hasn’t happened yet. I have vague memories shared from my future self, but nothing specific from her visit with you. It happens that way sometimes, ma’am.” I calmly explained, hoping she would understand somewhat.
“Alexandra, you tried to explain your method of travel to me three years ago. I understand it no better this time- nor do I want the malady that accompanies it! Tell me who it is to be, Empress.”
“We really should be going, ma’am.” I looked up at Emily, Mina, Corrine, and Jamie through gathering tears. Facing this woman was tearing me apart! “I can’t do this- not to you, Mary Lincoln!”
I stood quickly to grasp Emily and Jamie’s hands- to phase us out- to go anywhere but here! My private domain appeared in my head.
The gas lit ballroom suddenly became the dark emptiness of my private domain. All five of us continued to hold hands, unsure of our location.
A single gasp from behind Emily told me that we had brought along an unexpected guest.
“Is this heaven or hell? Surely heaven would not be so desolate, Empress!”
“You haven’t been here before, ma’am?”
“I would surely remember such a forbidding place, Alexandra! Is this what you call home?”
“No ma’am, this is a place to which I sometimes retire when I wish to think and entertain conversation.”
Entertain conversation, Empress?”
“It’s a long story, ma’am, one which would severely bore you! We had best get you home now, so take a hand, ma’am.”
“I wish to see your home, Alexandra! If you truly are a traveler from the future, show it to me now! Prove to me this is no mere dream!”
“So, y’all been readin’ Dickens, hmmm?” I took a minute to see how bad I had fractured history this time. Surprisingly there wasn’t the slightest change. Why? ”All right, ma’am, I’ll take you on a quick tour of our home…” I thought twice about that. “No, on second thought I’ll take you to our time, ma’am. What city would you like to visit in 1944, Mrs. Lincoln?” I raised an eyebrow as I glared at her.
“Washington, if it still stands after this hideous war! Show me Washington City in this 1944 of yours, Alexandra!”
“Oh it still stands, ma’am, in fact, it has more than tripled in size since we left your gathering. Please take a hand, ma’am.”
My dark, lonely domain became a lawn sided by a wide street with cars traveling in both directions. The sky was somewhat overcast and gray and the people walking its sidewalks wore summery clothes and formal hats- late spring I’d guess.
“Continue to hold hands, ladies, we are not dressed appropriately for this time period and Mary does not possess a Reilly suit.” I reminded everyone.
“What is a…a Reilly suit, Alexandra? What are these strange noisy carriages on the street?” Lincoln looked about in childlike wonder.
“A Reilly suit is what we wear to blend into the various time periods, ma’am, and these horseless carriages are called automobiles. They were invented in the late nineteenth century and helped to mobilize this country more than ever before.”
“And this is Washington?”
“Let’s all turn around while still holding hands, ma’am.” I suggested.
Again the shear acreage of our period dresses made my simple suggestion into a circus clown routine!
“Its still here!” Lincoln exclaimed as she beheld the President’s Mansion.
“And it will stand for several more centuries if I ever carry out this damnable mission!”
“What is that over there, Alexandra?” She pointed past her former home to the Mall. “Is that Washington’s monument? It still stands also?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I answered as she awkwardly pulled us across the lawn. Once we cleared the trees and buildings making up the White House gardens, she glanced farther down the mall. “And what is that being constructed at the end?”
“A monument to your husband, ma’am. It will be called the Lincoln Memorial.”
A squadron of fighters, P51’s, flew over us on patrol. Of course our guest jumped several inches and almost released her handhold. I quickly explained them.
“Ma’am, what you have just seen is the limit to which technology has evolved in 1944. Early this century, 1903 I believe, we perfected manned flight. The five contrivances that have just over flown us are called airplanes- fighters to be specific. They patrol Washington for enemy aircraft intent on bombing the city.
“Are we at war still?”
“Unfortunately, Earth’s history is fraught with wars and skirmishes, ma’am. This is but the latest of several since the end of your Civil War, as we call it here.”
This country is still fighting itself?”
“No ma’am, England, France, the United States, and several other countries have joined forces to fight Germany, Italy, and Japan, whose leaders wish to enslave the Earth under they’re rule. It will be referred to as the Second World War, Mrs. Lincoln.”
Nearby, a marine and a young woman sat at a bench along the sidewalk. Mrs. Lincoln raised a hand signaling her intent to listen in.
“Charlene, I know you said you wanted me not to enlist, but I feel I need to do this! I need to make sure we still live free of Hitler and his Nazi plague! I have to do my part for this country and the world, Charlene, can’t you understand?”
“Oh Michael, I do understand! I should have realized you were the kind to try and protect this country as well as me! How long do we have together, my love?”
“I ship out early next week, but I’m to report to Camp LaJune tomorrow, Charlene honey, I’m sorry!”
The young woman began crying into her beau’s shoulder as we continued to watch.
“I don’t want you to go, Michael! Stay here…with me…please?”
“I have to go, honey! I gave my word! I’ll be back, I promise!”
“Where should I write you?”
“I’m being sent to the Mediterranean, I’ll write you first with the address as soon as I find out. I have to get back to base now, Charlene. I love you!”
The marine was now in tears as he kissed her for several minutes. They parted in tears with him going northeast across the Mall and her just standing there dazed, silently crying until he was several hundred feet away.
“Michael Ferranti, you better come back to me alive, you hear! I love you!” She shouted and waved.
“Such outward display of love!” Mary Lincoln looked at me. “Empress, you say you are a seer. What future does this couple face?”
I concentrated on the man’s name and the girl’s face.
A few tears ran down my face as their tragic future played out in my mind.
“Can you not stop events from happening to this poor couple, Alexandra?” Lincoln’s voice grew angry again as she stared at me.
“He makes it back alive, Ma’am! Charlene and Michael marry and parent four children to adulthood!”
“Then why do you cry, Empress?”
“They are both killed by their second son when they deny him financing to buy into a foolhardy business venture thirty-five years from now. It rips the family apart and puts the children at odds with each other. Eventually, the Grandchildren suffer and become criminals. The family so beloved at first, falls, then disappears from history.”
“You can stop it though! Is not that your mission?”
“If I meddle in that which should not be tampered with, I chance drastically changing the future, Mary. The result of such tampering can sometimes cause unintended shifts in our timeline. It deviates from its original track to become an alternate dimension with an alternate future. In short, I must reference my gift carefully and change only those events that stand to derail this timeline. The Empress can only smooth the bumps in this road we call time. I must carefully fix the glitches that would sidetrack our future- even if it goes against my firm belief of saving as many lives as possible.” I sniffed.
“Mrs. Lincoln, I too am a seer.” Mina informed Mary Lincoln. “I was the one who carefully guided Alex Steinert’s future along with her entire crew. Had I not planned out every detail of the mission that brought them to my Island, none of us would be here with you now and the Empress would not exist. The timeline Alexandra speaks so fondly of would be on the verge of fracturing into infinite pieces and there would be absolutely no one available to offer assistance. The Earth…the Universe itself might just blink out of existence.”
“Skipper, is what Mina just said possible?” Jamie asked in horror.
“If we had failed to rescue Mina and not undergone the Mahanilui, Janelle Hathor would have succeeded in becoming Director of Reilly Station, Jamie. There would have been no one there with reason to rescue the station or its inhabitants from their fiery demise. The Protoverse chamber at the station would have ultimately failed and the universe contained therein- our universe- would have collapsed and ceased.” I responded.
“You talk as if our very existence- this creation that God has graciously provided is but a small thing contained within a pail!” Mrs. Lincoln accused.
“Mary, I claim nothing of the sort! I submit that God’s realm is significantly larger and more complex than we humans can possibly imagine- than anyone can imagine! Think of this universe, as vast as it seems, as just big enough to be held in the water pail of a larger universe; think then of how many pails could fit in that universe; that one universe in turn, can be contained in one of how many other buckets of a larger universe and so on into infinity! To make it easier to understand, there may be an infinite multitude of universes that God oversees, ma’am. This universe is but one, yet no less important than any other!”
“You’ve been to another of these universes, Empress?” She asked, already knowing the answer.
I nodded.
“Then should I not refer to you as one of the Archangels or Seraphim instead of Empress?”
“To do that would only anger them that are, Mary! I am no more an Angel than a Demon from hell! I am human like you or anyone on Earth. I am no more privileged than you or any other! Like you, we are all just servants! Now shouldn’t we be getting back to your fundraiser for the homeless, destitute, and orphaned, Mrs. Lincoln?”
“You know about the nature of my social events?”
“It is a well documented fact that the first lady of the United States of America, Mary Todd Lincoln, was a well renown sponsor of the numerous soup kitchens, relief stations, and hospitals- both military and civilian, in and around Washington during the ‘War between the States’. Your generosity and selflessness during those dire times is your legacy, ma’am. As is the rumors that you are also a Confederate sympathizer just because you were born in Kentucky. A state, I might add, that didn’t join the rebels until well after you and Abraham were married and living in Illinois.”
A gasp escaped her mouth as I revealed the last few facts.
The White House Ballroom reappeared and I immediately rephased us. Hopefully, our disappearance and subsequent re-appearance- just a flicker if I had timed it right, would not be noticed.
“We’re back!” Mrs. Lincoln started to exclaim, but quickly lowered her volume to a whisper.
“I’ve returned us to almost the exact time that we left, ma’am. If anything we would only look to flicker as a disturbed candlewick would.
“How did you know about those awful lies? I’ll have you know that I personally suggested Mr. Lincoln propose his Emancipation!”
“I know that also, ma’am.” I admitted as I pointed to my head. “What is your future was our history Mary; that is one of the tragic constants of time travel.”
“But you have shown me what will come. Am I not now destined to change it with what I have learned?”
“That would be why I am here, Mrs. Lincoln.”
“Jack?” I asked as I carefully turned around in the voluminous dress.
“Um, Allie sent me.” She mumbled quietly as she dropped her head.
I was so glad to see her; I let a childish squeal escape my lips as I wrapped my arms around her as best as I could, given our clothing.
“I’m so glad you decided to come!” I covered for my emotional outburst.
I again turned carefully and introduced Jack to Mrs. Lincoln.
“Ma’am, this is my first officer, Jacquelyn Cummins. Jack, Mrs. Lincoln.”
“We’ve already met, Alex. Ma’am, nice to see you again…I hope.” Jack replied shyly.
“Oh, I remember you, Miss Cummins!”
“Ma’am, you should calm that temper.” Jamie warned. “Don’t make me squelch you again.”
The threat worked and Mary Lincoln mentally dampened her anger.
“Alex, Allie brought me back here to complete what I failed to do on our last visit.” Jack whispered into my ear- apparently louder than she hoped.
“What? What did you forget to do three years past, Miss Cummins?” Lincoln‘s face started to pale.
I knew what Jack meant, but raised my hand for her to wait a minute. A stray memory caught my attention.
“Ma’am, Jacquelyn’s not here to kill you if that’s what you’re worried about.” I told her quietly as several other women had migrated over to us. I glanced at them several times hoping she would get the hint.
“Then what is she here TO do, Alexandra?” Lincoln lowered her voice catching my hint.
“Ma’am, she’s here to save you from all the grief and despair. Jacquelyn has the ability to make you forget…things.” I looked around conspiratorially.
“Make me forget? Make me forget what?” She looked shocked.
“Whatever you allow us, ma’am. I would suggest that you allow her to erase any knowledge of us,” I pointed to Mina, Emily, Jamie, Corrine, and Jack, “and the Empress, ma’am.” I motioned to myself. “May I also recommend what you have just been witness to?”
“So you want me to forget you and your girls were ever here?”
“It would be safer for you, ma’am. Who would believe you if, by mistake you mention us, or that you’ve seen the future?”
“I don’t believe I know what will become of our lovely gardens should the confederates succeed at invading the city, Alexandra. One would hope the rebel heathens would spare at least a small portion.” Mrs. Lincoln broke topic as a couple of women meandered a little too close.
“One of my suitors told me that the rebels have no regard for beauty- they just assume ravage it all! It would be better to plant poisoned oak, ivy, or sumac in the gardens. At least we would extract some revenge!” I played along as Mina, Emily, and Corrine nodded in agreement. For whatever reason, Jamie remained surprisingly quiet.
“I never thought of that, Alexandra! Surely they would recognize such dangerous plants growing about?”
“Not if hidden by other common garden species, ma’am!” I smiled.
Apparently the two women that temporarily joined our conversation became bored with such dull botanical talk and quickly moved away to join another tête-à-tête.
We waited for them to get far enough away before resuming.
“Ma’am, the time for decision is here. Jack needs to know what, if any, memories of us you would have her safeguard.”
“I wish to remember it all, Alexandra! Every last detail of every moment I have been in your presence! It is my wish to never forget any of you and what your importance means to my family- ever!” Again her tone grew angry.
“I’m sorry to hear that, ma’am, I really am. Jack, what Allie discussed if you please.” I said sadly as Mary Lincoln seemed to freeze a moment before blinking her eyes and shaking her head a few times.
“Alexandra, my dear child, you’ve grown up quite beautiful since the last time we saw each other. How long has it been, child?”
“Almost three years ago, ma’am, I try to forget those times and wish not to speak of them. It would only reopen an old wound, ma’am.” I looked to the floor as I spoke, just over the music filling the ballroom.
“Still, you and your sister provided unwavering support when I needed it most, Alexandra, and I thank you for that. How old are you now, child?”
“Twenty-two, ma’am, and Emily just turned twenty-one. Why?”
“You two don’t look a day over seventeen, Alexandra!”
“Thank you, ma’am. Mrs. Lincoln, have I introduced my cousins yet?” I said as both Emily and I blushed.
She shook her head. “No, child, I don’t believe you have.”
“How rude of me, ma’am. May I introduce Mina Smith of Manchester England, Corrine Masterson and Jamie Hilf of Albany, New York, and Jacquelyn Cummins of Warwick, Rhode Island. Everyone, this is Mrs. Abraham Lincoln, wife of our President.” I said as I introduced each of my ‘cousins’.
“It is very nice to meet you all.” Lincoln said happily, but I noticed her linger a fraction of a second on the word ‘you’. She was being extremely careful to not reveal the accent of her birthplace, Lexington, Kentucky.
“Alexandra, Emily, how long have you and your cousins been in Washington?”
“Not long, ma’am. We had barely the time to wash off the dirt of the road and dress for the occasion at our escort, Sanford Fleming’s house, before his father’s carriage swept us away to your mansion. Travel to and from Washington these days can be extremely harrowing and uncomfortable, as you know, ma’am.”
“All unfortunately necessary, ladies. Tell me, were the soldiers courteous along the road?”
“As can be expected, ma’am. Some may have overstepped their authority a bit, but most conducted themselves admirably.” I told her as I hastily covered my mouth to stifle a yawn.
“How thoughtless of me! I’ve failed to consider the toll you all must be feeling after such a long trip. Tell me, ladies, do you have lodging?”
“Mr. Fleming has graciously offered a room or two, ma’am. He is a business associate of Daddy’s and can be trusted.”
“Where is this escort of yours, child?”
“I last saw him over with Mr. Lincoln, ma’am.” I pointed to Sandy, still listening intently to the president and his officers.
“Very handsome, Alexandra! Do I see an announcement in the near future?” She smiled deviously.
“The future is as unpredictable as the weather, ma’am- I do hold hope though!” I smiled back.
Without another word, Mrs. Lincoln motioned for us to stay put. She then turned and made her way over to her husband, carefully interrupting what looked like a somewhat heated discussion. I saw Sanford steal a glance in my direction a few times as the Lincolns conversed.
President Lincoln then looked over at the six of us and, after a moment, smiled.
Our hostess rejoined our little group with a satisfied grin.
“It’s settled. You all will be our guests here at the mansion until your departure from Washington. I shall be very disappointed if any of you should decline. I will send someone to the Fleming residence to fetch your belongings tomorrow, first thing. Shall we seat ourselves at the table as I see the staff has made the final preparations?” Mrs. Lincoln quickly changed the subject as a bell softly rang out in the large hall.
2100hrs, The Presidential Mansion, Washington DC, January 10th, 1865
“Alexandra, should you or any of your cousins require something, just let Gerald know and he will see to it. Gerald is the floor attendant on duty tonight, so sleep with the assurance that he will keep you all safe. I have requested that appropriate bedclothes be sent up for tonight until your things can be collected. Sleep well, ladies.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, ma’am, it is most unexpected, but appreciated.” I said to our hostess with genuine gratitude.
We waited until the door shut fully then waited a little while longer before we all relaxed. Our rooms, three in secession, were furnished in the style of the time, two chairs, two bureaus, several original paintings, and boasted what I would call a full sized, four poster, canopy bed. Each of the three rooms had its own color scheme and theme.
I quickly accessed my HUD and selected more comfortable clothes from it. A pair of denim shorts, pink cotton tank-top, bra, white ankle socks, and pink sneakers replaced the heavy, cumbersome, period hoop dress, shawl, corset, and pair of leather, high heeled ‘granny’ boots.
Stretching my arms over my head, I basked in the freedom of expanding my lungs and ribcage to their full capacity! Only Jack remained in her period outfit.
“How on Earth can you stand being confined in that thing any longer than necessary, Jack?” I asked of my Ex-O.
“Our ‘bedclothes’ will be here any minute now, Cap. I just figured I’d save the pleasure of modern fabrics until they leave.” She replied. Unfortunately she made sense and I begrudgingly reselected my period ball gown after emptying my lungs once more.
“Hey Alex. What’s these two bowls, the pitcher of water, and towels on the dresser for?” Jamie asked innocently.
“Miss Hilf, those simple items have been attending bed chambers since the dark ages. Have you never used a chamber pot and toiletries before?”
“What, they don’t even have a head in the White House? That’s disgusting!” She protested, wrinkling her nose.
“Not until the turn of the century I think, Jamie, sorry!” I giggled. “We just have to do things the ‘old fashioned’ way, hon.”
“I thought our suits were self contained, Alex?”
I rolled my eyes. “They are, Jamie, they are.”
Our conversation was interrupted by gently knocking at the door. Since Jack was closest, she opened it and granted two chambermaids entrance.
“Mrs. Lincoln had us bring an assortment of bedclothes for your use, ladies. We had to guess at your sizes and hope they are not too uncomfortable.”
“Hon, I don’t think anything could be more uncomfortable than what I’m confined to now.” I said with a wry smile. Both women covered their mouths and giggled. I motioned for them to set the two piles of neatly folded clothing on the bed.
“Do you require assistance with your binding, ma’am?” Her question was meant for any of us instead of just me.
“No thank you. We’ve been traveling together for some time now and have grown accustom to assisting each other, but thank you for the offer.” I gave them both my best smile.
“Very well then, if you should require anything, Mr. Gerald is right down the hall and will fetch us should any need arise. Good night, ladies, ma’am.”
“Thank you, and good night to you too, ladies.” I smiled brightly. The two giggled to themselves before closing the door behind them.
“Alexandra, I don’t think it is entirely proper to refer to the wait staff as ‘ladies’.” Mina scolded in her regal tone. “You may have just- how do you Americans say- ‘made their day’.”
“What were they- all of sixteen, Mina? Besides, they must know someone here to get on staff.” I rationalized.
“They were probably born here, more like, Alexandra. I have heard that, unlike your president, the service staff here remains somewhat constant.” Mina stated as she crossed her arms in front of her and raised her nose smugly.
Ignoring Mina’s sudden regal attitude, I triggered my dress to change. Within seconds I was back to my soft denim shorts, comfy cotton tank, ankle socks, and sneakers.
“I don’t know about y’all, but I’m going to sleep in this tonight…minus this!” I reached around and unhooked the bra that had just changed back from the sinister corset. As had become habit, I deftly pulled my arms through the straps and pulled the foundation from under my top and tossed it to the bed.
“That feels so much better!” I purred after taking a big, unrestricted breath of air.
“Jack, I take it Allie will be picking you up in the morning?” I asked as I reveled in another unhindered breath.
“She didn’t say, Alex. Just that I needed to come back and fix what I fouled up. I guess I’m part of the crew again, huh?”
“That goes without saying, Jack.” I thought a minute. “So, where is Sandy staying, Jack?”
“You took him back to 1952, Alex. You…Allie told me that she had special plans for both of them tonight- something about how hot he looked in his federal period finery, I think.” She said punctuating her statement with a wink and devious smile.
I didn’t have to use my gift to know what she meant. I had been thinking the same thing earlier.
“Okay, room assignments are as follows. Corrine and Jamie, Mina and Jack, and Emily and I. We’ll meet in this room at 0800 to discuss tomorrow’s activities. Good night, ladies, and sleep well.”
“Skipper?” I glared at Jamie Hilf. “Alex, won’t they become suspicious when they can’t find Mr. Fleming’s house? I mean Sanford Fleming is your future husband…isn’t he?”
“I’m sure I’ve already thought about that issue. Go and get some rest, Jamie.”
Feather stuffed mattresses are not the most comfortable means of achieving sleep- I don’t care who you are! They are lumpy, scratchy, and downright impossible to find a happy report with! The duvet, on the other hand, warmed quickly and stayed cozy all night- when I wasn’t tossing and turning to find a comfortable position to sleep in that is!
On more than one occasion throughout the night, Emily had groused about it and I had retreated to the woolen rug on the floor in front of the room’s smoldering fireplace, which I had rekindled for extra warmth. The bedclothes delivered to us plus the duvet proved more comfortable as bedding. Didn’t anything remotely comfortable exist in this time?
With daybreak came knocking at our door.
“They’re coming! Everyone wake up!” Jack’s voice rang out in my head.
Quickly I pulled my ‘nest’ from the floor throwing them onto the bed. Donning my bra, I selected just my underpinnings to transform. A few seconds later, I found myself again in my corset and bloomers.
After pulling down my side of the covers, I moved to Emily’s side and gently jostled her shoulder a few times until she fully woke.
“We have company, sis! Corset and bloomers like me!” I whispered as another set of knocks befell our door.
“I heard! What time is it anyway?” She groused.
“Who is it?” I spoke out.
“We’re here to turn the bed, Ms. Scott,” one of our chambermaids answered through the door.
“Already?”
“It’s 6AM, ma’am.”
Emily and I just looked at each other a minute in complete disbelief!
“Just a minute, I’m almost done with my sister’s laces.” I told them. “They have to see our dresses, sis.” I added quietly to just Emily.
“We were told to attend you, ma’am.” The concerned voice said from the other side the door.
Instantly, we both jumped out of bed and triggered our dresses from last night. Joining hands, I took us back about fifteen minutes where we helped each other remove our ‘circus tents’. We quickly joined hands again. Two huge dress hoops now sat on the floor at the foot of our bed and two piles of clothing that were our ball gowns, petticoats, and hairnets, now rested on the footboard.
“Come on in then, girls- door’s open. Far be it for us to deny such gracious hospitality.” I said to the closed door as I took position behind Emily. The door slowly opened.
To the two arriving pair of eyes, I looked like I was finishing the bow on my sister’s corset in preparation for the day.
“Ladies, Mrs. Lincoln asked that we launder the gowns from last night. She has dispatched our daytime floor staff to retrieve your belongings. They should arrive here presently. Miss Scott, I see there is space left in your lacing. I’ll draw them tighter if you would turn around?”
“You’ll do no such things, hon!” I verbally pounced and winced at the same time. “I’ve been nursing four cracked ribs the last few days! The corset stays where it is!” I softened my glare at the helpful pair. “I’m sorry, girls, I’m still tender and Emily just got done finding my sweet spot. Oh, and you two can call me Alex and my sister, Emily. We were taught that using one’s name is the highest form of respect.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The two teens harmonized.
I glared at them.
“Yes, Alex.” One intoned while the other girl just giggled.
“Breakfast will be with the President and Mrs. Lincoln in the west ballroom, ma’…Alex, at 8 o’clock.”
“The West Ballroom?” Emily asked with some confusion.
“The ballroom that you were in last evening, ma’am.”
I cleared my throat.
“The same room you were in last night, Emily.” She rephrased shyly.
“Thank you…” Emily stopped, prompting them for names.
“Elizabeth, ma…Emily, but everyone calls me Liz.” The taller of the two thin, brunettes caught herself.
“I’m Sarah, Miss Emily, Miss Alex.”
“Well, nice to meet you, Liz and Sarah.” I smiled.
Emily and I looked at each other for a moment then I looked back to our two attendants. “If you could, Emily and I would prefer you leave our gowns here in case our baggage does not arrive in time to prepare for breakfast. I’m sure you’ll find the same is true for our cousins. We, unfortunately had a small mishap on the trip to Philadelphia.”
“Yes,” Emily continued, “Our belongings were misplaced and arrived in New York by mistake. If not for the telegraph, our layover there would have been far longer.”
“We are, however, indebted to Mrs. Lincoln for her forethought and charity of our bed clothing; hopefully we will not require such donation after today. You can take them to be cleaned if you wish.” I said with a sincere smile.
Sarah had walked over to the dresser.
“I’m…we’re so sorry, Alex, Emily! How thoughtless of us for bothering you before you had the chance to wash the night off!” She apologized as she noticed the wash towels still folded neatly and the water pitcher full.
“We were just getting to that. These last few days, I find it to be quite beneficial to wash after my daily lacing ordeal.” To illustrate, I wiped my forehead with my hand and sniffed it. Wrinkling my nose a bit, I must have gotten my point across as both girls giggled quietly to themselves.
“You are very humorous, Miss Alex.” Elisabeth continued to giggle. “Sarah and I will return later to remake the bed and change the toiletries. Enjoy your morning.”
The two teenaged chambermaids hurried from our room and we heard them talking to themselves as they moved to the room next door.
“I like them, Liz. They aren’t near as rude as the other guests.”
“I think Miss Alex is funny, Sarah.”
We heard no more after the two were granted entrance to Mina and Jack’s room, so we made use of our room’s appointments- not that we really needed to with our Reilly suits, doing so created less suspicion.
0830hrs, The Presidential Mansion, Washington DC, January 11th, 1865
“So, Miss Smith, despite the evident hostilities, has your visit so far been a safe one?” Mr. Lincoln asked of Mina as one of the servers poured her tea.
“So far we have remained clear of any altercations, sir. Being this close to your enemies does limit my sleep though.”
“As it does mine, madam. I cannot tell you how many nights I have lain awake trying to predict a possible onslaught. Rest assured our guests are afforded the best possible guard. How about you, Miss Alexandra? Being the daughter of one of our munitions suppliers, how has your safety fared these last four turbulent years?” His question caught me partially off guard- mainly because I’d lapsed in my foresight of this conversation. Lose of sleep can do that sometimes.
“Mr. President, even before this war started Emily and I had lost sleep. Father is ever vigilant awaiting the day some saboteur sets his factory to bits! It has carried over to the house staff, as well as his daughters.”
“So seems the nature of that business, my dear. My hope is that one day the need for your father’s products will be limited to celebrations and civil constructions. I fear the disease plaguing this country to divide its self also forces my heart to do so! The sadness I feel for this nation multiplies ten-fold each time I must order one brother to fell the other!” Lincoln looked on the verge of tears, but quickly forced a tight smile.
“I am sorry for being so sullen in the presence of such beauty. Such troubling thoughts should not be your concern, ladies.” President Lincoln apologized as he looked at me. For some reason I felt very uncomfortable with that look. Did he sense my real agenda somehow? Did he know and was trying to cryptically consol me?
“No it shouldn’t, Abraham! These girls should have stayed far from this vicinity! They have better things on their minds- like finding a husband, attaining suitable residence, and rearing children!” Mrs. Lincoln added.
I noticed my ‘cousins’ and sister cringe…again, everyone except Mina.
“I quite enjoy such conversation, mum.” Mina spoke up. She had remained quiet up to this point. “The way your husband speaks of this confrontation and his feelings on the matter are very inspirational, poetic, and eloquent- far from boring and blasé.”
“Thank you, Ms. Smith. You British have a way of making even a simple public servant like me sound noble.” Lincoln nodded his head to her.
“You are far from a ‘simple’ public servant, Mr. President.” I complimented. “I’m sure history will tell a whole different story, sir.” I added off-handedly.
His eyes momentarily fixed to mine and his expression turned curious.
“Could it be that we have a seer in our company, Mrs. Lincoln?” He said looking to his wife with a slight, playful grin. “Pray, Miss Alexandra, could you possibly predict to me when this atrocious division of our nation should cease?”
That hit way too close to home! He had to know about me! I had to downplay this quickly.
“Mr. President, I cannot claim such divine gift, I merely guess the right answer sometimes. I am hardly a Prophet or Soothsayer.” I lowered my head to shy from his gaze.
‘Oh, that was truthful!’ Jack commented in my head. ‘What’s he going to think when you do your thing tomorrow night?’
‘JACK!’ I thought loudly.
My ‘cousin’ Jacquelyn smiled deviously before deciding to ‘render’ aid.
“Mr. President, don’t let my cousin’s modesty downplay her talent. She correctly predicted growing conditions around Corrine and Jamie’s community ten years running! Our family and communities think she is simply amazing and compare her regularly to the ancient oracles of Delphi. Why, our fathers even refer to her as the ‘Empress of Time’ on occasion.” Jack boasted.
“Corrine and I will testify to that, Mr. President. Alex can act very much like an Empress if ignored or not seriously heeded!” Jamie giggled. Corrine, Jack, Emily, and Mina joined in.
Mary Lincoln almost choked on some food she had just put in her mouth.
Emily immediately started to stand- the practiced physician taking over. Mary Lincoln quickly waved her off. The president looked concerned, but relaxed as she did so.
“I have indeed noticed the outstanding aire of nobility about her, Jamie. Your cousin, Mina, too has the presence of royalty, though I believe that to be her British upbringing.” Lincoln said seriously.
More hints that he knew about me- us? And what was up with Mrs. Lincoln’s sudden choking spell? Did she still retain memory of me- of us? I knew from our shared memories that Allie, future me, had found those rare individuals that Jack’s gift simply would not work on. In those cases multiple attempts by her to remove our existence proved fruitless, thereby making Jack always question her effectiveness. Was Mary Lincoln one of those rare individuals? She certainly was one of this era’s anomalies! Not many fathers of the time insisted on educating their daughters in the basics- mathematics, writing, and especially reading let alone philosophy and theology. Such extravagances were considered unnecessary for regular women’s duties- housework, cooking, and childrearing. Of course, there were always exceptions. Most of the elite for example, provided limited secondary education to their women- Dolly Madison came to mind.
Such common, unfair, practices were the reason the Women’s Suffrage Movement had started a few years ago- relative to 1865.
“Humor me, Miss Alexandra. Please give us a glimpse of what lies in store for these precious United States in the coming years? Give me your best ‘guesses’ on our future, my beautiful, young Oracle.” Lincoln turned his full attention to me, as did the entire table and wait staff.
I gulped, feeling the pressure build. ‘Thanks Jack!’ I thought angrily. A wicked smile flashed across her face.
“I’ll try, Mr. President, but I warn you our futures are not always lined with sweet bounties! Many times it is strewn with pitfalls and disappointment. I hope you will not hold these visions as absolute truths, but merely suggestions of what may be.” I warned as best I dared.
“Please, Alexandra, I wish to hear these predictions, child.” Mrs. Lincoln coaxed as her eyes bore into me.
Closing my eyes, I tried my best to imitate what a trance would look like in this era and sorted the future displayed before me.
“The end of the cruel separation of brothers nears. A small, lonely, country courthouse figures prominently. Although honorable surrender has been agreed to and documented, fighting will continue for some time thereafter. The newly reunited will mourn as a whole, but still remains divided spiritually for years to come. Many past debated issues newly righted remain obscure, almost unattainable in this and much of the coming century.”
At this point I decided to see how much either Lincoln really knew about us.
“Many conflicts shall arise that draw the newly reunited into rendering men, equipment, and assistance abroad- across both oceans. Large, fire belching, birds will do the Commander-in-Chief’s bidding with extreme prejudice and effectiveness. The Dictator’s of Europe and Asia will fall individually to the Allies of the Atlantic, but only after a monstrous power is twice unleashed on the innocent.”
I heard a gasp from across the table and slowly opened my eyes. Mary Lincoln had the look of horror etched on her face. Mr. Lincoln stared at me in disbelief, his eyes looked moist.
“My dearest Alexandra, what has been told does not resound as mere guesswork, but actual foresight? How can one so young possibly hold continence seeing such visions?” President Lincoln said with some reservation.
I blinked a few times for effect. “What? What did I say? Oh, I hope I didn’t insult anyone, Mr. President! Usually I am not privy to my own visions! I tried to warn you, sir!” I shied and lowered my sight to the table before me.
“Child, never be afraid of your gift, or its consequences! Such truth and candor will never be shunned in this house!”
‘He had that wrong!’ I thought to myself!
“Alexandra, these birds you spoke of…were they loud and glistened in the sun?”
Bingo!
“Ma’am?” I looked to Mrs. Lincoln as if confused.
“You spoke of large, fire belching, birds! Could we become advanced enough to actually fly to the heavens?” She pressed less gently. President Lincoln stared at his wife in concern.
“Mrs. Lincoln, Alexandra has already stated that she is unaware of her visions. Let the poor girl heal after such an ordeal!” Abraham scolded his wife.
“Ma’am, I have dreamt of man flying higher. High enough above the Earth to see that it is but a large blue and white ball floating amongst the stars.” I again shied as if waiting for my father’s switch.
“Alexandra?” Lincoln’s even tempered voice called to me. “Child, our dreams, strange and distant as they may seem can hold truth, but more so they contain our hopes for the future. That is what I believe! I have no doubt that this nation will finally resolve it’s differences and do a great many things considered impossible today- take Mr. Brady and Mr. Morse- men who followed and acted on their dreams. I have no doubt man will fly to the stars in the not so far future!” He winked at me as he finished.
I swallowed hard. He somehow knew! They both knew!
“Alexandra, don’t be afraid. We will not harm you- nor will we judge your gift, as some would have two hundred years prior! My dear, it often requires more courage to dare to do right than to fear to do wrong!”
The famous quote produced a small giggle from me. I looked up at him with a smile. My reaction caused a puzzled expression to wash over his face.
“Mr. President, Mrs. Lincoln, I think we have taken enough of your time this morning. Sanford has promised to show us the town today. We thank you for your hospitality.” I said as I started to rise from the large table. It now seemed out of place in the large ballroom.
“Of course, Miss Alexandra. We shall see you tonight for the evening meal then. Remind Mr. Fleming to heed the checkpoints as you tour Washington. The edges of which can be sinister these days.” Lincoln rose from his chair, bowed slightly, and watched as we left the room.
0010hrs, The Presidential Mansion, Washington DC, January 12th, 1865
“Good evening everyone. I hope y’all were able to catch some shuteye before we begin the critical portion of this mission?” I had just returned with Corrine and Jamie after phasing out and walking them straight through the walls between our bedrooms.
“Alex, I think I might have a piece of lathe stuck in my gut or maybe a piece of fabric from that chair I walked through.” Jamie protested.
“It’s probably just nerves, Jamie.” Emily empathized with her. “Same as the rest of us.”
“Are we all going to travel with Alex tonight?” Jamie then asked as she looked around at all of us.
“First we will be taking both Lincolns to Chicago’s World Exposition for a brief look at the future. While y’all entertain Mary Todd, the president and I will travel back here to April 14th where I must reveal the gruesome details of our visit.” I tried to hold back the despair I felt at the moment.
“Empress, it has to be done! A major rift in this dimension will result and change their future…change our future. There is simply no way around what must occur, Alexandra.” Mina rationalized.
“It doesn’t make it any easier, highness!”
“So, what do we do with the First Lady in the mean time, Alex?” Jack asked, using a term not coined until after World War Two.
“Mina, or should I say Phillip, was there in attendance as a teen, so she will act as a guide. Mina, show Mrs. Lincoln some of the brighter technical advances that have been achieved. Don’t forget, she still has latent memories of us. Jack, she is one of the special people that your gift has problems with- it happens, don’t fret about it.”
“Bravo, Alexandra!” Mina gushed.
Emily, Jack, Corrine, and Jamie began looking between Mina Smith and I in curiosity.
“Mina is applauding the ingenious use of my gift in this time period to determine what y’all will do in 1893. She forgets that I did a similar thing when we traveled back to Reilly B.C.- only then on a very limited basis.” I looked at each of them then centered on Mina.
“As we speak, Mina is doing the exact same thing in order to counter my supposed solution to her ‘problem’. I promise her, she will not find a suitable defense.”
Everyone grinned with satisfaction…except Her Highness.
Seeing the reaction my statement had on our sisters, Mina simply glared at me. The fire I saw in her eyes did nothing to dispel the satisfaction I felt right now!
“If everyone is ready, let’s all join hands and wake our president and first lady. Jack, I’d like you to bring up your acoustic field as soon as we appear in the Lincoln’s bedroom. There is sure to be some commotion.”
“Yes, my Empress!”
I instantly glared at her, as Emily’s and my room became the dark, quiet presidential bedroom.
“Alright, Jack, shield up and begin doing your fancy lamp lighting.” I whispered. Jack nodded her acknowledgement.” Jamie, can you suggest that they wake up, please?”
“I can do that, Skip…er Alex?”
“Yes, hon, I wouldn’t have asked if you couldn’t. Emily, monitor Mary’s vitals. Corrine, stand by to do her face.
“Aye,” came back in harmony.
Jack slowly brought the room lights up as President and Mrs. Lincoln began to stir.
“Pardon the interruption, sir and ma’am, but there are issues that need to be addressed- issues of the utmost importance.” I said calmly, but loud enough to be well heard.
“What! How…how did you…who let you in here!” Mr. Lincoln jolted awake clearly able to see all six of us in the lamp lit room. “Robert! Robert, how did these women get past you?”
“I’m afraid your chamber guard cannot hear you, Mr. President. No one in this building can hear anything that goes on in this room until Jack wills it, sir.” I informed him.
“Alexandra! What is the meaning of this…oh dear? I remember! It was true wasn’t it? It really happened?” Mary Lincoln shrieked in terror and looked to her husband.
“You knew this was ordained to happen, dear? Tell me how?”
“Abraham, Alexandra and her cousins are much more than they seem! She is most definitely the Empress her family claims!” Mary Lincoln stuttered.
“Do you represent the witches of old? Are you even human, Alexandra- if that really is your name? What have I…what have we done to warrant such visitation?”
“Mr. President…” I started, “Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of these United States of America, author of the Emancipation Proclamation. We are not here to hurt you, only to show you the future beyond your years.” I said, overdramatizing a little.
“Alexandra, must you be so melodramatic? These people are already on the verge of coronary! Why terrorize them further?” Mina chastised me.
“I was just trying to have some fun, Highness. Emily is keeping watch over they’re vitals anyway.”
“We don’t want her to utilize her training though, do we?”
“Fine! Mr. President and Mrs. Lincoln, we have come to you tonight to give you a glimpse of this nation’s possible future- a future past your natural years, in the hope that you allow us to right a wrong that will inevitably happen without our intervention. Neither one of you will be hurt in any way, shape, or form, I assure you. You have my word as an officer in the United States Navy, sir!”
“You all can travel through time, Alexandra?” Mrs. Lincoln burst out carefully.
“Y’all can stop bein’ so stiff with the accent, ma’am, I’m from Missouri and I know our accents are similar.” I admitted.
“Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, Alexandra is the only one among us with the gift of time travel- a gift she utilizes to help people and help this fragile timeline along. The Empress of Time and Space has made it her life’s work to protect those of Earth and other planets in this and other universes.” Mina explained. “She believes that peaceful negotiation, rather than fear or force is appropriate for such endeavors.”
“You travel the oceans of time?” Lincoln repeated. “To help people?”
“I do, sir.”
“The captain has already repaired several problems in our recent past, Mr. President. She has also battled people that have endangered our future.” Corrine added succinctly.
“And just what time would you all hail from, Alexandra, if I were to believe you?”
“Most of us are from the year 1944, sir.” I suddenly answered from the opposite side of the room. Both Lincolns noticeably jumped.
“Most of you?” Lincoln asked after finding his composure.
“Jacquelyn is from 1953, sir. My future self brought her here to rectify an assumed mistake- an incident that turned out to be more miracle than error.”
“You were here three years ago!” Mrs. Lincoln shouted out accusingly.
“Yes, we,” I motioned between Jack and I, “Came here to render comfort in your despair, ma’am.” I lowered my eyes. “The loss of Mary Todd Lincoln to the timeline at that precise instant would have sent it hurdling into its own separate dimension, changing the future forever. I could not let that happen.” I embellished the truth somewhat.
‘Somewhat?’
‘JACK!’
“What would you have done my wife?” Lincoln asked. Mrs. Lincoln’s response was to lower her eyes from him and remain silent.
“If I may, sir?” I asked on her behalf, “Mary contemplated suicide shortly after Will’s passing. However, she has many more fruitful years ahead of her- years that she can now use as she wishes.”
The Lincoln’s remained silent for a few moments before Abraham turned back to me…to us- I had again reappeared beside Emily and Jack.
“I am eternally indebted to you then, Alexandra,” President Lincoln jumped again when he finally found me, “Empress of Time and Space. The loss of another son was devastating enough without the loss of my beloved too. Thank you all!”
“I would do it for everyone I could, sir.”
“Then should we not waste the precious night as it grows old quickly?”
“Charles Dickens, sir? I assure you that you and Mary can be returned to this exact time if you wish. No one would be the wiser.”
“Mary and I will do what you request, Empress. We are yours to command.” Lincoln nodded they’re ascent to me.
“We do not request nor require your allegiance, Mr. President. It is you and this country we pledged to protect from harm, sir. Normally, it is we that take your commands. Except in this instance; tonight I must insist that you two travel with us and experience the wonders of the future.”
“Melodramatics again, Alexandra?” Mina cautioned me.
“Sir, if you would please dress for warm weather. Ma’am, I have something that will amaze you further than what you have already experienced. I will be back presently.”
Instantly I was beside Mrs. Lincoln holding what looked like an ordinary, blue, period housedress that I had retrieved from ‘my’ travel bag- a medium sized, leather covered trunk about three feet by two feet by two feet high that had ‘appeared’ in our room earlier in the day.
Again Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln were startled by my sudden relocation.
“Mrs. Lincoln, Corrine will help you into this dress we brought along for the occasion. She will also help prepare you for our trip. She also requires permission to touch you, ma’am. Again, no harm shall befall you.”
“Is this a…what is it you called it…a…a…Reilly suit?”
“It is similar, ma’am, but lacks the individual control. It will only respond to one of us.”
“What does such an innocent looking piece of clothing conceal, Empress?” Mr. Lincoln curiously inquired.
“This.” I said as my elegant light pink and black accented ball gown from two nights ago replaced the much simpler dusty pink and brown cotton travel dress, matching full-sleeved cotton blouse and wool jacket I wore tonight.
Two sets of eyes and a pair of jaws almost hit the floor!
I exhaled with a gasp as the corset slowly tightened automatically around me once more.
“I fail to see how women of this age can be comfortable in such things!” I complained before reselecting my previous attire.
“It is magic!”
“No, sir, it is simply technology well advanced of this time. With that said, we have built in several safety measures, fire resistance being one of the most important- should we ever need travel to Salem, Massachusetts or fourteenth century Spain.” I giggled.
“Prudent safeguards, Empress.” Mr. Lincoln chuckled as he nodded in agreement.
“Ma’am, I will now set your makeup if you will allow me to touch your face?” Corrine said as she finished assisting Mrs. Lincoln into her matching slipper flats. “I could change your hair color too if you wish.”
“Change my hair’s color? How can that be possible? Does this garment affect a person’s body as well?”
“No ma’am, Corrine’s gift allows her to alter the body and its attributes as she wishes.” I carefully removed my delicate looking hairnet- a staple in these times, but not suggested where we were going, and allowed my hair to flow freely over my shoulders and down my back.
“Observe, ma’am. Corrine, return my hair to its natural shade, please.” I turned my back to her and she gathered my hair in her hands and held it for a minute. Corrine allowed my dirty blonde hair to cascade through her fingertips.
To say Mary Lincoln was impressed was an understatement.
“So, what color would you like, ma’am? Be assured it is quite painless…and reversible.”
“Chestnut.” Her husband insisted.
“Chestnut?” We all harmonized.
“Mrs. Lincoln, although I am truly and humbly betrothed, I must admit to idealizing what you would look like with chestnut locks.” He told his wife and us.
Mary Lincoln nodded her assent to Corrine.
Nodding back, Corrine asked one more question.
“How long of hair would you desire, ma’am?”
“A change in length is not necessary, Miss Corrine, Mary’s hair is quite acceptable at its present measure.” Mr. Lincoln smiled.
“I wish it to be of the same length and style as Alexandra’s- if that is within your ability!”
Corrine smiled brightly as she gathered Mrs. Lincoln’s dark brunette tresses in her hands. A minute later, a new silky brownish-red mane fell from her hands and cascaded down her back. Corrine then lightly fussed it into the style of our next travel stop.
Mary Lincoln immediately attempted to reapply her hairnet.
“Ma’am, where we are going the use of a hairnet has been discontinued.” I looked over to the President. “Sir, do not be alarmed! I will now activate the garment. Ma’am, if you would please exhale and stand on your tip toes.”
Placing my hand on the dress’s sleeve, I quickly selected and activated the proper switch on my suit’s HUD.
Mrs. Lincoln let slip a quick squeak as the dress shifted and changed, her slipper-clad feet becoming encased in leather, high-heeled granny boots perfectly acceptable for our early 1893 fashion target.
“Corrine still needs to apply your makeup, ma’am.” I reminded as she examined her newly changed clothing.
A minute later Corrine removed her hands from Mrs. Lincoln’s face. She looked ten or fifteen years younger.
“You look ravishing, Mrs. Lincoln!” An enamored Abraham told his wife.
“And now for the finishing touch. Ma’am, if you would allow me?”
“Alex, I’d like the chance to help if I could?” Jack begged.
“Of course, Jack, I’ll leave it to you.” I smiled at her. “Jack has been itching to use her gift this trip.” I told the Lincolns.
From Mrs. Lincoln’s waist a large-brimmed, flowery, quilted hat that hadn’t been noticed detached itself and slowly righted itself; it floated into position over Mrs. Lincoln’s head. Just as slowly, it settled perfectly on her. Several hairpins appeared from the hat’s ribbon and carefully installed themselves strategically.
“Had I not just witnessed that with my own eyes…” The President whispered in awe, letting the statement drop.
Jack smiled at him as I rolled my eyes to her blatant display.
“Miss Jacquelyn can move objects with only her mind, Alexandra?”
“That and more, sir. At this time she is also producing a dampening field around this room to isolate our conversation from the staff and other guests.”
“I am also able to lift vessels several magnitudes larger than your biggest Ironclad, Mr. President.” Jack added with a brighter smile.
“Jacquelyn is also the most humble among us, Mr. Lincoln.” Mina snickered.
“At least I’m not still trying to find a way to dispatch myself, Highness!” Jack fired back rudely.
Lincoln looked appalled by what he had just heard!
“Child, why on Earth would you purposely try to leave this world? Has this dreaded conflict made you so distraught that death is the only answer? Miss Mina, I assure you that the loss of such beauty to this world would be sorely missed! To waste such talent…such abilities…such friendship!”
“Sir, with all due respect, it is none of your concern- nor is it the concern of the Empress, or her travel companions!” Mina replied in her most regal tone.
“You are going to help her I presume, Alexandra?”
“With my last breath, sir! I have worked out an acceptable scenario.”
“Then why, Miss Mina, would you decline such assistance?”
“I have seen what should happen if I survive, sir. Sometimes it is better to leave history play out as it should!”
“Miss Smith, Alexandra seems to have your best interests in mind…your safe future, I’m certain, is assured. Why deny her? After all, you cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
Mina stayed quiet for a while, presumably thinking of an answer to Mr. Lincoln’s wisdom.
“I grow weary of seeing the future…always seeing other people’s fortune or fate…always looking out to protect everyone else’s future! I’ve spent a good part of my sixty-nine years watching…and guiding…and watching again… I’m tired…so very tired! At first it seemed that I was only responsible for Alexandra and the rest of Sand Dollar’s crew. Then it grew logarithmically to include the well being of other planets- then other dimensions! The anxiety it causes has no definition on this Earth! I…I just cannot…I just can’t…anymore!” Mina broke down and tears streamed from her eyes.
Mary Lincoln gingerly walked around to her and pulled her close.
“Philamina Smith, Has it gone unnoticed that you needn’t worry about so much? In fact, Alexandra has demonstrated that she has taken on that burden unsolicited. She is trying to help you, child! Can you not see that? Or is it that you have grown so familiar that you fear to release it?”
“I’m afraid to see myself.” Mina finally managed to whisper.
“What was that child?”
“I’m afraid to see myself when we get to the Columbian Exposition.”
“I don’t think I understand? Alexandra, to what does she refer?”
“Mina is afraid that we will run into Philip Smith, ma’am.”
“Her brother, perhaps? But why did she refer to him in singular terms?”
My eyes immediately dropped to the floor. From the loud sigh in the room, it was evident my sisters followed my lead.
“Ma’am, sir, I’m afraid we have misled you, we were not born in this form…the form you see before you.” I let what I said fade before continuing.
“Not born in this form? What other form then, Alexandra? Seraphim? Angel? What?” Mary Lincoln pressed.
“Before meeting Mina on her island home, my crew and I were all men…except for my sister Emily!” I informed them, motioning to Emily in the process.
Mr. Lincoln raised his fingers to his forehead and turned his head side to side slightly in an effort to sort through my startling admission.
“Having witnessed such magical abilities from everyone here, I find this latest information highly suspect! Such beauty…such femininity…surely it can only be inborn! Tell us this is but a fable, Empress!”
I gave out a large sigh. “Jack, please show them.”
I looked away in embarrassment while Jack passed along the implausible memories of our invention.
A minute later the two stood flabbergasted. The humiliation of those memories being seen by these specific outsiders…
“Mina, you have participated in this as well?” Abraham asked gently.
“I have, sir.”
“I see the dilemma. Tell me, do you look anything like the old you, child?”
“Not that I remember, Mr. Lincoln. I mostly resemble my adoptive mother, the former queen of Kili Island.”
“Then I submit that you have nothing to fear.” Lincoln rubbed his hands together before motioning to us with them.
“You don’t understand, sir! If I see me…like this,” She motioned down her body, “I stand a very good chance of approaching me!” She pointed to her chest. “In which case I would fall…um…head over heels…for me! It would be the quintessential fracture of this timeline- of this dimension! It would spell the destruction of Alexandra- everyone…everything! She would no longer exist to right the wrongs of this world, our universe, our children, and grandchildren! Nothing would be as it is now! We wouldn’t be here now or three years ago! Mr. Lincoln, you wouldn’t be you, but a still grieving widower with no ambition of winning this rebellion or reuniting these States.”
The President dropped his gaze from her to contemplate what had been said.
“I disagree with your assessment of my conviction, Miss Smith!” Lincoln paused as he looked to his wife a moment. A look was exchanged between them before he continued. “As you say, I would be the ever grieving widower. That is true, for no force on Earth could sway my love and adoration for my wife, but you are wrong about my tenacity! Mrs. Lincoln and I have been in agreement about the future of this nation since before the first volley was exchanged at Sumter! I would be as I am today, dedicated to reassembling this great nation! Nothing will deter me from that course, not here or in another one of those dimensions you hint at, Mina Smith!” Lincoln’s voice was stern, yet gentle.
“Sir, I couldn’t have said that any better! Mina has refused advice from not only Emily and I, but her four daughters and our crew as well. We all have tried without success- numerous times- to sway her belief that she will leave us in a few short months, despite my finding an acceptable resolution. My first officer’s presence here is testament of that.”
“Say what, Alex?” Jack asked with a start. “You set this up?”
“Sorry, my friend, but I had to have a viable reason for you to come back here. I’ve known that Mrs. Lincoln’s memories would meet with limited results to your gift. You will be needed on several occasions during our visit to Chicago to protect her Highness from Philip Smith. Also, you are to remove all traces of our presence from his memory! Jamie, you will read his feelings and ‘suggest’ alternate feelings so that he will continue on his path of self-discovery.”
“I understand, Captain.” Jack nodded to me and stood to attention.
“Aye, Skipper.” Jamie acknowledged me likewise.
I nodded to both then turned toward Mina.
“Mina, I’m sorry this has to happen, but you are too important to our family to simply fade away into oblivion. I have vowed to protect my friends and relatives, and that is precisely what we are going to do. President and Mrs. Lincoln, I now ask that you take an offered hand, for we must all be coupled in order to travel. The trip is instantaneous and completely painless.”
“By God, Alexandra, you remind me of U.S. Grant! Why, I’ve only seen such resolute determination in one other woman!”
Lincoln looked to his wife and smiled. Mary blushed, but winked back and smiled.
“You were right all those months ago, my dearest. I regret my disbelief of your account and seek your sincere forgiveness.”
“So you knew about me?” I asked.
“I had heard about you, Empress, but was unconvinced that such great women even existed.
I’m not sure, but I suspected we all crimsoned.
“Please take an extended hand, and we shall ply the waves of time to our destination!” I said with as much nobility as I could muster without giggling.
“Really, Alexandra…”
The lamp lit room of President and Mrs. Lincoln became the bright sunlit plaza just outside the Great Electrical Building at the 1893 World Exposition. All around us, people of the day wondered about on undefined courses to undisclosed destinations throughout the grounds. In the distance a train whistle signaled yet another group of fair-goers eager to take in the marvelous sights, sounds, and grand decoration found everywhere.
“-Must you be so dramatic?” Mina nagged through our transit.
A man in formal suit and bowler walking alongside a younger woman- in my exact dress, quilted hat, and parasol- walked cleanly through the Lincolns without as much as a shudder.
“This is unbelievable! Alexandra that couple walked straight through as if we were spirits! Are we really here in this strange time?”
“Sir, ma’am, this may be a bit too much to comprehend, but we are actually here, in 1893. The reason people of the time are able to pass through us is based on a concept of time. I am able to keep us slightly out of time so that we remain unseen until I am able to find a safe place to realign us. Once that is done we can interact normally with those around us.”
“So we are just a fraction of a second behind everyone else?”
“Something like that, sir. I don’t quite understand the concept myself yet, I just know it works.”
The loud, roaring sound of electricity echoing through the monstrous building before us told me that one or more of Nicola Tesla’s machines resided inside.
Concentrating on the proper location to rephase our group, I pulled us off to the right corner of the Grand Electrical Building. Walking through several more people on our way to the rear of the building took its toll on Mrs. Lincoln. Complaining of severe nausea, she begged me to find a suitable location quickly.
Once behind the huge building, I waited a few ‘agonizing’ moments- for some of us- then informed everyone I was going to rephase.
“We have realigned ourselves with this time period. You may release hands.” I smiled brightly before being interrupted.
“Hey! You can’t be back here! No one can be back here who’s not cleared to be back here!” A man’s voice shouted.
A policeman quickly ran over to where we stood. The man, in his late forties stopped a few feet short gasping for air. At about five-five, I towered over him, but his gaze did not make the intended incline to my eyes, they simply remained level and trained on my chest.
“Then perhaps you could tell us where the lavatory is located? We seem to have been given bad direction, officer! It is becoming rather urgent that my sister seek relief!” I told him.
The pervert’s eyes never left my chest.
“Oh. Oh! You go back out to the front of the building and go into the front doors. Go to the first door on the left for you ladies and the second door to the left for you, sir. Don’t forget that you have to buy tickets, though.” The officer said before turning his eyes to Mr. Lincoln. At which point his eyes grew large and his mouth opened slightly.
“You look like him! You really look like him!”
“Well of course I look like him! Whom else would I look like, constable?” Lincoln said with a leer.
“I actually met him when I was younger! You’re the best one I’ve seen to date! How do they find such good impersonators?”
“Impersonator? Constable, do you impugn I am not the true article? I am…”
“He’s the best dern character actor this side of the Allegheny’s! Why, he’s been playin’ ol’ ‘Honest Abe’ since we was knee high, officer!” I jumped in to save Mr. Lincoln any unwanted embarrassment. He was quick to catch on.
“Like my niece so eloquently stated, constable, I…am…an actor!” Abraham declared as he gracefully put his hand into his coat Napoleon style. “Now if you will excuse us, sir, my niece seeks immediate relief! Good day, constable! Come along girls.”
Abraham Lincoln took my and Mary’s hand in his and led our group back to the front of the huge building and politely opened the door for us.
“Good show, sir!” Mina congratulated the President as we stopped just inside. “I wouldn’t think that someone who has a reputation for ‘honesty’ would improvise so quickly.”
“My dear Mina, I stake my reputation on that quality, but I must also remind you that I am still a politician and as such I must be quick on any given opportunities!” He chuckled warmly.
“Alex? I really do have to go!” Corrine said quietly as she looked around sheepishly. “Do I really need to buy a ticket to use the head?”
I looked at her in disbelief.
“No, seriously, Skipper, I have a red indicator on my HUD that says ‘Recycling System Offline’! I’d rather not risk it!” She warned with pleading eyes.
This is all I needed- technology breakdown!
“What is a ‘hud’ if I may be so bold, Alexandra, and what is a recycling system?”
“The H.U.D. or ‘Heads-Up-Display’, is how we control our garments, sir. It provides operational information about every system incorporated into it and allows us to control its many features- such as changing its appearance as I demonstrated earlier. The Recycling System allows us to forego local…um, sanitary conditions.” I explained while being cautious of unwanted observers.
“Where is this HUD you speak of, Alexandra? I wish to experience it firsthand.” Mary Lincoln asked.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but your garment is a slave to be controlled by one of ours. It lacks the neural interface necessary to display a HUD in your mind.” I answered, but immediately learned of my mistake.
“Slave? I am wearing a slave?” Mary Lincoln grimaced.
“Not in the context you’re thinking about, ma’am- I’m sorry! As technology has progressed, we have redefined some of the more controversial terms of your time. In the world of computers a term like slave and master denote which device has direct control and which waits its turn to communicate.”
“Computers, you say? I once read about a scholar, Babbage I think the name was- he wrote something about a computer a few years ago.” Mr. Lincoln cradled his face in his hand while trying to recall the memory.
“Skipper.”
“Alexandra, couldn’t Miss Jacquelyn show us a vision of this HUD with her gift?” Mary inquired with curiosity.
“Skipper.”
“I don’t see why not! She’s always trying to show off anyway. Jack show them you’re HUD, plea…?”
By the look on the Lincolns’ faces I could tell Jack was already at work.
“Skipper.”
“That is truly miraculous! And when will these marvels come into existence, Alexandra?” He asked intrigued by what he saw.
“The computer doesn’t really appear as a viable technology for another ninety-five years. Relative to your own time, Mr. President.”
“Skipper!”
“What, Corrine- oh!”
“Do I have to buy a ticket, Alex?”
I blushed.
“Mr. President, ladies, this will only take a moment!” I rolled my eyes as I took Corrine’s hand. “No, Miss Masterson! Not while I’m still the Empress!” I declared as I took one final glance around us.
“There, now that another incident has been averted, shall we take in the marvels of Chicago’s World Fair?”
“But you didn’t go anywhere, Alexandra! Or did you?” A surprised Mr. Lincoln posed with an eyebrow raised.
“Ah, the wonders of time travel, sir!” I smiled brightly.
“You two went back to base, didn’t you? You also got Randi to repair her suit, didn’t you? Alex, had I known you were going to go that far, I would have tagged along! I dislike the use of chamber pots and outhouses very much!” Emily complained then looked at the Lincolns. “No offence, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln.”
“None taken, Miss Emily. I would opt for more sanitary conveniences myself if they existed. I’m sure Mary would agree also.”
Mrs. Lincoln looked at me with a hopeful, yet needy expression. “If you could be ever so kind, Empress?” She gracefully pleaded.
“Alright. Who else needs to go?” I rolled my eyes again.
1410hrs, The Electrical Building, Chicago World’s Fair, Jun 18th, 1893
“There, now is everyone feeling better?” I asked sarcastically. To all passers-by that showed even the most remote attention to our group, we had just been standing there for a few minutes.
For me, twelve hours had passed as I made three trips back to Atlantis-Minor for repairs and ‘potty breaks’. Mr. Lincoln had been the only person to hold his continence.
We spent the remaining daylight trekking across the fairgrounds investigating the architecture and the innovations contained in the various buildings. Dusk was approaching when we finally took a break and sat down to each enjoy a waffle cone of ice cream.
The modest bustle of our dresses made the ornate wooden benches a little uncomfortable, but I was willing to trade my slightly sidesaddle position for the agony assaulting my brain from those three-inch heeled Granny boots!
“So ladies fashions have gone from barely comfortable to miserably uncomfortable in the matter of thirty years? Is there a reason for this, Alexandra?” Mary Lincoln asked as she removed one boot to rub her foot.
“Our researcher took some liberties, ma’am.” I looked to the next bench- at Mina before apologizing. “I am deeply sorry that they proved so difficult, ma’am.”
“You should try the sadistic four and five inch contraptions they wear in the nineteen-seventies, ma’am!” Jack added, raising both thin, but well-kept eyebrows. “Mary Shelly couldn’t have written better torture devices for her monster!”
I laughed at her analogy and almost lost my ice cream as I recalled one of my future self’s memories of something called a ‘Disco’.
“Mr. Lincoln!” Someone shouted from a fair distance away. The President looked up in shock. He looked at me, the question quite evident on his face.
I shook my head no.
“I say, Mr. Lincoln?” The tenor voice called out again. It had a noticeable British accent.
“Bloody hell!” Mina gasped as she quickly lowered her head to hide behind the wide quilted brim of her hat.
The man drew nearer. “Mr. Lincoln? It is you! Sir, are you not appearing in tonight’s pageant?” The young, slightly built, brown-haired man of about eighteen inquired.
“Alas, tonight is my night away from the stage. You see there are two of us employed in that capacity. Tonight, I am engaged in the company of my nieces.” Lincoln said courteously.
“Begging your pardon, gov, I wasn’t aware of such details. May I say, sir that you are the spitting image of the glass plates I’ve seen since arriving in this country! Spitting image, sir!” The young man bubbled.
“Why thank you, um…”
“Smith, sir. Philip Smith, sir.”
Lincoln stood to shake his hand.
“Mr. Smith, glad to make your acquaintance. Stanton…Stanton Douglas and this is my lovely wife Dolly!” Lincoln introduced Mary with a motion of his hand.
I almost shot ice cream out my nose!
“Pleased to meet you, gov, ma’am. Eh, you wouldn’t need help escortin’ these lovelies about now would ya?”
“Unfortunately no, young Philip. I’m afraid all five are recently engaged, but thank you for the kind offer.”
A bit of ice cream went down the wrong hole and I started to cough as I choked.
Emily came to my aid. “Dee? Ya alright, Dee?” She asked, patting my back.
“Went down the wrong hole is all, Amy-Jo! Ah’ll b’fine!” I responded in my thickest drawl.
“Stanton, honey, ah’m feelin’ a chill. We best head fer the rooms ‘fore the girls catch their death.” Mary Lincoln said without missing a beat.
“As you wish, dear. Mr. Smith, it was nice to meet you, but I’m afraid Dolly’s right. Their suitors would hold us solely responsible if any of them caught so much as the sniffles! We bid you goodnight, young sir.”
And just like that we all stood and Mr. Lincoln guided his ‘nieces’ away from young Philip Smith, who tipped his hat to us.
“That was bloody embarrassing.” Mina stated quietly after we put some distance between her former self and us. “Embarrassing, but bloody brilliant, Mr. Lincoln! Thank you.”
“It was the only viable solution, Miss Mina, but you are very welcome.” Lincoln chuckled.
“No help from you, Empress! I hope you are proud of yourself- nearly choking on your smugness!” Mina growled at me.
“Yes, Alexandra, what caused you such affliction?” Mary Lincoln asked.
“Stanton Douglas and your wife Dolly.” I couldn’t contain my giggling. “You’re Secretary of War, swarn political rival, and President James Madison’s wife, sir?” I continued to giggle. “It all came out so effortlessly!”
“Like I said before, Alexandra, I’m a politician!”
Emily tapped my shoulder.
“Amy-Jo? Really Alex, do I look like an Amy-Jo?”
“I’m definitely not a politician, sis. Let’s find a nice quiet place for departure, shall we?”
0012hrs, The Presidential Mansion, Washington DC, January 12th, 1865
“The dampening shield is back up, Alex.” Jack informed me as we arrived back in the Lincolns’ bedroom mere minutes after we had left.
“Thanks, Jack. It’s safe to talk now.” I said as I released the Lincoln’s hands.
“That was a very informative trip, Alexandra. It makes our work here all the more worthwhile. To have actually witnessed how great this republic becomes in the coming years! What say you, Mrs. Lincoln?” Abraham Lincoln seemed excited, but a bit teary eyed.
“Well, Mr. Lincoln, I think women’s fashions near the turn of next century have improved somewhat from today, but improvements still need to be made. The absence of a hoop is a major improvement though. Tell me, Empress, do they not make lower heels in the eighteen-nineties?” Mary Lincoln took the opportunity to voice her complaint- one we pretty much all shared.
“I’m not sure, ma’am, as I said before I relied on Mina’s experience having lived through that period. As you have seen firsthand, she was present at the Columbian Exposition in her previous handsome form.”
“I was an outright tosser.” Mina grumbled.
“That’s not true, Highness, I thought you were handsome.” Jamie interjected sincerely.
“I would have gone out with you, Mina!” Corrine added with a giggle.
“Well I thought him to be a little rude! Mina, before your Mahanilui did you always think of women in that capacity?” Jack said seriously. I could see her scanning Mina even now.
Without so much as a yes or no, Mina flushed bright crimson.
That conveyed the obvious answer quite well!
“Mrs. Lincoln, I’m afraid I must ask you to remove the dress. We cannot allow you to keep it- for obvious reasons.” I told her, trying to change the subject. “Corrine can again assist you. I’m sure you would rather apply your own makeup in the morning and not wage war against Corrine’s masterful art work?”
Mary nodded hesitantly and Corrine went to work, helping her back into her nightdress.
“Alexandra, would it be too much to ask to see some of your time as Mrs. Lincoln has undoubtedly done earlier?” Lincoln asked in curiosity as he began to remove his suit coat.
The time had come!
With much regret I gave the answer to the appalling question I had foreseen almost a month ago.
“I think I have a little time for a quick spin around the twentieth century, sir. Take my hand and be amazed.” I said with little excitement as I offered him my right hand and waited for Mina’s groan at my dramatics.
“Mrs. Lincoln, would you mind if this vibrant young lady were to escort me singularly through time?”
“Just be back by 12:30, Mr. Lincoln!” She giggled as she eyed the mantle clock with a devious smile.
“Just ten minutes for a tour? Why, we spent more time at water stops on the train to Washington!” He complained.
“I could have him back in a minute, ma’am, if that would better please you. I know this certain blonde that might have some pull when it comes to time? That reminds me. Corrine could you…um…darken my hair again, please?”
Two minutes later President Lincoln and I were again holding hands.
“We’ll be right back.” I said to everyone just before phasing the two of us out.
Lincoln’s bedroom became the bright, sunlit submarine pier just outside of CINCPAC headquarters at Pearl Harbor. Sand Dollar sat tied up, calmly awaiting her crew. Several larger ships sat anchored out in the Loch behind her.
“Amazing! This is what developed out of the Ironclads, Alexandra?” Lincoln asked in astonishment.
“These are just some of the modern designs for the United States Navy, sir, but this…this is my boat…My Sand Dollar. She’s what we call a submarine. She’s capable of cruising at a depth of five hundred feet for almost eleven hours.”
“A direct descendant of the Confederate Hunley! I’ve had secret briefs about this type of vessel, Alexandra. My we go aboard?”
“Of course, sir, but I must warn you that the compartments may be a little cramped for a man of your stature. Please keep your head down and I will transport us into the pressure hull.”
“Can’t we walk across the gangway, Alexandra?”
“To enter the boat we would need to climb ladders, sir. For that we would need both our hands. You would be visible to the people of this time period and quite possibly shot on sight as a saboteur, sir. I can’t let that happen.”
“Point taken, Captain, lead on.”
The subdued light of Sand Dollar’s deserted Con replaced the sunny topside.
“Welcome aboard Sand Dollar, President Lincoln. This is what we call the Control Room. From here we pilot, dive, surface, and control weapons fire. I motioned for him to follow me forward.
“This is my office, rack, and washroom all wrapped into one, sir. I motioned into my quarters and kept moving forward.
“Alex, was this you with your parents?” His question caught me off guard. Turning around, Lincoln held the picture of Brian, Ma, Pa, and me…the old me, in his hand.
I nodded.
“It must be maddening at the best of times.” He said calmly, in a gentle tone.
“Not so much anymore, sir. The Mahanilui sees to it that you quickly grow accustom to your new body. Not to mention that I’ve lived like this for over five years in my travels.”
“But your calendar states it is May of 1944. I thought those memories Jacquelyn shared with us indicated you all went through this Mahanilui just two months ago?”
“Relatively speaking, sir, that is true, but you miss one nuance of time travel. I can spend an almost unlimited amount of time in one or more eras and still return to the very second I left- as was similar tonight in your bedroom.”
“Am I to believe that you have aged five years in two months, Alexandra? How can one so beautiful allow herself license to grow old so fast? It seems like a wretch’s deal with the devil!”
“An extended lifetime would definitely compensate for such discrepancies, sir.” I smiled and winked.
“And you are also gifted in that respect, I imagine?”
“Let’s just say that the Empress and her sisters will see a few centuries pass before finally seeking rest, Mr. Lincoln.” The statement made me wince slightly and I looked to the deck.
Lincoln looked to the floor momentarily as if finally understanding why my expression took on such sadness so often in our conversations.
He remained silent as we exited the forward hatch into the forward torpedo compartment.
“These are our main means of protection, sir. Each torpedo carries enough explosive to break the spine of any modern ship…or rip a hole large enough to sink her. Sand Dollar has six confirmed kills to her credit in the six weeks since she was commissioned.”
“Mostly due to her commander, I suspect, Alexandra?”
“I couldn’t have done it without my crew, sir. Without them, I’m useless.” I looked down not wanting to hear what I knew was coming next.
“Spoken like a true leader, Captain, yet I sense you are fighting some inner turmoil, a war against yourself. Can we not speak openly of this, my dear? You have shown me so much today- so much of the future. One might suspect that these actions are not just coincidence, but have ulterior motive, such as to delay the inevitable?”
The calm, gentle demeanor this man gave me proved impossibly hard to resist.
I broke down and began crying. I hated myself for having to do this!
“I see.” He said after holding me to his shoulder for a few moments. “My fate…it has fallen to you, Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space?”
My tears flowed a little faster and I felt him gently tighten his hold on me.
“So my days are numbered then.” He spoke quietly. “Pray, Empress will it be quick and painless?”
I said nothing, only nodded once.
From the tugging on my hair, I pictured Lincoln raising his head to the heavens searching for divine guidance. We stayed motionless for several minutes as I continued to cry on Abraham Lincoln’s shoulder.
“You have found no other alternative that preserves the union and guarantees my existence?”
“None yet, I’m afraid.” I sniffed. “There are a few that might do both, but would still fracture the timeline into another dimension entirely. From there on this timeline will plummet from one dimension to another until finally becoming too fragmented to support its own reality and collapse.” I managed to explain before grief in what I had to do overcame me once more.
It took everything I had to pull myself together enough to do what I had seen next.
“Mr. Lincoln, I need to show you something else…something important.”
“This certainly is turning out to be something of a Dickens novel, Alexandra! How could such a numbing duty fall to one so caring? Does God himself feel the need to punish you so cruelly?”
“We all must do our part, sir” I paused to wipe my eyes, “Even if that part seems ill-fitted to the candidate selected.”
“Wiser words have never been spoken.” Lincoln sighed heavily. “Shall we get started then, Alexandra? Show me what is to become of Abraham Lincoln so that I may decide the best path in assuring the reunification of this grand republic. Show me what might be should I remain among the breathing, Empress.”
“I cannot go to a dimension where the Empress does not exist, sir. I fear it would destabilize and collapse, killing scores of innocent beings throughout the galaxy.”
“Then do not go to such lengths, Alexandra. Show me, as Dickens put it, some tenderness, spirit.”
“Take my hand, sir.”
Sand Dollar’s forward torpedo room became the sunny pier front at Norfolk Naval Station. A huge gray ship stood tied up before our eyes.
“Where and when is this, Alexandra?”
“Norfolk Naval Station, sir…about 2009 I would guess.”
“And what manner of ship would this behemoth be?”
“This is what we call an Aircraft Carrier, sir; it carries several different kinds of airplanes…flying machines, and is capable of launching them anywhere in the world’s oceans. This particular ship is the USS Abraham Lincoln, sir.”
As if on cue several jet fighters screamed overhead- probably practicing formations.
I gently tugged at the President’s hand so that we could get a better look at his namesake.
Instantly we were standing on the Lincoln’s massive air operations deck. It seemed completely deserted and all too quiet.
“Where is the crew, Alexandra?” Lincoln asked as he looked around the great ship. “More over, where are the fluestacks? Something this size would surely have more than one boiler.”
“This Aircraft Carrier does not use wood, coal, or bunker oil, sir. It harnesses the power of the atom! I am told it only needs refueling every ten or so years.”
“What is an Atom, Alexandra?”
“It’s a little hard to explain, sir. Think of a reaction, like burning coal, only hot as the sun. The people of this time call it nuclear energy.”
“Extraordinary, Alexandra, but where is the crew?”
A single figure appeared in the island’s deck hatch. The woman, dressed in her work kakis clumsily staggered over to us while cautiously looking around her.
“Empress, Mr. President, please stay where you are.” My future self said in a pained voice when near enough. “I’ll come ta y’all.”
Allie seemed to shimmer a second as she apparently matched our phase.
She immediately fell awkwardly to one knee.
“Welcome to Norfolk, Empress!” She paused. “It is exactly 1205hrs July 10th, 2009.”
“I told you to stop that, sis.” I growled and rolled my eyes in annoyance.
“Welcome, Mr. President.” My future twin winced as she slowly, carefully, stood to attention and saluted.
Lincoln seemed flustered for a moment before saluting back and shaking her hand.
“An amazing vessel, Alexandra. I would like to see more, but I’m afraid I might be experiencing more afflictions to my skull if things become any more bizarre.”
“Why are you here, Alex?” I asked curiously.
“Why do you think, Alex?” She said in a tired, agonizing tone.
“That’s what I’m askin’ y’all! Why y’all here, Alex?”
“For you, hon.” Her voice took an exhausted, pleading tone now.
“Sorry?”
“I’m here ta help y’all help Mr. Lincoln, Alex.” She just about moaned!
I hadn’t noticed her hair turn gray, but it was now. When had the wrinkles appeared on her tired face?
“Ah don’t need no help! This is hard ‘nough as it is, Alex!” I growled back.
“Then why haven’t y’all told him yet?”
“Ah can’…Ah will! This is the hardest thing ah ever had ta do. Ah’m not ready.” I snapped.
“As long as ah been an off’cer, Ah known a day like ta’day would come, Alex. Ah know’d what must be done. It must be done now!”
Her hair was now white- her face…my face, ancient looking!
“Ladies?”
Alex, Ah cain’t do this! Ma job is ta perserve life, not ta play the Grim Reaper!” I cried as I wrapped my arm around her.
I felt only the slightest hint of a tingle between us.
I immediately pulled away from my ‘old future twin’.
“Why ya here and who’re ya?”
“Ladies?” Mr. Lincoln asked again, but suddenly looked between the two of us in shock of what I said.
“Ah’m you, Empress, but barely. Y’all delayin’ the en’evidible’s fracturin’ our timeline as w’speak. Ah’m y’all in twenty minutes time, Alex. As y’all have a’ready noticed our temporal bond has all but dis’peared. Y’all mus hurry and return this reality back on its proper path, Alex! Ah can only hold this here reality stationary for a few more minutes. Please Empress, ah beg y’all, continue the mission without further delay!” She pleaded, her eyes barely remaining open now.
I now noticed the dual trickles of blood from her nose. Did it take that much concentration to…?
It all made sense now- the lack of crewmen on the deck- the silence all around us instead of the usual wind, voices, and seagulls normally present on the massive deck! She…I had somehow managed to freeze time here in order to right what I had obviously failed to do the first time! I was here as a warning to myself and I was now paying the price for my initial procrastination- for my following my feelings!
“Thank you, Empress! I owe you for this!” I said quickly as I refocused on our next location.
She smiled carefully and nodded- her face, now many decades older than when she first appeared.
A large, dimly lit room appeared around us. At one end, a black cloth draped casket sat on an elevated platform several feet above the great room’s floor. Black cloth and matching crepe draped the walls around us- effectively hiding all windows and mirrors about the room- the depressing decorum only broken by sparsely placed white flowers and greenery. Above the coffin, supported on four ornate pillars, sat a domed, black cloth canopy. A white silk fluting around its base tried desperately to brighten both the room and the fifteen-foot tall catafalque. At the head, foot and sides of the casket stood an Honor Guard- twelve officers, eight representing the Army and four the Navy stood at attention and motionless.
“When is this, Alexandra? I recognize the East Room of the Mansion, but when?” Lincoln asked in a somber, but unsure voice.
“April 19th, 1865.” I replied just above a whisper. It was all I could muster given the tears filling my vision.
“Can I assume I know the esteemed gentleman before us, Alexandra?” Lincoln asked quietly as he nodded to the flower-decorated shrine. He swallowed hard.
I didn’t answer; instead I lowered my head and turned away as best I could without releasing my grasp of his hand.
“I see. It all makes sense now.” Lincoln nodded once before turning his attention to me. “I now understand how hard this was for you, child. Had I thought my end so close, I would have begun preparations earlier- though I cannot deny I received ample warnings.”
“No, you can’t!” My voice cracked as I turned back to face him in haste. “You can’t let it be known that you were forewarned- not to anyone! Not ever!” I lamented as I tried to sniff back more tears.
“It would change things that much?”
“Aye, sir!” I sniffed again, unsuccessfully trying to dry my eyes with my free hand.
Lincoln mulled things over a while.
“I want the whole story, Captain Alexandra Steinert!” Lincoln demanded, taking a large breath as he stiffened himself. “I think I deserve to know the circumstances of my own demise given this!” Lincoln said with calm authority as he motioned to the casket before us.
I felt his sympathetic, yet commanding eyes burn deep into my soul- waiting…demanding my reply- to hear the dread account of his personal endgame. Closing my tear filled eyes and taking a long breath, I began to relate the circumstances of his final hours.
“April 14th, 1865, President and Mrs. Lincoln attend the performance of the play ‘Our American Cousin’, a comedy I think, at Ford’s Theater. During the presentation an actor, John Wilkes Booth, gains access to your private box and places a single small caliber round through the back of your skull. I cannot relate to you the pain involved, but death comes at 0722hrs, April 15th, 1865 across the street in the Peterson House. The members of your cabinet and Mrs. Lincoln are in attendance as you expire.” I told him coldly as tears finally breached my tightly closed lids and cascaded down my already wet cheeks.
“And the war? Does it still rage on at this point?”
“No, six days prior General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General U.S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, though word of the cessation of hostilities won’t reach the frontier for another six months. Even then skirmishes occur throughout the country as Confederate soldiers refuse to believe or observe the armistice.”
“Thank you, Alexandra. I thank you for honoring me with the truth, Empress of Time and Space.” Lincoln bowed to me slightly.
I noticed a single tear run from his right eye and seek refuge in his beard.
That one, single tear hurt me more than I could ever describe- the pain millions of times worse than being kicked in the groin! What had I just done, I asked myself? How could I live with myself after completing such a morose task? Here I was, a simple submarine captain, telling my childhood hero, my most beloved historical figure, how he would die- all while standing in this makeshift funeral parlor! How had this…this appalling task fallen to me in the first place?
As I lowered my head in sorrow an unhindered barrage of tears exploded from my eyes and fell to the hall’s floor. I could almost hear them hit.
“Captain! Come look here quickly!” I heard through my continuing waterfall of tears.
Two Naval Officers keeping station in front of the coffin hurried over the few feet from their station to where we stood. Had I mistakenly rephased us in my despair?
“What is it, Lieutenant?” His fellow officer- a Captain- asked with concern as he approached.
“Sir, they just…they…they just appeared- just now,” the lieutenant exclaimed in fascination as he reached right through my leg to wipe whatever he spied off the floor with his gloved finger. He then looked up to the ceiling in confusion after looking curiously at his fingertip.
Mr. Lincoln and I stood frozen in place- afraid to even breathe, the only things still moving were my tears falling to the ground. Both of us followed the lieutenant’s hand to see what he had found.
“What do you have there, lieutenant?”
“Sir, its water! I don’t see where it’s coming from though.” He said as he touched the finger gently to his tongue. “It’s salty, sir! Just like…just like…” his eyes widened in recognition, “it tastes like tears!”
Both men wordlessly looked back to the casket- to their fallen leader peacefully awaiting his noonday funeral for a few solemn moments.
“It’s been said that even God weeps for a truly great man, son.” The ranking officer, an Army Major-General, said softly, observing them from his station at the head of the casket. “This proves the fact! Now please return to your posts knowing without a doubt that he’s being well taken care of.” The older man said solemnly.
“Aye, sir! All our prayers must have been heard.”
“Agreed.”
Both men turned and reverently returned to their positions.
“It is comforting to know that the people of this great nation shall not forget me, Alexandra. There have been times throughout my administration I suspected that not the case though!”
“Only a small minority will cause problems in the near future, sir, but as historians dig deeper into your presidency they will inevitably find many inaccuracies and conspiracies. One of which my sisters and I defused the evening before last- just before Mary’s charity ball.”
“What happened that night, Alexandra? I was not informed of any foiled conspiracies.”
“We arrived in Washington that evening in time to prevent two men from sneaking a time bomb into a storage room directly below the west ballroom, sir. I quickly dispatched the device to some place it would do no damage after Jamie talked some sense into the two would-be criminals.”
“I see. I am indebted to you, Empress.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. President. I only wish I were able to do more.” I paused to think and to wipe my eyes once again. I was endangering the mission by standing here in the redressed East Room. One emotional slip or for me to lose enough concentration and the world would learn of the Empress and her abilities. “We need to go somewhere safe, sir. Someplace we cannot be discovered.”
The air around us went dim- almost black- the only illumination provided by a single motionless sun some distance away.
The President immediately began looking around. Strangely, no fear appeared on his face- just confusion.
“This is my private realm, sir. I come here at times to contemplate my options and decide how to proceed. It is perfectly safe here, Mr. President.”
Lincoln nodded once and seemed on the verge of speaking before again looking around him.
“This place…it seems to be familiar somehow, Alexandra. Have I been here before?”
I was stunned by his question.
“Again, I’m not sure about that, sir. Maybe at some future time?”
“It seems I have none too much ‘future time’ remaining, Alexandra! Maybe some time in the past, though I struggle to remember such a meeting.” He thought a minute. “Maybe after I pass on, most honorable Empress of Space and Time?”
By all that was right, he knew! How could he know of our abysmal debate with President Truman?
I broke down and cried again.
Several minutes passed as I tried desperately to contain my emotions.
“I’m truly sorry, sir. This is turning out to be many times harder than I ever imagined.” I apologized to my guest through lingering tears.
Lincoln nodded, remaining quiet, but continued to scan his surroundings.
“Alexandra? What would happen if, say, Mary and I were to decline attendance to the comedy?”
I paused to seriously work that scenario.
“In two weeks time another explosion, much bigger than the one we intercepted, will succeed in killing not only you, but Mary, Tad, and Robert, along with your entire cabinet and many White House staff members- two of which hold special importance to me. Vice President Andrew Johnson will still succeed you, but at a greater disadvantage with the added death of your cabinet members and other high ranking officers. Without proper leadership and diminished confidence, the Confederacy reforms in the western territories as marauding vigilante militias. Another Civil War erupts in ten years time allowing Great Britain, France, and Spanish-backed Mexico easy inroads for conquest. Your blessed Grand Republic becomes forever divided between the three invading Monarchies. The United States of America ceases to exist as a viable nation and is written off into history as ‘The Great Failed Experiment for Democracy’. The people of North America suffer dramatically as the three Empires tear the former country apart, raping its resources and labor force. Another black plague consumes its downtrodden, beaten, population. Millions die.”
The images I beheld told of horrific, almost sadistic clashes between rival militias or militias and common townsfolk or just average people competing for food- for personal survival. How could we humans be so brutal?
It also revealed another disturbing consequence.
“And all this would be brought about with but one, small, innocent decision?”
“That is one of many scenarios I have seen should you choose to neglect your attendance, sir, yes.”
“What might happen if…“
“Sir, all alternate realities where your survival is paramount ultimately result in my nonexistence!” I interrupted brusquely, my voice straining to maintain a civil octave.
“Life in this and many other universes unravels unchecked, spiraling out of control to oblivion because the Empress of Time and Space remains an unrealized dream- not even a passing thought. Why, you might not even exist if I had some previous interaction with, say, your Grandfather, or Great-Grandfather.” I proposed emotionally.
“Please, sir, I beg of you, for all peoples near and far- for the lives of my sisters, your wife and sons, my children and Grandchildren, please promise me you will go to that theater!”
I broke down and cried once more.
“Alexandra, I did not mean to upset you anymore than I already have. I merely wanted to understand the extents for which I must make my sacrifice- to what degree the world would change if Abraham Lincoln were to survive- what dramatic twists destiny would enlist. I was unprepared for such wide-ranging consequences a single decision could set in motion.” Lincoln’s sad eyes begged me for forgiveness. “Tell me, child, what affliction did you…would you have suffered in twenty minutes time had we not returned?”
I again took a minute to compose myself and ineffectively wipe my eyes.
“I was there to remind me,” I pointed to myself, “that I had a job to do, sir. That the job was significantly more important than my personal feelings or self assigned doctrine to protect all life. Apparently, I found some way to pause time- to hold it in flux long enough that I would realize my mistake.”
“What mistake, Alexandra?”
“The mistake of letting you move forward unharmed as was my intention- to possibly change your future or cause me to change it because of my own selfishness. I had the chance to save my hero- my role model!” I paused briefly.
“The stress of holding that dimension in limbo for even that short period of time was physically killing me. Did you not notice the change in my appearance minute to minute, or the blood trickling from my nose and ears? I was causing irreparable damage to myself in order to remind me…remind me about the dangers of changing history for my own frivolous wants and desires! Every ounce of energy contained in my body was being discharged to hold that single moment for me to see my folly!”
Yet again I felt the stream of tears come.
“To care enough to willingly do whatever it takes to save someone’s life is hardly frivolous or wanton, Empress. It speaks volumes about your morality- your convictions- your humanity!”
I took a long cleansing breath.
“Don’t be so quick to sight my humanity, Mr. Lincoln. Remember that I am responsible for the deaths of hundreds of enemy sailors in the name of protecting this country. I’m not, and never will be a saint.”
“Nor will I, Alexandra, nor will I. Of that you can be assured. I must admit I’ve committed many unscrupulous deeds- none of which I’m proud of- as leader of this nation.”
He decided to change subjects. “You say you have Grandchildren? How can that be for someone of your youth, or is this just one more facet of the mysterious Empress?” A tense smile formed on his lips.
“As you see me presently, I am thirty-four total years old. By official accounting- as one normally would draw from my birthdate, I am twenty-eight. I will live approximately nine hundred and eighty-three years in total, but only four hundred and sixty by standard count at this point in time. By 1956, I will have three wonderful daughters- the youngest of which born on a distant, but similar planet many billions of miles away. My third granddaughter from that blessed off-world joining will succeed me as Empress despite her protests and outright reluctance.”
“You are an amazing woman, Alexandra. To be able to see one’s finite existence yet remain sane and humble…” Lincoln paused a second. “I can see why God has chosen you to be his emissary- the ‘Empress’- for you appear the only one capable of divining reason out of such chaos!”
“I’m not sure God had anything to do with it, Mr. President. An effort to save a doomed race in another universe brought about the mistake that changed me…changed us. Simply an unconsidered, miniscule detail, combined with an effort to better that race’s survival started this whole fantastic voyage called ‘The Empress of Time and Space’.”
“Yes, but someone had to provide the muse for such an endeavor. Why not the Almighty himself?”
Could Lincoln be right? Had I…we been manipulated- designed- by someone or something from the start? I mentally forced myself to nullify those proposed questions- I had no inclination to receive those answers from my gift!
“Mr. Lincoln, we have to get you home before Mary gets worried.” I changed the subject immediately.
“But for you, time has no authority, Alexandra.” Lincoln said calmly as he raised a questioning eyebrow to me- in essence calling my bluff.
“One part of my gift answers questions I propose as thought, sir.” I closed my eyes momentarily. “Some questions should remain unanswered and unsought.”
“Oh, to have such discipline! If given the power to see the results to such questions, I would hasten headlong into them without a moment’s thought, unconcerned as to their true meaning or effect, yet here you stand before me- the ultimate enigma! Tell me, Alexandra, how is it one so young as yourself could be so wise and prudent?”
“Mr. President, since becoming the ‘Empress’, I’ve literally had my physical identity stripped from me- lost everything I held dear- everything I’ve ever loved. I nearly lost my commission, my boat, my crew, my…my usefulness! Topping all that, I’ve almost lost my life several times!” I paused to compose myself- those memories again causing me pain.
“On the other hand, I’ve been given a miraculous gift and become part of a larger family- with a larger purpose! I’ve met my children and grandchildren and whole worlds of interesting people. I now have twin sisters through my unique gift that share my memories, thoughts, and desires. We help guide each other through our many adventures- adventures required to make sure time flows smoothly. Also, I’m able to share my many journeys across this and other universes and dimensions with my sisters and friends.” I smiled with those thoughts and memories.
“Given those extremes and experiences, along with the training and advice I’ve received from my mentor and instructor, Mina Smith, I have reason for prudence, critical reasoning and above all, an open mind, yet those are of minimal importance where concern and love are involved. Without love for the countless number of beings out there…“ I motioned to the blackness surrounding us, “without concern for their well being, I might as well relinquish my gift and allow time to fend for itself!”
“My dearest Alexandra, never relent in your quest to bring order to this existence! I fear without you- as you have previously emphasized- everyone and everything may not survive. Why risk…everything? Perhaps this is HIS way of testing your fortitude and determination. Perhaps my plight is HIS way of proving that you were destined to be his Empress of Time and Space all along.”
“Ah’m no damn D’tee, if that’s what y’all are m’plyin’! Ah want no parts a’ that!” I protested, allowing my drawl free reign over my words.
“No, dear lady!” Lincoln countered, “You are many levels above that! Lest you forget, the Gods and Goddesses of myth were self-centered, greed-driven beings intent on controlling mankind for their own selfish wants and desires! Not one of them would do what you have fervently set out to achieve! You are a human- a woman- one who has taken up the titanic challenge to right the wrongs where they develop using the gifts that God has freely given. You…your sisters…you all are the ultimate protectors of our…of simply everything, Alexandra!” He exclaimed with scholarly tact.
“So now y’all think us better than God? Abraham Lincoln, the ‘Great Emancipator’, declares the Sisters o’ Kili omnipotent?” I looked at this man- President Abraham Lincoln- flabbergasted by such insinuation! “We’re nothin’ o’ the sort, sir! We all’re normal womenfolk simply tryin’ to help keep things straight, nothin’ more!” I retorted, my drawl breaking its restraint once more.
“I will not debate with you, the facts of your crusade, my dear, but you and your sisterhood are precariously far from normal by every mortal definition of the term. Alexandra, for once in the history of everything we hold dear, you and your ‘Sisters of Kili’ have the pow…have the abilities to make a difference- to actually and truly help! Humility…you’re humanity is why I position you higher than the ancient deities! Without that to conduct your route I’d consider you no better!”
Lincoln’s eyes burned with confidence and authority. I found it hard to look away until his expression softened once more.
“Now, if you wouldn’t mind returning me to my lovely wife, I will face my destiny with strength, dignity, and an unbroken faith in the Almighty. I will honor all that you have shown me and sacrificed to preserve our Republic and all beings widespread. I move forward undeterred, knowing I am doing the right thing…for the right reasons, Empress. I bid you, Alexandra, please take me home.”
The space around us brightened and became the familiar bedchamber of President and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln.
I released my charge’s hand and greeted my waiting sisters with a solemn nod.
Jack, Emily, and Jamie stared at me with concern as Mr. Lincoln drew Mary into his outstretched arms.
“What is it, Abraham?” Mary asked, looking into her husband’s dour face.
“Nothing, Mrs. Lincoln. I am sincerely overwhelmed by what has been revealed to me.” He quickly reassured her, though he did not lie.
Corrine made a move to place her open hands to my face, but I silently shook my head and forced a smile, an indication that I was content with my present appearance- rough as it was.
From off to my right, Mina nodded her approval- her fragile, reserved smile reminding me that certain details of this mission still required attention.
“Mrs. Lincoln, I hope this not too abrupt, but we must depart in the morning. Certain matters in our own time demand our physical attendance.” I announced after allowing the couple some time to themselves.
“So suddenly, Alexandra? Might I persuade you all to attend the morning meal with us before taking your leave? The cook has already been informed of such.” Mrs. Lincoln urged.
‘It’s not good to travel on an empty stomach, Cap.’ Jack thought to me.
I glanced around the room to see my sisters and Mrs. Lincoln giggling and the President smiling at me.
Apparently, my First Officer has overruled me. We would be happy to attend breakfast with you and the President, ma’am. I only request that afterwards we be allowed to return to my room in order to take our leave privately.”
“Of course, Alexandra, but Mr. Lincoln and I will no less accompany you. I have special parting gifts for each one of you and shall be very displeased if you were to deny them.” She warned.
“Gifts are not required ma’am, but we will honor your wishes. Thank you. My sisters and I will now take our leave for the night. Good night, Mr. President. Ma’am.”
I quickly motioned for my companions to take my outstretched hands and our surroundings changed once more.
“You look awful, Alex! How many days did you go without sleep this time?” Emily asked, using her gift to scan my health.
“It was a short trip, sis, only a few hours- honest.”
“So how did it go, Alex? Will he still go to Ford’s Theater?” Jack asked impatiently.
“Everything is as it should be, Jacquelyn. Rest assured the Empress has completed her dreadful task.”
“I’m feeling really tired right now so, if you don’t mind, Emily and I will take you and Jack back to your room, Mina, then we’ll return to ours for the night. I thank you all for helping me set history straight. Good night, Corrine and Jamie.” I said just before another bedroom appeared around us.
“You performed admirably, given the vile nature of the task, Alexandra.” Mina said as she pulled me into a tight hug. She seemed surprised when I failed to return the embrace.
“I’m sorry, Mina, but I’m extremely tired. I’m glad I performed to your expectations.” I said half-heartedly as I released her but kept hold of my sister’s hand.
Emily and I were now in our private bedchamber.
“Care to confide in your sister, Alex? I can see that this has really worn you down. I can’t begin to understand the extreme pressure you’ve been under. So, you want to talk about it?”
“After I do one last thing, Emily. I need to do just one…this one last thing.”
She nodded in understanding, released my hand, and took a step back.
The East Room reappeared around me- the shrine to the newly fallen president directly before me. I stood, staring at it for untold minutes, my tears flowing freely as I thought of the sacrifice this man made on my account so that history could progress smoothly- of the deep remorse I felt having to do this at all!
“Captain! It’s happening again!” I heard a voice say.
“Stay your post, lieutenant,” another warned!
I commanded my uniform to change into my dress whites and took position, kneeling directly on the floor before the ceremonial platform holding the presidential casket. It seemed the right thing to do. A strange shiver raced through me, though I paid it no attention.
“Could y’all please make sure it ain’t too painful? He’s a noble man, but like the rest of us, he has his demons and sins.” I asked as my tears began to flow heavier once more. I began again, this time a little louder. “Lord, I pray you never again bestow on me the charge you bequeathed of me today for I fear I shall fail miserably in its management and implementation! Please guard over him and comfort his widow, Mary, and their sons, Robert and Thomas.”
Standing slowly, I wiped my eyes best as I could and returned to our room- to my sister, Emily.
0112hrs, The East Room, President’s Mansion, Washington DC, April 19th, 1865
“Captain! In front of the coffin! Look!”
“I said stay your post, Lieuten…By the Great and Powerful Almighty!”
“You see her too, General?”
“How can I dismiss that stunning apparition surrounded by such a brilliant white splendor?”
“Who is she, sir?”
“I would assume an Angel from on High!”
“She’s saying something! Can you make it out?”
“Not with you interrupting!”
“Lord, I pray you never again bestow on me the charge you bequeathed of me today for I fear I shall fail miserably in its management and implementation! Please guard over him and comfort his widow, Mary, and their sons, Robert and Thomas.”
“She’s praying for him! An Angel, praying for our fallen president!”
“The Angel is weeping! Look, sir, she’s wiping her eyes! Those were real heavenly tears! I touched real angelic tears! Sir, she’s so beautiful…she…she’s gone! Sh…sh…she just vanished! Did you see that? We have to report this immediately!”
“You will do nothing of the kind, lieutenant! Honor Guard, what you have just bore witness to did not happen! A report will stand submission, but what the report will officially state is only that an unusual phenomenon of unknown origin and composition presented itself prior to President Lincoln’s funeral and viewing at the Capital. Let our descendents seek their own conclusions.”
“Aye!” The honor guard chorused in agreement.
With her primary mission complete, Alex takes care of some ‘housekeeping’ while in Federal Period Washington City.
Onward Episode 4
“Good from Despair”
0013hrs, The Presidential Mansion, Washington DC, January 12th, 1865
“Why are you in your whites, sis?”
“I just needed to do something, Emily. We need to get some rest.” I said as my dress whites quickly changed and shifted into my favorite pink nightgown. I wiped my eyes a few more times.
“You went to pay your respects!”
“After what I did to him…I think he deserves that, don’t you?”
“But he’s not gone yet, Alex. We just finished talking to him a few minutes ago.”
“I had to, Emily! I just effectively persuaded a man to give up his life to save the country he loves! I feel like I’ve become the Grim Reaper! Why did I have to do this? Why must I be tested like this?”
“You’re the only one capable of doing this and… wait, who’s testing you, Alex?”
“The President is convinced that the man upstairs is testing me- that it’s his way of trying to convince me that he chose me…chose all of us for a reason.”
“Something like that would be entirely out of the ordinary for us then, right sis?” Emily raised an eyebrow.
“I guess it could be in the realm of belief…given our gifts.”
“Ya, believable, I guess- especially if we knew someone that could transcend time and dimension, huh? Or someone that could carry off a thousand ton nuclear submarine with only her mind.”
‘Hey!’ Jack’s voice rang through our heads.
“Okay, point taken, sis. So it wouldn’t be so miraculous as much as improbable.”
“Entirely plausible would be what I’d call it, Alex.” Emily smiled at me.
“So what’s on tap after we leave tomorrow morning?” She quickly changed the subject seeing my somber glare.
“We return to Sand Dollar five minutes after we initially left. That’s what I promised Uncle Rick.”
“I thought this mission was to take twelve days, not four?”
“So I left plenty of room for mistakes and retries! I also postponed Vicksburg until a later date- ah kinda had it with the federal period for a while.” I said as I rubbed my sore ribcage as example.
Emily nodded her understanding.
“I knew going into this that things were going to be difficult so we’re just going back to Sand Dollar- to assume our normal, everyday lives.”
“No, I mean what adventures will the Empress embark on and when, silly?”
“Oh.” I paused. “We make right our scout mother’s seemingly unalterable plight.”
“You found a way to save her! That’s wonderful, Alex!” Emily said, overjoyed. She wrapped her arms around me and kissed my cheek. “Has she been able to envision it?”
“I haven’t told anyone yet- isn’t that right, Jack?” I said into the air.
‘Certainly not me! Not that I can remember! She’s still with us in ‘52, Alex.’
A huge smile filled Emily’s face.
“It’s 6AM. Liz and Sarah will be here any second, Alex. We better get our circus tents on. I think today the blue one with black trim should do.”
“I’m wearing the red and black one today! I feel like being a bitchy harlot!” I stated, as I began drawing large volumes of air to and from my lungs in preparation to have my middle crushed.
“We aren’t going to be stuck here for another week are we?” Emily asked seriously.
“What? No! I just meant that I’m still melancholy! This hasn’t been one of my happier ventures, Emily!”
“Hey, I’m here for ya, sis. You know that.”
“I know, Em, I’ll try to keep a positive outlook on things today.”
“I’ll hold y’all to that, Alex Steinert! Now, let’s get dressed before our chambermaids arrive.”
At precisely 0615hrs, the now familiar knock, the one heard these last three mornings without fail, came at our door.
“Come on in girls.” Emily invited just as my Reilly suit was finishing its task of severely constricting my midsection.
“Um…Good morning, Alex. Good morning, Emily. Did you both sleep well?” Liz asked as they both entered the room. I turned around to notice two questioning faces staring at me. Had they witnessed my clothing as it completed its change?
“I confess it has been hard to acquire proper rest while not moving these last three nights. I fear it shall require many more nights after returning home to Hartford, Liz.” I told the girls with a slight smile. That seemed to reassure them as both faces took on the normally pleasant, contented smiles we’d seen every morning.
“We’re sorry to hear that, ma’am.” Sarah said, a little discouraged by my reply. “Mrs. Lincoln required that we give you the best bed in the Mansion. Liz, she said, I want you to treat Alexandra like an Empress- a true woman of royalty!” She paused and blushed after doing a fair imitation of Mary Lincoln.
Emily let a snicker escape her lips. I gave my sister a sideways glare.
“Sarah and I are sad you’ll be leaving us today, Alex. You, Emily, and your cousins have been leagues better than any past guests here and we would be more than happy to serve you when next you visit.”
“Why thank you, girls. It’s been a real honor staying here with the President, and you two have been wonderful- in fact, everyone here has been simply marvelous! I’m sure we’ll think back fondly on these last few days.” I smiled the best I could, given what I had just done five hours prior.
“Miss Alex, may I inquire about your cousin, Jacquelyn? I pray I do not overstep my station with this.” Sarah lowered her gaze and blushed a bit.
“What about Jack, hun?”
“She…” Sarah stopped abruptly. What I could see of her ashen face as she shied away told me this was embarrassing for her.
“She what, hun?” I pressed.
“She…she gives me a pain in my head anytime I’m closer than a few rooms from her, Miss Alex!”
Emily stifled another laugh with her hand.
“She does that quiet often to us as well, hun.” I giggled with a wry smile.
‘Thanks, Alex! It’s so nice to be wanted!’ Jack thought to me sarcastically.
I noticed that Sarah quickly reached for her forehead and cringed.
‘Jack, I think Sarah can hear you.’ I thought back to her. ‘Let’s try something. I’ll ask a question and you think the answer to me.’
‘Aye.’
“Sarah dear, May I try a little experiment?”
“An experiment? What’s that?”
“I have an idea why you might feel the way you do around Jack. I would like to ask you a few questions. Don’t be afraid to say whatever pops into your head, okay?”
“You want to test me, ma’am?”
“Yes, hun, it shouldn’t hurt though. Can I try?”
Sarah looked at her friend, Liz, who nodded her approval. “Alright, Miss Alex.” She shyly agreed.
“Alright, here goes, but I want only honest answers…from up here,” I touched my forehead a few times, “no matter how strange they might sound.”
Both girls nodded.
“Okay. Can you tell me what year I was born, hun?” I asked.
‘1916.’ I heard Jack answer.
“1916, Miss Alexandra.” She immediately answered then closed her eyes and shook her head in confusion. “That is impossible, though! It is the year of our Lord 1865, you shouldn’t have been born yet if that were true.” She quickly reasoned.
I smiled.
“Tell me, Sarah, why would you say I was born into this world fifty-one years from today when clearly I’m here now?”
‘Because she’s a witch!’
‘Jack!’
Sarah’s eyes widened as quickly as her complexion drained! She raised her head and stared at me in fear.
“Tell me Sarah, what did you hear that caused such a harsh response?”
She looked at her friend and fellow maid then looked back at me, still in horror.
“Y…y…y…yyyyyou’re a…a…a…wwwwwitch?” She swallowed hard. Liz immediately followed suit hearing those words.
“And who told you such a despicable lie, hun?” I asked as I looked in the direction of Jack’s room.
‘Jacquelyn.’
“Miss Jacquelyn, ma’am.”
I thought the girl was going to pass out!
“Forgive me ma’am, I should not have bothered you or your cousins!” She turned to leave, snagging her companion Liz as she went.
‘Jack, the door if you please?’ I thought with a slight laugh.
The maids’ attempt to exit our room failed as Sarah couldn’t get the knob to turn. She was now visibly shaking- sheer terror filled her face.
‘I need Jamie over here now, Jack! Better yet, have everyone come over.”
‘Aye, Cap. Be over in a sec.’
Our two new guests had turned and were now facing us- tears streaming down their faces, trying in vain to become part of the door they had just tried unsuccessfully to open. ‘Deer in the headlights’ my future twin had called the reaction.
“Emily, are they okay?” I asked, not diverting my eyes from the two teenagers.
“Heart rate is twice normal, Alex, but they’re okay. I’ll keep an eye on them.”
A knock sounded at our door.
“Girls, we have guests, so could you kindly peel yourselves off the door so our cousins can come in?” I smiled nervously. “I promise we mean you no harm whatsoever!”
I raised my hand and gestured for them to move farther into the room as Emily and I, in turn backed away.
Slowly the two girls moved far enough for the door to swing open. Jack, Mina, Jamie and Corrine entered single file and closed the door behind them.
“Really, Empress, must you continually frighten the indigenous population?” Mina shook her head as she spoke.
“Y…y…yyyyou…” Sarah choked out quietly.
“I’m what, hun? Speak up, I won’t bite.”
“Y…y…yyyyou…yyyyou really…really are an…an Empress?”
“So my sisters claim, but I assure you both that we are not witches…not in any way, shape, or form, girls.”
Alex, Liz is about to pass out, better go easy.” Emily warned.
“Jamie, they both need to calm down.” I said, looking to her.
“Okay, Alex. Girls,” Jamie looked directly at the two quivering teens, “I really need you to calm down. The Empress has no intentions of harming either one of you!”
The fear drained from the two teenaged faces and the girls’ eye’s frantically looked around at us for the reason.
“That’s better. Girls, I have no reason to hurt either of you, nor am I intent on harming anyone else. Sarah,” I looked directly at her, “I believe you asked me why Jack here causes you pain when near? I am merely providing the answer. Would you like to know that answer?” I asked as I smiled.
The girl nodded once, but remained silent and stationary.
“Okay. Jack is what we call a telepath- a person who can read someone’s thoughts and even talk to them in their mind.” I paused to see if they understood. “I believe that you have a similar gift, Sarah. I’m also sure that Liz can hear you in her mind as well… that you two can talk to each other. Am I corrct?”
Both slowly gave a nod.
“Good, that means that everyone in this room has special gifts.”
I slowly approached the two teens and gently put my hand on Sarah’s shoulder.
She flinched sharply at my touch.
“Please relax, hun, I only want to offer you two a seat on the bed, so if you would do so, I can continue with my explanation.”
With a look of distrust, both girls slowly, cautiously, sat themselves on the bed.
“Girls,” I began, “we are travelers. Not the usual kind that you would normally expect though. Sarah, the date of my birth that you heard in your mind is indeed correct. I was born August 7th, 1916. You see, where Jack has the gift of reading minds, I have the gift of travel…time travel.”
“Y…y…yyyyou…aren’t…wwwwitches?” Liz bravely inquired.
“Hardly!” I chuckled, “Though in certain cultures and time periods I could see how our gifts would be misinterpreted- just as you have misinterpreted us.
“Alex, why are we revealing ourselves to these two?” Corrine asked in confusion.
“I’m going to let Sarah tell you for herself. Sarah, would you care to share with us your last name, hun?”
The girl’s eyes now started to sequence around to each of us one at a time. “GGGGoode. S…S…SSSSSSarah G…G…GGGGGGoode.” She stuttered out.
“Nooo! But I thought Sarah Goode lived…” Corrine blurted out before I stopped her.
“An ancestor, Corrine. Isn’t that right, hun?”
Sarah nodded.
“She has been told that she is named after a relative who lived in Massachusetts two hundred years ago, ma’am.” Liz again gallantly spoke for her friend.
“She seems to have also inherited the family gift, Liz.” I said as I tried to lean over and look in the girl’s eyes. The tight confinement of my corset and sheer volume of my dress made even half the distance impossible. I silently cursed this era’s styles as I stood back up!
“Do you mind if I change into something a little less…confining, girls?” I paused just after I brought my HUD online. “Now, what you are about to see may frighten you, but in no way is it any more magic than the telegraph.”
I selected my denim jeans, a pink short-sleeved ‘T’, bra, bikini britches, pink sneakers, and socks and immediately felt relief as my clothing changed.
“Wow! That feels much better!”
“Alex, we’re losing them.”
“Jamie…”
“I got it, Alex. Girls, you really should stay with us. Alex has more to tell you, right skipper?”
I nodded.
Again a sober expression appeared on the girls’ faces. Both scanned me from head to toe several times.
“How…how did you do that?” This time Sarah herself asked the question.
“This is what we wear where we come from, girls- well, not exactly where WE come from, but close.” I looked to the four corners of the room. We also have technology…machines…that allow our clothes to transform into almost any garment we choose. There is nothing magical about it. Here, feel for yourselves.” I leaned in close and allowed them to touch my jeans and blouse.
“It feels like cotton, but softer!” Liz exclaimed after cautiously extending her hand. Sarah then brought her fingers close to feel.
“Alex, a word with you in private, please?” Emily quietly asked for my attention.
“Excuse us for a minute, ladies.”
Emily and I walked over to the window and looked out over the south lawn and its beautifully groomed gardens.
“Alex, Liz has the start of a cancerous melanoma on her right forearm and left clavicle…collar bone. She has a few years at best.” Emily sadly whispered, trying not to move her lips.
“Corrine can handle it, sis.”
“I know that, but there’s more. Alex, both girls are in an early stage of Tuberculosis.” Her tone told me exactly how serious she was.
I consulted my gift and gave Emily a wink. She immediately smiled.
“Jack, do we still have the extra Reilly suit?” I asked as we stepped in front of the two, seated girls. I began critically assessing them.
“As a matter of fact, Alex, we have two. You want me to get them?”
“No, I’ll just pop on over.” I said nonchalantly just before phasing out.
Fetching the two garments and accompanying shoes, I purposely returned to a different location- behind our bed.
“Here we are.” I said as I rephased.
Both girls jumped high enough to make the bed frame groan and squeak loudly.
“Now I’d like you girls to put these on so I can take you on a little trip. My sister, Emily, will come along just to make sure I don’t cook you both for dinner, my pretties!” I cackled the last line.
“Alexandra! You’re frightening the poor girls again!” Mina chided. “Ladies, I’d change into the proffered clothing as quickly as humanly possible- before the Empress gets even more theatrical!”
Neither girl moved a muscle.
“Perhaps you are shy and require privacy? Ladies, please turn around so that Sarah and Elisabeth may redress in peace.” Mina suggested in a motherly tone. She looked over her shoulder. “You may proceed, my dears.”
After a few minutes, and with Emily’s and my help, Sarah and Liz were ready for their first experience with a Reilly suit. Both suits had been configured as period dresses, foundations, and footwear.
‘Jack, I want Sarah dressed for 2028- something more befitting a seventeen year-old of the time.’ I thought to her.
Jack nodded her acknowledgement while I concentrated on Liz’s outfit.
“Liz, do you like what I have on?” I asked, motioning to my clothing.
She nodded very, very slowly.
“Then please stand up on your tiptoes. Don’t be afraid, hun, it won’t hurt.”
I placed my hand on her shoulder and made the selection from my HUD.
A look of surprise flashed to her face as her clothing shifted and changed.
She now wore dark blue, denim jeans like mine, but her ‘T’ was a light blue and matched her bra, britches, and sneakers.
“You can put your heels on the ground now. How do you like?”
Liz was too busy examining every inch of her new outfit to reply, Sarah, likewise appeared fascinated.
“Ladies? When y’all are ready?” I said, looking to my ‘cousins’.
“I thought just you and Emily were going, Alex?” Jamie asked.
“You can stay here if you like. We’ll be right back.”
Everyone took hands after converting their Reilly suits to twenty-first century styles. Emily and I put Liz and Sarah between us.
“Won’t we be missed, Miss Alex? If we are not found at our assigned tasks we shall be punished and removed from our service at the mansion.” Sarah asked, worried.
“Trust me, honey; no one will even know you’re missing.” I smiled.
“Where are we to go looking like this? We cannot possibly leave the room, ma’am.” Liz added. “We would surely be discovered.”
I simply smiled at her then looked around my group to ensure all hands were held.
Our sunlit room became the sundrenched swimming pool area at Emily and Spencer’s condominium complex. Except for my future self and two daughters the place was completely deserted.
I rephased us.
“About time you got here, sis! What took so long?” Allie crossed her arms in mock annoyance.
Cassie and Sam dropped to one knee in unison.
“Greetings, Empress of Space and Time! It is 1100hrs, July 11th, 2028.” They said in harmony.
I pointed an angry finger to them. “Stop that this instant! You know how much I hate that!”
“Yes, Empress!” They harmonized again with devious smiles.
I rolled my eyes- both of me.
“Sarah and Elisabeth, we welcome you to the year 2028. I hope I have not frightened you too terribly.” Allie said as she took her position beside me and tilted her head in my direction.
“Sister, it is good to see you again! I trust you have recovered from your ordeal?” She asked as she wrapped her arms around me.
The now familiar tingle passed between us.
“You know the answer to that, Alex.”
“Is this real? Are we here in…in the future?” Liz asked with astonishment as she continuously looked around.
“It’s only the future for y’all, hun, my daughters and I call this time our home.”
“But you and…”
“Ya hun, we’re the same person, only ninety years apart. Is that any stranger than traveling through time though?”
A car drove up the street outside the pool’s perimeter fence. Both girls eyed the strange contraption until it was out of sight.
“It’s called an automobile, ladies- a car for short. It’s just one of many ways we get around in the twenty-first century.”
“Why do you refer to us as ladies? We are of no wealth or title.” Liz wondered.
“No, but you are more special than you know, girls!” I informed them. “Would you care to try the pool, the water should be perfect?”
“You bathe outside…in public… here?” Sarah seemed shocked.
“We wear clothing, silly girl- just not that much. My daughters Samantha and Cassandra will take you into the dressing room and help with your bathing suits.” Allie instructed.
“We must decline the generous offer if allowed, ma’am. The water appears too deep for our tastes. Our thanks though.” Liz refused politely.
“I knew you would say that.” Allie said calmly as she suddenly pulled Sarah’s top over her head.
We all gasped at what was revealed!
“My word! How did you acquire so many scars, child?” Mina gasped in disgust.
The surprised teen made every effort to cover her top. Allie stood back with her arms crossed in front of her waiting for Mina’s question to be answered.
“Before I first arrived at the Mansion, I…I required…dis…discipline, Miss Mina.” Sarah finally answered timidly with a crimson face.
“Some discipline! Looks more like torture!” Jack commented, as the air around us suddenly smelled sweet with ozone.
“Jack, you’ll get your chance. Back down, please.” Allie and I calmly said together.
Our two guests stared first at Allie and me then at Jack.
Liz pointed at Jack. “You sweetened the air? How?”
“Tell me who did this to her, sweetie, and I’ll show you exactly how I use my gift! When we return to your time, and when we find the bastard!” Jack promised the girl, in a very threatening tone.
But he will hurt you too, Miss Jacquelyn! If… you can find him…her father. We have not seen trace of him since giving Sarah up as recompense for a debt owed one of the mansion’s groundskeepers.”
“You were collateral for a bet?” Cassie spit out incredulously. “Mom, I want to go back with you! I want to have a serious talk with Mr. Lincoln about his apparently narrow ideas on slavery!”
“Oh please no! I wish not to involve our president in this matter! My arrival at the mansion predates him and Mrs. Lincoln! I was all of eight when Mrs. Pierce’s chambermaid took pity, gave me a home, and taught me my duties. Liz and I became friends my first day there. We’ve been like sisters since.”
“Cassie, why don’t you and Sam take Sarah and Liz to the showers and help them into they’re swim suits. I need to consult with your aunts on a couple matters.” Allie asked.
“Come on you two, we won’t bite!” Cassie stated as she picked up a small cloth bag and motioned for our two guests to follow. “Hard.” She casually added with a laugh. Sam followed behind in case either girl changed her mind.
I waited a minute before turning to Jack.
“You sure you can handle both of them Jack, teenagers can be difficult?”
“What are you talking about, Alex?”
“Sis, Joss doesn’t know yet. Wait till Jacki gets here. And you better start calling me Alex!”
“Sorry, sis, I got ahead of myself. Okay, ladies, you heard me, since we’re the travelers, we change our names. You know the drill.”
“That’s not fair, skip! I just got comfortable calling you Alex, now I have to call you Allie?”
“Sorry, Jane, but that’s what we agreed to.”
“I hate that name! I like Jamie better!” She complained.
“Hey you picked the name, hun. Carri, when the girls come back casually take care of those scars on Sarah’s back. Jack will then relay the locations on Liz that Emily would like you to heal.”
“What else is wrong with her, Alex…I mean, Allie?”
“She has an early form of skin cancer developing in two locations, Carri, among other more severe things.” Emily answered in her professional voice.
Five familiar faces appeared at the gate to the pool area.
“It’s about time you got here Brandon. Allie and I have been wondering when you’d show.”
“Don’t blame dad for being late, mom. I was the one dragging my feet. I’m not entirely thrilled about this- not one bit!” Young Alexander said in defense of his Pa.
Alex Covington looked at me. “He’s starting to hone the family gift, sis. He saw that he would meet her today- can’t see why though. He still needs to work on using his little mental friend.” She winked as she chuckled.
“He’ll get it soon enough. Jacki,” I reached out and pulled her into a good tight hug. “You sure you want to do this? I see some tough road ahead.”
“Allie, I missed so much not staying on Terra to raise Connie. At least I can get to do some of that with them- plus, they need a good home and a proper education. I think I can handle the occasional eruptions.” She smiled and winked once. “Besides, Randi already has official histories and documentation prepared for them.”
“As long as y’all are sure, Jack.”
Amelia had immediately greeted her twin, Emily Rosen, and her husband Spencer. Now we switched and I eagerly greeted Emily in a similar manner. James and Alex wondered off to the far end of the pool and took up residence on a couple lounge chairs- probably to talk about the latest hologames or such. Neither man seemed very interested in attending our little, private pool party.
I had a strong suspicion that would soon change.
“So I take it Alex gave you the specifics?”
“TB is easily curable these days, sis. Do we really need to offer them the Kili water?”
“If the future is to work out properly, yes. Wait until you see this, Em.” I smiled brightly.
“I’ve already seen what happens from a medical perspective, you know. I just thought the Mahanilui a bit drastic of a cure, but you’re the Empress, sis.”
“Well, I for one can’t wait to see what develops, Allie.” Spencer Rosen said excitedly as we exchanged a tight hug and a quick kiss of each other’s cheek.
“I thought you might, Spencer. Does James have any idea yet?”
“We don’t really know. If he’s seen anything it’s that he has a new friend to play games with. Allie, he hasn’t been real keen on developing or using his gift- I mean the boy’s in his seventies, I know he knows how to use them.” Emily said in exasperation.
“He’ll start to use them after today.” I winked to my sister and her husband.
“I’ll second that, sis.” Alex Covington said as she put a hand on my shoulder and nodded to the bathhouse.
The overall result of modern clothing was spectacular! Cassie escorted Liz out first followed by Sam with Sarah. Liz wore a black one-piece racer with white piping and looked amazingly fit.
Sarah wore the same style swimwear only in red with white piping. Both swimsuits tied behind the neck of the wearer.
Our Federal period teenagers looked very attractive in twenty-first century swimwear!
Both girls locked eyes on the two male adults standing next to Alex and I and instantly froze in place! Each face was a similar shade of red and displayed Alex’s ‘deer in the headlights’ expression.
Cassie immediately placed a hand on both girls and all three disappeared, along with Samantha.
“Well that was worth waiting for.” Brandon laughed.
Alex elbowed him. “That’s not what I meant and you know it, so just keep your comments to yourself. Remember, these girls were brought up in an age where women were more slave-slash-housekeeper than intellectual equals. As you may know women’s suffrage was just getting started back then and you know how long that took to catch on, dear.”
Brandon remained quiet and gave my future self a weak smile.
“Good boy.” She said, kissing his cheek lightly.
“Hey, Alex? Y‘all want to come over here and join the party, please?” Alex turned her attention to the two cousins.
“If I have to, mom,” Alexander groused as he and James stood up and slowly walked back over to join us.
“Boys, we want you to meet some people that Aunt Allie brought for a visit.”
Cassie, Sam, Sarah, and Liz appeared in front of us.
Both young males developed a sudden case of ‘stage fright’- eyes wide, mouths slightly agape, severely increased heart rate, and both drew in enough air to challenge a vacuum cleaner!
Cassie produced her cell phone thing and pointed it at the two startled young men.
“Two guys in ten-year-old swim trunks- twenty bucks. Two guys wearing thirty-year-old flip-flops- a buck and a half. Two guys seeing two really hot babes and actually taking notice of them instead of their hologame consoles- priceless!” Cassie amusingly announced as if quoting some TV or radio commercial. Alex rolled her eyes as Cassie pressed a button, making a beep.
The girls obviously noticed the boys and now four people stood silently staring at each other.
“Sarah and Liz, this is my brother Alexander, and this is my cousin James. James and Alex, meet Sarah and Elisabeth. Sam introduced them to each other, but I really didn’t think they heard a word she said.
“Fascinating! What we are witnessing is the none-to-often seen initial mating rituals of the human male in complete contrast and comparison to that of the human female! How bloody lucky we are to all have experienced this rare interaction today!” Mina monologued.
All but four pairs of eyes refocused on Mina, amazed by her unexpected sarcastic outburst- amusing as it was.
“Mina!” I gasped. “What has gotten into you these past four days?”
She remained quiet for a short period.
“I have seen your strategy, Empress.” She accused, glaring at me. Did I see some hatred in her eyes?”
“Despite all my warnings and efforts to dissuade you from tampering with my fate, you have nonetheless found cause to interfere in my future. How dare you change my expiration date and deprive me of my deserved rest?” She hissed.
“Look, must we really talk about this now, Highness? I’d like to remember this as the day my son and nephew met their soul mates, not the day my mentor and close friend, Mina, told me to mind my own business and let her die.” Alex scolded.
“Soul mate? You’re a matchmaker now, Aunt Alex?” James looked at my twin in surprise. Young Alexander remained quiet with his eyes still fixed on an equally transfixed Liz.
“Like y’all didn’t see this coming, Jimmy. You have the family gift as well as Alex here.” I pointed to my son. “Are you so afraid to use them as intended?”
“No, but…”
“No buts about it, Jimmy. I know you’ve used it in the past. What changed? What made you decide to ignore something so special?”
“I…I just want to be normal.” He said raising his voice slightly. He looked around at the others then out to the surrounding homes. “I just want to be the same as everyone else. I don’t want to be ‘special’.” He continued in a quieter voice.
“Oh, so you want to be like Mina and just allow yourself to fade away even though you still have so much to live for?” I countered.
“Empress, I have no intention of just ‘fading away’!” Mina protested.
“Oh? Then what would you call walking into Chicago the night of the great fire! I know of only three people that would feel comfortable in such an inferno and none of them would be you, my sister! If not wanton suicide, what would you call it?” Alex Covington continued for me, revealing to everyone present her clandestine plan.
Jacki and Joss visibly shuddered as they apparently were monitoring my premonitions of the event.
“Aunt Mina, why? Why would you have even thought of such an awful thing?” Samantha cried in shock.
“Apparently I’ve already had a change of heart! Isn’t that right, Jacquelyn?” Mina eyed Joss. “I have seen myself alive and well in 1952!”
“Of course you’re still alive, Aunt Mina! I was just so shocked that you had once entertained such ideas!” Sam re-iterated.
“Congratulations, Empress, it seems you have saved yet another soul. You have used what has been taught you well. We all know what will be henceforth.” Mina said with resignation.
“Does this mean we can dispense with all the dramatic, ‘Soap Opera’ type acting, Mina?” Alex asked with a slight smirk.
“This whole thing has been an act?” Emil…Amelia exclaimed.
“Mina’s unique teaching style, sis. I’ll tell you more back at the condo. Now,” I turned and motioned to our temporarily forgotten children, “Now can we get back to this pool party? Sis, what time did you reserve the pool till?”
“Midnight. Did you bring your bikini?” Alex answered.
“Got it right here.” I said as I produced the two small items from my left pants pocket.
I noticed Sarah and Liz glance my way.
“Miss Alex, what you hold in your hand cannot possibly cover enough not to be embarrassing!” Sarah warned.
“Yes, scandalous, isn’t it?” I giggled with a devious grin.
Our two young guests just looked at me in confusion.
“My sisters, I just happen to have brought enough for everyone, so let’s get this here party goin’! Jack, music if you please?” Alex Covington pronounced with an equally devious smile.
What Alex termed ‘top ten’ music spilled out of the loudspeakers around the pool area and she motioned for me to follow her to the changing rooms.
Alexander, James, Liz, and Sarah stayed stationery as Spencer and Brandon stood nearby as chaperones. The others soon joined us in the locker-shower room.
1145hrs, Flagstaff, Arizona, July 11th, 2028
“So, Sarah, what do you think about the twenty-first century?” I asked as I waded over to the yet unsure teen, standing in the shallow end of the pool.
“Ma’am?” She answered with a quizzical tilt of her head.
I motioned around me. “This. How do you like all this? No cleaning bedpans, no dirt encrusted travelers? Could you be comfortable here in 2028 instead of 1865?”
“Miss Alex, this is certainly a wondrous place, but Liz and I do not belong here. All this…this finery…neither of us deserves this.”
“Poppycock!” Mina interjected. “My dear girl, just because someone isn’t born to privilege or wealth isn’t cause to deny them basic comforts and happiness. Here, in this time, men and women are held at the same level- both equal in society and the law. The centuries of women’s suffrage have resulted in fair treatment no matter what gender. Yes, the world still has its royalty, but it does not mean the same thing. So stop assuming you are inferior and enjoy this liberated era, and by all means, say what is on your mind, child. No one here would want it any other way.”
The girl remained quiet as she thought about what Mina had said.
I nodded to Carri as she walked up behind Sarah.
“Sarah, you seem to be getting a little sun burnt. Mind if I rub on some suntan lotion so you won’t burn so fast?” Carri said to our meek guest as she squeezed some white liquid out into her hand and began to apply the lotion to Sarah’s back.
With every pass of Carri Masterson’s hand, evidence of Sarah’s lash scars began to fade.
Liz, noticing the miracle as it happened next to her, let her mouth drop open, but remained quiet while watching intently. Occasionally she would look over to me in bewilderment. I simply winked and shook my head slightly for her to remain silent.
Tears began to form in Elisabeth’s eyes as she waded over to me.
She silently mouthed ‘thank you’ before wrapping her arms around me tightly. I could feel the teen quiver as she began to gently cry into my shoulder.
“More wonders are yours to experience if you’ll allow us, sister.” I whispered into her ear as she continued to weep, happy that Sarah’s back was now smooth and supple- no longer disfigured by the ugly scars of her past.
“Why would you do this for us, oh mighty Empress?” She whispered to me after a few minutes.
“Um…because I…because we can, honey- because you and Sarah can be sooo much more than common servants. You girls have gifts, not unlike us. Would it be wrong not to let you develop them- to use them to help and do good?” I asked, smiling at her.
“But we have no gift like you or the others, mighty Empress.”
“Okay, I’m tellin’ y’all fer the las’ time, hun, my name is Alexandra! Alex or Allie fer short- dependin’ on which side o’ time we’re on, of course!” I corrected her, a little annoyed.
“What our EMPRESS is trying to say, Elisabeth, is that we are who we make ourselves to be- how we use those gifts given us. You see, you and Sarah most definitely have gifts, gifts that need tutelage in order to develop correctly. We only wish to provide that education and guidance.” Mina interrupted, to my relief. The ‘Mighty Empress’ moniker needed to be stopped immediately!
From the corner of my eye, I saw the water’s surface deflect and shimmer slightly. Searching my feelings, I decided to avert our guests’ losing any personal continence.
“Alexander, I really don’t think it wise to frighten our guests anymore, so decloak if you want to talk to Liz.” I warned, keeping my eyes on the fragile girl still in my arms.
As I said that, Liz looked around in time to see my future son become translucent then tangible.
“How do you do that?” She asked him curiously.
“D…d…do…do what?” Alex stuttered.
“How do you appear and disappear like that?” Liz refined her question further.
“I…I…I don’t know. I just…I just do it. What does it matter to you anyway?” Alex stuttered more before going on the defensive.
“I think it wondrous! To be able to disappear at will like that- it’s so magical!” A slight smile appeared on the girl’s face.
“It’s not that amazing.” Young Alex blushed. He started to go translucent again.
“Oh, please sir, don’t go! I meant not to embarrass you. I simply have paid you a compliment. Forgive me for being so forward.” Liz said quickly- her head sadly tilting forward, before the boy disappeared all together.
Too late, the only sign left of Alexander was the strange shimmer of the water where he still stood before us.
Liz looked up at me then back to where he had been. Sorrow filled her eyes.
“Young man, is that any way to treat our guests? You rephase and apologize to Elisabeth this instant!” I scolded.
Alex quickly reappeared in the same spot.
“Sorry, mom, I…she…I’m sorry, ma’am.” He said with his head lowered, not once making eye contact with her.
“Alex, maybe Liz would like you to show her what it’s like to phase out?”
“Oh yes, Empress! I would be ever so indebted, kind sir!”
“Why would you want to do that, it’s nothing special? I do it all the time.” Alex asked, confused by such a simple act.
“Alex, Elisabeth has never experienced what you, your sisters, or I consider mundane. Just phase the two of you out and walk through a couple of your aunts then rephase. I’m sure she would be thrilled by that?” I winked at him with a devious smile.
“Aw, mom!”
I glared at the boy.
“Alright. Elisabeth, you’ll need to take my hand so we can both disappear. If you let go, you will rephase…reappear instantly.” He instructed. “When…if we walk through people or things, make sure to hold tight, I wouldn’t want you to materialize inside someone. Got it?”
An enthusiastic Liz nodded her head multiple times.
Alex nervously reached out to take her hand, as did Elisabeth.
Upon contact, both teens looked first at their hands then at each other in confusion. Each teen’s face flushed instantly.
The look on my son’s face as he turned to me spoke volumes as to the status of his developing gift. Elisabeth too looked to me- her face displaying a multitude of questions requiring answer.
I simply raised an eyebrow, as my devious smile grew wider.
‘Oh, if you could hear the language! The boy swears like a sailor, Alex!’ Jack thought to me.
‘Gee, I wonder where he gets it, Jack?’ I thought back with a little extra sarcasm.
Instantly Alex and Liz vanished. Two distinct shimmers could be seen moving away from me- to the steps close by. Each shimmer diminished until gone completely as the two teenagers apparently left the water.
“Fell for each other completely, Allie?” Spencer asked quietly after swimming over to me.
“Like a stone in a pond, Spence. From this point on, Alexander makes his own future. His gift is now fully developed.”
Alex and Brandon walked over to us.
“Thank you, sis! I guess I don’t need to tell you how long I’ve been waiting for this to happen?”
I smiled even wider.
“When are we going to eat? I’m starved.” I said, changing the subject. I was now confident that both future and past would flow smoothly- well this part of the past, anyway! There would still be many missions to the far and near past- small gremlins popping they’re angry heads up from time to time.
I realized I hadn’t seen Cassie or Sam lately, asked a question mentally and received an answer just as the two appeared at one of the two long buffet tables setup alongside the shower building wall. A few minutes later, Cassie placed finger and thumb to her mouth and whistled. Lunch was served and we all left the water.
An assortment of cold cuts, sliced vegetables, condiments and two kinds of dip greeted us as we formed a line to take our turn. A container of sun tea and another with lemonade finished out the offerings at the end of the second table. An ice chest containing ice-cold beer sat on the ground beside the table’s end.
“Leave that for the men folk, girls. We have a legal drinking age of twenty-one here in the twenty-first century!” Alex Covington announced as Sarah bent down to inspect the strange metallic cylinders. Canned goods were still a pretty new technology back in 1865.
Soon we had each laid claim to a lounge chair and were enjoying our lunch.
“So, how was it, Alex?” I asked my twin.
“How was what, hun?”
“The night you brought Sandy back from DC?”
“Which time was that, sis?”
“The night of the charity ball…in January. Or, has it been too long ago for you to remember?”
“A lady nev’a kisses an’ tells, suga! You’ll just have ta find out firsthand.” Alex giggled. “I’m surprised at y’all for even askin’ sis. Y’all should have those memories already in storage.”
“Mom, do you two have to do that? I mean, really?” Alexander asked in embarrassment from where he shared a seat with Liz. The two made a great looking couple.
“Miss Alex, before, when you had Miss Corrine cure Sarah’s back, what did you mean ‘there are more wonders to experience if we would allow you’? You also called me ‘sister’, why?”
There was a rustling from Sarah as she tried in vain to see her back after hearing Liz say it was healed. She succeeded in running her hand over her lower back feeling only smooth, undamaged skin.
“How did you do that?”
“Miss Corrine healed you while in the pool, Sarah! Isn’t it wonderful?” Liz chirped happily to her friend.
The teen turned around and stared at Corrine…Carri Masterson.
Carri smiled. “Yes, sweetie, my gift helps me heal cosmetic differences such as scars, blemishes, hair length, hair color, skin afflictions, even skin tone, just to name a few. Oh, and you are very welcome, sweetie.”
“You can really do that, ma’am?”
Carri remained quiet. She showed the girl her bare finger and reached over to Jamie. She touched her cheek for a moment then removed it to reveal a cute, dark mole. Sarah’s eyes widened. Carri repeated the process and the blemish had disappeared completely.
The teen swallowed hard and took another sip of her drink. “My sincere thanks, Miss Corrine, I shall be forever in your debt.”
“Just to see that smile is more payment than I require, Sarah. I hope the pain associated with those scars has also subsided.”
The teen’s eyes widen as she realized it was indeed true.
“Why do you do this for us, Empress?” Liz caught my attention again.
Both Alex Covington and I twisted our heads around to glare at our other teenage guest.
“Elisabeth, I think you better call my mom by her given name and not that title. She gets very upset when friends and relatives use it.” Young Alexander told his seatmate.
“Sorry, Miss Alex, but why show such charity to common chamber maids?”
I thought a minute as to how I was going to explain things further and still conceal the obvious.
“Liz,” I paused. “Liz, have you ever once had the opportunity to stop doing what you are required to do for a moment and think- or ask: ‘Is this all that I am, or can I rise above my seemingly inferred station in this life and become…be something better? Do something better?”
“You mean to dream of being someone else or somewhere else, ma’am?”
“Like when we used to pretend that we were the president’s daughters, Liz.” Sarah added shyly.
Liz thought about it. “I sometimes look to the moon and wonder what it would be like to meet the man rumored to reside there.”
“Elisabeth, there is no such person as the man in the moon. American Astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin proved that when they walked on the moon fifty-nine years ago.” Alexander explained.
“A man has actually traveled to the moon, Alexander?” The girl said to him in wide-eyed amazement.
“Ya, we’ve gone to the moon a bunch of times. Mom’s been to a few planets too. It’s not so fantastic.” He said nonchalantly. “I even have a half-sister that was born on a planet named Terra.” Alexander babbled.
“You’ve been to another planet, Empress? What was it like?” Liz asked as her eyes sparkled with excitement.
I noticed both teens sit bolt upright in curiosity.
“It is no different than me sitting here with you, honey, although the scenery is a little different.” My voice suddenly responded from behind Sarah’s lounge chair.
Liz’s eyes almost popped from her head and Sarah almost gave herself whiplash turning toward the voice.
“Alex and I were wondering when you’d get here, Alexandra.” I said, rising from my seat. Alex and I walked over to our Granddaughter and each kissed her and gave her a welcoming hug. Each of us felt the familiar tingle as we touched.
“Sarah, Elisabeth, I’d like you to meet my Granddaughter, Alexandra, Second Granddaughter to Tibius, the Grand High Consul of Citadel, Terra.”
Alexandra suddenly appeared before Liz, shook her hand, and gave a Terran-incorrect welcome: ‘Hi! How y’all doin’? Call me Alex’! She then appeared in front of Sarah and repeated the salutation.
“My, aren’t we the show off?” Mina sniped.
“Aunt Mina, I’ve missed you too. How y’all been?”
Mina was too busy having the stuffing squeezed out of her to answer.
Sarah was still looking at her hand- the one she shook Alexandra’s with. “You…you…” She stuttered looking up to the heavens.
“Yup, that’s right, honey, I’m from out there!” She made her last sentence sound spooky and giggled.
Alexandra turned back to Alex Covington and I. “Mom says to say hi, Grandma. I wanted her to come along, but, well, y’all know how proper she can be. Truth is I think she’s still traumatized by her little stint as a Pixie. On occasion I catch her playin’ with Connie’s kid like she was the adolescent, you know?” She giggled again.
“Y…you…yyyyyou look just like her!” Sarah piped up again- disbelief very evident in her voice.
“A regular Sherlock, this one.” Alexandra pointed her thumb back to the confused teen without turning.
“1865? Remember?” I coaxed her to pull up the now-shared memories.
“Oh ya. OH! Oh, Grandma, I’m sorry!” She walked back to me and wrapped her arms around me once more.
“That was a horrible thing to go through. Forgive my insensitivity.”
“Hey kid, you going to change from that out-of-this-world clothing and into something a little more Earthy?” Alex Covington chuckled.
Alexandra’s clothing immediately transformed into a beautiful, pink trimmed, black one-piece swimsuit, complete with pink and black sandals.
“Is this more befitting the party, Grandmother?”
From the look on Emily and Amelia’s face, Alex and I must have both rolled our eyes.
“Miss Emily?” Sarah looked to Amelia. “Ma’am, being a physician, could you prescribe treatment or poultice for inside wounds to the head? I fear the pain of which is becoming severe!”
“How did you know I was a doctor, Sarah?” Both Emily’s looked surprised while Amelia responded.
Sarah lowered her eyes as if searching the ground for the answer.
“I…I don’t know, Miss Emily. It may have been mentioned before we left the mansion this morning.”
“You…you can read her mind? You can read my mother’s mind, Sarah?” My nephew, James asked from a few chairs away.
“No. It must have been told to me earlier! I have no special powers- I swear!”
“Grandmother Empress, these are the two?” Alexandra leaned over and whispered into my ear. “These are the two that bring love, happiness, and longevity to our family here on Earth?”
“Shhh!” I whispered to her, “That is for Alexander and James to decide. They must use their gifts for confirmation.”
“But I…we have seen this to be true, Grandma. Why keep it such a mystery?”
“Did I not teach you how to use your gift?
“As I recall, it was I that first demonstrated my gift to you.”
“Okay okay. James and Alex just needed a little push here, Alexandra. Just a little nudge to prove it useful.”
“You are ever so devious, Grandma!”
“As I recall it, you were the devious one, my little pixie.”
“Oh, you heard about that, huh?” Alexandra blushed.
“Sharing.” I sang, pointing to my head, even before I used my little friend to see that there was another meaning to her statement.
It was my granddaughter’s turn to roll her eyes.
I nodded over to Sarah. “Watch.”
“Ma’am, I didn’t know that you had experienced the Mahanilui. I should have enlisted my own gift so I wouldn’t insult you. I figured you were just a normal person and not a member of my aunt’s sisterhood.” My nephew James told Sarah. “I am deeply sorry, Sarah.”
James took the girl’s hand in his…and froze!
It was evident that James was, at that very moment, accessing his gift- really accessing his gift!
A pleasant smile washed over his face, eyes still closed, as images flashed in his mind- images of the future- of his future.
Sarah had also closed her eyes and a similar smile appeared on her face.
“But she hasn’t been through the Mahanilui yet, Grandma.” Alexandra whispered.
“Shhh!” Alex and I said together.
“Fascinating!” I heard Spencer say. Just the way he said it though, made a memory of some old TV show appear in my mind…one of Alex’s, I presumed.
“Aunt Allie! Why do you do this? I’m perfectly able to see my own future, you know.” James lamented, opening his eyes suddenly.
Sarah’s expression as she looked to Alex and I, said something else entirely.
“You knew this would happen! You knew that Liz and I would travel with you! You knew we would meet…”
“Honey, I wouldn’t be much of a clairvoyant or Empress if I couldn’t see something so blatantly obvious!” I interrupted the teen. Alex and I raised the same eyebrow.
“Yes, James, Miss Alex knew we would meet each other. She also foresaw our vows.”
“Vows?” He closed his eyes for a second. “Oh. Oh! You mean marriage?” He gulped.”Oh!”
“She has also seen her son’s union with Liz!” Sarah continued.
A finger tapped my shoulder. “Are you sure they didn’t hit the strong stuff yet, Alex?” Spencer asked quietly in my ear.
I calmly shook my head ‘no’.
“She’s already pretty impressive, Empress. How powerful will she become after the alcohol she consumes this evening?” He inquired in a whisper.
“Miss Goode will remain humble to her gift as she develops it to match Jack’s, Spencer. She will never misuse it as long as she lives, but will prove indispensible as a tutor to her many students.”
“A teacher? How wonderful, Alex! Wasn’t the original Sarah Goode a teacher also?”
“Ask Alex, I make the trip back this fall…I mean fall of 1944.” I motioned to her with a nod.
“I never did find out, sis.” Alex whispered from beside me. “We were having too much fun watching Jemma put the fear of God into those pompous…into those poor colonists. Imagine the surprise on their faces when she sat straight up after her fourth dunking and asked for more!” We both giggled at the memory. “They never could get that bonfire to do anything more than smolder before she just…poof!” Alex couldn’t hold in her nervous laughter.
“Will our Miss Goode get to meet her namesake, Alex?” Spencer shook his head as he waited, then asked his sister-in-law after she had regained control.
“As will Miss Bishop, Spence! They look remarkably alike except for height and hair color.”
“And who says history doesn’t repeat itself?” He grinned.
“You’ll never hear that from me, Spencer- never hear that from me!” I repeated as Alex and I laughed again.
“And what gift will Elisabeth Bishop receive when she wakes tomorrow morning, Alex?” My future brother-in-law asked, more out of curiosity.
“Ew! Ew! I can answer that one!” Alex chimed out like a third grader. “She receives my son’s heart!” She laughed maniacally.
I looked at her as seriously as possible without rolling my eyes. “When Liz finishes her schooling, and Jack finishes her lessons, Liz will be a first rate Mind Warrior in her own right.”
“So the two girls are more sisters than they know?” He deduced correctly.
“Especially after tonight.” I winked with a huge smile on my face.
“You really do love being so devious, don’t you, Empress?”
“Hey, a girl’s gotta have some fun, right?” Alex and I said and giggled in unison.
1945hrs, Flagstaff, Arizona, July 11th, 2028
“So, are you ready to open up your presents, Sarah?” Alex Covington asked as she appeared in the archway between Emily’s living room and hallway.
“How would you know when my day of birth is, Miss Alex?” The shocked girl asked.
“Do you really have to ask that, hun,” Alex tsk’ed her? “I thought everyone here knew that today is your eighteenth birthday.”
“She’s only eighteen?” I heard James ask his mother.
Emily simply patted her son’s leg a few times and looked at me with a smile.
‘She’ll probably be thirty before Jack let’s you near her, hun.’ I thought in jest.
‘Thirty-five!’ Jacki thought back quickly. Alex and I started laughing.
Brandon, Cassie, and Sam appeared behind Alex carrying several fancy-wrapped boxes. Each handed them to our guest of honor.
Sarah immediately broke into tears after opening the first of the six gifts- two new pair of denim jeans.
James instantly wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. “What’s the matter, don’t you like them?”
“They are wonderful! I just…I…I just never received presents before.” She sniffed before wiping her eyes.
“You’ve never gotten presents before? I thought Christmas was observed back then?”
“We do. Mrs. Lincoln made sure we all received a Christmas dinner and Mrs. Brand, the mansion cook, made extra pastries, which we are only to eat in the kitchen. Any clothes I own were made by either Liz or I using cloth bought from the millenary using the small stipend our chores provide. This garment, its…it’s so soft and pleasing in color- surely fit for royalty!” She exclaimed before holding the blue jeans with both hands, moving them closer to her face, and closing her eyes, reveling in her first real gift.
What would she do with the new sneakers Alex and I had popped into town to purchase earlier, I wondered?
All told, Sarah now had a good start on her twenty-first century wardrobe having received new jeans, several causal blouses, new sneakers, and two modern dresses. Nothing she received required the use of a hoop, hairnet, or corset either!
I noticed Liz valiantly holding a smile as her friend opened present after present.
Queue the future Empress, my Granddaughter, Alexandra, I thought.
“Elisabeth Bishop, I sense some resentment toward your sister Sarah?” She stated, appearing in the center of the room directly in front of our seemingly slighted guest. To say the girl was startled was an understatement!
“No, Empress.” She looked over to Alex and I cautiously as to ask if that were the correct way to address her. “I definitely am not covetous of my friend’s acquirements! I simply wish it were my birthday also.”
I don’t know how she did it, or whether I could do likewise, but Alexandra produced two nicely wrapped packages from behind her back- supposedly out of thin air! How did she manage to keep them phased independently?
“Happy belated birthday, Elisabeth Bishop!” She exclaimed, handing the teen both mysterious boxes.
“I venture to wonder where she acquired her showmanship, Alexandra?” Mina looked in my direction and smiled.
Liz displayed the same emotions as her sister, receiving two pairs of jeans, two nice blouses, a pair of sneakers, and three ‘T’s’…
All from one, three inch high, twelve by eighteen inch box!
Leave it to the Terrans to maximize storage space!
I think we all wondered what the second package could hold.
“This next package is from me, my mother, and my grandfather exclusively, Liz! What is contained inside is for both you and Sarah with our sincerest wishes that you both have the happiest of lives- no matter which ti…time you choose to live in!” My Granddaughter began to choke up as she handed over the next box.
Liz looked confused by Alexandra’s emotional slip as she assessed the present. She quickly opened and produced from it a genuine, golden Terran sheath dress similar to the one Alexis wore on my first visit to Citadel!
The ecstatic teen looked at my granddaughter in silence, her mouth apparently incapable of producing any sound.
“Look farther into the packing, Elisabeth, there is something for your sister too!” Alexandra prompted the stunned girl.
In total, two dresses of similar design, one gold, one silver; four pairs of matching high-heeled shoes, two matching purses, and two matching full slips were retrieved from the alien package, though I suspected it could hold twice as much. Chief Samuel’s duffle bag came to mind. I wondered if that was how they actually did it.
“This is all too much for simple servants as us, Empress! We…we do not deserve such charity!” Sarah insisted. Liz, still dumbfounded, nodded her head.
“I look forward to seeing y’all in those the next time you visit Terra. I hope they still fit y’all by then. Grandfather included a little extra feature, but I’ll let y’all find that one on your own.”
Alexandra turned to Alex Covington and I.
“Grandmother Empress, I must take my leave now. I have pressing business in Citadel, which involves a three Earth year layover and a girl named Alexia. I look forward to your next visit, my sisters.”
Alex and I wrapped our arms around our granddaughter and received the customary tingle. The information shared brought tears of joy to our eyes. In unison, we both kissed a cheek then stepped back.
“See y’all later,” were her last words before vanishing.
“You saw that, right, sis?” Alex asked me as we looked at each other.
“Yep!” I replied and noticed a large smile on Sarah’s face.
“It is wonderful news is it not?” She smiled wider.
“Jack, I think you and Connie have competition.” I glared at my future first officer. “Honey,” I turned my softened face to our birthday girl, “It ain’t nice to eavesdrop in someone’s head without permission!” I scolded. “Especially when it’s the Empress’s head! Honey, there ain’t no tellin’ what horror you might see in there!” I pictured the Arizona’s main guns going off during a readiness targeting exercise I participated in before the war started. Sarah noticeably jumped.
“See what I mean, hun?” I smiled devilishly.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Miss Alex?” Liz tried to catch my attention.
“What is it hun?” Alex and I both answered at the same time.
Emily, both of them glared at us.
“Ma’am, Alexandra mentioned that we would visit her on her planet…um…Terra?”
“You heard right, hun.”
“She also wished us happiness in whichever time we chose. What did she mean by that if I may be so bold?” She asked, shying away a bit.
“First off, hun, never be afraid to ask questions- especially to me or any of our sisters! Secondly, you and Sarah are welcome to stay here in the twenty-first century should you choose. Identities and official documentation have already been created and a proper legal guardian has stepped forward, ready to provide a home. You shall receive a proper education and, as an added benefit, experience new lands, peoples and worlds! Jacquelyn Cummins has also agreed to teach you both how to read and write should you accept.” I smiled, waiting for what I had said to be grasped. To increase the chances of my offer being accepted, I began to playback the images I had foreseen.
Sarah’s eyes became large as saucers!
“You mean…you mean we can stay…here?” She screeched in excitement.
Liz, distracted by her friend’s sudden outburst, momentarily looked at her then back at me. She seemed on the verge of crying- whether that was good or bad; I had no idea without consulting my gift.
Sarah looked to James sitting next to her. She seemed to be reading him then suddenly looked at Liz, sitting next to Alex.
“Liz, we can stay! Empress Alexandra says we can stay!” She said slightly confused by her friend’s unheard response.
Elisabeth’s expression remained dour.
“No, Liz! The Empress says we can stay! You can see Alex any time you want! Is that not wonderful?”
“I…I can?”
“Sure, hun. but your education comes first- yours too, Sarah Goode!” I reassured them both.
“You want to see…me?” Young Alex gulped in surprise.
Liz slowly took the young man’s hand in hers, answering his question.
“Oh bloody hell, you’ve gone and set me to crying!”
“Mina!” We all chorused.
“I know!” Spencer suddenly shouted. “Let’s celebrate! Alex, do you think it might be alright just this once?” He looked for acknowledgement from my twin.
“I think it best they make that choice, Spence, don’t you?”
“Of course, Empress, I didn’t mean to rush things. Please.” He motioned for one of us to continue.
“What other choice are we to make other than whether to stay here or go home?” Sarah asked.
“Whether we should decide to become one of them, Sarah.” Liz surprised us all with her astute deduction.
“You wish us to become like you, Empress? I sorely lack the confidence to receive such powerful gifts as you possess.” She looked down to the floor.
“What will Mrs. and President Lincoln say should we accept?” Liz questioned. “Who will provide bedchamber services to them in our absence?” She asked in concern.
“Are you two the only chambermaids at the mansion, hun?”
“No, there are twelve of us.”
“Then there should be no problem until two more excellent servants such as you can be found.” I said suddenly thinking about Emily’s diagnosis of the two girls.
“Consumption? We both have consumption, Empress? Is that why you offer such extravagances? Because we are dying?” Sarah looked appalled.
“Once again it’s not nice to read someone’s mind without permission, Sarah Goode! It is what got your ancestor murdered so many years ago!” I pictured another battleship salvo in my mind.
I noticed both Jacks prepare themselves as I did so.
Sarah and Liz jumped this time.
Why must you do that, Empress? Why must you picture such horrible images?”
“To teach you a lesson, sweetie! Simply because you have such a gift doesn’t always mean it’s to be used every hour of every day! Alex had your best interests in mind when she brought you here. The Mahanilui is offered to you freely and not just as a cure for Tuberculosis!” Joss told the girls concisely. “Although the Mahanilui will completely eradicate the disease, modern medicine is quite capable of also curing it. The Empress’s intentions are pure and carry no indenture of any kind.” Joss got up, walked over to her, and placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder.
“Sarah, you and Liz already have the tiny machines- we call them nanos- that result in the Mahanilui in your bodies. They are water-borne, but require a catalyst to activate. They have not and will not harm you in any way, I assure you. We girls have all consumed the tea and lemonade from earlier today and, as you can see, suffered no ill effects. You alone must choose the path ahead of you. Even though I have seen the path you both likely choose, I now leave the choice up to you.” Alex Covington assured them.
Alex and I took our seats to wait while the two girls made they’re decision.
“Miss Jacquelyn, you would allow us residence, teach us, and guard over us as the Empress has said?”
“As long as you both abide by my rules, yes.” Jacki smiled thoughtfully. Her glass, now empty of its sweet tea, rose from her hand and whisked itself out of the room and into the kitchen.
Both girls blinked in amazement of what they had just seen. Each began to stare in fear at their tentative mentor.
“You two should just chill out! I’ll teach you both how to do it when its time.” Jacki told the two. “If you’ve decided to stay, that is.”
Both teens nodded their heads in silence- eyes wide, mouths still agape.
“Should I get the hundred-proof, Empress?” Brandon asked quietly from beside Alex.
I raised a hand. “Not yet, dear, I have to hear it from both of them first.”
Jack looked around at me and winked.
“I’ll require you both to attend school with one hundred percent attendance! All homework must be completed in a reasonable amount of time. Any problems understanding said homework or lessons must be communicated to me in real-time telepathically. We all share the daily household chores equally. On occasions where I will be traveling with Alex, you both are to behave yourselves and above all- no boys or parties while I’m gone! Oh, and under no circumstances do we make public, our gifts! The general public, even in this century, will not accept us as anything other than witches- though the consequences are completely different nowadays compared to those of old Salem!”
“You no longer burn witches?” Liz squeaked.
“Pffft! Witchcraft, or Wiccan as it’s called now is just another religion. Covens meet as regularly as church services.” Jack waved off her question as nothing. “Sweetie, I’m surprised the people of your time haven’t treated you strangely!”
“I have tried not to appear any different around the guests for fear of losing my employment, though I suspect that Mrs. Lincoln suspects something is different about me.” Sarah answered quietly, her gaze falling to the floor. Liz also dropped her head. “It wasn’t until you arrived at the mansion, that I…”
“So…ladies, have you made your decision and do you also accept my terms?” Jacki pushed gently, interrupting Liz.
Sarah looked to her friend with hopeful eyes. Liz, as if listening to her blinked a few times before a smile crept onto her face as well.
Joss smiled as well. “Girls, I believe the Empress would like to verbally know your choice.” She prompted them.
“But why? She already knows our futures.” Sarah chirped out.
“Dear girl, it is simply a matter of good form to notify a benefactor of your decision! Anything else would just be rude!” Mina advised.
Both girls exchanged glances.
“Empress, Sarah and I would very much like to stay in this century! We will serve you…”
I raised my hand to stop Liz. “Hold up one sec, kids. Y’all are missin’ the point of the whole exercise. We don’t want y’all to serve or worship us.” I shook my head as did everyone present in the room but them. “All we ask is that you become our sisters, nothing more. Equal in every respect to everyone else. I refuse to be treated as a deity, but simply as a friend or relative/ Is that clear to ya both? And my name is Alex or Allie, got it?” I scowled at the two.
“Yes, ma’am.”
I raised a finger to them.
“Yes, Allie, we understand.” Liz smiled finally.
“Good, it’s settled then! Mr. Rosen; drinks all around!” Spencer nodded to me and left the room.
“Drinks? I don’t understand, ma’am?” Sarah asked in confusion.
I ignored her tongue slip.
“Of course! Girls, in order for the tiny machines to do their job, y’all have to get stinkin’ drunk!”
“But I never drank spirits before, Empress!” Liz whined.
“Then it won’t take too much to get you there, hun!” I laughed. Alex, Sam, and Cassie joined in as Liz wrinkled her nose.
Spencer arrived carrying two liquor bottles; one of which containing a worm- Tequila.
Nine glasses floated in behind him and each presented itself in front of a woman in attendance. Four cold beers floated in next and Spencer, Alexander, Brandon, and James each took one.
Alexander looked confused, but opened his quickly.
“Just this once, sonny!” Alex pointed to him menacingly.
“Girls, pick yer poison!” I smiled pointing to the two bottles. “It’s an old quote from a western...never mind, nothing is poisoned here, girls.” I added after seeing two shocked faces.”
As expected Liz and Sarah selected the less disgusting caramel colored liquid over the worm infested bottle.
Each bottle poured itself and before long all glasses had been filled.
“One more thing you two should know before the Mahanilui starts. The process will make you extremely tired. Don’t try to fight the sleep, as you will ultimately lose. Emily and Amelia will be monitoring each of you and in the morning you will wake feeling refreshed- better than you ever have.” I informed them.
“Is there anything else you should add before we commit ourselves, Empress?” Liz asked boldly for the first time in her life, I think.
Alex and I looked at each other and winked.
“No, hun, that’s it! We all made it through without a lick of trouble.” I said, noticing Corrine grimace slightly.
“You went through this Mahanilui?”
“Yep!”
Sarah downed her whiskey in one gulp like a pro!
Liz was a little more tentative about imitating her friend and began coughing with the first sip. After some encouragement from her friend, Liz downed the rest in one swig.
Another round of coughing ensued.
Before long several bottles of both tequila and whiskey lay empty about the room’s floor. Two teenage girls lay quietly sleeping next to they’re would be suitors.
“Wow, I never thought two skinny things like them could drink so much!” Jamie exclaimed.
“And Liz claimed never to have touched whiskey before! She out drank Sarah by three full glasses.” Spencer added with shake of his head.
“Mom?” Alexander asked.
“Ya, hun?” Alex and I replied.
“How much will Elisabeth change? I mean physically?”
“Her hair will change slightly to better match her sister’s, honey, why?” Alex answered.
“I like her the way she is now. I can’t…I can’t keep my eyes off her as it is.”
“Alex, you have to trust your gift, hun. I know you were able to see glimpses of your future when your hands first touched at the pool earlier. Why have doubts now?” She asked in confusion.
“Because I saw me asking earlier and just wanted things to go right, I guess. I want things to work out for Elisabeth and I…just the way I saw it.” He explained.
My twin drew the boy into a tight hug. Stretching up slightly to kiss his cheek, Alex looked to our two daughters.
“So why is it so hard for you two?” She giggled. We both did.
“It’s not our time yet. You know that, mom.” Cassie complained.
“Jack, can we get our two new sisters upstairs and into a nice cozy bed?” I asked the Cummins twins.
“Aye, cap.” They acknowledged together.
0925hrs, Flagstaff, Arizona, July 12th, 2028
“I take it the girls are still sleeping it off?” Spencer asked as I joined him at the kitchen table. A steaming cup of coffee already awaited me along with four fully prepared pancakes on a plate.
“It should be any time now.” I told him before placing the first forkful in my mouth. I savored the taste as I felt the ‘feeling’ come over me. I suddenly stopped chewing.
“Empress? What is it?” Spencer looked at me with concern.
“Nothing, Spence, it’s just that my son is trying to sneak up on me. Alexander, you remember what happened the last time, right?”
“Aw, mom!” Alex appeared by the basement stairs.
“Come and have something to eat, hun, Liz will be down in a few minutes.”
“Mom? I’m nervous.”
“Why’s that, hun?”
“What if something goes wrong? What if she changes too much- that you didn’t see it properly?” The boy worried.
“You worry too much, hun. Trust your gift and your feelings…”
“Use the force, you should. See all that is to be seen.” My voice finished from the stairs to the second floor. Alex laughed at her impersonation of…I wasn’t so sure…whomever. All I knew for sure was it didn’t sound very human.
“Mom, I wish you wouldn’t do that! I never did like that character. I just don’t want her to change. She’s perfect just the way she is.” Young Alexander lamented.
A trumpet fanfare sounded in my head- sounded in everyone’s head I expected.
A loud moan came from the upstairs hallway.
“Miss Jacquelyn, why in heaven’s name would you do that when you know our heads to be splitting,” Sarah cried from the same location as the moan?
A scant two minutes after her initial decree, Sarah appeared at the bottom of the steps, wearing the long, pink, cotton nightgown we had dressed her in last evening. She was holding her head securely.
“Empress, I thought a painless morning awaited me? Never have I had such a pounding in my head as today!” Sarah said softly, using the wall for support. She slowly made her way the last few feet to the table on very unsteady legs.
“Give your body the time it needs to repair itself, hun. You should be feeling better in three…two…one.” I said calmly as I pointed a finger to her.
The girl’s pained expression cleared immediately- her eyes returned to their full brilliance and a smile burst forth.
“It is truly amazing, ma’am, thank you!”
“It was all you, honey. I had nothing to do with your healing.” I laughed. “You’ll do that a lot faster now too.”
“Maybe I should go check on Elisabeth. Maybe something went wrong, mom.” Alexander cried.
“Liz is feeling the same as I, Alexander. She will be down forthwith.”
“When is that?” He asked in confusion.
“She’ll be right down, Alex, relax.” Alex Covington reassured him with her mouth partially full. My twin had sat down next to me to engage an equally scrumptious plate of flapjacks.
“Sarah?” We heard from the stairway. “Sarah, it was most miraculous! One moment I had the worst ache of my head, the next it was magically dispatched!”
A wide smile erupted on Alexander’s face the minute he heard Liz’s voice.
“She likes you too, Alexander Covington.” Sarah told the young man- much to his chagrin. My son’s face went instantly crimson.
Elisabeth Bishop appeared in the kitchen taking her last step down the stairs, her purple cotton nightgown slightly wrinkled from her sleep. Her hair had lightened a shade or two, but only added to the girl’s beauty. The two Federal period girls now looked more like sisters.
“Oh, excuse me, Empresses, Mr. Rosen, “ Liz curtsied. “I didn’t know you both were here. Hello, Alexander, did you sleep well?”
Alexander opened his mouth to reply but only silence answered.
“Alexander, are you well? Your face seems flushed, are you with fever?” The concerned girl asked.
“Ahhh,”
Alex waved her hand at our son, still frozen in fear, “He always acts this way around strangers until he gets used to them, Liz, he’s fine.”
“I think you frighten him, hun,” I added with a giggle.
She smiled at him shyly as she took a seat between Sarah and a still stunned Alexander.
“Empress, why do I not feel any different than last evening? I thought to have my gift?”
“It takes a certain amount of time to develop, Elisabeth, be patient.”
Sarah looked to be assessing her sister the moment she sat down.
“I hadn’t noticed, Sarah. You say my hair has changed color overnight?” Elisabeth said to her sister.
“How can it look almost like your’s now?” She continued the one-sided conversation.
“I know that we act like sisters, but we’re not actually…oh.” Liz stopped as she realized she was the only one talking aloud. She instantly blushed.
“Elisabeth, would you and Sarah like something to eat? Pancakes, bacon…eggs, perhaps?” Spencer inquired, trying to dispel her embarrassment.
“Eggs would be nice. Allow me to go out to the hens and collect them, sir.”
“You just stay put. I’ll just check in the refrigerator, Liz.” Spencer waved her off. He pulled out the carton and took two eggs from it then placed the carton back into the fridge.
“You keep the chickens in that small thing?”
Spencer chuckled and shook his head a few times.
“The chickens still live on the farm. We buy them and their eggs from the grocery store. We put them in here until we’re ready to use them, Liz.” He retrieved the egg carton and opened it to show her. “See?”
An egg instantly leapt from the carton and crashed to the floor.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to…” The surprised teen gasped.
Liz froze!
“Did I just do that?” She asked in amazement.
Sarah, Liz, Alexander, and Spencer looked at Alex and I.
A broad smile flashed to our face. A wide smile also crept onto Elisabeth Bishop’s face.
“I’ll clean that up, Mr. Rosen!” Liz said quickly as she leapt from her chair.
“No, I’ll get it, Elisabeth.” Alexander shouted as he tried to beat her to the spill. The two teens collided and both landed facing each other on the floor.
Alexander and Elisabeth began to laugh.
Spencer calmly placed the eggs back into the refrigerator and ripped a paper towel off a nearby roll. “No harm done, Liz, I’ll take care of it. You and Alex have a seat and I’ll have your eggs in a few minutes.
‘I didn’t think it would be so soon, Alex. You could‘ve at least warned us. Joss and I will be right down.’ I heard…Alex and I heard in our heads.
A few minutes later the Cummins twins joined our small group in the kitchen, taking the two stools at the kitchen’s small island closer to the sink.
Liz and Sarah seemed hell-bent on finishing their eggs and bacon in record time after Spencer placed the plates in front of them. Alexander just stared in fascination at the two apparently famished girls. Spencer grimaced a little.
“Ladies, there is no immediate hurry so slow down and enjoy your breakfast.”
“Uncle Spence is right. You two sure put the fast in breakfast!” Alexander chuckled nervously.
The quip only earned him a quick, menacing look from Elisabeth.
The girl’s plates suddenly moved away from them and rose above the table a few feet.
“Girls, in this and any other household in this century, we will not gulp down our food! It is rude, disgusting and extremely unladylike! I don’t mind how much you eat, but I do require you to eat it in a civilized manner! Is that clear?” Jacki told them in no uncertain terms.
“But we have to hurry so that we may finish our chores on time!” Sarah cried out, as her eyes remained locked on her levitating plate.
“No, girls, you don’t.” I said calmly to them. “You two have been officially relieved of your servant duties. As of now you both are free, twenty-first century, American women- free to select your own life and direction.”
“But the mansion. What will the President and Mrs. Lincoln do without us?”
“That’s up to them now isn’t it, hun?” I smiled at Liz.
“But we are indentured to them…”
“Hon, what year is this?” Alex Covington asked calmly, still holding our smile.
“Samantha told us it is the year of our lord, twenty-twenty-eight.”
“Correct! Now, what was the date when we left Washington?”
“Eighteen hundred and sixty-five, Empress.”
“Right again, hun! So, by my reckoning that was one hundred and sixty-three years ago.”
The two girl’s mouths opened wide at the impossible, but true fact.
“Hon, right now, the Lincolns really can’t complain about the loss of their two favorite servants. Pardon my being morbid, of course.”
“But…”
“No buts about it, girls, from this point in time, the Lincolns passed on over a hundred years ago. They are in no position to reprimand you- nor is any taskmaster from that era. Girls, you are your own masters from now on. Get it?” Alex interrupted as she tried to explain things another way.
Sarah and Liz looked at Alex and I for several seconds, temporarily forgetting about the two plates still hovering a short distance overhead.
“Empress, may I ask that we attend you on your return to Washington City? Sarah and I would be ill thought of if we did not settle our affairs and take our proper leave- if it be your will to return, that is.”
“Aunt Jacki, could you make it a point to teach them the proper way to talk? I’m not sure what Elisabeth just said.” Alexander asked with his face scrunched up in confusion.
“What is wrong with the way I speak, Alexander?” Liz countered with some anger.
“Sorry, Elisabeth, I just have a hard time understanding you. I have to use my gift to see ahead for the translation. I don’t mean anything bad by it.” He told her, shying away from her angry stare.
“And do you not sound the stranger to Sarah and I?” Liz shot back.
“Huh?”
“Listen kids; just let Sarah and Liz get comfortable with this century. I’m sure they’ll catch on to the local dialect in a short time.” Alex Covington tried to defuse the situation.
“I do like the way you speak, Elisabeth, I just don’t understand you all the time, I’m sorry if I made you angry.” He apologized timidly.
The anger melted from her eyes immediately.
“To answer your question, Liz, you and Sarah are invited to return with us, though not as servants, but as fully vested members of our sisterhood. I don’t want any more arguments on this topic, understand?” I scolded them, while setting my terms.
Both girls’ faces broke out in wide smiles.
“In fact, Carroll and Randi should be arriving any minute with your equipment and official documents.” Alex Covington added.
“Now, as for my conditions? What is your decision, girls?” Jacki asked, reminding them of the still hovering plates.
“Apparently it is a habit in need of retiring, Miss Jacquelyn. We will try to eat slower, ma’am.” Sarah apologized, accepting Jack’s terms for both of them.
The two plates gently returned to their owners, exactly where they had been originally placed.
“Can I join you when you go back to the civil war, mom?” Alexander asked shyly. He looked at Liz and his near-empty bowl, but refused to make eye contact with either of me.
“Hon, I’m not going back to Washington DC.” Alex Covington told our son. Sarah and Liz sighed in disappointment. “You have to ask your Aunt Allie if you can go. This has been her mission from the start.” She continued and nodded to me.
I didn’t think the boy could make his eyes so big! The puppy-dog look he was now assaulting me with made my heart break- I mean, how could anyone say no to that face? Did I have this affect on women in my previous form, I asked myself?
I consulted my gift.
“I guess it would be okay, hun, but you and your cousin best behave! The people of the Federal Period consider themselves’ modern, but are far from accepting of new things. There are strict rules young men must follow when in the presence of important male adults and especially when attending mixed company! No open signs of affection, Alexander! Ever! Do you read me, son?”
“Five by five and crystal, Capt. Steinert!” Alex barked out as he quickly stood to attention.
Liz and Sarah giggled modestly while covering their mouths.
“Alex, Carroll and Randi have arrived” Joss alerted us a full minute before the door chime sounded.
“I’ll get it!” Cassie’s voice shouted from the basement playroom. “OH MY GOD! Don’t you look fantastic! Come on in!”
We waited a few moments for our new guests to appear at the top of the steps. Carroll’s eighteen-month old daughter, Alexis, led her mother into the kitchen. The precious toddler waved at us enthusiastically with her free hand.
“Hiaaaaah!” the little girl squealed with a huge grin.
A collective ‘aaaaaaww’ echoed through the room.
“Hi everybody!” Carroll said as she kept young Lexie on a straight course, right for Alex.
“Empaa!” the child screeched as she broke from her mother’s hand and lumbered quickly to my twin, almost losing her fight with gravity in the process. Alex caught her just in time and lifted the child to her chest for a hug. Lexie wrapped her arms around Alex’s neck as best she could, a wide smile brightly lighting her face.
Opening her eyes and staring right at me, she reached out with her little, cherub-like hand and waved at me with her fingers. “Empaa!” she laughed happily.
Again, a loud ‘AAAWWWW’ filled the kitchen as the little angel continued to reach for me.
“You know, it never ceases to amaze me how children just run to you Alex!” Randi said as she finally appeared in the stairway.
I looked up from my goddaughter and froze!
“She’s in her third trimester, Allie.” Emily answered my silence from the base of the second floor stairway.
“Here sis, I know you don’t mind holding her.” Alex Covington said, handing Lexie to me before walking the short distance to embrace Randi.
Young Lexie continued giggling as she wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Empaa!” She squealed again as she squeezed my neck. The little pixie was stronger than she looked!
Cassie appeared at the top of the basement steps with two plastic garment bags over her arm and holding two large manila envelopes which she placed on the table- the garment bags over the nearest seatback. She smiled at Sarah and Liz, winked, and walked over to Jack after pouring herself a hot cup of coffee.
After prying little Lexie’s arms from my neck and handing her back to Carroll, I repeated my twin’s greeting to Randi.
“You must be Sarah and Elisabeth. Welcome to 2028, girls.” Randi greeted our newest sisters. She raised her right hand in a single, quick sweeping motion.
The microwave oven beeped; the electric stove beeped, and the refrigerator beeped! All displayed ‘Welcome Elisabeth and Sarah’ on their informational screens.
The girls’ mouths dropped wide open!
“Yes, Sarah, I am capable of controlling them…any electronic device as a matter of fact.” Randi answered her unheard question.
“And you say I’m a showoff, Allie.” Jack shook their heads.
Randi smiled and reached for the two envelopes.
“Elisabeth?” Randi said aloud and handed over her envelope as the girl looked.
“What is this, ma’am?” Liz asked as she emptied the contents onto the table after pushing away her plate.
“That, my new sister, is your life- unless you keep referring to me as ‘ma’am!” Randi’s voice turned into a growl at the word. “My name is Randi Van Pelt…Randi to my sisters, friends, acquaintances, strangers,…anybody…follow?” She said as she placed the other envelope before Sarah.
Both girls slowly nodded.
“In both packages are birth certificates, educational transcripts current to the high school junior level, health and immunization records, and even drivers’ licenses when Jacki feels you’ve earned the right. I’ve taken the liberty of starting savings accounts for each of you, giving you and Sarah a valid credit history.” Randi said as she concluded her brief briefing.
“What are those, Miss Randi?” Sarah pointed to the strange shiny bags.
“I’ll let Alex explain those, Sarah. Empress?” Randi looked at me then to Alex. “Spence, could I trouble you for some cold pepperoni, mushroom, olive, and anchovy pizza- maybe a cold beer too?”
“Um…Randi…um, its only ten in the morning, are you sure about the beer?”
“Do you have it or not?” Randi said as she pulled the frig door open and began surveying its shelves. “YES!” She shouted as she snatched a plate with several slices of pepperoni pizza on it.
“Bonus!” Randi shouted as she produced a can of beer, a tin of sardines, and carried all to the small island and began woofing down food and beverage.
“Oh ya, now that’s what I’m talkin’ bout!” She moaned as one slice disappeared quicker than I could ever make it do!
Liz and Sarah watched in amazement. Sarah started to open her mouth, but Joss and Jacki put a finger to their mouths. “Best to just let an expectant mother eat what she wants, girls- especially when the expectant mother can cause your car to spaz out from anywhere on the planet!” Jacki warned.
“I…I wouldn’t…wouldn’t do…that, Jack!” Randi said in between inhaling the third of four pizza slices and taking another gulp of beer. She popped open the can of sardines. Spencer cautiously handed her a fork.
“No, that’s why the stove, microwave, and refrigerator are all displaying ‘YUM’ repeatedly, right?” Jacki laughed sarcastically.
Randi looked back to the kitchen appliances and did a double take.
“Hey! I’m hungry! Quit making fun of me- like you never did anything like this with Connie?”
“That reminds me, Jack. That ceiling is due to splashdown sometime later this year right?” I reminded Jack with a devious smile.
My first officers blushed profusely.
Sarah and Liz looked on in confusion, but wisely choose to remain silent.
“Weren’t you going to tell them about the clothes, Empress?” Jacki retorted as she and her twin looked at the ravenous woman beside them in disgust.
“That’s right…the clothes.” I replied nonchalantly. “There’s a bag for each of you, Liz. They contain your very own Reilly suits.”
“But we already have a ‘Reilly suit’, Empress. Why would we need two?” She asked.
“The suits you traveled here in are only partially functional. These suits,” I pointed to the two bags, “are the real McCoy! Y’all will be able to access all features at will- clothing selection, communications, health monitoring, two-way speech translation, and emergency protection systems. Try not to worry about all this now, we’ll show you how to use them.” I said, giving them my own brief.
“Can we wear them when we return to Washington City?”
“That’s the idea, hun.” I winked.
“Aunt Allie, I’m ready to go.” Jimmy said as he appeared from the second floor stairs. He was dressed in his dark blue Federal Period suit, complete with a sharp-looking black, silk ascot.
Sarah gasped in surprise as she took in every inch of my nephew.
“James, we aren’t going to leave for another three hours, why are you rushing things?”
“I just wanted to be ready, Aunt Allie. I know how punctual you like to be.”
“You just wanted to impress Sarah.” Alexander sniped.
“Maybe just a little.” James admitted with a smile as he looked at Sarah.
The girl blushed immediately.
“Well I like Alex dressed just like he is.” Liz said, annoyed that first, he hadn’t tried to impress her and second, he wasn’t dressed for what she still considered appropriate for mixed company.
“Elisabeth, I’m still in my pajamas, I’m not dressed for the day yet. I thought maybe you would like to go up to the pool for a short swim…before we left.” Alexander told Liz quietly, his face ashen.
“I’d like that Alexander…if the Empress allows it.” Liz said as she smiled brightly.
“Correction, if your guardian, Ms. Cummins agrees. After all, you agreed to her rules.” Alex Covington told the teen.
“Finish your breakfast then you and Alex can go to the pool… just let me get my swimsuit on.” Jacki added.
“You’re coming with us?” Alexander cried.
“Kid, she’s my responsibility and I think you two require chaperoning…just this one time.” Jacki explained.
1345hrs, Flagstaff, Arizona, July 12th, 2028
“Mom, can I talk to you a minute?” Sam asked as she entered the living room and took a seat next to me.
“Sure Sam what’s on your mind?” I agreed, touching her thigh lightly.
I’ve been running the options…and…well…I’m concerned,” she said- the fact quite evident in her body language.
“Care to elaborate?”
“James and Sarah.” She paused. “I’ve seen a rocky road ahead for both of them. Every way I try it, they won’t have the happiest relationship. One even has them divorcing with two small children.” She looked down sadly. “Mom, I can’t let that happen. You need to keep that from happening!”
“Honey, I’m afraid Jimmy’s just going to have to guide his own future. You had to have seen that? There are just some things we can’t change without consequences.”
“Mom, she’s going to out us!” Sam shouted despondently.
“That’s just one scenario, Sam. I taught you better than that. Consider not just the facts, but consider everything- everything and anything that could be brought into play- anything that can change things even the slightest bit.” I said, gathering my daughter into my arms.
“Why aren’t you dressed, Sam?” I asked, changing the subject after holding her for a short while.
“I don’t think I should go, mom. It would just require you to make another stop before returning to Sand Dollar.”
Her excuse was lame and ill thought out.
“You do realize I have to bring Liz, Alex, James, and Sarah back, right?”
Sam remained silent and returned her gaze to the floor.
“Spill it, hun. What’s the real reason you’re against goin’?”
She refused to answer me. So I decided to cheat and asked a few ‘questions’.
“This isn’t that time, Samantha.” I quietly told her.
“It isn’t? How do you know?”
“Duh? My daughter really has to ask that?”
“Sometimes, I forget who you are, Empress, forgive me?” Sam looked back up to me. Her eyes glistened in the subdued light of the room.
“Go get changed, Sam. We leave within the hour. Make sure your sister gets ready too.” I stood and pulled Samantha up with me.
“Mom?”
“Ya, hun?”
My Samantha suddenly wrapped her arms around me and squeezed for all she was worth!
A moment later she was heading out of the room, I noticed Alex Covington standing in the archway, quietly.
“How come we’re the same person, but you always seem to get the good stuff?” She asked as she smiled and walked over to me. “You don’t have to answer that, Alex, I already know what you’re going to say, remember?”
“They really are amazing you know.”
“I know, sis.”
“I guess I should go get ready.” I said, slightly depressed.
“I know it gets…crazy…sometimes.”
I nodded.
“There will be those four times- all about a year long, that I get to live sequentially- like normal people.” My twin consoled me as she gently brushed my cheek. The familiar tingle felt stronger than usual- maybe because of the sensitivity of my face.
“Is everything okay in here?” Brandon asked as he appeared in the hallway.
“Everything is fine, dear. Allie’s just feeling a little overwhelmed…it happens sometimes, as you can imagine.” My twin explained.
“If it’s any consolation, I can’t see how you keep it together in the first place! I think that’s why I find you so attractive- so exotic! Don’t forget we’re here for you Allie- we’re all here for you!”
“Thanks, dear.” I paused a second realizing my error. “Thanks Brandon, I appreciate it. Speaking of us all being here, where has Mina been this morning?” I asked.
“Oh, she, Corrine, and Jamie went down to the recreation center. They have free yoga sessions from nine to noon. They should have been back by now”
“In fact, we have been back for quite some time, Brandon Covington.” Mina’s voice said from the kitchen.
Brandon shook his head in defeat. “I knew I should’ve taken stock in a pharmaceutical company!”
Alex lightly slapped his left cheek. “Relax, dear, my twin sister and her friends will be leaving shortly. The headaches will subside immediately thereafter. Now why don’t you go down and kill some aliens while I have a little chat with my sister?”
“Yes, Mrs. Covington! Me and little Spencie Rosen will be down in the rec room playin’ ‘n watchin’ the two grown-up ladies dressin’. Hehehehehe!” Brandon said in a child-like voice as he headed out into the hallway.
“Don’t you dare, Brandon Covington! You remember what happened the last time you walked in on the girls! Do it again and no sweets for you tonight! Understand me, Lieutenant?”
“Aye, ma’am.” His response echoed from the kitchen.
I looked over to Alex and raised an eyebrow. “Sweets?”
We both began laughing.
Twenty minutes more found almost everyone assembled in Emily’s living room. Joss had already coached Sarah and Liz on the proper use of their new uniforms. They now looked quite attractive in their 1940’s Navy whites. Randi did a last minute diagnostic of the two newest Reilly suits as we waited for Samantha to join us.
This was not like her to be late, but I guess she had re-evaluated her vision of our trip back to Washington DC to see that I had glossed over some important facts about her joining us. It wasn’t everyday that you met your soul mate. Why she didn’t want this to happen was beyond me.
Sam quietly entered the room and sat down next to Cassie in complete silence, the whole time glaring at me.
Okay, so she figured it out. At least she had worked her gift to find out the real truth.
I playfully glared back at her, daring her to say something- anything at all.
She remained quiet and finally looked away to Randi and then to Carroll and her Alexis.
“There, all finished, Elisabeth. I programmed in a variety of clothing choices for several historical time periods into yours and Sarah’s suit. I also modified the heel height of the shoes and added a manual override in case you should ever want higher heels.” Randi instructed the two girls before slowly turning her attention to Mina and raising an eyebrow.
“I make one, small miscalculation and am labeled a pariah for life! Really Ms. Van Pelt, you’ve never made a mistake?”
“Ya know Mina, once I thought I did,” she smiled at her highness, “But I was wrong! Can you imagine that?” Randi barely finished before breaking into a fit of giggles.
To say Mina wasn’t amused was the understatement of the year!
I glanced over at Alex. “Must be in the firmware.” I said as I wavered my slightly outstretched, open hand.
As I figured, everyone had a good reference to the joke except our two new sisters, who looked at us like we had three eyes each. Alexander leaned over to Liz and maybe tried to explain it. She looked at him strangely then her confused face changed to slight understanding. I figured Jack had given her the reference telepathically.
After another five minutes the laughter had quieted in the room.
“Is everyone ready to go?” I asked.
“If I have to.” Sam grumbled barely above a whisper.
“So you get to meet ‘him’! What the hey, sis? I thought you couldn’t wait to meet?” Cassie asked, confused by her sister’s attitude.
“He’s a Confederate, Cassie! Why did he have to be Confederate?” She groused.
I looked at the despondent girl, my daughter, for a minute.
“Y’all know that Missourra was a Confederate state back in 1865, right?”
“You are a member of the Rebel Confederation, Empress?” Sarah’s eyes went wide.
“Apparently you were not listening yesterday morning, Ms. Goode! Did I not tell you my date of birth?”
“You did, ma’am.”
“And?”
“Miss Jacquelyn told me it was August 7th, 1916.”
I nodded and looked to my son.
“Alex, would you please tell Ms. Goode how many states now make up the United States of America?”
“There are fifty states in the union, Hawaii and Alaska being the last to be admitted back in 1959, Sarah. As of today, Puerto Rico has yet to vote on statehood. If ratified it would become our fifty-first state.” Alexander said almost mechanically.
“Thanks, hun.”
“No problem, mom.”
They made Hawaii and Alaska states?” Corrine asked in amazement. Both she and Jamie looked surprised. Sarah and Liz took notice.
“How could you both not know when the Empress clearly has awareness of such events?”
“Girls, not all of our sisters travel with me all the time. For Corrine and Jamie this is only the third time they have accompanied me- first time in this small a group. Unless they have read the archives at Reilly Research Station on Kili Island or talked specifically about American history with their future twins, they would not know. As example, you stand on ground that was once called the Louisiana Purchase- a huge tract of land President Jefferson bought from Spain. This is the city of Flagstaff in the state of Arizona- a state located halfway between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean.”
“We are in the Western Territory?”
“Yup!”
“Miss Jacquelyn,” Liz and Sarah both turned to Jacki after looking at each other in surprise a moment, “Will it be possible to see this vast new land?”
“Sure, kids. It’s all part of your education and more.” Jack smiled brightly.
Alexander stood by with a confused look on his face.
“Alex,” I said, catching his attention, “Alex, think about how many things have changed since 1865- how many things have passed Liz and Sarah by- or how much they have skipped over. People of the time- especially those employed as servants, rarely traveled more than a hundred miles from where they were born, unless taken along by their employers.” I lectured him.
“Mom, I know! I just forgot she wasn’t from this time. Um,” He looked down at the floor and blushed. “Um…not that you’re not welcome…I mean…um…I want you to stay here with…um…Mom, can we go now? Please?” Alexander said with severe discomfort in his voice.
“First I want Sarah and Liz to change into some modern clothes just to make sure they understand they’re HUDs. Girls, bring up your suits’ control system and select the outfits you wore yesterday before we left Washington DC.”
I nodded to everyone to follow suit after both girls wore blue jeans, short-sleeved tops, and sneakers.
Liz diverged from the request by selecting a pair of black three-inch heeled boots instead. ‘Good,’ I thought, a girl that knows what she wants.
‘Sarah changed things up too, Alex.’ Joss- my Jack- thought to me. An image of red, silky, thong britches appeared in my head.
‘Thanks, Jack!’ I thought back as I physically shook my head.
Sarah turned red in embarrassment while Liz looked over to her curiously.
“Time to go. Everyone coming along please join hands and don’t let go until I say to do so- ready?”
Looking around, everyone nodded- Liz and Sarah included, but with huge smiles!
“Phasing out in three…two…one.” I announced.
“I don’t feel any different.” Sarah said quietly.
“That’s just it, it doesn’t feel any different, Sarah! Isn’t it wondrous?” Liz replied enthusiastically.
As a courtesy and so they wouldn’t miss anything, I announce the beginning of our temporal transit. “Commencing temporal travel in three…two…”
A sunlit bedroom of the Federal Period in American history replaced Emily’s modern living room.
“…One. Okay, everyone, make sure you aren’t standing in any furniture or walls.” I requested of them. Again Sarah, who hadn’t yet had the experience Alexander had given Liz, looked around her in fear.
Liz let out a quiet giggle.
When I was sure everyone was clear, I announced our rephasing and confirmed we were back at the White House January 12th, 1865.
“Acoustic dampening field is up, Alex.” Jack verbally informed me
“Okay, everybody, time to dawn our circus tents again.” I said, exhaling as hard as I could.
Our two new sisters’ outfits didn’t change.
“Oh! You require us to change our garments.” Liz said in surprise. She and Sarah blushed not understanding my reference to the bulky, uncomfortable period dresses.
Both girls’ outfits changed within a matter of seconds.
I eyed the two critically and shook my head.
“Girls.” I paused. “Girls, when traveling with the Empress it is customary to dress the part.” I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms in front of me.
“We are dressed in our 1865 clothing, ma’am.” Sarah acknowledged.
“That’s the problem, hun, you’re both dressed in YOUR 1865 clothing.” I hinted as I regarded the plain, pale blue and white striped servants garb the two now wore. “I told you about this last night!”
“Last night here or last night in Arizona, Miss Alex?” Liz shot back.
I smiled at the teen.
“Very well then if this is your choice… Ladies?” I motioned to everyone else.
Immediately our clothing matched our newest sisters- except James and Alexander, of course.
Elisabeth’s mouth dropped.
“Empress! Why have you all changed your style of dress? Why do you dress beneath your station?” Sarah asked, looking around her in confusion.
“To prove a point, Ms. Goode!” Mina answered for me. “A better question to ask would be: Why do you dress below your station, ladies?”
“These are our clothes, Miss Mina. What else should we wear?” Sarah asked, not getting the clue.
I nodded after thinking to Jack and approached Elisabeth Bishop. Jack approached Sarah Goode. We both extended our hand to a girl’s shoulder.
‘OakridgeEmpress8716, manual suit override.’ I thought as my hand made contact with Liz.
Elisabeth’s HUD display appeared before my eyes. I quickly made my selection before warning her.
“Honey, you better drain the air from those lungs immediately or else this is going to hurt!” I said before triggering the changes I’d made.
Liz stood before me in a stunning crimson dress with a black jacket and matching felt bonnet complete with a delicate, black hairnet. Sarah stood next to Jack in a royal blue dress, white jacket, and black hairnet.
Corrine noticed a problem immediately!
“Alex, they look great…they really do…but…I need to make a few adjustments before we go meet the Lincolns.”
Corrine walked over to Sarah and cradled her hair, net and all. Waiting the minute, she released a new curlier style neatly held in her hairnet.
“That’s much better!” She glowed. “You next, Elisabeth.”
Corrine came over and removed the bonnet’s hairpins then the bonnet itself, which she had the girl hold. Again she cradled the girl’s hair, it’s netting too. This time though, she slowly moved her hands forward to Liz’s forehead. Her newly curled hair was now slightly darker. Corrine smiled brightly as she pinned the bonnet back in place, adjusting it a few times before backing away.
“There, all better! Now no one will be the wiser. You look like the old Liz again.” She said as she stopped suddenly. “No, that’s still not right! I forgot one important detail…” Corrine looked over both girls again. “for both of you!”
With Corrine taking another two minutes to make Liz and Sarah’s makeup right we were now ready to attend the Lincolns’ breakfast.
Or so I thought.
“Empress, Sarah and I cannot possibly leave this room in such a condition!” Liz cried as Sarah nodded.
I watched Sam, Cassie, Emily, Jack, and Mina repeat my response of drawing my hand down my face!
“And why would that be, pray tell?” I asked in annoyance. These two just didn’t get it, did they?
“We will surely be punished for our arrogance! It is considered vulgar to dress above one’s station!” Liz replied in fright.
“Sarah, can you see what I’m thinking right now?”
“Yes, Empress.”
“Could you relay it to your sister for me?”
Yes, ma’am. Liz, she wants me to remind you that we no longer serve the mansion! You serve yourself… that…you now live in the twenty-first century, not the nineteenth! If you have any doubts about it you should try moving the chair closer to the window- with only your mind, Liz!” Sarah relayed as I thought it.
Elisabeth’s face grimaced a minute. The nearby chair groaned against the hardwood floor as it magically moved a few inches.
“Now tell me if you are dressed above your station, young lady!” I gloated.
“But if we are seen dressed like this…”
“I’ll take care of it, Liz! Jamie assured her. “I can be very persuasive when I want to be, right Skipper?” She looked to me for acknowledgement.
I nodded.
“Let’s go ladies. President and Mrs. Lincoln don’t like to be kept waiting.” I proceeded through them to the door with a bright smile.
“Ah, Miss Alexandra! I was just sent to escort you to the east ballroom. I trust your cousin’s…” Our escort’s deep voice trailed off as he undoubtedly noticed Sarah and Liz exit the bedroom. Four extra people, two being men, didn’t help matters either.
“What’s wrong Gerald?” I asked, feigning confusion.
“How dare you mock…who are they?” The large floor butler glared at the two former chambermaids then turned his attention on Sam, Cassie, Jimmy, and Alexander.
“Sarah and Elisabeth mock no one, sir.” Jamie said, stepping up to within inches of the angry man’s face.
The two glared at each other for a full minute before Gerald broke eye contact!
“They are nothing but common chambermaids, Miss Jamie! This will not be tolerated! I will not tolerate this behavior on my floor!”
“Gerald, dear Gerald, these two ladies aren’t common servants, nor is our group any larger. Why would simple chamber maids dare to wear such fashionable fittings?” Jamie waited for the answer a minute. A devious smile crept onto her face. “These aren’t the droids we’ve been looking for.” She said calmly, cryptically motioning with her right hand.
“These aren’t the droids we’ve been looking for.” Gerald repeated as his eyes glazed over.
“You can go.” She continued, motioning with her hand again.
“You can go.” He repeated robotically.
“Move along.” Jamie motioned with her hand a third time.
“Move along.” Gerald repeated and mechanically backed against the wall to let us pass.
We hurried past the confused man and headed down the stairs to the East Ballroom.
“Jedi mind tricks, Jamie?” Samantha giggled as we hurried down the first floor hall.
“I got it from that movie we watched last night. Crazy, huh? Who would have thought it would work as advertised?” Jamie laughed quietly as we approached the ballroom doors.
The same doorman from two nights before motionlessly watched us arrive, yet made no move to grant us entry.
“Alexandra and Emily Scott, cousins, and escorts. President and Mrs. Lincoln are expecting us.”
“Thank you, miss. They have been expecting you.” He said before opening both doors and escorting us to the table. He looked curiously at Sam, Cassie, Sarah, James, Alexander, and Elisabeth, wondering when our number had multiplied. He made no remarks about the former servants. Apparently, he did not mix with the rest of the mansion staff.
“Lovely Alexandra!” President Lincoln greeted me as he stood from his chair. “Mary and I are delighted you and your cousins have decided to attend. Thank you.” I noticed him take count of us, yet he showed no visible reaction.
Mrs. Lincoln stayed seated. “Alexandra, we were beginning to think that you had taken your leave without saying goodbye.” Her expression changed as she saw her two spiffed up servants, James, Cassie, Sam, and Alexander.
“I see. So you have come back to take loved ones from me after all!” She declared in triumph, forcing a tight, tense smile.
A noticeable gasp escaped both girls’ mouths.
“You have found me out, ma’am.” I replied casually. “With your permission, I would transport these two to the far future where they will receive proper education, supervision, and love- not that you haven’t seen to that already, ma’am.”
“These two…” She motioned to Sarah and Liz. “These two mean something to you, Empress?” She whispered my title, looking around to see if any of the attending servants had heard.
“Yes. Undoubtedly you have observed that they have…certain talents.”
She nodded, ever so slightly. Mr. Lincoln was more outspokenly perceptive.
He smiled at James and my Alex.
“What of these two fine, young gentlemen, Alexandra? I can’t help but notice the resemblance.”
“One is her son, the other, Emily Scott’s, Mr. Lincoln.” Mary Lincoln answered with a light snort. “The relationships presented themselves immediately, my husband. Now look, you have ashened the poor boys’ faces.”
Abraham Lincoln walked around the table.
“Mr. President, may I introduce my nephew, James Scott Gregg.” I announced him as I noticed Emily’s proud smile.
“Mr. Gregg, welcome to Washington City. I hope your trip was uneventful, son?” Lincoln greeted as he shook Jimmy’s hand.
“Our travels with Aunt Alex are always eventful…in many ways, sir.” He winked. “It’s certainly an honor to meet you, Mr. President!” James replied, trying not to babble too much or seem overly excited.
“This is my son, Alexander Covington, he’s my youngest, sir.” I smiled proudly as Lincoln shook his hand too.
“Alexander, you must be very proud of your mother and of her selfless convictions?”
“Eh, she’s okay…I mean…she’s my mom, ya know?” Alex said, nonplused by the man shaking his hand.
Lincoln let out a hearty laugh that caused him to hold his gut. “Why, you remind me of our Robert! Welcome to Washington, young Alexander.” Lincoln chuckled as his hand rose to stroke his beard a few times.
“And these two lovely creatures must be your daughters, Alexandra. I can see the same drive and ambition in their eyes as I’ve seen in yours!”
“Mr. Lincoln!” Mary Lincoln exclaimed.
“Pardon Mrs. Lincoln’s protests ladies, she is the one that first breached the observation to me.” The President kissed both girls’ hand.
“Cassandra and Samantha Fleming.” I said pointing to each.
Lincoln turned his attention to me after hearing the different surname. His eyes asked the obvious question.
“I lost my first husband through…through attrition, sir.” I couldn’t help recalling those heart wrenching, very disturbing, future memories of Sandy’s last days!
“I’m very sorry, Alexandra. I should have been more sympathetic given your…special talents. Forgive me.”
I silently nodded and blinked a few times to clear my vision.
“Ladies, I welcome you all to Washington City. Please enjoy our chef’s selections this morning.
President Lincoln waved off the butler as he personally seated each of us.
“Jacob, you may start serving, sir.” He announced before taking his own seat next to Mary.
“So, tell us Miss Goode, is the family name any influence in Alexandra’s interest of you?” Mary Lincoln asked as we enjoyed our breakfast. The president stopped chewing a moment to hear the answer.
“I believe it to be a factor, ma’am, yes.” Sarah responded quietly with her eyes fixed on the plate before her.
“And you, Miss Bishop. Can the same be said for you? After all, both names are synonymous with ancient Salem.” Mrs. Lincoln asked with a devious grin.
“I was not aware of that detail, ma’am. I assumed Sarah and I were just good friends. I had no knowledge of my ancestry.” Liz answered shyly. She also refused to make eye contact with Mrs. Lincoln.
“Sarah and Elisabeth share a…” I paused a moment. “They share a common trait…as if sisters, ma’am.” I said, rescuing them.
“I wonder Alexandra, have they learned of their ancestors…” It was her turn to pause now, looking at both frightened girls, critically assessing them. “Or haven’t their predecessors arrived in Salem yet?”
Half of the people sitting at the large table immediately stared at my wide-eyed and open-mouthed reaction!
“Mrs. Lincoln,” I paused to gently place my utensils down on my plate. “I can assure you that Sarah and Elisabeth are in no way they’re own ancestors. The original Sarah Goode and Elisabeth Bishop were murdered for their misunderstood gifts despite my best intentions! My retrieval group unfortunately arrived several weeks after their maligned sentences were carried out.” I paused, recalling those future memories. I lowered my head.
“Sometimes…things…sometimes, they don’t go according to plan, Mary.” I’m not perfect- contrary to what some might think or believe. I quickly glanced toward Mina on my right.
“You will get no argument from me, my Empress!” She answered quietly with a slight snicker.
“Elisabeth?” Jack asked for her attention. “Could you ‘pass’ me another piece of bacon, please?” She emphasized the word ‘pass’.
Liz’s face grew red as she concentrated on the request.
Two pieces of bacon leapt from the serving dish- one landing on Jack’s plate, one on mine!
A broad smile replaced the girl’s flushed expression. Mary Lincoln gasped then stared in disbelief at her former chambermaid. Mr. Lincoln started chuckling- quietly at first before growing in volume. He started to applaud.
“Well done, Miss Bishop! You must teach me your parlor trick next time you visit Washington!”
“Yes, well done indeed, Miss Bishop! What else has your cousin, Alexandra, taught you?”
There was a brief moment that Sarah, Jack, and Liz looked between each other as if having a silent conversation. Mary observed carefully.
“Nothing more as of yet, ma’am.” Liz answered demurely.
“Is that so?” She finished chewing then continued. “The silence of your private three-way conversation was most deafening, my dear.” Mrs. Lincoln countered deviously.
“So, rumor of young Sarah’s talents also extend to her friend Elisabeth. I now see why you have taken notice of these two, Alexandra. You…you will teach them patience, morals and responsibility, I presume?”
“Yes, Mr. President, I will instruct them on the proper use of their gifts, when to use them and on whom.” Jack answered instead, with confidence.
“Sarah and Liz will be well taken care of, sir. You have my word on that.” I added.
Mary and Abraham exchanged glances before smiling and nodding at each other.
“Then it is settled! Sarah Goode and Elisabeth Bishop, Mrs. Lincoln and I are saddened to inform you that your services here at the mansion have matured. We both hope you find happiness and enlightenment on your journeys through life. Heed well Alexandra’s wisdom and kindness. Learn well, everything Miss Cummins has to teach and by all means never forget your selves! To forget one’s self is to proclaim surrender to an adversary! It is a show of moral weakness, and you dear Sarah, dear Elisabeth, appear far from powerless! We entrust to you both our best wishes!”
The two girls began to cry. James drew Sarah to his shoulder as Alexander guided Liz to his.
President and Mrs. Lincoln watched the two couples for a few minutes before Mr. Lincoln asked a strange question.
“Empress?” He said quietly. “Where the girls will live, have they still a postal system there?”
“The United States Postal service is still in existence, sir, though much condensed. Why?” I asked as I narrowed my eyes.
“I would request a date and the postal address for the residence of Miss Cummins.”
“Mr. President, they are to live with Jack in the twenty-first century, 2028 to be exact. I doubt it possible for your correspondence to reach them. As far as I know the postal system has never been capable of timely delivery.”
Sam and Cassie covered their mouths trying to conceal their snickering.
“All I require is the address, Alexandra. Leave the rest to the President!”
“Aye, sir. Right away.”
I produced a blank piece of paper and an ink pen from my jacket’s concealed inner pocket.
Jack relayed her mailing address in 2028 to me as I wrote it down. Abraham and Mary Lincoln stared at the device in my hand.
“I humbly request your future address as well, Empress.” He added quietly.
I added Alex Covington’s address and handed the paper over to him with some resistance.
“I assure you, Empress, that this information goes no further! Your anonymity follows me to the grave.” He said stoically.
“Mr. President, we both know that is not the truth. I hope you spelled my maiden name, Steinert, correctly when you entered it into the Presidential Diary late last night?”
The table suddenly quieted.
“How could you possibly know that, my dear?” Lincoln asked. “I didn’t reveal that to anyone, not even Mary!”
“You told me, sir.” I looked down to the table again. “In another place…another…another time.” I said sadly.
“Oh. I see.” He replied, equally saddened.
“Sir, I’m afraid we must be on our way.” I said, noticing the wait staff immediately approaching as they heard. “We have tickets to catch the noon train north.”
“Then may we accompany you and your cousins to your rooms, Alexandra?” Mrs. Lincoln inquired.
“Of course, ma’am, the honor would be ours.”
This time the butler, Jacob, helped us from our chairs.
“Thank you all for a wonderful meal.” I said looking around the room and loud enough to be heard by every servant in proximity. That set off muted chatter among them.
“Mr. President! I wasn’t informed to your presence in this portion of the building, sir.” Gerald nervously greeted Lincoln.
“Alexandra, her sister, and her cousins couldn’t stop complimenting me on your fatherly presence during their stay, Gerald. As reward, I thought you and the chambermaids could take the rest of the day off. Compensation shall not pause, I assure you.”
“The rest of the day? Thank you Mr. Lincoln, I shall inform the floor staff at once!”
“Gerald?” Mary Lincoln asked. “Before retiring, could you please inform Mrs. Brand that there will only be Mr. Lincoln and I for lunch and dinner tonight? Our guests will be departing shortly.”
“I’ll tell her, ma’am, and thank you again for the time off.”
Gerald wasted no time alerting the service staff of the President’s generosity.
Mr. Lincoln leaned in and opened the door to our room, allowing Mrs. Lincoln and the rest of us to enter first.
“Will we see the Empress again, Alexandra?” Lincoln asked after closing the door.
“Mary has seen a few of us in the past so yes, you will see me again. We may even cross paths in the future as well, you never know.” I responded, forcing a smile.
“Then my deepest thanks for your help realigning the timeline as you call it, Alexandra. I can live out my life knowing that the future is properly chaperoned.”
“Excuse me, Mr. President?” Samantha asked. “Sir, can I get a photograph of everyone, please? I like to keep a record of historical figures as we travel. So far I have pictures of Augustus Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Maria Antoinette, Ramses the Third, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony…oh, and Genghis Khan.”
“Mrs. Lincoln and I would be honored to be part of such a notable collection. Where is your apparatus, dear? I see it nowhere in the room.”
“Oh, I have it right here, sir. Aunt Jacki can you do the honors, please?” Sam asked as she produced her cell…I-thing…whatever…from her jacket and pressed a few keys, which audibly chirped. It immediately left her hand and began to hover.
“Just press the ‘enter’ key to take a picture, Aunt Jacki.” Sam added.
“Everybody smile now.” Jack said cheerfully as flash after flash emanated from the device.
The device floated back to its owner and Sam immediately started looking through the saved pictures. She noticed the President trying to get a glimpse of this miraculously small camera.
“Here, sir, ma’am, have a look.” She turned the device around to show them the small display with our group’s image on it.
“Amazing! It sees things the way our eyes do!” Mary Lincoln exclaimed. “We must tell Mr. Brady of this!” She looked up to her husband, Abraham.
“I wouldn’t do that, ma’am, unless you want to be labeled mentally insane. This technology won’t appear for another hundred and forty years. Color photographs won’t be developed until the 1930’s.” I cautioned her.
“I expect you want none of this in the diary either, Alexandra?” Lincoln asked.
I nodded.
“Then I assume you will be leaving us then?”
“Mrs. Lincoln?” Samantha asked quickly before I could answer the President. “Ma’am, if we are to protect the timeline, you must make an appearance at the Marine hospital across town this morning.”
President Lincoln removed the pocket watch from his vest and observed its face.
“Mrs. Lincoln, we have ten minutes. I see no way of us attending promptly.”
“Mom?” Sam’s beautiful green eyes beckoned to me.
“I can provide ‘timely’ transportation this one time, Sam.” I paused. “President and Mrs. Lincoln, if you’d like I can get you there, and back.” I offered.
Without pause both Lincolns offered their hands.
“I take that as a resounding yes.” I smiled. “First Emily, Samantha, Corrine, and I need to change clothes. James and Alex will remain here with Sarah and Liz. Jack, Cassie…watch them.” I added as I pointed to the two young couples.
Cassandra nodded with a devious grin in response.
My suit immediately changed color and shape, becoming a Federal Period nurse’s uniform and bonnet. A moment later there were four of us dressed identical.
“Now we can proceed. Let’s join hands and don’t let go until we are entirely alone.”
Our bedroom became an empty, nondescript, lamp-lit hallway.
“Okay, we’re here. You can all let go now. Mrs. Lincoln, if you would lead on?” I motioned for Mary and President Lincoln to take point.
The doorway she entered opened into a relatively small room filled with beds and groaning men. It smelled of filth and decay! A single nurse slowly made her rounds of each bed- checking foreheads for fever and shoeing away flies before checking soiled bandages. She silently nodded to Mrs. Lincoln and us in acknowledgement, gladly accepting our help.
Many of the unfortunate soldiers here were missing one or more appendages- arms, legs, feet, toes, fingers, eyes, and hands. In all, the room equated to a very gruesome scene!
Out of all of us, only Emily and the Lincolns seemed unfazed. The putrid, sickening, stench that filled this crowded room was intolerable! I can only vouch for myself, but Sam and Corrine looked as overpowered by the smell as welI.
Here, in this building at least, the divisions of North and South, Union or Confederate, ceased to exist as soldier lay next to soldier. Most were in no condition to argue they’re differences- if they could talk at all, anyway.
Emily set to work examining some of the patients while Mary and Abraham visited some of the other more lucid occupants.
“Corrine, could you come over here a minute?” Emily asked quietly, standing next to a severely burned boy of maybe twelve.
She excused herself and moved to Emily’s side. Sam and I decided to continue checking dressings on the men closest us.
“Hey, missy?” A middle-aged man dressed in gray and lucky enough to still have his arms and legs croaked to me from his cot.
“Can I help you?” I asked leaning closer.
“Missy, could ya fetch a dyin’ man some water?”
“Sure thing.” I replied with a smile- well as much of a smile as would allow without vomiting!
There was a pitcher and a few tin cups by the door we had come in through so I partially filled one of the cups with what passed as drinking water here.
“Here ya go, sir.” I began to hand it to him.
“Just pour it in here, missy- gonna’ run straight out anyways!” He croaked as he threw back the sheet to reveal the gut ripped, bloody, cannonball-sized hole in his abdomen! “AH, hahahahahahahahahahah!’ He laughed maniacally as I dropped the cup and hurriedly turned for the nearest exit, hoping to spot an empty bedpan, container, or something my partially digested breakfast could launch into!
In the end, an open window in another ward, quickly checked, proved the unlucky recipient of my stomach’s contents.
The man’s hysterical laughter echoed through the halls as well as my head!
“Alexandra?” Sam’s voice asked from behind me as I finished wiping my mouth a few minutes later. “Alex, are you all right?”
We had previously agreed that ‘mom’ wasn’t the best way to address me when on missions- after all; we looked about the same age- more like sisters.
“I’ll be right again after I get some air, Sam. That was, by far, the most disgusting, grotesque, and cruelest thing I have ever been witness to! How can anyone do that to another person?”
“Alex, he died seconds after you left.” She sadly informed me.”Emily said he was probably delirious.
I lowered my eyes to the floor. Why was this affecting me so much? After all, hadn’t I seen my share of dying men before- so why now? What was different?
Thinking about it for a minute, I realized I had seen this sort of thing before! I now had an idea of what Scotti was feeling that day on Kili. The answer I had been looking for suddenly hit me hard. We had changed!
“What kind’a name is Sam for such a pretty thing like you, miss?” A young man’s voice kindly asked from two cots away. His voice loud and clear in a room filled with sleeping or comatose bodies. He lay facing away from us wearing a shredded, dirty, mud-encrusted, grey uniform.
“It’s short for Samantha, why?”
“No reason. Just wanted to make talk. People in these parts don’t talk much to strangers. ‘Ceptin’ the ol’ yank over yonder. Talks constantly- cain’t tell what he’s sayin’ but he talks nonetheless! Doc thinks it’s the fever- that they ain’t real, just die-lushuns.” The young man finally turned over. “Poor cuss.”
“SHIT!” Sam gasped, seeing the man’s face for the first time.
“Y’all got a foul mouth fer such a perty face, Sam! I’m Jarrod, by the way, but Pa used to call me what you said sometimes- right ‘for he connected with the switch!” He laughed and coughed a number of times. Sam and I noticed fresh blood on his sleeve after he wiped his mouth with it.
He must have noticed Sam’s look of horror at the sight.
“Doc says I got the consumption real bad- says I got next to no time left so’s y’all can see why I’d be talkin’ sweet-like to anythin ‘semblin’ an angel.” He smiled before starting another fit of coughing.
“Pardon mah manners, ladies, but y’all seen yer share of blood an’ guts, so what’s one more pathetic sight?”
Sam bumped an elbow into my already severely constricted ribs. Mom, that’s him! That’s the face in my visions!” She whispered after turning her head to look behind us, leaning in close to my ear.
“Ya, I think yer kinda’ perty too, Miss Samantha. I woulda asked yer ma if’n ah could court ya had these coughin’ spells not come.”
“Really? Can you also tell me what my Ma would have told you, had you asked her?” Sam asked, turning back to face the man and lifting an eyebrow.
“She’da prob’ly yelled fer yer Pa ta git his gun and fired lead at me near as fast as he could reload!” Again his laugh became a coughing fit.
“Son, why are you here?” Mr. Lincoln asked from behind us. I hadn’t even known he was there.
“Couldn’t keep up with mah unit, sir. They took mah boots, mah gun, powder an’ shot an’ let me ta mah fate. Reckon I spent a number ah days just sittin’ gainst a tree an waitin’ for the end. Then along come some yanks an tossed me on a wagon o’ dead fellers. Reckon someone heard me hackin’ up blood an’ here ah am.” Jarrod showed no recognition of who had asked the question.
“Emily?” Sam turned toward my sister, her voice strained.
“I know, Sam. I’ve seen this part, remember?” Emily calmed my daughter as she produced a syringe from her apron pocket.
President and Mrs. Lincoln’s heads nodded as Jack presumably relayed the young man’s future to them. Their eyes widened as they realized Jack was several miles away at the moment.
“Hun, what would you do if your consumption could be cured?” I asked the young confederate.
“Y’all mean if I wasn’t gonna get strung up?”
“Hun, y’all are dyin’ now, so why worry ‘bout bein’ hanged?” I replied, letting my drawl run free.
“Reckon I’d find someplace that ain’t afeudin’- start a new life- find somethin’ perty as y’all an settle down, but I ain’t heard o’ no cure for this demon, no sirree! Made mah peace ‘ready an ain’t got no re-grets fer when ah meet the maker.”
“How old are you, son?” Lincoln asked.
“Nineteen, if’n ah can hold on three mo’ days, sir.”
Sam’s eyes were filling up pretty fast so I decided the time was right. I phased out and relocated to the opposite side of his cot before rephasing.
“Mr. Mitchell, do you really think I’d let you die?” I asked sweetly.
His head snapped back around to my voice. Flip-flopping a few times between where I had been and where I was now- his eyes wide with fear.
“If’n ah’m seeing this right, ah reckon ah’m ’ready there, ma’am!”
“Son, you are far from dead, I assure you. Isn’t that right, Mr. Lincoln?”
The boy’s head spun back around to Mr. Lincoln!
“Yer that yankie President?” He exclaimed bringing about another coughing fit.
“Yes, son. And, unless I miss my guess, I believe you to be the luckiest man to ever survive this war. Apparently the Empress’ daughter has taken a liking to you, boy.” He nodded to Samantha.
“What y’all goin’ on ‘bout? What’s an Em-press?”
I phased out again, resumed my previous position, and rephased.
“Boo!” I said calmly.
“Least ah died ‘fore the Hangman got me! Y’all have a differ’ kinda humor here in heaven!”
“What makes you think this is heaven, Mr. Mitchell?” I smiled.
“Beggin yer pardon, ma’am, but ain’t no way any devil’d be perty as y’all.”
“Mom, can we dispense with the drama? Just let Aunt Emily cure him and let’s get back home.” Sam complained.
“Yer her ma?” Jarrod Mitchell looked up at me in surprise.
“Yep.”
“Ah shit.” He cried slowly, realizing his blunder.
“Such language from someone about to be offered a second chance at life!” Samantha chided with a small grin.
“Mr. President, with your permission?” Emily lifted the syringe a little.
Lincoln raised a finger and moved closer to Mitchell’s cot.
“Son, I am about to make a monumental leap of faith on your behalf. Every instinct in my body warns me that you are not honorable- that, as a seditionist, you would only bring Samantha disappointment. Alexandra, on the other hand seems to think you are in fact, an honorable man- willing to warrant your innocence in reference to crimes against your fellow man- war crimes, Mr. Mitchell!”
“Y’all would do that fer me- a ca’plete stranger, ma’am?”
“Jarrod Jameson Mitchell: born January 15th, 1846 to Jacob and the late Rebecca Ann Mitchell of Covington, Kentucky. Headed south from Covington to join the 2nd Louisville militia: March 15th, 1863. First saw action in the second battle of Manassas. Notable achievements: Successfully retrieved twelve wounded individuals from heavy frontline fire while wounded- three of the wounded were union soldiers. All but one rescued received field triage from Mr. Mitchell and have subsequently recuperated. Unfortunately, Jarrod Mitchell contracted tuberculosis…consumption, from the one man, now deceased, when he could not seal an arterial wound. The resulting arterial spray infected him. Mr. Mitchell officially died January 14th, 1865- one day before his nineteenth birthday.” My informational brief remained calm and even.
“How y’all know that?”
“I know more about you, Mr. Mitchell, than you can possibly know about yourself at the moment.” I warned. “For instance, I happen to know that you live significantly longer than officially reported.”
“I reckon y’all can tell me how that’s possible, ma’am?” His ensuing coughing fit produced more blood on his already heavily soiled sleeve.
“Mr. Mitchell, may I recommend you not question the Empress, for I fear you won’t like the answer- nor believe it. Alexandra, the Empress of Time and Space, has wisdom far outreaching her apparent years.” Lincoln warned cryptically.
“Mr. Mitchell, Alexandra and her companions have offered to cure you of this deadly plague. Will you accept their help or not? It is a simple decision.” Mrs. Lincoln interrupted.
“Ah’m no fool, ma’am, a’ course ah’m gonna a’cept, but ah cain’t help athinkin’ they’s a catch!”
“Sis, do it!” I pointed to the young man’s arm. Emily immediately rammed the needle home and administered every last drop of the powerful antibiotic into his system.
“What in blazes? What’d y’all shoot me with? Felt like a wasp stung me!”
“It’s called an antibiotic and it will clear your tuberculosis in about six weeks if you follow proper hygiene and get plenty of bed rest.” Emily informed him in her confident, professional voice. “After that you will undergo another month of stem-cell treatments to repair the damage to your lungs.”
“Who’s this ‘high jean’ feller?”
“Ya damn hick! Hygiene is another name for taking a bath every once in a while; brushing your hair; shaving!” Sam spat out, not being able to contain herself any longer.
She looked at the man in anger for a few seconds. “Of course you’re absolutely right, Mr. Mitchell,” she glared at him, “there is a catch- a few actually! You must never again raise a weapon against the United States of America! You will never raise a hand to me or any other woman as long as you shall live, and you will never, ever, doubt that my mother has anything but your best interests in mind!”
“Are you satisfied that everything has happened as you have foreseen, Samantha?” I calmly asked my daughter as she regained her composure.
“Exactly as I saw it, mom. Now, can we go? I can’t take much more of this awful stench! Warsaw, Poland, 1945 wasn’t even this bad!”
“After we get Mr. Mitchell here cleaned up and ready to travel.” I told her and looked at the disgustingly filthy, young man.
“We can depart any time you desire, Alexandra. I am through with my visit for today. I too cannot tolerate the aroma for any prolonged length of time.” Mrs. Lincoln informed us.
“Please stand, Jarrod Mitchell.” I ordered.
“M’pus hemm pee.” A man across the room suddenly moaned. He repeated the sentence over and over again.
“See? Like ah tell’d ya! He plum blathers on!”
“Mr. Mitchell, if you could please stand up?” I repeated the request.
“Why, where we gonna go, ma’am?” He asked as he slowly pushed himself from the cot. He was slightly unsteady on his weakened legs.
“First to get y’all cleaned up, then to take y’all to a place where they ain’t afeudin’!” I giggled, letting my drawl slip to mock him a little.
“Everyone join hands and, Jarrod, try not to let go, please.”
“Why we gotta join hands? How we gonna leave…”
The dreary hospital ward became our White House bedchamber.
“This hospital…whilst…holdin’…SHIT!” Jarrod finished, totally dumbfounded by the change in scenery.
“Welcome to the President’s Mansion, Mr. Mitchell.” I raised an eyebrow.
“How’d y’all do that?” He asked looking around at the surroundings and…the people suddenly standing next to him.
“My word, what is that putrid smell, Empress?”
“That would be our new friend, Mina. Sam and I will be right back with him.” I said, letting my grip of Mr. Lincoln’s hand relax and fall away. Corrine released Mitchell’s hand and a relieved smile filled her face.
A bright sunlit beach replaced our bedchamber.
“How in tarnation?”
“Jarrod, just don’t ask, alright?” Sam told him, annoyed that he was being so thick. “My mother can travel through time, okay? Get used to it cause she does it all the time!”
“How’s that possible?”
“Jarrod, everyone travels through time- we do it every second of every day. Mom just does it…differently.” Samantha explained to him. “Now, any more stupid questions?”
“Just one more comes ta mind, if y’all please- where y’all brung me?”
“A valid question, Mr. Mitchell- one that deserves an answer.” My voice said from behind us.”Welcome to Hawaii, 1945, Jarrod.”
My twin fell to one knee. “Welcome to Atlantis-Minor, January 5th, 1945, O mighty Empress of Time and Space! It is 1155hrs. You are late as usual, sister!”
“You know… I’m really starting to get on my nerves!” I told her with a smile as I pulled her to me and wrapped my arms around her. The mild tingle assured me things were still on track.
“You don’t know how good it is to see you, Alex! Then again, I guess you do.” Future Alex giggled.
“Mom?”
“Humor me! What’s been happening?”
“Mom?”
“Did something happen to the task force?”
“MOTHER!”
“What?” We both answered my insistent daughter.
“Jarrod? Remember? Delousing?” Her eyes shot daggers at the both of us.
We both giggled at her. I hadn’t forgotten. “Mr. Mitchell, go take a swim!” I pointed back to the surf. “And do take off those useless rags so the salt water gets to the three leaches on your back! They should release as they die.”
“EW! That is so disgusting!” Sam wrinkled her nose as Jarrod Mitchell made his way into the small, warm waves.
“Hey, you wanted the fixer-upper, Sam.”
She forced an angry smile and rolled her eyes at me.
“Alex, we’re ready for him whenever you’re ready.” Jack informed me as she approached us.
“Is he doing what I think he’s doing, Alex?” Jack nodded out to where our guest was vainly trying to fight the incoming surf.
“You idiot! What’s he trying to do, mom?” Sam looked crushed.
“What every good soldier is expected to do when captured, honey- escape!” I told her. “Jack, if you would?”
“Aye, Cap.”
Despite making excellent headway for his weakened condition, Jarrod Mitchell rose out of the Pacific, still swimming. He hovered about five feet over the three-foot waves apparently not realizing he was no longer in the frothy brine.
Slowly Jack brought the escaping man back to the beach. She stopped him between us at about waist level.
Jarrod never stopped trying though- his moans of pain, humorous considering he was heavily treading air.
“I like your tenacity, Mr. Mitchell, but you really shouldn’t be exerting yourself while in this condition.” I said smiling at the expression he displayed as he realized where he was.
Mitchell dropped straight to the sand with a muffled thud as Jack let him go.
“What on Earth were you thinking, you idiot? You’re in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!” Sam chastised the young man as she rolled him over and wiped the sand from his face.
“Why y’all doin’ this? Ain’t it ‘nough ta jus’ lemme die? I dun nothin’ fer tormentin’ like this! Ouch!”
Sam looked distressed by his outcry.
“Just missed one, Sam. Nothing to worry about.” Jack told her as a leach floated away from Mitchell’s body and exploded over the water.
Let’s go, Jarrod.” Jack said as the man again rose and hovered at eye level.
“Hi, everyone, we’re back!” I exclaimed just after rephasing in the White House bedchamber once again.
“About time, Alex, it’s been what…three seconds?” Jack said sarcastically.
“Mr. Mitchell, you clean up relatively well. I trust Alexandra has informed you of your new role in society?” Mina asked regally.
“She may’a said somethin’ bout that, ma’am, but I reckon she made sure I know’d all ‘bout y’all, highness.”
“Very good, young sir. Shall we say our goodbyes then, Empress?”
“I suppose we should, though I’ve sort of taken to this style of dress. Maybe I should make corsets a part of the uniform?” I said, smiling deviously.
A collective look of agony filled the room!
“Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, we thank you for your gracious hospitality. I also thank you for your tour of the hospital. I’m sure Emily has a new found appreciation for the medical profession of this time.” Mary and I embraced each other. “Again, I’m sorry for your loss, ma’am. I wish I could have done something more.”
She nodded once as I moved to the president. Unexpectedly he wrapped his long limbs around me and squeezed tight.
“Thank you for showing me my legacy, Alexandra! I shall remember our travels for the rest of my existence! Are you sure, the boy will prove faithful though?”
“Jack has explained things to him, sir.” I winked.
“Ah!” He nodded once.
We all sequenced our goodbyes through both Lincolns.
“Sarah and Liz, we will miss you here at the mansion.” Mary Lincoln broke into tears as she hugged both girls. “May you both live long and happily?”
“I promise Jimmy and I will take good care of them, ma’am.” Alexander said confidently.
“I’m sure you will, son.” Abraham Lincoln said as he shook my son’s hand. Alexander stepped back and stared at his hand, a slight smile appeared.
“Ladies,” Lincoln looked at Sarah and Liz, “Always remember how lucky you are. Also remember the kindness shown to you by Alexandra. It lightens my heart to know that you both will experience miracles well beyond those you’ve seen in this life. Now go and embrace the new life you have chosen.” Lincoln told them as a tear slowly ran down his cheek.
A gentle rapping sounded at the door.
“Mr. President? Excuse the interruption, but I have the requested items, sir.” Jacob’s voice said from beyond it.
Quickly, I hand-signaled for Sam, Cassie, Jimmy, and Alexander to take Jarrod and phased out.
‘Acoustic field is down, Alex.’ Jack thought to me. I nodded to Mr. Lincoln.
“Come in, Jacob.” He said to the door.
“I have the items you requested, sir. Where do you wish them placed?” Lincoln’s personal butler asked as he entered the room. Two maids followed him in and immediately stared at Liz and Sarah, confused by their manner of dress.
“Sarah and Elisabeth have been released from service here at the mansion.” Mary Lincoln informed them. “Alexandra and her sister have agreed to sponsor them. Place those things by the bed, please.”
Both maids placed the boxes neatly beside the bed, curtsied, and exited the room, but not before giving Sarah and Liz an envious look as they passed.
Both girls reentered the room quickly and tried to squeeze the life from our newest sisters. All four were crying as the two maids slowly moved into the hallway.
“I am sorry about that, Mr. President, Mrs. Lincoln. Miss’ Goode and Bishop will be sorely missed.” Jacob said as he looked at the two. “I trust you both have met someone special?” He winked at the girls. “Godspeed, ladies!”
“Mr. President, Secretary Stanton has asked that you meet him at 1 o’clock in the office. Shall I confirm the meeting?” Jacob then informed him as he turned to leave.
“I’ll be there, Jacob, thank you.”
“Travel well, Miss Alexandra.” Jacob suddenly stopped in front of me and leaned in close to my ear. “You have a wonderful family, M’lady.”
I gasped quietly.
He winked at me with a stiff smile and exited the room, gently closing the door behind him.
‘Field’s back up, Alex.’ Jack thought to me again.
The rest of our party reappeared.
“What was that all about, mom?” Cassie asked, and I noticed the Lincolns thinking the same.
“He said he thought I was cute and made a pass at me.” I lied.
“I will confront him, Alexandra.” Lincoln promised in a serious tone.
“That won’t be necessary, sir. I’m familiar with advances such as this. As far as I’m concerned, it never happened.” I requested, wearing my sweetest smile.
“As you wish, Empress.” Lincoln said as he bowed to me.
“Stop that this instant, sir.” I giggled. “I’m afraid we must be leaving. I have a few stops to make before returning to my task force in 1944.”
The Lincolns stepped back as the rest of us joined hands. The packages slowly flew over to us and were retrieved by Corrine and Jamie’s free hands.
“Wait!” I suddenly cried out as I dropped my hands. “I am not going to travel in these!”
My period dress quickly changed into jeans, T-shirt, and sneakers.
My group followed suit.
“That’s much better!” I sighed heavily, relieved that the constrictor wrapped around my middle had gone. Jack had triggered Jarrod’s suit. He looked well suited to jeans and T-shirts.
We rejoined hands again and I placed my foot on the large trunk at the base of the bed.
“Thank you for the gifts, President and Mrs. Lincoln.” I bowed my head to them.
“Travel well, Alex.” Lincoln said sadly.
“Until another time, Empress.” Mary Lincoln added, bowing her head slightly back to me.
“Until another time, Mary Todd-Lincoln.” I confirmed before phasing us out.
Both Lincolns searched the room for us.
“Think you can do it right this time, Ms. Cummins?” I looked over to her.
“I’ll give it my best shot, Alex. You want the president, too?”
“No, Jack, he must remember everything…unfortunately.” I said sadly.
“Yer talkin’ ‘bout em to their faces, ma’am?” Jarrod stated quietly in confusion.
“They can’t see or hear us, hun. Don’t worry though, y’all will understand in time.” I told him with a giggle.
We all laughed, as the bedroom became Emily’s twenty-first century living room.
“Welcome back. I trust everything went according to plan, Samantha?” My twin asked from her seat. She nodded to the trunk with a smile.
“As well as could be expected, mom. He will need plenty of attention.” Sam answered.
“Mom? How many ma’s y’all got, Samantha Fleming?”
“We’re not sure yet.” Sam smiled at him. “So far there’s been five of her in one place at one time.”
“How in the world…?”
“Beats me! She is the Empress after all! I guess she can do anything she wants…”
“Within reason, Sam, within reason.” I cut her off.
Randi tried to get up off the couch, but Brandon waved her back down.
“What can I get for you, Randi?” He asked.
“I left another manila envelope out in the car. It’s on the back seat.” She replied.
“I’ll be right back, you stay put.” Brandon told her as he made for the basement steps. He returned shortly with the large brown envelope and handed it to her.
“Here you go, Jarrod. I believe this belongs to you.” Randi handed it to Mitchell after checking the contents.
“What’s this?” He asked while figuring out how to open it.
“Your life…should you be serious about starting a new one where ‘they ain’t a feudin’!’ Here, you can settle down…” I left the rest of the quote hang and noticed Sam smile brightly.
“Alex, I should be getting home. It’s getting late and Jack has a curfew, so we’ll be going now.
“Thought y’all said yer ma was this Em’press o’ time ‘n space, Miss Samantha?”
“She is…what about it?”
“Well, ah would think that she could leave an’ re’turn all in the blink of an eye. A gal like that would never be late- not ever!” He reasoned.
“Sometimes, it’s fashionable to be late though, Mr. Mitchell.” I reminded him. I patted him on the head. “Good reasoning though. It seems you do have potential.”
Concluding their mission to 1865, Alex receives an important call from her sister, Brianna. The mission she proposes will be the strangest and most dangerous the Empress and her sisters have ever faced.
Onward Episode 5 “New Beginnings and Conspiracy”
1355hrs, Flagstaff, Arizona, July 12th, 2028
“Miss Alexandra?” Sarah called to me as Corrine, Mina, and Jamie joined me at my side.
“Ya Hun?”
Instead of answering, she and Liz rushed me and wrapped their arms around me.
Both girls remained silent, though I could feel quaking and heard muted sniffling from both teenagers.
“Y’all would think they were never gonna to see you ever again, Empress!” Alex Covington said as she shook her head in disbelief. “How do you always get the good stuff, sis?” She asked as her voice raised an octave.
I looked up from the two distraught girls to see my twin smiling at me. I winked at her and she returned the gesture.
“Girls, you do know that I’m still going to be here after we leave, right?”
The two pulled their faces from my shoulder and looked at me in confusion. I nodded over to Alex Covington with a smile.
“Maybe you should try her shoulder for continuity. It may be a little bit older, but should feel the same nonetheless.” I suggested as Alex stuck her tongue out at me momentarily.
I giggled.
“Empaa!” Little Lexie squealed with a happy screech. “Two!”
It came out plain as day! The room fell silent- all attention was on the giggling toddler as we waited to see what else the chubby little pixie would surprise us with!
“Three!” She squealed again followed by more giggling and outright laughing!”
“Three?” Alex and I said at the same time.
“Yes, three.” My voice said from the hallway. “I’m glad I was able to arrive in time for such a monumental occasion.”
Immediately everyone in the room, save three, fell to one knee!
“Welcome Empress! It is 1425hrs July 12th, 2028!” We greeted in harmony.
“What’d I say to y’all about that?” She growled and glared at us- especially Alex Covington and I!
“Its fun, sis!” I laughed as I stood first and approached to embrace her.
The familiar tingle greeted us.
“Y’all sure I ain’t dead, Samantha?” A male voice said from behind me.
“I told you, Jarrod, she’s the Empress. She can do things like this.” Sam laughed. I could imagine her shaking her head behind me.
“Jack, I think your ride’s here.” I said over my shoulder then looked back to my newly arrived twin.
She nodded once.
“Though not exactly from the same time, I assume?” I said quietly.
“’54, sis. I just got Sam weened last month.” She whispered her reply. “I sort of couldn’t come right back for Jack as you can imagine.” She smiled tentatively.
“No, sis, not really.” I giggled at her discomfort.
My newly arrived twin and I stared at each other for a few long minutes. Talk about your ultimate dead draw!
“I’m absolutely impossible!” She raised her voice and her hands to the ceiling in angry defeat. “How do I stand myself sometimes?” She complained as her eyes locked on another target.
Alexandra Fleming stomped past me and stopped before Sam’s beau-to-be.
“Y’all got somethin’ ta say ‘bout me bein’ here thrice, young reb?” She growled as she gave the young man the patented Demmit stare.
Everyone in the now quiet room heard the boy gulp!
“No, ma’am…ah mean no, Empress!” He gulped a second time. Sweat appeared from his forehead and began to trickle down the sides of his face.
“Good! You’ll do!” She continued glaring at him.
“Ma’a…Empress?” He swallowed hard a third time.
“Promise me y’all won’t take shit from him, Sammy!” Alex Fleming’s eyes moved quickly from her target for a brief second.
“Yes, momma.” Samantha replied meekly.
“That’s mah girl!” Alex Fleming said as she looked back to Jarrod Mitchell.
“If ah get another call from her Aunt Brie, ah’ll have ya back in that poor s’cuse of a hospital f’sure! We understand each other, boy?” She growled. I had never heard myself so angry!
‘I’ve heard you sound like this before, Alex!’ Jack’s voice said in my head.
‘JACK!’ I thought back.
Alex Fleming turned and pointed a finger to our Ex-O.
“Don’t!” She shook her finger, her anger burned furiously in her eyes. “Mah breasts er still hurtin’ an ah’m in no mood, Jack!” She glared at her for a moment. “Y’all ready or no?”
“Aye Cap.” Jack timidly answered with some confusion as to my twin’s angry disposition. At first I had no idea, but recall of my memories from the time period provided cause.
Alex Fleming thrust her hand out and grabbed Joss’.
A slight sweet smell wafted into the air around us. I hoped Jacki could handle her twin!
“Alex. Ma’am, you’re doing it again.” Jacki said in an even voice.
My twin’s face went red with embarrassment as she realized Jack was right.
“I’m sorry, y’all.” She apologized to us just above a whisper. The sweet smell of ozone dissipated quickly as Joss powered down and stepped away from my sister.
“I understand, Empress.” I commiserated, lowering my eyes to the floor.
“So do I, Empress.” Alex Covington added.
We both put an arm around her and hugged tightly. Again the tingle felt reassuring.
“Empaa!” Little Lexie screamed, her tone none too happy! The child reached out to our newly arrived Empress as far as her little arms would allow.
Alex Fleming’s face melted immediately.
“Of course, my little pixie! Come to Aunt Alex.” She said crouching down with her arms in front of her.
Carroll helped the little toddler down, supporting her until she stabilized on her own two feet.
The girl made a beeline to our grumpy twin.
Alex Fleming smiled, caught the child, and scooped her up into a hug. Young Lexie wrapped her arms around my twin’s neck and giggled uncontrollably!
“Must be you, sis!” I giggled to Alex Covington.
“Sure y’all ain’t twin sisters, cause that’s how ya’ll act!” Mitchell observed.
“Nope they are one in the same, Jarrod.” Sam told him. “That one’s my present mom,” she pointed to Alex Covington. “That one’s from 1944.” She pointed to me. “The grouchy one is from 1953 or ‘54- shortly after I was born.”
“Protective of her pup…that explains things.” Mitchell said absentmindedly.
Sam looked at the young man in amazement.
“I never thought about it that way, Jarrod.” She admitted. “Maybe there is hope for you after all.”
“I jest wish ah knew what ah did ta piss ‘er off?” He said looking back to the three of us cautiously.
“Alex, don’t worry. I’ll watch him like a hawk, but he has to make that mistake you know! They grow closer together because of it.” Alex Covington told our twin.
“Just following the script, sis. Eat yer heart out, Hepburn!” Alex Fleming giggled. “Honey, Aunt Alex has to give you back now, sweetie.” Alex told the cherub still clinging around her neck.
Carroll came over and retrieved her daughter.
“Girl’s as smart as her ma, Carroll.”
“Thanks, skip.”
“Empaa! Empaa!” Lexie’s fingers again reached out- for Alex Covington this time.
Carroll happily handed her over.
“See, sis? She does like you!”
Alex Fleming and I giggled. Carroll and the rest of my sisters joined in.
“Well, I’d like to get back to my own girls now. Jack, are you ready?”
“Aye, ma’am. Ready when you are. Empress, thank you for the adventure and the second chance. I now know that Mrs. Lincoln was an extraordinary woman.”
“The pleasure was all mine, Jack. You know I always enjoy our travels together. Good luck on Terra.” I looked to Alex Fleming. “Both of you.”
“Take care of Sandy, Alex.” Alex Covington told her with a sad smile.
“Thank you, my sisters.” Alex Fleming’s face turned sad also. “Until another time, Empresses.” She said taking Jack’s offered hand.
“Until another time, Empress.” Everyone in the room chorused. This time the three newest people in the room joined in.
Alex Fleming and Jacquelyn Cummins vanished.
“Bah, bah, Empaa!” Carroll’s daughter laughed excitedly as she clapped her chubby little hands together repeatedly.
“I think it’s time for us to leave too, Alex.” I looked to my future twin sadly.
“Thanks again, Alex.” She said to me with a tear forming in her eyes.
“For what, sis?” I replied in confusion.
“For what.” She looked at me in disbelief. “For bringing all my children home, sis- like you didn’t know!” She glanced at Sarah, Liz, and Jarrod in turn. “I’m sorry it was so hard on us, sis. It had to be done though. Like it or not, it had to be done.”
“I know- didn’t make it any easier though.” I looked over to Corrine, Mina, Emily, and Jamie. “Ready to rejoin the war, ladies?”
“Wait, Miss Alexandra! I wish to address Miss Corrine once more, please.” Sarah interrupted.
I motioned to Corrine.
“Miss Corrine, thank you for healing my wounds and my pain, ma’am.” She wrapped her arms around Corrine and kissed her cheek. Sarah stepped back and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Miss Mina.”
Sarah repeated her goodbyes to Mina, Emily, Jamie and I. Liz did likewise.
“Until another time, my sisters.” I said to everyone as Jamie, Mina, Emily, Corrine, and I joined hands.
“Until another time, Empress!” The rest chorused.
The cramped Con of Sand Dollar replaced Emily’s spacious living room.
“Welcome back, Alex, nothing to report in the five minutes since you left. Oh, I forgot.” Jack informed me before cautiously dropping to one knee.
“Welcome back, Empress. It is 2337hrs, May 18th, 1944.” She exclaimed with a wicked smile. “Is everything resolved now, Alex?” She glanced up to Mina momentarily.
“Everything is…”
“Everything is as it should be, Jacquelyn, though I expected my daughters would be here.” Mina interrupted me.
“Highness, there is only so much room in a Balao class boat; look behind you.” I pointed back to the galley.
“Momma!” Nina shouted as she hurried forward, her sisters following close behind.
I smiled as I brought my HUD online and selected my regulars.
0730 hours, Atlantis-Minor Base, June 27th, 1944
‘Empress Headquarters calling Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space! Agent Brianna here!’
“What?” I mumbled as I stirred and turned over, comfy in my own bed for the first time in almost five weeks.
‘Empress Headquarters calling Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space! Agent Brianna here!’
“Not now, Jack. Just let me sleep a while longer.” I mumbled again as I stretched my legs and pointed my toes to their limits.
‘Empress Headquarters calling Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space! Brianna calling!’
“She’s not here. Call back later.” I mumbled as I reached for my alarm clock and vowed to beat the life out of it.
“ALEX, Y’ALL GET THAT LAZY ASS A’YERS OUTTA THAT BED! WE GOT US A JOB!”
I sat straight up!
“Brie?” I asked looking around in confusion.
“No, It’s Marlene Dietrich! Who y’all think it would be talkin’ to ya like this? Wake up, Alex!”
“When are you, sis?”
“April 10th, 2010, Alex.”
“Where am I, Brie?” I asked, wondering why my sister had contacted me instead of me in her time.
“I would guess by the level of stress in your voice, mid 1944. Am I close?”
“You’re right on the money, sis, but that’s not what I meant. Where am I in 2010? Y’all gonna be blonde all yer life, Brie?”
“Hey, sis, I’m just as blonde as you, remember? As far as where my Alex is…well…she’s laid up for awhile and can’t travel. Check her memories for this year and you’ll understand.”
“Don’t have to, Brie. Ah’m carryin’ Alexander, right?”
“You’re just about ta pop, sis. Her an’ Brandon’s at the hospital as we speak. Emily an Spencer’s stuck in traff…aw hell, Alex, y’all give me a migraine! Can we get down ta biz’nis?” Brie sounded really flustered.
“Sure Brie, I’ll be right there. Care to send me a location to transit to?” I acknowledged as I worked up the nerve to climb out from under my warm, comfortable, luxurious, sheets.
“That’s my house in 2010, Alex.” She said as an image of a conservatively decorated room entered my mind.
My light blue silk nightgown changed to my dress whites.
“Sis, you better bring Randi Van Pelt and Jack, and before y’all ask, Jack’s on Terra helping Alexandra with a slight problem and Randi’s busy preparing for this year’s DARPA race.”
“Okay, gotcha, Brie. We’ll be there in a few minutes. See ya then. Empress out!”
“Cute, Alex. Cute.” Brianna replied before she cut her transmission.
I figured I had just enough time to wash up and throw on some war paint before Jack walked through the door.
‘Could I maybe have time to shower, Jack?’ I thought to her.
‘What was that Alex? I’m in the shower.’ She replied.
‘Take your time.’
‘Aye, Cap.’
I rolled my eyes as I started the water and began to undress.
1300 hours, Brianna and Charles Mason Residence, Springfield, Mo., June 27th, 2010
“Nice place, sis.” I said as we rephased in my sister’s living room.
“Thanks, Alex. Hi Jack, hi Randi.”
Brianna dropped to one knee.
“Welcome to Springfield, Missouri. The year is 2010 and it’s 1300hrs, Empress.” My sister giggled.
“Not you too?” I rubbed my face in frustration.
A well-built, middle-age man, six-two, salt and pepper brown hair, wearing faded jeans and a black ‘T’ shirt with ‘Coors’ and something about a silver bullet written on the front, walked into the room.
“Hey, Alex, Jacki, Randi. Nice to see you guys again. What’s the occasion?” He said as he walked over and hugged each of us.
“Honey, remember when I told y’all that Alex sees things a tiny bit different then the rest of us?” Brianna asked the man- or was it a hint?
“Oh, I’m sorry.” He quickly stuttered out. “I’m Brianna’s second husband, Charles Wesley Mason III. Welcome to our home, Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space.”
“Give it a rest, Chuck. I have my future twin’s memories and remember you quite well. Still, it’s a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Mason.” I said as I shook his hand. “Lt. Cmdr. Jacquelyn Cummins, Lieutenant Randi Van Pelt, as you heard, this is my sister Brianna’s husband, Charles.”
Jack and Randi in turn shook his offered hand.
“Ladies, I gotta tell ya; I love those old Naval uniforms. I wish Brie would wear her’s more often, ya know?”
“Charles, they don’t need ta hear that, now do they? I promise you’ll see me in it later tonight and again when I return home.”
Chuck Mason smiled brightly.
“So where you ladies off to this time or is it ‘FYEO’?” He asked casually.
“I was just going to ask Brie about that, Chuck. Brie?” I deferred to her as the four of us set our attention to my sister.
“I’m not sure how I can define this one, Alex.” She took a small device from the glass topped wooden coffee table and pressed a button on it. The large screen television in the corner of the room came to life. A man and a woman dressed in above average clothing were having a heated discussion about a man named Victor in a lavishly appointed living room.
“Sorry, I forgot that channel was still on.” Brie blushed as she changed the channel.
A screen displaying a map of the United States appeared. On it meteorological symbols indicated the weather for the day.
“Let’s see what else is on.” Randi said as she touched her thumb and forefinger together gently as if clicking an invisible remote’s button.
The television’s screen began sequencing through the available channels.
The screen stopped on a channel that was playing Navy file footage from the war and narrarated by a British gentleman.
“The battle group under the command of Admiral Chester Nimitz…”
“Nah, too recent! Moving on.” Randi sighed and began to push her invisible button once more.
“Randi, could y’all please stop that an’ listen to what I’m sayin’ fer a while?” Brie asked through clinched teeth.
“Sorrrrry! There isn’t much for me to talk to on Atlantis-Minor you know! I’ve already beaten the Grotto field generator’s controller thirty out of fifty times at chess since we got back from our last patrol.”
“Randi, it’s only been eight hours since we tied up.” I reminded her.
“Feels more like eight weeks, Skip!” She shot back.
“Can ah please continue?” Brie interrupted in an annoyed voice.
Quiet laughing could be heard from the seat Chuck had taken. There the man sat, hand over his mouth, eyes closed tightly, unsuccessfully holding back his snickering.
Four pairs of agitated eyes glared at him until he took notice, opened his eyes and stopped.
“I’m sorry!” He snorted. “This family,“ he snorted again, “This family has got to be the craziest ever! If only the networks could get you to make a reality series! The Kardashian’s got nothing on you gals!”
“Charles?”
“Ya, sweetheart?”
“Don’t you have the lawn to cut?”
“Sorry, sweetheart, but I finished that yesterday. Tell ya what though- I could use a beer! Alex, Jacki, Randi, you want one?”
“Sure, Chuck, we’ll all have one, thanks.” I answered for us.
“None for me thanks, dear.” Brie declined with a tense smile.
Chuck Mason walked out of the room and into what I think was the kitchen.
“You’re in luck I have just enough.” He announced from the other room just before a click and loud hissing sound.
“AHHHHH! Jacki Cummins! Why’d you have to do that! Now I have to go down to the store and get more!” Chuck Mason complained. He walked back into the living room wiping his face and shirt with a paper towel.
“Okay, I get the point! I’ll leave you four alone to talk shop. If you think of anything else we need from the store just call, I’ve got my cell with me.” He leaned over, kissed my sister then headed for the door, but stopped and turned around.
“You girls still want a beer, right?” He looked at us confidently.
“Yes, Charles, we still would like a drink.” I answered and motioned him off with my fingers.
“Good. Be back in a couple.” He said as he headed out the door.
“He means well and I love him to pieces.” Brie blushed.”So, can I get through this briefing without more interruptions?”
“We’ve been waiting, sis.” I smiled deviously.
“Sometimes I question why I ever took your hand that morning, Alex!” She stared at me a moment.
“Anyway, I was watching this Conspiracy Theory-slash-documentary on the History Channel the other night. Actually, it was the second time I had seen this episode. A half hour after it was over I got this anonymous email massage on Reilly’s Comm network- here.”
Brie brought up the message and handed me her customized cell phone. Have ev. Linkg 2 reilly rs. May involv emprs. U chk? Kecksburg pa 1965 2 strt.
I was confused as I read the strange text. Brie corrected my pronunciation and Randi translated it into English for us ‘illiterates’.
“I don’t get it. What conspiracy? Where is Kecksburg, Brie?” Jack asked in confusion.
“I want to know who found out about Reilly? You think it could just be coincidence, sis?” I asked.
“It mentioned the Empress, though, Alex!” She answered with concern.
“Randi, see if you can backtrack that communiqué. I’m hoping one of our sisters is playing an April fools day prank on you, sis.”
“Already on it, Skip!” Randi beamed with excitement.
“In the meantime I’ve done a little snooping, Alex. As luck would have it, I recorded the episode I watched that night.” Brie said as she picked up another remote control.
“Here, I’ll get it, Brie.” Randi said with her eyes closed.
The television went black for a moment as we heard a motor quietly run up to speed then stop. A scrambled picture appeared on the screen but cleared and focused immediately.
We watched the well-presented documentary to its full two-hour length.
“Sorry for all the commercials. These days there seem to be more ads than actual material.” Brie apologized.
“Anyone want another beer?” Chuck asked from his recliner. He had returned a half hour into the program and quietly handed each of us a cold, aluminum can, then taken his seat and watched with us.
“Thanks, Chuck, but two’s my limit. I have to drive tonight.” I gracefully declined his offer.
“So, whatcha think- it one of ours, Alex?” He asked after returning from the kitchen with a refill for himself.
“One of ours?” I questioned, staring at him from my position across the room on the Davenport.
“You know, one of Reilly’s shuttle pods. It was an orbiting outpost before you moved it to this universe, right?” He theorized.
“Chuck, have you ever been to Reilly?” I asked candidly.
“A few times, why?”
“Have you ever seen any of these so called shuttle pods there?”
“Welllll no, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there.”
“Oh, they’re there, but unless they can tunnel through seven hundred feet of volcanic rock just to get airborne, I really don’t think you’ll ever see one operating.” I informed him.
“But can’t you…you know…” He blinked his eyes tightly once then wiggled his nose sideways twice. “Um…just teleport one?”
“Please excuse my husband, Empress, he watched way too much TV as a child.” Brianna apologized for him.
I quickly accessed some future me memories.
“Chuck, do I look like Barbara Eden or Elizabeth Montgomery?”
“Um…kinda….only taller?” He answered timidly.
He had me there as far as hair color and basic figure. Our facial structures and height did differ though- plus I had more on top than either actress.
Wait! Had I just compared myself to two other women?
‘Ya you did, Cap!’
‘That wasn’t a question I wanted an answer to, Jack!’ I thought loudly back to her.
‘Excuuuuse me for answering!’
“What you suggest would work if I knew how to pilot them, Chuck, which I don’t! Another important fact is that they haven’t been touched in over four thousand-nine hundred years!”
“Oh. Then who do you think it belongs to then?”
“If we could get a good look at those ‘mystical runes’ on its exterior, we could run them through our suit translators and find out.”
“So where do we start, Alex?” Charles asked.
“We start by trying to get a look at this thing, Chuck. You start by staying here where it’s safe.” I said seriously.
“I thought as much! You girls get to have a dangerous adventure and ol’ Chuck gets to keep the furniture warm again!” He complained sorrowfully.
He certainly knew how to make me feel bad!
“Chuck, you don’t have a Reilly suit…”
‘Ya, he does, Alex.’ Jack interrupted mentally.
“You haven’t been on a mission befo…”
‘Ya, he has, Cap.’
“Jack, knock it off!” I screamed.
“Sorry.”
“Chuck, I don’t want to risk you falling into the Nazi’s hands! You don’t know how ruthless and cunning they are! I can’t risk my sister losing you.”
“Hey, would y’all look at the time!” Brie started to change the subject. “I’ll have dinner ready in forty-five! Hope y’all don’t mind bar-b-qued steaks? Charles, ya’ll wanna go an start the grill?”
Brianna got up off the Davenport and escorted her man out to the kitchen.
“Alex, I tracked down the initial send point of that email. It’s an Internet bar in Warsaw, Poland. The sender used the business’s anonymous guest logon. No way to tell who sent it exactly, though I’m trying to download surveillance camera video from around the timestamp. Whoever it was is pretty good at bouncing IP’s.”
“And we thought Alex Reilly and her bunch talked funny!” Jack giggled.
I closed my eyes and shook my head a few times.
“Randi, I need to know the time, date, and location for this crash landing. Also, a time for the Military’s arrival on scene.”
“Aye, Skip, printing it up as we speak.”
“Good ribs, Brie! Whose recipe?” I asked wiping my mouth for what I hoped was the final time this evening.
“Ma give it to me some fifty years ago, sis. She said Grandma give it to her shortly after they was hitched. I give it to you back in ’70.”
I turned to regard Brie’s husband.
“Chuck, how much do you know about us…about me?” I asked cautiously.
“Enough to be scared if I got on your bad side, Empress. Why?”
“I’m thinking about taking you along on the first leg of our adventure. If memory serves you were in the Army, right?”
“Yes, ma’am! Retired early after the first Gulf War- as a First Louie! Why?”
“How would you like to be a General? Think you could pull that off, Chuck?”
“I can be as much of a bastard as they can, Alex, sure.”
“Good, we leave in an hour.” I announced to everyone as we got up to help Brie clear the table.
“Okay, I want everyone in Army greens. Chuck, you’re a two star, the rest of us are first lieutenants. Ladies, tight sport bras are a necessity and our hair needs tucked under our caps. Remember that the army didn’t have women serving on the front line, just in the chow hall! We get in, check things out quickly then ‘port back here.”
I looked at the faces around me for understanding.
“From the many eyewitness reports Randi found on the net, we won’t be alone out there. At least a dozen civilians tracked through those woods to get a look at our target. If any military personnel should happen upon one or all of us use the cover story of General Mason ordering us to recover any fragments around the crash site. Jack will be monitoring each of us so if in trouble, give a mental call out and I’ll pop in and rescue y’all. Under no circumstances are any of us to get apprehended!”
I looked around again.
“Okay lets get ready then.” I said as I triggerd my suit to change. My chest constricted immediately and I was reminded of our last mission – five weeks ago.
Carefully, I twisted my long hair, held it on top of my head, and quickly pulled on my cap as tight as possible. The end result was that we all looked like fresh privates instead of experienced lieutenants.
Hopefully it would be dark enough that no one would notice.
Brie pulled a small, two by three device out of her Government Issue coat pocket. She noticed me looking intently.
“Just checking to make sure my camera is set for nighttime shots, Alex. Ready when you are.” She said as she replaced the tiny camera back into her pocket.
“Everyone join hands…”
“Oh, I love this part!” Chuck interrupted.
“Um…that didn’t sound very commanding, Chuck.” I deadpanned.
“Can we get on with this, soldier? I want to get home early enough to make my morning tee-time!” He said lowering his voice an octave.
“Yaaaa…don’t push it that far and you should be convincing, hun!” I giggled.
“Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, December 9th, 1965, coming up!” I announced before anyone else interrupted.
1620 hours, Outside of Kecksburg, PA., December 9th, 1965
“You think we got here early enough, Alex?” Jack asked for the twentieth time since arriving.
“Are we there yet?” Brianna mocked in a nasally, child’s voice.
We had been holding hands for about fifteen minutes waiting for it to get dark enough to rephase.
“I didn’t know exactly when sunset was, okay? I’ve never been to Western Pennsylvania before! How cold does it get in these parts in December? Anyone know?”
“It’s similar to winter nights back home, sis. Just think Ozark winter.”
“Wonderful.” I said sarcastically.
“Alex, from the descriptions it should descend from that direction and land somewhere down in that valley of trees. We’re standing on the road shown in the documentary so we should see the whole thing as it happens” Randi briefed us.
“Well, when it comes down we rejoin hands and I port us to the exact location. Remember, we get in, get pictures, and get out as quick as possible.” I reminded everyone.
By now the sky had darkened enough to hide our appearance. Dropping our hands, the winter evening air enveloped us. Although seeing our breath, the night chill wasn’t too much to handle and we continued our vigil.
A distant clap of thunder drew our attention to the bright ball of fire streaking toward us.
“It’s coming in awfully fast, Alex. You want me to put on some brakes?” Jack asked with concern.
“Alex!” Randi suddenly cried out. “I’m picking up telemetry from it! There has to be some kind of computer onboard!”
“Slow it down, Jack! Someone may be aboard!”
“Aye, Cap.”
We looked on as the craft neared. It was hard to tell if Jack was having any success decreasing its velocity or rate of decent.
“Jacki, it’s not slowing down, sweetheart.” Chuck Mason observed.
“I can’t get a good grip on the thing! I’ll have to try a different tactic!” Jack admitted through clinched teeth. It was obvious she was straining to control the craft. I reached over and took her hand in mine.
“I’m here if you need more power, Jack.”
Randi and Brie joined hands with her too- even Chuck offered a hand to his wife in support.
Another crack of thunder filled the air as the craft hit the next denser layer of air. I could feel Jack drawing power from me as her hand squeezed down on mine harder.
“Thanks guys, here goes nothing!” Her voice was strained and raspy.
To our relief the object visibly slowed and appeared to make a slight right-hand turn. Within seconds it dropped into the forest below us with the loud crackling of trees snapping before it finally contacted the ground.
“Hold tight, everyone, here we go.”
The ground shook slightly as I gave the order. I thought I heard what sounded like a woman’s scream from the crash site down in the hollow!
Before us sat what could only be called a small spacecraft. Trees crippled in its path burned quietly, set afire by the extreme heat of re-entry. Bushes and small trees crackled as the craft’s glowing exterior sparked small fires all around us.
“Jack, can you effectively deflect some of that heat away from us?”
“Done, Alex. You can rephase us.” She said, her voice already sounding better than before.
I immediately rephased us.
“Brie, get that camera working.”
“Alex, I’m still getting telemetry from this thing! It seems to be some kind of repeating code- could be some kind of tracking signal.” Randi exclaimed as she ventured a step closer.
“Randi, your almost out of my shield range, be careful!” Jack advised her.
“I need to get pictures of every side of this thing, Jack!” Brianna said after taking a few flash pictures.
We all moved closer to Jack and began walking around the still red-hot craft.
“I don’t see any door or access to the interior, Alex. Maybe it’s some kind of probe?” Brie said as she snapped a few more photographs- the flash intermittently lighting the brush and trees around us in bluish-white light.
“Is anyone down there?” A faint voice called through the trees.
“Time to leave, y’all!” I whispered as everyone joined hands again.
The change in light level between the dimly lit crash site and Brie’s living room made us all shield our eyes after I rephased us there.
“Brie, we need those photographs as soon as! Randi, can you transfer that signal to Brie’s computer for analysis, or do you need access to Kili’s AI?”
“I’ll save the files to her computer, Alex. I can sort through them from here.”
“Alex, I can bring these images up on our computer after Randi’s done downloading.” Brie informed me. I had forgotten the capabilities available in this time period. “Randi, don’t forget your file compression options are far more limited here than on Kili! I don’t want the files too big or not readable at all for the hard drive or processor- it’s only an I-7 with two ‘T’ of space!”
“Not gonna be a problem, Brie, I do zip files! I’ll upload any signal processing software I need from Kili, but I think I have everything I need up here.” She tapped her head as the Mason’s computer flashed to life.
“That’s the fastest I’ve ever seen that thing boot up, Randi! How’d you do that?”
“It likes me, Chuck.” Her reply was simple, concise, and typical Randi Van Pelt!
“Alex, here’s the first of the pictures.” Brie said pointing to the screen after Randi had finished her downloading.
“Can you zoom in on it a little while I bring up my HUD, sis?”
“Sure, Alex.” Randi answered as the image of the so-called ‘runes’ became larger on the screen.
“Kind of looks like hieroglyphics to me, Alex.” Jack voiced her take on the strange symbols.
“Randi, scroll up a little bit…wait…stop there, hun!” I looked closely at the symbol, rune or alien character magnified on the screen.
“I recognize that character! I’ve seen it before!” I said with a little disbelief in my voice.
“You’ve seen it before, Alex? Where?” Brie’s husband, Chuck asked.
“I’ll let y’all know in a moment. “ I said as I brought up my Reilly suit’s HUD, selected translate and zeroed in on the symbol in question.
My HUD display highlighted the symbol and a sidebar appeared with different symbols running quickly from top to bottom in it. A beep sounded and the scrolling stopped on a match. Another box opened before my eyes with information about the matched symbol.
“My translator says it’s ancient Terran.” I told everyone as I read the brief description. “That is the symbol for ‘Latitude’.” I continued. “Randi, can you bring up the next symbol, please?”
“One second, Alex, I have to switch images. I can only get a partial of it on this one.”
Quickly, she brought up the next picture and enlarged the symbol in question on the screen. “Best its gonna get here, Alex.”
“Thanks.” I said as I repeated the process on my HUD.
“That one translates to ‘prime’. Prime latitude.” I said. My eyes grew bigger as it hit home.
“Prime latitude. Prime meridian!” I gasped loudly as it all made sense. “Meridian!” I shouted. “Meridian 12!”
“Meridian 12, Alex?” Brie asked in surprise.
“Randi, access Kili’s AI! Reference the Terran archives that Tibius brought with him to the Empresses’ conference in 2028. See if you can find exterior hull images of the Meridian Deep Space Project- specifically Meridian 12!”
“Aye, Skip. It’ll take a little time to parse such a huge directory- there’s over two hundred and seventy ‘T-flops’.”
“How long?” I asked.
“At least fifteen minutes, Skip! It’s not like I’m attached to RVP right now, you know?” Randi paused a second.
“Um, Skip?”
“What’s the matter, Randi?”
“Um, this is only 2010, Alex. Those files haven’t been uploaded to Reilly’s AI yet.”
How could I forget such a pertinent detail? Maybe I should take a nice quiet vacation after this mission?
“Oh…right. Better try to get a complete three-sixty of the hull markings, Randi. We’ll take that to Kili and have RVP do the comparison and translation based on the information contained in my suit. Wait, you have the identical files in your suit, right, Randi? Once at Reilly we can store our suit data into a temporary, protected, directory and delete it from the system afterwards so the future remains true.”
How did I know that? My little friend started to show me how I knew.
“Um, Cap? Your startin’ to sound like Alex Reilly!” Jack informed me-, which broke my concentration on my gift-, which worked out for the best, I guess. I noticed Randi cover her mouth and yawn.
Maybe I should step back and rethink things.
“Randi, once we get to Reilly, upload what you have and call it a night, hun.”
“You got it, Skip, I’m getting kinda tired anyway.” Randi admitted as she yawned again.
“Chuck, I could use another beer, if you don’t mind.” I looked to the still stunned man.
“Alex, what is this Meridian 12- for those of us not fortunate enough to attend that conference in 2028.” He asked before going out to the kitchen.
Returning, he handed Jack and I each a cold can and kept one. Opening the can, he sat back down, took a drink, and waited for me to relate the occasion.
“In 2028 we hold the first ever Empresses’ convention. In attendance are Alex Reilly, Alex Covington, my Granddaughter Alexandra, and me. The conference was crashed even before it began, though. We found out that my eight year-old Granddaughter had inadvertently transported an old nemesis, one Janelle Hathor and six of her followers, forward in time from ancient Egypt. On arrival, Hathor, who had forcibly taken control of some Terran explorers on Earth, used them to capture our preparations group.”
“There were Terrans here on Earth? In Egypt?” Chuck gasped as he almost choked on his drink.
I looked at him. “Ya, is that so hard to believe? Chuck, yer hitched to the Empress’s sister!” I calmly reminded, raising an eyebrow.
“Anyway, that’s where we met Anna-Beth. She had been captured and forced into this sadistic control suit that compelled her to follow Hathor’s every command.” I paused to take another swig of beer.
“Only a joint effort by Terran and Earther healers saved the woman’s life. As she recovered, Anna-Beth told us that she was one of the survivors from a Terran Deep Space mission. She was the commander of Meridian 12. The spacecraft had become caught up in an…um…gravity well from an uncharted wormhole and traveled temporally through it, ending up in ancient Egypt. I believe we may have found that craft!”
“So all the conspiracy theorists were right; ancient aliens did live on Earth?”
“And married into the local populations, Charles. When she was healthy enough for travel, Tibius and I took Anna-Beth back to her family- real nice people! You can’t believe how far off our ‘experts’ were about that society! Anyway, they persuaded us to stay to watch a few calibration tests of the Giza transmitter before returning to 2028. While enroute to the control room for the transmitter, I observed a small display commemorating the arrival of Meridian 12 to Earth one hundred years before, in the building’s vestibule. I recognized the symbols from the exhibit’s title plate.”
“Giza transmitter? The Great Pyramid? Its a radio?”
“More like a homing beacon, Chuck” Randi interjected.
“How’d y’all know about that, Chuck? All record of that was supposedly destroyed when they burned down the library at Alexandria.” I asked curiously.
“There was just this documentary on cable that suggested it as one of the possible theories.” Chuck answered, totally flabbergasted.
“Alex, I just finished splicing all the symbols together-looks like we have three-quarters of the hull to work with. I’ll start comparing them to the archives we upload at Reilly. RVP will relay them to me on completion.”
“Chuck,” I said looking to my brother-in-law, “You and Brie look like y’all could use a tropical vacation.”
1900 hours, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, June 27th, 2028
“I think we’re the only ones here, I don’t remember anything important happening on the island this time of year, sis.” I speculated as we walked toward my favorite airlock door.
“I think you’re right, Alex, unless our niece Alexandra pops in for something.”
“RVP has been alerted and is preparing our quarters, Alex.”
“Thanks, Randi. I take it that you’ll be jacking in to oversee things?”
“Not this time, Alex. I’d like to get some sleep tonight. I have a feeling things are going to get complicated.” She replied with some reserve in her voice.
“Trying to take my job away from me now, Randi? You know computers can only predict so much, right?” I jabbed.
“We probably could do more if we weren’t constantly covering for humans!”
“Um…Randi? Um…you’re still a human, hun, remember?” I smiled deviously and walked into Reilly’s airlock.
The place was certainly quiet. Probably because of that, the place felt different. I realized I missed the morning conversations, the friendly joking and teasing amongst my sisters, the flying plates… I stopped that thought midstream as a plate and glass of orange juice floated past.
I shook my head and placed another fork of waffle into my mouth.
“It only gets worse ya know.” I heard Brie giggle from behind me.
“Ya, sis, today a plate of sausage and home fries with a glass of orange juice- tomorrow a City class nuclear submarine.” I laughed. “After that, who knows? Maybe she’ll be movin’ a whole research facility? Oh wait, that was me!” I forced a giggle or two.
“Ha ha, Alex! I have to keep in practice, right?” Jack commented from a table away.
Brianna rolled her eyes as she sat down beside me.
“Sometimes I think you’re as bad as she is, Alex.”
Chuck sat down on the other side of her. We all enjoyed a few minutes of laughter on Jack’s account.
“So how’s Dee and Fredrick these days?” I asked finishing my waffle and picking up my coffee cup.
“Dee is in between lives at the moment and Fred is teaching at Missouri State. He wants to get a few more years there then retire and restart after Randi gets a chance to realign and transfer his bank accounts.”
“Seems like I never get to see either of them, Brie. Sometimes I wonder if they even know who I am.”
“Oh they know who you are, Alex!” Chuck Mason chuckled.
“Alex, those two take after their Pa. He never seemed to have time for any of us after they got older- always working or travelling for work or…”
“He was cheatin’ on ya, Brie, I know!” I interrupted. That’s why you had both them at Ma and Pa’s.”
“I was a naïve, love struck child, Alex! He came onto my feminine inexperience and I was weak. I know now that he just wanted to use me; there was no love from him- only lust.”
Chuck put his arm around her. “But now she has me, Alex, and I swore to protect and pamper your sister as best I can, Empress!”
“As long as she remains happy, Mr. Mason.” I replied, giving him the patented Demmit stare.
“Empress, processing has successfully terminated for the requested character recognition of the photographic compilation.” RVP’s voice rang out in the smaller, third level briefing room we were having breakfast in.
“Thanks, RVP. Could you display on the big screen, please?” I asked pleasantly.
“As you wish, Empress. External Processor #3-Omega requests master status for primary display of compiled data- please stand-by.”
“Ya’ll wanna say that again in English, RVP?” Brianna rolled her eyes as she asked for a translation.
“I simply said that Randi Van Pelt wants to present the results, Brianna Mason!” A rather incensed RVP replied.
I started giggling, placing my coffee cup carefully back onto its saucer to avoid any spill.
“What y’all laughin’ at, sis?”
“I keep forgetting that you don’t visit Kili that often, Brie- sorry.” I explained with a smile.
“Well someone got ta watch for d’screpensies, Alex!”
“An’ y’all do the Empress proud, hun!” I congratulated her, touching her hand gently.
“Alex, we’re ready when you are, ma’am.” Randi said, getting my attention.
I turned toward the giant screen on the far wall.
“Please proceed, Miss Van Pelt.”
“First, Alex, I want to thank you for telling me that we’re in 2028! I wasted valuable processing time uploading files that already existed as archives! Not to mention more time running diagnostics because I thought my real-time-clock was malfunctioning!” Randi scolded.
“We’re in 2028, Alex?” Brie gave me an angry look.
“Randi looked real tired yesterday so I figured I’d save her some time, that and I want to make sure you two,” I pointed to Brie and Chuck, “get your Reilly suits upgraded.
“You think things will get that…”
“I just want to be precautionary, sis. Randi, please continue.”
“Here is the augmented compilation of photographic images taken at the 1965 crash site. Although far from complete, three-quarters of the hull has been successfully enlarged and enhanced.” Randi pointed to the image as she narrated.
The image changed.
“This is the raw translation of the previous image. As you can see it makes no sense unless you have the Terran primer.” Randi switched images. “Even then it is only partially readable. ‘Meridian 12. To…understand…universe…us. If we interpolate the missing quarter, the inscription makes more sense. ‘Meridian 12. To better understand the Universe around us.”
The image changed again.
“Several symbols are unrelated and dissociated from the Ancient Terran characters, however.”
“Randi” I stopped her. “Correlate and translate the two on the right with the mystical rune database. I think we all know what the first symbol is.” I told her, looking a bit disgusted by the sight of the stylized swastika.
“Alex, those three look as if chiseled or etched in later.” Chuck observed.
“Running depth variation algorithm for age differential of suspected characters.” RVP and Randi announced simultaneously.
I noticed Randi had become stationary with her eyes closed. Apparently there was some extreme processing going on.
Randi’s eyes fluttered back open and she quickly tilted her head slightly as if to crack her neck.
“Good eye, Charles. The three symbols in question were added approximately four thousand years after the original inscription as indicated by the crude grind marks on them. Apparently the Germans did not possess the technology to successfully engrave this alloy.”
“The Germans?” He asked back.
“Yes, Charles, as you know, the symbol of the National Socialist Party of Germany is the first character in the added sequence. The other two roughly translate to: ‘The future is ours.’ Of course we know better now, right Alex?”
“Right, Alex?” She asked again.
“Randi, I want our Reilly suits loaded with the new and ancient Terran translator, both symbols and language if not already found- include in the download all German dialects, Polish, and Czech!” I ordered.
“Alex, don’t you want to know about the telemetry?” Randi asked, somewhat desperately.
“Is it relevant?”
“Alex, it translates out to: ‘I pray the Empress of Space and Time finds this and rescues us from damnation.’ It’s a prayer…to you Alex! It’s Anna-Beth’s voice! How could she know you even existed that far back, ma’am?” Randi asked in confusion.
“Is that all it says, Miss Van Pelt?” I asked as my mind went into high gear.
“It just gives heading and galactic coordinates of the original crash site, Skip.”
“Galactic coordinates, Randi?” Chuck Mason asked in confusion.
“Earth’s position in the Milky Way Galaxy, Chuck.” I answered. “In essence it tells any would be rescuers how to find them. If reversed, it could tell someone how to find Terra.”
“And Adolph Hitler has obviously found Meridian 12.” He stated matter-of-factly.
“And he has the means of finding Terra too. If he can get Meridian 12 flying again.”
“Won’t the Terrans detect his plan from the crew he sends, Alex? Look how they treated us on our arrival.” Jack asked.
“What if the Nazis had a trump card to play, Jack?” I shot back.
“They have a Terran on the payroll, Cap?”
“What if they decoded the message, Jack? What if they actually believe in the Empress and want to use her to…”
“IT’S A TRAP!” Brie’s husband said in a strange, deep, mush-mouthed, voice.
My sister’s hand met the back of Chuck’s head with a gentle slap.
“Sorry, hun, I couldn’t resist! It was just there!”
“It should have stayed there, Charles! Alex has no idea what Star Wars is! Nor do Randi or Jack!” Brie scolded her husband.
“I got it, Brie. Revenge of the Jedi, the third original movie.” I told her flatly. “I even know how the final Harry Potter movies turn out, thanks to Alex of 2028!” I giggled.
Brie gave her husband an angry stare. “Don’t you even think about it, Charles!”
“Wha?”
“Just don’t!” She threatened.
“You do know that you could ask my sister how things turn out for the young wizard! She can see the future too, ya know!”
“Alex! Don’t encourage him!”
“Cap, I agree with Chuck! Since they love mystical items and hold magical icons sacred, wouldn’t you fall right at the top of things to acquire to dominate the world?” Jack theorized.
“I’m not a thing, Jack!”
“To them you are, Alex. Just like Anna-Beth was to Janelle Hathor! Just another piece of hardware they can exploit to conquer their enemies.” She explained her expression dead serious.
“Okay, so it’s a trap. We go back to early 1945 Poland- to this Wenceslas Mine. How could they possibly have anything that could hold the Empress? Or either one of you for that matter?” I looked toward Jack and Randi.
“Alex, I’m as good as human back there! Remember, no computers, no amazing Randi!”
She had a point, but I still needed her to talk to Meridian..
“Alex, what if they do have one or two Terrans working for them? What if they do have a way to negate our gifts?” Jack urged.
“You have to go back, don’t you Alex?” My brother-in-law asked. “That’s why Meridian crashed in 1965 Kecksburg. You stole it from the Germans, didn’t you?”
Was Chuck Mason actually right? It certainly sounded like something I would do.
I started reviewing my recollections of the crash we witnessed back in 1965. We had gotten to the site just seconds after it came to rest in the shallow gully. In the whole time we were there nothing stirred or tried escaping the craft. If I had stolen the ship wouldn’t I have quickly exited and ported someplace else to avoid detection? What about the woman’s scream I heard just before we jumped to the site from the road above? It was definitely mentioned in at least one eyewitness account.
“Randi, my order stands!”
“Alex, what is the plan?” Chuck Mason asked.
“While Randi makes the necessary additions to our Reilly suits, I’m going to read up on the Empress as related to Homeworld and Terran legends. The more I know about ‘my’ stories, the better I can present myself as that legend.”
“You’re going to try to impersonate yourself, Alex?” Jack asked in confusion.
I didn’t answer.
“We leave for Poland after I finish my research and return with the last member of our party- once we get her suited up! I’ll return in a few seconds.
1000 hours, Pearl Harbor Naval Station, June 27th, 2028
The bright sunlit exterior of CINCPAC headquarters, Pearl Harbor replaced Reilly’s briefing room.
Before rephasing, I changed my uniform to twenty-first century dress whites and exchanged my silver cluster for two stars. I also changed my nameplate.
Looking around cautiously, I rephased when the coast was clear.
Walking along through the base in this time was much different than in 1944, not only because of the newer designs and exotic looking craft, but because some of the buildings had changed. I found my way to Hospital Point blocked by a newer looking block building and a paved parking lot! I quickly recalculated my route.
Where had I heard that phrase before- ‘recalculate my route’? Seemed like a silly thing to say or think. Strange.
“Rear Admiral Covington!” A familiar voice called to me as I passed the Officers Club.
I stopped and turned around as Julia Masterson quickened her pace to catch up.
“Alex, I thought you were in Indonesia helping with the Earthquake relief?”
“Oh, hi Jules. No, I’m still there. I’m here to collect the last member of my team.” I told her cryptically.
“Alex….um…Steinert? Why are you out of rank, Alex?” Jules looked surprised.
“I’m not supposed to be here, Jules. I need to find Peyton and get back to Kili. You wouldn’t know if she’s still in the hospital would you?”
“Peyton? Peyton who, Alex?” Jules looked at me curiously.
“Peyton Treibche. She’s been a member of Detroit’s crew for the last three years.”
“Alex, I know every member of my crew and that name rings no bells.”
“Okay then where is Peonie? She would know who I’m talkin’ ‘bout.”
“Peonie went into Honolulu with Dom. I haven’t seen either of them since I dismissed the crew for shore leave.”
“Is Vernon still on base then?”
“Sure, I just left him at the O.C., come on.”
“Captain Reynolds, look who I found wondering the base?” Jules said as we approached Vernon Reynold’s table. He was busy playing a smaller version of some hologame and hadn’t seen us coming.
“Who is it Jules- another stay ensign with designs on my marital status?” He looked away from his game quickly then jumped to attention.
“Admiral on deck!” He shouted. Everyone in the place jumped to attention!
“Rr. Adm. Covington, ma’am! I had no idea you were even on base!”
“At ease, everyone!” I said loudly to everyone with a slight smile.
I looked to Vern and lowered my voice. “I’m not really here. I just stopped by to get Peyton. You wouldn’t know where she is, do you?”
“She was still at the hospital this morning, Alex. She should still be there. I think they were going to release her in the morning. Why?” He looked closely into my eyes.
“Why haven’t I heard of this Peyton person, Vern?” Julia asked.
“Let’s go for a walk, you two.” I suggested. Vern pushed an unseen button to turn off his game and folded the thing in two. He put the game back into his leather satchel and motioned for us to follow.
“Why can’t I remember this Peyton woman and you can, Vernon Reynolds?” Julia sounded angry.
I raised my hand to quell the brewing confrontation.
“Peyton Treibche is an ancient Terran that came here to depose Janelle Hathor, Jules!” I looked to her as I spoke. “Peyton has the ability to impose herself into people’s memory so that it appears she is familiar and known. Apparently her illness has disabled her gift. Vernon is not affected by Peyton’s gift and therefore remembers her.”
Julia glared at her Captain. “Why didn’t you tell me? As first officer, I am responsible for every member of our crew, Vern!”
“I didn’t know she was doing that until Alex told me, Jules! I thought she told you too!” Vernon Reynolds then glared at me.
“Hey, I had no idea who Alex told! I didn’t even see her that morning before we shoved off from Kili! I don’t even remember much after I got Sand Dollar back to 1944! So don’t glare at me, Mr. Reynolds!” I glared back.
“Alex Steinert?”
“In the flesh!”
“What are you doing in that uniform; don’t you know you could be court marshaled?”
“It can’t be helped! I’m on a high priority mission, you two! I need to find Peyton and get back to 2010!”
“She was pretty bad for a couple of days, Alex. That is, until you and Aunt Emily showed up with the vaccine. What mission are you on? I don’t remember any from 2010?”
“I know how sick she was. I had it too. Emily and Alex came back after I had fought off that nasty thing.” I paused, debating how much they should be told.
“Brie contacted me yesterday- 27, June, 1944- with a special request that I check out a questionable crash site in Western Pennsylvania. She thinks it might tie into a secret Nazi Wonder Weapon. I can’t say anything else though. I need to ask Peyton if she would like to help. We could use her gift.”
Jules and I studied the Third Reich and are pretty knowledgeable on the topic, Alex, plus we have a few days off if you want us to come along.”
“I’m afraid not Vern. Brie, Jack, and Randi are the only ones coming with me on this mission. I’ll be surprised if Brie’s Chuck doesn’t give me a hard time about being left behind!”
“Charles Mason? Empress, Charles Mason is the man you want if you’re going into Nazi Germany! He’s fluent in German, Polish and I believe, Czechoslovakian! The man is very well read on the SS and Gestapo!”
“I appreciate the dossier, Vern. I’ll consider him if Brie agrees. Let’s go find Peyton.”
“This way, Admiral.” Vernon Reynolds smiled.
Admiral…I liked the sound of that.
I could get used to the respect of this rank! The constant saluting though was getting old.
“Here’s her room, Admiral.” Vernon said as we stopped at the room’s door. He raised a finger for Jules and I to wait outside a minute.
“Peyton, how are you feeling today?” We heard him ask.
“Oh, Captain Reynolds! I wasn’t expecting to see you until tomorrow at the boat. The doctors are to release me just in time for muster.”
“Peyton, someone is here to see you. Are you ready for company?”
“Captain Reynolds, if I stay in this confined cubical any longer I shall commit myself to the heavens!” The girl laughed nervously, as did Vernon.
“Well don’t do that quite yet, my dear, I think your talents may be requested. Come on in.”
“Empress!” Peyton practically leapt from her bed towards me. “Empress, I am so sorry that I have sickened you! I had no idea that the evil Hathor had used me as a pawn in your demise!”
“Ease up, Ensign! This could be taken as assaulting a superior!”
“But you are Commander Steinert, are you not?” She looked at me quizzically.
“You sure you’re ready to leave here, Ensign? I see two stars, not a cluster.” Vern asked the girl with a look of concern. He put a finger to his mouth to quiet the girl. Julia Masterson hadn’t said a word since we entered. She too looked concerned, but for a different reason.
“I’m sorry Miss Masterson! I had no intention of deceiving you! I took ill just after we departed Kili Island and could not retract my influence normally. As a result you forgot about me, as has the rest of our crew.” Peyton looked sadly to the floor as she apologized.
“I’m just disappointed that my CO couldn’t be bothered to inform me of your presence, Peyton. We grew up together- like brother and sister- I thought we kept no secrets!”
“Look you two, I really need to ask Peyton if she would like to help me on this one, so if y’all wouldn’t mind taking this little disagreement outside?” I told the two. I didn’t want to risk being seen in two places at once.
“You need me? The Empress of Time and Space requests my assistance?” Peyton’s hands went to her face in sheer jubilation. “It would honor both me and my family to assist you any way I can, Empress!”
“Fine, I take that as a yes, Ensign. Y’all stay right here. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Walking out of the room, I found the nearest nurses station.
“I’d like to speak to the physician attending Ensign Treibche?”
“Yes ma’am if you would like to make an appoint…” The lieutenant stopped mid sentence as she looked up and saw my rank.
“Admiral!” She stood to attention. “Sorry, ma’am I didn’t know you were here!” She quickly turned off her reading tablet and touched her tiny headset.
“I’ll get him here immediately, ma’am!”
“Thanks, hun. How’s the book?” I inquired politely.
“Not as good as her last one, Admiral, but tolerable, I guess. Dr. Lampert to station 2-6 stat!” She answered before paging the doctor. “Have you read anything from her, ma’am?” She continued.
“No, hun, I’ve been rather busy of late, but thanks for the critique.”
“Doctor, Admiral Covington is here and she would like to speak to you about Ensign Treibche, sir. Okay I’ll let her know, thank you. Admiral, Dr. Lampert will be right over to see you, ma’am.”
“Let him know I’ll be in the Ensign’s room.”
“Certainly, Admiral Covington.” She said.
I smiled and returned to Peyton’s room telling her to get dressed.
“So, where are you off to now, Alex?” Vern asked as we cleared the hospital doors into the bright sunlight.
“Peyton needs to get fitted for her Reilly suit, get it programmed, and we head back to 1945.” I answered.
“You sure Jules and I can’t come along, Alex? It’s been a while since you and I had an adventure.”
“Vern, the fewer people that know about this, the better. I’ve been unable to see the outcome so far and I’d rather not endanger more lives. Your Ma’s would kill me if I lost either of you back there! I’d just assume take on the Nazi’s than face them!”
“Understood, Admiral…wait…what am I doing? You’re the same rank as me, Alex! Although I must admit that constellation looks good on you, Empress.”
“You always were a smooth one, Vern. Oh, Jules, could you do me a favor?” I asked, suddenly remembering a small detail to my plan.
“Sure, Alex, what?”
“I need to look like the Nazi’s idea of the Empress. Could you change the color of my eyes to blue and lighten my hair to aurum, please?”
“The Arian version of you, Alex?” Vernon repeated with confusion.
I nodded.
“What’s ‘aurum’, Alex?” Julia Masterson inquired.
“Aurum translates into gold, Jules. According to the Empress stories from both Reilly’s Homeword and Terra, ‘The Empress gently caressed her long, flowing mane of rich, fine-spun aurum, her ice blue eyes twinkled with understanding as she contemplated the misbehaving youth’s digressions.’” I quoted one descriptive passage. “So I guess I also need my hair down past my butt.”
“Sure thing, Alex.” Julia giggled. “You want everything ‘aurum’- just in case they decide to search you?”
“Ya, I guess so. Here, let me phase us out for some privacy.” I said as I blushed.
As I did so, I noticed Vernon Reynolds suddenly start looking around at anything but Jules and I. He started whistling. Peyton looked at him, apparently not understanding his nervousness.
1910 hours, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, June 27th, 2028
“RVP, Miss Treibche needs a fitting. I need German, Polish, and Czech languages- spoken and written. Include the updated protection protocols as well as emergency comm link encryption.”
“Will the recipient please state name, race origin, and base language for voiceprint verification.”?
I nodded to Peyton, indicating that it was all right and required before continuing.
“Peyton Treibche, Terran, Egyptian.” She said clearly.
“Error! Receipient’s name, race and base language do not correlate! Please restate name, race, and base language.”
Peyton looked worried as she hesitated.
“RVP, Empress Override, OakridgeEmpress8716.”
“Accepted. Empress will please state nature of override.”
“RVP, Peyton Treibche is a Terran-Earther hybrid living in Egypt circa 2085BC. I will personally vouch for her allegiance and security clearance.”
“Accepted.
“Will the recipient please restate name, race origin, and base language for voiceprint verification?”
“Peyton Treibche, Terran, Egyptian.” She repeated
“Voiceprint accepted, please remain stationary for EPG measurement.”
A narrow, focused line of blue light slowly panned down Peyton’s body from head to toe.
“Measurement complete, thank you, Miss Treibche. Completion of garment in two hours.”
“Thank you, RVP.” I said happily.
“You are most welcome, Alex. Empress, External Processor #3-Omega wishes to meet with you and Miss Treibche in the third level conference room at your convenience.”
“Tell her we’ll be right there, RVP. Peyton needs to change into some comfortable clothes first.”
“Reclining Quarters have been established for Miss Peyton- level three-west, room three-three-eight. Voiceprint security level four has been enabled.”
“Thanks, RVP, you’re the best!” I told the efficient AI.
“You are again welcome, director.”
“This room is mine? It is simply wonderful, Empress!” Peyton exclaimed as she entered her very own room. I began to wonder if she ever had a place of her own before.
“Over there in the closet, you’ll find some casual clothing to wear until your suit is finished. I’ll wait outside for you, hun.” I told her after showing her the amenities of the room.
I didn’t have to wait long for her to change.
“So what do we do now, Empress?” Peyton asked as she exited her room.
“Now we meet the other members of the team and I tell you what I have in mind for this mission, hun. I’m also going to relate to you some very disturbing information.”
“Ladies and gentleman, I’d like to present Ensign Peyton Treibche. Peyton, Jacquelyn Cummins, Randi Van Pelt, my sister Brianna Mason and her husband, Charles.” I introduced her to everyone.
“My God, Alex, what did you do to your hair?” Brie quickly approached and began running her hand through my silky, extremely long, golden hair. “And yer eyes! Y’all could peirce a reactor chamber with those things!”
“She’s trying the Arian look, dear- blonde haired, blue eyes…etc.” Charles explained.
After a round of handshaking, we all sat down at the tables and Randi brought up the images from earlier.
“Peyton, do you recognize this inscription?” I asked calmly.
“I’ve seen them on the plateau back home, Empress, why?” She answered quickly.
“Could you translate them, please?”
“You saw them on the plateau…back home?” Charles Mason exclaimed.
Peyton cowered slightly at the change in his voice. “Yes, sir. I am from what you term Ancient Egypt. My mother, along with others came here from another arm of this very galaxy you call the Milky Way.”
“Peyton, can you please translate the inscription?” I asked again gently.
“Prime Meridian 12, To…understand…universe…us.” She wrinkled her nose in frustration then restated her translation. “Prime Meridian 12. To better understand the Universe around us.” She filled in the blanks and looked at me.
“Empress, where did you get these images? They look to be from the original Meridian 12 Spacecraft! My mother arrived on Earth in that craft! By her word it sank in the body of water you call the Mediterranean Sea! I thought images of it non-existent.”
“That is the good news, Peyton. Meridian 12 has been found- unfortunately not by us, I’m afraid. Do you recognize these symbols?” I asked as I nodded to Randi for her to advance the image.
“No, Empress, I cannot translate these three symbols. What do they mean?” She looked confused.
“They are a good indicator of who found the Spacecraft, hun. Here’s the bad part. We have to go back to 1945- to a place called Poland. Are you familiar with World War Two, hun? I trust you studied world history while serving on the Detroit?”
“Yes, Empress, it was a conflict that pitted the Allies; America, Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and several smaller countries against the Axis, Germany, Japan, Italy, and their allies.”
Very good, hun, what of the German’s though? Have you studied the Hitler regime at all?”
“Hitler became head of the Nazi or National Socialist’s Party in 1932. The Nazi’s believed in something they called the Arian Rac…” Peyton’s eyes got big, her mouth dropped open slightly. “Empress, did Sir Charles not say you were trying to look Arian?” She gasped. “You have joined this Nazi group?”
“No, hun, The Nazi’s found Meridian and want to use it in their plan to take over this world! I’m going to imitate the Empress of Space and Time as she would be perceived by them, had they access to the stories.”
“Empress, it is a suicide mission! The Nazi regime is most noted for its barbaric treatment of those considered inferior- it’s membership considered arrogant, corrupt, and soulless! Please Empress do not do this, I plead with you!” She cried.
“That’s why I have to go back and reclaim Meridian from those who wish to twist its intended purpose, Peyton. To do this, we need to make use of your gift. In fact, we need to make use of everyone’s gift in this room to achieve this mission’s success.”
“Alex, may I remind you, I have no gift to utilize.” Chuck Mason informed me.
“I disagree, Chuck. You are considered an expert on all things Third Reich?”
“I’ve studied their beliefs and tactics- especially the Gestapo and SS branches. I wouldn’t say I’m an expert on anything though.”
“Well, I have it on good authority that you know your stuff, Chuck. It is definitely a gift we can use to our advantage!” I said seriously, with a smile.
“Hear that dear? The Empress says I have a gift!” He chuckled to Brie.
My sister did not look happy about his excitement!
“Are you sure Charles really needs to go, Alex? His recovery abilities aren’t on par with ours. I could lose him, sis! I could lose my husband- the only man I’ve truly loved!”
Tears started to run down her face as she leaned over to her husband’s shoulder, but held herself back.
“NO!” She glared at me. “Charles is not going to go! I refuse to lose the only good thing in my life since Dee and Fred! No way, Alex, y’all find someone else!” She shouted. “I forbid it!”
“Fine, sis, I get it! Chuck stays here! All I ask is that you brief us on what to expect in this Polish Mine the SS has set up for research and development of ‘Die Glocke’, Chuck. We’ll do the rest.”
“You’ll all fare better if I go along, Alex. You see, I’m not going to let Brianna go if I’m not there to protect her. I know this sounds corny as hell, but when I said my vows, I meant to keep them! In short, where she goes, I goes, an’ y’all can take that ta the bank, Sweetheart!”
“Charles, you’ll die!”
“You don’t know that for sure, Brie. Your sister can’t even see what’ll happen- how could you? No, I’m goin’, Alex. Count us both in, Empress.”
“Charles!”
“That’s my final decision, Brie! My minds made up. Either we both stay or we both go.”
“Alex, Peyton Treibche’s garment is finished and has been transferred to her quarters.”
Thanks, RVP.” I said to the ceiling.
“RVP? Have you finished design prototypes for the Empress’s costume, yet?” Randi asked verbally for a change.
“Several variations await final selection by the Empress, Randi.” The AI answered.
“Enable holo-emitters, RVP. Let’s see them.” I requested.
One by one my holographic body displayed the costumes RVP had designed from combining details from both worlds’ versions of the Empress of old. Most seemed too elegant for what I knew about the Nazis. One did stand out as possible though. It was a gold, shimmery, semi-transparent, full-length dress that seemed to flow over my curves, yet looked futuristic enough to appear ‘spacey’. The design reminded me of those worn by the women of Terra. It was transparent enough though, to glimpse my contrasting, bikini-like undergarments.
The term ‘B-flick’ came to mind!
One thing though, was missing from the futuristic ‘Princess’ outfit.
“RVP, this outfit will do, but I need a crown. More like a tiara. I’d like it to be gold, or gold plated and incorporate the mystical runes for peace, harmony, and compassion or fairness. Reference the Disney princesses for viable examples.”
“Compilation is complete, Alex. Applying first headwear design to model.”
After reviewing eight tiaras and disqualifying three full out crowns, I saw the perfect candidate. It was an intricate, feminine design with delicate scrollwork and a few large diamonds added to give it a really royal look! In the center, punctuating the front of the tiara was a very rounded, stylized version of a swastika. It held secure a huge oval ruby and bore only the slightest resemblance to its bloodstained relative. To either side, slightly lower to follow the down facing arc of the gold headpiece, sat two other runes.
“Hold right there, RVP. Ladies, meet the Third Reich’s Empress of Time and Space!” I announced.
“Oh ya, every hot blooded Nazi is going to want a piece of that, Alex!” Chuck said excitedly before Brie elbowed his side.
“Ever’ perv in the installation will be fighting for your virginity, sis! Y’all sure you wanna look like a Nat-zee whore?” My sister asked.
“If I’m right about things, I’ll be declared off limits to all but the high command, Brie. Randi, have this programmed into my suit. Thanks, RVP, you’ve done a wonderful job!” I commended the AI.
“Skip, with your permission I’d like to add a few features to that tiara if you don’t mind.”
“Whatever you think I might need, hun.”
“I’ll get right on it, then.” Randi went to get up, but stopped. “When do we leave, Skip?”
“How about everyone get a good night’s sleep and we leave first thing in the morning?”
“That’ll give me plenty of time, skip, thanks! Please excuse me everyone, I have work to do.” Randi hurried out of the room with a large smile on her face.
“Bets are she’ll have whatever she has in mind finished tonight.” I winked at everyone.
“So, what’s the plan, Cap?” Jack inquired enthusiastically.
“Yes, Alex, how do you propose we get into a top secret facility guarded by the most ruthless cutthroats of the twentieth century?” Brianna asked me sarcastically.
“Wait.” I raised a finger to everyone. “RVP, I’d like y’all to transcribe everything we say from this point on so that Randi can store and recall it when needed.”
“As you wish, Alex.”
“Okay, I was thinking that y’all catch the delivery truck into the place. I assume the SS was constantly having to replace their slave labor quotas, Chuck?”
“You can count on it if they’re experimenting with an alien spacecraft- Any ‘tests’ would naturally be attended by ‘inferior human guinea pigs’ to observe the results. I have to warn you that sixty-some scientists and an unknown number of ‘workers’ were rumored to have lost their lives there, Alex. Buried alive as the tunnels were collapsed with high explosives.”
“Allegedly, Chuck, allegedly.” I reminded him. “Peyton, do you think you can create your little illusion for five people, including yourself?”
“I’m sure I can, Empress. I once got a whole resistance patrol into Hathor’s temple without detection.”
“Did they ever get out, Miss Treibche?” Jack asked with a little bit of contempt.
“Have your archeologists ever found the temple of Hathor, Commander?” She fired back.
Jack looked at me for acknowledgement. I simply raised both hands not knowing the answer.
“There was one in almost every city in Egypt, Peyton!” Chuck informed her.
“Outside Memphis?”
“Honey, they just found the remnants of Memphis twenty years ago.”
Peyton smiled with pure happiness!
Chuck’s mouth dropped open.
“Fine. Peyton you will insert Randi, Chuck, Brianna, and Jack into the consciouses of the transport personnel and replacement workers. You, Jack, Randi and Brie are to be local Polish detainees assigned to the kitchen staff. Chuck will be SS Colonel Charles Sebastian Mueller- an efficiency officer sent by Himmler’s personal order. Chuck, your abilities in German, Polish and Czech make you perfect for this job.”
“RVP we’ll need official documents for everyone.”
“Acknowledged, Director.”
I looked up to the ceiling at her reply.
“Alex, what about you? How will you get into the base?” Brie asked.
“I’m goin’ in directly! After all, wouldn’t one think the Empress of Time and Space should be bold enough to go right for the prize? I’ll get as far as I can while phased to find the ship. Once there, I’ll rephase and let myself be ‘surprised’. I’ll feign ignorance of the language at first then act like I suddenly understand them. Hopefully, I’ll be able to phase out if they start firing at me.”
“Sounds like one helluva plan, Alex!” Chuck said sarcastically.
“Jack, think you’ll have any trouble working your gift in those tunnels?”
“Depends on what kind of counter measures they’ve come up with, Cap. I’ll give it my best shot though!”
Good, cause I might need the Empress to work some miracles to convince them.”
“You and Randi stay to your jobs until I can get us close enough for her to access Meridian’s systems.”
“Any timeframe for completion, Empress?” Chuck asked.
“I’m going to set us down about a week before the supposed elimination of personnel and disappearance of the ship. Any other questions?”
I looked around at the group. Everyone shook they’re heads.
“Good, we leave 0800hrs tomorrow. Everyone try to get some rest. RVP end recording.”
“Acknowledged, Director.”
“Peyton?”
“Empress?”
“Honey, what did I tell you about calling me Empress all the time? My name is Alexandra or Alex. I would be more honored if you could call me Alex, hun.”
“I will, Aaalex. Thank you.” She stuttered. A smile broke out on her face as we all left the conference room for our quarters.
“There will come a time this mission for you to refer to me as ‘Empress’, but I think you’ll know the time for that, hun, all right?”
“Aye, Alex.”
0750 hours, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, June 28th, 2028
“Look at you!” Brie commented brightly as she walked into the conference room for some breakfast. Chuck was right behind her
I was already dressed in my ‘Arian Empress’ outfit. I wanted to wear it awhile to see how comfortable the thing would be. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad. I did have initial feelings of vulnerability when I first looked in the mirror. I had parted and braided some of the hair from the peak of my forehead, wrapping the resulting braids around both sides and combining them into one longer braid in back. In the mirror I looked like a bonefied fairytale princess!
“Wow! You look even better in person, Alex.” Her husband complimented.
“After those Federal period circus tents, I thought I’d see how constricting this thing would be. It isn’t as bad as I thought.” I told them.
Jack, Randi and Peyton entered the room and quietly filled their plates before sitting down at the table next to mine.
Something was up! I found it hard to believe that Jack would fetch her breakfast manually!
Suddenly a trumpet fanfare filled the room!
“Presenting the winner of this year’s ‘Miss Empress of Time and Space’ pageant: Miss Alexandra Frances Steinert!” Randi’s voice exploded over the loudspeakers as a shiny, beautifully crafted, gold tiara floated into the room and settled gently onto my head, being careful to pass gently through my braids-, which effectively secured it.
“Nice.” I deadpanned as I silently cursed my selecting of this costume.
“Speech!” Chuck shouted to the ceiling through hands formed into a megaphone.
What the hell, I’ll play along!
I stood up and walked the few steps to the screened wall. An image of some beauty pageant appeared on the screen behind me. It looked like I was standing in front of all the other participants accepting my award.
“Thank you, ladies and gentleman. It‘s truly an honor that y’all chose me to be this year’s Empress of Time and Space! I’d like to personally thank my fellow contestants on their presence, intelligence, and grace!” I smiled brighter and threw in a nervous giggle or two as I looked around the room before continuing.
“I promise y’all that I will strive to uphold the deep trust and responsibility y’all have beset upon me and look forward to attending next year’s competition to present this lovely crown to my successor. Thank you all and may we continue to strive for world peace!”
I waved at everyone in the room as I sat back down and picked up my coffee again.
The room erupted in whistles and applause!
I rolled my eyes as I sipped the hot liquid.
“My big sister…a beauty queen! Oh, Charles, how will we ever live with her now?” Brie said dramatically as she placed the back of her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes.
“Better yet, wait till I tell the rest of the crew! They already think of the Skipper as…” Jack glanced around the table clandestinely by just shifting her narrowed eyes, “Royalty!” She whispered conspiratorially after raising her hand to cover her mouth from my caustic stare.
The room erupted in laughter again! I joined in despite wanting to look hurt by Jack’s comment. We needed this release of tension before starting the most dangerous mission the ‘Empress’ had ever attempted.
“Well, are we ready to start this thing?” I asked having finished my second cup of coffee.
“Alex, before we leave, I’d like to show you some added features of your crown.” Randi said raising a finger to stop me from moving.
“So Moneypenny has informed me. Well, let’s see what you’ve got, Q.” I replied, dropping my voice an octave and adding a Scottish accent.
Charles Mason began to chuckle. “Now that’s the Alexandra I know! Not bad, Alex, but you don’t look anything like Double-Oh-Seven at the moment- more like Domino!”
While Chuck continued to laugh, Brie rolled her eyes a few times. The three other faces in the room remained blank.
“I don’t get it, Cap?” Jack said on behalf of Randi and Peyton.
“Never mind.” I rolled my eyes at them. “I guess you just had to be there. Randi, you were going to show me the additions you made to my costume?”
“Yes, first I’d like our Ex-O to move the tables back and give us some room.”
On cue, all six unused tables in the room moved and stacked themselves against the far end wall.
“Skip, bring up your HUD. You’ll notice an extra icon on the lower left side, marked ‘Tiara’.”
“Okay, I see it.”
“Access it and a pop-up box should appear with several selections, but most importantly, there should be a green bar at the top of the box. Do you see it?”
“Yep, it’s green. What’s that mean?”
“It means that your headpiece is communicating with your suit, Alex. A red bar indicates no communication- either your tiara is damaged or malfunctioning, or you are more than twenty meters away from it. Twenty meters is the maximum communication distance, Alex, so keep it close by.”
I nodded.
“A yellow bar indicates that the headpiece has only partial functionality, meaning a function you may want won’t be available either because of damage or low power. As you use the headpiece, you will notice the bar start to shorten, moving from right to left, this will indicate how much power remains. The headpiece is designed to recharge with your suit anytime a valid power source is within two meters. Power drain on the source is minimal and should not be noticed by the crude instruments of the time.”
“Okay, got it, hun, now what can this thing do?” I asked with a serious expression.
“First select ‘Tactical’. It should be the first item below the status bar.”
Another somewhat larger window opened before my eyes. Five red blips to one side of a green blip appeared close together, they were surrounded by whitish grey ‘walls’- the room’s walls, maybe?
“You should see the five of us indicated in red as ‘alive’. You are the green dot and as you may have already guessed the grey lines are the walls around you. You will note the check mark next to ‘Tactical’ indicating that the function is on or selected.”
“Yep.”
“Alex, I’d like you to now move to the next line and select ‘F/F’.”
Immediately the five red blips started to flash or pulse at a slow rate.
“We should be flashing red dots?”
“Yes.”
“Good, now watch what happens when we enable our suits tracking beacons.”
One by one, the pulsing red blips changed to pulsing blue blips.
“Friend or Foe indicator. Great idea, Randi!” I smiled at her. “The check mark says it’s turned on?”
“You got it, Skip. Okay, next select ‘Shield’. Another box pops up with three options: ‘Force’, ‘Repel’, and ‘Environment’. Everyone please stand back.”
Randi waited for everyone to move away from me before continuing. She slid a chair close to me before joining the others at a safe distance.
“Alex, I’d like you to select ‘Repel’ first. This is a force shield that will repel anything thrown or shot at you. You can enable it now.”
The chair shot across the room, barely missing Chuck!
I felt my smile grow wider.
“Great, you can disable that, Alex. The force option will protect you by nullifying anything approaching you, similar to Jack’s force shield. The environment option provides a hermetic seal between you and the outside world similar to when you phase out. I’d use this option for say, tear-gas, chemical leaks, fire. As you would expect, the air supply contained inside this shield is finite- there are no CO scrubbers incorporated into the design. The more people inside the shield, the faster you deplete the oxygen supply. That reminds me, all three shields have an operational diameter of three and a half meters- about ten feet. Any questions?”
“Hey, Randi? What’s this last selection in the main box?” I asked, wondering why she neglected to mention it.
“’Boom’ is exactly what you think it means, Skip! Selecting ‘Boom’ allows you to set a specific count to begin an overload of the headpiece’s power system. After setting the timer and entering your password, you may want to get far away! Very…far…away!”
“Pretty big boom, I take it?”
“Equal to about a dozen Mark XIV torpedoes, Skip.”
I gulped!
“Wow! BIG-bahdah-boom! OUCH!”
“Stop that Charles! This is serious stuff!” Brianna growled, elbowing her husband in the ribs.
“Alex, this is what I call a doomsday device. Only use it as a last ditch effort!” Randi warned. She looked despondent for even having thought of it.
“I’ll try to curb my lust for blowing things up, Randi. I hope never to need it.
“One other feature, Skip.” She said as she approached. “While using the tactical feature, the headpiece will monitor life signs from everyone within range. As a life form dies the pulsing, be it red or blue, will slow until it finally disappears and is replaced by a hollow, white circle.”
“Randi, one other question?” I asked, observing something strange with my new tactical display. “Why is the blip indicating Peyton flashing faster than the rest of you?”
“Terran hearts are slightly larger than Human hearts- physically, Empress- they also beat faster, and Terrans have a slightly higher body temperature.” Peyton answered timidly as her eyes dropped to the floor.
“Hey, there is nothing wrong with being hot-blooded, hun! As I remember, it felt rather nice on some of those cool Terran nights!” I told the girl, memories of Tibius began filling my mind.
I quickly shook those memories back out of my mind!
“Well, at least I can tell the players apart, now. Y’all ready to leave?”
“We just need to change, Alex.” Brie reminded everyone.
Jack, Peyton, Randi, and Brie’s clothing selections were simple cotton dresses; Randi and Peyton’s were a depressing brown with an old, worn, brown leather belt and dingy, brown, low-heeled shoes. Brianna and Jack’s were different shades of gray with worn black belts and low-heeled, unpolished, black leather shoes. All four looked like they hadn’t seen soap in over a month.
Chuck’s uniform stood in stark contrast to the women. His was the clean, starched, freshly ironed, black uniform of a well-groomed SS Colonel. He looked the epitome of Hitler’s grand vision of world domination!
I had always hoped that I would never come this close to one! Now I was going to be surrounded by them- by my own choice, no less!
A slight sweetness filled the air around us.
“Jack, stand down, he’s one of us!” I growled at my first officer.
“He looks so real though, Alex.” Jack replied with a tense voice, hate evident in her tone.
I heard Chuck swallow hard as he realized she was staring at him.
“That is what’s going to save him, Jack- now stand down!”
“Aye.” She replied cautiously.
“Everyone take hands, please. First I’ll put us along the road to the Mine and wait for the supply trucks then I port us into one of the transport trucks so Peyton can start making the five of you known.”
Reilly’s conference room became a forest-bracketed, single lane, dirt road in Poland somewhere near the Czech border.
I had never been to Europe so far in my life, but given the rolling terrain, thick leafed forests, and general peaceful serenity of the place, it seemed all too familiar.
The area reminded me of home- good old Oak Ridge, Missouri.
We hadn’t been standing on the roadside for more than five minutes before the straining whine of several German-made trucks broke the serene calm. At the same time, off in the distance could be heard the low-pitched thrum of dozens of aircraft engines and muted explosions- a very good indication that Allied bombers were at work. It drove home the reality of where we were, when we were. There was a war going on and we weren’t that far from it!
I waited for the first troop truck to pass before porting us onto it. As predicted it was filled with Polish workers, men and women, and four armed soldiers, one in each corner.
“Jack, gently scoot people around to make room to sit. If I’m to remain unseen, each of you will have to hover over your seat before releasing hands. There will be a slight dizziness associated with this type of rephasing. I’ll remain out of phase, but stay with y’all just in case someone should prove immune to Peyton’s charms.” I nodded for her and Peyton to start using their gifts.
“Chuck, you go first and good luck!”
“Gute Jagd, Kaiserin! (Good hunting, Empress!)” He said to me in German.
I waited until Jack had made enough room for him then carefully watched the shaking and rolling of the wooden seat.
“Release!” I ordered when the clearance was right.
My brother-in-law looked unsteady for a second as he fell the few inches, landing on the narrow wooden plank seat. The soldier beside him gave Chuck a confused look, to which Chuck nodded angrily back at the people he was to be guarding. The young soldier turned back with a disgusted expression.
One by one, Randi, Brie, Peyton, and lastly, Jack, joined the crowded consist in the back of the truck. I did my best to keep from drifting or dropping through the floor boards and remain standing in the bed of the truck until we cleared the barbed wire fenced checkpoint and the vehicle stopped.
I waited patiently until the truck bed had been emptied of its human cargo before porting the short distance to the ground beside it.
Turning on my tactical, I noted that I was entering an anthill of activity- and that was just in the two hundred yard sensor range of my equipment! The display clearly tracked my five companions into the mine portal
For the most part the mine entrance looked like any I had seen back home. A large, nondescript, concrete portal about twenty feet round; a single set of rails entered and disappeared into the darkness. A dozen or so soldiers had marched the new workers into the mine portal while several dozen more stood watch for any rebellion.
The entrance tunnel ran straight into the mountainside with only the slightest hint of downward slope. A lonely lamp every fifty feet or so provided just enough light to show the way.
This facility was huge! I had walked well over three football fields before observing the first side tunnel and estimated the main tunnel went on for another half mile based on the ever-decreasing size and brilliance of the overhead lighting. Echoes of German voices filled the tunnels and made it impossible to determine any directionality.
I did notice, however, that my new equipment came with a memorizing function. Meaning if I continued to explore this facility, I would have an accurate charting of it and would be able to find the fastest way out.
So that’s what I did the first day- charted a few dozen tunnels in the mine’s catacomb. In my exploration I had found several places where I would be safe to rephase and to communicate with my group.
What I hadn’t found yet was the chamber, research area, whatever, where Meridian was being kept. It had to be near the main mine shaft somewhere because of its size. Many of the offshoot tunnels were just to narrow or too low to permit its entry or passage.
A yawn escaped my mouth and I suddenly realized it must have been getting late. I decided it would be best if I checked in with Jack and the others after I hunkered down in one of the safe areas to get some sleep.
‘Jack, do you read me?’ I thought to her as I rephased in a small, isolated chamber that had been formed by a tunnel collapse in the recent past.
‘Alex? We were all worried! Where are you?’ Jack answered relief very evident in her voice.
‘I found a safe place to rephase about three tunnels away from your position. Is everyone okay?’
‘Randi, Brie, Peyton, and I are fine. They put us to work as soon as we were shown the kitchen, Alex. They finally showed us our ‘quarters’ a few minutes ago. A piece of burlap to lie on and a ratty wool blanket- can you believe it! We were told to find a place to rest amongst about seventy or eighty others in a damp, dim, forty foot square chamber! It’s a regular Waldorf-Astoria down here, Cap!’
‘Will y’all be able to charge your suits in those conditions, Jack?’
‘I’ve got it charging right now, Alex. It’s suckin’ power right from the bulb above my head as we speak. Have you found the ship yet?’
‘Not yet. I have charted over fifty tunnels so far today, though. If I keep it up I may have this place fully charted in another year.’
‘It’s that big? Wow, I’m impressed! These guys don’t do anything small do they?’
‘Has Chuck checked in yet?’
‘About two hours ago, Alex. He wanted me to let Brie know that he was okay. They gave the guy an office and everything, Cap! The Commandant will be taking him on an inspection tour tomorrow sometime. Maybe he’ll be able to find the research chamber for you.’
‘Maybe, but I doubt it. Only a select few officers will know the specifics. Usually visiting dignitaries are spared the details unless very familiar or very related. I think my best bet is to find one of the Terrans and follow them.’
‘Agreed, Alex. How’s Randi’s equipment performing?’
‘Tell her the stuff is great, Jack. I’ve been using the tactical since we got here and I’m only down a quarter of a bar- I should top up my suit though.’
‘Are you close to a power source, Cap?’
‘I have a go indication on suit charging so I must be near enough to some charged wires, Jack. I’m going to try for some sleep. If you feel or hear anything close by, give a yell.”
‘Count on it, Alex. We wouldn’t want you to get caught too soon, would we?’
‘It’s not at the top of my ‘to do’ list, Jack. Try to get some sleep, hun. Alex out.’
Signing off from Jack’s comm network, I changed into something a little warmer- something that would keep the dampness off me while I slept. I decided to leave my tiara’s tactical system in stand bye, though- just in case.
Day two. At least I think it’s day two! One has a hard time knowing exactly what time of day it is when surrounded by complete darkness. If it hadn’t been for Jack giving me a wake-up call or telling me what time she was told it was, I wouldn’t have known that I had only been asleep for five hours.
My stomach knew exactly what time it was though- time to eat something!
‘Jack, any chance I can grab some chow and not be seen?’
‘Come into the kitchen, Alex. About five feet to my left and down a short tunnel is a storage room. Let me know when you get there and I’ll have something scraped together for you.’
‘Have you and the others had anything yet?’ I asked, almost knowing the answer.
‘You have got to be kidding! I think the mice eat better down here!’
‘Well, sneak what you can, Jack, and make sure the others get their share, too.’
‘Aye, Cap, we all know to keep our strength up. Hey, I’m hearing a lot of voices in your vicinity- be careful!’
‘I see them coming on my tactical, Jack- four Humans and one Terran.’
‘Is Chuck one of them?’
‘No, they’re all red, Jack.’
‘Be careful, Alex’
‘See you in a few minutes, Jack. Alex out.’
I decided to wait a few minutes for the five unknowns to pass by the short blocked tunnel I had rested in. Still, I phased myself out just in case the Terran ‘felt’ me. Until I found out whose side they were on, I resolved to treat everyone displayed in red on my display as hostile until proven otherwise.
“You say that you feel something different in this area, Wilhelm?” A voice said from the other side of the rock cave in.
“A strange feeling I had when I walked by a few hours ago, sir! I do not feel it now, though.” Another voice said.
“I doubt your people have any feelings at all, Wilhelm! You Gypsies have been swindling humanity for years! Throughout history using your tricks, magic, and secrets to get what you want, when you want! How can I be assured this is not another diversion to delay the bell project?” The first voice asked.
“I assure you I am not trying to delay anything, sir! I tell you I felt a presence- a very strong, very powerful presence, in this section of tunnel! Being only meters from the craft research area, I thought you would be more concerned, general?”
“My only concern, Dr. Wilhelm, is that you and your fellow ‘Gypsy Scientists’ discover a way to gain entrance to the bell! The Führer must have its capabilities if he is to achieve his goals! He has no tolerance for delay tactics or inconclusive ‘feelings’!”
“General, if I may, sir. Dr. Wilhelm is the top electrics expert alive today! He will find access to the bell any day now, I personally guarantee it, sir!” Yet a third voice said in defense of the first.
“You better get results quickly then, colonel! The Führer is an impatient man! Now I want to see this bell, colonel!”
“Yes, sir, at once! This way.”
So the Terran could sense me when in phase with this reality? I would have to be extremely careful from now on.
Redressing into my ‘Empress’ garb, I passed through the six-foot thick rock plug between me and the main tunnel and began to follow the five men.
Had I known I was within the same city block as Meridian, I could have tried to get caught last night! Second thought, however, dictated I stay hidden for the sake of my companions. Showing my hand too soon would have the Germans suspicious of how I got here. I could easily consign the entire caravan of new workers to the death squads. I really hoped that I would be able to see at least a small part of how this mission would work out. So far though, I had no clue as to why I couldn’t. Could it be some Terran defensive shield or a long lost ability I knew nothing about?
All I did know was that I had to be extremely careful at all times now!
Within a matter of minutes the ‘Gypsy’ scientist stopped before a nondescript section of seemingly solid tunnel wall. The four SS officers stopped behind him and waited patiently while ‘Wilhelm’ touched several small, differently colored, mineral deposits in the wall.
Above the men, a red stone lit up and, with a sharp click, bright light emanated from a door-sized crack, revealing an entrance.
Unsure of any defense shield in use, I hurried through the five men and moved out of the way behind several cabinets of equipment. My tactical now indicated several Terrans in the large room. In fact there appeared to be twelve Terrans and twenty-five Humans in the aircraft hanger-sized chamber!
“Strange, I thought I felt a draft as we went through the door!”
“Sometimes the air pressure varies in the side tunnels, General. Sometimes it even scatters our research throughout the area!”
Being careful not to contact anything, I cautiously looked out from my hiding spot.
Before me, in the center of the chamber was Meridian! All around her were desks and file cabinets…and people. The vast majority of lamps seemed to be concentrated on her and only small desk lamps provided light for the researchers.
“Why are these lights still on? I ordered them extinguished when the bell has reached full charge! Gasoline is in sparse supply these days! It took me several hours to talk the high command into allocating the meager ration we have just received!” The general shouted in anger.
“The craft has yet to charge to capacity, herr general! Our incandescent lamps severely lack the energy output of full sunlight, thereby hindering the solar collectors in its hull to generate sufficient charge.”
“I want results, Wilhelm, not excuses! Get the bell open!”
“Yes, herr general! We were going to make another try. Would you like to observe?”
“Would it serve any purpose, Wilhelm?”
“We think we might have the combination this time, general!”
“Proceed!”
“Bring in the test subjects!” The colonel shouted as he snapped his fingers.
A dozen frail, destitute looking people were led in with hands tied behind their backs. They were also blindfolded and gagged. Each person was placed around a perimeter of about twenty feet from Meridian. I now noticed several heavy cables running from what looked like a transformer to the wide bottom of the craft.
“Herr General, we need to seek protection behind the lead screen.” Wilhelm motioned for the men to follow him away from the spacecraft.
“Why the test subjects, Major?”
“The belief is that the bell needs a living presence in the near vicinity of the hatch to open. We still have no idea where that is yet, sir. Ready test one hundred and eighty four.”
Someone echoed the order and the lighting dimmed.
“Start the sequencer- code eighty-nine. General, you must protect your eyes, sir. The light given off can blind you in an instant.”
Everyone in the chamber dawned dark, protective, welding goggles as a brilliant white light from Meridian began to fill the chamber. It looked similar in shape to the deflective shield Jack used on our last journey to Pearl Harbor 1941.
I selected eye protection on my suit’s HUD. I hoped that sunglasses would be enough protection. The tiara I was wearing became a full-face helmet and its protective shield came on line. Apparently, Miss Van Pelt had neglected to tell me about this feature!
Several additional generators now sprang to life in the chamber and the light emitted from Meridian intensified by several magnitudes.
Did I just notice several people look in my direction? Was the intense light somehow disrupting my time phasing? I remained still hoping that they had been attracted to something else near me.
The brilliant light grew even more intense and I watched in horror as the people positioned around Meridian shimmered and began to disappear. Not disappearing exactly, but melting away into the floor, their muted, agonizing cries echoing throughout the chamber- even over the drone of the generators.
“Enough!” Someone screamed.
The light’s intensity faded quickly as the extra generators ceased operation. Meridian gently returned to its dull, metallic color.
Not one person remained in the vicinity of the ship! Instead, twelve small discolorations could be seen on the floor in their places!
Twelve innocent people had just been murdered! How many more had perished at the hands of these barbarians? How many more would suffer because of them?
I needed to get out of here I thought, as I disabled my protective helmet and shield.
“The test subjects, where have they gone?”The General said with visible disgust.
“They usually do not survive, herr General.” The major replied frigidly- callously. “Do not worry though, we use only those the Führer has decreed as inferior, herr General.”
That didn’t seem to sit well with the older man. In fact, it didn’t sit well with me either! In my experiences, there was no person on this earth or anywhere in any universe that was any more superior or inferior to anyone else! What monsters these Nazis were! The written accounts of their savagery stood no comparison with the actual beast!
We had to take Meridian away from these heathens before it was used to do more evil- before it could kill more innocent people!
Slowly, carefully, I moved around the chamber and noted the different research stations and who was attending them. Occasionally I would purposely run my hand through something or someone to make sure I was still phased out. All the while I listened to the man called Wilhelm as he continued to cast out theory after theory as to why this trial hadn’t worked.
“We know it requires a living person to open the access hatch- that much is written about in the scrolls! We Gypsies have tried and cannot gain entrance, nor can other races. We have tried both sexes, Herr General, but still we fail. A radio transmission eminates from the craft at such a high frequency that we are barely able to receive it, let alone decode its message. I thought that if played slower, the craft would interpret it and allow access, but this has clearly not worked!”
“If you don’t get this thing working soon, Wilhelm, I shall be forced to find someone who can! Is that understood, ‘Herr Doctor’? The general barked in anger. He turned and headed for the chamber’s concealed door.
“Herr General, wait!”
Reaching for the door’s handle, the General cried out in pain and began to swear. “Why have you shitheads electrified the door? I should have all of you face a firing squad! I want out of this room! NOW!”
“We have placed a strong magnetic field around this chamber to protect the rest of the facility, General! The bell emits radio waves that can be followed by the Allies to target this mine.” The major informed his superior as ‘Wilhelm’ looked on. “Disable the field!”
The green light above the door went red and the major opened the door for the general.
This was my chance to exit also. I wasted no time running through both men as they filed through the door and into the main tunnel.
“There is that strange, cold breeze again!” The General noted as he looked around.
“As I have said, general, it is just the temperature difference in the chamber.”
“Might it also be the tortured souls of those we have just watched die, escaping, major?”
“Our scientists have proven without a doubt those deemed inferior contain nothing of the sort, Herr General! Do you wish to dispute a core belief of the Führer?”
“Do you question my allegiance for the fatherland or to the Führer, major?” The general growled menacingly.
“No, sir!”
“Then leave me! I wish to walk and think of a way to tell the Führer of yet another failure here! Hiel Hitler!”
“Hiel Hitler. Good evening, general.”
I watched as the two men parted ways- the major returning to Meridian’s holding cell, the general, to the section of the mine that contained the living quarters.
“Arrogant asshole! The way we treat those that have been conquered,” The general shook his head as he walked along, “This will come back to haunt us all! How can anyone just decide one life is more important to another? What gives any man the right to assign value to any other?” He asked quietly to himself.
So, some of them actually had a conscious?
“If you will follow me, Colonel Mueller, I will show you more of our facility. Ah, General Sporrenberg! Lucky that we should happen upon you, sir.”
My attention turned to the two men coming toward the general. It was Chuck and another older SS Officer.
“Commandant Kriger, you will forgive me if I cannot join your little tour. I must return to my office to file my report with Berlin. If you will excuse me.” The older man politely excused himself.
“Herr General, I must insist you meet Colonel Mueller, he has been sent to assess this Wunderwaffen facility.” The base commandant pressed the general to stop.
“Oh? I was not made aware of this inspection, Herr Colonel!”
“Nor was I until a week ago, general!” Chuck replied calmly.
“Who sent you, colonel?”
“Sir, I am told the orders came from Himmler directly, though I am surprised, since I have never met him personally.” Chuck replied.
“What is the nature of this visit, Colonel Mueller?”
“I am to observe this facility and report any deficiencies in command and research, Herr General. Though I fear it is to get me away from Berlin for some reason.”
“You have made an enemy and become expendable, Colonel! Tell me, are you married?”
“No, sir, but before receiving this assignment I had just met a stunning blonde Beermaid, why?” Chuck answered, playing his cover story like a true actor.
“Ah! She was already claimed by a higher ranking pair of eyes, Herr Colonel!” The general chuckled.
“So I get sent here? The middle of nowhere- for showing affection?” Chuck responded, becoming more animated.
General Sporrenberg laughed heartily as he turned and continued on his course.
Now that I knew his name, I consulted my little friend to see his fate. I needed to catch up with him.
Waiting for him to stop, I leaned in close. “You must leave. Something disastrous is about to happen that you shouldn’t be involved in.” I whispered into his ear.
“What? Who said that?” The man gasped as he instantly lost all color in his face. He looked around the dank rock walls of the tunnel, searching for the source of the warning.
“If you do not leave now, the blood will be on you, General.” I whispered again.
A slight smell of urine became apparent as the general hurried toward his office area.
‘Alex to Jack? Come in Jack.’
‘Here, Cap. You find the target yet?’
‘Yes and we have to get Meridian out of here before they kill more innocents!’
‘What are they using her for, Alex?’ Jack’s voice became more concerned.
‘I’d rather not talk about it right now, Jack. It’s too disgusting to even think of!’
‘Say the word, Alex and this place becomes a huge lake of molten lava!’
‘You might get your chance, Commander, just be patient for now.’
‘Aye, Cap.’ Jack sounded somewhat disappointed.
‘I saw Chuck earlier. He seems to be holding his own. How are Peyton and Brie doing?’
‘I have a feeling Chuck will be doing the majority of the housework after this is over, Alex.’
‘Working y’all hard, are they?’
‘Let’s just say that there are entirely too many arrogant, disgusting…’
‘Got it, Jack. Remember where we are, Commander! Believe me, what the kitchen slaves are putting up with is far better than the people the Nazis have labeled inferior.’
‘Brie mentioned something about that but wouldn’t go into detail, Alex. Is what the Allies find really that bad?’
‘Worse.’
‘Wow!’
‘Ya, wow!’
Our conversation fell silent for a few minutes.
‘Jack, you still there?’
‘Ya, Alex, still here.’
‘You sound sad, Jack. I didn’t mean to do that, the images just kind of popped in there- sorry.’
‘Cap, what did they ever do to deserve that?’ Jack sounded like she was crying.
‘Wrong place, wrong time, I guess.’ I replied soberly.
‘Are we going to…are you going to…um, help?’
‘As many as I can, Jack. Not nearly as many as I’d like, though.’
Again there was silence as Jack was apparently thinking about my response.
‘Cap, you have company!’ Jack practically screamed at me suddenly.
Checking my tactical, I indeed had company! Twelve hostiles! One red blip pulsing faster than the rest! I quickly phased out and held my breath.
The red blips stopped right outside the rockslide that effectively sealed off the small chamber I was in. I decided to go out and watch what was going on.
Now that I was out in the main tunnel, I was glad of my decision to leave my hiding place! These twelve men, the major from Meridian’s test chamber, ‘Wilhelm’, and ten others with rifles, were planning on clearing the rock cave-in…with dynamite!
“Herr Major, I do not feel the entity any longer. Maybe it can sense us?” Wilhelm informed the SS officer.
“This ‘entity’ as you call it may be capable of hiding from your senses, Wilhelm, but I doubt it can move through solid rock. Sergeant, place your charges!”
“There is one our ancestors claimed could, Herr Major.”
“Fairy tales! Stories told to the meek and feeble-minded to terrorize them into submission! Just like the Allied radio propaganda trying to make the Führer believe the Soviets are nearing Berlin. Huh! Such nonsense!” The major chuckled.
Never had I seen such conceit…wait, I had seen that much smugness before! I wondered if this buffoon was related to Hathor somehow?
A little teasing was definitely in order.
“Herr Major, sometimes fairytales are real.” I whispered into his ear.
The SS officer quickly turned around and tried to catch me in his arms. Of course, that action bore no fruit- just a hard fist to the back of the nearest soldier.
“Herr Major?” Wilhelm asked in concern.
The soldier receiving the hit looked with concern to his superior.
“Nothing. I thought I heard something. Get those explosives placed!”
“I can pass through rock, I also pass through you, Major.” I whispered in his ear again and this time plunged my arm through him a few times.
“Who is there?” He barked! “Show yourself this instant!”
The other men stopped working and looked at their commanding officer with concern as the major searched his surroundings, gun drawn.
“Get back to work!” He screamed at them, noticing that all eyes were on him.
“Do you think I’m that stupid, Major?” I whispered again.
“Show yourself! Who are you?” He screamed out. His voice resonated through the endless tunnels.
“Who is it you hear, Major?” Wilhelm asked innocently.
“A woman! A woman keeps whispering in my ear!”
Wilhelm’s face instantly lost all color and he looked about ready to crumble to the ground!
“It’s her! She has come to judge us!” Wilhelm babbled repeatedly.
“It is nothing but a myth, Wilhelm! You Gypsies and your pagan beliefs! Why the Führer granted you exclusion from those proven inferior, I will never know! It is probably that Gypsy woman in the kitchen, the one brought here two days ago! She is using the same tricks as you to confound us! I shall have her disposed of before this trickery goes too far!”
“A Gypsie woman?” Wilhelm and I said at the same time.
“She arrived on the last supply convoy. A shipment of undesirables from one of our overcrowded work camps.”
“Herr Major, could I see this ‘Gypsy’ woman? It may be possible that she can be swayed to help in our research! I beg you, major; I could use another secretary since you ordered the last one participate in our latest test.”
Bile rose up from my stomach and burned the back of my throat! I had to get back to Peyton, and fast!
I knew I didn’t have much time after I rephased. Wilhelm would surely sense me and bring the storm troopers! Behind me, a sharp explosion indicated that I needed to use another hiding place.
‘Jack, is Peyton with you?’ I asked, reaching another sealed off chamber.
‘No, she went back to the storage area for more flour, why?’
‘The Germans know about her, Jack. The lead scientist, someone named Wilhelm wants to talk to her and make her his secretary.’
‘That doesn’t sound so bad, Alex.’
‘His last ‘secretary’ was used in the latest Meridian test, Jack!’
‘Shit! I’ll tell her to stay there and wait for you, Cap.’
‘I’m almost there now, Jack. You and Brie try to stay calm, okay?’
‘Aye!’
“Peyton, we don’t have much time, I need you to come with me.” I said to her as I appeared in front of her. The tin of flour she was carrying dropped to the ground and a cloud exploded into the air around us.
“Empress! What has happened? Cmdr. Cummins said someone named Wilhelm is coming for me.”
“Take my hand, hun and I’ll tell you about it. We need to phase out before he can sense my whereabouts.” I quickly informed her as I grabbed her hand and we phased out.
Unfortunately, the expelled flour had left unmistakable evidence that two people had been standing there and now were gone- without leaving a trail of flour behind.
I quickly ported us a few feet away- to a clean spot on the floor.
I suddenly heard whistling behind us.
“Boy, Alex, you must have really scared the flour out of ol’ Peyton.” Jack said as she entered to broom up the mess.
“I tell you I felt the Empress in here!” Wilhelm’s voice cried from out in the short passage.
Wilhelm, the major, and four soldiers barged into the room- guns drawn!
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Jack shrieked in Polish as she dropped everything and knelt on the ground.
I wondered what was really going through her head as she produced very believable tears.
“Are you the gypsy?” Wilhelm barked in German as he grabbed Jack’s arm and forcefully pulled her up from the floor.
Jack played her role well. She just stared at the man in terror!
“Are you the gypsy?” He barked again, this time in Polish.
Jack shook her head. She had the terrified part down pat. I just hoped that these men wouldn’t start to explode or something if they pushed her any farther.
“The gypsy woman- where is she?” Wilhelm ordered.
“I have not seen her, sir, our work shifts are not the same.” Jack cried.
“Find the gypsy woman!” The major ordered as he pulled Wilhelm’s hand off Jack’s wrist and shove her to the floor.
All six men stormed out of the small pantry.
Jack stayed on the ground until she felt it was clear.
“And for that, Herr Major, you will definitely pay a high price!” Jack hissed evilly with an expression I had only seen on her face once before. I wondered, for a second, how those two thugs were doing back in Honolulu.
Jack looked around and her expression quickly softened. “All clear, Cap. I’ve got a dampening shield up and Brie is almost here.”
“Peyton, y’all okay?” Brie asked with concern as Jack allowed her entrance through her field. “Hun, why are you an’ Alex covered in flour?”
“Even though warned by the Commander, I admit I am not callus to the Empress’s sudden arrivals. I am sorry for compounding things, Empress!”
“It’s okay, hun, happens all the time- not usually with this kind of result though.” I laughed.
“Thank you, Commander, for cleaning up my mess. Had you not arrived those men would have began to suspect the Empress was real- as we all know she is!”
“Sometimes it pays to listen…huh, Alex?” Jack’s right eyebrow twitched quickly as she smiled at me.
I rolled my eyes in response.
“So, now that we’re all here, what should Peyton’s options be?” I asked, looking at her.
“You want to know what I would like to do, Empress?” Her eyes widened.
“Ya, hun, right after y’all start calling me Alex instead of ‘Empress’!”
“It is a hard habit to break, ma’am…Alex.”
“So, do you think you want to play second fiddle to this Wilhelm character or would you rather me take you home or back to Pearl, hun? You decide, sweetheart.”
Peyton remained quiet for a minute or two.
“Alex?”
“Ya, hun?”
“I think I want to do this, ma’am.” Peyton replied meekly.
“Sweetheart, I want you to decide, there is no ‘I think’ on such a dangerous undertaking. This guy’s last assistant became part of a failed experiment and that SS Major has no qualms about using anybody not considered ‘Arian’ for more testing! In fact, Wilhelm may yet find himself joining his test subjects!”
“How long will I need to acquiesce?”
“I was thinkin’ about tomorrow for the ‘Empress’ to get caught then another day for us to really find and destroy all of the research…then…Jack will get to blow something…ie, someone, up. Think you can holdout that long, Miss Treibche?” I smiled at her.
“Ensign Peyton Triebche reporting for duty, Capt. Steinert!” She stood straight, a look of determination on her face.
“Don’t get overly comfortable with him, Ensign! We still don’t know where his real allegiance falls. Jack, were you able to get a read on him?”
“He’s definitely part Terran, Alex, but aside from that I got nothing specific.”
“He is a descendant of Meridian, Alex, but he seems distracted from putting his full attention to his research, though.” Peyton contributed.
“Ok, he might side our way if you can find out the why, hun. I’d see if he had a wife, children, fiancée’- anything the Nazis would use to coerce him. Jack, I don’t have to tell you to keep an eye on her?
“Aye, Cap.”
“Now Miss Treibche, where would you like to be found?”
“I could use some sleep, Alex.”
“Jack, is it clear for Peyton to appear in the sleeping quarters?”
“Just barely, Cap. The goon squad is almost to that chamber.”
“Okay sweetheart, take my hand and start making yourself sleepy.”
Peyton and I found our selves standing among a sea of people. It was difficult to find a clear place to stand in the almost pitch black chamber. After taking a minute to allow our eyes to adjust, Peyton guided me to her ‘bed’. I motioned for her to lie down and released her hand.
Not a second too soon.
“Check this room next! I want that gypsy found immediately!” The major’s arrogant voice commanded.
I stepped back a few feet as the soldiers, armed with flashlights searched through the sleeping or newly awakened.
“This one! She is the one! Take her!” The major shouted to his men.
“What have I done? Why are you treating me like this? Where are you taking me?” Peyton said in perfect sleep-disturbed Polish.
Within a minute she and the men taking her were gone. A hushed whisper filled the room from those left behind as I hurried to catch up.
I may or may not have allowed myself to phase in and out a few times on my way out of the crowded room.
“Why are you doing this? Let me go!” Peyton was still fighting for all she was worth as I caught up. We were almost back to Meridian’s test chamber.
Pressing the camouflaged keypad, the red light lit, again the door seals retracted enabling light from the chamber beyond to escape through hidden seams, and Wilhelm opened the door. I hurriedly rushed through the Major, Peyton, and Wilhelm as I had before; Peyton’s well being the only constant on my mind.
As I took refuge behind the familiar bank of electrical equipment, there was a comment or two about the supposed door draft again. The group proceeded into the center of the chamber, to where Meridian sat awaiting its next victims.
“These markings, can you read them, Gypsy?” The major asked brusquely in German.
Peyton looked around after he indicated which markings he wanted her to read. She was doing a good job of feigning any knowledge of German.
“Frauline, do you understand these markings?” He asked again, this time in a gentler voice.
Again Peyton feigned ignorance of the language.
“The gentleman asked if you could read these markings, little one?” Wilhelm tried in Polish.
The scared girl nodded.
“And what do they say?”
“Prime Latitude: to better know the world.” She replied fearfully.
Wilhelm looked up at the major with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth.
“Herr Major, she has deciphered more than we have!”
This wasn’t good, she had revealed too much to them!
“How do you know what these mean?” Wilhelm asked with excitement.
“My mother taught them to me when I was a child, sir.” Came her honest answer.
“What is your name, child?” Wilhelm looked at her closely.
“Persephone.”
Wilhelm’s eyes almost popped from their sockets!
“Herr Major, my I have a few minutes to talk some sense into this Gypsy? I fear she does not understand the significance of our efforts here.”
“If she understands the writing, make use of her and get me the results our Führer demands, ‘Herr Doctor’! If she will not cooperate…” The statement was left hanging, as the Major’s smile became pure evil. There was no confusion as to what he meant!
He nodded for the two soldiers to release Peyton into Wilhelm’s custody.
“Do not make me regret my decision!” The major growled as he turned and left the chamber with his men.
Now that the SS Officer and his death squad had gone, I moved in closer to hear Wilhelm’s conversation.
“It is okay to talk to me now, child, I am Gypsy also.” He told Peyton in a calm controlled voice. “Please tell me your real name. I am Lusius, I am leader of this project.” Wilhelm said in ancient Terran.
“I told you, sir, I am called Persephone. It is the only name my mother ever gave me!”
“That is impossible! The name has not been used among our people in well over three thousand years!”
“Then how should I know the correct translation of the ancient text?” Peyton asked politely. “With exception of that foul scribbling so crudely chiseled onto her hull, Meridian 12 looks exactly the way my mother’s images preserved it before launch! Why do you seek to use it as a weapon against the people of Earth?”
Wilhelm pulled back from her in surprise!
“You cannot be here! It is impossible!” He told her again.
“Do you even know the stories of our arrival here, Lusius?” Peyton looked at the man with amazement.
I leaned in close to Peyton’s ear. “Don’t give him too much information, sweetheart!”
Peyton jumped slightly at hearing my voice.
“She’s here! The Empress does exist!” Wilhelm whispered to her as he looked about the room.
“I don’t know who you talk of, sir.” Peyton replied quietly. “And if she really did exist, you should be worried. You all should be very, very worried!”
The smile that appeared on Peyton’s face was not a pleasant one!
“She is not the one I am worried about, Lady Persephone!” Wilhelm smiled back as he waved to the few SS guards in the room. “Take her to my office and make sure she stays there!”
Wilhelm/Lusius, looked around the room again. “Empress of Time and Space, you should leave while you can. These men will use you the way they have used me. They have ways of getting what they want. Get out now, dear Empress!” He whispered loudly in ancient Terran.
Fat chance on that happening!
“I leave no one behind, Lusius!” I whispered into his ear.
I believe the man soiled himself!
As quickly as possible, I checked my tactical and followed Peyton to Wilhelm’s office.
The office to which Peyton had been taken was barely one at all. Except for a steel door roughly fastened into the tunnel walls, it was nothing but the end of the tunnel with a desk, chair, and single desk lamp.
The steel door proved no boundary at all.
‘Jack, are we too far away to erect a tight shield around us, or can you connect Peyton and I mentally?’
‘One shield comin’ up, Cap. You should be good, Alex.’
The slight smell of ozone touched my nose. ‘Thanks, Jack.’
I looked at my newest team member for a long minute. She refused to make eye contact.
“Peyton, what made you give him all that information? You pretty much told him how you got here and that I was here also!”
“I felt disclosure was a better approach, Empress.”
“A better approach to what exactly?”
“To gaining his trust. To finding his weakness! Is that what you wanted me to do?”
“Yes, I wanted you to find out why he works for them, but I didn’t want my friends and family to die for that information, Peyton. What if he tells that major of our existence? My sister and her husband, my first officer and communications officer, you- I’d care not to lose any of you!”
‘That’s what I want to know too!’ Jack added mentally.
“Look sweetheart, this isn’t Hathor we’re dealing with! These guys are ruthless murderers, cutthroats, and thieves! They will be entered into the history books as the most evil regime the world has ever known! You cannot trust anyone here- let alone the scientists themselves! Trust me when I say that they have already killed millions of innocent people- men, women, and children! The Third Reich has already wiped out at least two full generations of people- that is information the world will just find out later this year!”
“He is of my race, Empress! I should be able to trust him!” Peyton argued.
“He is working for the Nazis, Peyton! Whether by choice or force, he is working for them and cannot be trusted! Can you understand that?” I countered.
“I do, ma’am, but…”
“But nothing, sweetheart! He will do what he deems necessary to save or continue his good relationship with them- to not be killed by them!”
‘Alex, he’s coming.’ Jack interrupted. Checking my tactical, I saw he was right outside.
‘Kill the shield, Jack!’ I thought as I motioned for Peyton to be silent.
I phased out just in the nick of time.
“So, you want to tell me what you are doing here, Lady Persephone? Maybe start with how…you got here?” Wilhelm asked after closing the door and locking it.
“I came to reclaim what is rightfully our peoples’!”
“I know it is our peoples’ M’lady! I am just using these arrogant beasts in order to reawaken Meridian. Once done, we shall be able to leave this planet and return to our homeworld!”
“Do you really want to do that, Lusius? Have you considered how much time has already passed? Do you really assume the homeworld is as once described?” Peyton asked logically.
“Have you seen our homeworld, M’lady…as it now appears?”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that information, Lusius!” Peyton said while crossing her arms in front of her and turning her head away from the scientist.
“So you do travel with the Empress of storied legend!” Lusius chuckled at his craftiness.
‘Jack, I need a good solid shield up around us now!’ I thought as I rephased.
‘Aye!’
“And what if she were, Lusius?” I asked.
The man jumped about a foot into the air! An almost unmistakable dark mark appeared in his trousers.
“You are…you are…her! You are…are…the…” He stuttered.
“Yes, Lusius, I’m the Empress! But you can call me the Empress of Time and Space!” I paused to let that soak in.
Good pun, I thought.
“Lady Persephone indeed travels with me and together we are going to return Meridian 12 to its rightful owners, Lusius.” I smiled devilishly.
“You are even more beautiful than the stories can describe!” He exclaimed, his eyes scanning me from head to toe.
“Are you listening to me, Lusius? I said we are here to return Meridian 12 to Egypt.”
“No!” He shouted then looked around. “No! You mustn’t! Many lives will be forfeited if the craft goes missing! Many people dear to me will die!”
It seems to me that you do this willingly, Lusius- for personal gain, maybe?”
“I do this for my people! There are hundreds enslaved in these very tunnels and even more held in containment camps! My family, they are being held in a place called Auschwitz. Unless I get Meridian to function again I will lose them all! I will lose my family.” Lusius looked like he was crazed.
“If your family is in that camp of despair, they are already dead, Lusius! That camp in particular is synonymous with Arian supremacy. It will become forever linked to the ‘Holocaust’- the final solution as the Nazi’s call it to purge those deemed inferior!”
“You cannot know that, oh mighty Empress of Time and Space!”
“You should have listened to those stories of me, Lusius! If you had, you would know that I clearly see the future!”
He looked back and forth between Peyton and I for some time. I decided to illustrate.
“In less than one weeks time this facility and all residing inside it will forever be silenced. A force known as the Soviets- a part of the Allied nations, will arrive to find this entire mine complex collapsed. Not much information will exist to prove this Wunderwuffen project ever existed. Speculation will persist for many years and will become conspiracy theories put forward by many so called UFO- unidentified flying object- experts.”
“But it is a flying object!”
I rolled my eyes.
“We know that, but the world’s population has no clue, nor will it for quite some time, Lusius, if Persephone and I are successful.”
“I can’t let you take it! They will kill me!”
“In case you haven’t been listening, you are already dead, Lusius!”
‘He’s thinking about calling the guards, Alex.’ Jack informed me.
I patted Peyton on the shoulder and winked at her.
‘Drop the shield, Jack.’ I thought just before phasing out.
“Guards! Guards!” Lusius shouted.
Two rifled soldiers immediately entered as he unlocked the door.
“Arrest the woman in gold and take her to see the major!” Lusius ordered without even looking back at me.
“What woman in gold, mein herr?” One of the soldiers asked.
“The Empress! She’s right…“ Lusius stopped suddenly as he turned and realized I was no longer there. He cautiously looked around the room searching for my hiding place.
“Boo!” I said into his ear. I just couldn’t resist!
Peyton let a giggle escape as she realized what I might have done.
“Take this woman out to the test chamber and secure her to the bell!” He ordered, half panicked, half angered.
The men did as ordered and Lusius checked the room once more before closing and locking the door behind him.
For a supposed learned man and half Terran, he really didn’t understand the nuances of the Empress of Time and Space!
I rephased.
‘Jack, can you follow Peyton? They just took her into the test chamber.’
‘I see her, Alex. She’s being accompanied by two armed soldiers and that scientist guy.’
‘Jack, tell the others that the Empress will be coming out earlier than expected, and to be ready for anything!’
‘Aye, Cap, we’re standing by!’
The light on the desk dimmed.
‘I have to go, Jack, I think they’re going to run a test with Peyton as the Guinea Pig!’
‘How can I help, Alex?’
‘Keep those auxiliary generators from starting up if you can, Jack.’
‘I’ll add some sparks and flames if you want, Alex.’
‘Sparks, but no flames, Jack. I didn’t see much ventilation in there.’
‘You got it, Cap.’
I quickly phased out and hurried into Meridian’s test chamber. The two goons had already tied Peyton to a chair and positioned her next to the spacecraft.
How am I going to stop this from happening, I asked myself?
It still amazed me how asking the right question at the right time can reveal things!
I took up position beside Peyton just as Meridian’s protective shield came online. The craft started to radiate a bright light as outside power was fed to it.
“Close your eyes tight, Peyton!” I said into her ear. “Don’t look at the light!”
She nodded her head in acknowledgement. I enabled just my sunglasses using my suit HUD.
The light grew brighter as Wilhelm ramped up the power to Meridian- it’s brilliance reminded me of my transit to Reilly the first time.
My body started to tingle! Similar to the way it had felt five weeks before in 1865 Washington DC. I heard a number of voices shouting around the room as the two auxiliary generators began to crank, start, then sputter and die with sparks flying from them in all directions.
Still my body tingled! I decided to test my time phase and touched Peyton’s shoulder.
Oh, shit! I was back in phase for some reason!
Meridian began to dim.
“Guter Tag, Fraulein.” I heard the major’s voice say from close behind me. I also heard the action of his Luger being pulled back. The business end of a cold steel barrel pushed into the back of my head. “Wir haben einen Besuch vom so genannten `Empress'! Bitte erwartet, wenn Sie sich herum langsam drehen würden? (We have been expecting a visit from the so-called ‘Empress’! Please, if you would turn around slowly?)”
Continuing her mission to 1945 Poland, Alex must find a way to safely secret the Meridian Spacecraft and her team out of the heavily defended Wonderwerks facility and preserve the precious timeline. Will she be able to rescue the hundreds of lost souls locked away in the Wenceslas Mine? Can Alex rescue one very lost, very confused soul in particular?
Onward Episode 6 “Out of the fire, a hero”
Wenceslas Mina, Poland, March 31st, 1945
“Herr Major, wie Sie alle sehen können, bin ich nicht bewaffnet. (I’m not armed as y’all can see, major.)” I said as I followed his order and turned very slowly, the barrel of his pistol didn’t move and I came face to face with it. The Luger now rested gently against my forehead. Trying to remain calm, I mentally brought up my tiara controls on my HUD. I selected Randi’s repulsion shield, but did not finish by mentally ‘selecting’ ‘OK’.
“Ich bin völlig anderer Meinung, mein Fräulein! Tatsache ist, Sie sind mit der tötlichsten Waffe, die je erdacht wurde, bewaffnet! (I disagree completely, Fraulein! In fact, you are armed with the most lethal weapons ever conceived!)” The major leered at me.
What an ass!
“Wie chavinistisch von Ihnen, Herr Major! (How very chauvinistic of you, Major!)” I shot back as I continued to feel the tingle throughout my body. Meridian’s bright shield had dissipated to half its brightness now so I slowly reached to my glasses and removed them from my face.
“Blondes Haar UND blaue Augen! (Blonde hair AND blue eyes!)” The major suddenly seemed shocked by my appearance. “Verzeihung Fräulein. Ich wusste das nicht. (Forgive me Fraulein, I did not know.)”
“Know what, major?” I asked, feigning ignorance.
“That you were one of the ancestors, Fraulein!” He lowered his weapon and quickly turned back to the twelve men holding rifles on me. “I want Colonel Mueller and the Commandant here immediately!” He shouted.
“This woman, why is she here against her will, major?” I asked and pointed to Peyton as two of the soldiers hurried from the chamber.
“I was told she was with you, Fraulein?”
“Why would I have an inferior being travel with me, major?” I asked as I rubbed my chin with my finger and thumb. “Though, she would make an acceptable servant.” I thought out loud.
Peyton glared at me as if suddenly facing the ultimate betrayal!
‘Jack, I need you to untie Peyton when I snap my fingers.’ I thought to her.
‘Aye, Cap.’ She replied.
“I shall release you if…if you will serve me, Persephone, there apparently is no place to run, their technology is too strong. If I am not able to transit time in this chamber nor can you!” I told my angered friend. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she realized my game.
“As you wish, my Empress, you have beaten me…this time.” She acknowledged sheepishly.
“Good, then there is no longer a need for these primitive restraints.” I said quickly as I snapped my fingers.
Peyton’s bonds fell to the floor in pieces. The major stood dumbstruck as he looked down to the tattered ropes lying before him.
“Herr Major, they travel together! She said as much in my officer no more than five minutes ago!” Wilhelm protested as he quickly ventured closer.
‘Wilhelm goes flying on my mark, Commander.’
‘Aye.’
“Who is this insolent, inferior creature to accuse me of anything? Away from me, bug!” I ordered calmly, making a nonchalant flicking motion with my finger and thumb. Wilhelm flew away from us and hit the rock wall of the chamber with a rib-cracking thud! It was a good twenty-yard flight and many mouths fell open in the huge chamber as he slumped to the floor.
I turned my attention back to the major. “Herr Major,” I smiled before reaching for his chin and raising his face slightly to look into his eyes, “You have acceptable hair, but not the proper tint of the eyes! How dare you display the noble symbols of our elite warrior when you are nothing but a commoner- I suspect a half-breed, or less?” An evil grin appeared on my face.
A very audible gulp escaped the SS Officer as the patented Demmit stare bore into his cold-hearted, soul.
“I have been placed in this position by the Führer, Fraulein!” He replied proudly. I could see him quivering slightly though.
“Is that so, Major? And who appointed him to the position, one of my brothers perhaps?” My evil grin became a predatory smile.
“The people of our Fatherland appointed Hitler, Fuhrer!” He answered in cautious pride.
“The people of Deutschland or the people of the Homeland, major?” I asked as my smile became even more dangerous.
‘Alex, Wilhelm has a pistol and intends to use it.’ Jack informed me. I accessed my tiara and brought up my protective shield immediately.
“She is not Aryan! She is a fraud! I shall prove it!” Wilhelm screamed as he pulled the trigger of his Luger until emptying the magazine.
The reports from the shots echoed throughout the chamber as fast as the bullets ricocheted off my shield. Several of Wilhelm’s fellow scientists fell to the floor dead, or grabbed at newly inflicted bullet wounds. One of the ten soldiers left guarding us made a gurgling sound as blood foamed from his mouth. We watched his eyes roll back before he slowly crumbled to the floor. Nine SS soldiers looked extremely worried as they cautiously looked to their fallen comrade.
“Such primitive weapons.” I laughed evilly as I tried not to let the soldier’s slow death turn my stomach. “You dared eliminate me like your fellow commoners?” I asked Wilhelm as he grabbed at his own blood stained, lab coat sleeve.
I noticed that the major was just finishing his own self-examination. He had been lucky enough to be just inside my shield as it came on. That hadn’t been my plan so now I had to improvise.
“Do not count yourself lucky, Major; I am not done with you yet.” I warned. “This man, however…” I angrily pointed to Wilhelm, as I was interrupted.
“Empress, Herr Wilhelm does not understand, M’lady!” Peyton caught my attention just as the major pulled his own gun.
“Maj. Klingenschmidt! You will not harm this human! Holster that primitive weapon now!” I ordered.
“The Gypsy tried to kill you, Fraulein!” He replied in confusion that I knew his name.
‘Bring him to me, Jack.’
‘Aye.’
“I will take care of this annoying pest, Major!” I ordered as I giggled deviously and stared angrily at the wounded man.
Wilhelm flew to within ten feet of me, paused in mid-air a moment then dropped to the floor with a groan. It was not one of this man’s better days!
“How dare you instigate my wrath, Gypsy?” I asked with a sneer. “Not even my sister, Hathor, had the means or courage to defeat me! What makes you think any of you weak, pathetic, humans would fare better?”
“Empress, I beg of you, spare the man, Wilhelm! He is one of our people- a commoner with limited ability, but one of our people nonetheless, M’lady.” Peyton pleaded with me as if scripted.
“I spare your life and you dare make demands of me, Persephone? Pledging one’s servitude does not usually include an appeal for a life to be saved!”
“He has obviously been misled by the writings of your conquests, M’lady, or he would not willingly serve these charlatans!”
“Charlatans? We are the Third Reich- the chosen ones! We are the re-emergence of the Aryan race!” Maj. Klingenschmidt spat as he proudly argued the misguided teachings of this terroristic regime.
The tingling in my body had subsided somewhat more as I carefully, deviously, made myself look like the exact opposite of the idealized Empress of legend. The longer I BS’ed these Nazis, the better chance I stood of phasing Peyton and I out of harm’s way.
“Major, how can you claim Aryan status- how can any of you claim that standing, if you are but simple commoners?” I raised an eyebrow. “Do you claim abilities high above your fellow humans? Can you see into the mortal mind with vivid clarity? Can you transit time, dimension, and space as Persephone or I can? Are you even able to see that your beloved Fuhrer is, at this moment, cowering in a subterranean shelter in some place called Berlin, contemplating suicide with another commoner, one Eva Braun?” I questioned- lectured.
‘Jack, relay everything he’s thinking to Peyton and I until I say otherwise.’
‘Aye.’
‘This woman cannot be Aryan even though she matches the ancient, prescribed profile!’
“I assure you, major, I am exactly who I say I am!”
The major’s expression became befuddled.
‘Her appearance here has to be some Gypsy trick- something learned from the magicians!’
“I am no illusionist, Maj. Klingenschmidt! My abilities flow from my obvious superiority and proper breeding! I am no Gypsy!”
‘Is she reading my mind? What other magic does she possess?’
“Does it bother you that I so easily read a commoner’s mind, Major? Oh, you wish to see what other magic’s I possess? Allow me to show you.” I said calmly and with the same predatory smile.
‘Jack, I’m going to hand this little show over to Peyton for a few minutes.’
‘Aye, Cap.’
I began laughing. “Persephone, would you care to have some fun?” I looked in her direction, my smile never faded.
“Sister?” Peyton began to smile.
Klingenschmidt looked between us in puzzlement.
“You…you just made her your servant!”
“A game, herr major! Thousands of years ago we tired of simply crushing and enslaving the inferior peoples of this planet! Persephone and I decided to play the ultimate game of the hunt, one going after the other through the ages in an attempt to entertain ourselves. Immortality has become so boring since you commoners decided to wrench the planet from us.” I feigned a yawn. “I yearn for the old days when Persephone, myself, and our brothers drew lots and placed bets on the lives of your ancestors!” I made my last statement sound heartless- despicable!
“Alexandra, it has been so long since I have wracked a commoner’s mind, may I indulge?” Peyton now sported a predatory grin and a similar vocal tone.
I answered by raising my hand toward Klingenschmidt.
“Have you noticed, Herr Major,” She asked with a gleam in her eyes and an evil hiss, “that all your soldiers are of African origins?” Peyton simply nodded to the nine remaining guards.
“That is not possible; they have all been hand picked by me!”
“Herr Major, what is your Fuhrer’s edict on Afrikaners?” I pressed.
Klingenschmidt turned around and gasped at the sight of nine dark-skinned SS soldiers. Staring at them a moment, he drew his gun and shot every one of them!
“Your Fuhrer would be proud, major!” I congratulated him sarcastically.
“What is going on here?” An older male voice demanded from the chamber’s entrance.
“Herr Commandant, why was I assigned African soldiers? You know the Fuhrer’s rules on such things!” Klingenschmidt cried as he casually changed the clip and re-holstered his pistol.
“What are you talking about, Major, I see no black skins!” The older officer asked in confusion.
“Major, what is the meaning of this? Why are these women in this test chamber?” Colonel Mueller asked. My brother-in-law was playing his part well.
“These men, they have the dark skin of Africans!” Klingenschmidt turned around to look at the ten dead men- ten dead white men. He turned back and stared at Peyton, perplexed.
“These women! They made me kill my men!” He immediately pointed to us.
Feeling the tingling in my body finally fade, I tried passing my hand through the chair Peyton had been tied to.
“How would mere women convince an SS Major that his own men were not his men?” Chuck…Col. Mueller questioned.
“Commandant, these women are our ancestors- true Arians!” Klingenschmidt argued as he turned to survey his handywork again.
‘We’re done here, Jack. Peyton and I need to disappear from the Commandant’s memory, though. Let Chuck know Peyton and I are going to phase out.’
‘Aye.’
I phased us out.
“What women, Major? I see no women in this chamber!” Mueller asked, slightly angered.
“The Empress and her sis…” The major stopped midsentence after turning back around to see that the two of us were gone.
“Colonel, you will see to it that the major remains in his quarters until his court marshal?” The Commandant requested of Chuck.
“Yes, sir, Commandant. Major, if you will come with me?” My brother-in-law ordered with a sneer. He drew and waved his pistol in the direction of the entrance door.
Peyton and I watched as Chuck…Col. Mueller disarmed then escorted the severely rattled major out of the huge test chamber. Wilhelm stood off to our left holding his shoulder and looking around at the carnage left by his and Maj. Klingenschmidt’s actions.
I tightened my grip on Peyton’s hand and led her over to the shocked scientist.
“Do you need further proof of my existence and my reason for being here, Lusius?” I asked, leaning close to his ear.
All color drained from his face again as he slowly shook his head in response.
“Are you willing to allow Persephone to assist you with Meridian now?”
He nodded.
“We will meet you in your office, Lusius, and do come alone!”
We didn’t wait for any acknowledgement as Peyton and I casually walked through the desks and monitoring equipment and back the short hallway to his office.
“Alex, you really had me wondering whose side you were on.” Peyton informed me as our hands parted. “You can be very frightening when you want to be.”
“I was actually terrifying myself, sweetheart. It is all too easy to embrace the dark side.” I admitted.
“Alex, why didn’t you just phase out when that officer held his weapon to you?”
“I was trying to. There’s something about Meridian’s protective shield that nullified my phase shift. I felt a tingling running through my whole body as Lusius ramped up the power. It took several minutes to subside enough that I could reactivate my gift. Thanks, Peyton, for playing along. Altering his perspective gave me the time I needed to recover.”
I noticed a tear roll down her cheek.
“Honey, what is it? I thought you would be happy to get away from that arrogant SS major?”
“Ma’am,” She sniffed, “I made a man kill today.”
I saw where this was going.
“Hun, you didn’t make him do anything like that! You changed his visual perception of those men. You didn’t make him kill them!”
“I did! I used his racial discrimination to make him kill!”
No! His own brainwashing left him no other choice but to pull the trigger, Peyton! These Nazis, they consider every race of people other than their own inferior! Sweetheart, the shelling that we heard on our arrival? That was the Allies liberating the work and prison camps scattered throughout Poland! Work camps that unquestioningly carried out Hitler’s order of a ‘Final Solution’- mass annihilation of the Jewish people! Think about how many Terrans lost their lives at Hathor’s hand, Peyton, now take that to the third power! They are monsters! Klingenschmidt is a product of this regime! He had every chance, every opportunity to renounce the sadistic beliefs of this ‘Third Reich’. He didn’t, instead he embraced them- practiced them! He knowingly acted on his false perception!”
“Empress, is what you say true?” Lusius asked from beside us. Neither one of us had heard him enter. “I had heard mention of this ‘final solution’, but heard no specifics.”
“Sit down, Lusius, you are not going to like what you hear, I’m afraid.” I lowered my head slightly as I thought about all the wasted lives.
“I heard you say that the Allies were just starting to liberate the work camps, but you gave details that only someone from the future would know. How?”
“Lusius, Alex really is the Empress of Time and Space. She has the ability to not only see the future, but to travel there too.” Peyton told the man.
“Let’s not forget the ability to travel to the past also, sweetheart.” I added.
“My family…” He mumbled as he looked to either side of the room.
“As of this date, your adapted family is no longer alive…I’m sorry. All have been euthanized because they filled no useful purpose.”
“They promised my family would be unharmed if I cooperated.”
“I’m sorry that you believed them- though I can understand why.”
“Lusius, help us take Meridian away from them- before they use it for more terrifying deeds than have been done here.” Peyton pleaded with him.
“I must continue my experiments. If I do not discover the secret of Meridian, they will kill me and everyone working with me!”
“Lusius, they intend to kill everyone in this complex in a few days! The unofficial history states that sixty scientists and an unknown amount of civilians’ parish when the SS detonates every shaft, every tunnel, and every chamber of this mine! That is why we are here- to make sure that does not happen- we are here to save lives.”
“But the secret of Meridian?”
“Must stay a secret! The Nazis must never obtain access to the Meridian 12, Deep Space Explorer. This world is not ready for knowledge of an alien race crash landing and surviving alongside the people of Earth. There will be a time- several decades into the future, where information begins to surface about us, but until that time arrives, all this must stay buried!”
“How do you intend to suppress such information, Empress? There are hundreds of people in these tunnels. The odds that someone will slip are high.”
“We have our ways, Lusius.”
“Why not just slip into the cavern and take the craft, Empress? Why the cloak and dagger?”
“Because the Nazis must think this Wunderwaffen project is a failure- a dead end. That somehow the experiment caused some catastrophic accident and that everything- everyone was lost!” Peyton explained for me.
“Well put, sister.” I congratulated.
“But you do intend on taking the craft?” Lusius asked.
“We do, indeed.”
“When?”
“At the time of my choosing. Certain details must fall into place before Meridian again departs a planet for the stars.” I said cryptically. “Right now, though, Persephone and I must talk in private.”
“So you want me to leave my office?”
“Nothing of the sort, hun, we’ll be right back.” I told him as I took Peyton’s hand and we phased out.
“You don’t trust him, Alex.” Peyton declared as soon as the scientist began looking around the room for us.
“Not as far as I can throw him, sweetheart. I could never trust a man that continually tries to read my mind. Even Tibius asked before doing it. I believe the Terrans have a law to that effect?” I looked at my young companion and smiled.
She nodded. “So what do we do?” She asked, watching the man move shelves and tap at various places along the walls.
“Are you able to read him, sweetheart?” I inquired.
“When his concentration is broken, yes, but mostly I can feel his emotions and predict what he will do all the time.
“I see.” I re-examined the images of the coming day in my mind. “Do you know how to gain access to Meridian?”
“My mother told me that its commander ordered Meridian be set to open at the request of the Empress, Alex, so you are the only one it will recognize.”
I leaned over and kissed her forehead.
“What was that for, Alex?” She asked, looking at me strangely.
“For confirming that I’m doing the right thing, sweetheart. You see, I’ve known since we left Pearl that you were holding out on us.” I smiled.
“What? How did you know about that?”
“I talked to your mother when Tibius and I took Anna-Beth back home. Your mom talked for hours about their arrival here and how, fearing the indigenous people of Earth would find other uses for Meridian and possibly use it to conquer Terra, set the controls to only accept the Empress’s voice pattern. It was silly, really- just a last ditch effort to lock out all possibility of misuse or theft of technology. They were surprised when a voice print file was found by the flight computer and enabled.”
“You talked with momma?”
“Sure did, sweetheart. I told her how you stowed away with Hathor’s raiding party and helped defeat her at Kili Island. She was overjoyed that you chose to fight on the Empress’s side- mentioning that you fought for the liberation of both upper and lower kingdoms during her imprisonment. I believe they may even have erected a statue to you in Memphis, hun!”
“I don’t want a statue of me. Many of my friends died to free the kingdom; they each deserve that honor instead.”
“Yes.” I said quietly, brushing a few stray hairs from her face with my free hand. “You’ll do nicely.” I smiled at her before rephasing us.
Peyton continued staring at me, wondering what I meant as we reappeared. Lusius jumped with a start.
“It is settled then. Persephone will assist you in your efforts to gain access to Meridian. I am to be alerted to any discoveries before the SS, is that understood, ‘Wilhelm’?”
“You do not know how it works, Empress?”
“Of course I know how it works, hun.” I giggled.
“Then tell me so that we can escape this prison!” He replied impatiently.
“Must you skip to the last few pages of a good book, Lusius?” I laughed. “You will take good care of my sister, Lusius. See that no harm comes to her.”
I phased out than back in again. Lusius jumped higher this time.
“Oh, almost forgot. Meridian’s external shield is meant for protection against intense solar radiation, asteroids, micro meteors, and nulling the crushing effects of black holes, not triggering the door lock, Herr Scientist! My advice would be to try something else that does not melt test subjects into smoking puddles, comprende?”
I phased out and walked out of the room.
Wenceslas Mina, Poland, April 1st, 1945
‘Jack, today’s the day.’
‘About time! I don’t think I can take any more of these Nazi assholes!’
‘Just hold it back for a few hours more, Commander. Let it build within you.’
‘Then all hell is unleashed?’ She thought to me with a certain amount of excitement.
‘No, not quite, Jack, but it will certainly make you feel better, I guarantee it.’
‘You mean I don’t get to blow anything up like you promised?’ Jack sounded disappointed.
‘I didn’t say that, Jack. You’ll get to blow things up. I’d never take that from you.’ I told her as I physically smiled.
‘Oh, okay.’
‘How’s Brie and Randi doing?’
‘Chuck came down late last evening and took Brie to do his personal cooking and cleaning. I think she spent the night in his quarters. Randi is climbing the walls and occasionally I catch her talking to herself…I mean, not really talking to herself- more like talking to her Reilly suit. She can’t wait to access Meridian’s computers!’
‘So Brie spent the night with an SS Colonel. I wonder if this is that…nope, oh good!’
‘Alex?’
‘Nothing, Jack, I just thought that maybe…never mind. I’ll let you know when to start rounding people up, okay?’
‘Aye, Cap. It shouldn’t be much of a problem. The Krauts seem to be busy with other things this morning- if it is morning that is.’
‘It’s quiet because they received orders from Himmler yesterday to destroy this base and everyone in it- no exceptions. You and Peyton can start putting a bug in the locals’ ears about meeting in the test chamber, but wait for my order to trigger it.’
‘Got it, Cap. I’ll be waiting…just slaving away in this rat infested, kitchen…’
I phased out and left my second hiding place and walked through a few solid rock walls to find myself in ‘Wilhelm’s’ office.
“I just cannot seem to find the right sequence!” His voice whined as I emerged from the rock wall of his office.
“Are you sure it is not a homing beacon, Lusius?” Peyton asked calmly. I noticed the slight grin on her face as I appeared in front of her. I stopped right behind Wilhelm’s chair- his elbows firmly planted on the desk before him, his hands holding his head in consternation.
“Why a homing beacon? Wouldn’t they have come for us several millennia ago if they were coming at all?” His voice sounded very despondent.
“Well, it looks like we’ve made no progress at all.” I said loudly, making Wilhelm jump.
“If some useful hints were given, there might have been progress!” He whined.
“If I had given you any useful hints at all, you and the SS storm troopers stationed here would be out there somewhere corrupting another peaceful planet!” I growled in anger as I swept my hand overhead.
“I told you that I despise these barbarians. Why do you continue to doubt that, Empress?”
“Haven’t you been able to read my mind yet, Herr Wilhelm?” I smiled as I asked.
“I cannot see your thoughts, no.”
“But I can see yours, Lusius. Not only that, but I can see many outcomes to many different scenarios in your future. Only one of which, by the way, has you playing on the right side!”
“And which specific fate would that be, Empress?”
“First off, fate has nothing to do with which way your allegiance sways. It is a conscious decision on your part as to what is right or wrong. Secondly, I am not here to influence your future. You still disappear completely from this world- most likely killed in the collapse of the complex. Our mission is to recover Meridian and return it to those who understand its purpose and use.”
“But the Empress is kind and understanding, the stories convey that explicitly!”
“So now you’ve read the stories, how convenient! They also tell of how the Empress punishes those that have done evil, Lusius! Tell me, how many innocent people have stood before Meridian 12’s shield and paid the ultimate price? How many people have you sacrificed in order to give Hitler his ultimate weapon and save your ass? I don’t think that is something to be rewarded for, do you?”
“But it was only to protect my family, Empress!”
“To quote a phrase from back home, hun, ‘Horseshit’!” I said seriously as I glared at him. I felt Peyton gently take my hand. “You’ve never had a real family here, Lusius. The Mossbergs…they only supplied you with authenticity! I doubt you even know what a meaningful relationship is- though, you are quite resourceful at saving your own butt! Did the Nazi’s promise to take you along with them, Lusius? Did you really think that would happen- that they would actually honor that agreement? Seriously?”
Wilhelm’s face turned beat red and he abruptly jumped from his chair for the door.
“Jack, our friend needs a thump to the head, please.” I said aloud.
The scientist’s head noticeably jerked and Lusius…Wilhelm…whoever he was, dropped to the floor unconscious.
“It’s time, Jack. Round up everyone you know to be innocent and meet us in the test chamber. Either carefully avoid the demolition crews or disable them. I don’t care which; let them decide.”
‘Aye, Cap, we’ll be right there.’
“Alex, what will we do with him?” Peyton pointed to the motionless man on the floor.
“We bring him along, of course! Did you think the Empress would ruin her hard earned reputation for this bilge?”
“Of course not, ma’am, but there is always a first time- especially if it were warranted- like it is here.”
“That time will arrive all too soon, sweetheart.” I looked down for a moment. “Come on; let’s get down to stealing us a spacecraft!”
‘Alex, they’ve begun setting charges at the mouth of the mine!’ Jack’s voice sounded excited.
’Where’s Chuck and Brie, Commander?’
‘Brie is helping Chuck to the Test chamber as we think.’
‘He took one for the team?’
‘Aye, Klingenschmidt, hit him pretty hard and escaped, Alex.’
‘Hurry and get everyone here, Jack, they intend to corral everyone in the center of the mine.’
‘What about the major?’
‘He’s going to stow away on Meridian, Jack.’
‘But, I thought the major was a bad guy, Cap?’
‘Sometimes we have to save the bad guys as well, Commander.’
‘In that case, I’d like to lodge a formal complaint, Capt. Steinert!’
‘Duely noted, Commander Cummins. Now y’all get those people here, pronto!’
‘Aye, Ma’am!’
‘Jack?’
“Ya, Alex?’
‘Start your power-up when y’all reach the chamber door.’
‘Aye! Hey, just met up with Brie and Chuck, Alex!’
‘’Is Chuck okay?’
‘He’s a little shaky on his feet yet, but Brie did good! I’ll help her out from here on.’
‘Let me know when you get to the door.’
‘Here now, Alex. No sign of Klingenschmidt though.’
‘He’s here already, Jack. Just get those people in here.’
A loud groan echoed through the chamber as the camouflaged, reinforced steel door yielded to Jack’s mind. All eyes and weapons turned to see the door fly halfway across the cavern. It narrowly missed Meridian!
Now it was my turn to surprise the enemy! I rephased Peyton, a still unconscious Lusius, and me behind the main control console.
“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?” I shouted out through the huge cavern. “Allied forces are just fifty miles from this facility! The SS has been ordered to conceal any and all evidence that this complex ever existed! In a few short minutes this chamber will be flooded with soldiers with only one order- kill everyone!”
‘Jack, I need all the guards disarmed now!’
The sound of weapons hitting the floor in pieces filled the chamber. Several uniformed men ran for the door.
“You soldiers! I strongly suggest you surrender and offer no resistance! My sisters will not harm you unless provoked!”
Several uniformed soldiers flew from the door and landed several feet behind us- the solid rock wall stopping them hard.
The shocked scientists in the chamber eyed their flight path with opened mouths and frightened expressions.
“Resistance is futile!” Brie shouted out with a smile as she and the rest of my team started to lead over three hundred refugees into Meridian’s test chamber.
“The Nazis’ aren’t that far behind, Alex.” Jack advised as she drew closer. “It would be nice if we could get Meridian’s hatch open now.” She pointed to the dislodged hanger type door. It again took to the air and hovered overhead until everyone was inside before ramming itself back against its original doorframe, which miraculously bent itself against the large door, effectively sealing the chamber once more.
“Ask and you shall receive, Commander.” I smiled.
Making my way through the gathered crowd down to the spacecraft, I touched its metallic skin. The material felt smooth and maybe even a little slippery- as if having a thin sheen of oil spread on it. Several people had made comments about my clothing and several more even tried to touch me to see if I was real.
Someone even pinched my ass!
I smiled at all of them and assured the ones that asked if I was indeed the Empress. Jack lifted Wilhelm off the floor beside a struggling Peyton and levitated him nearby.
A hush quickly fell over the crowd.
“Meridian Twelve, please open your outer hatch so that the Empress of Time and Space may enter.” I said loudly in ancient Terran. There was some mumbling from the remaining scientists in the room.
“Specify password for voice print verification, please.” A female voice that sounded similar to my own Alexis’ responded. It echoed throughout the cavern.
“OakridgeEmpress8716.” I replied, again in ancient Terran.
“Password accepted. Welcome aboard, Empress.” The voice acknowledged.
A rectangular seam became visible on the craft’s smooth hull and the resulting door slid open revealing a dark, inner room. No other door was visible. A gasp escaped the scientists and most of the crowd.
“Commander, put our sleeping guest in the airlock, please then prepare to start boarding these people immediately! Randi and I will exit and reseal the inner airlock door. That should reopen the outer door! Randi, are you ready to acquaint yourself with Meridian 12?”
“I’ve been holding my breath for three long days, Alex- can’t wait!”
The two of us entered Meridian’s airlock chamber and the outer hatch closed automatically as suspected.
“Bridge.” I commanded.
The vastly larger-than-expected airlock immediately started moving like an elevator. If the pulsing light directly in front of us was any indication, we traveled up about four floors before coming to a stop.
“Time to get out of this dress.” I said as my suit took on its default form.
“The standard Reilly suit, Alex?” Randi questioned.
“It is a spacesuit after all, hun.” I replied casually. The comfortable garment felt wonderful after wearing the sheer, revealing dress and heels for almost three days straight. My tiara remained on my head though.
“Didn’t realize it was, Skip, but good idea.”
‘Jack, flight crew to default Reilly suits.’
‘Aye, Cap.’
“Welcome to the Command Level, Empress.” The woman’s voice greeted as an unseen door opened in front of us. We had more than a few yards to walk before exiting into the compartment!
The room before us measured about forty to forty-five feet in diameter, its sides filled with equipment consoles or cabinets with readouts and blinking indicator lights of all colors. Several seats were distributed about those consoles as well as several in the middle of the room.
“Meridian hun, are you equipped with an external processor interface port?” I asked the craft.
“Affirmative.”
“Could you direct my companion to it, please?”
“Is external device compatible with Meridian interface protocols?”
“I speak over seven thousand different OS Protocols and am fluent in Binary!” Randi told the computer in an indignant tone. “I think I’m compatible!”
“It’s okay, hun, she’s part of my rescue team. Let her interface with you.”
“Device will proceed to station Alpha-zero-four.”
A light started flashing to indicate the location in the room. I motioned for Randi to go have fun.
“Meridian, what is your crew capacity?”
“Three hundred with four months of supplies, three hundred and twenty without supplies.”
“I don’t think so! I am not THAT old school, Meridian!” Randi exclaimed, her voice raising an octave as well as in volume. It drew my attention momentarily.
“I absolutely refuse to connect to a wired interface!” She paused and angrily stared at a cable of some sort in her hand. “We’re going to do this my way, old girl!”
“Problems, Lieutenant?” I asked Randi.
“Establishing wireless communication with Meridian A.I., Alex! She wanted me to connect through my physical network port!”
“So what’s wrong with that?”
“You would know what was wrong with that if you knew where my network port is located, skip!”
“I would imagine it’s real close to your reset, right?”
“How did you know that, skip?” Randi blushed profusely as her mouth dropped open.
“Experience with a previous revision, hun. Mind your console, Lieutenant.” I motioned her to turn around toward the console.
Randi silently, slowly, turned back to her control panel, her eyes continued to stare at me with deep concern until she had to turn her head away. I returned my attention to the problem at hand.
‘Jack, we have a problem. Meridian can only hold three-twenty, max. How many did you count?’
‘I lost count at three-fifty. Rough guess…three-seventy-five, Alex.’
“Meridian, we have to rescue three hundred and seventy-six. Is there any way to accomplish that?”
“Gravitational thrusters cannot manage equilibrium or sufficient repulsion with requested payload.”
“She’s right, Alex.” Randi confirmed. “Meridian’s fuel cells are at four-five percent. I doubt she would have the power to lift off with just us six onboard.”
‘Cap, the main tunnel entrance just collapsed. Are we ready to go yet?’ Jack suddenly interrupted.
“Meridian, we need to squeeze everyone in here. I’ll leave it to you to distribute them to all habitable levels.”
“Acknowledged, Empress.”
‘Stuff those people into the airlock, Jack, you, and Brie get up here now! Let Chuck and Peyton handle loading. I want to know when everyone is aboard.’
‘Aye Cap, we’re on our way.’
“Meridian, if you had an additional power source, could we achieve takeoff?”
“Only if gravitational balance can be achieved, Empress.”
“She means if we were already in space, Alex.” Randi translated.
“I know just the person, Miss Van Pelt.”
“You mean you’re going to transport this whole ship out into open space, Skip?”
“I’ve done it before, hun.” I replied nonchalantly.
“But we’re inside a mountain, Alex!”
“I was in the middle of a volcano the last time- shouldn’t be any different.”
“It’s a freakin’ Tardis!” Brie shouted excitedly as the airlock door opened to our compartment.
“What’s a Tardis, Brie?” Jack asked in complete confusion.
“Nothing you’d understand until the mid sixties, Jack.” She told her with a roll of her eyes.
“Time And Relative Dimension In Space.” I deadpanned. I really didn’t know how I knew that though.
“Huh?” Jack responded.
I simply shrugged my shoulders.
“Jack, how’s your energy buildup coming?” I asked, but then I noticed the sweet smell of ozone in the air as she neared.
“Never mind, Commander, it was a dumb question. How’re Chuck and Peyton doing outside?”
“Meridian reports six of ten levels are filled to capacity, Captain.” Randi informed us. “She estimates another ten minutes before payload is secure and recommends we start our preflight.”
“Is she capable of taking power from the mine, Randi?”
“Asking right now, Alex.” Randi sounded a bit rushed. “The electricity from the mine is incompatible without conversion, Alex, so no. She HAS located a source of compatible power however.” Randi turned from her console and nodded over to Jack.
“Me? How am I a power source?”
I just stared at her a minute with one raised eyebrow.
“Let her pull power from you, Jack. Meridian?”
“Yes, Empress?”
“Hun, Cmdr. Cummins here is going to release some of her energy. Don’t take more than she can release or you both may malfunction.”
“Acknowledged.”
I nodded to Jack to proceed and she closed her eyes to concentrate.
“It’s working, Skip. Meridian’s fuel cells are starting to recharge.”
“Good, Miss Van Pelt. How’s the preflight going?”
“System checks are proceeding, but I’m not able to access flight systems, Alex.”
“Any idea why, Lieutenant?” I asked flatly.
“We need a pilot, Alex. I’d recommend a Terran pilot.” Randi sounded a bit worried now.
“Payload status, Randi.” I ordered, already knowing the perfect candidate.
“Eight-five percent, Alex.”
“Jack, have Peyton get up here on the double! Chuck can handle the rest on his own. Have him check in once he’s got the outer airlock closed.”
“Aye, Cap.”
“Alex, systems preflight is completed and Meridian is go for thruster warm-up once our pilot arrives.” Randi informed me.
“Brie, you take environmental controls and make sure all levels have fresh air, heat and light. Oh, and make sure all the heads are online too, there is going to be reason to use them.”
“Aye, Skipper…um, where would they be located?” She replied.
“The control console is right next to me, Brie.” Randi motioned to the station to her left and patted the seat. “The nearest head is over there.” She pointed to a door with the figures of a man and woman on it.
“What about me, Cap?” Jack asked sounding slighted.
“Where do you think you should be, Jacquelyn Cummins?” I exclaimed in disbelief. “Did you really have to ask that- unless, of course, you need to use the head?”
“No, I just wasn’t sure if the supplemental power source had a designated seat, Alex!”
“You’re next to me, Commander.” I pointed to the leftmost of three seats in the center of the room.
“You needed to see me, Alex?” Peyton asked as she exited the airlock and looked around in amazement. “Wow, you would never guess she was this big from the outside!” She gushed.
“Peyton, Meridian needs a pilot. Think you can handle it?”
“Momma was the pilot, Alex, not me!” She replied in distress.
“I know she taught you how to fly her, hun, I talked with her, remember?”
“I have simulator time on the Meridian series, Empress, it’s not the same!” She emphasized.
“It’s better than nothing, hun, besides, I know you can do it. Take the seat.” I pointed to the empty console in front of the three Command seats. “Take the helm, subcommander!” I used her mother’s rank deliberately.
“Meridian, please start flight system preflight.” Peyton asked the ship quietly as she took her seat and looked at the console before her in wide-eyed amazement.
“Valid rank accepted. Valid pilot login is required.”
“Um…Persephone.” Peyton said timidly as she looked around on the console for something.
“Valid pilot recognition failed, please specify credentials.”
“Empress, this isn’t working!” Peyton cried. “This wasn’t part of the simulation!”
“Peyton, state your parental lineage,” I told her calmly.
“Meridian, I am Persephone, daughter of Natalia and Ahm-Shu- niece of Anna-Beth, Commander of Meridian 12. I am certified with one thousand hours on the Meridian series flight trainer, version epsilon, delta, six.”
Jack, Brie, and Randi immediately looked over at the girl in disbelief.
“Credentials meet recommended criteria. Flight system preflight checklist will commence, Subcommander.”
Peyton looked back at me with a frightened smile. I simply smiled back at her. She quickly turned around and began to touch the console at different points, nodding as she mentally stepped through the checklist.
“So she’s Anna-Beth’s niece? Is that the reason you let her stay in 2028, Alex?”
“Partially, Jack. Her mother and aunt asked me to teach her some responsibility. They considered her plan to take on Hathor independently, irresponsible and reckless.”
“And they wanted you to teach her the proper techniques? Did Anna-Beth even remember how you took Hathor on, Alex?” Jack asked with a slight smirk and a single raised brow.
“Skipper, Meridian reports that all hands are aboard and the outer hatch has been secured. Chuck was the last through it.”
“Thank you, Miss Van Pelt. Peyton, how soon until we can launch?” I shifted my attention to our pilot.
“Almost finished, Skipper, another minute or two!” She replied in a very nervous tone.
“Jack, tell Chuck to get up here and strap in. This is not going to be a smooth trip!”
“Skipper, Meridian’s fuel cells are only at eighty-five percent. We don’t have enough power to break Earth’s gravity!”
“Let me handle that, Miss Van Pelt.” I told her.
The ship suddenly shook violently.
“Peyton, we’re out of time. Unless I miss my guess, the Nazi’s just blew the rest of the side tunnels. This chamber is last on the list.”
“Starting thrusters, Skipper.” She said, quickly touching a dozen sequential points on the panel in quick succession.
“What the hell was that?” Chuck shouted as the airlock door opened. “Holy shit, it’s a bleedin’ Tardis!” He exclaimed in an exaggerated British accent as he looked around the compartment.
“Meridian, this is Maj. Charles Mason, Earth Defense Force. Sit down and fasten your seatbelt, Charles.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Welcome aboard, major.”
“Thanks, ma’am.” Chuck answered, looking around.
A high pitched whine began to fill the compartment- like a whole group of jet engines winding up, my shared memories told me. Several alarms sounded from Peyton’s console.
“Skipper! Thruster banks five, eight, and twelve refuse to start, what should I do?”
“Keep trying them, Peyton. I know they’ll start.”
“Alex, the Nazis’ are about to breach the test chamber!” Jack shouted in excitement.
“Can you throw them a little roadblock, Jack?”
“Only if I get to blow something up, Alex.”
The air around us grew sweeter and began to crackle!
“Let out your frustrations, my friend.” I said calmly with a wide smile.
The ship shook and vibrated even more severely than before!
“Outer shields holding at ninety-five percent, Skipper. Proximity sensors indicate no sign of previous life forms in the immediate vicinity around Meridian.” Randi announced as she again turned from her console, this time staring silently at Jack. She looked disappointed.
The volume of the thruster whine increased three-fold in the compartment.
“All thrusters are now online, Skipper.” Peyton announced sounding relieved. “Awaiting your orders.”
“Where am I? What is this place?” Wilhelm drunkenly asked as he started to come to.
“Jack, I don’t need him awake right now.”
“Aye.”
Wilhelm’s head immediately jerked back again as if taking another roundhouse to the chin.
“Problem averted, Alex.” Jack smiled brightly.
“Meridian, I need all-hands on the squawk.”
“Please repeat request, Empress.”
“I want to make an announcement to everyone onboard, hun.”
“All level hail is operative, Empress. Proceed.”
“Thanks, hun. Attention, all hands. You are requested to find a handhold on any main structure of this craft. If unable to personally touch some part of the craft, take the empty hand of someone close to you that has. Do not let go until I make another announcement to that effect!” I announced in Ancient Terran. “Jack let me know when you sense everyone is ready.”
“Aye, Cap.”
I repeated the announcement in Polish, German, Czech, and English before ending the hail.
“Skipper, thrusters are hot and waiting.” Peyton said impatiently.
“Randi, I need an exterior visual.”
“Aye, Skipper.”
A wall-sized, holographic screen in front of Peyton came on and displayed the still swirling, smoke and dust laden, air of the test chamber.
“We’re good to go, Alex. All hands are in contact with the hull.”
“Thank you, Commander. Helm, thrusters to maximum.” I commanded as I stood from my seat and approached her console. The whine of the thrusters tripled in volume again making it harder to hear. “Spatial transit in three,” I shouted, placing my hand on the console’s metallic side panel. “Two,” I shouted again and began to concentrate on a point in orbit high above Earth. “One!” I shouted and pulled the virtual trigger in my mind.
The view screen immediately went black.
Slowly, small pinpoints of light began to show, but seemed to be moving in a circular pattern. I immediately felt slightly dizzy and quickly checked my nose and ears for blood.
There was only a trace from my nose this time. Either I had grown more powerful or Meridian wasn’t as hard to move as Reilly.
“Alex, we’re in a spiral! I’m trying to compensate!” Peyton sounded even more stressed as her hands moved franticly across the controls.
“Remember to go easy on the quads, Peyton. A gentle, calm, touch on the controls will settle her down quicker than slamming gimble to gimble.” I advised her in a calm, level tone.
“How in the world did you know that, Alex?” Chuck asked in amazement.
“An American Astronaut once gave me that advice.” I admitted. “I helped him and his crew out of a jam.”
Charles Mason looked at me like I had a third eye!
“You were on Apollo Thirteen?” He asked, sounding stunned.
“Briefly, why?”
“You…were on…Apollo Thirteen!”
“Give it a rest, Charles. We did what was needed and left. Unlike this craft, NASA has a way to go in the amenities department!”
The whine of the thrusters died down to a whisper.
“Captain, I’ve gotten her stabilized, but we have a bigger problem now.” Peyton interrupted.
“Let me guess, we’re caught in Earth’s gravity and lack the power to escape it, right?”
“Um…ya, how did you know?”
“Um, Empress?”
“Sorry.”
“Welcome to 1965, everyone.” I announced sarcastically.
“I kind of thought you were going to say that, Alex.” Jack returned my sarcasm.
“Fifty minutes to re-entry, Alex.” Randi alerted us.
“Peyton, keep us steady and on target, if you can.”
“Easier said than done, Skipper! Um…what target?”
What target indeed, I asked myself?
Once again, the proper question, placed at the proper time, told me everything.
“We’re aiming for a splashdown in the Chesapeake, Peyton, out of the North-northwest.”
“That will take us directly over DC, Alex.” Jack needlessly informed me.
“We’ll never make it that far, remember?”
“Oh ya, right.”
“Skipper, I’m showing a slight loss of atmosphere on level six. Full decom in forty-five minutes.” Brie announced from her station.
“Perfect!” I exclaimed in disgust. “How is the heat shield, Randi?”
“Ninety percent, Alex, I’m showing a slight decrease in hull integrity at section crimson-alpha-three.”
“Schematic, Miss Van Pelt.”
The affected hull section became highlighted on the displayed drawing.
“Damn Nazis! They just had to brand her!” Chuck cursed.
“Just enough to weaken hull integrity. It’s why we’re losing pressure on level six, too.” I added.
“What else did those morons do?” Jack asked needlessly.
“Ask Wilhelm, he should be waking up right…about…now.” I pointed over my shoulder to where the unconscious scientist lay. As if on cue the man began moaning in pain.
“Miss Cummins, would you bring our reluctant friend here please?”
“Sure, Cap.”
The man floated over our heads and stood before us about two feet off the deck.
“Well hello, Lusius. Or is it really Wilhelm?” I eyed the woozy man curiously.
“Where am I?” He slurred.
“A better set of questions would be: Where and when am I?”
“I…I don’t…don’t understand.”
“Lieutenant Van Pelt, put our objective on the display, please. Commander Cummins, turn him if you will.”
Wilhelm made a slow one-eighty.
“This is where you are, Lusius. Take a good look because this is the closest you’ll ever get to your Homeworld.”
“What planet is that?” He mumbled- his jaw stiff and lips swollen.
“Earth from about one hundred and ten miles up. Isn’t she beautiful from up here?” I asked him as I got up and walked between him and the screen.
He seemed to be taking hovering above the deck surprisingly well for someone who never met a Mind Warrior before.
“So, Lusius, who are you really?” I asked with a giggle- I already knew more about this man than he did himself.
‘Chuck wants to space him, Alex- whatever that means.’
‘It means he wants to throw him out the airlock, Jack.’
‘It would lighten the load a little, Cap.’
‘I have other plans for this one, Commander.’
‘You’re going to play with him, I take it?’
‘Oh ya.’
‘Can I help?’
‘Yep.’
Jack smiled mentally and physically.
“Cmdr. Cummins, have you zeroed in on our other guest yet?” I asked Jack as I stared up at Lusius.
“Level two, section gamma.”
“Can you persuade him into the elevator, Commander?”
“Aye, Captain.” She giggled. “He’s on his way- ouch, that’s gonna leave a mark.”
“What will, Commander?” I asked.
“Seems our other guest forgot to duck, Cap.”
Chuck tried, but failed to stifle his laugh as he shook his head.
“Elevator’s on its way, Captain.” Jack informed me.
“Wellll now, it seems like you have company, Lusius. Let’s wait until he arrives to continue our chat, shall we?”
I didn’t care if I got a response from him or not.
The airlock door opened to reveal our second guest. Instead of being dressed in the Black uniform of the SS, Klingenschmidt was wearing torn gray trousers and an old tattered shirt. His hair was no longer slicked and combed neatly, but dirty and disheveled. No longer was there a smug arrogance on his face either, only fear.
“Welcome to the party, Herr Major.” I hissed the last part in disgust. “I trust you know Herr Wilhelm?”
“Who is this major? I know no major.” Klingenschmidt cried.
Jack moved the man over beside his comrade.
“Do y’all really think we’d be fooled just ‘cause y’all changed your clothes, Major?” I eyed him up and down. “We may be women, but we sure ain’t stupid, hun!” I blew him a kiss and winked.
“Altitude has decreased to one hundred miles, Captain.” Randi informed me.
“Skipper, I need to do a ten second thruster burn to keep us on course.” Peyton added.
“By all means, subcommander.”
The whine of the thrusters increased tenfold in volume again. Meridian shuddered slightly as she wrestled with Earth’s gravity.
“It is just a rocket?” Klingenschmidt questioned over the noise.
The thrusters quieted down again.
“Meridian 12 is far more than just a ‘rocket’, Herr Major. She is an interplanetary spacecraft that arrived here over five thousand years ago. Not only that, but she is the only craft from her planet to ever transcend time and space through a wormhole…and survive.”
“What is a wormhole?” Lusius asked boldly.
“Are you really that clueless, Wilhelm?” I asked. “Surely a learned man such as you would know of one of the most horrifying creations in the known universes?” I laughed. “Charles, would you mind explaining what a wormhole is?”
“Of course, Empress. A wormhole is a theoretical shortcut thought to connect two separate regions of space, the presence of which allows instantaneous transit thereby cutting millions of light-years off travel between the two points. It is sometimes referred to as a ‘Black Hole’ in my century.”
“Thank you, dear brother-in-law that was an excellent description. Might I add though, that it can not only provide a shortcut between two points in space, but time also as in the case of this spacecraft.” I applauded him.
Both Lusius and Klingenschmidt looked confused by what Brie’s husband said.
“You both look confused? Has my brother-in-law talked over your supposed superior intellect, Herr Major? Herr Wilhelm?”
“He said his ‘century’?”
“Yes, I said century, mine Herr. As in the twenty-first century. My wife and I are from the year 2010. Does that frighten you?” Chuck stood up and walked over to the two hovering men. As he did, his Reilly suit changed back into his SS Colonel’s uniform.
Both men’s eyes widened considerably!
“Col. Mueller!” Klingenschmidt gasped. Lusius just looked between the two men and me.
“No, Herr Major, Charles Mason, Springfield, Missouri, United States of America!” Chuck replied proudly as his Reilly suit changed back to its red and blue default.
“So we conquered the United States.” His voice sounded hopeful.
“Try again, asshole! Germany surrendered in April 1945! Hitler committed suicide in his concrete bunker under Berlin just before the Soviets entered the city! All High command officers committed suicide or were found guilty of war crimes, hanged, and or shot! Now give me one good reason why I don’t ask the Empress to throw your sorry-assed, pathetic, bigoted carcass out into the vacuum of space!”
“Charles!” Brie gasped from her station.
“I’m sorry darlin’, but reading about them is nothin’ like havin’ firsthand experience with ‘em! I’m embarrassed to have even considered studying that sociological nightmare!” Chuck admitted in anger.
“Chuck, the major would be the first one to tell you that he had absolutely nothing to do with that- he was just following orders. Weren’t you, Rudolf Goebel Klingenschmidt?” I purred evilly.
“I will see to it that you all are severely punished!” He suddenly roared, severely breaking character.
“Jacquelyn, could you show the major he’s in absolutely no position to threaten anyone?”
“With pleasure, Empress.” Jack smiled brightly then her face took on a very ominous, very dark expression! The air around us sparked and crackled with energy. A wicked grin appeared on Jack’s lips and the major’s neck started to compress inward ever so slightly. He began to choke and gasp for air, his eyes opening wide in fear!
Jack then stood up from her chair and approached him.
“Herr Major, if you haven’t yet guessed, the Empress is not the one you should fear. I am your worst nightmare. I am the avenging angel for all those souls deemed ‘inferior’ by your Fuhrer and I wonder if you have any idea how your victims felt as you tortured them- as you pistol whipped them senseless…as you lead them to slaughter!” She growled in a very dark voice.
Chills actually shot up my spine!
His face violently shuddered from side to side a half dozen times in quick succession. Blood began pouring from his nose and side of his mouth. “Or how they wished for the sweet release of death as you savagely beat and whipped them as if worthless, unruly service animals!”
Klingenschmidt’s tattered shirt ripped away from his body and he lurched forward as if a real whip were thrashing at his back! Blood sprayed from his back several times. “How does it feel, Herr Major? How does it feel to be the recipient of such cruel punishments?”
Klingenschmidt’s arms suddenly flew out perpendicular to his body and he began to cry out in intense pain. His legs stretched closer to the floor.
“Lady Jacquelyn, please stop?” Our pilot asked quietly. The dark, half smiling, expression with which Jack looked back at her was one I had never seen before. Genuine terror filled my soul. Peyton stayed focused and continued her plea.
“If continued, you would be no better than him and his Nazi brethren! Oh please, mighty Mind Warrior, I beg you to show charity.” Peyton requested.
“Peyton’s right, Jack. He will pay for his crimes- the same way as his fellow officers did- through courtroom trial. Stand down, my friend- please?” I said trying to appear calm and not show the obvious fear I had for her at the moment.
“Ninety-five miles and decreasing, Skipper.” Randi broke the thick, tense, air around us.
Jack shook her head to clear her dark thoughts. Tears began streaming down her cheeks. Both men dropped to the deck in a heap as my first officer turned around slowly and walked back to her seat. Chuck got up and pulled her to his shoulder and held her there tightly as loud sobs began to wrack her body.
Klingenschmidt lay on the floor in the fetal position clutching his throat and crying profusely. Lusius sat up and looked at me then Jack- shear terror etched on his face.
“How easy it would have been for her to destroy you both! You are nothing more than common houseflies to my Mind Warrior and you have no idea how close you both came to suddenly exploding into microscopic bits!” I hissed, still shaken as I turned my attention to Maj. Klingenschmidt.
“I was set to just stand by and do nothing.” I admitted. Peyton looked back at me in surprise. “You owe your lives to my pilot, Subcommander Persephone.” I nodded to Peyton. “You see, she has seen her fill of tyranny and torture in her own time and she had absolutely no reason to speak up on your behalf.”
“Was Pharaoh that barbaric, Empress?” Lusius asked with a noticeable quiver in his voice.
“The Great leaders of Egypt were never the problem. Most Pharaoh ruled with equality and fairness. The so-called Gods of Egypt, however, were not so forgiving! One in particular, Hathor, brought slavery, chaos, and disparity to the land of Pharaoh! Persephone, her mother, and her aunt- the original pilot and commander of this vessel, both fought and succumbed to Hathor’s heartless oppression. So, she has absolutely no cause to show any charity whatsoever to monsters whose deeds are several magnitudes worse than what she has already faced.”
I paused to let what I said sink in- not that it would.
“Tell me, Lusius, how many decades have passed beneath your feet since birth?”
Klingenschmidt’s crying was starting to subside and he sat up slightly and wiped the blood from his mouth and nose, his eyes immediately locked onto our conversation, but he wisely remained silent.
Lusius, likewise, remained silent.
“Come now, Lusius, we all know that ‘Egyptians’ live a long time. Persephone, for instance, looks absolutely marvelous for just celebrating her ninety-second birthday.”
Peyton gasped that I knew exactly how old she was.
“I, myself, have seen almost four decades. So tell us, Lusius, how old are you?”
“Six.”
“Louder, hun, I don’t think the others heard you.”
“SIX!”
“Six what, hun?”
“Six! Six decades! Are you happy now?”
“Not quite, hun.” I smiled and raised one eyebrow.
“You know you can’t lie to me- I can read your mind, just as Jacquelyn can and I would place your age precisely at two and a half.” Both men lying on the deck looked confused.
“Two hundred and fifty years you’ve been on this planet! I should think any descendant of Janelle Hathor would’ve learned which side was the right side by now, but apparently there is a learning error built into her and all her future revisions!
“How do you think you know so much about me, Empress?”
“Haven’t your ancestors passed on the stories of Reilly Research Station, Lusius?” I asked, grinning at him.
“The story of how Grandmother Hathor was illegitimately deposed by you has been kept throughout time!” He spat.
I started laughing!
“Please, dear Lusius,” I looked to my sisters and brother-in-law, “relate to us the story of how Grandmother Hathor saved the people of Reilly from the expanding fusion giant.”
“What expanding fusion giant? What is a fusion giant?”
“It’s the sun, moron!” Chuck snarled, as he continued to lend comfort to Jack. “Anyone with half a brain knows that!”
I shook my head at the misinformed man. “Jack are you up to setting up a relay link between me and these two?”
Slowly she moved her head away from Chuck’s shoulder and looked at me in confusion.
“Two, Alex? Isn’t it a bad idea to show the Nazi more than he needs to know about us?”
“I can assure you, Jack, that he will take the knowledge to his grave.” I closed my eyes a moment and lowered my head.
“As you wish, Empress.” She replied with a look that questioned the validity of my request. She nodded to Chuck, who begrudgingly retook his seat. “Start when you’re ready.”
“Eight-five miles and still dropping, Skipper.” Randi informed me as I finished my remembrance of Reilly’s passage through universes.
“How do I know that truly happened?” An unimpressed Lusius questioned.
“Believe what you like, hun. I’m not in the habit of lying to anyone and I really don’t care at this point what you think to be true.”
“Fraulein how is it possible to do all these things? Only Gods and Goddesses are capable of such miracles? Greek, Norse, and Roman mythology tell us this.”
“Major, a myth or legend is only an explanation or description for something or someone that is not understood. This ship,” I raised my arm and twirled, pointing around the room, “How would you describe it had you no knowledge of a ‘rocket’?” I waited a moment. “Your sidearm- to early man it would have appeared to be a magical fire stick, yes? The simple dynamics that allow an airplane to fly could be described as angels from heaven. In short, major, some myths and legends exist because of misunderstood technology.”
“What we can do as you have witnessed, is a result of advanced technology- this craft, our uniforms- all technology.”
“How was she able to hold me above the floor and physically abuse me without laying a hand to me? That was not any technology I could recognize.”
“That answer is simple, major. Have you ever heard of Darwin?”
“I had read about his theories on evolution before the Fuhrer ordered it banned from our shelves.”
“Darwin’s theory simply states that any given organism, over time can change and adapt to its environment, and given even more time can become a different organism all together. My sisters and I are what you could call the next step in human evolution. We have developed abilities…abilities, which allow us to help all life forms on this and many other worlds. You have already experienced Jacquelyn’s abilities first hand.” I told him before phasing out and walking through him and Lusius.
“This is but one of my gifts.” I said as I rephased.
Both men jumped at the sound of my voice.
“Major, this ship is a prime example of advanced technology by an advanced people. From the outside, did you expect the inside to be this vast? The race of people that built Meridian, the Terrans, perfected something called ‘Spatial Compression’ hundreds of years ago. They use it for things as common as warehouse storage, apartment buildings, even birthday and Christmas presents. For them it is as common a technology as the light bulb.”
“But how did you…” Klingenschmidt pointed from where I had been to where I was now.
“I’ll show you. Can you stand, major?”
Very slowly the man stood up, his legs shaky and unsure. Jack had really given him a beating!
“Take my hand, major.” I offered.
“Meridian, hun, I’ll be right back.” I informed our ship.
Meridian’s command level did not become anything but the Command level.
“Interesting. Apparently, I can’t transit while inside Meridian.” I noted. Wrinkling my face slightly in disappointment, I released his hand and returned to my seat.
“That demonstration will have to wait, Herr Major.”
Meridian started to shake, gently at first, but I could feel it becoming more violent.
“Peyton, what’s happening?”
“We’re entering the atmosphere, Alex. I can’t hold us in orbit any longer.”
“Meridian, all hail, please?”
“When you are ready, Empress.” She replied.
“All hands, this is the captain. We’re about to start our re-entry. Try to hold on to anything you can. This may get rough.” I repeated the announcement in the other languages as before.
“Subcommander, turn us around one-eighty into re-entry attitude and keep us on approach as best you can. Full thrusters as needed.”
“Aye, Skipper.” She acknowledged.
I noticed our two guests had started slowly inching their way to the airlock door.
“Commander, a holding shield if you would?” I gestured toward them without really looking.
“Aye, Cap.”
All advancement toward the door was stopped and the two men performed very bad imitations of mimes as the thrusters rapidly increased in volume.
“Y’all don’t want to leave the party now, the fun’s just startin’!” I shouted over the loud whine of the thrusters. Meridian was shuddering fairly hard as she fought with Earth’s gravity and its outer-most atmosphere.
“Hull temperature is rising, but still within tolerance, Alex.” Randi shouted as the engines continued to run flat out.
“Alex, atmosphere on level six is down to one-five percent!” Brie shouted.
“Yeehaw!” Chuck shouted from his seat with a big smile.
I looked over at him in amazement.
“I know we’re going to make it, Alex, I just want to have fun with it! This here’s better than Dollywood!” He continued to shout over the engines.
“Brie, start diverting atmosphere from the other levels onto six.”
“Good idea, sis!”
“Alex, fuel cells are down to twenty percent. Thruster shutdown is imminent in ten seconds.”
“Understood. Peyton, shut ‘em down, hun, we need the reserve power for life-support and egress.”
Everything went quiet in the compartment as we continued to be jostled around. It wasn’t as bad as breaking a new horse, but it soon would be.
“Hull temperature just passed sixteen-hundred cee, Alex- almost at redline!” Randi shouted with excitement.
“What is going on? Why is the ship shaking so much?” A frightened Lusius cried as he continued to search for an exit to his invisible prison.
“Hun, this is what happens when you re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. The air molecules outside create friction against the ship’s hull and create heat. Most hulls are built to handle it.” I answered.
“Unfortunately, you idiots decided to brand Meridian for your own and damaged her hull and heat shield!” Chuck growled at the two Nazis.
“We’re slowing past twelve thousand feet per second, Skipper.” Peyton informed me. “Too steep a glide slope and way too fast to hit our mark, though.”
“Jack, you’re going to want to start searching for the previous you in Kecksburg. The next few minutes are really going to take their toll on you, I’m afraid.” I told her sadly.
“What about those two?”
“One goes to meet his future, the other to meet his maker, Jack.” I told her quietly- sad that it had to happen this way.
Meridian shook violently for an instant then things seemed to smooth out. An eerie calm fell over the Command level- and every other level I assumed.
“That was the first sonic boom, Jack. This is where we first saw her approaching. You remember what you did next, right?”
“Already working…on it…concentrating on…come on where are you, Jacki Cummins?” She said through taught lips. Her face was already beet-red from concentration.
Meridian shook suddenly for a second time and smoothed out again.
“Everyone hold on! We’re going in!” Peyton screamed.
“Gotcha, Jack!” Jack shouted. I noticed a small drop of blood under her left nostril.
The ship lurched forward and we felt gravity pull us to the left.
What we felt next reminded me of one particular mission where my previous boat had been found by a German gunboat and mercilessly depth charged for over an hour. The compartment shook, shimmied, rattled, and bounced every way possible. Lighting on our level flickered and sputtered out.
Then everything went dark and silent.
“Engaging emergency lighting.” Randi’s voice echoed through the room as the sparse emergency lamps came on and provided a dim red hue to see by. Jack had passed out from the extreme amount of energy she had just expended. I knew she would wakeup in a minute.
“Exterior view, if possible, Miss Van Pelt.”
The display came on but was having trouble holding signal- the result was a very intermittent picture.
“Aye, Skip. Alex! The elevator has been activated!” Randi pointed and I saw the door just closing. Lusius and Klingenschmidt had escaped.
Correction, Klingenschmidt had escaped. Lusius lay unconscious next to the wall near the airlock.
“What happened? Did we make it?” Jack asked as she regained consciousness.
We’re on the ground, Commander. We made it, thanks to you.”
Jack just nodded and began to cradle her head.
“Alex, the outer hatch is opening!” Randi shouted. “Hull temperature is still hovering around nine hundred cee!
A high-pitched scream echoed throughout the ship.
“Skip, Meridian…she just over-rode and reclosed the outer hatch! She reports the single lifeform in it is no longer present.”
The command level was quiet for a moment or two, as we now knew what the mysterious scream signified.
“Alex, look!” Peyton shouted as she pointed to the display.
“We look huge!” Chuck gasped as we watched our earlier selves walking around the exterior, Brie taking pictures as we went.
Indeed, we looked to be giants on the view screen- Chuck alone looked the size of a forty-story building!
We- us outside Meridian- suddenly took each other’s hands and disappeared from view.
“Randi, lock down that airlock, we don’t want anyone else meeting the major’s fate.”
“Aye, Skip. Outer airlock hatch is locked and disabled- inter-level transit capability only.”
“Alex? We have company!” Peyton cried a few minutes later.
On the static ridden display a man in a red plaid, felt coat emerged from the dense forest, but stayed well away from Meridian. I suspected the hull was still dissipating a lot of heat. He didn’t stick around for any great length of time though.
“Randi, is Meridian still capable of drawing energy from Jack? I’d like to keep enough in the fuel cells to sustain life support.”
“You can make the request from her, Skip, but I’m not sure how well that system will work. Meridian and I aren’t completely talking at the moment.”
“Meridian, I’d like you to try drawing power from Jacquelyn Cummins again, could you do that for me, hun?”
“Omega wave collector system is damaged, complete cell charging is not possible at this time.”
“Can you at least take some from her, hun?” I asked.
“Partial collection is possible with a fifty percent limit on cell capacity, Empress. It is the best I can do until system repair is completed.”
“Take your time, hun. We’ll be staying with you for a while longer.” I told the AI calmly.
“Jack, you know what to do.”
“Aye, Alex, one supplementary power source coming up.” She replied sarcastically, still holding her head.
“Jack, it’s a three day road trip to Wright-Pat. We need environmental systems working and online.”
“They’re going to take us to Dayton, Alex? Why?”
“Project Bluebook. The Air Force’s answer to investigate the growing number of unidentified flying object sightings in the United States after a UFO supposedly crashes outside Roswell, NM in 1947.”
“And I take it you didn’t have anything to do with that one, right Alex?” Chuck asked sarcastically.
“Not yet, I haven’t.” I giggled.
“I really love traveling with this family, girls- never a dull moment!” He laughed.
“Well if it’s dull y’all are looking for, the next six days are going to be just that, Charles.” I informed him.
“I thought you just said it was a three day trip to Wright-Pat, Alex?” Jack looked confused.
“We have to let the…’experts’…have a look at us, Jack. They’ll be bored with Meridian after three days of observing, measuring, poking, and prodding her seamless hull. After that we can disperse our payload around the world.”
“What about Wilhelm or Lusius, or whatever his real name is? Isn’t it bad to release a ‘bad guy’?”
“Oh, he’s not leaving, Jack. He’s going to become a fixture at Leavenworth. Psych ward, I believe.” I giggled again. “Maybe.”
Jack smiled and giggled with me, but winced slightly.
“Meridian, go easy on the power draw will ya- that one pinched.” She said to the ceiling.
“Precise control of power transfer is not possible, Cmdr. Cummins, I apologize for any discomfort/”
Room lighting came up to normal levels and the disturbed dust from our landing began to exit the command deck through the ventilation system.
“Meridian, what’s on the menu?”
“My food processor terminals are programmed with many common and specialty selections as well as many varieties of beverage.
“Do we have enough to feed everyone, Meridian? I know for a fact that there are three hundred and seventy people that could use a few good meals.”
“Ship’s stores and recycling systems are fully functional, Empress. As long as no excessive celebrations are pending, equilibrium can be maintained.
“Great, I could use a good hamburger with cheese, lettuce, onions, ketchup, pickles, and a good cold beer.”
“Requested files not recognized and/or found. Please enter culinary formulations for each requested item.”
It was going to be a long six days.
0620 hours, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH., December 15th, 1965
“Are we there yet?” Brie asked for the ten millionth time in six days.
“Oh, how I wish, sis.” I moaned and rolled my eyes. We had placed everyone- passengers and crew- on a sleep shifts similar to what we used on Sand Dollar so everyone would have a bed to sleep in. Jack and I, Brie and Chuck, and Randi and Peyton shared the captain’s quarters.
“Alex, Meridian’s main systems have all been repaired. All she needs to do is charge the fuel cells.”
“Where’s Jack?” I asked.
‘I’m in the head. Can’t it wait, Alex?’
‘Sorry to interrupt, Commander.’ I thought, rolling my eyes once more.
“Randi, where’s Peyton?” I inquired.
“I saw her down on level five earlier, Alex. She made some acquaintances back in the mine and I believe she feels responsible for them somehow.”
“Alex, what are we going to do with all these people? We can’t return them to 1945 Poland; there would be too many questions. They would be put into psychiatric wards as soon as they claimed to have been rescued by a spaceship.” Brie inquired.
“Not that similar scenarios haven’t been reported before, right sis?” I asked sarcastically.
“You mean we’re THOSE aliens?”
“Oh come on! You know as well as I do that there are many more civilizations out there, Brie. Any number of visitors could be on our planet at any given time.”
“But I don’t want to be an alien, Alex! I just want to go home and be Mrs. Mason- Mrs. Brianna Mason!”
“Oh, so you no longer want to be Agent Brianna of the Empress Hotline?”
“I didn’t say that, Alex. Of course I still want to help you. How could you ask such a question?”
“That’s just my point, sis. Use your gift to see how we get out of this. Use your gift of foresight and run all possible scenarios.” I frowned at her as I raised an eyebrow.
“It might take a while; I’m not as good at it as you, Alex.”
“Just so you use it, Brie, that’s all I want you to do. After all, what good is a gift if you never use it?”
The room stayed silent for some time after Brie closed her eyes and concentrated on my request.
Like clockwork, another building-sized scientist walked around Meridian with a clipboard and pencil. This one had a micrometer of all things!
“Oh look,” I said sarcastically, “another scientist that thinks he has it all figured out.”
Over the last few days, several men- ‘experts’- had examined Meridian from just about all angles. I was almost to the point of having Randi transmit all of the drawings and schematics just so they would finally leave us alone!
“Sis?”
“Ya, Brie?”
“Alex, according to my gift, Lusius is on his way here to talk to you.”
I smiled and nodded my agreement to her prediction.
On cue, the airlock door opened and Lusius entered the compartment.
“Excuse me Empress, I know I am the last person you would want to see, but I humbly request an audience.”
“As long as you wish to engage in intelligent conversation with mere women, hun, have a seat.”
“I was thinking…”
“A noble endeavor one would usually take up in order to not look like a complete horse’s ass in front of his equals, sir.” I smiled as I caught him off guard with my interruption.
“I was thinking that I must look like the biggest…” He looked at me in surprise. “Fool in the world, Empress.”
“Fool, yes, but only for choosing the wrong side, hun. Someone once told me that admitting you have a problem is the first step to a cure. So, did you come here to apologize or have a stimulating conversation?” I smiled at him brightly.
“Yes! No... Maybe, I’m not sure. I just felt that I needed to come up here- that we needed to talk, Empress.”
I nodded as I offered him a seat.
“So…what’s on your mind, Lusius?” I asked as I adjusted myself in the comfortable captain’s chair. After a few days, though, it wasn’t so comfy anymore.
“Why did you allow Major Klingenschmidt to sneak aboard only to allow him to escape if you knew he would be killed? Why show charity only to destroy all hope of freedom?”
“Hun, sometimes you can’t save them all. That’s the hardest thing I had to learn as Empress. As with anything, there are certain factors that cannot be changed- certain parameters that can’t be fooled with or manipulated- even in the tiniest of ways. To those who see the best in everyone, leaving those specifics untouched and unchanged seems harsh, cold, cruel, and even heartless. As one of those people, I still hold out hope that the individuals I meet can be changed for the better, Lusius.”
“But to stand by and allow your friend to physically abuse the man…”
“Did you really know the man that you speak for, hun?” I asked.
“He was the man that secured funding, equipment, and men to research and recover this very craft, Empress.”
“He was a brutal murderer! A barbaric, loathsome, prejudiced, cold-hearted man intent on garnering favor from his Fuhrer- the epitome of the newly redefined Aryan race. He dreamed of nothing more than ruling his own Nazi occupied country- France, Belgium, Britain, America, It didn’t matter as long as he was in control. Uncle Heinrich would’ve been proud of his nephew’s rise to power- in achieving his aspirations.”
“He did not appear so dangerous to me, Empress.”
“Do you remember what he said after the first test trials on Meridian, hun?”
“He joked about needing to get more test subjects, but I thought…”
“He ‘JOKED’ about getting more subjects!?” My voice jumped an octave. “Will you listen to yourself? What kind of person ‘jokes’ about killing a dozen people at a time? What’s more, about needing more to slaughter? No rational mind would ever think in that fashion and not feel some remorse! Face it, Lusius, Klingenschmidt was a monster!”
“But he supported my research!”
“Only until you achieved success, then whose research would it become? Are you really that naive?”
Lusius dropped his head.
Jack appeared and took her seat next to me.
I felt the slightest bit of movement.
“Alex, we’re being moved again.” Randi confirmed.
“Wasn’t me, Alex.” Jack said quickly.
The hanger walls seemed to be moving quite quickly then stopped abruptly. The outside ambient light dimmed significantly.
“Elevation is changing, Alex. I think we’re in an elevator.”
“They’re moving us into storage.” I looked to Lusius. “This is your chance to leave, hun, your decision whether you want to stay with us or not.”
“If I decide to stay, what might happen to me, Empress?” He asked.
“You would be returned to the city of your maternal ancestors and assisted to become integrated into that society. At first you would be seen as an outcast- especially from those hostile to Janelle Hathor. You would learn of her fall from Goddess to ‘normal’ human and realize the truth I told earlier is indeed fact, yet you will experience and participate in the technological achievement that was ‘Ancient’ Egypt. You will eventually find love and a family.”
“And if I chose to leave?”
“You would remain here in 1965. Your detection by US military personnel at this facility is assured and you would be arrested, tried, and sentenced to twenty years incarceration as a suspected saboteur and East German spy. After twenty years in prison you would then be paroled, but the fun wouldn’t be over. The War Crimes Commission’s investigators find evidence of your involvement at an obscure work camp on the border between Poland and the Czech Republic. Charges are filed against you. Conviction and captivity for life awaits you in a horrible Czech prison. Death comes in early 2021 as you become the longest living war criminal in the history of the world! I warn you, there is no happiness, no loving family, no personal fulfillment whatsoever along this course, Lusius. These are the two best choices given you. Choose wisely.”
“Give my regards to Great- great-great- great grandmother, Empress. I shall not be seeing her or my family ever again. Thank you for the choice of my fate, M’lady.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. As I have stated previously, I can only help guide you along the right path.”
Lusius bowed graciously, turned, and quietly…slowly headed for the airlock door.
I reached under my seat and removed what was stored there.
“Jack, just as we discussed.” I held my hand out flat to reveal a miniature, fletched, syringe-like, blowgun dart.
Without any further conversation it took to the air and buried itself in Lusius’ neck momentarily.
“Ouch, what was that?” He cried out and turned around as his hand rose to investigate the wound.
“What was what, hun?” I asked innocently.
“I was stung by something!”
“On a spacecraft, Lusius? Really, how can an insect still be alive in a five thousand year old ship?”
“There was a report of some sort of flying insect on level three the other day, Alex.” Brie reminded me. “It might have come in with the refugees.”
“Oh…ya…right, I almost forgot about that. Was anyone hurt in any way, sis?” I asked.
“Nothing yet, but reports are that it didn’t look like anything seen on this planet. Of course, nobody really got that a good look at it.” Brie continued.
“Well if no one died or got sick yet, I wouldn’t worry about it. Lusius, you wouldn’t want to reconsider your choice, would you? I mean, what kind of existence is sitting around in a crowded jail for the rest of your life anyway?”
“Empress, I’ve made such a disaster of my life already. What I was told to be fact, you proved completely false. Everything in my life thus far has been either a lie or an illusion. Even my career as a scientist has been a charade! It is better that I pay for my sins rather than barricade myself within more. Thank you, Empress, for showing me the charity you have…and for opening my eyes to the reality I have avoided for so long.”
Lusius turned for the airlock again.
“I do think you oughta reconsider, Lusius.” I said, causing him to turn around again.
“Why? I have worn out my welcome here. As Miss Cummins stated numerous times, I’m the bad guy.”
“Sometimes, bad guys aren’t really bad….more like misguided, Lusius. Darkness can be found in everyone- including me. Can’t you feel the darkness inside you, Lusius?” I asked as a devious smile developed on my face.
“I do feel darkness coming…how?…Why?” He answered as he spiraled to the deck.
“That took longer than I thought. How do you think he’ll take it when he wakes up, Alex?”
“Not very well, of course.” I giggled. “But sometimes you just have to smack them in the head to get them to listen, Jack!”
“I can’t believe you drugged him, Alex! He was almost gone from our responsibilities and you went and drugged him!” My sister chastised me.
I just smiled and remained quiet.
“What was that stuff anyway?” She asked with concern. “You did just knock him out…right?”
“In a way you could say I knocked ‘him’ out, Brie.” I told her as Jack looked at me momentarily and rolled her eyes.
“What! What did you just do, Alexandra Steinert? I know that response and evil smile! What did y’all give him?” When I didn’t reply she changed her questioning and target. “Jack, what did she give him?”
“Something to make our resident mad scientist more…productive, Brie.” Jack giggled, displaying a devious grin of her own.
My sister paused and closed her eyes to consult her gift. Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “Is that even ethical?” She gasped.
“About as ethical as using humans for guinea pigs to test Meridian’s defenses or using prisoners of war to test exotic new medical procedures.” I told her in a cold-hearted tone.
“Jack, could you see to it that Lusius is comfortable in my quarters? Oh, and lock the door so he doesn’t disturb the other passengers.”
“Right away, Alex.”
Lusius’ unconscious body floated off the deck and into the elevator. Peyton looked surprised, but stood aside as the door opened on our compartment. Once clear, she entered the bridge.
“Now what did he do, Alex?”
“He chose…poorly.’ Brie answered instead with a nervous grin.
“What? Oh, I get it, another movie reference. Is that all you people of the twenty-first century do- watch movies?” Peyton asked, wrinkling her nose.
“Hey, you guys are always buildin’ pyramids and temples.” Jack giggled.
“Point taken, Commander.” Peyton smiled as she shook her head.
“So when do we start off-loading our passengers, Alex?” Peyton asked after a prolonged silence. “Where and when are we going to take them?”
“Where and when would they like to go, hun? I trust some of them have expressed their wishes to you?”
“They have, but I don’t think it possible or safe for them though.”
“They want to return home to their loved ones.”
“Many want that in the worst way, Empress.” Peyton said sadly- quietly.
“Have you explained the gravity of the situation?”
“I have, ma’am, but many simply cannot understand- or do not wish to.”
“Well, I guess we’ll have to explain it level by level. Come on everyone. Meridian?”
“Yes, Empress?”
“Hun, you have the Con until we get back. Is that alright?”
“Acknowledged, Empress.”
“Oh, Meridian, could you re-enable the outer airlock hatch? We’re going to start off-loading our passengers.”
“Will you be returning, Empress?”
“Of course. Why would you ask a question like that, hun?” I asked as I looked around the room.
“Waiting for you to find me took a long time. Will this wait be equally long?”
“We’ll just be gone for an hour or two, hun, nowhere near the previous wait.”
“Good, because I had forgotten how it felt to be useful and populated. Pleasant journeys, Empress.”
“We will have many more, Meridian.”
“I hope so, Empress.”
1020 hours, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH., December 15th, 1965
“Welcome back, Empress. Have all our passengers found suitable lodgings?”
“Yes they have, hun, all except a few were happy to be reunited with they’re surviving family.” I answered the A.I. “Sorry we took longer than anticipated.”
“I understand. Empress, there is a strange life form present in your quarters.”
“Strange, hun? How so?” I grinned.
“At first, its life signs indicated a Terran/Human male lying dormant there, since your departure, though, those parameters have steadily changed. My detectors now indicate a female Terran/Human hybrid has regained consciousness. That life form’s heart rate, respirations, blood pressure, physical mobility, and vocal emissions are all elevated.”
“All perfectly normal responses, hun, we’ll take care of it.” I assured the A.I.
“Acknowledged.”
“I don’t understand, Alex, what did Meridian mean by ‘a female Terran/Human hybrid’ has regained consciousness?” Peyton asked in confusion.
“It’s very simple, hun. Lusius felt he was no longer contributing to the advancement of our species, so…we made it easier for him to contribute.” I giggled as Jack, Randi, Chuck, and Brie joined in.
“I don’t follow, ma’am.”
“Peyton, do you know the how and why of our origin?” I asked the perplexed woman, pointing to Jack, Randi, Brie, and myself.
“The stories say that you became Empress by the devine hand that commands the known universes.”
Four of us broke out in fits of laughter!
“Honey, ‘divine’ had nothin’ ta do with it!” I fought hard to keep my composure. “It was a simple mistake- a calamity of errors of sorts, perpetrated by my previous revision in order to protect and preserve her civilization from total annihilation!”
“I still cannot see what that has to do with a woman now being locked in your quarters, Alex.”
“Follow me, Persephone. I’m sure y’all will get a little chuckle outta this.”
Taking the elevator down one level put us on level one, or the command crew quarters, as Meridian announced it.
As soon as the door to the level opened, it was apparent that someone- some woman- was not happy about being locked in one of the rooms.
“What have you done to me? Let me out! Help me! Is anyone listening to me? Can anyone hear me?” The woman’s muffled voice echoed through the passage along with pounding on a wall or door panel.
“Did we forget someone, Empress?” Peyton asked as we drew nearer the commotion.
“Lusius, hun, you better move back from the door!” I shouted as we arrived at my quarter’s door. “Meridian, please unlock and open my door?”
“Acknowledged, Empress.”
Peyton looked confused.
The door silently slid open. A young woman, quite disheveled and wearing very ill-fitting clothes, stormed toward me. She suddenly stopped as if hitting an invisible brick wall and fell backward to the deck, landing on her buttocks.
‘Thanks, Jack.’ I thought.
Peyton and I entered the room, closed, and relocked the door behind us.
“So, Lusius, how do you feel?” I asked with a slight grin. In fact, I knew exactly how she felt.
“How has this been done to me? Why?”
“Hun, I just couldn’t let you waste away in jail- not when your talents can be utilized for good.”
“This is Lusius?” Peyton exclaimed in surprise. “Empress, how?”
The slim, raven-haired woman of maybe nineteen stared up at my pilot and companion as she mentioned the name.
“Sometimes we are made to pay for our sins in new and unique ways, hun.” I told her. “Lusius has been given a chance to start a new life- hopefully a happier, more fruitful life.”
“And just how am I to start a new life in this form, Empress?” The new girl hissed as she roughly motioned to herself.
“The same way I and my entire crew had to when it happened to us, sweetheart!” I hissed back.
Lusuis’ mouth dropped open, as did Peyton’s.
“You, Empress? You, Jack, Randi?”
“Brianna too, sweetheart. We all went through the same change as our girl, Lusius here.”
I offered my hand and helped her to stand. I kept a good grip on her so she wouldn’t try to hit me.
“That is impossible! You cannot possibly have been a man like me.”
“A man like you?” I shook my head in disgust. “Hardly! I could never have been a man like you or I would’ve killed myself years ago! No, we were all men before our change, so was you ancestor, Janelle Hathor, sweetheart.”
Peyton and Lusius both stared at me!
I spent the next thirty or so minutes retelling the events leading up to and including the results of Alexander Reilly’s efforts to save the people of Reilly Research Station as their Homeworld erupted into a searing ball of fusion energy.
“So, my whole heritage is counterfeit as well. Empress, you should have let me leave…or even left me in the mine! I have nothing real left to me.”
“Wrong again, sweetheart. You now have everything to live for! You have the chance to start a whole new life free of your former chains- even persecution. You are a new person, Lusius, use that advantage to better yourself- to better your life.”
“I know nothing about living this way, Empress. How do I survive like this?”
“You do what we did, hun- improvise. Eventually, it all starts making sense and becomes second nature after a very short period of time. I’m also going to ask Persephone to instruct you in the more…feminine aspects of the new you.”
“Can this possibly be reversed, Empress?” Lusius’ voice sounded desperate.
“Not a chance, sweetheart. You’re stuck like this till the day you die.” I shook my head to emphasize the point.
Lusius sat back on the room’s bed to contemplate what I had said. While doing so, she continued to observe the changes by examining her fingers, hands, arms, face, and hair.
“You told Klingenschmidt that you are the next step in our development. Am I to develop such abilities, Empress?” Her tone had softened and Lusius looked to me in desperate hope of a positive answer.
“What gifts did you have before, hun?” I asked.
“I could do what all my people can do- read minds and emotions.” She replied frankly.
“Then you haven’t lost anything, have you? Why would you think we gave you more talents, Alusia? How foolish do you think we are to give a descendent of Hathor more power?”
“Why do you keep eluding that I would challenge you like Grandmother Janelle? I look and act nothing like her!”
“Wrong on both counts, I’m afraid. You see, you now look exactly like Janelle Hathor, only younger, and you show two faces just like your ancestor, Alusia! Your voice is the only characteristic unique to you though. I suggest you find that voice, use it, and distance yourself from her.”
“I resemble her?” Alusia began re-examining herself.
“You do indeed, Alusia. You could be sisters. I have fought against her in numerous battles and know the face of evil quite well!” Peyton assured her.
“Who is ‘Alusia’, Empress?”
“It is now what others call you, hun. It’s your name, and I think it goes well with the young woman I see before me.” I confessed.
“You had this all planned out! I am nothing but a chess piece for you to move about on some grand play board!”
“Not at all, sweetheart. You are being given a chance to change your self-described pathetic, meaningless life and reprehensible association with the National Socialists Party. That is something almost everyone with even the smallest stain would give anything for. Don’t fight to deny the fact that you secretly wished you had never met the likes of Rudolf Klingenschmidt or his unethical methods of persuasion.” I paused. “Honey, this body- you- it has never met him or any other despot yet. You effectively have a blank slate with which to begin anew. Get it?”
“But you have said multiple times that you do not trust me. Why tell me all this and change me?”
“Everyone deserves a second chance, sweetheart. I gave Janelle a similar second chance when I declared that no one would be left behind on the Reilly asteroid. She chose to abandon her sisters’ mid-transport to Kili- to continue her pursuit of power and control among the people loyal to Pharaoh. She refused to see the benefits of remaking herself in a new land. I hope you don’t make me regret my choice to set you on this path- a path I have foreseen enhances and enriches your soul and every other you touch.” I lowered my head in sadness before I continued.
“I’m sorry, but it was the only path that allowed me the option to let you live, Alusia.” I finished with a despondent tone.
The girl stayed quiet for several minutes this time. I didn’t have to be telepathic to know the inner turmoil raging in her mind.
“Do I have any guarantee that you will not seek my destruction if I fail to cleanse my past sins?”
“No guarantee whatsoever- nope; nada; zilch; zip, hun.” I admitted, shaking my head adamantly.
She thought about things for another minute.
“Will my allegiance be tested before your trust is gained?”
“I don’t want your allegiance, sweetheart!” I grew angry. “I want you to be the best person you can be. Period!”
“What you ask sounds Utopian!”
“Nobody is perfect, hun. I’m just asking you to be true to yourself- to do the right things for the right reasons- that’s all. I don’t expect you to be a Boy Scout your whole life.” I had to giggle at that.
“I hardly think I qualify, do you, Empress?” She asked with a slight bit of confusion as to why she would even say a thing like that. The Mahanilui had already started to influence her.
“Just maybe if you stay dressed like that, sweetheart. Meridian, hun, can we find Alusia some proper fitting clothes?”
“Subject must be erect for dimensional evaluation.” The A.I. stated.
Alusia remained stationary.
“She wants you to stand up, hun.” I said motioning for her to stand.
As on Reilly, a narrow, highly focused, blue line of light scanned down Alusia’s body from head to toe. She was thoroughly awestruck by it.
“Crew manifest archives indicate that a garment and accessories of approximate proportions are located on level eight, section beta-four- supply cabinet twelve, Empress.”
“Thanks, hun. Let’s get down there and get you decent, sweetheart.” I said grabbing Alusia’s hand and dragging her out into the passage before she could resist.
“You really expect me to walk in these things?” Alusia stared at the two-inch heeled, black, riding boots I held in my hands.
“This is part of the uniform, hun. Meridian’s decks are not so forgiving to bare feet.” I informed her. “Come on, put the things on and we’ll help you get used to them. If I can wear three-inch granny boots, you can wear these- let me tell you, those three-and-a half-inch stilettos I had on for four days straight? They weren’t exactly comfy!”
“But you looked delightful, Empress. I’m sure every man in the test chamber had his eyes on you. I know I did.”
“Yes, and I’m sure your minds were on something else entirely.” I giggled. “You want to know how the Empress really looks, Alusia?” I asked as I triggered my dress whites.
“You really do look like the angel in the stories.” She gasped out.
“I’m afraid I’ll never fit that category, hun.” I giggled. “Now put the boots on and let’s go back up to command.”
“Alex, I need to…DAMN, she really does look like Hathor!” Randi exclaimed as we stepped onto the command level.
The sweet smell of ozone suddenly became noticeable in the air around us.
“Jack.” I looked at my first officer with one brow raised. “Alusia isn’t going to hurt anybody, so stand down.”
“She just startled me for a minute, Alex.” She replied.
“Alex, I need to speak to you…in private?” Randi asked again, her tone indicated that something might be wrong.
“Meridian, hun, is there some place the lieutenant and I can talk in private? I think she has something personal to speak to me about.”
“The Captain’s office directly behind you is secure, unmonitored, and sound proof, Empress.” The A.I. responded.
“Thanks, hun.” I replied cheerfully.
Once in the nicely appointed office, I tried talking to Meridian. I received no response.
“Alex, I’m sure you already know this, but…” Randi paused, her expression turned ominous. “It’s about Meridian…she…she’s dying, Skip! Her circuits are starting to fail and I suspect her memory and personality files have already begun to degrade.”
Several tears began to roll down her cheeks.
“Alex, I can’t stop it! I just don’t have the resources to repair five thousand year old components. Meridian’s going to die, and I can’t do anything to stop it from happening!” She cried as she wrapped her arms around me and began crying into my shoulder.
“Meridian isn’t going to die, sweetheart, she’s just tired and needs to sleep awhile.” I told her as I gently stroked Randi’s hair.
“Skipper?” She asked as she pushed back from me a little and looked into my eyes.
“Meridian is just going to go into hibernation for a time. You’ll see and talk to her again. There’s nothin’ to get so upset about.” I reassured my technology comptroller.
“But her circuits! I ran the diagnostics three times, Skipper.” She argued.
“Meridian knows what she’s doing, Randi. I have it on good authority that Meridian will wake when she is needed again.”
“When?”
“When Anna-Beth and I come back for her, Miss Van Pelt.” I said cryptically. I decided to change the subject slightly.
“Are her power cells charged, Lieutenant?”
“Eight-five percent, Alex. As much as Miss Cummins could provide to the collector system while still needing partial repair. Why?”
I revisited the images and memories of Meridian in my mind in order to answer the question truthfully.
“Sixty-eight percent will be more than enough for Ricky Lynn to work with, Randi.”
Again she wrapped her arms around me- this time with a large smile on her face.
“Thank you, Empress. I really appreciate it.” She cried again, this time with tears of happiness.
“Randi, hun, we still have things to do on this mission to ensure its success. We should get to them, don’t ya think?” I told her as I eased her away from me about a foot.
“Aye, Skipper, back to the mission. Thanks again, though.”
“Remember, hun, we never leave anyone behind.” I smiled and winked at her before taking her hand and walking to the door.
“Is everything nominal, Empress?” Meridian asked as Randi and I parted- her going to her station and me standing alongside Alusia and Jack.
“Miss Van Pelt was just concerned by her diagnostics of your systems, hun. She thought you were undergoing a terminal, cascading, systems malfunction.” I explained, but immediately wondered where that line came from. Alex Reilly, I thought, and mentally rolled my eyes.
“I am sorry to have worried you, Randi. The Empress has informed me that I will be stored in this facility for several decades. I had begun placing my systems into something called hyperstasis by my designers. It allows me to conserve power and still maintain system stability over the long and extended term. So don’t worry about me, Lt. Van Pelt, I look forward to dreaming.”
“You…dream?” Randi looked amazed.
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“Of course we do, hun.” I quickly answered, hoping that would settle things. Then I added, “Meridian, we have to continue our mission so we must leave in a few minutes. I’d like to reset Commander Anna-Beth as your wake-up trigger.”
“Acknowledged, Empress. Should I also re-register her existing password?”
“Yes, hun, I’m sure she hasn’t forgotten it.”
“Shall I also retain your voiceprint and password as secondary?”
“Alternate, not secondary, Meridian.”
“Acknowledged.”
“Ladies and gentleman, we need to be going.” I said as everyone stood and walked to the airlock door- Alusia reluctantly. “Meridian, thank you for transporting us out of harm’s way, you were wonderful, hun.”
“It was my pleasure, Empress.”
The outer door of the airlock slid open to reveal a dark, dry, hanger-sized chamber littered with other ‘things’. All were covered by green canvas tarps and numbered in white stencil except for our Meridian. We stepped out and onto the concrete floor.
“Meridian, continue final hibernation sequence and encode outer hatch to the arranged voice prints.”
“Acknowledged.” We all watched as the hatch closed and sealed itself.
“I’ll see you soon, hun, sleep tight.” I told the ship.
“Until another time, Empress. Travel well.”
“Acknowledged.” I said to trigger Meridian’s final hibernation sequence.
“Everyone join hands quickly.” I whispered.
The dark storage facility became a busy city street crowded with people.
“Everyone hold hands until we can find a private place to rephase. Alusia, don’t you dare let go!” I warned the nervous looking girl.
Finding an empty alley, I rephased us, and those of us wearing Reilly suits changed into our modern street clothes. For me it was my favorite denim shorts, pink ‘T’ and sneakers. I pulled my excessive mane into the best ponytail I could by fighting with something Brie called a ‘scrunchie’.
“Empress, where are we?” Alusia asked, awestruck
“Where, is Warsaw Poland, Alusia, when is something you wouldn’t believe.” I answered.
“Empress, a few days ago I wouldn’t have believed you at all, now…” She gestured down her body and never finished her sentence.
“This is Warsaw, Poland, June 25th, 2010.
1800 hours, Warsaw, Poland, June 25th, 2010
“Hey, honey, like the outfit! Is that new this year?” A woman walking past us asked of Alusia.
“No, it is thousands of years old I am told.” She answered truthfully.
The woman glared at her momentarily then hurried away looking insulted!
Alusia continued to attract stares from passersby before we reached our destination.
“Here we are. Let’s go in and get something to eat, shall we?” I motioned for everyone to follow me into the friendly looking café.
Being a Sunday, we were lucky to find a table for six.
“Um, Alex?”
“Yes, Chuck?”
“Um, how are we going to pay the bill? I just have what’s in my wallet and my credit cards might be reported as stolen if I use one of them here. We’re still in Springfield, remember.” He pointed between himself and my sister.
“I got this one, guys.” Randi chirped with a smile as the waitress approached.
“Randi, you’ve barely touched your sandwich. Eat and let work go till later.” I told her.
“What?” She asked before opening her eyes. They had been shut tight for about five minutes. “Oh, I…sorry, I was having trouble logging onto the Wi-Fi here. I forgot about translating network log-ons to Polish in Poland.” She shook her head a few times. “Message sent, Alex, just like you received it Brie:
Have ev. Linkg 2 reilly rs. May involv emprs. U chk? Kecksburg pa 1965 2 strt.
“Could y’all have made it any more ma’steer-i-us, Randi?” Brie asked as she finished her glass of soda.
“Would you have called Alex, if I hadn’t?”
My sister’s mouth began to open in reply, but she closed it before saying a word.
Randi made up for lost time by gobbling her sandwich down whole.
The waitress brought our check and Randi stood from her chair and produced her leather billfold from her back pocket. Presenting the check to the cashier, she waved the billfold in front of a small dark gray and black device on the counter then signed a slip of paper that action produced.
“That certainly was a tasty meal.” She said with a huge smile on her face. “This café has a very friendly credit charge system. It even asked if I wanted ‘cash back’.”
“You didn’t!” I gasped.
“Naw, but I gave our waitress twenty-five percent.”
I looked up just in time to see the young woman stare at us with her mouth opened slightly. Noticing that I was looking, she gave us a wide toothy smile and waved.
Waving back, I got up from the table and followed the others out to the sidewalk. I thought about her name and asked a few questions.
I would be coming back here in a year.
Finding another quiet alley, we again joined hands.
A bright, sun filled, tropical landscape replaced the quiet, dingy, Warsaw alley. In front of us was a river lined with tall palm trees. Behind us was the sound of a busy marketplace. A pleasant breeze kept the sun’s heat from becoming unbearable.
“Oh, Empress! I have missed this place so much!” Peyton exclaimed as she recognized her hometown of Memphis immediately.
I rephased us.
“Welcome Empress of Time and Space. Welcome to Memphis. I trust my daughter has been detrimental in your mission?”
“Momma!” Peyton cried as she turned quickly quickly and ran into her mother’s outstretched arms.
“Welcome to Egypt, Captain Steinert. I trust my ship is safe?”
“Of course, Commander.” I walked over to the woman. “Anna-Beth, you’re looking well! I trust your husband is happy with Miss Masterson’s cosmetic repair work?” I hugged her and immediately noticed she had gained some weight.
“I think she went a little overboard, Empress.” She answered, rubbing her belly gently. “I just entered my second trimester.”
“Wonderful news, hun. Congratulations!”
“By the Lords of Terra! What is ‘SHE’ doing here?” Anna-Beth growled in sudden anger.
Several of Pharaoh’s guards appeared from nowhere and surrounded us at spear point.
‘Easy, Jack.’ I thought to her.
I noticed Chuck looking curiously at the weapons held before him. The guard holding the spear nearest him appeared shocked that this man at the tip of his weapon seemed unconcerned or even frightened.
“Commander, this is not who you think. Alusia bears you no ill-will or harm.” I informed her as I gently grasped her arm. “She only looks like our nemesis- I assure you, Alusia is harmless.”
“How can I be sure, Alexandra? How can I know that you are not under the power of one of her minions?”
“Just try to work your ability on me if you need convincing, Commander.” I suggested calmly.
I was suddenly looking directly into her eyes- those icy blue, mysterious eyes!
“You will tell me how you have been manipulated and point out the traitor who has bewitched you!”
As with the last time she tried her gift on me, I felt a little sleepy, but I remained unaffected.
“Why on Earth would I tell you a lie, Commander? The first time it was humorous, but this time I’d rather not embarrass you again.” I giggled. “I told y’all your gifts don’t work on me.”
Anna-Beth smiled again.
“You say she is of no consequence then?”
“She has experienced the Mahanilui, Commander.” I said.
“So she has not received her gift yet.” Anna-Beth asked.
“Nor will she. We have used the modified nanos. She will develop no gifts other than the one she already possesses.” Jack informed her.
“And that would be…?”
“The gifts any normal Terran would possess, of course.” I smiled.
Anna-Beth looked past me to my frightened Hathor lookalike companion. Seeing Jack roll her eyes in annoyance told me that Alusia was receiving the third degree from our hostess.
“She is a descendent of Hathor, Empress! She has no place here in Memphis!” Anna-Beth growled.
“And you were under direct control of that sinister bitch, yet I gave you several second chances!” I growled back.
Her demeanor changed abruptly.
“Guards! As you were!” Anna-Beth ordered.
Immediately all thirteen men stood to attention and shouldered their weapons.
“My husband, it is safe to approach. It is our friend, Empress Alexandra and her travel companions.
“Alexandra! How wonderful it is to see you again!” A middle-aged man of about five-ten, wearing white linen shirt and pants, with a leather belt, and a large golden broach around his neck greeted as he approached and opened his arms to me.
“Congratulations on the new addition. I’m thinking y’all like the new Anna-Beth then?”
“I commend your healers on a fabulous job, Alexandra.” He casually nodded to my companions.
“Oh, I’m sorry. These are my associates; Randi Van Pelt, my Technological Comptroller; Jacquelyn Cummins…”
“Ah, the Mind Warrior! Welcome to Memphis, Miss Cummins. I’ve heard many good things about you, my dear.” He interrupted and Jack blushed.
“Persephone, over there, you know.” I pointed to mother and daughter still wrapped in a tight embrace. I then walked over to Brie. “Sir, this is my sister, Brianna and her husband, Charles. Everyone, may I present Khufu, Pharaoh of Egypt.”
Five mouths dropped wide open! Alusia looked on the verge of passing out…
Correction, Alusia crumbled to the ground in a heap!
“Y’all coulda told me she was married to the king, Alex!” Brie chastised me.
“Y’all never once asked, sis!” I shot back.
“But y’all met the most powerful man in the world and never parted them lips once?”
“I didn’t want to seem ta gloat, Brie.” I tried to explain.
“Y’all owe me, Alex! When y’all go ta China, ah wanna meet the Emp’rer!”
“We’ll see, sis, we’ll see.”
“The blazes we’ll see! Y’all take me or ah quit!” She exclaimed with a huff.
“Sir,” Chuck stepped forward and offered his hand. “It is an honor to meet one of the most influential men in Earth’s history.” He continued as the two of them shook forearms.
“It is I who am honored to meet the family of Empress Alexandra, sir.” Khufu smiled. He then pulled Chuck aside. “Do they argue like this all the time, or is this just for my benefit, Charles?”
“It ain’t up to me if’n y’all meet the Chinese Emperor! He likes his privacy an all!”
“You mean you ain’t got his ear like y’all got ever’one elses?”
“I’ll see what I can do, Brie.”
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Chuck looking at the two of us, he smiled.
“No, they do that pert-near ever’ time they’s together, sir! Wouldn’t be sisters if they didn’t!”
“Promise me ah get to meet ol’ Chin, an’ we’s even, Alex!”
“Ah cain’t do that, Brie! Ah gotta check my s’narios first.
“Y’all do that then, hun, ah’m waitin’!”
“I aint gonna do it now! We all’er in the company a’ Pharaoh!”
I noticed Khufu nod to Chuck.
“Everyone! I think it’s time to show you around our fair city!” He shouted to get our attention- well, mine an’ Brie’s anyway.
“As you can see we use the river for most local imports and exports. Air travel is reserved for intercontinental trade.” Khufu was telling us when Jack suddenly stopped and stared at something. We all stopped to see what she spotted.
“Jack? What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Over there.” She motioned with her head.
Four men stood by a boat on blocks about a hundred feet away. Three younger men seemed to be arguing with a fourth, older gentleman. Jack motioned the two of us closer and I noticed that the others, Anna-Beth and Khufu stayed behind. We listened in as we approached.
“You must pay us to float that pathetic raft, old man!” Man one declared.
“But how can I pay when my income is out on the water?”
“That is not our concern. No payment, no services. That is final!” Man one answered.
“How can you treat people like this? Your father would never be so greedy.”
“Father was a fool! He had no real business sense to speak of, now pay us or we take your ‘boat’!” Man two exclaimed and laughed.
“I wish to speak to Ahmad.”
“Father cannot come to you, old man- we have seen to that.” Man three gloated.
“Check with Pharoah first, Jack.” I whispered.
“Already have, Alex.”
“Then, by all means, let’s, Commander.” I motioned to the four.
“What seems to be the problem, boys?” I asked as we stopped a few feet away.
“Keep walking, this has nothing to do with you whores!” Man three growled.
“Unless of course, you two are looking for a good time?” Man one added with a leer in his eyes.
“Brothers, it may not be wise to assume occupations here.” Man two warned, as he was the only one to even look at us. He seemed shaken as he stared at our foreign clothing. Jack and I were still dressed in 2010 style- denim shorts, cotton ‘T’s, and sneakers. I realized my tiara was still on my head also.
“You should listen to your brother, Saleem. He shows the most observance to his surroundings.” I warned. “Sir, why are these men hindering your efforts for financial gain?” I asked the older man.
“I said leave, whore!” Man one, Saleem, snorted. He turned to reach for me and began reaching for his neck, gasping instead.
“You sir, will never talk to my friend in that manner ever again.” Jack said in a pleasant tone.
“How are you doing that? Leave him alone!” Man three shouted before he too started gagging and reached to his neck also.
“Care to try for three, buddy?” Jack asked the third brother with a sinister grin.
“So, tell us why these men are threatening to take away your only means of employment, sir?” I asked the older man once again.
“It was a bad season last year.” The man stated in a frightened voice as he tried to figure out what was happening to the younger men. “My catches were too small to pay my debits entirely and my boat needed repair after the seasonal floods came. I have done business with their father for years without livery problems such as this. Now, I find out the costs to launch my fishing boat have tripled and must be paid in advance. I simply do not have the funds. I must market my catch to earn a living.
“Put us down or I shall kill you, whore!” Saleem croaked out in between gasps for air.
“Wrong thing to say, hun.” I laughed at him. I turned to the older gentleman.
“Is your vessel seaworthy, sir?”
“Yes, I was able to afford the repairs, but barely,” He paused as he looked to my tiara. “M’lady.”
“I’ll tell you what…just climb aboard your vessel and I think my friend can remedy this whole situation.”
The man looked at Jack and I like we were some strange human-like ‘things’!
“No, really, hun, you get onboard and we’ll take care of the rest. Go.” I said as I casually gestured for him to get on his boat.
Man number two finally showed his family loyalty by raising his dagger to me.
“And there I thought you had more common sense than your brothers, hun.”
I watched as his blade started bending until its point touched its hilt.
The man remained stationary staring at the useless dagger in his hand.
“Don’t anger her any more, hun, or you may look like your weapon- or worse.” I warned.
“Sir,” I shouted up to the boat’s deck, “are you prepared to get under way?”
The gentleman just nodded cautiously and decided to hang on to the gunwale.
“When you’re ready, Jack.”
The imitation reed hulled boat started to rise. It hovered for a moment then started moving toward the water. Passersby stopped to witness the event, remaining quiet until the hull settled gently into the waves fifty feet off shore.
Applause filled the air as the older fisherman waved his thanks and started hoisting his sail.
“Now, don’t you three feel stupid,” I asked?
“That was our money you took from us!”
“Wrong! You took that money from yourselves by being greedy! Now. What has become of your father?” I asked deviously.
“He was old and refused to change his ways.”
“So you told him that you would take over for him- that he could enter into retirement?”
Man number three snorted and almost laughed.
That appeared to be everything Pharaoh needed to know.
“Empress Alexandra, there you are. I trust these men made no attempts to your well-being? Surely if they had it would be the death penalty.” Khufu asked as he and Anna-Beth approached from a nearby side street.
“Pharoah!” The three chorused in horror.
“I have business with your father, where is he? I do not see him.”
This one claims he has been retired, sire.” I pointed to the eldest.
“I heard everything I needed, Alexandra. Lady Jacquelyn, could you please release these men?”
The two men almost lost balance and gasped in huge amounts of air now that they could breathe again, the misshapen dagger ripped out of the third man’s hand and flew straight into Jack’s opened hand. It then straightened itself. Jack flipped it to hold the newly straightened blade and handed it over to Khufu.
“A Mind Warrior is the wrong person to anger, gentlemen. In the future you shouldn’t underestimate your enemies. I teach that to my soldiers from an early age. By the way, where are they?” The Pharaoh wondered aloud as he put his hand to his chin.
Suddenly, thirteen guards were pointing spears at the three men. Jack took my hand and we phased out, relocated ourselves outside the dangerous spear points and rephased. The three criminals’ jaws fell to the ground!
“Oh, I thought we had lost you.” Pharaoh said to his guards, never showing any change of expression to our sudden change of location. “These three gentlemen claim they have retired their father. Escort them to their residence and seek out the older gentleman. If no one can be found matching his description, bring them back to be held for trial on three charges of unnecessary termination.”
Without a word, the guards motioned for the men to start walking.
“Bravo, Alexandra. Your sister would be proud of the way you handled that, although, I believe she would’ve done it a bit differently.”
“Although me, she does have her own style, sir.” I giggled.
“And they say Isis changes the direction of the winds.” He raised his hand to the sky and started laughing.
“Alex Reilly would insist that Isabelle Cryetten was behind it, sir.” I continued to giggle.
Pharaoh laughed all the harder!
“Ahh.” Khufu wiped his eyes dry after a few minutes, “You are amazing people, Alexandra. I hope our relations stay common and productive.” He paused again. “You all should join Anna-Beth and I for meals, but first we must catch up to our newly returned hero and her mother, Lady Natalia.”
“I don’t think it looks like me at all, momma, and I don’t deserve it.” Peyton exclaimed as we entered the small square near the palace. People had quietly begun to mill around Natalia and her daughter.
“Pharaoh had it commissioned at my request, Persephone. The artist used the most recent image file I could find for the stone cutting. I think it the perfect likeness, and you do deserve the honor, my child!” Her ma argued back.
“What of the others- those that gave their lives to defeat the evil Hathor? They’re families deserve similar monuments, yet I see none in any other places of honor.”
“You have taught the child humility, Alexandra, well done. She now carries on the family traditions well.” Khufu told me quietly as we stopped before Natalia, Peyton, and her carved granite likeness. The hieroglyphs around its base told of her many victorious clashes with Hathor’s forces, but most of all her final victory over the evil brought by the tyrant.
Peyton heard our conversation and turned to us.
“Pharaoh, I am not worthy of such tribute. Many others have paid the supreme cost for our freedom from Hathor!”
“I assure you, Lady Persephone, they will all be honored for their sacrifice. You though, took the extra step- drew forth an untold amount of courage and dared to protect others from her tyranny. You have also helped return the love of my life to me. In so doing, you have raised the morale of my legions and brought confidence in Pharaoh back to our people. I am forever indebted to you, Lady Persephone!” He exclaimed proudly.
Khufu slowly dropped to one knee with his head bowed and fist held firmly to his heart before the stunned young woman. The square grew uncomfortably quiet.
“Please don’t, sir, you should stand before the people see you and think weakness.” Peyton pleaded in visible discomfort.
“Lady Persephone, look around you.” He told her quietly.
All around us people were paying homage to her. Jack, Brie, Chuck, Randi, Natalia, Anna-Beth- I had also dropped to one knee. I quickly reached up and pulled Alusia down to one knee also.
Peyton’s hands flew to cover her face as she immediately started sobbing. Her ma quickly got to her feet and ran to her daughter’s aid, wrapping her arms around the young woman and gently stroking her hair.
“I thought Pharaoh bowed to no one, Empress.” Alusia whispered to me.
I glared at her!
“By helping me defeat your ancestor, she freed both upper and lower kingdoms, hun- something he couldn’t do while his wife was under Hathor’s control. In a way, Persephone has reached a higher standing than even Pharaoh.”
“But Pharaoh was considered a God on Earth.”
“Yes, and to have that God honor someone like her is the greatest tribute she could ever receive. Another would be to lay claim to traveling with the Empress, Alusia.” I hinted.
“She is new to your kindness, Alexandra?” Khufu leaned his head toward me and whispered.
“Yes, we picked her up in 1945 Poland- a land bordering the North Sea. She was forced into working with villains far worse than Hathor’s forces to subjugate Anna-Beth’s starship.”
“Meridian 12 is again safe?”
“Yes, sir. She’s powered down and awaits her next voyage.”
“I trust you have seen that voyage, Empress?”
“Don’t worry, sir, you have a first class ticket reserved- Captain’s suite, I believe.” I giggled softly so as to not upset the mood of the ceremony.
“I am indebted to you also, Alexandra. Without your unique skill set and those of your sisters, Egypt might well have been lost. Thank you again for defeating Janelle Hathor and releasing those conscripted by her technology.” He said, gently touching my hand with his.
“It was something I had to do, sir. Because of my negligence, Janelle arrived here in the first place and upset the balance of time, history, and power. It was my responsibility to put everything back on its proper course.”
“Still, I thank you, Alexandra. The Empress has helped this land become what it is today. As I said earlier, may our lands remain friends and allied.”
“Pharaoh, I must tell you that Egypt and the other nations around her won’t always be allied…or friends. There is a nation on the north shore of the Mediterranean whose thirst for power and desire for conquest far outpace the land of Pharaoh.”
“I am not so naive, Alexandra. I know this society will all come crashing down some day. It is the way of things- the way of mankind.”
“You are wise, sir.”
“I am also hungry, Empress. Time to conclude this ceremony.” Khufu said, standing up to face the still overwhelmed woman.
“This woman, Persephone, daughter to Natalia and Ahm-Shu, has cast doubt on the Fates and dared challenge those called our Gods to uphold the morals that they themselves have declared upon us. Let all hearing my voice know that I, Pharaoh, as well as all Egypt, owe her a massive debt. Not only do we owe her, but all those who willingly sacrificed their lives to return this land to its previous tranquility and beauty! Please join me, along with the visiting Empress, Alexandra and her sisters, in showing our appreciation and support for everything these courageous patriots endured on behalf of Egypt!” Pharaoh shouted out to the gathered crowd.
The crowd began to stand and clap. The applause became overwhelming.
Peyton rushed to Pharaoh and wrapped her arms around him, her tears continuing to flow freely.
The applause finally died down after several minutes, yet Peyton continued to embrace Khufu.
“Child, my wife may start having jealous thoughts if we remain together any longer.” He quietly told the young woman with a grin.
“I’m sorry, sire. I do not wish to upset Pharaoh, I…” Peyton looked to Anna-Beth, “I merely wanted to convey my sincerest thanks.”
Peyton knelt before Khufu, her fist to her heart. “I am forever your loyal servant, Pharaoh!”
Again the people in the square applauded.
Both Anna-Beth and Khufu turned their heads to me and smiled. Anna-Beth added a quick wink as well.
‘You did good, Alex.’ Jack thought to me.
‘We all did great, Jack.’ I thought back with a bright, physical smile.
‘Alex?’
‘Ya, Jack.’
‘You think we’re gonna’ get to eat pretty soon?’
I rolled my eyes.
“Yes, Lady Jacquelyn, the meal is being prepared as we…speak.” Anna-Beth giggled.
1234 hours, The Royal Residence of Pharaoh, 2526BC
“Has the meal satisfied your hunger, Lady Jacquelyn?” Khufu chuckled. He and Chuck had been talking quite extensively about the radical differences between the modern interpretations of Ancient Egypt and first hand experience.
“So, you basically use CNC machines to sculpt granite and dolerite?” Chuck asked, wanting to get things straight. He seemed amazed by everything he had learned.
“We have also, thanks to our Terran partners, developed a method of casting a synthetic form of those materials. Once finished and located per plan, they are indistinguishable from natural stone after a curing time of just twelve weeks.”
“Ingenious! The self-proclaimed ‘experts’ back home would never accept the truth. They are under the impression y’all used copper tools and wooden hammers to build the pyramids.” My brother-in-law said with a chuckle.
“By the Lords of Terra, no! If we had been that technologically inept, it would have taken twenty or more years to build something that took us just a little over five! Where ever do these ‘experts’ get their information?”
Chuck shrugged his shoulders.
“Hey, some of those same ‘experts’ tell us that time travel is not possible, or that travel to other planets and dimensions simply cannot be either. Little do they know, huh?” I laughed.
“I submit, Charles, that with the beauty and talent contained within this hall- at this very moment, absolutely anything is possible! Wouldn’t you agree, my dearest Annu-B’th?”
“I told you to stop pronouncing my name in that manner! I still get the shivers every time you do, my love! Kidding or not, it recalls nightmarish memories!”
“My deepest apologies, my mate. Have you and the baby had your fill?”
“Yes, Pharaoh, the royal offspring has been sated.” She giggled.
Khufu nodded with a slight smirk and turned his attention back to Chuck.
“So, Charles, this ‘shuttle’ program you spoke of earlier, is the technology comparable with that of Meridian?”
“No where near, I’m sorry to say. Meridian 12 makes NASA’s Shuttles look like the wood and copper tools you are thought to have used. There is even talk of discontinuing the program after their retirement next year…um, 2011.”
“It seems like a monumental mistake…not exploring space, that is. With all the things we have learned from our space-faring partners, it just escapes me how things might have changed had they not arrived.” Khufu commented as he gently rubbed a finger against Anna-Beth’s cheek.
A look of absolute bliss appeared on her face!
Future thoughts of Sanford filled my mind. Pleasant memories of my own bliss- the happiness at having the one I would love shower me with affection and admiration. Remembrances of our honeymoon in Miami; our many trips to New England; our many visits with Ma and Pa; our trip to Giani in Andromeda- one of the most beautiful and romantic places in this universe- Sandy and I walking along it’s gentle surf, on the green sand, so soft it felt like silk between our toes…”
“Alex? Earth to Alex.” Brie’s voice interrupted and brought me back to reality.
“Lady Brianna, you should have left her to her blissful remembrances. For a chance instant she seemed truly free of all her burdensome responsibilities.” Khufu chastised my sister.
“It’s okay, sir, they have yet to happen. I look forward to experiencing them first hand.”
“You are truly amazing, Empress. Complicated, but amazing no less. As for you, Lady Randi?” Khufu looked at her neutral, expressionless face. She had been sitting that way for at least half the meal.
“Whah? Oh, I’m sorry, sire, were you talking to me?”
“You have seemed preoccupied since your arrival at my residence. What troubles you of this place?”
“Oh…I…I…IIIII’ve been in communication with your household control system. It seems to share similar programming and core components with Meridian.”
Laughter broke out in the large hall.
“She is a marvelous piece of engineering!” Khufu declared.
“Thank you, sire.”
“No, our maintenance system, Lady Randi! Anna-Beth’s specialists designed her exclusively for this abode-as a joining gift.”
“Oh.”
“Randi, have you been able to connect to Reilly’s A.I.?” I asked.
“Five hundred years too soon, Skipper, but I’ve been talking to the world network, why?”
“I just wondered if y’all were getting along, that’s all.”
“It’s not just the two of us, Alex; it’s about three billion of us. The whole planet is talking, Skip! The amount of information flying around out there is staggering. The Internet has nothing on this system.”
“Talk about the ultimate geek.”
“Charles! You know Randi likes to gossip with her friends as much as we do.” Brie scolded.
Khufu laughed.
“Alusia, out of everyone at our table, you have been the quietest. Are our conversations not stimulating enough?”
The raven–haired woman remained silent- her eyes horror-filled.
“I believe she fears retaliation since she is a direct descendent of Hathor, sir. I have assured her repeatedly that will not happen- that her mind is her own and I believe she cares little for world domination.” I answered on her behalf.
“Come now, child, just because you resemble the one so recently vanquished does not mean you harbor the same evil.” Anna-Beth cut in. “I trust the Empress has given you the opportunity to start anew?” She smiled and winked.
Alusia gasped quietly. “She has, ma’am.” She replied in a tiny, frightened voice.
“She has done likewise with me, young one. I even chose to reward that initial charity by taking her hostage. Still, she believed in my reprieve. ‘Allow yourself to join the right side’, she advised.” Anna-Beth continued.
“Young woman, since the Empress has spoken so highly of your character, it would only be natural for us to offer you residence should you chose to call Memphis your home.” Khufu told Alusia, who…well, she passed out!
“Am I so frightening, Alexandra?” He asked as Jack and Randi tried to revive our newest club member.
“I have no problem with you, hun. I just think she’s heard so much about you from the anthropologists and archeologists- you know, the ‘experts’? Those types paint a vastly different portrait of life in ‘Ancient Egypt’.”
“It sounds like they portray me as an arrogant, power-hungry, wealth-monger, whose only interests’ center on building tombs and temples that would guarantee my ascension into the after life!”
“That is exactly what they have deduced from the ruins of Karnak, Saqqara, Giza, Abydos, the Valley of Kings…the usual places researchers decide to look when they don’t’ understand.” I complained.
“You should alert them of their inaccuracies, Empress. It is not right to make presumptions without sufficient information.”
“As I said before, Pharaoh, according to the ‘experts’, time travel is not possible, so the Empress of Space and Time surely cannot exist.” I stated evenly, but sarcastically.
“Then I suggest it is their loss.” He submitted.
Alusia had rejoined us and remained silent while Pharaoh and I talked.
“Welcome back, Alusia. I trust I have not frightened you too much?”
“I don’t understand? Why do you say you frightened me?”
“Didn’t I?”
“I was shocked that Pharaoh would extend such kindness to one who looked like his enemy.”
“Young lady, if you haven’t already guessed, the Empress holds much favor here. Her kindness, generosity, and wisdom have been known here for several of your centuries.”
“How is that possible?”
“She’s a little slow on the chaotic principles of time travel, sir; otherwise, she is very intelligent.” I informed Pharaoh.
‘Anna-Beth,’ I thought to her, ‘I have seen that she has an opportunity to better herself here in Memphis. She will find happiness and love within six months and create a family in ten more. She is an outstanding research scientist and will be a loyal friend to you, Natalia, Khufu, and Persephone. She must be reminded occasionally however, of her own self-worth.’
She nodded to me with an understanding smile. Jack’s face took on a slight grin also.
“Alusia, I think my mate to be absolutely right, and I think you should stay here at the palace until you become properly acquainted with our city.” Anna-Beth told her- it was more of an order than an acknowledgement. “If you should decide to stay.”
“But Empress, do you not have need of me for other missions?” Alusia asked, searching desperately for a way out of Memphis.
“You have no need to fear your ancestor here, child. She has been rendered harmless and cannot hurt you.” Khufu told her.
“She is deceased?”
“No, she is still very alive, child. Her talents have been limited and her aggressive personality has been…modified.”
“How so? Has she been lobotomized or subjected to electroshock treatments?” Alusia asked with increased tenacity.
“Alusia, we don’t torture people in this outfit.” Jack told her. “We simply installed limiters on her gifts and removed the memories of her experiences with Alex. She no longer has memory of her disagreements or dislike of the Empress or her sabotage attempt of Reilly’s Protoverse Chamber.”
“In fact, Alusia, I have talked at length with Janelle after her return here and she has apologized to me for releasing her hold while I relocated Reilly. Her dislike for me…or rather Alex Reilly, was consuming her like a cancer- slowly eating away at her humanity until just the cold, uncaring evil shell remained and controlled her life. I’ve never seen her happier or more alive. How old is young Ja’el now, Anna-Beth?”
“I haven’t seen them since leaving for the Delta, but I believe the little girl is two, Alex. The child has become Janelle’s world.”
“So she is happy in her new role?” Alusia asked, not quite believing.
“Love is a powerful aphrodisiac, Alusia, you should try it.” Khufu laughed as he put his arm around Anna-Beth and gently pulled her to him. He winked at the young, raven-haired woman.
“So that is your plan, Empress? I am to stay here to begin my new life- to fall in love and start a family?” Alusia looked over to me with suspicion.
“Only if you want to, hun. As I’ve told y’all before, I can only guide a person in the best direction; I can’t make you do anything unnatural.”
A young man walked into the dining hall and quickly approached Pharaoh with his head and eyes lowered.
“Pharaoh, sorry for the interruption, but I seek your approval for the temple modifications at Abydos.” The man said quietly.
I noticed Alusia repeatedly stealing glances of the fit, well-tanned, young man as he conversed with Khufu in a quiet voice. The man in turn gave occasional attention back to her.
Anna-Beth leaned over to me and tried to keep her giggling quiet.
“You do not play fair, Empress. I take it she had little to no chance once she arrived in our fair city?” She whispered.
I simply smiled.
She smiled back then sat straight and silent, graciously taking a sip from her wine glass.
Khufu must have noticed the man’s wavering attention in the conversation.
“Khefra, have you met Lady Jacquelyn, Lady Randi, Lady Brianna, and Sir Charles? Lady Persephone, Empress Alexandra, and Lady Natalia I believe you have already met.”
“No Pharaoh, I have not. Ladies and sir, welcome.” He nodded and smiled to acknowledge us. “I’m pleased to meet you all…” He gently nodded toward the frightened, raven-haired girl trying desperately to melt into her chair.
The Mahanilui was working overtime on this one!
“Oh, please forgive me. This is our nephew Khefra.” Khufu smiled and paused, noticing the anticipation on the man’s face. “Nephew this is Lady Alusia, she was just trying to decide whether to stay on in Memphis after Empress Alexandra leaves. Perhaps you would be interested in showing her around?”
The young man mouthed the word ‘Alusia’ once or twice in my direction. A smile burst across his face! “I would be most humbled to do that, uncle.” He paused and his face went sad. “I must return to Abydos before nightfall though.”
“Alusia, since our conversation is not stimulating enough for your brilliant, young mind, would you like to go with Khefra to Abydos? I guarantee it would be more in line with your interests.”
“You know of acoustical multimedia equipment design?” He asked in disbelief.
I noticed Randi become agitated- squirming nervously in her chair. I caught her gaze and shook my head ‘no’ slightly.
“She knows of public address systems and some basic interfacing techniques, and she is a fast study. You will find her very intelligent, Khefra. Her last employers vastly underestimated her skills and worth.” I informed him on her behalf.
“Would you do me the honor then, Lady Alusia?” Khefra walked around to her and held out his hand.
Alusia looked at me with large, pleading eyes; she looked to be on the verge of tears or lightheadedness.
I smiled and motioned with my eyes for her to take the young man’s hand.
Slowly, she raised her hand and met his, her look of uncertainty never left her face until his arm went around her waist and he guided her out of the room.
“I do hope our societies remain friendly to one another, Alexandra. I would lament any disagreements that would force us into opposition for I would surely suffer severe defeat. You are most devious!” Pharaoh declared as a satisfied smile appeared. “Are you sure about the future of those two, Empress?”
“As sure as I am about your future, hun.” I winked.
“My future? From what I can gather from the little scraps you have given me, my future is set more permanently than the stones we build with!” He looked to me with seriousness.
“You and Anna-Beth will have many years together, of that I can guarantee, Pharaoh. Remember the Empress is just a thought or two away in your time, my time, or Alex Reilly’s time.” I reminded him.
“How would that be possible given Lady Camille is thousands of miles and several hundred years, away? He asked in confusion.
I’m sure if you ask Lady Alusia to contact the Empress, she would find, in her heart, the strength…and the gift to reach out to one of us.” I winked as Jack, Randi, Brie, Charles, Peyton, Natalia, and Anna-Beth all suddenly stared at me as if losing my sanity!
“Yes, “I paused, “I finally told a lie! Alusia will gain her new ability in about six months- give or take. I substituted activated Reilly nanos for those Tibius modified.”
“Why would you do that, Alexandra?” Anna-Beth gasped, appalled by my admission.
“Sometimes you just have to go with your feelings, ma’am. I’m sure you know what I mean- you and Jack that is. Sometimes, seeing the future is just not enough to affect its realignment.”
“But why…of all people, her? Hathor’s own flesh and blood!” Brie asked, appalled that I would do such a thing.
“That’s exactly why I did it, Brie. Lusius grew up hearing the much-exaggerated stories of his ancestor, Janelle. In his mind, he idolized her- hero-worship, I think they’ll call it. Since meeting us, that image has been twisted around on itself. Witnessing, first-hand, our abilities, Alusia can no longer trust the legend of Janelle Hathor, the storied, all-conquering, Goddess Mother of Egypt. We, being who and what we are, have scuttled that legacy completely! Her Mahanilui only added to that dilemma. I felt it necessary to compound and confuse her issues and beliefs until they were no longer recognizable. Even the National Socialists ultimately aided me by proving deceptive and scheming. I’m actually surprised she trusts anyone at all!”
I paused.
“The girl has effectively lost her heritage, her identity…her very self. She is essentially a clean slate now. If she is to exceed her expectations- which right now rest at zero- she must be given a surprise- a gift if you will- something she never knew she possessed or would ever have. She needs something to live for…other than Khefra and her three future children, of course.”
“How could you have possibly seen that, Alex? I thought you said you couldn’t see the outcome of our mission to Poland before we left Reilly?” Jack asked, still totally bewildered by what I had done.
“It was something you said last month, Jack. You told me you had a ‘feeling’ as to the outcome of one of our adventures.”
“As I recall, you made light of it and let it drop, thinking it silly of me!”
“That’s only the way y’all took it, Commander. Don’t tell me that you just let what I said pass by like so much driftwood?”
“No, I tried to prove to you that it wasn’t just a silly coincidence- that it made sense in a strange, Empress-like way!” Jack answered sternly.
“Exactly!” I raised my voice, pausing with a wide smile on my face for a moment. “In your gut, you knew something was there- something that just couldn’t, or shouldn’t be ignored. You wanted desperately to prove me wrong, Jack!”
“But I never did, Alex. I’ve never gotten the chance to prove it to you.”
“Ya, hun, ya did. Numerous times as a matter of fact.”
All parties were now tightly entranced in our conversation. Khufu placed his elbows on the tabletop, interlaced his fingers, placing his chin on them, and focused his attention on the two of us.
“When did I prove such a thing, Alex?”
“Most recently while in Meridian, Jack, just after I opened the door to debut Alusia.”
Jack’s facial expression never flinched- she showed no recollection.
“Alusia came running at me in a fit of rage. You protected me and set her back on her behind. Why would you do that, Jack? I could have simply phased Peyton and I out and the crazed girl would have impacted on the opposite passageway wall.”
“You needed protection, Cap!” She answered, slightly agitated.
“Why?”
“Cause I felt I needed to keep an eye on you, that’s why! I had a feeling she might hurt one of you!” Her tone had gone up almost an octave in anger.
I remained silent, the wide grin still on my face.
Jack’s anger drained from her face, as she finally understood. Her mouth dropped open.
“You know, Jacquelyn, you really do look cute when perplexed by Alexandra’s logic.” Natalia smiled from across the table. Peyton made a valiant effort to hold her laughter from beside her mother.
“I’ll second that. Its amazing that some guy hasn’t swept you up already, Jacki.” Chuck added.
“Ouch!” He exclaimed and jumped, as Brie must have stomped on his foot. Her angry expression confirmed it.
Khufu began to laugh hysterically.
“Charles, I‘m beginning to see that you are absolutely correct about this ‘family’.” He said after calming down enough to speak.
Brie gave her husband another angry look. One that asked ‘now what did you tell him’!
“You, dear Empress, have a keen eye as well as infinite wisdom. I would be hard-pressed to develop any offence against your sharp intellect and unorthodox strategies. Are you sure you would not consider joining my military, Alexandra?”
“My allegiance is to my home country, the United States of America, but more over to the many peoples throughout the universes, dear Pharaoh. Rest assured, if the fragile course of history requires it, I will be here to advise and guide Egypt in the right direction.”
“Are you sure you desire no political office, Alexandra- a diplomat, possibly?” He laughed.
“Ya’ll know I have no political ambition, hun.”
Khufu laughed again. “Good, because in your line of work, bias has no place, my astute Empress.”
I smiled and decided to change subjects.
“So, Natalia, I trust Persephone has told you how she piloted Meridian to a safe, controlled, crash landing?”
Peyton’s eyes glared at me like two plasma cutters.
What were plasma cutters?
Oh, future memories.
“Noooo, she didn’t tell me about the crash, Alex.” Natalia looked at her daughter with some concern.
“I didn’t expect it to turn out so well given we had three hundred-seventy-six souls on board.” I reassured her.
“You had that many on my Meridian?” Anna-Beth gasped, almost choking.
“Well, plus the six of us, yes.”
“Don’t forget we only had eighty-five percent in the power cells, Alex.” Randi reminded.
Natalia’s mouth fell open! She stared like that at her daughter for several minutes, as did Anna-Beth.
“I knew you could do it, Seph! I knew…even when you doubted yourself, that Meridian was in good hands after my retirement.” Natalia told her, with a wide smile.
I had expected mother and daughter to embrace each other, crying on each other’s shoulder for several minutes.
Instead, mother and daughter each raised a hand and, if future memory held true, gave each other a ‘high five’!
“YEAH!” Both shouted with huge smiles and started laughing.
“Empress, will you be staying on for a time, or will you be leaving us all too soon?” Khufu asked after waiting for the two to settle down.
“I’m afraid we should be going, sire, I have family to return, equipment to stow back on Reilly, and a myriad of paperwork waiting for me back at base. Uncle Rick decried that I write a report of the Empress’s missions. He worries fervently about us, you know.”
“I should like to talk to him more on your return, Empress. Your uncle’s tales of his early military career are fascinating. I could listen to them several times over and still find something that I missed or overlooked.”
‘The Admiral’s been here already?’ Jack’s question echoed loudly in my head.
‘Not yet he hasn’t, Jack.’ I thought back.
‘Oh.’
The palace’s lights dimmed slightly all of a sudden.
“Now what is going on?” Khufu asked in annoyance.
“Um…sorry, sir…um…but all I did was tell your system that we had to leave.” Randi sputtered out, looking extremely nervous- guilty as sin too!
Khufu smacked his hands on the table once and looked to the ceiling in defeat. “Even the machines adore the Empress and her court!”
Everyone in the large dining hall started laughing.
It was now time for our goodbyes. We exchanged hugs and kisses with Khufu, Anna-Beth, and Natalia. Chuck shook Pharaoh’s forearm and embraced him as well.
There was just one last decision to be made. I had noticed that Peyton seemed to be contemplating something as the rest of us wished each other well.
“Empre…”
I looked at Peyton sternly.
“Alex,’ she rephrased and looked back to her mother momentarily. “You have told me that we, ourselves, make the decisions that determine our course through time…”
“That’s right, hun, our choices ultimately determine which path our futures take. Why?”
“I wish to return with you and finish my assignment aboard the Detroit, ma’am.” She said rapidly.
Natalia and Anna-Beth gasped thinking Egypt’s celebrated hero would remain home.
“Persephone, you have completed that assignment, hun. I thought you couldn’t wait to return home?”
Her head fell forward, her eyes to the floor.
“I…I have met…someone, momma. Someone I…I care deeply for. I…I wish to…I wish to join with him…if he will accept me.” She admitted, her voice sounding like a scared child.
If a slight breeze had come through the room, more than one person would’ve been knocked over! I remained quiet and observed the internal debate going on in Natalia’s mind.
Peyton, likewise, waited and wondered about the outcome. At times she would scrunch her nose or her expression would grow depressed. She apparently was eavesdropping on her mother’s thoughts. Jack was such a bad influence!
‘I had nothing to do with it! She thought of it all on her own, Alex!’
I rolled my eyes!
Natalia quietly turned to her daughter and held both forearms. Both women slowly lowered their heads until their foreheads touched.
“I shall miss my little Sephie! I will inform your father on his return from the Western Hemisphere of your decision.” Natalia moved her head back slightly and turned to me. “Would it be asking too much of the Empress to offer transport for her family and friends on her Joining Day?” she asked. I noticed a tear transit her cheek.
“Momma!”
“Only as long as we get invited to the ceremony and I provide the location for her bridal shower.” I smiled.
“You drive the hard bargain, M’lady.” Natalia giggled.
“I’ll have my temporal communications agent,” I nodded to Brie. “Contact you temporal communications agent,“ I looked toward the door. “With the specifics- time and place, okay?” I told her, raising my hand to give her a ‘high five’.
“YEAH!” We both shouted as our hands struck.
Peyton began her departure routine and within minutes we had joined hands.
“With a heavy heart I again task you with her well-being, Alexandra.” Natalia said, embracing me again. Her arms quivered slightly this time.
I said nothing, but nodded my understanding.
“Travel safely on Isis’ wind, Empress of Space and Time.” Khufu smiled to me.
“Rule wisely, equitably, and sincerely, Great Pharaoh. I shall look forward to the baby shower invitation, Commander.” I winked at Anna-Beth. Looking at my companions to make sure we were holding hands, I announced our departure.
“All ashore that’s goin’ ashore! Next stop: Kili Island, 2028.”
Reilly’s small conference room replaced the pleasant, subdued lighting of Pharaoh’s dining chamber.
Author’s note:
My sincere thanks to JessicaNicole and Puddintane for their help with the German translations in this and the previous episode.
R. G. Beyer
Admiral Demmit arrives with a mission request. Apparently he had found Reilly’s vast historic library on his visit to the future and researched a few old friends…
Onward Episode 8 “Meeting the Relatives”
“Mommy?” A small girl’s voice whispered in my ear.
“Mommy!” The same girl’s voice whispered with a little more force. A pair of small hands shook my shoulder urgently.
“Mommy, wake up! It’s Christmas morning!” The small hands shook my shoulder harder.
“Mommy needs a few more hours of sleep, hun, go back to bed for a while.” I mumbled, moving my head slightly on my pillow. Why was it wet?
“Mommy, Cassie’s already down in the livin’ room sortin’ presents! I told her you would be mad, but she just kept doin’ it! Mommy, get up!” Samantha’s whisper turned to a quiet hiss as she shook me harder still.
“Sammi, I just came back from a rough mission, hun! Let mommy sleep a little longer.” I pleaded and turned over.
“Alex, you’ve had yourself locked in here for a whole day! As your doctor AND your sister, I ask that you get up!” Emily’s voice suddenly startled me awake.
“And my name is Emily, not Samantha, so get up lazy bones! Revile was thirty minutes ago!”
0630 hours, Atlantis-Minor Base, June 29th, 1944
“Revile? What day is it?” I asked, rubbing the sand from my eyes.
“Oh, I am sooo sorry!” My sister said in a sarcastic voice. She brought a fist to her chest in mock homage. “It is 0630, June 29th, 1944, Empress!” She glared at me. “Now get up, Alex!”
“Why is my pillow so wet?” I asked offhandedly as my hand came up to investigate.
“My guess is that you tired yourself out so much- pushed yourself so hard- blamed yourself for everything that happened- as usual, that you did the only human thing possible- you cried yourself to sleep yesterday morning!” She angrily reprimanded.
Emily sat down on the edge of the bed. “Alex, I really think you should go easier on yourself. There is a slight chance that all that stress could do damage.” I felt her touch my hip, noting that it felt warm and smooth.
I was still lying on my right side, but wearing my favorite pink nightie instead of my shorts and ‘T’.
Why did that keep happening?
Emily read the question on my face.
“Why do you keep putting that thing on, Alex? I’m sure you have other…more modest nightclothes programmed in.”
I didn’t answer right away.
“Was it that bad, sis?” She asked, breaking me from thoughts- mindless ones.
“Was what that bad?”
“Your last mission. Was it that bad?”
I nodded cautiously. “Almost lost Brie, Chuck, and Randi.” I mumbled.
Emily gasped quietly. “That’s terrible, Alex! No wonder you looked exhausted yesterday morning! Um, can I ask why you called me Samantha before?”
“I dreamt it was Christmas and Sam was trying to wake me up to tell me that Cassie was sorting presents downstairs. I have no idea why I would dream something like that.”
“Maybe that is your way of escaping and coping? Using pleasant memories to displace bad ones? It is the way the human mind interprets and manages traumas both physical and mental. Pleasant thoughts and dream sequences release endorphins and block unusually high beta waves so that the body can relax and achieve REM sleep.” Emily’s head twitched suddenly and her eyes refocused on me.
“Future Emily or my Emily?” I asked gently with a smile.
“Future, I think. That is the strangest feeling, Alex. How do you deal with that?”
“You get use to it over time, sis.”
“So, are our sister and future brother-in-law safe?”
“I left them in 2010, Em. Brie, Chuck, and Brittany.”
“Brittany?” She seemed to concentrate for a moment. A huge smile flashed to her face.
“Oh! That’s wonderful, Alex!” Emily’s smile waned slightly. “Isn’t that a little ahead of schedule though?”
“Maybe just a little.” I brought my hand up to my face and narrowed my thumb and forefinger. “A little.”
“Mina isn’t going to be happy with you, you know!”
“I’m not happy with the way things turned out either, Em! I made some downright bad choices on this mission! Sometimes, I wonder if I’m really ready for this gig.”
“What’s a…a gig, Alex?” She looked at me, confused.
“Sometimes I wonder if I’m ready to be the Empress, Emily.” I rephrased my concern.
“Oh, come on Alex! How long have you been doing this?” She asked, turning to her right to face me better.
“About three months.” I said sheepishly.
Emily crossed her arms in front of her. “How long have you really been doing this, Alex?” She asked angrily.
I had to really think about that.
“About fourteen years, give or take a few months.” I replied, barely above a whisper.
Emily tried to gasp the air completely out of the room!
“I had no idea, Alex! You need to slow down before you age prematurely!” She looked pleadingly at me. “I’m in no hurry to lose you, Alex.”
“It’s all in the job description…unfortunately.” I reassured her with a smile.
“So, when is the next mission, my Empress?” Emily giggled after a short pause.
“Didn’t you just prescribe taking it easy, Dr. Scott?”
We both laughed at that.
“Uncle Rick is on his way, Alex. He should be here in an hour or two so you better get yourself put together.”
“Why wasn’t I informed of this yesterday?”
“Um…you were sleeping it off, maybe?” Emily giggled again and hurriedly left the room.
“That’s cheating, Alex!” I heard her complain from the short hallway.
Why did she say that?
Wonderful! I don’t even have time to hit the shower, I thought.
Wait, what was I thinking?
The shower helped me at least feel cleaner! After brushing my teeth and brushing my extremely long hair out, I opened my bathroom door.
“That’s cheating, Alex!” Emily complained from the short hallway as she rushed by.
I smiled and set course for the Mess Hall after waving to my earlier, sleepier self, just getting out of bed.
The steaming cup of coffee gently placed itself on the table before me.
“Thanks, Jack.” I said softly.
“Skipper, would you like me to put your hair back the way it was?” Corrine Masterson offered as she passed by.
“My eye color, too, if you don’t mind?”
“Your eyes too? Who did this to you, skipper?”
“Your daughter, Corrine.”
“Oh.” She said as she started to gather up my extensive, golden blonde, tresses.
“First you should take your crown off, Empress.” She politely informed me.
When had I put the thing back on? Had I even taken it off to shower?
Maybe I needed more sleep?
“Sorry, I forgot I had it on.” I quickly checked to make sure it was turned off and removed my tiara from my head.
“I’m glad you like it, skip.” Randi said, smiling from her seat at the next row of benches.
Corrine re-gathered my long hair and held it tightly to my head for a minute or two. The decrease in weight was very noticeable when she released it.
I snagged a few strands and brought them into view. It felt good to see my natural hair color again.
“Skipper, I’m not sure I can do your eyes right. Can you put up with them like this until I feel confident enough to try?”
“I’ll live with them for a while longer, hun- when y’all are ready.”
“Wow! They really are blue, Cap!” A tiny voice said into my left ear.
“Sasha, you shouldn’t have realized your gift for another month. Have I changed our present that much?”
“I don’t know about changing our present, Cap, but I was talking with my daughters when we traveled to Kili to kick out Hathor last month. It just took asking a few questions, that’s all.”
I breathed a sigh of relief.
The pixie flew from my shoulder and landed on the table in front of me.
“I kind of liked your hair long too, Cap! It made you look like a top-notch princess- especially with the crown!” Sasha giggled, her hands quickly covering her mouth. Of all the fae I had seen, both here and on Kili, Sasha was the prettiest of all in my opinion.
“So now what, hun?” I asked the miniature woman standing before me.
She crossed her arms in front of her and grimaced. “Now Chief Samuels wants me to help fish wires through the tighter spots in Sand Dollar!”
“So what’s wrong with that? We all have to be ready to use our talents and skills to maintain the boat, Sasha.”
“But if I do that I’ll get my wings oily! I can’t fly so well with oily wings, Cap!”
“Are they still dirty after you grow up and return to pixie mode again, hun?” I asked with a slight smile.
The pixie clasped her hands in front of her and tried to gracefully move a crumb from in front of her with her tiny right foot. “Well, no.” She said shyly, her eyes dropping to avoid mine.
“Sasha, I know it’s hard, but you know you have to spend most of your life at full height. You would burn out too quickly otherwise- and we simply can’t order in that much honey, sweetheart!” I looked at the sad expression on the six-inch, winged fashion doll before me.
“Logistics would start to question Supply, and they would start asking questions that Admiral Demmit would have to answer. Get what I’m sayin’?
“I could start my own Beehive.”
“You could.” I replied flatly.
Sasha’s face beamed!
“I’ll get right on it, Cap!”
She disappeared out the already closing mess hall door in the blink of an eye!
“That didn’t take long, did it, Alex?” Emily commented from beside me.
“Remember, it only took Alexis a few minutes to master her wings, sis!”
“Not that, Alex,” Emily smiled happily, “hopping back into ‘Empress’ mode.” She laughed.
Jamie Hilf came through the mess hall doors before I could respond to my sister’s comment.
“Skipper, Admiral’s plane is twenty miles out and closing, ma’am.”
“Jack, assemble everyone at the dock, I’ll be along after I finish my coffee.”
“Aye, Captain.”
0814 hours, Atlantis-Minor Base, June 29th, 1944
“I’ll call when I’m ready to return to Pearl, lieutenant. As always, you have seen nothing unusual here, understand?”
“As usual, Admiral.” The young officer replied as he signaled the pilot to start the engines on the PBY Catalina moored to our dock. He looked towards us, the formation of uniformed, pretty, young women standing at attention, and smiled. “Good hunting, sir!”
“Yes, good hunting, indeed! See you in a few days, Ensign!” Admiral Demmit replied to him squarely.
“Sorry, sir!” He nervously saluted the Admiral and quickly entered the fuselage and closed the hatch.
We remained at attention until the plane broke free of the ocean’s surface and climbed into the sky.
“Welcome to Atlantis-Minor, Admiral.” I said brightly as I saluted. The formation followed suit.
“At ease, Captain Steinert.” He returned the salute haphazardly.
“What brings the Admiral to Atlantis, sir?” I asked in my official tone.
“How are you, Alex?” He asked, looking directly into my eyes.
His response at seeing my blue eyes caused me to cringe. I knew, without a doubt, he would say something.
“I liked the green eyes better, Alex.” He said before I could say anything, or answer his question.
“It was for a mission with the Empress, sir.”
“I’m sure I’ll be reading about it, Commander?”
“Most of it, Admiral, yes.”
“Most, Alex?”
“Some of it was of a personal nature, Admiral. I’d rather not explain in the presence of the crew, sir.”
He uncharacteristically nodded once.
“Captain, I’d like to congratulate you and your crew for the marvelous job you and Sand Dollar did in our last campaign. Unfortunately, because of the… you’re…unique…circumstances, any awards are impossible.” His gaze dropped to the ground momentarily.
“Sir, as long as we were doing our jobs to protect the fleet, our country, and democracy, no awards are necessary.” I told him.
“A noble sentiment, Alex, but it pains me to deny my best boat crew the accolades they so rightly deserve. If times were different, Alex…” He stopped. “I did, however, manage to send Distinguished Service medals to your families.”
There was a hushed murmuring from the crew.
“Thank you, Admiral.” I…we all saluted him again.
Again he nonchalantly saluted back before his eyes dropped to the ground again.
“Sir, is something wrong?” I asked, as I looked to Jack and Emily on either side of me.
“Alex, I need to talk to you and the command staff in my quarters as soon as I get situated- say, in an hour?
“Aye, sir. Jack, see to the Admiral’s things.”
“Aye, Cap.”
Uncle Rick’s gear left the ground and slowly flew towards the compound and the Admiral’s quarters.
The old man just chuckled, shaking his head as his belongings floated away on invisible hands.
“Alex,” Demmit started after we all took a seat. “There has been a request for the unique talents of Sand Dollar’s crew.”
This was it- word of our gifts had obviously gotten out and we were to be used as weapons! It was my worst nightmare turned reality! I looked around to my friends- my crewmates. We all had similar expressions.
“Admiral Demmit, speaking on behalf of my officers and crew, I must respectfully decline, sir.”
“Hear me out, captain.” Demmit looked conflicted as he almost made eye contact with me. “It’s not what you think.”
“Then what IS ‘it’, Admiral?” I pressed, maybe a little too incensed.
Uncle Rick looked surprised by my response, and stared into my eyes. It wasn’t his usually powerful gaze though. This look was something reserved for his equals- individuals he considered good friends- relatives.
“I’m the person making the request, Alex.”
Each of us looked at the other in silence for several minutes.
“I’m sorry, Admiral, I didn’t know.” I apologized to my superior. “What do you need?”
Again the old man broke eye contact.
“While I was in the future,” He started slowly, “I reviewed the history stored in Reilly’s library.”
“We already know you looked at the archives, Uncle Rick, you told us, remember?” I reminded him as I watched his expression remain unchanged.
“What I didn’t mention was the fact that I researched some of my fellow crewmates from the closing days of the ‘Great War’. Reilly’s archives are very specific and well maintained. Did I ever tell you that, Alex?”
“No sir, you didn’t, but thank you, I’ll relay that to RVP next time I’m there.”
He nodded and continued.
“One of the men, I was surprised to learn, beat fate and somehow managed to live a full and rewarding life despite being listed ‘lost at sea’, 12, May, 1918.” He then paused momentarily.
“I remember as if it were yesterday, Alex. I was assigned to the destroyer, ‘Davis’ DD-65. I was all of nineteen. We were called in to rescue survivors of a U-boat, U-103, that had been hit by one of our convoy transports, the RMS Olympic. We were recovering the men in the water when the lookouts started screaming that a rogue wave was heading our way.”
“We barely had enough time to get thirty-two of the survivors on deck before Capt. Fogbottom…sorry, Capt. Zogbaum, ordered everyone below and to brace for collision. We were ordered to leave the others to fend for themselves. Russell Brackenridge- Rusty we called him- was trying to hurry the last German prisoners onto the deck when one of them decided he would take his chances and dumped him and Rusty overboard into the drink. There wasn’t enough time to fish either of them out before the twenty-five foot wave reached us. I barely made the hatch seal before the water was over the deck. I lost a good friend that day, Alex. I also regret leaving twenty more men to their fate. That was the day I learned exactly how precious…and short life was.”
“If the archives are correct, he must be the luckiest man on the face of this planet, Admiral.” Carroll exclaimed. The rest of us nodded in agreement.
“Exactly, Lt. Sheldon- or Rusty had someone looking out for him.” Uncle Rick stared directly at me.
“After we took one hell of a beating from that wave, we began to make temporary repairs and look for survivors. All we found was wreckage from the U-boat. We assumed no survivors and limped back to Milford Haven.”
“Maybe he was picked up by another ship, Admiral?” I suggested.
“Reilly’s library distinctly states that Russell Brackenridge died in 2020. We celebrated Rusty’s twenty-first birthday 4, May, 1918!
“Wow, he sure did live long- one hundred and twenty-three years,” Carroll interrupted.
Uncle Rick and I stared at Lt. Sheldon again.
“He’s not a sea turtle, Carroll.” Emily scolded.
“Awfully strange that a sailor lost at sea off the coast of Ireland would live so long, wouldn’t you say, Alex?” Uncle Rick raised an eyebrow to me punctuating the statement.
My mind went into high gear searching for his present location- for the locations of everyone lost that day. I didn’t hold out much hope seeing as it had happened over twenty-six years ago- my gift worked better on the future.
“Admiral, I suggest we see what Chief Peterson has for lunch, Alex may be here for a while.” I barely heard Jack say as I focused on my self-imposed assignment.
“Any luck, Alex?” Uncle Rick asked as I entered the Mess Hall to the amazement of my officers.
“Wow, half an hour. Another new record, Carroll, pay up!” Jack smiled at her like the Cheshire Cat.
Ignoring the comment from my ‘current’ first officer, I informed the Admiral of my findings, which weren’t too promising. “I need to travel back to a time before it happens, sir. I was unsuccessful in seeing anything before today. So, before I risk my boat or crew, I need to see what I’m up against. Have any suggestions on a safe target- someplace I can rephase and remain anonymous?”
“Can’t you just stay unphased or whatever you call it?” Uncle Rick asked looking relieved that I seemed to be taking on the mission.
I just stared at him for a minute. “I’d run the risk of reappearing if I concentrated too long, sir.”
“I guess the safest place would be Kili Island, it’s been there since…forever, hasn’t it?” He said hopefully.
“Only since 2026BC, sir, only a mere four thousand years.”
“Thirty-nine hundred and seventy years to be specific, Alex.” Carroll corrected me.
Uncle Rick and I looked to my navigator.
“Sorry, Skipper, Admiral.”
“Good thought, but it would be too dangerous, sir. Mina and her people would sense me and discover Reilly. I’d never hear the end of that transgression!”
“Why not stay here then? I mean the history of this island is why I chose it. The native stories claim this end of Ni’ihau is haunted! What’s to say you aren’t that spirit?”
“We already drive those people crazy on occasion, Admiral. Just today Sasha was seen by several children hiking the highlands.”
“I was?” A tiny voice asked above me.
I rolled my eyes then looked to the hovering pixie. “Yes…you were, sweetheart. You have to be more careful and not forget that innocent minds can follow you no matter how fast you fly.”
“That would explain the baby in the village pointing and cooing at me as I flew past. Wow, I never thought about that, Cap.” She said- her face filled with concentration.
“Sasha, we’re having a grownup conversation here so either grow up or get out.” I told the tiny woman now hovering a foot in front of me.
“Oh, all right!” Her tiny voice said as she flew into an open area and began to grow.
“No matter how many times I see that, it still amazes me.” Uncle Rick admitted as a full-sized Sasha returned and sat down.
“We could visit mother, Alex. She would have been seventeen in 1918. We could pose as her cousins- the ones that never came to visit? Mother told me on several occasions about how disappointed she was every time they deferred their visit.” Emily told us with some excitement.
“We need some place we can stay for about a week, Emily. Do you think your grandparents’ house would be appropriate for two cousins to stay for that period of time?”
“A week? Why would your reconnaissance take a week, Alex?” Uncle Rick asked even as Emily gave me a knowing wink.
“Because my last mission took a little over three weeks to complete, Admiral. Look, that’s the amount of time Emily and I will need- take it or leave it, sir.”
For the third time today Admiral Demmit stared at me in disbelief.
“Boy are you in a bitchy mood today, Alex.” Carroll complained.
Jack quickly, but gently batted our navigator’s head.
“Oh, ya, right. That makes perfect sense now. Sorry, skipper.” Carroll blushed and looked down at the table in embarrassment.
I wasn’t sure Uncle Rick grasped what had transpired between my Ex-O and Carroll, but his stern glare seemed to subside slightly.
“Alex, you do what you have to do to confirm this apparent mystery. I’ve given Sand Dollar a week’s shore leave on paper. I know you don’t need it, but the Navy needs to know where all its equipment is at all times. If something important comes up I’ll call your sister Brianna stateside, okay?”
“You’ll know tomorrow if we can help, sir.” I told him. “Emily and I have to go prepare for our visit to the Demmit house.”
I turned and started for the door. Emily stood up and joined me.
“Ladies, may I escort you to the Captain’s chambers?” Uncle Rick asked as I heard the bench he was sitting on slide back noisily.
We stopped and waited at the door for him.
“Girls, first I want to thank both of you for doing this. I’m not sure that you’re involved, Alex, but no one I know of lives that long” He glanced over at both of us and shook his head. “Present company excepted.”
“You have doubts, don’t you, Uncle?”
“What I saw in the records at Reilly…they intrigued me, so yes, and I have many doubts as to Rusty’s resilience in the open sea and especially his longevity.”
“Maybe we’ll take a side trip to Kili to read up on our Mr. Brackenridge, sis?” I winked at Emily as we entered my office. Uncle Rick held the door for us.
“That would be prudent, Alex, but you had that planned already.”
“You know me so well, Emily.” I smiled.
“There is that, but I’d do the same, sis.” she laughed.
Uncle Rick gave a chuckle as well.
“So, sis, what are the names of our two cousins?” I asked as I sat behind my desk.
“Their names were Allison and Andrea Demmit.” Uncle Rick volunteered before Emily said one word. “I only met them twice- once at my cousin, Anna’s wedding before I shipped out from Boston in April of ’17. Before that, they visited with us for several weeks when we were children- I was about six or seven years old, I believe. I’m not sure Ruthie would remember them though. Then something happened. Dad never talked about it or kept in touch with Uncle Alistair after that- I don’t think they saw eye-to-eye on something. Anyway, we heard rumors that Uncle Alistair had died just before Christmas of 1916. One thing I do remember is being very surprised by the strong family resemblance between Allison and your mother, Emily! ”
“So, do we have to meet any certain physical appearances, Uncle Rick, or will just looking the way we do suffice?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Not that I’m aware of, Alex. As I recall they both had darkish, blonde hair, both were about your height, and I seem to remember my cousin Allison had these beautiful blue…”
Uncle Rick’s eyes suddenly got big as saucers as he stared intently at me. Instantly, he stood up, turned and headed straight for the door!
“I need a drink!” He growled.
Admiral Demmit disappeared out the door.
“What was that all about?” Emily asked, looking to me intently trying to see what our uncle had seen.
“Me…rather, us, Emily.”
“I’m not getting it, Alex.”
“Uncle Rick just started to describe me.”
“You?”
“Me- as I look right now. In doing so, he gave me the perfect place and time for our stay.”
“A wedding? That’s perfect, Alex. Grandfather and Grandmother Demmit would’ve gladly opened their home to any out of state ‘relatives’ for a wedding!”
“I’m not going to be real pleasant to be around- just a warning, sis.”
“I’m not that dense, Alex, I know what you meant in the Mess hall. Why don’t you bring some of those twenty-first century things with you? They would be far more comfortable than anything from the time period.”
“Let’s not talk about it, sis, even after fourteen years it’s…”
Emily started laughing.
“Even after fourteen years, you’re still such a boy, Alexandra Steinert!” She continued to laugh.
After a moment, she abruptly stopped.
“We’ll need to go shopping for party dresses!”
“Yay.” I said with as little enthusiasm as I could.
“No, really! We’ll need period gowns for the wedding, Alex.”
“That’s what our Reilly suits are for, sis.”
“Still we’ll need to see what styles are out when we get there. Then we design our clothes accordingly.”
“Fine, we’ll leave after I get the specifics from Uncle Rick…before he gets too loaded!”
1311 hours, The Roland Demmit House, Hartford, Connecticut, April 11th, 1917
“Y’all never told me your grandparents lived in a mansion, Emily!”
“It’s only three stories, Alex- hardly a mansion.”
“But the thing takes up almost half a city block, sis!”
“Alex, Grandfather only owns a quarter of the block counting the grounds.”
“This place is bigger than Ma an’ Pa’s house, the barn, an’ the wood shed combined, Emily!”
“I’ve seen your barn, Alex, and it’s about half the size of this house! Now, y’all need to drop that drawl! We’re all Yankees in this family.”
“Of course, sister, I knew that. Shall we look around at the local population so that we may find a secure location to reconstitute ourselves into this temporal stream?”
“We were never British, sis! The Demmit’s’ originated in Bavaria. Great-great-great Grandfather was a Hessian soldier attached to a British Regiment. He changed sides shortly after Valley Forge and fled to Long Island. From there he helped the resistance smuggle supplies across Long Island Sound. The story goes he met Gram on one visit to Connecticut. There’s a portrait in my Grandparent’s foyer of them.”
Several couples walked past as we watched and waited. This era’s fashions seemed more modern and sensible- at least the dresses had higher hemlines! One woman stopped to check her heel after almost tripping on a seam in the concrete sidewalk.
“Good, only two inch heels!” I whispered excitedly.
Emily laughed. “I know for a fact they went higher, Alex.”
“Any idea on our foundations, sis?” I asked, feeling my cheeks warm.
“For that we have to either go upstairs, or go into town- your choice, Alex.”
“I’ll feel like a Peeping Tom, but we’re here so let’s go in, sis.”
Emily led me up the short walk and onto the beautiful, ornate front porch.
We easily passed through the wide, solid maple, double front doors and headed up to the second floor. Emily pointed to the first door on the right as we reached the beautiful, wooden railed balcony, which overlooked the huge foyer.
“This was…is my mother’s room. We should be able to discern what the women of this age wore underneath. She should be seventeen and her style of dress should match what we would need.”
I nodded and she pulled me gently into what turned out to be a bedroom suite!
“No, this isn’t a mansion at all, Em! Her closet is bigger than my room back home!” I said as I gazed in awe around the small, centralized living area.
I thought our room at the White House in 1865 was spacious! This made that look like a cheap hotel room in East St. Louie!
“Knock it off, Alex! Her bedroom is over here.”
Emily guided me to the right, through a plain, white painted door. Beyond was a beautiful four-poster bed complete with white, flower-embroidered canopy prominently placed in the center of the room.
“Wow! How many people did you say lived here, sis?” I asked, still in awe of what I was seeing.
“Grandmother, Grandfather, Uncle Rick, and Mother.” She hesitated. “And six servants.” She added quickly with a giggle.
“It’s just a simple country cottage- no big deal.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
“Just stay close, Alex Steinert.”
“Um, we’re still phased out, Em.” I reminded her.
“Mother’s dressing closet is over here.” She continued, ignoring me completely.
Before us were prime examples of early twentieth century feminine finery.
“So how do we copy both garment and fabric, Alex?”
“We have to rephase and use our sense of touch, of course!”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Alex. What if mother comes in?”
“I’m working on it.” I replied as I asked the proper questions of my internal friend.
Nodding once to myself, I gave Emily her answer. “We have four minutes starting now. one thousand-one, one thousand-two, one thousand-three…”
My sister dropped my hand and began touching every piece of lingerie and every dress, skirt, and blouse.
A floorboard squeaked as Emily moved farther into the cavernous wardrobe. We gave each other a panicked look.
“Make that one minute, sis!” I whispered as loud as I dared.
I heard the suite’s doorknob jiggle and start to turn in the outer room.
“Or less! Take my hand, sis!”
“Hello? Miss Ruth, are you in here?” An older woman’s voice echoed through the rooms.
“Now Ruthie, you’re too mature to be playing these sorts of games now. Come on out, young lady.” The yet unseen woman said as she closed on our position.
Emily barely touched my hand as the middle-aged housekeeper came into view.
“Huh! I could have sworn someone was in here.” The woman said as she sniffed at the air once or twice.
“She can smell us, Em!” I said in fear of being discovered.
“That’s Mrs. Haroth. She looks the same as I remember!” Emily exclaimed as the woman walked through us examining the giant closet.
“Get enough information for our clothes, sis?” I changed the subject as we quickly left the room the same way as we had come in. Hurrying down the stairs and out the front door, we again found ourselves out on the sidewalk.
“I just finished coordinating our wardrobe, sis.” She told me after a minute or so.
“Good I’ll setup the link between our Reilly suits.”
Almost instantly the file transfer commenced and two minutes later I was browsing through our very own 1917 fashion catalog.
“Great, they still have corsets.” I growled in displeasure.
“I don’t think these will be quite so tight, Alex. The cut and length are less severe than those torture devices from the 1860’s.”
“If you say so, sis. We better change now, I’m starting to get nervous about…you know.”
“Ok, I think I’ll wear the light brown, poplin skirt with the yellow and white striped v-neck, sailor collar, blouse…maybe with the black heels and beige stockings.” Emily said with just the slightest hint of enthusiasm. Her Reilly suit immediately began to change. After it finished, I moved my hands to her hips so she could put our hair up and still be out of phase.
She didn’t look that bad! In fact, with her hair pinned up into what she called a ‘chignon’ she looked quite attractive.
“Alex Steinert, are you jealous?”
Emily must have misread my expression.
“No, you look very pretty, sis.”
I made my own selections and triggered the change; standing on my tiptoes to accommodate the shoes I had chosen.
Just as a precaution, I exhaled.
“I knew you couldn’t pass that one up, sis. You look marvelous.” She praised.
I had chosen a blue and white, sailor collared blouse with some Aztec style design along the collar’s edge and matching scarf, a black and white plaid skirt, white stockings and white heels. I could feel the firm, but acceptable pressure applied to my frame by the corset beneath. To my surprise, it wasn’t too bad…for a corset!
Each of us also had matching blazers and fabric purses…or were they called handbags in this time?
“Are we ready, Andrea? I asked, as I looked Emily over once more.
Something was missing.
“Alex, we have to put our hats on. No self-respecting woman of the day would be caught without her hat.” She whispered as she placed a light blue, slightly floppy brimmed, woven straw hat haphazardly on her head.
That was it! She quickly took my hat from my side, undoing it from the small button at the waist of my skirt. As I held my hand to Emily’s waist she positioned and pinned my white, flower decorated, wide-brimmed, straw hat into my hair. Once she was holding my waist, I did the same for her.
We were now ready to make our appearance at Emily’s Grandparents’ home.
After making sure nobody would see us appear, I rephased us on the front porch directly in front of the doors we had passed through just moments before.
We looked at each other and each of us took in a big breath of air. We were still holding hands.
“Ready?” I asked quietly.
“As I’ll ever be, I guess.” She replied equally apprehensive.
Emily reached for the doorbell knob and pulled.
I felt the first hint of my monthly visitor as we heard the bell tinkle somewhere inside. I squeezed Emily’s hand tighter.
“You really should try to stop cutting it so close, Al…”
The left door opened slightly.
“Ruth? What in heaven’s name are you doing out there?” She looked at me, upset.
I just blinked at her a few times in silence.
“Mrs. Haroth?” Emily asked in a timid voice.
The woman opened the door fully and looked at both of us.
“Oh, I thought you were…” She stopped as she stared into my eyes. She began looking us up and down.
“Yes, dear, I’m Olivia Haroth and who are you?” She continued to evaluate us both.
“I’m Andrea Demmit and this is my sister Allison, ma’am. We’re in town for the Richardson Wedding on Saturday. Father told us to look up Uncle Roland if we should ever be in Hartford?”
“Andrea and Allison Demmit, you say?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I replied quietly as I started to worry that Uncle Rick’s memory might be errant.
“I haven’t seen you girls since you were small!” She smiled at both of us. “Your aunt and uncle neglected to inform me you might be coming.”
“I’m not sure they got our telegram, ma’am. Father was told there was some trouble on the lines between here and Albany when he sent our RSVP.
“Well come in, girls! Your aunt and uncle will be overjoyed that you two came!”
We were warmly ushered in and, after surrendering our hats and jackets, shown to the Parlor room.
“Have a seat here and I’ll get your Aunt Amelia. She’s out in the greenhouse tending to the Easter flowers. Would you girls care for something to eat- something to drink perhaps?”
“Could I have a cup of Earl Grey- two sugars, please, ma’am?”
“Certainly dear. I’m partial to that myself! And anything for you, dear?” Mrs. Haroth looked at me with a strange smile.
“Same for me if you please?” I asked timidly.
“Of course, dear, but I had you pegged for a coffee drinker.” Her face started to sadden a bit.
“Oh, if it’s not too much of an imposition, ma’am? Black, please?” I replied, looking up and giving her a guarded smile.
“I thought as much! Your cousin, Ruth, favors coffee too! I can’t believe how much the two of you look alike, and I just love those blue eyes, dear!” Mrs. Haroth’s face beamed at me.
“Thank you, ma’am.” I blushed.
“I’ll be back in a few.”
The housekeeper turned for the pocket doors that lead out into the foyer, but stopped and sniffed once. She turned back to us with a confused look on her face.
This started me worrying all over again. “Anything wrong, Mrs. Haroth?” I asked in a small voice.
“That scent. I think I’ve smelled that once already today.” She looked directly at me. I felt myself start to tense.
“I told you that you put too much of that on this morning, Allie! She could smell you as soon as we got off the train!”
I caught on immediately. “But I like it, Andie!”
“It’s enough to choke the horses!” Emily groused.
“It’s really not that strong, dear. Don’t let your sister trouble you.” Mrs. Haroth interrupted our little disagreement.
“Yes, ma’am.” I shyly replied.
“Mrs. Haroth, did I hear the doorbell?” A very familiar, but younger voice asked from the foyer.
“Ruth, dear? Come see who just arrived.”
Momma Scott appeared in the wide doorway.
Emily and I stood from our chairs.
It was like looking into a mirror!
“Oh…my…GOD!” Ruth Demmit exclaimed as we stared at each other, face to face.
“Ruth, do you remember your cousins, Allison and Andrea?”
“Allison?” Ruth Demmit repeated as we continued to stare, unmoving. She looked confused.
I knew the feeling, wondering how she hadn’t been a previous ‘Empress’. I could have been looking at a slightly younger version of me- or better yet, my granddaughter, Alexandra!
Ruth’s expression immediately changed to a huge smile.
“Empress!” She chimed out in excitement.
I felt any and all blood drain from my body!
“She’s coming around, Andie.”
“Well, ‘Empress’, did you have a good snooze?” I heard Emily ask. Why was there humor in her voice?
I opened my eyes to see me staring back.
“Now isn’t the time for a mirror, sis!”
“I’m not a mirror, cousin!” My face replied. It began giggling!
“Don’t you dare pass out on me again Allison Demmit! What would father think?” Emily groused at me from my left. She was busy taking my pulse.
“Ruthie, give her some air.” Emily asked in her professional voice.
Ruth Demmit withdrew a few feet, but continued to stare and giggle. I noticed Mrs. Haroth keeping her distance off to my right. I smelt coffee.
“They know, sis?” I asked as quietly as I could.
“Of course we know, Allison. That’s all you wanted to be called the last time you visited us. Don’t you remember?” Another woman’s voice replied from behind me.
I craned my neck up to see a woman resembling Emily only with medium brown hair. I noticed several streaks of gray running through it.
“Aunt Amelia?” I asked, quickly gathering my thoughts.
“Nice to know you still recognize me, sweetheart.” She giggled and walked around in front of me. “Now, can you two tell me why you’ve never visited until now?”
“Father was always too busy, Aunt Amelia- at least, that’s what he kept telling us.” Emily answered.
“How is my wily brother-in-law doing these days?”
As planned, if asked that or a similar question, Andie and I looked at each other sadly.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, girls. When?”
“Before Christmas, Ma’am.” Emily…Andie said sadly.
Aunt Amelia looked at both of us for a moment- as if debating what to do.
“No more will be said of the matter, girls. Allison, have a drink of your… Olivia, is that coffee in her cup?”
“That’s what she asked for, Mrs. Demmit.”
‘Aunt Amelia’ glared at Ruth, who cowered slightly.
“Olivia, bring my niece some of that fresh lemonade you just prepared.” She looked back at me. “Sweetheart, after that dizzy spell you need something sweet!”
I looked back at Andie. She nodded.
“Thank you, ma’am.” I said looking back to our ‘Aunt’.
“Allison, how old are you now, sweetheart?”
I paused to think about my answer. My calculation surprised me- I was forty!
“She’s twenty, Aunt Amelia, and I’m almost nineteen!” Emily…Andie answered for me.
“Then you are both adults and should call me Amelia or Amy. Is that clear girls?”
Andie and I nodded.
“I’m seventeen. I’m an adult. Can I call you by your first name, mother?” Ruth asked.
“Not in this lifetime, child!”
“oh.”
A memory of my Cassie asking a similar question came to mind.
“Now that’s the face I like to see!” Aunt…Amelia said noticing she had torn me away from my thoughts.
“Two bits for the thought, Allie?” Amelia asked.
“She’s probably thinking about her boyfriend from back in Albany.” Andie replied in a catty tone.
“Well you better snag him soon, sweetheart; time’s a wastin’ as they say!”
I fought hard to control the urge to say ‘I have all the time in the world’; instead I just nodded.
“Allie doesn’t seem to be in a hurry, Amelia. She thinks she has all the time in the world.” I saw a devious smirk appear on my sister’s face.
“You know I’m waiting for him to come home from the war, Andie.” I shot back.
“Oh, he’s fighting in Europe?” Amelia asked, intrigued by my response.
“He’s serving on a supply ship between England and the Mediterranean.”
“Well then there’s a good chance he’s dead already!” A male voice replied from the foyer.
The cruel voice was similar to Uncle Rick’s only more gravelly.
“Roland Walter Demmit! How dare you suddenly appear and dash a young woman’s hopes! Apologize to your niece this instant!”
“Why, I’ll do no such thing, woman! Since when do I take orders from you?”
“Since we married- the day you said ’I do’!”
Amelia didn’t wait for any response and continued chastising her husband. It seemed that company or servant, it didn’t matter…the Demmit family was an open book!
“You will forget about that disagreement with Alistair and apologize to these two young women, Roland! The differences between you and your brother are ancient history and don’t carry on to your nieces! Now apologize!”
I hadn’t expected Amelia to sound so angry or to attack with such tenacity, but I now saw where Emily’s mother got it from!
Grandfather Demmit was an older man- maybe fifty with mostly gray hair- almost white, really. He was about our height with a slight potbelly and wore a black suit with black leather shoes and a matching silk bowtie. Though several years old, it made him look respectable and worldly- not like some of the ‘snake oil salesman’ outfits- ‘dandy’s’ I think they were called, I had seen along the street on our arrival.
Roland Demmit was also the type of man that could carry a grudge for years- and still did!
I felt it my time to engage the potential enemy.
“Sir, I understand that something had transpired between you and our father, but at the time of the disagreement we were small children. I will not have you coming in with guns blazing just after our arrival! So, if you do not apologize, Andrea and I will have no other option than to seek residence elsewhere in Hartford! I refuse to have a member of my family insult my sister and I in such a cruel and rude manner!” I unloaded on the man before me.
We locked eyes and stared into each other’s soul- both of us refusing to yield even an inch!
A minute passed and we still remained locked in ocular combat! Two minutes passed, then three.
Roland Demmit abruptly started laughing. Had I won? I wasn’t sure.
Uncle Roland reached out and pulled me close. He embraced me tightly.
“Welcome to Hartford, Allison. Welcome Andrea.” He looked at my confused face and continued to chuckle. “I sincerely apologize for my rude behavior, ladies. I can see you have the Demmit spirit…and our stubbornness- something my dear brother sorely lacked. I thought I would never meet my equal at soul searching; now I have been bested- by my own niece of all people.”
Uncle Roland hugged me again after kissing the back of my hand. He repeated his welcome with Emi…Andie then left the room shaking his head, still chuckling.
“Gee, I never saw someone stare down father before- and certainly not besting him.” Ruth Demmit whistled.
“Well done, Allison. It’s about time my husband met his match! You two can stay as long as you like. Let me show you to your rooms.”
“We usually share a room when traveling, Amelia. Although we seem to fight a lot, we do enjoy each other’s company.” I deferred.
“As you wish, Allie, but we do have more than enough room.”
“Of that I am certain.” I laughed as I looked around the large Parlor room.
“Do you have a lavatory, Amelia?” I asked, feeling another twinge in my abdomen.
“Yes, dear, there is a water closet, bath, and basin at either end of the upstairs hall, one just off the foyer, and one in the servants’ quarters.”
“Thank you and please excuse me.” I said as I headed into the foyer.
“Ah, there you are, Allie. Would you girls like to see your room now?” Amelia asked as I returned to the Parlor. I noticed a glass of lemonade waiting for me.
Amelia apparently followed my eyes “Have a drink sweetheart. Olivia makes the best refreshments in Hartford.”
Mrs. Haroth smiled with pride from beside the entranceway to the room.
I looked over to her. “Thank you, Mrs. Haroth.” I took a sip. It did taste refreshing- and sweet! “It tastes wonderful, thank you!”
Taking a few more good swallows, I placed the glass down and looked at our hostess.
“That feels better. I’m ready now, Amelia.”
As it turned out there were six bedroom suites on the second floor and four for the servants on the third. Amelia escorted us down the nearer side hall to the suite next to Ruth’s. It was just as big, just as beautifully decorated, and just about as big as my office and quarters back on Atlantis-Minor!
“Girls? Where are your things? I didn’t notice them in the foyer.”
“The agent at the station told us he would see that our travel trunks were delivered sometime today.” I told Amelia. The tale had worked in St. Louis so I decided to use it again.
“I shall have Roland and Jeffery go down there with the White.” Our aunt said quickly.
“Amelia, I’m sure our baggage will arrive soon, if not tonight, then tomorrow. You don’t need to make a special trip.” I replied quickly trying to dissuade her.
Amelia Demmit looked at us- at me, for a moment. Her eyes met mine and looked deep. I wondered who had taught who- husband or wife!
Breaking eye contact with me, she took a step back and looked out into the hall in both directions.
“You Demmit’s are all the same- too proud to show weakness!” She scolded as she came back in and closed the door. “If you girls haven’t got baggage just say so! We’re family, that’s all that matters- destitute or not!”
Ruth gasped quietly as she looked between her mother and us.
“We have money, Aunt Amelia.” I produced a small bar of gold from my handbag. Emily had suggested I bring it along just in case, before we had left Reilly.
“Yes and it’s probably the last one if I know my brother-in-law! Ruth, I’m sure you and your cousins are close enough in size to lend them something to wear and sleep in tonight. Be a good hostess and fetch a few things.”
“Aunt Amelia, that won’t be…” Emil…Andie started to tell our hostess.
“Nonsense, sweetheart! And what did I say about calling me Amelia?”
“Amelia, we’re quite able to sleep in our underclothes and wear our dresses over again.” Andie told her.
“No niece of mine will ever wear the same outfit two days in a row, in the same week- is that understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.” We both surrendered.
“What was that, girls?”
“Yes, Amelia.” We chorused.
“And don’t forget it!” She punctuated her warning with a sharp nod of her head.
Amelia pointed to a couch behind us. “Have a seat, girls and tell me exactly why you’ve come to Hartford.”
“So, the two of you are only here for the ceremony and then you plan to move on? Where on Earth will you go next?” Amelia asked as we told her our well-rehearsed cover story.
“West.” I answered. I wasn’t lying either. I just didn’t tell her how far west. “We aren’t leeches. Andie and I can take care of ourselves, besides; we have friends that are very protective of us.” I added confidently. Nothing we had told her was a lie.
“Mother, I brought a few things as you asked.” Ruth entered our room carrying a large pile of clothes. How she held them all and could still see in front of her, I hadn’t a clue!
“Wonderful, honey, now let’s see what fits and what really looks good on these two!” Amelia walked over to the suite’s door and closed it, locking it in the process.
1415 hours, Hartford, Connecticut, April 12th, 1917
“Harriet, these are my two nieces from Albany. They both expect good fittings and I expect the same attention to details that you normally afford me! All purchases will be addressed to me and me exclusively, understood?”
“Of course, Amelia. When have you not known quality from me?”
“That’s why we’re here, dear. When one finds a reputable merchant, one supports her thoroughly. Let’s start with measurements, shall we? Allie, Andie, you know what to do dears.”
I gave Andie a look of dread as we were shown to separate small rooms at the back of the store.
“I want a selection of everyday and one special occasion corset, Harriet.” Aunt Amelia raised her voice from the front of the store. “And don’t let them tell you otherwise.”
“What did you two girls do? I’ve never seen Amelia so headstrong.” The tailor/seamstress asked quietly when out of earshot.
“Our baggage never made it to Hartford, not that we had very much.” Andie replied.
“Oh, that explains it. I take it you’re here for the wedding?”
“Yes, ma’am, we are.”
“Well, I can see that you two are Demmit’s through and through- in fact, Allie, you look surprisingly similar to your cousin Ruthie. The two of you could be twins!”
“I’ve heard that many times since our arrival yesterday, ma’am.”
“So why not borrow some of her clothes, dear?”
“Ruth’s clothes are a little tight on her, ma’am- up top.” Andie answered from next door while I just blushed.
Harriet immediately wrapped her measure around my bosom.
“Yes, I see that. So that is the only difference between you two? Tell me dear, do you like some of Ruth’s garments?”
“I like what I have on today, ma’am. This is one of her’s. A little too tight up here though.” I pointed to my tightly bound chest. “It feels like I’m wearing one of mother’s old whale-boned corsets!”
“Why would you even want to try on one of those old torture devices?”
“I ask myself that very question every time I think of it, ma’am.” I said flatly.
Emi…Andie tried to stifle a giggle. Harriet looked toward the fitting room’s wall in confusion then nodded.
“Let me guess, she goaded you into trying it on?”
“We both wore one.” I admitted.
“Well not to worry, I’ll have you two fitted properly in something that will caress your body, and give you just the right amount of curves!”
By the end of the day, Aunt Amelia had spent a small fortune on us! Shoes, stockings, dresses, skirts, blouses, even corsets were now in the tailoring stages at various shops around Hartford. Emily and I were dog-tired, run down, and looking forward to our bed- at least that was comfortable!
A formal dinner being served in the house’s large dining room brought about another round of interrogations by Uncle Roland.
“So, how is your father, Alistair these days?” Uncle Roland tried yet again to extract information.
“Roland, you asked the girls that same question last night, time to move on.” Aunt Amelia intercepted.
Emi…Andie and I again looked sadly at each other- the same as last night.
“Where is cousin Richard, Uncle Roland?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Richard will be here Friday eve, Allison. He is preparing to ship out next week.”
“Oh? Where is he being stationed?”
“Richard joined the Navy against my wishes.”
“But Amelia said you were in the Navy, Uncle?” I pressed.
“That was peacetime, Allison, but I’m sure you wouldn’t understand the difference.”
What a slap in the face!
“I’m not so sure about that Uncle Roland. Typically, the American Military has been very lax during peacetime and even around the onset of every such confrontation to this point in history. Although morale was fairly high during peacetime, duty assignments, respect, and attitudes left every branch of the military weak. It seems that until war breaks out, the United States is happy to just sit by and watch. Although, there is the saying ‘practice makes perfect’? I’m sure while deployed, you practiced your duty station constantly?”
I watched as Ruth’s mouth dropped open. Amelia, too, looked shocked by my narrative.
“You see, Amy? This is what happens when women are schooled in things they cannot possibly fathom!”
“The thing I cannot possibly fathom, Uncle, is why you consistently berate women and their cognitive abilities! Clearly you have been oblivious to the actual acuity shown by Amelia and Ruth- or even Olivia for that matter! When you leave for your job every morning the last thing on your mind is you! What will YOU do today? What sort of business will YOU do? What will YOU eat for lunch? Whereas, Amelia or Olivia ask; what should we make for us? What do we need from the market for lunch- for dinner? What needs to be done for the household to continue to function properly?”
“We women have a lot more on our minds beside just worrying about how pretty we look for our man! Tell me, Uncle Roland, do you even remember, let alone know the proper procedure for readying a three-inch deck gun? How about the steps needed to disassemble or reassemble a model 1911 naval issue Colt pistol? Maybe you would like to entertain us with the proper use of sextant and compass for global navigation?”
“I don’t have to sit here and take such abuse from my severely misguided niece!” Uncle Roland started to stand from his place at the head of his table.
“Please sit back down, Uncle, I’m not finished yet!” I told the man calmly as I produced and pulled back the action on my personal 1911 Colt.
Everyone at the table gasped!
“Someone call the police!” He gasped out before sliding back down into his chair.
“I assure you Uncle, I mean you no harm. The weapon is solely for the purpose of illustration.” I told everyone as I ejected the clip and handed it to Amelia. I gently released the action and recocked it to remove the round set in the chamber.
Within five minutes I had demonstrated my prowess with small arms- having set a new record for breaking down my weapon and reassembling it completely.
“I am also comfortable with compass and sextant, navigation by chart calculation, and dead reckoning by the stars. I have also studied military tactics extensively. Feel free to ask me any question about any naval vessel, Uncle!” I retrieved my clip from a stunned Aunt Amelia and reinstalled it before gently placing the Colt back in my handbag.
Everyone at the table remained silent for a number of minutes.
“So you think this impresses me, Allison- familiarity with a pistol? Only a woman would think of such childish escapades.”
“I also know how to use it, sir- very well, in fact.” I raised an eyebrow.
“I wish you and your sister to leave this house at once! Nightfall or not, I will not have such eccentric females in my residence!”
Uncle Roland went to stand again.
“So, Uncle Roland, what will become of your business when prohibition is enacted?”
I must have hit a nerve as everyone at the table stared intently at me.
“It will pass, Uncle, and the family distillery might go under if you don’t modify your product line.”
“How do you know about my business?” Uncle Roland looked angrily at Amelia.
“Amelia has no idea about what I ask, uncle. I know that the nineteenth amendment will pass in the next two years- I have seen it.”
At this point, I saw Emily start to rub her forehead nervously.
“Yes, Uncle, I am what you call clairvoyant.” I paused to watch his reaction.
“So now you can see the future? Tell me, niece, what shall I do in order to stay solvent?”
“Isopropyl alcohol and vinegar.”
“Iso-what alcohol and vinegar?”
“Isopropyl alcohol, Uncle Roland. Medical-grade alcohol. Some people refer to it as wood or rubbing alcohol.” Emil…Andie explained.
Now we both were being stared at like sideshow freaks.
“So now you are a businessman and you, Andrea, are a physician?” Uncle Roland asked.
“In ano…a manner of speaking, yes, she is.” I answered, almost saying too much.
“I have been schooled in battlefield triage, Uncle, we plan to travel to France and assist at a rear area hospital.” Andie revealed. “While enroute, Allie and I will assist the doctor onboard.”
“So tell me, Dr. Demmit, what is my current physical condition?” Roland asked with obvious contempt.
Emil…Andie closed her eyes. I hoped she would go easy on him!
“Currently you are in fine health considering your forty-eight years and constant social drinking. You’ve had three broken bones in the past- two knuckles in your left hand- probably from bar fights, and a compound fracture of your lower right leg. Judging from the calcium deposited around the injury, it happened at an early age, say, ten or twelve. The joints of both hands show signs of advanced arthritis and are also inflamed causing severe pain in cold weather.” Andie rattled away.
“Oh, you are also having problems with your stomach. I suggest you take bicarbonate of soda before every meal for six weeks to rid yourself of that ulcer. Also, I recommend cutting back on the cigars.”
“You told me you stopped smoking those disgusting things last year, Roland!” Amelia interupted.
“Amy, she can’t possibly know by just closing her eyes! There is something wrong here!”
“Then how does she know about your broken leg and knuckles, Roland? How does she know about the constant heartburn you’ve been having?” Amelia questioned.
“Olivia, you should stop being so vein and purchase a pair of shoes that are comfortable and the proper size for your feet. Wearing shoes two sizes smaller than you should will deform the bones of the feet and cause even more severe pain if continued.”
“Ruth,” Andie continued, “You have a problem with…Ouch! Alllllie, that hurt!”
“You were rambling, sis- starting to make no sense, whatsoever.” I said, trying to subtly inform her that she almost went too far.
Mrs. Haroth, I noticed, was busy looking back and forth between her feet and my sister.
“How do you two know these things?” Ruth asked, impressed by our display.
“Ask your father how he is so successful in business, Ruth. It’s a gift passed down on the Demmit side, or so father told us.” I informed her.
“That is absolute nonsense! If we listened to you, you would have us believing my ancestors were some kind of witches or sorcerers!”
“I’m not saying anything of the sort, Uncle Roland. I’m merely saying that somewhere, deep inside of each of us, there is a special trait- gift- talent- ability- whatever, that we either develop or ignore. Sometimes we develop it unknowingly as with your ‘business sense’- that ability you cherish that allows you to look into a client’s mind- ‘judging his character’ you call it. It has been passed down from generation to generation in our family and shall continue to be passed along for many more.” I said before pausing.
“Tell me, Uncle Roland, what did you see last evening when we came eye to eye?”
“That’s my business, no one else’s!”
“Really? I’ll tell you what I saw, sir. I saw a man very much in conflict with his feelings. A man that wishes things had developed differently between him and his brother. A man that worries constantly about his son and his choice to join the Navy- worried that he may not survive the war, but also worried about how far the son will advance above his own final rank of Lieutenant. You sir, are constantly worrying about your business and your employees, but especially you worry about the security and safety of your family, yet you are unwilling to verbally admit anything. So, now that I have revealed my findings, it’s your turn, uncle.”
Uncle Roland looked extremely embarrassed and remained quiet for a few minutes. He kept looking to me as though I had injured him in some way. That hadn’t been my intent.
“When I looked into your eyes, Allison, I” He glanced away for a second. “I saw the soul of a person that was every bit my equal, able to command and garner the respect of those under her?” He shook his head as if clearing some stray thought.
“I saw a woman of timeless wisdom and knowledge- a kind, giving, protective being, unbiased in most of her beliefs. I saw someone driven to do the right things- to right any wrongs encountered.” He paused again.
“When I looked into your eyes, my dear niece, Allison, I…I see the vast and limitless expanse of this wonderful, majestic universe! Looking into your eyes was like looking into infinity!”
Wow, he was good, though I doubted he believed half of what he’d said!
Amelia’s mouth dropped open. She quickly wiped a tear away.
“Allison, I’d like to speak with you and Andie, if you please!”
“Am I to come along too, mother?” Ruth asked.
“Stay and keep your father here, dear!”
“Oh, all right.”
1825 hours, The Roland Demmit House, Hartford, Connecticut, April 12th, 1917
“I want the truth from you two this instant! First you tell me that you will be heading west after this wedding. Now all of a sudden you two are hopping a troop ship to Europe! Girls, I’m having a hard time believing either story right now!” Amelia confronted us as soon as we were out of earshot of the dining room.
“And how do you know so much about coming events? I didn’t even know about the temperance bill reaching Congress and I’m a member of the Connecticut Committee! It’s as though you know what’s going to happen- like this is somehow your history!” Amelia glared at me personally.
“Amelia, Allie has already explained that she is a clairvoyant- something passed down from Grandfather Richard.”
“You see? This is what sets me to wondering! You, Andrea, seem to know the family history quite well. Allison,” She motioned to me, “Seems less sure about her family lineage. That observation stands in total disagreement with your physical appearances. Clearly you are both sisters and both Demmit’s, so why do I get the feeling you are not my nieces?”
Emily and I both sighed. What did Chief Samuels call these awkward situations?
Oh ya- an ‘OH SHIT’ moment!
“Excuse me a moment, girls.” Amelia smiled and walked back out to the dining room.
“Olivia, we’ll need two cups, a pot of Earl Grey, and a cup of black coffee in my sewing room, please. Dear, I will be a while and will see you in our room later. Ruth, you have schoolwork to finish, I believe.” She told the occupants there.
“Now then, girls, we have a lot to discuss. Please have a seat, won’t you?” She said as she returned and we entered the sewing room. Amelia shut the door and locked it after Mrs. Haroth delivered our drinks so we wouldn’t be disturbed. Since I was grounded it would also make escape very difficult.
Emily and I looked at each other, unsure of where this conversation might go.
“Now, girls, how about we address your true relationship to me?”
“We are related, Amelia.” Emily stated.
“I understand that, Andie, but how?”
“I guess we’re well beyond blind faith, Amelia?” I asked calmly.
“Unquestionably, Allison.”
“Listen, Grandmother Demmit, our intentions were not to mislead you. Alex and I came here to research a certain incident about to happen.”
“Grandmother Demmit? I have no grandchildren yet, Andrea. And what of this Alex you speak of, or is that your real name, Allison?”
My vision started to narrow.
“Alex, don’t you dare pass out on me again.” Emily slapped my face just as stars began filling my vision.
Amelia looked at me with concern.
“My name, Grandmother, is Emily Amelia Scott. I am the daughter of Ruth Scott. Alexandra IS my sister.”
“Ruth isn’t even married dear, so there is no way I have grandchildren.”
“Not yet she isn’t, ma’am. Y’all will have another weddin’ in fourteen months.” I let my drawl loose, causing Amelia to stare strangely at me for some time.
“Grandmother, I was born in 1920.” Emily admitted while looking at the floor. “Alex was born in 1916.”
Amelia now stared strangely between the two of us. I could see a thousand questions running through her mind. One question in particular kept repeating.
“Yes, I’m from Missouri, ma’am, Oak Ridge to be exact, and proud of it.” I answered her yet to be asked question.
“But your accent, Allison, it’s from…” She stopped the second she realized that I had apparently just read her mind. I proceeded to answer her next two questions.
“No, Mother Ruth didn’t move there, and it’s very complicated, ma’am. If I tried to explain, you would probably require Emily’s medical services.”
“Why will my daughter move…How are you doing this?” Amelia went to pick up her teacup but only managed to lift it a fraction of an inch before letting it drop back to the saucer.
We stayed silent for a number of minutes and watched Amelia’s mind work. I placed my hand on Emily’s to let her know things would work out. She in turn, looked to me and nodded.
“H.G. Wells!” Amelia giggled out nervously. “Girls, you really had me fooled.”
“Grandmother?” Emily asked in surprise.
“The Time Machine! I read that book too, sweetheart.”
“I know what it is, Grandmother. I’m not quite getting the reference though.” Emily said, confused.
“Somehow you two have managed to adapt Wells’ book into a parlor game. How else could you know what I would ask before I actually asked it?”
Silently I reached for my handbag and retrieved my leather billfold, opened it to my Missouri driver’s license and handed it to Amelia.
“What’s this dear?” She asked as she took it in her hand and looked at it.
Her expression changed drastically.
“Why show me this? Who is Alexander Steinert? Why would you have your intended’s billfold?”
“Could you read me the date of issue, Amelia- maybe even observe the date on the currency?”
“Alexander F. Steinert, RD 2 Oak Ridge, Mo. Issued August 14th, 1934.”
Amelia again looked at me very intently and began pulling a few bills from the long sleeve.
“1942, 1942, 1940, 1944.” She mumbled as she read off the dates.
My wallet dropped to the floor, the dollar bills casually floated down as well.
I saw her next question.
“I told you it gets complicated, Amelia.”
“How is this possi…” Amelia glared at me! Her angry expression started to concern me. “Stop that this instant, Allison, or Alex, or whatever you real name is!”
Amelia Demmit began to cry.
“She’ll be okay, sis. She just needs a little time.”
“I know that Alex, I’ve been watching her vital signs since we arrived. And don’t tell me something that I’ve already seen for myself.” Emily warned as she knelt before Amelia and pulled her close.
“Honest, Grandmother, this is the farthest thing from what we intended to happen, please don’t cry? I never liked it when you cried. It always reminded me of the day the angels were cast down from heaven.”
Amelia abruptly pushed Emily back a little and looked into her eyes.
“What did you just say?”
“I asked you not to cry, Grandmother, why?”
“No, you finished with ‘the day the angels were cast down from heaven’!”
“Yes, that’s what you taught me when I was a young girl. We would visit every other weekend when possible.”
Amelia wrapped her arms around Emily and squeezed.
“I have a granddaughter!” She cried, repeating the fact several times.
“I would never lie to you about that, Grandmother.” Emily told her.
I bent down to collect the contents of my billfold.
“But what about you, Allison? What is your real relationship to me?”
I looked at Emily for a minute. “Mother Scott…Ruth…she sort of adopted me, Amelia.”
“Alexandra Steinert is where the relationships become complicated, Grandmother.” Emily hinted.
“Alexandra…Steinert?” She blinked several times. “I’ve heard rumor of the Bohemians in Paris from friends that have traveled there before the war, but I never expected…”
“Amelia, I assure you that I am female- have been for fourteen years now. You saw that earlier today when you brought more clothes for me to try on.”
“You are confusing me, Alexandra. How can such a thing be possible?”
“Believe me, even though I know the science behind it, I’ve still asked that same question several times in the last fourteen years.”
“You keep referring to fourteen years- how old are you, if you don’t mind?”
“Well, right before we left base I figured out that I’m somewhere around forty.”
“Forty?”
“Grandmother, Alex doesn’t measure time the same way we do.”
“You’re not making sense, Andrea.”
“Amelia, if I wasn’t in the middle of my monthly grounding, I’d show you exactly what she means. Until it’s over though, just know that I am able to transit through time- forwards and backwards- to any time and place in any universe. If I wanted to, if I were able to travel, I could go back to the beginning of this conversation and appear…”
I felt a slight breeze on the back of my neck; I also noticed that Amelia was now looking over my head. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened substantially. Emily covered her eyes, shook her head, and giggled nervously.
“I’m doing it aren’t I? I’m standing behind myself?”
“You certainly are, Alex. As if you didn’t already know.” I heard myself giggle. “I hope this was not a strain on you, Amelia. We needed you to know whom and what we are; why we came here initially. Next Wednesday, I’ll be able to show you some wonderful things and places. The only thing Emily and I ask is that you tell no one of what you see, hear, or experience. I’ll let this Alex finish explaining things- Emily and I are preparing to travel back to our own time in order to finish this mission. We will meet again, Grandma Demmit. Bye for now.”
I watched Amelia blink twice before she returned her attention to me.
“Believe me now, Amelia?” I asked flatly.
“How did you do that?”
“Alex is what we call ‘The Empress of Time and Space’, Grandmother. As you have seen, she can and does travel across time.”
“And space, Emily, let’s not forget about space.”
“So, that’s why you passed out yesterday when Ruth called you ‘Empress’? You thought she knew your secret?”
I pointed to her with one hand and my nose with the other.
“Grandfather Roland was right in his description of Alex, Grandmother. She travels through time repairing the bumps and discrepancies to keep the timeline or time stream as she calls it, on track.” Emily paused to take a breath, and to gauge how much Amelia believed.
“Uncle Rick asked us to come back and look into a mysterious event that will happen next year. Since Alex can’t travel through time when she gets her monthly, we figured that visiting you and Grandfather would give her a chance to become better acquainted with her adopted family. We never expected that you would become suspicious, or that Grandfather would challenge Alex to a mind duel!”
“Uncle Rick- you mean my Richard?”
We both nodded.
“He asked you to come back and fix something that wasn’t to happen?”
“Something like that, ma’am. When he told us about the wedding, I thought it was the perfect event to weather out my…” I let the sentence drop. Everyone in the room knew what I meant.
“That’s why you wait until next Wednesday to demonstrate your power- when the bleeding stops?”
I looked to the floor. “Yes, ma’am, but we call them our gifts, not powers. That would imply using them to forcibly control things, Amelia.”
“And you intend on showing me…things. Is that correct?”
“Whatever I said just now, Amelia.” I pointed a thumb back behind me.
“Grandmother, I have known Alex for quite some time now, she has never been anything but truthful.” Emily added.
I knew what the next few questions were going to be, so I just answered them.
“Amelia, I could tell you when you would die and how, but that would possibly change your future. I have no desire to say anything that would have you waste your time waiting for that time and place, nor do I desire to reveal the future of any other member, related or otherwise, of our family.”
“If you understand anything about time travel- say from Mr. Wells’ book- you would know that what we say and do or decide in the present, dictates what the future holds for each of us. If you learn too much about your own future, you may end up affecting not only yours, but ours as well. There is the possibility that if we damage the present too much, we may never exist at all.” I explained, motioning to Emily and I.
“That’s why the fewer people that know about us, the easier it is to remedy things and return home.” Emily finished explaining.
The conversation died and we remained silent for some time.
“Andrea, would you like me to freshen your tea, sweetheart?” Amelia broke the silence and Emily nodded, she then looked to me.
“Allison, that coffee has to be ice cold by now. Would you like Olivia to bring a fresh cup?”
“No, ma’am, it’s getting late and I think maybe Emi…Andie and I should turn in for the night.” I went to stand, but Emily stayed seated.
“Grandmother, how can you just sit there and be so understanding? When everything started to happen, I thought I would go crazy! Why are you so calm about all this- about us?”
“Andie, if I hadn’t witnessed it with my own eyes, you two would already be on your way to the sanitarium. Since Allison decided to demonstrate her …her gift, I’m obliged to believe. Your secrets are safe with me, girls. By the way, Andie, what are your gifts?”
“Whereas Al…Allie can see the future of people and places, I am able to see people’s health- their medical future if you will. In fact, seeing my own creation and birth from this viewpoint is somewhat disturbing!”
“So are you really a doctor, dear?” Amelia asked Emily.
“I earned my PHD from Norfolk Naval Medical Hospital in February, 1944, Grandmother, so yes I am a bonified physician.
“You are actually in the Navy, Andie?”
Emily nodded. “Al…Allison is too, Grandmother. She’s a Commander and captains her own submarine.”
“They allow women to command Navy ships in your time?”
“Well, not really, that’s where it gets really complicated. I think we should let you come to terms with the information we just gave you before heading into the really unbelievable stuff.” I explained as Andie looked over to me.
“Allie’s right, Amelia, we should get to bed. I’m sure you have something special planned for us tomorrow.” Andie smiled nervously.
“Oh, indeed I do my nieces! Tomorrow we search the cobbled byways for the elusive formal dress! Who knows, we may even end up in Bridgeport!” Amelia said as she placed the key back in the door and unlocked it.
Opening the door, Amelia almost walked into her daughter. Both women were startled.
“Mother! I’m sorry! I was just about to knock…I didn’t know you three were finished.”
“Ruth, were you spying on us, sweetheart?”
“No! No, I was just coming to ask if Allie or Andie could help me with my history assignment.” Ruth blushed ever so slightly.
Emily and I looked at each other. I had to shrug my shoulders, telling her that I didn’t know if Ruth had over heard any of our conversation.
“I might be able to help you with that, Ruth. I have a penuche for the subject.” I smiled at her.
Ruth smiled broadly at me.
“Don’t you three stay up too late now, we have a lot of things to do tomorrow and you have school in the morning, young lady.”
“No I don’t mother, I’m staying home to get ready for the rehearsal, remember?”
“Who said you could stay home from school, Ruthie?”
“You did.”
“So I did… I want you up and ready to catch the train to Bridgeport by 6:30! If you aren’t ready, we leave without you, understand?”
“Oh yes, mother! I love you!” Ruth grabbed both our hands and yanked us behind her. “Come on you two, we don’t have much time!”
2340 hours, The Roland Demmit House, Hartford, Connecticut, April 13th, 1917
“I don’t think I can walk another step, Em! These shoes are killing my feet!” I exclaimed as I fell backwards onto our bed.
Today started out easy enough- get cleaned up and dressed; eat; catch a train to Bridgeport. Then things got tougher- hit ten or so stores looking for the perfect dress; hitting ten cobblers for the perfect pair of shoes; enter a local tavern for lunch and get eyed up then hit on by the patrons; catch the train back to Hartford, and finally change for the wedding rehearsal and dinner afterward!
“I didn’t tell you to wear those old Granny boots, Allie! I thought you hated those three-inch heels? Didn’t you swear you’d never wear them again once we left 1865?”
“I thought they looked good with this dress, Andie. I got a lot of compliments on them in town today.”
“Who wouldn’t compliment someone on a pair of boots fifty years out of date?”
“But they’re brand new, sis.”
“Relatively.”
“I think I’m going to wear something modern to bed tonight, sis.” I told her, having stripped down to my ‘modern’ corset.
It immediately transformed into my favorite pink negligee.
“Gee, there’s something different. Now get under the covers before Momma barges in and sees you!” Emily said with as much sarcasm as she could.
The combination of mattress and nightie felt wonderful and I quickly started to doze off.
“Girls, are you decent?” Amelia called from the suite’s sitting room.
I jumped out of bed and quickly keyed up my friendly 1917 corset.
“How…?”
“Please shut the door, Grandmother!” Emily said, exasperated. “You’re going to explain this one, Allie.” Emily said as she gently sat down on the bed and pulled the covers over her feet. She had elected to wear one of Ruth’s borrowed nightdresses.
“Please have a seat, Amelia.”
I waited while she sat down on the dressing table’s chair.
“You remember what we told you about my ability to travel through time, right?” I started.
“Yes, Alexandra, I’m not completely muddled!”
“No, I never once thought you were, Amelia. Anyway, because I can travel through time…”
“And space!” Emily giggled mischievously.
“Yes, and space, I have the advantage of visiting other worlds.” I paused looking for any hint as to how Amelia would react.
She remained silent and I continued.
“I visited a small world in another universe- actually it’s something called a planetoid.”
“Huh! More like taken hostage, sis.” Emily again added with a devious grin.
Amelia quickly glanced over to Emily then returned her attention to me- her expression showing concern.
“I helped the inhabitants escape a major cataclysm there.”
“She brought the whole darn research station back to Earth!” Emily said interrupting again.
I glared back at my sister!
“Can I finish this story or should I let you giggle through it?”
“You’re doing good so far, sis.”
“The women of the station have gifts like Andie and I. They also have technology more advanced than we do. Along with some brilliant scientists on yet another planet I visited in this universe, we developed clothing that can be made to look like anything in existence…here.”
I pulled on today’s dress, stockings, and shoes, and turned around so that Amelia could watch the garments fasten themselves.
Our guest gasped in surprise as my clothes buttoned themselves shut.
“That’s nothing, watch this.” I said as I selected one of my federal period outfits. I also exhaled to compensate for the change in corset structure.
The only things that didn’t change were my boots.
Amelia gasped again as she watched the drastic changes taking place.
“How can you breathe in that thing?”
“I asked that question the whole time we were in 1865 Washington DC, Amelia. From what I’m told it was all the rage at the time, though.” I giggled- well sort of, if I’d had any air left in my lungs!
“So that’s what women wore during the Civil War? How absolutely torturous! What do you wear in your time, Allie- if you wouldn’t mind a fashion show?”
Why was she taking this all so calmly?
My Federal Era circus tent became my dress whites.
“Wonderful, Allie! I always wondered what we would look like in trousers! Continue, please.”
I just looked at her before continuing.
“Here is the reigning fashion casual for the early twenty-first century.” I told her as I selected my favorite denim shorts, pink ‘T’, and pink sneakers.
“What is it with you and pink, sis?” Emily giggled from the bed. “You used to be more of a khakis kind of guy, Allie.”
“Let me get something before I show you a real heart-stopper.” I told Amelia as I walked over to the dresser and opened my handbag. I retrieved my tiara.
“This is something my wireless operator made for me to help with my last mission.” I said as I placed it on my head and positioned it in the mirror.
“Sweetheart, that looks darling! Are those gems real?”
“Twenty-four carat gold plating and all genuine gemstones, I’m told.” I beamed. “It goes perfect with this.” I added before selecting my ‘Aryan Empress’ costume.
“Heavens! That one is a bit…um…scandalous, Allison! What was your last mission if I may ask?”
I paused as I thought about how much to actually reveal.
“Let’s just say I had to fool a group of arrogant, egotistical murderers’ intent on ruling the world, into giving me something that didn’t belong to them.”
I noticed Emily staring at me.
“What!” I glared at her.
“I just don’t remember seeing that one before, sis. Who designed it?”
“I did, with the help of Brianna, Randi, Jack, and Peyton.”
“That explains it.”
Instead of a response, I turned on the tiara and brought it up in my HUD. Out of habit I engaged the tactical display. Immediately the four walls of the room appeared with places missing to indicate doorways. Several red dots appeared to indicate people. A green dot seemed to be moving closer to our suite’s door. Wait, I hadn’t designated any green dots yet! I’d worry about that later.
“Ruth is coming!” I gasped out. “You didn’t happen to lock the door, did you?” I looked to Amelia.
“”How do you know that?” Amelia glanced to the sitting room. “No, I didn’t!”
I quickly selected my 1917 apparel.
“Allie? Andie? Are you decent back there? I needed some advice on what to wear tomorrow and…Mother? What? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interu… Where did you get that? It’s beautiful!” Ruth rambled.
Obviously I wasn’t fast enough to remove my tiara.
“What, this old thing?” I quickly took the tiara off my head. “You aren’t the only one that calls me Empress, Ruth. A friend made this for me a few weeks ago before we left Albany. I thought, maybe I might wear it if invited to a formal gathering. So, you like it?”
“Absolutely! Are they real- the gems, I mean?” She asked with excitement.
“So I’ve been told. Want to try it on?”
“Can I?” She chirped with even more excitement.
I carefully placed the headpiece on her. Being as we were all the same sizes except for one, it looked perfect on her.
“If this were mine I wouldn’t let anybody get their hands on it!” Ruth exclaimed as she looked in the mirror.
My HUD immediately started complaining! Something about ‘Genetic Mismatch detected! Self-destruct armed! Asserting countdown.’
I gasped!
“Okay, Ruth, I need to put this away now.” I tried to remain calm despite seeing the countdown in my mind.
“I’m not through with it yet, Allison!” Ruth argued in a royal tone. “I may just wear this to the debutant ball.” She continued regally.
Twenty seconds left.
My expression must have changed significantly enough for Amelia to notice.
“Ruth Demmit! You give that back to Allison at once. It isn’t yours.”
“Aw, but mother, just a little longer?”
Amelia glanced back at me as I tried in vain to keep my composure.
Ten seconds.
“I need it back for one second, Ruth.”
“Fine! Take your silly old crown!”
I quickly placed it back on my head and thought out the disarming passcode.
‘Self-destruct aborted. Have a nice day, Empress.’ Came up on my HUD. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
“You like it that much, Allison?” Ruth asked in amazement.
I shut down the tiara’s interface and took it off again.
“Not so much that I wouldn’t let my cousin wear it for a night.” I smiled at her and placed it back on her head. “Be careful with it, Ruthie, I’m not exactly sure how much it’s worth.”
“Oh, I will, Allison! Mother how do I look?”
“Like a princess should, sweetheart. Now, back to your room and get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.”
“Yes, mother.”
Ruth Demmit glided from the room.
“Mind telling me what almost happened there?” Amelia asked with much concern when we were alone again.
“Somehow she triggered the self-destruct feature in the tiara, Amelia.”
“Self…destruct?”
I nodded.
Amelia calmly waited for more.
“Enough explosive power to level half of Hartford, ma’am. I didn’t know something like that could happen. Honest.”
“Maybe because you two look like identical twins, Allie?”
“I’m not sure, let me check.” I answered as I mentally asked my Reilly suit’s HUD for a diagnostic.
‘Genetic Mismatch of one percent reported from T.I.A.R.A. peripheral system caused designed safeguards to enable. Recommended action: retain custody of any and all peripherals at all times.’
“Is that all?” I heard myself ask aloud.
“Is what all, Allison?” Amelia and Emily asked at the same time.
“My Reilly suit says that the difference between Ruth and I is only one percent…at the genetic level.”
“Well you do have bigger boobs, Allie.” Emily giggled.
“Andie!” Amelia scolded then looked back to me. “Is that thing safe now, Allison?”
“I turned it off, yes.”
“How do you know?”
“The suit interfaces with the human mind and displays the needed information to the optic nerves, Grandmother.” Emily told her.
The confused look on Amelia’s face told me that Emily had talked way over her head!
“Would you like to see for yourself, Amelia?” I asked, hoping I wouldn’t need to undress.
“Is it safe, or will I set off some other doomsday device?”
“There is only one safeguard built into each suit, ma’am, and the wearer would have to be on death’s doorstep to trigger it.”
“Trust her, grandmother; she’s already used it once.” Emily confided all too quickly.
“Being the ‘Empress’ can sometimes get…dangerous.” I admitted with a blush.
“Would it really be okay, Allison?” She asked nervously.
I commanded my suit into stand-by mode and to loosen then removed everything. Emily handed me a borrowed nightdress.
“Just put this on and don’t worry about the fit. I’ll do the rest.
When Amelia was ready, I placed my hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t be alarmed, Amelia. What you will see may at first be very disorienting. It should pass quickly.
Amelia nodded her understanding.
“System capability demonstration mode: OakridgeEmpress8716, Enable.” I said verbally.
Amelia immediately jumped with a start and began looking around the room.
“It’s all in your mind, ma’am. No need to search the walls and ceiling.”
“This is absolutely amazing, Allie! What else can it do?” Her excitement was contagious!
“Think ‘resize’, Amelia.”
Everything immediately changed size to fit her.
Before I told her to do anything else the suit changed again. This time, to my favorite demin shorts, pink ‘T’ and pink sneakers.
I had to admit it looked good on her too!
“Grandmother!” Emily gasped as Amelia found my Aryan Empress costume.
She walked over to the full-length mirror and began evaluating her reflection.
“I think I might be a little too old to carry this look off.” She said to herself mostly.
“You look amazing in it, Amelia!” I told her truthfully. For a middle-aged woman, she was still in remarkable shape.
I saw something coming that I just had to warn her about.
“Before you select the Federal period fashions, I suggest you exhale first, ma’am!”
“Ya, the first time Alex put that one on she broke four ribs.” Emily further defined my warning.
Amelia exhaled and the changes began. She immediately gained three inches and let out a slight squeal.
“You forgot to warn her about the boots.” Emily nagged.
Soon enough, Amelia reselected today’s apparel and began undressing after I told her about the auto-fastening feature. I helped her back into her own clothing.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight!” Amelia exclaimed with a wide smile. “Thank you, Allison, for the demonstration.”
“My pleasure, Grandma.” I replied as she started for the door.
“Oh, about that, girls. May I remind you that my name is Amelia, not Ma’am, Grandmother, or Grandma? Good night ladies.”
When Amelia had closed the suite’s door, a pillow struck the back of my head.
“You almost killed my mother, grandmother and half of Hartford, Alex!” Emily hissed as she glared at me.
“How was I to know Randi had that in the programming?”
“You could have asked her!”
“I’m sorry, sis. It was a mistake and won’t happen again.” I apologized.
“See that it doesn’t, Alexandra Steinert!”
“It won’t! Now are you ready to go to sleep?”
“I have been for the last hour! You know it’s past two don’t you?”
“Two, oh, four to be exact! I answered as my pink nightie reappeared on my body.
Emily groaned as she fluffed the pillow I had just returned and turned over.
1703 hours, St. Bartholomew Church Hall, Hartford, Connecticut, April 14th, 1917
“Excuse me, Allison, would you care to dance?” A young Uncle Rick asked as he offered his hand.
“I must warn you cousin, I’m not that good.”
“Neither am I, but I’m willing to try. Shall we?”
He escorted me to the dance floor and placed his hand on my waist and we began to turn and waltz around to the music.
Uncle Rick looked as uncomfortable as I felt.
“What’s the matter, Richard?” I asked quietly as we continued around the floor.
“I’m sorry, Allison, I feel like I’m dancing with my sister, Ruth.”
“Well, I wonder why? Could it be that she is the spitting image of me, cousin?”
“That would be part of it, yes, but there is something else- something about you that I can’t place my finger on, Allison.”
“Well, I’m your first cousin too.” I smiled and giggled quietly. “If you must know I feel just as uncomfortable dancing with you too, Richard. How about we call a truce and ignore the awkwardness?”
“Agreed.”
Uncle Rick proceeded to stare into my eyes.
“I thought we agreed to remain uncomfortable, Richard?”
“We did, but I can’t get over those piercing blue eyes, Allison. They are so beautiful! Has anyone ever told you that?”
“Many people since I got them.”
Richard Demmit stared at me in confusion.
I smiled at him.
“Oh, I get it! Okay, I’ll stop putting my foot in my mouth.”
The song ended and another waltz began to play.
“Shall we stay out, Allison?”
“Sure, but the next couple songs are Andie’s, Richard. I’m sure she would be overjoyed to dance with you.”
“Oh? She told you that?”
“Let’s just say she’s mentioned it a few times before.”
“Are you always so mysterious, Allison? I just realized that you haven’t given me a straight answer to any of my questions so far tonight.
“What fun would that be, Richard?” I smiled deviously. “Some people find a little mystery exciting, I’ll have you know.”
“Oh, you’re mysterious alright- one of a kind, too!”
“I wouldn’t say that, Richard, since there are three of me that I know of.”
This time, Uncle Rick laughed immediately. I giggled along with him, though I hadn’t been lying.
“That would make the world a much better place indeed, Allison.” He continued to chuckle.
“Well, we try, Richard. We try.”
As the song ended, Uncle Rick escorted me back to my seat.
“Andrea, would you do me the honor, cousin?”
Emily’s face lit up as she took his proffered hand.
“For someone who claims not to be very good at dancing, you sure are really graceful, Allie.” Ruth complimented after her brother and Andie were far enough away. I had agreed to allow her to wear my tiara only after Amelia cleared it with ‘my cousin’ Anna, the daughter of Uncle Roland’s sister, Katherine, and bride in today’s wedding.
It was the perfect accessory to her dress, yet I wondered if some ancient history scholar would recognize the runes embedded in its design.
“I never said I couldn’t dance, Ruth, I merely said that I wasn’t very good at it.”
“You could have fooled me.”
She didn’t know the half of it.
“So how is everyone doing here?” Anna, the bride, asked as she and her new husband visited our table. “Allison, how are you and Andrea doing of late? I hear that you both have offered your services with the Red Cross?”
“Andie and I are willing to do what it takes to keep the world safe, Anna.” I told her.
Amelia almost choked on her tea. She looked horrified by my reply.
“We’re ready to go wherever and whenever we’re needed.” I added.
Amelia now had a devious grin on her face as I winked to her.
“Good for you, cousin. Good for you both. Ruthie, dear, I just love your tiara. I understand that Allison leant it to you?”
“Ya, isn’t it great? Allie says it’s all real. Why, I bet the ruby alone is worth a king’s ransom!”
“It may just be, honey! I’ve never seen one so large before. You take good care of that.”
“I will!”
“Amelia…” Anna greeted as she and her new husband moved down the table and out of earshot.
“Allison, how long are you and Andie going to stay?” Ruth asked straight out of the blue.
“What kind of question is that, Ruth?” I was starting to wonder if she was seventeen or just seven.
“I’d like it if you stayed a while longer, Allie. It’s so nice to have someone my own age in the house.”
“Ruth, you have your brother, Richard. Doesn’t he count?”
“He’s leaving day after tomorrow. Father says there’s an excellent chance he may not return from the war.”
“He’ll be back, sweetheart. I’m one hundred percent certain of that.”
“You are?”
“As sure as I look exactly like you, hun!”
“But you have prettier eyes, Allie.”
“I’d trade them in an instant for jade if I could, Ruth.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I like green eyes better, I guess.”
“But I have green eyes, Allie!”
“I know- you and Andrea both. That’s what I love about green eyes.”
Ruth smiled brightly and a tear came to her eye.
“Do you really mean it, Allie?”
“I rarely say something I don’t mean, hun.”
Ruth’s eyes left me and started tracking something else. I followed her gaze and found a young man at her focal point. The man noticed, met her stare, and began to approach.
“Oh God, Allie, he’s coming over here!” She exclaimed just above a whisper.
She actually tried to hide behind my shoulder!
“What if he asks me to dance? Allie, I don’t know if I can dance with a man!” She gasped from behind me.
“Sure you can, hun, just look into his eyes and try to relax- they don’t bite- not hard anyway!” I giggled.
“I’m not sure I can do it. What if I fall or…”
“Hi! I was wondering…um… well, I noticed you were looking intently at me- I’m normally not so straightforward, I mean I try to blend into the woodwork at these things, but well- I’m a friend of the groom and- see I wasn’t going to come today and…oh…um…I’m Louis Scott- I don’t know why I’m standing here….you and your sister look so beautiful- oh God, what did I just say- what I meant to say…what I meant to ask.” The young man finally stopped to take a much-needed deep breath.
Personally, I thought his babbling preciously cute. It reminded me of a young Alexander Steinert on his first pursuit. I was seeing my former self from the other side now and I began to think about how far I had come since then. Talk about coming full circle!
Ruth was imitating a statue- one with its eyes the size of saucers and mouth slightly open!
“I was…um…I… um…was…um…um…wondering if you’d like to dance.”
Hurray, he finally got around to it, I thought.
Ruth remained quiet and statue-still.
“My cousin Ruth would love to dance with you, Mr. Scott.” I smiled brightly and touched Ruth on the shoulder. “I, of course, would love to dance with you, but I’m awaiting my fiancée’s arrival. Ruth,” I gave her a little shove, “go dance with the nice gentleman. You were just saying how you would dance with him in the matter of an instant if he came over- now’s your chance, hun.”
Ruth turned and glared at me! I winked at her and motioned to him with my eyes.
“I’d love to dance with you…Louis, was it?” She replied to the young man nervously standing before her.
“You would? I mean…um…that would be wonderful, thank you.” He held out his trembling hand and waited for Ruth to accept. The two were heading for the dance floor a split-second later.
“How in the world did you get Ruthie to go with that young man, Allison? I thought she was permanently nailed to her chair.” Amelia asked as she casually reached for her teacup.
“I’m afraid I pushed her into it, Amelia.” I admitted.
“Good for you! Did you catch his name, sweetheart?” She inquired.
“I believe it was Louis Scott, Amelia.” I replied with little emotion.
Amelia Demmit dropped her teacup back to its saucer with a loud ceramic clack!
Evidently she made the connection.
She looked at me stunned, her mouth open wide.
I nodded once and smiled.
Emily returned to her seat beside me all too soon.
“My father is here!” She gasped.
“Like he’s going to recognize you, sis?” I snorted.
“What if he does, Alex?” She whispered conspiratorially.
“Andie?”
“Yes, Allie?”
“You haven’t been born yet, sis. How would he recognize someone that doesn’t exist yet?” I whispered.
Emily was quiet for a while as she thought about that. So long in fact, that the band began playing another song.
“Oh…ya…right.”
“Andie?”
“What Allie.”
“He’s coming back over here with Ruth.”
“He’s what?” She choked!
“Louis, you’ve already met my cousin Allison, this is her sister, Andrea Demmit. Andie, this is Louis Scott.”
Ruth had a broad smile on her face as she introduced Emily to her father.
Louis Scott took ‘Andrea’s’ hand and kissed it.
“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Andrea.”
“Andie? Are you alright?” Ruth exclaimed with some horror at seeing Andie lose all pallor.
“You’ll have to excuse my sister, Mr. Scott, she’s shy around new people.”
“I know the feeling, Miss Allison.” He released my sister’s hand and looked back to Ruth. “Want to dance some more, Ruth?”
“I’d like that.”
The two were off to the dance floor in an instant.
“Allison, is your sister going to be okay?” A concerned Amelia asked from Emily’s left.
“It happens sometimes, Amelia- in our line of work, anyway.” I giggled.
“You’re enjoying this!” Emily accused. “This is just one big comedy for you, isn’t it, Allie?”
“Sis, I wasn’t trying to be…”
“No, you weren’t trying to be funny at all, Al…llllie! You just forced me into something I’d never have done in the first place! Why do you do that?” Emily asked, close to tears.
“Allison, I’ll take this one.” Amelia stood and gently placed her hand on Emily’s shoulder. “Come with me, Andrea. I think I understand your sister’s reasoning and her actions. Let’s go outside and have a chat, shall we?”
Emily nodded silently before glaring at me once more. Once standing up, Amelia offered Emily her hand and both walked hand in hand out of the reception hall.
“Allison? Is something wrong with Andrea?” Richard Demmit asked a moment later as he approached our table. He looked truly concerned.
“It’s a woman type thing, Richard.” Uncle Rick’s face immediately winced in pain. “Amelia thought she could help. It isn’t anything you should be worried about though.”
“Oh, alright then.” Uncle Rich paused a moment. “Um, Allison, would you care to dance again?” He asked, unsure of himself this time.
“Um, Richard, you do remember that we’re first cousins, right?” I smiled at the man. “You’re not sweet on me, are you?”
“What? No…um…why…um…I’d never do that!”
“Just checking, Richard. Let’s go dance.”
Amelia and Andie were sitting back at the table as Uncle Rick escorted me to my seat.
“For someone that claims she can’t dance, Allison, you seem to glide easily across the dance floor.”
“Thank you, Richard. I think that’s the nicest thing I’ve ever been told.”
Emily remained quiet for the rest of the celebration.
0500 hours, The Roland Demmit House, Hartford, Connecticut, April 14th, 1917
“Alex, Are you asleep?” Emily’s voice and her hand shoving at my shoulder brought me back from a recurring dream.
“I am now. What’s the matter?” I replied, still foggy.
“I need to talk to you.”
“It’s only 5AM.” I said after quickly checking my HUD for the local time. “Can’t we talk in the morning?” I asked in a slurred voice.
“It is morning, Alex.”
“Look, Em, we aren’t on base. I’d like to sleep a while longer, if y’all’d please?”
“I’m sorry about last night.” She said quietly.
“Huh?”
“I’m sorry I accused you last night. I didn’t understand what you had…what you were doing- until Grandmother tried to explain her take on things, that is.”
“Oh? And what did Amelia think I did last night?” I asked as I rolled over and looked into Emily’s face in the dim, early morning light.
“She said that you had to push Mother into dancing with Daddy- that she was rooted to her chair until you acted. She told me you claimed to be waiting for your suitor and that Ruth had shown interest in Daddy.”
I yawned despite my attempt not to. All that dancing last night had tired me out.
“Grandmother told me that if you hadn’t intervened, maybe Mother and Daddy wouldn’t have met. So, thank you, and…I’m sorry for being so upset with you, sis.”
“Emily, it’s what I do, remember? And just to remind you, I’ve vowed to protect my family and friends. You, of all people, should know that I would never knowingly place anyone on the spot just for entertainment! Sometimes it really hurts me to have to do the things I have to, but I wanted to make sure we’re still sisters when we get back home.” Another yawn escaped. “Now, can we go back to sleep? Please?”
My sister reached out with one arm and hugged me tightly.
“I’m so sorry I doubted you, Alex…” She paused a second. “Are you wearing one of Ruth’s nightgowns, Alex?” She looked at me in her usual questioning grin.
“No, I had my suit copy it. Things have been heavier than usual this time and I didn’t want to take a chance.”
“I thought you brought enough supplies?”
“I did, but I wanted to save them.”
“You are one strange woman, Alexandra Steinert.”
“Compliment me in the morning, sis- when I’m fully awake.”
There was a quiet knock from our suite’s door.
“Who is it now?” I asked…and received a barrage of information.
So much for sleeping!
“Could you get the door and let Ruth in, Em?”
“What’s she doing here so early?”
“Let’s ask her.” I said, waving Emily off to the sitting room.
“Oh, gosh, I can’t believe it.” Ruth rushed into our bedchamber and jumped on the bed with such force that there was absolutely no way I would ever sleep another wink this morning. As if to further punctuate that, my body decided to join in with a few worse than usual cramps!
I sat up and reached for the source of my pain.
“I’m sorry, Allie, did I hurt you?” Ruth’s face saddened slightly.
“Just cramps, I’ll be…”
“Oh.” She replied unemotionally and got right to the point. “Here. Thanks for letting me wear this, Allie.” She handed me my tiara. “So what do you think about him?”
It was a general question, though we knew exactly who ‘him’ was.
“What do we think of whom, Ruthie?” Emily asked innocently.
I looked at Emily, a little surprised by her response.
“Louis! Tell me what you think about him.” Ruth Demmit asked eagerly.
Her smile was filling our room up with way too much sunshine!
“He seems nice enough, Ruth, why?” Emily replied in a guarded tone.
Ruth scrunched her nose at her cousin’s lack of interest.
“Oh. Allie, what did you think of Louis?” She asked me. Her excitement was just overflowing.
“I think he’s very handsome and courteous, but it’s not what we think, Ruthie- it’s what you think of Louis that counts the most, hun.”
“I think he’s just wonderful!” Ruth swooned. She looked at ‘Andrea’. “Andie, you don’t look happy…ooooooh, I get it! You like him too.”
“What?” Emily gasped. “No…no, you got it all wrong, Ruth.”
“You don’t like him, then?” She pouted.
“No, I like him alright…”
“Oh. Do I have to give him back?”
“Excuse me?” Emily screeched. “No, Ruthie, you don’t understand. I’ve already met the man of my dreams.” She tried to explain.
“I didn’t know you were engaged, Andie. Who is he?”
Emily paused and glanced over at me a moment.
“I wasn’t engaged, Ruth, not officially anyway. We…we met at a small diner. I tagged along with a few friends this one day. We had just sat down and were looking at the menu, when he walked in with his friend. They sat directly across from us. All it took was one glance and I knew.” She paused.
“Knew what, Andie?” Ruth’s face brightened even more if that were possible.
“The same things you experienced last night, Ruth- the butterflies- the feeling that your heart would jump out of your chest to be nearer him- that incredible feeling of joy running through your body- the feeling that everything in the world was just perfect- the feeling you have now.”
“I thought the two of us were perfect for each other. We spent two full, wonderful weeks together- going places…hand in hand. It was like a fantasy come true. That is, before it all came crashing down.”
“Oh, Andie, what happened? Did he fall for someone else?”
“No, Ruth, another guy, one that had shown interest in me earlier, decided to use us to advance his career. He made allegations that nearly cost Alexander his job.”
“Oh, that’s so sad, Andie, I’m sorry. You said almost- so, what happened to him? Did you ever see him again? Are you seeing him now?”
“I did and no. We met up again a few months ago and things were very uncomfortable at first. Slowly, we got reacquainted until…” Emily’s face grew sad.
“Until?” Ruth sat on the edge of our bed in anticipation. “What happened, Andie?”
“Alexander went away on a mission- some simple, yet secret thing. He never told me what it was for, but he never came back.” Tears slowly dripped from my sister’s face- mine too! I had never heard our story told in quiet that way before- a tragedy worthy of the Bard himself.
Ruth moved closer to Emily and hugged her. “I’m so sorry, Andie, I didn’t know. It had to be horrible! How did you ever get over it?”
Emily slowly looked over to me. “My sister. Allison, she helped me through it. She recently had a similar experience and we helped each other through the hardest parts. I don’t know what I would have done without my sister, Ruth.”
“Awwwww. I wish I had a sister, Andie. You two are so lucky to have each other. Are you two sure you can’t stay longer than next Wednesday? It’s so nice to have you here to talk to.”
“Sorry, Ruth, but we have to be in Baltimore by Friday so we don’t miss our boat.” I tried to be gentle about our departure.
“Catch your boat? Where are you going?”
“We volunteered to help the Red Cross, hun. I think we’ll be around England or Ireland first then we’re not sure next.”
“Will I ever see either of you again, Allie?”
I closed my eyes a minute and examined the possibilities.
“You’ll see at least one of us again, Ruthie- I can guarantee that!”
“As sure as you are about Ricky coming home?”
“Doubly sure, hun, promise!”
I saw Emily’s face start to sadden once more.
“But, let me tell you something very important.” I looked Ruth directly in the eyes. “Time has a way of shifting our perspective of things, Ruth. I’m sure you understand that the way you see things now isn’t the way you saw them when you were, say, eight or nine. When you next see Andie or I, we may not look the way we do now.”
“I know. You both would be older, right?”
“Something like that, hun, though we might look younger, or we may not even look like ourselves at all, Ruth. Know this though. No matter what or whom we look like, we will forever remember you. Right here.” I pointed to my head then to my heart. I felt my eyes tearing up again. Emily was already reaching for a handkerchief from the nightstand drawer.
Ruth took an offered hanky from Emily and wiped her eyes. She stood and walked to the doorway before turning around slowly. She had a thoughtful expression.
“I hope that if I ever have children, they’re like you.”
“I’m positive they will, ‘momma’.” I emphasized the title as I tried to smile through my tears unsuccessfully.
Ruth looked to the floor in thought for a moment before leaving.
“See you at breakfast.” She said back at us.
The door to our suite opened and slammed closed.
Do you think you could have given her any bigger hint, Alex?” Emily said as she reached over to punch me.
Instead, she pulled me into a hug. “Thank you, though. You helped me feel better about this whole visit, sis.”
I nodded. “So, did Grandma Emily look like you remembered her, last night?” I asked remembering that Louis Scott’s parents had been invited also.
“I don’t know, Alex, she died right before I was born. That’s why I’m named after her.” She said, slowly turning away from me.
“I’m sorry, Emily, I never thought to look at that side of the family.”
“We can’t save everybody, Alex.” She said quietly.
How I had learned that fact recently!
1308 hours, The Roland Demmit House, Hartford, Connecticut, April 18th, 1917
“You two are really good at gardening, Andie. I hope you find it as relaxing as I do?”
“I always enjoyed helping you out here when we visited.” Emily admitted. I could almost see the fond memories on her contented face.
“How about you, Allison? You seem to know your way around a garden.”
“She should, Amelia, Allie grew up on a farm.”
“You did? Why am I just finding out about this, Allie?”
“We’re supposed to be from Albany, Amelia. Ma an Pa have three hundred an eighty-one acres south o’ Oak Ridge- some cattle, a few horses, wheat, barley, an’ corn. Lotsa wheat, barley, an’ corn!”
“Allison, have I told you how much I love that accen…did you just put your hand through that flower bed?”
“Looks like the Empress just got cleared for departure, Amelia.” Emily said with a big smile.
“Are you in that big of a hurry, Andrea?”
“Oh, no…um…well, it has been a little awkward, Grandmother.”
Amelia glared at my sister.
“Sorry…Amelia.”
Amelia smiled.
“I can only imagine meeting my parents before being conceived, sweetheart.”
“Would you like to, Amelia? I know this crazy woman that claims she can travel time and space.” I laughed.
“No, child, but I would like to see beyond my years- to check on my children and their children, and their…”
“Just say how far in the future y’all wanna go, ma’am. All y’all have to do is take my hand- just like ol’ Ebenezer Scrooge!”
“I beg your pardon, young lady?”
“A Christmas Carol, Amelia. Alex has a penchant for quoting literature and movies.” Emily rolled her eyes at me.
“Movies?”
“Um…A Nickelodeon. We call them movies in our time.” I translated.
“May I see this wondrous place you call Reilly? I can only imagine the miraculous machinery stored there!”
I placed the scissor-like snips down on the flowerbox I had been working on, knocked a few particles of earth from my apron, took it off, and placed it beside the cutters. Emily and Amelia followed suit.
“Let’s go then.” I said offering my hands.
Emily grinned ear to ear; she wasted no time taking my right hand.
“Are you serious, Allison?” Amelia stared at me.
“Completely.”
“Won’t we be missed?” She asked in shock.
“Um…time traveler?” I said with a giggle. “I can have you back here so that it appears you’ve never left.”
Amelia cautiously took my extended hand.
“How about we go to Reilly Research Station in the year 2029?” I asked casually.
“You can go that far, Allie?”
“Y’all wouldn’t believe how far I’ve gone!”
Amelia closed her eyes tightly. ‘Just like Uncle Rick’, I thought.
“Amelia, is that a bird over there? How on Earth did it get in the greenhouse?” I asked suddenly.
“What bird? I don’t see any bird over…”
Amelia’s greenhouse became Reilly’s small conference room.
“What happened?”
“Welcome to Reilly, Amelia.”
“I didn’t feel a thing.”
“Did I say you would?” I giggled. “Come with me, please.” I asked as I began to pull my two companions along.
As planned, we missed the doorway by about ten feet and passed straight through the wall into the pleasantly lighted corridor.
Amelia gasped, but smiled like a little girl at Christmas!
I rephased us after making sure we were all in the clear.
“Welcome Empress. It is 1138hours, July 4th, 2029.”
“Who said that?” Amelia asked looking around to find the voice’s owner.
“Thanks, RVP. Station compliment, please?”
“Station attendance stands at one hundred and five, Empress. All current inhabitants are external to the facility preparing for the American celebration of Independence Day. A standing invitation has been extended to all arriving visitors.”
“Who is saying that?” Amelia cried out in confusion.
“I am, Amy.” RVP replied casually.
“RVP, this is Amelia’s first visit to Reilly Research Station.” I informed the A.I. Emily’s head turned quickly. She remained silent but stared at me in disbelief.
I gave her a wry smile.
“I’m sorry, Amelia. I am Reilly’s Artificial Intelligence. I take care of the day-to-day operations to keep this facility functioning. I also assist in most research projects initiated here. You can think of me as caretaker, research assistant, butler, and muse. Should you have any questions or needs just ask.”
“Thank you, um…RVP is it?”
“Yes, Amelia, RVP is my assigned designation and you are welcome.”
“Things sure are different here, Allison.”
“Amelia, we’re not in Hartford anymore so you should call me by my given name- unless of course, there are multiples of me here already. RVP, how many of me are here on site today?”
“At present, two, Alex- present you and you.”
“Okay, thanks RVP! I hope I didn’t just give you a divide by zero error again.”
“External Processor #3-Omega has developed a subroutine she explicitly titled ‘Aspirin’, Alex. It works wonders.”
Emily and I couldn’t help but laugh!
“What is an External something, something, something, Alex?”
“RVP is referring to one of my crewmembers. Randi Van Pelt’s gift allows her to interact with RVP and other A. I.’s around the world.”
“That would be around the galaxy now, Skipper.” Randi’s voice filled the corridor.
“Shouldn’t you be outside with the rest of the party, Randi?” I asked in annoyance.
“We’re all out here, skipper. Just waiting for some late arrivals now.”
“I think she means us, ladies. Follow me.”
1145 hours, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, July 4th, 2029
“Welcome to Kili Island, Amelia.” My twin greeted as we arrived on the beach. “Allie, it’s good that you could come.”
Grandma Amelia froze in place as my future twin embraced me and kissed my cheek. The familiar tingle made us both smile.
“There are two of you.” Grandma Amelia pointed to both of us.
“Grandmother, she can do that, remember? So can we ever since the Empress arrived. Hello, Amelia.” Emily’s voice made Grandma Amelia turn quickly. The two Emily’s were already embracing each other. Both jumped slightly as they received a similar tingle.
Amelia…Grandma Amelia silently dropped to the ground.
“I knew it would be too much for her, Alex!” Emily and Amelia growled in unison. “Let’s get her onto one of the tables.” Grandma Amelia’s motionless body rising up and floating over to the nearest tabletop told me that Jack was here. A giggle off to my right confirmed it.
Amelia’s eyes shot open and she shrieked!
“How am I…? Help! Someone get me down from here!”
“Put her down, Jack.”
Grandma Amelia slowly became vertical and gently settled to the ground on her feet.
“Amelia, I’d like you to meet my friend and first officer, Jacquelyn Cummins. Jack, this is Emily’s grandmother, Amelia Demmit.”
“So good to see you again, Amy.” Jack gave her a tight squeeze and kissed her cheek.
“We’ve met before, Ms. Cummins?”
“In another time, ma’am, thanks to the Empress.” She winked.
“Hi, Amy!” A tiny voice greeted Grandma Amelia.
“Who said that?”
“I did!” Sasha replied, hovering about two feet from her left ear- she was quickly joined by three more tiny, flying women.
“Amelia, this is another member of my crew, Sasha Trent- bet you can’t guess what her gift is?” I giggled as Sasha stuck her tiny tongue out at me. “These are three of her daughters, Dahlia, Rose, and Petunia.” Each curtsied in flight as I introduced them.
The pixies each chose one of my shoulders to light on- there being two of me made each choice exclusive.
“My, what pretty wings you all have.” Amelia complimented as she took a closer look.
“Thank you, Amy.” Sasha blushed. “Come on girls, first one to the other side of the island gets more honey!”
All four pixies took off in a blur of color.
I noticed my daughters coming this way. As expected they, as well as their perspective spouses, fell to one knee- right fist to their chests.
“Welcome to Kili Island, Empress…”
“Knock it off, you two!” I growled. All four began to stand. “Not you two!” I pointed to the men. “I was only talking to my daughters.” I giggled evilly.
“Your daughters? How can that be, Alex?” Amelia stared between the four of us.
“They’re actually mine, Amy. Cassandra and Samantha.” Alex introduced as she pointed to each individually. “Allie just likes to pretend that they’re hers until she actually has them.
“Oh.”
A baby’s cry not far away drew everyone’s attention.
Randi Van Pelt approached us carrying six-month old Delilah.
“Hey, skipper, welcome to the party!” She smiled. Motherhood suited her as her smile attested- too bad it took her over ninety years to get around to it.
Randi turned the infant around so that she could see us.
“Look who’s here?” She sang out in semi-baby talk. “It’s Auntie Alex, Dell! Wave hi to Auntie Alex and Auntie Emily!” She continued as she held out her chubby little hand and waved it gently.
Delilah immediately smiled and started gooing and gahing- she even blew a few bubbles!
“Amelia, Randi Van Pelt and her daughter Delilah. Randi, Amelia Demmit, Emily’s Grandmother.” I introduced our special guest.
Randi offered Dell to Emily. Both reached for the child at the same time- with the same motherly expression!
Randi shook Amelia’s hand. “Mrs. Demmit, very nice to finally meet you, ma’am.”
“Amelia, please, Randi. Just call me Amelia.”
“Ok, Amelia. Welcome to Kili and enjoy the party.” Randi then looked toward both Emily’s and her daughter. “Come on, Dell, let’s go find Aunt Carroll and Alexis.”
My Comptroller put her arms out awaiting the return of her child.
“Come on, Emily. Just because you delivered her doesn’t give you exclusive rights!”
Present day Emily begrudgingly handed her over.
“Isn’t there something about possession being nine-tenths the law, Randi?” Emily giggled with a disappointed look.
“You delivered this precious bundle, Emily? You’re really a doctor?”
“Yes Amelia, since February 1944! I told you that back in Hartford.”
“I’m sorry. Amelia, would you like to hold her a minute?” Randi offered.
Without saying a word Amelia took little Delilah and cradled her in her arms. A look of contentment washed over her face.
“It’s been a while since I’ve held something so small and delicate.”
Again Dell blew bubbles and cooed happily.
After a minute Amelia surrendered the girl to her mother.
Amelia looked at Alex and I then over to Sam and Cassie.
“So, Alexandra, are you ever going to introduce me to your sons-in-law?”
Alex and I looked at each other- amazed we had forgotten the two men. I motioned for Alex to answer.
“I am soo sorry, Amelia. This is Jarrod Mitchell, he and Samantha are an item these days.” She giggled.
“Ma’am, pleasure ta meet y’all. Not ever’ day a body gits ta meet somebody’s Great-Granma!” Jarrod greeted cheerfully. He gently shook Amelia’s hand.
“Tennesee?” She asked.
“No, ma’am, Kentucky, but close enough.”
“And you are?” She trailed off looking at Cassie’s new beau, a man of obvious Mediterranean decent.
“I am Nicholi…Gregory…Stantopolis, Mrs. Demmit, and am very happy to make acquaintance.” Nick stumbled on his full name as he embraced Amelia then kissed her forehead and both cheeks lightly.
Amelia looked to Alex then to me looking for an explanation for this man’s strange greeting.
“Nick is from Greece, Amelia.” Alex told her.
“Oh, that is a charming way to greet someone, Nicholi! How long have you been in the United States?”
“Cassandra and I just recently returned from Greece, Amelia. Cassie met Nick back there and fell head over heels. She’s been teaching him English for about two years now.” Alex informed her.
Amelia immediately looked confused!
Alex noticed right away and tried to explain. “Nick is from Greece, Amelia- Greece circa 1500BC. Cassie, I, and a few of our other sisters spent a few years tidying up some discrepancies between a couple City-States.”
“Athens and Carthage.” Cassie added. Nick frowned and growled once.
Amelia’s eyes grew in size. “Well, welcome to my extended family, Nicholi!” Amelia smiled and hugged the young man.
“Amelia, we aren’t married yet. I just met him two years ago!” Cassie huffed in embarrassment.
“Nicholi, what are your intentions toward my Great-Granddaughter, Cassandra?” Amelia stared intently at the young man.
“To eventually join with her, but for now to please her so Empress no take me back to Athens, Matriarch.” He replied, glancing between Alex and I with a fearful expression.
Amelia looked at Cassie a moment then back to the young, black-haired man. “Somehow, I don’t think the Empress is your biggest concern, Nicholi!” She told him, smiling at his discomfort.
Cassie nodded as she smiled evilly.
“Mother, Empress, we should be getting back to the party preparations now. Liz and Sarah are going to need our help in a moment, they still haven’t quite mastered they’re gifts.” Samantha informed us as she touched her forehead gently.
A memory popped into my head as to the difficulty, small as it would be. It was just a polite way for my girls to escape the turmoil that I was about to experience.
“So where is my Richard, Alexandra?” Amelia asked as the girls and they’re beau’s hurried off down the beach.
“Grandma?” I asked as I noticed Alex and Emily cringe.
“Richard, is he here somewhere? Maybe he couldn’t make it? Some important Navy business, perhaps?” She restated her query.
“Grandma, this is 2029.” I stated matter-of-factly.
“You told me that your life expectancy has dramatically increased, Alexandra, did you not offer the same option to Richard?”
“I did.” I replied glumly. Alex’s face also became sad.
“I see.” She said quietly. “When will the Demmit pride and stubbornness cease?” She exclaimed.
“Hopefully it never will, ma’am. Those traits have assured our very existence and the survival of our sisterhood, Amelia. You can only imagine what horrible atrocities our own government would be responsible for had Admiral Richard Demmit not dug in his heels and kept our secret safe his whole amazing life.” Alex told her. “Even Sand Dollar,” she pointed to our boat moored at the end of the pier in the distance, “Would be nothing more than scrap or soup cans somewhere in the world right now!”
“He never married?” She asked.
“The Admiral remained married to the U.S. Navy, Grandmother.” Emily answered. “It was a love affair that started back in August of 1916.”
“The month and year I was born.” I muttered to myself. It was ironic how we were all tied together.
“Well then, where is my Ruth…”
“Grandmother, please, I beg you to stop…” Both Emilys’ broke into tears as one.
I quickly took Amelia’s hand and phased us out.
“Amelia, Emily is still rather sensitive about her mother’s sudden passing.” I told her solemnly. “Ruth Scott contracted typhoid fever in late spring of 1934 and never made it to Decoration Day. Louis Scott re-enlisted in the Army, taking Emily as he transferred from base to base. I’m sure it was because he never got over the loss. Amelia, Emily almost lost him too in 1941! A surprise enemy attack at our base on Hawaii almost killed him. He lost his left foot and carried shrapnel around his spine for the rest of his life.”
“You offered him the same options as Richard?”
I nodded. “And no, he refused, opting for a different path instead, I’m sorry.”
With my answer I also rephased the two of us.
“Why would so many refuse such a wonderful gift, Alexandra?”
“I suppose the risks and loss outweigh the benefits for some people, Amelia.” I answered before Alex could.
“What risks and loss could be considered too costly?”
“Remember when I showed you my driver’s license our second day in Hartford?” Alex asked.
“It stated that your name was originally Alexander- I remember. What does that have to do with it?”
“That has everything to do with the Mahanilui, Amelia. Remember the women I rescued by bringing this research station here? They designed the Mahanilui…”
“I designed the Mahanilui in an effort to save my species, Amelia Demmit.” My voice chimed out from beside me.
“Alex, how did you get here?” I asked in surprise.
“That would be my doing, Grandmother Empress.” My voice rang out again from the opposite side of Alex Reilly.
“Lord in heaven, there are four of you!” Amelia gasped, looking very pale.
“Grandmother!” Emily cried out.
“I have her, Emily! Jamie’s voice shouted as she hurried over to us. “Amy, I’d like you to calm down. You shouldn’t be so surprised by the things you’ve seen here today.
Amelia looked confused.
“Jamie Hilf’s gift allows her to manipulate a person’s physiology and thoughts, Amelia.” Alex informed our confused guest. “Thanks, Jamie. That should be the only time your services are needed, hun.”
“So, Alex, we’re changing the past again? All for the better, I hope?” Alex Reilly greeted Alex and I.
“Only the parts that require changing, Alex.” I replied as we hugged each other.
The exchanged tingle felt more intense than usual.
“Thanks, sis, I needed that! It’s been years since you last visited. Oh wow, have y’all been busy!”
“You as well, Alex.” I smiled brightly as several memories presented themselves.
“Amelia, this is Alexandra Reilly, first director of Reilly Research Station.” My future self introduced.
“Grandmother Empress, it has also been a long time since our last visitation.” Alexandra greeted, embracing me tightly. “Grandmother Amelia, I have looked forward to our first meeting for some time now. I am Alexandra, second daughter to Alexis and Nathan, Second Granddaughter to Tibius, Grand High Counsel of Citadel, Terra and Alexandra of Earth.” Alexandra announced in typical Terran protocol before embracing Amelia warmly.
“My daughter, have you so easily forgotten your manners?” Alexis asked after appearing behind her daughter.
“Alexis! I exclaimed hurrying over and wrapping my arms around her.
“It is good to see you both too, Mother Empress.”
I released my daughter and she moved on to Alex. I looked at Alexandra in disbelief.
“How did you manage to talk her into coming, hun?”
“She does not always play by Terran protocols, Mother! I believe your expression would be: ‘She shanghaied me!’
“What mother is trying to say, Grandmother, is that I decided she could use a much needed vacation.”
“And what about Nathan and Tibius?”
“They wouldn’t come close enough for me to grab their hands!” She giggled.
“Dear invited guests, traditional Fourth of July fare consisting of, but not limited to: hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, potato chips, pretzels, soda, and alcoholic beverages, are now being served dockside. Water, both flavored and filtered can also be had for our guests wishing to abstain from spirits.” Jack’s announcement echoed in our heads.
“Come on ladies. Get it while it’s hot!” My future self giggled.
Amelia followed, rubbing her head and looking around.
“Wait, you haven’t told me the risks of this Mahanilui, Alexandra.” She asked as we walked up the beach.
All four of me stopped and looked at her.
“The risk for a man is the loss of being a man, Amelia.” I stated. At her lack of understanding, I explained further.
“For men the Mahanilui can be a double edged sword so to speak. Initially, it imbues longevity and unprecedented health and healing. Once strong alcohol or spirits are consumed, the full effect of the Mahanilui is triggered. Many men simply cannot abstain from drink, as you have observed in you protests and rallies for temperance.”
“You mean that a man who has undergone this thing will only stay a man as long as he doesn’t get drunk? Who in the world created that stipulation?” Amelia asked, getting a little more animated.
“I’m afraid I am the one responsible, Amy.” Alex Reilly admitted. “I initially programmed my microscopic machines to activate with strong spirits to save our civilization. On our Homeworld, as some places here, it was customary to celebrate ones demise by toasting to life until the end.” She paused with a sad expression, vividly recalling those last moments.
“We, the contingent on Reilly, were the last of our kind. The machines were to originally boost our ability to survive the intense radiation from our Homeworld exploding into what you on Earth call the Sun. Out of vanity, I added the ability for the ‘Nanos’ to enhance our natural abilities, increase the rate at which we repaired ourselves, and decreased the rate at which we aged. What I didn’t consider was to remove the visual indicator that we had programmed into earlier tests to determine if the Nanos truly worked- the complete change of gender and the related familiarity subroutine which enabled the test subjects to accept their changes more rapidly.”
“So you made these things to save your people and instead of offering them a choice, you relied on tradition and human weakness to force participation.” Amelia restated sternly.
“I don’t regret what I did, ma’am!” Alex Reilly defended proudly. “Because of my actions our race survived a millennium and more.” She paused and looked at me a moment.
“Because of what I did, the Empress of Time and Space exists.”
“I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing if put in the same position, Miss Reilly. I do have a problem with removing the ability to continue your race though- and what is this familiarity thing you speak of?” Amelia asked in a proper tone.
“Familiarity is a term I use to describe the machines’ ability to seek out a familiar genetic model- a familiar face or person to make the transition easier to handle. A face that is not so strange when looking in a mirror.”
Amelia stared at me then at Emily.
“A person could become a sister or similar relation to someone through this process if impressed properly?”
Alex Reilly looked at Amelia for a moment dumbstruck. She then glanced at Emily and I before lowering her eyes.
“Yes, ma’am, it has happened on occasion.”
“I see that, Miss Reilly.” Amelia nodded to me.
Alex Reilly remained quiet for a moment, as if contemplating something.
“Alexandra Steinert and Emily Scott are not the only occurrence, Amelia.” She paused as she blushed. “My ‘sister’, Raya, entered Reilly’s airlock over seven hundred revolutions ago and…”
Immediately the name triggered a memory- sad and extremely painful…definitely heartbreaking!
In that memory, a face very similar to Emily’s looked back at me from the other side of a window. The woman’s face looked sad and forlorn as her hand appeared in the lower quadrant and gently touched the glass.
“I’m sorry, Alex.” I recalled her voice saying sadly through the intercom. “I’ve tried to adapt and overcome the changes around the facility. I’ve tried to think of you as my sister, but still I see the love that has been deleted from me! I have failed you and our fellow researchers, Alex! You and the others will endure better without me.”
“Raya, no! No, don’t do this!”
“Be strong, my love- stronger than I ever could be. Set the benchmark for unbiased supervision this facility will need to continue our species well into the future- a luminescent future I know you have seen via your enhanced abilities. Farewell, Alex. May our next revisions fare better. Until we meet in another time, Empress.”
Raya’s tear-streaked face disappeared with a sudden ‘WHUSH’, only silence was heard through the loudspeaker after that.
“Alex? Alex! Alex, why did you suddenly just freeze and start crying?” Emily tersely tried to get my attention.
I looked at my other ‘sisters and noticed that Alex Reilly, my future twin, and my granddaughter, Alexandra, all had the same expression and tear-stained cheeks as I did!
“What just happened here, Emily?” Amelia inquired with a confused look. “All four of them just stopped and started crying.”
“Grandmother, maybe Alex forgot to tell you about the Empress’ ability to share memories with each other. In fact, we all share memories with our temporal counterparts thanks to the Empress.”
I felt the need to comfort my previous revision and wrapped my arms around Alex Reilly.
“I’m sorry, sister, I know it was a memory you’ve tried hard to bury, but you know you now have sisters with which to commiserate and heal.”
“Thanks, Alex. It’s good to have family again.”
‘Sorry to barge in skip, but we’re all waiting for you to get here. Everyone is kind of hungry.” Jack interrupted mentally.
I began to laugh, despite the serious nature of my previous memory.
“Alex?” Emily asked a little concerned.
“Apparently the natives are restless, Dr. Scott, and shall soon succumb to malnutrition.”
My three, fellow Empress’ all nodded to my evaluation. Amelia looked confused.
“They’re waiting on us to start the party, Grandma. Let’s go celebrate our independence!” I declared.
Alex and Emily continue their Recon mission to 1917 Hartford. After which Sand Dollar takes a trip to the North Atlantic. What manner of chaos could a wave cause for Capt. Steinert and her crew and how could it possibly affect the timeline?
Onward
Episode 9
“To Save an Old Friend”
1310 hours, The Roland Demmit House, Hartford, Connecticut, April 18th, 1917
“That’s us!” Amelia gasped and pointed as we reappeared in her greenhouse just behind ourselves.
“Yes, let’s listen.” I replied.
“You two are really good at gardening, Andie. I hope you find it as relaxing as I do?”
“I always enjoyed helping you out here when we visited.” Previous Emily admitted. I now could see the fond memories on her contented face.
“How about you, Allison? You seem to know your way around a garden.”
“She should, Amelia, Allie grew up on a farm.”
“You did? Why am I just finding out about this, Allie?”
“We’re supposed to be from Albany, Amelia. Ma an Pa have a hundred an eighty-one acres south o’ Oak Ridge- some cattle, a few horses, wheat, barley, an’ corn. Lotsa wheat, barley, an’ corn!”
“Allison, have I told you how much I love that accen…did you just put your hand through that flower bed?”
“Looks like the Empress just got cleared for departure, Amelia.” Past Emily said. There was no mistaking the big smile on her face.
“Are you in that big of a hurry, Andrea?”
“Oh, no…um…well, it has been a little awkward, Grandmother.”
We looked on as Amelia glared at my sister.
“Sorry…Amelia.”
Both Amelias smiled.
“I can only imagine meeting my parents before being conceived, sweetheart.”
“Would you like to, Amelia? I know this crazy woman that claims she can travel time and space.” My previous self laughed.
Amelia looked knowingly at me as we continued watching our past selves converse.
“No, child, but I would like to see beyond my years- to check on my children and their children, and their…”
“Just say how far in the future y’all wanna go, ma’am. All y’all have to do is take my hand- just like ol’ Ebenezer Scrooge!”
“I beg your pardon, young lady?”
“A Christmas Carol, Amelia. Alex has a penchant for quoting literature and movies.”
“Movies?”
“Um…A Nickelodeon. We call them movies in our time.”
“May I see this wondrous place you call Reilly? I can only imagine the miraculous devices stored there!”
We looked on as our past selves placed our pruning snips down on the flowerboxes we had been working on. Each of us knocked the few particles of earth from our aprons, took them off, and placed them beside the cutters.
“Let’s go then.” My past self said offering her hands.
As before, Emily grinned ear to ear and she wasted no time taking the offered hand.
“Are you serious, Allison?”
“Completely.”
“Won’t we be missed?”
I heard our Amelia giggle
“Um…time traveler?” Past Alex smiled. “I can have you back here so that it appears you’ve never left.”
Past Amelia cautiously took the extended hand while our Amelia shook her head in amusement.
“It didn’t seem so comical at the time.” Amelia said, again looking at me.
“How about we go to Reilly Research Station in the year 2029?”
“You can go that far, Allie?”
“Y’all wouldn’t believe how far I’ve gone!”
Previous Amelia closed her eyes tightly.
“Just like Uncle Rick did his first time.” I shook my head and giggled as we continued to watch things unfold. I smiled instinctually knowing what was said next.
“Amelia, is that a bird over there? How on Earth did it get in the greenhouse?”
“What bird? I don’t see any bird over…”
I could feel Amelia jump as our previous selves simply vanished!
“Take one step forward, please.” I asked before I rephased us. To anyone watching we would appear to flicker for an instant and nothing more.
“Oh, it must have been a leaf dropping or a reflection from outside- my mistake.” I continued the previous conversation as if nothing more had happened.
Amelia looked at me in confusion.
“So…I think Andrea and I should start our preparations to leave, Amelia.”
She remained quiet as she looked between Emily and I a few moments. She looked around the greenhouse apparently checking for eavesdroppers.
“Is this what it’s like for you, Al…Allie- all the adventure…the excitement? Then everything just back to normal…as if nothing ever happened?” Amelia asked after she was satisfied we were still alone.
“Amelia, since the arrival of the Empress, nothing has been remotely close to ‘normal’.” Emily smiled sarcastically.
Amelia Demmit thought for a few moments.
“So, what am I to do now, Empress?” She whispered loudly.
“You do what you usually would as if you never met the Empress, of course, but with the added knowledge that your family will continue- growing strong and healthy- for at least the next few centuries.” I told her, shrugging my shoulders.
“Just like that? It’s that easy for you, Allie?”
I lowered my head.
“No. It’s never that easy, Grandma.” I paused to hold back my tears. “It’s never that easy with family.” I continued solemnly. “In all fairness, your life will never be the same, Amelia. You will continue to live this life- taking care of Ruth and Grandfather Roland, but you will never look at them the same way. At first you will blame your obvious discomfort to them on Andrea and I- possibly distracting them by citing our decision to join the Great War. As time drags on, you will begin to wonder if we were just some hallucination- that we were part of some fantastic dream. Until we come calling again, that is.”
“So, I’ll see my granddaughters again? When?” Amelia’s face turned hopeful.
I smiled tensely, “When the time warrants it, Grandma. That’s all I can say for now.”
Andrea looked at me, perplexed by my response.
I twitched an eyebrow ever so slightly, though I didn’t know if Amelia noticed.
“Will you at least stay for dinner?” She asked quickly and literally out of nowhere.
“Of course we will, Amelia, but don’t expect us to eat too much after all we had earlier.”
Grandma Demmit gave us a devilish grin. “As you said, Empress, appearances must be kept.”
“We’ll do the best we can, Amelia.” Emily giggled. “We do have to watch our figures you know!”
“After watching you two and your sisters at that buffet table, I hardly believe that, Andrea!” Amelia said knowingly with a giggle of her own.
“I hate to say this, Amelia, but Andrea and I should go upstairs and start packing. We should be finished well before dinner and can help with the preparations if ya’ll’d allow us.”
“You will do no such thing, Allie! You are my guests and guests do not help with household duties! Besides, you have to go back and impress me, isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
“Yes, ma’am, I do have that chore to do. Come on Andrea, we need to pack.”
1925 hours, The Roland Demmit House, Hartford, Connecticut, April 18th, 1917
“So you and Allison are leaving. I was beginning to get used to the idea of having a few more women around. I’m assuming there is nothing I can say to delay your departure?”
“I’m sorry, but no, Uncle Roland. Allie and I must be in Baltimore by the 20th or we miss our ship and are labeled deserters. The Demmit family name will not be soiled by such fowl accusations.” Emily told our ‘Uncle’.
“So, Allison, you never did tell me how you know so much about guns and other ordinance.” Uncle Roland inquired, drudging up the forgotten topic once more.
I lowered my head and thought about how I could present this without revealing my true military history.
“My fiancée is in the Navy, Uncle Roland. He made sure that I knew as much about firearms as was possible. The training I received from him was extensive and encompassed all manner of munitions and weaponry. I still look forward to his return some day.” I decided to use Emily’s version of our previous relationship.
“So you still expect him to return, Allie?” Ruth asked as she stopped eating to listen.
Uncle Roland stopped eating himself and glared at her.
“Roland, dear, Allison’s fiancée, Alexander, was sent on a secret mission over nine months ago and hasn’t been heard from since. This inquiry must be very stressful on her and Andrea. Both have recently lost someone close.” Amelia told him on our behalf.
His mouth dropped open slightly as he remained quiet.
“Ruthie,” I said, looking to my ‘cousin’, “I can only hope that he is still alive and thinking of me just as much as I of him. As I told you the other day, Andie and I are in a unique position to offer each other comfort”
Andrea looked to me with sadness of her own.
“Even if he doesn’t come back, Allie, I’m sure you’ll find someone equally deserving- I just know it.” Ruth said confidently.
It was time I turned the tables on her.
“Are you sure, Ruthie?” I asked, returning her uncertainty from earlier in our visit.
“As sure as I look exactly like you, Allie.” She replied with a confident smile.
I smiled at her and nodded.
All too soon dinner ended and Andrea and I excused ourselves from the table.
“Thank you for having us, Uncle Roland, Aunt Amelia. When we get back from Europe, we’ll be sure to look you up.” I said as we stopped by the front door.
“I apologize for your cousin’s sudden tirade, girls, I think she had hoped to adopt you both.”
“We understand, Uncle Roland. Andie and I have grown fond of her as well.” I admitted.
Ruth had become very emotional and ran off to her room as we began our ‘good-byes’, so it was just Roland and Amelia seeing us off. We both carried new carpetbags filled with new clothing and ‘necessaries’- things we really didn’t need, but were obliged to take anyway.
The doorbell rang, interrupting any more stalling on their part.
“Please excuse me a moment, ladies.” Uncle Roland opened the door to reveal a young man in a dark blue uniform and hat with ‘Western Union” printed on its hatband. “Can I help you young man?”
“Um…telegram for Mr. Roland Demmit, sir.” He announced while looking over at Emily and I with a big smile.
“That’s me son, I’m Roland Demmit.”
“Oh…um…sign here, sir.” The young man indicated a line on his clipboard. He barely took his eyes off the two of us.
Uncle Roland took the message and dug into his pocket, retrieved a silver dollar and handed it to the messenger.
“Thanks, son.”
“Thank you, Mr. Demmit!” The young man said cheerfully at such a large tip.
I slowly reached over and took Emily’s hand. I felt bad for what we were about to do. Amelia noticed and looked confused for a second.
“Mr. Roland Demmit” Uncle Roland started reading as he unfolded the message. “I regret to inform you that your two nieces, Allison and Andrea Demmit, sole heirs to your brother, Alistair’s estate, have met with an unfortunate accident, 11 April, 1917, while traveling from Albany, NY via train. Both have been confirmed deceased and have been interred in Albany Heights Cemetery as per their previously departed father’s prescribed wishes.”
I phased Emily and I out as he continued reading.
“As his attorney, but more as a long-time friend, I understand that your relationship with your brother has been strained these many years, but wished to alert you, despite his explicit wishes, and convey my deepest condolences to you and your family. I know personally that you, Amelia, Richard, and especially young Ruth were at the forefront of Allison and Andrea’s thoughts as they departed Albany in hopes of reuniting the family they so dearly loved. Again, my sincerest condolences, sir. Signed: William Reginald Ashford III, Attorney-at-law.” Uncle Roland finished reading and took a sharp breath.
“Allison, please tell me…” Uncle Roland finished re-reading the letter and looked up at us in shock. From his perspective only he and Amelia now stood in the foyer. Both looked completely devastated by our sudden disappearance.
“Did it really have to be this way, Alex?” Emily asked in a sad, quivering, voice.
I sadly nodded toward Uncle Roland in answer.
“How…how could they have been here, when clearly…?”
Amelia remained quiet, still stunned by the unsettling message.
“Have we just been witness to…?” Roland again failed to finish his question and looked at his wife’s face for any possible answers.
She had only one answer, but its disclosure promised admission to a sanitarium- possibly for the rest of her life! Instead, she remained silent.
Tears ran down both faces as they continued to look at each other. His tears for the lost chance to patch the rift between brothers; her tears for knowing she couldn’t tell him our real identities. As one they looked to where we still stood, albeit out of phase with this time slightly and therefore invisible to them.
“How could I have been such a stubborn, old fool?” He exclaimed as he rubbed his brow.
“More like a stubborn old ass.” Amelia muttered to him.
“Mother, have they gone already? I wanted to apologize for my childish behavior.” Ruthie called down from the second floor balcony.
Roland and Amelia Demmit suddenly broke down and full-out cried at their daughter’s question.
“Time to go, sis.” I said sadly as I sniffed my own tears back.
My office on Atlantis-Minor replaced the depressing scene in the foyer of Roland and Amelia Demmit.
1314 hours, Atlantis-Minor Base, June 29th, 1944
“Alex! Emily! Come quick, it’s the Admiral! Hey, you two look very nice…in an old-time sort of way.” Jack actually announced from the door.
“Thanks, but what happened, Jack?” I asked as Emily and I looked at each other in horror as our carpet bags dropped.
We followed her to Uncle Rick’s quarters were we found a very inebriated Admiral Richard Demmit throwing liquor bottles against the walls.
“Empress, could you please phase us out before we get any closer?” Jack pleaded. I offered my hands to her and Emily then phased us out.
“I almossshtt perposed at my nieth! Ta th…th…think I fell ph…ph…phor her! Whath wong gwith me? Thee trave travels through time! Alexth…how couldya dosuch athing to me?” He ranted, smashing another bottle against the finely detailed woodwork as he did so.
“Alex, what’s he going on about? He’s so pickled I can barely read him” Jack asked as she watched in stunned amazement.
“I’m afraid it’s something that happened back in 1917, Jack- family business.” I replied.
“Family business or not, he’s going to hurt himself, Cap. You need to do something.”
“Knock him out, Commander. I’ll deal with the consequences when he wakes up.”
“Alex, I can’t strike a superior officer!”
“Trust me, you’ve already done it at least once that I know of, now do it, Commander!”
“Aye, Cap.” Jack acknowledged with reservation.
Uncle Rick immediately dropped to the floor unconscious.
“Better get him into bed to sleep it off.” I checked the near future. “He’s going to sleep for about six hours.”
“Six hours?” Jack cried out!
I shook my head ‘no’ to her insinuated question.
Jack exhaled through her mouth in relief.
“Shouldn’t we get him ready first, Alex?” Emily asked as she reopened her eyes. My sister had obviously consulted her gift.
“Good idea, sis. We might as well confuse him further since we’re in so deep already.” I giggled in spite of knowing the extent of trouble we were already in.
“Alex, right before I knocked him out, he had your image- as you look now, but in a different old style dress. It looked like something my grandmother used to wear to church when I was little.”
“You mean this dress, Jack?” I asked, selecting my dress from Anna’s wedding in 1917 and triggering my uniform to change.
“That would be the one, Cap. Gosh, you look great in it- better than grandmother ever did!”
I looked at Jack for a second with a raised eyebrow. “I’ll take that as a compliment, Miss Cummins.” I said cautiously before selecting my everyday uniform instead of my ‘travel dress’ from 1917.
Emily and I had our Reilly suits copy the beautiful dresses Amelia had bought for us. We had purposely left the originals behind in Ruth’s huge closet earlier in the day prior to our departure. It seemed like a waste of the family’s money to bring them forward to a time where they wouldn’t be worn. At least everything purchased would fit Ruth…Momma Scott.
“So, what’s the story, Alex? Why would the Admiral be thinking about you, back then, while in a drunken stupor?” Jack pressed.
“Emily and I were pretending to be Uncle Rick’s cousins from Albany- Allison and Andrea Demmit.”
“I already knew that, Alex, but what happened back there?”
“Apparently, a young Richard Demmit started to fall for Cousin Allison at the wedding reception we attended. Remember how he reacted before we left? He realized that I was Allison.”
“Wow! I’d need a drink after learning that one too!” Jack rubbed her head as she blew out her latest breath. “So now what? We wait here for him to wake up and take our lumps?”
“Not really, Jack. You make preparations to get Sand Dollar underway. We slip moorings 0700hrs tomorrow morning. Tell Randi I want all hands in Reilly suits programmed with North Atlantic cold weather gear and personal flotation devices circa 2028. I want the command staff to meet in the Mess Hall at 1835hrs tonight, the rest of the boat crew at 1900hrs.”
“Aye, Cap. She’ll be ready.” Jack said as she left the Admiral’s quarters.
“Alex, what about Uncle Rick? He’s going to realize we redressed him.” Emily asked with concern.
“The Admiral will have to make a decision, sis. Either he understands that we were only protecting him from himself or Russell waits for us to be released from prison.”
“Like any prison on Earth could hold you or Jack, or any of us for that matter, Alex.”
“We aren’t criminals, Emily. Of course we would accept our incarceration.”
“You mean Uncle Rick is actually…”
“I didn’t say that, sis.”
“Good, because that isn’t what I saw happening.”
I reached over to Emily and pulled her to me. “I love you, sis.”
“So, we’re all here now, Alex. Care to begin?” Chief Samuels said with a little too much irritation in her voice.
“Are we interrupting something, Ricky Lynn? A beauty shop appointment perhaps?” I asked, slightly disturbed by her demeanor tonight.
“Well, no, skip, I just got things to do before we shove off in the morning.” She answered, backing down.
“Good, cause we’re missing two people before I can start.” I stated calmly.
“Captain Steinert, sorry I’m late, ma’am.” Jamie Hilf stopped abruptly and stood to attention as soon as she was inside the Mess Hall door.
“That’s one of the two.” I announced. “Have a seat, Jamie.” I motioned to an open seat.
“But this is an officer’s meeting, Cap.” Jamie looked conflicted as she moved to sit down.
“Very good observation, Miss Hilf. I believe the Admiral gave everyone assigned to Sand Dollar a commission. Am I right in that assumption?”
“Oh ya, that’s right. I forgot, Cap.”
“Sit down, Ensign. We’re still minus one person.
“Captain Steinert! I want to know how and why I woke up in my quarters with my pj’s on? I also want to know why my jaw is sore- as if someone slugged me!” Admiral Demmit growled as he burst through the door in a rage.
“That would be him now.” I concluded flatly.
He stopped abruptly noticing everyone seated with me.
“Admiral on deck!” I shouted.
We all quickly stood to attention.
“At ease, ladies.” His tone backed off slightly.
“Admiral, if you would care to join us? We were just about to start our mission briefing. Miss Peterson one batch of your patented hangover tonic for the Admiral, please?”
“That won’t be necessary, Captain, I’d like to suffer though this one if you don’t mind!” Uncle Rick said in his commanding voice.
“But I insist, Admiral.” Instead of nodding to Ricki Peterson, I instead nodded to Jamie Hilf.
“Admiral Demmit, you really should take something for that nasty hangover.” She looked to him and concentrated. “Perhaps I can assist in your recovery, sir?”
The pain and some of the anger left Uncle Rick’s face.
“A body can’t even suffer from self inflicted misery around you girls!” He huffed, sitting down to my immediate right in defeat.
We all looked at each other around the table for a moment before I took charge of the meeting.
“Alright, the first order of business.” I paused. “I take full responsibility for your condition when you woke up a few minutes ago, sir. When Dr. Scott and I returned from our reconnaissance, you had been drinking uncharacteristically heavy and taking it out on almost every bottle in your private bar. In order to protect you from further harm I ordered Miss Cummins to incapacitate you. We then tried to make you comfortable before taking your alcohol reeking uniform to our base laundry for cleaning. Is there anything else before we move on to the next topic on our meeting agenda, Admiral?” I explained looking directly at him. I kept my voice as level and as commanding as Amelia would have.
Uncle Rick’s jaw dropped open and he remained silent.
“No? Moving along to the second item then. Lieutenant Scott and I were able to ascertain and research the circumstances regarding our next mission. While back in 1917, we were able to determine the appropriate course of action to rescue the lost survivors of U103, a German U-boat struck by the Olympic and mortally damaged. As Admiral Demmit’s initial brief stated, one member of the USS Davis entered the water when one of the German prisoners made an abrupt attempt at escape. Both men were abandoned due to a rogue wave spotted approaching the Davis at an unusually high rate of speed. Both men, along with twenty others were thought to have perished until an exhaustive investigation of Reilly Research Station’s historic archives by Admiral Demmit revealed several discrepancies. One being the missing Davis crewman, one Russell Brackenridge, he is listed as dying in 2020 at the ripe old age of one hundred and twenty-three. Another discrepancy is that he appears in no census, credit, or similar reports between 1920 and May of 1983. Admiral Demmit has requested that Sand Dollar journey back to 12 May 1918 to attempt rescue of Mr. Brackenridge and the twenty other men from the cold North Atlantic off the coast of Ireland.” I paused to sip some coffee from my cup.
“As you all know, I have ordered Sand Dollar made ready for a 0700 departure tomorrow. All crew are required to wear their assigned Reilly suits. Lieutenant Van Pelt you will see to it that all suits are programmed with cold weather gear appropriate for North Atlantic operations and personal floatation devices as they would pertain to 2028. I don’t want to take a chance with our current ‘May Wests’ because of the large wave and severe sea conditions involved. I will transport Admiral Demmit back to Pearl to either drop him off or retrieve his own Reilly suit, if he decides on accompanying us on this mission. Are there any questions?”
“So you bring Rusty up to 1944, Alex?”
“Admiral, please don’t skip to the last few pages of the book, sir. Enjoy the read as it progresses.” I replied to his chagrin. “You are interested in coming along then, Admiral?” I asked.
He simply nodded in astonishment.
“Good. Ladies, I’ll be right back. Admiral, if you would stand and take my hand?”
Uncle Rick and I stood and took each other’s hand. Our Mess Hall became Uncle Rick’s quarters at Pearl Harbor.
“So, you’ve obviously met mother.” He stated as I released his hand.
“We had many a pleasant and informative conversation, Uncle. Mostly though, the topic was Grandfather.”
“He was a hard one to please, Alex- almost disowned me for joining the Navy! I heard from mother when I returned stateside that my cousin ‘Allison’ had ripped him a new one at dinner a couple nights before I arrived for the wedding.”
“We had a detailed tete-a-tete about the comprehension levels females of our species possessed in comparison to males, yes.” I replied feeling my expression turn angry at the recall of that night.
“Ruthie told me that you out stared him- that he backed down in just under five minutes.”
“I didn’t know it was that long, sir. He just made me sooo angry! I guess she mentioned about my pulling my service piece, too?”
“No. She never mentioned that incident! Why would you do something like that to my father, Alex?” Uncle Rick looked surprised and also a little concerned.
“Oh, it was nothing, Uncle Rick, just an impulse to a statement he made, nothing to worry about, sir. We should just forget it- not important.” I shook my head. “You should get changed, sir, I still have the enlisted to brief when we get back.”
“Mother and father never talked about your visit, Alex. I hope it went well?” He asked from the next room- his bedroom.
“Amelia is a very intuitive woman, sir.”
“She saw through your cover, Alex?”
“You could say that, sir. You could say that.”
“She knows about you, I take it?”
I didn’t reply.
Uncle Rick let out a grunt in understanding.
“So how far did you take her, Alex?”
“2029. July 4th, 2029.”
“Oh? Why 2029?”
“Because that was the only July 4th celebration that she wasn’t already in attendence, sir.” I felt my face warm considerably.
His head popped into the open doorway. “What do you mean that was the only celebration she wasn’t there for…?” His eyes grew large. “You mean she…? When, Alex?”
“1937.” I replied.
“’37? That was the year she… That was you?”
“Not exactly, Uncle Rick. Amelia drank Kili’s water while we were at the celebration in 2029, sir. I tried to stop her but Carrol’s Alexis and Randi’s Delilah were soo cute the way they were playing together, and…”
“You took your eyes off her for more than a minute, right?”
“Yes, sir, it may have been a little longer.”
“How did it happen, Alex? I want to know how it happened.” From the look on his face, he was serious.
I waited until he came back into the living room.
“Amelia was heading home from one of her political meetings. A drunk crossed into her lane and ran her Chevrolet off the road and into a ditch. She was trapped, semi-conscious, under the car when it rolled over. The drunk actually had the sense to stop. Seeing her dilemma, being scared, and realizing that she probably wouldn’t make it, he poured the remains of his whiskey bottle into her mouth, thinking it would help her final pain.” I paused to prepare myself for the worst part of the story.
“She woke up on the autopsy table at Hartford General just before the medical examiner applied his scalpel to her chest. Nearly gave the man a coronary. That’s where I come into the story.”
“So you saw this all happen when you were back in 1917? Why didn’t you arrive earlier and save her before she went to the morgue?”
“I had issues of my own to contend with, Admiral- girl issues. On top of that we were in the middle of a cat and mouse game with a Japanese destroyer that just had to expend all of her ash cans on us! I’ve never transported the Sand Dollar and her crew from a depth of three-fifty before. I hope I never have to try.”
“I’m sure Jack wanted to help things along?”
“I won’t let her, sir. With the power build up she can produce, I don’t want to take a chance at her frying every electrical circuit onboard- especially at that depth!”
“I see your point, but why did you arrive so late, Alex?”
“I just misjudged the time of the accident, Uncle Rick, it was my mistake. Amelia said she understood, but I suspect she still has nightmares from it.” I finished by looking down to the floor.
A few tears hit the floor. “I’m sorry I was late, sir.”
“Alex, I was at Reilly for your Empress Conference, why didn’t I see her there? I mean I thought I met everyone that week.”
“You met her, Uncle Rick…Amy Kleis.”
“She uses her maiden name now? Why?”
“Amy didn’t want you to know at the conference. That was your first trip to the future and she wanted to tell you in private after I had a chance to explain what happened.”
“So when can I see and talk to her, Alex?”
“After Germany surrenders next year, sir- that’s all I can reveal at this time, I’m sorry.”
“That possibility to change our future again, Empress?” He asked with a serious expression.
“Again, I’m sorry, Admiral. We better get back to Atlantis-Minor now.” I apologized as I extended my hand to him.
Instead, Uncle Rick pulled me close and hugged me tight.
“Alex, I think I understand your reasoning for withholding certain things from me.” He tightened his arms around me a little more. “I also understand why Jacki Cummins knocked me out earlier today. You took a large gamble by giving that order, young lady! You know I could court marshal all officers involved!”
“Yes, sir. I understood the risks, Admiral.” I admitted as more tears ran down my cheeks. “I insist on taking full responsibility for the incident.”
“I want to thank you, Alex.” He paused as I pushed back from him a little to look him in the eyes.
“I remember parts of what happened. I was out of control over something I didn’t understand. Alex, I fell in love with Allison that night at the wedding reception. I knew she was my cousin, but…I apologize for my behavior at your base today.” He paused again.
“An Admiral should never let himself be seen out of control, inebriated, or incapacitated in any way other than wounded in action. Although, what you did went against military conduct, I appreciate your concern for my wellbeing and you’re protecting my integrity. If I were in your position, I would have done pretty much the same thing, Alex. Thank Miss Cummins for not leaving a mark, for me.”
“You can thank her yourself, sir.”
I wrapped my arms back around him and held on tight.
We were back in Atlantis-Minor’s Mess Hall.
The room erupted in a huge “Ahhhh!” as the two of us rephased. My boat crew was assembled and waiting for my return.
Admiral Demmit immediately released me and looked around with an ashen face.
“If the other brass ever gets wind of this, I’ll have all of you brought up on charges!” He growled.
Giggles now filled the room.
Admiral Demmit shook his head in surrender. After he was seated, I briefed the full crew on our new mission.
1104 hours, 235 Nautical miles S-SW of Ireland, May 12th, 1918
“Cmdr. Cummin’s take the boat to battle stations, please.”
“Aye, Cap, Battle Stations.”
The horn sounded as Jack made the announcement and a flurry of activity filled Sand Dollar’s pressure hull.
Several voices echoed through the Con as they came across the squawk.
“All stations manned and ready, Alex.”
“Thanks, Jack. Good job.”
Jack smiled as she looked around to the forward hatch where Admiral Demmit had appeared. He nodded his head in approval.
We had arrived back in 1918 a few hours prior to the recorded start of the incident involving the Olympic, U103, and the Sampson-class Destroyer, Davis. I wanted to make sure we arrived unseen by either side in this conflict for obvious reasons. Foremost of which was the very existence of Sand Dollar- technology that could be misunderstood as the Allies’ new secret weapon, and misinterpreted as the German’s new secret weapon at the same time. Hands down, my Sand Dollar was the largest submersible craft in the Atlantic Ocean at this time in history. I wanted as few people to know about us as was conceivably possible.
“Periscope depth, Miss Cummins.”
“Aye, Cap. Diving control, three, five feet.”
“Three, five feet, aye, Commander.”
“Alex, I haven’t been this cold since I was on the Sandshark. I almost forgot how good we have it working out of Pearl.” Carrol exclaimed as she buttoned up her woolen sweater all the way.
“You should feel it topside, Lieutenant- with the wind ripping into your face at twenty knots!” Admiral Demmit commented.
Carrol visibly shuddered. “Aye, sir.”
“Three, five feet, Miss Cummins.”
“Aye, periscope depth, Alex.” Jack repeated.
“Up periscope, Jack.”
“Aye, ma’am.”
Looking through the eyepiece, I was greeted with an image I had seen years ahead in Flagstaff while watching a historical documentary on World War I. Even as I witnessed it first hand, in natural color and light, it lacked anything but medium to dark shades of gray! What a dismal place, I thought, even nature seemed to have abandoned this period in time!
“Contact! Bearing…one, zero, six, degrees!” Amy Reynolds announced from Sonar, as I spotted the ship several thousand yards away.
“One of ours, Alex?” Admiral Demmit asked.
“You’re the expert, Admiral.” I moved away from the periscope and offered him a look.
“It’s Olympic.” He confirmed.
“Skipper, I’m picking up screws just ahead of the first contact at one, zero, four. I think it’s a sub- sounds similar to a German U-boat only smaller.” Jamie Hilf exclaimed from her station.
The Admiral moved aside so that I could take a look.
Clicking up the magnification, I barely saw the enemy periscope break the surface.
“Admiral, what was periscope depth for the early U-boats?”
“I really don’t remember, Alex. They were only half the size of Sand Dollar as I recall, though.”
“That makes periscope depth around eighteen to twenty-one feet, Alex.” Carrol informed me after some quick math.
“Do you remember what damage the Olympic caused her, Admiral?”
“No, Alex, by the time we arrived all hands were already in lifeboats. We weren’t allowed to talk to the prisoners.”
“Well, from what I’m seeing, the Olympic isn’t going to cause any damage whatsoever. The U-boat has the lead as they cross paths, you sure they collided?”
“That’s what the official report stated and that’s what we were told at the time, Alex.”
“Helm, bring us around to one, zero, six!”
“Aye, Cap, one, zero, six.” Kayla Langford responded.
“Alex?” Admiral Demmit looked at me with a questioning glare.
“If Mohammad won’t come to the mountain, make the mountain come to Mohammad!” I winked.
“Jack, ready tube one for firing!”
“Alex?” She responded. “Won’t that give away our position?”
“Exactly!”
“I thought that was a big no-no, Cap?”
“We’re almost as fast as the Olympic and we can dive deeper than any known boat of the time- twice as deep, as I recall. I plan on sending one past her stern to get her to speed up and turn toward us.”
“Like shoving a stick into a hornet’s nest, Alex?” Admiral Demmit successfully concluded.
I nodded. “Should be enough to get her to change course and ‘collide’ with U103.”
“Captain, may I remind you that engagement rules of the time required the attacking boat to surface and alert the target vessel to lessen the lose of life?”
“We aren’t from this time, Admiral, and I’d rather not surface, thereby putting Sand Dollar on display to either side. This has to happen, sir. We have to make this happen.” I said evenly.
“And why wasn’t I briefed on this, Captain?”
“Would you have believed it, sir?” I asked with a slight smirk.
“Believed that a submarine from 1944 purposely caused a friendly ship to collide with a German U-boat? Having met the Empress and witnessing your…unorthodox attack strategies, yes!”
“You would have tried to stop me, sir. This has to happen though.” I repeated, looking to the deck.
“Another stationary waypoint in time, Alex?”
“I’m afraid so, sir.” I replied quietly.
The Admiral shook his head in resignation. “Carry on, Captain Steinert.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Heading one, zero, six!” Kayla Langford announced from rudder control.
“Alex, forward torpedo room answers ready and waiting. Fire control board is green.” Jack informed me.
“Firing control, tube one on my mark!”
I took another look through the scope and took my bearing.
“Bearing one, zero, six! Two thousand yards- mark!”
“One, zero, six, two thousand yards, aye.”
“Fire tube one.”
We felt the familiar shudder and the faint hiss of compressed air as the fish took to the open sea. With any luck it wouldn’t hit anything and never be seen again.
“Torpedo one away, Skipper.”
“Down scope and take us to two, five, zero feet, adjust course two degrees to starboard, ahead two-thirds, Jack.”
“Aye, Cap.” She said as she passed the orders along.
“Now what, Skipper? Carrol asked.
“We wait.” I said as I watched the chronometer intently.
Roughly five minutes had passed before Jamie Hilf broke the silence in the Con.
“Skipper, I just heard a metallic collision topside and one set of screws has stopped- the U-boat, ma’am.”
“Thank you, Miss Hilf. No explosion though from two degrees off port?”
“Nothing, Skip.”
“What about Olympic?”
“She hasn’t stopped, Skip. Heavy cavitations now! She’s reversed her screws- probably trying to back away. Alex, there’s more metallic groaning in the water now! Sounds like Olympic is scraping her keel on the U-boat!
I, as well as everyone in the Con, winced in reaction to that information. We could only imagine what U 103’s crew must be going through or the nightmare they would soon experience.
Olympic’s massive screws reportedly opened the U-boat up like a can of sardines! They never stood a chance when they decided to crash dive- should have actually stopped and backed away.
History proved valid a few seconds later.
“More metallic growning, Skip. Sounds like she’s still going!”
I noticed Uncle Rick close his eyes tightly.
“Bring us around, Jack, and take us back up to periscope depth.”
“Aye, Cap.”
“Admiral, how long until the Davis arrives?”
“Olympic continued moving away from the scene after spotting another periscope…off…to the…south…”
The old man glared at me in a way similar to when he realized I was actually his cousin Allison.
“You really do enjoy giving your commanding officer heart attacks, don’t you Capt. Steinert?” He growled.
“That was never my intention, Admiral. Adjust course to two, eight, eight, and maintain speed.”
“Aye, Cap. Passing five zero feet.”
“Thanks, Jack. Admiral? How long until the Davis arrives?”
“What? Oh…twenty minutes. We arrived twenty minutes after receiving Olympic’s transmission.”
“Three, five feet.”
“Three, five feet, Alex.”
“Thanks, Jack. Up periscope, let’s continue repairing this spot in time.” I said, but instead of reaching for the scope, I picked up the microphone of the squawk.
“Chief Van Pelt to the Con.” I announced.
Admiral Demmit gave me a confused look.
“What’s up, Skip?
“Randi, how long would it take to rig the radio shack for simple wireless telegraphy?”
“I don’t understand, Alex. Wireless telegraph?”
“I believe it was referred to as ‘Spark Gap’ Wireless or just plain Wireless- like the Titanic used.” I explained.
“Alex, what have you neglected to tell me now?” The old man glared at me again.
“Someone has to point out that rogue wave, Admiral.” I told him calmly.
“Somehow I just knew you would say that, Alex.” He looked to Randi. “Fleet signaling frequency is five hundred cycles, Miss Van Pelt.”
“I wasn’t aware radio went that low, Admiral.” She replied.
“This is 1918, lieutenant, not the stone-age!” Uncle Rick growled.
“Randi, the Detroit uses Ultra-Low Frequency to communicate with CINCPAC while submerged don’t forget.” I reminded her.
“But that’s digital, Skip!”
“Digital, telegraphy- what’s the difference, it’s still on-off- ones and zeros- just with a different protocol.”
“I never thought about it that way before, Alex.”
I rolled my eyes in amazement that she wouldn’t make the connection.
“How long, Chief?”
“About ten minutes, but we have to surface to transmit.”
“I realize that Chief. Get to work. Have Josie help you if necessary. I want a transmission made in twelve minutes!”
“Aye, ma’am!” Randi acknowledged as she hurried back to her equipment.
“Jack, the message won’t be acted on quick enough so you’ll need to persuade the lookouts on the Davis to look to the northeast.”
“I’d have better success if I could see one or the other, Alex.”
“Would full magnification on the scope be good enough?”
“It will have to be, Cap.”
“Cap, Josie and I are ready for that transmission.” Randi informed me a few minutes later.
“Miss Sheldon, distance from the Davis’ last location?”
“Ten miles, Skip, if she remained stationery.”
“Jack raise the periscope.”
“Aye, Cap.”
Quickly, I checked in the direction I knew the destroyer to be located.
“Good job, Carrol.” I praised her math. “Ex-O, surface the boat!”
“Randi, escort Admiral Demmit back to the radio shack and transmit whatever he tells you.”
Uncle Rick nodded to me as he followed my radio operator.
“We’re topside, Alex.” Jack informed me.
“Thanks, Jack.” I said as I took the few steps back to the aft hatch.
“Miss Van Pelt, you’re on!” I shouted.
“Aye, Skipper, sending now.” Came her reply.
“Jack, you’re with me on the bridge, spare the lookouts.” I told her as my uniform changed into the most advanced cold weather gear we had access to.
The wind and cold stabbed at us as soon as we opened the hatch despite our high-tech gear!
“I never remembered it being this cold when I was stationed out here.” I told Jack as we put binoculars to our eyes and began searching the horizon for the mysterious wave destined to doom twenty-one men this day.
“Bridge, Radio Shack, Skip, message is sent.” Randi’s voice said over the squawk’s loudspeaker.
“Radio, Bridge, thanks Randi. Con, Bridge, ahead two thirds steady on this course.”
“Aye, Skip”. Carrol’s voice replied.
“Time to go below, Jack.” I told her.
“But I didn’t see anything, Alex! Is there going to be a twenty-five foot wave or is that something Amy Reynolds whips up?” She asked as I motioned for her to go down the hatch first.
“Oh, it’s out there, Jack. These things have been clocked at over 170 knots!”
Jack stopped halfway down the ladder, looked back up at me, and whistled.
Several minutes later Jack was clicking through the different stages of magnification available in the periscope’s eyepiece control.
“I can barely see the port lookout, Alex.”
“You think you can work your magic, Jack?”
“Sorting out his thoughts now, Cap.” She said as she moved back from the scope and smiled at me. “One thing is for certain, his mind really isn’t on his job, Alex.” She giggled. “I’m drawing his attention now.”
“Admiral, what time did the wave hit the Davis?” I asked.
“1252hrs, Alex.”
I looked at the chronometer. 1245 it read.
“Captain, the Davis’ screws have started!”
“The captain was trying to head her into the wave. We were still trying to rescue the U-boat crew when we received his orders to stow everything and get below.” Admiral Demmit reminisced.
“Alex, how are we going to save those men and stay alive? A twenty-five foot wave is sure to give us problems.” Jack asked the question for the rest of the crew.
I looked to the deck as I thought about the answer. A sudden sadness came over me.
“They don’t all make it, do they, Alex?” Jack quickly joined me in disappointment.
“Maybe half, Jack, I’m sorry.”
“Well, like you say, we can’t save them all.” She admitted sadly, still staring at the deck.
“I know, Jack, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try.” I said quietly before glancing back at the chronometer. 1250hrs.
I picked up the squawk. “All hands, brace for impact! Damage control teams stand by!”
“Dive control, take us down to one hundred feet as quick as possible.”
“Aye, Cap.”
“This is going to feel like the dips at Coney Island, ladies, so hang on.” I told everyone within the sound of my voice. “We get hit ten seconds after the Davis.”
“You’ve ridden one of these out before, Skip?” Carroll asked innocently.
“Not yet, but I remember it well.” I told her.
“Coming from anybody but you, that would sound ridiculous, Alex!”
“I remember it well enough too, Lieutenant! It was less fun topside!” The old man growled.
“Wait…” Carroll said as she held up her hand. “We’re almost ten miles from her! That would mean that thing is moving…”
“Fast!” I interrupted.
We all took hold of something stationary and waited.
Peyton’s crash landing of Meridian back in 1965 was far smoother than what we had just experienced! It was a good thing I had asked her to remain behind on Ni’ihau. No telling what her reaction to this might have been so soon after that mission. Damage though, was limited to a few pipe leaks and a control valve blowout or two.
Some of the crew had sustained superficial cuts and bruises, but would be fine in a few minutes. I, on the other hand, received the full brunt of our turbulent ride as Admiral Demmit lost his grip at one point and ended up knocking me to the floor. As Uncle Rick pushed himself off of me, the sudden and sharp pain in my chest told me that at least two of my ribs had fractured.
Emily was immediately at my side as Uncle Rick and Carroll gently picked me up. It was then that I noticed Jack still lying on the deck!
“Jack,” I gasped as the pain rocketed through me, “Is she okay?” I gasped again as tears caused by the intense pain streamed down my face.
“She just bumped her head, sis. She’ll wake up in a minute or two.” Emily said in her professional voice. “You, on the other hand… Alex, you have four broken ribs and a slight concussion!” She chastised me as if my mother. “You saw this coming so why didn’t you hold on tighter?”
I simply looked to our uncle who in turn, stared back at me with almost no color in his face.
Emily nodded to me in understanding.
“I want you to select the 1880’s corset, Alex. Exhale as much as possible and substitute it for your bra. This is going to hurt, but will support your ribcage until you heal.” Emily prescribed.
Stars filled my vision as the new undergarment formed then tightened around my midsection. A shriek of pain and obscenities surged from my mouth all on their own! More tears burst forth from my eyes. My vision started to narrow and darken.
“Don’t you dare, Alex Steinert! Don’t you dare!” Emily growled as she slapped my cheek hard several times.
“Thanks, sis.” I waved off her offered hand as I steadied myself against the bulkhead.
“Oww, what did I miss? Jack groaned as she slowly picked herself off the deck. She rubbed gently at the knot on her crown.
“Nothing.” I gasped out. This time the pain wasn’t so bad and I stood up straight.
“Are you wearing a corset again, Alex? I thought you hated those things?”
“In lieu of a body cast, Miss Cummins, a tight corset is the next best thing.”
“Alex, things will be fine so please relax and take things easy.” Jamie Hilf suggested as she left her seat and moved the few feet towards me. I could see she was concentrating very hard.
“It’s okay, Jamie. Unfortunately, I’m not affected by your gift. Thank you for trying though.” I thanked her.
“I suppose I should thank you, Alex.” Uncle Rick said finally. “I guess you know what would have happened had you not cushioned my fall?”
“I wouldn’t have gotten four broken ribs, Admiral.” I exclaimed as best I could.
You mean I wouldn’t have suffered any life threatening injury if you hadn’t broken my fall?”
I shook my head side to side twice.
“Then why, Alex? Why injure yourself if it wasn’t necessary?”
“Because it was the right thing to do, Uncle Rick.” I said sheepishly.
The Con was eerily silent for a few moments.
“Miss Cummins, all stop, surface the boat, and prepare to take on survivors.”
Aye, Cap. Maneuvering, all stop. Dive control, take us topside. General quarters, lookouts to the Con.” Jack announced over the squawk.
Off to our port, floated an overturned life raft- well, what was left of a life raft anyway!
“I count four men in the water to port, Alex.” Jack said as we each looked in separate directions.
“There’s another six to starboard, Jack.” I added.
Usually, my first officer would’ve repeated my information. I looked over to see her concentrating on something intently.
Admiral Demmit joined us on the freezing, wind-swept bridge.
“Jack?” I asked, looking to Uncle Rick and placing a gloved finger to my mouth.
Two men appeared from the water and floated over and onto Sand Dollar’s foredeck and into our rescue party’s waiting care. As they lay on deck, both looked like their chests were being pushed slightly. Water spilled from the two men’s mouths’. Both began coughing as they rolled over on their stomachs.
Four, more animated, men then joined them on deck. Admiral Demmit and I looked at my first officer in silence.
After the six men from starboard had been floated to safety, Jack finally noticed our stares.
“I couldn’t just let them drown, now could I?” She said with a little growl.
“Get those men below with plenty of blankets!” Admiral Demmit shouted to the crew on the foredeck against the howling wind.
1424 hours, 190 Nautical miles S-SW of Ireland, May 12th, 1918
“Alex, all survivors have been shown to the wardroom per your orders.”
“Thanks, Jack.”
I had ordered everyone into cold weather gear and to remain that way until all survivors were blanketed and seated in our wardroom. Admiral Demmit posted himself in the doorway with his pistol in hand.
Seaman 1st Class Rachael Morris, our fire elemental, stood directly behind him. Her task was to concentrate on raising the small compartment’s temperature without cooking everyone and everything within. This was the first real test of her gift, which she had received three days prior to our leaving Atlantis-Minor as six full grown palm trees would attest to- if they were still trees and not ash!
“Rachael, how are you holding up?” I asked quietly from beside her in the passageway.
“As long as I don’t let my feelings toward the Germans influence me, fine, Skip. It’s getting easier to control. I barely have to concentrate now.” She told me with a guarded smile. The five-foot-five redhead had been very apprehensive when I had asked her to use her new gift.
“Miss Cummins reassured me that you would know when it was the right time to use my gift.” She admitted sheepishly.
“What, you didn’t trust me, Ensign?” I asked with a hurt pout. Part of that look was still my four partially mended ribs.
“I trust you explicitly, ma’am.” She quickly replied.
“Never trust anyone ‘explicitly’, Ensign. Always think things through carefully and then use your gut to determine if you should do something or not. Never run blindly into anything- ever!” I preached as images of her future came to mind. Why were redheads always so hot-headed, I asked as another redhead entered my thoughts…and my field of view?
“Skipper,” Chief Samuels started, being careful to show the proper respect to me in front of the Admiral. “All repairs have been finished. We can get underway on your order.”
“Thanks, chief, we’ll be doing just that in about half an hour.”
“Aye, Skipper.” She responded and headed aft.
“Skip, the survivors’ clothing should be pretty much dry. I decided that would be the best use of my gift in this case, ma’am.” Rachael said nervously to me.
“Great job, Ensign. Please resume your station. Admiral Demmit and I will take it from here.” I praised her.
She headed forward with a confident smile.
“Ready, Admiral?” I asked. “I’ll follow your lead, sir.”
“Somehow I seriously doubt that, Alex.”
“Which one is Brackenridge, sir?”
“Second from the left, back against the hull, Alex.” Uncle Rick said, looking back at me questioningly.
I nodded as I brought up my suit’s translator. I also mentally told Jack to be on guard.
‘You really didn’t have to tell me that, Alex.’ I heard in my mind.
I decided to retrieve something from my quarters. Hopefully it would help reinforce our cover story.
“Gentlemen, anyone here speak English?” Uncle Rick asked as he officially entered the wardroom after stepping out of view to revert his Reilly suit to its futuristic looking default. We had agreed to use them in lieu of our naval apparel.
I waited in the passageway.
No one answered him, but all eyes were surely staring at him in frightened confusion.
Admiral Demmit repeated his question in German, Polish, French, Italian, and Spanish.
My Uncle was definitely a show off!
No reply came.
“Well then, Mr. Brackenridge, would you please tell me why an American is hiding amongst his enemy?” The old man asked, staring directly at the man. “You both are still at war, are you not?” He added.
“All twelve men remained silent, although they were now exchanging glances.
“Come now, Rusty, I asked you a perfectly valid question.”
“How do you know me? I’ve never seen you before in my life!” He finally responded.
“Oh, I know you, Mr. Brackenridge. Happy belated twenty-first birthday, by the way.”
The man’s eyes went wide!
It was time to make my entrance.
“Admiral, I trust the survivors are not presenting you much of a problem?” I asked him in my regal voice as I appeared in the doorway.
A collective gasp sounded throughout the small room. Rightly so since I had modified my default uniform, making it lower cut in the bosom than normal, or was it because of the tiara I had placed on my head just seconds ago? Looking around the room and following the stares, it was definitely my chest that caused the reaction.
“Empress, I wasn’t expecting you so soon. I had just started to ask these men questions not a minute ago.”
“Have you found the one called Brackenridge yet? I am anxious to hear his report on this…” I paused for effect, “’incident’.”
Now the other men glared at Russell Brackenridge.
“Who are you?” He blurted out in confusion.
“You will not address the Empress in that manner, commoner!” Uncle Rick growled in anger.
I raised my hand to stop the Admiral.
“They have a right to know who offered them rescue, Admiral.” I said with a regal smile. “First, I would like to know which of the archaic tongues to use in answer. Is there a common tongue among you?”
“Most of us speak English, frauline.” One of the other men finally spoke- apparently he was the U-boat’s captain.
“Bitta, Herr Captain. English it is then.” I said putting on my best smile. “Starting with the introductions: I am called Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space. This distinguished gentleman is Royal Admiral Richard Demmit, commander of my Temporal Fleet. Together, we welcome y’all aboard my flagship, Sand Dollar.”
“I’ve never heard of this ‘Temporal Fleet’, ma’am. What country are you from?” Russell asked cautiously as he seemed to recognize Uncle Rick’s name.
Again I raised my hand to stop Uncle Rick.
“We hail from no country in particular, Mr. Brackenridge; we are only visiting this time period for research purposes.”
“Research, ma’am?”
“Yes, Mr. Brackenridge, research! In order for our civilization to move forward, we must look back to the past in order to see what went wrong and why. Only then do we stand any chance of not repeating it.”
‘He’s going to ask where we are from, Alex.’ Jack thought to me.
“As I said, Russell Brackenridge, we do not belong to any country on this backwards planet. It should not surprise me that you have never heard of the ‘Empress of Time and Space’- a name heralded throughout the known universes-” I glared at him in contempt- “this planet, so single-minded, its inhabitants having concluded that theirs is the only civilization in all the cosmos! How conceited y’all are!”
Uncle Rick chuckled at my scolding.
“Empress, Admiral,” Jack interrupted from the passageway, “Sand Dollar is ready for temporal transit at your pleasure.”
“Temporal transit?”
“Yes, Rusty, temporal as in time transit! Surely the people of this small insignificant sphere understand the concept of time travel?” I asked, looking around the small, crowded room.
“Miss Cummins, alert the crew that we will commence transit on the Admiral’s order.
“Yes, my Empress.”
‘All hands, prepare for temporal transit. Please secure yourself to Sand Dollar. Transit will commence on Admiral Demmit’s mark!’ Jack’s voice boomed in our heads, yet she remained in the doorway quietly smiling the whole time.
To say the men before me were stunned was an understatement!
“Commander Jacquelyn Cummins is from the system you call Cygnus. She has the ability to read thoughts among other talents, and can be very persuasive- and very dangerous if provoked!”
‘Cygnus, Alex?’ She asked in my mind.
‘The Swan galaxy, Jack, as in ‘pretty as a swan’.’ I thought back.
The twelve remained silent and unmoving.
“Gentlemen, I suggest you take hold of the table in front of you as time travel can be bumpy at times.” I advised. It was a good way to make sure we left no one behind.
‘Alex, we’re on the surface.’ Jack thought to me.
‘Thanks, Jack. Is everybody holding on?’ I thought back.
‘Aye.’
“Gentlemen, I really think y’all should hold on to something, we’ve done this a few times.” I advised as I reached for the nearest bulkhead and the table. Uncle Rick did the same.
That seemed to persuade the sailors with us to grasp the table they sat around. I nodded to Admiral Demmit. Nodding back, he took the microphone from the squawk and made his announcement.
“All hands, Temporal transit on my mark, commencing in five…four…three…two…one, mark.”
I nodded casually.
From our guests’ perspective, absolutely nothing happened. A few of them began looking at me as if I were some fraud.
‘Temporal transit complete! All hands will please stand down and return to normal stations.’ Jack again announced in our minds. ‘Welcome to 2029.’
“Time travel is impossible!” One of the men shouted out in broken English. He was U103’s first officer- a man that would change his way of thinking in the matter of a day.
“Time travel is indeed possible, Herr Wolmacher, but I will leave that fact for you to decide.” I smiled deviously at the man. “Where are my manners, Admiral? I neglected to offer our guests refreshment. Surely after such a harrowing experience they could use something?”
“I, personally, could use a bottle of the strongest stuff ya got!” Russell Brackenridge commented, awestruck by what he had witnessed so far today.
I nodded to Uncle Rick.
“Miss Cummins, would you have the galley bring some refreshments for our guests?”
“As you wish, Admiral!” She acknowledged before disappearing down the passageway.
‘As we planned it, Alex?’ She thought to me.
‘Unfortunately, yes.’ I thought back to her.
“Admiral, we’ll arrive at the island in thirty minutes.” Carroll’s voice announced through the squawk’s loudspeaker.
“Thank you, Miss Sheldon. Alert the mooring crew when ready to dock.” Uncle Rick responded.
“As you wish, Admiral.”
Eleven glasses of water, an empty glass, and one full whiskey bottle floated into the wardroom and placed themselves before each guest- the empty glass and liquor bottle in front of Mr. Brackenridge.
Again, twelve mouths dropped wide open- in terror this time.
“As I mentioned before, gentlemen, Miss Cummins is not to be trifled with. Her sight both visually and telepathically is superb.”
Admiral Demmit chuckled again.
Russell Brackenridge wasted no time or the clean glass, preferring to drink straight from the bottle after smelling its contents!
“If all you have told us is true, why bring us to the future…’Empress’?” 103’s captain asked with hesitation.
“Would you have liked us to leave you at the nearest seaport, Manfred Heinz?” I asked and waited for him to react. Ireland would have been the closest land, as he well knew.
Heinz sniffed the liquid in his glass. Satisfied that it was water and nothing more, he took a swig. His men followed suit.
Only Jack and I knew which water each man drank. Rusty continued to take tug after tug of his whiskey.
“Why us? He asked, coming up for air. “Why are we the lucky ones- the ones you decided to rescue?”
“What would have been your fate if we had not appeared, Russell?” I asked calmly.
His eyes reflected understanding as to his previous future.
I nodded. “Yes, Mr. Brackenridge, you and the men beside you would be dead. Amazing how you humans suddenly find understanding when faced with your own mortality.”
“You mean you are not human?” the captain asked in surprise.
I smiled deviously. “We were once like you, but we have…evolved- we have made ourselves better. We seek to improve our race and not destroy it.”
“So we are part of your race?”
“Only because this pathetic planet resides in the same universe, yes. Outside of that, you are very primitive. You will only reach equality among the neighboring stars after much more individual development.”
If they only knew how much development it would take, I thought!
Another bottle of whiskey floated into the room and placed itself in front of Russell. The empty hovered off the table then floated out. Brackenridge wasted no time opening the new bottle!
“You might want to go easy on the liquor, Mr. Brackenridge, some people, those of certain species, find time travel physically and mentally altering. I have witnessed many of these arbitrary changes- some being deadly.” I warned.
As he sat the bottle down, U103’s first mate snatched the bottle and gulped the remainder of its contents- almost full- down!
If I had seen things right, he would wander away from us and fall asleep just off the beach. She would awaken to her new life around midnight.
“Admiral, we have arrived at the island and will be fully docked in ten minutes.” Jack announced again appearing at the doorway.
“Thank you, Miss Cummins that will be all.” Admiral Demmit responded.
“Mr. Brackenridge?” Jack smiled brightly. “I hope the whiskey helped warm you up. Let me know if you need something more warming.”
My first officer disappeared from view as she headed back to the Con.
‘What is wrong with you, Jack?’ I thought to her. I was amazed that she was actually flirting with him.
Amazed, but not surprised.
‘That’s what you wanted me to do, right? I mean, when you were laying out the plan, you were thinking that I should seduce him…keep him interested in me and not what was happening to the others, well that’s what I’m doing.’
‘I’m going to have to be more careful and not think about how the future will pan out next time I lay out a plan.’ I thought to myself.
‘What kind of a first officer would I be if I didn’t anticipate my commander’s actions? Besides, he is kind of handsome…not that I’m…not that I’m interested!’
If it were possible to see Jack blush telepathically, I couldn’t see a better opportunity. I giggled.
“Gentlemen, if y’all would behave yourselves and accompany the Admiral and I topside?” I motioned for them to follow me out of the room.
“But it has to be all of ten degrees out there! Where are our coats?” Captain Heinz asked excitedly.
“Unfortunately, we have no resources onboard to effectively dry them, but I think y’all will find that the weather has changed for the better.” I winked as I backed into the passageway and headed for the Con. I waited at the bridge ladder for our guests.
“This is impossible!” Heinz and each of his men in turn gasped as they exited Sand Dollar’s bridge hatch and looked around.
We were docked at Kili Island. It was a wonderful, sunny, ninety degrees with a pleasant breeze blowing onto shore- not bad for high noon. That wasn’t the only pleasant feeling I got.
1215 hours, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, July 10th, 2029
“Welcome to our island.” I announced to our guests. “For reasons of security, I cannot tell you exactly where we are- you understand.”
“From the inclination of the sun I presume we are somewhere near the equator. The local fauna and composition of the beach would indicate the Pacific region.”
“An avid geographer and climatologist, Herr Meyer?” I asked as I stopped to look back at U103’s navigator. The five-foot-nine, brown-haired, twenty-three year-old smiled confidently.
“If we were still on Earth you would be quite correct.” I added.
His smile disappeared from his face immediately!
“You see, gentlemen, we have the ability to go anywhere or time in the known universes. We could be on Earth, only in a different universe.” I said matter-of-factly.
“You mean we are still on Earth then? I was not errant in my assumption, Frauline?”
“I never confirmed that, Hans. And I am to be referred to as ‘Empress’ until informed otherwise! Is that understood, Hans Christian Meyer, third son of Deter and Elsa Meyer of Lepzieg?”
“How do you know so much about him- or any of us for that matter?” Capt. Heinz asked in anger.
“Manfred, we know more about you than y’all know about yourselves.” I paused, turned, and began walking along the beach a few paces. I stopped and turned back toward our guests.
“In fact, I even know that you are planning your escape at this very minute. A plan that Miss Cummins will see fit to quell in an instant.”
“How can a woman who is nowhere near possibly thwart any escape attempt?” The Captain asked just before freezing in place, his eyes widening in fright. Apparently Jack was having a word with him. He obviously didn’t notice he was floating two feet off the ground either! His crewmates though, watched in terror as he hovered before them.
He settled gently to the ground, apparently not even noticing!
Russell Brackenridge looked on in amazement, remaining silent.
“Accepting of all this so soon, Seaman Brackenridge?” I asked with a raised brow.
“Commander Cummins informed me to keep my mouth closed and to ‘observe the proceedings’.” He replied sheepishly.
“Wise advice.” I smiled back at him. “Admiral Demmit, please eject the magazine of your firearm.” I asked as I held out my hand and waited patiently. Once in my hand, I again turned and continued down the beach. U103’s first officer was starting to get droopy-eyed and began lagging behind.
Not a bad ploy if it had been one minute earlier.
From the scuffle behind me, I knew that Admiral Demmit had been skillfully relieved of his pistol and that U103’s captain was now taking careful aim between my shoulder blades!
“Capt. Heinz, you can try…”
A shoot rang out as I phased out and quickly rephased.
“To kill me, but I should warn you, that is no easy endeavor.”
Heinz kept pulling on the trigger in desperation until Admiral Demmit calmly held out his hand and retook possession of his sidearm.
Phasing out once more, I hurried behind U103’s flabbergasted captain and rephased.
“Do not trifle with me, Capt. Heinz, and do not try my patience! Is that clear?” I told him angrily as I waved the pistol’s magazine in his terrified face.
Phasing, I quickly returned to my position in front of our guests.
“I heard no response, captain! Do we understand each other?” I growled.
All eleven guests stared at me in sheer terror!
“Shall we keep walking, gentlemen?” I motioned in front of me as if nothing had happened.
“Heinrich! Where has Heinrich gone?” One of the men shouted in concern.
“Heinrich Wolmacher has contracted ‘Temporal Flu’ He has started to undergo…” I paused dramatically, “re-alignment. There is nothing more to be done for him now. Gentlemen, please, come this way.” I informed them sadly.
“He is to die then- after being assured of a second chance, Empress?”
Heinz exclaimed.
“Captain, your first officer is not going to die, he is going to change to fit his new reality, as will more of you in the coming days.” I forewarned using an ominous tone.
“What do you mean he will change to fit his new reality?”
“At first you will not recognize him, Mr. Heinz. That is what I mean.” I said back to him as I turned right and headed inland up a well groomed path to Reilly Research Station.”There will come a time when you will not recognize yourself.” I added mysteriously.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Brackenridge asked intently.
“Rusty, I’d continue to keep my mouth shut if I were you.” Uncle Rick told the man. “Unless you want the Empress to show you personally.”
“So how do I know you, Admiral? Why do you talk as if so familiar with me?”
“You’ll find out soon enough, my friend. For now, be patient and remain observant.” Uncle Rick suggested.
“RVP?” I called as we neared Reilly’s finicky airlock.
“Welcome Empress. I have been monitoring you and Sand Dollar since your appearance earlier today. I suspect you already know the day, year, and time?” RVP greeted.
“You know me all too well, RVP. We wish to enter the station.”
“Access granted, Empress. Welcome home.” She acknowledged.
“Gentlemen, if you would please follow me.” I requested as the outer airlock hatch unlocked and opened itself.
“RVP, is my daughter, Alexis, here yet?” I asked as soon as Uncle Rick and Brackenridge were in the corridor and the inner hatch was secured.
“The future Empress dropped her off an hour and forty-five minutes ago, Empress. She is waiting for you in the Recreation Room on level two.”
“Thank you, RVP.”
We began walking down the passage when I remembered something.
“RVP, continue monitoring the human male left near the beach. He was entering his Mahanilui and may be dangerous upon waking.” I told the A.I. in the station’s native tongue.
“What did you just say? I didn’t recognize the language.” The captain asked as we proceeded to the Rec. Room.
“I told the Station’s A.I. not to attack your first officer, captain, but to admit him on his arrival to the airlock.”
“What is an A.I., Empress?”
“Someone else who should not be trifled with, Herr Heinz.” I warned.
“Alexis, you arrived early.” I greeted my daughter as we entered the recreation room. She rose from the table where she had been enjoying a bluish tinted drink and approached me.
“Mother Empress. It is nice to see you. I trust your latest mission has been fruitful?” She asked as we cheerfully embraced.
“It was, Alexis, and how are things at home?”
“Father sends his request that you come join him for a few cycles soon. He has been very moody since your last departure.” Alexis pushed back from me. “Are they the ones, mother?” She tilted her head slightly to our guests.
I nodded.
“Gentlemen,” I said as I turned to my guests. “This is my daughter, Princess Alexis, first born daughter to Tibius, Grand High Counsel of Citadel, Terra.” I announced using the shortened, much-abbreviated form of the Terran greeting protocol.
“Gentlemen.” Alexis bowed courteously. “On behalf of my father, I welcome you to Reilly Research Station. Please make yourselves at home. If you have any special need, ask one of us or RVP.”
“Uncle Rick!” Alexis cried as she hurried over and wrapped her arms around him, totally breaking any and all Terran protocols!
“I’ve missed you too, sweetheart!” He said returning the affection.
Now our guests were completely befuddled!
“You are his niece as well as Empress?” Brackenridge asked in total bewilderment.
I looked at him and shrugged my shoulders. “Hey, someone has to be.”
“Where is ‘Terra’, frauline? I have not heard of that country.” Capt. Heinz asked cautiously.
Alexis released her hold on her uncle and moved to face our bold German guest.
“If you were to face due south, Mr. Heinz…” She carefully turned the bewildered man about ten degrees port. “Then point at a thirty-three degree angle up from the horizon, travel in that direction about one hundred and eight light-years, you would arrive at our planet, Terra.”
She giggled at the expression that flashed to his face.
Heinz said nothing for several minutes- just enough time for Alexis to join me at my side. Together Alexis and I- as well as Uncle Rick, watched in amusement.
“RVP, do you stock anything that might resemble good German Schnapps?”
“That spirit is on file and available from the distribution device four meters to your right, Capt. Heinz.”
The Captain looked completely confused.
“She says the machine you order food or drink from is four meters to your right- on the wall over there.” I translated and pointed.
In the course of two minutes we watched him down half a dozen shot glasses of the stuff!
“Did that make things better, Captain?” I asked as he returned to the group. Four of his men hurried over to the food synthesizer and followed their captain’s lead.
“It might just, yes!”
‘Jack,’ I thought, ‘liberty for all hands tonight. We leave at 1400hrs tomorrow.’
‘Aye, Cap. I’ll spread the word.’
I then turned to my daughter.
‘Honey, do you think you can handle them after their Mahanilui?’ I thought to her, my eyes the only physical indication of my concern.
‘Only the one we rename Honi will cause problems, mother. That is why I brought along father.’
Her expression changed slightly to one of intrigue.
‘You don’t look shocked by that disclosure, mother, why?’ She questioned.
‘I felt him as soon as we arrived, hun.’ I thought to her. ‘He’s waiting for me in my quarters.’ I thought and then looked to the ceiling.
‘Tibius, I’m sorry, but we have work to do and I’m not at liberty to play yet.’
‘That is unfortunate, my love. I had such a night planned for us, but will arrive in your presence momentarily.’ The sad male voice acknowledged in my mind.
‘How can you do that, mother?’ Alexis thought to me in amazement.
‘Do what?’
‘Deny him as much as you do? He can be a very persuasive man, yet you resist without effort. How do you do it?’
‘Believe me, hun, it’s harder than it looks. You forget though, that I understand how men think. Be they from Earth, Terra, the Homeworld, or any other civilized system, men basically all think the same way- they act basically the same way. I was no different before my Mahanilui.’
‘But Alexander Steinert and Aunt Emily did not behave in such a way- I have seen her memories. How were you two so different, mother?’
‘I never said I wasn’t any different, hun. Your aunt just remembers her side of things and only her perception of my feelings. There is a difference.’
‘After all these years you still manage to baffle me, mother!’
‘I’ve heard it is a parent’s responsibility to keep their children guessing, honey.’
‘You excel at that, Empress!’ She thought and physically giggled, unable to restrain herself any longer.
“Having a good conversation, you two?” Uncle Rick asked, seeing our break in concentration.
A trumpet fanfare blared from the loudspeakers around the large room!
“All hail Tibius, Grand High Counsel of Citadel, Terra!” Randi’s voice announced followed by another, shorter fanfare.
Tibius appeared in the open doorway to the Rec. Room. He rolled his eyes and looked to the ceiling before clearing the annoyed look from his face for a more unbiased one.
“I see Miss Van Pelt is quite the humorist, Empress.” He said as he entered the room. “I half expected extravagant pyrotechnics preceding a medieval jousting tournament.”
“Don’t dare her, sire, it will only spur her on.” I laughed.
Whereas Alexis was dressed in her long golden, Terran style, sheath dress, Tibius wore his version of our Reilly suit but with golden epaulets and a single golden shoulder cord on his right side. On his left breast pocket were displayed many campaign ribbons and two golden medals.
I remembered seeing this outfit at a planet-wide business conference on Terra when Alexis was an infant. She had been one Terran year, or eighteen Earth months, old at the time.
“Lord Admiral Richard, it is a pleasure to see you again. I trust your strategies still serve you well?”
“They do, M’lord. We have made great strides forward to restoring the peace.” Uncle Rick said, playing along.
My congratulations on your success thus far, sir.”
“Thank you, M’lord.” The old man smiled and bowed slightly.
Emily arrived just in time to raise an eyebrow to the ‘royal’ spectacle.
“My Lord, Tibius, how good to see you again.” She greeted him pleasantly.
“Lady Physician. It is good to see you also, my dear Lady Emily.”
Eleven forgotten men stared on in silence.
Almost.
“Well, isn’t that just par for the damn course- the leadership’s all related?” Russell Brackenridge burst forth!
We all stopped as the visibly drunken man made another proclamation.
“Isn’t that typical of any government that controls its military? Everyone is related! Doesn’t matter how much actual command experience a body has, just so’s he’s related!”
Brackenridge’s eyes then rolled up into his head and he crumpled to the floor like a rag doll!
Our ten other guests immediately took more than a few steps back from him in horror!
Uncle Rick looked horrified as he looked over to me quickly.
I shook my head slightly and his expression reverted.
“Does he have it? Does he have the Temporal Flu?” Hans Meyer exclaimed as he stared down at the motionless man that was next to him.
Tibius looked at me and almost cracked a smile.
Emily immediately attended the fallen man and felt for a pulse.
“No, he just can’t hold his liquor. He’s out cold.”
“Rusty never was a big drinker.” Admiral Demmit laughed.
Russell began to rise off the floor and proceeded to float out of the room- right past Jack standing in the doorway.
“I’ll see that he gets to his quarters, Admiral, Empress.” She said with a giggle.
“That and nothing more, Miss Cummins.” I reminded her with a giggle of my own.
Jack gave me a questioning nod.
“Gentlemen, Mr. Brackenridge will be fine, he just had a little too much to drink. Please, make yourselves at home. We have plenty of entertainment here in our recreational room. We have board games, video games, television, holographic movies, even a wide range of music from all over the known universes.”
The rest of Sand Dollar’s crew began to arrive. Some immediately ordered food from the food stations; others found seats at the various games or gaming tables around the large room.
“Once again, gentlemen, if you have any questions or concerns about anything in this room just ask one of us.” I said loudly over the higher noise level of the room.
The ten Germans made no move or even flinched!
“A word of advice, gentlemen. My crew is highly trained and all possess abilities similar to Miss Cummins and me. I would not risk physical harm by employing your male charms.”
Scotty materialized in front of Mr. Meyer. For some unknown reason ‘Cleanup in aisle six!’ popped into my head! My future self did have some rather unusual expressions!
“I don’t like the way this one is looking at you, Empress! He’s going to be trouble!” She said loud enough that half the room heard her.
“Gentlemen, this is my head of security, Sandra Williams. She has been watching you since your rescue.” I smiled deviously. “You don’t want to get on her bad side either, guys.”
Scotty faded out again while glaring and pointing at Hans Meyer specifically.
“To use an ancient Earth term, ‘don’t piss her off!’”
Meyer’s eyes immediately shot to Tibius! Apparently, he was demonstrating one of his Terran gifts to the man.
2203 hours, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, July 10th, 2029
“Alex, Russell is awake. He’s got one helluva headache too!” Jack caught my attention.
I had been lucky enough to be asked to instruct Capt. Heinz on Reilly’s holographic game system. Before being interrupted, I had been ruthless in the futuristic, first person shooter!
“Capt. Heinz, if you will excuse me, I must check on Mr. Brackenridge. I’m sure Miss Van Pelt will happily take my place.” I told him as Randi walked past. The gleam in her eyes was positively spectacular as I handed her my controller.
Jack and I found Uncle Rick in conversation with Tibius at the far corner of the room. I had made it a point to keep my distance preferring to not lose my virginity to him before I actually lost my virginity to him. Crazy as it sounded, it made perfect sense if used in conjunction with the Empress and her version of temporal flow!
“Before opening the door, are you sure you want to do this, sir?” I asked Uncle Rick as he, Jack, and I arrived outside of Brackenridge’s guest quarters.
“I feel it only right he knows who and what we are, Alex. Rusty and I were the best of friends on and before the Davis incident.”
I nodded to Jack, satisfied that we should go ahead as planned.
“RVP, may we enter Mr. Brackenridges’ room?”
“Access granted, Empress. Internal scans indicate increased activity of neural pain receptors in the cranial region. Limited volume is suggested.”
“Thanks, hun, I know how a hangover feels.”
The door slid open to reveal Russell Brackenridge staring intently at the floor, watching in curiosity as it slowly absorbed the discarded contents of his stomach.
“I’m sorry, Empress, Admiral. I guess I had way too much to drink. I’m also sorry if I mouthed off- it’s really out of character for me.” He moaned, his hands never leaving his temples.
“You never could handle you whiskey, Rusty, even that night we celebrated your twenty-first.” Uncle Rick laughed quietly.
“What? What did you just say?”
“It’s me, Rusty- Ricky Demmit. Sorry I look so old, but it took me some time to find a way to save you.”
“You’re not Ricky Demmit. Rick was a year younger than me. You have to be in your sixties at least!”
“And there I thought you were smart, Mr. Brackenridge! If you accept that we are indeed in 2029, then you must accept that people from the future can travel back to your initial time period for such a recovery mission.” I reasoned to him.
“It is me, Rusty! And I’m not in my sixties! I just turned forty-five in May.” The old man growled.
I was almost as old as the Admiral now, I thought in surprise.
“I’m sorry, Admiral, I didn’t know we had passed your birthday. Grandmother didn’t tell Emily and I that important fact. The girls and I would have popped in with a birthday cake if we’d known!”
“It’s okay, Alex, I don’t like to celebrate those things. I know I’m getting old, but I refuse to count the years till my demise.”
“You know you wouldn’t have to count if…”
“Alex! That option has never been on the table for consideration!” He snapped at me.
Our guest looked on, but remained silent during our exchange.
“Which May?” He asked just above a whisper.
“What May…oh…16 May, 1944.”
“You aren’t from this time either?” He looked at Uncle Rick, astonished.
“No, Rusty, Alex and her crew are also from 1944. Sand Dollar was just commissioned in April of that year.” He paused a moment. “Being related to the Empress of Time and Space does have its perks!” He chuckled.
“This is hell, right? I mean, I’ve drown to death and this is my punishment for kissing Maggie Stuart against her father’s wishes that afternoon behind Lieghtner’s Dry Goods! How can I make things right? Please tell me?”
“Ya’ll ain’t dead, Rusty Brackenridge- far from it as a matter of fact.” I informed him. “Quite the opposite’s true. Because of your friend’s urging, you have been granted a second chance at life.” I smiled.
“How can I believe any of this?” He waved his arm around the room. “In my wildest dreams, I couldn’t imagine a place like this…with people like you…with your powers…here!”
“Would you care for a demonstration, hun?” I looked at him in as serious a look as possible. “Just pick any year up to 3013AD…and I’ll take y’all there.” I said with a little hesitation.
My pause was enough to allow me to observe Jack and Uncle Rick’s reaction.
“Why just until 3013, if I may ask?”
My face went ashen. “I don’t exist after that.” I replied sheepishly.
“Oh…I’m sorry, ma’am.” Brackenridge replied solemnly.
“Before you ask, Mr. Brackenridge, my gift allows me to see the future and to evaluate different scenarios to assure its proper flow; because of it, I HAVE seen my own death, or at least one version of it.”
“Alex, I would have never known! I’m so sorry, dear, I…”
“It’s too far off to worry about, Uncle Rick. Let’s just keep with the present?” I wiped a stray tear from my eye. How or when it appeared, I missed completely.
“So, Russell, when and where do you want to go?”
“Could I visit my parents? They must have been crushed by my disappearance!” He asked, his face appearing hopeful.
Although knowing what his destination would be, I still felt despair at the answer.
“That is the one place and time I cannot take you.” I answered after looking to the floor. “Your friends and family must continue to believe that Russell Brackenridge is dead, I’m sorry, but that fact must stay true. If you were to return home as if nothing happened, history would forever change- as would the course it would then take.” I decided to explain myself as I looked at his sullen face.
“Russell, there exist certain points in time, most times not the points you would consider important- usually miniscule, random events- quirks, really- that define and steer coming events so the time line can progress normally. If one of these waypoints, as I call them, change, what we call reality will immediately split off and become another reality or dimension entirely. This tangent then becomes the new default timeline, complete with an entirely new future- a future, I might mention, that may or may not include the Empress of Time and Space. It is called a paradox.”
I paused to see if he was following me. A glimmer of understanding met my eyes so I reiterated.
“If reality suddenly jumps to a new reality that does not contain the person that caused the jump…me, how could it have jumped there in the first place? Would it then continue, or would it collapse taking the known universes with it? I, personally, do not want to find out.”
“I don’t know if it’s the hangover or that crazy explanation, but I need to get drunk again! My head is killing me!” He shook his head several times. “So, if I don’t want to mess up the future, I can’t see my parents…”
“I know how difficult temporal mechanics can be to understand, Russell, I don’t completely understand it yet myself, but if you were to suddenly appear at your parents’ house…” I paused, “It would be bad, Mr. Brackenridge! You have to trust me on that. Though I never said you couldn’t SEE them. They just couldn’t be allowed to see you.”
The man’s mouth dropped open.
“Take my hand, Russell, it will all become clear to you.” I said holding out my hand to him.
After a few long minutes he carefully touched, then took my hand.
I immediately phased out.
“No matter what you think, you are perfectly safe, Russell. Please don’t release my hand.” I told him as I slowly moved us toward the hallway.
We walked through Jack and through the room’s wall into the passage beyond. His grip tightened significantly!
My gift allows me to observe reality, but remain slightly out of phase with it. Anyone or anything in contact with me likewise remains out of phase also. While in this condition we can see and hear what transpires, but cannot physically interact with anyone here. As you have witnessed firsthand we can literally walk through anything.
As we stood in the hallway, I rephased us and touched his room’s door access panel to open it. Jack nodded to me as we reentered.
“So do you still want to visit your parents, Russell? Remember, if that is your choice, you must retain my hand and not let go. You must not interact with anyone in that time period else risk terminating your and possibly my existence. Is this your choice of destinations, Russell Brackenridge?” I asked seriously.
“I want to make sure they are alright, Empress- that they have moved on and don’t still mourn my loss! Yes, Empress, I wish to see my parents!” He said with determination.
“And your younger sisters?” I added.
“So you knew already?”
“Part of the job, Russell. Take my hand and we will be on our way.”
Russell’s room in Reilly became a nondescript living room in a nondescript house. It’s furnishings and decorations indicated that it was near Christmas early in the twentieth century.
“This is my house!”
“December of 1918- the eighteenth, I believe.” I acknowledged.
We immediately heard voices coming from the rear of the house. A male voice and three female voices were involved in some sparse conversation. Metal could be heard randomly contacting some sort of ceramic. The home’s occupants were eating a meal. Quickly glancing out a nearby window and seeing darkness outside, I concluded that it must be dinner.
With a slight pull on my companion’s hand, we began walking back toward the voices.
“So how were things at work today, honey?” Rusty’s mother asked of her husband.
“The usual…just the usual.” He answered; a definite sadness was evident in his voice. He continued to slowly, unceremoniously shovel food into his mouth.
“Mother, what are we going to do about Christmas this year?” One of Russell’s sisters, the youngest I believe, asked; her voice also sounded terribly sad.
“The same thing we do every Christmas, Anna, why?”
“It won’t be the same. It’ll never be the same again, mother.” She said sadly.
“No it won’t, sweetie, but we have to move on. I know it’s been hard these many months; we just have to carry on with our own lives as best we can. We’ll just keep him in our prayers.”
“How can we do that without ‘him’, mom?” His other sister asked.
“We just do, Mary! Russ knew the risks when he enlisted! Can we please finish a dinner without this turning into another emotional discussion?” His father growled. He quickly wiped away a tear before his family could see it.
“Your father is right, girls. It’s been nearly seven months now. We should be over it by now.”
“That is so cruel, mother! How could you be so cold- both of you? He was your son!” Mary cried.
Tears openly rolled down their mother’s, as well as both girls’ cheeks.
I looked over to Russell and watched tears roll down his face as well.
“It is so very hard to lose someone you love.” I said to him as the dinner table before us went silent, save for the sounds of utensil on plate.
“How would you know anything about that, ma’am?” He asked slightly agitated by my statement.
“Russell, I didn’t always have my gifts.” I informed him. “Before I became the Empress, I had lost my brother in a surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii- December 7th, 1941. I tried for two years to get there to help recover his body or anything I could find of his! At every requested transfer I was reassigned elsewhere.” I said as I thought about that distant memory from a different reality. My vision became slightly distorted as my eyes began to tear up.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I would have thought you would rescue him after you became Empress.”
“I did, Russell, but the memories, though faded, are still here.” I pointed to my head.
“So everything is better now, right? You have your brother back. You rescued him like you rescued me?”
“That wasn’t the only loved one lost to me.” I admitted wiping both eyes with my free hand. “Imagine having to tell someone that you have revered since childhood- your quintessential role model- that he had to die in order to maintain the timeline!” I cried outright at that memory! My companion looked on as I fought to control myself.
“I had to do just that with Abraham Lincoln only a month ago! It not only broke, but tore out my heart to have to do it, but I had to accomplish the task assigned me or risk the lives of billions of Americans- alive or yet to be!”
Brackenridge remained quiet a minute or so, just staring at me with a sickened look on his face.
“Nothing is certain in our lives, Russell Brackenridge- not even mine, as odd as that seems given my gift. Things must happen in a certain time- a certain sequence- or colossal problems can result. It has fallen to me and my sisters to make sure things happen when and where they are suppose to. This,” I gestured to the sullen family in front of us, “is the part of my job I despise most!” I sniffed.
“Mother, do you think they will ever find him?”
Anna’s question turned our attention back to his family.
“The ocean is a big place, Anna- there is always a chance. The Lord works in mysterious ways.” Mrs. Brackenridge answered her daughter as upbeat as possible.
“But Ricky Demmit told me he would find Rusty come hell or high water!”
“Watch your language, Anna! A girl’s mouth shouldn’t be so foul!” Mr. Brackenridge growled, quickly wiping another tear from his eye.
“But that’s what he said!”
“We know, sweetie, and Richard will do everything he can to find your brother.” Her mother assured.
“As you have just found out, Russell, he never forgot. He spent nearly a whole day in Reilly’s historical archives searching for some small thread of information as to your whereabouts. Uncle Rick is a loyal friend who went to great lengths to keep his promise to your family. He did everything he could possibly do to find a way to save his friend- including breaking the rules!”
“Breaking the rules? I don’t understand. What rules?”
“In searching the files stored in Reilly’s extensive archive for you, Richard Demmit stumbled upon his own obituary. He now knows the exact year, date, and time he will pass beyond this dimension into the next. No one should ever know that specific information.”
“But you know when you’ll die. You said so earlier- back on the island!”
“It was an accidental discovery, Mr. Brackenridge. When I first became the Empress, I had to learn to use my gift- to develop it as you would math, reading, or writing. I inadvertently asked the question: ‘How long will I live- when will I die?’ My gift gave me the answer despite my question’s intended innocence.”
“Mom, will the hurt ever go away?” Mary asked, interrupting our conversation.
“It will never completely go away, sweetie. It does fade to something manageable after a time, though.”
“Like with Grandmother?”
“Just like that, sweetie, now finish your plate. You have school work to finish.”
“Would it be possible to visit another time- further in the future?” Brackenridge pleaded.
The room stayed the same but the people in it were now older. Instead of three women and one man, only two women now sat at the table. Russell’s sister had grown up and was now a beautiful woman in her late teens.
Mrs. Brackenridge looked like the last six years had not been especially kind. Her hair, almost completely white now, only added to her true age and the darkened skin around her eyes indicated many a tearful, sleepless night.
“Mother, if it’s okay with you and Father, I’d like to place this photograph of Rusty in front of the pews on our side of the church next Saturday.” She carefully removed a tattered photograph from her handbag and gently placed it on the table before her mother. “In that way, the whole family would be together again for my wedding.”
Russell’s ma repositioned the picture so she could look at it properly. Tears immediately began flowing from her eyes!
“Where did you get this, Anna?” She cried softly between gentle sobs.
“Rick Demmit gave it to me shortly after he returned from Europe. He said he found it in his things while repacking for Annapolis.”
“I think Rusty would want to see his little sister moving forward and starting a family of her own.” A mature Anna reasoned while laying her hand on her mother’s to comfort her.
It took a few long moments for Mrs. Brackenridge to compose herself.
“I think that’s a wonderful gesture, Anna! I’m sure your father and Father James would have no problem with it.” Russell’s ma replied. For the first time in our visit to this house there was excitement in the two women’s’ voices.
“Anna is getting married? My baby sister is all grown up?” Russell looked at me in amazement.
“It does happen you know. Not even the Empress can stop the march of time.” I looked at him and smiled sadly. “This is 1924, Russell. Anna is eighteen and ready to be on her own. She will face many challenges in the upcoming years that would have been insurmountable had she not learned how to handle extreme heartache. In a macabre way, you helped the rest of your family cope with the tragedies life unceremoniously deals out.”
“Will her and Mary be okay, Empress?”
“To answer that we need to wait here just a bit longer, Mr. Brackenridge.”
The sound of a door slamming made us both turn toward the living room and foyer. As we did so a screaming child of three or four ran straight through us.
“Gramma! An’ Annie! Hi!” The boy shrieked, only stopping as Russell’s ma caught him and snatched him off the floor! The young boy tried to strangle his grandmother’s neck.
“He couldn’t wait for us to get here, Mom. I thought the police would stop me for stealing someone else’s kid!” A woman in her early twenties walked through us. Mary hugged her sister then her mother as the squirming ball of energy was passed from grandmother to aunt.
After trying to strangle his aunt, the boy pointed to the table. “Who’s that mommy?”
“Mary has a son? She got married?”
I nodded.
“Who’s who, Rusty?” Mary asked her young son.
“She named him after me?”
I nodded a second time.
“The man in the photogaf, mommy!” The young boy again pointed at the aged picture on the table.
“Geez, sis, where’d ya find that? I haven’t seen it in years!”
“Anna asked if she could take it to the church- place it on the brides side in front of the pews.” Mrs. Brackenridge replied.
“I think that’s a super idea, Annie. Rusty would think so too.” Her voice quivered slightly as she gave her approval.
“They never forgot you either, Russ. Six years later they still love and hold hope for you.” I sniffed.
“Can…can we leave now, I’ve seen enough.” He whispered.
“We’ll go back to Reilly now, but I’ve got one more place for y’all to see.” I told him.
The Brackenridge dining room became the hallway just outside Russell’s quarters in Reilly.
“Welcome back, Empress.” Jack greeted as I released my hold of Brackenridge’s hand.
He immediately walked over to Uncle Rick.
“I want to thank you, Rick. Thank you for everything! I owe you big for saving my life.” He said as the two men shook hands.
“I never go back on my word, Rusty- even if you weren’t there to actually hear me give it.” Uncle Rick paused. “You owe me nothing, pal.”
“Is it ready, Jack?” I asked while the two men shook hands.
“In the closet, Alex, just as you requested.”
“Thanks.”
“Alex?”
“Ya, Jack?”
“Alex, will he be okay…where you take him next?”
“He’ll be distraught as expected, but should recover enough to make his decision, Jack. I wouldn’t worry about it.” I assured her.
“Mr. Brackenridge, for our next and final stop, I request that you redress in the garment and shoes in your closet, please.” I asked pointing to the plain wall to our left.
He and Uncle Rick dropped hands and looked at me in confusion. Again I motioned to the blank wall.
“What closet, Empress?”
“Just approach the wall and it will open automatically.” I paused a moment. “Russell, my given name is Alexandra. You should call me Alex though.”
Jack and Uncle Rick suddenly stared at me in their own confusion!
I continued to watch Brackenridge, who jumped slightly when the closet door appeared and opened in front of him. The Reilly suit matched our own suits in every detail but personal control. I would issue it commands for now.
“But I’m not a member of your crew, Empress. Rick, I can’t wear this, I don’t belong.” He protested.
“Buddy, it’s been my experience that when Alex tells you something, you don’t ask why, you just do it. She must have your best interests in mind if she has revealed her name and allowed use of our equipment!”
“I haven’t done anything to prove myself worthy, though!”
“Just put the damn uniform on, Rusty!” Admiral Demmit growled.
“Aye, sir!” Brackenridge automatically stood straight as he answered.
Uncle Rick, Jack, and I began to leave so Russell could change.
“Oh!” I suddenly said, stopping mid stride. “The suit utilizes the same technology as this station so don’t retain your civvies. It’ll be strange at first, but y’all will get use to it.” I smiled and continued into the corridor. “We’ll be waiting out here so don’t take all day, hun.”
“I feel ridiculous in this!” Brackenridge complained as he exited his quarters. “How do you keep them from squeezing…” He suddenly turned red with embarrassment and looked at Uncle Rick.
“You get used to it, buddy. Are you ready to go with Alex?”
“If I have too.” He answered begrudgingly.
“First we need to change our uniforms.” I told him.
“But I just changed into these!” He exclaimed in frustration.
“OakridgeEmpress8716, Activate.” I said as I touched his Reilly suit.
Brackenridge jumped about six inches as his suit’s HUD came to life mentally before his eyes!
“What the hell is that?” He exclaimed looking around the corridor, frantically searching for its source.
Placing my hand back on his shoulder, I selected the ‘autosizing’ feature then the modern Naval officer’s uniform for 1981 and commanded both our Reilly suits to change. I remembered at the last minute to stand on my tiptoes so the regulation heels wouldn’t interfere with my balance.
I thought Russell would pass out!
“How…?” He gasped out.
“It’s the latest technology, hun. Are you really that surprised by it?” I asked with a giggle.
He didn’t answer.
“They come in handy for time travel, Russell- like when we recently traveled back to 1865…” I took a few steps away from everyone and selected my favorite- emphasis on sarcasm- circus tent. I quickly exhaled while staying on my tiptoes.
In a matter of seconds I was the picture of a Federal Belle!
Brackenridge’s eyes bulged!
I quickly changed back to my modern Navy Whites. Despite the knee-length skirt and the silly cover hanging from it, that wasn’t too bad, though I preferred my normal officer’s cover better.
“Ready?” I asked.
“Can I do that?” He asked.
“Sorry, hun, but you wouldn’t look right in one of those things.” Jack and I giggled as he and Uncle Rick stared at me.
“Well I thought it was funny.” I shook my head a few times. “Take my hand, Russell.”
“Alex?” Jack caught my attention and pointed to my head. “It’s not regulation, Captain.”
Reaching up I snagged my tiara from under my regulation cover and removed it from my head.
“I keep forgetting I have it on.” I smiled nervously as I handed it to her.
“This isn’t going to blow up on me is it?” She asked nervously.
“Nope, it’s turned off, but keep Randi away from it. The tiara doesn’t like to lose to her at chess.” I giggled and carefully placed the ultra-feminine regulation cover on my head. Motioning to Russell’s hip, I gestured for him to put his cover under his arm.
I offered Russell my hand. He took it right away this time.
Reilly’s hallway became a sterile white-walled, grey-floored, hospital corridor.
“Where are we, Empress?”
“My name is Alex, hun!” I glared at him to emphasize my statement. “This is 1981. Bridgeport Memorial Hospital, Bridgeport, Connecticut.” I answered concisely.
“Why are we here, Emp…Alex?”
“To visit someone, of course!” I replied flatly.
“Who?”
“To find that out you have to follow me.” I answered and looked around us. The room to our right was empty so I walked us into it and rephased.
“I rephased us, Russell. We can interact with the people of this time now, so no mention of the Empress or your real sir name- got it?”
“Aye…” He looked at my rank and name plate. “Aye, Commander Fleming.” He replied with some hesitation.
“Alex? Why does my nameplate say ‘Scott’ and why am I now a Lieutenant?” He asked after a short delay.
“Ruth Demmit’s married name is Scott, Russell. You are Admiral Demmit’s nephew today. I am your liaison and family friend. For today, I’m Cmdr. Allison Fleming.”
“Is that your real last name, Alex?”
“It will be in about four years.” I winked and motioned for him to follow me into the hallway.
“Hi! We’re lookin’ fer Mrs. Vogel’s room? She’s a patient here isn’t she?” I asked at the nearest nurse’s station.
Russell looked at me in concern.
“Are you relatives…Commander?” The older nurse at the station asked with a dour expression. She seemed to be surprised by my appearance and appraised me critically.
“Lieutenant Scott here is Admiral Richard Demmit’s nephew and served with her grandson Russell, ma’am.” I answered politely. “I’m his liaison officer during his leave and also a niece of the Admiral’s. Allison Fleming, ma’am.” I explained, introduced myself, and offered my hand.
“Mrs. Vogel’s son was just in with her a few minutes ago; he should be back if you’d like to wait?” She said glaring at me with contempt. I got the distinct feeling she recognized me.
Pleasant woman.
“I’m afraid the Admiral was only able to release Lt. Scott on a two day pass, ma’am. We hurried here to see Mrs. Vogel then we have a two-hour ride to Westchester so he can see his sister get married tomorrow afternoon. We really can’t stay here too long, ma’am.”
“Mrs. Vogel isn’t doing so well, lieutenant, I doubt she will even know that you came to visit. You really should wait for her son to come back.”
“Do you know exactly when he’ll return, ma’am?” I asked, looking directly into her eyes.
“No, I don’t, but you really should wait.”
“Ma’am, if I don’t get Lt. Scott to his sister’s wedding rehearsal tonight, family or no family, Admiral Demmit’ll have my clusters! Do you know how hard I’ve had to work for these? A woman has to work doubly hard to attain this rank than her male counterparts- even in this day and age! Can’t we just go in, say hello and leave?” I complained.
“Just a few miniutes then, Commander Fleming.” She responded apprehensively.
“Thank you, ma’am. We promise to be quick and quiet. You won’t even hear us leave.”
“Room 308, down the hall make a right, fourth door on the left.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Russell replied as we stepped away.
“I don’t recognize her, Alex. Who is she?” He asked as we entered the private room. Lying in the bed was a woman in her mid seventies. At her side, a heart monitor beeped away slowly. An IV bag hung off to her right- its flexible plastic tube attached to the back of her right hand. She wore what looked like an oxygen feeder tube under her nose.
She appeared to be sleeping.
“This is Anna Vogel, Russell.” I sadly informed him.
He just stared at his sister in silence.
“She’s been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Russell. She won’t last the night, I’m afraid.”
“This is my baby sister? She named her grandkid Russell also?”
“Rusty?” The woman in the bed moaned quietly. Her head turned toward us slowly.
“She can hear us, Alex?”
“Yes, Russell, of course she can hear us.”
“Rusty, is that you? Is it really you? Even after all these years?”
I nodded for him to go to her.
“Yes, Annie, it’s me. I’m here!” His voice cracked with emotion.
The woman’s heart monitor beeped a little faster.
“I was wondering if I’d see you here, Rusty. I thought it would be a little different, though.”
“We’re in the hospital, Annie. Where did you think you were?”
Her left hand slowly rose and pointed shakily to the ceiling. “Up there. How can you be here, Rusty?” She asked as her eyes opened and gazed at her long lost brother.
Brackenridge quickly turned to me for permission. I shook my head no.
“Someone brought me to see you, Annie- someone very, very special. I’m sorry it took so long for me to get back.”
“Hello, Mrs. Vogel.” I greeted her with little emotion.
Again the beeping from the monitor quickened.
“I’m ready to go now.” She said to me in as confident a voice as she could muster.
“I’m sorry, Anna, but I have no authority in that matter. I am Russell’s escort and he alone is my responsibility.”
“He always did like the blondes.” She replied, forcing a smile.
“So I’ve been informed, ma’am.” I forced a smile also.
“Anna, Russell and I don’t have a lot of time and I know that it has been your deepest wish to see him once more before you move on.” I hated what I now had to say! My heart sank lower than it had in 1865. This part of the job ‘sucked royally’, as my future self would attest!
“I have now fulfilled that standing request and so we must leave before the nurse or your family returns.”
We all remained silent for a few moments- me for the obvious cruelty of my words to these two siblings, Russell, for not wanting to leave so soon, and Anna’s closing her eyes again.
She suddenly opened her eyes, which now appeared full of life and brilliantly youthful! She looked at the both of us in full recognition and awareness.
“Russell, I never stopped hoping- never stopped praying that you would return to us some day.” She said unimpeded by her deteriorating condition. “I now know the reason that return never happened.” Russell’s sister looked my way and a cold shiver went up my spine! “Will we be able to see and talk to each other after I go?”
“Of course, Anna. Russell will be able to visit whenever he is able to arrange it with me.”
“Thank you, Empress. Thank you for saving my brother.”
Brackenridge and I looked at each other in complete astonishment!
“I thought you said…” He began to ask, but I raised my hand to stop him.
“Anna, how do you know that name?” I asked instead.
“Mother and someone calling herself ‘Ruth’ just told me who you were, Alexandra,” She took a large, labored breath, “and the reason you’re here now.” Tears formed in her eyes.
“Take good care of my brother and see that he gets the life his original future cut so short.” She paused to take another labored breath, nodded once to someone or something unseen off to her left, and waited a second before continuing- her heart monitor began to noticeably slow. “You two must leave now, Alexandra. I will fall asleep in a few minutes and Russell mustn’t be here when I do. Thank you again, Empress, for saving my brother’s life.”
Her eyes closed and several more tears ran out their sides. A pleasant smile appeared on her face now.
“Russell, we have to go.” I said sadly. “Please take my hand.”
“But I just got here. Why must we leave so soon, Empress?”
“Please, just take my hand.” I urged.
As soon as he placed his hand in mine the depressing hospital room became the black nothingness, dimly lit by the single unmoving yellow sun, of my personal domain.
“Where are we, Empress?”
I cleared my throat and wiped my tears with my free hand.
“Where are we…Alex?” He rephrased.
“This is my private domain, Russell. I’m not quite sure of its location or importance in the known universes, but I come here when I want to…want to think- when I need…privacy.” I told him, releasing his hand.
Terror filled his face, as he looked around- at me- at the nonexistent floor beneath his feet- at the unmoving yellow sun in the distance.
“Your perfectly safe here, Mr. Brackenridge.” I assured him. “Momma? Ruth Scott, I know you’re here. I know what you did. Please come out so we can talk.”
“You aren’t the only one with gifts, sweetheart.” A familiar female voice said from the darkness ahead of us.
“Momma, why did you do it? Why did you tell her?” I asked as Ruth Scott faded into view just ten feet from us.
“Holy shit! Ruthie, you’re one of them too?” My companion choked out.
“No, Rusty, I’m dead. Alexandra is the one responsible for manifesting me here.” She smiled as she approached and gave me a tight hug.
“I’ve been watching you, Alexandra. You’ve done some really good work.”
“Why did you tell her about me, momma?”
“Let me answer her question, Ruth.” Another female voice called out from the darkness.
Russell’s head twisted around immediately.
“Anna?”
“Hello, Rusty.” The older version of Russell’s sister walked into the dim light. She approached him and, after some hesitation, he allowed her to embrace him.
“This is a much better way to re-acquaint ourselves- wouldn’t you agree, Alexandra?” She glanced my way for a second.
“Yes, ma’am, but let me make you a little more presentable. If you’d allow me?”
“See, I told you it was worth the wait.” Momma smiled to our new guest.
“Let it rip, Alex!” Anna Vogel shouted in excitement. She took two steps back from her brother.
I concentrated on her appearance at their parents’ house the week before her wedding.
Russell’s eyes bulged as his sister became younger and younger in front of him!
Anna Vogel now looked like her eighteen year old self.
“My sincerest thanks, Empress. This manifestation feels soo much better.” She approached me and hugged me warmly.
“How did you do that, Alex?” Russell asked in awe.
“This is the Empress’s private dimension; she can do whatever she wants here, Russell. Here, she is not bound by the physical limits of the rest of the universes. She has even been known to rematerialize a favorite spirit or two.” Ruth Scott giggled.
“Momma! You know it took three of us to bring Billie back. We didn’t even realize we could do that!” I groused.
“Alexandra, as indicated by myth and religion, the power of three is a force to be reckoned with- in any universe.”
“You can actually bring people back from here, Alex?” Russell glanced over to his sister. “Can you bring Annie back for me?”
His sister quickly placed her hand on his jaw gently.
“Rusty, I am happy here. I do not wish to return to my Earthly form. I understand your desire to have me back, but it is only greed that pushes that need. I’m sorry, I will not allow myself to be taken back.”
“But what kind of life do you have now, Annie?”
“You will find out in time, brother- we all find out in our own time.” She kissed his forehead and stepped over to Ruth Scott, they joined hands and she took a large breath.
“Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space.” She addressed me formally. “I wish you to find this lonely, wayward soul a good home. Make sure that he is loved, protected, and kept among good friends. See that his spirit remains true and light so that we may again be a family when the time is right. I commission this of you, kind Empress.”
I didn’t know what to say and remained quiet for a time. I had never before been formally tasked with someone’s eternal soul!
“I’ll do my best, Anna. That’s the most I can promise since I cannot possibly watch over him night and day.”
“That is what you have us for, daughter.” Momma Scott said. There was a gentle forcefulness in her words.
“We will be watching you, Russell Brackenridge.” Anna warned ominously and pointed to him, shaking her finger.
“We?” He gulped, looking between the two women.
“We, Russell. Mary, Mother, Father, and me! Alexandra will be informed of any severe violations!”
Momma nodded at me as Russell looked at his younger sister with a mixture of admiration and horror.
“It’s time for you to start your new life, Mr. Brackenridge.” I said quietly, gently taking his hand into mine.
“We’ll take good care of him, Anna.” I reassured her.
“Thanks again for the makeover, Alex. Maybe you can return soon and do the same for Mother, Mary, and Father?” She replied. I saw Momma Scott’s smile widen.
I nodded slightly. “The next time I bring Russell for a visit, perhaps.”
Anna nodded her approval.
“Until we meet again, Empress.” Momma said in a loud voice as she and Anna slowly backed away from us- back into the darkness, hand in hand.
“You have a wonderful daughter, Ruth. You must be so proud of her.” Anna said, as their voices seemed to grow more distant with every step.
“Anna, you know what upper management says about that, but she is pretty special. She has special friends and many supporters here also. Have I told you how highly Abraham spoke of…”
Their voices faded away completely as they disappeared.
“Let’s get you back to Reilly, hun.” I said, squeezing his hand a little tighter to get his attention.
“Does this happen every time you bring someone to this place, Alex?”
“No, not really. Most of the time, things are pretty predictable and peaceful around here. Oh, just between you and me…I didn’t call those two. They came on their own, Russell.”
Reilly’s corridor appeared around us. Jack and Uncle Rick jumped with a start as we rephased beside them.
“Everything okay, Alex? You look like you’ve been crying.” Uncle Rick asked with genuine concern.
“Everything is as it should be, sir. Russell Brackenridge is now ready to start his new life- to stabilize the timeline in its current state.” I answered. “Let’s go back inside, shall we?” I said, motioning to Russell’s quarters.
“So where do I go from here, ma’am? Where is my ‘new life’ to start?” Russell asked with resignation in his voice.
Jack’s expression showed concern at his somewhat negative tone. What had she just seen in his mind?
“RVP, release Mr. Brackenridge’s Reilly suit restraints, please? Authorization: OakridgeEmpress8716.”
“Acknowledged.”
“Now what the hell just happened?” Brackenridge exclaimed. As before, he began looking around frantically.
Before I could answer, Russell turned to face Jack. Apparently, she was telepathically guiding him through the suit’s setup and instructions. His vocalized answers confirmed it.
“What’s a passwo…oh.”
“Why does this have to be so…Really?”
“People can do that?”
And so the one-side conversation went for a few more minutes.
“Alex, he’s ready.” Jack informed me as both she and Russell looked to me.
“It’s going to be Mr. Brackenridge’s choice where and when he wants to live.” I looked sadly to the confused man. “Unfortunately you can’t choose anytime within Anna’s lifetime or after your parents were born. That period of years is off limits for obvious reasons, I’m sorry.”
“I understand, Alex. If I were to interact with any of them I could conceivably complicate things for you.”
“A rational assumption, Russell.” I smiled. “Take my hand and we’ll be on our way.”
I looked to Jack. She looked so downcast that we…correction…that he was leaving so soon. That gave me an idea that I quickly checked with the properly phrased question.
“Jack, he has a fully operational Reilly Suit. We’ll see him again- many times, in fact.”
“No, it wasn’t that Alex! I was just thinking of how difficult it would be to have to start life over in a different place, with different people- in a different time completely. It’s sad to think that he’ll have to make all new friends- all new relationships. I’m sorry that this had to happen to you, Russell.” She explained, with genuine interest.
“Commander, it’s not that bad. I’m just happy to be able to live past my twenty-first birthday. Alex has given me the greatest gift one could imagine- a second chance!” Brackenridge told her before he turned to Uncle Rick.
“Rick, I owe you the most! You never gave up on me…never surrendered! You are the best friend I’ve ever had, sir!”
He took a step back and went to attention. That hit the Admiral hard! His eyes became wet.
Brackenridge rushed Uncle Rick and embraced him tightly. “I’ll never forget what you did for me, Ricky!”
“It’s time for me to go, Empress.” Russell stepped back from the Admiral, who was trying his best not to break into tears. He took my hand in his. “Thank you all for giving me another chance.”
Reilly’s guest room became a well-manicured front lawn. A couple tall, full maple trees provided ample shade for those walking the brick paved pathway from the street to the front door of the modest two-story, red-brick, home.
I knew exactly where we were. I just had to make sure the time period was right.
Several automobiles going down the street in front provided me with the confirmation I needed.
“I trust Jack showed you the clothing selection process, and how to enable it?”
“Yes, she did. Where are we, Empress?”
I glared at him.
“Where are we, Alex?”
“Springfield, Missouri. 1983.
“Why are we here, Alex? I thought I was to select a time and place to begin my life?”
“I thought we’d try here first, besides, I promised someone I would attend a birthday party. Care to be my date, Mr. Brackenridge?”
“Do I have a choice, ma’am?”
“We always have choices, Russell, but no, not this time.” I smiled. “Try the blue denim trousers with the beige polo shirt, white athletic socks and the white cross-trainers.” I suggested then selected my own casual wear.
It took a minute, but my companion’s clothes changed. He looked every bit like he belonged here, in this time.
“Let me rephase us.”
Making sure the coast was clear, I did just that.
“Shall we make ourselves known?” I asked pulling him forward toward the door.
Brie answered the door with a surprised screech.
“Allie, it’s so good y’all could make it! Dee and Fred was hopin’ you’d be here!” She said as we hugged each other. Pulling herself away from me, she looked at my ‘date’.
“Who’s this here handsome hunk, Allie?” She smiled deviously.
“Allie? I thought you wanted me to call you Alex…I thought that was your real name?”
“I decided that when I traveled to times where I was already present that I- the one who had traveled- would use the name Allie to differentiate us. People would ask too many questions if we referred to ourselves both as ‘Alex’.”
“So you are already here? In this time? In 1983?”
“He catches on fast, Allie. Where did you find him?” Brie asked slyly.
“Him? Oh, I just picked him up, you know.” I downplayed, returning her devious smile.
Brackenridge was now totally lost!
“Oh, where are my manners? Russell Brackenridge, my sister, Brianna.”
The man stood stunned as he looked between us.
“Hi! Well, y’all better come on inside. Alex and the others will be here in just a few minutes.” She said motioning for us to have a seat in the living room.
“Can I get y’all somethin’ to drink?”
“I’ll take the hardest stuff ya got, please.” He quickly responded.
“All I got here is beer, hun. Alex is gonna bring somma’ Pa’s shine though, if that would be good?”
“Best moonshine in Missoura.” I praised with a proud smile.
“Beer would be fine for right now, thank you.”
“One beer comin right up, Rusty.” She giggled on her way out to the kitchen.
Something fell and hit the floor out in the kitchen. It sounded heavy, like maybe a pot or pan of some kind.
“Rusty, could y’all come out here an’ reach this thing back into my cubbert, please?” Brie’s voice sounded desperate.
Brackenridge wasted no time hurrying out to help.
The front door opened quietly and Alex Fleming- my present day self, Jack, Ma and Pa…Freddy, and several more of my fellow crewmates entered. A slightly older looking Admiral Demmit entered last and immediately took the seat next to me. He looked tired, but anxious.
“Does he have any idea, Captain Steinert?” He asked quietly.
I shook my head before I got up and welcomed my future self and the others. I was just hugging Jack when Russell reappeared out of the kitchen.
“I’m sorry for running out on you like that Ale…Allie, but your sister…needed…help…with…” His mouth hung open as everyone in the room shouted ‘Happy Birthday’!
Jack stared at me for a minute before looking around.
“Russell, I didn’t know this was your party?” She said to him.
“It isn’t! My birthday is May…”
“May 9th, right? Today is May 9th, 1983, Rusty, so…Happy Birthday!” She said in a tone I’d never heard her use before.
“Rusty, y’all fergot yer beer.” Brie said as she came out of the kitchen.
Brackenridge waved her off without even looking her way. Good thing too, since Brie wasn’t holding any beer. Her devious smile grew bigger!
I winked at her with a sly smile of my own and nodded to the side for her to join the rest of us in the living room. Everyone found a seat, either on the furniture or the floor. Alex Fleming joined Uncle Rick and I on the Davenport.
“You do realize how much effort it took to keep Miss Prying Eyes out of my head for so many years?” Alex Fleming asked quietly.
“About as much effort as it took to keep Tibius from romancing me again?” I giggled.
“A hundred times worse, Allie.” She admitted with a giggle.
“Speaking of Tibius, I’ll have to thank him when I get back to Reilly.”
“Nothing will happen, sis, don’t worry!” She laughed.
I let my mind browse through the memories of Jack’ upcoming years- without restraint this time.
She turned and glared at me with such anger, I expected the air around us to start buzzing! Her glare quickly turned soft and melted away. Tears formed in her eyes and she tried to wipe them away inconspicuously.
“Ma and Freddy came over and seated themselves on the floor in front of Alex and I.
“Y’all done good, honey.” Ma comforted us both.
“That goes double fer me, hun!” Freddy added. “We’re both real prouda’ y’all!”
A young man and young woman entered by the front door. The woman looked the spittin’ image of ma only with lighter brown hair and the guy looked like Brian, but an inch or two taller.
“It’s about time y’all made it!” Brie growled from her easy chair. “Dee! Fred, Say hello to yer kin!”
“Aunt Allie, how y’all been? I ‘spect this is the first time y’all seen me since I was born? This here’s my brother Fred.”
“Ma’am!” Fred waved nervously to me.
He even sounded like Brian!
“Hey, ain’t you the guy we rescued from 1918?” Ricky Lynn Samuels said suddenly placing the long forgotten face.
“Yes, ma’am, that would be correct.”
“That’s great! Now we don’t have ta listen to Jacki there recallin’ how she shoulda’ stopped Alex from relocatin’ ya! She’s had it bad fer ya these last forty years, Rusty!”
“Almost thirty-nine, Ricky Lynn! An what I say to anybody is to be held confidential…or didn’t I explain that to everyone?” Jack shot back at her as she scanned the gathering!
“Well, he’s here now, so why not tell him, Jacki? Tell him!” Ricky Lynn pushed.
“I really don’t have to now that you announced it to the world, Ricky Lynn!” Jack countered, but her face contained no anger- just embarrassment.
“Don’t let another forty go by Jacki!” Ricky Lynn urged.
The room got quiet suddenly as we all listened.
“Russell, I’ve…” She stopped suddenly and took a few deep breaths. She looked around the room seeing all the expectant faces. “From the first time I saw you on the foredeck, I…”
Jack had never been this lost for words! She paused once more; she shook her head a few times trying to shake off something, her expression changed to one of intense concentration.
“I thought you looked handsome. I think I like you, Russell Brackenridge.” She paused once more.
”There, I said it, is everyone happy?” She growled. Sudden relief washed the anger from her face.
Applause erupted from the group!
2112 hours, Springfield Missouri, May 9th, 1983
“It’s time for us to get going, Russell.” I said to my ‘date’ as I stood up. “We have several places that I want to show you before you decide where you want to live.”
Brackenridge had been sitting next to Jack all night. Her smile vanished as I spoke.
“As you wish, Allie.” He replied sadly. “It’s been really keen spending time with you, Jacki. I only wish we had more time.” Russell slowly got to his feet. Jack stood up also.
“You forget that Alex has all the time in the world, Rusty. She could come back for you in the morning- couldn’t you, Alex?” She asked hopefully.
Jack’s hands went to her mouth instantly as the room erupted in whistles, laughter, and clapping!
“Oh God, did I just say that?” She blushed brightly.
I stared intently at the couple as they stared at each other.
“Jacquelyn Cummins! I thought I’d never hear such heresy come from your mouth, young lady!” Ma scolded immediately.
“Give it a rest, Dee! We’re all adults here!” Jack hissed. “You of all people should throw the first stone!”
“That’s not what I meant, Jacki. It’s just strange to hear something so modern from someone so chaste these many years.” Ma reiterated.
“Dee, I have a daughter you know!”
“And Constance is a beautiful young woman in her own right, Jacki. Time to move on.”
“Ma’s right, Jack. Time to live for yourself and not for others.” Alex agreed.
Alex and I nodded to each other.
“Girls, could y’all take Miss Cummins into the backyard for a few minutes? We’d like to go over things with Mr. Brackenridge.“ I asked as Alex and I smiled to them.
“Alex, you better not take him before I have a chance to say goodbye!” Jack threatened.
“Should I go too, Alex?” Uncle Rick asked quietly. He stood up to leave.
Alex and I took each other’s hand and each of us in turn grabbed for one of the men- Alex taking Uncle Rick’s hand, me taking Russell’s.
With another nod to Alex, I phased us out.
“We’re phased, sis. Jack can’t hear us now.” I informed my future twin.
“You know she hates when we do this, Allie.”
“It’s for her own good, Alex.” I replied.
I noticed Uncle Rick put his free hand through the seat back.
“I’ll never get used to this, Alex. What is so important that we have to be transparent?”
“Russell has to make a decision, sir. Do we look for another place and time for him to reside, or would he like to try his luck with the pretty blonde that can break him into microscopic bits as an afterthought?”
Brackenridge immediately stared at me.
“She…she…can do that?” His voice went up an octave.
“That and more, Russell. Do you remember the size and displacement of the Davis?” He nodded in confusion. “She can lift at least ten times the mass with just a thought. On Terra, she disabled the protective telekinetic, neutralizing shield for the entire city of Citadel! No power on that planet had ever been capable of such a feat until Jacquelyn Cummins! Recently, she quite literally brought down an entire mountain in Poland, destroying the converted mine below it! The research facility- it’s corrupt personnel- everything- gone in the blink of an eye, Russell!”
“And that’s the earlier version you met on Sand Dollar, Russ. Think what she can do in the here and now.” Alex added.
“I had no idea she could do such things! She seems so grounded- so mature for her apparent age.”
“Jacki is sixty-five years old, Mr. Brackenridge. She has many hundreds of years left to her.” Alex revealed.
“The women of Sand Dollar and Kili Island, as well as the Terran’s and several other planetary civilizations can live for well over eight centuries.” I informed him.
“That is why you must be absolutely certain that your attraction to her is more than just lust for a pretty girl, Russell.” Alex and I observed his expressions, trying to discern if he understood the ramifications of what he had just learned about us. After a few long minutes, his eyes glared at Alex and I in horror.
“Yes, Mr. Brackenridge, you have put the puzzle together. If you chose to remain here- with Jack, you will grow old while she remains as she is today…as you saw her on Sand Dollar earlier.” Alex confirmed his suspicions.
“There is one alternative, sis.”
“The Mahanilui!” Uncle Rick growled in disdain.
“The Mahanilui? What is that?” Russell asked in total confusion.
“It is a…a process in which tiny machines enter your body and change you, Rusty!” My uncle angrily growled.
“Changes you? How?” Our guest asked.
“My name wasn’t always Alexandra, Russell- it was Alexander before my Mahanilui.” Alex said before I had the chance.
Russell looked to Uncle Rick, who nodded.
“You were a…” He muttered.
I nodded also. “As was the rest of my crew, Mr. Brackenridge.”
“But I met your daughter and granddaughter. Did you adopt?”
“We are complete in every way, Russell. I will have Alexis by natural child birth.” I informed him.
“Will have?”
“For me it hasn’t happened yet. For Alex,” I nodded to my future self, “It happened thirty years ago.”
“Allie, we’re going off topic here.” Alex reminded.
“Know this, Russell Brackenridge. Jack is every bit the normal woman she appears to be. She has the same thoughts, the same urges, and the same concept of love that every woman has. She can be hurt just as easy- mislead just the same by love.”
“However…She can positively act on the old saying ‘a women scorned…’ In short, she can kill you with just a thought if you piss her off, Rusty!” Uncle Rick added.
“Rick,” Brackenridge looked to his friend, “I’d like the chance to get to know Jacki better, but I’m afraid of what will happen to me if she rejects me. What would you do?”
Uncle Rick thought a while.
“Rusty, when I first met Alex in 1944 I doubted what she told me- even that she was who she claimed to be. I’ve been on many adventures with her since then. Not once has she ever done something that worked out badly. Sure things go wrong that even she can’t foresee, but up to now she’s done the impossible job of protecting us from all the little time gremlins that exist to ruin our futures…and our pasts. If I were you, I’d ask her opinion as to what you should do. Ask her to run the scenarios. If she hasn’t already.”
Both men looked at me…us.
“I have, indeed ‘run the scenarios’ Uncle.” Alex admitted for us as I nodded. “Russell is free to ask my opinion, but in the end, it must be his decision alone.”
Brackenridge was silent for some time. I could see the wheels, per say, turning.
“Empress,” Russell began, “is it possible that I might find love and companionship here, in this time and place, with Miss Jacquelyn Cummins?” He paused. “I…I think I would like to spend the rest of my natural life with her if …” Again he paused. “I think I love her, Empress. I wasn’t sure until a moment ago, but I…I love her. Might I choose this time, place, and possible relationship?”
Alex and I looked at each other for a second or two.
“You heard him, sis, he loves her.” Alex said and winked to me.
“Yes, I did, sis. He definitely said he loves her. What shall we do about that, Alex?” I replied, winking back.
Alex and I nodded at the same time and released our hold of the two gentlemen.
As they staggered to find their balance, Uncle Rick glared at us.
“I hate it when you do that, Alex!” He growled half-heartedly.
“What happened, Rick? Where did they go?”
“My niece- both of them- are still here, Rusty, I can still feel her.”
“But, why, Rick?”
“I believe you just got your answer, Buddy.” Uncle Rick laughed.
“Answer to what, Rick? I didn’t ask any question that would result in this.”
“Alexandra Steinert-Fleming, You better not have left with Russell yet or I swear, I will…Russell, you’re still here? Where did Alex go?” Jack stormed into the room with an angry scowl. Her expression immediately softened seeing Brackenridge and Uncle Rick standing alone in the living room.
“I believe Alex got a call from Brianna- in another time-, Jack. She said she had to leave.” Uncle Rick outright lied!
“Jacquelyn Cummins, would it bother you if I decided to stay here, in this time…?”
Jack rushed him, wrapped her arms around him, and squeezed him tight! He couldn’t finish his sentence until she eased up a bit!
“With you?” He finally managed to finish.
She immediately released him and took a step back.
“You…you want…um…you want to stay here with me?” She asked blinking her eyes several times in disbelief.
“I can’t promise anything, or that we could even make things work between us, but I’d like the chance to try…if you want to.”
From our vantage point Alex and I could see our sisters aggressively vying for any available observation point within the constraints of the kitchen doorway!
Jack said nothing; instead she rose on tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed Brackenridge!
The two remained lip-locked for at least a minute or two! As they broke the passionate kiss we could see tears streaming down Jack’s face as she continued to look into Russell’s eyes. She continued to hang on to his neck for all she was worth.
Finally, she released him and Jack quickly took a step back and wiped her eyes.
“Yes.” She whispered. “Yes, I want you to stay, Russell Brackenridge.”
Looking past her man, she sniffed. “Thank you, Empress! I will never forget this- not ever!”
Could she see us, I wondered? Emily had said she could almost see me that day back in our hotel room in Honolulu- the day I fully realized my gift. Was there some special property of tears that warped the owner’s perception of time just enough?
“I’m needed out in the back yard, sis.” Alex said to me with a bright smile.
“And I have to be getting back to Reilly to return Sand Dollar to the war. There are still a few necessities to take care of before our return to Atlantis-Minor.”
“I remember, sis.” Her face saddened then grew even more depressed as she added, “You know he still passes in 2020, right?”
“At least they both have a wonderful life together!”
“That they do, Empress. That they do!”
“Until another time, then, Empress?” Alex winked at me.
“Until another time, Alex.” I giggled as we released each other’s hand. Alex disappeared completely and reappeared walking into the kitchen behind our sisters.
“What y’all lookin’ at, girls?” She shouted.
There was a loud gasp as everybody that had squeezed into the doorway jumped and collapsed onto each other like a house of cards!
Jack quickly spun around and glared at them. I took the opportunity to approach Russell Brackenridge one last time before I left.
“Remember, Russell, your future is what you and you alone, make of it. Treat Jacki well because she can kill you. I on the other hand, can make you only wish she would have killed you!” I warned with a slight giggle in his ear.
Brackenridge’s face went white!
“Looks like the Empress left him with a parting message, girls!” Brie pointed from her place on the pileup.
Brie’s house became my quarters in Reilly.
“There you are, my Empress!” Tibius greeted me with a wide grin. He approached with his arms outstretched.
“You know we can’t, sire.” I reminded him with a tense smile.
“So you keep telling me, Alexandra.” He said as he wrapped his arms around me. I won’t lie and say that his embrace didn’t feel wonderful.
“So Lady Jacquelyn has found her…soulmate. I think you call it? I’m sure Lady Constance will be overjoyed.”
I delayed my answer in order to enjoy more of his warmth. There was a matter that we had to discuss and this might be the last time he held me in a while.
I took a pensive breath.
“Is your telepathic dampening shield active in this room?”
“As per your request, Alexandra. Has Lady Jacquelyn been listening intently again?”
“No, but there is a matter that needs to be discussed without…” I looked around my quarters nervously.
“She cannot hear anyone’s thoughts in this room if you do not wish it, Empress. What is on your mind, my love?”
I took another pensive breath.
“She will find out she isn’t half Terran, Tibius. How overjoyed do you think she will be, learning her mother had already conceived prior to her visit to Terra?” I asked sharply. “Connie is every bit as powerful as her mother, sire, if not more! You saw how long it took for Jack to break through the mind block you and your team first placed in her mind! What was it- all of three hours?”
“You will not place this all on me, Alexandra. It was at your request- your foresight, that we placed those barriers! You, the Empress of Time and Space- the person who requested we do this to protect them both from the truth. Raising her on Terra would teach her the responsibility and morals her mother naturally possessed- that her father’s temperament would nullify, you claimed.” Tibius argued.
“My lady, Alexandra, I have done everything in my power to help Lady Constance develop the control and morality her gift demands. Now you tell me she will ultimately discover our ruse? What method of logic have you studied, my Empress, for it is very foreign to me?” Tibius was beside himself as his anger towards me continued to build.
“Dear Tibius, I know I sound mad…deranged even, but I have seen how this works out. May I remind you that I have yet to visit Terra for the first time and am unsure of my exact premonition during that stay.” I argued back in my defense.
“What I do know is that Connie will find out…she must find out her true origin to complete her gift’s development. I know it sounds complicated- even convoluted, but Connie was born of a paradox within a paradox within yet another paradox. She is an enigma and must enter into one more paradox to remove her from the whole twisted affair- only then will she fully embrace her gift once knowing her true heritage.”
“Still, Alexandra, I do not wish to place myself, or Terra as a whole, on the opposite side of a full-fledged, relatively inexperienced, Mind Warrior’s wrath. We have just consolidated plans for our relocation to Terra Nuevo and I would like all of our peoples to leave Terra before it is ‘blown to bits’.
“I take full responsibility for her actions, Tibius. I have already found a safe dimension capable of handling the extreme power discharge to be experienced. I alone will deal with her tantrum and my possible early demise. Terra and all Terrans will never know the full extent of energy released by the Mind Warrior’s wrath.”
“My Lady, if it means your possible end, why risk such a reveal at all? Would it not be better to let the child continue on in ignorance?”
“Every scenario I have run has Constance finding out one way or another at precisely the same moment in time. It is one of those waypoints in time that must remain constant and stationary.”
Tibius rubbed his brow in frustration.
“Tell me truthfully, Alexandra, when is this apocalypse to begin?”
“When the tertiary moon eclipses your Solara.”
“That is in five days!” Tibius exclaimed before his mouth dropped open.
“Lady Jacquelyn will be sure to find out about this, if she hasn’t already, Alexandra.”
“Jack will be back in 1944 and hopefully have no knowledge of our conversation or my near death experience, my love. Go with our Granddaughter and daughter back to Terra as planned. I will come for Constance in three days. I give you my word that you will see both of us shortly there after.” I pledged to him.
“Shortly by your definition would mean what: hours, days, years, centuries?”
“Shortly, as in a day at most, my love.” I told him with a nervous smile.
“I pray for the Terran Lords to keep you safe, my beautiful mate.” He whispered as he embraced me again. I could feel him shaking as he tightened his hold on me.
“Sir Tibius, we have guests to take care of. The first is to arrive at Reilly’s airlock in just minutes according to my HUD chronometer.” I said as I fought to push away from him.
“Of course, you are right, my love. We mustn’t keep them waiting.”
All in all, that had gone better than I expected.
2357 hours, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, July 10th, 2029
“Alex, there is a Human/Reilly female assaulting Reilly’s airlock. She is quite adamant at gaining entry.”
“Let her in RVP, we’ve been expecting her.”
“I thought you said to expect the first at midnight, Alexandra?” Tibius smiled. The way he phrased the question, he must have been scanning Earth’s classic- ‘A Christmas Carol’ specifically.
“Details.” I replied as I made for the door. Tibius followed as we made our way down two levels and into the hallway leading to Reilly’s airlock.
We stopped. I noticed the airlock and passage unoccupied and took Tibius’ hand in mine. It felt warm and secure there and gave me hope that our previous conversation hadn’t ruined our relationship. With him by my side I felt there was nothing to be afraid of. He would protect me.
If only that were true this time.
An improvised wooden spear thrust out at us with surprising speed and accuracy from an open doorway beside us! My reactive phasing saved Tibius from a trip to the infirmary! A crazed bitch of about five–six, with long, tussled, knotted, dark brown hair and ill-fitting Imperial German uniform, hurried into the corridor and quickly disappeared around the far corner; her screaming cursives in German never stopped during the whole incident!
“RVP, please contain our newest guest and report her location.” I asked after rephasing us.
“Female intruder has been confined to passage four-alpha, level two, east quadrant, Alex.”
“Thanks, RVP.”
“Again I am indebted to you, Alexandra. Why will you never let me rescue you?”
“Dear Tibius, the price you would ask is more than I can pay right now.”
“I would be happy to advance you a loan, my love.”
“Ah, but the interest, Sir Tibius!” I winked.
“I stand out maneuvered again, Empress. Shall we rendezvous with the maddened harpy instead?”
“Let’s.” I suggested with an enthusiastic nod.
The disheveled woman in the ill fitting, Kaiserliche Marine uniform just couldn’t grasp the concept of the force field blocking either end of the corridor she was contained to. As Tibius and I approached, she repeatedly threw herself against them. Her actions only resulted in her getting a moderate jolt of electricity and painful bruising.
“Young lady, I would refrain from slamming into the containment shields if I were you. It will only result in your injury.” I advised her in German as we stopped just outside the invisible shield. Our only indication of where to stop was the yellow band of light running down the corridor’s walls.
“You!” She screamed. “What have you done to me, witch!”
With that she ran directly for me. The intent to do me harm was paramount in her eyes as she again hit the invisible barrier at full gait.
This time she landed on her derriere in the middle of the passageway floor and started crying. She pulled her legs in close and held them tight with her arms. Her face went into her knees and her whole body shook and spasmed.
“Why?” She kept repeating like a mantra.
“If you promise to settle down and remain that way, Heinrich, we will explain.” I told her.
Her crying abruptly stopped and she glared at me through tear-swollen eyes.
“What…what happened…to mmmme?”
“Something wonderful, Miss Wolmacher.” I grinned.
“You are that Empress!” She pointed with a shaky finger to me.
“Yes…I am THE Empress.” I confirmed with a nod.
“This is the change you spoke of?”
I shook my head. “I’m afraid we misled you and your friends. This is what we call the Mahanilui, Miss Wolmacher. You are now part of our sisterhood.”
“But I don’t want to be a part of any…sisterhood!” She hissed. “I want to be me again!”
“I’m afraid the officers of U103 do not exist anymore, Heidi. They were reported missing at sea May 12th, 1918. Heinrich Wolmacher drowns alongside his captain and nine other crewmen that afternoon. Heidi Wolmacher, on the other hand, has a promising future ahead of her on a distant planet with her ten sisters. There, y’all will be taken care of and treated like nobility. Isn’t that right Grand High Counsel?” I looked to Tibius and smiled.
He smiled and nodded.
Phasing myself out, I passed easily through the containment shield and rephased several feet in front of her.
“You must be hungry, Heidi. I know from experience that the Mahanilui uses an awful lot of energy. You also need some proper fitting clothes…frauline.”
Heidi jumped up and rushed my position, ran right through me and slammed into the far containment shield. Her blood-curdling scream became open sobbing as she curled up on the floor again.
“Alexandra, do you require my assistance?” Tibius asked from behind me, still beyond the shield.
“Miss Wolmacher will make no more trouble, Sir Tibius, she now understands.”
“Good, I was beginning to wonder how many more times she would inflict damage to herself by assaulting the shields.”
I offered my hand to the woman, who looked to be nineteen or twenty.
“How was I able to pass straight through you, Empress?” She asked before carefully taking my hand.
“Heidi, we are all special here. My ability to travel through time, to phase in and out of this reality, along with my foresight is what I call my ‘gift’. Everyone in this facility has a gift, as do you now- although your gift will not manifest itself quite yet. When it does, the Mahanilui will have accustomed you to your new body. All our sisters have gone through it and lived.” I explained after getting her to her feet.
“What about Capt. Heinz and the others? Will they undergo this Mahanilui too?”
“As we speak, three of your friends have already fallen asleep. As you now know, that is the first step in their change. The others will follow shortly and by morning chaos will fill level three of this station! By tomorrow afternoon, your sisters should be settled down enough to join you, The Grand High Counsel here, our daughter, Alexis, and our Granddaughter, Alexandra on a journey through the stars to Terra, fourth planet from the star, Solara- your new home.”
She noticeably flinched as I finished answering her question.
“This gift you talk of…what will it be?” She asked and gulped quickly.
“It will be whatever it will be, Heidi. I won’t even hint as to what gift you receive. Why spoil the surprise?” I smiled deviously; recalling the fun one lucky member of Tibius’ staff would have in the upcoming months!
“Now, if I’m not mistaken, Jacquelyn Cummins has some information she wants to pass along to you via her gift. Go ahead, Jack.” I said, raising my eyes to the ceiling.
Our newest sister froze in place- her eyes glazed and unmoving. She remained that way for a few minutes before blinking several times. She stared at Tibius and I in amazement.
“I’m sure you are tired now, Miss Wolmacher. Tibius and I will show you to your guest quarters. In the closet, which opens when you approach the blank wall, you will find the station uniform we affectionately call a Reilly suit. It is comfortable and contains a sanitary system that alleviates traditional lavatory facilities.”
Her response to what I said was predictable.
“…”
She had no clue what I had just told her.
“Ya’ll can mess yer britches an the suit does the rest, Miss Wolmacher.” I rolled my eyes at her. “Comes in real handy every month, too.” I added with a knowing grin.
Tibius grimaced. “What was it about…oh, that’s right, I remember.” I thought, as I answered myself and cringed slightly.
After making sure Heidi Wolmacher was secured in her quarters, I sent Tibius back to his own quarters and retired to mine. After disabling my new telepathic dampener, a short telepathic conversation with Jack confirmed that the others were safely tucked into bed for the night.
The first screams were due to start at 0500hrs. I hoped I could get at least a few hours of sleep before then. I re-enabled my dampener.
As usual, a knock sounded at my door. Just as I was starting to doze too!
“Come in, Jack!” I shouted.
The door opened and she came in and sat down on the foot of my bed.
“So…” She figited a moment, “Did you find Russell a good home, Alex?”
Her voice contradicted the smile on her face.
“Yes, Jack, Mr. Brackenridge has found a new home, new friends and a new relationship. He should lead a happy life.”
She glanced down at the floor a moment.
“Admiral Demmit said that he passes in 2020- nine years ago if I haven’t missed today’s date.”
“That’s right Jack. He chose to live in a more modern era and should adapt quickly.”
“Good…good. I’m glad you found him a good home, Alex. I’m glad he’ll be happy there.”
You’ll see him again, Jack. He has one of our uniforms now. He’s part of our group now.”
“You didn’t give him any water, Alex?” She asked in alarm!
“No, Russell Brackenridge is still a man, Jack. A virile…handsome…twenty-one year old…man.” I taunted with a devious smile.
A relieved look immediately washed over her face! She quickly tried to cover it.
“Oh, I’m so glad! I bet the Admiral is happy we were able to rescue him.”
“Ya, he’s relieved- said he’d sleep better knowing his friend is safe. He was even thrilled Rusty had found someone so fast!”
Jacquelyn Cummins began to squirm even more as she blushed! I detected a very slight hint of ozone in the air around us.
Oh, she had it bad for him!
I smiled at my first officer for several minutes, both of us silent. Jack kept nervously glancing at me, probably expecting some snide retort. I gave her nothing of the sort.
Several more awkward minutes ticked by in silence.
“Well…” She began to say uncomfortably.
“Ya.” I replied, waiting for more.
“See you…um…in the morning, Cap.”
“Good night, Commander.” I answered as I began to giggle. Jack looked so cute when she was nervous and had no idea what I was thinking!
An offer is made to the women of U103. While giving as much information via a meeting with Grand High Counsel Tibius, Alex tries to fulfill one of the rescued German officer’s wishes- to say goodbye to his wife- who, in 2029, is long deceased. Will the Empress succeed in saving another lost soul?
Onward Episode 10 “Setting the Past Right”
0757 hours, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, July 11th, 2029
“Empress, our presence is requested on level three.” Tibius’ voice said quietly…
From within my room!
“How did you get in here? I know I disabled the outside door controls after Jack left last night.”
“You did, but station protocol is to re-enable the director’s door in case of incident within the station, Alexandra.”
“You WOULD know all about the protocols, Tibius! Lights!” I said covering my eyes from the gradual increase in illumination. Tibius stood just inside my door in his official regalia.
“New nightdressing, Alexandra? I approve, my love!” He asked, looking at me like a wolf would a lone sheep!
Why had I decided to wear my favorite pink nightie? The last thing I wanted to do was present myself to him in such a fashion!
“Like it? It’s a little something I designed myself.”
Why did I say that? Moreover, why did I bat my eyes at him just now and…oh God, did I just pose seductively?
“RVP, Status of the local telepathic dampening field?” I said quickly!
“Dampening field is operational at full power, Alex. Is there a problem, functionally, that my sensors haven’t detected?”
If everything was working it couldn’t be him, it was me! What was I doing? What was happening to me? What was I thinking?
I mentally counted the days since my last monthly. It had been three days since leaving 1917: one day back at base to prepare Sand Dollar, one day at sea in 1918, one day at Brie’s in 1983. In addition there was the unknown time spent in my domain with Russell Brackenridge, Momma Scott, and Russell’s sister, Anna Brackenridge-Vogel. Hours were usually days there so I figured about four days. How long had I been gone while trying to find a safe realm to break the news to Jack’s Connie? I had decided to search directly after I’d left Brie’s. How many dimensions had I examined?
I concentrated harder. When I ran the scenerios, several choices, fifteen in all showed promise. I knew that I hadn’t visited them all yet, so how many did I survey? Six? Seven possibly? Choosing six as a good number, I began to think how long I spent in each. A day sounded good.
So I had spent another six days scouting out a suitable dimension for all hell- a hell named Constance- to break lose.
That only added up to twelve days. I was only in the middle, so why was I flirtin’ like a wanton hussy?
I needed to ask Emily her professional diagnosis when I had the chance. For living in this body the last fourteen years, I still had a lot to learn! Granted, my crewmates would argue that we’d only been like this for three months, but traveling through time adds up quickly.
“Alex? Director, please acknowledge.” RVP broke me from my thoughts. “Is there a functional problem my sensors have not detected?” She repeated.
“No. No, RVP I was just making sure, that’s all, thank you.” I responded as I looked to Tibius, still standing by the door. He was almost laughing at me!
“What’s so funny?” I asked with my best pout.
“You are particularly alluring when bewildered, my love.”
My cheeks burned as I selected my modern dress whites.
“My Empress, were you not going to dress as the alluring Aryan Empress we discussed last evening? I thought we agreed that your new sisters would still be attracted and theoretically comprehend more of what was told to them?”
Inwardly, I cursed that conversation!
“Maybe after I have my coffee and something to eat, Tibius.” I nodded.
“It has already been provided, my Empress.” He motioned to the small table next to my lounge chair.
I glared at him for a moment before walking over and taking the cup of hot liquid. Sipping it, I decided that it was just the right temperature to drink.
“We only have time for my coffee.” I informed him as I drank it straight down.
“There, let’s go, counselor.” I said starting for the door.
“Are you forgetting something, Empress?” He asked with a devious smirk.
Reluctantly, I selected my Aryan Empress costume and stood on my tiptoes before enabling the change.
“Stunning, Alexandra! I believe your ancient Greeks wrote of a woman, Helen, whose features were said to have launched a thousand ships? You, my dearest, could launch a fleet ten times that count to do your bidding- and willingly, I might add!”
“Flattery will get you everywhere, Sire.”
I felt my cheeks burning again!
There I go again, I thought. What was wrong with me today?
“Empress, if I may?” Tibius chuckled and offered his arm.
I smiled involuntarily as my arm intertwined with his. Tibius triggered the door’s control.
Uncle Rick and Jack were waiting for us in the corridor just outside.
I thought the old man would have a heart attack on the spot!
“I told you she cleaned up nice.” Jack told the two men. She then fell to one knee.
“M’lady Alexandra, I took the liberty of retrieving your crown, Empress.” She held my tiara out to me at arm’s length with both hands as she continued to look toward the floor.
“We appreciate the thought and sacrifice, Lady Jacquelyn. You may attend us to our requested destination. Please follow us and attend our esteemed Admiral.” I decreed as I carefully placed my tiara on my head.
Uncle Rick rolled his eyes while Tibius fought valiantly to hold back his laughter!
The four of us proceded, royal fashion, to the elevator and level three.
The lift’s door opened on a slapstick comedy! My crewmates chased, ducked, retreated, and ineffectively re-corralled ten screaming women, all dressed in ill-fitting Kaiserliche Marine uniforms! The scene before us reminded me of the Buster Keaton, Keystone cops, or Charlie Chaplin silent films of my youth!
The four of us watched the comical escapades for several minutes.
Tibius gently patted my arm.
“Okay, Jack. Enough of the comedy routine for today.”
Ten screaming women suddenly flew off the floor and hung several feet above it along the corridor wall opposite us in silence!
Our crew immediately stopped and turned to us in thanks.
“Ya sure took yer time getting’ here, Commander!” Ricky Lynn growled as she twisted her Reilly back into position.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry things got so out of control. They’re faster than they look, Skipper!” Tammy Richards apologized.
At Jack’s apparent telepathic order, all six crewmen fell into formation and stood to attention while the ten, silenced, securely detained, women squirmed spastically on the wall behind them.
“Admiral Demmit, the security detail is present and accounted for, sir!” Jack announced.
“Thank you, Miss Cummins. Empress, the new recruits are ready for your review.” He announced as he and Jack exited the elevator. Tibius and I followed in royal fashion.
My sisters’ eyes widened, having never seen my Aryan Empress look before!
“Hooooly, shit!” Kaylee Andrews exclaimed quietly.
Chief Samuels whistled.
Tammy Richards gulped loudly.
Jamie Hilf gave me a bright, cheerful smile.
Another ten pair of eyes bulged from behind them!
“Thank you, ladies; that will be all. Miss Cummins?”
“Detail! Dismissed!” Jack said loudly.
All six crewmen broke rank and entered the elevator, bowing slightly as they passed Tibius and I.
Slowly, Tibius and I approached our new ‘recruits’. I eyed each one menacingly.
“They smell as if they haven’t taken a bath in decades!” I exclaimed scrunching up my nose.
“They will receive a proper cleansing, I assure you, Empress. They have just awoken from they’re Mahanilui.” Admiral Demmit explained.
“There is no excuse for lack of proper hygiene, Admiral!” I said raising my hand to stop any more excuses.
“Of course, Empress.” He yielded with his own modest bow.
“What do you have to say for yourselves?” I glared at the one I knew to have been Manfred Heinz. She was now about five-four, had shoulder length brown hair, and a lithe, but athletic body.
Tears streamed from her eyes in response, as her mouth wouldn’t open.
“Allow her to speak, Miss Cummins.” I ordered with a predatory grin.
“As you wish, Empress.” She nodded. “You will answer the Empress, woman!”
“Have we all caught this ‘Temporal Flu’ you spoke of, Empress?”
I laughed evilly. “Miss Heinz, there is no such thing as the Temporal Flu. That is something we made up to entice your consumption of alcohol.”
“You wanted us drunk? Why?”
“Tell me your name and rank, hun.” I commanded.
“You already know my name, Empress!” The girl replied angrily.
“You will answer the Empress in a civil tongue, woman, or it will cease to function once more!”
Heinz looked terrified as Jack took a step toward her.
“Heinz, Manfred H, Captain, Kaiserliche Marine U103.” She answered timidly.
“Well Miss Heinz, I’m afraid Capt. Manfred H. Heinz died one hundred and eleven years ago. In fact, you all died one hundred and eleven years ago. You all look remarkably fit for being that age, but I’d work on the gender issue a little more, girls.”
“But we were men just yesterday.”
“Yesterday is but a memory, Miss Heinz. You yourself said it was impossible to travel back to it.”
“I was the one that said that, Empress.” Hans, now Honi, Meyer volunteered politely, if quietly.
Tibius and I moved in front of her and I stared into her eyes as Admiral Demmit had taught me.
“That one is going to be trouble, mother.” Alexis admitted as she approached from down the hallway. Another brown haired woman of nineteen or twenty walked with her. Both were wearing their default Reilly suits.
Heidi had already acclimated herself to her new body’s feminine gait. Even so, she grew nervous the nearer she got to us.
“Good morning, Heidi. I trust you slept well?”
“Yes, Empress, my room and furnishings were more than adequate, thank you.”
Her German accent was noticed by her former crewmates. Ten heads turned almost simultaneously in her direction.
“You are German?” Miss Honi Meyer accused.
“I am. That is, I was, sister. My name is Heidi…Heidi Wolmacher.”
“Traitor!” Exclaimed Meyer as she fought against the invisible force holding her to the wall.
“Miss Meyer, it is useless to fight my Mind Warrior’s gift. We do not wish you to harm yourself.” I advised calmly.
“Put me down,” Honi ordered! “There are rules protecting prisoners of war from such torture!”
The disheveled girl’s face flushed as she began to slip to the floor!
“Miss Cummins, boost your output, please.” I asked calmly.
The air around us began to smell of ozone.
“Very good, Miss Meyer, you have found your gift.” Alexis congratulated as she approached her.
“What are you talking about, frauline? What gift?”
“Why, the gift your Mahanilui has given you, Honi. If you would let my mother explain, you would learn that each of you has been given a specific gift.” Alexis scolded.
“Hans, it isn’t that bad…being like this.” Heidi told her new sister. “I thought just as you last night before the Empress patiently explained things to me. I feel like a new person! Any ailments I had previously have disappeared completely! Remember my deformed ribcage that I’ve had since birth? Gone! Perfectly normal! This Mahanilui is a miraculous thing, my sisters. Please listen to the Empress, I beg all of you!”
“How can we be sure you are Heinrich Wolmacher, frauline?” Honi questioned, her red face subsided slightly as she examined her supposed crewmate.
“Check your right forearm, Honi, you will find the scar from that Beergarden fight completely gone.”
“How do you know about that?” She asked as Jack allowed her to raise and examine her right arm. She gasped seeing unblemished skin!
“Captain,” Heidi continued, “The fingertip you lost before the war…have you looked at it since waking?”
I nodded to Jack to lower the women to the floor. Once touching it, Heinz wiggled her right ring finger in amazement. A smile crept onto her face as she examined it and her longer fingernails.
Honi Meyer brusquely pushed past Heidi and Alexis and took off running! Heidi shook her head several times, disappointed in her new sister.
She made it halfway around the far corner before we saw her feet reemerge on the corner’s floor. She was apparently lying on her face.
Honi’s unconscious body rejoined her sisters about ten seconds later. Jack put her back against the wall with a devious smirk.
“Would anyone else like to try Miss Cummins’ patience?” I asked the other nine.
After several minutes of silence, Honi began to groan as she awoke.
“Miss Meyer, you may have received your gift quickly, but you are inexperienced and are no match for Lady Jacquelyn. I would listen to Miss Wolmacher if I were you. Oh, and you are not prisoners, my sisters, you are welcome to leave at any time.”
“How are we not prisoners, Empress? You hold us captive?” Heinz spoke for his crew.
“It was for your own safety, Miss Madeline Heinz. From experience, we know how disorienting the Mahanilui can be. I have heard tell that there have even been some who choose death over life as a gifted woman. If y’all promise to behave yerselves, I’ll tell the story of how the Empress came to be… and the part you can choose to play in your new home.”
I nodded to Jack to release Honi Meyer.
“Ladies, if you will please enter the elevator? We’ll go up to my private conference room where you can ask any manner of questions once I have conveyed my information. All we ask is that you listen to what we have to tell you and think about all of it rationally and intelligently.”
“Empress, if you can see the future as you told me last night, then why even give us a choice? Shouldn’t you already know what we decide?” Heidi asked curiously.
“Even though I have seen a satisfactory conclusion to all this, there have been times when Time itself has thrown in a twist or two, Miss Wolmacher. As I have said many times- to many people over the years- your future is what you ultimately decide to make it. I can only advise and guide those I interact with in hopes that they make an intelligent choice, not one based on resentment or hatred toward me. So yes, I saw the proper outcome to all your futures, but you are free to choose whether you take that path or not. I cannot stop you.”
“So, you say we can change our futures- that you will not interfere with that decision?”
“We have already interfered in your lives by rescuing you from the middle of the North Atlantic, Mandy Heinz.”
Our group remained quiet until seated in the fourth level administrative conference room next to the director’s office.
When all ten women gave me their attention, I began my presentation.
“My name is Alexandra Steinert. I am a Commander in the United States Navy in 1944. My submarine, the Sand Dollar, is the first of her kind- built as a weapon of war to help defeat the Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan. Before March 27th, 1944, I was Commander Alexander Steinert, US Navy. My first mission was to evacuate the residents of this very island in advance of the Japanese invading it…”
1057 hours, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, July 11th, 2029
“So now I’ll turn this session over to Grand High Counsel, Tibius of the planet Terra. Thank you all for giving me your time and patience. Sire?” I thanked them then stepped aside to allow Tibius the floor.
“Thank you, Alexandra. Ladies, you have heard the Empress correctly. I am indeed alien to this planet you call Earth. If it wasn’t for Alexandra, and her peaceful excursion to our stricken world, I might not be here under these conditions.”
“Approximately nine hundred of your years ago, we discovered, unfortunately too late, that our sun, Solara, was entering its second stage of existence- that it would shrink in size from a yellow sun such as yours, to what is called a blue dwarf. Its light, heat, and radiation outputs would more than double, causing catastrophic destruction planet-wide. We were doomed unless we could find some way to protect ourselves from these increases!”
A plan was conceived to genetically alter our bodies to make them less susceptible to the expected harsh conditions. It was decided that besides hardening our bodily defenses, that we would also increase our longevity and enhance our natural abilities of telepathy.”
“What we hadn’t counted on was the loss of our ability to produce female offspring. After our plan was set in place and enacted, we found that only male children were born to our mates. Without new females being borne, we realized that we had sealed our fate better than Solara ever could have. Although we now lived longer, our remaining females dwindled and finally became extinct. My generation was the last to be borne on Terra. Until the Empress suddenly appeared one afternoon in Citadel’s city gardens.”
“Alexandra and her companions proved remarkably unaffected by our methods of protection and,”
Ya? You call that unaffected?” Jack interrupted.
Tibius cleared his throat and continued. “And after being assured that they meant us no harm, we welcomed them to our world. As you can see, the Empress and all her sisters possess ageless beauty and several members of my staff took an instant liking to them. My own sights had been set on Alexandra from the first moment I laid eyes on her!”
I felt myself blushing as all eyes landed on me!
“With their cooperation, permission, and…and charity, four female children were born on Terra for the first time in almost nine hundred years. My daughter, Alexis, was the first and I have never been so proud in my long life!”
Tibius smiled to Alexis, who blushed immediately!
“Over the next thirty years, the Empress helped us increase our female population by finding more volunteers to aid in that repopulation- which now stands at one hundred. It seems the combination of you ‘special’ Earth women and our Terran men may have saved our world. Still, there is more work to be done. Before our vain attempt to save our people, women out numbered men four to one. After my precious Alexis was born, she became the rarest commodity on all Terra- imagine, one of only four females on a planet of one billion!”
“As I remember it, the demand for the four of us caused rioting in the streets, Grand High Counsel.” I interjected.
“The male murder rate went up as well, Empress.” He added with a raised eyebrow before continuing his presentation.
“With your permissions, ladies, I would like to take you on a telepathic tour of Citadel, the political center and largest city, on Terra.”
After three pancakes and another cup of coffee, I noticed the girls’ eyes started blinking as Tibius finished his virtual tour of his hometown.
Honi Meyer’s face grew angry and she glared at him.
“You are asking us to be breeding stock?”
“Do not make it sound so crude, Miss Meyer! The women of Terra are only treated with the highest respect, reverence, and love. There is no division between the sexes as here on Earth. Male and female Terrans alike are treated equally and are given the same tasks and stipends. My ladies, do not think that we are so callus or controlling as to simply take you as breeding stock! You are entirely free to decline my offer and stay with the Empress if you wish. I only ask that you think about what I have presented. It would be an opportunity to help your galactic neighbors and to continue the humanitarian efforts set forth by Ladies Alexandra, Jacquelyn, Randi, and Takashi some ninety-eight of my years ago. Think about it, ladies of the Empress’ sisterhood. Thank you for your time and attention.”
Tibius bowed honorably to everyone at the long table and walked off to the side where he took his seat. It was refreshing to see that all eleven women were deep in thought and hopefully weighing their options.
“Grandmother Empress, may I address our sisters?” Alexandra asked as she appeared in the doorway. “With all due respect, Grandfather, I would like to have my voice heard?”
“Ladies, my granddaughter Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space.”
A confused hush fell over our new sisters! They looked between the two of us repeatedly.
“Yes, ladies, we look and are the same woman. I am what Grandmother refers to as ‘The Future Empress’. Genetically, we are identical. As abilities go, we both manipulate time and space in exactly the same way. I believe she would say we possess the same gift. But, there is a difference between grandmother and I as there are differences between grandmother and the ‘Past Empress’, Alexandra Reilly, the original director of this research facility. Our experiences. Experiences shared between me, grandmother, and Alexandra Reilly are what define the Empress, my sisters. We use the shared knowledge to facilitate repair and guarantee continuance of the time stream in each dimension and universe. Sometimes we even combine our gift when the need warrants.”
“Right now, you feel vengeful toward us- you most likely hate us. That is to be expected considering what you each have given up in the past twenty-four hours. From grandmother’s memories, I can tell you that the vengeance, the hate- even the self-loathing will pass, as will the feeling of loss. If you have yet to be informed, the crew of Sand Dollar shared your frustrations and emotional tirades after experiencing their Mahanilui, but they stand here today fully acclimated and accepting of their changes. They too lost everything they knew and loved. There was even concern that Sand Dollar herself would be scrapped and her crew taken to some laboratory for experimentation! If not for the forward thinking of my Great-Uncle Richard that is exactly what would have happened. Earth is not as liberal as Terra and her peoples. Here, there is bias, bigotry, hate, discrimination, and racism. Women in many countries on Earth are still treated like second or third class citizens- in some cases livestock is treated with more reverence!” She paused and took a sip from my offered coffee cup.
“Do not think Terra is not without her faults and therefore a veritable utopia. There is still much work before we can say the sexes are truly equal and there is still bias, hate, and discrimination within a small distribution of our people, but progress is made every day- more so since Alexandra Steinert-Fleming first visited our world.”
“In case you are wondering, I can attest to the inequalities of Terra personally. Growing up, I was considered ‘different’ from the other children because I lacked the basic ability of telepathy- a genetic characteristic of our world. Because I lacked the ability to read a person’s mind, I was shunned- even bullied, as a child! As my gift developed though, I used it to anticipate what would be said to me and therefore appeared to be telepathic. There was also the advantage of moving through time and using the knowledge gained on my trips to counter any would-be aggressors!”
“A wise traveler once took me with her and explained how I was special- even more special than the individuals around me in that I could influence their lives for the better. She told me how I could make a difference- not just for an individual, but also for the universes.”
“I have never known my grandmother to do anything that would adversely affect anyone or anything. She…we make sure that the changes we make or attempt to make assure time moves securely on track. If the Empress of Time and Space has seen that you bring beneficial contributions to the known universes through your changes, trust our foresight, experience, and impartial decisions. As anyone here can attest, the Empress watches out for and protects those she considers friends and family. If she has brought you here and shared with you our secrets and gifts, we must consider you all sisters and therefore relatives of the Empress of Time and Space.” Alexandra paused to take another sip of coffee and clear her throat before continuing. Her face grew very serious now and she glared at the ten new women seated before her.
“The Grand High Counselor has not asked any of you to prostitute yourselves just to increase our numbers on Terra, he is offering you a chance to do something decent and noble- something you will be proud to have done- not for yourselves, but for humanity! Yes, humanity…we are all human at this table- albeit in varied stages of evolution. You would be surprised how many galaxies humans inhabit- how many different universes we inhabit. Earth isn’t a stronghold for us, as many here think; rather, it is an outpost- just one solar system in a near infinite number of systems.”
“Like my grandmother before me, I have also done my part to assure that a civilization continues. Markus, please come in now.”
A tall man of maybe twenty-five entered with a young child in his arms- a girl with golden hair!
“This is my daughter, Alexia. She is the latest female Terran born just two years ago. She will also be the last female to be born on Terra before Solara enters its third stage of existence.”
Alexis and Tibius gasped, obviously seeing the child for the first time.
“I would ask that each of you explore the feelings this child conjures within you. It is an integral part of who you now are- of what you can be- what is attainable! It can also be very rewarding and gratifying.”
“Because of the Empress’ charity, you now have the power- the ability- to affect a civilization! You have been given the power to grant life, my sisters!”
Alexia started to fuss and Alexandra offered her arms to the child.
Instead of accepting her ma’s outstretched hands, Alexia instead looked directly at me and babbled, “Em’pess!” as she reaching out to me!
“How do you do that, Grandmother? When you are around Alexia always prefers your shoulder to mine. I just don’t understand it.”
“Differences, Alexandra, it’s the differences.” I giggled as I stood to take the child.
Alexia began laughing, clapping her hands together, and drooling.
The emotions I was feeling at the moment brought back future memories of my own children.
Looking around, I noticed the expressions on every woman in the room soften.
Alexandra and I exchanged knowing looks as I passed sweet little Alexia back to her ma. Alexis stood and mother, daughter, and granddaughter embraced in the corner opposite the doorway.
“Thank you, Alexandra, Second granddaughter of the Grand High Counsel of Citadel, Terra.” I said as I glared at the former U103 officers. “Thank you for setting our sisters straight on our motives. I’m sure they will all give a great deal of consideration to our offer of a loving, secure, home on Terra and Terra Nuevo when the time comes.”
Tibius had gone over to Markus and congratulated him. They held forearms and Tibius unexpectedly pulled his Grandson-in-law to him.
“Once again the Empress of Time and Space has out maneuvered this old politician. I’m sorry if I’ve apparently been preoccupied the last few years, son. Planning for the relocation of a whole planet is a time consuming endeavor.”
“Grand High Counsel, you worry too much. The move to Terra Nuevo will proceed smoothly- and in sufficient time as to avoid any distortions from Solara. It is a beautiful world, Grand High Counsel.” The younger man reassured his elder.
“Sire, if you require that the whole planet be moved to another galaxy, allow me to fetch Alex Reilly and together I’m sure the three Empresses could manage the feat with nary a wet brow.” I suggested noticing ten sets of ears perk up.
“No, my love, I must decline. Our computations have proven that the appearance of another planetary mass around Terra Nuevo’s sun would accelerate its decline into its next stage. Of course you have seen that scenario I’m sure, Alexandra.”
Alexandra turned to her grandfather and we both smiled simultaneously at him.
“Richard, does the Empress enjoy these mannerisms in your company also?”
“You should see when four of them get together, High Counsel. It becomes truly intolerable then!”
“High Counsel, Richard? I thought we were well beyond those formalities?”
“I was brought up to respect my elders, sire.”
“Richard, I propose that you have spent too much time in the Empress’ company! I am but a mere six hundred Terran years in this existence.”
“I rest my case, sire.” Uncle Rich chuckled.
“Ouch! Again, out-manuevered by an Earther!” Tibius laughed.
“Alex, shouldn’t we get back to the subject at hand?” Jack asked from her seat at the far end of the table. She and Heidi had been quiet during the whole meeting so far, but talking nonetheless.
‘I take it that Heidi has found a portion of her gift, Jack?’ I thought to her.
‘A portion of my gift, Empress?’ Heidi answered instead.
I smiled toward the other end of the table.
‘You mean there is still something more miraculous, Empress?’ She added in my head.
Again I smiled at her.
“So, ladies, I trust the Empress has provided enough information for each of you to make an intelligent decision about your futures?”
“Empress,” Honi Meyer asked in a tiny voice?
“A question. Good! I was hoping there would be at least a couple.” I responded as Alexandra and I smiled.
“How…um…how do you do it? Keep yourself separate and straight…person-wise?”
“Oh, that’s easy, Honi. I’m the one with the blue eyes- for right now.” I laughed. Her sour expression told me I had answered the question properly- by my perspective!
“Grandmother! Must you continually tease?” Alexandra scolded. “Miss Meyer, I admit it is very confusing. There are still occasions where I forget if I am Alex, Allie, Allison, or Lexi- we share so many memories amongst each other. As we travel together on our missions, you all will warm to the proper references. I would advise bringing an ample supply of anti-inflammatories the first several trips though.” She smiled deviously.
“That’s if we submit to your proposal, of course.” Honi replied with a smug expression.
“Of course.” Alexandra’s smile grew even more evil.
Honi’s expression fell immediately!
“And you accuse me of teasing!” I laughed. “Empress, we are frightening our sisters.”
“Confounding, yes, Empress! Frightening? I seriously doubt that, given their individual gifts.”
“What do you mean? Are we to become monsters of some kind?” Madeline Heinz asked in alarm.
“Nothing a well disciplined Mind Warrior couldn’t cope with, Miss Heinz.”
“You mean I will…”
“No, no, Miss Heinz! Constance, Jacquelyn’s daughter, is the resident senior Mind Warrior on Terra. She will tutor all ten of you in the Terran protocols concerning illegal telepathic intrusion.” I winked toward Heidi Wolmacher and smiled.
Miss Wolmacher quickly turned and stared at Jack in absolute amazement.
I assume more conversation went on between the two.
“How about you?” Heinz turned toward Heidi, contempt in her eyes. “You have been quiet during this entire briefing. Have you made your decision so quickly, Wolmacher?”
Jack and Heidi nodded once to each other as if finishing their silent, private conversation.
“Herr Captain, having already experienced this fantastic Mahanilui, and already developing at least some of my gift, I am actively contemplating starting my new life in another part of the galaxy. As the Empress has stated previously, our prior lives ended off the coast of Ireland that day in 1918. Here in 2029, even my two children are long-since departed, so what importance is it to dwell on what we left behind or what we have lost already?”
“That is exactly the wrong way to think of your past, Heidi! Throughout history those that have forgotten the past have inevitably doomed themselves to repeating the same mistakes. Never forget the experiences in your previous life, Heidi- embrace them! Allow them to teach and guide how you live your life from this day forward!” I scolded.
The woman was quiet for a moment.
“I never got to tell her goodbye.” She said, almost above a whisper. I saw tears forming in her eyes.
It always worried me when things went as prophesized. I walked around the table.
“Miss Wolmacher, please stand up.” I asked gently and offered my hand.
Her unspoken question was obvious in her face.
‘Please take my hand, Heidi. No harm will come to you.’ I thought to her as I smiled.
Standing, she cautiously took my hand.
‘I think someone would like to talk to you, Miss Wolmacher.’ I thought, as the conference room became a void dimly lit by a small unmoving yellow sun.
I immediately felt her grasp tighten.
“This is my private domain, Heidi. It is perfectly safe to release the death grip on my hand.”
“You said there was someone here that wanted to talk to me? I see no one but us.”
“Why am I here? What is this dismal place? How did I get here?” A woman’s voice demanded in heavy German.
“Liebschen?” Wolmacher cried out, slightly recognizing the voice.
“Who calls me? The voice is not known to me!”
“Frau Wolmacher, please follow the sound of my voice and step into the light.” I asked of the unseen voice.
“Why should I follow another strange voice in such a strange place? I demand to know who calls me!” The irate voice demanded.
“Honey, when the Empress of Time and Space calls you, you obey without question? Now come on!” Momma Scott’s voice echoed around us.
Two women emerged from the darkness. Momma Scott appeared first pulling a small, very agitated, elderly woman with short, pure white hair.
Heidi’s expression deflated immediately. “I thought for a second I heard my wife’s voice. Who is this, Empress?”
“Momma Scott, Hilde Wolmacher, my I present Heidi Wolmacher, one of my newest sisters.”
“Who are you, ‘frauline’? Where is this Empress?” The older woman growled!
“Hilde, you will not talk to my daughter in that tone of voice! Show some manners!” Ruth Scott scolded.
“Beggin’ yer pardon madam, I’m the Empress of Time and Space, Alexandra Steinert. I have someone here who was so worried about you that she wanted to talk with you before making a life changing decision. Before we continue let me even things out.” I said as I concentrated on the image of Hilde Wolmacher, as she looked in 1918- that Jack had liberated from Heidi’s mind moments before we left the conference room.
The years began to melt from the elderly woman’s face and frame. The pure white hair returned to its natural red and grew longer. Her spine straightened and a young woman’s dress replaced her present sixties era garb.
The Elder Wolmacher immediately noticed and began running her hands up and down her younger form.
“Thanks Alex, she looks much better now.” Momma Scott smiled.
“My God! Hilde was that really you? How did you get so old?” Heidi exclaimed in surprise.
“Lt. Wolmacher, you have a lot to learn about paying a compliment to a woman!” I chided.
“Who are you child?” Hilde stopped examining herself and looked to my companion. She then looked at me. “How do you know Lt. Wolmacher? That was my husband’s rank when he was lost at sea?” She said in surprise.
“Hildegard Wolmacher, my daughter may look too young, but she has met your Heinrich.”
The younger looking woman glared at me so intensely that I thought both Heidi and I would begin to melt.
“Thanks, Ma; that helped loads.” I said sarcastically.
“What my mother meant to say, Mrs. Wolmacher, is that my submarine crew rescued Lt. Heinrich Wolmacher from the North Atlantic May 12th, 1918, along with ten of his fellow crewmen.”
“Rescued? Why did he not come home after the surrender?” Her eyes grew narrow. “How could a woman use a submersible to rescue anyone? The Kaiserliche Marine only allowed men, as does the American Navy!”
“Hilde, my daughter is the leader of a special group of women! You heard me call her the Empress of Time and Space just a minute ago- well, she can literally travel time and space as she sees fit! Alexandra travels to different periods in time to…to make things right that may have strayed from the path…so to speak.”
Hilde glared at me again; this time she also widened it to include Heidi, who had wisely remained quiet.
“If that is to be believed then where is my Heinie, ‘Empress’?” Her tone lacked no kindness or subtlety!
“First, Mrs. Wolmacher, you must understand the conditions that day.” I began.
She crossed her arms and waited impatiently for me to continue.
I wondered how these two had ever been married.
“When we arrived in 1918, the surface conditions of the North Atlantic were terrible at best. The air temperature was ten degrees Celsius with a sustained wind of twenty knots out of the northeast.” Heidi tapped my shoulder. I let her continue the tale.
“We had been on wolf pack when two of our fellow U-boats sustained failure and signaled that they would attempt to leave the targeted shipping lane to make repairs. Capt. Heinz decided to continue our patrol independently.”
“How can this child relate facts of that day when she clearly…”
“Hilde, let the dear have her say, hun.” Momma interrupted. “The story gets better.”
Heidi closed her eyes for a few seconds and prepared to continue.
“The lookout had spotted smoke on the horizon and the captain ordered us to submerge until we could positively identify the ship. He also ordered us to maximum submerged speed. By his bearings, we would pass well ahead of it and would come about if it looked promising.”
At this point Heidi paused and shook her head a few times. Her eyes began to moisten as she recalled that next half hour of her previous life.
“We had no warning that the Troop ship had changed course and was now heading directly at us. The collision was unavoidable! Heinz ordered us to the surface and we barely had time to take to the lifeboats before the 103 slipped below the waves for the last time.” The ship never stopped, instead proceeding on its way. It never made any attempt to rescue us!”
“For twenty minutes we suffered the raging wind and waves until an American destroyer appeared and began rescue operations. Twenty-two of us were still afloat when they mysteriously ceased recovery! From what we could hear over the furious winds they had spotted something on the horizon. The ship quickly got underway and immediately began to turn into the tempest. It was then that we spotted the reason! A wall of water ten meters in height was bearing down on us! We had no recourse but to pray that it would be over quickly and painlessly.”
Stopping to compose herself, Heidi wiped her cheeks dry and took a big breath.
“To our amazement, nine of us had survived the monstrous wave! Someone pointed to a man swimming, waving and shouting frantically a short distance from our overturned lifeboat. It took several minutes, but we managed to reach him and pull him back to the overturned boat. That is when we first saw the periscope not fifty meters away. It looked like no other we had ever seen before and as we watched it grew in height. Within a minute a strange looking submersible numbered 353, surfaced between four others and us. Several of its crew appeared on the foredeck. We were wondering how they would attempt our safe rescue in such deplorable conditions when suddenly we were lifted from the water, boat and all, and deposited on the strange submersible’s deck. It was only then we heard them speaking English. They were American!”
Hilde Wolmacher remained quiet, but grew visibly agitated.
“So what does this have to do with my Heinie? Is he alive or not, ‘Empress’? She groused, mocking me.
“I survived, Lieben!” Heidi cried out.
“You, Schlampe, are not Heinrich Wolmacher! Why have you wasted my time, you who calls herself ‘Empress’?”
“If you’d shut your trap, frau Wolmacher, the girl will explain! Now hush and listen!” An angered Ruth Scott scolded! “Why must you Germans be so difficult?”
Heidi looked to me with pleading eyes- her face looked so sad, but I nodded for her to continue.
“We were taken below and given blankets and rations- all twelve of us! No one could explain how Johan and Fritz suddenly were among us again! Hans said that he had seen them disappear under the waves just seconds before the submersible had surfaced. They even somehow increased the temperature in the compartment we were seated in to warm us! Within minutes our uniforms had dried and feeling returned to our extremities. That is when we first laid eyes on the Empress.”
“She and her Admiral informed us that we had been brought aboard the Sand Dollar, her flagship, which was part of her Temporal Fleet. One of the men among us turned out to be an American who had somehow fallen overboard from the destroyer. The Admiral apparently knew this American and exposed him to us, but didn’t seem worried that we were enemies.” Heidi took another long breath.
“Hilde, I’ve seen the future! The Empress took us to the future! To the year 2029, Hilde, can you believe it? I’ve seen one hundred and eleven years into the future! Isn’t that amazing?”
“Oh, very interesting, Schlampe! It is very believable evidence to who you claim to be! Tell me, how many of you did Heinrich have in each port?”
“Hilde, I am not a slut, nor was I ever unfaithful to you! I am trying to tell you how I came to look like this!”
“I’ve heard enough! You three have tried my patience long enough, I’m leaving!”
I watched Heidi’s expression fall! This woman was downright rude and I couldn’t hold my tongue any longer! Diplomacy be damned- in all the times and people I’ve called here, Hilde Wolmacher was the most inhospitable entity to date and she needed to be told so!
“Frau Wolmacher!” I hissed in anger. “You WILL leave this place when I say so and not one second sooner! This is my domain and I will have civility!” I began to bring an image into my mind as I continued my warning! “You are my guest here and will behave accordingly or I will repeal any and all generosity!”
The cross, bitter old woman began to shift and change back to her original shape. She now matched her attitude as far as I was concerned! Heidi’s expression turned to one of shock.
“Why has she grown old again, Empress? She asked.
“I just returned her to the form that she, herself conveys, Miss Wolmacher. It was a mistake for me to blindly offer the appearance of youth when there was no reciprocal gratitude! Something offered in friendship and not accepted as such shouldn’t have been given in the first place!” I argued with more anger than I even expected.
“Alexandra! That is not the way you were brought up, young lady! A gift, once given, should never be rescinded- no matter what the recipient’s response!” Ruth Scott reprimanded me.
“Some ‘Empress’!” The old woman spat! “Nothing more than a spoiled child- as I suspected!” The elder Wolmacher mocked! “If this is truly your ‘private’ domain and if you really did change my appearance, then show me that this ‘schlampe’ is indeed my deceased husband, oh mighty ‘Empress’!”
Momma Scott and I stared at the bitter woman, amazed by her venom and audacity! After a few moments we looked to each other.
Could it be done? Could I actually manipulate the appearance of someone on my side of this realm? I had never tried or even considered such a thing! Was it possible?
I raised my eyebrows in wonder, an expression mirrored by Ruth Scott as she looked at me. She then nodded for me to try. I nodded back.
Carefully, I closed my eyes and brought an image of Heinrich Wolmacher back into my mind. I began to concentrate on it intensely while calling the form to me as I would Ruth Scott, Grandpa, or…Hilde Wolmacher.
I wasn’t aware of it working until I opened my eyes to see Hilde Wolmacher and Momma’s eyes bulging! I felt strange, and a bit light-headed. Cautiously, I turned my gaze to Heidi…correction…I turned my gaze to Heinrich! He was already running his hands over his male form in total disbelief!
“You did it, but how?” He stared at me then gasped. “And at what cost to you, Empress?” He asked quietly raising his hand to my face and wiping something from just below my nose.
“Blood…from your nose, Empress!” He said with concern, showing me his finger. “You should not have pushed so hard at this old fool’s challenge! I am sorry you have hurt yourself, frauline!”
“Some all-powerful Deity!” Hilde Wolmacher heckled with an evil sneer! “Such a simple undertaking for someone claiming the power to control time and space! Oh look, she bleeds just like us!” She cackled.
Heinrich’s face grew red with anger. “You cannot possibly be my lovely and kind-hearted, Hilde! How dare you denigrate the Empress in such an arrogant, smug manner, you ignorant, old sow! You will know your place and abide there, old woman! This woman, Empress Alexandra- the woman that saved my life…you will show her the proper respect! How dare you mock the kindness and charity shown to either of us?”
“Heinrich? It is you! Where have you been all these years? I’ve missed you so much!” The elder woman started to come closer to him as her tone softened considerably.
“Stay back you old, misshapen, crone! You do not deserve that which you have not given! The Empress was right to have taken aback her generous gift of youth from you! What has become of you, Hildegard Lesch? Where have your manners gone since that day?”
“They were ripped from me the day the letter arrived, Heinrich! That day, my entire life drained from me as I read that you had been reported missing somewhere in the Atlantic! Did you know it took our government over a year to report your loss? The children, they didn’t…couldn’t understand why you wouldn’t be home- ever!
“That is reason to treat this woman in such an ugly manner?” Heinrich accused as he took a step back from her. “I should think you would be elated that I had survived and that I was being given a second chance! How could you be so cold and evil to this woman whose only mission is to protect our existence and save as many people as the timeline can tolerate?”
As much as I wanted to enjoy her comeuppance, I still felt lightheaded.
Heinrich turned his head and looked at me as he took another step away from what once was his wife.
He gasped again- this time louder and more intensely.
“Empress, holding this form for me is apparently taking a heavy toll on you!” He said calmly. “I fully accept the new life offered me and do not wish you anymore harm on my behalf. Please release me, Empress. Release me from this cursed male form and return me to the form for which I have been given a second chance. I wish to no longer set eyes upon such a wicked and vile creature- the beast that calls herself my beautiful and kind Hilde! Leave my sight, hag, and fill your remaining existence with the thoughts of how this reunion should have developed! Think of the form the Empress willingly granted you and how you simply discarded it without consideration or thanks! Think of how things could have been in your later years had you accepted me for who I am and not just my appearance! Go now and wallow in the evil depression you have brought on this day. I wish to never see you again, Hildegard Lesch!”
My dizziness disappeared immediately as I granted Heidi’s wish to return to her female form. I felt pins and needles in my left leg and I might have stumbled a little. A hand caught me on either side. Ruth Scott held me on the left, while Heidi Wolmacher held my right side.
“Alex, are you okay? You look like you’re ready to pass out!” Momma asked as the two steadied me.
“Heinrich! You can’t do this to me! I’ve waited so long to see you again, Heinrich!” The old crone cried. “Please, you must stay Heinrich! We must be together! You must get me out of here, mine leiben!”
“As you so ardently stated…I am no longer your husband! My name is Heidi Wolmacher, I am nineteen years of age, single, and I am one of the Empress’s sisters!” Heidi turned her back on the old woman. “You may dismiss her now, my Empress, we are through!”
I nodded sadly and mentally released the older woman from my domain.
“Heinrich! Don’t leave me! I need you, Heinrich! You’re the only one that can rescue me from this…place! Heinrich, I’m sorry I was so rude! HEINRICH YOU @#$^%%^!”
Hilde Wolmacher faded from our presence, as did her screams and curses.
Heidi immediately turned her head into my shoulder and began crying.
“What was I thinking? You should have never brought me here, Empress. This was a big mistake. I’m sorry you were hurt by this, ma’am- please forgive me.” She sobbed. “I apologize for the way my wife treated you, Empress. I never thought she could be so cruel.”
“Alex.” I said to her softly.
“What?” She lifted her head slowly and looked into my eyes.
“My name is Alex, Heidi. I’d like y’all to call me Alex.”
“But Empress…!”
“Sweetheart, when my daughter tells someone they should call her ‘Alex’, she’s just made you a bonefide member of the family. You best call her by that name from now on.” Ruth Scott suggested with a giggle. “Welcome to the family, sweetie.” Momma announced as she raised her arms to my companion and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“Momma, I’m afraid we should go.” I said quietly after a minute. “Alexandra is waiting for our return to Reilly. She, Markus, and young Alexia are eager to return to Terra. Also, I must prepare for my next mission.”
“You don’t have to go it alone, Alexandra. You need but to ask and several of us will be there for you, honey.” Momma Scott offered.
“That’s very kind of you momma, but I promised Alex I’d help her. She’s the one that has to face what has been done.”
“Well then I wish you good luck, Empress of Time and Space; my wonderful Alexandra. Heidi, know that we will be watching on your behalf too, child. Never forget that there are others here that care deeply for you and what you are doing for the good of us all. There will always be friends and family watching over you, Heidi Wolmacher.”
“Thank you, Frau Scott. I am sorry for the way Hilde behaved. I would have never thought she would become so spiteful.”
“It wasn’t your fault, dear girl. Some people handle the loss of a loved one very badly. Few though, transfer that hate in such a way as your Hilde did. She will realize her mistakes in time and you may see her again. Believe me, she will have a long time to think things through…especially where you sent her, my dear.”
“But I didin’t send her anywhere, Frau Scott. What do you mean?”
“Some beings call it the ‘underworld’- some call it ‘purgatory’, others simply cut the bull and call it ‘hell’. In our domain though, we simply call it ‘time out’.” Momma Scott explained. She giggled a couple times. “Because you refused her…’cursed’ her, some would say, she has been sent somewhere to think and learn her lesson about how she behaved. We have very strict rules on how we are allowed to interact with the other dimensions, sweetie. Hildegard Wolmacher will learn the true meaning of evil, cold-hearted, rude, and malevolent!” Momma’s expression grew dark and sinister, but then she smiled and laughed. “But then again there are those that say we design our own hell by the choices we make. Heidi Wolmacher, have yourself a wonderful life.” Momma looked to me as she released Heidi. “Empress, may I please be dismissed?”
“Not yet, momma.” I said as I quickly stepped to her and wrapped my arms around her tightly. “Not without saying a proper goodbye, momma.” I told her as I squeezed harder. “Thank you for your help with Hilde. Things may have ended differently without you being here.”
“I should say they would have, Alex. I don’t think your world could handle the likes of Hildegard ‘The Horrible’ Wolmacher in her present character!”
“So that was her plan?” I asked in amazement.
“Even if it cost your life, my daughter! You handled yourself beautifully, child.” Momma Scott beamed as she took a step back from me. “Now we must part and you must return to your dimension to continue your miraculous adventures, Empress. As always, we…will be watching.” Ruth Scott winked. As she stepped back into the darkness, I felt tears rolling down my cheeks.
I felt Heidi slowly take my hand and squeeze gently to let me know she was ready.
I had an idea that I thought might heal some deep wounds.
My private domain became a sidewalk on a nondescript city street. 1920’s vintage cars, as well as horse-drawn wagons slowly clattered along the cobblestone street to our left.
“I think I might recognize this place, Empress!” Heidi gasped.
“The name is Alex, hun. Don’t make me tell y’all again! Did Jacquelyn instruct you on how the suit operates?” I asked her with a little annoyance in my voice.
“She did, Emp…” I glared at her. “She did, Alex.” She replied.
“This is Frankfurt-on-Main, 1922. Select some period clothing and have your Reilly suit change to them. Remain holding my hand until I tell you to let go though.” I informed her just as two children ran right through us.
Heidi gasped in horror at the sight!
“They…they…”
“They ran right through you- yes. At the moment we are what I call out of phase with this reality. We can see and hear what is going on here but cannot be seen nor heard, Miss Wolmacher. Now please change your clothes. If you select high heels, you should stand on your toes so the increase in height will not startle you.” I answered as I stood on my own tiptoes and triggered my suit to change.
In seconds we were dressed in period attire proper for 1922 Germany.
“Frauline Wolmacher, since you speak the language, you may disable your translator. I have selected a dialect of Austrian.” I said giving her a slight tug and we began walking down the sidewalk. Two more children ran through us, screaming and laughing as they played.
Heidi stopped dead in her tracks.
“Alex, I think those are my children!”
“You’re probably right, Heidi.” I answered casually.
“Why are we here?”
“To mend a heart or two, Miss Wolmacher.” I smiled.
Heidi looked over at me in silence. Her eyes again began to tear up.
“I was just about to rephase us, hun. It wouldn’t look good for a pretty thing like y’all to be cryin’ now, would it?”
She shook her head no and wiped her eyes dry with her free hand.
A delivery truck was parked on the side of the street just a few yards ahead of us and I began to look around to see if we would be observed as we rephased. Satisfied we were out of sight, I rephased us as we walked beside the truck. I didn’t tell Heidi I had done it though.
The same two children that had just passed us a moment before appeared again from between two buildings and ran right for us. They appeared to be having such a good time they failed to see us and promptly collided with us!
Heidi was completely surprised and fell backwards to the brick walkway!
“Sorry, frauline, we didn’t see you! Did we hurt you?” The girl asked.
“No, you just surprised us, little one. You’d best watch where you’re going from now on though.” I answered, as I helped a tongue-tied Heidi to her feet.
“We will, frauline! Bye!” The girl replied.
“Leibshen!” I called. “We are looking for Frau Wolmacher. Have you knowledge of her address?”
“She is our mother! What do you want of her?” The girl asked. I was beginning to wonder if the younger boy could even talk.
“I am Alexandra Steinert and this is my friend Heidi Wolmacher, we have arrived from Düsseldorf to see her.” I told the young girl.
“You are related to us, Miss Heidi?” The girl’s eyes grew bigger.
“I am a cousin of your father, Heinrich –heaven rest his weary soul.” Heidi told her while looking to the sidewalk in sadness.
“Is your mother at home, little one?” I asked as I showed concern for my travel companion. “Heidi, come now, it has been four years. You said it was getting easier.”
“No, she won’t be home for another couple hours, Miss Alexandra. Would you like to wait and play with us?” The girl asked as I helped wipe Heidi’s eyes dry.
“That just might help my friend now…” I let the sentence hang waiting for her to introduce her and her brother. Quickly, I saw that I would get no such response! “That is very good, children! Your mother has taught you well to not give such information to strangers. Though, I bet I can guess your names! If I guess correctly, we’ll stay and play games with you. If I don’t we shall come visit your mother when she is home. Would you agree to that?” I asked the girl and looked for any sign her brother would comply.
Heinrich’s daughter thought a moment then nodded her head. I looked at her brother for his answer. He tugged on his sister’s dress sleeve. They turned away from us and I heard some short discussion ensue. The quick huddle concluded with both children nodding to each other.
“You would really stay and play with us?” She asked.
I gave them my brightest smile.
The girl looked to her brother once more. He nodded ever so slightly.
“Okay. You guess our names and you have to play.”
“Deal!” I said continuing to smile.
I put my right pointer finger to my lips and pretended to think and concentrate hard.
“Hmmmm, “ I started, “We know your father’s name was Heinrich…” I paused. “We also know that your mother’s name is Hilde or Hildegard.” I paused again.
“She hates that name, Miss Alexandra!” The girl warned sternly.
“Oh, okay then, she hates Hilde, got it!”
“Noooo! She hates the name Hildegard, Miss Alexandra!” She cried.
“Oooh, I’m sorry! Okay, if I’m not mistaken, I think your name is…” I paused again as if to think hard once more. I looked to Heidi and winked with the eye the kids couldn’t see. Heidi’s eyes pleaded that this might not be a good idea- or maybe she wanted to leave.
“Hmmmm, There are so many good names that would fit such good children as you.” I praised and continued to smile.
I pointed to the boy first. “I know! You are Hansel and you are Gretel!” I said pointing to the girl last.
Her nose immediately wrinkled and she exhaled loudly.
“That’s not our names!” She cried; disappointed that they had lost two play partners.
“May I try again?” I said looking a little disappointed with myself. Her face brightened instantly!
“Ah huh.”
“Oh, okay, thank you.” I now held my chin between my thumb and pointer finger and concentrated harder.
“Okay, I think I have it this time. You are Francis and you are Beatrice. I pointed to each as I said the names.
“No, that’s not our names at all.” She told me, even more disappointed than before. Even her brother dropped his head slightly in disappointment.
I quickly wrinkled my nose and squinted one eye.
“Oh, then you are Beatrice and you must be Francis.” I said pointing to the boy first. I noticed Heidi smile slightly.
“No, those aren’t our names!” The boy said quietly, his head staring at the ground.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I said. “I thought I could guess your names, but apparently my gift is not working today.” I told them sadly. I turned to Heidi, who had remained deathly silent with the exception of the slight smile a minute ago.
“Then I guess we will leave and come back later when Hilde is home. Come along, Heidi, I couldn’t guess Maria and Joseph’s names, so I guess we can’t stay and play.” I said sadly. We took a few steps in the direction we had come.
A hand tugged a few times at my dress.
“Miss Steinert, you know our names.” Joseph said in a louder voice. “You have to stay and play with us now!”
We turned around to see him looking up at us with a huge grin on his face. His sister stood a few feet back, her eyes wide in astonishment! Heidi looked at me with the same pleading look. I winked at her and smiled.
“You are absolutely correct, Joseph Freidrich Wolmacher, I did say that we would stay and play!”
A smile filled his face. I glanced back at Maria. “Before you ask, hun, I have a gift that allows me to know what you are thinking before you ask it!”
Maria gasped and quickly covered her mouth with both hands in surprise! Her eyes couldn’t get any wider!
“Heidi, we promised these two that we would play, so I see no alternative but to stay and spend time with them. Lead on children.” I told the two. They happily led us to the apartment building they lived in.
We spent two hours playing games I had never known existed. We also played dolls with Maria while Joseph stared out the second floor apartment window in boredom. I had never played with dolls before.
It wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be.
1657 hours, Hilde Wolmacher Residence, Frankfurt, Germany, June 11th, 1922
“You’re funny, Alex! How could you not have played with dollies when you were a little girl?” Maria asked in absolute confusion.
“I guess I never had the chance to be a little girl, Maria.”
Heidi suddenly stared at me, alarmed.
“She’s just kidding, Maria. Don’t let Alex tease you so easily.” Heidi advised her former daughter.
The young girl stared at my companion strangely.
“Maria, Joseph, I’m home!” A familiar voice called.
“Momma!” They both screamed and ran for the door.
“So what did you do today, you two?” The voice asked.
“One of Papa’s cousins came to talk to you, Momma! She and her friend were playing dollies with me!” Maria confessed innocently.
“How many times have I told you about strangers, young lady?” Hilde scolded!
“But Alex guessed my name, Momma! She and Heidi have been waiting to talk to you since they arrived!”
“Is that so, Joseph?”
“Yes, Momma! They just appeared beside the delivery truck down the way. And we ran into them when we were playing tag! Maria knocked over Heidi, but she apologized and then Alexandra guessed our names, though I think she already knew them because it sounded like she was already playing with us, so we invited them in and started playing, but I got bored of playing Maria’s games and so I just started looking out the window waiting for you, momma.”
I was amazed that so much had come out of the boy’s mouth at one time! I was also curious as to what he said about us ‘appearing’.
Heidi started to look frightened.
“What do you hear, Miss Wolmacher?” I asked quietly so the people in the next room wouldn’t hear us.
“She thinks we are thieves here to steal from her, Alex.”
“A logical assumption given she has spent the last five years alone with just the children, Heidi.”
“She is debating calling the Burgermeister, Empress.” She said reaching for my hand. “We should not have come here.”
“Nonsense, Heidi. We are two women here to see your cousin by marriage. We mean her no harm.
“Momma, come and meet Alex! She’s fun to play with!”
“I thought you said Alex and Heidi, Maria?”
“Heidi reminds me of you, momma.” Joseph interrupted in a sour tone.
“Is that so? Well, introduce me to them then.” Hilde said with concern.
The three entered the room to find Heidi and I sitting on the floor with our legs crossed.
“Frau Wolmacher.” I said as I tried to get up off the floor. I struggled a bit longer then apologized. “I would get up, but my legs seem to have fallen asleep. Alexandra Steinert.” I instead introduced myself and offered up my hand to her. My legs weren’t really numb, but it was a way to show that I was no threat.
“Hilde, it is so nice to see you again.” Heidi said as she successfully struggled to her feet.
“And you would be Heidi?” The woman asked of her.
“Sorry, I’m Heidi…Heidi Wolmacher. I’m a relative of Heinrich’s.” Her face immediately became sad and her gaze dropped to the floor.
“I don’t remember you…Heidi.” Hilde squinted at her, obviously sizing her up.
“I think we only met once. I was just a girl when we visited from Düsseldorf. You haven’t changed though, Miss Hilde.” She told her former wife. Heidi was holding it together pretty well so far. Her expression easily passed as pensive and awkward.
“And you are related how, Alexandra?”
“I’m not, Frau Wolmacher, I’m just a friend of Heidi’s. We sometimes travel together.” I admitted. “I live in Düsseldorf myself, Frau. My father is a steamship captain.”
“Why do you look familiar, then?” She stared at me intently for a few seconds.
I shrugged my shoulders. “We’ve never met before, Frau.” Not yet anyway, I thought to myself.
“I’m sorry we didn’t send word, Frau, Alex thought I should stop in to see how you were getting on…since we were so close. We won’t be staying long.” Heidi told her nervously.
“And where will you be going from here, Heidi?” Hilde asked. There was a little irritation in her voice.
“We wanted to see the homeland once more before traveling to America, Frau.” I interrupted gently. I wasn’t lying either! Grandpa had always talked about returning here once more before her passed. He would relate his fond memories here to Brian and I whenever he could. I suspect things had changed an awful lot since he left here in 1885, though.
“America? Why would you want to go there?”
“We heard that there is opportunity there, Hilde.”
“And men, Frau! Lots of good looking men!” I added with excitement.
“Don’t be so oblivious, Alexandra! Americans are rude and barbaric…so I’ve been told! Nothing but cutthroats and thieves desiring to relieve you of your possessions and possibly your life! I have been told they are no better than the Stalinists! You should stay here! There are plenty of eligible young men in Germany, Alexandra.”
“Frau Wolmacher, my grandfather has lived in a place called Missouri for several years now and his correspondence says nothing derogatory about the population. He found work on an immense river called the Mississippi, working a steamboat up and down it. He writes that the compensation is much higher than what we would make here. He even has a telephone in his house!” I tried to sound like an over-excited teenager.
“He is telling you stories, Alexandra. Only the deposed Kaiser and the other nobility were rich enough to have something like that in their homes.” She scoffed.
“He claims to have something called a ‘radio’ too, Frau Wolmacher!” I boasted. I realized that I really didn’t know when the first commercial radio station went into operation- oh well.
“I have never heard of such a thing! There is your proof that he is teasing, Alexandra.” Hilde laughed.
“Still, Frau, we have nothing to hold us here now.” I told her with the same amount of enthusiasm. “Our belongings are enroute as we speak.”
I then narrowed my eyes and looked conspiratorially to both sides.
“I hear there is one coming through the political ranks that will soon seize power from the post-Kaiser government. I fear something catastrophic will besiege our homeland when he does. I do not wish to be here when that happens, frau!” I revealed just above a whisper.
“More tales, Alexandra? How do you know this information is not fiction?”
“Hilde, Alex has been known to predict much worse incidents! People of Düsseldorf have referred to her as a seer- a clairvoyant!” Heidi added in my defense.
“A clairvoyant? How much more do you expect me to believe, you naive girls?”
“I assure you, frau, what Heidi tells you is absolute fact.” I looked over to Joseph sitting patiently in the corner of the room. He was writing or coloring in a book. “Allow me to provide proof, Frau Wolmacher.” I petitioned.
I closed my eyes and appeared to concentrate heavily.
“Oh look, Joseph, Alex is going to guess something for momma!” Maria called to her brother with excitement.
“Within the half hour, Joseph will break the cookie jar in the kitchen. He will claim I did it and not him. Maria will claim to see me hiding behind the chair in the corner behind you.”
I opened my eyes to see Hilde looking at me in anger!
“How can you possibly be in two places at once, Alexandra? It is physically impossible!”
“Hilde, it has been my experience that there is a fine line between possible and impossible.” Heidi informed her. She then looked at me in curiosity as to how I could possibly act on my predictions.
I simply twitched my eyebrow ever so slightly.
“I’m hungry, momma, can I get a cookie, please?” Joseph asked about fifteen minutes later. We had apparently thrown off his feeding schedule.
Hilde suddenly looked at me in suspicion.
“No, leiben, I will start dinner in just a few minutes. You can survive until then.” She told him.
“All right.” He sounded so disappointed!
Hilde smiled in triumph at me.
Five minutes later we heard a crash from the kitchen and Maria scream at almost the same time!
Joseph, hearing the crash, ran into the kitchen to investigate. He came running out of the kitchen with a terrified look on his face. He grew even more terrified when he saw that I hadn’t moved.
Maria was still pointing between the chair in the corner of the room and me. Her eyes and mouth couldn’t open any wider!
“Joseph, what did you do?” Hilde asked in an angry tone.
“I didn’t do anything, momma! Alex knocked the jar off the counter!” He told his mother. Even he looked like he didn’t believe it!
“That can’t be! Momma, I just saw Alex standing behind the chair over there!” She said pointing an accusatory finger.
Hilde turned to her left to follow her daughter’s finger. Heidi quickly glanced over to me with a look that asked ‘how’.
Hilde Wolmacher turned back around and glared at me.
“How did you do that? Are you some kind of witch?” Hilde accused.
“Frau, I never moved. You have been watching me like a vulture watching carrion since I made my prediction. As you say, how could I possibly be in two…three places at the same time?”
“Do that again, Alex!” Maria shouted. Joseph looked less enthusiastic.
“Momma, I’m hungry!” He exclaimed instead.
“Look in the kitchen once more, Joseph.” I suggested with a devious smile.
He didn’t wait for his mother’s approval and just left the room.
“Momma! Someone left a box on the table! It’s warm, too!” The surprised boy exclaimed as he reentered the room carrying a bakery box tied tight with string. He handed it to Hilde, who felt the heat emanating from it with amazement.
“How?” She stared at us.
“What’s in it, Frau?” I asked innocently. Heidi looked on in total confusion as to how I managed this.
“How can it be warm when I know you’ve been here for several hours already?” She asked.
“Maria? Joseph, would you like some fresh strawberry strudel?” I asked as Hilde again glared at me.
“How can you possibly know what is in here?”
“Open the box and find out if I’m right, Frau Wolmacher.” I suggested. “Maria, would you get your momma the scissors? You will find them in the left top drawer under the counter.” I added.
The young girl came back into the room with her jaw scraping the floor! In her outstretched hand were the scissors. Hilde carefully took them from her and snipped the string binding the box closed.
Her eyes went wide as she opened the lid! The smell of fresh-baked strawberries filled the air.
“Do it again, Alex!” Maria exclaimed again while laughing uncontrollably.
Joseph simply reached into the box his mother was still holding and rescued an oozing hunk of strudel. It had no chance of survival as he promptly pushed it into his mouth whole!
I smiled and shook my head at the boy’s nerve.
Maria followed her brother’s lead and soon her mouth was full too!
“How could you have possibly done this?” Hilde asked in disbelief.
“As you have said, frau, it is impossible. Even after Heidi told you that sometimes the impossible is in fact, possible. How I can do such things is readily explainable if one thinks with the mind of a child- of an innocent- unaffected by the limits we are taught by society.” I told her.
“Joseph, earlier you told your momma that Heidi and I just appeared beside the truck down the street. What did you mean by that, hun?” I asked just before his little hand began to dive into the box a third time!
“One minute you weren’t there, the next, you were.”
“You mean we were hurrying up the street and you just saw us at that time?” I asked to clarify.
“No, you and Heidi just appeared there…in that spot. There was no one else on the sidewalk when we ran up the block right before.” He explained.
“Then were did we come from, Joseph?” I asked with a smile.
“Maybe you were invisible!” He laughed.
Heidi raised her eyebrows in surprise!
“How could we be invisible, Joseph? Your momma claims it is impossible?”
“I have an invisible friend.” He admitted casually.
Hilde looked at her son for a minute. Maria was also looking at her brother with a smile.
“Alexandra, how dare you taunt the boy…?” Hilde stopped in mid-sentence as she turned her attention back to me.
“Where did she go, Heidi?” She asked my startled companion.
I made my way out to the kitchen.
“I think the strudel would survive better if it were cut into pieces instead of torn into hunks, Frau.” I said reentering the room with a knife and five plates in my hand.
Maria clapped and giggled at me. “How did you do that, Alex?”
Joseph missed his mouth and now had a big smear of strawberry filling on his right cheek. His eyes were wide as saucers!
Hilde Wolmacher looked at me in fright, her complexion paled noticeably. The mysterious box of strudel toppled out of her hands but miraculously landed right side up about an inch off the floor and looked undisturbed.
“Wow!” Joseph and Maria gasped together.
Heidi said nothing but stared between the box and me, her face was a mixture of fright, surprise, and confusion.
‘Nice catch, sister.’ I thought to her.
Heidi looked like she was going to faint as she stared at me again.
I just nodded once and smiled as the bakery box gently settled to the floor.
“What are you?” Hilde Wolmacher shouted in horror!
“Momma, Alex is magic!” Maria giggled with a wide, bright smile.
The mother’s look to her daughter was precious and spoke volumes!
“How did you do that, Miss Heidi?” Joseph was staring at my companion with wide eyes of his own.
Frau Wolmacher’s head snapped around to see what her son meant.
‘What did I just do? What is happening to me? Why has the Empress brought me back here? I shouldn’t have let the Empress bring me back to see my wife and children! If she hadn’t rescued us from the sea, I wouldn’t be here right now! Oh Lord, how could I have done what I just did? My wife and my children are now terrified of me! Empress, what’s happening to me?’ Heidi’s voice echoed at full volume in my mind. She was looking directly at me waiting for an answer. Had I not experienced it before, I would have been holding my head in agony.
In a similar fashion to Hilde, Maria, and Joseph!
“Heidi, you’re too loud!” Maria shouted as she pressed both hands harder against the sides of her head.
“I’m sorry, Marie! I didn’t mean to hurt you- any of you! Emp…Alex, we need to leave this house before I do something I cannot control!” Heidi exclaimed in tears as she began to panic.
Quickly, she stared at Hilde. “She wants us to leave Alex! Hilde is about to scream for the police!”
Maria ran the few feet to her mother, took her hand, and began tugging on it. “No momma, I don’t want you to call the police! Alex and Heidi won’t hurt us! Please, momma? Please?”
The girl turned to me with tears in her eyes.
“Alex, tell momma that you won’t hurt her! Please, Empress? Please?”
Joseph glared at me from where he stood. “Did you really save Papa, Miss Alexandra?”
Hilde’s mouth began to open so she could scream.
A large hunk of strudel flew from the box on the floor and buried itself in Hilde’s mouth!
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you alert the police to our existence, my love!” Heidi apologized as tears streamed down her face.
“Do you like the strudel, momma?” Maria giggled.
“Frau Wolmacher, we mean you and your children no harm. I have brought Heidi back to this time to mend a deep wound- a wound that, I fear, will stay with you forever. Please calm yourself and sit. I will try to explain who we really are if you shall allow me. Please, no harm will come to you, Frau. Will you at least give us a few minutes? If, after our explanation. you wish to call local law enforcement, you are free to do so. They will find no trace of us, however.”
I motioned for Heidi to sit down and I sat down on the Davenport.
Maria and Joseph joined us by sitting on either side of me. Both held an arm as if to protect me from their mother.
Slowly, and with shaking legs, Hilde sat back down in her chair. She cautiously moved her jaw to chew the pastry in her mouth.
“Thank you, Frau Wolmacher.” I started. “As I said, we are not here to rob or harm you, Maria, or Joseph. Miss Wolmacher and I are here to right a great wrong done to you in the future. I know that is hard for you to believe, but the wrong stems from something I did several years ago off the coast of Ireland- May 12th, 1918 to be precise.”
The woman’s face saddened abruptly as she connected with the date.
“My uncle, whom I love deeply, asked me and my sisters if we could look into the incident surrounding his best friend’s disappearance at sea during the War. As I researched, it became apparent that I had been involved- that the man had indeed survived and lived until the year 2020.”
“Empress, she does not believe a word of it! She refuses to accept anything you say!” Heidi informed me.
Hilde glared at her and more tears ran down her cheeks.
“Perhaps a little demonstration is in order then?” I suggested calmly.
“Frau, may I touch your hand? It will not melt or some other grotesque thing like that, I assure you. May I?”
I waited as she moved her hand closer to me by a fraction.
“Kids, I’m going to show your mother something wonderful. We will disappear for a minute or two and be right back. I won’t hurt her.” I informed the two.
“Can I come too, Alex?” Joseph, of all people, asked!
“I want to come too, Alex!” Maria exclaimed.
“Heidi? Would you like to come along also? I don’t want to leave you alone in someone else’s apartment.”
She stood and took my other hand, her face unsure if this was the right thing to do.
“Kids, one of you take your mother’s other hand and the other take Heidi’s hand, please.”
“Why do we have to hold hands, Alex? Maria asked innocently.
“Because it won’t work unless we hold hands, hun.” I smiled. “Hilde, you need to stand, hun.”
The woman was shaking like a leaf as she slowly got to her feet.
“Hold tight now, I’m going to make us invisible.” I told the children in a cheery voice. Hilde tightened her grip.
“I thought you said you were going to make us invisible, Alex?” Joseph asked as we stood there.
“Oh, I guess it didn’t work. Maria, could you move the chair over slightly so your mother can sit down again?” I asked the girl.
“Oh, okay, Alex, I guess it didn’t wo…” Maria gasped, as her hand reached nothing tangible.
“Did you see that? My hand went right through the chair, momma!”
Joseph tried his luck at touching the chair.
“Wow! How did you do that, Empress?” He asked in amazement.
“What did you call her, Joseph?” Hilde asked her son in shock.
“Heidi called her ‘Empress’, momma! Didn’t you hear her before?”
“Empress?” Hilde Wolmacher repeated as she stared at me.
“Alex is called the Empress of Time and Space, Hilde- for obvious reasons.” Heidi told her former wife.
“Can we go somewhere, Alex? I want to go somewhere!” Maria exclaimed.
“Where would you like to go, hun?” I asked.
“I want to see Papa!” Joseph shouted.
Tears began running from Heidi’s eyes once more as her face turned sullen.
“How about I take you all to a tropical island instead?” I asked with a smile.
“I wanna see Papa!” Joseph demanded. Heidi became even more distraught.
I observed my companion for a moment.
“How about we do both, hun- visit a tropical island AND see you’re Papa?”
Joseph’s face erupted in a huge smile.
“Good, is everyone ready then?” I asked.
Both children’s heads bobbled like…like something from my future memories!
“Okay, the scenery will change after we count down from five, okay?”
Again two small heads nodded excitedly.
“Okay. Five, four, three,” The kids joined in counting, “Two, one.”
The small Frankfort apartment became the beach next to the dock on Kili Island. Sand Dollar had just tied up and we watched as the gangplank was put in place.
“Are we really here, Alex? Is this the future or the past? Where are we? Where is Papa?” Joseph fired off quickly.
“To answer only the questions you should know, we are really on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and your Papa is onboard my submarine. Her name is Sand Dollar and she is the fastest submarine of her class.” I told him.
“Why,” Hilde began as she found her voice again, “Why won’t you say the year, Alex…Empress, or whatever your name actually is?”
“Hildegard Lesch-Wolmacher, my name is Alexandra Steinert. I am captain of the United States Navy submarine, Sand Dollar, SS353.” I smiled at her. “And just so you do not think I am holding back anything important, welcome to the year 2029AD. The name of this island will remain secret because this is the only place on Earth where my sisters and I can relax from our missions.”
“What kind of missions?” Frau Wolmacher asked cautiously.
“Throughout history, there are instances and occurrences that threaten the correct passage of time. Little ‘errors’ that can sidetrack this progression and change the future drastically! My job is to find those irregularities and repair them before that occurs.”
“Papa!” Maria screamed!
“Maria, please do not let go! You will change the future if you were to appear here! Remain holding our hands, precious one, please?” I urged.
“You bring us here only to deny the children of seeing their father?” Hilde asked in disgust.
“I brought the children here to see their father, Frau Wolmacher! If they want, they will be able to touch him later. Right now it is too dangerous to join this time stream! Watch and learn.” I insisted.
We watched as Admiral Demmit and I started down the beach with Heinrich and the other men of the U103.
“That is Heinrich’s captain, Manfred Heinz! I met him once before Heinrich left port on his last mission!” Hilde exclaimed.
We followed behind the group and listened to their conversations.
“Why are you dressed so funny, Alex?” Maria asked as we walked.
“That’s my Empress uniform, hun. It helps me blend into whatever time period I travel to. Let’s listen.” I nodded to the group ahead of us.
“Welcome to our island. For reasons of security, I cannot tell you exactly where we are- you understand.”
“From the inclination of the sun I presume we are somewhere near the equator. The local fauna and composition of the beach would indicate the Pacific region.”
“An avid geographer and climatologist, Herr Meyer? If we were still on Earth you would be quite correct.”
“You see, gentlemen, I have the ability to take us anywhere or time in the known universes. We could be on Earth, only in a different universe.”
“You mean we are still on Earth then? I was not errant in my assumption, Frauline?”
“I never confirmed that, Hans. And I am to be referred to as ‘Empress’ until informed otherwise! Is that understood, Hans Christian Meyer, third son of Deter and Elsa Meyer of Lepzieg?”
“How do you know so much about him- or any of us for that matter?” Capt. Heinz asked in anger.
“Manfred, we know more about you than y’all know about yourselves.”
The previous me stopped and turned back toward our guests. I pulled back to stop the five of us.
“In fact, I even know that you are planning your escape at this very minute. A plan that Miss Cummins will see fit to quell in an instant.”
“How can a woman who is nowhere near possibly thwart any escape attempt?”
The children and Hilde gasped as the man rose off the ground and hovered like a statue. He obviously didn’t notice he was floating two feet off the ground. Everyone looked terrified as he hovered above us.
He settled gently to the ground, apparently not even noticing.
“Accepting of all this so soon, Seaman Brackenridge?”
“Commander Cummins informed me to keep my mouth closed and to ‘observe the proceedings’.” He replied sheepishly.
“Wise advice. Admiral Demmit, please eject the magazine of your firearm.” We watched as Uncle Rick ejected his clip and handed it to my previous self. Heinrich started to stagger as the Mahanilui started to take effect.
“What’s happening to Papa?” Joseph and Maria shouted in unison.
As the scuffle for Uncle Rick’s gun began I answered the question.
“Something wonderful. Your Papa is starting his transformation. A change that will allow him to live the life he should have had with you three, but was so rudely denied.” I told them.
We watched as U103’s captain was now taking careful aim between my previous self’s shoulder blades.
“Watch out other Alex!” Joseph shouted.
“Capt. Heinz, you can try…” She said.
A shoot rang out! My four companions jumped at the gun’s report!
“To kill me, but I should warn you, that is no easy endeavor.”
Heinz kept pulling on the trigger in desperation until Uncle Rick calmly held out his hand and retook possession of his pistol.
“Do not trifle with me, Capt. Heinz, and do not try my patience. Is that clear?” The other me told him angrily, appearing beside him for a moment.
That me reappeared in front of them again.
“I heard no response, captain. Do we understand each other?”
“Is that what we looked like when you made us invisible, Alex?” Maria asked excitedly.
“That’s exactly how it looks, hun.”
Maria smiled brightly.
“Shall we keep walking, gentlemen?” The other me said to her group.
Heinrich abruptly and drunkenly turned right to head inland through some pretty heavy underbrush.
“Where is Papa going? Why is he walking so funny?” Joseph said in alarm!
“The transformation has almost taken full effect, hun. Let’s follow your Papa.” I suggested.
“Heinrich! Where has Heinrich gone?” We heard as we passed through the bushes to follow Heinrich.
“Will he be okay, Alex, will Papa be okay?” Maria asked in concern.
“Heinrich Wolmacher will be fine, hun, your father means far too much to us to allow him to die, but be warned, he is going to change.” I smiled to the worried girl. “I think you will understand in a little while.
Heinrich stumbled on a few more yards before falling to the ground and assuming a fetal position. He even started snoring!
“Just like my Heinie to fall asleep- no less start snoring when he needs to do something important.” Hilde quipped. It was the first time her expression lightened since we arrived on Kili.
“He’s sleeping, Alex?” Maria asked in confusion.
“It is the way the change protects, hun, your Papa is completely unaware of the pain coursing through his body as it changes. He will be like this for about six hours. To suffer that much pain for that long would kill him.”
“Are we going to stand here for that long, Alexandra?” Hilde asked, annoyed.
“I think your momma is starting to believe in me, kids.” I said happily. “No, Hilde Wolmacher, we don’t have to stand here that long. We will still stand right here, though.” I answered cryptically.
Suddenly it was dark. A cloud-barren sky allowed the full moon to flood our surroundings with bright moonlight.
Before us Heinrich Wolmacher still slept, but he looked different than before.
“He’s still sleeping! Boy, was he tired, Alex!” Joseph exclaimed in amazement.
“He looks different, Alex, what’s he changing into?” Maria asked as she cocked her head side to side trying to figure it out.
“It will all become clear with our next advance through time, hun.” I answered.
The only thing that changed was the position of our moon-shadows on the ground.
“He looks smaller, Alex! His hair changed too!” Maria whispered in surprise.
Hilde gasped and immediately looked at Heidi.
“You?” She accused quietly.
Maria too, looked up at Heidi then back down at her slumbering father. She smiled.
“Papa?” Joseph asked as he looked at her too.
“Do you understand now, Hilde?” I asked the woman softly.
“No, I don’t! Why?” She answered with glistening streams running down her cheeks.
“Alex, can I answer that? I think she deserves to hear it from me, personally.” Heidi asked calmly.
I nodded and it was daylight again and we were at the beach on the southern end of the island.
“Would you guys like to play in the sand while Heidi and I talk to your momma?” I asked Maria and Joseph.
“Could we, momma?” They both asked.
“Stay along the water’s edge and stay within sight.” Hilde agreed.
I let go of the hands I was holding. “Go have some fun.” I smiled to the children.
“Hilde,” Heidi began, “There was an American ship that came to our assistance after our collision with another warship. They were only able to rescue twenty-one of the crew before a mysterious tidal wave was spotted. The destroyer quickly got underway and came about to put her bow into it. All hands were ordered below to prepare for the collision. Under the conditions and us being at war, those of us still in the water were expendable.”
“I never thought we would make it through alive, but six of us managed to hold onto our lifeboat even though it had overturned and basically splintered to pieces. The Sand Dollar surfaced just in time and pulled us, as well as four others, aboard. Two others thought drown also appeared. They offered us blankets and water…” She stopped suddenly and stared at me.
“It was the water, wasn’t it? The Mahanilui was in the water!” She said in astonishment.
I nodded.
“What is a Mahanilui, Hein…Heidi?” Hilde asked in confusion.
“The change I went through, they call it the Mahanilui. It is the same process that Alex and her entire crew went through! It made them into who they are now! It is what gave them their gifts!”
Heidi looked up into the tree line and scanned it for a minute. A coconut floated clumsily down and landed awkwardly in her hand.
Heidi smiled in triumph!
“It is what gave me my gift, Hilde!” She told her former wife.
The coconut split open with a loud crack and a spray of liquid!
“Would you like some, my love?” She offered.
“Better finish the story, Miss Wolmacher, we must be going in a few minutes, less we be discovered.” I coaxed.
“I still can’t believe this is really you, Heinrich! Did it hurt?”
“Like Alex said Hilde, I felt nothing until I woke up and found that my clothing didn’t fit anymore. I’m afraid I made myself look like a crazed she-beast after I discovered the changes.” She looked at me. “I am sorry for almost killing your mate, Tibius, Alex. I was confused and disoriented.”
“It’s all part of the process, Heidi. I knew what would happen anyway- Empress, remember?” I said.
Looking back to the tree line, I raised an eyebrow.
“Mother, may I complete this story for Miss Wolmacher?” Alexis’ voice asked from behind us. She was wearing blue denim shorts, white sneakers and bobby socks, and a light blue tank top.
“Hilde, this is my daughter, Alexis, first daughter to the Grand High Counsel of Citadel, Terra.” I introduced.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Wolmacher. Now, since there exist valid survivors of U103, anyone mother rescued could never be returned to their original homes and lives. Those onboard the USS Davis saw firsthand, the fury with which that wave battered them. Sand Dollar too, took some damage despite being two hundred feet below it. If Heidi and her sisters…yes, they have all experienced the Mahanilui, ma’am. If they were to return home after the war, the German Navy would expect a full report on their ‘mysterious’ rescue. The Empress and our sisterhood would inevitably be exposed and possibly abused- by any and all sides. Therefore it was imperative mother relocate them.”
“I have never heard of this ‘Terra’. Where is it exactly?” The stunned woman asked timidly.
Alexis rolled her eyes.
“Terra is that way.” She angrily pointed about thirty-three degrees above the horizon.
“Oh, would that be Africa.”
“Noooo,” Alexis lowered her finger level with the horizon and turned East-southeast. “Africa is that way.” She again raised her finger and faced due south. “Terra is that way. You have to go about six hundred trillion miles that way!” She huffed. “Why can’t you Earthers grasp the idea that life exists on other planets- in other solar systems?”
It was lights out for Hilde Wolmacher!
“She’ll be fine, Heidi.” I told my alarmed companion calmly.
“Alex, if we are on Kili Island, why can’t I sense or even hear Jacquelyn Cummins?” Heidi asked as she tried to revive her former wife.
“She hasn’t arrived from 1918 yet, Miss Wolmacher. My father, daughter and I arrived from Terra early as Mother had asked on our last visit here. Sand Dollar isn’t due to arrive for another hour- at which time you should be long gone so that Aunt Jackie won’t sense you.” Alexis explained. “Nice work on the coconut, by the way. You are developing rapidly- much faster than I anticipated when I saw your arrival, Heidi.”
“Hi, lady. Who are you? Are you related to Alex? Why is momma taking a nap? Is she going to change too? Why are you dressed that way?” Joseph asked as he and Maria came back from the water’s edge.
“Yes, I am related to Alex, honey. I’m her daughter, Alexis.” She smiled cheerfully at the children.
“So, is momma going to change like Papa did?” Maria asked the same question.
“No, your momma is going to stay your momma, Maria. You and Joseph needn’t worry. She just fainted when she found out I was from another planet. She’ll wake up shortly.”
“You’re from another planet?” Joseph’s eyes bulged. Maria gasped in surprise.
“I sure am, honey. Why, don’t I look alien enough to you?”
“No?” The little girl answered with some doubt.
“How ‘bout now, honey?” Alexis asked as her Reilly suit changed back to its default red and blue.
Both children inhaled large quantities of air!
“Do that again!” Joseph laughed!
“Okay. How about this? Does this look better?” Alexis asked as her version of a Federal period circus tent formed around her.
“That’s too old!” Maria wrinkled her nose at the gown.
“Oh, okay, how about I show you a real Terran dress? This is what I wear to important functions on my planet.” My daughter asked as her golden full-length sheath dress appeared.
“Owwwwww, I like that one, frauline.” Maria cooed.
“I like this one too, Maria. Maybe you can have one just like it when we get back.”
Heidi’s eyes almost popped from her skull!
“They’re coming with us, Empress?” She choked.
“They’ve seen too much, Heidi. Kids being kids, either they’d be laughed at and taunted mercilessly, or worse yet, they would be believed. Either way their lives have been forever changed by you…by us.” I told her matter-of-factly. “Besides, I thought you loved your kids and longed to be back with them?”
“You missed us, Heidi?” Maria asked her former Papa. Alexis motioned for Heidi to allow her to hold Hilde’s head and go to the two children.
“I sure did, leibshen, you and Joseph both! Not one day went by that I didn’t think about you two as we sailed from one port to another. I only wish I could have retrieved the photograph I kept under my bed in the submersible.” Heidi said sadly.
“You still have us and momma, Heidi. Aren’t we better than an old photograph?” Joseph consoled her.
The woman said nothing; instead, she corralled the two children in her arms and hugged them tight. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks.
“Yes, you two are better than any old photograph!”
Hilde started to stir in Alexis’ care.
“Did you enjoy your respite, Mrs. Wolmacher?”
“What…what happened?” The confused woman slurred out.
“The Mahanilui does not last as long when partaken by a young female, Hilde- less things to change- less to do.” Alexis informed her.
“Mahanilui?” Her eyes flew open!
“How else would you expect to survive on Terra? Our blue dwarf star, Solara, emits far too much ultraviolet radiation and would kill a normal human within hours of their arrival.” Alexis explained.
“Why would we go to this planet with you?”
“Because we know too much, momma! Alex said we can go with Heidi and Alexis! Isn’t that wonderful?”
“My children! Will Joseph change like Hein…Heidi?”
“No, father and his team have developed a modified form of the nanobots that make up the Mahanilui. Instead of modifying the subject’s genetic sex based on a recalled image in memory, this variant saves the genetic code and adds the needed standard enhancements.” Alexis told a bewildered Hilde.
She just stared at my daughter, not comprehending any of what was just said.
“What Alexis means is that Maria and Joseph will only change slightly, but they will still be who they are. All four of you will live many times longer now, and you will heal many times faster too! Oh…and you may have received a gift or two in the deal! Only time will tell, as they say!” I giggled.
“Children, its time to go! Let’s everyone join hands and I’ll show you a really special place!” I offered my hands and we formed a circle. Hilde, as expected, was the last one to join hands.
The sun-drenched beach on the southern end of Kili became one of Reilly’s guest quarters.
“This is not the room you assigned to me, Alex. Whose room is this?”
“Look around and you tell me, Miss Wolmacher.” I smiled deviously.
“Heidi! Look what I found!” Maria shouted as she took a frame off a stand by one of the four, large beds in the room. She handed it to her.
Heidi’s eyes grew wet as she gazed upon the color photograph that I would go back and take- after Heidi told me where and when it was taken tomorrow morning. I would also have to remember not to forget the strawberry strudel Randi Peterson would bake for my secondary trip.
Heidi ran to me and wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you, Empress! You don’t know how much this means to me! I thought I had lost everything- including my life before you rescued us! Now, I not only have my life and family, I also have the one thing that kept me focused on the 103!” She cried as her tears ran down her face in a steady stream!
“This isn’t the same photograph, Heidi! This one looks real! You can even see the true colors of our clothes! How is that possible, Alex?” Hilde pointed out as she examined the picture.
“Frau Wolmacher, there are a great many things that will be new to you and your family from now on- one of which being the advent of color photography. Another technological wonder is the clothing I am going to ask you to change into right now.” I told my companions as I touched the blank wall to open the closet. Three Reilly suits hung side by side- two children’s sized suits and one adult suit.
“Those are for us, Alex?” Maria shouted in excitement! She ran right over and tried to grab a suit from its hanger.
“There is one for each of you and one is enough for anyone, honey!” I smiled as I handed the garment to her. She ran to the other side of the room and immediately began to strip!
Alexis laughed and then stared at me. “Really, mother? Willy Wonka? You had to quote from Willy Wonka?”
“Quote from who, hun?” I asked having no idea what or whom she meant.
Heidi had excused herself and followed Maria across the room to help her change.
“Ladies, all previous clothing must be removed for all suit functions to operate properly. Hilde, you get Joseph changed.” I advised. “Once the children are done, we’ll take them just outside to allow you some privacy.”
1130 hours, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, July 10th, 2029
“So, what do you think of our ‘Space-Age’ clothing, Frau Wolmacher?” I asked as we re-entered the guest quarters.
“How can you wear these things? I feel as though I’m being cut in half!” Hilde remarked.
“You get used to them. At first I asked the same questions, Hilde.” I giggled at her discomfort, relating it to my own all those years ago.
Was it truly possible that fourteen years had passed me by since my Mahanilui? Fourteen…wait, that was counting my future self’s memories into the calculation! I started to rethink how long I had visited each place in my travels- just my travels. A few weeks here, a month there- three long frustrating years on Terra the first time then another four months there recuperating from ‘Bad Alex’.
It was five years, not fourteen! I was still in my mid thirties, not mid forties! I outwardly exhaled a sigh of relief.
“What? I’m sorry I don’t like the fit, Alex! Isn’t there something more comfortable to wear instead?” Hilde complained, misled by my response.
“The Reilly suit can become any form of clothing you like, Hilde. We just need to introduce you to the suit first. Alexis could you do the honors, please?”
“Of course, Mother Empress.” She smiled deviously, having gotten a Terran ‘dig’ in on me. Sometimes she reminded me so much of her sister, Cassandra!
‘Cassie is a hardheaded, rule bending copy of you, mother! I, on the other hand, try to follow the rules…when I can!’ She replied in my head.
‘When you feel you might get caught, that is!’ I thought back. ‘I still love you though, despite…’ I started to giggle out loud as I recalled some future memories of Alexis at thirteen. On that visit she had decided to change her hair color. When I arrived to visit, I was met with Alexis sporting some God-awful, iridescent, purple, yellow, and green Mohawk! Not only that, but her skirt was so short you could almost see…
‘MOTHER!’
“But Josie Two-Eagles thought you looked…very…um…cultural!” I said aloud and began laughing.
“Mother, shouldn’t we be preparing our guests for their departure?” Alexis asked tersely.
“RVP, time, please?” I asked the A.I.
“1139hrs, Alex. Sensors have not picked up Sand Dollar yet.”
“Thanks, hun. Wolmachers, we have a little under three minutes before Sand Dollar returns from 1918.” I informed them.
“Who was that, Alex?” Joseph asked me innocently.
“I am RVP, Joseph. I am the voice of this Research Station. I take care of the station systems and assist everyone residing in these walls.”
“Wow!” He said, as his eyes grew larger.
“And I am your ride to your new home, Joseph.” Alexandra said cheerfully as she appeared next to me. On her opposite side was Tibius.
“Do you see that, momma, there’s two of her!” Maria screamed in excitement.
“Almost right, little Maria. I am her granddaughter, Alexandra. Y’all can still call me Alex though.” Alexandra looked to me and smiled. “Are we ready to travel across the galaxy then?” She asked.
“Are you taking us to Terra, Alexandra?” Joseph asked.
“Yep!”
“Wow!”
“Do you not want to go, young squire?” Tibius asked as he bent down to the young boy and gently put his hand on the small shoulder.
“I’m not a squire, I’m a Wolmacher! Joseph Friedrich Wolmacher!” He complained, setting the strangely dressed, older man straight.
“Yes you are son, and when you become a man, you will make your parents proud.” He told the young man with a smile.
“So, before we go, I’d like all of you to think about your decision to live on Terra. I’m afraid you won’t be there for very long as we are preparing to depart our Homeworld and travel to a new planet- in a new solar system. You see, our sun is about to die and therefore we must move or face extinction. Are you each willing to make a new home twice more?” Tibius asked the four, but concentrated on Maria and Joseph individually.
“We go where our momma and Heidi go.” Maria answered confidently for everyone.
Tibius again smiled at the two children then stood up. He looked into Hilde’s eyes in a similar manner to Uncle Rick.
“Lady Hilde, if you are unsure of this venture, you are welcome to stay here on Earth. I cannot guarantee life will be as pleasurable on Terra Nuevo as on Terra. Life will be difficult before we get our basic systems up and running. You may have to manually cook or wash dishes by hand- there may be plenty of walking involved before our transport system becomes active.”
Hilde had looked concerned as Tibius started warning of the difficulties in setting up a new civilization on a new world, but looked relieved when he gave examples.
“I wash dishes and cook meals now! Why would those things be considered hardships?”
Heidi looked relieved at her former wife’s response.
“Time’s running out, Tibius.” I reminded. He looked at me in amazement, but nodded his understanding.
“Heidi Wolmacher, I need to hear your decision, please.”
His eyes got a little bigger and he began to laugh. “Such amazing development! Thank you, M’lady.”
Tibius turned to Hilde. “And you, Lady Hilde? What is your choice?”
The woman’s face turned bright red!
‘YES’ echoed through my skull so loudly, I was amazed I could still hear!
“Momma, you didn’t need to shout so loud! We could hear you well enough already!” Maria scolded her mother.
Tibius smiled and looked my way.
“As usual I am amazed at the swift grasp you Earthers have on gifted abilities, my love!” He chuckled then paused.
“I wish to meet with you on your original arrival to Reilly, Empress!” He looked back at the Wolmachers.
“On behalf of all Terra and especially the city of Citadel. I, Tibius, Grand High Counsel of Citadel, welcome you to our society and our planet. You will make fine citizens, friends, and especially family! May you be happy in your new home!”
Heidi, Hilde, Maria, and Joseph took Alexandra’s outstretched hands.
“Will you come visit us, Alex?” Maria asked. Her smile ebbed slightly.
Had she just read my mind, I wondered?
“I may not visit until after the move to Terra Neuvo, but I will visit, hun.” I told her with a smile. Learn your lessons well and behave for your mommas, you two!” I added.
“Grandmother Empress, aren’t you forgetting something?” Alexandra raised her right eyebrow and tilted her head motioning toward Heidi.
“No I didn’t forget anything, Empress.” I smiled slyly. “Heidi, we have unfinished business to take care of.” I told the woman. “Kids, I need to borrow your Papa for a while. Alexandra will be bringing her back to you momentarily, along with your new aunts.”
“Heidi will be back with y’all in about fifteen minutes, okay?” Alexandra told them.
Both children nodded.
“Until before, Empress.” Alexandra said. Confusing as it sounded, she was exactly right.
“Until then, Empress.” I replied.
The four of them disappeared leaving Tibius, Alexis, Heidi, and I in the room.
I took Heidi’s hand. “We’ll see you tomorrow.” I said to them as I phased us out.
Heidi Wolmacher’s quarters became the director’s conference room.
“It’s about time you two got back, Alex!” Uncle Rick growled.
“RVP, how long have Miss Wolmacher and I been gone?” I asked and winked at my uncle.
“Five minutes and four seconds, Alex.”
“Thank you, RVP.” I giggled.
In a hurry to go somewhere, Admiral?” I asked.
“No, it just seemed to take you forever.” He replied with a little chuckle.
“So how did things go, Heidi?” Alexandra asked as she handed Alexia back to Marcus.
“As Alex would say, ‘everything is as it should be’, Empress. Thank you for your patience, ma’am.”
My granddaughter grinned and winked at her. “Glad to hear it, sister.”
“Empress, I am ready to leave for home when you are.” Heidi added with a nervous smile.
The others stared at their crewmate as if her personality had changed drastically-, which by all accounts, it had. Maybe one day she would reveal to them her exploits with the Empress…then again, they all would have many chances to travel with the Empress of Time and Space!
“What changed in you, lieutenant?” Miss Heinz asked in amazement.
Heidi thought for a moment before answering. “I saw my past and glimpsed my new future, Captain. I saw how I truly made and will make a difference. Alex has given me the opportunity to see how my life will change- how it will affect others- how in many ways it becomes better. She showed me responsibilities I could never have dreamed of previously- responsibilities that will challenge, even test me, my friend! I’m afraid it was too enticing to pass up.” She explained, smiling brightly.
I wondered exactly how much Heidi had been able to see in my mind before I consciously fire walled her prying.
“They have brainwashed you somehow!” Honi Meyer accused. “They will brainwash us all!” She declared as she jumped up from the table, slamming it with her closed fists.
“That will be enough, Honi Meyer.” Heidi told the girl in a calm controlled tone. Her face flushed, as she seemed to concentrate harder.
Honi was suddenly a foot or two taller and looked completely shocked that she couldn’t move!
“You will stay seated and listen to everything these kind people tell you or I WILL demonstrate how far my gift has developed in the hours since my Mahanilui! Now sit back down, Lieutenant!”
Jack was smiling ear to ear as she watched the event unfold. The other new girls watched in horror at the confrontation before them.
“Heidi, I know the action was well intended, but Terrans do not threaten or harm other Terrans, M’lady!” Tibius informed her. “Please put Lady Honi down gently. The Terran people work things out diplomatically and politely! We are not barbarians!”
“What they did to us on our arrival was real polite and diplomatic, eh Alex?” Jack snorted in contempt.
“What we did on your arrival to Terra, Lady Jacquelyn, was detain you and your companions until we could be sure that the Empress was really ‘the’ Empress! Did it not occur to you that the one referred to as ‘Bad Alex’ had paid us a visit before your arrival- or that those six barbarians, hell-bent on destroying anyone or anything in their path, warranted closer scrutiny?” Tibius’ voice conveyed some anger. He took a cleansing breath and paused a moment to compose himself.
“Forgive me Lady Jacquelyn, I forget it is considered humor on this planet to make light of difficult situations one’s self faces. I will use an Earther quote though, if I may?” He paused a second.
“Lady Jacquelyn, please give it a rest!”
Jack’s mouth dropped open and she remained quiet.
“I knew it was only a matter of time!” I giggled and shook my head!
“Empress?” Tibius looked confused by my statement.
“It was only a matter of time before us ‘Earthers’ rubbed off on y’all, Tibius!” I laughed.
“For most of us, time is a constant in our lives, my love.” He laughed back. “That, and my admiration for you, Alexandra Steinert-Fleming!”
“Hun, the hyphen hasn’t happened yet. How many times do I have to remind y’all in one visit?”
“An infinite number, I’m afraid! I will never grow weary of you or your melodious voice, my love.”
For once I didn’t know how to respond! I did, however, feel a strange sensation in my stomach- a very pleasant sensation I remembered feeling on occasion before- a feeling I quickly tried to dispatch to the farthest extents of my conscience before I did something that was foreseen but highly inadvisable!
“This is absolutely amazing!” Alexis chimed out. “Mother is flustered! Does that mean the cosmos and all of the universes are doomed to collapse?”
“Hardly, mother!” Alexandra scoffed. “There will be many more times when Grandmother will be rendered speechless.” She said, smiling deviously and winking once.
Deciding that any response would only lead to more ribbing from the Terrans, I instead looked over our nine guests.
“Are there any other questions we can answer about your new identities, Terra, or us?” I asked and waited.
“Sir Tibius, you referred to Heidi Wolmacher as ‘M’lady’. Back in Germany that term applied to nobility such as the Kaiser’s courtesans. Is that just your term for women on Terra, or are we to be considered actual royalty?” Madeline Heinz asked after a minute.
“Lady Madeline, because we have been without feminine accompaniment for nearly a millennium, all female Terrans are considered rare and therefore royalty! Such nobility is treated with the utmost kindness, love, and compassion that it deserves! On Terra, women are truly considered a treasure, m’lady.” Tibius answered respectfully.
“So we are royalty then- and will be treated accordingly?”
“Mostly, but you will be free to engage in employment and participate in our social events- meaning you will not exactly be waited on hand and foot for the rest of your lives as with royalty here on Earth. As a Terran, you will be required to contribute to society in some form and degree. Lady’s Alexis and Alexandra have agreed to act as mentors to advise and guide all of you through the myriad of protocols, rules, and restraints that protect the rights of every Terran.”
“Empress, what should we look forward to if we choose to stay on Earth?” Heinz asked, looking at me.
“As you live your now extended lives, you will witness the slow transition of attitudes toward women here on Earth. True equality for us will finally arrive in the mid to late twenty-first century. Before then, you can expect to be treated much the same as you yourselves treated you’re wives and female acquaintances. Besides being expected to be predominately submissive where men are concerned, you will be treated by most as beings only useful as secretaries or common housemaids. Also, roughly every half century you will find it necessary to disappear and reinvent yourselves because of our longer lifespans. I can tell you from memory that it is by far the hardest thing to do to a husband or other loved one!” I looked down in sadness as memories of Sanford came to mind. “Makeup can only make you look so old before people start to notice that you really haven’t aged a day, I’m afraid.”
“How long can we expect to live, Empress?” Honi asked.
I paused a minute to think about how I should reply. Uncle Rick was here and I didn’t want to really answer in his presence, but I did say I’d answer any question. I sighed audibly and swallowed hard.
“A few hundred. “ I told them cryptically.
“A few hundred? Like two or three hundred years?” Honi asked in surprise.
I gulped once more and looked over to Uncle Rick nervously. “More like eight or nine…hundred, Goddesses willing.”
I was met with a collective gasp from the table.
“What would we possibly do for that long of an existence, Empress?”
“Anything you put your mind to, Miss Meyer! Start by increasing your knowledge and intellect. Find and experience love. Enrich your long life in ways you’ve only dreamed! In short, Miss Meyer, experience any and everything possible! Live your life to the fullest extent imaginable!”
“How will we do that?” Mandy Heinz asked.
“However you wish within the legal boundaries of whichever society you choose, of course.” I giggled.
“Be advised though, that you stand a much better chance of blending in among people that share similar gifts. I don’t have to tell you how you would be treated on Earth if the general populous found out. That is exactly why we keep this facility actively maintained. It is our respite from those whom wish us harm.” I warned.
“So you are more or less urging us to leave Earth then?”
“Hardly, Mandy. Our sisterhood has not only remained out of the population’s eye, but we have begun to flourish! Where in 1944 we numbered a mere eighty, in 2029 the people of Kili Island have grown to over one thousand. That is not counting the present population of Terran-Earthers and Reilly-Earthers that have called Earth home for over six thousand years.”
“You mean you have been here that long, Empress?” One of the other women, Joanne- previously Johan, finally spoke up.
“Of course. I brought Reilly to this very site over five thousand years ago. Why, I remember it like it was just last month!”
“That’s because to the rest of us it was just last month, Alex.” Jack jeered.
“Frauline RVP, do you have any painkillers I might take to relieve this pounding in my head?” Joanne asked our A.I. as she rubbed her temples.
“I have it, RVP.” Jack said producing and reaching into her purse. “I always carry enough for an extended time trip, Miss Stemp.” Jack told her while looking at me with her eyebrows raised.
“Danke, Frauline.” She thanked Jack after accepting the three tablets offered her.
The woman tossed all three into her mouth and picked up her water glass.
Heidi tensed up visibly!
‘Relax, hun, once you go through the Mahanilui, the water can’t hurt you. The newly introduced Nanos simply accept the resident Nano programming. No further changes will occur.’ I thought to her to reassure her.
‘It would have been nice to tell me that before the others noticed, Alex!’ She thought back.
“You’ll do, hun!” I said aloud and laughed.
Everyone but Jack looked at me in confusion. My Ex-O simply sat and quietly smiled from the far end of the table.
‘Has no one else been listening to our conversation, ladies?’ I thought, hoping to broadcast to the entire table.
Jack, Tibius, Alexis, Alexandra, Markus, and Heidi joined me in looking at each of the others seated around the table. Nine heads slowly glanced down at the table. Only Uncle Rick seemed to be left out.
“So you all understand the problems to be faced here on Earth?” I asked out loud.
“My sisters,” Heidi began, “There has been nothing said about taking up permanent residence on Terra! I’m sure the Empress…”
Alexandra and I cleared our throats simultaneously.
Heidi blushed slightly. “I’m sure Alex would return any of us back here to Earth if we just asked! Why not just agree to reside on Terra and then maybe Terra Nuevo on a trial basis?” Heidi turned to Alexandra and I. “Could you possibly agree to a trial period, Alex? Alexis? Sir Tibius?”
Tibius sat quietly, watching Heidi intensely while Alexis and her daughter waited for his answer.
“By the Lords of Terra! How many times have you called ‘checkmate’ on me these last few days, my love?” He finally asked of me.
“I wasn’t aware we were playing chess, sire.” I smiled deviously.
“Not formally, no, but I do look forward to our one on one skirmishes, Alex.”
“What are you two talking about, Alex?” Heidi looked very confused, as did everyone else not in on our usual banter.
“Lady Heidi, the Empress has once again proven herself a very formidable adversary! On my last visit here she told me she would find a suitable apprentice for me to tutor- that I would immediately be impressed with the way she negotiated and bargained. I wondered how and where such a unique individual would be found. Alex prophesized there would be one with the courage, tact, and patience to be just that, and that I would meet her on my next visit to Earth. Although knowing of the Empress’s reputation, I had my doubts. My experience with Earthers other than those of Reilly show them to be impatient and critical of others,” Tibius glanced at Jack quickly, “and self centered for the most part! Present company excluded, Richard.” He continued, bowing slightly to Uncle Rick.
“You mean me?” Heidi asked with disbelief in her voice. “How can I be that person, Alex? Sir Tibius, I’m afraid I could never take on the duties and responsibilities that a man of your authority carries! I am not the one Alex spoke of, sir.”
“Oh, but you are, M’lady, for to be my apprentice, one must also be understanding, accepting of new things, and especially…unbiased and humble! All requested criteria are met in you, Lady Heidi!” Tibius looked over the unbelieving woman for a moment.
“I offer you position on my advisory team. There you will work alongside my daughter, her husband, Nathan, Alex Reilly’s mate, Gailan, Constance, and I. Please seriously consider the tendered offer, M’lady.”
The entire room went silent! Alexandra looked at me with a huge Cheshire Cat grin. Winking once, she nodded to me. Alexis stared at her daughter in total amazement! Had she even used her gift to see this event, I wondered?
Heidi Wolmacher’s mouth opened slightly a few times, but no words came out. Instead, she looked to me in such a way that asked why- why had I done this? It made me feel proud that I had helped this young woman on her way to a rewarding, thrilling, very challenging, and wonderful new life. The best part was I had even reunited her with her family! They too would enjoy the amazing life ahead of them.
I only hoped Momma Scott could forgive me for upsetting ‘Upper Management’. From what I could imagine, they were capable of making my life far worse than anything the elderly Hilde Wolmacher would’ve faced had we not traveled back and rectified Heidi’s curse on her in my domain.
A cold chill coursed through my body at that exact instant and, for a second it felt like some unseen entity had placed a single kiss to my forehead!
Alexia suddenly began laughing and cooing, as she appeared to be staring at something or someone right in front of her!
My eyes instantly scanned the walls and ceiling around me. Both her parents joined my search of the empty space.
Maybe I was wrong in my last assumption?
Knowing she was probably watching, but unsure of what I had felt or observed, I silently thanked Ruth Scott.
“Alexandra, my love. Could you come back to us?” I heard Tibius calling to get my attention.
I wondered how long I was ‘gone’ this time. I blinked several times on reflex.
“Alex, we need your decision on the issue placed before Council for consideration.” Tibius said in a calm, gentle voice. “Would the Empress be willing to honor the aforementioned contract or does she decline the proposed suggestion?” He continued. “Remember, you are still an active, though member emeritus, of my advisory team, my love.”
“If…” I paused to remember exactly what I was voting on, “If Alexandra has no qualms with that arrangement I have none either, sire. May I suggest a sort of probationary period of say, one year?”
“One Terran year or one Earth year, Empress?”
“One Earth year or nine Terran months, Grand High Counsel.” I specified and winked with a devious smile.
“Lady Heidi, is this amendment acceptable to your clients?” Tibius asked.
Heidi looked stunned by the question placed to her! She looked to concentrate for a moment before her nine new sisters all nodded in agreement.
“Grand High Counsel, the women of U103 are in agreement of the suggested time requirement.” She declared and paused for a second. “Sir Tibius, I have been asked if this contract be binding unilaterally or on an individual basis?”
I giggled before I could cover my mouth. In essence, Heidi had already made her long-term decision, but was camouflaging her personal inquiry!”
Again my future Terran mate was speechless as he stared at me. I simply shrugged as I raised my hands. He started laughing.
“My advisors, as Grand High Counsel, I declare a vote to be in order! How do thou rule?” He finally asked after a minute or two.
‘Empresses?’ I heard him ask in my head.
‘Aye’, Alexandra thought.
‘Aye’, I thought to him after her.
‘Alexis?’
‘Aye, father.’
‘Lady Jacquelyn, in place of your daughter Constance, your choice please?’
‘Aye, sire.’
“Thank you, m’lady!’
‘Richard?’
Tibius nodded to my uncle. ‘Thank you, Richard.’
‘Lady Heidi?’
The girl suddenly looked at him in terror!
‘What is your choice, M’lady? Aye or Ney?’
‘But I haven’t accepted your generous offer yet!’
‘Lady Heidi, your vote please, M’lady?’ Tibius replied in calm thought.
Heidi blushed physically. ‘Aye, Sir Tibius.’
“Thank you, my renowned and trusted advisors!” Tibius said verbally. “Lady’s of…um…U103? The vote was unanimous. The motion to live on Terra for the specified trial period of one Earth year has been ratified! On behalf of the people of Terra and the city and people of Citadel, I welcome you to our society!”
Alexandra gently tapped my shoulder and tilted her head toward the door slightly. The tingle between us felt reassuring.
The conference room became my private, dim void.
“This isn’t what I had in mind, grandmother!”
“I thought maybe you wanted to talk somewhere a little less public.”
“Whatever, grandma! Did you have to be so blunt and obvious? I mean the reference to nine Terran months? Really? Nine months, grandma?”
“Well I had to leave time for them each to find a mate, didn’t I? Besides, a Terran month is roughly nine days longer than an average Earth month, hun.”
“But nine months, grandma? Why not just tell them that they wouldn’t want to leave Terra instead of setting a time limit?”
“This way they can still have the option- should they want to take it, honey.”
“We both know that that won’t happen, now don’t we?”
“But they don’t know that. “ I giggled.
“Alexandra Steinert!” A familiar, but angry voice rang out loudly from all around us.
I gulped reflexively. “Yes, momma?”
Ruth Scott appeared before the two of us- her expression was not pleasant at all!
“Alexandra! You changed the rules yet again! What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?”
“I only did it to save the soul of someone that was dearly loved by one of my sisters, ma’am.” I replied shyly. For whatever reason, I felt like a child getting a good scolding. An image of Pa’s belt came to mind.
“And have I not told you that the higher-ups have specific rules that must be followed in our realm?”
“Yes you have, ma’am- on many occasions.” I admitted quietly.
“So why do you consistently disregard them and do as you please, young lady? Have you no respect for your superiors, Alexandra?”
“I do, ma’am, but sometimes I believe exceptions are warranted…ma’am.” I replied a little louder.
“Warranted? Alexandra, do you know why those rules have been put in place?”
“To keep order in your dimension, ma’am?”
“That and to insulate our ‘dimension’, as you call it, from yours! Think of what would happen if each of us could change the rules at our whim! What do you think would happen?”
“I don’t know, maybe chaos?”
“Don’t be smart with me, young lady! You know exactly what would happen! People on both sides would communicate! There would be no clear barrier between the here and now, and the hereafter! The perception- stigma- fear- of crossing over would become moot! There would be no reason to ‘live’ on your side!”
“Great-grandmother Ruth, aren’t you being a bit too theatrical? The Empress was just doing her job- protecting the ones she loves from harm- all manner of harm. That includes severely broken hearts!”
“That is enough, young Alexandra! You will speak when prompted to do so!” Ruth Scott hissed!
“Mother, she has every right to speak her mind! I will not have you talk that way to my granddaughter!” I said, finally feeling Mother Scott had gone too far. “Alexandra is mah responsibility, not yours! An’ in case y’all hadn’t noticed, ah was’n give the ‘Regs’ manual when ah got throwed to this job! So, ah’m jus gonna wing it ‘til told otherwise! An if ah d’termine one ah mah sisters’ll be happier with her fam’ly, then, by God that’s what um gonna do! If upper man’gement’s got problems with that then they shoulda established the ‘rules’ before now, momma! Just so happens that me an’ Alex err ah the same mind ‘bout Heidi’s kin! If y’all wanna hang us fer that then go right ‘head! Ah’m stickin’ ta the b’lief ah done the right choice, ma’am!”
As Pa would say, I give her both barrels!
“Alexandra.”
“Ya, what now?” I growled!
“The higher-ups agree with you, sweetheart!” Ruth Scott’s angry frown became a pleasant smile and she moved close enough to wrap her arms around me!
“They wish me to convey their pleasure and approval that you saved a lost soul from herself! Marvelous job, both of you!” She smiled and kissed each of us once on the forehead.
A shudder ran up my spine!
“It was you!” I accused.
“What was me?”
“You kissed my forehead in the conference room a little while ago, didn’t you? Little Alexia could see you!”
Alexandra gasped at my accusation and we both glared at our elder as she giggled a few times.
“In the words of the military, I can neither confirm nor deny that accusation, sweetheart!”
“Why read us the riot act, Great-grandmother, if we pleased upper management?” My Alexandra asked.
“Though you did the right thing this and previous times, they wished me to emphasize the need for constraint and order, my children. They didn’t define how I should do that though, so I just approached it as a mother would her children- which you both are.”
“You’re as big a tease as Grandmother!” Alexandra snorted out.
“There is something to be said about family, sweetheart. You, I hear, are quite the tease as well, my great-granddaughter! Apparently the apple does not fall far from the family tree after all, despite the great time and distance between birthplaces.”
“Are we through here, Great-grandmother Scott? I have new recruits to transport back to Terra and I’d like to do that before Alexia’s next birthday?” Alexandra asked in sarcastic defiance.
Ruth Scott smiled evilly.
“Be forewarned that ‘upper management’, as we call them, do have their limits, Empress of Time and Space! If exceeded, you will be called upon to answer for your actions! Remember, your gift as you yourself, proclaimed earlier, can be rescinded! As my children, I would not wish for that to happen to either of you.”
Momma Scott moved her head to the side of mine as she hugged me again. “Keep up the good work, Alex. I’m so proud of you and Alexandra! I’m proud of all my girls!” She whispered in my ear.
I could see a slight glistening at the corners of her eyes when she stepped back from us.
“I will leave you now, Empress. Remember that you are always under a friendly eye and that help is only a dimension away. Until another time, my children. Travel safe.”
Ruth Scott suddenly disappeared and Alexandra and I were left alone in my private domain.
“She left in a rush, didn’t she?”
“Sometimes.” I answered and then looked around us. “I never noticed how lonely this place could get. You ever feel that way, Alex?”
“On occasion, Grandma.”
We stood silent for a few minutes.
“Grandma, I want you to know that this next big thing with Connie…its…well, I’ve seen it’s going to…” She stopped abruptly and embraced me- practically squeezing the breath from my lungs! I felt her body shudder and heard her pain-laden crying begin.
I let her go on for a while. I had seen the results and didn’t want to think or be reminded about it. My granddaughter, though, was still concerned. Had she seen the same scenario only with a different outcome?
“Honey, I’ll be fine. Don’t let doubt cloud what you have seen or know. You know that I have to do this and nobody else. I’ve found a place where Connie can go supercritical and not hurt anyone or thing. You have to trust that I’ve done my homework on this one, Alex.” I told her as I gently combed my fingers through her hair. “I may not be in the best of shape when I appear in Citadel’s Community Park, but I’ll survive. I’ve done so before, now dry those eyes and let’s get back to Reilly, okay?”
“How can you be so accepting? Aren’t you the least bit afraid, grandma?” She asked inching back and looking into my eyes- eyes that, at the moment, were different in color from hers.
“Hun, I’d be lyin’ if I told y’all I’m okay with this.” I said then paused. “Sometimes though, we just have to tell ourselves this is the only way and to just settle up. Whether I survive or not, this must be done…and I’m prepared for whatever happens. We’ve both seen that I make it- my future self is the proof, but I’m ready should something go wrong.”
“I love you grandma.”
“I love you too, hun. Now dry your eyes so the others won’t notice we’ve been gone, okay?”
Alexandra nodded while still blinking her stinging eyes.
After waiting a few moments I slowly reached out and touched her hand. Gently taking it into mine I appraised the woman next to me- my exact duplicate in every way save experience and upbringing. When I thought we were ready, I thought about the exact second that we had left for my domain.
The dim void became the bright, populated director’s conference room.
“Why the long faces, Empress?” Tibius asked as we reappeared. To everyone else watching, we had never left.
“Just some bad memories from one of my recent missions, that’s all, sire.” I told him.
Uncle Demmit looked at me with a discerning eye for a moment. Heidi also showed moderate concern.
“I’ve known you for too long, my love, there is something…”
I broadcast my memories of the ‘A’-bomb test at White Sands, NM.
Everyone but Uncle Rick, Alexandra and I jumped!
“Alex, I wish you would stop doing that every damn time you want a subject to drop!” Jack cursed. “The next time you do that someone may get…!” She added, her face angry with me then melting into confusion. It wasn’t often I shut her out of my thoughts.
Alexandra suddenly stepped back from me and quickly took Marcus’ hand. She, Marcus, and Alexia disappeared instantly.
“I see.” Tibius said simply while the others stared at his calm reaction.
“Well I don’t see!” Heidi said angrily. “I’ve never seen anything or any memory like that in my life! What does it mean, Alex?”
“Earth’s greatest achievment! The harnessing of the atom, Miss Wolmacher.” Tibius answered, as I surprisingly remained quiet.
“What is an atom, sire?”
“Atoms are what we all are made up of, my dear. When energy of some form is introduced into an unstable mass of atoms, a vastly larger amount of energy is released. Used peacefully the resulting fission reaction can be used to create heat and steam, thereby generating electricity. When used as a weapon…” His voice trailed off as he looked over and spied the tears running down my face.
“The Empress has seen her share of tragedies. Let’s leave it at that, shall we, my apprentice?”
Heidi looked at me in deep concern for several minutes then her attention turned back to Tibius.
“Of course, sire. The topic will be breached no more. I’m sorry for asking such a delicate question, Alex. Apparently there are more facets to you than I have seen. Forgive me, my Empress.” She said bowing slightly to me.
Alexandra came walking into the conference room. She had apparently changed clothes. Marcus and Alexia were no longer with her.
“Welcome back, Empress. “ Tibius said as he stood and embraced her. I trust your mate and daughter are safe back home?”
“They are Grand High Counsel.” Alexandra answered somewhat neutrally.
A cold chill shot up my spine!
“Mother, we must take our leave. Counsel, have the women of U103 given their consent?”
“They have, Empress, but you were here for the advisory vote!” Tibius looked confused as he reminded her.
“Alex, I’m sorry for whatever happened.” I said as I moved closer to her and extended my hand.
“Grandmother, you will not touch me! Ah don’t wish for y’all to exchange memories at this time!”
Uncle Rick stood up at this point and approached my granddaughter.
“Alexandra, could I interest you in a hot cup of cocoa?” He said as he touched her arm.
“Some other time, Uncle! I’d like to get back home before Alexia gets back from school.”
“Tibius, as well as Alexis’ mouths dropped.
It was beginning to make sense to me. Whatever would happen would take years for my granddaughter to recover from! Had I been too cavalier in my handling of her concern for my safety?
Maybe I should revisit my plan for the upcoming ‘mission’.
“Mother, Grandfather, we have to leave. If everyone going to Terra would please hold hands.” Alexandra asked calmly. Her eyes never again made contact with mine.
As everyone stood, Uncle Rick, Jack and I stepped back and allowed our newest women to join hands.
Tibius looked over to me.
“Take care, my love. I will be thinking about you and praying that the Lords of Terra protect you no matter what!”
Alexis looked at her father in shock then stared at me in disbelief.
“Empress, until we meet again.” I said to Alexandra.
I noticed a single tear run down her stoic cheek before they disappeared.
“What got into her?” Jack asked as she looked at me. Her question was rhetorical, but had a deeper meaning.
“Alex, what is going to happen? Are you going to be okay?” Uncle Rick asked in concern.
“Why did you shut me out, Cap? You only do that when you’re going to do something very dangerous…and by yourself!” Jack asked as she tried to stare the answer from me.
“It’s none of your concern, Commander! It’s something that should have been taken care of by my future self a long time ago, but has fallen to me instead. I guess it was always destined to fall to me though as I seem to be the ‘center’ or focus Empress!” I growled.
“Can you be more confusing, Capt. Steinert?” Uncle Rick asked sternly.
“Believe me; it makes perfect sense if you understand the issue and the circumstances behind it, Admiral.” I replied.
“Enlighten me, Alex.”
“I’m sorry, uncle, but I can’t! Too many things would change, and I’m not at liberty to allow that to happen, sir.”
The three of us remained quiet for several minutes before I broke the silence.
“Commander, I want the Sand Dollar ready for temporal departure at 0800hrs tomorrow.”
“Aye.” Jack acknowledged sadly. She was still looking at me with concern.
“If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my quarters. Admiral?” I said as I straightened.
“Carry on, Captain.” He said with a skeptical eye.
I turned and quickly walked away not wanting either of them to see my newly forming tears.
Tears of what would happen in the next few days.
Tears of the unknown danger that awaited me.
Authors Notes:
This sort of concludes the second season of South of Bikini. Just like the Empress, there may be a little teaser I'll submit in the coming weeks. My thanks for the many comments I've received this season and last.
A special thanks to JessicaNicole and Puddintane for their generous corrections to my 'Google Translate-based German'.
Season 3 will be out after a yet to be determined hiatus if the comments indicate interest.
Thank you all for reading,
R. G. Beyer
As promised, the final teaser of Season 2.
Episode 11 “Addendums”
Excerpt from Flagstaff Observer, March 12th, 2020
AP-Kitts Peak National Observatory, Arizona- Scientists this morning have announced the occurrence of what they suspect is the first ever detected Matter-Antimatter reaction in another galaxy. Researchers here at Kitts Peak National Observatory watched in humbled amazement as the Gamma and Cosmic wave detectors flew off the charts at 4:05AM MST. The source of these immense waves- strong enough to disable several orbiting satellites and cause deep concern for the ISS crew- have been tracked to the star M353, a red giant system-gone supernova estimated at over eleven million light-years from Earth.
“Imagine the intensity of that explosion”, one astronomer, Prof. James Gregg, remarked with excitement! “Even if you took all the atomic, nuclear, hydrogen and neutron bombs ever manufactured on Earth, it would equate to only a very miniscule fraction of the energy released from M353! The energy output from this thing was simply staggering!”
Another researcher with the Observatory, Dr. Shelley Carroll, tried to put a human spin to the massive explosion. “Try to imagine the rage- the extremely focused hate- the unimaginable sadness, not to mention the full gambit of emotions a woman could release after just finding out her boyfriend cheated with her best friend! Believe me, that’s a lot of destructive force! Now imagine if that vengeful woman had really fantastic super powers!”
Mr. Gregg went on to say that it was a good thing Earth was so far away from what he dubbed the ‘Mini Big Bang’. “We were able to alert NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Russian Space program, as well as the Japanese and Chinese Space ministries so they could take protective measures with the ISS and their various satellites. I’m not sure what the body count will be with this one.” Mr. Gregg said in terms of orbiting satellites. “Hopefully, just the auroras will be brighter for the next few months and that’s all.”
Excerpt from The New York Times, March 12th, 2020
Greenbelt, MD- Sources at NASA’s Goddard Space Center reported the loss of communications with the aging Galileo Cosmic Space Observatory this morning. Due for decommissioning later this year, Galileo has searched the skies for almost two decades monitoring and sampling radiation from far off galaxies. Just before all contact was lost at 6:05AM EST Galileo transmitted Gamma and Cosmic radiation data “That was inconceivably way off the charts”, NASA’s Director of Public Relations, Janine Hilf, told interviewers at a press conference just after 11:00AM.
“Galileo was still an important instrument for understanding the universe around us and will be sorely missed if it is indeed lost. We are still trying to locate the craft since the initial loss of communication early this morning. As we speak, flight engineers and controllers are exhausting all possible avenues to locate and possibly re-establish a link to the crippled spacecraft. At this time there have been no reports of re-entry, so our hopes are still high that Galileo can be revived.”
Citadel Community Park, Citadel, Terra
“Alexandra, a single unit for your thoughts?”
“I’m worried, mother.”
“She’ll be fine, Alex. You have to believe she knows what she was doing. As she would say, ‘have a little faith, honey.’”
“But you didn’t share her memories, mother! Although she tried to secret them from me, I still caught a glimpse…”
“You know the rules concerning invasion of privacy, Alexandra.”
“Y’all don’t think I know that, ma? She and I, we can’t help sharing- you know that!”
“I know, Alexandra. Now let’s go home. You look as though the weight of the known universes has been heaped on your shoulders! I’m sure Marcus and Alexia would be ecstatic for your return.”
“I can’t, mother. I gotta stay on this bench and wait.”
“Why, honey?”
“I gotta be here when she arrives! I gotta know she’s okay!”
“Alexandra, honey, your grandfather, Grand High Counsel has every astronomer searching the heavens for what you called ‘all hell breakin’ loose’. We are the first on the alert list when it happens.”
“Mother, aren’t you the least bit concerned about Grandma or Connie? Have you been able to see anything about their whereabouts or possible future?”
“Mother?”
“Why the silence, mother? Have all your scenarios’ played out to the negative?”
“Mother, I asked you a question! Why do you stay focused on the stone pathway at our feet? Oh mother, why the tears? Will it be that awful? Will it…OH GOD IT HURTS!”
“Alexandra! What is wrong? Alex? Why are you doubled up in pain, honey? Alexandra, say something!”
“It…Its…Its happened!”
“What! What has happened? Why are you in pain?”
“I’m not sure how I know, but it’s happened, mother! Rubbing my abdomen does nothing to alleviate the intense pain that just shot through my body and soul! It was hundreds of time worse than the last pain of labor- as if a blunt metallic object suddenly pierced and continued straight through me!”
“Alexandra, did you just feel the ground rumble?”
“I was too busy with the subsiding pain to notice anything else, mother. Was it a seismic event?”
“I’m not sure, but the coincidence is too much to dispute, Alexandra! We must hope for the best now!”
“MOTHER! Over there- by that Quivering Fern Tree! Look!”
“What is that dark brownish heap? Why is there steam emanating from it?”
“MOTHER CALL FOR HELP! THE EMPRESS IS IN NEED OF A HEALER!”
“Alexandra! Stay away, she might possess dangerous radiation!”
“CONNIE! Mother they are both here! Get help right away!”
“Assistance is on the way, child! You are requested to keep your distance. The Grand High Counsel has seen this before and knows how to handle it!”
“Mother you must not come any nearer! Please, I beg you to stay your distance from such a grotesque sight!”
“By the lords of Terra, this is the worst…”
“You’ve seen her like this before?”
“Something similar happened when you were a child, Alex. It wasn’t pretty then, either.”
“When I was a child, mother?”
“Yes, the Empress suddenly appeared near this very spot when you were about six years old. She was barely alive and looked more like a sun-dried corpse than a twenty-year-old woman. Your grandfather and his genetic research group teamed up with the biologics group to find a remedy for the poison that had been injected into her system. It took almost two years for her to completely repair herself.”
“Wait, I remember that particular incident and I only remember it being three months! Why would the Empress’s memory differ from your account?”
“Your grandfather’s team had to keep her in an old style stasis chamber for most of the first year until they could isolate and manufacture an antidote. Your grandmother was told a shorter period of time had passed so she wouldn’t worry about being away from home for so long. It was discussed and recommended that she be told a significantly shorter stay so her recuperation wouldn’t be influenced by outside factors.”
“What outside factors, mother?”
“’Bad Alex’ for one! Once revived, your grandmother spent many exhaustive hours, weeks, and months pushing her ability to its limit in order to seek the best possible solution to her destructive alter ego. Had she not been almost fully healed, she would have done more damage than her nanos could compensate for. Father took full and sole responsibility for keeping her in stasis to protect her from the additional pain and stress.”
“So he really does love her.”
“More than you could possibly know, sweetheart! Mother has a special place to lock up such emotional memories and thoughts, as I’m sure you do also. Rarely does she leave that place open even a crack for us to glimpse.”
“But you’ve done just that, haven’t you, mother?”
“On occasion, yes. I wouldn’t be a good daughter if I didn’t.”
“Alexandra, Alexis, are you two harmed?”
“No, father, but mother and Constance, I fear, are near termination! Where are the healers?”
“Right behind… By all the Lords of Terra, it’s even worse than I imagined! Nathan, get them into the stasis chambers as quickly as humanly possible!”
“Grandfather, stay your distance, please!”
“Alex, my love, why couldn’t you have asked for help? Why must you always handle such matters unaccompanied? And Constance…why such a display of anguish? Was it really so important to be a Terran instead of an Earther? We are all human and the same after all. No one would have thought ill of you for that.”
“Counsel, the healers are here now, let them work their craft. They give their guarantee that Alex and Constance will be properly administered to.”
“I promise we will have you two up and around as quickly as humanly possible!”
“Tibius please stand aside and allow the healers to pass.”
“Aye, Nathan. Granddaughter Empress?”
“Grand High Counsel?”
“I charge you with collecting the family Masterson from 2030 Earth to aid our healer’s efforts! Ladies Corrine and Julia are by far, the best cosmetic healers in the known universes!”
“As you wish, Grand High Counsel. What of Lady Jacquelyn? It is only right I bring her also.”
“It is my belief she will not let you forget her, little one! If necessary extend passage to Ladies Elisabeth and Sarah too!”
“Would there be a timeframe for their arrival, Counsel?”
“Alexandra, you should know the answer to that question.”
“Then I shall return within the hour, grandfather!”
“May the temporal tides favor you, little one.”
“Counsel, she has outdone herself this time! Both bodies are extremely irradiated and burned beyond recognition yet surprisingly I sense life within each, albeit faint. I seek your permission to use the new enriched stasis solution with no dilution.”
“Just save them, Jasen! As before, I take full responsibility!”
“As you wish, Grand High Counsel!”