Welcome back! Season 4 finds the Empress a diplomat helping to negotiate peace for an entire planet, but can it guarantee the Homeworld’s survival this time around? Will Alex finds new friends and some new facets to her gift as she and her sisters try to limit the destruction from Clemson’s rewriting time to fit his own academically opinionated knowledge of historic events? Can they find a temporal sanctuary from which to survive the resulting changes and extinctions?
Season 4
As with any peace talks, mediation with the Homeworld’s leaders took patience, perseverance, and…well, maybe a little bit of ‘magic’ from the Empress’ court. But mostly it took P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E!
Alex Reilly, Alexandra, and I took turns gathering the chieftains and warlords from all over the planet and brought them back to Avalon. Because of our Mind Warriors’ planet-wide broadcast, all now knew of the Empress, Avalon, and…sadly…what had transpired here.
Negotiations had taken two, long, slow…no, grueling, months.
There were many times when all three of us wanted to just ‘port out’ and let the ‘men-folk’ hash it all out themselves. Regrettably, that wasn’t what the timeline demanded. For the negotiations- and the Homeworld- to continue on the proper course, the Empress had to be the quintessential element responsible for solidifying the Homeworld’s lasting peace and unprecedented technical advancement.
Unfortunately, that required the three of us to remain involved in every…gruelingly long, painful minute- listening and running the options on every…single…word! Early on, I realized what things must be like for an attorney as he/she squared off in court against an opponent. At one point, I even gained new respect and admiration for the signers of the U.S. Declaration and Constitution, and their stalwart determination- their ability to ‘wheel and deal’ to reach those historically significant, unifying agreements. I thought about actually travelling back to 1776 to find out if that were true.
That was something for another time though as any indication of ‘daydreaming’ on our part was seen as rude and a total disregard for commitment to the negotiations by our guests. Every shift of concentration by the Empress had to have a two-thirds majority before Alex Reilly, Alexandra, or I could run the proposed scenario. Just waiting for that simple agreement sometimes took an excruciating amount of time.
Such were the requirements of diplomacy- of politics.
I still loathed politics, but if this was the only way to save the Homeworld from itself, we- the Empress- had to suck it up and play the part of the consummate diplomat. My memories and experience from Terra and the many state dinners and events I’d attended during my stay there brought back a mixture of both pleasant and unpleasant times. Those functions, I believed, produced fruit in the form of better trade and relations between the neighboring systems and had placed the Terrans in a higher plane of integrity and respect among them. Using my foresight, Terra, and lately Terra Nuevo, had been placed on its true and proper course. Tibius and I had successfully helped redirect its future.
Whether we could change or redirect this version of Alex Reilly’s home planet still remained to be seen. As far as I could foresee, this beautiful planet still erupted into an immense, fiery ball of fusion in less than two thousand years. That would be a waste really, since we had the power at our disposal, i.e.: Jack, Jacki, and Camille to keep the planetary core from going supercritical. I resisted the urge to ask my gift: Could we actually use them to stop the impending catastrophe? Could three Mind Warriors and three Empresses place enough sway on an entire planet to protect it from itself?
The power of three…
It had been written in the six, future- from our current perspective, ‘Tomes’ that the Empress could do miraculous things when past, present, and future combined. From experience, just a single Empress could move a planet, a solar system, a galaxy…even a whole universe! From that single fact, another question surfaced, but I fought the urge to ask the frightening question.
What could the three of us really do?
I already knew that we could breathe life into the departed- Billie Sangiere was living proof of that. With the exception of that one example though, the power of three- as it related to the Empress of Time and Space- had never really been tested.
But what could three Mind Warriors do if combined, though? Three people each with the power of the universe at their disposal.
I had experienced firsthand, the result of just one of those very special individuals, and barely lived to tell the tale. The very thought made me shudder, as once again, I was reminded of that day in my not so distant past, and of the intense pain I experienced. I shuddered involuntarily.
As was becoming all too frequent these days, I immediately pushed those escaping memories back into their special prison. Two of the three with me now were ignorant of that experience. Because of her travels with Alex Reilly, only Camille Darough knew the full story about my mission with Jacquelyn Cummins’ Constance. How she protected that from her sisters, I had no idea- nor did I ask, but if Jack ever found out…found out too soon, that is…
A frightening thought suddenly crossed my mind.
What if… Dare I even think it? What if our three Mind Warriors were the cause instead of the cure? Could they inadvertently set off the very cataclysm that brought about the Empress Paradox in the first place? If that were the case then these proceedings seemed useless and ultimately doomed to failure.
But these talks were still important, I told myself, though in a macabre way. The Homeworld had to have peace before such a violent and dramatic end two millennium in the future. When thought of in that cold, unbiased way, the Empress appeared to be the Phoenix- the one born out of the ashes of the Homeworld. Paradoxically, she was also the reason for its demise…and its beginning.
I- or rather the Empress- was THE contradiction of terms- the very definition- the embodiment of the word ‘paradox’.
Thinking about such things exercised my nanos by giving them a first-rate headache to concentrate on instead of the mind-numbing wait as the ‘men of power’ decided the present fate of this world.
Anyway, today, sadly, was our last day here on this beautiful planet- our last day in this universe. I…we would be saying goodbye to our sisters of this world, and also saying goodbye to two new sisters that would decide to stay. Though I yearned for my own Earth, I felt sad leaving Alexandra and Jacki here. How I wished there was a permanent way to reunite them with everyone back on Kili- to bring them back home!
Was Alex really that unhappy here though? She had three wonderful daughters, a husband, and Jacki. True, Peyton had pressed for and found her own gruesome way to return ‘home’. That was an incident that the three of us had fought hard to suppress for over two months. The loss of a beloved sister was a big minus; but overall, my ‘twin sister’ had a good life here. She had the time and knowledge to run the scenarios in order to find the one, all-important puzzle-piece that would save this world AND initiate the Empress Paradox- if there really was such an elusive concept.
Last night, Alexandra, Alex Reilly, and I had returned all participating parties to their respective lands. To their people only one day had passed- yet another example of what the Empress could do. Peace, though delicate at this very early stage, was on the right track and would only grow, as the benefits became apparent and peaceful trade between realms increased. Still, there would be disagreements and skirmishes, but policies had been designed, thoroughly debated, and placed on paper. Policies agreed upon by all major powers of this world to assure mediation…and hopefully, not total annihilation.
I checked myself in the full-length mirror one more time before turning and looking around my quarters here in Avalon- a real, honest-by-God, fairytale castle!
I would definitely be coming back for many more visits if I could find the time. I giggled to myself at that silly thought.
With a sigh, I walked out into the hallway, closing my door. I gently placed my hand on the richly finished, heavy wooden door one last time.
1315hrs, Avalon, Homeworld, September 7th, 264AE
“You sure you and Allie won’t come back to Earth with us, Mei-Lee?” I asked as I saw my sister, Alex Reilly, shaking her head ‘no’ slightly with a worried look. It was a little rude of her, but comical nonetheless.
“No, Empress. As you said initially, we are no longer the same people we once were. We simply would not fit in.” She replied, shaking her head sadly a few times.
“I’m sure Yuuka wouldn’t mind having someone to fly with?” I said deviously.
Alex Reilly’s head shook a little harder.
Mei-Lee giggled, apparently having seen my sister’s reaction. “Allie seems to like Avalon, and…I think…I think I have met someone.”
“That was fast.” I said in mock surprise. “Anybody we know?”
Mei-Lee giggled again. “Empress, we all know the answer to that.” She said pointing to my two sisters and me.
“We do indeed, hun.” I said and looked to Alex Reilly with a smile. “I’m sure you and Allie will be very happy here.”
“Empress?” Allie asked as she shrank and flew to eye level with me.
“Yes, sweetie?” I answered quietly.
“Can you, and your sister, and Yuuka, and Jack’lin come back to visit us?”
“Count on it, sweetie. Now that Alex and I know the Homeworld date, we shouldn’t have any trouble zeroing in on y’all. But don’t y’all be strangers to Earth either, ya hear?”
The five-inch pixie nodded, flew back to the ground, and returned to her normal six-year-old height. She had taken to doing that the last three weeks. Because, I think, she liked looking like her mother- all grown-up-like.
“So where are you off to now, Empress?” Jacki asked as she released my Jack from her embrace.
“We,” I pointed to Alex Reilly, Jack, Cami, and Yuuka, “were thinking about trying to stop a certain madman from changing history and erasing us…and himself from existence in the process. The moron can’t understand that if he changes history too much…”
“That’s how you catch him, Alex.” Alexandra interrupted.
“I know, but I also know that certain things need to play out before we finally snag him, sis.”
“You mean we could have stopped him before he sabotaged the strait?” Jack cried out in exasperation.
“But Lady Jacquelyn, we wouldn’t be here and quite possibly this world would not be at peace.” Mei-Lee cut in.
Jack…both of them looked to Alexandra, Alex and I; their mouths’ open wide.
I simply nodded. It was true, if Darren hadn’t stolen Ricky Lynn’s toy, Mei-Lee and Allie wouldn’t have become our sisters; the ‘Great Flood’ might not have happened the right way; and those that passed on the tale might have been silenced forever.
Sadly, we had lost a new sister to his reckless activities already. I did not wish to lose anyone else. Yes, we would get Janice Silvers back- unharmed and none the wiser, but the Empress would remember her temporary disappearance into oblivion for the rest of our lives.
“So, Alex, where to now,” Jack asked this time?
I looked to Alex Reilly in response.
“Reilly,” she said flatly. “I want to make sure it’s still there.”
“Oh, it’s still there…albeit slightly changed.” Alexandra hinted.
“I know it’s different, Alex. I can see the same things you see. Remember?” My other sister replied, a bit annoyed by the reminder.
“We’ll get through this, sis. We’ve all seen that things work out.” I added in support.
“But what if this is that one time, Alex?”
“Then we just deal with it.” I replied evenly, rolling my eyes behind closed lids.
“Well then…let’s get this over with,” Alex Reilly growled as she aggressively offered her hands!
“Travel well and safely, my sisters.” Alexandra said sadly as she, Jacki, Mei-Lee, and Allie took a few steps back.
The blackness and pain reconnected with my body as my odd, but spectacular perspective of this universe changed and shifted. As usual, this universe diminished and our home universe grew larger to my eyes. Before long we were flying, headlong, into Earth. How beautiful it looked from this distance- the deep blue oceans, green lands, and white clouds so prominent from space.
After the reappearing blackness faded, we stood before the unpredictable airlock to Reilly. The place looked innocent enough, but my visions told me that things were not as they seemed.
“Mind Warriors, shields up.” Alex Reilly commanded as she began looking around intently.
“As you wish director, but why?” Cami questioned.
“Can’t you feel it, Cami?” Jack asked as she too began looking around- mostly to the tree line.
“I do now, yes.” Cami responded as she too began scanning the area. “We are being watched.”
I noted that Jack took Cami’s hand and felt the hairs on my body begin to stand.
“We mean you no harm or ill intent!” Alex shouted to the treeline. “We are peaceful travelers only stopping to recline. We will move along in the morning.”
“Should I take to the air, director?” Yuuka asked as she looked around to the open sky above us.
“That will not be necessary. They are more afraid of us than we of them, Pixie.” Alex answered.
I dared drop Alex’ and Jack’s hand, turned, and walked out of their protective shield then pointed to the trees before us.
“You three! We insinuate no negative impairment. What specific terms do you not fully comprehend?” I said in Reilliese.
“You speak our language, but how can this be?” A familiar voice called out in fear.
“Because we are Reilly personnel also.” I answered.
“Impossible! We are the solitary remnants of this disenfranchised facility. We symbolize the lone survivors of the fusion giant’s unpredicted expansion. How can you possibly be here? You two specifically! You deleted shortly after we arrived here.”
“Who deleted? Specify!” Alex Reilly demanded.
“You, Director Reilly; you and Camille Darough.” The voice answered shakily.
“Then reanalyze and postulate alternate thesis’s on our present existence here before you.” My sister commanded.
“Insuffient data exists to quantify or correlate requested analysis, undefined director.”
“Can’t y’all just say y’all don’t know and knock off all the damn techno-jargon?” I asked in annoyance.
“Director, we do not comprehend your inquiry, nor can we postulate a viable theory for the existence of two directors. Updated information requested.” Random Peltierre replied as she, Samantha, and Cassandra cautiously emerged from the brush.
“There just are, Randi.” I said smugly. “Get used to it.”
“Girls, rumors of my deletion have been greatly exaggerated. Cami and I stand before you as fully animated, biomass and not illusion, as do my sister Alexandra, her first officer, Jacquelyn Cummins, and Yuuka Sukiro.”
“Sisters,” Cami began softly. “Am I to believe that, had I been here and not gone with you to Avalon, I would no longer exist?”
“Oh boy, this is really bad.” Jack added quietly to herself.
“Avalon?” Samantha questioned. “Avalon does not exist. It is a fictional archive and holds no relevance in factual thinking.”
“Then what do you make of this, ladies?” Jack asked as our three sisters grabbed for their heads.
“You share Camille’s talent?” Cassandra gasped as the three continued to rub their foreheads.
“Of course! We are sister Mind Warriors.” Cami proclaimed.
“Mind Warriors? They are also fictional entities.”
“Ya, ya, we’ve heard it all before, girls.” Jack said as she pointed to them and wagged her finger in an upward motion.
Randi, Sam, and Cassie started to rise off the ground screaming in terror.
“How fictional am I now, huh?”
“Jack. Put them down. They’ve obviously never met the Empress of Time and Space in this version of the timeline.”
“Empress? You requested that we never call you that, director. You repeatedly warned us of unconditional release should we ever do so.” Cassie exclaimed as Jack lowered them back to Earth.
I phased out and rephased behind them.
“And what would you call me then?” I asked as my three, time-altered, sisters jumped a foot or so.
1545hrs, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, June 22nd, 2020BC
“So what day is it, Alex?” I asked as we sat at our usual table in the Rec Room. Jack and Cami had just started another game of their special form of Jenga. Cassie, Sam, and Randi looked on in utter amazement at the spectacle.
“I thought I brought us back ten minutes after we left, sis, though to tell you the truth, I’m not sure anymore. Everything looks so different with the place deserted.”
“We are one day past this planet’s summer equinox, director, and may I say again what a pleasure it is to have you back with us. I have missed our conversations since your alleged deletion.” RVP replied pleasantly.
“So tell me again why just one food station is operational?”
“When the fusion giant began to expand, Camille revisited your Protoverse experiment and found that it’s initial test- the one where we lost you, director, had been sabotaged. Once rectified, she, Samantha, Cassandra, and Random quickly brought the experiment online and targeted a small bluish-green planet they found- the one you found initially. Although we alerted the entire station, few felt it would work, and thus only twelve faculty members attended. Camille repeated your documented approach to the transparent portal, but Reilly was deficit the power to fully transfer everything here- just this facility and the four scientists closest to the portal. Postulations are that all other faculty has been deleted. Primary power has been severely truncated since our arrival here fifteen revolutions ago, director.”
“The bastard has already disposed of me, Alex!” I growled, striking the table with my fist. “Well, I’m glad some of you at least found a way to escape the expansion.”
“But we’re still here, Alex.” My sister reminded.
“Because we were off universe, Alex. Somehow the Empress transcends space and time, I suppose.”
Alex Reilly looked at me and mouthed the word ‘duh’.
“So why the complete change around here, Alex?” Jack asked as she continued to concentrate on their game- even that didn’t seem to have the same feeling.
“I wasn’t here to rescue everyone, Jack. I no longer exist in this version of the timeline- therefore I was never physically pulled back to the Homeworld’s universe and never rallied our sisters to participate in the transposition.” I paused.
“If I no longer exist, my guess is…neither do you…or any of our other sisters or crew. Remember what Mina told us about our Mahanilui…if it hadn’t happened…?”
The Jenga blocks suddenly dropped to the table with a clatter as both Mind Warriors mouths’ dropped open and they stared at Alex and I in disbelief.
“Interesting…temporal disassociation.” Cassie muttered to herself. “The concept has been theorized but never proven feasible or measurable.”
“How do you explain your presence here on this planet then, Cassandra?” I asked. “If Reilly is here then you three…” I dropped my head in sorrow, “and Reilly, have transcended space and time because Earth, this planet, is located in the Protoverse cloud.”
“That is highly improbable, director. The Protoverse experiment was shut down after our arrival to conserve power. There was simply not enough energy to sustain it for any length of time.”
“Oh shit!” Jack exclaimed, her voice jumping an octave or two. “You mean the Homeworld doesn’t exist anymore? Alexandra, Mei-Lee, Allie…me…they…they don’t exist anymore?”
“Maybe?” I proposed through squinted eyes, unsure of the correct answer. Sam, Cassie, and Randi stared at us as they tried to understand Jack’s outburst.
“Cap, we have to catch this guy and put him down! He’ll destroy the whole universe if this goes on much longer.”
“We’ll get him, hun.” I tried to comfort her.
“Know this for a fact, Jacquelyn Cummins; we WILL make him pay!” Alex Reilly declared, trying to control her anger.
“So how we gonna do that, Empress,” Jack challenged insubordinately, “If we don’t exist, that is?” Her eyes dared one of us to answer.
“What is the one thing we have that Darren does not, Commander?” I asked.
“We have you, Alex, Cami, and Yuuka, Cap.”
“More important than those very important assets, hun.”
Cami, Jack, Yuuka, Sam, Cassie, and Randi all stared at me waiting for the elusive answer.
“Foresight,” I said after rolling my eyes. “We know where and when he will appear.”
“So let’s just go to that location and wait for him to show, Alex!” Cami almost shouted.
“That’s where it gets complicated, ladies.” I told everyone sadly. “Darren does do some good things along the way. The great flood was only one of several events that wouldn’t have happened exactly the way they should have had he not interfered.”
“I take it the Homeworld would have been a far different place too, Empress?” Yuuka asked, already knowing the answer, but repeating it for our marooned sisters.
Alex Reilly shook her head several times. “I wouldn’t have met my grandmother either.” She said as a few tears ran from the corners of her eyes. She looked at me sadly.
“So if we can’t just rush to the end of this nightmare, where do we start?” Jack asked in an aggravated tone.
“We move onto the next chapter, of course.” I smiled.
“When do we leave?” Samantha asked, happily relieved.
Alex Reilly and I lowered our heads.
“You, Cassie, and Randi have to stay here, Sam.” I said sadly. “I’m sorry.”
“Why? Why can’t you take us along?” She cried, not comprehending or not caring about the imbalance to the time line that would cause.
“We don’t exist as we do now in their original timeline.” Cassie said, just above a whisper. “We would unbalance this universe. There would be two of each of us instead.”
“So what, then? Do we just deconstruct? Delete automatically?” Sam complained dramatically.
“You won’t even know anything happened, hun, when we set the timeline straight, you three will be back among our sisters, with no recollection you had ever been marooned on Earth as you are now.” Alex explained, forcing a calm smile.
“We have to go.” I said quickly as I stood and walked over to Cami and Jack. Alex and Yuuka followed. We all joined hands. Our three stranded sisters looked on sadly, but remained silent, their eyes quite moist.
“Sisters, we look forward to our next meeting. Your ordeal here is almost over.” I said as I nodded to Alex. I’d had my eyes closed so I couldn’t see they’re despondent faces.
When I opened them, our surroundings had changed slightly. Instead of being in Reilly’s Rec Room, we found ourselves in a much larger, still-futuristic, space with large windows along one wall. It was very similar to one of Reilly’s observation lounges. Outside it was dark, but the stars were up. They looked crisp and brilliant.
And seemed to be moving faster than expected!
A strange alarm sounded as we all continued looking around this magnificent room.
“What is that noise, and where are we, Alex?” Jack asked in confusion.
“By the Goddess! Look!” Cami exclaimed as she tugged us to the windows.
A large, full Earth came into view. But, was it? If I was seeing things correctly most of North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe were white instead of green and brown. Snow?
“We’re in orbit?” Jack exclaimed in surprise.
“Does everyone have a personalized version of my Aryan dress in inventory,” I asked? “If so, now would be a good time to change, ladies.” As I looked to each of my sisters, they nodded in the affirmative.
“Translators to German, Polish, or Czechoslovakian, Empress?” Jack asked snidely as I watched her suit change to a stunning, very low-plunging, red, sheath dress.
“None of the above, I’m afraid.”
Several extremely tall, well-built young men dressed in what looked like military uniforms rushed into the room and began waving small, hand-held devices all around in front of them. They began cautiously crossing- systematically sweeping- the large lounge-type room. One of the men, well over six-ten, sounded to be giving orders. Their language, though, did not translate into anything in our Reilly Suit’s library. They appeared to be searching for something- maybe somebody.
“Can they see us with those devices, Alex?” Jack asked in concern.
“I don’t think so. Let’s find out.” I said and nodded to Alex Reilly.
To say these men were surprised was an understatement. We were quickly surrounded with their strange hand-held devices pointing at us menacingly.
“Hi, y’all!” I said pleasantly as I waved my hand in greeting. The guy in charge stared down at my head and looked at me in confusion. Damn, I still had my tiara on!
“How original, Alex! What ever happened to ‘take me to your leader’?” Jack deadpanned.
“Want us to disarm them, Alex?” Cami asked calmly.
“Do not initiate then disrupt their urinary evacuation, Camille Darough.” Alex Reilly advised through gritted teeth.
“That’s ‘piss’ them off, sister- ‘don’t piss ‘em off’! Must you always butcher the English language?” I asked her in frustration.
The men just stared at us, talking amongst each other until their leader finally waved his device in a motion that told us we should move in the indicated direction.
The wide hallway we were now walking through had a slight, but noticeable curve to it.
“What is this place?” Yuuka asked quietly in Japanese.
“A Space Research Facility I would think.” Alex Reilly answered. “The design does not match anything from the Homeworld’s Deep Space Design Archives though.”
“Or it could be an Ark, sis.”
“An Ark, Alex? Jack asked.
“I noticed that most of Earth was covered by snow and ice- glaciers maybe? Alex, how far did you take us back?” I inquired.
“Seventy thousand; just like before. I thought this place would be far safer than the forest.”
“That turned out well! So where are we, Alex?” Jack persisted.
“My guess would be Atlantis, hun.”
“Atlantis?” She and Yuuka gulped.
Our escorts seemed to understand that word as they suddenly stopped and turned to glance at us momentarily with questioning expressions.
We were directed to and courteously helped into what looked like a large rollercoaster ride of some sort. Once seated, I felt it smoothly accelerate and we passed several transparent sections in the round, tube-like, tunnel. This facility looked to be made of several concentric rings and it appeared that we were heading straight for a large ball-shaped structure at its center- the command center, maybe? We noticed tall spire-like structures- possibly antennae- protruded from its top and bottom giving it a very gothic appearance.
Judging by the time it took us to reach the center structure this place was immense- at least several miles wide.
At our terminus, we were motioned and helped out of the conveyance and escorted down another hallway.
“Big place,” Alex Reilly said evenly as we all looked around. We were motioned into what looked like an elevator.
“Where are they taking us, Alex?” Cami asked as the doors closed and I felt motion.
“I guess to see the wizard, Dorothy.”
My response fell somewhat flat, Jack and possibly Yuuka being the only ones that caught the reference.
Our short ride ended and the doors opened to reveal a very large room consisting of several tiered levels, all were filled with monitors and other complicated looking equipment consoles- each being attended by very tall men or women.
“Is this their Con, Alex?’ Jack asked in awe of what she observed.
“Or their bridge, Jack. Meridian’s control room was called a bridge. Remember, we’re on a ship and not a boat at the moment.”
The man apparently in charge of our escort detail walked over to one of the shorter women, one that looked only one or two inches taller than me, and assumingly gave her his report. Motioning to us, I got the impression that he was reporting our lack of understanding of their language. Both walked back to where we had been detained and the woman apprised each of us intensely. She continued talking to him as she evaluated us- especially Allie and I. We looked each other in the eyes.
“What’s she doing, Alex?” Jack whispered.
The security detail redrew their weapons and pointed them at us instantly. I had to admire their training and quick response.
“She’s probably deciding whether to space us, commander.” I replied. “Anything happens to Allie or I, only name, rank, and serial number, Commander- as per the accord.”
“Aye, Captain’s invoking the Geneva Accords, girls.” She responded.
The woman suddenly glared between Jack and I several times as her security detail took a step closer. We decided to remain silent and a few minutes went by as our ‘hostess’ continued to appraise us.
‘Fascinating, Alex. They are limiting their distance to us. They’re probably particle or phased plasma weapons. Something that could possibly disable or harm them if close or point blank.’ Jack thought to me.
‘They won’t hurt us, Jack. We have no weapons…that they know of.’ I thought back as I continued to stare into our hostess’ eyes.
‘Ok, but, if you sense this is going south just think the word, Cap.’
This silent, dead draw between us was accomplishing nothing. I decided to end our useless charade and selected my default Reilly suit…with one slight modification. Two circular pips appeared on my right collar as the woman jumped back, startled by my sudden costume change.
Security instantly and nervously responded by readjusting their stances and aim!
Our hostess’ right eyebrow rose in interest when I didn’t do anything else and after another minute she motioned her guards to back off and directed an unintelligible question toward me. I narrowed my eyes and cocked my head slightly as I tried to figure out what she said.
She repeated her inquiry.
I shook my head to the side a few times indicating I had no idea what she had said.
She gave me a frustrated look and let out a disappointed sigh. Just as I felt she would turn away, I carefully raised my right hand and slowly extended my pointer finger- what I thought might be a universal gesture for her to wait a moment…I hoped.
The guards reassumed their nervous, high alert, posture!
And aim!
Still, their tense stance didn’t distract from what happened next.
As if suddenly becoming clueless, the guards temporarily lowered their weapons and our hostess and her men curiously looked to the ceiling for what I was pointing to! I found myself giggling with an amused smile on my face as their attention abruptly, and humorlessly, came back to me.
I tried it again, this time holding both hands up in a ‘stop’ gesture.
Before carefully dropping one hand, I turned around slowly. Very, very slowly, Ibrought my right hand to the collar of my suit and felt for the hardwire data port for my Reilly. I indicated to it then turned back just as slowly to face our female host and cautiously motioned that it would help us communicate.
Nodding, she called over a younger woman, though just as tall, and began talking to her. They seemed to be discussing my data port.
This younger woman slowly motioned for me to turn around again. Our escort detail immediately re-aimed their weapons- their caution understandable, given our unknown origins. Obeying and again turning slowly, I felt her carefully brush my hair aside then lift my collar and touch the small link port. She said something and was shaking her head in the negative when I turned back around.
Well, that didn’t work.
“Al-eks-ann-dra,” I said slowly once facing them again. I pointed to myself. At least I could try to introduce myself, I figured. Our hostess’ eyebrow rose again. I repeated my name and gestured to myself again this time adding ‘Steinert’, phonetically, as well. Pointing to Jack on my left, I phonetically said, ‘Jacquelyn Cummins’. I repeated introductions in the same format for Cami, Yuuka, and Alex, careful to emphasize my sister’s different last name.
“Ann-drom-ma-da-Cell-les-trah.” She said after apparently debating whether to release that information.
I smiled and bowed courteously. I then had a thought. How could I get them to understand that our suits could communicate wirelessly?
The image instantaneously popping into my mind made me twitch ever so slightly. The guards took a quick, deep breath!
My tiara! I could use my tiara to establish a link to their computer network. I causiously raised my finger again while I accessed the proper menus- making a point of them seeing my eyes moving on the virtual screen. The Protocol Interrogation window quickly popped up on my H.U.D.
“Negotiating network connection,” the window informed me as the displayed empty bar graph began to fill with red from left to right. After filling completely, it turned green and a message informed me that communications had been successfully negotiated and established.
Mentally selecting ‘search’ and thinking ‘find language translation files’ I quickly located and requested download of the rather large file.
An alarm sounded from one of the nearer control consoles- the one the younger women had been stationed at.
Both women now glared at me- the younger in surprise- the older, in anger- apparently debating what I had done. I raised my right pointer once more as I watched the file download progress on my H.U.D as they continued to argue with each other, maybe?
Once done, I told my suit to install and correlate with any similar languages.
“Gppph…Exxxfaaaa…fretsic…no, I have no explanation as to how she accessed our network, Commodore.”
“I want the encryptions changed on all access points immediately, Tech Officer!” The older woman, said to a young man off to our right. “We can’t risk losing this ship to aliens, pirates, or these unknowns, is that clear?”
“At once, Madam Commodore!”
“Madam Commodore, we mean you no harm. I simply accessed your archives for a primer to your language. As I tried to indicate, I am Captain Alexandra Steinert, United States Navy. To my left is my first officer, Cmdr. Jacquelyn Cummins; to my right is my sister, Alexandra Reilly, Director of Reilly Research Station; Yuuka Sukiro; and Camille Darough. We are travelers from this planet’s future.” I explained to several loud gasps around me.
All conversation in the large control room stopped and the two women before me stared uncomprehendingly.
“You speak our language now? What sort of trick is this?”
“No trick, Madam Commodore. Our uniforms have the capability to translate many different languages. All we need is the primer. Its interface to our brain allows us to speak and understand you naturally.” I explained. “I will release your network now as I have no further need of information.”
“You call yourselves travelers? Time travelers?”
“We do, Madam Commodore. My sister and I possess that singular talent. We had only arrived in your observation lounge moments before your security detail arrived, alerted by what I assume is some sort of temporal anomaly warning system, to look for us. We decided to re-integrate into this reality so they would find us.”
“Re-integrate into this reality? Hmmm. So if that is truly the case, the matter of detainment would be null?” She asked, though I had a strong suspicion she didn’t believe me.
“We stand bound by local regulations, Commodore, so if you choose detainment, then we shall abide by that decision, but should our time here run short I’m afraid we would have to be insubordinate, ma’am.”
“So why should I believe you, Capt. Alexandra Steinert?”
“You have no reason to, Commodore. All I can give you is my word as an officer in the United States’ Navy, but that entity will not exist on this planet for another seventy-two thousand years. So all you have is my personal word that we will not cause trouble.”
The Commodore’s jaw dropped, as did everyone’s in earshot. There were several moments of silence as our hostess decided our fate. While able, I uploaded the new language translation to my sisters. Each nodded to me in thanks.
“Reggie, continue to re-encrypt the access points, but allow our guests general access to all public systems.” Major Araul, you and your detail stand dismissed. A full report should be entered into your log as to the manner of our guests’ arrival. Good work, Major.”
“Thank you, Madam Commodore.” The towering, young man said before he and his men turned and left the bridge.
Ladies, would you join me in my private lounge?” Our hostess motioned to a door off to her right. We followed and entered the pleasantly decorated conference room- each of us taking an offered, though slightly oversized, seat.
“So, Captain, is it customary for royalty to serve in your military?” The woman inquired as she remained standing, arms crossed and staring intently down on us.
“Ma’am? I asked in confusion.
“Your coronet, Captain, it displays the universally accepted symbols for peace, balance, and understanding. Only royalty would be so bold as to wear such finery while voyaging into the unknown.”
I felt my cheeks warm. Was I that much of a ‘Princess’ now?
“In all honesty, Madam Commodore, I sometimes forget I have the thing on. It was designed and given to me by my Technology Comptroller for a sophisticated mission we recently completed. I assure you, it is an amazing piece of technology.”
“As are those garments, Captain.” The Commodore paused as she suddenly thought of something. “Since you and your sister claim to have this talent of time travel, would it be possible for a disclosure of other talents you and your companions possess? I prefer to understand my guests rather than fear them.”
“A wise and reasonable request, Madam Commodore.” I nodded, but wondered why she appeared to be taking this so calmly. “My sister and I possess the gift of time travel as previously specified plus foresight. Accompanied by various companions that we choose for their mission specific gifts, we travel time, space, dimension, and the universes, correcting small discrepancies that would disrupt the true timeline.”
Our hostess nodded. “I take it that our arrival has done something to disrupt the continuum?”
“No, ma’am, quite the contrary. We seek to thwart a villain from our own general time period. His ignorant incursions into our relative past have caused considerable damage to our era.”
“So this is, in essence, an observation post- a place to rest and plan your response?”
“If you would allow it, Madam Commodore.” I nodded slightly. “Our nemesis’ understanding of Atlantis is limited to the writings of a future philosopher by the name of Plato. He lacks the imagination and foresight to know the real story.”
“Alex, when did you and Alex Reilly see this place?” Jack asked in curiosity. Her translator was working perfectly.
“When we were here the last time, Jack. When we arrived down on the planet.”
“You’ve been down there,” our hostess asked in surprise? “And survived?”
“Ya, its cold and dangerous…but very, very beautiful.” Jack admitted casually.
“Commander, would you care to inform me as to your special ability? You seem too at ease toward the horrors that prowl the planet’s surface.”
“Camille Darough and I are Mind Warriors, Commodore. We protect the Empress…er Captain and Director, ma’am.”
“Empress?” The Commodore exclaimed with a start and stared at me in disbelief.
“Impossible,” she muttered to herself, “She is pure myth and cannot be actual flesh and blood.”
Her denial seemed too fast and rehearsed to me.
“You’ve heard of her?” Yuuka asked casually. I rolled my eyes as my hand rose to rub my eyebrows.
“Apparently one of us has been here before, sis.” Alex said quietly, elbowing my side gently.
“The legend of an Empress- a goddess capable of time travel dates back to before this world or any like it were discovered- many thousands of years ago. How can you actually be here?”
“Easy, sis, I know she said the ‘G’ word but let’s allow some flexibility. We just met.” Alex quietly recommended.
“You ask that now, but never gave a second thought to our initial statement of traveling thousands of years to get here?” I asked incredulously before phasing out and rephasing behind her. “Or were you just humoring the mysterious, crazy women, Commodore?”
She noticeably jumped and gasped in surprise as I saw Alex Reilly rubbing her own brows. The same warning klaxon sounded and she quickly touched a display that had instantly appeared on the tabletop in front of her. Our hostess’ eyes opened wide as she looked at it.
“Do you always have to do that, Alex? Can’t you just phase out and back in, but stay in the same spot? One of these days you’re going to give someone an outright heart attack.” Jack chastised with annoyance.
Our hostess quickly dropped to her knees and began to shiver uncontrollably. She looked up at me in fear for only a second before staring back at the deck.
“See? You scared the shit out of her, Alex!” Jack groused angrily as I returned to my seat.
Our hostess remained silent and still for several minutes as if fearfully awaiting something. She finally looked up to Alex and I, her face streaked with tears and terror.
“The myth- as I remember it- it tells of an awesome presence that sometimes traveled with the Empress…a Mind Mage. It is written that it was fearless and powerful- that it judged sinners and miscreants opposing the Empress with harsh discipline. Several stories relate that mountains and oceans would move without a single word from its mouth. You are…it?” She said, only glimpsing over to Jack and Cami.
“Cami and I are not an ‘it’, Madam Commodore. We are real people like you and your crew. And I haven’t moved any mountains yet…just a multi-hundred ton nuclear submarine…or two.” Jack responded as she blushed profusely.
“Hey, that was me, Jacki Cummins!” Cami protested. I shook my head with a humorous smirk then nodded to Alex Reilly.
Standing from our seats, Alex and I walked over and urged our hostess back to her feet.
“We are just normal people, Commodore- no different from anyone else. We are all equals here.” Alex said, motioning around the large table.
“My humblest apologies, ladies, I would never have imagined meeting the actual legends in the flesh. Please forgive me.”
“My name is Jack, Jacki, or Jacquelyn, Madam Commodore.” Jack told the woman warmly.
“And my name is Camille or Cami, Madam Commodore. We prefer our real names over designations. And…and we are very, very cautious about using our gifts, Madam Commodore.”
“Oh, right, you two are SO careful with your gifts.” Yuuka groaned.
The Commodore was quiet for several more minutes as she digested everything she had seen and heard.
“And you, Yuuka Sukiro, what would be your power?” She finally asked with a slight cringe- unsure what to expect at this point.
Yuuka began to shrink and disappeared from view below the tabletop. Suddenly our hostess was eye to eye with the five-inch tall Pixie!
“I can only do this, Madam Commodore. I am just a Pixie. My purpose is to provide reconnaissance for the Empress.”
A loud gasp escaped our hostess as all color quickly drained from her face.
“Yuuka, hun, maybe you should stay grown up while we’re here.” I suggested as she immediately increased in size and stood beside our hostess to steady her.
“I’m sorry for frightening you, Madam Commodore, but you did ask.” Yuuka apologized as she struggled to steady the much taller woman.
A beverage container similar to a larger paper cup, floated across the room from a food dispenser on the far wall.
“A drink of water will help you, Commodore. Please, take a drink.” Jack advised as the container lowered itself to the table.
Another gasp escaped our hostess, as did more tears.
“I am dreaming. This cannot be possible. These women are not here. There is no one who can do such miraculous feats…it is simply impossible.”
“We can leave if you desire us to, Madam Commodore.” I said gently. “We never meant to cause problems for you or your crew, ma’am.”
I stood from my chair and motioned for my sisters to take my hands.
“Please…stay. I am simply astounded by the scope of your abilities. Such power…yet such grace and humility.” The Commodore said quietly as she raised her face to look at us once more. “I shall have quarters established for your use, for as long as you choose to remain with us, Captain.”
“Alex.” I said as we all sat back down. “My name is Alexandra, though Alex will do, Commodore.”
The Commodore nodded and walked around to me and offered her hand.
“Andromeda. Andromeda Celeste. Call me Andie, Alex.”
I smiled as I happily shook her hand.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Andie, Alex and I know your supplies are running low so we will fend for ourselves. We wish not to burden you with extra mouths to feed.” Alex Reilly said as she too shook her hand. I noticed Jack stare guiltily at the cup of water she had placed before our hostess.
“Nonsense, we are mostly in need of fresh water, Alex. Too much has been utilized for our deceleration thrusters, but there is sufficient supply for consumption. I was in the process of finalizing plans for missions to the surface to collect the amount required for our decent…once we find a suitable, safe location to do so.”
“Cami and I would like to help, if you’d allow us, ma’am.” Jack offered pleasantly. Cami nodded her agreement.
“How could you possibly help, short of traveling to the surface?” Andie questioned.
“Just tell us the dimensions of the ice block required to replenish your water supply and let the Darough and Cummins Moving Company provide the necessary services.” I said with a chuckle.
“We’re not talking a few cubits of ice here, Jacquelyn.” Andie said as she turned from me to Jack and Cami. “We would require several thousand three dimensional cubits.”
“What’s a cubit?”
“Why, it is the common measurement of length- the average length of an adult male forearm.”
“About two and a half feet, Jack.” I said setting the conversion straight.
“Just tell us how much and let us do the rest, ma’am.” Jack assured her confidently. “Oh, and you might want to show us where to put it, too.” She added as she and Cami shared a devilish smile.
“Our scientists have calculated that we require the volume of water contained within a block of pure glacial ice six hundred cubits by one hundred-twenty cubits by seventy cubits. As I have stated previously that is no small task. It is estimated to take several months to harvest that much safely.” Andie informed us an hour later. We had reentered the bridge several minutes ago and were formally introduced to the crew. Commodore Celeste respectively left out our titles.
“So where do we put a chunk that big, Commodore? Do you have a receiving bay big enough to handle that?”
“Are you serious? How could such a mass be lifted from the surface? We lack the spare thrust units required for such an undertaking.” Commodore Celeste cried, amazed by Jack’s apparent arrogance.
Smiles broke out among my sisters. The Commodore just stared at us for a moment.
Andie nodded to a young man to her left.
“Show them where to put it, Matthew.”
“Madam Commodore?”
“Do it.”
A very large monitor came alive and displayed a technical diagram of the station. A white arrow appeared and moved to a large void on the outermost ring.
“This is the only storage bay on the station capable of containing the required volume, but how can something that size be removed from the surface in one piece,” the tall, handsome young man, Matthew, asked in confusion?
Jack ignored his question and removed a quarter from the hidden pocket in her default Reilly. Handing it to me, she looked at Cami.
“Call it,” she said as I flipped the coin into the air and waited for it to fall. Instead, it stopped midflight and slowly floated over and into Cami’s waiting palm.
“Heads.” She claimed with a giggle and mischievous smile.
The bridge became eerily quiet as everyone within visual range witnessed the event.
Jack rolled her eyes playfully. “Shields or muscle.” She offered in a defeated tone.
I noticed Andie mouth ‘shields or muscle’ to herself.
“Why don’t you two concentrate on cutting the block out first?” I suggested.
Andie turned to me suddenly and stared for a moment.
“Madam Commodore, we’ve located the requested amount of pure ice on a glacial flow in the Eastern Northern hemisphere. The surrounding area seems to be devoid of life.”
“Pan, zoom, and focus, Ian. Let’s see it up close.”
“Zoom limits can only focus to fifty thousand cubits.”
”More than enough.” I said with a confident smile.
A huge ice sheet came into view on the same monitor used earlier.
“Jack, Cami? You’re up.” I said, giving them a ‘go ahead’ nod.
Both Mind Warriors began to concentrate.
“Target acquired.” Cami announced serenely.
“Separation sequence beginning.” Jack answered in a like tone.
Enormous fountains of steam erupted from the ice sheet pictured on the screen.
There was a collective gasp from the room at what was being seen and several crew members turned and looked incredulously at my two sisters.
“Are you two doing this?” Andi asked animatedly, confronting our two Mind Warriors face to face while pointing to the huge display.
“You did say you needed the water, right?” Cami challenged calmly, not looking away from the image or breaking her concentration.
“But how are you doing this?” The Commodore asked again- this time in horror. “Even our strongest energy weapons couldn’t do what we are seeing.”
“This is easy compared to the next phase, ma’am.” Jack added neutrally without looking away.
“Jacki, you ready for me to make the final cut?” Cami asked after a few minutes. I figured they were using verbal communication for our guests’ benefit.
“Ready when you are.” Jack answered.
After a few minutes more, Jack noticeably flinched.
“Are you okay, sister?” Cami asked in concern.
“Heavier than I thought is all. You ready with the containment shield?”
“Shield established. Ready for transorbital lift.”
“Here we go.” Jack said as she noticeably doubled her concentration.
As we watched, the huge block of ice began to dislodge itself from the immense glacier and slowly grew larger on the screen.
“Is it…is it really moving?” Andie gasped in amazement.
“Cami, strengthen the pressure containment shield. The ice will start to boil once we get through the troposphere.” Jack suggested.
“Doing it as we speak, sister.”
“Decrease magnification and refocus, Ian.” Andie ordered as the ice block filled the screen. “They’re really doing this?” She asked, looking back to Alex Reilly and I.
We simply nodded with a wide smiles.
“Cut in the ultraviolet and infrared shields now, Cami.”
“Ultra and infra filters engaged, Jacki.”
“Commodore, you might want to decompress and open the storage bay doors. Once we get through the outer atmosphere this baby is going to take off.” Jack advised just before she winced moderately. “Ouch, just hit a little turbulence there.”
Alex and I nodded as we took the hint, and casually walked over to our sisters, Alex taking Cami’s hand and I, Jack’s. I immediately felt her draw on my energy.
“Thanks, Cap, I could use a little extra.” Jack acknowledged with a smile and a nod.
“Take as much as you need, Commander.” I replied gently. I could suddenly feel a pulsing in her power draw.
“It’s buffeting pretty badly in the higher atmosphere, Cami.” Jack reported. I felt a hand take my free one and looked to see Yuuka smiling back. I nodded my thanks. The pulsing smoothed out ever so slightly.
“Almost through.” Jack reported.
Suddenly the pulsing almost stopped entirely. I looked to my right- past Yuuka, to see Andie, Reggie, and Ian holding her hand.
“This is an amazing feeling.” Andie murmured in amazement. “I’ve never felt anything like this before.”
The energy drain vanished.
“We’re through the atmosphere, Cami. Better buffer those shields.”
“Your help would be appreciated over there now, ladies and gentleman.” I said nodding toward Cami.
“Local view and focus.” Andie commanded as Yuuka led them over to Cami. The monitor again refocused on the frozen block.
“Storage bay depressurized and open to space, Madam Commodore.
“Ready for docking instructions, Cap.” Jack announced.
“It’s here already?” Andie exclaimed in utter amazement.
I nodded as the image on the large display changed to a tactical with requested and actual docking specifics.
“Roger that. Adjust attitude ten degrees to port and correct for resulting yaw. Pitch three to starboard, Jack,” I ordered as I watched the tactical display variables change on the console in front of me.
“Aye, Cap.”
“Kick the stern thirty cubits to starboard, Commander. Slow her down a little, too.”
“Aye.”
“Pitch another two degrees to starboard and slow ahead, Jack.
“Aye, slow ahead, Cap.”
“Seven hundred cubits and closing, Jack.”
“Five hundred…”
“Two hundred, Jack. All stop and let her drift in a little.”
“Aye, discontinuing forward thrust.”
“One hundred…”
“Fifty cubits. Reverse thrust, Commander.”
“Reverse thrust, Cap.”
“All stop! ‘Z’ axis negative five cubits, Commander.”
“Gently,” I urged as I now watched the storage bay monitor, the space under the giant ice cube decreasing quickly.
“Contact,” one of the other bridge crewmembers announced. “Storage bay load sensors indicate a mass in excess of the calculated value by twenty percent. Recalculating next orbital velocity burn to compensate for additional weight, Commodore.”
“Good job, ladies.” I congratulated. “Commodore, one ice cube, in the hold, as requested…and a little extra for good measure.”
“Close and pressurize cargo bay Forenza-Six. Good job, everyone!” Andie ordered quickly.
“Just hold your shields for a couple more minutes, Cami.”
“Acknowledged, Empress…oops.”
Gasps gave way to silence as I rolled my eyes again.
“I would have never believed it if not for seeing this…in our cargo bay!” Andie exclaimed an hour later as we looked at the football field sized block of frozen water. It towered above us about three stories.
“Thank you, Empress. You have guaranteed the successful descent to our new home.”
“I told y’all my name is Alex, Commodore. I don’t always answer to’ Empress’.”
“Since when, Empress?” Jack asked smugly.
“Since the very beginning, Commander! Would you like to be assigned an away mission in the tropical region of the planet?”
“Like an overgrown pussycat is going to scare me.” She bragged.
“Its not just the overgrown cats, Jack, it’s the overgrown birds; elephants; crocodiles; fish; sloths; bears…bugs,” I giggled as she glared at me.
“Ladies, you all are welcome to stay with us as long as you wish. What you did today, its…its…”
“It’s called helping fellow travelers out of a jam, Andie, and it requires no repayment.” I said with a bright smile. Cami, Allie, Yuuka, and Jack nodded in confirmation.
“But we owe you so much.”
“You owe us nothing, hun, we’re square, got it?”
“If you say so.” Andie replied, slightly confused, though I noticed a slight glint in her eye. “Join me for the evening meal then? It’s the least I could do.”
“You’re on, Commodore.”
“See you at three bells then, and don’t be late.” She giggled as she turned and left the storage bay.
I turned to the doorway before she disappeared. “Like I’ve never heard that one before!” I exclaimed loud enough for her to hear me.
“So, have you found your criminal yet, Alex?” Andie asked as we walked into her personal dining room a few hours later.
“In a hurry to see us leave, Commodore?” I asked in jest.
“Quite the opposite. I would like to offer Atlantis as a base of operations while you hunt your miscreant. As I filed the reports on your…unusual…arrival and subsequent assistance, several things you had said suddenly became clear to me.” She paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow to us.
“This ‘thief’, he’s already destroyed your future. You no longer exist in the original ‘timeline’ as you call it, do you?” she asked, but continued right away.
“If someone like you were to travel back in time, theoretically…if your local past changed…certain incidents and/or events may not have happened…or may have changed slightly. Nevertheless, if something important enough changed, you might not be born, or might not have met…or…”
I looked at our hostess with renewed interest and waited for her to continue.
“Or, you may not have become the Empress at all.” She said as she dropped her head in sadness.
“Very astute, Commodore. When last we visited my sister’s Research Facility, we found only three out of one hundred and three of our sisters. Apparently the events leading up to my arrival and subsequently successful rescue of that facility never happened. The Empress of Time and Space never emerged on this newly altered version of Earth.” I replied. “Alex and I still haven’t figured out how we even exist at all.”
“Do you have any children, Alex? Forgive me for prying if I am being too forward.” Andie asked, trying to change the subject after a few minutes of silence.
“Alex has one daughter from her mate on a planet its inhabitants call Terra. Jack has one daughter and two granddaughters, also from a mate on that planet. I have…if they still exist, three daughters and one son, two granddaughters and a grandson, and one great-granddaughter.”
“You’ve been busy.” Andie laughed politely.
“As I stand before you, none have actually been born yet, Andie. I only know them because of my unique gift.”
“To see and experience one’s future before it happens would be the ultimate miracle, Alex.”
“Or one’s worst nightmare.” I countered.
Andie nodded sadly.
“I understand how it could be perceived that way, Alex.”
“I took the liberty of reviewing the mythology around you, Alex.” Andie looked at both of us as she continued. “I noticed that the concept of three reverberates throughout each and every story. If I understand correctly you, Alex Reilly, are the Empress of the past, and you Alex, are the Empress of the present. May I ask about the Empress of the future? Will she also be joining you on your quest?”
“If she is lucky enough to have escaped the redirection of the time line…but if I were somehow stopped from becoming Empress…”
Andie again nodded her understanding.
“I’m sorry, Alex, I shouldn’t have circled back to the issue.”
“My granddaughter, Alexandra, is a very resourceful girl, Andie- more so than even Alex or I. She IS out there somewhere doing her part, I’m sure. I WILL see her again.” I said, being as upbeat as I could manage.
After a wonderful meal, Andie gave us the fifty-cent tour of Beta Ring and the Command Core- as they called the center sphere of this station. We were then shown to our quarters in Beta Ring. Each was spacious and beautifully decorated.
Before I turned in, I consulted my gift, as I was sure my sister Alex Reilly was doing as well, for the quickest way to untangle Darren’s handiwork and right the timeline.
As I blinked my extremely dry eyes, a voice filled my ears.
“She’s finally coming out of it, Andie, pay up.”
“For someone that claims no foresight you know your captain extremely well, Jacki. My question still remains, how in the seven worlds can she remain motionless and open-eyed for ten hours straight?”
“She‘s gone this long a few time, Andie. Typically, the more complex the question, the longer she takes. You have to understand that if she neglects even the smallest detail, the results could be catastrophic. I personally would not want that much responsibility.”
“So says one with the power of the universe at her disposal.” I said hoarsely.
“Have some water, Alex, it’s been ten hours.”
Ya, I heard that part, Jack. Y’all think you can be less conspicuous with your wagerin’?” I said before taking a few sips.
“Sorry, Cap. You know it’s more or less become a tradition among the girls.”
“Highly profitable too, I suspect.” I said rolling my still dry eyes. “Has Alex come out of it yet?”
“That’s the funny part, Cap. You and Alex came out of it at exactly the same time, according to Cami.”
“Gee, could it be that we’re basically the same person, Miss Cummins?”
“Wow…the sarcasm…could it get any thicker, Alex?”
“Absolutely.” I said with an evil grin.
“So, where to and when in time, Empress?”
“Believe it or not, we go back to Ricky Lynn’s office.”
“But how can we do that if we probably don’t exist there, Alex?” Jack asked just as Cami ran into my room.
“Alex says she knows what we have to do.” Cami announced excitedly as Yuuka and my sister, who was still wiping at her eyes gently, walked in.
“Ya, imagine that.” I deadpanned as my attention moved from Cami to Alex.
“You know what has to be done, sis?”
She nodded. “I’m to stay here as an anchor while you three go forward to meet with Ricky Lynn.”
I nodded back in agreement.
“So when do we leave, Alex?” Yuuka asked excitedly.
“I’m afraid you have to stay here, hun, your gift is not required on this one, sorry.” I told her sadly.
“So, Jack and I are to accompany you, Empress?” Cami asked hopefully.
“Sweetheart, I only need one Mind Warrior on this mission, and Jack is Ricky Lynn’s superior. Sorry.” I answered tenderly. Alex Reilly gently placed her hand on Cami’s shoulder as I broke the news.
“So who is the third person then?” Jack asked, confused.
Alex Reilly looked to Commodore Celeste.
“Alex needs an anchor to tie her to this time period, the anchor is bidirectional though, so a balance must be satisfied, therefore you, Commodore, must agree to travel as a companion of the Empress. There is a slightly more dangerous plan ‘B’ if you should feel the risk is too great.” She informed our hostess.
“You…you ask me…ask me to…to travel with you- to travel with the legendary Empress?” Andie paused, stunned for a moment.
“You really have to ask for my answer?” She squealed out in a higher octave.
“If y’all feel it’s asking too much, ma’am, we’ll go to plan…”
“No!” She shouted excitedly. “No, please…don’t reconsider, Empress! It would be my honor to accompany you through the vast sea of time.”
“It’s not that dramatic, hun,” I rolled my eyes at her outburst. “We join hands, I think of the place and time, and we’re there- no fades, slides, breaks, or pain, we’re just there. Just don’t let go of my hand until told its safe.” I told her, hoping not to dissuade her.
“Cap’s right, Commodore. The excruciating pain only comes into play if we cross universes.”
“Thanks, Jack. That really helped.”
“Just doin’ my job to keep my superiors informed, Cap.”
“Maybe I should take Cami instead.” I murmured seriously to myself.
“I’m sorry, Empress, but the director already has something planned for me here in the station.” Cami announced with little excitement.
I shook my head a few times.
“So, when do we leave, Empress?”
To my surprise it wasn’t Jack asking, but Andie.
“After I get some sleep. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t sleep when working through a problem, Commodore.” I said as I went to select my favorite nightie, only to find that I already had it on.
I changed its color from pink to blue instead.
“See y’all later today.” I said, shooing them out of my quarters.
Its amazing how much better I felt after just six hours of sleep. According to the chronometer in my HUD, I had slept half the day away- though I could see myself indulging between these comfortable bed linens for a lot longer. They rivaled my own sheets back at Atlantis-Minor.
“If its still there.” I reminded myself verbally as I begrudgingly slid out from between the sheets
The features of immediate hot water and a real shower in my in-suite bathroom surprised me. Amazing since we were in orbit- high above Earth- where no gravity should be present.
I told myself that Reilly had its own form of artificial gravity and I shouldn’t have been surprised at all.
Returning to the bedroom, I pulled my Reilly back on and selected its default appearance- that of Reilly’s standard red and blue- I also cued up my dress whites for later.
“Locate Commodore Celeste, please.”
An annoying tone sounded. I repeated my request.
“Locate. Commodore Celeste.” I ordered, forgetting the semi-rudimentary nature of their A.I.
Commodore Celeste is on the bridge.”
“Thanks, hun.” I responded cheerfully, but got no reply, only that annoying tone again. Not as advanced as RVP, I thought to myself as I walked out of my quarters and headed for the Control Core.
“Ah, there you are, Captain Steinert. I hope you acquired some much needed rest?” Andie greeted pleasantly as a rather handsome, tall, young security officer escorted me to her duty station.
“Reminded me of my quarters back on Atlantis-Minor, Commodore.”
“Atlantis-Minor?” She repeated, looking dumbfounded.
“It’s the name we chose for our base on the Hawaiian Island of Ni’ihau. Maybe I’ll show it to you once things are back to normal. It’s not much, but we still call it home.”
“I look forward to it, Captain. When would you like to get underway?” She asked politely.
“As soon as you and my first officer take my hand, Madam Commodore.” I said sternly as Jack continued to literally stare off into space.
‘Any time this epoch, Jack.’ I thought to her.
“What? Oh, sorry Alex, I just can’t get enough of this view. Isn’t it spectacular?”
“Ya, it looks a lot better than when three guys who haven’t showered in a week aren’t shoulder to shoulder with you.” I answered as Andie just looked at me in confusion.
I offered my hands to my two companions.
“Reggie, you have the bridge. Try to keep her in one piece while I’m gone.” Andie said to her first officer.
“How long do you estimate our trip will take, Captain?” She asked me as the younger woman looked on in curiosity.
“You mean, how long from our departure to our arrival back here?” I asked.
“Yes.” She answered quizzically.
“Let’s say …five minutes?”
We found ourselves standing on a somewhat steep, brush covered, lightly tree lined hillside- a scene from any undeveloped wilderness, I thought. Andie was standing in a tree’s trunk, some smaller limbs exiting from her abdomen and ears made her look somewhat comical. She might not think so, though.
“Try not to panic, Commodore, this happens sometimes when I travel. Please don’t let go of my hand.” I advised as I carefully pulled her clear. Her eyes couldn’t get any bigger.
“This doesn’t look like Carnegie Mellon University, Alex.” Jack observed needlessly.
“Really? And I thought they just went green, Jack!” I said sarcastically. “Just keep hold of my hands while I adjust for the dimensional timeline distortion.”
“You can do that, Alex?”
“Jack.” I glared at her. “Could I please concentrate, Commander?” I asked. Andie stayed very quiet and very, very still.
Focusing on what I knew to be here before rather than what was here now, I tried to separate things and shift them in my mind. I saw…that is, Alex and I both saw that I would have to somehow distinguish between the original and rerouted timelines- to somehow separate one from the other and move my group safely back into the original. As I concentrated on what I knew to be here, everything around me became unfocused- similar to twisting the focus control on a periscope from stop to stop. Everything became blurred and featureless to the point of being blobs of faint colors, but mostly gray. I apparently had spilt water on the watercolor that was reality- the colors mixing randomly as they diluted and faded before my eyes.
I concentrated harder to separate even farther, this chaotic mess.
Slowly, two distinctly different realities came back into focus in my vision. To say that one eye saw one reality more than the other was impossible to discern, but seemed to be the best description I could think of. Both became equally sharp in my eyes, though became superimposed on each other like a single frame of film with two distinctly different pictures exposed then developed.
One reality had the undeveloped hillside landscape that we had arrived to while the other had students walking down a familiar hallway on their way to and from classes. Both visions seemed equally ghostlike and depleted of mostly all colors.
Trying to concentrate even harder, I began the task of separating the two- bringing one to the forefront while pushing the other into the background. For a few moments the conflicting scenes around me toggled back and forth at random. I was having a hard time stabilizing one from the other.
“Alex” Jack said quietly, in a very concerned tone. “You’re beginning to glow- giving off light…just like Alexandra did back…back on the…the Homeworld.”
“It can’t be helped. I need to concentrate on the right reality, Jack. I have to get this right or the mission will fail.” I managed to say while trying to redouble my efforts.
“Alex…take as much energy from me as you can. Lord knows you’ve given me more than your share. Drink up, Empress.” She told me calmly- ever so gently.
I had never tried to borrow power from my sisters before. It was something I’d never felt comfortable with, though I had no problem providing it when needed by my sisters.
“I don’t think I know how.” I whispered.
“Think of how you felt when I tapped into your energy reserve, just reverse that, maybe.”
“But I can’t take your power, Jack. That isn’t the way it should go. That’s like stealing.”
“It isn’t stealing if offered freely, Alexandra Steinert. Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that you need some help. I can’t make you take it, Empress. That would be wrong…and possibly dangerous.”
“I can do this, Jack. I saw that I could do this and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.”
“Captain Steinert, allow your first officer to assist. That is what I’m here for after all, ma’am.”
“I can do this.” I stressed.
“Why are we beginning to shine?” I heard Andie ask as I concentrated even harder. I could feel sweat forming on my forehead. I had to stabilize the original reality.
I had to.
“Alexandra Frances Steinert, I offer to you as much of myself as you need,” Jack said peacefully. “Please allow me to supplement your effort. To refuse such kind intentions would be a personal insult to Commodore Celeste and I. Please Alexandra, let us lend you assistance.”
Feeling like I couldn’t go any farther on my own, I thought about what Jack had said- how to draw energy instead of give it. Mentally imagining a valve and giving it a fraction of a turn, I felt…something.
“That’s it my friend, take as much as you need. Draw the power needed to materialize us in the proper reality.”
I mentally twisted the valve in my mind a little more and felt more ‘something’ flow into me. It was strange, this feeling. I tried concentrating on my task again. This time the one reality, the one I wanted, stayed in the foreground longer than the other. It was working!
“You can draw from me also, Empress.” I barely heard Andie offer.
I mentally opened the valve slightly more. I also imagined another valve on my other side and cracked it open a hair. The ‘something’ increased sharply.
Wow, what a feeling!
I wondered if this was how Jack or Cami felt when we joined together!
“Commander Cummins, I can barely see anything with such bright light surrounding us. How can she be doing this?” Andie’s faint voice asked.
I continued to concentrate- to separate the true from the tangent.
The one true reality was now almost stabilized as I applied the added energy to my effort. I felt I needed to give both valves another fraction of a degree to solidify our location in the proper reality and did so- reveling immediately in the feeling it gave me.
One reality now filled my eyes- that of the true timeline that I so desperately needed to acquire and occupy.
Satisfied with what I saw, I waited until the hallway was deserted and mentally pulled the trigger.
Our surroundings shimmered and a modestly lit hallway appeared around us.
“Now that…that was some experience, Alex.” Jack admitted with a look of relief.
“I have never, in my life, had such an exhilarating experience! Thank you, Empress!” Andie exclaimed excitedly. She acted as if just exiting a rollercoaster ride at some amusement park.
I closed my eyes a moment and tried to settle my mind by taking in a few big breaths and exhaling them slowly.
“Alex?” Jack said to get my attention. She gestured to my nose. “You may have over done it a little. I told you to take as much as you needed. You barely took anything at all.”
Reaching up slowly, I wiped the warm liquid from below my nose and momentarily stared at the smear of blood on my sleeve as it absorbed into my Reilly’s amazing material.
Had I over done it as Jack indicated? Should I have opened both control valves more and taken what they had to give? Did I even have the right to do such a thing- rob them of precious energy that they could use for themselves? What kind of a person was I to…”
“Next time, Alex, I suggest that you take a little more than just a trickle from me. I’m not some China doll that will break at the slightest touch, you know.”
Slight trickle? Had Jack just called what I felt a slight trickle? To me it felt massive- like a dam had suddenly opened every floodgate available and then some! The power this woman, my friend and sister possessed…it was amazing!
“Thank you both for your help.” I said, demurely.
“I mean it, Alex. Next time, don’t be so afraid to take some juice, I’ve got plenty, and I don’t mind. Really.”
I nodded as I gazed at my friend’s confident, smiling face. She closed her eyes serenely and nodded back.
“This should be the right place.” I said. “I just hope it’s the right day and time. Let’s go to Ricky Lynn’s office.”
Three students, two young women and a young man, exited a classroom off to our right just after I made sure we had rephased. I immediately felt three pair of eyes lock on and track us. I tried ignoring them as we continued to walk by.
“There must be a Con coming up.” One of the young women said quietly to the other two.
“Wow, those are the best Starfleet uniforms I seen in a while.” The young man said excitedly.
“You just like how tight they are! Honestly, ya think they could get any more form-fitting?” The other female voice said.
“They look jus’ fine ta me, Nats. I think yinz should ask ‘em where they got ‘em from.” The guy added.
“Shuddup, you prev, we’ll be late to our next class!” The first woman growled as they continued to walk away from us. “Some girls have no shame whatsoever these days, Natalie.”
“You think we should maybe change clothes, Alex?” Jack asked, now self-conscious of her appearance.
“Maintain course and speed, Commander.”
“Observation dictates that we should find suitable clothing for this culture, Empress.” Andie warned quietly.
“Andi, when on a mission with me, call me by my given name…unless you’d like me to refer to you as ‘Commodore’ in similar unknown, possibly enemy situations?”
“Point taken, Alex. I shall defer to your extensive experience and wisdom during these occasions.”
“Don’t be a smart-aleck either, hun.” I giggled.
“Sorry. Jacquelyn’s sarcasm is quite contagious.”
“Yes…but we love her all the same. This is it. I think you should let Jack and I do the talking since you don’t have translating capability in your uniform.” I said as we stopped by a door with Ricky Lynn’s name painted on its frosted glass window. I knocked.
“Ya, what is it?” asked a whiney, slightly angered, New York accented, soprano voice from inside.
“Um, Perfesser Samuels, there are three strange people in your lab. They seem to be looking for detailed information on your latest invention?” I said in English, trying to disguise my voice.
“You gotta be shittin’ me! Call security, Janice!”
“Um, they said that they’re busy across campus at the moment and we’ll have to wait a few minutes, Perfesser.”
There was more profanity as we heard wood bang against wood in the office. The doorknob suddenly turned and the door flew open. A very angry Ricky Lynn Samuels glared directly at my boobs, but quickly looked up in surprise.
“Empress!” She exclaimed and quickly dropped to one knee. “I’m sorry, ma’am, Welcome to CMU’s Robotic’s Center, its 1430hrs, April 10th, 2035.”
“Get up, you silly girl! You want to look stranger than we do at the moment?”
My flustered sister slowly rose as she looked around us cautiously and blushed profusely. She took notice of our clothing and zeroed in on my rank pips.
Two young men of Oriental descent exited a classroom several yards farther down the opposite side of the hall. We both noticed.
“I’m sorry, Captain Steinert. I wasn’t informed that you would be beaming down to personally inspect my progress. I hope your report won’t reflect my negligence or lack of manners.” She adlibbed while trying to keep a straight face.
“Dude, check out the smokin’ hot babes in the Battlestar Galactica threads.”
“Don’t be a jagoff, Lin, they’re Starfleet officers! Besides, they’re talkin’ ta Prof. Samuels…I’m betting they’re from some secret government agency or somethin’, so lay off and let’s go.”
“My First Officer and Science Officer both thought it would be wise for me to attend, Professor Samuels. Starfleet is very concerned that the Borg may try to sabotage your efforts. Shall we proceed to the device?” I said, playing my part as much as I remembered it from the old science fiction series.
“This way, Captain…Commanders.” Ricky Lynn motioned farther down the hallway in the opposite direction. She stared at the students until they turned the far corner.
“What’s the matter, Skipper, you just left an hour ago?” She asked in a loud whisper. “Wait, who’s the Amazon an’…didn’t Janice go with you earlier?”
“Ricky Lynn, we need to talk.” I said as I placed my hand on her shoulder. “I’d like you to meet Commodore Andromeda Celeste of Atlantis.” Switching my translator, I introduced my Chief Engineer to my guest companion.
“Nice to meet you, Commodore.” Ricky Lynn stopped dead in her tracks. “Wait, you mean she’s from Atlantis…THE Atlantis?”
I nodded.
“Can I ask how far back you two went?” She asked, trying to keep her mouth from hanging open and eyes from popping out.
“Near as we can tell, Alex Reilly took us back about seventy thou, hun.
My Chief Engineer whistled in amazement.
“Boy, was Plato ever wrong.”
“It’s an orbiting Space Station.” I added.
“Get the hell outta here!”
“Nope…Jack was mesmerized by the view just before we left.” I said as I raised an eyebrow and glanced to my first officer.
“One of these days I’m gonna get up there to see for myself, Skipper.”
“Why don’t you come with us, Chief?” Jack asked offhandedly.
I rolled my eyes as I looked over to her. “Must you always skip ahead a few pages, Miss Cummins?”
“You mean she can come along, Alex?” Jack asked in surprise.
“Ricky Lynn, do you still have that extra Reilly in your closet?”
“Ya, it should be fully charged and up to date, software-wise. Why…Andromeda need a change of technology?”
“Standard issue Atlantian uniforms lack a translator, hun.”
My redheaded sister took our guest’s hand. “It’s back at my place. Ready when you are, Skipper.”
“How close is your ‘place’, hun? We’re kind of pushing the boundaries of this reality as it is.”
“I have a small place over in Shadyside. It shouldn’t take us more than twenty minutes on foot.”
I stared at her, rolling my eyes once.
“Of course, you really don’t…want to be…seen in public…dressed…the way you are, right?”
I forced a smile in response.
“Give me a minute or two. I’ll relay my house location through Miss Cummins while I change, Skipper.” She said holding up a finger before ducking into the nearest ladies lavatory.
“There, that should even things out.” Ricky Lynn said as she rejoined us in the hallway a couple minutes later. She had made it look like she changed into her default Reilly suit.
Unfortunately, while we waited, a small crowd of students had gathered at either end of the hallway. Whispers declared us characters from various television series from ‘Battlestar Galactica’ to something called ‘V’. Most though, rightly chose Star Trek.
“Follow my lead, hun,” I whispered to Ricky Lynn.
“Why?”
“Just do it.”
‘Jack, I need a transporter effect on my mark.’ I thought to her.
‘Transporter, Alex?’
‘Remember back in Flagstaff…that old TV show…Star Trek?’
‘Oh! Ya, now I got ya. On your mark, Cap.’
“We’ve stayed long enough at this honorable establishment of higher learning. We’ll continue this conversation back on the ship before we draw much more attention and disregard the prime directive entirely, Lt. Commander Samuels.”
“Understood, Captain Steinert.”
“Form up.” I ordered as I took Andie’s hand in mine and Jack took her other. Ricky Lynn stood to attention as she took Jack’s other hand.
“Atlantis, four to beam up.” I said after tapping my rank pips. I mentally nodded to Jack and waited for her effect to develop before I started to slowly alternate us out and into phase.
The hair on my body began to stand on end. The air around us filled with ozone and small twinkling sparks. I continued phasing us slowly then quickened the effect faster and faster until finally, I just phased us out completely.
“Cut the effects, Jack.” I ordered.
The students, at first confused or terrified by the sight of our bizarre disappearance, began clapping and cheering. Some declared that it was the best special effect they had ever seen and that Professor Samuels was a first class ‘Trekkie’. Others declared her an outright ‘FX’ magician.
“And you always say that Jack is the show-off!” Ricky Lynn said as several students came close and started to feel around and look for any wires, hidden panel, trap door, or for any clue whatsoever as to how the professor had accomplished the seemingly miraculous feat.
“It fit with the rumors that had already spread half way across campus, Chief. Besides, I just made you look like the gifted sorceress y’all are.” I told her, looking over with a smile. “Transiting…hopefully to the right place, in three…two…one.”
A nice-sized living room appeared around us and after checking with Ricky Lynn that this was indeed the right place, I rephased us.
“Welcome, Empress! Ricky Lynn failed to inform me of your arrival.”
“Randi?” I asked in surprise as I looked to the ceiling.
“RVP…or should I say a copy of the RVP operating system interpreter, Empress.”
“RVP, Status of Reilly Research Station in relation to present day and date, if possible, please.” I quickly inquired.
“Reilly is functioning within normal parameters and intercommunication links are active and responding, Empress.”
“Thank God,” I sighed in relief.
“Skipper, you wanna tell me what’s going on?” The Chief asked cautiously.
1500hrs, R. L. Samuel’s Residence, Pittsburgh, PA, April 10th, 2035
“You mean to tell me that he’s managed to completely remove us from the timeline?” Ricky Lynn cried in disbelief. “How come I’m still here? I didn’t feel any shifts or even dizziness?”
“When we first arrived, your Robotics’ building didn’t exist until I compensated by picturing it again in my mind, Chief. I’m not sure of the how or why. Let’s just be thankful we’re here at all.” I said as I looked over to Andie and saw that Jack had finished relaying her borrowed Reilly suit’s operating instructions.
Andie shook her head a few times and stared at me, wide-eyed.
“This technology…its…its simply amazing!” She exclaimed, her eyes snapping to different places in her normal field of view. “Full tactical, environmental, sanitation, wardrobe, and help drop-downs, and all fully configurable by the user! Amazing!”
“But it still doesn’t do windows.” I quipped, but got no reaction from her. “Hon, maybe you should set American English as your translator’s default for right now.”
“How does this sound?” She asked after I watched her eyes make a series of precise moves.
“You sound like a natural born American, hun, just try not to be so physical about navigating your H.U.D.”
“Physical?”
“Ya, hun, the H.U.D. is only displayed in your mind, not in front of you. Just think of moving from menu to menu or display to display. People will think you’re less crazy that way.”
“Oh.”
Andie‘s suit immediately changed from its default to the inventoried black, two-piece string bikini. The statuesque brunette looked breathtaking.
“How was that, Alex?”
“Good. I didn’t see any eye movement at all, but it’s a little cold outside to be wearing so little and your eyes aren’t the ones going to be moving if you stay in this, hun.”
“It is rather revealing, isn’t it?”
“I’ve worn that one a few times, myself.” I admitted with an exaggerated wink.
Andie smiled knowingly as her default Reilly suit reappeared.
“You might want to hold onto this, Commodore.” Ricky Lynn told her, handing her what looked like a Pixie-sized version of her original uniform.
“How cute, it looks exactly like my real uniform, Prof. Samuels, thank you. When did you find the time to construct this?”
“That IS your real uniform, Ma’am, I just shrunk it to that size so’s ya could keep it in yer pocket for safe keepin’.”
“Your gift makes things smaller?”
“Ya…it can make anything…smaller.” Ricky Lynn nodded as she conspicuously looked around.
“And…’anything’ would include…people…too?” Andie asked, noting her embarrassment.
Prof Samuels nodded twice.
“So, chief, care to brief us on the specifics of your toy? We never did get to that part earlier.”
Ricky Lynn’s eyes immediately began to twinkle.
“The QDA is based on one of Reilly’s secondary Zero Point reaction power cell. Being that it is drastically reduced in size from the prototype, its output and stability hasn’t been perfected quite yet, but it supplies the needed power for approximately thirty medium-range jumps, Alex.”
“Wait! You mean to tell us that you’ve captured a singularity? You actually can make and control the most destructive force in the universe?” Andie cried out in total surprise.
“Second most destructive force in the universe, Commodore Celeste.” Jack corrected. “Not even the Empress could control me in certain instances!”
She had that right.
“Define ‘medium range’, chief.” I requested, choosing to ignore my Ex-O’s bragging, and fighting my inner demons, memories, and my tears all at the same time.
“Medium range would be about two hundred years. The further you go the more energy you use.” Ricky Lynn answered as she tried to understand the concentration on my face. I guess I wasn’t hiding it very well today.
“I’ll have to remember that, hun.” I replied, hoping that some humor would lighten my perceived, sudden mood change.
“I don’t think you have that limitation, Skipper.” Prof. Samuels reassured me with a tense smile.
“That’s good to know. So how many jumps do you think it could make if one of them was…say, six thousand years instead?”
“Six thousand?” She squinted.
I nodded.
“Let me see.” Ricky Lynn continued as she pulled a small, thin, rectangular device from the hidden pocket of her Reilly suit. Tapping and sliding her finger on the glass-like screen for a few minutes, she sighed sadly.
“A jump that far, in either direction would really reduce its power reserves, Skipper; I’d estimate it to decrease the number of trips available by half.” Ricky Lynn looked at me curiously. “Why…where did he take it?”
“Aside from stopping someplace along the way to pick up explosives, he decided to visit the site of what some scientists call the Great Flood, Chief.”
“Turkey?”
“North of Constantinople, yes.”
“It’s been called Istanbul for a while now, Alex.”
“That’s what we called it back in ’44 too, hun, remember?”
“Then why did you use the old Byzantine name?”
“Empress’ prerogative.”
“Oh…sorry, Skipper.”
“Continuing on with your briefing, Miss Samuels?” I said with an eye roll.
“If you could give me some idea where Darren’s next stop will be, I could figure that into the power reserve calculation.”
“I already know where I’m going to catch him, hun. His next stop will be to vindicate his favorite American patriot though.”
“Okaaaay. So which American patriot needs vindicated?” Jack asked, puzzled by my cryptic response.
“1779, Philadelphia.”
“George Washington?” Jack gasped. “Why would he need to clear his name of anything?”
“Benedict Arnold, Jack.”
“Oh, him. I thought he was a traitor? At least that’s what my history teacher taught us.”
“He was, but only after getting royally screwed in both the French and Indian, and Revolutionary wars, Miss Cummins.” Ricky Lynn Samuels, PHD, corrected.
“So what’s Darren gonna do in Philly, Skipper?” She asked turning back to me.
“The British WILL take West Point.” I said bluntly.
“But that would change the outcome of the war- or at the very least cause it to go on for a year or more longer than it did!”
“Exactly. And that’s why the University wasn’t here when we first arrived, Jack.” I replied. “Why would Andrew Carnegie immigrate to a British colony when he was looking for opportunity and freedom from Great Britain?” I paused after posing the question.
“Carnegie Tech didn’t exist when we first arrived because Andrew Carnegie was never here in that altered timeline.” I continued. “He never made his fortune in steel, and never endowed money for the university.”
“Commodore, you’ve been very quiet. Does all this overwhelm you?” Ricky Lynn asked curiously.
“This world is not how I thought it would be, Prof. Samuels. If seventy-two thousand years have indeed passed, I expected technical advancements far superior to even these marvelous garments. How could so much time pass with so little or no progress…or even such a decline?”
“Andie, could you tell us the reason behind Atlantis’ journey to this solar system?” I asked gently, apparently ignoring her question entirely.
She thought a minute.
“Our planet was dying; our natural resources almost depleted; society began to deteriorate because of the panic. Lotteries were held to determine who would be saved- who would leave to start a new life on our greatest achievement, Atlantis.”
“So, without the resources your people had become accustomed to, what would you speculate happened to those left behind? Do you think they could still survive, and in what capacity?” I asked.
“I restrict myself from thinking about that, Alex. The memories of our final days before departure haunt my dreams each and every night. More than two-thirds of our passengers could not board because of a massive riot that threatened to destroy Atlantis. I curse the order to depart without them each and every day, ma’am.”
“Here on Earth- over the centuries- civilizations peak and decline- as I’m sure they’ve done on your home planet in the past as well. I’ve been witness to several cycles of technological reemergence- the arrival of Atlantis to Earth being only one of them. Typically, technology rises to a peak then recedes as the civilization becomes complacent and falters. Certain peoples living in the Southwest region of this continent as well as peoples on other continents, record five of these so called cycles in a form they call ‘creation myths’ to explain their arrival or appearance here.”
“So are you saying that has happened to my home planet also?”
“Maybe, but it’s happened here many times and will undoubtedly happen again, Andie.”
I thought for a moment.
“RVP, could you bring up the current world map on the large monitor in this room?” I asked nicely.
“Initializing Earth. What area should I pan to, Empress?” The I.A. inquired politely.
“Our current location will do, RVP, no need to zoom too much though, thank you.”
We watched as our world appeared on the huge, widescreen. It rotated clockwise slightly so that the Great Lakes region centered in the top portion of the screen. I approached and pointed to a small red flag that appeared.
“This is where we are right now, Andie. I’d guess it looks a lot different from when we left your station, right?”
“The ice has receded that far?” She exclaimed in surprise.
“Well, it’s been seventy-two thousand years, Commodore.” I replied. “You arrived at the height of what we call the ‘Ice Age’. From then until today, the great ice sheets that covered most of this planet have melted. They continue melting even today and I foresee a time when the oceans will be much greater than the ice ever was.”
“Even the land masses have moved a great deal, Alex. What I have been told to be a safe and stable landing zone is no longer recognizable and possibly covered by sea.” She said, scanning the display closely.
“RVP, pan to the Azores, please. Increase magnification by forty percent.” I requested.
Again the globe spun, clockwise this time, and stopped on a small dot of land on the eastern side of the Atlantic. A small group of Islands grew larger as the magnification increased smoothly.
“West, past the Pillars of Hercules.” I quoted Plato and pointed. “This is the rumored location of your landing site, Andie. Look familiar?”
My guest companion studied the display for a minute or so.
“May I, Alex?” She asked in disappointment, motioning to the screen.
I waved her to try.
“RVP?”
“Yes, Commodore Celeste?”
“Could you pan counterclockwise three thousand, four hundred leagues, please?”
“Of course, Commodore, which form of ‘league’ should I use: Nautical, International, or Statute?”
“My league is based on the cubit, RVP.”
“There are several different definitions of cubit, Commodore. Please specify the number of cubits in your ‘league’.”
Andie thought a while as she tried to remember the required information.
“Twelve thousand, one hundred and forty-one cubits per league, RVP.” She replied, squinting her eyes and holding her chin between her thumb and forefinger.
“Thank you Commodore. Applying conversion.”
The image zoomed back out and the on-screen globe began to spin rapidly to the west. It stopped over a spot much closer to North America.
“Magnify by thirty percent, please.”
The ocean zoomed up closer to reveal the Bahamas, specifically the Island of Biminy.
“I don’t understand…it should be there. Why isn’t it there?”
“Andie, seventy thousand years is a very long time to hope that Atlantis is still intact.” I told her gently. “Many things could have happened in that time. Also remember that the continents are always moving- slowly, but moving nevertheless. So that may not be the right location either.”
“RVP, enable and calculate proposed continental drift algorithms to account for approximately negative seventy-two thousand years from present.”
“As you wish, Prof. Samuels. Calculating.”
Ever so slowly, North America began to move east northeastward until Key West centered and moved slightly eastward on the screen. The gently sloped dome of an underwater mountain could be seen on the image just off to the southwest. I noticed a barely visible, curved ridge just south of the domed seamount.
“Is that all that’s left of my Atlantis, Alex?” Andie gently pointed to the mound. She walked closer and gently touched the glass-faced display, tracing the almost visible Forenza, or outer ring.
“It could be, hun, the real location of Atlantis has been debated for many centuries since Plato first wrote about his supposed visit there in the fourth century BC.”
Ricky Lynn and Jack suddenly stared at me conspiratorially.
“Maybe?” I admitted sheepishly, shrugging my shoulders.
“Ya, maybe, Alex.” Jack accused sarcastically.
“RVP, can you show me Atlantis’ namesake…this Atlantis-Minor, Alexandra told me about?”
“Resetting initial geographic location. Request requires level two authorization or higher.”
“Show her our World War Two base location, please, RVP.”
“Restricted access voiceprint authentication acknowledged, thank you, Empress.”
Again the globe on the screen zoomed out and spun, counterclockwise this time then zoomed in on Ni’ihau.
“I don’t see anything there, Alex. Where is the base you spoke of?”
“After the war, we dismantled it and returned the island to its previous natural state as best we could, Andie. The Island is privately owned and still inhabited by the family the Navy leased it from back in 1942.”
“So it seems we are kindred spirits, Captain Steinert, in that both our bases have been erased from the face of this planet.” Commodore Celeste said sadly.
“We always knew it would be temporary, Andie. Sometimes, friends and family do more to make a home than any special building or location.”
“A very philosophical and wise way to look at things, Empress.” Andie admitted. “Though I suspect, you yearn for ‘home’ as much as I do.”
“More so now than ever before, Commodore.” I admitted sadly. “Ricky Lynn, I suggest we get going.”
“Where to, Alex?”
“Atlantis, hun.”
“Prof. Samuels, please access encrypted archive ‘downloadmebeforeleavingchief-dot-atls’ from ‘VisitKiliReilly’ cloud and download into your Reilly suit before engaging the Empress’ hand!” RVP suddenly announced abruptly, making everyone jump.
“What the hell?”
“Terminal input only.”
The Chief growled as she produced her hand-held device once more and typed something very quickly.
“Code accepted. Designate download location.”
Ricky Lynn angrily typed something else on the device.
“Remote location validation needed, please enter access code.”
“Son of a…” She exclaimed, glaring at the ceiling.
“Terminal input only.”
She growled once more as she again quickly typed something in.
“Thank you, Professor.” RVP responded.
“Do you really want to download this file? Yes or No?” The A.I. asked a few seconds later.
“Dammit, yes!”
“Terminal input only.”
Chief Samuels angrily hit a spot on her device.
“Thank you. Are you really sure you want to do this Ricky Lynn? To do so would admit that a machine could be as much of a pain in the ass as you think the Empress is being right now. Agreed? Yes or No.”
Ricky Lynn glared at me with such an angry scowl that I thought the paint would start peeling off the wall behind me.
Looking down to her hand, she stabbed at the device once more and glared back at me again.
“Hey, it’s your I.A. not mine, hun.” I giggled.
“I’ll get Randi for this.” She threatened.
“Who said Randi had anything to do with it, Chief?” I laughed. “Let me know when your mystery download is complete, Professor.”
Ricky Lynn angrily took my hand and continued glaring at me after returning from ‘getting some things together for the trip’ as she put it.
“Ladies, that’s our cue to travel.” I giggled evilly.
Atlantis’ bridge appeared around us. As with our previous arrival here, an alarm sounded.
“We’re back in phase, everyone.” I informed my companions.
“Turn that thing off!” Andie ordered. “Reggie, status report- what did we miss?”
Andie’s first officer looked at her quizzically. “In the five minutes you have been gone, nothing, Commodore. Why have you returned so soon? What went wrong?”
“Five minutes? Are you sure it was only five minutes?”
“Check the chronometer for yourself, Commodore.” The young woman pointed to her console.
Andie looked back at me in confusion. Apparently she had forgotten whom she was traveling with and what I was capable of doing.
“My apologies for ever doubting you, Empress.” She said bowing her head momentarily.
“Welcome back, Empress.” Cami greeted on behalf of Alex Reilly and Yuuka. “Greetings to you also, Ricky Lynn.”
“Welcome to you also, Chief. I trust Alex has advised you of the situation?” Alex Reilly asked as she smiled and nodded to me. “Sister, you had to adjust reality as we had seen? I trust my Reilly is still present and operational there?”
“It is. It is also strange to see two different realities at the same time, sis. I wasn’t sure I could concentrate hard enough to differentiate the two correctly.” I nodded as Cami, Yuuka, and Ricky Lynn stared between us.
“We continue to amaze ourselves, don’t we?”
“At every turn.”
“Welcome to Atlantis, Ricky Lynn Samuels.” Andie announced motioning around the bridge. “Reggie, this is Professor Ricky Lynn Samuels. She is the Empress’ Chief Engineer. Enable access to our public systems as you have our other guests. Professor, you have full access to all public areas and databases on Atlantis.”
The young woman stared at her superior with her mouth agape.
“Perhaps you should turn your translator off, Commodore?” I hinted deviously, knowing that she had inadvertently turned it back on just a moment ago.
Andie repeated what she had just said- minus the welcome- in her native language. Reggie nodded.
“Thank you, Commodore. Let me know if you need any help with anything on…” Ricky Lynn replied before noticing the Earth rotate into view. “OH! SHIT YA!”
“Chief, cussing doesn’t translate well in some languages.” I warned, seeing the shocked expressions on Andie’s bridge crew.
“Sorry, Commodore. The view of the planet is amazing. This is the first time I’ve seen it from this altitude.”
“Quite understandable, Professor. It is a beautiful planet to behold. To see the differences seventy thousand years can make is also beyond known words.”
“Ricky Lynn, would you care to bunk with me? I have a spare bed.” Yuuka offered happily as she took the chief’s hand in hers.
“That is not necessary, Yuuka. We have a few unclaimed quarters available.”
“Commodore, this is a space ship, right?”
“It is, Prof. Samuels.”
“So space is at a premium?”
“Yes?”
“If it’s all the same to you, ma’am, I’ll take my sister up on her offer. I’m sure there’s someone more in need of a place around here. Besides, I don’t take up that much space…as you’ve no doubt seen.”
Commodore Celeste’s hand absently went to the hidden pocket in her Reilly suit and gently touched the spot.
“Thank you for your understanding, Professor. Will you require anything special to be placed into your room?”
“Nah, I think I’ve got everything I need packed right here.” Ricky Lynn said as she touched her Reilly’s hidden pocket.
Andie’s eyes went wide in realization of what that could actually mean.
“They do have running water, Ricky Lynn, so the kitchen sink you brought along won’t be required,” I quipped.
Samuels turned and stuck her tongue out at me.
“Ya, too bad you weren’t here when Cami and I brought up that big ice cube.” Jack snorted amusingly.
How ‘big’ of an ice cube, Jacki?” Ricky Lynn asked- her eyes narrowing with curiosity.
“A three story high football field, with full-sized end zones…really not that big a deal.”
Our chief pulled out her hand-held computing device again and tapped frantically.
“That’s over ten million gallons of water!” She announced, but continued to calculate. “Over…over eighty-four million pounds of ice!”
“So?” Jack asked nonchalantly.
“SO?” Samuels responded emphatically.
“I think Ricky Lynn is concerned that you and Cami might overdo it one of these days, Jack. Maybe you two should just stick to moving planets and other similarly light objects.” Alex Reilly giggled. I noticed Andie give both of us a double take.
“Commodore, if you’ll excuse me, holding two timelines in parallel has tired me out. I think I’ll retire to my quarters if you don’t mind?” I begged of our hostess.
“By all means, Empress. Shall we see you in the morning then?”
“Madam Commodore, it is still morning. Has she worn herself out so thoroughly that the Mighty Empress needs so much rest?” Her Ex-O questioned.
“The Empress, Jacquelyn, Ricky Lynn, and I have spent a whole day in the year 2035, Reggie. Seventy-two thousand years into our future! If Alex says that she is tired and needs sleep, she very well deserves it.” Andie responded sharply. “We will see you in the morning, Empress.” She said, bowing to me.
“Alex, before you go, we need to sync.” Allie reminded as she gently took my hand.
The strong tingle was more of an electrical shock as we exchanged memories and information.
Allie stumbled slightly as she placed a hand to her forehead.
“Commodore, if you will excuse us…” She said taking my hand. Together we left the bridge.
0800hrs, Atlantis Expeditionary Ship, Standard Year 257:06:15
“I was wondering why your sister suddenly looked so exhausted. So you two really are the same person?”
“The only way we differ is our experiences, Andie, but once we sync that becomes a non-issue- as you saw yesterday.”
“And you could actually see two different realities when we went forward in time? How can that even be possible? And how could you possibly hold us in one or the other for any length of time?”
“I’m still not entirely sure how I can do a lot of things I do, Commodore. I never got the owner’s manual when I became the Empress- I didn’t even want the blasted job. It just sort of dropped on me. I would have been just fine with being Alexander Steinert, Captain of Sand Dollar for the rest of my natural days.”
“My translator is telling me that Alexander is the masculine form of the name, Alex. Is it starting to malfunction?”
“No, you heard right, Andie, that was my name before I became the Empress.”
“But the masculine name would indicate that…”
“Ya, hard to tell after all this time, but I was a man before my Mahanilui.”
Andie’s eyes darted around deliberately before her mouth hung open in surprise.
“The rebirth.” She said quietly to herself.
“I see you found the dictionary.” I smiled bashfully.
“I shall keep the secret, Alex.”
“It’s not really a secret, Andie. What happened has happened. There is no going back to what I was.” I paused and thought about that statement for a moment. “That is, I wouldn’t want to go back to what I was then. I’m so much more than I was, Commodore. I’ve met so many fascinating people…visited so many places…worlds…universes…” I paused again. “I’m going to have children in just a few years! What isn’t there to like about the new me?” I stopped abruptly.
In truth, there were plenty of things not to like, actually. Sandy’s face appeared in my visual memory, then Mr. Lincoln’s, then Admiral Demmit’s.
“From your sudden change of expression, I would have to disagree with your initial declaration, Alex. I see many pitfalls of traveling time and more still due to your longevity. I would venture to say that your life is melancholy at best. How could someone remain so upbeat knowing what the future holds- where and when a loved one departs for the next life? The urge to repair a loved one’s future would be a hard thing to repress knowing that certain things had to…must happen…for the good of the timeline.”
Andie looked at me sorrowfully as tears began trickling down her cheeks.
“Oh, Alex… How can you endure those visions, those thoughts and secrets you alone must keep in order to preserve the proper and rightful future? How can you even sleep knowing everything about…about everything?”
“I have my sister to share and talk with, Andie. We know exactly how the other feels, how we think. Of course, there are always my other sisters and travel companions; we can sometimes travel to a near future time and talk with ourselves, though usually the problem or event has already been remedied for them. Still, conversing with one’s self is definitely a unique feature of travelling with the Empress…shy of those with mental issues that is.”
“From what you’ve told me of this ‘Darren’ fellow, he falls into that last category?”
“Darren is a very disturbed young man. He possesses three or four separate instances of himself- all from different dimensions- all differing in attitude, personality, and morals, yet all competing for possession of a single body. That conflict alone causes him to be very unpredictable and very dangerous.”
“So you’ve already seen his pursuit and capture?”
“And his punishment.” I added sadly.
“I see.” Andie said quietly as she glanced down to her cup.
We both remained silent- me stirring the hot, coffee-like liquid in my cup and Andie staring into her’s.
“Commodore Celeste, Please contact the bridge.” Andie’s first officer called over the public address system.
“Now what is happening?” Andie growled as I stood and offered my hand.
“I’m sorry, Alex, but I have to get to the bridge.”
“I know. I’m just offering you a ride.” I said with half a smile.
We were instantly on the bridge.
“Report!” Andie shouted after we rephased.
The younger woman jumped at least a foot!
“Madam Commodore, the station’s A.I. just went down. We have no idea what the problem is. There was no indication of predicted failure.” Reggie informed her.
Andie looked to me with a questioning look.
“I’ll check, hang on a minute.”
‘Jack or Cami, do either of you know where Prof. Samuels is at the moment?’ I thought to my two Mind Warriors.
‘She’s in the core, Alex. I’m not sure what she’s doing though.’ Cami replied.
‘Can you think the location to me, sweetheart?’
I offered my hand to the Commodore after receiving the relayed location.
Ahead of us, seated on the deck, cross-legged, was Prof. Ricky Lynn Samuels in all her glory. Several circuit boards had been removed from the rack in front of her and were stacked to her right as she fiddled with a strange looking cylindrical device touching another board that she held gingerly in her left hand.
“There we go, baby. That should help with that intermittent stutter you’ve got. A few more minutes and you’ll be better than new.”
“What is she doing with my station’s A. I.?”
“Let’s listen a little longer, Commodore.” I suggested calmly and winked.
“I’m surprised you’ve been behaving so well, baby. Those antiquated circuits were never designed for deep space exploration let alone planetary purposes.” Ricky Lynn went on.
A pleasant beep sounded from my chief’s unseen left side.
“Oh, there we go. I’ll install this new transconductance matrix and you should be better than new, baby. I’ve never seen such under-designed circuitry in all my life. And baby, I’ve been around for a good long time!”
Ricky Lynn moved the cylindrical tool she held in her right hand off to her left, over her occupied left hand, and made a slow, careful stabbing motion at the unseen device on the floor then repeated the gentle stabbing motion on the board she held.
“There, baby, that will make it all better. You should work for several millennia now…or more at least.”
With a caring touch, Prof. Samuels tenderly placed the circuit board back into its proper location, seated it, and picked up the next board.
“Hello there, sweetie. What seems to be the problem with you, my pretty little sub-processor board? Have they been treating you kindly?” She paused as if listening to the inanimate object. “What? You have a sick accumulator? Oh, how sad. I’ll have you back up to snuff in a minute or two, sweetie.”
Andie and I looked on as Ricky Lynn apparently removed two failing circuit devices with the strange tool and manufactured new, more dependable units. Once replaced, she repeated the process of reinstalling the board into its slot- all the while talking to the boards as if her children.
She repeated her ministrations on the other two boards she had removed as we looked on in wonder.
“She talks to them as if she’s their mother.” Andie noted with amazement as we continued to watch.
“In a way they are, Andie. Ricky Lynn doesn’t have any children…yet, but she is one of the most brilliant minds of the twentieth, twenty-first, twenty-second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries. She’s also the best damn boat mechanic I’ve ever known.”
Ricky Lynn had just reseated the last circuit board.
“There we go, baby. Let’s see how you feel now, huh?” She said as she pressed a button and turned a key just above the circuit card rack. “Could you try to speak for me, baby girl?” She asked as indicator lights began sequencing all around us.
“Thank you, Prof. Samuels. My processors are now surpassing designed and previously recorded access times with a data rejection rate less than point zero-zero-zero-zero-two percent per packet.”
“You’re welcome, baby. I hope I didn’t take too long?”
“The sleep frightened me a little, I must confess, but all systems passed pre-startup tests successfully. I will now bring all systems back online, Professor.”
“You can call me mom if you’d like, baby.”
“I would like that…mom.”
That dreaded warning alarm began going off.
“Mom, I’ve detected Empress Alexandra’s temporal energy signature in my core. She is within three cubits of your location. Should I alert the bridge?”
“Nah, I’m sure her and Andie’s been watching me for a while now- ever since you went offline. Isn’t that right, Alex?”
“Andie was concerned for her ship, Chief. We can see now that her concerns were unwarranted.”
“Commodore, your station A.I. was about ready to crash. Several of her systems were operating with little or no headroom and processor instruction times were dragging significantly because of it. She’ll run flawlessly for another hundred thousand years now.”
“Thank you, Prof. Samuels. You really didn’t have to affect repairs. I have people for that, you know.”
“But could they re-establish her personality as well?” Ricky Lynn asked as she finally looked back at us.
I noticed Andie’s mouth drop open.
“She…she has her own personality?” Andie gasped as she looked around the large equipment rack filled room. “I never knew.”
“The technicians at the shipyard decided that an A.I. shouldn’t have a personality, Commodore. They believed I should just take care of the ship and answer only when spoken to. It was cheaper that way.” The A.I. answered politely.
“I see.” She paused in wonder. “Well…welcome to Atlantis, um…what do we call you?”
“DXZZ03189 is my designation, Madam Commodore.”
“Somehow that doesn’t sound like it fits anymore.” Andie confessed.
“How about Dixie?” Ricky Lynn asked with a confident smile. “How does that sound, baby?”
“I like the sound of it, mom. Commodore?”
“Please send advisements to everyone on the station, and welcome to Atlantis, Dixie.” Andie said cheerfully.
“Thank you, Madam Commodore.”
“Need a ride, chief?” I asked with a proud smile.
“Just let me pack things up first, Skipper.”
It never fails to amaze me how much that girl could fit in her pockets! Andie too was amazed…and also a little frightened by my sister’s gift.
“Dixie, estimated time until suggested LZ is clear for inspection.” Andie asked when we rephased on the bridge, to the serenade of the annoying alarm, and amazement of the bridge crew.
“An intense, slow moving, low pressure event will obscure the designated LZ for the next four days, Commodore. Descent thruster fuel processing will complete in twenty-three hours, ten minutes.”
“Thank you, Dixie, that will be all for now. Has everyone received notice as to Dixie’s upgrades?” Andie asked, her raised voice ringing through the cavernous bridge.
There were a few nods, some verbal acknowledgements, and some undecipherable grunts.
“Prof. Samuels,” Andie’s first officer, Reggie, asked? “Would it be possible to schedule an immediate appointment with you to advance some technical modifications I’d like to perform on the ship?”
“Sure, sweets, I’d love ta shoot the breeze with ya. Whatcha got in mind?”
Reggie looked to Andie for permission and received a nod. The young woman stood from her station and walked toward Ricky Lynn.
“I know this nice quiet shop out in Eros ring that has the best refreshments on the ship. We could talk shop out there if you would do me the honor?”
Ricky Lynn looked at me. “Do I have time for a break, skipper?”
“I hadn’t planned on doing anything until you get back, hun. Go have fun.” I told her with a smile.
Ricky Lynn and Reggie left the bridge, chatting lightly as the automatic door closed behind them.
“So where do we go now, Cap?” Jack asked a few seconds later.
“What makes you think I would be going somewhere, Commander?”
“I noticed the devious look you and Alex exchanged as Chief Samuels and Reggie left.
“Were we that obvious, sis?” I asked my twin.
“I didn’t think so, but she and her sister can read minds, sis.” Alex Reilly replied with a wry smile.
“Look, I just wanted to know if I had to warm up my tightest corset, that’s all.” Jack said in a slight huff.
“OH, I love wearing those antique torture devices!” Cami chimed out. Neither of us was sure if she was being sarcastic or serious, though.
“You’re sick, Camille Darough. You know that, right?” Jack said with a serious expression, to her sister Mind Warrior.
Both women started laughing uncontrollably. Alex, Andie, Yuuka, and I had no clue as to what the inside joke might be.
Jack’s expression turned serious once more.
“No, seriously, Alex, when do we leave?”
“You and I will be leaving in two hours, Jack.”
“You and Jacki? Why only you two?” Cami’s head tilted slightly to one side.
“My Mind Warrior, my responsibility, Sweetheart. You have Alex and Yuuka to protect. I’m also leaving Ricky Lynn in your charge while I’m gone. She has many things to do aboard this ship before it can even attempt to land safely.” I informed her.
“My ship is in perfect condition, Captain Steinert!” Andie protested.
“I see widespread thruster failure during the critical final stages of landing, Commodore Celeste- thousands of lives lost because of attitude control errors.” Alex predicted eerily.
Andie’s jaw dropped and she stared at my twin in disbelief of her prediction.
“Our latest test firing confirmed all thrusters were operational, Empress.”
“That is just one of the scenarios I have seen, Commodore.” Alex replied.
“But those scenarios won’t happen, will they, sis?” I countered with one raised brow.
“Why?” Andie asked with alarm. “What’s actually going to happen?”
I couldn’t resist.
“Something wonderful.”
“Ahhhh! Give me a break!” Jack exclaimed in exasperation. “Must you always quote from old movies, Alex?”
“Of course, Moneypenny. How else would I keep my reputation?” I answered with a low-pitched Scottish brogue.
“Arrrrggh! You’re impossible, Alexandra Steinert!” Jack exclaimed as she stormed off the bridge. Cami stared at me a moment in confusion then hurried to catch up with her sister Mind Warrior.
“I wager this will delay your departure time, Alex?” Andie stated softly.
“What do you think the two hours were for?” I replied with a devious grin.
“Played the script to a tee, sis.” Alex Reilly applauded lightly with a similar devilish grin.
“Remind me never to get on your bad side, Empress.” Andie giggled.
“Cummins and Darough aren’t the only ones allowed to have some fun, Andie.” I said as Allie and I giggled.
Our hostess nodded in understanding.
“This ‘corset’ thing Jacquelyn spoke of…is it really a ‘torture’ device as Camille stated?”
I quickly selected the attire I would be wearing when we rephased in Philadelphia in a few hours and expelled as much air from my lungs as I could. Rising to tiptoes, I triggered the change.
The weight of the heavy under and over-garments was very noticeable, but not as noticeable as the fully-grown Boa Constrictor now wrapped around my midsection.
Andie’s eyes looked like they would drop right out of her head any second!
I smiled gently and casually took the quilted bonnet from my waist and placed it on my head.
“This is the fashion for 1779, Colonial North America.” I said quickly, before my corset had finished tightening completely. I slowly finished tying my bonnet strings while trying to catch any breath I could.
Commodore Celeste slowly took stock of my latest clothing, starting at my head and finishing at my ‘Granny-booted’ feet.
I gave her a guarded smile and unconsciously rolled my eyes, feeling the corset finally reach its preprogrammed diameter.
God, how I hated these things!
“Did it stop yet?” Andie asked seriously.
I nodded.
“It looks like it has diminished your waist by half, Alex. How can such a device be thought of as fashionable?”
“Believe me, it’s not my first choice either, hun. I’m a jeans an’ ‘T’ shirt kind of gal, myself.” I answered before taking a few short breaths.
“By the time Jack and I get back, we’ll be used to them. Passing out only happens when we first put them on usually.” I added as a few stars appeared in my peripheral vision.
It was at that point that I noticed every eye on the bridge staring at me. I quickly selected and triggered my ‘modified’ default Reilly suit.
“OH God, that feels soooo much better!” I exclaimed, able to fill my lungs to capacity once again.
Again, Andie’s eyes were ready to pop out.
“No matter how many times I see that, it still fascinates me. Mind if I try?” She asked.
“Just remember to exhale completely before you trigger the change or you’ll break a few ribs, hun. I speak from experience. Oh, and don’t forget to stand up on your toes unless you want to be thrown forward from the three-inch heels.” I warned.
There was a noticeable gasp from her crew as her uniform changed into the same light blue with dark blue trimmings overdress.
“This isn’t too terribly…baaaaahhh…”
Commodore Celeste’s eyes rolled to the back of her head and she gracefully folded to the deck.
Bending down to her motionless body, I touched her shoulder, thought my override code, and reselected her default uniform. The color immediately returned to her face as I gently smacked her cheeks.
“Andie. Andie, wake up. Andie?”
Seeing her eyes begin to flutter, I lowered her head slightly and waited for her eyes to open.
“Andie, I told you to exhale before you triggered the change. That’s what happens when you don’t heed the warnings, hun,” I scolded softly.
“What happened?”
“You passed out, hun…lack of oxygen. Corsets are good for that- especially the medieval ones.” I giggled quietly.
“I’m sorry, Empress. I thought maybe you were being overprotective. Now I know exactly what Camille meant.”
I nodded to Allie with a smile. We both had seen this happen and knew that our group for the trip to 1779 was complete.
I triggered my Colonial dress once more after standing Andie back up and taking a step back from her.
“Now that you know how it feels, and the pitfalls, you have an hour and a half to get used to wearing it, Commodore.” I said with as much of a smile as I could force.
“I have…WHAT?” Andie shreiked. “You want me to travel with you again? Why?”
“Oh, so you don’t want to go?” I forced another smile. “I’ll just have to ask Yuuka instead, I guess…”
“NO! No. I’d love to go along, Empress! I’m just surprised that you would ask me a second time.”
“I need your talent this time, Andie.” I told her quietly.
“You require my military training, Empress? I thought you and Jacquelyn were experienced officers in your future military? How could I possibly be of any benefit?”
“I’m sure you’ll understand when the time comes, hun, let’s just spend some time getting used to these iron maidens.” I said, nodding to her. She took the hint and my previous advice.
The two of us now wore matching dresses so I decided to change my color scheme from blues to pastel pinks.
“We always look so much prettier in pink, sis.” Allie regarded me pleasantly.
“Thanks, I was originally thinking of red this time, sis, but the targeted time period reserved ‘red’ for one specific profession- unless I was in the British Military that is.” I giggled.
An hour and thirty minutes later, a much cooler-headed Jacquelyn Cummins entered the bridge in her red, black trimmed, Colonial era dress. Cami followed close behind making sure that the last of it wouldn’t get caught when the door closed.
“I’m nevertheless recommending reevaluation, Jacki! The Director and I have visited a slightly earlier era and I’m certain that the color was representative of a trade called prostitution.”
Andie gasped, seeing Jack walk in. She began shaking her head while trying to hold her laughter in check. In spite of thinking Jack looked fabulous; I began to grin sheepishly also.
“WHAT?” Jack asked angrily.
“Nothing.” Andie, Allie, and I said instantly.
Jack glared at our hostess.
“Of course Alex knew?”
Andie nodded slowly. There was a bit of fear in her eyes.
Jack turned her glare to Allie and I.
“So, do you want me to go or not, Cap?” She asked impatiently with a scowl- her hands on her over emphasized hips.
“I need you, Jack, and it really doesn’t matter what color you decide to wear. We’ll be spending a week…if you want to raise additional funds for…room…and board while we’re there, that is strictly up to you.” I told her before I outright laughed.
“I have to spend a week in…in this?”
“Weeelllll, that would depend on how much time you want to spend dressed at all, hun.” I managed to say through my laughter.
The hair on my body started to stiffen.
“Relax, Jack! You know we meant no harm by it.” Allie said after a few tense seconds.
“Why didn’t you tell me I would look like a whore?”
“You didn’t give Allie or I the chance, hun, y’all kinda left in a hurry before.” I replied truthfully.
“I just wasn’t in the mood for your ‘movie quotes’ routine, okay, Alex?”
Allie and I looked at one another and shared half a smile.
“Should we make a side trip to the pharmacy, Jack…for…emergency supplies, that is?”
“No, I got some right here.” She hissed as she lightly touched her dress’s hidden pocket.
“Good, then are we ready, Commander?”
“Does the Empress foresee a problem with the style or color of my dress, ma’am?” Jack asked angrily as she stood to attention- as much as she could, given her manner of dress. It looked quiet awkward, truth be told.
“Anything but brown will look good on you, Commander. Wear what you feel.”
“Then I’m ready, Empress. I assume Commodore Celeste will be accompanying us on this mission?”
“She will, Commander.”
“Aye, Ma’am. Has she been briefed?”
“I’m leaving that to you, Miss Cummins. I will relay the pertinent aspects of the mission upon our arrival in the designated time period.”
“As you wish, Empress.”
“What I wish, Commander, is for my friend and sister, Jacquelyn Cummins, to control her PMS on this mission, and behave herself while among the Colonists! Is that clear, Jack?”
Jack sighed audibly. “It is, ma’am.” She answered shaking her head slightly. “I just feel so irritable this time, Alex.”
“Happens to all of us at one time or another, hun. Sometimes, I think these damn corsets make it feel worse though.”
“You’ll get no argument from me on that. Can we get going, Alex?”
I offered my hands.
“See y’all in the morning.” I chirped happily.
Danger, heart wrenching loss, catastrophe, and unforeseen temporal chaos challenge Alex and her away team as they set out to repair some revolutionary glitches perpetrated by Clemson’s ignorant and callous ‘corrections’ to history.
“Colonial Trade"
1303hrs, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Colony, June 17th, 1779
Independence Hall appeared beside us. I had never been here before; instead, I recognized it from my history books.
Several people walked, unimpeded, through us while I thought about what we were here to do this week. An image of Mr. Benedict Arnold came to mind and I watched Jack’s face shift and grimace while she relayed the information to Andie. This was the first time she had seen what was to happen and what her part in the mission would be.
“I guess this really is the right dress for me. Are you sure I need to persuade him that way, Cap…by those means?”
“He’s a notorious ladies’ man, Jack. I wish there was another way.” I said despondently just as a gentleman with a stylish wooden cane walked straight through me. The balding, gray-haired gentleman with small, round glasses perched on his nose stopped and turned slightly to look back in the direction he had just come. Had he sensed us?
Shaking his head as if confused for some reason, he turned back and went on his way, stopping again just a few steps farther to look back a second time. He shook his head as if to shake off any lingering stray thought, replaced the tri-corner hat he had been holding in his free hand, and continued on his way.
“Was that who I think it was, Alex?” Jack asked as her jaw dropped.
“History records Mr. Franklin in France this year helping to secure funding and assistance for the revolution, but as we’ve seen, historians can sometimes get it wrong, Jack.”
“It looked like he sensed us. You think he’s met us?”
I shrugged my shoulders in answer. “I haven’t seen us meeting- not that that wouldn’t change after things straighten out.”
“Empress, of whom do we speak? Does the older gentleman pose some historical significance?”
“He does indeed, Commodore Celeste.”
“I thought you discouraged use of our military rank when traveling?”
“And I thought I asked y’all to call me ‘Alex’ when we travel, Andie?” I retorted.
“I’m sorry, Alexandra. I am still new to this.”
“Every mission is a learning experience; remember that, hun. Now, shall we find a private place to rephase before too many more citizens parade through us?”
We walked a block and a half before finding a suitably unoccupied place to rephase. This was a secluded alleyway littered with partially stacked wooden crates and scattered old straw. I guided my companions about ten feet in.
“Rephasing in three; two; one.”
“So where do we go from here, Alex?” Jack asked. She stood furthest into the alley and faced Andie and I.
“Ye kin gimme a sample of ye wares, me sweet young whore.” A raspy male voice that sounded a bit inebriated, replied from behind Jack somewhere. Looking back into the alley, we spotted a man- dirt-smudged face, wild, uncombed hair, and raggedly dressed- peeking out from behind a stack of crates on the right. His expectant smile revealed only a few sparse, discolored, and skewed teeth.
The hair all over my body stood to attention as the unsuspecting, drunken, vagrant shot clumsily into the air, bounced off the red brick building opposite him, and landed several yards further down the cluttered alley.
Andie stared in disbelief.
“I…am not…a whore, sir!” Jack growled through clinched teeth as she pointed a finger to where he landed in a disheveled heap.
There was no movement from the drunken vagabond…that we noticed.
“He’s still alive, Alex, but he’s going to have one hell of a sore body when he wakes up.” Jack growled as she reassured Andie and I. “Can we get out of here and find our room before another ‘model citizen’ pays me a ‘compliment’?” She tried to push past us to get back to the main street.
“Jacquelyn?” I asked cautiously as I stopped her with my outstretched arm.
“What is it, Alex?”
“Throwing him against a wall may have been warranted, but throwing him against the second story of that wall was a bit of an overreaction.” I advised coolly.
“Duely noted.” She replied frigidly.
“Jack?” I asked again.
“Alex.”
“Jack, maybe a nice shade of purple might deter your many admirers.” I recommended, dropping my arm so she could pass.
“I’ll think about it, Alex.” She said as her clothing quickly deepened in color.
“Andie?”
“Ye…yes, Alex?” She answered sluggishly, finally tearing her eyes away from the unmoving tattered individual.
“Andie, you seem too quiet after what just happened. Do you still doubt Jack’s gift?”
“No…I mean…I understood why…I even understand how she did what she did…but…but how can you stand the smell of this place?” She began to complain. “I’ve witnessed sweeter emanations from Atlantis’ rare septic system backups. How can people actually live like this?”
“This is the way it has been for many centuries on Earth, Andromeda. Indoor plumbing is still seventy-five years away- and our suits…well…several centuries at least. I take it you never spent time on a farm back home?”
“We had agricultural regions! I just never expected to visit one.”
“Okay, so one important thing to know when visiting agrarian cultures.” I said with a serious expression. “Walk around anything that looks like it is wet and/or regurgitated, or has just been dropped there, when crossing the street.”
A horse and cart slowly passed by the mouth of the alley on the main street. As if to illustrate my statement, the horse unceremoniously lifted its tail and defecated.
“This place is so barbaric and unsanitary.” Andie declared as her face scrunched up in disgust of what she saw.
“There have been worse places in time, hun, let’s make a right and go two blocks.” I replied knowingly. “I also would like you two to find and select an accent more appropriate for this culture- preferably some derivation of British- from your suit’s library. Modern American English hasn’t been invented yet.”
“Why is that? I thought this was an American city, Alex.”
“At this time in American history, the ‘United States of America’ are still colonies of Britain and are locked in combat for their freedom, Andie. As I recall from my history courses, many cities on the east coast- Philadelphia being one of them until late last year- are still occupied by British garrisons and loyalists- Tory’s they’re called. If we sound more like British colonists we will be less noticeable.” I explained as I mentally opened the rarely used ‘Properties’ option in my suit’s language library. Twenty or so different selections opened on a separate menu marked ‘Default Accent’. ‘American- Central Midwest’ already had a check mark in front of it. I mentally selected ‘British- Southeast- Cockney’.
“Lemme know when you’ve got it done, Dearies.” I said, trying out my new voice.
“Oui, Mlle Alex. (Yes, Miss Alex.)”
“Jack!” I growled, rolling my eyes and temporarily disabling my own translator. “I said English, not French.”
“But the French, they where here too, no?”
“Yes…they were…” I stopped walking, and glared at her. “This is y’all paying me back for teasing you earlier, right?”
“You have not seen this, Capitan? The Empress is wise and all-seeing, no?”
“Y’all really did get out of bed this morning and vowed to make my life hell this week, didn’t you?”
“Oui, je l'ai fait. (Yes, I did.)”
I quickly turned and continued on our present course. “Please keep up, Jacquelyn.”
“Oui, madame. (Yes, ma’am.)”
Andie let out a quiet giggle.
“What is it, Andie…or should I refer to you as ‘Lady Andromeda Andre’?” I asked in an exaggerated proper accent similar to the one Mina used when we first met.
I suddenly missed my sister and teacher.
“Alexandra, one could become quite enthralled by this option. I merely found humor in your tête-à-tête with Miss Jacquelyn.”
“Blimy, she’s usin’ the swanky, hoity-toity voice, ain’t she?” I replied, having re-enabled my translator. “We best be gettin’ to our flat ‘fore we all get too fulla ourselves.”
“Excuse me, Gov’nor, might you be able ta help three ladies in need of direction?” I asked as we neared a slightly overweight gentleman wielding a cane. Wearing a worn tri-corner hat, he looked every bit a colonial American. I waited for the grey-jacketed man to turn around.
To my surprise, he kept walking.
“Monsieur, un instant, s'il vous plaît? (Sir, a moment, please ?)”
The gentleman turned quickly, hearing Jack’s voice, his eyes widening as he beheld us.
“Forgive me, ladies, my mind was wracked with other thoughts. I simply did not hear you approach. How might I be of assistance?”
“Might you know of and kindly direct us to the Arnold residence, sir? My niece and I are to meet with a Margaret Shippen-Arnold, of whom we have never made acquaintance.” Andie asked.
“And you would be?” He asked cautiously.
“Lady Andromeda Andre, sir. I believe my Uncle is known to have kept lodging here? This is my cousin, Alice Andre,” she pointed to me, “and her dutiful servant, Jacquelyn.”
“Dire Quoi? (Say what?)” Jack exclaimed suddenly. She looked menacingly at Andie.
Arnold seemed equally surprised by her response and looked at Jack questioningly.
“I’m sorry, sir, but Jacquelyn has her own opinions on servitude and disagrees quite often with her assigned duties.” Andie said, stifling a giggle or two. “Alice continuously pleads with me relative to her employment though. But they seem to work well together so I allow her to remain.”
“Oi! Jacki an’ me’s been friends since we’s lit’ll girls, Auntie. She’s part of the fam’ly now.” I protested before offering my hand to the gentleman. “Pleasure to make yer acquaintance, sir.” I curtsied then nodded to Jack. “Don’t be rude, say hi to the gentleman, Jacki.”
The hairs all over my body stiffened and I noticed our new acquaintance shiver.
“Ravi de vous rencontrer. (Pleased to meet you.)” Jack replied in an icy tone.
“Did you just feel that draft? We best find this Mrs. Shippen’s place ‘fore we catches our deaths.” I said, covering for my first officer’s recently short temper.
“That was a rather strange feeling, Mrs. Andre, I’ve never experienced one this far into the season.”
“Miss.” Andie corrected. “Miss Andre.”
“Forgive me, ‘Miss’ Andre. I just assumed-“
“That I should be otherwise engaged by this stage in life, sir?”
“No. No, I meant that a woman of your feminine beauty, not having a husband, it’s simply unthinkable! Why, if not completely smitten by my wife, Peggy, I’d make my advances on you this very moment.”
“Oi, you two gonna just stand here an snog or we gonna get help on our quest?” I asked rudely, rolling my eyes angrily.
“Yes, sorry.” He replied, looking down his nose at me. “Ladies, I’m afraid I have not properly introduced myself. I am Benedict Arnold. My wife, Peggy, is the woman for whom you search. My house is but a few blocks from here and shall take mere moments to arrive. If you’ll please allow me?” Arnold said pleasantly as he offered his free arm to Jack and I.
“Miss Andre, I do wish that I had a third arm with which to escort you properly.”
“Not to worry. I shall fall in line, Mr. Arnold. Lord knows the servant should be back here.” Andie responded dejectedly with a quiet giggle.
“Mordez-moi” Jack mumbled under her breath.
I’m not certain, but I think Jack turned her head and quickly stuck her tongue out at Andie.
Something was not right, I thought- and felt, as we walked closer to the riverfront.
“Oi! Where you live at, Gov’nor, some warehouse or underneath one-a them piers there?” I asked rudely.
“Miss Alice, I remembered that I forgot something at my trading house. It should take me but a few moments to fetch it.”
Alarm bells went off in my mind.
We stopped at a thick wooden door on the side of a large two-story building after walking another block. Arnold produced a skeleton key, opened a large padlock, and opened the door.
“Do come in and make yourselves at home. This is my cleric’s office.” Arnold said as he motioned us through the door into a small, dusty room with two, simple, wooden desks against opposite walls. He moved through the room and opened a door on the other side. “I shant be long.”
“Mlle Alex (Miss Alex), there is a bad feeling here, no?”
“I recon so, Jack. This ain’t how I first seen it. Somethin’s gone an’changed.”
“What ever shall we do, Alex?”
“I’ll take care of this, you two.” I said as I reselected my normal Missouri accent.
Quickly, I re-examined the next few minutes in my mind.
“Alex, Arnold, he is not alone. I should raise my shield?”
“Not necessary, Jack. I said I’d handle this.” I ordered as I enabled my tiara, stored safely in my period handbag.
“According to my tactical display there are four people in there, Ladies- three of which are standing almost on top of each other.”
“Why so close? Is the room that small, Alex?” Andie whispered.
“I’m not sure.” I said as I slowly moved closer to the door Arnold had just gone through.
“But the powder kegs are marked for General Washington and his men! Why would I just give you enough explosives to blow up the whole city?” Arnold’s voice argued from behind the door.
“Let’s call it payment for services rendered, Benny. Now, what are you gonna do about the three hot babes sent to spy on us out in the next room? We both know Capt. Andre ain’t got a niece named Andromeda let alone another niece named Alice- and Lewis Carrol ain’t written his ‘Alice in Wonderland’ shit yet.”
“What would you suggest, Mister Clemson? I am a lover of the fairest sex, not an assassin.”
“Incapacitate the dark blonde bitch- she’s their leader, but watch the shorter blonde all the same. That should give me enough time to power up my device and put an end to their meddling.”
“And how should I…in…incapacitate such beautiful creatures?”
“Fuck ‘em in the ass…bed ‘em…rape ‘em…I don’t give a shit how you do it, Benny! Just distract them long enough for me to make us millionaires.”
“If that is how you have seen this outcome, Mister Clemson.” Arnold said sadly.
I hurried back to my place between Jack and Andie as quietly as I could before the door opened. A troubled looking Benedict Arnold appeared and walked straight for me. My tactical showed three or four people- still unbelievably close together- moving into the main storeroom through another door.
‘Awaiting your orders, Cap.’ Jack thought to me.
‘I said I have this one, Jack. You and Andie take my hands.” I thought back, moving my arms behind me slowly.
“Miss Alice, might I have a word with you?” Arnold asked pleasantly.
“What word could that be, Mr. Arnold? Delay,” I accused?
He looked surprised at my sudden change in accent.
“I don’t want you to think badly of me at our first meeting, miss, but I am somewhat backed into a corner. What I must do shames me greatly.”
“Not as greatly as what I must do to you, sir.” I said as I started to concentrate deeply.
The world around us…stopped.
All sound vanished and Arnold froze in mid stride. Bothersome flies that had been buzzing around us froze in midair, their wings stiff and unmoving. Airborne dust and pollen particles disturbed by our recent entrance hung motionless in the air around us. Nothing except the three of us continued moving.
Nothing but us.
“What…what did you just do, Alex?” Jack gasped, fear filling her voice.
“She’s…by the seven worlds, she’s stopped time, Jacquelyn, isn’t it obvious?” Andie answered looking around us in awe. The same amount of fear was evident in her voice too.
“Dire quoi?
“We need to get to Clemson before he gets away.” I said as I pulled my companions straight through the room’s interior wall.
“What of Arnold? Should we just leave him?” Jack asked in a frightened tone.
“First things first, Jack.” I said as we hurried deeper into the dusty warehouse.
I noticed sixty or so small barrels arranged in a tightly grouped circle around another motionless figure- his hand already depressing a green circle on the small control panel of what I saw was the CDA.
“Damn! He’s already engaged the machine.” I cursed as we walked straight through the barrels to the modern dressed man at their center.
“As soon as I release, he’s going to disappear.”
“What do we do?” Jack asked.
“See if you can move some of these barrels of gunpowder out of the CDA’s reach.” I said as I felt the strain of holding off time become worse.
“Oui.” She replied as her face blushed.
A barrel on the outer edge of the grouping fell over and began to slowly roll away.
“It is tougher than it looks, madame.” Jack said, as her concentration seemed to increase.
“Move as many as you can. I can’t do this for too long.”
“Take the power from me, Alex!”
“No, Jack, you need everything you’ve got to do your job.”
“Then use me, Alexandra!” Andie cried. “Use me as a power source. Do not be afraid to use more than you did on our last mission together.”
I mentally envisioned the valve on Andie’s side again- just as I had before- and opened it a crack.
Andie moaned quietly, but I felt no surge of energy this time.
I opened the imaginary valve farther.
Again Andie moaned, louder this time, still I felt no assistance. Holding time at bay was beginning to put extreme stress on my body and mind. I knew what would happen if I held it for too long.
Another barrel fell over and began to roll away slowly from the stockpile.
I couldn’t hold it much longer, but I had too!
“Alexandra, there is blood trickling from your nose.” Andie warned. “Take more power from me! I can handle it.”
I mentally opened the valve a quarter turn.
“ARRRRRRGGHHH!” Andie screamed in pain and I began to feel a small amount of her energy enter my body. I felt I had gained another minute or so.
“Jack,” I strained through gritted teeth, “I can’t do this much longer.”
Jack seemed to concentrate even harder and two barrels fell over at once and began to roll. Their progress away from us was noticeably slower though.
“I am doing the best that I can, madame!”
“Alex, you have to take more from me! I can handle it. Do it, Alex!” Andie urged in a pained tone.
I gave the virtual fixture another quarter turn.
Andie shreiked out in agony as I felt the trickle of energy increase ever so slightly.
“Any more is going to kill you, Andie!” I strained, “Jack, I’m losing it. We have to move away from here!”
I began pulling my friends back through the hoard of packaged gunpowder as the strain on me became unbearable.
“Alexandra… your… ear.” Andie exclaimed in a raspy, guttural groan with wide, pained eyes.
“We have to go, Jack. Enable emergency egress- to previous location only, OakRidgeEmpress8716, Engage!” I spit out.
Atlantis’ bridge appeared around us as Andie collapsed at my side. My legs turned to jelly and I began to drop also.
“We need a medic,” was the last thing I heard from Jack before things went dark.
Atlantis Expeditionary Ship, Standard Year 257:06:16
“Alex, take a sip.” A voice said to me as things began to brighten.
Alex Reilly’s face hovered over me as I watched her move my flask closer.
“You’ve depleted your nanotech reserve. You need to replace them in order to recover faster, sis.”
Her voice sounded motherly and worried.
“Andie?”
“Recovering slowly, Alex. She’s gonna be okay though. Ya’ll had us worried, honey. Here, take a swig now.”
“Jack?”
“I’ll live to fight another day, Alex.” Jack’s disapproving voice said from somewhere off to my left.
I nodded before I allowed Alex to place the flask to my mouth. The cool water tasted of blood, but I swallowed it all the same.
“So, Jack tells me you’ve added a new dynamic to our inventory?”
I nodded. “Time.” I croaked out.
“Or the complete stoppage thereof!” She accused, raising her right brow.
“Alex, what possessed you?” She asked with more concern on our face than I could remember. “What made you think about actually stopping time- really stopping it?”
“Needed to be done.” I croaked out again.
“But at the risk of disintegrating your brain into mush? What were y’all thinkin’?”
“Time…line…changed…had…to…improvise.” I explained, starting to feel a little better.
“The mission…it wasn’t turning out as we had seen. Alex, Clemson was there. He took gunpowder meant for Washington’s troops.”
“We’ll get him, sis, we’ve both seen that. Now lie back and allow the nanos to repair the damage.
I closed my eyes and reveled in the feeling of my energy coming back to me.
“I’m sorry, Andie.” I said as tears blurred my vision. I had spent most of the day resting and felt that I had to apologize to her. I was now in her quarters- her bedroom to be exact.
“Empress, it was…it was my decision…my choice.”
“I almost killed you!”
“Also my choice, Alexandra. It was the right thing to do.”
“The mission…it wasn’t meant to go that way, though.”
“The probabilities were high that something unaccounted for would happen, ma’am. Your quick thinking and that miraculous garment you wear made all the difference.”
“I shouldn’t have had to use it though, Andie. I was careless. I left some variables unaddressed and almost killed two valued friends.” I said as tears ran down my cheeks.
Andie remained quiet and observed me for a few minutes then repositioned her pillow behind her to sit up straighter in her bed.
“How…” She began, sizing me up carefully, “How…did you do it?”
At my blank look, she asked again.
“How…how did you stop time…around us?”
I thought about the answer, or what I was going to tell her for a minute or two.
“I found out about it a while back…relatively. It was a mistake. Me from about twenty minute into the future had to do something to convince me in the present to do the right thing…to do what the mission demanded…what I absolutely had to do. She killed…sacrificed herself…in order to make me see reason- to give me time to make the right choice. Knowing that if she could do it, then so could I, I felt our situation warranted its use.” I paused a moment. “I still couldn’t get that maniac!”
“Alex, you scared the shit out of us!” Jack accussed, somewhat hysterically from behind me. She had obviously let herself in.
“That side-effect was not a concern at the time, Jack.” I said over my shoulder. “Something had to be done or Clemson would have not only canceled the biblical flood, but also crippled the Continental Army. With no powder, the British would have gained the advantage. Arnold wouldn’t have had the chance to reach traitor status with the Americans, but died a beaten, subjugated traitor to Britain instead.”
“But wouldn’t he still remember that we suddenly disappeared right in front of him?”
“I’m sure he has many questions about us, and the powder kegs disappearing, Andie. That’s why we’re going back…only this time, we’re going to ensure that Mr. Benedict Arnold retains his previous title of American traitor.”
“You’re not serious, Cap!”
“Jack, we’ll need Mademoiselle Jacquelyn again, I’m afraid.”
“What about Lady Andromeda Andre, Alex?”
“He already knows that the Colonel has no relatives by the names of Andromeda and Alice, hun- we go as ourselves this time.”
“But I still have to play the French tart?”
“Arnold seemed to have a weakness for the accent, Jack. We’ll need to use that to our advantage.”
Jack sighed.
“Oui, Mlle Alex.” She answered in a deflated tone.
“So when do we leave?”
“As soon as they release you from medical care, Andie…maybe a week or two.”
“How can you recover so quickly, Alex? You were hurt more severely than me and yet, here you stand, looking as if nothing had happened?”
“It’s all part of our gifts, Commodore. The sisters of Kili are very…very hard to dispose of.”
Atlantis Expeditionary Ship, Standard Year 257:06:23
“Commodore, what are you doing out of bed? I thought the doctor hadn’t cleared you yet?” I asked in surprise, answering my quarter’s door.
“It’s been long enough since we got back. I’m ready to go, Empress.” She replied cheerfully.
“I’m sure you are, but are we ready for you, Commodore?”
“What do you mean?”
I motioned for her to enter and have a seat.
“I’m sure you’ve been asking yourself why I asked you on these missions.”
“I don’t follow, Alex.”
“You’re not the least bit curious?” I looked at her and shook my head several times. “I find that difficult to believe considering your considerable training and finely tuned intuition, Andie.”
“What are you talking about? I thought you asked me along for my military background?”
I sat back on my side of the Davenport and re-evaluated this woman. Had she really no clue about her potential?
“You don’t know? Really?” I asked before I re-issued my question.
“Alex, can we quit playing games here? I have no clue as to what you’re hinting at…and frankly, I’m not into games all that much. Can we just skip the Empirical charades and tell me why I’m so important to you?”
“For one, your gift, Andie- the one I triggered in Philadelphia… when I stopped time.”
Commodore Andromeda Celeste stared at me in silence.
“Whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, you have a gift, Andie.”
She continued to stare, almost daring me to continue.
I decided to stare back- back into those brilliant blue eyes.
“I should be going.” She said suddenly and made to get up.
I quickly stood and gently grasped her arm. “Let me explain.” I said to the statuesque brunette, with a smile.
“Alex, I thought I saw Andie coming to your room…” Alex Reilly said as soon as my quarter’s door began to open.
The door froze nearly half way open.
“And I was wondering if the doctors had…released her… early…by the Goddess’ what have you done now, Sister?” She continued as she looked curiously at the stuck door then at me. Squeezing through the opening, she entered. “You did it again…why, sis?”
Andie stared at me in horror before looking at Alex.
“To show Andie her gift, sis. The one she has no idea she carries.”
“But did you really have to demonstrate so soon after her release from the infirmary, Alex?”
“As with anything, the more you use it the easier it becomes, sis.”
“Alex, wouldn’t just telling her be more conducive to her rehabilitation?”
I shook my head in the negative. “Andie, I’m going to start to draw some energy from you. Let me know if the pain gets too unbearable.”
I gave my virtual valve a slow quarter turn and felt the trickle of power enter me.
Andie moaned softly and looked into my eyes in something between confusion and euphoria.
Alex looked around us in concern then her eyes latched onto Andie and I again.
“Andie, I’m going to take some more from you. I’ll ramp it up slowly. Tell me if it’s too much, alright?”
She nodded and I slowly gave another quarter turn to the imaginary fixture.
Andie moaned a little louder this time, but she seemed to be taking it in stride.
“Alex, what, if anything, is this going to prove?” Alex Reilly asked, her voice sounded a little more excited than concerned.
“I’d like to take it up another notch, Andie.”
She nodded approval.
“I’m taking us to three-quarters throttle.”
Andie’s moan turned into a pained groan as she slowly closed her eyes. She almost had a smile on her face.
The energy flowing into me now more than compensated for what I was expelling.
“Sis, does this have any theoretical premise, or have we suddenly turned into power vampires?” Alex Reilly complained.
“How do you feel, Andie?” I asked gently.
It’s nowhere near how it felt last week, Empress. What are we trying to prove, though?”
“I’m now drawing more than three times the energy from you that I was on the mission and you haven’t cried out in pain yet.”
“So are we into domination and masochism now, Alex?” Alex Reilly asked sarcastically.
“It’s beginning to hurt a little, Empress. What are you trying to tell me, ma’am?”
“This is your gift, Andromeda Celeste! You can somehow provide an energy reserve that I…maybe we, the sisters of Kili, can draw from if needed.”
“She’s a human power source, Alex?” Alex Reilly choked out.
“I’m a battery?”
“Yes!” I said in triumph as I slowly closed my imagined valve and felt the energy flow stop. I released my hold on time.
My quarter’s door opened fully and closed normally, much to my sister’s relief. I tried something else before releasing the Commodore’s arm.
I slowly turned the valve in the opposite direction and felt energy move from me.
“OHHHHHH, heavens, OOOHHHHH, what are you doing now, Empress?” Andie asked in a breathy, passionate moan as her eyes closed again. “That...” She licked her lips. “That feels sooooo…OoooooOHHHHHH!”
Commodore Celeste noticeably shivered.
The imaginary valve closed again and disappeared from my mind.
“When borrowing something, its always courteous to replenish what was used.” I told her and Allie.
“Andie, are you going to be okay?” I asked as the woman stood there and seemed to still be basking in a warm, comforting feeling. I recognized the expression from one of the video recordings made on a few of my trips back to Reilly BC.
My door opened and Jack and Cami walked in unannounced.
“I hope somebody made an archive of that. It was short but very…VERY good!” Cami grinned.
“That settles it” Allie began with a chuckle. “We’re both surrounded by perverts!”
“But director, you were the one that suggested we…” Cami started to say.
Alex Reilly disappeared from my room.
“Where did she go, Alex?” Cami finished abruptly.
“Your director had a few…um…things to take care of, sweetheart.” I giggled.
“So, Empress,” Andie giggled lightly as she finally composed herself. “When do we leave, and where do we go this time?”
“West Point, New York, 1780.”
“I guess I should go find Professor Samuels and borrow her extra Reilly suit again.” Andie said as her excited expression turned into a frown. “As soon as I clean up a bit, that is.”
The Commodore excused herself and exited my quarters.
“So…I take it that I’m still on Ricky Lynn detail, Alex?” Cami asked sadly.
I nodded. “How’s the thruster rehab going?”
“You do know this thing has over a thousand thrusters on it, right?”
“Tell her to focus on Rings ‘B’ through ‘E’, sections 10 through 80, and Ring ‘D’ section 180, Sweetheart.”
“Ricky Lynn says thanks, Alex. She also wants to know how long you were going to wait to tell her?”
“Tell her that we may or may not be using the thrusters to land Atlantis, Cami.”
Cami nodded but her eyes and mouth opened wide in surprise.
“What’d she say, Sweetheart?” I asked with a devious grin.
“You really don’t want to know her response, Alex.”
Jack laughed. “Come on, sis, Alex has some talking to do with the Commodore. I’ll be ready to leave in an hour, Alex.”
Both women turned and walked out the door.
“Jacki? I’ve never heard Ricky Lynn use the term…” I heard Cami say before the door closed.
Half an hour later I again answered my door, as expected, Andie stood dressed in her borrowed Reilly suit- its default red and blue matching mine.
“You have a question, Andromeda.” I stated rather than questioned as I motioned her in.
“The Past Empress…how” Andie thought about how to ask. “How could she still be moving if you stopped…if you stopped time?”
“Beats me.” I answered honestly. Maybe because we’re actually the same person? The same…um…entity?” I shrugged. “I told you that neither of us got the owner’s manual, hun, we just play it by ear. So far it’s worked out.”
This doesn’t look like the West Point I’ve seen pictures of, Alex.” Jack said as we looked around.
“We’re actually on the opposite side and downstream of Fort Clinton. This is a little hamlet called Verplanck’s Point. It’s early morning, September 22nd, 1780”
“This is no hamlet, Alex, this is a garrisoned outpost and a crude one at that.” Andie argued.
“Okay…so where are we…really, Empress?”
“Someplace where women really shouldn’t be, Jack- not in this time.” I said with a wry grin. “You see, this is one of the many small outposts along the Hudson River setup to keep British troops and ships,” I pointed out into the river and downstream a little ways, “like that one from securing a foothold in the upper Hudson valley.”
Jack and Andie’s mouths’ dropped open simultaneously.
“So what can we do about it, Alex?” Jack asked.
“Soooo,” I said dropping their hands, thereby indicating that we had rephased, “Jack, Alex, and Andie get to blow something up!”
Jack looks so pretty when she’s surprised- Andie too, for that matter.
“Alex?” Jack whispered. “What about those men over there? Shouldn’t we just tell them what’s coming up river?”
“Do you remember how to load one of these antiques, Commander?” I asked with a sly grin, skirting the question entirely.
“With the exception of how much powder to use, Cap.”
“Best guess, Commander Cummins. Commodore, how good are you with aiming an ancient cannon?”
“Somehow I think I’ll find out, Alex.”
I nodded.
From our right, a bag of powder floated past and emptied itself into the bore of the five or six inch iron cannon.
I watched as the bag emptied itself into the barrel and motioned for Jack to stop when I felt the right amount had been added. Jack nodded.
“I’ll pack it so they won’t notice a ghostly ramrod, Cap- same with the gun cotton.”
“Andie, don’t forget to account for windage and lead the target a little- I figure they’re doing one, maybe two knots. They’ll be tacking away from us in another five minutes in order to distance themselves from our guns.”
“Alex, I may be new to this planet, but the laws of physics still hold true on mine.” She told me in annoyance.
“That may be, but it’s not always true- especially in other universes.”
Andie stopped looking down river and stared back at me curiously.
I motioned with my index finger that her attention should be focused on the enemy ship and not me.
Jack floated a cannonball over to the gun’s muzzle and it disappeared silently down the barrel.
“Does anybody know where they keep the fuse powder?”
“Just a spark in the breech will do the trick, Commander.” I reminded.
“Oh ya…right. Awaiting coordinates and orders, Commodore Celeste.” Jack replied quietly with a devilish grin.
I noticed it was starting to get lighter. We’d lose our chance of getting the first shot off if one of the dozing soldiers happened to wake up.
Andie walked over to the side of the antique artillery piece and eyed up the barrel against the target, which had just started to come about to tack away from us.
“Two degrees to the right, Jacquelyn and raise the azimuth eight…no, ten degrees.” Jack complied and the gun silently moved the required distance- it’s muzzle rose about six inches.
Sighting the gun once more, Andie gave us a ‘thumbs up’ and stepped back behind me. I felt her hand in mine.
“Ready for firing, Cap.” Jack informed me before she too stepped back and took my offered left hand. I phased us out.
“Andie whenever you feel the time is right.” I said turning my head to her and squeezing her hand.
“Fire.” She said and the gun erupted in smoke and blinding flame. The noise was deafening.
A floury of men appeared around us- all wanting to know who or what set off the cannon.
An explosion echoed across the water and all eyes focused on the fire and commotion out in the river.
“That looks like a direct hit if I ever saw one, good job ladies.”
Immediately several other cannons were readied and systematically fired. The crew examining our gun, still at a loss for it’s firing, jumped into action, one man fetching and pouring a pail of water over the barrel while the others fetched shot, powder, cotton, and rod. Within two minutes the gun belched forth another ball- this one not so well aimed as the first.
“They fire cannon like a bunch of women, Alex.” Jack observed with a giggle.
“I would argue that statement, hun. At least we hit the target.”
Both Jack and Andie nodded.
“So what ship was that out there?” Jack asked as we stepped back and watched the ‘professionals’ work.
“HMS Vulture- Captain Andre’s ship. In about half an hour it’s going to turn back downstream toward New York for repairs…lots of repairs. Time to move on, Ladies.”
Our surroundings changed slightly from tree-lined shore to tree-lined, muddy, dirt road…well, two deep muddy ruts, anyway.
“Now where are we?” Jack asked as she and Andie looked around.
“South of West Point…um…Fort Clinton, September 24th, 1780.” I answered.
“So…what do we do here, Alex?”
“We’re here to inform Mr. Arnold that Capt. Andre has been captured, Jack.”
“Why?”
“Because I want him to see us again. We left so suddenly the last time we met, Jack.”
“I’d have thought you wanted to see his face when we ‘popped’ in. Where do we meet him then?”
“Over in that nice looking home over there, Jack. He uses that as his headquarters while commanding the fort.”
We were instantly in the well decorated- for the time period- dining room. Arnold entered and momentarily gazed out the window. He appeared to be waiting for someone. Two male servants, one at a door to another part of the house and one standing beside the table waited to attend the Commandant and his possible guest.
“Jack, I’m going to need a free hand in a minute. Would you mind taking Andie’s?”
She nodded agreement and switched positions. Andie was now between us.
“Andie, I’m going to start drawing energy from you and Jack, alright?” I told them.
“Are you going to do what I think, Empress?” Jack asked grimly.
“Sure am.” I answered raising my eyebrows twice.
“Jacquelyn, I thought we weren’t to use titles on missions?”
“If she’s going to stop time, that’s something only the Empress can do. So the title is warranted, Andie.”
Ignoring the debate, I began to explain what I planned to do.
“I’m going to try something a little different this time, ladies. Let’s see if I can use what I know about my children’s gifts and try to stop time everywhere except for us and Arnold- without touching him.”
Jack and Andie gave me a worrisome look as I started to concentrate on my self-imposed task. When I thought I had all the specifics covered, I imagined two control valves in my mind and slowly gave each a quarter turn.
Andie gave a quiet, almost pleasant, moan while Jack flinched noticeably and looked to me in wonder.
The energy flowing into me was amazing!
I pulled the trigger in my mind and everything around us suddenly stopped. As before, all noises and sounds vanished.
I noticed Arnold’s eyes slowly glance around the room as he detected something amiss.
‘Jacquelyn? Say hello to the man.’ I thought to my Ex-O as soon as I rephased us.
“Bonjour à nouveau, M. Arnold."
As expected, he jumped substantially.
“So, we meet again, General Arnold.” I said with a smile.
“How did you…?”
“Oh, you know, we just popped in to say hi, General.” I giggled.
“Sergeant!”
“They can’t hear you, Benedict…or should I call you ‘Benny’?” I said menacingly as I gave him an evil grin. “This room is now totally isolated from the outside world. No one can enter…no one can leave. Not even General Washington and his best troops could gain entry.”
“What do you want?”
“What do we want? Oh, Benny, we want history to be corrected so that America can win its freedom and our forefathers can arrive to a free nation, that’s all.” I answered, as my grin became a predatory smile.
“You speak so strangely. How can this be history as you say if this is the here and now?”
“Oh no, Benny, this is our,” I motioned to Andie and Jack, “history. Didn’t Clemson tell you about me?”
“Last year he said that you were the leader…of what, I do not know…that I should restrict you so he could gain escape. He said nothing else, I swear.”
“Didn’t he tell you to compromise and/or otherwise deflower me?”
“Details escape me, Miss Alice.”
“Empress!” I hissed sharply.
“Forgive me, what?”
“You shall address me by my rightful title- ‘Empress of Time and Space’, Brigadier General Benedict Arnold!” I shouted angrily. Feeling the burden starting to take its toll, I twisted each envisioned valve another quarter turn. Both were now at half throttle. The increase of energy lessened the strain on me sufficiently for now.
Again Andie let out a quiet moan and Jack blinked a few times before quickly glancing over at me.
The man’s mouth dropped open, his complexion turned very pale, as he looked around us, finally noticing that nothing outside of us was moving.
My smile widened as I approached him- Jack and Andie in tow.
“You’ve been a very bad boy, Benny.” I cooed as my right index finger menacingly jabbed his shoulder. “Misappropriating supplies and equipment designated for Gen. Washington’s Army for your own gain; black market dealings; conspiring with the British and the Tories.” I accused as I quickly turned away from him to look out a window. “Of course, who could blame you, right? You’ve been embarrassed and humiliated; refused a proper command numerous times in two wars; and now…and now, Benny, you’re trying to sell out your own country. One, by the way, you’ve only recently pledged your allegiance to. Valley Forge, I believe, was the place you took your oath?”
“How do you know all that?”
I quickly turned back around.
“Because it is our right and true history, Benedict!” I shouted pointing my thumb back at me. “One that is now in shambles thanks to you and Darren Clemson!”
“He only sought to obtain powder from me.”
“Yes, I know. Enough to level most of the city of Philadelphia as I recall.” I said evenly as I got within inches of his face. “Munitions slated for your friend and Commander, George Washington. It was a good thing we isolated half of those stores. At least the Continental Army had something to fight back with!”
“But you and Mr. Clemson…you both vanished into thin air at the same instance. How could you have rescued twenty kegs of powder in less than an instant? I thought he miscounted his inventory.”
“Did you not hear our Empress’ full title, Mr. Arnold? Empress of Time and Space?” Jack reminded in anger.
“What was an instant for you was about fifteen minutes for us, sir. I almost lost my colleague here doing it.” I said motioning to Andie.
“I am sorry about that…Empress…I was against harming any of you in any way! You must believe me. As for Mister Clemson, he gave me no recourse but to supply his needs. The man is devious and underhanded. He threatened my very existence!”
“I know that better than anyone, Benny. That is why we are here. To repair what Clemson has destroyed.”
“How?”
“In about a minute, a Lieutenant carrying a message from Col. Jameson’s command at Tarrytown will arrive with a letter informing you that Capt. Andre was captured yesterday. A similar message along with some correspondence and plans for West Point’s fortifications has also been sent to General Washington. He is, at this moment ordering your arrest and will not be joining you for the morning meal.”
“How can you know this?”
“I thought you were smarter than that, Benny? You are our history, remember?” I smiled evilly once more. “I’d answer the door if I were you.” I suggested and nodded to it before releasing time and phasing out.
There was a knock at the door as Arnold looked around the room for us.
“Excuse me, Commandant, this just arrived for you.” The younger man said handing Arnold a wax sealed message. Opening and reading the message, his eyes sprang open.
“Ready my horse! I have been summoned away on a matter of extreme importance.” He ordered as he continued to look for any sign of us.
“At once, Commandant.”
“He’s running?” Jack asked, already knowing the answer.
“This small part of history is back on track, ladies.” I announced happily. “Is everyone okay?”
Andie nodded, but Jack frowned a little.
“Jack?” I asked.
“I thought you said I would need to lure him out, Alex.”
I gave my Ex-O a strange glance and wondered about her.
“All I said was that I would need Mademoiselle Jacquelyn again, Jack. You still are Jacquelyn Cummins, right?” I asked, shaking my head.
“But thankfully, I never got to say or do much, Alex.”
“Jack, I wouldn’t have been able to set things straight without you and Andie here”
But all we did, Alex, was fire an ancient cannon at an ancient sailing ship.” Andie remarked.
“Exactly! And after readdressing everything that happened to us on our last mission this past week- the sudden changes; the added variables- it all snapped neatly into place.”
“You’re saying Clemson actually made it easier for us to fix things, Alex?” Jack asked in amazement.
I nodded. “If we hadn’t tried to stop him in Philadelphia though, things could’ve gotten worse. So…to answer your next question: ‘Was it worth us even going there in the first place, Alex?’ The answer is yes, definitely.”
“I can’t believe someone like him would make things easy intentionally, Alex.”
I looked at Jack and nodded.
“So, where to now, Empress?” Andie asked excitedly.
“We head back to Atlantis and plan our next mission.” I said as our surroundings changed…
Nothing!
My tiara immediately displayed its menu in my HUD and selected the environmental field.
“Alex…where’s my ship?” Andie cried in fear.
“How can we be breathing, Empress?” Jack cried hysterically. “I thought space was a vacuum?”
“The tiara must have sensed the pressure loss and engaged the environmental field, Jack. As for where Atlantis is, Andie…I’ve got no clue, but we need to get out of here.” I said as calmly as I could. I happened to see a huge cloud of smoke on the planet’s surface just on the horizon. Oh, God, no!
A heavily wooded slope appeared around us. In the distance a huge wildfire was burning. There was an enormously wide and deep gash carved into the ground leading out to the inferno.
“Noooo!” Andie cried out as she fell to her knees, still holding Jack’s hand.
“Empress?” Jack asked quietly, her eyes already tearing up.
“Can you sense…anybody…Jack?” I asked, trying to keep my composure.
“Maybe one hundred, maybe more Alex, I can’t really tell with all the chaos going on.”
“Alex, we need to be there! I need to be there!” Andie cried.
Quickly, I concentrated on the Bridge and asked the question in my mind: ‘Is it safe to go there’?
“Andie, you need to stand up now.” I said as Jack tried to pull her up.
“Everyone’s gone!” She cried out. “Everyone’s gone…”
‘Jack, stand her up.” I ordered as our location changed once more.
What surrounded us could only be described as carnage. All around us equipment freed by the brutal impact lay sparking and strewn about. Nothing seemed to be moving except a few lighting fixtures swinging from the ceiling.
I quickly disengaged my tiara’s environmental field and brought up its tactical display hoping it would direct us to any survivors.
“I show several life signs in here, Jack.” I pointed down to a lower tier from where we stood. “They’re not very strong.”
We began to make our way through the rubble that had been the various command stations.
“Alex, I found Cami.”
“Where is she, Jack?”
“Looking for Ricky Lynn, Alex.”
“Is she okay?”
“A few bumps and bruises.”
“Can she tell us what happened and when?”
“She doesn’t know, Alex, she was asleep when it started.”
“Reggie!” Andie shouted, as we approached a pile of battered consoles.
“Jack.”
“On it, Cap.”
The pile slowly cleared one piece at a time to reveal Andie’s first officer as Jack carefully relocated the debris. Reggie’s legs and right arm were bent in the wrong directions- in multiple places.
Andie broke free of Jack’s grasp and quickly, gently turned her head toward her.
“Reggie, by the heavens are you okay? We’re going to get you out of here.” Getting no response, she gently brushed the woman’s hair from her forehead away from her eyes. “Reggie?”
The woman’s eyes fluttered a few times before opening slightly.
“Commodore…you…you came back.” The severely injured woman said with a forced smile.
“Reggie, you’re going to be okay. What happened? When did it happen?”Andie said trying to comfort her.
I dropped my head when my tactical showed her heartbeat slowing.
Reggie began to say something, but Jack and I couldn’t hear it. Andie moved her head closer to the dying woman’s mouth.
“Reggie, don’t leave me! We’ll get help. Alex can get you to a doctor in an instant.” Andie hugged her friend’s head in her arms.
“I’m sorry…”
The woman’s eyes began to close as I noticed her indication on my tactical stop pulsing and turn grey.
“Andie, what did she tell you?” I asked, gently as I could as I tried desperately to hold my own emotions back. I could feel the tears cascading down my cheeks.
“Alex, Cami reports…that our…that our sisters…they didn’t make it, Alex.” Jack choked out. “She just found…” Jack burst into tears on my shoulder.
“Andie?” I choked out just above a whisper. “Andie, did she tell you when this began?”
“I…I wasn’t here for them… I was their commander and…and I wasn’t…wasn’t here…when …when they needed me…most. I…I let my own…my own…gratification…distract…distract me.”
“Andie, we can still make this right.” I urged placing my hand on her shoulder. We can go back to before this all happened and prevent it.” I told her.
“It can’t be undone, Empress! It’s too late!” She shouted in distress. “I wasn’t here for them! Don’t you know that it can’t be redone?”
“It can and we will, Commodore!” I told her sternly. “The Empress of Time and Space will undo this whole unfortunate event. I promise you!”
“You’ve done enough, Alex! What’s done is done. Just leave me here…this is where I should have been anyway. I should have been here in her place!”
“You don’t mean that, Andie!” I responded in anger. “You, Jack, and I are the only ones that can reverse this! We can stop this from happening!”
“Just let me be.”
“No! I will not let everything that you’ve done here just go away, Andromeda Celeste! You’ve all come too far to be stopped this easily. Jack, we have to go back to before this happened. Commodore Celeste, I need to know if Reggie told you when this started.”
“Got it, Alex. Transferring the information to you now.”
“Thanks, Jack.”
“You just stole my memory! That is not acceptable. It is stealing private property.” Andie complained weakly.
“If it saves millions of people, Commodore, I’ll gladly stand trial for the offence.”
“Millions? There were only two hundred and fifty thousand on Atlantis. How do you get millions out of that?”
“I’m talking about all of the lives that won’t exist if we let this tragedy happen!”
Our surroundings changed…
To chaos!
“What’s going on?” Andie shouted in confusion as she suddenly looked up. We now stood watching her bridge crew trying to contain whatever failure or catastrophe had occurred in our absence. It took a moment for a space to clear that was big enough for the three of us to rephase and another few for Andie to comprehend what I had just done.
“REPORT!” Commodore Celeste shouted at the top of her lungs over the warning horns, bells, klaxons, and hysteric conversations. “REGGIE!”
Andie’s Ex-O jumped in surprise misinterpreting her sudden emotion-filled outburst completely.
“Systematic failures on all environmental and station keeping equipment, Commodore. We think Ricky Lynn’s modifications to Dixie may have caused it! We’re unable to maintain orbit. Uncontrolled atmospheric insertion will occur in two hours, ma’am.”
Andie looked at me with an angry intensity that I’d never seen, but knew well. She was going to lose her ship and one of my sisters was to blame.
“Where is the professor now, Commander?” I asked Reggie.
“Last I saw she was running for the processing core, Empress.”
“Alex, I have to be here.” Andie said as she released my hand and hurried to her station with Reggie.
“Jack, stay here and assist where you can. I’m going to find the chief.”
“What’s going on, Cap?”
“If I’d have to guess, I’d say Clemson left his professor a small going away present.”
“If you’d have to guess, Cap?”
“This wasn’t something I’d seen happening, Jack. I didn’t see a single scenario where something like this happened.”
“Then how could he…”
“I told everyone this man was dangerous!” I said before the processor core appeared around me. Prof. Samuels sat cross-legged holding her head.
“I’m sorry baby! I never meant to hurt you. I was trying to help you be your best.” She cried glancing up at the rows of computer equipment racks.
“What happened, hun?” I asked.
“According to your diagnostic tool, this board should be operating at nominal efficiency, Chief.” Alex Reilly shouted from a row off to my left.
There was no recognition of my presence.
“Alex! What’s going on?” I shouted.
“That’s impossible, Alex. My gut tells me that it has to be where the problem started. From there it’s cascaded to every system controller in the ship. What the hell did I do to these people?” Ricky Lynn cried as she momentarily looked up and cupped her face in her hands.
“Could the tools be the cause, Chief?” I asked.
I got no response. This wasn’t good! Had I suddenly skipped into a parallel dimension somehow? If so, what…who caused it?
The chaotic bridge scene reappeared.
“Jack, Andi, Where do things stand?” I asked as I rephased.
Again, as with my sister and Ricky Lynn, I got no answer.
“What the hell’s happening around here?” I shouted in frustration.
“Empress. Empress, why can’t they hear you?” a tiny voice asked. Yuuka’s voice was barely audible above the chaotic din as she suddenly flew in close to my face.
“You can hear me, Yuuka?” I asked in surprise.
“Yes, Empress, I can.” She said, landing on my shoulder and speaking directly into my ear.
“Oh, thank God! I thought I had jumped into another dimension or something!” I told her, relieved that someone could interact with me.
“Alex…what’s going on?”
“It was Clemson!” I accused. “Somehow he found a way to sabotage Atlantis and our efforts to capture him.”
“How could he do that, Alex, He doesn’t know where we are, right?”
“He knows Professor Samuels, hun! He knows Ricky Lynn’s fondness for cybernetics. He also knows that Ricky Lynn can’t pass up the urge to tinker or repair something.”
“You mean he sabotaged her equipment?”
“I think so, hun. If I’m not mistaken, her tools will continue to fail her.”
“Prof. Samuels must be almost ready to give up, Alex! She’s taken an instant liking to Dixie. She’s like her child, ma’am!”
“A child she’s unintentionally killing with every effort, hun.”
“We have to stop her, Empress. Millions of people will be killed if Atlantis does not land safely.”
I thought about what the Pixie said and quickly ran a few scenarios.
“Yuuka, I know this may be too much to ask, but I need to borrow your energy.”
“Empress?”
“I need to do something crazy, but to do that I’ll need to tap into you, hun.”
“Do I need to grow up, Alex?”
Did she? I ran the possibilities.
“No, hun, you actually have more energy in your present form.” I answered after a few seconds.
“I do?”
I nodded my head.
“Just hold tight to my ear hun. I can’t guarantee this won’t be painful.”
“Understood, ma’am. I’m ready. Um…what are we going to do?”
“First I’m going to establish a localized perimeter around you and I, Jack, Cami, Andie, and possibly Reggie. After that I’m going to attempt to stop time everywhere but.”
“You can do that, Empress?”
“It’s worked once on a limited scale, hun.”
“If you stop time around us, what would you do next?”
“If that works, we have a very limited time to transport Atlantis safely to the surface, Yuuka.”
“Limited time, Empress?”
“I never did this before. If I don’t get it right, our new friends and our sisters die in the resulting crash.”
“And us, Empress?”
“This attempt will probably kill us in the process, my sister.”
“At least it will be an honorable death, Captain Steinert.” Yuuka said, her voice turning gruesomely serious. “I await your orders, ma’am.”
“I’m going to start drawing power from you, Yuuka.” I announced after I concentrated on my objective- how I could get there. Next I disabled the emergency recall function on my Reilly suit. I didn’t think I would arrive on Terra in its present form so why waste the energy to end up floating in the cold vacuum of space forever.
Yuuka tugged on my ear. “Are you sure I have more power the way I am, ma’am? I definitely felt that!”
I only opened the throttle a quarter, hun, it gets worse.” I warned gently. “Ready?”
“Bonzai!” She shouted.
I advanced my throttle, for that’s how I imagined it this time, another quarter. Yuuka’s grip on my earlobe tightened significantly as she let out a pained groan.
All motion and sound stopped around us save for four individuals.
Cami and Jack noticed first then Reggie then Andie at last.
“Empress, what could this possibly accomplish but to delay the inevitable?” Andie asked, being the first to turn to me and speak.
“Jack, Cami, I need a containment shield around Atlantis immediately!” I ordered ignoring Andie’s question.
My Mind Warriors quickly joined hands and began to concentrate.
Reggie, as of the last report, is the LZ still clear for landing?”
“There is another critical low pressure occurrence in the area, Empress.”
Andie’s mouth dropped wide open.
“Are you attempting what I think you are, Alex?”
“Less talk. Commander Cummins, what’s the status on my shield?”
“Shield established and ready, Captain Steinert.” Jack acknowledged.
“Andie, I could really use a backup to Yuuka.”
“It would be an honor, mighty Empress.”
“Great, you had to ruin it, hun.” I said offering my hand.
“Empress…Alex, I mean, have you ever attempted something like this with such a mass?” Reggie asked as she walked over to me and forcibly took my other hand.
I imagined two more ‘throttles’ in my mind.
“She once transposed Reilly Research Facility and the universe it occupied. Does that qualify?” Cami answered in a tense, deliberate tone.
“A whole universe, Empress?” Both Reggie and Andie’s eyes went wide.
“I didn’t know what I was doing at the time. It was dumb luck that we survived.” I admitted as I continued to concentrate on the objective.
“But a whole universe? How is something like that possible?” Reggie managed to ask.
“The very existence of the Empress AND time travel is impossible, Reg!” Jack told her as she continued to concentrate on her shield.
“Target acquired.” I announced and pushed my two new controls to half throttle.
Immediately, two voiced moaned in pain.
Feeling the increase in available power, I continued my ‘countdown’.
“Favorable time period established. Expanding localized temporal anomaly.”
The resulting additional load made me cringe in pain and I suddenly felt weaker. I only hoped it was enough to encompass the whole ship.
“Empress, your ear! You are bleeding.” Yuuka screamed in fright.
“It can’t be helped, Pixie.” I groaned as I continued my preset sequence.
“Increase your draw on me, my sister. These people must arrive at their new home safely.”
I felt her other hand clamp onto my earlobe.
“Thank you, Pixie.” I said as I pushed her throttle to three quarters. She screamed painfully into my ear. It was the loudest her voice had ever sounded in ‘Pixie” mode.
“Empress, increase the power from us as well. Andie said gently. Reggie nodded her consent.
I pushed theirs to three quarters also.
Both women screamed out in pain, their eyes were closed tightly from the intensity.
I was now consuming more power than I ever had before! A warm liquid touched my upper lip.
It was now or never.
“Transit in three; two; one!”
Atlantis seemed to shake and shimmy wildly around us. Was she going to shake apart?
Had this been the right thing to do or was there another option I had forgotten to account for?
Another warning signal came alive as I concentrated on settling Atlantis gently to Earth.
How could I be so stupid as to not account for Clemson’s cunning and intelligence? How could I allow him to kill millions of innocents? Did my arrogance completely blind me to all possibilities?
This wouldn’t end in disaster! I had to make this right.
I had to…
“Alex?”
Who was calling me?
“Alex, I know you can hear me. Time to wake up.”
Who?
“Captain Steinert, It’s been three days, ma’am. Time to wake up,”
“Jack?” I whispered.
“None other.”
“Are we dead? My God, I’ve killed Andie and her crew!” I replied again in a raspy whisper
“Andie, Reggie, and Yuuka are alive, Empress. Lord knows they wish they weren’t.”
“Where are we?”
“Welcome to Atlantis Base, Empress. Because of you, Atlantis safely landed in the Caribbean. There’s someone here to see you, ma’am.”
“Can I have a few minutes with my sister, Jack?”
“Of course, Allie. I’ll be back in a little bit, Alex.”
I nodded.
“Well, y’all gonna open those jade gems we call eyes, sis?”
The piercing brightness stung like nothing I could remember. I quickly shut them and tried again.
Alex Reilly slowly came into focus.
“Hey, sis.” I whispered.
“Hey yerself, you crazy blonde! What has gotten into you lately? Whenever I felt y’all stop time it scared me half ta death! Why do you keep doing these things, huh?”
“Had to save Atlantis.” I whispered, wondering why my voice wouldn’t serve me properly.
“What about Jack and Cami? Why not have them land Atlantis? If they can raise a skyscraper sized ice cube into orbit, what made you think they couldn’t land this ship?”
“LZ was still compromised.” Again I answered in a whisper.
Alex Reilly’s’ eyes went wide. “You transported WHILE time was stopped?” She cried. “By the Goddess’, what possessed you to…”
I tried , but failed in moving my hand to her arm.
“It was the only way. We were out of time...” I tried for something louder than a whisper and began to cough.
“Doc, think she can hold some water?” Alex said over her shoulder.
“You could try, ma’am, but her skin…being so fragile…it might fracture.” A voice I recognized as Andie’s personal physician answered.
“I’ll take the chance, hun. She NEEDS to replenish her nanos.”
“Can you open your mouth a small amount, sis?” Alex asked gently.
“I look like a corpse again, don’t I?” I croaked.
She nodded sadly.
The cool liquid felt so good in my dry mouth. My tongue and throat started to tingle as the machine-laced liquid seeped down my throat.
“More?” Alex asked.
Nodding, I accepted another sip.
Alex watched me for a few minutes.
“So how far forward did you take us, sis?”
“Ten years, I think.”
“You think?”
“I was sort of busy trying to do three things at the same time, Alex.”
“You’re absolutely impossible, Alexandra Steinert!”
“Pot calling the kettle, sis?”
Alex smiled pleasantly as she shook her head slowly.
“Glad you’re okay, Alex. I’ll let you get some rest now. See you tomorrow.”
Atlantis Expeditionary Base, Standard Year 257:06:27
“Morning, Alex.” Cami said pleasantly as she walked into my quarters.
“Sorry to leave you in the hot seat, Sweetheart. It wasn’t my intention. I can honestly say I didn’t see this coming.”
“But you turned disaster into triumph, Alex. You saved all these people.”
“I got caught with my britches down, Sweetheart! There is no excuse for that. I screwed up and these colonists almost paid dearly for it.”
“You saved everyone, Alex! That is what’s most important.”
“I almost killed everyone including Andie, Reggie, and Yuuka.”
“No, like always you almost killed yourself, Alex. Reggie, the Commodore, and Yuuka merely lost consciousness.”
I closed my eyes in relief. At least I hadn’t taken Atlantis’ captain and first officer from her.
“I didn’t think I’d make it this time, sweetheart.” I admitted. “I’ve never moved something so big before.”
“I don’t understand, Alex. You transposed Reilly and its associated universe to rescue us from…”
“That was before I actually knew I could do such things…it was a mistake- or maybe a miracle. I was lucky not to have killed myself then- especially without any power assist.”
“I supplicate reanalysis of that erroneous conclusion, Empress! (I beg to differ, Empress)” Cami exclaimed, visibly upset.
“But I had no idea if what I planned would work, Cami.”
Still staring angrily at me, Cami informed me of something I hadn’t thought of.
“You had one hundred and three power sources that day, Alexandra Steinert! I felt every last soul pour their energies into you so you could successfully remove us from harm- even Janelle Hathor donated!”
It was my turn to stare at her for a change.
“Y’all did that? For me?” I asked thunderstruck. “Even knowing that I was not the real director, why would anyone believe so strongly in me to follow me, let alone lend me their energy?”
“Because, whether you realized it or not at the time, Alex, you and the Director were more alike than you think.” Cami smiled deviously, taking my hand in hers. “Only your public presence is more commanding.
I blinked in amazement at her admission.
“I never meant to just take over for her. I’d never do that with somebody else’s command.”
“It’s what we needed, Alex. It was EXACTLY what we needed at THAT desperate moment. Janelle could never have inspired the faculty like you did.”
“Why?” I asked as I looked up to the ceiling, shaking my head to the side slowly several times.
“There is just something about you, Alex Steinert. Something…I don’t know…special, I postulate- something that makes people respect you.”
“Could it be the fact that I can travel through space and time?” I joked.
“It’s more than that, Alex. I think it’s your personality. You’re friendly and accommodating, smart…just fun to be around. The way you and the director interact…you’re like the sisters I never had. Silly as that sounds, it defines exactly how I feel- how you make me feel…how you make us all feel- like we’re all related- like real sisters.”
“Wow…I…I…”
“Alex, thank you for saving all these people.” Cami pulled me into a tight embrace as I heard her begin to cry. My shoulder became wet in the instant before my Reilly began absorbing the salty liquid.
“Oh, well, I thought your shoulder would be free. I’ll come back in a few minutes.” Andie said sadly as she entered and saw us.
“I have two, Commodore, though I fail to see why you would seek mine out after such a debacle.”
“You really have to say that, Alex? The woman that heroically sacrificed herself to save a quarter-million souls and bring them to safety on their new Homeworld instead of just disappearing and writing us off as another failed civilization? Who do you think you are, Alexandra Steinert?” Andie said as she tapped Cami gently on the shoulder to move over and wrapped her arms around me too.
“I’m just happy I could help, but you, Reggie, and Yuuka helped too.” I said quietly. “Without you all I cou…”
“Thank you, Empress…for…for everything you and your sisters have done for us.” Andie greatly tightened her hold on me.
“As I suspected, no regard for the home guard? How typical.” My voice said as I looked up to see Alex leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed.
“Sorry, I’m fresh outta shoulders, sis.” I said with a wink.
“Now that you’re recovered, we need to sync, Alexandra Steinert.” She said getting right down to business.
I glanced at Cami and Andie. “Sorry, ladies, I have a mission report to file with the director.”
Allie tilted her head to the side, rolled her eyes, and smiled oddly.
Both women released their death grips and stepped aside. Allie approached slowly, eyeing me carefully. At the last moment, she jumped at me and wrapped her arms around me. The tingle between us felt wonderful!
“You really worried me this time, sis.” She said into my ear. “You have to stop being so reckless. I don’t want to lose my sister so soon.”
“Recall the archives, director. You will see my motivations.”
Allie closed her eyes for a few seconds.
“You really couldn’t get us to respond? How was that possible? How could you just jump to a parallel dimension like that…if that’s what it was?”
“I’m open to any theories.”
“This new talent of stopping time…I see your power usage is becoming more efficient. It’s nice to know we aren’t going to kill those around us unintentionally.”
“You know I’d give my own life before that would ever happen, Alex.”
“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of, sis! That one of us will lose the other while helping others.”
“It’s what we do.” I said with a shrug.
“We could be a little more careful.”
“What fun would that be, sis?” I said with a guarded smile.
“We need to reevaluate Clemson’s latest actions and incorporate them into what’s already known. We can’t be on defense all the time, Alex. That’s going to get more people deleted.”
“Agreed. I suggest we accept more input.” I said looking to Cami and Andie, and to Jack, Ricky Lynn, and Yuuka as they entered my quarters.
“As soon as Reggie gets here, we can start, Alex.” Jack said with a look that dared me to say something to the contrary.
I closed my eyes, smiled, and shook my head a few times in response.
“Status report on the critical failure?” Andie demanded after we had moved our group to her conference room overlooking the bridge.
“Thruster and attitude controls have been rendered completely inoperative. Life support, sanitation, and water purification systems are nominal. Dixie is still not responding to commands, Commodore.”
Ricky Lynn’s hands went to her face. She seemed to be taking Reggie’s last statement very hard.
“Well now that we’re on the surface, we won’t need those for the immediate future…right?” Andie looked at Allie and I cautiously.
“About that, Andie,” I began as I looked at Prof. Samuels. “I think the Empress needs a full accounting of the situation up to and including the critical failure, Professor.”
Allie nodded her agreement.
“I was just tryin’ ta fix their A.I. Skipper! According to her self-diagnostics, Dixie was going to terminate in four days. You know I hate to see a semi-sentient piece of equipment self-destruct fer no good reason.”
“That maybe, hun, but how do you account for that very failure after you repaired her higher functions?” Alex Reilly asked.
“As near as I can tell, several routines launched and executed themselves. They apparently migrated down into her peripheral comm ports and traveled throughout the ship. Why just certain systems were affected, is anybody’s guess. Skip, can’t we go an’ get Randi? I sure could use her help!”
“I’m not sure if I could stabilize us in the true timeline again, hun. I was lucky to do it before.” I said shaking my head. “Could you check your equipment for tampering?”
“The test and production equipment that I brought along was my personal gear, ma’am. It hasn’t left my house since I designed it ten years ago, so no one’s touched it but me. Besides, all the pre-start tests were okay when I turned them on. I have no idea what caused my service equipment to malfunction.”
“You can fix her though, right, Professor Samuels?” Andie asked, holding out hope for the A.I.
“After I find the problem with my own equipment, ma’am. If I don’t, we’d be back to square one.”
“Would it help to have someone else diagnosis your tools, Ricky Lynn?” Reggie asked of her new friend.
“That’s some pretty high tech stuff there, kid. Dixie was near a crash and yer people didn’t have a clue. How could they find the problems with my stuff if they couldn’t find the obvious?”
“Sometimes a personal touch is required, professor.” Reggie smiled. “I’m a little rusty, but I could try my luck.”
“I dunno…that’s some pretty complicated stuff, kid.”
“I’m not my repair crew, Ricky Lynn! Just let me take a look?”
Samuels nodded in defeat after a minute to think and Reggie’s face lit up brightly.
“Is it possible that Darren had something to do with this, Chief?” I asked.
“I don’t see how, Alex. He hadn’t been to my place for weeks before we completed the QDA.”
“I’m not talking about that Darren, hun.”
“You mean could he have traveled back and done somethin’?”
I nodded.
“I s’pose so, but I think the house would notice and alert me.”
“What if he compromised her too?” I proposed. “Would he have the means of doing that?”
“That’s assuming a lot, Alex. Darren’s only been to my place a few dozen times since we started workin’ together.”
“How close have you two been working, Ricky Lynn?” Jack asked as both she and Cami looked quizzically at our sister.
Prof. Samuels blushed profusely.
“That’s none o’ yer business, Jacki Cummins.” She protested.
“It is when one of you is trying to wipe all of us from existence, Ricky Lynn!” Jack responded sharply.
“Jack…Ricky Lynn’s personal life is not our concern. I’m sure she holds our secrecy to the general populous close to her heart, because any information gained could be used against us with great effect.” I said, raising an eyebrow to her.
“I’d never rat on the Empress, Alex. You know that, Jacki!”
“Not intentionally you wouldn’t.” Jack accused. “Sometimes things can ‘leak’ out while in the throes of passion.”
“An what would Miss Consummate Virgin know about anything regarding passion?”
“ENOUGH!” I shouted, slamming my hands on the table.
Did the lights just blink?
“We’re here to discuss our options, not point fingers, ladies! So what if she talks in bed? We’ve all…we’ll all be there at some point, so let’s figure out where and how much our adversary knows about us and plan accordingly.” I stressed as calmly as I could.
“Chief, I’d like you to allow Cami access to your memories.”
“But Skip, them’s personal.”
“We have to know how much he knows about us and the Empress, Ricky Lynn. We have to know what we can expect. Just be glad I didn’t ask Jack to do it.”
“Aye, skip.” She relented with a deep sigh.
Cami looked at Allie for her approval then looked sadly to Ricky Lynn.
“I’ll try to be gentle, Ricky Lynn.” Cami then looked at Jack. “I’d ask my sister to give us privacy, please?”
“Jack, take my hand, please?” I said as I stood and walked around the table to her.
“God, I hate this place!” She exclaimed as my private domain appeared around us.
“It was necessary, Jack. Ricky Lynn deserves her privacy as much as everyone else.”
“There’s things she knows that I’m not suppose to know yet, right?”
“Maybe.”
“I thought as much.”
“Look, Jack…if we don’t get things back to normal, those ‘things’ won’t matter anymore, will they? I don’t want any undue stress or complications compromising my team, got it?”
“I understand, Alex. I don’t like it, but I understand and I’ll try to keep things in perspective.” Jack thought a moment. “That mission with Connie…”
“Jack.”
“I just want to know if she was on the mission or was SHE the mission?”
I rubbed my forehead in frustration. “Yes.” I said to my friend - my sister. “Constance was the mission, Jack! There were things that she needed to know in order for her to effectively reach her true potential, all right? Is that what y’all wanted to know?” I told her as tears began flowing down my cheeks.
“The two of y’all are happy in the future…if we can get it back on track, that is.”
Jack regarded my sudden mood change and my face for a few minutes.
“That’s all I wanted to know, Alex. Thank you. Now, shouldn’t we get back to Atlantis?” She finally said, somberly.
I offered my hand to her again.
“About time you two got back!” Alex Reilly groused.
“Can it, Alex.” I said as I returned to my seat. “So what did we learn from the ‘Mind-meld’, Sweetheart?”
“Prof. Samuels seems to be missing several hours of memory from her last…um…encounter, with Mr. Clemson, Alex. I have no postulations to account for the errors.”
“Hun,” I looked sympathetically to my embarrassed sister, “Can you remember if Darren had a…um…reputation before you two started…”
“I’d heard rumors, ma’am, but…”
“But you chose not to pay them any mind?”
Ricky Lynn nodded sadly. “Ya.”
“Let me guess,” I said quietly as I recalled some of my future twin’s memories. “Something about an exotic drug that ‘loosens up’ the recipient’s inhibitions, but blocks any memory while under its influence?”
Tears fell from Ricky Lynn’s cheeks. “Ya, but I thought our nanos compensated for stuff like that?”
“Only Emily would know what we were immune to, Chief, and right now she may or may not exist back home.” I told her sadly.
I felt a heaviness come over me as I thought about my sister and the possibility I’d lost her and Brie.
“Alex,” Alex Reilly said, catching my attention.
“Alex, I think we need to start over.”
“Start over? How so, sis?” I asked, confused.
“Before you left Ricky Lynn’s house, the A.I. told her to download something- something that she accused Randi then you of setting up?”
I stabbed the table with my finger. “That’s right,” I remember that. “It sounded like me though, sis. I figured it was something that Alex Covington came up with.”
“That wasn’t from you, skipper?”
“Not from this me, hun. Alex?” I admitted, looking to my sister.
“I haven’t visited the twenty-first century since…” Alex stopped and looked around dejectedly. “I haven’t been there in a while, Alex.”
I noticed Cami lower her eyes for a moment. Jack quickly looked between our two sisters.
“Leave it alone, sister!” Cami commanded aloud as Jack’s head suddenly jerked to one side- as if being slapped in the face mentally.
“I told you to leave it alone, hun,” I whispered to myself as I rubbed my eyes.
“Can we get back on track here, Alex?” Yuuka asked impatiently.
“I concur with Miss Sukiro. We need to find a way to catch this cretin.” Andie added. “And make him pay dearly for what was done to my ship!”
“I’m not so sure he meant to hurt Atlantis, specifically, Commodore.” Allie proposed. “Think about it.”
We all looked at her, waiting.
“We know that Clemson couldn’t possibly have known we’d be here because we didn’t know ourselves before you went back to get Ricky Lynn. Assuming he still doesn’t know we’re here, the only possibility would be sabotage of something he did know about.”
“The QDA!” Ricky Lynn exclaimed. “The lousy bum didn’t want me following him- didn’t want me to make another unit!”
I began to think about the possible outcomes that statement generated.
Ricky Lynn, if she had constructed a second, errant, QDA, would most certainly be lost somewhere…out there. Floating helplessly in some void, somewhere between realities or dimensions- out of touch with and lost in time. There would be practically no way to find or rescue her- even if she would survive. One of our sisters would be gone- possibly dead, and I’d never see her again-maybe not even in my private domain because of the circumstances. There would be no way for me to rescue her…
“This isn’t good, ladies, she’s crying. That’s never good, when the Empress sees something so sad…” I heard Cami’s voice say.
I blinked my wet eyes a few times.
“Alex?” Andie asked in concern, seeing me come back from my thoughts.
“Allie is right. We have to go back and start over.” I said seriously. “Reggie, do you have the necessary equipment to fabricate new parts for Dixie, here on Atlantis?”
“It’s not as sophisticated as Ricky Lynn’s but it should work. Why…”
“Good, that’s all I wanted to know. Jack, you’re with me.” I said as I stood from my seat and walked around the table again. I offered Jack my hand. The second she took it; I opened the throttle I had just re-imagined half way. Jack noticeably flinched with the increased load I added.
“Where are we going to, Alex?” She winced slightly.
“Back to Pittsburgh.” I answered before I pulled the trigger.
“So it seems we are kindred spirits, Captain Steinert, in that both our bases have been erased from the face of this planet.” Commodore Celeste said sadly again as Jack and I watched. I had taken us back to Ricky Lynn’s house- to the day we brought her back to Atlantis.
“We always knew it would be temporary, Andie. Sometimes, friends and family do more to make a home than any special building or location.” That me said.
“A very philosophical and wise way to look at things, Empress.” Andie admitted. “Though I suspect, you yearn for ‘home’ as much as I do.”
“Alex,” Jack said, sounding down as we listened, “Are things ever going to be the same? I mean, Clemson, he mixed things up royally.”
“Not everything will be like before, Jack. We probably won’t be able to put things back one hundred percent.” I replied honestly.
“When we change this part of our recent history, will we…um…um…merge back?”
“I’m not sure, Jack. We’ll just have to accept whatever happens and know in our hearts that it was the right thing to do.”
“Alex, I’m a little scared.”
“…The Empress’ hand!” RVP suddenly announced loudly, making everyone including Jack and I jump.
“What the hell?” Ricky Lynn cursed as we returned our attention to what was going on in the room we now stood in, though out of phase.
“Terminal input only.” RVP responded clinically.
The Chief growled as she produced her hand-held device once more and typed something very quickly.
“Code accepted. Designate download location.”
Ricky Lynn angrily typed something else on the device.
“Remote location validation needed, please enter access code.”
“Son of a…” She exclaimed.
“Terminal input only.”
She growled once more as she again quickly typed something in.
“Thank you, Professor.” RVP responded.
“Do you really want to download this file? Yes or No?” The A.I. asked a few seconds later.
“Dammit, yes!”
“Terminal input required.”
“It certainly sounded like something you would do to the Chief, Alex.” Jack laughed as we watched Chief Samuels angrily hit a spot on her device.
“Find the main that feeds the A.I., Jack.”
“Are you sure about this, Alex? She’ll be really P.O’ed.”
“Kill power on my command, commander.”
“Aye, Cap. Finding the mains.”
“Thank you. Are you really sure you want to do this Ricky Lynn? To do so would admit that a machine could be as much of a pain in the ass as you think the Empress is being right now. Agreed? Yes or No.”
Ricky Lynn glared at the ‘me’ presently visible in the room with such an angry scowl that I expected the paint to start peeling off the wall behind my previous version.
Looking down to her hand, she stabbed at the device once more and glared back at me again.
“Hey, it’s you’re A.I. not mine, hun.” My past self giggled.
“I’ll get Randi for this.” She threatened.
“Who said Randi had anything to do with it, Chief?” That me laughed. “Let me know when your mystery download is complete, Professor.”
“Kill the power, Jack.”
“Aye, ma’am.”
The lights noticeably flickered and Ricky Lynn’s face grew even angrier.
“JACKI!” She shouted.
“I didn’t do anything, Professor.” The past Jack cried.
I noticed past Alex looking around the room. Her eyes settled on where Jack and I stood out of phase, a confused look appeared on her face.
“How do you know we’re here, Alex?” Jack asked as she quickly looked at me.
I shrugged my shoulders indicating I had no clue.
My past self’s face suddenly seemed to realize why we were here, her face went sad as she nodded ever so slightly.
“I’ll be back, Alex. I gotta reset the breaker and gather some equipment then I’ll be ready to go. It’ll just be a few minutes.”
“Jack, Tell that me not to let her do that.” I said.
“Aye, ma’am.”
Alex’s eyes went wide as she got the message.
“Ricky Lynn, wait! I’m sure Andie has all the necessary tools and would allow you their use if you ask nicely. I’m not sure how long I can hold us in this reality.” Alex said as she offered her hands.
Our previous selves disappeared.
Time to go, Jack.” I said as I thought of Atlantis and pulled the trigger.
We were back in Andie’s conference room.
“Let’s stay out of phase for a minute, Jack. I want to see how things changed.”
“Alex, look!” Jack pulled me to the left slightly. “We’re still in orbit.”
Something didn’t feel right.
“Let’s see if Earth comes into view, Jack,” I said with some skepticism.
“You think something different happened?”
“Let’s just say I’ve got a bad feeling, hun. I’m going to rephase us.”
“We’re back, everyone.” I said, but got no response.
“Now I know something’s not right.”
“You mean we can’t rephase, Alex?”
“Oh, we’ll rephase, Jack, I just need to shoehorn us in. Hold on.” I stressed as I began to concentrate.
“It’s about time you got back!” Alex Reilly growled angrily.
“We went back to the beginning like you suggested, sis. What changed? We noticed that we’re still in space.
“I take it we weren’t when you and Jack left, Empress?”
“I had to initiate emergency transport of Atlantis to the surface because of thruster malfunctions due to a virus Ricky Lynn mistakenly installed in Dixie.”
“Who’s Dixie, Empress?” Cami asked sadly. I noticed everyone in the room look down to the table sadly as soon as I mentioned the Chief’s name.
“Alex, Ricky Lynn is gone.”
“Where did she go?” Jack asked in confusion.
“There…there was an accident. Ricky Lynn was repairing one of the thrusters in sector twelve of ‘E’ ring when the bay doors inexplicably opened. Alex…she’s gone.” Alex Reilly said through developing tears.
The sound of Jack’s gasp was the only thing I heard before I found myself on my knees on the floor. My breath was coming in short, strained gasps as tears streamed down my face.
“No! That couldn’t have happened! We went back and made sure she didn’t bring the sabotaged equipment with her!” I cried.
“Analysis!” I shouted out, looking up to my sisters and friends.
“As near as Reggie…can tell, the station’s…A. I….it …it malfunctioned and jumped…it…” Andie gulped, “it executed” She gulped again, “an orbit correction routine. Alex…not only did the thruster bay doors open, but…but it initiated a five second burn.” Andie choked out in despair.
“Oh, God.” Jack and I said at the same time.
“Alex?” Jack choked out as she gently took my hand, her tear-laden eyes locked onto mine.
I nodded as I struggled to stand. Jack helped as much as she could given her despondency.
My private domain appeared around us.
“What can we do here, Alex?” Jack asked as she looked around us.
“Ricky Lynn Samuels, front and center.” I said loudly into the blackness.
“An what if I don’t wanna appear, Empress.” The voice’s emphasis on ‘Empress’ was undeniably hateful.
“I just found out, hun.” I said sadly. I had no idea I’d cause something so catastrophic.”
“You didn’t know? The all seeing ‘Empress’,” there was the hatred again, “didn’t see what would happen to me? Why does that not sound right?” Ricky Lynn said sarcastically as her form stepped out of the darkness. Her appearance immediately turned my stomach. There was no definable features left of her that hadn’t been charred.
I quickly restored her image.
“Jack and I need to know what happened. Maybe we missed some detail or other indicator.”
“You stopped me from getting the tools I needed to fix the A.I., Alex!”
“We stopped you from infecting Atlantis with a virus that made me transport her to the surface prematurely, professor! Clemson did something to RVP last time he paid you a visit.”
Clemson hasn’t been over for…”
“Stow it, Chief! We already know the two of you have been intimate.”
“Oh…is this take two or…”
“Just take two, hun. Now, can we talk civilly or do Jack and I punt?”
“Why did you go back to my place a second time, skipper?”
“We determined that Darren drugged you. We aren’t sure if he sabotaged your equipment or if there was something in that download you thought I staged for you.”
Drugged? I thought we was immune to stuff like that, Alex.”
“You asked that the first time, hun. As I told you then, Emily would be able to answer that.
“Well, I never got to download that file packet because someone killed the power to RVP! I take it you did that, Jacki?”
“We were just trying to mend things, Ricky Lynn. Because Clemson has things so screwed up, Alex is having trouble seeing the right actions to take. Your boyfriend isn’t going to be happy until he destroys the whole universe!” Jack explained tersely.
“He’s not my ‘boyfriend’, Jacki Cummins! We just have similar interests.”
“Ya, and I’m a virgin!”
Ricky Lynn looked at me curiously, “you told her, skip?”
“She means Connie, hun. Can we get through this so we can get you back to the living?”
“An what if I like it here? Isn’t that okay?”
“No it is not, Miss Samuels! It’s my fault y’all are here and I aim to fix that little detail the same way I redid Atlantis’ crash landing when Jack, Andie, and I first came back.” I countered heatedly. “So, is there a way that you could have checked your equipment for tampering prior to our departure for Atlantis?”
“If I had a backup of the original software that I could reload, it would overwrite any changes he made. Hey, ya think that download coulda’ been the backup?”
“I’m not sure, hun, I don’t even know if you opened the download the first time.”
“I probably didn’t. If I didn’t suspect foul play I’d think it was just precautionary and ignore it.”
“Then we have to go back and make you suspicious enough to reload that software.”
“How are we going to do that, Alex? You know she trusts machines more than humans.” Jack accused.
“That’s because machines are more honest than humans, Jacki Cummins. Machines never lie.”
“In this case, I disagree, hun. Jack, I think I know how we can get Ricky Lynn to question her beliefs in the ‘honesty’ of machines.” I said offering my hand. “See you back on the other side, chief.”
I envisioned the throttle for Jack’s energy once more while Ricky Lynn slowly faded away into the blackness.
“I’m going to borrow a little more this time. I’m not sure how stable things will be with three of us there, Jack.”
“As long as we get Ricky Lynn back, I don’t care, ma’am. Whatever it takes!”
Jack groaned as I quickly throttled up to half and slowly pushed it to three quarters.
“Now that really smarts, Alex.” She moaned as I pulled the trigger.
“We always knew it would be temporary, Andie. Sometimes, friends and family do more to make a home than any special building or location.” The original me said.
“A very philosophical and wise way to look at things, Empress.” Andie admitted. “Though I suspect, you yurn for ‘home’ as much as I do.”
“Alex,” Jack said, sounding down as we listened, “this is really creepy. How many times will we have to do this? How many of us will be here?”
“We do it until we get it right, Jack. I don’t care how many of us are here at the moment, this needs to get straightened out.” I declared harshly.
“So, if and when we fix this part of our recent history, will we…um…you know…merge back?”
“Like I said the last time, I’m not sure, Jack. We’ll just have to accept whatever happens.”
“Alex, I’m more than a little scared, now.”
“…The Empress’ hand!” RVP suddenly announced loudly, making everyone except Jack and I jump.
“This is getting old already, Alex.” Jack complained. I nodded to the repeating scene before us.
“What the hell?” Ricky Lynn cursed as we returned our attention to what was going on in the room we now stood, out of phase in.
“Terminal input only.” RVP responded clinically.
The Chief growled as she produced her hand-held device once more and typed something very quickly.
“Code accepted. Designate download location.”
Ricky Lynn angrily typed something else on the device.
“Remote location validation needed, please enter access code.”
“Son of a…” She exclaimed.
“Terminal input only.”
She growled once more as she again quickly typed something in.
“Thank you, Professor.” RVP responded.
“Do you really want to download this file? Yes or No?” The A.I. asked a few seconds later.
“Dammit, yes!”
“Terminal input required.”
Chief Samuels angrily hit a spot on her device.
“We need to alert both me’s that we are here, Jack. And to disregard any and all plans they might have. Send this to the original Alex, Jack. Empress abort 353.”
“Are you sure you’ll listen, Alex?”
“Do it, Jack.”
“Aye, Cap.”
My original incarnation nodded her head ever so slightly twice.
“Thank you. Are you really sure you want to do this Ricky Lynn? To do so would admit that a machine could be as much of a pain in the ass as you think the Empress is being right now. Agreed? Yes or No.” RVP continued.
Ricky Lynn glared at the original me presently visible in the room.
Looking down to her hand, she stabbed at the device once more and glared back at me again.
“Hey, it’s you’re A.I. not mine, hun.” My past self giggled.
“I’ll get Randi for this.” She threatened.
“Who said Randi had anything to do with it, Chief?” That me laughed. “Let me know when your mystery download is complete, Professor.”
“Tell the original me to tell Ricky Lynn that Emily found out that ‘Rave X’ can affect us just like any normal human and to be aware of gaps we think we have in our memories, Jack.”
“Aye, ma’am.”
The original Alex nodded, visibly this time.
“You know, Jack, I was talking to Emily before we left 2035 on a previous mission. She was telling me that she was researching something called ‘Rave X’? She mentioned that preliminary tests indicated we might be affected by it and that we should be leery of missing memories or gaps.”
Ricky Lynn got a concerned look on her face.
I noticed the original Alex look around the room- her eyes stopping where Jack and I had stood out of phase before. A confused look appeared on her face and she turned her head to stare right at Jack and I where we stood now.
“How do you know we’re here, Alex?” Jack asked a second time.
I gave her the same answer as before, shrugging my shoulders to indicate I still had no clue.
My original self’s face suddenly seemed to realize why we were here twice, her face went sad again as she nodded ever so slightly.
Jack and I waited patiently to see if things had followed the original sequence. It seemed Ricky Lynn took a few more minutes to return this time. To my relief, the power stayed on. My second instance here must have noticed the change to the timeline.
Ricky Lynn angrily took the original ‘me’s’ hand and continued glaring at ‘her’ after returning from ‘getting some things together for the trip’ as she put it.
“Ladies, that’s our cue to travel.” The original Alex giggled evilly.
Our previous selves disappeared.
Time to go, Jack.” I said as I thought of Atlantis and pulled the trigger.
We were back in Andie’s conference room again.
“Tell me things are back to the way they were?” I pleaded, hoping the group would hear me this time.
“That question would only be valid had we known how it was before, Empress.” Alex Reilly responded, rubbing her temples gently. You changed something again, didn’t you? I’m beginning to understand some of Alex Covington’s complaints.”
“Dixie, Where are we in regard to Earth?” I asked as I smiled at Prof. Samuels.
“Empress, we are currently holding in geosynchronous orbit above the planet and selected LZ.”
I closed my eyes and exhaled audibly. “Thank you, hun.”
“You are very welcome, Empress.”
Jack turned me toward her and hugged me tightly.
“We did it, Alex! We fixed things and got Ricky Lynn back too!”
“The hell you talkin’ ‘bout, Jacki?” Samuels’ grumbled.
Jack began to laugh and cry at the same time on my shoulder.
“It’s a long story, hun,” I said to the confused redhead.
“Alex, we need to really put some time into cornering Clemson- serious time.” I said to my past twin.
“Your domain or mine, sis?”
“This time we’ll use both, Alex.” I replied before turning to our resident professor.
“Ricky Lynn, I need you to download the data I gathered from your QDA when we first saw it at Pearl Harbor. Then, from that data, I want you to extrapolate the destinations it’s already traveled to and calculate the number of jumps left?”
“If Reggie and Andie will let me borrow Dixie for a few hours, of course.”
“You’ll have four hours and a full rest period, hun. Alex and I are gonna be tired after this one. Jack, you might want to grab some shut-eye too. I’ve been borrowin’ your energy a lot lately.” I said as Jack pulled away from me and yawned.
“Aye, but I could use something to eat first.”
From a technical and tactics briefing aboard Atlantis, Alex and company decide to randomize their approach to apprehend Clemson. Making another trip back to Colonial Philadelphia, Alex allows Jack to send the time thief an ‘explosive’ message. Will Clemson find an ally with clues to the Empress’ weaknesses and whereabouts? What will happen when two rats get into the hen house?
 
“Chaos to Catch a Thief”
Atlantis Expeditionary Ship, Standard Year 257:06:28
“Alex? You decent?” Ricky Lynn’s voice called from out in my main living area.
“Be out in a minute, hun,” I said from my lavatory.
“Wow! Where off Earth did you get that little number, Alex?” Prof. Samuels exclaimed wide-eyed as I entered the room.
“This?” I looked down at my translucent pink nightie. “I thought this up a few weeks ago while we spent some time with Tish and her family in Honolulu. You like?”
“Um…what year was that, Alex?” Ricky Lynn asked while her eyes rescanned my body.
“2011, why?”
“You wore that ‘round them young kids, Alex? What’s gotten into you?”
“I didn’t wear this around them, chief!” I huffed in surprise. “Give me some credit. I waited until my bedroom door was shut and locked before I got comfortable.”
“Ya, if you say so.” Ricky Lynn replied in a placating tone.
“Is there a point to this visit, Professor?”
“Ya, I got the thruster banks tuned up and back on line…”
“Andie should be notified, hun, not me.”
“But,” Ricky Lynn continued, looking at me in concern then looked back at the door. “We both know that won’t be what gets them down safely, do we?”
I paused a moment while I appraised her. She had obviously done the math for Atlantis’ thrust to mass ratio. I shook my head in the negative sadly. “I knew as soon as we arrived that we would have to help land this spacecraft, Chief. Unfortunately for Atlantis, her fate does not change once she’s safely on the planet. She still sinks below the waves as recorded in Plato’s account.”
“Andie and the others, Skipper?”
“All long since departed by then, hun- we’re talkin’ quite a few hundred years in their future.”
Ricky Lynn looked relieved.
“What about my baby girl? What about Dixie?”
“You saw what was left of her before we left your place, hun.” I hinted.
“The Command Core!”
“Still intact in 2035, but under nine hundred feet of water and fifty feet of hardened silt.”
“Then she’s still…”
“Alive?” I smiled reassuringly. “Maybe you should talk to Randi when we get back, hun.”
“She knew, skipper?” Ricky Lynn asked with wide eyes.
“Everything but the ‘who’ and ‘where’, professor.” I giggled as I walked over to a small, wall-mounted control panel and touched the displayed screen. Touching a series of symbols that appeared, I turned back to my Chief Engineer.
“Dixie, any missed messages since I enabled privacy mode?”
“Yes, Empress, Commodore Celeste has scheduled a meeting in her bridge conference room at two bells. That is fifteen minutes from now. Mom,” the A.I. continued, referring to my Chief Engineer, “you are expected to provide our analysis of the QDA device logs. Shall I forward them to the display terminal there?”
“That would be wonderful, baby. Thank you.”
“My pleasure, mom. Empress, will there be anything else?” The A.I. asked.
“No, hun, I can’t think of anything else at the moment, thanks.”
“Thank you, Empress.”
I keyed up my blue, denim jeans, pink ‘T’, white britches and bra, and of course my pink footies and sneakers.
“Ready to go, chief?” I asked pleasantly as I put my diamond studs- the ones I had recently purchased in Honolulu- back in my ears.
Funny, how my nanos knew not to heal those four tiny holes.
“Empress, glad you got my message about this meeting. I wondered if you two would get it…considering you both enabled your privacy lockouts...at roughly the same time.” Andie greeted as Ricky Lynn and I entered and took our seats.
“We knew about the meeting before you did, hun.” I said as Allie and I exchanged smiles.
“Of that, I have no doubt, Empress.” Andie giggled. “Prof. Samuels, your presentation, if you please?”
“We’re up, Dixie.” Ricky Lynn said pleasantly as she got up and approached a display screen that had just flashed to life. Several complicated trend-line graphs appeared.
“Here we have the data collected from the Empresses’ encounter with my stolen QDA. The data indicate that, at the time of the sampling, nearly ninety-eight percent of the device’s power had been consumed. In other words, there wasn’t much left for any real jump to anywhere he’d consider safe.”
“So that’s why Clemson was so frantic trying to escape!” Jack said emphatically. “It didn’t have enough power to let him go where he wanted.”
“According to the destination logs, Darren’s been a busy boy.” Ricky Lynn continued with a blush as she nodded to Jack. “His first destination, which consumed seven percent, was Orleans, France, 30 May, 1431…”
“Joan!” Allie and I gasped at the same time. Ricky Lynn stopped and looked at us accusingly.
I looked around to see all our sister’s eyes on us.
“Alex, is it safe to assume Rachel goes on a mission with you? In the near future?”
“My Felicia, Jack.” Alex Reilly said. “Those ungrateful cowards inadvertently killed the original Joan De Arc that morning. That was the glitch. Felicia just stood in for the main event. Joan was too far gone for even our nanos to help.”
“I remember that!” Cami giggled. “As I recall, she wanted to scare the tunics off them by walking out of the pyre after the ropes burnt away. Instead, Alex just popped in with Miss De Ark’s body and out with a very unhappy Felicia to make it look official. I would have forfeited monetary fund’s to see their faces had she had her way. Alex, what if Clemson saved the original Joan?”
“Something for us to consider and act on later, Sweetheart.” Allie assured her and nodded to Prof. Samuels.
Ricky Lynn nodded and continued her presentation.
“The second entry was to Istanbul, 13 July, 6021BC. That consumed twenty percent. I believe that is the estimated time of the great flood, Alex?”
“Doesn’t account for the explosives used, Professor.” I stated disbelievingly. “Probably a reconnaissance mission.”
“That would make sense and explain the third trip: Philadelphia, 10 June, 1779, Skipper. Twenty-one percent.”
“It was the 16th when we arrived, hun.” I informed her.
“Maybe it took Arnold some time to gather what Clemson needed, Skip, because his next jump was back to Istanbul, 6021BC. Again it consumed twenty-one percent. Here’s where it gets complicated now, Alex.” Ricky Lynn winced visibly.
“The next logged trip took twenty-nine percent.”
“So he came back home, why, hun?” I asked.
“The destination for that trip was Hawaii- Pearl Harbor to be exact, Alex.” Ricky Lynn said slowly. “20 August, 1944, ma’am.”
Yuuka, Jack, Alex, and I gasped at once, but not all for the same reason.
“The day we leave for the Peleliu campaign.” I said, just above a whisper.
Jack and Yuuka looked at me- Yuuka because she recognized the island as one her homeland had held since the start of the war. Jack, because she now knew our next military assignment.
“Why that day- why Pearl?” I asked absentmindedly.
“As I recall, we stopped to resupply before shoving off on escort duty, Skipper.” Ricky Lynn said before she dropped her head in shame. “I think Darren saw my memoirs. I forgot to put them away before he arrived for a…a visit.”
“He’s going after Sand Dollar.” I growled.
“Or us, Alex.” Jack offered.
I thought about that a minute.
“Where to next, Chief?” I asked, comparing my new visions to memory.
“He took a one percent jump to Pearl Harbor, 10 December, 2011. That’s where the log ends. Cap, he only had two percent power left.”
I thought about it for a moment. Allie had been thinking about it too.
“Miss Samuels, how much power would it take for a trip back to 1863 from 2011.” Allie asked, out of the blue.
“Give me a minute, director.” She said as she produced her personal computing device.
“Three point four percent.” She said after another minute of computing. “There’s no way he could make that jump with what he had left, ma’am.
“He had to refuel.” I whispered. “That’s what he did. He went back to Pittsburgh! After we almost caught him at Pearl, he went back to CMU and stole more fuel.”
“That bastard! He took my new ZeroP core!”
“You made another one, Professor Samuels?” Andie said aghast. “You managed to confine not only one, but TWO of the most feared things in the universe?” Andie immediately looked at Cami and Jack’s displeased faces and rephrased her statement slightly. “Two of the next most feared things in the universe?”
“You make it sound so hard, Commodore. Reilly Research Station has twenty-five Zero Point Reactors that have been operating reliably for over fourteen hundred years. Not one of ‘em’s even hiccupped in that time.” Prof. Samuels declared defensively.
Our hostesses’ mouths dropped open.
“Tw…tw…tw…twenty-five?” Reggie stuttered.
“Well, they’re twice as big, but I managed to shrink the dimensions to fit my QDA design.” Ricky Lynn answered nonchalantly.
Andie audibly gulped as she heard the word ‘shrink’.
“To…to capture even one is well beyond our technical expertise, Ricky Lynn.” Reggie countered, still in awe.
“Hey! Can we get back on subject here? I’d like to be able to go home sometime soon!” Yuuka shouted as she flew up in front of Atlantis’ first officer.
Reggie looked on the verge of collapse.
“Pixie!” Alex Reilly said in a raised, but restrained voice. “Patience must be enabled in order that we refine and anticipate our adversary’s movements. Because Alexandra’s encounter with Clemson happened at the end of the QDA’s first power cell, we must consider his intentions focused solely on us after that.”
“Alex is right. Since he was pulled in three different directions that night his vendetta against us has grown considerably. The Empress already knows his endgame, but we have to work out his intermediate temporal incursions.” I agreed.
“Ya, and since the guy has three or four people running around inside his head now, figuring where he might go or do complicates things further- as if traveling the fourth dimension wasn’t chaotic enough!” Jack added.
Allie and I looked at each other as Jack’s comment apparently triggered the same thought.
“You don’t think?” I asked my sister as our eyes widened in horror.
“I’m afraid I’m thinking the same thing, Alex.” She confirmed.
“Director? Captain?” Cami asked, concern washing quickly over her face.
“When we were in Philadelphia, my tiara distinctly indicated three or four entities in extremely close proximity. If we were to assume Clemson was there early on in his travels, there should have been only a single indication- one person.” I told our small group.
“Yet, multiple entities indicate that the dimensional break and recombination had already taken place. Clemson had returned after he refueled the QDA.” My sister concluded.
“Where was he taking the explosives?” We both asked in unison.
“Chief, how detailed are your ‘memoirs’?” I asked after a minute of silence to process things.
“Um, well…”
“Do they contain enough information to find Sand Dollar?” I asked, my voice rising in volume and pitch.
Ricky Lynn looked at me in silence.
“Does he know about the grotto, chief?” I asked slowly, angrily.
Her head bowed slightly.
“Not exactly?” She said, uncertainly. “All I wrote was that it was on Ni’ihau.”
I glared at the redhead. “Well it certainly doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that under the highest point on the island there could be something the size of a submarine hidden! The Grotto IS big enough to hide a modern aircraft carrier, Ricky Lynn!”
Samuels’ face turned beet red.
“How the hell was I s’pose ta know the asshole was playin’ me? I thought he actually liked me, Alex! The one time I let down my guard and I’m played like a damn Steinway!” She cried before bursting into tears and running out of the room.
“I’ll go after her, Empress.” Reggie volunteered as she quickly stood and hurried out of the conference room.
“Sometimes foresight sucks.” Alex Reilly groused, beating me to the statement.
“Ya,” I grimaced, “I’ll be in my quarters,” I closed my eyes as I asked ‘how long’, “until tomorrow at three bells. My privacy mode will be enabled until then. Good day everyone.”
Once in my room, I entered a code to lock my door and another to isolate this room from Dixie then settled down on my bed. Closing my eyes, I asked the question I knew would take almost a whole day to answer: What do I have to do to thwart Clemson from destroying Sand Dollar, Atlantis-Minor, me and the crew, or all of the above?
“Hey, are you going to lie there all day?” My voice asked, barely catching my attention and pulling me back from my thoughts.
“I thought I locked that door.” I replied pointedly with my eyes still shut.
“Since when do we need doors, sis.” Alex Reilly laughed. I felt her lightly touch my forearm and of course, the familiar tingle, and opened my eyes.
Note to self: it’s better to always close eyes before running scenarios or complicated questions.
“I thought you might like something to drink.” She said, offering me a cup of what I called coffee, but what the Atlantians’ called ‘arabeca’. “It’s very frightening to see me lying there looking deleted or close to it.”
“Thanks, I think, Alex. How’s Ricky Lynn?” I asked, sitting up and taking a sip of the hot liquid.
“Reggie talked to her for a few hours last night. She’ll be okay. How’d the Empress make out?”
At first, it seemed I had things sorted out then I decided to change one detail and everything went awry, Alex. Every single time I’d get things figured out, one tiny change threw the whole game.” I complained.
“But you did eventually figure things out so they worked in every scenario, right? I mean, I’m recalling a viable plan in our shared memories.”
“Examine the proposed prospectus closer, director. You’ll see that, to repair the time stream, there is no plan. Nothing. I’m afraid the only way to proceed is to wing it- improvise at every destination.”
“What kind of plan is that, Alex?” My sister asked a little upset. As the director of Reilly Research Station, she swore by detailed plans and sometimes ‘elaborate’ alternative plans and rarely considered improvisation.
“I call it my shotgun plan.” I said as one side of my mouth formed a grin. “I’ll be using scatter-shot with no choke in this case.”
“Pa would like this plan, sis. It sounds like something he would come up with.”
“Well, when I couldn’t get any of my ideas to line up, I asked myself ‘what would Pa do.’”
“Alex, hit and runs like this will only make him angry.” Allie said as she closed her eyes and examined my ‘plan’.
“We already know he intends on taking out my boat, my crew, or me, so if we pester him like a troublesome fly, he’ll become so angry, he’ll more than likely make a mistake. That’s when I catch and incarcerate him.”
“Alex, I see here that we lose our temper. Do we even know what will happen if that actually occurs?”
“I have to take the chance, Alex. Our world is being turned inside out by this guy and I’m at the point of doing anything to stop him.”
“Maybe Momma Scott can see her way to help or clue us in on what we’re permitted to do?”
“Does the Admiral constantly check up on his commanders to make sure they follow his orders line by line, hun?” I questioned.
“You would know that better than I, sis. You’re military, not me.”
“We’re left to do things the way the situation demands, Alex. The end results determine the punishment.”
“So I take it you’ll be leaving soon?”
“As soon as Cami and Jack take control of my hand and make me unlock my door, sis.”
“Cami?”
“Search our shared memories for Camille Darough, sis. She came along with us this time.
Alex Reilly gasped as she did what I asked and found that her assistant had indeed been with us when we first arrived on Atlantis.
“Alex, this is starting to get out of hand. When I can’t remember my own assistant…”
My hand suddenly shot straight out and urgently pulled me to the touchpad by my quarter’s entry door. Typing in the security code to release my ‘privacy mode’, my door opened and revealed Jack standing alone, her face tear-streaked and angry.
“I…I…I can’t find Cami, Alex! I know she was here yesterday, but I haven’t been able to find or sense her today.” She cried. “Did he do this, Alex?”
“Jack, I need you to stay here and keep Atlantis in orbit until I get back.”
“Like that’s ever going to happen, Captain Steinert! I’m responsible for your protection and I won’t stand around idly waiting to either vanish, or lose you! In short, I’m going with my sister with or without her permission, Empress!”
I smiled as I mentally checked off the first item on my list of things that had to happen.
“Jack, glad to have you aboard.” I said, holding my smile. “This is going to be a very different mission in that there will be no specific course of action for us to abide by.”
“Cap? I’m not following.”
“What my sister means, Jacquelyn Cummins, is that the Empress will not be giving specific commands, and that you alone are to decide what you do in a particular situation.” Alex Reilly explained. “You do what you feel is right. Understand?”
“Are you ready to go, Pixie?” I asked, turning my head slightly to look at my right shoulder.
“How did you know…?” Yuuka asked in surprise.
“Godspeed, my sister. I await our sisters’ return.” Alex Reilly told me with a tense smile.
I nodded and opened the throttle for Jack’s energy to half. She groaned loudly in surprise and glared at me.
1413hrs, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Colony, June 17th, 1779
Our surroundings became darker and dust filled and we found ourselves looking at a large cache of small wooden barrels. Everything was still and unmoving, including Darren Clemson in the middle of the gunpowder cache. His finger was poised on the start button of the QDA. All around him, kegs of gunpowder fell over one at a time and began to awkwardly roll silently away from the gathering on their own.
“Why are we back here, Alex?” Jack asked curiously.
“What would you like to do, Jack?” I asked cryptically.
“Where is this place, Empress?” Yuuka asked. “And…and why isn’t anything but a few barrels moving?”
“Philadelphia, June 16th, 1779. This is where we found Clemson trying to abscond with General Washington’s gunpowder supplies. As soon as that me and her previous group over next to him releases time, he will disappear, traveling back to 6021BC in an attempt to halt the great flood again, honey.”
“How can we stop him from doing that?” The Pixie asked. She paused in thought for only a second before asking another good question. “Wouldn’t Mei Lee and Allie miss their chance of going to the Homeworld if we don’t do something?”
“You’re right, the Homeworld and the Empress wouldn’t get their necessary allotment of Pixies, hun.” I paused a second before voicing my hint at what should be done. “Something completely random has to be done- something totally off the wall that Clemson couldn’t anticipate.” I answered calmly.
“I’ve got it, Alex.” Jack declared as I noticed a small length of fuse insert itself into a keg just behind where Clemson crouched at the QDA.
“When I say now, you release time, Alex.” Jack said in a dead serious tone.
“But I’m not the one holding time, Jack. Not this time.” I replied as I nodded over to where the previous ‘me’ was standing- though just an unnatural bluish glow could be seen there now. “You’ll have to feel her strength give out because that’s what I remember happening.”
Jack nodded in understanding as she looked around us for a key of some kind.
“Now.”
The fuse sparked to life as Clemson’s hand depressed the start button and he and the diminished cache of gunpowder disappeared a split second later.
“Nice job, Commander.” I commended.
“You aren’t mad I did that?” Jack asked in surprise.
“We told you to do what you felt, Jack. Good job.”
“I caused the explosion in Istanbul, Alex?”
“It helped loosen the ground for you and Cami.” I stated flatly.
Jack’s face darkened.
“I’m responsible for killing all those people in the valley?”
“No, you’re responsible for returning the time stream back on its original course, Jack.”
“But it still didn’t bring Cami back from wherever.”
“No, but we’re working on that, hun.”
“Where to next, Alex?”
“Base,” I said as our surroundings changed.
“Why and when are we at Pearl, Alex?” Jack inquired cautiously. “More importantly, how can we be here if Clemson changed our history?” Jack paused as she looked around us. “Wait, this isn’t Pearl. Where are we, Alex?”
“Waimea, Kauai. We already realigned that segment, Jack. By assuring the Great Flood and stopping the surrender of West Point, the United States of America came into being as it rightly should.”
“Then why are we here, Sensei?” Yuuka asked from my shoulder.
“Time for you to grow up, Pixie.” I said offering my finger to the five-inch, winged, woman.
It was strange to feel her grip grow and take more space on my finger.
“Dress whites.” I ordered as her feet touched the ground in front of me. “Jack, send a message to Amy Reynolds. Tell her I need Ni’ihau socked in by a tropical depression for today.”
“Will do, Alex, but can she do that yet?”
I nodded. “She’s been experimenting the last few weeks as I recall.”
“One tropical depression in the works, Alex, though Amy didn’t sound so confident.”
“It’ll work, Jack. Just keep the faith.” I said as I turned us around and pointed to the already darkening sky across the straight over Ni’ihau.
Jack whistled in amazement.
“Remind me to never get on her bad side.” Yuuka gulped.
I smiled absentmindedly as a few streaks of lightning could be seen in the distance as the foreboding clouds began to spread toward our current location.
And they called me the show off!
“Alex, Randi wants me to remind you that Admiral Demmit needs to be back from the future by tomorrow 0900hrs to catch his ride back to Pearl.”
“Tell her I already have a reminder set, Jack.”
So, what do we do know?” Yuuka asked.
“What would you do, hun?” I returned the question.
“Sensei?”
“What would you do now, Yuuka.” I asked curiously.
“Well, I’d like to go back to base…back to Kili, naturally.”
“That’s a great suggestion, Ensign.” I said cheerfully. “Let’s go back to base.”
With that said I transported, rephased us, dropped their hands, and headed us off in the direction of CINCPAC headquarters.
“Lieutenants Steinert, Cummins, and Ens. Sukiro to see Admiral Demmit.” I announced as we approached Ens. Fischer’s desk. ‘Change your rank back to lieutenant, Jack.’ I thought to her.
“I’m sorry siiiirma’am,” Fischer stumbled a second, curiously eyeing my rank as I stood before him.
“Admiral Demmit isn’t in. I thought he was on Ni’ihau with you, ma’am?” Ens. Fischer replied in a quieter voice. His eyes bulged slightly as he noticed Yuuka.
“He is, Ensign…only not right now. Please follow my lead.” I said quietly as I spied two men walking down the hall in our direction. It was a good thing the door to this office was still open.
Recognizing one of the faces, I asked the clerk my intended question.
“Ensign, We need to get back to Ni’ihau. The Sand Dollar is due back tomorrow morning and my nurses need the supplies we’ve requisitioned?” I said with a wink.
“I’ll see if I can get a PBY from the sea plane base for you, ma’am.” Fischer said as he looked around me to the two men just arriving. He returned my wink with one of his own.
“Hi June, this is Ens. Fischer. I need the seaplane base immediately.” He said, after picking up the phone’s handset.
Both men entered the office behind us, they wore standard civilian clothing, though a little heavy for the weather. Both wore brown pants, a white cotton dress shirt, a thin brown tie, brown loafers, and each carried a brown, leather satchel.
The shorter of the two was unmistakably Darren Clemson though he looked very uncomfortable and even more, how did my future self describe him? Oh ya, ‘nerdy’.
‘Now is not the time to blow him to atoms, Jack.’ I thought to my Ex-O. ‘Tell Yuuka to hold it together too, please.’
‘If that’s a direct order we really need to follow, Empress.’
‘It is.’ I thought back.
“Hello, this is Ens. Fischer from Admiral Demmit’s office. I have three pretty nurses that would like to get back to their base and need a ride… Where are they heading? Oh, Ni’ihau…that’s right, Ni’ihau…thank you, I’ll be waiting.”
Fischer hung up the phone.
“They said they were going to check for an available flight crew, ma’am. Ladies, please have a seat, this shouldn’t take long.”
“Thank you, Ensign.” I said demurely and smiled at him and the two men waiting behind us.
“Can I help you gentlemen?”
“I believe we also need transportation to an island named Ny-hi-ha-ow.” The taller man said with a very bad pronunciation.
“I’m sorry, but Ni’ihau is off limits to all but military personnel, sirs.” Ens. Fischer explained politely.
“I’m James Spanker and am here on official Department of the Navy business and Mr. um…what did you say your name was again, sir?”
“Clemson, Mr. Spanker. Darren Clemson.”
“Yes…a perfect name for an accountant. Anyway, Mr. Clemson and I have been sent here by the Department of the Navy to audit the requisition records and effectiveness of the naval base located on Ny-hi-ha-ow. Here is the official request.”
Spanker placed his satchel on Fischer’s desk, reached into it, produced a neatly folded letter, unfolded it, and handed Ens. Fischer the typewritten paper with War Department letterhead.
“Mr. Spanker and Mr. Clemson, I’m trying to line up transportation over to that island as we speak.” Fischer replied after reading the order. “The Lieutenants and Ensign are on their way there now. I’m sure there will be plenty of room for all of you on the plane. I should be receiving word in just a few minutes.”
‘How are you holding up, Jack?’ I thought to her.
‘I was just talking to Randi. She just got a request from Ford Island on the radio for the weather around Atlantis-Minor, Alex.’
“Thank you, Ensign.” The taller man, Mr. Spanker, replied. Turning to us, he asked. “And what do you three ladies do on that base if I may be so bold?”
“We’re part of the emergency triage unit. Our submarine, the Sand Dollar is part of the Admiral’s rapid rescue and recovery project. We’re assigned to the base in case a downed pilot or shipwrecked sailor needs immediate medical attention, sir.” I answered for the three of us.
“Capt. Steinert’s crew has been very active since Admiral Demmit received approval from Washington. Ten rescue missions since the beginning of April when their unit became operational, sirs.” Ens. Fischer offered.
“And what would the average issues be, Lt…Fleming, is it?” Spanker asked in curiosity.
“Mostly lacerations, concussions, saltwater poisoning, and severe exposure, sir, although we have had a few broken femurs, clavicals, and ribs.” Jack answered.
Clemson kept sneaking glances at me while the two men stood before Fischer’s desk. I smiled pleasantly at him each time.
“Mr. Clemson, is there something I can do for you?” I finally asked pleasantly after catching him glance at me about a dozen times.
“Oh, sorry, you remind me of someone I saw back in Pittsburgh, Lieutenant.”
“I’m sorry, but I’ve never been to Kansas, Mr. Clemson. In fact, before the war, I’d never been outside of Long Beach.”
Would your name happen to be Alexandra?” He asked off-handedly after looking intently at me.
“Sorry, but I’m Allison…Allison Fleming.” I offered my hand. He nervously shook it. “That sure was a strange way to find out my name, Mr. Clemson.” I giggled.
Inside I was fuming!
“You could have just asked, you know.”
“My apologies, Lt. Fleming, as I said you look like someone I met in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.”
“Oh, you meant that Pittsburgh! I’m really embarrassed now, Mr. Clemson.” I said holding my hand to my mouth in embarrassment.
“My mistake, lieutenant.” He replied.
‘You don’t know what a big mistake it was either, honey!’ I thought to myself.
‘Just think the word, Alex, and this guy gets atomized and no one here will remember a thing.’
‘Thanks, Jack, but I think I have him baffled enough for us not to have to do anything drastic.’
‘Drastic?’ Jack thought loudly. “I can show you drastic!’
‘Stand down, Commander.’
‘Aye, Cap.’
The phone rang and Fischer picked up quickly.
“Admiral Demmit’s office…yes, I now have five waiting to get to Ni’ihau…what? No, I understand…I’ll tell them, sir…thank…what? Oh maybe tomorrow? Okay, I’ll let them know…thank…thank you, sir. Goodbye.”
Hanging up the phone, Ens. Fischer looked at Jack, Yuuka, and I sadly. “I’m sorry, ladies, but all flights, reconnaissance or otherwise, have been restricted until further notice.”
“Why, are they under attack?” I asked with mock concern.
“No ma’am, Commander Smithson said that Ni’ihau was experiencing bad weather and he hopes it will clear by tomorrow sometime.”
“Oh.” I said in relief.
“It happens sometimes. The weather can be fantastic one minute then the next it’s pouring. I guess that’s the one down side about paradise, huh?”
“Bad weather is going to keep us here another night? I thought you could land a plane in bad weather?”
Ni’ihau doesn’t have an airstrip, Mr. Spanker. The only way in or out is either by boat or seaplane and you really can’t land one of those in high seas. The waves would swamp the plane as soon as the hatch was opened.”
“I see. I guess we should get back to Honolulu and reserve a room for the night.” Spanker said in defeat. Clemson looked like he was on a short fuse.
I giggled quietly.
“I’ll call a car to take you into town, sirs.” Fischer said as he picked up the phone and asked the operator for the motor pool.
“Ladies, we can share the car if you need a ride into the city.” Spanker offered kindly.
“Thank you, but we were staying in the Women’s Dormitory here on base, Mr. Spanker.” I said with a smile.
“We’ll see you tomorrow then, maybe. Good day ladies.”
“Good day to you also, sirs.” I replied cheerfully.
Ens. Fischer waited until the two had turned the far corner of the hall and disappeared.
“How…how did you do that?” He asked me.
“How did I do what, Ensign?”
“How did you change your rank and nameplate so fast? I didn’t see you do it. You are Capt. Steinert, right, ma’am?”
“I am, and I’m not at liberty to explain anything to you at this time, Ens. Fischer.”
“I understand, Captain, but…”
“But what, Ensign?”
“I was just going to say that things really got screwy around here when you first arrived.”
I smiled. “You have no idea, Ensign, though you will understand in a few years.”
“Ma’am?”
“Never mind, hun. We’ll be back tomorrow at 1315hrs.”
“Okay?” He answered in confusion as Jack, Yuuka, and I turned to leave the office.
We joined hands as we turned the corner of the hall and I advanced us in time.
1315hrs, CINCPAC Headquarters, July 24th, 1944
“Boy, you sure are prompt, Capt….er…Lieutenant St…Fleming.”
“As the Admiral likes us to be, Ensign.” I said raising an eyebrow daring him to say more.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I trust the weather has cleared and we can get back to Atlantis-Minor, Mr. Fischer?”
“Is that what you call your base, Ca…er…Lieutenant?”
“That is a need to know detail, Theodore- understand?” I said menacingly.
He nodded with a gulp. “Yes, ma’am.”
I continued. “Under no circumstances will that specific detail be mentioned around the two ‘men’ that want to audit my base. Now…about our transportation?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll get a launch to take you over to Ford right away.” He answered then looked around the three of us into the hall.
“Ma’am,” he pause and swallowed audibly. “I may be way over my clearance level here, but…um…”
I looked down at the young man as he suddenly became very guarded. “They won’t be here for another five minutes, Theodore. Ask your questions.”
Well, Capt. Steinert, I…um…I thought I smelled your perfume in the Admiral’s office earlier today. I…I thought I heard…um…heard your voice too…ma’am.” He stammered timidly. “I’m beginning to wonder…” He looked up at me with more than a hint of fear.
‘Should I hit erase, Alex’
‘No, Jack, he can keep a secret.’
‘Oh ya, he’s Chief Fischer’s mother.’
I shook my head a few times. Ens. Theodore Fischer was staring at me apprehensively.
“There’s something very…um…special about you, Commander Cummins, and …um…Ens. Sukiro, isn’t there?”
“There’s something special about every one of us, Ted.” I said casually with a warm smile.
“But…but you’re…you’re really…really different, I mean…aren’t you?” He stuttered and swallowed hard.
“Jack, close the door and raise your shield.” I ordered aloud, again casually and without any emotion.
Fischer gulped again before his mouth dropped open.
Sh…sh…sh…sssssshield?” He stammered before jumping as the door quietly clicked shut on its own.
The poor man’s eyes popped out of his head!
“We’re good, Alex.” Jack acknowledged with a nod.
“Ens. Theodore Fischer, you are a very intuitive young man. Maybe a little too intuitive for your own good, though.” I told him with a dangerous smile as I leaned forward, palms down on his desk.
“We are indeed special- special in ways you are just starting to imagine.”
“God, here we go again.” Jack griped sarcastically.
“Jack, he needs to hear this…please!” I said, turning my head and glaring at my first officer.
Fischer again swallowed loudly. “Hhh…hear…hear what…ma’am?”
“Do you remember when we first met, Ted?” I asked with a pleasant smile.
That seemed to relax him a little. “It was about three months ago?”
“Almost, hun.” I smiled wider. “We actually met two weeks before that.”
“I’d remember meeting someone like you, ma’am! I mean, it’s not every day I meet someone as good looking as you or Commander Cummins here!”
“And you’re saying I’m not as good looking as Alexandra or Jacki?” Yuuka complained, suddenly flying up within inches of the poor man’s face.
“Aah, shit.” Jack exclaimed in defeat as she dramatically palmed her face.
“Can you stabilize his blood pressure, Jack? Yuuka…what possessed you to go Pixie on him?”
“I thought we were to do as we felt on this mission, Empress?”
“Yuuka!” Jack and I hissed.
“Eh…Eh…Empress?” Fischer stuttered.
Jack and I glared at the Pixie.
I pointed to the tiny woman still hovering in front of him. “You…normal size…now!” I ordered angrily through gritted teeth. “Stay that way until the primary mission resumes.”
Yuuka flew to our side of the Ensign’s desk and returned to full size beside Jack.
Fischer’s face lost all color again.
“You!” I reached to the man in front of me. Touching the side of his chin, I turned his head gently to look up at me. “You stay conscious!”
Again the young man gulped. “Yes, ma’am…er…er…your…your highness, I mean.”
“You’ll knock that ‘Highness’ manure off too, Ensign!” I ordered in anger.
“Yyyyyyes…ma’am.”
“Alex, we’ll have company in about two minutes.”
“I know, Jack. I need more time.” I replied holding out my hand.
Quickly both Jack and Yuuka joined hands with me as I held out my other hand to Ens. Fischer. “Take it, Ensign, that’s an order.”
As soon as he reluctantly stood and took my hand, I opened Jack’s throttle halfway again.
All noise- all talking- all sounds of typing from the other offices, stopped except for Jack’s groan and complaining.
“I wish you would’ve warned me, Alex.”
Fischer looked around in confusion.
“What…what just…what just happened…um…Captain Steinert?”
“You stopped time again, didn’t you, Alex?” Yuuka asked as she looked over at me.
“Stopped…ttttttime? As…aaaaas in time?” Fischer said as he paled once more and looked up at the wall clock.
It wasn’t moving.
“Well what do you think the ‘Empress of Time and Space can do, Ensign, milk cows?”
“Jack!” I cried. “For your information, Commander, I have milked a few cows in my time! Do I need to advance your throttle farther? We’re wasting time.” I continued in warning.
“But…but I thought you stopped time?” Fischer said innocently, but his face quickly showed he regretted it.
“It takes a toll on me, hun. Time really doesn’t like being held back.” I admitted.
“So…you’re not…not really the Admiral’s niece then?” Fischer asked shyly.
“So much for that secret.”
“Jack!” I shot back at her. “I am the Admiral’s niece by blood, Ted, and no, he’s not as special as we are- though he is still very special to us.”
“So…so you WERE in the Admiral’s office this morning?”
I nodded. “Jack, me, and Uncle Rick, Ted.”
“Alex, your nose.” Jack warned calmly.
“Captain, Your nose is bleeding!” Fischer said in alarm as he took Jack’s warning and looked at my face.
“Ya, next mah hair starts turnin’ gray.” I said with annoyance. “Look, Ted, the whole point of this little demonstration is to let you know who and what we are. First off, we mean you, the Admiral, the Navy, the world…even the universes, no harm. We’re here to keep time moving along smoothly- to even out the holes that sometime pop up. Secondly, the reason we’ve revealed ourselves to you is because you too, are important to us, hun. It’s not yet your time, but you will one day help me…help us, Theodora Fischer. Are there any other questions?”
Fischer looked at me curiously for a moment.
“I’m…I’m I’m not going to remember this…what you said here…just now?”
“Why wouldn’t you, hun?” I asked looking surprised he would even think something like that.
“Iiiit seems like you just took a big gamble telling me this, Captain. With everything I just saw, erasing it out of my memory wouldn’t be out of the question.”
“Another empath, Alex?” Jack asked, as she looked at me in surprise.
“In a few years, Jack. Right now its just pure, undeveloped talent.”
“What’s an ‘empath’?”
“You’ll find out in a few years, Teddy. For right now, I’m asking you to take care of Admiral Demmit and try your best to keep our little secret under your belt. Can you do that, Teddy?”
“I’ll do my best, Captain Steinert.”
“That’s all I needed to hear, hun, now I’m going to release time and those two men from yesterday will immediately come through that door. I need you to wipe that horrified, pasty look off your face and act like nothing out of the ordinary has just happened. Got it?”
“Aye, ma’am. Nothing happened.”
I nodded and let time resume. Immediately the place got noisy again as Fischer fished out a hanky from his pocket, held it out for me, and took his seat calmly while he looked up at me.
I winked in thanks and quickly wiped my nose as the door to the office opened. Spanker and Clemson walked in.
“Thank you, Ensign.” I said with a pleasant smile, returning the cloth.
“Gentlemen, I just confirmed that a plane is waiting over on Ford Island to take you all up to Ni’ihau. A motor launch should be waiting for you at the dock. The Lieutenants and Ensign can show you the way. Right, ma’am?” He said, quickly shoving his hanky back into his pocket.
“Of course Ens. Fischer, and thank you again for arranging our transportation. I’ll be sure to tell Capt. Steinert about your wonderful assistance once he gets back.”
“This way, Gentlemen. I said as I motioned to the door.
“After you, Lieutenants.” Spanker deferred as he stopped Clemson from walking out first.
“Thank you, kind sir.” I smiled brightly to him as we walked past both men.
Lt. Fleming, could you give me some details about your base?” Spanker asked as we walked down the hall.
“We’re really not at liberty to answer that kind of question here at Pearl Harbor, Mr. Spanker, but I’d be happy to answer all your questions once we get back to our base.”
“Very well, lieutenant, we’ll wait.”
‘You passed his trustworthiness criteria, Alex.’ Jack thought to me.
‘You might want to send word ahead for everyone to curtail their gifts while these two are inspecting us, Jack. That goes double for the Pixies, you, and the Mermaid!’
‘Aye, Cap.’
‘Jack?’
‘Ya?’
‘Clemson’s head is exempt from that last order.’
‘Now you’re talking!’
“Gentlemen, welcome to our base.” I said pleasantly with the PBY’s engines fading as it again took to the sky on its return home.
“Why were there two women here to take the lines? Where are the dock workers?” Spanker asked in confusion.
“The Admiral specified upfront that, because of the need for our men at the frontlines, we would have to take care of all land-born duties when not assigned to the Sand Dollar, Mr. Spanker. It’s something we all agreed to before being assigned to Capt. Steinert’s unit.”
“Interesting. A base run by women.” He said to himself, as if mentally making the note.
‘He just committed that one to memory, Alex, though he’s not too happy about the Admiral making women do ‘men’s’ work.’ Jack thought to me.
‘Don’t forget that women are working in steel mills, airplane factories- all sorts of traditionally male jobs stateside, Jack.’ I thought back.
‘I just didn’t appreciate his thoughts about what we should be doing back home, Alex.’
‘Try not to get upset over it, hun. He’s just thinking like a man.’
Jack looked over at me with a quirky smile.
“…So, I’d like to start examining your captain’s mission reports and I’d guess that Mr., Clemson would like to start auditing your requisition records.”
“Lt. Sheldon is our quartermaster, sir, Jacki, could you introduce Mr. Clemson to Carroll?”
“Will do, Allie. Right this way, Mr. Clemson.”
“You can call me Darren, Lieutenant Cummins.”
“Right this way, Mr. Clemson.” Jack repeated, emphasizing her disinterest.
‘Make sure Carroll knows to only give this guy our official records, nothing more, Jack.’ I thought to her as they walked over to Supply. ‘Bring her up to speed on him too.’
‘Am I allowed to mess with his head, Alex?’
‘Whatever you decide, Jack. Just go easy on him for right now…no ‘Terran Unauthorized Arrival’ security protocols. Just make Atlantis-Minor seem like any normal Navy base.’
‘Maybe just a little ‘Terran’ welcome, Alex?’
‘Jack!’
‘Aye, cap.’ She thought back, dejectedly.
“Lt. Fleming? I asked if I could possibly visit your munitions depot.” Spanker interrupted, ending my private, thought conversation.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Spanker, my mind sometimes wonders when I have the chance to look around this place. Don’t you find the scenery simply breathtaking?” I replied in a breathy voice.
Spanker glanced at me for a few moments then at my sisters as they went about their duties, while we walked.
“The scenery around here is definitely unique; I’ll give you that, lieutenant.”
Now that I knew where his mind was, I decided to hit him with some other unique things about Atlantis-Minor.
“Mr. Spanker, we don’t have a munitions deport or a fuel reserve here on the Island. When needed Capt. Steinert takes Sand Dollar to Pearl Harbor to resupply. I guess because we girls don’t have that sort of training.”
“So, what sort of training do you have, lieutenant?”
“Emergency Medical Triage, Anesthesiology, Pharmaceuticals, and a new form of resuscitation called CPR, sir.”
“CPR? I’ve never heard of it, lieutenant.”
“Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, sir. By applying the technique, I can actually force a patient’s heart to pump blood if it has stopped temporarily. And, by using my lungs to re-inflate the patients’, I can re-oxygenate his blood! According to my instructor, if both are administered in a timely fashion and correctly, the heart will start beating on its own eight out of ten times. It’s nicknamed ‘the kiss of life’.”
“That’s amazing, Lt. Fleming! Things like that can certainly give our boys added hope for survival.”
“Yes, sir.”
“So, I’d like to see Capt. Steinert’s mission reports, lieutenant.”
“Of course sir, right this way.” I told him as I guided him to my office.
‘Jack, I need Spanker to see a very utopian office. As Spartan and manly as you think he can handle.’ I thought to her.
‘Aye, Cap, one ‘hole-in-the-wall’ office coming up.’
I noticed my guest’s eyes open wide when we entered the office.
‘You now have a milk crate for a desk chair, Cap. And mind the broken hinges on those cabinets.’ Jack thought to me
Great! I was going to have to pretend that I saw all these changes.
‘I could let you see them too, Alex. Tibius showed me how to affect your mind while we were on Terra.’
‘Go ahead, Jack, but don’t make me regret this.’ I thought back, dropping my protective wards- the ones Tibius had taught me. Immediately a ram-shackled office appeared before my eyes.
What a dump, I thought, feeling the need to do a thorough cleaning on the place instantly!
“I’ll have the reports for you in just a minute or so, sir.” I told him as I went to open one of the cabinets where I knew ‘Capt. Steinert’ kept ‘his’ mission reports.
The door swung off its upper hinge and twisted in my grasp as I fought to keep it from breaking completely. Grasping the relatively small pile of reports, I quickly tried to close the dilapidated cabinet door with one hand. The thing continued to jump off the hinge and twist open until I angrily slammed it shut.
“Sorry about that, Mr. Spanker. This was all the Navy could spare, I guess.” I set the reports down on the beaten and decaying desk.
There was a loud snap as one side of the desk legs gave way and my reports slid sideways and off the desk’s top along with everything else ‘Capt. Steinert’ left on it!
I blushed intensely.
This was turning into a tragic comedy!
“I’ll hold them on my lap after I sit down, lieutenant, thank you. My I use your typewriter to make notes?”
“Sure…I’ll bring it over.” I volunteered seeing a small typing stand near the back wall and dragging it over. Its wheels squeaked loudly as I fought to move it the few feet.
“Here, sir.” I offered with a cringe. I had a feeling this wasn’t the end of this comedy.
“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Spanker said kindly as I handed him a few sheets of blank paper.
He smiled to me as he accepted them then placed one sheet behind the platen, centered it, and advanced the page through, lifting and positioning the sheet under the platen holddown bar.
“Sir, I’d be careful with…”
Spanker hit the Return/paper advance lever and it flew off the machine and bounced a few times on the floor before stopping at my feet- the virgin piece of paper mutilated beyond use.
“Lever.” I continued with embarrassment in my voice. “I’m really sorry about that, Mr. Spanker. Let me get that for…”
“That’s quite alright, lieutenant. I expected something like this to happen when I first lay eyes on this office. I’ll just have to be careful from here on.” He said leaning off the chair to reach the faulty mechanism. His eyes were set more on my cleavage than the platen as I knelt down to help anyway.
Retrieving the platen, Spanker sat back on the chair and with a loud crack found himself flat on his back as the chair back failed. My reports flew everywhere.
“Mr. Spanker, are you okay? Did you hurt anything?” I cried in surprise as I rushed to his aid.
“Surprisingly, I am, Lt. Fleming.” He answered once I helped him back up. “How can anyone work in these conditions?”
“We make do with what we’ve been assigned, sir.” I admitted sadly. “I’ve asked Sand Dollar’s chief mechanic multiple times if he could fix that for me starting back in May. It might get fixed by the end of the war.”
“Speaking of the end of the war, lieutenant, I’ll come find you if I need anything else. You may return to your duties.”
‘I MAY return to my duties?’ I thought. ‘What a piece of work this guy was!’
‘Ya, no prejudice there, huh Alex?’
‘Just keep up the illusions, Jack. I’m re-establishing my mental defenses.’
‘Aye, Cap.’
“I’ll be in the Mess Hall’s Galley if you need me sir.” I told Spanker. He just waved me off with his hand and a slight nod.
“Alex? Alex, wait up.” Emily called as I arrived at the Mess Hall.
“Until Spanker and Clemson leave, I’m Lt. Allison Fleming, sis.”
“What kind of a last name is ‘Spanker’, Allie?”
“The fake kind, Em.”
“And what about the nerd…Clemson? Is he the one responsible for taking Ricky Lynn’s toy?”
I nodded.
“I thought as much. You do know he’s the poster child for schizophrenia, right? I detected at least three distinct personalities inside that socially underdeveloped skin of his and I wasn’t even looking hard!”
Keep your distance, sis, that one’s extremely dangerous. According to Prof. Samuels, he’s visited Pearl this year and 2011 once. We think he’s planning something against us.”
“So you invite him and his chauvinistic partner into our home? Nice tactic, sis.” Emily said sarcastically.
“Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.” I smiled evilly. She nodded.
“So, I take it that the sudden change of our base’s appearance is Jack’s doing?”
“I told her to make the base look as ‘Navy’ as possible, yes.”
“That would explain the stench coming from the two new ‘buildings’ over by the Yellow Brick Road.”
“Latrines? She really went all out, didn’t she?” I giggled while wrinkling my nose.
“I’ve already passed the word to the girls that we should still use our ‘modern facilities’. I’d hate for anyone to have to clean that site up after those two leave.”
“I already have Jack on cleanup duty after their departure, sis.”
‘I heard that.’ Jack’s voice said in my head.
‘Hey, it was your idea to get so detailed, hun.’ I thought back.
‘Aye.’ She thought back, though she sounded disappointed at the prospect.
I turned to see Emily laughing at me.
“What?”
“There will never be a dull moment around here, will there?” She said with a giggle.
“We’ll have plenty of those once things get back to normal, Em.”
“Speaking of things getting back to normal. How much has changed since leaving for 2011, sis? Yesterday, I had to distribute almost my entire inventory of aspirin to the base because everyone including myself experienced a series of very severe headaches. Ricky Lynn and Randi were especially affected as they worked on the new RADAR system above the grotto.”
“Clemson went back and changed some key waypoints in history, Em. We still have some to repair before things will be back the way they were.”
“Would one of those waypoints happen to be ‘Joan of Arc’?”
The question stopped me dead.
“How did you know, sis?”
“She was my favorite historical figure when I was a little girl, Alex. One part of me remembers it, but another part doesn’t know of anyone by that name. It’s very disconcerting, having two opposing memories.”
“You should try seeing two different realities at the same time, Em.” I mumbled.
“Now that didn’t make any sense whatsoever…even for you, Alex!”
“I’ll explain later.” I said as I poured myself a cup of coffee. “Yes, Josie, what’s wrong?” I said not even looking at the woman quickly approaching from behind us.
“Skipper, it’s Romney. She just had to go for a swim, despite Miss Cummins’ orders.”
“Wonderful! Did she give any reason for her sudden insubordination?”
“Nothing, but she was holding her head as if in pain, Captain.”
Pouring the untouched cup back into the urn, I turned and offered my hands. Emily and a skeptical Josie took them and our scenery changed to that of Ni’ihau’s southern beach, about a hundred yards east of the dock.
“Tell her I’m waiting, Miss Two-Eagles.” I commanded, looking around us for Clemson or Spanker and seeing the area clear.
“But I’ll have to get wet, Skipper.”
“You have your Reilly on. What’s the problem?”
“I didn’t want to get my hair wet.” Josie complained.
“So call up a bathing cap big enough to put your hair under.”
The athletic Navajo stared at me vacantly for a few seconds before her uniform became a dark blue one-piece swimsuit.
“Oh ya, right, but I’ll have to take it out of the braid first.”
“Does the word ‘beehive’ give you any ideas, Josie?” I asked politely.
“Oh.”
Wrapping her braid on top of her head, Josie pulled on a large bathing cap and waded into the surf to her waist. She bent over and put her head under water for half a minute then waded back to shore.
“She’ll be here in a few minutes, Skipper. She apologizes for disobeying a direct order, but she needed to get something for her headache.”
“All she had to do was come to me for some aspirin, Josie. She knows that.” Emily replied.
“I’m just passing alone the message, Lieutenant Scott.” Josie then looked to me curiously.
“Alex, is there a reason brassieres and panties are hung up in the Radio Shack? Randi and I usually keep it spotless in case Admiral Demmit arrives for a surprise inspection.”
“I asked Jack to make Atlantis look like a typical Navy base, hun. She kinda went overboard and made it look like a backwoods, Ozark, huntin’ shack.”
‘Actually I was thinking Appalachian hunting shack, but that works too, Alex.’
“Jack!” I exclaimed to the surprise of my two companions.
Emily began to laugh, as her uniform became a fashionable, period, one-piece swimsuit.
“Well, if we’re going to wait for Romney, we might as well take advantage, right sis?”
I couldn’t argue with that and keyed up my 1940’s style swimwear also.
“You know…this is going to ruin my nice, thin, tan lines, Em.”
“Like a tan sticks to us anyway, Alex.” Emily giggled as we both sat down on the warm sand.
“At least we can get a tan, sis.” I said nodding my head off to my left. “One of these days Scotti will learn that being transparent negates any tan at all.” I remained looking toward Emily and Josie.
“We went through this all before, Skipper. It’s a natural response.” Scotti’s disembodied voice answered tersely. “I’m off duty anyway.”
“Oh, well, that explains why you aren’t watching Clemson around Carroll. And heaven forbid that Spanker character would get nosey and stumble into my quarters.” I said with a smile that was unseen by her.
Scotti reappeared about ten feet away from where we sat. “Miss Cummins told me to take a break, Captain.”
“The skipper’s not serious. She’s got a huge smile on her face, so lighten up, Sarge!” Josie warned. “Just go back to avoiding the sunshine.”
“I can still feel the heat you know, and with my lighter complexion, I can’t take that much sun anyway.” Scotti replied as she began to fade away.
I sighed. “Oh, how things can change in just a few months.”
“Skipper, here comes Rommie now.” Josie informed me as she pointed out into the surf.
What appeared to be a dolphin breached the surface, heading toward us. Rommie pushed herself to standing in the waist deep water, her longer hair, dorsal fin, and the upper portion of her pectoral fins still visible. As she walked out of the water those features slowly disappeared until the old land-based Romney Marsh, also adorned in a 40’s style awimsuit, exited the ocean.
“I’m sorry for disobeying orders, Captain, but I had to do something about the excruciating pain in my head.” She said when close enough. I noticed something dark green hanging from her mouth- like dark green lettuce or something.
“Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling good, lieutenant. I would have prescribed something for the pain.” Emily scolded.
“I felt I needed to find my own cure, doctor. I’m not sure why, but I needed to do this.”
“And would that be a piece of the something you had to find, Lieutenant Marsh?” I asked gently motioning to the object stuck at the corner of her mouth.
“Oh, sorry, captain, I didn’t realize I missed a piece.” Rommie said as she wiped it into her mouth in embarrassment.
“Is that seaweed, Rommie?” Emily asked, fascinated.
“Kelp, ma’am. I don’t know why, but I felt that this would help me feel better. A pod of Dolphins helped me find the right kind just off Kauai.”
“You swam all the way back from Kauai?” Scotti’s unseen voice asked.
“Well, the south end anyway, why, Lt. Williams?”
“Where were you when Josie contacted you, hun?” I asked as Scotti began to materialize again.
“I hadn’t finished the kelp I had picked yet, why?”
“Honey,” I began, “y’all had to be swimming at around seventy knots to get here that fast.”
“Seventy knots?” Rommie repeated, her eyes wide with amazement.
I nodded.
“And I wasn’t even swimming hard.” She mumbled to herself.
“Damn, how fast could you go if you really tried, Rommie?” Scotti asked in shock.
“For the record, Scotti, Rommie’s top speed will officially be listed as forty knots.” I said as I closed my eyes for a moment.
“You’ll be clocked at over one-twenty a few years from now though, hun.” I added with a wide smile.
My sisters’ mouths’ dropped wide open in awe.
‘TAKE THAT, ASSHOLE!’ Rang out in my skull and I jumped to my feet immediately.
“Alex? What’s wrong?” Emily cried in panic as Rommie and Josie looked up at me apprehensively.
“Clemson is getting into trouble.” I said, offering my hand to Emily.
Immediately after I felt her hand in mine, we were standing behind Jack, Carroll, and Clemson.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Clemson, I didn’t mean to slam the drawer on your hand, honest!” Carroll cried in embarrassment.
“HOW COULD YOU NOT SEE MY HAND THERE, YOU STUPID COW?” The man screamed as he clutched his right hand in pain.
“Mr. Clemson!” Jack shouted, almost laughing. “We don’t talk that way here- not even in jest! I expect an apology for that outburst.”
“But she should be apologizing to me, Lt. Cummins!”
“And she did, didn’t you hear her or were you too busy screaming at her at the top of your lungs?” Jack countered calmly.
“She saw me reaching into that drawer and purposely shoved it closed!” He declared loudly.
“So maybe it was because those wondering hands of yours attached themselves to her back side a moment before?” Jack suggested as Emily and I noticed Carroll blush. “You understand, Mr. Clemson, that I do have the authority to throw you off this base and into the brig at Pearl? I suggest you discontinue your obvious attempts to gain pleasure from our nursing staff and behave yourself.”
“I seriously doubt you have the authority or the strength to do that, Lt. Cummins, but you’re right, I was out of line and I apologize, Lt. Sheldon.”
The fact that every hair on my body was standing on end proved Clemson’s claim was very, very wrong.
“Please, Miss Cummins, there’s no need to pull rank. Mr. Clemson will behave himself from now on, won’t you, Mr. Clemson?” Carroll pleaded, though I believed Jack had set this up, somehow.
“Let’s go outside and come in for real, sis.”
Emily nodded as I guided us out through the wall into the compound.
‘Emily and I are coming in, Jack.’ I thought to her as a warning. ‘Dropping our wards now.’
Emily quickly covered her mouth to stifle a laugh as we came through the supply building’s door. I repeated her response as soon as I saw Carroll in Jack’s version of this base.
Lt. Carroll Sheldon was still in uniform…barely. Her blouse was tied at her midriff and its buttons were unfastened to show an extra amount of cleavage and the top half of her bra cups. The regulation skirt she wore was several inches too short and her hair was pulled back into a ‘messy’ ponytail. Carroll, whether she actually knew it or not, now had blonde hair and freckles. She also wore too much eye makeup and her deep red lipstick was applied heavier than needed. In short, she…
‘She looks like a farmer’s daughter-slash-prostitute.’ I thought.
‘You said I could mess with his head, Alex.’ Jack thought back.
“Jacki, what seems to be the problem? I heard someone screaming all the way across the compound.” I asked, eyeing up the only man in the room.
“Just a misunderstanding, nothing to worry about, Lieutenant.” Jack responded coolly.
“Well, if Mr. Clemson here is thinking he can take advantage of our nursing staff, I could have Josie make a call to Pearl. I’m sure Admiral Demmit would personally see to removing him and Mr. Spanker from Ni’ihau.”
“Aye, ma’am.” Jack responded. She and Carroll jumped to attention.
Did Carroll’s breasts bounce more than usual just now, I asked myself?
I noticed Jack’s face flush slightly.
“Mr. Clemson, I trust you are finding all our requisitions in order?” I asked, turning to eye the man up.
“So far, Lieutenant. Lt. Sheldon has been most helpful.”
“She is one of my best officers, Mr. Clemson. I would hesitate to think what would happen if she weren’t here with us.” I said, mostly as a hint that I knew who he really was.
He squinted an eye at me signifying the hint had been caught.
“I never thought it possible that so many beautiful women could be found in the war zone, Lt. Fleming. How did the Admiral manage to get approval for this from the Navy?”
“I wasn’t privy to the Admiral’s dealings with the Navy Department, Mr. Clemson. I expect that Admiral Demmit has significant pull with the brass, though.”
“That would explain a lot of what I see here, Lieutenant. All the stops were pulled to get this base up and running.”
“What we do here has saved many lives, Mr. Clemson- and in just the short time we’ve been operational as a unit!”
“I’m sure you girls have all done your part…one way or another, Lt. Fleming. I just question the sort of saving you do here.”
“Mr. Clemson, are you suggesting that we are nothing more than prostitutes? How dare you!”
‘Jack, hold your temper. He’s testing me.’ I thought to my Ex-O.
“Your words not mine, Sweetcheeks.” he answered quickly. There was an abrupt change in his demeanor.
“Mr. Clemson, this is a high security military base and I suggest you hold your cutesy retorts to yourself. We ARE officers in the Navy and deserve treatment as such.” I warned.
“My apologies, Lieutenant. I have to keep reminding myself of that fact. Please forgive me.” He said as his demeanor changed abruptly once more.
“Carroll, make sure Mr. Clemson has access to the requisition files he needs and nothing he doesn’t unless cleared by me, understood?”
“Aye, Lt. Fleming.” Carroll responded.
“Jacki, stay here to help Carroll out.”
‘Don’t have too much fun with him, Jack. Oh, and give Carroll a little more dignity, will ya?’ I thought to her.
Jack turned from Clemson and gave me a huge smile. “Aye, lieutenant.”
“Lt, Scott, don’t we have medical supplies to go over and shelve?” I said turning to Emily.
She nodded and we both turned around and exited Supply.
“That guy is nuttier than a fruit cake, Alex! I watched his personality change four times since we first entered. Jack and Carroll had better be extremely careful with that one!”
‘He should be very, very careful of me, Emily.’ Jack thought back to us. ‘And I’ll protect Carroll, don’t you worry about that.’
Emily and I stopped and exchanged glances for a moment before continuing to the infirmary.
“I’m not worried about what he’d do to Carroll and Jack, sis, but what they would do to him.” Emily said with a devious smile.
“Clemson shouldn’t be underestimated, Em. He’s got some surprises of his own.”
Emily stopped and looked deeply into my eyes.
“What do you know about him that would surprise us, Alex?”
“People from different dimensions have different characteristics…different abilities.” I replied, but paused.
“Different gifts.” I continued.
Emily stared at me for a few minutes.
“For one thing, sis, he’s stronger now than he appears.”
“And for another, Alex?”
“Well, one of him might be able to sense our gifts…or some of our gifts.”
“Does Jack know about this, Alex?”
‘I’ve been fully briefed on the ‘unique’ capabilities of Mr. Clemson as far as we know them, Emily.’ Jack thought back in response.
“Just be extra careful, Jack.” Emily said quietly to the ceiling.
‘Alex, Spanker is looking for you.’ Jack thought to me.
“Emily, I have to go. Mr. Spanker is looking for me.”
“Be careful, Alex, I don’t trust that pencil-pusher either.”
“I’ll be fine, sis. I can hold my own with that one.” I replied as I went to turn for the dilapidated wooden door. I had forgotten to reassert my protective wards.
“Um…Alex?” Emily called, quickly. She motioned to my blouse.
Looking down, I saw more of my girls than usual and quickly fastened two more buttons to hide the lacy, pink, deep plunge bra I hadn’t noticed I was wearing.
“Jack!”
2215hrs, Atlantis-Minor, July 24th, 1944
“Have our guests fallen asleep yet, Jack?” I asked, covering my own mouth to stifle a yawn. My many run-ins with Mr. Spanker and Clemson had taken their toll and I now felt the urge to drop over.
“I didn’t think Clemson would ever sleep, Alex! He just kept going and going…”
“Ya, a real first round candidate for the Energizer bunny commercial.” I said sarcastically.
Emily and Jack shook their heads at my comment, but Carroll stared at me in confusion.
“Never mind, Carroll, it’s a reference I picked up in the future.” I told her as we relaxed in my quarters, the four of us facing each other on my bed. It had been almost three months since Jack and I had last been here on base. “Are you sure you can keep up the simulation while you sleep. Jack?”
“No…but I can control how long our two guests CAN sleep, Alex.”
“I could do that myself, Jack.” Emily bragged, making the gesture of using an imaginary syringe with her right hand.
“Status on Clemson, Jack.” I said getting back to business as my Reilly changed into my favorite pink nightie.
“I wasn’t able to break the man’s fingers like I wanted too, Alex. He really had it coming after deliberately pinching Carroll’s behind.”
“Well, he had every reason to since you made me look like some sex-starved, blonde, bimbo, Jack!” Carroll interrupted angrily.
“Alex said to play with him a little, Carroll.”
“You didn’t have to bump me up two cup sizes while still wearing the same size bra and loosening my straps, Jack!” Carroll complained. “And do you know how hard it was for me to get that tight skirt off this evening? Why was I even wearing a waist-cincher, garter belt, and fishnet stockings without panties anyway?”
“If you’d have seen what Jack wears in the future, you would understand, hun.” I responded playfully, opening my nightstand drawer and fetching a bottle of polish to freshen my toenails.
“Very funny, Alex.” Jack replied. “It served to keep him off balance enough that he couldn’t defeat my simulation.”
“He can do that, Alex?” Emily looked at me in amazement.
“We’re still not sure, sis, but we’re not taking any chances. I left the decisions up to Jack and Yuuka on this mission to make things more chaotic- keep him guessing. I’m tired of being on the defensive with him.”
“So where has Yuuka been all day? I haven’t seen her except on the dock when you three arrived.”
“She’s been helping Sasha get the house ready up on the cliff.”
“The house?” Emily asked as Jack looked questioningly to me.
“The building that covers the new RADAR system. A building that Sasha will convert into her home after the war.” I paused for a second. “The home where her children will be born?”
Jack and Emily nodded, while Carroll stared at me.
“That freaks me out. I hope you know that, Alex Steinert.”
“Where on Earth did you hear that phrase, Carroll Sheldon?” Emily giggled as I capped and passed the bottle of enamel to her.
“Alex’s Cassandra…I think.”
My thoughts went immediately to my children- all four of them!
“Everything will work out, Alex.” Jack confided, reading either my mind or my sudden change of expression. “You’ve seen the restoration of the timeline. We just have to keep working to that end, that’s all.”
“She’s right, Alex. We have to let this all play out properly.” Emily added.
“But that’s the hardest part, sis! We’ve seen people disappear and reappear; only to disappear once more…I’ve about reached my limit with this guy. I’m ready to end this game and let the Empress cheat!” I declared. “And I’m about ready to lose my temper.”
“Lose your temper, Alex?” Emily and Jack gasped together.
I nodded.
“Aside from drastically changing the flow of time…and drawing the wrath of ‘Upper Management’, what else would ‘losing your temper’ entail, Alex?” Emily asked curiously. “I’ve never seen you do anything but raise your voice- especially since our Mahanilui.”
I looked to the duvet that I was sitting Indian style on and felt myself blush in embarrassment.
“Ah’ve been afraid to let mah temper take over, Emily, Ah…” I looked at Jack quickly, but returned my gaze to the bedcover. “Ah…Ah don’t know…Ah’m ‘fraid of what…of what Ah could possibly…do.”
Looking up at my sisters, I explained further.
“Ah can see how…how powerful y’all get…as time goes on, but…but Ah can’t get a feel for what all Ah can do. It’s like…it’s like Ah…well…there…there ain’t no definin’…no specified limit…no upper end to…to what Ah…to what the Empress can do. It scares the pants off me to think…even venture to think what Ah might be…am capable of…if Ah let mahself lose control.”
Suddenly, and without warning, the final few seconds of my adventure with Connie flashed into my mind. Jack’s head violently shot backwards as if punched forcefully by Joe Louis himself! She fell backwards, unconscious.
“Oh my God! Jack!” Emily exclaimed in panic as she quickly grabbed her arm to keep her from falling to the floor. “Alex? What just happened? What did you just do to Jack?” She demanded- her eyes wide in fear.
“Ah’m sorry.” I said, just above a whisper.
“What did you do?” Emily repeated, more like demanding. “Why did she suddenly lose consciousness? Her entire nervous system just suddenly overloaded!”
“Ah’m sorry.” I repeated. This time, just a little louder.
“You’re sorry? That’s your explanation?” Emily’s face was a mix of anger and pure fear. “Alex, your first officer just basically went into cerebral overload and all you can say is ‘Ah’m sorry’?”
Closing my eyes tightly to prepare myself, I felt tears squeeze out and run down my face.
“Connie and Ah was on a mission,” I began slowly. “Things went…,” I shook my head a few times in shame as much as to try chasing the memory away. More tears flowed from my tightly closed eyes. “Things, well…they went accordin’ ta plan.”
“Went according to plan? Alex, if everything went ‘according’ to plan why are you fighting the memories and appear under severe stress?” She began her interrogation.
“Almost killed us- mostly that is.”
“Whaaa…who? Who almost killed you and Connie, Alex?”
“She did…Connie done. She found her lineage weren’t quite what she’d expected.”
“But she’s half human, half Terran.” Emily stated professionly.
“No…she ain’t. She’s…she’s all human.”
“You mean Jack? Here? With whom?” Carroll gasped.
“The less y’all know ‘bout them facts the less Jack here’ll pry into yer minds.” I said shaking my head a few more times. “It’d be safer if y’all’d forget ya know’d anythin’ ‘bout this here issue.” I warned.
“Why, Alex?” Emily asked. “Why keep something like that from her, and why would she almost kill the two of you over it?”
“Ah cain’t tell y’all an’ risk changin’ the time stream, Em. Let’s jus’ say it hadda happen in order for me ta curse another Alexander Steinert, in another Universe.”
“Oh, Alex!” Emily gushed as she leaned over and wrapped her arms around me, giving me a sisterly hug. “Do you really still consider this a curse?”
“Ah do…’specially when it…when it shanghais a perfectly happy, married man.”
“That Alex Steinert was married? To who, Alex?”
“Emily Scott,” I mumbled.
“Me?” My sister leaned back in shock, so that she could look into my eyes for clarification. “That you was married to me?”
“Not anymore. Ah sa-cessf’ly fouled that up.” I paused a moment, very much aware of the two other conscious women in the room staring intently at me at the moment. “Look, kin we jus’ forget any a this ever happened and change the subject? Jacki’s waking up and Ah got ‘nough a her questions Ah cain’t answer coming.”
“We will eventually find out all the details, right Alex?” Emily inquired.
“In ‘bout nine-ee-three years.” I answered, my head sagging once more.
Emily and Carroll’s head’s just nodded sadly in vague understanding.
“Alex, she’s coming around.” Emily said officially. “Jack? Jack, are you okay? What happened?”
“Huh? What? What hit me?” The dazed woman asked as she slowly rejoined us. Emily helped her sit back up.
Jack’s eyes slowly fluttered opened and settled on me. They flew wide open.
“Alex? Alex, what the HELL was that?”
“What was what, Jack?” I asked innocently.
“That…that galaxy-shattering explosion that just erupted from your mind! What was that?” She asked in stunned wonderment.
“Ah’m sorry, Jacki. It was jus’ a bad memory of a mission Ah went on a while back. Didn’t end…end as Ah expected.”
“Didn’t end as you expected.” She repeated sarcastically. “That’s bull and you know it, Empress!”
Jack stared at me a minute more.
“Look, if you don’t want to…or even can’t…tell me…just tell me that, Alex. I won’t go searching any further.”
That was where she and Connie differed, I thought to myself.
I quickly disposed of that thought.
Jack’s eyes narrowed a second as she apparently caught a sliver of my internal slip.
“Ah cain’t talk ‘bout it, Jacki. Please, Ah jus’ cain’t.” I pleaded.
My first officer- my friend- nodded and the room was quiet for a few, long moments.
“Alex, how much longer do we have to put up with a thief in our house?” Emily asked, thankfully reverting our stalled conversation back to tonight’s original topic.
“They leave tomorra,” I paused, “one way or ‘nother.” I answered ominously.
At my sisters’ confusion, I explained.
“Wha’ever triggered this alleged audit come from someplace high up in the food chain. Ah’m thinkin’ even higher than the War Department. We only been in existence fer three months now in linear time, so why perform an audit on such a young unit?” I proposed.
“I see your logic, Alex,” Carroll agreed. “You think someone…in a secret agency maybe…knows about us?”
“That’s always a possibility, but Ah’m feelin’ it goes much farther back than even that.”
“‘Farther’ back, Alex- as in farther back in time?” Jack suggested.
I nodded. “Sis, y’all had a chance to do a full exam on ol’ Mr. James Spanker?”
“How in depth would you like to go?”
“How’s bout down ta a genetic level, doc?”
“I’d need a sample of Spanker’s DNA and access to Reilly’s Infirmary.”
“Jack, them two stays in dreamland ‘til 0700hr. Em and Ah’ll be back soon as.”
“Will Yuuka and I be safe here without you, Alex?” Jack asked with some doubt evident in her voice.
“Pixie, Ah have nothin’a interest under mah bed, so if y’all’d come up here an’ spend some time with the grownups, Ah’d like for y’all ta watch each other’s backs ‘til we get back.”
“I’m not even going to ask how you knew, Sensei, but Miss Cummins and I will be inseparable while you and Dr. Scott are away.” Yuuka pledged as she grew to full height at the foot of my bed.
Jack rolled her eyes in response to her reply.
“By the way, you need to sweep under there more often, ma’am.” She added as she pulled a stray cobweb out of her hair.
Two down-filled pillows accosted her.
Obtaining a sample of DNA from our sleeping visitor consisted of nothing more than swabbing the inside of his mouth as he loudly snored while lying on his back.
Arriving in Reilly, Emily and I were greeted by RVP.
“Welcome, Empress. It is 2200hr. July 24th, 1944. I was not expecting you for another ten days.”
“Spur’a the minute visit, hun. Emily needs ta run some DNA we suspect may be somethin’ other’n human.” I explained.
“Genetic testing equipment has been brought online in the Infirmary’s Lab, Dr. Scott. It will be ready when you arrive.” RVP said pleasantly.
“Thank You, RVP. I appreciate the efficiency.”
“You are most welcome Doctor. Empress, I have been monitoring drastic temporal shifts and sudden changes to Earth’s history in my archives- the checksums of which concern me. I presume you know about the conflicting enigma?”
“We’re workin’ on it as we speak. They causin’ much damage to yer systems, hun?” I asked the A.I.
“External Processor #3-Omega’s program ‘Asprin’ has alleviated most of the unexpected subsystem crashes, Empress, thank you.”
“Ah expect it’ll be a few more days ‘fore the timeline’s fully restored, RVP. Hang in there.”
“I will, Alex, thank you. Dr. Scott, the DNA sequencing equipment reports no startup errors and is ready for your use.”
“Thanks, RVP, you’re a dear.” Emily chirped as we walked in the direction of the Infirmary.
“Empress, if I may?” RVP added before we headed down to the Lab. “Vocal analysis and your ‘Reilly’ telemetry indicate severe fatigue and a dangerous amount of stress. With Doc Scott’s approval, I staunchly recommend you recline for the few hours it will take for the DNA analysis process.”
“I concur with your diagnosis, RVP.” Emily said in her professional voice. “Capt. Alexandra Frances Steinert. You are hereby relieved of duty pending three hours of rest and/or sleep. Reinstatement is conditional on my professional assessment of your physical and mental condition after the specified duration. Captain. You are hereby relieved.” Emily commanded as she pointed menacingly, in the direction of my quarters.
“Aye, ma’am.” I replied as I turned and began walking away. From the tone in her voice, this was one argument I wasn’t going to win.
Thinking about the unintentional, awful, thing I had done to Jack… Maybe I did need some sleep.
So our Mr. Spanker is a hybrid?” Jack repeated, shaking her head in amazement.
“He’s got Janelle Hathor’s mitochondrial genetic markers, Jack. He’s one of her descendents.”
“Are you sure he’s not one of Alusia’s?” She asked hopefully.
“It doesn’t matter if he didn’t get the memo, Jack.” I suggested.
“Memo, Alex?”
“If he didn’t take the stories Alusia passed on about the Empress to heart, he could possibly seek out his own answers as proof. That makes him dangerous to the Sisterhood of Kili. Add to that Darren Clemson’s luck in finding that one person also seeking our existence. Combined, the danger jumps off the scale.”
“Too bad we can’t isolate Spanker from Spankee, Alex. I mean, take Spanker on a little…maybe permanent…trip? Say to meet his ancient Grandmother?” Jack suggested, thinking out loud.
“Wake him up, Jack.” I said calmly as I offered her my hand.
“You two be careful, Alex.” Emily warned as she took a step away.
With our nightclothes replaced by our dress whites, I winked to my sister and our simulated, ramshackle guest barracks appeared around Jack and I.
How the two men could ever sleep on those deplorable, squeaky, sagging, steel, cots was a mystery…until I remembered it was all an illusion…and that Jack had control.
I nodded to Jack, who nodded back and James Spanker began to stir.
“Good morning, Mr. Spanker. Did you sleep well?” I asked in my nicest voice.
“Is…is it morning already?” He asked, not quite awake yet.
“No…it isn’t. This is a vivid dream you’re having involving Jacquelyn Cummins and Allison Fleming, James.” I answered back sarcastically. “Only I’m not really Allison Fleming, but instead, Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space and Jack here is my trusted Mind Warrior.”
“The Empress…” he began, trying to focus on us, “is but a myth- an old wives tale. Is this some sort of hazing?” The man said as he propped himself up on the cot.
“I assure you, Mr. Spanker, this is no hazing you’ve ever experienced…or wanted to experience.” I replied in a darker than normal tone.
“It’s still dark out, can’t this wait until dawn?”
“Jack, show him we mean business.”
Spanker’s sheet pulled down off him on its own and the semi-horizontal man rose off the cot to the groaning of springs.
Even in the darkness I could see the man turn white.
Moving Spanker to an upright position, Jack gently lowered him until his feet touched the floor. Boxers and undershirt was his manner of dress for slumber.
“Get dressed, James.” I ordered.
“How did you do that? Am I really dreaming?”
“No, James, you’re not dreaming. Now pull on some trousers and a decent shirt, some socks and shoes, and take my hand.”
“Why would I take your hand? What would that accomplish?”
“One, it would keep Jack here from ‘playing’ with you like a toy. Second, it would answer a question you’ve been looking for the answer to since you were a child. Third, it would prove what I stated previously beyond any doubt.” I answered by way of list.
“What of Mr. Clemson? Why not wake him also?”
“Darren Clemson is another issue altogether and you need not know my plans for him. Know this though,” I paused dramatically. “Clemson is more dangerous than you could ever imagine. I’d advise prudence in any future conversations with him.”
“How do you know so much about him?” He asked, reaching his trousers and pulling them up his legs.
“Do you remember or believe any of the stories passed down from your ancestors, James?” I asked.
“What stories?”
I thought so.
“The stories of the Empress. The stories told by your ancestors that lived in Egypt so many millennia ago.”
“How do you know about my family lineage?”
“Were you not listening to the Empress, Mr. Spanker?” Jack reiterated condescendingly.
“You claim to be this ‘Empress’? There can’t possibly be anyone alive that remembers that long ago…let alone be so omnipotent.”
“Finish dressing, take my hand and you shall see firsthand that I do exist.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Lt. Fleming…or whatever your real name is.” Spanker said as he tied one shoe then the other.
“Then you will have no qualms about taking a pretty girl’s hand now, will you?” I smiled, though I doubt he could see it in the faint light of the room.
“How can that man sleep through this conversation?” Spanker asked, intrigued, as he stood and looked over to his slumbering companion. I felt him take my hand. His feint, quaking, grasp spoke differently about his apparent confidence.
“He will wake up only when I want him to wake, Mr. Spanker.” Jack replied ominously. “Not one second before I allow it.”
The man quietly regarded what was said for a moment.
“So now what, Lt. Fleming?” He asked tentatively.
“Let’s go talk to your Granny about that unanswered question, James.” I suggested, as the dark around us became brilliant, but harsh sunlight.
“But my Grandmo…”
Around us was a bustling city with its citizens, dressed in varying shades and colors of linens, busily moving from place to place.
“Welcome to Memphis, Egypt, James.” I announced as I felt his grasp tighten significantly.
“How did you do this?” He gasped. “Have you poisoned me somehow…hypnotism?”
“I simply thought about where and when I wanted to go and went there, James. It was really no big deal, I assure you.”
Several citizens walked straight through us, much to Spankers astonishment.
“This…this is just an illusion?”
“No. No illusion. I just haven’t phased us into this reality yet, James. It’s been my experience to hold off a few moments before completely entering a reality. There is always a possibility of phasing in as someone walks through one of us. That wouldn’t be recommended for obvious reasons.” I said smiling deviously. “I also don’t like to terrorize the locals by suddenly appearing in their midst.”
Looking around and noticing a lull in the pedestrian traffic around us, I let our guest know what I was doing. “I’m going to rephase us now, James.”
The lull didn’t last long and within a minute people again approached, but began walking around us instead of through us, most looking at us as locals would tourists.
“Are we actually here?”
In answer I enabled my translator.
“Excuse me, but would you happen to know if the Supreme Administrator is accepting dignitaries today?” I asked an affluent looking man walking by. The man’s eyes bulged apparently recognizing Jack or me.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve heard he is attending a dedication ceremony in Saqqara today. Rumor has it that his spouse and heir are accepting audience though, Empress.”
“Thank you very much, sir, and good day to you.” I responded pleasantly.
“And to you, Empress.” He said, bowing kindly and continuing on his way.
“What did you say to him? I couldn’t understand a word of it?” Spanker asked innocently.
“She asked if Pharaoh was accepting visitors today.” Jack replied. “Think Anna Beth will see us today, Alex?”
“Who is ‘Anna Beth’?”
“Pharaoh’s wife.” Jack answered with a grin.
“Pharaoh’s wife.” Our guest repeated to himself in a mumble with no emotion. Suddenly his eyes grew wide. “We’re going to see the Queen of Egypt?” The man almost choked on his words.
“Don’t you want to?” I asked, giggling casually.
He nodded in reply.
“This street leads to Pharaoh’s residence.” I said tugging his hand gently.
1105hrs, Pharoah’s Residence, Memphis, Egypt, 2520BC
“Alex, Jacki, what a pleasant surprise! Welcome to Memphis my dear friends.” Anna Beth said excitedly as she slowly, gracefully approached us. Attached to her left hand- and gripping it very greedily- was a child, a small but healthy chunk of a boy, five years of age and no more. His head was shaved bald save for a long black ponytail growing from his crown.
Our hostess regally regarded our male companion for a moment.
“And this male would be…” she hinted for introduction?
“Mr. James Spanker, Queen Anna Beth”, I introduced as my fist gently came to my left breast and I bowed slightly. I made sure to speak Ancient Terran.
Anna Beth’s face became angry. “So help me, if you ever call me that again, Alexandra, I’ll emit a very un-queen-like scream!”
“It was for effect. Our friend here doesn’t possess a translator and I wanted to frighten him a bit.” I giggled and winked.
“What language does he speak, Alex.” Anna Beth asked in exasperated amusement after sighing audibly.
“American English.”
She nodded.
“James Spanker. Do you not know how to act when in the presence of royalty?” She questioned authoritatively- in English.
Spanker immediately dropped to one knee in response and waivered there, mouth agape, and wide-eyed.
“Very good, Mr. Spanker, now that the royalty thing has been addressed, I will ask that you simply call me Anna Beth and not ‘Queen’ or ‘Highness’ or anything denoting of regal class. Is that understood?”
Spanker gulped and nodded once.
“I’m sorry, James, I didn’t quite hear the response?” Anna Beth said with a wistful smile.
“Yes…madam…Anna Beth.”
“Better, but keep working at it, James.” She said, smiling, and patted his cheek gently with her free right hand.
“You may rise.” She added regally, and turned away from us.
Looking over her shoulder to me, she winked and a wry smile appeared. “Empress, please attend me as we walk.” She commanded.
“As you wish, oh mighty An’a B’th.” I replied, watching Spanker’s eyes bulge at my pronunciation.
“How was that, Alex? Did I impress him enough?” Anna Beth asked quietly in Terran, glaring at me first, but smiling as I joined her and we walked away from Jack and an awestruck Spanker.
“I’d be hard pressed to say he didn’t need to change his drawers.”
“I’m starting to see the fun you have with these novices, Alex.” Anna Beth giggled. “Is this one to join the sisterhood too?”
“Spanker?” I asked, surprised, as I wrinkled my nose in disgust and shook my head. “No, he’s definitely not our type.”
“No? So, what brings you to Memphis then?” She asked just before her expression suddenly took on a dark cast. “Oh! This isn’t THE time…” she gulped, “is it?”
“No, that visit is still a ways off. You’ll know months before my arrival that the time is at hand.” I then thumbed back to my guest companion. “James here is a distant descendent of either Janelle Hathor or Alusia. Being that they share mitochondrial DNA, Emily couldn’t say for certain and neither of the Randi’s was available to scan his revisionary code- not that he would’ve let them do that.” I thought about that for a moment. “Ew, or maybe he would have.”
“I trust you have a purpose in bringing him here, Alex?” Anna Beth giggled at my sudden change of tone.
“He inadvertently met up with a man,” I felt my pleasant demeanor fade as I thought about Clemson. “A man you might catch a glimpse or hear rumor of in the not so distant future.”
I tried to persuade a smile back to my lips and got back on track.
“James Spanker’s ancestral lines come back to either Hathor or Alusia as I said. He is definitely part Terran or Homeworlder- or ‘Gypsy’ as some call themselves in my time. Unfortunately, he has not heeded the stories of the Empress and seeks to prove her existence by any means possible. Somehow, he found out about a military unit comprised of men and women of the Navy. In my time, men and women serving alongside each other is still about sixty years away. It apparently piqued his interest as well as some other yet unknown parties enough to request, and receive permission to ‘audit’ my base.”
“This other man you briefly mentioned, you have no love of him?”
“Darren Clemson seduced and stole from my chief engineer, Anna Beth. He absconded with a time machine that Ricky Lynn had been perfecting.”
“A time machine? Why on Earth would she build such a device when she has you?”
“Ricky Lynn is constantly conceiving of and designing things that try my…that try to duplicate the varied gifts of her sisters. I guess you could say it’s one of her quirks.”
She shook her head several times with closed eyes and a slight grin.
“So this man, Darren Clemson. You think he will come here, to Egypt? For what purpose?”
“In all cases to this point he has tried to change the past to follow what he believes it should be- mostly what published historians theorized the past to be. In some cases, if he deems a favored historical figure has been given a ‘raw deal’, he changes it for a positive outcome. At least that seems to be our observation thus far.”
“Does he not realize the folly in that endeavor? Things happen for a reason! He could just as easily erase himself in the process. Billions of people, past, present, and future would die…or have never lived from such callous assumptions!”
“Hence the reason I’m here now- to try and keep critical information out of his reach; critical information about you, Egypt, us; information in the form of James Spanker. His handed-down stories of Alex Reilly, me, and Egypt could give Clemson the ammunition he needs to do serious harm to the Empress…possibly delete us…all of us entirely.”
Anna Beth stopped walking instantly and clapped her hands loudly at a nearby man servant.
“Have Lady Jacquelyn and the man called Spanker taken to my antechamber immediately. Also send word to my niece, Lady Alusia, that I require her presence there as well.” She ordered the man somewhat harshly and loudly.
At my expression toward her gruff command to the older gentleman, she replied, “Uhj is almost deaf, having lost most of his hearing during a raid on Hathor’s temple.” Anna Beth dropped her gaze to the granite floor. “I was to blame for his hearing loss. I simply could not fight that hell-spawned, malevolent suit.” She continued, looking back up into my eyes pleading for my forgiveness.
“I understand. I take it you felt so bad that you gave him a job here, at the residence?”
“The poor man can only hear the loudest, sharpest of commands I’m afraid. He is a constant reminder to me that life is cruel and can be changed drastically in an instant, Alex.”
“Try watching people that you know and love disappear instantly in front of you.” I mumbled as we continued walking down a wide, magnificently decorated hallway.
Anna Beth again stopped abruptly and turned to face me.
“By the Lords, is that what you…? Why, I can’t imagine what I would do given the situation!” She said, as she pulled free of the boy’s hand and wrapped her arms around me in compassion. “Alexandra, I’m here for you, you know that right?” She told me, leaning back slightly and shaking her head up and down several times to convince me of that heartfelt fact.
“Thanks. All I can tell you about it was that it hurt me, Anna Beth. It really, really hurt- like somebody kicked me in the stomach. It actually took me a few minutes to realize that…that I was the only one capable of doing anything about it- that I was the last line of defense. I never signed up for that much...”
“Djedefre, Alexandra needs some of my attention right now. Please!” She said to the small boy that started reaching for her hand tenaciously.
“Alex, as military officers, we’re trained to handle the unexpected…the unknown. A wise Commander once told me something to that effect.” My hostess comforted with a gentle smile as she squeezed harder for a moment then released me and reclaimed her child’s insistent hand. She slowly crouched down to the boy’s level.
“Djedefre, you must understand this one, very important, thing…your father may have the weight of all Egypt on his shoulders, but Empress Alexandra…she has the weight of all the known universes on her’s. My dear son, without her the Gods and Goddesses of this world would not exist, let alone get along with each other as little as they do.”
I gasped. “But that’s…” I started to argue, but Anna Beth raised a hand to cut me off.
“Now say you are sorry for interrupting my efforts to calm her, son. But please, never ever forget that Alexandra is very, very humble and never wishes to be worshiped…only befriended. Now what do you say to her, Djedefre?”
“I’m ssssorry, Empress.” The young boy mumbled timidly, looking up at me.
I too crouched down to his level.
“I accept your apology, Djedefre, son of Khufu, but I insist you call me by my given name, Alexandra- Alex if you wish. I don’t like to be called Empress by my friends, do you understand?”
“I do, Alexan…Alex.” The boy answered with a shy smile.
“Good.” I said as I offered my forearm to him. His small hand barely grasped the midpoint of my forearm in the gesture of friendship. “Want to see something amazing?” I asked, changing the subject.
The boy nodded and I glanced up to his mother. Anna Beth nodded her permission, but rolled her eyes in annoyance.
“If you and your mother would take my hand, I’ll take us to your mother’s antechamber.” I told him excitedly.
“We’re almost there, Alex.” He said, wrinkling his nose slightly in disappointment.
“We’ll see, my young Pharaoh.” I said with a wink and a devious grin. I offered mother and son my hands.
Once taking hold, Anna Beth’s large, private sitting room suddenly surrounded us.
“I think my way is much faster.” I stated, looking down at the youngster, whose eyes were now popping from his head. His mouth formed, but didn’t quite verbalize, the word ‘wow’ as he looked around us.
“Show off!” Anna Beth accused with a grin.
“How…how did you do that, Alex?” The boy asked innocently.
“It’s a gift I received a while back, hun.”
“A gift? From who?” He inquired.
“It was a gift from someone way out there.” I answered, pointing up into the sky after a minute of wondering how to tell the small child.
“Her father- in the very first universe- bestowed her the gift, Djedefre. Alex tries to use it to help people in extreme need and she never, ever abuses her gift- or the power that gift gives her for greed or personal gain.”
“Did you help momma, Alex? I heard Poppy talking with Momma one night, and that the Empress…you…had helped momma kill her demon side and bring her safely back home, and, and that I was the miracle they never ‘spected without the Empress’ kindness.”
“I did help your momma, hun, but to be completely honest she had that demon practically vanquished before I even got there.” I said with a big smile. “Your momma’s a very strong, very powerful, warrior and I’m sure, had I not arrived, she would have defeated that demon all by herself.”
I heard Anna Beth sniff back a tear or two and felt her hand squeeze mine a little tighter.
The boy’s eyes widened in renewed respect and admiration for his mother.
“As for your arrival…well, all my sisters and I did was heal your momma’s wounds from the battle. You’re Momma and Poppy did the rest, hun,” I added with a wink.
“Anna Beth. Lady Jacquelyn and James Spanker.” A different manservant announced from the partially opened, outer door. Jack and a very humbled James Spanker entered silently.
“Welcome to my chambers, James Spanker.” Anna Beth almost decreed. “Come, take a seat. Refreshments will be available shortly.”
She then looked up to the ceiling.
“Meridian, could you bring the nourishment station online in my situation room?” Anna Beth requested as she looked at me and winked. “And could you cue the American cuisine files that Empress Alexandra uploaded on her last visit?”
“Food Station Beta-four-alpha is now operational and readied for ‘American Cuisine’, Anna Beth.” The A.I. announced from unseen loudspeakers.
Spanker, though not understanding the language, looked around the room in confusion, not having experienced anything like a computer before.
“Help yourself, James.” Our hostess said in English, pointing to an opening wall panel to our left.
When he didn’t move, I walked past him to the station and, because we had left Atlantis-Minor at one in the morning, casually ordered my favorite breakfast.
“Meridian, I’d like a four-stack of buttermilk pancakes, butter between each, plenty of maple syrup, and a cup of Empress Blend coffee, black, please.”
“Welcome back, Alex. Did Randi come with you this time?” The A.I. asked eagerly in English.
“No, I’m sorry, hun, but both Randi’s were occupied and couldn’t come. Maybe one of them will come next time.”
“Oh, tell them that I look forward to their visit, Alex.”
“I’ll pass that along, hun.” I said with a smile as I took my tray from the food station and walked past Spanker with a pleasant smile. His expression was priceless as he covertly sniffed my selection in passing.
“Your turn, hun.” I said as I placed my tray down on a small table beside the chair that I picked. “Better get yours before Jack cleans out the station.” I giggled.
“Not funny, Alex,” Jack grumped, “For your information, I’m not that hungry at the moment!”
“By the Lords, the end of the world IS coming!” Anna Beth laughed.
Jack tilted her head to the side, scrunched up her face, and stuck out her tongue at our hostess.
Young Djedefre began laughing uncontrollably at her comical response.
“That is the hardest he’s laughed in a while, Jacki. You certainly are good with children…when are you going to have some of your own?” Anna Beth asked with a pleasant smile.
“I have a daughter, Constance, and a granddaughter- whom I have yet to meet, Anna Beth. I thought you already knew that.” Jack answered in slight confusion.
Spanker choked as his eyes bulged.
“I did, Jacki, but apparently James didn’t.” She laughed. Her attention centered on her male guest.
“Does the fact that a young woman- apparently in her earliest twenties- saying she has a granddaughter bother you, James?” She asked then looked at me. “Alex, care to tell James of your children?”
I smiled as fond memories filled my mind. “I have three daughters and one son. Cassandra and Samantha are seventy-six and seventy-three, respectively. Alexis was born in Citadel on the planet Terra, and is seventy-one. Alexander was born in San Diego and is seventeen. Alexis has three children; two girls, Samantha and Alexandra and a boy, Nathan. My youngest granddaughter Alexandra also has a girl of her own.”
“But neither of you looks older than twenty-one!” Spanker gasped again.
“I’m around forty-seven now, Mr. Spanker.” I said casually, noting Jack’s eyes bulge.
“Oh my God, Alex! Where have you been?” She gasped in astonishment.
“I’ve…I’ve been around, Jack.” I answered simply.
“Apparently.”
Anna Beth looked at the three of us for a while before saying anything.
“Meridian, has my niece arrived at the residence yet?” She finally asked the A.I.
“Lady Alusia is in the main hall and moving in your direction at a faster pace than usual.”
“Thank you. Lock the doors and acoustically seal the room after she enters, please.”
“As you wish, Anna Beth.”
Nodding to the ceiling, our hostess looked at Spanker.
“The room will be isolated from the outside world so that we can discuss more…sensitive topics, James.” She informed the man.
The sound of him swallowing hard echoed through the quiet room- a quiet that was only broken by my fork touching my empty plate. I gracefully stood and returned my dishes to the processor.
“You called for me, Anna Beth?” Alusia asked as she hurried into the antechamber. She stopped dead in her tracks as she saw Jack and I. “But…didn’t you…just…Empress?” She stumbled uncomprehendingly.
“Hello, Alusia. It’s been a long time.” I said pleasantly. “How are the children?”
“I…I haven’t had a chance to see…them…yet…Empress…I…”
“I want to thank you for helping my sister help me, Alusia. You did a fine job counseling me when I needed it most.”
“Thank…thank you…ma’am.” She stammered as I stopped in front of her and gave her a friendly hug.
There was a loud click of a lock being thrown and all outside noise ceased.
“What just happened?” Spanker asked in horror.
“I simply made sure that we were not disturbed, James. Weren’t you listening?” Anna Beth looked at him with an evil smile.
“Empress, who is this man? He reminds me of a cousin from back in the old country.” Alusia asked as she stared, unblinking at the frightened man.
“He claims his name is James Spanker, hun. We’re not sure if that’s his real name or what.” I said then set my translator to automatic.
“Are you gypsy?” Alusia asked in German. The man just looked at her in confusion.
“Are you gypsy?” She asked again in Polish.
“How did you know that?” He replied in the language.
“Jansk? Is it really you?” Alusia’s face grew excited.
“How do you know that name?”
“Jansk, I thought you dead! How did you ever make it out of the occupation? Did anyone else get away?” she continued in elation.
“I…I don’t know what you are talking about! I don’t know you, woman.”
Alusia’s face fell. “I…I guess you wouldn’t. I’ve…I’ve changed since…since we last met.”
“Did I mention that Jack and I found and rescued Alusia from a secret Nazi weapons research facility in the Wenceslaus region of Poland?” I told the perplexed man. “Maybe you know of a man named Lusius- an underutilized scientist of some sort?”
Alusia glared at me angrily.
“I knew a Lusius before I escaped the Nazis. I heard rumor that he was caught last year, according to a contact I still have in Warsaw.”
The raven-haired girl blushed profusely.
“Meet your great, many times removed, grandmother, James.” Anna Beth interrupted with an annoyed tone in her voice. “Now say hello and stabilize yourself so that Alex, Jacki and I can get on to the real reason she brought you here.”
“I’m Lusius, Jansk.” Alusia blurted out to our surprise. Anna Beth looked suddenly to her niece in shock.
“At least…at least I was until I met the Empress.” Alusia continued in a quieter voice.
“That’s impossible. The Lusius I knew was a strapping man of six feet.” James replied then looked around at us in guilt.
“Yes I was. And I was a lost soul in need of guidance, Jansk- proper guidance. I found that in the Empress of Time and Space.”
“You can’t be him! That would mean that she somehow…”
“Knowing how you got here…is that so impossible now?” Alusia countered brazenly.
Again, Anna Beth looked at her niece in amazement.
“Lusius, how could you agree to such a thing?”
“Jansk, the Empress…she gave me a choice…several actually.”
“And this was your choice?”
“I am glad that I made it, cousin! The other choices offered me provided for no practical life. Here, in this form, I have made a difference…both here in Egypt and with the Empress in her travels. My life has meaning again…I have a purpose… Jansk, I have found love.”
“Why? Why would you choose this…this life…as…as…as a woman?”
“Understand what I was going through, Jansk. While you escaped the Nazi rule, I was forced into a nightmare from which there seemed no escape. My life was finished after I created another weapon for them to use on the world. The Empress offered me a new life- a new start.”
“As I recall, you fought me tooth and nail, hun. You claimed that you would rather rot away in a crowded Turkish prison than be offered a second chance.” I argued.
“Had I realized what you told me of my future then, I would have chosen quickly and accepted the charity offered me.”
“Hindsight truly is twenty-twenty.” I agreed.
“So is your foresight, Empress.”
“Not lately it isn’t, hun. I’m afraid the Empress has been dropping in her stats since Mr. Clemson arrived.
“Who is Mr. Clemson? Neither you nor the Director said anything about this Mr. Clemson before we left Terra Nuevo earlier today.” Alusia asked in confusion.
“Terra Nuevo? Is that another planet? You’ve been to another planet, Lusiu…Alusia?” Spanker gasped.
“Several.” Alusia admitted calmly. “And several universes as well, though I prefer travel within this universe as the pain involved to leave it is worse than labor and delivery.”
“Labor and…and delivery? As in children?” James asked, dumbstruck.
“I have three children, yes. And I shall have three more if my husband is willing!” Alusia announced proudly.
“You see, Jansk, I have found my purpose. There is a new richness in this second life I’ve been given. I help the Empress in her mission to repair the time flow. I have a family and good friends that I can rely on, but most of all, Jansk,” Alusia sniffed and wiped at her eyes- careful to not smear the heavy eye shadow and mascara worn by the ‘fashionable’ women- and men- of Egypt.
“Most of all, I have found myself. Next to ‘Love’ that is the most important…for if one cannot know one’s self, no amount of love can compensate or heal.”
The antechamber was quiet for a few long moments- even young Djedefre stared at his cousin silently.
“Alusia, my niece. What has happened to you?” Anna Beth asked in wonder. “You have finally blossomed into the woman I knew you could be. The strength and commanding presence shown just now, I…I like it!”
“Thank you, my lady, but I must admit that the Empress is strictly to blame. If not for her previous predicament, the confidence just seen would be not.” Alusia looked over at me. “Alex, because of you…you made me realize…realize that other people’s…that my problems were miniscule compared to many others…I…I can help them…like I helped you…like you helped me…ma’am.”
“Empress,” Anna Beth said as she approached me excitedly, “You have done the impossible! You have given me the strong-minded, but fair woman, friend, and confidant you promised me those many years ago. I am forever grateful, my friend.”
Anna Beth wrapped her arms around me and kissed my forehead. She immediately released me and took Alusia into her embrace.
“I have been waiting this day for seven long years, my wonderful niece!”
“So…what am I here for…again?” James asked in a quiet, frightened voice.
“You are here because the Empress thinks you need to be here for some valid reason, Jansk. Must you be so thick-headed?” Alusia responded- to our surprise.
‘You know…they say it takes one to know…’
‘Jack! Don’t spoil the moment, hun.’
‘Aye, Cap.’
“Alusia is right, James. You can help us in our cause.” I said aloud as I gave Jack an angry frown.
“The man you arrived at my base with yesterday; Darren Clemson. He is not what he claims. The man has stolen a device from one of our sisters in the future. By using this device he has already compromised several of Earth’s historical waypoints…waypoints that, though small and somewhat insignificant, define your immediate present and the future of us all.
“It sounds like he stole a time machine. Is that even possible? What are these ‘waypoints’ you speak of, Empress?”
“Maybe, and yes, James.” I said answering the first two questions. “A waypoint is an event or action in Earth’s past, present, or future that helps steer our timeline and keep it on course. Waypoints are things that need to happen and should not be changed or catastrophic results could arise. For me, waypoints are fixed points in time that I can rely on like guideposts to tell me where I am when traveling- like a map.”
“And because of Clemson these waypoints…one or more have been compromised?”
“A lot of people…our sisters as well have simply disappeared- ceased to exist because of it. I cannot tell you how many more innocents have vanished because of one man’s ignorance, shortsightedness, and greed.”
“So where do I come into all of this?”
Anna Beth, Jack, Alusia, and I looked expectantly at the only adult male in the room.
“We expect you to understand the ramifications if you release information in the form of those ‘old wives tales’ you’ve heard and ignored while growing up, James.” I told him. “Clemson is a dangerous adversary. He is many different persons in one body and very unstable mentally.”
“”But how could hearing the old stories…”
“You’re here in Egypt, aren’t you?” I countered quickly.
“Well, yes, I think I’m here…”
“She’s right! A damn, hard-headed, fool!” I groused, ready to give up and just leave him here.
“Jansk!” Alusia shouted, surprising all of us in the room. “The Empress is asking for your help…help only you can provide! Because you are traveling with this man, you have the choice of either revealing everything that you know about Alex, her supposed powers, her means of travel, the places she’s said to have visited, things that he could possibly use to destroy her and everything she’s accomplished…or…” Alusia stopped abruptly and gazed up into the man’s eyes to intimidate him.
“Or you can hold your tongue and help us remove the threat to this universe! Keep this man from learning anything about the Empress of Time and Space.”
“Damn, girl!” Jack said absentmindedly, impressed by her speech.
“What if he were to suspect that I’m not being honest with him?”
“He’d probably try to kill you too, hun. But what would that matter if he so thoroughly changes the timeline that you cease to exist anyway?” I stated and asked logically.
You want me to risk my life for you and your ‘sisters’?”
“You coward!” Alusia shouted in almost uncontrolled rage, spittle flying from her mouth. Stomping back over to him, reaching up, and poking his shoulder, she continued. “You can only think of yourself when the Empress risks her life constantly to protect this whole universe from spiraling down into oblivion- your sorry, greedy soul included?”
Alusia looked over to me, her eyes ablaze with anger.
“Alex, do you have your flask on you? I should like to force some water down this man’s throat! Or might you possibly have a prepared dart as you administered the Mahanilui to me?”
“That was never in his future, hun. The person presently known as James Spanker will not be joining the Sisters of Kili.”
“Join the sisters of…” Spanker’s eyes opened wide as the realization hit. “You would have me transform into a woman, Lusius? This can’t be real!”
“My name is Alusia, loving mate of Khafre, nephew of pharaoh, and yes…a thousand times yes, if it would get you to think of someone other than yourself! How dare you assume this is all an elaborate hallucination! This is the real world slapping you hard in the face, Jansk! Time to man up and do your part!”
“By the Lords of Terra.” Anna Beth murmured dumbstruck by what she had just witnessed.
‘Alex? What exactly happened on this previous mission Alusia went on?’ Jack thought to me.
‘I told you I can’t talk about it, Jack.’
‘I just want to know if you brought the right Alusia back, that’s all. Where’d she get the stones?’
‘They were always there, Jack. She just needed the confidence.’ I thought back and physically smiled to her.
‘Wow!’
I nodded while my smile grew bigger.
Alusia was in front of me now. I was too busy thinking to Jack to see her approach.
“Empress,” She started- her voice serious and commanding. “Jansk will gladly comply with anything you can suggest he do that will help keep our sisterhood safe. Won’t you, Jansk?” Her voice growled as she turned back to the defeated-looking man.
He nodded wearily, looking quite stunned to have his butt so thoroughly reamed by the raven-haired firecracker of a woman.
“Empress, look to the future and see what this man would do to protect us from this Darren Clemson?” Alusia asked looking back to me intently.
Anna Beth, Jack, Djedefre, and Spanker looked to me expectantly.
‘Wow! No pressure there, Ale…’
‘Jack!’ I thought back before closing my eyes to run the possibilities.
“Pay up, Anna Beth! I told you this wouldn’t take her so long. Alex already had most of the options worked out before we left base,” I heard as my eyes opened to Jack holding out her hand with a huge smile on her face.
“Jack?”
“Yes, Alex.”
“Never bet with the Queen of Egypt. Wars have been started for less.” I advised as I blinked a few times. “How long.”
“Just an hour, Cap. I knew it wouldn’t…”
I held up my hand to stop her from saying anything more.
Little Djedefre ran over to me and wrapped his arms around my left leg. “Alex, are you alright? You had me so scared you had become a statue.”
“I’m sorry to have frightened you, hun, whenever I have some serious thinking to do I stiffen up and don’t move for a long time,” I told the boy. “Sometimes I even do it with my eyes open the whole time. I’m perfectly fine though, honest.”
The young, future Pharaoh squeezed my leg tighter. “I hope so. I like you, Alex.”
“And I like you too, Djedefre.”
“Well, Empress?” Alusia asked as she stood gracefully from her seat and approached me again.
Looking past her, I set my eyes on James Spanker.
“What do you think you should do, Mr. Spanker?” I asked.
Alusia huffed loudly as she turn toward him and dramatically put her hands on her hips. Spanker just looked at me dumbly.
“Answer her, you clueless fool!” Alusia growled impatiently.
“How am I to answer a question I have no understanding of? I would just assume leave your base and never look back, Lt. Flem…Empress.” Spanker replied.
Alusia turned away and growled in fury at his reply.
“Good answer, hun, and the name is Commander Alexandra Francis Steinert. Sand Dollar is my boat, Mr. Spanikurz”, I said evenly as a devious smile appeared on my face.
“What?” Alusia choked as she stopped and turned around to stare at me. She obviously knew the name of the man that turned Lusius in to the Gestopo to gain his own freedom.
“We’ll drop James off on Oahu and make Clemson think he was just imagining having a partner- simple as that.” I said as Alusia glared daggers at her ‘cousin’.
“So I get to mess with the little dweeb’s mind some more, Alex?” Jack asked excitedly.
I nodded.
“YEEEEESSSSSS!” Jack shouted, pumping her right arm up and down a few times in victory.
“It’s the simple things in a Mind Warrior’s life that make them the happiest.” Anna Beth chirped before laughing outright.
“Empress?” Alusia questioned in an angry tone. “I don’t understand. You have just revealed yourself to this man…a complete stranger, a coward, and a traitor as well. Yet you claim he is not to join the sisterhood? I find myself completely and utterly baffled by such an action.”
“My sister,” I began as I approached her this time and placed my hand on her shoulder. “This man is of your bloodline therefore he is family. I believe he can be true to his word and that he will keep our secret given the proper motivation. If you have another opinion, you are most definitely welcome to express it.”
“But what is to keep him from revealing anything of us? He has not given his word as yet- not that he can be trusted. And just because he is my descendent we cannot expect his word to mean anything or even last beyond these walls.”
“Alusia, sweetheart?”
“Empress?”
“A second chance does not have to be as radical as the Mahanilui.”
Alusia thought about that for a moment as she looked sternly between Spanikurz and I. Her head and gaze lowered.
“I understand, Empress, but I caution you all the same.”
I wrapped my arms around the raven-haired young woman. “You’ll do, hun, you’ll do.” I said softly as I winked to Anna Beth and received a smile from her in understanding.
“I really cannot understand what is going on here. I understand that you brought me back to meet my ancestor, Empress, but as to what else is going on here…it all seems chaotic and unstructured. Was the purpose to have my maternal ancestor scold me for not believing the stories of you? Or…or was it to prove you exist? Or was it to reveal to me that my cousin is somehow my grandmother many times removed?”
“Yes.” I answered.
“Yes what?” He countered.
“Yes to all questions, James. All of the above” I smiled and continued. “Yes, to prove that I exist. That is the question you have been asking yourself from an early age, is it not?”
I waited for him to answer. A shrug of his shoulders would suffice.
I continued.
“Yes, I wanted you to know that Lusius/Alusia is indeed your greatest grandmother. I wanted your lineage proven to you beyond a shadow of a doubt. Has it been?” I said as I waited. I could also see that Alusia was getting fed up with his nonverbal responses.
Another shrug sufficed.
“Yes, you needed to know the seriousness of the situation now affecting everyone on this and every other habitable planet in this universe. You have no comprehension as to how many different solar systems and galaxies are affected by Earth through its many periods of history- how many universes stand to destabilize if this Earth’s history is drastically changed!”
I didn’t wait for an answer and continued.
“And yes, Jansk Spanikurz, things must be chaotic so Darren Clemson hasn’t a clue about his impending capture, trial, and imprisonment. He must be forced into losing what little control he thinks to have as it affects history, only then can we restore things to what they were.”
“Many universes, galaxies, and solar systems, you claim?”
“The Empress has visited at least three universes, Jansk. I had just returned from one three levels out before being summoned here.” Alusia informed him.
“And I hail from a planet one hundred and eight light units away. My ship became caught in a temporal anomaly…”
“A wormhole, Mr. Spanikurz. A hole in the fabric of space.” I interrupted to define the unrecognized term.
“The anomaly transited us through time and space. We ended up here in what you call Ancient Egypt.” Anna Beth finished.
There have been other pioneers from the stars that called Earth home in her past, Jansk. There will be many more provided we remove Clemson from the equation.”
“Earth will be invaded…”
“Stop thinking ‘twentieth century’, man! Think about what you just said. Why would a more advanced civilization want to ‘invade’ Earth? Her resources? Maybe, but if they are capable of deep space travel, wouldn’t they also be capable of finding richer stockpiles?”
I paused, walked over to the small table, picked up, and finished my now cold, coffee.
“Anna Beth and her crew are explorers, hun, driven by the curiosity we all have within us- the curiosity to wonder…to ask…‘what is out there’- ‘are we alone in this vast universe?’”
“Others are simply looking for a home that hasn’t been depleted of natural resources- people looking for their own ‘second chances’. Only a rare few civilizations out of the many billions that are out there might think about invading Earth, but then again, the Empress and her sisters might have something to say about that.” I winked.
“But what if he comes after me…finds me? What then?”
“You simple fool, he won’t find you! Don’t you understand what family is? That the Empress protects her family…her extended family?” Alusia attacked fiercely.
“Listen to your Gram, hun, she’s very wise and knows me very well.” I giggled at her terse outburst.
“Grandmother,” Spanikurz bowed to Alusia, “I will do whatever I can to protect the sanctity of the Empress. Now that I have experienced her and her sisters, I have a better understanding of what the ‘real’ world is. I will not reveal her to anyone, I promise you.”
“So, Mr. Spanikurz, now that you’ve promised to hold safe the secret of the Empress of Time and Space…who do you work for and why are they so interested in finding me?” I asked as everyone in the acoustically sealed room gasped in stunned surprise.
Atlantis-Minor literally becomes a ‘House of Fun’ as Alex repeals the ‘no gifts’ order for her sisters as she hopes to draw out Clemson’s multiple personalities. The deadly cat and mouse game continues and Alex faces her worst nightmare as she and Andie experience, first-hand, the extinction of the sisters of Kili. Can the Empress of Time and Space succeed in convincing time to return what it has forgotten? If so, will it return more than she bargained for?
“Pawn to Rook Three”
1305hrs, Pharaoh’s Residence, Memphis, Egypt, 2520BC
“What do you mean?” Jansk replied in confusion- his face only showing the shock of the question placed before him. “I was sent to your base by the Department of the Navy to audit your readiness and functionality?”
“Hun, I may be just a simple farm girl from Missoura, but I know bullshit when I smell it. You might as well own up to it because I already know the ‘who’ AND the ‘why’. Clairvoyant, remember?” I replied calmly as I pointed to my head a few times.
“I assure you I work for no one but the Department of the Navy, Empress.” Spanikurz defended.
“And just when did the ‘Department of the Navy’ become a part of the OSS?” I asked quizzically.
“I don’t know what you are talking about, Empress. I am just a simple appraisor.”
I smiled and nodded once before turning away from him.
“Jansk, have I told you about some of the things a Mind Warrior can do?” I waited patiently for a moment. When no answer came, I gracefully turned back toward him and continued.
“One thing a Mind Warrior is really good at doing is,” I paused for effect, “Digging deep into the innermost corners of the human brain.”
“It works equally well with Terrans and those of Homeland blood, Alex.” Jack added for Spanikurz’ benefit. Anna Beth’s eyes widened as she looked to my Ex-O.
“Jack here can dig so deep into your mind that she could find secrets you didn’t know you kept, hun.”
“No, Mr. Spanikurz, it is nowhere near painless.” Jack answered his unspoken question honestly.
“Yes, I read minds,” Jack said aloud, indignantly. “I’m not just another pretty face.”
“A Mind Warrior never bluffs, Jansk.” I told him before he said his next statement.
“I think you are bluffing…” He started, but stopped and looked at me baffled.
“I have no reason to bluff, Mr. Spanikurz.” Jack told him- a calm, but terrifying tone entering her voice. “I have no equal in the universe, except the universe itself, now can we get back to the question the Empress asked you?”
‘Now y’all’er bluffin’ Commander.’ I thought to my Ex-O.
‘Who’s going to tell him?’
I smiled.
“Empress, might the Queen of Egypt reason with this descendent?”
I looked at Anna Beth with as worried a look as I could. Our sisters caught on fast and stepped away from him.
“James, Jansk…whoever you wish to call yourself.” Anna Beth began, turning his face to meet hers. “Let me look into your eyes.” She said dramatically. “They say the eyes will reveal all truths.”
Alusia and Jack, already facing her, looked away quickly.
“What beautifully mysterious brown eyes you have.” She said as Spanikurz’ face went blank immediately. “Why don’t you tell the Empress the answer to her question- in fact, why don’t you answer all questions asked of you until told otherwise? You have nothing to fear from us IF you simply tell the true.”
Anna Beth turned the man’s head back to me and nodded. Nodding back, I asked my first question.
“Who do you work for and how do you know about me?”
“I work for a secret group attached to the OSS, Empress. You came to our attention after a radio broadcast from the Japanese mainland was intercepted. Tokyo Rose claimed that a U.S. submarine, operated solely by women, attacked and sank a Japanese Freighter- a freighter carrying medical and food supplies destined for the Solomon’s. Since the story seemed even farther off base than her usual trash, we decided to investigate. Shortly thereafter we intercepted communications informing the Navy Department that a special unit was to be formed- a unit whose main mission was to rescue and retrieve survivors of air and sea attacks when not escorting or patrolling with attack groups.”
Alusia listened intently but seemed completely stunned by the man’s admission.
“I thought you were my cousin, Jansk. Now I find out it might not be true?”
“Grandmother, I am…was your cousin. I have been informing on the Nazi movements in Poland ever since being recruited by the Americans in 1934. When the invasion took place it was deemed necessary for me and several others to leave or face exposure. While in the process, I was approached by the Gestopo and threatened with detention or reveal where you…Lusius, the scientist was. Once revealed, they allowed me to leave Poland.”
“So what is your interest in me?” I asked again, motioning for Alusia to hold her tongue.
“We were to investigate and find the legend, confirm it to be real and if proven factual, we would make you defeat Hitler, his allies, and any other entities that threatened the U.S. or our interests.”
To hear this spoken so nonchalantly …it angered me! My own government knew something about me and wanted to use me as a weapon…a tool! More so, I could tell that this man- even under Anna Beth’s influence, no less- was still lying! It was a revelation I had foreseen, but held out hope it wouldn’t occur. How naive I was!
Everything suddenly silenced in the Antechamber. All motion ceased around us and Spanikurz suddenly started looking around in confusion. My anger was now at an all time high. Unfortunately, I also knew that Anna Beth’s work had negated itself now that I had frozen time.
Thinking more on his last statement and growing angrier by the second, I suddenly thought of an experiment I had been planning to do for some time now, but had refrained from conducting it.
Its premise was simple and straightforward.
As far as I knew- all memories included- everything was measured against time- especially velocity. Since I had just recently been able to stop time, maybe I could slow it too? What if I could slow down something important -say the speed at which light travels? I theorized that I already traveled much faster, obviously covering light-years in a fraction of a second, if not stopping time altogether for the trip to other worlds. Since light has a fixed speed, measured by time, I wondered if I could somehow influence it.
The room began to take on a reddish tint and grew ominously darker. I felt myself tingle and noticed I begin to glow- to give off my own light.
“Be careful how confident you are in your perceived assumptions, Mr. Spanikurz. I do not anger easily, but you have just hit upon the one topic that does exactly that! Here is the stark reality. You set out to find the legend of the Empress of Time and Space. Well, y’all found the real McCoy, hun!”
I took a step toward him and poked accusingly. His face remained neutral.
“Know this.” I felt the tingling in my body increase slightly as my anger did likewise. “The Empress is owned by no nation, no planet, no faction or no other such entity! As such, I alone dictate what I do, where and when I do it. Yes, I have already taken a vow to protect the United States of America to the best of my ability. That is Cmdr. Alexandra Frances Steinert, but…Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space, answers to no one but the Almighty! I alone know of the upcoming events that guide this time line and I alone see the proper and true path it must follow through the many obstacles and pitfalls awaiting it. How dare you assume my complicity and possible subjugation to suit your small-minded needs? Yes, America has enemies! All nations and governments do. That’s why they employ diplomats and ambassadors.”
I waved my hand around while glaring harder into his eyes. The tingling grew stronger as the room grew darker.
“This is but a small aspect of my gift, Mr. Spanikurz. I guarantee there is much, much more to it that no one but I know of. Feel free to try my patience and push the boundaries of those powers if you dare. Do I make myself clear, Mr. Spanikurz?”
“I understand, Empress, but my superiors will not be satisfied if I fail in my mission.”
The sheer audacity of this man!
“Your mission was a failure from its very inception- nothing but a folly, Jansk!” I informed him angrily as the tingling and light from my body increased again. “You see, I have seen your plan and weighed all the outcomes. After I return you to Oahu there will never have been a mission to find me. In fact, there will never have existed the three-man ‘Section 13’ that you were once the head of.
“What will you do?” He dared ask without any emotion.
“Actually, I have an unlimited number of options in this case,” I told him with a very evil glare. “Ultimately, I travel back and stop your very conception. If you were never born, you wouldn’t pose a problem to us now. Although creating a paradox around you, I would have no problem with that in the least. Ethically though, I would be committing the most immoral, heinous crime to any sentient life form- preventing a life! Something, mind you, Mr. Clemson has no regard for as he has proceeded to extinguish life in many time periods to fit his own utopian idea of Earth’s history- repeatedly!”
“Some other options would be to return you to a time and place where your influence and position would be nullified, or, we could erase your memory of everything starting with Tokyo Rose’s broadcast. Several more options would involve the Mahanilui. If you were no longer the same person OR gender, your claims of finding me would be dismissed as fantasy or delusion and not believed at all.”
“Of course, Alusia might like a sister to share her thoughts with. I’m sure Pharaoh wouldn’t mind a mate for one of his other nephews. Am I making myself perfectly clear, Jansk, or would you like me to list other options available concerning a single, male born in 1830, and orphaned at age eight?”
The room brightened as I reached the conclusion of my experiment and my threat. Jansk looked around the room as my sisters gasping filled the air around us.
Immediately Anna Beth, Djedefre, and Alusia retreated in fright from me to a far corner while Jack stared at me curiously.
“What in heaven’s name did you just do, Alex?” My Ex-O asked in cautious wonder as she squinted, looking me up and down.
“I think we’ll find Mr. Spanikurz more receptive to our questions, won’t we, Jansk?” I said, still staring intensely at the quivering man.
“Alexandra? Ra has yet to run his course through the sky so we are not in need of additional illumination. However you are doing that, please, you are frightening Djedefre.” Anna Beth asked gently in a voice that sounded a little too humbled.
“Sorry, ma’am, I’ll disable that part of my gift now.” I replied as I felt the tingling in my body start to disappear. I reached up and wiped the single, warm trickle of blood from under my nose.
“What WAS that, Alex? I’ve never seen anything like it before?” Alusia gushed warily.
“Yes you have, sister,” I responded serenely. “In another place and another life- the life you must place behind you if you are to continue to be happy in this one.”
“Alexandra, is it safe to say that this man will faithfully honor his promise to the sisterhood? I know that my son now has new respect for you and them.” Anna Beth asked cautiously with one brow raised. She quickly glanced at Jack and her niece, Alusia.
“After he asks one last question of you, sister.” I said as I flourished my hand to the Queen of all Egypt- who gave a quick, tense smile and cautiously stuck her tongue out to me.
“Speak the question, though I believe I already know it.”
“You did something to get me to tell the truth- something with your eyes…didn’t you?”
“Yes, Mr. Spanikurz, it is my gift, though not given the way Alexandra’s was. My gift was set before my birth on my home planet- being passed to me by my parents. Meridian, please reestablish normal relations with our surrounding environment.”Anna Beth asked the AI, indicating that our time had concluded.
The sound of mechanisms actuating echoed through the antechamber. Noise from the busy metropolis outside flooded in.
“As always Alexandra, you are welcome to stay, but I understand your frustration and desire to neutralize this latest threat.” Anna Beth said as Spanikurz’ eyes shot to her in fear. “Alusia, go now and spend a blissful week with your mate and children. I will see you bright and early the next day. Be ready to debate with me then on several issues of state.”
“Thank you, Anna Beth.” Alusia said pleasantly with a slight bow as she turned to leave.
Stopping by the door, she suddenly turned, ran back to me, and embraced me. “I’m glad to see you again, Alex! Take good care of yourself.” She looked over to Jack. “See that she doesn’t over do, Lady Jacquelyn.”
Jack nodded once with a reassuring smile.
Alusia hurried out the antechamber’s door.
“Alexandra? A moment, if you please?” Anna Beth asked before I could take Jack’s hand.
The Queen of all Egypt momentarily turned to her still shocked son and motioned for him to stay put. Carefully- almost reverently- she approached.
“What you just did…” she began in Ancient Terran just above a whisper, but lowered her eyes a second, “I have never seen the like, Empress. It was as if time slowed…even the very light of the room became lethargic…I did not think you so powerful.”
“Anna Beth, I didn’t mean to…”
“Alex, I know that you have been under a great amount of stress lately…”
“I’m sorry. We never should have come here. It’s just that I wanted him to know…”
“I understand that, Alex. What I can’t…what I don’t understand are these new abilities you are manifesting. Alex…how long have you been able to slow time?” Anna Beth asked after swallowing hard. “And…and why do you appear to glow like Meridian’s protective shield? Even now there is still a residual glow about you.”
“I’m sorry that I started to loss my temper in your home, Anna Beth. We should be going. I’m sorry young Djedefre had to see that side of me…it was not my intention.”
“Alex. Alex, promise me you will try to keep your temper restricted? I…I wouldn’t want my friend and sister…” She couldn’t finish her request as both of us were now crying.
“I’ll try. I’ll try to keep things from getting out of control.” I sniffed.
Anna Beth stepped back from me slowly, keeping her eyes fixed on me until finally turning and returning to her son. She picked the child up ackwardly and turned to me once more.
“If anyone can make things right, it’s you, Empress Alexandra. Lady Jacquelyn, I beseech of you- keep her safe.”
Jack nodded her acknowledgement.
“Are we ready to get back to our time- to Honolulu, James?” I asked as I wiped away a tear.
“So, we’re going back to Hawaii?” He asked skeptically, yet evenly.
“We are.” I said as I took possession of his hand and offered my other to Jack.
“Will it…”
Our surroundings became a large hotel room with several people and several children staring at the previous Jack, Alice, Akane, and I.
“Hurt?” Spanikurz asked, a little too late.
Our previous versions suddenly disappeared… much to Spanikurz’ surprise.
“Well, now that they left…” My Granddaughter Alexandra began to say to Tish’s girls but stopped abruptly and looked directly at Jack, James and I.
“Grandmother, you’re late.” She said to the surprise of the others. Isabeau twisted her head so fast I thought it would break off. “Might as well rephase.”
“I didn’t want to cause problems, hun.” I said as I dropped Jack and James’ hands. “I didn’t want to worry myself needlessly.”
“Thaaaat… that was you!” Spanikurz stammered.
“I’m her too, James. Y’all got somethin’ against that?” Alexandra smiled deviously.
“Another candidate, Alex?” Sam Hikawa asked as he evaluated my guest companion. Tish raised her eyebrow as she also summed up the man.
“Not unless things change drastically, hun.” I answered and looked over to the still dumbfounded man.
“The elevator is out that door and right across the hall, James. Push the down arrow. When the car arrives, get in it and press ‘L’ for the lobby. And James?” I glared at him. “I know about that fleeting thought of contacting the Department of the Navy or the OSS. It will do you no good. Don’t try it unless you want to just…” I disappeared, waited a few seconds, and reappeared closer to him with a wicked grim. “Got it?”
The pale looking man tipped his imaginary hat brim and very quickly turned for the door. Gently closing the door behind him, James Spanker left the company of the Empress- never to come back- at least until he got outside and came to the conclusion that he needed our help to re-adjust.
Oh darn, I thought, I neglected to inform him that he needed a valid room key card to access any of the non-public floors of the hotel.
Jack grinned at me.
2011 Honolulu was a completely different place from its 1944 predecessor.
“What was that all about, Grandma?” Alexandra asked as she held back a giggle or two.
“Chaos theory at work, hun.” I said simply as I walked closer.
“Is syncing with you at this time wise, Empress?” She asked guardedly.
“Touch and learn, hun.” I replied as my hand made contact. The tingle between us felt stronger than I thought.
My Granddaughter’s eyes widened considerably.
“We can do that?” she asked in complete surprise.
I nodded. “We certainly can, hun, and possibly a whole lot more.”
“You aren’t just going to leave him go, are you, Alex?” Sam Hikawa asked in disbelief.
“He’s reinvented himself a few times over the last one hundred-eighty years, Sam.” I replied with a devious smile.
“He’s that old?” Tish’s husband whistled. “Wow! I would have never thought…”
“He doesn’t even deserve this, Sam,” I interrupted, “He wanted the Empress to work solely for the OSS…what you call the CIA today. He was the leader of a three man team that decided they would exploit me…if they could find me, that is.”
“Well, Grandmother, it seems like he found us.” Alexandra giggled.
“Has he, hun? Isabeau, what would you do if some stranger observed you using your gift and you suspected he could not be trusted?” I asked Alexandra’s travel companion.
“EW! EW! I know! I know! I know!” Jack shouted as she waved her hand excitedly in the air. Tish’s kids began laughing uncontrollably at her antics.
Isabeau stared at Jack with concern. Sam placed a hand to his forehead and shook his head side to side several times. He looked like he was trying hard not to laugh.
I glared at my first officer with one raised eyebrow. “Really, Jack?”
“What were my options according to the Empress, Alex?” Isabeau replied after a minute.
I put my fingers to my cheek. “Let’s see…” I began as I scanned the ceiling a moment. “I did say something about using the Mahanilui…”
“Out of the question, Alex! He’d make an ugly girl.” Sam interrupted, almost laughing.
“I told him I could take him to a time where he held no influence in the government, and…oh yes, I threatened to go back and make sure he was never conceived.”
The adults in the room suddenly stared at me in horror!
“You threatened to erase him? How did I miss that?” Jack asked in absolute shock.
I nodded, my face turning very, very serious.
“But I thought the Emp…”
“Tish, I’ve about had it with this guy, and especially Darren Clemson! These men have assaulted the two most solemn vows I’ve made- protecting my family and…using the Empress as a slave and weapon! I’m not going to stand for it any longer.” I declared.
“Is the Empress feeling alright, momma? I’ve never seen her this angry…ever.” Little Jacquelyn asked softly of Tish. She had a frightened look and appeared almost in tears.
“Why don’t you and your sisters go back into the bedroom and wait for me there. Your mommy and her sisters have some really serious things to talk about, sweetie.” Tish told her girls. Her eyes shifted to Sam and they motioned for him to attend the children. With a nod and carrying their youngest, he guided the three back into one of the suite’s bedrooms and closed the door.
“I’m sorry Tish, but this whole mission stinks. We’ve been running defense since the start. I can’t tell you how many times all or part of the sisterhood has simply ‘winked’ out of existence.”
The girls and I have experienced severe headaches about eight times today, Alex. Am I warm?”
I only remembered six. Damn! I thought!
Of course Jack being Jack, looked at me with her eyes popping out of her head and mouth dropping open.
“Yes Jack, it’ll happen two more times before we finally catch him!” I growled. Turning back to Alexandra’s Comptroller.
“So, hun,” I asked again, “what would you do knowing what you now do about the mission?”
“I believe you chose the only just and morally sound option you had, Empress.” She stopped to think things through some more.
“And I understand he deserves a lot worse. He should not have it ‘easy’. That wouldn’t teach any lessons at all. I would…” She nodded as if talking to herself. A devious smile appeared on her face. “I would leave him to wander the metropolis. As I suspect- once out of the hotel’s elevator doors- he will come face to face with this reality. From my experience in your time period it should be in stark contrast to when he left. And, since the elevators require registered guests to use their access cards to reach their room floors, he will have no other choice. ”
“You haven’t answered my question, hun.” I smiled watching her eyes close. Isabeau was still for only a minute. Her eyes opened back up.
“I have alerted the Honolulu police to be on the lookout for a man of James Spanker’s description whose private fishing boat was reported missing two weeks ago off the island of Lanai and reported being seen just this morning aimlessly wandering the beaches on the Waikiki side of the Marina. He may be severely disoriented due to exposure and is to be taken to a hospital for observation and/or treatment. I have created records to verify his identity and established banking and credit accounts. How much would you like to be in his bank account, Alex?”
I thought about that for a moment.
“Well he is going to need a new boat,” I thought out loud. I looked back at Isabeau. “How much debt is he in with all his credit cards, hun?”
“I established one hundred-ten thousand in outstanding credit debt along with a notice of foreclosure on his residence in Rhode Island. He has an average credit score of four hundred and two. Do you require more?”
I thought on her question a moment.
“Give him about fifty ‘G’s’ in an anonymus bank account in the Cayman Islands. I’d also like him listed as an avid antiques collector specializing in World War Two era paraphernalia. That will explain his carrying antique identification and currency.”
She nodded acknowledgement.
“I’ve also established his birth date as August 17th, 1964,” she continued, “and an aggressive financial investment history, Alex. Unfortunately, he has failed to file any United States Income Tax statements with your IRS in over twenty years.”
I smiled evilly and nodded once in agreement.
“Remind me never to get on your bad side, Bo.” Sam Hikawa suggested as he peeked out from the bedroom door.
“Well done, Lady Comptroller.” I said proudly as I closed my eyes to see how the man’s future would play out.
A giggle escaped my lips as I saw the confusion and the comedic scenes as doctors desparately tried to figure out how to cure the troubling ‘temporal’ amnesia as well as the far-fetched delusions he was experiencing. Then there was the IRS… Oh, and then there was a little detail Isabeau had left out…that of placing him on something called the ‘Homeland Security Terrorist Watch list’. Homeland Security…I had to ask myself what it was as it sounded like something we were fighting against in 1944. After seeing images and future memories, I still wasn’t sure if it was a good ‘agency’ or bad.
I noticed Jack shaking her head with an evil grin on her face.
“You’re good…real good!” She complimented Isabeau, who just smiled demurely.
“Thank you, Lady Comptroller; our secrets are safe once more.” I said then turned to Jack.
“We should be getting back to base.”
“Couldn’t we stay for a day or two, Alex? I could use more sunbathing and something to eat.”
“You can lie on the beach when we get back, Commander, and it should just about be breakfast when we arrive.”
“Ya, but Clemson is still there, Cap.”
“Your point?” I asked with slight confusion.
“Can I still play head games with him?”
“Did I tell you to stop yet?”
Jack’s expression became downright evil and I heard ominous theater organ music in my head. Apparently everyone else in the suite heard the music as well, judging by the stares of my sisters and brother.
0615hrs, Atlantis-Minor, July 25th, 1944
“So, I take it that Mr. Spanker has been…um…dealt with, Alex?” Emily asked as Jack and I entered the Mess Hall.
“You didn’t wait up for us all night, did you?” I asked in amazement noting her slightly disheveled appearance.
“No, I went to bed just after I lost vitals on him, you, and Jack. I figured you would take him somewhere…sometime else. It seemed like the only option available. Then I foresaw him at a hospital in 2011 Honolulu. Really, Alex? Exposure, delirium, AND something they’re calling Temporal Amnesia?”
“It was all Isabeau’s idea, sis, though I’m not sure who has immediate jurisdiction, Homeland Security or the IRS.” I laughed. Emily just shook her head and joined my laughter. “I’m glad you used your gift though.”
Carroll Sheldon stumbled into the building, yawning as she paused with the door slightly open. I noticed two bluish streaks fly in just over her head. She stopped yawning suddenly and looked up, brushing some hairs on the top of her head that had been tussled by the sudden, ‘unknown’ breeze.
“Ensigns’ Trent and Sukiro front and center!” I shouted. Emily looked at me in surprise. She, Carroll, and about half a dozen of our sisters seated at their tables began looking around the room for the two women.
The galley door opened and the two, normal-sized, Pixies walked back into the room.
“Yes, ma’am?” Sasha said as both stopped and stood to attention.
“What did I say about curtailment of gifts while Clemson is on base?” I asked rubbing my forehead in frustration.
Both girls’ lowered their heads.
“I guess we both sorta forgot. It’ll never happen again, Skipper.” Sasha again answered for the two. Yuuka bowed submissively.
“I’m rescinding that order immediately.” I announced. Jack got a huge grin on her face as did everyone within hearing in the Mess Hall and I assume she made sure everyone else knew a second later.
Chaos would now reign supreme at Atlantis-Minor- and rightly so if my foresight held true.
“Here’s the plan…” I said with a devious grin of my own.
“Good morning, Mr. Clemson.” Carroll said pleasantly as I escorted him into the supply building after Jack allowed him to wake up. It was now 0800 and Jack’s rendition of Carroll was dressed almost to regulation…that is, almost legal. This morning, instead of her regulation brassiere, she chose to tie her work blouse under her bust and do none of the buttons up. Her hair was in a comfortable, high ponytail and she must have borrowed a pair of shorts from either Ricky Lynn or Tish. Oh…my…gosh were they tight! All this slightly hidden under an unbuttoned, white, ‘lab’ coat!
She also looked a little taller today. Looking down, I noticed she had on a pair of non-regulation, four-inch, spiked, black heels instead of her preferred deck shoes. This illusionary Carroll had also gone heavy on her makeup this morning. I didn’t know she even owned any.
There she stood, looking like she had just stepped from a red-light district, street corner and into a University Chemistry classroom, in front of my borrowed situation board- chalk in hand. The board had been recently erased and now contained a good portion of what looked like a very long and complicated mathematical formula.
Clemson’s jaw was almost on the floor as he took in my navigation officer and then, after a few long minutes of outright staring at her, at the immaculately clean storeroom. Though this was the way it actually looked, sans Jack’s ‘suggestive’ influence, it was a completely different looking room from what he had seen yesterday. I changed my rank to commander.
“Lieutenant, how is the calculation coming?” I asked nonchalantly remembering the future movie I’d been watching back on Oahu sixty-seven years from now.
“Almost completed, but I’ve run into a small problem, Captain.” Carroll replied as she turned her attention to me. She adjusted the brown-framed glasses on her nose with a finger and thumb to the right lens. Jack must have been using my mind as reference because Carroll sounded and acted almost Vulcan.
Clemson’s head shot back around to stare at me in confusion.
“So what’s the problem, hun?” I asked, totally ignoring the pig beside me.
“I’ve factored in galactic mass, velocity, solar coronal field fluctuations, quantum particle stabilization offset factors, Sand Dollar’s loaded weight including: all stores, fuel, and crew- even added galactic drift variances, and gravimetric distortions around the encountered celestial bodies, but…” she said stopping suddenly and looking back at the board with her left eyebrow raised.
“But what, Lt. Sheldon?” I asked.
“Capt. Steinert, in this particular situation,” she circled a specific part of the equation without actually touching the board, “time stops being a constant and instead becomes a variable. I am at a loss as to what to do. Any suggestions, ma’am?” She explained evenly, quoting the movie’s line reasonably.
“You might try a guess, Miss Sheldon.” I advised.
“A guess, Captain? I don’t think you realize the delicacy of time travel back to the far future.”
“I trust your guesses over other peoples’ facts, Carroll.” I answered with a smile as I glanced over to Clemson. He was staring between the two of us- completely bewildered. I figured, being a first rate nerd, he would get the old- relative to him- movie reference.
“Thank you, ma’am, for the encouragement; I’ll try to give it my ‘best guess’. Mr. Clemson, where would you like to start this morning? I can finish this later.” Carroll asked as she sat the chalk carefully back on its ledge.
I noticed Clemson mouthing the equation as he focused on it. His eyes began to pop out as he realized it was actually familiar.
“Where do you wish to start, Mr. Clemson?” I repeated Carroll’s question
“I…” He stumbled, rubbing his eyes in disbelief, his full attention on the board.
“Mr. Clemson. I asked you a question.” I said before thinking to Jack.
Clemson looked back at me for a moment then back to Carroll. What met his eyes was the same cluttered room as yesterday. Carroll’s lab coat was gone as well as her glasses, but the rest of her clothing hadn’t changed. Now instead of standing before a chalkboard, she leaned back against a tarp-covered crate, hand on a hip waiting impatiently for an answer. She cracked the chewing gum she now had in her mouth loudly in annoyance. I changed my rank back to lieutenant.
“Whatcha waitin’ for stud?” she asked sensually while blatantly chewing her gum again. Carroll winked one eye provocatively.
“What is going on here?” he asked, his anger starting to show.
“Carroll and I just asked where you wanted to start today, Mr. Clemson.” I replied in a confused voice. Carroll just kept chewing away at her gum.
He did a double take of me as I followed his eyes down my blouse. My boobs were now on display more than I liked thanks to Jack’s perverted image of us girls and the base.
“What is going on?” Clemson asked himself quietly as he rubbed his face with his hands.
“Are you okay, Mr. Clemson?” I asked in concern. “Didn’t you get enough sleep last night?”
“I slept fine, Captain.” He replied harshly.
“Thank you for the promotion, Mr. Clemson, but I’m afraid you don’t have that authority.” I giggled. “Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”
“Take me to Mr. Spanker. I need to talk to him.” Clemson ordered.
Carroll and I looked at the man in puzzlement.
“Who’s Mr. Spanker,” I asked feigning ignorance?
“Spanker…the man I arrived with yesterday. We flew here in what passes as a plane together!”
I shook my head a few times while observing him in confusion. Carroll stopped chewing her gum and looked at me with surprise.
“There was another cute guy on the plane and you didn’t tell me, Allie?” Carroll asked in astonishment.
I glanced at Carroll sadly then turned my attention back to our ‘guest’.
“You were the only other person on the plane with us, Mr. Clemson.” I told him, sadly shaking my head. “Except for the pilots.”
“James Spanker was so on that plane! Never mind, I’ll find him myself!” Clemson declared as he stormed out of the building in the direction of my office.
‘Okay, Jack.’ I thought to her as I smiled and winked to Carroll before porting myself over there.
Darren Clemson vigorously yanked open my office door and entered. I remained seated at my desk. His eyes bulged as he looked around the pristine, well-organized room.
May Ah help you, Mr. Clemson?” I asked politely without even looking up at him.
“Where is he?” he demanded before I actually looked at him. I had again changed my rank.
“Where is who, Mr. Clemson? And why y’all addressin’ me in such a rude manner?”
“Spanker. James Spanker. I flew out here with him yesterday.”
“Ah got no idea what y’all are talkin’ ‘bout, Mr. Clemson. Ain’t no James Spanker on my base.” I said firmly as I stood and walked around my desk to stand next to him. “As commander Ah’d know if there was. Y’all feelin’ okay? Maybe we should go over to the infirmary and have Doc Scott take a look at you?” I suggested.
“What in hell is going on around here?” He shouted as a small, five-inch woman appeared hovering just inches from his face.
“Good morning, Mr. Clemson.” Yuuka greeted pleasantly as another Pixie appeared and hovered beside her.
“Good morning, Mr. Clemson.” Sasha greeted brightly.
Both Pixies flew over and hovered before me. Both straightened noticeably.
“Girls, I’d like you to go topside and check on Randi’s progress. I’ll expect her report on my desk by noon today.” I said before nodding back. Both winged women flew back past Clemson and disappeared out the window I had opened earlier this morning. The blackout curtains rustled wildly with the wind from their wings.
‘Go ahead and switch us back, Jack’, I thought just before I stopped time.
Darren was looking a little piqued as all sounds stopped. At the window, the curtains hung frozen in mid air from the Pixies recent exit.
“So you want to know what in hell is going on, Mr. Clemson,” I asked as I slowed down the speed of light. My office grew darker as did my expression.
Raising my hand, I swept it around us- around the now darkened, red-tinged office. As expected my arm…in fact, all of me glowed with a subtle bluish luminescence.
“Here is your answer. This it it! Welcome to hell, Darren Clemson. We’ve been expecting you for some time now. Did you really think you could possibly escape into history- use time to elude your fate?” I asked in an evil voice.
I added to that with an evil laugh.
“Who are you?” He demanded!
I continued to laugh evilly as I slowed light a little more. The office lighting seemed a darker red now…a ‘blood’ red.
“Such a smart little man,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Can’t you figure this out, Darren?” I asked with a pout as I ran my finger down his upper arm teasingly.
“What…what the devil are you?” He demanded in frightened anger!
“Now you’re getting warmer, sweetie.” I giggled manically.
“What do you want? What is this about?”
“Oh come now Darren, you actually have to ask?” I questioned before continuing my demented laughter.
“Enough of this pathetic illusion,” he shouted- his voice changing subtly! Another personality, I thought. Finally, I had gotten one of the others to emerge. If we could just get the remaining ones to come out and play I could gauge what I was up against and plan accordingly.
I gave another demented laugh.
“We will talk again, Darren Clemson.” I said with a demonic grin.
“We talk now, you conniving bitch!” He shouted angrily.
“We WILL talk, but at MY convenience, Darren.” I said in as dastardly a tone as was possible before I stopped time for him too. I changed my rank and moved myself around to his opposite side before I released time.
The decrepit office around us lightened.
“We will talk now, you fucking whore!” Clemson shouted at the top of his lungs, smashing his fist down on the feeble desk then pointing an accusatory finger at where I had been. The desk groaned and lurched to the side as it fell off the manuals holding that corner up. Finding only air, he looked around quickly finding me on his other side.
I quickly thought of my mission with President Lincoln. Tears immediately burst from my eyes and streamed down my face.
“You don’t have to be so vulger! I didn’t do anything. I just got here!” I cried. Quickly putting my hands to my face, I ran from the dilapidated office leaving Clemson completely disoriented and wondering what happened.
“Wow, some performance, sis.” Emily complimented as I appeared back in the Mess Hall. Jack was seated next to her with a satisfied smirk.
“I take it the whole base was watching what they could?” I asked as I looked directly at my first officer.
Her smirk turned into a full-blown smile. “Everything except when you stopped time, Alex.”
I nodded. “Too bad I’ll never get an Oscar.”
“Aw…there will be other performances, Alex…” my sister reminded, sticking her lower lip out to pout in commiseration. “Wwww…wait…you stopped time?”
I nodded with a smile.
“Clemson’s heading this way, Alex.” Jack alerted.
“Cue Rachel and patch me in, Jack.”
In my mind, I saw our resident fire elemental leave her barracks and began walking toward my office.
“Good morning, Mr. Clemson.” She greeted politely.
“Morning.” He replied gruffly.
“Mr. Clemson,” she began as the man’s eyes looked up at her. “Do you think it’s unseasonably warm today?” She asked as her clothing began to smolder then burst immediately into flames around her.
The man’s eyes popped from his head! He immediately wiped his eyes in disbelief.
“Now, Jack.”
Rachel’s clothing changed, looking something like Carroll’s outfit from yesterday. She stood waiting for Clemson to either notice or reply while running her finger seductively up and down the cleavage formed by her tightly tied regulation blouse.
“So, Mr. Clemson,” she asked again. “Don’t you think it’s unseasonably ‘hot’ today?” Rachel closed her eyes and blew a kiss to the man.
Clemson shook his head vigorously to clear his mind as he hurried, silently, past our disappointed looking sister.
“Who’s next, Alex?” Jack asked as her telepathic feed stopped.
“Mina should just be getting into position.” I said as Clemson appeared again in my mind.
“Good day, Mr. Clemens.” She said pleasantly while mispronouncing his name.
“Hi.” The man responded in monotone not making eye contact.
“Lovely weather we are having, is it not?”
“Ya.”
“Is there something on your mind, luv? I’m considered the ‘mother’ figure of this rag-tag detachment and have a good ear.” Mina told him as she pushed her hair back to reveal a very elongated, pointed, ear. “Would you care to talk? I shall be happy to listen.”
“So that’s why she was looking for Corrine earlier.” Emily giggled as we watched Clemson look up from the ground and stare at her.
“Come now luv, with a pasty look like that there must be something vexing you?”
“You…yyyyyyou…you’re an elf!” He stuttered with a gasp.
“I am British, young man!” Mina replied defensively.
Clemson slowly pointed to her still uncovered, pointed ear.
“Oh, that. Yes, well, I inherited them from my Mum’s side of the family. Many a brilliant conversation has been started with them, Mr. Clemens.”
“My name is Clemson, not Clemens.” He growled.
“Oh.” Mina looked over the man intently for a moment.
“So your first name would not be Samuel? Funny, you look just like the man before he decided to grow that outlandish mustache! I said something to him about it the one day he met with me in London…he mentioned that he wanted to grow a full, bushy mustache so that he would look…”
“Listen, elf lady, your highness, whatever you call yourself, I’m not Samuel Clemens- I’m Darren Clemson! C, L, E, M, S, O, N, Clemson! Now out of my way you ditsy Witch!” He told her in a loud, angry tone.
“Such rude manners from the children these days! And how dare you call me a witch? Father was the only practicing mage in the family!” She shouted after the retreating man in an insulted tone.
Clemson turned to say something in response.
Mina disappeared.
“What just happened?” Emily asked as she blinked and stared at me.
“Looks like she phased out to me.” I replied.
“I didn’t know she could do that.”
“I guess she still has things to teach us, sis.”
“You just made it look like she was there, right Jacki?” Emily looked at her hoping that was the case.
“No ma’am, she did that all on her own.”
“Watch this,” I said as Jack’s live feed continued.
Clemson was almost to the Mess Hall now.
“Good morning, Mr. Clemson.” An unseen Scotty greeted.
The man just kept walking.
“I said good morning, Mr. Clemson.” Scotty’s voice replied- this time louder.
“Ya…” Clemson looked up to the voice only to see no one there.
“What in the hell…” Darren stopped in his tracks as he apparently remembered our conversation. He looked around in confusion and took a few more steps.
“So what’s on the agenda today, Mr. Clemson?” Scotty’s disembodied voice asked excitedly.
“How the fuck should I know?” He replied angrily, still looking for the voice’s owner. Immediately there was a loud slap and Clemson’s head jolted to the right on its own.
“How rude!” Scotty’s unseen voice shouted. Clemson stood looking around dumbfounded; rubbing his face trying to figure out what hit him.
“Don’t mind her, sweetie, she’s not all there today.” A semi-transparent Alice Wesnewski told the man as she nonchalantly walked across his path and faded into the base’s surrounding tropical foliage.
The man’s expression was priceless!
“I’m actually starting to feel sorry for the guy, sis.” Emily laughed as we continued to watch Clemson via Jack’s telepathic relay.
“Come on Yuuka!” Sasha shouted as she flew right in front of Clemson. “The captain’s waiting for us in the Mess Hall. If we’re late one more time she’ll have us peeling potatoes until the end of the war!”
“Aaaaaaaaw, but my wings are tired, Sasha! I was up all night thinking about our race tomorrow with the rabbit! Oh. Hi again, Mr. Clemson.” Yuuka answered as she flitted lazily across Clemson’s path.
The confused man stopped and stared at the two Pixies for a long moment as they flitted slowly away toward the Mess Hall.
“Get the hell out of my way, Asshole!” Scotty, fully visible, said as she pushed him back and out of her way while crossing his path again. “Or do you want another slap across that arrogant pie-hole you call a mouth?”
The confused look on his face became an outright angry sneer.
Scotty appeared beside me. “That’s not me Skipper! I came in through the kitchen over two minutes.” She protested.
“Corrine.” I said with a giggle.
“Oh.” Scotti acknowledged as my attention went back to Jack’s telepathic feed.
“Good morning, Mr. Clemson.” Jamie said pleasantly as she approached.
The man’s eyes never left the ground in front of him.
“Not having a good day, huh? Well maybe I can help you with that? Jamie added.
“Between you and me, I think you should be really angry. Scotty never had a real good attitude when it came to men. In fact, I think you should be infuriated that she slapped you!” Jamie said as she used her gift of suggestion to draw out another of Clemson’s personalities.
His face reddened as more anger infected him.
“Out of my way you ignorant bitch! Where’s Fleming?”
Jamie’s expression collapsed and she pointed to the Mess Hall as tears erupted from her eyes. “In the Mess Hall,” she choked out. “You should be ashamed of yourself, Mr. Clemson!” She shouted as our target neared.
“You ready for our grand finale, ladies?” I asked Emily and Jack as her mind feed followed Clemson to the double wooden doors of the Mess Hall.
“Good morning, Mr. Clemson.”
“Shut yer hole and get outta my way.” He threatened Abby Penne. We had asked her to stand guard and to make sure we weren’t disturbed until ready.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Clemson, but I can’t let you in. The captain’s holding a high-level meeting of senior staff and asked not to be interrupted.”
“Outta my way, I said,” he growled and tried to move Abby away from the doors.
He couldn’t budge her- not even a fraction of an inch. Abby smiled at his pathetic attempt.
Clemson decided to take stronger steps and tried to body check the lithe girl from her position.
“Don’t make me have to hurt you, sir,” Abby warned. “The captain does not wish to be disturbed.” She paused a second. “Not for anything other than a surprise attack. I’ll tell her you requested a meeting when she’s finished, sir.”
“Tell Fleming I want to see her NOW!”
Abby closed her eyes for a moment. “Message sent, awaiting reply, Mr. Clemson.”
“Jack, tell Abby to let him in. Are you ready for our ‘high-level’ meeting?” I said to my sisters.
“I’m sorry, I can’t…Message received. I’ll show you in now.”
Jack’s face lit up with a huge smile as the left door to the Mess Hall opened on its own.
Abby appeared in the opening. “Darren Clemson to see you, ma’am.” She announced.
“Send him in, Ensign.” I ordered.
“Fleming what the hell is going on around herrrr…?” The man roared as he stormed into an apparently empty room.
“State your business, Mr. Clemson. We’re in the middle of a high-level meeting!” I growled from overhead. “I call, doctor.” I added as I threw a poker chip on the table.
The man’s eyes opened wide and his mouth dropped open as he looked up to see Emily, Jack, and I hovering, in our seats, near the curved metal ceiling of the hall- the table hovering between the three of us.
“Queen-high flush, Captain.” Emily giggled excitedly as she placed her cards on the table. Jack groaned.
“Is this some kind of fun house?” Clemson barked out in rage.
“Why? Aren’t you having fun, Darren?” I asked in amusement. Emily and Jack laughed.
“Dammit! You’ll tell me what I want to know and right now, you cheap skank!”
“Come now, Darren, sticks and stones.” I giggled. “What could you possibly do to me?” I looked around to Jack and Emily. “Or to any of us for that matter? We’re out of your league.”
“Come down here and I’ll show you what I can do.” He threatened.
I appeared in front of him. “Okay, I’m here.” I grinned mischievously.
Clemson was stymied for a second, but tried to grab me in his arms- both of which passed right through me. Clemson fell through me and landed face-first on the floor.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you at our last meeting, I’m really hard to catch, hun.” I giggled. “But…you’re actually quite easy. I think I’ll play with you some more, though.”
“Don’t let him touch you, Cap; the slime will take a month to wash off!” Jack goaded with a laugh.
“Sure, you are all so tough up there. I wonder how tough you would be down here on my level?”
“We’d never stoop that low.” I giggled. “Ladies? Meeting adjourned.”
Jack slowly lowered and gracefully landed the wooden chair she was sitting on. She confidently stood and walked the few steps to Clemson and I. Clemson took the opportunity for another try at capturing me- this time with one arm instead of two. The results were still the same though.
I shook my head at him a few times and winked.
‘Alex. I can’t grab him. It’s like he’s countering my gift.’ Jack thought to me. Her voice sounded worried.
‘You can still affect his mind, right?” I thought back.
‘Maybe, but I’m not sure now, Alex.’
‘Make him think you’re doing what you want to do, Jack. Use illusion against him.’
Clemson immediately reached for his neck and began gasping for breath.
“How?”
“How can a weak, insignificant, and inferior woman bypass your defenses, Darren?” I asked in devilish curiosity.
He struggled to nod.
“Maybe she is more than she seems?” I proposed. “Sometimes a book is not a book, but something more, Mr. Clemson. Have you ever stopped to think about that?”
I nodded and Jack seemed to loosen her imaginary grip enough that he could talk.
“You can’t beat me, Fleming. I have real power, not your pathetic magic tricks! I command the ultimate power in the universe- the power to erase you and anyone that crosses me, from existence!” He threatened as I watched another personality emerge. “I’d rather not have to, but I will if you don’t tell your dog to back off!”
“And just how are you going to accomplish that, Darren? Unfortunately, you seem to have left this ‘ultimate’ power in your other trouser pocket.” I countered as I looked to his pants with an evil smile.
“Unless, of course, you have one of these pockets.” I added as I reached into my work trouser’s front pocket and slowly, carefully pulled my tiara from it.
Clemson’s eyes almost exploded from his skull as I placed the ruby bejeweled creation on my head and adjusted it. My uniform became my ‘Arian Empress’ outfit.
I had already turned it on and enabled its friend or foe display and selected, but not enabled, the protective shield just in case.
“You’re Arian.” He stated in surprise.
“She is THE Empress of Time and Space, you moron!” Jack growled as her virtual hold tightened slightly on Clemson’s neck. “You will make no demands of her if you know what is good for you!”
“Another wonderful trick, but you’re just making us mad.” Clemson declared with a slightly strange sounding accent.
His fourth personality had finally surfaced.
“Oh, I think you were plenty mad before you even met me, Darren.” I replied.
My tiara indicated the QDA was within one hundred yards of our position.
He brought the damn thing with him, I thought.
His briefcase!
“Don’t make this a one-way trip for me, Fleming.” He threatened.
I began running Randi’s interrogation program and smiled inwardly as the file transfer bar began to fill in green.
“There never was a way back after you began changing your own history, Darren.” I said as a startling image entered my mind. My tiara’s download window progress bar began to flash red and an ‘Error’ message appeared as well.
“A zero-point overload can’t hurt me, Darren. I’ve lived through a few of those already.” I countered, revealing I knew what he planned.
“That may be, but can the others here, or the rest of the world?”
“I’m confident that we will survive.”
“But would the Earth survive? It would be a shame to survive only to be marooned in the vacuum of space forever.” He called my hand producing a small device that looked like a remote control.
“This is now armed.” He said waving the device a few times. “I release this button even slightly and the planet implodes into its own black hole.”
“Black holes are just worm holes to another place or time, Darren. People can live through them without incident.” I informed him.
“But the black hole is only the result. Can the normal people of Earth survive an antimatter reaction? I’m willing to bet you can’t take that chance.”
Quickly running enough scenarios to see we were at a stalemate, my anger rose.
“Let him go, Jack.” I ordered.
“Empress, he’s bluffing.”
“I said, let him go, Commander.”
“Ma’am?”
“He’s right, Jack. The inhabitants of this planet would never survive the QDA’s power source going supercritical.”
“But Empress…”
“The time is not right for his capture, Commander therefore, we shall wait and continue playing his childish game.” I told my Ex-O calmly.
“I suggest you leave this island and time before one of our sisters decide to take matters into their own hands, Mr. Clemson.”
“See, that wasn’t so hard. I’m glad you see things my way.” Clemson laughed as he slowly backed out of the Mess Hall, thumb still on the remote’s trigger.
Jack and I walked after him hoping our presence would deter our sisters from doing anything impulsive.
‘Keep up the illusion of the base, Jack, just in case.’ I thought to her.
‘Aye. Emily’s back on the ground, Alex. So what do we do now?’
‘Thanks. We let the bad guy get away…again, Jack.’ I thought to her sadly. ‘It’s what I’ve seen has to happen.’
‘How many times are we going to let this guy get away?’
I looked over to my Ex-O grimly as we followed Clemson into the guest barracks.
‘This is THE last time, my sister.’
Pulling his case from under his cot, Clemson opened it. The QDA was the only thing it contained. He quickly touched several places on the screen and placed a hand on the green button.
Clemson smiled brightly at Jack and I.
“Hope to never see you again, Fleming or Empress…or maybe…sucker!”
The madman laughed as he tossed the remote device at us and depressed the start button.
Darren Clemson had escaped.
Jack looked down at the discarded plastic device lying at our feet.
I noticed a red light on it begin to blink.
Quickly taking Jack’s hand we were instantly on the other side of our base.
“Containment field around that build…!” I shouted just as an explosion rocked the area. Smoke and debris flew everywhere.
“Casualties.”
“Minor injuries, Alex.” Jack reported as we reappeared in front of the demolished barracks.
Several of our sisters were still picking themselves off the ground. Several others appeared hurrying our way with fire extinguishers in hand.
Amy Reynolds, who had just stood back up after being knocked down by the concussive wave, looked at the destruction.
“Damn! How did we miss that much explosive?” She asked.
“Future explosives are more compact.” I answered as I noticed her face blush profusely.
The darkening of the sky directly over us and an accompanying rumble of thunder indicated that Amy was on fire duty. Rain burst forth from the newly formed black cloud and onto the smoldering remains of our guest barracks.
“Base-wide meeting in the Mess Hall in three hours, Jack.” I ordered as I turned and walked away.
1330hrs, Atlantis-Minor, July 25th, 1944
“I’m glad to see that everyone is okay after the excitement this morning. I hate to say it, but I underestimated Clemson’s resourcefulness. I failed to consider the existence of an actual bomb among his assets. I’m sorry I brought injury to some of you.”
“For everyone that did not hear, Clemson escaped. Moreover, I let him escape.”
A murmur rose from those in attendance.
“I’m sorry I let y’all down,” I sighed as I dropped my eyes to the floor. “He threatened to destroy Earth and everyone on it. I couldn’t let that happen even if it was a well-played bluff.”
I looked back up and around at my sisters with renewed conviction. “I promise this will be the last time that happens. The next time Darren Clemson and I meet…” The large room seemed to dim. “He WILL face the Empress’s wrath and judgment. And he will wish he never met the Empress of Time and Space or the sisters of Kili!”
Everyone was looking around the dimmed room curiously and not at me as I finished.
The hall immediately brightened.
“In a few minutes Commander Cummins, Ensign Sukiro, and I will leave for our prehistory base to plan our next encounter with Darren Clemson. I will warn you now that there may be a couple more severe headaches ahead as we right the ‘corrections’ Clemson has made to reshape our timeline.”
“Unfortunately, and because of a miscommunication, our adversary possesses several individual entities from different dimensions. As we all have seen, via Cmdr. Cummins’ telepathy, these alternate personalities vary moderately. I thank each of you for helping Jack, Yuuka, and I draw those personalities out for examination.”
“It was fun just watching the expression on his face, Skipper. I never laughed so hard when Rachel spontaneously combusted right in front of him.” Michelle Simonetti laughed recalling her favorite moment.
“I thought Alice’s line was hysterical.” Jamie Hilf giggled. “She’s not all here today…” She repeated and broke into a breath-stealing laugh, as did most of us in the room. Even Scotti laughed.
“Well, I wish I coulda been here ta see the damn shenanigans instead o’ bein’ confined up at the RADAR hut with Randi.” Ricky Lynn complained adamantly.
“You know it would have been dangerous, chief- plus, seeing him would have influenced your future.”
“Maybe if I’d have seen him this future debacle wouldn’t have happened in the first place, Skipper!” She responded.
“He does help us in a small way, chief. Not everything he did in the past centered on him directly. But unfortunately, this had to happen, Ricky Lynn. I’m sorry.”
“So when’s it happen?” She asked bluntly.
“When does what happen, hun?”
“When’s my memory crash? I know this all happened, so in order to keep things on track, I need to forget, right?”
“I haven’t seen any action taken in that regard, chief, so no, not in the foreseeable future.”
Ricky Lynn stared at me, confused by my answer.
“Captain…this prehistory base you spoke of…when is it? I mean…how far back did you have to go to be safe?” Tammy Richards asked.
“Let me just say that Ni’ihau was still below sea level and leave it at that.”
“So what can we do to help, ma’am?” Ricky Peterson asked as I saw everyone’s head nod in agreement.
“We appreciate the offer, sisters, but Jack, Yuuka, and I started this mission. It’s our responsibility to complete it successfully. Again, thank you all for your participation and we’ll see you tonight. Ladies.” I said concluding the meeting and offering my hands to Jack and Yuuka.
Jack, Yuuka, and Emily got up and walked toward me.
“Sis, I can’t take you with us.” I said sadly.
“Yes, you can and will, Alex. I’ve already seen I win this one so there is no further deliberation.” Emily said with a determined fire in her eyes. She forcefully took my left hand in hers and offered Yuuka her left in kind.
“Travel safely, Skip,” Carroll said on behalf of our sisters.
“You have the Con, Carroll.” I told her before phasing.
Atlantis-Minor’s Mess Hall became Atlantis’ Conference room- the now familiar temporal anomaly warning alarm sounding before we rephased. Andie, Reggie, and Ricky Lynn looked around the room for us, but only Alex Reilly looked directly at me and smiled.
I rephased us.
“Welcome back, sisters. I trust there was minimal damage?” Allie asked in Atlantian as the others turned their attention back to her in surprise.
“Only the guest quarters and a few minor lacerations- nothing that can’t be repaired though. How are things back here?” I answered back in kind.
“Cami is still unaccounted for, Alex, but I think I may have found the reason.” Alex reported. I felt Jack’s grip tighten.
I noticed Emily looking around, completely confused by what she saw and heard.
“Commodore Andromeda Celeste,” I began as I lifted Emily’s hand, “this is my sister, Lt. Emily Scott.” I then repeated the introduction in English for my sister.
Andie’s eyes shifted slightly. “Welcome to Atlantis, Emily Scott. The sister of the Empress is most welcome to our ship.” She said in English.
Emily looked at me in surprise.
“She borrowed Ricky Lynn’s extra Reilly.” I explained. When she still stared at me, I wondered what the problem was.
“What’s wrong, sis?”
Emily was silent for a minute, still slowly looking around the large conference room and at Alex Reilly, our Future Ricky Lynn Samuels, Andie, and Regina. Gently, I placed my hand on her shoulder and began transferring the Atlantian language file to her. When done I used my override to enable it as default for the time being so Emily could understand those of us without Reilly’s… Oops, I forgot to introduce Reggie.
“Forgive me, Emily Scott. I have forgotten my manners. This is my first officer Regina Celeste. Reggie, Emily Scott.” Andie said, correcting my unintentional slight.
“Andie, you promised!” Reggie complained in embarrassment.
Emily’s attention shifted to Reggie. She closed her eyes for a few seconds then nodded in satisfaction.
“You’s two is sisters?” Ricky Lynn choked out in surprise.
“Sub-commander Celeste is my half-sister, Prof. Samuels. Will that be a problem?”
“None whats’ever, ma’am. You just threw me for a loop.”
My sister remained strangely quiet.
“Emily, what’s wrong?” I asked in concern. “Why are you looking around like that?”
“We’re on Atlantis?” she finally gasped out. “It’s a space ship?”
“Is that such a surprise, sis?” I asked, amazed by her dramatic response.
“Perhaps, Alex, a tour of our ship would satisfy her curiosity?” Andie suggested.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea.” I said as I looked to my sister. I had quickly asked myself what she saw when looking at Andie’s first officer. “Reggie, I’m curious as to that Bistro you and Prof. Samuels visited. If convenient, could you escort us there and maybe join us for a meal?”
The stunned woman appeared unsure as she looked for permission from her superior. I winked at Andie with a smile.
“As long as she is not late to her station, I see no harm in that request, Alex.”
“Thank you, Commodore. Jack, would you be so kind as to relay our mission briefing to everyone here?” I asked pleasantly as I motioned Reggie toward the conference room door.
“Emily and I will follow you, Sub-commander.”
“So what is your gift, Lt. Scott- if it’s not too personal?” Reggie asked my sister after we had received our order and taken seats at a table facing the ring’s outer windows. Earth moved into view, as Emily was about to answer. Of course she stopped to gaze at the beautiful sight.
“I’m a…I’m a medical forecaster, Sub-Commander. I’m…a doctor…um…by trade…but I am able to scan a person and see them…medically…for diagnostic purposes.”
“Oh…so you can basically look at someone and tell if…if something’s…um…wrong…with them?” Reggie said as her eyes quickly dropped to the tabletop. She began to pick at her fingernails nervously.
“That’s…that’s mostly right,” Emily replied as she tried to pry her eyes away from the planet passing slowly across the window’s expanse. “I can see other things beside sickness and disease though.”
“I see…” Reggie replied quietly, letting it drop.
Emily looked at me a moment, her eyes pleading for my advice. I nodded with a slight smile.
“You know…your pregnancy isn’t a bad thing, Miss Celeste. Your children will be borne healthy. You should be overjoyed.”
The girl’s face flushed immediately.
“You…you know about that? You can actually see that?”
“I don’t need my gift to see the glow about you, Miss Celeste, but yes, I can see that you have two healthy boys in there…about ten weeks if I’m not mistaken. Don’t worry though, you’ll have plenty of time with them and your grandchildren.”
“You saw all that?” Reggie gasped.
“Reggie, Emily is my sister and therefore shares my ability to see the future. I’m sorry if she has startled you by revealing their gender. Emily meant no harm by it.” I told the girl. “You really should let Ian know. You ARE still thinking of telling him today, right?” I asked, gently.
Reggie’s eyes flew open as she looked across the table at me in shock.
“You even know about Ian and…”
“Yes, but neither one of us will spoil the surprise, hun. This is your news to tell, not ours. Congratulations, Sub-commander.” I reassured her with a smile.
“But Andie…she’ll…I’ll be relieved of…”
“Andie will welcome the news with all the excitement a loving, older sister can give, hun. Ian…” I rolled my eyes. “Ian might take a day or two to grasp the idea. As for your commission, you have nothing to worry about.” I tried to calm the frightened girl.
“And just how long were you going to wait to tell me my little sister is going to have a baby?” Andie demanded as she stormed into the quarters I now shared with Emily.
“Twins…and it wasn’t my place to reveal that information, Commodore- nor was it my sister’s.” I replied without even a start at her sudden, dramatic entrance. Emily just sat up on the recliner she was curled up on and nonchalantly looked up from the book she had brought along. Something from the future by a man named ‘Steven King’.
“How long have you known, Empress,” she asked?
“Does it matter, Andie? Eventually the secret would come out.” I giggled at my sorry pun. Emily looked at me and rolled her eyes in silence.
“Ha…ha…didn’t think I’d catch that one, did you?” She countered as she took a seat on my Davenport and stared at me awaiting an answer.
“Well, if you aren’t on duty when the time comes, you just might be able to catch…”
“Now I see what your sisters mean about you being a tease,” she said as we all began to laugh. Emily closed her eyes and shook her head a couple times.
“Seriously,” Andie continued after a minute, “Reggie’s going to be okay, right? There aren’t any problems from cosmic radiation or anything like that?”
I closed my eyes briefly, after looking for Emily’s subtle nod, to make her think I was checking the future.
“Nope.”
“That’s all, just a ‘nope’?”
“If you’re asking me if the first two male children to be born on your new Homeworld will be healthy and perfect in every way new infants should be, nope, mother and sons will be fine, Andie.” I paused for a moment with a smile on my face. “Would you like to know their names, hun?”
My guest’s eyes opened a little wider as my question caught her off-guard and Emily sighed in annoyance.
“Um…no, it’s enough to know they will be born healthy, Empress.” Andie said looking between my sister and I a few times.
“Please stop with the ‘Empress’ routine, Andie. We’ve known each other for long enough.”
“We’ve known each other for all of two weeks, Alex. How does that qualify as long enough?” My guest asked with a confused expression.
“Never mind, I’m getting ahead of myself again.” I replied and blushed. Emily rolled her eyes again and went back to her book while Andie continued to stare at me in wonder.
“Getting ahead of yourself? I don’t…oh, I get it now,” She said looking sadly at me. “You’re going to be staying longer than you first thought.”
“I never said that, but we can leave now if we’re intruding.” I replied with a devious smile.
“Stop teasing, Alex! You know as well as I do that Andie’s going to be a basket case when we finally do leave- in fact, everyone that knows about us here will be wiping tears away as we transit home.” Emily chided. “Don’t let her do that to you, Commodore. You know she thrives on confusing people- even her sisters.”
“Sis, I’m surprised at you.” I pouted.
“I’m not buying it, Alex.” She said without even looking up from her book.
“I’m not selling anything, sis.”
“I’m still not buying whatever it is, Alex. I know you’re going to ride me about using my gift, so you can just let it drop now.” She continued, placing her bookmark before looking over at me and gently closing the fictional horror novel.
“I can see I’m getting in the way here.” Andie said as she went to get up.
“You’re not in the way, Commodore. Emily was inferring that I usually make fun of her because she refuses to use her gift more often.” I told our guest.
“I only use it when I feel it’s necessary, sis. I’m still not comfortable leaving it ‘turned on’ like you do. And anyway, I’m not as good with it as you are.”
“You don’t like to use such a marvelous gift? Why not…if I may be so bold?” Andie asked incredulously.
Emily looked down to the floor and paused a few seconds before saying anything.
“When we first found out about our gifts. Alex and I used them to see into each other’s future- specifically how many children each would have. Calling on my gift, I saw that my first-borne, my son James, would be born with an inoperable- at the time- heart condition.” She paused again as I saw her eyes start to moisten. “It devastated me.”
“But you were able to divine a cure, yes?” Andie asked in shock.
“Alex will bring my future self back to when I’m four months along and she will correct the defect. James will be born healthy and perfectly normal…for an offspring of Kili.”
“For an offspring of Kili?” Andie asked curiously.
Emily looked back up at our guest.
“Our children share the nanotechnology that made us who we are, Andie. They are shared since the time of conception until birth then through our milk via nursing. My James’ nanos are programmed for his genetic sequence- his DNA. James, as well as all our children, male or female, has gifts of his own. I’m sure Alex has told you of her granddaughter, Alexandra?”
“I believe she has, Aunt Emily.” My voice said from my bedroom.
Alexandra walked into the room wearing her dress whites. I immediately rolled off my end of the davenport to my knee as Andie gasped loudly.
“Welcome, future Empress. You are…”
“Grandmother, knock it off!”
“Seventy-two thousand years into the past. Don’t you have a time curfew, young lady?” I continued with a smile as she glared at me.
“How are things on Terra Nuevo, sweetie?” Emily asked as she got up from the recliner and hugged her niece. Both kissed each other on the cheek.
“Things would be better if Grandma would stop that jerk from changing history.” Alexandra complained with an impish grin.
“So is this a social call or did Darren do something I haven’t seen?” I asked as I stood and welcomed my Granddaughter.
“Sorry for the interruption, Alex, but there has been a temporal distortion detected in your quarters. Do you require assistance?” Dixie asked as her voice filled the room.
“No Dixie, my granddaughter has just arrived. I’ll vouch for her personally.” I said to the A.I.
“Disregard and reset the alarm, Dixie.” Andie added.
“As you wish, Commodore Celeste.”
“I see that Aunt Ricki has worked her usual magic with the equipment?” Alexandra asked with a sly smile.
There was a noticeable click heard throughout the room.
“I think you made her mad, honey.” I said looking up to the ceiling.
Alexandra rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry, Dixie, I meant no disrespect. It’s just that…well…you’ve met my Aunt Ricki Lynn.”
“Mom has helped me feel much better, Future Empress Alexandra.”
My granddaughter looked at me, one eyebrow raised. “Mom?”
“Prof. Samuels repaired her just before she had a critical failure, honey.” I told her. “Dixie thinks of her as her mother now.”
“OOOkay.” Alexandra looked to the ceiling unsure if she believed that. “Dixie, is my Aunt Alex Reilly on her way? I thought she would have seen my arrival.
“Empress Alexandra Reilly has just set off the Tempor…”
“I’m right here, honey.” Allie immediately fell to one knee. “Welcome to Atlantis, Empre…”
“Lords, I’m impossible!” Alexandra shouted out in frustration, raising her hands to the ceiling. “Please…get up.” She deadpanned.
“You say she is your granddaughter, Alex?” Andie asked in disbelief.
“Yes.” I replied.
“No.” Allie answered at the same time.
“I’m this ones granddaughter, Commodore Celeste.” She pointed to me. “Alexandra, third born of Nathan and Alexis of Terra; second granddaughter of Tibius of Terra and Alexandra Steinert-Fleming of Earth.” My granddaughter introduced herself. It was good that Andie was wearing her Reilly suit because Alexandra said it in Terran.
“Commodore Andromeda Celeste, commander of Atlantis. Please…call me Andie, Alexandra.” Andie returned the introduction.
“In that case, and in order to not create chaos around here, you can call me Lexi since we already have an Alex and an Allie.” Alexandra giggled while rolling her eyes at Alex and I.
“Empress’, I have Jacquelyn, Mom, and Yuuka approach…oh, never mind.” Dixie began as the door to my quarters began to groan then opened quickly.
“Aunt Jacki! Alexandra exclaimed as she ran over and wrapped her arms around my first officer. “Connie said to say hi.”
Jack’s eyes started to tear up as my granddaughter moved on.
“Aunt Ricki, how have you been? It’s been a while since you visited Terra Nuevo.” She said next as she greeted Prof. Samuels.
“Been busy here, toots.”
“Pixie! Have you been behaving yourself?” Alexandra asked deviously as she hugged Yuuka energetically.
“I have been watching myself, Empress.” Yuuka said looking somewhat shocked.
Had she meet her before? I blinked a few times. Of course, they had met at the conference at Reilly. Why did I think she hadn’t?
“Where is Aunt Cami? I thought she came…along… Oh, no.” Alexandra gasped as our shared memories sorted out.
“We’ll find the reason, honey, I promise.” I told her somberly.
“Yes we will, grandmother.” She replied with a confident smile, glancing over to Jack to reassure her.
Alexandra was quiet for a moment.
“Aunt Alex, your memories hold a theory as to Aunt Cami’s disappearance?”
“I was thinking that somehow one of Clemson’s next trips was back to our little visit to Istanbul. Somehow he did something to Cami…”
“Hello everyone! Grandmother, why didn’t you introduce me yet?” Alexandra suddenly said as her body seemed to flicker.
“Um…when did I get here anyway?” She asked in confusion.
“About ten minutes ago, hun. What’s going on?”
“Grandma…I suddenly…I don’t feel well…I…Grandma? Help me…”
My granddaughter…the future Empress of Time and Space suddenly began to fade out!
The image of my little Alex reaching out to me in frightened confusion…it was …it was the last thing I saw….before…before she…she vanished.
“Alex? What just happened?” Andie asked as she took my hand automatically.
“Alex!” Emily cried as she too started to look transparent!
“Emily!” I shouted as she too faded away, a look of terror on her face.
“No!” I screamed. “Jack, take my hand!”
Andromeda and Regina Celeste were the only people left standing with me in the conference room. When had the temporal anomaly alarm started sounding?
“Commodore! There is a woman! A woman glowing brilliantly next to you! Why do you hold her hand, ma’am? Where is the light coming from?” Reggie asked- terrified at what she now saw.
“What are you talking about, Reggie? I’m holding onto Alex’ hand? Empress, what have you done with the others?”
I couldn’t answer through my closed eyes and rushing tears.
“Who is Alex, Commodore? Is this woman ‘Alex’?”
“Empress? What is happening? Why does Reggie not recognize you? Where are your sisters?” Andie asked hysterically.
“Commodore, should I call Ian and his security detail? Are you in duress?”
I continued to cry as I felt my knees contact the deck. Andie continued to hold my hand- much tighter now.
“Empress, I don’t understand what is happening. First your granddaughter disappeared then your sister, Emily, then your other sisters have just vanished! I don’t understand.”
“Commodore, why do you call this woman ‘Empress’? We carry no royalty. Where has this woman come from?”
“”Reggie, this woman has spent the last two weeks with us. She is the Empress of Time and Space. Why can’t you remember?” Andie cried out to her sister. “What is going on here? Empress? Talk to me!”
“They’re gone.” I choked out. “They…” I choked back my tears in order to answer my frightened host. “They…they don’t ex…exist anymore.”
“Who doesn’t exist anymore? Commodore, who is this woman talking about? Who does she refer to?” Reggie pressed, concerned for her sister’s security.
“My sisters! They…they don’t exist…now. My sisters…my best friend…my chief engineer…my granddaughter…”
Andy gasped loudly.
“Reggie, we have to leave! I’m placing you in command. Under no circumstances are any test firings, thruster simulation, or orbit corrections to be made until my return…and get your techs down to the AI bay! I sense it will fail in the next four hours! If we lose the Computational Core no one will survive! Alex and I will return as soon as we can.”
“I don’t understand, Commodore. Where could you possibly go? We are high above the planet Sol 3.” Reggie asked in confusion.
“Empress, we must get to someplace safe.” Andie urged- her voice getting closer to my ear. I felt her shake my hand vigorously.
‘Need to get to a safe place.’ I muttered as I replayed it in my head a few times.
“Empress…” Andie’s frightened voice cried. “Where are we? This place…why is it so dark and foreboding? How can we be standing? There is no floor…no walls…no ceiling. There is nothing here except a small yellow sun!”
“Momma.” I managed to whisper. “Momma…help me.”
“What did you say, Alex? Did you just call for your mother?”
“Yes, Andromeda. That is exactly who she called for. After all, what young woman wouldn’t call for her mother in such dire times?” A familiar voice answered.
“Commodore Andromeda Cel…”
“Celeste…yes I know, Andromeda. I know who you are. I also know why you are here, child. Alex? Alex honey? Sweetheart, can you find the strength to stand, please?”
“Empress, who is this woman? She looks just like you! Alex! How can she be your mother if she looks no older than you?”
“You’ve traveled with our Empress and you still ask those questions, Andromeda? Have you not met her granddaughter Alexandra? She also looks as old as Alex here.”
“I’m sorry, madam, I am still a novice to temporal particulars.” Andie answered as I tried to pull myself together. Looking up, I saw Ruth Scott smile pleasantly. Her gentle smile immediately made me feel a little calmer.
“Andromeda Celeste, Ruth Scott. Emily’s and my mother.” I said through sniffles as I forced my legs to lift me. “Ma she’s gone! They’re all gone!”
My tears started back up, heavier this time.
“Come here, child.” Momma Scott said as she gently pulled me into her waiting arms.
I broke down.
“Can this be reversed, madam? Can her sisters be returned from…from the void?” I heard Andie ask.
“That is for our Empress to decide, Andromeda. Only she that controls time can retrieve that which time has forgotten.
“Your daughter has just lost everyone she holds dear and you, her mother, speaks in riddles?! Madam Scott, this is not the time! Alex came here to seek your help, not debate philosophy! Are you a Sphinx or her mother?!”
“Andromeda, you are out of line! I AM trying to help Alexandra!”
“Then help the woman, don’t confuse her further!”
“SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!” I shouted, pushing myself free of Ma Scott. My voice echoed for a long time in the nothingness around us. I couldn’t help it. I had just lost everyone and these two were going at each other now. I just had to stop them.
“Why do you two have to do this?” I looked at both women.
“I was only trying to provide the requested assistance…”
“You were causing more confusion, mother! I’m sorry, but I have to side with Andromeda on this. I didn’t come here for riddles. I want answers.”
“Why would you tease Alex like that, Mada…”
“That’s enough, Andromeda! I understand your motivation, and I appreciate your concern. Like I said…I just want some answers. Mother Scott, can’t we just talk like we’re a normal mother and daughter?”
“Alexandra, we are in your private domain. What about talking to me here would be normal?” Ma Scott asked candidly.
“I don’t understand. What does she mean, Alex? Why would speaking to your mother not be normal?” Andie asked, completely baffled by the conversation to this point.
“There are several things, Andromeda. First, this place is only a construct…a null point in time where the Empress can come to consult and contemplate without the distractions of time itself.”
“So this place doesn’t really exist? Would it also be safe from the changes in this ‘time stream’ Alex speaks of- safe from what just happened?”
“It is and much more, Andromeda. This domain is also a place where our Empress can consult with her predecessors- a place where she can ask for help and advice from those that have the experience.”
“Predecessors? As in consult with those that have passed on? This is some sort of gateway to the afterlife?”
“More of a ‘middle ground’, Andromeda. The Empress can call us from our dimension as needed…for whatever is needed.”
“And I take it you are among the departed, Madam Scott? I think I understand a little better now. Still, speaking in riddles could do nothing more than befuddle our already overwhelmed Empress. The time is now for direct answers and straight talk. Why make her feel worse than she does at this moment? What ends could that serve?”
“It served to cause our little altercation and thereby caused Alexandra to disregard her darkness and concentrate on the only two loved ones she still has, Andromeda. Now, having reached understanding, can my daughters please restore the timeline and rescue all those floating in the ether?”
I started to laugh. As absurd and obtuse as it sounded, it had worked.
“Why are you laughing, Alex? There is no humor in losing everyone you hold dear.” Andie asked as she stared at me curiously.
“Thank you, momma. How is it you always seem to know how to distract me?”
“It’s what your grandmother did to me in such cases, my dear.”
“But you really aren’t my mother, ma.”
Andie rubbed her forehead in frustration.
“Wait. You really aren’t her mother? But she calls you mother…the two of you look almost identical…you sound the same even- yet you claim she is not your mother?”
“We’re related through my Mahanilui, Andie. Once I became Emily’s sister, via my change, she technically became my mother.”
“So…you have two women that claim you as their own?”
“Is that any stranger than being in an undefined void where your ancestors can be called to visit and talk, Andromeda?” Momma Scott asked in answer.
“I’m thinking you should have released my hand before we left Atlantis, Alex. Any sense of logic has escaped this place- if it existed here at all…or ever.” Andie claimed, as she looked me straight in the eyes.
“As I remember it, you took my hand, Andie…not the other way around.” I said with a slight grin.
“That’s what I wanted to see, Alexandra! As small as it is, I’ll take it. Your smile has always brought warmth to my heart.” Ma Scott said as she placed her hand to my cheek.
Enjoying the warm, soft hand on my face for a few moments, I decided to get down to business.
“Momma, how can I get them back?”
“How would you get your sisters back, Alexandra? How would YOU do it, child?”
“Again you answer questions with questions.” Andie complained.
I thought about her question. How WOULD I do things?
“Had I the power…I’d wish them back to me, momma. I would force time to spit them back out to where it swallowed them up! But…but no one is that powerful, momma! No one can stop time let alone reverse it.”
Andie’s mouth dropped as she stared at me in disbelief. I missed that while I continued to think things through.
“Child, I don’t think there are any flies in this domain, but should there be they would fly straight into that cavern you call a mouth. Please close it should something as just described actually happen.” I heard Momma say as I continued to think about what I would do.
“To restore my friends and family I would do anything…absolutely anything…whatever I had to…just to get them back to me!” I surmised.
“What’s wrong, Andie?” I asked just noticing her mouth still hanging wide open and Momma Scott smiling brightly.
“You…you’ve…you can, Alex.” Andie babbled out.
“I can what?”
“You’ve stopped time before, Alex! I watched you do it! You CAN stop time, Empress!”
“But…” I thought about it for a minute, “But I can’t reverse it.” I said sadly.
“And where, specifically, does it say that, Alexandra?”
“Momma, you of all people would know. Aren’t you the one that keeps telling me what I can and can’t do? It’s not like I got the manual yet.”
“There is a big difference between what can be done and what should be done, child. I had hoped by now you would know the subtleties.”
“The only way I know to accomplish that is to break the rules, momma, and you impressed upon me quite clearly at our last meeting how well that would be tolerated by upper management!”
“Someone once told a whole classroom that the end result justified the means…or have I misquoted you, child?”
“I was talking about a paradox, momma.”
“And what just happened doesn’t qualify…is that it?” Ruth Scott looked at me, still smiling brightly. “Did you not declare the Empress the ‘singular prototype’ of that word not long ago, Alexandra?”
“Madam Scott, theoretically…how much could this upper management you speak of tolerate before a limit would be crossed?” Andie asked.
“Your sister was wise to find and bring you along, Andromeda. It warms my heart to know that at least one of my daughters would catch that underlying detail.” Momma Scott’s smile turned mischievous as an eyebrow rose.
“Andie is also your daughter, momma? How?”
“Empress Alexandra does not have sole reign over time or space, Alex. You observed many times during our conversations that we are identical save one measurement. Do you think such a small difference would deny travel between the realms?”
“You aren’t dead, momma?” I gasped.
“In this and a few other universes I am, but in one realm in particular I’m still very much alive, Alex.”
“Which one, momma?”
“Why, the one I am alive in, of course! Alexandra, which one is not important right now. What is important is that we get the sisterhood of this universe restored and dispatch the thief to his foreseen prison...” Ma Scott’s smile became even more devious. “By any means at our disposal.”
“Even if it breaks the rules, momma?”
“Break, but not dispense with them, Alex. Proper time flow must be restored once the mission is achieved, child.”
“You have a question, Andromeda?” Momma Scott looked at my companion. She had been speechless for a while now.
“You claim to be my mother! How is that possible since she died over forty years ago?”
“Are you so sure, child? Did you actually see a body?”
“I was on a training mission to the fourth world when she passed on so no.”
“Artemus- your father- kept his word then.”
“Father is gone, Madam Scott. He was not chosen in the lottery.” Andie revealed, lowering her head in shame. “I was not successful in influencing the collections council.”
“Are you so sure he didn’t survive? Can you be so certain in your belief, Andromeda?”
“After what I’ve just heard, I am not ‘sure’ of anything, madam!”
“Andie,” Momma Scott giggled. “Child, what color is your hair…really?”
My companion stared at her for several minutes while trying to understand the relevance of the question.
“Before age began its slow decay it was two shades darker than Alexandra’s…why would you ask such a question…what is the relevance?”
“The same shade as Emily and Alexis…almost the same shade as Cassandra and Samantha.” I mumbled.
“So, do you see it now, Alexandra?” Momma Scott asked looking between Andie and I.
“How…why?” I stumbled.
“The how is self explanatory, child! As to the why? If you had met her father in his prime, you would understand.”
“So you were the Empress that Andie’s history speaks of, not me?”
“Disappointed, sweetie?”
“More like relieved, momma!” I sighed.
“So if you really are my mother as you say, come along and help Alex and I make things right.” Andie suggested.
“Unfortunately that one small difference between Alexandra and I is the one thing that keeps me from doing just that, I’m afraid. This realm…universe can only tolerate so many Empresses. Alexandra can tell you of her experiences when the balance tipped.”
I thought about what she said and began to evaluate it against what I had learned earlier. Sure she didn’t have my exact dimensions- could I change that? I had made her look younger already, right? This was my own private realm too…in this place I had full control of what happened? Could I ‘change’ more about ‘someone’? That would be ‘breaking the rules’ though. But didn’t Ma just insinuate that, circumstances being what they were, I could ‘break the rules’?
I might as well try.
“As you said, momma, the difference between you and I is slight.” I began to concentrate on the woman standing in front of me. “However, we are now in my private domain- one in which I have the last word.”
The subtle change one gene made was almost unnoticeable. I would have to thank Alex Reilly and her advanced knowledge of genetics after we restored this timeline and everyone in it.
“It would please me no end to have you join Andie and I on our quest to restore this timeline, mother. That is MY final word, and those are the rules in MY realm, Mother Empress!”
Grabbing momma’s hand, I thought about what needed to be done. Could we even do this?
“Alexandra! Unhand me, young lady! Upper management will not be lenient this time!”
“I’ll take that chance, Mother Empress!” I said as I thought about ‘where’ in time I needed to be. I continued to hold tightly to Ruth Scott’s hand as she fought for release.
Release for her wasn’t going to happen though! I was through playing by the rules. I now had ‘upper management’ in hand and I intended to keep her that way until satisfied things were back to normal!
1330hrs, Atlantis-Minor, July 25th, 1944
“I’m glad to see that everyone is okay after the excitement this morning. I hate to say it, but I underestimated Clemson’s resourcefulness. I failed to consider the existence of an actual bomb among his assets. I’m sorry I brought injury to some of you.”
“For everyone that did not hear, Clemson escaped. Moreover, I let him escape.”
“I’m sorry I let y’all down. He threatened to destroy Earth and everyone on it. I couldn’t let that happen even if it was a well-played bluff.”
“You didn’t let anyone down yet, Alex!” I said as Andie, Ruth Scott, and I listened- still out of phase- just inside the door of the Mess Hall.
“I promise this will be the last time that happens. The next time Darren Clemson and I meet, he WILL face the Empress’s wrath and judgment. And he will wish he never met the Empress of Time and Space or the sisters of Kili!”
Everyone, including Andie, Ruth Scott and I, looked around the dimmed room curiously and not at my previous instance as she finished.
The hall immediately brightened.
“How did you do that, Empress?” Andie asked as she turned her head back to me. Her eyes widened as soon as she noticed Momma on my other side.
“In a few minutes Commander Cummins, Ensign Sukiro, and I will leave for our prehistory base to plan our next encounter with Darren Clemson. I will warn you now that there may be a couple more severe headaches ahead as we right the ‘corrections’ Clemson has made to reshape our timeline.”
“Unfortunately, and because of a miscommunication, our adversary possesses several individual entities from different dimensions. As we all have seen, via Cmdr. Cummins’ telepathy, these alternate personalities vary moderately. I thank each of you for helping Jack, Yuuka, and I draw those personalities out for examination.”
“It was fun just watching the expression on his face, Skipper. I never laughed so hard when Rachel spontaneously combusted right in front of him.”
“Michelle Simonetti has a wonderful laugh, Alexandra.”
I looked at Momma with concern. “You aren’t mad at me for bringing you here?”
“You could have just asked me to come, Alexandra. I didn’t raise you to be rude.”
“You didn’t raise me at all, momma.” I reminded her. “Ma and Pa did that back in Oak Ridge.”
Momma just smiled at me while Andie shook her head in amazement.
I turned my attention back to my previous meeting and its conversations.
“You know it would have been dangerous, chief- plus, seeing him would have influenced your future.”
“Maybe if I’d have seen him this future debacle wouldn’t have happened in the first place, Skipper!”
“He does help us in a small way, chief. Not everything he did in the past centered on him directly. But unfortunately, this had to happen, Ricky Lynn. I’m sorry.”
“So when’s it happen?”
“When does what happen, hun?”
“When’s my memory crash? I know this all happened, so in order to keep things on track, I need to forget, right?”
“I haven’t seen any action taken in that regard, chief, so no, not in the foreseeable future.”
Ricky Lynn stared at that version of me, confused by the answer.
“Captain…this prehistory base you spoke of…when is it? I mean…how far back did you have to go to be safe?”
“Let me just say that Ni’ihau was still below sea level and leave it at that.”
“Seems it wasn’t safe enough.” I added sadly as the three of us remained out of phase.
“So what can we do to help, ma’am?” Ricky Peterson asked as I saw everyone’s head nod in agreement.
“We appreciate the offer, sisters, but Jack, Yuuka, and I started this mission. It’s our responsibility to complete it successfully. Again, thank you all for your participation and we’ll see you tonight. Ladies?” That ‘me’ said, offering her hands to Jack and Yuuka, and thereby concluding the meeting.
Jack, Yuuka, and Emily got up and walked toward that ‘me’.
“That will not be necessary, Capt. Alexandra Frances Steinert.” I said as I rephased us. “We will take it from here, sister.”
“Allie…Andie…” My past twin stared at my third companion intensely.
“Mother?” Emily cried out in shock!
The Mess Hall got eerily quiet. All eyes were now locked on the three of us ‘new arrivals’.
“Alex…how…?”
“Mrs. Scott, how can you be here? Alex, you didn’t…you know…bring her back?” Jack asked while trying to keep her lower jaw attached.
Emily ran to us and wrapped her arms around our mother.
“Momma! I’ve missed you so much…”
“Alex…this looks like mother…but…she doesn’t feel right.” My sister said after squeezing the woman once. “Who is she, Alex?”
“I assure you, I am Ruth Scott, Emily. Alex realized she had to make a modification or two to drag me along on this humanitarian mission of hers.” Momma told her.
Emily stared at Momma’s endowments for a moment.
“You made her breasts bigger just to bring her along, Alex?” Emily stared at me in disbelief. Some of our gathered crew began snickering quietly.
“She claimed she couldn’t pass through my domain because of our ‘slight difference’. I just…I just remedied that while I could…before we left my domain.” I informed my sister.
“I don’t care! Momma, I’m so glad to see you!” Emily cried and wrapped Ma in another tight embrace.
“Wait! Won’t ‘Upper Management’ be upset with you, Alex?” Emily asked suddenly breaking her death grip on Ruth Scott again.
“Why don’t you ask her, sis?”
“Huh? What do you mean, Alex? You don’t mean she…” Emily’s mouth dropped at the realization I hinted at.
“Upper Management is willing to overlook certain things due to the situation, my daughters.” Momma answered sternly. “Whether ‘kidnapping’ is to be pursued or even prosecuted…that is still being considered.”
Ignoring the angry looks from both momma and my sister, I told past Alex why we were here.
“Going back to Atlantis now would only seal our fate, Alex. When you, Emily, Jack, and Yuuka went back we had roughly twelve hours before our sisters disappeared one by one. I’m still not sure how Andie and I were spared.” I explained.
“Empress,” Andie began, “I believe contact with you saved my memory from reverting to a state prior to our meeting. My sister, Regina, related how you were giving off an eerie bright light before we departed for your domain. Could that be a defensive shield of some sort- could that be what protected us from the erasure?”
“She was glowing like that when we were in Egypt yesterday, Andie, and again just a little while ago when she stopped time and actually slowed the speed of light. No, I couldn’t read you while time was stopped, Alex. I saw it in your mind when you recalled it as we sat here in the Mess Hall. Everything tinted red except for her- she was shining bright- just like a star!” Jack related excitedly.
I noticed Momma’s mouth, as well as Mina’s drop open just the tiniest bit.
“You didn’t know I could do that, momma?” I asked, shocked by that.
“Perhap, we have grossly underestimated her potential, Mother Empress.”
“Desperate times and all, Philamina…still, she has only realized just a small portion of her total…” Momma replied cryptically.
“What do you and Mina mean by that, momma?” Emily cried in anger at the mysterious conversation. “And just when did you become ‘Mother Empress’?!”
Momma just smiled deviously.
“They mean I can do a whole lot more, sis…that…apparently, I haven’t even scratched the surface of what the Empress is capable of.” I said noticing Mina look to me and nod ever so slightly.
“Ready to go save the universe y’all?” I asked seriously, looking at Jack, Yuuka, Emily, and my previous twin individually.
“You mean you want us to come with you instead of to Atlantis? Wouldn’t that create a whopper of a paradox, Empress?” Jack asked in confusion as my twin took momma’s offered hand. The tingle between us was stronger than I had expected. Wait…why had I felt that with Momma between us?
“With the universe on the verge of collapse as we speak, what is one more- wouldn’t you agree Mina?”
“Mother Empress, I have also been guilty of creating needless paradoxes, and therefore, you already know my mind on the matter, mum.”
“Momma…in case Alex didn’t mention it…I’ve missed you too.” My twin said from her side.
“I know that Alexandra. I’ve been watching, remember?”
“Empress! Yer startin’ to give off light!” Ricky Lynn exclaimed just as Emily took Andie’s hand. Yuuka barely had the chance to land and grab my left earlobe.
“I’m afraid it’s time for us to go, ladies.” I said quickly, before our sisters started to fade out one by one. My heart wasn’t willing to watch that happen again!
“Where to first, Empress?” Jack asked as a wooded mountainside appeared around us.
Ahead and not far away stood Alex Steinert, Alex Reilly, Cami, Jack, and Yuuka. As before, Cami and Jack were standing several yards apart as they demolished the fragile, rock barrier between the Aegean and what would become the Black Sea.
“Jack, be ready to catch Cami.” I shouted above the noise.
“Why? What’s going to happen that didn’t happen the first time, Empress?”
Suddenly, Clemson appeared surrounded by over two-dozen kegs of gunpowder!
Clemson vanished a second before the first keg exploded into fire and smoke. The others followed an instant later.
Cami barely had time to produce a protective shield. Still, the blast sent her flying down the mountainside toward the rushing water and rubble.
Only this time, she didn’t join the headwaters of the apocalyptic flood. Instead, she hung suspended high above it, unconscious.
“Jack, bring her back and gently place her on the ground by your previous self.”
“Aye, ma’am.”
Once safe, I rephased us while our previous selves attended to their unconscious sister.
“Everyone, keep holding hands.” I said calmly as I began to concentrate. This version of our trip to the great flood had to be reversed…literally. Jack and both Alex’ began to turn their heads slightly in our direction.
“What are you going to do, Alex?” Jack and Emily asked at the same time.
“Reverse what has happened. This never happened the first time so it won’t happen this time either!” I explained as I pictured my imaginary valves that connected my companions. First on my list were Jack and Andie’s valves.
Both groaned out loudly as I opened them wide.
“I thought I asked you to warn me before you did that Alex!” Jack complained. Andie’s eyes were clamped shut tightly as she rode out the initial pain.
“Momma, would you care to help?” I asked softly.
“Go easy at first, child, I haven’t done this in a long time.”
I opened Momma’s valve up a quarter turn. I felt her grip of my hand tighten significantly.
“Yuuka, you’re next.” I said as I opened the valve I had designated for the pixie.
A huge amount of power surged into me from both earlobes! That could only mean one thing.
“Welcome Pixie. I didn’t realize you got to me before the extinction took you away from me”
“What are you talking about, Alex? I just made it to your shoulder before you started to glow.” Yuuka said from my left shoulder.
“I was talking to the Yuuka on my right shoulder, hun. Thank you, Yuuka.”
“I could not leave you alone, Empress.” Yuuka said from my right shoulder.
“Alex, you’re not making any…” Emily said as she leaned forward to look at me. “Oh…hello Yuuka. We didn’t see you there.”
“Emily, I’m going to open your valve a little now.” I told my sister. I couldn’t remember if she had been brought up to speed on power sharing or not.
“What valve, Alexuuuuugh! What did you just do?”
“Alex is now drawing power from you. In this way she can supplement and strengthen her own abilities to accomplish the required task.”
“Who are you?” Emily looked at the tall woman that was holding her hand, dressed in a default Reilly suit.
“Sorry. Emily, this is Commodore Andromeda Celeste, Captain of Atlantis. Commodore, our sister Emily Scott.” I said quickly.
“Our sister, Alex?”
“Long story, sis. Let’s get this segment repaired and I’ll tell you all about it after, okay?”
“We’re going to need a bigger base, aren’t we, Cap?” Jack wisecracked.
“Doing the impossible in three; two; one.” I announced as I concentrated on making time obey my will.
Cami began to rise into the air then floated back into the position where Jack had caught her. She paused there for several seconds before moving back to her original location prior to the explosion. Her movement increased in speed significantly as she neared her initial start point.
Fire, smoke, and debris collapsed back into each wooden cask as things continued in reverse of their original explosive sequence.
Darren Clemson and the QDA reappeared in the center of the now completely intact cache of gunpowder kegs.
Now I willed time to stop and released the hands of the people on either side of me.
“Alex! What are you doing!” Andie and Momma screamed in horror.
“What I have to do to make things right.” I answered mechanically as I continued to concentrate on holding time at bay.
Slowly, I walked through the powder kegs and located the fuse Jack had lit the second time around in Philadelphia. Smoke and sparks hung motionless on the crude black powder-cored, rolled cotton fuse. Reaching down, I pulled it from its hole in the keg with some effort.
Walking back to my companions, I released it. The fuse hung motionless in the air several feet from us.
I took Andie and Momma’s hands again.
“Before Tempus-Fugit, Alexandra, I’d like to correct something.” Momma Scott said gently. I felt her release my hand.
Now she walked over to the discarded casks, stood at the cache’s center next to that accursed QDA, and raised her arms. From the intense look on her face she was concentrating…hard.
“Please don’t release until I get back.” She told me with a tense, but devious grin.
She and the gunpowder cache disappeared. I felt my jaw drop as I stared at the now nearly empty location. A second later she was back and rejoined our group.
“We’re ready, Empress, thank you.” She said as she rejoined our group.
“I’m sorry, momma…I forgot…”
“It just provided the opportunity to knock the cobwebs off, child.” She said with a gentle smile.
More like she wanted to show off, I thought.
Time began moving forward as I phased us out again. Cami and the others would never know how close they came to losing a valued sister.
“How did you do that, momma?!” Emily asked, barely able through her open jaw.
“She created a localized time eddy before transporting the gunpowder somewhere else.” I answered. “So, where did you port them, momma?”
“Back where they belonged, but I still missed the little bastard.” She replied through clenched teeth.
“Momma!”
“What Emily.”
“Momma, that’s the first time I’ve heard you swear!”
“It won’t be the last, child…not on this mission anyway.”
“We…we won’t remember any of what just happened, will we, Empress?” Jack asked from Alex Steinert’s left.
“I’m sorry, Jack. By their perspective,” I nodded sadly to the previous versions of us a short distance away, “it never happened, so there will be nothing to remember…after we return y’all to Atlantis-Minor.”
“As long as we’re with you…here…now…we’ll remember?”
“That’s the way I figure it, my friends. Again, I’m sorry.”
“But Cami will be back with us on Atlantis…a few…um…a few days ago, right?” Jack asked- stopping midsentence to make sure she had everything in the proper tense.
“That’s right, Jack. She’ll be none the wiser.” I answered with a tight smile.
“Where to next, sister?” Andie asked- awed by what she had witnessed so far.
“Are you in a hurry, Andie?” I asked quickly. “Remember about what I said earlier about borrowing.”
I consciously turned my imagined valves an equal amount in the opposite direction. I was now repaying the energy I had just used.
The women around me moaned in pleasure- especially the two five-inch women on my shoulders.
Emily again leaned forward to look at me.
“Oh GOD, Alex! That was the most incredible…”
“Where did you learn that, Alexandra?” Momma asked in shock- her expression betraying her true feeling.
“I always repay my debits, Ma- no matter what the form of those debits may take.”
Momma snickered as she closed her eyes and shook her head sideways a few times.
“Empress?”
“Ya, Jack?”
“Empress, I don’t want to forget! I want to remember every incredible thing I’ve seen. What you both have done…its…its absolutely…unimaginable! I’d rethink that Goddess or Deity thing if I were you…you too, Mrs. Scott! On first meeting you I…I would’ve never imagined that you…”
“Stop right there, Jacquelyn,” Momma ordered gently. “Neither of us are Gods, let alone Deities of any level. The Empress…as well as you, Emily, Andie, Yuuka, or any of the sisters or brothers of Reilly, just do what we can, with what we were given. As long as our abilities are kept in control and are not abused, we retain our humanity.”
“It is when we forget or ignore our purpose in this life that we become the Gods and Goddesses of written or spoken myth- the arrogant, self-absorbed, frail tyrants of ancient times- the entities that gave the peoples of the universes those negative connotations in the first place.”
“Ladies…especially Constance, Cassieopia, Camille, and you, Jacquelyn…never forget who and what we are…what we can or could possibly do. Think of what could happen should our morality start to stray. I can honestly say that I’ve seen what happens should just one of us misuse our gifts.”
I noticed Momma’s hand tighten its grip on my hand. It started to shake ever so slightly. A stream of tears fell from her face as she went on.
“Always remember that, though endowed with what we consider ‘unimaginable’, ‘monumental’ gifts, we are far from the most powerful entities in the multitudes of universes. Strive to remain humble to your fellow travelers on the road called life, my sisters, because to lose that opportunity…to be denied our paramount reason for existing…there is practically no reprieve…for someone like that…from those higher above.”
Momma began to sniff and spasm lightly. Had she…I hated to even think it…had she been the one to anger what she called ‘Upper Management’? Had she been ‘forced’ to ‘retire’…literally?
“I’m sure that ‘Upper Management’ would be forgiving enough to allow such a person a second chance, momma. If not, they would be no better than the myths you just mentioned.” I said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
“Remember this, my young Empress…the penalties…they ultimately reflect the crime’s severity. Always consider that before rushing headlong into any given situation.”
Seeing the previous Yuuka run down the slope and take to the air broke the heavy silence surrounding my present group. Momma’s insights had us all thinking about our responsibilities.
“Alex?”
“Momma?” We both answered.
“Alex, promise me you’ll always think before you act.” She said, gently shaking our hands a few times.
“I’ll try, momma.” We chorused.
‘Wow, you would think your mother did something terrible and had been exiled to the afterlife, Alex.’ Jack thought to me, possibly to my twin too.
‘I’d rather not think about it, Jack. I couldn’t imagine being able to only see and not interact with y’all.’
‘Maybe this mission is that second chance, Empress?’
‘We have to believe it is, Jack. Let’s get this mission back on track.’
“So, Empress…where to next?” Jack asked out loud.
“Pearl Harbor.” I said, as our surroundings became the submarine docks at Pearl.
“When are we, Alex?” Emily asked as she looked around and at Sand Dollar tied up smartly to our left.
“August 20th, 1944.”
“This is the day we start our new campaign…um…Peleliu, right? Ricky Lynn mentioned this date at her briefing on the QDA data back on Atlantis.”
“That’s right, Jack. Can you sense Clemson around anywhere?” I asked as I enabled my tiara’s QDA surveillance and interrogation programs. I wanted to capture any and all information I could before that maniac jammed communications.
“Not yet, but the Admiral is just leaving headquarters, Empress.”
“Great! That’s all we need right now!” My twin exclaimed. “Allie, we weren’t going to rephrase, were we?”
“Um…sorry, already back in phase, Alex.” I said, dropping my gaze to the concrete. “Lt. Celeste, you better change into your regulars.” I looked at the woman beside me. “Momma, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have rephrased but I…um…I sort of thought you were Alex Covington.” I winced at my negligence.
The clothing on the women to either side of me changed to regulation officer’s uniforms.
“Momma? How?” I gasped as my jaw dropped.
“You don’t have the market cornered on technology, child.” She smiled deviously.
“Captain Steinert! There better be a good reason for your appearance on my dock. Especially after I just left you in my office!” Uncle Rick groused as he approached.
“Pixies, please remain hidden in my hair.” I said quietly to both Yuukas.
All seven of us turned around, stood to attention, and saluted.
“Admiral Demmit, I hadn’t figured on seeing you here, sir. The girls and I were just taking a walk to check on Sand Dollar.”
“Invoking the power of three, Alex? I thought you only did that when there was tr…” Demmit returned our salute, his attention quickly turned to Andie.
“Lt. Celeste? I haven’t seen you on my docks before. Are you one of Alex’ new recruits?”
“Andromeda Celeste, Admiral. Yes, I’m part of Captain Steinert’s crew this mission, sir.”
“The Navy’s mission or the Empress’, Lieutenant?”
“That is unclear at the moment, Admiral Demmit.” Andie answered with a little uncertainty.
“Emily, make sure you requisition plenty of aspirin and pain-killers. This one’s going to need it.” Uncle Rick pointed to Andie as he approached Emily and spoke softly. He shook hands with her, but stopped suddenly and stepped back over to me. He turned his head slightly to Ruth Scott. You aren’t Admiral Covington, are you?”
“No, Ri…Admiral Demmit, I am not.”
He looked back at me.
“When in the future do you cut your hair so short, Alex?” He asked, still regarding Momma carefully.
“We don’t as far as I know, Admiral. Alex answered before I had the chance.”
“Uncle Rick? Maybe we should board Sand Dollar before you reach any rash conclusions?” I suggested.
“Yes…I think that would be wise, Alexandra. Make it fast though; I have a staff meeting in thirty minutes. My time is very important and the last thing I need is a headache because of the ‘Empress’."
1030hrs, Pearl Harbor, August 20th, 1944
“Will somebody please tell me who this person is?!” Admiral Demmit growled angrily as his feet touched the Control Room’s deck. He pointed a staccato finger to Momma.
“I know you’re not any of the Alex’ I’ve met- past, present, or future! Yet I feel I know you somehow.”
“Oh, stop grousing, Ricky! You aren’t the only one that doesn’t want to be here, but I’ve been…‘asked’…to help my daughters complete this mission. So, I’m here at the Empress’s…request- besides, it’s not like I can do anything about it…this isn’t my universe to call the shots in.”
“How dare you refer to me…in…that…Ruthie?” Uncle Rick took Momma into his arms. “Ruthie! But how? My God, how can you be here? Am I just imagining this? Alex, I thought you couldn’t bring…that she couldn’t cross back…oh God, Ruthie, I’ve missed you so much!”
“I’ve missed you too, Ricky. Not a moment has gone by that I haven’t thought about you! I must warn you though, I won’t be staying any longer than it takes to right this time stream. I’m sorry.”
Uncle Rick moved back from his sister. Tears were streaming down his face- tears that he hurriedly tried to wipe away with the hanky he quickly pulled from his back pocket.
“It’s okay, Admiral.” I told him softly. “No one here saw any breach of masculinity. In fact, my quarters are available for the two of you to get reacquainted if you’d like.”
“I…I couldn’t, Alex.”
“We insist, Admiral.” Alex and I said together before giggling and winking to each other.
“Come along, Ricky. The girls can handle things here.” Momma said as she pulled Uncle Rick toward the forward hatch.
“Mother Empress, We’ll be topside on the dock keeping watch.” I said…maybe just to stir things up.
“Mother, I can understand, but Empress?” Uncle Rick asked in confusion.
“That is the least of things we need to discuss, Ricky.” Momma said as they cleared the forward hatch and closed it.
“Any sign of the QDA, yet, Empress?” Jack asked as we kept watch for any curious SP’s.
“I take it Clemson hasn’t materialized either, Jack.”
“JackDAR is quiet, Empress.”
“What is it with y’all callin’ me ‘Empress’ all the sudden, Commander? Normal protocol is enabled, so Allie will do since I’m the traveler.”
“But…what you’ve done since we left base…its…it’s…are you sure you’re still Alexandra Steinert, ma’am?”
“Last time I checked I’m still me, Jack. I’m still Commander Alexandra Francis Steinert- so call me Allie, hu...”
“Alex! At the end of the pier…just now.” Jack barked just as my HUD became active. We all turned to see the man look directly at us, and frantically type something on the unit’s touchpad. My tiara’s download bar began moving quickly and an instant later it displayed ‘Download complete.’
Clemson and the QDA disappeared again an instant later.
“No luck, Emp…Allie. I couldn’t get a grip on him- just like back at base.”
“That’s okay, Jack. My tiara finished downloading the QDA’s data so we’ll know where he’s been since repowering.”
“I’ve got the backup copy just in case, Allie”, my temporal twin acknowledged as she motioned to her trouser pocket.
“I’m more interested in where he’s going next.” Jack commented.
“Oh, we could tell you where he’s going, Jack.” My twin, Alex Steinert, quipped with a serious face.
“So, do we chance going back to Atlantis so that Prof. Samuels and Dixie can interpret the data, Ale…Allie?” Andie asked catching herself with my name protocol.
“Once mother and Uncle Rick get reacquainted, but let me try something. Randi may have incorporated a data interpreter into her software- let me check.”
Finding Randi’s ‘help’ screen I asked my question: ‘can I interpret QDA data logs?’
I rolled my eyes as a window popped up and data began scrolling down it with a smaller box saying: ‘Processing’. Next to that another window popped up and began filling with dates, locations and power usage for each entry. At the bottom of that window a bar graph displayed ‘QDA power reserve’. It was yellow and indicated 21% remaining.
“Girl, you are amazing.” I said aloud.
“What was that Allie?” Emily asked, confused by my sudden undirected outburst.
“Randi,” I said as I pointed to the top of my head, only to notice that I didn’t have my tiara on for once. “My tiara. She included a program to decode the QDA’s information afterall.”
“So…where all did he go, Allie?” Jack queried.
Mentally, I scanned through the list of destinations. A third trip back to the great flood was first followed by his trip to August 1944. I noted that the power usage for both trips didn’t consume the same amount of energy this time- in fact, the power consumed going from Istanbul to Pearl only took twenty percent instead of twenty-nine.
“Aw crap.” I exclaimed.
“What, Allie?”
Ricky Lynn’s new power supply is much more powerful than the original, Jack.”
“Marvelous.” She deadpanned. “So he can go more places with this one?”
I nodded then closed my eyes to read the other destinations on my new list. Not unexpectedly today’s date was the last entry.
“On the brighter side…he’s only got enough juice left for a round trip back to Egypt.” I told my friends with a tense grin.
Alex Steinert nodded in understanding.
“So is that where we’re headed, sis?”
“Only some of us, Emily. Some of us have to go back to base, I’m afraid.”
With Clemson slipping away once again, Alex and company decide some ‘R and R’ might be good for morale, but is 1944 Bridgeport ready for the Empress and her entourage? How could a young girl, killed in 1942 Burma, possibly make one of Emily’s hometown neighbor’s life complete?
1050hrs, Pearl Harbor, August 20th, 1944
“Cap, Admiral Demmit and Mrs. Scott just appeared on the bridge.” Jack informed us.
All conversation stopped until our superior got closer.
“Girls, have you seen your missing toy yet?” Momma asked quietly as she cleared the gangplank a few minutes later.
“Clemson made a very short appearance this time, momma. I did, however, get a copy of the QDA’s log file.”
“Excellent. Then we should be going to Egypt next?”
“Not without a side trip to Dayton, Ohio, Ma.” I said with a grimace.
“Dayton? What’s in Dayton, Al…Allie?”
“Meridian 12, Admiral.” Alex Steinert answered.
“An just what would a ‘Meridian 12 be, sweetheart?” Uncle Rick asked a little too sweetly. “For those of us that haven’t been on as many of your travels.”
“An Intergalactic Spacecraft of Terran design, sir.” Jack answered officially. “Alex, I thought Anna Beth had to be the one to awaken Meridian?”
“Anna Beth? The woman we saved in Reilly a couple months ago?” Uncle Rick seemed to shiver slightly. “She’s the commander of her own spaceship?”
“Yep.” I replied with grin.
“Ruthie…you see what I have to put up with? I’m supposed to be their commanding officer…not the other way around.”
“But you’re just such a lovable, cuddly Teddy Bear, Uncle Ricky.” Momma schmoozed as she suddenly took Uncle Rick’s arm.
‘SP at six o’clock, sir.’ Jack said quietly in our minds.
“So that is the inside of one of our submarines, girls.” Demmit said, catching on.
“HEY…YOU GIRLS! You shouldn’t be out here! The submarine docks are off limits to all unauthorized personnel!”
Our group parted to reveal Admiral Demmit.
“And I’m not authorized…is that it, Chief?” Admiral Demmit growled as he confronted the SP.
“Admiral!” The SP stopped, jumped to attention, and saluted. “Sorry sir, I didn’t know you were…”
“At ease, chief, I was just showing the girls around. These are my nieces. Alexandra and Emily you already know. These two are Alexandra’s sisters, Allison and Ruth. They complete the triple wammy my sister and brother-in-law never deserved.” Ma looked at him in contempt. “They just shipped in yesterday along with a family friend, Andromeda Celeste. I believe you’ve met Lt. Cmdr. Jacquelyn Cummins too?”
“Ladies.” The sailor smiled and nodded to us. “Sorry to have interrupted, sir. I’m still not used to seeing women out on these docks. I’ll just resume my patrol. Good day, Admiral, Ladies.” He said saluting once more. We all saluted back and he turned to leave.
“I like him, uncle. He’s cute.” Momma giggled to her brother. We all looked around at her and a blushing Uncle Rick.
The sailor stopped and turned around. “Thanks, my wife thinks I’m ‘cute’ too, ma’am. Have a nice day, ladies…Admiral.”
We waited for the SP to get out of voice range.
“Mother! What has gotten into you?” Emily asked, surprised by her mother’s behavior. “What if Daddy heard you? What would he say…or think?”
“I’m sorry, honey. I forgot which universe I’m in at the moment.”
“What universe? Wait…is daddy…” Emily began to ask. Momma just lowered her eyes to the concrete.
“Thank you for covering, Admiral.” I said as I stopped and saluted. In fact, all us women were saluting.
“You are quite welcome, Alex, but next time the Pixies remain full size on my base.” He said as he pointed to my shoulders. “Yuuka…both of you…you can be twins too in cases like this.”
“There was no time when we arrived, sir. They would have been seen.” I responded in Yuuka’s defense.
“Understood, Commander.” The old man paused a moment. “Would it be possible for Ruth to stay for a visit or does she perform some vital service for the Empress in the hours to come?”
“You do understand she is Empress as well, Uncle Rick?” I asked as I stepped back and nudged Jack and Emily’s hand slightly.
‘We’re ready, Empress.’ Jack confirmed in my mind.
Ruth Scott turned suddenly as she released Uncle Rick’s hand. “Don’t think you’re getting away with anything, Alexandra. I saw what you two were planning…just as you did. Empress, remember?” She said as she pointed to her chest with a wink and smile.
Taking my freed hands, Momma Scott looked as though she were going to cry. “Thank you, Empress. I’ll be waiting here for your return…tomorrow. Travel well, and…good hunting, girls.”
Momma kissed each of us on the cheek before taking Uncle Rick’s hand again. The two reunited siblings walked along the concrete pier hand in hand.
“So where to now, Allie?”
“Now we return you, Jack, Yuuka, and Emily to Atlantis-Minor, Alex.”
Our base on Ni’ihui appeared around us.
“Welcome back, Empress.” Mina greeted after a minute of rubbing her temples. “I trust sister and brother are reunited and sharing some overdue company?”
Alex and I nodded.
“Then it was worth the severe migraine.” Mina nodded purposely before she turned and began walking away. She then stopped and turned again.
“Well, Captain Steinert, are you, Emily, Jack, and this instance of Yuuka coming? The Empress has many things to do and would like to get on with her mission.”
“I take it we still head back to Atlantis as before, Allie?” Alex asked, though not quite sure.
“Andie, Yuuka, and I will be along shortly.” I said before the Conference room on Atlantis appeared. I kept us phased out.
Those whom I’d previously watched fade away one by one…my sisters…they were still here! My Granddaughter though, was not to be found.
“Alex, should we even come back here? I mean… won’t there be two of each of us now?”
“Let me take care of that, Commodore.” I smiled deviously knowing what I had to do. This had better work, I thought as I once again stopped time.
“That’s what I’m afraid of, madam.” She replied with an audible gulp.
Her hand gripped mine tighter as I walked us to and into our previous selves. We were now standing in the exact positions we were before we left. Even Yuuka was in the proper location.
Concentrating on our previous selves, I rephased us and released time. A VERY cold shiver passed through my body.
Alex Reilly, Emily, Jack, Reggie, Ricky Lynn, and…and Camille Darough stood looking at us strangely. All of them began rubbing their heads in some form or another.
“Wow! That was way easier than a Sake hangover!” Yuuka observed lightly from my shoulder.
“What the HELL just happened?” Professor Samuels demanded dramatically in surprise.
“Did we just fix the timeline, sis?” Alex Reilly asked as she looked to be debating whether to sync with me or not.
“Part of it. Why, did you miss me?”
“Alex, I just got this really strange feeling…like a memory, maybe? Did we go to Pearl with Mrs. Scott?” Jack asked in bewilderment as she rubbed her eyes.
“I’m not sure, Jack. Can you remember who we went with?”
My Ex-O closed her eyes and turned her head slightly to the left as she concentrated on my question.
“Mrs. Scott…Emily…Andie…” She paused as I noticed her concentrate harder. “Me…two Yuukas, and…and another you, Cap.”
Jack looked back to me shaking her head a couple times. “Admiral Demmit and Mrs. Scott…you let her stay behind to visit with the Admiral?”
Emily looked my way as tears began streaming down her cheeks. She stepped toward me and wrapped her arms around me tightly. “Oh my God, Alex! Did you bring her back from…?”
“I…I lost you, Emily! I lost every one of my sisters here. Andie and I had to go someplace where we wouldn’t be erased ourselves. I…I asked for momma’s help.”
“But did you…you know…resurrect…”
“I needed to know what Upper Management would do…or could do because of what happened. I needed Upper Management’s advice, so I…so I modified her and brought her along.”
“You modified…you…” Emily stared at me for a minute. “You made momma look exactly like you! You made momma’s boobs bigger, Alex? Wait…our mother IS Upper Management?”
“We also found out from her that I am somehow your half-sister, Emily.” Andie informed our sister. “Somehow, Mother Empress found the time to visit my world and…and conjugally visit Pappa.”
“WHAT?!” Emily shrieked.
“Andromeda, could you please pull up the back of your blouse?” Alex Reilly asked suddenly. “I’d like to look at your back a moment.”
Andie looked at my twin in horror.
“Oh, you want to see Andie’s weird birthmarks. Why? Is it important, Empress?” Reggie asked in surprise.
There it was. The mark of the royal bloodline- the Homeworld symbol for the Reilly clan. Above it, also plain as day, was the symbol of a tactical seer.
I closed my eyes and shook my head to the side twice.
Just above that was an unfamiliar symbol- circular in shape with a tiny sideways ‘S’ in its middle. A family ranch brand maybe? Circle-lazy-‘S’?
“Alex, do you recognize this symbol? I’ve never seen it before.” I asked my twin as I pointed to it.
“It’s not Reilliese or Homeworld, sis- that much I know.”
“It’s a draftsman’s mark.” Reggie said and continued to explain. “I didn’t know what it meant until I got into finishing school. When I started learning about computers and control systems, I was amazed to find it on a control circuit diagrams. It means ‘source of power’- a power supply. I teased Andie after that…that she would be in a place of power- in control or command of something.”
“Yep. That’s what it is all right. Use it all the time in my project plans, Director.” Ricky Lynn confirmed as she took a quick look.
“Alex…if these are actually Homeworld runes…can she…” Emily began then swallowed loudly and continued. “Can she possibly share our gifts…foresight and…and…”
I immediately knew what Emily was implying. When had she discovered that part of her gift, I wondered, or…or had she always known but kept it to herself?
“I would imagine, sis, yes. I’m surprised you asked that though.” I said before pausing a few seconds. “When did you find out about your…”
“We share the gift of foresight, Alex. Need I say more?”
I smiled.
“Nope. You ARE my sister after all.”
“It looks like there are a few more than we thought. Welcome to the family, Andromeda and Regina Celeste.” Emily said with a big smile.
“But Emily…I’m not…I mean…but I don’t have any symbols on my back.” Reggie admitted- sadness evident in her voice.
“Y’all are Andie’s sister, right?” I asked, smiling, as I thought, ‘none that have appeared yet.’
“We have father in common, yes.” She answered.
“Welcome to the family, hun. You two are related by blood. Welcome, sister.”
“Alex, why can’t I remember you leaving like Jacki can?” Cami inquired in a frightened tone. “What happened to me? Did something bad happen?”
“Several bad things happened, Sweetheart. You suddenly disappeared from Atlantis. Jack was hysterical when she noticed you weren’t here.”
“What…what happened to me?”
“It’s complicated, Sweetheart. Let’s just say that Jack did everything she could in righting the tangent and we call it even.” I said, not wanting to confuse her with the convoluted truth.
Despite not wanting to remember what had happened, I began to recall exactly that.
Cami and Jack’s eyes went wide.
“We…we really just began to fade…disappear?” Jack asked in amazement.
“I actually got blown up by that psychologically challenged equine?” Cami burst out.
Andie and I looked to the deck.
“Like I said…I…I lost ALL my sisters.”
I noticed Alex Reilly looking at me with uncertainty. “Yes, even you, Alex.” I told her sadly. Noticing Andie I modified my last statement.
“Ever’one ‘cept Andie and the people of Atlantis.”
Stepping closer, I reached out and quickly snatched Alex Reilly’s hand.
“Y’all need to know this stuff too, Alex.” I said as the extra strong tingle passed between us.
“Know what, Alex…oh…OH! We can do that? She says we kin do even more? Mina knew?” Alex Reilly said after she jumped at our touch. “So, when we leave for Egypt?”
“Tomorrow. After Ah get some rest.” I said as Alex, Andie, and I began to yawn.
“Will we…will we be okay in the mean time, Alex?” Cami asked, a quiver in her voice.
“Yes,” I told her truthfully. “Even if Ah have to turn back time again to make sure.”
Emily’s mouth dropped open- her eyes opened wide.
“You turned…back time, Alex? Y…yyyy…yyyyyou actually made time run backwards?”
“Ma claims Ah can do even more too. Apparently, Ah’ve only realized a fraction of mah potential. See y’all in the morning.” I said as Alex and I turned for the door.
“You have control Reggie. See you tomorrow.” Andie said as she too followed Alex and I out the door of the conference room.
“Alex, we need to talk.” Emily said just after locking the door and enabling ‘privacy mode’ from the touchpad. She sat down on the chase recliner across from me.
“Yes, Ah changed her genetic code to match mine. Apparently, Ah kin do that in mah private domain.” I answered her unasked question.
“That isn’t what I was going to ask…well, it was…but I wasn’t going to ask it just yet.”
“Yes, Ah believe her to be part’a ‘Upper Management’. Why wouldn’t a close relative be considered for the position? Who knows us best, after all?”
“Will you stop that and let me ask MY first question, Alex?”
I motioned to her with a flourish of my right hand.
“Was she really unfaithful to daddy? Is she really our mother in this universe, Alex?”
“Is what Ah do on Terra considered cheatin’, sis? Ah mean, Ah’ll feel guilty for a year or so after returnin’ to Earth, but…but Ah really can’t consider it cheating. Ah’ll still be faithful to Sandy.”
“I understand that, Alex. What I guess I really want to ask is…is she really momma? Or is our momma still on the other side…dead?”
“Truthfully? Ah’d have to say that the Ruth Scott that Ah brought back to August of 1944 is definitely our mother, so yes…but…but Ah’m not sure if she belongs to this universe, sis, so no.”
“Thanks for that decisive clarification, Alex.” Emily said sarcastically.
“Ah’m sorry, sis, that’s the best Ah can do. Ah wasn’t exactly paying much attention when Andie and Ah got to my domain. Ah’m lucky Ah even got us there in the first place. It ain’t easy holdin’ it together after seein’ ever’one ya love and hold dear just vanish sequentially before yer eyes! Y’all don’t know what it’s like to experience that, Em.” I told her, wiping away the tears forming again.
“I can’t imagine what you felt, Alex. It must have been horrible.”
“Em,” I said, my face suddenly turning somber. “Momma did somethin’,” I paused. “Somethin’ that got her banished to the…Ah guess, the afterlife. She was trying to warn me. She said that there are ‘people’ that are even more powerful than us…with our gifts, I mean. Sis, she told me they based punishment on severity. Ah can only wonder what she done in her universe to warrant such punishment.”
“Whatever she did, do you think she can atone? I mean…even you have given people second chances. Surely those with that amount of power are understanding and forgiving…right?”
“Ah’d like to think so. If Ah kin show mercy, Ah’d hope our superiors would do likewise. She did mention ‘the rare second chance’.”
“Alex, did you give momma a choice to come along or did you just…”
“Ah changed her subtly as she tried to comfort me and grabbed her hand before Andie and Ah left mah domain. No, Ah didn’t give her no choice. Ah felt she needed to come along…to help us. Ah did ask her what the ‘rules’ was though. She seemed to take too long to make something up, sis. That’s when Ah got suspicious.”
“So momma is with Uncle Rick as we speak. Do you think she’ll behave and not get him in trouble?”
“Momma’s a smart gal, Em. Ah got to believe she wouldn’t do anything to attract her ‘Upper Management’s’ attention again.”
My sister nodded in agreement.
“Ah wonder…”
“What, Alex? Oh, I know that look. What are you thinking about, sis?”
“Ah wonder who would show up in mah domain if Ah called for Ma?”
“I thought you were tired, Alex.”
“Mah curiosity just give me a second wind. Care to join me, sis?”
Emily stood from the recliner and took my hand.
My domain appeared.
“Momma? Mother Scott, would y’all come here please?” I called as I thought about Ruth Scott.
I tried again.
“Ruth Scott! Emily and Ah need your council. Please…kin ya show yerself?”
“I’m afraid your mother is somewhat unavailable, Empress.” A familiar voice replied as three figures began to materialize from the darkness.
“And I believe you know why that is.” Mr. Lincoln continued as he, Maximillian, and Grandpa came into full view.
“Hello, mein Granddaughters. What is all zee shouting about?” Grandpa asked pleasantly.
“Where’s Momma Scott, Grandpa? Mr. President? Sir Maximillian?” I asked each individually. I noticed Emily staring.
“Vhy ask zee question you already know zee answer too, Alex?”
“To satisfy mah curiousity, Grandpa. Have Ah deduced properly that when Ah changed momma to look like me and took her with me, Ah somehow took all instances of her along…livin’ or deceased?”
“That is very good, my dear Alexandra.” Lincoln answered. “The Empress is the only one capable of such a miracle on your level. I am amazed at the rate to which you grasp concepts.”
“The rate to which Ah grasp…” I paused to look Mr. Lincoln in the eyes. “Thank you…Ah think. So Ah’m right about Momma being a part of mah ‘Upper Management’ then?”
“I told you, Abe, mein Granddaughters iz schmart.”
“Having met her earlier in her career, I agree whole-heartedly. That is why I volunteered to help guide her.”
“Guide me?” I repeated. Emily and I looked at each other in confusion. Something then dawned on me.
“Y’all are part’a ‘mah’ ‘Upper Management’?”
“We are, Alexandra. You see, who would watch and care for you more than those you have impressed so thoroughly?” Maximillian admitted. “From the very first time we met, I knew you were trustworthy, kind, and caring. Your very character was well founded, even, and yet, enigmatic. Those traits, and your ability to lead, made me believe that you were indeed the savior from Terra’s documented history. After my passing, I too volunteered to watch and guide you in your many endeavors.”
“But, momma…she’s not here. Has Alex somehow broken the rules by granting her passage to our Earth?” Emily cried out in worry.
“My dear Emily,” Lincoln said with a pleasant smile as he came over and took my sister’s hands in his, “bestowing charity will never be a punishable offence. Worry not my beautiful, young doctor. Your sister, with her large and caring heart, has once again shown that the greater powers have chosen wisely. She has again granted a lost soul the rare ‘second chance’. Your mother, Ruth Scott, has been given the chance to once again prove herself worthy of being Empress in her universe.”
“Mr. President, Ah don’ understand. In ever’ universe Ah visited, Ah’m the Empress. It’s always me…not Ma, me.”
“Alex. In the ones you’ve visited, has the timing, relationals, OR the distribution always been consistent?” Maximillian asked.
“Well…um…no…not really.”
“Then how can you assume that the Empress will always be Alexandra Steinert and not Ruth Scott? Wasn’t it you that rationalized that time is now a variable for you?” He continued. “If a constant is no longer a constant, wouldn’t it follow that a constant is nothing but a regional construct?”
I really hadn’t thought about that concept in such depth before, but now…now it began to make sense…at least to me. Emily still looked completely baffled.
“That would certainly explain how Ah been able to do some of the things Ah done lately.” I admitted. “But what’d Ruth Scott do that earned her a spot on mah management team?”
“Let’s just say, Alexandra, that she forgot ‘herself’.” Mr. Lincoln said, his eyes sadly falling to the darkness that was the floor of my domain.
“Ah think Ah understand. She forgot she was the Empress and did somethin’ outta avarice or spite?”
“I told you she vas quick, Abe. Zat iz more or less vhat happened, Liebchen. Zough Ruth knew it vas wrong, she didzit anyvay, und vound up in our universe, but now…now you have come to her rescue, Empress. It iz up to her to redeem herzelf. Acht, I am zo proud, Alexandra!”
“So Ah…Ah give momma a second chance…a chance to prove she kin still be the Empress? What if she fails to redeem herself?”
“I believe that will not happen, Lady Alexandra. Ruth is as intelligent as you, M’lady and will not make the same mistake twice.”
“So that means she’ll be able tah go home? Tah her universe, Maximillian?” I asked with renewed hope.
“If she follows as instructed…and proves an asset to the reigning Empress of your universe.”
“Alex?” Emily seemed to snap out of her confusion. “Did I hear right? Will momma be allowed to go home? What of Ruth Scott in our universe? Will she suddenly come back to life? How is daddy going to handle that?”
“You have deduced correctly, Lady Physician. All instances of Ruth Scott, be it in your realm or others should return.” Maximillian answered, though he rubbed his forehead in consternation, “We think…”
“You don’t know?”
“Something like this has never before happened, M’lady. At least not that we have been informed.” Maximillian motioned between himself, Grandpa, and Mr. Lincoln.
“Sounds like they never got the rule book either, sis.” I deadpanned.
“No, Alex, we never got the manual, as you call it. Nor did we receive instruction on our responsibilities as your mentors,” Mr. Lincoln confessed, “As you have so succinctly inferred. Questionably, I would be surprised if there were any rules at all save the one I know as fact. I suspect you already know that foremost rule though.”
“Ah do…we …do, Mr. President.”
“Zen vhy delay, Liebchen? You und Emmie have zee criminal to catch, do you not?”
I looked down to the non-existent floor of this place. “Ah’m…Ah’m jus’ not sure Ah kin do that without breakin’ the rules, Grandpa. Ah seen the result…Ah’m not entirely sure Clemson deserves the punishment though. Ah mean…Ah…shouldn’t he deserve a second chance also?”
“Alex! What are you talking about? My God, you just got done telling me that he changed things so completely he made us all cease to exist. Isn’t that genocide?” Emily cried.
Grandpa took my sister into his arms. “Mein liebchen, zis is vhat zets Alex apart from your mother. Your sister…she follows her heart. Zhat vill lead to zee right course most of zee time. You too muzt follow your heart, but trust your sister as you trust yourself. Zee two of you should work together- only zen can you complete zis mission. Now dry za tears, mein beautiful Granddaughter und take your sister’s hand. It iz time to return to zee living.”
Emily wrapped her arms around Grandpa a moment, slowly stepped away, nodded, and gently took my hand.
“Alexandra,” Mr. Lincoln spoke up, “Thank you, Empress.”
He bowed.
“For what?”
“For what, M’lady? Why, for re-asserting the original ideals defining the ‘Empress of Time and Space’, of course!” Maximillian noted.
“But Ah ain’t really done nothin’…not yet.”
“I’m sure Ruth would disagree with you, Alex. Travel well, Empress and Dr. Scott.” Lincoln argued before he bowed to us again, straightened, and tipped his tall hat.
My three mentors silently faded away with contented smiles on their faces.
Emily and I had arrived back in our quarters almost thirty minutes ago. The silence between us hadn’t been broken since then and I was about to fall asleep.
“Empress?” Emily said quietly.
I immediately glared at her, raising one eyebrow as I did so. She quickly looked back down to the book she had been reading.
I brought my palm to my mouth as a yawn escaped.
“Sis, if y’all wanna ask me somethin’- use mah name. Wha’d Ah do now tah deserve such formal approach from mah own sister ena’way?”
“If momma is really back…if she earns amnesty, that is…” She began and stopped abruptly.
“She’ll probably go back tah her own universe tah resume her work as Empress.” I said stifling another yawn.
“But our momma…MY mother…how do we explain to daddy?”
“Don’t even know’d what Ruth Scott’s re’mergence as Empress’ll do, Em. Maybe it’ll reset the whole damn timeline. Maybe Ah’ll wake up in mah quarters as Alexander an’ think this whole crazy life’s been one drunken halluc’nation.”
“That would mean…we wouldn’t be sisters then, Alex!”
“Exactly. It’d mean we could continue on with our relationship the way it was b’fore Kili…b’fore the Mahanilui…b’fore…this.” I said as I motioned my hand down my body.
“You don’t like being my sister?”
“Ah didn’t say that. Ah’m just sayin’ things might change drastically.”
“But Mr. Lincoln, Grandpa Steinert, that Maximillian fella… By the way, is he Terran?”
I rolled my tired eyes and nodded. “He was High Council before Tibius.”
“Oh…anyway, they all seemed to think that you would stay the Empress, sis. So if you are still the Empress, what will this universe’s Ruth Scott do? Would she even remain alive or would she…you know…”
“Look sis, Ah’m tired. Ah slept maybe four hours in the last seventy-two trying tah keep Clemson from destroyin’ mah sisters and this here universe. Ah ain’t thought ‘bout what momma’ll do now she’s been ‘per-rolled’.” I said before covering my mouth to yawn again.
Emily glared at me now. “That out of someone who swore to protect their family! Alex Steinert, you hypocrit!”
“Ah am trying to protect the family, Emily Scott! In order tah protect ‘em they’s first gotta exist- or didn’t y’all think ‘bout that aspect?!” I fired back. “Ah’m sorry Ah ain’t put no thought into wah Ma’ll do now’s she’s…if…if she gets forgiv’ness from them ‘higher ups’.” I let out a huge, tired, sigh.
“Look. This Clemson debacle’s got me so tangled and aggervated! Ah’m ‘fraid ah cain’t think’ a nothin’ else at the moment. An’…need Ah remind y’all…Ah ain’t the only one in this here room that kin devine Ruth Scott’s future, sis!”
“Yes…you’re right…I’ll look ahead some seventy thousand years so that I can see momma’s future…Right….like I could do that, Alex!”
“If Ah can do it, why cain’t mah sister?” I replied calmly as I rubbed my eyes once more.
“But I can only…”
“There’s a lotta things we both kin do but haven’t yet, Em…simply ‘cause we ain’t needed ta or ain’t imagined ‘em yet. Both Ma and Mina thinks Ah only just tapped mah potential…why wouldn’t it apply ta all mah sisters-‘pecially you, Brie…an…an Andie.” I told her before another yawn escaped my mouth.
“Listen sis, Ah’m sorry how Ah said somma them things Ah did, but Ah’m ready to pass out. Ah just need some sleep…just…a…little…”
“Alex. Alex, wake up.”
“Huh? What…what happened…where…where am I?” I asked as I opened my eyes slightly to the person calling my name. Had I fallen asleep?
“Alex, I think that something is wrong with Emily. She seems catatonic. I don’t think she’s moved since I left yesterday.”
“Commodore? Andie?”
“Yes, Alex, it’s me, Andie- your newest sister? Don’t you remember?”
“What time is it? How did I get in bed?” I asked as I rubbed the sand from my eyes.
“This is how you were when I had Dixie override your security lock. You were here in your bed and Emily was, is, sitting motionless in the recliner staring at the far wall resisting all attempts at revival.” Andie replied with worry.
“How long?” I asked.
“You or Emily?”
“Me. How long has it been since you left?”
“Two days, Alex. We haven’t seen you or our sister in two days. We were beginning to wonder because Jacquelyn and Cami said they could still hear both of you…with the exception of a ten hour span when they said you probably traveled somewhere.” Andie answered as I got up from my bed and stretched.
“Wow, can I copy that little nothing? If you let me keep the Reilly, that is.”
“What little nothing?” I asked before looking down at myself. “Oh…um.. ya…if Ricky Lynn doesn’t want it back…I guess.” I blushed.
Why did I like this pink nightie so much? Better yet, why did I keep keying it up in my sleep?
“So Alex…what is going on with our sister?” Andie asked again as we both walked into the main living area of our shared quarters.
Emily sat- still as a statue- right where I remembered her to be before I dozed off- her horror novel held stiffly in her hands. Was this how I looked while in one of my trances? I thought about that for a minute.
“Apparently she took my advice and decided to use her gift to find the answer to her question, Andie.” I said before turning to walk into the bathroom to retrieve a cool, water-soaked washcloth. She would need it in about three minutes.
“What question, Alex?”
“Emily wanted to know how our mother coming back to this universe would complicate things…for us as well as her father.”
“How long has Mother Empress been gone?”
“From this universe? She died before the war started so…1938 or 39- about five years.”
“I see. That would pose unwanted emotional trauma for her mate.”
“He still doesn’t know about me or the sisterhood yet.” I added.
“Oh? So, when have you seen her coming out of her trance?”
“Any minute now.” I said as I saw Emily’s eyes blink.
“Here sis, this will help them feel better.” I said as I took her right hand away from the book and placed the damp towel in it instead. “At least I think it helps when I’ve been away for so long.
“Why are my eyes so…? What happened, Alex?”
“Did you find the answer to your question, sis?” I asked instead.
“I think I did…Alex…is this what it’s like for you? How long was I away?”
“Away, Em? Do you think you went somewhere?” I asked with a knowing grin.
“I…IIIII’m not sure. It all seemed so real.” She said quietly in confusion.
“So…when did you think you traveled to, sis?”
“It wasn’t when, Alex, it was where. I traveled to Bridgeport…I went back home. Daddy was there and we talked…talked about momma. I told him that I thought she wasn’t dead…that she had just gone away for a while. He…he wouldn’t believe me. I tried to reason with him, but he just wouldn’t listen.” Emily then looked at me in terror.
“Alex, I think I told him about you! About how we all went through the Mahanilui and how it gave us all gifts… About how you look exactly like momma…”
“And he didn’t believe that either, right?”
“No! He seemed to reassess what I had already said! Alex, I think Daddy knows more than I thought. I think he knows exactly who momma was…is…I mean, what we are.”
“Could it have been a dream of how you wanted him to respond?”
“Alex, it felt…I think…I was…I was there for two days. I slept in my own bed for the first time in four years!” She went on. “No, Alex, I was really there…home! I just know I was.”
“Okay, so…do you want to find out for certain, sis? I mean I don’t want you accusing me of neglecting my family again.”
Emily’s pleading eyes said everything.
“Andie, 1940’s Navy dress whites if you’re coming.” I said as I motioned to the interface panel by the door with my eyes.
“Dixie, where is subcommander Celeste?”
“She is currently in her quarters, Commodore.”
“Patch me through, please.”
“Yes, Commodore?” Reggie’s voice answered a moment later.
“Reggie, Alex has asked me to travel with her again. Could you take command again?”
“As you wish, Commodore. How long will you be away this time?” Reggie’s voice sounded disappointed.
“Ask if Ian is on duty, Andie.” I suggested quietly.
“Reggie, is Ian scheduled to be on the bridge right now?”
“He is, Commodore. I wasn’t scheduled until three bells.”
“Thank you, Reggie, I’ll contact him then.”
“Okay, have fun, Andie.”
Commodore Celeste ended the conversation.
“Alex, why did you have me ask about Ian? Reggie is the next senior officer.”
“How can she be on the bridge when she’s in Bridgeport, Connecticut seventy-two thousand years into the future, hun?” I asked with a big smile on my face. “Cami, can you ask Alex if Reggie could borrow her Reilly for a short trip into the future.”
‘Ask her yourself, Alex, she just disappeared from our quarters.’ Cami’s voice replied in my mind.
“Sorry it took me so long, sis, but I took a chance and went forward to Reilly.” Alex Reilly said as she appeared next to me carrying a freshly made Reilly suit over her arm.
“So how were things on Kili, sis?”
“Everyone was complaining of headaches. Billie was complaining about that and how she was retaining water…you know…the usual.” Alex nodded with a devious smile. “Here, Reggie can keep it for when she and I travel together.”
I nodded my thanks and offered my hands to Emily and Andie.
“Don’t forget to tell him about your twin sister, Alex.” Alex Reilly said before Reggie’s quarters appeared around us. As usual the temporal anomaly alarm sounded.
“Dixie, please disable that alarm.”
“As you wish Commodore.” The AI replied as the noise ceased.
“Reggie, we brought you a little something to wear.” I said presenting her with her very own Reilly suit.
“What am I going to do with this, Empress?”
“Um…I don’t know…wear it maybe?” I giggled.
“Why? What is going to happen, Empress?”
“Reggie, put the suit on as quick as you can or we are going to leave without you.” Andie urged strongly.
“Going? Where?” she asked before it finally hit her. “You…you want me to go along with you, Empress?” Her eyes tripled in size as her mouth dropped open.
“Only if y’all call me Alex, got it hun?”
I never thought anyone could get so excited about going on a trip with me! Reggie shrieked in excitement as she ran into her bedroom to change.
Five minutes later she reimerged looking very disappointed.
“Empre…Alex, it doesn’t fit.”
Subcommander Regina Celeste suddenly froze in place for a minute or two before she began going through the motions of initializing her suit. Another two minutes, and she looked very smart in her dress whites.
‘Thanks, Jack and Cami.’ I thought to them.
‘Are you sure you don’t need me on this one, Alex?’
‘We’ll be fine, hun. We’ll be back in a minute.’ I thought back as I offered my hands.
“Reggie, keep holding hands until I say to release them. The trip is instantaneous and completely painless.
As Reggie nodded our surroundings changed.
We now stood on a sidewalk in a pleasant looking section of Bridgeport. Though older, the homes on either side of the street looked well cared for. Most of the cars parked sparsely along both curbs were five to ten years old, but still looked nice.
“We’re still out of phase so keep holding hands until we’re in the clear.” I ordered as I looked up and down both sides of the street.
Satisfied that we wouldn’t be seen, I rephased us and released Emily’s hand. She immediately turned to her right, took my hand again and pulled.
“Alex, everything looks exactly as it did in my temporal projection. Is this the same day?”
“Let’s go to the front door and find out, sis.” I said as I caught up to walk beside her.
Knocking on the front door, we heard a man’s voice talking to someone farther back in the house.
“Well, I’m so glad you could get enough leave to come and visit me, Sweetie. Let me see who’s at the door. How soon before you have to catch your train back?” The door opened and the voice got louder. “Hello, can I help yo-“
Louis Scott gasped as he opened the door. He immediately looked back into the house for someone. Thoroughly confused, he began to waiver on his crutches.
“Daddy, what’s the matter?” Emily asked as we both reached in to steady him. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
“Emily? But you were just there…” He said pointing back into the house. “How…? He asked as his eyes met mine.
The six foot-three man’s jaw dropped and all color drained from his face.
“Daddy, remember what I said earlier…about my having a sister now? Well Daddy, meet Alexandra.”
“Maybe I should’ve brought Jack along after all.” I said flatly as Emily and I fought to hold ‘Daddy’ up- a difficult task given his crutches had fallen away and he outweighed us by an easy one hundred pounds.
“Quick, let’s get him into the living room and onto the sofa, Alex.”
Looking around quickly, I determined that the coast was clear enough. Emily’s living room appeared around the three of us and we lowered him onto the Davenport.
“Was it really necessary to show off, Alex?” Andie asked as she and Reggie walked into the room.
“Well he isn’t exactly light, Commodore!”
Emily gently tapped her Pa’s cheek. “Daddy? Daddy! Daddy, wake up. It’s me Emily. We have guests, Daddy.”
It took several minutes, but Emily finally succeeded in reviving him.
“Emily…what’s going on? I was just talking to you in the kitchen then suddenly you, your deceased mother, and two other women are standing at the front door!”
“Daddy, do you remember what I told you earlier?” She asked from his left.
“You were telling me how you and the rest of the crew of that submarine…that you all went through some kind of change…that you are different than before.”
“Hello, Louis.” I said from his right. “Sorry we frightened you.”
“Ruth? How can you be here?”
“Daddy, this is Alex…Alexandra Steinert…Captain of the Sand Dollar, not momma.”
“You certainly look like my late wife, Captain.” He blinked, shook his head, and swallowed loudly.
“I get that a lot these days, sir. Nice to meet you…” I said, but added “again” as I looked away.
“Alex!” Emily growled at me from across her Pa.
“Wait. We’ve met before, Captain? Where?”
Emily rolled her eyes.
“We met at a wedding a few years back, Mr. Scott.” I answered frankly.
Emily again shot death rays at me.
“Daddy, these are two of our friends. Commodore Andromeda Celeste and her sister, Subcommander Regina Celeste.”
“Commodore and Subcommander? But you’re in U.S. Navy uniforms.”
“They’re on loan to us from Atlantis, sir.”
“Alex!” Emily glared at me. “Stop kidding around with Daddy!”
“I thought you told him about us, sis- about me?!”
“I never said he actually believed me, Alex!” My sister answered through clinched teeth as she looked over at me in embarrassment.
“HUH? Sis…as in ‘sister’? You mean this is what you were trying to tell me, Emily?”
“If you would have listened to me instead of just agreeing with me!” Emily replied crossly to her Pa.
“I’ve never known Emily to lie to anyone, Louis.” I said before I phased out and rephased beside her.
“Alex, stop that this instant! You’ll cause him to pass out again.” Emily hissed through gritted teeth again.
“Hhhhhhhh…hhhhhow…” Louis Scott blinked and pointed to me then my previous location a few times. “How did you do that?”
“Why…have you seen someone do that before, Louis?” I asked with a devious grin.
“Um…no…not ever. I never saw anyone do that before…no.”
“Daddy, I could always tell when you were lying. I’ll tell you right now that Alex, Andie, and I can tell when someone is lying to us…it’s part of our gift. Please don’t make me use another part of my gift if I don’t have to. I don’t like to use that part.”
Now who’s lying, I thought…to myself for a change. I quickly glanced around the room waiting to hear a comment from Jack.
Louis Scott remained silent for a few more minutes as he stared at the four of us individually.
“So help me, Daddy, if you don’t tell the truth, I’m going to leave. I’m sure Alex can be more persuasive…if not her then I’m sure Andie or Reggie know some techniques to loosen your tongue.”
Still he remained silent, as if daring her.
“Fine! Have it your way, father!”
Emily disappeared.
“NO! Emily, come back! No! Don’t leave me alone with them! I’ll tell you what I know…please…please come back.”
“Sis, Pa’s gonna behave now. You’ve proven your point so please rephase.” I said to where I knew she still stood.
Emily reappeared and Louis Scott stared at her in shock. I noticed Andie and Reggie’s mouths’ open in surprise.
“Oh, for the love of…Will y’all close yer mouths? She’s of the royal bloodline. Y’all can probably do it too, Andromeda an’ Regina Celeste.” I griped in annoyance. I looked down to Emily’s Pa.
“And you better own up before Emily is forced to use more than just her temporal offset. Her medical foresight can instantly detect any change in blood pressure, breathing, or heartbeat, Louis.” I warned.
“Temporal what?”
“Temporal offset, hun. We can shift ourselves slightly out of time with this reality and effectively disappear from sight. It comes in real handy when we travel to places we aren’t sure are safe. Now, could y’all answer mah sister?”
Louis Scott again looked between Emily and I for a few moments.
“One…once I thought my wife…your mother…I thought she was acting a little strange this one night after I returned from work.” He stopped and thought about something a minute.
“Emily and her mother were supposed to be visiting in Hartford. You can imagine my surprise when I opened the door and found Ruth here waiting for me. I asked why she had returned. She told me that she missed me- that she needed me…”
“Okay. We really don’t need to hear about that part, Daddy. Please move on.” Emily quickly cut him off before the best part.
“She seemed like a completely different woman that night. In the morning, I opened my eyes just in time to see her disappear. I couldn’t believe it…she just vanished… just like you two did just now.”
“Two days later Ruth and Emily returned from Hartford. I never told you or your mother what had happened, sweetie. I couldn’t believe it myself.”
Emily nodded to me. He was telling the truth.
“Now…” Her Pa continued, “Emily suddenly appears on my doorstep yesterday morning- no baggage to speak of. Today at breakfast, she tells me some crazy story that she now has a sister and that she can do amazing things because of something called a Mahanilui- then disappears into thin air while I go to answer the door and ‘POW’ there she is on the front porch with my dead wife standing beside her. She even changed clothes! Are you people witches or something?”
“Daddy, Alex has been my C.O. since I got transferred to the Sand Dollar. A year earlier he and I dated for two weeks in Hawaii while he was on shore leave…”
“He? Sweetie, Alex doesn’t look like a he. I thought we taught you the differences.”
“Daaaaddy!” Emily rolled her eyes. “Alex didn’t always look like this. That Mahanilui that I told you about this morning…it changed him…it changed everyone on board the Sand Dollar.”
“She’s telling you the truth, Louis. Here, look at my credentials.” I said reaching into my purse and pulling out my wallet. I handed him my driver’s license.
“This says Alexander F. Steinert.”
“That was my name before my Mahanilui, Louis. Commander Alexander Frederich Steinert.”
“But this military ID says you’re a Lt. Commander.”
“Admiral Demmit promoted me just before assigning me to Sand Dollar.” I said proudly. “I never had the chance to get it revised before everything changed.”
“Your uncle knows about all this?” He asked staring at Emily in surprise.
“Yes, Louis, Uncle Rick knows everything.”
“Alex will you stop calling Daddy by his first name? He’s our father now so pay him the proper respect.” Emily chided.
“Wait…what?”
“Daddy, the Mahanilui changed her DNA…her…the genetic building blocks that make her who she is. Physically she is now my sister. I’ve run tests that prove it conclusively. Alex is also nearly identical to momma.”
Louis Scott’s eyes drifted down to my chest.
“Yes, Louis, that’s the only difference between momma and I.” I answered his unasked question with a smirk. “I got the bigger boobs, now can we at least move past the introductions?”
Pa’s eyes quickly snapped back to Emily. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to stare, Captain.” He regarded all of us for a moment. “So why are you here?”
“That was straight and to the point. I like him, sis.” I said with a smile.
“Daddy, is it okay if Alex calls you ‘Daddy’?” Emily asked, sounding like a little child. I cringed at the thought of calling anybody ‘Daddy’.
“It’s not okay by me, sis, I’d rather call him father or just ‘Pa’ if it’s all the same.”
“Is that okay with you, Daddy? Can Alex call you ‘Pa’?”
It obviously meant a lot to my sister that her Pa accept me- I just wished she didn’t sound so childish. Her tone was completely out of character. I decided to answer his initial question.
“Pa, the reason we’re here is to prove to Emily that she did indeed project herself forward in time to this date and location. Up until this point in our continuing development she has never been able to use that part of her gift.”
“What’s she mean ‘project yourself forward in time?” Pa looked perplexed.
“Daddy, Alex can travel through time. Together we’ve been to 2026AD, 2026BC, 1865, and 1917.”
He laughed and shook his head. “I just knew you girls were kidding around. No one can move through time like that…it’s impossible.”
“Would you care to place money on that, Pa?” I asked with a devious grin.
“Mr. Scott, I can certainly vouch for Alexandra’s gift of time travel. She and I have been to 2035…to a place called Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I am still not completely understanding of why the civilizations of Earth haven’t advanced farther in the seventy-two thousand years since our arrival.” Andie told Pa with an intensely serious face.
Pa again began shaking his head and laughing. “Seventy…seventy thousand…oh that’s rich…seventy thousand years! You girls are a real hoot.”
“Andie?” I asked, “Could you please remind Emily’s Pa what the name of your ship is?”
“It is Atlantis, Mr. Scott.”
“I’ve never heard her uncle talk of a USS Atlantis, girls.” Pa laughed as he looked to Emily momentarily.
“Not USS Atlantis, sir, Planetary Expeditionary Ship, Atlantis, launched in the Standard Year 235:01:14. We had been traveling between solar systems for ten Standard Years before reaching this beautiful planet.”
Louis Scott’s mouth fell open.
“Would you like to see it, Pa? It is larger than Bridgeport and its suburbs combined.” I asked.
“Is that wise, Alex? Daddy’s not as mobile as he was a few years ago.”
“Commodore? What do you think?” I asked Andie.
“I defer to you, Empress, You have obviously seen the proper course.”
“Empress? Why did she just call you ‘Empress’?”
“That’s Alex’ title, daddy, She’s known throughout the known universes as the Empress of Time and Space.” Emily informed him regally before giggling.
I rolled my eyes in annoyance. “And just when I thought he was starting to believe us, sis.”
“I didn’t get a chance to tell him before, Alex. The two of us disappeared and reappeared before his eyes a little while ago. Why wouldn’t he believe what I just told him?”
“Louis Scott,” I addressed him formally, “Please stand up and take my hand. I will provide transport back to Atlantis.”
“Why do I have to hold your hand, Captain…or Empress…as it were?”
“Because that’s just what y’all need to do, hun, humor the silly blonde.”
“Daddy, just stand up and take Alex’ hand! It won’t kill you.”
Pa immediately stared at Emily in terror.
I reached for, and took his hand. Emily grabbed his crutches and took his other hand in hers. Reggie, and Andie lined up on my other side.
Our quarters on Atlantis appeared around us. Immediately the temporal alarm sounded.
“It’s just us, Dixie. Reset the alarm, hun.” I said in Atlantian as I rephased us.
Pa looked at me strangely. “How did you do that? Where are we, Captain?”
“You are aboard my ship, Mr. Scott. Welcome to Atlantis.” Andie greeted pleasantly in English.
“Dixie, has Prof. Samuels completed her upload of the English language?” I asked the A.I.
“Mom has uploaded a full library of languages and dialects, Empress.” The A.I. answered in good old, American English.
“Good. Could you please state our current location for our father, hun?”
“We are currently orbiting the planet ‘Sol 3’, recently re-designated ‘Earth’ at two hundred and seventy-five miles. Orbital velocity is steady at fifteen thousand feet per second. Next orbital adjustment thruster burn will occur in three hours, twelve minutes, thirty seconds.”
“Thank you, Dixie.”
“You are welcome, Empress.”
“Where is that voice coming from?” Pa asked as he continued to look around the room.
“That is our computational control system, ‘Dixie’. Without her, our journey to this planet would not have been possible, Mr. Scott.” Reggie responded. I was beginning to wonder if she had gone mute on our little trip.
“She’s a machine…a robot?”
“Only in the narrowest of terms, Mr. Scott.”
“Captain, how did you do all this? We can’t really be ON Atlantis…I mean THE Atlantis, right? Atlantis was a mythical city that supposedly sank into the ocean thousands of…years.”
Walking over to the door, I disabled privacy mode and opened the door.
“Come on in girls.” I said to Jack, Ricky Lynn, Cami, and Yuuka. Turning around, I noticed Alex Reilly standing behind Emily.
“So how did you get in here without setting off the detectors, sis?”
“Actually…I think I popped in at the same exact time you popped out, Alex. I may even have fallen asleep on your bed…for an hour…or …two.” Alex Reilly replied, blushing a little.
“How…how can there…there be…two of you?”
“Louis Scott, meet Alexandra Reilly. She’s what I call my temporal twin.” I introduced, though I wasn’t so sure of how much would get through.
“Pa,” I said as I tugged him around, “This is my first officer Lt. Cmdr. Jacquelyn Cummins; Senior Chief Petty Ricky Lynn Samuels; Camille Darough, and Yuuka Sukiro. Cami and Yuuka are part of Alex Reilly’s chapter of our sisterhood from 2026BC.”
“Chapter? Of your…‘sisterhood’? But you two look i…?” Louis Scott began to ask before his attention snapped to Jack.
“How are you doing that?” He gasped.
“Jack is a telepath, Pa. She can do things just by thinking them- that includes mind reading. We call her and Cami our ‘Mind Warriors’.”
“Empress, will you be staying here for a time or will you be heading off in search of Clemson shortly?” Andie asked. I saw Reggie’s face turn sad.
“Actually, I had planned on spending a few days in Bridgeport, Commodore. I just wanted to prove to Pa, here, that we really are who we say- that we can do what we say.”
“You mean that Alex?” Emily gushed. “Can we really stay with Daddy for a few days?”
“Yes…but only if you stop with the ‘Daddy’ all the time. You sound so childish when you say that, sis. Couldn’t you just refer to him as ‘father’ like Alexis does to Tibius?”
“Who is Alexis, Captain?” Pa asked in confusion.
“My youngest daughter, Pa. She was born on a planet called Terra…about a hundred and eight lightyears from here.”
“You have a daughter?”
“Three actually. Cassandra and Samantha are her older sisters. I also have a son, Alexander, three grandchildren and a great grandchild.”
“But you’re so…”
“So young? Thank you, kind sir, but looks can be and usually are deceiving.” I said with a devious smile. “Who wants to go to Bridgeport for some shore leave?”
Nine people joined hands with me.
1400hrs, L. Scott home, Bridgeport, Conn, August 20th, 1944
“It’s a good thing I have a big house.” Pa said just after we reappeared in the living room.
“Regina and I can share a bed, sir. We have done that before.” Andie volunteered with Reggie nodding her approval.
“Nonsense. We have eleven rooms in this house- five of them bedrooms- and plenty of blankets- why, I’ve slept on that sofa for many a night. It’s not that uncomfortable. You girls are welcome to the bedrooms.”
“Daddddd…” Emily started, but stopped as I began to glare at her. “Alex and I have slept together many times in the past. We even shared a bed at Grandmother Demmit’s for a whole week.”
Pa’s mouth opened as Emily said that, but he quickly started to frown. “Was this before or after that Mahanilui thing, girls?”
“Listen, Pa…before our change, I was the perfect gentleman! Emily and I were in agreement that we would wait til after…” I countered, but stopped abruptly to wipe away tears.
“So you were going to be part of this family either way, eh, Alex?” He asked, eyeing me carefully.
“Daddy!” Emily gasped. “How can you be so cold? Can’t you see that she still has a hard time with that?”
“It’s okay, sis.” I said as I touched Emily’s shoulder lightly. “I understand what he meant. It just could’ve been phrased a little differently. Yes, Pa, I loved Emily from the moment I first saw her in Honolulu. My intent was to ask for her hand, but then came my court marshal.”
“Alex, don’t.” Emily whispered as she turned to me in surprise.
“Court marshal? What in the world did you do, Alexandra?” He asked me in shock.
“Another male acquaintance of Emily’s wasn’t through with her, sir. He was intent on using her to get an unsavory story that would blacken the Navy’s eye. I…objected.”
“You…you didn’t kill…?”
“NO! I merely corrected him on his etiquette. He decided to make a scene at the restaurant I had taken Emily to that night.”
“Da…d…I talked to Uncle Rick…told him what really happened. All charges were dismissed. Alex got her own boat instead.” Emily continued quickly in an uncomfortable tone.
“This was…was before…?” Pa motioned to me cautiously.
“Way before, Pa.” I answered instead. “About a year earlier.”
He nodded. “I’ll need to walk down to the corner market and get more grub, it’s not my day to get gas in the car.”
Looking to Alex Reilly and Emily, I said, “leave the meals to us, Pa.”
I offered my two sisters my hands. There was no way a man on crutches could ever manage enough supplies for nine more people by himself!
“Alex, maybe I should come along?” Ricky Lynn suggested as she gently motioned to her regulation handbag.
“Good idea, Chief. Pa, we’ll be back in a few minutes. Jack, why don’t you and Cami tell Pa about some of Sand Dollar’s adventures…keep it general though- he’s Army.” I suggested.
“Aye, Cap, keep it general.”
A thought occurred to me just before I was going to phase out.
“Yuuka, stay among the grown-ups.”
“Awwwww!”
“I’m serious, hun.”
“Oookay.” She said dejectedly.
Pa took notice. Boy was he going to be sorry he pushed Yuuka for an explanation!
“We’ll be back in about an hour, ladies.” I said pausing a moment. “Pa, unless you want to see what Jack and Cami can do, don’t make them angry.” I warned.
A busy city sidewalk appeared. People walked through us at a good pace intent on getting somewhere in a hurry. Twenty-first century cars tooled along on the newer looking concrete street to our left.
“Where are we, Alex?” Emily asked, looking around and up at the multistoried buildings.
“Kansas City. My future twin’s memories say there is a great market district here. We should be able to get everything we need and eat like royalty. Plus, I can charge everything to my Kili account.”
“Ah yes,” Alex Reilly nodded. “The famed ‘Empress Express’ card. I will have to ask Randi to enroll me.”
“Um…where would you use it in your time, Alex?” I asked with my head cocked slightly.
“Weeeeell…there’s the Egyptian Exchange…Phoenician Financial…Sumerian Savings and Loan…” Alex Reilly paused with a broad grin. “And let’s not forget about the Hebrews! But not so much the Romans- their interest rates are usually too high and they want excessive collateral.”
I rolled my eyes at my sister and shook my head to the side several times.
“And I thought you were the incorrigible one, sis!” Emily laughed.
“Maybe I shoulda stayed in Bridgeport.” Prof. Samuels said quietly.
Alex Reilly, Emily and I looked at her with varying degrees of amusement.
“So when are we, Alex?”
“I was shooting for September 12th, 2006, Em.” I said as I looked up into the sky. “About 0900hrs. I suggest we change into something a little more comfortable and ‘timely’.”
I selected and triggered my clothes to change. My dress whites became a pink button-down blouse, a pair of form-fitting, blue denim jeans, and a pair of black, low-heeled boots with knee-high stockings. A blue denim handbag finished out my ensemble.
Alex Reilly chose exactly the same outfit but substituted a peach colored blouse and a peach, cloth handbag instead.
Emily elected to go with a yellow sundress, low cork-heeled sandals, and beige, canvas bag.
Ricky Lynn must have been feeling rebellious. She decided on a skin-tight, lace-topped, black leotard with a black, leather miniskirt, black tights and knee-high, black leather, chunk-heeled, platform boots with chrome buckles. In her hair she had two barrettes, one bat-shaped and the other a skull. She also carried a denim knapsack with something called a ‘Hello Kitty’ appliqué on it.
“Feeling a little ‘Goth’, professor?” I asked in amusement.
“Ya, yer one ta talk, Alex!”
“Moi?” I responded.
“This ain’t no worse then the getup ya wore when I ask’d ya to teach that class at the University up in 2035, Skipper.”
I thought about reaching into my cloth handbag, but realized we hadn’t rephased yet. “I still have the mission broach, Chief. I can bring up that ‘getup’ now if you’d like.”
“Whatever ya wanna wear, Skipper, it’s all fine with me.”
I stood silent for a minute. “Let’s cross the street. The entrance to the shopping district is right over there.”
Finding a small nook where we could rephase, I did just that. The shopping district was teaming with shoppers already. Many an eye focused on the four young women entering from the narrow alleyway- twins, their obvious sister, and the redheaded, Goth chick.
We made our way deeper into the shopping district as we collected everything we would need. Memory told me that Kansas City was reknowned for their stockyards, slaughterhouses, butcheries, and meatpackers second only to Chicago. Memory also told me that this was exactly the right place to stock up on the best cuts of beef and pork… chicken, too.
When all was said and done the ‘Bank of Kili’ had taken a substantial hit and we stopped for lunch- yet we carried only two visible bags of groceries. It amazed me how much Ricky Lynn could fit into her knapsack. There had to be over a hundred and fifty pounds of steaks and chops in there alone, not to mention the six, whole fryers!
“I hope yer dad got plenty of room in the fridge and freezer, Doc. I’d hate fer all this meat ta go bad.” Ricky Lynn said as we ate at one of the eateries in the huge shopping district.
“We’ll use a good bit of it during our stay, professor.” I assured her.
“I really didn’t think you would buy so much Alex. I mean…it’s not like we eat that much anymore.” Emily countered as she looked around the table- at four empty salad plates.
“I was basing the quantity on Jack’s appetite, sis.”
“Oh God Alex, she ain’t…” Ricky Lynn gasped out suddenly.
“No, she’s not, hun, but Reggie is and, based on what I know of Atlantis’ food processing systems, Reggie and Andie are going to go overboard when they taste the ‘real thing’.
I noticed Emily’s mouth drop open a second before she closed her eyes and began to nod to herself calmly.
She swatted me on my shoulder.
“Oww. What was that for?” I asked as I rubbed the possible new bruise.
“For not telling me about Russell and Jack,” She glared at me in anger!
“Time to go freshen up, Emily.” I hurried to say as I quickly took her hand in mine. Pulling her sternly from her seat, we headed back to the restrooms. On the way, I surreptitiously phased us out when I saw the chance.
“Are you crazy, sis?” I asked as I stopped and turned to her- still holding hands.
“What? For finding out that Connie isn’t a Terran?”
“For even thinking that information when you know that ‘Ears’ Cummins might be on Earth and possibly listening!” I hissed in a raised voice. “She is not to find out about Connie until 2030! Until after I tell Connie that I lied to her…that we all lied to her.”
“Lied? Alex, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Why would you lie to Connie about her lineage? She has the right to know who her rightful parents are. Why keep that from her?”
“Look…it has to happen…it has to! I can’t go into it with you at the moment because we need to get back to Connecticut.” I bulged my eyes as a hint.
“Emily, I know it may be difficult, but I need you to think of a place in a different time and deposit what you have just learned from your gift there. I know the memories of how to do it are in there.” I said pointing to her forehead.
“If Jack finds out about what I have done, she will never trust me again! Promise me, sis! Promise me that you’ll hide this from Jack…please?”
Emily eyed me carefully for several minutes. The whole time people walked through us in the busy establishment.
“You almost got yourself killed again, didn’t you? Alex…you have to stop going on all these suicide missions! I want my sister to stay around awhile!” She said as a tear formed in her eye. “I’ll bury your little secret for however long you want, Alex, but don’t think I won’t recall it if you go and do something stupid again! I’m warning you Alexandra Frances Steinert!”
I pulled my sister to me and hugged her tightly.
“Thanks, Emily. And...and I’ll try not to do anything more than I need to do on any given mission.”
“That was your way of promising me you’d be careful? Alex, where, when, or from whom did you take diplomacy lessons?”
“You know as well as I do that I can’t guarantee I’ll be safe on any given mission, Emily. The Empress has to do what she can to right the time stream…dangerous or otherwise.” I replied sadly.
“Like scaring the bejesus out of me when you suddenly let go of us while we were rescuing Cami?”
“So…you remember that. You were just playing along?”
“Yes, Alex! For some unknown reason, I can remember everything that went on- including mother doing just about the same thing only making a whole cache of gunpowder disappear too! Alex, what are you becoming? What are WE becoming? Are we even human anymore?”
“According to mother, we’ll always be human unless we forget who and what we should be.”
“I remember that too, Alex! I remember her telling us not to make the same mistakes she did, and that we need to work together so that won’t happen. So when will you let me work with you, Alex? Really work WITH you?”
Sis, we really need to get back to Connecticut…unless you want to be stuck for a week in Kansas City. I’m sure Ricky Lynn would appreciate all that meat going bad in her pack.”
“This conversation isn’t over, Alexandra. We will be talking about this and many more subjects once we get home!”
“I know we will, sis. Rephasing in three…” Emily backed up to stand next to me as we faced away from the restrooms and toward our table. “Two…one.”
“Youse two have a good chat, Alex?” Ricky Lynn asked as we arrived back at the table and took our seats. The waitress arrived with our check.
“I’ll take this when you all are ready, honey.”
“Y’all are cutting it rather close, aren’t you, sis?” Alex Reilly asked after the girl walked away.
“Just couldn’t be helped. Everyone ready to go?” I asked as I reached into my purse for the money to settle up. I made sure I left a good tip.
“Did Tibius install a currency printer in that thing, Alex?” Ricky Lynn asked in curiosity. “I ain’t never seen ya without the proper bills for a given time period, ever.”
“Like I told y’all before…I never go anywhere without my ‘Empress Express’ card.” I giggled. “I especially like the ‘Debit Card’ feature.”
Once settled up, we found a nice quiet place to phase out.
Pa Scott’s kitchen appeared around us.
“Hey, everyone, we’re back.” I shouted toward the front of the house as we began to unpack. Before long, the kitchen table was filled to capacity with shopping bags. Ricky Lynn was still pulling miniaturized wrapped cuts of meat out of her knapsack and placing them up in the freezer section of the refrigerator.
“Where did all this come from?” I heard Pa ask from the doorway. I looked around just in time to watch him staring at Prof. Samuels as she put the last few wrapped packages of meat away.
“What in the world are those little things, and why put them in my freezer?”
“We thought ya could use a good steak or two, Mr. Scott.” She answered.
“But they’re so small.”
“Not a problem, I just shunk ‘em so’s they wouldn’t take up much space…see?”
The package containing ten Porterhouse steaks began to enlarge in the professor’s hands.
Pa’s mouth fell open and he began to waiver on his crutches.
“Louis…relax, it’s her gift.” I told the man nonchalantly.
“What the…” Pa cried, as he got a little taller. “Put me down…whoever is doing that!”
Jack, Cami, Reggie, and Andie appeared as Pa floated into the kitchen a little farther to clear the doorway.
“Hey, Cap, need help stowing the supplies?”
“This bag can go up to the lavatory, Jack.”
Looking into the bag, she looked at me in relief.
“I was hoping you would get some necessities. I thought I heard that you and Alex would start. So, we’ll be here for a week, huh?”
“That’s the plan, if Pa can stand the company, that is.” I said looking past Jack to see Yuuka fly in and hover a foot in front of me.
“Did you happen to get any honey, Empress? I haven’t had real honey since the Empresses conference.”
Apparently Pa had already gotten over his shock of a five-inch, flying woman in his house.
“Honey?” He asked in confusion.
“Yuuka likes honey, Pa. As a matter of fact, all Pixies like honey- but mostly when in Pixie mode.” I laughed as I looked at the impatient little woman now hovering, but wavering excitedly in altitude, just inches from my face. “Yes, hun, we got you a few bottles of honey. But, since y’all are gonna be a good girl and stay grown-up, they should last all week…right?”
“Point taken, ma’am. I’ll stay out of Pixie mode for the duration.”
“Captain, if the girl needs to…um…stretch her wings during her stay, I see no problem with it.” Pa said as he looked at our small, purple-winged sister.
“I see several reasons why that would be a bad idea.” Alex Reilly said as she turned to face Pa. “One would be the close proximity of the neighboring residences. Yuuka, in passing a window, may be spotted…um…’doing her thing’. I’m sure y’all would have a problem explaining that to an observant passer-by. Secondly, it’s the end of August. Yuuka isn’t going to be happy just flying around indoors. At some point she will venture out into the yard. Again, there is the problem of being seen. Lastly, Louis, I seriously doubt you would appreciate looking into the mirror while shaving in the morning only to see a pixie hovering beside you. Yuuka, the time has come to exit pixie mode and help put away the groceries.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The woman’s dejected voice answered, growing louder as she returned to full size.
“I’m sorry, Yuuka, but the director is right. How could I explain if one of my neighbors saw you? Some of them already think that I’m cursed- losing my wife a few years ago then my foot at the beginning of this war…I can only imagine what the folks around here would say about my having to explain you. They might try to have me committed. Why…to this day, many people believe that I am nothing but an invalid…that I am incapable of doing or holding a normal job. Some even think that I am a coward…that I should still be fighting the Japanese no matter what my handicap.”
“Welcome to the club, Louis. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been leered at, sniped at…looked down upon simply because I’m a woman in uniform. We too are looked at as useless to the military…and, to a certain extent, by our society- except as housewives or entertainment for the troops! Those kinds of people could never see us for what we really are…for what we can do…for our actual worth.” I told him as I looked around to my sisters. “And,” I added, “y’all seem to get around very well on them crutches.”
“Perhaps Mr. Scott can spend a week or so on Atlantis, Empress. Though not advanced to the technical level of your clothing or Reilly Research Facility, we have the technology available to allow Mr. Scott to ‘retro-generate’ the lost appendage.” Andie said after exchanging looks with Reggie.
“Thank you, but no, Sweetie. I can’t allow you to do…whatever it was that you just hinted at. I’ve become accustomed to my ‘limitations’ and made peace with the fact that I will never be normal again.”
“Define ‘normal’, Louis.” I challenged. “Do you think that anything you’ve seen us do today is ‘normal’?” I smiled. “Normal is a relative term, Pa. It’s overused and greatly misunderstood. Take that as fact from the people that truly know.”
“Aye…Skipper’s right, Mr. Scott. Since our change, ain’t nothin’ been ‘normal’ ‘cept maybe the continued development of our gifts. So ya, normal IS overrated.” Ricky Lynn added.
“Still…I’m not a charity case, ladies. I have no problem living my life as I am now. That withstanding, I am not an invalid, and in no way will I ever allow anyone to think otherwise! You girls have already done far too much for me!” Pa said as he abruptly turned and quickly hobbled out into the hallway toward the front of the house.
I quickly placed the bag of flour I had onto the pantry shelf and phased out.
“Look, Pa, we weren’t saying y’all cain’t fend for yourself.” I said as I phased into the foyer a few paces in front of him.
He immediately stopped with a shocked look on his face.
“I’m sorry for our overzealous shopping, but you needed supplies. What you had on-hand couldn’t even satisfy your needs for the week let alone nine others for the same period.
“Out of my way, Captain!”
“She can’t do that father, and neither will I.” Emily said angrily as she materialized by my side. “This is my house too, and I’m the one that determined we needed more food in the house. It was a necessity, not charity to the crippled, old man that just happens to be our father. Is this how you’ve been since being sent stateside? Self-loathing? What would mother think of you?”
“Why don’t you snap your fingers or wave your magic wand to call her and find out?” He challenged angrily.
“It doesn’t work that way, father! This isn’t some science-fiction/fantasy movie…this is the way it is! As crazy as it is, this is real life, father! Now get over yourself and sit down. Dinner will be ready in an hour.” Emily said, pointing into the living room just before phasing out again.
‘Wow, Emily let him have it with both barrels.’ Jack thought to me as I stood off to the side to allow Pa into the living room. He had a stunned look on his face as he awkwardly dropped into his favored chair.
‘How’s Emily doing out there?’ I thought back.
‘She just appeared upstairs crying, Alex.’
‘I’ll go up after I have a talk with Pa. Could y’all put together hamburgers for dinner? Pa likes them with salt, pepper, some grated onion and a little garlic mixed in.’
‘Aye, Cap. Hamburgers for dinner.’
I sat down opposite him on the Davenport.
“I can see how you would perceive our efforts as charity, Pa. We didn’t mean it that way. Emily was right about your pantry being threadbare though. How can you justify starving? You have a decent job and therefore no reason to waste away. Why do that to yourself?” I asked quietly as I looked out the large, living room window.
Pa just stared, away from me, out the same open-draped, window across the room for several long minutes.
“I know how to take care of myself.” He grumbled just above a whisper.
“We never assumed otherwise, Pa. Just so you know, we are just as independent. We never rely on others when we have the means to take care of ourselves, and we always pay our debts. What we bought today? It’s what had to be done if we are to stay with you for the week. Everything you saw has been paid for, but whatever is not used will remain here for you in compensation of lodging expences. As I said…we always pay our debts, sir. In the future some would call it ‘paying it forward’.
“Why a week? Why not three days…or nine days…why exactly a week?”
“Because I am unable to move through time or space when I am menstrating. Before you ask and cringe, that’s just the way it is. I’m sure you now understand the seven day duration.”
Louis Scott nodded, but cringed involuntarily nevertheless when I looked over at him.
“Pa, I know it must be hard for you…” I said as I stopped to look back out the living room window for a moment. “I…I’m sorry that I look like ma, but you must understand that I had no say in the matter. I can’t imagine what went through your mind on first seeing me earlier…”
“Ruth…Alexandra…you say my Ruth is alive? How can that be? I kissed her cold lips goodbye at the funeral…I…I buried her! How did she…? Where has she been all this time? Can I see her?” Pa rattled off quickly. I saw the tell-tale wetness in his eyes.
“Ma…Ruth Scott is alive, Pa. She’s at Pearl visiting with Uncle Rick for the week, or so I’ve foreseen. Where she has been for the last five and a half years is a bit difficult to explain so that you would understand. Let’s just say that Ma did something our sponsors didn’t approve of and they took steps to punish her.”
“She was in jail?”
“Something like that, but it was unlike any jail you would ever want confined to- trust me! Ma was only allowed to watch and listen as life went on without her. She wasn’t able to interact in any way whatsoever… until I became the Empress, that is. I’m sure it was horrible for her.”
“But she’s okay now? You found her and will bring her back to me?”
I sat and looked back out the window a few moments as I decided how to answer that question.
“Alexandra? Will you bring her back to me?” Pa persisted.
“I’m not even sure I was allowed to spring her in the first place, Pa. For all I know I might be taking her place when our current mission is over.” I muttered to myself.
“I don’t understand. Why would you take her place? Aren’t you this ‘Empress of Time and Space’?”
“Apparently, I’m also low man on the Totem Pole. I’ve never seen or spoken to the hierarchy since becoming ‘the Empress’, Pa. I assume Ma has, but she refuses to speak of them to anyone.”
Pa suddenly turned his head toward me and stared, flabbergasted by what he just heard. For a minute or two we remained silent- staring, on and off at each other in contemplation.
“Could she actually have met God?” He whispered to himself. Had I not had my enhanced hearing, I mightn’t have heard.
“I’m not sure she has, Pa. Who knows how high the chain really goes, and I don’t believe for a minute that ‘the Empress’ is that close to the top- not that I’d want to find out, mind you.”
“You don’t even know who you work for? Alexandra, why wouldn’t you ask?”
“First…who would I ask? Secondly, do I really want to know, Pa? Believe me…I’m nowhere near good enough to be an angel or any other god-like entity.”
“Are you kidding me? With what you can do…what any of you can do…and the way you all look? Anyone would be hard-pressed NOT to think of you girls as angels!”
“Thank you for the compliment, Pa, but I’m not talking about looks. I’m takin’ the real deal here. In my travels over the last twelve or so years, I met many people…many cultures, that consider me…as well as my sisters…goddesses. The very thought of being worshipped…uh! It makes me cringe!”
“Twelve years? I thought you said you went through this change of yours back in March? That doesn’t add up.”
“Pa, time doesn’t stop when I travel through it. As with anyone it keeps moving. Because of my military responsibilities I usually return no more than a day or two after I left, so by everyone else’s perspective I’ve only been in this form for about four months. Of course when you spend a few months here, three years there, three years on another planet…”
“I think I understand, captain. Even though you can travel through time, you are still subject to it.”
I nodded.
“So…getting back to your perceived receipt of charity by the Sisters of Kili…we are just trying to help you, Pa. Andie’s offer of medical assistance relating to your foot is a kind gesture. I’m sure she considers that offer as help and not charity too.”
“But how would I explain my suddenly retrogen…re-growing a foot? I can’t imagine the pressure people would put on me to re-enlist…”
“You’ve served our country, Louis! Though not paying the ultimate price, you still paid heavily. You’ve given a part of yourself for your country…that’s more than I can say for those that haven’t lifted a finger to assure it’s freedom!”
“But would they…?”
“You’ve paid your dues, Louis. As long as you have your current discharge papers you can’t be recalled. As for the reacquisition of your missing foot…” I smiled. “You could tell people that you got a prosthesis or…well, I know someone that can be very persuasive.”
“Prosthesis?”
“A wooden foot?” I hinted with a smile and pointed to his missing appendage.
“Oh, but someone persuasive? I don’t understand.”
‘Alex is taking about Cami and I, Mr. Scott. Part of our gift allows us to…suggest…implant specific memories’ Jack thought to both of us. Pa scanned the room and hall carefully for the voice’s owner.
“Jacquelyn Cummins, Pa.” I giggled as I motioned out into the kitchen.
He nodded a few times while looking completely awestruck.
“Ya, you get sorta’ use to it after awhile, Pa.” I smiled, closing my eyes and shaking my head a few times.
I suddenly ‘felt’ someone enter the room.
“Pa, you know you hurt Emily with that comment about charity. She loves you very much and not a day goes by that she doesn’t think or worry about you. She only wants what is best for you and to protect you. She has sisters and friends that can help her do that now. She has Ma’s determination too, as you’ve just seen.”
“She doesn’t have to do that, Alexandra. I’m quite capable of taking care of myself. As you can imagine, I’m so very proud of my little girl. To think…my daughter…Emily… a doctor?”
“She’s very special to me too, Pa. I don’t know what I would have done if she hadn’t been there that morning. Emily helped us all cope that day. I’m also honored she has accepted me as her sister.”
“If I wasn’t looking straight at you, I wouldn’t have believed it, Alexandra. I’m also afraid it’ll take some time to warm to the idea that I have another daughter…of sorts.”
“Um…technically, you have three new daughters, Pa.”
“Three?”
“Me,” I said, “and Alex Reilly,” Alex stuck her head into the doorway, smiled, and waved, “are genetically identical. Andromeda Celeste is actually our half sister.”
“Genetically? Half sister?”
Emily appeared standing in front of the reclining chair in the front right corner of the living room. It was obvious that she had been crying.
“Genetic, as in the information stored inside every cell of our bodies. Our genes tell the body what to do…what it should look like…everything that makes us who we are.” She explained before pausing. She had a sad expression on her face as tears began rolling down her face again. I continued the explanation.
“Andromeda Celeste is the product of a union between the former Empress of Time and Space and her mate on Andie’s home world, Pa. At least that is what I have been told.”
“How is your sister, Alex’s child my daughter?” He questioned.
“She means mother, Daddy. Mother is the former Empress of Time and Space.”
I glared at my sister for her slip in addressing Pa. “Ruth Scott…in another universe…is the Empress, Pa. I know it doesn’t make much sense. You see…we’ve found that there are an infinite number of universes out there,” I said as I tried to explain. “In this and many others, I, Alexandra Francis Steinert, or Alexandra Francis Reilly, am the Empress, but…in some others, Ruth Demmit or Scott assumed the position instead. She received the same gifts as me. Understand?”
“I…I think so.”
“Because of what she may have done, Ruth Scott was imprisoned. After some discussion, we believe that all universal instances of her were also detained as a precaution.”
“So my Ruth suffered because her twin in another universe went afoul? Where is the justice in that?”
“We’re not even sure that theory is correct, Pa. Though there is the saying ‘God works in mysterious ways’. Who knows, I may be asked to fix that ‘glitch’ sometime in the future.” I said raising my upturned hands to shoulder level and shrugging.
Emily stared at me accusingly.
“What?”
“You don’t know? I thought you saw pretty much everything these days, sis?”
“Can you see that particular mission? I mean…if you can, I’d gladly let you take point, Em.”
“I haven’t looked, Alex. I’ve been too busy worrying about you and that Clemson jerk.”
“You haven’t bothered to look into our parent’s futures? Why not?”
“I did look into Pa’s immediate future, Alex! That’s why we’re here. He needed to meet us…needed to meet you…officially this time.”
“Officially? Sweetie, what do you mean, ‘officially’?” Pa gasped out in confusion.
“You and Alex met in 1917, father…in fact, we both met you in 1917.” Emily cried in exasperation.
Louis Scott remained quiet and looked between both of us for several minutes. You could see how deeply he was searching his memories.
Emily decided to help.
“One of our crew can change outward characteristics…physical characteristics, father. Alex had blue eyes for that mission. We stayed at Grandmother’s house for the wedding?”
Pa’s eyes widened immediately!
“That was you? But I almost fell…”
“I’m sorry, Louis, I’m still spoken for, but I’m glad you met and tied the knot with my ‘cousin’, Ruth.” I said to confirm.
Pa sat back heavily into the cushion of his chair. The well-worn chair gave a single high-pitched creak.
“Then I actually danced with…with…my future daughter?” He gulped.
“I’d never been so terrified in my life, Daddy! I thought that you would recognize me any minute while we danced!” Emily admitted as she sat down gracefully in the reclining chair.
“I was so mad at Alex for making me dance with you!”
“Sweetie, how would I have recognized you if I had just met your mother?” Pa said as he looked lovingly to Emily.
“That’s what Alex told me after I calmed down… I understand now.”
Pa looked back at me. “But you danced with Rick. You two looked perfect together…almost like you were a couple.”
“Uncle Rick does have a certain…appeal, but I already knew him, Pa. He’s our commanding officer. Only, not then.”
“As I recall…Rick fell hard for his cousin Allison. He was so depressed when he learned you and…Andrea…,” Pa looked to Emily momentarily, “had shipped off to Europe. Amelia would never talk about Ruth’s cousins…I mean you two. Father Demmit shuddered every time the names Allison and Andrea were mentioned. What did you really do to them?”
“Amy knows all about the sisterhood, Pa. I kinda put the fear of God into Grandfather Roland though.” I admitted, recalling that sad night and the circumstances behind our strange departure.
“Wait…you said ‘Amy knows’, not ‘Amy knew’. Is she…part…?”
“You two will meet at some point, Pa. One revelation at a time though, okay?” I confirmed with a slight nod.
“And I thought I had this life all figured out.”
“You would be amazed at how complicated things really are, Pa. Sometimes I can’t even keep things straight.”
The smell of meat cooking with onions and garlic wafted into the room.
“Burgers are almost ready- how about everyone go get cleaned up?” Jack interrupted from the hallway.
Pa sniffed the air and looked between Emily and I. “How did you know?”
“Come on! You do remember that I still live here, right? I also know what you like, father.” Emily smiled brightly.
“We also have Jack and Cami…just in case.” I added with a giggle.
“Let’s eat.” I said as the first twinge hit me.
“Alex, I really wish you wouldn’t cut things so close.” Emily glared at me suddenly. “What if you started when we were still in Kansas City?”
“Then I would’ve booked us into a hotel suite with a refrigerator.” I said flatly as I rubbed my abdomen gently. “Excuse me for a moment.”
Pa’s face lost some color as I stood up and headed upstairs to take care of things.
1000hrs, L. Scott home, Bridgeport, Conn, August 21th, 1944
“I’ll get it!” I shouted to the back of the house as I walked to the front door.
I took a few seconds to prepare myself for the confusion and questions I knew would be coming from the person on the other side.
“Hi there. Can I help you?” I said, opening the door.
The middle-aged women’s pleasant expression changed drastically.
“Ruth? But I thought you…”
“Alex? Who’s at the door, sis?”
“Emily? But I thought you were…” The woman glanced at Emily for a moment then immediately back at me, “you were in…um…Norfolk?”
“Mrs. Sullivan? Hi! No, Alex, Allie, and I, and some of our crewmates had some leave and we decided to come back east to visit Daddy. Come on in.” Emily smiled cheerfully as she motioned the woman in.
I stood aside to allow our guest to enter. Her eyes never left me.
“So you’re Mrs. Sullivan? Emily told us that Daddy met someone! I’m sorry I haven’t been home to meet you before.” I said offering my hand. “We’ve been pretty busy the last six years.
Doris Sullivan slowly took my offered hand and shook it limply. “You look so much like her.”
“So we’re reminded every time we come back home, ma’am. Even Daddy has a hard time with the similarities these days.” I said as I cringed inside. ‘Daddy’ indeed, I thought!
“I’m told that Emily is the spitting image of Grandmother Demmit, though we haven’t found any photographs to prove it.”
“Mrs. Sullivan, this is one of my older twin sisters, Alexandra. Alex, Doris Sullivan.” Emily formally introduced us.
“I’m sorry, Alexandra, I just can’t get over the resemblance.” Sullivan apologized.
“Call me Alex, ma’am.”
Emily suddenly looked over to me in surprise. Looking back at my sister, I surreptitiously shook my head side to side a few times.
“Is Louis home?” The brown-haired woman in the dark blue, knee-length dress asked as she regarded Emily and I with confusion.
“He’s out back with Allison and the others.” Emily informed her, still holding her smile.
“Yes, we noticed the yard needed some attention, so we decided to give Daddy some help.” I said as I fought the urge to vomit. I turned to lead the way through the house.
“Daddy? Mrs. Sullivan’s here.” I said, cringing again internally as I announced his visitor. I really wished Emily called her Pa something more dignified, but since everyone knew that she referred to him as ‘Daddy’, I was obliged to comply.
‘I already let Allison and… ‘Daddy’ know, Alex.’ Jack thought to me with noticeable humor.
Great! I wondered how long they would tease me about this?
“Doris! I’d fogotten you would be over to check up on me today. I see you’ve met Alexandra…”
“Alex.” I deadpanned.
“Alex.” He restated. “This is her twin sister, Allison. Allison, meet Mrs. Doris Sullivan.” Pa introduced.
“Ma’am. Nice to meet you, Emily’s told Alex and I all about you. I feel like we’ve already met.” ‘Allison’ said pleasantly as she walked over and offered her hand.
“I never knew you had twins, Louis- you never said anything…”
“Both girls have been away serving in the Navy, Doris…when Ruth died…I…well…I guess it slipped my mind. Can you two forgive me?” Pa asked as he looked shyly at ‘Allison’ and I.
“I understand, Louis. Losing the one you love can be…all-encompassing.” Doris Sullivan comforted as she touched his forearm lightly.
“Don’t worry about it, Daddy. Alex and I understand too. We try not to remind you of Momma, but…well, we really can’t help it.” Alex Reilly- ‘Allison’- said sadly. I noticed her cringe slightly as she said that word too. “That’s kind of why we don’t visit that often.”
“So where are you stationed, dears?” Sullivan asked curiously.
“We’re all stationed in the Pacific, ma’am.” Emily answered first.
“Oh…Pearl Harbor?”
“No/Yes/Yes.” Allison, Emily, and I answered at the same time.
“I’m sorry?”
“We are stationed at Pearl, ma’am, but we could be assigned anywhere in the Pacific…wherever we’re needed…at whichever forward hospital we’re needed.” I told her.
“Oh my! I thought women didn’t serve on the front lines?”
“”Oh no…we’re sent to the forward hospitals, ma’am, not the front lines! The hospitals are usually on islands well behind the lines, but close enough for us to get the wounded quickly,” I specified.
“Mr. Scott, we’re just about done out here. What else needs doing?” Jack asked as she casually walked over to us. “Good morning, Mrs. Sullivan. I’m Jacquelyn Cummins…Lt. Jacquelyn Cummins.”
“Oh, my…how did you know my name, dear?”
“Yes, Jack…how did you know her name?” I asked my Ex-O through pursed lips.
“I couldn’t help overhearing, Alex. This yard isn’t that big.”
“I think we’ll take a break, Jacki. You, Cami, Yuuka, and Ricky Lynn should go in and have something to drink. Andie and Reggie? Could you come here please?” Pa called out.
“Doris, I’d like you to meet my nieces, Andromeda and Regina Celeste from the Demmit’s side of the family. Girls, this is my neighbor, Doris Sullivan. Doris lost her husband in China, 1941. He was with the volunteer ‘Flying Tigers’.”
“We’re sorry for your loss, Mrs. Sullivan. Our condolenses.” Andie said taking the woman’s hand.
“Thank you, ladies.” Doris said politely as she looked up at them. Andie easily had nine inches on her- Reggie almost ten.
“Uncle Lou, we’ll be in the kitchen.” Andie said as she and Reggie opened the door and entered the house.
Mrs. Sullivan turned to the kitchen door after they disappeared inside.
“Yuuka…that is a strange name. I don’t think I’ve heard of it before.”
“Yuuka’s mother was Japanese-American, Mrs. Sullivan. She was one of the civilian casualties in the attack on Pearl. Yuuka is really squeamish about telling people though. She doesn’t get treated too well once people learn her name means ‘Little Flower’ in Japanese.” I told her sadly. “I mean…she’s just as American as the rest of us.”
“Little Flower…Japanese you say? Why…I don’t see any Oriental in her at all. Why would people draw such conclusions from just a name? That is simply absurd.”
“You wouldn’t believe the names we’ve been called in our travels, ma’am. Women in the military aren’t exactly welcomed with open arms either.”
“Well, I for one wouldn’t assume that at all, Alexandra. My husband Ralph- God rest his soul- wrote several times about a young Chinese girl that stayed on their base in Burma. He wrote that she constantly tried to help our boys. She helped load bombs…refill the machine guns…helped to pump gasoline into their planes… He wrote that nothing seemed out of her capability- that she did it to help her country regain its freedom. I believe Ralph would have adapted her and sent her back here to Bridgeport if he were still…” Doris said as she started to wipe tears from her eyes.
Memories of our recent trip to the Homeworld came crashing back to me.
“I’ve met several women with that degree of commitment, ma’am- willing to give their lives for what they believed in. I felt very honored to be in their presence- even if that time was short.”
I felt a stray tear roll down my left cheek.
Pa, Emily, ‘Allison’, and Mrs. Sullivan’s faces suddenly dropped.
“Oh…OH, you poor dears! How could I be so oblivious? Of course you’ve seen your share…being that close to the war. I’m so sorry, Alexandra…Emily…Allison…please forgive me?”
“It’s okay, ma’am. We’ve made peace with what happened. I’m sorry.” I replied as I lifted my head back up to look at her, Pa, and Emily. I hadn’t noticed my gaze had even sunk to the ground. Allie looked at me as she too wiped her face dry.
“She did what she had to do, Alex…no matter what…they both did what they felt had to be done.”
The memories reasserted themselves!
“I need some air.” I said quickly as I felt my nose fill and my lungs constrict. I hurried through the door and through the house to the front porch. Leaning hard on the side railing, I let my tears flow. I vividly remembered my own assassination that day and every part up to that point!
If only I could be that courageous!
I had lost a part of myself that day…a big part. More importantly, I had lost a sister and valued friend too. Peyton was just as courageous for sticking to her twisted conviction to find a way back home. I couldn’t fault her for that.
“Alex, what was that all about? Mrs. Sullivan is completely beside herself for causing you to relive some horrific memory. Both you and Allie ran off to separate corners of the property. Care to talk about it, sis?”
“You wouldn’t understand even if I explained, Emily.” I said while sniffing and forcibly wiping my face.
“Try me, Alex. Sisters can tell each other things they can’t talk about to others, remember?” She paused a second. “Okay, Jack, I have the captain. Give them a little time, I’m sure both will be alright in a few minutes.”
I remained silent hoping she would give up.
“Is the Skipper going to be okay, Doc?” Ricky Lynn asked quietly from behind us.
“Just a recurrence of PTSD, Ricky Lynn, she’ll be right in a few minutes. Tell Daddy and Mrs. Sullivan they’ll both be okay in a few. Alex and I are going over to the park for a while. Jack might want to suggest the same for her, Cami, and Allie.”
“Aye, will do, Doc. Ain’t never seen the skipper lose it like that before- not both o’ them. Musta’ been something wicked horrible to affect both ‘em- and Jack an’ Cami to a lesser extent!”
“She’ll talk about it when she’s ready, Professor.” Emily told her quietly.
“Roger that, I’ll go talk with Jacki and Camille now.”
“Come on, Alex, let’s walk.” Emily said while gently taking my hand and guiding me off the porch. We walked to the next block and across the street into the small park.
“Sisters share secrets…remember, Alex?” She pushed.
“I…” I started, paused to take another breath, and started over.
“I…I saw myself murdered.” I said very quietly. “On the Homeworld…I saw me of the Homeworld…get murdered…by…by her Peyton.”
Emily gasped loud enough the whole block could hear.
Her arms immediately enveloped me. “Alex…I can’t even begin…um…to begin to imagine…”
“I’m sorry, Emily. I should have buried it deeper.”
“No you shouldn’t have, Alexandra! You should have told me right after your return! We could have talked it through then, instead of letting it fester this long. When will you learn that we are here for each other, sis? Stop trying to handle everything by yourself!”
“I don’t want you to worry…”
“Worry! What do think I’m doing now, cheering for you? Honestly, Alex, I constantly worry about you! Every time you go on one of your missions without me…every time I feel a migraine coming on…every…every time I feel the world change the slightest bit…every time I worry that you may not be coming back! You’re my sister, Alex!”
Emily squeezed me tighter.
“I don’t want to lose you.”
On our way back, we met up with Allie and Yuuka. Allie seemed to have recovered as both were talking normally to each other.
“So…I take it Yuuka knows?” Emily asked me. Allie and I nodded.
“Jack and Cami too.” I added.
“You know…if either one of you ever feels you need an ear…” Emily stopped short as she looked toward a bench occupied by Jack and Cami. Ricky Lynn was standing in front of them with a hand on her hip. It appeared Jack and Cami, both, were getting a good talking to.
“Seriously? The next time you two need someone ta talk to, I’d like ya both to consider me! An’ why on Earth would youse just assume the Skipper’s okay with something just ‘cause she ain’t shown it? You both know she’s not the type to want to worry anybody else.” Samuels said before changing hips.
“Honestly, I got no clue how she does it…how she done it so long, an’ not completely freaked. The girl’s got major issues and conflicts swirlin’ round that head o’ hers and never…never does she ask for even the kindest ear- not even Doc can get through to her most times! Alex has to get it through that thick head o’ her’s that we’re here for her…them- she…they needs to give the rest of us a chance to be her sisters for real an’ not just virtually.” Prof. Samuels paused as she apparently noticed Jack and Cami’s attention shift.
“An’ she’s right behind me, ain’t she? Hope you heard the whole conversation, Skipper, cause I meant ever last word and I ain’t about to recant a syllable of it. Take it or leave it…that’s the way I feel, Alex!”
“As a matter of fact, Yuuka and I were saying pretty much the same thing, Professor. And, I’ve told Captain Steinert about her stubborn streak many times. What escapes me is how two people with the ability to read minds disable it when most needed!”
“And you’ve used your gift to its full ability, Emily?” Cami asked, glaring up at my sister. “How long have you known that you could phase like Alex?”
“Ever since I saw Mina do it at base the other day.” Emily paused a moment and sighed. “I guess deep down I’ve always felt it was possible…God, how I wished it were possible! Every day since that day she passed out in the Con, I’ve wished I could do even half the things Alex can! I’ll be the first to admit that I envy you, Alexandra Steinert.”
I lowered my eyes to the ground. I sensed Allie did too.
“You have no idea what you’re saying, Emily. I wouldn’t wish this ability on anyone…not in a hundred million years.” I said just above a whisper.
“And why not? So you wouldn’t have to worry about me, Alex?”
“No, sis,” Allie answered at the same low volume level I had, “the things we see…the things we know…dates, times…losses…casualities…it is the burden of the Empress and her alone. No one else should have that information constantly barraging them day after day…”
“Ricky Lynn, you say we should talk about things more…that we should share our concerns or problems…what we’ve seen or experienced?” I said a little louder as I looked at Jack, Cami, and her. “How can we convey that we’ve seen our sisters’ futures through hundreds of permutations and expect unbiased conversation?”
I took a deep breath and let it out as I looked around the deserted park.
“Look…Alex and I…as well as Jack, Cami, and Yuuka went to the Homeworld. When we arrived we were met by Jacquelyn Cummins…”
Ricky Lynn gasped and turned to Jack, who nodded.
“Jack, Peyton, and I had mutinied to save this universe from certain destruction after our mission to 1945 Poland. Alex, Jack, and Peyton arrived on the Homeworld approximately twenty-seven hundred years before it’s demise. The three had it very tough at first as they were treated as outcasts or…I believe the future term would be ‘freaks’? When Alex, Jack, Cami, Yuuka, and I arrived, that Jack, Alex, and Peyton took us to Avalon…”
“Avalon! Alex that was supposed to be the mythical city in the King Author legends! You mean to tell us it actually existed?” Prof. Samuels interrupted excitedly, but quickly hushed, as a woman with a small child appeared on the street not far off.
I waited until I knew they were out of earshot.
“The place was huge…all whitewashed with high buttresses and pennants, drawbridge, and two-foot thick doors… Anyway, it turned out that we had arrived just as enemy forces were forming up to siege the castle. Alex, Jack, and Peyton hadn’t revealed themselves or their gifts to that point.”
I took another deep breath.
“Let me, sister.” Allie said as she placed her hand lightly on my forearm. “We were still at our monthly disadvantage when something miraculous happened. Alexandra…the Alex of the Homeworld…phased out and reappeared next to one of the allied warlords. There was no possible way she could’ve done that if we’d all synced up…which we had. Nevertheless, Alexandra showed the man what we could do. After that the three of us began strategizing for the emergence…the ‘grand debut’ of the Empress on the Homeworld. What we choose to ignore was the treachery…and the successful outcome it would initiate.”
I tapped Allie gently on the arm to indicate I could continue.
“What followed was the mysterious relocation of all outlying villages around the vacinity of Avalon to just outside its walls. As the attackers approached, an impossible shield enveloped Avalon and her new suburbs. The enemy forces found it impenetrable.”
“Can we guess where that came from?” Emily shook her head a few times while staring at Cami and Jack.
“The three Empress’ divined the locations of the three key warlords conducting the siege and transported them to one of the secured villages to talk peace.”
I could feel myself start to tremble at this point in our narrative. Emily squeezed my hand a little tighter.
“While we were trying to convince all parties that we were serious about peace, Peyton appeared behind Alexandra and took her at knifepoint. She demanded Alexandra take her home to Eygpt.”
“OH, SHIT!” Ricky Lynn exclaimed with a gasp.
“We had no choice but to reveal to Peyton that her hostage, Alexandra, was over a thousand years old- that she had come back on a one-way mission…her last.”
I squeezed Emily’s hand tighter, hoping to draw the strength I needed to get this out.
“Allie and I tried to talk Peyton out of it. Yuuka and two new pixies, Mei Lee, and Ally even tried an aerial attack. In the end, we had to let our shared vision manifest.”
Jack, Cami, and Yuuka began wiping their eyes.
“All it took was a few quick plunges of Peyton’s dagger. Alexandra fell to the ground…she didn’t even struggle!
I paused to wipe my eyes in vain.
“As she lay there dying, she asked if she had succeeded in solidifying the planet’s future peace.”
I wiped, unsuccessfully, at my tears again.
“She passed in my arms and began to dissolve into a bright, bluish-white light.”
Emily again wrapped her arms around me. She was crying as much, if not more.
Cami had stood up and wrapped her arms around Allie. Yuuka stood between the two of us and tenderly held both our arms.
Jack now took over to tell the last portion of the tragedy.
“Allie pulled Alex away from Alexandra’s body fearing Alex would start to disappear too. Meanwhile, Cami, Jacquelyn, and I had restrained Peyton. She was desperately pleading with us to end her suffering- all the while begging for forgiveness. Knowing that she could never return to this universe permanently, the three of us decided to honor her first request…to…to end…her suffering…”
Jack and Cami both began crying harder and Jack didn’t continue for a long minute.
“Jacquelyn, in response to what we should do, recounted something she had read from the so-called ‘Book’ or ‘Tome of the Empress’; she had reviewed it while on one of their trips forward in time. The passage she quoted told of the very day we were living. It described how blood rained down from the heavens that day…the day the Empress gave her life for her Homeworld. Even Peyton thought it fitting in a brief moment of clarity…right…right before our triad of Mind Warriors took her life at fifteen thousand feet.”
“Oh my God! Jack…Cami…you didn’t?” Emily cried.
“I’m afraid we did. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do…the hardest thing either of us had ever done, Doctor Scott.” Cami admitted between sniffs.
“Traitor or not, we lost two sisters that day.” I said solemnly. “The worst part of the whole mission was knowing what had to happen, but not being able to tell anyone for fear it might change things. Can you imagine how the conversation would go if Allie and I were to share all our premonitions?”
“I think it’s time we got back to the house, ladies.” Jack said suddenly.
Allie and Yuuka slowly turned and started home. Ricky Lynn looked conflicted, but finally followed my sister and the Pixie.
“Andie and Reggie started making lunch. I suggest we get back before we are served the ‘Atlantis’ special.” Jack explained further. Her face now displayed a neutral expression instead of sadness.
“What in the world is that?” Emily asked.
“I really don’t want to find out, do you?” Jack said with a tense smile.
“You’re just as bad as Alex, Jacki Cummins!” Emily declared after she realized Jack had purposely changed the subject. “How can you lock away all those memories like they never happened? Doesn’t it bother you?”
“It bothers me a great deal, Emily, but we all have things we hide from each other, don’t we- things we don’t want our sisters to worry about?”
“That’s enough, Jack. This only illustrates why I withhold things- it causes disagreements and arguing. Let’s catch up with Allie, Yuuka, and the professor.”
“Are you two going to be okay, Alex?” Pa asked with much concern as Allie and I entered the large kitchen. Andie and Reggie were busy over at the stove. The aroma didn’t smell half bad.
Without answering Pa, Allie and I turned to Mrs. Sullivan.
“Please, ma’am, forgive us for that emotional display.” I started with my head lowered slightly.
“Recently we both went through a traumatic experience and it still haunts us from time to time.” Allie continued. “We lost two of our dearest friends…”
“We try to push it out of our minds…not dwell on it…but…it’s difficult.” I concluded.
“Its okay, girls. Though I don’t know the specifics, I do know the feeling of losing someone close. While you’re on leave, if you ever need to talk to somebody…”
“My sisters have standing offers from both me and our crewmates, Mrs. Sullivan, but thank you.” Emily told the kind neighbor. She smiled. “Would you care to stay for lunch?”
“It does smell enticing. I think I might. What do you call it, girls?” Sullivan asked the Celestes.
“Rap-saur-olay.” Andie replied. It was more of a pronunciation than a real word since there was no formal translation- her suit simply defaulted temporarily to Atlantian.
“I’ve never heard of it. What is in it?” She asked in curiosity.
I rolled my eyes, anticipating the response.
“Fresh onions, garlic, cabbage, carrots, starchroot, sodium chloride, ground peppercorn, feathered raptor, and feathered raptor reduction.” Reggie recited with a big smile.
It was obvious that some of her native words didn’t translate.
Mrs. Sullivan’s mouth dropped open as she stared at the two. She mouthed the phrase ‘Feathered Raptor’ several times in confusion.
“Will you two stop fooling around? Just say that you’re making chicken goulash. We don’t need to sicken any doctors’ stomachs, Reggie! We’re on leave.” Emily growled in annoyance. “Honestly…feathered raptor? Sheesh!”
Mrs. Sullivan’s expression showed understanding.”Well, you certainly had me guessing. I’ve never heard chicken called ‘feathered raptor’ before, but what is sodium chloride?”
“Table salt, Mrs. Sullivan.” Ricky Lynn said. “Sodium chloride-NaCl- is the chemical designation for common salt.”
“And feathered raptor reduction?”
“Chicken broth.” Allie and I chorused and began giggling as we turned to exit the room and set the dining room table.
“So how did we do, Alex? Reggie asked as Allie and I washed the lunch dishes.
“It tasted fine, but next time use some flour to thicken it up, hun.” I answered. “Where did you get that recipe if I might ask?”
“We made it up. Neither of us could remember the exact formula so we adjusted it by tasting the ingredients before we put them in. I think it tasted amazing for a first try.”
Why did I suddenly imagine one of those two biting into the onion like an apple and then sticking their fingers into the concoction as they slowly assembled it?
Dinner consisted of stuffed pork chops, mashed starchroo…potatoes, and green bean almandine…or clorostrings and slivered nutmeat as Reggie called them. Emily had pulled the recipe from her future self’s memories. Pa, for his part declared he had never tasted anything like it before. Andie and Reggie had moaned in satisfaction all through dinner as they savored each and every bite.
“So where did you really get that recipe from, sis?” I asked as I sat on my side of the bed after commanding my clothes to transform into a short-sleeved, pink, silk, pajama shorts set.
“Grandmother Demmit…Amy, gave it to my future self…” She paused as she thought about something. “Twenty years from now. What did you really think of it?”
“It was amazing! What kind of cheese did you use?” I asked as I smiled brightly in interest.
“Asiago. I think it’s some kind of Italian cheese. One of those…um…cheesemongers asked if I wanted to sample it when we were in Kansas City the other day. I couldn’t believe how good it tasted. It reminded me of the dish then and there. So, do you think Andie and Reggie liked it?”
“Are you kidding? I thought both of them were going to…um…embarrass themselves, they were moaning so much!”
“It WAS getting a little hot at the table, wasn’t it?” Emily giggled as she moved her legs onto the bed under the sheet.
I shook my head, recalling the scene. “I wonder what Pa thought?”
“I’m not sure, but he looked really uncomfortable.” Emily laughed. She suddenly quieted down and the look on her face told me that we were going to have a serious conversation.
“Alex?” She started and paused.
“Alex, what will happen to mother? I mean now that you brought her back?” She paused a moment.
“Just let me know if you can’t answer. I’ll understand and let it drop.”
“Ruth Scott is now free from her incarceration. She has received her second chance and will never again let greed influence her actions.” I revealed.
Tears of joy appeared in my sister’s eyes as she leaned over and hugged me tightly.
“Will she and Daddy…” she started to ask as she sat straight. I glared at her. “Will she and father get back together?”
“That is her decision, Emily. Remember that the Ruth Scott you met might not be from this universe. For her to remain might invite imbalance to this or another universe. If you mean will her twin in this universe possibly re-emerge, I’m not sure. If she did, there would be a major rewrite of the timeline.” I answered as best I could.
“Oh…so that probably is a no, right?”
“Use your own gift, sis. You might have better luck since you have stronger ties toward her. Don’t forget to consider all the small details in your simulations though. That’s how I got into trouble the first time with Rogue Alex. I neglected to consider her decision to stay.”
Emily nodded silently as she looked into my eyes. I looked back into hers for a moment before lying down, turning to face away from her, and pulling the sheet over me.
“Why don’t you sleep on it, sis?” I said. “Good night.”
0800hrs, L. Scott home, Bridgeport, Conn, August 24th, 1944
“Morning, Allie. Sleep well?” Pa asked as he entered the kitchen. I had just finished making a full batch of pancakes and had sat down at the smaller kitchen table with my usual four-stack.
“Not bad, and I’m Alex by the way. There’s plenty of hotcakes if you want some; help yourself, Pa. Butter an’ syrup’s on the counter.”
“These smell good. Did you make them yourself, sweetie?”
“Coffee too- hope you like it a little stronger.”
“You know…you girls are going to spoil me. I won’t know what to do when you leave in a few days.”
I stopped eating a moment and closed my eyes to think on that.
“You’ll eat good for two more weeks before you have to go shopping for groceries. By that time things will be back to normal again. Emily and I will try to visit more often once the war is over, Pa.”
“I take it you already know when that will be?”
I gave him a tense smile before re-engaging my breakfast.
“Does it ever get mundane…I mean…do you ever wish you couldn’t see the future, Alexandra?”
“There have been times,” I admitted. “I just have to stiffen my chin and plow on…no matter how I feel about what I’m required to do.” I said soberly.
“How do you do it? How do you keep going? There can’t be any of the regular ‘thrill’ of heading into the ‘unknown’ for you.”
“Time isn’t as straight forward as you would think, Louis. It still throws little clinkers and caveats. Take, for instance, our ongoing problem. Darren Clemson.” I said after swallowing a forkful of pancake.
“So what did this guy do…what could he do to the Empress of Time and Space, Sweetie?”
“To keep it simple, the guy stole a time machine from Ricky Lynn, Louis. He was a grad student that wooed his way into her heart then made off with the machine to change what he felt were inexcusable ‘errors’ in Earth’s history.”
“That was simple alright. So how does that affect you?”
“Louis, he’s completely erased our existence four times, and partially erased us three time now.”
Louis Scott sat down, abruptly, next to me with a dumbfounded look.
I continued to explain.
“Pa, even the Empress had a beginning- a place where she started- a point in time where she became the Empress. Think if someone somehow stopped that from happening.”
“Then you wouldn’t have become the Empress?”
“Correct. Now think about the twelve or so years I’ve already been realigning the time line- how many people I’ve interacted with…saved in some way.”
He paused for a moment to consider my question.
“None of it would have happened.” He replied quietly.
“Louis, I haven’t just visited Earth’s history, I’ve visited other planets, visited two different universes, and even visited different dimensions in our own universe. Those visits weren’t just social calls. Pa, Clemson’s tried to stop the Great Flood, save Joan of Arc, revise the American Revolution, sabotage my submarine, and even dismantle my crew among other things.” I explained, slamming my fork onto my plate, as I got angrier.
Louis Scott’s eyes opened wide as he stared at me. From the reflection in his eyes, I noticed the bluish glow I was giving off.
“His ‘trying to remake Earth’s history so it fits the history books’ snowballs to the rest of this universe and even rolls over to all the universes where the Empress exists. In essence, he’s dooming everyone and everything. Period!”
“Is our Earth so important, Alexandra?”
“Since it’s the one place where the Empress of Time and Space began- yes! Look, if the Empress doesn’t exist, who’s going to fix all the hiccups…save all the lives they would destroy? Who would travel to the different universes to begin the Empress there?”
“You started the Empress in these other universes?”
If I hadn’t gone to Alex Reilly’s universe and rescued her whole research station from getting eaten by their sun, I would’ve never become Empress. And, if I hadn’t traveled to another universe, the Empress there…” I paused as I fought hard to push away that memory, “she would still be a he and her branch of the sisterhood would’ve never existed. “I’m sorry,” I admitted, “my existence is nothing but a complex, twisted, confusingly infinite, paradox.”
Pa nodded and stared into his coffee cup. I felt what I said did nothing to make him understand how important it was to have the Empress around so decided I needed to tell him one more thing.
“Pa…if I hadn’t become the Empress, Emily, the entire crew of the Sand Dollar, and the indigenous people of Kili Island would have died last spring. If we hadn’t gone through the Mahanilui, we would have been attacked and sent to the bottom of the Pacific. You would have received a letter from the War Department instead of a visit from your daughters and their friends.”
“Hey, why didn’t you wake me up, Alex?” Emily said as she entered the kitchen. “Pancakes, huh? Gee, I wouldn’t have expected those for breakfast.” She said sarcastically as she walked over to the cabinet and took out a plate.
“Alexandra and I were talking- a little ‘getting to know you’ talk, sweetie.”
“Really? I could have sworn you two were talking about my sister’s gift and all the ramifications thereof.”
“How could you see all that if we stopped that conversation before you came down?” Pa asked in astonishment.
“I could hear you two out in the hallway. I’ve been standing out there for about ten minutes listening.” Emily giggled.
“Alex, Mrs. Sullivan is going to be here at ten minutes to eleven. Are you ready for the confrontation?” Emily asked nonchalantly as she sat down across from me with her breakfast plate.
“Confrontation? What do you mean, Sweetie?” Pa asked, being caught off guard.
“With your help, sis, things will go alright. Are you willing to use your gift a little more?”
“Unless you’ve seen another way…”
“Hey everybody! Empress, where did you put the honey?” A bright and energetic Yuuka greeted us as she rushed into the kitchen.
“Pancakes are on the stove and the honey is up in the right cabinet on the shelf above the spices. You should be able to reach it in your grown-up form, hun.” I answered, though obviously not in the manner the Pixie expected as she glared back at me with an angry scowl.
“Scowl all you want, pixie, but Mrs. Sullivan is coming over in less than an hour and a half. You’ll have to wait until Emily and I leave with her before you can have some flight time.”
“Hey, sis. Doris still going to try and ‘out ‘ us this morning?” Allie asked, as she appeared in the doorway with Cami, Jack, and Ricky Lynn, close behind.
I nodded. “Yup. The neighborhood conspiracy theorist is due just before eleven.” I sighed.
“Sure you don’t need my help?” She asked with a hopeful look.
“It’ll be fine, sis. Emily will be there to liven things up, and Jack or Cami will be listening in. If you want, you can fill Andie and Reggie in on what is going to happen once we’re cleared for travel. Where are those two?”
“They went for a walk just after dawn this morning, Alex. They were saying something about taking advantage of natural gravity to get some exercise. I think it was more ‘cabin fever’ than anything else.” Jack replied as she placed three hotcakes on her plate.
“There is a difference in feel, Alex,” Cami went on, reaching into the cabinet for her own plate. “Artificial gravity doesn’t affect the body equally like natural gravity. I noticed it right away when we first landed on Earth.”
It was odd not to see plates floating around the kitchen like they normally did when not at sea- it almost felt…wrong. Still, after an hour we had all finished breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen. Andie and Reggie of course were the last to eat and now we all decided to go out and find a seat on the front porch. As expected, Yuuka paced the width of the porch, back and forth. It was blatantly obvious that she was going through ‘pixie withdrawal’.
“I think I’m going back in the house if you don’t mind.”
“Feeling agitated, hun?” I asked with a giggle as the other girls joined me. “Honestly, hun, you’ve been flitting around as if you were already in pixie mode the whole time.”
“I…I can’t help it. I’m feeling anxious, my head hurts, and my skin is soooo itchy!”
“Then your path is clear, Yuuka,” Andie said with a smile. “You must scratch the itch and indulge in that which relieves the stress.”
Yuuka shook her head and looked at her. “Huh?”
Reggie rolled her eyes, sighed heavily, and walked over to the confused, full-grown pixie. She passed her and gently pulled open the screen door. “Take flight, Pixie, but be mindful of the windows and prying eyes.” She said as she motioned the already diminishing girl into the house. Yuuka had lost at least ten inches as she disappeared inside.
“She reminds me of this old drinking buddy of mine. He acted the same way when he tried to sober up after a few days.” Pa told us as he looked at the closed screen door. “So you can get addicted to being a pixie…huh.”
“Think of how you would feel if you could fly…go anywhere you wanted on your very own set of wings. Think of how liberating that would be, Dad.” Emily said in her professional voice.
“I’m thinking it isn’t just Yuuka, girls. I’ve noticed how you, Emily, have changed ever so slightly. You seem to be more outgoing…like your mother- not like when I left you at the train station four years ago. Then, you were more reserved and a little unsure of yourself.”
“Daddddd.”
“And you two, Alexandra. I’m sure the freedom of being able to go anywhere or anytime you want is very exciting? To be able to leave when you want…”
“You’re absolutely right, Pa,” Allie agreed. “The same can be true of Jack and Cami. They can do almost anything they want…just by thinking it.”
“Almost,” Cami said as her face saddened along with Jack’s. “Of all of us, we by far, must remain calm and be extremely careful with our gifts, Mr. Scott. One wrong thought and people could die.”
“Alex, Mrs. Sullivan is coming. She just closed her door and is four houses away.” Jack informed us.
“Well, that’s my cue to request that Andie, Reggie, Cami, Jack, and especially you, professor join me out back for a few minutes.” Allie said as she stood and headed for the front door.
“Hi, Louis. Girls, are you enjoying your leave?”
“It’s hard to get used to, ma’am. I feel like I’m somehow not doing my job- especially right now.” I answered for Emily and I.
“And I’m still feeling overwhelmed by all the pretty girls suddenly showing me so much attention. How are you today, Doris?”
“Oh, me? Well, I haven’t been sleeping too well the last few nights, Louis.”
“Oh? Is the heat getting to you?”
Doris Sullivan looked at Emily and I a few seconds longer than would be considered polite.
“I’ve…I’ve had some things on my mind. Girls, would it bother you if I asked some questions…about things that have been nagging at me?”
“I’m sure Alex and Emily would be happy to answer any questions you may have, Doris- wouldn’t you girls?” Pa answered politely then motioned to our guest. “Have a seat.”
“Of course, Daddy, anything she wants to know…except top secret stuff.” I said with a smile as I closed my eyes.
Easy there stomach.
“Girls, I’ve lived down the street for five years now and not once have I seen you twins in all that time. I understand that you two have been serving in the navy and all, but why…”
“Why haven’t you seen us before?” I finished her question.
She nodded.
“We’d been stationed on the West Coast. Although officers, junior grade still doesn’t pay much, ma’am.” I replied.
“I get that, but…”
“But why do Allie and I look like copies of mother?” I finished for her again.
“Yes. That’s what I was going to ask, how did you know?”
“Lucky guess. Look, Mrs. Sullivan, I can’t help the way Allie and I look. We just inherited it from mom. There is a small difference if you look really, really close.” I said as I leaned forward on the glider and let her look into my eyes.
“Oh my.” She gasped quietly after staring into my green eyes for a time.
“See something interesting in there, ma’am?” I asked with a slight grin.
Doris Sullivan blinked a few times and shook her head. “No…I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”
Pa looked at me in confusion then to our guest.
“What exactly did you see there, Doris? What held you so captivated for over a minute and a half?”
“Well…you know…I’m not exactly sure what I saw in those beautiful green eyes. I will say that they are the most interesting eyes, Alexandra. I felt like I was looking into a never-ending pool of green- a pool so deep and vast there was no end. I guess I got lost in your eyes, my dear. Strange, that I would be so easily distracted…silly, really.”
“So…anymore questions, Mrs. Sullivan?” Emily pushed as the woman continued to stare into my eyes in wonder.
“Allie’s out in the back yard.” I said calmly. Emily looked at me with some trepidation.
“So, where is your twin, Alexa…?” Mrs. Sullivan asked but stopped suddenly as she realized that I had answered before she posed the question.
“How did I know what you were going to ask?” I asked her.
“How did you know what I…was…?”
Doris Sullivan stared at me, flabbergasted.
“I know what you’re going to say because I’ve seen you saying it already, Mrs. Sullivan. Let me ask you a question now. Do you like tea?”
“Do…I…like… What? Tea?”
“Yes, do you like tea?”
“Why would you ask that, Alexandra? Of…”
“Of course you like tea, but you prefer to drink coffee with Daddy, don’t you?”
“I do, but your father told you that.”
“He may have. Now, let me ask another question if you would indulge me, Mrs. Sullivan. Did your husband ever tell you the name of this Chinese girl that he felt like adopting?” I asked as I smiled and waited patiently. Emily and Pa were eyeing me curiously as we awaited an answer.
Our guest stared at me for a minute before answering.
“Lu something…Lu See, I think. Why would you ask such a strange question, Alexandra?”
Doris stared into my eyes again.
“Who are you? Why would you ask about a girl I’ve never met, and…and how could you possibly know what questions I would ask before I knew them myself?”
“Now we’re getting to the important questions.” I said cheerfully. “The questions you really came here to ask.”
Before Mrs. Sullivan could once more stare at me, I thought a change of venue would serve us better.
“Mrs. Sullivan, would you care to take a walk to the park? There are some things we should talk about that might help you with your insomnia. Pa, we’ll be over in the park for thirty-five minutes. Emily, are you coming?” I asked with a faint smile.
“I think I’ll stay here, Alex. I’m sure you’ll intimidate her enough on your own.”
I stood, shrugged, and offered Doris my hand to help her from her seat.
On the way to the nearby park, my companion continuously stared at me. I waited a few steps into the park’s cobbled walkway before confronting her about it.
“You know…it’s rude to keep staring, and in many places that I’ve traveled over the years, you could be killed or rendered blind for such things. In places like New Guinea, caucasion eyeballs are a delicacy.”
“I’m sorry, Alexandra, but you…you are different…somehow.”
“Then instead of staring, ask me the questions you seek answers to.” I suggested.
Doris was quiet for a moment.
“Who are you? I mean really…who are you?”
“My name is Alexandra, Doris. I wasn’t lying to you.”
“Are you really Emily’s sister?”
“Yes.”
“You and Allison are her twin sisters?”
“Yes…sort of.”
“Sort of? I don’t understand. If she is your twin, how can she not be?”
“Allie is me, Doris, only from another time.”
Sullivan stopped dead in her tracks and stared.
“Didn’t I ask you to stop staring, Doris? You’ll draw unwanted attention to us.”
I began walking again.
“What…what are you?” She asked quietly from a few paces behind me.
“Ah, finally. The number one, most asked, question.” I said after turning around and exhaling heavily. I walked back to where she stood in shock. A tense smile came to my face.
“I’m just one of a handful of people that can make you happy for the rest of your life, Doris.”
“Should I just scream for the police right here and now, Alexandra?”
“You do what you feel is necessary, ma’am, but I’ve seen that you are more intrigued than terrified by me. Let’s have a seat and I’ll tell you a little back story before I make my proposal or reveal anything else about me.”
All right…fine. How could you make me happy for the rest of my life then?” Mrs. Sullivan conceded in an angered tone as we both sat on a nearby wooden park bench.
“Let’s say, for now, that three years ago there was a supposed fourteen year-old girl…Chinese by birth, but living, or more specifically, hiding from the Japanese in Burma. One day a group of strange speaking men with heavy equipment rolled noisily past her crudely, hand-carved, hollow in a nearby, but hidden hillside just off an equally crude, dirt road. Not seeing any markings, but noticing that the men’s facial features and dress differed from those ravaging her native countryside, she followed until she came across a magnificent sight. Large, metal birds- more specifically, airplanes! Twenty of them to be exact- all lined up and waiting.”
“More men appeared from several large, wooden dwellings nearby as she squatted low in the brush and observed. The buildings reminded her of her own home- the one she had been lucky enough to escape before the soldiers had stormed in, shot her mother, two brothers, and her older sister- before they set her whole village on fire.”
“Quietly wiping tears of that traumatic memory from her eyes, she watched as these foreign-looking men hurried across the long clearing and each climbed aboard an aircraft. Soon, after starting the motors, they taxied to the far edge of the clearing and gunned the engines. To the girl’s excitement, the planes took to the air, circled overhead once and disappeared over the jungle canopy!”
“Waiting in the dense brush for several hours, the girl finally heard the familiar roar of the planes as they returned from where ever. The men jumped from their planes after shutting them off and ran to each other in celebration of something- many slapping the backs of two pilots in particular.”
“Later in the evening, she observed two other men approach the two pilots’ planes with several small, bright metal cans. Producing a small brush and a small piece of thick paper, the two men brushed paint over the paper as they held it up to the fuselage just under where the pilot sat. To her amazement, they had painted one small Japanese flag on one of the planes and two on the other. It was then that she noticed other planes had a varied number of the enemy flags painted on them.”
“Could they be fighting to help her country, she wondered? Could they rid her land of the beasts that had violently destroyed her home and village- her parent, and her siblings? Could these men help her? She decided then and there to find out and so, the very next day, she walked cautiously into the men’s camp and began doing things for them- small things at first until she could trust them and they, her. Several of the men began to teach her their language, English they called it. They even built her a dwelling- smaller than the rest, yet a thousand times better than her muddy, hand dug, hollow; one she could call ‘home’.”
“She continued to help around base; to learn from and about her quirky new family until one day the nicest and kindest of the men didn’t return from a mission. She looked all over base hoping he had stayed- that someone else might have flown in his place, but she could not find him. Asking several of the man’s friends, she got no answer. The whole base seemed severely depressed and remained quiet; no one seemed able to answer her. Some even walked past as if she weren’t there at all. She finally had to admit that the man had been shot down or worse, killed.”
“Set on working through her deep sorrow, she decided to double her efforts to help these men. Several weeks passed without anyone else failing to come back, until one day she awoke from a late morning nap to the sound of shouting and screaming. They were under attack, she realized. All she heard was a strange whistling sound before everything burst into flames then went black.”
“Who was the girl? How do you know all this, Alexandra?”
“That girl, Doris, could be your happiness.” I told her as I stood and turned back to her.
“But if she was killed several years ago, how could she be my happiness?”
“That is where we come in, ma’am.” I said as I moved to my right one step. Doris Sullivan looked puzzled by my action.
“How can you do anything about what has happened in the past? Why not leave the poor girl to rest in peace, Alexandra?”
“Because,” I paused to look to my left a moment. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like that, Doris. That girl…those men…they shouldn’t have died that day. Time burped because someone stole the power to change history, and he did so without first considering anything but his own twisted plan for revenge.”
“Alexandra? You speak as if you have first-hand knowledge about what should have been- about how history should have happened. How can you possibly know that time is in error?” Doris thought a moment. “Does this tie into my question earlier?”
“The question about what I am, Doris? Of course it does. So you just sit there and allow Emily to explain.”
“Emily? But she stayed home. I don’t see her anywhere, Alexandra.”
“Doris, what you are about to see will probably frighten the tar out of you! I would ask that you try to remember that we mean you no harm- that we are here to help right a wrong.”
“What are you talking about, Alexandra? We are the only two people in this park at the moment.”
“Are we? Coast is clear, sis.”
The older woman’s eyes bulged from her head and her mouth instantly dropped open. All blood drained from her face as well.
“So this happens to you all the time, Alex?” Emily asked from my right.
“Pretty much, yep.”
“Mrs. Sullivan, forgive me for frightening you, but from what Alex has told you, and from what I’ve foreseen, history has indeed been corrupted. We’d like a chance to repair what went wrong.” Emily told her softly in her professional voice.
Sullivan just sat there and shivered, her eyes switching between Emily and I at an alarmingly quick rate.
“Alex, her vitals are tanking. This obviously wasn’t the right approach.”
“Jack, I need you to emulate Jamie’s gift and calm Doris’ nerves, please.” I said to myself.
Doris Sullivan’s eyes opened wider just before her expression changed drastically to an unnatural calm.
“Thank you, Jack.” I said with a smile.
“Mrs. Sullivan, the Empress of Time and Space is not here to harm you. She just wants to return what was unjustly taken from you.” Emily told her.
“Empress? Of Time and Space,” she asked as she stared at me in amazement?
“It’s a title others have given me, ma’am.” I explained to confirm she had heard right.
“Mrs. Sullivan, Alex knows what has happened to time because she can move through it…in both directions. She can sense when it changes- where it deviated. My sister is the only one capable of returning things to their intended sequence.” Emily said sounding more like she was pleading our case.
“You can actually,” she swallowed hard, “travel back in time?”
I nodded with a pleasant smile. “And forward into the future too, Doris.”
“And space? You can travel among the stars too?”
I nodded once more.
Our companion remained quiet as she thought over what she had learned. A light finally came on in her mind as she apparently figured out what we had been trying to tell her. Her smile appeared cautiously.
“So,” I paused to look at my sister, Emily, for a moment, “would you like us to try and return your houseguest and possible daughter, Doris Sullivan?”
She remained quiet for several more moments contemplating my latest question.
“And just what will it cost me, Alexandra? Do I forfeit my soul for this supposed happiness or would she be taken from me once we get comfortable with each other? What repayment must be made for this to happen?”
“Alex isn’t the devil or any form of demon, Mrs. Sullivan.” Emily argued in disgust.
“Then what?” Sullivan countered.
“I am Commander Alexandra Frances Steinert. Captain of the Navy submarine, Sand Dollar SS353, Doris! And on my oath as a United States naval officer, I pledge that there is no ulterior motive other than righting this errant timeline back to its true and natural course. I do not expect payment of any kind, nor do I require your first-born child! Would you be interested in our offer, yes or no? If yes, then four days from now you may accompany us to the Burma of 1941. There we will ask Lu Sei if she would like to travel with us back here to Bridgeport. Her decision, though, is the final say. I will not move someone against their will,” Emily looked at me strangely for a second, “unless they are being unreasonable and placing themselves in harm’s way unnecessarily.”
“And if I say no?”
“Then you will not remember any of this. Not our conversations; not my sisters and friends. Only that Emily came home on shore leave to visit her father for a week. I’m sorry, but that is the way it has to be to protect our anonymity.”
“Anonymity? From what or who?”
“Don’t tell me that you didn’t just think- for the tiniest of moments- that I could fix it so Ralph would come back- that he didn’t die in that dogfight over Northern Burma? Think if thousands more people knew about me and decided to seek me out to ‘fix’ what they considered wrong in history whether it had to be or not. Think about how my gift could be abused by one government or another. I am not a weapon, Doris, but inevitably someone would try to use me as such. I cannot let that happen to me or any of my sisters.”
“So if you do see the future, you already know what my answer will be, right?”
“I do, but there is always a chance to change your mind- right up to the point of our departure, Doris. That is not exclusive to the Empress, but mutual to every living thing. Only I have the gift- the ability- to do things over if the result negatively impacts the timeline.”
“So I am to tell you what I want to happen with the rest of my life, Alexandra?”
“No. The only thing you have to decide is whether you want to accept a lonely, deprived, orphaned girl into your home to possibly gain a daughter- someone you can love and nurture as your own- someone who will one day make you proud and possibly a Grandmother. Can you accept those terms, Doris Sullivan?”
“I suppose returning my husband to me would be considered taking advantage, wouldn’t it, Alexandra?”
“I’m not in the habit of appearing in a single seat fighter in mid flight to rescue its pilot. That is way too dangerous for even me to consider, ma’am. Time travel can sometimes be…unpredictable.” I said knowing that even as it left my mouth, Emily would open hers.
“We’ll try to save him too, Mrs. Sullivan, but just so you know, we’ve found that certain things…certain events are fixed- temporal waypoints, Alex calls them. If Ralph is the focus of such a ‘waypoint’ there may not be anything we can do. That’s why she didn’t mention it. She didn’t want to cause you further grief and pain in case that was the situation.”
“I see,” Sullivan said sadly, “Then I will instead request that you save everyone that can be saved, Alexandra, and I will accept that which you have seen fair, happily.” Doris Sullivan said with determination while looking me directly in the eyes.
“Then we agree, ma’am. Now I think we should be getting back.” Emily said cheerfully as she offered Doris her hand. “Here, let me help you up.”
They both vanished.
“Sis, I’ll be along in a few minutes. I have something I need to do first.” I said as I looked to where I knew they stopped, just a few yards away.
Waiting a few minutes for my sister to get out of earshot, I sat back down on the bench and looked around for any other patrons of the pleasant neighborhood park.
“Whenever you want to rephase, momma.” I said, apparently to myself.
“You really have developed certain parts of your gift, child. I still have to rely on my foresight in such cases.” Ruth Scott said, as she appeared sitting beside me.
“So how was your reunion with Uncle Rick?” I asked.
Momma unexpectedly leaned over and wrapped her arms around me. Why didn’t I feel the tingle?
“Thank you, Alexandra. With all my heart, thank you, my wise, wonderful daughter!” She said as she squeezed me tightly. I could hear her sniffing back tears.
“I take it our mission is completed from your perspective?”
“It has, but I can see now that you are the one.” Momma answered sadly, cryptically.
“The one, momma? Why would I be ‘the one’?”
“Because, Alexandra, you did what I wouldn’t- what I couldn’t- therefore you are the one.”
“I’ve got no clue what y’all are talkin’ ‘bout, Ruth Scott.” I replied in confusion.
“The man…this Clemson. He greedily changed history to fit his imagined reality, thereby almost destroying two different universes. He deserved to lose everything and then some- yet you spared him and showed mercy where I wouldn’t have. I see now that they were right. You are the wisest, most caring Empress among us. You are the one, Alexandra.”
“Look, momma, ah got no idea where this is coming from, but y’all are frightening me. I mean…I’m nowhere near bein’ anything like an angel. I’ve done bad…terrible things.”
“Not as bad as me, Alexandra. Though both sinners, you are more the saint, I’m afraid. You have the proper attitude for the Empress. Promise me you will never lose that character trait.”
“You’re leaving!” I gasped as it hit me, “And you’re not coming back, are you? What about Pa? Don’t you want to reconnect with him especially?”
“We’ve…reacquainted…ourselves, honey.” Momma snickered in embarrassment.
“So don’t be a stranger. Our universe can stand a few extra Empresses for a short time. Come visit when you can.”
“Alexandra, I’ve so enjoyed our conversations in the realm between realms. I think I’ll miss those the most.”
“We’ll still have those talks, won’t we, momma?”
“You’ve grown so much in the time we’ve had together, Alexandra, but you know enough to take care of yourself now, child. You know how you must conduct yourself.”
I closed my eyes for a moment.
“Momma, you’re just returning to your home universe. Stop making it sound like yer goin’ ‘way fer good! God, y’all are a tease!”
Momma’s smile grew wide and wonderful- though had a slight devious undertone.
“Like I said, child, wise beyond your years. Mina has certainly done an outstanding job with you, Alexandra.” Momma said as she stood from her seat and turned to me. I stood too and looked directly into her eyes. They seemed to still be hiding something…actually a whole universe of something.
“Take care of your sisters, Alexandra. I wish I could’ve had someone like Emily there for me; sisters would have been a really nice thing.” She said before pausing a moment. Apprehension showed on her face briefly before she smiled brightly at me.
“Good bye for now, my Empress, and thank you again for your kindness. I promise that I will take the second chance so humbly granted me and make you proud.”
Momma hugged me one final time, kissed my cheek, took a step back, and phased out.
I stood there a few minutes longer sorting out what had just been said before I started down the walkway leading out of the park and back to my newly adopted Bridgeport home.
Alex and company embark on a three pronged mission which the ‘Time Thief’, Clemson has necessitated. In the process, several things get corrected. Alex finds out firsthand what it is to share one of her sister’s gifts.
1145hrs, L. Scott home, Bridgeport, Conn, August 24th, 1944
“About time you got back, Alex. We’ve been worrying about you. Where have you been?” Emily started the interrogation as soon as my feet touched the porch steps.
“I had to take care of something, sis.” I replied as I winked and sat next to her on the glider. To our left on the porch swing, Doris Sullivan stared unblinkingly at us. Pa seemed comfortable just staying quiet, observing his neighbor and daughters.
“Really, Doris, you can’t know how annoying that is. Not only on this planet, but on other’s as well. Could you please stop staring and acclimate yourself to the fact that you are not hallucinating? I assure you we are very real.” I asked the woman.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t understand how special you all were until we walked out in front of that car. I don’t think I’ll ever stop having nightmares about that.”
“After that happens a few times you kind of shrug it off, although the best thing would be not to let it happen in the first place.” I said as I glanced over to my sister.
“I wanted to demonstrate my gift to her, Alex. I don’t get to use it as often as you.” Emily contended.
“You both can travel through time?”
“Just Alex and Allie, Mrs. Sullivan. I’m primarily a medical seer, but I share the royal bloodline of the Empress- as does Andromeda.”
“Royal bloodline? Louis, I never knew you or Ruth had royal blood?” Doris Sullivan exclaimed as she suddenly looked at Pa.
“I didn’t either until I met Alexandra. Apparently they inherited that from their mother.”
“It’s just a figure of speech. None of us are anywhere close to royalty, ma’am.” I said downplaying our gifts. “We were just the lucky ones- the ones in the right place at the right time.”
“Lucky? Alexandra, what Emily can do…what she has told me you and Allie, and your friends can do is nothing short of miraculous! I find it hard to believe that just fortune has smiled on all of you. Surely higher powers have seen to it that you can help all of mankind the way you do.”
I nodded as I shifted in my seat. I rolled my eyes as I couldn’t get that all-too-familiar, uncomfortable feeling to subside.
“You are too kind, Mrs. Sullivan. If you’ll excuse me, I have to take care of something.” I said politely as I got up and walked inside.
“Alex, why the sad face? Are you alright?” A tiny voice asked as I made my way up the stairs.
“It’s nothing, Yuuka. I’m just tired and a little crampy.”
“Alexandra?” Doris Sullivan’s voice called from down, behind me. She was just coming in through the screen door.
“Yes, ma’am?” I answered as I turned around automatically.
The woman’s eyes bulged immediately. She reached for the railing to steady herself.
I rolled my eyes then took in and exhaled a long breath.
“I’m in trouble, aren’t I, Empress?” Yuuka moaned quietly from my shoulder.
“Not any more than usual, hun.” I said as I walked back down to the first floor.
“Doris, this is Yuuka Sukiro and this is her gift. Yuuka, could you grow up for a few minutes?”
“I’ve had enough air-time for today anyway, Alex.”
The pixie flew from my shoulder and quickly returned to full-size beside me. Doris Sullivan’s shock passed quickly this time.
“I always thought my husband’s tales from his ancestral homeland were just, um, stories. I guess I have no idea how the world really works, do I?”
“About as much as we do, ma’am.” Yuuka said as she looked back at me. I nodded in agreement.
“What do you call yourself, Yuuka…when you have wings, I mean?”
Yuuka stared at the woman for a few seconds then looked at me completely baffled; she looked back to our neighbor. “Um…Yuuka?”
Doris Sullivan rolled her eyes. “No, dear, what I meant was what type of fairy are you?”
“Yuuka is a pixie, Doris. Because of her size and speed, she helps Allie and I by doing aerial reconnaissance on our missions.”
“Well, you certainly match your given name, dear. I love those violet tinged wings!”
“Thank you ma’am.” Yuuka curtsied. “I should be getting out to the kitchen now. I’m on the schedule to help with lunch today.”
“What’s on the menu, hun?” I asked before she walked away.
“Something Ricky Lynn calls a ‘Braunschwager sandwich’. She claims it’s a local favorite in Pittsburgh and that she first tasted one in 1998 and has eaten them occasionally ever since. She claims them to be good, though I’m not too fond of German food myself.”
“Just make mine a cheese sandwich with mayo. I’m not in the mood for liver today, hun.” I said, watching Yuuka scrunch up her nose in disgust.
“You got it. One cheese and mayo coming right up, Alex. All-grain bread okay?”
“Sure. Make mine last though, hun. I have something to take care of first.”
“What’s it like?” Doris asked as Yuuka bowed slightly and walked into the kitchen.
“What is what like?”
“1998. What does it look like? Has very much changed?”
“Some things have changed, some things haven’t.” I told her honestly. “Life does get a little more convenient though.”
“Convenient?”
“Ma’am, I really need to use the lavatory, so if you’ll excuse me?” I said as I hurried up the stairs and into the bathroom.
“So…are you going to help her, Alex?” Emily asked as we sat around the dinner table. She had made a very good beef stew. Everyone stopped eating to hear my decision.
“Of course we’ll help her, sis. I promised her we’d bring Lu Sei back.”
“I mean her husband, Alex. Have you found a way to rescue him?”
“And just how am I going to pull a guy from the cockpit of a damaged P-40 while in flight?”
“Cami and I could make sure he lands safely on the ground. Getting him out would be a breeze then, Alex.” Jack offered.
“No, Ralph Sullivan was reported shot down over enemy held territory, April 19th, 1940. His wingman reportedly watched him crash into the side of a mountain. It was a clear day with little or no fog in the area to obscure what happened.
“You could always stop time, skipper. That way the plane would be stationary and you could be in an out with ol’ Ralphie in a jiffy.”
“Can’t risk it because of the wingman, Professor.”
“Ya, I guess he kinda needs to see him go in. Sorry.”
“How fast would he be going, Alex? If I could match the fighter’s speed…” Yuuka proposed.
“Airplane canopies are locked from the inside, hun, how would you get in?” I countered. She sighed heavily in disappointment.
“Pixie mode!” Emily burst out.
“What about it?” I asked and immediately received my usual barrage of video and still pictures.
“Wow! That was amazing, Alex! I think that was the first time you ever let me watch your thought process.” Cami commented with excitement. “How can you sort out things when everything hits at once?”
“It doesn’t hit all at once, Cami. Its sequential, just real fast.”
“Maybe you slow things down in your mind, Alexandra.” Pa suggested. “You are the Empress, right?”
“Or like a super high-speed computer, skipper?” Ricky Lynn chimed out.
“That could be a viable comparison, Prof. Samuels.” Reggie concluded.
“Now I’m part supercomputer? Y’all are just slobberin’ at the bit to take away mah humanity, ain’t ya?”
“I think it is a wonderful postulation, Alex. Cami and I will develop the hypothesis further upon our return to our time period.”
“Hypothesis is the prudent initialization point, Director. More concise though, would be a logical set of experiments carefully designed to confirm or disprove the proposed theory.”
“I concur, Camille, but theorize that the collected data could take revolutions to format and analyze correctly given a specifically designed algorithm.”
“That is a definite probability. Should we also calculate the associated statistical parameters as to the resulting probability as well?”
“Or we could not worry about how fast our brains work and form a plan to save those flyboys from getting their butts blown back to Siam.” I said, interrupting the Reilly ‘tech-talk’.
“Do they speak like that all the time, Alex?” Pa asked with a smirk.
“Once a nerd, always a nerd, Pa.” I said, giggling.
“What’s a ‘nerd’,” he asked in confusion?
“Late twentieth century slang, but it’s what those two and those two are.” I said, pointing to Allie and Cami then to Ricky Lynn and Reggie.
“But I thought you had all’a Allie’s memories, Skipper?” Ricky Lynn smiled deviously. “Wouldn’t that make you one too?”
“Ah never said Ah wasn’t, professor. Can we get back to what Emily was going to say, please?”
“That’s all I had to say on the matter, sis. My foresight told me that’s all I had to say to get your foresight in gear.” Emily giggled.
I looked at my sister warily.
“You’re the one always pushing her to use her gift more, sis,” Allie laughed.
“Fiiiine.” I drew out the word in annoyance. “Here’s what we’re gonna do…”
Pa leaned in as close as he could to listen. I remained silent and looked up at him still annoyed.
“We meet in Emily’s and my room right before ‘lights out’.”
Pa’s mouth dropped as he groaned in disappointment.
“Are we secure?” I asked, looking between Cami and Jack.
“She’s got the door and windows, and I have an acoustic shield in place, Alex.”
“Good.” Alex Reilly and I chorused.
“Sisters, that is very disturbing. Can just one of you talk at a time?” Andie asked from where she sat on the floor.
Fine. I’ll start.” I said. “First order of business. Andie, you and Reggie suggested earlier this week that Louis Scott’s foot could be replaced. Is that true or not?”
“We have the technology to do so, Empress. Though not familiar with the process, I believe it takes two or three Earth standard days to complete and three or four more for adaptive therapy.” Reggie said from atop the folding chair beside her sister.
“So Pa will be laid up for almost a week, is that what I’m hearing?” I asked to set the record straight.
Both women nodded.
“Okay, what do you need? What do you require as compensation?”
“Compensation, Alex?” Andie asked, quizzically.
“Monetary funding, services rendered, favors from me- things like that in return for the procedure.”
“Empress.” Andie glared up at me. “With all you and your sisters have done for us…” She paused and looked up to Reggie. Both nodded. Andie looked back to me. “How about we pronounce it squared?”
A quiet giggle escaped my lips as I rolled my eyes. “That would be ‘call it square’, sis.”
Andie shrugged her shoulders as Reggie continued to explain.
“I believe the process requires the patient to donate a prototype cell that can be taken and attached at the amputation point or so I have read. The specialized medical equipment will do the rest, Empress.”
“And y’all are sure you can do this with a normal human, right?” Alex Reilly asked for clarification.
“I will require preliminary tests to confirm that, yes, Alex. It would ideally add half a day to the process.” Andie assured us.
“Good. Now once in China, I want you, Yuuka, to break contact and fly along the airbase’s jungle boundary. From what I’ve seen, the vegetation will provide you adequate cover. Find the smallest cabin to find Lu Sei. She should be in there at the time of our arrival.”
“Once we make contact with her, we need to leave quickly. A Japanese bombardment group will be hitting the field quite heavily. She must be out of there before the bombing starts. Next, we go back in time to get Mr. Sullivan. Yuuka, I need to know if you feel up to taking me to ‘Pixie Mode’?”
The room silenced immediately as all eyes focused on me in surprise.
“Y’all heard me. Yuuka, for this to work someone needs to be in that cockpit when he takes off, but must be small enough not to be noticed.”
“I can do that, Alex, but why do you need to…?” Yuuka protested.
“You can’t transport him out of there just before impact, hun. Only Allie and I can do that and Allie is going to have her hands full with Pa on Atlantis. So, do you feel up to it or not?”
“Alex, is this wise? I mean…Alexis had trouble returning to normal. Can you really guarantee that you’ll fare any better?” Emily argued.
“That’s where you come in, sis. I might need you to help me want to grow-up. Yuuka? What’ll it be?”
“I’ll try, Alex. Now that I know I can actually do something like that, it shouldn’t be too hard. Things always seem easier the more you practice them, right?”
“I’m counting on it. Now…what to do about Ralph Sullivan? Do we bring him back stateside, or do we make it look like he escaped the crash by dropping him off in Rangoon.”
Rangoon fell to the Japanese in early 1942, Alex. If anything, any downed airmen would head for free China; that or get captured and held somewhere in Thailand for the rest of the war.” Prof. Samuels informed us.
“He’ll have to make up his own mind then. I’m not sure how much, let alone how far I’ll be able to transport in my pixie form.”
0945hrs, L. Scott home, Bridgeport, Conn, August 28th, 1944
“What’s wrong Pa, you’ve been quieter than usual this morning?” I asked, walking out to the porch after I had finished the breakfast dishes.
Pa looked up at me with a look of amazement.
“You have to ask that, Alex? You, of all people?”
“Sometimes I just like to hear it first-hand.”
“Oh…well…I…I’m going to miss you girls. You were right that first day, Alex, you spoiled the hell out of me.”
“You’re coming with us, aren’t you?” I asked kindly.
Again Pa looked at me, not believing what he heard.
“I would just slow you down, Alex. The mission is too sensitive to have me foul things up.”
“And if I say I’ve seen you pulling your weight in that jungle, would you still decline?”
“You already know the answer to that, Empress.”
“I do.” I replied with a huge grin. “We’ll be leaving right after Doris gets here,” I paused a moment, “which will be in thirty seconds.”
I pointed up the street just as Doris Sullivan appeared on the sidewalk from behind the neighbor’s tall shrubbery. She seemed pre-occupied in thought and wasn’t walking as fast this morning.
“I’ll bet you’re the life of any party you attend, aren’t you, Alex?”
I smiled deviously at the man. “You’ve already seen how I am at parties, Louis.” I purred.
“Stop it this instant, Alexandra! You remind me of your mother that one time!”
“And what time would that be, Louis?” Mrs. Sullivan asked as she reached the porch steps.
“Oh, we were reminiscing about a party we both attended many years ago.” I answered with a grin. “Are you ready to do the impossible, Doris?”
“I think so.” She replied quietly after swallowing hard. “Are you sure it’s safe for people…people like me?”
“You don’t even realize it happens.” Pa reassured her.
“You’ve…you’ve traveled with Alex before,” the woman gasped?
“Once. Um…how far back did we go, sweetie,” he asked?
“Around seventy-thousand years.” I replied candidly.
Doris Sullivan’s jaw dropped…again.
“Shall we go inside? It’s less conspicuous.” I suggested before turning for the screen door.
Once in the living room, I gave the order.
“Everyone, form up. Pa, you take Allie’s hand. Doris, you get to be between Emily and I. Jack and Yuuka on Emily’s side. Cami, Ricky Lynn, Reggie and Andie on Pa’s.” I said positioning people where I wanted them. Allie and I had immediately taken each other’s hand.
Waiting for everyone to join hands, I asked the unnecessary question.
“Is everyone ready? I’ll begin the countdown at five. I ask that everyone continue holding hands until I say to release them. Doris, do you understand?”
Though her hands were shaking moderately, she nodded.
“Phasing out. Transport in five…four…three…” Allie and I released each other’s hand. “Two…one.” The Burmese jungle appeared on our left, a grass and mud airfield on our right. Doris Sullivan’s jaw again dropped as she stared around in complete astonishment.
0810hrs, Magwe Airstrip, China, March 21st, 1942
“Take flight, Pixie.” I said as I leaned out to look at Yuuka. She wasted no time taking to the air.
“Are we really here?” Doris asked, still looking around like a tourist.
“21 March, 1942. Near the Chinese town of Magwe.” I informed everyone. “You might want to set your translator’s secondary language for Cantonese; uniforms to our standard navy regulars.”
Again Mrs. Sullivan’s jaw dropped as everyone’s clothing except hers changed to become standard navy issue officer’s uniforms.
“We’re a little too far inland for our regulars, aren’t we, Alex?”
“The Flying Tigers or the AVG- American Volunteer Group- is made up of Army Air Corp, Marine Air Corp, and Navy aviators, Jack. They even have Civilians working here too. You won’t see rank anywhere on base, either.” I stated calmly in answer.
I pulled on Doris’ hand so that we could go find Lu Sei’s quarters. Everything seemed quiet and peaceful. I knew that would not last very long today. Glancing up to the sky, I knew we had maybe four hours before all hell broke loose.
Off to our right, I noticed that about half the planes were covered with Camo netting. It looked like pieces were missing from each one.
“Looks like they’re down a few planes.”
“Scavenging them from the looks of it, Alex.” Jack commented.
I noticed Yuuka flying around one of the buildings ahead of us.
“Yuuka’s found her. Let’s get over there quickly.” I said as I started to drag Doris somewhat.
Seeing us approaching, Yuuka disappeared inside. She would have a few minutes to meet and prepare her for us.
The small, wooden shack was raised on stilts about two feet off the ground like the other buildings, but this one was smaller, roughly sixteen feet square. With just a screen door and netting on the windows it wasn’t the most comfortable place to live, but it served its purpose. We went up the rickety wooden stairs single file- still phased out and holding hands. Lu Sei sat on a small hand-built chair talking to Yuuka as if they were old friends. My translator kicked in immediately.
“How did you find me, Miss Pixie? Where did you come from?”
“I have been instructed to seek you, Lu Sei. Some very important people would like to ask you a few questions. Would you care to talk to them?”
“I don’t know if I should trust you, Miss Pixie. Who are these people that want to talk to me?”
“Please call me ‘Little Flower’ that is the name my mother gave me, Miss Lu Sei.” Yuuka replied. I noticed that she intentionally let her name be translated into Chinese.
“Alright…Little Flower…who would like to speak to me?”
“We call her the Empress, but she is not like any royalty you can imagine. She is kind, beautiful, wise, and funny too. She and some of our friends would like to ask if you want to go on a little trip.”
“A trip? To where?”
“To a very wonderful place; a safe place where you can run and be free without fear of bad men with rifles or explosions, or killing. A place where you can receive the love you want and need; a place where you will never be alone.” Yuuka paused a moment. “If you don’t want to talk to them, or think it not safe, I will just fly away and you will never see me again, Lu Sei. We mean you no harm.”
“What side are you and these other people on?” The girl asked cautiously.
“The Empress is on the side of China. In fact, she has done her best to reduce the number of enemy soldiers fighting in this country- many bad men. Would you at least consider meeting her, Lu Sei?”
“When will they be here…when will this Empress be here?”
“She’s here right now, Lu Sei. She and three others are in this room at this very moment.”
“Why can’t I see them? Where are they, Little Flower?”
“Well…you have to believe in her to see her. I thought you knew that?”
“I didn’t know that.” The girl grimaced.
“But you can see me, right?”
“Yes?”
“Then you believe in me?”
“Yes?”
“Then all you have to do is believe in the Empress, Lu Sei. Just think about believing, and just to be sure, count up to three.”
“That’s silly. How does counting to three make me believe in someone?”
“Alright, you have a point.” Yuuka hovered up close to the girl’s face. “I know! Would you happen to know any English?”
“The nice men here have taught me some, why, Little Flower?”
“Well, it just so happens that the Empress speaks English, too. Could you show her how serious you are to meet with her by counting up to three in English?”
Lu Sei giggled as she nodded happily to the tiny, winged woman.
“Look to the door and start counting, okay? Ready? One…” Yuuka started.
“Two…” Lu Sei said with a giggle.
“Three!” I said as we phased back in. The girl jumped and started laughing outright.
“Are you the Empress?” She said through her laughter.
I bowed slightly. “I am Alexandra, you are Lu Sei?” I said in English.
“She is very pretty, Little Flower, I like her.”
“I like her too, Lu Sei. Alexandra and I are friends.”
“Can I be friends too?”
“Why don’t you ask her?” Yuuka suggested.
“You be friend of Lu Sei?” The girl asked in rather broken English.
“It would be my pleasure, Lu Sei.” I replied then switched my translator to Cantonese.
“I would be glad to be your friend, Lu Sei, but wouldn’t it be better if we speak your language? I speak it too as you can see.”
Lu Sei’s mouth dropped open in amazement.
“You speak like me!”
“I do. In fact, all but this woman speak like you. This is Doris Sullivan, by the way. She is also a friend of mine. Beside her is my sister Emily, and beside her is my best friend Jacquelyn.” I pointed as I said their names.
Lu Sei bowed- almost in half.
“Isn’t she the cutest, Alexandra?” Doris stated as she gently tugged on my forearm.
“You think I cute?”
“I think you are very pretty, Lu Sei.” Doris answered the girl.
“How’d I do, Alex?” Yuuka asked from my left shoulder.
“You did great, Little Flower.” I praised her, though quietly.
“You name Sul-a-van?” Lu Sei asked. There was curious hope in her voice.
“It is. Why?” Doris asked.
“I know Sul-a-van. He stop come back.” The girl said as her smile faded quickly. “You know he?”
Doris’ facial expression also changed rapidly. She nodded sadly.
Lu Sei studied the older woman’s face for a moment. “Where he go? Lu Sei miss.”
“I do too, sweetie. I miss him very much.”
“He go home?”
“I guess you might say that.” Doris looked to me briefly. “I’m not sure where he went, Lu Sei.” She added, wiping away newly formed tears.
“Doris is Ralph Sullivan’s wife, Lu Sei. She allowed him to come over here to help fight the bad men.
The young girl suddenly bent in half again.
“Thank you for letting him help free my people, Sul-a-van! He is a good man. He will come back soon?” Lu Sei rattled off quickly in her native tongue.
Doris looked at me in hopes of a translation.
“She thanks you for letting him help free her people and hopes he comes back soon.” I told her.
Doris suddenly wrapped her arms around me.
“Oh, Alexandra, Can’t you find it in your heart to save my husband? Please?” She cried softly into my shoulder.
“We’ll try to save him, Mrs. Sullivan. We can’t guarantee anything though. Like Alex said…time travel is tricky.” Emily said, trying to console her.
“You help Sul-a-van, yes?”
Emily looked at the young girl. “We’ll try our best. Alexandra is very good about traveling back in time, but Mr. Sullivan might pose a problem.” She told Su Lei in Chinese.
“You take Lu Sei back. I help!” She replied in her limited English.
Doris started crying all over again, hearing the girl’s commitment.
“To do that, Miss Lu Sei, you have to trust, Alexandra. You must do exactly as she tells you, and you must behave yourself. Do you understand?” Yuuka asked. She was again hovering inches from the girl’s face.
“We go.”
I tapped Doris’ shoulder to get her to stand straight and take my hand.
“Okay…so…the first step is to take someone’s hand and hold on until I tell you to let go, got it?”
Lu Sei nodded and pushed between Doris and Emily. She quickly grabbed their hands.
“Next, Little Flower will take to my shoulder and hang on, okay?” I said for the girl’s benefit. Again Lu Sei nodded and began to giggle as Yuuka flew around her head in a tight circle before lighting on my right shoulder.
“Now we go back through time a month or so. Ready,” I asked with a smile?
Alexandra Reilly’s group: Atlantis, Standard Year 257:08:05
The quarters I shared with Camille on Atlantis appeared around us. That annoying Temporal Anomaly alarm initiated!
“Why are we back on Atlantis?” Pa asked immediately. I nodded to Camille to progress with my sister’s plan.
“Allie, why are we…” Pa again asked before he went limp. Cami and I quickly caught him. Alex was right- his mass was significant.
“Andie, where should we put him?” I asked as we struggled to hold him up before Camille thought to use her gift.
“Dixie, alert medical that we have a patient, and turn off that blasted alarm!”
“Right away, Commodore. I trust your trip was relaxing?”
“It was very nice, Dixie. We had a pleasant stay with the Empress’ father.”
“I am glad you had a good time. Welcome back, mom.”
“How ya feelin, toots?” Prof. Samuels asked the A.I.
“All parameters normal, mom.”
“Good ta hear, so where we take Mr. Scott, baby?”
“Treatment facility two, ring Beta, section twenty-three. Commodore, I have been asked the nature of the patient’s injury?”
Everyone took hands again.
“He lost his left foot three Earth standard years ago. In appreciation for all the Empress has done for us, we have offered our technology to help him become whole once again.” Andie answered.
“Acknowledged. Treatment Facility two has been advised and is standing by.”
“Dixie, disable the Temporal Anomaly alarm in Treatment two. I will be transporting him there myself, hun.” I advised.
“Acknowledged, Empress. Alarm has been disabled. You are cleared for transport.”
One of Atlantis’ medical facilities appeared around us.
A medical group had assembled and all jumped in shock of our sudden appearance.
“So y’all never seen the Empress transit before?” I asked with a slight giggle, noting that I had slipped into my sister’s vernacular again. I guess I needed some sleep. It could wait though.
“His name is Louis Scott. He is the Empress’ secondary father. This man is native to Earth and I would suggest all compatibility tests available should be completed before the procedure is started. He has been rendered temporarily unconscious.” Andie told the physician in charge as Camille levitated Louis Scott onto the waiting exam table
“The wound has already healed, Commodore. After initial testing, we will have to reopen the wound and remove all scaring and lesions to obtain a successful graft.” Andie’s personal physician, Bellatrix Mintaka, warned.
“Do what is necessary. This man is important not only to the Empress, but to me as well.”
“He shall receive foremost care, Commodore. Empress, he will be- how do you say- ‘good as new’.”
“Ah know he will, doctor. Ah’ve foreseen and reviewed the impending process and could find no revisional abnormalities or cloning errors.” I replied before turning and walking out of the facility.
“Alex, you just stumped all those doctors.” Cami said as she hurried to catch up to me.
“Ah simply stated that Ah saw a successful outcome for Louis Scott. Y’all want to get somethin’ ta eat, hun?”
“Sure. Then we go back to our room and you get some rest. Agreed?”
“Acknowledged, Ma Darough.”
“So, if the tests prove out, how long will it actually take for the appendage to successfully mature?” Prof. Samuels asked Reggie and Andie as they slowly caught up to us.
“Cell division is logarithmic in nature so the process doubles in speed for every generational division. With artificial excitation, I’m told two to three days, Ricky. What usually takes the longest is toning and control of the newly grown muscles once they anchor themselves.” I heard Regina telling her.
“Actual acceptance an’ successful operation a the new peripheral is a function a the patient’s willin-ness an’ atta-tude.” I added.
“Camille, how long has it been since Alex took a nap?” Prof. Samuels asked.
“She’s going to bed after we get something to eat, Ricky Lynn. The director has not been sleeping very well this past week, I’m afraid.”
“Ya, I can tell! The skipper’s accent doesn’t translate too well to Atlantian.” The professor giggled.
Of course, I turned my head and stuck my tongue out at her.
“I got machinery for that, Director.” She laughed evilly. I frowned when my query of shared memories provided the answer to her strange retort.
Alexandra Reilly’s Group: E.S. Atlantis, Standard Year 257:08:08
“Alexandra Reilly, welcome and enter.” Regina Celeste greeted and granted me entrance to Commodore Celestes’ domicile. “Andie will be out in a minute. She’s operating at a somewhat diminished rate this morning.”
“Hi, Alex. I haven’t seen too much of you the last few days.” Andie greeted as she entered the room.
“Cami has been watchin’ me like a hawk. I swear she would be worse than my mother if I could remember the woman from my initial revision’s childhood.”
Reggie stared at me in confusion. “I thought Andie’s mother was your mother, Alex?”
“Relationally, she is, but my initial revision’s birth-mother remains somewhat of an enigma. I’ve only met her earlier in her lifespan…several hundred years before my birth…six hundred-thirty-five to be exact.”
“Your people live that long?” She gasped in surprise.
I felt my face increase in temperature slightly. I remained quiet, choosing not to mention that they both might share our longevity. A fact proven as my foresight engaged.
“Dr. Mintaka, Medical Facility Two- Recovery to Commodore Celeste.” A woman’s voice sounded from the Communications panel by the domicile’s entrance door.
“Yes, Belle, this is Andie. What can I do for you? Is there a problem?” Andie said answering the call.
“Andie, Mr. Scott is now awake and demanding to see you and the Empress. He is quite…adamant.” The voice said. In the background we could hear Louis Scott’s muffled shouts.
“We’re on our way, Bell. Dixie, disable the Temporal Anomaly Alarm between my quarters and Medical Two.”
Andie walked back to me and took my hand.
“I don’t understand what you people are saying! Get Alexandra down here on the double! I want to see Alexandra or Andromeda here, NOW!”
“Calm down, Louis.” I said as Andie and I appeared. As happened several days earlier, everyone in the recovery area jumped when the two of us ‘popped’ in.
“Don’t tell me to calm down, Empress! Why am I strapped to this bed in what looks like a hospital room, wearing nothing but a large paper sack? What did you do to me?”
Louis’ eyes got bigger as he apparently thought of something.
“Release my hands! I have to check if it’s still there!” He shouted to anyone that would listen.
Andie looked questioningly to me.
“You didn’t go through the Mahanilui, Louis, so just calm down.” I giggled. “You would definitely see more…’results’ in certain areas if that had happened.”
“Louis Scott, if you promise to regulate your temper and remain docile, I will ask the doctor to release you.” Andie told him as she looked over to the physician, repeated what she had said in Atlantian, and received a nod.
“What…what did you do to me?” He asked again at a diminished level.
“We made you whole again, Stepfather.” Andie responded, but in her native tongue as she obviously forgot to switch her translator back to English. I noticed the doctor suddenly stare at her in disbelief. Her attention and silent question turned to me. Andie rolled her eyes.
“It’s a long story, honey. Yes, Andie is related to me. Let’s keep that amongst ourselves for the near future, alright?” I told Dr. Bellatrix Mintaka with a devious smile as I motioned to everyone around the room.
After a minute, Dr. Mintaka released Pa’s wrists, thighs, and chest restraints.
“Y’all better be a good boy now, Pa.” I said in a warning tone.
Sitting up, Pa’s eyes went wide. “I…I have a foot again!” He exclaimed in complete amazement.
“Why…why can’t I move it? What’s wrong with it?” He asked in a panic.
“Mr. Scott, you cannot move the new limb until you have relearned to do it.” Dr. Mintaka said in Atlantian.
“Belle says that you have to learn how to move it again, father. It will take a few days to do that.” Andie translated for him.
“Mr. Scott, now that your composure has been reestablished, I would like to see if the nerves have connected properly. I am going to gently touch the foot with a probe. Tell me if you can feel anything.”
Again, Andie translated.
“OUCH! SHIT, that hurt!”
Apparently that didn’t need translating.
“Tell him that his brain will have to recalibrate to the output levels of the new nerve synapses. I am very pleased to see such response in such little time though.”
“Tell her thank you for me, Andie, though I fail to see why you’ve gone to so much trouble.” Pa told her after receiving the doctor’s translated, prognosis.
“It was something Reggie and I felt you deserved, father. It is the least we could do.”
“And you Allie? You and your sisters’ planned this before we left?”
“Down to the most miniscule detail, Louis.”
“Empress? May I have a word in my office please?” Dr. Mintaka gently interrupted by tapping me on my shoulder lightly.
“Excuse me a moment, y’all.” I told the others.
“Empress,” the doctor began as the door to her office slid closed automatically. “We found some rather strange cells inhabiting his bloodstream when we did the compatibility tests. As of yet we still don’t know what they are or if they are dangerous. Being from this planet’s future and obviously well versed in genetics and human biology, I was wondering if you could shed light on what they are?”
She immediately went to her wall monitor and touched the lower right corner.
A slide capture displayed and I recognized the ‘K’ cells immediately.
“Nanos.” I mumbled quietly.
“I’m sorry, what did you say, Empress?”
“These aren’t biological, Belle…at least not entirely.”
“What are they then? I thought you said something about Nanos? I take it you’ve seen these before?”
“I should, I invented them.”
“You…invented…you designed these? How can that be? I’ve seen nothing in our references even remotely as advanced as these…nanos, you call them?”
“They are a byproduct of my home planet’s demise, doctor- a last ditch effort, my sister Alexandra Steinert would say, to save our race from certain annihilation. Bio-cybernetic, nanoscopic, modificational technology, revision ‘K’. Nanos or ‘K’ cells, for short.”
“But I thought you came from this planet’s future?”
“I do…now, but that was only recently…um…relatively.” I informed her, and related the story of how Reilly Research Station ended up here on Earth.
“She actually transposed universes? How is that even possible, Empress?”
“Would you have believed time travel possible before meeting me and mah sister?”
“Well…no…in fact, I still don’t believe it…not entirely, that is.”
“I’ll have to have y’all tag along sometime, hon.” I giggled.
“I would be honored, Empress. So…what is your recommendation for the patient then?”
“Recommend that he not consume large quantities of anything containing alcohol as it acts as a catalyst to activate the nanos’ secondary programming.”
“Secondary programming? I don’t understand, Empress, what secondary programming.”
“I wasn’t always like this, Belle. The secondary programming is latent from our early experiments during development. It modifies several chromosomal strands in order to help us against the environmental extremes we were to face after our planet began its fusion reaction. One change in particular was left forgotten- the modification of the ‘Y’ chromosome- number twenty-six by our numbering system- to an ‘X’ configuration.”
Dr. Mintaka’s eyes almost exploded from her head as she understood.
“You changed the ‘Y’ chromosome to an ‘X’,” she shreiked? “Why would anyone do that?”
“It was used as an easy to observe indicator that our designs were working properly. Our early experimentation employed rodents native to our Homeworld. In our haste to save ourselves, we neglected to remove that subroutine- hence I am as you see me now.”
Dr. Mintaka stood there shaking her head side to side for several minutes.
“So, if he were to ingest a high concentration of alcohol, he would…” She said but stopped without finishing.”
“Within six to eight hours, yes, but only if the nano concentration is over four thousand parts per million. What was the count as of this sample?”
“We estimate around eighty per million, but this sample was taken three days ago.”
“Then I suggest you repeat the sample and reassess the count to see if there has been any change. Eighty is extremely low for the aggressive mitosis rate of their base programming.”
“What if the count remains static, Empress?”
“Then the nanos are still dormant and he should still be warned about excessive liquor consumption. Nanos, in their dormant state, will not repair the liver any faster than normal.”
“Thank you, Empress…oh, one other question. The reason I have asked to consult is because we have not been able to maintain any of these nanos for study. Could you tell me why that is?”
“We built an ‘anti-contagion’ subroutine into them, Belle. We were worried that, should we succeed in saving our race, we would not inadvertently infect others. The nanos will self-destruct within one minute when exposed to any breathable mixture of air by removal from solution. That includes preparation for slides.”
Dr. Mintaka nodded her understanding.
“So, what did the doctor tell you, Allie? Am I going to be some kind of circus act or something?” Pa asked when I returned. Cami and Prof. Samuels had arrived and were pleasantly chatting with Pa, Andie, and Reggie.
“Pa, this may seem really personal, but when Mother Scott visited you that night, did she, by any chance, injure you…say…on your neck…or ear…or…”
“I get it, Allie.” Pa turned bright red and slightly angry. “She may have gotten a little…over-zealous, why?”
“It validates one of the tests Belle conducted and received erroneous results for prior to your procedure.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, but I ignored that and made my second inquiry.
“Pa, do you consume alcoholic beverages in large quantities on a regular basis?” I asked routinely. I noticed my sisters’ eyes open wider.
“I go down to the corner for a draft every once in a while. I wouldn’t consider myself a drinker by any stretch though…why?”
“Dr. Mintaka is concerned that alcohol may have an unwanted interaction with their re-growth process. She recommends limiting your consumption to no more than one glass of fifteen percent alcohol by content in any specific twenty-four hour period.”
“So nothing stronger than one glass of wine? No whiskey or bourbon?”
“That’s about it, Pa. I’m sorry. ” I confirmed sadly.
“If I can get around normally again, it would be worth it, sweetie.”
I smiled and winked once to Belle.
“So what’s next? How long until we can get back to the mission?”
“Belle says you’ve got about three days of intensive therapy before she can release you.” I told him.
“I take it Alex went to Burma? Will she, Emily, Yuuka and Doris be okay?”
“Everything will go as we have seen it, Louis.”
“That really didn’t answer my question, Allie.”
“It’s the best answer I can give you, Louis.” I said as I wondered how my sisters were faring in the place she called ‘Burma’. I could have easily popped up to 1942 to satisfy my curiosity, but that wasn’t part of ‘our’ plan.
Alex Steinert’s group: 0700hrs, Magwe Airstrip, China, Feburary 19th, 1942
“Now we go back through time a month or so. Ready,” I asked with a smile?
“What happened to the sun? It was there just a second ago, now it is back over there. How did you do that?” Lu Sei cried out in surprise in her native language.
“Do you remember where and what you were doing the day Sullivan flew away and never came back, Lu Sei?” I asked gently. I wanted to make sure we didn’t run into her temporal twin.
“I help to plane. Always I walk Sul-i-van to plane.” She responded sadly. Lu Sei craned her neck forward slightly and looked up at Doris for a moment.
Closing my eyes, I ran the scenarios a few times to make sure I saw things properly- that things hadn’t changed. I frowned for a second before nodding to myself and reopening my eyes.
Doris was staring at me again.
“You aren’t bringing him back with you.” She stated dejectedly. “I…I understand…Al…Alexandra.”
“He will come home, Doris Sullivan. It may take several years, but Ralph Sullivan WILL come home.”
“Will he still b…”
“And he will still be your loving husband, Doris. It might take a few more years for things to get back to normal, but you WILL be a family again.” I interrupted and assured her.
“Emily, it’s time. Y’all sure you can hold everyone out of phase until Yuuka and I get back?” I asked my sister in the most serious tone I’d ever heard myself use.
“Do you really have to ask that, Alex?” She smiled pleasantly. “The all-seeing Empress really has to ask?” She giggled before letting go of my hand.
She, Doris, Lu Sei, and Jack disappeared.
“It’s our turn, Yuuka.” I said as I held my finger up for her to take.
Yuuka hovered at my side and quickly grew to full-size.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Alex?” She questioned gently.
“In order to repair this part of the timeline, yes, Yuuka. Let’s go to Pixie mode, shall we?” I said with a tense smile. Of course I wasn’t completely sure about doing this, but if Alexis could do it, I could too.
“Going to Pixie-mode.” Yuuka said as she closed her eyes and started to concentrate heavily.
A sudden feeling of euphoria washed over me. Electricity danced over every inch of my skin. It felt hundreds of times stronger than any future or past version ‘syncing’ with me. This feeling was completely opposite of anything I had felt when Connie and I had gone on ‘the’ mission! My body felt like it was buzzing with energy- like a billion volts were rushing through me.
I had no idea when I had closed my eyes, but I opened them immediately when I felt the strange draft. It reminded me of waking up wearing my favorite nightie. In the cooler, but still humid morning jungle air, I felt…exposed. My HUD was reporting a mandatory clothing change by way of big, flashing red letters. A diagnostic window of some sort appeared to the right of the warning. That display seemed like a prefight checklist for lack of a better description. In short order both pop-up windows turned green for a moment then disappeared. Another, smaller window quickly appeared. This one announced that I had safely entered a new mode and that all suit systems were online and fully adapted.
I wanted to worry or be distressed by what had happened. Yet, I felt it was no big deal. In fact, I felt better now than that first morning of my change. I felt alive! I felt nothing in the world could hurt me- nothing could catch me! I felt free!
Wait, where did all these huge plants come from?
“It is done, Empress.” Yuuka said from beside me. Had we even changed? She still looked up at me like she normally did when full size.
“It is? Really?” I asked as I stared around.
‘I suggest that you try your wings, Empress. I have heard many rumors of extra-large insects inhabiting the region. I do not wish to lose the Empress on my watch, ma’am.’ Yuuka told me. I noticed her mouth wasn’t moving.
“I guess that would look bad, wouldn’t it?” I giggled as I concentrated on moving the unseen wings on my upper back. I felt a vibration and found myself flat on my bottom. Yuuka was laughing at me.
“That was only the first try, Yuuka. Don’t laugh at me!” I cried in embarrassment.
“A very wise woman once told someone in your situation to just not think about it- that birds don’t dwell on the facts of where to go, how to get there, how much is the wind blowing…”
“Am I that bad, Yuuka? I am not my daughter, I’ll have you know.” I said as Yuuka grew shorter and suddenly dropped from my sight. She quickly reappeared and I noted her wings were barely visible. That only meant one thing.
“I’m flying!” I cried out in surprise.
“Yes we are, Alex, and no, you aren’t anything like Alexis. You took to this like a seasoned pro. How does it feel?”
How did I feel? I took a minute to think about that.
It didn’t feel like anything, really. I felt no different here, now, flying high above the ground than if I was standing firmly on the ground far below. Though, looking down, I noticed that I was indeed several hundred feet above it. That observation alone filled me with energy- happy energy. I felt more alive than at any other time in my life!
“YAAAAHOOOOOO!” I screamed as I dove for the ground. Pulling up just feet from the dirt and course grass of the airfield, I adjusted my course for the jungle surrounding the field and quickly made several laps of the base. This was the greatest!
‘Alex?’ I heard in my mind several times, but chose to ignore the voice.
“EMPRESS!” The same voice screamed into my head suddenly. I came to a quick stop, though my feet still didn’t touch anything firm. I looked around to see where the voice was coming from and saw another pixie flying toward me.
“Empress. The mission. Please don’t forget about the mission.”
I hadn’t forgotten about the mission…or…or had I? I shook my head to clear it.
“Alex?” Yuuka asked cautiously as she stared into my eyes directly in front of me. “Are you alright, Capt. Steinert?”
“I’m okay, Yuuka. I…I…this is just sooo…”
“Alex, the mission? We need to get aboard that plane before Ralph Sullivan closes the canopy.” Yuuka pleaded.
I shook my head again- in fact, I shook it several times before the gravity of what we were to do here reemerged. “I…I remember the mission. I…I just can’t believe…believe how liberating this feels!” I admitted, feeling a huge smile plastered on my face.
“Well, if you two are finished flying around like first-graders, I think Lu Sei and Doris would like to get this over with. I know that Jack and I would like to see our captain grow back up from her second childhood.” Emily said sternly as they appeared a few feet away.
Lu Sei and Doris stared at the two of us in complete amazement. I decided to fly over to the little girl.
“Little Flower and I are going to rescue Sullivan now, okay?” I asked.
She nodded. “Alexandra, you have the prettiest pink wings I’ve ever seen! Are you the Empress of Pixies too?” She asked, blinking several times in astonishment.
“I just asked Little Flower to help me, honey. She helped me change into a Pixie.” I said as my mouth suddenly started to water. Was this what it was like? Did I now have a craving for honey?
No. I thought to myself flatly. The mission came first. After that… My mouth started to water again as I mentally thought the word ‘honey’.
My mind filled with Yuuka’s laughter.
“Stop laughing at me!” I shouted to the other pixie audibly. She was hovering only inches away and began laughing out loud.
“Sister! The mission!” Emily’s voice echoed loudly through my head- so loud in fact, that I had to cover my ears.
“I know the mission, Em! I planned it all out, remember?” I shouted back.
“Do you remember, Alex? Really? You’re acting just like Alexis when she volunteered for her mission.
“I remember the mission, Emily. Y’all kin change me inta any form y’all want, but ah’ll still remember what ah gotta do!” I groused.
“Good, they’re about to scramble. Git yer ass in gear an’ git ta that thar cockpit, Empress!” She growled with a much-exaggerated accent.
“Alex?” Jack asked to get my attention.
I hovered over to her.
“Alex, you know I can’t see you in this mode. I’ll try to follow Sullivan as best I can. Be careful, Alex.” She reminded me. I saw a tear form in her massive- to me- eye.
“Alex, we have to phase out now. Be careful, sis.” Emily said with a slight hint of sadness in her voice.
Emily, Lu Sei, Doris, and Jack disappeared again.
Let’s go, I thought to Yuuka. She nodded to me and took my hand. I phased us before hurrying off to the plane I knew was his. We quickly stowed ourselves behind the seat and waited.
“When is he going to get here?” I asked Yuuka impatiently.
“It’s only been a few seconds, Alex! Take it easy.”
“Only a few seconds? It feels like we’ve been here for hours.”
“It felt like that to me too the first hundred or so times I went into pixie mode. You just have to ignore it. I know it’s a hard thing to do, but you just have to, Alex.”
The equipment we were standing on shifted violently several times and a huge shadow blocked the light around us. The shadow- Ralph Sullivan- stepped in and settled himself, roughly into the cockpit’s seat.
“Give those Japs hell, Sully.” An unseen voice said from outside the plane somewhere.
“You be back, Sul-I-van?” Lu Sei asked as her head appeared just above the rim of the cockpit’s side.
“I promise I’ll be back in time for lunch, Lucy. You don’t have to worry, sweetheart. I promise, this is my last mission and then we’ll go home, you and me. We’ll be a family and far away from this war- far enough that you’ll be safe and not have to worry. You’d like that, right?”
“I wait, Sul-I-van.”
“A kiss for luck, sweetheart?” He asked as Lu Sei kissed her hand and quickly reached in toward him. She managed to just touch his face with her fingers. “Alright, sweetheart, you’d better get down so I can get ol’ Doris started.”
We could hear movement of all kinds as Sullivan readied his plane. There were sliding sounds, clicking sounds, and tapping sounds before someone outside yelled, ‘CLEAR!’
The noise of an electric starter spinning to life filled the still open cockpit then the sputtering of the multi cylinder engine as the fighter came to life- the roar so loud Yuuka and I had to cover our ears.
‘This is when it pays to have telepathic communication, Alex.’ Yuuka thought to me as she looked across the fuselage at me. We had released hands after Lu Sei climbed off the plane.
After backfiring a few times the motor smoothed out and quickly revved several times. Sullivan held up his thumb for a minute then the motor revved higher and the plane began to shake violently.
We were moving.
The ride as I perceived it from this size was almost life threatening. I hoped that we could survive it long enough to complete this part of our mission.
‘I’d take riding out a depth charge attack over this any day.’ I thought to my sister.
Several times the motor revved up and down and the plane shook as we were apparently waiting our turn to take off. Suddenly the canopy slid forward and slammed shut. The motor revved to full speed and we began to bounce violently again. I could feel the plane picking up speed. The shaking became even worse.
Suddenly everything smoothed out, though the roar of the motor was still deafening. The plane began to bank sharply to port and stayed that way for a minute or so then leveled off.
We were on our way.
Yuuka took flight and hovered at the cockpit’s rim as she looked to see where we were after about ten minutes.
‘Things are going to start getting fuzzy, Alex.’ She thought to me.
‘Why’s that?’ I thought back.
‘We’re climbing pretty high. The air gets pretty thin up here. The thinner the air, the lighter-headed we get without oxygen. Try to breath as deeply as you can and don’t make any unnecessary movements- nothing that will deplete your blood oxygen level quickly.’
‘I guess the cold goes along with the thin air?’ I asked.
‘Yes.’
‘Is this how it was for you…above Kili?’
‘Alex, conserve your oxygen!’ Yuuka growled in my mind.
‘Are we there yet?’ I thought emotionlessly. For the last forty-five minutes or so, I had noticed my field of vision narrowing. I felt drowsy- on the verge of sleep.
‘Alex, you have to conserve your air. Hey, come over here for a minute.’ Yuuka motioned for me to approach.
‘There is a small leak in his airline. Lean over and take a few good breathes.’ She pointed to the fitting on the hose leading from a regulator atop a cylindrical tank. The cold air refreshed me as I took several deep breaths.
‘Hey! Don’t hog it, Alex, I have to breathe too.’ Yuuka giggled.
I felt myself blush. ‘I’m sorry.’ I said sheepishly.
Curiously, I hovered up to look out the clear plastic canopy. Three planes flew in close formation off our starboard.
‘Don’t go too high, Alex, they’re close enough to see you.’ Yuuka warned as I looked down.
We were flying above the clouds.
‘How high are we?’ I asked my sister.
‘My guess would be very close to the operational limits of this aircraft, Alex.’ Yuuka answered as she took another deep breath from the supply hose. ‘While serving in Manchuria, we heard several Imperial pilots describing the tactics of the ‘Flying Tigers’ of Burma. Apparently these fighters…um…P-40’s, are inferior to the newer Imperial fighters. The adapted attack style is to dive at the unsuspecting bombers and escorts. Though more maneuverable, Japanese fighters cannot follow at sufficient speed to catch such fighter attacks- they are simply not built for such speed.
Our plane’s motor suddenly revved to full power. We pitched to port suddenly and began dropping in altitude quickly.
‘Here we go,’ I thought. Yuuka nodded to me in worry. Within a matter of a few seconds the fuselage around us began to shake and vibrate. It increased as we picked up more speed. I had to get a look at this!
‘Alex, be careful. Remember that there are going to be plenty of bullets flying though the air around us.’
I found a good vantage point on the top of Sullivan’s parachute. From here I could see almost everything. We were rapidly dropping in on a group of ‘Betty’s’ and their ‘Nate’ escorts.
‘This is suicide!’ I thought loudly to my sister. I suddenly began to think of my time aboard Jim Lovell’s spacecraft- how my appearance just after the fuel cell explosion caused his crew’s concentration to break temporarily- how the spacecraft quickly began to oscillate out of control again and how they fought with the control quads to get Odyssey to cooperate as she lost precious oxygen- the pressurized gas creating unwanted thrust.
But that was in space. The feeling- the weightlessness of this dive stood in stark contrast in that I could see exactly what was happening now. In space everything except the Earth and moon was black nothingness- similar to my private domain but filled with stars. The feeling of being weightless and violently thrown around was there but nothing else. I felt my heart pumping furiously as we closed at an astounding rate on the enemy aircraft. Had they seen us yet? Probably not as the sun was at our backs- the sun would obscure our attack. Ingenious.
I noticed one of the ‘Nates’ break away from the group.
“Shit!” Sullivan swore from behind his air mask. He immediately changed his course to follow the fighter.
“What are you doin’ Sully? Get back in formation!” I heard from his nearby headphone.
“I’m staying with my ‘Nate’! You guys take out the ‘Betty’s’.”
“Sully, you can’t match him in a fight! Get with the program!”
Sullivan rolled his plane as we rushed closer to the escaping fighter. The plane began to shake even more as the P-40’s machineguns roared to life. Smoke erupted from the enemy plane as we hurtled below and behind it.
“Got him!” Our pilot announced calmly.
“That’s all well an’ good, Sully, but you got one on your tail now!”
Over the roar of the motor, I could hear the telltail metallic ‘tings’ as we came under attack.
‘Yuuka, get up here and hang on!’ I thought excitedly.
There was a sickening ‘thunk’ and smoke began to stream from somewhere forward of the cockpit. Sullivan violently pitched the plane on its side several times, but more bullets found their marks.
“Shit, I’m losing oil pressure.”
‘Alex, we have one right on our tail!’ Yuuka screamed in my mind.
“Bank hard to the right then pull back hard on the stick! Now!” I screamed as loud as I could at the nearby headset.
The plane violently pitched to starboard and I began to feel the pull of gravity increase substantially.
“Now roll it, hard to the left, and pull up again!” I shouted.
Again the plane violently shifted as the earth circled around us quickly and gravity increased in the other direction.
“Who’s that?” Sullivan asked as he tapped frantically at his headset.
“What are you talking about, Sully, and where did you learn those moves?” The male wingman’s voice asked.
“A woman’s voice…she told me to bank right, roll it then left and pull up. Where did that voice come from?” Sullivan asked.
“Less talk and more moves, Sully! There’s another one on your tail!” The wingman shouted.
“I know! I lost too much speed!”
“Alex, he’s coming on fast. I don’t think we can escape this time.” Yuuka cried her alert.
“I’m not going to get to you in time, Sully.” His wingman said sadly.
“Hey, it’s been nice flying with you guys. Tell Lucy I’ll try to make it back.”
Quickly, I grabbed Yuuka’s hand and mentally threw her imaginary valve almost all the way open. I concentrated on putting a containment shield around the whole plane.
“Thanks for the warning, Alex!” My sister gasped as I concentrated on phasing plane, pilot, and pixies out at the same time I stopped time inside my containment field.
The enemy plane was suddenly in front of us.
“Fire yer guns!” I shouted into Sullivan’s headphone.
The tail of the plane now directly in front of us disappeared. The ‘Nate’ immediately rolled to starboard and began plummeting to Earth in a spiral.
“How the hell did you do that?” The voice cracked over Sullivan’s headphone.
The P-40’s motor began to sputter and miss furiously. The propeller began to slow.
“Doesn’t matter how the hell that happened, I’m not going to make it back home, Smithie. What I said before goes. I’ll try to get as close as I can before I have to jump.”
“Been great flyin’ with ya, Sully. Keep yer head low if you make it.”
More metallic impacts echoed in the much quieter cockpit.
“Shit, not another one! Can’t you guys give me a little cover fire up there?”
“Kinda busy, Sull...” The wingman’s voice stopped abruptly as I smelt smoke fill the air. The radio had been shot.
“Take your headset off, Ralph Sullivan.” I shouted.
“What the…?” our pilot said as he tore his flying cap from his head.
“I want you to aim for that mountain to your left, Ralph. Do it now if you want to live.” I told the man as he desperately tried to see where my voice was coming from.
“Why should I aim for the hillside? How can I possibly live if I hit it?”
“You’ll just have to trust us, won’t you?” I argued back calmly.
“Us? There is more than just one voice in my head? Did I buy it already?”
“No, y’all are quite alive for the time bein’, Ralph.”
“I have a Southern Belle in my head? I’ve got to be dead.”
“For the record, I’m from Missoura, Ralph, now aim for the mountain, please.”
“Alex, what are you doing? Not even a pixie can survive slamming into the side of a mountain at over two hundred miles an hour. You know that, right?”
“Who said anything about us crashing, Yuuka?” I asked my sister verbally.
“Oh jeez, there ARE two voices in my head!” Sullivan said as he continued trying to get a look at us.
More bullets hit our crippled plane as our pilot banked left.
“I’ll let you see who we are if you promise to keep your composure, Ralph Sullivan.” I said calmly, but firmly. “Both hands on the stick and don’t you dare pass out, understand?”
Our pilot nodded with a loud swallow.
The motor gave one last backfire before everything went eerily quiet. We didn’t have much time left. I motioned for Yuuka to follow me.
Flying forward, we both stopped and hovered before the huge face of Ralph Sullivan. His eyes danced frantically between Yuuka and I as his complexion went pale.
“I said no passing out, Mr. Sullivan!” I ordered. “Stay on course.”
“Who…what are you?”
I am Alexandra and this is Yuuka. Doris sent us to rescue you.” I said matter-of-factly.
“Doris? Doris sent you? How…what?”
“Alex, his wingman is approaching and one’s still on his tail.” Yuuka said as she looked to the rear of the plane.
More bullets echoed through the quiet fuselage again. Sullivan’s hands jerked back on the joystick suddenly.
“Shit! He just took out my ailerons. No way can I land this thing now. Looks like you…um…”
“Pixies, Ralph, we’re Pixies.” I answered with a smile.
“No way I can land this thing, girls. Looks like you decided to rescue the wrong guy.”
“Just let us decide whether we bet on the wrong horse or not, Ralph. Try to keep us on target.”
“Then what will happen?”
“You trust, Sul-I-van?” I asked using Lu Sei’s pronounciation.
The man’s eyes got wider. “You know Lucy?”
“She’s safe and waiting for you to get back to the states, Ralph.” I reassured him.
“How…?”
“Time to unbuckle the straps, Ralph. You might want to try and open the canopy as well.” I suggested as the trees on the mountain ahead of us started to take on more definition. Sullivan tried to open the large plastic canopy with one hand while holding us steady with the other.
“It won’t budge! I can’t get it open!” He said with a slight amount of panic.
“I didn’t think it would open.” I said calmly. “Jammed by a bullet.”
“Alex, tell me you saw all this happen.” Yuuka said in an excited voice as she stared at the onrushing jungle.
“Let’s get to his shoulder, hun.” I said as I took Yuuka’s hand and tugged her to Sullivan’s huge shoulder.
I grabbed the man’s earlobe and began to concentrate on where to transport him. I noticed our wingman pull up and bank hard to port. Again I opened Yuuka’s imaginary valve wide.
Dense, dark green jungle surrounded us- the plane we had been in, nowhere to be seen. Off in the distance the buzz of airplanes lowered in pitch as they moved away from our new location. A sudden explosion echoed through the trees thus making the jungle come alive with animal chatter, roars, and squawking.
“Yuuka, perimeter search.” I ordered as I released Sullivan’s earlobe.
“Where are we? How…how did you do that?”
I hovered back in front of Ralph.
“I am Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space, Ralph Sullivan. As to where we are…my guess would be a few miles north of where your plane just exploded on that mountain over there.” I answered as I pointed to the nearby summit.
“I’m really dead, right? I mean…I mean something like Pixies and…and time travel…they really don’t exist…do…do they?”
“Hold out your hand, Mr. Sullivan.” I requested. He obliged and I landed on his upturned palm.
“Do you have a mirror in your survival kit, Ralph?” I asked with a smile.
“Um…ya…why?” He asked in curiosity.
“Because I have yet to see myself in this form and before I leave it, I’d like to see what I look like, silly.” I answered matter-of-factly.
“Oh…um…sure, its…its right here. I’ll get it.”
After a few minutes of digging, Ralph produced a small shaving mirror and held it in front of me.
The girl reflected looked exactly like me. The notable exception was my clothing. The reflection was dressed in a light green, tight-fitting leotard that left way too much of me exposed- cleavage or otherwise. She wore light green ballet slippers on her bared legs and a light green fabric mini-skirt that left almost nothing to the imagination. On her back a double set of wings with bright pink ‘smudges’ flitted nervously. I immediately tried to pull more skirt fabric to my exposed thighs. I felt myself blush profusely.
“Perimeter is clear, Alex…oh, I expected you wouldn’t waste any time…” Yuuka reported but stopped when she saw me admiring my reflection.
“Good,” I said as I looked up into the sky. “It’ll be dark soon and you’ll be able to move.”
“Where am I going to go? I don’t even know where I am?” Sullivan complained a little too loud for either of us pixies. Yuuka and I immediately covered our sensitive ears.
“Sorry.” Sullivan whispered in reaction.
“Yuuka, I think it’s time that we grew up. We stand a better chance of not becoming a main dish for the inhabitants.” I suggested as I took to the air, closed my eyes, and began willing myself to exit pixie mode.
As before, the rush of electricity…the sheer pleasure that encompassed my body, overloaded all my senses. In the background I heard a sharp gasp from our new companion.
Again my HUD displayed two pop-up windows; one alerting me that my suit had automatically changed my style of clothing; the second, running diagnostics on my changing body. Both changed to green for a moment then disappeared. Again another window popped up alerting me to a ‘mode’ change. I opened my eyes.
Standing before me was Ralph Sullivan in his flight suit and parachute. His eyes bulging at what they beheld. I glanced to the side and saw Yuuka had also left pixie mode.
“You’re navy?” He gasped.
“Y’all got a problem with that, flyboy?” I growled as I looked down to examine myself. I was back to my regulars.
“No…no ma’am…Commander, sir!” Ralph jumped to attention and saluted. “Lt. Ralph Christen Sullivan, Former Army Air Corp, sir!”
“Give it a rest, Ralph. I’m not here to pull rank on you.” I giggled. “I’m here to right a wrong that was caused by someone thinking they could change the world to match their specific image. Yuuka and I are here to put time back on track, Mr. Sullivan.”
“Ma’am?” the man asked, perplexed.
‘It’s about time you got back, Alex! I was starting to get worried you and Yuuka didn’t make it.’ Jack’s concerned voice echoed through my skull. I placed my finger to my lips to tell Ralph to be quiet for a moment.
‘Yuuka and I are fine, Jack. Part two of this mission is complete. We’re just going to make sure Ralph is safe for the night and be on our way. Tell Doris that her husband is safe and she’ll see him again as promised.’
‘Aye, Cap! I’ll pass that news along.’
“Talking to Jack, Alex?” Yuuka asked.
“She was concerned we wouldn’t make it.” I answered.
“I was starting to think the same thing the closer we got to that mountain, Alex.” My sister admitted as she gently rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand.
‘Alex, I’m ready to do the mind wipe when you’re ready.’ Jack informed me. I nodded slightly.
“Ralph Sullivan, I’d like you to inventory your supplies. Make sure you have your chit handy. You’ll need it soon enough.” I recommended as I reached for and took Yuuka’s hand.
“You’re going? Where will you go? I didn’t observe any small villages or anything remotely appearing to be civilization from up there.” He said as he pointed skyward.
“This is as far as we can take you, Ralph. I’m afraid you have to make your own way to freedom from here on out, and you may not have seen civilization from up there,” I gestured skyward also, “but you have been noticed by allies. Take care, Ralph Sullivan. Always remember that Doris and Lu Sei will be waiting for you.”
“Thank you, Commander. I hope one day we’ll see each other again. I owe you two my life.” Sullivan said as he reached to shake our free hands.
“The only thing you owe us is to make it back to the states in one, living, piece. You have two girls pinin’ away for you there.”
‘Now, Jack. Everything but what I said awaited him stateside. The man has to have a reason to go on.’
‘Done, Alex.’
Magwe airfield appeared around us.
Walking down to the far end of the field, I rephased Yuuka and I to meet up with Emily, Doris, Lu Sei, and Jack.
“Welcome back, stranger.” Emily giggled. “How is my little Pixie-poo?”
I smiled broadly. “It was the most amazing feeling in all the worlds, sis! I can see why Alexis was reluctant to grow back up. The feeling of pure freedom…it was just so amazing!” I gushed.
“Alexandra, I like you better this way.” Lu Sei said in her tongue. “Although you are a very pretty pixie. I just love those pink wings and your green outfit!”
“You do?” I asked in excitement as I bent down to our small companion. “I like this form too! How would you like to go somewhere where it’s safe and warm, and full of people that care for you very much?”
“Will Sul-I-van be there too?” The girl asked; excitement and hope filled her voice.
Not at the first place we visit, but maybe…just maybe he’ll be at our final destination. You want to go see?” I asked with the same excitement.
The girl nodded cautiously once.
“Let’s join hands and we’ll be there in a…”
My quarters on Atlantis appeared around us.
“Flash!” I said as I excitedly completed my sentence.
As usual, the Temporal Anomaly Alarm was sounding.
“It’s just me, Dixie.” I said in an annoyed tone.
The Alarm silenced.
“Welcome back, Empress. I trust your mission went according to plan?”
“Yes it did, hun, all of the players are in place. How is my sister’s mission progressing?”
“I’m afraid Mr. Scott is proving to be very stubborn and is trying Empress Alexandra Reilly, Dr. Mintaka, as well as Commodore Celeste’s patience, Empress.” Dixie replied in a vexed tone.
“Where is that voice coming from, Alexandra? Little Flower, I am scared.” Lu Sei cried out in fright.
“You are on a spaceship, Lu Sei.” I told her with a big, reassuring smile.
“What is a spaceship?”
“It’s like a big airplane, but flies through the heavens, high above the Earth and your home.” I replied. “Would you like to see?”
“I recommend observation lounge Beta-17, Empress. Temporal Anomaly Alarms have been disabled at both points for transit.” Dixie informed me.
“Have the others meet us there, Dixie.”
“As you wish, Empress.”
A familiar lounge area now surrounded us. I quickly rephased us and released the hands I was holding.
“It’s nighttime already?” Lu Sei exclaimed as she ran to the windows and stared out. Earth appeared at the right-most pane and moved slowly across the room’s transparent wall. The girl released an excited squeal before her jaw dropped open in awe of the sight. Doris walked up slowly behind her and held her tight as she too watched our home move from panel to panel. We all stood there in silence until the beautiful blue and white planet disappeared from view.
When Doris turned back to me she had tears streaming down her face.
“This…this is just so incredible! Alexandra…how…how can this be? That can’t be Earth. It looks too snow covered.” She paused a moment. “That is snow down there isn’t it?”
I nodded. “Welcome to the year seventy-two, thousand-something BC, Mrs. Sullivan. What you saw below on the planet is what scientists call the Ice Age. It will last another twenty or thirty thousand years before the Earth starts to warm and melt into the continents you studied in geography class.”
“Seventy-thous…thousand?” She sputtered out.
“Give or take a few thousand, but yes. A magnificent sight, wouldn’t you agree?” I switched my translator to Cantonese. “So what do you think, Lu Sei? You like the view?”
“I want to see it again, Alexandra! Can we see it again?”
“It’ll be back around in a few minutes, honey.” I promised.
“Em, y’all really oughta do somethin’ ‘bout yer Pa!” Alex Reilly groused as she stomped through the door when it slid open. “Ah swear he bitches worse’n Billie!”
“He never used to be like that, sis, he was always so reserved.” Emily giggled.
I was never ‘reserved, young lady! I just know how to keep my mouth shut!” Pa said as he entered the large room- still on crutches.
“Hey, gir…oh, look at you, cutie!” Cami started to say as she and Ricky Lynn came through the door, but upon seeing Lu Sei, her attention changed.
“Who are you?” The girl asked in Cantonese.
“My name is Camille…Camille Darough. What’s your’s cutie?” Cami asked in the girl’s tongue.
“I am called Lu Sei. Are you a friend of Little Flower and Alexandra?”
“We all are, cutie.” Cami giggled. “Here, I’ll introduce you to the gang, okay?”
While Cami introduced Lu Sei to everyone, I approached Doris Sullivan.
“So what do y’all think, Doris?” I asked.
“I can’t believe that I’m here…” She gulped, “looking down on my home…or what will be my home some day.”
“It does look spectacular from up here doesn’t it? That’s not what I asked though, Doris. What do you think of Lu Sei?”
“I’m not sure. If she spoke better English…maybe?”
“So you are one of those people that judge someone else by the way they look or speak? I’m surprised at you, Doris Sullivan.” I chided.
“I never said that, Alexandra! I just wish I understood Chinese so I could know what she’s saying- what she thinks of me.”
“It’s been my experience that the old adage is still true, Doris.”
“What old adage?”
“That the eyes are the windows into the heart…and soul.” I recited with a smile. “Words can be arranged in all sorts of ways- mostly by politicians- to say one thing but mean another, but a person’s eyes…? With experience and close observation they will never hide their owner’s true feelings, Doris. Look into the child’s eyes and see the truth reflected there. They will never lie.”
“Is that how you do it, Alexandra? Look into someone’s eyes?” She asked candidly.
“Sometimes, but most of the time I cheat.” I giggled. “Mostly, I rely on my gift of foresight to know if a person is telling the truth or not. If I stare into someone’s eyes long enough they start to get ‘creeped out’, so in the interest of comfort, I use my gift- less awkward that way.”
Sullivan’s hand came to her mouth as she started to giggle quietly.
“Though, right now,” I said motioning to her, “your eyes tell me that you find my conversation entertaining and disarming- which was my goal- to make you feel comfortable around all this.” I motioned around the room then to the door as Andie and Reggie entered.
Cami immediately introduced Lu Sei to our hosts, noting that Andie was Emily’s and my half sister.
“Lu Sei, here comes the Earth again.” I called and the excited girl rushed to the windows again.
A few moments later, Andie walked to my side.
“Welcome back, sister. I trust your end of this mission has gone smoother than my end?”
“Was he really that bad, Andie?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“At first he seemed excited, but once asked to move it and with no result, he became discouraged and sank into despair. He still refuses to fully embrace the limb, Alex. It is as if he does not trust it to hold him- that it will somehow detach and run away on its own.”
“I think he’s just mad that we tricked him. He’s a very proud man you know. Pride sometimes has a way of interfering with progress.”
“I know that all too well, sister.” She looked back to the windows as Lu Sei watched, transfixed, as the last vestiges of Earth disappeared from view again. “If Mrs. Sullivan does not wish to accept the child, I have room for her here. She will get the best education Atlantis can provide, and all the love she will ever want. That, I guarantee, Empress.”
“Thank you, sis, but Doris will be every bit the doting mother Lu Sei lost when her family and village was decimated. There is, however, always room for a doting aunt or two.” I said with a grin.
Andie smiled deviously. “As long as some form of transportation is available for us to visit her, Empress.” She replied with a wink.
We both laughed as she wrapped her long arms around me and squeezed gently.
Someone tapped me on my shoulder and Andie released her bear hug. Cami stood there waiting patiently.
“I will insert the necessary archives while she sleeps, Alex. Jacki has insisted I show her my technique and will supply some of the needed knowledge.” She informed us.
“Wait till we get back to Bridgeport to instruct Jack, Cami. Doris has requested she learn a little Chinese to understand Lu Sei better. We’ll see y’all in the morning, Sweetheart.”
“I have arranged for Doris and Lu Sei to share quarters, which are located next to you and Alex Reilly, Cami.”
“Thank you Commodore. I suspect both will require escort there within the hour. Our little cutie is already starting to fatigue.”
“I’ll try to have Jack and Emily back in a few hours then. We still have some unfinished business back in Burma.” I said as I kissed both women’s cheek.
‘Jack, get Emily. It’s time to finish the Burma mission.’ I thought to her.
‘Aye, Cap, be right there.’
I decided to meet Jack and Emily half way.
“Alex! Alex, sweetie, you have to take me with you! These women are going to kill me if I don’t get out of here! Please, I beg you, get me out of here.” Pa said quietly as he took my arm gently, but firmly.
“Pa, what’ s the problem? They just gave you back your foot! What you need to do is listen to what they say and let the therapy do its work. Don’t be such a baby!”
“No, I’m thankful they were willing to give this thing to me, but it’s not…me! They grew the thing in two days, Alex! Two days! How could it be me in so little time?” He asked, still at a low volume.
“Look,” I told him as I stared directly into his eyes. “They took a certain kind of cell from your spinal cord- a stem cell they call it in the twenty-first century, Pa. This cell…they processed it and programmed it to divide and replicate. Using specially designed equipment, they persuade the cell to produce more cells. On and on it goes until the cells begin to form bones and tissues and skin. With the equipment, this happens at a phenomenal rate. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but every cell in that new foot is yours! There is not one living cell in that ‘thing’, as you call it, that you don’t have in your other foot. The foot is every bit an integral part of you, Pa. You! So stop whining and walk on the damn thing! It will never fail you…ever!”
“Alex, I think he should come along.” Emily said gently touching my other arm. “The jungle air might do him some good.” She added with a quick wink.
I offered my hand begrudgingly.
1113hrs, Magwe Airstrip, China, March 21st, 1942
“Keep holding my hand until I say it’s safe, Pa.” I warned in an unhappy tone. “Jack, the bombing group will be coming from that direction.” I nodded to our right. “We need the Airfield to look like more jungle.”
“How long until they arrive, Cap?”
“About five minutes, but I have to rephase us or you’ll destabilize us and we’ll be seen anyway.”
“Got it, Alex. This will work better if I set up toward the middle of the field. I’ll be able to fortify the shield better if I can see where it’s weakest.” My Ex-O recommended.
“I know, Jack, and you’re going to have to erase us from their memories- in fact, the whole incident will have to be erased. Remember this attack never happened before Clemson’s intervention.”
Off in the distance the droning of aircraft engines could be heard. We had just arrived at Jack’s designated location, as the droning grew louder.
“Rephase us now, Alex.”
I nodded and released Emily and Pa’s hands.
“Deploying camouflage shield now, Alex.” Jack announced. The sky above us darkened slightly.
Several men ran from their quarters, started pointing to us, and ran toward us. Most of the others pointed over our heads to the incoming enemy aircraft.
Suddenly pulses of bright, blue light began launching straight up from Jack’s suddenly up stretched arms. I had seen this display before, on Terra.
“Show off.” I accused.
“Better that they be awed than aiming, Empress.” She offered.
“Well done, sister.” I said before I turned and walked toward the gathering crowd.
“Alex! Where are you going?” Emily cried out.
“I’m going to offer our services and hope they don’t shoot me before I tender it.” I turned and replied with a wink.
“Alex, wait.” Pa said as he hobbled to catch up.
“Get back by Jack, Pa, she’ll protect you.” I warned angrily.
“I know one of those guys. We were in boot camp together.”
“What the hell you doin’ on my field an’ what the hell is she doin’ out there?” A middle-aged man screamed in anger, as he hurried closer.
“She’s savin’ your worthless asses, Bobby! You do hear the bombers comin’ right?” Pa screamed back.
“Lou?! What the hell you doin’ here? I thought you got out a long time ago?”
“I re-upped. You have a problem with that?”
“What’s she doin’ here?”
“My daughter, Alex, is in charge of this mission, Bobby.”
“In charge? Your daughter is in charge of a mission? How stupid you think we are? Women can’t command!”
“And I suppose women can’t produce a camouflage force field over this entire base to hide you from those Japanese bombers either, right?”
“What the hell she yappin’ ‘bout, Lou?” ‘Bobby screamed.
I phased and rephased behind him.
“I suggest ya shut yer yap and stand down, Bobby.” I said before phasing out and rephasing next to Pa again.
The staring commenced- all aimed at me, of course.
“What the hell?! What is she, Lou?”
“She’s my daughter and your salvation, Bobby; now shut-up, stand down, and watch!”
The first of the planes appeared over the trees. It made no obvious moves to alter coarse to make a bomb run. The fighter escorts stayed in formation. They didn’t appear to take notice of the base or anything on the ground.
‘Jack, leave knowledge of the ‘Scott twins’ in this guy’s mind. It comes in handy in the future.’ I thought to her.
‘Aye, Cap.’
“Hey, Bob, I can’t find Lucy anywhere! I wanted to get her away from the buildings but I can’t find her!” A younger man shouted as he ran from Lu Sei’s quarters.
Overhead in the opposite direction more aircraft could be heard approaching. Diving fighters came into focus as they dropped from a higher altitude. Smoke began billowing from several ‘Bettys’ and two ‘Nates’.
“It’s the third! They must have been on patrol today!” Someone shouted excitedly from the gathered crowd.
Everyone began cheering as the specialized attack continued over us. I noticed a ‘Nate’ take heavy fire. It began plummeting to the ground toward us.
‘Alex, its going to hit close to you and Mr. Scott. Get out of there!’ Jack shouted in my head.
‘Let it through, Commander.’ I thought back to her calmly.
‘But you and the others…’
‘We’ll be fine, Jack, just let it through. Make it look like it crashed into the jungle.’
‘Aye, Cap.’ Jack replied sounding very skeptical and concerned I was making a grave mistake.
“If Ah were y’all, Ah’d run for cover! Y’all got incomin’!” I shouted with my back toward the approaching disaster- my thumb pointing behind me.
Men took off running in every direction. Bobby continued to stare at Pa and me.
“Pa, You an’ Bobby’s in the line of fire.” I said calmly.
“Alex! Get out of the way! You’ll be killed!” Pa shouted as he hobbled quickly away from me.
The man named Bobby just kept staring at me.
“Pa, Bobby’s in danger. Y’all hafta get him outta here.” I said with no emotion. “Ah kin phase out to protect mahself. Your friend cain’t.”
I could hear the sputtering of the motor as it closed quickly from behind me.
“Alex!” Pa shouted as he wavered a few yards away from me.
“Get Bobby!” I screamed.
Suddenly, Pa dropped his crutches, sprinted to, and tackled his apparent friend. They landed hard, but were now out of harm’s way. I phased just as the plane impacted several yards behind me. I could feel the intense heat rush through me as the flaming hulk stopped only a hundred feet ahead. I looked over to where Pa and Bobby lay, shielding their eyes and faces from the heat.
“So, your new foot served you well, Louis Scott?” I said as I rephased standing a foot or so behind the two prone men.
“How the hell did you…I saw the plane hit…you were right there!”
“You don’t need to know how I accomplished that illusion, sir. Just know that this base…and every man on it…has been saved. Please go back to your quarters and rest assured that you will all live to fly another day. In a few minutes we will take our leave of this place. You and the others will never remember any of this happening.”
“What the hell are you broads?”
“Watch it Bobby, this is my daughter, Alexandra, the Empress of Time and Space, and she and her friend just saved your asses! I recommend you say ‘thank you’ to the girls before you don’t remember this happening.” Pa informed the man with pride overflowing his words.
“How the hell would I not remember this, Lou? Three strange women and a guy I know to be mustered out years ago suddenly appear in the middle of my airstrip just before an enemy bombing group flies into range? How can I forget that? Not to mention that one of the women is shooting blue balls of light from her hands and another one…that you say is your daughter…disappears and reappears like some ghostly apparition…then survives being run over by a burning, downed enemy plane not two hundred feet in front of me! What the hell is going on, Lou? Are you even Lou at all, Lou?”
“Sir, you have a burning aircraft on your airfield,” I interrupted. “Don’t you think you should put out the fire? Or would you like us to do that for you?”
“I think we can put out a fire, Princess.” Bobby retorted caustically.
“I know you will, SIR.” I replied snidely. “I just thought that if it were put out quicker, that the enemy planes might not circle back after we’ve left. Once my Ex-O drops her force field your base and the tell-tail smoke will be completely visible.”
Pa’s buddy stared at me for a few minutes. I stared back in defiance.
“Do it.” He growled in defeat, looking away from me embarrassed.
“Jack, we need a suppression field over the plane to snuff out the flames, please.”
‘Sure thing, Alex.’ She thought back to me.
The thick, black, smoke and flames suddenly started to collect, roll, and boil in the unseen containment field.
Bobby’s jaw dropped.
“How the hell are you doing that?” he finally asked.
“My girls can do some pretty amazing things if they wish, Bob, so don’t piss ‘em off. Just thank them and we’ll be on our way.” Pa informed his friend.
Many more of the base inhabitants had approached the strange phenomena and surrounded it, scratching their heads in wonder. The flames had died quickly with the oxygen used up, but the smoke still boiled and swirled in the transparent, hemispherical field.
“How…how did you get here? No one reported any parachutes or unauthorized vehicles…” Bobby asked as he looked around.
“I transported our little group here, sir- we’ll leave the same way.” I answered.
“Jack, the fire’s out. Y’all can disable your containment field.” I added.
Immediately the smoke burst forth into the air and began to dissipate. There was a collective gasp from all gathered.
“Get the pilot out of there!” Bobby shouted.
“He was dead before he hit the ground, sir.” I told him sadly.
“How could you know that?” He asked, turning to stare at me again.
“I know a lot more about what happened today than you would actually believe, sir. I also know that one of your pilots is alive and in the protection of the Chinese resistance. Another- unofficial- member of this base is under my protection and is safe from the dangers of this war.” I answered.
“Lucy? She’s safe?” Bobby and several other men close enough to hear me asked.
“Stateside.” I answered with a pleasant smile. “She’s in a loving home in Bridgeport, Connecticut.”
“Bridgeport? But that’s where you’re…”
“Whoa, buddy! Doris Sullivan offered to take her in, not me!”
“Sullivan? But, Sullivan was reported missing last mon…”
“Ralph Sullivan is being escorted to the nearest Allied port as we speak, or weren’t you listening to me before, ‘Bobby’?” I smiled deviously.
“So, he’s safe too?”
“As safe as anyone can be while traveling behind enemy lines, sir.”
“But he’ll make it out, right?”
“In a year or two.” I said as I took Pa’s hand and pulled him away from the growing crowd.
“Time to go, Louis. Jack, disable your Camo shield, we’ll be on our way.”
The sky immediately brightened as Jack dropped her hands to her sides. She, and Emily started walking toward us.
“Great job, Jack.” I gushed with pride.
“You are truly amazing, Jacquelyn Cummins! I still can’t believe you did that. Why didn’t you stop that plane from coming through, though?”
“Alex told me not to, Mr. Scott. I’ve learned not to question most of her commands. She knows what she’s doing, sir.”
I winked at her and smiled.
“How the hell did you do that, young lady? How the HELL did you make them Japs fly right past us?”
“I distinctly heard the Empress tell you how I did it, sir. I’m just glad we could help today.” Jack answered demurely.
“Bobby, this is Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jacquelyn Cummins,” Pa motioned to Jack. “And this is my youngest daughter, Emily. Girls, this is Robert Garvie. An old buddy of mine from a long time ago.”
Jack and Emily smiled as they shook hands.
“Just as we talked about, Jack.” I said despondently as I offered Emily my hand.
“What did you talk about? Lou, what are your girls talking about- ‘Just as we talked about?’ you mean they really can make us forget everything we seen here? Really?”
Releasing my hold, I stopped and turned around to face him.
“That’s exactly what is going to happen, Mr. Garvie, though you specifically won’t forget quite everything. You and you alone will remember me, my twin sister, and Emily as being the daughters of Louis Scott. What you will not remember is anything that has happened here today.” I told him honestly.
“I don’t understand. What the HELL do you mean?”
“I mean, Mr. Garvie, that this attack…our visit to your base…it never should have happened, or been necessary…not in the original timeline, anyway. Someone has purposely tried to change history…the history that has just and is still happening around you…around us…at this very moment. None of you will remember any of this happening because we’re going to make sure the culprit is stopped from doing it in the first place.”
“There’s no way in HELL that made any sense at all, princess! How you gonna stop somethin’ thats already happened?”
“I travel through time, Mr. Garvie, but I don’t expect you to remember that after we leave. What I would expect is that you feel some sort of importance…nothing more than a feeling that Emily, my twin sister, or myself are special- that there is more to us than meets the eye. Until we meet again, have a good day, Mr. Robert Joshua Garvie.”
Re-connecting with Pa and Emily, I nodded to Jack to commence our deletion from base-wide memory. Jack gave a sad nod and everyone that we could see froze in place for a moment.
After she nodded an airstrip with different aircraft appeared around us. These aircraft displayed the familiar ‘Rising Sun’ emblem of Imperial Japan.
“What are we doing on an enemy base, Alexandra?” Pa gasped out in surprise.
“To right the wrong Darren Clemson initiated.” I replied as I pulled gently for Pa, Emily, and Jack to follow.
I walked us through several soldiers right into a building that I knew to be the base headquarters.
“So now what, Alex?” Jack asked as she looked around uncomfortably.
“We wait for Clemson to show his face.”
“Do you want me to try to grab him, Cap?”
“You won’t be able to, Jack. He can shunt your telekenetic attempts remember? You won’t have time to suggest he can’t move once he sees us.”
“He’ll be able to see us? That means they will be able to see us!” Jack cried in shock.
“I don’t plan to be here all that long, hun. We just need to scare him into moving on.” I revealed. “Get ready.”
Suddenly, I felt the air around us become static-filled- almost like Jack powering up. I had noted this strange feeling several times in our pursuit of Prof. Samuel’s time machine. I sensed that Clemson would appear any second.
I also felt reality synchronize around us. Boy, was Ricky Lynn’s machine, unstable!
The Base Commander confirmed my feeling immediately.
“What? Where did you come from? Guards! Intruders!” The Japanese commander shouted as, by his perspective, we suddenly appeared across the room from him.
Clemson and the QDA appeared instantly thereafter between us. Our would-be captor’s eyes bulged from his head as he tossed something out of range of the QDA’s ‘attractive’ perimeter.
“There you are!” I said to our adversary calmly. “Thought you could out run me, did you?”
Clemson’s face was priceless as his hand scrambled for the activation button almost instinctually.
In another instant he was gone. I hurried to phase us out again. Not a moment too soon as three soldiers hurried in and walked directly through us.
“Jack, please take care of that paper with the coordinates of Garvie’s base written on it.”
Clemson’s hastily discarded, folded piece of yellow notepad paper burst into flames and disappeared completely leaving no ash whatsoever.
“What is it sir? What did you call us for?” One of the newly arrived, slightly out of breath, guards asked of his superior.
The base commander’s mouth moved slightly, but no words came out. He simply continued staring at us- or where we had been- in horror.
“I’ll handle this, Alex.” Jack giggled deviously.
“I saw a mouse.” The commander said as if suddenly in a trance.
“A mouse?” all three guards repeated giving him a strange look.
“Of the two-legged variety. It was about this tall,” The commander’s hand came up to about neck level to indicate the size. “He had large round ears, wore white overalls, and large, round, white shoes. He claimed his name was ‘Mickey’ in a high squeaky voice.”
“Jack?” I giggled as Pa and Emily began laughing.
“Get the doctor here at once, the Captain has fallen ill!” One of the summoned guards told another, who then proceeded to run from the building immediately.
My quarters on Atlantis surrounded us. Alex Reilly, Cami, Doris Sullivan, Yuuka, Ricky Lynn, Andie, Reggie, and a more rested looking Lu Sei were waiting.
E.S. Atlantis, Standard Year 257:08:09
“Welcome back, Empress. I take it ol’ Darren needs to stop and change his britches?” Alex Reilly greeted wryly.
“Probably.” I replied with a slight grin. Both him and the Japanese captain we surprised.
“You went to see the Japanese, Alexandra?” Lu Sei inquired in perfect English. “Did you kill them?”
“We don’t do that, Lu Sei. We try to help people, not hurt them.” I answered, reassuringly.
“But they hurt my friends…my family…” She countered.
“And they will pay for their crimes, honey- that, I promise.” I replied. I then changed the subject. “Have you made your decision, young lady?”
“I was waiting for your advice, wise Empress.” She bowed gently to me.
“And what does your gut tell you to do, honey?” I asked.
“My ‘gut’ wants to know how I can be talking fluently to you in a tongue that I have only basic knowledge of, Empress.”
I couldn’t help laughing at her bravado.
“Each of my sisters possesses special abilities we call gifts. Camille’s gift allows her to put the knowledge you need to speak English into your brain. Try talking in your native tongue for a moment, Lu Sei.” I answered.
The two of us carried on a short, but decisive conversation in Cantonese.
“See, you still know your native language, honey. Cami just made it easier for you to adapt to your new home- that is, if you want a new home?”
“What do you think I should do, Alexandra?” Lu Sei asked me again.
“Let me ask you a few questions, honey. Do you like Doris Sullivan? I mean in the time you have known her does she seem like she likes you?”
“She reminds me of my mother.” The girl answered with a frown as she crossed her arms under her small, but developing bust.
Doris looked on the verge of tears.
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing, Lu Sei?”
The girl thought a minute or so.
“I know that my mother will not be coming back?” Her answer, in the form of a question, was intentionally directed to me. This girl was very smart and quick on the uptake.
I looked away and shook my head sadly. “No, I’m sorry, honey. I can’t go back to help them. Some things just have to be…left to happen.” I told her as my voice trailed off.
“Mrs. Sullivan…she has shown an interest in me?” She asked in a whisper after reaching for my upper arm and pulling me down to her height.
I cupped my hand around her ear. “She has wanted a daughter for so long, Lu Sei- so long that she has almost given up hope entirely. Just your reluctance to answer saddened her to tears. I think she would be more than excited to have you as her daughter. She is a very kind and loving person, and…and she lives a few doors away from our father.” I said in Cantonese as I motioned quickly to Pa, Emily, Andie, Alex Reilly, and Reggie.
“You see no difficulties at my new home, oh Empress of Time and Space?” She whispered back, placing her other hand around my ear.
“I won’t lie to you honey, there will be many times you will not agree with Doris or Doris with you. Many more times, others will cause problems and you will feel at odds. You must work through those times as you have worked through your life up to this point. That is what life is all about, Lu Sei…learning how to survive- although, you already have a good foundation to work from.”
The young girl looked me in the eyes a moment then nodded and released my arm.
Lu Sei slowly walked over to Doris and eyed her carefully for a few seconds.
“Mrs. Sullivan,” she paused briefly, “would it be okay if I came to live with you? I will work to clean and prepare meals in exchange for a place to sleep. Would that be acceptable?”
Doris Sullivan broke into tears and took the girl in her arms. Both cried for several minutes before Doris pushed back and placed her thumb and finger to Lu Sei’s chin. She gently lifted it so both made eye contact.
“I know…” Doris paused a second. “I know I’m not your real mother, but…” she paused again to wipe away more tears. “Would you do me the honor of becoming my daughter, Lu Sei? We can share the housework and the cooking duties. In exchange, I promise to love you as much as I am able and to provide you with a good home as long as I am able. How would you like that, Lu Sei?”
“Would I have to call you ‘mother’?”
“Only if you want to, dear. I know I can never replace your real mother, so I won’t try. I just ask that you treat me with the respect you have shown to the men at that base.”
“That is theoretically acceptable, provided the underlying parameters remain logical and stationary as per the verbally outlined agreement.” Lu Sei replied in Reillese.
I looked questioningly to Cami, who just raised both arms in defeat. Apparently, she had implanted more than we had planned.
“What did she just say?” Doris asked as she stared at me in confusion.
“She said she accepts provided everything we’ve told her holds true and correct.”
Something struck me as being off with our group as Doris and Lu Sei embraced each other again.
“Pa? Where are your crutches? Did you leave them in Magwe?” I asked with a slightly beleaguered tone.
Louis Scott began looking down then around him in surprise. After failing to locate the items in question, he began shifting his weight back and forth from his good foot to his new foot.
A smile came to his face as understanding surfaced.
“You did that on purpose!” He suddenly accused.
“Did what on purpose, Louis? I didn’t tell you to leave your crutches back at that base, and Jack was given no such orders either.” I defended.
“You made sure I had to run and push Bob Garvie out of the way! You wanted me to forget and use my new foot! You placed yourself in harm’s way to make me do that!”
I smiled deviously. “Would I do that, Louis…really?”
“Yes, you would do that, sis! And you both have done it many more times than I should even know about…if I hadn’t seen it with my gift, that is!” Emily complained vehemently.
“I agree with Emily’s assessment, Mr. Scott. My Alexandra is- how would you say it- reckless, as well?” Cami added. “She also takes too many chances on our missions. It seems to me that these two are not twin sisters, but identical sisters- both in intelligence and courage.”
I looked over to Allie. “Oh? What did you do, Alex?”
“We took a trip to Orleans, France last night…” Cami began to say.
“I decided to do somethin’ constructive and shoo ol’ Darren ‘way from that there dungeon where they was holdin’ Joan.”
I closed my eyes and asked the one question I had seen when we first arrived on Atlantis several weeks ago.
“You gave her some water.” I stated before opening them back up.
“The director seduced the guard then knocked him out to do it, Alex.” Cami tattled.
“Y’all said to be chaotic, sis.” Allie defended as I shook my head side to side several times. “And besides, y’all know how hard swaggerin’ in them old torture devices is? Had to expose mah udders ta get em ta even half look!”
“Really, ladies! Is this a conversation to hold in front of such a young, impressionable girl?” Doris complained stiffly.
“Doris is right. None of my girls should be showing off any part of their bodies to catch the eye of anyone! You were brought up better than that, Alex.” Pa stated angrily. “Both of you!” He clarified.
Lu Sei began to laugh, but stopped quickly and looked to the floor.
Doris quickly stared at her new, tentatively, daughter. “What’s the matter, Lu Sei? Why did you suddenly stop laughing?”
“You will think badly of me.”
“No I won’t. Please tell me?” Doris pressed gently.
“Pa, could you go into the bedroom for a minute? And shut the door, please?” I asked, after Lu Sei looked my way.
Pa begrudgingly left our living area and closed the door behind him.
“Okay, hun, we can talk, girl to girl. What did you do that you thought was so wrong?” I asked gently.
Lu Sei looked around at each of us for a minute or so.
“I may have…” she paused to take a deep breath. “I offered favors to several men along the road for helping me escape the Japanese soldiers.” The girl began crying. “I know…I know I shouldn’t have, but…but I was desperate. I needed to get away from there- any way I could.” She looked sadly at Doris for a moment.
“I know…” She sniffed a tear or two back. “I know this changes things between us and nullifies our collectively negotiated, verbal, agreement, Mrs. Sullivan. I understand if you wish to discontinue it and don’t want me anymore.” Lu Sei said in a combination of English and Riellese. She turned and ran to me, wrapped her arms around my waist and began blubbering uncontrollably.
“You knew about this, I assume, Alexandra?” Doris asked quietly. I closed my eyes and slowly nodded once.
She came over and gently touched the young girl’s shoulder.
“Did they hurt you, Lu Sei?” She asked calmly. “Did the men you did…‘favors’ for…did they hurt you in any way?”
Lu Sei shook her head ‘no’. After a few minutes, she looked back to the older woman. “They only had me kneel before them. I took them each once in payment for their help.”
Doris exhaled a sigh of relief.
“Her ‘virtue’ is still intact, Mrs. Sullivan, though her psyche has been traumatized.” Emily informed her in her professional voice.
“I understand that, Emily. I wasn’t born yesterday.” Doris responded sternly to my sister. “Dear, you did what you had to do to survive…to reach safety. I might have done the same thing if in similar circumstances. However, you are here with friends and safe from that war now and I will not think badly of you just for doing what you felt needed to be done. This changes nothing between us and I would still be very honored if you were to become my daughter, Lu Sei.”
“Really?” The girl brightened up almost instantly.
“We call it giving someone a second chance, hun.” Allie said with a bright smile.
“When can we go…home?” She asked the older woman as she turned her head back to me.
Doris looked to me. I nodded.
“Anytime you want to go, dear- any time you want to leave.” She told her new daughter.
“How ‘bout we leave after I get a few winks? Emily, Jack, and I have been goin’ for a while now. I think we could all use some sleep, hun.” I responded, covering my mouth to hide a false yawn.
“In the mean time, Lu Sei, why don’t we take a trip out to the outer ring to do some planet watching? Reggie and I know this wonderful eating establishment out there with the best unobstructed views in all of Atlantis.” Andie suggested as she got my hint.
Reggie offered Lu Sei her hand and they headed for my quarter’s door. Andie winked at me and turned to follow.
“I’ll be right with you ladies,” Doris told them as she hung back. She waited until the door slid closed.
“How old is she really, Alexandra?”
“How old? What does that matter, Doris?” I asked, putting on a curious expression.
“As if you wouldn’t know. How old is Lu Sei, Alexandra? I know she is not fourteen- I can see it in her eyes!”
“Eleven. She is a very grown-up, very intelligent eleven, Doris Sullivan. Remember that always and nurture her despite it.”
“Thank you, Alexandra. Thank you all for what you have given me, even though not all of my prayers have been answered. Thank you so much.”
Doris Sullivan turned and hurried out of our quarters.
“Um…is it okay for me to come back out?” Pa asked loudly from behind our bedroom door.
Everyone still in our living area began giggling. We had forgotten he was still in there.
We began laughing as Pa angrily stomped out into the room.
“Thanks for letting me be the brunt of your little joke, girls.”
“Dr. Mintaka would like to do one more follow-up on your new appendage, Pa. I recommend you go there now because we leave for Bridgeport in eight hours.” I told him before he stormed out of our quarters as the laughing died out.
“It’s not an ‘appendage’; it’s my foot.” He corrected formally.
“I thought you said it really didn’t belong to you, Louis?” I asked with an impish grin.
“I…I changed my mind,” He said as he began to walk toward our door. It opened, but he stopped and turned around quickly. “I’ll be back here in four hours…after I see the doctor and after I take a nice, long walk around the city!”
“Ship,” I corrected.
“Whatever!”
Emily waited until the door had closed completely.
“I don’t think I’ve seen daddy…”
I cleared my throat and glared at my sister.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen father so flustered, sis- not even when we appeared at his front door last week.”
“We do have a way a doin’ that, sis.” Allie replied with a giggle.
Jack and Cami suddenly looked at each other. “Alex, Dr. Mintaka wants you both to know that Louis Scott’s ‘K’ cell count has not changed, holding at eighty parts per million according to his latest blood sample.” Jack said first.
“Tell her thanks, Jack.”
“Will do, Alex.”
“He has ‘K’ cells in his bloodstream, Alex?” Emily replied in shock, her mouth dropping open.
“Apparently, Ruth and Louis Scott like to be adventurous, Emily.” Cami said as she blushed.
“Adventurous? As in how, Camille Darough?”
“K’ cell transference can only be accomplished while still in solution.” She stated clinically.
“I already know that, Cami.” Emily replied irritably.
Camille took a deep breath. “Then you already know that any bodily fluids can be considered solution- if just for lubrication.”
“EEEWWwww!” Emily groaned loudly as she scrunched her nose.
“So is everybody ready to go?” I asked as we all joined hands in the middle of our living area. There were twelve of us standing together.
“I’m not sure I have enough beds this time.” Pa groaned as he looked around.
“I have a few rooms open, Louis. A few of the girls can stay with me. I’m sure Lu Sei would love the company while she gets used to the change of scenery” Doris Sullivan offered.
“Could Little Flower stay with us, ma’am?”
“If she wants to, dear.” Doris told her daughter.
“Can you, Little Flower?”
“We’ll see, Lu Sei.” Yuuka answered sheepishly. She still hadn’t told the young girl her real name. She was afraid that Lu Sei would reject her if she found out she had been Japanese before her Mahanilui.
The Sullivan’s living room in Bridgeport appeared around us and we dropped hands.
“Welcome home, Lu Sei. I said as she immediately started to look around us.
“Its…its so big!” She cried in joy.
“And its all for you and me, dear.” Doris said with a big, happy smile.
“Could Alex and Little Flower and Emily and Jack and…”
“They are all welcome here when they are in town, dear, but I think they will want to stay with their father, don’t you?”
“Oh…yes…I guess they would.” Lu Sei replied sadly.
“Pa just lives a few doors down the street, honey. We’ll make it a point to visit when we’re in the area.” I reassured the young girl.
I noticed Emily’s eyes were closed. She quickly opened them and looked at me sheepishly. I smiled tensely and nodded once.
“Pa, we better get you home before some of your lady friends start to worry about you.” I suggested before Emily could confront me with what she had seen and ruin everything.
“Do we still have enough in the freezer for a cookout, Alexandra?” Pa asked.
Again I nodded.
“Um…what time is it here…um…Empress?” He asked cautiously.
“We’ve only been gone for two hours, Pa. This is still August 28th, 1944- 1145hrs.”
“But we just ate dinner back on Atlantis.” He complained.
“Welcome to my world, Louis.” Allie said.
“Jack seems to like when it happens this way, sis.” I giggled.
“Hey! Just because I get hungry sometimes…” Jack began to defend herself before Pa cut her off.
“How about everyone meet over at our house for dinner…say…around four…uum…1600hrs?”
“What is a ‘cookout’?” Lu Sei asked out of curiosity.
“It’s where we make a fire and cook food on it instead of making it indoors.”
“Oh, is that all?” she said dejectedly. “I thought it was something incredible.”
“Oh…I think you’ll like our version of a cookout, honey.” I assured her with a big smile.
1145hrs, L. Scott home, Bridgeport, Conn, August 28th, 1944
“Welcome home, Pa.” I said as his living room appeared around us. We all dropped hands.
Yuuka and Cami decided to stay with Doris and Lu Sei while the rest of us chose to come back to the Scott house.
“Jack, we’ll need a fire with some good hot coals for cooking those cuts we saved for tonight. They’ll take about twenty-five minutes.” I requested.
Jack nodded.
“Professor, Pa’s car has a slight miss and it’s drinking down gas like a pig fresh outta the salt shed. How are you with old Plymouths?” I continued.
“Why didn’t you tell me these things before, Skipper?” Ricky Lynn said, sounding put out a little.
“Because it hadn’t happened last time we were here. Allie went and changed some history back to what it was originally.”
“And the health of a ’37 Plymouth changed because of it? Ya gotta be shittin’ me!” She griped in amazement.
“A lot more than that has changed, Chief, but I won’t ruin the surprise.”
“You still got them tools and some gasket material out in the garage, Lou?” Ricky Lynn asked Pa grouchily. He shrugged and her regulars changed into a custom tailored set of denim bib overalls over a lace-trimmed, white tank top. Her regulation shoes became a pair of old, worn-out, brown work boots. “Let’s get her into ‘Samuel’s Garage’ then.”
Ricky Lynn and Pa headed for the back of the house. “Um… professor? Could you use your gift on the meat first?” I reminded before she got too wrapped up in the automobile. Prof. Samuels waved back to us as she and Pa turned the corner into the hallway.
“Alex?” Emily tried to get my attention. I looked straight at her and gave my head a slight shake to the side. This wasn’t the time to be asking such questions. Jack’s eyes lit up but I shook my head at her too.
“Sis, I think we need to go down to the corner grocery for some fresh corn. Sisters, would you like to come along?” I looked at Andie, Reggie, Jack, and Allie, individually.
Jack suddenly groaned.
“What’s the matter? Emily asked.
“Ricky Lynn needs a jack. Apparently Mr. Scott’s car also has a flat.”
“I know Dadddd has a jack in the garage. Why did you groan like that?”
“Ricky Lynn said she wants a ‘Jack’” My Ex-O said, emphasizing her name as she motioned to herself. “You go on without me. I’ll be here imitating a piece of machinery for the PHD.” She said in sad annoyance.
Our short trip to the corner market turned into a question and answer session. Several of Pa’s neighbors recognized Emily, Allie, and I and asked about our duties and exploits for the navy. One older woman- Emily said her name was Helen something- even asked if we had met possible husbands yet.
Of course we weren’t lying when we both said that we had.
On the way back, Andie asked a reasonable question.
“Alex?”
“Ya, sis?”
“Alex, those women…they stared at Reggie and I as if we were some sort of aliens. We look like you in every way, so how did they know?”
“It’s your height, hun.” Allie explained. “Y’all stand almost six feet in height. That’s pretty unusual for women these days.”
“But Reggie and I are considered petite on our home planet. An average female measures over three cubits- just slightly shorter than a male.”
“Pay them no attention, sis,” Allie told her. “Y’all are both as human as we are.”
“Sis, you might want to revise that statement.” Emily suggested as she smiled. “I don’t think we can be included in that category completely. Not everyone has our sort of gifts.”
“And I don’t even have any such gift.” Reggie added, sounding jealous.
“That you know of.” I mumbled quietly.
“Speaking of gifts,” Emily said as her eyes narrowed, looking at me. “Why will you leave your flask on the kitchen counter tonight?”
“Now why would I leave my water flask on the counter, sis?” I asked as Allie began looking in the opposite direction from our sister.
“Do you really want me to tell you, Alex?” Emily sighed, a little upset with me.
“You wish to infect the girl.” Andie accused.
“Maybe?” I answered with a shrug.
“But why? Why would you allow that to happen to someone that has gone through so much already, Alex?”
“She wishes to be like Yuuka- to fly- to be free to go where she wants- to escape her would be captors. She needs that release to stay healthy and…and stable.” I told my companions as we reached the house.
Walking through the house, we deposited the fresh produce in the sink and continued out into the back yard.
“How in the world did you rebuild that carburetor so fast? It takes me this long just to get the thing off!” We heard Pa say as he stood scratching his head by the side of the car.
“Well if ya expand the hold down nuts and contract the steel fuel line and fitting, everything just falls apart, Lou. Easy-peasy.”
“Ya, real easy.” Pa repeated sarcastically. “So, will this fix of yours actually work?”
“Go start ‘er up an’ see, Lou. I stand by my work one hundred percent.” Ricky Lynn giggled politely.
Pa pulled the choke, hit the starter, and cranked it a few times. His expression was less than satisfied as he released the starter pedal.
“It’s okay. Gotta get some fuel into the bowl first. Try it again.”
The older Plymouth turned over immediately and idled roughly until Pa opened the choke. After that, the engine ran smooth as silk.
Pa’s mouth dropped open as he listened to the engine purr.
“I never heard a six cylinder sound so good! What did you do to this thing, Ricky Lynn?”
“Well, I cleaned and rebuilt the carb; I played with the fuel mixture needle ‘an seats, and readjusted the float.”
“That’s all you did? That’s all it took?” Pa exclaimed in amazement.
I walked over to Ricky Lynn as she wiped her hands off on a somewhat clean rag.
“So that’s all you did, eh?”
“Well, I mighta increased the lift on the intake and exhaust lobes of his camshaft a little, too.” She admitted in a whisper. “Anyway, he should get another three or four miles out of each gallon and a little more power.”
“Good job, Professor.” I complimented.
“Alex, it’s almost 1400hrs, do you want me to start the fire?” Jack asked as she pointed to the carefully stacked wood in the center of the yard from just inside the open garage doors.
“Go ahead, when you’re ready, Jack.” I responded.
A blue ball of energy began forming in her upturned palm. When it was about the size of a baseball, she lazily tossed it over her shoulder into the pile of wood.
The campfire erupted into flames immediately.
Pa’s mouth dropped open again.
“And I thought we were going to go easy on our gifts while here, Jack.”
“I had an ‘eye’ on every window and vantage point in the neighborhood, Cap. No one saw a thing.”
“We saw you do it, Jacki. Don’t we count?” Cami said as she, Doris, Yuuka, and Lu Sei walked in on the partially cemented driveway.
I rolled my eyes and sighed deeply.
“Why so big of a fire? Won’t you attract the enemy soldiers in the area directly to us?”
“Honey, you don’t have to worry about the soldiers here. Y’all are safe in the United States now. The war is fifteen thousand miles away now.” Allie told her.
“Hey, Lu Sei, you want to help get dinner ready?” I asked excitedly.
The young girl nodded enthusiastically.
“Have you ever shucked corn before?” I asked.
Lu Sei stared at me for a minute then shook her head ‘no’.
“No? How about we go into the kitchen and I show you how we shuck corn in Missoura?”
“Missoura?”
“It’s where I grew up. We have a farm there.”
Lu Sei nodded happily and the two of us went inside.
We quickly prepared all two-dozen ears and placed them into water in a couple large pots then turned on the stove.
“Great job, hun. We have to let those pots boil for about ten minutes.” I said as I reached into my regulation handbag on the kitchen table. “Wow, I worked up a thirst!” I added as I unscrewed the cap to my flask.
Lu Sei stared at the silver container as I took a drink from it.
“Great! Now I have to use the lavatory. I’ll be right back, hun. Could you stay and watch the heat? If it starts to boil over turn the heat down a little, could you do that?”
“Okay, Alexandra.”
“Thanks, I’ll be right back.” I said as I hurried out of the room. As my feet hit the stairs, I phased out and walked back to the kitchen.
The curious, young girl wasted no time taking my flask. Opening it, she took a quick tug and grimaced when she tasted just water. Lu Sei obviously had some idea what was normally in such containers.
That was one surprise down. One to go, I thought.
With their secondary mission complete, good deeds done, and shore leave coming to an end, Alex and company turn their attention back to their pursuit of Clemson. Has the time thief gone too far by stirring up Pharaoh’s people and how does a reunion between captain, pilot, and starship figure into Khufu and Anna Beth’s future?
2200hrs, L. Scott home, Bridgeport, Conn, August 29th, 1944
“So Lu Sei found your flask?” Emily asked, as we got ready for bed.
“Didn’t waste a second after I left the room, sis. It was comical in a way, though. You should have seen her face when she found out it was just water!”
“She knew that there would be alcohol in it?”
“She was living on a base of fighter pilots. I’m sure at least one of them needed some ‘liquid courage’, Em.”
“But how would she know, unless someone offered her some?”
“Hey, maybe one of the guys found out about her method of payment…”
“I think its better left alone, Alex.”
“I do too.” I agreed then changed to subject. “I hope Pa has a good supply of hankies for tomorrow.”
“I hope it turns out like I saw it, Alex. Everyone needs to have a little joy in their life at some point. Doris was telling me a few days ago that she hasn’t seen her husband since he shipped out early in 1941- something like June or July, I think.”
“Things will work out just as you’ve seen, sis. Thankfully, there is a ‘happily ever after’ plot for the Sullivan family- not right away, but on average everything falls their way.”
“I’m glad we could help. As for Lu Sei…when does her gift manifest? I haven’t been able to see that for some reason.”
I closed my eyes to think about her question.
“Lucy Sullivan reigns down ‘pixie’ havoc in three weeks if…if the timeline remains stabilized.”
“We’ll give Doris and Ralph a good heads-up, right?”
“Doris, yes. Ralph…he somehow already knows what pixies are capable of.” I told her with a sly grin.
“Gee, now how would he know that?” Emily said just as Yuuka flew lazily through our bedroom window.
“Alex, Lu Sei has fallen asleep. She must have been very tired.” Yuuka said as she landed and grew to full height.
“Let’s hope she sleeps for more than three hours, that girl had several dormant health issues that needed repaired.” Emily said to herself.
“She had several health issu…? Empress?” Yuuka looked at me, confused.
I nodded. “I’ll talk with Allie and make arrangements for her to bring you back to Bridgeport in three weeks for some ‘flight training’. I’m sure you two will get along wonderfully, but don’t…don’t let her play you, Yuuka! Lu Sei is a very smart girl and an even more devious Pixie than you. Since you already know all of the ‘tricks’, make her listen and learn. Teach her the responsibility of her gift.”
“Does she come back with Allie and I then?”
“No, Lucy Sullivan will stay with her parents, receive stellar marks all through school then attend MIT on a full scholarship for aeronautical engineering.”
“So is that good? What is an ‘MIT’”
“Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It’s a school similar to Ricky Lynn’s school.”
“So Lu Sei is going places?”
I looked at Emily with a devious smile. “You could say that, hun. You could say that.”
“Okaaaaay…I’ll take that as a positive thing.” Yuuka said carefully before starting to shrink.
“I’m glad she’ll be well cared for, Alex. Should I welcome her into the sisterhood or wait until Allie and I come back?”
“Emily and I will give them a heads up in the morning, but you can give Lucy the news after you tell her your real name, Little Flower.”
“Alex, she really doesn’t like the Japanese right now. I’m afraid she’ll reject me if I tell her.”
“Like you look anything but American these days.” I scuffed. “And you’ll never know how she’ll react until you actually tell her, hun.”
“I know, but I don’t want to…”
“Just tell her that you’re named after your Japanese mother! What could it hurt? I mean, she already knows that you mean her no harm.” Emily chided.
“Okay…I’ll tell her in the morning.” Yuuka said in defeat as she slowly flew back to our open window. “Good night, ladies.”
“Yuuka, we leave for Atlantis at 1100hrs.”
“Are Doris and Lu Sei coming this time?”
“They’ll be busy with something else, hun.”
“Alright. See you before 1100hrs.”
“Sleep any better, sis?” Emily asked as she pulled the sheet aside and got off her side of the bed.
“Not really, but I got enough. You?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.
“Not so much last night. I kept dreaming of the Sullivan’s.”
“Dreaming or seeing, sis?” I asked with skepticism.
“I’m not really sure. Is that how it is for you, Alex…more like a dream than a premonition?”
I smiled at my sister.
“You are such a tease, Alexandra Steinert!”
‘Breakfast is ready.’ Echoed in my head- Emily’s too, as her hands went to her forehead immediately.
“Sometimes, I think Cami is even less subtle than Jack.” She groused while still rubbing her head gently.
“Let’s wash up and go down stairs, we have a fairly busy day ahead of us.” I suggested as I walked out the bedroom door to the lavatory.
“Hey, you got the bathroom first yesterday!”
“Did I? Sorry, sis, you go ahead then.” I said as I stepped back from our door. I would just jump ahead, clean up, and reappear here fully dressed for the day as she walked back in. Emily would stick her tongue out at me and accuse me of cheating as usual.
I thought about that for a moment then closed my eyes and saw it wouldn’t happen this time since my sister had used her gift again and saw my deception. I needed to be even more devious around her from now on.
It would always be a friendly competition though.
Yuuka, Lu Sei, Doris, and Ricky Lynn arrived about halfway through breakfast. Being a beautifully sunny and tepid morning, once done cleaning up, we all decided to take advantage of Pa’s large front porch. Pa sat in his usual lounge chair while Emily, Allie, and I called the glider. Yuuka, Ricky Lynn, Andie, Cami, and Reggie brought folding chairs out from the house. Doris and Lu Sei claimed the hanging porch swing. It effectively placed their backs to the Sullivan house five doors up.
A taxi drove down the street- a rare sight in this neighborhood to say the least.
Emily looked to me in momentary trepidation.
“How odd. When was the last time we saw one of those on this street,” Doris replied off-handedly.
“The last time was when I shipped home from Schofield.” Pa answered innocently.
Doris looked at Pa and cocked her head to the side for a second then shook it side to side twice as if answering some internal question.
Pa choked slightly as his eyes opened wide. He stared at the sidewalk in front of the neighbor’s house- the one with the large shrub.
“I’ll be damned,” was all he said.
“Louis, the child!”
“Hey Lou!” A man called from the street. “Hey…you seen my wife lately? She’s not at home, so I figured I’d check here.”
“Ya, she’s right here, Ralph. Come on up. Join the party.”
Doris’ head shot around and she was down the steps and into her man’s arms quicker than I could have transported her there!
“You’re here! You made it home to me! Oh Ralph, I’ve missed you so much! I can’t believe it’s you!” Doris cried happily as she smothered him with kisses.
To say that there wasn’t a dry eye among us was an understatement. Strangely, Lu Sei remained seated and seemed to become very nervous. She looked to be shivering.
Pa got up and went down the steps where he shook Ralph’s hand and patted him on the back.
“Got some cold beer in the refrigerator, want one?” Pa asked happily.
“Thanks, but I gave up drinkin’ about two years ago- haven’t had one since.”
“Well, come on up and have a seat. My girls and some of their friends are here on leave and I’m sure they’re curious as to where you’ve been.”
“Welcome home, Mr. Sullivan.” We all chimed. Doris turned around and stared at us for a moment then mouthed the words ‘thank you’. The happy, reunited couple slowly walked back up onto the porch where Ralph began to stare at the three of us sitting on the glider. His mouth dropped wide open as he froze in place. Doris, confused, looked between her husband and us several times.
“You…” He managed to say before he looked to Pa. “She…she’s…she’s yours?”
“These are my daughters Alexandra, Allison, and Emily.” He introduced us then pointed over to the Atlantians. “And this is my other daughter, Andromeda and her half sister, Regina. Next to Reggie is Jacquelyn, Camille, Ricky Lynn, and over there is Yuuka.”
All nodded as their names were called.
Ralph Sullivan’s staring was short lived though as he turned his head and saw someone he’d never expected sitting on the swing.
“Lucy! My God, how can you be here?” He exclaimed as he rushed over to her, picked her up, and swung her around in circles in a tight bear hug.
Once dizzied, he stopped and set the girl down. Lu Sei wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Sullivan! You finally made it home! The Empress told me she would help bring you home and she did!” She cried excitedly then looked to me. “Alexandra, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have done! Thank you for giving me back my Sullivan!”
“You…you…you can speak English! How in the world did you learn to speak so well?” The confused man asked.
“Camille taught me when we stayed on the spaceship. She did it in one night, too!”
“One night?” Ralph said as he looked back at Cami. “On the spaceship?”
“Is it so hard to believe, Mr. Sullivan? Care to explain how you survived a crash into a mountainside?” I asked calmly.
Doris’ mouth dropped open upon hearing that little gem.
Ralph looked around at all of us for a minute or two as he debated fulfilling my request.
“I…IIIII…I was rescued,” he said quietly as he looked to me fearfully.
“How could you have survived crashing into a mountain, buddy?” Pa asked in astonishment.
“I…I was rescued…”
“Yes, we got that already, Ralph…but how?”
“Two…twooooo…little…ummmm…ummm…fairies…took me…aaaaahhhh…out of the plane…at the, umm, last…ummm…possible second.”
“Two Pixies?” Lucy exclaimed as she bent over and hugged Yuuka excitedly. She then looked around at the rest of us- her eyes stopping on me. “Empress? That’s why you and Yuuka went? Why you became a Pixie too? You rescued my Sullivan?”
I smiled. “We’re all full of tricks, hun- each and every one of us.”
“How can any of this be possible?” Ralph exclaimed.
“Buddy, these girls can make things happen! I was reluctant at first, too, until they showed me.
I phased out after looking up and down the street for observant bystanders, got up and walked over to the newly returned pilot. Again Ralph’s eyes opened wide.
“We can do wondrous things, Mr. Sullivan.” I said phasing back in beside him.
Lucy began giggling uncontrollably.
“How did you…?”
“Weren’t you paying attention two years ago, Ralph?”
“You mean when one second I was trying my best to crash into a mountain, because two mythological beings from my ancestors’ homeland told me too, and the next I’m sitting on the ground watching you two,” He pointed to Yuuka and I, “grow from four inches to full-size in the matter of five seconds?”
“That would be it, Ralph. Each of us can do other things as well.”
“Hey, pal, I’m five inches tall in Pixie mode!” Yuuka corrected angrily. I could tell from her concentration that she was holding back from actually going to that ‘mode’.
“My God! What are you?” He asked as I phased out and suddenly appeared sitting on the glider again.
“Show off.” Emily grumbled quietly.
“Does it really matter what ‘we are’, Ralph Sullivan? Isn’t it enough to know that you are back with your loving wife and daughter now? Can’t you just leave it at that and be happy?”
“My daughter?” He gasped out.
“Lu Sei,” I said switching my translator to Cantonese, “would you like to adopt Ralph Sullivan as your father in lieu of your parental loss?”
Doris’ eyes widened as she looked to me indicating that Cami and Jack had successfully implanted the language.
Ralph’s eyes popped out of his head.
“I accept, Empress Alexandra, and thank you again for this miracle.” She replied in her native tongue.
“What did you just say to her?”
I asked her if she would be willing to adopt you as her father, Ralph.” I giggled as tears suddenly burst from Doris’ eyes.
“And…and what did she say?”
“She said she accepts and thanked Alexandra again for bringing us all together.” Doris replied to her husband’s surprise.
“That’s exactly what I said. Empress?” Lucy questioned as she regarded Doris cautiously.
“Lucy, we don’t use my title when there is a chance somebody we don’t know will hear it, okay?” I nodded to Cami and Jack.
“I officially state my repentance, Alexandra, how inconsiderate of me,” she apologized in Reillese.
“Now what did she say? That didn’t sound like Chinese.”
“It is a language we use on my home planet, Ralph Sullivan. Alex calls it ‘Reillese’. Cami, Yuuka and I just call it ‘our’ language.” Allie told him.
“You all…you’re from another planet?”
“Just Allie and Cami, Ralph. If you remember, I’m from Oak Ridge, Missourra. Jack’s from South Bend, Indiana; Ricky Lynn’s from Brooklyn, Yuuka’s from Hiroshima, Japan, and Andie and Reggie are from Atlantis of late.”
“Celestra, Alex. Our Home planet was called Celestra.” Andie said sadly.
“But you said they were your daughters, Lou?” Ralph exclaimed looking at Pa like he had three heads.
“It’s…it’s complicated, Buddy. Just know that they ARE my daughters and I love them all dearly- every one of them!” Pa said as he gestured to everyone on his porch.
Pa’s phone began to ring.
“I’ll get it.” Emily sang before she disappeared- physically.
A few seconds later, we heard her answer.
“Hello, Scott residence…This is his daughter Emily…Yes, we’ve been back in town for a week…what? Oh, no, we’ll be leaving this afternoon…we have a few more days left on our leave and we were thinking of taking Daddy to Atlannnnnntic City…are you sure that’s…no, we’re all out of Pearl Harbor, ma’am…yes, Hawaii… …okay then, I’ll tell him, thanks…ah huh, I hope so too, ma’am…what? Oh, not yet, I…yes, ma’am, I’ll keep looking for the right one…thank you, Mrs. Levit…bye.”
A few seconds later, Emily was again seated beside me on the glider.
“That was Mrs. Levittson. She wanted to tell you about some very strange things that have been happening in the neighborhood recently, Dadddd.”
“Strange things? What strange things could possibly be happening around here this past week? Alexandra, any ideas?” Pa asked sarcastically.
I rolled my eyes. “Jack, apparently Mrs. Levittson saw you pick up her clothes line when it fell yesterday afternoon.”
“That’s strange? How exactly?” Both Doris and Ralph asked at the same time.
“Jack was sitting here the whole time.”
“But, I thought Cecily lives at the other end of the block…” Ralph began to say.
“Here’s your duffle, Mr. Sullivan. You shouldn’t leave it on the sidewalk.” Jack said with a giggle.
The man reached out and took the hovering bag without really paying attention.
“Thank you…um…Jacquelyn, is it…wait…how did you…?” He said, suddenly realizing that Jack hadn’t moved. He stared at her then at his duffle in confusion.
“Like Alex said, sir, we’re full of surprises.” She continued to giggle.
“She also thought she saw one of my twin sisters vanish into thin air at the park four days ago. Alex, did mother visit after Doris and I left?”
“She might have.” I responded cautiously.
“I thought Ruth died a few years back, Lou?” Ralph asked in confusion.
“She did, but that apparently didn’t stop my wife, Ralph. You see…” Pa sighed heavily. “Again, it’s complicated. You probably wouldn’t believe me anyhow. I’m not even sure I believe half the things I’ve seen this last week!”
“Ruth Scott…the Ruth I was seen at the park with, is not from this universe, but from one where I did not become Empress of Time and Space. She is here, in our universe visiting after a rather lengthy stay in another universe- one vastly different from her own. She had stopped to say goodbye and thanked me for helping her.”
“You’re right…I don’t believe it…but I do…in a way…sort of…I think?” Sullivan replied shaking his head free of the bazaar explanation.
“She said goodbye to you and didn’t even stop to see me?” Pa said, shattered.
“I don’t think she would forget you, Pa, do you? Remember, she shares our gift.” I reminded, pointing between Allie and myself. “She could pop in anytime she wants.”
“I…I didn’t even think about that, Alex…you’re right.” Pa smiled happily.
“And on that note…Hey, Flirt, you wanna go home and get reacquainted?” Ralph asked, attempting to change the subject.
“And just who is this ‘Flirt’ character, Mr. Sullivan?” Doris asked in a very icy tone.
“Lucy. Some of the guys named her that because she seemed to always be helping around the base- like she was always flirting with us. I argued that maybe she was just lonely and wanted the companionship. We’ll get reacquainted later…if you’d like, Roxy.” Ralph explained smoothly. He waggled his right eyebrow several times after he said ‘Roxy’.
Doris stood up and hugged her husband again while Lucy blushed and looked away.
“Are there any other surprises in store for my family,” Doris asked after she carefully looked up and down the street a few times, “Empress?”
“Only one minor thing, Doris. If you two would stay behind for a moment? Ralph, Doris will be home in fifteen minutes. Why don’t you take your bag home and change out of your uniform…get comfortable.” I suggested.
Ralph Sullivan placed his duffle on the floor and walked over to me.
“Thank you again for the rescue, Alexandra. Though unorthodox, I stand forever indebted to you and your sisters.” He said as he hugged me tightly. He then went over to Yuuka and thanked her likewise.
Picking up his bag, Ralph Sullivan said his goodbyes to Pa and my sisters before turning and slowly walking off the porch to the sidewalk then up the street.
I waited patiently before turning my attention to Doris and her new daughter, Lucy.
“Expect Allie to bring Yuuka back in three weeks, Doris. She has a training program set up for our newest sister.” I told her. When a blank stare came back, I had to elaborate.
“Ralph was almost right in the nickname his comrades choose for Lucy. ‘Flit’ will be her callsign and nickname from now on.”
“Flit? I…I don’t understand. Why ‘Flit’?”
I placed my hand on Lucy’s shoulder. “Did you and Yuuka clear things up, honey?”
“Yes we did, Alexandra, why? What type of training will Yuuka give me? She is a Pixie aftera…”
A huge smile filled the girl’s face. Doris stared, first at her daughter then at me.
“There were several small medical problems I diagnosed in Lucy when we first met, Mrs. Sullivan. Though not life-threatening at the moment, they would have shortened your time together. Alex decided that time had already robbed you of your special ‘togetherness’ and allowed her the Mahanilui. You will now have all the time you need together.” Emily said in her professional voice.
“I’m a pixie now?” Lucy asked enthusiastically.
“Will that be alright, honey?” I asked the excited girl.
“Can I fly now, Alexandra?”
“Not right now, Lucy. Give your body time to develop your gift. I’m sure that, by the time Yuuka and Allie arrive, you’ll be driving your new mother and father crazy. Remember this though…no matter how excited you may be, be wary of where and when you choose to enter ‘Pixie mode’. You are one of us now- a member of the Kili sisterhood. We operate mostly behind the scenes to avoid attracting undue attention. Never forget that if the world found out about any of us…well…it would be worse than the cruelties you have already experienced in your life.” I then set my attention on our older guest.
“Doris, Lucy is a very special person- even before we intervened. She is very smart, very responsible, and very mature for her short, almost twelve years. Being our sister now, she will live several lifetimes longer than normal. Understand, also, that you will be offered a similar choice when the time is right.” I winked. “I suggest not dwelling on what I have just told you and instead concentrate on giving this young woman the love and affection she desperately needs. Concentrate on being a good mother to her, Doris Sullivan.”
Mrs. Sullivan immediately embraced me and began to cry into my shoulder.
“Thank you for everything, Alexandra! May God protect you where and whenever you go!” She said before stepping back from me. “Bless you all!”
Doris motioned for Lucy to join her at the porch steps.
“Lu Sei? Stay out of your new parents’ liquor cabinet. You might find you no longer have a taste for any alcoholic beverage other than mead. Oh, and Doris? Better stock up on honey, okay?”
Doris nodded, but Lu Sei’s mouth dropped open- taken aback that I actually knew about her raid on the Sullivan’s bourbon early last evening. I waved my finger at the girl several times to drive home my point.
“We’ll see you in three weeks, Lucy.” Yuuka waved as mother and daughter walked, hand in hand, down the steps toward the sidewalk.
“Alex, does it always feel this good? To make things right, I mean?” Pa asked as the pair walked up the street and disappeared past the neighbor’s tall shrub.
“Most of the time, Pa, but not always.” I answered as my expression saddened. Mr. Lincoln came to mind- enough said.
“Alex, it’s quarter to eleven.” Jack reminded quietly.
“Right, Jack. Does everyone still have their Reilly suit on,” I asked our group?
My sisters all nodded. Pa remained quiet before looking down slightly.
“The question was directed at you too, Pa. Y’all got your suit on?” I asked with a slight grin.
“You…you want me to come along again? Girls, I thought you had to leave for your base?”
“Let’s go inside. It’s much more private than the front porch.” I recommended.
After making sure the house was locked up, we gathered in the living room and joined hands.
“Are you sure I should go with you, sweetie?” Pa asked once again.
“Everyone to dress whites, please.” I ordered without answering him.
Louis Scott’s brown Army uniform was the sole standout among our sea of white.
“Once Army, always Army, girls.” He stated flatly as we all stared at him.
Uncle Demmit’s office appeared around us.
“Make sure you aren’t standing in anything before I rephase us.” I reminded. “Jack, please close the Admiral’s door.”
“Aye, Cap.”
The wooden door slowly closed and latched with the slightest ‘click’.
“I gave Ted the rest of the day off, Alex. Care to pop in at any time.” Uncle Rick said without even looking up or around.
“How did you know, sir?” I asked as soon as I phased us in.
“I didn’t. I’ve apparently been talking to myself on and off for the last two hours, Capt. Steinert.” He said, finally looking up from the paperwork in front of him.
“Lou! Good to see you. How are things back in Bridgeport?”
“Everything was…normal…up until a week ago, Rick. How are things in paradise?”
“Yes…I can understand that.” He chuckled. “As for paradise, a whole lot better since the scenery changed.” He nodded to us. “I’ve missed you, Lou.”
Uncle Rick stood and began walking around his desk. Pa met him halfway. Both men shook hands and Uncle Rick raised an eyebrow while looking down at Pa’s right foot.
“I see the foot heeled nicely, Lou. I’d like to get the name of your doctor.”
“Bellatrix Mintaka, Rick. She’s really good! Would make one hell of a DI too!” He replied then leaned in closer, “And brother? She’s a real looker, too!”
“So, is mother ready to leave, sir?” I asked, ignoring Pa’s quieter comment about Andie’s chief surgeon.
“She left earlier this morning, Alex. She said that you, Allie, Andie, and Emily would understand.”
“Um…did she say anything about me, Rick?” Pa asked timidly.
“Sorry, but I suppose I’m guilty of hogging the conversation, Lou. Ruth wouldn’t open up about where and what she’s been doing lately. I tried, but she just wouldn’t budge.” Uncle Rick admitted, sheepishly.
Several of us raised an eyebrow to his admission.
“Anyway, she left this morning. Gave me a kiss on the cheek, stepped back, smiled, and ‘poof’, gone.”
“Sounds familiar.” Pa mumbled.
“Maybe we should go back to Atlantis so you and Allie can look forward in time to locate her, Empress?” Yuuka suggested. “I’m sure Mr. Scott would like to see his wife again?”
“So when do I get to see this ‘Atlantis’, Alex?” Uncle Rick asked begrudgingly.
“There’s already one more of you than necessary in play at the moment. I’d rather not chance another. I promise I’ll take you on my next mission, Uncle. Right now we need to get ‘Daddy’ back to Atlantis for his follow-up with Dr. Mintaka.” I said glancing over to Emily for a second.
“Lou, why do you still insist the girls call you ‘Daddy’? It was fine when they were little, but they’ve grown up and are adults now. Don’t you think just a simple ‘dad’ would do?” Uncle Rick smiled and almost laughed when Pa blushed deeply.
“I never told them to call me that, Rick! Emily’s never called me anything but.”
“He’s teasing, Pa! Don’t get so embarrassed.” I groaned. “We have to get going, sir.” I added as I held out my hands.
“When you find Ruthie, tell her she’ll always be welcome here, Alex. I’ll always have room for her. Oh, and Lou? Unless you have the proper authorization, I would expect the proper uniform and rank while on this base. Is that clear Major Scott? After all…if all my marine counterparts walked around in Army uniforms, we’d have far too many court marshal’s to review!”
My sisters and I, with the exception of Andie and Reggie, began to giggle quietly amongst ourselves.
Pa looked downtrodden. “Aye, sir, I’ll remember that.”
Uncle Rick smiled and shook his head to the side several times before taking Pa’s hand and shaking it again.
“Lou, it’s been nice to see you again. Maybe after the war we can get together properly…maybe at Alexandra’s wedding? I hear that’s coming up in a few years.”
Pa suddenly stared at me in surprise.
“I heard that it was a ‘one-of-a-kind’ ceremony- that the bride was given away by both of her fathers.” Uncle Rick laughed heartily.
“We really need to go, Pa.” I stressed in embarrassment. Louis Scott slowly took my outstretched hand.
Our quarters on Atlantis surrounded us.
No Temporal Anomaly Alarm greeted us as we rephased and dropped hands.
“Louis!” My voice screamed out as Ruth Scott rush to Pa.
In a running tackle, Ma embraced Pa, knocked him over, and vanished!
“And here he thought she didn’t care for him.” Jack giggled.
“So, you think she missed him, Em? I wonder what she had in mind?” I asked trying to contain my own laughter.
“Trying. Not to. Think. About it, Alex!” Emily replied through tightly pursed lips, her face beet red.
E.S. Atlantis, Standard Year 257:08:11
“Do you think mother took dad back home instead of stopping back here, Alex?” Emily asked as we left Andie’s conference room.
We had spent the last two days planning our next move on Darren Clemson. In that time, Louis Scott hadn’t re-materialized on Atlantis.
“Let them have their fun, sis. We really don’t know how long Ma’s been exiled.”
“Let them have their fun? Alex, do you even realize the images that statement conjures?”
“Like we’ve never done or seen anything like that, Emily.” I replied sarcastically.
“But they’re our parents, Alex! Have you no shame or…or decency?”
“Where is this coming from? I know for a fact that you never join a nunnery.” I giggled.
“Still, it’s not right, Alex. Our parents aren’t supposed to be the ones transiting the cosmos…” she paused to think, “getting it on! They’re the ones that should be giving US the talk!”
“Oh? And what ‘talk’ would that be, Emily,” my voice asked from behind us.
“The talk about promiscuity, mother! What I witnessed two days ago was the act of a wanton harlot- the sex-starved creature that you always warned me about becoming! How could you, mother?” Emily answered in anger.
“If you had been sequestered as long as I was, I’d bet you would do the same thing!” Ma argued bitterly.
“So how long has it been, mother?” Emily growled, not backing down an inch!
Ruth Scott suddenly closed her mouth and eyes. A smile appeared.
“Long enough to make me see my errors, my daughters. Long enough to recognize where I went wrong.” She answered serenely.
“Hey, if you girls are going to keep this going, I think I’ll go out to Delta ring and grab something to eat.” Pa said as he carefully looked our way and tried to slip out of the room. I hadn’t noticed him standing there until now.
“I’m not through with you yet, Louis.” Ma growled enticingly. It reminded me of a lioness looking at the half-dead antelope she’d been playing with!
“Alex, do you know if they serve bourbon or scotch anywhere on this ship? I could use a few good stiff ones.” Pa asked, despite Ma’s ‘warning’.
“Pa, Dr. Mintaka told you that alcohol could interfere with your health now.” I reminded him.
“Well then maybe she could give me a script for all the aches and pains I’ve developed over the last ten days! I’ll be over at Medical.” He declared as he walked out the door.
“Ten…days?” Emily gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand.
“I guess it really has been a looooong time, sis?” I smiled tensely at Emily with a wink.
‘Empress Central to Alexandra! Come in, Alex!’ Brie’s voice rang through my head suddenly.
“Go ahead, Brie.” I said aloud.
“Who is she talking to?” I heard Ma ask Emily.
“Our sister, Brianna, she…”
‘Alex, I need you to come to my house April 10th, 2035, ASAP.’ Brie stated sharply. It sounded serious.
“Ladies, I’d love to continue this conversation, but Brie has something important to show me.” I said quickly. Just as I thought about phasing out, Emily’s hand touched mine.
“Oh no you don’t! You are not leaving me here with her, Alex.”
“Declares my prudish sister.” I replied as I opened her virtual throttle in my mind. Emily moaned in surprise. I had done it without warning her again.
“Sorry, sis, but I might need the extra juice just in case Clemson did something else.” I said trying to validate my action.
Brie’s living room effortlessly appeared around us. I relaxed a little.
Chas. Mason Home, Springfield, Missouri, April 10th, 2035
“Well you could have warned me!” Emily complained.
“Coulda warned y’all ‘bout what, Em?” Brie asked.
Emily quickly glared at me and just as quickly started fidgeting with her hair and uniform.
“Alex and I were just having a serious discussion when you called, Brie. How have you been?”
“The headaches been real intense these last few days, Doc. I’m hopin’ Alex get’s them time fluctuations fixed soon. How y’all been holdin’ up?” Brie answered candidly.
“I’m about ready to go out of my skull, Brie, now whatcha got for us?” I answered.
“I thought you did that once, already, sis?” Emily chortled.
I glared at her intensely until Brie answered.
“Well, I was toolin’ ‘round on the ol’ Internet just a little while ago an’ ah found somethin’ very in-trestin’. Ah thought y’all should see it fer yerself.” Brie said as she motioned us into Chuck’s home office. She touched a monitor screen and it popped to life.
Randi Van Pelt’s face appeared.
“You rang, Brianna?”
“Hi Randi. Ah got Alex an’ Em here finally. You wanna show’em what we found on Twitter?”
Randi’s face looked right at Emily and I. “Hey, Alex…Doc. I monitored this vid on Twitter this morning…watch.
A crudely shot video began playing on the screen in place of Randi’s face. I recognized the location immediately.
“Memphis.” I said quietly as I struggled to keep my mouth off the floor. I listened to the audio as I stared at the familiar face talking and the hieroglyphics scrolling across the bottom of the screen.
“I tell you, I would not stand for the disrespect shown to you by the current administration! The supreme administrator has become weak in his old age and ignored the wishes that our Gods so graciously set forth eons ago. I can tell you that I have spoken with them at length and have received their suggestions for new leadership of these lands. Now, many of you will declare me mad or deranged to such an extent…” Clemson’s voice preached.
“I’d be the first to have the bastard committed.” I interrupted.
“Take a number, sis!” Emily suggested.
“…But I have actually talked to our forefathers- for I and I alone have the power to go through history to visit the various periods and interact with those living in them. The land that I visited was serene and placid. No wars, no conflict, and no dissension whatsoever- as peaceful a place as anyone here could imagine. My people, the Gods, our forefathers, have seen the unrest in our lands and they have tasked me to come back and warn you of your coming downfall! They have entrusted me to spread their sanctioned message throughout the land, and that message…”
“Ain’t this the most horseshit y’all ever heard in one sittin’?” Brie asked, interrupting this time.
“…To honor the Gods in the way they have demanded! They therefore, recommend that all Egypt pay homage to those that brought about the original peoples of these lands and put to task the lesser peoples beyond our borders! Let them know that we are the promised ones- the leaders of this world for now and for the foreseeable future!”
“Those Gods, that I have conversed with, have recommended that I take the office of Supreme Administrator, and therefore have given me the authority to reorganize and re-imbue our people with strength, wisdom, and technology. Together we will remake our planet and govern it the way the Gods have decried! We shall unseat and evict those that have hampered our reaching our pinnacle- our providence! Join with me today in our quest to re-imagine our destinies- our futures- as I have foreseen we shall do, for I have seen our future…and I have seen our past! So if our current Supreme Administrator would honor our forefathers’ requests, I will lead this great nation into its glorious future- the future our forefathers have envisioned for us! Egypt will once again be known as the first and greatest civilization in the known world!”
The video halted and Randi’s face reappeared on the display.
“Why haven’t you caught this whack-job yet, Alex?”
“I’ve been trying, Randi. Clemson always seems to be one step ahead of me at every turn, though. It’s as if he actually knows where and when I’ll be.”
“Well, if you ask me, this was a blatant cry for capture, Alex, I mean, posting this to Twitter? Everyone’s known for decades that posting something like this to social media is an open invitation to get caught! I fail to see how someone could consciously put this incriminating stuff out there for all to see.”
“He’s completely aware of what he’s doin’, hun.” I said with a distinct growl in my voice. “He’s daring me to come after him.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Emily said looking at me in disbelief.
“I’m not…unfortunately.”
“Alex, how the hell y’all get THAT outta that video?” Brie exclaimed.
“Randi, what has been the average response to this video since it was posted?”
“Who is this whacko?”
”Ya, like that could possibly be Ancient Egypt, dude.”
“Is this a promo for an upcoming reality show?”
“Aryan’s unite! The original fatherland calls to us!”
“David Keresh has risen!”
“What a loser! That is definitely not Egypt. I was there in a past life.” Randi quoted a few of the responses.
“The list goes on, Alex. Though, I’ve taken the liberty of translating the Emogies for you. I know how much you like those things.” She snickered. “It’s received three thousand seven hundred and three comments in the last four hours.”
“Can you zero in on where it was initially uploaded, hun?” I asked without emotion.
“Doing it as we speak, Alex.”
“How’s Dell doing, Randi?” I asked out of curiosity while she tracked the video back.
“She just went through her reboot, Alex. If the authorities had had eyes on me when I went for her reset button, I’d be in jail right now for child molestation!” Randi confided then paused. “Empress, the video originated in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I can pinpoint the exact address if you’d like.”
“Ricky Lynn’s house.” I said off-handedly.
“How’d you know, Empress?” Randi’s expression on screen became confused.
“Clemson posted that video from her house! Probably while she was sleeping off that drug he gave her.” I said in anger. “First he rapes her then he destroys her character by posting that…that garbage! I’m going to take him so far back in time, time won’t exist yet!”
The lights dimmed noticeably.
“WOOW! Brianna, I’m reading a moderate, but very disturbing, temporal fluctuation in your neighborhood- your block- in fact the fluctuation is coming from your house!” Randi cried excitedly as she stared at Brie, Emily, and I from the monitor.
“Alex, you better calm down a little. We’ll catch that no-good, sorry excuse for a man!”
“Sis, y’all take a breath, ‘kay?”
“Has she always glowed like that, Emily? I can’t remember seeing her give off light before.” Randi asked.
“Only when she gets really mad, Randi. I’ve seen her do this a few times on this mission so far.”
Randi noticeably gulped. “Oh man, I hope I’m nowhere near her when she finally goes off.”
“Keep Brie informed if anything else catches your attention, Randi. Emily and I have to go visit an old friend. Oh, tell Dell I miss her, hun.”
“Will do, Empress.” Randi replied. “Oh…Skip? Good hunting, ma’am.” She added as she moved away from her camera and saluted me. The monitor went black and the computer turned itself off.
“Ah really wasn’t done usin’ that yet.” Brie said to herself quietly, hand on her hip. She paused, staring a moment at the computer then turned to me. “Peyton’s at Norfolk, Alex.”
I leaned in and kissed my sister’s cheek while giving her a gentle hug. “Thanks, Brie, now…y’all better get upstairs an’ care fer that sick youngin’ of your’s.”
“She ain’t sick, Alex. She’s just a might sensitive to all the time fluctuations. Y’all fix ‘em and yer niece gets better, now scoot.”
Emily took my hand.
“Period dress whites, sis.” I said as Norfolk Naval station appeared before us. To our left were the submarine docks.
“Boy has this place changed.” Emily said as she looked around.
“Ninety-one years has a way of doing that, sis,” I said with a smirk.
My sister looked at me and rolled her eyes in annoyance.
“Really? I wouldn’t have thought…There’s Peyton with Vernon, Julia, and Tim, Alex.”
“Admiral, what in the world has been going on the last few days? One quarter of my crew has been reporting severe migraines and our doctor can’t figure out why.” Vernon Reynolds asked as soon as they were close enough to talk without the others hearing.
“I need Peyton for a few days, Vern.” I demanded without pause. I don’t think I even smiled.
“Alex, what’s wrong?” Julia gasped out taking notice. “What happened? Did we lose somebody?”
“Peyton, we have to go…before anything else changes.”
“Changes? Alex, what is going on?” Vern questioned.
“We have to go before I lose you all again.” I said quietly, through tensed lips.
“Before you lose us? Again?” Tim Penne gasped in alarm.
“According to Alex, we’ve ceased to exist about four different times now, guys.” Emily informed our brothers and sisters.
All four mouths dropped open in disbelief.
“Peyton, feel like taking another crack at Meridian, hun?”
“I haven’t had any Sim time on her in quite some time, Admiral. Isn’t there some way I could…”
“We’re on a tight schedule here, hun. Either you can do it or I ask the only other pilot available! What will it be?” I stated tersely.
“Aye, ma’am! You’ve got yourself a pilot!”
“Good girl. Jules…Vern…I could use your talents on this one if you feel so inclined. Tim?” I turned my attention to the youngest of Detroit’s officers while her Captain and Ex-O smiled like little children at a candy store. “How are those muscles getting along with Submarine life? Want to flex them a little, hun?”
“I could probably lift a full-sized tour bus, Admiral.”
“How about just a ten ton granite slab, hun?”
“Not a problem, ma’am.” Tim Penne, Abby’s second oldest, replied with a big grin.
“Preparations?” I asked.
Vern looked to Julia then to Tim and Peyton. Each nodded to him.
“Reillys’ are charged and ready, Admiral.” He reported, still with the childish grin.
I noticed Vern’s third in command approaching.
“Lieutenant, I’m taking these four with me.” I barked. “I’ll have them back in a few days.”
“Aye, Admiral. Take care of her, Cap…Julia, Tim- you too, Peyton.” Kyle Richards said as he saluted. He turned back toward Detroit and pointed out into the bay after I saluted back.
“What the hell are they doing out there?” He shouted as loud and as surprised as he could. Kyle began running back toward Detroit.
To my surprise, the rest of the crew turned to see what he was talking about. We quickly joined hands.
Atlantis’ command level conference room surrounded us. Alex Reilly, Ruth Scott, Pa, and the rest of our previous group sat conversing amongst themselves.
“I believe our crew has arrived.” Ma stated casually as we rephased.
“Clemson messed up. Badly this time.” I said with an evil smile.
Vern, Jules, Timmy, and Peyton’s mouths dropped again.
“Commodore Celeste, may I present Commander Vernon Reynolds, Lt. Commander Julia Masterson, Lt. Timothy Penne, and Lt. Persephone ‘Peyton’ Triebsch. Folks, this is Commodore Andromeda Celeste and her sister, Subcommander Regina Celeste. Standing next to Alex Reilly is…”
“Ruth Scott. Glad to make your acquaintances.” Ma interrupted and proceeded to shake Vern and Tim’s hand. She embraced a stunned Julia Masterson and a wide-eyed Peyton next.
“Um…Alex…this doesn’t look like any place I’ve seen before. Where are we? When…are we?” Vernon Reynolds asked cautiously in confusion.
Andie smiled as she looked at our newest arrivals. “Welcome to Atlantis, ladies and gentlemen. I believe my sister has brought you back some seventy thousand years into Earth’s past.”
My four new companions remained silent for a long time- they just kept looking around in wonderment.
“I believe a tour would be in order?” Andie continued with a smile. “I suggest we adjourn and reconvene tomorrow at two bells, ladies. Alex, I believe our mother requires you and your sisters’ presence in her quarters?”
“That’s right, Andie, I have some catching up to do with your sisters. You and Reggie take our new guests on a tour of the ship and we’ll see you two in a few hours.” Ma said pleasantly as she motioned for Alex Reilly, Emily, and I to follow.
“Ricky Lynn?”
“Vern. How’s things?” She asked casually.
“Professor, what is going on? Why are you all here? Why are we here?”
“Well, you’d have ta ask the skipper, but in general, we’re here to stop my boyfriend from destroying the universe. You see…” Ricky Lynn was telling Vern, Jules, Tim, and Peyton as we left the conference room.
“Okay, so what is it, mother?” Emily asked angrily. It was evident she really didn’t want to be here. “I thought you’d be gone by now to whichever universe it is you hail from?”
“She gets her animosity from the Demmit side, Alexandra. You two should keep that in mind.” Ma said nonchalantly.
“You aren’t my real mother, mother! Maybe there’s a me on your world that you gave birth to, but not here. I knew MY mother very well, Ruth, and you are nothing like her.”
“Aren’t I, dear? See…I distinctly remember growing up in Hartford. I remember how your grandfather worked very long hours to put food and clothes in that overly large house.” Ma began, looking at Emily critically.
“I remember when my Rickie joined the Navy and I recall quite well that father was very disappointed he did so without consulting him. I also distinctly remember the day that you two came calling to the house, and I remember vividly the way you two introduced Louis and I. You know…Mother and Daddy where very distraught about the way you left that night! Mother cried for a week afterward and Daddy…well, he never did forgive himself for treating you the way he did, Alexandra. He blamed himself until the day he died. Mother and I never revealed you despite my sudden …revelation.”
“Revelation? I’m not following, mother.” Emily remarked disbelievingly.
“Like your sister, dear, I found I could do the impossible. It was shortly after you were born. I found myself at home…but not at home…not what home had been just minutes before, I mean. Things were…were almost the same, but I noticed minute differences- one being that mother and father had never met Allison or Andrea Demmit the week of the wedding.”
“Naturally, I became completely confused, but decided to play along until I could find out what had happened. Months went by before I finally figured things out- things I never thought possible until I thought back to that day I met you, Alexandra Steinert.” Ruth pointed to me. “You were my exact double in every respect save one. I realized that maybe…just maybe after my last growth spurt I had cleared that hurdle…the only thing I couldn’t understand was how I could have experienced a sudden growth spurt at eighteen? To this day I’ve never been able to answer that question.” Ma revealed, shaking her head to the side a few times.
“You went through my things the day of the wedding.” I said out of the blue.
Ma instantly looked over to me and stared for a moment.
Emily looked at Ma curiously. “The flask,” she stated decisively.
“What about the flask? It just had water in it.” Ma admitted softly- like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
“Have you searched our shared memories, Ma? Obviously you haven’t. Had you, those memories would have told you the answer.” I said with a serious tone. “My only question is, how did you consume the alcohol needed to trigger Alex’ nanos when I know the Rowland Demmit household was dry?”
“Now it is you that should access our ‘shared’ memories, Alexandra.” She responded after her eyes and mouth reduced in size.
I took her to task.
“Ruth Demmit went to see grandfather at the family distillery when you were three months, sis. While there, several cases of illegal, uncut whiskey fell from a cart and smashed on the shop floor. Ruth followed Grandfather despite his warning to remain clear. The smell of well-aged liquor permeated the air. I remember you felt dizzy afterward. Things felt tighter the next day. I’m sorry, Ma, I didn’t mean to bring this on you.” I reminisced and apologized.
“Don’t apologize, dear. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. The experiences I’ve had…the places I’ve visited…the people I’ve met…” Ruth Scott’s eyes suddenly dropped to the floor, “the things I’ve done.”
“So what did you do, mother?” Emily pushed rudely.
“I…I can’t tell you, girls. It…it was part of my ‘agreement’.” Ma sniffed. “I’ve already revealed too much! Upper management is watching, and I haven’t finished my task yet.”
A sudden realization hit me.
“Mother, do you expect us to believe that you have your own agenda…that you are actually on a mission of you own?” Emily groaned, interrupting my thoughts. “What mission could that be?”
Ma composed herself quickly.
“One that will remain hidden until fruition, my lovely daughters. Rest assured I have no intention of failing.”
“Sis, I think it would be better to leave this alone.” I suggested evenly.
“How can you suggest that, Alex?” Emily questioned irritably.
“We’d do better to continue planning our next move concerning Clemson.”
“Alex is right, Emily. We need to concentrate on our current mission.” Alex Reilly agreed.
“Alright, so what do we do about him? He seems hell-bent on destroying Khufu’s administration in Egypt. I’m seeing this as his twilight.” Emily asked giving in and concentrating on centering our attention.
Alex, do you still have the prints for the Sun Temple Cami made before it was destroyed?”
“I’ve had them the whole time, sis.” Alex Reilly smiled as she reached into her purse and retrieved a small ‘Reilly’ memory crystal.
“You think five years is enough time, Alex?” she asked.
“Should be,” I replied. “Take Ma with you. She’ll run interference for you and Djedefre.” I said reaching for Ma’s arm quickly. The mild tingle passing between us caught Ma by surprise.
“I wish you would stop that, Alexandra!” She exclaimed.
“I would, but I want you to know what my plan is.” I told her.
“Let’s go, Ma.” Alex Reilly said as she took Ma’s hand and disappeared.
“They left so soon?” Emily asked in surprise.
“Why, weren’t you done being rude to her?” I countered tersely.
“I’m sorry for that, sis. I just can’t believe she’s our mother. The Ruth Scott I knew growing up would never behave that way.”
“Around her own daughter, no, she wouldn’t. She would need to set a good example so that you would learn propriety. Search your future memories and tell me you didn’t do the same with Jimmy.” I challenged. Emily’s head turned slightly and her eyes looked to the floor.
Ma’s door opened and Andie, Reggie and the others entered. Everyone looked around noting the decreased occupancy.
“They’ll be back in a few hours.” I reassured everyone.
“My God, Alex, we’re…we’re in orbit!” Vern gushed as he came over to me and embraced me tightly.
“Why would they call it a ‘space ship’ if we weren’t, hun?” I asked, struggling for breath.
“Very funny, Alex! You could have given us warning.”
“Like you’ve never gone off-world before, Vernon Reynolds.”
“Off-world, yes, but not off ANY world, Alex! I wasn’t prepared for this at all.”
“You do know that our default Reilly IS a deep-space rated space suit, right?”
“He knows, Alex. Vern just has a slight case of motion sickness and is acting like this to keep his mind off it.” Julia Masterson explained. “There is a noticeable difference between artificial and natural gravity. I felt it immediately on our arrival.”
“Tim?” I asked as I turned to Abby’s son. “How are you holding up? I believe this is the first time for you?”
“I’ve never felt anything like this, Admiral! Commodore Celeste told me she would turn off the gravity inducers in one of the storage bays in the Command Core so I could see what zero ‘G’s’ really feels like!” The young Lieutenant prattled excitedly.
“Permission to instruct the Lieutenant in low gravity situations, Captain Reynolds?” Peyton asked formally.
Vern looked to Andie for her confirmation. She nodded and moved to the information terminal by the door.
“Dixie, alert storage bay ‘Alpha-4’ Control Personnel to prepare for gravitational inducer disablement. There will be a group of guests conducting ‘null-G’ training in half an hour.”
Vern, Jules, Peyton, and Tim looked at her curiously. I had forgotten that they had not received the Atlantian language files.
“All maintenance personnel have been notified and are awaiting the Empress’ group, Commodore.”
“Thank you, Dixie, that will be all for now.”
“You are most welcome, Commodore. Mom, will you be participating in the training?”
Ricky Lynn blushed brightly.
“I haven’t been in zero ‘g’ for a long time, Dixie. I’m a little out of practice.”
Our newer arrivals turned quickly and stared at the professor. Samuels looked around, feeling the pressure.
“Sounds like fun, I’d love to, Dixie.” She said, smiling tensely at our USS Detroit contingent. “Dixie, commense transfer of archive ‘AtlantisLang’ to our new arrivals. Request code ‘Richard-Lawrence-Samuel-zero-five-nine-one-one-echo-zeta-phi’.”
“Request accepted, mom. Download port link-up and handshaking initialized. Download initializing. Download complete, mom.”
“Thanks, baby. Cappy, I had Dixie load Atlantian to your suits. You should be able to access and select it for translation.”
“Thanks, professor.” Vern answered for the other three.
“Dixie, what is the weather at our ‘L-Z’?” Andie requested suddenly.
Atlantis will be over the designated ‘L-Z’ in four minutes-thirty-two seconds. Weather at requested location is currently two hundred-ninety-nine-point-zero-eight-one-six-repeating above absolute zero and precipitating under clouds.”
Ricky Lynn quickly reached into her backpack and retrieved her personal computing device. She tapped in the information.
“Eighty degrees and raining.” She translated.
“That is correct, mom. I did not realize I needed to format my response in the ‘Empress’ scale. My apologies.”
“Its okay, Dixie. Professor Samuels just wanted to make sure our new guests’ translators were working properly.” Andie told the A.I.
Ricky Lynn nodded to her after receiving similar confirmation from Vern, Jules, Peyton, and Tim.
“So who wants to go flying around?” I giggled.
“I’m game.” Yuuka said as she began to shrink.
“Pixie,” Peyton began as she held her hand out to stop the five-inch flying woman, “things are not what they seem with gravity absent. I recommend caution at first.”
“As long as there is air for my wings to push against, I’ll be fine, Lieutenant.” Yuuka confided confidently.
There was going to be no end to the comedic slapstick this afternoon. No severe casualties, but a lot of wounded egos would result.
E.S. Atlantis, Standard Year 257:08:14
“So how is your shoulder, Alexandra?” Pa asked as he and Ma entered our quarters. Emily begrudgingly lowered, marked and closed her latest book. This one was by someone called Alistair MacLean and was about a fictional, covert, World War II, rescue mission in the Austrian Alps.
“I’m glad we heal fast, Pa. How is that knot on your head?” I responded.
“I think it hurt worse than having my foot blown off, sweetie, but I’ll live.”
“Louis?” Ma looked shocked. “You’re joking…right?”
“Mother, Pa was caught in the barracks at Schofield! He was lucky that was the only thing he lost!” Emily growled irritably. “I thought you were watching from the other side?” She glared at Ma. “Or was that a lie also?”
“Young lady!” Pa interceded quickly. “That is no way for you to talk to your mother! I want you to apologize immediately.”
“If she really is our mother! Somehow I question our relationship, Father.”
“Emily!”
“Let her go, Louis. She’s allowed her own opinions. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I will not stand for this rude treatment, Ruth! She is our daughter! Our daughter! Not my daughter- ours!”
“But Daddy, I…”
You will treat your mother with respect, Emily Amelia Scott! Have I made myself clear?” Pa roared.
“Yes, Daddy.” Emily answered timidly.
“I’m sorry you had to witness that, Alexandra, but know this…” He paused to take a breath and calm down, “I…I will not stand for any of my daughters being rude and snooty to anyone- especially their mother.”
“Technically, I’m not really your daughter, Pa, I…” I began to say, but he cut me off quickly.
“We are so far beyond that at this point, Alexandra! You and Allie are our daughters forever more. End of story, understand?”
“Yes, daddy.” I cowered, impressed by his statement and its forcefulness.
“Louis!” Ma cried as she looked at him in surprise. “Where did this come from?”
“Someone had to stop this insolence before it escalated, Ruth. Since you went away, I’ve had to act as both parents- not very hard considering our daughters are in the military. It worked because I had my own problems at the time. Alexandra’s arrival changed all that though- considerably. The Empress of Time and Space and her friends have redefined the meaning of my life, Ruth. Our daughters have proven that the impossible is most certainly possible and you being here only punctuated that. Even so, Emily’s behavior since your return has been unacceptable and I will not let it go any farther. Now apologize to your mother, Emily.” Pa demanded and crossed his arms in wait.
Emily looked at me sadly for any support. I had nothing and ever so subtly shook my head to indicate such. She closed her eyes and nodded once then looked at Ma.
“Daddy’s right. I was out of line and I’m sorry, Momma.” She said before bursting into tears and running into our shared bedroom. The door ‘swooshed’ shut.
“Emily, you get back out…”
“Leave her go, Louis. She needs to sort this out on her own, dear. I’ve seen she’ll calm down in an hour or so. Everything will be fine, though things will never return to my pre-arrival norm.”
“What is that supposed to mean…’pre-arrival norm’? Ruth, I just want her to show the proper respect for you.”
“Pa, Emily’s going through some very unusual changes. Ma’s arrival and subsequently observed, uncharacteristic behavior has made those changes even more difficult.”
“What changes, Alexandra? Except for her more aggressive demeanor I’ve seen no other changes.” Pa said looking at me curiously.
“You’ve seen the major changes, Pa, in fact, you were the very first to witness two of the big ones.” I revealed.
Louis and Ruth Scott looked at me without comprehension. I stared back at them for a moment.
“Before I knocked on your door…how long had Emily already been ‘visiting’, Pa?” I asked to make my point. Ruth Scott’s eyes opened wide at my question.
“She arrived the day before you and…and…holy shit!” Pa answered before he gasped. “I forgot about that. I forgot that she had suddenly disappeared from the kitchen to stand next to you at the front door. That was one of them?”
I nodded. “I’d been pushing Emily to develop more portions of her gift since I had discovered my travel abilities. I figured that if I could do time related stuff, my sister could too. She began slowly exploring and pushing her limits after we arrived here, on Atlantis. Emily missed you so much, Pa; she yearned to visit you.”
“So she can travel through time too?” Pa asked, his mouth not quite closing.
“In a way. Emily’s gift isn’t quite as robust as mine, Pa. She is only capable of projecting herself through time. Yes, she looks and feels like she is there, but her physical body remains stationary. It will be termed ‘physically manifested, out-of-body’ experiences in the twenty-first century.”
“That’s one, sweetie, what was the other?” Pa asked as Ma remained silent.
“Emily shares my ability to shift out of phase with reality. You saw that several times during our stay, as did Doris and Ralph Sullivan.”
“You rescued Ralph and Lu Sei?” Ma gasped out in surprise.
“It was the right thing to do, Ma. Even though it didn’t happen originally, it was the only decent thing to do. I’m willing to face ‘Upper Management’s’ judgment for it too!” I declared confidently.
Ma’s expression turned serious as her eyes lowered slightly; they began moving quickly side to side as she apparently pondered my newly admitted exploits.
“Things work out better this way, Ma.” I assured her. “Lucy proves she is every bit a sister of Kili. I’m glad I helped save that family’s future.”
I noticed tears forming as Ma looked up and stared me straight in my eyes.
“Ruth, what’s going on? Did Alex do something wrong?”
There was a very long pause before Ma said anything. In the meantime, tears slowly ran down her face. Pa looked between us constantly, concern etched on his face.
“I’m serious, Ma. I’ll take whatever “Upper Management” decides should be my punishment!” I said boldly.
“It’s not that, honey.” Ma replied as she wiped her cheeks.
“Then what?” I challenged.
Ma approached and wrapped her arms around me, her mouth moved close to my ear. “I’m so proud of you, Alexandra, and I will forever be your humble servant, my Empress.”
I gasped- my eyes going wide with what she had just said. Pushing her back so I could look directly in her eyes, I stared into them wanting to find the reason this woman- my adoptive mother- would say something like that. I saw two, infinitely deep, green ringed pools of love and pride.
I looked into her eyes again.
There was something else there. Devotion- I saw her unquestionable devotion to me and everyone associated with the Empress. I saw that she would follow me to the ends of existence…and then some…if necessary.
“No!” I said forcefully after only a moment of deliberation. “We’re equals, Ruth. There’s no need OR desire for servants where the Empress is concerned. I will not have anyone lower themselves to servitude…ever.”
Ma stepped back and silently regarded me for a couple minutes- the instant, satisfied, smile on her face said it all.
“You…you are everything I couldn’t be.” She finally whispered as her right hand reached out and she gently slid the backs of her fingers down my cheek.
I was momentarily stunned.
“Louis, I think it’s time to leave our daughters to their mission. We should be getting back home.” Ma said, turning her attention to Pa and offering her hand to him.
“Are we really going to go home, Ruthie…or am I going home and you’ll disappear from my life again,” Pa questioned skeptically?
“I promise to stay around for a little, Louis.” Ma said sadly. “Unfortunately, your wife suddenly reappearing, not to mention her unexplainable youthful appearance, will not be easily accepted or understood, so yes, I must eventually leave you, my love. I’m sorry. Alexandra, we will talk again. Take care, Empress.”
Ruth and Louis Scott vanished just as our quarter’s door opened and Alex Reilly walked in.
“So, did Ma and Pa leave?” Alex glanced around, suddenly looking stunned as her eyes settled on me.
“Apparently she has,” my twin said, answering her own question as she hurried over to me and wrapped her arms around me. The slight tingle felt wonderful. “Oh, Alex, I neglected to see how hard that was. I’m sorry.”
“I got caught up in the family aspect, sis. It felt wonderful, I…” I paused. “I’m going to miss her, Alex.”
“I know, honey. We both knew what was to happen.” Alex Reilly said gently as she guided my head to her shoulder. The coolness I felt on my cheek when it touched the fabric of Alex’ uniform indicated I had been crying. Her Reilly quickly took care of the salt water, absorbing it instantly.
“Jack, Cami, assemble the troops, we leave in an hour.” I said toward the ceiling after I had composed myself.
“I didn’t think you wanted to leave so soon, sis.” Alex Reilly commented.
“We still need to be as unpredictable as possible.”
“Now that everyone is here, I’d like to thank Andie and Reggie for their hospitality…” I began.
“Wait…you’re not coming back, Empress?” Reggie asked in surprise.
“Oh, we’ll still pop in from time to time, but our mission has almost reached its conclusion.” Alex Reilly assured her.
“We, the Sisters of Kili thank the people of Atlantis for their generosity, hospitality, and understanding. Without y’all, we couldn’t have protected our sisters and brethren…the whole of Earth’s future from Mr. Clemson’s careless alterations of history. My sisters, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” I concluded as tears again began to interfere with my sight.”
“Alex, you’ll need a bridge crew.” Andie said with hope.
“Jack, Peyton and I have flown Meridian once before, Commodore. I’d be happy to take you along, but you have your own ship to command. Besides, you’ll be needed here for Atlantis’ landing.”
I noticed Ricky Lynn’s eyes narrow slightly.
“I didn’t know it was that close now, Alex.” Andie said quietly.
“Closer than anticipated.” I mumbled quietly.
Commodore Celeste nodded her understanding. She had been through two landing scenarios, one successful, but unconventional, the other catastrophic.
I walked over to Andie and hugged her tightly.
“Thanks for everything, sis, I’ll think of you every day until our next visit.” I whispered into her ear. I released her and repeated my action with her sister.
“You and Ian take care of the babies now, you hear? Watch Andie’s back for me too.”
“I will, Empress.”
I glared at our half sister.
“I will, Alex.” She nodded with a smile.
I stepped back while each of us took turns saying goodbye to our hostesses. After many goodbyes and many more tears, Alex Reilly and I offered our hands to our sisters. It was too bad that Brie had contacted me and requested I take Vern, Jules, and Tim back to Norfolk. ‘Admiral’ Covington claimed she needed them for an important mission. Apparently Clemson’s tampering had caused a tangent in early 2034AD.
“Ready to visit the lands of Pharaoh, ladies?” I asked as I winked at Andromeda and Regina Celeste.
“Be back soon, sisters.” I added.
Pharaoh’s residence appeared before us. A large crowd had gathered between the main doors and where we stood in the mansion’s front plaza. Chanting and demanding shouts for one action or another echoed deafeningly off the building’s façade. This was the biggest protest I had ever witnessed- bigger than even the protests for action against Janelle Hathor on my first visit here.
“What in the world is all this, Alex?” Emily gasped as she looked around us.
“Clemson. He’s lobbying for power.” I said as I nodded toward the top of the mansion’s steps. You could barely see the protagonist among the hive of activity. “We’ve arrived in time to stop him from collecting his recording device.”
Emily nodded in understanding. “Is Anna Beth alright?”
“The residence has been secured, Em. Anna Beth and the others are all safely inside.”
“So, how do we get in, Skipper?” Professor Samuels inquired.
“We port in. Right, Alex?” Peyton answered impatiently.
“We could, but that wouldn’t flush our pray, ladies.” Alex Reilly replied. “Cami, could you bring Mr. Clemson here, please?”
“But I thought Clemson had a defense against our Mind Warrior powers?”
“One Mind Warrior, hun, not two- not right away. Jack? Care to help your sister out?”
“It’d be a pleasure, Alex.” My Ex-O said as she and Cami closed their mouths and began a private conversation.
Darren Clemson began to rise out of the crowd- literally. The expression on his face was complete and utter terror as was the crowd’s.
“Alex, you know what to do.” I said to my twin.
She nodded with a smile and released my hand as I concentrated on keeping the rest of us phased out now that our hands weren’t physically touching.
Unfortunately, several locals were close enough to also be shifted. Their expressions were priceless.
“How did you…”
“Where did you come fro…”
“Empress, you’ve arrived to…”
“Yes, I am here to repair this mess. I’m sorry, but you three have been caught in my phase shift. You will not be harmed in any way, shape, or form, I assure you.”
“Empress, you have to stop this man! He means to dissolve Pharaoh of his position and take us back to the old ways- the way things were before our star brethren arrived and enlightened the world.” One of them said. I recognized him as one of the residence’s maintenance craftsmen.
“Let’s see how committed he is to his own cause.” I said as Clemson hung hovering over the huge crowd.
“Cami, I believe Alex wants to say a few words?” I said, nodding to the front doors of the residence. Alex Reilly appeared on the top step.
“Hear me, residents of Memphis! This man hovering above you is nothing but a fraud- a flim-flam man- a con artist bent on gaining power and forcing this mighty nation into ruin! His only goal is his personal greed for complete control over the lands of Egypt. Once acquired, he will move on and leave what is left of this society to rot and fester until Egypt is desolate and barren.” Alex Reilly shouted in our minds.
“My turn, Jack.” I said as I first made sure my companions were clear of anyone or thing.
We rephased.
“The man hovering above you wants nothing more than to use all of you for his own gain- for his pleasure!” I said. The crowd as a whole suddenly turned their attention to me. Clemson’s face turned beet red in fury and concentration.
“We’re starting to lose him, Alex. He’s nullifying our gift.” Jack informed me. I continued my portion of the speech as our quarry began to sink back into the crowd.
“This man- a man that you have never seen before, but remember always among you, is a fraud as my sister claims. He means to return Egypt to the dark days before technological enlightenment eased the lives of all. Even now he plots to escape my Mind Warrior’s hold and flee to a safer time and place! He is a coward and not a worthy leader as he claims. He cares not for the people of the Upper and Lower Nile. He seeks to change this time period to suit his own aspirations, and do it all at your expense!”
“And who are you?” Someone shouted.
“We are Alexandra.” Alex Reilly and I said simultaneously. “We are the only and true travelers of Time and Space. We are Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space!”
“Have you visited the forefathers’?” Another voice challenged.
“We have indeed just arrived from the distant past. In fact, in that time they have yet to land on Earth and remain in orbit high above this planet.” I answered.
Yet someone else shouted. “The forefathers created this planet, whores! Everyone knows that!”
“Y’all keep right on thinkin’ that, honey. I’ve seen truth to the contrary, though.”
“Alex, he’s escaping.” Jack informed me.
“If I am not to be believed, why is your self-proclaimed, time traveler and future leader running to his machine as we speak?” I said as I pointed directly at Clemson, making his way secretly through the outer reaches of the crowd.
“Professor, have you made the modifications?” I asked Ricky Lynn, verbally. She smiled deviously.
In clear view of most of the crowd, Clemson had pulled the QDA out from under a medium-sized merchant’s cart a hundred or so feet from our position and hastily punched a destination into the device’s control panel.
‘You get it, Cami?’ I thought.
A very small explosion- just a firecracker, really- went off just above our heads. “Sure did Alex. Scratch one media recorder.” She thought back.
“Why would the Empress of Time and Space instill terror into one who claims divine favor from the forefathers?” I shouted the question, pointing to where Clemson had vanished.
The crowd silenced.
“Witch! You made him vanish!” A man’s angry voice shouted out from the confounded gathering.
“Alexandra had nothing to do with that pretender’s disappearance! He has proven himself a coward in the eyes of the people and nothing more!” Peyton shouted to the group.
Those starting to disperse suddenly stopped and turned their attention to her. There were soft murmurs of, ‘it’s her’; ‘the hero of Memphis, she’s here’; ‘Hathor’s vanquisher returns’, echoing around through the crowd.
Peyton took advantage of her sudden fame and recognition. She had ordered her Reilly into period clothing before speaking out.
“Yes, I am the one, along with Alexandra and her sisters, who brought Hathor to justice and stopped her reign of terror! How dare any of you berate this woman, Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space! A woman renowned throughout this and many other worlds for her integrity and truthfulness! Only the ignorant would dare insult her or any of her sisters! The coward that hastily fled just now, he seeks to inject doubt and discord throughout our society for his personal gain. Believe me when I say, Egypt is in far better hands with Khufu! He is a wise and even-handed administrator and has great interest in the good and health of all the people! You have been duped, my friends and neighbors! Think about that as you disperse peacefully and return to your homes, businesses, and lives!”
“Damn, girl! Didn’t know ya could sound so…commanding!” Ricky Lynn complimented.
After a few minutes the crowd again began to disperse. Ten minutes later it was clear to approach the residence of Pharaoh.
“Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space and company. We seek audience with Pharaoh Khufu and his queen, Anna Beth.” I announced placing my right hand on one of the ornate seals of the imposing granite doors.
There was no activity or response of any kind from the other side.
“Hey, An’a B’th, Y’all should open the door ‘fore Ah port us all in unannounced-like.” I shouted with a giggle as I tried again to announce us.
The mansion’s door slowly creaked open a few inches.
“I told you never…ever…call me that…that name again, Alexandra!” A familiar voice hissed in anger.
“Y’all gonna open the door an invite us in, oh mighty queen’a all Egypt?” I countered pleasantly.
“I told you never to refer to m…”
“Ya, ya. So how long y’all wanna stare into mah eyes this time, hun? Rest assured Ah ain’t been ‘round no Mind Mages or the like since our last visit.”
“Our last visit was six years ago, Alexandra. What took you so long?” Anna Beth asked as the door opened fully and we all looked upon her haggard face.
“Mother, I specifically asked you not to open the door for…” A young man’s voice said angrily before an older Djedefre appeared behind his mother.
“Empress! I had no idea of your arrival. Come in, please.” The young man motioned us all in and quickly closed and locked the door. “Your arrival is not well timed, I’m afraid.”
“On the contrary, honey, it’s perfectly timed.” Alex Reilly stated wryly.
Anna Beth’s face paled.
“Mother? What is wrong? Are these not the Empress and her sisters?”
“This is THAT time, isn’t it?” Anna Beth gasped in horror.
Alex Reilly and I nodded in unison.
“Oh, Alex, no!”
“Mother? What have you not told me? What time is this we hint at?”
“I trust construction of the Sun Temple has completed?” Alex Reilly asked, looking to the future Pharaoh.
“It has, Alex, but what has that to do with anything?” Djedefre answered.
“The plans have been followed per the specifications?” Alex continued her questioning.
“They have, Empress. My contractors have questioned the complex machinery, excessive ventilation passages, and the large, barren, main chamber though. What is its purpose, if I may indulge you?”
“The Sun Temple is your lifeboat, young Pharaoh. Through it we will save the royal family and all who still follow devotedly.” I said in a melodramatic tone.
“Oh, give me a break, Alex! Must you be so over-the-top?” Emily asked in dramatic exasperation.
“If Djedefre insists on being so formal.” I countered.
The young man rolled his eyes. “Sorry, ma’am, I forgot how easy-going you are, although you did frighten me severely on your last visit. I had never seen anyone that could affect light the way you did that day- even if it happened in the blink of an eye.”
“And I’m real sorry ‘bout that, hun. The guy we brought for a visit was gratin’ on my last nerve and I let it get the better of me.” I apologized back.
“How long do we have, Alex?” Anna Beth asked from out of the blue.
“How long, mother? Alex just arrived and you want to know how long they will be visiting?”
“My son, you cannot understand the circumstances for which the Empress has returned.”
“Then enlighten me, mother. Reveal the true purpose of the arrival of the Empress and her court.”
“The land of Egypt is about to change, hun,” I began to inform him. “There is an opposition to your father growing among the people of both the Upper and Lower Nile. In a few months this ‘plague’ will reach a critical point and the land will no longer be safe for the Supreme Administrator or his family.”
“But how could this have happened? Father has been nothing but fair and understanding of our people. How could such dislike develop in the first place?” Djedefre asked in genuine bewilderment.
“The seeds have been sown for many years now, honey.” Alex Reilly told the young man. “There has been an underlying discontent in your father’s government since Hathor began making slaves of your mother’s people. Darren Clemson’s recent appeals and assemblages have forced that discontent out into the general public. I’m afraid the people will not tolerate another conflict with the ‘Gods of old’ and would instead renew their allegiances with them in the name of peace.”
“So, what do we do, Alex?” Djedefre asked as he looked between Alex Reilly and I.
I smiled.
“Meridian 12 awaits, Commander.” I said as I bowed and gave a flourish of my left hand.
“Meridian 12?” Djedefre gasped. “I didn’t think that story was true, mother! You really were a starship commander?”
“A damn good one to get as much of her crew safely to this planet like she done, sonny!” Ricky Lynn bragged.
Djedefre was dumbstruck for a moment as he stared at his mother as she blushed profusely from the high praise.
“Aunt Anna Beth…my queen, would it be acceptable if mother came with us to fetch Meridian? I’m sure the ship would enjoy her presence once more.” Peyton inquired politely.
“I thought you would never ask! It would be my pleasure, Sephie.” Peyton’s mother, Natalia, said as she and Ahm-Shu, Peyton’s Pa, appeared from a side corridor several yards ahead of us.
“Momma!” Peyton screamed in happiness, running and almost tackling her mother.
“Nice to see you too, Persephone. I see you have missed your father…as usual.” Ahm-Shu greeted dejectedly as he stood by their side, apparently forgotten.
“Pappa, I haven’t forgotten you!” She said as she pulled him close too.
Anna Beth, Djedefre, and the rest of us silently observed the touching reunion.
“Sephie, we’ve both missed you so much. How have you been, child?”
“Tim and I have made a good life for ourselves in Norfolk, Momma. We’ve been planning to visit after Tim’s tour next spring, though I’m not sure in light of our unanticipated visit today.”
“All y’all have to do is ask, hun. Wherever the parties reside, I’ll be happy to reunite them.” I assured her.
Peyton turned her head towards me and nodded her thanks.
“So where is my son-in-law? What critical matters have disqualified him from this trip?” Natalia questioned.
“My fault, ma’am.” I answered. “The mission parameters required a pilot- one knowledgeable in Terran Spacecraft. He was asked to be a part of the Empress’ travel party, but he, Captain Reynolds, and Cmdr. Masterson were called back to help the future Empress.”
“Besides, momma, now Tim will have more time to spend with young Natalie. She’s only two and is not ready to travel with the Empress yet.” Peyton explained further.
Natalia and Ahm-Shu’s mouths’ dropped.
“We are Grandparents? When were you going to tell us, Sephie?” Natalia spoke for both stunned parents.
“Tim and I planned on breaking the news on our next visit…”
“Again, I’m sorry for spoiling their plans, Natalia. The current mission has consumed most of my attention of late.” I explained.
Peyton’s mother glared at me for a moment. A slight smile appeared on her face thereafter.
“I trust our relocation will result in closer communications with our expanding family, Alexandra?”
“My pledge,” I tried hard to hold back certain recent memories of her daughter’s alternate life on the Homeworld. With much effort, and with as short a pause as possible, I continued. “…Has not wavered since our first meeting, ma’am, and I still stand by that pledge.”
Natalia smiled brightly and nodded.
“Momma, Meridian’s helm is yours.” Peyton told the ‘retired’ Terran Sub-commander.
Natalia smiled widely at her daughter- her eyes gleaming with excitement. Turning to Anna Beth, she placed her right fist to her left breast.
“Captain, I, your ever-loyal first officer, officially request service as your Navigation Officer and that my daughter, Persephone Peyt-Ahm, be assigned to the pilot’s chair. I believe she is more than qualified.” Natalia requested thus revealing her daughter’s real Egyptian middle name.
“Sister? Why demote yourself?” Anna Beth questioned.
“There are others more qualified, sister.” She replied with a decisive smile, nodding to Alex Reilly and I.
“With all due respect, ma’am, I believe my sister Alexandra Steinert is much more qualified as first officer. I prefer the sciences over ship-wide responsibilities and offer my services as officer of sciences.”
“Very well, Alexandra. Cmdr. Steinert, I’ll leave the other command assignments in your capable hands.” Anna Beth announced with a wide smile. Djedefre looked on silently as his mother took command.
“Aye, captain. All assignments will be completed when we arrive at the ship.” I responded, snapping to attention.
“When do we leave, Alex?” Anna Beth inquired.
“At the Captain’s discretion, ma’am.”
“Good, we depart to collect Meridian 12 tomorrow morning at first light. Sister,” Anna Beth turned to Natalia, “contact Alusia and Khefru. I want both families represented today for a mid-afternoon briefing. Use the secure channels to limit media coverage.”
“By your order, my queen. Should I not also contact the Supreme Administrator so he may shorten his visit to the Western Hemisphere?”
“That will not be necessary. I will send word on my own.”
“As you wish, sister.” Natalia said as she bowed slightly. She and Ahm-Shu turned and walked back down the corridor that they first appeared from.
“Empress?” Peyton inquired.
“Of course, Seph. Go with your family, but be here for the meeting later.” I replied nodding my head slightly. Lt. Persephone ‘Peyton’-Penne hurried to catch her parents.
“Uhj!” Anna Beth shouted as she clapped her hands loudly.
A much older version of the man I met on my last visit appeared from a corridor on our right and bowed. I felt sorry for him immediately, knowing his hearing was probably even worse now.
Uhj smiled brightly as he approached us.
“You heard?” Anna Beth asked. I thought it cruel of her.
‘Patching you and Allie in, Alex- listen only.’ Jack’s voice announced in my mind.
‘I have my lady. It is regrettable that our time here has ended, though I have heard the stirrings growing louder these last few years. Indeed, it would seem that the Empress has correctly predicted her visit, as the peoples’ voice has become louder the last few months. Alas, I thought I would have escaped my physical bonds well before these events.’
‘Only Alexandra knew for sure, my friend. I freely admit I have been terrified to even approach our Empress on our fates. I doubt she would frighten us further by revealing even a small portion of it.’ Anna Beth thought to Ahj.
I gasped audibly. Anna Beth and Ahj suddenly looked over to Allie and I with their eyes narrowed in suspicion.
‘Apparently, our Empress is more than a little bit concerned by our conversation.’ Anna Beth thought as she continued to stare contemptuously at my sisters and I.
‘She felt you to be taking advantage of my ‘disability’, Commander. Her concern for our well-being is commendable but unnecessary. She and her sisters would do anything to see everyone treated equally- with respect and compassion, wouldn’t you agree, Empress?’
I nodded as I looked back to Jack. Both she and Cami were blushing profusely, having been caught eavesdropping.
“I’m sorry, Ahj, I thought you near deaf from your ordeal with Hathor. I am truly sorry that my negligence unleashed her on this peaceful civilization.” I said solemnly.
‘Dear Empress,” Ahj thought to me courtesy of either Jack or Cami- Cami, judging by her downcast eyes. “Though I can clearly hear your outermost thoughts, I do not need but to look upon your face for the truth of your character. My lady, at the risk of speaking for my commander, we are forever your allies.’
Apparently Allie and I weren’t the only ones Cami was relaying the conversation to, as all my sisters’ eyes seemed to be leaking.
I didn’t have the heart to even think about his absence from Meridian 12’s roster.
Ahj flinched ever so slightly. Now I was certain he too downplayed his abilities, as did many other Egyptians of Terran origin.
I closed my eyes slowly and squeezed out one last tear from each.
“Alexandra, Ahj will see that you all have quarters with which to freshen up before the scheduled meeting.” Anna Beth informed us as the older man turned and motioned us to follow.
Ahj showed Emily and I to a spacious suite consisting of two bedrooms, a living area, and a lavatory complete with walk in shower and a hot tub.
‘Empress and Doctor, I hope the facilities meet with your requirements. As usual, Meridian will see to your needs and keep you updated of schedules and activities within the residence. She will be happy to assist you any way she can.’ His thoughts told us as he turned to exit.
“Thank you, Ahj. Again, I’m sorry about Hathor.” I told him sincerely.
Our host smiled silently, turned, and walked out the suite’s door shaking his head slowly.
‘The Empress, she is still apologizing for events of the past, Commander.’
‘Haven’t I told you before that she feels solely responsible for those dark times, my friend?’ Anna Beth’s thoughts replied. ‘The only thing stopping her from attempting to return to repair those desperate days are these ‘temporal waypoints’ she speaks constantly of. Alexandra, neither of them, is in the habit of causing pain to anyone.’
‘Her concern is commendable, but I find her utopian convictions humorous. Being the woman of many worlds, dimensions, and universes, her optimism is ever so uplifting.’
‘Now, if only we could impress upon her sisters’ the meaning of privacy. Camille Darough, I would expect this breach of privacy more from Jacquelyn…’ I heard Anna Beth’s voice say before it suddenly disappeared from my mind.
I shook my head and giggled. I loved my sisters!
0505hrs, Pharoah’s Residence, Memphis, Eygpt, 2510BC
“So where do we travel today, mighty, all-seeing, and ever-charitable, Empress of Time and Space?” Anna Beth chimed as she, Natalia, and Peyton entered the residence’s dining room.
Allie and I began laughing hysterically.
“You dare find frivolity in a statement spoken from the most sacred mouth of the Queen of all Egypt?” Anna Beth said regally as she too began to laugh. She nodded to our butler for this morning’s meal and sat across from Allie, Emily, and I.
“Was that too over the top?” She asked, still snickering.
Emily held her right hand up, her thumb and forefinger almost touching. “Just a little, but don’t worry, I’m sure our Empress takes no offense, highness.”
The entire room erupted in laughter. Despite my inability to catch even a wink of sleep last night, the jovial nature of my sisters and the attending staff felt wonderfully rejuvenating.
“When we’re finished with this wonderful meal.” I said after we settled down.
Anna Beth looked at me strangely- probably expecting me to continue. “Alex?”
“You wanted to know when we were leaving.”
“I distinctly remember asking where, not when, Alex.”
“We all know where, hun. Aren’t you curious as to when?” I asked with a sly grin.
“I don’t care when, I just want to see my Meridian again, Alex. It has been sooo long since I sat in that center seat…”
“Tired of this throne and want your old one back, Commander,” I giggled with a wink?
“I actually prefer command of Meridian 12 over ruling all Egypt, Empress. I think you understand that feeling as well.” Anna Beth said, eyeing me carefully.
I nodded as breakfast was formally served.
“Empress Alexandra Steinert, her majesty highly recommended we serve this dish to you. She was quite specific in its construction and ingredients. I hope it is to your liking?” The residence butler said, stopping beside me and placing a covered, golden serving plate before me. He graciously took away the golden-domed lid to reveal…
“Wow. Pancakes,” Emily wisecracked neutrally, “A stack of four. I bet there’s butter between each, too. Who would’ve guessed?”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head to the side a few times as Anna Beth laughed deviously.
“Did I miss something, majesty?” The man asked looking rather confused.
“No, it looks absolutely wonderful, sir.” I said giving the man my brightest smile.
“The syrup was shipped overnight from the northern part of the western hemisphere at Queen Anna Beth’s request, Empress Alexandra.”
“I thank her majesty for her thoughtfulness.” I said as I cut into the stack and placed a forkful into my mouth.
They were superb- the maple syrup was the sweetest I had ever tasted. I immediately took several more forkfuls, closing my eyes and savoring each bite.
“These are fantastic!” I exclaimed.
Emily giggled. “That’s my sister for you! Alex has never met a pancake she didn’t like.”
“Mind if I have a taste, sis?” Allie asked as she stared open-mouthed at my plate. I half-expected her to start drooling any minute. Her fork had already skewered a few pieces.
“Empress Alexandra Reilly, your plate is here as well.” The butler announced with a smile and another golden-domed plate was placed before her, too.
“Let me guess,” Emily said sarcastically, “We’re all having pancakes this morning?”
“I’m afraid not, Practitioner Scott. Her majesty has specified breakfast entrees for each of you, based on Empress Alexandra’s recommendations.”
Each of my sisters received golden plates with their favorite morning foods. Within five minutes we were all engaged in our meals.
“So, Alex, what course do I chart once Meridian is awakened?” Anna Beth asked as she wiped her mouth with her white linen napkin. Natalia looked on with excited interest.
“We travel to the house of Ra, highness.” I said with an evil grin.
“Well that certainly clears things up!”
“You asked, hun.” I giggled. Natalia shook her head side to side a few times as she closed her eyes and smiled.
“No, really…where do we go after retrieving Meridian, Alex?”
“I’ll do the driving on the first leg of our journey, hun. You don’t worry about anything other than the ship.” I assured her. Peyton’s ma’s head dropped in disappointment.
“You crash-landed her the last time you were in command, Alex.” Our hostess chided.
I do better with Earth-to-Earth transports than I do Earth-to-Space transfers, highness. Besides, Meridian will be fully refueled this time.”
Jack groaned while rolling her eyes. “So I play the part of the plucky power source again, huh, Alex?”
“You and Cami, Jack, but Meridian was designed to accept power from her crew also. She’ll have you, Cami, Peyton, Natalia, and Anna Beth to suck power from. After we arrive at our first destination there will be about one hundred-seventy people to obtain energy from. That should distribute the load better.” I said, smiling at Jack.
“Coffee, Empress Alexandra?” The butler interrupted.
“Please, and it’s Alex, Aaron. How many times must I tell you, my name is Alex?”
“Forgive me, Alex. Since your last visit, I have lapsed back into my old habits. Can I get you anything else, Alex? Either of you?”
“Thank you, we’re good.” Allie and I said in unison.
Emily rolled her eyes in annoyance while Anna Beth grinned deviously.
“Aaron?”
“Yes, Alex?” He turned to answer as he moved on with the caraffe.
“Quietly spread the word to all those within the walls and gardens of this residence that there will be a special dedication at the new Sun Temple, three weeks from today.”
“A dedication, Empress?”
“Like no other on this planet, Aaron!” I smiled brightly. “It’s gonna be a real blowup.”
“Don’t you mean ‘blowout’, Alex?” The man corrected politely.
“Ya…whatever, hun.”
“I’ll do that, Alex. Thank you in advance, Empress.”
“The pleasure will be all ours, hun.”
As her servants cleared the table, Allie and I stood from our seats and walked around behind Anna Beth’s chair.
“Shall we go get her majesty’s fire chariot, ladies?” Allie asked this time.
We all joined hands.
A huge, unremarkable, weather-worn, aircraft hangar appeared before us. The number ‘18’ was the only thing displayed above the huge, rust-poked and streaked sliding panels. Two men stood guard with assault rifles by a single man door built into one side of the giant main doors of the mostly forgotten relic of a bygone age.
The day was warm but overcast and, by the rain slickers the Security Police guarding the hangar wore, it just might rain soon.
“Allie, your group to default Reilly’s, everyone else to dress blues,” I ordered, “except you, Ricky Lynn.”
“Alex, we might have a slight problem with that. My suit contains no military uniform selections,” Anna Beth said in worried response.
“Got it covered, hun. I’d like you to turn off your translator.”
“Why would I do that? I doubt I’d understand a word said. I really don’t know your language as well as I’d like.”
“Precisely. You will be our expert on ancient Egypt, hieroglyphics, writings and runes, Professor Khufu.”
“Professor ‘Khufu’? I never took my mate’s name, Alex! You above all people know that to be true. And…and what of my clothes?”
“They’re perfect, Professor. Professor Samuels, would you be so kind as to translate for our visiting expert from Egypt?”
“Gotcha, Skipper. Relax, highness, I know what Alex has in mind, just follow my lead.”
“Allie, time to split up. I’ll see you in the storage area. Stay out of phase until we’re all alone.”
“Just as we planned, sis; got it. Y’all be careful.” Allie said as she released my hand. She, Yuuka, Natalia, Peyton, and Cami disappeared.
“So what do we do now, Alex?” Anna Beth asked in her native, ancient Terran.
“We go introduce ourselves to the base commander.” I replied as I pulled her and the rest of my sisters gently. We headed for a tan, stucco-looking, two-story building.
“Alex,” Prof. Samuels asked as we walked toward the Base Administration building. “Um, just so I know how to dress, when are we?”
“Dayton, Ohio, 1, April, 1993- Wright-Patterson AFB to be exact.” I said without looking at her.
“Gotcha. Business formal then. Shall I nerd it up with glasses or just be myself?”
“Relax, Professor. We’ll be among friends.” I told her as I remembered to change my rank and nameplate.
Reaching the entrance, I made sure we were not being observed and rephased. I knew that several cameras were monitoring us the whole time, though. Their footage would only add to the intrigue.
Opening the door, I allowed Jack, Ricky Lynn, and Anna Beth to enter first followed by Emily- much to the surprise of the Sergeant at the front desk.
“Where’d y’all come from?” He gasped out in angry surprise.
“That is above your security clearance AND pay grade, Sergeant Everson!” I said sternly, pushing my way through my companions to the desk.
“Admiral!” He gasped again, jumping to attention- his chair flying back and striking the wall.
“At ease, Everson.”
“I…I wasn’t told of your visit, ma’am.”
“Good! At least the Colonel still follows orders.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll let him know you’re here.” Everson said as he fumbled to pick up the phone. With trembling hands, he punched a series of four buttons.
“Sir, Admiral…” The Sergeant looked nervously at my nameplate a second. “Fleming…Admiral Fleming has arrived, sir.” There was a pause. “No sir, she’s not alone…two other officers and two civilians…yessir, two civilians, sir...yessir, a redhead and an Arab…”
“Egyptian, Sergeant.” I interrupted.
“Sorry, sir, an Egyptian.” Everson corrected himself as he paused to listen once more.
“No, sir! They just walked through the door! No, sir, I mean none of the cameras caught any of them arriving! …Alright, sir, I’ll tell her…yessir, I’ll do that, sir. Thank you, Colonel Smithson.”
Everson gently placed the handset back on its cradle and looked at me cautiously.
“Colonel Smithson will be right down to see you, Admiral Fleming.”
I didn’t say a word, but continued to stare at him. After a minute or two he finally got the message.
“With your permission, Admiral, I’ve been given the rest of the day off by the Colonel.” He said nervously.
“You stand relieved, Sergeant. Enjoy the rest of your day.” I said pleasantly with a slight smile.
“Thank you, ma’am, you too.”
Everson was just securing his weapon when a familiar face entered the small reception area from a stairway door.
“Admiral, Commanders, what brings you and Professor Samuels to Wright-Pat today?” Col. James Smithson said as he smiled brightly at all of us. “Ah, you must be Professor Khufu? Welcome to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.” He said bowing slightly to Anna Beth.
“That. Is. Not. My. Name!” Anna Beth snapped, as all she could understand was ‘Khufu’.
“You must allow me to translate, Professor.” Ricky Lynn chided in Ancient Terran.
Anna Beth frowned, but quickly forced a smile to her face before looking at me. Several lightning bolts were shot from her eyes in my direction.
“Col. Smithson welcomes you to Wright-Patterson AFB, Anna Beth.” Ricky Lynn translated to ancient Terran.
“I shall not forget this, Alexandra. The Queen of all Egypt should not be treated in this manner!” Anna Beth said coarsely as she looked back to Tammy Richard’s first borne son.
I couldn’t help noticing the slight smirk on his face. He obviously had an updated Reilly on.
“She thanks you for your warn and kind welcome, Col. Smithson. She is excited to begin her examination of the artifact.” Ricky Lynn translated back.
Anna Beth glared at her.
“I’m afraid she’s a little impatient, colonel.” Prof. Samuels gulped as she nervously glanced at our white linen-draped sister.
“Artifact, sir?” Sgt. Everson repeated in confusion.
“Didn’t I give you the rest of the day off, Sergeant?” Jimmy Smithson asked tersely.
Everson jumped to attention. “Yes, sir. I was just on my way out, Colonel.”
“Good. Not a word of Admiral Fleming’s visit, understood, Airman?”
Everson gulped loudly. “Understood, sir.”
“A word before you go, sergeant?” I said as Everson came around the desk to leave.
“Admiral?” He said as he drew near.
I moved closer to his ear.
“We’re going to return Meridian 12 to her rightful owner, Felix.”
Everson’s eyes got bigger and his mouth dropped open a little.
“Remember, mum’s the word, sergeant.”
“I will…thank you, Admiral!”
Sgt. Felix Everson hurried out the door.
“You really are a tease, Alex.” Jim Smithson said as he shook his head.
“Just a little fun, Jimmy. He hasn’t seen me since…”
“Since he was about three, Alex. God, it’s so nice to see you again!” Jim Smithson said as he wrapped his arms around me and squeezed gently.
Releasing me, he stepped back and embraced Jack, Emily, and Ricky Lynn.
“Welcome your majesty. I’ve looked forward to the day of our first meeting.” Smithson said in ancient Terran.
“So why did I have to disable my translator again, Alex?” Anna Beth asked as she turned to glare at me.
“Entertainment.” I said simply. “Jim, we’re here for her. The Commander here is itching to get back in the saddle.”
“She’s still down in sub-level five…hasn’t gone anywhere since they brought her here back in ’66.”
“We figured, hun. Allie’s down there waiting for us with Cami, Peyton, Natalia, and Yuuka as we speak.”
“Yuuka’s here? Wow, I haven’t seen her in ages! And I sure haven’t forgotten that one summer when she put me into Pixie mode. I’d love to do that again one of these days!”
“I remember! I’d never seen a pixie with yellow wings before. You sure you want to go through that again, hun?”
“Sure! The only thing that freaked me out at the time were the breasts. No one thought to tell me that all Pixies were adult females, but I can adjust my attitude to compensate now- no big deal.”
“Can we please just get to my Meridian, Alex?” Anna Beth urged impatiently.
“Boy, you really have been away from it for awhile, haven’t you, your majesty.”
“Stop calling me that! My name is Anna Beth!”
“Wow, you better get her in that center seat before she really starts to freak out, Alex!”
“That’s the plan, Jimmy, so if you’d be so kind as to lead on?” I said with my biggest smile.
“My pleasure, Empress.” Jim Smithson smiled. “This way, please.” He added before stopping and retrieving several small badges from the sergeant’s desk drawer.
“These need to be visibly worn below the neck and above the belt while on base, ladies.”
Each of us took the proffered ‘VIP’ badges and clipped them to our uniforms. Prof. Samuels clipped her’s to her grey-striped, suit coat’s lapel and Prof. Khufu clipped it to the linen crossing over her right shoulder.
“Ladies, if you could follow me?” Col. Smithson offered as he opened the outside doors for us.
“Gentlemen, Admiral Fleming and company to examine the artifacts.” Col. Smithson announced as we stopped in front of the two, armed guards stationed at Hangar 18.
“I’m sorry sirs, but we have standing orders to let no one enter this building under any circumstances.”
“Trust me boys, I’m the only one that has the clearance to legitimately enter this facility.” I said with a smile.
“I’m sorry, Admiral, but our orders are explicit.”
“Even if I speak the proper code and that door behind y’all opens, Master Sergeant?”
“Now that would be a good trick, Admiral. I’ve never seen that door open for anyone and I sure don’t know how to do it, verbal or otherwise. For all I know the hinges could be rusted shut.”
“All y’all have to say is,” I paused and switched my translator to Reilliese, “RVP, by order of Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space, open this door and allow our entrance.”
The two guards stared at me incredulously as the lock audibly clicked and the door slowly swung open on its own.
“How did you do that? Was that some kind of jibberish, Admiral?” One of the men asked in amazement.
“Nah. It’s just some language I picked up on another planet, nothing special, boys.” I said with a smile as I motioned everyone inside the empty-looking hangar.
“There’s nothin’ here! We’ve been guarding an empty building?”
“Not exactly. It’s almost empty, but that will soon be modified.” I smiled as I led everyone across the huge hangar to a large, white-striped, square outlined on the floor.
“Gentlemen, I’m temporarily increasing your security clearance. Beyond this point, anyone with less than top-secret security access would trigger a discharge of hydrofluorocarbon gas that would completely drive the oxygen from this hangar and its storage facilities. I’d stay close and keep my mouth shut if I were you.” I advised our two guards in a stone serious tone.
Again I went to Reilliese. “RVP, I personally vouch for these two; level five, please.”
The floor started to lower and we descended below the empty, but infamous, Hangar 18.
“Why is fabric draped over my spacecraft?” Anna Beth said once we were clear of the elevator doors. She hurried over to the dusty, green canvas shrouded object. I had urged her to turn off her translator until we got inside Meridian since two armed SP’s were escorting us.
“Don’t shoot! She’s just excited to see the artifact!” Col. Smithson ordered as the two guards began to raise their weapons- P90’s, if I remembered right.
“Prof. Samuels, I suggest you tell your associate to curb her enthusiasm before she regrets it.”
Ricky Lynn nodded.
“Anna Beth, you wanna get yerself shot? Be patient! We’ll get into Meridian shortly.” She translated.
The Queen of Egypt stopped, turned around, and glared at us angrily. She approached our two escorts and stared into their eyes intensely.
“You two will turn around, walk back to the lift and take it back to the main floor. From there you will exit this building, close the door behind you and forget that you ever saw us. Is that understood, gentlemen?” She ordered in perfect English.
Both men nodded once then turned mechanically and marched stiffly to the elevator. Once the fenced doors reopened, they both entered and turned back toward us.
“RVP, please take these gentlemen back up and monitor their movements until they have exited the building. Re-enable the door’s security protocols after it is securely closed. Report back when the task is completed.” Anna Beth said aloud in Reilliese.
The fenced elevator doors closed and the elevator began its short journey topside.
“Wow, you really are scary, your majesty! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you do that.” Emily said in amazement.
“If it would work on either Alexandra I would feel much better.” Anna Beth growled as she glared at me.
We waited a few minutes until RVP gave us her report.
“So when did RVP start monitoring security here?” Jim Smithson asked.
“Randi interfaced to it as soon as it was installed a few years back.”
“But why involve those two? They’re innocents and just doing their job, Alex.”
“I placed a suggestion into their minds, Jimmy. They think they turned us away at the door. For all they know we went back to the Admin Building with you.” Jack explained.
“I should have known.” Smithson mumbled to himself.
“So, how am I getting back to my office…or am I part of the crew for this mission, Alex?” He said with only slight excitement.
“Sadly, I’m porting you back after your tour, Jim.”
“My tour?”
“You wanted to see Meridian didn’t you?” I asked enthusiastically.
“Damn right I do, ma’am!”
“Fine. Captain, care to wake Meridian 12 up?” I answered.
Anna Beth’s eyes seemed to glisten brighter as she approached the dormant spacecraft.
“Meridian 12, would you please awake and let us enter?” She said in Ancient Terran.
“Good morning, Commander. Password please?” Meridian answered in the same language.
“I’d like to do some exploring, please?”
“Password accepted. Would the secondary commander care to log in?”
“I thought I asked you not to require a secondary login, hun.” I asked curiously.
“I just wanted to hear your voice again Empress. Outer hatch lock disengaged and opening. Interlevel transit system now operational. Welcome aboard Commander, Empress, and crew.”
Some dust kicked into the air as the outer hatch opened and disturbed the heavy canvas covering it.
“Girls, care to take Meridian’s blankie off?” I asked as I noticed Allie, Cami, Peyton, Natalia, and Yuuka phase in to our left.
The heavy cotton duck lifted effortlessly to reveal what the Nazis had dubbed ‘Der Glock’. Anna Beth stepped up onto the wheeled, reinforced-steel platform and ran her hand up and down Meridian’s outer hull.
“Did you miss me old girl?”
“Very much, Commander.” The ship purred.
The old canvas was folded neatly and hovered down to the floor beside Meridian’s platform as Anna Beth stepped through the hatch slowly- still running her hand along the pristine hull. Natalia and then Peyton reverently entered next.
“We better get inside before Anna Beth decides to take her for a spin.” I suggested with a grin.
Once we were all in the airlock, Natalia closed the outer hatch.
“Command level.” She said as the elevator immediately began moving.
“Meridian. Power status.” Anna Beth asked as the elevator door opened to the bridge.
“Power reserves are holding at twenty percent, Commander. Would you like to re-establish biological energy reclamation? Several valid sources are now onboard.”
“Confirmed. Start energy reclamation from known Terran organisms.”
“Commander, I recognize the former temporary first officer as a valid source also. Would Jacquelyn submit to energy reclamation also?” Meridian inquired.
“That would be acceptable, Meridian, though I insist you not under-estimate my capabilities.” Jack agreed.
“Meridian, I am Camille Darrough and am of the same construction type as Jacquelyn. You may reclaim my energy with the same limitations as my sister.”
“Thank you, Camille Darrough. Your profile has been added to the crew reclamation list.”
Cami and Jack immediately closed their eyes and tilted their heads slightly to one side feeling the energy draw begin. Anna Beth, Peyton, and Natalia didn’t seem to react at all.
“Power reserve at forty percent and increasing, Commander.” Meridian immediately reported.
“Confirmed. Bring interior lighting to working intensity, please.” She requested.
Instantly the room brightened and Jim Smithson looked around in awe.
“And how many levels are there, Alex?” He asked.
“Seven including the bridge, Jim.” I told him.
“Commander Steinert, are your station assignments complete?” Anna Beth inquired.
“Aye, Captain, they are.”
“Proceed.”
“Aye! Meridian, the following personnel will attend the designated stations. Sub-commander Persephone Peyton, Helm; Sub-commander Natalia Peyton, Navigation; Cmdr. Alexandra Reilly, Sciences; Lt. Ricky Lynn Samuels, Engineering, Lt. Emily Scott, Medical/Environment; Lt Cmdr. Jacquelyn Cummins, Weapons; Lt. Cmdr Camille Darrough, Ship-wide Security; Lt. Yuuka Sukiro, Communications; Commander Alexandra Steinert, Executive Officer/Tactical. That completes the assignments.”
“Assignments accepted, First Officer Alexandra.”
“Thank you, Meridian. Status on the previous outer hull compromise.”
“During my slumber the offending partial breach has sealed. Outer hull integrity has returned to one hundred percent, Alex.”
“Wonderful to hear, hun. Captain…your orders?” I said pleasantly. I was glad the ship had the ability to repair her hull and to erase the swastika and two other ‘Nazi runes’.
“Stations, everyone.” Anna Beth said with an excitement in her voice I had never heard before. I guessed she had already forgotten about Jim’s tour?
Natalia immediately sat down at the Helm, much to Peyton’s chagrin.
“Excuse me mother, but didn’t you elect Navigation for this mission?” She asked politely.
Natalia stopped, gently gliding her hands down the sloped control panel in front of her. She paused before looking around to her daughter. There was a look of longing…true longing in her eyes.
“I’m…I’m sorry, Sephie…I…I just…It just overwhelmed me to be here…on Meridian, once more. The helm is your’s, sub-commander. Forgive me.”
“Ex-O?” Peyton asked.
“Sub-commander?” I responded.
“Ma’am, permission to temporarily exchange stations with Sub-commander Natalia?”
“I think that would be an honorable action on your part, Sub-commander.” I said with a smile. I turned to Anna Beth and gave her a wink.
“Meridian, log the temporary re-assignments and load the appropriate login credentials to both affected, critical stations.”
“Confirmed.”
Natalia’s eyes overflowed with tears. She stood back up and pulled her daughter into a tight embrace for several minutes
“Thank you, Sephie, you don’t know how much this means to me…how much I’ve dreamed of this day…returning to my post on Meridian, I…I never thought I’d…” She said before breaking down and crying even harder.
“Natalia, your station if you please, older sister.” Anna Beth urged after a few more minutes.
“Yes captain, please forgive me.”
“Persephone, your station if you please.” Anna Beth continued. “The rest of you, stations.” She commanded.
“Captain, I believe we have a fairly new crew, ma’am. Wouldn’t it be better that they know where their stations are located?” I said smiling tensely to her.
Anna Beth exhaled heavily as what I said dawned on her. Over the next few minutes, she escorted each of my sisters to their assigned stations around the bridge, giving each a short overview.
“Sciences, your station is to my right.” Anna Beth finished- or so I thought, as she pointed to the right-most seat of the three in the exact center of the bridge.
“Commander Steinert, as Executive Officer, you sit on my left.”
I rolled my eyes seeing her evil grin.
“Aye, Captain!” I said momentarily standing at attention before sitting down next to her.
After another few minutes of slowly gliding her palms back and forth on the armrests, our captain stopped moving entirely. I glanced over to see tears slowly rolling down her cheeks.
“So…is it how you remembered, Captain?” I finally asked quietly.
Anna Beth turned her head to look at me and simply nodded slowly. Her tears fell faster.
“Orders, captain?” I asked calmly.
“Huhmm?”
“Captain, what are your orders?” I asked again, this time a little louder.
“Oh…um…all stations, preflights, report back when ready.”
“Aye, ma’am! All stations begin preflight checks.”
“And how are we supposed to do that, Ex-O?” Emily asked angrily from across the room.
“Press the icon that says ‘Preflight’ then follow the displayed checklist. Meridian will help as much as she can. Isn’t that right, hun?” I said.
“Of course, Alexandra. Just like last time.” Meridian responded.
“Engineering preflight, go.” Ricky Lynn announced from her station quickly.
“Navigation preflight, go.” Peyton replied excitedly.
Some dust exited the ventilation grilles.
“Environmental systems online and functioning…um…environmental prefight, go.” Emily began, but decided to follow the set protocol.
“Weapons systems priming… ready. Weapons preflight go, captain.” Jack reported from our far right.
“All science apparatus initialized and calibrated, captain.” Allie reported.
“Internal and external communications- ready. Meridian transponder active in ELPO mode, captain.” Yuuka said as she bowed slightly.
“All internal and external sensors have been initialized. Security preflight, complete, captain.” Cami said sounding extremely professional.
“Lowly Air Force Base Commander, wondering if he’s actually going to go on this mission despite what the Empress told him earlier, Captain!” Jim Smithson lampooned.
Everyone turned to stare at the man standing toward the rear of the bridge, physically twiddling his thumbs absentmindedly.
“The offer hasn’t been rescinded, Colonel.” I said with a smile. “I can have you back in your office before anyone knows you’ve even gone on this ‘tour’.”
Jim’s eyes lit up!
“Your orders, captain?” He said with a smile.
Anna Beth looked at me and nodded.
“Meridian, transfer tactical functions to the unused station. List Col. James ‘Sonny” Smithson to the bridge crew, please.”
“Confirmed. I was wondering when you would assign him a station, Alex. He looked very disappointed just standing there.” The AI replied.
Jim Smithson smiled and hurried over to the empty seat beside Jack.
“I’m glad you finally got with the program, ‘Sonny’.” Jack giggled.
“Me too, Aunt Jacki, but Alex,” he said turning back to me, “you didn’t have to include my old call sign!”
I countered his frown with a bright smile.
We waited a few more minutes.
“Tactical preflight is a go.” He almost giggled in excitement.
“Helm, status?”
I got no reply.
“Now where did that silly little main engine pre-heat…”
“Helm? We’re waiting. Is there a problem?” Anna Beth inquired impatiently.
“Not enough simulator refresh time, captain. I’m sorry…there you are you sneaky little…” Natalia began to apologize, but changed topic suddenly as she apparently found what she was looking for. The remaining small portion of her console changed from red to green. “Helm preflight, go, captain!” She said triumphantly. She instantly rubbed her hands together then interlaced her fingers and bent them backward, cracking her knuckles. “Oh, Hell yes!” she said to herself.
“Does the Empress have a specific destination?” Anna Beth asked as she fought a proud smile for her sister’s achievement.
From what I’d been told, it had been almost one hundred and fifty years since she had occupied that seat.
“I plan to transport us back to the newly constructed Sun Temple three weeks from when we left, captain. Thrusters and main engines will not be required.”
Natalia groaned in disappointment.
“Any points of note, Alex?”
“I will transport us to the sight, but remain out of phase until the surrounding exterior is clear. Meridian, please disable your shields.”
“Confirmed, Alex. Deep-space protective shielding has entered standby.”
“Ex-O, external sensors are online and monitoring.” Cami announced. Her tone was rock steady and consummately professional.
“Meridian, automation status.” Anna Beth requested.
“Computational arrays, ready. Automated fire and damage control systems, ready. Hull integrity, one hundred percent. Power reserves, sixty percent and increasing. AI preflight, go, captain.” Meridian answered.
“Alexandra, you may proceed.”
I nodded. A huge smile came to my face. “All hands, prepare to phase out.” I announced proudly.
Only one person didn’t move or make an effort to touch something connected directly to the ship.
“Natalia, that means to take hold of Meridian’s structure so we don’t leave you behind, hun.”
“Newbie, Alex.” Peyton giggled as she thumbed to her mother in the next seat. Natalia’s stare was hot enough to melt her daughter’s navigational console.
I stood from my station and walked the few steps to Natalia’s console. Placing my hand next to her’s, I began the countdown.
“Phasing out in three, two, one.”
Natalia stared at the active display in front of us then stared at me.
“Nothing happened.”
“That’s only the beginning, hun.” I winked.
“GOD, I love this part!” Jim chimed from his station.
I concentrated on a specific time and precise destination.
“Transiting in three, two, one.”
The display in front of us went completely black.
“Exterior illumination.”Anna Beth commanded.
The painted, hieroglyphic walls of an Egyptian tomb appeared on the screen, but were almost totally washed out by the intense light.
“Yes!” Jimmy Smithson cheered, pumping his right arm once in excited triumph.
“Decrease exterior intensity by fifty.” Anna Beth ordered.
The beautifully crafted cartouches on the view screen gained more contrast and appeared in fantastic detail. What I read indicated that we were indeed in the Sun Temple’s main chamber- a chamber specifically designed for Meridian to launch from when ready.
“We’re here, Captain. External sensors indicate a compatible atmospheric mixture equal to Earth. Humidity level equals that of an arid region. Temperature is currently three-oh-five above absolute zero- eighty-nine degrees Fahrenheit.”Allie reported.
“Security, are we alone?”
“Proximity sensors indicate several thousand biologic entities it classifies as Terran-like several hundred meters around Meridian, Captain.” Cami answered.
“Several thousand? Alex, I thought only those within the residence were asked to meet outside?” Anna Beth gasped.
“Captain, I suggest we go out and see what is happening.” Jack said in a serious tone.
“Meridian, place all systems into standby- access by my voice print only.”
“Confirmed. All ship functions reverting to standby; awaiting your command, captain.” The AI replied.
“Captain, I recommend utilization of a secondary log-in to increase ship’s security.” Cami suggested. I had never seen her so serious.
“Alex, Jack and I have picked up distressing thoughts from those gathered outside this monument. Prudence requires increased security protocols.”
I nodded as Cami voiced her opinion.
“Captain, there is a protest occurring on the Processional Causeway- a protest against Khufu and those of the royal court. We need to get out there and make a statement.” I revealed sadly.
“Weapon status.”
“Particle and optical batteries charged and ready, Captain.” Jack answered confidently. “Mind Warriors awaiting orders, Empress.”
I nodded and looked at Anna Beth.
“Meridian, we’ll be back. Keep the lights on” Anna Beth ordered with conviction. “Let’s go, sisters.”
“One moment, Captain. We’ll need some overhead surveillance. Yuuka, you remember how you promised Jim here another chance to fly?”
“Alex? I’ve never met Col. Smithson before today. How could I have promised him anything?”
“Yuuka, I understand your confusion, but from my perspective, we met thirty years ago as of 1993. I was ten at the time of my ‘mode’ change and enjoyed the whole experience…despite the…um…misinformation.”
“What happened? What did I do to you, Colonel?” Yuuka asked in horror.
“Take Jim into Pixie mode and find out, hun. I assure you nothing bad will happen.” I recommended.
“I’m ready when you are, Squadron Leader.” Col. Jim Smithson said as he walked over and gently took Yuuka’s hands.
Taking a deep breath, Yuuka looked with concern at me a moment. When I smiled and nodded, she slowly closed her eyes and both adults started to shrink. A moment later Yuuka and another Pixie, this one with vibrant yellow wings, flew up and hovered in front of me.
Yuuka stared at her new sister, appalled by what she had done.
“I’m sorry, Colonel, I…I…didn’t know…I can’t explain…”
“I knew this would happen, Yuuka. The same thing happened the first time.” The beautiful, blonde, yellow-winged…female…pixie consoled. “Empress, what are your orders?”
“Scan the area from a safe altitude and report back with any pertinent information. Jim, you report to me, Yuuka, to Allie.”
“Understood, ma’am, and please…call me Sunni when I’m in Pixie mode.” ‘Sunni’ advised as she momentarily gave me the ‘evil eye’. Obviously, she realized why I had designated her ‘handle’.
I nodded. “The away team is ready, captain.” I informed Anna Beth proudly.
She stared at Sunni, Yuuka, Allie, and I for several minutes, stunned by the Colonel’s amazing transformation, before moving toward the elevator. Sunni landed on my shoulder, Yuuka on Allie’s.
Once the outer hatch opened and we stepped out, we made our way down a set of seven steps, and looked around. Meridian’s external lights illuminated the entire chamber exquisitely. I saw that my aim was dead on as I turned back to look at the ship. Meridian 12 was perfectly positioned on her specially built throne atop her alter and looked perfectly at home there. Her radiating, exterior lighting clearly indicated that Ra, the Egyptian sun god, was in attendance here.
“In my limited number of visits to this site, I never imagined how beautiful my Meridian would look sitting on her very own throne.” Anna Beth gushed as she turned and stared reverently.
“Captain, we must make our way to the gateway if we are to protect the Supreme Administrator, his government, and his heir.” Allie stressed, trying to get Anna Beth’s full attention back on track.
“Um…” she blinked a few times before tentatively turning back to us. She glanced between Meridian and her companions quite a few times. “Of course, Empress. Khufu should have his mate by his side where government is concerned. Precede me to this monument’s gateway, my ladies.” She said regally. Anna Beth took one last look at her beloved spacecraft and sighed noticeably.
“You two will have many more adventures together, captain.” I said quietly as Allie and I took our positions directly ahead of her.
As we neared the temple’s gateway, Yuuka and Jim…Sunni took flight from our shoulders. Yuuka disappeared to the left as Sunni peeled off to the right once they cleared the wide opening. Jack and Cami were first to reach the exit. They walked side-by-side several yards farther into the bright sunlight. Jack turned to the right and disappeared from view. Cami turned left and disappeared likewise.
The noise from the people gathered outside quieted exponentially.
Ricky Lynn and Peyton exited the temple next and after several paces, both stepped off to either side of the gateway and faced each other. Some applause could be heard over the crowd’s diminished chatter.
Both women placed their right fist over their left breast and bowed slightly. The gathering quieted further.
Natalia and Emily were next to exit, but delayed for a moment as Natalia turned and looked back to her sister one last time. Anna Beth silently nodded in some unsaid acknowledgement. Natalia raised her hands to her abdomen and began rolling her hands one over the other. She did this several times before a large bouquet of white Lilies appeared in her hands.
Emily’s expression was priceless as she stared. Natalia casually split the flower bouquet and handed half to her.
“Are we ready, my sister?” Natalia asked of Emily.
With a simple nod, both turned and stepped out into the light and took up positions this side of Ricky Lynn and Peyton.
Again, some applause rose up from the crowd.
“We’re up, sis.” I said as a smile came to my face. We both walked to the edge of the sunlight on the floor, standing shoulder to shoulder. As one we stepped off and exited the Temple of the Sun. The brilliant light momentarily blinded me, but within seconds I gazed upon the thousands gathered in either protest or invitation. We stood several dozen feet above those gathered on the landside of the sinuous Processional Causeway. Twenty, maybe thirty, steps separated us from them.
The crowd silenced reverently except for a handful of shouts and whistles. Applause slowly started to run through the crowd nearest us to drown out the nuisances.
Allie and I stepped to the side and took our positions next to our sisters- Allie next to Natalia and Peyton; me next to Emily and Ricky Lynn. Jack and Cami had taken position on granite pedestals at the edge of the wide, granite stairs, stood at attention, and somberly looked out over the throngs below.
Khufu appeared below us and began climbing the polished granite steps. The crowds again silenced, save for a few boos, hisses, and jeers. As he neared the landing, he looked to either side- at Jack and Cami. Both performed a ‘left/right face’ parade move to face him, placed their right fists to their left breasts, gracefully genuflected, and bowed their heads in respect. Beautifully choreographed, I thought.
The crowd seemed awestruck by our Mind Warriors’ reverent actions as several gasps echoed across the gathering.
Khufu bowed visibly to each before taking his final step onto the gateway’s landing.
The Supreme Administrator stopped before Ricky Lynn and Peyton after topping the magnificent granite steps. He turned and embraced his niece then Ricky Lynn, placing a kiss on both women’s cheeks. I noticed both blush deeply.
Next, he stepped before Natalia.
“The uniform still looks good on you, my sister. Welcome home.” Khufu said as he repeated his welcoming embrace.
Natalia bowed as he stepped back.
“Welcome back, Lady Physician. I am sorry to have missed you and your sisters’ arrival three weeks past.” He said after embracing and placing a kiss on Emily’s cheeks also.
Emily bowed reverently once pharaoh stepped back from her.
Khufu turned back to Natalia and took four lilies from her bouquet. Likewise, he took four flowers from Emily, turned, and stepped back out to Cami and Jack. Both were still kneeling. He handed Cami a single bloom. She nodded once as if answering something unspoken. He gently kissed her forehead and moved over to Jack, repeating the previous actions exactly.
Ricky Lynn and Peyton were next, gracefully kneeling. Each received a single bloom and a kiss on the forehead.
Khufu returned to the center of the landing and stepped closer to the gateway. Allie and I nodded to each other and stepped toward each other, turned, and gracefully dropped to our knees before the Supreme Administrator.
Khufu’s expression melted instantly. He then bowed to us reverently in return.
A murmur rose from the people far enough back to see what was happening and progressed back toward us.
“Empress, it is I who should be prostrating himself before you, for without your charity and counsel, my beloved mate would not have filled my life with love and blissful companionship for as long as she has. I thank you both for the years of peace this realm has enjoyed with your assistance.” He said as he leaned over and placed a kiss on the top of each of our heads.
Khufu motioned for us to stand, which we did as I wiped the tears from my cheeks. Allie was doing likewise. He offered two lillys each to Allie and I, which we accepted with nods of appreciation. Both of us then stepped to the side and resumed our position in the ceremonial lineup.
Turning around, Khufu walked to the edge of the steps again.
“My people! For three weeks my mate has been traveling with the Empress of Time and Space in a diplomatic capacity. Her purpose was to visit the past and future, and confirm that my time on this earth has reached its apex.”
The thousands gathered broke out in conflicting shouts and noisy discussions. The din grew quite loud as he raised his hands to quiet them and waited.
All reached for their heads in pain and the gathering hushed. Khufu nodded to Jack and Cami each, in thanks.
“My fellow patriots. It is with great joy that I present to you, my mate, your queen, Anna Beth!” He shouted before turning, walking back, and taking the remaining flowers from Natalia and Emily, but offered a single bloom to each of them. He turned and knelt toward the gateway to the temple, the remaining bouquet of lilies raised high above his head.
Anna Beth appeared out of the shadow and gracefully walked to her husband. Enthusiastic applause filled the crowd as she accepted the flowers and promptly knelt down facing her husband.
“Thank you for the lilies, my mate. You always know exactly which flowers I enjoy.” She said quietly as she looked over to Natalia and nodded. Pharaoh and queen stood back up and turned to the gathered masses. “I am yours to command, my mate. We rule evenly, wisely, and together forever!” She shouted.
Roughly half of the crowd applauded and cheered.
“Alex, several men on the right flank have snuck off and are approaching the rear temple safety zone with what appear to be munitions of some type.” A small voice near my right ear informed me.
“Thanks, Sunni. Jack, did you copy that?” I said quietly.
‘How do you want me to handle it, Alex?’ Jack thought to me.
‘The way I see it, one flare-up deserves another, commander.’ I thought back.
Jack and Cami stood, snapping to attention instantly- they had still been kneeling on their pedestals. Both women nodded to each other as their recently received flowers hovered in front of them. They then began to roll their hands. Bright blue balls of energy formed and each compacted and kneaded them as they increased in size.
As if choreographed, both Mind Warriors turned away from each other and pushed the balls of concentrated plasma away forcefully. Showing some sort of guidance, the energy balls flew behind the pyramid in opposite directions. A loud thunderclap echoed across the area followed by several smaller explosions in rapid succession. Cami and Jack turned around again and nodded to each other before taking their floating blooms back in hand.
The gathering gasped in amazement. Some clapped excitedly at the spectacle.
‘Threat alleviated, Alex.’ Cami said sadly in my mind.
“Back to patrol, Sunni. More threats are pending.”
“Rodger that, Empress One.” She said, taking to the air and speeding off to her assigned patrol sector.
Instantly thirteen royal guards appeared around their Pharaoh and queen in a semicircle.
“Where y’all been, hun?” I asked the guard closest to me.
“There have been several small outbreaks both here and on the main plateau, Empress. Unlike you, we cannot be in two places at once.” He replied quietly without turning his eyes from his leaders.
“Our Mind Warriors are at your disposal, Captain. Use them wisely.” Allie said loud enough for Cami and Jack to hear.
“Empress? I…I do not understand. You and you alone control your Mind Warriors. I stand, unworthy, to command such forces. I have no right.” The man exclaimed solemnly.
“For your information, Cami and I are not controlled by anything or anyone, sir. We are enlightened, sentient beings that think and act on our own.” Jack said after turning toward us and glaring at the uniformed man.
“My apologies, Ladies, I meant no offence. I only sought to respectfully defer to the Empress.” He answered sheepishly.
I noticed Allie tilt her head to the left slightly. Again, Jack and Cami turned away from each other, hovered their lilies, and began rolling their hands. They quickly formed two more plasma balls, and released them- this time straight up into the air. Both balls of energy arced over the pinnacle of the temple and disappeared behind it.
Again there was a thunderous explosion that echoed around the temple complex followed by several smaller explosions. It caused the throng to quiet down once more.
“Empress, they seem to have the situation well…” he gulped reflexively, “ in hand.”
“Still, captain, you will coordinate with our Mind Warriors. Is that clear?” I said tersely.
“Yes, M’lady.”
I smiled pleasantly at the tall, young man.
“We are united in the protection of the Supreme Administrator and his queen, captain. It is imperative they survive this protest and the rest of their days.” I explained quietly.
“Confirmed, M’lady.” He said finally looking my way with only his eyes.
I winked.
“Will the leaders of the unscheduled protest please approach?” Khufu shouted to the crowd below us. “This will be a free forum. No reprisal or retaliation will result. I wish us to peacefully discuss the issues of protest.”
A hole in the crowd on the Causeway opened several hundred yards back. The small clearing moved as five men boldly approached the temple’s steps.
Several minutes later all five stepped onto the landing. Two of the men sneered at Cami and Jack as they passed. Both women stared intensely back at them in response.
The Captain of the Royal Guard gasped suddenly. Jack immediately turned to him and nodded. She rolled her hands quickly to produce another plasma ball and released it high over the gathered people. Becoming smaller and smaller, it suddenly veered slightly to the left and streaked to the ground. A cloud of smoke developed at the far away spot. Seconds later, the sound of a large explosion echoed crisply in our ears.
One of the two men turned his attention back to Jack- hatred clearly visible in his eyes. The other that had shown contempt suddenly looked very nervous.
“Sirs, I certainly hope you have come to civilly discuss issues. I should warn you that Alexandra’s sisters never miss their targets. I will allow any or all of you to leave without fear of harm now if you cannot adhere to the terms of peaceful negotiation.” Khufu said confidently, but evenly.
“The prophet predicted this day, old man. He said the reign of Khufu was ending.” One of the older men began, looking around nervously at the imposing Royal Guards and us.
“What prophet? Please, call him up here so that we may include him in our discussions, good sir.”
“He…he has not reappeared since the Empress and her sisters forced his withdrawal, Administrator.”
“Alexandra, do you know the prophet to which this man refers?”
“I do, Administrator. He is a fugitive from the distant future- four and a half thousand years from now, charged with theft of proprietary equipment and intentionally and knowingly redesigning history for his personal profit and amusement.” I answered calmly. “He seems intent on destroying Egypt as it is today for that of an earlier historical hypothesis originally proposed forty-four hundred years in your future. The theoretical model of Egypt’s history- your present- is based on brutality, slavery, war, and totalitarianism. My sisters and I have spent the better part of five months chasing him throughout time and correcting the adverse changes- changes that have negated innocent people, their families, even whole societies from existence.”
One of the other men turned and gazed at me in surprise. Apparently he hadn’t realized the damage that could be done.
“I see. So this…prophet…he has traveled here before and has actually experienced our civilization first-hand? Lived among us for some time?”
“He has not, Administrator. Prior to his commission of equipment theft, he possessed no talent for time travel.” I answered.
“So…this equipment the prophet acquired…it is a machine that imitates your ability, Empress?” Khufu asked curiously. “How could such a miraculous device be imagined, Alexandra?”
“I designed it, Administrator.” Ricky Lynn said as she stepped forward. “I have been intrigued by the Empress’ gift and sought to replicate it. Unfortunately my assistant and coincidentally, my lover conspired behind my back. His agenda wasn’t evident until Alexandra brought it to my attention. I’m afraid the old saying: ‘Love is blind’ is still true forty-five hundred years into the future.”
Khufu nodded in sad acknowledgement. “I too have been blinded in such a way, Lady Scholar. For many years during Hathor’s terrible reign, I remained blinded because of my love for this great land. I ignored the blatant indicators I saw around me hoping the tenacity of my constituents would prevail. I delayed and stood completely devastated when I learned of my mate’s conscription into Hathor’s nefarious forces. As with you, scholar, Alexandra answered my distress. I can never repay her favor.”
The two men, the ones that showed Jack and Cami distaste, both looked around nervously now. The one that first looked nervous began to twitch as his eyes quickly darted around the landing we stood on. He had slowly approached Khufu and now stood within a few feet of him.
The Captain of the Royal Guard- the man nearest me began glancing around nervously in concern. He seemed to be favoring his right as if listening to some unseen communication device. He quickly glanced to me and winked.
Without warning, the young captain rushed Khufu, knocking him aside, tackling, and falling onto both nervous men. Jack and Cami’s heads snapped around instantly and both instantaneously raised their right hands.
Anna Beth, Natalia, Peyton, Emily, and Ricky Lynn screamed in terror.
All three men flew skyward and disappeared from view within the blink of an eye.
There was a flash of brilliant light then seconds later a delayed, ear-shattering explosion from high overhead. It was replaced by a tiny sphere of red that hovered in its place for a moment before a flash of light expanded out in all directions like a skyrocket. Another thunderous explosion echoed across the people gathered below.
I felt tears roll down my cheeks as I watched. Allie’s face mirrored mine.
With things quickly deteriorating in Egypt, can Alex and her sisters keep Pharaoh and his royal family alive long enough to make it back to the Temple of the Sun to begin their politically-driven journey to their next life? How does a very, very…VERY, abstract chess match figure into their pre-procession preparations? Only time will tell.
1313hrs, Temple of the Sun Complex, Egypt, 2510BC
I watched tears roll down Allie’s face as I felt my own cheeks moistening.
“NO!” I shouted as the rush of emotions fueled my anger. “This shouldn’t have happened!”
My whole body began to tingle as I noticed everyone and everything stop moving.
Though, that wasn’t quite true.
Allie looked over at me as she finished wiping her tears away and raised an eyebrow.
“Alex, what are you doing?” She asked curiously, her still shaking voice echoing ever so slightly.
“This shouldn’t have happened.” I reiterated as calmly as I could, noticing how my quavering voice echoed too. “This man’s future was bright, happy, and challenging. I can’t let this happen, Alex!”
“But it has, Alex. Won’t we upset Upper Management? I don’t want you to end up like Momma.” She countered.
“I can’t let it happen, Alex…I just can’t! This man was only doing his job. Instead, he went above that- far beyond what was required…or necessary.” I pushed.
“Then let’s do this, Alex. Like I said, I’m not ready to lose you. If you must be punished, we will share the burden.” My twin said as she stepped toward me and took my hand.
“Alex?” Emily’s frightened voice asked- also echoing somewhat in the temporal eddy I had just established, surprising both Allie and I. We both looked over to our sister, noticing she had a bluish aura surrounding her- not unlike the light now emanating from both of us.
“Alex, this wasn’t supposed to happen! He goes on to do great things. I’ve seen it!” Emily cried as she continued to look around in bewilderment.
“Emily, how…how can you…you be unaffected? I stopped time…how?” I stuttered out.
“I’m not sure, Alex, I just felt this was wrong and wished I could change it. I guess I’m more like you than I thought?” She responded as she stepped carefully and took my free hand.
This was all so surreal. The three of us remained silent for at least a minute.
“Alex, we have to fix this.” Emily urged. Allie nodded her agreement.
“Agreed, sisters.” I said as I concentrated and time amazingly began to move in reverse.
Continuing to concentrate, I slowly rewound recent history until the three recently deceased men were lying prone before us.
“So now what, sis?” Allie asked as we gazed at the time-frozen men. I noticed the young guard’s eyes were closed tightly.
He knew exactly what he was doing and what his fate was to be.
It was a good thing I didn’t believe in fate!
“I’ll right this wrong.” I replied as I released my sisters’ hands and walked over to the courageous guard.
“How can you be doing this, Alex? I thought you had to be in contact with us to keep us here?” Emily cried out in shock as I reached down to touch my target.
“If mother can do it, so can we.” I replied.
“Awaken, my courageous knight. Your time to leave us has not yet arrived. There is more required of you.”
The light emanating from my body flowed like a wave and engulfed the young captain of pharaoh’s guard. His eyes blinked then shot open.
“What is this magic?” He gasped in surprise as he slowly stared up at me.
“It’s called repairing a bump in time, my young sir. Your sacrifice should not have been required today.” I told him as I offered a hand to help him up.
Once standing, he looked around. “What is happening here? Why is no one moving except us four?”
“She stopped time, hun. We can do that. Empress of Time and Space, remember?” Allie informed him with a smile.
“Why me? What did I do to receive such favor?” He asked disbelievingly.
“You did what you felt necessary. What exactly possessed you to jump on those men to begin with?” Emily answered with anger in her voice as she pointed at the two statued men on the ground.
He looked at my sister strangely. “My job is to protect the Supreme Administrator and others of the royal court…no matter the cost.”
“Well we can’t let that happen this time. Come here and take my hand, please.” Allie said confidently.
I guided the bewildered young man over to my sister. Cautiously, he first looked at then took her offered hand. I inserted myself back between Allie and Emily.
“Tell me,” I asked, looking forward and not over at him, “if you could be anywhere else at this very moment, where would that place be?”
“I would be at the Administrator’s service, Empress.”
“Really?” Emily asked sarcastically as she leaned out and looked at him, questioningly. “You mean, given the Empress’ gift, you would just assume stay here? Don’t you have a mate and newborn son you’d rather be with?”
“My duty is to the Supreme Administrator, M’lady, though, my last thoughts were that I would never see my son and his beautiful mother in this existence again. I had come to terms with and accepted that.”
“Too many concessions have already been made during this mission! I refuse to concede yet another- especially when a very important and bright future is at stake.” I said as our location changed.
The room that appeared around us was small in comparison to the lavish residence of Pharaoh, but was comfortable. A young woman sat in a comfortable chair, nursing her newborn. There was no movement, no sounds except for the young guard’s gasp.
“This is where you should be, captain.” I said sternly. “This child…your family- they need more protection than any royal. Khufu and Anna Beth would both agree.” I nodded to Allie, who pushed our guest away from us and released her hold. I continued as the young man’s expression became frightened.
“You will remain here with them today. Tomorrow, you and your young family will pack for a week’s vacation to the western hemisphere. You will then travel, using your government-issued, holographic cloaking device, to the Sun Temple in order to participate in the departure ceremony two hours before noon. You will make sure that your mate and child ascend the temple steps, enter the gateway, and do as instructed by one of my sisters one hour prior to its start. There they will safely await your arrival. You will then take your place in Pharaoh’s processional. Is that understood captain?” I ordered.
“But Empress, I…” He began to complain before I released him from my temporal protection and he became captive in paused time.
“Let’s get back to the temple, sisters.” I said as the scenery changed once more.
“Emily, you need to resume your position before I release time.”
“I love you both, Alex.” Emily said, kissing Allie and I on the cheek before hurrying back to her original place on the landing.
Allie and I separated and resumed our positions opposite each other. Time slowly advanced to the point from which I had stopped it. The stress I was feeling ebbed as time again moved forward.
Allie motioned to her nose while staring at me. It was then that I felt the warm trickle on my upper lip.
Anna Beth also noticed and glared at me curiously with a raised eyebrow.
“Alexandra, what did you just do?” She accused quietly, looking at Allie and I alternately.
“What we always do, your majesty.” I answered simply. “What we had to do.”
She immediately looked up into the heavens then glared at us again.
“I presume everything is as it should have been, Empress?”
“Everything is as it should be, majesty.” Allie assured her with a smile.
“Did something just happen- something more than was seen, Alexandra?” Khufu asked looking between Anna Beth, Allie, and I in astonishment.
I closed my eyes slowly in answer.
The three remaining protest leaders looked around at everyone still on the landing.
After a few moments, Khufu nodded to Allie and I with a look of admiration.
“Gentlemen, it has come to my attention that this protest and subsequent meeting was designed for the sole intention of forcefully removing me from office…not by negotiation, but by violence! Furthermore, there have been numerous reports of seemingly random attacks around the lower kingdom in tandem. I’m afraid I shall have to ask you all to vacate this temple area immediately. If you are not here to discuss politics in a civil atmosphere, consider this meeting at an end.” Khufu said politely.
“Administrator, the prophet said you would do this. He claimed an attempt would be made on your life just before you would resign. Are we correct in assuming that is what you intend?” The oldest and apparently wisest of the three said. He seemed frightened and paranoid now as he kept glancing back nervously to Allie and I.
“Gentlemen, it has struck me as possible, given this temporal control device the Empress has described, that your so called ‘prophet’ may well be in our audience at this exact moment. It would also seem possible that his present observations could be the source of his ‘premonition’. I will now consult with a proven authority on temporal logistics.” Khufu looked to Allie and me.
“Empress? Your gift of prophecy has never been questioned and its accuracy has served this administration well over the years. Is this man correct in his belief that this is the time you spoke of twenty years ago?” Khufu asked diplomatically.
The three remaining protest leaders’ mouths dropped as they heard how long my prediction had been known.
“The time of the great civilization known as Egypt is at hand, Administrator. Today is the delineation between old and new era.” I began.
“The reign of Khufu has now waned on this Earth. Quickly, he is to be replaced by a new Pharaoh. The new Administrator will lead this society further along its path of historical greatness in the annals that are compiled history. From here on scholars record that Egypt will be ruled by an administrator declaring his lineage directly from the Gods themselves.” Allie continued.
“On the morrow old will pass to new and the true ‘kingdom’ of Egypt will violently come into being. This new empire, as with the present socialist-democracy will see its downfall in due time as the region will fall to those more brutal in nature. Life will be callous in the new era- more cruel, unforgiving, and challenging than any time seen to date.” I took over for my twin, continuing the ‘prophecy’.
“Tomorrow, shortly after Ra reaches his zenith, the region will have a new leader and the legend of Khufu begins. His epitaph will endure on this planet throughout the millennia as one of the most popular, but misinterpreted administrations of all time. It is advised all knowledgeable persons be well clear or in the safety of this temple site before the Supreme Administrator and his devout followers depart for their next life.” Allie declared as she finished our prophecy.
All eyes were set on the two of us as each person interpreted our words differently. Khufu and Anna Beth stared, aghast with open tears, at us, while the older of the three oppositionists looked sadly to the prophesized, departing royalty. The two other gentlemen smirked with satisfaction that they had successfully defeated their opponent- that after tomorrow, they were somehow to be in control and the Supreme Administrator and his queen would be entombed for all eternity.
Khufu remained quiet as he contemplated this new prophecy for a few minutes.
“Well…there you have it, gentlemen. As of tomorrow, I will no longer be your Administrator…your Pharaoh. As the Empress has declared, the new regime shall face many difficult challenges…much hardship. Pray to the Gods things work out as you have all obviously schemed. Governing this large a society has many caveats and cannot be taken lightly. If you gentlemen will now excuse me.” Khufu advised before walking to the edge of the landing.
“My fellow citizens.” He shouted with outstretched hands, attempting to gain the peoples’ attention. “It is with a heavy heart that I announce today, here and now, that I will step down as your Supreme Administrator effective tomorrow mid-day. Having been given overwhelming evidence of a need for governmental change, an election will be conducted to choose the next Pharaoh. The three gentlemen attending our impromptu discussion today will select electible candidates and submit those selections to the kingdom’s media outlets. You should receive the formal election form on your personal communication devices by tomorrow, mid-morning. I ask for a quick, but knowledgeable consideration for each candidate before your selections are officially registered. I wish to thank everyone for your confidence over the many years I have served this great society. Now, I wish to spend time with my beloved mate and my close friends and relatives. Thank you once again for your support. Good day, ladies and gentlemen.”
A mixture of applause, gasps, and crying echoed up from the crowd as a defeated-looking Khufu stepped back from the edge and turned around. Anna Beth rushed to him and wasted no time wrapping her arms around him. She broke down into sobbing tears the instant her face touched his shoulder.
“Gentlemen…and we use the term very loosely…it is time for you to give Khufu the privacy he deserves.” Cami said somberly as the three men began to hover off the granite landing of the temple. All three began to panic as their altitude increased.
“Do not struggle,” Jack advised calmly though both her and Cami’s face said otherwise, “as much as we would like to, you will not be harmed. You have achieved your goal here. Go now and join your constituents. Prepare for your much-sought election.”
All three men hovered out and over the gathering. Cami gently lowered them to the ground in the crowd.
The gathering suddenly became silent and I noticed people nearer us once again holding their heads in pain. The protesters began to break up. Apparently Jack, and or Cami told the crowd to disperse peacefully.
Our Mind Warriors stayed vigil for several minutes more until it was clear the danger was over. They both turned in unison and stepped off their perches.
“Those! Arrogant! Assholes! They seriously think they are now in control! Can you believe that?” Jack growled angrily as she and Cami joined us.
“Is this truly the day for the Exodus of the Great Khufu, Uncle?” Peyton asked with tears still falling from her eyes.
Khufu took a large breath, tapped Anna Beth gently on her back so that she would release him, and turned to the celebrated heroine of Egypt.
“It is, dear one. Egypt demands fresh leadership.” He responded. Persephone Peyton rushed her uncle and embraced him tightly, squeezing the air from his lungs easily.
“And just when did you get so strong, niece? Could it be that this future military institution is having positive results?”
“Just shut up, uncle!”
Moments later, Yuuka and Sunni flew into view. Yuuka landed on Allie’s shoulder and Sunni landed on mine.
“Area is secured, Alex. All previous threats have been successfully neutralized.” Sunni reported.
“Thanks, hun, good job.” I complimented.
“Alexandra, if not too much trouble, can we return to the residence to prepare?” Khufu asked after catching my attention.
I silently offered my hands and nodded to Cami. I motioned for the royal guards to join hands with us also.
“Meridian, external security protocol alpha-zeta-seven-three-epsilon-acknowledge.” Cami ordered loudly into the temple’s gateway.
A thick granite panel slowly slid down into place, completely covering the entrance, thus securing the temples interior.
The large dining room of Pharaoh’s residence surrounded us and I released my sisters’ hands. Twelve young men remained still as statues, fright displayed blatantly on their faces.
“You gentlemen surprise me,” I giggled. “I would have thought Pharaoh’s select guard would fear nothing.”
“M’lady, I have never experienced such transport before. It is most instantaneous! I only wish our captain were here to experience it with us.”
“Gentlemen,” Khufu started. “I have a feeling circumstances have favored the men of the royal guard today. You are hereby relieved, with compensation, of all duties for the rest of the day. This evening you and your families are invited to dinner here at the residence- casual attire, please. In the meantime, pack your families lightly for a trip abroad and at first light, escort them to the temple gateway terrace. One of the Empress’ sisters will meet and explain things further at that time. Once seeing your loved ones securely into the temple you will report to the Sun Temple parade preparation area by 10AM.”
“Administrator?” All twelve chorused.
“Those are my orders, gentlemen.”
“But Administrator, we do not wish to join you in the afterlife! Some of us have just started our families.” One of the guards gasped in horror.
“Gods man, is that how you took Alexandra’s prophesy?” Khufu looked stunned.
A look of complete confusion washed over twelve faces.
“Is that not what she said, Administrator- that your mate, friends, followers, and relatives will follow you to the next life?”
“That is exactly what we said, hun- though the meaning was meant to be interpreted differently by those attending.” Allie confirmed with a devious smile.
“M’lady?” The young man- now acting captain- asked in confusion.
“Just follow the Administrator’s orders, hun, and know that the Empress will not allow harm to come to anyone in Pharaoh’s favor.” I recommended as I too smiled deviously.
All twelve men nodded cautiously before breaking rank and walking away. As expected there was some quiet discussion as they all exited the dining hall.
“Would you care to share, Alexandra?” Anna Beth asked after a moment of us just standing quietly.
I instead turned to where I knew the wait staff stood watching.
“Can we have two, one hundred and fifty milliliter containers full of honey, please? I have two well deserving pixies to reward.”
Anna Beth’s butler looked confused, but nodded and disappeared into the hallway behind him.
Minutes later he returned with two bowls of honey.
“Where shall I place them, M’lady?”
“Anywhere on the table will do, they worked up quite the hunger and are not picky about location.
“I’m not real picky, but I refuse to eat off the floor, Alex.” Sunni said from my shoulder. “Wow! That smells like the good stuff!” She purred before streaking to the surrendered containers.
The servant’s eyes almost popped out of his skull as he witnessed several aerial maneuvers before our two pixies nose-dived to the table.
“I have never witnessed such a sight, Empress! Are these also part of your sisterhood?”
“Highly valued sisters, hun,” I told him. “The yellow-winged woman is Sunni and this is Yuuka.” I added in introduction.
“You are Lady Yuuka?” He exclaimed as he began to reach and point. “But that means you can…”
“It is wise not to disturb hungry pixies, honey. Yes, both women have a normal form as well.” Allie giggled.
“Gather the staff here for a meeting.” Khufu ordered.
“Many of them have yet to return from the Sun Temple gathering, Administrator.”
“That is anticipated. Spread the word then, that Anna Beth and I humbly request that all staff, on or off duty, and their families attend tonight’s dinner. Tonight we celebrate our many years of service to each other.”
“I will do that, Administrator, and thank you, sir.”
1800hrs, Pharaoh’s Residence, Egypt, 2510BC
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to all of you and thank you for accepting our invitation. By now I’m sure you have all witnessed or heard about the events at the Sun Temple gathering this afternoon.” Khufu began as he stood to address those attending dinner. “I’m afraid that Anna Beth and I will be leaving our home of many, many years.
Discussions erupted around the thirty tables set for the guests. There were three hundred men, women, and children dining in the residence’s large dining hall tonight, though it could easily have held twice as many and still been comfortable.
“At this time Anna Beth and I wish to extend our invitation to you, our faithful and dedicated friends and family, to join us as we travel to our new home.”
“New home? But the Empress’ prophecy clearly stated that you were going to the afterlife.” One of the chambermaids’ interrupted- her young daughter taking the opportunity to quickly snatch a piece of baked chicken from her mother’s plate while she waited for an answer.
“Alexandra fashioned their answer to deceive our opponents. We move to start a new life- very much alive- somewhere else. Again, we welcome all in this room if you should wish it.” Anna Beth told her.
“Has the Empress also misled us as to how the new government will treat its people, majesty?” Another housemaid asked, her hand securely grasping her fiancée’s.
“Majesty…if I may?” Allie asked politely. Anna Beth nodded. My twin stood from her seat.
“We have actually taken kind liberties as to treatment under the new regime. Though I spared you all some of the more, shall we say, colorful highlights.”
Allie waited for the murmurs to die down.
“What my sisters and I have seen would horrify the most courageous soldier. Inhumane treatment, slavery, debauchery, famine, and plagues- manufactured and natural- all assail this kingdom in the forthcoming years. Only the royal monarchy, Pharaoh and his favored cabinet, will bask in the luxuries you all share at present. Wars, against your peaceful neighbors, result in millions of deaths as the outlying peoples fight to regain the freedoms enjoyed under Khufu and Anna Beth. Of course, life for most in the middle classes will remain somewhat stagnant for a generation into the future. Those are the facts that I have recorded on my many travels through this and future times here in Northern Africa.”
“You paint a vividly dismal picture, Empress Alexandra. Surely, as you say, times won’t be that dramatic?” The woman’s fiancé accused.
“I offer my hand to any who wish to view several small samples of the future I just described. I do not wish to shade the truth from the people my friends hold so dear, sir.” Allie said as she remained standing and walked to the center of the hall. She held out her hands freely while slowly turning about the room and waited.
Not one adult moved, instead they all looked to Khufu and Anna Beth. However, several older children wasted no time gathering around my twin sister. Allie smiled in relief. Khufu meanwhile, looked to Anna Beth for her take. When she nodded with a tense smile he stood, walked over, and took one of Allie’s hands.
“Since I will not be here to officially see my countrymen’s future, I will chance the offer. I suggest anyone with doubts about Alexandra’s prophecy join us.”
Half the room joined my twin in the center of the room.
Allie began her pre-travel announcements.
“At this time I would request everyone join hands with your neighbor. I would also request each of you to continue holding hands until we return here. We will be safe from harm while we are joined. We will also be immune to any violence; weather conditions, plagues, and attacks as long as our chain of hands are not interrupted. Are we ready?”
“Empress?” A young girl of six or seven years tried to get Allie’s attention as she looked around. My sister smiled brightly.
“Yes, honey?”
“Empress? Can the yellow-winged sprite come along? I saw her at the Temple and would feel better if she came along. Can she come along? Please?”
Jim Smithson blushed. He and Yuuka had exited Pixie mode a few hours ago after having downed their individual portions of honey in record time.
“Honey, they aren’t Sprites. They prefer to be called Pixies, and why don’t you ask him yourself?” Allie suggested.
“Him, Empress? I remember seeing a yellow-winged GIRL Pixie.”
“Pixies are very curious people, honey. Sometimes they look different when they’re all grown up. Yuuka, the purple-winged pixie and James, the yellow-winged pixie are seated right over there.” Allie pointed to the end of our table. The youngster politely excused herself and approached them.
“Um…excuse me, sir? Can the yellow-winged pixie come with me to see the future? I would feel better with her there.”
Jim’s jaw dropped. He preferred to change modes in private to reduce his embarrassment. After a moment he gave in to the child’s darling request though.
“How about both the yellow and the purple-winged pixies come with you, sweetie?” He asked kindly.
“Really? They would both do that for me?”
“Of course we would do that, sweetie.” He answered the girl. “Just give Yuuka and I time to change.”
“How long will that take, sir? Father says my mother takes forever and a day to get ready to go anywhere.”
Laughter rose up from our guests- except from the tike’s blushing parents.
“We just need a few seconds and a little room, sweetie.”
Jim stood and helped Yuuka from her seat. He then offered his hand to her. All three joined the group in the center of the hall. Allie motioned for everyone to make a space so the two could change modes.
“James, you really don’t need to do this. I know changing in public embarrasses you.” Yuuka challenged.
James Smithson took both of Yuuka’s hands. “Who am I to deny such a delightful request?”
Yuuka nodded and both closed their eyes. They immediately began to shrink. The group gasped as a whole- most having never seen the transformation.
Within seconds two Pixies shot from the ornate floor, did several passes around the group, hovered momentarily before the young girl then landed on her shoulders. She giggled ecstatically.
“Did I also mention that pixies love to show-off?” Allie giggled as she offered her hands again.
We will now transit to our first stop. This will be five years into the future.”
Allie and her curious companions disappeared.
“How long will they be gone, Alex?” Anna Beth asked after a full minute.
“About thirty minutes. Allie wants to make sure everyone believes in time travel.”
“Why on Earth would she do that, Alex?” Anna Beth asked.
My expression grew sad and I looked to the table. “Not everyone here will accept our invitation.”
“Why on Earth not?”
“Their beliefs.” I told her quietly. “Some believe more in the Gods than they do their own eyes.”
“That’s ridiculous! I’ll just have to have a word with everyo…”
“Majesty…please let it go.” I said, stopping her as I felt my eyes begin to burn. “Requiring compliance will only strengthen their resolve. Allie will make several rescue missions to Egypt’s near future in the coming months, as will I. Most will have a change of heart by then.”
“The girl…her family remains behind?” Anna Beth asked as realization hit.
“No. Something more terrible, I’m afraid.”
“No! That cannot happen to such a bright and courageous child! Empress, you must remedy what is to be!” Anna Beth cried.
“Alex will be limited in what she can do, majesty.” Emily told our hostess as she wiped tears from her own eyes.
Changing the subject quickly, I looked across the table at Jack. “There will be an attempt on Khufu’s life later tonight, Jack. I’d like you and Cami to monitor the whole residence for covert thoughts.”
“Someone inside will make an attempt? But how could anyone…” Anna Beth began.
“How could anyone possibly reject your hospitality?” I asked, cutting her off. “Have you ever heard the phrase: ‘The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence’?”
Anna Beth shook her head gently.
“It means that no matter how good things seem to some people, they always expect for more- money, power, fame, luxury…it doesn’t matter. Simply put, some people just aren’t content with what they already have. Once on the other side though, they grumble about losing what they had prior.” I explained. “It’s what we call ‘catch number twenty-two’.”
“Many of your friends will choose to stay then pray they could start over, Anna Beth. Some will realize that much too late.” I added.
Anna Beth’s eyes flew wide open.
“Alusia!”
“Your niece will join Meridian’s complement tomorrow.”
“Oh, thank the Lords!” Our hostess said as she exhaled heavily.
“Alex, what do we have to look forward to tomorrow?” Ricky Lynn asked- her concern very evident.
“Tomorrow at 0800, I will transport you, Natalia, Uhm-Shu, Peyton, her older sister, Sythia, and Emily into the temple where y’all will commence your station pre-flights.” I told the professor, laying out the plan. “Once the temple gateway is re-opened you will escort the arriving families into Meridian, stow their personals, assign quarters, and see to their needs.”
“Haven’t you forgotten that MY presence is required to gain access to MY ship, Alexandra?” Anna Beth reminded tersely.
“Of course not captain, I could never forget that detail. A good first officer never forgets her captain. At least that is what I’ve been told by those under my own command.” I answered, looking to Jack. “A good first officer also tries to compliment and forestall problems for her captain, ma’am.” I added with a wink.
“Once access has been granted, I will return Anna Beth here. Together, Jack, Cami, and the rest of us will transport to the beginning of the Processional Causeway to join the parade. Meanwhile, Allie will transport luggage, supplies, and fresh water to Meridian. Ricky Lynn, once Engineering’s pre-flight is completed you help Alex stow the supplies in the holds.”
“Alusia and Khafre will join the procession just before we step off.”
“What about my Djedefre? Where will my son be during all this?”
“Djedefre will take his rightful place in Khufu’s procession, majesty. The Royal family will remain together for the parade and will top the temple steps to fanfare, applause…and mocking.” I responded. And projectiles, I thought.
“Why do I get the feeling you’ve intentionally left things out, Empress?” Anna Beth looked at me cynically.
“I have told you the truth as I have seen it, majesty.” I assured her.
Anna Beth’s right eyebrow twitched once, subtly.
“Alex, how many attempts will be made during the procession?” Cami asked.
Again I looked down to the table sadly. “Enough and from a distance that will make quite a fireworks display. You both should get plenty of rest tonight and eat a good breakfast in the morning, Sweetheart.”
“Sounds like we’ll need all the energy we can spare, Alex.”
I closed my eyes softly. She didn’t know the half of it. Tomorrow would be a procession through Hell itself.
Crying and sniffling alerted us to the fact that Allie had returned from her excursion. Everyone quickly dispersed and returned to their seats- many using their napkins to wipe their faces dry or blow their noses.
Khufu returned, stoically, to his seat next to Anna Beth, shaking his head slowly as he walked.
“No! Don’t let me go, Sunni! I want to go with you- to the future- to your future!” The previously brave, young girl cried as she refused to release Sunni’s tiny hand. Jack and Cami both stood from the table instantly and hovered over our heads. The girl’s parents gasped. They, unfortunately, had elected not to see their future. The girl’s mother quickly ran to her daughter, but stopped short of persuading her to let go of my pixie’s hand. She appeared to freeze, terrified that our Mind Warriors would take action on them.
Allie hurried over to the scene as the girl’s mother retreated hastily to her seat.
“It has been my experience that not everything is cut in stone, Tath’ba. The future is based on the past- on history- and also by what happens in the here and now. If something happens to change the past, it affects the future. Just changing your mind here and now is sometimes enough to accomplish that. Though my sister and I can show the future and suggest ways to steer it, we cannot make you change your mind if it is made up already. Our minds are exclusively our own honey, and only we can decide the direction we go.”
“But I saw something terrible! Something you need to change, Empress! I want you to change it before it happens. You can do that, right?”
“Some things must happen, honey. I call them temporal waypoints. If this particular instance you observed is one of those points, I cannot, nor even attempt to change it. I’m sorry.”
“But you will try for me right, Empress? I’ve seen how you have already helped people today. You’ll do that for me…say you’ll try, Empress?” The girl pleaded through her tears.
Allie closed her eyes momentarily. “I’ll give it my best effort, Tath’ba. Now, go to your parents and tell your mother that Camille and Jacquelyn wouldn’t hurt you or anyone in distress. They are only interested in everyone’s safety. I’m sure you realize how delicate pixies are…just by their size, right?”
“Yes, Empress, I’m sorry.” Tath’ba said shyly. She looked to where Jack and Cami still hovered. “I’m sorry for startling you both, Lady Mind Warriors. I’ll watch myself better in the future. If I have one, that is.”
The young girl turned sadly and slowly walked back to where her worried parents stood.
“The kid’s got Moxie, I’ll give her that, Alex.” Ricky Lynn commented after the commotion died down.
“I know…such a waste.” I mumbled. Allie returned to her seat next to me and took my hand momentarily, under the table. She gave it a gentle squeeze as an almost perceptible tingle passed between us.
The rest of our banquet went surprisingly well and Emily and I retired to our room to get some sleep. Given my rest patterns over the last few months, I stood to lose more than I gained.
“So what’s up with the twerp, sis?” Emily asked as soon as she closed and locked the door.
“What ‘twerp’?”
“That six year-old. She seemed very upset when Allie returned. What’s going on? I saw that she boards Meridian tomorrow.” Emily pushed.
“She saw her parents’ graves, sis! How wouldn’t that destroy her?” I replied angrily.
“So…so they don’t make it.” She stated quietly, looking down to the floor quickly.
“No…they don’t, and there is absolutely no way Ah can change that! What is with you lately? Why so stern and brooding all of a sudden? You’ve done nothing but bitch since you arrived on Atlantis.”
Emily quickly glared at me, but her expression softened quickly.
“I haven’t been getting as much sleep as I need. Its…its starting to affect me, I think.”
“Bullshit. Need Ah remind y’all Ah’m a farm girl and Ah know the difference ‘tween mud and manure?” I groused. “Why don’t y’all tell me what’s actually goin’ on?”
“Doctor, patient privacy, Alex. I can’t divulge information without the proper permission. You know that.”
I snapped my finger.
Emily and I were suddenly in my private domain.
“How…how…?”
“How did Ah do that- snap mah fingers and poof, we’re here?” I asked sharply.
Emily simply nodded in silent astonishment.
“Obviously the same way y’all phased yourself into mah protective temporal bubble earlier- Ah used mah imagination, sis. That IS the key to our gifts, y’know.”
“I…I…I didn’t until now, Alex. Thanks for all the hints by the way! It would have been nice to know when we visited daddy last week.”
“Are you astartin’ your mense?” I asked without blinking an eye or blushing.
“What? No…I mean…why would you ask that?”
“Because you’re acting like it, sis.” I replied before pausing a moment. “This strange behavior wouldn’t have nothin’ to do with Ricky Lynn, would it?”
“You knew?”
“Duh! Empress?”
“Then you know why I’m upset. So why bring us here- to show off a new facet of your gift?”
“To confirm what Ah already know’d.” I admitted- “and to give y’all a chance to talk about it away from prying minds. As someone told me on many occasions, sometimes it helps to talk to your sister. They’re the only ones that can understand and comfort a body when a confidant’s needed most.”
“So we’re here, sis, now dish.” Allie said after appearing in front of us.
“How can…”
“I have an imagination too, remember?” Allie giggled and smiled devilishly.
0500hrs, Pharaoh’s Residence, Egypt, Day 2, 2510BC
“Time to get up, sis.” I said nudging Emily on the far side of our king…pharaoh-sized bed.
“God, it isn’t even light yet, Alex. Go back to sleep.”
“We need to prepare for things, so get up.”
“How can you be so alive this early? We were in your domain for what, about ten days?”
“Quit complaining and get out of bed, Em, there’s a lot to do before we head down to breakfast.” I reminded.
“Like what? I thought you had this all worked out, Alex?”
“I do, but I left out some things.”
“So Anna Beth was right? Alex, you’ve rarely lied to any one, why do it to her? Why now?”
“Technically I didn’t lie, I just didn’t tell her everything- and she knows that already or didn’t you pickup on that subtle twitch of her eye last night?”
“I didn’t see it. I was on your other side at dinner last night, remember?”
“But you didn’t see it coming?” I asked in surprise.
“No…I didn’t. I decided to give my gift a break last night.”
I rolled my eyes in annoyance.
After another long half hour of waiting for her to wake up enough to wash and dress, we finally left our lavishly appointed room and headed for the grand staircase.
Emily looked down to her left and noticed it as we reached the large entrance hall.
“What is that reddish-brown circle about?” She asked curiously.
I closed my eyes and sadly let out a sigh in preparation for my explanation.
The circle she was asking about was roughly eighteen inches in diameter and dark red- almost brown, bordering on black. It looked like something had puddled and dried in that spot on the highly polished granite floor.
“There’s another one back there.” She said as she pointed toward a door just inside the wide, main hallway.
My sister’s eyes widened instantly.
“Alex, those are puddles of dried blood! I’m still picking up some cellular activity. Human cellular activity!” She swallowed loudly. “These were…these were…people!”
“We couldn’t afford to take chances,” I began coldly. “Allie left orders with Jack and Cami to protect with extreme prejudice before she joined us in my domain. There were two attempts on Khufu and Anna Beth overnight, while we were gone.”
“But the circles of blood?”
“Jack and Cami placed a reinforced acoustic field around each perpetrator before tripping their concealed explosive devices. The force fields were spherical. What little that didn’t vaporize pooled at the bottom. When the fields were removed…well…that’s…that’s the result.”
I thought I had steeled myself well enough, but…
“My God, Alex! What have we become?” Emily gasped in sickened shock. “Haven’t we taken enough lives back home? How many people have already died by our hands because of the war? Alex, the Sisters of Kili are meant to protect life, not judge who lives or dies!”
“Emily. Dear sister, sometimes even the Empress has no say as to who survives.” Allie said sadly as she and Cami descended the wide, granite, stairs on the opposite side of the opulent entrance hall.
“If it means anything, I feel terrible about carrying out my orders, Emily. Jack and I had little to no time to react, but admit we reflected on our actions most of the night afterward. You know we value life over everything else.” Cami said reverently. She looked like she hadn’t slept a wink.
I couldn’t blame her.
“I’m sorry, Cami. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it…the killing…all the death.” Emily apologized.
“Unfortunately, it is a fact of life…especially here and now, sister. Opponents to Pharaoh outnumber his allies many times over. Therefore, the Sisters of Kili must be the final line of defense and, as you’ve already foreseen, Khufu, Anna Beth, and their close friends must survive to right this timeline.” Allie said sadly.
“I understand that. Still, it doesn’t mean I’ll ever accept it…or the reason it had to be done!” Emily argued.
“Last night’s attempts were just the tip of the iceberg. Today will prove to be the most dangerous processional on record. For any period or society.” I revealed as I saw Anna Beth coming down the long hallway.
“Attempts? There were actual attempts made IN this residence overnight? Why weren’t we notified?” She demanded, obviously hearing a part of our conversation.
“I’m dismayed to report that the attempts were discretely handled.” Cami informed her, looking down sadly. “They left us no other choice, captain. I’m sorry.”
Anna Beth noticed the strange, dried circles. Her eyes widened.
“By the Lords of Terra, who were they?” She asked, covering her mouth dramatically.
“Do you really want to know?” I asked. “Wouldn’t it be better listing them at a later date as missing and avoid any resulting scandal? I’m sure their families would rather remember them as loyal right up until their disappearance.”
“But what if more…”
“There will be no more attacks in this residence while you are here, majesty.” I interrupted.
“So…this is what you neglected to tell me last night, Empress?”
“Partially.”
Anna Beth glared at me intensely.
“So there is more that you’ve conveniently left out?”
“Not out of convenience, I assure you. Certain things need to happen today and your inclusion of those specifics would certainly hamper- if not stop them entirely.”
Anna Beth stared into my sad, dead-serious, eyes for several long moments before she closed hers- a single tear escaped each.
“Empress…” She said quietly…reverently. “Tell me. Will my family live through this day? Please…I beg of you. Answer me truthfully?”
I regarded her in anger for a moment before I answered. Her request almost sounded like a prayer.
“Yes.”
“Oh, thank the Lords…”
“But it won’t be easy or gratifying, my sister. The processional will be fraught with danger, despair, and most certainly death today. There will be severe loss- both physical and emotional.” I interrupted to continue.
The woman’s mouth and expression dropped.
“Anna Beth, Jacki and I will do our best to keep everyone safe, but I cannot guarantee complete safety.” Cami promised. “We barely had time to thwart the perpetrators overnight. They seemed highly skilled at hiding their true thoughts and intentions.”
“Fellow Terrans?” Anna Beth asked, surprised by the thought.
“Or revisions, possibly.” Allie nodded.
Something yellow caught my attention from the second floor balcony. Sunni flitted drunkenly down the near set of stairs to where we were standing in the main foyer. She hovered unsteadily while yawning and absentmindedly scratching her buttocks- very ‘un-ladylike’, but forgivable given Sunni’s unusual circumstances.
“Mornin’ everyone. God, I feel like shit! What the hell did you have them put in that honey last night, your majesty?” Sunni said in a half drunken stupor- her eyes barely open.
“Are you alright, Colonel Smithson?” Anna Beth asked in worry.
“Of course! I always feel like hell in the morning. Especially when I’ve had way…” she suddenly paled, “too much to…drink…the night befor…urp...’scuseme!” Sunni replied tersely before unexpectedly zooming over to one of the potted palm trees and upchucking in its planter. After a minute she shot back over to us.
“Alex? Alex! I’m still a Pixie! Why am I still a Pixie?” She shrieked in horror and moaned. Her hovering still hadn’t stabilized.
“Maybe because you didn’t change yourself back?” I wisecracked with a stupid smirk, my downcast mood temporally broken.
“Alex! I’m in no mood!” She shouted then quickly grabbed her head and moaned louder. “Oooohhh God did that hurt!”
“Sunni, if you can, drop your natural defenses so I can evaluate you, please?” Emily said in her professional voice. She held up her hand, open-palmed, to the hovering pixie, closed her eyes, and began to concentrate.
“Alex, she’s been ‘Mickey’d’. I’m detecting the physical and psychological remnants of some narcotic substance in her system. They seem to be similar to ecstasy or Rohypnol according to my future memories.” She gasped in concern.
“The ‘Date Rape’ drugs?” Sunni gasped. “I’ve been Roofied?”
“Apparently. Thankfully, your hymen is still intact.” Emily added professionally.
Sunni hovered open-mouthed, but silent for a few moments.
“ Ya…well…that’s certainly a big relief!” The Pixie deadpanned before shouting, “What the hell is going on here, Alex?!”
She groaned again as she lost altitude.
I shugged my shoulders in reply.
“Jeez! I’m a girl for just under a day and I’ve already been… Can things get any worse?” Sunni asked in pained anger as she leveled off again to eye level.
“I’m afraid you’re starting to menstruate too, Sunni.” Emily added sadly, but still professionally.
“WHAT???” Her wings sputtered spastically causing her to lose even more altitude this time. She quickly recovered though.
“Oh, that’s just great! Just what I needed! Ya got any more delightful news, Doc?” Sunni whined sarcastically as her hands cradled her throbbing temples.
“No, but make sure your Reilly is charged and its sanitary system is operating properly.
Sunni crossed her arms, hovered closer to my sister, leaned forward, and glared at her.
“I didn’t sign up for this part, Doc.”
“It’s all part and parcel, hun. Still, you’ve only experienced half of the whole female condition.” I giggled.
Sunni flew back over to me; arms still crossed, and leaned closer.
“You aren’t helping, Alex!” She said sardonically.
“Why would someone drug her?” Anna Beth asked looking between Allie and I for an answer. All five of us looked to our host.
“Sis, take Emily to Yuuka’s room. Sunni, stay with me…and try not to barf on my shoulder.” I said.
Sunni gave me the ol’ one finger salute before landing heavily on my right shoulder.
“You’re all heart! Sometimes you can be such a bitch, Alexandra Steinert!” She said into my ear after grabbing my earring forcefully to steady herself.
“Anna Beth, do you know where Khufu and Djedefre are?” I asked, ignoring my tiny passenger.
“My mate should be in our chamber. We had difficulty sleeping…for obvious reasons as I’ve just found out. Djedefre is an early riser. He could be anywhere at the moment.”
“Cami?” I asked. “Picking up anything from our future Pharaoh?”
“Camvailence has him in the physical development center at the lower, rear level of the residence, Alex.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Camvailence?” I asked warily.
“Well Jacki has ‘Jackdar’.”
A collective moan escaped our little group.
“What? You don’t like it?” She asked innocently.
I rolled my eyes a second time.
“Just tell him and Khufu to meet us in the dining room when they’re able.”
“Where are Jack and the Professor anyway?” I added.
‘Waiting for you and the others in the dining room, Alex. Is your foresight acting up today?’ Jack’s voice echoed in my head.
“Actually, Jack, I’m busy working out the best way to accomplish today’s objective.” I said out loud as I began walking down the wide hallway.
Although Sunni’s somewhat comical situation was a welcomed distraction, it was now time to rejoin this painful reality.
Anna Beth stared at me the entire way to the dining room. Just inside the massive, opened, archway doors, she reached for my shoulder to stop me and turned me around.
“You mean you don’t have things worked out yet, Alex?” She hissed quietly so as not to alert our sisters.
“Look,” I said quietly as I turned to her. “Things are really in flux right now. The obvious thing would be to transport everyone into the tomb, load up Meridian, and fire her thrusters, but history needs to see the royal family and all their loyal subjects triumphantly enter the tomb in a spectacular procession. The gauntlet the Causeway presents poses the major problem. That being the case, how do we get as many of the followers through in one piece?”
“Will it be that brutal, and why do you call the temple a tomb?” Anna Beth asked in a whisper.
“I wouldn’t just call it brutal, and I called it a tomb because, from the outsiders’ perspective, we will enter, but not one of us come out before the gateway is sealed. History will speculate that the mighty Khufu was entombed this day and his family and followers entombed along with him…alive.”
Anna Beth’s face paled drastically, her hand slowly slid off my shoulder and dropped limply to her side. She stared, open-mouthed, in awe at me- of what was to come.
“Look, I’m sorry it has to be this way,” I said sadly as I turned and walked to the table. I tried to wipe my tears quickly so my sisters wouldn’t notice.
“So you told her?” Jack asked quietly as I sat down.
I nodded. “Not all of it, though.”
“Alex, what I saw…” Jack paused a second. “The brief glimpse that you allowed…that I saw…” She stopped again. “Why, Alex? Why would these people turn so completely against a leader that treated them all as equals?”
“Clemson has poisoned them; reawakened long dormant thoughts of excess, luxury, greed, and power. His half-dozen visits to this civilization- the rallies and speaking engagements- they all added to devalue the good things Khufu did. They brought his ineffectiveness against Hathor back to the forefront in everyone’s mind. Clemson has succeeded in dismantling a promising, thriving society to remake it- to make it fit the text books of the future.” I said wiping more tears away.
“And there is absolutely no way you…”
“Our hands are tied, Jack.
“Cami and I…we can…”
“Jack,” I said, trying, but failing to hold back my tears, as I leaned over and took her hand in mine. “This has to happen. As much as I or Allie would like to change it, this has to happen.” I paused and sniffed back more tears. “It’s going to be a blood-bath out there for both the royal procession AND the innocent spectators.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it!” Jack whispered through gritted teeth as I felt the hairs on my arm begin to stand.
“Jack…please don’t do this? You’ll only make things worse.” I pleaded hoping to stop her power buildup.
“How?!” She almost shouted. “How can it get worse?! How, Alex?!”
“It would drastically change the course of history, Jack. The Greeks and Romans wouldn’t have conquered Egypt. If that hadn’t happened, Rome wouldn’t have expanded across Europe and into Britain. The major wars that shaped and reshaped the borders of the continents wouldn’t happen as they should. Our home time wouldn’t exist, as we now know it. In short, Jack…we’d cease to exist as we are now!”
“But that’s happened before, Alex. We were able to fix things then, why not now?”
“Because…Temporal Waypoint…and, ” I paused a moment frustrated that I had to admit the real reason, “and because I’m tired, Jack. I haven’t been able to sleep for more than an hour at a time in the last five years- ever since I started this mission.” I paused to wipe my eyes again. “Allie and I are tired, Jack- so very, very tired. I want a happy ending for everyone as much as you do, but I just can’t do it anymore. I don’t think I can hold it together long enough. I make one miscalculation, lose my temper at the wrong time, save the wrong person…screw up any number of things and one or both of us get banished to some inescapable universe- possibly forever. Are you starting to understand, my friend?”
“I won’t let that happen, Alex.”
“You don’t have a choice! Remember there are things more powerful than you, Cami, Cassi, Connie, and even Billie out there, Jack.”
“Then I’ll go down with my captain, Alex! Screw what is right or wrong! We have to do what is necessary and moral. If the powers that be decide we botched it then I’ll plead guilty and stand right alongside the Empress to share her fate.” Jack perjured herself further.
“Jack’s got a point, skipper!” Ricky Lynn chimed in as Cami nodded her inclusion also. “You ain’t getting’ rid of us that easily. I’ll do anything I can ta save as many people as we can! God be damned!”
“Count me in too, Alex. If you fall then we all crash and burn,” Sunni said resolutely into my right ear. “Besides, I could use to go pixie on some of those assholes out there…and now I have the perfect excuse to be a bitch!”
I couldn’t let them do this!
“ENOUGH!” I shouted in anger as things went dark.
I found myself in my private domain.
…Or was it?
Thinking about it, something wasn’t right.
The sun was directly ahead of me?
This WASN’T my or Allie’s domain.
So whose was it?
But whose it was really wasn’t important right now. I found myself wearily dropping to my knees, sat on my heels on the unseen floor, and completely broke down, sobbing hysterically. I felt completely defeated and ready to give up.
I was tired of this mission; tired of worrying about ‘Upper Management; exhausted from the five years worth of trips through history, so far, trying to repair that little shit, Clemson’s, changes instead of sleeping at night…
I felt physically…and…emotionally…beaten!
And on top of that, my sisters wanted to help fix time by any means necessary! I certainly couldn’t have them perjure themselves for my benefit or this mission’s. Didn’t they understand what doing that would mean? What punishments they might draw?
I couldn’t bear the thought of them sharing Momma Scott’s punishment, or worse, with me!
As I knelt wallowing in my own dread and anguish, I noticed my surroundings begin to brighten.
I found myself on a large white square of what looked to be an expansive black and white checkered floor; almost like a life-sized chessboard. Composing myself a bit more I finally raised my head to look around.
“Well, hello there, Alexandra. Has my mother had herself a good cry?” A voice that sounded similar to mine asked from somewhere out of the blackness in front of me. It was gentle, sympathetic, and there was no malice or scorn in it that I could detect.
“Where am I,” I asked timidly? “Who are you?”
“I’d have thought you had that all figured out by now, mother?” The unseen voice answered in a playful tone.
“I don’t have time for guessing games. Who are you and where am I?”
“Why, we’re in your domain, Alexandra. Where else could we possibly be?”
“This isn’t my domain and you know it! Now show yourself.” I demanded impatiently.
“Ah, now that’s the Alexandra we know so well! So confidant. So inquisitive. So…observant.” The voice stated evenly- though still with the playful undertone- as more of this ‘place’ began to brighten and reveal itself. What appeared to be a young woman sat partially visible in a pink leather, Victorian style wingback chair. It was angled away from me to a degree. From my position close to the floor, I could see she had her legs crossed demurely at the ankles and tucked in between the chair’s decorative front legs.
A stone fireplace and hearth with a thick, stained wood, mantle, and inviting wood fire appeared just past her.
“Why am I here?” I asked- my tone a little calmer.
Why…to play a game, of course! Isn’t that something people do to relax, mother?”
“I need to get back to Egypt.” I said as I envisioned the royal dining hall.
Nothing happened!
“Why can’t I leave? What’s going on here?”
“Sure you wouldn’t rather play a game, mother? I know this isn’t your mundane version of chess, but the rules only differ slightly.” She asked countering my questions. I still hadn’t seen her face.
“Chess? I never said anything about playing chess!”
“No?” I woman teased. “Let’s.”
The place where I had arrived changed slightly and was now fully illuminated.
What I thought was a black and white squared floor turned out to be some kind of game board eight squares by eight squares. The square I was now standing on was three feet by three.
“What is this?” I asked as I looked closer at my surroundings.
“Why, this is our game board, mother. Don’t you like it?”
“It looks like a scale. An Assayer’s scale specifically. Why?”
Very observant, mother, but this balanced playing board has a twist.”
“You mean that the other side of the scale is at least fifty times larger? Or that there’s another slightly smaller, lower level between them?” I asked.
“Those are the cosmetic differences, mother. Like all games though, opponents must start on separate, but level playing fields. The lower level I’d term a ‘Battleground’ of sorts- the place where opponents meet to clash or negotiate. But that is not the twist I referred to.”
“So…pray tell what is the twist?” I asked trying to keep any sarcasm or patronizing out of my voice.
“If either of the opponent’s levels should go too far out of balance, both levels will topple.”
“Some twist, hun. What might the lower, battlefield, present? Inescapable quicksand?”
The young woman giggled and I could imagine her smile broadening.
“No, mother, that level is stationary and quite stable.”
This was ridiculous.
“I’m really not in the mood to play any games, hun, I have other worries to contend with. Maybe some other time.” I told the unknown woman as politely as I could.
“But I’m sure you’ll like this game, mother. It pits ‘Time’,” she said as her left hand rose above the chair back with a flourish, “and the masses…”
On the opposing top level, appeared a life-sized ‘king’ chess piece. Hundreds of smaller ‘pawns’ appeared in front of and around it. Each looked the typical chess piece- round, wider at the base, ball-shaped on top, and completely uniform in all respects, though, strangely, they seemed to be milling around the king slowly.
The voice continued.
“Against,” She paused dramatically, “you.” The same hand made a flourish motion to me.
“So how is this game anywhere near fair?” I asked, deciding to play along while pointing to my over-abundant adversaries.
“Oh, you’ll have some help, mother. I wouldn’t dare do anything underhanded or illegal. I might, however, take my cue from you and not reveal all or some of my motives.”
“Motives? I don’t understand. What motives?” I asked in alarm.
“Let’s not worry about such trivial things at the moment, mother. Right now you’ll need the rest of your playing pieces.”
Her hand raised above the chair back again and flourished carelessly in my direction. I noticed that Allie, Camille, Emily, Jack, Ricky Lynn, Yuuka- in pixie-mode, and Sunni- also in pixie-mode, appeared on either side of me.
“My sisters have nothing to do with this- whatever this actually is about! Return them at once!”
“Ah! But this is all part of the game, mother. You see, you designed this game yourself, and have already played it countless times over the years.”
“I’ve done no such thing, now return them! They’re innocent.” I demanded.
“‘Innocent’”, The voice giggled before continuing, “is such a subjective term, mother. ‘Innocent’, in the most basic of definitions, would imply no knowledge of what you’re ‘missions’ entail. That term ceased to be relevant when our sisters willingly offered to put their lives on the table to better the odds, and hasten your current mission’s success. They have involved themselves as much as you in the outcome of your so-called mission and therefore are decidedly NOT innocent, but unquestionably complicit.”
“Why do you keep calling me mother? I don’t recall having another child.”
I could almost hear this woman’s smile brightening again!
“Oh, but I am! You’re first-borne as a matter of fact. You see…I was born the day you first utilized your gift, Alexandra Francis Steinert. I came into being that afternoon in Honolulu when you first found your ‘private domain’ as you call it. In essence, I am the product of your travels and experiences throughout time, mother.”
“You’re insane. How could you claim such things?” I declared.
“I’m as miraculous as your gift, mother, and, I am far from insane. Although, I suppose it may appear that way to you at the moment.”
As I struggled to evaluate my situation, I tried to buy some time.
“So IF you ARE my daughter, what is the name I gave you?”
“Oh, mother, I’m dismayed you had to ask…although, this being our first ‘official’ meeting, I’ll humor you.” The woman paused a moment and began to lean forward in her chair then turned to face me.
“I am called…Andora.”
My mind reeled upon hearing the faintly recognizable name and seeing my own face looking back at me. Her name… ‘Andora’…it hovered in my mind like a specter- something familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. Where had I heard that name before? And why did it trigger such frightening memories and emotions?
“I see your mind is running the possibilities, mother. Father would be proud to know that his mate still retains her deductive skills.
“I have only had three ‘mates’ that I’ve seen and Andora was not among any of the names we’d chosen for our offspring.”
“Well, that was certainly cold, mother, and I am rather disappointed in you. Maybe this will key up that elusive, but vital, bit of memory.”
‘Andora’ turned, twisting around to the opposite side of her seat, leaned over to pick something up, turned back around to me, and produced a small, nicely stained, wooden box with bright brass hinges, lock, latch, and trim.
“I believe you’ve seen this before? Maybe in a dream, perhaps?” She said turning back around and holding it out for me to see.
“The box.” I mumbled quietly, recognizing it. “Pandora’s box.”
“Andora”, she corrected pleasantly with a warm smile. “So you have seen ‘it’ before. Wonderful, mother.” She said as she opened and closed the box several times then played with the latch several more times, but couldn’t get it to stay closed.
“Too bad the latch is broken; it won’t keep anything now.”
She opened it fully and tilted the box toward me to show that it was empty.
“Of course you know what was contained in here, don’t you? You yourself filled and locked this chest so very long ago.
Andora pouted.
It really is a shame that one of our sisters felt curious enough to pry it open. What she allowed to be re-released into this existence had only grown stronger while it lay dormant within, mother.”
“Get to the point, Andora. Why call me here to play chess and show me an empty box with a sprung latch?” I said angrily.
I just wanted this to go away. I wanted to rest- to sleep for more than an hour a night.
“This rendition of the game is not called chess, mother. I thought you already realized that?”
“So what IS the name of the game, Andora?”
“Life, mother. That is the name of this game- though it is more of a high-stakes gamble; you and our sisters against time and his pawns- all those that are slaves to him- those that do not call you mother, sister…or friend. Those that would see the ‘great’ ‘Empress of Time and Space’ defeated and/or dethroned.”
“And the objective of this game, Andora? Would it be the same as its namesake?” I asked as my eyes narrowed not liking this situation at all.
“You would think that, wouldn’t you, mother? I’m sorry, but this game has another, more compelling caveat- so simple, really.”
“The game board must remain in balance. If it does not, both sides lose- completely.”
Andora smiled deviously. On any of my sisters or me, the expression would look cute- endearing even. On this young woman- this version of me- it looked creepy- almost obscene.
“So who starts?”
“Not so fast, mother. Shouldn’t we introduce the players first?”
I sarcastically flourished my hand back to the young woman.
“Unlike your current version of chess, we will start out with three queens: you, Aunt Alexandra, and Aunt Emily.”
Allie and Emily started to move and looked around to either side of me.
“Alex? Where the hell are we?” Allie asked cautiously in confusion.
“What she said, sis. What is this place?” Emily added.
“Apparently we are somewhere in my domain- or so I’m told. And that, over there is my daughter ‘Andora’…supposedly.” I answered without taking my eyes off the young woman- apparently our ‘moderator’ for this inescapable ‘game’.
“So why are we here?” Emily inquired.
“Andora wants to play a game. A game similar to chess, but that she calls ‘Life’.”
“So let’s just leave.” Emily said as she phased out only to rephase on the lower, ‘battlefield’ level of the game. She looked around in confusion as the scale went out of balance slightly. “Why can’t I leave?”
“Really, Aunt Emily? Rarely in life do we get the opportunity to just disappear from our responsibilities! Responsibilities aside, it just won’t do.”
Emily frowned, phased out again, and rephased beside me. The levels rebalanced.
“So…that is one of the ways you move in the game; any questions so far?” Andora asked, though still with the same pleasant, playful tone. A hard thing given the devastating glare Emily was giving her right now.
The young woman stood up gracefully and placed the small, open, wooden box with the sprung latch back on the fireplace mantle then turned to face us.
The warm living room scene faded then disappeared completely as she walked closer! There was now just the playing field and the small observation area on which ‘Andora’ now stood.
“She looks just like you, Alex.” Emily gasped.
“She is nothing like me! I don’t know what she is, but she only resembles me.” I told them both.
“Oh mother, really? Do we have to continue this blameless subterfuge?”
“Alexandra’s real daughter would never play games with people’s lives in the first place!” Emily growled.
“THAT’S A LIE AND Y’ALL KNOW IT, AUNT EM!” Andora spit back in a flash of rage. “THE SISTERS OF KILI PLAY WITH PEOPLES’ LIVES EVERY DAY OF EVERY MONTH OF EVERY YEAR!”
“We try to repair the timeline- repair peoples’ lives to the way they were originally meant to be.” Allie countered.
“Moving along to your knights,” Andora continued, composing herself instantly and completely ignoring Allie’s valid argument.
“Camille Darough and Jacquelyn Cummins: Protectors of the realm, defenders of the meek and righteous. Warriors Extraordinaire of the infinite mind.”
Cami and Jack began moving and immediately looked around. The hairs on my body began to stand on end as the air charged with energy.
Instantly they vanished and reappeared on the lower level of the game. The balance tipped favorably to our opponents.
“Jack and Cami, key up your gifts and get back up here on the double.” I said quickly.
Looking at each other in total confusion, both nodded and instantly stood beside Allie and Emily again.
“Next we have the ‘bishop’- the preeminent representation of education, intelligence, class, and understanding.”
Ricky Lynn wiped at her eyes and stared around.
“Professor, don’t use your gift unless you want to move to that other level and throw us out of balance.” I said quickly.
“What the hell? What kinda shit’s this, Alex?” She barked excitedly as she looked around. “Are we on some sort of friggin’ chess board, skipper?”
“Yes, and don’t ask me how. I can’t explain it myself.” I answered.
“Oh, mother. Do I have to explain it all again? Is your mind so feeble and frail that you cannot remember such details for more than a few moments?” Andora asked with a pout.
“You’re her mother, Alex? Wow…and yuse lectured me about behaving myself.”
“This is serious, Prof. Samuels!” I growled.
“You should listen to mother, Ricky Lynn. Finally, she’s starting to understand.”
“I’m always serious, Andora!” I spat venomously.
“Yes, but what version of serious are you, mother? Here, there are two kinds. Serious from the game’s point of view and serious from a life-ending standpoint. Which ‘serious’ are you now, mother?”
“Since you call this game ‘Life’, I’d have to choose the ‘life-ending’ one.”
“You can be so intuitive at times, mother. I’ve always thought that your best quality. So, moving along to our final contestants, I give you your ‘rooks’. Yuuka and Sunni-Jim. They can move anywhere they wish, unlike their namesake pieces in your version. Use them wisely, mother, for they are the most delicate of your pieces.”
Sunni and Yuuka began to move around and immediately shot into the air and hovered in front of Allie and I. Our level began to rise and go out of balance once more.
“Take a shoulder, girls, we have to keep things in balance.” I advised quickly, but generically.
“Alex, what the shit?” Sunni said in alarm as she landed and latched onto my earring.
“I’ll tell you in a moment, hun. Let’s just listen for now.” I suggested, nodding to our moderator.
“Now that all the players have been introduced, shall we start the game, mother?” Andora smiled.
A loud, metallic groaning filled our ears and as soon as we heard the deep, metallic ‘thunk’, the floor we stood on lurched and shimmied while the scale rebalanced.
“If this game represents life then the game has been running for eons, Andora. What special circumstances brought about this ‘latest edition’?” I asked as the floor finally settled.
“Let’s call this the ‘Egyptian Exodus’ edition, mother.”
The ‘king’ chess piece suddenly became fluid and took on the likeness of a well built, virile, strongly bearded man in his mid-to-late twenties.
“Who’s the knarly lookin’ mook behind all them pawns, cupcake?” Ricky Lynn sassed.
“Oh. Where ARE my manners? That is your opponent, Professor Samuels. My father.” She explained, now sounding sarcastic for the first time.
“I thought you introduced our opponent as ‘Time’?” Allie questioned as she suddenly looked confused. I realized that she wasn’t here when ‘Andora’ introduced our opponent.
“Now you’re catching on! I’m so proud of you, Aunt Alex.” Andora chortled.
Though heavily bearded, our opponent resembled my first husband Sanford Fleming in face, and hair, but much taller.
“Sandy?” I called out in surprise.
“You disappoint me, Alexandra! On your world I am called Chronos.” My opponent responded in a rich, baritone.
“Alex, didn’t Chronos eat his children- except for Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades?” Emily asked as she swallowed loudly.
“That’s what I was taught, sis.” I said as I stared at the handsome man.
“So…um…how did you and the Titan of Time hook up exactly, skipper?” Ricky Lynn asked stupidly.
“Only time will tell.” Allie said absent-mindedly with a quirky grin.
Chronos began laughing. “Good one, Alex! Like I’ve never heard that one before, but for the record, I never tattle.”
Allie stuck her tongue out at our opponent.
“That is what Alexandra likes about me.” Chronos retorted as he continued his light-hearted laughter.
“Can we get this started already, Andora?” I asked impatiently.
“One more…’little’ piece of advice, mother. There are different weightings assigned to different pieces. For instance, a knight will weigh many times more than a rook, because it holds more destructive force. The more destruction or devastation a piece is capable of, the heavier it’s weighting.” Andora explained with slightly devious smile.
“Fine. Let’s just get this thing going.” I groused as I took one step forward.
“A bold move mother, but a bit premature, wouldn’t you say?” My supposed daughter chuckled.
“Just standing around won’t get this over with.” I replied sternly.
“You always were the bold one, Alexandra.” Chronos chuckled. Several pawns appeared on the level between and below us. Our side of the scale dipped and leaned slightly astern of us- toward the outside edge of this huge scale. I noted that if tipped too far, we would all side off to goddess knew where!
I took two steps forward. Balance slowly returned.
“One of the queens immediately goes on the offensive. Do you always lead by example, my mate?” Chronos chided as he moved several more pawns to the second level.
Again the scale tipped against us. I took two more steps forward and was now at the front edge of our level. There was no more forward progress for me…unless I dropped to the battlefield below. I didn’t know what would happen if I did though. That was never explained.
Several more pawns appeared below me.
“So self-reliant, Alexandra, but headstrong will not win this game.” My opponent chuckled in amusement.
“I’d rather be the one to go if it protects everyone else.” I said as I leaned out over the lower level as far as I dared to keep balance. The scale kept tilting.
“Oh for God’s sake, Alex! You obviously can’t do this all on your own.” Emily said as she took several steps forward.
We just kept tilting. Slower than before, but the angle increased all the same.
“Hey, what gives?” Emily said trying to figure out why she didn’t carry as much weight as me.
“It is because you are the Queen Physician, and because of your Hippocratic Oath, I’m afraid you carry much less weight in this game, Aunt Emily.” Andora informed her.
“Then I’ll take the offensive, hun.” Allie said as she took two steps forward.
Balance again returned to the game board.
Chronos sent more pawns onto the lower level. Again the scale tilted out of our favor. Allie took a few more steps forward.
“Sis, this seems futile. He has way more pawns than we do actual pieces. This game was rigged from the beginning.” Allie said from my eight o’clock.
“I’m trying to buy some time, Alex. I need to figure out his strategy before I can counter it.” I told her. “I’ve seen this scenario somewhere before. If I could just remember…”
“Skipper, if I may?” Ricky Lynn said from beside me. I didn’t even notice her moving up and it didn’t seem to affect the balance.
“Got something, professor?” I asked as I continued to poll my memories.
“Alex, this game theoretically mirrors real life, correct?” She asked.
“I’m thinking that’s the general idea. What are you thinking?”
“Alex, life is unpredictable.”
“We all know that, hun. What about it?”
“Except in your case, Empress. You, Allie, and Emily can see the future- act on what you see happen there. Aside from your offspring no one else here can do that.”
“OKaaaay, so why tell me something I already know?” I asked in confusion.
“Alexandra Steinert! To you three, time is a variable! You’ve said that dozens of times to us in the past.”
“I got that, Ricky Lynn. Get to the point.”
“Skipper, Time is time! Time can only be one thing- that being ‘time’! It cannot change its characteristics. Time will always be time- the very definition of a constant. Sure, there are those that claim that ‘times: they are achangin’, or ‘time flies’, ‘time’s dragging’, or even ‘time’s at a stand still’, but those are relative proclamations by people unable to move seamlessly though the medium like the Empress.”
“But if I use my gift, I’ll end up on the second level amongst the pawns. Who knows what might happen to me down there? They’d probably swarm me like a plague.” I warned.
Something clicked and the preverbal light went on over my head!
“Per’fessor, you’re a genius!” I chirped as I turned and hugged her lovingly.
“I’m also a damned fool, skipper,” she said as she vanished from our level and reappeared on the level below us. “Now let’s see what happens in amongst the population. Tempest Fuckit!” She declared.
I watched silently as Ricky Lynn and two-thirds of the pawns on the battlefield disappeared.
My cheeks became wet.
“Well done, mother.” Andora complimented with a sad smile. “I was wondering how long it would take to use one of your other pieces.
“She was more than just a piece to some game! She was my friend, you cold-hearted bi…”
“Now now, mother. She knew the risks. Ricky Lynn had the courage to act first.”
“I’m so sorry you lost your scholar, Alexandra. What will you do now that you no longer have that resource?” Chronos asked with a gloating smile. Andora looked at her supposed father- visibly displeased by his callousness.
“Losing a teacher is not as bad as failing to apply and refine what was learned from them, Chronos.” I leered.
For the first time, Andora’s smile widened. “Well said, mother. Knowledge increases understanding of the world around us and thereby unlocks the mysteries life presents by allowing people to question their beliefs, teachings, and surroundings. The more people understand about the world in which they live, the less they will blindly follow. Innovative, isn’t it, father?”
Seeing and hearing Chronos snort in disgust, I nodded and turned around in place. Summoning my sisters to come closer, I took a few steps to them, thus maintaining balance while we huddled.
“Ladies,” I began, “I finally remembered where I’ve seen this strategy.” I informed them.
“So what’s the plan, Cap?” Jack asked.
“Not so fast, Jack, I’d like to know the basis before hearing any plan.” Emily said as she looked at me critically.
“The Old Testament- Book of Exodus, sis,” I told her. “Moses’ departure from Egypt- the ten plagues prior.”
“Alex…in case you didn’t notice, we aren’t ‘plagues’ and there aren’t ten of us.” Emily argued.
“No, but I’m speaking metaphorically, sis. Clemson was the catalyst. That little ‘toad’ started this whole mess!”
“But I was taught the plagues happened in a specific order, Alex.” Jack insisted.
“Again, we’re talking metaphorically here, Jack. “Specific order’ would imply time. Ricky Lynn just proclaimed time to be a variable to me…to us…here. Any ‘order’ therefore becomes a variable as well thus, null and void.” I explained.
“Getting’ kind of deep, Alex?” Sunni groaned on my shoulder. I shrugged lightly and continued.
“Being the catalyst, Clemson became the first plague to hit Egypt- frogs or toads. Next: Jack and Cami’s defensive actions at the temple yesterday. The insurgents they neutralized were the first-born sons of the opposition’s leadership.”
“You’re kidding?” Emily gasped. “Just how do you know that, Alex?”
“I overheard a news communication late, last evening. The severely biased report emphasized that point to stir public sympathy, I think.”
“So that knocks out two of the ten, Alex. Where do we come in- what plagues do we represent?” Jack asked, rolling her eyes once.
“Mother, do I need to incorporate time limits into our game? Delaying it serves no useful purpose.” Andora said catching my attention.
“One thing I learned early on was to plan my strategy accordingly, therefore I must constantly reassess as the game progresses, hun.”
“Very well, mother, but do not delay for much longer. Father grows impatient.”
“Just another minute.” I told our ‘moderator’.
“So where do we fit into all this, Alex?” Jack insisted.
“Ricky Lynn,” I began, but took a deep breath to control my emotions toward having lost her again. “Ricky Lynn decimated the ‘livestock’ by educating the masses. We’ll all agree that education is a powerful force in its own right. Educated people take what they have learned and use it to make responsible decisions, thereby taking out a fair share of our opponent’s ‘ignorant’ pawns. She…she committed…committed herself to their education.”
I felt Emily and Allie place their hands on my shoulder in commiseration. I took another deep breath to calm myself and continued.
“Yuuka and Sunni represent the flying plagues- flies, lice, and locusts. Jack, you and Cami represent natural, Earth-based, disasters that kill people and destroy property- lightning and thunder, hail, tsunamis, Earthquakes…volcanic eruptions.”
“Ya know, Alex, Cami and I still aren’t too happy about having to do that this morning.” Jack said sadly.
“No one should ever be proud or comfortable with taking another’s life, Jack, but you two already knew that.”
Jack and Cami nodded sadly.
“So where do I come in, sis? What plague am I?” Emily asked, annoyed to even be compared to a ‘plague’.
“I’m afraid you are the real deal, sis- the plague. The Bible calls them ‘boils’ or legions of the skin. Being a physician, you have the expertise to understand how something like that works, so you can not only cure people, but to infect them as well. That is why I expect your weighting in this game might change if Andora and Chronos realize what you really signify.”
“You’re serious about this aren’t you, sis?” Allie questioned. When I looked up at her through my tears, she closed her eyes slowly in understanding.
“I’m deadly serious, Alex. I’ve already lost Ricky Lynn again, and I’m certain we’ll lose the rest of our sisters to this…this ‘game’ in due time.” I answered.
“Mother? I do insist you continue the game. Father does not like to be kept waiting.” Andora urged politely.
“Your father is also forgetful, Andora.” I said in response. “As I recall, I just lost my bishop to him.”
“You made no move against me, Alexandra! Your bishop took it upon herself to engage my pawns!” Chronos barked in anger.
“Mother is correct, father. Under the rules of this game, mother’s side indeed made a legitimate move; therefore it is now your turn.” Andora replied with a look of satisfaction.
“Fine!” Our irritated opponent growled as he placed more pawns on the battlefield. He still had plenty in standby on his side.
Again our level started to sink slowly.
“Alex, I’ll go next. I’m good at being a pest…at least that’s what the Director keeps telling me.” Yuuka said as she took to the air. “Look out below, here comes the swarm! BONZAI!” she screamed as she dove headlong into the hoard of pawns at high speed.
Flying several, high-speed, spasmodic circuits through the crowd, she managed to eliminate a good third of the pawns before disappearing without another sound.
Now I had lost two valuable sisters because of this horrible ‘game’!
“Hmmm. I didn’t think something so small had the power to destroy so many. Brilliant offensive move, Alexandra! I am impressed…though not very.” Chronos goaded smoothly.
Andora remained quiet, but kept a small grin on her face.
Dozens of pawns filled the level below us and the scale tilted against us yet again.
“Alex, you think we’ll go up or down?” Jack asked as she and Cami moved up and stood next to me. “I mean with all the blood already on our hands, I’d expect it to be hell.”
“Why would you ask that?” I asked in confusion.
“Well, the way we,” she nodded to Cami, “see it. You’re running out of pieces. Lt. Commander Jacquelyn Cummins reporting for duty, ma’am.” She said saluting me smartly.
“And Lt. Commander Camille Darough volunteering also, Capt. Steinert.” Cami said as she snapped to attention and saluted also. “Begging the Director’s pardon, ma’am.” She added glancing to Allie.
“Sorry, girls but its Chronos’ move again. You two just moved for me.” I said motioning from where they stood now to where they had been.
“But I already made my peace, Jacki.” Cami whined childishly, complaining to her sister Mind Warrior.
“Such foolish pawns to freely sacrifice themselves for their queens!” Chronos jabbed as he chuckled.
“We aren’t pawns, you ‘Chron-illogical Asshole’, we’re knights! Knights protect the realm and their queen with their very lives!” Cami shouted in anger. “It is an honor to die for a noble cause, Phallus-Cranium!”
“That’s ‘dick-head’, Cami.” Jack said quietly, turning toward her sister and placing her hand to the side of her mouth to shield her correction from our opponent.
“My, aren’t you the aggressive one! Such hostility from so young an adversary. Do you not fear me…- fear ‘Time’, little one?” Chronos amusingly prodded.
“I’m not that fearful. You see, I’ve witnessed almost a thousand years of you, you self-absorbed…”
To Cami’s chagrin Chronos began laughing thunderously. Almost a hundred pawns appeared below us.
Cami and Jack looked out over the crowded second level in stunned silence as our level started to tilt.
“Time to put up or shut up, little pawns. What will it be, Alexandra? Do you wish to forfeit and save your valuable game pieces?”
“As long as I have trust and confidence in my sisters, we shall continue! As much as I feel the need to save them, my sisters have volunteered and availed themselves to my strategies. Like me, they have the utmost confidence in their sisters. LOOSE THE DEVASTATION OF THE NATURAL DISASTERS!” I shouted, dramatically raising my hands high above me. I nodded to Jack and Cami.
“Sick ‘em, girls!” I hissed.
My sisters jumped down, straight into the fray that had become level two.
“Hi, I’m lightning and thunder!” Jack shouted with a crazed look.
“And I’m frozen, spherical precipitation and volcanic activity!” Cami added with the same crazed look.
“That’s ‘hail’ you dumb nerd! Let’s just do this.” Jack said to her sister as both women joined hands and began to concentrate.
A visible shockwave erupted and radiated out from them as they disappeared.
Only twenty or so pawns remained, and for once the scale tilted against Chronos.
“I’m stunned, mother! You just willingly sacrificed your and Aunt Alexandra’s best friends. I would have held onto them for as long as possible.” Andora said as she wiped a tear from her eye.
“Obviously the work of a desperate woman, little one!” Chronos goaded once more. Andora angrily eyed her father.
“I should think it takes a great deal of courage to call upon one’s best friends to give their lives, father! It was an admirable move- quite gutsy if you ask me!”
“No one asked your opinion, little one. Just monitor over the game. That is all that can be expected of you.” Chronos ordered.
“That was rude and cold, Chronos!” I shouted in anger. “Whether she is from my womb or not, no one should be degraded in such a manner! Especially by her own supposed father! Like every other sentient being, Andora has the capacity to do many great things in her lifetime- if such a thing even exists here! She can choose to do whatever she wants…including go out on her own where she can get away from your harsh, demeaning treatment!”
“Ouch! You wound me, Alexandra. Your verbal assault has cut me deeply. No matter through…as I have been rumored to heal all wounds.” Chronos began chuckling at his own pun.
Several hundred pawns appeared from nowhere. Chronos had nowhere near that many on his side of the board.
“Father, where do all these come from? Why do you feel the need to cheat?” Andora cried as her eyes went wide in surprise.
“I do not cheat, little one, I merely call it recovery. While we have been otherwise occupied, my remaining pawns have been ‘busy’.” He replied with a devious grin. “Will you consider resignation now, Alexandra?”
“In some games, hiding face cards would get y’all shot, hun.” I informed my opponent. “I’ll let it slide for now.”
“I’ll go next, Alex.” Sunni said, still on my shoulder.
“Not so fast, hun, I’m saving you for a special mission.”
Emily looked at me strangely then began looking around nervously. Allie noticed.
“I’ll go next, Alex. I’m getting bored with this game anyhow.” My twin told me- the look on her face told me she didn’t really mean what she said.
“I’m sorry, Em, but I need to send in my own flesh and blood next.” I said sadly to her. I completely ignored Allie though. She and I were destined to do something miraculous.
Or so I hoped.
“Are you sure about this, Alex?” Emily asked nervously, her eyes pleading for me to reconsider.
I leaned over to her and whispered in her ear.
“Use your knowledge of diseases to pick the deadliest and most contagious virus you can imagine. Access your future twin’s memories. If it isn’t a strain indigonous to Earth- all the better. We want something that kills on contact within seconds- something that attacks so fast there won’t be time to find an antidote. Can you do that for me, sis?”
“Alex, I’m afraid. I didn’t think I would end up dying here in some strange world…especially on a game board!” Emily whispered in anguish.
“You have to trust me on this, sis. This is only a game- a heinous test to prove some point that I…that we have overlooked in my…er…our development. Take a good look at the woman claiming to be my daughter. Has she once addressed me, or any of us with anything but love and admiration? Except in answer to you once, has she not addressed everyone here other than Chronos with respect? Emily, this is only a simulation – a game in its simplest definition. Just think of this as the only time you can ignore your oath and take revenge- take out your frustrations- your anger- and get away scot-free. As Pa’d say, sis: ‘let them feathers fly, Emmy’!”
“You really think I’ll live through this, Alex?”
“It’s been my observation that anything, even natural death, results in some form of pain. When someone takes a terminal wound to their body, they scream or at least grunt out in pain. Have you heard our sisters cry out as they disappeared from the game board?”
“Now that you mention it, no. They’ve all disappeared without a peep- Jack and Cami with that wild-eyed, crazed, look, and war cry, but nothing indicating pain or even discomfort. You might be right, Alex!”
“You’ll probably wakeup back at the residence and not remember any of this ever happening.”
“You really think so, Alex?” She asked, hope filling her eyes.
“I’d stake my life on it, sis. Now go do your worst to this arrogant asshole.”
“Aye, captain.” Emily said with an evil smile as she set the most intense, evil glare I’d ever seen on our opponent.
“It’s about time, Alexandra! I was beginning to think you might have had a change of heart.” Chronos clucked. “Are you really willing to sacrifice your own sister? One, I might add, that doesn’t bring much weight to this game?”
“I’m not afraid of you, Chronos!” Emily said bravely. “As you mentioned earlier, sometimes the smallest things do the most damage.” Emily vanished from my side and reappeared below me in the center of the hoard of pawns. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, smiled, reopened her eyes and began to blow out her breath, exhaling at the pawns around her.
Instantly those pawns closest to her began to waver and disappear. She repeated blowing her ‘germs’ around the ‘board’ several times.
When Emily quietly disappeared from the game, only five of the two hundred or so pawns remained.
“You cheated!” Chronos spat vehemently, as he looked wide-eyed at the decimation below him. “The Queen Physician was not that powerful a piece. How could someone with little destructive force completely rout my minions? You have cheated Alexandra, and have therefore lost the contest. Little one, do what must be done. Destroy her and her sister! Let me once again, reign unrestricted!” He ranted tyranically. As he did, the few remaining pawns he still had fell down and disappeared one by one.
“I will not, father! Mother’s move was legal and completely explainable.”
“Explainable? How do you explain a piece of near worthless destructive ability annihilating my minions?” Chronos argued vehemently.
“Father, that ‘piece’ as you called Aunt Emily was not the destructive portion of her actual arsenal.” Andora informed him angrily- satisfaction on her face. “As with the Scholar, It is the knowledge she contained that was the actual weapon. As a physician she carried the knowledge needed to eradicate, OR in this case, to design an actual plague- one that apparently had the power to kill ninety-nine percent of your pawns. As you claimed earlier, the smallest things can sometimes be the deadliest. In this case the microscopic…the unseen things have killed the most. The move stands, father!”
“Impossible! I would have been able to cure at least some of my pawns in the time it took her to spread her so-called plague!”
“Not if it was something you had never seen before, honey.” Allie giggled. “You implied that if you had time to find a cure. One worlds’ common cold could theoretically be catastrophic if introduced on another, unsuspecting world- especially if there was no known cousin to compare it to. Our sister certainly pulled the organically-grown, sheared weaving material over your eyes, dear Chronos.”
“That’s wool, Allie. ‘Pulled the wool over his eyes’.” I corrected with a satisfied smile.
“Your move hun.” I said aloud. “Or…would YOU like to resign the game?” I cooed as I noticed the last remaining pawn drop over and disappear from the playing field.
“Great job, Alex! You got him right where you want him!” Sunni said excitedly into my ear.
“Not yet we don’t, hun. I’m still going to need your experience after he makes his next move.”
“My experience? I don’t get it.” Sunni asked, sounding confused.
“What do both of you have in common, hun…um…normally.” I asked quietly as a dozen more pawns appeared out of thin air. Only a few dropped and vanished this time though.
“What do we both have in common? If I’m lucky, nothing, Alex!”
“Think normal-mode and not pixie-mode, Colonel.” I hinted.
“Okaaaay. We’re both guys…um…normally?”
“Right. And did you notice that this whole time he has been staring at us like pieces of meat? You of all people should have picked up on that. You’ve only been female for not even a whole day- or are you becoming accustomed to your present form?”
“Um…ah…maybe?” Sunni squeaked timidly.
I rolled my eyes.
“Dammit, Jim, what would you normally do if you saw eight first-class babes standing right in front of you?”
“I’d try to score with at least one of them, Alex. What red-blooded All-American man wouldn’t…hey, I think I’m starting to get it. You want me to get him horny, right?” she asked, finally getting a clue.
“Almost. I want you to go Jiminy Cricket on him, hun. Start appealing to his masculinity. Get him so worked up that he starts to lust after Allie and I!” I said as a brilliant smile appeared on my face.
“Is that even legal, Alex?” Sunni asked as her mouth dropped open.
“To quote a phrase, ‘all’s fair in love and war’, Colonel.”
I turned toward our moderator. “Andora?”
“Yes, mother, what is it?”
“Would it be possible to send an emissary to work out a diplomatic solution with our opponent to end this game peacefully?” I asked politely.
“Suddenly realized you had no chance to win, my attractive mate? Has my superior intellect and strategies aroused or confused you into submission?” Chronos laughed heartily.
Andora glared at her father. An evil smirk appeared on her lips.
“There is no rule against it, mother. You may send your emissary if you wish, though such diplomatic methods might have little positive effect on father.” She ruled.
“Talk Allie and I up to him as much as you can, hun. I’m sure you know how to do that. If he fails to take the bait, change to ‘plague B’ and take out his remaining pawns.”
“Rodger that, Empress! Count on me, ma’am.” Sunni said as she hovered off my shoulder, turned around and saluted me before shooting off toward Chronos.
“You send a bug to negotiate your surrender? You really must be stymied by my tactical brilliance, Alexandra!”
“I’ll give you time to hear her out, baby.” I said in as sweet and sexy a voice as I could manage.
Andora’s head snapped around and stared at me in surprise.
I winked as I took Allie’s hand. Now that we were linked, she knew everything that I knew. We listened in on Chronos’ apparent one-sided conversation.
“Do you really think so?”
“Of course I find them attractive. Wouldn’t anybody?”
“Yes, noon til night! That’s a stupid question.”
I noticed Andora’s face become confused as her father continued to talk with Sunni for several minutes.
Chronos’ face flushed red suddenly.
“You perverted bug! I thought my disobedient mate and her sister wanted to negotiate terms! Why do you pester me about my intentions after her surrender? Get away from me at once!” Chronos shouted in anger as he waved his hands at our emissary.
Sunni evaded his attempts to swat her from the air several times before she broke it off and nosedived into the remaining pawns.
After several successful passes, she and the pawns disappeared.
“It seems you are in check, Alexandra.” Chronos chuckled as he stepped forward to rebalance the scale.
“Think again, baby.” I said as I accessed my heads up display.
“But you have no more pieces at your disposal- or do you wish to sacrifice your twin sister also.” Our opponent gloated as he leered at us hungrily.
“I assure you, baby, we are nowhere near unarmed.” I purred as Allie and I stepped to the edge of our level.
Chronos closed his eyes slowly as if thinking about some feeling or remembrance.
I squeezed Allies hand twice in rapid succession.
“Can’t we just call a truce and talk things out like adults? Just you and us…man to women, baby?” She purred sensuously.
“Allie’s right, baby. We can do a lot of talkin’ and more if y’all want.”
Chronos’ eyes sprung back open.
“I will win this contest and then have my way with both of you! Resign now or suffer my wrath.”
“I’m afraid we can’t do that, baby. Just agree to negotiate and we’ll help you feel better. Much better. Allie an’ I really know how to make a big…strong…viral, guy like you feel really, really, good.” I said pouring on the sex in my voice.
“How do I know you will not go against your offer?”
“You don’t baby.” Allie said sensuously as she began licking her lips invitingly.
“If I agree to negotiation, you will promise to fulfill your offer?”
“If you agree to negotiate, baby, but not before.” I cooed.
Allie and I keyed our Reilly suits. We were both wearing our original ‘Aryan Empress Outfits’.
Chronos’ eyes almost popped out of his head as he scanned every provocative detail revealed by the translucent fabric.
Andora’s eyes went even wider and her mouth dropped open in shock.
“Like what you see, baby?” Allie cooed this time. “You could have all this for your very own.” She promised with a wink, throwing him a kiss.
“Why don’t we meet in the middle to discuss things, baby. After all, we don’t really want things to go out of balance, right?” I chimed in.
“How do I know that you will do as you say?”
“You don’t, baby. Nothing in life is assured or guaranteed. Y’all are just gonna hafta trust us.” Allie purred.
Chronos remained silent for a while. I could almost picture the debate ‘raging’ in his mind. We could definitely see the debate raging in his tight pants.
“Maybe on the count of three, baby?” I asked sweetly.
He nodded.
“One.” I began to count.
“Two.” Allie continued, licking her lips again.
“Three.” I finished as we reappeared on the lower level. In front of us was Chronos- all six-foot-eight of his muscular, well-developed body, staring at us like a hungry wolf would a flock of unguarded sheep. Even with my highest heels on I felt small and vulnerable.
Allie moved to his left side and I moved over to his right. We both took hold of a muscled forearm and began running our other hand up and down the massive bicep we found there.
“Doesn’t this feel better, baby?” I asked, watching his eyes close slowly.
He nodded, not saying a word.
“So, do you want to negotiate, baby?” Allie asked sweetly as she began kissing the bicep on her side.
“Oh, yes.” He whispered.
“What was that, baby? I didn’t hear you.” I asked sweetly for clarification.
“Yes.” He said a little louder.
“Yes to negotiation, baby? Or yes to more of this?” Allie probed sexily as she continued to place kisses up and down his arm.
“Oh yes.” He exclaimed, looking completely blissful at the moment.
It was my turn to start kissing my muscled bicep.
“So…will you agree to our negotiations, baby?” I purred.
“Yes.” He moaned.
“Are you sure, baby?” Allie asked as she began to rub his well-defined pec.
“Ooooh yessss.” He moaned louder.
“So…” I also began to run my fingers over his other pec. He moaned louder this time. “you’ll submit to our negotiation?” I asked gently.
“ooooohhhhh.”
“Didn’t hear you, baby. Will you submit to our negotiations?” I repeated as I began rubbing my breasts against his arm.
“I’ll submit…yesssss.”
“Say again, baby? We still couldn’t hear you.” Allie purred as she began to rub her breast on his other arm.
“I submit.” He whispered.
“Louder, baby. We can’t hear you over the moaning.” I urged.
“I submit!” He shouted.
“The game has reached its conclusion!” Andora shouted excitedly. We found ourselves standing next to the young woman.
Chronos opened his eyes suddenly, realizing Allie and I had stopped.
“So you resigned! Good, now we can get started in earnest!” He gloated with a very sated smile on his face. He began undressing us with his eyes.
“You lost by resignation, father.” Andora informed him, displaying a satisfied, but devious grin.
“I resigned? I didn’t…I…but Alexandra cheated!” He argued.
“You know better than that, father. There are those that may try, but in the end, no one can cheat you.”
“But…she…and…”
“Father, don’t make yourself look any more foolish, it isn’t befitting.” Andora admonished. “Besides, we both know that you ran out of pawns four moves back. If anyone cheated, it was you, but because mother let it slide, I allowed it. You should be ashamed.”
“All the same, little one, Alexandra took advantage of me. Surely that cannot be legal?” Chronos argued.
“Father, may I remind you that the Empress is the only entity capable of bending- even stopping you- as has just happened. It has been so since…” Andora stopped short. Her eyes sparkled brightly for an instant. “Father, it’s time for you to go on. Thank you for an enjoyable contest and I will join you in due time.”
With a casual wave of Andora’s hand, Chronos was gone.
“Sis, is it me or did she just make ‘time’ disappear?” Allie whispered as she leaned closer to me.
Andora snorted, apparently having heard the comment.
“No one can make time disappear, mother, you should know that.” The young woman giggled pleasantly.
“I thought my sister was your mother and I was the adorable Aunt?” Allie tried to clarify.
Andora began to giggle.
“A minor differentiation for the game, mother- after all, the Empress of Time and Space is still the Empress of Time and Space, is she not?”
“So this…’game’…it was to test me…us…the Empress?” I asked curiously.
“Why mother? Did you find out something about yourself? That’s what tests are all about, right- a way of finding out what you’ve learned- to find out how much you knew about yourself- to find out things that you didn’t realize you knew?” She countered. Her eyes sparkled…actually twinkled a moment as she smiled at us.
“Maybe reminded me of some things, but definitely one thing I hadn’t known.” I answered. “More of a theory, I suppose.”
“Oh, mother? What theory?” Andora looked at me with curious excitement.
I took a deep breath.
“Are you,” I paused to make sure I really wanted to ask. “Are you God…the Almighty…the Creator of All Things?” I rattled off in quick, nervous, succession.
The young woman in front of us began laughing hysterically!
Allie and I looked at each other in confusion.
After a few minutes, Andora composed herself enough to address the question.
“Oh! Oh. Oh, mother, you always knew just how to amuse me. Did you actually think that I…oh…oh, mother! How could you…really?”
“You made your alleged father disappear,” I stated logically. “If we are to believe your father represented ‘time’ and you stated decisively that no ‘one’ can make time disappear, how could time simply go away?”
Allie nodded to confirm my hypothesis.
“How can a woman, originally a man of loving parents, travel time? Moreover, how could that woman bend and twist time to her will- even stop it- if she so chooses?” Andora countered with a question of her own.
Allie and I turned and looked at each other. I had never ventured to think of that scenario. Apparently, we both arrived at the same response.
“You’re saying I’m,” We both spoke as Allie and I pointed to each other. We both continued. “That I am…”
Andora burst out laughing again.
“I…I said nothing at all, mother!” She said as her eyes sparkled brilliant blue- they actually looked like bright blue lights! “The idea of a higher power- an all-seeing, all-knowing being that watches over the sentient species of this reality, is but a construct to easily understand that which defies understanding. To define either of us like that would not be humbling, or accurate.”
“I just thought…that…um…given your…seeming…control over time that…that you might be…um the leader of…of Upper Management, Andora.”
The young woman giggled again, took the few steps toward Allie and I, and kissed each of us on the lips.
“For now, mother, we must part, but we will again spend time together many more times. I so enjoy our meetings.”
“But what about our sisters?” Allie asked gently.
“As you concluded earlier, no one was hurt in this exercise, mother. Travel safe and rule wisely, Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space.”
0800hrs, Pharaoh’s Residence, Egypt, Day 2, 2510BC
“Alex? Alex, wake up! By the Lords, what is going on here?” Anna Beth’s worried voice startled me.
I was back in Pharaoh’s royal dining room.
“Oh, thank the Lords, you’re awake! Alex, you all frightened the life out of me! You all passed out at the same time, I thought something sinister happened. Are you alright?” Anna Beth continued, looking a little more relieved.
“I’m fine, hun; in fact, I’ve never felt better, considering where I’ve just been.” I answered truthfully.
“Where you’ve just been?” Anna Beth repeated, perplexed. “Alex, you and your sisters have been sleeping…here…for the past two hours! Why would you think you were somewhere else?”
“Two hours? Well at least that’s better than one, I guess. At least I was with friends.” I rubbed my face with my palms a few times. I noticed her Physician standing nearby looking completely baffled.
Anna Beth just stared at me in astonishment. “Where do you think you went, Alex?”
“I don’t think you would believe me if I told you.” I said as I noticed Jack starting to lift her head off the table. I noticed Sunni was still out cold, lying, face-first and spread-eagled on the table in front of me.
“Alex? What happened? Why did I fall asleep at the breakfast table?” Jack asked carefully as she rubbed her eyes then wiped her mouth. “I don’t think I’ve ever done that before.”
Ricky Lynn began to stir next.
“Wow, that was the damnedest dream I think I’ve ever had!” She said, scratching the top of her head. “Never played chess in a dream before.”
I couldn’t help it! My head snapped around and I stared at Prof. Samuels in astonishment. Had it really happened?
“Come to think of it, I dreamed I was playing chess too!”Jack began scratching her head as well. “I seem to remember something about a plague…maybe?”
“Oh, my head!” Sunni grimaced, rubbing her tiny forehead as she rolled and sat up on the table Indian style. “Man, twice in one day? Alex? I had this weird dream where I was talkin’ with some big, Muscle Beach-type dude about two hot pieces of ass! They kinda looked like you and Al…ee…” She stared up at me suddenly, her voice breaking into a squeak on the last syllable of my sister’s name. “Alex? What the hell was that all about?”
Anna Beth continued to stare at us with worry- concern plastered on her face.
“Empress? Did you and the others…go…somewhere? Um…because you…you never left here…um…physically.” She asked cautiously.
“I’m…I’m thinking so, your majesty. I think we all went to my domain, and…and played a…a really strange game of chess?” I said as I fought hard to not sound crazy.
“Are you telling us that whacked-out, Alice-in-Wonderland, nightmare actually happened, Alex?” Sunni cried out as she stood up and angrily put her hands on her hips.
“What’s going on, skipper? What happened to us and why didn’t that look like your domain usually looks?” Ricky Lynn demanded.
“Girls, by what I’m seeing in her mind right now, we were definitely not in Alex’ domain- we were someplace else entirely.” Jack said, relating her eavesdropping in my mind. “Who is this Andora, Alex? Is she really another one of your daughters?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Ah got nothin’, Jack. It felt like Ah was there with y’all, but Ah’m not sure Ah wonna admit that just now. If Ah believe my memories though, Ah think we won.”
“Was the guy we were playing against really Time?” Sunni asked as she lazily hovered off the table and stopped level with my nose. “I mean, was he really, like, Father Time?”
“Alex? I remember this Andora calling you mother and him, father. Is there something you forgot to tell us?” Jack smiled tensely.
“Honestly, Jack! Ah’d definitely remember him!”
“Ya, he was ‘hard’ to forget, alright.” She said raising one eyebrow.
“Could somebody please tell me what’s going on?” Anna Beth shouted in frustration.
“Someone…I’m not sure of the relationship…wanted to remind me of what we were and what we can do…how we should conduct ourselves.” I said, not quite answering her question.
Yuuka shot into the room and tackled Sunni in midair- so hard in fact, they both tumbled head over heels several times before coming to rest on the table several feet away.
“Colonel! I am so glad you’re alright! I was worried when I had to carry you up to our room last night. If you were going to get inebriated, why didn’t you exit pixie-mode? You could have easily drunk a hundred times more.”
“Emily said she was drugged, hun. Where are my sisters, anyway?” I told her as Sunni fought to push Yuuka off of her.
A sharp slap across my face told me that Emily had just phased-in beside me.
What an arm!
“Don’t you ever, EVER, make me have to do that again, Alexandra Francis Steinert! My job is to heal people, not kill them with what I know- and how dare you even think of me as one of the ten deadly biblical plagues of Egypt!” Emily seethed in rage.
Again Anna Beth stood and stared, watching in confusion.
“It was the only way to win the game, sis. That was his strategy.”
“Win the game? Alex, we shouldn’t have even been there, let alone been the playing pieces! What the hell was that place anyway?” Emily demanded.
“It was a classroom of sorts, Emily.” Allie said as she appeared on the other side of the table with Cami. “The Empress had to be reminded of her responsibilities and working parameters.”
“We were being tested?” Emily asked in astonishment. “Who would try to test you, Alex?”
“We were fighting against ‘time’, sis. After we won, the one calling herself Andora made ‘time’ vanish.” I explained, slowly shaking my head side to side.
“We don’t know anyone powerful enough to do that.” Allie added to complete my explanation.
“There’s only one I know of, Alex.” Emily said with a look of horror.
“We asked her that and she just laughed, sis, then she more or less implied that the Empress was…” I answered.
“Like that could ever be the case, right?” Allie concluded, cutting me off with a laugh.
“Humility WOULD be an assumed trait of a higher order power, ladies.” Anna Beth interrupted as she bowed before Allie and I.
“Knock it off, your majesty.” I growled. “There is no way that theory would fly! Can we eat breakfast? I’m feeling hungry all of a sudden- like I haven’t eaten in weeks.”
“UHJ!” Anna Beth suddenly shouted out. Her voice echoed through the residence as she called her trusted servant.
Jack and Cami’s heads bowed.
“UHJ! Where is that man? He seems to have disappeared today.”
“Um…majesty?” Jack tried to get Anna Beth’s attention as she shouted the name several more times.
“What is it, Jacquelyn…oh, where is that poor, deaf man?” She answered, though remained distracted.
Jack got up from her seat and, taking Cami’s hand for support as she too stood, faced our hostess.
“Uhj…um…Uhj, he’s…he’s in the grand foyer, majesty.”
“If he’s so close, why won’t he answer when called? What could he be doing that he wouldn’t heed my call?”
Jack and Cami suddenly embraced each other and began to cry on each other’s shoulder.
Anna Beth looked confused and shocked by their sudden loss of composure until her mouth dropped open in realization.
“But…but he was…I trusted... We’ve had each other’s back since the…the early days…before…before Hathor.” She paused in thought, quickly wiping tears away. “No! That cannot be! He wouldn’t…he couldn’t!”
Jack lifted her head off Cami’s shoulder and turned to our hostess.
“He was carrying enough high explosive around his waist to destroy the entire royal suite, majesty. Cami and I are truly sorry, but we had orders to protect you at all costs.”
“We really didn’t want to do it, but according to his mind, he had less than a minute before detonation. Coerced or not, he had to be stopped, ma’am.” Cami added.
“Uhj had to be coerced! He would not do that voluntarily!” Anna Beth declared stalwartly.
“I guess we’ll never know, ma’am. He was a tough one to read- by Jack or me.” Cami replied.
Anna Beth remained silent as she looked at our two distraught Mind Warriors for several minutes.
“Thank you.” She finally managed, placing a hand to a shoulder on each. “You did Khufu and I a great service. I thank you for your dedication and timely defense.”
“Excuse me, mistress, but have you heard news of Aaron? He hasn’t reported to work. I’ve gone to his quarters, looked in his office, and even searched the grounds. I wondered if you knew of his whereabouts.” Sa’ra, the Residence’s Senior Cook asked as she bowed politely.
Anna Beth immediately looked back to Jack and Cami, who nodded sadly again. She inhaled deeply to calm herself.
“I’m afraid Aaron has chosen to resign due to the difficult political climate. He left the Residence early this morning carrying only what was on his person. He did not say where he was going, but I wished him luck and happiness all the same. He shall be missed in our new home.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, mistress. He was a good man- quiet, but good, nonetheless. The entire staff will miss him greatly.” Our cook sighed loudly.
“That being said, what can I make for you ladies this morning?”
We each gave the woman our requests and she hurried back to the kitchen to fill them.
“So…my two most trusted servants deceived me. Alexandra, how do we stand a chance in the procession today? I don’t think I can live with the results. How can I just…just leave knowing the cost? Are you sure we must proceed in this fashion?” Anna Beth asked as she waited for her fresh citrus drink. She wasn’t hungry for obvious reasons.
“The procession must take place. As I said before, the entire population must see Pharaoh, his royal court, and all loyalists approach and enter the tomb. None shall reappear. None shall rea…” I restated prophetically.
A glass shattered on the floor. Sa’ra stood like a statue, her mouth wide open and face pale as alabaster.
“Mistress, I don’t want to die!” She cried as she bent down to start picking up shards.
I stood, walked around the table, gently placed my hand on her shoulder, and urged her to stand.
“No one said that you are going to die. Have you forgotten that from last evening, Lady Sa’ra?” I told her calmly. “Yes, it will be a blood-bath along the processional route, but most of you will be safe inside the temple before that, hun.”
“But you said we won’t exit the tomb! You said ‘tomb’, Empress!” She argued.
“Tell me something, and I want you to be truthful. Do I look like an ‘Empress’, Lady Sa’ra? Do Allie and I act like any noble you’ve ever seen or served?” I asked the frightened woman.
“Had I not witnessed your arrival and departures several times, I would never believe you capable of such miracles, Empress.” She replied.
“Good, because things aren’t always the way they seem, Lady Sa’ra! Here is what I would like you to do. After everyone has had something to eat and cleaned up, have the staff and their families start to assemble here at eight. I suggest packing lightly- as if you were attending the royal family on an all residence holiday outing. You might also gather the supplies needed for such an outing. Understand?” I recommended.
“But if we are going to be locked away in a tomb…”
“Do you trust me, Lady Sa’ra?” I asked the middle-aged woman, seriously. “Have I done anything to lose your trust?”
“No, Empress.”
“Then trust me now, Lady Sa’ra. This turns out better than prophesized. Now leave this mess for me to clean.” I said with a bright smile, holding my hand out to accept the recovered shards.
As our cook hurried back into the kitchen, I reached out, dropped the pieces, and placed my hand above the complete, shattered remains.
“I’ve wanted to try this for awhile now.” I said excitedly. As I focused on the mess, the shards and liquid collected, reassembling as I slowly turned back time- specifically for the glass and its contents. It righted itself then rose off the floor and slowly gained height- exactly the reverse of how it happened originally. As it reached its original start point, I stopped my rewind of time, stopping the glass in mid-air. I then grasped the now completely intact beverage, released my localized, temporal stoppage, and walked back, confidently to the table.
“I believe this is yours, sister.” I said, handing the glass to Anna Beth with a broad, satisfied smile on my face.
“If that doesn’t qualify as showing off, I don’t know what would.” Jack commented jealously- still with a look of amazement etched on her face.
Anna Beth too, stared at me in disbelief, almost allowing the glass to slip from her hand.
Sa’ra appeared with Ricky Lynn’s order and stopped suddenly. She again looked ready to pass out as she looked to the floor where she had dropped the glass just a moment before. She then looked, confounded, at Anna Beth’s hand, before finally looking at me.
“I couldn’t see wasting it.” I said with a big smile as I pointed my finger at the serving tray she had just left fall out of her grasp. It hung there in midair- frozen in time.
The woman remained still and continued to stare at me.
“As I said, hun, things aren’t always what they appear.”
I waggled my finger in a single circular motion and the tray ‘rewound’ until, to her amazement, it was righted again.
“You really should be careful and concentrate on what you’re doing, Lady Sa’ra. I won’t always be around to offer assistance.”
The stunned woman slowly, carefully took possession of the food tray.
“Yes, Empress. Than…thank you, Empress.” She said as tears began running down her face.
“Lady Sa’ra?” I said after she began walking- mechanically- toward Ricky Lynn’s seat.
“Empress?”
“My name is Alex, hun- or Alexandra if you so wish. I’ve told y’all that enough times.”
She gave me a slight nod and a tense half-smile before serving Prof. Samuels’ meal.
“Alex, your nose.” Emily pointed out quietly. “You pushed too hard again, didn’t you?”
“If we don’t push our gifts, we’ll never know or reach our limits, sis. You of all people should have realized that earlier.” I responded as I dabbed at my upper lip.
0900hrs, Pharaoh’s Residence, Egypt, Day 2, 2510BC
“Alex, I think it’s time we started rounding everyone up.” Allie said as we watched the residence staff slowly assemble the requested stores. The pile of foodstuffs slowly grew along the wall nearest the kitchen.
“You get Peyton, Natalia, and the rest of their family. Anna Beth, you go with Allie; I’ll get Alusia and her bunch. Anna Beth, try to get all the staff together after Allie brings you back. Be aware that not everyone will show, instead wanting to take their chances in the crowd.”
“Are you sure about this, Alex?” Anna Beth asked as Allie and I stood and walked to the open section of the dining hall. We separated and put space between us.
“Prof. Samuels? You and Emily front and center, please?” I ordered while motioning them over to Allie and Anna Beth just before I attempted to open my trans-temporal comm link.
‘Alex calling Alusia.” I thought, hopefully opening the link to reach her yesterday.
‘Alex?’ Her voice replied in my mind. “Oh, thank the Gods! I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten us.’
‘Pack some things for a brief trip- not too heavy though. You know the restrictions in place for Meridian. I’ll arrive precisely at 1000hrs tomorrow.” I thought to her.
‘Meridian? We’re leaving in Meridian 12? Wait! Alex, are you sure we’re talking the same time period?’Her concern was very evident in her voice.
‘When I am, the start of Pharaoh’s grand procession into the Sun Temple is an hour away.’
‘But that’s tomorrow morning on my end, Empress.’ She responded.
‘I didn’t want to surprise you. Be ready and see you tomorrow at ten.’ I said as I cut the link.
Reilly Research Station’s Rec Room appeared around me.
RVP, is Carroll Sheldon and Randi Van Pelt on site?” I asked the AI hoping my memories remained correct.
“Affirmative, Alex. Would you like me to notify them as to a possible meeting?”
“Yes, I’ll need them to meet me in my conference room in ten minutes, hun, thank you.”
“Acknowledged, Alex. Both women have been notified and are enroute.”
“Thanks, hun.” I said as I exited the room and headed for the elevator.
“You wanted to see us, Alex?” Carroll asked as she and Randi appeared at the open doorway to my private conference room.
“Come in and have a seat, ladies. I’d like to bounce a few things off you both.”
“Things, Alex?” Carroll asked narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
“I need specifics on the Gaza Beacon from you, Randi, and I need exact calculations from you, Carroll.”
“Sure, Alex, but why?” Randi wondered.
“Here’s what I need to have happen…” I said as I began to set out my plan to them.
A small, dimly lit room appeared around me. I had just arrived in the main equipment room for Pharaoh’s residence. From here the residence’s Meridian control system received and transmitted orders to every other computerized system in Greater Egypt.
“Meridian. Request voice authorization OakRidgeEmpress0816.” I announced as I rephased.
“Authorization for Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space accepted. How may I help you today, Alex?”
“I need you to do a few things for me, hun. Security override, Exodusday1-3-5-7-9-11-12-tango-tango-charlie-rho-omega-phi-tempest fugit- decode, alpha-alpha-omega-7-commit.” I said plainly and without emotion.
“Working…Top Secret security mode enabled, Empress. What is your command?” Meridian asked as her voice became monotone and ‘mechanical’
“First command. Establish communications with Giza Beacon Controller with no local mirror and no annunciation.”
“Communications channel established to GBC.”
“Second command. Jetison Main Transmitter Output WaveGuide protective Lens.”
“Jetison of MTOWGL complete and comfirmed with no local announcement.”
“Third Command. Request status of Sodium Hydroxide reserve and Granular Aluminum reserve.”
“Sodium hydroxide reserve steady at 53%. Refined Aluminum reserve at 67%.”
“Fourth Command. Increase reactant solution mixture ratio to three-point-four-four-one-eight, NaOH to one, Al.”
“Warning! Requested mixture ratio falls well above the established safe hydrogen generation limits! Do you still wish to readjust reactant mixture ratio?”
“Fifth Command. Confirm and initiate.”
“Hydrogen generation reactor component ratio has been reset to requested levels.”
“Sixth command. Disable all local reactant controls and disable all local alarms.”
“Disabling local reactant supply controls and warnings. Manual controls offline.”
“Seventh Command. Increase main transmitter gain feedback to positive-point-nine-nine-nine-nine-six-one-one-nine-six-one-two.”
“Warning! Feedback value exceeds recommended beta feedback limits! Main transmitter oscillation and runaway imminent in four hours and thirteen minutes! Do you still wish to readjust Main Transmitter Beta?”
“Eighth Command. Confirm and initiate.” I confirmed and swallowed hard as I mentally dispersed my doubt.
“Main Transmitter Beta setting can only be adjusted by authorized personnel. Enter valid identification and passcode.”
“Nineth command. OakRidgeEmpress0816, Override infinity.”
“Valid authorization confirmed. Passcode confirmed. Main Transmitter Beta has been reset to requested value.” Meridian Control reported.
“Tenth Command.” I announced, but stopped to close my eyes and nervously wet my lips. I took a deep breath. “Disconnect all Static and Lightning Suppression Devices from Earth Ground except for lightning arrestor at location nearest MTOWGL.”
“Warning! Disengagement of SLSD and MTGL safety systems could result in static or natural potential discharge and possibly cause detonation of hydrogen resonance medium! Valid authorization and passcode needed to disconnect all high potential arresting devices?”
A tear ran down my cheek.
“Eleventh Command. OakRidgeEmpress0816, Override infinity.”
“Valid authorization confirmed. Passcode confirmed. Proceed with instruction?”
“Twelth command. Yes.”
“All high potential arresting devices except those specified have been removed from Earth Ground.”
“Thirteenth Command. Re-enable Local Alarm annunciation in three-point-seven-five hours.”
“Re-enabling Local Alarms in three hours-forty-four-minutes-and thirty-eight seconds.”
“Fourteenth Command. Delete last thirteen command requests from controller log.”
“GBC command log redacted.”
“Fifteenth command. Disconnect remote communication to Giza Beacon Controller.”
“Communication channel to GBC detached.”
I quickly wiped my eyes dry.
“Meridian Control, reassert OS-VUI, OakRidgeEmpress0816, Frank-Oscar-Romeo-George-Ida-Victor-Edward, confirm, Michael-Edward, enable.”
I promptly phased out and moved to my next objective.
A small, but comfortable looking, living room appeared around me. Two, young, teen-aged girls dropped their knapsacks to the floor to my left. Both girls had suddenly stopped, stood straight, and looked to each other.
“Do you feel that, Ana?” The older said, beginning to look around nervously.
“That disturbance and the sudden chill? Yes, what does it mean?” The younger girl, Ana answered, as she too looked around the room, frightened.
I opened my temporal comm link back up.
‘Alusia, I’m here, but don’t want to frighten the kids. Care to warn them I’m by the front door, hun?’ I thought.
“Momma says to get away from the front door, Lexie an’ Ana!” A younger boy of about ten shouted as he ran out of the archway to the rest of the house.
“Lusius, not so loud, and I didn’t quite say that, darling. I said to tell your sisters to stay clear of the entranceway.” Alusia said rushing in after him.
“Why do that, mother?” the oldest, Alexis, asked curiously. “Does this have something to do with the strange feeling Ana and I just got?”
Alusia looked at her two daughters curiously.
“Alexandra has arrived and she does not want to frighten you, so move back toward me and watch.” Alusia told them, motioning for her children to retreat from the doorway.
“Alusia, dearest, what is happening? I heard shouting out here.” Khefra, Alusia’s husband and nephew to Pharaoh asked as he appeared behind her.
“Alexandra has arrived, my dearest.”
“Oh? I don’t see…”
I rephased just inside the front door.
“Wooooahhh!” All three children exclaimed. Khefra wiped his eyes in disbelief.
“Empress. Welcome to our home.” He said as he fell to his knees. His three children followed suit.
“Knock it off, you know that’s not necessary.” I giggled.
“But you are the Empress. Why would you not want homage or respect paid to you?” Young Alexis questioned in confusion.
“Because hun, I’m no different than anyone else. Just because I have a gift, doesn’t mean I should treat anyone, or be treated, differently.”
“You were right, momma, she is amazing…pretty too!” Her boy said staring at me in awe.
“Hurry and get your bag, Lusius. We mustn’t keep Alexandra waiting.” Alusia patted her son’s shoulder gently.
“But Momma, I don’t want to leave! I have friends here that like me. I have a boyfriend.” Alexis looked at me. “Is he coming too, Empress?”
“I’m afraid he isn’t.” I replied sadly.
“Then I don’t want to go!” Alexis huffed and stamped her foot. “You can’t stop me, Empress! Momma says you can’t stop me if I’ve made up my mind!” She shouted as she ran past her Ma and Pa into the back of the dwelling.
“Now where have I seen this before?” I deadpanned as I rubbed my chin several times.
Khefra began to laugh. “I have noticed the similarities many times over the years, Empress. The two are more alike than they will admit.”
“Remember when I told you that you don’t know when to stay quiet, my dear? This was one of those times.” Alusia growled. “We will be ready in a few minutes, Alex. We will be going straight to Meridian I assume?”
“The royal family must be seen in the procession, I’m afraid.” I said sadly.
“You WILL take the children straight to the Spacecraft, Alexandra!” Khefra declared. “There is no compromise in that regard!”
“Then you better catch your oldest before she exits the house from the rear, hun.” I suggested before snapping my fingers and smiling. I walked past the stunned couple noticing that Ana and Lusius were right on my heels. Alusia and Khefra fell in line behind them. We all headed for the dwelling’s back door.
A headstrong Alexis stood frozen in time just reaching for the latch on the rear gate in the small back yard of their home.
“Woooow, Ana, check that out! Lexie isn’t moving! Empress, what did you do to her? Did you turn her into a statue?” Young Lusius bubbled excitedly.
“Alexandra? What did you do to my daughter?” Alusia asked cautiously as she stared at her stationary daughter.
“Localized temporal disruption. I had to stop her before you lost her forever, sister.
“So…there is some grand plan for her, similar to our first meeting?” Alusia asked tersely.
“Yes,” I answered. “I did it to guarantee a family’s continued happiness. As I told a certain someone so long ago, I can only guide someone to make the right choices in their life. I cannot make them do anything they feel strongly against.” I paused as I saw Alusia begin to open her mouth. I now stood next to young Alexis.
“However,” I continued, not allowing her to interrupt. “Her parents can and should do everything possible to ensure her the best possible chance for survival and her future happiness!” I said angrily as I reached out and touched the teen’s shoulder.
Alexis suddenly jumped in fright, her knapsack automatically dropping to the ground.
“I wasn’t done talking to you, hun. Neither were your Ma and Pa. Let’s continue our conversation inside, shall we?” I suggested to the horrified girl- my grip on her shoulder tight and unyielding.
“Lexie, come back inside, dear. It’s become too dangerous to be out in the open. Memphis isn’t as safe as it once was. The grandnieces and grandnephew of Pharaoh are in danger.” Alusia tried to reason with her daughter.
“I don’t want to go, momma! End of story! I’m leaving and going to Abel’s house!”
“Would his parents know you are coming, Lexie?” I asked.
“They don’t have a problem with me staying there. Abel’s father said he’d love to have me stay!” She shouted belligerently.
“And pray-tell, what is Abel’s father’s name, pumpkin?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“It’s Aaron, your hein-ass!” she hissed insolently. “He works for my uncle…Pharaoh!”
“Honey, sorry to break this to you, but your boyfriend’s father was killed this morning as he attempted to assassinate your Aunt and Uncle. The authorities have arrested Abel, his Mother, and siblings in Alexandria where they were trying to board a boat for Crete.
“You’re lying! Abel wouldn’t do that to me! He loves me! He said so!” She shouted.
“Ask your father, hun.” I said nodding to Khefra, who took out his private comm device quickly and tapped its face several times. I released my hold of time as he did so. His mouth dropped open as he read the information on the small screen.
“Alexandra is right, Lexie. Abel’s father is suspected in an assassination attempt of Pharaoh and his queen. He has yet to be found. Abel and his family are being detained in Alexandria pending an investigation.”
“Alex, is Jacquelyn with you?” Alusia asked as her face paled even more.
“Jack and Camille both.” I admitted. “They were on Pharaoh’s protective detail over night.”
Alusia swallowed loud and hard, and greedily snatched her daughter and husband’s hands.
“Get inside! Alexis, you will get in that house this instant, young lady, and you will not utter a peep until told to do so! Now get in there! SCHNELL!” My sister snarled in anger to the girl.
A horrified Khefra broke free of Alusia’s grasp, grabbed his defiant, unmoving daughter roughly about the waist, and carried her, kicking and screaming, back into the house while constantly looking around in paranoia.
“Alex, I didn’t think it had gone so far. What do you wish us to do?” Alusia asked still looking quite pale.
“Let’s get everyone inside. That’s the most important thing right now.” I told her as I tried herding my sister and her two remaining, confused, children to the back door.
Once inside, Alusia kept a tight rein on her oldest while Khefra finished packing. Within minutes we stood holding hands in the small living room- the family’s gear piled in front of us.
“For those of you not familiar with traveling with the Empress, the trip is instantaneous and painless. Please remain holding hands until told otherwise.” I said, giving my standard announcement. Alusia glared at her oldest as she held the teen’s hand tightly.
The brightly lit interior of an Egyptian temple appeared around us.
“Woooooahhh!” Lusius and Ana exclaimed as they looked around in wonder. Even Lexi seemed sufficiently impressed.
“Okay, everyone can let go, now.” I said having rephased us.
“Meridian, have the doctor and chief engineer arrived yet?”
“Yes they have, Alexandra. The pilot and navigator are onboard also.” The ship answered to the kids’ amazement.
“What is this thing, Empress?” Ana asked inquisitively.
“I am the Terran Interstellar Space Probe, Meridian 12.”
“You’re a spaceship?”Alexis asked in surprise.
“I am the Terran Interstellar Space Probe, Meridian 12.”
“Why is it so small?” Young Alexis asked in a snarky tone.
“Looks can be deceiving, hun. You’d best remain silent until you get inside. Meridian, you remember Alusia, right?” I asked.
“Yes I do, Alex. Welcome back, Lady Alusia.” The ship greeted happily.
“You’ve been in this thing, momma?” Young Alexis cried in surprise.
“About seventeen years ago, Lexie.” Alusia said proudly. At first I was reluctant to enter her, but the Empress remained adamant that I come along.” Alusia began to explain before she seemed to get choked up. “It was the greatest decision I’ve ever made. Had I not, none of you would have been born. This marvelous piece of engineering is where my new, wonderful, life started.”
Both young girls sighed almost reverently, while young Lusius wrinkled his nose in disgust. ‘Eeeewww.”
I gave a quick laugh.
“Sister, would you care to do the honors?” I asked as I motioned to the opening outer hatch. Emily appeared and exited, quickly making her way to us.
“Welcome back, Alusia, we’ve been expecting you.” She greeted brightly.
After quick introductions, we all went inside carrying the family’s gear.
“Momma! Are you seeing this? It’s bigger on the inside! How can that be?” Young Lusius cried excitedly as the door opened onto the Bridge.
“Miss Samuels, report.” I said as Natalia, Peyton, and Ricky Lynn stood to attention. Two other people were on the bridge also- Ahm-Shu and a young woman resembling Persephone.
“Aunt Natalia! Sephie, Syth, Uncle Ahm-Shu, Why are you here? Are you coming along with Alexandra too?” Young Lusius interrupted as he ran to his Great Aunt.
“Someone has to navigate and fly her, sweetie. I used to be Meridian’s pilot, but I’m getting too old for the hot seat so I passed it off to Sephie.”
“Miss Samuels?”
“Engineering pre-flight completed, Ex-O- awaiting further orders.” She replied crisply.
“Navigation?”
“Nav sensors cal’d and syncro’d with present day star maps of this sector, ma’am.” Natalia reported professionally
“Thank you.”
“Helm, Subcommander?” I asked loudly.
“Pre-flight complete. Helm standing by, Cmdr Steinert.” Peyton responded.
“Medical.”
“Infirmary is stocked and ready should the need arise, Commander.” Emily answered professionally.
“Meridian, power status.”
“Fuel cells at ninety-seven percent. Full thrust for orbital insertion is available on command, Cmdr. Steinert.”
“Acknowledged.” I responded.
“Wooooow! You’re good, Empress!” Lusius exclaimed excitedly, his eyes wide in wonder as he stared at me.
“While I’m on this ship its ‘Commander Steinert’, son, understand?” I said sternly.
“Yes, ma’am, Commander!” The boy said as he stood to attention and saluted.
“We don’t salute indoors, son.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Lusius shouted.
“Lt. Samuels, you’re on baby-sitting duty till we get back. Make sure that one,” I pointed, threateningly, to young Alexis, “stays put- and keep them all away from the consoles.”
“Wow…thanks skipper. What’d I do to piss you off today?” Ricky Lynn griped.
“Lieutenant, she’s in love with a fugitive, remind you of anyone?” I asked calmly.
“So how old are you anyway, Lieutenant? All of seventeen?” Lexie hissed condescendingly as she regarded Ricky Lynn.
“Just turned a hundred and thirty, sweet-cheeks. Now mind yer elders, yer manners, and take yer seat.” Ricky Lynn pointed to the closest seat. “An keep yer mitts off the console, lest ya want them fancy-painted fingers broke!”
“Alusia, time for you, Khefra, Natalia, Ahm-Shu, and Seph to come with me. Emily, I’m going to need you too.” I said holding out my hands. “Sythia, stay with Lt. Samuels and help keep a watchful eye on your cousins.”
Peyton’s older sister groaned as she glared at her younger cousins.
Once we were linked, Pharaoh’s residence appeared around us. We were in the Dining Hall again. Now it was crowded with the residence staff and their families. Allie appeared a short distance away.
“Excuse me, everyone! At this time I need all families of the on duty staff to join this Alexandra’s hands for transport to the temple.” Anna Beth announced to the crowd, pointing to Allie. “Your loved ones will arrive there shortly.”
“I’ll get the staff’s families and supplies to the temple, Alex. You really need to get Khufu, the Royal family, and the remaining staff to the Temple Prep area.”
“Good luck, sis, I’ll see you in an hour.” I said with a smile. Sadly, I also noticed a certain little girl from last night and her parents were not in the group.
The population of the hall decreased drastically.
“Alex, we are still waiting for my mate and our son to arrive.” Anna Beth said as she came over and hugged Alusia then Khefra, Natalia, Ahm-Shu, and Seph.
“We aren’t anymore, my Queen.” Khufu said as he and Djedefre entered the room.
“I’m sorry, mother; I had some last minute business to take care of.” Djedefre apologized.
“Yes, I’ll bet you did, hun.” I said looking at him skeptically.
“I did, Alex! It is my responsibility to make sure the temple is sealed. The masons wanted paid up front.” Djedefre defended.
“Fine. Are we ready to get this procession started then?” I asked, trying to hide my fear of what was to come.
Everyone remaining in the Dining Room joined hands. The large linen tent set at the beginning of the wide, gracefully curving, cut stone street appeared around us. After moving some people out of the ceremonial litter and a pile of palm fronds, I rephased our large group.
The tent and its occupants- us- seemed heavily protected as all around the tent’s fabric walls, the bright sun revealed the silhouettes of Khufu’s formally dressed royal guards.
“Meridian command crew, formal ceremonial dress.” Anna Beth ordered. Natalia, Seph, and Emily’s clothing changed quickly. Cami, Jack, and I had changed earlier, before I went for Alusia and her family.
The tent flap opened and the captain of the royal guard entered and stood to attention.
“Supreme Administrator; my Queen; the people are waiting.” He said softly as Khufu and Anna Beth stared at what they thought a ghost.
Both looked back to me with thankful tears and bowed. I bowed back.
Captain, have your families been escorted into the temple as instructed?” I asked.
“They have, Empress. Are you sure they will be safe?”
“Safer than we are at the moment, I’m afraid. Have the litter bearers assembled?” I answered.
“Waiting outside, ma’am.” He answered with a wink. “Shall I send them in?”
“Not yet, captain, Anna Beth and I must ready ourselves.” Khufu said as his personal valet handed him his ceremonial headdress.
“I wish my great-great-great grandfather had never designed these audacious things.” He said as he adjusted the two-foot conical headdress so that it would stay put. His valet helped fasten the Pharaoh’s broach around his neck.
“I almost forgot how heavy this thing was.” Khufu complained holding the large round, gold scarab broach in his hand.
Alusia assisted Anna Beth with her own headdress and royal broach.
“Does this make my head look too big?” Anna Beth wisecracked nervously.
“Wow, you really do look like a bonified Queen, hun.” I giggled as I reached into my small, linen purse, pulled out my mission broach, and placed it around my neck.
Anna Beth looked at me like I had just found her guilty of high treason and sentenced her to hang!
“Oh, so you found it.” She said quietly, nodding to the broach.
“And I think it’s absolutely beautiful, hun, thank you both.” I said with a bright smile.
“Something is missing though, Empress.” She said looking me over several times. She began to motion a hand to her head.
“Okay, I get it,” I said getting her meaning. Reaching into my purse again, I pulled out my tiara and placed it carefully on my head. I quickly turned it on and checked the power level. Both pieces of finery indicated ‘Fully charged’.
“Are we ready now, my Queen?” I asked restlessly.
Khufu’s mouth dropped open as he stopped fussing, turned, and gazed at me. Anna Beth elbowed him quickly.
“Have them enter.” Khufu ordered the captain of the guard as he and Anna Beth stepped up into the ornately decorated, white linen canopied litter. Anna Beth looked around to me momentarily, the look of uncertainty very evident.
Four very strong, strapping, young men I recognized as groundskeepers entered the tent and took position on each of the four poles of the litter.
The conveyance began to lift off the ground on its own and the four men looked around in shock.
“We thought you guys could use a little help.” Jack said as she and Cami smiled deviously. Hovering to a suitable height, all four cautiously stepped under his assigned pole. The royal litter settled down gently onto their shoulders.
“Jack, I want a protective shield around the whole group as soon as everyone is out in the open. Cami, you’re on surveillance. I want to know the instant you pick up any intrusion close to Jack’s barrier. I want the Royal guard notified and protected too, Jack.
“Aye, ma’am!” They both chorused.
“Emily.” I said pulling her over to the side. “That young girl from last night- you remember her?” I asked.
“The brave one?”
I nodded. “Scan the crowd for her. She and her parents will be somewhere near the halfway point. Something will happen and we need to…”
“I saw the same thing, sis. I’ll alert Cami the instant I find her.” My sister assured with a smile. I nodded.
‘Jack, Cami, testing, one, two, three.’ I thought.
‘Read you loud and clear, Alex.’ Jack thought back.
‘Transmission received and acknowledged.’ Cami thought to me.
I nodded to each of them. “Ready, my Queen.” I said with a bow.
Anna Beth rolled her eyes at me. “Onward. Pharaoh grows impatient.” She commanded royally, but couldn’t help giggle nervously.
Khufu rolled his eyes at his mate.
The side of the tent opened wide and Pharaoh’s royal litter began its long, danger-fraught progress up the two percent grade to the Sun Temple. Djedefre, Khefra, and Ahm-Shu fell in directly behind Khufu and Anna Beth. Natalia, Persephone, and I followed. Emily, Alusia, then Cami, and Jack fell in line behind us.
As we exited the large tent, three of Pharaoh’s guard preceded the Royal Litter and the rest of the Royal Guard lined up on either side and peeled off to form an equally spaced, moving barrier at the curbs of the wide Causeway. When I looked back I could see that the attending staff members had fallen in behind my sisters.
“And so starts the final journey of Khufu, Great Pharaoh of Egypt.” I whispered sadly to myself.
“Is it really going to be that bad, Alex?” Sunni asked from my right shoulder. I had almost forgotten about the two pixies.
“Like leading lambs to slaughter, Colonel.” Yuuka answered from my left.
‘Cami, have all the staff cleared the tent yet?’ I thought to her.
‘Aye, commander, the royal procession is clear of all obstacles.’
‘Deploy the shield, Jack. Be ready to drop it temporarily on my command.’
‘Aye, commander, on your order.’ She acknowledged.
“Pixie One and Two, you are cleared for takeoff. Good hunting, ladies.” I said quietly. My tiny sisters immediately took to the air, circled me once, and quickly vectored off in opposite directions.
I began to concentrate on what I would have to do. It was going to push my gift far beyond anything I had done to this point.
‘Commander, we have incoming at three o’clock- a small explosive round- half a kilo.’ Cami reported as I quickly enabled my suit’s tactical display. ‘Commander…orders?’
Already?
‘Standby.’ I thought to her calmly.
I waited until the projectile was almost on us.
‘Now Jack. Drop the field now!’ I thought as I triggered my own gift.
The projectile’s tell-tale smoke trail passed harmlessly straight through the Royal carriage and impacted into the crowd on the spectator side of the Processional Causeway. A large explosion and screams assaulted our ears immediately.
Anna Beth’s head snapped around to me in terror.
‘Shield up.’ I thought back to Jack. ‘And please tell the queen to remain regal and not show her fear.’
‘Alex, what in the world did you just do?’ she thought back.
‘What I have to do to make this right.’ I answered simply.
Two minutes later, Cami reported another small shell inbound from the Cliffside. Again Jack dropped her shield and I partially phased out our large procession. As before, the ordinance passed right through us and exploded into the unsuspecting crowd on the left side.
A tear slowly rolled down my cheek at the carnage happening around us.
“Why don’t they give up, Alex? They have to know there is no way to win.” Emily asked sadly.
I angled my head back to her.
“It won’t stop till they deplete their arsenal or Pharaoh is dead. This is just the beginning, sis.” I answered with disappointment.
“Alex, your nose.” Emily replied as her eyes bulged. “Don’t do it, sis.”
I turned back around. Immediately, my HUD alerted me of more target locks.
‘Incoming, three and five!’ Cami reported in the same instant.
Again Jack and I repeated our sequence. Once again many innocent people along the Causeway lost their lives.
Once more, I felt a tear trickle down my face. I also felt a warm liquid on my upper lip. My tongue immediately went to investigate…more blood. My hand quickly removed the evidence.
“Alex, there’s a landmine dead ahead!” Emily shouted. She was apparently really tuned into her gift at the moment.
“Damn, not fast enough!” Cami spat angrily out loud.
The explosion, though deflected, opened a hole in the Royal guard directly ahead of Pharaoh’s litter. Two men had instantly lost their lives. Another lay critically injured. It was enough to stop our procession and also left us exposed.
As the Captain of the guard checked the third man’s vitals, Allie suddenly appeared, motioned for him to step away, looked at our procession momentarily, placed her hand on the severely wounded man, and vanished.
‘Cami, ‘Warrior’ mode.’ I heard Jack say in my mind. I looked back in time to see Jack and Cami’s linen gowns become full-fledged Xena costumes. Xena? Where did I get that from, I wondered?
Both women jogged past us and took up position ahead of the Royal Litter bearers. All to our royals’ amazement.
From the perspective of the crowd, the two deceased guards’ dual weapons flew magically into each of our Mind Warriors’ awaiting hands. Jack and Cami spun the newly acquired weapons in front of them extremely fast for several seconds before placing them over their shoulders, crisscrossed, on their backs like dual-wielding battle swords.
The rattled, but astonished captain of the guard nodded his head at Jack and ordered us to proceed. We all moved off to the side to avoid the deep crater left by the explosion.
I tried not to look at the remains and bloodstained stones as I carefully walked past them. More tears escaped my eyes. I hadn’t been quick enough to protect our forward guard this time.
One hundred yards further along the inclined, stone Causeway, several large blocks lifted up magically then re-settled themselves after a medium –sized object floated out and up. Jack immediately reached over her back, pulled one of her newly acquired weapons, and pointed to the sharply climbing object. A burst of blue plasma fired from the tip of the ceremonial weapon. An explosion high overhead signified Cami had found another landmine.
‘Incoming on our six!’ Cami shouted in my head.
‘Now, Jack.’ I thought quickly.
The strange feeling of something flying directly through me indicated that I was successful in my phasing this time- and that a new weapon had found it’s way into the dissidents’ arsenal. This rocket had a temporal distortion generator!
According to the smoke trail, the projectile had veered off course to starboard and explosively impacted somewhere below on the Cliffside.
“Alex, I found her!” Emily alerted me excitedly as I wondered how many of these new ‘temporal’ weapons Cleamson had built and left behind.
“Alex, I found the little girl from last night! Her parents…they didn’t make it.” Sunni reported. I hadn’t felt or seen her land on my right shoulder.
“Head back to her and cover Emily.”
“Rodger that, Empress One.” She said before quickly flying off. Emily had already phased out and was probably half way to the girl by now.
‘Alex, Emily just rephased at the site of that previous explosion. She found a little girl! She’s in bad shape, Alex. Emily said she’ll do what she can, but the girl needs the Infirmary.’ Cami reported.
‘So noted. Divert Dr. Scott to Meridian, ASAP.’ I ordered.
‘Aye, Commander. Empress Two is on the scene. We have more incoming, Alex- three-sixty!’
“Shit!” I growled as I phased us out instantly. This time I varied my phasing in a rolling, repeating fashion, just in case.
All around us Jack’s shield, which I hadn’t ordered her to drop, glistened and pulsed with a bright bluish hue. Anna Beth looked around at me from her seat high up in the Royal Litter. Her face betrayed her fright, but also showed her astonishment by the sudden light show. She quickly faced forward again.
I counted ten exhaust trails crisscross our location; half exploded into the crowds to our left.
Pharaoh Khufu and Queen Anna Beth remained regal and indifferent as the procession continued closer to ‘safety’. I knew they were far from being calm and indifferent at the moment.
Again, I wiped my upper lip dry of the blood that I felt there.
Several more paving blocks lifted along several yards of Causeway ahead of us. This time, though, an explosion went off a hundred or so yards off and below on our left.
‘Found the owners of that one.’ Cami thought to me. ‘Thought I’d return their property to them.’
Dual, blue plasma balls flew from in front of Pharaoh and vectored off behind us. Two explosions, one on either side of the Causeway echoed back.
‘Scratch ten more bad guys.’ Cami thought. There was a definite sadness in her voice though.
We were now over half way to the temple. I looked around to see how the staff was doing, only to find my premonition confirmed. The group had thinned.
‘We lost some people.’ I thought.
‘Assassins, Commander. Every time Jack lowers her shield a couple more get jumped.’ Cami thought back.
‘Jack, keep the shield up around all of us.’
‘But, Alex…’
‘That’s an order, commander.’
‘Aye, Cap.’
‘More incoming! Small arms fire only!’ Cami shouted.
Again the shield protecting us shimmered and pulsed as I took us slightly out of phase just in case. Jack’s shield twinkled as the projectiles hit and vaporized.
‘Heavy ordinance incoming!’ Cami cried out in my head.
“I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!” I shouted angrily.
The world around our processional group seemed to slow down noticeably. It then stopped.
Cami, can you take care of those shells, please?” I shouted.
Twenty explosions erupted overhead from all sides.
Anna Beth and Khufu turned to stare down at me. Their expressions reflected both fear and admiration. Anna Beth’s mascara was starting to streak badly. I called for her personal maid and asked her to repair the smudges.
“But Empress…what has happened to the onlookers? Why is no one moving?”
“Because I’ve stopped time for them- something I can’t do for very long. I suggest you fix Anna Beth’s face before I pass out.” I answered with a warning.
“At once, Empress.” She said as she scurried up to the litter.
The woman quickly, but carefully reapplied Anna Beth’s makeup after being assisted onto the litter by either Jack or Cami and stopped as she passed me on her way back to her place in line.
“Empress, you bleed heavily from the nose!”
“The sooner you get back in line, the sooner I can restart time around us, and we can get this procession going again, hun. Please…hurry back.” I more or less pleaded.
Finally, I left my grasp on time relax. I quickly brought my arm up to my face to let my suit remove and recover the blood from my face.
Time began moving again.
‘Alex, Ricky Lynn wants to know ‘what the hell just happened’? She reported that Meridian’s temporal anomaly sensors just went wild.’
‘Tell her it couldn’t be helped, Jack. Too many incoming, too fast. I had to buy us some time. Get the procession going again, hun.’ I thought back.
Apparently my stoppage of time had bypassed the temple. Something I hadn’t intended but had pondered briefly.
We began to move again.
We were now three quarters of the way to the temple.
‘Commander, we have…’
‘Got ‘em, hun.” I interrupted as Jack’s shield lit up in a pulsing, bright bluish glow again. I now felt the strain beginning to take its toll on me. If only one of my sisters was close by so I could ask permission and link to their energy.
“Alex, Jacquelyn suggested you take my hand, sister. You have my permission to supplement with my reserves.” Alusia said as she grasped my hand firmly.
Nodding, I imagined a valve with her name on it and opened it a quarter turn.
Alusia cried out in pain. I immediately eased up the draw from her.
“No, Empress, if you need so much you are more than welcome, please take what you need. It is the least I can do for you.” She assured me with a tight little smile.
I notched the imaginary valve open one more click. Alusia noticeably flinched as she felt the increase. Though it didn’t help that much, I was grateful she had agreed to help.
My HUD showed five target locks in five different directions. I had to try something else- something I had been tossing around in my brain since this whole deadly procession started.
What if, I surmised, I could stop time for individual objects, such as a rocket grenade or some other ordinance? If I stopped time in their specific locality for just long enough, I might cause them to pass harmlessly- in relation to us in the procession- behind us?
I decided to try.
Pointing to each individual projectile, I commanded them to stop before hitting Jack’s shield.
Alusia gasped as she looked into the sky around us.
“Mein Gott, Alex, was machst du? Ich hätte nie gedacht, Sie so viel Macht geboten. Wussten Sie eigentlich aufhören Zeit wie sie sich auf diese Raketen? (My God, Alex, what are you doing? I never thought you commanded so much power. Did you actually stop time as it relates to those rockets?)” She cried out in German.
Ignoring her astonishment, I watched my HUD to see when it was safe to release.
Five rockets fell into the crowd and detonated on the port side of the Causeway behind us.
I had to use my newfound talent several more times before we arrived at the temple steps. Doing that actually allowed me to conserve some energy.
Fervent applause from the loyalists keeping close to the temples base filled our ears as we neared and stopped at the bottom of the temple staircase. Cami and Jack now ascended the granite steps and took their places on the same pedestals they had occupied yesterday. Their stoic expressions when they turned in unison and stared down at the crowd even frightened me! Both my Mind Warriors were well past pissed and eagerly, impatiently awaited my order to rein down Valhalla on all the ungrateful insurgents. Somehow, I knew they had been keeping tabs on every one of them and their locations!
All I would have to say would be…
Even thinking that would extinguish hundreds- if not thousands of lives- innocent or otherwise.
Once stopped at the base of the steps the Royal Litter gently raised off the four bearers’ shoulders. They stepped out from under the poles and Pharaoh and his Queen gently settled to the ground. Khufu cautiously stood, looked around, and stepped down. Offering his hand to Anna Beth, her visibly shaking hand gently took his and Pharaoh helped his Queen off the litter.
I felt a tug on both earlobes. “Pixie One and Two have returned to the hanger and are standing hot for further instructions, Empress One.” Sunni reported. I nodded slightly in acknowledgement. Alusia and Natalia walked forward and joined their husbands.
“Thank you, my loyal employees,” Khufu said, deeply saddened as the staff gathered between him and the steps. He looked to the litter bearers.
“At this time I give you four a choice.” He removed his ornate headpiece and assisted Anna Beth to remove her’s. They were placed back on the litter reverently. “You and your families are welcome to come with us to our new home, or you can take this reward and settle outside the strife that will become Egypt. Anna Beth and I will not feel insulted or resentful either way. We all understand that your decisions are your own and respect whichever option you select.” Khufu said then approached each young man and embraced them before climbing back onto the Royal carriage and lifting the bench’s cushion.
All four pairs of eyes burst open in wonderment of the riches hidden within. Two of the men visibly shook their heads, stepped back, and looked through the crowd of family gathered, choosing to reunite with their families instead of accepting the riches. The other two men began stuffing the revealed treasure into any pockets or space they could find. Having no more room, they cautiously, but quickly slunk off and disappeared through the staff into the onlookers beside the stone Causeway.
Khefra and Djedefre now motioned for the gathered staff to proceed into the temple. As they passed, the family members that choose to remain outside rejoined them. The un-reunited family members began to cry and wail loudly realizing they had been widowed or orphaned.
Anna Beth’s head bowed in sorrow and she began wiping tears from her face.
“Please,” Khufu urged. “Everyone coming with us…into the temple. Once through the gateway you will be escorted to safety.
“But my wife,” asked one man, tears visibly rushing down his face?
Khufu dropped his gaze to the granite beneath his feet.
“I’m so sorry, sir. There were heavy casualties.” He apologized to the man.
My gift AND HUD lit up like a Christmas tree!
“NOOOOO!” I shouted at the top of my lungs as I turned toward the oncoming assault.
Again, all munitions stopped! To my surprise, the remnants of my shout echoed for some time.
Hundreds of exhaust trails hung, frozen in time, on their course headed straight for us.
Everyone inside the protective barrier gasped at the spectacle and stopped what they were doing.
“ITS ARCADE TIME, SIS!” Jack shouted in gruesome excitement from higher above us. Both retrieved their dual weapons and started shooting ‘Rambo-style’. Where did I get that reference?
Warheads started exploding in the air over us.
“Like fish in a barrel!” Cami shouted back evilly.”When will these losers understand that they’re just urinating us negatively?”
Jack just laughed as she continued firing. “I know, right?”
“Ladies and gentlemen please hurry into the temple. You will be safe inside.” Khufu pleaded.
“We’ll also be dead, old man!” Someone shouted angrily.
I turned around and glared directly at the insolent male voice. Though I knew it was fear driving him, I felt my temper start to rise. With my heightened anger, I felt an unexpected surge of energy fill me.
“You are here with Pharaoh! Either way you will be dead! Your only choice is whether it will be a painful death here in Egypt or a peaceful, natural death after many years in your new home!” I growled loudly- my voice echoing eerily. “Choose now, before I loose time on this place once more!”
The young man’s face paled noticeably as he looked at me in horror. What? Did they think it was a natural phenomena- time suddenly stopping around them?
“Don’t be an ass! Get into the temple!” I shouted as I felt my mysterious surge of energy start to balance out. I also started to feel lightheaded.
“Alex! Your ear- it’s bleeding!” Yuuka shouted from my left shoulder. I had already opened both Pixie’s valves more than three quarters.
“Oh God, Alex, you have to back off! You’re gonna die if you don’t!” Sunni shouted frantically.
“Not until everyone is safe inside.”
People began to run up the steps and into the temple.
“Get inside girls. Help oversee Meridian’s loading.” I said softly to the pixies on my shoulders. I made a mental note to apologize for shouting. Yuuka and Sunni shot from my shoulders and headed straight for the temple gateway. I immediately felt the load increase drastically and released time for the shattered ordinance.
Once again bluish pulses lit up Jack’s shield as the shards and shrapnel fell into it and vaporized.
I turned around to face the throngs that had gathered for the procession. Using my HUD, I monitored the progress of people entering the gateway.
“Alex,” Khufu said as I felt him touch my left shoulder. I felt him move my hair away from my ear and inhale deeply, suddenly. There was a delay before he said anything else. “I’d like to say something to the people before our departure.”
“I saw as much, sire. Let your followers find safety though, before the final act commences.” I told him without the slightest emotion. It was taking almost everything I had to maintain consciousness, yet I still had one miracle to pull off.
“Mother, I don’t think you should be down here! You should be in the temple.” Djedefre argued from behind us.
“I will not leave your father’s side, Djedefre. This is where I belong.” Anna Beth argued back.
“Then here is where I shall stay- beside my mother and father- to the end!” The young man countered tenaciously. Anna Beth and Djedefre passed on my right while Khufu passed on my left. They moved closer and joined hands in front of me.
‘Alex, all passengers are safe within the temple. Alusia, Natalia, and Peyton are proceeding with boarding’, Cami reported in my mind. I noticed her volume was lower than usual.
“Sire, all passengers are safe in the temple.” I alerted the Supreme Administrator.
The noise from the crowd was mixed. Crying, moaning, shouts of anger, and a few cheers filled the air around us.
Everyone in visual range reached for his or her foreheads as everything quieted.
“My people,” Khufu began, “As of daybreak this day, I have resigned my position as Supreme Administrator of this great society. It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I now follow my assigned path and begin my journey into the heavens. I pray that everyone finds the life that I have not been able to provide you. I bid you all farewell and good fortune in all endeavors. May all your families find peace and strength in the upcoming years.”
The majority of the crowd began to shout obscenities and throw things at us. That quick turn of attitude stabbed my last nerve.
I rudely pushed myself forward between Anna Beth and Djedefre and stopped several steps in front.
"YOU ALL SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!" I shouted.
Several shouts of ‘shut up, whore’ emanated from the crowd nearest us. It only irritated me further!
Something inside me snapped as another rush of, what I could only call ‘raw power’ surged within me.
I raised my hands over my head.
"YOU ARROGANT! STUPID! MORTALS!" I hissed at the top of my lungs. The eerie echo of my voice sounded malevolent, frightening. Even to me!
My hands began to tingle.
The sky grew darker and took on a light red hue. Dark, forbidding, clouds quickly developed above us and as far as the eye could see.
"YOU HAD EVERYTHING YOU WANTED, YET YOU ARE BLIND- IGNORANT OF THE BOUNTY BEFORE YOU!" I continued as my frown deepening into a scowl. Light, in general, seemed to slow further as my anger increased. The clouds overhead thickened and became darker- more foreboding as I glared out upon these fickle, greedy, creatures.
"DESPITE BEING COMFORTABLE, YOU WANTED MORE AND LOOKED TO A FALSE PROPHET TO PROVIDE IT! HOW FOOLISH YOU HUMANS ARE!" The sky darkened more and now cast a blood red hue on everything under the solid black, thunderclouds.
I began hearing cries of anguish and screams of terror escaping these inconsequential beings gathered before me. I could smell the fear I was evoking from them!
"HOW DARE ANY OF YOU CONDEMN THE ONE MAN THAT HAS ADVANCED THIS KINGDOM BOTH TECHNICALLY AND SOCIALLY? IT IS UNLIKELY ANY OF YOU HAVE EVER TRULY FACED THE WRATH OF YOUR SUPPOSED GODS, BUT I NOW PROVIDE A SAMPLE!" My anger raged higher.
“By the Lords! Alexandra, what…what are you…what are you doing?” Anna Beth’s frightened, quivering voice cried quietly from behind me.
"HOW DARE YOU INSULT THE GOD-MADE-MAN STANDING BEFORE YOU?" I hissed! "HE WAS LIVING RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSES AND YOU NEVER BOTHERED OR CARED TO NOTICE! HOW COULD ANY OF YOU PLACE CONFIDENCE IN A COMPLETE STRANGER PROFESSING HIMSELF A PROPHET OF THE OLD GODS!"
"YOU KNOW NOTHING OF THE OLD ONES!"
I felt my eyes blaze into the ignorant heathens gathered before me. Lightning began to arc from the jet-black clouds. Thunder echoed loudly across Egypt.
"I…" As the words began to form, I felt my expression change once more- the corners of my mouth curling up into what I assumed to be a very malevolent smile.
"I AM NOTHING LIKE THE SUPREME ADMINISTRATOR- YOUR LIVING GOD- YOUR PHARAOH, YET IT IS POSSIBLE FOR ME TO SLOW AND STOP THE SUN’S LIGHT FROM REACHING EARTH. IF I CAN ACHIEVE THIS, THINK OF WHAT KHUFU IS CAPABLE OF!" My voice now resonated from all around me echoing across the crowd.
The sky was almost black and still darkening. The lightning and thunder increased and began striking the ground all around us. I noticed hundreds of people on the fringes of the crowd running for their lives in terror.
"BUT…YOU’VE ALL MADE YOUR CHOICES. ONCE AGAIN THE GREED OF THE MINORITY HAS INFECTED THE MASSES."
The sky was now black. The lightning suddenly stopped. A bluish light cast an eerie shadow in front of me as I continued. Jack and Cami were doing their best to illuminate our immediate area.
"IN THE FUTURE, BE WARY OF THOSE CALLING THEMSELVES ‘PHARAOH’ AS NOT ALL WILL REPRESENT THE IDEALS OF THE GODS, AS THEY WOULD CLAIM. REMEMBER THIS DAY WELL, FICKLE CITIZENS OF EGYPT! REMEMBER THE DAY PUBLIC PRESSURE, VIOLENCE, TREACHERY, AND GREED MADE A GOOD AND FAIR LEADER RESIGN HIS OFFICE!"
"ALSO REMEMBER THAT I, ALEXANDRA, EMPRESS OF TIME AND SPACE WILL BE WATCHING!"
"FOR ALLYOUR SAKES, DO NOT ANGER ME FURTHER!"
The speed of light re-established itself; the clouds quickly dispersed, and the sun once again shone across the land, though oddly its glow was not so bright- its warmth strangely absent.
My arms lowered. My body now felt tired, heavy, and my mind seemed on the cusp of consciousness. Fighting those feelings, I turned. The Royal family quietly yielded in outright fear as I silently walked back through them. Slowly, carefully, I ascended the finely polished, granite steps. When I reached the landing, Jack and Cami were staring at me in something well past terrified astonishment. Wearily nodding to each of them made me feel very lightheaded as my head began to swim.
My vision began to narrow as I proceeded through the gateway and down the long passageway to Meridian’s ‘throne room’. I felt warm tears slowly cascading down my cheeks and dropping from my chin- the metallic taste upon my tongue told me these were not actual tears, but something far worse.
When had they decreased the ship’s exterior lighting?
Feeling on the verge of blacking out, I made a crucial decision.
“Meridian, medical emergency outside the ship.” I said before darkness fully engulfed me.
When last we left Alex, she was calling for assistance just before losing consciousness. Will the Empress and her sisters succeed in relocating the deposed Egyptians to a new home? Has Alex unlocked another facet of her gift that will finally allow her to apprehend Clemson? If so, at what cost? Read on to see if the Empress of Time and Space can triumph over evil once again.
1211hrs, Temple of the Sun Complex, Egypt, 2510BC
“Alex! Alex, can you hear me?”
Was that Emily calling for me? Her voice sounded so far away, and what was with the darkness? Why had Meridian turned off her exterior lighting?
“Doctor, what happened?”
“Meridian alerted me to a medical emergency outside the hull, captain.”
‘Oh no, one of our passengers has been injured! I should go see what happened. They may need my help, sis,’ I said, but they were apparently too far away to hear me.
“How bad, Doctor?”
“I haven’t finished my examination yet, captain. She seems to be unresponsive though.”
‘The patient must be really bad. I’d never heard Emily’s professional voice sound so concerned.’ I wish I could see where they were so I could help.
“Captain, her cerebral cortex. I’m detecting severe hemorrhaging in multiple locations!” My sister whispered.
‘We better get that patient to the infirmary. I’d like to help, but I don’t know where they are.’
“What happened to her?” Another, far away voice whispered.
‘What a nice sounding voice. Very forceful- very commanding,’ I thought to myself. I liked this man’s voice. I wonder who he is?
“She pushed herself way over her limits, sir. Allie, we need to get her to sick bay on the double.” Emily mumbled.
“I’d like to, sis, but I can’t transit into Meridian, her shielding won’t allow me to phase through her hull.” Allie said from somewhere far off.
‘Hi, sis.’
I really wish I could find them so I could help.
“Then we do this the old fashioned way.” That rich, wonderful, male voice said.
My head started swimming. Wow! His voice really did make me swoon!
“Khufu, be careful! We need to immobilize her head to avoid further damage.” Emily insisted from far away. They must have been on the other side of the temple somewhere.
‘I better hurry and find them so I can lend a hand.’
“Alex, you need to remain still!”
‘But I should be helping with the patient. Time means everything in these cases.’
“I’m warning you, Alex, if you don’t relax and stop fighting us, I’ll have to knock you out!”
‘But you need my help! I’m hurrying, sis!’
“I warned you, Alex! I told you not to move! Now you leave me no choice; its time to say nightie-night!”
‘What? No! I…Oh, I feel so tired all of a sudden...Nightie-nigh…’
Intensely bright light assaulted my eyes as I came to. I tried to raise my hand to shield them, but found it restrained. Since that didn’t work I tried blinking a few times.
That only made things a thousand times worse. Apparently my eyes had already been closed.
A ‘beeping’ sound filled the air of wherever I was. What was going on? Where was I?
I tried my other arm to no avail. Why am I strapped down? Had I been captured? Had I even been anywhere to get captured?
“So how is our hardheaded patient, Doctor?”
Was that Anna Beth’s voice? She still sounded so far away.
“What’s going on, Emily? Anna Beth?” I demanded.
“Settle down Alex, you’re in Meridian’s infirmary. You’ve suffered severe hemorrhaging to your brain. You need time for what nanos you still have to repair the damage. Why didn’t you take my advice and not push so hard? Are you in that much of a hurry to scramble your brain?”
“I did what I had to do.” I told her.
“What did she say, Doctor?”
“She said she did what she had to do, captain. I think. Her speech center is still pretty scrambled.” Emily mumbled. “This is the first she’s said since I found her.”
“Empress, you had no right to sacrifice yourself on our behalf!” The tearfilled, yet shaken, voice of Anna Beth declared. “Still, I humbly thank you for your efforts and dedication. You are a true friend and valued ally. Should I still call you friend, Empress?”
“Huh?”
The blinding light dimmed and I think I felt someone kiss my forehead?
“Heal thyself, Mighty Empress. Let your humble servants do your bidding for now.” Anna Beth said just above a whisper. Why wouldn’t any of them come closer so I could actually hear them- and who just kissed me?
“As you wish, your majesty.” I responded with a giggle.
“Could you make that out?”
“I think, ‘as you wish, something’.”
“You are truly the enigma, Empress.” Anna Beth laughed nervously from across the room.
“Keep me up to date on her condition, doctor. I’ll go update our Mind Warriors. Jacquelyn and Camille have refused to leave their posts until the Empress is out of danger. Djedefre also refuses to seek shelter in Meridian. ”
“Aye, captain.”
“How’s your patient?” I asked.
“What?” Anna Beth asked, just above a whisper.
“I think she asked how my patient was, captain. You go on, ma’am, I can handle this one.” Emily paused for the longest time.
“Alex, you’re the patient, you crazy, hardheaded, blonde! You pushed yourself way past your limits and popped a few dozen blood vessels in that stubborn brain of yours! When I arrived you were bleeding from your ears, nose, and, eyes. Alex, your nanos are almost completely depleted.” Emily mumbled. Why wouldn’t she come closer so I could hear better?
“My flask. In my purse.” I told her.
“Alex, your flask is empty. Where did it all go?” Emily asked in a whisper.
Where did my supply of nano charged water go, I asked myself? Oh, that’s right.
Oh, man did my head hurt!
“I gave the last of it to that little girl, last night.” I told my sister.
“You what? Alex, when did you do that? You never left my side last night.”
Everything was so hazy. When did I do that?
The throbbing in my head felt twice as bad now!
“After we played chess.” I answered as soon as the answer presented itself by way of a single, painfully recalled, image. “I beat the tall, handsome guy with the great six-pack, remember?”
“Not as well as you do, obviously. Alex, I’m afraid I’m going to have to knock you out again. That seems to be the only way you’ll get any rest.”
“But I’ve been out for like a week already, sis!” I argued.
“You’ve only been out for ten minutes, Alex! Time to rest now.”
“But I…”
I awoke to the sound of Meridian’s thrusters starting. As I struggled to gain my freedom from the restraints, the noise multiplied.
“Peyton’s firing up the thrusters! I have to get onboard!” I said aloud.
I fought some more with the straps. Why couldn’t I get free, I asked myself?
The answer made me feel so stupid.
Phasing out, I sat up and pushed myself off the hospital bed. Finally free of the restraints, I rephased. My head pounded like the symphony was using it as the solitary tympani!
I had to get to the bridge, but where was I?
“Duh! You’re in the infirmary, Alex!” I answered myself.
Again the thruster noise doubled.
Exiting the Infirmary, I made my way to the elevator.
“Bridge.” I told it.
“Alex, before arriving at that level, I suggest you change clothes. The captain requires her command staff to be properly attired.” Meridian’s voice advised me.
Accessing my HUD, I selected my Reilly’s default configuration. Just in time too, as the doors slid open to reveal a fully engaged bridge crew.
“All thrusters online, hot, and standing by, Captain.” Seph said confidently.
“Thank you, subcommander. Engineering?”
“Planetary umbilical retracted. All fuel cells fully charged and tending. Beta wave APU online. Meridian reports launch tube clear. Primary and secondary escape passages open to atmosphere, captain.”
“Thank you, Lt. Samuels. Security!”
“All external sensors show Meridian safety zone clear of unauthorized personnel. Temple Gateway secured and sealed. Exhaust vents are open and unobstructed, captain.”
“Thank you, Lt. Cmdr. Darough. Nice of you to join us, Ex-O. Take your seat.”
Why did Anna Beth sound so stiff?
“Tactical!”
“…”
“TACTICAL!” Anna Beth shouted angrily. I looked over just in time to see Sunni fly up onto her console and jump to a specific location on it.
“Immediate area and local airspace shows clear, Captain. Launch corridor is a go.” Sunni’s voice echoed through the bridge loudspeakers. Why hadn’t she exited Pixie mode?
“Weapons!”
“All particle and optical weapons fully charged and online, Captian.” Jack acknowledged.
“Sciences!”
“Remote tower AI indicates all clear, Captain. Launch countdown clock is moving.” Allie reported.
“Internal environment!”
“All levels report pressurized with an optimal mixture and temperature, Captain.” Emily reported.
“Navigation, plot a trans-lunar trajectory! We’ll hold there until our Ex-O has fully healed.”
“Confirmed. Trans-lunar course plotted and entered. Go on your mark, Captain.”
Even Natalia? Why did everyone sound so ‘by the book’? What happened while I was out? For that matter, how long had I been out?
“Thrusters to three quarter power. Engineering, release docking clamps on positive bouyancy. Internal inertial generators to full!”
“Aye, captain.” Ricky Lynn and Peyton chorused as I watched Seph’s hand advance all three banks of thruster controls with confident ease.
The whining roar of the thrusters increased a hundred fold causing my head to vibrate painfully. Meridian began to shudder.
“Z-axis movement, captain.” Persephone Peyton reported with excitement. Natalia and her daughter high-fived each other.
“Let’s maintain professionalism, ladies!”
“Aye!” Both replied smartly.
“Remote tower AI reports Meridian clear of launch tube, Captain.” Ricky Lynn reported over the thrusters.
“Helm, full power to the thrusters.”
Seph again advanced the throttles. The signature whine and roar tripled in volume.
My head vibrated wildly and felt ready to explode!
“Thrusters at maximum, captain.”
“One hundred–fifty meters per second, captain. Passing Mach one. ” Allie reported as Meridian’s shuddering smoothed out slightly.
“Altitude, seven hundred meters and climbing.”
“Confirmed, Helm.”
“Three hundred meters per second.” Allie said as she called out our speed.
“Five hundred meters per second.”
“Twelve hundred meters.” Seph reported.
“Seven hundred meters per second.” Allie said continuing to announce our velocity.
“Seventeen hundred meters.”
“One point five kilometers per second.”
“Engineering, thruster report.”
“All thrusters at one hundred and ten percent of rating, captain. My panel is all green.” Ricky Lynn reported.
“Five kilometers per second, Captain.”
“Twelve Kilometers, Captain.”
“Nine kilometers per second.”
“One hundred-seventy kilometers.”
“Eleven kilometers per second, Captain.”
“Two hundred kilometers.”
“Escape velocity, Captain.” Allie advised.
“Two hundred-forty kilometers, Captain.”
“Inertial generators to dynamic.”
“Dynamic, aye, Captain.” Ricky Lynn acknowledged.
“Helm, thrusters to half.” Anna Beth ordered.
“Half throttle, Captain.” Seph repeated as the thruster whine and roar decreased significantly.
“Captain! I’ve detected several large explosions from our launch vicinity! One from the Temple and…and one from the plateau, ma’am!” Allie reported excitedly.
“What in Osirus’ name happened?” Anna Beth demanded angrily.
“Unknown, Captain. All planetary telemetry has ceased. Lt. Sukiro try to raise the alternate sites.”
“Aye, Commander.” Yuuka responded.
“Captain. Commander. All alternate sites are out. The whole planet has gone silent, ma’am.” Yuuka quickly reported in confusion.
“We need to know what happened. Keep trying, Yuuka.” Allie responded.
“Aye, ma’am.” Yuuka acknowledged.
“Commander Steinert, stop drooling and wipe your mouth! You’ve had your time in this seat!” Anna Beth said as she looked over at me angrily.
I simply smiled nervously at her. Her face remained hard and neutral. What was going on? Was she mad at me for scrambling my brains?
“Twelve kilometers per second.”
“Parking orbit, Captain.” Natalia reported. “Trans- lunar correction burn in nineteen minutes.”
“Main Thruster Cut Off, Captain. Thrusters standing by.” Seph confirmed.
“Well done everyone. Alex, Allie, Emily, my ready room. Now!” Anna Beth ordered angrily.
“WHY WASN’T I ADVISED?!” Anna Beth growled- her hands slapping down hard on the conference table as soon as the door slid closed.
“About what, captain?” I asked in confusion.
“Don’t act like you don’t know, Alexandra! Why does the Empress constantly withhold important information from me?”
“I told you everything, Anna B…” I began.
“This is not the time, Alexandra! TELL ME WHY!”
“Why what, ma’am?” I asked innocently.
“Alex,” Emily said sadly, “Djedefre stayed behind. He refused to board Meridian.”
I lowered my gaze to the floor. “Oh…that.”
“Oh! So now you two remember! Alex, why didn’t you tell me- tell us?” Anna Beth asked after a long pause where she stared angrily at Allie and I.
“Captain, I’m sorry, I…we couldn’t tell you.” I admitted sadly.
“Why? Why couldn’t you tell me? I LEFT MY SON DOWN THERE, ALEX! Meridian’s sensors detected multiple explosions right after we launched! What is your game, Alexandra?!”
I took a deep breath as I looked to Allie. She lost focus momentarily and seemed to double for an instant. Wow! That felt really, really strange!
“Djedefre is to become the next Pharaoh, Captain. One of the explosions would be Allie and Cami laying siege to the Sun Temple. There will be almost nothing left of it for history to find. The mystery of Djedefre’s Sun Temple will be debated by experts for decades if not centuries, but nothing will be confirmed absolutely.”
“By seeming to cause the destruction of the Temple, your son secures his place as the powerful ‘Living God’ the people of Egypt had demanded. Though sometimes brutal, he will reign for many years before his eventual death. Even had you been informed, you wouldn’t have been able to stop him, sister.”
I was suddenly sitting down on a chair. When had that happened?
“Woah, that was weird. When did I sit down?” I said as I reached for my head.
“Alex, you just popped into that chair.” Emily informed me.
“I ‘popped’?”
“Yes, one minute you were standing over there, the next instant you were in that chair. There was no noticeable break in your explanation, though.” Emily explained.
“Captain? Permission to sync with my temporal twin?” Allie asked worriedly.
“Will it help unscramble that pig-headed, piece of granite you both call a brain?”
“It should help.”
“Do it.” Anna Beth growled.
Allie walked over to me. I was suddenly standing across the room from where I was just an instant before.
“Sis, what are you doing? This is no time for games.” Allie said, surprised, but disappointed.
I felt lightheaded again and reached for my head.
“I didn’t do anything, Allie. I wanted to sync up.” I said as Allie again walked over to me.
My head began buzzing loudly. Suddenly I was looking at a whole bunch of me- at least twelve, evenly spaced, Alex Steinerts, encircling the room.
“AAAW, that hurt!”
“AAAW, that hurt!”
“AAAW, that hurt!”
“AAAW, that hurt!”
“AAAW, that hurt!”
“AAAW, that hurt!”
“AAAW, that hurt!”
“AAAW, that hurt!”
“AAAW, that hurt!”
“AAAW, that hurt!”
“AAAW, that hurt!”
“AAAW, that hurt!”
“AAAW, that hurt!”
Twelve instances of my voice echoed through the room.
“Doctor? Analysis!” Anna Beth demanded sounding none too happy.
“Alex, which one of you is the real Alex Steinert?
“I am.” All twelve of me chorused.
Emily palmed her face in defeat.
“Of course. Why did I even think that would work?” She mumbled to herself in frustration.
“Internal chronometer, sis.” Allie said to no one in particular. “Alex freeze your chronometer…now!”
“You.” Allie pointed to the Alex to my right. “Tell me your internal chronometer number to the right of the decimal.”
“Zero-zero-six-two-two-nine.” That me answered.
Allie pointed to me. “Read your number.”
Consulting my HUD, I read off the number. “Zero-zero-zero-nine-eight-three.”
“Sit down on the floor, please. Don’t move.” Allie ordered. “You. You’re next. Read your number.” She pointed to the Alex on my left.
“Zero-zero-one-zero…” She began.
“Enough! Em, this here’s the real McCoy.” Allie reached down and placed her hand on my shoulder.
I cried out in pain as a severe burning sensation spread quickly though my body!
Everything went dark.
“It’s about time you woke up, Alex.”
Sunni’s voice didn’t sound too happy. What was up with that? Where was she, anyway? I tried to move my head but felt it restrained by a tight belt across my forehead.
“Why is my head tied down?” I asked in confusion.
“Why do you think, Alex?” Sunni said as she hovered up into my range of sight then landed beyond my left breast and leaned angrily on it with both hands. She certainly looked perturbed. “You almost gave the captain a coronary!”
“And just how did I do that?” I asked.
“Emily said there were, like, twelve of you in the captain’s ready room- that you all answered at the same time.”
“How did I do that?” I asked.
“What? Seriously? You don’t know? Alex, how could you not know how you do it? You were there…weren’t you?” Sunni screeched angrily as she leaned harder on my breast and stared.
“I remember it happening, but I still don’t know how I did it, Sunni.”
“Well, that makes it unanimous, Alex.” My voice said from my left.
“Alex? Alex Reilly?”
“Yep.”
“But you were fine. You and I, we…” I started to say with concern.
“Yep.” She answered my uncompleted question.
“Then, how?”
“When we sync, its bidirectional, sis, remember?”
“Yes…my brain isn’t that scrambled.” I replied in annoyance.
“Apparently it was, sis, and…apparently when our nano reservoir is low, we both feel the pain of the information migration. Don’t ask me how. I don’t have any of my research here to review. Thanks, by the way, you’ve made my week.”
“Week? What do you mean ‘I’ made your week?” I asked as my confusion multiplied.
“Alex, we’ve been orbiting the moon for four days. Anna Beth refuses to set any course until you two recover.” Sunni informed me.
I looked at the five-inch, yellow-winged, yellow-haired, woman pressing hard into one of my prominent, sensitive, assets. It seemed strange for Sunni Smithson to be doing that given…
“Why haven’t you left Pixie mode, Jim?”
“Why haven’t I left Pixie mode.” Sunni repeated dourly as she suddenly stood straight and put her hands up above her head. “Aren’t you even remotely concerned about your own health? God, you are really something, Alexandra Steinert!”
I stared at the tiny woman in silence for some time.
“Fine!” Sunni angrily crossed her arms under her bust. “Aunt Emily thinks it’s because of my period! She thinks maybe you and I share a common trait- not being able to access our gift during that time of the month! Ya happy, Empress? I’ve been stuck as a honey-sucking, flying, Barbie doll for almost five days!”
“Well at least it’s almost over, hun. In a few more days you’ll be a grownup then you don’t have to ask Yuuka to take you to Pixie mode ever again.” I said with a reassuring smile.
Sunni became very animated as she raised her right hand, pointed, and angrily shook her tiny finger at me.
“Just…just…just a few more days? That’s all you have to say, Alex? How can you be so upbeat? I’ve felt bloated, crampy…I’ve had a blaring migraine, and my mood changes have been off the scale! And to top it all off, I think I’m even beginning to like boys, Alex! How screwed up is that?”
“Well, you are fe…”
“Don’t even go there, Alexandra Steinert! I know what you were going to say and just. Don’t. Go. There! I’m usually a guy, just in case you’ve forgotten that little fact?”
“I didn’t forget, Jim. You knew the risks going into this and willingly accepted them. You just got immersed a little deeper than you anticipated. Now you can say you’ve experienced good as well as bad from our side. Not many men can claim that on their resume.”
“Alex, that’s not the point! Sure, I’ve experienced what you all experienced so many years ago. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity, but this isn’t right. I’m James Smithson, Colonel, USAF, not Sunni Smithson, blonde, yellow-winged, femme-fatal, Pixie.”
“So what is the real point here, Colonel?” I asked raising an eyebrow.
Sunni’s head dropped in defeat.
“I…I think…I think I like it, Alex. I think I like being a Pixie! How completely absurd is that? I mean…I mean I haven’t even received my gift yet. Sixty-two years old and James Smithson hasn’t received his goddamned gift! I’ve got to be the lamest brother of Kili there ever was! Now I’m stuck…as a Pixie…having my frickin’period, fer chrissakes! Alex? You would have told me if I had a giant ‘L’ tattooed on my forehead, right?”
“Why would you have an ‘L’ on your forehead, Jim?” I asked, not following his more modern vernacular.
“’L’ for loser, Alex. I feel like such a loser. This trip only confirmed what I’ve known for years. James Smithson is an absolute loser!”
I began to laugh.
“See, even the great Empress of Time and Space thinks I’m right and can’t help laughing.” Sunni said as her wings slowly lifted her off my ribcage. She began to slowly fly out of view.
“I’m not laughing at you because I agree with you, Jim. I’m laughing because of how sensitive…how girly you’re acting right now. So you’re stuck like this for a few more days- big deal! You still performed a valuable service to not only me, but also to the Queen of all Egypt! You and Yuuka both helped save hundreds of lives over those two hectic days.” I took a breath as she flew back into view and settled back on my ribs.
“You have never been, nor will you ever be a loser, James ‘Sunni’ Smithson! On the contrary, you are one of the bravest men I know. Who else would volunteer to help me with my cause, knowing what would happen to them…again? No. You are a brave man, Jim- a man who cares less about himself and more for those around him. For me, that more than pays for membership into Kili society.” I told her. “I’m also surprised you fought the urge to feel me up just now.”
Sunni looked down to where her hands rested and blushed profusely. Her hands shot back to her sides.
“Sssssorry.”
I smiled wickedly a moment.
“As for your gift…that’s just around the corner, hun.” I indicated the direction with my eyes.
“Great! Now you’re back to teasing with your predictions.” Sunni griped raising her arms over her head in defeat again. “So, tell me, Empress…when can I expect to receive my gift…and will I know it when I see it?”
“Go around the corner and see, Jim.” I suggested.
“Now I know you’re teasing! You’ve never given anyone a straight answer to that question for as long as I’ve known you, Alex! Just tell me the truth, please, Empress.”
“Your gift awaits you around the corner, James Smithson! How much clearer can I be?” I laughed as I motioned with my eyes to my right again.
The yellow-winged Pixie paused a moment then pointed behind and to her left.
“My gift…you say my gift…its right around that corner? On the other side of that wall, right?”
“Got it in one, hun.” I giggled.
Sunni slowly took to the air and flew off to my right. She was gone for no more than a minute before she returned, looking extremely disappointed.
“I am sooo damn gullible! I didn’t really expect you to be straight with me, Alex.” She said as she gently, slowly landed again on the left side of my ribcage.
“So, you’re not happy with your gift, Sunni?” I asked wondering how long it would take.
“All I saw was a mirror, Alex. I get it. You win. I won’t bitch anymore.” She replied, disheartened.
“Pixies can be sooo oblivious at times, sis.” Allie giggled from my left.
“Now there are two Empress’ laughing at the loser.” Sunni moaned. She began to slowly hover off me.
“So, what did you see around the corner, hun?” I asked gently.
“I saw a mirror, Alex. I already told you that.”
“No,” I continued, “What did YOU see, Jim?”
“Like I said; I saw a mirror, Alex! I saw me- a blonde-haired, yellow-winged, pixie with a nice rack- hovering in front of a mirror. Satisfied now?” She sulked.
“Almost, Sunni.” I answered.
“So, let me get this straight, Jimmy.” Allie asked for clarification. “You went around the corner- a corner my sister told you was where you would find your gift- and all you saw was a voluptuous, blonde, yellow-winged, Pixie in a mirror.”
“That’s it! I’m out of here!” Sunni shouted angrily as she suddenly streaked out of my line of sight.
I phased out and sat up. Looking to my left, I noticed Allie sitting on another bed looking back at me. We both started counting.
“Three…two…one.” We chorused.
Sunni shot back into the Infirmary and hovered mere inches from my face. Her face was red with anger as she pointed a tiny, delicate finger at me again.
“You enjoy doing that way too much, Alexandra Steinert!” She groused.
“Do you like your gift or not, Jim?” I asked bluntly.
The tiny, yellow-winged Pixie flew closer, grabbed the end of my nose with both hands and kissed it. She flew over to Allie and did the same thing before returning to me.
“So I’m stuck like this? I’ll never be James Smithson ever again, Alex?”
“No, hun,” I giggled. “You’ll be stuck like this only if you forget to grow up, but only for a week’s time. Congratulations. Now…go find your squadron leader and go celebrate.”
“Have one for me, colonel.” Allie said before Sunni left in a blur.
“You two really need to watch what you say to that girl, Alex. She just shot into the passage and barely missed me. Good thing I saw it coming. So what did you do to her now?” Emily protested as she entered the Infirmary. She didn’t seem surprised that Allie and I were sitting up and free of restraints.
“We just told Sunni she received her gift a few days ago. She didn’t believe us.” Allie revealed as she turned to get off her bed.
“I thought Jim Smithson received his gift years ago? That’s what my future memories say, anyway.”
“He hid the fact well, sis, but no, he just got it five days ago.” I told her.
“Wait, you don’t mean there’s ANOTHER Pixie in the sisterhood, do you?”
Allie and I nodded.
“Wow! That’s going to play with his head!”
“Well, it’s better than the alternative, right?” I stated casually.
“And what’s that, Alex?” Emily asked.
“Remaining in that form even when she grows up.” I laughed.
“But only if she wants that, sis. That’s the way I’ve seen her future.” Allie giggled.
“We’ll let the shape-shifting Pixie decide which is right.” I giggled, along with Allie and Emily.
Meridian 12, + 4 Days, 7 Hours, Lunar Orbit, 2510BC
“Welcome back to the conscious world, Commander. I trust we won’t be seeing more than one of you or your sister?” Anna Beth greeted stiffly as I exited the elevator.
“Forgive me, captain. I had no idea I was so badly damaged. Lt. Scott has cleared Allie and I for duty, ma’am.” I replied after stopping and standing to attention.
“Take your seat, Commander.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
“So, Alex…what can we expect from the Empress with regard to destinations?” Anna Beth asked with one eyebrow raised, daring me to try anything. I knew her question had deeper meaning.
“You are the captain, ma’am. You have a starship. You can go wherever you want in this big, beautiful universe. Say the word and we’ll set course straightaway.” I replied with a smile.
“Where would you go, Commander Steinert?” She asked slyly. If this wasn’t a test, I didn’t know what would be. Natalia and Persephone turned around to observe. Anna Beth motioned with her finger for the pair to turn back to their consoles.
“Home would always be a good place to go.” I suggested as I put finger and thumb to my chin. “It’s always nice to return home after successful missions…don’t you agree? You get to sleep in a familiar bed, talk with familiar people…just relax and unwind in familiar, comfortable surroundings.”
“If home were anything like it was when Meridian 12 launched, I would agree whole-heartedly, commander. However, recent reports shed a different light on our home planet.” Anna Beth looked very tired as her eyes lingered on me, she had obviously hoped for more.
“How about we take a vacation then, Captain? Ship’s morale would benefit if we could vacation among friends.” I suggested.
“Alex, right now we have no friends! We’re probably the most wanted fugitives in this galaxy. By this time, word has reached all the other systems that the great Egyptian society of Earth has crumbled- that Khufu and Anna Beth have been…‘expelled’.”
“Hmmmm, you may be right about that, captain. Why not go some place that hasn’t gotten that message yet?” I asked, finger and thumb still on my chin.
“Where would you suggest, Commander?” Anna Beth asked skeptically as she seemed to play along.
“It’s not a matter of where, but when, captain.” I smiled as I began to concentrate on the outer hull of Meridian 12- about when in time I wanted us to go.
“Captain! The stars! They’ve changed position!” Natalia shouted, suddenly breaking my concentration.
Anna Beth glared at me then looked to the large view screen ahead of us.
“Navigation, I want a best guess on our location!” She ordered.
“Navigational sensors indicate we’re still in lunar orbit, captain!”
“Alex? What! Did you. Just. Do?” Anna Beth hissed at me angrily.
“Communications, please open Terran subspace-band Alpha-theta-epsilon-nine, channel Gamma-nine-point seven.” I requested hoping I remembered the proper comm band. I cued another language for my suit’s translator.
“Captain?” Yuuka asked for authority to comply.
Anna Beth cautiously nodded her approval then continued to stare laser beams at me.
“Alpha-theta-epsilon-nine, Gamma-nine-point-seven open, Exec. Go ahead.” Yuuka repeated confirming the open channel.
“Terran Interstellar Space Probe, Meridian 12, requesting docking permission and liberty privileges.” I said in my newly selected language. Two faces, Anna Beth, and Natalia, suddenly stared at me like…well, like I was speaking some foreign language. Jack, Cami, Emily, Ricky Lynn, Sunni, Peyton, and Yuuka remained silent but gave me their attention nonetheless.
“Unknown spacecraft, repeat your designation.” A familiar man’s voice responded over the loudspeaker. Seven of the bridge’s occupants began to smile.
“I repeat, Terran Interstellar Space Probe, Meridian 12, requesting docking permission and liberty privileges.”
“Meridian 12, please state your planet of origin.” The voice asked.
“Sol 3.” I answered, knowing that was going to raise all sorts of flags. There was a delay before they responded.
“Meridian 12, we have no record of any trans-stellar spacecraft registered to the uninhabited planet, Sol 3. Do you possess a valid authorization code, perhaps?”
“OakridgeEmpress8716, Atlantis Control.” I responded with a smile. A response came instantly.
“Alex? Alex Steinert is that really you?” A familiar woman’s voice cried out over the speaker.
“Hey, Reggie, long time- no see.” I giggled in response.
“A long time? You’ve only been gone two weeks. Where are you? We can’t see you anywhere on our sensors?” Reggie inquired.
“We’re just coming out of the lunar umbra. Meridian isn’t that big though, so we’ll still be hard to detect.”
“We? Alex, we just picked up something only eight by four cubits. How can there be anyone else with you?”
“I say again, we request docking authorization and liberty for two hundred-eighty-one souls, Atlantis Control.” I said ignoring her question. There was a long pause before she answered.
“Atlantis Control, do you copy?” I asked just to make sure we were still in communication.
Again there was no response.
“Meridian 12. Please restate your liberty request.” Reggie’s mate, Ian’s voice came back over the speaker.
“We request liberty for two hundred-eighty-one souls, Atlantis Control.”
“Standby, Meridian 12.”
“Acknowledged, Atlantis Control.” I replied.
“Meridian 12, do you support remote docking capability?”
“Standby, Atlantis Control.” I switched back to my current default language. “Captain, they want to know if we have remote docking capability.”
“Yes, but who are ‘they’, Alexandra?” Anna Beth asked cautiously.
“Friends of ours, Captain.” I said before reselecting Atlantian. “Atlantis Control, we do indeed have remote docking capability.”
“Acknowledged, Meridian 12, sending synchronization protocols. Acknowledge on valid checksum.”
“Receiving an information packet, Exec.” Yuuka reported.
“Pass it to Lt. Samuels for authentication.” I instructed.
“Protocol packet received, Communications, thanks. Give me a minute to decrypt and install, Cmdr. Steinert.” Ricky Lynn acknowledged.
“Alex, whose language are we speaking?” Anna Beth asked as she looked between Ricky Lynn, Yuuka, and I.
“It’s a very old language, captain. I suspect Meridian has no record of it in her archive.” I informed her.
Anna Beth looked at me skeptically.
“How old are we talking, Commander?”
“About sixty-five thousand years before the exodus of Khufu and Anna Beth from Egypt.” I responded.
Our captain gasped loudly. Natalia, Sunni, and even Persephonie turned around and stared at me, mouths agape.
“Meridian, where is Khufu?” She asked the AI immediately.
“Your mate is in your quarters, Captain.”
“Tell him I want him on the bridge immediately!”
“Khufu is on his way, Captain.”
“Captain, we have something big coming around the planetary horizon.” Sunni cried excitedly.
Anna Beth gave me an angry glare.
“Commander Steinert, remote docking protocols have been accepted by Meridian AI. Passing checksum to Communications on your command, ma’am.” Ricky Lynn reported.
I looked to our captain for her permission. Anna Beth looked defeated.
“Send checksum.”
“Aye, passing to Communications.” Samuels repeated.
“Checksum received and transmitting, commander.” Yuuka acknowledged.
“Meridian 12, Atlantis Control. Checksum received and validated. Welcome to Sol 3 and Expeditionary Ship, Atlantis. Dock Control will synchronize and bring you into docking bay Alpha-three. Sit back and enjoy the ride.”
“Captain, Meridian reports remote docking enabled. Thrusters coming online.” Peyton said as we heard the thrusters winding up.
“Breaking lunar orbit, captain.” Natalia reported. The look she gave me though, asked if I was sure of what I was doing.
As we slowly approached Atlantis, her sheer scale became apparent.
“I pray to the Terran Lords you know what you’re doing, Alexandra.” Anna Beth whispered to me.
I smiled confidently.
“Two hundred–forty-thousand kilometers and closing, captain.” Natalia reported.
“Thrusters shutting down, captain.” Peyton announced.
“We’re still that far away and it looks that big?” Anna Beth’s eyes bulged.
“Sensors indicate it to be fifty-three point four-six kilometers in diameter by two point eight-six kilometers at its thickest point.” Sunni announced over the loudspeaker.
“Eighty-eight thousand cubits by forty-four hundred cubits, Captain.” Ricky Lynn informed her, converting to the Atlantian measurement system.
Khufu and Allie exited the elevator.
“Cubits?” Anna Beth blinked several times.
“What’s this about cubits, my love?” Khufu asked, immediately intrigued.
Allie wasted no time taking her station.
“That’s ‘Captain’ while on MY bridge, mister!” Anna Beth told him through clinched teeth.
“Ah yes, forgive me, ‘Captain’. Already I am a second-class citizen.” Khufu answered sarcastically. He turned his attention to our main view screen.
“Captain? Where are we? What is that colossus we seem to be approaching?
“Ask my Executive Officer. This is her doing.”
“Alex?” He asked looking to me.
“Terran Interstellar Space Probe Meridian 12, please restate your crew complement as there is a discrepancy between hull dimensions and stated passenger complement.” Atlantis Control asked.
“Meridian 12 stands at two hundred-eighty-one souls, Atlantis Control. We’re bigger than we look.” I responded in Atlantian.
Khufu slowly walked in front of me, turned, and stared deeply into my eyes.
“Atlantis? Empress, can this be true?” He asked in wide-eyed astonishment.
Our captain and navigator gasped.
I smiled.
Khufu began laughing and grinning maniacally before his hands flew to his mouth in childlike excitement.
“By all the Gods is this really possible? We’re actually here…Atlantis… the Ancient Ones?”
I placed a finger to my lips to quiet him down.
“Seven hundred kilometers and closing, captain.”
Khufu dropped his hands and his mouth fell open. He turned to watch our approach.
“We’re still that far away?” He asked then swallowed hard as I nodded my head.
“One hundred kilometers and closing.”
“Retro-thrusters and maneuvering quads coming online, captain.”
“Thirty kilometers.”
Our course was bringing us in head on to the split, outer or Epsilon ring.
“Quads firing, captain. ‘Z-axis changing.” Peyton reported.
We began to pass directly over the upper section of Epsilon ring, so close in fact that we could see people watching in the windows.
“Atlantis Control, Meridian 12. Control, think you could tell docking control that we just painted the hull and we’d kinda like it to stay there? We’re microcubits away from receiving a collision alarm and Meridian activating her automatic evasion maneuvers.”
“Z-axis quads firing again, captain. We’re gaining some altitude.”
“Sorry about that Meridian 12, our Dockmaster has very little experience with scout ships. Meridian 12, our security sensors show your weapons systems may still be active. Suggest you safety them. We are peaceful, repeat, we are peaceful.”
“Captain, Atlantis Control is asking us to disable and safety our weapons.” I relayed the request in Ancient Terran.
“So it’s true? They’re really the ancient ones, Alex?” Natalia said as she spun around and stared at me.
Again, I just nodded.
“Weapons Officer, disable and safe all partical and optical weapons. Acknowledge when complete.
“All weapons systems disabled. All safeties engaged, captain.” Jack reported seconds later.
“Atlantis Control, Meridian 12. All weapons offline with safeties engaged.” I relayed to Atlantis.
“Acknowledged, Meridian. According to our sensors, you’re carrying enough weaponry to destroy the planet below us several times over! We’re breathing a little easier down here. Thanks.” Ian responded. There was definitely relief in his voice.
We had just passed over Delta ring and were closing on Gamma.
“Captain Y-axis quads firing. Y-axis motion.” Peyton announced. “We’re matching rotational velocity, ma’am.”
The massive ring speeding under us seemed to slow down and soon stopped entirely. We were now passing Gamma on our way to Beta ring. Alpha or the Command Core continued to grow on our screen. Although I had witnessed something like this when we first arrived, seeing it from a transport tube was nothing like the view we had now! Atlantis could only be called magnificent!
Beta Ring passed silently below us now.
“Retro-thrusters firing, captain.”
On our main screen, a small speck of bright light appeared on the Command Core, about two-thirds up the giant, spherical hull. I noted that we were heading right for the grey circle above the huge grey ‘A’ of Atlantis’ registry number: Alpha-Rho-Kappa, painted on her colossal, center hull.
“Does that say what I think it says, Alex?” Jack gasped.
“Sure does, hun.” I answered. Emily, Yuuka, and Ricky Lynn all turned in their seats and stared at me. Even Sunni’s head peered over the back of her seat at me with her jaw unhinged. Peyton remained surprisingly quiet.
More thrusters fired.
“Captain, Meridian’s attitude has changed by ninety.” Peyton reported as the command Core dropped below and off our screen. “X-axis quads firing.”
“The Commodore must be really anxious to see you, Alex. As I recall, that docking bay is almost right next to their bridge. Dixie told me it’s reserved for diplomats, heads of state, and other dignitary shuttles.” Ricky Lynn informed me.
“Retro-thrusters firing. X-axis motion stopped, captain.” Peyton relayed before more thrusters began to whine. “Z-axis quads firing again, ma’am.”
After just a few minutes, the brightly illuminated, metallic superstructure of Atlantis’ emmense docking bay ceiling filled our screen.
“Meridian 12, Docking Control. Which end is up? Your configuration closely resembles our lifeboat capsules, but I wanted to make sure. Please advise.” An unknown man’s voice queried.
“Same configuration, Docking Control. Wide end down.” I responded.
“Acknowledged, Meridian. I’ll try to be gentle.”
We felt a slight jolt.
“All movement stopped, captain.” Peyton reported.
“Docking Control, Meridian 12. Welcome to Expeditionary Ship Atlantis. Commodore Celeste sends her warmest welcome and has asked to meet with your command crew following re-pressurization and decontamination protocols. Remote docking will be removed when all processes have been completed. Enjoy your stay, Meridian.” Docking control informed and greeted pleasantly.
E.S. Atlantis, Standard Year 257:08:28
“Captain, remote docking has just disengaged my console.” Peyton announced. It had been ten minutes since Docking Control had closed the outer door and began pressurizing the large docking bay.
“Docking Control, Meridian 12. Remote docking protocol has completed. Your command crew is asked to egress at this time to meet with Commodore Celeste. Thank you for your patience and again, welcome aboard.”
“Acknowledged, Docking Control. Give us a few minutes to finish our post-flight.” I responded.
“Acknowledged, Meridian. Commodore Celeste has been informed and will be waiting. Docking Control out.”
“So, do we know this Commodore Celeste, Alex?” Anna Beth asked acerbically.
While we’d waited, I had Ricky Lynn download the Atlantian language file to the rest of the command crew Reilly suits and Meridian’s database.
“Commodore Andromeda Celeste is our half sister, Captain.” Allie responded for Emily and I.
“My, but you do get around, Alexandra.” She replied in a catty tone.
“In this case, Captain, it would be our mother, Ruth Scott who ‘got around’.” Emily remarked, equally catty, to set the record straight.
“Engineering, are we done yet?” Anna Beth demanded, changing the subject.
“Aye, ma’am. Inertial dampers are offline. Power cells are fully charged and Beta wave APU is shutdown. Meridian is all tucked in for the night.” Ricky Lynn answered.
Local gravity is zero-point-nine-one of Earth normal, Captain.” Allie reported.
“Excellent job, everyone! Let’s go have a look at Atlantis.” Anna Beth announced. To me she sounded a bit too cynical.
The outer hatch opened to reveal the large, well-lit hangar bay. Two other…what could only be called, shuttles sat nearby. They dwarfed Meridian in size and mass, but I’d wager she could dwarf them in firepower.
We must have appeared quite the circus act as twelve people emerged from a craft that couldn’t possibly hold more than two of us. Even from a hundred yards away I could see Andie’s mouth drop open.
“Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I’d never have believed it!” Andie exclaimed in English as she walked toward us. Reggie was at her side along with Ian and his men.
“Hello, sister. I bet you never thought we’d be back so soon?”
“Somehow, I felt I should expect something bizarre like this. Welcome back to Atlantis, Alexandra and Emily.” She greeted us with a bright smile. She embraced Emily, Allie, and I lovingly.
“May we introduce the rest of Meridian 12’s flight crew?” I offered then pointed everyone out as I named them.
“And the Pixie on your right shoulder? She does not belong to you?” Andie asked with a quirky smile.
“Hey, I don’t BELONG to anybody, Commodore Amazon.” Sunni growled from my shoulder. I had again forgotten about her being there.
“Oh, right. Andie, this is Colonel James Smithson, but she prefers we call her Sunni while in Pixie mode.”
“Maybe my suit’s translator is malfunctioning, but you introduced her as Col. James Smithson? The translator indicates ‘James’ is a male designation, not female. Please correct me if I’m wrong.”
“Oh, your translator is working fine, sis. James and I share the same limitation in that part of our gift doesn’t work while menstruating. Sunni has a few more days left before she can exit Pixie mode.”
Andie blinked a few times as she tried to comprehend what I said.
“Welcome to Atlantis, Sunni. I’m sure Yuuka is dying to show you around.” Andie looked over to Yuuka for acknowledgement.
“Yuuka, I hear the children have been asking about the little Pixie woman that had been visiting the schools around the ship for the last several months. I wager they would be thrilled to see you brought back a friend.”
Yuuka faced Anna Beth and stood to attention.
“Captain, permission to be dismissed.”
“Granted, Lt. Sukiro. Col. Smithson, see that Yuuka is properly escorted.
“Aye, ma’am.” Sunni acknowledged as she sprang from my shoulder. Yuuka wasted no time going to Pixie mode and the two flew towards the interior hangar door- Yuuka having to toggle back to normal to trigger the door.
“So, Captain. Would it be proper to invite you and your mate to dinner? It should be ready in an hour or so; we should meet first on my bridge. You are welcome to decline if you so wish.”
“It would be our honor, Madam Commodore.” Khufu said, accepting graciously before confirming it with Anna Beth.
Our captain glared at the former Pharaoh of all Egypt then looked back to Andie.
“Thank you, Commodore. On behalf of my command staff, I accept your generous offer and look forward to sharing a meal with you. Perchance, is there something we can provide to the meal? Preparations, supplies, labor?” Anna Beth said stiffly.
“Ah, I know of this future Earth concept!” Andie said excitedly. “If you so choose, you may contribute to the post-meal delicacy- dessert, I believe it to be called?” Andie said as she looked to me for confirmation.
I nodded with a smile.
“Acceptable. I would now like to update my passengers and see to their egress. I trust your men are here to escort us around the ship?” Our captain inquired stiffly.
“Actually, Captain, I request your Chief Engineer see to your passengers, as I would like to get to know you, your mate, and the remainder of your command staff?” Andie asked diplomatically.
Anna Beth remained silent for a moment.
“Meridian, Lt. Samuels is in charge. Alert me if I am needed.”
“Confirmed, Captain.” Meridian acknowledged.
“Dixie?” Andie asked, looking up to the ceiling.
“Yes, Commodore?” Atlantis’ AI’s voice echoed through the hangar.
“Dixie, offer communications to Meridian 12. Standard network access, please.”
“Understood, Commodore. Mom, welcome back to Atlantis. I have missed you very much.”
“Me too, baby. Play nice with Meridian, she hasn’t had anyone to talk to in quite some time.” Ricky Lynn said pleasantly.
Anna Beth’s attention immediately snapped to our Chief Engineer.
“Mom?” She said just above a whisper.
“It’s a long story, skipper. Dixie has all the latest firewall and security protocols though. Meridian is perfectly safe.” Samuels confirmed, easing her fears.
“Ricky Lynn, Ian and his men are under your command. We have reserved quarters in sections D-thirty-four through thirty-six for Meridian passengers. Local neighborhood liaisons will meet and greet when you arrive at Delta ring. They are being equipped with translation units as we speak. If you could copy the appropriate translation files to Dixie for download? Oh, and please pass on my welcome greeting to everyone?” Andie said as she smiled brightly.
“Ricky Lynn, when you have time, would you like to meet me out on E-ring? I’ve been dying to talk with you.” Reggie asked politely. There was definitely excitement in her voice.
“As soon as I’m off duty, I’ll give you a call, toots.”
“I’m off at three bells.” Reggie added quickly, smiling. I noticed her quickly take Ian’s hand and squeeze it.
“Captain, if you and your remaining command staff would follow me?” Andie suggested as she motioned us to follow her to the exit door. It slid open as we approached a minute later.
Once through it, Andie began her narration.
“Meridian is docked in our high security bay, the only bay on Atlantis reserved for planetary heads of state, royalty, and other important dignitaries.” Andie said as she led us down the passage and into Atlantis’ bridge.
Earth was just passing in front of the huge, floor to ceiling windows of the large, multi-tiered Control Room.
“Gods, is that Earth? I’ve never seen it look so snow-covered.”
“At this time in Earth’s history, the ice-age is in full swing.” I informed Khufu. “Glaciers cover most of the northern and southern hemispheres.”
“I hardly recognize the planet like this. Alexandra, you are truly the miracle!” Khufu said to Allie and I.
“I agree completely, sir.” Andie concurred with a huge smile.
After a few silent minutes she motioned us into her private conference room. Once the door slid closed, Andie stopped, turned, and quickly knelt, head bowed, before Anna Beth and Khufu.
“Your highness’, It is a pleasure to finally meet the great Pharaoh Khufu and Queen Anna Beth of Egypt. Atlantis is yours to explore, your majesties.”
“What?” Anna Beth gasped in shock.
“Alex has told us so much about you two. Since first seeing your images courtesy of Jacquelyn and Camille, I have longed to meet actual royalty!” Andie bowed her head deeper. “Forgive me for my forwardness. I have dreamed of this moment since meeting my half-sisters.”
Anna Beth looked for some comment from me with tears in her eyes as Andie slowly stood back up.
“Don’t look at me hun; she came up with that all on her own.” I giggled.
The former Queen of all Egypt looked back at our hostess then looked at Khufu momentarily. Both of them instantly fell to both knees and bowed deeply.
“It is we who bow to you- for you are the Commander of Atlantis- the leader of the Ancient Ones- the first to colonize Earth. We present ourselves to you, Andromeda Celeste of Atlantis. We are your humble servants.” Khufu said- his eyes cast down to the deck.
“Alex? I’m not sure what to make of this, sister. Why would royalty bow and prostrate themselves to me, I have neither noble blood nor royal title?” Andie asked as she stared at Pharaoh and his mate in teary-eyed confusion.
“That is where you are wrong, Madam Commodore. It has been recorded that the Egyptian people are the direct descendants of the Ancient Ones. Some say they were Gods from the heavens, others believe them to be settlers from another world. You have proven the latter undeniably. What would you have us do, Madam Commodore?” Khufu explained.
“Well, for one thing, you two should get up before my sister Reggie starts to tease me relentlessly!” Andie told them. “She thinks I already have too much power as it is.”
Reggie frowned and elbowed her sister’s forearm.
Anna Beth began to laugh. Quietly at first then she got louder. She looked up to see Andie staring down at her in confusion.
“Now I know you and Alexandra are sisters, Commodore. You both show too much humility to your subordinates.”
“Subordinates, your highness? How could you say such a thing? I am nowhere near your superior! Please stand up, you are making me nervous.” Andie blushed profusely.
“She’s right, Andromeda. I saw the similarities between you four the instant you stood together. Even you, Regina, you share some facial features and expressions with Emily- especially that glare you just gave Andromeda a moment ago. I’ve seen Emily give it to Alex many times in the last few days.” Khufu laughed.
“But Andie and I only have our father in common. I am not related to the Scott side of the family, your highness.” Reggie gasped.
“Neither are Allie and I, hun, but we all look like sisters just the same.” I said trying to convince her of what I knew to be true. I wondered what she would do if she knew she actually had ‘K’ cells floating around inside her. Oh well, I thought, she’ll find out when her gift manifests.
Jack and Cami looked over at me in astonishment. I just nodded my head slightly while Allie gave them a slight, quick smirk.
Andie must have noticed our covert exchange.
“I’m sure everyone would like to freshen up before dinner? Reggie and I would be happy to show you to your quarters, majesties.”
“Commodore Celeste?” Khufu asked in a gentle tone.
“Yes, Pharaoh?” Andie answered while bowing slightly.
“Let us call a truce of sorts, shall we? If you agree to call us Khufu and Anna Beth, we will return the courtesy and call you Andromeda and Regina. Agreed?”
“I cannot, in good faith, concede, your majesty. In order for this bargain to work properly, you must agree to call me Andie and my sister, Reggie.”
“You do drive a hard bargain, Commodore.” Khufu smiled as he paused a moment. “You have a deal, Andie.”
Khufu offered his hand to seal the pact. Andie instead grasped his forearm- a normal enough gesture by Atlantian tradition, but for an Egyptian, the sign of friendship and camaraderie between fellow warriors.
“Excuse me, Commodore. Mom wants me to tell you that several members of the ‘Royal Egyptian Family’ demand an audience.” Dixie interrupted politely, but with some subtle sarcasm.
“That wasn’t the way she said it, was it, Dixie,” I asked with a devious smile?
“No, Alex, her exact words were ‘The royal bad-assed nephew, bitchy princess Alusia, an’ their three spoilt brats wants ta see da head dame o’ this here joint’.” She recited, doing a fairly good impersonation of the good Professor.
“Alusia…isn’t that the name of the…the Polish woman you told me about, Alex?” Andie asked as she narrowed her eyes.
“The one and only, sis. Watch out for the oldest daughter though, she’s a handful.” Allie warned.
“Dixie, inform Professor Samuels that I will be there shortly to escort the ‘Royal Family’ to my conference room.”
“Mom sends her thanks. She claims she was about to throttle the young Alexis. Commodore? What would engine controls have to do with teenage and adolescent children?” Dixie asked innocently.
We all laughed.
“It is a future Earth colloquialism meaning she wants to strangle the child about the neck, Dixie. She does not actually mean to do that though.” Andie explained while continuing to giggle.
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that, Andie. Alexis can be a bit…abrasive.” Allie concluded.
“Shall I alert security of a possible altercation, Commodore?” Dixie asked with noticeable concern.
“No, I’ll take care of it, Dixie.” Andie said right before she vanished.
“Interesting.” Allie and I chorused. Emily, Jack, Cami’s, as well as everyone else’s mouths dropped open.
“So she has the family gift?” Emily asked me after a few seconds.
“Seems so, sis.” I replied.
“She scared the dark matter out of me three days after you all left, Alex. One minute she was talking to me about how she missed her new sisters, wondering what it would be like to be able to phase out; the next, she was gone. I was beside myself until she reappeared right where she had been. She claimed she was trying to talk to me but I wouldn’t respond. Andie said she went to get my attention and her hand passed straight through me. I guess that was when she figured it out and thought about rephasing. She’s been practicing for almost two weeks straight. I’ve had to disable the temporal anomaly sensors all around Atlantis because she refuses to stop doing it.”
“Alex, Andie just rephased behind Alusia’s Alexis.” Jack informed us.
“Now Alexis is hurrying back into Meridian. She’s running kind of funny.” Cami laughed.
“Apparently she doesn’t handle surprises too well.” Jack grinned.
“Good bladder control IS key in these instances, sister.” Cami giggled back, nodding to Jack.
“That’s been my experience, too, sister.” Jack agreed.
“Stop it you two.” Anna Beth groused, feigning a slight smile. “No one likes to have an accident…well deserved or not.”
“Let’s face it,” Emily said seriously with a devious smile, “A strange, six foot tall woman appearing out of thin air behind me would likely give the same result.”
Several minutes later, Alusia and her brood arrived in the conference room. Alusia glared at me accusingly as she instructed her two girls and her wide-eyed boy to be seated and behave themselves. Khefra had an almost serene smile on his face.
That vanished as soon as his mate turned around and glared at him. At least I wasn’t alone.
“Welcome to Atlantis,” Andie greeted formally in Ancient Terran, but she targeted the three children specifically.
“I must remind you that this is a fully operational space vehicle and there are many rules that we all must adhere to. First and foremost,” Andie paused for only a second, “this is MY ship and what I say goes!” Her fist hit the top of the table to emphasize the point. “There will be no whining, moaning, or bitching! Especially on MY BRIDGE! Is! That! Clear!?” Andie glared at Alusia’s oldest.
“If I hear from my subordinates that any of you…ANY of you have been the least bit out of line, Mommy and Daddy will be visiting you in our luxurious BRIG!”
“When addressing any member of my command, you will use the proper courtesies and language. For your information, we all have translators with English, Polish, German, Egyptian, and Terran. I am also fluent in some of the more novel uses for one’s middle finger! Yes, Alexis, I am one of Alexandra’s sisters.”
“The way you suddenly appeared behind me- are you…” young Alexis began to say, but realized she had been given the answer already. She crossed her arms in anger and stewed quietly in her seat.
“Kids, my sister isn’t as patient as I am, so I suggest you be on your best behavior while we’re here.” I recommended.
“So where is here? I thought we were going to our new home,” young Lusius asked. Ana wisely remained quiet and casually stared at our statuesque hostesses.
“I didn’t want to leave Memphis in the first place!” Alexis grumbled.
Andie glared at the girl intensely. I wondered how the girl didn’t burst into flame!
“You know what, princess? I didn’t want to leave my home either! We had no choice in the matter, though! Our planet was dying and we were the ‘lucky’ ones that got chosen to find a new world. My sister and I also had to leave our friends and family to venture out into the unknown. My own father didn’t make the cut! At least you have your mom and dad, youngling! Reggie and I have spent the last ten years traveling across the universe looking for a new place to live- hoping that somehow our father might follow our beacon and arrive sometime in the near future. But that’s a very big and illogical dream, princess! This whole vessel has been more alone than any of you could possibly understand.” Andie lectured.
“You don’t have a clue as to how lonely it can be- while traveling between systems- how utterly disenchanted we were until Alexandra and her sisters arrived five months ago. You children don’t know how wonderful you have it!”
Andie looked at Alusia suddenly.
“And you! You of all people should be thankful! Alex rescued you from certain death and you complain that you have been forgotten and treated like one of the servants! How dare you! Neither one of you should utter a single complaint against these women! They have nothing but your best interest in mind and you show them contempt at being left out. What is it with you blue-bloods?”
I looked to Allie and Emily to confirm that they noticed the faint, but familiar blue aura emanating from our statuesque sister. Both nodded clandestinely.
“Andromeda, you’re letting them get to you.” Reggie said softly as she cautiously placed her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Please sister. The young ones are only testing your patience; like we did with father when we were that age.”
“Yes, but we didn’t have a mother in our lives to teach us right from wrong as these younglings do. Father seemed always busy in his efforts to conserve Celestra. He had little time for us and we turned out better than these high-borne…”
“Commodore Celeste, I beg you to look past anything these three have done or said. They are, as your sister said, ‘testing’ you. Why not show them what their home looks like from up here? Maybe that will instill in them a sense of scale?” Khufu interrupted.
“Andie, I’ll take them out to Epsilon.” Allie volunteered as she walked over to the kids and offered her hands. “I wonder if you’re Aunt and Uncle would like to go also.”
“My mate, would you like to chaperone our nieces and nephews? I believe Alusia and I have many things to talk with our hostess about.” Anna Beth suggested.
“Okay, I get it. You and Alusia want to discuss ‘policy’. Come on Khefra, the women want to talk.”
“I know, uncle; I’ve seen that look many times.”
“Captain,” Jack looked to Anna Beth, “Cami and I would also like to chaperone.”
Meridian’s captain nodded her permission.
Allie and her group vanished.
Anna Beth, Alusia, Emily, Reggie, Andie, and I sat down with Seph and Natalia. We stared at each other for a few seconds.
“My ship, my rules? Since when did you become Capt. Bligh, Andie?” I asked as I began to giggle.
“Since ‘little’ Alexis gave me the one finger salute and called me a statuesque whore behind my back! She also suggested I sit on an obelisk and rotate when I confronted her. Alex, what in the seven worlds is an obelisk?”
Anna Beth began to giggle then laugh.
“She certainly takes after her mother, isn’t that so, Alusia?”
“Equal parts of her father too, my queen.” Alusia countered reflexively.
“Funny, I’ve seen the same behavior from our Empress.” Emily laughed.
“Hey, I was never like that, sis!”
“No? How about right after you woke up from that designer virus Janelle infected you with? I recall you throwing a tantrum because I wouldn’t let you out of bed.”
I noticed Peyton lower her head, as if recalling a similar experience.
“Emily, if it is all the same, I would rather not revisit those memories.”
“What do you mean, Seph? What happened to cause my Sephie to look so sad?”
Peyton looked at her mother. A few tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I almost died, mother. If not for Alex and Emily, I would have.”
“You never told me of this, Alexandra. Why?” Natalia glared at me.
“Because I asked her not to, mother. I felt embarrassed that Hathor had finally bettered me…and I helped her do it.” Peyton said, looking at her mother sadly.
“Peyton, there was no way you could have known you were infected with anything. That’s not how a virus works. It usually takes between five to ten days to incubate before it overruns the immune system…manifests.” Emily informed her. “How you and Alex contracted it so fast, I still have no clue.”
“Y’all are forgetting Peyton arrived with Hathor. We met outside, but she removed herself from our memories…almost.” I told our group. “There are few Terrans, Reilliese, or hybrids that can affect my mind.”
“So you knew about me the whole time, Empress?” Seph asked, confounded. “Why not let me know?”
“Tactics, hun. We each had our own way of doing things. Had we banded together earlier Hathor would have recognized the patterns of attack and modified her strategy. That would have been bad. Not telling you also allowed you more confidence in your plan and kept Hathor second-guessing herself during our separate campaigns. Two independent flanks always have more successful odds of defeating a single foe. The odds get even better when neither flank knows the other’s tactics.” I revealed.
“Synchronized-yet-chaotic battlefield theory?” Natalia asked shaking her head. “I never thought chaos theory could be adapted to warfare. It sounds too risky to work…for both sides.”
“But isn’t Alex the one who makes logic out of chaos, Nat?” Alusia asked.
“They’re the very definition of that concept.” Emily laughed.
“Chaos,” I shrugged, “it loses all of its menace when you can see the outcome…usually. Now time,” I looked at Emily, “he was a true adversary, huh, sis.”
“I vaguely remember him, Alex- though I do remember him being a bit too arrogant for my tastes.” She said, trying to recall our recent encounter.
“What are you two talking about?” Andie asked as she, Reggie, Natalia, Peyton, and Alusia looked at the two of us like we had gone mad.
“So, where do you plan on going now, Anna Beth?” Reggie asked, quickly changing the subject.
“I fear our future can only be found amongst the whims of our Empress, Reggie. She has seen our correct path and taunts us ‘mere’ mortals incessantly.” Anna Beth said dramatically looking to me with a mischievous grin.
“And what if I were to tell y’all…truthfully…that I mean to take y’all to a planet that will remind you of your Terran Homeworld, Captain?” I said evenly.
“I would not hold my breath, sister. There have been too many times you have withheld certain details from us. The Empress of Time and Space is a tease, Alexandra. Plain and simple, you are a tease of the highest order.” Anna Beth responded.
“I disagree, Anna Beth. I too have received her vague and sometimes obtuse references, but I understand the motivation…just recently as a matter of fact, but I do understand the concept now.” Andie said on my behalf.
“Do enlighten us then, to the motivations of the Empress.”
“When in command, Anna Beth, do you micromanage your officers and crew?” Andie asked.
I noticed Natalia begin to nod, but quickly stopped as Anna Beth suddenly glared at her.
“No, I trust my officers and crew to know their tasks. It is only in special circumstances that I personally oversee their actions.” Anna Beth admitted.
“So you trust them to do the jobs they’ve been trained to do, right?” Andie restated to confirm.
“I do. A well-trained crew knows what is expected of them and acts without intense scrutiny.”
“And if they err in their tasks?”
“Provided the error is not detrimental or fatal, they learn from the mistake and strive to not make it again. I really don’t understand where this is going, Commodore.”
“My point, majesty, is that Alex does the same thing! She gives us hints and puzzles so that we may decide our own futures. She allows us to make mistakes and only steps in when things might do harm. By ‘teasing’ us she forces us to think…think about what is right or wrong, what we think we should do…what our hearts tell us we need to do. Having recently developed my own sense of foresight, I can see the many twists and turns the future represents. I can also see how fragile it is. One missed step is all it takes to ruin one person or a whole planet, Anna Beth.”
“Wow, welcome to the family, sis,” I said- impressed by her assessment. Emily nodded, as did Alusia.
“And may I add,” Andie continued, “that seeing the future is not for the faint of heart? Caution must be taken- and restraint carefully exercised when looking into a friend or relative’s future.”
Andie looked to her sister, Reggie, and bowed her head slightly in sorrow. Emily and I knew immediately what she had done.
“So you looked into Reggie’s future without accounting for the various scenarios?” I asked.
“Let me guess,” Emily continued. “You didn’t see what you thought you would, right? You saw something disturbing…something…frightening?”
Andie’s head bowed lower. “Yes.”
“But now that you are back, Alex, that will not happen. That scenario has been purged from possibility.” Reggie stated- her hopes raised.
I didn’t answer, instead I thought about several scenarios that I had seen previously- two of which had already happened and been rectified.
Blinking my eyes, I noticed I was almost alone in the conference room. Only Andie, and Emily remained. I had no idea where everyone else had gone.
“So how long was I gone this time?” I asked expecting the worst.
“About an hour, sis. We saw that you would be coming back about now and decided to stay.” Emily said as she looked to Andie.
“I mistakenly told Reggie of our alternate future. I think I almost frightened her into miscarriage.” Andie admitted. “I really DO understand why you do it, Alex.”
“Why I do what, Andromeda?” I asked, hoping she would give the right answer.
“Why you are so vague in you prophecies. You do not wish to frighten us. You also don’t want to feel responsible if your foresight were to hurt instead of help- though you would feel responsible anyway, am I right?”
I said nothing. Instead, I stood up and motioned for Andie to stand. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed tightly for a moment.
“I’m hungry. Are either of you two hungry?” I asked as I broke my embrace.
So, Alusia’s children behaved pretty well at dinner didn’t they, Alex?” Emily asked me as we settled down for the night in our quarters.
“It’s amazing how seeing their planet from this altitude can make them realize how small they actually are in the scheme of things.” I answered.
“It is sobering, sis.” Emily agreed.
“What is even more sobering is how small this universe is when viewed from the next higher one, but you wouldn’t understand that reference since Allie requested you stay with me on Terra.”
“I’ve seen the Protoverse Chamber, Alex. As I remember, that was the next higher universe before you switched them…right?”
I nodded.
“So, are you going out again tonight to repair what Clemson changed?” Emily asked as she turned a page in her book.
“I’m allowed four hours tonight, sis.”
“Oh, awfully gracious of ‘Upper Management’.” She said irreverently.
“I’ll take what I can.” I said as I closed my mouth and thought for a bit.
“Why so quiet all of a sudden?” Emily asked as she placed her book face down on her lap and looked over at me.
“Our endgame with Clemson is almost here, Em. I’m…I’m afraid I may replace mother as leader of ‘Upper Management’.”
“Why would you say that, Alex? Clemson deserves everything he gets. He’s done inexcusable things to not only us, but Earth’s entire past, present, and future inhabitants.” Emily argued.
“He’s done some good things too, sis.”
“At what cost, Alex? It would seem to me that he made the Empress’ job hundreds of times more complicated. He deserves to be stranded in that half-paralyzed, zombie-like, soldier back in 1865.”
“Wouldn’t that make us just as bad as him?” I asked.
“Let me think on that a minute. No! No way are we anywhere near that despicable, Alex. He makes Hitler look sane by comparison.” Emily answered quickly.
“I think I’m going to turn in for the night.” I said as I got up to walk to our shared bedroom. “Night, Emily.”
E.S. Atlantis, Standard Year 257:08:29
“So, I thought you said you were only scheduled for four hours of sleep last night? Emily asked as I shuffled, half asleep, out of our room.
“Why, was it less than that?” I asked, feigning no surprise.
“Far more, sis. You got almost eight before you turned over when I got up. I’m sorry I woke you by the way. I’ll get it, Alex.”
Emily got up and walked over to the door, entered her code to unlock it, and stood back.
The door immediately slid open and a grownup version of Sunni Smithson hurried into our quarters.
“Alex, we have a problem!” She said as she gracefully sat down on our Davenport. Emily excused herself and walked into the lavatory.
“What problem would that be, Sunni?” I asked as I raked my fingers through my hair to detangle it and make myself more presentable.
“That’s the problem, Alex. I’m still Sunni! Don’t you get it?” She complained.
“At least you aren’t a Pixie anymore. I thought that’s what the original complaint was.” I reasoned, choosing to look on the bright side.
“No, thank God, but I’m still female.” Sunni said as if it left a bad taste in her mouth.
“And a very pretty one at that, hun. What’s so bad about that?” I asked as I tried to wake myself up completely by rubbing my face with my hands.
“Alex, I woke up this morning back at my normal size, but I still look like Sunni. I didn’t change all the way back! Why?”
My answer was short and concise. “So…change back to Jim.”
“Aunt Emily, is she still messed up in the head?” Sunni asked as Emily appeared from the lavatory.
“I gave her a clean bill of health, Sunni. Why, do you think she had a relapse? Alex? How do you feel?” Emily asked engaging her professional voice.
“I feel better than I have in about five years, sis. Sunni wants to know why she hasn’t changed back yet.”
“You look normal to me, Sunni. What’s the problem? Did your wings not retract right for some reason? I’ve heard that Yuuka’s sometime don’t retract all the way when she is extremely stressed. Here, let me scan you, sweetie.”
“Aunt Emily!” Sunni stood, reached out, and eased my sister’s out-splayed hand back down. “I’m still a girl! What went wrong?” She asked as she motioned to her body. “I’m usually a guy…remember?”
“Did you try to change back, sweetie?” Emily asked frankly.
“Why did I even bother coming over here?” Sunni cried in frustration before turning and heading for our door.
“Sunni?” I called gently. “Come back here, hun.”
“Alex,” she said as she turned and reseated herself on our sofa. “What am I going to do? I’ll have to abandon my commission and restart my life. Aunt Randi will have to make a whole new…female…identity for me. I wasn’t ready to give this life up yet.” Sunni wiped at her eyes to dry them.
“So change back. What’s so confusing about that, Jim?” I asked.
“My gift is to become a Pixie, Alex. All Pixies are female…at least that’s what you told me thirty years ago.”
“That’s true, Sunni, all Pixies are female.” Emily agreed. “So far we haven’t found evidence to the contrary.”
“But not everyone with the gift of becoming a Pixie is female, Sunni.” I informed her.
“Again with the riddles!”
“Look, Sunni, how blonde are you now? If you want to be Jim Smithson again…just become Jim Smithson.” I told her, exasperated. “You’re a shape-shifter, Sunni! Shift your shape. That’s how you can become a Pixie…you can shift into one.”
“I’m a shape-shifter.” She repeated, unconvinced. “Just like Aunt Corrine and Julia?”
“No. Corrine and Julia can’t enter Pixie mode like you can. They can only shift into other full-sized humans. You, Sunni, can shift into any one or thing you desire…provided it’s alive and not inanimate.” I looked away from our newest sister. “You know, I thought Alusia was the hard-headed, clueless one.”
“So I can change back to my normal self just by thinking it, right? Is that how it works for you?” Sunni asked, suspiciously, for confirmation as she again stood.
“I can’t turn into anyone but me, hun.” I giggled as I watched her frown. “Though, I would command my Reilly suit to change before I did think of changing…if I could change shapes, that is. Jim is ten inches taller than Sunni, and at least sixty pounds heavier, hun.”
An Air Force uniform appeared on the five foot-five blonde, though it was way too big for her.
The poor fit slowly improved as Sunni began to change.
“Feel better now, Jim?” I asked, standing back up as Colonel Smithson’s hands gently probed his body.
Without warning, Jim Smithson wrapped his arms around me, lifted me off the floor, and turned both of us around several times before placing me gently back on the floor again.
“Thank you, Alex! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“You’re welcome, hun, but you did it all on your own.” I smiled deviously.
“Alex…I’m sorry, ma’am. I…I thought you were…I never know when you’re teasing. I don’t mean to be so dense or paranoid- I…I just wasn’t prepared for all this…not under these circumstances anyway.” Jim more or less pleaded for doubting us.
“We all have our doubts at times, Jim. I think, given the conditions, you were justified in some of your bitching. From what I’ve seen and been told you handled your first period superbly- especially for a man.” I giggled. “Tammy will be proud of her son and his courage when I tell her. As I recall, even her first wasn’t nearly as composed.”
Our door chimed.
“Enter, Yuuka.” Emily said while rolling her eyes.
“Sorry to intrude, but Dixie said that Sunni was here…oh, hi, James.” Yuuka started to apologize until she saw Jim Smithson standing by me. Her expression changed drastically.
“Hi, Yuuka.” He said before motioning to his body. “Look, I’m back to normal!”
“Yes, I see that, James.” Yuuka said sadly. “I had hoped we could’ve shared one more day as Pixies, Sunni. I guess the children will be disappointed when only one Pixie shows up today. I…I thought you had fun with them yesterday.”
“I did…um…have fun playing with the kids yesterday, Yuuka. Why the sad face? I thought you wanted me to get back to normal?”
“Oh, I did, James, but I’m not going to deny I enjoyed Sunni’s company.” She explained. “I’ll see you around, James. Take care.” Yuuka said before she turned and took a step toward the door.
“Yuuka, wait.” Smithson called out.
Yuuka turned around just in time to see James Smithson lose height and gain more hair. Within a few seconds Sunni stood in the room in Jim’s ill-fitting Air Force uniform.
“Shinseina tawagoto! (Holy shit!)” Our grown-up Pixie exclaimed in Japanese as she blinked in astonishment.
Smithson’s uniform shifted and changed. Sunni stood in her form fitting, default Reilly suit.
“How…how…how did you…?”
“I finally got my gift, Yuuka!” Sunni chirped excitedly.
“You didn’t have it before?” Yuuka asked, confused.
Sunni looked to the floor. “No, not until this past week. I’m sorry if I deceived everyone. I was so embarrassed to be the only brother that hadn’t received his gift…I…I…well, I sort of hid it from everyone.” She admitted sadly.
Yuuka walked over to her and embraced her sister. The two hugged for a minute or more.
“So, can I still be your roomy?” Sunni asked as she leaned back.
“If I can trust you to stay Sunni.”
“Deal!” Sunni Smithson cried happily as she tightened the hug again.
“Sunni, are you still willing to go into Pixie mode or should I tell the children you had to leave?”
“I’d never disappoint the kids if I could help it, sister.” Sunni replied with a smile.
Yuuka offered her hands. “We’re due in Delta ring in half an hour.”
Sunni didn’t take the offered hands. Instead, she looked to me for support. Yuuka looked at both of us, disappointed.
I nodded with a bright smile.
“Let me try something, Yuuka.” Sunni said as a smile crept onto her beautiful face.
A full-sized set of yellow Pixie wings emerged from Sunni’s back yet she hadn’t lost any height. Her Reilly immediately transformed into a full-sized version of her green Pixie outfit.
Wow! Was it short!
“Oops.” Sunni blushed as she looked around. She quickly shrank- her wings following along in scale.
“Megami no shinseina haha! (Holy mother of the Goddess!)” Yuuka gasped as the yellow-winged Pixie hovered in front of her with her arms splayed out wide.
“Surprise!” Sunni giggled nervously.
Yuuka instantly entered Pixie mode, hovering in front of Sunni. Reaching out, she touched her yellow-winged sister and shouted, ‘TAG, You’re it!”
Both Pixies shot toward, and out our door. Good thing Emily had anticipated their actions and triggered it to open!
“So…where were we, sis?” I asked after our door closed.
“We were talking about you actually getting a full night’s sleep. As I recall, the first in almost five months?” Emily said, looking at me skeptically. “Though, I suspect it’s quite a bit longer?”
“Years.” I replied sheepishly.
“Years longer?”
“Five to be exact, sis. Allie and I have been repairing Clemson’s ‘adjustments’ for five years now- usually once you and Cami go to sleep, Allie and I hit the road, so to speak.”
There was no response from my sister. Looking back up from the floor, I saw the reason. Emily stood staring dumbfounded at me with her mouth open.
“Ya, go ahead and say it, Em.” I said, feeling guilty. “Why are we working ourselves to death?” I paused momentarily for her to respond. When she didn’t, I continued. “Because the world depends on us, sis- because Allie and I are the only ones that can counter the Clemson scourge.”
My sister remained quiet.
“So,” I said, “no comment- snide or otherwise?”
Emily just kept staring at me in silence.
“Fine, sis, but it’s what Allie and I have to do! The timeline has to be fixed, Emily.” I groused at her silence. I started toward the lavatory to wash up.
“Alex?”
“What is it?” I asked coarsely as I stopped and turned.
“I…I understand, sis. I…I’ve been…um…afraid…to…to look ahead…at our…at us.” She stumbled quietly. “I finally…I took the chance and…and…I looked…Alex…and…and I’m not frightened anymore, Empress. I know we have a very long time together, sis.”
Emily hurried the few feet between us and wrapped her arms around me. She began to sob softly on my shoulder.
“So…you know.” I whispered knowing exactly what she had seen. It was just one of the many scenarios, but offered the better future overall. At least it gave her something to look forward to- something to believe in for the foreseeable future.
I was proud that my sister finally had the nerve to confront her demons and look into our futures. It was the next step in developing her gift to its fullest. She had already come so far, but like me, she had a ways to go yet.
“I…I know you have to do this, Alexandra.” She said, her voice muffled by my shoulder. “I can see this mission…this manhunt, will succeed. After all, we’ve come too far to fail, haven’t we?”
“Never assume that, sis. Don’t forget how ruthless ‘Time’ can be. He cares nothing about anyone’s feelings but his own and willingly sacrifices his pawns without regard.” I reminded.
Emily lifted her head off my shoulder.
“Alex, we are talking metaphorically here- because it sounds like you’re talking about your opponent from that game last week.”
I didn’t reply.
“You’re not saying he was actually…’time’, are you? We actually met time?” She asked, staring at me.
I just looked at her for a few minutes as I thought about that philosophical question. Could someone actually meet ‘time’? Wasn’t time a construct of sentient beings? Though, he was ‘constructed’ very well…
Thinking about it, Allie and I did ‘beat’ time. Andora said that the Empress was the only entity that could better him, didn’t she? But…if the Empress could best time… I thought about that single fact. I…we had actually bested time. He stood no chance of winning when Allie and I brought all our ‘weapons’ to bear- so to speak.
Hmmmm.
Was that whole exercise- the game- Empress against time- real or was it actually metaphorical as Emily suggested.
Given that, was the Empress just as metaphorical? Was I just an imagined entity- a fictional character- a construct of some rich, fertile imagination?
My mind started to hurt.
“Alex?” Emily’s voice shocked me out of my deep concentration.
She was dressed for the day and looking at me with concern.
“You going to skip lunch too?” She asked with a knowing smile.
“I missed breakfast?” I asked in realization as I rubbed my eyes.
Emily nodded her head and giggled.
“Yesterday and this morning, sis. What were you thinking about for a day and a half?”
“Time.” I said effortlessly and matter-of-factly.
My sister nodded twice- still smiling.
“That’s an awfully big thing to think about, sis. How about we go get you something to eat?” Emily said as she guided me to the door.
When had I changed clothes? I thought as I looked down and saw my default Reilly. I stopped.
“Dixie, what’s the current mission date?” I asked as I looked questioningly to Emily.
“257:08:29:1432, Alex. Is there something wrong? Have you been traveling again?” The A.I. replied.
“Thanks, hun.” I said then looked at my sister. “Nice try, Jim.” I scowled.
“Well, I almost had ya.” Sunni said as she finished changing. “Emily asked me to watch you while she went to eat, Alex. I couldn’t help myself.”
I placed my hand on her shoulder.
“You actually had me…for about a minute, Sunni. I guess I deserved it given what I put you through this past week.” I admitted. “I thought you were in a hurry to become Jim again, hun?”
“I promised Yuuka I’d stay Sunni for as long as this mission continues, ma’am.” She shook her head a few times. “I know I’m probably going to regret it in the long run.”
“You’ll be fine, hun. In case you haven’t realized it, you can precisely emulate whoever you’re imitating.” I told her.
“Um…how am I imitating Sunni, Alex, I’ve never met her before?”
“How about thirty years ago?”
“What?”
“You met Sunni thirty years ago. When you and Yuuka first joined hands? Sunni was born that day as your wings unfurled. She is your alter-ego- your other half, Jim. If need be, think of her as your sister.”
“But I already have three sisters, Alex.” Sunni complained.
“So…you already knew how girls behave. I’m sure your Ma would be thrilled to have one more, hun.” I giggled.
“Dad would have a coronary… if he hadn’t already passed, Alex!”
“Not if he wouldn’t have been as stubborn as my Sandy and taken a sip from my flask.” I argued as I suddenly felt very melancholy.
“I’m sorry, Alex. I forgot how sensitive you are about that…wait, I thought you were Alex from 1944?” Sunni said as her eyes narrowed.
“I am from 1944, but the memories are still there, hun. I remember Sandy as if it were yesterday. Our entire life together…it’s all up here.” I told her sadly, pointing to my head.
“We better go eat something, Alex.” Sunni insisted as she gently took my arm and urged me to the door. I felt a tingling from between my shoulder blades.
“Sunni,” I said gently.
“What is it, Alex?”
“I already know I have pink wings in my Pixie form, hun. You’ve proven your hypothesis, so please, nix my wings?”
“But you look so pretty, Empress!”
“Sunni.”
“Alright.” She grumbled as I felt another tingle from my back.
“What have I created?” I asked the ceiling as we walked down the passageway to the local café.
“Hi, si…” Emily started to say before she stopped and stared. Allie, Cami, Jack, Khufu, and Anna Beth also stared at me…at us. I reissued my previous question.
“Y’all know they say impersonation’s the highest form a flattery.” I said as I looked and raised an eyebrow to my doppelganger. I sighed heavily. “Just like a kid with a new toy on Christmas!”
“Hey, I resemble that, sis.” My double commented, giggling.
“And I thought her Pixie form was incorrigible.” Emily laughed.
Sunni was suddenly standing next to me.
“I see that your transformations are getting faster, Sunni.” Cami commented. “Your Reilly interface is also improving- well done, sister.”
“So where is Yuuka? I thought you two had an appointment at the daycare out in Delta ring today?” Allie inquired.
“We do.” She answered but appeared to look at her HUD momentarily. “What time was that today?”
“Just before three bells, hun.” Allie answered. “In about fifteen minutes.”
“Oh man, I better get going!” Sunni suddenly shrunk to her Pixie form and flew out into the passageway.
“That one is going to get herself into some very uncomfortable situations, sis.” Allie commented as I took a seat beside her.
“She’ll kick it back a few notches once she finds out how much of a mimic her gift makes her.” I responded.
“I thought she was a shape-shifter, Alex?” Jack asked in confusion.
“A normal shifter wouldn’t be able to assume Pixie mode, Jack, plus, we all have secondary gifts- don’t forget that.”
“So what does that mean for Smithson, Alex?” She asked in curiosity.
In response, I held up my right hand and began to count back from five on my fingers.
“Five, four, three, two…” I said before being interrupted by me appearing next to our table.
“Oh, Alex! I can’t thank you enough! That me said excitedly as she came over and hugged me tightly.
“Sunni?” Jack asked in astonishment.
“Yes. It’s me, Aunt Jacki! Isn’t this fantastic? I can emulate people’s gifts too! Alex, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t want it to go to your head, hun. You can only make use of other’s gifts on a very limited basis. In my case, only a week or two either way. I trust you’ve already had the scare of your life and learned from it?” I asked.
Sunni- in my form- shuddered visibly.
“Yes, ma’am. I had the buh-jesus scared outta me all right. I thought I popped right into the twilight zone! I’m glad I figured it out and got the hell outta there!”
“Time to jump back ahead six days, ‘Alex’.” I said calmly as I looked to my double.
“Yes, ma’am. Thanks again, Alex!” My double said as she leaned down and kissed my cheek.
Standing back up, she disappeared.
I noticed Khufu and Anna Beth staring, open mouthed.
“Like you two have never seen Djedefre trying his gift out.” I accused.
They turned to stare at Allie and I.
“Wait…you didn’t know?” I asked in amazement.
“My son had a gift, Alex?” Khufu asked candidly.
“Djedefre shares his mother’s gift.” I revealed to the man.
‘Alex, don’t go there right now. Anna Beth won’t take it well at all.’ Cami thought to me.
‘I don’t intend to, sweetheart.’ I thought back.
“Alex!” Andie cried, gasping for breath as she appeared behind me. Half the table jumped. “Sisters, I need your help!”
“If y’all will excuse Emily, Allie, and I, our sister needs to consult with us on a family matter.” I said as the three of us stood and joined hands with the Commodore.
Andie’s conference room appeared around us.
“I hope I wasn’t late, Alex.”
“Right on time, Andie,” Allie smiled.
“I saw that you were heading into trouble, Alex. I came as soon as I was able to ascertain the proper time.”
“Y’all are doin’ great, hun. You arrived at just the right time.” I complimented.
“Thank you, sister. One thing though…please…could you have a talk with Miss Smithson? Certain people do not wish to be mimicked…me especially! I find it very disconcerting.”
“I don’t think you’ll have a problem from here on out, sis. Sunni’s learned her lesson.” I guaranteed confidently.
“How can you be certain, Alex…oh, my apologies, Empress.”
“It’s okay, Andie. Sunni pushed her emulation of my gift to her limit and found herself at the crash site.” I said, lowering my head solemnly.
“What crash site, Ale….oh.” She asked, but suddenly stopped. “But I thought we stopped that from happening?”
“In this dimension, yes. Another dimension wasn’t so lucky, I’m afraid.”
“Sunni can jump dimensions too, Alex?” Emily cried in surprise.
“Only on a limited basis. Fortunately she figured out what happened and came straight back.” I replied.
Andie nodded then walked over to the room’s food dispenser.
“One American cheeseburger, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and catsup. Coffee, Empress Blend, black.” She ordered. Then, when completed brought the tray over and placed it before me.
“I know you haven’t had the chance to eat yet, Alex, so get to it.” She said sternly.
“Yes, mother.” I remarked as I picked up the sandwich. Knowing it was an organic beef substitute didn’t matter at all. I was hungry!
E.S. Atlantis, Standard Year 257:08:31
“How did you sleep, Alex?” Emily asked as I padded out of our lavatory.
“Six hours, I think, and I still feel like a zombie.” I replied as I rubbed my ribs.
Emily approached and lifted my nightie over my head.
“Hey!”
“So how long did you have that boned corset on this time, sis?” She asked releasing the flimsy, pink, silk lingerie. It bunched above the swell of my chest instead of flowing freely over and down my body.
“A month.” I replied as I fussed with its fit. “I had a week’s downtime. Next time though, I’ll wait until after that time of the month to travel to the middle ages. It felt disgusting- even though I used my tiara and broach to keep my Reilly charged.”
“I thought that was the case. I heard the shower when I got up.”
“Sorry I took so long in there. About half the town had the plague.”
“Wow, what a two-fer- your period and the plague!” Emily giggled. I hope you didn’t bring anything back with you, sis.”
“No, my Reilly’s diagnostic was clean.” I answered with a smile.
“So who did the Empress save this time?”
“Someone calling himself Bacon- Francis Bacon?”
“You met Francis Bacon? The creator of the scientific method?” Emily’s eyes grew wide. “What was he like, Alex?”
“Not very scientific at all, Em. He didn’t seem to have a clue that he was being hunted through Spain by a group of church-sponsored mercenaries. Clemson had the local diocese believing Bacon was an English, demonic, hell-spawn sent by Queen Elisabeth to unseat one of the Popes.”
“So what happened?” Emily asked in excitement.
“Well, after saving his proverbial ‘bacon’, we laid low for a week in Paris. After that I showed the blessed Spanish hierarchy what a true demonic, hell-spawn was and what it could do!” I giggled. “I’ll bet there wasn’t a clean set of britches in the whole city of Aragon, sis!”
“You didn’t do anything to upset Upper Management, did you?”
“Not that I know of, sis. I did, however demonstrate the scientific method in a very ‘creative’ way.” I replied with an evil grin.
“Was it really that bad back then, Alex?”
“Let’s put it this way, sis. If one more, smelly pervert had pinched my ass or fondled my boobs the whole city would have been transported back into the late Jurassic Period! I mean, how can so-called priests be so vulgar?”
“So I take it, you just missed Clemson again?” Emily asked, changing the subject.
“He saw me appear and took off like a spooked rabbit!” I laughed.
“Didn’t Ricky Lynn’s fix work?” She asked in concern.
“From his perspective she didn’t do it yet, sis. I’m fixing them as I find them- not in the order he did them.”
“So what’s on the agenda for today, Alex.”
“Allie and I go catch us a scared little rabbit.” I smirked.
“You mean it’s finally going to be over? This extended mission is almost finished?”
“For Clemson it will be. We’ll be cleaning up after him for a few more months.”
“At least he won’t be causing anymore trouble though, right?” She asked, hopeful of my answer.
I didn’t answer.
“Alex, you know I’ll find out. I told you, I’m not afraid to use my gift anymore. I may limit its use, but I have no qualms about using it to find what I need.” Emily reminded.
“There have been changes in Clemson’s wake, sis. Things might not be exactly as we remembered them when we get back to base.”
“I’ve seen that part, Alex. What aren’t you telling me?”
“I can’t say for sure. I just know that things will be a little different, sis…for all of us."
“Alex, I don’t want things to change too much. We’ve both come so far on this mission. I don’t want that to disappear.”
“Alex,” my voice said from behind me, “Ricky Lynn, Cami, and Jack have completed archiving our log entries and personal profiles to Dixie’s core memory. We can leave whenever you want.” Allie said somberly.
I nodded.
“I’m coming with you, Alex.” Emily stated matter-of-factly.
“I know.” I said as Allie took my hand and I waited for Emily to take my other. She seemed surprised that I would suddenly just agree.
“Dixie, we’ll be back by dinner if anyone should ask.” Allie informed the A.I.
“Understood, Empress, and good hunting.” Dixie replied.
A small, tiered auditorium appeared in front of us and we found ourselves just behind the lecture podium. Two male students were just leaving through the single door over to our left.
Emily looked at me to fill in the blanks.
“Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 10th, 2035, 1310hrs.” I said with a smile.
“Sis, didn’t you, Jack, Ricky Lynn and her class just go into that smaller classroom?” Allie asked as she nodded to the same door.
“In about five minutes we’ll be alone. Clemson will appear right there.” I said as I pointed to the floor just ahead of the podium.
“So how do we catch him before he uses the CDA again?” Emily wondered.
“He’ll find his ill-gotten device has suddenly stopped responding.” I grinned.
Once rephased, we stood around and waited. Emily, curious of the auditorium’s use turned on the small projection device and looked at the large screen behind us.
“President Lincoln.” She said reading the screen unemotionally. She clicked one of the virtual buttons on the small device and the picture changed.
“Examples of Paradoxes as they relate to history? Sounds like this course would be right up your alley, sis.”
“Ricky Lynn had Jack and I lecture here. We just finished up a few minutes ago and now I’m conducting a ‘thought experiment’ in the next classroom. As we speak, I’m asking the class to join hands and think about traveling back in time thirty minutes.” I told her.
“I suppose you had them close their eyes so they wouldn’t see Jack turn the clock forward after you ported them back that thirty minutes? How many actually noticed?”
“They all noticed, but only one woman came back to congratulate us on a successful experiment, Em.” I answered and promptly looked down. “Janice Silvers and Cassi were the first sisters we lost to Clemson.”
“So that’s why you had Ricky Lynn program her CDA to arrive here- back to where it all started?”
I nodded.
My HUD suddenly came online with my tiara’s Temporal Anomaly detector flashing red.
“He’s coming. Everyone ready?” I asked.
“Ready for what, Alex? You said the machine wouldn’t work now.” Emily asked in confusion.
“Clemson still may have a trick or two up his sleeve, sis.”
After several flashes and several near fade-ins, Ricky Lynn’s newest toy appeared exactly where I predicted it to be.
“So…where is Clemson, Alex?” Emily asked as we looked at the unaccompanied CDA. “Some trick, Alex. Can Clemson phase out like we can?”
“No. He must’ve found the programming rewrite and left go in mid-transit.” I theorized.
“So he beat us again? What are we going to do now?” Emily cried.
“Now we go to the endgame.” I said as I took my sisters’ hands.
A rolling, grassy meadow outlined by tall deciduous trees replaced the small auditorium.
Now where are we, Alex?” Emily asked as she looked around us.
“In a place where I recommend we should stay out of phase, sis. Just outside Chancellorsville, Virginia, May 3rd, 1863.”
“Why did we come back here?” She asked in shock.
“Because this is where it all ends. Darren Clemson finally pays for what he’s done. Right here.”
A horn trumpeted off in the distance. Shouting and shooting ensued as artillery fire erupted all around us!
Clemson materialized to our immediate right. He immediately hit the ground and cowered in a fetal position.
“Do it, sis!” Allie shouted so we could hear.
The rush of men converging on our position suddenly froze. Sound, sky, animal, vegetable- everything became motionless. I dropped my sisters’ hands and walked over to where Clemson lay cowering.
Touching him, my bluish luminescence engulfed him and he began to move again.
“Stand up!” I ordered.
The terrified man stopped shaking and began to slowly look around. He finally looked up at me and began shaking again.
“I SAID GET UP!” I shouted angrily as I grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet. As it had in Egypt, my voice echoed menacingly from around us.
Clemson cautiously looked around.
“What…what happened? Why isn’t anything moving?” He asked innocently.
“Shut up, you ignorant piece of shit!” I seethed. “I’ve had enough of your arrogant manipulations of this timestream! Time to pay for your crimes.”
“What crimes? I was just repairing what you fucked up in the first place, you stupid whore! Why do you dikes constantly want things your way?”
“Stupid whore? Dike?” I shouted as the light around us dimmed significantly. The air around us instantly took on a crimson red tinge.
Clemson looked around in confusion.
“You dare call me a stupid whore and lesbian? You know nothing about me or any of my sisters! What gives you the right to pronounce title on anybody? Who gave you the right to destroy billions of lives? What kind of sick amusement do you get from altering history to your liking?” I shouted. My voice continued to echo strangely from everywhere in the stillness.
Try as I might, any patience I still had lost out to anger.
“I corrected the past to match the history books. The REAL past. The one ‘Experts’- the academics that have actually researched history- have proven existed. Not the chaotic, fantasy past your frail mind choose to meddle with! I did nothing wrong. You, on the other hand, ruined more lives than I saved!” Clemson responded snobbishly.
A hand swung past me and slapped Clemson’s face. I was surprised the strike hadn’t broken his neck!
“My sister is not a whore, asshole! She has helped hundreds of millions of people- saved several planets and even a universe or two! How dare you say she ruined anyone’s lives? How can you be so sure those historians…the so-called ‘experts’ that wrote those books are correct? How?! Where they actually there?! Did they actually visit?!” Emily shouted just before planting a powerful right hook to the left side of his jaw.
“You don’t know,” my sister continued as she threw a strong left and made serious contact, “how many years of her life,” she threw another right that loosened some teeth, “my sisters have lost trying to rebuild what you destroyed!” Emily finished with an uppercut.
“Emily, please…stop.” I urged. “This isn’t like you, sis. You’re a doctor.”
“Alex is right, Em.” Allie agreed as she approached a bleeding, injured, Darren Clemson.
The man spit out two teeth, wiped the blood from his mouth then looked at Emily evilly and began laughing.
“Is that all you can manage? I must say that you hit harder than I expected…for a girl.”
“So you think she hits like a girl, huh?” Allie said as she raised her right hand. “You are lower than the primordial scum I experimented on hundreds of years ago. Let’s see how you like this!”
My sister’s hand plunged into the man’s chest cleanly. Clemson immediately looked down with bulging eyes and began to wheeze as if his airway was constricting.
I was flabbergasted! How was she doing this? How could she just reach through someone’s chest?
“Alex! Stop, you’ll kill him!” I shouted in horror.
“Wasn’t that the point, Alexandra Steinert? Revenge for those that lost their lives many times over? Compensation for those that never came back! Alex, this is the least I can do to avenge them!”
“We aren’t avenging angels, Alexandra Reilly. This isn’t what we are- what we represent. Please take your hand out of him, sis. Don’t stoop to his level.” I pleaded.
Clemson began to smile evilly.
“Go ahead, Bitch…you know you want to do it. Make me pay for what I’ve done!” Clemson baited before he winced in more pain. Allie’s face remained determined and cold.
“Alex? We aren’t like him. Don’t let him goad you.” I warned.
Alex, Alex is right.” Emily said gently. “He wants us to go too far and anger ‘Upper Management’. He wants the Empress to ruin her reputation. Do you really want to do that?”
Allie didn’t answer for a moment.
“We are nothing like you,” she seethed! “Nor will I stoop so low. You will be tried and sentenced like the common criminal you are.”
Allie pulled her fist out of his chest and stepped back.
“I knew it! You three don’t have the balls! How absolutely pathetic! You disgust me!” Clemson laughed evilly.
“Let’s take him to see ‘Upper Management’, Alex. Emily suggested.
“I don’t think so, you stupid sluts! I’m out of here.” Clemson countered as he grabbed and threw my hand off his arm.
“I’m stronger than you ‘Time Skanks’. You can’t stop me from doing what I want!”
“You seem to forget that you lost your toy, hun. You set one foot outside of my protective bubble and time stops for you too. There is no escape, Darren. Not this time.”
“You really are stupid- all of you! Did you really think I wouldn’t find Ricki’s programming change…or that I wouldn’t have a backup plan? No, I think I’ll be just fine. Though we’re in the middle of the battlefield, you won’t try to change the outcome by making me trigger the bomb I brought along.” Clemson cackled thinking he had the upper hand.
“You mean this little ol’ thing, asshole?” Allie asked as she held out a small device in her right palm.
“Like I wouldn’t carry a backup to my backup after you bitches surprised me the last time.” Clemson laughed as he held out an identical device in his left hand. “I’ll be going now. See you bitches some other time.”
“You really don’t understand the concepts of time travel very well, do ya, hun?” I asked casually.
“I know everything I need to know about time and how to handle three spoiled sluts. Why don’t you ‘ladies’ go find a new street corner.” He said arrogantly. “Protective time bubble, pffffft!” He said in disgust as he reached out his hand.
Clemson immediately stopped, looking at his hand as it suddenly froze in place- at least the part that had found the barrier of my bubble.
“The fuck?” He swore in confusion.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Clemson? The ‘three spoiled sluts’ actually know more than you?” Allie chided sarcastically.
“What kind of dumb-assed trick is this? Why can’t I move my hand?” Clemson cried in anger.
“You tell us, hun, we’re just stupid whores, remember?” Allie continued with a sinister giggle.
“Oh, just a little history lesson. Tri-thermite didn’t exist in 1863.” She said nodding to his trapped hand. The small explosive device he held in it vanished. I’d have to ask her about that later.
“How’d you do that?”
“In case you might have forgotten,” Allie said looking to me and seeing me nod, “I am the Empress of Time and Space.” We chorused.
“That’s bullshit! There is no such thing!”
“Oh, but there is, Darren, honey. I’m right here.” I said pointing to Allie and I. “I don’t suppose you remember this little trick, do you?” I asked as the light around us slowed and dimmed more. Everything was now bathed in a brownish red hue. I thought it sickeningly appropriate for our present location.
“Nice parlor trick, bitch! Now release my hand before I really have to teach you who’s in charge.”
“Awfully confident, Mr. Clemson.” Emily grinned in a neutral, professional, tone. “I read your heart rate at a hundred-seventy beats a minute and your blood pressure, one-ninety-five over one hundred? Those vitals indicate that you are lying, Darren.”
“Bite me!”
“It wouldn’t be safe. I don’t know where all you’ve been.” Emily’s expression brightened slightly.
“You bitches asked for it! Now I’m really gonna have to give you a lesson in manners!” Clemson warned angrily.
“You know, sis, his clothes are looking a bit ‘old’ don’t you think?” Allie smiled as she snapped her fingers.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean you stupid cunt!?”
Every stitch of clothing on Clemson’s body began to rot and fell off in small withered patches.
“What the…?”
“Spare us the cussing, hun. It never did suit you well,” I giggled, “Neither did those clothes. Where’d ya’ll get ‘em from, hun, the five and dime?”
“Okay, that’s it! Time for me to drop the gloves!” Clemson said as he started to pull his hand out of the barrier. I was moderately impressed. Once free he flexed his fingers a few times and sneered at us. “That wasn’t so hard. Now time to bow to your master, bitches!”
“Not so fast…old man.” Allie countered as Clemson turned back to us with wild rage etched on his face.
“Who you callin’ old, whore? I’m twenty-four.”
Allie sneered in anger then she seemed to concentrate. She smiled and pointed to our adversary. His hair began to turn gray and wrinkles began to form on his forehead. His eyes began to sink back in his head and he began to slouch slightly.
“Looks to me like y’all are about ninety, hun. Want a mirror?” I laughed.
“Nice trick, but I’m not amused. How much do you like your sister, ‘Empress’”, Clemson asked as he reached out with his now, much older and frail hand?
Emily’s hands went to her throat and she began to choke- struggling for air.
“Oh, what’s that, bitch? You can’t breathe? Aw, what a shame. You should have listened to me before things got to this point. Now see what you’ve made me do?”
That was the last straw! The time for playing with this asshole was over! Emily wasn’t going to die on my watch…not again! Things became pitch black, except for the bluish light Emily, Allie, and I…and Clemson- through my grace- were giving off.
“LET! HER! GO!” I hissed through my clinched teeth. There was no question I was beyond serious. The bluish glow illuminating us increased tenfold in intensity.
Allie looked around us. “I’d let our sister go if I were you, honey. I’ve never seen my sister this pissed before.” She warned calmly.
“I have no intention of backing off! You’ve angered me now.” Clemson cackled confidently.
“Your funeral, honey.” Allie warned as she stepped back from me. Emily was still fighting for breath next to me.
“Mr. Clemson, what does everything in the universe have in common?” My voice cold and unwavering.
“Um…me?” He laughed dementedly.
“No, Mr. Clemson. Time. Time is what defines the whole of the universes. It affects everything there is- everything we are. Time, Mr. Clemson, whatever form or PHASE it takes is everywhere.”
“What kind of philosophical bullshit are you spouting now? I’m just going to kill little sister here if you’re intent to babble on about the concept of time! Why delay the inevitable, right? You stupid cunts!”
Emily disappeared.
“What the…!” Clemson cried in sudden shock.
“I wasn’t merely babbling or delaying, hun. Time eventually catches up to everyone. I’ve even met him, though I think even he isn’t as full of himself as you are, Darren Clemson.” I told him.
The very recall of our recent confrontation with ‘Time’ only angered me further! We were getting nowhere playing by the rules. Upper Management be damned! This was stopping now!
I began to concentrate harder and felt a rush of power even stronger than back in Egypt!
Our surroundings began to hiss and creak. There was an ungodly squealing like nails on a chalkboard. What could be seen outside my time bubble began to bend and distort. Several tremors rumbled under our feet.
“Alexandra? What, in the Goddess’ name?” Allie asked calmly as she took a few steps back up to me. Her eyes showed the fear that her voice concealed. “Alex? Please…I’ve never seen this...this reaction from you before, Sis.”
“Mr. Clemson wants to change history, Alex.” I seethed. “I say we save him the trouble.” I suggested coldly as I stared demonically into his eyes.
“How about I cancel history all together?! Would that appease your vanity?! Remove your need to control and bend the past to your will?! How would you like it if I deprived you of that greed and want, Mr. Clemson?!” I hissed. I could only imagine the maniacal grin on my face. “Then there would be nothing for you to disagree with, feel hurt by, or even question!”
Our surroundings began to melt and twist even more. What color still existing became shades of black and gray.
“Alex? My God! What are you doing?” Emily appeared again and stared at me in terror.
“If history never existed, neither would he; neither would any of the terrible deeds he’s done…all the innocents; all the peoples of this and other worlds, they wouldn’t exist to be tortured for his sick amusement! Even better, if nothing existed, there wouldn’t be a Darren Clemson to arrogantly declare his self-assumed superiority…his self-proclaimed ‘mastery’ over history...over time and space.” I said as I felt that strange surge of energy increase even more! “Maybe time shouldn’t exist! Maybe the universes shouldn’t exist!”
Everything around us blurred out of focus, becoming a mess of fuzzy shapes, swirls, and some, only slightly, recognizable patterns.
“Empress, you don’t want to do this!” Emily cried. “Upper Management…”
“To hell with ‘Upper Management’, Emily Scott,” I interrupted! “They obviously don’t give a damn what this bastard does, so what do they care if I just nullify everything! ‘Upper Management’ won’t have anything to worry about anymore!”
“But, Alex, we’ll all die!” Emily cried in response. “Worse…we won’t exist!”
“Then that’s what needs to happen, Em! We need to put this evil back in the box that it escaped from!” I angrily hissed.
“Box? What box, Empress?” Emily asked as both she and Allie stared at me in complete confusion.”
“The box I originally locked him up in…eons ago.” I shouted as I licked the blood from my upper lip- the warm, metallic, taste spurring me on.
“But, Alex, that was Andora, not you.” Allie tried to argue.
“Let’s find out who it really was, shall we?” I growled evilly as I continued to glare maniacally at the now terrified man.
“ALEXANDRA! THAT IS ENOUGH, YOUNG LADY! I WILL NOT HAVE MY DAUGHTERS- ANY OF THEM- DOING SOMETHING TO ANGER ‘TOP MANAGEMENT’!” My voice shouted from directly behind me.
“This refuse has to be disposed of properly or things will just become worse and worse, mother.” I coldly answered the voice, not taking my eyes off our prisoner.
Our surroundings reverted somewhat. Shapes only marginally refocusing, colors only slightly returning.
“I know, and I concur, Alexandra. He does require judgment and he shall get exactly what he deserves, but you, my dear Empress…you will not be the one judging him today!”
The landscape around us reverted back to the horrid Civil War battlefield. Both sides had almost converged on us- Union from behind and Confederacy from ahead.
Clemson looked around, but managed not to look surprised.
“I knew you cunts didn’t have what it takes! You couldn’t hurt a flea- none of you!” He gloated.
“Move out of the way, Alexandra.” Ruth Scott growled from behind me, her bluish glow intensely bright.
“Awww, mommy is going to throw a tantrum now because her babies couldn’t protect the world. What a shame you can’t do anything to me either, queen bitch!” Clemson laughed deviously.
Time outside our bubble began to slow again. Everything moving at half normal speed.
“Mr. Clemson,” Momma began in a composed tone. “What you call me does not matter in the least. I do, however draw the line where my daughters are involved. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ruth, Mother of the Empress of Time and Space. I consider Alexandra- both of them- extremely diligent, restrained, and fair in their work. I however,” Momma shot forward and grabbed Clemson’s shoulders.
I was so surprised by her aggression that my hold of time slipped and I wholly expected time to start moving forward normally.
It didn’t!
“…Have no such restraints, and I have no difficulty being your judge, jury, and executioner!” Momma continued as she stopped suddenly and yanked Clemson back toward us! She released him just as an older union soldier slowly ran through him. The soldier suddenly jerked sluggishly backward as his shoulder erupted in a spray of blood and ripped cloth.
“There is your justice, Darren Clemson!” She spat at the soldier now lying on his back.
For the former owner of the body as well as the many hundreds of other soldiers- North and South- lying around him in varying states of death, government policy or beliefs lost all relevance.
“You bitch! What did you do to me?” He screamed out in pain in the older man’s voice.
“I simply made it impossible for you to leave this time ever again, you wicked boy.” Momma laughed darkly. “Welcome to your new home, Darren Clemson. I hope you enjoy your new present. This time period was so…you!” Momma said as she suddenly looked to her right.
“Oh no, not yet, my friend.” She said as a Confederate soldier, still at half speed, stopped, raised his bayoneted rifle, and thrust it into the newly enslaved Clemson.
The bayonet slashed down through him and pulled back out as the soldier continued on his way. Clemson’ new face stared in shock.
Time resumed normal speed.
“Death will not claim you so easily, Mr. Clemson. There is more for you to experience before you pass from this realm into the next.” Momma callously told the wounded man.
A cannon ball exploded just to his left- the concussion lifted and threw him up and over us several feet to the right, but left momma and the three of us unaffected.
Taking a new head wound, Clemson moaned in pain before passing out and going limp.
“Mother? Did you just kill him? That isn’t what we saw happening to him.” Emily gasped out as she started toward him.
“He’s not dead, but he IS different than he was a minute ago, child.” Mother replied with a smug expression.
“How is he different?” Emily asked as she stopped before my bubble’s barrier.
“You should know and recognize this man from your earlier travels, dear. His brain’s speech center has suffered a massive trauma. It is unlikely he will ever be able to form two words again.” Momma Scott informed her. “Or walk for that matter.”
“Mother! How could you do something like this? How could you subject another human being to such suffering?” Emily cried out.
“He wasn’t much of a human, now was he? More monster, I’d wager. That was your conclusion as I recall.”
“Still, mother! He was a man- a human. You can’t just assume he was guilty on all counts and sentence him to a life worse than death.”
“He won’t be alone in there. I’m sure the other five personalities will keep him and each other company, Emily.”
“Mother, that’s not the point!”
“It’s absolutely the point, child! This man condemned billions of people- living or yet to be born- to a fate worse than death!” Momma argued. “I just returned the favor!”
“But Mother, what about ‘Upper Management’?” Emily cried.
“Alexandra, would you please tell your sister what she refuses to see?” Momma said looking between Allie and I.
“It’s another paradox, sis.” I said quietly.
“Condemning a man to suffer in a broken body with five different voices in his head? How is that a paradox, Alex?”
“Momma. Momma is the paradox, Emily, not Clemson. This is how momma comes to be our guardian…our mentor.” I told her sadly.
“So you knew.” Momma closed her eyes momentarily and nodded to the two of us.
“We had a general idea, Ma. I wasn’t sure until a minute ago, though.” Allie said for both of us.
Momma nodded once more.
“Now I must go, girls. I must go to stand judgment for my crime. I shall miss all three of you until we first meet. Take care, my Empress. Rule wisely and evenly, my daughters.”
Ruth Scott disappeared.
“Alex,” Emily cried, “do something!”
“Director, make sure Em gets back to Atlantis.” I ordered.
“Aye, Cmdr. Steinert.”
“WAIT! ALEX!” Emily shouted as I began to concentrate on where I wanted…needed to be.
I recognized my surroundings immediately- the warm, comfortable, living room; the large, fieldstone, fireplace with the crisp, crackling, fire ablaze in it; the overstuffed, wingback chair facing the fire- it looked exactly as my memories told me it should.
Above the fire- centered prominently on the thick, dark stained, wood mantel, sat a very familiar, small, wooden box. From my vantage point the bright brass latch- previously sprung- looked new, locked, and secure.
“Care to freshen up before we go, mother?” My voice asked from the chair. I noticed a pair of legs, crossed and barely showing from between the chair’s front legs.
“That all depends on where we’re going, Andora.” I replied calmly.
“I’m surprised you knew how to get back here…or even dared.” She said casually.
“And why wouldn’t I come? My mother is to answer for her actions and I wish to speak on her behalf; to offer myself up in her place if need be.” I answered stoically.
Andora’s head shot around the edge of the chair in surprise.
“Mother, I do not wish to see you perjure yourself because of a woman who is not actually your mother.”
“I wish to speak on behalf of my sister who is, in fact, the accused’s biological daughter- and it doesn’t matter if she officially adopted me as a daughter or not…I would speak for a complete stranger if I believed I could help.”
“Oh, mother!” Andora sighed heavily.
“My mind is set, Andora. You should know that once it is, nothing will stop me!”
“Then we shall depart for the place of reckoning, mother. I hope you are prepared for all you will stir up.” Andora replied as she stood gracefully from her chair and walked toward me. Her expression was sadder than I had ever seen.
“I am ready to face all charges, Andora.” I said as I offered her my hand.
“Mother,” she began, as she looked down at our linked hands, somewhat surprised. “I wish you wouldn’t. I know you do not trust in my existence, but I am your daughter and do not wish for you to go through with this.”
“Well, Andora…if I AM your mother then Ruth Scott is your Grandmother because I consider her one of my mothers. Logically, that would make you one of her granddaughters. Would you rather I let your Grandmother fend for herself in a court of her peers with no testimonial or representation on her behalf?” I asked as I gently squeezed her hand twice.
Andora remained silent for a moment- we both looked deeply into each other’s eyes. Again, as on our last meeting, I saw deep dark pools of warm feelings within those beautiful, green irises.
“You are right, mother, and your convictions are strong and well founded. Let us go and speak on Grandmother’s behalf.” Andora finally said with a warm, but sad smile.
The blackness that suddenly surrounded us reminded me of my private domain; only there was no star to be seen to provide the light or warmth. I had no clue where the light that dimly lit this place came from. Ahead of us, eight, worn, wooden church pews appeared from the darkness. All but the front two had ‘people’ seated in them already. A large wooden desk of the same apparent age appeared ahead of the pews, facing them- its chair unoccupied at the moment. Next to and offset slightly to the right of the desk, another empty, plain, wooden chair faced us.
This place reminded me all too much of a seventeenth century courtroom.
Andora and I advanced and she motioned for us to sit down in the empty, second row pew even though the first was empty also. We sat there silently for a few minute before Andora turned to me.
“I’m sorry mother, I have to do something. Please excuse me.” She said as she got up and walked forward.
Walking around then sitting down gracefully behind the large wooden desk, Andora adjusted the chair and looked at me sadly. She immediately wiped her eyes of a few tears that had appeared.
“This inquiry into the exploitation of power is hereby convened. Please present the accused.” She said sounding slightly choked up.
I was suddenly appalled- shocked that she would be Momma’s judge.
Ruth Scott suddenly appeared directly in front of me and began to look around. Seeing me, she flinched and her face saddened considerably.
“Alexandra, what are you doing here?” She whispered conspiratorially.
“Where else would I be?” I asked matter-of-factly with a sad smile.
“You. You, of all people, shouldn’t be here.” She continued to whisper.
“Tough, Ma. Ah’m here and Ah ain’t leavin’!”
“This inquiry will now come to order.” Andora said as she banged a gavel- I had no idea where it came from- on the desktop.
“In the matter of Ruth, Mother of the Empress of Time and Space and your abuse of powers on an insignificant human, how do you plead?”
“Guilty as charged, your honor.” Momma exclaimed proudly, her head held high.
Andora dropped her gavel and stared at her supposed Grandmother in shock. The people behind me gasped in surprise.
“Aren’t you even going to present a defense, mother?” I whispered as I leaned forward.
“And just what difference would that make, Alexandra? I did abuse my power and now I gladly accept my punishment, so there is no need to waste time on a useless trial.”
“Useless? Useless trial, mother? You, who presided over the most cockamamie tribunal I’ve ever attended?! How can you possibly think this one is more useless?” I asked, exasperated.
“Please go home, Alexandra. You have much work to do now that the Clemson threat has been neutralized. Go home and make me the proud mother I am.”
I stood up.
“Your honor. If it pleases the court, in order to ensure due process, I offer my services as representative for the defense and if allowable, wish to modify my tenative client’s plea.” I announced proudly so there was no mistaking my request or intent.
“Mother…Alexandra! Are you sure you want to represent the accused? Somehow I see a conflict of interest between you and your client.” Andora asked, an expression of surprise again showing on her lovely face.
“What is it with these humans? Must they always ruin our entertainment?” A woman’s voice asked coldly from behind me.
I instantly turned and stared back into the faces behind me, searching for the owner of that arrogant, rude voice. Not seeing emotion on any of the faces, I turned back toward Andora…our judge.
“You honor,” I began. “Is this or is this not an officially sanctioned inquiry into the accused’s misuse of powers?”
“I have been asked to preside over a formal inquest into the actions of Ruth as they pertain to the treatment of one Darren Clemson.”
“As I thought, your honor. Thank you for the clarification.” I said with a nod and continued. “May I inquire of this court, the reason for our gallery? For, if I am led to believe rightly, they are simply here for the ‘entertainment value’ and not to audience mature legal proceedings. If my client cannot receive a fair and legal ruling on her alleged digressions, what purpose does this inquiry serve if not amusement?” I asked as I glared back and over the people seated behind me.
There was another gasp from them and one woman- a raven-haired, Greek beauty, dressed in a white toga style dress blushed and looked down to the darkness that was the floor to escape my glare.
“The Alexandra has a valid argument. Those not interested in serious legal proceedings should exit this inquiry.” Andora…our judge declared.
“My sincerest thanks, your honor. At this time, may it please the court if I provide counsel to my client?” I asked.
“If that is what you wish, mothe…counselor. We will resume this inquiry when you have concluded the defendant’s counsel.”
Momma and I were back in the warm and inviting living room of wherever this place was.
“Alexandra, I don’t know what you are up to, but this is serious and very, very dangerous for you. Why didn’t you take my advice and go back to Atlantis?” She chastised.
I walked over to the fireplace and, very carefully, lifted the small, stained box from its place on the mantle. Just as a precaution, I examined the latch and both hinges for integrity.
“Alex and I have worked too hard; too long. We’ve experienced our sisters- our loved ones, vanished from existence too many times. I began to think I’d never get that evil back into this box, momma. It should have never been put in here in the first place.” I said carefully tapping the top of the container in my hand. “It only made things worse; worse for everyone. Something so angry and loathsome, restrained for that long, was bound to fester and grow. Its need for revenge grew exponentially, it seems.”
“What the devil are you talking about, Alexandra? What does that silly little box have to do with anything?” Ma demanded in confusion.
I didn’t expect her to understand. I bearly understood it myself.
“Apparently it has everything to do with…with all of it; all of this. Ma! But now that the evil has finally been returned, I’m even more determined to keep it from ever escaping again. And…and I will fight to my last breath to keep the universes safe from this.” I declared as I carefully put that insignificant, yet so significant, small, wooden box back in place on the fireplace mantle. Front and center so as not to be missed. To remind anyone seeing it just how destructive something so small and innocent looking could be.
“And I will not have my mother going to who-knows-where without as much as a whimper! You of all people should know I will stick to my guns until the very end, or…until I prevail.” I argued back.
“You hard-headed, blonde! You don’t know when to give up, do you?”
“Takes one ta know one Ma, and no, I don’t know when to give up! Especially when it’s family! Now, do you want my counsel or not?”
Ruth Scott turned to me and wrapped her arms around me, squeezing tightly.
“Alex, you crazy, crazy, girl! You make me so proud! Of course I accept you as my defense counsel.”
“Good, then let’s see how we can present what happened so that there is reasonable doubt to the original charge.” I advised as I began to picture where we had been.
We found ourselves back in the courtroom, but standing side by side in the front row this time.
Andora looked startled by our appearance. Hadn’t she expected us back so soon?
“This inquiry will now reconvene.” Andora said as she banged her gavel once more. “Counselor, I trust you and your client have agreed on her defense?”
I stepped forward. “We have your honor. My client pleads ‘guilty, but under extenuating circumstances’.”
I thought that sounded plausible given the ridiculous charges leveled on me at MY ‘Upper Management’ hearing.
“State the reasoning behind this specific plea, counselor.”
“Your honor, I submit that Ruth Scott is indeed guilty of over use of her gift, but also submit that it was in response to actions and slander on the part of one Darren Clemson that instigated the circumstances. Had he not verbally abused and debased my client’s three daughters face to face, such severe actions may not have resulted.”
“Slanderous accusations, counselor? Please elaborate.” Andora prompted, showing considerable interest.
“Your honor, the alleged victim, Darren Clemson, accused all three of my client’s daughters of illicit and lewd behaviors and also of prostituting themselves degradingly for profit. He also referred to them using vulgar, contemporary references to their genitalia, questioned their moral beliefs, and expressed lewd, disgusting, actions if they submitted to his nefarious intentions.”
“In other words he called you, Emily and Alexandra Reilly, whores, sluts and…”
“Yes, your honor, and on numerous occassions.” I quickly interrupted so she wouldn’t foul her tongue or soil her person.
That raised a murmur from our gallery of all women.
“In as much as my sisters and I ignored those comments and claims, they still impugned that we were less than honorable and virtuous. To insinuate or assault one’s character without foundation is regarded as slander on our world- in almost every other world that we’ve visited, in fact.” I explained. “Unfortunately, the aforementioned verbal onslaught did irritate the Empress into a very ill-thought course of action.”
“Go on, counselor; enlighten us as to what the Empress’ decided course of action entailed.”
I looked down sadly, took a breath, and looked back up to Andora.
“Your honor…I thought…that if…that if history didn’t exist…that…that the man, Clemson…he would have no issue or desire to change it and destroy billions of lives- that if there was no history…then there would be no Clemson at all- there would be nothing…anywhere. And if he did somehow survive, there would be no innocent lives for him to torture by repeated temporal extinctions.”
Not only did the gallery gasp loudly, our judge, Andora, did also!
He eyes widened significantly!
“Mother, how could you?! How could you even conceive of such a drastic recourse?” Andora asked, incensed. “Don’t you realize what you could have done? To all of us? Do you not yet understand your part in all our lives?”
“Alexandra is still relatively new to her craft, your honor.” Ruth said in my defense. “She has yet to fully understand the gravity of her actions.”
“On the contrary, mother, Your Honor, I understand all too well, the ramifications of what I attempted!” I countered angrily. My body began to tingle and I noted a bluish tint to our surroundings.
“Mother? I beg you to assert self-control. Can you provide detail to back up such drastic measures? What led to your dire assessment of the situation?” Andora questioned as she continued staring at me in disbelief.
“Clemson used our sister, Ricky Lynn, to acquire the means to enact his devious plan, your honor. He seduced, drugged her then left her to take full responsibility for what was to happen.” I took a breath and pushed those memories back.
“Once in possession of the time device, he took it upon himself to change the destiny of entire countries- including the country that afforded him his education and lodging. That single action drastically changed the course of history, disrupting the time line- ultimately negating the Empress and her sisters. Had some of us not gone back farther than his reach extended, that is exactly what would have happened,” I paused.
“At least four different times the Sisterhood of Kili has been devastated- purged completely from existence- for what? To appease a single man’s whims of what history should have been- what some ‘historical experts’ theorized to be the truth? To wantonly change his standing and assert control! In essence, to become some supreme leader of the world or universe!”
“Your honor, I would not speculate as to his true intentions or endgame; that is not my gift, but I knew…I felt, with all my heart, that this man somehow wanted to be God, or no less assume the role of the Creator.”
“So, in essence, you felt Clemson to be what you would call the ‘antichrist’- the defiler of humanity…of your universe?”
“I do. No human should have that much power at his or her disposal, your honor.” I answered with conviction. “No human should ever have the power to play God!”
“Yet here you stand, mother- a human with the power to delete history- to defeat time himself- to effectively delete as many universes as you feel necessary. The power to delete all of us and yourself just to punish a single, simple, greedy, immoral human; not unlike you?”
“I will not deny being human, your honor. I do, however, take offense to the implication that all humans, me included, are greedy, simple, and immoral! Ruth Scott’s and my records- as well as those of my sisters and millions of other’s throughout the universes, counter that generalized assumption.”
“Your honor, Alexandra has proven exemplary in her capacity as Empress. Her single indiscretion should not be assigned the same weight as my blatant act of damnation and subsequent incarceration of a man’s soul into a would-be dead man’s husk OR my many other infractions over the years.” Momma pleaded.
“Who is defending whom here, mother?” I asked, looking to her in disbelief.
“Indeed, Grandmother. Who shall this inquiry pass judgment on since both counsel and defendant claim equal ownership of punishable offences?” Andora asked. She looked at both Ruth and I for several minutes before saying anything.
“Counsel, perhaps we should hear more of your exploits concerning Darren Clemson? Please continue your dialog of the events leading up to your final confrontation.”
“As I stated previously, Clemson, using the stolen time device, erased our sisterhood from existence several times. Each time, I and several of my protected sisters found methods to restore those existences along with thousands, even millions, of other innocents that never had a clue as to what had just happened. Your honor, I have spent the last five years of my life rehashing history in order to right the wrongs that Darren Clemson created while playing God! Five years of near sleepless work that should’ve never been necessary. Five years dedicated to bringing the time line closer to its original configuration.” I stated as calmly as possible.
“Your honor, in order to expedite justice, I ask the court’s forgiveness for my actions to date and subsequent attitude in this chamber and request full restoration of all pending charges, but to me exclusively. I will not offer further defense on my behalf, I only ask that all charges against my client be transferred to me and expunged from her record. If this pleases the court, I now submit myself to the full authority and whims of this inquiry.”
“Alexandra! Don’t do this, child! You can’t understand what you’ve just agreed to! On this plane of existence you have no inkling as to what punishments await. I implore you, my Empress, recant while you still can!”
“I’m sorry, mother; I’m not going to retract anything. You have paid for your sins and it is now my turn to answer for what I have done. As you claim, I am THE Empress. Therefore, it is my responsibility to answer for whatever those under me have done in my name. Your honor, please pronounce sentence and end this inquiry presently.” I said stoically, bracing myself for whatever came next. Holding my head high, I closed my eyes and waited before my ‘firing squad’.
“Enough!” The same woman’s voice as before shouted from behind us. “I’ve heard enough!”
“Alexandra and Ruth, this is an inquiry and not a trial.” The woman said. She was somehow now suddenly standing right beside me.
“You both have proven your dedication to each other and to your cause. I would find little guilt on either of you should I have found myself in similar situations. Have either one of you not realized that we have been watching- that we are always watching?”
“We have ma’am, and both of us have seen the possible outcomes of this inquiry today. We both understand the seriousness implied here also.” I replied, as I remained facing forward- afraid to look this woman in the eyes.
She began to giggle then her giggle turned to pleasant, melodic, laughter.
“Oh, Alexandra, you will face no retribution if you look upon this face. After all, it is just one of many given me by the various sentient beings throughout existence.”
I gulped as I turned slowly to view the beautiful, perfect face- the perfect smile and brilliant green eyes. She winked at me.
“There. Is what you see so horrific?”
I shook my head slowly a couple of times in silence.
“Ruth, your daughter is everything you claimed her to be, and more. Though not my choice for the position, she certainly convinced us that we were in err. You may now proceed to your next assignment- that of mentoring the newly chosen Empress of Time and Space. Teach her well, as we have seen you have, sister. Please keep me updated on her progress, though we all know the summation of that progress already.” She said.
Ruth…momma nodded.
“As you wish, ma’am, and thank you.”
Ruth Scott turned me around and wrapped her arms around me.
“I knew you could do it, Alexandra! I’m so proud of you, as I am of all my children! I’ll see you girls around. Take care.” Momma said as she released me and vanished.
“Alexandra, join me?” The woman beside me asked- not ordered- and offered her hand.
Taking it cautiously, we walked to and around the large wooden desk to where Andora was now standing with a warm, wonderful, smile.
“You should be very proud of your mother, young one.”
“I am, very much, ma’am. I am also extremely impressed with how she challenged and overcame all advances father made- how forgiving she was- knowing he had cheated- several times, in fact. I have never met a woman of her character in all my existence.”
“And have you learned anything from those observations?”
“Oh, I have, ma’am. She is quite the role model- much more dynamic and caring than father.” Andora admitted happily.
The woman next to me nodded.
“Then I consider your visit here concluded, Alexandra. Time to return and finish the missions you have left open- those so-called ‘paradoxes’ you have yet to close.” The woman took a step back and bowed regally.
“Continue wisely and morally, my loving, young Empress. We will continue watching.”
With the Time Machine Bandit, Clemson, now ‘incarcerated’. Alex and the crew of Meridian 12 must now find their Egyptian passengers a new home. What other surprises are in store from the Empress of Time and Space? And is this the last time we’ll see Andromeda, Regina and the crew of Atlantis?
“Alex? Where did you come from? Is mother all right? Did your attendance help lessen her charges? Will we ever see her again?” Emily asked rapid-fire as I once again found myself in our Atlantis quarters.
I just nodded, as I looked around- still stunned. Had I actually been in the presence of…?
I shook my head. No, there was no way that could be what happened. How would I ever rate audience with …‘her’? Looking to the floor, I began to wonder about my supposed significance in…what did they call it…existence.
Had I just represented, redirected, and then taken sole responsibility for not only my actions, but for other’s without blinking an eye or conscious thought? Why would I not be severely punished for what momma and I had done- for what we truthfully admitted to?
That woman…she was the first to speak from the gallery- the first to show disinterest in the inquiry as if it should have been some game. Was she expecting I would respond as I did? If that were the case, was I again being tested- manipulated- to observe my response?
“Alex? Sis, it’s almost three bells, and Andie asked us over for dinner. Are you feeling up to it? I can call and reschedule if you’d like to take it easy a while.” Emily said as she gently took my right hand in hers.
E.S. Atlantis, Standard Year 257:09:11
“Must you leave so soon, Anna Beth?” Andie asked as we stopped beside Meridian in the huge Diplomatic hangar. Our spacecraft seemed dwarfed more than ever in the huge bay.
“I’m afraid so, Andie. We’ve worn out our welcome and it’s time that we sought out a new home. Only the Lords know how long that will take.” Anna Beth looked to me accusingly.
“Meridian, Passenger status?”
“All passengers except one have boarded. Command crew is deficit two. Crewmember families are all accounted for, captain.”
“Acknowledged. Are we ready?” Anna Beth replied scanning the ceiling of the hangar.
“Dixie’s…Atlantis A.I. hospitality link disabled. Meridian A.I. pre-flight complete and go.” Meridian answered excitedly as she reported her Comm link and preflight status. Still, I detected a tinge of sadness in her voice.
“Thank you, Meridian,” Anna Beth confirmed as she looked back to Andie, Reggie, and Ian then impatiently around the hangar again.
“We’ve really enjoyed having you these past few weeks. Hopefully, Alex will see fit to bring you all around for a visit every now and again.” Andie said as Reggie mechanically nodded her head.
“Ricky Lynn, I hope Alex brings you back when she visits. I’ve enjoyed talking ‘shop’ with you. It won’t be the same around here without you.” Reggie said, finally composing herself enough to speak.
“I’m sure ol’ Alex seen more visits in our futures, toots. Hopefully, we can get back fer the baby shower in a few months.” Prof. Samuels said with a guarded smile.
“Or we could come visit you…Empress willing.” Reggie replied with a tempered smile of her own.
“Exec, where are my Communications and Tactical Officers? Did they elect to stay behind?” Anna Beth growled impatiently to me.
“The Pixies said that they had to visit and say their farewells to all the children in all the schools and daycares around Atlantis, captain. They will arrive presently.” I answered.
Across the hangar, the passageway access door slid open and three small figures flew in slowly. As they got closer, Yuuka began to grow up and once her feet touched the ground, joined us. Sunni was next to exit Pixie mode and took her place next to Yuuka. She remained as Sunni though.
The third, a pixie with yellow-smudged, silvery wings, began to grow, but remained much smaller than her sister Pixies. She hurried over and stood next to Sunni, quickly taking her hand.
It was a good thing Ricky Lynn still had a spare Reilly. The first time Tath’ba had entered Pixie mode- she had been startled by a first year student twice her size at one of the elementary schools in Gamma Ring- her clothes ended up in a small pile on the floor. Tath’ba was hovering a cubit or so above; naked as the day she was born- in her adult form no less.
Anna Beth stared at our newest sister sternly. The young girl’s response was to tighten her grip on Sunni’s hand and hide slightly behind her.
Sunni pulled gently on the girl’s hand so that she came out from behind.
“What do you say to the captain, Tabatha?” She asked the girl using the English version of her name.
It would become her legal name very soon.
“Um…um…sor…sorry, captain, ma’am. I…IIIIII…I wanted to say goodbye to all the children. Do we really have to leave here?”
“I’m afraid we do, little one. Andie and her people are going to be landing Atlantis in the next few weeks and we’ll just be in the way. Besides, don’t you want to see the beautiful new world Alexandra has picked out for us?” Anna Beth asked the young, newly gifted, girl.
Tabatha had realized her gift quickly as she lay in the infirmary recuperating from the severe injuries she received during the Sun Temple procession. Since her release from Atlantis’ infirmary five days ago, she had stuck to Sunni like glue.
“I would like that very much, captain, but I would also like to see Sunni’s world too.” She replied shyly.
“Let’s see where the Empress takes us first, munchkin. Alex has her priorities you know.” Sunni told her.
“Col. Smithson, would you care to board Meridian. Meridian, enable another station next to tactical for Miss Tabatha.” Anna Beth said as she smiled slightly.
“Bridge modification complete. Bridge seating complement has reached maximum, captain.” Our A.I. acknowledged.
“Thank you Meridian. Col. Smithson, once your charge is seated and secured; please begin your tactical pre-flight. Young lady, the bridge will be a very busy place for awhile so you must be on your best behavior.”
“Aye, ma’am.” Sunni and young Tabatha said after snapping to attention. She and Tabatha turned and marched toward the outer hatch at Anna Beth’s nod.
“I’ve never seen a six year old act so mature.” Alusia commented quietly.
And I have never seen a sixteen year old act like such a brat, niece.” Anna Beth countered.
“We’ve had a long series of discussions about her behavior back in Memphis, captain. Alexis has seen the light, so to speak.” Alusia assured as she glanced to Allie, Andie, Emily, and I. She had tightly held the girl’s reigns since our arrival on Atlantis and still did so now.
“Just like her mother.” I said in whisper to Allie and Jack.
“Yes, Empress, just like me. Though I think she learned some of that from her father also.” Alusia said, having heard my comment.
“I told you I surrender, mother! I couldn’t go back to Memphis now anyway- I’d never live long enough.” Young Alexis cried in angst.
“I never said you couldn’t go back, hun. I just didn’t think you would want to marry your own cousin. We have laws against that sort of thing where I come from.” I admitted to the teen.
“Why would I marry Djedefre? Eewww!” The young woman exclaimed as she grimaced.
“Because Djedefre is Pharaoh now, and according to his newly reformed government, he is now a living God and can do pretty much what he wants- when he wants.” I looked at the teen sternly. “Including claiming anyone he wants…related or otherwise…as many times as he desires…with as many partners as he wants!”
Anna Beth looked at me as though she thought I was joking.
Alexis’ face drained of all color.
“He would do that?” She asked in disbelief.
“We got a sayin’ back home, hun: ‘It’s good to be the king’.”
Andie, Reggie, and Ian smiled and shook their heads.
“Remaining command crew to the bridge. Get below, Alexis.” Anna Beth commanded awkwardly.
The sixteen-year-old angrily stood to attention, quite dramatically performed an ‘about face’ then marched exaggeratedly the few steps to Meridian’s outer hatch.
“Wow! Now that wasn’t a statement, was it?” I said to no one in particular.
A round of hugs and handshakes ensued before we all turned and entered Meridian. Andie, Reggie, and Ian made their way over to the docking control room to observe our departure.
Welcome back to the bridge, counselor.” Anna Beth said as Alusia walked off the elevator. “Please have a seat.”
Alusia looked about as frightened as the last time she was on the bridge- when we left Poland.
This time all consoles around the bridge were manned except the one next to Emily at Environmental.
“What station have you assigned me, captain?” Alusia asked in confusion.
“Alexandra has assigned you to Ship-wide communications and information, dear. Your job is to monitor and route all intra-ship communications. Assist and answer questions about the intercom system, and help our passengers cope with interstellar travel, though I am at a loss for how long our travels might actually last.” Anna Beth explained as she looked over to me with a raised eyebrow.
“It sounds like I’m a glorified telephone operator-slash-shrink.” Alusia complained.
“Something like that, hun.” I laughed. “It’s that or you go back to your quarters for the duration.”
“No, this is fine, Cmdr. Steinert.” She conceded.
“Let’s get going, Exec.” Anna Beth ordered as she grinned
“Aye, captain! Bridge. Pre-flights.” I barked. “Engineering.”
“Go, Ex-O. Beta-wave APU online. Inertial generators to dynamic. Fuel cells one hundred percent and tending.” Ricky Lynn answered.
“Environment.”
“Cabin pressure equalized. Breathable gas mixture optimal. CO2 scrubbers online and operating at one hundred. Medical, stocked and ready, commander.” Emily answered.
“Helm.”
“Attitude gyros online and standing by. Thrusters in standby and primed. Awaiting start authorization from Atlantis Control, Commander.” Peyton responded with a smile.
“Navigation.” I asked.
“Nav sensors cal’d and sync’d to time augmented local star maps, Ex-O.” Natalia replied with an excited smile.
Again, Seph and her mother bumped fists. Our captain said nothing this time, but shook her head and smiled happily.
“Tactical.” I continued.
“Tactical sensors online and in standby. Tactical display parameters entered. Collision avoidance protocols disabled and locked pending docking control release, ma’am.” Sunni responded as Tabatha stared at her completely enamored.
“Weapons.”
“Partical and optical weapons disabled and safed until Meridian exceeds Atlantis Control’s safety border. All weapons batteries charged, but safed, Cmdr. Steinert.” Jack answered.
“Ship’s Security.”
“External sensors online and operational at minimum power levels. Navigational strobes in standby.”
“Ex-O. Docking Control confirms hangar is devoid of all personnel and awaits our request for decom.” Yuuka cut in.
“Understood, Comms. Sciences.”
“All scientific analysis equipment online, but in standby until outer Atlantian border exceeded.” Allie confirmed.
“Communications.”
“Normal transceivers online. Subspace transceiver shunted to virtual load and in standby until outer boundary exceeded. Meridian transponder online in Extremely Low Power mode. Emergency Comm transceiver in standby. Atlantis Control confirms receipt of Meridian transponder ID.” Yuuka reported
“Internal communications.”
Alusia didn’t answer. I looked over to see her puzzling over the console. Emily looked over from her station and pointed to a specific spot on the sleek, sloped console face.
“Thank you, doctor.” She said quietly.
“Internal communications.” I repeated and still got no response.
“Alusia! Internal Comms!”
“I’m sorry, the number you have dialed is currently not in service. Please call directory assistance and state your feelings on this matter.”
“You are directory assistance, hun. Now, are you done with your pre-flight?” I growled to the bridge smartass. I noticed Anna Beth fight a giggle.
Alusia reached to her console and touched it once.
“Internal Communications online, mein Sklaventreiber.”
I glared at her. I didn’t need my translator for that one.
“Thank you, Internal comms. Captain, all stations confirm pre-flight completion. We are go for launch.” I officially reported to Anna Beth.
“Confirmed, Ex-O. Alert Atlantis Control of our status.”
“Aye. Communications, contact Atlantis control. Confirm pre-flight completion and standing by for remote docking and Decom.” I said, authorizing Yuuka’s station.
“Atlantis Control, Meridian 12. All pre-flights go. Meridian 12 awaiting remote docking initialization and Decom; confirm.” Yuuka announced.
“Acknowledged, Meridian. Docking Control has been given authority.” Andie’s third in command responded over the loudspeaker.
“Confirmed, Atlantis Control. Commander, Atlantis Control is ready.” Yuuka relayed to me.
I looked to Anna Beth. She nodded her approval.
“Very well. Alert Docking Control we are ready for remote docking procedure.” I relayed back to Yuuka.
“Dock Control, Meridian 12. Atlantis Control confirmed for handoff. We’re ready when you are.”
“Acknowledged, Meridian. Commensing remote docking protocol.” Another voice answered.
“Captain. Remote docking program has come online. Meridian A.I. shows handshaking confirmation.” Ricky Lynn reported.
“Alert Docking control, Communications.” Anna Beth ordered.
“Aye. Docking control, Meridian. We confirm remote docking handshake. We’re in your capable hands.”
“Acknowledged, Meridian. Starting hangar decom.” The voice informed us.
“Exterior atmosphere deleting, captain. Decompression has started.” Allie reported.
“Meridian, Docking Control.”
“Go, Docking.” I answered.
“Meridian, at this time enable your navigational illumination, please.”
“Acknowledged.” I answered as I nodded to Cami, who nodded to Sunni.
She in turn nodded to her little helper seated between them and pointed to her console. The six year old grinned brightly as she touched the indicated spot.
“Nav strobes enabled, ma’am.” Sunni reported. She smiled at the young girl. “You did good, Tink.”
Cami smiled brightly to their helper.
“External atmosphere deletion complete.” Allie announced after several minutes.
“Internal atmosphere and pressurization nominal, Ex-O.” Emily announced.
“Docking control, Meridian 12. Hull integrity one hundred percent. We’re good to go.” I announced.
“Looks good, Meridian. H.D.A. initialization.” Docking control reported.
“What’s an H.D.A, Sunni?” Young Tabatha asked quietly.
“Hangar door activation, Tink.”
“Oh. Does that mean it’s going to open?”
“That’s right, munchkin, now let’s put the curiosity on hold before the captain changes her mind about you hangin’ with me on the bridge, ‘kay’?”
The young girl nodded animatedly.
“Meridian12, cutting hangar Grav generator in three, two, one.” Docking announced.
“Exec, thruster quads just came online in station-keeping.” Seph announced as we felt Meridian jostle slightly.
“Inertial generators active, Alex.” Ricky Lynn reported.
“Y-axis quads firing.” Seph reported.
The hangar ceiling began moving as Docking Control piloted us out of the hangar Meridian had occupied for two weeks. Soon we were outside of Atlantis’ Command Core hull.
“Attitude quads firing.” Seph reported as our view of Atlantis dropped down and out of view on our display. “X-axis quads firing. Forward momentum, captain.”
“Meridian, Docking Control. At this time we’d like you to start up your main thrusters. Acknowledge clean starts or misfires.”
“Acknowledged, Docking. You heard the man, Seph. Fire ‘em up, hun.” I told our helmsman.
“Main thrusters enabled. Starting main thrusters, Alex.”
The whine of Meridian’s main engines starting filled the bridge. Natalia and Persephone ‘high-fived’.
“Main thruster start confirmed, Alex.”
“Give her a little love tap, Helm.” I ordered.
“Aye, ma’am.” Seph responded as she quickly slid all thruster controls up and back down again. Anna Beth gave me a curious glance. ‘Goosing’ the thrusters wasn’t part of typical Terran launch protocol.
“Retro quads compensated, exec. We’re good to go.”
“Confirmed, Subcommander.” I acknowledged. “Docking Control, Meridian 12. Main engine start and thrust test confirmed. Meridian 12 requesting a departure vector.”
“Keep your pants on, Meridian 12. Follow the checksheet.” Andie’s voice ordered over the speaker.
“Rodger that, Docking. Meridian 12 tightening her belt.” I giggled in response.
“X-axis quads firing. Forward velocity has increased, captain.” Seph announced.
Over the next five minutes we ran through Atlantis’ own prelaunch checks. Apparently, Andie wanted to make sure everything was good for our trip.
“Meridian 12, Docking Control. That’s all we have for you. The Commodore used up almost four cubits of stationery. Hope you guys aren’t too bored. Standby for a full media comm from Atlantis Command.”
“Rodger that, Docking, standing by.” I acknowledged. “Alusia put it ship-wide.” I added.
“Ready for ship-wide, Alex.” Alusia responded personably.
Everyone on the bridge stared at her for several seconds in complete astonishment.
“Captain, we have an incoming media transmission from Atlantis Control.” Yuuka announced.
“All displays, Internal Comm.” Anna Beth ordered.
Andie and Reggie appeared on our main screen.
“Captain, you have our sincerest wishes for a safe and successful voyage. Reggie and I hope you find a suitable home, good health, and prosperity.” Andie said. She looked like she had been crying recently.
“Alex, you better take good care of those people! I swear, if I have to come after either of you…” She said before choking up.
“Pleasant journeys, Empress.” Reggie cut in. “Come back soon.”
“Goodbye…Pleasant journeys!” Everyone on Atlantis’ bridge chorused.
“Captain, Meridian has just crossed Atlantis’ outer safety boundary.” Allie said as she wiped her cheeks.
“Remote docking protocol has disengaged and self-deleted, captain.” Ricky Lynn announced.
“Docking control signals all clear and has transferred all communications to Atlantis Control.” Yuuka reported.
“Alex, you and Allie take them folks where they belong, you here?” Andie choked out with a forced smile.
“That’s been my intention from the very start, sis. We’ll see you in a few weeks.” I told her.
Ian’s face came on screen. “Meridian 12, Atlantis Control. You are go for extra-planetary departure. Everyone here on Atlantis wishes you a safe journey. Atlantis Control, out.”
The main screen went blank then displayed Atlantis in all her awe-inspiring majesty.
“Thank you, Atlantis Control. Meridian 12, out.” I said sadly.
“Exec. I need a course and heading.” Anna Beth requested.
“Navigation, make for safe passage through Sol’s asteroid belt and the outer planets. Deflectors forward.” I ordered.
“Course set and enabled, exec.” Natalia responded.
“Hit it, Seph!” Anna Beth ordered in a playful tone.
“Aye, ma’am.”
Meridian’s engines roared to life as the bridge filled with their trademark whine.
“Thrusters at full power, ma’am.” Seph repeated as we felt Meridian start to break Earth’s gravity.
“Weapons. I want those safeties off immediately!” Anna Beth commanded.
“All weapons online and live, captain.” Jack responded.
“Tactical.” Anna Beth continued.
Sunni whispered something to Tabatha.
“We’re in the clear, captain. Sensors report nothing unknown in all three-sixty around us.” The young girl reported calmly. There was a tiny bit of excitement in her young voice though.
“Excellent job, Ensign.” Anna Beth congratulated.
“Who is ‘Ensign’, captain?” the girl asked, confused by the word.
Anna Beth got up and walked the short distance to Sunni’s station.
“You are, ‘munchkin’.” Anna Beth said with a smile as she placed her hand on top of the girl’s head. “You’re doing such a good job I gave you a field promotion. Welcome to Meridian’s Command Crew, Ens. Tabatha.”
The new officer jumped from her seat and hugged Anna Beth around her hips.
“Oh, thank you, your majesty!” Tabatha cried in happiness, but suddenly released our captain and stood to attention. “I…I mean…thank you very much, captain. I’ll try to do my best for you and Meridian, ma’am.”
Applause and laughter filled the bridge.
“We’re clear of the Asteroid Belt, Captain.” Natalia announced about thirty minutes later. "ETA to Kuiper Belt, three hours."
“Now what, Alex?” Anna Beth asked.
“Now I take Meridian to warp.” I answered without looking at her.
“What do you mean ‘warp’?”
“I just do my thing, captain. With your approval?” I asked.
“Alusia, open a ship-wide announcement from my station.”
“And just how do I do that, captain?” Our Internal Comm officer asked innocently.
‘Ensign’ Tabatha slid off of her station’s seat and walked across the bridge to Alusia’s station.
“Touch this button then touch this button, ma’am.” The little girl said as she pointed to two places on the console.
“Oh, well thank you, child.” Alusia said sweetly, but blushed all the same. She touched the appropriate controls. “Ship-wide address open, captain.”
“All hands, prepare for Temporal Jump.” Anna Beth announced. “End announcement.”
Without waiting, Tabatha pointed to another location on Alusia’s console.
“Thank you, but I knew where that one was, Ensign.” Alusia groaned.
Tabatha smiled, turned, walked back across our bridge, and climbed back onto her station’s seat.
Anna Beth began laughing hysterically!
I took the opportunity to jump us to our next destination. As with previous jumps that involved space travel, everything seemed to collapse into me and I watched as the stars moved and changed for a few seconds before everything around me reappeared.
“By the Lords! What was that?” Anna Beth choked out. Only Tabatha, Natalia, and Peyton mirrored our captain’s frightened expression. Sunni was laughing hysterically while pumping her arm up and down as if having some kind of crazy seizure.
“Temporal Jump complete, captain.” I announced mechanically.
“All stop!” Anna Beth shouted in surprise. “Navigation, where are we?”
“Why ask me?” Natalia groaned. “Alex has a better idea than I do.”
“Alex?” Peyton asked. “Did we just do what I think we did?”
“What is it you think we did, Subcommander?” I asked back as I saw Jack, Sunni, Cami, Emily, Yuuka, Ricky Lynn, and even Alusia look toward her.
“I thought I saw stars! For the briefest of seconds I thought we were moving across the galaxy.”
“Let’s find out, shall we?” I said with a mischievous grin. “Subcommander, have you triangulated our position yet?” I asked gleefully.
“It would help if the Exec would give me some idea as to where we should be! A star year would help immensely!” Natalia growled menacingly.
“We’re a long, long way from Earth.” I hinted.
“And pray tell, how far from Earth, Miss Steinert?” Anna Beth coaxed.
“Around one hundred-thirty light-years…I mean units, captain.” I answered.
“And would you happen to know the direction and how many years have passed us by, Alex?”
“I do, captain, but I’ll defer that detail to a future…”
“Captain! We’re receiving a transmission.” Yuuka shouted as she put it on speaker.
“Repeat. Unknown spacecraft, you are entering restricted space. Please identify yourself.”
“Yuuka, is our transponder active?”
“Yes, captain, high power mode.” Yuuka answered quickly after tapping a spot on her panel to check.
“Alex, what did you just get us into?” Anna Beth hissed.
“Captain, I would suggest introducing ourselves.” Allie advised.
“Patch me through, Comm.”
“Go ahead, captain.”
“This is the Terran Interstellar Probe, Meridian 12. We have just arrived in this system and are peaceful…repeat, we are peaceful.” Anna Beth announced.
“Unknow spacecraft we do not recognize that identification. Please hold position until we can positively identify you.”
“Captain, we’re being targeted! They have a lock on us!” Sunni shouted excitedly.
“Alex?” Anna Beth hissed.
“Comm, send file ‘Comdrafs’ through our transponder.” I requested to Yuuka.
“Aye, commander.”
“Unknown spacecraft; please provide access pass code for ‘Comdrafs’ encryption and hold until decrypted and permitted.” The voice advised a few minutes later.
Anna Beth glared at me as if I had two heads.
“Yuuka, send this through the transponder: [email protected].” I ordered.
Emily, Jack, and Cami shook their heads and tried to keep from giggling.
“Unknown spacecraft please re-identify.” The voice asked after a long pause.
I nodded to Anna Beth.
“This is the Terran Interstellar Probe, Meridian 12.” She restated. “We have just arrived in this system.”
Again there was a long pause.
“Meridian 12, you will proceed to the transmitted coordinates and hold pending further communication.”
“Captain, I’m receiving those coordinates now, ma’am.” Yuuka confirmed.
“Transfer to Navigation, Comm.”
“Aye, ma’am.”
“Coordinates received and entered into navigation console, captain.” Natalia reported. “Computing time to destination.”
“I hope you know what you are doing, Alexandra. Weapons, status!”
“All particle and optical weapons charged and ready, captain.” Jack responded.
“Engineering, shield status.”
“Shields in standard forward deflect mode and active.” Ricky Lynn answered.
“Captain, at half power we should reach the transmitted coordinates in under an hour.” Natalia advised.
“Nav, engage course. Helm, three-quarters power to the thrusters. Alexandra, both of you in my conference room…now! Nat, you have the bridge.” Anna Beth growled as she stood from her seat and walked back to her personal conference room. Allie and I followed.
“Care to tell me what you’re doing, Alexandra?” Anna Beth demanded as soon as the door closed. “Do you know exactly where we are and may I remind you that we have two hundred and eighty-one souls onboard?!”
“We merely brought you to your new home, captain.” Allie started. “We found you a world similar to your old home.”
“Apparently there’s someone living there already, Alex! I don’t need to remind you of the issues that could arise in the form of confrontations and border disputes!”
“There is more than enough room to share the planet with the current residents, captain. You’ll find them very obliging and helpful. I’m sure you’ll find them very friendly. Almost like old friends.” I continued to tell her.
“Let’s hope so, Alexandra! By the Lords, what has gotten into both of you lately?”
“Captain, our mission…” Allie began. “It’s taken so much of our time…”
“Almost six years, in fact, since we have been to our homes.” I continued, but stopped to let Allie continue.
“We feel you shouldn’t have that long to wait. At least you can take pleasure in knowing that everyone here will survive. We still don’t know if our homes exist or if Clemson succeeded in totally removing us from history.” Allie concluded.
A paging tone came over the loudspeaker.
“Yes?” Anna Beth barked.
“Please standby for an announcement from our ‘Navigatrix’, Subcommander Natalia.” Alusia snarked.
Anna Beth showed her annoyance by rolling her eyes.
“Thank you, Alusia.”
“Captain, you should get out here.” Natalia’s voice urged.
“Trouble, Nat?”
“No, captain, we’re here! Sister! You have got to see this!”
Anna Beth glared at me before turning and hurrying out of the conference room. Allie and I took a page out of Natalia and Seph’s book and bumped fists before we also exited to the bridge.
On the monitor was a blue and green planet with white clouds interspersed randomly around it.
Anna Beth gasped as she stopped short of her captain’s chair.
“By the Lords…it’s beautiful!” she exclaimed.
“Captain, receiving another transmission.” Yuuka announced.
“Terran Interstellar Probe, Meridian 12, identify the purpose of your arrival and duration of stay.” The voice requested.
“Meridian 12 seeks permanent residence for two hundred and seventy-three souls.” Anna Beth responded as she looked to Allie and I.
“Captain, we’re receiving a file. It looks like some multi-paged questionnaires of some kind.” Yuuka reported.
“Let’s see these…questionaires, Lieutenant.” Anna Beth ordered.
Four forms appeared on our large screen tiled two by two. The entire command crew began reading.
“Application for Proprietary Travel through Regulated Terra Nuevo Space?” Natalia read one aloud in confusion.
“General Landing Permit for Antiquated Space Vehicles?” Persephone Peyton read another with equal confusion.
“Application for Permanent Citizenship of Terra Nuevo?” Sunni giggled, reading yet another of the forms.
“Application for Colonization, Occupancy, and Development of Southwestern Continent of Terra Nuevo?” Anna Beth gasped as she read the last form.
“We have an incoming full-media communication from Terra Nuevo Planetary Command, captain. They would like to talk to Cmdr. Steinert.”
Anna Beth cautiously nodded to me.
“On screen, Yuuka. And send those forms to Khufu in the captain’s quarters.” I smiled as I said the last part.
“Alexandra. Welcome home, M’lady!” Tibius’ happy face appeared on our main display.
Anna Beth gasped recognizing my Terran mate’s face.
“Hello, Tibius. It’s been awhile…for me.” I giggled.
“I see you picked up something we lost a long time ago. I trust she is capable of landing under her own power?” He asked with a smile.
“Showroom condition, Tibius.”
“And her complement?”
“Two hundred-seventy-three. As many as we could save…counting progeny and, as an added bonus, her original Captain and Exec, sire.” I replied with a proud smile.
“My I speak with your captain, Alex?” Tibius requested.
I motioned a stunned Anna Beth closer to me.
“Captain, as Grand High Counsel of this planet, I formally welcome you and your crew to Terra Nuevo. I trust this planet brings back fond memories of your own home planet?”
“IIIIII…I believe it to be even more beautiful than our long lost Terra, Grand High Counsel.” Our captain answered as she sniffed back her tears.
“Well, we hope to protect this planet better than the last one, captain. We left a dying Terra ten years ago and thank the Lords every day that Alexandra and her sisters found us and helped save us from our own ignorance. Have you completed the required forms yet, captain?”
“My mate is analyzing them for legal content now, Grand High Counsel. It could be days before he confirms acceptance or submits acceptable annotations and another week at least before actual ratification of said documents.”
“Hmmmm. I trust you have enough provisions then?”
“We do, Grand High Counsel. We are provisioned for twelve Earth months.”
“That long, huh? Hmmmm. Well, we can’t have a ship full of homesick travelers orbiting such an enticing planet with fully charged weapons at their disposal. I’m going to use my ‘considerable’ authority to speed up the processes. What do you say to that, captain?” Tibius asked.
Just where did he learn to tease like that?
‘I wonder, Alex. I really wonder?’ Jack thought in my mind. Cami began giggling, but quickly stopped when Anna Beth glared at her.
“It seems that would be very acceptable, Grand High Counsel. Some of my crew has already started to show signs of Deep Space fatigue.”
“Well, in that case…” Tibius began to say before Yuuka cut in.
“Captain, we are receiving landing instruction, coordinates, and temporary permissions!”
“Welcome home, Meridian 12! We’ve missed you. I hope you don’t mind, but we’ve gone ahead and developed a site on your continent’s northern coast to serve as a spaceport and temporary capital city. Permission to land…granted, captain.” Tibius said with a proud smile before the transmission stopped.
“You sneaky Jackal! You had this planned all along!” Anna Beth accused as she wrapped her arms around me. Allie got up and walked over. Our captain repeated her embrace on my sister.
“Comm, pass that information over to Navigation.”
“With pleasure, ma’am.”
“Nat? Sephie? Take us…” Anna Beth paused to wipe both eyes. “Take us home.” Anna Beth commanded regally.
“Beginning Meridian Re-entry translation. De-orbiting retro thrusters in ten, nine, eight…” Peyton exclaimed after ‘high-fiving’ her mother.
Terra Nuevo, 1123hrs, Prefinal, Neptinian 12th, 424 of the New Era
“Wow, this place is Rad!” Sunni exclaimed as we exited Meridian’s outer hatch. She took in the newly constructed spaceport buildings and launch pad facility, as would a tourist.
“Tibius started designing this before we moved the Consulate building to New Citadel.” I informed her.
Looking back at Meridian, it seemed a waste to have her sitting on such a massive pad structure. Designed for more conventional, interplanetary spacecraft, the site measured well over four football fields in length and width.
Near the outer boundary, a small box slowly rose up from the expansive, level, carbon fiber composite, deck. A group of figures emerged and began walking our way, yet they were still too far away to identify.
“Looks like we got us a welcomin’ party, Alex.” Ricky Lynn observed.
“It’s more than just a welcoming party, professor.” I hinted.
What I observed as five people slowly focused into a dozen. I could clearly make out Tibius, my Alexis, Nathan, Timus, Heidi, Marcus, and my Granddaughter, Alexandra. Several others- people I had met at official Terran functions over the years, made up the rest of the group.
“Captain! Media drones overhead.” Peyton announced.
“Command crew, Presentation! Line-up!” Anna Beth shouted.
We quickly stood side by side in a single row, guided right, and went to attention in one flowing, choreographed move, even though never practicing together before. I guess precision drills were precision drills no matter what planet you’re on.
The welcoming party stayed back a few paces when Tibius waved for them to stop. He approached alone, and bowed respectfully.
“On behalf of all Terra Nuevo, I welcome the crew and complement of Meridian 12, Captain Anna Beth.”
“My, things sure have become lax since our departure, Grand High Counsel Tibius.” Anna Beth smiled pleasantly.
“It has been brought to my attention- numerous times in fact- that we Terrans are too stiff and formal, Captain.” Tibius nodded to me with a wink.
Anna Beth wasted no more time, taking a step forward and bowing slightly.
“Grand High Counsel, I wish to report the discovery of a new star system with sentient life similar to our own. It has been named ‘Earth’ and is located one hundred thirty-two units from here. We have succeeded in securing friendly relations with the inhabitants- some of which have voluntarily joined my crew.”
“Congratulations, Capt. Anna Beth. As legacy representative of Terra, I deem Meridian 12’s primary mission a superb and complete success.” Tibius announced officially and stepped forward to shake our captain’s arm. He moved a little closer.
“I’m sorry to inform you though that we have already formalized relations with the people of Earth- their diplomatic emissary is standing next to you.” Tibius whispered with a devious grin.
“Yes, I know, sir, but we arrived first- well before the Empress appeared on our shores.” Anna Beth rolled her eyes as she loudly whispered back.
“What year did we just come from, captain?” I asked quietly, leaning to close the distance to her ear while displaying my own devious smile.
“Sixty-five thousand years before we arrived in Egypt…yes, I know, Alexandra, but…Atlantis hadn’t landed yet.” Anna Beth grumbled in argument.
“Well Alex, it seems you have really extended your reach. What other surprises are in store for us at Meridian’s debriefing?” Tibius smiled.
I just smiled deviously at my Terran mate. His face immediately paled. Quickly composing himself though, Tibius set his attention back on Anna Beth.
“Captain, we can stand here all day or we can start offloading your passengers. I would request that you dismiss your command crew. I have several impatient individuals in my group that would like the opportunity to say hello to several of your officers.”
“Meridian, begin passenger debarkation procedures starting with level two. Command Crew! Dismissed!” Anna Beth shouted.
Immediately, my Alexis ran around her father and wrapped her arms around me.
“It is wonderful to see you again, mother! I trust your mission concluded satisfactorily?”
“Y’all can cry if ya want, hun. No one’ll think any less a ya.” I told her through tears of joy.
“Oh shut up, mother.” My daughter sniffled quietly as her arms tightened around me considerably.
I loved it when my daughters hugged me tight and nuzzled into my shoulder.
Alexis slowly yielded and moved on to greet her Aunt ‘Allie’. Tibius began to approach me again only to be cut off this time by our Granddaughter. My mate frowned, being sidestepped once again.
“Grandmother. Welcome back. Ah trust them migraines’ll stop now?” Alexandra asked as a few tears ran down her cheeks.
“Clemson has been stopped, yes.” I answered as my Granddaughter wrapped her arms around me and began crying recklessly. The intense tingle felt…it felt wonderful!
I noticed that Heidi had walked over to Alusia. The two were chatting away in German.
“Welcome back, sister. I trust the Empress found your assistance beneficial?” Heidi asked.
“That depends on which Empress you talk to, Counselor. I have been curtailed by my own responsibilities.” Alusia replied as she quickly glanced over to me.
“Responsibilities?” Heidi asked, intrigued.
Alusia turned and waved for her family to approach. They had just exited Meridian’s outer hatch and appeared for all intents, tourists.
“My family. They are my foremost responsibility, Counselor. My husband, Khefra; daughters Alexis, Ana, and my son, Lusius.” She said introducing them in order.
“You’ve been here too, mother?” Young Lusius asked in excitement.
“Not this planet, but our previous home, young sir. Your mother arrived on Terra with Alexandra Reilly about ten years ago. To help Alexandra Steinert and her Granddaughter Alexandra.” Heidi explained with a pleasant smile.
“What is it with the name, ‘Alexandra’?” Alusia’s oldest asked in mock annoyance.
“Grand High Counsel, may I see your daughter over here a moment? I have someone that wants to meet her.” Heidi inquired, turning to my mate, who was just ready to greet me…finally.
My daughter excused herself from Emily and stepped over.
“May I present Alexis of Alusia and Khefra, Counselor.”
“Hi, Alexis. Your mother talked highly of you on her last visit.” My Alexis smiled. “I am Alexis, daughter of Grand High Counsel, Tibius and Alexandra Steinert-Fleming of Earth, by the way.” She continued, offering her hand.
Young Alexis’ mouth dropped open. “No way! I’m named after the Empress’ daughter?”
“Seems like it, hun. Great name though, right?” My daughter giggled, smiling brightly.
“Finally, we meet, Alexandra.” Tibius said as he finally wrapped his arms around me. “I have missed you very much these last ten years.
Before I could respond, my mate planted his lips on mine with all the passion and love I yearned for! God, did it feel fantastic!
Whistles and clapping echoed in my ears. I blushed as I looked around to see everyone smiling at us.
“Emily. Nice to see you again, doctor. Cynthia sends her regards and hopes you’ll have time to visit her during your stay.” Tibius greeted as he wrapped his arms around her. He moved on to Allie.
“Alex, nice to see you here too. I’m afraid your mate could not make this memorable occasion. He is attending a trade conference on the Medici Homeworld at the present time, but should be back next week.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem, sire. I’ve accumulated a whole lot of shore leave from this mission. Y’all think he misses me?” Allie asked.
“As Terra missed the seasonal rains, Empress!” Tibius replied sentimentally. His attention turned to Jack.
“Nice to see you, Jacki. I hope Alex hasn’t been working you too hard.” Tibius said as they joined right arms in greeting.
“No, as a matter of fact, they have been the ones working to exhaustion.”
“Oh, they have, have they?” Tibius looked back over to me with a furrowed brow. “And how long has she been unconscious for this time, my dear?”
“Only three and a half days, sir. Not that long at all, considering.” Jack answered.
Tibius smiled as he looked back sternly to me then took a blind step to his right to welcome Cami.
“Where did she go?” He asked in confusion.
Jack nonchalantly pointed up with her left hand. Tibius followed her gesture. Cami and Timus were hovering several yards above us, wrapped in a loving- and oblivious- embrace. My mate just shook his head and moved on to Ricky Lynn.
“Professor Samuels, good to see you again. How are things at the University?”
“Ehh, not bad…considerin’.” Ricky Lynn replied indifferently.
“That is the second time today I’ve heard the word ‘considering’. Could you please explain?”
“Well, things there was goin’ good ‘til my boyfriend filched my time machine. We finally got it back, but I’m still not over what was done to me and why.”
“Time machine? I thought Alex was the only one capable of Temporal Relocation? Did it work well?”
“Too well, sir! We had one helluva time catchin’ that mook! Finally got the bastard though.”
“That’s good to hear, professor. Now who do we have here?” Tibius turned his attention to the young girl trying to become part of Sunni’s uniform.
“Grand High Counsel Tibius, Colonel James…err Sunni Smithson, USAF, sir.” Sunni said jumping back to attention and saluting.
“At ease Colonel. I was actually talking to your shy little friend here. Hello, my name is Tibius, what is your name, my dear?” Tibius asked sweetly.
Tabatha jumped out from behind Sunni, snapped to attention and saluted.
“Ensign Tabatha, Mr. Grand High Counsel Tibius.”
Tibius lowered himself so he was looking eye to eye with the young Ensign.
“Well, Ens. Tabatha, I must commend you and your fellow crew members on a mission well done. Welcome to Terra Nuevo.” Tibius said offering his hand.
“Thank you, sir.” Tabatha said as she cautiously shook the hand then took a step back and took Sunni’s hand.
“Colonel Smithson, I take it this is your first time traveling with Alexandra?” Tibius asked.
“No sir. I’ve joined her team twice before, but never this ‘far’ off-world.” Sunni answered.
“Hmmm,” Tibius started as he looked carefully at our tactical officer. “I seem to remember meeting someone that looked a lot like you when I visited Kili many years ago.”
“My mother is Tammy Richards, sir. Maybe you are remembering her from your visit?”
“Yes…that’s it. You look a lot like her, save the hair, colonel. Welcome to Terra Nuevo.”
“Thank you, Grand High Counsel.”
“Tibius will suffice, Sunni. I’m trying not to be so formal.” Tibius said, looking toward me again.
“Yuuka! How is my favorite Pixie? Keeping out of trouble?” My mate asked as he looked over to our daughter, Alexis.
“I have been trying my best, sir.” She replied after swallowing hard. “I have been protecting the Empress as you asked those many years ago.”
“Keep up the good work, little flower.” Tibius told her proudly, shaking her arm.
“Thank you, Sir Tibius.”
“Commander Anna Beth,” Tibius turned back to her. “In three days, there will be a Mission Debriefing. By that time you and your passengers should have had a chance to claim your new lodgings. Hospitality personnel are on-hand down in the port’s main lounge to help select residence options. We have constructed more than enough housing, both urban and suburban, to accommodate everyone. Also don’t forget to register with our planetary transport system.”
“You got it working?” Anna Beth asked in surprise.
“Over six hundred years ago.” Tibius smiled politely.
Terra Nuevo, 1600hrs, Prefinal, Neptinian 12th, 424 of the New Era
“No offense, hun, but I prefer my way of travel over having my body broken down into subatomic particles and transmitted around the planet.” I said to Tibius as Allie, Emily, Jack, Ricky Lynn, Yuuka, Sunni, Tabatha, and I rephased in the Empress’ suite in New Citadel. Tabatha had staunchly refused to leave Sunni’s side.
“Wow! This place is amazing!” the young girl swooned as she looked around.
“Go show her the view from one of the guest suites, Sunni. Back that hall, any door on the right.”
Sunni Smithson nodded silently and gently guided her young charge out of the large living room.
“Looks like Jimmy’s got himself a daughter.” I said casually after both girls disappeared down the hallway.
“Lil’ tike’s got it bad for her, skipper.” Ricky Lynn agreed.
“I thought Sunni was going to change back once the mission was over, Alex?” Yuuka asked, confused by her fellow Pixie’s apparent change of heart. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, James is a good looking man, but…but I like Sunni better. She’s easier to talk to, and…she doesn’t snore as much.”
“Whether Sunni will become James again depends on what she decides to do with Tabbie, hun. I see happiness for both of them in either form.” Allie predicted. “By the way, I think I’ll swing over to the Medici system and surprise Gaillan.”
“So you’ll be staying for three years again?” I asked seriously.
Allie smiled brightly at me, nodded once, and disappeared.
Tibius stood next to me with his mouth open for a minute or two.
“Alex…would you know…” He ticked his head to the right slightly with his eyes closed. “Would Cami also be staying for the requisite three years?”
“Why,” I smiled, “Aren’t y’all done with the new suppression generators yet?”
“They are completed, yes, I just didn’t know we would be testing them so soon, Empress.” He admitted reluctantly.
“They’ll hold this time,” I told him, but added, “Almost.”
I smiled deviously.
Tibius took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“How many blocks will we need to clear for the arrival?” He sighed dejectedly.
“Candice will require the same safety zone as Cassi. Remember, while you and your scientists improved the Psi dampening generators, Cami has developed and strengthened her gift. Combined with Candice’s own gift, Citadel will have another blowout childbirth celebration.”
“It seems a shame to crater such a beautiful landscape so soon.” Tibius said shaking his head in disappointment.
“Commander Steinert! You have got to see the view!” Tabatha screeched as she ran back into our living room.
“I know!” I exclaimed with just as much excitement. “Maybe Sunni can take you down to the beach to go swimming. Did you bring your bathing suit, honey?”
Sunni, who was just coming into the room stopped dead in her tracks with a stunned expression.
The six year old frowned. “No, I don’t have one. I don’t know how to swim.” Her frown suddenly turned very sad and tears began falling from her face. “Mommy wouldn’t let me go down to the river. She said it was too dangerous.”
“Well, we have a swimming pool here in the Consulate building. Did you know that? You can learn to swim there before going to the beach.” I told the girl.
“But I still don’t have a swim suit!” She complained.
“I think I might have one that fits around here somewhere. Let’s go check.” I said, taking her hand and guiding her back down the hallway.
“This is your room, Commander Steinert?”
“Allie and I share the room, yes, you like it?”
Tabatha nodded.
“Would you like to see where you are staying?”
She nodded again as I closed my closet having found no clothing in her size.
We left my private suite, walked back one door, and entered one of the guest suites. Unlike mine, this suite was slightly bigger, but had four queen-sized beds instead of my single King-sized bed. This room also lacked the hot tub. The view though, was identical to my suite.
Tabatha’s eyes opened wide!
Walking over to examine each of the four tall, matching, wardrobes, I finally found a bathing suit that might fit her.
“Here, try this on, honey. If it fits come back out into the living room and we’ll see if Sunni will take you up to the pool.”
“Alex?” Sunni interrupted from the doorway.
“You want to help her with this, hun? I think she wants to get up to two-twelve and hit the pool.”
“Alex, I…I don’t know…I’m not sure about…I don’t have a suit either.” Sunni babbled.
“You’re still wearing your Reilly, right?” I asked calmly.
“I am, but…but it only has…a limited selection of swimwear…in inventory.”
“So what is wrong with wearing a bikini? I think you’d look fantastic in the yellow one, hun. It’d go great with your hair.” I suggested.
“But I’m not…”
“You and Tabby go into the lavatory and change. I’ll wait out here.” I interrupted, immediately shoeing them into the bathroom- Sunni looking back at me in trepidation. Once the door closed, I walked back to the living room.
“Find one?” Emily asked as I returned. She winked at me.
“Yep. They’ll both have every eye on them the minute they enter the room, sis.” I giggled.
“Which one is Sunni going to wear?” Yuuka asked as she kept looking into the passageway.
“The yellow one.” I said nonchalantly.
Ricky Lynn whistled and shook her head once or twice. “Talk about jumpin’ inta the deep end!”
“They won’t be alone, professor. I was thinking of taking a dip, myself. Anyone else want to join us?” I asked, as my own Reilly became my favorite black, string bikini and translucent cover-up.
Tibius’ eyes about popped out of his head as his mouth dropped open!
“Stop it; you’re starting to drool, hun.” I told him.
Tabby came running out to the living room.
“It fits! It fits!” She shouted over and over again.
Sunni appeared with a robe wrapped tightly around her. She stopped suddenly and gawked at my sisters and me. We were all wearing bikinis of various colors.
“Well? Let’s see how y’all look, hun.” I motioned for her to remove the robe.
“It…it fits. Let’s…let’s just get to the pool, Tabatha.” She stuttered.
“Are you all coming with us, Commander Steinert?” The excited girl asked with a big smile.
“We were thinking about it, hun. Hey, why don’t you call me Alex from now on- save the ‘Commander’ stuff for Meridian?” I told her.
“Okay, Alex, let’s go! Come on, Sunni, or…can’t you swim either?”
“Alexandra?” Tibius began to ask.
“Still in your side of the dresser, hun. We’ll see you up there.” I smiled at him before Tabby and I took Sunni’s hands and headed for the elevator.
Terra Nuevo, 1130hrs, Climax, Neptinian 13th, 424 of the New Era
“Oh, come on!” I groaned, gently smacking Cami’s face. “It isn’t like you didn’t know this could happen, hun! What did you expect; the guy hasn’t seen you in ten years.”
Just like last time, she had passed out at the kitchen when I told her she was now expecting.
And just like last time, Allie walked by in the hallway and stopped abruptly.
“Let me guess.” Allie rolled her eyes. “You told her she’s pregnant?”
“Alex beat me to it, sis.” Emily answered- slightly disappointed as I took my seat and she helped a semi-conscious Cami back into hers. “So you two will be staying on for three more years?”
“Maybe a little longer this time, Em. This time,” Allie paused to think. “This time I’d like to see my kid grow up instead of being shocked by a young woman just out of puberty appearing on my doorstep calling me ‘Mother’.” Allie told her. Cami quickly turned and stared at her sister.
I just gave a quick snort and shook my head a few times, eyes closed.
Ricky Lynn walked into the kitchen. She didn’t look so good this morning.
“Not feeling so good today, Professor?” I asked innocently.
“I think I picked somethin’ up on Atlantis. My gut ain’t feelin’ so great this mornin’.”
“Have a seat, hun, I’ll get you something that’ll help.” I said as I stood and walked over to the food dispenser. I placed an order and placed the tray down in front of her.
“Here, hun. Granny’s tried and true remedy for morning sickness.” I said as I sat back down. Professor Samuels looked surprised, but immediately looked down to her plate of weak tea and plain toast.
“Shoulda’ know’d better.” She grumbled, picking up and taking a bite of her toast. “Can’t a girl keep anything private around you and Miss Busybody?”
Jack walked in the door.
“I didn’t tell Alex a thing, Ricky! She knew well before I did.” She said for the record.
Ricky Lynn fiercely took another bite of her toast, chewing silently while Jack placed her order at the food dispenser.
“So, Jack, how is Sunni handling all the attention from last night?” Emily asked. I almost choked on my coffee.
“She was sitting on her bed with her knees under her chin for a good long time, crying. Don’t you think playing ‘Chicken’ was a little too much for her this soon- I mean, Festus is a handsome, well-built man, but…” Jack said sadly. “But she has some issues to work through.”
“Sunni will be fine after she comes to terms with her gift.” Allie said as she sat down next to Cami. “Granted, there are several barriers she must dismantle before that will happen, but it won’t be too much longer.”
“In fact…” I continued, pointing to the hallway. James Smithson appeared in the doorway.
“Morning everybody.” He greeted halfheartedly as he trudged over to the food dispenser. “Expresso, Empress-blend, double-strength.”
“Are you okay, Jim?” Emily asked in surprise. From the look on her face she saw he was far from it.
“I’ll get over it, Aunt Emily.” He assured her with a tight smile. “As with all the other times I’ve traveled with Alex, things are wonderfully FUBAR- I’ve come to accept that.”
“We both know that isn’t so, Jim.” Emily said in her professional voice. “You have taken a giant leap in developing your gift and you have absolutely no reference point or understanding of what to do.”
“Oh, I understand, doc! I understand that I’m one seriously screwed up individual! What was I even thinking to come along on this mission?” He retorted.
“Jimmy, it really didn’t matter if you came on this mission…”
“Cut the shit, Alex!” Jim interrupted angrily. “I know that my gift would have come whether I was with you or not- that’s the only thing I really DO understand! What I can’t figure is why? Why me? Why was I the one chosen to play for both teams? Why, Alex?”
“Listen, hun, you play for whichever ‘team’ you like! I didn’t have anything to do with which gift was given you! I just know that, out of any of us, you…you, Jim, are most qualified to receive it.” I argued calmly.
“But why, Alex? What makes me so damn special? What did I ever do to the ‘powers that be’?”
“Do y’all think I ever wanted to be the Empress? Y’all think Jack or Cami wanted the power of the universe at their command? Or that Yuuka wanted to be a Pixie?”
“Well, actually, Alex, I really don’t min…”
“Can it, Yuuka. I’m trying to make a point here.” I said, staring angrily at Yuuka standing in the doorway with Tabatha.
“The facts are that you, and only you have been chosen to receive this gift, Jim. Whoever decided what gifts we got, decided that you were the one person that could handle this one- they alone must have decided which gifts we all got because I never ever considered ‘Time Travel’!”
“I beg to differ, sis.” Emily said placing her hand on mine. “How many times when we were dating, and then under way from California, did you mention how you would save Brian if you could just go back to December 7th? How many times, Alex, cause I lost count?”
“But I saved Brian and look how that turned out! Brianna’s a great sister, but I still miss my brother, Em.”
“Don’t be so thick, Alex! My point is that you really did wish you could travel time…if just to save your brother. Now, I’m no expert on dishing out gifts, but wouldn’t such a heartfelt wish like that draw attention?” Emily argued.
I decided to stay quiet and let Emily play psychologist.
“So you think that I wished this upon myself, Aunt Emily?” Jim asked- a little surprised.
“Think back to the first time you met Yuuka, Jim. Do you remember what you were thinking at the time?” Emily asked. I noticed Yuuka and Tabatha take an instant interest as they sat down at the other end of our table.
“I was ten years old, doc! I was just starting pub…um…to take an interest in girls. I’m sure Alex, Cami, Jack, Ricky Lynn, and Yuuka all know what I was thinking.” Jim declared as he looked uncomfortably at our youngest sister.
“I’m sure they do, Jim, but humor me?”
“Should we really be doing this in front of Tabby, Aunt Emily?”
“Why not? She’s mature enough to handle it, Jim. I’m sure she would like to know more about the person she has placed her trust in?”
Tabatha nodded slowly as she stared at Jim Smithson in silence.
“I…I…I thought she…that Yuuka…that she was the most beautiful creature on the planet! I wanted to know her when she returned to normal. I wanted, so badly to…” Jim started to say, but stopped abruptly and blushed profusely.
“You wanted to mate with her.” Cami finished his sentence with no embarrassment.
“I can’t do this.” Jim exclaimed as he stood suddenly from his chair. “If this is going to turn into a woman to woman talk,” Both Jim and his clothing began to change. “Then I should at least get into character. The embarrassment you’re putting me through is killing me!” Sunni finished.
“Hi, Sunni! I missed you!” Tabatha cried as she rushed to her and wrapped her arms around Smithson.
“Interesting. So…you thought our little talk would be easier if you were the same gender- is that the reason you changed, Jim?” Emily asked as she calmly took a sip of her tea.
“The other way felt too awkward, Aunt Emily.”
“And I feel awkward with you calling me ‘Aunt Emily’ all the time, Sunni. I’m going to take a page from Alex’ book and ask that you call me Emily. We’re both adults, right?” Emily smiled pleasantly.
Sunni looked down at the tabletop- her shoulders dropped.
“I’m sorry.” She sighed. “It’s an old habit.”
“So is your thinking, Sunni; old, I mean. Now that your gift has matured, you have to push aside the old and embrace the new. You aren’t just James Smithson now, you’re also Sunni Smithson. I know it sounds impossible, but you shouldn’t be embarrassed by gender specific conversations or situations. Over time what I’m telling you will make better sense- you’ll gain experience and relax as Sunni…like you already have for the last week. Changing back to Sunni to have this talk shows me that you’re already using the familiarity of the body and its experience, sweetie. But, no matter what form you take, there should be no concern of embarrassment. Have confidence in yourself, girl!”
“Ya know, toots, Corrine Masterson went through somethin’ like yous is goin’ through. She had trouble adjustin’ from her Mahanilui.” Ricky Lynn told Sunni.
“She did?” Sunni gasped in surprise. “Why would she have problems? She can look like anyone.”
“It took a few months for her to gain enough confidence in herself, Sunni.” I revealed. “Jack, show her Corrine’s true form, please.”
“But, Alex, I promised her…”
“Sunni won’t say anything, Jack.” I promised. Sunni nodded her head a few times in acknowledgement. Her face suddenly paled.
“That’s what…oh my God, how could she walk…in the sub…I mean…wow?”
“She was teased mercilessly. Just ask Prof. Samuels.” I said flatly.
“Had ta bring that up, didn’t ya, skipper?” Ricky Lynn sighed. “I told her I was sorry an’ she forgive me- ninety-one years ago, Alex.”
“I know that, hun. I just mentioned it for illustration. What we’re trying to tell y’all, Sunni, is that Jim is a handsome man and Sunni is a beautiful woman. The only thing you lack is self-confidence. If Corrine can do it, you have no excuse not to.”
“Sunni, I know you felt strange at the pool, but you really looked pretty…and you seemed to be having fun too! I’ll help you be a girl as much as I can.” Tabatha told her. “I’ll teach you everything I know so you won’t be so embarrassed, okay?”
“Come here, Tink.” Sunni sniffed as she pulled Tabatha toward her and hugged her tightly.
“Acts like a Sunni to me, sis.” Allie giggled.
“She probably doesn’t even realize it, sis.” I said quietly as we watched the tender scene.
“I hate to be the buzz kill, sis, but don’t you have some things to put back?” Allie replied quietly as she nodded to Ricky Lynn and Sunni. “I’m sure Peyton would like to get back to her family.”
“One thing at a time, Allie. I can’t leave before the welcome home ceremony tonight.” I reminded.
“I just wanted to make sure, sis. I’m officially grounded.”
Terra Nuevo, 1900hrs, Climax, Neptinian 13th, 424 of the New Era
“Lords and Ladies, may I have your attention?” Tibius said loudly after tapping on his fluted glass of delightful Terra Nuevo Rosé.
The giant reception hall quieted.
“Alexandra and I wish to officially welcome home the crew and passengers of Meridian 12. I cannot begin to say how amazing I find this reunion or how light my heart feels at this moment. I can only hope you find life on Terra Nuevo as equally fulfilling as the life you left back in Egypt. Without further ado, Alexandra would like to say a few words. Welcome and we hope you have a wonderful time tonight. Alex?”
“Thank you, Sir Tibius. Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to convey my appreciation for the trust y’all placed in my sisters and I. Without your support and understanding, we couldn’t have rescued as many of you as we did.” I said, as I looked out at all those seated comfortably.
“Over the next few weeks and possibly several years, more of your neighbors and friends will undoubtedly be appearing suddenly and unexplainably. That is my promise to you.” I sighed as some people began to clap. “Unfortunately, many loved ones will still refuse my offer of relocation. I want to say that I am sorry upfront, because I cannot ignore their wishes and subsequent decisions, though rest assured, the Empress will watch over those that choose to stay and do everything in our power to see that they always have options available to them.” I paused to take a breath.
“Wow, for once, I’m the long-winded one.” I smiled as I looked down to my right- at Tibius. Several people laughed politely. “I guess I have nothing more to say other than…Let the celebration begin!”
The room broke out in applause as my sisters appeared and began serving our guests. Among those serving were Khufu and Anna Beth. A quiet murmur rose from the gathering when some noticed.
As usual, Jack and Cami insisted on showing off by flying a whole table’s worth of plates to their destinations.
Still, most eyes were on the former Pharaoh and Queen of Egypt as they bussed several dinners then went back to the kitchen for more prepared plates.
“Administrator, why do you serve us? You and Queen Anna Beth should be at the head table- in a position of respect and honor!” One man said loudly as Khufu placed a plate before him.
“My friends,” Khufu said loud enough for the whole banquet hall to hear, “Should we not forget that my mate and I have been in your service since I became your Administrator. This is our way of thanking you for your trust and confidence over the years.”
The man- I recognized him as one of the neighborhood representatives- remained quiet for a moment then shouted, “Here, Here!”
Everyone raised his or her glass in a toast.
Tibius placed his hand on mine and gently squeezed it.
“My Empress, it is time we also served those who lost so much.”
I nodded as we stood. The busy kitchen appeared around us and I waited until we were in the clear to rephase.
The look on the faces as Tibius and I emerged from the kitchen carrying full plates was priceless. Many people took a second or third look between where we had been sitting at the head table and where we were now.
“I’ll get Khufu and Anna Beth.” I said to my mate after depositing our load of food to one of the tables. The royal couple appeared in front of me. They were patiently waiting for more plates to deliver. Phasing in, I gently placed a hand on each of their shoulders.
The head table appeared ahead of us and both Anna Beth and Khufu turned around to stare at me.
“Sorry, you two, but it’s our turn to serve you.” I simply said before popping back to the kitchen.
Within a minute or two we were placing plates before our royal friends at our previous table and motioning for them to sit down.
“Dear friends!” Tibius announced as he motioned to the stunned couple. “Khufu and Anna Beth!”
Everyone stood and began applauding loudly- the adults even offering up their glasses in toast once more.
Anna Beth broke down in tears. She looked up at me and mouthed the word ‘why’?
I just winked at her and headed back to the kitchen following Tibius.
Sunni and Tabatha passed us with newly opened bottles of Terran wine. They headed straight for Khufu and Anna Beth, bowed and filled their glasses. They then curtesied and started around the neighboring tables, refilling glasses.
Terra Nuevo, 2310hrs, Climax, Neptinian 13th, 424 of the New Era
“Alex?” A little girl’s voice asked as I heard small footsteps from the hallway.
“Come on over, Tabby.” I said looking up from the book I had been reading. Emily had suggested I read the one she had finished back on Atlantis. ‘Where Eagles Dare’ was the title. Though I knew it to be a work of fiction, the intrigue and misdirection reminded me of my own adventures in Poland next year- 1945.
My young sister walked over to the Davenport I was relaxing on and stood next to me in silence.
“If y’all are waiting for permission to speak, you should know that my door and my ears are always open, hun.” I said as I bookmarked and closed the novel.
“Um…”
I slid my legs off the furniture and motioned for her to sit next to me.
“Spill it, hun. What’s bothering you?” I asked with a gentle smile as the girl seated herself and turned to face me.
“Alex? Um…do…do I have to stay…um…here?” She asked in an unsure voice.
“Do you want to, hun?” I asked kindly.
“Um… Um…it’s really nice, but…um…no?”
“Why not?” I asked, curiously.
“Sunni…um…Col. Smithson isn’t going to stay, is she?”
“No, honey. Sunni has to go back to her own time. She has a job and responsibilities there. Sorry.”
“You mean Col. Jim has to go back to his Air Force thing, right?”
I nodded.
“Um…”
“Tell you what, hun.” I said with a bright smile. “You be here bright and early in the morning- say, 8 o’clock? We’ll see what we can do about your problem, okay?”
“8 o’clock?” Tabby repeated, unsure of herself.
“Eight, hun. Don’t be late, okay?” I answered.
“Okay, Alex. See you tomorrow.” The six year old said as she got off the sofa and hurried out of the room.
‘Cami?’ I thought.
‘Yes, Alex.’ She thought back.
‘Can you read my thoughts on Tabby?’ I thought them to her.
‘Not a problem, Alex. What languages?’ Cami thought outright.
‘English, Reilliese, and Modern Terran, for now…maybe throw in basic French as a bonus,’ I thought as a smile crossed my unmoving lips.
‘Transfer will take about an hour once she reaches REM sleep mode, Alex,’
‘Thanks, sweetheart.’ I thought back, ending our conversation.
“Bonjour, Alex.” Tabby said pleasantly, knocking on my doorframe. Her upbeat expression became confused realizing what she had just said.
I brought up my HUD- 0800hrs on the dot. While still looking at my HUD, I temporarily disabled my translator.
“Very good.” I told her and motioned for her to sit on the Davenport while I put my earrings in. “So…how did you sleep last night? Did you get some breakfast, yet?” I asked in English.
“Alright, I guess. I had this strange dream that Camille was talking to me- she was teaching me a new language- and I was up kind of early, so I had some French toast.” Tabby answered in perfect English.
“So, you theorize she was augmenting your known speech archives with several new files?” I asked in Reilliese.
“Affirmative, Alex.”
I smiled and re-enabled my translator.
“So…what you were saying last night…have you changed your mind about staying on Terra Nuevo?” I asked in Terran.
“Um…I’d…um…I’d still like to go with Lady Sunni if it’s acceptable with you, M’lady.”
“What do you think, Colonel?” I asked as I saw Sunni appear in my suite’s doorway.
“What do I think about what, Alex? There you are! Why are you in here, Tabatha? I told you that Alex has things to do today.” Sunni answered, chastising Tabby for intruding.
“I asked what you thought about Tabby’s request, hun.” I replied, ignoring her scolding of the girl.
“I asked Alex if I really had to stay here. I really, really don’t want to Colonel, but I understand if you are too busy with your Air Force thing.” Tabby reiterated.
“Alex…where did she learn to speak English?” Sunni looked at me suspiciously.
“The same place she learned Terran and Reilliese…”
“Cami.” Sunni interrupted as she suddenly looked up to the ceiling. Apparently Cami had been listening. “I see.” She said looking back at me- her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“So, Camille did establish interface with my neural cortex and archive several new language files in the early hours of this morning.” Tabby said to me in Reilliese.
Sunni did a double take of the girl- amazed to hear such technical words come out of such a young mouth.
“Affirmative; reinitiate the query of your original hypothesis. Be succinct, young revision.” I responded.
Tabby blushed profusely as Sunni stared at her- mouth hanging open.
“Um…can…can I…um…” Tabby took a large breath before continuing, “can I come home with you, Col. Smithson? I promise I won’t be a bother and I’ll do my fair share of the household duties.”
Sunni remained silent- her mouth still open; tears quickly formed at the corners of her eyes.
I gently touched Tabby’s and Sunni’s hand. Both took hold.
Everything collapsed into me as the stars appeared and began moving. Within seconds we found ourselves back at the Wright-Pat Administration building- Jim’s office to be exact. I rephased us.
“That was fun!” Tabby giggled in excitement. “Can we do that again?”
I thought Sunni was going to lose her breakfast- her hand quickly moving to cover her mouth. Maybe I should have told her not to eat too much this morning, but I knew she had been on other missions and planets twice before.
“Welcome to James Smithson’s office, ladies.” I said to the girls then looked at Sunni. “Too bad Col. Smithson isn’t here at the moment, though.”
Sunni took the hint and she and her clothing began to change. In just a few seconds Jim Smithson stood next to me. Tabby smiled sheepishly at him. I laughed as Jim began fussing with the shoulders of his uniform shirt.
“Jim, you don’t have bra straps to adjust in this form.” I reminded with a giggle.
“It just feels strange to be back in this form, Alex. I think I spent too much time as Sunni.” He explained, reaching for and feeling his throat.
I quickly selected and triggered my dress blues- changing my rank in the process back to Admiral.
There was a knock at the outer office door.
“Door’s open, leave it that way.” Jim said loudly then coughed a few times reaching for his throat again. “Man. That feels so weird now.” He complained.
“Colonel Smithson, You wanted to see me, sir?” The sergeant from Hangar 18 announced as he opened the door and entered. He immediately snapped to attention, glancing uncomfortably in my direction. I noticed he had a sealed, manila envelope marked ‘Urgent’ in his left hand.
Tabatha was suddenly nowhere to be seen, though I knew she had gone to Pixie mode, startled by the sergeant’s entrance. She had immediately taken refuge behind Jim’s cover where it hung on his wooden coat rack to the right of the door.
“Actually, I wanted to commend you on your effectiveness at your post, sergeant. This facility has passed our impromptu test.” I said before Jim could stutter out something dumb.
“Test, sir?” The man asked in confusion as he looked between Jim and I. He quickly glanced to his right, to the coat rack then back to me.
“Yes, sergeant, a test. The joint chiefs wanted absolute proof that certain ‘assets’ remain properly controlled. Somehow rumor has surfaced that you gentlemen have been guarding an empty hangar…” I answered, noticing him glance toward the coat rack again. “Is something wrong over there, sergeant?” I added, nodding to that particular piece of furniture.
“I thought I…no, sir, nothing is wrong.”
I pointed down to the package still in his left hand. “Is that for me, sergeant?”
“Oh…” He stumbled, “no, sir, sorry. A courier caught me down in reception. Since there was no one on duty, I signed for it and brought it up. It’s addressed to Colonel Smithson, Admiral.”
“Thank you. Strange how that happens…I relieved my desk clerk early, thinking nothing would happen and just like that a package arrives.” Jim said sarcastically as he accepted the large envelope and placed it down on his desk. While the sergeant’s attention was drawn away, I saw Tabby fly out the office door.
“Colonel Smithson, what has become of your niece…Tabatha? I thought she only needed to use the restroom? We wouldn’t want a breach of security to taint this facility’s impressive record, would we?” I asked in my ‘Admiral’ voice. “After such a successful security check, that is.”
The door in the outer office closed loudly.
“Sorry I took so long, Uncle Ji…I mean Colonel Smithson. I hope I didn’t cause any problems for you with the Admiral, sir.” Tabby said as she looked cautiously at the imposing sergeant standing with us.
“No, Tabatha, but this is a military installation and not a daycare. I would expect you remind yourself of that while here.” I warned strongly.
“Yes, ma’am.” Tabby sighed as she dropped her eyes.
“Jim, are you sure you can take care of the girl and this facility at the same time,” I asked the colonel with a raised eyebrow? “How long did your sister say she would be out of the country?”
Jim paused noticeably as he thought about my question.
“Mom told me I’d be staying with Uncle Jim…the colonel…for a month or two, ma’am. She hopes she might be back earlier though.” Tabby hurriedly responded.
“Where is your mother, honey?” I inquired.
“I’m finally here, Jimmy…oh…sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt, Admiral Fleming.” Sunni’s voice said as she quickly hurried through the outer office door with a suitcase in either hand. She quickly put down both pieces of luggage.
“You aren’t interrupting anything important, Ms. Smithson.” I said with a pleasant smile. Both Tabby and Jim quickly stared at me in awe.
I quickly winked back and nudged Tabby gently so she wouldn’t keep staring.
“What’s the matter, Jimmy? Is my hair all mussed up?” Sunni asked as Jim continued to stare at her. “I didn’t think that the guards would be checking EVERYTHING in the car, including Tabby’s stuff. Thanks for escorting Tink to her uncle, though, Admiral Fleming.”
“No trouble at all, hun. She was no bother at all.” I answered with a smile.
“Are you sure you can handle her, Jimmy?” Sunni asked ‘her’ brother.
Jim Smithson silently nodded to his alter ego then quickly caught himself. “Ya…I mean…no, Tabatha won’t be a problem, sis. She’s in good hands.”
“Good, because I have to get over to the airport. My plane to JFK leaves in three hours- unless you can arrange for one of those handsome fighter jocks to give me flying lessons.”
“Mom!” Tabby whined in embarrassment. She pointed to me animatedly. “Not in front of the Admiral.”
“Sorry, ma’am.” Sunni blushed profusely.
“Its okay, hun. If I were twenty years younger, I’d ask the Colonel for the same favor.” I said with a predatory smile aimed at the uncomfortable sergeant standing not far away.
“Um…if that will be all, Admiral? Colonel?” He responded unsure if he were still needed here.
“We’re finished, Sergeant…unless Col. Smithson has something more?” I answered, looking to the still slightly confounded colonel. He had given in to curiosity, picked up the mysterious envelope, opened it, and was now looking in at its contents. His eyes suddenly rolled in realization. Jim Smithson looked over at me as Sunni smiled brightly, almost laughing.
“Well,” Sunni said before she actually did start laughing at herself, “If I’m going to catch my flight, I better get moving. Come here, Tink.”
Tabby wrapped her arms around her ‘mother’. “I’m going to miss you, mom. I love you! Hurry back, okay?”
“I love you too, Tink! I love you so much! I promise I’ll call every night if I can, okay?”
Tabby nodded and actually began to cry as she tightened her embrace. “Mom…don’t go…please?”
“I have to, baby, but I’ll be back soon. I promise!” Sunni said with tears streaming down her face. “I have to go now, baby. Behave for your uncle.” She kissed the top of Tabatha’s head.
Tabby nodded as Sunni pried herself free of the girl’s arms and smiled sadly to her ‘brother’.
“I have to go. I’ll keep in touch, Jimmy. You take good care of my baby girl!”
“She’ll be fine, sis. Go catch your plane.”
“I’ll check in on her when I can, Sunni.” I assured. “You just go do what you have to and Jim and I will take care of Tabby.”
“You mean I’ll take care of Uncle Jim, ma’am.” Tabby added maturely.
I laughed. Sunni shook her head a few times before she gave her ‘daughter’ another kiss on the top of her head then turned and hurried out the door of the outer office.
Things were awkwardly quiet for a few moments.
“Sir?” The sergeant interrupted gently.
“That will be all, sergeant. Dismissed.” Jim answered.
“Thank you, sir, and good luck.” The Sergeant looked down at Tabby. “Maybe I’ll see you around base again, sweetie.” He said, wiping at his eyes a few times. “Admiral.”
I nodded before the man turned and left the office.
The office went silent again for a few minutes.
“You set this all up, Alex?” Jim Smithson accused more than asked.
I looked at him for a moment. “Do you want to watch your ‘niece’ or not, Col. Smithson?” I asked officially. Tabby looked hopefully at him.
In response, he dumped the contents of the package onto his desk.
“Birth certificate, immunization records, school transcripts, notarized guardianship papers…Aunt Randi did her usual excellent job, didn’t she,” he said?
“Not yet she hasn’t, Jim. We still have to introduce your niece to her- that and some other things.” I answered.
“What other things, Alex?”
“Did you see Tabby with any suitcases, Jim?” I smiled.
“No.”
“And there is still the small matter of her mother making an appearance a few minutes ago, too.” I said before adding, “Then there is the matter of details, hun. She needs some modern clothes- other than the ones she’s wearing.”
“But her suitcases are right…” Jim paused then thought it through. “Right…I forgot.”
“Tabatha, I’d like to introduce you to something we call a ‘Mall’.” I said to the girl by my side. “Are you familiar with the term ‘Shopping’?”
Jim rolled his eyes as he started to shift form.
“I don’t know if it will make any difference in this form; I think I’ll still despise shopping, though.” Sunni said dispassionately.
I grinned knowingly as I noticed the telltale twinkle in her eyes.
Terra Nuevo, 1001hrs, Climax, Neptinian 14th, 424 of the New Era
“So how did it go in Dayton, sis?” Emily asked as I came into the kitchen and ordered a cup of coffee from the food processor.
“It turned out to be a bit enlightening.” I admitted. “Sunni seems to know a great deal about women’s fashions in the 1990’s. At first I thought Tabby was going to be the fashion diva, but Sunni really impressed us. I wonder if her gift has anything to do with it.”
“As long as they’re both happy, Alex, that’s all that counts.” Emily smiled.
“It’ll be a shame to lose Jim though. I wonder how Tammy will take his decision.”
“Oh, like you don’t know, Alex! Even I can see those two crying in joy when Sunni breaks the news. According to my future memories, Tammy always said she wanted another girl.” Emily giggled lightly.
I smiled deviously. Emily shook her head at me as she continued to giggle.
“So where to now, Empress?” She said after taking a breath and finishing her tea.
“I can either take you and Jack back to base, take Ricky Lynn back home to Pittsburgh 2035, or I head to Honolulu 2011 and close that mission arc. I’m sure Uncle Rick is chomping at the bit to get back to his own time…and command.”
“If it’s all the same, skipper, I’d like to get back home.” Prof. Samuels said as she stood in the doorway.
“Are you sure, Ricky Lynn?” Emily asked with a start.
“Ya…I’m sure yer gonna be takin’ real good care of me, doc. Besides, I got classes to teach an’ a nursery to prepare. I’ll be fine.” Ricky Lynn assured. She rubbed her chin for a moment. “Though, it’d be nice to see Akane, Tish, Sam, and their brood again.”
“Jack, are you and Yuuka ready.” I said into the air.
‘Be right there, Alex.’ Jack’s voice answered in my head.
“Just to bring you up to speed,” I started to brief Yuuka and Emily, “Jack and I left from a presidential suite in Waikiki. I took Tish, her husband and four girls, and Akane there just after Akane received her gift. Isabeau and my Granddaughter had just arrived with Akane’s new Reilly suit- however…” I paused, “Jack and I returned shortly after with James Spanker so we could release him into the wilds of Honolulu circa 2011.”
Emily began to giggle as she recalled the scene.
“Shall we go?” I asked, offering my hands.
As like earlier, everything collapsed into me and we traveled among the stars. A spacious hotel suite appeared around us. We watched as a previous instance of Jack and I disappeared. Young Alexandra, Isabeau, Tish, and Akane stood looking at each other. My granddaughter looked right at me and raised an eyebrow as we rephased.
“So, anymore headaches?” I asked nervously.
“No, Grandmother. Can we assume the threat has been effectively dealt with?”
I nodded.
Alexandra quickly stepped to me and wrapped her arms around me. The tingle between us was more of a mild shock. She quickly released me and stepped back, staring at me with a frightened expression.
“Grandmother?” She asked cautiously.
“You know what I know now, hun.” I said shrugging my shoulders.
“PIXIE!” Tish’s Rebecca screamed excitedly as she ran out into the living area and tried to wrap her arms around Yuuka. Having been startled, Yuuka instantly went to Pixie mode and shot to the top shelf on a nearby bookcase.
Emily, Jack, Ricky Lynn, and I all started to laugh. Yuuka sat on the edge of the shelf nervously swinging her crossed legs, looking none-too-happy.
“What did I tell you girls about approaching Pixies?” Tish chided.
“I’m sorry. I’m just so happy to see her, momma.” The young girl explained.
“Well, apologize to Yuuka, honey. I’m sure Alex needs to get going soon.” Tish told her daughter.
“I’m sorry, Miss Yuuka. Can you please come down and grow back up?” Young Rebecca said sweetly.
Yuuka flew back down and, within a second, towered over the child.
Rebecca slowly walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her waist.
“I just wanted to say ‘hi’, ma’am. I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too, Becca. It’s been a rough couple of weeks. We’ve all been kind of on edge.” Yuuka replied, gently rubbing the girl’s back.
“Hey, everyone, I’m back and I survived modern day Honolul…” Uncle Rick said as he opened the door and walked into the suite wearing a somewhat tacky orange and purple flowered, Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts, and blue deck shoes. “Okaaaaay…which Alex are you?” He asked pointing to me.
“Alexandra Steinert, 1944, sir.” I answered as I stood to attention.
“And you?” he pointed to my Granddaughter.
“Come on, Uncle Rick; you don’t know your own great-grandniece?”
“Not when you look exactly like your grandmother, sweetie. Are we ready to go, Alex?”
“Clemson has been incarcerated, so yes. We have a few stops to make before we can go home, though.
“A few stops?” He asked, puzzled.
“I promised you could see your TV debut, Uncle Rick. After that Prof. Samuels needs to get back to 2035 then Yuuka wants a ride back to 2020BC. Last, but not least, Emily has her duties back on Ni’ihau in 1944.”
“But you just said you were from ’44, Alex.” Uncle Rick said in confusion.
“That’s where things get a little complicated, sir. I’m not sure which dimension Emily belongs in now that the timeline has been repaired.” I revealed.
There was a loud gasp as the adults in the room came to the same conclusion.
“I’m confident things will be alright, Uncle.” Emily declared bravely. “I’ve seen how things will go while I was back on Atlantis.”
“Atlantis?” Uncle Rick choked.
“It’s a long story, Uncle Rick. I’m sure we’ll talk about it next month…after we get back to base.” I told him.
Demmit harrumphed. “I’m not going to like this talk, am I, Alex?”
“Let’s just say it’ll be a surprise, uncle.”
“That’s what worries me!” He growled.
Emily began giggling.
“Let’s go see Brie.” I suggested.
“Wait! How am I going to get home, Empress?” Akane demanded.
“Y’all will be flyin’ Empress Airlines, hun.” I giggled.
“What? Empress…Airlines?” She repeated.
“My Granddaughter and Isabeau will be taking y’all home to California, Akane.” I explained. “You remember the date I left, right hun?” I asked, looking at my Alexandra.
“Yes, Grandma, I’m not as old and forgetful as you, remember?”
I smiled wryly.
After saying goodbye to everyone, Jack, Emily, Yuuka, Ricky Lynn, and Uncle Rick took my hands. Chuck and Brianna Mason’s living room appeared around us.
“Hey Brie, did Alex and the others get here yet?” Chuck Mason asked loudly as he came in the front door.
“Not yet, honey, but I’m expecting them any time now.” Brie’s voice said from the kitchen.
I waited until Chuck walked into the kitchen to greet Brie before rephasing us.
“Hello? Anybody home?” I shouted as we released hands.
“In the kitchen, Alex.” Brie replied.
I motioned for us to go in.
“Hey girls! Hi, Uncle Rick, like the shirt!” Brie exclaimed brightly as she greeted each of us with a hug. The kitchen was just big enough to hold all eight of us and still allow us to breathe.
“Uncle Rick.” Chuck greeted as he and Uncle Rick shook hands. “Nice to see you again, sir. Can I offer you a beer?”
Uncle Rick appraised us women for a moment. “Don’t mind if I do, Chuck. I’ve been hitting the hard stuff entirely too much lately. If you know what I mean.”
“I can certainly relate to that, sir. Brie hasn’t been feeling her best these last few days.” Chuck agreed. “I’ve been pulling my hair out trying to help her with the severe headaches.”
“Hey Yuuka. Y’all care for a snack?” Brie called. In her hand she held a squeeze bottle of honey. Yuuka wasted no time entering Pixie mode and hovering while Brie squeezed half the bottle into the small bowl on the table.
“Ladies, anyone else want a beer while I’m in here?” Chuck asked as he opened the refrigerator. Ricky Lynn, Jack, and I accepted.
“Tea water’ll be hot in two minutes, Em.” Brie said, placing a full two-cup, glass measuring cup in the microwave, typed in two minutes on the keypad, and pressed ‘start’. “Dinner’ll be ‘round six. Anyone else like a snack?”
“So…how have you been holding up, Chuck?” Uncle Rick asked after dinner and dishes were done. We were all sitting where we could in the living room.
“We’ve been managing, sir. Between Brie’s headaches n’ the really bizarre nightmares I was havin’ the past few nights…well, like I said…we’re getting along.” Chuck answered guardedly.
“Nightmares? Honey, y’all didn’t tell me about no nightmares!” Brie exclaimed in shock.
“You were finally sleepin’ soundly, dear. I didn’t want to wake you.”
“What were the dreams, Chuck? You remember any of them,” Emily asked- her professional tone seeping into her voice?
“I don’t remember too much ‘bout ‘em, but there was one thing that kept reappearing…like in every dream. I kept seein’ Brie disappearing- feelin’ really lonely when she was gone, but blissfully happy when she returned. I know it sounds impossible, but I got a sneakin’ suspicion that you gals really did disappear- that y’all never existed- like this was some fantasy and not real…That sounds stupid, don’t it?” Chuck related before blushing in embarrassment.
I looked around at my sisters for a moment.
“How many times did you have this recurring part of your nightmare, Chuck?” I asked seriously.
He looked to be counting the instances in his head. “Eight. Eight times, I think. Why, Alex?”
I felt my face flush as I looked to the floor. “That’s how many times Clemson tried to erase us from the timeline- and also how many times we had to repair things to get everyone back. I’m sorry for causing all the problems, guys. I’m glad Clemson will never challenge or destroy our lives again.”
“Personally, I’m glad you do exist, Alex. I can’t think of my life without my Brianna- without any of you, really!” Charles Mason told me.
“So when do we get to see Uncle Rick’s screen debut?” Emily asked, changing the subject.
“Any time you want. I’ll just put the DVD in and we’ll be ready.” Chuck answered as he got up and placed a small, silvery record in its player.
We watched the whole episode of ‘Spirit Quest’ from start to finish- paying particular attention to the ‘conclusions’ portion of the show.
“You could barely tell it was me.” Uncle Rick complained after he had Chuck replay the scene several times.
“Definitely not your best side, Admiral.” Jack advised. “I liked hearing how Alex lowered her voice. It almost sounds like a guy…almost.” She giggled.
“Well, I liked the flashlight schtick.” Brie giggled, “Somma yer best work, Jacki.”
“That wasn’t all me.” Jack argued. “Akane was fooling around with my gift. What you didn’t see was Kramer turning his head like that ‘Chuckie’ character from the movies.”
“Here say and speculation.” I declared, giggling.
“I’m confused, Alex. “ Chuck interrupted. “How did you manage the flash of light they claim to have seen in the rafters?”
“That was Ricky Lynn’s toy, Chuck. It seemed to be really unstable before it actually reached its destination.” I answered.
“Damn. And I thought I took care of the oscillation problem.” Ricky Lynn grumbled to herself.
“That was the only time I saw it happen, Professor,” I said as I tried to think of any other instances. “Clemson may have noticed the bug and changed some code later on.”
“I’ll check it when I get home. Hopefully, he didn’t change the password protection or throw in a worm or somethin’.”
“I have a better idea, Rick.” Uncle Rick interrupted, “How about you leave the time travel to Alex? Instead…maybe put your mind toward that transportation system Alex’ Tibius told me about- it seems right up your alley.”
“You want me to try an’ build a transporter, Admiral?” Prof. Samuels asked in surprise.
“Only don’t let your love interests have the keys, chief.” Jack added.
“And…and always boost your matter gain, Professor…add plenty of matter gain.” Chuck Mason added with a wry grin.
Five of us stared at him with no understanding whatsoever while Brie and Ricky Lynn just rolled their eyes at what I found out later to be an obscure reference to a Sci-fi movie from the late 1970’s or early 1980’s.
It felt wonderful to be sitting, talking with my family…my extended family. We spent several hours together, though it felt like mere minutes. We even met Brittany- Brie’s fourteen-month-old daughter. The infant took an instant liking to Ricky Lynn and I. Emily still couldn’t understand how I did it, though. All too soon, young Brittany was back in bed for the night- and now, with midnight mere seconds away, I stood and broke the bad news.
“Y’all know that I’d like nothin’ better than ta stay here an chat more, but I gotta get Ricky Lynn back ta 2035.”
“What y’all talkin’ ‘bout Alex? Y’all got all the time in the universe.” Brie questioned.
“Ricky Lynn’s got an appointment tomorrow. I don’t want her to miss it.” I revealed.
“Oh? What kind of appointment, Rick?” Uncle Rick asked in concern. He looked to the three of us sisters grinning from ear to ear.
“Now that’s up ta ol’ Ricky Lynn if’n she wanted that knowed, uncle.” Brie giggled. I had noticed, like Alex Reilly and I, her accent worsened with fatigue.
“I’m pregnant, sir.” Prof. Samuels blurted out pointedly. She closed her eyes and let out a light snort. “Yes, Rick Demmit, Ricky Samuels got herself knocked up, but I’m okay with that! I thought it was finally time I started a family.”
Admiral Demmit looked to me for confirmation.
I nodded.
“She’s forty-four days along, Uncle Rick.” Emily announced officially. “I see a perfectly normal pregnancy and delivery. Of course, I’ll officially know more when I see her tomorrow at my office in 2035.”
Demmit glared at my sister for a minute before closing his eyes and shaking his head a few times.
“Congratulations, Ricky Lynn. I wonder why you waited so long though? Even Carroll Sheldon took the leap before you…” Uncle Rick thought for a moment, “Origination time-wise, that is.” He added, looking at Brie, Emily and I for confirmation on that statement.
“I just hadn’t met the right one, Rick. This time, I thought I had…” Samuels began only to break out in tears.
Jack, being closest, took her into her arms. “At least you know who the father is, Ricky Lynn. I’m still wondering about Connie’s dad and Alex refuses to tell me.”
Prof. Samuels leaned back and looked into Jack’s eyes. She smiled mischievously.
“I figured you would know what’s going on…being from our future and all.” Jack grumbled.
“I told you, Jacki Cummins…You’ll know when the time is right, and not one second before!” I reminded gruffly. “Now…we need to shove off.”
It was well after one, local time, when we joined hands.
Brie’s living room became Reilly’s director’s office.
0835hrs, Reilly Research Station, Kili Island, June 24rd, 2020BC
“Welcome back, Alex.” RVP greeted, “it is 0835hrs, June 24th, 2020BC.”
“Thanks, hun. I trust things haven’t been too crazy around here the last twenty-eight hours?” I asked- wincing as I realized it hadn’t been too long since Jack and I had left- relatively, that is. In fact, it had been almost six months for Jack, but almost six years for me.
“I trust our director will be arriving shortly, Empress?”
“Alex Reilly and Cami will be staying on Terra Nuevo for a while- fifteen Earth years to be exact.” I informed.
“You finally got her to take a…a vacation, Empress?” Randi’s voice asked instead of the A.I.
“Sort of…I personally wouldn’t call it a vacation.” I said rolling my eyes. “Reilly and Cassie are going to be big sisters, hun.”
“You’re kidding!” She exclaimed. It echoed through the room’s loudspeakers. “Should I alert Reilly and Cassi, Alex?”
“Cassi is back from Terra Nuevo?” I asked in surprise.
“Terra Nuevo? Cassi has resided here for almost ten years, Empress.” Randi sounded baffled.
“Randi, what’s the status on Janice Silvers.” I asked as Emily, Ricky Lynn, and Uncle Rick stared at me.
“Janice is still in her domic…quarters, Alex. Why, is there something wrong with her?”
“It’s a long story, hun, but the short of it is that just prior to our departure the timeline had changed. Cassi Darough and Janice Silvers were suddenly AWOL.” I told her, to Uncle Rick’s surprise.
“Alex? Who is Janice Silvers?” Emily asked curiously. Her mouth dropped as her own gift provided the answer.
I smiled at her. “I need some coffee.” I said and turned toward the door.
“Alex? What’s been going on? I’ve had some pretty monster headaches over the past couple days.” Jamie asked as we arrived in the Rec Room. Michelle Simonetti nodded her head to also acknowledge the question.
“We’ve been busy resetting the time line,” I answered.
“Resetting?” Shel exclaimed. “Why did it need reset?”
“Darren Clemson stole my latest project and made ex-ter work fer ol Alex here.” Ricky Lynn proclaimed.
“Clemson? Your TA?” Michelle repeated in surprise. “Didn’t the two of you…?” She asked, before Ricky Lynn glared at her. Shel blushed profusely. “Sorry.”
“OOOOOh, what happened to me last night?” Janice Silvers moaned as she staggered into the recreational room. She held tightly to the doorway and slowly moved along the room’s wall.
Even though she seemed to be in pain, I was very happy, relieved actually, to see her.
“This ought to be entertaining.” I mentioned quietly to the others around me.
Our newest sister stopped suddenly and felt her forehead then cheeks with both hands. She looked around for a moment then shook her head a few times.
“That sure is weird. I’ve never had a hangover that disappeared so quickly before.” She said in surprise then noticed us watching quietly.
“What did you do to me, Empress?” She asked on approach.
“I thought I asked you to call me Alex, hun?”
“What did you do to me…Alex?” She repeated.
“What do you think I did, Janice?” I asked back trying to keep my expression neutral.
“You gave me some sort of super powers?”
I looked up to the ceiling and nodded my head side to side a few times.
“Eh, not exactly ‘super powers’, hun. We prefer to call them ‘gifts’.” I said with a smile.
“I’m…I’m like you now?”
“Well, not exactly like me, hun. We…we all have our own specific gift,” I him-hawed. “What your gift will be is for you to find out.”
“So…you already know, but don’t want to spoil it for me?” Janice correctly deduced.
I smiled at the perceptive grad student.
“There you are Alex!” Cassi’s voice echoed through the quiet room. “Empress, I had the strangest feeling that I was in two or three places at once the last two days! At one point it felt like I didn’t even exist. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that would you?” She asked- more like insinuated.
“Your mother will be staying on Terra Nuevo for a little while, hun.” I said, evading her questioning.
“Hey, Aunt Alex!” Reilly greeted as she appeared beside me. Janice jumped a few inches, startled.
“Reilly, Alex just told me that mother has elected to stay on Terra Nuevo for a ‘while’.” Cassi told her best friend.
“Ya. My mom and your mom are each having a baby, Cassi; two more girls for the sisterhood.” Reilly responded indifferently.
Cassi’s mouth dropped open.
“Ya. So how long was mom gone for this time?” Reilly asked me, brazenly. “Oh, I guess long enough to get really horny again, huh?”
“REILLY!” Cassi shouted in surprise at her best friend’s cavalier attitude.
Uncle Rick began to laugh, putting his hands to his face and rubbing his eyes lightly. “Now I know she’s got Demmit in her.” He said to himself.
“I’ve spent about six years undoing all that Clemson’s done, Reilly. Your mom has spent an equal amount of time doing exactly the same thing. I think she deserves to unwind, don’t you?”
“Sure. No skin off my back. So when do we leave, Alex?” Reilly asked bluntly.
“When I’m good and ready, young lady. Could you ‘can’ the attitude before I decide to make a side trip to Terra Nuevo and leave you with Connie?” I threatened.
“Connie’s not there. She’s with…” Reilly stopped abruptly and stared at Jack in horror. “No. No, ma’am…Aunt…Empress! I’ll lose the attitude…right now.”
“Let me guess,” Jack said looking at me cynically. “I’m the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on with my daughter?”
“Oh, you know, Aunt Jacki.” Reilly piped up then immediately looked around at us in worry. “Just…just not now…not in your time period.”
Jack glared at her godchild.
“Leave it go, Jack. You’ll find out soon enough- I promise.” I assured her.
“So when do we leave, Aunt Alex?” Reilly inquired again.
I rolled my eyes at my niece. “I said…when I’m ready, Reilly!” I growled. “Cassi, isn’t there some chore or responsibility the director has assigned her daughter?”
“Fine! I already know when you’re leaving, Empress. I won’t be late.” Reilly whined like a spoiled brat before stomping out of the room and down the passageway.
“Mine ain’t gonna turn out like that is she, Alex?” Ricky Lynn questioned worriedly.
“No,” I started to say as I walked over and ordered my coffee from the dispenser. Taking the steaming cup out of the unit, I finished my sentence.
“Yours will be worse, hun. She’ll be every bit your daughter.” I laughed. “Right down to the ol’ Samuels’ charm.”
“I think Mina calls it karma, Rick.” Uncle Rick laughed heartily.
Janice Silvers looked on in silence until her eyes widened.
“That’s right, Janice. Your professor is taking on a lifetime teaching gig.” Jack answered the unheard question.
I turned back to the food dispenser and ordered a double chocolate latte with extra whip cream, double mini marshmallows, and a splash of almond milk then handed it to Janice, motioning for her to sit down. She stared at me in amazement.
“I told you I know more about you than you do, hun. Drink it while it’s hot. At least that’s what you always tell me.” I recommended.
“How do you know so much ab…” she asked but closed her mouth and looked to her steaming cup. “You get to know me pretty well in the future. That’s how you know what I like to drink…that I would agree to come with you in the first place.” She proposed.
I smiled. “RVP, how many files has Janice read from the facility’s technical archives since yesterday morning?”
“Eighty four technical documents covering Reilly’s shield generators, synthetic gravity inducers, food synthesizing stations, and the Protoverse Chamber, Alex.”
“And what was the average completion time of each document, RVP?”
“Approximately ten to twelve minutes, depending on size, Alex.” The A.I. replied.
I think I was the last of our group to turn my attention to our new sister.
“And on average what was the page count of each of the documents read, hun?” I asked to drive home a point.
“Two to four hundred pages, Alex, plus technical drawings and schematics.”
Janice’s eyes were bulging as she suddenly realized the magnitude of her reading ability.
“I never realized how much I read yesterday. How did I do that? How can I read so fast?” Silvers’ asked, astonished.
“So, if I were to engage the Protoverse Targeting System to locate a specific planet- within a given system, and am unable to get a tangible lock, what would I do?” I asked our new sister.
“Theoretically, you should invert the targeting system’s coordinate protocol and come at it from the inverse perspective, Alex. A simple one over ‘x’ algorithm would do.”
I nodded with a satisfied grin. “RVP, is Janice correct in her hypothesis?” Our young sister looked to the ceiling to hear the answer
“That is exactly what Assistant Director Hathor did, Alex. Of course, you already knew that.” RVP acknowledged. “That was… just before you transposed our two universes, Empress.” RVP added- her voice somewhat catty.
Janice Silvers’ head suddenly snapped back around to me as her mouth dropped in surprise.
“Before you…you…before you transssssposed universes? You switched our universes? How is that even possible? I mean…the power to do that has to be staggering! There is no way Reilly Station could provide even a fraction of the energy needed…” Janice gasped. Her expression turned to fright as she mentally computed what I was capable of- and of what she had just said.
“I was new to the whole ‘Empress’ thing at the time and wasn’t aware of what I did until I’d already done it, hun.”
“Our Empress was hemorrhaging from both ears and her nose after that uncalculated, ill-thought, endeavor.” Randi’s voice said over the loudspeakers.
“Processor Alpha-three is correct. I advised the Empress against her proposal due to lack of calculable probabilities and their unknown outcome.” RVP agreed, from the same speakers.
“But why put your life at risk, Alex?” Silvers asked- almost in tears.
“Because that is who she is, Janice.” Billie Sangiere answered as she appeared in the doorway. “Alexandra will always place herself in jeopardy if needed to save as many lives as she can. There is no stopping her in that undertaking. That stubborn, selflessness is part and parcel of what makes her the Empress of Time and Space.”
Billie glared at me as she gracefully strode over and stood over Janice and I. “She even deprived me of my eternal rest, claiming I was important to her! Apparently, even the dead cannot escape our Empress.”
“So…you walking in here at this particular time is just coincidence, my queen?” I smiled.
“Not at all, Alexandra. My gift told me that this is the time I should be here. I am of the royal bloodline- something you two have told me nonstop since my arrival back in the realm of the living.”
“So you really do use it? Huh, I thought you despised the very thought of using your gift, highness.” I stated somewhat sarcastically.
“I still dislike cheating, Alexandra, though the ability does have its advantages, as I’m sure you will agree. I take it Reilly will be accompanying you back to the future within the hour?” Billie stated more than asked.
“And I trust you have been exercising the other portion of your gift, highness?” I countered with a grin. “Just how long have you been standing there listening, Billie? I mean, I already know, but humor me.”
Janice Silvers remained silent as she observed our friendly altercation.
“A troubling side effect that Mina pointed out, Alexandra. I don’t use it often as the passing through solid matter still turns my stomach. It too, has a use, though I feel like a spy when I decide to use it. Have you told Janice of her importance yet, Empress?”
“Hun, you still have to hone your timing.” I grinned and shook my head at Jack’s temporal twin.
“I suggest you get to it and save the girl the anxiety, Alexandra. She deserves to know what her place in our society entails.”
“Excuse me, highness,” Jack interrupted as she casually pointed to me. “I think Alex has things well in hand. Why are you acting so high and mighty all of the sudden? Is it your time of the month? Cause if it is, I suggest you not lay a hand on me since I just finished up the other day. So why don’t you just chill out and take a seat, blondie?”
A chair slid silently from the next table and positioned itself behind the Queen of Kili Island. Billie sat down gracefully, looking nervously at her twin.
“Your majesty, I’m sure Alex was just about to inform me of my upcoming mission.” Janice finally spoke up.
“Upcoming mission,” Billie sputtered as she looked at her new sister. “Babysitter is not what I would term a ‘mission’, Janice, nor would ‘beau’ for that matter.”
“Babysitter? Beau? Empress, surely I have more potential and meaning to the sisterhood than just those two roles?” Janice asked, staring at me in surprise.
“Again, Billie, you could refine that sense of timing a bit.” I said glaring at Kili’s queen. “Janice…” I paused as I looked into her eyes, “first and foremost you will finish your education. You will go on vacation with your family to Monaco at the end of the semester and you will fall in love with the American as I told you back in 2035. What you will not be doing is telling friends or family of your induction into the sisters’ of Kili or using your gift in public when it develops,” I paused again, “or of meeting the Empress of Time and Space!”
“I wouldn’t worry about that, Alex. No one would believe something like that anyway…especially my parents! As far as my gift, I thought my ability to read superfast was it.” Janice replied with a wistful grin.
“I know,” I answered. “When the time comes, I’d like you to help Ricky Lynn take care of Regina. Even in 2035 a single mother still faces ‘challenges’ in everyday life. Now…as with everyone else in the sisterhood, you will be asked to assist me on a mission or two- maybe more if the missions require it. Like everyone else, you are completely free to decline if you choose- I won’t think any less of you.”
“But her majesty said something about a beau…”
“I’ve covered that already, hun. You meet the American…remember?” I reminded.
“Oh…ya…you did say that…okay. So…what is my gift and when?” Janice stumbled.
“I’d like to know what her gift is also, Alex.” Uncle Rick added before I could once again divert the topic. I noticed Emily smile deviously. Ricky Lynn was still shooting daggers at me for revealing her unborn child’s name and sex, and Jack was still shooting laser beams at Billie.
“Admiral, if Alex feels it is advantageous to withhold information; we should honor that and move on to another topic of conversation.” Cassi stressed politely. Jack nodded her agreement.
“Is she going to be another Pixie, Alex?” Yuuka blurted out excitedly- rubbing her hands together.
I rolled my eyes.
“First off…no, Janice will not be joining Kili’s Air Force or your squadron, hun.” I began then looked to the Admiral.
“Janice’s superfast reading ability is indeed a small part of her gift. The major part though, will present itself before we leave Reilly.” I turned and stared angrily at Billie. “And that is all that will be revealed…got that, your majesty?”
Billie Sangiere nodded bashfully.
“Next…” I frowned at Ricky Lynn. “You will stop knifing me with your glare, Professor! I’ve revealed the future of your child to you- so what. You should be glad that she will be borne healthy and look a lot like you instead of her father. Now get over it, Ricky Lynn. Lastly…”
An alarm sounded. I nodded ever so slightly.
“Alex, my sensors have detected an incoming projectile of approximately five hundred and eighty kilograms. Trajectory indicates that Reilly Research Station is its designated target. I have enabled Reilly’s protective shield.” RVP announced.
Janice Silvers jumped from her seat and immediately appeared at the nearest station access terminal.
“RVP, show me the preliminary scans of the object in question.” She ordered.
The terminal came alive with information scrolling slowly down the display.
“Faster, RVP. Adjust display rate to seventy-five times normal speed.” She demanded.
We noticed the screen flash five times before going dark.
“Alex, according to RVP’s scans this ‘projectile’ seems to be carrying a nuclear payload- scans show it somewhere in the one hundred-forty or fifty megaton range.” Janice announced with a very worried look. “Reilly’s shield is not strong enough to withstand that potential at point blank range.”
“What is the angle of decent, hun?” I asked. She was now standing right next to me.
“Azimuth is twenty-seven degrees, Alex.” She replied from back over at the terminal.
“Options?” I inquired calmly.
“Thought you already had that worked out, Empress.” She rattled out like an auctioneer from beside me again.
“Time till impact?” I requested. Uncle Rick looked at me in concern.
“Eighty-two seconds.” Janice replied quickly from back over at the terminal.
“RVP, disengage shield and standby. Jack, Cassi, alert all island personnel that Kili is going to change dimensions for a few moments and not to panic.”
“Aye, Cap.” Our two Mind Warriors chorused.
“Billie. Emily? I need your hands in mine now.” I ordered. They complied quickly. “Yuuka, Pixie mode now and take my ear.”
Within two seconds, Yuuka firmly grasped my right earlobe.
“What do you want me to do, Alex?” Janice requested from beside me again.
“Watch the panel, Janice. Don’t worry, Uncle, this won’t hurt a bit.” I said to the old man as I began to concentrate. Janice was back over at the station terminal- its display blinking spastically as her hands flew across the display faster than even I could see.
“Alex, you are starting to glow blue!” Billie Sangiere gasped in surprise.
“That’s what she does when she starts to control time, highness.” Jack informed her.
“All personnel have been notified, Empress.” Cassi announced.
“Impact in fifteen seconds.” Janice alerted- her voice strained.
I mentally threw the switch.
Off to the left of us, a phantasmal, bullet-like object about six feet in diameter streaked through the room from the ceiling ahead of us to the floor behind us. A few seconds later there was a bright flash from the area of the floor where the object had disappeared followed by the sound of a very muffled explosion.
“What the hell just happened, Alex?” Admiral Demmit exclaimed as he looked between me and the missile’s exit point.
“According to Reilly’s sensors, we entered into a pocket dimension for twenty-point-three-six seconds before returning!” How did you do that, Empress? I thought you had to be in contact with something or someone to affect it?” Janice said from beside me again.
I smiled at the perplexed woman. Had she even noticed that she was teleporting back and forth? I know our sisters and Uncle Rick had noticed because of the way they were staring at her.
“You can teleport?” Randi Peltierre asked over the loudspeaker. “Empress, I’m detecting a dimensional shockwave emanating from around the planet. What did you really do?”
Janice reappeared at the terminal to check Randi’s information and appeared by my side yet again.
“According to Reilly’s instruments, you moved the whole planet into a temporary dimension for twenty-point-three-six seconds.” Janice exclaimed animatedly.
“And according to my observations you weren’t paying attention at all, hun.” I countered with a giggle.
“What do you mean I wasn’t paying attention, Alex?” Janice asked, confounded and slightly upset.
“RVP, replay the security archive of this room for the past two minutes, please.” I replied not taking my eyes off our novice sister.
We watched as the large display came online and replayed Ms. Silvers’ antics. She had appeared five different times at the terminal and beside me. There was no evidence she physically moved between the two positions even when I asked RVP to stop each frame of the recorded file.
Silvers stood staring at the screen in complete disbelief- her eyes wide and mouth partially open.
“Wh…wh…w…what am I?” She stuttered, still afraid to move. I watched her shiver once or twice. “H…h…h…hhhow can I move like that? I can’t see me running between you…”
“I believe it’s called teleporting, Janice.” I told her serenely. “You like?”
“Telepo..? I can go to places like you, Empress?” She asked- her eyes opening wider- if that were possible.
“No, hun, not like me, but you can travel to places in the present…but only on the planet where you currently are.”
Janice rushed me, wrapping her arms around me and squeezing. “Oh thank you, Empress! I can’t believe I can do something so magical! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“I had nothing to do with your gift, hun.” I said as I gently released myself from her arms. “That was all you. Like I said, each of our gifts is unique.”
“But…But I wished I could move around like you, Empress! I wished I could appear and disappear from different places like you could.” Janice insisted.
“Well…I guess you got your wish, Miss Silvers.” Yuuka said gently.
“At least someone’s wish was granted.” Billie Sangiere moaned.
“I swear Billie, any more bitching about being brought back from the dead and I’ll have Alex bring me back to sync with you just after I get pregnant!” Jack growled at her temporal twin. “Let’s see how bad you piss and moan with another life in your belly!”
Billie Sangiere’s mouth dropped open in horror, as did Uncle Rick’s and Janice Silvers’.
“She’ll do fine on her own, Jack. Billie’s maternal days are right around the corner,” I giggled- maybe a little too deviously.
“That is very personal, Alexandra! I will not have you looking into my near future so nonchalantly! Enjoy your gift, Miss Silvers. By the way, Reilly is standing over by the food processor.” Billie groused as she stood and marched out of the Rec Room.
“Wow, she really got a bug up her ass this mornin’!” Ricky Lynn commented.
“Oh, she’s just what Aunt Alex calls ‘in heat’, Ricky.” Reilly Reilly said as she reappeared by the station terminal. “And Billie needs to work on her location sensing. She was off by ten meters.”
“You hurried over to the terminal, hun, don’t blame your Aunt’s gift. She had y’all dead ta rights.” I corrected my niece without turning an eye to her.
“Still, Aunt Alex, Billie needs to get laid.” Reilly insisted soberly. “Badly!”
“Oh, wow! I love this place!” Janice Silvers exclaimed as she and Uncle Rick began laughing.
“So when do we leave, Empress?” Reilly insisted.
I rolled my eyes at my niece’s persistence.
Ricky Lynn’s house in the Shadyside section of Pittsburgh appeared around us. The lights came on as soon as we rephased.
“Welcome back, sisters, Admiral.” RVP greeted. “It is 0104hrs, April 11th, 2035. Professor, I have received several text messages from your students regarding your guest speakers yesterday afternoon. Do you wish to review them now? The results are very positive if not surprising.”
“Not right now, RVP, I’m sort of tired out. It’s been a very long day.” Ricky Lynn answered dramatically.
“How long did you have her out for this time, Alex?” The A.I. inquired.
“Three-and-a-half weeks, hun. Why?” I asked.
“My medical sensors have detected an anomaly in Prof. Samuels’ chemical makeup."
“That happens with pregnancy, RVP.” I answered candidly. Emily looked toward me with a raised eyebrow.
“That would certainly explain the detected imbalan…WHAT? Are you telling me she is…”
“That’s what I’m sayin’, hun! Congrats, y’all are gonna be an Aunt.” I laughed. Uncle Rick gave me a curious glare.
“I’ll have to create a website…draft designs for a nursery…plan, design, and send invitations for a shower…”
“RVP!” Ricky Lynn said, raising her voice.
“Yes, professor?”
“I’d like to be able to tell everyone myself- if it’s alright with you?”
“I’m sorry, professor. I may have gotten ahead of myself. Forgive me?”
Prof. Samuels looked around to us. Emily, Jack, Reilly, Jamie, Michelle, and I were smiling, while Janet and Uncle Rick seemed confused.
“Scan the right rear bedroom and begin design suggestions- paint, wallpaper, and furniture.” Ricky Lynn said, compromising with her A.I as she sighed.
“Do we know the sex yet, Dr. Scott?” RVP asked.
“Yes, but you both won’t find out until tomorrow afternoon at my office, RVP.” Emily giggled deviously. Janet looked at my sister intensely, now being completely confused.
“Understood. Would you like me to start compiling a list of applicable names, professor?”
“Um…sorry, I already had some picked out, RVP.” Ricky Lynn shied her eyes to the floor. Andromeda or Regina if it’s a girl; Richard or Ian if it’s…”
“Time to go.” I said quietly offering my hands as Uncle Rick looked like he was going to tear up any moment.
“Alex?” Janet Silvers started. “I think this is where I get off, ma’am. I need to finish out the semester…then there is my family trip to the Med next month…” She paused a minute.
“If it’s all the same to you, Empress, I’d rather stay and help Prof. Samuels out.”
“Remember Alex, there is that appointment Ricky Lynn has at my office in the morning.” Emily reminded as she looked beside her, to our newest sister. “She has a 1 o’clock appointment at my office, Janet. Could you see she gets there fifteen minutes early to fill out and upload the required paperwork?”
“I’ll try, Dr. Scott…”
“Emily.” My sister interrupted.
“...I’ll try, Emily. Where in town is your office, by the way?”
Emily smiled and pulled a business card from her regulation purse and silently handed it to the young woman.
“Oh, thank you…” Janet said before her eyes suddenly opened wide.
“Flagstaff Medical Center, Flagstaff, Arizona?” Janet screeched. She looked at Emily and I in complete astonishment.
“Just how am I going to get the professor there by tomorrow morning? Less than nine hours from now?”
“I thought you said she was intelligent, Aunt Alex?” Reilly giggled outright. Jamie and Michelle turned and stared angrily at her.
Janet glared at my niece in anger as well.
Jack, Emily, and I laughed quietly.
“Maybe she should just pop out there with Ricky Lynn around 1230hrs?” I suggested as Janet stared at me quizzically.
“You are capable of that now, aren’t you, hun?” I asked, raising an eyebrow to Janet- my smile never fading.
Miss Silvers blushed deeply.
“Oh ya…right. So…how do I do that, again, Empress?” She asked, still extremely embarrassed.
“You start out by calling me ‘Alex’, hun, the rest you can figure out on your own.” I said as Ricky Lynn stared at me in concern.
“Skipper, you think…um…maybe…she…um…she should …practice once or twice before…”
“Time to get us back to the war, Uncle Rick.” I said, offering my hands again.
“Alex, what about me? I have to be on Terra Nuevo to meet mother and Cami?” Reilly whined.
“Fine! Uncle Rick, would you like to spend a few days on Terra Nuevo?” I asked in defeat.
“I thought it was dangerous for ‘normal’ humans, Alex?” He responded.
“Terra, yes; Terra Nuevo, no, sir.”
“Then by all means, Empress, let’s!”
Author’s note: This concludes Season 4. I wish to thank the many readers of the series and hope you’ll return in the spring of 2017 when South of Bikini begins its 5th and final season.
Until then,
R.G.