“I want Carter to take you all the way, so I packed him some essentials. Blanket is big enough to share if you spread it out in the back. He’s a good kid, so no need to worry yourself none.”
Then he hugged his grandson and gestured toward the vehicle. The sides opened up almost like gullwing doors from my era. There we could see a full bench seat in the front and back, then there was room in the far back for cargo, similar to that of a full-size SUV. Nautica and I immediately slid into the backseat while Carter got in and started the vehicle up. The doors closed and before we knew it, we were moving.
“Here’s that blanket Paw gave me,” he said, tossing the rolled blanket back to us, “Figured you were tired.”
“How old are you, Carter?” I asked, watching the young man as he smiled back at us.
“Nineteen. Just turned last week!”
“I wonder why your grandpa was so willing to help two strangers he never met,” I pondered aloud.
“He knew you were coming. He told me three or four days back. Said to keep an eye out for two pretty women,” he said.
“What? Really?” I sputtered.
“Said he was out checking on the chickens when a short old guy who called himself ‘Three’ came by. This man acted like a prophet of the Lord and apparently he really was! Gave my Paw three really nice pearls and told him he could keep them. Said he found them in his own field and they were probably valuable. Then he told him to welcome the two ladies and ensure their safe journey when the time came. Grandpa didn’t really believe the old guy, but then I guess he saw the man disappear right before his eyes! Can you believe it?”
Nautica laughed, then shook her head as she elbowed me. I leaned over to her, feeling frustrated all of a sudden.
“If he came back to help us, why didn’t he come rescue Mercy? Why didn’t he come by before the shooting?” I growled.
“We never reverse the death of a chrononaut – not ever!” she whispered, “It creates a soulless shell of a being that really isn’t that person anymore. For some reason, we can rescue ‘original timeline’ deaths like in the case of your suicides, but never the death of a chrononaut who has already navigated into another timeline.”
“No, it wouldn’t be reversing - not if he came by and told us not to board the bus. We’d never be faced with the situation, so he wouldn’t be reversing a death!” I argued a little too loudly.
“But why would he come back? If he came back because the TD showed she had died, then he’d be resurrecting her no matter what method he chose. When that minute came to pass again, the minute that she originally died, then suddenly she’d be devoid of her eternal soul and that body would continue on merely animated by a beating heart and an oxygenated brain.”
“Oh my,” I breathed, tears welling in my eyes.
“Trust us, Hunter. We really know what we’re doing when we travel back. Whatever it was that Three fixed by coming back, it wasn’t our demise. Perhaps we ran into some trouble and even ended up captured or in jail. He interfered and prevented this problem, whatever it was. And he gave his real name just so we would find out and know that he had to fix something to ensure our success.”
“I’m really sorry for whatever you’d been through. And if that prophet was really from God, then I’m sure you two are a couple’a angels. You sure look like I’d expect angels to look like anyway,” he said, “If so, can you put in a good word for me?”
“Will do,” Nautica said, “And thanks for the kind words.”
“I really mean them words,” he grinned, “I’m just lucky to get to share my Paw’s truck with two angels!”
I couldn’t help but to chuckle. He really was adorable with that curious innocence that didn’t seem to exist anywhere else in the world. It was hard to get past the teenage years and then turn out to be so sweet and innocent on the other side of eighteen. As I watched him from the back, it was clear that he was a very good looking guy. He just had the tender features of someone who sprouted later than the others. I’d be willing to bet that he still never even shaved yet.
I yawned just then and looked over at Nautica. She already had her head leaning against the window as though she planned to go to sleep.
“Do you mind if we get some sleep back here?” I asked.
“Not at all. Hit the switch by the light in the ceiling and the entire back will adjust to be much more comfortable,” he said, pointing back at the ceiling.
I did just that, then suddenly our bench seat started leaning back further and further until we found ourselves having to draw our feet up before lying perfectly flat. There behind us in the storage area, it was padded just like the seat as well, causing us to have a full bed in the back of the vehicle.
“This is nice!” I laughed.
“We use it to travel ‘cross the country every June,” he said.
Nautica unrolled the blanket while the two of us huddled close together. I lay on my side facing the wheel well and no sooner did I close my eyes before I was completely out.
Twenty-Three
I couldn’t even judge how long I’d been out by the time I had awoken to the sound of a car door. I sat up and looked out the window, grateful to see that we weren’t surrounded by police again.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” Nautica muttered as she slowly sat up.
“What about all the facial recognition cameras everywhere?” I asked.
“Good point. He needs to pull up right next to the bathroom door, then we need to cover our faces in our hands as we make our way to the door,” she said.
“Where is he anyway?” I asked, “This looks like a gas station. Wait, please tell me that in the span of these five hundred years, we aren’t still using gas-powered vehicles.”
“Hydrogen. They basically run on water, but it has to be distilled to filter out absolutely everything. Otherwise you gum up the transformer with the buildup of impurities,” she said, “He’s probably refilling the tanks.”
A moment later, he returned to the vehicle and closed the door. He turned to us with that same warm smile.
“Welcome back! Sorry if I woke you,” he said, “We’re about an hour out from DC.”
“Really? Wow, we must have slept a while!” I said.
“Yeah, ‘bout two hours! Must have been real tired!”
“Can you bring us close to the bathroom so we don’t have far to walk?” Nautica asked.
He started up the vehicle and drove around to the side of the refueling station. We got out, covering our faces as best as we could, then entered the bathroom. We again concealed our presence the same way as we returned to the vehicle afterward.
Moments later, we were back on the freeway and headed for DC. The traffic seemed a little heavier than it had been before I’d fallen asleep. I found myself ducking away from the window as I heard a siren approaching. It turned out to be nothing more than an ambulance racing past.
“So, do you have an address for me to look up in Washington DC?” he asked.
“We just need to be dropped off at Intergalactic,” I said.
“Really? Wow, you have family that works there?” he asked, “Remember the stories of when they sent that one ship off to Zeta2 Cancri? Imagine going to see another planet. Paw was around when that happened, you know.”
“Well, we’re all going to be living there soon enough,” Nautica said, “We are, after all, in the path of a rogue black hole.”
“Yeah, but how can they be so sure of that? It’s black, after all, and it’s supposedly in intergalactic space where there are no stars,” he said.
“Really? Is that why people are so quick to believe it when… well, when… never mind,” I groaned.
“What’s wrong, Hunter?” he asked, glancing back with concern in his features.
I looked at him then leaned forward onto the back of his seat, “Carter, that black hole is seriously heading our way and it’s going to kill everyone around 2900. We know it’s out there because a black hole has mass. It has
a lot of mass and it emits radiation in the form of x-rays. We have certain long range telescopes that can not only detect black holes, but they can give us a digital view of them by colorizing them onto a computer screen. We can also measure the Doppler shift to examine the speed by which it’s moving toward us.”
“So, you know for certain it’s coming and when?” he asked, the concern growing even more apparent.
“Yes, for certain. It’s part of the reason we’re going to Intergalactic,” Nautica said.
“Wow, I think I’d love starting out on a new planet. I do know a lot about farming, you know,” he said, “Could you put in a good word for me if they are looking for more colonists like on that one ship they sent?”
I patted his shoulder and smiled at him, “I certainly will. As a matter of fact, you’re seriously the first person I’d met here that I would hope to see getting on that ship.”
For the next several minutes, the three of us fantasized aloud about our dreams of beginning a new life on a distant planet. We imagined what sort of work would be required of us and how it would be like in a world with such a small population.
“How old are you, Hunter?” Carter asked.
“I’m twenty-four. Why do you ask?”
He shrugged, then said nothing for about five seconds. A moment later, he cleared his throat and glanced at me quickly before returning his eyes to the road.
“Because you’re very pretty and you seem to be real smart and nice. I was wondering if we both end up going to that planet, could… well, would you consider dating a younger man and maybe even marrying that younger man one day?” he asked, turning a shade of red as he spoke, “Hypothetically speaking, of course. You see, we were imagining life there and so I wanted to ponder that possibility as well.”
“Wow, I hadn’t really thought about that part of the future yet,” I winked at Nautica who had elbowed me, “But yes, if the hypothetical younger man were to ask me, I believe I’d say yes to a proper date. And who knows where it would lead to in the future?”
He had a massive grin on his face that seemed to light up the whole front of the vehicle. Nautica pushed me, causing me to have to push her back. He seemed to smile the whole rest of the way to our destination.
Before I’d realized how far we’d come, he was pulling into the lot of the surprisingly small Intergalactic Headquarters. I’d been expecting some huge fifty-story building and instead I was faced with a fancy two-story brick building that seemed to be laid out in a V-shape with the parking lot situated in the pocket of that V.
“Well, here we are. Let’s do this,” he said.
“Lets? Um, you can go ahead and start back home now,” Nautica said, reaching up and patting him on the arm, “We really appreciate the ride and the company. This has been great.”
“I have to go with you. Paw said that I’m not to leave the backpack ‘til it’s been delivered along with you two,” he said, turning to us, “At least let me escort you to your family.”
“Wait, I thought the backpack was filled with supplies for you. Like snacks and such,” I said.
“Paw did put a bag of crackers and some lemonade in there. But the rest of the stuff belongs to your family. The one you’re going to see,” he said.
“Let me see!” I insisted.
“I don’t know if you’re allowed. Paw never even showed me and I don’t even know if he ever peeked at what’s inside. It was always supposed to go with you to your family. To the one you were going to see in Washington.”
“Seriously, let’s see what’s in the bag!” Nautica said, “Did Three leave this with you guys?”
“Yes,” he hefted the bag over the back of the seat, then we took it and set it down between us.
Nautica was more anxious to open it than I was. She unzipped the bag, pulled out the bottle of lemonade and the crackers, then she tore open what I assumed to be a paper bag. I peeked in and both of our eyes went wide. I don’t think either of us breathed in that moment.
“This changes everything,” I said.
Twenty-Four
In case there were any facial recognition cameras around, Nautica and I kept our heads down as the three of us walked across the parking lot and into the lobby of the building. It was there that Nautica went into her command mode and led the way to the receptionist’s desk.
“Hello, I’m Nautica with Hyperdrive Tech out of Phoenix, Arizona and these are my associates Carter and Hunter. We’re here to see Darren Gates to discuss some financial donations,” she said.
“Alright, let me see…” she was typing something into her computer terminal, “I don’t see anyone scheduled for today and I’ve got nothing on his calendar at all for Hyperdrive.”
“Would you please call him and see if he recalls our meeting?” I asked.
The woman seemed to be more than just a little annoyed with us as she sat there with a headset on while she apparently dialed his office.
“Yes sir, I have some people here from Hyperdrive Tech out of Arizona. They claim to be looking for donations.”
“No, we wish to make a donation! We want to invest in Intergalactic,” Nautica stated, certainly loud enough for him to hear through her headset.
“Oh, I’m sorry. They wish to invest. Yes. Yes,” she said, “Alright, I’ll send them up.”
She stood up and then stepped around the counter where she proceeded toward one of the glass showcases filled with various awards and trophies. She then tapped several digits into a keypad on the wall. Suddenly the showcase began moving outward, slowly revealing a hidden staircase beyond. This was like something from an Indiana Jones movie, yet it was here inside a fancy corporate office building.
“Only a select few have ever seen this shortcut directly into his upstairs office. Please take these stairs and then rap twice on the door,” she said.
I was sort of leery about heading up the secret stairwell, but since it was well lit, I went ahead and led the way. Nautica and Carter followed close behind. When I reached the top, the door opened before I even had a chance to rap on it. There before me stood a sharply dressed man with salt and pepper hair and some gold-rimmed glasses that looked to be more aesthetic than for vision correction.
“Welcome! I must say that I’m suddenly concerned now as I’m seeing the ages of my new investors. While I’m intrigued, I must say I worry that this is part of a prank,” he said as the three of us shuffled past him.
He closed the door behind us and then locked it. We turned around to face him as he then made his way over to the giant desk in the center of the room. All the while, he seemed to be examining us in a condescending manner.
“Was it ‘Hyperdrive’ you represent?” he asked.
“Mr. Gates, we’re actually here to save you from a huge investigation that lands you in jail in about a year. We both know how many millions you’ve embezzled out of this company and we both know that it was only a matter of time. The thing is, I’m here to give you back all that money and a significant portion more, so that you can fix the records, show you still have the money, and never go to jail,” Nautica said.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about and I’m going to have to call security to escort you from the premises,” he crossed his arms as he looked at us.
“Call the cops while you’re at it and have them check your books. Again, I’m here to free you financially and to ensure the jail time doesn’t happen,” Nautica said, snapping her fingers in the air, “Carter?”
Carter brought the backpack to the table and dumped out its contents. There before us were several banded stacks of bills piled high on his desk. Each individual bill was marked with 1000.
“What is this? Seriously, what’s going on?” he backed away from the desk as though the money were on fire.
“Half the money you see here was embezzled from the company. Yet we can help you fix the records and put the money back. You’re totally free and clear legally. The other half… well, the Maelstrom is coming and we need
to get these people off the planet. It’s real, Darren, and it’s time you get this project moving,” I said.
“How? Why? What’s in it for you?” he sputtered.
“You want the truth or a tidy little lie?” I asked.
“The truth.”
At the risk of scaring Carter away forever, I transformed both of my arms into weapons. Darren emitted a squeal as he leapt back about two feet. Carter stepped away from me as his eyes grew wide.
“The truth is that Nautica and I are from the distant future. If you don’t believe it, tell me how I just did this and how I can reverse it just as quickly,” I said, transforming my arms back into flesh, “Two things happened in this year that halted the mass exodus from the planet. Two things led the people of the world into a state apathetic indifference regarding the fate of the Earth. The first was the belief that the rogue black hole was all just a hoax as well as the fact that Zeta2 Cancri wasn’t a paradise for us to migrate to. And the second was the fact that Intergalactic was going to go bankrupt while its leader was sent to jail for a long period of time.”
“We need this company to thrive and to build those ships because rest assured, that black hole is going to tear our solar system apart in less than four hundred years. And yes, Zeta2 Cancri is a paradise that can sustain human life. Just send one ship there and have the pilot return in six months to tell the others,” Nautica added.
“This is… well, this is all a little curious and… well, frightening. This isn’t some sort of prank or gimmick?” he asked, slowly approaching the cash.
“What do we have to gain if it’s not to save the world? We’re loading you up with this cash and we’re going to stay on for a little while to make sure you’re putting it to use appropriately. All we ask is that… well, that Carter, Nautica, and I are on that second or third ship that leaves here for Cancri,” I said, winking over at Carter.
His mouth was still hanging open as he stared at my arms. I walked over to him and held out my right arm to him. He seemed to gape at my flesh as I moved closer.
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