by S. H. Marpel
“John was right. You’re doing fine. He didn’t leave out any of the good parts in his descriptions.”
Felicity took the pendant from mine and swapped it with the one in John’s hand. Then held onto mine for a split-second more.
That feeling of hope intensified before she let go.
I looked at my hand. Nothing had changed from the way it looked before, but something inside me had.
“Yes, Carol, we all love having Felicity around. But you’ll hear more about her and Will’s exploits later.”
I looked at him and her with a grateful smile. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. Glad to know you both are rooting for us all.”
“That pendant gives another summary of data we’ve found. And some additional circuits you can try. Everyone sends their love.”
I nodded. “As do we. From our side.”
John smiled, Felicity added a cute wave with her own infectious grin.
Right on schedule, the wall dilated back to solid white again.
And I felt my own face grinning from ear to ear.
Stories to look forward to. Hopeful ones. Nice.
V
FINN AND WILL WERE both standing there with wide eyes and open mouths when I came out. Like what I was wearing shocked them or something.
“What’s up guys? Haven’t you seen a sarong before?”
Finn just smiled, while Will turned a bit pink.
“Oh - you were betting on what I was wearing underneath when I tossed that dress into the aisle.”
I took the side of the bright-colored sarong fabric in one hand and gave a little twirl. “A gal’s always got to be prepared. Remember we were hiding out in those swimsuits?”
Finn nodded, his smile turning into a grin.
“I found a nude-colored one-piece in there. Figured if those goons got sight of me, it would slow them down a bit - all that testosterone and such. And that would give the two of you a chance to catch them off guard and go into action.”
Finn almost chuckled while Will turned a deep shade of red.
Finn turned to Will. “That’s my Erika. Nothing like how ‘proper’ Carol is. But worth her weight in gold.”
Will only nodded.
I came over and took his hand, looking up into his eyes. “So, you want to tell me what happened, or do I have to wait for you to get over your ‘sunburn’?”
“Only if you’ll have dinner with us.”
It was my turn to blush.
WE FOUR FOUND A BOOTH at the commissary food court.
By then I’d already snagged my big dress and folded it neatly into a bag to take home, while I also paid for the new clothes I was wearing – adding a pair of flip-flops. (Finn had recovered my discarded spiked heels so I stowed them with the dress.)
We’d finished off the burgers and fries, along with our shakes.
Finn and Carol were on the far side, and Will was next to me - but not quite touching. Which made the electricity have a harder time of jumping between us.
“...and by the time I appeared, they had no idea about what to do with four Will’s and all their wrists and ankles bound. We heard a set of whines peaking and stepped back as they each disappeared in a flash again.”
Will picked up after Finn stopped. “It seems that flash is somehow related to their guns, but looks to be a separate device on it’s own. So it might be that they don’t die when that flash goes off, but more likely a way to cover exactly how they disappear.”
Carol butted in at that point. “Or maybe is a way to discharge the space-shifting energy they built up.”
Will and Finn were thoughtful at that.
I had to interrupt their thoughts. “How did the crowd disappear?”
Will fidgeted. “Well, actually, they didn’t. It’s us that went somewhere else.”
Carol brightened at that. “Ooh, I know this one. Tess does a lot of that – well, when it’s really needed, anyway.”
We all waited for the rest. Carol just looked at our faces like we already knew the punchline that Will wasn’t sharing.
“You just ‘borrow’ another time-space scene for a little bit.”
Will nodded. “The math is pretty complex, but that’s because it’s more an art than a science. John wrote it up in his books, and that’s all I needed to make it work. Like how several of ‘me’ show up at once. Well, kinda.”
Finn and I both sat back. These two were way out of our league. So much had happened since he and I got trapped in this time-shifting detective stuff decades ago.
Carol changed the subject, thankfully. “So, Will, one of your friends came by the control room today. A young girl in your life.”
He brightened and nodded. “She’s a doozy, that Felicity. Amazing, really.”
I leaned away to turn and study his face. “We’ll all have to get together when we get out of this.”
Will didn’t flinch. That was a platonic relationship, but she wasn’t related to him.
He turned to me, smiling. “You’ll get along great with her. And that just gives me something else to put on my list to look forward to – after your last assignment.”
I glanced at Carol and she didn’t flinch. In fact, there was a new look on her face. And I knew it wasn’t just because Finn was holding her hand under the table.
“Carol? Something you wanted to share?”
She smiled wider. “Nothing, really. Something Felicity gave me that I can’t put my finger on right now.”
Just then, that smile went into a look of wonder. She put her free hand on the table, palm up. “Erika - give me your hand.”
I put mine on top of hers and felt something different. All these fears and anxieties seemed to melt away.
“What’s that, Carol?”
“That’s pure hope. A certainty that we are going to figure this all out.”
Will put his hand on top of ours and nodded.
Finn put his hand on the pile as well. “So - ladies, Will, then we’re agreed.”
Will smiled. “The old Musketeer’s motto.”
I found myself looking at the side of his face. Then he turned his head to me and I got lost in his eyes.
A moment later, Finn pulled off his own hand and cleared this throat.
How long we had been looking at each other felt like hours, but was probably only a split-second.
My face turned beet red anyway. So my hand went into my lap and I focused only on it as I wished my face back to normal - starting with my racing heart.
All that interaction gave me a different mystery to solve. A nice, personal one, though.
Finn stood, Will followed. Carol and I picked up our food wrappings to deposit in the nearest bin. Will picked up my bag and we made our way out of the commissary.
THE SUN HAD SET, AND the air had chilled slightly but the ever-present Cuban warmth still radiated from the concrete sidewalk and the asphalt street next to it.
Ahead of us was the tour bus to take me back to my entertainer barracks.
Carol and Finn were walking hand-in-hand ahead of us, and continued well past the open door of the bus, to be out of earshot for both them and us.
As I stopped by the open door, but not in front of it, Will handed my bag to me. Instead of letting go, his little finger found my own and wrapped around it.
I was wary of looking into his eyes again, and somehow was at a loss for what to say.
“Erika, I’m glad to have a little more time with you today.”
I nodded and got up my courage to look at him directly. “Me, too.”
“And one day, we’ll all be out of here and I’ll get to see what you really look like.”
“Red.”
“What?”
“My hair is red, like Finn’s.”
Will’s kind smile turned into a grin. “Just the way I like it. That’s the sign of an adventurous spirit.”
The bus revved up at that point.
“Will, how about breakfast tomorrow? Maybe we can do a foursom
e while Finn briefs me on my next assignment.”
“Ours.”
I smiled. “Right. Our team.”
At that he bent and kissed my forehead. Then let go of my hand and he walked off. Even from this view, he was charming.
Once out of the bus’s headlights and the overhead street light’s glare, he disappeared. Just as Finn and Carol had already gone before him.
I turned to walk up the few steps onto the bus.
As I made my way to my seat, and endured the good-natured teasing of the other girls as I maneuvered through the narrow aisle. Once I sat down, the bus started off. Then I was able at last to start focusing on unpacking that day we’d all just experienced.
The goons had been close, too close. I frowned. This time, their target had been me. I didn’t need them that close again.
Will had been close enough to save me.
And even closer later.
Which made me smile and blush all over again.
Because I had someone to see after this was all over. And an even bigger reason to make it past the next three days.
VI
FINN WAS HOLDING ME in his strong arms again, on our side of the control room.
His green eyes sparkled. “Carol, this is an even better end of a day for us.”
“Because you didn’t have to walk Erika home - which means more time for us.”
He nodded. “Sure. But mostly because...”
I arched an eyebrow.“Because?”
“Oh, nothing. I kinda got lost in the moment.”
I chuckled and pushed away from him. “Well, as long as you don’t go head over heels.”
Finn’s hands fell away from my waist and one of them found my own free hand. “Not when we’re on duty, anyway.”
I gave him a wry smile. “And our ‘off duty’ time is only moments, these days - not knowing when the next one is going to show up.”
“Moment by moment. Time after time.”
Then a thought struck me. “Of course! You’re such a genius!”
Before I could explain anything, the quiet chime of the control room clock sounded as it turned over from 23:59:59 to 00:00:00 – and the monitors started scrolling data about today’s new assignment.
We both turned toward the new scene through the viewscreen window. Erika had arrived in a new body, a new bedroom. And there was rain lashing against the windows of that bedroom.
Like the scrolling text rained sideways across the console screens.
That bright spark of inspiration would have to wait.
For the moment.
Book Universes Notes
All long series of books become complicated. The universes of these stories can mix and merge. There are short and long series, as well as crossovers. So we’ve begun the process of adding Book Universes Notes to each of them. This allows you to get links to the earlier materials that explain the character backgrounds and abilities, story arcs, and even easter eggs.
Please enjoy.
THE U.S. NAVAL BASE at Guantanamo Bay far predates the Communist takeover of that island. And the people who make their life on that base are very close-knit and friendly.
Finn and Erika first appeared in “The Saga of Erotika Jones 01“.
Carol was first introduced in “Time Bent“.
Will first appeared in “The Saga of Erotika Jones 03”
Felicity was first introduced in her book of that name.
The pendant was first introduced in “A Case of Missing Wings“, its use as data-storage was developed in “Moon Bride“.
The Saga of Erotika Jones 06
BY J. R. KRUZE, S. H. Marpel
“Energy flows where attention goes.” - Ancient Polynesian saying
NOW WE HAD THEM. NUCLEAR armaments gone missing.
Why didn’t we get sent there to prevent this? It wasn’t time to start second-guessing our programs and it’s A. I.
Or maybe we should...
Regardless, the problem was that the reports said a seaplane took a nuclear torpedo up into Canada. At least one.
I could see both the seaplane docks not far away, and barely make out the Bremerton shipyards from here. The submarine base was near that.
Somehow, someone arranged this.
But what the hell was I going to do to solve that crime from up here? From the top of the Space Needle...
Since I couldn’t get down there quickly, I just had to figure out what I needed to figure out.
It was true – I couldn’t get there from here. Not way over to Canada in the time I had.
But when I did solve this mystery – or even if I didn’t – there might still be some collateral damage.
It all depended on how smart I could use the limited time I had.
Just 24 hours, with clues and witnesses vanishing every minute.
I
IT WAS RAINING WHEN I arrived. Like most Seattle residents, I had a wardrobe that prepared me for this.
So I put up the waterproof hood of my long red over-shawl to cover most of my mid-back, dark brown hair. And yet, it was good to feel the rain on my face.
I closed my eyes to enjoy it. Like it was washing something away. Anxiety, tenseness, uncertainty.
In the dark pre-dawn, I only dressed against what I knew the weather on average would be. I was glad I could find some jeans and sturdy hiking boots this time.
I saw the navigation lights near where I sat and was doubly glad.
Because I was on top of something where “slippery when wet” took on a double warning.
And forced deep regular breaths in to my lungs in order to slow my racing heart.
It’s not every day you get a chance to slip off a 600 foot building shaped like a flying saucer.
The view on the way down would be spectacular, if that was any consolation.
But my job was to find a safer way to get down, like the elevator.
The real question bugging me, though – was how did I get here?
OUR BREAKFAST DATE was quite early. Because we had to steal some time away from our regular schedule. I was woken to someone knocking at the front door of my apartment.
It turned out to be Finn – my brother, protector, and partner in crime-solving.
“Good morning, Erotika Jones.” His smiling face was topped by his irrepressible red hair. Today he was in a simple raincoat, oddly dry even with the rain pelting the apartment windows.
“Good morning, Finn. Won’t you come in?”
We both almost laughed at that. Because Finn had to leave my apartment before he could knock to be let back in.
But since I borrowed the bodies I used for our assignments, there was no use in taking the chance I could get freaked out by her memories before my programming could take over.
That was the use of the code words “Erotika” to trigger the project we were under, and “Jones” was my own last name. Once I heard those, my own memories came in as a layer over this body’s. Then everything was fine – for the next 24 hours at least.
And that is all I had to solve the mystery at hand – all while the clues disappeared and the witnesses forgot what they’d experienced.
All that data came back to me. In that flash of understanding.
So I had to smile and repress laughing out loud. “Erotika” was the bad taste of a poor joke from a Lead Scientist long dead. The one who built this project as his brainchild decades ago.
Finn and I had been moving along a series of criminal incidents which were somehow related. And recently, we’d been more effective. So much so that they’d started coming after me.
This early morning meeting was for strategy, as well as breakfast.
That’s why his raincoat was dry. He came into my bedroom through the thin door by the observation room that led out of the control room. That observation room always tracked along with me. So Finn came through my bedroom, went outside the apartment door, then knocked. When I answered, he gave the code word first – and then all was right with the wor
ld.
“Finn, let me get dressed and then we can go. I’ll leave the bedroom door ajar so we can talk meanwhile.”
“How you get the best choice of gorgeous girls to ‘borrow’ always fascinates me.”
I just pulled my robe closer and chuckled. “And how you remain my gentlemanly brother despite all temptations is reassuring.”
“It would make things really weird between us otherwise.”
My smile went into a grin. “Back shortly.”
While I selected some all-purpose clothing for the Spring weather of Seattle, Finn briefed me through that open door crack. About the details he’d read off the control room console screens about our mission today.
It seemed someone (our goons) had caused a pair of nuclear torpedoes to disappear. Despite all their security.
Our job was to see if we could find them and get them back. Mostly, just tell the recovery team where they could find them. Of course, it would help if we could make it so that nobody got hurt in the process.
If we could help them, we’d help ourselves. And it never hurt to not get hurt.
II
THE EARLY MORNING DINER was nearly empty. So our booth was isolated. Finn and I arrived first. He held out his hand and Carol appeared, holding it. He stood, and she slid inside the booth, only wavering when momentarily losing contact with him. I was used to this by now. Just the way my universe worked.
A shimmering to my left, and that was how Will appeared.
I scooted over, and he slid in.
Both he and Finn were in Navy dungarees and denim under their typical nondescript dark blue raincoats. Finn had kept his ball cap on, covering his fire-alarm hair while Will took his off, his own brown hair being average, ordinary, and non-alarming.
And Will’s warmth next to me was reassuring.
“Erika, I don’t know how you keep getting more gorgeous every time I see you.”
“Will, I bet you say that to all the time-space bending gals in your life.”
Carol raised an eyebrow. “Well, not to me at least. Unless he’s got some other girl hidden somewhere.”