Dean snapped his finger. “You found one of those, Frank.”
“Yeah, I did, but I only found one infant.”
“They are not viable. There are certain nutrients within their beings that are not present and they die. Our scientist have tried and failed to save them.”
“But I have one,” Frank said. “Harry.”
“I’ll get him.” Dean walked to the back room and returned with a small cage containing the killer fetus. “See, he’s alive”
“You removed him from the nest so yes, and he will live for several moons before he ceases to exist,” Chaka explained. “He will develop no further. His legs will remain small, his head large and he will have that tail.”
“So he’ll look like a large embryo,” Dean said. “Really sad. I can’t save him.”
“You can try.”
“Why was removing him from the nest the reason he lived?” Dean asked. “Is there something in the nesting that kills them?”
Chaka shook his head. ‘No, those that produced them, eat them. It’s a natural cycle.”
Frank cringed loudly. “Uh. That’s sad. So how do you have offspring? When are they viable?”
“Once a female reaches adulthood, she can produce many times and she stays with her nest.”
“So they don’t carry the Hubra inside them?” Dean asked.
“No, primal do ….unless the female Hubra becomes with child from a primal male.”
“That happens?” Frank asked.
“Yes, because female Hubra take on male primal pets.”
“You don’t have sex with each other?” Frank asked.
“Not the way we do with pets,” Chaka said. “The female Hubra cannot accommodate the anatomy of a male Hubra. So they seek pleasure with Male primal. Male and female Hubra form bonds. Much like you …” He pointed to Dean. “And the female that comes in here and brings me food and drink. There is some intimacy, but primals are needed. For that, you must await your turn. Where is my pet in this place? I would like to see her.”
“She’s busy,” Frank said. “She shapes the minds of our young.”
“Aw, she is beautiful and a caretaker.”
Frank just looked at Dean.
“So much to learn,” Dean said. “Joe really needs to hear all this. I mean, it’s a totally different world.”
“I want to learn yours as well,” Chaka replied “Since it is not what I had learned. But I have a question. I am indeed in the past, how did it get switched. What happened?”
“That’s what we’re all trying to figure out,” Frank said. “And we will.”
<><><><>
“You want to do what?” Joe asked.
Frank had called an impromptu meeting with his father, Robbie, and Hal.
“When we go to the future,” Frank said. “I want to bring Chaka with us.”
“That…” Joe pointed. “Is what I thought you said.”
“Are you insane?” Hal asked. “Like leading the sheep to the wolves.”
“We’re not gonna hurt him,” Frank replied.
“Not him. Us!” Hal argued. “You want to take a future LEP to the future with us, so he can lead us to capture.”
“In Frank’s defense …” Robbie said.
“Oh, stop,” Hal said. “It’s always in Frank’s defense. Tell me how, little brother, there is a defense to this request.”
“It’s a different future,” Robbie replied. “Frank and Danny already know they jump started the LEP take over, so chances are they won’t repeat mistakes. A thousand years, they can only be a hair in evolution from where they are now.”
“He has a point,” Joe said.
Hal grumbled and sat back. “What purpose, in either future, will Chaka serve?”
“I thought about this,” Frank said. “If we go and the LEP are primitive, then he can help there, they’ll fear him. If they are advanced, he knows the way they act and think. To be honest, he’s probably primitive to them.”
“It would be like a caveman coming into our time,” Robbie added.
“Exactly.” Frank snapped his finger. “Plus, Danny Hoi is supposed to get that section of the book that talks about the future trip, we should present that to Chaka and see if that’s the way it is. Then again, he’s like way from the future.”
“A huh,” Hal nodded. “And you’d believe him?”
“I think he can be trusted.”
“Based on what?” Hal snapped. “He ate one of my men.”
“He was hungry. Plus, he’s really civilized,” Frank said. “I think we should let him out of the cage. Let him roam about, get a feel for people.”
Hal nearly shrieked. “Are you insane?”
“You asked that already,” Frank replied. “He’s not what you think. He’s a good hunter, but he likes to read, he does their equivalent of theater, enjoys sewing ... He’s actually quite docile.”
“Docile?” Robbie questioned. “Did you just use docile. Good word.”
“Thanks, that was his not mine.”
Hal let out an ‘hmm’, “So glad to hear that this great hunter, reading, sewing docile LEP can be trusted.”
“Don’t forget acting.”
“Oh, yes, acting. Perhaps it’s all an act now.”
“Perhaps it isn’t.”
“Perhaps it is.”
“Hold it.” Joe held up his hand. “I’m listening to all this. And I am surprised Hal hasn’t asked one simple question….” He looked at his sons. “How the hell do you know the future docile LEP enjoys hunting, acting, reading and sewing?”
“I asked.”
“No.” Joe tried to remain calm. “How do you know? Do you speak its language?”
“No.” Frank shook his head. “Better.”
“Better?” Hal asked.
“Better, cause you know, if I was interpreting, there’s be mistakes.”
Joe nodded. “You have a point. Alright, Frank, if you can prove that you communicate with this thing and show me …”
“Dad.” Hal whined, “You can’t …”
“Hal, please.” Joe stopped him. “I’m on this. Frank, if you can prove you can communicate with this thing and show me he can be trusted then I’ll seriously consider letting him go.”
“Oh my God.” Hal sat back. “Why would you make such a deal?”
“Because think about it,” Joe said. “A future LEP who reads, acts, hunts, sews and uses the word docile? That’s so farfetched, there is no way no how Frank communicates with him.”
<><><><>
“Tell us again, why we’re down here at the cryo lab?” Joe asked.
“To prove my point.” Frank handed out the ear pieces. “Robbie, do you mind waiting for round two?”
“Not at all.” Robbie waved out his hand.
“Put them in your ear,” Frank instructed. “Flat piece above your ear.”
“This is absurd,” Joe griped.
Ignoring his father, Frank punched in the code for the cryo lab door.
As soon as he opened the door, he exposed Chaka, sitting alone at the counter, a sandwich before him and a latte.
Robbie jumped back, Hal moved as well in shock and Joe spun to Frank.
“Frank, you son of a bitch. This thing is out? I swear to God if he kills one of your brothers, I am killing you.”
Chaka stood slowly and extended his hand to Joe. “You must be Frank’s father.”
Immediately, Joe whipped off the ear piece and turned to Frank.
Arms folded against his body, arrogant look that said, ‘I told you so’, Frank just grinned.
TWELVE
With a groaning, pleasured, ‘oh’, Jenny set the desert dish on the coffee table and sat back. “That was awesome, Hector.”
“Running agriculture has its perks,” Hector replied. “When I saw that small pumpkin I knew I had to have it before Gemma.”
“Nasty woman,’ Jenny said. ‘Can you believe what her and Ben did to Andrea.”
“I never like
d them,” Henry added. “Either of them.”
“No, you didn’t.” Jenny shook her head.
“So, Henry,” Ellen paused in eating. “You didn’t say what you thought.”
“Was this why Hector had you guys over for desert?” Henry asked. “To get my opinion?”
Ellen nodded.
Henry smiled. “Thank you.”
“John was like, ‘no way’ at first,” Jenny said. “Then he thought about it.”
“It’s not a few years ago,” Henry set his plate on the table. “I mean a couple years ago, that wouldn’t fly. But things have changed.”
“My only concern,” Hector added. “Is you guys being that far away when we’re close to the Great War.”
“With the scanning system, we can see it coming.” Henry said “If they go soon, it won’t be a problem. I think it’s really cool and I’m jealous. It won’t look the same, but to go back there. I never … I never looked for my wife. I mean, she was gone when I went back. She was sick the last I knew. I always felt bad about that.”
Hector rubbed his back. “You were busy Henry. Dean recruited you. But I know what you mean. I would love to go back just one more time to Texas. See where my kids slept, where I held my wife and sat on the porch. Man, you have this opportunity, do it.”
“I agree,” said Henry.
“Why don’t you come, Henry?” Ellen asked. “Hector, would that be alright?”
“Yeah, I’d actually feel better if Henry went with you.”
“Really?” Henry’s eyes widened. “You would want me to come?”
Jenny nodded. “You were there with us, Henry, maybe we can go to Stamford and look for anything remaining of Amy.”
“I would like that. I would. I …” Henry stopped when his phone beeped several times. He pulled it out, looked at it, put it away and stood. “I have to go.”
“Whoa. Whoa.” Hector grabbed his arm “Right now. Right this second. We have company. You’re timer goes off on your phone and you run?”
“I can’t argue right now.” Henry walked to the door. “Ellen, Jenny, thanks for coming by. Hector … don’t wait up.”
He left quickly.
Hector stood.
“Hector.” Ellen reached up to him. ‘Let it go. There isn’t anyone else.”
“No.” Jenny shook her head. ‘No way. He wouldn’t be that obvious if it was.”
“He’s probably working on something. And I have to go too.” Ellen stood. “Some sort of male bonding night with Robbie and Roy and Dean said he didn’t trust it and he’s following, so no one’s watching the kids in a bit.”
“What about Frank?” Hector asked.
Ellen laughed. “If Dean doesn’t trust it, Frank doesn’t either. And when they get together, usually poor Hal is the target. But Jenny is staying.”
“I’m staying. I’ll even have more desert.”
Hector walked Ellen to the door. “Thanks for coming by.”
“Thank you for desert.” She kissed him on the cheek.
“And you’re positive there’s no one else with Henry.”
“Positive. There’s no one else. Maybe one night, we’ll follow.”
“Thanks.”
Ellen opened the door. “Hector, I am sure, it’s nothing.”
She stepped outside, the temperature had dropped and it was cooler for the time of year. She looked down to her watch, she had to hurry home. When she looked up, she noticed there wasn’t a sign of Henry at all.
Like she told Hector, she was certain there wasn’t anyone else. But what Henry was so secretive about, she didn’t have a clue.
<><><><>
Joe was standing outside the social hall when Johnny made his approach.
“I thought I was relieving Leon?” Johnny asked.
“I was relieved when your father and Hal walked into the Hall,” Joe said. “Figured let him go home, you’d be starting shift. Jess is supposed to relieve you at seven so you have a long shift.”
“Nah, he usually goes home, it’s between five and seven that’s the bitch.”
“Yeah, you’re father moves around a lot.”
“Are you sure he doesn’t know we’re following him?”
“Hasn’t a clue. Why?”
“Well, he’ll take the long route and then once and a while do a fifty mile per hour sprint.”
“He likes doing that.”
“But he laughs when he does.”
“He’s demented. And I think he has his own guys on him as well.” Joe shrugged. “Who knows? But he’s in there now. Don’t think anyone would be brazen enough to try to kill him there. I could be wrong. I mean, if Roy’s future time trip prediction is right your father is dying somewhere in the next two days.”
“Pap, do you think there’s a time frame he has to die by?” Johnny asked. “I mean, maybe something happens.”
“I don’t know. Let’s just hope because we were forewarned, we were forearmed and changed that history that Roy saw.”
“Let’s hope.” Joe gave a squeeze to Johnny’s arm. “Good luck in there. It’s Throwback Karaoke night.”
Grumbling a ‘Swell’, Johnny walked in. He grabbed a drink at the bar and nodded to his father and uncle.
The Hall wasn’t as busy as he expected. It had an odd crowd. One that Johnny knew would eventually move to Bowman for the midnight line dances.
More odd than the patrons were his family.
Frank was standing at the end of the bar, Hal was seated by him. Robbie was across the hall at a table, alone watching Roy sing Careless Whispers. It appeared as if Dean were watching Robbie.
Being another oddball, Johnny took the farthest table so he could watch the room.
“What’s wrong with my kid?” Frank asked, Hal, nodding at Johnny. “He went off by himself.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want to hang out with you. Maybe he hates you.”
“True,” Frank took a sip of his drink. “He did try to kill me.”
“Twice.”
“Twice.” Frank lifted his drink, downed it and poured another. “So let’s talk about this trip. What we need to bring.”
“Good Lord, Frank, it’s not a vacation.”
“It could be,” Frank said. “Image it Hal, a vacation in the future. Complete with danger we fucking aren’t ready to face.”
“It could be fun. How long do you think we should stay?”
“Couple days at least. We have to get a feel for it. Search out answers. Sight see. Brother bonding.”
“Dad, would not approve. He’d say get in, get out. Then again,” Hal poured another drink. “We have a time machine, we can tell him we were only there an hour.”
“We’d have to prepare.”
“I’ve already started the list. Food will not be a problem, we can bring enough for a couple days. Return when we run out. Now, water … that’s an issue. We can’t bring three days of water. It’s the future, we don’t know what kind of parasites are in the water that could kill us.”
“Maybe we can get Dean to give us a purifier or a test.”
“I could do that,” Dean said, reaching between the two for a bottle. “I think you should bring me along.”
“Ha!” Frank taunted. “For what? Besides, the last time you and I time traveled you messed things up.”
“I did not. You did. And you need me,” Dean said.
“Dean,” Hal interjected. “For as much as I agree that your presence would be valuable, we cannot take that chance. What if you don’t come back? What if something happens to you?”
Frank scoffed. “Oh, please, this isn’t three years ago. We have Lars and Roy now. Dean isn’t the big deal.”
“He has children Frank,” Hal said.
“Ha. We’ll just grow out Roy’s hair, scar his face, his kids won’t know the difference.”
“Speaking of Roy,” Dean said. “What is up with Robbie and him?”
“Yeah, that’s what I want to know,” Frank added. “That’s why I’m h
ere.”
“Me, too,” Dean said.
They both looked at Hal
“What?” Hal asked. “I’m just as baffled. That’s why I’m here, too.” He cleared his throat. “What is our little brother up to?”
“Maybe he feels sorry for him,” Frank shrugged. “Anyhow, back to planning. Dean can you do that purifier or test.”
“I can if I can go,” Dean said. “Come on Frank, you know I will be an asset. Plus, I can grab samples.”
“Of?” Frank asked.
“Anything. Blood, dirt.”
“I can get samples.”
“You can get blood samples?” Dean asked.
“Yeah, when I kill one, I’ll grab some blood.”
“Frank.” Dean snapped. “That’s not how it works. You really should take me. Medically, I can be an asset.”
Hal tilted his head. “All scientific expeditions have a scientist.”
“Yeah, but he can’t fucking swim.”
“I can swim,” Dean defended. “Sort of.”
Hal’s mouth dropped open. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“When we drop into a big lake,” Frank said. “I can’t be worried about our stuff and saving fucking Dean. And mark that on your list. We need to carry everything in plastic when we step through.”
Dean took a seat. “This is going to be good. Go on, Hal ask.”
“Yes,” Hal nodded. “I will. Frank, why do you think we’re falling into a big lake of water?”
“Because Charlton Heston did.”
“Excuse me?” Hal tilted his head.
“In Planet of the Apes, when they arrived in the future, they dropped in a lake.”
“Frank!” Hal barked. “This is not Planet of the Apes. We are not going to drop in a lake.”
“We will.”
“We won’t.”
“I’ll be prepared. I’m carrying everything through sealed in plastic.”
“I don’t plan on it,” Hal said.
“Your stuff will get wet and you’ll be like,” Frank raised the tone of his voice to a higher one. “Oh, Frank, I should have listened to you and wrapped my shit in plastic.”
Hal curled his lip in disgust. “You aren’t even funny. You go on. You put your stuff in a Seal a Meal and I will be envious if we … fall in a lake.” Hal rolled his eyes.
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