Beginnings (Book 1): Future Apocalypse

by Gilbert, Barbara J.

  “I like math and science.”

  “Me, too. So, do you have any hobbies?”

  “Yeah, I like to read and tinker with electronics and engineering stuff. I’ve got several small projects going at one time.”

  “Wow, I’ve got several projects going, too. Someday I’ll amaze the world with one of my projects,” she said coyly.

  “Really, and what could that be,” he inquired.

  “I plan on inventing time travel,” she stated.

  “Time travel, really? You think you can do it?”

  “Yep, without a doubt.”

  Greg liked Paulette right away. They became best friends and hung out with each other as often as possible.

  Greg was one of the first kids who didn’t laugh at her when she talked about her time travel theories. In fact, as their friendship grew stronger, he encouraged her and told her she could do anything she set her mind to. He also enjoyed working on experiments with her.

  The two were inseparable. They camped, hiked, fished, and tinkered in Greg’s garage on their many electronic projects. It seemed before either of them knew it, they were seniors in high school; and they both needed to decide what they’d do after they graduated. One day while they were working on one of Paulette’s time theory projects, Greg brought up the college subject.

  “Paulette, I think we should both go to Washington State University to study in our fields. You could study physics and mathematics, while I study engineering. What do you think?” he asked.

  She looked up from the project she was working on and gave him a quizzical look.

  “Me, go to college? Why whatever for?” she asked with a snorting laugh.

  “Because there may be something you can learn that you don’t know,” he replied.

  “Come on! You know I already know more than what is taught in college, so why would I need to go?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, just for the fun of it, maybe; and you would get to hang out with me,” he said with a wide smile on his face.

  “Fine, I guess I can. It shouldn’t be hard to get scholarships to help pay for school since my mom can’t afford to send me.”

  “That’s the spirit. We’ll have a great time. You’ll see.”

  “If you say so,” she said, punching his arm.

  “Ow! That hurt,” he told her, as he chuckled and gave her a wink.

  Both Paulette and Greg set their sights on going to Washington State University and applied for all the scholarships that were available.

  Graduation day arrived. As Valedictorian, Paulette had to give the class speech, and she did not feel confident speaking in front of people. She worked on her speech and practiced in front of the mirror multiple times, but still was nervous.

  “Calm down; you’ll do just fine,” Greg said. “The best way to get past the nervousness is to imagine everyone in their underwear.”

  Paulette chuckled at the thought of seeing people in their underwear. “You’re so silly. You know that, right?”

  “Yep,” he said with a smile. “I’m going to go wait in the living room until you’re ready. Okay?”

  “Sure, see you in a few,” she said.

  Mary passed Greg as she walked into the room and looked at her beautiful, grown daughter with pride. “Honey, I’m so proud of you and what you’ve accomplished,” she said. “I can’t wait to see you walk up on that stage and get your diploma. I’ll see you at the high school in a little bit. Good luck with your speech.”

  Paulette walked over to her mom, placed her arms around her, gave her a big hug, and said, “Thanks, Mom; I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Greg was getting a little antsy and yelled down the hall, “Hey, are you ready to go yet?”

  “Yeah, give me a second, and I’ll be right there,” she replied while finishing the final touches to her hair and makeup. Blah, makeup. I only wear this stuff for special occasions. So hard to put on and get it right. Oh, well, I get to take it off afterwards and go back to my all-natural look. She took one more look in the mirror, then turned and left the bathroom and headed into the living room where Greg was waiting. He took her hand and led her out to the car and, like a gentleman, opened her door, got her situated, and closed the door. He then hopped into the driver’s seat of his red Chevy Camaro and whisked her off to the high school for graduation.

  Greg pulled into the parking lot and found a space to park. He cut the engine, hopped out, went to the passenger side, opened the door, and helped Paulette out of the vehicle. They strode, hand in hand, to the gym, where they’d be lining up for the graduation march to the outside stadium.

  He pulled the gym door open, and he and Paulette entered the noisy, boisterous gym. Greg walked with her to her spot, then turned to go to his spot in the back. As he left, he turned his head and yelled back, “Remember, you’ll do fine. Just remember the underwear.”

  Paulette grimaced, afraid everyone in the gym had heard him yell. She looked around and saw that no one had paid him any mind.

  In the distance, she could hear the band start up the marching song. Before she knew it, she was headed out of the gym and out to the stadium. When she got to the front rows of chairs, she turned and headed down to her seat and sat down.

  It wasn’t long before she was called up to give her speech. She stood up and headed to the podium. She stood there for a few moments getting her notes set up, then she began.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, and graduating students, I want to give you a warm welcome. We’ve all worked hard to get to this moment, some more than others. Despite all our trials and tribulations, we’ve come to that moment where we can say, ‘We did it.’

  Many of you’ll be going off to college, some to the military, others to jobs you’ve found before graduating. Today, I want to implore you to explore every possibility, to search out and discover new things, to not hold back, and to know you’re capable of anything you set your mind to. I hope that every one of you reaches for the stars, truly finds what your gift is, and will apply that gift with all of your heart. Thank you, and I hope you all have a wonderful future.” Paulette, knees trembling, walked back down the steps and back to her seat.

  There were several more speakers and some songs before the superintendent of the school district stood. Dr. Jacob Malcom strode to the podium, where he had to step up onto a small box to gain the height he needed. He wore silver-rimmed glasses that matched his silver hair, and his intense blue eyes stared out at the students and all the family members. He cleared his throat before he spoke with his nasally baritone voice.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, we gather here today to honor your children for their accomplishments in their four years at White River High. In a moment, I’ll call each student up to receive his or her diploma. Students, I’d like you to walk carefully up the stairs, where I’ll shake your hand and congratulate you, then you’ll move on to receive your diploma from your principal, Mr. Darren Graves. I want to congratulate each one of you for a job well done and wish for each of you a bright future.” He stepped down from the podium and went to the far-left side of the stage with a microphone in hand and called the students up one at a time.

  Paulette was near the front of the procession because of her last name. When it came time, she stepped up and shook Dr. Malcom’s hand. She started to move on, but he kept her hand in his and leaned in and said.

  “Young lady, I see you doing great things. Keep up the excellent work. Also, you’ll find a full-ride scholarship to Washington State University tucked in with your diploma.”

  “Thank you,” she exclaimed!

  He let go of her hand and she walked over to Mr. Graves, who stood just below her nose in height, with dark hair and bushy eyebrows encasing his piercing brown eyes. She reached out and shook his hand and took hold of the diploma with the other hand.

  “Paulette, it has been a pleasure having you in my school,” he said.

  “Thank you, I enjoyed being here,” she replied, not r
eally but I can’t say that to the principal on graduation day, and then she hastened on.

  Afterwards, Greg, Paulette, and her mom all went to the local burger joint for a great burger and an excellent milkshake. Paulette’s mom looked over at her daughter with a big grin, admiring her for all she had accomplished.

  “So, why the weird grin, Mom?”

  “Oh, just thinking about how wonderful you are and how proud I’m of you,” she said.

  “Ah, thanks, Mom, I couldn’t have done it without you. I wish Dad could have been here, though.”

  “I know dear. I’m sure he is looking down with pride right now.”

  “Yeah, he probably is,” she said with a smile.

  “Greg, you excited to be starting college in the fall?” Mrs. Brown asked.

  “Yep,” he said between slurps of the milkshake.

  “What about you, Paulette? Are you excited?” Greg asked.

  “Oh, you know, as excited as I can be. You got me into this, so I’m in for the ride,” she said with a loud chuckle.

  Chapter 2

  Fall 2025

  University of Washington, Seattle

  Paulette woke up and sauntered into the small college dorm bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror and wondered what she was doing there. She wasn’t like everyone else, even in looks. She stared at herself, a six-foot-tall, skinny, muscular woman, with blue eyes, brown hair, and skin so white she almost looked like a ghost. Her hair was muffled up and sticking out in all directions. What a look, she thought. Here I am in a college dormitory studying physics, and it’s so frustrating to find that the professors don’t know as much as I do. Hmm, maybe I’m just being “holier than thou” again, but, jeez, couldn’t they at least attempt to answer my questions? Frustrated, she turned on the shower and jumped in to get ready for yet another round of classes, most of which were boring. There were only a few that she liked and sometimes challenged her.

  Shower done, she put on her skinny jeans and a University of Washington T-shirt. Sitting on her bed, she put her ankle socks on and then slipped her favorite worn-out Nike shoes on. Getting up from the bed with a slight groan, she wandered over to her drab, college-issue writing desk, grabbed her books, and rushed out the door. Darn it! I’m going to be late again if I don’t hurry, she thought. While running toward the Einstein building where her first class was taking place, she thought about her best friend, Greg. I wonder what he is up to at the moment, since he doesn’t start his first class for another hour.

  Greg and Paulette had been friends for over four years, and she had to wonder if he thought of her as more than a friend after all that time. Of course, neither of them ever broached the subject, comfortable to be close friends who could share everything with each other. But she had to admit that she thought he was quite handsome. That smooth, olive skin, green eyes, and black hair were enough to make any woman swoon. To say he had the looks of a body builder in his six-two frame was an understatement. Well, I guess I’ll just have to wait and see where things go. For now, I just need to concentrate on not blowing up every time a professor shuts me down.

  Later, after she had completed several classes, she headed over to the cafeteria, hoping to run into Greg. Not long after getting her food and trying to find a place to sit in the over-crowed lunchroom, she spotted him. She turned and headed over to the table where he was sitting and plopped down in the seat next to him.

  “Hey, what’s up?” she inquired.

  Greg, having a mouth full of food, just mumbled for a second till he could swallow. “Not much, how about you?”

  “Oh, you know the same old thing. The professors won’t listen to me, and they have quit calling on me as well. I’m getting really frustrated with this whole college thing. It’s just like every other school I’ve been to.”

  “Well,” he said, “you should at least give it a try for a bit longer. I mean, I know you’re smart and all, but there has to be something new you can learn, right?”

  She lifted her eyebrows up and said, “Really? Something new? I doubt it, but I guess you’re right. I can stick it out a bit longer. So, how is the engineering stuff going?”

  “Well,” he drew out, “it’s going. Unlike you, I’ve got to constantly study and pay attention. However, I’m getting it. As I go along, I think I’ll get a good grasp on it.”

  “That’s a good thing. I’m formulating a new idea and would love your help with it, if you’re interested.”

  “Depends on what it is.”

  She smiled really big and said, “Well, I think you’ll like this one. I’ve been watching the news lately, and they have been highlighting our veterans who are coming home from the wars in the Middle East. It’s really sad to see them coming home missing a leg, arm, or worse, both, or all their limbs. The military and VA just don’t have the sophistication to help them get back to normal. The idea I’ve got would benefit them. Plus, we can help others who are in need of a limb.” Her voice rose in excitement.

  “What are you thinking about doing to solve their plight?” he inquired.

  “Funny you should ask. I’ve been doing some research on prosthetics, which has come a long way over the years. A prosthetic limb can now be placed on a person with electrodes attached to the stump which provides some control over the prosthetic limb. However, I don’t think that’s enough, and the limbs still look bulky and hard to deal with. So … I came up with an idea that would stretch my own engineering, physics, and math, and I need you and others to help me design it.”

  “Go on. Exactly, what are we talking about?” he asked.

  “I propose that we develop a bionic limb that will attach to the person as if it were his or her own limb. It will take a lot of work to develop the nerve conduits, as well as being able to stitch artificial muscle to the real muscle. Plus, we’d use synthetic skin to make the limb look real. If we are successful, then the bionic limbs will function exactly like the human limb — so much so, that people who have them will barely realize that they ever lost a limb in the first place. They wouldn’t have to worry about people staring at them, making faces or asking awkward questions anymore. These people would have their lives back. And, yes, before you even ask, the whole idea is to help these people. However, the overall goal is to make enough money to be able to work on my time travel project.”

  “You do know that no one will fund you for the time travel stuff, right?”

  “Of course, I know that, Greg, which is why this other idea will be perfect. We can start looking for people to help fund our company. Once we get funded, we can search for people for the research and development department. The other thing is, would you want to be my partner in this little adventure?”

  Greg thought for a moment before looking at her and answering. “I’ll need to think about it, but it does sound appealing,” he murmured. “You know that it will have to wait till we graduate, right?” he inquired.

  “That’s the thing. I’m considering dropping out after my sophomore year to start the company. I’ll be twenty then, and things need to get moving. I’m tired of being held back, and this company will allow both of us to explore things we can’t do here or anywhere else. So, what do you think?”

  “I think it could be a great success, but I need to finish school first. I’m not like you. I’ve got to learn things I don’t know yet. However, I’d be glad to be your business partner. I’ll have to work part time till I get done with college. If you’re okay with that, then we can start working on finding some funding. Hopefully, you can get it up and running by the end of next year.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. We need to come up with a name for the company. I was thinking we could use our first initials, something like P&G Bionics. What do you think?”

  Thinking on if for a moment, Greg replied, “I like it. Simple, yet unique.”

  Paulette was so excited that she leaned over and gave Greg a huge hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she blurted out.

  “You
’re welcome. Now how about we finish eating our lunch so we don’t miss our next class?”

  “Fine.” She looked down at her fork and thought, I’m much too excited to eat. She rose from the table, picked up her tray, headed to the trash can to dump the food, and then proceeded to take the tray, plate, and silverware to the kitchen crew.

  After talking with Greg about starting a bionic limb company and the need for funding, Paulette went straight to work to secure that funding. She spent hours making phone calls and trying to connect with the right people.

  She soon learned it wasn’t going to be as easy as she had thought. She contacted the military and the Veterans Administration to see if they were interested in her proposal and if they were willing to set up a meeting. Next she looked up multiple businesses that would know how to fund startup companies. Despite her misgivings she was able to persuade them to, at least, listen to her proposal. The VA, Military and several of the Businesses where interested in hearing her proposal and scheduled a meeting with her toward the end of her freshman year.

  Chapter 3

  Spring 2026

  Seattle, Washington

  She was really stressed the day of the meeting, not sure exactly how to present her idea, and it didn’t help that Greg couldn’t make the meeting. She sat nervously tapping her foot up and down as she tried to wait patiently to be called into the conference room. It seemed like an eternity before the secretary called her. Oh well, here goes nothing, she thought.

  “Miss Brown, they’ll see you now,” the secretary stated. She thanked the secretary as she fumbled to get up and carry her notes into the meeting.

  As the secretary opened the door, the squeaking of the hinges caused Paulette to grind her teeth. Entering the room, she saw the group of professionals sitting in front of her, and asked herself, so now what am I supposed to do? She had never been good at talking in front of people, which added greatly to her stress. She stood there frozen for a moment as she looked around the large conference room, with windows facing out toward the street, trying to figure out what to do next. Her gaze came upon a gentleman sitting nearby, who waved her over to a chair next to him. Paulette swallowed nervously as she made her way over to the high-back office chair, pulled it out, and sat down. She scooted the chair forward and placed her files and papers on the conference table. “Miss Brown, my name is Colonel Leamon, I’m the military representative and the leader of this meeting. I’d like you to feel comfortable so if you need water or anything, please let me know and I’ll have the secretary get it for you.”