by S D Taylor
If Dara had planned to use this dog to melt Erin’s heart, it was a good plan. Dara had this wonderful little dog and these two nice boys, so it stood to reason that there must be an entire different side to Dara than the psycho that Erin had spent time with. Just like Jelk, Dara held secret plans and desires that had to be buried deep inside to avoid detection. In Transarctica, you had to play your part with the skill of an award-winning actor or you would be terminated instantly. And now Erin and Doug had been brought into that production and if they failed to play their parts correctly, everything could fall apart. If that happened, everyone in the compartment, including the two young boys and the cute little dog would feel the wrath of the twisted society that had them all in its grasp.
Erin looked at Dara and held her glance for several seconds. Long enough for a little fear to creep into Dara’s eyes that betrayed the power she had bestowed upon Erin. Power that Erin could use to destroy her if she chose. But Erin just smiled and said softly, “It is good to finally meet your boys and the darling little dog. You are very lucky, Dara, to have such a fine little family.” Erin reached over and grasped Dara’s hand. “I won’t betray you,” was all Erin thought before she squeezed Dara’s hand and released it.
Dara didn’t say anything but her faint smile and the single tear that escaped her right eye told Erin that she had heard the real message loud and clear.
Chapter 36
The ride to Ponder Resort took thirty minutes and during that time the resort’s name took on a new meaning for Erin. She couldn’t help looking at Doug with a slight sense of uncertainty, but she knew that in the spy game there were many shifting alliances that had to be respected and accepted. Maybe “Accept” had some rooms available after all, she thought to herself.
Dara was again lost in her Viewtonc and the boys found Doug and his beard a true source of wonder for the short ride in the shuttle. Erin held the small dog and lost herself in the mindless activity of petting it and checking the thick coat for any sign of tangles or knots. She didn’t find any, but the dog loved the attention and periodically turned to give Erin a lick on the hand.
Ponder was a beachside resort with a ten story central tower and a number of three story buildings that radiated out from the center in typically random Transarctican patterns. The Tower was built with the usual commitments to the angle and the curve, ensuring that no straight lines where used in any place where the engineering allowed for more flamboyant possibilities. Erin’s immediate thought was pondering what distilled beverages the architects had gotten into before they completed the design. But she didn’t comment about it given the pride that all the people in Transarctica took in their architecture and design. She certainly didn’t want to provoke any arguments that could lead to any official scrutiny.
The shuttle dropped them off at one of the many doors that opened into the huge lobby. There was a domed ceiling that was four stories high with various question symbols and word sculptures hanging down from the ceiling. There were many chairs and couches scattered around the lobby to encourage the guests to sit down and ponder something. Erin was pondering when they would eat but she first needed to get to the room to drop off their luggage.
Checking into a resort hotel in this version of the future didn’t require much effort beyond standing near a status panel and reading your room assignment. The sensors picked up Erin’s presence and immediately flashed 4-36. But a red bar appeared at the bottom, indicating a problem. “Reservation Did Not Include Pet” was the message that bounced up until Erin turned to Dara with a sheepish grin and handed over little Balla. All was soon resolved and they all headed to building four.
“How did it sense that I was holding Balla?” Erin surprised herself that she could ask Dara such a mundane question. As if they were two friends going on a vacation together.
“Balla has nanobots in her like everyone in Transarctica so we can keep track of her and make sure she is healthy.”
Erin had a sudden flash of fear. “They don’t restrict how long the dogs can live, do they?”
Dara reached out and patted Erin on the shoulder. “Everyone, even the pets, is allowed 36 years. I don’t believe any dog has lived that long so it is never a problem. There is a special exception for tropical birds and turtles, and anything that has an abnormally long lifespan.”
“Except us.” Erin turned to see Dara’s reaction.
“Except us, as we discussed last week.” Dara looked at her gently but with a clear message that Erin had strayed uncomfortably close to a taboo subject that could get them all more attention than they wanted at this point. Erin knew it immediately and swore softly under her breath at the fact that she hadn’t been more self-aware of putting them at risk. Trying to grind her axe about the unfairness of the age policy, she could have gotten them all arrested as subversives.
The brightly lit hallways radiated out from the lobby at various random points. The architectural philosophies of this world were a bit much for Erin. She kept wishing that things would line up and be a bit more symmetrical. Dara and the boy’s room was down a different hallway and she headed off that direction with her family and a “See you for dinner at seven” tossed over her shoulder.
Erin stared after her, still working through the complete disbelief that she was here at a vacation resort with her evil tormentor, complete with dog and kids, hundreds of years in the future, sharing a room with a guy who had been married to “her” for nearly twenty years. Somewhere there must be a bar serving drinks strong enough to convince someone to believe her if she told them about this. For the moment, she just wondered if they served any alcoholic drinks in this future world. They certainly had enough reason to have a drink she thought with a smile.
“Nice place, huh sweetie?” Doug caught up with her after he paused to check out the fish pond in the lobby. They were assigned the same room, carrying on the illusion that they were a couple. The room was much larger than the ones at the Yir-Lak Compound and the décor was warm and inviting. On the wall opposite the bed was an artistic embodiment of the theme: a busy collection of planets, galaxies, black holes and other astronomical objects circling a central round object that on closer inspection was revealed to be made up entirely of small question marks. The painting was both thought-provoking as well as soothing in a strange, hypnotic way. Erin found out later that all their rooms had a similar work of art, but that each one adapted slightly to each visitor.
“How do you like the room? Has it set you to pondering yet?” Doug tossed his small backpack on the shelf at the foot of the large bed.
“I am pondering what this place has to offer the weary traveler in the way of food and drink. Do they drink alcohol here?”
“The other day Jelk told me there is a type of beer brewed in Selenton that is quite popular. Not real strong by our standards but it is well-liked here. Apparently there isn’t any wine produced in Transarctica. They import some from other countries but it is apparently pretty expensive.”
“What are we going to do from now until dinner time? I am starving.” Erin reached over and took Doug’s hand. She tried the telepathy again. “Can you hear me?” Erin thought.
“Yes. But we shouldn’t overuse this. I don’t want them finding out what we are up to.” Doug thoughts rapidly infused into Erin’s consciousness. “We can, ah, ‘talk’ later. Was there something bothering you?”
Erin could think of many things that were bothering her, but there was only one worth bringing up now. “What are we doing here? We are supposed to meet someone, right? So why the charade as the happy vacation couple with our single friend and her kids and dog?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t know she was going to be here. So we are both surprised. But I suspected the person we were meeting could be her or Jelk. Who else would have been able to win our trust. And even now, we need to keep our eyes open since things may not be what they seem.”
Erin wanted to scream “Really!” but she settled for thinking quietly “Ok
, so we play our parts and see what happens. Now say something to me out loud.” Erin dropped her grip on his hand. She felt that Doug knew more than he was telling her, but she didn’t want to push it right now. She wondered what Dara had shared with him.
“Let’s grab a quick bite and then go to the beach. We have several hours until dinner and we might as well take advantage of the nice day.” Doug had moved to the window and was looking out over the beach that was directly below their window, down a small slope. The waves gently rolled onto the beach in a continuous cycle that Doug had always found relaxing. “There are worse things to do than sit at the beach and watch the day go by.”
Erin pulled out a drawer from the wall and found two large, fluffy beach towels. The both had the stylized Ponder question mark logo. “Doug, catch.” She tossed him the towel. “What are we going to do for swimsuits?”
There was a square pad on the wall and Doug held his thumb against it for a second. A voice that seemed to come from the ceiling said, “May I be of assistance?”
“Yes, please. We need two swimsuits. Can you provide them?”
“Of course. I have your registry number. Could you have the other person put their thumb against the pad?”
Doug nodded and Erin complied. “Very good. They will be delivered in a few minutes. Do you have a color preference?”
Doug looked at Erin who shrugged. “Let’s go with something blue.”
“And what style do you prefer?”
Doug looked puzzled. “What are my choices?”
“We offer full coverage modest, standard, athletic, inviting and barely there styles.”
Doug laughed so hard at the look on Erin’s face that it took him a moment to reply.
“Is everything ok sir?”
“Things are fine. We are just deciding on a style.”
Erin could tell she needed to intercede. “Both of us would like the athletic style. One male and one female. Thanks.”
“Very good. They will be delivered shortly. Ponder that.”
Erin turned to Doug and mouthed the words “Ponder that” with a quizzical look on her face.
“It must be their standard way to end a call here at the Ponder resort. Sort of catchy, don’t you think?”
“I’m pondering.”
The suits were delivered by a smiling attendant. They were indeed blue and fit perfectly. Erin felt a little self-conscious running around in the one piece, skin tight suit but she decided that she had to go with the flow. But Doug looked pretty strange in his suit. It featured no top but full length legs. It was like half a wetsuit. If he had not been in such good shape, the outfit would have looked ridiculous. As it was, he put on a t-shirt and all was well.
“The shirt completed the ensemble. Nice touch.” Erin smiled at the ridiculousness of this current situation.
“I don’t have to worry about what I look like. They are all going to be looking at you.”
Erin felt herself blush at this compliment, feeling strange about this version of Doug noticing how she looked in a swimsuit. It was as if he was a combination of the man she loved and her dad, which was a hard enough concept to think about, let alone having to share a hotel room with the person.
Erin stood in front of the floor to ceiling mirror and assessed her outfit. The suit looked like it had been spray painted on but it was just a standard racing style suit similar to what people wore three hundred years earlier. She decided she looked pretty good for someone her age and the baseball cap did something to enhance her appearance. At least that’s what the Red Sox fan in her decided. She wondered if they still had baseball in this world.
“Come on, Darling. You look fabulous. And the day isn’t getting any younger.” Doug was already well down the hallway, following the signs to the beach access.
Erin grabbed her towel and ran after him. But not before briefly pondering if she needed some sun block.
Chapter 37
The beaches in Lopfa had been carefully prepared with imported sand so they looked more like Hawaiian beaches than the rocky coast of what had formerly been called Alaska. The temperate summer climate with warm summer days had changed the character of the place and the entrepreneurial human spirit was still evident in this strange future world. Lopfa had blossomed into a legitimate tourist destination with excellent accommodations, good food and predictable weather that guaranteed mostly rain-free beach days during the summer and fall months.
Erin wasn't sure why Doug wanted to go to the beach, but she assumed it was to further sell the cover story about their vacation. The feeling she was being watched and monitored constantly was beginning to wear on her. She hesitated before saying anything to anyone, especially Doug because it was all too easy to forget the difference between the thought communication and the verbal communication. She felt like hiding in the room and trying more telepathic communication, but for now she decided to go with the flow until they settled in and checked out their surroundings.
Doug waited for her at the end of the boardwalk that extended fifty yards towards the sea from the hotel exit door to where the sand started. "Doesn't look like they will be surfing today."
Erin looked towards the small gentle waves that were lapping up on the shore. "I doubt they ever surf here unless there is a storm or a tsunami. I think this is a sound that doesn't get too much wave action. Where can we get something to eat? I can’t wait until dinner and we are slightly past my lunch time.”
“There is a sandwich bar at the end of the boardwalk. Let’s get something.”
They sat at one of the tables on the side of the boardwalk and looked out over the sound. A number of people were paddling around in kayaks or pedal boats and as she ate the avocado, cheese and tomato sandwich, Erin almost forgot where she was. The scene looked like any other beach resort from her time and there was no obvious high tech evidence of the future world. As long as she didn’t look back at the hotel building.
Doug had long ago finished his sandwich and was ready to go as Erin finished hers. "They have kayaks for rent. Care for a paddle?"
Erin stared out at the placid water of the sound and the mountains that rose sharply on the opposite shore many miles away. This was a beautiful setting. She still felt like a prisoner, but there wasn’t much point in continuing to complain. "Sure. Let's give it a try. As long as the killer whales aren't hungry."
Doug feigned concern at her comment then smiled as they walked towards the small pier at the southern end of the beach where a dozen kayaks tied up. Several intrepid souls had already paddled well out into the sound and they appeared to be part of an arranged tour. Doug walked quickly ahead to a small building by the pier that was the size of a guard shack and served as the rental office. He was chatting with the attendant as Erin walked up. "The hotel's kayak tour departed about thirty minutes ago, but they rent them by the hour to experienced paddlers."
Erin smiled. "I think my life raft experience qualifies me, don't you? And you must have plenty of experience by now in the paddling arts."
"Absolutely. I took the Viking Marine Institute course called ’Paddle like your life depends on it.’"
"Is Arny still teaching that one?"
Doug nodded. "And still telling those same stale jokes in Old Norse."
The attendant look puzzled, but didn't say anything. If there was such an institute he hadn't heard it. But no matter. The hotel told the staff to limit social interaction with the guests. Especially foreigners like the older man who was well beyond the mandatory termination age.
Doug turned and held up two fingers. "We will be needing two kayaks, please. For two hours."
"Very good sir. Put your hand here, please."
Doug put his hand on the pad, but the attendant immediately frowned. "It shows that you already have a kayak checked out. Room 712? Cameron?"
"My room is 436. But the name is correct. There must be a mix-up in your database."
The attendant laughed. "It is clear you are not from Transarctica or you
would realize that we never have mix-ups in our databases. Our identity systems are DNA coded to be totally foolproof. So unless you have an exact duplicate of yourself staying in room 712, I think you will need to speak to the front desk before I can rent you a kayak."
Erin and Doug both felt their hearts stop for a second when he made the comment about exact duplicate. Could it possibly be that another Doug was here? Was it the Doug from Erin's time? They exchanged quick glances but successfully fought the urge to say anything.
"Can I rent one then? One that will hold two people?" Erin stepped forward and put her palm on the pad.
"Let me see. Yes. Erin O'Neill. No problem with your record. I guess there is only one of you staying with us. What a shame." The attendant didn’t get the big laugh he was hoping for from the old guy’s attractive daughter, but Erin smiled and nodded. At least she didn’t give him a dirty look. He wondered how long she was staying, but resisted the urge to ask her out. It probably saved his life.
Doug winked at her and she fought to hold back a laugh. The attendant handed her two paddles and two life vests. "Number 42. It is the red one on the end."
Erin smiled at the hopeful young man who seemed to like her swimsuit. "Thanks. See you in a couple of hours." He looked her in the eye finally as she said that and added, “Thanks. Ponder that.”
As they walked to the kayak, Doug leaned over and said quietly, “He was pondering you pretty well. In fact, I’ll bet he is still pondering the view of you walking away.”
“Unless you want to ponder what medical treatment is needed for paddle damage, I suggest we ponder a different line of discussion.” She tossed one of the paddles and one of the vests to Doug and walked quickly to number 42. "Have you ever done this?"
"Yes, in a manner of speaking. I used to spend my summer breaks paddling canoes around the lakes in Utah and Wyoming. So I probably have the paddling and balance thing covered. Never been in a kayak before though. In two person canoes it really helps if the two people can work together and avoid tipping the thing over."