30th Century: Escape (30th Century Trilogy Book 1)

by Mark Kingston Levin

  Jennifer agreed, already missing the pair. They’d offered her comfort and the wonders she’d always wanted to see. Jules and Eeva said their passionate goodbyes to her with the kissing of both cheeks and the placement of a Polynesian lei around her neck.

  * * *

  An Immigration agent at the airport looked over her new passport then left for a moment. Where could he have gone? Jennifer wondered.

  Soon his boss came back and asked, “Who expedited your visa?”

  “J.B. Bernard,” Jennifer replied with a smile.

  The supervisor took her passport to his office. With a sinking feeling, Jennifer wondered if the documents could be fake.

  In the meantime, she imagined worse—perhaps her cover as Jennifer Heros was blown and she would be imprisoned. After a brief phone call, the supervisor returned and gave Jennifer back her passport and visa with a proper stamp.

  “You exceeded the thirty-day limit for tourists but J.B. explained you were born in the Marquesas. Yes, and you have both French Polynesian and Canadian citizenship, which raised a red flag. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Have a safe trip.”

  She breathed a deep sigh.

  Marty and Jennifer left soon after to board the Albatross. The whole gang she’d met before was there as well; they greeted her happily. Jennifer was happy to be back “home.” She used her time in the air to study for the entrance exams, making sure to re-familiarize herself with what was expected.

  The Albatross landed in Honolulu more than eleven hours after they’d first lifted off. Jennifer’s eyes were stinging from the strain of studying for all those hours. She got off the plane a little woozy from lack of sleep. Alice drove her to the condo André had purchased so long ago in the Ilikai Hotel/Condominiums complex before the Westin Hotel came in about 1965. The furnished unit was on the end of the thirteenth floor, with two bedrooms and views spanning from east to west overlooking the beaches and marina. Jennifer smiled in satisfaction at the ease of a wealthy life. It beat scrambling for student housing and fellowships to get into the university, which had been her plan before having Jenny Heros’ identity dropped in her lap.

  “This is a beautiful place,” Alice said. “I envy you!”

  “Yes, but I will be in this beautiful place alone,” Jennifer said. “I feel dreadful about the way I studied on the entire flight here. I hardly spoke to anyone. I wanted to tell Lacy all about the adventures I had.”

  Alice hugged her briefly. “She’s not mad. Lacy knows that you have a lot on your plate. Maybe we can all get together on Marty’s yacht on Saturday. I think he’s planning a welcoming party for you.”

  “That sounds fun,” Jennifer said.

  “Did you need anything? Maybe something from the store?” Alice asked, poking through the cupboards before leaving.

  “No, I am fine,” Jennifer said. “Could you give me Lacy’s cell number?”

  Alice gave her the number. “I’ll pick you up outside the main lobby in the morning for your appointment at the hospital then.”

  “Roger that,” Jennifer said.

  Jennifer called Lacy after Alice left, explaining that she hadn’t meant to ignore Lacy but that she’d been anxious about the upcoming exam. Lacy told her not to worry and that she’d see her on Saturday.

  That is a week away, Jennifer thought. That will give me time to study.

  Jennifer thought she would do fine in everything but English so she emailed Jules her plan to hire a tutor.

  She went to bed glad to have a plan of action. But she tossed and turned; the noise of the big city intruded on her rest after so much time spent on peaceful smaller islands. She wondered about her companions who had taken the journey to correct the defect in the Syndos children. Would they be successful in their mission? She had confidence in Kylie, but the long-range nature of the plan lent itself to opportunity for failure. Guilt weighed on her for running away from the giant task of managing fifty lives in the twenty-seventh century, going undercover and secretly infecting the two thousand children with a virus that would correct their moral compass and that of their descendants. That would seem like a challenge, not something to run from, but her obsession with the twenty-first century overshadowed her command responsibility and everything else she held in high esteem.

  Furiously she dashed tears away and recited her accomplishments and reasons.

  I did my part. I got Time Travel One up and running. I coordinated the teams, I hand-picked Kylie to take over. I just couldn’t do it anymore. Kylie...Zexton, I’m sorry.

  She woke up several times that night in a cold sweat and had to change her pajamas.

  * * *

  She woke up again when Jules called her to reply to her email about hiring a tutor. He gave her the names and numbers of two people who might help her.

  She tried the first number. A man picked up the phone.

  “Is Jordan Smyth there?” Jennifer asked.

  “This is he! How may I assist you?” He spoke with a British accent. Jennifer thought it sounded charming.

  “I need some tutoring for the graduate school English exams at University of Hawaii,” Jennifer said. She told him the dates of her exams.

  “Where are you from?” Jordan asked.

  “French Polynesia,” Jennifer told him.

  “I can help you.”

  “Great! How much will it cost?”

  Jordan mentioned a rate that sounded reasonable to Jennifer.

  “When can you start?” she asked.

  “Tomorrow at ten a.m. What’s your address?” Jordan asked. Jennifer gave him her address and phone number.

  “Call me when you arrive tomorrow,” Jennifer said. “I’ll come down and let you park in my parking space.”

  “Sounds good. Cheerio.”

  “Aloha!” Jennifer exclaimed.

  * * *

  Alice called to pick her up soon after Jennifer’s call to the tutor. Jennifer was glad to have the company.

  “Alice, good morning to you!” Jennifer slid into the car. “Thank you for picking me up. I am sorry to make you wait.”

  “G’day mate,” Alice replied. “They’ll take good care of you at University Hospital.”

  “Sure,” Jennifer said, still uncertain.

  Alice drove to the hospital where they were directed to the second floor. As they exited the elevator, Jennifer saw a long open rectangular room that had ample seats for waiting. The chairs were already full of those waiting.

  “Here,” Alice said, finding an open station for them both.

  The doctor arrived soon after they sat down. He was a Chinese man and had a pleasant smile.

  “You must be Jennifer Heros.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Doctor. My companion is Alice Keizer. Can she stay?”

  “You may stay but the exam and treatment will take quite a while,” the doctor said. “So I suggest you come back after three hours. Jennifer can call you when she’s done.”

  “Sounds good,” Alice said. She hugged Jennifer goodbye and promised to fetch her later.

  Jennifer studied during the treatment to remove plutonium and other heavy metals from her blood. Her head felt full of new information. She called Alice after she was done and went down to meet her.

  “Are you ready for lunch?” Alice asked as Jennifer climbed into the car.

  Jennifer’s belly made an uncomfortable rumbling sound. She smiled sheepishly. Alice laughed and took her to a local poke restaurant to have lunch. After lunch Alice dropped Jennifer off so she could study.

  The next day, she woke up as the sun shone through the windows. She’d forgotten to close the drapes and the sun was like a laser in her eyes, blinding her for a few moments. She got up, stretched, and went out to the lanai. She could see Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach on the left beyond the hotels and other buildings. Straight ahead, she could see the ocean and on her right side was a view of the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor where she was sure she spotted Marty’s behemoth schooner.

  It was by far t
he largest vessel in the yacht harbor. It was the only three-masted schooner near the Hawaii Yacht Club, so she thought it was his.

  She felt an urge to see if it was his and if Marty was there. She put on a pair of shoes, cotton top, and loose pants and walked down to the pier to see the schooner close-up. She read the name, White Heron. The design was a beautiful old yacht style with huge white canvas shading the entire deck. She examined the rigging and saw relatively new materials for the twenty-first century but an old gaff rig design.

  No one came to speak with her and Jennifer felt a bit too shy to walk on the boat and ask for Marty. So she walked back to the Ilikai for breakfast.

  After finishing breakfast, her phone rang. She went outside and answered. “Hello?”

  “Hello, this is Jordan Smyth. I’m just passing the Ala Moana Shopping Center. I should be there soon.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you soon,” Jennifer said.

  About ten minutes later, Jennifer started walking to the front of the Ilikai. She saw a man waiting in the entrance. He had graying hair around the temples, a healthy tan, and wore a sharp-looking beige linen suit.

  They spent a good part of the lesson on the lanai before the sun became too much. Jennifer decided that he’d been a good hire. She felt confident that she would do well on her exams.

  On Saturday, she asked that they end tutoring early so she could meet Lacy and go to Marty’s get-together. He followed her down and met Lacy, who seemed quite charmed by him.

  The two women took off for the pier, where they spotted Marty and the others on the deck of the boat. Lacy waved.

  “Permission to come aboard, Captain?”

  “Permission granted!” Marty gestured toward some children Jennifer had never met before.

  “Jennifer and Lacy, I want you to meet my tribe. The oldest is Amanda. She’s fourteen and loves to ice skate. Next to her is Geoffrey who’s twelve and into soccer. Mark is the one in the middle. He’s eleven. Allison is nine and Mason is seven.”

  Jennifer was surprised at the large family; however, she admired that he was taking care of five children who all looked healthy and happy.

  “Is everyone ready to get started?” he asked.

  The five children all replied in order of age, “Ready, Captain.”

  As the White Heron pulled away from the dock Jennifer thought this was more than a beautiful yacht; it was a classic design with modern technology. As the sail filled and the schooner heeled, she wondered how Marty’s wife could leave a life like this. She hadn’t asked Marty what caused the divorce, as that wasn’t polite. But she couldn’t help the thought that if she’d been married to him she’d have never let him go.

  She heard dolphins at the bow when they’d gone a little farther. She hurried and grabbed the bowsprit to lower herself to the netting below so she could be close to them.

  She listened to them breathe and felt herself become lighter and more peaceful.

  Mason watched her and asked what she was doing.

  “I am listening to the dolphins breathe,” she said. “They can exhale and inhale in less than half a second. Can you hear that?”

  “I’ve never tried before,” he said.

  “Listen. Close your eyes.”

  Mason closed his eyes.

  “I hear something,” he said.

  “With a little practice, you’ll be able to hear them better,” she said. “You have to train your ears.”

  “Why do you care so much about them?”

  “They helped me when I was stranded on a deserted island,” she said. “They gave me the feelings of love, joy, and peace every time I saw them. They were my friends.”

  “Really! I’ve never met a castaway before!” Mason scrutinized her face, as though she should look alien.

  “It wasn’t all fun but the dolphins made it better. They often greeted me when I was on my raft. One saved my life.”

  Amanda came over to see what they were talking about. “Hey, Mason, what are you doing?”

  “Listening to dolphins breathe,” he said.

  “Weird,” she said. “I need your help. Can you help me with the lines?”

  Mason saluted her. “Yes, sir!”

  “See you later,” Jennifer said, waving them off. One of the dolphins had a metal fishhook hooked in his tail flukes. She took a quick video before getting up and showing it to Marty.

  “Look at this,” she said. “Do you see his tail?”

  “He’s got a hook in it. Looks painful.”

  “Can we get it out?”

  “Not without capturing the dolphin, and that would be traumatic for the animal. The hook doesn’t seem to impede the dolphin at this moment. Maybe it’ll work itself out.”

  Jennifer thought about it for a while. Perhaps she could swim with these dolphins someday soon and clip the hook with a pair of wire cutters.

  “Do you want to steer after Geoffrey?” Mark asked.

  “Yes, it sounds like fun.”

  “It’s Jennifer’s turn to steer the boat,” Marty told Geoffrey.

  Jennifer jumped up immediately to have a try. She liked the feel of the wheel under her hands.

  “Prepare to come about,” Marty said when they had tacked starboard for a half an hour.

  Jennifer noticed the speed of the boat was about ten to eleven knots. “Can we do a tack through the wind at this speed?”

  “Roger that, turn sharply into the wind!” Marty said.

  “Aye-aye, Captain!” Jennifer replied.

  The gaff rigged schooner was a pleasure to sail but Jennifer could not forget the dolphin with a hook near its tail. She would swim out another day to see if the dolphins would come to her.

  Jennifer eventually had to let Marty’s older daughter, Amanda, take a turn when she asked. She didn’t mind but she’d loved piloting his schooner. She’d felt free and in control. She sailed with her father in the thirtieth century and raced as crew with her SS handler. Sad memories surfaced also of an attempted assassination when she was sailing with Zexton in a rented Cat.

  She left the cabin to go where the members of the crew were relaxing. The boat slowly made its way back to the dock. Jennifer smelled pizza even before she saw the delivery waiting for them.

  * * *

  After dinner, she smiled at Marty. “Thank you so much for the invitation and food. I’ve had a lovely time.”

  “You’re welcome!”

  “I hate to eat and run but I’ve got to study for my exams.”

  “No problem. The kids and I have enjoyed your company. How about you come by next week after your exams and we can continue our conversation over dinner?”

  “Sounds fantastic. I’ll meet you here.” She waved goodbye and left the docks.

  Jennifer thought about their conversation on the walk home. Was that a date? Had Marty asked her out? Butterflies filled her stomach at the thought. She liked Marty. She’d liked him from the first moment she saw him. She’d missed him when she was away. She wanted to explore what that meant and see if her feelings would deepen.

  Butterflies had not appeared for any man after Zexton. Perhaps it was time.

  CHAPTER 18

  Graduate School

  Jennifer started her exams the next week. She was glad she’d hired Jordan after she exited the English exam; she’d done as well as she could. She was confident that she’d aced the rest of the exams and looked forward to receiving her scores. She was anxious to meet her entrance counselor and plan her studies with a minor in marine science and major in archeology. Deep down she felt sick about leaving her responsibilities. But what was done was done. She was living in this time now, with no way to reach any far future. She would just have to hide her pain and make the most of her opportunities here as Jennifer Heros.

  After the tests were done, she wanted to relax and plan her date with Marty. She went to the beauty salon to update her look. The hairstylist blew out her blonde hair and passed her to the makeup artist, who gave her dramatic red lips and smok
y eyes. She felt like a bombshell. She hardly recognized herself. Would Marty?

  She worried over what to wear. Marty’s kids might be there and she wanted to impress him but not alienate the children. She decided on a basic black dress. Always in style, even nine-hundred years from now. Once ready she strolled down to the docks.

  “Permission to come aboard, Captain?” she called out upon reaching the schooner.

  Marty peeked out over the deck. “Granted.”

  He helped her aboard. “Love the new look.”

  Her smile bloomed.

  Alice walked up and hugged her. “It’s great to see you again.”

  Jennifer was a little disappointed that the other woman and Mike were here. She’d hoped this was going to be a real date but it hadn’t turned out that way.

  “Let’s go below and look at some of the photos we took in Moruroa,” Marty said. “Then I want to hear more about your trips to Marquesas and Tahiti Iti.”

  Mike joined them as they walked down. “We have the first photos of you from the air. Did you ever see these?”

  “No!” Jennifer said.

  Jennifer looked at her photos from the first day and was reminded she had been topless. In the photo, her nipples were standing out as if at attention. She had been so excited that day she never gave it a thought but it was a bit embarrassing now. She thought about asking Mike to erase the pictures but didn’t want to come across as a prude. Personally, she was quite the opposite; in her native time nudity was not taboo and people were free with their sexuality, men and women both. Social norms of the twenty-first century were difficult to pin down, as regional differences blurred the rules.

  Among the series of photos was a picture of Alice taking a shower with cold water, her nipples erect, which made Jennifer feel less awkward about her own show of nudity.

  Alice laughed. “I’m a nudist at heart. Just can’t do it in the sun.”

  Once they were done looking at pictures, Jennifer spoke about her adventures that happened after Marty and the crew had dropped her off. She spoke about going back to the Heros’ home and her rescue of the dolphin. She talked of the wonderful Marquesan people and that she wanted to learn how to best help them regain their pride and self-esteem by studying their past and present. “I want these people to regain their identity. I know what it is like to lose your identity.”