“Thank you.” Joe began to leave. “Oh, and Dean. Remove some of that shit you don’t need from the power supply. You can over load it and start a fire.”
“Fine.” Dean followed the plugs seeing what they were connected to and pulled two out.
“Let me know about Ellen. I’ll be in containment.”
“Fine.” Dean scratched his head at his tangled mess.
“Dean, don’t blow me off. Are you blowing me off?” Joe stood in the doorway.
“No Joe I’m not.” Dean lifted up his mess then dropped it. “Can I borrow a jeep?”
“Mine’s out front. Dean?” Joe smacked his hand lightly on the archway, and pointed. “Ellen.”
“Ellen.” He murmured her name a few times while tapping his finger on the counter. “A reason, a reason.” He tapped more and his eyes caught glimpse of a large stack of papers on the counter. The light bulb came on. “A reason.” He spoke assuredly, grabbed them, tucked them under his arm and took off.
^^^^
The grass was so high and thick, but they managed to find a semi-bald spot out in undeveloped section of the community. It set far off from the edge of the living section, nearly to the edge where the perimeter fence brushed against the deep dark woods. The sounds of construction so faint in the distance it almost wasn’t bothersome.
Dean sat, knees bent up to him, his elbows resting across his baggy Levi jeans. In his long fingers he played with a strand of brown grass. Bending it, staring at Ellen through the tops of his eyes.
Ellen smiled. She sat across from him Indian-style. Across her lap a wide open folder, papers on both sides of its opening. “Dean, what is all this?”
“Work. Double check for initials at the bottom.”
“Dean some of these are dated from four years ago.” She turned another page. “Four years ago? What brought this on?”
“I found them when I was looking for an extension cord.” He raised his eyebrow. “Know anything about them?”
“No, I haven’t . . . oh shit.” Ellen began to laugh. “I’m sorry. I remember I told you I’d clean the lab and I stuck a bunch of papers under the counter. I really had every intention of getting to them later.”
“Guess what El?” He pointed the brown grass at her.
Ellen closed the folder. “This is trivial stuff now.” She set the folder to her side and leaned her face up to the warm sun, she brought it down with a smile. “What are you doing?”
“El.” He scooted closer to her, bringing his one leg nearer to his body. “Whether you’d like to believe it or not, I think I know you pretty well.” He closed one eye to her. “I remember when the twins were born, nothing held you back. You were always one place or another. Setting up the clinic, working in the greenhouse, visiting . . . Frank.” He tossed the brown grass. “Any way.” He took a deep breath. “I know you’ve been cooped up in the house for two weeks. People visiting isn’t gonna do it for you. So I thought that, even if it’s just for a little bit, getting out would help.”
“It is helping.” Ellen breathed in the fresh air. “I feel better.”
“And . . . I know you’re supposed to be on maternity leave for another week, but I started thinking. If Frank could handle the twins and Brian for about two hours in the evening, you and me, and possibly Henry, can start breaking down all that data we put aside for awhile.”
Ellen perked up. “When?”
“We can start tonight, that is if you feel up to it.”
“Tonight would be great. And I know Frank will handle them.”
“Good, I’ll let Henry know.”
“Dean.” The smile half fell from Ellen’s face, she became serious. She laid her hand over his hand that dangled off his bent knee. “Thank you. Thank you very much.”
Dean closed his mouth and softly smiled. “No problem.” He took his other hand and brushed the back of his fingers down her face. “That’s what friends are for right?” With a short deep breath, Dean regained himself and leaned across to her for the folder that set perched in the grass. “Now Mrs. Slagel. What do you plan on doing about these four year old reports.”
Ellen took the folder and playfully smacked Dean on the top of the head. She opened it again and spread it across her lap. “Finish what I started?” She flipped a page and spoke softly to herself. “While you stare at me.”
^^^^
Joanna Holmes stepped tiredly around to her bed in the make-shift hospital. Her hands ached and fingers were stiff for sewing for eight hours. She plopped down on her bed still staring down to her blistering palms. “I have had enough.” She turned to Jeffrey Barnett, a electrical engineer. “We have work to do, another lab that needs attending to.” She exhaled. “And we can’t get there without their help.”
“They won’t do that. We are their work horses now. Slaves.” Jeffrey pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket. “I’ve been giving this thought. We need to claim those tunnels. There are many ways to access the lab. They haven’t a clue how vital the information they have is.”
“And our snooping is the sure fire way to make them aware. No.” Joanna shook her head. “We are going about this all wrong. Instead of being hardheads, be easy going. Head to the other lab first. We know what’s down there, we know how that can help us. Start from there instead of here. And they’ll help us get there.”
Jeffery scoffed in laughter. “How? They just want to take from us. Our lab, land, information. Embryos. My God they implanted one, it was born two weeks ago.”
“Like everything else, we’ll get the embryos back. Born or not.”
“How do you propose we do that? How do you think we’ll get their help. They want to know our plan.”
“We’ll tell them something. They won’t know the difference. We’ll make them think we’re giving them what they want. We’ll be congenial, do their little assignments.” Joanna smiled snidely. “Trust me, Jeffrey. They’ll give us everything we want in return. Everything. And they won’t even be aware that they’re doing it.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
July 7
“So what you’re telling me is, it isn’t Monday?” Joe poured a drink for Jason as he sat with him at the bar in the social hall.
“Nope. It’s Tuesday.” Jason took a sip of his drink.
“Then tomorrow is Wednesday, and yesterday was Monday?”
“That’s correct. You and your people have missed a leap year.”
“I’m supposed to go around telling everyone that Tuesday isn’t Tuesday, it’s Wednesday. I can’t do that. We have work schedules that we follow, different things for different days. If I go tell people that tomorrow is Wednesday then Tuesday’s work won’t get done.”
“Then just adjust you work schedule, shift everything ahead a day.”
“Can’t do that.” Joe finished his drink and poured another. “Then that would make Monday the non-work day and I can’t have that. Sunday is the non-work day for services.”
“Then give Monday, Saturday’s work.”
“Then they’ll be a day between Friday and Saturday’s work. It can’t work. We’ll just forget about it.”
“But you can’t do that. Fifty years from now this one mistake . . .”
“Fifty years from now? Christ I won’t be around, I don’t give a shit. Mr. Time.”
“I’ll have you know Mr. Slagel, Time has been my main focus for sixteen years. Not including the six I slept. And.” Jason grabbed the bottle and filled his glass. “I’m inches away from breaking the time barrier. Inches.”
“Breaking the time barrier?”
“Oh yeah, my experiment, near completion too. I have every intention of finishing it.”
“How are you going to finish your experiment from here?” Joe took a swig of his drink and grabbed a cigarette, lighting it. “Will you need lab space?”
“I will. Not much though, and it will be a spare time thing for me. I’ll have to go to North Dakota to get my experiment though. Perhaps we can work something out
at a later time?”
“Oh sure. In fact Henry will make the trip with you, he loves doing that stuff.” He blew out his smoke. “What is this experiment you’re so close to finishing anyway.”
“A time machine.” Jason said proudly.
Joe began to choke on his own cigarette smoke. “A time machine?” He laughed. “Well if you do time travel, could you pick me up a pack of Camel Filters please. I miss them.”
“Go on laugh. Laugh.” Jason didn’t let Joe bother him in the least. “You’ll see. And when you . . .” The volume level in the room suddenly dropped. “Is everyone listening to me?”
Joe was shocked by the sudden silence. It never was quiet in the social hall during after work hours. He looked around, fearing that perhaps someone suddenly dropped over dead. His attention spun to the reason for the abrupt change in atmosphere. Joanna walked in, and she made her way directly to Joe.
“Mr. Slagel. I was told I could find you in here.” Joanna said.
“What do you want?” Joe took a drink.
“We need to talk.” She folded her arms. “It’s time that we did. Is there someone private we can go?”
Joe set down his drink. “Excuse us Jason.” He slid from his seat and adjusted his pants--knowing that he irked her--and he led Joanna from the social hall.
^^^^
“Sorry I’m late El.” Dean stood in her doorway, his hand in his front pockets. He looked humbled.
“That’s all right, you’re only ten minutes.” She opened the door wider. “Come in . . . Alex, Billy, Daddy’s here.” She called out as Dean stepped inside.
Alexandra ran down the stairs first. “Daddy!” She jumped in his arms and kissed him.
“Uh!” Dean felt the wet dampness of her shirt. “You’re all wet.”
“Uncle Frank was cleaning me. He said I was messy.”
Dean pulled out her shirt, the huge wet spot ran all the way down it. “It looks like Uncle Frank is the messy one. Does Uncle Frank know to remove your shirt before he washes your body.”
The little girl giggled. “He was washing my face, Daddy.” She kicked her legs some. “He likes to drown us when he does that. We laugh.”
“Swell, Go get Billy.” Dean looked to Ellen. “Frank is torturing them now?”
“Oh, Daddy?” Alexandra stopped on the steps. “Guess what we did? We beat Uncle Frank. Me and Billy. We finally beat him in wrestling. Brian didn’t win. Uncle Frank pinned him.” Smiling, Alex ran up the steps as fast as her little legs could carry her, yelling for her brother all the way.
Dean rubbed his face as he looked to a laughing Ellen. “He pinned Brian?” Shaking his head, he saw the cradle. “Can I see him?”
“Sure.” Ellen folded her arms and followed him.
“Can I pick him up?” Dean waited for approval and lifted little Brian up. “He’s great, El.” He cupped him in his arms, close to his chest. “You’re gonna laugh, but I think he looks a lot like Billy, don’t you?”
“You can definitely tell they’re related.” She watched Dean. Little Brian’s head jolted up when Frank’s playful yelling from upstairs came carrying down. Ellen reached her hand out and stroke his nearly bald head. “I guess he knows his father’s voice.”
Dean tried to smile, only part of it showed. “Yeah.” He spoke with solace. “I uh, I guess he does.” He gently laid him back down. “I’d better gather up the kids. You guys are probably busy with moving and all.”
“Yeah, how do you like that? Joe tells us we were selected for bigger housing. Pays to be related to the leader.” She winked. “Anyhow, we haven’t even started. It shouldn’t be too hard. I still have a box in the basement I never unpacked from . . . it should be an easy move.”
“Is Josh moving right in with you?” Dean asked.
“Yep. He’s ready. I think. He is still strange with some people. But around Frank, he’s good. He’s improved quite . . .”
The sound of screaming children and Frank’s loud mouth and heavy steps came barreling down. Frank yelled dramatically as he chased the twins. He immediately shut up, keeping his hands behind his back, when he saw Dean. “Hey, Dean. All cleaned up for you.”
“I see.” Dean cringed at his wet children. “Heck of a technique you have, Frank.”
“You ought a try it. You can get them to say all sorts of great things about you when you have that wash cloth on them. Watch.” Winking to the kids, Frank reached out, grabbed hold of Ellen, snatched her forward and pummeled her with the dripping wet wash cloth.
The twins laughed.
“Frank!” Ellen stepped back, her face and hair soaking wet. “You’re an asshole”
Dean, finger over his top lip, hid his laughter as he opened the door. “Say goodnight to Mommy.”
“Do it again!” Alexandra laughed.
Ellen backed up seeing Frank come to her. “No. Don’t.”
Frank looked over his shoulder at the twins. “Must give her an ‘out’ though. El?” He held the cloth near her face. “Who’s the coolest.”
With a quick shift of her eyes, and a move of her body, Ellen smiled snidely. “Dean.” Releasing a slight shriek, she dodged Frank’s barreling wash-cloth holding hand and bolted up the steps. Frank flew up behind her.
Just as Dean started to leave, Billy and Alexandra followed in happy pursuit up the steps. “Guys!” He called out in vain. “This is not . . .” He heard them all shrieking and jumping above him. “A game. Swell.” Tossing his hands up in defeat, Dean walked back into the living room and to the cradle where he picked up Brian and stole another moment.
^^^^
The library was the best place and the closest that Joe could think of for his talk with Joanna. Normally he wouldn’t have jumped at her invitation, but he had been working her and her colleagues and a part of him thought for sure, she was ready to break. He was in part--correct. Sitting at the reference book table, Joe leaned back, one leg crossed over the other as he waited for something important to come from her mouth. He heard her spew out about who she was, and what she had done in her life before the plague hit. He heard her talk about who the others were. That bored him, he could care less what they did, what they wanted to do is what was foremost in his mind. “I’ve listened to you tell me a good resume, wanna tell me know why you drug me away from my happy hour?”
“You know and I know Mr. Slagel, that a coexistence in the community between your people and mine will be an impossibility. Tension is high, resentments are high. I think that we may be able to help each other.”
“Really?” Joe spoke with apprehension. “How is that?”
“We have another sight. Mountain Springs Colorado. Are you familiar with it?”
“27 stories deep, yes.” Joe nodded. “Another Cryogenics set up?”
“No. It is a facility that has the equipment to help us in our achievements. To rebuild this world again.” Joanna leaned forward toward him and folded her hands in front of her. “That’s what our project was geared for. We didn’t know when we awoke whether ten people would be left or ten million. We chanced it. We have a goal to meet, we have a responsibility Mr. Slagel, and we plan to follow it through. We need your help.”
“In what way?” Joe’s questioning was stern.
“We fully intend to leave, all of us, within the next six weeks. We plan to finish your housing for you. We ask your help in getting a team of mine down to Colorado. Fifteen of us will head down, we hope in a few days, to get things started. The rest will follow. We will not bother you anymore, with the exception of your help getting us started. That’s what the original plans for the Garfield project were. This was the place that would be a supplement for factory and food. Technology will be built in Colorado. We need supplies until we can get things started down there.”
“You know, I’m sitting her listening to what you want, what exactly do we get in return.”
“This place you call Beginnings.”
“It’s ours anyway.”
“You see
m to forget Joseph that this place was designed for the common good of the surviving world. Not for selfish use like you and your people have done.”
“Selfish? Lady we planted this food, we grew it, we waded through bad crops, sick livestock, meningitis, tuberculosis. We struggled. We went out and got the basic equipment needed to start civilization here. Don’t talk to me about selfish.”
“I’m not wanting to get into an argument with you Mr. Slagel. I’m asking for your help. You know what we need. And, if it’s possible, a few of your people to help us set up our own survivor runs as you call them. We don’t know what’s out there like your people do.”
“And what do you expect to do with these survivors? Hide them in that installation?”
“No, we plan to teach them to rebuild correctly.”
“There isn’t anyone left.” Joe stated.
“One percent.”
Joe scoffed at her, waving his hand. “What’s one percent? Nothing.”
“One percent of the United States is four million people. Four million is a lot. Enough to begin this race again. Begin it right. It’s time to give this dormant world a wakeup call.”
“Let me tell you what’s out there. We only pick up what we call stragglers. Those who travel in groups of less than ten. There’s bigger out there. Worse. They hunt down those who have rebuilt, they burn what they have, feed off their kills, human or not. Savages. You don’t see them often, but when you do.” Joe whistled. “Watch out. Yeah, four million. But in a country this big, they’re pretty scattered about. Hard to find.”
“We’ll try. All we ask is for your help. We’ll give our complete honesty. But we need to start putting together our data. We have equipment we need to start working on.”
Joe leaned back again. “So you want me to just let you walk around here.”
“To work with our stuff. Possibly learn how you’ve been running this community so we can do the same.”
Joe wanted to just place his face to her, breath out his whiskey breath at her with a loud ‘Bull shit’. But he didn’t. He wanted these people out and he could keep an eye on them while they prepared. “It has to be a joint cooperation. And your people have to follow our rules.”
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 102