“I’ve thought about the same issues, Meg. How’s this for a plan that’s been kicking around in my mind? I met a man on the Melody this morning, an Episcopal priest named Father Rick Sampson who’s on the cruise with his wife. He’s acting as the ship’s chaplain. Lars told me that Father Rick is just the man to see. So, my thinking is this: first we tell the truth. Bullshit won’t work. The truth, if told with care, can help make the pain go away for these folks, as well as their families. After we go through the wormhole it will take 12 days to get back to New York. During that time I suggest a series of lectures or sermons by Father Rick, addressing the problems we’ve been talking about. And this should be coordinated with people back in New York. While we’re en route, someone needs to explain to the waiting families that we’ve all experienced 10 years away. Nobody can make suggestions to the families, but telling the truth will pave the way. Some people will understand that their spouses began new lives. Some won’t. And here’s another kicker. We’ve been told that the authorities have given up on the Maltese. We were only gone for two months in 2017 time, but those two months can be a long time if you think your spouse is dead. So, it’s possible that some of the waiting families weren’t waiting anymore, and went ahead with new partner arrangements themselves. All you and I can do is make sure the truth gets told, and let the new reality sink in.”
“Let’s make it happen, Harry.”
“Oh, on the subject of priests,” I said.” how about we ask Father Rick to preside over our second set of wedding vows when we get back. I understand that he’s the pastor of a parish on Long Island. I know my parents will freak out, and I hope your folks approve of me.”
“Perfect thinking, honey. Imagine a big wedding where we won’t need to post lookouts to watch for dinosaurs.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Ali, have you prepared the report for brother Mahmood?” Amir Muhammed asked his subordinate, Ali Moradi. The two men sat in a small café in Sanaa,Yemen.
“Yes, Amir. The result of our two tests is perfection.”
“There is no such thing as perfection, Ali, unless it is the personal work of Allah. But our efforts, and the brilliance of our inventor Mahmood Khan will bring glory to his holy name. Please give me a summary of our two tests to date.”
“Our first test, Sheik Amir, has become known worldwide as the Maltese Incident. The ship held over 1,000 passengers and crew, and was laden with infidel greed. Our Sacred Portal, which the infidels call a ‘wormhole,’ is located in the archipelago known as the Azores, off the coast of Portugal.”
“And how did we get the details that you are giving me, Ali?”
“One of our brothers, Raman Abdul, is a passenger on the Maltese. He goes by the name Jason Thomas. We arranged for him to be employed as a computer programmer for Malta Investments and also arranged for him to be a passenger on the ship.”
“But wait, I’m confused about something. How can we communicate with brother Abdul if he’s in another era of time?”
“He sends us messages from a small instrument that looks like a cell phone. Mahmood Khan, the genius, invented the instrument. It can communicate not just across miles but across many millennia. Brother Abdul advises us that the Maltese infidels erected a housing community on the land and named it named Malta Town. They even figured out a way to protect themselves from prehistoric dinosaurs.”
“How long have they been gone from the present day, Ali?”
“For only two months in the present time, but 10 years in their perceived time in the past. Sheik Khan has managed to confuse the infidel with his time travel invention.”
“And what about the other test, Ali? You said that it was also successful.”
“Brother Mahmood placed the Sacred Portal in only one place in the ocean, and lured another ship to cross it. The vessel is called Melody of the Seas, and it carries about a thousand passengers. The captain of the ship tempted fate and lost by steaming too close to the portal. One of the passengers was a Portuguese man named Alfonso Avila, who had spent most of his life in the United States. Avila reported that he actually saw the Maltese disappear. Then he disappeared, along with everyone on the Melody.”
“And did the Melody make contact with the people who were on the Maltese, the people who built the place called Malta Town?” Amir asked.
“Yes, Amir. According to our insider, Jason Thomas, the Melody has taken on all the people from Malta Town. As we speak, the ship is headed toward the Sacred Portal. One of the infidels is a scientist who knows about the secrets of traveling through time. Their objective is to cross our Sacred Portal, which they call a wormhole, and return to the present day. Of course, none of those people are aware of the instrument that Brother Thomas uses to communicate across time.”
“We didn’t know exactly what would happen with our first two tests, Ali, but things are working beautifully for the glory of Allah. The infidels are unaware. They think they’ve made a breakthrough, but we left them to flounder in ignorance.”
“But, Sheik Amir, are you not concerned about the man named Bob Flowers, the scientist who has identified the idea of the Sacred Portal? Because he has isolated the concept, he will be able to examine the portal in detail. He will be able to unlock its secrets and share them with the infidel world.”
“I will discuss the matter with Sheik Mahmood,” Amir said. “According to what you told me, it will be eight days before the Melody of the Seas reaches the Sacred Portal. Brother Khan will advise me what is to become of the scientist Bob Flowers.”
Chapter-Thirty
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, Shannon Bream reporting for Fox News. The story of the two missing ships, the Maltese and the Melody of the Seas has gone from a mystery to a period of mourning. It’s been two months since the Maltese went missing, and the Melody of the Seas has been gone for six hours. Most professionals involved in these matters have given up hope of ever finding the two ships. Again, I remind you that search efforts found no trace of either ship —no debris, no metallic pinging, no hope. The ships vanished, and we’re left to ponder what to do about sea travel in the future.
“Although we hate to broadcast rumors, stories are circulating about whether the missing ship incidents could have been cause by an intentional act. We bring you now to the White House, where President Blake is about to make an announcement.”
“Good afternoon my fellow Americans,” President Blake said. “It’s an understatement to say that our hearts and prayers are with the crews and passengers of the two American cruise ships that have disappeared with no trace. The government considers these incidents to be of the highest national priority. Nobody has come up with an explanation of what occurred because nobody knows just what happened to the ships. I can’t address the rampant speculation that the ships’ disappearance may have been caused by some group. Let me just say that nothing is off the table as we look for answers to a mystery. May God bless you, and may God bless America.”
“Shannon Bream back for Fox News. You just heard the president. He said that the possibility of an intentional act is not off the table—nothing is. Fox has contacted the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Director of the CIA, the Director of the FBI, the office of the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard. Nobody gave any indication of a lead to anybody involved in the disappearance of the two American Ships, assuming some bad actors were involved. So, we’re either hot on somebody’s tail, or we wish we were. As of now we don’t know who was involved, or if anybody was involved. Frankly, folks, I think it’s the latter—we don’t know if any human being had anything to do with the disappearance of the ships. Until we uncover something more solid to tell you, this reporter still considers it a mystery.”
Chapter Thirty-One
“Anchor room, this is Captain Ragnarssen. Prepare to weigh anchor.”
“Anchor is prepared to weigh sir.”
“Weigh anchor.”
The capta
in then sounded the Melody’s horn, as the ship’s band struck up Show Me the Way To Go Home.
A half-dozen Pterodactyls took flight from behind a stand of trees.
“You managed to scare the shit out of a few hundred dinosaurs, Lars,” I said, as I stood next to him on the bridge.
“Not as much as they scare me, Harry. So, we’re on our way. I appreciate the efficiency of your folks in moving aboard the Melody.”
“I wish I could take credit for our speedy move, Lars, but I think everybody’s desire to go wormhole hunting moved them along fast.”
Bob Flowers joined us on the bridge.
“I’m sure you mariners figured this out already,” Bob Flowers said, “but how can we find the coordinates of the wormhole without satellite or celestial navigation?”
“No problem, Bob,” Lars said. “Like most modern cruise ships, the Melody carries an excellent inertial navigation system. It plots our course exactly and then enables us to backtrack to a point we crossed before. The instrument even accounts for wind, waves, and current.”
“I’m going to make an announcement, Harry, and then I think you should say a word or two.”
***
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” Ragnarssen said. “It’s my honor to welcome aboard all of our guests from Malta Town. We’ve calculated that it will take us eight days to get to the place that Dr. Flowers calls a wormhole. If his science is correct, we’ll go through the same experience we had a couple of weeks ago, and after it ends, we should find ourselves in real time, whatever real time is. You will find a few more luxuries than you experienced in Malta Town, so please enjoy our hospitality. I’m now giving the microphone to my friend, Captain Harry Fenton, who will say a few words.”
“Good morning everybody, Captain Harry here. You folks from Malta Town not only elected me as mayor, but you gave me sole decision-making power before we left. I now relinquish that power in favor of Captain Lars Ragnarssen. I thank you for your assistance in helping us aboard, captain. I hope you don’t find us too primitive, but we’ve been living among man-eating dinosaurs for the past 10 years. My colleague, Dr. Bob Flowers is the smartest human being I ever met, and I know some smart ones. Bob’s a scientist as I’m sure you’ve heard, and he’s come up with a theory that he’s convinced will work. We going to pass over that same location in the ocean, a spot that Bob calls a wormhole, and that should bring us all back to the world we left. Because time flies on the other side of a wormhole, according to Bob, all of us from Malta Town are 10 years older. We’ve aged quite a bit, and we’re looking forward to going backwards. My guess is that you folks from the Melody will have been gone for only a matter of hours. It will take some getting used to, although in reality we’ve only been gone for a bit more than two months. I spoke to the Melody’s chaplain, Father Rick Sampson, and he will be holding a series of meetings to help you sort out your family situations, which may have changed dramatically since we’ve been gone. That’s all for now. If you see me wandering around the ship, just call me Harry. Enjoy your cruise.”
***
“Hey, Harry, I think an interesting problem may be brewing,” Meg said, as we sat and drank coffee on the balcony of our stateroom. “I notice that your friend Captain Lars is quite the ladies’ man.”
“That he is, hon. Lars has a well-earned reputation as a skirt chaser. Is there a problem?”
“He’s been flirting like crazy with Sandy Jones, Bob and Mary Jones’ daughter.”
“So, what’s the problem, Madam Schoolmom? Isn’t Sandy in her early 20s?”
“She’s 21 to be exact, Harry. In a few days, if Bob’s theory holds out, she’ll be 11 years old.”
“Oh shit,” I said. “Lars will need to stop thinking with his dick. Don’t worry, hon, I’ll talk to him.”
***
“Harry, it’s Lars,” said the captain over our stateroom phone. “Would you and Meg please join me for lunch along with a few others? I also invited Al Avila, who used to be with Naval Intelligence when he lived in the States, along with a fellow known as Buster, who is some kind of government investigator. Bob Flowers will join us as well.”
“Will Sandy Jones be with us?” I asked.
“No,” Lars said. “Should I invite her?”
“No, I wouldn’t do that,” I said. “Let’s you and I have a chat after lunch.”
We gathered for lunch in the captain’s dining room overlooking the ocean.
“Good afternoon, everybody,” Lars said. “Not that I need an excuse to dine with charming people, but I’ve convened this lunch at the request of our friend, Doctor Bob Flowers. I’ll turn our meeting over to Bob as soon as the waiter takes our orders.”
Franz the waiter came to our table. “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Today’s specials are a choice of three delicious fish offerings, made to perfection by our chef.”
Meg, Dr. Bob, and I, the three former residents of Malta Town, shook our heads.
“Do you have beef, chicken, rat, anything but fish?” I asked.
The three of us ordered filet mignon. We also skipped the smoked trout appetizer, opting instead for potato leek soup.
“Hi everybody,” said Dr. Bob after lunch and small talk. “As you all know I tend to sit still and stare a lot. Don’t worry. It’s just me tapping into my brain. So here we are on the final leg of a strange journey. We all hope it’s the final leg. So, what are we left with? All of us are curious people, not just those of us who look for clues for a living. Suppose we go through the wormhole and everything works as I predict. We will come out the other end in a different time, and we’ll all live happily ever after. But if you’re like me, that isn’t the end of it. We still would like to know how this happened to us. Here’s a question for Buster. How did the federal government get involved in this?”
“Bob, let me put it bluntly. I’m aboard this ship on direct orders from the White House. Somebody upstairs wants to know what’s going on, and so do I. Two ships go missing and one of them finds its way back by travelling across the same spot in the ocean. How did that happen? I don’t mean that as a scientific question. If your theory is correct, Bob, and it sure sounds logical, we’ll know how that happened. But was it just a coincidence? Here’s my big question—was somebody involved in making these two events occur? Was there a bad actor or actors who started things moving. In other words, who put the wormhole there? If anybody else wants to know the answer to that question, please raise your hand.”
Everyone at the table raised their hands, except for Dr. Bob.
“I notice that you didn’t raise your hand, Bob.”
“Buster, as an occasional poker player, I agree with you completely, but as a scientist I can’t rule out the element of chance. After all, it’s a small spot in the ocean. If you’re trying to see if some human actor put the wormhole there—and I don’t know how that could be possible—I’m willing to help you find the answer to your question.”
The ship took a gentle lurch, as if it collided with a large wave. But the sea was calm.
Everybody stood and looked out the window. A Megalodon passed gracefully by the Melody. A rifleman stationed on that side of the ship opened fire, and the giant fish swam rapidly away.
***
Meg and I walked around the deck after lunch. Neither of us had anything pressing to do, and we agreed that it felt strange.
“Hey, captain, do you feel odd not having to make decisions and answer questions all the time?”
“I can’t believe that I’m a passenger on a ship. Yes, it feels strange and good at the same time. How about you? You look more relaxed than I’ve seen you in a long while.”
“I do feel relaxed, but something’s been bothering me. What about us, Harry? What big changes will we face? I don’t have a clue, and neither do you. We didn’t build Malta Town by sitting around thinking what will be next. We made our own future, just like you and I are about to do again. All I know is I love you more than my own life, and our
lives are about to restart. I want to hear a positive idea right now from your handsome face.”
“How’s this?” I said. “That crazy wormhole event brought us together. If it means being with you, I’d go through the whole thing again.”
“Not that I want to change the subject, but what do you think about that guy Buster’s idea that somebody may be responsible for all this crap. What do you think?”
“If somebody somehow put that wormhole there, I think the government isn’t going to let up until it finds out who. And how.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Sheik Khan, the ship Melody of the Seas is approaching the Sacred Portal. They should cross it in five hours,” Ali Muhammed said to Sheik Mahmood Khan, the inventor.
The Maltese Incident Page 13