Project J
Page 26
“I guess this will be my office now,” he told his former boss. “Did the higher ups find a project for you yet?”
Stryker paused in the packing. “They offered me a small project in New York. Research into junk DNA. You know, what it is and what it does. But, to be honest, most anything after this would be anti-climatic, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah, guess so.”
“Maybe I’ll retire. Get a small house in Florida and spend my time fishing.”
“You won’t do that and you know it,” Fielding stated flatly.
“No, guess you’re right.” He put his refreshed personal bottle of whiskey into the box. “But you know what scares me?”
“What?”
“The basic principle behind entanglement time displacement can be found in scientific literature. You know, the theory behind the Machine is public knowledge. Based, I’m told, on the work of two physicists, a Dr. Makato Kobayashi and Dr. Robert Laughli. Any scientist can read their work. In fact, Crane once told me that he was surprised no one else had come up with the principles behind the Machine. He said it was not really that hard if you’re well versed in quantum entanglement.”
“Let’s just hope that no one tries this again,” was all Fielding could say.
“Got that right. Want to go into town for lunch and a few drinks?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Chapter 65: In the Pines
In the cool of late summer, among the Pondrosa pine forest of the Mogollon Rim south of Flagstaff, there was a newly built cabin nestled among the trees. The house had a lovely view out over an alpine meadow and was reachable only via a winding dirt road. It was far from any other inhabitation.
Tamara pulled up before the cabin in her new Jeep Wrangler and switched off the engine. She regretted the fact that she could not take her Corvette along that road, but had accepted the gift of the new Jeep, which could take the ruts and turns of that dirt road easily.
She saw the older Jeep Cherokee parked there and knew that her friend, Dr. Myers, had already arrived. Cheerfully, she opened the back of her Jeep and extracted several gaily wrapped packages. At the front door of the cabin, she was met by Jesus with a smile on his face and open arms to greet her. The packages deposited in a chair, she turned to greet the others.
Dr. Myers was seated in a comfortable recliner by the fireplace. He nodded a greeting to her and continued sipping at his coffee.
Coming out of the kitchen was a young woman, hardly out of her teens, with long black hair and a wonderful smile on her face. She greeted Tamara in Aramaic and hugged her. There was no need to translate the words.
Two children ran up to her, addressing her as “Aunt Tamara,” and hugging her leg. One was a smaller but exact image of her mother, about two years old. The other was an older boy, but there was no mistaking that he had the same piercing eyes as his father.
Jesus waved his arm to the front room with its large picture window overlooking the meadow. She sat down next to Myers.
“You’re looking good, Seymour,” she said. “Hope you’re doing well.”
“Okay, if you don’t count arthritis and dumb freshman students who can’t read or write,” he replied with a smile.
Jesus came up and offered her a large cup of hot peppermint tea. “You didn’t have to get that, Jesus. I could have.” She simply was not used to being served by Jesus himself.
The boy stood before Tamara and proudly announced, “I speak English good now.”
“Yes, you do. And happy birthday, Judas. You’re four years old today! I have presents for you.”
His eyes eagerly turned to the wrapped packages. A couple others were sitting on the floor, one large enough to hold a small bicycle.
“I see you bought it, just as you promised,” she said to Myers. He smiled. Turning to Jesus, she added, “I have some more boxes of food for you in the Jeep. And a couple additional blankets now that summer is almost over. It gets cold up her during winter.”
“Thank you,” he said. “May God’s blessing be upon you.”
“And you,” she replied, reflecting that this man, who had been through so much, was coming to blame himself less for his perception that he failed God somehow. But she doubted that he ever would get totally over it.
“Can I open the presents now?” asked Judas. Deborah, the two year old, came up to Tamara and stood there looking up at her. The child had the sweet smile of her mother, and, for just a moment, she felt a pang of regret that she had not gotten around to being a mother herself. Maybe someday.
“Yes, you can, now that your aunt and uncle are here,” Jesus told him. Tamara had automatically turned on her translator when she arrived. Jesus was learning more and more English but he and his family still spoke mostly Aramaic. It was a blessing that the translators were no longer dependent on a wireless network. All the databases and software were contained within.
Judas hurried off for the presents, and soon there was the sound of ripping paper.
Tamara sipped at her tea and felt very content. She was very happy that a few months before she had, even though not a Chronodyne employee, stood up and insisted that they use the Machine to bring forward Jesus’ family before it was destroyed. It had been quite a shock for Mary. But with Jesus there to ease her through the adjustment, she adapted quickly. The children were young enough to have less cultural shock, and, again, there was their father present to help them. Quickly enough they were happy with the clean beds and new clothing and amazing variety of foods they were introduced to. Not to mention toys, the likes of which they had never seen. Tamara was pleased to see that soft, cuddly Teddy bears appealed to children of all time periods. Judas had expressed joy that there were not all those “bad” men bothering his father.
Tamara knew that Mary did not understand what had happened to her, Jesus and the children, but she seemed to accept that, as her husband told her, it was good magic.
She also knew that originally Mary and Jesus had talked a great deal about that last week in Jerusalem, and about the expectations they had and the failure of them to come true. She could only hope that the two of them would get over a lifetime of beliefs and have a happy life. It also bothered her that the life they would have in the present was uncertain. If something happened to any of them in the past, it would happen to them in the present. But then, life is uncertain under the best of circumstances, she told herself. Might as well get on with living and not worry.
Jesus was over helping Judas to unwrap the bike, and Mary was holding Deborah.
“Oh, you may wish to know that I got a copy of the report Jacques made,” Myers said.
Tamara immediately turned to him. “And...?”
“Jacques spent most of the night tracking Jesus and Mary in the past. His report says that they stayed with Joseph until Jesus was able to travel. Then the whole family, along with some of his followers who were trusted, traveled down to Egypt and settled in a small town not far from Alexandria. There was a large Jewish settlement there, quite a few of whom were Essenes. As far as he could follow them, they stayed there. Hopefully, they will – no, make that hopefully they did – not try to go back to Jerusalem.
Tamara sighed contently. She had been worried that Jesus might have been found out, or, even worse, tried to return to Galilee or Jerusalem. She would discuss with Myers about helping Jesus to travel and see the world as he often expressed a desire to. Maybe, after he and his family become more accustomed to this time, he could have that visit to the Temple in Jerusalem, or what was left of it. She would like very much to go with him on that trip.
Judas was happily playing with his new toys. Mary had returned to the kitchen from which pleasant smells were emanating.
Tamara reached over and put her hand on Myers’. From the look in his eyes, she knew that he felt the same. Things had worked out well after all.
When the time came for dinner, Jesus said a very nice grace that was part Jewish and part Christian. Then they sat down to enjoy a meal and friendsh
ip. And some fine wine from the extensive collection in Jesus’ basement.
The End