by Various
“Hey, now, I’m the one asking the questions. Starting with, how did you get in here?”
“Where is here?”
He frowned. “That’s classified.”
“Can you at least tell me what year it is, or is that classified, too?”
“2156,” he said and cocked his head to the side. “When do you think it is?”
He’s almost a hundred years ahead of my time. “I wasn’t sure,” I answered truthfully.
“So, back to my question—how did you get in here?”
I considered my options. To speak of time travel was usually taboo. You could change the course of history if you weren’t careful. The only time divulging the truth wasn’t frowned on was under these exact circumstances. I was somewhere in North America, only a hundred years in the future. If the Hahn Space Program were still functioning, they would have heard of it.
Maybe that’s why he balked at my name, I realized.
I squared my shoulders. Here goes nothing. “I’m serving my launch mission, and this is where I ended up.”
“Launch mission?” he asked. The two lab coats scribbled something again and then stared back at me.
“Yeah, you know, the Hahn space missions.”
Bryce stared at me. “Hahn. Like your last name, you mean?”
I bit my lip.
“So what, exactly, is your space mission?” he asks, his brown eyes hard to read.
Maybe I’ve said too much. “It’s nothing, really. We just explore… space.”
He frowned. “You explore space? So that’s how you ended up in our atrium today?”
“Yes.”
“And you just magically transported yourself through one of the most secure systems on the planet. Because you’re a space explorer?”
I nodded, knowing he didn’t believe a word I was saying. I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or terrified. Either way, I had to impress on him the need to let me go.
“Bryce, right?” I ask, leaning toward him.
He nodded, matching my body language. He seems eager enough, maybe I have a chance with him.
“I know this all sounds crazy, but you have to believe me. I’ve got to get back home,” I opt for the truth again, “My mom’s waiting. I’m all she’s got.”
He sighed heavily. “Look, Tabitha. I don’t like keeping you here anymore than you want to be here. So why don’t we just skip all the runaround and get right down to it? We both know you’re a spy. Why don’t you just tell me whom you work for? Then maybe they will cut you a little slack. Maybe you can get home to your mom. If she’s really waiting up for you.”
“She is. And I’m not a spy.” Not in so many words, anyway.
“Hey, I understand; every girl has her fantasies,” he grinned.
I wanted to wipe it from his face with my fist.
“You want to be Tabitha. I get it. She changed the world, but don’t you think it’s a bit too obvious of a cover? I mean, you break into the Hahn headquarters and expect me to believe you’re Tabitha Hahn herself? This base has been here for almost a hundred years. She’s been gone a long time.”
My mouth dropped open as Bryce’s face flushed. I’m in my own headquarters? My own secure base? That I set up… what? When I get back from my mission?
Bryce jumped to his feet at the same time both lab coats rapped on the glass. He’d told me too much. He was done here, but I needed him to believe me.
“Bryce, wait,” I beg. “I am Tabitha, from 2075. I traveled through time to get here so I could get what we need to start growing our own food again. Our soil back home is too depleted. That’s why I’m here. I’ve got to go back, or none of this even exists!” I shouted, but his back was turned, leaving me to stare at his reddened neck.
The door in the corner opened, and the two lab coats entered the room, pushing Bryce out of their way.
“Bryce, wait! I can’t change the world if I can’t travel back!” I screamed, hoping against all odds that some part of him believed me as he disappeared through the door.
The man with spectacles came close, invading my personal space. “Tabitha Hahn. What a pleasure to meet you.” His words were hissed through white teeth.
“Let me go,” I repeated, though I saw no mercy in the hard lines of his face. There was something manic in the man’s framed, sky-blue eyes. I looked away, catching the gaze of the bearded one.
“Let you go?” the bearded one asked, “Now, why on earth would we do that when we can put you with the other one? Maybe between the two of you, we’ll get some real answers.”
With my attention on the bearded one, I didn’t see the needle, but I felt the sharp prick. Not again! I struggled against the poison seeping through my veins, but it didn’t help. Blackness flooded my vision.
***
This time I woke lying in a bed, of all places, tucked under blankets. What the heck? I jumped to my feet, shocked to discover I wore a white nightdress. Panicked, I glanced around. Where’s my jumpsuit? Was it still flashing red? I searched the entire bedroom, consisting of the bed, small dresser, a small writing desk in the corner, and one cushioned chair. Nothing.
I grabbed hold of the bedroom door handle, shaking it vigorously but not surprised to discover it was locked. Banging on the door, I screamed, “Let me go! You have no right to keep me here!”
“Don’t bother, you’re wasting your breath,” a muffled voice to my right said.
I yelped, glancing around. “Who’s there?” I backed away from the door.
“Don’t worry, I’m a friend,” the masculine voice said.
“How am I hearing you? Where are you?”
“I’m in the room next to you. See the hole in the wall?” he asked. “I drilled it a long time ago, trying to figure out a way out of this place. Imagine my disappointment to discover another prison cell next to me.”
I drew nearer to the wall on my right. Sure enough, there was a hole about the size of a penny. I tried peering through it but saw nothing but blackness.
“Are you the one they said they’d put me by?” I asked.
“I guess. If that’s what they told you.”
I fingered the hole, wondering how dense these walls must be if that’s all he’d managed. “Have you been here long?”
“About two weeks, I think. I’m trying to keep it all straight, but they knocked me out a few times, so I’m not sure if I lost a day or two.”
“Oh.” My heart dropped as I slumped to the floor, leaning my back against the wall separating me from my new friend.
“Hey, look at the bright side,” the guy’s voice said, “at least it’s only days for you.”
I stared at my fingernails. Strange thing to say… unless. I turned around, facing the wall again. “Hey, what’s your name?”
“You sound too young to be a spy,” he said ignoring my question, “Why are you here?”
I shrugged. “I might as well tell you; I time traveled—apparently into my own, secure base.” I laugh at the irony of it. “My own invention in the future is holding me captive.”
I heard a loud gasp from the other side. “Tabitha?”
I stare at the wall between us. “How do you know my name?”
“Tabitha!” he repeated, this time sounding thrilled.
“Hey, I know this is my base or whatever, but that doesn’t mean I know how to get us out,” I said glumly. No need to get the guy’s hopes up.
“Oh… this is all my fault… I never would’ve guessed… the DNA sequencing did turn out to play a factor in placement, after all.” His words blurred together in his excitement.
“Wait. What are you talking about?” I asked.
But he continued rambling. “There must be some kind of link… I need to adjust… to think you’d end up in the same, exact time and place… the implications of it all!” Then, all too clearly, I heard, “You’re all grown up now, and I missed it.”
“Wait,” I jumped to my feet. If I didn’t know any better… “Who are you?”
I didn’t get my answer because my bedroom door crashed in.
“What was that?” the man on the other side of the wall asked. I whirled around to see Bryce running toward me, his brown eyes animated, his cheeks flushed.
“Call me crazy, but I believe you. Come on, I’m getting you out of here.” Bryce threw something black at my face.
“My launch suit!” I snatched it, a bright green light glaring back at me. Well, guess my twenty-four hours are up. I sighed and shimmied the suit up my legs.
When I reached the point I’d have to strip off the nightgown to finish dressing, Bryce’s eyes widened and he stammered, “Oh, uh, sorry.” He turned around.
“Kay, I’m good,” I announced after I’d finished dressing. I felt stupid worrying about privacy at a time like this, but seeing his reddened complexion, I wondered who was more embarrassed. I tried to focus on the two items he’d handed me.
“My Taser and extractor!” I exclaimed. I couldn’t go home without my samples.
“Just don’t use that thing on me again, okay?” he said, rushing from the room.
“Deal.” I followed after and then grabbed his arm in the doorway. “Wait.”
He turned, his smile deepening at my touch.
“There’s a guy in the next room we’ve got to get out.”
His smile melted into a frown. “Tabitha, I only copied your release code. I can’t open anything else. You’re going to have to leave him behind if you want to get out of here.”
“No, I can’t.” I pushed past him, carefully making my way to the door next to mine with Bryce on my heels.
“We don’t have time for this,” he urged from behind as I gave the metal door handle a shake.
The man on the other side hollered, “Tabitha, listen to him. Leave me, and get out of here!”
“No, I won’t leave you.” I tried to choke back emotions long buried. I was too scared to ask him if he really was the man I’d longed to know my entire life.
“Listen, there’s only room for one of us in your cocoon,” the man urged through the door, “Go home to your mom, Tabitha; she needs you.”
A mangled cry escaped me. “Dad? Dad, is that really you?”
Bryce’s eyes widened. “That’s your dad in there?” Then he glanced over his shoulder. “Tabitha, I think they’re coming. We’ve got to go, now!”
But I couldn’t move.
“If we get caught, I can’t help you or him,” Bryce whispered into my ear. “I’ll come back for your dad, you have my word!”
His last promise was the only thing that got my legs moving away from that metal door. I didn’t even have time to say goodbye. I followed Bryce through the winding corridors, my eyes hardly seeing my surroundings, and swiped at the tears flooding my vision. So far, no one tailed us that we could see.
When we hit the spanning fields, I knew we were getting closer. Passing the exact spot where Bryce had plowed me down, I took the lead, hoping my training in tracking would pay off. It took me a few minutes before I spied it. I skidded to a halt, and Bryce stopped, glancing around, confused.
As soon as I touched the side of my cocoon, the camo disappeared.
Bryce gasped. “Whoa, is that your spaceship thing?”
I nodded, the black, slick metal responding to my programing. He took a step back as the cocoon came to life, the hatch cracking open. I climbed inside.
“This is Tabitha Hahn, requesting permission to return home. I have fulfilled my mission.”
“Permission granted, welcome home Tabitha,” a metallic-feminine voice responded. Bryce drew nearer as the straps began fastening themselves across my body. I knew I’d need to smash my head back into the tight foam again.
Bryce stepped up to me, my pod made us eye level.
“So it’s really all true, then? You are going to save the world?” he asked, his brown eyes looking almost sad.
I grunt. “I don’t think I want to be the Tabitha that made this place.”
Bryce grimaced. “I don’t think it’s what Tabitha… err… you wanted it to be.” He scratched the side of his head. “Kind of crazy that you came to one of your own gardens and got what you needed to go back to start growing food again. How does that work?”
“Got me,” I answered. “Bryce, I only have a minute before this is ready to take off. Will you—”
“I’ll keep him safe until you get back.”
“Thank you. It may take me a bit to find you both again.”
“What do you mean? Can’t you just go home, get a bigger spaceship?”
“I wish it were that simple. Even if cocoons could hold more than one, we don’t control where they go, but that’s something I’m going to change when I get back.” I patted my extractor. “Now that I’ve got something to motivate those scientists.”
Bryce followed my movement with his eyes, then glanced up. “I’ve never met a girl like you, Tabitha,” his face flushed. “I know it sounds insane, but I’ll be here waiting, I mean with your dad.” He grinned. “Even if it takes you a hundred years to find us.”
I wished my arms weren’t bound or I’d have hugged him. I had no idea why this stranger decided to take pity on me.
“You took a huge risk believing me… I… won’t forget you.” My heart felt too full to figure out the right things to say. It’s not like we could have been together even if I’d stayed or he somehow went with me. Launch mission relationships are forbidden. It messes with the space/time continuum… it could be catastrophic…
He moved in close, touching the sides of my face with his fingers. My breath caught in my throat. Suddenly, I didn’t care if it was forbidden. I was captivated by the flush in his cheeks as he leaned in, his lips drawing near. I went to reach for him and tugged against my bindings.
Of all the places to have my first kiss… I can’t even move. Part of me screamed this was crazy. I’d only known this guy for a few hours! Maybe time was playing tricks on me, because my heart felt like I’d known him for years. Kissing him felt like the natural thing to do, minus all the straps holding me down.
Our lips barely touched, softly brushing, when the engines roared to life behind me. Bryce jumped back in surprise. His eyes darted between me and the hatch, which was now descending between us.
“Bryce,” I shouted to be heard over the engines. I gasped at the sting of the IV entering my arm. I knew the ice water would be coursing through my veins soon.
Bryce stepped forward, concern flooding his eyes.
“It’s okay,” I reassured him. “Hey, you’ve got it backwards—” I don’t care if it’s against the rules. “—I’m the one who’ll wait a hundred years to kiss you again.”
I caught his smile before the hatch closed completely.
Bryce disappeared. Two men had entered my life and exited as fast as they’d come, leaving an aching void in my heart. With only a few minutes before I was out, I closed my eyes, knowing nothing would be the same when I returned. I had to play it smart, make my plan, and use what I could to get the two I’d just met back into my life.
I won’t stop until I do.
If you enjoyed, Kiss of Time, we recommend you check out Hidden Monster by: Amanda Strong.
Aunt Barb thought I was moping around.
“Honey, every couple gets in an argument once in a while,” she said. Her gentle hug and squeeze to my shoulder were comforting. “You’ll see. Things will work out.”
I nodded, wiping away my tears.
“Come outside. I’m planting flowers around the porch. It’s a beautiful spring day. You shouldn’t be inside. Besides, I want this yard looking spectacular for your graduation party.”
She headed out the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Ben and I hadn’t had an argument; we’d had a huge fight and hadn’t spoken in days.
Now, I couldn’t even remember why.
I went outside and took a seat on the stairs of the Victorian house we shared ever since my dad died and I moved to Westport. Aunt Bar
b was right; it was a beautiful day. The sun was warm, and I found myself relaxing.
“Emma, do you mind getting me a bag of potting soil?” she asked after a few minutes.
“Where is it?”
“In the barn, on my bench.”
In the time I’d lived with my aunt, I had only gone into the barn a few times. It was an old building at the edge of the property that she had fixed up years earlier. Overhead garage doors were installed, windows and siding were replaced, and modern amenities were added. A workbench ran the length of the back wall with tools hanging on hooks above. Aunt Barb was organized and meticulous, so finding a bag of dirt should have been easy—except it wasn’t.
The work counter was spotless. I ran my finger across the laminate surface and didn’t touch a speck of dust.
“It’s not here,” I yelled, scanning the room.
“Check by the stairs to the loft.”
A mirrored cabinet stood on one side of the spiral staircase, and a wooden table was on the other. Did she mean the antique with its door ajar? When I looked at it again, the mirror quivered.
I blinked and refocused on the doors. The gap between them shivered like a ripple on a lake when a pebble skimmed the surface. I reached for it and felt a gentle tingle when my hand passed through the crack. Strange.
What was in this old cabinet, anyway?
The door stuck as I tugged on it, blowing dust around me when it finally opened. A quilted tarp sat on the shelf inside. Underneath was an old pair of women’s boots. They were well-worn and looked to be as old as the cabinet.
Where did Aunt Barb get these? With a curved, stout heel and over a dozen sets of eyelets, the boots were adorable. They would look great with a pair of leggings. My friend, Claire, would be jealous of my find.
I slipped off my sandals, sat on the bottom stair, and tried on one of the boots. The shoe seemed to mold to my foot, like it was custom-made for me. I put on the other boot and laced them both up. Perfect.
When I stood, my muscles ached and my shoulders slumped. Nausea consumed me. The ground vibrated and thunder rumbled above me.
What was happening?
Then, everything went black.