"Told you? Told you what? What are you two talking about?"
"It doesn't matter," Ted sighed. "Dutch. You know what you have to do."
"The experimental launch room is ready."
Monica looked back and forth between the two of them. Her eyes finally settled on Ted. "You want me to hitch a ride back with them."
"I'm afraid there isn't any choice at this point," Ted said glumly.
"Don't worry Monica," Dutch said. What was it about the way he was looking at her? Those blue eyes. Dutch was every awkward guy in every office trying to figure out how to chat up every girl since the beginning of time averaged into a walking, goofy bundle. So what was it in his eyes that made Monica want to suddenly discover she was late for something, somewhere where he wasn't? And that color. She'd never seen his eyes that color before. He still had the same inane smile he always had, but it was like it was coming from a different part of his brain than what was in his eyes. "...I'll take care of you," he giggled. Winked. "And that's no joke."
1
"You can't stay? What do you mean you can't stay? You should be doing prep," Eileen stared at Monica with the expression she might use if her retriever'd suddenly stopped, sat down and said, 'I'm not chasing that damn ball anymore.' "Where've you been? What's gotten into you?"
"They're waiting for me."
"Waiting for you?"
"Don't start Monica," Sarah pointed a finger at her but Monica pushed past her and swallowed her in a hug. Sarah stared over Monica's shoulder at Eileen.
"Oh Sarah," Monica said into Sarah's shoulder.
"Monica?" Sarah finally said, but Monica didn't move until the door swished open. She pushed away and held Sarah at arm's length. Stared into her eyes, but Sarah was looking over her shoulder, frowning.
Monica turned. Justin stared at the two of them, smiling nervously.
"Oh Justin." Monica turned and threw herself into his arms while Sarah and Eileen watched in shock. She rocked him in her arms, squeezing him, for several seconds, then let go and rushed from the room without another word.
"Now what in the hell was all that about?" Eileen asked. But Justin and Sarah just stared at the closed door.
*
"What danger are Sarah and Justin in Dutch?" I won't ask about me, but if you want to explain that too I won't argue. Monica followed him down the corridor. "Where are we anyway?"
"There's a space around all the levels below the atrium that gets wider as you go down because the main floors are tapered."
"I always wondered about that."
"We're currently on the launch level. These spaces can only be accessed by the elevator in Dr. Agnes's office. Dr. Ted had workrooms here. I suppose they're Dr. Agnes's now. I'm sorry I don't have time to take you there. It's very private." He smiled at her rapturously with those blue eyes again.
"I'll try to get over it," she said, edging away. "Maybe when I get back."
He looked at her curiously for a second, then grinned and pointed a finger. Why...don't bother.
"Be right back." The door in front of them swished open and he went through, leaving Monica to stare at it.
"I'll just wait here," she said to the door. Sure. Why not? Makes as much sense as everything else. She looked around.
Secret launch rooms. Unsanctioned trips. Sarah and Justin, and you she reminded herself, in grave danger. According to Ted anyway. Was Ted talking about the mission? Could she actually be the one putting them in danger by following? What was she doing? What was Ted doing? Did Pruitt have any idea what was going on? The door swished open in front of her.
"All set." She followed Dutch through the door. She stopped and looked around. Four walls. A door in each wall. She looked at Dutch as the door to her right opened. She followed Dutch through it. Stopped.
"What are you doing here?" Monica turned to Dutch. "Ted didn't say anything about him being here."
"Didn't he?" Dutch giggled.
"He knows about this?" She turned back to Pruitt. "You know about this?" Ted's warning not to trust Pruitt flashed in front of her like a neon sign.
Pruitt stood across the short side of a long, narrow room, staring out of a window that stretched from wall to wall across from the door. He didn't react to her question or even seem to notice her coming in. Monica stepped across the room next to him, the shock chasing her questions away. Spread out in front of them was the launch room. Technicians milled back and forth, moving between the screens. A car rested on the treadmill where she'd last seen Veronica through the windshield of the truck, Lemberger leaned in the window, tinkering with something inside.
She looked around. "There's no window in the launch room."
"How does he do it?" Pruitt asked. He must be asking himself because Pruitt didn't care what anyone else thought. He turned to look at Monica. "It's a blank wall on the other side, but clear glass here." It was the first time she'd heard admiration in his voice. Also the first time she'd looked at him and thought he looked old. Evil, but old.
"I'm surprised you'd allow something like this."
"I had no idea," he admitted. "You know it never even occurred to me that Ted would do something like this. I'm having Dutch dismantle it after you leave." He shook his head and frowned. "I thought Ted was the only friend I had."
"You thought Ted was the only friend you had? You can say that? After what you did?"
"You're talking about Veronica," he said. His forehead creased slightly and he stared past her. "You know Monica," he mused. "In my wildest dreams, I never believed that I could be manipulated like that." He walked away from the window to where Dutch was tinkering with icons on the screens.
"Manipulated? You were manipulated? Who..."
"I know it was Sarah," he went on absently, watching Dutch. "I've always known. I recognized her."
"Recognized her?"
"I thought the answer was to keep her away from time travel," he mused. "But when that became impossible I realized it wouldn't matter anyway. Let her go. But of course she can't stay. Neither can you Monica."
"Am I supposed to have any idea what you're talking about Pruitt?"
"Is everything ready Dutch?" If she hadn't known better she'd've thought Pruitt sighed.
Monica turned and looked back through the window. It looked as if everyone'd turned out for this one. No great shock there. Two missions on the same day. One fatality. Who'd've ever believed that it could happen like this? Agnes, looking like a woman struggling valiantly not to seem scared to death. Sturgell Bob, Griff, her heart settled a little into her stomach, Warren. Everyone except Pruitt, even...
"Oh my God." She turned to Pruitt and Dutch. "What the hell's going on?"
Dutch turned and faced her. He grinned over his pointed finger. "Get it?"
*
"What are you doing here anyway?"
"I don't understand why you did that." Justin's head swung around the prep room. His eyes settled on Eileen. "What am I doing here?"
"Didn't they explain?"
"Well yes. But...why me? They told me to get ready," he added pointlessly.
"Then you better." Eileen raised her eyebrows at a pile of clothes in the corner. Justin frowned at them as a woman he'd seen somewhere came into the room followed by a man carrying a..."
"What's that for?"
"What are you doing?" Sarah's eyes widened in horror as Abe took a needle from the nurse and pointed it at Justin's arm. "Him?" She turned to Eileen. "Tell me this is a joke."
The nurse wiped the spot on Justin's arm and handed Abe another needle.
"What's that?"
"Information chip," Abe said. She took Sarah's arm in one hand and reached for the second needle from the nurse with the other.
"Ouch. You did that on purpose." Sarah massaged her arm as Abe smiled and pulled the needle out. Sarah looked down at her skirt and shifted her glare to Kenny and Les, cowering in the corner behind Eileen. She reached down and whipped the s
kirt off and threw it over Eileen's shoulder into Kenny's wide-eyed stare. Abe rolled her eyes as she left the room followed by the nurse looking over his shoulder.
"I told you to clean it. Not shorten it. You have thirty seconds to lower that thing back to where it was," she snapped as he scrambled out the door, trying to pull the skirt off his head. "Go help him." Les stared back at her, in her underwear with her fists on her hips, then turned and raced out the door after Kenny.
"Um," Justin said, or tried to say but he seemed to swallow his voice. He stared fixedly at the ceiling, bright red.
"Put this on." Eileen handed Sarah a robe. "Before you give someone a stroke. You," she said to Justin, "...need to get dressed."
"Dressed?" Justin asked, but he edged toward the pile of clothes in the corner.
"You can't be serious," Sarah snapped at Eileen as she pulled on the robe. "Oh you can stop staring at the ceiling. It isn't going anywhere."
He cleared his throat several times before tentatively lowering his eyes.
"Um..." he squeaked, cleared his voice again.
"You said that already."
"Um...Could you turn around?" He pulled off his shirt.
"You're going to need to move faster than that," Eileen said.
"Why don't you want me to go?" Justin asked as he pulled off his shirt and buttoned, you actually had to button it, the shirt he picked up. He frowned at the pile.
"You hear that?" Sarah turned to Eileen in exasperation. "He wants to know why I don't want him to go? Can you believe that?"
"Underwear too?" His face got even redder.
"Yes," Eileen snapped. "Don't worry. We aren't looking."
"Yeah," Sarah snorted. "Nothing to worry about there."
"I didn't know I was going." He pulled off his pants. "To tell you the truth I wish I wasn't," he mumbled.
"Begin launch sequence," a voice intoned over the speaker.
"Then don't," Eileen said as Justin quickly pulled on his underwear.
"Oh no," Sarah said, shaking her head at Eileen. "We're not scrapping it now." She swung around to Justin. "You're going."
"Turn around." She shook her head and stared at the door.
"Where are those geeks?"
"I thought you didn't want me to go."
"Why're you in here anyway? Instead of out there?" Sarah looked at Eileen and tilted her head toward the door leading to the launch room.
"I won't be any part of sending you but if you're going to go I want to be sure you're prepared. At least as prepared as you can be," she added with a glance at Justin. "I am surprised at Monica though. Walking out like that."
"She'll get over it," Sarah said, frowning. The door slid open. A skirt entered, Kenny following at the length of his extended arms and Les after him, looking over Kenny's shoulder.
"About time," Sarah snapped. She pulled at the belt of the robe. "If I'd had to go to two thousand twelve in my underwear you'd've been sorry."
"Out," Eileen ordered, snatching the skirt from his hands. "Both of you. Now."
They stared at her for a second, then disappeared, throwing one last look through the closing door as Sarah pulled off the robe and threw it at Justin. It landed on his head and he pulled it off, his head snapping back to look at the ceiling as Sarah stepped into the skirt.
"I'm glad you're not my daughter," Eileen said as Sarah pulled the skirt straight and snapped it. Sarah glared at her for a second then stuck her tongue out.
"Oh for God's sake stop staring at the ceiling."
Justin hazarded a glance, then looked sheepishly at the two of them when he saw that the skirt was in place. He buckled the belt that was in the loop of the pants. You actually had to buckle it.
"Two minutes to launch."
"We've got to go."
"Sarah." Sarah stopped halfway to the door and looked back at Eileen. "You don't have to do this," Eileen said, her voice wavering. "You don't have to go."
Sarah frowned. She seemed about to answer then turned. The door slid open and she walked out. They stared after her.
"I guess I have to go too then."
"You have to watch out for her. Protect her."
"Protect her?" Justin stared at the door then turned back to Eileen with a look of confusion. "You know," he said softly. "It's very weird, but that's exactly how I've felt. I have to protect her. But I don't understand it," he added with a shake of his head. "Because she scares the shit out of me."
*
"Two minutes to launch."
Monica looked out the window. The car'd started rolling on the treadmill. Her heart leapt as Sarah strode out of the prep room door.
"Get into position," Pruitt ordered, turning. He followed her eyes out the window at the bustle in the launch room, frowned and turned back to her.
"Dutch. What is this?" Monica asked, ignoring him.
"You have to trust us," Dutch said. What was it in his eyes? Something she'd never seen before. Something that gave her the creeps. The color seemed to be shifting back and forth too fast for her to keep up. "Me and Dr. Ted."
"Ted?" Pruitt said. He frowned.
Ted. He'd told her to go. If she couldn't believe Ted then what was left? But he'd also told her not to trust Pruitt. She glanced out the window. They'd be in a car. She'd be in on foot. In the same closed timeline curve. What would happen? How would they avoid a deviation? How would she avoid being run over when they arrived? How could she go against everything she'd ever been told about time travel? How could Pruitt? He was the one who'd told her most of what she knew. What was he up to.
"Sixty seconds to launch."
"Get into position," Pruitt repeated, still frowning at Dutch.
"I have to agree with Pruitt," Dutch added. "It's time to get into position."
Monica nodded. What in the world had she seen? No. She knew what she'd seen, but what'd it mean? She stepped up onto the low platform in front of the window.
"Oh my God."
"What?"
"My clothes. I'm not dressed for the past."
Pruitt stared at her, his brow creased. He said something she didn't imagine was possible.
"It doesn't matter."
"Doesn't matter? I don't have any papers. I need identification. Money."
"Thirty seconds."
They stood staring at each other. Monica's stomach turned summersaults as she simultaneously willed the time to pass and stop. Pruitt lifted his eyes to the window. They widened into what looked like shock.
"Ten seconds." What would it be like? Back then?
"Dutch," Pruitt said as if in a daze. Monica turned and looked out at the launch room.
"Nine seconds."
"They're sending him? On a mission?" She turned back to Dutch.
"Eight seconds."
"Just in case," Pruitt muttered. He turned to Dutch his eyes wild. "Dutch."
"Seven seconds."
"Yes Pruitt?" Pruitt took a step forward but Dutch reached out and held his arm.
"Six seconds."
"Stop it Dutch. Stop her." Pruitt tried to pull away but Dutch took him with both hands, grinning over his shoulder at Monica.
"Five seconds." A sickening fear gripped Monica. She shivered as she went cold all over watching Pruitt struggle. Dutch stared at her raptly. What the hell's going on?
"Four seconds."
"Dutch. What is it?" she asked.
"Three seconds."
"Let me go Dutch."
"Two seconds."
"NO," Pruitt yelled, a new light suddenly in his eyes. Monica'd never heard him yell before. "STOP."
"One second." Monica tensed to leap off the launch pad, suddenly terrified as Pruitt broke away. She might've jumped if the door to the room hadn't suddenly seemed to explode, shocking her back onto her heels. Vague impressions of bodies, blood, faces, Dutch's grin and pointed finger flashed past in a burst of light and sound and disappeared into...
&n
bsp; "Launch."
Or to be?
1
"You're fine. She's fine. We don't have time for this." Sarah touched Monica's ankle. "I should've known."
"Ow. Fine?" Monica said, wincing. "It's the size of a softball. You should've known what?"
"What time is it anyway?" Justin asked, looking around. The car sat in a grassy field near a road that ran straight from the top of one rolling hill, down past them, and then straight to the top of another. Justin turned in a slow circle. Tall grass and scattered trees stretched out from either side of the road. Buildings, a farm, sat in the distance in the direction where the car was pointed. Some kind of farm machine rumbled slowly down the road toward them. "What day is it? Do we know where we are?" He stopped turning and looked at the car. Stared at the two deep ruts the front tires had sunk into and the arcs of mud along the sides. He shook his head and turned to the road. "I think we're supposed to be on that road."
"We would've been if we hadn't been diverted. We're lucky we're not on top of the barn." She glared at Monica. "Oh no one ever died from a twisted ankle." She straightened. "Besides, it doesn't look that different from your other ankle."
"Doesn't look that different from my other ankle? My ankles are skinny."
Sarah rolled her eyes.
"That's why they twist so easily. I notice you're walking fine."
"I was in the car. Where I was supposed to be. What're you doing here anyway?" She looked Monica up and down. "Your clothes aren't even period appropriate," she said in disgust.
"You know," Justin cut in. "I think we ought to try to figure out how to get out of here." He walked over and bent over Monica.
"Ow. Hey. Watch it."
He let her go. "Sorry." He looked back at the road. "We're about to get company." The machine was rolling slowly, steadily closer, the form of the man sitting atop it growing recognizable.
Sarah shook her head in disgust. She leaned over and grabbed Monica by the arm.
"Hey. Ouch."
"Well if you can't walk," Sarah said, pulling Monica up. Monica teetered on one foot, "...you'll have to get in the car. What're you doing here anyway?" she asked again. They did a three-legged hobble toward the car.
Soul Source: Back and There Again Page 26