“Paris Hilton might have a noisy little dog in her purse, but I think little Sugar Gliders are the ultimate pocket pet. They are quiet and small, they love to be held, and like to sleep. They make the best companions,” said Helaina, as she took her little pet from Sophia.
She turned all her attention to Peanut, petting her soft body, and talking to her. Sophia swore that the little animal understood exactly what the girl was saying to it.
Sophia and Mason retrieved the family’s bags from the submersible and stored them in their staterooms. After that Mason spent the afternoon giving the little sub a complete going over, filling up her fuel tanks, and checking the oil. Who knew when she might be needed again, it was best to keep her “on the ready”, as he always said. Mason believed in always being prepared for anything that might come up.
William Unity, chasing after J.R, went to the wheel house to see Elijah.
“Elijah the Sea Station is amazing! I helped fix a nuclear reactor, and they make energy from steam that comes from the earth with these fantastic machines, and ...”
William interrupted him before he could continue, “J.R you can tell Elijah all about our adventures later, we must get this boat along the way.”
“Can I do it this time?” He looked at the two men with eyes full of hope and anticipation; it was difficult to refuse the simple request.
Elijah looked to William for the answer. Both man and teenager waited patiently for William’s answer.
“I guess you can’t hit anything out here, so why not.”
Elijah showed J.R which controls to use, and how to program their heading into the on-board computer (which he knew already).
“I know what’s next, can I do the systems check myself?”
Elijah turned to William who simply nodded his head, giving Elijah permission to let J.R do the system check.
“Alright I will be watching, just in case you need help.”
“Don’t need help. I know how to do it, I watched you after our dive yesterday.”
Without saying another word J.R performed the 25 step system check flawlessly. Then he turned to Elijah.
“Did I do it right?” he asked.
“You sure did, not one mistake. You learned that from watching me one time, you are sure a fast learner. Now Captain James Robert Black, are you ready to get her on the way?”
As William and Elijah watched, J.R started the engines and got the large yacht on its way home, back to Hope Island.
“Great job Captain!” William told J.R, “Now let Captain Elijah take over and you go see if grandma has lunch ready yet. I’m starved.”
J.R snapped to attention and saluted William. “Aye, aye sir.”
The two men laughed at J.R’s antics as he ran off to the galley.
“I swear that boy can do anything he puts him young mind to,” Elijah said with great respect to the boy.
“That is rather evident. Elijah can you fax these calculations and diagrams from the Sea Station to Charlie? Then I need you to fax these chemical models to our scientist in Norway. This, my friend, is the completed formula that Olivia Golden has been working on; this is the cure for skin cancer.”
“WOW! I will send this out first; I bet she receives the Nobel Peace Prize for this discovery.”
“I bet she does too. Any problems while we were away.”
“No sir.”
“Great, I think I will get a sandwich and take a nap on one of those lounge chairs near the pool, I’m exhausted.”
“Have a nice nap sir; I will get this sent immediately,” Elijah said in his very heavy British accent.
“Thanks, see you later.” off William went.
After a simple lunch of sandwiches and chips, served with plenty of iced tea, the family settled near the pool to relax for the rest of the afternoon. J.R worked on the Ham radio set Jennifer had gotten him. William took a nap in the sun, getting just a little red. Helaina kept Peanut, who slept comfortably in a small pet carrier, close to her as she swam in the pool, then got a lesson in needle point from her grandmother.
Later when Mason was done checking out the submersible he went on deck, finding William, J.R, Helaina with Peanut snuggled up in her long curls, (Peanut could be a great escape artist when she wanted to be) and Jennifer all stretched out on deck chairs, all of them asleep. Leaving them alone he went to see Sophia, and got something cold to drink.
The day went by fast; soon everyone on Unity One was gathered in the dining room eating spaghetti and meatballs, with plenty of garlic bread. For dessert Sophia surprised everyone with Tiramisu, layered with lots of strawberries and blueberries, whip cream, and sponge cake.
“Granddad I finished building the Ham Radio, I even improved it.”
“How did you improve it?”
“Let me get it, and I will show you.” J.R ran off, coming back just a few minutes later, bringing with him the Ham Radio. He put the radio on the table in the middle of the room. The red wood coffee table, having been hand made from a section of a Red Wood tree that had fallen in the forest, then crafted by a friend, was given to the Unity’s as a thank you gift. Everyone gathered around it, sitting on the soft black chairs, made of the best leather, and beautifully trimmed with red wood, taken from the same tree that had produced the table. It was a cozy area just made for family conferences, and business meetings if the need arose.
“I fixed it so that I can call any Ham Radio using these stations, earlier I called Elijah up in the wheel house. But I also a found a way to call any cell phone I want. First I took Grandma’s cell phone, and downloaded its programming into this receiver. Then I rigged up a calculator, so I could use its number pad to dial a phone number, then I just connected it to the radio. Watch I will call my Dad in Florida.”
J.R, using the calculator, dialed his father’s number. Everyone heard the phone ringing, than Katie Black answered.
“Hi Mom.”
“J.R! What a wonderful surprise, are you having a fun?”
“Sure am, I’m calling you from my Ham Radio on the Unity One.”
“I didn’t know that was possible.”
“It is now.”
“Well I guess it is if you are calling me on it right now. How is everyone?”
Everyone answered at the same time. “Hi Katie.”
Katie laughed at hearing everyone’s voice at once. “Hi everyone.”
J.R looked at the radio. “Mom I’m running out of power.”
“Ok son, call us when you get back to the island.”
“I will, bye mom.”
“Bye everyone.” The radio went dead.
“I guess I am going to have to find a way to give it more power.”
“I guess we are going to have to hide all our cell phones from you before you find other uses for them,” William scolded him.
“Don’t worry Grandma’s phone still works, I even programmed in a few special apps I thought she might like,” J.R said as he handed the phone back to Jennifer.
William just shook his head in disbelief at what J.R could do, rather than in what he did do.
“Before you kids start playing games, you’re Grandmother and I have something to give you.”
William walked over to a desk in the corner of the room and pulled out two boxes. One box was bigger than the other. William handed the smaller box to J.R, and the larger one to Helaina. The kids held the boxes in their hands, waiting for permission to open them.
Jennifer spoke, “Inside those boxes is part of your heritage, you can open them now.”
In the box J.R was handed he found a gold I.D bracelet, that look like one of those medical alert bracelets, except made of gold. The chain was made thicker for more stability, knowing what abuse men put their jewelry through. On the top was the Unity symbol and his name, J.R. Black, just the way he liked it. Also in the box was a gold chain with a gold pendent on it, with the same markings. Helaina’s box had the same items except hers had matching ear rings, and a gold charm bracelet with
just two charms. One was the family crest; the other had her name engraved on it.
As the kid’s put on the jewelry William asked them, “Do you know what the symbol means?”
Helaina spoke up. “Yes I do, Mom told me. The symbol is the family crest, and it is also Unity Corporations Logo, it’s on our properties, and all our stationary, just like General Motors has a simple GM.”
“That’s right, do you know what it means.”
“It’s a circle which means the planet earth. The gold in the center represents the brightness of our future. The blue represents those from above. The green, those from below. The red, on each side, means the unforeseen. The black band around the edge means the things that unite us. And the two silver lines represent the things that keep us apart.”
“Very good Helaina, look on the back of your pendants and your ID bracelet J.R, what is engraved there?”
“I know what that is.” J.R spoke, “That’s Unity’s Corporations, and our family motto.” J.R read the inscription. “Guide with an open heart. Guide with an open mind. A world united in Peace.”
“Do you know what a motto is?” asked William.
The kids answered in Unison, “It’s the words we live by.”
“Wear that jewelry with pride, and keep them close to your hearts,” said their Grandmother. “You don't have to wear it all the time, but when the time comes you need to hand the jewelry, or ones just like those, down to the next generation.”
The kids, in unison, thanked their grandparents, giving them each a hug.
“Can we play video games now?”
“Yes, go play games.”
They started walking away, then J.R stopped and turned around, looking like he had forgotten something.
“Granddad, once I asked Mom and Dad about their pendants, they said they got their special jewelry when they were eighteen, and when they did that it was the beginning.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“We are only fifteen, did we get ours because we are different.”
“No child, you got yours because you are special.”
J.R and Helaina thought about this for a few seconds.
“The beginning of what?” Helaina, always full of questions, wanted to know.
“The beginning of the truth, of course,” Her grandfather answered.
“Are we to be the next Guardians?” J.R asked.
“Yes, if that is what you want. You will be asked to decide when you are older.”
“Okay.”
Just that simply the kids accepted their destiny. Without any reservations, knowing that somehow this was what they were meant to do. Then off they went to play their video games with no more questions.
“Do you think they understand?” Jennifer asked her husband.
“They understand,” was his simple reply.
He then picked up the John Brown novel Jennifer had gotten him and began to read, she settled in with her needle work then turned on the television to watch her favorite channel. This of course was the Food Network. The Home and Garden channel came in a close second.
CHAPTER TEN
TROUBLE IN WASHINGTON
The same day, as the Unity family was traveling north back to Hope Island, Senator Doug Webster was becoming angry, very angry. He had come to work that morning expecting to find his secretary at her desk, and his coffee waiting for him. He found neither, so he just sat at his desk and waited. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn’t even see Ms. Christopher’s letter of resignation sitting on the corner of his desk in a plain white envelope. Ms. Christopher had never been late; he figured he would be nice and allow her to be today. One day out of two years was still not a bad record, besides he would deduct a half days wages to teach her a lesson.
One hour passed, then another, not even a phone call from Amy Christopher. The phone in his office rang of course; in fact it didn’t stop ringing. Not knowing how to work the multi-line phone system he ended up hanging up on a lot of people, some he really needed to talk to. While trying to work the phones, deliveries were made and piled up on the desk, three people waited to talk to him; and two carriers were waiting, rather impatiently for documents that he couldn’t find. The last straw was when another Senator rushed into the office demanding to know why he wasn’t at an important senate committee meeting. Hell! He couldn’t even find his day planner, he didn’t know what needed to be done today, or where he was supposed to be. Senator Webster kicked everyone out of the office, took the phone off the hook, then left the office, locking the doors behind him. He rushed to the Senate committee meeting which he was an half an hour late for. He tried to get Ms. Christopher on his cell phone while he ran down the hall, without any success. He let the phone ring continually for 5 minutes at her home, then did the same for her cell.
“I swear when I get hold of you, you are fired!” he yelled into his cell phone.
When he returned to his office with an armful of files that needed his attention the first thing he noticed was his office door was still locked. This meant that Ms. Christopher hadn’t shown up for work. Getting into his office, he left the outer door locked so he could get things in control. First he called the secretarial pool for Ms. Christopher’s replacement. Next he left a message for Ms. Christopher telling her that she was fired. He sat down in his desk chair with a cup of steaming hot coffee cradled in one hand, and leaned back, shutting his eyes for a few minutes. He remembered something, something very important to him, causing him to sit up far too rapidly. He spilled the hot coffee all over the front of his pants, making him scream in pain, and dance around the office clutching his crotch.
After the pain subsided he began looking for the little pink Dream Diary. For the next hour he tore the office apart, looking in every file, and in every drawer. Paper was ankle deep on the floor of his office, as well as in the outer office. Books were tossed from their shelves; thrown carelessly on the couch and into the office chairs. The safe was emptied, he searched it two, maybe three times making sure it diary wasn‘t there. The longer that Senator Webster looked, the angrier he got. Finally, a temporary secretary walked through the door.
“Where the Hell is it?” he yelled throwing a book at the door, just missing the woman who had just walked through it.
“I don’t know! I am not working for you! Find someone else to clean up this mess!”
The woman stormed out. Senator Webster picked up another book and threw it at the closed door in complete frustration and anger, breaking the glass panel. Not getting anywhere in finding the little pink diary he decided to call someone who could help. Ten minutes later two very large men, whose very size and rough looking appearance, could intimidate the best the secret service could produce, walked into Senator Doug Webster’s tornado struck office.
Without pleasantries, Senator Webster got straight down to business, “First I want you two to go to this address, find Ms. Christopher, and force her to tell you where she put the Unity diary.”
“What if she doesn’t tell us?”
“Fire her, permanently understand?”
“Yes, sir. Then?”
“Tear apart her house; you are looking for a pink diary with the Unity symbol on it, and the name Helaina Marie Unity printed with gold letters. When you find it, bring it to me immediately. I expect to hear from you within an hour, now get moving! I will be on my cell.”
“Yes sir!” the two henchmen responded, then left the office.
Senator Webster couldn’t stand the sight of the mess he had managed to make. He decided just to hire someone to clean up after him, and reorganize the papers and books that were thrown everywhere. This was going to cost him plenty! Just that thought made the stingy Senator even angrier. He made one call. Soon eight people arrived and began the clean-up, while he left to go home for a very large stiff drink of bourbon. He was just stepping into his car when the phone call came from his two large friends.
“Boss, Ms. Christopher isn’t here, and she
isn’t coming back.”
“How would you know that?”
“The house is completely empty, not even a scrap of paper on the floor.”
“Put a trace on her phone.”
“Did that, when we called the number you gave us, the phone rang in the mail box. Guess she got another phone. We also found something else.”
Not in the mood for games Webster yelled, “Are you going to tell me, or not?”
“We found a note, it simply said, “We protect our own.” and stamped on it was the Unity logo.”
“Find her car, find anything to trace her. I will call you tomorrow with new instructions. Keep your phone close.” Senator Webster drove home and got very drunk.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
NEW FRIENDS ARE FOUND
The Unity One arrived safely back at Hope island early the next afternoon. Some of the household staff, and a few friends met them at the dock, welcoming them back from their trip, and to help unload the baggage. J.R and Helaina raced to the house to call their families. William and Jennifer walked back at a more leisurely pace, talking with their friends, as they caught up on the island’s latest news. By the time William and Jennifer got to the house, the two teens’ had called their families, changed clothes, and raided the kitchen for a snack. They also managed to call a few of their friends, arranging to meet them at the local arcade. Then they met their Grandparents at the door.
“We're going to meet our friends at the arcade!” They said in unison, then giving each other a dirty look.
Being teens they didn’t like when someone could read their thoughts, not even a friend, and especially not a cousin.
“But we just got home, don’t you want to rest up a bit?” asked Jennifer.
“We rested all day yesterday,” Helaina assured them.
“Can we have some money for the arcade and the movies?” J.R wanted to know.
“And, maybe some pizza,” Helaina added.
William reached into his wallet handing each of them thirty dollars. “Alright! You have fun and get back here after the movie, J.R do you have your cell? You left it here while we were at sea.”
Adventure to Destiny: The Unity Objective Series Page 8