Her husband interjected, his Georgia drawl manifest. “She just means that in the past science was kind of every-man-for-himself, whereas today, things are much better controlled.”
Another man added, “You’re probably not aware of all the good things the Committee does. Government ministries, the guidance of our children through spiritual education, management of the historical archive and of contemporary journalism. Without their important work, our country would have been lost to the secularists a long time ago.”
There seemed to be a slight separation of church and state issue among these people. The more he heard, the less he liked about the structure of this society. Still, he was the intruder, and his mission wasn’t to correct their view of science, or guide their politics.
Impossible to ignore, though, once I’m home. There’s no memory reset button on the belt.
Back in 2023, he still enjoyed a public platform, and sometimes when he spoke about the common misconceptions of science, people even listened.
“Changing the subject slightly, I’ll be leaving in the morning, going back to the bad old days of reckless science. Any stock market tips you can give me?” Daniel said with a smile.
“CheerSoft,” one man said, laughing.
“No, I’d go with Pink Toe,” his wife said. “Every woman buys their products.” She waved a hand at Daniel. “You’ll make a fortune.”
Daniel held up both hands and laughed. “No, really, I was joking. I’m sure there’s some cosmic prohibition against inside information from the future.”
As they laughed, Daniel looked beyond the group. An eye-catching figure of loveliness stood alone. Sister Jacquelyn, dressed to kill, her eyes locked on to Daniel like lasers.
His gape must have been obvious. One of the men in the group turned around to see what had caught his attention. “Time for us to go, ladies,” the man said and ushered the group away. Even Brother Christopher left to get a refill of punch.
Never taking her eyes off Daniel, Sister Jacquelyn sauntered over. Her floor-length gown outlined the curves of her body and shimmered in iridescent colors. A single yellow flower decorated the dress at her collarbone.
She cozied up far too close for the average cocktail party conversation, brushed back a lock of hair from her forehead and unleashed large green eyes. Looking up at Daniel and then shyly to the floor, she purred, “Could I, uh… get an autograph?”
Daniel’s heart beat a bit faster. “Why it’s Sister Jacquelyn, from Committee Security.” Formality might adjust the dynamic toward the mundane. “You look exquisite.” Or, maybe not.
A splash of red at each cheekbone matched the highlights in her hair and accentuated her natural beauty without hiding it. Her dress, though modest, allowed a scant peek of the curve of her breasts.
Her eyes still locked on his, she pointed down with one finger. “I see your pen is ready.”
Daniel nearly choked. “Uh… yeah, got it right here. What would you like me to sign?”
She pulled at the edge of her sleeveless dress, exposing one shoulder. “How about here?”
He’d already done it a few times. The shoulder seemed to be the preferred spot, except for one young man who had rolled up his shirtsleeve.
Daniel uncapped the pen and hovered its tip over her shoulder. “You sure you want that beautiful skin marked up?”
With lips tight and eyelids lowered, she cooed, “You won’t hurt me, will you?”
Daniel couldn’t help himself, playing along. “I’m always gentle.”
A sultry smile appeared on her face, widening. “Then… I want everything you’ve got.”
Daniel signed his name, put away his pen and did his best to clear the smirk from his face. He looked into her eyes.
“Shall we drop the game? Jacquelyn, you are one astonishing woman, and in any other circumstance, I’d follow you around like a puppy dog. But this day is different. For one, I’m not going to be here very long.”
Her voice morphed from sultry to shy. “I don’t mind. There’s a lot we can do with one night.” She ran a finger under the lapel of his jacket. “My apartment’s really close.”
“Yeah… about that.” Daniel took a deep breath. “There’s someone else. Back in my time. She’s kind of special.”
Jacquelyn looked down, her earnest voice returning. “She’s very lucky.” Shifting her dress exposed a bit more cleavage. “But she doesn’t have to be the only one.”
An image appeared in his mind of Nala curled up against his chest, napping in a hammock stretched between two palms. It brought back feelings of a rare kind of pleasure. A pleasure comfortable and warm, gentle and soft. Not how he’d normally describe their relationship, but jumping to a future where you were dead was a powerful reminder that life wasn’t endless.
Daniel shook his head, surprised he was turning down such a beautiful woman. “I’m sorry. How about a dance instead?”
Jacquelyn reached around his neck and pulled him closer, whispering into his ear. “We need to talk. There’s more going on than you know. I’ll tell you everything, but only once we’re in bed together. You don’t have to fuck me if you don’t want to, but please… come with me.”
She stepped back and lifted her doe-like eyes. “Pretty please? It’ll be fun.”
In a varied and often stimulating life as a bachelor, Daniel had never had such a direct offer. Not from a sultry beauty like Jacquelyn. Not from anyone. It forced him to stop and think, not about taking her up on the offer, but why on Earth she’d made it. It wasn’t just sexual enticement; this offer came with information.
“What’s going on?” Daniel asked as plainly as he could. If she had information, he was listening, and there was no one else around.
Her words became hurried. “Just say yes. Take my hand and we’ll walk out of here together. Really, it’ll be okay.” She touched the yellow flower on her dress. “No one will stop us. They might even encourage us.”
She reached out, her eyes now pleading.
The earnest Jacquelyn was even more compelling than the sensuous version. Daniel was less than a millisecond away from taking her hand. But he hesitated. Spontaneous sex wasn’t remotely within Daniel’s mission guidelines, even if it did come with pillow talk.
“Jacquelyn, if there’s something I need to know, tell me. Right here.”
“I… I can’t.” She looked in both directions, her expression changing rapidly to one of fear. Daniel followed her gaze, at first noticing nothing but lots of people scattered across the ballroom, enjoying the party. But against one wall, a solo man stared into a tablet in his hands. He seemed out of place.
“Are you in trouble? What is it? Tell me.”
“I’m sorry, I have to go. It was nice to see you again.” She turned and hurried away, disappearing into the crowd. Daniel followed for a minute, but when the crowd parted, she was nowhere to be seen.
He looked in every direction. Gone.
He scanned along the walls. The man standing alone had disappeared too. This limited investigation had just skyrocketed to high alert, though he didn’t have much to go on. A direct solicitation of sex along with promised information.
There’s more going on than you know, she’d said. No doubt, but uncovering truth was highly dependent on who you talked to. He already regretted not taking Jacquelyn’s hand as she’d asked, but it had all happened so quickly. Spontaneity wasn’t one of Daniel’s strengths.
He could continue to search the room for her or locate someone else and be blunt in his questions. Brother Christopher was the first choice, but direct confrontation had its limits as a method of interrogation. Like it or not, this wasn’t going to be a get-in-get-out mission. To uncover whatever Jacquelyn was offering would require subtlety.
He stood alone, thinking about next steps. Nearby, a large fountain, the centerpiece of the party, sprayed streams of dark red punch into several large bowls with dipping ladles in each. Nothing alcoholic at this party.
His solitud
e didn’t last more than a minute. A thin older woman with gray-and-black-striped hair smiled as she caught his eye.
Uninterested in any more captures or stock tips, Daniel turned toward the fountain of punch and drew a ladle into a cup. She didn’t take the hint, walking up very close. Too close.
He turned and acknowledged her presence. “Nice party.”
She looked Hispanic, with darker skin than most. Though her face was weathered and lined, it retained the intrinsic beauty of a youth concluded long ago.
“Not my kind of party,” she said. The accent was strong, but she could have been from anywhere. Caribbean. Possibly South America. “My guess, Daniel, is that this party is not where you wish to be right now either.”
Cutting through the small talk had always caught Daniel’s attention. No one else in the room had called him Daniel, not even Sister Jacquelyn who was ready to jump into bed with him.
“And you are?”
She didn’t answer, pouring herself a cup of punch from the fountain. “You should have followed Jacquelyn.”
Now she really had his attention. Forget the subtlety. “That was a private conversation. Who are you?”
“Daniel, I will give you a second chance. This time, please make the right choice. It’s not safe here for either of us.”
“Why is it not safe? I’m getting tired of tip-offs that come with no information.”
She set her cup down and wrapped her arms around him, pulling in close. “Do not move,” she whispered. Her hand slid into his pants pocket, fumbling around like she was reaching for something.
Two direct women within minutes of each other was hard to manage. “Wait… wait… what are you doing?”
She pulled him even closer. “It’s a lie, Daniel. Everything they told you. All lies.” She withdrew her hand, now holding his olinwun. Before he could react, she reached over the fountain and dropped the coin into a punch bowl.
Daniel lunged for the device, which quickly sank to the bottom of the bowl. “What the hell are you doing?”
She jerked his arm back with more strength than he expected from a woman of her age. “You must come with me,” she demanded. “This is your only chance.”
“That coin contains vital information.” He pushed against her hand, but she remained firm.
Her brow knit into an expression of determination. “The coin is worthless. There’s no time to explain, they will spot me any minute. We go right now, or we will both be dead within the hour.”
26 Unveiled
The older woman was wiry and strong but showed all the character lines that came from a life well-lived. But there was more—a burning passion from within. She was either one of those crazy old ladies who walk the streets yelling at passersby for no reason, or she was desperately trying to use her experience to change the game.
She’d claimed they were lying, and Daniel was ready to listen. He’d seen enough withholding of information to suspect the motives of quite a few of the people he’d met, but he’d also seen some genuine bewilderment at his questions. He’d need to sort it out, and a collaborator could help.
She glanced sideways to a hallway leading away from the ballroom. “The men’s room is that way. Go there. Piss or fake it. When you leave, take the exit to the right. I will be waiting.” He still hadn’t placed her accent, a mix of Gypsy, German and Hispanic. She hadn’t given a name, either.
She’s working with Sister Jacquelyn. That much was clear. She knew about the olinwun that Committee Security had given him, and Jacquelyn was the receptionist on that floor. Two women in less than five minutes telling him that all was not well in futureland.
Don’t make the same mistake twice. Go with her.
He glanced into the punch bowl. No sign of the olinwun, but it was down there somewhere. If the device was like any of the phones he’d owned, it was probably ruined by now.
“I’ll be there.” He looked toward the hallway she’d pointed to, and when he turned back, she was gone, disappearing into the crowded ballroom.
Daniel walked calmly but purposefully, found the men’s room at the end of a well-lit hall and spent a few minutes inside. Several men came and went, but there was no indication he’d been followed.
He cracked the door and peered into the hall. Empty, for the moment. Taking the opportunity, he hurried down the hall and slipped through a double door with an exit sign overhead.
It led into a darkened stairwell, the only light coming from one floor below. When the door closed behind him, the weak light revealed two women flattened against the wall, one older, one younger.
“Jacquelyn,” Daniel said. “Are you okay?”
Jacquelyn reached out and grabbed both of his hands. “Thank God you came. I was worried you wouldn’t.” She whispered. “The olinwun is gone?”
Daniel nodded. “Your friend here dropped it into a punch bowl.”
Jacquelyn squeezed his hands. “Vitoria is trying to save you, Daniel. So am I. You’re in grave danger.” She lifted her eyebrows and sighed. “We all are now.”
The sincerity in her face matched her words. “Sorry, I can be dense sometimes.” He squeezed back on her hand. “It wasn’t you. You were very compelling.”
She seemed embarrassed now that her subterfuge had been exposed. She lowered her head. “Apparently not compelling enough.”
The older woman, Vitoria, stepped away from the wall. She peered over the stairwell railing to the lighted landing below and whispered, “Jacquelyn’s bedroom was the easiest path. Harder now, but we’ll manage.”
“Sorry, I think I, uh…”
“Yes, you did. Now we must wait. When it is safe to move, we’ll receive a signal from below.”
Jacquelyn’s shrug seemed to confirm the plan. “Unfortunately, we have to go naked from here.” She was still wearing her glittering ballgown and still just as stunning. But she wasn’t making any moves to take it off.
“Excuse me?”
Vitoria rolled her eyes. “It’s an expression. It means to go without digital guidance or communication of any kind. The olinwun does much more than clever projections. It’s also a tracking device. They know where you are at all times, and they listen. They pry into your life. There are only two ways to get around their eyes and ears. To be literally naked while copulating, which Jacquelyn attempted but you rejected. Or to go figuratively naked, which is where we are now.”
Her explanation was accompanied by the look of a teacher lecturing a dimwitted student. “By law, the olinwun automatically shuts off during sexual encounters, but we have found that its signal can also be disrupted by water.”
“Ah, the punch bowl.”
She nodded. “They will not find it for an hour. By then…”
“Who are they? The Committee?”
Vitoria’s face hardened. “Committee enforcers. They discipline those who don’t conform to their religious extremism with harassment, fines, job loss, even beatings. The punishments for those who support the resistance can be far worse.”
Daniel shook his head in disbelief. He hadn’t seen any evidence of violence, but he’d been escorted almost every minute. “I spoke with their leader, the man they call Father. Obsessed with fate, a little creepy, but he didn’t seem violent.”
“Father.” Jacquelyn spat out the name like it was a foul taste. “Ask my friend how she broke her arm. It wasn’t from a fall.”
“What happened?”
Jacquelyn’s lips tightened, and anger appeared in her eyes. “She dared to be herself. A short skirt worn in public. When the enforcers tried to shame her, she told them to fuck off. They hit her with a tire iron, shattering all the bones. The doctors say her arm might never heal.”
Her story had the same feel of the Taliban, an extremist sect that, even in 2023, still bullied women in some parts of Afghanistan. “And you think these enforcers might kill too?”
Vitoria looked up with sad eyes. “They have before, and with no consequences. The government is weak, contained
by these pious thugs. When Father has a prayer session with the president, expect something bad to follow.”
They both seemed angry and bitter, but knowledgeable about a dysfunctional society that so far had been hidden behind friendly faces. Vitoria had declared the information on the olinwun to be worthless, which, if true, compromised his mission. There was little chance Daniel could return to his own time until he’d learned more, and these women were the starting point.
Vitoria was no doubt a resistance leader, but perhaps more than that. She’d seemed casual with Daniel from the start, as if she’d known him for many years.
Daniel gazed at her face, searching for recognition. “Who are you?”
“You keep asking.” She looked up with a wistful smile with a faraway look. Her hard exterior seemed to soften, her eyes glistening. “And I will answer. But first, I must tell you a story.”
She spoke quietly, carefully. “It’s a story about a scientist with a strong voice and a young woman, passionate and political, who loved him. The world changed around them, and he spoke out against its abuses. When the powerful had finally suffocated the voices of reason, she watched her love beaten by brutes with strong arms but no education. She saw the cuts across his face, the blood on his shirt. She watched as they dragged him away from their home. She didn’t know how long he would be in prison. Later, she didn’t even know if he was still alive.”
She was silent for a moment and then reached into a pocket and withdrew a ring. She held it out for Daniel’s inspection and whispered, her head cast down. “Try it on, I’ll bet it fits.”
Daniel absorbed her story, doing the mental gymnastics to untangle its implications. He accepted the ring. Gold, with three small diamonds. A man’s wedding ring. An inscription around the inside read:
Evidence of love. D & V.
The inscription sounded like something he might compose. Even in a marriage ceremony, science would be featured prominently. D for Daniel. He hardly needed to guess who belonged to the V.
He stepped closer, his throat tightening as he spoke. “I’m sorry, I wish I could remember you, but I don’t.”
The Quantum Series Box Set Page 79