Oria then lowered the bar and fired off another rep. He was about to rack the weight when George again yelled at him to do yet another rep. Oria thought, this guy would make a great workout partner in another place and time, but not now. George kept after Oria until he completed 10 reps.
When Oria got up
, George had a big smile on his face, slapped Oria on the back and said “Great set! It looks like you had even more in you.” He then whispered in Oria's ear “What's the deal here. You're doing a lousy job faking a hard time lifting that weight. How much can you really lift?”
Linda watched from across the gym the commotion that George and Oria were creating. She decided that she’d better interrupt them and get Oria out of there. Therefore, she headed across the gym and interrupted them. Linda was surprised at Oria's display of physical strength. He never mentioned to her that he was so strong. Linda confirmed her belie
f that it was a good thing to interrupt them before George turned him into a freak show or even worse, tried to recruit him for his power lifting team. She knew that George could generate a lot of attention towards Oria, probably more of the wrong type of attention than he wanted at this stage of his mission.
In a loud voice, Linda yelled out “Hey George, what are you trying to do to my Uncle?”
“Nothing Linda, really, I’m not doing anything to him at all. What's the deal, were you trying to set me up? You didn't have to go to all that trouble to get my attention. Hey, you will have my complete focus Thursday night when I take you to see the Hockey playoffs.”
Linda replied, “I know, but a woman has to do what a woman has to do. Besides, my Uncle kind of dropped in out of nowhere and I wasn't quite sure what to do with him.”
George laughed, “Hey, in all the time we've been going out, you never told me that you had a world class strong-man in your family.”
“Sorry George, guess I still have some secrets. Actually, I just found out today that Oria's my Uncle. Like I said, he kind of dropped in, sort of like from space.”
George replied, “I guess when you have a family with as much history as yours, anything’s possible.”
“I guess so. Look, I’d like to stay and talk, but time has totally slipped by me. Oria and I are supposed to go to a boring science party tonight.”
“Alright then, get outta here. I have to work anyway. I’ll catch you tomorrow or at least for the game.”
Linda and Oria finally left the Gym. On their way back to Linda's town house Linda said to Oria “Oria, I'm starting to see that you probably need someone to help you who knows the ropes here on Earth. That was close in the gym. Geez, I never knew you’d qualify as a strongman freak show. I don't think being a strongman will help you establish yourself in the scientific community and it certainly won't get you connected in the right way with the Pentagon.”
“What can I say? You're right.”
“You bet I'm right. I've been fighting this government awhile and I've actually learned a few things.”
“Yes, I’m sure you have.”
Linda shot back “What's that supposed to mean?”
“You're quite passionate about our people and accomplishing something for them. I'm sure that with your energy and drive you’ve had many encounters with the government.”
“Yes I have. Good, we’re home. Let's go inside and get ready for the party.”
On the way in, Linda was thinking about the recent experience in the gym. She knew her fast thinking got Oria out of a close one. However, she still wondered how strong Oria truly was. As she stuck her house key into the lock on the front door of her town house, she said, “Oria, I have to ask you. How strong are you?”
Oria paused for a moment and then replied, “I'm not really sure. My workouts on the Hercules are quite different from your workouts in the gym. Actually, I am quite different physiologically speaking from when I left Earth. For one thing, I weigh a lot more than I look.”
“Really, so tell me how much?”
“Four hundred pounds!
Linda gulped as she unlocked the door. Once inside, she turned and gave Oria a thorough visual review. He was very muscular, no detectable fat, a definite 10, but no way did he look like he weighed 400 pounds. She walked up to him and gave him a tight bear hug. Oria welcomed her in his arms. Linda then tried to pick him up, grunted and said, “What, did you think I was doing, making a pass at you?”
Oria looked a bit puzzled and replied “A what?”
“You know a pass? I just wanted to see how much you weighed.”
Oria laughed and said, “Oh right, you don't trust me.”
“Well I trust you, it's just that I had a hard time believing you actually weigh that much. I still can’t believe it. Are your bones made out of steel or something?”
“No, not exactly. Actually when I was much younger, the Azortec military tried to create a class of super-humans to fight the Creytes. Everyone that was part of the experiment died except me.”
“Now you're starting to sound like The Twilight Zone. So how did you manage to live?”
“I don't know. I did survive. When the experiments were finally over, I was stronger and able to heal and regenerate myself. That's why I am still alive and look like I am in my 30's today. My body can't age. It heals itself before I get older. It's almost like being immortal.”
“No way, sounds like the Highlander.”
“What is there someone else here like me?”
“No dummy, it's a TV show about someone who lives forever and whose body self-heals.”
“Ok, look I've done some research on this place, but, I haven’t watched every TV show and studied every fact.” Oria was starting to sound a bit agitated. He continued on “I had some crew members who were supposed to research these things, but they never made it through the continuum.”
Linda raised her eyebrows. “Oria, I was only kidding, I’m so sorry about your crew”. Do you need some help figuring this place out?”
“You might say that.”
I could probably get some people to help you. Remember Jack Stone?”
“Of course, it's only been a couple hours.”
“Yes, but it seems like a lifetime ago. At any rate, even though Jack's not officially the chief, his father is in such bad health that Jack serves as chief. I believe he could round up a couple of guys to help you.”
“That might prove useful seeing as my people did not make it.”
“What is the continuum anyway?”
“Right, you wouldn't know any more about the continuum than I would about, what was that TV show, the Highlander?”
“Very funny.”
“Let me fill you in, but I have to warn you it's a long story.”
“We've got some time before we have to leave.”
“Do you recall how I mentioned that the Azortec council decided to trade Earth to the Creytes in exchange for not attacking some of their member planets?”
“Pretty much, go on.”
“Ok, that meeting will take place a little less than a year from now.”
“Wait a minute, in the future?”
“Yes, it's a bit complicated. You see, a year from now, I meet with President Shalat of the Azortec Federation. He will agree to give me several days to raise a defense on Earth against the Creytes. It is not possible to accomplish such a mission in only a couple of weeks. Even several years would be difficult. Therefore, I took a part of my crew and risked a flight back through time through the space/time continuum. Only one person in the history of the known Universe prior to our latest trip has survived this flight. I’m that person. Shalat had new technology developed that helped to improve the survival rate of such a flight. Most of my crew made it. However, the researchers died.”
Linda was still amazed at the tales Oria told her “You flew through time! That's incredible!”
“It is incredible. There’s more that I could tell you. However, it is best that you don't know everything until after the date I entered the space/time continuum. The fabric of space and time is very sensitive and easily disrupted. The entire known universe could explode, like a big bang, if we disrupt the fabric of space and time too severely. That's why this trip is very risky and against the laws of Azortec.”
Linda glanced at her watch and noticed they were running out of time. She decided to take the first shower. When she was done, she showed Oria how the utilities in the bathroom worked and let him shower. While Oria showered, she called Jack Stone.
“Hello Jack.”
“Yes, Linda what’s up?”
“I'm sorry how I acted towards you today at the coffee shop.”
“You should be. I know your parents taught you more respect towards your elders than that.”
Linda agreed. “Jack, I need to ask you a favor.”
“What can I do for you?”
“The man I was with today, Oria, I found out that he is as old as you thought.”
“Yes Linda, I know, he is the one the spirits promised would return.”
“Well, while he was gone, he lived among the stars in heaven with others not from Earth.”
“So this favor is more for Oria than for you?”
“Exactly, our home is in danger from forces beyond Earth. Oria has returned to help Earth rise up a defense against these invaders. He needs
work with our military and get them to help in raising this defense. However, he is not familiar with our current customs.”
“You want me to send some guides to help him on his journey?”
“Yes Jack, they need to watch and guide him on his mission.”
“No problem, I believe I know who would be right for the job. It may take a week to get him the right guides.”
“I don't think that will be fast enough. His mission starts today. I will be with him tonight. However, I can't stay with him tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry. Linda, I’ll do my best to get the guides soon”.
Linda got off the phone before Oria completed his shower. She walked into her living room, sat down on the sofa and started to wonder what she had gotten herself into. During the last 6 months, she got involved with the archeological find of her lifetime, and now, only this afternoon, Oria shows up and changes her life again. Linda's focus on the archeological finds had cost her a relationship with Bob, her fiancé. Bob couldn't handle Linda's passion for her people and did not like her spending all her extra time focusing on some old bones and relics of the past. Linda thought it was just as well that they broke up. It shook her up when she initially found out that the man she thought she loved couldn't deal with any of her passions.
Linda was hoping to meet someone new. George from the gym was the closest thing she now had to a boyfriend. She was spending so much time at the dig that she almost never got out. She saw George almost exclusively at the gym. Now, with a new family member on a mission to “save-the-Earth”, she knew that her schedule would get fouled up. Linda smiled a bit when she thought about Oria's mission to save the Earth. She knew many people who imagined missions to save the Earth from one thing or the other. This time was definitely different. Oria was genuinely on a mission to save Earth. It was like watching the latest action/adventure movie on Satellite TV. Only this time, Linda was part of the story and it was real!
Oria came downstairs dressed and ready to go. Linda stood up and looked at him. She was thinking that she finally met a good-looking guy that did not see her as a threat, only to find out that he is family. She then smiled at Oria and said, “Let's go.”
Oria and Linda left the townhouse and drove to the party. The party was at one of Linda's professor friends from the University. He lived with his wife who worked as a software engineer at Goddard Space Flight Center. Nearly everyone at the party worked at either one of Maryland’s science or engineering departments, or was married to someone who did. They frequently got together to complain about students and the University's administration. Sometimes they even exchanged ideas about their work.
Linda led Oria up to the front door of the Professors' house. He lived in a plain two-story house with a basement in Calverton, Maryland. Attached to the back of his house was a nice sized and partially screened in deck. Normally at these parties, the group would hang out on the deck drinking volumes of beer or wine and carry on mundane conversations about the University. Linda was certain that tonight would be different. Oria was certain to light up some conversations.
Linda rang the doorbell and Professor Seth Hampton and his wife Julie, opened the front door. Linda gave Seth and Julie a huge hello hug. “Oh it's good to see you guys again. Seth, Julie, this is my Uncle Oria. He just dropped in for a visit. Hope you don't mind that I brought him along.”
Seth smiled and replied, “No problem Linda, any friend of yours is a friend of ours. It's good to meet you Oria. Where are you from?”
“Actually I was born on the Eastern Shore near Linda's new dig site. I left home a long time ago and have lived in many places since then.”
Julie spoke up “I know how that is. Before I settled in to my new job at Goddard, I used to work for a consulting firm that required me to travel all over the country. It gets old fast.”