Moonliner: No Stone Unturned (34 page)

              “What’s going on Cedric?” Lennox’s voice is heard asking over the intercom.

              “I’m on my way back from the library,” Cedric answers.

              “Let him in,” Lennox can be heard over the intercom instructing Morgan, his own Phaedra of sorts.  In fact, he followed Cedric’s lead on choosing a sexy female voice with which to interphase, only Lennox opted for a British model.

Cedric enters the concrete building.  Lennox’s security system lightens a path for him to the right of the entrance and up the stairwell.  Lennox opens the door to his condo and waits for Cedric at the top of the stairs.  Once inside, the two sit down.

              “Coffee?” Lennox asks Cedric; “I was just about to pour myself a cup.”

              “I don’t drink coffee often, but why not?” Cedric responds.  Lennox, a barista during law school, can not only whip up the coffee of your choice, but it comes so nicely garnished.  He can even pour the froth in a way that it forms a leaf.  It’s done so well that you hate to drink it.

              “When is your next trip to the moon?” Cedric asks Lennox.

              “August twenty-sixth,” Lennox answers; “it’s a Monday.”

              “Can you transmit another message for me?” Cedric asks, barely able to contain himself.

              “Sure, why?” Lennox asks; “what have you got?”

“I found it!” Cedric tells Lennox; “I have a way to get a message to her, and to warn her not to board that shuttle.”

“I’m not so sure this is a healthy obsession,” Lennox begins to say.

“What do you mean?” Cedric asks.

“It’s just that I think you might want to get on with your life,” Lennox says; “and I don’t think this is the way.”

“I understand what you’re saying,” Cedric responds; “but this is small step on a simple path of events that looks almost like it was laid out for me; the dreams; the deja vu.  If this plan fails, then fine,” he adds; “but I’m obliged to find out.  It’s about exhausting all plausible options.”

“Okay,” Lennox responds; “as long as you know when to say when.” 

“Listen,” Cedric says; “I’ve thought so myopically that I missed the big picture.  This isn’t about transmitting a message to her; it’s about getting a message to her.  I didn’t have to overcomplicate things,” he says laughing, then takes a sip of coffee.  He looks at peace for the first time in a while.

“So are you going to fill me in on this,” Lennox asks; “or just leave me in the dark here?”

“Funny you should ask,” Cedric answers; “because I’ve already told you too much.  It still isn’t quite foolproof.  When it is, I’ll let you know.  You’re going to be a pivotal player, as will be our old friends from Seattle.”

“Really?  So you really think you’ve done it?” Lennox asks once more.

“I hope so,” Cedric responds; “I don’t see where this would fail.”

Lennox pulls a few cold beers out of the fridge, seeing that Cedric has crossed a mental dessert.  He has no idea if Cedric is really onto anything here, but can see that he is confident with his idea, which is enough to keep him occupied.  At least Cedric has something to go on, which Lennox thinks is a good thing.  Time will ultimately heal him, Lennox thinks, but having a hope in the meantime isn’t such a bad thing to help a guy get by.  Besides, Cedric may really be onto something, a distinct possibility that Lennox knows not to rule out.  Cedric has, after all, never failed yet to impress him with his endless aptitude. 

The two men look at floating, rotating, 3D, laser-generated images; tap bottles and tip back a beer that doesn’t just hit the spot, it hits the soul.  They laugh, again just like they did back in the day. 

Moonliner
5:15

              “Can you recall all of Vancouver Public Library’s historical checkout data for a book entitled
To the Moon
?” Cedric asks Phaedra.  Seconds later a laser-projected screen is in front of him.  He scrolls through the data.  Using hand gestures, he slides the screen upward, quickly scrolling through decades of checkout information on a book that’s been in in the library almost a hundred years.  He slows the screen down as it arrives at the year 2014, carefully examining when the book was checked out, but unable to see who checked it out, information that is protected under privacy acts. 

He reads through news and popular magazines surrounding 2014.  The more he reads the more he smiles.  He reads of world events, local events, tragedies, economic data, and even sporting events.  Within a few hours he knows more about the year 2014 than anyone on the planet, or at least more than anyone can remember.

After several hours of reading, thinking, and note taking, Cedric’s finally ready to give it a shot.

              “Phaedra, can you record a transmission?” he asks, looking out his balcony window at a night full of lights.

Moonliner
5:16

Nineteen days later, Cedric meets Lennox in the lobby of the Bayview Towers, which stand downtown near the waterfront, overlooking the park.  It’s a Sunday and the building is lifeless.  Lennox seems busy, heavily burdened with his work, responding to a barrage of messages on his blue-beam as the two walk out of the building and down Water Street.

They walk into Gastown just in time to watch the famous steam clock strike noon.  It is peak travel season and the souvenir shops are crawling with tourists.  People are lined up beside the clock to buy gelato from a guy with a refrigerated push cart.  A cruise ship’s horn sounds to announce its noon departure, a few seconds out of synch with the steam clock.          

From there, they walk along the
edgewalk
, a newer development to the downtown built to reinforce the seawall.  On the way, they grab some chicken kabobs and sparkling water.  Seagulls are all around, hoping to share the side of pita bread that came with their order.

Lennox and Cedric sit in a nice concrete cove with its own private view of the water, tucked nicely away from the public.  It’s one of several on the lower level of walk, in a place often overlooked.  They eat their kabobs, occasionally dishing a few pinches of pita to the gulls.

              “Are you sure you want to do this?” Ceric asks Lennox; “we could be opening some irreversible wormhole you know.”

              “Are you sure that you do?” Lennox asks in return.

              “Her death was wrong.  I’m absolutely certain,” Cedric answers; “nothing has felt more right.  I’m sure.”

              “Then so am I,” Lennox tells him.  “Why not?”

              “Besides,” Cedric adds; “we’ve already done this and the sky hasn’t fallen yet.”

              “We won’t remember this, will we?” Lennox asks; “any of this?”

              “This is all new territory.  I don’t know,” Cedric answers.

“I mean if it didn’t happen,” Lennox replies; “we wouldn’t remember it.”

              “I don’t want to remember it,” Cedric says. 

              “But nobody will know it happened, that you sent messages back and for through time,” Lennox points out.

              “She’ll know,” Cedric says; “She’ll get the message.  It’ll be up to her if she shares it or not.”

              “Will you believe her if she does?” Lennox asks.

              “I don’t know,” Cedric answers; “I doubt it.  I don’t even know if she’ll tell me.”

              “What about your work?” Lennox asks. “Won’t you be losing your work, and your data?”

              “Remember,” Cedric says; “I was already having success and on the verge of a large scale discovery before Nikki went to the moon.  Who’s to say that won’t play out again?  Besides, what is science if it can’t be applied?”

              “I guess,” it just seems like you’re risking it all,” Lennox says. 

              “I’ve lost it all remember,” Cedric responds; “I’m trying to get it back.”

Cedric hands Lennox the transmitter.

              “The message is ready,” Cedric tells him; “you just have to push the large button once you’re onboard Moondock.  It will find the relay station and repeat for as long as you’re on board.”

              “Is this even legal?” Lennox asks.

              “You’re the lawyer,” Cedric responds; “but I’ve looked into it and yes it is a legal transmission.  You can still back out if you want.”

              “No, I’ve got nothing to lose,” Lennox says.  He slides the transmitter into his pocket and zips it closed. 

Cedric begins to feel anxious, knowing that Lennox has taken the message.  His plan is now under way.  The fuse is lit.  It would now take more effort on his part to stop it than to allow it to unfold.  It’s now in the hands of fate.

On the edge of the park across the water, Cedric spots a weeping willow gently swaying in the wind.  He stares at it, letting the tree’s motion momentarily relax him.  His mind is soon clear and his anxiety gone. 

Lennox excuses himself, telling Cedric he has to get back to the office.  Cedric walks back with him as far as Water Street and bids him farewell.

              “I can’t thank you enough,” Cedric tells Lennox.

              “In case we don’t remember any of this later,” Lennox says; “It’s been one hell of a summer.”

              “That it has my friend,” Cedric replies; “It’s been a ride.”

The two men smile, then give each other a pat on the shoulder before Lennox fades down Water Street.

Moonliner
5:17

The inner walls of Lennox’s shuttle stop vibrating as it clears Earth’s atmosphere and levels off.  Its seats are equipped with gyroscopic shock-absorption and are counter weighted, so they don’t vibrate.  The craft is now in an elliptical orbit, preparing to acquire a little gravitational assist from Earth to increase its velocity.  In other words, it’s getting ready to slingshot to the moon.