Authors: Kathy Bell
“
Mmmm, thansh.” As he
carried her down the hall to the elevator, the effects of the drugs
were obviously still strong in her system. The hotel manager led
them to a room on another floor.
“
This room is no
charge. I am mortified these events could take place in my hotel. I
assure you such things are not normally found at this hotel and if
you and your sister need anything, even the most minor item, you
will find us the epitome of hospitality. Here, this second room is
for you. Are you supposed to take her to the hospital?”
“
They said I should
keep a close eye on her and take her if there were any signs of
problems. They gave me this sheet.” Norton looked down at the guide
in his hands. The manager finished his check of the room then
quickly left Norton to tend to Adya.
“
Thas better, they
were bad men. You aren’t bad, you’re on my side.” She clutched her
arms more tightly around Norton. “My hero.”
Norton supported her with one arm
while pulling back the blankets on the bed. “You need to sleep this
stuff off. The officer said it can take up to twelve hours to wear
off. I’ll stay here and watch you to make sure you are okay. Is
that all right?”
“
You want to shtay
wish me? Thanksh. I like you too, you’re a good boy.” Adya’s
eyelids began to droop as the lethargic effect of the drug turned
into sleepiness. Norton slipped into his room and left the
adjoining doors open to travel back and forth. A knock sounded on
the door of Norton’s room.
“
Hello sir, we’re just
checking to see if everything’s okay and if you have further need
of us.” The three men who had responded to the emergency call were
awaiting debriefing.
“
Thank you. Adya’s
fine. She’s one of ours, on the internship program. Thank God we
had the transceiver on her and I will be sure to mention your
prompt responses to the emergency beacon in my report. You may
return to your postings, thank you again for your assistance.”
Norton picked up the phone, finally getting through to Abraham.
“Abraham, I think we need your help here.”
Adya became restless shortly
before dawn, her head turning from side to side before sitting up
in the bed, eyes wide open but unseeing. She shouted, “No, no, I
need them. Don’t take them from me, they’re all I have. Not this
time.” She began to climb from the bed. Norton attempted to
restrain her and she fought against his arms, yelling at him. “No,
you can’t do it, I won’t let you. They’re my children, I won’t give
them up. I can’t.”
Norton comforted her, patting her
back and murmuring to her. Finally she shook off the last vestiges
of her nightmare and fell into a deep sleep.
Abraham joined Adya and Norton in
the hotel room the next morning. The younger two filled Abraham in
on the situation regarding the band, confirming the guitar teacher
was the band leader and also one of the perpetrators from the night
before. Adya had made a full recovery from the drugs and was more
than ready to confront Greg Travers. Abraham used the influence of
Three Eleven to gain interview time with Travers who immediately
recognized Adya as the girl from the night before. He smirked as he
spoke to her, “So, you did enjoy last night, coming back for
more?”
“
Mister Travers, last
night is of the lowest priority among the reasons why I want to
speak to you. Did you honestly think there would not be
repercussions for stealing the songs I sang while waiting for my
guitar lessons?” Her scorn was evident.
Travers paled. “Now I know where
else you’re familiar from. You were sent away to some island
somewhere in disgrace. Rape, my ass. Is this man your sugar daddy?
Wish I had known how easy you were during your lessons, woulda
taught you a lot more than how to play guitar.”
Caught off guard by Travers’
comments, she blanched. His smirk widened but fell again when Adya
continued with her line of questioning rather than rising to his
bait.
“
You recorded me as I
played the songs that day and then took them and released them on
your album.”
“
You have no way to
prove that. I asked your mother about your jam sessions and she
said your family always played cover songs. She didn’t recognize
any of the songs from my album – I gave her a demo just to see if
she would comment. Who’s going to believe you over me? Some
fourteen-year-old nobody who needed guitar lessons? I am the rock
star and you some little groupie who got caught with her pants down
and is trying to get money out of me.”
“
Enough of this. Adya,
it is obvious Mister Travers does not realize you are under the
protection of and have full access to the resources of the Three
Eleven Corporation. Perhaps you have heard of it, Mister Travers?”
Travers blanched. “I am Abraham Fairfield, Chief Executive Officer
of the Corporation and this is Mister Fuller, our Chief Financial
Officer. Ms. Jordan has demonstrated to most of our executive
members her musical ability, including the songs released on your
album. When it comes down to her word verses yours, I think the
court will find Ms. Jordan a well-supported witness to your
perfidy. I will have our lawyer contact yours but I do expect
royalties from the sale of your album will not be making their way
into your bank account. Unfortunately, you needed those funds as
you will be facing civil charges for last night’s antics in
addition to the criminal charges, which will keep you behind bars
well past your scheduled tour dates. Good day, Mister Travers.”
Adya followed Abraham and Norton out, with one last look at Greg
Travers, who appeared significantly less cocky than when she had
entered the room. She paused.
“
It wasn’t worth it,
was it? You could’ve tried to make it on your own. Instead, you
stole and now you will pay the price. A shame. Perhaps you could
have gone somewhere. I would wish you good luck but I find I am not
feeling generous right now. Good bye.”
Journal of Doctor Nicholas Weaver
November 4, 98 P. I.
Enough maudlin
meanderings. Back to the science. To perform the regression, I work
with infinions. These charged particles cross the dimensions, tying
each timeline into the physical world. A focused energy beam
directed at the infinion strand in a given timeline dislodges the
lifeline, allowing it to gravitate to the point of entry in the
next timeline. This can only be accomplished from within the
timeline. I have had to follow Adya through each lifetime to check
the results and send her on to the next if I must.
The physical world
changes little across each timeline. Earthquakes happen
consistently, although hurricanes are variable. Solar cycles remain
the same, bringing the warming and cooling cycle of the late
nineteen nineties which in some timelines leads to hysteria while
others are more pragmatic. The asteroid and comet invariably
collide and strike the Earth. But, every time I tamper with the
infinions there is a price to pay.
Adya, Abraham, Norton, and four staff from the Three Eleven
legal department waited in the city airport, at the mercy of an
early winter storm. Adya excused herself to use the rest
rooms.
“
Adya…Adya, wait.” The
unfamiliar voice beckoned her as she exited the rest room. The
artist from the carnival called to her again. Stepping toward him,
she glanced around for Abraham or Norton.
“
Who are
you?”
“
That doesn’t matter.
Adya−”
“
Yes it does. How did
you know to draw that picture, and why did you? I know you weren’t
the regular artist.”
“
It’s a long story.
Why don’t you come with me and I can tell you?” He directed her
away from where the men waited.
“
I can’t do that. I
have a plane−”
“
Take it later.” He
took hold of her arm. “Come with me, I have so much to tell
you.”
Resisting, she hissed “You can
start with explaining how you know who I am.”
“
I don’t have time.
Look, I shouldn’t even be talking to you but you need to leave
Three Eleven. Come with me, don’t look back, just leave. Today.” He
pulled more urgently on her arm. “Now.”
“
I know who you work
for, why should I trust you?” His startled expression turned to
resignation as Adya shook his hand from her arm. “I can’t go with
you, you have no idea what’s going on.”
“
YOU have no idea,
Adya, they’re−”
“
I have to go. Nothing
you can say will make me leave Three Eleven. You’ve got it all
wrong.” She walked away without looking back. Why would Lavrentios
Alexopoulos try to separate her from Three Eleven? What was
Anvolussion up to? A shiver ran up her spine.
On the return flight to the Island
the group deliberated the best course of action regarding the
already released album. The seat belt indicator lit as the aircraft
approached the Island runway but Adya felt unwell and excused
herself to use the rest room while the men secured their
restraints. She knelt at the toilet, retching into the opening. The
combination of the drugs of the night before, her pregnancy, and
worry about the effects of those drugs on her pregnancy had her
both nauseous and faint. Feeling slightly better, she stood,
wetting a cloth to cool her forehead and wipe away any traces of
her illness.
The airplane was well into its
descent when an explosion tore through the compartments of the
craft. Thrown against the forward wall of the rest room, she struck
her shoulder on the basin before falling to the floor. The plane
listed to one side as it hit the ground with a shudder, skidding to
a jolting stop. She opened the rest room door to a cabin filled
with smoke and fire licking its way forward from the rear of the
craft.
Abraham was closest to the
bathroom door, his face bloodied and his body partially obscured by
a piece of interior panel. Kneeling beside him, feeling for a pulse
on his neck, she screamed, “Abraham.” She checked his wrist. A
groan from the back of the plane forced her to leave his
body.
Norton was still buckled into his
seat, his left arm mangled and his face streaked with cuts. “Adya,
help me,” he breathed. Her eyes watered with the intense smoke as
she released him from the seat restraint. She looked for the other
two men. “Hey, can any of you hear me?” The flames seared closer.
“Norton, I’m going to take you to the emergency door. It’s okay.
I’ll get you out of here.”
She half carried, half dragged him
to the exit, pulling the emergency lever with both hands. At first,
it wouldn’t move and tears of frustration streamed down her cheeks.
One more try and she forced the door open. A slide-raft
automatically discharged and once it finished inflating she sent
him down the slide. She searched for other survivors. The two older
lawyers were dead, a third bled from a serious head wound but still
breathed. She couldn’t see the fourth. Adya quickly wrapped one of
the towels from the lavatory around the injured man’s head then
lugged him to the exit. Emergency vehicles rushed toward the
aircraft, their lights intense in the tropical twilight.
Norton lay unconscious at the
bottom of the chute. Adya hesitated to send the second injured man
down, he could crash into Norton. She left him lying at the exit
door and went to check the cockpit. Both pilots had regained
consciousness, releasing themselves from their seats. Unsteadily
they followed her back to the exit, helping her settle herself
around the lawyer at the top of the slide, and she guided his body
away from Norton’s on the descent. She hauled him off the raft and
then slipped the boy out of the way for the pilots to descend. Her
arms cradling him, she sat with Norton beside the inflated slide.
His eyes cracked open, bloodshot and unfocused.
“
Adya, I’m
sorry.”
“
Norton, no need to be
sorry. It’ll be okay. You just hold on, ‘kay? Promise me you’ll
hold on. You saved me, now let me save you.” Tears streamed down
her cheeks as she watched his breathing become increasingly
laboured.
“
I’m so tired. I’ve
never been so tired in my life.” He shut his eyes. She squeezed his
shoulders, willing him to open them again. He did. “What’s
happening, Adya? Is Abraham okay?”
“
Don’t you worry,
Norton. The emergency crews are on their way, they’ll be here any
second. You hold on, okay? Norton? Norton? Don’t you die on me.”
All but screaming into his ear, she sobbed in anguish. His body
relaxed in her arms as his eyes closed. “No. Please, no. No more.”
Her forehead touched Norton’s and she rocked with grief while
cradling his lifeless body.
Emergency vehicles arrived and
medical technicians took charge of the situation. “Miss…Miss…you
need to let us see him.” A warm hand on her shoulder gently drew
Adya’s head up and away from Norton. “Here, Miss, you need to be
tended to, and I’ll see to Mister Fuller. C’mon.” He helped her
onto a stretcher. Throbbing pain from a large gash across her
shoulder penetrated the haze of her sorrow. An EMT began to treat
the wound.
“
How’s everyone else?”
She drew a sharp breath as he cleansed her cuts. “I couldn’t save
them. I tried and I couldn’t save them. It was my fault we were on
that plane. People are dead and it’s my fault.” Tears again
overwhelmed her as guilt flooded her mind.