Time In-Time Out

James B. Wright
Aug 28, 2017 · 73 min read

By J B Wright

Chapter 1: Time Out

The day Jay died was very much like any other. He had finished working the night shift at the 7-Eleven in Ridgley and was heading home on the Fort Worth East-West Freeway. Jay was 24 years old and the best job he could land was as the night manager of the store. Manager was actually a very generous title as he usually worked alone. Getting off at 7 am was tantamount to being able to leave at 7:30 after the morning count of his register. Jay was very good with math. It was the letters that held him back. His school counselors test him as being highly intelligent but limited by his dyslexia. Consequently, expectations for him were always quite low and Jay had lived up to those. Therefore, two years late he barely graduated high school. His parents fain pride in him but his brother Bob always made good grades received athletic awards and of course got the girls and so he was the center of their world.

Instead of trying to surpass expectations, Jay simply embraced the anonymity of it. The sadness of it all was that is exactly how Jay would talk. Verbally he could swim laps around Bob but Jay could barely read and write much less spell. Jay learned to suppress his feelings and ended up alone with little or no contacts with his family. Therefore, his demise would hold little meaning for anyone else in this world, not that Jay wanted to die, he just did not have mush reason to live.

This morning his thoughts were not on himself however. He was planning to go to the convention center later that afternoon after his nap. A science fiction theme was slated to begin that weekend and Jay had this very same weekend off. He planned to visit exhibits and listen to the lectures all three days. Science fiction was his only real love. Jay wanted to talk physics, stories of time travel and dream of solving space travel thought problem just like Einstein.

With his head filled with these ideas and dreams, the sudden flash of a huge, truck tire flying straight for him caught him completely unaware, which fortunately turned out to be his saving grace. His only reaction was to duck slightly as the massive black treaded object descended upon him. Then abruptly it was gone. Jake had no time to react to this…what hallucination. He slowed but he did not apply his breaks, which prevented a multi-car pileup. Instead, he only received horn honking and as he termed it, the Hawaiian peace sign from the drivers around him. Jake quickly exited the freeway at University Drive. He was shaken but still in control as he headed south toward his modest home just past Berry Street.

Wait, he thought everything seemed different… changed but as he glanced out the windows nothing was different. The street, the buildings, even the houses and stores were the same. Jake was just confused and now nauseated and dizzy.

Jake rolled down his window and breathed in the cool morning air. Eventually, he safely turned into his short driveway and parked. Stumbling he made his way up to the front door. He tried to steady his hand as he fumbled with his keys. Then the door popped open. There stood a man that looked familiar but for the life of him, Jake could not place him.

“Good you got here. I was worried that I had the wrong you. Come inside and sit down,” this person said.

Jake complied, as he felt very little like objecting in his present state. The man placed him in the soft, comfortable old yellow and brown colored chair with a pattern of individuals riding horses in a steeplechase manner. The chair also was of a high backed, Queen Ann designed and stood near the door.

“The first time you Time Out is always the worst. Here eat some chocolate. It helps,” the man said.

“Just like Harold Potts,” Jake said.

“Who?”

“Harold Potts on the Frogwarts Express when the Tormentors came,” Jake replied.

“Not any more, kid,” the man replied. “Look I haven’t much time. Here are the Lottery numbers for tonight.” He handed Jake a piece of paper. “When you wake up go get a ticket. Then go find Cassandra, she will explain it all to you.”

Jake’s eyes began to close.

“Wake up Jake and tell me you understand.”

All he could manage before he passed out was to say, “Who is Jake?”

Chapter 2: Time In

The sun was beginning to set when Jake opened his eyes. The room was darkening by the minutes as it does in late October. Jake made his way slowly to the kitchen. He felt like he was hungover. Looking around he spied the chocolate bar the man had feed him or was that a dream. Well appearently, it was not a dream as the number for the lotto drawing were on a paper next to the Hershel bar.

Shouldn’t that say Hershey’s, Jake thought. Next to these items was Jake’s wallet with his driver’s license sticking out of it. Jake picked it up and read ‘Jakarta Jones’. He blinked and looked again. It was his picture but the name, his name was…

“Damn what is my name,” he muttered. He could not remember his own name but it sure as hell was not Jakarta Jones. It was then that he noticed the ringing in his ears. He had never experienced this before and he hoped that it was just a passing quirk and not something that he would need to hear forever more. Jake decided that he needed some air so he got his jacket and started to walk north up University Drive. There was a stout breeze and the jacket he wore was only modestly helpful. Jake thought that it was rather unusually cool for early October. However, it did serve to wake him up and focus on his rather unfamiliar state. First, he recalled that the sci-fi convention had begun without him. He just did not have the mental ability to drive down town to the convention center tonight. Maybe he had the flu or something, which would explain his rather shaky state. Yeah that was it; all his symptoms were due to the flu. That made sense to him and it was the first thing that had since early this morning. Jake turned to the east at Berry Street and proceeded to the local 7-Eleven store. He had wanted to be transferred here but there had not yet been any openings for him.

Jake went to the counter and saw a girl there that he did not know. She was almost his age, she had bright, blond hair and the most beautiful blue eyes in the world. Jake was dumbfounded by her smile as he stared stupidly into her face. She was talking to him and nothing she said registered.

“I am sorry but I have something wrong with my ears…ringing…can you repeat that?” He finally managed to say.

“You should get that checked out,” she said louder than before. She then reached out a pulled the little paper from his hand and studied it. “I see that you want this set of numbers for tonight lotto, right?”

“Yes, please,” Jake answered.

“Ok here it is. Is there anything else,” she said with a smile. Jake noticed her name…Cassandra.

“I am sorry but I work at the store on Camp Bowie, but I live here in the TCU area. I come in here a lot but I have never seen you before,” Jake said as fortunately no other customers were waiting in line yet.

“Oh yeah well I just started last week. So maybe I will see more of you,” she said with a yeah maybe smile and then turned to wait on someone else.

Jake stepped away and then accidently bumped into another lady as she stepped into the store. This person did not register with him but she stopped and glowered at him as he exited the store. In fact, she stepped back out the doorway and watched Jake amble off as he retraced his steps back toward his home.

With the wind pressing against his back now, Jake made it much more quickly back home but just as he stepped inside his door, he heard the blare of a police car as it sounds when someone is stopped for a driving offense. Jake paid no attention and went inside closing and locking the door behind him. However, within a minute there was a knock at his door. When Jake opened the door there stood the woman from the store and she was holding up a badge.

Jake was bewildered as to the reason for this encounter and so he stood with at the door not comprehending what was this police officer was saying to him.

Finally, she stopped talking and appraised the man before her. “Sir are you taking substances that would interfere with your ability to function.”

“What, no I have the flu. Besides since when do the police come door to door asking such questions?”

“This is not a survey Sir. It is a possible murder investigation,” she replied.

“Really, who died,” he asked.

“Appearently you did,” she answered.

Jake became faint as he grasped the door handle to steady himself. “I think I’m going to vomit.”

“Do you need assistance Sir?”

Jake fell to the floor as his vision went black.

As Jake was waking up, he began to realize that he was not at home any more. The room was in a hospital and he was receiving fluids through an IV. He tried to sit up but he found himself restrained by handcuffs. “What the hell…,” he said.

A person on a couch across from him began to stir. Presently she stood up and Jake recognized her as the police office. However, he really saw her for the first time in the well-lit room. She had strawberry blond hair, green eyes that melted into his soul and a face that said he could love her forever.

“Stop looking like that at me sir. You are a suspect in a murder.”

“Who did I kill?” he spluttered.

“Someone who looks a lot like you,” she relied.

“Really and why do you believe that?”

“A body was found last night a few blocks from the house you were in this evening. Your identification was found on him. Tonight I found you in that residence appearently under the influence. I have a lot of questions.”

Jake was definitely feeling better as he struggled to get at least up in the bed by raising the head with a control he found close by. “Officer…” Jake looked at her name tag,…”Rowen, what makes you think I am under influence of anything.”

“You appeared to be unaware and then you passed out. We transported you here to the county hospital and we have run a drug profile on you.”

“You can do that without my consent?”

“The doctor need it for his evaluation.”

“Which I have done,” said a tall man holding a clipboard and wearing a stethoscope around his neck as he entered the room. “I am Dr. Tobin and he is clean.” He said looking to Officer Rowen. He then turned to Jake. “Mr. Jones you are a bit dehydrated though. Have you been vomiting or had diarrhea?” He asked.

“I have vomited. I think that I have the flu.” Jake said.

“It is a little early for that but you blood count does indicate a viral infection is possible. Anyway you rest here tonight and by tomorrow you probably can…leave,” the doctor said as he again looked at Rowen. He turned to go, “I will be back later to get some information for my chart. You two have fun.”

Rowen glared at him. She was obviously a no none sense person. Her cell phone rang and she answered it. Jake heard her exclaim about something and then throw a mini-fit before she settled back down. She cleared her throat and then march back over to confront him.

“How did you do that?”

“I don’t know. I work in a convenience store. A lot of sick people come in. So…”

“I don’t mean how you got sick! How did you get this identification card,” she held up his driver’s license.

“When I was sixteen I…”

“You don’t look stupid so why are you always so concrete in your thinking?” She asked. “This license was on the man’s body we found yesterday. He died of an over dose. It had your address on it. I know I found it and I have an Eidetic memory. Do you know what that means?”

“An ability to vividly recall images from memory after only a few instances of exposure, with high precision for a brief time after exposure,” Jake said as he wondered where that came from.

Officer Rowen stared at him as if to say she knew that he was hiding something. “Now tonight the ID we have at the station is for a man named Jay Smith at a completely different address. So I want to know just how did you pull that off.”

“Look officer I worked last night, all night at my store and I came home ill. I went to bed and before I ran into you, I had not left my house all day. I don’t know anything about a murder or an ID. Maybe that guy stole my identity on line or something but I am not invoked in his death.” He paused and then added, “And I don’t think that you can arrest me for looking like someone else.”

“What do you mean on line?” Rowen said.

“The internet,” Jake replied.

“What’s that?”

“You know computers and phones using the internet to communicate through text messaging and e-mail.”

“Now you are just plain blathering,” she replied. “You must be ill.” Rowen came over and removed the cuffs. “I am leaving, but don’t think that I am not watching you Jakarta Jones.”

The next morning Jake was finally released after much paper work being completed and signed. The good news was that since he was brought to the hospital on an involuntary nature, he was not responsible for the charges around his work up and treatment. However, once he was discharged Jake had to find his own way home. He thought about going by cab or Uber but as he had very little cash on hand, Jake decided to walk home.

Jake took Hemphill Street south to Berry and Berry west toward the TCU section of Fort Worth. It was familiar territory since he had gone to high school at Paschal which he passed upon his way. Jake was impressed by how much the school had enlarged and improved since he had attended it only six years before. Ahead by mere steps was the Texas Christian University campus. The main campus buildings were one street north of Berry. It was now late afternoon on a crisp fall day and Jake could see football fans parking their cars on the side streets for a rather long walk to the stadium on the west side of campus. Fort Worth was a good size city now but there was something very “home town” about the scene.

With only a few bucks in his pocket Jake decided that a hamburger at a local hang out place would placate his hunger while giving him a change to be away from the stress of police, doctors and hospitals.

Jake ordered and took a seat at a table while he waited for his food to be prepared. While sat there it soon struck him as odd that the people nearby were talking to each other without anyone pulling out a phone and looking at texts, e-mails and alike. Jake reached in his pocket and found a phone. It was not a device that he recognized as belonging to him. In fact, it was an ancient flip phone. Damn he was carrying a granny phone. How embarrassing was this. However, as he watched the others in the restaurant he saw similar devices with no apparent internet access. There was not a smart phone being used in the entire place. How very odd he thought.

Suddenly someone grasped his shoulder and a familiar voice said,” Hey if it isn’t Brainiac Jake Jones. Long time no see pal. What you don’t recognize me? It is your old bud Bob Rowen.”

“Bob, my brother Bob,” Jake exclaimed as he stood and grasped Bob’s shoulders.

“Uh… what’s with this Brother Bob stuff guy? Did you get religion or something,” Bob asked.

Jake looked at him and it then struck him: it was Bob and it was not Bob. The person nest to him sounded like Bob, mostly looked like him, but he just was not the same person as his brother. In addition, Jake remembered him more like an old friend than like a close relative. Jake let go and stepped back a short ways. “No I am not getting religion. I was just kidding with you.”

“Good you had me going there for a while. Hey, come join my sister and me. You remember little Cassie Ann, wells she is all grown up now. Come on over and sit with us buddy.”

Jake shrugged grabbed his beer and followed Bob to a table that had been partially hidden by a wall. A woman sat at the table with her back turned as she watched football on a TV screen across the room.

“Jake, Cassie Ann. Cassie Ann you remember Jake,” Bob said. She turned around and she and Jake saw…each other.

Jake halted and said nothing. Cassie Ann looked up at him and froze in place. They glowered at one another for several uncomfortable seconds as Bob watched. Jake finally faked smiled and said, “Good evening, Officer Rowen.”

“Oh so you have met,” Bob said as if there was nothing stained about the situation. “Hey I think that is our order the man just called. I will go get that. You…you two should…uh…talk or flee or something.”

“Which is it, flee or talk?” Jake asked.

“Sit,” Cassie Ann said as she pointed to the unoccupied chair across the table from her. Her facial expression remained flat and her eyes sustained an all-appraising air.

“Cop face,” Jake said. “Are you on duty?”

“My older brother was never very discerning when it came to picking his friends.”

“I don’t really remember you,” he said.

“I am the cop that busted you last night remember that? You seem to be feeling better.”

“I am. But what I meant was that I do not recall Bob having a little sister.”

“I am the brat in the corner wishing that you all would go ride around in your male symbolic hot rods and leave me in peace.”

“Still I would have; should have noticed you.”

“Odd I feel the same about you,” she replied after a significant pause.

Bob then reappeared with several arms full of food. “I got all three orders here. I think that there is enough food.”

“From the size of those bags you must have invited the football team too.” Cassie Ann said in her subtle cop voice.

“Hey (a word that was Bob’s trademark expression) you never go hungry when your big brother is around.” This remark brought a slight smile to her face as if it was their shared joke.

Thanks to Bob, the conversation was light and unremarkable. He was nothing like Jake’s younger brother. Jake’s Bob was always placing himself in the middle of the conversations so that the discussions always involved him in some way or another. This version of Bob was self-effacing and unpretentious. He actually seemed to like to hear others talk and his only centering practice was to be the masters of ceremonies and push the dialog in another person’s direction. It certainly helped to lower the wall a little between Cassie Ann and Jake. The time passed quickly and before long, the three of them found their way to Jake’s house by walking there as they were all just a bit inebriated.

“Let me actually invite you inside this time,” Jake laughed.

“You mean that you aren’t going to pass out first?” Cassie Ann laughed.

“That must have been some first date,” Bob joked.

“I never date while I am on duty,” Cassie Ann said as she flopped rather un-lady like on the couch. Bob sat down next to her and Jake deposited himself in the comfortable chair once more opposite of them.

“I would offer you something to drink but I haven’t a thing in the house but a bag of hot dogs,” Jake said.

“And no mustard,” a man said from a darken doorway that lead to the rest of the house from this living area. They all started at his sudden appearance.

Chapter 2: What Time Is It?

“I am pleased to see that you have found one another. This makes our meeting much more salient,” he said as the man stepped into the room in an assessing manner as he began to pace through the limited walking space. He was a tall gaunt figure made even thinner and loftier by his long dark coat. His hair was black. Heavy brows and a thin hawk-like nose accented his face. His steady eyes were grey possessing an ancient, sage tone. When they engaged each member of this group, they were particularly sharp and piercing. Yet when he was without a subject, the eyes acquired a far away and introspective quality that made one fall in line with self-absorption.

All three of them sat mesmerized by his vision as he walked between them.

He suddenly stopped before Jake. “You are Jakarta Jones, no doubt and while you recently have been ill you have this night consumed a large portion of beef and beer both of which you have spilled upon your shirt.” He stood closer to Jake and sniffed. “I detect the aroma of Saccharomyces pastorianus a very specific yeast found in the lager variety. You drink it for its crisper, cleaner taste.”

Jake looked up at him, cocked his head, and said, “Who are you Sherlock Holmes?”

“Almost certainly it was a lucky guess,” The man seemed to say only to himself as he peered at Jake.

He then looked toward Cassie Ann. “You my dear are the lynch pen for this group. I know that you value control of your actions such that you allowed the others to assume that you too were as intoxicated as they, when you are not in the slightest.”

“How could you have known that?” She replied now suddenly unaffected by drink.

The man smiled at her and said, “Indeed I could not until now. Remember next time not to be too quick to give away the game.”

“As for you Sir,” he said turning to Bob. “You remind me of Watson and Sigerson. “You are earthy but forthright. It will serve.”

He then pulled up a chair twin to Jake’s and sat down. “None of us will have much or for that matter enough time to convey what we must. So do not talk until I am through,” he began. “You were chosen not because you possess special talents which I am told that you do. Rather you are in a unique situation, which should allow you access to the Essential Observer as I call him or her. This person must be stopped at all costs. Jake, not you,” He said turning to Jake. “Will return to discuss the manner of this world’s physics but remember it is the observer with in you that sees reality and not the book within you grasp. You all know of my methods and me. Apply them most strenuously to this task. This is the reason I was chosen to address you.” Then in an instant, he was gone.

All three of them blinked and looked about.

“Was that a dream,” Bob said.

Cassie Ann bolted from the couch with her handgun drawn from her leg holster. “I don’t know why I didn’t respond…I am going to check the rest of the house!”

Jake sat still on his chair as he surveyed the room. The chair he occupied had no twin. The apparition of Holmes had sat in an equally phantom piece of furniture. Cassie Ann returned and declared the house was free of intruders.

“The chair was a clue,” Jake said in response to her. “He was never here. It was a projection. Holmes had no substance nor did his chair.”

“The observer with in you that sees reality,” said Cassie Ann.

“What did he mean by ‘not the book within your grasp’,” Bob asked.

“I think he meant not to trust the written word,” Jake mused.

“All that was very odd,” Cassie Ann added. “Who or what is the Essential Observer?”

“A metaphor perhaps,” Jake replied.

“That’s not something I care for,” Bob said. “Why not just say what you mean.”

“Jake I was wrong you are not a concrete thinker, Bob is,” Cassie Ann injected with an ‘I love you’ smile at her brother.

“Hey it is my job,” Bob said.

“What?” Jake said.

“Didn’t I tell you, I own a construction firm and we specialize foundation and road assembly,” Bob answered.

“You know,” Jake said as he was about to announce an end to this bizarre evening. “I just remembered that I had another visitor yesterday morning when I arrived home. He was inside the house and opened my door to let me inside. In fact he helped me to this chair,” Jake revealed as he placed his hand on the chair to help him recall. “He wasn’t around very long but he told me…”

There was a long pause as Jake thought. “He gave me lotto numbers for tonight. Then again, I went right to sleep after that occurred. Maybe it was just a dream.”

Cassie Ann walked over to a small table near the door and picked up a small piece of paper, “You mean these?”

Jake looked up, “Yes those are the numbers.”

“Wow the jackpot is huge,” she said reading the ticket.

“You don’t suppose they actually are the winning numbers. What time is it?” Bob added as he automatically pulled out his phone and he began to fiddle with the device’s screen.

“Trying to look something up on the internet are you Bob,” Jake said as he stood and approached Bob.

Bob looked up at him. He was clearly confused by his own automatic reactions. “Uh…no…I was going to call the hotline number for the results.”

Cassie Ann looked from one to the other of them. “What’s going on?” She asked.

“Admit it Bob you were going to use your smart phone only here there are no such devices.” Jake said as he popped open his phone and held it out. “They are just phones.”

“Yes actually I was,” Bob finally admitted. “I have…had a 7,” Bob said. “I kept up with my workers on it. They could show me how projects were going with the chat and view apps.”

“You two are scaring me. I don’t know what you are talking about. They are just dumb phones,” she exclaimed.

“It was called Skip or something like that,” Jake added.

“I am not talking about this anymore,” Cassie Ann declared. “Are you going to call that number or not?” She said to her brother. “The odds of winning are so outlandish Jake that if you won then whatever he was yesterday morning, that man was no dream.”

“Ok, here are the winning numbers,” Bob said. “7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and the pow ball is….”

“49,” Jake said.

“Right,” replied Bob. He looked to his sister who was holding the ticket up into the light from a near by lamp.

“That is exactly what I am holding. It is a complete match,” Cassie Ann replied with a quiver in her voice.

“So hey, why aren’t we all excited?” Bob asked.

“I am more scared than excited,” Cassie Ann said as she sat down once more on the couch.

“Don’t you see,” Jake said as he got Bob’s attention. “The numbers are all progressions of 7. It is all the more improbable an outcome, although any group of numbers has the same chance of winning.”

“So you are saying that we didn’t win,” he asked.

“He is saying that something is happening here beyond our understanding,” Cassie Ann replied. “Maybe Bob, we should leave and let Jake deal with it by himself.” She stood back up and headed toward the front door handing Jake the ticket on the way.

“There was one other thing the man said. He told me to find Cassandra. Could you at least help me do that?” Jake asked.

Bob looked at his sister then back at Jake and then again to his sister. “Are you going to tell him or am I?”

She twisted reluctantly to face Jake and bit her lip before she spoke, “My… given name is Cassandra. Cassie Ann is just what my family calls me.”

Chapter 4: Any Given Time

Jake sat once more in his chair. It encircled him in a loving, maternal way. Presently Jake began talking, “Yesterday morning I was just normal me. Then a tire or something hit my car. All of a sudden, my name is Jake Jones instead of Jay Smith. I am sick from the flu. I struggle home to be greeted by a strange man who tucks me into a chair. We discuss Harold Potts…”

“Who?” Bob asked.

“You know Harold Potts, Frogwarts, ….Dumpydoor,” Jake said.

“You mean Hal Pots,” Bob said.

“No I don’t. I read the books multiple times. I love to read…wait a minute no I don’t.”

“Don’t what?” Cassie Ann asked.

“Love to read. I have difficulty reading…or I did,” Jake replied.

“What do you mean,” Bob said. “You were always the best reader in class. You made the rest of us look so dumb,” Bob added.

“I really did not know you very well,” Cassie Ann said but you were the high school Valedictorian when you graduated. And it is Harry Potter.”

Jake looked at each of them and said, “I only wish that things were like that. I am getting a headache. I now have so many conflicting memories,” He said rubbing his temples.

“That’s a tension headache from the way you are acting. Bob can you get some ice and put it in a wash cloth,” Cassie Ann said. “Just clear you mind.” She placed her hand on his shoulder. Suddenly multiple images of her childhood in full vivid details marched past her vision. Cassie Ann in response pulled her hand away as she stumbled to the floor. From this position, she noticed that the chair Jake had been sitting in was glowing. Was it electrical? Was he being slowly fried? She reacted by reaching up grabbing Jake and pulling him out of the chair and onto the floor with her. There they fell into a heap.

Bob hurried in then clutching the ice. He observed the scene and asked. “Hey do you guys need me to give you some privacy or something?”

“What?” cried Cassie Ann. “No!” She rolled Jake off her and he fell on his back.

“Thanks,” he said weakly. “I really need that.”

“You know as her big brother I really should object…but hey, Cass isn’t getting any younger.” Bob said.

Cassie Ann stood up, straighten her cloths and then faced her much larger sibling. Bob backed away. She huffed a bit and calmed herself. Cassie Ann then turned off a nearby light and pointed to the chair. Both of them saw the glow much more distinctly then.

“That sucker is electrical,” Bob said. The lamp next to the chair suddenly flickered on again.

“I turned that off,” Cassie Ann remarked.

“Well now it’s on,” Bob replied.

“Yeah but how? It is not plugged into anything,” Jake said as he moved around the chair making sure not to touch it. As they stood there over a course of several minutes, the glow faded and the chair once more appeared to be conventional.

“Well,” Bob said handing Jake the ice wrap. “I’m going. I have had about enough fun for one Saturday night.”

Cassie Ann looked at Jake. He was better now, much better. In fact, he was too much better for her to be left alone here with him. “Wait… I am coming too.” She said barely tearing her gaze away from him.

“Will we get together later?” Jake asked.

“I can meet you somewhere tomorrow. I have your number,” she said.

“You do?”

“Hey she is a cop. She probably knows your underwear size,” Bob called out as he exited the door.

“Pay no attention to him. Mother always said that he was such a squirmy child that he would always wiggle free from her grasp and fall on his head.”

“I heard that,” Bob called from just out the door.

“That’s good as I hate to have wasted just on Jake,” She said as she smiled and waved good-bye.

Jake shut and locked the door behind them. The lamp by the chair flicker off leaving the living room in semi-darkness. Jake walked over to the chair and studied it. The soft tones of the light allowed its glow to reappear. Jake sat down in it once more. After several minutes, Jake closed his eyes.

When Jake awoke, it was dawn already. He blinked his eyes several times and slowly the room came into focus. He was in bed and Jake knew it was his bed, but the room was different somehow. Just then, the person next to him turned and opened her eyes. She too blinked multiple times. Initially she smiled closed her eyes again and then suddenly woke with a start and sat up.

“Jake?” Cassie said. She then realized that she lacked nightwear and she scrambled to cover herself. “You didn’t see that,” she said in a challenging manner.

“Nope, not at all,” he answered with a grin.

“What am I doing here?” Cassie asked.

“Sleeping, just sleeping,” he assured her. Jake looked at himself under the covers and said to her, “You may want to divert your eyes; I am getting out of bed.” Jake then stood facing away from her, found his jeans and put them on. He stopped at that point and said, “You have been peeking haven’t you?”

“A little,” she said in a quiet voice. The thought that Jake looked different somehow immediately struck her. He was taller and more muscular. But how could that be?

Jake looked out the window, paused and then said, “I am going down stairs, get some coffee and look around.”

“Down stairs but your house doesn’t have a second floor,” she replied.

He looked down at her smiled and said, “Exactly, and that’s why you might want to get dressed and join me.”

He turned to leave. Cassie said, “Clothes?”

“Try the dresser,” Jake said as he pointed to his left. He shut the door behind him.

Jake entered a hallway to his left and continued toward a set off stairs on his right, which descended to the first level. The house was an older dwelling but well kept. The walls were a light yellow in the hallway and white below. In the morning light, it was rather cheery. The case ended in an elevated platform on an open hallway that led to the front door on Jake’s right and to the rear of the house to his left. Before him was a sunken living room which connected to a kitchen on the left. The walls of the kitchen were yellow as well but with a slight orange shade. The cabinets where trimmed in white with glass pocket doors and there was a serving counter between the kitchen and the living room. Four bar stools were placed next to the counter to allow consumption of food and beverages to take place there. Behind the counter was an older woman wearing an apron. She had her back to him. Jake paused, as he did not wish to startle her.

“Come in in dear, have a seat I’ll pour you some coffee and juice,” she said as she turned to face him. “Did you two sleep well?”

“Uh,” Jake muttered.

“Aunt Cassandra,” she assisted him in his confusion as she also took out a glass and a coffee mug from the cabinet to the left of the stove.

“Yeah…ah…slept well.” Jake said as he made his way over to the counter.

“Do you think Cassie will be down soon?”

“She was not altogether yet when I left her.”

“Yes well now that the Time In portion of your journey is almost complete things will be getting a little easier. All these transformation tends to confuse the thoughts.

“You can say that again.”

“Say what,” Cassie said from the top of the stair.

“Good morning, I’ll have your coffee in a second. You like it with one sugar and cream not milk,” Aunt Cassandra said.

“Yes I do,” Cassie said as she came down the stairs. She looked puzzled at Jake and he responded by going over to her.

“She is my Aunt and she owns this place. She already knows you,” he whispered.

“How?” Cassie mouth back at him.

They walked to the counter and Cassie received her mug. It was pink and bore white cursive writing saying “Mistress of the Manor.”

Cassie sipped the beverage and said, “Hmm just how I like it, thanks. Look I am sorry about meeting you this way.”

“What way,” Aunt Cassandra said.

“Ah…sleeping up stairs with ….”

“Your husband, where else should you be?” Cassandra responded as she winked at Jake.

“Husband?” Cassie said as she suddenly felt something on her left fourth finger. It was a band and a diamond ring. The stone was at least a half carrot. She was stunned.

Jake stood and looked at her ring and then held up his left hand to reveal his own.

“These…that wasn’t there a minute ago,” Cassie said.

“Not until you observed it,” Cassandra explained.

“What…wait do you…are referring to quantum mechanics?” Jake asked.

“Goodness no not me,” Cassandra replied. “All I know is sometimes an object is not really there until you see it for yourself. Would you two like some bacon or toast?”

“I’ll take both,” Jake said.

“Well in that case you will want a BLT. So go get the tomato, mayo and lettuce out of the refrigerator. Cassie you’ll want toast no…”

“Butter….” Cassie finished for her.

Jake raised his eyebrows and went to the refrigerator.

Cassie beheld her ring as she moved it about and watched the light create sparkling effects. “I have never possessed something this lovely before.”

“Cassie came over to her with a plate of toast. “I went with Jake to pick out…remember?”

“Yes you told me the next day after he proposed. I…remember the conversation,” Cassie looked up at her puzzled by what she just said.

“Why don’t you come over and sit in this comfortable chair Jake got as a wedding present from Jay and Wood,” Casandra said. “I find that it helps one clear their head.”

“Jake it is the one that glowed last night,” Cassie said.

“Yes the fabric has a florescent lining, so it does that,” Cassandra said.

“Jake?” Cassie said.

“I slept in it last night or at least I started out there. Now look at me. I wake up in bed with a gorgeous woman that I am married to, I live in a fabulous home with an Aunt I never knew and I am eating my favorite sandwich for breakfast. Life is sweet.”

“Jake,” both of them said at the same time as an admonishment.

“Not only do you two look alike but hell you say the same things in unison. Weird…” Jake noted as he took a bit of sandwich.

“You still have a touch of strawberry color to your hair and your eyes are the same shade of green as mine,” Cassie said as she sat down and looked up at Aunt Cassandra.

“Eat your toast my dear,” Cassandra said with a warm smile.

Later that morning Jake was cutting the yard as it was now mid-September with temperatures in the 80’s and the grass was still growing. He seemed to be taking all this sudden life change in stride. Cassie on the other hand, was still trying to put her life in order. She was paging through her wedding album but the memories we faint. She saw Aunt Cassandra out in the back yard in her garden so she went to join her.

Cassandra was digging in the freshly turned dirt with a trowel. She was dressed in a blue and white sundress and she wore a big straw hat.

“Hello dear, you are just in time. Please help an old woman get off her knees,” Cassandra said as she approached. Cassie lent her a hand and she slowly got to her feet. “Thank you so very much. Look, I have a pitcher of lemon-aide over there by the swing. Let’s go and sit like proper folks shall we.”

It was cooler in the shade and the drinks tasted very good. They sat swing for a good long while before either woman spoke.

“You know I was just remembering your wedding here last fall. Jake and that preacher man waited for you over by the arbor.” Cassandra said. “He was so nervous. I thought the boy was going to faint. He worn that white jacket with the black bow tie and cummerbund.”

“He looked really sharp,” Cassie said. “I remember now. My dress was a white, just off the shoulders with short sleeves and lace. I had a bow in the back and a ruffled skirt to my knees. I had a small hat with just the wisp of a vale. Oh, Cassandra I remember it all now. Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she cried as she gave Cassandra a huge hug.

“Well I had some help from that poor old chair,” Cassandra replied. “Tomorrow someone will come and help us sort the whole thing out.”

“Who would that be?” Cassie asked.

“Jake” Cassandra replied.

Jake?” Cassie thought.

Later that night Jake and Cassie lay in bed holding one another.

“Jake,” Cassie said. “I know now that everyone calls me Cassie now but when you hold me could you please call me Cassie Ann?”

Jake grasped her face, looked into her green eyes and said, “Come here….Cassie Ann.”

Jake and Cassie awoke almost in unison the next morning. The sun was up early in fact too early and room was already quite bright.

“Jake I have one really bad headache,” Cassie said.

“Yeah me too Babe.” Jake went to the window and looked out. “What month is it?” He asked.

“Um…I don’t know….June perhaps?”

“I swear yesterday it was September,” Jake replied. “Damn the grass needs cutting again. I don’t know what is happening to us but I am going to find out. Get dressed and meet me down stairs. I need to have a talk with Aunt Cassie.”

When Jake reached the first floor, Cassie was out on the back porch. He we grabbed a cup of coffee and joined her there.

“Good morning dear did you sleep well,” she asked.

Jake sat beside her but he did not reply right away.

“What is happening to us Aunt Cassandra?”

“For me nothing. Each of my days pass one by one with little noticeable change just like they should.”

“For Cassie and me?”

“How many days ago did you win that lottery?” Cassandra asked.

“Two days ago. That was Saturday and today is Monday.”

“For me it has been about two and a half years,” Cassandra replied. “And by the way today is Friday.” She stood and walked toward the door. “I’ll make breakfast.”

“I have more questions,” Jake objected.

“Yes dear but someone is coming today to answer them for you much better than can I.”

Cassandra would only make small talk after that except when she allowed that the lottery winnings were collected and now resided in various accounts and investments that Jake and Cassie had personally selected. When they heard that from Cassandra, suddenly they both could remembering having done this.

Later that morning lawn men came. They cut and edged the lawn. Jake watched but he was not pleased. “I could have done that myself.”

“Jake you are way too busy for all that now,” Cassandra said to him.

“Busy? I am busy doing what?”

“All will be revealed,” Cassandra said.

“No offense Aunt Cassandra but you sound like one of those fortune telling machines.”

Cassandra laughed, but said nothing else.

Finally, about mid-afternoon a Crown Victoria pulled up and parked out front. Two men got out. One from the passenger’s side was tall and dressed in khaki pants, a cream-colored shirt, floppy brim fedora hat and brown boots. The driver was dressed all in black. He wore a suit with a felt fedora hat. They came right up to the front door and let themselves inside.

Cassie took one look at the man in black and said, “Bob? Is that you?”

“Robert Sigerson at your service ma’am,” he replied initially with a flat expression. However, soon it was followed by a wide smile.

“Um Bob….do we have a bit of an English accent?” Cassie said mimicking him.

“Hey I get it from my father,” he replied. “And it is Scottish.”

“My mother, Mary Sigerson is American, so it evens out…sort of,” he said this time with less of an accent.

“Enough of this chit chat we need to talk the older man said. He looked to be in his late forties or early fifties. When he walked into the room, he came face to face with Jake and despite their age differences; the resemblance between them was beyond remarkable. This man sat down in Jake’s chair. Jake for his part stood against a nearby support pillar with his armed crossed. Cassie joined Cassandra on the couch and Bob took a seat to their left.

“Casandra you are looking well. Have you seen him lately?” the man asked.

“He appears once in a while for short periods of time. I hope that we can restore him.” Cassandra answered.

“I am going to try,” the man said.

“I know you will,” she said.

“Okay, let’s get started. My name is Jakarta Rowen,” the man said.

“No friggin’ way!” Jake exclaimed. “You are dressed like him and even look somewhat like him, but we all know that is a fictional character.”

“Look son that would be true if I were from this reality. But seeing as I am not you are just going to have to get over the Jakarta Rowen movies concept. I am the man that those time travel adventure films were made about,” Rowen said.

“Jake he is telling you the truth. Your mother and father actually knew Jakarta Rowen and named you after him.” Cassandra said.

“That makes no since, how did they know a fictional character?”

“Because he was my husband,” Cassandra said.

“What?” Jake said as he now began to pace about. “That would make him…,” he said pointing to Jake, “Your husband then.”

“No I am from a different world or reality if you will. I am another Jake Rowen. You can refer to me as Dr. Rowen if you wish.”

“You have a PhD in physics like the character in the movies?” Cassie asked. “Cassandra is your Aunt then. Her Jake is dead?”

“Her Jake is trapped by a time distortion and can only return if we can shut down the Essential Observer,” Rowen said.

“Who is that?” Cassie asked.

Rowen leaned back in the chair and said, “Let’s start over from the beginning.”

Rowen went on to explain that originally there was Cassandra and her Jake Rowen who went on an adventure into the past essentially to save the world from a Nazi H-bomb. Cassandra returned their mission but Jake did not. Later a second version of Jake and Cassandra occurred from another world, meaning himself. They went again to stop the H-bomb from being built. This was Jake Rowen, the man for whom the movies were made. In fact, their story was one in which there multiple time travel adventures occurred. At the time these individuals believed that, time travel and adventures were just a reasonable part of their world. However, on his “last crusade” so to speak Jake met the Essential Observer.

He was an ordinary appearing young man by the name of John Ripper. John had been part of one of Rowen’s earlier adventure and Rowen had forgotten all about him until he reappeared. The thing about John was that in an instant he could alter everything in Rowen’s life. He could make continents move, he could re-mane people, make them become alive again if they were dead in the past or vice versa. In short, he had become a demi-god. How had he done this? It seems that John explained that he had found a way essential to steal computing ability from every internet device on the planet. It was in such small amounts that no one would ever notice but the combined power of this ultimate machine was beyond anyone’s comprehension. All in all that allowed him to create a super program, if you will a holographic universe of his own.

“John had duplicated our whole world right down to the microorganisms beneath our feet. You, me everyone you ever met are part of this universe that he has created and continues to use merely to amuse himself. This why you experience all these crazy events. John is enamored with us, Cassandra and Jake and he keeps creating us repeatedly to have more adventures. John or as he refers to himself, the Essential Observer is or was in total control.”

“We are nothing more than a computer program? We are not real?” Jake asked.

“Actually Jake I suspect that the reality we were produced from was a computer simulation as well,” Rowen replied. “Regardless something has changed and we need to take advantage of it.”

“What?” Cassie asked.

“I have found out that John the original observer has died. The computer program was perplexed by not having John so it created another one. However, this John Ripper is unaware of the changeover to being a contained version. If you will part of the program.”

“And this helps us how?” Jake asked.

“We can turn him off,” Rowen said.

Almost at the same instant that Dr. Rowen said this, the lights went off for a second and then flickered back on. Immediately cell phones began to chirp with new text and email arrivals. The internet was born into this world.

“John Ripper has arrived,” Dr. Rowen said.

“But how come I remember having the net for years before now,” Cassie said as she stared down at her smart phone.

“Just a second,” Jake interrupted as he went to the window. “It’s dark outside and the room is noticeably colder.”

“Wait for it….there,” Dr. Rowen said.

“It is now mid-December?” Jake asked. “The 14th in fact.”

“And it is 7 pm…!” Cassie added while Cassandra and Dr. Rowen took it all in stride.

“Welcome to The Effect,” Dr. Rowen said.

“The Effect?” Cassie said.

“Before you merely died and went through reality changes we call, Time Out and Time In,” Dr. Rowen explained.

“Merely died,” Jake said rolling his eyes while his phone chirped repeatedly.

Dr. Rowen hesitated waiting for Jake to focus on what he was about to say. “This is The Effect which is not a new and different reality but rather the reforming of this reality by the Essential Observer.”

“So,” Jake began as he glowered at Dr. Rowen. “We are just a computer simulation that is being run by this Zipper guy.”

“Ripper,” Cassie corrected.

Jake glared at her and the turned back to Rowen. “Since I am just a character in a computer game what if I refuse to play?”

“It is not a game. You are as real as you believe yourself to be,” was the text message upon Jake’s phone.

“Who did that?” Jake demanded to know as he showed the room his phone.

Then Cassie’s phone chirped a new and very grandiose ring tone. “You are invited to sky at Mountain View Lodge, Aspen, Colorado on 18 December,” she read aloud. “It doesn’t say who sent it.”

Jake said nothing but he looked around the room and settled on Dr. Rowen. Rowen showed him his empty hands. In a moment, Jake’s phone song out and showed, “John Ripper, EO.”

“EO?” Cassie asked

In unison Jake and Dr. Rowen replied, “Essential Observer.”

“Hmm, Rrrroad Trip!” Cassandra spryly said as she rose from the couch. “We better get prepared. Jake Rowen and Bob are you staying for supper?”

Chapter 5 Road Trip Indeed

Later that night Cassie found Bob talking to Jake. Their voices sounded slightly strained. Jake saw Cassie, smiled and slapped Bob on the back. “Great idea Bob. We will drive there. You get the RV in the morning.” Jake passed Cassis and grinded at her. “It will be great fun,” he said.

Bob watched Jake walk off with somewhat of a different expression but it was difficult to read. He turned to go. Cassie rushed over to him before he retired to the guest room.

“Listen Bob you don’t have to accompany us to the Lodge,” she said.

“Yes I do, it’s my job. Look Sis or…whatever. I remember everything you do. Nevertheless, I am no longer a construction worker. I am a highly trained agent now. And it is Sigerson, Robert Sigerson,” he replied.

Cassie began to laugh. “Your English accent really throws me. You sound just like Sean Connery.”

“Except I am Scottish as is he,” Sigerson corrected.

Cassie sighed deeply in order to regain her composure. “I don’t want you to get hurt on my account.”

“I don’t think that we have a choice in the matter.” Sigerson said without smiling and went to his room. Cassie watched him go and then returned to her room.

Jake turned off the bathroom light as his wife came into the room and sat down on their bed in a huff. Jake paused and waited but Cassie did not look up. Rather she studied the wall in front of her. Jake walked over slowly over and sat down beside her. “Is there a problem?”

“Oh no nothing, yesterday was September and today is December. Tomorrow we are about to travel like mice to the Pied Piper to what….face our deaths! And you come out of the bathroom humming Christmas carols.” Cassie crossed her arms and sighed noisily.

“Ok what’s really bothering you?” Jake asked.

“Oh that wasn’t enough for you?” Cassie said finally turning toward him.

Jake bit his tongue and said nothing. Cassie began to cry and hugged him. Jake grasped her too.

“How do you know that I really love you?” She asked.

“Well I think the way you squeal slightly when…”

“What…I do not! I mean no that’s not what I am talking about.”

Jake just shrugged his shoulders.

“How do you know that we really love each other and it is not just something Ripper created so he can play his games?” She said trying to suppress her tears.

“I see, yes thoughts like those have occurred to me.”

“They have…why didn’t you say something?”

“Because I remembered when I first knew you were the girl for me.”

“When was that?” Cassie asked as she now turned to fully face Jake.

“When you busted down my door and arrested me.”

“You did? And that isn’t exactly how that happened.”

“It’s my memory and I’ll remember how I want. But you in your blue uniform and your big tough cop voice just made my heart explode. You had me at ‘you’re under arrest’.”

“Really ….wait you were not buying my authoritative manner?”

Jake just shook his head and smiled. Then he cocked his head and asked, “What about you?”

“Oh I don’t know. Maybe when I knocked your butt on the floor to get you out of that electric chair.”

“So saving my ass turned you on to me?”

“Yeah sort of like caring for an injured bird or something like that,” she said with a smirk and then Cassie kissed Jake in a non-playfully way.

Dr. Rowen returned home to a living room laid out similar to the one he had just left but with different furniture. Sandy was there but she did not look happy. Jake quickly realized that they were not alone. Three military officers stood almost at attention just about ten feet away. Sandy joined Jake and stood quite close to him.

“What do you want General Black?” Jake asked gruffly.

The officer in the middle was a tall African-American male. His nametag bore the name “Black”. He stepped forward; his grim look was one of determination mixed with near rage.

“I want the EO removed immediately,” he demanded.

Jake let out a short laugh and said, “What do you expect me to do? Should I just walk up to Ripper and say, your god ship will you please just fade away into another reality or better yet make General Black the EO.”

“You promised that you would destroy him,” the general shouted back at Jake.

“I promised that I would render him ineffective after you openly treated me and my family,” Jake retorted.

“I am running out of patience, Dr. Rowen.”

“Yes patience does not seem to be one of your redeeming traits,” Jake agreed. Jake decided to ramp down the discussion. “Look we can stand here and bicker all night but the truth is that we both want Ripper stopped. I have a plan and it is in motion as we speak.”

Black seemed to become less tense. “Yes we have been monitoring the situation. I must say that I have serious doubts about your team.”

“They are perfect for the job. They only have to distract Ripper long enough for me to act,” Jake answered.

“To me they appear to be at best inept and too young for such an important mission,” Black shot back at Jake.

“Do you have a better idea?” Jake said. “You could try the full frontal assault idea again. Let’s take a guess how many regimens you will have obliterated this time.”

Black’s look of anger returned, “I lost many good men. I will have you know. It is nothing to be scoffed at.”

“Then all the better to try it my way,” Jake replied sincerely.

The general motioned to his men and they moved past Jake and Sandy to the front door. “Time is running out Dr. Rowen,” Black said grimly as he exited their home.

“He is worse than facing the Nazi’s,” Sandy said as she watched him go. “I can’t believe that our government would allow such behavior toward civilians.”

“Who says that our government has any ties with the likes of General Black,” Jake replied.

“Then who does he report to?” Sandy asked.

“I have no idea. It is all an amorphous force operating independently under the banner of black ops,” Jake said as he hugged his spouse and pulled her close. “But rest assured I will not let them harm any of us or our extended family.”

“I believe you, Jake,” Sandy said softly.

The next morning Cassie got up before Jake and made her way down stairs to find Cassandra making breakfast. As Cassie sat down on the bar stool, Cassandra smiled and handed a mug of coffee to her. Cassie thanked her and then looked around the rooms. She saw a large numbers of Christmas decorations all over the area. None of them had been present the night before.

“Did you stay up all night decorating?” She asked.

Cassandra turned the bacon and said, “We put them up after Thanksgiving. Wait a few more seconds Dear and you will recall doing that.”

Cassie drank her coffee and finally said, “Yes now I do and it was great fun, but I hate this ….”

“I just call it The Effect.” Cassandra grabbed her cup and sat down next to Cassie. “You see as Jake…that is Dr. Rowen explained we always had some E to A changes. Desi Arnez becomes Desi Arnaz; Ithica New York becomes Ithaca and so on. Without the internet those things would largely go unnoticed.”

“What causes that? Surely the EO doesn’t mess around with things like that.” Cassie asked.

“Oh I guess he could, but Jake said that it was part of the way things naturally worked. Realities simply crossed over and sometimes even crossed back again. They always have and always will. However, big changes took the EO. Otherwise Australia wouldn’t be sneaking up Papa New Guinea’s backside.”

“But why even do that?” Cassie asked.

Cassandra took Cassie’s mug and went to get them more coffee. “I suppose it is like a child with a new toy. They just have to try the thing out to see how it works.” She poured out the coffee and returned to her seat. “Speaking of which do you want children dear?”

“Um…you mean with my coffee?” Cassie laughed as she took her mug from Cassandra.

By late morning, the trio was set to leave for Colorado. Robert had driven off in his car and then returned in an RV. It was large, shiny and aerodynamically built. The vehicle combined the cab portion into the living space with room for a kitchen, dining area, bath and bedroom. Cassie while touring the place casually asked where Robert intended to sleep. He smiled and then went to a master control panel where he used the controls to lower a hidden ceiling entrance.

“Up there is a queen size bed, security camera/TV and a full bathroom,” Bob said with a broad smile.

“No way,” said Cassie as she peered up the stairs.

“Alright I was kidding about the bathroom,” Robert laughed.

Jake opened the side door and examined walls, “Armor plated?” He asked.

“Yep and the window are bullet proof,” Robert replied.

“Are we expecting trouble?” Cassie asked.

“It’s best to be prepared,” Jake Rowen said, as he seemed to just appear out of nowhere.

Cassie startled some but she remained calm. She turned to Rowen and asked, “Are we just bait for your trap or what?”

He paused and regarded her. “Not bait, just passengers on an adventure,” He answered as he pushed past her into the rear of the motor home.

Cassie began to show anger and Jake placed a hand on her shoulder. He passed on into the rear section and he and Dr. Rowen exited through the back tailgate.

Jake guided the older version of himself off down the street obsessively for a walk but the two men seemed anything but casual as they marched along. Cassie and Robert could hear their voices rise as they walked off but soon they were out of sight. Several minutes later Jake returned alone.

Jake appeared disturbed as he approached the RV. However, he said nothing immediately. Instead, he marched around examining the van and closing all the doors as if to see how well built it was. Eventually he sat down in one of the three captain’s chairs. The one he choose was the one next to the driver’s seat. He sat there for a while studying the front panel controls before turning to face Robert and Cassie. To Robert he resembled a young James Kirk as Jake gave the impression of taking command.

“Make no mistake,” he began. “We are not on some joy ride to a Christmas vacation. Dr. Rowen has no… exact knowledge of the perils we face except that he expects possible life threating risks. As far as Rowen is concerned, none of us has to go. Ripper on the other hand may force each of us to travel anyway.”

“So we are more like pawns than bait,” Cassie added.

“Rowen will be following us but we will not ever see him. For some reason Ripper cannot see him either as Rowen moves in and out of time. It seems that there are limits to being all knowing,” Jake continued.

“The program has its own rules appearently,” Robert added.

“Does the program favor us or are we just chest pieces to it?” Cassie asked.

“There is a saying in the village where I trained with a group of strange folks called Rectins. Anyway it goes something like this, ‘God favors the ones that reoccur as they are the ultimate salvation of the program’.”

“And that means?” asked Cassie.

“No idea,” Robert said as he sat down in the driver’s chair. “I am ready to go when you are Captain,” he said to Jake in as thick a Scottish brogue as he could muster.

“Excellent Mr. Scott, what about you Spock?” Jake said as he turned to Cassie. She knew what he meant. Are you going or not was the question. Moreover, if you are going, are you willing to take the challenge on with a bit of humor?

“It would seem the logical thing to do, Captain,” she answered.

Robert turned on the engine and their Enterprise rolled off.

If one is driving from Fort Worth, the trip to Aspen is not quick or easy. First, one can go to Amarillo and then on to the smaller panhandle town of Dalhart, which took them about eight hours. This was enough for the first day.

“So I’ve got a question,” Cassie asked after they had stopped for the night at a motor park. “Why didn’t we just fly?”

“You mean that you aren’t enjoying the ride,” Robert asked.

“Well besides this area of the state being the flattest, most non-viable region on the planet and the temperature has dropped forty degrees, I am having a friggin blast. What about you two?”

Jake who had just returned from attaching the connections to the utilities, smirked and said, “I love the cold.”

“You breakout with a rash when the temperature drops below 50,” Cassie replied.

“Ok so I have cold urticaria. I took my antihistamine and I am feeling… itchy as hell,” he said as he rubbed his neck.

“Flying… why are we not flying?” Cassie repeated.

“It’s a bit hard to smuggle guns on to the plane,” Robert answered.

“We are packing? Why didn’t you tell me?” Cassie asked.

Robert looked to Jake and finally Jake looked back at Cassie. “Would you have objected?” He said in a low voice.

“Damn right I would. I am or I was when I was a police officer, trained on the proper use of a hand held weapon. You two certainly are not. You could end up getting us killed!”

“Actually, we are trained in the use of multiple types of weapons,” Sigerson said. “The training in fact went far beyond anything most police have ever done.

“We just did not want to have to discuss it with you,” Jake said.

“And why not?” She asked.

“Because until yesterday that training had never happened for me at all,” Jake replied. “I didn’t even own a gun. Now I am James Bond or something.”

“And when I went to retrieve the van today I further discovered that not only was it fully armored but that we have this cache of weapons,” Robert said as he opened a panel in the wall of the vehicle. Inside were pistols, rifles and even grenades.

Cassie stood up in response and walked as if in a trance over to the storage area. She then turned to them bearing a horrified expression. “Who are we supposed to do combat with, the US Marines?”

“I don’t know, maybe or maybe not, the EO could be just playing mind games with us. It is impossible to know,” Jake answered. “We had planned to show you this tonight anyway.”

“Yeah but not this morning, I know you Jake Jones. You didn’t say a word because you knew that I would have baulked at going.” Cassie said as she pointed a finger at him.

“I talked it over with Dr. Rowen. I couldn’t let you stay behind and I knew we had to be going. What was I to do?” he replied lamely.

“I am your wife, Jake. You talk to me, not Jake Rowen. We, you, I and Robert are in this together or not at all. I feel shanghaied, mad and… very hungry. What have we got to eat?”

“Eat?” Jake replied.

“Yeah I know I should be very angry now, crying and hostile, the whole female bit but suddenly I am not. It is probably that damn peeping Tom EO pulling my emotional plug,” she answered as she went over to the freezer and began to sort through it. Jake went over and touched her gently on the back. “Back off bub, I may not be emotionally charged but you are still in the dog house. You can sleep with Robert tonight. And by the way, you are no James Bond.”

Robert looked alarmed and Jake mainly appeared pained.

In the night, Jake awoke multiple times to Robert’s snoring and the heat generated by him and their elevated loft. Finally, at around 2 am he climbed down the latter and curled up with a blanket in a captain’s chair. Moments later, he heard Cassie leave her bed and go into the bathroom. He assumed that she would return straight into her bed but to his surprise and with a little dread, she walked into the kitchen and sat down across from him. As she did, Robert gave out a loud snore and tumbled over in his bed above them. In the ambient light, Jake could see Cassie smile.

“He has always done that even as a kid,” Cassie said.

“It seems that the change us is mostly superficial,” Jake said.

“No you are definitely more of a take charge kind of guy now,” she replied.

“Which gets me in trouble with you,” Jake countered.

“I don’t want you to exclude me from things just because you want to protect me. That makes me feel…I don’t know inadequate.”

“I wanted you to feel safe,” he replied.

“But we are not!” She sighed. “I was a cop. I know how to use a weapon and I am not afraid to when it is necessary. Don’t under estimate me and don’t coddle me. I am stronger than you think!”

“I love you,” Jake said as he hugged her.

“I love you too,” she answered.

“And I am trying to get some sleep up here,” Robert called out from above. “Will you two get a room or something?”

Jake looked at Cassie as if to ask to joiner in bed. “Alight,” she said. “I am cold in bed without you, but you are still in the dog house so don’t you try anything.”

“Jake, she never says what she really means,” Robert called out.

“Quiet you or I will sneak jalapenos in your eggs in the morning.” Cassie shouted up to Robert.

The morning was cold but bright. As they ate, Jake kept watch. He studied the campgrounds. Presently, Jake bolted from the van. He soon returned.

“Get ready to go now. I will spike the utilities,” Jake whispered.

“Watch is the matter?” Cassie asked.

“Everyone else is gone including the owner,” Jake answered with deep concern.

Robert and Cassie nodded and went to work. Within 15 minutes, they were packed up and ready to go. Jake studied his earth map on his phone.

“Forget going through the entrance it is way too narrow. When you get to the common road hook a right and put the hammer down,” he told Robert.

“There is a back way out?” Cassie asked.

“Maybe but if not we will make one,” Jake replied. “You good with that?” He said to them both.

“Good, mate I was made for this,” Robert replied.

Cassie baring a determined expression merely nodded.

Robert did what Jake asked as he turned and the RV began to shake on the rocky camp road. Jake sitting next to him in the passenger’s seat watched the rear camera view. Abruptly a light tan Humvee darted out from behind a rocky fence and then behind it came another. The race was on.

The RV had a quarter mile lead but the smaller sedans were catching up fast. In fact, Jake knew that they would never out run them. He went to the weapon’s case and he pulled out a grenade launcher.

“Jake for heaven’s sake, what are you thinking?” Cassie demanded to know.

Jake pointed forward at a bridge ahead. It span a large dry creek bed. “After we pass…” is all he managed to say. He got up, grabbed Cassie and ran to the back bedroom. “Quick get the bed out of the way,” Jake declared.

Cassie and Jake together swiftly detached the center section of the bed and Jake then opened the rear door just as they broached the wooden bridge. With the grenade attached and ready, he launched it immediately after they were clear of the structure. The blast was still close enough to them that chards of the ruined structure struck them. Neither of them were injured but both of them heard ringing in their ears.

The two Humvees grinded to a stop shortly as one of them then quickly tore out to side and jumped into the creek bed at a forty-five degree angle. The vehicle missed the remains of the bridge and then began efforts to climb the bank ahead of them. The second one veered off to its left in search of a shallow crossing.

“Jake there is chain linked fencing ahead,” Robert yelled.

Jake closed the gate and yelled back, “Look for a gate.”

“And if it is locked,” Cassie said as they made their way up front.

“Hey I’m not afraid to scrape off a little paint woman,” he replied.

Sure enough, that is exactly what happened as they burst through a back entrance that had been chained closed. The road beyond was dirt but it did not provide much of a deterrent as Robert quickly returned them to the highway.

“Left to Colorado,” Robert asked.

“No right back to Amarillo,” Jake replied.

“To through them off,” Cassie said.

“That but I also have a purchase to make,” Jake answered.

Once they hit town Jake began to track down care dealerships. Fortunately, he found just the right vehicle to be their trail car.

“This baby can do 200,” Jake said of the yellow Bentley Continental Flying Spur. “And it’s a convertible.”

“Need I remind you my dear husband that it is 28 degrees,” Cassie replied.

“It’s your car and you get to drive,” Jake retorted as he handed Cassie the keys.

“In that case, what are we waiting for? Get in!” she exclaimed.

Of course, the cold got the best of them so the top went up, after a few minutes of cool exhilaration. Now it was time to take the road to Aspen, which was in actuality multiple roads, highways and interstates none of which lead directly there from Amarillo. Nonetheless, by late in the afternoon they made Granite, Colorado, turned left and began their ascent toward Aspen. Robert drove the RV some two miles ahead of them and being “the chase car” meant that Cassie stay behind by a mile as Jake kept them all in place by phone. All a while Jake watch their rear for closing vehicles.

“So do you still believe those guys in the Hummers will be back?” Cassie asked Jake.

“Who drives Hummers?” Jake asked her.

“I don’t know,” spoiled rich guys.

“Sure but spoiled rich guys don’t stage a trap like this morning with such precision.”

“Military?” Cassie asked. “But why, I thought they wanted us to lead them to The EO.”

“They were and probably still are trying to deliver a message.” Jake concluded.

“Message?” Cassie replied, “To us?”

“No, not for us, The EO. It is something like ‘we don’t accept your absolute authority’. Translation your minions can be messed with and so can you.”

Cassie thoughtfully frowned at him. “So my present is our defense against…what road rage?”

“Something like that. Are your prepared?”

As Cassie eased off the gas she looked at him. “You remember me telling you about police chase training?”

“Yeah you said you learned a lot about car maneuvering,” Jake answered.

“I was the lead instructor,” Cassie said with a sly grin.

Jake smiled and looked once more in the side mirror and then his smile turned grim back at her. In the dappling evening light, a car was gaining upon them at a high rate of speed. Then a few seconds later, a second car appeared just behind the first. Cassie began to gun the engine. Jake touched her arm.

“No don’t speed up. In fact slow down to a nice leisurely pace,” Jake said. “They don’t know this car,” Jake continued as he sat low in his seat. “Keep you sun glasses on and place this ski cap on too. When they pass wave in a way that covers your face. Once they are out of sight get ready to rumble.”

Jake was practically upon the floor when he talked to Robert. “Our friends have returned and they are still in the same army surplus jeeps,” Jake said tongue-in-cheek.

“So we are still on for bump and run?” Robert asked.

“Bump and run?” Cassie said. As she now began to accelerate.

“Affirmative,” Jake replied in the phone. Then he sat up in his seat once more and smiled.

“What?” Cassie asked.

“I did tell you that our RV is heavily armored right.”

“Yeah, so Robert is protected from a few bullets.” Cassie replied.

“Well yes, but it is more like, nothing on the road can put much of a dent into it either,” Jake said.

The road up the range of mountains was well maintained but because of the nature of inclines, it had multiple hairpin turns. It did not take the Bentley much time to catch up. As they approached, Cassie and Jake could perceive that one of the Hummers was riding Robert’s tail extra close. Jake looked down at his GPS read out.

“You have about 2 miles of straight road ahead,” Jake told Cassie.

Cassie set her jaw and slammed on the gas. The Bentley sailed by the trailing Hummer, past the squeezed in RV and a head of the lead Hummer that was preparing to force Robert off the road. She shoot past them both as if getting ready to take the first right hand pin turn and then she suddenly hit the brake hard. The hummer did likewise but Robert did not. Instead, he plowed into the Hummer’s left rear. The Humvee was heavy but his weight was no match for the armor plated RV. The Hummer was shoved to its left and the driver tied to correct and hit the brake at the same time causing it to skid off the road and land hard into a guard rale and ditch. The driver appeared to be unhurt but the Humvee was totaled.

Meanwhile Cassie accelerated up the incline and Robert did too. The trailing Humvee at first hesitated at the scene of the wreck, but seeing their man was ok the two soldiers in this car speed up as well. The incline was too straight for the Humvee to get a bearing upon the Bentley so when Cassie did a 180 degree bat turn and headed back down the incline they had no clue that she was coming for them. Cassie whizzed past both vehicles and then repeated her daring maneuver that once more had her gaining on the rear of the trailing Humvee.

Then a flash of light could be seen in the failing day light and Jake knew what it was.

“The guy in the passenger’s seat is shooting at us,” Jake called out. Jake pulled out his Gluck and returned fire. Despite the fact that neither man could actually aim very well from fast moving cars, the two of them exchanged a volley of bullets from positions hanging out their passenger side windows. The RV took another pin turn followed closely by each of the cars. Now the straightaway was in front of them and though it was mildly curvy this stretch of road was at least seven miles long. The Humvee wasted no time it speed up to the rear of the RV and the passenger brazenly open his door, leaned out and grabbed on to the latter on the right rear side of the RV. He jumped on to it and he began to climb up toward the top.

“Get me up there,” Jake cried out.

“Jake that’s crazy. I thought the RV was armored,” Cassie said back to him.

“Not the top! Who armor plates the top?” Jake bellowed.

Cassie’s mouth went slack before she again set her jaw. “Jake don’t let that guy shoot my baby brother!” she hollered.

The Bentley again speed up. This time, Cassie did the ramming. She smashed and then propelled the Mummer off the road. Then she righted her vehicle and Jake scurried to the ladder as shots rang out overhead. Jake wasted no time in grabbing the ladder and charging up to the roof of the RV.

By this time, the RV was swaying back and forth which meant that either Robert had been hit or he was trying to make the shooter miss as he was flung back and forth. The Jake realized it could possibly be both scenarios at the same time. Whatever the situation was the soldier was clinging on the a rale on the top left side as he tied to reach over and regain his weapon that he had appearently dropped from the force of the various maneuvers that Robert was performing.

Jake grasped the right side rale as he fell forward. The soldier looked up and saw Jake just as he regained his firearm. Jake had no choice except to release his hold and lunge at the man. The jump by Jake coincided with Robert turning his wheels to the right, which add momentum and speed to Jake’s leap. Jake crashed into the soldier and knocked the pistol away as it discharged another round. The soldier still held on to the weapon as Jake grabbed the man’s right arm to keep him from taking aim at him again. The two men struggled. The soldier began to punch at Jake but the blows were largely ignored by him as Jake got into position to place both of his hands upon the man’s right arm. The RV suddenly took a hard left as Robert made it to a second hairpin turn. Jake and the soldier both tumbled to the opposite side of the RV. They both slid over the side and each seized the right hand rale as their legs dangled over the side. The man’s weapon was lost from sight.

The other man was younger and more athletic than Jake was. He kicked Jake in the groin. Jake clutched his abdomen with his right hand while he still held on to the rale with his left. The soldier then crawled up to the top and looked down at Jake. He then placed his foot on Jake’s left hand and he began to slowly place more and more pressure on Jake’s fingers. Jake said something to him but in the noise of squealing tires and roaring engines, the man could not hear him.

“What did you say?” The soldier asked as he leaned over the rale in a congenial fashion.

Jake shouted out, “I’ve got your gun!” He then lifted his right hand and fired the weapon. The soldier tumbled over the side on to the road below. Cassie managed to call Robert and the RV began to slow and eventually stop. Cassie ran to Jake as Robert helped him to the ground.

“So you are not wounded?” Jake asked Robert.

“A flesh wound to my right arm,” Robert said as he showed Jake the make shift bandage he had managed to apply.

“How about you?” Cassie asked.

“My hands sure do hurt,” Jake answered as he showed them some bloodied fingers.

“Harrison Ford would have been proud of you,” Robert said.

“More like Chris Pine,” Jake replied as they helped him to his feet.

Chapter 6-

Boldly Going Where Mankind Has Never Ventured Before

They reached the lodge well after dark. It was snowing moderately. As Jake stepped from the car, he noticed that his hands no longer smarted from the trauma he had born. In the light of the car headlamps, he saw that his hands were unscathed. In addition, the car’s bumper was not marred. Robert approached the car and as he did, Jake noted that he too was now whole.

“I guess that our little difficulties on the way here have been managed for us,” Cassie said.

From behand them a voiced boomed out,” Yes Madam Mr. Ripper does like things to be tidy. No one or thing was damaged on your way here,” said a very tall man in butler’s attire.

They all turned to view him in the dim light. He was older with an air of dignity and grace. Robert thought that he detected a slight smile on the man’s face.

“I am Alfred, please follow me,” he instructed them as he abruptly turned and marched off toward the house. “The help will retrieve your possessions,” he called back to them.

“Alfred,” Cassie said, “Wasn’t that the name of…”

“Yes Bruce Wayne,” Jake finished.

“Well on to the Bat Cave,” Robert added as they fell in behind the man.

The lodge was not exactly a cave however; it was extremely large and cavernous, especially since it was evidently constructed to accommodate hundreds of guest with three levels of rooms and no one else seemed to be about at the moment.

“Where do we check in,” Robert asked.

Alfred stopped and adroitly pivoted about. “There is no need Sir. The facility is entirely owned and managed by Mr. Ripper. As you may have suspected you are his only guests. Your keys are in envelopes adjacent to the hearth.”

Alfred indicated with a long outstretched arm, a fireplace located in the middle of the lodge that was open to the inhabitants on all of its sides. It was lit and in full blaze.

“When you have refreshed yourselves, you may attend to your evening meal in the dining gallery at the far end of the great hall. Order what you desire. The staff will be pleased to have someone to care for,” Alfred said as he started to leave. He abruptly stopped and turned toward them once more. “You may tip the staff, but never myself.” Again, he showed his slight grin and he sharply strode off down a side hall.

“I feel like I am in a movie,” Cassie said.

“Yes the one that comes to my mind is Murder By Death,” Robert said.

“I remember that one, the mystery one with all the famous detectives. It was very funny,” Cassie responded.

“I am not expecting any other adventurers to show up here,” Jake retorted.

“You never know,” Robert said as they made their way to the fire.

Robert had a suite at the north end of the building while Jake and Cassie had one at the south end. They agreed to meet for dinner in a half hour. It took then almost ten minutes to walk to their rooms. The rooms were almost too enormous to believe. It opened by double doors to a living area with multiple chair and a couch in front of a gas fire. Next to this area were two spacious bedrooms on either side. A fully stocked wet bar, kitchen area and a dining room large enough for eight people were located to the rear of the living room.

“Too bad were did not ask your aunt and uncle to come with us,” Cassie said to Jake as she surveyed the space.

Jake shrugged. “The EO is trying to impress us.”

“And he is certainly accomplishing that,” Cassie rejoined.

Dinner in the gallery was interesting and spooky. Hunting heads of enormous beast hung on the high over reaching second deck. The expanse was littered with hunting and fishing gear attached to the walls with outdoor scenes in paintings hung in between. The furniture was of roughhewn wood darkly stained and yet surprisingly comfortable. The large picture window that they were seated next to had exterior lighting, which displayed the now heavy snowfall as it gracefully flew by. Another large fire was close by.

“I think that I could get use to this,” Cassie said as she looked out the window.

“It is beginning to seem a bit too pat for me,” Robert said.

“Keep your guard up, this is distracting,” Jake replied.

“Boys why can’t you relax sometimes,” Cassie answered.

“Indeed you are correct Ms. Jones,” Said a voice from behind them. There stood a short man with a stocky build who had a disarming smile.

“Mr. John Ripper,” Jake said.

“Indeed I am, Jake Jones,” he replied. “Your adventure today was quite entertaining. I was impressed,” Ripper said as he approached but stood away from the table.

“Entertaining, that is an interesting choice of words,” Jake retorted.

“I see all Mr. Jones and I did contribute to your outing by providing the cast of characters.”

“Ah yes the army types,” Robert noted.

“Actually marines Mr. Sigerson. They were well muscled, youthful and armed, but not too bright,” Ripper responded.

“I wanted to see how you would respond.”

None of them replied. Ripper smiled widely. “Excellent non-response. You are offended but not complaining. You exceed my hopes. Tomorrow we go skiing but tonight enjoy yourselves there is no harm to you here at the lodge. Order what you wish. My wine list is superb,” Ripper said as he abruptly turned and left.

Jake watched him go. The others were looking toward him as he turned back to the table. “Drink up I think he means what he says.”

“And he implies?” Cassie said.

“Much,” Jake responded.

Mann’s Deli was a restaurant in the village of Snowmelt near the base of the mountain by the same name. It was the place that Ripper gave them to meet him late the following morning. When the three of them entered, the place all the noise of the bustling business there ceased and all twenty or so patrons turn as one to look at Jake, Robert and Cassie. Three some stopped and stared back.

“As you were,” blurted Jake and suddenly all returned to the way it was just moments before with hungry customers lined up for food or sitting at tables with no one looking in the direction of the newcomers. The noise level was high and yet not so much that it was intolerable.

They took a table near the large plate-glass front window. The furniture was metal chairs and tables and the tables had red and white checkered cloths on them. After a few minutes, a blond waitress with very blue eyes came over to hand out menus. She wore a yellow dress with a white pinafore and she looked like she just stepped off the 50’s bus from Albuquerque. She smiled brightly and said, “You’ll are realers right?”

“Realers?” Cassie asked.

“You know real folk not vapes like us,” she replied in an overly sweet east Texas drawl.

“Vapes meaning, vaporous manifestations?” Robert asked.

“Yeah were hollow grains thingies. We just got born this morning.”

“You mean holograms?” Robert replied.

“Don’t know, but that could be right. What you all want to drink?”

All the vapes were again staring at them. They ordered water all around and the waitress left. But she immediately returned this time in a blue pinafore.

“I am real anxious to see if you can actually drink this stuff. Every time we try it just spills all over the place,” she said laying the glasses down very carefully. Now what you havin’?”

“We are waiting on someone, Kate,” Jake answered as he looked at her nametag and carefully took a sip of water.

“My, it stayed inside ya. If that don’t beat all. Oh the OE said to order and he would be along.”

They did and she hurried off and was finally gone for a while. Jake looked outside and noticed that through the window no one came of left the deli but people or vapes came and went all the time. They simply appeared as the entered and disappeared when they left. Obviously part of this hologram was incomplete.

Kate returned from the kitchen carrying a try with three sandwiches. She carefully lowered the try and placed the plates upon the table. The three of them tentatively reached out and touched their food. It seemed solid enough.

“I say if you cannot swallow water how do you carry the items to the table like you did?” Robert asked.

“Really you can’t guess,” Kate replied.

“They items were not real until she put the plates down,” Jake said as he grasped his turkey Rubin and ate a bite as the other two watched. “It is alright, good in fact.”

“Best in town,” Kate said. “You seem to be the smart one of the group,” she said as she reached out and touched Jake’s shoulder with her hand. Jake did not appear to notice as he took another bite. Kate leaned into him and almost whispered in his ear, “Want to find out what a vape is really like or what they like?”

“That is enough, back off!” Cassie said as she stood and positioned herself between Kate and Jake.

“You realizes women are really possessive,” Kate said as she looked down at Cassie from a height well over six feet. Kate handed another waitress her tray and tried to stretch herself to look even taller.

“I’ll have you know that he is my husband,” Cassie snapped back at her, as she too stood tall and determined.

Jake then stood up and positioned himself between them. He momentarily touched Kate’s arm and felt absolutely nothing. It was a very strange sensation or lack of one. “Alright now everyone just tone it back a peg,” he added.

Nothing was said for a couple of minutes as the tension seemed to drain. Kate turned toward Robert.

“What about him. Do you own him too?” She inquired.

“He is my brother,” Cassie responded.

Robert now too stood and cleared his throat as he slightly moved toward Kate.

“In some realities I am but in others I am his brother,” Robert said as he indicated Jake with an extended hand.

“Oh I see,” Kate said with a knowing smirk. “A kinky little family thing.”

Cassie wheeled around Jake’s out stretched arm and slapped Kate in the face. However, there was no resounding or satisfying accompanying sound of hand striking skin. Instead, Kates face instantly dissolved. When in a few seconds her face reformed, the features were out of focus and out of place. Her mouth was off center and her nose was pushed up between her eyes.

Kate screamed out and ran out of the room. One of the Vape customers cried out, “She made Kate’s face fall into discontinuity.” The Vapes as a group then suddenly backed away from Cassie.

Cassie looked down at her hand as she tried to fathom what she had done.

Then the room grew very still and the Vapes looked toward the front of the room. John Ripper had come through the doorway.

“Leave,” is all he said and immediately the room was empty.

Ripper walked over to their table and said, “I apologize. They were just created today and have little real world experience. They may look like adults but truly, the Vapes are mere children.

Ripper took a chair and sat down. Gradually the others did as well.

“We need to talk about some things,” he began. “You may think me as a kind of a villain who demonically creates existences for enslaved individuals.”

“That is about right,” Jake responded.

Ripper blanked faced looked at him for a very long moment and then continued. “I have made a discovery that will quite possibly free us all from this existence.”

“Why would you want that?” Jake responded. “You are a god.”

“Jake would you like to be the EO? I can arrange that if you like. I assure you that it is not a lot of fun. I work very hard not to harm, kill or destroy anything in our worlds and like the man strolling on a sidewalk I unknowingly trample small creatures under foot. It brings me no pleasure.”

It was not the kind of reply Jake was expecting.

“I need your help. I have discovered something vast in perspective to ourselves. However, I alone do not have the intellect to know how to use it.” Ripper directed his gaze on to the table instead of them.

“If you don’t then who does?” Robert asked.

“Well certainly not the military and especially not General Black,” Ripper snapped back as he again faced them.

“What can we do?” Cassie asked.

“I need all of you and by that I mean each one of your Cassandra group. I have dealt with your people in the past and I trust you to help on this.”

“This what,” Jake almost whispered.

“Come with me and I will real it to you. We must hurry. I have all we need outside.”

When they left the diner, they found two hummers already in place, running and waiting on them.

Cassie quickly pulled Jake aside. “Do you trust him?”

“No of course not,” he replied.

“Good then we will be fine,” she said as she kissed him. They began to follow the others again.

“Um you really did not think that… woman was…” Jake said.

“Coming on to you? Hell yes she was, but I am not going to let a Vape vamp touch you ever,” Cassie replied.

“That’s comforting,” Jake smiled. Then he stopped and looked at her. “I guess.”

“That depends,” she answered.

“On what?”

“On if you touch back,” Cassie said smiling.

“That’s what I thought.” Jake replied.

Ripper insisted that Jake ride with him in the lead vehicle and Cassie and Robert would follow in the second one. As they climbed began the climb up the mountain road, Jake looked to Ripper and asked, “Why the theatrics? If you wanted to take us somewhere, you could just do that. You didn’t need any cars.”

“Actually I really dislike that. It makes me feel so unhuman to zap places,” Ripper answered.

“You are trying to convince me that being the EO is not something you desire.” Jake noted.

“I did not choose this something else did,” Ripper said.

“Something else?”

“You will see. Besides I need for you to remember how to get here.”

“Why?”

“Because the military is trying to kill me and probably they soon will.”

Jake regarded him. Was he serious? Jake decided that he was. Ripper then proceed to point out various markers along the way to direct them to the place they were headed. “You must recall this later when you are no longer you.” Ripper added.

Jake did not reply but he did study the road and tried to memorize the trail. The trail did wind about and snow equipment was needed to traverse the way. With multiple alternative roads, that one could take the path was indeed confusing but Jake took it all in as they went upward. Before too long the road became a solitary route. Eventually they stopped at a place adjacent to the roadway.

It was very cold and windy here and they all stood fast against the breeze. “That road continues on for a ways but there is only snow blocking it after a few hundred feet,” Ripper shouted to be heard. “Come with me.”

“You would think a god could at least calm the wind,” Robert said to Cassie.

“Maybe he already has,” Cassie replied as she pulled her hood of her jacket down to cover her head.

Robert paused to look at her as she strode off.

They hiked a few feet, then rounded a portion of the mountain, and unexpectedly walked right into a cave. The opening was just large enough to allow one person to enter at a time. Once inside the air was warm and pleasant. There was a soft humming noise beyond a curve that also was well lit. A massive room opened up and it extended far beyond the machinery just ahead. By referring it to machinery, one could not exactly be sure that was the proper term. It rather looked like a machine and it did not. It was not metallic or plastic but it rather looked like a gelatinous form. It hummed like machinery but there were no knobs or levers of any recognizable types. There was no screen or control panels. It slowly changed colors from a light brown to a pale green and back again. The thing filled the wall and then continued beyond that into a….infinite looking space.

“What in blazes is this thing?” Robert asked.

“I call it Mach, but it has never told me what its actual name is if it even has one,” Ripper said.

“You make it sound like it is alive,” Cassie said.

“As far as I know it may be the only thing here that genuinely is,” Ripper replied.

“Wait so this thing gives you your powers?” Jake said.

Ripper sighed, “I think so but I have not been able to discern what it does exactly. I may be the EO but this is the real observer.”

“How do you know that?” Cassie asked.

“Because it summons me here to talk to it,” Ripper said as he stared into its emptiness. “It asked me questions and gives me evaluations on my actions. It seems to want to teach me and at the same time learn from me.”

There was a long pause and then Ripper said quite sharply, “What, no!”

“What is it saying?” Cassie asked.

“They are coming. I must have been distracted as I was unaware how close they have come.” Ripper explained.

“Who,” asked Jake?

“The military is on the road following our trail up here,” Ripper said as he suddenly ran out the door.

Jake and Cassie followed him out. However, Robert stayed behind.

“Do I know someone who is kind and loving? Yes why?” Robert said, as he seemed to be talking to the machine.

Cassie and Jake saw Ripper charge off into a drift just ahead but when they pursued him, they lost him in the blowing snow. Then from below them the ridge suddenly exploded in a ball of bright light. Jake and Cassie fell to the ground but above them, they could see Ripper standing on another ridge.

“What was that?” Jake called to him.

“Mortar fire,” Ripper shouted back. “The fools are firing shells and now they started an avalanche and I am not going to stop it! They deserve what they get.”

Cassie turned to Jake, “But what about the villege?”

From their perch below Jake and Cassie sat helpless as they watched avalanche destroy the village Ripper had just created. Ripper stood upon an outcrop. His face was without a hint of remorse.

At some point as he watched the snow below pick up steam, it gradually registered with John Ripper that he was not able to manage the rate of fall or the size of the event any more. His face presently registered shock. John was for the first time since all of this began could not govern reality. His Wi-Fi connection must have been lost! But this close to the cave? He looked up and saw a higher ledge. Perhaps he just needed more elevation. He began to climb but now his efforts could not be enhanced by reality shifting that would have made him stronger, the snow less deep and the climb less steep. Now trembling from the cold his energy began to drain. Unsteady and clumsy he barely manage the new ledge. There was still no signal. Slipping now without care, Ripper moved higher.

From where they embraced the rock face, only Cassie could see the desperate assent of Ripper. Jake saw the anxiety register in her eyes. This was about life, human to human and not revenge or retribution for all that Ripper had done to the worlds he controlled.

“Be careful!” she called to him.

He turned and looked down at her. Fear registered in his eyes. He had been a god and now she was telling him to be wary. Then the ledge upon which he bore himself collapsed. Neither Jake nor Cassie could see Ripper plummet into the abyss. For several long moments the world held fast as it was. What followed this was not coherent nor was it consistent with material existence. Even with his eyes, shut Jake saw bright colors of indescribable brilliance and consistency. He sensed himself flow out of existence and experienced the emptiness of absolute nothingness. Abruptly he slammed into being. It pressed down and then through him like his body was being stamped onto a new realm.

Jay was driving down the freeway and he impulsively let off on the gas even though there seemed to be no reason to do so. A huge black tire sailed from the cargo storage of a large truck ahead. It bounced upon the pavement just feet from where Jay’s old clunker should have been. It barely missed Jay but it slammed into the side of a bus just to Jay’s left. The bus responded by hitting the guard rale to its left and finally stretching to a stop. Jay was hit from behind but he managed to bring his car to a stop without hitting anyone else. The tire meanwhile careened off several more cars before it came to a rest on the grass adjacent to the freeway. Many more automobile wrecks accompanied these events.

Jay sat stunned by the episode. Fire and rescue vehicles began to arrive with their lights ablaze and their sirens blaring. Eventually Jay heard a knock at his window and a woman police officer stood their looking down at him. Jay rolled down his window.

“Sir are you alright,” she said.

“I think so.” He replied but he was not entirely sure, that he was.

“Can you open the door and get out please?”

Jay complied. He began to look around at the carnage. It was amazing how much damage could be caused by one tire falling out of a truck. Other police and rescue persons were all about the scene. One medical emergency attendant began to ask Jay questions.

“You check out man,” the EMT said to him. “See your doctor if you experience headaches, dizziness or other neural symptoms.”

“Uh, yeah sure,” Jake replied.

“Can I see you license and proof of insurance,” the officer interrupted.

“Sure thing officer…?”

“Rowen, officer Rowen,” she replied as she examined his identifications and insurance papers.

Jake now actually saw her for the first time. All he could think was “Wow what a beautiful girl.”

“Your vehicle looks drivable. You were only rear-ended and so you will not receive a ticket. Here is a copy of my report. A full report of the accident will be mailed to you in 10 days, which your insurance carrier will need. If you think that you can drive your vehicle go ahead and leave the scene now.”

“So….I should leave,” Jay responded as he stared stupidly into her gorgeous green eyes.

She smiled and shook her head and her dazzling strawberry blond ponytail swayed side to side in the morning light, “Sir, yes you need to go now.”

“Sure…I am going right…uh now. See ya… I mean yes Ma’am.”

Jay chastised himself for being so stupid and uncool to the police officer. What was her name? Jay realized that he actually had the report in his hand. When he got home, Jay read the officer’s name was C. Rowen. That was it. What was he thinking? She had no interest in him. She was just working a scene of an accident like she probably several times a week.

It was then that an epiphany hit Jay. He was not ever going to get a girl like her just working at the 7–11. He needed to improve his lot in like.

Jay was too shaken up from the accident to go to the sci-fi event so instead he walked to a local pizza place. The place was packed as fans from the football game crowded the joint. He ordered a pizza and a beer and sat down at a table near the rear of the place. Suddenly he felt a slap on his back. Jay turned to see his brother Bob standing there.

“Hey Bro what’s up?”

Jay shrugged.

“Hey don’t be so glum guy. Come on over to my table. I am with a few friends. We can share some laughs.” Bob said.

“Well, I…” Jay began.

“Nope not taking no for answer. I want my big brother to join me so grab that beer and follow me.”

Jay decided that he would. He thought that he could stand his brother for at least as long as his pizza lasted. When he arrived at the table there was another guy Jay barely knew and his girlfriend, the latest Bob girl and…

“Officer Rowen?” Jay said as he drew up a chair next to her.

She smiled and said, “Call me Cassie Ann.”

General Black, well-groomed in his most elaborate dress uniform, casually stepped out of his black limousine after it stopped in front of Dr. Rowen’s house. He said something to the soldier at the wheel and the man nodded, turned off the car and pulled a handgun from within the vehicle. He gave it to the General who breezily placed it in his coat packet for Jake to see.

Jake for his part was raking leaves in his front yard. He continued to do so as if to say the general that he did not scare Jake one little bit.

The general walked over to where Jake was working. Jake barely seem to notice him.

“The EO is dead I understand,” the general declared in a superior manner that only a man with an extreme since of self-value could manage to exclaim.

“No Ripper lives but now he has returned to being his old self,” replied as he dump leaves into a black garbage bag.

“Whatever, he is no longer the EO. So that part of him is gone,” the general said happily.

“Well that’s up to whatever quantum super computer is running the show,” Jake replied as he finally turned and faced the other man.

“I assumed that if the computer wanted to save the EO it would have done so,” General Black countered.

“Who knows,” Jake retorted. “It could do without one or it could create another. It could choose anyone it wanted the EO to be, me, you, hell even my Aunt Cassandra….”

“Logically it would choose a leader like me as that is what the position calls for,” Black snapped back at him.

Jake then suddenly laughed. “Are you familiar with Klingons because right now you remind me of them.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that you obviously are powerful yet easy to read. You obviously are not the new EO and you have a great fear that someone like me has become that person with god like powers.”

Black put his hand in his coat pocket and grasped the pistol.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you because if I am the EO, I would disintegrate your ass so fast that you wouldn’t have time to kiss it good bye,” Jake responded in a voice quality that Black had never heard the man produce.

He glared at Jake for a long moment and then smiled pleasantly back at him. “Well played Dr. Rowen, I see that you are not easily intimidated. However, if there is a new EO I will find him and persuade him of the need to join forces with me. When that happens I would make myself very scarce if I were you.”

Jake just smiled back as the general returned to his car.

Epilogue:

Cassandra walked briskly into her kitchen on a fine spring morning. She was beginning to fill her coffee maker with water when she heard the shrill sounds of a Mockingbird on her back porch followed by a mournful sound and a sudden thud. Cassandra rushed out to find a Robin that had been nesting in the birdhouse now lying bloodied and dying near the sliding door. Cassandra looked up and saw the Mocker destroying the one egg that the Robin had laid.

“Evil bird be gone,” Cassandra said in a low voice and suddenly the Mocker lifted up and literally jetted off as if it had a rocket attached. She looked down upon the little Robin and she began to sing, “Fly Robin Fly, Up Up in to the Sky”. The small bird rolled off its back on to its feet, and fluttered back to its nest all in one piece again.

It chirp sadly and gently pecked at its destroyed egg.

“Oh yes, my dear, I haven’t forgotten,” Cassandra said as she wave the plastic coffee measuring cup in the air as if it were a wand. The egg suddenly reformed as good as new. “There now that’s better isn’t it,” she said to the bird. “Now I must go and make Jake his coffee. He will be expecting it.” Cassandra said as she closed the sliding door back still sing to herself.

)
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