by jenniferchristine

Part 17

We all sat round the table and tried to make some sort of plans for the short term and some for more long term.

Susan came out with one that I hadn’t considered. “How long will I be around?”
Molly hummed and ha’ed and then said trying to keep the embarrassment out of her voice, “Only about 120 years I’m afraid before you start ageing. But you’ll have to come up here quite regularly to get the rejuvenation effects of the transporter.”

“120 years?!!! BEFORE I start ageing? How long will I live then?” Susan was aghast.

“Well,from what I can gather from your chromosomes and the corrections I’ve done, your lifespan should be about 240 years. Some of the damage you’ve already caused in your past have had a detrimental effect on your organs. This may be able to be corrected, but lets not get too far ahead of ourselves, By the time your ARE 240, you’ll not be able to run far and your dexterity will be diminished almost to where it was a month ago.”

Experience of Molly’s tongue in cheek expression made me chuckle quietly to myself as Greg and Susan pondered their now extended futures.

I called an adjournment and we decided that planning could be done on a longer cycle than G & S had initially conceived.

“Andy has picked up some traffic that may be headed your way, would you like to return to your camp?” Molly suddenly announced.

We all looked at each other and decided that it was a good idea. Heading to the port room and grabbing our backpacks. I looked at my watch which I kept on local time in Oz. 6 PM.
Looks like we’d be camping under the stars tonight.

“What sort of company is it?” It suddenly occurred to me that not all company is either desirable or even friendly.

“Motorcycles.” Was the single word reply as we sparkled into infinity and reappeared next to Andy who was setting out a table for the inevitable snacks we’d eat — teleporting always left you hungry as the food in the stomach was transported somewhere else — it was an un salvageable mess and easier to discard.

Sue and Greg were armed with sidearms the children were better armed altogether with minds so powerful that nothing really separated them from Gods.
Helen of course was supremely able to vanish the whole lot of them to the eyes of the passing motorcyclists if she wished but avoiding interaction was not her way.

The noise of the bikes was thunderous as they approached the pool of light round the camper. Helen thought about it and felt disappointed that there was going to be trouble and said to Susan. “If you guys want to watch, please feel free, but if they draw weapons, don’t show yours. None of their weapons will fire. Molly has already disabled them.”

Greg overheard and volunteered use of his new abilities and Sue caught on and said she’d like to have a go with her telekinesis if the opportunity arose.

Helen thought it over for a few seconds as the sounds became louder.

*Fifteen individual cycles Helen.* Molly advised.

“The kids and I will be in the van with Andy, you two do your worst. We’ll be there to bail you out if needed. Worst come to the worst, Molly will remove you from the scene”

The sounds outside dwindled as the bikes lined up with their lights centred on the couple at the table — the extra places had been removed so it looked like only two people were there.

The obvious leader nodded to the camper and one of the bikers propped his bike and went to look in the van.

He appeared a few seconds later — “no one else, plenty for us.”

Sue and Greg had said nothing waiting for the people in the van to be discovered then realised they had made themselves invisible to the searcher.

Sue opened the bidding, “What do you want?”

The leader leered and said, “You’ll do for a start.” and pulled out a .357 revolver aiming it at Greg, “Say goodbye to your lady.”

Greg smiled and said, “What are you going to do shoot me with a chicken leg?”

The leader looked at his revolver and realised it wasn’t a gun at all but as Greg had said it was a chicken leg, he stuck it in his mouth and pulled the trigger. The sound was horrendous. The boom of the cartridge and the whoomp of his head exploding. His mates were flabbergasted. Before the body had slipped to the ground, half of them had reached for their weapons. Four found bananas, two found cucumbers and one found a courgette.
They all looked at their ‘weapons’ threw them away and re reached for their guns — which were already on the ground in front of them. They looked in horror then immediately went for alternatives.

Sue and Greg were still in a very precarious place with 14 guys who had by now parked their bikes and drawn knives or chains and started to advance; until one of the guns on the ground slewed round and fired, catching one of the felons in the knee. He went down screaming. The look on the bikers’ faces was a real Kodak moment. They seemed to stop for a second as if making up a collective mind — only one stepped forward close by where their leader lay fallen nearly headless. His hand still clutching his revolver suddenly rising and firing directly at the moving biker. The round punctured his chest on the left side, exiting his neck on the right side. He fell as if poleaxed.

The standoff was complete.
No one moved.

“Where are you guys from then?” Asked Greg scratching the itch on the side of is nose delicately with an index finger.

“Travellers.” One replied as if in a trance — which of course he was.

“No one knows where you are then?” Sue asked, smiling.

“We answer to no one.” Another replied, as if suddenly getting back his bravado.

“Oh good, we can dispose of you without suspicion then?” Greg completed the thought.

The bikers looked at each other. They hovered unable to either move or make a decision.

“Gonna look good in the papers when they find all your bodies. ‘Bikers fall out and kill each other to a man.’” Sue mused. Another shot rang out from the ground as another pistol seemed to come to life on its own.
The leader’s pistol barked before anyone could move and another dropped, blood spurting from his leg

“We don’t want no trouble mister,” one of them said a note of pleading in his voice.

“Fuck that,” another said and lunged at Sue with his knife which bounced off an invisible wall and ended up stuck in his other arm. The grunt of pain he gave evidence that the wound was not superficial. The man sat on the deck obviously in shock with the knife sticking through his arm. His eyes like saucers looking at the wound as it pumped blood onto the sand.

“looks like you guys are outnumbered.” Greg said pulling out a chair to sit on. He looked at Sue and smiled. Great team work ma’am. They high fived as 9 immobile felons watched in fear.

Helen appeared in the door. “Well done, but we have a little problem now. Molly has just told me that there’s a police unit coming down the highway — about 15 minutes away. So keep the noise down eh? You have 10 minutes to tidy up.”

Sue and Greg didn’t want to kill these guys in cold blood but they needed to be moved to somewhere else and memory wiped.

“Right you guys, back on your bikes and get out of here. Take your dead and injured friends with you.”

They were swift to comply not realising that they were headed for oblivion.

The noise of bikes disappearing into the distance was a relief leaving behind four bikes that had no riders.

Those suddenly twinkled and disappeared. Ten seconds later there was a flash in the sky and a few seconds later a boom as the bikes reappeared in front of the retreating bikes. They had found their erstwhile riders for a final conflagration.

*All bikers are deceased. There’s not enough evidence to piece together how the two dead ones died. Fire is a handy tool.*

The papers read, “Bikers Die in Inferno as Police Look On”
The report read that the bikers swerved to avoid the police car and ended up colliding with each other. None could be saved. The police statement read that the Squad Car had been sent to follow them and ended up witnessing the inferno.

Our band of happy campers moved on the next day — all trace of their having been there removed.

At the debrief, Greg said that he didn’t want to kill anyone — it was just so sudden that the leader had pulled his gun that he’d had no time to do anything else.

Sue too hadn’t realised that outlaws could be so calloused as to shoot without regard at all for consequences.

Helen was sad, but these types were not really suitable for the future and it was probably expedient that they were removed. They all felt that an important point was made. Death was a last option and once decided on, was to be ruthless to protect their party.

They moved on, saying very little for the next day or so until they reached a small town where they could pretend to refuel and restock their camper. The general storekeeper asked if they’d heard about the bikers — They pretended to recall the sound of the explosion that killed the remainder of the brigands.

After a week or two of traveling they felt the circuit had been sufficient to refresh themselves and headed back to the city. Andy parked up the camper in a new rental spot and returned to the apartment where the party were now all situated.

“We’ll have to get you guys some digs.” Helen suggested as they all settled into the pad.
Molly had checked the area for heat sensor and cameras and it appeared that there were none. That didn’t stop Molly from putting passive shielding in place with some extra sensors to pick up new installations.
Over the next weeks, Sue and Greg felt that they were falling for each other and asked Helen if it was possible to have a relationship whilst working with each other.

“That’s a very sensible question and one that only you can answer — remember that you’re the first of a new race of people. You’re going to live quite a long time — do you want to commit to a relationship that might stretch 200 years from now?”

They looked at each other and they both nodded. Greg spoke up. “We both know that we may have other loves, but we’re not going to let that stop us being together now.”

So it happened — they married and bought the apartment two floors down from theirs.

The twins were more than happy as it meant their little band of brothers was bigger and more stable. The group weren’t too big on making waves yet and settled down for the long haul.

They decided on a business which allowed them to process people who may be eligible to grow with the system. They thought of a religion but realised that a’cult’ was not the way to go. So they opened a public relations and personnel firm. Which gave them a simple way of passing people through their hands who could be assessed for their part in the future.

Within two years Helen had a team of fifty people who were going to be a core of civilization. Her babies were growing and had to think of going to preschool or be re assessed with regard to another parenting/social services debacle.

So the personnel company opened a crá¨che of their own — with new personnel for the crá¨che.

Helen kept her eyes open for a mate that could perhaps be suitable for the future time and had a wonderful time trying out a few of them for size.

One day she found a real nice guy who was funny and handsome and very good looking — with that Greek darkness she was quite attracted to. Emile was a minerals expert who had bought up some land that had cobalt and one or two other rare earths. He’d come to her company looking for trustworthy staff, since it was difficult to stake a claim in the area he’d made his discoveries.

Emile and Helen met over lunch, which was the usual way Helen assessed people who needed sensitive staff.

Emile gave off a sense of purpose and energy that Helen very rarely saw and as they discussed his requirements they both realised that they were sparking off each other.

Helen described her company and how it operated and Emile explained why he needed confidence in his staff in bigger quantities than usual.
Molly had listened in and had put out feelers well before the lunch was over.
Helen opened the bidding.
“So Emile, how many people know of your find and how trustworthy are they? These are I know awful questions to answer on the hop and I hope I haven’t stunned you into distrust. I just feel there is something you’re not telling me?”

Emile sat there a moment. “Well I guess there is, but it’s family, they are a lazy bunch and I figure they will feel that they deserve a piece of the action. I’ve already caught my brother going through my stuff looking for the location. Why am I telling you this? I’ve only known you since 11am.” He smiled at her and she put her hands on the table palm down.

“I have to admit to my hypnotic smile. I am successful in my business because I have the ability to make people feel safe.” She smiled again and looked up to the waiter who immediately came over and filled their wine glasses and asked if there was anything he could get.

“See?” she said after ordering dessert. “I command attention without even uttering a word.”

“Well that was remarkable, I didn’t even see you nod or wink.”

“Ooh I never do that, it’s so rude.” Helen laughed and it sounded like the tinkle of Bells to Emile.

“I know that you’ll have my business, but I’d also like your attention a little more, will you have dinner with me?”

“What took you so long?” She smiled and nodded.

“Ooh, so rude.” He said and they both laughed.

Days later, they had secured the site in question with some new recruits from her own team and Emile and Helen were a bit of an item. Helen invited him over for dinner and invited Sue and Greg as well to make it a less intimate sojourn. They had a fun time and Helen introduced the twins to Emile, he took it well considering. And towards the end of the evening even thought it may be a bonus.

The luxury of the apartment and the presence of a butler showed that Helen was no pauper and Emile felt relaxed that he wasn’t being taken for a ride.

They didn’t sleep together that night but Emile knew it was likely to happen in the near future. He was worried about mixing business with pleasure and said so.

“Emile, the staff you hire through me are your staff not mine. If you want to consider your business with me closed, would that be different?”

Emile smiled and said he was happy to do business with her. She smiled and replied robustly that she would not entertain him whilst she was recruiting personnel for him; at least not at the same time
It wasn’t long before Helen had a bigger sparkle in her eye.

The day came when Helen decided to tell Emile about the future — the decision was made after a night of passion and upon the declaration of Emile’s love for her. She could of course tell that he was sincere but she didn’t want to delve into his mind until she was sure of his love and was able to ask him to be her husband.

“Darling”, she started, “There’s something I haven’t told you about me, it’s hard to open up to anyone, but it is for our future and I know that we’re destined to be together for a long time.”

“Don’t tell me, you’re an alien and you want to abduct me to your planet?”

“Nearly right.” She looked him in the eye, he flinched and paled a little.

“Go on,” He visibly gulped.

“I’m not an alien, so the rest can be true if you like without any problem.” She teased. She held his hand and stroked the back with the other. “I love you Emile and want to spend a long time with you.”

“Not forever? he joked.

She looked wistfully at him, “I doubt you’ll live that long, as I will,” She looked in his eye and watched it become at first incredulous then worried.

“That didn’t sound like a joke.” His voice had an edge to it and he looked a little tense.

“Can I begin again? This isn’t coming out right.” Helen pleaded.

“My life is destined for different things Emile, I have been given a gift by the universe which you’ll find hard to understand. I have been told that I am the future of mankind. Your role is to be my consort for as long as that may be. Does that frighten you?”

“In a word yes, because I don’t know where you’re coming from - I can tell you’re sincere and that could be because you’re delusional, but I sense you’re not. Nothing you’ve done over the time since we met has been anything less than perfect. Not one sour note.
That in itself is unusual, like it was engineered. I’m wary.
Tell me more. Convince me you’re different and I will understand, fail and I’m out of here and you’ll never see me again.”

Helen raised her hand and a shimmering in the air suffused around it making it sparkle for a second. When the sparkle stopped, there was a folder in her hand. She handed it to Emile who looked at it like it was a figment of his imagination.
“Ok, good start.” He opened the file it was headed with is brother’s letterhead.
Listed below was a list that spoke of theft of intelligence and avenues of possibility to transfer that to his brother.
“Oh my God, is this real?”
“I’m sorry to say darling, yes it is.” Helen looked stricken for him. “My company has broken into your brother’s systems and dredged out a lot of other information. This is the most important part of it.”

“How — how did that appear in your hand?”

“I have er, um, powers?” she winced slightly and shrugged.

“Powers like making things a-appear in your hands?” His words were not an adequate description.

“Emile, Darling. That’s science, not a power. My powers are different to that.. Oh God this is hard.”

“I know,” she appeared to hesitate. *Ruth, Paul, pop in here a minute will you.*

The twins appeared, walking, since they were aware that Emile wasn’t I the know.

“Yes mummy?” Ruth asked gently.

“What’s the answer to this sum 2,347 times 2,456”
Ruth answered immediately, “5,764,232.”

Emile’s eyebrows rose until they merged with his hairline.

“Ruth is 20 months old.” Helen said pointedly. “Paul is the same and they both have other powers.” As she spoke, both children rose a little into the air.

Emile tried to force his way through the back of his chair. “You ARE aliens!” His voice cracked with not a little terror.

The children sank back to the floor, and looked a little more normal.
“No, we’re all local.” She smiled as she said it and reached out to Emile to hold his hand, which he moved to be further away from her.

Helen closed her eyes as a tear fell from them. “Please don’t be afraid darling, I’m trying to break this as gently as I can. Remember you said if I convinced you you’d understand…”

Emile closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m trying to understand… Wha-what is it that you can do — can you fly as well?” He sounded incredulous and frightened at the same time.

“Oh yes, that is one of my powers, as is telekinesis and telepathy. They’re all quite normal in this household. Even Greg and Sue have managed the last two.”

“You mean Greg and Sue are like you?” His eyes opened as he searched her face for the truth.

“Well to a point, but they’re not as blessed as I am.” Helen paused,” You may be similarly blessed, I don’t know yet, until I can get you back to base to have you checked out.”

“Base? Where’s that then, on the moon?” He said with a manic laugh. Then, looking at Helen’s face and her nodding head, slumped in a dead faint, his mind overloaded with fantastic and incredible visions.

“Damn that didn’t go as well as I’d hoped.” Helen muttered as she lifted him and moved him through to their bedroom.

He came round quite quickly and looked around as if worrying that he was already on the moon.

“Will you relax?” Helen admonished. “I love you and I’m trying to propose to you and you’re fighting me every inch of the way.”

“Well it’s too bloody fantastic for words and I’m not sure whether this is real or you’ve spiked my dinner. Floating children and mind control. You’ll be telling me next that Andy is a robot…” He looked round at Andy standing where he could be of assistance if needed; like any good butler would.

“As a matter of fact sir… I am.” Andy smiled gently and spun his gloved hand round a few times. Emile nearly passed out again.

“Andy that wasn’t fair,” Helen chided.

“Sorry ma’am, seemed appropriate at the time.” Andy bowed slightly

A sick laugh from Emile brought Helen back to the point. . “Oh god, Oh god. What’re you going to do to me? Are you going to kill me?”

Helen looked stricken, “Darling NO! I love you, I was born here in Brisbane and I’m just a normal — well supernormal — girl who wants to marry you.” She knelt in front of him tears falling from her lashes.

The man in Emile suddenly grounded and he leaned forward and grabbed her into a hug. “What was I thinking, I’m sorry darling, I’m just a little fraught. I’m weirded out to the point of insanity here — you may understand?”

“Are you beginning to believe me; that I’m not just pissing you about?” The look on Helen’s face was a picture. A mixture of relief and love and cautious optimism passed like small clouds across her face.

She hugged his knees and said. “Will you come with me to Luna base and get checked out?”

He gulped — “where’s your spaceship? When do we go?” He was gripping onto her arms like it should hurt her but Helen didn’t notice.

“We don’t need a spaceship, it works like Star Trek.” She smiled and he laughed sickly, overwhelmed by the thought and scared his beautiful lover had flipped her lid.

*Molly, just us two please, we’d better get this over with.* “Andy will you look after the Children please? Close your eyes Emile, I’ll tell you when to open them.” He closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them this horrid dream would be over and he’d be back in the arms of his dear Helen.

He found himself on the port plate with his arms round Helen, so he got it half right.

“Welcome to Luna Base Emile”. Molly intoned brightly, “Hi Helen.”

“Hi Molly, Emile isn’t enjoying the ride much, so I’ll pop him down to sick bay and we can check him out.

*Preliminary tests during porting show good genetics Helen, I’ve also eliminated all the toxins he was carrying. This should be a lot of fun.* Molly said privately.

“Come on darling, let’s get you sorted. This may take an hour or two.” She held his hand and led him through the base, the little red line on the floor pulsing as they headed toward the sick bay. His eyes were everywhere, mostly on the monitors that were pointing out into the grey and black of lunar surface. “This is real isn’t it?”

“Oh yes, it’s real, just relax and let your mind absorb what it can and Molly our AI will allow your potential to come forward.

“AI? A real AI?” Emile was more stunned.

“More a mind without a body really Emile.” Molly said from the nearest monitor showing a pretty human face on the screen like a Red Dwarf skit. Emile shook his head and smiled.

Helen saw him smile and thanked fortune that he hadn’t flipped out.
“Test and tune is complete Helen. Your man is quite a guy.” Molly almost whistled.

“Debrief me Molly, leave nothing out.” Helen bit her lip and frowned waiting for not just the good news but also some of the bad that was inevitable.

“Expected age limit not known - minimum 350 years, not quite level 2, telekinesis and limited mind control. No flight, but could be trained to jump well. Strong, but not invulnerable.” All of the good stuff and little of the bad. Good healer. Will be able to recover from all but brain trauma or heart damage.”
I’ve got him a little hypno-drugged so he won’t feel the full effects until you train him how to.
He has an inkling — it’ll be like an itch, but you will have to ‘switch on’ each power as and when he’s ready. It’s too much for him all at once.” Molly tried to be concise and pretty much succeeded.

“Hello pet, how are you feeling?” Helen stroked his face as he came round.

“Is it over? I don’t feel any different.”

“You aren’t any different.”

“So what did you find out? Am I going to be able to play the piano?”

“Do you want to?”

“Well I don’t know, but I couldn’t before, can I now?”

“It doesn’t work like that.” Helen biffed his shoulder.

“How does it work then?” Emile smiled and kissed the face hanging over him.

“Well as you know, I have telepathy.”

“You DO?”

“Of course. Let me try something.” Helen whispered into his mind *Can you hear me?*

Emile’s eyes went round as saucers. “Did you do that? I can hear you in my head.”

*Don’t speak it, just project it as a thought to me.* Helen instructed mentally

*CAN YOU HEAR ME???* Helen winced as the soundless transmission rolled like a thunderclap inside her head.

“Ow, JEESUS not so loud.”

*SORRY*

“Quieter still.”

*Is that better*

*Phew, I’m glad you catch on quick, I could have a real headache very quickly with you shouting like that!* She smiled and kissed him as she thought the message.

*Typical woman, showing off her multitasking skills.* They grinned at each other and Helen pulled him up off the gurney.
*Supper time, come on.
By the way, Molly can be reached the same way — just include her in the thought.*

*Hi Molly, thank you for the new trick.* He projected.

*My pleasure, it goes with all the other ones you’ll discover as time goes by.* Molly replied.

*What did Molly mean by that? Can I do other things?*

*Yes, but she shouldn’t have told you yet, I don’t want to overwhelm you with the situation.*

“What situation?” he said out loud.

“Well it’s not just one or two things, there’s a lot of things.” Helen looked at him to see if it affected his demeanour. He looked a little ashen.

“I’m not sure I can handle too much more fantasy for today. I’m still not sure I’m not dreaming.”

“Well there’s only one more thing I’ll tell you today, your life is not going to be a short one. It’s going to be extended a few times — unless you die from trauma.”

“A few times? What, you mean a few years?”

“Honey, I’m not going to tell you yet. Suffice to say. You’re not going to retire in this century.”

“Give me a break, that’s another 90 years. That’ll make me 120 nearly — I’m retiring in 2050, even if I’m poor. I’m not working my way all the way to my grave.”

“Emile, you’ll still be young in a hundred years. Enough, I’m not telling you any more.”

Emile looked at Helen as they sat eating, she looked radiant and in love, perfect. Then as he looked closer he realised that she was perfect. Not one blemish not one mark.
He ran his tongue round his mouth, feeling for the two chipped teeth he had from football boot trauma in high school. They were smooth to his tongue.

“Do you have a mirror? no forget that.” Instead he looked at his forearm that had been damaged in a cycle accident and scarred for nearly four inches where the gate he hit had impaled his arm. The blue scar was gone, not diminished, gone completely.

He looked up at Helen’s face, “How long? How long do I… ?” His voice tailed off, he didn’t know how to ask the question.

“There is no limit to what we have.” Helen said carefully. “But you’re not superman, you can be killed. So don’t get cocky.”

Tears leaked from his eyes. “Do I say thank you or curse you? Will I outlive my children and watch them all die? Like some Poe story with a picture in the attic?”

“No darling, we are the beginning, we are Adam and Eve. Our children will live longer still and will be healthy and beautiful. Like Ruth and Paul.” She reached out and held his hand across the table. “We are Cronus and Rhea. The parents of the Gods. We shall make this world a happy place and a place of plenty, an example to all the Worlds across the galaxy. And we shall do it together.”