To Return Home

Thanks to Malady for his help editing and for ideas.

Cover image from Unsplash

Chapter 3.6

We weren’t quite certain what the effect of Marc being present would have, so both he and Paula were asked to remain out of sight.

We started our trip down the wall of the pit. On our way down, my husband, ever the engineer, examined the walls. “These were molten once. It's like they were super-heated, then cooled into an alloy.”

“Do you think Kari did it?” Daddy asked.

To Return Home

Thanks to Malady for his help editing and for ideas.

Cover image from Unsplash

3.4

We worked. That is, Rachel and I worked our butts off, and slowly, we started to make headway. The men were probably the easiest. Over time, we were able to bring most of them back to themselves. There were a few who didn’t want to change from their new selves, but even the ones who wanted to return to their old appearance wanted to hold off until the women had been returned.

To Return Home

Thanks to Malady for his help editing and for ideas.

Cover image from Unsplash

3.2

Daddy enlisted Jack and Sylvia to help him work on a way to repair the people’s bodies.

They found that the heinously fast changes that Amos favored, required a commensurate amount of bots inside a person. Structure changes to the skull as well as any in the brain, weren’t made with the health of the victim in mind. As the brain held the person, the repair project started with that. But, due to starting without the person’s original genes, they planned to work back from what they did have, reversing all of Amos’s changes.

To Return Home

Thanks to Malady for his help editing and for ideas.

Cover image from Unsplash

2.6

As it’s been a little while since I last posted any of this story, I’m going to give a “When we last saw our protagonist…”

From Chapter 2.5

“You’re not acting predictably,” Paula told me.

“I just lost my husband,” I exploded. “Would you care to explain what is predictable about that?”

She sat down, and her demeanor softened. “My bots aren’t able to predict how you’re going to react to things right now.”

Paula turned her attention from me to Carla. “Are you saying you can communicate directly to your bots?”

I was shocked as well. “How can you do that?” I asked. “I asked mine a question a couple of days ago, but I could only talk to them in a dream.”

Carla appeared uncomfortable. “I suppose it’s something that I learned while Amos was in control.”

I shrank away in fear. “Don’t touch me!” I screamed, terrified. “Get away from me!”

“What’s going on!?” Carla was very confused now.

“He’s still here! He killed John, and he’s still in you!” I tried to back away having no control over my actions.

Paula grabbed me as I flailed my arms at my little sister. “Perhaps you should leave and let her calm down,” I heard her say.

I was crying uncontrollably now, the pain of the last few days taking over.

And now on to 2.6...

Thanks to Malady for his help editing and for ideas.

I’d also like to apologize in advance for the bending of physical laws in the following chapter. I am aware of MOND, for those of you who are as well, but I suppose I don't like the theory, so I decided to ignore it in this book. Author’s prerogative, I guess. In my defense, I’ve been watching some lectures from the Royal Institute lately, and maybe it’s gotten me thinking a bit more – sideways?

I have been enjoying some documentaries on gravity also. They were heavy.

To Return Home

2.4

John and Marc got busy maneuvering the ship to a position where we were in line to reconnect with the command center and downstairs section. I wasn't sure I liked the idea, but it seemed to be the only choice, under the circumstances.

Mama was monitoring Amos’ memories while our ship accelerated slightly and drew alongside. At the same time, Daddy was monitoring her very closely, and I think he was ready to pull the plug if anything should go awry. So was I.

“What's happening, Bernie?” Daddy asked.

“Nothing, Vern. All I see happening is a celebration. Some type of praise for the ‘Emperor.’”

Thanks to Malady for his help editing and for ideas.

To Return Home 2.2

"I don't give a damn who it is, Bernie! I don't want you linking with anyone down there again!"

I stopped on my parent's porch. I had been reaching out to open the door, but now, hearing Daddy yelling, I wasn't sure I wanted to walk in on them. All three of us girls had a standing invitation to simply walk in, as did all of them, including Mama and Daddy, at our homes.

I had a particular reason to not want to walk in on this particular squabble. Mama was doing a favor for me. Apparently Amos was able to connect to others again. It frightened all of us. What was to stop him from trying to control us? I was very much afraid. Controlling me was something he might want to do to get to John.

Thanks to Malady for his help editing and for ideas.

To Return Home 2.1

Daddy pitched the idea of the five-person leadership to the others as if the idea was his own. I didn’t think for a moment, however, that the others believed it, but at least they were gracious enough to pretend they did.

I had suggested that I be responsible for preserving our culture, but now I found that, somehow, the medical aspect of our culture came under my purview as well. I guess it had to do with the need for good health for morale, or morale for good health: one or the other.

Thanks to Malady for his help editing and for ideas.

To Return Home 1.6

Daddy shook his head. “That bastard really threw a problem our way.” He was mad. Livid, even. Although his voice was steely calm. I don’t think I’d ever seen him that way before.

“How so, Vern?” Mama asked.

“Search his memories, Bernie. He didn’t leave any DNA information from the people down there,” Daddy said in a furious voice. “What they are now, is what the computer records them as. Even down to pictures.” He showed us the picture of Belinda. It was her as a ‘horse’. Below the picture was the word, Deceased. “The computer record even goes on to say what happened to her, and what ‘dish’ she made. The guy is even more sick than we thought.”

Thanks to Malady for his help in editing this!

I woke up sometime later. I was in my bed, and Mama was sitting in a chair beside me, keeping watch.

“How long have I been out, Mama?”

“A couple of hours, Rosie.”

To Return Home

Chapter 1.1

I dove into the water, alongside my sister, Paula. Neither of us wore any of the diving equipment of old, except for a pair of goggles each. I hated trying to see underwater without them. Many people didn’t worry about them either, but I had hated blurry vision since I was a kid. Before I was injected with nanobots, I was myopic, but the bots had cured me of that problem almost immediately. My vision had been perfect ever since then. To dive into the water and not be able to see was too nerve-wracking. Perhaps since it took me back to the time before I was female? I wasn’t sure, but nevertheless — I wasn’t willing to do it.

Chapter 3.7

”No!” I shouted at Mom. “I won’t!”

“Rosie! Yes, you will. You have to.”

“Why?!” I asked, still unable to lower my voice.

Mom gave me a half-smile. “Sweetheart, we don’t know if I can be overpowered by Amos or not.”

Chapter 3.5

It had been three weeks since Rashda had gone downstairs to see what happened to Belinda. He had never confirmed what I thought occurred to her, but his statement referencing The Godfather made it seem likely.

I had spoken to John about it, and he agreed with me. We had watched the movie a few times, but now I felt like removing it from the ship’s archives. I didn’t think I could ever watch it again.

To Not Let Go

Chapter 3.3

Paula and I were quickly separated again. I was taken into an outbuilding behind the palace. I have no idea where they took Paula or if I would ever see her again.

For three months, we had tried to figure out what was allowing Amos to make such incredible changes and a possible way of stopping him. What we found was strange, to say the least.

We were seated in John's and my living room. Also present were my family and Rashda Smythe, who was now the commander of the ship. Rashda, like all of us except Pearl, was bonded and married. His wife, however, was downstairs in the area controlled by Amos.

Chapter 1.3

I opened my eyes and looked around. Carla was not in sight.

I contacted John, and when he came in, I told him what had happened.

"Let me get this straight, Rose. You voluntarily scanned the memories of Amos Goodwin? What is wrong with you?"

Chapter 2

Amos glared at me. He tried to retake control of the situation, but I was very determined. Carla was helping as well, and between us, we were able to keep control.

"If you feel the way about me that you claim, why don't you look at my memories?"

He stared at me for a moment. "Do they have Carlson in them?" He asked.

"Of course," I answered.

"Then I'm not interested," He told me.

The man’s eyes grew wide. He seemed elated, but cautious. “How can I know you’re telling the truth?”

“I don’t know, but let me introduce myself. I’m John Carlson, and this is my wife, Rose. We’re from Neo22.”

The old man seemed to consider things, then he turned and motioned. About thirty other people appeared, all around the same apparent age.

Chapter 1.2

Back on Neo22, we were in the briefing room, just down the inner ring from the command center. Seated at the table were our normal command crew as well as Doctors Jack and Sylvia, Bob Grissom, and Georg Brown, the old man we had met in the ship.

She had my build, honey blonde hair, and my face, but John's eyes. Those beautiful brown eyes of his! If anyone were to compare their eyes, there would be no doubt they were related.

The swing slowly moved back and forth, and she softly cried. I wasn't sure if it was embarrassment or shame making her cry, but rather than hurt her trying to figure it out, I just held her.

We started home, and although I wasn't looking forward to our coming talk, I had really enjoyed myself. It was a memory I would treasure. Just enjoying being out and playing together. It's not something a girl close to a thousand years old gets to do with her husband often.