The Unofficial Biography Of Kimmay

Book 3: The Nature Of Time

by G. L. Hudson

 

CHAPTER ONE

 

She might have been a young girl, maybe even pretty, but it was impossible to tell under the long, greasy and unkempt hair, the streaks of what looked like soot spread across her cheeks and forehead, and the t-shirt and jeans that barely passed as rags. She was on the south side of the building, trying to keep out of the cool, autumnal air. The low sun barely sent out enough warmth to keep away her shivers. She leaned against the building, hoping to pull some heat from the bricks. Her arms were folded with her hands squeezed beneath her arms, trying to keep her fingers warm, as her bare feet pressed against the hard gray asphalt.

She looked across the street at the old brownstone building. There were several signs on the building; 'Lissa's Beauty Salon, Gabrielle's Beauty Salon, Melissa's Glamour Photography Studio and one or two additional signs about a law firm. There was a large window in the front of the building, and people could be seen moving around inside. An oval-shaped counter was visible in the middle of the window, and a young girl could be seen sitting behind the counter and laughing with another woman. A man wearing a smock was putting curlers in a woman's hair.

'It would be so much easier if I just went home,' the girl thought. 'I'm freezing and this is ridiculous. What can I really hope to do?' She stared across the street for another fifteen minutes, and then pushed herself off the wall and turned away from the scene. She began walking down the street, watching to make sure that her bare feet didn't step on a sharp stone or shard of glass. About ten blocks away she entered the parking lot of a large, discount store. She was careful to stay away from the entrance of the building and its security cameras.

She knew members of the opposite sex were her best bet. As a man walked from his car towards the entrance she pleaded, "Please sir, I'm cold. Would you buy me a pair of socks?" He barely glanced at her, as he quickly walked away. Time after time she asked someone if they would buy her a pair of socks, and almost all of them ignored her. Some gave her a dirty look, and some swore. But all of them walked away.

Finally a very large man walked by. He was over a foot taller than the girl, and one hundred and fifty pounds heavier. He walked over to her and smiled, "Have you accepted Jesus into your heart?" The girl looked at him as if in shock. "Jesus can cure your pains and forgive your sins." She turned her back to the man, but it did not stop him. "God is your salvation. He will cure your problems. Accept Him and He will lift you out of this squalid life. He will save your life."

That was enough. She spun on her heels and walked to the man. She stood toe-to-toe against a man that towered over her. A young woman stood behind a car and watched as the confrontation began. The dirty beggar said, "That is exactly why I am here."

"What?"

"I am here to save you, your children and your entire species. Buy me some socks and I will do it."

"You dare to mock God?"

"I'm only mocking you," the little girl said.

"He knows. He will return, and you will …"

"I have returned. I have traveled millions of parsecs across this galaxy and others to learn the truth. I have returned to save you and your world. Buy me some socks."

"Blasphemy. You are obviously one of those."

The girl was confused, "One of those what?"

"You're one of those misguided atheists who have been conned by that Linda and her cohorts."

"Cohorts? What cohorts? What are you talking about?"

"You know who I mean, that Kimmay and our failure of a President, Krysallis. Gullible atheists who have conned half the world. They've scammed the world into thinking their salvation will come from the stars and some alien race. It's a conspiracy to destroy religion and drive the truth from our society. It will doom you all."

"A conspiracy? You don't believe it?"

"Garbage!" he scoffed.

"None of it? What about the new energy chips?"

"They may be factual, although I've never seen one. But all of that proves nothing. It has no bearing what-so-ever on the conspiracy to destroy religion, and drive God out of His rightful place."

"A conspiracy?" she repeated again. "You believe none of it?" she asked incredulously.

"Garbage and stupidity," he repeated. "Using simple-minded beliefs to destroy simple-minded people and their Belief. Repent," he commanded. "You will suffer the consequences otherwise." He turned and walked away.

The young woman standing fifteen feet away smiled and turned towards the store.

The little girl stared at the man as he walked away. She was stunned. 'What has happened? I've been away only nine calendar months and people think it was all a hoax?' She now knew her decision had been right. That confused and convoluted discussion had convinced her that she needed time to see what was happening. She needed time to decide if she really knew what she was doing – or what she should do.

The small girl again started asking people to help her; to buy her some socks. It was a clear afternoon and the sun was approaching the horizon. She could tell by looking to the west that it was going to be a clear evening. Without clouds, the radiational cooling was going to take the temperature down close to freezing. She desperately needed some clothes. Her feet were beginning to hurt; they were cold, and without shoes the hard ground was starting to cut the soles of her feet.

The woman who watched the earlier confrontation walked up to the little girl and handed her a small bag. "Here," she said as she offered the bag. "There are three pairs of woolen socks in there. They should help."

The dirty girl accepted the bag and opened it to look inside. "Thank you," she said as she sat down on the cold pavement and pulled a pair of the new socks over her bare feet. You're very kind, a life saver."

The woman watched the little girl pull on the socks. "I overheard your conversation with that man. You're pretty brave standing up to someone so much bigger than you."

The little girl shrugged as if it was nothing, "Sometimes I do stupid things."

"Where are you sleeping tonight? I have a strong hunch you have no where to go."

"I'll find an unlocked car and sleep in the back seat."

"Why don't you come home with me? I don't live far from here. You can sleep on my couch for one night."

The girl looked at her. Slowly a smile worked its way across her dirt streaked face. "That would be wonderful. Would you really let me sleep at your house?"

"Sure, come on. It's only a short walk from here." The woman began leading the way and the small girl followed behind her. Neither said a word as they walked along the cold sidewalk.

The little girl studied the woman as they walked along. The woman was probably six inches taller and thirty or forty pounds heavier. She took long strides and looked very athletic, and very sure of herself. Her hair was long and straight, pulled back in a ponytail. There were a few strands left fluttering over her forehead, almost as an afterthought to bangs.

The woman led the way for about five blocks, and then tuned into a crack-filled, concrete driveway. At the end of the driveway was an old, two-story brick house. It was rather dilapidated; unpainted shutters hung around the windows and broken gutters hung from the roof. There was no garage at the end of the drive, just a small fenced-in backyard. The woman led the little girl to a rear entrance. Taking some keys from her pocket, she unlocked the door and held it open for the girl, "Walk up the stairs and wait on the landing." After locking the ground floor door, the woman ascended the stairs. Using another key, she unlocked the door to her apartment.

Both girls stepped into the second-floor kitchen. The woman walked over to the kitchen counter and set down her packages. She took out some lunchmeat and milk and put them in the refrigerator. The bread she set on the counter. "Lunch for tomorrow," she announced. "Would you like something to eat? Soup and toast?"

"That would be great," the girl said.

"My name is Traci Marshall," the woman announced and stuck out her hand.

The girl offered her hand to Traci. It was as filthy as her face. "Hi Traci. My name is Kim. Thanks so much for the hospitality."

"No last name?" The girl didn't answer. "Let me show you where the bathroom is, you can clean up while I heat the soup." She led Kim out of the kitchen and into the living room. "You can use that couch over there. It's early Goodwill, but it sleeps ok. Here is the bathroom. That over there is my bedroom – please stay out."

"No problem," said Kim as she walked into the bathroom. Traci returned to the kitchen, while Kim used the toilet and washed her face and hands. She would have to ask Traci if she could take a shower later. When she had finished, she walked back toward the kitchen. On her way through the living room she noticed that it was full of trophies. Kim decided to take a closer look at some of them. A few were very large, standing on the floor and reaching almost 4 feet tall. Some had a person holding a rifle on the top, and others had figures crouched in a fighting position, or even kicking a foot as high as their heads. Kim leaned closer to one of them to read the plaque; 'Traci Diane Marshall – Expert Marksman'. Another said 'Traci Marshall – First Place Illinois State Tae Kwon Do Champion – Open Division'. The other trophies had similar plaques.

Kim walked into the kitchen just as Traci was setting the soup on the table. "Milk or water?" she asked.

"Milk, please."

Traci filled a glass with milk and set it next to one of the soup bowls. "Sit."

They ate in silence for a couple of minutes. Kim gulped down her soup, and then drained her glass of milk. She leaned back in her seat and watched Traci. "You have some very nice trophies," she complimented Traci. Traci shrugged her shoulders. "Are those why you weren't afraid to invite a little beggar to your house?"

Traci looked at Kim and smiled. "Maybe. Actually, the way you stood up to that big guy, I thought you might make a worthy adversary."

Kim chuckled. "I doubt that. What all are they for? You have a ton of them."

"Mostly martial arts. I've been practicing Tae Kwon Do since I was seven. I got pretty good at it. Some of the others are for shooting."

"What kind of shooting?"

"Some are for trap shooting and some for target."

"You must be pretty good. Some of those said state championship."

"I can hold my own."

"Where did you learn to shoot?"

"I was an only child, pretty much a tomboy. Dad wanted a son and I actually came close. He was a big-time hunter and fisherman. He belonged to a trap club and shot in a league. Dad was pretty good – but I was better. Dad bought me my first shotgun when I was twelve. I would go with him to the club once or twice a week and bang off a box of shells. I guess I was just a natural at it. When I turned fifteen he bought me a Remington 870 12 gauge with full choke and ventilated rib. Most people don't shoot a full choke for traps, but he thought I could use it for hunting also. I learned with the full choke and preferred it when we started moving back from sixteen yards. By the time I was seventeen I could hit 99 out of a hundred from sixteen yards, and 98 from twenty three yards.

"Eventually I started shooting in his league and I beat just about everyone in the club. Then dad started taking me to competitions and I just got better and better."

"Wow. Do you shoot the same gun for target shooting?"

"Not at all. Those trophies came from the Army, and you use a rifle."

"You were in the Army?"

"Wasn't everyone?"

Kim thought back to her physical for the Army, and how Senator Horn had saved her. It was along time ago, and Kim hadn't thought about it in ages. She smiled when she thought about Kristal and the confrontation with the base commander. "I guess I missed it somehow."

"Maybe for the best, you don't look like the Army type to me. But yeah, I was a natural with a rifle also. Nobody could outshoot me. I made a pretty good sniper."

"A sniper? Did you ever go into action? Did you shoot anyone?"

Traci stood up and began clearing away dishes. "We don't need to go there," she said quietly and took the dishes to the sink.

Kim jumped up and walked over to the sink. "Let me do that," she said. Before Traci could answer, Kim grabbed a washcloth and asked, "Where's the dish washing soap?" Traci pulled out a bottle from under the sink and handed it to Kim. "Go sit down, I'll get the table also." Traci sat down at the table as Kim washed the dishes. There were just a few cups and bowls and it didn't take Kim long to finish. She stacked everything in the sink before she started drying them.

"I normally use the dishwasher," Traci finally said.

"There weren't enough for the washer. This isn't exactly hard work," Kim answered. "So what do you do, Traci?"

"I'm a student at UW-Milwaukee."

"Really? I went there for a while. It was a long time ago. What are you studying?"

"I'm trying to get an advanced degree in elementary education."

"Do you already have an undergraduate degree?"

"Yea, but there aren't many jobs requiring a marketing degree. In fact, there aren't many jobs period. You can thank our movie-star president for that."

Kim was surprised. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well ever since she's taken over, the economy has tanked. It gets worse every year. I got out of the Army and went to school thinking I'd have it made with a college degree. By the time I got out she was in control and everything was screwed up."

Kim was defensive, "But it wasn't Krysallis' fault. She inherited everything from the previous administration. They're the ones that messed up everything."

"Not from where I'm sitting," retorted Traci. "When I was drafted, everything was fine. Everyone had jobs and the economy was plugging along just great. Even when I got out, the future still looked bright. It took me five years to get that degree and I graduated just at the same time Cinderella took over. All of a sudden there was nothing. No jobs – nothing. The rest of the world hated us and to make matters worse, Kimmay and that Todd came around and turned the entire world economy upside down. They destroyed the oil industry and when it went under it took most of our economy with it. They just compounded Krysallis' screw-ups. And then they claimed it was all due to aliens. Yeah, right."

Kim was in total shock. She had only talked with two people since she had returned and both thought Krysallis and Kimmay had screwed up the world. 'What the heck has happened since I left?' she asked herself.

"But I don't understand, Traci. I've been out of touch for a while so I have to plead some ignorance, but I thought Kimmay and Krysallis had saved the country? We were living under a dictatorship. No one had any privacy or individual rights."

"Says who?"

"But the NSA and CIA had everyone under surveillance. You had to record your movements and activities all the time – you couldn't even get on the interstate highway system without logging in your identity. They spied on all of us. We had no freedom at all. And the rich people were sucking the money out of the country and sending it to their own Swiss bank accounts"

"Propagandist crap. That's what the people who are now in power claim. 'Everything is better now that we control your lives.' That's what they want us all to believe. All I know is that there are no jobs around. I'm living in poverty, trying to get an advanced degree so that someday I can flip hamburgers. The present situation pretty much sucks."

Kim couldn't believe what she was hearing. But she knew that she definitely had made the right decision. After returning with Linda, she had decided to lay low and not announce her return while she tried to decide how to proceed. It would be best to watch and listen and take the pulse of the people. She still didn't know what she wanted to do with the knowledge Linda had force-fed her. She didn't trust Linda or herself, and now her doubts were increasing. What was going on?

Traci brought her back to reality, "So what's your story?"

"Huh?"

"What are you doing roaming the streets and begging?"

"Uhmm … it's a rather personal story."

"Are you running away from someone?"

"No … not really."

"Are you in trouble with the law?"

"Not that I know of."

"Not that you know of? That's not much of an answer. I'm giving you a place to sleep and you can't tell me anything?"

"I'm no threat to you, I can tell you that."

"What are you doing out there? Don't you have anywhere to go? No family?"

"Yea, I have family, but I can't … I don't want to go there now." Traci said nothing, she just looked at Kim. Kim finally gave in, "I have some things I have to sort out first. I just want to stay out of the way for a little bit while I get my thoughts together."

"And how long will that take?"

"I don't know." Kim didn't look at Traci as she spoke. She stared into the distance as her mind wandered away. Traci was saying something but Kim didn't hear. She was still trying to figure out what had gone wrong since she had left. Why was everyone so negative about the changes that she and Krysallis had fought so hard to achieve? Why weren't the great benefits of cheap energy flowing down to the common man? What was she supposed to do?

"Yoo hoo. Kim? Are you still with us?"

Kim's mind jumped back to reality. "I'm sorry. I zoned out for a minute. I must be tired. Is it ok if I take a shower before I go to sleep? I feel so dirty."

"Yea, I think you should. I don't want any cooties in my sofa."

Kim flushed a bit. She must look pretty bad. It had been almost fifteen years since she had left the amenities of Earth. Kim thought of something, "Traci, will you be going to school tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Can I ask a favor?"

"No!"

"You don't even know what the favor is," Kim protested.

"I don't have to," Traci said abruptly. "I know what you want. You people are all alike. Someone gives you one little favor and you start begging for more. Go take care of yourself."

"I will," Kim declared loudly. "I will," she said a bit lower and slower. "But not yet. I can't. I'm not ready."

"You're not ready for what?"

"For what I have to do," Kim shouted. "It's not easy." Kim stopped for a minute and looked at the floor. Traci said nothing. It looked like Kim was trying to think of what to say and Traci had decided to give her a chance. In a smaller voice Kim said, "I'm not sure what to do. I have too many things to sort out first. There are too many questions to answer before I can even think. Traci, can you take me to the library tomorrow when you go to school? That's the favor I was asking for."

Traci was surprised. "The library? You have no shoes and no coat, and you want to go to the library?"

"Yeah," she answered with a weak smile. "It's what I do."

"What do you do Kim?"

"I think. At least, I guess that's what I do. And I have a lot of thinking to do and I need a lot of information. Can you please take me to the library tomorrow?"

"Sure," Traci relented.

Kim was extremely tired and wanted so much to sleep. But she knew she would sleep very little. It seemed as if the nightmares started almost as soon as she closed her eyes. It had been this way for a long time, and she feared that it would continue long into the future. After her shower she retired to the sofa. Traci gave her a heavy afghan to wrap around herself, and Kim loved it. It had been many years since she had enjoyed the pure joy and comfort of snuggling in an afghan on a real sofa or bed.

Life had been extremely tough at times over the last fifteen years. She had seen things that no human had ever seen or probably ever would see. Some of those things had been wonders of joy, miracles of triumph over adversity, the beauty of camaraderie and trust, and the purity of love and vision. And some of those things had been so painful that no human should ever have to endure them.

Why did she dream only about the painful parts?

It was still very early when Kim snuggled into the warmth of the sofa. Traci went to her bedroom to study, and it wasn't long before she began hearing the first of Kim's many nightmares. Traci carefully opened the door to her bedroom and stood near the foot of Kim's sofa. She strained to make out some of the words as Kim thrashed about in her REM sleep. "Never … help … can't kill … they're human … stop … murder … genocide." The words suddenly stopped. Kim opened her eyes and looked at Traci. Traci could see the pure terror in Kim's eyes, and the tears gently flowing down her cheek.

Traci quietly spoke, "Can I help you?"

Kim sniffed and used the afghan to wipe the tears from eyes. "No one can. Not yet." She closed her eyes, pulled the afghan tight and rolled over to face the back of the sofa. Traci could hear the gentle sobs as she walked back to her room.

Kim was extremely tired and almost immediately fell back into another nightmare. She was standing alone. People walked by her, but no one looked at her. She grabbed people and tried to make them speak to her, but no would speak. She was alone and she knew she had no friends. Her mother was nearby and Kim looked everywhere for her, but couldn't find her. She missed her mother. She missed her sister and her grandparents. She was alone and had nobody. No human contact. No love and no commiseration. She wanted help and there was no one to help her. Her second grade teacher was in front of her and laughed, 'You will learn … you will learn.'

 

 

CHAPTER TWO

 

Traci could smell the coffee when she woke. She slipped a robe around her shoulders and walked into the kitchen. Kim was sitting at the table sipping a cup of coffee. "Good morning, Traci. I hope I didn't abuse your hospitality. I went through the cupboards and found the coffee. Can I make you a cup?"

Traci rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Yea, please. Give me a little time though, I have to take a shower and clean up."

As Traci turned to walk away Kim called after her, "Traci, do you eat breakfast? Can I make you something? Cereal? Eggs? Toast maybe?"

"Just get out some cereal. It's up there," and she pointed to one of the cupboards.

Traci returned half an hour later. She was dressed and much more awake. She tossed a pair of shoes towards Kim. "I haven't worn these in over a year. Maybe you can use them."

"Thank you," Kim said as she slid the shoes over her heavy socks. Even with the socks they were still almost two sizes too big for her. "They're perfect Traci. Thank you very much."

"I'm glad you can use them." Traci sat down at the table. Kim had set out a bowl, the gallon of milk and three boxes of different cereal. As she filled her bowl she asked Kim, "How did you sleep last night?"

"Wonderful," lied Kim. "It's been ages since I've enjoyed such luxury." That part was no lie.

"Do you always have so many nightmares?"

Kim grimaced, "Actually no. Last night I was really tired. That was a good night. I'm sorry if I kept you awake."

Traci munched her cereal. "You kept me awake only because I'm not used to having anyone else in the house. Maybe I need a cat."

"No," Kim said. "Don't get a cat. Get a dog. They're much more loyal and trustworthy. A dog will actually care about you."

"You seem to have a preference," Traci joked.

"A strong preference," Kim said with a smile. Anything was better than talking about her nightmares. "Can you still give me a ride to the library?"

"Sure."

"Traci, you've been very kind to me, and I know you hate to hand out favors to people who beg, but you have been more than generous."

"What do you want?" she asked as her guard went up.

"Well, I don't have a library card …"

"Forget it. I'm not giving you mine."

"It was worth a try," Kim said sheepishly. "But would you tell me, is your ID still your full name with last name first?"

"I'm not going to help you steal my ID."

"I won't, I promise. And is your password still 8 characters long?"

"Maybe. What are you going to do?"

"If that is correct, I'll start with my old ID and try to hack in."

"That's illegal."

"Traci, I really have no choice. I can't just walk up to the librarian and ask for an ID. Believe me, she will give it to me, but I can't afford to tell her who I am."

"You said that you weren't wanted, Kim."

"I'm not, but I'm kind of in hiding."

"You also said that you weren't running away from somebody."

"Well yes and no. It's kind of odd. The person I want to stay away from knows exactly where I am and what I'm doing. But she can overlook it if no one else knows where I am. Understand?"

"As bizarre as that sounds, I think I know what you mean. And what are you looking for at the library?"

"There are so many things, that I'm not sure where I'm going to start. Probably I'll start with current affairs. I seem to be woefully out of touch with the current sentiments."

Traci had finished her cereal. Before she could continue the conversation, Kim grabbed her empty bowl and spoon and started cleaning up.

 

Traci gave Kim one of her tokens to use on the bus. When they reached the school, they both got off at the same stop. "Thank you for being so kind to me Traci. The socks and shoes are wonderful."

"You take care, Kim. Maybe I'll see you again some time."

"Yea." Kim turned away and headed towards the library. It had been a long time since she had been on campus, and a few new buildings had sprung up, but she knew exactly how to get to the library. She entered the building and headed to the third floor. There was still a location where a favorite carrel was tucked away in the stacks, and where only a few people walked by. She sat down at the terminal and pulled up the front page. She guessed that her old math teacher, Professor Baines, was still on the faculty and she started there. It only took ten minutes to hack into the computer system. Kim decided to start with current affairs, and immediately logged onto the BBC.

She didn't leave until almost 5:00. And then she left only because Traci had found her.

"You still here?" Traci asked.

Kim almost jumped out of her skin. She looked up to see Traci looking over her shoulder. Her hand flew to the mouse as she scrambled to flip off the screen. "What was that?" asked Traci. "That looked like some pretty heavy math."

Kim smiled and said, "Hi Traci, I didn't expect to see you. What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you. I wanted to see if you really were here."

"Yep, been here all day."

"All day? Did you eat anything?"

"I wasn't hungry," Kim lied.

"So what was that you were looking at? It looked like some pretty advanced math."

"Physics," is all Kimmay would say.

"What kind?"

Kim took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "High Energy Photon Interactions. It's a journal for physics geeks."

"Are you a physics geek?"

"Amateur."

Traci looked at Kim and Kim smiled at her. Traci finally came around to what she really wanted to say, "I didn't expect to find you. But I told myself that if I did find you I would … I would ask you where you're sleeping tonight."

Kim continued to smile, "I hadn't given it any thought yet."

"Do you have some place to go?"

"No."

"Would you like to sleep on the sofa again?"

"Traci, I would love that."

"Are you hungry?"

Kim couldn't lie any longer, "Yes."

"Do you like pork and beans?"

"I love them."

Traci laughed. She had obviously been a little nervous and unsure of inviting Kim back to her house. "Well if you can live on pork and beans, then let's get going."

 

Back at the house, Traci cooked the pork and beans and toasted some bread. "I'm sorry I don't have more to offer you, but I don't have much money."

"You don't have to apologize for anything Traci. I was a student at one time and I know exactly what you're going through. I would like to think that I would have been as generous as you, if I had ever been in the same situation."

"How long ago did you graduate?"

"I never graduated. I don't have a degree. But it must have been eighteen years or more since I was last in school."

Eighteen years? Kim, you don't look that old."

Kim smiled and replied, "I started at a very young age."

"What were you studying?"

"A little bit of everything. I took some chemistry, physics, math and engineering."

"You like the science stuff, then?"

"Yea, I guess I've always liked it."

"Were you any good at it?"

Kim smiled, "Sort of." Traci knew there was more to that answer, but she decided not to go after it yet.

"So how did you do at the library today? Find what you were looking for?"

"It was an eye opening day. Things have changed since I left."

"For the better or worse?"

Kim became a bit defensive. "Well, not what I would have expected, I guess."

"When did you leave?"

"Huh?"

"Well you said things have changed since you left, right?" Kim shook her head yes. "So when did you leave? Where've you been?"

Kim's face changed into a look of terror. She quickly caught herself and smiled, but Traci didn't miss the change. "Wow, those are tough questions. Yea, yea I know – that's not such a difficult question, but for me it is. Don't take this wrong, it's not that I'm mental or something, but those aren't straight forward questions." Traci said nothing as she let Kim continue. It seemed like for the first time Kim might say something honest.

"Let's just say that I've been away for over fifteen years. And where? Where I can't say."

"You can't or won't?"

"Both."

"Both? Were you kidnapped or something?"

"Yea, something like that. There weren't any newspapers available to me where I went. So I had no idea what was in the current events. I spent over half of today catching up. It was really … interesting."

"And what did you do the other half of the day?" Traci was starting to push for some real information.

Kim stalled for a moment and then said, "Actually there were several things. I checked the business and financial news, I checked the sports to see how the Packers are doing, and then I looked at some technical stuff."

Traci decided to let up a bit. "Well good, then did you find everything you wanted?"

Kim snorted. "Hardly." Kim decided it was time to stop the prying. She had already given Traci a lot of information. She grabbed the dishes and began cleaning up the table. As she took the dishes to the sink she announced, "I'm not nearly as tired as I was last night. I presume you have homework?"

"Yea."

"Ok, when I'm done here I'll start on the bathroom."

"What? Is my bathroom not clean enough for you?"

"Of course it is, but every bathroom in the world needs cleaning and nobody wants to do it. It's the least that I can do for you. Now get out of here, I've got work to do."

 

It took Kim the better part of two hours to clean up. She gently knocked on Traci's door when she had finished. "Come in."

"Hey Traci, I think I've got it pretty much cleaned up. How's your homework coming along?"

She tossed a book on her bed and gave a disgusted sigh. I can't get through this stupid trig."

"Trigonometry?"

"Yea, I've got to know it for teaching."

"I'm not too bad at trig. Can I help?" Kim picked up the book and asked, "What chapter are you on?"

An hour later Traci exclaimed, "You do know your trigonometry. And you make it sound so simple. Have you ever thought about becoming a teacher?" Kim gave a soft chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"Well, in a way I think that's what I'm supposed to do. Maybe." She paused for a moment while she picked up the papers that she had been scribbling on. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought I was. I hear a comfy sofa calling me. Do you mind if I turn in?"

"Be my guest." Traci paused for a second while she looked at the skinny, little girl. Then she said, "I appreciate the help."

"Traci, can I ask one more favor?"

Traci let a scowl pass over her face, "What?"

"Can you help me get to the library tomorrow?"

Traci breathed a bit easier, "Sure." Kim turned to walk out, but Traci called her back. "Kim, can I ask one question?"

"Maybe."

"How much math do you know?"

Kim smiled and said, "Just about all of it."

 

That night Kim's nightmares returned. Again she was in a position where she was totally alone. She had no friends and felt totally abandoned. She was in a one-bedroom apartment, maybe her old apartment at Stanford. She wanted to call a friend but the AV-phone was dead. She turned on the TV and all she could find were black and white war movies. The frustration kept building until she finally woke up. That was her best dream of the night. The other nightmares were bloody and horrifying.

 

The next morning Traci again woke to the smell of coffee. She went to the bathroom and cleaned up before venturing out to the kitchen. Kim met her with a cheerful good morning.

"There is nothing good about it," Traci grumbled. "I was up too late working on homework."

"I'm sorry if I kept you awake," Kim apologized.

"Damn girl, you've got some serious issues don't you? I mean you have one nightmare after another," she accused Kim.

"I'm sorry," Kim again apologized. "I guess I do have a few issues. I'm trying to work on them."

"At the library?"

"Yea."

"Yea," Traci grumbled again. "No, it's not all your fault. I'm just in an ornery mood. I can't do a thing with my hair and I look like a vampire from a horror movie."

"Maybe I can help," offered Kim.

"How?"

"I grew up in a beauty parlor. I'm pretty good with hair. Can I help you?"

"Thanks, but it's too late for today. Maybe I can take you up on that tonight?"

"Tonight? You mean I'm invited back tonight?"

"Yea, yea, yea. I guess so." Traci sounded totally unsure of her decision. "Listen, I'm trying to be nice, but I don't want to be a chump here. I can only do this one or two more nights. I don't have enough money to feed me, so I don't know how I can feed you."

"You won't have to Traci. I'll take care of myself."

"Oh really? And how ya going to do that?"

Kim shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure, yet."

 

At the library, Kimmay immediately logged on and quickly searched the daily news. Not much new since yesterday. What a surprise yesterday had been. She had been gone nine Earth months and almost nothing had improved. It had been over 20 months since she and Todd had introduced cheap, clean energy and nothing positive had come out of it. In fact, in many ways things had gotten worse. The old oil-based economy was in shreds and pulling down commerce all over the world, and nothing new had risen to take its place.

One of Kimmay's big hopes had been the transportation industry. Electric autos, buses, trucks, even ships should have had a huge impact as people and companies shifted to the cheaper energy to operate electric vehicles. That alone should have driven a renaissance in world-wide markets, but almost nothing had happened. The U.S. automotive companies were especially disappointing as they found reason after reason to drag their feet. Instead of trying to compete against the EC and Asian giants, they wanted Krysallis and the government to pay for their conversions. Instead of leading, they were dragging down the country.

Krsyallis was still having difficulties on the international scene. The U.S. international occupation had controlled some of the ethnic and religious rivalries around the world. The departure of U.S. troops allowed old hatreds to return, and this brought anarchy and murder to large geopolitical regions. And old rivalries on an even larger scale had returned and grown. Russia and especially China were straining to exact some revenge while extending their own political influence. Kimmay's threat to withhold energy chips from certain countries had merely put a faηade over the animosity. Underneath the smiling faces, dangers were growing and conflicts were escalating. Hotheads were pushing for power and revenge.

All of this was leading to catastrophe. At least that was Kimmay's fear. She had seen too much in her last fifteen years. Linda had led her around the galaxy, showing her failure after failure; huge failures on a global scale. Failures that had led to the enslavement or even worse for entire species. Kimmay could see some of the same warning signs in the daily news.

She hated the situation in which she had been placed, and she was extremely angry with Linda. Linda was trying to manipulate her and she hated Linda for her arrogance. No way was Kimmay going to be the pawn of some extra-terrestrial plan. But she could also see the need to do something. What to do was the real problem. Kimmay refused to take the easy way out of the potential morass, and she certainly was not going to follow Linda's lead.

Linda was the enemy. She had thrust all of this guilt and responsibility on Kimmay. The nightmares were all thanks to Linda. Kimmay had never asked for this. She was no great leader or savior or messiah, and she certainly didn't want this responsibility. She was supposed to be rewarded with the pleasures of seeing the planet Amanda and the wonders of an alien culture, but Kimmay never set one toe on Amanda. Instead, she saw the worst of alien cultures. She had been forced to live in daily contact as stupidity, arrogance and pride led entire species to self-inflicted genocide. Every time she made a friend or confidant, Kimmay had to watch her die. Or simply disappear. And then she was transported to the next planet and watched it all over again. Kimmay certainly had learned about failure. But her biggest fear was that she might be the next colossal failure.

Linda needed to be defeated. She needed to pay for the torture and pain she had inflicted on Kimmay. No way could Kimmay allow Linda to succeed. But, here she was. Here she was reading exactly what Linda had predicted. She had predicted it almost down to the second, the exact inch and the exact word.

'Enough self pity, to the task at hand. Where do I start?' Kimmay mumbled to herself. Kimmay had spent fifteen years running scenarios through her mind. Although she had no idea where she was going, or what she was going to do, she finally knew that she was going to do something. In all of those horrible lessons she had learned something. Some problems had priority and those were the ones she would tackle first. But even that worried her. By concentrating on one problem at a time, Kimmay hoped to stay away from a grand plan. Grand plans were too easy to manipulate – especially for Linda. But if one item at a time was crossed off the list, and each item was handled with no thought to the next item, could she build a unique solution for Earth? Or was that what Linda wanted her to do? Could Linda manipulate a small item to easily fit into her scheme? Was this the route that Linda was trying to encourage?

Fifteen years and Kimmay still didn't know how to proceed. She had half hoped that Linda was lying. It would have been so much easier if Linda were wrong. But only two days back on earth had proven her right. That smug, arrogant smirk of Linda's filled Kimmay's mind. More than anything in this world, Kimmay wanted to wipe that smirk off Linda's face. She wanted to stand toe to toe with Linda and personally defeat her. That huge man in the parking lot two days ago was nothing compared to the adversary that Kimmay really wanted to take down.

Kimmay stood up and shook her head. She ran her hands through her hair and fluffed it up. She wished she could go home to her mother and sister. Mom would insist on a permanent and facial. It would have been wonderful to sit in a chair with a cape wrapped around her to hide her shaking hands while she shared laughter and stories with Valerie and Simon. Grandma would have fed her the most wonderful roast in the world while Grandpa would have bragged about how special, and how brave Kimmay was. She would have friends again. The nightmares would go away. It would have been so wonderful.

But thanks to Linda, that wasn't going to happen. There was too much to do and it wasn't going to get done by dreaming and wishing. Kimmay sat down at the computer. She already knew the first task and she had a good idea how it was going to be handled. In fact, her energy chip was already the biggest step she could have taken. The planet Earth was the first, most important task. It had to be protected from within and then from without. No species survived without a strong base and home. Spreading through space didn't succeed unless home was strong and invulnerable. "A man's home is his castle." Kimmay had decided that every one of those castles had to be impregnable. Impregnable against external and internal attack. She was going to handle the external and physical part, but she couldn't handle the internal attack. That would have to come from Krysallis and the politicians. Society would have to be re-educated.

The rest of Kimmay's day was spent on protecting planet Earth. The research began in earnest. First was the research to understand the current situations, the technical problems and the business problems. Everything always impacted politics and politics always impacted embedded interests. She needed to at least have a cursory overview of who had their fingers in the pie, and most importantly, who could be trusted. Kimmay was honest enough to admit that she couldn't solve most problems, that she would need true experts to help push the solutions to a practical and sustainable level. What Kimmay could offer was the vision and the money. By now, she would have plenty of money in her Swiss bank account.

The list began. By the end of her second day, she had only three names on her list. Three potential partners; Krysallis, Jennifer and Todd. She would need to do much better on day three.

 

Once again, late in the afternoon Traci found Kimmay hiding in her favorite carrel. They went back to Traci's apartment and a meal of luncheon meat on white bread with a glass of milk. Kimmay was slowly starving. Traci was getting a good, filling meal at lunch each day, while Kimmay was eating nothing. She would have to bring some food to the house.

Kimmay cleared away the dishes and announced that she would clean the living room from floor to ceiling. Kimmay asked Traci if she had any math homework. "Not tonight. But I do have some introductory physics, if I get stuck can I get some help?"

"It's my specialty," Kimmay smiled. "Please let me know when you get there, I'd love to help." She turned on the kitchen faucet and began washing the dishes. After finishing the dishes she knocked on Traci's bedroom door, "Sorry to intrude, do you have a vacuum cleaner?"

It took about an hour to clean the living room. Kimmay vacuumed the floor, the sofa and one overstuffed chair that should have been retired twenty years earlier. She dusted the tables then walked into the kitchen, and searched under the sink until she found a few more cleaning aids. Kim polished the little woodwork that she found and then she washed the windows. It didn't take long to finish up everything.

Next Kimmay turned her attention on the kitchen. She cleaned the counters and sink, wiped down the refrigerator and stove as best she could and polished the cabinets and woodwork. She washed the only window in the kitchen and then found a bucket and sponge. Kim finished by getting on her hands and knees and washing the kitchen floor. It took only fifteen minutes for the floor to dry, and she dumped the dirty water down the sink and finished cleaning up. 'I'll get the inside of the refrigerator and oven tomorrow,' she muttered to herself.

With nothing else to do, and no desire to start her nightmares, she again knocked on Traci's door. "I've cleaned the living room and kitchen, would you mind if I watch a little TV? I'll keep the volume turned low."

Traci looked up surprised, "You cleaned the kitchen too?" Traci pushed her books away from her and followed Kimmay out to the kitchen.

"It looks great. Did you wash the floor too?"

"Yea, it's a small floor so it didn't take long. I cleaned the windows and polished the woodwork too. Does it look all right?"

Traci was impressed. "Were you a maid in your other life?" she laughed.

"Not exactly, but it's the least I can do for all of your hospitality. It's meant a great deal to me."

"It's time for a break, and I'm getting hungry again. Care for something?" Kim shrugged her shoulders a little and gave a little nod. "Fine. I've got some popcorn and half a liter of coke. Let's see where it is," and she began opening cupboard doors. She found the popcorn and tossed it into the microwave. While it was popping she took a couple of glasses from the shelf and emptied the coke into the two glasses. "Sit," she told Kimmay as she placed the popcorn on the table between the two of them.

As they sat and ate, Traci asked, "So what did you use to do?"

"Not much."

"Are you married?"

Kimmay smiled and shook her head no. "I don't think I'm marriage material."

"What type of work did you do?"

Kimmay thought for a minute, "I did research."

"What kind of research?"

"I worked in the microchip industry."

"Really?" Traci seemed impressed. "Who did you work for?"

Again Kimmay had to think for a minute. "It was a private enterprise; small, only a couple of people."

"Where are they located?"

Traci was starting to ask too many questions. Kimmay had to get control of the conversation and push it in a different direction. "No place nearby. You know, something I've always dreamed about was traveling, especially overseas. When you were in the Army did you go anywhere?"

Traci took the bait. "Yea, I did," Traci answered. "I had two overseas assignments."

"Where?"

"I'm not allowed to say. Secret." And she winked.

"Well let me ask you this way; have you ever been to Europe?"

"Yea, I've been to London, Germany and Switzerland."

"Neat," Kimmay said excitedly. "Tell me, what was it like? Did you like it?"

"I did enjoy it. I'd never been out of the U.S. and I never thought I wanted to go anywhere else. Dad took me all over the Midwest when I was shooting and practicing martial arts. I thought the U.S. had everything we needed and I had never heard anything positive about Europe. I never had any desire to go over there, but I have to say that after I saw it, I liked it."

"Wow. What did you like about it?"

"It's hard to verbalize. And I have to say, I didn't see nearly as much as I would have liked. Most of my time was spent on Army bases. But I guess I liked the pace. People seem to live in close-knit communities where they know most of their neighbors. They walk to the grocery store and bakery and pub and they seem to know people along the way and they stop to talk with you. I guess more than the pace it was the people. They were friendly to everyone, even foreigners."

"Did you spend much time in any one place?"

"No more than 3 months at anyone base. I'd get my training and barely settle in when my orders would come through. I moved often."

Kimmay changed the conversation, "You said your dad took you around to shooting and martial arts. You mean competitions?"

"Yep. I was pretty competitive. I started with Tae Kwon Do at seven, and was going to competitions by the time I was nine. I was a natural at it and I won a lot of the tournaments. I was a mean little tomboy," and she chuckled.

"So how good are you? I mean what level did you achieve?"

"By the time I left the Army I achieved my fourth Dan."

"In the Army they teach Tae Kwon Do?"

"Along with some other things," and Traci gave a knowing smile.

"Are the two things complimentary?"

"Tae Kwon Do and many of the things the Army teach are complimentary."

"So you are an expert in martial arts and shooting?"

"You might say that."

"Why did you leave the Army?"

Traci's attitude hardened, "I have my reasons."

"Of course you do," Kimmay said. "I'm sorry if I pried." Mission accomplished, Traci was no longer asking questions about Kimmay. "Can I help you with your physics?"

Traci eased up. "It'll probably be ridiculously easy for you, but why are there 4 different equations for acceleration?"

 

Traci slept better that evening. She only heard Kimmay three times that night. Each time she was able to roll over and quickly fall back to sleep. When Traci finished her morning bathroom routine, she walked out to the kitchen expecting breakfast to be already prepared. The kitchen was dark and Kim was nowhere around.

 

Kimmay knew that she was going to starve to death if things continued going as they were. As much as she hated to do it, she was going to have to ask for some help from her nemesis. Even though she hated Linda, she had not burned that particular bridge. She remembered some quote about keeping your friends close, and your enemies closer. She left the house and walked half a block away, before she stepped between two parked cars and rubbed her ring. It took only a few seconds before she heard a pop, and turned around to see Linda's irritating smirk.

 

Traci finished her classes around 4:00 P.M. and was ready to go home. Just on a hunch, she decided to walk through the library to see if Kim was there. She walked through the large marble lobby and up the three flights of stairs to the third floor; Traci rarely took the elevator if she could walk. As she wound her way through the book stacks she didn't really expect to see anyone. But when she turned the last corner, there was Kim sitting at her usual carrel. She walked up behind Kim and said, "You really are a bookworm."

Kim's heart jumped into her throat as she lunged out of her chair. "I'm sorry," Traci said as she began laughing. "I'm sorry, I didn't think you would jump that high."

After Kim caught her breath she said, "Well yea, most people do jump when someone sneaks up behind them like that. Where did you learn to be so sneaky? The Army?"

"It's one of the useful things they taught me," as she continued to smile. "I missed you this morning. You snuck out pretty early without saying anything."

"Well I wanted to get an early start on my research," she lied.

"You can't start much earlier than when you've been getting here." Traci looked at her suspiciously.

"You're right. I had some other errands to run."

"Like what?"

Kimmay smiled, "If you'll give me a place to sleep tonight, I'll show you."

"Intriguing offer, little Kim. Anything illegal?"

"Nope, I promise."

"Ok, I'll give you one more night."

 

When they reached Traci's house, she unlocked the back door and began climbing the stairs. She immediately noticed several bags at the top landing, "What's that?" she muttered. Kimmay followed behind her.

"That's my errand."

"What? What is it?" Traci reached the landing and began looking through the bags. "It's food. Where did you get all of this food?"

"Why don't you open the door so we can take it in? I'll tell you inside."

Traci unlocked the door and they carried the bags inside. The two of them emptied the bags and set all of the food on the table and counter. There were cans of meat and vegetables, some fresh veggies, crackers and cereal, microwave popcorn, pasta, rice and potatoes and several other items.

"Where did you get it?" Traci asked again.

"I went to the local food banks and asked for help."

"And they gave you all of this?"

"I can be rather persuasive at times. And pathetic looking too," she added with big, puppy-dog eyes.

"And they gave you all of this just for yourself?"

"I did go to a couple of different food banks," Kimmay explained.

"But how did you get all of this back here?"

"I asked for some help," she answered innocently.

Traci thought for a moment and then thought of something else. "How did you get it up here? I locked the ground door."

"You must not have pulled the door closed tight." Traci doubted that, but she let it go. Kimmay quickly changed the subject. "Can I cook dinner tonight? You can start your homework," she offered. Traci quickly agreed.

Kimmay peeled some potatoes and cut them up into quarters. She dropped them into boiling water and turned her attention to the fresh carrots. She cleaned the carrots, sliced them and dropped them into the boiling water. It would have been better to steam the carrots rather than boil them, but there weren't many cooking utensils in Traci's kitchen. Kimmay opened a can of boned chicken, pulled it apart, and then added it to the pot. The pot was allowed to stew for almost an hour before she called Traci to dinner.

"Smells delicious in here," Traci said.

"What do you want to drink? Milk, water or coke?"

"Milk," Traci said as she sat down.

They both wolfed down their first bowl of stew. "Would you like more?" Kimmay asked.

"If you have more, yea. This is really good."

"Thanks," Kimmay said as she set another bowl in front of Traci, and handed her some additional crackers.

With her second bowl of stew in front of her, Traci was ready for some conversation, "So how old are you Kim?"

"Let me think about that."

Traci looked puzzled. "You don't know?"

"Well it's kind of complicated."

"How can it be complicated?"

"Trust me, its kind of weird. I guess I've been around thirty nine years, but I feel like I'm only twenty four."

"Thirty nine?" Traci has incredulously. "I find that hard to believe. You look more like the twenty four number."

"That's because I've only aged twenty four years," and she grinned.

"Kim, you do make easy questions difficult."

"Well Traci, the world is full of contradictions. Have you ever heard about Einstein's theory of relativity?"

"I've heard about it, but I don't know any details."

"Well Einstein has a conundrum where you have a set of twins. The first twin stays on Earth and the second one gets in a space ship and travels at the speed of light. There is a special provision in Einstein's theories that says at the speed of light time slows down. So after several years, the second twin returns. The first twin is several years old and the second twin is the same age as when he left. Which is correct?"

"I don't know," Traci answered.

"They're both correct."

"So you're saying that you've been traveling around in a spaceship at the speed of light?"

Kimmay laughed so hard she had tears running down her eyes. "Yes, that's exactly right," she said to Traci. Traci laughed too. After they both calmed down Kimmay said, "Actually I haven't been in a spaceship. I'm just saying there are weird circumstances out there. I feel like I have fifteen years of extra experience."

They finished their meals and leaned back in their chairs. "That was great Kim."

"Thanks. Traci, can I ask something? There's something that I don't understand."

"What?"

"Well, first let me say that I have been out of touch with … reality for a while. A couple of years ago there was this big announcement. At least I thought it was a huge deal. These people over in Switzerland developed this energy chip. I guess it was supposed to make energy really cheap and really clean. It was supposed to revolutionize the world, and it was going to eliminate the need for oil and reduce pollution."

"Yea?"

"And also, they were tied up in some conspiracy by the U.S. government to stop them. And this big conspiracy was exposed and it allowed Krysallis to defeat the old administration in the election and become president."

"Yea? So what's your question?"

"Well, I guess I expected everything to change. But I don't see anything. For instance, I thought everyone would welcome the overthrow of the old administration. Why not?"

"Why not? Because what has changed? I mean what has changed for the better?"

"I don't know," Kimmay answered honestly.

"Nothing! In fact everything is worse. Before Krysallis, we had respect around the world. Nobody pushed around the United States. We ran this place. But now, we tuck our tail and run away every time someone says boo! China or Russia says jump and little Krysallis says how high? She stands up to no one. She runs away from every little confrontation. She's a wimp and she's dragged the U.S. down with her.

"What should she have done?"

"Find a backbone for starters. I think all of this started when that Kimmay and Todd said the U.S. was corrupt and we couldn't have their new energy chips. They literally destroyed our reputation and international credibility. All the other countries started converting their companies over to this new cheap energy and we were stuck here left in the dust."

"But that's not true, Traci. By the time the chips were commercialized, they allowed U.S. companies to have them. They merely used the threat of withholding the chips to help Krysallis overthrow the corrupt administration."

"You keep saying corrupt, but what are you talking about?"

"The United States government was controlled by a handful of families that were stripping all of the wealth from the U.S. They stole trillions and sent it overseas to Switzerland and Grand Cayman and other places. They ran up huge national debts that we can't possibly pay off. And they spied on everyone. No one had any privacy."

"I don't buy any of it. Listen, I was in the Army and I've traveled around this world. I saw countries where people had no rights and no privacy. Believe you me, the U.S. was nothing like that. We could do anything we wanted and go anywhere we wanted. Yea, maybe we had to show an ID every once in a while, but we were safe! No one was blowing up our train stations and airports!"

"So you don't believe any of that conspiracy stuff?"

"Pure old fashioned bull shit. It was a great line to allow Krysallis and her liberals to overthrow a legitimate government, but I've seen absolutely no proof. Have you seen anybody prosecuted in a court of law? No! Why? Because there was no one. All she accomplished was turning us into a third world country."

"But don't you think that maybe it takes awhile to run down all of the accounting stuff to put together a real case against the criminals?"

"What criminals? Name some names. Not innuendo and crap in the press, I want to hear something official from Miss Moviestar. Show me some proof. And if you can't do that, then step aside and let someone competent restore our country to what it used to be."

"And what would that be? What do you want to see done?"

"First, let's get an economy. Find me a job. Find the millions of unemployed folks a job. That would be a good first step. Then next, tell the rest of the world to fuck off. Get out of our face."

"Ok, that all sounds fine, but the fact is the U.S. was built on the oil industry. We controlled it, we siphoned off all the profits and we used it to keep our economy strong. That's gone now. Those energy chips are the way to go. So what do we do?"

"What energy chips? You keep talking about them, and I read all kinds of crap in the press about them, but they have not taken over. Call me skeptical, but I just don't see it. Where are they? Name one single industry that has really converted over to these chips. Name one. There's something fishy there. I don't know what it is, but if you're looking for a conspiracy go look there."

"But just a minute ago you said that Kimmay and Todd Reimer destroyed the U.S. by holding the chips back from the U.S. while everyone else got a head start on us. Now you say they don't make any difference. Which is it?"

"Well they destroyed our international reputation and ability to forge alliances in business. Everyone thought the chips would make a big difference and if they had, everything would be even worse."

Logic seemed to be missing, but Kimmay could certainly see and hear the emotion. "If you could sit down and talk directly to Krysallis, what would you tell her to do?"

"First off, get off her ass and stand up for the good ole United States of America. Tell those other countries to back off and get out of our face. Second, bring back our religion. This country was built by Christians and we can do it again. Listen to what the people are saying and give us back our country. And third, find me a job; me and the million other people whose lives she destroyed."

Traci's emotions were twisting her arguments and priorities around, and she was getting louder. Kimmay realized it was time to step away from politics. But where did that comment about religion come from? What was that all about? She would have to look into that later.

"Sorry for the probing, Traci. I was just looking for some understanding. Why don't I get started on cleaning up and you can get back to your homework."

 

The next morning at the library, Kimmay turned her attention to politics. She spent the morning researching the Christian movement in the U.S. She was surprised that she had missed this. It was sloppy research and she mentally kicked herself. When she had been studying the current political system, she totally missed their contribution to the Kyrsallis opposition. The Christian Conservative Party for an Ethical and Moral America (CC-PEMA) was making a come-back. They were increasing their influence under the leadership of a new demagogue, Ms. Ginger Winch. She was extremely aggressive and ruthless, and seemed to have the pulse of the nation. She was going to be a powerful adversary and would have to be accounted for.

Kimmay took a short break for lunch. She walked around the library while she munched on saltine crackers. The walk gave her a chance to get the blood circulating again, and it gave her a chance to convert her thinking from politics back to her strength. The afternoon was dedicated once again to science. By the end of the day, Kimmay had added two more names to her list.

 

The following day was Saturday, and while Traci remained at home, Kimmay spent another fruitful day at the library. Another potential name was added to her list. She returned to Traci's around 5:00 P.M. Traci was still in her bedroom studying and so Kimmay began preparing dinner. As they sat down to dinner Traci suggested, "Kim, it's Saturday, let's go out tonight."

"That's probably not a good idea."

"Why not?"

"First off, I don't have anything decent to wear. I wash the same clothes every night so I have something to wear the next day. These rags won't look very good out at a club. Second, I don't have any money. Remember? And besides, I'm not sure that I want to go out. Not yet. But you go. I promise I won't steal anything."

"Kim, I trust you. I've never seen anyone more focused than you. No one spends as much time in a library as you. You need a break. I can give you some clothes and I have a few bucks. Come on I need someone to go with me."

"You're really special offering to take a derelict out for the night, thanks for the offer. I better not Traci. But I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll set your hair for you."

Traci looked at her and decided that she wasn't going to change Kim's mind. "How good are you at setting hair?"

"I grew up in my mom's beauty salon, remember? I can do it my sleep. After you shower, just wrap your hair and I'll set it for you."

 

A half-hour later Traci yelled, "Kim, I'm finished."

"Come out here in the kitchen, there is a chair that you can use." Traci was wearing a robe, and her hair was wrapped in a towel. She sat at the table and Kim stepped behind her. She removed Traci's towel and pulled a comb through the tangles. Then she sectioned Traci's hair and began rolling her hair.

"You know, I never set my hair," Traci said. "I always let it hang straight."

"So what are doing with all of these curlers?"

"I didn't even remember I had them," she laughed. "I'm surprised that you saw them under the sink."

"Well, I did clean up in there a couple of nights ago. You're going to like this when I'm done. You'll look very curly and pretty," she smiled. "When I'm done here, you can go dress. After you're dressed, I'll use your blow dryer and finish you up."

Traci put on a pair of faded jeans and a simple blouse. She returned to the kitchen and Kim dried her hair, and removed the rollers. She used a brush to finish styling it, and finally sent Traci to the mirror in her bedroom.

"That's really nice, Kim. You're very good. You learned that from your mother?"

"Actually I learned from the best; a guy named Simon. He worked for mom."

"You're really good Kim. Thanks."

"Hey, have a good time Traci. I'll lock up behind you. I'll probably be asleep by the time you return. Enjoy!"

By the time that Traci returned, Kim was into her second or third nightmare.

 

 

CHAPTER THREE

 

Sunday morning Kim slept in late, but she still went to the library. The rest of the following week, Kimmay continued her routine at the library. She was becoming a regular fixture and the librarians were starting to look at her funny every time they passed her carrel.

Kimmay's research was starting to slow down. All of the low fruit had been picked from the tree, and she was having more difficulty finding the information that she needed. She had informally come to some decisions as to how she was going to proceed, and she was satisfied in that most of her decisions had been dictated by the progress she had made, and not by an active plan on her part. Kim hoped her decisions were more random this way, and less susceptible to influence by Linda's brainwashing. At least that was her hope.

But as she worked her way through politics and current affairs and into the sciences, she was having less success in finding the information that she needed. Maybe it was because she was so much better in the technical fields and she was able to ask better questions and pursue more definitive solutions. But she was finding out that the detailed information she wanted wasn't to be found in public documents. It might be found in private sources, in which case she would have to locate experts in the private sector to help her. Or the information might even be located inside the government. For that, she would need the help of an old friend. Kimmay realized that her initial research was drawing to a close and it might be time to go find those experts.

Now she really had to decide how to move forward. This was the part that concerned her the most. Forming a plan meant making some decisions based on her past experiences. This worried her because she was not certain what experiences to trust. There was no doubt that much of what Linda had shown her was brainwashing. The lessons that she had lived through had been carefully screened and selected by Linda, and there was absolutely no doubt of that. And there was equally no doubt that Linda wanted to guide and control Kimmay in certain directions. But Kimmay's knowledge was too limited to know which directions to pursue and which directions not to pursue. The big problem was that she had no idea what Linda's true objectives were. But one thing was certain; if there was any way to maintain control over this prodigious endeavor, she was going to do everything in her power to guide it away from Linda.

It was time to contact Todd and Krysallis. Kimmay wasn't sure how to go about making contact. Calling Linda and asking to be interdimensionally transported was the easiest route, but the least desirable. Using Linda would make no difference to Kimmay's plans, but there was a matter of honor. At least Kimmay saw it in some strange way as honor. Although she had not openly declared war on Linda, she still didn't want to ask Linda for help. It was a small distinction, but it was important to her attitude.

Without Linda's help, Kimmay couldn't travel internationally without exposing her return to Earth. Her passport would be scanned into U.S. and foreign databases, and her return would quickly spread throughout the public. Kimmay still felt that she could best pursue her ideas if she didn't encounter interference from others – even well meant interference. This project was too important to take any chances on inviting unintentional roadblocks and delays, and she needed to begin moving it along as quickly as possible. Besides, the farther along she progressed, the less chance of second-guessing and deviations by others.

She wanted to contact Todd first. Todd could get her access to her money and the scientific community without raising too much attention. She also wanted to see what progress Todd had made in his research and what advances were available in their chip designs. How to get to Todd was her first hurdle.

Traci had been very kind to Kimmay, and appeared to be an honest, hard-working girl. She also had talents that Kimmay might be able to use in the future. She decided to give Traci an audition. On Saturday, Kim found a couple pictures of Kimmay in the library, and she checked out the DVD that Krysallis had made for her campaign kick-off. That evening she approached Traci at dinner.

"Are you going out tonight?"

"Yea, I think I need a little decompression. Yesterday's test was a killer, and I'd like to unwind before starting into it again tomorrow."

Kimmay tried to look apologetic, "Can I ask a favor of you?"

"Do you want to go out also?" Traci inquired.

"No, just the opposite, I'd like to ask you not to go out."

"Why?"

"Do you have a valid passport?"

"Maybe, why?"

"I'd like to ask you to go to Europe and bring somebody back here."

"What? You can't be serious." Traci was miffed that Kimmay would even suggest something so ludicrous. "Why would I want to do such a thing? I'm coming up on mid-terms and I have a lot of work to do. And I can't run around spending money on you."

"It should only take three or four days, and I can pay you when you get back."

"With what?"

"If you bring my friend back, he has plenty of money to pay you. How much would you want?"

"Get off it Kim. You don't have any friends in Europe and they don't owe you any money. You're delusional."

"No they don't owe me money, I have lots of my own money. Seriously Traci, how much money would you want to take a couple of days off and bring my friend back?"

Traci was starting to think about the situation. "Come on Kim, you're living in a dream world, who do you know in Europe?"

"Todd Reimer."

"Who? The guy that invented the new energy chips?"

"Actually, he invented teleportation. I invented the energy chips."

"Huh?" Traci grunted. Then she laughed, "You invented the energy chip? Do I look that gullible?"

"I hope you do," Kim smiled. "I never told you my last name, it's May. Some people call me Kim May, but most just call me Kimmay. Here," and she pushed a couple of pictures across the table to Traci. "These are pictures of Kimmay from magazines. Do you notice any similarity?"

Traci studied the pictures. "I don't see it," she answered.

"It's there, Traci. You're skeptical and I don't blame you. I also checked out the DVD that Krysallis made when we were ready to make our announcements. Have you ever seen it?"

"Parts. It's all bull crap. I don't believe any of it."

"Well I hope I can convince you that it is all true, because I really do need your help. Would you at least watch it with me? I can explain a few things that might make it a bit more believable for you."

"Kim, you're delusional," she repeated again. "Just because you have a faint resemblance to Kimmay doesn't mean I'm going to believe any of this fantasy. In fact, I'm not sure that I want you here anymore. You're losing your mind."

Kimmay had hit a roadblock. She wasn't totally surprised that she couldn't even get Traci interested. The easiest way to prove herself would be to call Linda, but that defeated the purpose of asking Traci in the first place. She might just as well go get Todd herself.

"Traci, isn't there anyway that I can convince you? This is really important to me. If I go myself people will know that I have returned, and right now I don't want that. I really need to keep my privacy for a while longer."

"Kim, this is as far-fetched as anything I have ever heard in my life. Show me some identification, then."

"I can't. Everything was left in a safe deposit box at the bank. To get it out I have to have a retinal scan and fingerprints. They'll know that I am back if I do that. Again, I want some time to myself."

"Well then, tell me why you have to hide."

"I don't have to hide myself, but it makes some very important things easier. I need to complete some research and contact some people and put a plan in motion. It's like buying real estate for Disney World. It's so much easier if you can buy the land before anyone knows what you're trying to do it. If someone finds out, the price goes up."

"Good story. You have to remain hidden while you concoct your secret plan to destroy our country and economy."

"Traci, you've got it all wrong. I'm trying to help. Won't you?" Traci just stared at Kim with a disgusted look on her face. "I guess there is only one thing left that I can do."

"Which is?"

"Do you remember Linda?"

"Linda the alien? Oh yea, that's another good story."

"Did you ever see a picture of her? Would you recognize her if you saw her?"

"Is she in Milwaukee too? Are you going to call her over?" Traci was becoming sarcastic.

"Damn it!" Kim yelled. "You're so all fired sure of yourself that you can't open your mind even the slightest little bit? You can't let just a sliver of light shine in? I need some help and I'm asking you to believe in me. Believe in something that's much bigger than you'll ever know. I'm willing to prove myself – it's not something that I want to do, and all I ask is that you open up just a little. Is that asking too much?"

Traci was surprised by Kimmay's loud rant. She smiled and responded, "Prove yourself and I'll help. But it better be good."

"Thanks, just give me a chance. Did you ever see the DVD, have you ever seen a picture of Linda?"

"Maybe, but I don't remember what she looked like."

Kimmay slid the DVD across the table to Traci. Would you put that in your player and skip to the middle? Please?" Kim had quieted down a bit.

Traci took the DVD and led Kim to her bedroom. She booted up her computer and started the movie. "Show me where you want to fast forward to."

Kimmay advanced the movie to the part where Linda first appeared in Botswana. They watched for a few minutes and Kim asked, "Do you think you would recognize her now?"

"Probably."

"Good, follow me." Kim led Traci to the living room. "Sit," and she pointed to the sofa. Kim stood in the center of the room, put her hands behind her back and gently rubbed her ring. She stood silently, rubbing the ring for almost a full minute.

"Well?" Traci asked. "What now."

"Just a minute please. I'm going to ask Linda to join us."

"Really, and how …"

With a quiet pop, Linda was standing in front of Kim. "Hello, Kimmay," she said in a syrupy voice. "I didn't expect to hear from you. I thought you were still mad at me."

"I am," Kimmay said calmly. "But I need you to do something for me."

"Your taxi is here, where do you want to go?"

"No where. I would like to introduce you to Traci. She doesn't believe in you."

Linda smiled and looked at Traci, "You don't?"

Traci's face had turned white. Her mouth was open, but not nearly as wide as her eyes. Traci stood and Linda walked over to her. She extended her hand and waited for Traci to accept it. It took a few seconds before Traci took her hand and they shook. "Do you believe in me now?"

"I'm not sure," Traci answered honestly. "That's a nice trick you just performed."

All the sweetness and syrup disappeared from Linda's voice, "Traci dear, I'm not a circus animal. I don't perform." The authority in Linda's voice hit Traci hard. She wasn't expecting it and Linda's attitude was certainly authentic.

"Sorry," she muttered. "So … ahhh?"

"Spit it out Traci. What do you want to know?"

"Are you really an alien?"

"No, I am human."

Kimmay wasn't about to let this routine continue, "Were you born on Earth, Linda?"

"Technically …"

"Linda!" Kimmay yelled. "Cut the games and just answer." There was a short pause and Kimmay said in an exasperated voice, "Please?"

Linda turned to Traci, "She has a little attitude these days. I don't know why she can't …"

Kimmay interrupted her, "Linda! Please! Can't you just help me once in a while?"

The syrupy sweetness returned to Linda's voice, "Kimmay you know I'm here to help." While she spoke her hand slid into her pocket. "Traci, I am indeed an alien and I am from another planet." The room darkened and a three dimensional projection of the Earth appeared. "You are here," Linda lectured. The Earth shrunk and the sun came into view. The solar system began to shrink and Jupiter and Saturn became visible for just a second. "This is your solar system." That quickly shrunk and the view pulled out to show the Milky Way galaxy. A bright red light sparkled in one of the spiral arms. "This is where you are located." The Milky Way shrunk to a pinpoint and several other pinpoint galaxies appeared. "I am from over here," she pointed. "About 300 million parsecs away."

The galaxies disappeared and the lights came back on. "Do you believe me now?"

Traci shook her head up and down.

"Thank you, Linda," Kimmay said.

"Am I being dismissed?" Kimmay gave her a nasty look but said nothing. She looked at Traci, "You see that attitude? I am merely trying to help her and make her life easier and she disses me," Linda complained in a mocking voice.

"Thanks, Linda. I sincerely appreciate you helping me. I'll try to be nicer in the future. Ok?"

"It was nice meeting you Traci." Linda disappeared before her eyes.

The hasty departure caused Traci to jump again. Traci sat down on the sofa and looked at Kimmay. Kimmay didn't speak. She seemed to be immersed in thought, a scowl still frozen on her face. "There seems to be a little tension there, I think." Traci had finally found her voice.

Kimmay shrugged her shoulders. "We're like a married couple that has spent too much time together. We don't have much patience left for each other. We'll get over it … eventually."

"She can just pop in and out wherever she likes? And can she take you with her?"

"Yes she can and yes she does. And pop is a good word. I've been trying to find a good word for what she does, but the most appropriate description is interdimensional transportation. Kind of like teleportation, but a different method. Trans dash portation is too confusing with the traditional transportation word and meaning. I've started using 'pop' also."

"Why doesn't she just take you to get your friend in Europe?"

"Don't you think that there might just be a little reluctance on my part? Didn't you notice my attitude? Linda did her best to point it out you know." Traci chose to remain quiet and not climb into that obvious thicket. "So do you believe me now? Will you help?"

"I guess so. What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Do you know where Davos Monstein is?"

"No."

How about Davos? It is the nearest large city."

"No."

"Do you know where our headquarters are located? Lucerne?"

"No."

"Traci, let's start at the beginning, did you ever watch the DVD?"

"Not really. I might have seen bits and pieces here and there."

"In other words you didn't want to believe any of it, so you chose not to watch in case you might have to rationalize your opinions against 'alleged' facts. Am I right?"

Traci wasn't too proud of her attitude. "Maybe that's right."

"Don't worry about it," Kimmay soothed. "I'm starting to think that there are many more people with that same attitude. Let's do this. How about if we get the DVD, pop it into the TV and watch it together. That might help explain things a tad."

"That it might."

 

(continued)

  

  

  

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