Chapter 1

Rory works at FutureSystems LabCore under Dr. Andromache, a Cessirian. Like all Cessirians, Andromache is average human height with a slender body, all white skin and a bald head and piercing blue eyes. The males are a bit more muscular and all are beautiful by human standards. And though the all look the same, they release a pheromone that humans are able to sense enabling them to tell them apart as if by means of using their sight.

Rory serves mostly as an intern, helping Andromache in her lab with whatever experiment the alien is passionate about. It’s a great learning experience not just for her studies, but in learning more about the Cessirians. Rory is only in her second year of college, having done her first while finishing up her last year in high school. She still lives at home with her father. Her mother left about six years ago when she decided she wanted to explore the galaxy on one of CoreExploration’s pioneer ships. Her father didn’t want to go and her mother didn’t want to wait. Rory was sad in the beginning, but with her mother gone, her relationship with her father has only strengthened.

Rory has been employed under Andromache for the last year. The scientist has kept her busy for most of that time working on various projects. She has yet to work on anything big or anything top secret. Rory hates not getting to really apply herself in anything, but being only a second year student, and technically an entry level worker, she has to just deal with that fact. But today, upon entering the lab, Rory finds her boss in high spirits. Andromache is usually in high spirits, but today she seems to be in even higher ones.

Rory is lead into the lab by her boss. Everything has been pushed back against the walls and sitting in the middle is a large, metal sphere that wasn’t there the day before. Rory is about to ask what the hell it is for when the alien beats her to the punch.

“Have you ever wanted to go back in time?” Andromache asks, beaming with excitement.

The young human shrugs. “I’ve thought about it. I mean, who hasn’t?” The alien scientist is less than impressed with Rory’s meager enthusiasm. “Don’t tell me this is some kind of time machine.”

“Of course,” Andromache confirms. “The only trouble is that it can only go backward in time.”

“When did you find the time to build it?” Rory asks, wondering where her boss has been hiding it.

“Last night,” the scientist answers. When Rory gives the alien woman a raised eyebrow and a questioning look, she explains. “You have been working on many of the parts since you started here. I have been working on others, Last night I pieced everything together and voilà, as you humans put it, here it is.”

“Why didn’t you tell me I was working on something so ... so big?” Rory asks, her eyes drifting over the sphere with a new outlook.

“If I did you might have been too eager,” Andromache explains and gets a glare in response. “Rory, I have known you long enough to know how your mind works. Trust me on this.”

The young woman grins. Am I that predictable? She thinks to ask the question out loud and then reconsiders. “So how does it work and how far can someone go backward? Can we go the dinosaur age?”

Andromache giggles at her subordinate’s sudden, greater enthusiasm. “It transports you back twenty years and last for only a few hours and then you’re back here in the present time.”

“Twenty years?” Rory asks, scrunching up her face questionably. “That’s odd, why twenty years?”

The alien shrugs. “It seems to be a nice round number,” she says, waving way the young woman’s concerns.

“Have you tried it?” Rory asks, pressing the matter. She is real excited, thinking of the possibilities.

“Unfortunately no,” Andromache admits. “I’m afraid it would have catastrophic repercussions. The introduction of my race with yours had just begun. If I went back, it would raise far too many questions and could cause a paradox.”

The young woman sighs. She knows where the alien is going with this. And in truth it kind of excites Rory. The possibilities of seeing into the past are endless. She wasn’t even born yet. So she plays it cool, trying to keep her excitement downplayed. “Let me guess. You want me to be the first to try it.”

Immediately she tries to coax Rory. “It’s already been successful. I sent Emily back and she returned completely unharmed.”

“And what do I do once I’m back twenty years?” Rory asks, thinking how it’s unfair her boss sent someone else before her.

“Well, you can’t do much but look around. If you interact with people you know, the outcome could be catastrophic,” Andromache warns. “I want you to only observe. In a few hours you’ll be right back in this lab. Only mere moments will pass for me so I will barely know that you left.”

“Okay, so no touching, just looking,” Rory says a little sarcastically. “I got it.”

Her boss grins at her and thrusts a back pack into her hands, ushers Rory into the metal sphere and closes the hatch. “Don’t worry about returning,” Andromache says, her voice muffled. “You will automatically be returned to this time.”

Rory nods, more to herself than her boss. Alright, I trust you Dr. Andromache. “If I come back as mush, I’m going to be highly pissed off,” she mumbles.

Outside the sphere, Andromache starts pressing buttons and throwing levers. Inside Rory takes the time to check the contents of the pack. There’s an outfit that looks nothing like fashion by the day’s standard, a stack of money, an old looking cell phone and an ID. The name is Alexis Adams, clearly not hers, but it has her photo—obviously a fake. Rory starts to wonder about the name when a flash of light stuns her.

Rory shakes her head to clear it when suddenly she is sitting on a park bench. Looking around she sees FutureSystems LabCore. It is much smaller than it used to be or ... will be.

“It worked?” she question aloud.

Everything looks pretty much the same. There are a few less trees and plants. Obviously the cities haven’t begun ramping up the nature project, which means the Cessirians have only begun communications with Earth. She catches sight at a few people in the park. Looking at their clothes and then hers, she realizes that she needs to change. She could probably just keep on her clothes, but if someone starts asking questions or gets the idea to copy them ... the words catastrophic and paradox in Dr. Andromache’s voice suddenly enters her head.

Rory knows the area. This is where she grew up or will grow up. So she makes her way to the hotel a couple blocks over. She’ll need a place to set up anyway. She grins when she gets the total for the room. The prices are nothing like where she comes from.

In the room, Rory showers and changes into the outfit provided for her. Inside is a sketch from D. Andromache showing hoe the clothes are meant to be worn. Her boss wouldn’t be in charge of her department is she wasn’t thorough. The Cessirians are known to be a very thorough species.

Rory is now wearing a red plaid skirt and black shirt. She scowls at the matching red hat, but Rory does want to follow her boss’ directions, so she slides it onto her head. She takes a look into the mirror. With her long, black hair the outfit does match, but the hat just isn’t her. Shrugging, she picks up the pack, slips her fake ID into it and along with the money. For now she is Alexis Adams.

Downstairs and out on the street, Rory wanders around feeling devious. What should I do? She knows that she isn’t supposed to interact with anyone, but there shouldn’t be any problems if she does a little spying.

None of her friends have been born yet. Her mother and father haven’t even met yet. Her thoughts quickly drift to her father wondering what he was like, or rather, what he is like now. He has to be about her age. He probably lacks the good looks from the future and the necessary skills in the bedroom. Strangely, her father has never really talked much about what he was like before meeting her mother. With curiosity having the best of her, Rory heads to her father’s office. She knows he was a private investigator before meeting her mother, so there is the off chance that he is already one in this time.

Reaching the place, it looks practically the same. The sign is different, but it’s pretty much the same despite the twenty year difference. She feels excited staring at the front door of the business. She shouldn’t be here. Whether or not she should be becomes a faded thought as a scene suddenly steals away her attention.

A man in uniform is ushering some guy in a leather jacket out onto the street. “Your father doesn’t want you in here,” the man in uniform says firmly.

“Hey, don’t tell me what to do, you fucking idiot,” the man in the leather jacket counters.

Uniform swells but leather holds his ground with a jerk of his head. Uniform scuffs and heads back into the building. Leather spits and murmurs, “Like I give two shits what he thinks.” He tugs on his jacket and starts walking away.

Rory has trouble moving. The tough guy, that’s her father. He’s young, about her age as she suspected. She wants to approach him so badly, but she looks down at her outfit. Rory looks doesn’t look at all like she’d be in his world. She wishes Dr. Andromache would have slipped her a leather jacket at least. Maybe she anticipated this. Her father turns the corner, breaking Rory from thought and she hurries to catch up to him.

Rory can’t believe that she found him so easily. Her father must have worked for his father. Her grandfather was kind of secretive too, but he was an extremely nice man, at least to her. It’s too bad he died when she was eight. Her grandfather was shot protecting a woman and her kid during a robbery. She turns the corner to rush on, but doubles back after catching her father down an alleyway. She doesn’t see him anymore, so Rory cautiously walks down the alley. There are other alleys branching from the one she’s on in both directions.

Suddenly, someone snaps their fingers and Rory finds each of her arms being held by thuggish looking men. Her father steps out in front of her, smirking dangerously. He looks so different, so young. His eyes narrow, watching her. H looks like he has found a toy. The thuggish-looking man on her left squeezes too tight and Rory yelps.

“Easy,” Gavan, her father says. “She looks like a delicate flower.”

Of course her father wouldn’t hurt a woman; it’s not at all in his nature. Rory sighs with relief. He steps forward and stares down into her eyes. He smells much better than his accomplices. “Hi, Daddy,” Rory says with a happy smile.

His eyes narrow. “What?”

Oh shit! Rory gets too excited, feeling too comfortable and she lets the wrong thing slip. “I mean, um, hi. I didn’t mean to, uh, walk into your territory.”

Gavan inspects her closely, reaching out his hand to lift her chin, turning her face this way and that. “Did Greg send you?”

“Greg?” she asks before it dawns on her who he is talking about—his father, her grandfather.

Her father snaps again and her purse is ripped off her shoulder. The goons holding her grin over the few hundred dollars. Gavan instead focuses on the ID. “Alexis Adams,” he scoffs. Then he looks at her.

Rory smiles back, glad that he is the one in charge. She knows he is a good man and isn’t going to hurt her. “Lexi,” she says.

Gavan turns to one of his accomplices. “Greg sent her, you think?”

The brute nods. “It seems like something your father would do. She’s almost too good to believe though.”

“My father doesn’t work with amateurs,” Gavan reasons. “She looks good because she is supposed to.”

Rory has no idea what is going on. As far as she knows, both her father and grandfather were, or are, stand up guys. So she decides to play ignorant. “I don’t know any Greg.”

All their eyes move to her. Gavan licks his lips and snaps again. “Let her go and fuck off.”

Rory sighs as her arms are release. The thugs slink off into the shadows and Gavan steps close, handing her back her things. She smiles warmly at him. “Hi.”

One corner of his lip curls, as if he can’t help himself. “Hi.”

“I was worried there,” Rory says. “You seem to hang out with some scary people.”

He raises an eyebrow. “They’re scary?” Rory nods. “And I’m not?” She shakes her head, making him grin again. “Why not?”

“I know you’re a good person,” she says.

Gavan scoffs and his smile vanishes. “And you know this how?”

Rory examines him. She has known the man all her life. “Because I know you,” she answers with a smile. Then she remembers what her boss told her and just how delicate her time is. “I should probably go,” she says regretfully.

Gavan steps forward and takes her hand, lifts it to his mouth and kisses it. Rory lets out a surprised giggle. She knows he can be a charmer, but she never expected him to be one so young. So always figured it came with age, yet he seems to have always had it.

“Don’t go,” he says, trailing the back of her hand from his lips and down his stubbly chin. “Stay here with me a while.”

“Well ... I promised that I wouldn’t talk to you,” Rory whispers.

Gavan’s eyes flash and he grabs her waist with his free hand. “And who exactly did you promise that to?”

Rory bites her lip, thinking of an excuse. “Well, you probably don’t know her yet...”

“Yet?” he asks, curious.

I definitely need to learn to think before I speak. Rory smiles at him and continues without thought ... again. “I’m sorry. I can’t tell you, Daddy.”

Gavan’s jaw drops open for a moment and then he snaps it shut. “Why is it that you keep calling me that?”

Damn it! Rory might feel comfortable with him, but he doesn’t know her yet. And it’s definitely bound to get her into some serious trouble.

“Um, I don’t know,” she quickly answers. “Uh, what’s your name anyhow?”

His eyebrow goes up again and he doesn’t remove his hand from her waist. Instead, he rubs it gently, comforting Rory. “My name is Bryan.”

The girl frowns at him, feeling a bit hurt that he would lie like that. “Tell the truth,” she says, flashing him a frown.

His eyes snap to hers. “So you know my name then?”

Rory swallows. “Yes.”

His hand tightens around her waist. “Who are you?”

She swallows again. He is kind of caring her now. “I can’t tell you.”

Gavan backs his daughter up against the wall. “If you know who I am, you know what I am capable of,” he growls. “Now tell me who you are.”

The change is in him is frightening. This is a side of her father that Rory has never seen. Whatever he did as a private investigator is not what she thought it was. Gavan stares down into her eyes as if he can force the truth out of her. Maybe in some way he could. She has blundered Dr. Andromache’s rules and now Rory has to find some way to get out of this.

Thinking fast, she says, “Okay, okay. Greg did send me.”

Gavan’s eyes lower slowly. His eyelids droop low, making his already dark eyes look black. A grin forms on his lips. This is definitely a face Rory has never seen on him before.

“I thought so,” he says at last. His hand releases her wrist, his fingers trail down her cheek. Rory shivers. “Yeah,” he continues, pushing her more firmly against the wall. “My father knows what I like.” Then Gavan runs his fingers through his daughter’s hair

“Um...” she says, not sure she is hearing correctly. “Wait.”

His hand trails down Rory’s neck a second time, this time over her shirt. “Why should I wait?” he asks playfully.

“Well...” Rory swallows thickly and shakes her head to clear it. “Well, I think that you’re going to do something that you’re going to regret.”

She hears his breath escape. “You mean like fucking you?”

That breath soars right past her ear. His body pushes up against hers. Rory can clearly tell that he wants her. Her dad wants her.

“Oh,” she moans unconsciously. This is not good, not good at all. “You have to stop, Daddy.”

Gavan’s breath escapes across her ear again. His hand wanders across her breast, flicking her nipple with his thumb. “If you want me to stop, you’ll have to tell me why.” His other hand leaves Rory’s waist, runs over her hip and down her thigh. When he brings it back up, it’s on her inner thigh. Up it goes, trailing over her skirt, tight over her most sensitive place. Rory gasps.

“Wait, please,” she moan weakly.

But he doesn’t wait. Rory’s strength fails as his hands both fondle her breasts and his pelvis grinds into hers. He’s hard.

“Um, Daddy ... please...” Rory murmurs, not even sure what it is that she is asking.

“Mmm,” he hums into her ear. “I actually like that. I never thought I’d be called that.”

“No, you don’t understand,” the girl begs. “You don’t want to do this, Daddy.”

“Oh, but I do.” His hand runs beneath her shirt.

“But ... but, I’m someone you can’t do this to,” she continues to plead.

“Oh?” he shudders and his hand runs under her bra and over her breast. “Mmm,” he purrs. “They’re big.”