Chapter 8

Life went on for the Fraggers in the aftermath of the wolf attack. The next morning, Lars and Noah led a group of people who scoured the enclave from wall to wall. They did, in fact, find two more live wolves that were cowering behind a small building. Rather than releasing them outside and having them try to re-enter, they were shot immediately, bringing the final number of dead canine infiltrators to twenty-three.

After securely repairing the breached southwestern gate, Noah led an inspection team that surveyed all four gates for possible vulnerabilities. The two gates on the eastern side were deemed solid and secure. However, weaknesses were identified in the northwestern gate that were similar to the ones the wolf pack had exploited in breaching the southwestern gate. These were quickly remedied. Traps were also placed in strategic locations both inside and outside all four gates. Would all of this make them impenetrable? Only time would tell.

The decision was made to relocate the cafeteria, and a mostly unoccupied building not far from the central control tower was identified as a suitable location. As had been predicted, this was a large undertaking which required the better part of four days. Several large appliances – ovens, refrigerators, and the like – had to be transported and set up. During those four days, there were no community meals.

Although Abby’s injury was minor, Kara had insisted that she take a couple of days off from her work to recover. On her last day off, she was invited to attend the weekly staff meeting – something that was happening with increasing frequency. The three other injured people – Hannah, Elena and Jael – were also invited to attend, and all three felt well enough to show up. Kara started off the meeting by touting Abby’s heroism and bravery during the wolf attack. Abby appreciated the accolades, but she was modest by nature and moved to deflect the praise onto others. Given a chance to address the group, she spoke at length about how Essence had stepped up and coolly led a three-person team with two inexperienced members – Abby and Hannah – in quickly dispatching a pack of four angry wolves. She also spoke of Hannah’s bravery, describing in detail how in spite of her injuries, Hannah had asked for a gun to help subdue the wolves that were chasing after Elena. She also gave kudos to Noah for his firearm instruction, which she’d made great use of, and thanked him for helping to eliminate Elena’s attackers. And in the process, she discovered yet another thing about herself that she had a knack for. Me, a public speaker? she thought. Who’d a-thunk it?

The wolf incident had also widened Abby’s circle of acquaintances. Elena, whom she’d hardly known before the attack, was eternally grateful for Abby’s assistance. Back at the job following her injuries, she had invited Abby into the kitchen one night while she was preparing dinner for the group, and they had hit it off. Abby, to whom cooking was one thing that she was familiar with in her previous life, had even taken a turn in front of the stove one evening. Elena had shared with Abby her secret crab cake recipe, something she’d only done with a select few people. “Elena, I’m bringing this recipe back to 2023 with me,” she’d joked.

Jael, who Abby had not known at all before the wolves arrived, was also back on duty. He and Lucinda continued to work the evening shift at the southwestern gate. With that gate being close to where she lived, Abby occasionally wandered down and hung out with the two of them for a while. She told them about her own wish to join the guard force when her training was complete. They both promised to put in a good word for her with Kara.

One day, Abby paid Noah a solo visit at his com center. They were now good friends, but she felt a need to clear up a few things.

“You know what,” she told him in the midst of a conversation. “I have something to confess. When I first met you, I didn’t like you too much.”

Noah gave a knowing smile. “You think I didn’t figure that out?”

“You could tell?” Abby replied, a little startled, for she thought she’d done her best to conceal it.

“It was obvious,” said Noah. “Look, I get it. My humor does fall flat with some people. But I gotta be me.”

“It’s not that I was offended. It’s just that everyone around here is so serious all the time, that your humor kind of stands out. It’s ... I don’t know, amplified somehow. It took me a little bit of time. Once I caught on, you saw the result. There’s actually quite a bit of overlap between my humor and yours.” Abby flashed an evil grin. “Anyway, I do want to tell you a few things, in all seriousness. I appreciate the weapons training. It served me well the other day. And I also appreciate the pilot training, plus everything else that you do for this community.”

“Right back at you. You’re an ace student, and you really showed it when the wolves came. Mucho respect for the way you handled yourself under pressure.”

“Thanks again. And so, with that out of the way, we can go back to trading insults, Father of Twenty-Four.”

“That’s Father of Twenty-Five to you, Ginger Roja.”

“Oh, so there’s a new member of the flock?”

“Born four days ago in Philadelphia.”

“Well, I suppose congratulations are in order. And the way things are going, I think I need to put some birth congratulations notices for you on auto-send.”

Yes, Abby’s social calendar was full these days. But there was one person who’d been conspicuously absent since the wolf attack: Laird. Abby knew him well enough to deduce that his avoidance was somehow connected to that attack. She was sure of it.

“Now, I just push this button, right?” said Jimmy to Abby. “And it will start dripping down into the other bottle.” Essence, taking in this laboratory scene from a short distance away, smiled broadly.

“You got it, Ace Scientist,” said Abby with an equally wide smile. “Keep it up, and you’ll put me out of a job.”

Essence moved up and whispered to Abby, “Where’s his father?” Their workplace structure was extremely informal, and as long as the work got done, no one paid any mind to actual working hours. But Laird had been distant and distracted on the job as of late – all in the group had taken note of it.

“I don’t know,” Abby whispered back, as Jimmy continued to watch the liquid drip down from the condenser in fascination. “Once again, he didn’t even come inside. Jimmy told me he had to go to a meeting.”

“I’m not aware of any meetings going on right now,” replied Essence.

“It’s probably just some of Laird’s Mr. Mysterious mumbo-jumbo,” said Abby with a snicker.

It turned out that Laird did, in fact, have a meeting to attend. He’d asked Abby to watch Jimmy for a couple of hours. In truth, he’d wanted to go inside and see Abby. He hadn’t had any meaningful contact with her since their date, and a lot had transpired in the interim. He simply did not want to encounter Essence, whom he absolutely could not stand. It wasn’t because she was technically his supervisor, nor entirely because she belonged to the Delmarva elite whom he so loathed. It was because of the hold she had over Abby – filling her mind with mistruths and inaccuracies.

He arrived at his place, parked the car, and went inside to get ready for the meeting. He wasn’t yet clear as to its purpose, but he was hopeful that it could be the springboard to a new life in Philadelphia. And with a little luck, perhaps he could convince Abby to share it with him. He still held hope for that.

The day following his date with Abby, he’d been approached by a woman named Isabella Genovese while out for a walk in the evening. He knew her by sight, although he had never spoken with her. She was in her early thirties, intelligent, and beautiful. She was conspicuous in that she wore nice clothes and light makeup, with a touch of glamor – just like women used to look in the good old days. Now, to be sure, it was Abby who held his heart at this point. But he was, after all, a man, and he was easily wiled by an attractive woman.

It turned out that nothing had transpired between them but conversation. He’d been shocked to learn that Isabella was a legislator who split her time between Delmarva and Philadelphia. This revelation kicked Laird’s interest up a notch. He proceeded to tell her all about his disillusionment with the situation here in Delmarva, and his desire to relocate himself and his son to Philadelphia.

“I might be able to assist you,” said Isabella. “I have contacts in Philadelphia who should be able to help find you a job and a place to live.”

They’d agreed to meet two days later in a virtually unused meeting room, of which there were plenty on the former research facility. Isabella had touted Laird’s credentials to someone in Philadelphia, and she had found a job vacancy that was his if he wanted it. She’d also identified a few available residences; if interested, he could go to Philadelphia and choose for himself.

“Why are you doing all of this for me?” inquired Laird, a tad suspicious.

“I’d like for you to attend a meeting here in one of the larger conference rooms,” explained Isabella. “All will be made clear to you then. Let’s just say that you’ve attracted the attention of a few important people.” Laird pressed her for more details, but Isabella would not budge. He’d just have to wait until the meeting.

Now, Laird was in his bedroom getting dressed for what promised to be a most informative get-together. He still had no clue as to what was going on, and half of him was concerned the whole thing was a trap. Just keep your guard up, he reminded himself as he put on a pair of pressed slacks and a business shirt. This was, after all, a Patriot-style meeting. Next, he reached for a necktie. Soon, it was positioned firmly in place; Laird was an expert at crafting a knot in a tie. Then came a pair of freshly polished shoes, a formal jacket, and he was ready. He headed back out to the car.

If only Abby could see me now, he thought as he drove. He had already formulated a plan. This evening, he would speak with Jimmy about the upcoming move. This would be a difficult undertaking, but he would just have to make Jimmy understand that it was for their own good. Next, he would speak with Abby and do his best to persuade her to join them. He would ask her on another date at the pub, loosen her up with easy conversation and maybe a drink or two, and then go for broke. As for all the other assholes in this damn community? He wouldn’t say a word to them. He would just disappear. He smiled as he thought of just not showing up for work one day soon, forcing Essence to look for a replacement on the spot. Even better, she’d have to try to make sense of his research notes. Wait a minute ... that gives me an idea, he thought.

He entered the conference room to find Isabella waiting for him. She was ravishingly attired in a simple but beautiful yellow dress. Her brunette hair was nicely styled; she even had on a pearl necklace and earrings, affectations that were largely absent in the Fragger society.

“Good afternoon, Laird,” said Isabella with a dazzling smile, directing him to be seated at a small round table. “There are two more meeting attendees, and they’ll be here momentarily.”

No sooner had Isabella gotten those words out when two well-dressed people, a man and a woman, entered the room. Laird recognized the man immediately. “Just a minute,” he blurted out, forgetting about decorum for a second, “Didn’t I see you over at the pub a couple of Fridays ago?”

“Yes,” replied the man. “I want to apologize again for bumping you from behind that evening, Mr. Edmunds. I am Legislator Orval James, and this is Dr. Clair Richter. We’ve heard about your interest in moving up to Philadelphia. We’ve also heard other great things about you, from Legislator Isabella and others. I have a proposal of sorts for you that will benefit all of us. That is, if you are amenable to it.”

Laird, suspicious by nature, had his guard up. “Legislator Orval, I’ve heard your name mentioned more than once. Weren’t you the head of the committee that considered the ... um, time travel project?”

“I did head up that committee,” Orval acknowledged. “The two ladies in attendance here were also committee members. We came to the correct conclusion. As you no doubt are aware, the project was mismanaged by a few individuals in this community. But right now, that is neither here nor there. Please allow me to outline my current plans, and how they might benefit you personally.”

Laird nodded; although he was still wary, he respected Orval’s formal yet direct communication style. He didn’t agree with Orval’s assertion that they’d made the right decision regarding the time travel project, but he wisely elected to keep that to himself. He did agree with the notion that the project had been horribly mismanaged – something he’d mentioned countless times to Abby.

“Very well then,” said Laird with a neutral expression. “I’m listening.”

Orval, a man in love with the sound of his own voice, began his oration. He spoke at great length about his background, his experience as a legislator, and touted all of his career accomplishments. Laird, his patience running out, felt like telling him, Get to the point.

Eventually, he did come around to the point. “Very recently,” said Orval, “an opportunity came my way that I was delighted to accept. As you know, there will be an election come this November. I decided to establish a candidacy for President of the Philadelphia Region – the once and future United States of America. The nomination process was completed two days ago, and I was given the honor of being the opposition candidate. I will be opposing Fern Parsons, the incumbent, who is running for re-election. President Fern is a relative political newcomer who is quite unpopular with the voting public. I have a great deal of legislative experience, a lot of fresh ideas, and I expect to win handily in November.”

The nomination process for the office of President was a complex one, but Orval had indeed prevailed. Clair and Isabella had been silent up to this point. Clair, however, appeared to be on the verge of breaking out into applause. “Congratulations on your nomination,” Laird said respectfully. “But how does this apply to my move to Philadelphia?”

“As you may or may not know,” Orval replied, “I am unhappy and disillusioned with the state of things here at Delmarva. This is a poorly run community with incompetent people in important positions. On top of that, having spent far too much time in their presence, I can say that their values are not consistent with what we try to emphasize in our sphere of influence. I too have decided to relocate permanently to Philadelphia, and I will do that regardless of whether or not I am victorious.”

“As will I,” indicated Clair. Laird, though he was tempted to ask why Clair was relocating, didn’t bother. The implications were obvious.

“If I am elected as expected,” Orval went on, “I intend to bring about great change here at Delmarva. It will be one of my foremost priorities. Besides incompetent leadership, this community has been granted far too much autonomy. I intend to change that. They will learn to do things the right way. They will not be dealing with other communities on their own, as they have been under Fern Parsons and her predecessors. As a beginning to this end, I intend to purge the Delmarva leadership entirely and hold elections for replacements where necessary.”

Now he’s speaking my language, thought Laird. “I’m in full agreement with the incompetence of the leadership here. How will you go about purging them?”

“They will immediately be removed from their positions and at the very least, relocated from Delmarva. What happens beyond that has not been determined. Some may face charges of criminal incompetence and corruption. Some will probably be forced out of the Philadelphia sphere of influence entirely. We need to ensure that they are separated as much as possible, to prevent their cooperation and reorganization.”

“Which leaders would be targeted?” said Laird, perhaps too eagerly.

“Well, I’d rather not give a complete list, as it hasn’t been hammered out yet, and will be somewhat confidential even when it is.” Orval sensed that he had Laird reeled in at this point. “But it doesn’t take much speculation to deduce that Governor Kara is one of them. Also, Dr. Taffeta, Dr. Essence, Dr. Mercy, Dr. Mimosa, Captain Jason Masters – those are names that will certainly be on the list. Oh, and let’s not forget Noah Benjamin, the individual who doesn’t even merit a title.”

Laird felt like rubbing his hands together in glee as he heard those names mentioned. Those assholes might be on their way to getting their just rewards, he thought. But then, something else occurred to him.

“I need to ask about one person in particular ... whether or not she may be on the list.” Laird put forth, almost sounding meek.

“Who would that be?” Isabella wondered.

“Abby Blevins, the time traveler,” said Laird.

“You were with her at the pub that night,” observed Orval, as Clair nodded in agreement. Orval’s eyes met Clair’s, and then Isabella’s. It was clear that Abby’s status was something that had not yet been considered.

“I would think,” Orval said finally, “that we would be interested in retaining her. She is an innocent by-product of an unfortunate mistake. She might be able to offer an interesting perspective. Also, with her being new to this world, she would probably be quite easy to mold into someone accepting of our way of life.”

Knowing Abby as he did, Laird knew that there was no way that was true in any sense. But he’d deal with that if it came to pass. He still had no inkling as to what plans they had for him, but he elected to be forthright. “There’s more to consider here,” said Laird. “I have a ten-year-old son who will be coming with me. Also, I need to say this ... Abby has captured my heart, and my intent is to ask her to come with me to Philadelphia.”