Chapter 3

They moved the balance of the stone and wood implements to the side. The handprint was still there, on the far right end. “Here goes.” Kevin said, placing his left hand on the engraved image. The LCD screen came alive, reading, ‘DNA within acceptable limits. State your name.’

Glancing at his companions, he shrugged his shoulders, saying, “Kevin Carson.”

‘Accepted. Remain in contact with the evaluator. Next.’ A second handprint appeared beside Kevin’s. Marly placed her left hand on the ‘evaluator’.

‘DNA within acceptable limits. State your name.’

“Marly Trudeau.”

‘Accepted. Remain in contact with the evaluator. Next.’ A third handprint for René Johansson, a fourth for Andrea Rasmussen and a fifth for Patricia Carlisle, appeared in order with the same routine and acceptance.

‘All readings above average. Remain in contact with the evaluator. Improvements to the current enhancements will be installed and made permanent. All physical and mental upgrades will be maximized according to capacity, ability and genetic potential. Carson Group recorded successfully. Await further information.’

“How wrong can a girl get?” René asked. “Go figure.”

“What do you think the ‘maximized according to capacity, ability and genetic potential’ means” Patty wondered.

“To begin, the time machine cured or corrected any illnesses, dysfunctions or imperfections when we traveled. Those ‘enhancements’ will be made permenent, I guess. The maximum potential part is our respective, natural abilities. If one is stronger than another, both will be made stronger, but the relative difference will still be there.” Kevin said, “If you were intuitive before, you might be fortuneteller now. Maybe we will put those forgotten and underused brain cells to work.”

“I feel tingly and a little spacey all of a sudden.” Marly mumbled. “Doesn’t hurt. It’s just odd.”

“If the box wanted to hurt us, it would have done so already. I think it, or whoever made it, intends to help us, but it is not very adept at getting permission.” Patty said, smiling large, “We’ll know for sure if we develop x-ray vision or something.”

“The tingling is some sort of ‘growing pains while you wait’ deal.” Andrea ventured. “Not as in getting taller but probably as in getting fitter and more responsive.”

“We were pretty outdoorsy for a bunch of lab rats already. I’m kinda looking forward to a tune up. We need to be on top of our game here or our place on the food chain is in serious jeopardy.” Kevin said, “It’s a jungle out there.”

“And a forest, badlands, beach, desert and everything else, too.” René added. “Smarter, faster, quicker and stronger may be the minimum requirements merely to get by.”

“Speaking of getting by, we have to find a more complete food source. If nuts and apples are in season, winter is not far off.” Andrea warned. “Nuts we can stockpile. Apples we can dry. Some meats would be nice if we have refrigeration.”

“The little one in my office isn’t big enough to hold more than a week’s worth of lunches for me and some sodas. We can smoke and dry meat if we can get some. That is if we can even eat it.”

“Try this idea. We gather everything we can get our hands on, portion it out in daily or weekly amounts, and send it into the future. It should reappear intact and fresh, ready to eat.” Kevin suggested. “You did say everything we need to eat traveled forward, didn’t you?”

“They never tried a ribeye but I suppose a cut of beef is no more or less dead than a head of romaine.” Patty allowed. “The rabbit chow popped up in the programmed three days as good as new. The last rabbit thought so anyway. Reichert tasted the lettuce and pronounced it fine as far as frou-frou food went. I hope he chokes on his sauerbraten wherever he is, if he is.”

“Amen to that. He was the jerk who supervised our rude dismissal. But I’m glad we’re not there now.” Marly said. “That sounds like this place looks. Everything that ever was or ever will be thrown into a food processor set on ‘chop’.”

“Then poured out at random on a lumpy palette. I wonder what stopped it.” René asked. “Any of you supercharged rocket surgeons have any ideas?”

“Not a one.” Kevin was at a loss for an explanation. “I am glad it’s over. But back to the food supply. Is there anything like pastrami or a leftover cheeseburger we can test the theory on?”

“I think I have a pack of dogs and some buns, condiments, maybe half of a corned beef sandwich.” Patty answered. “Will that do?”

“It will do quite nicely and raises another question. Will the process cure the cheese or make a super fungus?”

Andrea interrupted. “That might not be worth the risk. The fungus is as dumb as mold, but it is living. We don’t want even one spore loose here. If you must test it, put the moldy cheese in a sealed glass biohazard vessel. If the mold is worse after a short trip, send it on a flip trip and make mush. It’s the only way.”

The silver box beeped and, for the first time, spoke. “Carson Group enhancements complete. Results include, but are not limited to:

Total immunity from chemical or biological agents, viral, bacterial or fungal.

Can neither absorb nor metabolize harmful chemical agents.

Recovery from physical injury will be rapid.

Current physique and condition is your standard template.