Chapter 5

They went into the kitchen and he had her sit at the table. He sat down beside her. He knew that he would have to coach her on how to survive in this world that was so backward compared to her world. If she made a slip, the public would brand her either a crazy person or worse, the UFO nuts would hound her to death.

" I don't even know your name."

"It's Thea."

"Thea, I don't think that you're ever going to get back to your world again. I have always been taught, as apparently you have, that time travel is impossible. The people or things that brought you here and dumped you aren't coming back either, as far as I know. I got the impression that they don't think very highly of humans. I'm going to have to clue you in on what to expect in this world. You can't go making changes real quick or people will start suspecting something. I'm sure that you're going to see us do a lot of things that you think are backward and, probably, you know a better way. You're just going to have to accept out ways. Later, we might be able to tap into your brain and improve on a few things. We'll have to do it slowly though. As I told you, I am a scientist and I can use your knowledge to create some improvements in the way we do things. One of the main things has nothing to do with science. You have to wear clothes. We're a little different here than the men in your world. Men and women still practice a courting ritual and sex is a big thing in our society. You'll be arrested if you walk down the street naked. That would bring a whole new set of problems because you have no identity. I'll have to figure a way to make you a person of our time. He paused to make sure she understood what he was telling her.

"I understand. I don't have any idea how to get back to my time either. I would never try to change anything in this time period. It would have far-reaching effects on the future."

He leaned back in his chair, "How about your family back in your time? I'm sure you're going to miss them. Can you handle knowing that you'll never see your family again?"

She got a serious look on her face, "As I told you, our methods of having children are a lot different than yours. When the eggs are harvested and the males donate sperm, the eggs and sperm are gene-mapped and cataloged. The eggs and sperm are genetically altered for whatever purpose is required. I have no real father or mother. I am probably the child of many people."

He sat the chair upright again, "For the next few days we'll stay here at the lake and I'll give you an intense instruction on the way our time works. Doesn't work would be more like it."

She nodded her agreement and they started discussing how a few of the basic things worked in this world that she had landed in. He told her that he would like her to watch the television for a day to see a visual image of a lot of the things she would encounter when she went among the citizens of the 21st century.

"You said that you were a scientist and work on weapons," she said. "I take it that you work for your leaders. What types of weapons do you work on?"

He proceeded to give her an overview of the weapons that he had been instrumental in bring into existence. He left out the top-secret weapons that he had recently designed and only told her about the weapons that had been released to the press by the Pentagon.

"What about the new weapon that you said would involve much pure research?"

"I don't even know if the damn thing will work. It's just a theory. As a result of a theoretical study I did 3 years ago, they've asked me to go ahead and try to design the thing. It's just a theory. I think that the type of radiation that will make the weapon work does exist, but I can't prove that it does. If it does exist and I can find a way to harness it we would be light years ahead of everybody else. What it is supposed to do is release the bonds that hold molecules together and whatever you point it at disintegrates into a pile of the atoms that it is composed of.

Suddenly she got a shocked look on her face. The look turned to rage. Thea got up out of her chair and hit him so hard across his face that he was knocked to the floor. He tried to pick himself off of the floor. He could taste blood where his teeth had dug into the inside of his jaw. As the stars began to clear, he heard her screaming.

"Murderer! You scum. Why are you still alive. The history books said you were executed for treason by your leaders."

He got up and grabbed her arms and pushed her back into her chair. She fought him and he lost his grip on her a few times. Each time she took another swing at him. Luckily, he avoided her fist. When she finally calmed down enough she stopped swinging at him. Although her rage was still seething, he let her go and backed away from her.