Voyagers!: Tunnels of despair and tracks of hope
Chapter 10
Author Note: I am 'borrowing' one of my original characters from my Voyager's Aide Series–Australian Voyager Bobby Peters, the head of the Omni Control Center. He tends to appear in many of my different stories. :)
Oslo, Norway, 1700
Thunder crashed and the rain poured down in buckets. His only source of light was a dying lantern and sharp flashes of lightning that illuminated the entire bog every few minutes. He would not let a storm dissuade him from making it to the docks where the pirate ship had dropped anchor. Nothing could stop him from leaving this old, useless life behind.
Shivering with cold, fifteen year-old Phineas Bogg trudged through the swampy grasslands, finally coming to rest at alongside a rocky cliff at the shoreline. Through the swirling wind and darkness he saw pirate ship's outline. It was setting sail the next morning, and by his calculations he'd make it just in time to secure passage. Whether they accepted him or not, he was finally free, no longer under the tyranny of his cruel father or the harsh indecisiveness of his mother. There was only one person he'd truly miss and worry about, his younger sister Emilie.
He'd wanted to take her with him, and had often amused her with his wild tales of the adventures they could have together. Phineas knew he would never get anywhere traveling with a ten year old girl. He left her a small token, a ship carved of wood so she would understand where he went. He'd also crafted two rag dolls, a boy and a girl, which was meant to be a sign of his brotherly love. He hoped that in time she'd forgive his sudden departure. Emilie, at least, was somewhat safe from their father's violent lashings, though she was often battered down by the sharp hand and tongue of their mother, Inga.
Both his parents were poor and uneducated farmers and it seemed to Phineas they resented the fact that their children were born with high intellect and a capacity to learn. The Bogg children desired more than a future of poverty and ignorance. Still, Emilie could barely read and Phineas struggled. One of the first things he'd planned to do was learn more of the English tongue and to read and write it fluently. Phineas had dreams to travel far, to go places that one could only read about in books. He wanted to be a man of the world, free to come and go as he pleased and to never have to suffer again.
His joy upon seeing the ship was at once short-lived as he heard a voice that rivaled nature's thunder calling out and cursing him. He saw his strapping father, Peder. He was intoxicated as ever and struggling to find him. Peder was a pitiful excuse for a man, staggering and tripping over invisible obstacles along the sand. He wasn't coming to hug Phineas and plead his return, he was going to make sure his ungrateful boy learned a lesson he would never forget, even if it killed him. Phineas had nowhere to escape to this time. His father gained speed and finally caught up to him. Phineas' only chance to get away was to climb the rocks that lead out to the sea.
Voyagers Headquarters – Present
"When can I see him, Bobby?" Jeffrey asked. He wrung his hands and fidgeted in the over-sized chair across from the desk.
Bobby Peters, a towering, Australian Voyager and the Director of the Omni Control Center, placed a warm hand on his shoulder. Jeffrey stared up saddened, but he saw glimmers of hope in the older Voyager's blue eyes.
"Jeff, he's gonna be fine. There's not much you can do right now. You've already done the best you could by bringing him here for treatment. He's under a mild sedation and when he wakes up he'll be calm and ready for evaluation. I'm terribly sorry this happened. The gilded age was full of shonky business and rich pollys who screwed the poor over."
"I've studied about the corruption. But the light is still red! Please tell me that Francesca isn't gonna die."
"It sure seems like she is, doesn't it? No, according to our time line assessment, she can live. But it's the professional opinion of Dr. Buono that you and Bogg be removed from this assignment. It's taken its toll and we'll immediately send in another…"
Jeffrey leaped from his chair. "No! We started this, we messed it up, and we're gonna fix it."
"Jeffrey, you didn't mess anything up. Heck, if I were truly in charge here I'd give you a medal of Valor for what you did with that bomb, both of you."
"Thanks, but I don't care about that. All I know is, I watched a woman kill herself and my best friend go nuts and it shouldn't have happened." He answered upset.
Bobby sighed and nodded. He crossed his arms and leaned against his desk. "We have all the details of the mission, but I want your version."
"I knew something was eating at Bogg for a few weeks, but we didn't talk about it. Phineas doesn't like to share his problems with me, and I'm tired of that. It makes me feel like I'm still a baby that doesn't understand anything. I know he tries to protect my feelings; he doesn't want me to be scared, but what about his feelings? Who does he have to vent to, ya know?"
Bobby sighed and reached for a pile of folders. He pulled out a thick green file with Phineas' name embossed on top. He tapped his fingers on it.
"Jeff, what do you think the problem is?"
Jeffrey looked at him in disbelief. "You really want my opinion?"
Bobby grinned. "You know the man better than anyone. You're his partner!"
"But…but…"
"But what? You're still a kid and what you say shouldn't matter? That's bloody ridiculous. You're a Voyager; your opinion counts to me. Come on, mate. Sit back down and tell me what's on your mind, or rather, on Bogg's mind."
With Bobby's rapt attention, Jeffrey went on to give his assumption that Phineas was being tormented by his pre-Voyager life, possibly some tragedy involving his parents. When he told him what Phineas said before they came to Headquarters, Bobby's face darkened and he opened the file.
"I should've known! Oh, Bogg. I told him this was gonna come back to bite him in the arse! He passed all his mental evaluations with flying colors, that's not the problem, but he never wanted to talk about his life before piracy. Phineas probably never told ya, but do you know how we pick and choose our Voyagers? At least one of our standard methods?"
Jeffrey shook his head. "Uhh, I'm not really sure."
"Without boring you with all the technical stuff, let's just say that each Voyager has a 'shadow.' "
"Shadow? What's that? Sounds like a superhero."
Bobby chuckled. "It's an in-house expression for a Voyager who's assigned to oversee the life course of a potential Voyager candidate. They never make their appearance truly known to the candidate, but throughout their lives they pop up again and again, watching, observing, and waiting. They rarely get involved, unless the candidate is in dire straights, and they send reports back to Headquarters. When the Council makes the final decision on the candidate, we either pluck them, or we leave them alone and move on to the next. Trust me, it's a very delicate process, and we don't take it lightly. Unfortunately we get some damn bad apples in the bunch, like Voyager Drake proved to be. It just goes to show you that people can change for bad or good."
Jeffrey looked at Bobby thoughtfully. "That is so cool. Did I have a shadow?"
"Sure you did. They may have observed you in school, or been a hot dog vendor in Central Park, perhaps they were in the crowd whenever you were out with your parents."
"Was it Bogg?"
"No, Bogg was your retriever. Well, we used him in that way."
Jeffrey pointed to the folder. "Let me guess, that's Bogg's Shadow report."
"Correct. Now, I'm gonna share a few things that may disturb you, but I don't want you to be in the dark about your partner."
"Bobby, why would they disturb me?"
"Because, your opinion of Phineas might change. But I want you to know that we never would've picked him for our ranks if we felt he didn't possess the outstanding qualities you know and love about him."
Jeffrey let out a deep breath. "Okay, I can take it."
Bobby eyed him steadily. "You have to promise me that you won't tell him you know this. I know Bogg. He's a clam sometimes but with a little prodding he pops right open and inside is the shiny pearl. Phineas is a rare Voyager, Jeffrey. He's a truly great man and dear friend to me as well. You see, I was his shadow."
"Wow. That's so…weird."
"I know. I watched him from a tow-headed tyke, to skinny, runty teen and finally the strapping, lusty pirate all the women faint over. My how they grow." Bobby laughed, but then grew somber again. "I'm technically not supposed to do this. We have strict confidentiality clauses here."
Jeffrey leaned forward eagerly. "I promise, Bobby, I won't say a word to him, not even if he tells me himself. Thanks for trusting me and not treating me like a kid."
"You got it, Jeff. I don't see ya as a child anymore. You're a young adult. As soon as we're done here I'll take you back to his room."
"Thanks, I don't want to leave him alone again today, if that's alright."
"That's fine by us, and I think you'll be quite pleased with our housing arrangements. We have state of the art televisions, computers, and everything that can tap into all eras. Within the age of communications that is."
"That's great, but I just want to get some sleep. I'm not in the mood for much of anything after what I saw today."
"Understood. And Jeffrey, Dr. Buono is a wonderful counselor. If you ever feel the need to talk while you're here, he's there to listen."
Jeffrey contemplated the offer, but then stared at him with a determined smile. He thought of the beach at Kitty Hawk.
"Thanks, Bobby, but I think I did enough talking for now. This time it's Bogg's turn to cry on the rock."