Just a fluffy chapter giving us an idea about the New Sanctuary, Ashley health and Helen's state of mind. How the kids have grown and now have Chris as honoree uncle, now that he has married Jess. Chris only knows as much as the kids. He has handled the whole Sasquatch in the back woods and abnomals stuff pretty well. But this information will be important for later chapters.
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There were multiple ways to get to Hollow Earth. Helen had set up her Sanctuaries along a tunnel, a very narrow and winding tunnel. That connected to Hollow Earth, but that wouldn't be noticed.
She had 3 small cities now, not just large housing complexes. The 1st city was the most advances and would serve as her home. The 2nd was advanced but had less hustle and bustle. It also had more space for flying abnormals. The 3rd was the simplest, but the medical and safety were all advanced. But this Sanctuary was for those who wanted a quieter and more natural environment. They also grew most of the food. The 3rd one was also the only Sanctuary without a permeant Shoe.
Helen had created 2 entrances, one by the 1st and 3nd Sanctuaries. Above them she had set up a little hovel of local families mostly women, children and a few local abnormals. At the 1st one they made rugs and blankets. The 2nd they had goats and yaks, making candles and soaps. This meant shipment of supplies were less suspicious. When she closed down Sanctuaries and sent her residents, it would also draw less attention.
Helen had arrive and Ashley was being lowered down the opening on a stretcher. She was heavily sedated, but Helen was still very worried about her waking up. Her arrival team helped get Ashley to the infirmary. Helen in gauged the EM shield that would bounce Ashley back. If she were to wake up and get loose of her bracelets.
Helen wanted Pili to be there so bad right now. But she was still running her Sanctuary and would have to continue. But it would be the first one Helen closed. Someone would had to watch over Ashley until Helen could get most of her Sanctuaries closed and relocate her residents. For the ones who choose not to move to the underground Sanctuaries. Helen had planned to leave 3 main Sanctuaries above ground open. Which would operate with little over sight from Helen and the underground.
After getting Ashley all set up Helen went up to the residential/living units. She still wanted this to feel like a home. So each unit 10 bedrooms and came complete with a family kitchen and living/entertainment area. Helen so just wanted to soak in the nice big tub, but took a shower instead. After all there was work to do.
A Deep voice came over the wall communicator in the sitting room. "Doc Magnus, can you come to Ward 3 please." Helen swallowed the bite of her sandwich as she walked over and flipped the switch "I'm on my away." As the major construction was done and now it was all about setting up habits and furnishing rooms. So she felt able to wear her normal high heels. They clicked as she stepped out of the lift and walked down the hall. It seemed so ghostly now. With only 3, 9 person teams living and working there, besides any children/family the workers had. She knew soon it would be full of beings of all kinds.
She came to Ward 3. Residents that needed to be watched and could not leave there rooms would be housed here. The Dangerous but not deadly. Bromley was her Foreman as it were. A being 7 feet tall with rough light brown skin and 3 fingers on each of his 4 hands and a deep calm voice. "Bromley." Helen said as she walked up behind him. "I have a question about the new habitat for your Ashley." A small woman named Cricket only about 4 feet tall, with green eyes and green hair pushed around him. "Let me ask you big block head. Doc Magnus, you put on the order to place a magnetic panel in it. But how big and where in the room?" "I am not a block head!" Bromley grumbled. "So you two have be getting along well I see." "He put me up on a ledge last week and I was stuck there for 3 hours." Cricket punched him in the leg, but immediately regretted it as she shook her hand.
Helen looked over the small room. It had a toilet and a sink behind a half wall. The magnetic bracelets Ashley wore would be drawn to the panel at the push of a button. Helen asked that a nightstand, 2 chairs and a table also be placed in the room. She would have to be content using the special bed that also worked with her bracelets for now.
The time flew by very quickly. Helen was no closer to helping Ashley, then when they first arrived. Ashley could only surface for 5 or 10 seconds. When Helen turned the bracelets off to allow Ashely to move around. She would try to teleport or pound on the door fully Vamped out. They had to remove the chairs and tables, as Ashley had broken them. Helen decided to keep Ashley sedated 20 hours a day, for everyone's safety. Once a week under sedation Ashley was bathed and her clothes changed. The other 4 hours she was allowed to pace in her cage, and she did. It broke Helen's heart to see her baby like this. She wasn't giving up! She would find a way to bring Ashley back.
Helen had to get back to the surface she only had a few days, before she had to re-enter the time line. She had spent the last week letting Ashley's 3 person med team take care of her on their own. Just so Helen knew they could handle it while she was a way. When she got to the Hong Kong airport she decide to check in on her other children.
"Rolling Thunder Rescue," a chipper Gina answered. "Is that how you answer the phone now? I like that," Helen said. "Mom?! Chris, quick tell Jess mom's on the phone! Where are you? When are you coming by? I got a solo in the school choir!" Jess came hoping up the back steps. Gina put it on speaker for everyone to hear. "My so excited. First, I'm in Hong Kong. I'm so happy you got a solo and I probably won't have time to stop by. I really need to-" Jess had taken the phone from Gina and turned the speaker off. "What do you mean you won't have time!? You will make time to come have dinner with your family and get a" 'good night sleep' they said in unison. There was a pause on the phone, Jess lovingly added "Well, old lady, I'm waiting for an answer?" Helen could just picture Jess face. "I guess I could come overnight, that's just 1 night. Then I really have somewhere I have to be." Jess winked at Gina, to let her know, mom was coming for a visit.
Helen was trying to get back into her old self. So this time instead of renting a car she showed up on a street legal dirt bike. Jess was working in a round pen with a mini donkey. Jess climb over the pen and leaving Chris to work with the critter.
Helen hopped of the bike and took her helmet of. She tossed her hair just once, and it seemed to land just right. "What the bloody hell is this?" Jess said arms wide open to give her friend a great big hug. "Language! Since when do you swear?" Helen teased back.
Helen placed her helmet on the bike and unzipped her jacket. "Since this... Dam girl." Jess looked her over. Helen laughed and hugged Jess again. Man did she love this farm girl. The price alone was worth that comment and a much needed laugh. "Honey, I have to feed this malnourished stick creature. Can you finish putting everything away?" Jess shouted to Chris.
Jess brought Helen into the master bath so they could talk while Helen got cleaned up. With no one else around they quickly went over what had happen with Ashley. Jess asked if the nightmares had stopped, since the rescue. Helen told her they had lessened and that Ashley would have a longer road to recovery then she had hoped. Just then 2 very excited voices came in the house and up the stairs. They quickly changed the subject as the teenagers entered the bedroom.
After dinner Gina and Gregory were doing the washing up while the adults sat in the living room. Chris opted to sit in one of the chairs so the ladies could chat away on the couch. Helen was trying to get Jess to open up about her mother, now that she was out on parole. All Jess would say was that her mom was in Butte and doing ok. Her brother was on probation but had a good job driving a garbage truck somewhere in Wyoming. Jess was thankful that the kids came in at that moment. Which allowed her to change the subject.
Gina and Gregory were eager to grill their mother on when they would get to go to the Sanctuary. "Come on mom, when do we at least get to see the place?" "Do I have to wait until the next take your daughter to work day?" Gina rolled her eyes and her brother laughed. He gave her a fist bump at her excellent choose of words. Helen laughed, and looked to Jess for support. "Don't look at me. I've only housed these little monsters so I could come see a real live mermaid." Helen shoved Jess, while Gregory through a pillow at her. "You know I want you with me, and you will be." "Just not yet," the twins said in unison. Chris put down the magazine he was looking at, and put his 2 cents in. "Go easy on your mother, she wants you with her. But when it's safe, you know she trained your sister Ashley, well. And that didn't stop her from being kidnapped? She just want to protect you. Give her a break." Helen held her breath at the mention of Ashley. She hadn't told the kids or Chris everything about Ashley. Just the highlights of her being kidnapped, being brainwashed, being used against her, and then her teleporting away. Chris continued, "I'm sure your mom will at least try to find a way for you to at visit her for the day. So you can see her work up close." Jess' face lite up nodding, "And me." They all laugh at Jess. She really wanted to see that mermaid.
Per Gina's request, Jessica had kicked Chris out of the Master bedroom. The girls were going to have a girly night of nail painting, talking about boys/sex, and watching whatever movie Gina had insisted on. "Why do you have to paint my toe nails too?" Jess asked Gina, who was already applying the lavender paint to the toes. "Because lavender in your husbands favorite color." Gina replied smiling back up at her. Helen was sitting on the bed blowing on her nails. "Tell me my darling, are your lovely Aunt and Uncle loud, when they get all randy?" Jess glared at Helen. Gina was blushing as she smiled, "Sometimes, I'm just glad I've never heard the bed squeaking."
Jessica was on turning a lovely shade of red. "Do they use music to cover their noise?" "Helen, that... yes we do and... how is your sex life?" Jess wanted to turn the tables. "Dry," Helen said blowing on her nails again, even though she knew they were dry. "What you can't be bothered to stop by a dance club and pick up some hot young thing, guy or girl." Gina looked at her mother, "or girl?" Helen pursed her lips at Jess, "Not everyone is the prude Jessica is." "Prude, it's called a preference. Some people like nut some don't. I like nuts. Not my fault your scientist brain like to experiment." Gina was now getting really embarrassed, "Can we change the subject, PLEASE?"
They began to talk about tomorrow. Jess suggested the kids take Helen to the airport. As she bought the bike as a gift. They could stop and get Gregory some safety gear, as Gina could fit into the ones Helen had worn. It would also allow them to have more time alone with their mom. When the credits of the movie Gina had put in started to roll. She looked over to see the 2 women she loved most in the world asleep. Jess was laying propped up so she could watch the movie. Her mom was hugging a pillow snuggled up to Jess, both sound asleep. She really wanted to see her mom at work. Gina could tell there was so much more to her mom. You just don't learn how to kick the butt of a Taekwondo master, shoot like a sniper and drive like a nascar racer. Not to mention the fact she always cared a gun on her, always. Gina thought about all this as she snuggled up to her mom and slowing falling asleep. Dreaming of the day when she might be able to work side by side with her.
In my mind Helen would not want to draw attention to her hidden Sanctuary. I think she would gather a few Hollow Earth people that maybe lived on the out skirts of Praxis. Also gathering a few people from the surface. I see 3 cities: City 1 is the one she shows Will. City 2 is a little smaller not quite as fancy. And City 3 other then Medical and security would be very simply. That way the abnormals that wanted a more simply way of life didn't have to live in a huge fancy city.
I think all the Cities would be connected by that transit line that was above the city. There would be a larger entrance at city 1 and city 3 where supplies and larger abnomals could be lowered down. Above there Helen would have helped a local commute start a rug weaving business or a goat/yak dairy and soap business. So sending trucks or supplies wouldn't be as noticeable.
The entrance Will used I think would have been a maintain tunnel. Just me guessing how she could move people and supplies without drawing that unwanted attention.