"Inventing the Future"
Author's Note: Max and Monica revisit Veniccio in their quest for the Water Gem. Jaming is understandably flustered by their presence. Thanks, WanderingSoulofTime, for the idea!
"Chapter 20: Familiar Faces"
As limited as the newspaper's reach was, it was difficult to know what was going on outside of Veniccio, but information had a way of trickling in by word of mouth. Some of the people who were staying aboard the shop boats weren't tourists, but refugees who had followed the train tracks there. When Jaming heard one of them mention the town of Heim Rada, his blood ran cold.
Heim Rada! According to Gaspard, that was to be their next target. As Jaming eavesdropped on the conversation, he began to feel quite ill. His hand settled over his stomach and he walked over to the ship's railing. People driven out. Embers raining from the sky. The town destroyed. People killed. Not only that, but what he was hearing was old news. This had happened a few months ago!
He had been visiting Meredith at her stall on the shop boat, so she noticed his change in demeanor right away. Something was very wrong! Before she could ask him what, though, he leaned over the rail and gave up his breakfast to the ocean. She waited until she thought he was through before taking a water bottle out of her cooler, and she opened it before offering it to him. "You okay?"
Jaming sheepishly accepted the water bottle. He rinsed, spat, then took a small sip before answering her. "Yes...N-no."
"What's wrong?" She rubbed his back, her concern turning into mild alarm. "Are you seasick?"
"Please, the water isn't even moving..." he muttered, sipping from his water bottle again.
"Then..."
Jaming shook his head, resting his arms on the railing and looking straight ahead at the horizon. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper; he didn't want to be overheard. "The town of Heim Rada was destroyed a few months ago."
Meredith wasn't familiar with the name of the town, but it didn't take much effort to figure out why he found this so upsetting. "Was Heim Rada one of the places..."
Jaming shut his eyes and nodded, his face still pale and drawn. "It was our next target." He had hoped that Max and Monica would get there in time to stop Gaspard from succeeding there, but he should have known that it was a vain hope.
Meredith gave his back a rub, trying to console him. "You weren't on that ship, Jaming."
"No, but who do you think invented it?" He put his forehead in his hand, suddenly feeling very tired indeed. "More blood on my hands. I...I don't feel well. I think I better go home."
"Do you want me to go with you?" she was still lightly rubbing his back, wishing she could take this burden from him.
"No, I'll be fine. I just..." And as he turned his head to look at the docks, he nearly dropped his water bottle into the ocean. He almost stepped on Meredith's foot as he backed up. "Impossible..."
"What? What is it?" She followed his line of sight, and saw a boy and a girl making their way into town. The girl had an extremely long, red ponytail. The boy appeared to be a few years younger, and Meredith recognized him. "Oh my gosh, that's Max!"
Jaming looked back at her. "You know him?"
"We're both from Palm Brinks. I didn't know him very well, but I saw him around town. Nice kid. I don't know the girl, though."
"No..." Jaming shook his head, sitting down on one of the deck chairs. "You wouldn't know her. That's Monica Raybrandt...and she's from one hundred years in the future. You remember I told you about time travel, don't you?"
"Of course I remember," she sat down beside him. "But why do you think they're here?"
"Who knows?" he shrugged, his eyes downcast and his mind far away.
Meredith looked up again to see where the two were going, and she sat up straighter. "We might find out in a minute. They're coming this way."
"What?" Jaming's head shot up, and he saw that this was true. Max and Monica were boarding the ship. Swallowing the sour taste in his mouth, Jaming stood up and turned his back on them, staring out over the ocean and trying to calm his racing heart.
Meredith got to her feet and stood in front of Jaming to block him from view, but his hair was always a dead give-away. Max and Monica came to an abrupt halt as soon as they saw it, but Meredith was perplexed when she saw their faces light up in happy recognition. Something wasn't right here...
"Hi, can I interest either of you in a puka shell necklace?" inquired Meredith, stepping easily in character and playing the part of a marketplace trader. "They're supposed to bring you good luck."
"No thanks, Meredith," Max waved a hand, recognizing her from Palm Brinks. "I was hoping to talk to-"
"Actually, I'd be interested in seeing some," Monica interrupted him, "We could use a bit of luck today."
Jaming turned his head to look at them, his curiosity taking over in spite of the possible danger these two posed. Not physical danger, most likely, but they could easily make it known to everyone in Veniccio that he didn't exactly have the cleanest track record!
Why exactly would those two kids need luck?
"Dr. Jaming!" Max snapped his fingers. "I thought that was you."
Jaming's expression wasn't exactly friendly, but it wasn't hostile either. More than anything, he appeared confused. "I don't recall giving you my name."
"Oh, you didn't. Monica heard Gaspard call you that. And we met your...oof." Max flinched as Monica jabbed him lightly in the ribs.
"We met someone in the future who knew about you," Monica smoothly interjected while Max rubbed his side and wore an embarrassed smile.
"Indeed..." Jaming looked thoughtfully at Meredith, wondering if this 'someone' Monica referred to could possibly be a descendant of his. It seemed reasonable. Why else would Monica stop Max from revealing too much, unless Jaming finding out too much might change the future in a negative way? He decided that he didn't want to press the matter, and he relaxed a bit as a slight smirk crossed his features. "Then I take it you two haven't come looking for a rematch?"
And, to his astonishment, the two teenagers gave an easy laugh and shook their heads. Monica was perusing the shell jewelry, and Max seemed quite happy to stand there and shoot the breeze with him as if they hadn't once battled on a beach. "Nah, we're here on other business today. Maybe next time."
Jaming actually laughed at that, then turned solemn once more. "I want to ask you about Heim Rada. Were you able to..."
Max saw that he had trouble approaching the subject, so he finished for him. "Restore its origin point?"
"Yes..."
Monica handed a few Gilda over to Meredith and slipped her new necklace over her head as she turned to Jaming. "Yes, we took care of it. But Gaspard...well..."
Jaming felt dread grip his heart then, sensing what was coming. He and Gaspard had not been friends, but he knew a little bit about how Gaspard had ended up working for Emperor Griffon, and he had identified with him on several things. "Dead?"
Monica nodded, and Jaming could have sworn that she actually seemed to feel grief for her former enemy. "I'm afraid so."
Meredith saw Jaming lower his eyes, and she held herself back reaching out to him. "It seems like you two are getting ready for something big..."
Max and Monica exchanged a look, and some kind of message seemed to pass between them. In that moment, Jaming understood that he and Meredith would never learn exactly what that 'something' was. And, he thought, maybe it was for the best. He had been given enough glimpses of a corrupt future to last him a lifetime, and the last thing he wanted was to learn something that might jeopardize things.
"Good luck with your inventing," Max finally told Jaming, holding out his hand.
Jaming looked at Max's hand for a moment, humbled by the boy's forgiveness, then smiled and shook hands with him. "Thank you. And...take care. You too, you little loudmouth!"
Meredith looked shocked at first, but Monica and Jaming chuckled as if sharing an inside joke. How could she possibly know that Jaming had called Monica that right before their big fight?