Chapter Six: Accommodations
"Come on", Ethan groaned as he rummaged through yet another cupboard in the Time Flyer's galley. "There has to be some food here."
"Maybe they don't eat in the future", Emily suggested from her seat on one of the bunks in the ships midsection, her eyes glued on one of the books she had found in a drawer. The squibbon lay curled up beside her on the bed, Emily absently stroking the terrasquid's mantle.
Ethan sighed. He looked through the cupboard again, only to find several black and white plastic tubes. Runes and symbols that Ethan could not make heads or tales of were printed on their glossy surface, though he could see what looked like a stylized tree surrounded by a wreath, though Ethan had no idea what this was supposed to indicate. With a huff he closed the cupboard door, clutching his stomach as another rumble echoed within his gut. Judging by his wristwatch, which indicated 8:45 a.m. on the green digital display, by this time he would've gotten up from bed to arrive at the breakfast table where his mother would have pancakes and bacon ready for him and his two younger brothers. But, of course, being the idiot that he was, he had to agree to come along on Luis's rocket escapade.
"Hey, Em," Ethan called over to the redhead. "How long has Luis been gone?"
"Hmm?" Emily said, looking up from the book. She closed the volume and looked down at her wristwatch. "I'd say about twenty, thirty minutes."
Ethan moaned. "Great. With our luck the nerd got lost out there."
"Come on, Ethan", Emily said. "Have a little faith in Luis."
"Faith, huh?" Ethan said shaking his head. "Need I remind you of the Mall Incident of '04?"
Emily's face dropped as memories of the ill-fated school trip to the mall back in the eighth grade. Somehow Luis had managed to get lost in the food court just as the group was about to enter the mall. She remembered that the chaperones had to spend the better part of two hours searching each restaurant for the boy, only to find him huddled in a changing stall in the women's clothing section just outside the court. Because of Luis's little adventure, the entire group had to hold hands for the entirety of the trip.
"Oh", Emily said, rubbing her arm. "Do you suppose we should go out there after him?"
"And go out in that heat? Fat chance", Ethan said. Another round of rumbling from his stomach caused him to wince. "What I do know, however, is that I need food." He looked over at the sleeping squibbon curled up on the bed. "And right now calamari sound good."
As if on cue the squibbon's eye stalks shot up the moment the words left Ethan's mouth. The terrasquid let out a shriek as he saw Ethan approaching him before leaping from the bed and onto Emily's back, wrapping his quivering tentacles around the girl as a series of angry warbles escaped the cephalopod.
Emily, her eyebrows knitted into an annoyed scowl, was just about to suggest something else that Ethan could eat, namely a knuckle sandwich, when she heard the cargo bay's hatch opening. She then became aware of the distant sound of voices as footsteps ascended the metal ramp into the bay before the hatch closed once again.
"I think Luis is back", Emily said. "And I believe he found Cassiopeia."
"About time", Ethan said before looking over to the squibbon latched to Emily's back. "Sorry about that, little dude."
The squibbon glared at the large boy before diverting his attention to the sound of someone climbing up the ladder from the Time Flyer's cargo bay.
"So, what you're saying", Luis said as he emerged from the hole leading to the cargo bay. "Is that you have pretty much eradicated the need for vaccines and the risk of creating vaccine immune bacteria by developing an artificial symbiosis with genetically altered bacteriophage?"
"In short, yes" Cassiopeia replied as she emerged after Luis, the porthole closing as soon as she was clear. "I am surprised that humans of your era hadn't considered it."
"Perhaps I should submit the idea when I get back", Luis said. He then looked over to Emily and Ethan. "Hi guy, I'm back."
"Took you long enough", Ethan said, giving a light punch to Luis's arm. "We were just about to send a search party after you."
"I feel so loved", Luis said as he rubbed his sore arm.
"Thank you, Luis" Emily said, giving the boy a light tap on the shoulder. She then turned her attention to Cassiopeia. "Hey, if everything alright? We got worried when you ran out like that."
Cassiopeia cleared her throat. "Yes. I, erm, apologize for my earlier behavior. It was not becoming of me considering the situation at hand and the fact that it was my fault we are here at all. How are you fairing?"
"Fine", Emily said, relieved that the girl was alright.
"Speak for yourself", Ethan said, arms crossed. "I'm practically starving over here and there isn't a single crumb on this tub!"
"Ethan!" Emily said, casting a glare towards the boy. "Don't be rude."
"Oh no", Cassiopeia said, raising a hand. "No offence taken. I suppose I have not been the most hospitable host, please allow me to remedy that." With that she made her way to the back of the Time Flyer, Ethan, Emily, and Luis following close behind. She walked up to a small machine embedded in the wall, a white rectangle resembling some sort of vending machine. "Sweet, salty, or citrus?" she asked, her hand hovering over a screen,
"Uh, sweet, I guess", Ethan replied.
With a tap of a crème colored icon on the machine, the device whirred as a small brown bar with a white drizzle dispensed. Cassiopeia picked up the bar and handed it towards Ethan.
"A granola bar?" Ethan said, taking the small bar.
"A nutrient bar actually", Cassiopeia replied. "Capable of meeting all your nutritional needs."
Ethan shrugged. "Better than nothing, I suppose", he said and bit into the bar with a crunch. "Hmm, kinda like a macaroon."
"Would you two like one?" Cassiopeia asked, looking towards Luis and Emily.
"I guess I'll give the citrus a try", Emily said.
"Salty for me", Luis chimed in.
With two more taps on the screen two more bars were dispensed. Emily and Luis took their respective bars, one with a light green drizzle and the other with brown, and began eating. Luis noted that his bar tasted somewhat like salted cashews along with a taste somewhat reminiscent of ham.
"Not bad", Emily said as she finished the last of her bar. "Filling."
"Yeah", Luis said, surprised that such a small bar could do so much. "Hey, wasn't there something you wanted to tell us?"
Cassiopeia looked up from the machine. She sighed. "Yes, I did."
"What is it?" Emily asked, concern crossing her face.
Cassiopeia was silent for a few moments. Finally, she said, "You may want to sit down for this", she said, motioning over to the booth at the end of the galley.
The three friends made their way to the booth and slid into their seats. Cassiopeia paced a bit, her chin cradled in her hand as if considering what to say.
"Alright", she said. "I believe I owe you three an explanation on the current situation, as well as the seriousness of what has happened.' She paused. "I suppose the best place to start is the beginning. I come from the year twelve thousand three-hundred sixty-seven A.D., nearly ten thousand years into your future. Three hundred years in my past a massive ice age has ravaged the world making life on Earth nearly impossible for humanity. As it stands, humanity faces now faces total extinction unless my mission succeeds."
"Mission?" Ethan said.
"Yes", Cassiopeia said, continuing. "As humanity's resources run dry, our only hope is to relocate to a new hospitable location in the future after the ice age has ended. While we are aware that there are several potential viable time periods for human relocation, we are unsure which one is the best suited."
"So they sent you to scout out the future", Luis said.
"Indeed", Cassiopeia said. "I was selected to lead the expedition along with my robot crew to begin our survey in the Northern Forests of two-hundred million years A.D. As our expedition went on, I ran into the squibbon."
At that moment the squibbon jumped on the table flapping his paddle-like tentacles. Emily scooped the creature up in her arms and sat him in her lap, the cephalopod's eyestalks peeking over the edge of the table.
"As I said", Cassiopeia continued, her arms crossed. "During my survey I happened to run into the squibbon. Apparently the little terrasquid seemed to take an interest in me and followed me into the Time Flyer. As a result, just as I was about to enter the time vortex the squibbon, for some reason", she gave the squibbon a sideways glance. "Took control of the Time Flyer and managed to send the ship through an uncharted wormhole, incapacitating the crew in the process. The rest, I suppose, is history."
Cassiopeia looked over her audience. The look on the three teens was one of contemplation as they seemed to process the information given to them.
"Alright", Ethan said. "Nice story, but what does this have to do with us?"
"Well", Cassiopeia said. "I was not intended to enter any time before the year I embarked from, I suppose you can surmise why that would be problematic. While I am sure that there should not be any ill effects to the time stream, the fact that you are here out of your own time complicates things, both for me and for yourselves."
"How so?" Emily asked, nervously stroking the squibbon's mantle.
Cassiopeia considered. "I am not quite sure, though I do not doubt there will be some… dialogue between my father and I", she said.
"I'm so sorry", Emily said.
"Oh no, no need to apologize", the auburn-haired girl said, a small smile forming on her lips. "I suppose I will deal with this issue when I get to it. But for now, I have more important matter to attend to, namely you three, er, four."
"Us?' Luis said, the squibbon warbling.
"Yes", Cassiopeia said. "Seeing as my actions have resulted in your current situation, it is my responsibility to ensure that you all are safe until your return to your own time. As the old adage goes, 'my home is yours.'"
"Well", Luis said, running his fingers through his hair. "We'll be the best guests we can."
"You won't even know we're here", Emily added.
"I appreciate the gesture", Cassiopeia said. "Now, are there any other questions?"
"I think I've got everything", Luis said. "But there's one thing I don't get thought."
"And what is that?" Cassiopeia asked.
"Why time travel?" Luis asked. "With all the technological innovation humans are bound to have made over the last ten thousand years, why use time travel to solve your problem?"
"Ah", Cassiopeia said, scratching the back of her head. "That will require some explaining."
. . . . .
From the top floor of the Temporal Exploration Guild's administration building one could look across the city of Cartha unimpeded, granted of course the weather permitted it. Most days, however, the view one would see through the large windows of Minister Rohd's office was the ghostly outlines of dimly illuminated buildings huddled amongst the mountains they were built among through the perpetual flurry of snow. This was the view Cedric G was given as he relayed his report on the Time Flyer's whereabouts to the minister of the Guild had he been bothered to look.
"And you are positive that you have located it?" Minister Rohd asked from behind his desk.
"Yes, minister", Cedric replied from his seat on the other side of the glass desk. "We are certain that we have pinpointed the location of the Time Flyer."
A look of relief washed over the face of the thin man across from Cedric, a sigh of relief escaping from flared nostrils. "I cannot express how pleased I am at this news, Cedric", Minister Rohd said, a slight smile forming on his lips. "You have my thanks."
Cedric gave a slight nod. "Thank you, minister", he said. "But the credit does not go to me alone."
"Ah, of course", Minister Rohd said with a small wave. "My compliments to your team as well."
"I will be sure to relay the compliment", Cedric said, a slight smile on his beaded face.
It was then that the door to the large office opened and a service bot entered, a purple tinted capsule shaped like the robots Cedric had sent with his daughter. A platter with two glasses lay in the machine's hands along with a steaming kettle as the bot hovered closer to the desk and laid the platter upon the glass surface with a clank.
"Refreshments?" the purple tinted bot asked in a feminine voice.
"Please", Minister Rohd said, to which the bot poured a golden liquid into the glasses, steam swirling off the surface of the liquid. "Thank you", Rohd said when the bot was finished. "That will be all."
The bot gave a small bow and hovered out the door it had come from. With the two men alone, they took the glasses and brought the warm liquid to their lips; cider ale if Cedric judged correctly.
"I must reiterate, Cedric", Rohd said over his glass. "It is quite fortunate that you located the Time Flyer when you did. I am quite certain the provincial governor was one form away from relieving me of my position."
Cedric gave a slight chuckle. "I doubt the governor would replace you, Findas", he said. "Now if the archon had gotten involve, then you would be in a predicament."
"Oh really?" Rohd said, cocking an eyebrow. "Who do you suppose the form would have been forwarded to? I am sure the archon would be ecstatic to learn that the project she has siphoned three trillion state credits towards suddenly disappeared into the ether!"
Cedric flinched at this. While dealing with the local bureaucracy was one thing, dealing with the archon, supreme leader of the entirety of the Northern Federation, was another. He took another sip of his ale. "I apologize for any complications caused by the incident, minister", he said. "I assure you that I take full responsibility for the incident."
"Oh, no", Findas said, a wry smile on his lips. "No need to worry yourself, Cedric. That is why I am here, to take care of any complications within the Guild…. regardless of who is responsible." He huffed.
Cedric watched as a dark looked crossed the face of the minister of the Temporal Exploration Guild, almost as if a shadow had overtaken the thin man across from Cedric. It was then that Cedric noted several strands of grey hair among the natural blue streaks of his bangs that he hadn't noticed before as well as wrinkles along the minister's eyes despite the man being some fifteen years younger than him. All things considered he shouldn't be surprised that the man had aged so much, what with all the pressure placed upon him by those above him. Cedric was sure he had gained a few grey hairs himself over the last four days since the Time Flyer had disappeared.
"But enough about me", Minister Rohd said, his face brightening with a thin smile. "Back to the matter at hand. Is there any word from the Time Flyer?"
Cedric shook his head. "No, minister. While we have managed to pinpoint the craft's location at five million years A.D. near the Mediterranean basin, we have yet to contact it. We believe the ship's communications had broken chrono-synchronization when it had disappeared, but we estimate that we should regain communications soon."
Findas nodded, his drink hovering centimeters from his lips. "And has your team determined how the Time Flyer managed to go off course?"
Cedric hesitated, stroking his beard as he formulated his response. "All readings we could gather indicate no mechanical malfunction", he said. "And our vortex observatories hadn't detected any anomalies within the time vortex. Therefore, the most logical conclusion we could think of was…" he paused, dreading the words he was about to say. "Human error."
Minister Rohd cocked an eyebrow and looked at Cedric for a long time. After what had felt like several minutes the minister downed the last of his drink and sat it down on his desk. "Human error" he said, more a statement than a question. "By your daughter?"
"Yes, minister", Cedric answered.
"I see", Rohd said. "But, even if human error was involved in the accident, why did the robotic crew not take control?"
"We have considered that", Cedric said. "And we have yet to come up with a satisfactory answer."
Cedric was surprised by a chuckle coming from Minister Rohd. "Heh, I apologize", he said, a hand over his mouth as he suppressed a wry smile. "I just find it… amusing that the top student of the academy would be so…"
"Incompetent?" Cedric finished, a tone of challenge in his voice.
"Not the word I was going to say", Minister Rohd said half convincingly. "I am merely disappointed… by the both of you."
Cedric casts a questioning look to the thin man.
"I entrusted you with choosing the pilot of the Time Flyer, seeing as this was your project", Rohd said. "I had thought you to be capable of making the best choice and as such never questioned your choosing your daughter for the mission. However," he pulled up a holographic screen on his desk, several rows of names appearing. "looking over the other candidates for the project I have noted several other students who seemed to be more qualified that your candidate." He then begins listing off a few of the names. "Imili Rho, Ganymede T, Osiris E, Philomena Shu, these are only a few of the candidates that seemed to have been better suited for the mission!"
Cedric is a bit taken aback by the sudden rise in tone in the minister's voice. It was several seconds later before the edge seemed to leave Rohd's voice and he relaxed and let out a long sigh. "Cedric, please tell me you did not put favoritism over the outcome of this mission."
Cedric, feeling his blood boil a bit, steeled his face and looked Minister Rohd in the eye. "I made my decision because I believed Cassiopeia G, who happened to be my daughter, possessed qualities that would optimize the success of the mission", he said. "I give you my word on that, minister."
Minister Rohd nodded his head, his brows knitted thoughtfully. With a flick of his wrist the screen on the desk disappeared. "Very well, Cedric", Minister Rohd said. He stood from his seat. "Inform me when you have regained communication with the Time Flyer and your daughter. Perhaps then we can get a better understanding on what happened."
Cedric got up from his own seat, grabs his glass and downs the last of his own now cold drink, and gives a bow. "Of course, sir", he said with a bow.
With that Minister Rohd turned from the stocky man towards the snow-covered cityscape out the large window of his office. Cedric, taking this as a dismissal, makes his way out of the office, leaving the minister alone. Now alone, Minister Rohd stared at the distant twinkle of lights behind the flurry of snow for several minutes before calling for the service bot to brink more drinks, something stronger this time.