Cowboy from the Future (19 page)

“Did
you know those men?”  Cade finally asked, his voice quiet.

She
was surprised.  “No.  Of course not.  They died before I was born.”

“But
you know their people.”  It wasn’t a question.  “You come from the place where
they lived?”

Addy
met his eyes for a long moment.  That perfect lavender gaze held hers steadily,
asking her to trust him.  But, how could she?  Telling Cade she was born in
another millennium would be a colossally stupid risk.  What if he didn’t
believe her?  What if he
did
believe her, couldn’t handle the weirdness,
and just left her to deal with it on her own?  It seemed like everyone was
always abandoning her when she needed help.

“Addy,
it’ll be alright.  Just tell me what’s really going on.”

She
winced at the quiet request.  It would be so much smarter to lie.  She might
suck at lying, but it was the logical play here.  No matter what she was coming
to feel for Cade, did total honesty between them really matter?  Given the vast
differences in every single aspect of their lives, any kind of relationship
seemed impossible, anyway.

…But,
when Addy looked at him, there was this
click
.

“I
come from the
time
where they lived.”  She told him, betting everything
on this guy being the superhero she thought he was.  “Or pretty close to it. 
About sixteen hundred years in the past, as far as I can tell.”

Cade
blinked at her.

So
did Jacobi and Deke.

Nobody
pulled out their laser guns to protect themselves from the mad woman, but they
sure weren’t buying that she’d been transported into the future, either.  She
didn’t blame them.  Hell, she barely believed it herself.  Addy was in it this
far, though, so there was no taking the words back.

Not
if she wanted a chance of something happening that was even more impossible
than time travel.

“You
want to know what’s really going on?  Well, that’s it.  That’s the truth.  Look
at this.”  Digging in her pack, she came up with her wallet.  “Here are the
presidents, again.”  She sorted through various amounts of currency.  “Washington.” 
She passed Cade a dollar bill.  “Jefferson.”  Jacobi got a handful of nickels. 
“Lincoln.”  She gave Deke a five and some pennies.  “Roosevelt doesn’t have his
face on any money.  I think FDR’s on a dime, but that’s a
different
Roosevelt.”

Jacobi
looked from the coins to Rushmore and back again.  “This is the same man.”  He
reported, sounding shocked.

“I
know.  I told you, these are some of our most famous leaders.  Their images are
everywhere.  In my time, we use this as money.”

Deke
examined his five bucks and four cents like it was part of an elaborate of
trick.  “These coins aren’t gold.  They’re worthless.  And this paper money is
stupid as hell.  I get that paper’s valuable, but what if it rips?”

“I
guess you’d have to take that up with the US Treasury.”  Addy focused on Cade,
waiting for his response.  “Cade?”  She prompted when he remained silent.  “Do
you see what I’m telling you?”

Cade
slowly raised his eyes up to her face.  “Yes.  You’re telling me you think
you’re from the past.”

“No. 
I’m telling you I
know
I’m from the past.  Get me up there,” Addy
pointed towards the monument, “and I’ll prove it to you.”

Cade
stared at her, not saying anything.  Clearly, he wasn’t ready to shift
direction on the basis of her wild story and some weird currency.  Addy wasn’t
giving up, though.  This was too important.  If she and Cade were ever going to
have any kind of future he
needed
to see the truth.  So, she said the
one word that always seemed to sway the stubborn jackass.

“Please?”

Here’s a
fun travel fact, Glamper!

Much like
the pyramids of Egypt, Mount Rushmore will one day be studied by future
scientists, trying to understand our world.  In order to make their jobs
easier, a Hall of Records was carved behind Lincoln’s head.

As it
stands today, the secret tunnel is seventy feet long and twenty feet high,
housing indestructible copies of America’s most important documents.  But, the
designer of the monument had even grander plans.  He foresaw a great complex of
rooms, like an eternal museum, where far off civilizations would be able to
learn all about our world.  Maybe one day his vision will be completed.

If it is,
what would
you
want to store there for those future generations to find?

Brown’s
Glampling Tours Official Pocket Guide

“Greetings
from the year 2110, future citizen!  I am Maria Del Sol, President of the
United States.  We’ve created this Hall of Records, here at the Mount Rushmore
National Memorial, to show you our world.”

Addy
stared at the projected image of the smiling Commander in Chief.  “It’s good to
see you, Maria, but I hope you’re not the
first
female president.  If it
takes a hundred more years to elect a woman, I’m gonna be pissed.”

Otherwise,
she was thrilled with the Hall of Records. 
Brown’s Pocket Guide
had
said it was a simple tunnel carved into the granite, which housed copies of the
Declaration of Independence and biographies of the presidents.  Apparently
future generations had expanded the idea and made it more of a museum.

Glass
panels lined the walls, all of them acting like television screens.  Looking
around Addy could see image from throughout history replaying again and again. 
Everywhere she looked there was some YouTube-ish clip show of human
civilization designed to let future generations know what life had once been
like.  It reminded her of standing in the middle of an electronics store, with
all the TV showing different stations.

Addy
glanced over at the Westins.  None of them had moved from the entrance.  “It’s
okay.”  She told them quietly, smiling at their astonished reactions.  “It’s
just a time capsule from my future and your past.  It won’t hurt you.”

The
large space was powered by
something
that was still going strong.  Some
kind of solar battery, maybe?  Who knew what kind of energy had been discovered
in the century after she disappeared.  Humans were damn good at inventing stuff,
right up until the point where they blew up the world.

The
room had been sealed with a massive metal door.  Addy had been concerned when
she saw it, but it opened with very little effort.  Why wouldn’t it?  This room
wasn’t designed to keep people out.  It had been built to welcome them.  From
the minute they’d entered the Hall of Records, lights had blazed overhead and
Maria Del Sol’s happy message had played on a loop, in a litany of languages.  This
place had been designed to withstand the ages.

Except
the ages forgot it was there.

Addy
shrugged off her pink, quilted coat.  The Hall of Records was heated through
that mysterious energy.  For the first time in weeks, she was actually warm.  Jesus,
it felt good.  She had a feeling that the weather in this time period was far
less severe than it had been in the past, but it was still freaking cold
outside.

“See
that?”  She walked to the nearest screen and gestured to the translucent
images.  “That’s an airplane.”  Actually, it was a whole bunch of airplanes. 
The clear monitor showed everything from the Wright Brothers to some space-aged
silver machines that seemed to be… breathing.  God, the future was weird, even
when it was in the past.

“Your
people can
fly?
”  Jacobi’s eyes were twice their normal size.  At least
he was talking, though.  His older brothers were still in a state of shock,
gaping up at the electric lights.

“Yes. 
Now, this all started for me when I took a plane from my home in Arizona.”  Another
screen had a map of the United States and Addy gestured to Scottsdale.  “I went
from here to
here
.”  She moved her hand up to Wyoming.  “This is
Yellowstone.  It’s a tourist spot.  I was with Brian, my boss, and some of my
coworkers.  It was a vacation.”

She
could tell from their expressions that “vacation” had no equivalent word in
their language.

“People
go there for fun and to brag to all their friends on Facebook.”  Addy
translated.  “Anyway, there was an earthquake, and I fell and hit my head. 
When I work up, I was
here
.”  She jabbed a finger at the star on the map,
which indicated Mount Rushmore.  “I was stuck just outside Shadow-of-the-Gods and
centuries had passed.  So, you see why I’ve been a little confused.”

Cade
let out a wheezing breath.  “She’s confused.”  He bent at the waist, his hands
braced on his knees.  “She lives in an enchanted realm --surrounded by pictures
that talk and machines that fly-- but,
she’s
the one who’s fucking
confused.”

Deke
gazed fixedly at a screen with flashing mathematical equations.  “Maybe this
isn’t even happening.  I’ve been sketchy since the War.  This could all be in
my head.  It would make more sense.”

“No
one’s hallucinating this and my time
not
enchanted.”  Addy assured them. 
“Really.  It’s just like now, only we have different… stuff.”

“Cooler
stuff.”  Jacobi looked around in wonder.  “Way,
way
better cooler.  Holy
gods, your water comes from those… things?”  He gestured to a video of a running
faucet.  “No
wonder
you couldn’t work the well.  Cade was afraid you
were going to fall in every time you tried.”

“To
be fair, that bucket is heavier than it looks.”

Jacobi
didn’t seem to even hear her.  All his attention was on pictures of cars… some
of which were flying.  See? 
Someone
out there understood what the
future was supposed to look like.  “You travel in carriages that move by
themselves.  No
wonder
you thought we were so backwards that we ride
sanbors around here.”

“I
didn’t say ‘backwards.’  I just didn’t understand, because we don’t even have
sanbors in my…”

Jacobi
cut her off, still not hearing her.  “No wonder, Addy.”  He slowly shook his
head, awed by everything he saw.  “No
wonder
you want to get home so bad.”

That
part she couldn’t argue with.  “I
do
want to go home.  A lot.”

Cade
eyes squeezed shut and he said something to Deke that Addy didn’t understand.

“You’d
have to be a fucking idiot to even
think
about it.”  Deke muttered back,
in English.

Addy
looked between them.  “Why is he a fucking idiot?”  Whatever that conversation was
about, she doubted it was good.  “Look, just take a second and process, okay? 
This is all going to make sense.”  She paused and then tacked on.  “…Well, as much
sense as time travel can
ever
make.”

Cade
ran a hand through his hair and didn’t respond.

Jacobi
was adjusting to everything much faster.  In any era, teenagers apparently
loved technology.  He grinned widely and headed over to a screen playing
different types of music.  “What is that sound?”

“It’s
jazz.  Louis Armstrong.”

“Oh
man, it’s
beautiful
.”  Nothing against Satchmo, but Jacobi probably
would’ve said the same thing if he’d heard nothing but traffic horns blaring
and alarm clocks going off.  The kid was entranced, trying to see it all at
once.  “If all this happened in the past, why don’t we know about it?”

“I
think the world must have fallen into chaos, after the flash.  That kind of
thing has happened before.  Empires fall and people forget.  Everything has to
be rediscovered.  One day I’ll tell you about the Renaissance and a man named
da Vinci.”

“Tell
us about
all
of it.  About
everything
.”  He pointed at a film
clip of a Border Collie catching a Frisbee in Central Park.  “Look at
that!
 
What is that animal?”

“That’s
a dog.”  She frowned at his blank look.  “Jesus,
dogs
aren’t extinct,
are they?”

“I
don’t know.  What’s a dog?”

Addy
shook her head.  “I can’t even answer that.  It’s just too sad.”  What kind of
civilization could you have without dogs?  No wonder everyone around here was
so screwed up.  She focused on something more positive.  “Here, look at this.” 
She gestured at another monitor, which showed Native Americas from different
regions.  “I think these are your ancestors.”  It was a touchscreen map, so she
zoomed in on the Black Hills.  “The Lakota.  They were in these mountains long
before the presidents arrived.”

Jacobi
grinned at the images, elated with his newfound heritage.  “Grandmother told us
that, remember, Deke?  She always said we should be proud, because we came from
great warriors.”  He began to poke at the panels just to see the images move. 
“Look at them!”

“I
need to sit down.”  Deke got out, still looking shell-shocked.  He sank down
against the wall, his eyes on the monitors.  “Why do some of our ancestors have
no color?”  He finally asked.

“What?” 
Addy frowned at that odd question.  Then, she realized what he meant.  “Oh! 
No, the
pictures
are just black and white, not your ancestors.  A lot of
the images in here are like that.  A long time ago, it was impossible to have
color photos.  …Although, I guess
everything
is a long time ago, now.”  Addy
turned back to Cade, who was being much too quiet.  “Are you, alright?”

“I
just… realized you don’t belong here.”  He whispered.  “I knew you didn’t, of
course.  I knew there was no one else like you in this world.  You were always
a miracle.  But, I didn’t understand that you came from a place of magic and
light.”

Addy
didn’t like the hollow quality of his voice.  Cade never sounded that way.  It
made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.  “Those lights aren’t magical.” 
She gestured towards the ceiling.  “That’s
electricity
.  It’s the same
power
you
have, just channeled into wires.”

His
brows came together.  “It can’t be.”

“It
is
.  Your powers aren’t unnatural, Cade.  They aren’t a stain on the
world.  Everyone has electrical impulses in their bodies.  People can’t usually
control it like you do, but electricity is
everywhere
.  Where I come
from, it runs our whole society.”

He
shook his head, either denying her words or denying the entire situation.  “It
doesn’t matter how it works.  It matters that it doesn’t run
this
society.  This isn’t you home.  You belong
there
.”  He nodded to a
screen that showed the world’s various skylines, a faraway expression coming
over his face.  “Gods, how did you survive here for even a day, when you’re
used to
that?
”

“I
survived, because you saved me.”

Cade
turned back to her, surprised at her words.  “No.  I didn’t do anything.”

“Of
course you did.  You gave me a place to stay when I had nowhere to go.  You
brought me food when I was hungry.  You protected me when I was frightened. 
You saved my life, Cade.  I will never be able to repay you.”

Especially
not if he was still expecting those sixty gold coins.

“You
don’t need to repay me. 
Anyone
would have helped you, Addy.”

“I
don’t think so.”  In fact, she couldn’t imagine anybody else doing even half of
what he’d done for her.  Under all his insistent grouching that Voltyn couldn’t
feel, Cade was the most honorable person she’d ever met.  “I’ve given you
nothing but trouble and still you’ve helped me every step of the way.”  Addy
stared up him and knew her heart was in her eyes.  How did he not understand?

Didn’t
he hear the click?

Cade
dropped his gaze.  “You haven’t caused me any trouble.”  Either he was lying or
blind.  “It’s not your fault that you didn’t know your way around here.  How
could you?  No wonder you seemed so odd.”  He pinched the bridge of his nose. 
“I
knew
you had to be from someplace far better than this.”

“My
world isn’t perfect.  Believe me.  There are mortgage payments, and lunatic
bombers, and diet foods that taste like wet cardboard.  But, that’s where I
belong.  I need to find my way back.”

“And
Yellowstone is the path?”

“I
have a feeling it is.  Yeah.”

Cade
nodded to himself.  “Alright.”  He cleared his throat.  “Alright.  We’ll get
you to Yellowstone, then.  We can get around the pass by going north and then
turning northwest.”

“
North
by Northwest?
  Really?”

“You
have a better idea?”

“No. 
But, if you got the reference, you’d know you just told a joke.  It’s a whole
Alfred Hitchcock/Mount Rushmore thing.”