Karen D. Badger - Yesterday Once More (29 page)

“I can fast forward through this part if you’d like,” Andi suggested.

Just as Andi pushed the fast forward button, Jordan cried out, “Wait! Stop! Give me the remote. Give it to me, quickly,” she said with such urgency that Andi handed it over immediately.

Jordan put the reader in reverse. Seconds later, she found what she was looking for. She stopped the recorder and pushed the option for frame-by-frame playback. The monitor came to life and very slowly displayed what Jordan had seen flash by quickly just moments before. Tears filled Jordan’s eyes as she paused on one particular frame.

“Maggie!” Jordan rasped.

All three friends stared at the woman on the screen. Maggie appeared only briefly in the corner of the screen, well behind the hay bales as she entered the barn, but her image as captured by the high-tech camera was clear and crisp.

“She’s beautiful,” Andi choked out through her own tears.

Kale just stared at the screen, totally incapable of speaking, as he suddenly understood why Jordan was so intent on this journey. He watched Jordan run her fingertips across the frozen image of Maggie on the TV monitor in a gesture so intimate he could feel the depth of her love for this woman.

Jordan looked at Kale and an unspoken promise passed between them. Kale nodded. He wiped the trail of tears from Jordan’s cheek, then took her hand in his.

“We need to watch the rest of the disk. I promise I’ll make a copy for you. Right now, we need to see what happens, okay?” Andi said.

Andi returned to the spot just prior to Maggie’s entrance and pushed play. Maggie’s only appearance on the disk was the brief moment it took for her to walk by the lens. Nearly a half-hour more of scenes within the barn ended when a “disk full” message appeared on the screen.

Jordan frowned. “What happened?”

Andi rose to her feet. “I guess that’s all we get to see for now.”

“But the camera was still working when we retrieved the chimp,” Jordan said.

“Yes it was, but apparently only in live webcam mode. The disk was already full by then, so it stopped recording,” Andi said.

Kale sat staring at the blank TV screen. “Hmm... so that means we have no idea how long the chimp was actually there. He was only gone from here for what, ten or fifteen minutes? But a two-hour disk is full of images, none of which include the trip back to the present. We don’t know how many hours, days, or weeks passed in that time zone for those minutes.”

“But the chimp came back healthy, so it couldn’t have been that long,” Andi said. “I mean, if he was gone for too long, he would be showing signs of dehydration or malnutrition. I’m guessing the time lapse on the other end wasn’t any more than a day.”

“I guess we’ll have to figure that out when we send me into the past,” Jordan said.

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that idea,” Kale said.

Jordan dropped her chin to her chest and reached up to rub her temples. She sighed deeply then looked up. “Kale, sometimes we need to take risks. I, for one, am ready to do this as soon as I’m healed. I don’t want to do anymore testing. Rupert came back okay, the chimp came back okay. He was obviously conscious when he got there. We have recorded proof of that. Enough is enough. I have faith in you. I have faith in both of you.” Jordan looked back and forth between her friends. “I can’t wait much longer. I need to be with her. It is physically painful for me not to be.”

* * *

For the next two weeks, Jordan, Kale and Andi worked diligently on the self-charging power pack for the implant. As the two-week mark neared, Kale became more and more nervous about sending Jordan back in time. The night before Jordan’s surgery, the three were enjoying a dinner of baked chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, and steamed asparagus.

“Jordan, I’m having second thoughts about this. What if something goes wrong?”

Jordan put her fork down on the table. “Please don’t start, okay? We agreed to do this. You promised to do everything in your power to help me realize my dream.”

Kale closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply then looked back at Jordan. “I’m afraid. I’m afraid of losing you. I’m afraid of failing you, I’m afraid of never seeing you again, but most of all, I’m afraid something will go terribly wrong and you’ll die in the process. If that happens, I’ll never forgive myself.”

Jordan covered Kale’s hand. “I know the risks, and I’m willing to take them if it means I have even the smallest chance of being with Maggie. We’re so close. Don’t take this away from me now.”

“Jordan, I have no idea what may happen to you during the transfer. I don’t know if you’ll be aware of what is going on. I don’t know if it will be painful. I don’t know what will happen to your body. When we attempted to send the boot, molecule movement was so high it made parts of it unbearably hot to touch. Imagine what that might do to human flesh!”

Jordan frowned. “Don’t give me that bullshit. You resolved that problem by grounding the test subject. You’re trying to scare me into backing out. I won’t let you do it.”

Kale exhaled, deflated. “I just don’t want to lose you,” he admitted softly.

“Don’t you understand that this is a win-win situation for me? If we’re successful, I get to be with Maggie in life. If we fail, I get to be with Maggie in death. I’m prepared for both eventualities. Either way, I get what I need. I get to be with the one I love with everything I am. Don’t you see?”

“Do you really love her so much that you’re willing to risk dying to be with her?” 

“Imagine for a moment that Andi was taken away from you for some reason. Then imagine you were given the opportunity to be with her again, but it meant leaving everything and everyone you know forever. Imagine the very process of reaching her again put your life in danger. Would you still risk it?”

“I would risk it in a heartbeat. I love Andi with everything that I am,” he replied.

Jordan nodded. “All right then. I’ll assume there’ll be no more talk of backing out of this, okay?”

Kale looked at Andi as he answered Jordan. “Okay.”

“Well then,” Jordan said, “I guess I’ll hit the sheets. I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow with the power-pack surgery. Thank you both for a wonderful dinner.” Jordan stood and carried her dish to the sink.

“Leave that. I’ll take care of it,” Andi said.

“Thank you. Good night,” she said. “Sleep well.”

Kale watched Jordan exit the kitchen then returned his attention to Andi, who was staring off into space. “Are you okay?” he asked. “You look preoccupied.”

Andi smiled. “I’m fine. There’s something I’d like to talk to Jordan about.”

“Is it anything I can help with?”

“No, love. It’s just girl stuff.”

“Okay. Why don’t you go ahead and I’ll take care of the dishes?” he said.

Andi cocked her head to one side. “Have I told you today that I love you?”

Kale placed a gentle kiss on Andi’s lips. “You may have, but I have short-term memory problems, so I guess you’ll just have to tell me repeatedly so I don’t forget.”

“Well, I do,” Andi replied. “I’ll be right back.

* * *

“Jordan, may I come in?”

“Sure, the door’s open.”

Andi pushed the door to Jordan’s bedroom open just enough for her to slip through.

Jordan put down the book she was reading. “What’s up?” she asked.

“Jordan, there’s something you need to know about the physics of time travel... something I really don’t want Kale to realize, because if he does, he’ll probably refuse to send you.”

Jordan frowned. “What is it?”

“Over a hundred years ago, an experiment was carried out with four atomic clocks.”

“Oh, I know about that. Kale described it to me at dinner a while back. He said something about four atomic clocks flown on planes traveling in opposite directions and compared to one on the ground. He said that the clocks on the plane came back with different times than the one on the ground.”

“Yes, exactly. The planes were flying at a speed faster than the rotation of the Earth. The clock flying in the same direction as the Earth ran faster and the one flying the opposite direction ran slower than the clock on the ground,” Andi said.

“What about that concerns you?”

“In theory, if you gain time by going backward, traveling into the past may have an effect on the aging process. It’s never been proven—primarily because time travel by humans hasn’t been accomplished yet—but it is a possibility. I want you to be aware of the risks,” Andi said.

Jordan smiled. “I meant what I said at dinner. There is no risk too great that I would be unwilling to do this. I need to do this. I can’t live without her.”

* * *

Peter completed his post-op examination of the incision on Jordan’s back before signing her release papers. “Okay, Jordan. You’re free to go. Just remember to take care of the wound site for the next few days. It should heal quickly, since the surgery was minor and relatively noninvasive. It’s very important to let me know if you feel anything besides pain, or if the implant appears to fail in any way.”

Jordan smiled. “I am so looking forward to this. No more plugging in at night. No more worrying that rolling over in my sleep will cause instant paralysis. Peter, I don’t know how to thank you.”

“No thanks necessary. Now go on, get out of here.”

Jordan dressed herself as soon as Peter left the room. She was soon in her vehicle and heading home. As she rode through the business district, she was delayed by a traffic signal. Waiting for the light to turn, she looked around and realized she was sitting in front of her lawyer’s office, the same lawyer who handled her parents’ estate. As the light turned, she made a quick decision and turned into the driveway of the office.

* * *

“What’s this?” Kale asked.

“Open it,” Jordan said.

Kale read the return address on the envelope Jordan had handed him. “Stuart Benjamin, Attorney at Law, Shelburne, Vermont. What is this about?”

“Just open it,” she repeated.

Kale opened the envelope and unfolded the document inside. A shocked expression settled on his face. His hands shook as he refolded the letter, returned it to the envelope, and handed it back to Jordan. “I can’t accept this.”

Jordan handed it back to him. “Yes, you can. I don’t want any shit about it either, okay?”

“Jord, this is morbid. Don’t do this. You’ll jinx us all,” Kale said.

“May I?” Andi asked.

Jordan handed Andi the envelope. “Sure. Maybe you can talk some sense into him.”

Andi began to read. “In the event of my death, I, Jordan Marie Lewis, leave my 250 acre farm located at 1029 Pheasant Hill Road, Shelburne, Vermont, to one Kale Lyndon Simmons, currently in residence at that location. The property and the entire contents of the house and barns, currently deeded solely in my name, will be transferred to him without lien. Also upon my death, all assets and income associated with the property, as well as any balances remaining in my savings and checking accounts will become the sole property of Mr. Simmons. If at such time, Mr. Simmons is deceased, or unable to assume ownership of the above-mentioned property, ownership will pass to Andrea Mae Ellis. If at such time, both Mr. Simmons and Ms. Ellis are deceased, or unable to assume ownership of the above mentioned property, it is to be sold, and the proceeds donated to the Spinal Cord Institute at the University of Vermont, in honor of their memory. Jordan Marie Lewis, July 1, 2105.”

Andi looked at Jordan. “Wow!”

Kale looked at Jordan. “Don’t do this. It doesn’t feel right.”

“What doesn’t feel right about it?” Jordan grasped Kale’s hand. “If something does go wrong, and I don’t make it, I want you and Andi to be taken care of. None of this would be possible without you two. Both of you are risking so much to help me realize my heart’s desire.” Jordan sat back and grinned. “Besides, I need a place for my ghost to haunt, and quite frankly, I couldn’t choose more suitable hosts than you two.” Jordan took the letter back from Andi and thrust it toward Kale once more. “Take it, Kale. Please?”

Kale nodded his head slightly and accepted the letter. “You’re amazing, Jordan. You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“I know I don’t, but I’d rather see the two of you have the farm than let the state take it over and turn it into commercial development property. I want you to have it. You deserve it.”

‘Thank you,” Kale replied softly.

Jordan rose to her feet and began to collect the empty dinner dishes from the table. “Now that that’s settled, why don’t we go into the living room, pour some wine, and talk about this time travel thing?”

Kale made himself comfortable at the far end of the sofa with Andi tucked under his arm. Both of them enjoyed a glass of merlot while Jordan crouched in front of the fireplace and tended the embers until the kindling wood she had placed on top began to burn. Her own wine glass was perched on the mantel. As the kindling burned, Jordan watched the flames dance to and fro along the wood.

“Are you going to stare at those flames all night?” Kale asked.

“Sorry about that.” Jordan placed a larger log on top of the kindling and rose to her feet. She reached for her wine glass and sat in the chair nearest the sofa. “Okay, let’s talk about when we’re going to do the time travel thing.”