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From a technical and tactics briefing aboard Atlantis, Alex and company decide to randomize their approach to apprehend Clemson. Making another trip back to Colonial Philadelphia, Alex allows Jack to send the time thief an 'explosive' message. Will Clemson find an ally with clues to the Empress' weaknesses and whereabouts? What will happen when two rats get into the hen house? Episode 3 ?Chaos to Catch a Thief? Atlantis Expeditionary Ship, Standard Year 257:06:28 ?Alex? You decent?? Ricky Lynn?s voice called from out in my main living area. ?Be out in a minute, hun,? I said from my lavatory. ?Wow! Where off Earth did you get that little number, Alex?? Prof. Samuels exclaimed wide-eyed as I entered the room. ?This?? I looked down at my translucent pink nightie. ?I thought this up a few weeks ago while we spent some time with Tish and her family in Honolulu. You like?? ?Um...what year was that, Alex?? Ricky Lynn asked while her eyes rescanned my body. ?2011, why?? ?You wore that ?round them young kids, Alex? What?s gotten into you?? ?I didn?t wear this around them, chief!? I huffed in surprise. ?Give me some credit. I waited until my bedroom door was shut and locked before I got comfortable.? ?Ya, if you say so," Ricky Lynn replied in a placating tone. ?Is there a point to this visit, Professor?? ?Ya, I got the thruster banks tuned up and back on line...? ?Andie should be notified, hun, not me.? ?But,? Ricky Lynn continued, looking at me in concern then looked back at the door. ?We both know that won?t be what gets them down safely, do we?? I paused a moment while I appraised her. She had obviously done the math for Atlantis? thrust to mass ratio. I shook my head in the negative sadly. ?I knew as soon as we arrived that we would have to help land this spacecraft, Chief. Unfortunately for Atlantis, her fate does not change once she?s safely on the planet. She still sinks below the waves as recorded in Plato?s account.? ?Andie and the others, Skipper?? ?All long since departed by then, hun- we?re talkin? quite a few hundred years in their future.? Ricky Lynn looked relieved. ?What about my baby girl? What about Dixie?? ?You saw what was left of her before we left your place, hun," I hinted. ?The Command Core!? ?Still intact in 2035, but under nine hundred feet of water and fifty feet of hardened silt.? ?Then she?s still...? ?Alive?? I smiled reassuringly. ?Maybe you should talk to Randi when we get back, hun.? ?She knew, skipper?? Ricky Lynn asked with wide eyes. ?Everything but the ?who? and ?where?, professor," I giggled as I walked over to a small, wall-mounted control panel and touched the displayed screen. Touching a series of symbols that appeared, I turned back to my Chief Engineer. ?Dixie, any missed messages since I enabled privacy mode?? ?Yes, Empress, Commodore Celeste has scheduled a meeting in her bridge conference room at two bells. That is fifteen minutes from now. Mom,? the A.I. continued, referring to my Chief Engineer, ?you are expected to provide our analysis of the QDA device logs. Shall I forward them to the display terminal there?? ?That would be wonderful, baby. Thank you.? ?My pleasure, mom. Empress, will there be anything else?? The A.I. asked. ?No, hun, I can?t think of anything else at the moment, thanks.? ?Thank you, Empress.? I keyed up my blue, denim jeans, pink ?T?, white britches and bra, and of course my pink footies and sneakers. ?Ready to go, chief?? I asked pleasantly as I put my diamond studs- the ones I had recently purchased in Honolulu- back in my ears. Funny, how my nanos knew not to heal those four tiny holes. ?Empress, glad you got my message about this meeting. I wondered if you two would get it...considering you both enabled your privacy lockouts...at roughly the same time," Andie greeted as Ricky Lynn and I entered and took our seats. ?We knew about the meeting before you did, hun," I said as Allie and I exchanged smiles. ?Of that, I have no doubt, Empress," Andie giggled. ?Prof. Samuels, your presentation, if you please?? ?We?re up, Dixie," Ricky Lynn said pleasantly as she got up and approached a display screen that had just flashed to life. Several complicated trend-line graphs appeared. ?Here we have the data collected from the Empresses? encounter with my stolen QDA. The data indicate that, at the time of the sampling, nearly ninety-eight percent of the device?s power had been consumed. In other words, there wasn?t much left for any real jump to anywhere he?d consider safe.? ?So that?s why Clemson was so frantic trying to escape!? Jack said emphatically. ?It didn?t have enough power to let him go where he wanted.? ?According to the destination logs, Darren?s been a busy boy," Ricky Lynn continued with a blush as she nodded to Jack. ?His first destination, which consumed seven percent, was Orleans, France, 30 May, 1431...? ?Joan!? Allie and I gasped at the same time. Ricky Lynn stopped and looked at us accusingly. I looked around to see all our sister?s eyes on us. ?Alex, is it safe to assume Rachel goes on a mission with you? In the near future?? ?My Felicia, Jack," Alex Reilly said. ?Those ungrateful cowards inadvertently killed the original Joan De Arc that morning. That was the glitch. Felicia just stood in for the main event. Joan was too far gone for even our nanos to help.? ?I remember that!? Cami giggled. ?As I recall, she wanted to scare the tunics off them by walking out of the pyre after the ropes burnt away. Instead, Alex just popped in with Miss De Ark?s body and out with a very unhappy Felicia to make it look official. I would have forfeited monetary fund?s to see their faces had she had her way. Alex, what if Clemson saved the original Joan?? ?Something for us to consider and act on later, Sweetheart," Allie assured her and nodded to Prof. Samuels. Ricky Lynn nodded and continued her presentation. ?The second entry was to Istanbul, 13 July, 6021BC. That consumed twenty percent. I believe that is the estimated time of the great flood, Alex?? ?Doesn?t account for the explosives used, Professor," I stated disbelievingly. ?Probably a reconnaissance mission.? ?That would make sense and explain the third trip: Philadelphia, 10 June, 1779, Skipper. Twenty-one percent.? ?It was the 16th when we arrived, hun," I informed her. ?Maybe it took Arnold some time to gather what Clemson needed, Skip, because his next jump was back to Istanbul, 6021BC. Again it consumed twenty-one percent. Here?s where it gets complicated now, Alex," Ricky Lynn winced visibly. ?The next logged trip took twenty-nine percent.? ?So he came back home, why, hun?? I asked. ?The destination for that trip was Hawaii- Pearl Harbor to be exact, Alex," Ricky Lynn said slowly. ?20 August, 1944, ma?am.? Yuuka, Jack, Alex, and I gasped at once, but not all for the same reason. ?The day we leave for the Peleliu campaign," I said, just above a whisper. Jack and Yuuka looked at me- Yuuka because she recognized the island as one her homeland had held since the start of the war. Jack, because she now knew our next military assignment. ?Why that day- why Pearl?? I asked absentmindedly. ?As I recall, we stopped to resupply before shoving off on escort duty, Skipper," Ricky Lynn said before she dropped her head in shame. ?I think Darren saw my memoirs. I forgot to put them away before he arrived for a...a visit.? ?He?s going after Sand Dollar,? I growled. ?Or us, Alex," Jack offered. I thought about that a minute. ?Where to next, Chief?? I asked, comparing my new visions to memory. ?He took a one percent jump to Pearl Harbor, 10 December, 2011. That?s where the log ends. Cap, he only had two percent power left.? I thought about it for a moment. Allie had been thinking about it too. ?Miss Samuels, how much power would it take for a trip back to 1863 from 2011," Allie asked, out of the blue. ?Give me a minute, director,? she said as she produced her personal computing device. ?Three point four percent," she said after another minute of computing. ?There?s no way he could make that jump with what he had left, ma?am. ?He had to refuel," I whispered. ?That?s what he did. He went back to Pittsburgh! After we almost caught him at Pearl, he went back to CMU and stole more fuel.? ?That bastard! He took my new ZeroP core!? ?You made another one, Professor Samuels?? Andie said aghast. ?You managed to confine not only one, but TWO of the most feared things in the universe?? Andie immediately looked at Cami and Jack?s displeased faces and rephrased her statement slightly. ?Two of the next most feared things in the universe?? ?You make it sound so hard, Commodore. Reilly Research Station has twenty-five Zero Point Reactors that have been operating reliably for over fourteen hundred years. Not one of ?em?s even hiccupped in that time," Prof. Samuels declared defensively. Our hostesses? mouths dropped open. ?Tw...tw...tw...twenty-five?? Reggie stuttered. ?Well, they?re twice as big, but I managed to shrink the dimensions to fit my QDA design," Ricky Lynn answered nonchalantly. Andie audibly gulped as she heard the word ?shrink?. ?To...to capture even one is well beyond our technical expertise, Ricky Lynn," Reggie countered, still in awe. ?Hey! Can we get back on subject here? I?d like to be able to go home sometime soon!? Yuuka shouted as she flew up in front of Atlantis? first officer. Reggie looked on the verge of collapse. ?Pixie!? Alex Reilly said in a raised, but restrained voice. ?Patience must be enabled in order that we refine and anticipate our adversary?s movements. Because Alexandra?s encounter with Clemson happened at the end of the QDA?s first power cell, we must consider his intentions focused solely on us after that.? ?Alex is right. Since he was pulled in three different directions that night his vendetta against us has grown considerably. The Empress already knows his endgame, but we have to work out his intermediate temporal incursions," I agreed. ?Ya, and since the guy has three or four people running around inside his head now, figuring where he might go or do complicates things further- as if traveling the fourth dimension wasn?t chaotic enough!? Jack added. Allie and I looked at each other as Jack?s comment apparently triggered the same thought. ?You don?t think?? I asked my sister as our eyes widened in horror. ?I?m afraid I?m thinking the same thing, Alex," she confirmed. ?Director? Captain?? Cami asked, concern washing quickly over her face. ?When we were in Philadelphia, my tiara distinctly indicated three or four entities in extremely close proximity. If we were to assume Clemson was there early on in his travels, there should have been only a single indication- one person," I told our small group. ?Yet, multiple entities indicate that the dimensional break and recombination had already taken place. Clemson had returned after he refueled the QDA," My sister concluded. ?Where was he taking the explosives?? we both asked in unison. ?Chief, how detailed are your ?memoirs??? I asked after a minute of silence to process things. ?Um, well...? ?Do they contain enough information to find Sand Dollar?? I asked, my voice rising in volume and pitch. Ricky Lynn looked at me in silence. ?Does he know about the grotto, chief?? I asked slowly, angrily. Her head bowed slightly. ?Not exactly?? she said, uncertainly. ?All I wrote was that it was on Ni?ihau.? I glared at the redhead. ?Well it certainly doesn?t take a rocket scientist to figure out that under the highest point on the island there could be something the size of a submarine hidden! The Grotto IS big enough to hide a modern aircraft carrier, Ricky Lynn!? Samuels? face turned beet red. ?How the hell was I s?pose ta know the asshole was playin? me? I thought he actually liked me, Alex! The one time I let down my guard and I?m played like a damn Steinway!? She cried before bursting into tears and running out of the room. ?I?ll go after her, Empress," Reggie volunteered as she quickly stood and hurried out of the conference room. ?Sometimes foresight sucks," Alex Reilly groused, beating me to the statement. ?Ya,? I grimaced, ?I?ll be in my quarters,? I closed my eyes as I asked ?how long?, ?until tomorrow at three bells. My privacy mode will be enabled until then. Good day everyone.? Once in my room, I entered a code to lock my door and another to isolate this room from Dixie then settled down on my bed. Closing my eyes, I asked the question I knew would take almost a whole day to answer: What do I have to do to thwart Clemson from destroying Sand Dollar, Atlantis- Minor, me and the crew, or all of the above? ?Hey, are you going to lie there all day?? My voice asked, barely catching my attention and pulling me back from my thoughts. ?I thought I locked that door," I replied pointedly with my eyes still shut. ?Since when do we need doors, sis," Alex Reilly laughed. I felt her lightly touch my forearm and of course, the familiar tingle, and opened my eyes. Note to self: it?s better to always close eyes before running scenarios or complicated questions. ?I thought you might like something to drink," she said, offering me a cup of what I called coffee, but what the Atlantians? called ?arabeca?. ?It?s very frightening to see me lying there looking deleted or close to it.? ?Thanks, I think, Alex. How?s Ricky Lynn?? I asked, sitting up and taking a sip of the hot liquid. ?Reggie talked to her for a few hours last night. She?ll be okay. How?d the Empress make out?? At first, it seemed I had things sorted out then I decided to change one detail and everything went awry, Alex. Every single time I?d get things figured out, one tiny change threw the whole game," I complained. ?But you did eventually figure things out so they worked in every scenario, right? I mean, I?m recalling a viable plan in our shared memories.? ?Examine the proposed prospectus closer, director. You?ll see that, to repair the time stream, there is no plan. Nothing. I?m afraid the only way to proceed is to wing it- improvise at every destination.? ?What kind of plan is that, Alex?? My sister asked a little upset. As the director of Reilly Research Station, she swore by detailed plans and sometimes ?elaborate? alternative plans and rarely considered improvisation. ?I call it my shotgun plan," I said as one side of my mouth formed a grin. ?I?ll be using scatter-shot with no choke in this case.? ?Pa would like this plan, sis. It sounds like something he would come up with.? ?Well, when I couldn?t get any of my ideas to line up, I asked myself ?what would Pa do.?? ?Alex, hit and runs like this will only make him angry," Allie said as she closed her eyes and examined my ?plan?. ?We already know he intends on taking out my boat, my crew, or me, so if we pester him like a troublesome fly, he?ll become so angry, he?ll more than likely make a mistake. That?s when I catch and incarcerate him.? ?Alex, I see here that we lose our temper. Do we even know what will happen if that actually occurs?? ?I have to take the chance, Alex. Our world is being turned inside out by this guy and I?m at the point of doing anything to stop him.? ?Maybe Momma Scott can see her way to help or clue us in on what we?re permitted to do?? ?Does the Admiral constantly check up on his commanders to make sure they follow his orders line by line, hun?? I questioned. ?You would know that better than I, sis. You?re military, not me.? ?We?re left to do things the way the situation demands, Alex. The end results determine the punishment.? ?So I take it you?ll be leaving soon?? ?As soon as Cami and Jack take control of my hand and make me unlock my door, sis.? ?Cami?? ?Search our shared memories for Camille Darough, sis. She came along with us this time. Alex Reilly gasped as she did what I asked and found that her assistant had indeed been with us when we first arrived on Atlantis. ?Alex, this is starting to get out of hand. When I can?t remember my own assistant...? My hand suddenly shot straight out and urgently pulled me to the touchpad by my quarter?s entry door. Typing in the security code to release my ?privacy mode?, my door opened and revealed Jack standing alone, her face tear-streaked and angry. ?I...I...I can?t find Cami, Alex! I know she was here yesterday, but I haven?t been able to find or sense her today," She cried. ?Did he do this, Alex?? ?Jack, I need you to stay here and keep Atlantis in orbit until I get back.? ?Like that?s ever going to happen, Captain Steinert! I?m responsible for your protection and I won?t stand around idly waiting to either vanish, or lose you! In short, I?m going with my sister with or without her permission, Empress!? I smiled as I mentally checked off the first item on my list of things that had to happen. ?Jack, glad to have you aboard," I said, holding my smile. ?This is going to be a very different mission in that there will be no specific course of action for us to abide by.? ?Cap? I?m not following.? ?What my sister means, Jacquelyn Cummins, is that the Empress will not be giving specific commands, and that you alone are to decide what you do in a particular situation," Alex Reilly explained. ?You do what you feel is right. Understand?? ?Are you ready to go, Pixie?? I asked, turning my head slightly to look at my right shoulder. ?How did you know...?? Yuuka asked in surprise. ?Godspeed, my sister. I await our sisters? return," Alex Reilly told me with a tense smile. I nodded and opened the throttle for Jack?s energy to half. She groaned loudly in surprise and glared at me. 1413hrs, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Colony, June 17th, 1779 Our surroundings became darker and dust filled and we found ourselves looking at a large cache of small wooden barrels. Everything was still and unmoving, including Darren Clemson in the middle of the gunpowder cache. His finger was poised on the start button of the QDA. All around him, kegs of gunpowder fell over one at a time and began to awkwardly roll silently away from the gathering on their own. ?Why are we back here, Alex?? Jack asked curiously. ?What would you like to do, Jack?? I asked cryptically. ?Where is this place, Empress?? Yuuka asked. ?And...and why isn?t anything but a few barrels moving?? ?Philadelphia, June 16th, 1779. This is where we found Clemson trying to abscond with General Washington?s gunpowder supplies. As soon as that me and her previous group over next to him releases time, he will disappear, traveling back to 6021BC in an attempt to halt the great flood again, honey.? ?How can we stop him from doing that?? The Pixie asked. She paused in thought for only a second before asking another good question. ?Wouldn?t Mei Lee and Allie miss their chance of going to the Homeworld if we don?t do something?? ?You?re right, the Homeworld and the Empress wouldn?t get their necessary allotment of Pixies, hun," I paused a second before voicing my hint at what should be done. ?Something completely random has to be done- something totally off the wall that Clemson couldn?t anticipate," I answered calmly. ?I?ve got it, Alex," Jack declared as I noticed a small length of fuse insert itself into a keg just behind where Clemson crouched at the QDA. ?When I say now, you release time, Alex," Jack said in a dead serious tone. ?But I?m not the one holding time, Jack. Not this time," I replied as I nodded over to where the previous ?me? was standing- though just an unnatural bluish glow could be seen there now. ?You?ll have to feel her strength give out because that?s what I remember happening.? Jack nodded in understanding as she looked around us for a key of some kind. ?Now.? The fuse sparked to life as Clemson?s hand depressed the start button and he and the diminished cache of gunpowder disappeared a split second later. ?Nice job, Commander," I commended. ?You aren?t mad I did that?? Jack asked in surprise. ?We told you to do what you felt, Jack. Good job.? ?I caused the explosion in Istanbul, Alex?? ?It helped loosen the ground for you and Cami," I stated flatly. Jack?s face darkened. ?I?m responsible for killing all those people in the valley?? ?No, you?re responsible for returning the time stream back on its original course, Jack.? ?But it still didn?t bring Cami back from wherever.? ?No, but we?re working on that, hun.? ?Where to next, Alex?? ?Base,? I said as our surroundings changed. ?Why and when are we at Pearl, Alex?? Jack inquired cautiously. ?More importantly, how can we be here if Clemson changed our history?? Jack paused as she looked around us. ?Wait, this isn?t Pearl. Where are we, Alex?? ?Waimea, Kauai. We already realigned that segment, Jack. By assuring the Great Flood and stopping the surrender of West Point, the United States of America came into being as it rightly should.? ?Then why are we here, Sensei?? Yuuka asked from my shoulder. ?Time for you to grow up, Pixie," I said offering my finger to the five- inch, winged, woman. It was strange to feel her grip grow and take more space on my finger. ?Dress whites," I ordered as her feet touched the ground in front of me. ?Jack, send a message to Amy Reynolds. Tell her I need Ni?ihau socked in by a tropical depression for today.? ?Will do, Alex, but can she do that yet?? I nodded. ?She?s been experimenting the last few weeks as I recall.? ?One tropical depression in the works, Alex, though Amy didn?t sound so confident.? ?It?ll work, Jack. Just keep the faith," I said as I turned us around and pointed to the already darkening sky across the straight over Ni?ihau. Jack whistled in amazement. ?Remind me to never get on her bad side," Yuuka gulped. I smiled absentmindedly as a few streaks of lightning could be seen in the distance as the foreboding clouds began to spread toward our current location. And they called me the show off! ?Alex, Randi wants me to remind you that Admiral Demmit needs to be back from the future by tomorrow 0900hrs to catch his ride back to Pearl.? ?Tell her I already have a reminder set, Jack.? So, what do we do know?? Yuuka asked. ?What would you do, hun?? I returned the question. ?Sensei?? ?What would you do now, Yuuka," I asked curiously. ?Well, I?d like to go back to base...back to Kili, naturally.? ?That?s a great suggestion, Ensign," I said cheerfully. ?Let?s go back to base.? With that said I transported, rephased us, dropped their hands, and headed us off in the direction of CINCPAC headquarters. ?Lieutenants Steinert, Cummins, and Ens. Sukiro to see Admiral Demmit," I announced as we approached Ens. Fischer?s desk. ?Change your rank back to lieutenant, Jack.? I thought to her. ?I?m sorry siiiirma?am,? Fischer stumbled a second, curiously eyeing my rank as I stood before him. ?Admiral Demmit isn?t in. I thought he was on Ni?ihau with you, ma?am?? Ens. Fischer replied in a quieter voice. His eyes bulged slightly as he noticed Yuuka. ?He is, Ensign...only not right now. Please follow my lead," I said quietly as I spied two men walking down the hall in our direction. It was a good thing the door to this office was still open. Recognizing one of the faces, I asked the clerk my intended question. ?Ensign, We need to get back to Ni?ihau. The Sand Dollar is due back tomorrow morning and my nurses need the supplies we?ve requisitioned?? I said with a wink. ?I?ll see if I can get a PBY from the sea plane base for you, ma?am," Fischer said as he looked around me to the two men just arriving. He returned my wink with one of his own. ?Hi June, this is Ens. Fischer. I need the seaplane base immediately," He said, after picking up the phone?s handset. Both men entered the office behind us, they wore standard civilian clothing, though a little heavy for the weather. Both wore brown pants, a white cotton dress shirt, a thin brown tie, brown loafers, and each carried a brown, leather satchel. The shorter of the two was unmistakably Darren Clemson though he looked very uncomfortable and even more, how did my future self describe him? Oh ya, ?nerdy?. ?Now is not the time to blow him to atoms, Jack.? I thought to my Ex-O. ?Tell Yuuka to hold it together too, please.? ?If that?s a direct order we really need to follow, Empress.? ?It is.? I thought back. ?Hello, this is Ens. Fischer from Admiral Demmit?s office. I have three pretty nurses that would like to get back to their base and need a ride... Where are they heading? Oh, Ni?ihau...that?s right, Ni?ihau...thank you, I?ll be waiting.? Fischer hung up the phone. ?They said they were going to check for an available flight crew, ma?am. Ladies, please have a seat, this shouldn?t take long.? ?Thank you, Ensign," I said demurely and smiled at him and the two men waiting behind us. ?Can I help you gentlemen?? ?I believe we also need transportation to an island named Ny-hi-ha-ow," The taller man said with a very bad pronunciation. ?I?m sorry, but Ni?ihau is off limits to all but military personnel, sirs," Ens. Fischer explained politely. ?I?m James Spanker and am here on official Department of the Navy business and Mr. um...what did you say your name was again, sir?? ?Clemson, Mr. Spanker. Darren Clemson.? ?Yes...a perfect name for an accountant. Anyway, Mr. Clemson and I have been sent here by the Department of the Navy to audit the requisition records and effectiveness of the naval base located on Ny-hi-ha-ow. Here is the official request.? Spanker placed his satchel on Fischer?s desk, reached into it, produced a neatly folded letter, unfolded it, and handed Ens. Fischer the typewritten paper with War Department letterhead. ?Mr. Spanker and Mr. Clemson, I?m trying to line up transportation over to that island as we speak," Fischer replied after reading the order. ?The Lieutenants and Ensign are on their way there now. I?m sure there will be plenty of room for all of you on the plane. I should be receiving word in just a few minutes.? ?How are you holding up, Jack?? I thought to her. ?I was just talking to Randi. She just got a request from Ford Island on the radio for the weather around Atlantis-Minor, Alex.? ?Thank you, Ensign," The taller man, Mr. Spanker, replied. Turning to us, he asked. ?And what do you three ladies do on that base if I may be so bold?? ?We?re part of the emergency triage unit. Our submarine, the Sand Dollar is part of the Admiral?s rapid rescue and recovery project. We?re assigned to the base in case a downed pilot or shipwrecked sailor needs immediate medical attention, sir," I answered for the three of us. ?Capt. Steinert?s crew has been very active since Admiral Demmit received approval from Washington. Ten rescue missions since the beginning of April when their unit became operational, sirs," Ens. Fischer offered. ?And what would the average issues be, Lt...Fleming, is it?? Spanker asked in curiosity. ?Mostly lacerations, concussions, saltwater poisoning, and severe exposure, sir, although we have had a few broken femurs, clavicals, and ribs," Jack answered. Clemson kept sneaking glances at me while the two men stood before Fischer?s desk. I smiled pleasantly at him each time. ?Mr. Clemson, is there something I can do for you?? I finally asked pleasantly after catching him glance at me about a dozen times. ?Oh, sorry, you remind me of someone I saw back in Pittsburgh, Lieutenant.? ?I?m sorry, but I?ve never been to Kansas, Mr. Clemson. In fact, before the war, I?d never been outside of Long Beach.? Would your name happen to be Alexandra?? He asked off-handedly after looking intently at me. ?Sorry, but I?m Allison...Allison Fleming," I offered my hand. He nervously shook it. ?That sure was a strange way to find out my name, Mr. Clemson," I giggled. Inside I was fuming! ?You could have just asked, you know.? ?My apologies, Lt. Fleming, as I said you look like someone I met in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.? ?Oh, you meant that Pittsburgh! I?m really embarrassed now, Mr. Clemson," I said holding my hand to my mouth in embarrassment. ?My mistake, lieutenant," He replied. ?You don?t know what a big mistake it was either, honey!? I thought to myself. ?Just think the word, Alex, and this guy gets atomized and no one here will remember a thing.? ?Thanks, Jack, but I think I have him baffled enough for us not to have to do anything drastic.? ?Drastic?? Jack thought loudly. ?I can show you drastic!? ?Stand down, Commander.? ?Aye, Cap.? The phone rang and Fischer picked up quickly. ?Admiral Demmit?s office...yes, I now have five waiting to get to Ni?ihau...what? No, I understand...I?ll tell them, sir...thank...what? Oh maybe tomorrow? Okay, I?ll let them know...thank...thank you, sir. Goodbye.? Hanging up the phone, Ens. Fischer looked at Jack, Yuuka, and I sadly. ?I?m sorry, ladies, but all flights, reconnaissance or otherwise, have been restricted until further notice.? ?Why, are they under attack?? I asked with mock concern. ?No ma?am, Commander Smithson said that Ni?ihau was experiencing bad weather and he hopes it will clear by tomorrow sometime.? ?Oh," I said in relief. ?It happens sometimes. The weather can be fantastic one minute then the next it?s pouring. I guess that?s the one down side about paradise, huh?? ?Bad weather is going to keep us here another night? I thought you could land a plane in bad weather?? Ni?ihau doesn?t have an airstrip, Mr. Spanker. The only way in or out is either by boat or seaplane and you really can?t land one of those in high seas. The waves would swamp the plane as soon as the hatch was opened.? ?I see. I guess we should get back to Honolulu and reserve a room for the night," Spanker said in defeat. Clemson looked like he was on a short fuse. I giggled quietly. ?I?ll call a car to take you into town, sirs," Fischer said as he picked up the phone and asked the operator for the motor pool. ?Ladies, we can share the car if you need a ride into the city," Spanker offered kindly. ?Thank you, but we were staying in the Women?s Dormitory here on base, Mr. Spanker," I said with a smile. ?We?ll see you tomorrow then, maybe. Good day ladies.? ?Good day to you also, sirs," I replied cheerfully. Ens. Fischer waited until the two had turned the far corner of the hall and disappeared. ?How...how did you do that?? He asked me. ?How did I do what, Ensign?? ?How did you change your rank and nameplate so fast? I didn?t see you do it. You are Capt. Steinert, right, ma?am?? ?I am, and I?m not at liberty to explain anything to you at this time, Ens. Fischer.? ?I understand, Captain, but...? ?But what, Ensign?? ?I was just going to say that things really got screwy around here when you first arrived.? I smiled. ?You have no idea, Ensign, though you will understand in a few years.? ?Ma?am?? ?Never mind, hun. We?ll be back tomorrow at 1315hrs.? ?Okay?? He answered in confusion as Jack, Yuuka, and I turned to leave the office. We joined hands as we turned the corner of the hall and I advanced us in time. 1315hrs, CINCPAC Headquarters, July 24th, 1944 ?Boy, you sure are prompt, Capt....er...Lieutenant St...Fleming.? ?As the Admiral likes us to be, Ensign," I said raising an eyebrow daring him to say more. ?Yes, ma?am.? ?I trust the weather has cleared and we can get back to Atlantis-Minor, Mr. Fischer?? ?Is that what you call your base, Ca...er...Lieutenant?? ?That is a need to know detail, Theodore- understand?? I said menacingly. He nodded with a gulp. ?Yes, ma?am.? I continued. ?Under no circumstances will that specific detail be mentioned around the two ?men? that want to audit my base. Now...about our transportation?? ?Yes, ma?am. I?ll get a launch to take you over to Ford right away," He answered then looked around the three of us into the hall. ?Ma?am.? He paused and swallowed audibly. ?I may be way over my clearance level here, but...um...? I looked down at the young man as he suddenly became very guarded. ?They won?t be here for another five minutes, Theodore. Ask your questions.? Well, Capt. Steinert, I...um...I thought I smelled your perfume in the Admiral?s office earlier today. I...I thought I heard...um...heard your voice too...ma?am," He stammered timidly. ?I?m beginning to wonder..," He looked up at me with more than a hint of fear. ?Should I hit erase, Alex? ?No, Jack, he can keep a secret.? ?Oh ya, he?s Chief Fischer?s mother.? I shook my head a few times. Ens. Theodore Fischer was staring at me apprehensively. ?There?s something very...um...special about you, Commander Cummins, and ...um...Ens. Sukiro, isn?t there?? ?There?s something special about every one of us, Ted," I said casually with a warm smile. ?But...but you?re...you?re really...really different, I mean...aren?t you?? He stuttered and swallowed hard. ?Jack, close the door and raise your shield," I ordered aloud, again casually and without any emotion. Fischer gulped again before his mouth dropped open. Sh...sh...sh...sssssshield?? He stammered before jumping as the door quietly clicked shut on its own. The poor man?s eyes popped out of his head! ?We?re good, Alex," Jack acknowledged with a nod. ?Ens. Theodore Fischer, you are a very intuitive young man. Maybe a little too intuitive for your own good, though," I told him with a dangerous smile as I leaned forward, palms down on his desk. ?We are indeed special- special in ways you are just starting to imagine.? ?God, here we go again," Jack griped sarcastically. ?Jack, he needs to hear this...please!? I said, turning my head and glaring at my first officer. Fischer again swallowed loudly. ?Hhh...hear...hear what...ma?am?? ?Do you remember when we first met, Ted?? I asked with a pleasant smile. That seemed to relax him a little. ?It was about three months ago?? ?Almost, hun," I smiled wider. ?We actually met two weeks before that.? ?I?d remember meeting someone like you, ma?am! I mean, it?s not every day I meet someone as good looking as you or Commander Cummins here!? ?And you?re saying I?m not as good looking as Alexandra or Jacki?? Yuuka complained, suddenly flying up within inches of the poor man?s face. ?Aah, shit," Jack exclaimed in defeat as she dramatically palmed her face. ?Can you stabilize his blood pressure, Jack? Yuuka...what possessed you to go Pixie on him?? ?I thought we were to do as we felt on this mission, Empress?? ?Yuuka!? Jack and I hissed. ?Eh...Eh...Empress?? Fischer stuttered. Jack and I glared at the Pixie. I pointed to the tiny woman still hovering in front of him. ?You...normal size...now!? I ordered angrily through gritted teeth. ?Stay that way until the primary mission resumes.? Yuuka flew to our side of the Ensign?s desk and returned to full size beside Jack. Fischer?s face lost all color again. ?You!? I reached to the man in front of me. Touching the side of his chin, I turned his head gently to look up at me. ?You stay conscious!? Again the young man gulped. ?Yes, ma?am...er...er...your...your highness, I mean.? ?You?ll knock that ?Highness? manure off too, Ensign!? I ordered in anger. ?Yyyyyyes...ma?am.? ?Alex, we?ll have company in about two minutes.? ?I know, Jack. I need more time," I replied holding out my hand. Quickly both Jack and Yuuka joined hands with me as I held out my other hand to Ens. Fischer. ?Take it, Ensign, that?s an order.? As soon as he reluctantly stood and took my hand, I opened Jack?s throttle halfway again. All noise- all talking- all sounds of typing from the other offices, stopped except for Jack?s groan and complaining. ?I wish you would?ve warned me, Alex.? Fischer looked around in confusion. ?What...what just...what just happened...um...Captain Steinert?? ?You stopped time again, didn?t you, Alex?? Yuuka asked as she looked over at me. ?Stopped...ttttttime? As...aaaaas in time?? Fischer said as he paled once more and looked up at the wall clock. It wasn?t moving. ?Well what do you think the ?Empress of Time and Space can do, Ensign, milk cows?? ?Jack!? I cried. ?For your information, Commander, I have milked a few cows in my time! Do I need to advance your throttle farther? We?re wasting time," I continued in warning. ?But...but I thought you stopped time?? Fischer said innocently, but his face quickly showed he regretted it. ?It takes a toll on me, hun. Time really doesn?t like being held back," I admitted. ?So...you?re not...not really the Admiral?s niece then?? Fischer asked shyly. ?So much for that secret.? ?Jack!? I shot back at her. ?I am the Admiral?s niece by blood, Ted, and no, he?s not as special as we are- though he is still very special to us.? ?So...so you WERE in the Admiral?s office this morning?? I nodded. ?Jack, me, and Uncle Rick, Ted.? ?Alex, your nose," Jack warned calmly. ?Captain, Your nose is bleeding!? Fischer said in alarm as he took Jack?s warning and looked at my face. ?Ya, next mah hair starts turnin? gray," I said with annoyance. ?Look, Ted, the whole point of this little demonstration is to let you know who and what we are. First off, we mean you, the Admiral, the Navy, the world...even the universes, no harm. We?re here to keep time moving along smoothly- to even out the holes that sometime pop up. Secondly, the reason we?ve revealed ourselves to you is because you too, are important to us, hun. It?s not yet your time, but you will one day help me...help us, Theodora Fischer. Are there any other questions?? Fischer looked at me curiously for a moment. ?I?m...I?m I?m not going to remember this...what you said here...just now?? ?Why wouldn?t you, hun?? I asked looking surprised he would even think something like that. ?Iiiit seems like you just took a big gamble telling me this, Captain. With everything I just saw, erasing it out of my memory wouldn?t be out of the question.? ?Another empath, Alex?? Jack asked, as she looked at me in surprise. ?In a few years, Jack. Right now its just pure, undeveloped talent.? ?What?s an ?empath??? ?You?ll find out in a few years, Teddy. For right now, I?m asking you to take care of Admiral Demmit and try your best to keep our little secret under your belt. Can you do that, Teddy?? ?I?ll do my best, Captain Steinert.? ?That?s all I needed to hear, hun, now I?m going to release time and those two men from yesterday will immediately come through that door. I need you to wipe that horrified, pasty look off your face and act like nothing out of the ordinary has just happened. Got it?? ?Aye, ma?am. Nothing happened.? I nodded and let time resume. Immediately the place got noisy again as Fischer fished out a hanky from his pocket, held it out for me, and took his seat calmly while he looked up at me. I winked in thanks and quickly wiped my nose as the door to the office opened. Spanker and Clemson walked in. ?Thank you, Ensign," I said with a pleasant smile, returning the cloth. ?Gentlemen, I just confirmed that a plane is waiting over on Ford Island to take you all up to Ni?ihau. A motor launch should be waiting for you at the dock. The Lieutenants and Ensign can show you the way. Right, ma?am?? He said, quickly shoving his hanky back into his pocket. ?Of course Ens. Fischer, and thank you again for arranging our transportation. I?ll be sure to tell Capt. Steinert about your wonderful assistance once he gets back.? ?This way, Gentlemen. I said as I motioned to the door. ?After you, Lieutenants," Spanker deferred as he stopped Clemson from walking out first. ?Thank you, kind sir," I smiled brightly to him as we walked past both men. Lt. Fleming, could you give me some details about your base?? Spanker asked as we walked down the hall. ?We?re really not at liberty to answer that kind of question here at Pearl Harbor, Mr. Spanker, but I?d be happy to answer all your questions once we get back to our base.? ?Very well, lieutenant, we?ll wait.? ?You passed his trustworthiness criteria, Alex.? Jack thought to me. ?You might want to send word ahead for everyone to curtail their gifts while these two are inspecting us, Jack. That goes double for the Pixies, you, and the Mermaid!? ?Aye, Cap.? ?Jack?? ?Ya?? ?Clemson?s head is exempt from that last order.? ?Now you?re talking!? ?Gentlemen, welcome to our base," I said pleasantly with the PBY?s engines fading as it again took to the sky on its return home. ?Why were there two women here to take the lines? Where are the dock workers?? Spanker asked in confusion. ?The Admiral specified upfront that, because of the need for our men at the frontlines, we would have to take care of all land-born duties when not assigned to the Sand Dollar, Mr. Spanker. It?s something we all agreed to before being assigned to Capt. Steinert?s unit.? ?Interesting. A base run by women," he said to himself, as if mentally making the note. ?He just committed that one to memory, Alex, though he?s not too happy about the Admiral making women do ?men?s? work.? Jack thought to me. ?Don?t forget that women are working in steel mills, airplane factories- all sorts of traditionally male jobs stateside, Jack.? I thought back. ?I just didn?t appreciate his thoughts about what we should be doing back home, Alex.? ?Try not to get upset over it, hun. He?s just thinking like a man.? Jack looked over at me with a quirky smile. ?...So, I?d like to start examining your captain?s mission reports and I?d guess that Mr., Clemson would like to start auditing your requisition records.? ?Lt. Sheldon is our quartermaster, sir, Jacki, could you introduce Mr. Clemson to Carroll?? ?Will do, Allie. Right this way, Mr. Clemson.? ?You can call me Darren, Lieutenant Cummins.? ?Right this way, Mr. Clemson," Jack repeated, emphasizing her disinterest. ?Make sure Carroll knows to only give this guy our official records, nothing more, Jack.? I thought to her as they walked over to Supply. ?Bring her up to speed on him too.? ?Am I allowed to mess with his head, Alex?? ?Whatever you decide, Jack. Just go easy on him for right now...no ?Terran Unauthorized Arrival? security protocols. Just make Atlantis- Minor seem like any normal Navy base.? ?Maybe just a little ?Terran? welcome, Alex?? ?Jack!? ?Aye, cap,? she thought back dejectedly. ?Lt. Fleming? I asked if I could possibly visit your munitions depot," Spanker interrupted, ending my private, thought conversation. ?I?m sorry, Mr. Spanker, my mind sometimes wonders when I have the chance to look around this place. Don?t you find the scenery simply breathtaking?? I replied in a breathy voice. Spanker glanced at me for a few moments then at my sisters as they went about their duties, while we walked. ?The scenery around here is definitely unique; I?ll give you that, lieutenant.? Now that I knew where his mind was, I decided to hit him with some other unique things about Atlantis-Minor. ?Mr. Spanker, we don?t have a munitions deport or a fuel reserve here on the Island. When needed Capt. Steinert takes Sand Dollar to Pearl Harbor to resupply. I guess because we girls don?t have that sort of training.? ?So, what sort of training do you have, lieutenant?? ?Emergency Medical Triage, Anesthesiology, Pharmaceuticals, and a new form of resuscitation called CPR, sir.? ?CPR? I?ve never heard of it, lieutenant.? ?Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, sir. By applying the technique, I can actually force a patient?s heart to pump blood if it has stopped temporarily. And, by using my lungs to re-inflate the patients?, I can re-oxygenate his blood! According to my instructor, if both are administered in a timely fashion and correctly, the heart will start beating on its own eight out of ten times. It?s nicknamed ?the kiss of life?.? ?That?s amazing, Lt. Fleming! Things like that can certainly give our boys added hope for survival.? ?Yes, sir.? ?So, I?d like to see Capt. Steinert?s mission reports, lieutenant.? ?Of course sir, right this way," I told him as I guided him to my office. ?Jack, I need Spanker to see a very utopian office. As Spartan and manly as you think he can handle.? I thought to her. ?Aye, Cap, one ?hole-in-the-wall? office coming up.? I noticed my guest?s eyes open wide when we entered the office. ?You now have a milk crate for a desk chair, Cap. And mind the broken hinges on those cabinets,? Jack thought to me Great! I was going to have to pretend that I saw all these changes. ?I could let you see them too, Alex. Tibius showed me how to affect your mind while we were on Terra.? ?Go ahead, Jack, but don?t make me regret this,? I thought back, dropping my protective wards- the ones Tibius had taught me. Immediately a ram-shackled office appeared before my eyes. What a dump, I thought, feeling the need to do a thorough cleaning on the place instantly! ?I?ll have the reports for you in just a minute or so, sir," I told him as I went to open one of the cabinets where I knew ?Capt. Steinert? kept ?his? mission reports. The door swung off its upper hinge and twisted in my grasp as I fought to keep it from breaking completely. Grasping the relatively small pile of reports, I quickly tried to close the dilapidated cabinet door with one hand. The thing continued to jump off the hinge and twist open until I angrily slammed it shut. ?Sorry about that, Mr. Spanker. This was all the Navy could spare, I guess," I set the reports down on the beaten and decaying desk. There was a loud snap as one side of the desk legs gave way and my reports slid sideways and off the desk?s top along with everything else ?Capt. Steinert? left on it! I blushed intensely. This was turning into a tragic comedy! ?I?ll hold them on my lap after I sit down, lieutenant, thank you. My I use your typewriter to make notes?? ?Sure...I?ll bring it over," I volunteered seeing a small typing stand near the back wall and dragging it over. Its wheels squeaked loudly as I fought to move it the few feet. ?Here, sir," I offered with a cringe. I had a feeling this wasn?t the end of this comedy. ?Thank you, Lieutenant," Spanker said kindly as I handed him a few sheets of blank paper. He smiled to me as he accepted them then placed one sheet behind the platen, centered it, and advanced the page through, lifting and positioning the sheet under the platen holddown bar. ?Sir, I?d be careful with...? Spanker hit the Return/paper advance lever and it flew off the machine and bounced a few times on the floor before stopping at my feet- the virgin piece of paper mutilated beyond use. ?Lever," I continued with embarrassment in my voice. ?I?m really sorry about that, Mr. Spanker. Let me get that for...? ?That?s quite alright, lieutenant. I expected something like this to happen when I first lay eyes on this office. I?ll just have to be careful from here on," He said leaning off the chair to reach the faulty mechanism. His eyes were set more on my cleavage than the platen as I knelt down to help anyway. Retrieving the platen, Spanker sat back on the chair and with a loud crack found himself flat on his back as the chair back failed. My reports flew everywhere. ?Mr. Spanker, are you okay? Did you hurt anything?? I cried in surprise as I rushed to his aid. ?Surprisingly, I am, Lt. Fleming," he answered once I helped him back up. ?How can anyone work in these conditions?? ?We make do with what we?ve been assigned, sir," I admitted sadly. ?I?ve asked Sand Dollar?s chief mechanic multiple times if he could fix that for me starting back in May. It might get fixed by the end of the war.? ?Speaking of the end of the war, lieutenant, I?ll come find you if I need anything else. You may return to your duties.? ?I MAY return to my duties?? I thought. ?What a piece of work this guy was!? ?Ya, no prejudice there, huh Alex?? ?Just keep up the illusions, Jack. I?m re-establishing my mental defenses.? ?Aye, Cap.? ?I?ll be in the Mess Hall?s Galley if you need me sir," I told Spanker. He just waved me off with his hand and a slight nod. ?Alex? Alex, wait up," Emily called as I arrived at the Mess Hall. ?Until Spanker and Clemson leave, I?m Lt. Allison Fleming, sis.? ?What kind of a last name is ?Spanker?, Allie?? ?The fake kind, Em.? ?And what about the nerd...Clemson? Is he the one responsible for taking Ricky Lynn?s toy?? I nodded. ?I thought as much. You do know he?s the poster child for schizophrenia, right? I detected at least three distinct personalities inside that socially underdeveloped skin of his and I wasn?t even looking hard!? Keep your distance, sis, that one?s extremely dangerous. According to Prof. Samuels, he?s visited Pearl this year and 2011 once. We think he?s planning something against us.? ?So you invite him and his chauvinistic partner into our home? Nice tactic, sis," Emily said sarcastically. ?Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer," I smiled evilly. She nodded. ?So, I take it that the sudden change of our base?s appearance is Jack?s doing?? ?I told her to make the base look as ?Navy? as possible, yes.? ?That would explain the stench coming from the two new ?buildings? over by the Yellow Brick Road.? ?Latrines? She really went all out, didn?t she?? I giggled while wrinkling my nose. ?I?ve already passed the word to the girls that we should still use our ?modern facilities?. I?d hate for anyone to have to clean that site up after those two leave.? ?I already have Jack on cleanup duty after their departure, sis.? ?I heard that,? Jack?s voice said in my head. ?Hey, it was your idea to get so detailed, hun.? I thought back. ?Aye.? She thought back, though she sounded disappointed at the prospect. I turned to see Emily laughing at me. ?What?? ?There will never be a dull moment around here, will there?? she said with a giggle. ?We?ll have plenty of those once things get back to normal, Em.? ?Speaking of things getting back to normal. How much has changed since leaving for 2011, sis? Yesterday, I had to distribute almost my entire inventory of aspirin to the base because everyone including myself experienced a series of very severe headaches. Ricky Lynn and Randi were especially affected as they worked on the new RADAR system above the grotto.? ?Clemson went back and changed some key waypoints in history, Em. We still have some to repair before things will be back the way they were.? ?Would one of those waypoints happen to be ?Joan of Arc??? The question stopped me dead. ?How did you know, sis?? ?She was my favorite historical figure when I was a little girl, Alex. One part of me remembers it, but another part doesn?t know of anyone by that name. It?s very disconcerting, having two opposing memories.? ?You should try seeing two different realities at the same time, Em," I mumbled. ?Now that didn?t make any sense whatsoever...even for you, Alex!? ?I?ll explain later," I said as I poured myself a cup of coffee. ?Yes, Josie, what?s wrong?? I said not even looking at the woman quickly approaching from behind us. ?Skipper, it?s Romney. She just had to go for a swim, despite Miss Cummins? orders.? ?Wonderful! Did she give any reason for her sudden insubordination?? ?Nothing, but she was holding her head as if in pain, Captain.? Pouring the untouched cup back into the urn, I turned and offered my hands. Emily and a skeptical Josie took them and our scenery changed to that of Ni?ihau?s southern beach, about a hundred yards east of the dock. ?Tell her I?m waiting, Miss Two-Eagles," I commanded, looking around us for Clemson or Spanker and seeing the area clear. ?But I?ll have to get wet, Skipper.? ?You have your Reilly on. What?s the problem?? ?I didn?t want to get my hair wet," Josie complained. ?So call up a bathing cap big enough to put your hair under.? The athletic Navajo stared at me vacantly for a few seconds before her uniform became a dark blue one-piece swimsuit. ?Oh ya, right, but I?ll have to take it out of the braid first.? ?Does the word ?beehive? give you any ideas, Josie?? I asked politely. ?Oh.? Wrapping her braid on top of her head, Josie pulled on a large bathing cap and waded into the surf to her waist. She bent over and put her head under water for half a minute then waded back to shore. ?She?ll be here in a few minutes, Skipper. She apologizes for disobeying a direct order, but she needed to get something for her headache.? ?All she had to do was come to me for some aspirin, Josie. She knows that," Emily replied. ?I?m just passing alone the message, Lieutenant Scott," Josie then looked to me curiously. ?Alex, is there a reason brassieres and panties are hung up in the Radio Shack? Randi and I usually keep it spotless in case Admiral Demmit arrives for a surprise inspection.? ?I asked Jack to make Atlantis look like a typical Navy base, hun. She kinda went overboard and made it look like a backwoods, Ozark, huntin? shack.? ?Actually I was thinking Appalachian hunting shack, but that works too, Alex.? ?Jack!? I exclaimed to the surprise of my two companions. Emily began to laugh, as her uniform became a fashionable, period, one- piece swimsuit. ?Well, if we?re going to wait for Romney, we might as well take advantage, right sis?? I couldn?t argue with that and keyed up my 1940?s style swimwear also. ?You know...this is going to ruin my nice, thin, tan lines, Em.? ?Like a tan sticks to us anyway, Alex," Emily giggled as we both sat down on the warm sand. ?At least we can get a tan, sis," I said nodding my head off to my left. ?One of these days Scotti will learn that being transparent negates any tan at all," I remained looking toward Emily and Josie. ?We went through this all before, Skipper. It?s a natural response," Scotti?s disembodied voice answered tersely. ?I?m off duty anyway.? ?Oh, well, that explains why you aren?t watching Clemson around Carroll. And heaven forbid that Spanker character would get nosey and stumble into my quarters," I said with a smile that was unseen by her. Scotti reappeared about ten feet away from where we sat. ?Miss Cummins told me to take a break, Captain.? ?The skipper?s not serious. She?s got a huge smile on her face, so lighten up, Sarge!? Josie warned. ?Just go back to avoiding the sunshine.? ?I can still feel the heat you know, and with my lighter complexion, I can?t take that much sun anyway," Scotti replied as she began to fade away. I sighed. ?Oh, how things can change in just a few months.? ?Skipper, here comes Rommie now," Josie informed me as she pointed out into the surf. What appeared to be a dolphin breached the surface, heading toward us. Rommie pushed herself to standing in the waist deep water, her longer hair, dorsal fin, and the upper portion of her pectoral fins still visible. As she walked out of the water those features slowly disappeared until the old land-based Romney Marsh, also adorned in a 40?s style awimsuit, exited the ocean. ?I?m sorry for disobeying orders, Captain, but I had to do something about the excruciating pain in my head," she said when close enough. I noticed something dark green hanging from her mouth- like dark green lettuce or something. ?Why didn?t you tell me you weren?t feeling good, lieutenant. I would have prescribed something for the pain," Emily scolded. ?I felt I needed to find my own cure, doctor. I?m not sure why, but I needed to do this.? ?And would that be a piece of the something you had to find, Lieutenant Marsh?? I asked gently motioning to the object stuck at the corner of her mouth. ?Oh, sorry, captain, I didn?t realize I missed a piece," Rommie said as she wiped it into her mouth in embarrassment. ?Is that seaweed, Rommie?? Emily asked, fascinated. ?Kelp, ma?am. I don?t know why, but I felt that this would help me feel better. A pod of Dolphins helped me find the right kind just off Kauai.? ?You swam all the way back from Kauai?? Scotti?s unseen voice asked. ?Well, the south end anyway, why, Lt. Williams?? ?Where were you when Josie contacted you, hun?? I asked as Scotti began to materialize again. ?I hadn?t finished the kelp I had picked yet, why?? ?Honey,? I began, ?y?all had to be swimming at around seventy knots to get here that fast.? ?Seventy knots?? Rommie repeated, her eyes wide with amazement. I nodded. ?And I wasn?t even swimming hard," She mumbled to herself. ?Damn, how fast could you go if you really tried, Rommie?? Scotti asked in shock. ?For the record, Scotti, Rommie?s top speed will officially be listed as forty knots," I said as I closed my eyes for a moment. ?You?ll be clocked at over one-twenty a few years from now though, hun," I added with a wide smile. My sisters? mouths? dropped wide open in awe. ?TAKE THAT, ASSHOLE!? Rang out in my skull and I jumped to my feet immediately. ?Alex? What?s wrong?? Emily cried in panic as Rommie and Josie looked up at me apprehensively. ?Clemson is getting into trouble," I said, offering my hand to Emily. Immediately after I felt her hand in mine, we were standing behind Jack, Carroll, and Clemson. ?I?m sorry, Mr. Clemson, I didn?t mean to slam the drawer on your hand, honest!? Carroll cried in embarrassment. ?HOW COULD YOU NOT SEE MY HAND THERE, YOU STUPID COW?? The man screamed as he clutched his right hand in pain. ?Mr. Clemson!? Jack shouted, almost laughing. ?We don?t talk that way here- not even in jest! I expect an apology for that outburst.? ?But she should be apologizing to me, Lt. Cummins!? ?And she did, didn?t you hear her or were you too busy screaming at her at the top of your lungs?? Jack countered calmly. ?She saw me reaching into that drawer and purposely shoved it closed!? He declared loudly. ?So maybe it was because those wondering hands of yours attached themselves to her back side a moment before?? Jack suggested as Emily and I noticed Carroll blush. ?You understand, Mr. Clemson, that I do have the authority to throw you off this base and into the brig at Pearl? I suggest you discontinue your obvious attempts to gain pleasure from our nursing staff and behave yourself.? ?I seriously doubt you have the authority or the strength to do that, Lt. Cummins, but you?re right, I was out of line and I apologize, Lt. Sheldon.? The fact that every hair on my body was standing on end proved Clemson?s claim was very, very wrong. ?Please, Miss Cummins, there?s no need to pull rank. Mr. Clemson will behave himself from now on, won?t you, Mr. Clemson?? Carroll pleaded, though I believed Jack had set this up, somehow. ?Let?s go outside and come in for real, sis.? Emily nodded as I guided us out through the wall into the compound. ?Emily and I are coming in, Jack,? I thought to her as a warning. ?Dropping our wards now.? Emily quickly covered her mouth to stifle a laugh as we came through the supply building?s door. I repeated her response as soon as I saw Carroll in Jack?s version of this base. Lt. Carroll Sheldon was still in uniform...barely. Her blouse was tied at her midriff and its buttons were unfastened to show an extra amount of cleavage and the top half of her bra cups. The regulation skirt she wore was several inches too short and her hair was pulled back into a ?messy? ponytail. Carroll, whether she actually knew it or not, now had blonde hair and freckles. She also wore too much eye makeup and her deep red lipstick was applied heavier than needed. In short, she... ?She looks like a farmer?s daughter-slash-prostitute,? I thought. ?You said I could mess with his head, Alex.? Jack thought back. ?Jacki, what seems to be the problem? I heard someone screaming all the way across the compound," I asked, eyeing up the only man in the room. ?Just a misunderstanding, nothing to worry about, Lieutenant," Jack responded coolly. ?Well, if Mr. Clemson here is thinking he can take advantage of our nursing staff, I could have Josie make a call to Pearl. I?m sure Admiral Demmit would personally see to removing him and Mr. Spanker from Ni?ihau.? ?Aye, ma?am," Jack responded. She and Carroll jumped to attention. Did Carroll?s breasts bounce more than usual just now, I asked myself? I noticed Jack?s face flush slightly. ?Mr. Clemson, I trust you are finding all our requisitions in order?? I asked, turning to eye the man up. ?So far, Lieutenant. Lt. Sheldon has been most helpful.? ?She is one of my best officers, Mr. Clemson. I would hesitate to think what would happen if she weren?t here with us," I said, mostly as a hint that I knew who he really was. He squinted an eye at me signifying the hint had been caught. ?I never thought it possible that so many beautiful women could be found in the war zone, Lt. Fleming. How did the Admiral manage to get approval for this from the Navy?? ?I wasn?t privy to the Admiral?s dealings with the Navy Department, Mr. Clemson. I expect that Admiral Demmit has significant pull with the brass, though.? ?That would explain a lot of what I see here, Lieutenant. All the stops were pulled to get this base up and running.? ?What we do here has saved many lives, Mr. Clemson- and in just the short time we?ve been operational as a unit!? ?I?m sure you girls have all done your part...one way or another, Lt. Fleming. I just question the sort of saving you do here.? ?Mr. Clemson, are you suggesting that we are nothing more than prostitutes? How dare you!? ?Jack, hold your temper. He?s testing me,? I thought to my Ex-O. ?Your words not mine, Sweetcheeks," he answered quickly. There was an abrupt change in his demeanor. ?Mr. Clemson, this is a high security military base and I suggest you hold your cutesy retorts to yourself. We ARE officers in the Navy and deserve treatment as such," I warned. ?My apologies, Lieutenant. I have to keep reminding myself of that fact. Please forgive me," He said as his demeanor changed abruptly once more. ?Carroll, make sure Mr. Clemson has access to the requisition files he needs and nothing he doesn?t unless cleared by me, understood?? ?Aye, Lt. Fleming," Carroll responded. ?Jacki, stay here to help Carroll out.? ?Don?t have too much fun with him, Jack. Oh, and give Carroll a little more dignity, will ya?? I thought to her. Jack turned from Clemson and gave me a huge smile. ?Aye, lieutenant.? ?Lt, Scott, don?t we have medical supplies to go over and shelve?? I said turning to Emily. She nodded and we both turned around and exited Supply. ?That guy is nuttier than a fruit cake, Alex! I watched his personality change four times since we first entered. Jack and Carroll had better be extremely careful with that one!? ?He should be very, very careful of me, Emily.? Jack thought back to us. ?And I?ll protect Carroll, don?t you worry about that.? Emily and I stopped and exchanged glances for a moment before continuing to the infirmary. ?I?m not worried about what he?d do to Carroll and Jack, sis, but what they would do to him," Emily said with a devious smile. ?Clemson shouldn?t be underestimated, Em. He?s got some surprises of his own.? Emily stopped and looked deeply into my eyes. ?What do you know about him that would surprise us, Alex?? ?People from different dimensions have different characteristics...different abilities," I replied, but paused. ?Different gifts," I continued. Emily stared at me for a few minutes. ?For one thing, sis, he?s stronger now than he appears.? ?And for another, Alex?? ?Well, one of him might be able to sense our gifts...or some of our gifts.? ?Does Jack know about this, Alex?? ?I?ve been fully briefed on the ?unique? capabilities of Mr. Clemson as far as we know them, Emily.? Jack thought back in response. ?Just be extra careful, Jack," Emily said quietly to the ceiling. ?Alex, Spanker is looking for you.? Jack thought to me.