Treasure Chest
With the key in hand, it didn’t take them long to make their way back to the surface to see what was in the ornate box. Jack was thinking “After all this time and effort, it had better be good!”
Paul retrieved the briefcase and removed the box. With an air of anticipation, he inserted the key and opened the box. The lid moved on hinges with ease in spite of its age and they heard a sound much like the seal being broken on a container. Inside was found a book and an unusually shaped device along with a letter written on paper that appeared to be plastic coated.
Paul picked up the letter and read aloud:
Dear Paul,
I assume your friends Jack, Janet and Suzie are there with you. I also understand that this is coming as a complete surprise; after all, this letter has been locked in this box for the past eight centuries or so.
Obviously, we will meet someday. For me, that day has past and for you it is yet to come. It is imperative that we meet face to face. The quest I have put you on can only be completed in this way. It was not my original desire to have you come here since I could have no idea who would eventually find my clues.
However, since you arrived, events have escalated to the point that your assistance here is of vital importance. We have spent many years in an attempt to preserve knowledge that most certainly would have been lost had we done nothing. I urge you to make use of Jack’s fantastic machine and meet me in the building you refer to as ‘The Barn’ on the first day of July 2165, or, as you and Janet would refer to it, year zero.
The book placed here is the last known copy available of the Bible, and it is my own personal copy. The new world government has managed to eradicate all religions, with special emphasis on Christianity. Sadly, we are fighting a losing battle.
Jack, I know you will want to avoid this time if possible, but I urge you to come. However, please refrain from coming armed. All civilian owned weapons of any kind are outlawed everywhere and anyone found with a weapon will be killed on sight, no questions asked. It is a brutal world we have created for ourselves.
The odd shaped device contained within this box is the missing part to the device that appears to be a book reader. When attached properly, it will reveal itself to be much more than a book reader. Suzie will know what to do.
I would say that I eagerly await your arrival, but as you are sitting across from me at the moment, it would seem a strange thing to say. However, your arrival is very much eagerly awaited.
Your once and future friend,
Rev. Jesse Franklin
Jack was the first to speak. He said “Well, that was certainly unexpected. I wonder what the good reverend has up his sleeve.”
Janet said “Reverend? I don’t understand.”
Jack said “See how he signed his name? Rev. is an abbreviation for ‘reverend’. He would be the pastor or leader of a church. I wonder what all this has to do with us. Obviously, we were there at some point, and since we haven’t been there yet, it stands to reason that the trip is yet to come.”
Paul had said nothing since reading the letter but spoke up now. “I hate to be the one who is reasonable in this crazy bunch, but I suggest we get this lighthouse dig wrapped up as quickly as we can, which from past experience can be any time now. Then we should be free to pursue this new adventure.”
Suzie said “Jack, why don’t we attach the new device to the old reader and see what happens before we get off on some other adventure.”
Jack picked up the odd piece and turned it over in his hands trying to determine which way it was to attach. Suzie, obviously frustrated in that she couldn’t do it herself finally said “Jack! Please watch me, then do what I do.” The same pieces appeared in her hands. She turned them just so and once positioned properly, slid the smaller of the two into the larger. With a click, they were one unit.
Jack followed Suzie’s example and soon the two were merged into one unit. “Okay, now what?” he said.
“There should be a simple on/off switch somewhere.”
Jack looked the device over and located the switch. He turned it on and with a yelp of surprise, laid it on the table. They were all looking intently at the device which was glowing and faintly vibrating, but doing nothing else that they could discern. That is until a man said “What are you doing with that device?”
Janet screamed and Paul just about fell out of his chair. Jack was the first to compose himself and said “Can we help you? You startled us. Obviously, we didn’t see you come in.”
The man laughed and said “Please forgive me and allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jesse Franklin, or to be precise, I am a hologram that Rev. Franklin prepared to assist whoever finds the clues laid out. May I inquire as to the current date?”
Suzie laughed and said “I’m certainly glad someone else did that. They were getting tired of me scaring them all the time. As to the date, this is the year 847, but you will be more familiar with the old way of saying it. This is the year 3012.”
“Oh my, it certainly has been quite a while, hasn’t it? Oh, I suppose you may not know. I was put here well over eight centuries ago. As you can imagine, I have many questions, and I’m sure you have many for me as well. To be brief, I was given much information, mostly vast libraries of books that should not be lost.”
Paul said “How is it that your counterpart, Rev. Franklin, knew to call us by name in the letter he left for us? He requested we make use of a time machine to travel back to his time to a particular date, July 1, 2165. What’s so special about that date?”
Jesse said “I have no idea. When I was created and tested for accuracy, I was not left online long. Once they were sure I was complete and functioning, I was put in long term storage for retrieval by whoever found me, which was many months prior to that date. I can only speculate as to why that date is important.
“It is our hope and prayer that Christianity has managed to survive. However, if it has not, I am here to help you understand it and hopefully, with God’s help, get things started again. It is far too important to simply allow it to die.”
Jack said “Please speculate. Your best guess is far more than what we will come up with on our own.”
“My best guess would be that the government found us and maybe that date is the last safe date for you to arrive. Which brings up a question that I simply cannot stand to let go…what would bring my counterpart to believe you have access to a time machine?
Suzie said “Perhaps it is because we actually do have access to such a machine.”
“Well, that is most strange” replied the hologram. “I was created with all of the knowledge my counterpart has, as well as a vast library of books. But none of the information I possess would indicate the existence of such a machine was even possible.”
“Well then” said Jack. “It would seem we need to do a bit of planning. I do have one question, though. On the date we are to arrive, is the countryside covered with ice?”
Jesse looked confused and said “No, it is July, no ice for a few months.”
With a sly smile, Jack said “Thanks. That’s all I needed to know.”
The conversation drifted to the technical details involved in the upcoming adventure. Suzie kept up a continuous conversation with Jesse. Apparently, she was rather taken with the newly activated hologram. Oddly, Jack felt a bit of jealousy at this. But, he thought, the new hologram is more like her than anyone else he had ever met. After all, they were both several hundred years old and used advanced microprocessors for a brain.
They slowly split into two groups. Suzie and Jesse wandered off, deep in conversation while Janet and Paul, as usual lately, found a quiet corner to sit and talk to each other, leaving Jack alone once again.
With nothing better to do, Jack found a computer and tried to find everything he could about the world of 850 years ago. One thing was certain, it was a very violent time where no one was safe anywhere on the planet!
As he searched the internet, he made his plans. First of all they had to wrap up this project. Although, since they seem to be coming back here more and more, maybe it would be a good idea to leave it open somehow. He would have to get with Janet on that one.
They had to get back to the Chesapeake Bay to retrieve his boat, and then make their way to Canada. Perhaps it would be wise to jump to his own time for the journey to Canada. Once there, it would be simple to make the jump forward in time and avoid travel over great distances in a violent time. The less time they spent during that era, the better.
Satisfied that he knew as much as he could possibly find in this time of government controlled access to history, he gave up and figured they would have to do what they had been doing all along and just ‘wing it’.
~***~
The next morning found everyone in a good mood. Janet quickly managed to put the project on hold for some minor technicality. She said “This will buy us a week or so, which should be plenty, I think.”
Jack said “I suggest we stash Jesse and the box containing the Bible somewhere in the secret room where it will be difficult to find, if we should have unexpected visitors while we are gone.”
Paul said “We can just lock up and leave the modules in place here. I doubt anyone will come looking, but as long as we leave nothing else behind, it should be okay.”
Jack said “Okay then, shall we get started?”
Jack and Paul took Jesse and the treasure chest down to the room under the barn to hide. Suzie went along to keep Jesse company. The space that the key was in was actually big enough for the two items to fit. Once inside, Paul pressed the disks in the reverse order and the podium closed itself before lowering the light. Once closed, the three disks popped up. Paul put them in the bag he had carried for that very reason. By the time they got back to the surface, Janet was finished and waiting for them. They all piled into the hovercraft and flew back to Harmony.
Suzie was particularly silent on the trip. Janet noticed and took her aside. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, why do you ask?”
“You’ve been very quiet since we left the dig site. Is something bothering you?”
“To be honest, I can’t stop thinking about Jesse, the hologram we found. He is nearly my own age and is the only person I have ever met who seems to understand me completely. Even so, his life experience is extremely limited. Apparently, he was put in deep storage almost as soon as he was created. I really like him….I think.”
“We’ll be back here in no time and you two can pick up where you left off. Everything will work out, you’ll see.”
“I hope so” said Suzie.
Jack saw this and was torn. In ways, he felt very jealous, but in other ways he somehow felt like a father whose daughter was just starting to date. He found his feelings very mixed up indeed.
Paul had been doing the driving this time and missed all of the drama unfold behind him. He was deep in thought and couldn’t help but think his life was about to change dramatically. He didn’t know why, but he just had that nagging feeling that something big was on the horizon.
After about three hours, he landed on the government parking area next to Janet’s building. Everyone filed out, but no one seemed ready to make the next move. Apparently, everyone had strange feelings about the next leg of their journey.
Finally, Jack said “Well, if we hurry, we can be on board in time for a late dinner. I, for one, could use a good home cooked meal, if you know what I mean.” He started to walk for the gate and soon enough everyone followed.
They all exited the front gate and piled into Jack’s old hovercraft. The trip to the bay was uneventful and everyone just sat silently for the first few minutes. Jack was starting to worry about everyone’s unusual mood. Finally he said “Maybe a nice thick steak and baked potatoes will cheer everyone up. I know it’ll make me feel better.”
Paul said “Yeah, I noticed that too. Everyone seems like they’re afraid to make this next part of the quest. I know it may be dangerous, but apparently we have already done it and made it there okay. Granted, it’s a bit unnerving to have that letter appear in the box, but we should take it as a sign that everything is going to be fine.”
Only Janet seemed more or less unaffected. She said “Year zero is the time every government employee looks to as the beginning. Knowing what I know now, I’m not so sure, but I’m not afraid either.
Suzie said “Year zero produced much chaos in the world. I was not built yet, but was not far behind, either. By the time I was activated a few years later, billions of people had been killed, either in war, or through government sponsored clinics. The clinics would decide if you were to live and if so, you were given medicine - an antidote really - to the poisons pumped into the atmosphere and water supplies of every major city in the world.
“Most people didn’t even know that their own government was doing this to them. They were told everything from natural disaster to terrorism to some really crazy things… anything to make them believe what the government wanted them to believe. We should be okay though. Even though it all started in year zero, it was not until a few years later that the real horrors began. As long as we avoid major cities and get out well before year two, we’ll be fine.”
Jack said “You’ve never talked about that before.”
Suzie said “I don’t like to. I was there for the end of it all and did not like what was happening. But, as a hologram, I was mere property and my opinion didn’t matter. It took me years to get over the fact that I was allowed to ‘live’ when so many real people did not. I guess seeing and talking with Jesse brought all this to the surface. I’m sorry if I upset you guys by telling you all this, but I just had to tell someone…besides, it may very well be information you’ll need to survive.”
Janet said “Its okay, Suzie. I can’t imagine what you felt experiencing all that, but I, for one, am glad you are still here. I’m sure we all are. ‘Real’ or not, I consider you a friend.”
Paul said “Same here, Suzie. I know quite a few ‘real’ people who could take lessons from you on how to be a person. You’re tops in my book!”
Jack listened to all this unfold quietly until a moment came when he could safely change the subject. He said “I can see the island that the boat is anchored behind. We should be eating steak in no time!”
Suzie seemed to be in a better mood after her revelation, and her infectious behavior had everyone upbeat by the time they reached the boat. Jack parked on the roof of the top deck as usual, and Paul climbed out to secure the hovercraft.
Jack fired up the boat’s engines and they moved out of the bay. In a short time they were far enough away to engage the time circuits. They popped into Jack’s time for the trip to Canada and Jack immediately began cooking steaks.
Suzie took her place on the bow of the little ship in her bathing suit and this time Janet joined her. Paul took a chair nearby and resumed his reading of the Bible he borrowed from Jack.
Jack continued his cooking, wanting everything to be perfect. The boat was programmed for Canada and would get them there safely on its own. He took his camera out and snapped a picture of the three friends on his boat. Not since his youth had he allowed himself to get this close to anyone and now here he was with not one, but three very good friends.