Once I take care of something, we will jump to the year 3385, where you will be able to clean up and eat before discussing your future with me. If you will now excuse me.”
Nancy and the two armed men then left through a sliding steel door leading forward.
The door closed behind them, leaving George and the other so-called dead people to look at each other. Sylvie Comeau, the other Canadian Army nurse that had accompanied Patricia Wilson on the doomed helicopter, wiped the cold sweat off her forehead with one hand.
“Damn! Can someone tell me how Brigadier Laplante did that piece of magic?”
“Oh, it’s really simple, actually.” Replied laconically Peter Stilwell. “She gained some superpowers following a divine intervention.”
“WHAT?” Shouted many of the others in unison.
“That was also my first reaction to this. However, it seems that she is more angel than human now. According to many witnesses, she can heal by the touch of her hands, can fly, communicate telepathically and is incredibly strong. From having worked closely with her for nearly a year, I can tell you that she definitely didn’t possess these powers before.”
Elizabeth Windsor pondered that for a moment.
“A divine intervention… Then, God is really on our side.”
“Uh, I wouldn’t say that, Your Highness. Nancy has some very good reasons to be pissed at us and, in fact, gave back her British medals to Prime Minister Churchill before returning to the future.”
“But, she was publicly mourned as a hero.” Objected the princess. “It was all over the newspapers, with that awful picture of her, tortured to death by the Gestapo.”
Peter lowered his head in shame and embarrassment.
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“She was still alive, barely, when that picture was taken. You really don’t want to know what the Gestapo did to her after her capture, Your Highness. She however survived those tortures and was sent by the Germans to Colditz Castle as a high-risk prisoner of war. That was where a miracle of some sort happened: she was fully healed and gained her powers, all that supposedly in a matter of seconds. Then, to our collective national shame, a number of ministers and generals pressured Prime Minister Churchill into bombing Colditz Castle, to kill Nancy and prevent her from ever revealing military secrets. She was however taken out of Colditz and transferred to Berlin just before the raid. The castle and town were razed to the ground by the bombing.”
As Elizabeth Windsor was about to explode with indignation, Otto Skorzeni cut in, looking severely at Stilwell and standing with his arms crossed.
“Don’t forget the part about Nancy Laplante saving both the allied prisoners and hundreds of German civilians and soldiers from the bombardment of Colditz, Englander.
Your government didn’t deserve such a woman. You may be claiming the high moral ground but you are as politically cynical and manipulative as anybody else.”
“Now listen, buster!” Started to protest young Tom Allen, rising from his seat.
Peter cut him off with a sign of the hand.
“As bitter as this may be, Mister Allen, that Nazi is right. What I am going to say was a closely guarded state secret but I guess that it is a moot point for us now. Two days before the bombing of Colditz, a woman from the future showed up near London.
She, a claimed scientist, had tried alone to free Nancy from her Gestapo jail and had been caught and tortured with her. She escaped from Berlin by using a small, portable time machine, reappearing near London and then contacting us.”
“What happened then?” Asked Patricia Wilson after the shock of that announcement was over. Peter bit his lips.
“We did about as dastardly a deed as the Gestapo: the M.I.516 detained her and roughed her up to make her reveal how her time machine worked. Nancy, who had escaped Germany by stealing an aircraft in Berlin, somehow learned about that and broke her free, knocking out five security agents and shooting the head of M.I.5 in the process. Those facts were withheld from public knowledge on orders from the Prime Minister.”
16 M.I.5: British counter-intelligence services.
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“The bastards!” Exclaimed Patricia, now furious, expressing the thoughts of most around her. Otto, on his part, was thinking furiously about what had been said. He was not proud about the Gestapo’s deeds, the fighting man in him despising such cowardly and sadistic acts, but he had previously brushed over those as sometimes necessary for reasons of state security. It seemed now that the British had little to shout about in that matter as well. It also shed quite a new light on Nancy Laplante.
“Well, this is what I would call a weird situation.” Said Peter Stilwell after a long silence. “We are officially dead but we have to decide how we want to live in a future world we know nothing about yet.”
As if his remark had triggered a response, the large video screens covering the upper walls of the room came to life, while a soundtrack came out of invisible speakers. They could now see the panorama of a magnificent, futuristic city on the shores of an immense lake, as seen apparently from an aircraft. They then heard a soft female voice speaking in English.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the society of the Global Council. Founded in the 29th century, the Global Council spans the whole of the Solar System, with colonies and stations as far as the moons of Neptune. The population of the Solar System stood in the year 3384 at a total of 3.16 billion people, of which 2.8 billion live on or around the Earth. The government of the Global Council is elected by direct suffrage every five years and is headed by the Chief Global Administrator, who in turn is assisted by a council of regional and specialist administrators. Questions of global public interest are routinely put to the public via system-wide referendums.”
The view on the screens then changed to show the interior of a shopping mall, with a crowd of bald people milling around.
“The Global Council is devoted to providing a comfortable and secure life to all of its citizens through extensive social programs and the gratuity of all the basics necessities of life. Free of the scourge of war and of the burden of vast military expenditures, the citizens of the Global Council can concentrate on bettering themselves and on continuing to restore the environment of the Earth, which was devastated by a global nuclear war in the 21st century. Weapons were banned by the Global Council for the last 400 years and none thus existed until 3384.”
The view then changed again, this time to the interior of some advanced ship or aircraft.
A number of bald people were visible, mixed with a man and two women with hair who were obviously much smaller than the bald persons.
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“With the arrival in 3384 of Nancy Laplante, the first ancestor to enter in contact with the Global Council, the global ban on weapons was reviewed and modified to accommodate the creation of the first armed government agency in centuries, the Time Patrol. The Time Patrol, which is still being formed, has the mandate to patrol time and to protect history from illegal travels and tampering. It also is tasked to document history, which was poorly understood until recently due to the massive destruction of worldwide archives and museums during the nuclear holocaust of 2052. While still not fully operational, the Time Patrol has been able, particularly with the work of Nancy Laplante, who is for the moment its sole fully qualified field agent, to provide precious historical documentation and even to bring from the past specimens of plant and animal life extinguished during the 21st century. Training of the agents of the Time Patrol is ongoing and those who are able and willing to face the dangers and challenges of such a career are welcome to present their candidacy to the Time Patrol.”
The screens went black, letting the four men, three women and two teenagers ponder the presentation. Otto Skorzeni was the first to speak up.
“A good recruitment advertising if you ask me. Traveling through time should be interesting.”
“So that you could steal a time machine and bring it back to your Führer?”
Replied George Townsend, attracting a cold stare from the big Austrian.
“I have only one word, Englander. If I decide to work with Brigadier Laplante and live in the future, then I am ready to swear my loyalty to her. As for you British, you have no lessons to give to me on that, considering the way you treated her.”
“I’m sorry to say this, George,” said Peter Stilwell, “but I have to agree with him on that.”
Peter then walked to Otto and extended his right hand.
“I believe that we have not been properly presented. Navy Captain Peter Stilwell, Royal Navy.”
Otto smiled, enhancing the long scar on his left cheek, and shook vigorously Peter’s hand.
“Obersturmführer Otto Skorzeni, Waffen SS. Pleased to know you. I suppose that this teenage boy was part of your crew.”
“That’s correct. This is Ship’s Boy Tom Allen, the best machine gunner I ever saw.”
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After a slight hesitation, Tom Allen shook hands with Otto, who nodded in approval at the sight of the ribbon for the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal with Bar on his sailor’s tunic.
“Young but full of valor. I like that! What about your other comrades, Captain Stilwell?”
“Well, since Nancy told us about your fondness for women, let me present you to Nurses Patricia Wilson and Sylvie Comeau, of the Canadian Army Medical Corps.”
Otto shook hands first with the two nurses, smiling warmly to the young women before looking questioningly at Peter.
“What did Brigadier Laplante actually tell you about me?”
“Quite a lot, actually, at least to me. You were supposed to become the best German expert on special operations and commando raids in the war. You are a complete athlete, a deadly marksman and a born leader. You also love the company of women, despite being married and having a daughter. You were due to survive the war and to retire eventually in Spain, where you would die at a respectable age.”
“But I didn’t survive the war. Her predictions can’t be that accurate.”
“That’s because her predictions apply to a history where she didn’t alter the course of the war by her presence. Remember that her arrival in 1940 was a totally involuntary one: someone from the future had transported her against her will and knowledge.”
“Hmphh… I see! Then you…”
The wall screens then came alive again while Nancy’s voice came out of the hidden speakers.
“Your attention, please! I will ask you to pay attention to the projection about to begin on the wall monitors. What you will see happened on the morning of August 28, in the communications room of Fornebu Airfield in Norway.”
“Lisa Hartmann!” Exclaimed Peter as a tall blonde appeared on the screens, watching other Luftwaffe auxiliaries at work. Nobody spoke until the first helferinen were cut down by machinegun fire. Gasps greeted the scene of Hartmann’s sacrifice. They then saw the merciless gunning down of the helferinen by a vengeful British paratrooper.
Nancy Laplante appeared in the lounge and shouted as the video screens went blank.
“Everybody will stand at attention and uncover themselves for a minute of silence in honor of Gruppenführerin Lisa Hartmann, who sacrificed herself for her comrades.”
Everyone stood, including Princess Elizabeth and her dressing lady. After a minute of silence, Nancy looked at the persons around her, her face solemn.
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“We are now on our way to the base of the Time Patrol, situated in New Lake City, in the American Great Lakes area. We will arrive there on the morning of Saturday, January 23 of the year 3385, where you will be able to start new lives. Most of you may end up enrolling in the Time Patrol, but that will strictly be your own choice. In the 34th century, we are known as ‘ancestors’, for obvious reasons. We are very much apart of the population of that time, both physically and socially. World War Two is now a thing of the past for us and I will expect all of you to show respect to everyone else. Be proud and honorable and good luck in your new lives.”
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CHAPTER 5 – COMRADES AND DISCIPLES
12:18 (North America Central Time)
Saturday, January 23, 3385 ‘A’
Main cafeteria, Time Patrol residential tower
New Lake City University campus
American Great Lakes area
Elizabeth Windsor ate in silence, with Margaret MacDonald, her dressing lady, sitting across from her at the small cafeteria table and also eating in silence. Both were still under the shock of everything that had happened since they had been taken from Buckingham Palace. They had already gone through a mnemotronic chair session, where they had learned in less than one hour three new languages, then had visited the Time Patrol quartermaster to receive spare clothes and basic hygiene items before being assigned apartments. On her own request, Elisabeth had been assigned a two-bedroom suite so that Margaret, who had been her servant for over a decade now, could live with her. Everybody around them had been nice with them up to now and had tried to be as helpful as possible. Even the food at the cafeteria was great, yet Elizabeth could not stop thinking about her parents and her little sister Margaret, feeling desperately lonely despite the presence of over thirty other people in the cafeteria.
Many of those people were dressed like her in loose gray sports fleece outfits, while others wore futuristic clothes, sometimes of quite immodest and scandalous design.
Nancy Laplante, dressed in the gray uniform of the Time Patrol, entered the cafeteria, attracting Elizabeth’s attention. Nancy filled a tray of food before coming to Elizabeth’s table and smiling questioningly at her.
“May I eat with you, Your Highness?”
Elizabeth nodded, making Nancy take a seat at her table. She should have been mad at her for separating her from her family, but she had been an admirer of the tall Canadian for nearly a year, and couldn’t help still feeling awe and humility at her sight. That was even more so after having learned about the supernatural intervention in Nancy’s favor in Colditz. Nancy took a bite from her plate before looking at her.
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“Do you feel up to discussing your future, Your Highness, or do you prefer to wait a few more days to rest and think things over?”
“I…I might as well get this over with now, Brigadier Laplante.”
“Please, Your Highness, call me simply Nancy.”
“As you wish.” Said Elizabeth quietly, feeling totally depressed. “What could I do here anyway? I was raised to be the heir to the throne of England: I am no soldier or technician, contrary to the others. I suppose that there are no royal families in this century, Nancy?”
“Effectively, there are no surviving monarchies in the Global Council, Your Highness.”
“Please, stop calling me ‘Your Highness’: I am nothing now.”
“Don’t say that, Elizabeth, please. You probably have many talents that you were never allowed to develop because of your past education. Consider this as a chance to get to know yourself and to do things you would never have been allowed to do before.”
“Like what? I barely know how to do the most basic mathematics. The only thing I am truly good at is riding horses. How could I be useful in a world full of technical marvels?”
“Again, don’t underestimate yourself, Elizabeth. Educating you will be easy enough: you saw how mnemotronic teaching techniques could speed learning. The way you can handle horses indicates that you have a fine sense of balance and excellent coordination. You probably would make a fine pilot.”
“Me, a pilot? You really think so?”
“Why not? Take Ingrid Weiss, sitting over there. She is seventeen and received only a basic education in school, yet has proven to be a born pilot. She now flies regularly one of our time ships and can turn circles around many veteran pilots from this century. Give yourself a chance to prove what you can really do, Elizabeth! I will be there to help you along.”
Elizabeth thought over that for long seconds, finally looking cautiously at Nancy.
“What if I try my hand at this and I’m found wanting? What would I do with my life then? Marry a man here and end up as a simple housewife?”
To her surprise, Nancy simply laughed at her last question.
“Elizabeth, there are no such things as simple housewives anymore in this century. There are robots that do all the domestic chores and the maintenance work.
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Women are now free to either help educate their children, pursue a career of their own or better themselves through higher education or the practice of arts and hobbies.
Besides, I am confidant that you will do well as a pilot.”
“Even if I do succeed as a pilot, what about Margaret, my dressing lady?”
Nancy smiled as she looked at the petite Scottish woman in her late thirties sitting besides her, who had kept a discreet silence up to now.
“Actually, it will be simpler in her case. The Time Patrol has to keep and maintain an extensive wardrobe of historical costumes, with many custom outfits needing manual work to look authentic. Manual sewing, stitching and embroidering are lost arts in the 34th century, where fashion work is done by using machines. You are an experienced seamstress if I am not mistaken, Miss MacDonald?”
“I am, Miss Laplante.” Said Margaret, not hiding her sudden interest.
“Then, I offer you a position as assistant custodian in the Time Patrol’s historical costume department. Your starting pay will be 800 solars a month, plus free lodging, food and basic clothing provided, along with all the other social benefits enjoyed by Global Council citizens. As a new citizen, you will be credited with an initial clothing allowance of 2,000 solars, so that you can acquire a decent wardrobe. You will also receive an enrolment bonus of 1,000 solars as a support staff of the Time Patrol. If you accept my offer, I can have you administratively processed right after lunch, so that you could have the afternoon free for some serious shopping time in downtown New Lake City. What do you say, Miss MacDonald?”
Margaret couldn’t help glance at Princess Elizabeth then: she had been taking care of the teenager since her tender years and, while dying to accept Nancy’s offer, was loathe to leave Elizabeth alone. Elizabeth understood her dilemma and nodded her head in encouragement.
“Don’t worry about me, Bobo. Do what will make you happy. I will take care of myself well enough.”
“But, Your Highness, I can’t leave you alone. Who will help you in this new world?”
“I had someone in mind who could act as a sort of godmother for you, Elizabeth.”
Cut in Nancy, who then motioned for a thin woman with curly blond hair sitting at a nearby table to join them. The woman, who appeared in her early forties, came to their table and presented her right hand to Elizabeth.
“Hello, Your Highness. My name is Amelia Earhart.”
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“THE Amelia Earhart, the American aviator who disappeared over the Pacific in 1937?” Said Elizabeth excitedly, staring at Amelia with wide eyes while shaking her hand.
“Yes, Your Highness. When Nancy asked for a person willing to sponsor you, I was too happy to volunteer. Such a distinguished person as you should not have to be alone in such a new and strange world like this decadent society.”
“Decadent? How so?”
“Amelia thinks that some of the local social mores and customs are, well, shocking and amoral.” Said Nancy, smiling. “I’m afraid that I am part of the amoral crowd, due to my liberal views about sex and other things, so I asked her to be your chaperone.”
“Miss Earhart, I would be honored to have you as my mentor.” Said Elizabeth after only a slight hesitation. She then looked at Nancy. “Miss Laplante, I wish to enroll in your Time Patrol as a student pilot, if you are willing to take me.”
“I certainly am, Elizabeth.” Replied Nancy, grinning with satisfaction. “Let’s finish lunch, then I will let you in the capable hands of Amelia, who will escort you and Margaret to our administrative section.”
“You are not coming with us?” Said the teenager, a bit disappointed.
“I am unfortunately very busy. I have to prepare for departure this afternoon, to complete a mission in the distant past.”
“A mission? What kind of mission?”
“Historical documentation work. I am recording the main events in the life of Jesus Christ. We already recorded his birth and childhood and I will now go record his religious ministry.”
Both Elizabeth and Margaret were left speechless for a moment. Elizabeth got her voice back first.
“You are serious, are you?”
“Very, Elizabeth. Amelia could show you this evening the recordings we made to date. Well, I’m afraid that I have to go and get ready for that mission. Have a good shopping trip in town, Elizabeth.”
Taking her tray of food, Nancy left their table and, bringing first her tray to the dishwashing counter, left the cafeteria. Elizabeth, still shaken, looked at Amelia.
“She really met Jesus Christ, Miss Earhart?”
“She actually helped deliver him, Elizabeth.” Said Amelia softly.
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09:28 (Jerusalem Time)
Wednesday, June 5, 30 C.E.
(18th of Sivan, year 3790 of the Jewish calendar)
Village of Canae, Galilee
Nancy stopped for a moment to contemplate from afar the village of Canae on top of a hill, with the Valley of Bet Netofah beyond it. In modern times, nothing but ruins would be left of the village, with the site to be known then as Khirbet Qana. Nancy had adopted again the identity of Nauca the Sarmatian warrior and traveling musician for this part of the mission and was wearing an ample white cotton light robe over her Sarmatian trousers and shirt, plus laced leather sandals. Her weapons and armor were in bags attached to the back of her robotic horse, Pegasus, which she was guiding by the bridle while walking. She however still had a long dagger at her belt and held a long, sturdy quarterstaff that could be used both for walking and for fighting. To complete her disguise, Nancy had put some gray in her hair and had false pockets under her eyes.
After all, her last visit to Galilee was supposed to have been 24 years ago and she had to look the part for this phase of her mission, which had a limited but very specific goal.
Resuming her walk with a vigorous step along the trail she was following since Sepphoris, Nancy, or more correctly Nauca, headed towards Canae, where a large group of people were visible in the courtyard of one of the bigger houses of the village.
She already knew thanks to recordings from spy probes that those people had been celebrating for six days already and were in the last day of a traditional Jewish wedding.
Those miniature spy probes were presently following her overhead, ready to film at a mere mental order from her via her implanted radio. Using a concept made operational with the Time Patrol in order to support agents on a field mission in the past, those miniature spy probes were in turn supported by a much bigger flying probe that was hidden by a multi-spectral cloaking field. That bigger probe held more spy probes, plus a powerful battery of cameras and microphones, a large capacity data storage memory and recharging receptacles for spy probes returning from their tasks. Nancy however still was wearing her leather headband with hidden cameras, in case all else failed and to provide yet another viewing angle to record her mission with the most details possible.
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She soon arrived in the village and headed towards the site of the wedding, followed by the eyes of the villagers that she crossed on her way. Nancy was long accustomed to be followed by such outraged looks from the Jews of this time period, for whom a woman traveling alone could only be a prostitute or, at best, a libertine. Ignoring their looks, she presented herself at the entrance of the courtyard but stayed just outside, waiting for someone to come to her. That didn’t take long, as a bearded man walked towards her with the apparent intent to chase her away, while silence gradually fell among the guests of the wedding, who were now looking at Nauca and her horse.
‘’Go away, impure woman!’’ Shouted the bearded man. ‘’This is the wedding of a rabbi.’’
‘’I know.’’ Said calmly Nancy. ‘’I am a friend of his family…a honorable friend.’’
Alerted by the reactions of the guests, Yeshua came out of the house at that moment to see what was happening. After a quick look towards Nancy, he hurried to join her while shouting in a joyful tone.
‘’NAUCA! YOU ARE BACK AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.’’
Once in front of Nancy, Yeshua patted the shoulder of the man who was still blocking her way.
‘’You can return with the others, Shimon: Nauca is an old friend of mine.’’
‘’But…she is traveling alone, Master. She can only be a woman of low virtue.’’
‘’She travels alone because she is a foreign warrior from afar, but she still is a honorable woman. Go! I will take care of her.’’
Shimon, a solidly-built man with a rather obtuse appearance, hesitated but finally walked away, glancing from time to time behind him to see what Yeshua was doing. The latter smiled tenderly to Nancy, who towered over him by a full head.
‘’Still tall and strong, I see. The years were good to you, Nauca.’’
‘’I am indeed still strong and healthy, for which I can thank God, my dear Yeshua.
I was on my way to Tiberias, where my music and my singing are