Chapter Four
I looked up from the steak cooked to perfection before me to Lawrence sitting across the aisle at his own table. The food was great and I ate hungrily, not missing the looks of disdain directed my way by the other members of the dining car, which I took to be underlings of Lawrence’s. In fact the whole train seemed to be bought out by him.
My onlookers had an ingrained back East big city look to them and I did nothing to disappoint them in terms of poor Western table manners. Rather I found myself over exaggerating my uncouthness. They thought me unrefined and I did nothing to disappoint them.
Taking a piece of bread I swabbed up the spilled gravy from the mashed potatoes that I had just finished devouring. Of them all Lawrence was the only one that seemed to think me capable of greater things. That was good.
If they thought I was stupid then they would be sloppy in their handling of me. On the other hand it was good my new boss had some measure of respect for my abilities, which in turn ensured I wouldn’t be done away with too early in the game.
Once I had served out my usefulness though I was under no delusions as to what would happen to me. What usefulness I was to Lawrence was still a mystery to me in large degree.
I’d read the papers that he’d given me. The story told on page had been eye-opening in its claims as to the early history of my family, especially in regards to having been preexistent here before the first European colonists had arrived in America.
I still found it all rather hard to accept though. Outer worlds. Other life forms. The possibility of travel to those places and the knowledge that ancestors of mine had already been there and come back. Yes, it was a lot to swallow.
“Do you eat like this all the time?” A redhead, who wasn’t all that hard to look at asked.
Looking up I nodded my head and said, “Yes ma’am.”
“Why? You eat like food is fast going out of style.”
“Well ma’am I don’t know of what this style is you speak of, but in my experience good food like this isn’t guaranteed nor does it come by very often. I’m guessing you wouldn’t know that coming from the big city like you do, but out here in the West food can be hard to come by so it’s best to eat when it’s available.”
“Well spoken Mr. Collins.” Lawrence said patronizingly.
Gesturing with my fork to the twelve or so other people in the dining car I asked, “Just what purpose do these trussed up turkeys serve?”
Disgruntled exclamations of affront resounded loudly at my words and chuckling Lawrence said, “Behave Logan. Everyone out.”
Obediently everyone slowly filed out of the dining car giving me the evil eye as they went. When they were all gone the smile dropped from Lawrence’s face and his voice was somewhat harsh as he said, “Drop the dumb hillboy act Logan! I know what you’re about. Your one thought is of how you can escape and if you do your job well then escape is what I will let you do, but until then I don’t need you laying the groundwork for a planned exodus from my plans!”
I regarded the man across the aisle from me with new caution. Lawrence was nobody’s fool that much was clear. Sitting back in my chair I honestly said, “It’s not in my nature to sit back and take orders, but for the present you have the upper hand and I’m willing to do the task or whatever it is you’ve got planned if it will get these bracelets off and some money in my pocket.”
Lawrence regarded me closely for a moment before asking, “You read the file?”
“I did, but I don’t see of what use I am to your plans of finding a way off-world.”
Lawrence looked away and gazing out the window at the passing scenery he said, “Over the years we’ve made discoveries. Mind-numbing discoveries. Even now we have entire teams of people analyzing and working on deciphering exactly what makes the advanced technology we’ve acquired work. We lead the world behind the scenes in terms of discovering the ancient secrets and technologies of the past. An America that is fully backed by the powers of the ancients is an America that has the ability to write ourselves into whatever position in the world stage we deem desirable in the future to come. We’ve left the anemic times of the subservient thirteen colonies far behind. Would it shock you to know that in our secret labs we have mastered the ability to fly?”
I tried to look suitably impressed in order to lead him on, but my real thought was, ‘So what?’ It must’ve worked as he went on passionately and in a way he revealed his religion to me, “We are far far advanced beyond anything you see in the common arena around. Why take for instance this travel by train, slow and unreliable. I could be in this nation’s capital in under two hours with some of the advancements we’ve acquired and mastered the use of!”
“I still don’t understand what this all has to do with me. I’m as un-advanced as they come.”
“Yes, you very much are a throwback in terms of advancement, but your ancestors were not. So far we have been able to determine that there are two methods of leaving the planet. By way of ships that fly and by way of a portal that sends over the information of an individual to an off-world place in a way that is dazzling even as it is impossible yet for us to understand and reliably replicate. Your brother left in such a way by all accounts. How he configured the jump between worlds I am not sure as he scarcely has any more training in even the most rudimentary of sciences such as you possess. That said we have found a way as to ascertain for ourselves what lies beyond this world. Going on a lead we found in a journal entry from an ancestor of yours. We deciphered the name of a place along with its location that doesn’t exist today. It was where your ancestors first arrived back on Earth. We know they founded a city, but the city was destroyed. The details are sketchy but it would seem that they were followed from wherever they came from by forces hostile to them. Survivors of the attack made their way eastward and settled in the mountains of the Alleghenies. It would seem that they left all trace of their advancements in technology behind in their new agrarian existence in the mountains. The discovery of your ancestor’s city occurred five years ago. We’ve had teams at work sifting through the rubble of the city, which is now mostly buried in sand or wiped away entirely from the face of the Earth. Last year we unearthed a corridor that led us to an underground vault. The vault was devoid of contents save for one thing. A flying ship. Beautifully preserved I might add. We’ve had our finest scientist at work on it ever since. We’ve managed to activate the technology, but it’s locked from our use for any intensive purpose because of the matter of blood. Apparently only certain people can operate the technology. Your family being one of the few. Actually the direct lineage of your family in particular seems to be the only one that can cause the technology to work as it should at full capacity.”
“How do you know that?”
“We’ve tried other Melungeon bloodlined individuals, but all they can do is to activate minor functions of the ship. You, your brother, and sister are all that remains of the immediate line of your family. Your brother is confirmation enough for us that your family in particular has the ability to operate the technology of your forefathers at full capacity and thus so should you. We can’t find your sister, which has been a source of wonder as you can see in your own case we are quite good at tracking down people of interest.”
I looked away from Lawrence and out one of the windows off to the side of me. I did my best to shield my thoughts from view, but my fists were white knuckled beneath the table cloth.
Something wasn’t right. I had a large family with multiple aunts and uncles and no doubt hundreds of cousins. Lawrence had said that my two siblings were all that was left of my immediate family. That simply couldn’t be unless……… unless the government had thought my family a threat and hunted them all down.
My brother had been off-world for going on five years and somehow they had known of that event occurring when it did. Lawrence had said they hadn’t found the ship and the need of my family’s blood to operate it until a year ago, which meant their first reaction to my brothers leaving could’ve been one of blind panic fostered by the need to mitigate the ability to keep people outside of their fold of veiled interests from discovering more about the past and possibly becoming a challenge to their bid to gain political control over the country and perhaps even the world.
The more I thought about it the more logic it made. What to do now? As it was I was literally in the presence of one of my family’s executioners.
“What are you thinking Logan?” Lawrence asked.
Turning from the window I said, “It’s just hard to take the reality of all you’ve said in.”
Lawrence nodded, “Yes it is. The mystery of what we don’t know will soon be behind us though. With your help we will unlock the final secrets of the ship and an exploratory mission off-world has already been planned.”
I blinked, “Off-world mission?”
“Yes Logan. You’re going off-world, but only until we find some means of recalibrating the ship’s mechanisms to accept anybody’s direct input.”
That’s when they’ll kill me like they already have the rest of my family, I silently acknowledged to myself.
Forcing a smile I said, “Well I’m game for the adventure.”
Lawrence smiled, “Good to hear. We’ll reach our last train stop in the morning and from there we’ll travel overland one day’s ride until we reach the site of the old city where the ship yet remains.”
Nodding I got up, “Well then I’d better get my rest hadn’t I.”
I moved past his table as every nerved up urge within my body commanded me to reach out and strangle the man with my bare hands, but I wouldn’t get far in the attempt because of the bracelets. That knowledge and only that knowledge held me back from obeying the urges of my inner desires to kill the man.
I had to find a way to be free of these cursed contraptions of torture!
When I did find a way to be free of them though I would enact a revenge for my family the likes of which would become legend. On that promise to myself I eased out of the dining car and on down the train towards my cabin.
I paused outside my cabin. Carefully peeking out my cracked open door earlier had shown me that Lawrence was in cabin one and that the other cabins up to nine were all likewise occupied. That left just one cabin unaccounted for, number ten.
I’d seen no one enter it, but I felt sure that I’d heard noise coming from it. Going to cabin ten I tried the handle, but found it locked.
The lock was a simple kind and slipping the table knife that I had pocketed unseen in the dining car I jammed it between the frame of the door and the door lock and the lock popped open with a click. Glancing either way and seeing the coast was clear I ducked into the cabin quickly shutting the door behind me.
Rather stunned I stood there with my back against the door as I stared into the bluest pair of eyes that I’d ever seen. In a word she was glorious.
Curly tendrils of blonde hair fell about her face and dusted down to her shoulders in a delightful manner. Her face was a mixture of cute combined with innocent sensual appeal that was utterly undeniable. In short she had lady written all over her.
I stood there like an idiot and her look of surprise at my sudden appearance turned to one of playfulness and with a smile to match she asked, “Do you often break into others’ quarters?”
“Not lately.” I said by way of response.
Her one eyebrow arched, “Not lately? Whatever do you mean by that?”
Swallowing I tried to get my mind unglued from her, but it was hard, because my eyes wouldn’t listen.
“I should be going. Sorry for the intrusion.” I said, as I quite unlike myself sought for a way to make an exodus from a beautiful woman’s chamber.
Her playful smile fled as she held up a hand and exclaimed, “No wait! You don’t need to leave just yet. Why don’t you stay a while and talk.”
My attention wasn’t so much on her words as it had been grabbed by the sight of her upraised arm. She had a silver bracelet snapped about her wrist just like I did. This woman, lady, was a prisoner?
I looked at my own wrists and I heard her gasp. Looking up I asked the question most prevalent on my mind, “What on Earth does Lawrence have someone like you here as a prisoner on this train?”
“What do you mean someone like me?”
Verbally stumbling I gestured vaguely to all of her and lamely said, “You know, something fine, a lady.”
“Something fine.” She said repeating my words softly.
She smiled then and the blue of her eyes seemed to double in brilliance as she flashed pretty white teeth at me and said, “Come and sit down as it would appear that we have something in common.” She said, as she gestured to the bench seat across from her.
Swallowing against my urge to stay and bask in the presence of this woman I shook my head no and said, “It wouldn’t be good for me to be found here with you. I need to leave before someone comes.”
She nodded and sighed heavily before saying, “You’re probably right, but you’re the first real person unlike them that I’ve seen since I was kidnapped over a week ago.”
“Why were you kidnapped?”
She looked out the window to the side of her as all the playful quality of her smile was now gone, replaced instead with a forlorn expression that did not suit her well at all. “My grandfather is a brilliant scientist. He was hired on by a government agency to do some work in the West. He wasn’t supposed to be gone long, but time stretched out until I hadn’t heard from him for over three months. Then Lawrence’s goons showed up and took me from our home in Philadelphia. They haven’t said much, but I get the picture that I’m being used as leverage in order to get my grandfather to do something for them. It can’t be good.” She said, as her voice trailed off into silence.
Meanwhile I felt myself gripped with the urge to strangle Lawrence all over again. She looked from the window to me and smiled as she said, “You probably should leave fellow prisoner that you are. It’s been nice talking with you. I hope it works out well for you and that you get away. I’ll pray to God that it happens even so.”
I don’t know what made me do it, but the look of aloneness that had already closed in about her was too much to bear the sight of. Stepping closer to her I said, “I need to leave, but if you’d like I could leave Mark here to keep you company.”
I reached up and unbuttoned my shirt pocket and Mark scampered out of the pocket and into my hand. She gasped in surprise and held a hand to her mouth as she said almost on the verge of laughing, “You keep a mouse in your pocket?”
“Not typically, just lately. He won’t bite I promise.”
I held my hand out and timidly she opened her palm and Mark scooted right into it looking just as mesmerized by this creation of woman as I was. Digging in my pocket I brought out a napkin that I’d taken from the dining car and opening it I pulled some cheese and a piece of bread out to lay on the windowsill beside her.
Mark scampered up her arm and across her lap to the windowsill and started packing his mouth full with food. Her face full of intrigued curiosity and the simple pleasure of watching of all things a mouse eating was utterly breathtaking.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
She glanced from Mark to me and smiling she said, “Christina Applegate, but you can call me Christy. Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”
“Logan Collins.”
She held out her gracefully molded hand to me and I took it in my own somewhat gingerly.
“Well Logan it’s been very nice to meet you and Mark.”
I nodded and let go of her hand and forced myself to step away to the door. She watched me go as with one finger she petted Mark’s back. In that moment I felt extreme jealousy rise up in me against the rodent.
Turning I opened the door and quickly stepped out having to pull hard so the lock would slip back into place. It made a noise, but no one appeared.
I stepped into my cabin and leaned back against the door after I shut it. My mind thought over the encounter that had just occurred.
She’d said that she would pray for my chance to escape. That she was a woman of strong faith I didn’t doubt.
I’d said that she was something fine and truly she was. One thing was for sure. If I did get the opportunity to break free she was coming with me. There was no way come hell or high water that I was going to leave someone like her in the clutches of someone like Lawrence and his band of murderous city slickers.