RESTORATION (a science fiction novel) (RESTORATION (the science fiction trilogy)) (9 page)

“Here you go,” she said, as she handed Dodge the phone. 

“Hi John . . . , yeah I didn’t know you moved . . . , sure I know where that is, can I come by?  Okay I’ll be there in a few.” 

Dodge handed the phone back to John’s sister.
         “Thank you so much,” he said.
         “You’re welcome, have a nice evening.” 

“You too and thanks again,” he said as he stepped off the porch. 

It was getting late and all this running around was taking way too much time.  He wasted no time getting over to John’s house.  The bagel Linsey brought him earlier in his study was long worn off and now he was starving.  He passed two burger joints on the way to John’s house. “
Oh man that smells good.
”  There was no extra time, he needed to meet with John and get back home in a believable time frame to avoid any questioning. 

John Calhoun had definitely moved up in the world.  Dodge could hardly believe the massive spread of a home back on a long private lane.  It was impressive, and more like an estate really.  John’s career moves had obviously served him quite well.  He zipped up the long curvy brick drive through the security gates and to the front of the house. 
“Wow!”
  He rang the bell and a well dressed elderly man arrived promptly to greet him in traditional butler attire.

  Wow John had a butler!
         “Good evening Sir, you must be one Dodge Kerrington I presume?”

Dodge nodded to indicate yes in amazement, and then actually said the word yes when he realized he was being impolite.

“Please come in Mr. Calhoun is expecting you.”  Just as he got inside the door John appeared in the sitting room right off the entry way. 

“Dodge, man, great to see you, welcome to my humble abode, he said sarcastically.”
         “Yeah right, real humble abode, more like a freaking mansion.”
         “Oh well buddy you can’t take it with you so you might as well spend it on a gigantic castle that says screw you guys, I’m rich, right?” 

“Come on in, sit down, let’s talk, it’s been a long time. You know what, let’s not sit here,
lets go out to my man cave behind the pool house.  It’s well equipped my friend and when I say well-equipped I mean it!” 

John led Dodge through a maze of corridors and large rooms and then out through the kitchen and around the pool and then back to what appeared to be a ten-car garage behind the pool house. 

They stepped into the garage and were headed over to the stairs when something caught Dodge’s eye that made him stop.

“John, is that what I think it is?” 

John paused, “Well I don’t know Dodge, depends on what you think it is?”  Suddenly the mission at hand took a back seat to what Dodge believed was under the car cover directly to his left on the way to the stairs.
         “Is that a vintage corvette under that cover?” 

John grinned with the utmost sarcasm.

“Why yes it is, would you like to see it?”  He said in a very deep voice.

  With a quick maneuver he gathered the entire car cover into his arms so that it didn’t touch the floor.  There in the glow of the blue-ish LED security light sat a 1960’s vintage corvette.  It was painted in a metallic blue that was so deep you could just about dive into it and go for a swim.

For just a fleeting moment Dodge lost sight of his mission.
         “Man you’re doing well!  I’m going to come back another time to drool on that car, but right now I have a software problem that I believe only you can solve, will you help me?” 

“Dodge, Dodge, Dodge, of course, follow me,” he said in a reassuring tone.  They went up the stairs to what John previously described as his well-equipped man cave.  Dodge was really expecting the coolest TV ever and maybe a pool table and some insanely expensive gaming console and of course a nice sound system and full bar, but instead what he saw, shocked him. 

From the beginning of the room to the end it looked like a computer museum.  He had the oldest computers all the way up to the newest fastest and most up to date models.   He even had some stuff that wasn’t on the market yet that he was testing for another company as a moonlighting thing.
“Very impressive.” 

Dodge didn’t have much time so he explained the whole thing to John as quickly as possible and handed over the microdrive.

“If anyone can figure this damn thing out, it’s you bro, you were by far the best programmer we ever had, and they should’ve paid that salary gap to keep you!” 

“No worries my friend, I’ll look into this, but it’s probably nothing.  I see strange things like this all the time.  It’s probably your poorly developed plan for the flux capacitor.  It’s loaded into every Lifecorder ever produced and I shall be the man to decode it and release your gift to the world!  Time travel will finally be possible! 

They both busted out laughing.  “Man John, you always made us all laugh in the lab, we sure miss you there at the old coal mine.”

“Yeah, well, I miss it too but I had to move on.  Hey you’d better get home to that hot wife of yours before she dumps you for someone that’ll pay her more attention.  I’ll meet you tomorrow at the club right after work, don’t worry Pal, I’m sure it’s nothing.  Come on I’ll walk you out so you don’t get lost in my humble abode.” 

“You just gotta keep rubbing it in huh?” 

John couldn’t resist ribbing him a bit more on the way out.

“Hey ya know we have some executive positions opening up, how about you come into RockTight for an interview and you can work for me!” 

Dodge smiled and shook his head.

“No thanks I’m pretty content.”

Of course John was unaware of the hundred million dollar bonus Dodge had coming in just a few short years.  Providing he still had a job after he got to the bottom of this mess.

Chapter
5
      Dodge forgot just how hungry he was, until he was leaving when he noticed someone at John’s must have made a late night snack, it smelled like roast beef and it made him remember the burger joints he zinged past on the way there.  On the way home he wheeled into the first one he came to and ordered up a double with cheese, fries, and a coke.  Man it sure tasted good, but he ate it so fast that it was not as satisfying as it should have been. 

He tossed the bag and empty drink into the trash on the way out of the lot; he didn’t want any evidence around that might hang him later.  He made it back home by 9:15 and remembered he was supposed to make it back for chicken by 6:00, he got nervous and really hoped that Linsey hadn’t called his Father.  He went in through the garage into the kitchen where Linsey and Bobby were sitting at the table looking over some brochures.
         “Well, there he is, I was just about to call you.”
         “Yeah Dad, you missed a really good dinner, fried chicken, it was awesome!” 

Linsey smiled at Bobby, “Thank you Son,” she said.  Bobby had been Mr. Polite and very pleasant to be around since the moment he returned home from the hospital. 

Dodge gave Linsey a quick squeeze on her shoulder as he headed for the plate of chicken covered with foil on the stove.
         “I kept it warm for you.  I figured you just got to talking with your Dad and lost track of time; so how is he?”  Dodge thought for just one second.
         “Oh he’s doing great, Dad and two of his friends are all going to get restored within a week of each other, they’re even going to try to get it done at the same center so they can spend the day or two after together and complain about the pink goop.” 

Bobby laughed.

“I can’t wait to see those guys eating that stuff!”  He said.
         “So you guys must have talked a lot about all that,” said Linsey.  “I was about ready to call your Dad to see if you were on your way home when you walked in.” 

“Oh, well, we did talk a lot but we also went out to grab a burger and the place was busy so it took a while.” 

Linsey got a perturbed look in her eyes, “Seriously? A burger when I have homemade fried chicken on the table with mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, the works!  Why didn’t you guys’ just come over here?” 

Dodge knew he was in trouble on that point because it was a very good one.  His father bragged all the time to everyone about how good Linsey’s fried chicken was.  Half way through her sentence he took a huge bite of chicken and exaggerated the amount of time it was taking to chew it while he pointedly held one finger up in the air toward Linsey to indicate “hold on, chewing
”  He had to think fast.

“Well, Dad wanted a burger and it sounded good to me too, and we were talking about some guy stuff, you know, hey what was I supposed to do, deny a dying man a big juicy hamburger and quality time with his favorite son?”  Linsey wanted to smile but wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.      “You mean only Son!  All right you’re off the hook but next time you bring him over here mister.” 

“Okay, I will, I promise, and by the way even though I ate a burger, this chicken is delicious and as you can see I am eating the whole plate.”

He knew he had dodged a bullet on that one.  He would have to talk to his Father first thing in the morning after he left for work to fill him in on the details of his alibi.  Neither of them had heard the last word on this incident yet and Alan would need to be prepared with the right answers.

Dodge noticed that Bobby was still pouring over the brochures and smiling a little throughout his Fathers demise at the hand of his sharp witted Mother.

He tousled Bobby’s hair.

“So young man, how are you?  And what are all these brochures about anyway?”

Dodge picked one up and began looking it over as Bobby began to explain that it was all about a racing career school and just how affordable it was and how it would change his life making him into a world class race car driver with huge earnings potential.

Dodge knew that Bobby liked basketball and enjoyed playing on the school team but he also knew that he didn’t show the potential of himself or his father.  Alan was extremely good at sports and so was Dodge.  Bobby had the gift but his heart just wasn’t in it for the last couple of years.  He began showing a lot more interest in cars and motorcycles and of course girls. 

His continued interest in racing surprised Dodge.  The accident was so bad, and it involved a speeding car.  He thought it might have given Bobby a bad scare that would turn his interest back to ball, but that was not the case.  In a way motor sports were now safer than ever.  Not only did they have better safety factors each year but now they had the reassurance of Restoration even if there was an accident that took their life. 

The top drivers made such good money they could easily afford an extra clone if it was needed.
         “What do you think Dad?”  Bobby was staring at him intently with an impatience that was nearly cutting through him. 

It really wasn’t affordable but he knew how much Bobby had wanted it and they had spent a small fortune on Sarah’s gymnastics training, equipment, and summer camps.
         “Okay, why not?  But I want you to take it seriously Son.”  Bobby was up dancing around the room like a loon while Dodge was still speaking.
         “And I expect you to get nothing less than a B in all your classes this fall or it’s no more racing for you!” 

“Okay, Okay, Okay, thanks Dad!  Oh yes, and Mom!  I love your chicken!”  He blurted out as he ran from the room with undaunted excitement.  Dodge stood there watching the kitchen door swing back and forth in amazement.  He looked at Linsey who was sort of glaring at him. 

“What?” He said.
           “Nothing,” said Linsey. 

“No really,
What?” 

“Nothing!”
 

“Come on, What?” 

Linsey went over to the kitchen sink and looked out the window above it as if there was something outside to look at.  It was dark and all she could see was her own reflection. 

“You could have asked me ya know,” she said while still staring out the window.  Dodge stood there stupefied with the unfolded brochure still in his hand.

“Well I figured you and Bobby had already discussed it for hours and you just gave him the standard -ask your father- and then I’m supposed to ask you and give him YOUR answer.  Right?  If that’s how it’s going to be then you can just tell him NO yourself!  AND ANOTHER THING, I don’t recall anyone asking ME when Sarah signed up for gymnastics.  You can break your damn neck just as easily that way!”

Linsey spun around with her arms crossed and glared at Dodge.  They hadn’t fought in weeks, and now was not a good time for Dodge with all the things he had on his mind.  Linsey was a smart gal and when she was right she knew it and stood her ground but when she was wrong she could see that as well and would usually back down.

  “Okay, I’m sorry,” she said, “You’re right I just wasn’t being very fair about it I guess. I was going to say yes anyway I just wanted to be included.”  

Dodge still at a loss stood there and stared at her with a blank look.  He didn’t know what to say, sometimes Linsey would do this kind of thing and was really mad and then other times she would do this and just let it go and be fine.  He was waiting to see which way it would go. 

Linsey was still looking at him and her demeanor was slightly less angry.  She thought for a second and then threw her arms up.

“It’s just so dangerous!”

She started crying and Dodge did what any good husband would do.  He put his arms around her and held her tight.

“Don’t worry
dear, they have great safety devices these days, better than ever, he’ll be just fine.” 

He stood there and held her for a
while, they were both tired and emotionally drained.  They hadn’t really dealt with Bobby’s death and restoration yet.  Everything was so chaotic with the accident, worrying about Alan and then having to rush to get Sarah back from camp and then everything Dodge was dealing with that he couldn’t tell Linsey about. 

He realized that Linsey needed a good cry and a long talk, and he certainly wasn’t giving her enough attention lately.  He knew that at some point he would have to tell Linsey what he had been up to.  He decided to wait until he knew more and that should be the next day. 

Come on Babe let’s go for a walk around the park and talk, just the two of us.  He could tell that suggestion made her happy.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “I know I get a little dramatic sometimes.”

“No worries, we’ve all been through a lot in the last four days.” 

Linsey went to the base of the stairs.

“Kids, your father and I are going for a walk around the park path, we’ll be back shortly.” 

A stereo OKAY resounded from their rooms above. 

When they arrived back at the house, they were both tired from talking and walking.  Dodge knew he had a big day tomorrow, he missed a day of work after a major announcement and he figured his PC mail box and even his paper mail box would be full.  He would have to play catch up all day and then go to the club to meet John after work.  He was actually anxious to go to bed, hopeful that tomorrow would bring good news from John that the file was fine.  He went all day on only a few hours sleep and it was catching up with him now.

Bobby had displayed how quickly he was getting his strength back earlier that evening by jumping around the kitchen in excitement.  No one was too surprised when Matt showed up early to play basketball with Bobby the next morning. 
But not before snarfing down some breakfast in record time.

Things were somewhat back to normal now.  Dodge actually had time to read the digipaper and enjoy a second cup of coffee before heading out to the office.  He was scanning the paper more intently than usual these days now that his family was so directly involved with Restoration.  He was more interested than ever in the daily stories of people going through the same things and how they were adjusting to their new lives.

Sarah and Linsey were already gone to the women’s center for a swimming and diving class that they had signed up for several weeks earlier.  Sarah was always looking for ways to improve her gymnastics abilities and Linsey had always wanted to take the synchronized swimming class because it looked like a lot of fun and it would help her stay in shape. 

When he arrived at ESS, it was total chaos.  There were people lined up like cattle all the way down the main hall and around to the receptionist area and they were all talking.
         “Good morning Mr. Kerrington.”
         “Good morning Steph,” he said. 

Stephanie Zimmer had been with the company longer than most.  She was good at her job and she knew it, and even though she was a very nice person she didn’t take any crap from anyone.

“What’s going on Steph?” 

“Well, the higher ups decided that everyone in each of the development groups needed a refresher course in security measures so they are calling them into the main conference room about fifty at a time for . . . , ” she paused for a moment to yell at some obnoxious interns.

“Hey this isn’t high school!  Pipe down or I’ll have security come down here and crack all your heads open!”

She turned back to Dodge.

“Sorry about that Mr. Kerrington, these kids are getting unruly.”  The woman could change her face and demeanor instantly.  It was a little frightening to be honest. 

Dodge laughed.

“Jeeze Steph, take it easy, they’re just PhD’s they don’t know any better.” 

Steph laughed and patted Dodge on the back.

“Well maybe I’ll cut them some slack but don’t tell anyone, we can’t have it getting out that I’m getting soft or all hell will break loose!”

“Ha Ha, don’t worry I won’t tell anyone.  Hey, can you have Brenda bring me a bagel up to the office from downstairs?  It looks way too hectic down there by our break room.” 

“Sure thing Mr. Kerrington, she’ll be up there in a bit.” 

“Thanks Steph!” 

When he got to his office, his inbox was full and the message light on his phone was flashing.  He fired up his PC and hit the message icon, 97 messages.  He looked at the phone, 32 messages, “
oh boy, fun day ahead.
”  Within five minutes Brenda zipped in and out with his bagel so fast that he barely had time to thank her.

  He waded through his day in efficient style, the interns and newbie’s gradually disappeared from the hallway one group at a time until they were all gone, by four o’clock, things were getting back to normal.  Surprisingly only two of his team leaders came in to meet with him and that was unusual after having a day off.  He had a good handle on his projects lately and he didn’t have any newbie’s in his department anymore.  His greenest team member had been with him now for more than four years and pretty much knew what he expected, how he wanted things done and when. 

He ran a tight ship for a long time and it was starting to pay off, maybe it was time to start taking more early afternoon’s off to play golf with Tim.  He didn’t have a chance to talk to Tim today but he did see him twice in the hallway.  They were both busy and shot each other a nod and he got one -thumb’s up- from Tim around three o’clock as he darted by. 

He started thinking about his arranged meeting at the club with John and realized that it wasn’t the best choice of places to meet, what if Tim happened by and saw the two of them talking? 
It might make Tim feel uneasy thinking that secrets were being shared or that John was recruiting him for a job. 

Dodge thought, the best thing to do was look for Tim’s car, if it was there then he might have to postpone the meet or go somewhere else to talk.