The Sphere: A Journey In Time (6 page)

"They'll be distrustful of a man. Why are you being sent on this one?"

He puffed his chest up and grinned. "I'm the best fake doctor we've got around here.”

We were discouraged from talking about our pasts, but I knew that before Noah was recruited here he was a medical consultant for the government. He made it about halfway through his residency before getting too bored to finish. I couldn’t imagine being a medical consultant was that exciting either, but the hours would’ve made it easier for him to pursue interests outside of work.

“Not that it’ll be that hard,” he said. “They had very little in the way of modern medicine in that time period. Most likely I’ll just treat a few wounds that have a good chance of becoming infected and pass out a bunch of meaningless herbal remedies to people with various ailments." He smiled conspiratorially at me. “They’ll probably think I’m a witch myself. Done?"

"Yes. It was delightful." I sat back up and picked a soft but fibrous yellow square out of my bowl of unfinished risotto with my fork. "What are these?"

"Monty just created them. He's calling them montbeats,” he said with a small flourish of his hand. “He showed it to me when I was wandering around in the gardens the other day and asked me to give it a try. What do you think?"

Though I was plenty full, I plucked the montbeat off my fork and chewed slowly to give it a more thorough exam. I never went to the gardens. Noah found them fascinating, but I found them to be dull. It was probably an extension of his medical background to be curious about herbs. "A bit chewy."

"Sorry about that. I should've tried a few methods of cooking before throwing them into something."

"It's okay. I didn't notice it until I had one on its own.” Being now well satiated I stretched out my legs and leaned back again and sighed. The gloom had started to dissipate and the sky, though still cloudy was getting lighter. “Well, I should probably get back to work."

He groaned slightly. "Same here. I need to get my trunk list in to the prep team today."

"What are you planning on taking other than the basics?" We were allowed one small trunk or appropriate container for the time period on each mission. Almost every librarian left with a journal, money, a toothbrush, and an adequate supply of toothpaste for the intended length of our mission. Most toiletries we could do without, but we all hated not being able to brush our teeth. That reminded me, I was probably due for a cleaning.

"My scout applied to an apprenticeship with the main doctor in the town on my behalf. I'll need to look like I've traveled from afar, so they've also reproduced a fair amount of money for me to buy a real trunk and clothes and whatnot. Unfortunately this is far enough back in time there isn’t really any medical equipment I can take with me. They didn’t even have stethoscopes back then." Noah had a collection of ancient medical equipment from his missions hanging on one of the walls in the dining room. It added to the unsettled feeling I experienced when in his quarters. “Well, come on then,” he said as he rose from the grass.

We carried our dishes and the empty bottle back to his place. I helped him get them into the cleaner and waited as he wrapped the leftovers up. He walked me back to the door and we hugged again. “I’m off in a few days and I guess you’re swamped with your work for the next few,” he said.

“Yeah, this journal rewriting is going to be a pain. It’s fun, but trying to get the grammar right is rough.”

He nodded. “Well, maybe we can do a quick lunch again before I leave.”

“Maybe,” I said, as I turned away to walk back across the courtyard to my quarters. "Good luck with the witches!”

Chapter 6

I finished rewriting my journal the afternoon before I was to leave for my vacation. I had forced myself to take my time going over it, checking on the style before handing the first draft off to the planters. They had only minor edits for me to make on that last day. I was excited about getting out of the laboratory complex for a while, but slept more soundly than I would have the night before a mission.

Shortly after lunch I walked to the entrance of the complex. Jim was there waiting for me. The door in front of us slid open and we entered the vestibule that separated us from the outside world. I heard the hiss of an air handling system as the door closed again and we waited in silence for the scan to confirm our identities. I had only been through here once before, about five years ago when I was hired. At the time I was uncertain what I was getting myself into and the vestibule unnerved me. Connery’s voice confirmed our identities and permission to depart. The door opposite the one we had entered slid open and we stepped out to find a car waiting for us. We both got in and it automatically set off.

We moved fast enough that most of the scenery was a blur. Jim remained silent, and I took my cue from him. About ten minutes into the ride, the view on the left side opened up to ocean and we began to slow. The car stopped on a sandy peninsula and the two of us got out. A small seaplane was tethered to a short dock at the end of the road where we stopped. I followed Jim down the dock towards the plane and a man I assumed was the pilot. He nodded hello and opened the door for me. I turned back to Jim and said, “Well, I’m off then.”

“I assume you’ll be a proficient sailor by the time your two weeks are over.”

“How could you expect any less from me?” I smiled condescendingly at him.

“I’ll be here to meet you in two weeks. The island residents will know how to get in touch with me if there’s an emergency. And I
mean
emergency. If you get bored, build a raft or something, but you’re not coming back for two weeks.” He waited for a confirmation. I rolled my eyes and nodded and he turned back to the car.

I boarded the tiny plane with just a small bag of some personal effects. I had been assured that there would be ample clothing, food, and other necessities available when I got to the island. Since I was the only passenger on the plane I opted for the copilot seat for a better view. “Hey,” I said into the headset.

The pilot turned his head slightly and smiled. “Welcome aboard. Hope you’re not prone to being airsick.”

“Never been on one of these small planes, but I have a pretty good stomach. How long’s the flight?”

“About 2 hours.”

I nodded and looked out the front window as we took off. For a long while there was nothing to see but ocean. Then a dark spot appeared on the horizon. The pilot pointed to it, and informed me that was where we were going. I watched as it slowly grew into a mass of land. The plane splashed down not far from a long dock that led to a beach. There was a large sailboat docked halfway down. Beyond the palm trees lining the beach I could see the tops of a few thatched roofs.

The pilot left the engine running as I jumped out onto the dock and shut the door. He immediately turned to taxi away. I lingered at the end of the dock for a minute to watch him take off again. I had never been in a plane capable of landing on water before and was interested in watching as the pontoons cut through the water. The plane headed out of sight and I turned back towards the island. I took in the sailboat as I walked down the dock. It looked like it could hold a dozen people. I had been hoping to learn in something a bit smaller and more manageable. But it was a lovely boat. The hull was hard wood and it had a sturdy yet rustic feel about it.

I could see a man standing under a palm tree on the beach. I hitched my backpack higher on my shoulder and headed to meet him. The man standing there was barefoot, in a loose pair of shorts, wide brimmed hat and sunglasses. He had the physique and coloring of someone who spent most of his thirty something years outside engrossed in physical activity. "She's a beauty, ain't she?"

I stopped short at the end of the dock. "Pardon?"

He stepped out from under the palm tree and gestured back at the sailboat. "The sailboat. Her name's 'Time Passes Slowly'."

I snorted slightly but kept the thought of appropriateness to myself. As I stepped off the dock into the sand, I took my cue from him, slipping off my shoes and picking them up with my free hand. I extended the other hand out by way of greeting. "I'm Ad-"

He cut me off and gave my hand a quick shake. "Adelaide, I know. It's not like we get a ton of visitors here. I'm Adam. I'll be your activity manager and chef during your stay.”

“Call me Addy.” I smiled in as flirtatious a way as I could remember how to.

He tipped his hat in acknowledgement. “If you'll follow me then, Addy." He turned and headed for one of the thatched roof huts. They were exactly like the pictures I had seen as a young girl, complete with coconuts dotting the ground around them. The place had a surreal paradise feel to it, which was really quite something considering the places I had been. It was also completely relaxing. The sand was cool and soft on my feet and the wind blowing through the palms sounded like rain. I was immediately glad to have agreed to this, however reluctantly I might have.

Adam led me to the hut closest to the edge of the beach. The door was unlocked and he held it open for me. Rustic and a perfect gentleman, I mused. "I hope you find it comfortable while you're here." It was smaller than my usual living quarters but not by much. It had the sparseness of Noah's place, but the colors were warm and soft so I did not find it as unsettling as his. Adam walked over to a small closet and opened it. "They told us your size, so you're stocked with pretty much everything you should need while you are here, but if you find anything lacking, please let me know and we'll produce it as quickly as possible." There was an array of shorts and pants, lightweight tunics, bathing suits and sandals. Most were neutral in color.

"We?"

"My wife lives here with me on the island. She gardens and handles most logistics."

I felt a small pang of disappointment from a long submerged part of my consciousness. It passed quickly. "When do I get to meet her?"

"Dinner tonight, if you like, in about an hour. You can take your meals alone or with us, it's up to you. We enjoy the company, but we know people like their private time." He slightly pulled out a linen shift and gestured to it. "We're usually a little more formal at dinner," he let the shift go again and it lightly fell back into place, "but whatever you're comfortable in will be fine."

"Dinner sounds lovely."

He gestured for me to follow him to the door, then pointed out across a small pool to a somewhat larger hut. "That one is where we stay. Your kitchen is well stocked, but if you need something additional we might have it in ours. If not, we'll get it for you as quickly as possible. We can discuss further details at dinner. I'll leave you to settle in for now then." With a quick nod he was off toward his hut.

I opened all the windows in the place and savored the breeze for a moment. Even with the amount of trees and gardens in the dome, the air never smelled as fresh as this. I started poking around the hut. He wasn’t kidding, the kitchen was amply stocked. I filled a glass with cold water and carried it around with me while further investigating. The bathroom was a pleasant surprise. It had a tub large enough to drown in, and I realized I had not taken the time to have a leisurely bath in a long time. I made a mental note to take advantage of that.

Despite the warmth of the air, I took a long, hot shower and slipped on a plain, tan, floor-length linen shift. I stared at the sandals for a moment and decided that during my stay here I would forgo any footwear whenever possible. As I shut the door to my hut behind me I realized I had no key. There did not seem to be any security recognition devices embedded in the door or the wall next to it like back home. With a small amount of effort, I turned my back on the unlocked door and walked toward the hut Adam had indicated earlier. There was never any crime in the domes, but I had gotten used to the reassurance of the security systems there. We were miles away from any other land, and though Adam had not mentioned anyone else, it was not like there was an easy method of escape if something did happen.

As I approached Adam's hut I noticed a woman in a small garden patio in front. She was setting some food down on an ornate teak table, and looked up at me and smiled as I approached. She was similar in coloring to Adam and just as well toned. My thoughts flashed to the spot on my hips I always thought was just a little too wide. She was wearing a soft white tunic, loose pants, and to my dismay, sandals. Adam had said to dress however I was comfortable but I suddenly felt like I had pushed that too far.

She extended a long slender arm towards me. "Adelaide." It was not a question, she knew who I was. "I'm Marina." Her voice was soft and her smile inviting but her grip on my hand belied a strong and powerful physique. Yet it was not threatening in the least and I could not help but return the smile. Like Adam, she immediately made me feel at ease.

"Call me Addy."

"Sit, sit!" She gestured to one of three chairs at the table and I claimed it while thinking it strange to have only three chairs at a table. There were several other huts visible from the patio. The place looked like it could hold at least a dozen people. "Adam is just finishing up the main course. Can I pour you some wine?" She picked up a bottle of Petraud and held the label out for me to see. I didn't recognize the vineyard, but the grape was one I enjoyed.

"Sounds wonderful," I said by way of acceptance. She poured while I glanced around some more. I could see five huts in all, scattered around the area. Most were the same size as mine, though Adam and Marina's was larger. If this was their permanent residence though, that made sense. A pool surrounded by thatched umbrellas sat in the middle of the huts. There were a few lounge chairs about. From where I sat I could see out to the ocean through a clearing in the palm trees that lined the beach. The foliage got thick very quickly on either side of the clearing. The table where we sat was surrounded by tall flowers and plants, offering some privacy from the pool area without blocking the view of the beach completely. I noticed each hut had a similar area with smaller tables in between the front door and the pool area. "No one else will be joining us?"

"You're the only guest we have at the moment."

"Oh. I'm sorry to intrude-"

"Nonsense! We love the company. It's rare that we have more than one guest at a time and I'd say at least half the year we have none. So you are a welcome addition, Addy." She handed me a glass and watched as I swirled the wine and sniffed. "It's Adam's own wine."

"Really?" I took a sip. It had a leathery undertone that seemed out of place in a tropical paradise.

"Well, he owns the vineyard land and dictates the process, though he doesn't do any of the work. It's a rather lengthy trip as you can imagine. He only makes it twice a year. He doesn't like to leave me on my own for long. Though I've never minded a bit of solitude now and then." She sat down next to me. I felt a silly about my prior concern of formality. Yes, she looked nice, but there was no air of pretension about her.

"She likes to get rid of me." Adam had joined us from the house carrying a platter of what looked like roast beef. He gave Marina a quick peck on the cheek before setting the platter in the middle of the table, and sitting down with us. "If you'll indulge us for a just a few moments, Addy." He took Marina's hand and the two of them bowed their heads slightly. I was about to question what they were doing when Adam began to speak. "Heavenly father, we thank you for the opportunity to meet our new guest, Adelaide."

He continued, but I was too thrown to hear what else he was saying. I was glad that their heads were bowed and eyes closed so they would not see my blush and confusion. I wondered if I should bow my head too or grab their hands? My mother had spoken of growing up in a religious household but all I knew of religion was what I had read in books. I squirmed in my chair and finally settled for placing my hands in my lap and casually looking down at them as though deep in thought. I timed it so my head would raise as theirs did and smiled at them.

Adam gave me a polite smile. "Sorry, did we make you uncomfortable?"

I tried a nonchalant wave. "No, no. I just never…didn't…" I was not really sure what to say.