The Third Ten

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Thanks, Joe.”

  “Yeah, so just take notes, I want to be able to free speak without having to jot things down.”

  Henry nodded. But it was a passive nod saying more so that he didn’t buy it.

  Joe caught it. But before he could say anything, Jason had arrived.

  “Small case load?” Joe asked as Jason entered.

  “Fairly easy. It’s Beginnings.” Jason shrugged. “Henry, what brings you here?”

  Henry shifted his eyes and smiled. “Joe’s thinking of putting me back on council again.”

  “Is that so?” Jason asked.

  Henry answered. “Yep. Almost like a subcommittee, liaison for the new towns.”

  “Joe?”

  Joe nodded. “Somewhat. Have a seat Jason. We can go over the cases.”

  “No need, Joe,” Jason held out a folder. “All case summaries already typed and ready for review. Margaret did that.”

  “Oh. That’s … that’s nice of her.” Joe took the folder.

  “Quite the helper. She made copies already so all I have to do is drop these off at history.”

  “Speaking of …”

  A knock on the door interrupted Joe, and before he could command an entrance. Robbie walked in.

  “Dad,” Robbie spoke rushed.

  “Robert what’s wrong?”

  “We may have a problem.”

  “Personal or Community.”

  “Community.”

  “What’s behind your back?” Joe asked.

  “Part of our problem?”

  Both Jason and Henry leaned to get a peek. They couldn’t.

  “One time we all laughed at Frank for saying something. We all thought it was dumb.”

  Jason at that, sat down. “I may sit for this.”

  Joe asked. “What Frank dumb thing. There’s too many to remember.”

  “When he said the killer babies were reproducing.”

  Jason, Henry, and Joe laughed.

  Robbie brought silence when he placed the jar on the desk.

  Joe raised his glasses. “What’s that?”

  Henry reached for it. “Looks weird.”

  Robbie said, “Sperm.”

  Henry shrieked and released the jar, squealing back his chair.

  Joe raised his eyes. “Sperm?”

  “I think.” Robbie scratched his head. “Looks it. Feels like …” he paused when Joe’s eyes raised. “Come on, like we all don’t know what sperm feels like.”

  “Sperm?” Joe asked. “It can’t be sperm.”

  Jason lifted the jar.

  Henry verbally and loudly cringed.

  Jason explained it, moving the contents of the nearly full jar, side by side. “It’s an abundance of sperm, Robbie. If that’s what it is.”

  “That’s not all,” Robbie said. “There’s more. Tons of it. All over the one section of sector thirty-two. It’s a sperm swamp.”

  “They’re babies.”

  “Toddlers,” Robbie corrected.

  “Still,” Joe said. “It can’t be sperm. There would have to be an abundance of sperm producing creatures to do that in one area.”

  “Or,” Jason added. “One giant set of testicles.”

  Joe winced. “Even our monster wouldn’t be big enough to produce all that. It’s not it.”

  “Touch it.,” Robbie instructed. “Seriously.”

  “No.”

  “But if you ...”

  “Robbie!” Joe snapped. “Don’t make me call you Frank. I’m not touching the goddamn contents of that jar.” Just as he said that he saw Jason unscrew the lid. “Stop!”

  “What?” Jason asked.

  “Don’t do that.”

  “I just wanted ….”

  “No.” Joe shook his head. “Robert, take the jar to Dean. Tell him what you told me, he’ll want to examine it and he may want to go up to the section where you found that.”

  “Got it.” Robbie retrieved the jar. “I’ll let you know what he says.” He turned and hurriedly left.

  The door closing brought silence.

  Joe rubbed his eyes. “A sperm swamp. What the hell else is next?”

  Jason snickered. “Yes, it is amusing. The things that occur in Beginnings. Well, what’s next for me is history.” He stood.

  “Speaking of history …” Joe Halted Jason. “Let’s me ask you a question.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Why didn’t you file a report on the future time test for the new auto door?”

  “I did.”

  Joe shook his head. “It’s not there. Danny filled it out, you were supposed to drop it off. You didn’t. Or else, you did and Trish screwed up. You and I both know, she doesn’t make mistakes. Not enough comes in.”

  “Can I ask why you are checking up on me?”

  “Well, I could blame it on Danny.” Joe leaned back. “I’m not. My boys were concerned.”

  Jason snickered it off. “Joe, they were over reacting. A logical conclusion was made on my part.”

  “Was it?” Joe asked.

  The demeanor to Jason’s face changed. “Yes. The time test told us enough that we could divert the incident.”

  “Really? Then cover it?” Joe questioned.

  “I’m not covering.”

  “Then why not file the report. It’s standard Jason. What the hell is concerning you that you don’t want it to be discovered in the history?”

  Jason sighed out. “If my machine causes that, then I can stop it now. No need to be concerned. And no need to have the speculative report in history where people can view and get concerned. It’s still science. There are some aspects of science that can remain a secret.”

  Joe nodded. “I can understand that. You know, we need this documented. It could have been classified.”

  “I know.”

  “I want a second test run.”

  “Joe, we already have it under control?”

  “Do we?” Joe asked with edge. “Why don’t you want to make the trip as an assurance that your theory is right?”

  “Because we can’t keep diverting what should be.”

  “And stopping a lab incident isn’t diverting.”

  “It was a cautionary warning I heeded.”

  “And going forward again, obtaining information would also be a cautionary warning we can heed. Only one more specific, if you get my drift.”

  “But the use of the machine …”

  “May have very well caused what my boys saw.” Joe said. “The machine was used in the future. Ellen and Dean went to the future. It was happy go-lucky. Only they diverted something, and now my boys saw what they did?” Joe raised an eyebrow. “I think that’s too damn coincidental. Worth checking out. Schedule another test for when Frank gets back.”

  “Joe.” Jason stayed firm. “If I don’t want to schedule another test. I really do not have to.”

  “Why are you being so hardcore about this? What are you afraid of?”

  “Nothing. This is my machine. I don’t like to play around with it.”

  “And this …” Joe’s hand hit the desk. “Is my community. And I don’t play around with it either. You hear me? There’s no option here, Jason. Nor should there be one in your mind. Schedule the test.”

  After a hard stare, Jason turned and walked out.

  “Wow.” Henry whistled. “That was tense.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Joe, you mind if I ask what did Frank and them saw?”

  Joe nodded as he sat back and released a breath. “Nothing.”

  “Joe, if they didn’t see anything then …”

  ‘I didn’t say they didn’t see anything, Henry. I said they saw nothing. When they went through …” Joe looked at him. “Beginnings was gone.”

  ***

  The severe weather that Frank ran into just about Chicago, may have caused Danny to vomit three times, but Ellen didn’t stir. The stuff Dean gave her kept her asleep, and unable to complain.

  Danny felt b
etter as soon as the turbulence cleared. To him, Frank didn’t look at all shaken or concerned. Like a car driver racing on a highway during a thunderstorm, Frank kept going. Despite Danny’s pleas to land.

  Did they come close to crashing?

  Danny would answer ‘yes’, Frank, would say, ‘no.’ Although Danny was still in debate on whether or not it was Frank’s confidence and knowledge or lack of experience that made him so sure they weren’t dying.

  Then again, Frank didn’t talk much. It was the quietest Danny had ever heard him.

  About ten minutes out of Lodi, Frank gave Ellen a nudge. Danny had used some water to wash his face, and requested a bathroom trip once they landed, before they met anyone.

  Ellen stretch, “Wow that was fast.” She yawned. “Did it go well?”

  “Great,” Frank answered.

  With a smile she turned and saw Danny. The smile dropped. “You’re pale.”

  “Remind me to steal some of that medication when we leave here.” Danny said.

  “Was it that bumpy?” Ellen asked.

  “Yes,” Danny answered.

  “No.” Frank replied. “We’re fine.” He reached into his pocket.

  “What are you doing?” asked Ellen.

  “Calling Lodi, in fact …” he handed the phone to El. “You call. You know them. Tell them I see them up ahead.”

  Ellen nodded and started to dial. She stopped. “Frank, are you ready for this?”

  Frank gave her an assured look saying he was, but the truth be known, he didn’t know if he was ready or not.

  ***

  Robbie could have used the Dean tracker, but not only would that have been cheating, his dad had it. So Robbie had to resort to the old fashioned means of searching him out. He tried the cryo lab, but it was empty. Finding Dean should have been easier but it wasn’t. Finally, he caught sight of him making his way through town from the warehouse section. Dean moved fast, his lab coat always flapped like some sort of super hero cape.

  Across the town, a wave to Jenny, and a dash to the clinic.

  Robbie didn’t move too fast, he was carrying that jar and the last thing he wanted to do was drop it.

  By the time he made it into the clinic and to the lab, Dean was in front of a computer with his coat half off.

  “Dean?” Robbie knocked on the open doorway.

  “Oh, hey, Robbie.” Dean finished taking off his coat as he turned round. “What’s up?”

  “This.” Robbie set the jar on the counter.

  “What is it?”

  “I’m hoping you can tell me,” Robbie said. “I think its sperm.”

  Dean chuckled out a cough as he lifted the jar. “That’s a lot of sperm.”

  “I know.”

  “It’s not sperm. That’s too much.”

  “What if it came from multiple sources?”

  Dean only raised his eyes. “Like a bunch of guys ….”

  “No.” Robbie winced with a wave of his hand. “Like a bunch of killer babies.”

  Dean laughed. “You sound like Frank.”

  “But I found that in the region.” Robbie stepped closer. “And Dean, there’s more. Puddles of it.”

  “Seriously?” Dean lifted the jar, viewing it.

  “Yeah.”

  “I can tell you our killer babies didn’t produce sperm.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because when last checked their sex organs aren’t developed enough.”

  “Uh, Dean how do you know.”

  “Because Marcus is slightly older and he can’t produce sperm yet.”

  “So what is it?” Robbie asked. “Do you have time to check it out? Because Dean, there’s a ton of it up there, and there’s some strange noises going on.”

  “I do have some stuff to do, but … I can do a quick breakdown.”

  “Now?”

  “Sure, why not.” Dean shrugged. Want me to call you?”

  “I’d rather wait if I can.”

  “Not a problem. Have a seat. Let me prep things,” Dean said. “I want to get set up and put my newest stuff in the fridge.”

  “This here.” Robbie pointed to the small tray.

  “Yeah.”

  “Want me to?”

  “Sure.”

  Robbie lifted the tray, took it to the fridge. Several tubes of blood were in there. One container looked like urine. Another he couldn’t figure out. “Hey, Dean? What is this?”

  “That … that really is sperm.”

  Robbie took a look at it with a cringe, then to the jar still resting on the counter. How Dean could tell the difference on sight was beyond him. But whether or not it was testicular fluid, would be known in a short bit of time.

  ***

  Johnny Slagel lost his breath when Mike yelled up that his father and Ellen had arrived. He didn’t know how to react, he knew he was scared. What would he say? What would Frank say?

  He heard the plane arrive, how could he miss it. Actually he didn’t need the call at all. But it was confirmation that it was Ellen and not the Society doctors who were due to arrive at any minute as well.

  There were a lot of things that went through Johnny’s mind on what he would do. But he decided it was best, to hang back and not been seen … at least by his father.

  After a few rounds of, ‘are you sure you don't’ want to go’, Lars gave up and decided to meet the Beginnings plane without Mike. These were visitors and Lars didn’t quite understand why Mike, the leader of the town, would go meet them. He made sure he told Mike it was common courtesy to greet his visitors not have them come to him; after all he wasn’t a king.

  On the road some bit out of town, the plane landed. In fact, it landed by an old McDonald’s. When Lars arrived he could only see the plane, then in seconds he saw who could only be, Danny Hoi. The thin wiry, Asian man, dressed neatly emerged from the old fast food restaurant. Right after him was Ellen. She spotted Lars and waved high. He walked a bit faster to them.

  Ellen greeted Lars with an embrace and immediately introduced Danny.

  “Pleasure,” Lars shook hands. “Before we proceed. Dean fan or not.”

  “Though I don’t hate the guy,” Danny said. “I am far from a fan.”

  “Wonderful,” Lars said pleasantly.

  Danny chuckled. He had heard about the Lars versus Dean Thing, but somehow he thought it was all made up.

  “So,” Lars clapped his hand together. “Where is …” he saw him. “Frank.”

  Frank had come from around the other side of the plane. He carried three bags and walked to the jeep. “So now I’m the boy.” Frank griped to Danny and Ellen, and then turned to Lars. “You must be Lars.”

  “And you must be the boy.”

  “Funny,” Frank said.

  “So, asking you the same. Dean fan or not?” Lars asked.

  “Oh, I’m a huge fuckin’ fan of Dean’s he’s gonna be my best man at my wedding when I marry Ellen...”

  The smiled dropped from Lars’ face.

  Danny saw that and quickly did his best to replenish the smile by saying, “Of course, Dean is still in love with Ellen.”

  “Ah,” Lars grinned. “That’s better. Have you considered, Frank, placing all of the Ellen disgruntled men into your wedding party.”

  “No,” Frank replied, “But that’s a good idea.”

  “I like it, too,” Lars said. “Well, the car waits. You can load your bags. Ellen, the Society doctor is due to arrive any moment. I thought we’d set up a consult with Johnny at the clinic.”

  “Sounds good.” Ellen agreed.

  “Danny, I’m sure Mike would want to speak to you, so after I drop Ellen off at the clinic, we’ll head over to meet King Mike.”

  “Fuck.” Frank commented aloud.

  “Problem?” Lars asked.

  “Fuckin’ titles,” Frank shook his head. “Captain Hal, leader Joe, President Hadley, God Creed and now King Mike.”

  “Hmm, makes you wonder what good ones are left?” L
ars said sarcastically. “Perhaps emperor?”

  “That’s all we need.”

  Lars chuckled. “Well whenever you’re ready. Frank? I know this is a bad question to ask, but I am because you are here. What about Johnny?”

  “What about him?”

  “Are you wanting to see him? Speak to him. Kill him? What? What are your intentions?” Lars asked.

  “Intentions?” Frank shrugged. “Don’t know if I have any intentions other than to see my son. Since killing him is the only option that I’m sure I won’t take, I can safely say, I don’t know Lars. I don’t know what I’m going to do or how to react.”

  Lars nodded. “Understandable. One step at a time, then. Ready?”

  Frank nodded and placed the bags in the car. Lars asked did he was ready? To go to Lodi, ride in the car and so forth. Frank was more than prepared. But for his first face to face with Johnny? The question of ready wasn’t needed to be asked, because Frank was far from ready.

  ***

  The series of beeps and Dean comments such as, ‘wow’ and ‘Unreal’, repeated over and over, told Robbie the results were in. He asked Dean what it showed, and Dean only responded that he needed to run comparisons.

  That didn’t seem farfetched except that fact that what was he comparing it to?

  The last page released from the printer, and Dean swiped it up, placing it in a folder with four other sheets. He took a pen and started marking up the paper.

  “So you’re finished?” Robbie asked.

  “With this round, yes,” Dean replied.

  “Round?” Robbie questioned. “Dean, why did you print up the results?”

  “For my own record,” Dean said, and closed the folder.

  “Well? Don’t keep my in suspense. What is it?” Robbie asked.

  “Protein.”

  “So it is sperm.”

  “No.”

  “But you said it was protein, isn’t sperm protein?”

  “Yes and no. But as far as this substance goes …” Dean sat down. “It’s a protein substance and it isn’t sperm or ejaculatory fluid. It’s a protein.”

  “I … I don’t get it.” Robbie scratched his head. “Protein?”

  “There’s a low level of acid, and that ruled out stomach contents. I would associate it with amniotic fluid.”