Pearson had held back behind the trio. He jerked his head up. “It is not necessary to consider me in this situation.”
Trotaka nodded in understanding. “All right, there are three of you.” His face showed a slight concern. “I wonder if SivSat knew of three.” He opened his hands, in supplication. “You see.” He stopped, shifted his sitting position on the burlap bags and began again, “Yes, I can help you to return.” All three of them perked up. He took a deep breath. “But, I am capable of taking only one person with me, to SivSatyananda.”
Chapter 41
Trotaka began to speak more quickly, perhaps noticing the hope on their faces crumbling. “SivSatyananda is capable of transporting more than one person. Me, I am able to take one, and at most can make one trip in such a fashion.” In their shocked silence, he waited a bit. “I am sorry.”
Alexa was trying to take it all in when she heard a sob.
“What do you mean, one,” Rachel cried out. “That means the others must stay here? Now?”
“I do not know when SivSat will return,” said Trotaka. “And it is only SivSat who could transport you all to your time.”
Donny released Rachel’s shoulders and stepped forward. “If you’re able to help Alexa get to him, then isn’t there at least one other person to help Rachel?”
“I am sorry,” the monk said. “I am the only one. It takes a certain awareness to go beyond physical boundaries. I never expect it when SivSat assumes I fit the need. And the only reason I can do this and take another person with me is because we are here, at the Kumbh Mela. All these seekers together in one place creates a great consciousness, which lends what is necessary for the process.”
Pearson moved forward. “Sir, we do not know how much time before unfriendly parties may try to stop the process.” He turned and touched Alexa’s arm, intending to bring her forward to Trotaka.
“There is one more thing you must know,” said the monk. “When you return, you will remember nothing of your journey to this time. And,” he smiled, “solely those items that came with you will return with you. In particular, this would affect what you will be wearing when you arrive home.”
Alexa considered her outfit. She wore the pants from the day in Florida, since the pockets continued being plain useful. Alas, her blouse was new. Luckily, the bra she wore was from home.
Rachel cried softly, her face into Donny’s chest, surrounded by his arms.
Alexa thought of the silly little pen, the one with the space dude on it, which Rachel loved to use because her son, Sammy, gave it to her. She thought of the pictures of Sammy in Rachel’s old cellphone. Sammy, who would pay the price of not having his mother help him grow up.
“Alexa,” murmured Pearson. “Time is running short.”
Alexa didn’t make a conscious decision. Her brain did not trace clear steps of logic. She simply found herself speaking, saying words the meaning of which she knew only after they were uttered. “Rachel,” she whispered. “Come quickly. You need to go with Trotaka.”
Staring at Alexa, Pearson opened his mouth to protest. Alexa gazed evenly up at him and shook her head, while reaching her hand to Rachel. She had to act before the strangeness in her stomach blossomed, and she grabbed the opportunity for herself.
Despite streaks of tears, Rachel’s face practically radiated light when she realized Alexa’s intent. Donny gently rolled her from his arms and toward Alexa. Rachel moved forward, gave Alexa a quick hug as she passed and advanced to Trotaka. Right before she took his proffered hand, Rachel glanced at her own clothes. “Oh no. I have nothing on I was wearing that day.” She tittered nervously.
Alexa did a quick estimate between her own frame and Rachel’s, and said as she moved around behind a nearby crate to the left, “My pants can fit you.” She began to strip them off.
Donny looked back and forth between the two women, then at his own clothes. “My undershirt is from that day.” He slipped his top shirt over his head.
While Donny was taking off his undershirt, however, the unmistakable noise of a motorized boat sounded from the river. Everyone in the building stopped moving for a split second, and then sprang into action.
Donny took two steps forward, handed his yellow smiley-face T-shirt to Rachel and whispered, “I love you.”
As she accepted the shirt, she reached up and kissed him. “I love you,” she responded.
A dog barked furiously nearby.
During this time Alexa called out, “Pearson,” and tossed him her pants. As Donny rushed at the door, Pearson turned toward Rachel, handed Alexa’s trousers to her and also turned for the door.
Rachel gazed at Trotaka, holding pants, T-shirt, and her ever-present white plastic bag clasped to her chest. He positioned her in front of him with her back to the door, then asked her to close her eyes.
“Crystal” popped into Alexa’s head. She yelled, “Wait!” and reached into her shirt and then her bra, and brought out the crystal. “Pearson,” she shouted. He took two long strides to her. As Alexa handed him the crystal she said, “Give it to Rachel.”
Pearson received it and swung around to Rachel in one smooth swoop. After Rachel received the crystal, Trotaka repeated his request for her to close her eyes.
During that maneuver Donny began pushing on the door, trying his best to keep it closed. A man forced his head into the room and Donny landed two quick punches into his face. The man growled something, probably an oath in a local dialect. Before Pearson reached the door the man brought up a laser. There was no sound when a flash of light momentarily blinded Alexa. Donny may have seen the flash, but he could not have felt much pain, because he was dead before he hit the ground.
Pearson stopped, glancing side to side, perhaps searching for some kind of weapon.
The door slammed open. The man stepped aside.
A woman stood there, wearing a heavily embroidered sari and four inches of gold bangles on her wrists. Trotaka’s orange robes must have caught her attention first, because she reacted instantaneously, striding over Donny’s body directly at Rachel and Trotaka.
Pearson reached for the woman. The guy brought up his gun and Pearson fell to the floor, sparks flying from his face.
As the woman drew closer to Rachel, Alexa whispered “no,” while scrambling onto the crate in front of her.
Then Trotaka and Rachel winked out, into thin air, with no trace of sound, light or smell.
Time seemed to stop; the sight was so surprising.
Then the woman thundered, “Noooooooo!” The sound, beyond any human voice, reverberated through Alexa’s chest. The woman slammed a fist onto the crate where Trotaka had sat.
Rachel got away! Relief shooting through her, Alexa grinned.
Elation dissolved to horror, though, as the woman turned and human features became feral. Alexa crouched on the crate, transfixed. The person stomping toward her appeared female, but felt as Lord Corcoran when he almost crushed her windpipe.
When the woman reached the crate, her hand shot out and grabbed Alexa’s shirtfront. It was rough in its search of chest and torso. “Where is the crystal?”
Alexa’s breath rasped. Riveted by the fury in front of her, she could hardly move her head from side to side.
The woman spat and shook Alexa so hard her head whipped back and forth and her legs dropped and her feet couldn’t touch the ground. Her legs scraped over and over across the wooden splinters. “You are nothing,” the woman snarled. “The dog SivSatyananda may have won this one, but I will be victorious. I would break your neck this moment, as I could have countless times. Still, you are his pet and you will be my path to him. Keep in mind, I know everything about you, as I did on the cruiser.”
Alexa’s body and then head slammed against the wall. Hurt.
“I will be your constant companion.”
Alexa slid to her knees.
“In manners you cannot even conceive.” With that, the woman’s features went blank.
One moment later, the wo
man blinked twice and took a deep breath. She slowly turned to view the room. At the sight of the fallen bodies of Donny and Pearson, she appeared shocked and whipped around to Alexa. “It didn’t go well, did it,” she stated, clenching her hands. “And you are the reason.” Her eyes narrowed. “This affects me personally. I will not forget it.” When the woman jabbed a forefinger at Alexa, her bracelets jangled. “I know who you are. You will not get away with interfering with my life.”
With that, Varshana Vagwhatar turned on her heel, stepped over the two bodies and departed the building. She turned toward the river. The gunman sprinted in the other direction. About half a minute later, the sound of a boat’s motor began receding from the shore.
Chapter 42
As the motor sound faded Alexa leaned her forehead against the crate, wondering if she might join Pearson and Donny if she kept totally still and quiet. Tears welled, spilled from her eyes, and slid down her nose. Abandoned, in the here and now.
For a bit she watched her tears drop from the end of her nose, one at a time onto the dirt floor. When she heard a rustling, she wondered if mice were reclaiming the emptiness.
“Alexa,” came a low, electronic sound in an android voice like from the movies in her own time; well, used to be her time. The sound increased in volume. “Alexa?” It sounded tinny and forced. “Are you there?”
Alexa raised her head and scanned the room. Pearson lay on his back with his knees up, whereas his body had been in a heap minutes ago. She hardly dared believe. “Pearson?”
“Yes,” came the mechanical voice.
Alexa used her arms to pull her body up. Goosebumps covered her legs, alongside the bleeding scrapes. It was India, nevertheless it was February and her underwear didn’t cover much. Didn’t matter. She ran around the crate and slid to a stop in front of Pearson.
He raised his hands to his face, but was unable to hide the fact his skin, barely present, covered a metal understructure with muscles made of rubber-type fibers. The side where the weapon made a direct hit betrayed a tangle of wires. Alexa fell to her knees beside him, silent with her own view of his physical reality.
“You should depart,” he said. His words unexpectedly slipped into a more human sound, similar to a thirteen-year-old boy’s voice going deep momentarily. “Take the plane. That monster may change its mind.”
Alexa closed her eyes. “Can you walk?”
Pearson checked various systems. His right foot moved, then left; the right knee, then left; the hips; his arms. He sat straight up in one fluid motion. When he became aware a wire dangled from the left side of his face, he tucked it in. “Yes,” he said, in even another voice. “My vocal programming is not responding to my commands. I apologize.”
“Not necessary,” she said. “Let’s go. I am not leaving without you.”
At the plane, they maneuvered Pearson through the door and angled his body across the back seat. After he settled, Alexa closed the door.
Someone with a western stride was walking toward her. It turned out to be Zaire, who caught up with Alexa on her way to the shack. “You guys left me,” he complained, falling into step beside her. “I was arguing with Varshana on the beach and that Pearson joker peeled out. I have to say, Varshana’s tough normally. Tonight though, she went far beyond her prior limits. Eh, your skirt, is this some new fashion? I thought burlap was ‘done’ two years ago.”
Alexa stopped at the door and waited for Zaire to notice Donny’s body.
His reaction was worthy of a silent film actor’s most dramatic scene. “Holy shit,” he yelled and jumped. “Did Varshana do this?”
“No, a man with her.”
The weapon must have seared almost all blood vessels as it pierced Donny’s chest, because the dirt had absorbed everything. A hole was distinctly evident. The expression was blank. Alexa reached down and closed Donny’s eyes.
“Where’s Rachel?”
Alexa did not feel like explaining the impossible. “She’s gone.”
“Wow, and left this guy behind? I can’t believe she would be that cold.”
“She didn’t see this happen.” Alexa knelt beside Donny's head, reached under his shoulders and heaved up.
“You want to move him? Here, let me help.” Zaire edged in to take over the heavier part of the body and Alexa crawled down to the feet. He reached under the armpits and lifted while Alexa scrambled up holding Donny’s legs. Zaire moved back, and Donny’s rear end barely rose above the ground.
“Where to?”
“I am not leaving him here,” declared Alexa. “Let’s take him to the plane.”
Zaire may have thought she was crazy, but he didn’t argue. Twice they stopped to adjust. The first time Donny’s head lolled back too far for Zaire to keep a good hold. The second time, Alexa’s fingers slipped on the ankles. It took forever, but they arrived near the plane.
She could not allow Zaire a view of Pearson in his current condition. “Stand there.” Alexa didn’t wait for agreement because her energy for such niceties was all used up. She opened the plane’s door a bit. “Pearson? Are you okay?”
“Yes,” came the mechanical reply.
“Can you move into the co-pilot’s seat? We have Donny. The back seat is as far as we will be able to get him.” Without comment, Pearson slowly maneuvered his body forward. Alexa shut the door, blessing the darkness that kept most everything hidden. Pearson held his right hand up to shield against the view. Zaire, eyes wide, didn’t ask stupid questions.
Once Pearson settled into the right front seat, she said, “Okay, I’ll climb in, you heft him up to me and I’ll pull.” It turned out not so simple, though after much pulling and pushing, Donny lay where Pearson had.
Standing on the beach, Zaire looked up at her in the plane. “Take me with you. I can help.”
Alexa looked him in the eyes, and found them to be reasonably honest. “No. I'm sorry. This is as far as we can go together. Thank you for everything.” He didn’t try to argue. Few would, against the tone she’d used.
He wasn’t completely done though. “Where is Rachel?”
“She’s gone.” Alexa reached out to grab the door handle.
This time, Zaire stood his ground. He wouldn’t let go of the door. “Gone where? Is she all right?”
“I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.” She cocked her head. “Maybe you will tell me someday.”
Down the beach, three vehicles sped around a corner and headed toward them. Lights flashed on top, sirens warbled. Zaire saw them too, but stalled. “Come on, give me a hint.”
Alexa relented a bit. “Look for her—Rachel Mulligan—on the east coast of Florida.”
“Florida!” Zaire’s tone implied any person being in Florida had lost their sanity. “You mean in North America?”
“Yep.” Alexa shooed him away from the plane. “Stay out of the way of the propeller.” When Zaire did step back, she decided to give him one more tidbit. “You’ll find her in the early twenty-first century.” She didn’t wait for Zaire to process the information and open his mouth to ask more questions. “G’bye,” she said, and closed the door.
He yelled, “How will I locate you?”
She responded, “You did before. It wouldn’t amaze me if you do again.” As she stepped around and plopped into the pilot seat, Alexa realized she probably should have checked any number of things on the plane before taking off. She would have to trust how she left everything barely an hour—or a lifetime—ago.
In the air, having cleared first the vehicles and then the bridge, Alexa handed a headset to Pearson, clamped one on her own head and asked, “Where to? Which direction?”
“I think we do not have enough fuel to return to the spaceport,” said Pearson.
Alexa checked the gauge. “You’re right, it’s less than half full.” At one point in her life she might have gone a little crazy over less.
Pearson drew a phone from his pocket and handed it to her. “Would you push the hash sign and the numeral five
?” Alexa complied and handed it back.
A voice answered, “Yes, sir, Captain Pearson?”
“We are in the air near Allahabad, with less than a half tank of fuel.” Pearson spoke in a thin, mechanical voice.
“Are you hurt, sir?” asked the voice, sounding concerned.
“I am in no imminent danger, Ensign. Thank you. We can reach the Lucknow airport. The city has a private hospital capable of assisting me. The Rama District hospital.”
“We will contact them, sir.”
“Obtain clearance for an ambulance for myself and one other, and arrange for it to meet us on the runway. And call us with the tower frequency for the Lucknow airport.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell the Lieutenant to meet us there. He is authorized to purchase any aircraft necessary to fly to Lucknow immediately, though one that could also transport this plane is best.”
“Yes, sir. He’s standing here and says he will see you in Lucknow.”
As Pearson disconnected, Alexa turned around from looking at the tent city. “We are heading north,” she said. “Any idea where is Lucknow?”
“Head northeast, and look for the lights of a big city. The airport is on the southwest side.”
Chapter 43
The pavement where Rachel stood scorched her bare feet, a fact that had registered as strange while she raced from the hangar toward the sound of Alexa’s plane.
Dancing from one foot to the other, on the tarmac under the blue sky, she had to admit to feeling totally abandoned by her friend. She dropped the bag onto the ground and stepped on. In fact she’d be kind of pissed off, except for the bizarre circumstances of her clothes. Not what she’d put on this morning.
Something tugged at her mind. A memory? Or dream? She couldn’t quite catch it. Before, it disappeared.
As gone as that plane.
Morty walked up. “Rachel, what are you doing here? I thought you were flying with Alexa.”
Thus, the man with the big belly, the same who sold her the newspaper under her feet, verified Alexa was supposed to wait for her return. Okay, I’m not going crazy. Maybe.
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