Karen D. Badger - Yesterday Once More Page 3

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Peter said. “What do you think?”

  Jordan sighed. “I don’t know. I’m afraid to set myself up for more disappointment. What if it fails again in a year or two? I don’t know if I can deal with that.”

  “That’s a valid concern. The decision is yours, but I hope you’ll consider it. Even if you decide to go ahead, neither you nor the implant will be ready for another month or two.”

  Peter made several notes on Jordan’s chart before he addressed her again. “We should be able to release you this afternoon. You’ll need to come back in about a week for a follow-up. You need to pull yourself out of the funk you’ve been in these past few days. It may sound corny, but a positive outlook is part of the healing process. You, more than anyone, know life in a hover-chair is not a death sentence. You’re among the lucky ones.”

  Jordan narrowed her eyes. “How can you possibly say I’m lucky?”

  Peter leaned over her. “Because there’s a possibility that we can fix this. You have an entire team of research scientists willing to help you. Not everyone is that fortunate. Think about that, Jordan. Think about it long and hard.”

  Chapter 3

  Jordan stared out her bedroom window at the light snowfall. She could summon neither the energy nor the desire to get up. In the two weeks since her surgery, she had shown little interest in rejoining the human race—a fact that she knew greatly worried Kale.

  “Hey,” Kale said from the doorway to her room. “How about getting your ass out of bed and going for a walk with me?” Jordan shot him a venomous look. “Very funny, asshole. Where do you propose I get a pair of functional legs on such short notice?”

  Kale sighed. “Damn it, you know I didn’t mean it that way.” He walked over to her bed and held out his hand. “Come on. It’ll do you good to get outdoors this morning, even if it is only thirty-two degrees.”

  Jordan turned her head, refusing to look at him. “Leave me alone. I’m busy.”

  Kale crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah, I can see that. You’re busy writing a thesis on self-pity.”

  Jordan’s head snapped around. “Don’t you dare judge me. You have no idea how I feel. No idea!”

  Kale shoved his hands deep into his pockets, his shoulders slumped. “No, you’re right. I don’t know how you feel. But I do know how you’re making me feel, and that’s pretty shitty. If you don’t want to go for a walk with me, then I guess I’ll go to the lab. I have a lot of work to do. The visiting nurse will be here shortly to take care of things. Is there anything I can do for you before I leave?”

  Jordan still refused to look at him. “No. Just leave me alone.”

  Jordan could see the defeat in her friend’s shoulders as he walked away. Part of her felt sorry for the way she had treated him, and part of her felt justified that someone else should suffer as she did. She listened intently until she heard the door close. Then she closed her eyes and wept.

  * * *

  When Kale arrived home that evening, he found Jordan sitting in her chair, staring out the window. He put his briefcase on the couch and walked over to place a kiss on top of her head.

  “Hey, there. How was your day?”

  Jordan continued to stare silently out the window, ignoring his greeting.

  Kale decided to lighten the mood by speaking for both of them. He changed his voice to a higher pitch. “My day was fine, Kale. How was your day?”

  He dropped his voice. “My day was great, Jordan. Thank you for asking. We made a lot of progress on the implant. We now have a prototype ready for testing on non-human subjects.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful,” Kale squealed. “I can’t wait for you to try it out on me!”

  Jordan looked directly at him and shook her head. The disgust was clearly evident on her face.

  Kale sighed and threw up his hands. “Okay, I’ve had enough partying for one night.” He turned on his heel and headed for the door.

  “Where are you going?” Jordan called out.

  “I’m going where the atmosphere is a little more friendly. Out to the barn, with the horses. I’ll be working on my invention. If you need me, use the intercom.”

  Jordan was seething inside, extremely envious of Kale’s ability to pick up and go whenever and wherever he wanted. “Sure, go. Go and leave me here to rot. You’re wasting your time on that stupid invention, Kale. You must be out of your mind if you really believe it will work. If time travel were possible, don’t you think it would have been done by now?”

  The loud banging of the screen door ended Jordan’s tirade. She guided her chair over to the door and watched Kale stride purposefully across the yard to the barn.

  “Damn you, Kale Simmons. Damn you to hell!”

  Kale kicked the barn door open. “Damn it, Jordan Lewis. Why do you have to be so fricking stubborn? You’re not the first person in the history of the world to be confined to a hover-chair.”

  The horses looked at Kale. He made a conscious effort to calm himself. He cleaned the stalls, putting in fresh water and feed. The barn was cold but the physical exertion warmed him. When Kale had completed his chores, he looked around and inhaled deeply.

  He turned up the thermostat on the solar heater at the far end of the barn. Then he reached for the cloth tarp that covered a large object in the center of the room. Kale set the tarp aside and slowly circled his creation. The object consisted of a series of concentric rings, each of which moved on a different axis, creating a large sphere when the rings were in motion. Along the inside circumference of the globe, parallel to the floor, was a shelf approximately two feet wide, and in the middle of that was a four-foot square platform. Kale smiled as he felt a surge of confidence. He switched on the light above his workbench, illuminating a mound of paperwork. He thumbed through the papers on top of the stack, speaking out loud as he read.

  “Okay, let’s see. To travel faster than the speed of light I need a black hole.” Kale looked over the top of the paperwork and gazed at the device. “The trick will be generating enough energy to create one.”

  Kale retrieved an old boot from the tack box and placed it on the platform. The boot was so worn that it barely stood. “Let’s give it a go.” He pulled a second tarp from a console beside the desk, revealing a panel containing an array of buttons and switches.

  Kale looked once more at the device. Taking a deep breath, he toggled the first switch. A loud hum resonated and the rings began to rotate, slowly at first, but soon with increasing speed. Kale watched the boot carefully. When the rings reached critical velocity, he toggled a second switch. The velocity of the rings increased exponentially, as did the volume of the hum coming from the center of the object. Kale threw a third switch, and a surge of blue, yellow, and red electricity lined the inside of the rotating rings.

  Kale’s heart pounded wildly in his chest. His hand hovered over the large red accelerator button on the control panel. Struggling with a sense of urgency, Kale forced himself to wait for the velocity of the spheres to reach critical value. Finally, his hand came down hard on the accelerator button. A blinding flash of light exploded through the barn as a powerful energy force knocked Kale off his feet and slammed him into the wall behind the console. The room suddenly dimmed, illuminated only by the lights hanging from the rafters of the barn.

  Kale lay motionless for several moments as he regained his bearings. The console was between him and the device, blocking his view. With great anticipation, he climbed to his feet and clamored to the center of the room.

  The boot was still on the platform. He had failed.

  Kale slammed the door. He shrugged his way out of his coat and tossed it on a chair. Throwing himself on the couch, he crossed his arms tightly over his chest and glowered.

  Jordan looked at him. “You’re in a good mood.”

  He looked at her sharply. “Kind of matches yours, huh?”

  Jordan was taken aback. “Want to talk about it?” she asked softly.

  Kale rubbed his b
row. “I failed. It didn’t work.”

  Jordan maneuvered her chair across the room. “What didn’t work?”

  “The boot. The boot was still there.”

  “The boot?” Jordan asked, confused. “A little more information, please?”

  Kale rose to his feet and paced the room. He gestured broadly with his hands. “I found an old boot in the tack box and tried to send it back through time. The machine seemed to be operating okay, but when it reached critical momentum and I pressed the accelerator button, the entire thing just blew up in my face. The boot was still there.”

  Jordan raised her eyebrows. “The boot was still there?”

  Kale leaned forward and placed his hands on the armrests of Jordan’s chair. “The boot was still there. It didn’t work. What part of that don’t you understand?”

  Anger burned in Jordan’s chest. She looked at Kale through narrowed eyes. “Doesn’t feel very good to be helpless, does it? Try living with that feeling every day.”

  Kale pushed off the arms of her chair and stood up. He stared down at her for several moments before he spoke. “The difference between you and me is that I plan to try again. I will not let this failure defeat me. You, on the other hand, have chosen to remain helpless.”

  Jordan looked away, embarrassed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Bullshit. In a few weeks, the new implant will be ready for testing on human subjects. You are the perfect candidate, yet you sit in that chair stubbornly feeling sorry for yourself. I’ve always admired your spunk and determination, but lately, I’ve been sorely disappointed in your behavior. Get a grip on yourself, woman. Do something with your time while you wait for the implant, something other than wasting away in this chair. You need to get on with your life, Jordan.”

  Jordan lowered her chin to her chest and closed her eyes to hide the tears. When she opened them again, Kale was gone.

  * * *

  When Kale returned home from work the next day, the driveway was full of trucks. It took him a few moments to maneuver his vehicle into the driveway. Once the landing gear was lowered and the nuclear power supply was switched off, Kale made his way through the maze of boards and tools and climbed the stairs to the front porch. As he reached for the door, it flew open, nearly knocking him down.

  “Oops. Sorry, Bud.”

  “No problem.” Kale caught the swinging door and held it open for the carpenter, who was carrying a large piece of worn plywood.

  Kale made his way inside. He found Jordan sitting in her hover-chair, directing another carpenter’s efforts. Kale grinned. The old spark of authority had returned to his friend. “Hey, girlfriend. What’s going on here?”

  Jordan maneuvered her chair in Kale’s direction. “Hey Kale, you’re home.”

  Kale kissed Jordan on the cheek, noting with pleasure her rosy glow. “It looks like a battlefield in here. What’s up?”

  “I’m getting on with my life.”

  Kale grinned. “This isn’t exactly what I had in mind.”

  “Hey—it beats sitting here feeling sorry for myself.” Jordan reached for Kale’s hand. “Thank you for being so tough with me. I needed someone to kick my ass. I’m glad it was you.”

  “No problem. Any time you need your ass kicked, just let me know. I look forward to any excuse to touch that lovely ass of yours.”

  Jordan slugged Kale in the stomach. “You are such a pig.”

  “Oink! Oink!” Kale replied. They both laughed. “So, what’s with the demolition?”

  Jordan looked around at the rapidly growing mess in her kitchen. “Well, I thought as long as I was stuck at home for a while, I could do something productive like remodel the house. Starting with the kitchen seemed like a good idea. These are the same cupboards that were here when my parents bought the house almost forty years ago.”

  Kale looked at the sheetrock and plaster that littered the floor. “That’s really old stuff. What are you planning to replace it with?”

  “I know photosensitive synthetic wallboard is easier to work with, but in order to preserve the historic nature of the house, I’m going to restore it to its original form. That means sheetrock, plaster, and tiles.”

  “Makes sense to me. Once this kitchen is finished, I’ll fix you some real gourmet dinners. How’s that sound?”

  “Sounds great. I thought I’d start on my bedroom, too. Then we’ll take the other rooms one at a time. You get to choose the next one, okay?”

  “Sounds good to me,” Kale said. “Since the kitchen is torn to shreds, how about I take you to dinner?”

  “Okay. Give me a few minutes to clean up. I’m covered with dust and dirt.”

  “All right,” Kale said. “I’ll be in the barn. Just give a shout when you’re ready.”

  * * *

  Jordan smiled at the waitress who refilled her coffee cup. “Thank you,” she said sweetly. The waitress gave her a coy smile and walked away from the table, her hips swaying suggestively.

  Kale’s gaze passed from Jordan to the waitress. “How do you do it?”

  Jordan sipped her coffee. “Do what?”

  Kale leaned forward. “You know what I mean. How on earth do you pick them out?”

  Jordan frowned. “Really, Kale. I don’t know what you’re getting at.”

  “You were flirting with the waitress.”

  “And your point is?”

  Kale rolled his eyes. “My point is, how do you know they’re interested? How do you, well, you know... how do you know they’re lesbians?”

  Jordan smiled. “I don’t always know they’re lesbians.”

  Kale nodded his head toward the waitress. “Is she one?”

  “Is she one, what?”

  “Damn it, don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”

  Jordan chuckled. “Are you asking me if the waitress is a lesbian?”

  “Duh! Of course I am, and you know it.”

  The waitress, who was busy clearing a nearby table, looked up at Jordan and smiled. Jordan smiled back before looking at Kale. “I haven’t a clue,” she replied quietly.

  “You’ve been flirting with her all evening, and she’s been flirting back with you.”

  Jordan shrugged. “That doesn’t make her gay, you know.”

  Kale was clearly frustrated. “Okay, clue me in here. Heaven knows, I could use a few pointers. If you can’t always tell, then how do you know which ones to flirt with?”

  Jordan covered Kale’s hand with her own. “You just don’t get it. Women like attention. They like it when someone notices how attractive they are. It doesn’t matter if the person who notices that is a man or a woman.”

  Kale watched her closely. “Good point. I’ll keep that in mind. But how do you know? I mean, say you were looking for a new relationship. How would you know who to flirt with seriously? Damn. This is harder to explain than I thought it would be.”

  Jordan covered her mouth with her hand to hide her grin. She inhaled deeply and tried to adopt a serious air. “How do I know? I know it sounds stereotypical, but if there’s a chance that she’ll be interested, my gaydar kicks in.”

  “Gaydar?”

  “Gay radar,” Jordan explained. “It’s a feeling we get when we’re pretty certain the other party is of the same persuasion.”

  “Is it ever wrong?” Kale asked.

  Jordan sat back in her chair and laughed. “Oh, yeah! I’ve hit on several straight women.”

  “That must be pretty awkward.”

  “No more than when you hit on a woman and she turns you down. It’s not nearly as bad for women as it is for men.”

  Kale frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Jordan wrapped her hands around her coffee cup. “I think women are cooler about it.”

  “That’s a pretty sexist thing to say.”

  Jordan leaned forward. “What would you do if you were in a bar and a gay man hit on you? What would your reaction be? Be honest.”

  Kale looked into hi
s coffee cup. After a few moments, he met Jordan’s eyes. “Honestly, I think I would become defensive, maybe even angry.”

  Jordan nodded. “I guessed as much. A woman hitting on another woman, gay or straight, is taken as a compliment but, sadly, a man hitting on a man is seen as a threat. Society may have moved beyond expecting gays to be closeted, but mistaken identity can still be uncomfortable.”

  Kale shook his head. “Man. I’ll never understand women.”

  “Don’t feel bad. You’re in good company. Men and women have been on this earth for millions of years and have yet to figure each other out.”

  “I think I’ll stick to science for now.”

  Jordan changed the subject. “Speaking of which, you went to the barn this evening while I was getting ready for dinner. I assume you were going over what went wrong with your experiment last night?”

  Kale ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know what went wrong. I’ve been over and over it, but I can’t figure it out. My calculations appear to be correct. There’s something missing, something so simple that I’m sure it is staring me in the face, but I just can’t see it.”

  “What makes you believe that time travel is possible? I mean, it’s the year 2105. Don’t you think if it were possible, someone would have figured it out by now?”

  Kale sat back in his chair. “It’s attitudes like that, Jordan, that discourage people from trying.”

  Jordan touched his arm. “I really am interested in your theory. Please, humor me.”

  Excitement flooded Kale’s face. “Okay, here’s what I know. Hundreds of years ago, Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity proved that time is not constant. It’s affected by direction, motion, and gravity. In 1971, the well-documented Hafele-Keating experiment, using four atomic clocks, proved that point. It appears that time passes faster if you travel back in time than it does if you travel into the future.”

  Jordan was captivated by Kale’s description. “What role does gravity play in all of this? Wouldn’t you have to defy gravity to travel through time?”