Episode 141: More Questions
“I have something else to ask you,” Juliette said, walking away again, this time to the opposite end, right in front of the window.
“Go ahead, ask anything you want,” Robin replied.
After a few seconds of tense silence followed by a deep sigh, Juliette continued.
“You said that the volunteer mother, Kaleigh Chandelace, was your girlfriend in high school.”
“That’s right.”
“Tell me, why her? Why not some other anonymous, unknown woman? Did you want it to be her? Did you…did you choose her?” Juliette snapped.
“God, no.”
” Please understand me, you can’t pick and choose in these things. RSL assign you to the person who meets the requirements, from among the candidates who have applied.
“So she chose you? Why, is she still interested in you? Was this baby the excuse to get back together with you?”
“It’s a lot more complicated than that, Jul. I think I’ve already explained it.”
“Complicated. Of course, everything is always complicated with you, Robin, why?” Juliette complained.
“I don’t know, but it is. I’m sorry. You said it yourself, we’re human, we all make mistakes…”
Look, I don’t mean to justify myself, but…. Kaleigh is a cop, the Council commissioned her to spy on me, sneak into my house and keep an eye on me there, that’s why she signed up as a volunteer mother. I didn’t know she had been chosen until she knocked on my door. She told me she had applied for the position because she and her fiancé wanted to adopt a child. The RSLs obviously approved her, but I had nothing to do with it.”
“But you didn’t have a problem with her coming to live with you, did you?”
“That’s the procedure. The volunteer mother lives with the donor during the pregnancy. Once the baby is born the mother can go home. Kaleigh lived with me for only a few weeks, as hers was already advanced.
Again, thanks to Bee, @poses-by-bee or @bmit04 on Tumblr, for her amazing poses, which you can find here. 💗
Episode 142: Jealous
“You expect me to believe that being your ex-girlfriend, after all those “crazy things” you did together, and living under the same roof, absolutely nothing happened between you?”
“You may believe me or not, Juliette, it’s your choice. I have told you the whole truth.”
“Did you kiss her? Or did you go further?” asked Juliette on the verge of tears.
“Jul, what is this, a cross-examination?” Robin protested.
“Of course it’s not, I just asked you a simple question.”
“Sorry but there is nothing simple about your question. And it wasn’t just one, but multiple. Tell me, Jul, are you jealous?” Robin asked, suppressing a smile. Juliette blushed.
“Just answer the question, please, Rob,” she insisted.
Robin let out a sigh. Funny, but Juliette’s jealousy, far from irritating him, flattered, even, comforted him.
“Nothing happened between Kaleigh and me. We lived together because that’s what the rules required, but after the birth she went home to her fiancé. By the way, they’re getting married soon.”
“But she’s still the mother of your child.”
“Temporary mother, of an engineered child. She finished her commission, there’s nothing left between her and me, except a good fellowship.”
“Good fellowship, yeah sure,” Juliette growled.
“Jul, I swear, my relationship with Kaleigh ended years ago. It was intense, yes, but it’s over, you gotta believe me,” Robin exclaimed.
Juliette wanted to believe him, to forgive him, to throw herself into his arms and forget it all.
But she still felt insecure and upset about the whole Kaleigh thing, so she contained her impulses and turned away from him once again.
“I don’t know, Robin, this is all too much to take in. I need to clear my head, process what you just told me. So would you give me a minute, please?” she pleaded.
“Sure,” Robin conceded.
Without another word, Juliette put on her jacket and left the cabin.
As soon as she set foot outside, and the icy night wind brushed her face, tears came to her eyes, so she broke into a run for the beach.
“Jul! Jul wait!” exclaimed Robin, putting on her jacket as well and running after her.
Episode 143: Clearing the air
Juliette’s first impulse was to get as far away from the cabin as possible, which meant getting as far as the seashore, but seeing Robin was following her, she recalled that he was afraid of the ocean, so she stopped before going down the stairs. Luckily for both of them, there was no one around at that moment.
“Jul? What’s wrong, why did you run away like that? I’ve told you the whole truth, I didn’t hold anything back. What else do you need to know? Or do you still not believe me?” asked Robin, as the frosty breeze hit them in the face. Juliette let out a sigh and turned to him.
“No, I do believe you, but that doesn’t change our situation. Kaleigh may be out of your life, but she’s still a cop, and you’re a fugitive from justice. Have you thought about what will happen if she gives you away, or if she decides to come after you to turn you in? What if the Council itself comes down here, arrests you, and wipes your memory? We’d never hear from you again, or you from us!”
“Easy, Jul. That’s not gonna happen. They have no jurisdiction in Aurora Skies, much less in 2016. For now, I’m safe here and I’m not going back to Oasis Landing until Emit confirms it’s completely safe.”
“What if Emit doesn’t get back to you soon? Or if he can’t solve anything? Will you hide from them forever?”
“I’m not hiding, I’m just keeping a low profile until I get my passport back. When I do, I’ll go back there without a second thought. I’m not afraid of them, you know. Besides, I have to go back there anyway, for Collin.”
“And what will you do when you get it back? Will you bring him and his mother back to 2016? Will you get them a house too so they can live with you? Will the mighty Robin Crane keep his three wives and their children here in Aurora Skies?”
“Jul, please, of course not! For starters, Kaleigh wouldn’t want to come live in the past, definitely, what’s more, she’d hate it. Besides, believe me, I’m anything but ‘mighty’ at this point.”
“And for the record: I never wanted to have ‘three women’. I don’t find any pleasure in that, okay?”
“Okay,” Juliette replied.
And then, turning her back to him:
“But the fact is you have three households, so, I’m going to be clear too: your problem with the Oasis Landing authorities, I can take it, I’ll even support you and defend you against them if necessary. But that you have three different families, that I will never stand for.”
Episode 144: The Right Thing
Driven by desperation, Robin shifted so he could face Juliette.
“Jul, please listen to me. I do NOT intend to have ‘three households’. That’s not even remotely what I intend. I told you; Kaleigh is getting married soon. For now, she has custody of Collin, but when things settle down, Collin will come live with me, just him.”
“And your wife, Ann Conners, what are you going to do with her?
“Well… I’ll tell her that Rowan exists and try to come to an arrangement with her.”
“What kind of arrangement, Rob?”
” Are you talking about divorce or are you suggesting something else, like an open marriage? Cause if it’s the latter you can leave me out,” Juliette exclaimed.
“Sorry, but I never said anything about an ‘open’ marriage… whatever that is,” Robin countered.
“I still don’t know what kind of agreement I can make with Ann, or how she’s going to take things. It’s a delicate situation cause she’s… you know, pregnant, but as soon as the baby is born, I’ll explain everything to her and then I’ll ask for a divorce.”
“Divorce. That’s your plan.”
“Yes.”
“And leave her alone with a newborn? Do you know how that would make me feel? I’d feel horrible for taking you away from that baby when he needs you the most! Better to leave everything as it is. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, neither did I. I came to this meeting in the hope that we could work things out, but… considering what happened earlier at the cabin, and seeing that, apparently, you’ll have to stay married for quite a while, I think we should end it here and go our separate ways until you resolve your situation.”
“So you’re just giving up on me?” Robin asked bitterly.
“No, I would never do that, I’m just asking for some time.”
“Longer than we’ve already been apart?”
“Yes. Understand me, it’s getting harder every day for me to hold back when I have you around. I love you and want to be with you more than ever, but ours can’t be, at least not at the moment, so we might as well accept it and do the right thing.”
“Is this the right thing for you, to stay apart, when what we both want is to be together?”
“The right thing for me is to walk away from a married man. The right thing for you is to go home to your wife and daughter.”
” What about Rowan, he’s my son too.”
“Don’t worry about Rowan, like I said, you can see him whenever you want, it will just have to be at Dustin’s house or my parents’.”
“And why not at yours? Don’t you want to see me alone, is that it, you’re afraid of me?
“I’m not afraid, I’m just trying to be cautious, I already explained to you why.”
Episode 145: A Moment of Weakness
“Really, is that what you want, for me not to set foot in your house, to just stay away from you?”
“No, that’s not what I want at all, but for now, I don’t have a choice.” Juliette said walking away.
“Yes, you do have it, Jul.”
“Robin, please, accept my decision and move on.”
“No.”
“First, listen to me,” Robin exclaimed, reaching over, taking her hand and putting it over his heart. “I promise you I’m going to fix this, I don’t know how yet, but I will. Just don’t give up on me, please.”
“Sooner than you think I’ll have it sorted out, and then nothing will keep us apart anymore, just trust me, please, okay?” he pleaded. Juliette looked at him awe, as if looking at an angel or a god, surrendered before she could even begin to fight. Robin went on:
“I love you, Juliette, and I won’t stop until I get you back, until I have you and Rowan with me, in our home, as it should be. Say you believe me, say you trust me, please.”
“I trust you; I’ve already told you that, but I…”
Juliette stopped in her tracks, hypnotized by Robin’s gaze.
“Never mind,” she stammered, and without another word, she closed her eyes and let Robin move even closer, until his lips touched hers.
And they kissed, this time without hesitation, with a kiss of pure love that made them feel as if they could float above the snow at their feet, amid the stars that sparkled over the ocean.
For brief moments, everything and everybody disappeared around them, as if not only the cabin and the beach, but the whole town had become empty.
But after those short seconds of absolute bliss, Juliette snapped back to reality and pulled away.
“Jul? What’s wrong?” Robin asked, baffled.
“Nothing, it’s just that– someone could see us.”
“There’s nobody else here, everyone’s gone”.
Juliette looked him in the eye once more and, aware that she was falling under his spell again, she gathered what little willpower she had left and slipped out of his arms.
Poses used in this episode:
Couple Set 2 and Don’t Leave – Adults – by Bee, from @poses-by-bee (Tumblr), or Poses by Bee (WordPress website). And Red Carpet Premier Poses by lenina_90 from Sim as it Seems (Blogspot webbsite)
Thanks to both of them for their beautiful work! 💗
Episode 146: Juliette’s Final Word
“See?” Juliette said, walking away and turning her back on him once again. “This is what I was talking about. Every time you come near or just look at me, I lose my head, that’s why I should stop seeing you, because if I don’t, I’ll end up…”
“In bed, with me?”
“Is that why you’ve been avoiding me? You think I’m going to take advantage of you?” he asked, holding her hand. “I’d never do such a thing, Jul… Look, I know I was out of line, and I apologize for it, I just couldn’t contain myself. Some emotions are totally new to me, I still don’t know how to control them. I don’t control anything lately, not even myself, especially when you’re near me. Please forgive me”.
Juliette let go of his hand and turned to look at him.
“No, you forgive me,” she replied “I am not a child, I must take responsibility for my actions. I wanted to kiss you; I still do. I want to kiss you, hold you, and yes, sleep with you too, but as long as you are still married, we’ll have to respect some limits.”
“I know, and rest assured I will– or at least I’ll try.” Robin said resignedly.
“So will I. Now if you don’t mind, I should be going. I have to stop by my parents’ to drop off some things for Rowan, so good night, Robin,” Juliette said, and dodging him, she headed for the stairs.
“No, wait!” he said holding her hand again “I can give you a ride if you want.”
“Thanks, but you better not. Besides, I brought my car. Now, bye, Robin.”
“Hold on, first tell me, will I see you again? What happens to what we agreed about taking Rowan to the registry office?”, Robin insisted.
“Oh, that…”
“I’ll call you to let you know the day and hour, but I warn you I won’t go alone, I’ll tell Mom or Dust to come with me.”
“That’s not necessary, I’ll behave, I swear!” Robin exclaimed anxiously.
Juliette smiled as she gently let go.
“You don’t have to swear anything, Rob, I trust you. It’s me I don’t trust. I don’t know what’s wrong with me that, as soon as you get close, I lose track of myself and forget everything. There’s something different about you, I don’t know what it is or how to define it, it’s like a new power, something in your gaze that makes me uneasy and…”
“Frightens you?”
“On the contrary, it calms me and makes me feel too safe.”
“And if that’s how you feel, what’s stopping us from being together?”
“You know very well what.”
“My marriage,” Robin sighed.
“Yes,” Juliette sighed in turn.
“Well, I must go now, I’ll call you later… Take care of yourself, please,” Juliette said, trying not to look him in the eyes, so as not to fall under their spell again.
Then she walked down the cabin stairs, still hesitating whether to turn back or not, but not looking behind.
Determined, she rounded the cabin and climbed the stairs to the parking lot.
Seconds later, she got into her car and drove off down the snow-covered street.
Robin stood alone in the freezing evening, watching Juliette’s car drive away along with his hopes. His first impulse was to go after her, but he knew there was no point for now. She had said her last word and defined her position, now it was up to him to define his.
Poses used in this episode:
Don’t Leave – Adults by Bee, @poses-by-bee on Tumblr. WordPress website: Poses by Bee.
Thank you so much once again, Bee! 🤗💗
Episode 147: Fast Forward to 2017
Returning home that night from his date with Juliette, Robin felt guilty about having to lie to Ann, who was already home from work and had greeted him with concern. It was almost 10 pm and he had been out of the house since 3 pm.
For a change, Robin made the excuse that he had lost track of time while making his robo-chips at the Bot Emporium. He certainly didn’t tell her anything yet about his divorce plans, as it obviously wasn’t the right time.
The rest of the year went quickly, but that didn’t make it any less distressing for him. Ann was about to give birth, Juliette hadn’t got in touch to set a date for Rowan’s registration; Dustin hadn’t been able to unlock the document he’d given him, neither had he heard from Emit, so he didn’t know what might be happening in Oasis Landing with Kaleigh and Collin.
Yet, there was nothing he could do about any of those things. He had no choice but to stay at home waiting for news and be thankful that, at least, the new year had begun peacefully.
Finally, one night at the beginning of 2017, Ann woke up suddenly to tell Robin that the baby was coming. Just as with her first child, she took it extremely calmly.
Robin wasn’t as calm as she was, but he pretended to be. He put on the first thing he could find, plus his winter clothes, gave orders to Bethany and Five to take care of Jessica, and left with Ann for the hospital.
Also like the previous occasion, Ann insisted on driving her car, which Robin appreciated because, even though he wouldn’t admit it, he was more nervous than her. In fact, he didn’t think he could drive at all, not even to the Aurora Skies hospital, which was only a few blocks away.
Episode 148: Due Date
Ann parked the car, they both got out and she started walking towards the building at a fast pace, as if she wanted to get it over with quickly. Robin tried to remain calm, but deep down his anguish was eating him up.
He knew what Ann’s hurry was, he wanted to find out once and for all if her baby was the boy she had been waiting for. But what if it was another girl, would she be disappointed? These, and other even more complicated questions went round in Robin’s head as they approached the hospital door.
What disturbed him most at that moment was that the birth of his child, besides being a special and happy date, was also an expiration date, the beginning of a countdown to solve his situation just like he had promised Juliette. From now on, at any moment, he had to tell Ann the truth and ask for a divorce. Obviously, he would not do that immediately, he had to wait for the right moment.
Ann kept walking hastily, Robin was out of breath trying to catch up with her.
“Could you slow down, Ann? We’re already here and the hospital isn’t going anywhere,” he told her, seeing her hurry toward the door.
“Easy for you to say that; you’re not feeling labor pains,” she replied to the point.
She was right. It was easy for him just procreating children around the world, but what about her? What about Jul and Kaleigh? What would either of them feel, think or do if they were to be left alone with their babies now?
“You’re right, I’m sorry,” he replied after a sigh.
“Ah, it’s okay,” Ann said, trying to smile. She wasn’t angry, just sore, tired and focused on one idea. “Please let it be a boy, it has to be a boy to be Robin’s successor.”
Without further comment, she entered the hospital, leaving Robin behind. He paused for a moment, thinking… What if Ann did have a boy? What would happen to the succession then? He still thought that Rowan should be the heir, being the first-born. Or Collin for that matter, since he was a child of the Future. But if Ann had a boy, he would be the only possible successor for her. Then what was he going to tell her?
And what about the divorce, how and when should he ask her for it, immediately, in a few months? Well, he didn’t know exactly when, but it would have to be any moment from now.
Episode 149: Baby’s here! Wait, what?
With Ann already in the operating room, what followed was a long wait for Robin. Much longer than when Jessica or Collin had been born. The two of them had arrived within minutes, this boy (or girl) was taking his time, as snow continued to cover Aurora Skies, like the days before, like almost every day of that stormy winter of 2016-2017.
At last, after several hours of impatient waiting, Ann emerged, carrying a baby girl in her arms. Her newborn daughter, Wanda Crane…
And then out came Robin carrying Wanda’s sister, Carrie Crane. Yep, Ann and Robin had not just had a baby girl, but twin girls! Well, at least the issue of who would be the successor was off the table. Unless Ann changed her mind and decided that if a girl could be the heir, then that would undoubtedly be Jessica, the oldest of the three.
Neither of them talked much on the way. Ann wasn’t upset, just sleepy. Robin, too, was dying of sleep and all she wanted was to get home and nap for hours, days, if possible, but if sleeping with one baby was difficult, with three? It was unlikely.
Episode 150: Back at Home
As soon as they got home, Robin went straight to bed, Ann put on comfortable clothes and, with the help of her robo-nannies, fed Wanda and Carrie and then placed them in their cribs.
“Now then, off to rest little ones,” she said to them lovingly.
Anyone would think she would be upset that she had not given birth to a boy, but she wasn’t. In fact, she made a quick connection with the twins, and, despite having two robo-nannies, she was happy to be in charge of feeding, changing, and putting Wanda and Carrie to sleep.
Of course, Bethany and Five would relieve her at night, so she could get some rest. And during the day they would take care of Jessica so she wouldn’t be left unattended while her mother was busy with the twins.
Yes, Ann was more than happy, as was the rest of the family, but – What about Robin? How was he doing?
Episode 151: Concern
Unlike Ann, in Wanda and Carrie’s early days, Robin was a rather absent father. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his daughters, in fact he adored them, but for those days his head was in a knot. He wanted to talk to Ann, to tell her all about Rowan and Juliette, to ask her to separate and end this whole situation, but he still refused to break her heart. He didn’t want to hurt her in such a special moment for her, that’s why he kept postponing the moment of truth, trying to keep as distant from her as possible.
For that reason, he would take refuge in his work at the plumbot building workshop, with his inventions, or with his scientific research. Or he just stayed overtime at the Bot Emporium, working until he was exhausted and then came in late to sleep.
Ann noticed that he kept his distance and began to come closer to him again, ready to make up for lost time.
Robin, out of chivalry, or perhaps out of sheer cowardice, was unable to refuse her advances. And their marriage, at least in appearance, was back to normal again.
Ann could feel though that there was something different about him; when they were together, he was there physically, but his mind seemed to go somewhere else. Something was definitely wrong. What was it?
She could think of a few possible reasons to explain Robin’s behavior: 1) He was disappointed that they had not had a baby boy. 2) He missed Collin, his engineered son, who would now undoubtedly be his future heir, or 3) He was no longer happy in the Past and longed to return to the Future.
All these ideas together managed to arouse her concern. Little did she know that none of these was what made Robin act that way, but something completely different…
In fact, Robin was there, physically, but his thoughts and heart were with Juliette. He was worried that she hadn’t called him yet to take Rowan to the Registry office, among other things, such as Dustin still hadn’t managed to crack the document, and his problem with the authorities at Oasis Landing, which remained unresolved since Emit hadn’t gotten back to him either. But what distressed him most, was that time continued to pass and he still hadn’t asked Ann for a divorce. He hadn’t even given her a hint about it. Whenever she asked him why he was so serious and quiet, or if he had any problems, he replied that he was just overwhelmed with work and worried about finances.
Even Five and Beth, with their keen artificial intelligence, and their Sentience trait-chip could sense the changes in Robin’s behavior, that the Robin Crane they now lived with was nothing like their former master.
What had become of this ‘other’ Robin Crane, the young bot-builder, traveler of all times; that confident, cunning and efficient guy, a real shark for work, business and women they had met at Oasis Landing?
What had become of him? Well, for starters, Robin had stopped wearing the bracelet that regulated his emotions, which had turned his mind into a ticking time bomb, fueled by the anguish he felt about having to hurt Ann by asking for a divorce and not being able to keep the promise he had made to Juliette.
Not to mention the other ‘changes’ that kept occurring in him since the night of the portal explosion, strange things that he dared not accept, much less mention, and which made him feel even more distressed, in the midst of his other problems.
And so his plans and the promises he had made to Juliette again were frozen, as frozen as the current Aurora Skies weather. This was by far the longest winter Robin had ever seen…
Episode 152: Catching up
Early Spring of 2017
It was almost mid-morning and Dustin was still glued to his computer screen. He had gotten up early in the hope of being able to unlock once and for all the file on the flash drive that Robin had entrusted to him. But even though he had used all his knowledge and skills, this time again he had not been able to break into the elusive document.
“Damn,” he muttered as he saw the same ‘Locked. Enter Password’ message appear once more before his eyes.
“Enough, it’s time to call Captain Shen, a.k.a. my dad.”
Without wasting time, he typed a message to his father, who would surely be in his study working by now.
“Dad, can we meet at your place? I urgently need your help with the file I told you about. If you’re not busy, of course”. (Send)
Dylan’s response wasn’t long in coming:
“I’m not, your mom just left for work and Logan is at school, so sure, I’ll wait for you.”
“Perfect, thank you Captain!”
“Yess”, Dustin exclaimed as he hit the send button.
“Dust?” a female voice chimed in behind him.
Oh, no– he had completely forgotten that Judith was there, in his house! She had arrived at Aurora Skies a few days ago and, today in particular, she was all set to go shopping, one of the activities she enjoyed most, (apart from spending time with Dustin, of course).
“Honey, will you get off that computer already? You’ve been in front of that screen all morning,” she claimed in a loving tone.
“I’m sorry, dear, I have a little bit of work to do right now, but I promise in a few hours I’ll be entirely yours.”
“Really? You said the same thing yesterday, but you’ve been on there for days.”
“I apologize again, like I said, I’ll be all yours in a couple hours, first I have to go to Dad’s house to bring him a flash drive.”
“Can’t you take it to him some other time?”
“I’m sorry, but no. This is kind of urgent.”
“And what about our shopping?”
“Well– why don’t you go ahead; I’ll catch up with you later at the mall?”
Dustin’s caring and persuasive tone finally convinced Judith.
“Okay”, she answered “But you’d better get there on time”.
“Don’t worry, my dear, I’ll fly if necessary to meet you. You know, literally”.
“You mean with a jetpack?”
“And what else? Wait for me there, I won’t be long at all, we’ll spend the whole afternoon together, and of course the night.”
“I will be counting the minutes until then,” Judith sighed, leaning closer.”
“So will I”, Dustin mused.
“Dust?”
“Yes?”
“Are you sure you can’t you stay a bit longer?”
“Well… I could let Dad know I’ll be a little late.”
The matter was no longer discussed, Dustin postponed his visit to his father and completely forgot about the flash drive in his computer.
The passionate moment continued in Dustin’s old room. He and Judith had been apart for so long that now they couldn’t spend much time away from each other. That was probably the reason he had been unable to move forward in his mission to unlock Robin’s file. It was not his intention at all to fail his friend, but by now he had found something far more interesting than hacking government documents.
Episode 153: Unexpected Visitor
“Do you really have to go now?” Judith asked when they could both catch their breath.
“I don’t want to, but Dad’s waiting for me and I’m almost an hour late. Surely he’s been calling me, but my phone was left in the other room.”
What’s in that document?” She continued once out of bed.
“It contains information about Robin’s parents, it seems.”
“What? But I thought they were dead.”
“All indications are that they’re not,” Dustin replied.
“Wow, really? And where did that file come from?”
“I can’t explain to you now, I really have to go.”
After a quick shower and a change of attire, Dustin was finally ready to leave for his parents’ house. He was halfway down the stairs when the doorbell rang.
“What now, who could it be?” he mumbled.
As he made his way to the door, he discovered who the caller was.
“Robin? What’s he doing here and at this time of day?”
Without thinking twice, he went to open up.
“Hello, Dust,” Robin said.
“Oh–hi, Rob,” Dustin stuttered.
Episode 154: A Happy Reunion
“Is something the matter? You seem nervous,” Robin said, noticing the slight blush on Dustin’s cheeks.
“Er, no, I just–“
“Oh–don’t tell me, did I interrupt something?”
“No, but almost. Judy just arrived, we hadn’t seen each other in months and… well, you know.”
“Holy crap, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be inopportune.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine, come on in.”
“Sure Judy won’t mind?” Robin asked once inside the house.
“Of course she won’t. In fact, she’s about to leave, and so am I.”
“Where are you going? I have my car outside, I can give you two a ride,” Robin offered.
“Oh, thanks, that’s very kind of you, but I’ve got my Hover Scooter here. I’ll drop Judy off at the mall and then head over to Dad’s, he’s going to help me unlock your file, you know.”
“I was just going to ask you about it, any news?
“None, it’s a tough nut to crack, but dad is sure to have a solution. He knows a lot more about future cybersecurity than I do.”
“I’m really sorry to put you through this, especially now when you’re so busy with your wedding and want to spend as much time as possible with Judy. Maybe we should leave this for later.”
“Ah, don’t worry, everything’s fine, the wedding is still a few days away, we have plenty of time for preparations.”
“Did someone say wedding preparations?” Judith exclaimed from the bottom of the stairs.
Dustin and Robin turned to her at the same time.
“Hey, Robin!” she said, walking towards them.
“Hey, Judith”, Robin replied.
It was overwhelming to see his old friend right there in Aurora Skies. Not like he didn’t know she was coming, but it was still touching, after all he had gone through, to finally see someone from his homeland.
“Aww, honey, it’s so nice to see you again!” Judith said hugging him.
“It’s nice to see you too, Judy. It’s been a while, huh?”
“It sure has. Boy, I was so worried about you. I’m relieved to see that you’re safe and sound”.
“Yeah, I believe I am – for now”.
“You know, you look amazing. I can tell your stay in Aurora Skies has done you good. You’ve taken a few years off!”
“Thank you, but the truth is I miss Oasis Landing. Being stuck in the past feels like hell… No offense,” Robin added looking at Dustin.
“Don’t worry, I totally get it”, Dustin hurried to answer.
“I don’t”, Judy stepped in. “Aurora Skies is so lovely, in fact, since I got here, I don’t miss the Landing at all. It will sound strange to you, but I would gladly stay and live here.”
“Yeah, I understand why you like it in Aurora”, Robin joked, shooting a quick glance at Dustin, causing him to flush even more than usual. “But believe me, if you had to stay here by force and permanently, you of all people would plead to go back to the Oasis immediately.”
“You’re right, I’m a fan of advanced technology, I can’t help it, I’m the girl of the future after all!”, Judith giggled.
“Yes, you are”, Robin confirmed, and they both laughed together, but he stopped when he saw Dustin waited in an eager silence.
“Anyway, I won’t interrupt you anymore, you’re both going out and I guess you’ll be in a hurry,” he concluded.
“Yeah, well, Dust has to go to his dad’s urgently, so why don’t you come shopping with me, I won’t shop alone plus we can catch up. I’ll tell you all that’s been going on at the Oasis since you left, you’re not going to believe it.”
“No, w-wait a minute,” Dustin interjected.
Episode 155: Breaking News from Home
“Excuse me, dear, but if Rob came all the way here it was in order to talk to me about something important”.
“That’s right,” Robin said. “But if you’re busy now, I could–“
“No. I’m not, or not very… Ok, I am busy, but I really need to talk to you too.”
“Do you?” Judith interrupted. “I thought it was a matter of priority to get to your dad about a certain file,” she teased.
“Yes, and it’s precisely about that file that I want to talk to Rob “.
“In private I guess,” Judith added in a naughty tone.
“Judy, that’s enough, okay?” Dustin murmured, blushing.
“Okay, I’m sorry, I won’t say anything else, I’ll keep my mouth shut,” Judith continued jokingly.
Robin just stood there puzzled. He didn’t know what to make of their behavior. Dustin and Judith had always been teasers, but this time he really had no clue what they were on about.
Dustin went on: “I also wanted to ask you if you’ve heard from Emit. He hasn’t used the portal in months, I’m surprised cause he visits Aurora very often. Any idea why he hasn’t traveled here yet?”
“No idea,” Robin replied “I’ve been waiting for him to get in touch, but I haven’t received anything, neither a call nor a holo-projection. Which is odd cause Emit doesn’t usually disappear off the radar like that.”
“That’s because he was arrested,” Judith quickly answered.
“Arrested?” Robin and Dustin asked in unison and turning to Judith -once again-, at the same time.
“Yeah”, she replied “He was taken in custody shortly after Rob’s departure.”
“And you’re just now telling me?” Dustin exploded.
“Well, how was I supposed to know that you were interested in hearing it?” Judith complained.
“Jud, don’t you understand? That’s vital information, you should have told me.”
“You? Why?”
“Because then I could have told Rob immediately”.
“Oh, yeah? And why should you have the exclusive on Rob’s affairs? I can tell him myself, he’s my friend too, you know, since before you met him.”
“But I am your fiance, Judith, you’d have to trust me and tell me everything first.”
“Hey, Dust, leave her alone,” Robin intervened. “I appreciate your concern, but Judy has nothing to do with my problems, nor is she obligated to report anything. “
“I’m sorry, Rob. I was going to tell you, I swear, I was just waiting for the right time. I have so much on my mind right now, with the wedding and all that”, Judith replied sheepishly.
“Oh, you don’t have to apologize, dear, I understand, and I’m sure Dust does too. Now, may I know what is Emit being charged with?
“Bribery of government guards, tampering with checkpoints, illegal operation of the time portal, and conspiracy to aid a fugitive.”
“Wow, that’s too many charges.”
“Yeah, but don’t worry, they couldn’t find a shred of evidence against him and had to let him go free.”
“Just like that? I mean, it’s a relief to know he’s free now, but I find it strange knowing how the Council does things”.
“Yeah, that’s pretty weird,” Dustin added.
Episode 156: Good and Bad News (Again)
“So, tell me Jud, what else have you heard? Are they still looking for me?” Robin asked.
“The cops aren’t anymore. But the Council is still waiting for you. They agreed to drop the charges if you appear and testify of your own free will.
Emit pledged to bring you before the board himself, so for now, they have deactivated the arrest warrant.”
“Really?” Robin’s eyes lit up. “That means I’ll be able to return to Oasis Landing and rescue Collin”.
“See? It’s all fixed buddy, you don’t have to worry anymore, all you have to do is get on the portal and go back to the Future”, Dustin exclaimed excitedly.
“Erm, not so fast guys,” Judith cut in. “There’s yet another condition.”
The smiles vanished from Dustin’s and Robin’s faces.
“Another condition? Which one?” Robin asked.
“The Council will hear your testimony and possibly return your Time Traveler’s pass, IF you attend the appointment, you left pending with the RSL.”
“Oh, no, they’re still on about that. Why is it so important to them?”
“I asked Emit the exact same thing, he said he couldn’t tell me anything, apparently it’s a secret of state,” Judith complained.
“A secret of state? Funny, Emit never had any secrets from me, or so I believe”.
“I don’t know about you, but I think Emit knows more than he admits to knowing,” Dustin added.
“What exactly do you mean?”
“I mean he may not only know what the RSL is after, but he may also know what’s in that locked file.”
Robin took a minute to think. The first thing that came to his mind was the message that Emit had sent him with Kaleigh before his abrupt escape: on no account should he attend the RSL’s call. Had he changed his mind and accepted this as a condition?
Episode 157: Evaluating Risk
“Emit told Kaleigh that under no circumstances should I get near the RSL people. He has never trusted them, and now he accepts that I go to see them? Maybe he has a plan to approach them safely… Well, if going to that meeting is the only way I can get Collin back and he approves, there’s nothing to talk about, I’ll take the risk.”
“Rob? You’ve become so quiet, is something bothering you?” Judith’s voice brought him back to the present moment.
“No, it’s just– Did Emit say anything else to you? Like if he’s okay with me going to that appointment?”
“He didn’t tell me, but he made it very clear that for anything in the world should you go to those labs without talking to him first.”
“I agree with Emit”, Dustin said. “You can’t trust those guys. They seem a bit shady to me. You shouldn’t trust the darn Council either, their deal sounds too easy to be true. It may be a trap.”
“A trap?” Why and what for?
“To steal your DNA, of course. Maybe they found out that you have some kind of superpower and want to make clones out of you”.
“A superpower? Come on, Dust. This isn’t a sci-fi movie. As for the clones, they have my DNA already, they have the copyrights of it, they can scan it, clone it, sell it, whatever they want to do with it.”
“That’s… creepy.”
“Yeah, well, it’s the Future, isn’t it?” Robin sighed.
“I don’t trust the RSL either”, Judith chimed in. “But I do trust Emit, he wouldn’t put you in danger, that’s why he told you to wait for his call. Do it Rob, trust him, he surely has some plan,” Judith stated.
“Of course I trust Emit, he’s like the father I never met.”
“But that we might find soon” Dustin clarified.
“I hope so,” Robin sighed.
“So do I”, Judith reaffirmed.
“Please, promise me that you’ll wait for Emit’s call before making any move”, Judith asked.
“It will be difficult, but I have to wait for the file to be unlocked anyway, so I promise you, and I thank you for the valuable intel”.
“You’re most welcome, dear” Judy smiled. “Well, I’ll leave now. You guys have to talk, and I have shopping to do. Maybe I’ll phone Juliette and ask her to go with me, I’m dying to meet little Rowan. Dust says he’s a charmer, I don’t doubt it. Like father, like son”.
Robin instantly flushed.
“Er–I think he looks more like Jul, but thanks anyway”, he answered.
“Yeah, Row’s handsomeness definitely comes from the Shens — No offense”, Dustin added.
“Aw, come on, baby. Don’t be jealous. You’re not that kind.”
“No, but Juliet is, so watch out”.
“That’s true. I can’t blame her, though. I’d be wary too if I had to share Rob with that one, what’s her name?”
“Jud, I mean it.”
“Ok, ok, I’m leaving. I’ll see you at the mall, love. Don’t be late,” Judith said, giving Dustin a kiss.
“Bye, Rob! Don’t hold him for too long or I’ll be the one who gets jealous!” She shouted as she walked toward the street.
“Please don’t take it personally”, Dustin said flushed. “You know Judy, she’s not the image of discretion”.
“Don’t worry, I’m used to it. We’ve known each other since kindergarten”.
“Really? And, er, how well do you ‘know’ each other?”
“Easy, Dust. Judy is the closest thing I’ve ever had to a sister”.
“I’m sorry. She’s right, I’m not the jealous type, I’m a scientist after all, mind over matter, you know”.
“If you say so”.
“It’s true, I just love her so much that sometimes I can’t help myself”.
“I know exactly what you mean”.
“Of course you do”.
Episode 158: Straight to the Point
“Alone at last, now we can really talk in peace”, Dustin said, as the cab pulled away, taking Judy with it.
“Well, you told me that the file is still locked but your father will crack it. And Judith filled us in on what’s going on in Oasis Landing, so what else did you mean to tell me? No more bad news, I hope,” Robin told him.
“Oh no, not at all. The subject to be discussed now is a bit more pleasant, although it’s not without some concern. In any case we’d better sit down. Would you like something to eat?”
“Oh, no thanks, I had something before I came”.
“How about coffee?”
“Sure, I could use some.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
They both went to the kitchen where Dustin quickly poured coffee from his cutting-edge coffee maker. When they both had their cups, they grabbed a seat and, after a couple of sips, Dustin resumed the conversation:
“Okay, I’ll get to the point, let’s start with our document: I couldn’t unlock it myself. First, because to block it they used technology out of my league. Second, because Judy has me so busy, I barely have time to sit in front of the computer, and if I do, she comes out of wherever she is to ask me to take her somewhere, or for her and me to – well, you know.”
“I know what you’re talking about,” Robin replied, suppressing a smirk.
“So, I declared myself incompetent and turned to my dad. He knows more about this stuff than I do, he’ll be able to unlock that document without issue. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, it sounds good to me.”
“It is, I just hope it really does contain the information you’re so hoping for, as well as an explanation as to why the RSL is so eager to catch up with you.”
“Well, if my parents are alive, – and I hope they are – maybe they have the answer to the latter,” Robin sighed.
“Hopefully. Although I’m almost sure Emit already knows that information, he’s just not ready to give it up yet.”
“Okay, we’ll see who reveals it to us first, your father or Emit.”
Episode 159: Privileges
A little later, after exhausting the topic of the document and the possibility that Robin’s parents were alive, Dustin and Robin moved on to the topic of his possible appearance before the Oasis Landing court and the grounds on which he was to be judged.
“Seriously, who goes after and tries to imprison a man for having more than two children?” Dustin inquired.
“The Oasis Landing Population Council, I guess,” Robin replied.
“I know, but it’s preposterous. Of course, I’m not saying that Oasis Landing is the only place with nonsense laws, I just thought that in the future humans would be more like… free.”
“Oh, we are, but in the book of the Council two children are more than one man can handle. And if you have them by the forbidden method, the infraction is double.”
“Forbidden method, that blows my mind, I mean, I know Oasis Landing families who certainly didn’t ‘engineered’ their children. My parents, for instance, and Judith’s.”
“Because they’re privileged citizens. If you’ve worked for the Council like Mr. Planeson, your family enjoys a lot of benefits other people can’t even dream of having.”
“So, in the future pretty much everything remains the same: the rich and powerful have all the good stuff and the common people stay poor as ever”.
“There are no rich and poor in 2054, everyone has access to a comfortable life, it’s just that the privileged get everything sooner and faster than an ordinary citizen.
“Privileged and ordinary, is that some kind of social class system?”
“No, ‘class’ is something else. You don’t get it from privileges, nor from the money you earn, but from your behavior. If you behave well and obey the law, you’re a good citizen, if not…”
“I get the picture. And you’re cool with that?”
“I was for a while, in my early youth, before everything that happened. I knew the system wasn’t perfect, but I had a decent life. Besides, beggars can’t be choosers, you know? I’m an orphan, I grew up in a community center and thanks to the Council I got to where I am.”
“To the Council or Emit?”
“Emit was my intercessor, but if I got into the Time Academy and ended up being a Traveler, it was because the Council approved me.”
Episode 160: An Ordinary Guy?
“So, you’re a privileged one too?”
“Nope, I’m far from it, but I have a good job, a comfortable home, which is more than an orphan boy could wish for.”
“But you wish for so much more, don’t you? To have a family, to have the kids you want with whomever you want. That could take credits away from you with the Council, as is happening now”.
“I know, but I don’t care, I want to rescue Collin, get Rowan and Juliette back. And why not? Give the ocean back to Oasis Landing so they can have a better future”, Robin stated.
“Recovering the sea… a task for a hero. In that case, I guess you could use some superpowers then.”
“Again with that? I’m not a superhero, Dust. I’m just an ordinary guy.”
“Not so ordinary, I suppose, for the overlords of genetic engineering to seek you out so eagerly. I insist there must be something extraordinary about you that has sparked their interest. Don’t forget what happened the night of the explosion, your… self-healing and all that.”
“Yeah, that was strange, but I doubt it’s a superpower. A mutation maybe, if anything.”
“A very convenient one, isn’t it? To always be out and about, completely healthy and full of energy, that’s what every man wants. It would suit me just fine now that I’m about to go on my honeymoon, not to mention married guys like you.”
Robin found it hard not to spit out his espresso.
“From your reaction I guess a superpower does help”, Dustin joked.
“Yeah, well… sometimes” Robin admitted, blushing, and struggling not to choke on his coffee.
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