Keely Pt. 6

I'll entertain suggestions for the "heavy's" name. Who is likely to be a bad guy in the year 2030? I'm using Hsub because it is short, easy to type and a Bush by any other name is still a Bush. And a reminder: first draft here. Lighten up on the bad mouthing.

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That is, one moment she is gone and in the next she reappears standing beside Hsub. He is clearly startled. He says something to Keely and then reaches for her, but she steps away quickly. Before he can try again, she disappears for a second time and then, not quite instantaneously but close, she reappears behind her keyboards playing as before. The audience in the theater thinks it’s all part of the show and erupts in a spontaneous and noisy ovation. This was an effect they had never seen before. Their applause drowns out whatever Hsub says next, but his menacingly pointing finger directed at Keely speaks loudly enough and then he too disappears.

“Let me explain.” Keely says in the pod, no doubt looking at my completely puzzled expression. “For the past two weeks I’ve been trying to discover how Hsub got into my life stream and finally figured it out. It’s not hard to do actually, just a matter of applying some old DNA technology to what we have already been working with. Once I uncovered the method, I tweaked it a bit and now I can move through Hsub’s Past just as he does through mine. Difference is, I can do it faster. Now, whenever he appears, I can slide out of my moment like I just did and then slip into his through his life stream. I can also stay there longer than he can. Since he can only alter my life while he is in my stream, I can avoid him by jumping to his where only I can effect change.. He has to flee back to the Present, because wherever he goes in the Past, I can follow. In other words, I have to say one “jump” ahead of him.”

“Okay,” I say. “So you are not in danger for the moment, but you know he has to be working at catching up or worse…something worse.”

“Yeah, I do, Grandpa. And that’s why I’ve come up with a plan. But to make it work I’m going to need a lot of help. I’ll need Dad, maybe Mom if she's not baby sitting Cody's twins, both my brothers and Uncle Todd. These are my closest genetic relatives. I’d use you and Grandpa Fox , but, well, no offense, you are both too old. How fast can you round them up?”

“Me?” I ask, startled. “Why me? Can’t you do it?

“I have to stay here streaming. If I can get Hsub to chase me in the Past, his stream or mine, I’ll know he’s in a Pod and not working his lab in the Present. I’ll stall for time while you get our troops ready. Can you do it?

“But Keely they don’t know about any of this. They’ll think I’ve gone bonkers. How am I going to explain it?”

“I don’t know for sure, Grandpa, but I know you’ll find a way.”