Chapter 5 – Universe Number Six
Ronnie had just fallen asleep when the computer spoke to him with a voice inflection that Ronnie knew meant there was a serious problem. As Ronnie’s feet hit the floor, he heard Connie talking in the hallway and coming towards his doorway. When she walked into his room she had the pajamas on, and the computer was blabbering away to her. She walked up very close to Ronnie, but said nothing, instead letting the computer and Ronnie interface. Connie knew that the problem was serious and she stepped back to allow Ronnie room to finish dressing. Ronnie told Connie she needed to dress in her clothes and boots quickly, as they needed to visit his sister Janet and the girls immediately.
Connie ran to her room and returned buttoning up her shirt as she walked into the ready room. She listened and soon realized the problem. She quickly sat down on a chair and tied the laces of her boots. She stood up, waited for Ronnie to finish fastening the buckle of his weapons belt he now had around his waist. When he was ready, she stepped up very close to him, wrapped her arms around his waist, rested her head on his shoulder and prepared to teleport to the planet Quantum’s surface.
Ronnie touched the green button on his travel watch and they were instantly standing on the front porch of Janet’s house. Ronnie told Connie to remain motionless for a moment to be sure they were alone, and to insure her body was stable, as he needed her well and functioning to assist him in getting the girls back to The Empress quickly. Ronnie knocked very hard on the front door, then removed a key from his pocket and unlocked the door, stepped inside and spoke loudly to insure that Janet and the girls recognized his voice. When Janet came running into the kitchen, Ronnie spoke to her, explained they were all in grave danger and needed to board The Empress immediately. Connie was already wrapping Monica in a blanket and picking her up in her arms, and then quickly lifted Frederica into her other arm.
Janet had grabbed a weapon, her money belt from the safe and moved to Ronnie’s side. They all held each other close as Ronnie pressed the green button on his travel watch. They were all now standing inside the ready room, and Connie began moving the girls into the kitchen to get them out of Ronnie’s way. He needed only his sister Janet with him in the ready room for now. Connie settled the girls on the sofa along side of the kitchen area, and began calming them. Then she began answering Frederica’s questions, trying to tell her the truth without frightening her to death. Connie made the girls some hot chocolate, put miniature marshmallows on top and sat with them as they regained their composure.
Janet stepped into the kitchen area, saw the girls needed nothing that Connie had not already provided them and returned to the ready room with her brother. Connie felt a tiny bit of movement, as if a light wind had blown on the side of The Empress, but felt nothing more to indicate they were traveling. Then Janet stepped into the kitchen she told Connie that she should go to the ready room; then listen quietly to Ronnie and the computer discuss the problem and their plans. Janet sat down with her girls as Connie quickly moved into the ready room, sat down in the copilot’s seat, watched the monitor screen and listened to the computer and Ronnie work.
Ronnie finished discussing the problem with someone he knew very well on a secure radio channel, then leaned back in his captain’s chair, turned his head to Connie and smiled. He asked how she was doing and if the teleportation had upset her body. Connie told him she was too busy worrying about the children to be sick. Ronnie reached over, squeezed her hand and said she had done very well with the emergency. “You did exactly what I needed you to do without one word of instruction. You handled the situation like a professional. Welcome aboard Connie, but I need to tell you that I am sorry to put you and my family through this mess.” Connie reminded him that her boyfriend was the one who had created this mess in the first place.
The radio crackled to life and Ronnie was once again talking to someone on the secure channel. Ronnie said they would move into a geosynchronous orbit so the planet would block them from the Federation cops scanning from the direction of Earth. Connie reached up to the keyboard in front of her and typed in the words, define, geosynchronous orbit. The monitor screen quickly filled with a description explaining that the geosynchronous orbit would lock The Empress in a stable position, so the planet Earth would never move into their view, possibly hiding them from the Federation scanners.
Connie asked Ronnie how the Federation had found them. Ronnie said the Federation knew the last location where the cops had visited, which was The Empress. They used that eleventh-dimension string energy signature to identify The Empress, and then scanned the universe until they found an identical signature. Connie then wanted to know if the Federation could find them at their new home just as easily as they found them the first time. Ronnie smiled and said that they were traveling to a different universe, so far from Earth that the Federations scanners should not easily find them. They would also be hiding behind a planet making it very difficult for the Federation to scan them if they did enter this universe. Even if they did locate them, they had no jurisdiction or extradition rights in Universe Number Six. Connie asked how many universes there were, other than the one that contained the planet Earth. Ronnie said he did not know exactly but he read a report a month or so ago, that said the astrophysicists’ had discovered sixty-four at the time of the report.
As Ronnie talked to Connie, the travel computer began the process of jump-out from Universe Number Two (the universe that planet Earth is located in), then within another few minutes began the jump-in process into the speck that was Universe Number Six, the universe that would ultimately hide The Empress and its occupants. Within seconds, the sound of an entity speaking Chitter came across the Super 11 radio transponder. The voice asked Ronnie for identification and Ronnie quickly began identifying The Empress. He gave his own name, his Federation I.D. number, and the number of occupants aboard The Empress. Ronnie spoke and spelled the names of each of his crewmembers aboard The Empress, and the radio went silent. Connie could not contain herself and asked if something was wrong? Ronnie smiled at her and said, “Connie, shut up.” Connie smiled back, folded her hands in her lap, and sat quietly listening for the radio operator to give them clearance to continue. It seemed like hours to Connie, but the operator soon came back and cleared Ronnie to continue towards the destination shown in his flight plan.
As Ronnie settled The Empress into the geosynchronous orbit around the planet of Keemus, Ronnie told Connie she could now talk and ask as many questions as she needed. Connie looked at him and said, “I am much to pissed at you for telling me to shut up to have a civil conversation with you in the next few hours or at least until you apologize for being so rude to me, but I do have one question that needs to be answered.” Ronnie began to speak, but was interrupted by Connie, so he shut his mouth and waited. Connie continued talking, as if she would explode if she did not speak the words she had stored in her mind. Connie finally asked, “What universe did Janet and the girls live in?” Ronnie explained that they lived in the same universe as planet Earth, but in a different galaxy, one called Fusion. Connie only thought a moment or so, and then started to ask what universe they were in right now, but did not finish the question. Instead, she said that she needed to help get two girls into a bed where they could try to settle down and get some sleep.
Ronnie asked Connie to put Janet and the girls into her room for now and he would create a room for her in a few minutes. Ronnie asked Connie to come back to the ready room if she wanted to see how he created new living spaces and rearranged the furniture in The Empress using the computers software. Connie asked if she could move the furniture, and Ronnie said she certainly could, because he had a sore back. Connie walked out of the ready room, then walked back around, swatted Ronnie on the shoulder and said “Ha - ha, real funny.”
Connie helped the girls move their stuff into her room and then left them to get ready for bed on their own. She moved her stuff into Ronnie’s room until Ronnie created her new qua
rters. Connie then found two blankets for her and Janet to wrap up in, as they were both tired and cold. Connie made herself and Janet a cup of hot chocolate, and then they both went to the ready room to help Ronnie create new quarters for Connie.
Ronnie had Connie sit down in the copilot’s seat and began showing her how to first create a room, and then add a door, then closets. Since this was going to be Connie’s room for as long as she was aboard The Empress, he let her located the bed, the bathroom, the dresser, the monitor screen, and all the other things the room required to make her comfortable. With the rooms layout safely stored in the computer software, Connie looked at him and said, “Well, we have a nice design; but who does all the work to actually create the thing?” Ronnie looked at her and said, “You do, my dear.” Connie just looked at him, not understanding. Finally, Connie commented, “I am not a carpenter, or an electrician, or a plumber.” Ronnie laughed and explained that once they had created the room in software, the computer would modify the travel membrane to match the new floor plan. Connie said, “No, you are just teasing me again. I am too tired for jokes, so quit fucking with me.” Ronnie laughed, asked Connie to press the enter button. She did, and a dialogue box appeared asking for a password before reconfiguring the membrane. Ronnie spoke to the computer so it understood his voiceprint, and the screen displayed a second box that stated, “Reconfiguration complete.”
The computer spoke to Ronnie, explaining that they could now enter Connie’s new quarters. Just then, Frederica and Monica entered the ready room. Ronnie stood up and asked the girls if they would like to inspect Connie’s new quarters. Both girls laughed at Ronnie as he walked out of the ready room and down the hallway. The girls followed and now Connie realized there was another door in the hallway, just past the existing bathroom that was not there a few minutes ago. She stepped past Ronnie and opened the door, expecting Ronnie to say, “Stupid girl,” but he did not. Connie turned the door handle and the door opened. She stepped inside her new living quarters. She walked to the bed and it was real, she turned on the faucet in the sink and it worked. She turned on the monitor and it worked. Connie stood in the center of the room and said, “Incredible, simple incredible.”
Ronnie went back to the ready room and created another room with two beds for the girls to share. When the room was complete, Ronnie said that he would help Janet modify her room, make it more comfortable and put in a few of the things that would make it, her room. Next, Ronnie let the girls rearrange the kitchen and dining area as they wanted, adding in proper lighting, work counters, an eating table with proper chairs, sinks with running water, and a hundred other things the girls decided were essential. When they were very satisfied with their layout, Ronnie spoke to the computer, and the computer made the changes and displayed the message on the screen, “Reconfiguration complete.” The girls almost tripped over each other getting to the new kitchen to see the results of their labors. They both had smiles, and were very satisfied.
It was about two hours later when the girls woke up from their short night’s sleep. Janet and Connie took turns rearranging their rooms to make tiny little improvements. When Connie was certain she was happy with the layout, she asked Ronnie if he would do her the pleasure of rearranging her room. Ronnie spoke to the computer with his mind, and then typed a note on the screen in front of Connie with a password. Ronnie asked the computer to create a file for Connie to use to store the things that were personal and important to her. When the file appeared, Ronnie used his finger to drag the password name into the folder. Then he tapped it twice and the file opened. Ronnie spoke aloud to the computer, “Computer, please make this file accessible only to Connie. This is her personal hiding place and no one including myself needs access to it. Computer, would you please explain to Connie who has access to Connie’s personal file?” The computer, spoke aloud, “Ronnie, only Connie and I have access to this file, and only in an emergency will I access it.” Ronnie spoke to the computer one more time, “Computer, I give verbal access for Connie to be able to rearrange her room as it suits her. Please check any changes Connie makes for safety and proper protocol before complying, and then implement the changes as she wishes.” The computer responded with three chirps, signaling its acknowledgement.
Connie leaned over and kissed Ronnie on the cheek. He blushed, stood up and left the room. Janet sat down in Ronnie’s captain’s chair, and began talking to Connie. Connie made a statement that surprised Janet. Connie looked into Janet’s eyes and said, “I hope I did not embarrass Ronnie with that kiss; I have very strong feelings towards your brother, but must learn to keep those feelings to myself because Ronnie only tolerates me because he does not know what else to do with me.” Janet sat quietly thinking about what Connie had just said, but could not keep her thoughts to herself any longer. Finally, Janet decided to speak her mind and said, “Connie, I think you are a very confused female. You need to close your mouth around Ronnie and spend a little more time looking into his eyes and listening to the words coming from his mouth. He likes you a lot, so much I can see him about to jump out of his skin when you touch him or make eye contact with him. He is in the kitchen right now drinking coffee, go have coffee with him and pay attention to his feelings towards you.” When Connie did not move, Janet said, “The longer you wait and think about it, the less time you have to spend alone with him before the girls wake up and occupy every moment of his time.” Connie stood up, reached down and put her hand on Janet’s shoulder, then turned and walked into the kitchen.