Are you a published author looking to expand your reach? Find out how Living With Retirement can help you. <Find Out More Here>
The Stepping Stone
Chapter Eleven: A Difficult Adjustment
Scott A. Gese
Chapter 11
A Difficult Adjustment
“Tomorrow I need to figure out where my car ended up,” John mentioned.
“I'm sure the NSA impounded it. I'll make a call in the morning and see if it can be released. If so, you'll be able to pick it up without a problem,” replied Dawson.
John was relieved to hear that.
“And what am I to do?” questioned Marcus. “All I have are the clothes on my back.”
“You should have thought of that before you stepped through the portal,” replied Dawson.
“It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I'll have to figure something out.”
“Don't worry. I'll get you set up with what you need, including some work. You can help me with a few of my clients. In the meantime, you can stay here.”
“That's very kind of you, but I don't want to be a burden.”
“It's not a burden. Besides, what choice do you have?”
John chimed in. “This place is nothing like where you came from. You would end up on the street, and that's not a place you want to be, especially these days.”
“If you stick with my father, I have a feeling you'll do just fine,” added Darcy.
“Okay, you've convinced me,” replied Marcus. “I'll accept your offer, but anything you give me I'll consider a loan to be paid back in full.”
So it was settled. The following morning, Dawson made a call and had John's car released from the impound. When John was ready, he left to pick it up.
Darcy spent the morning with her father and Marcus before she went to school to find out what assignments she had missed and needed to make up.
That evening, Dawson began the task of integrating Marcus into his new society. With each new piece of information, Marcus couldn't believe how far behind this dimension was compared to his own. He had many questions about why things were the way they were and some thoughts on how things could be improved.
After a couple of days watching Dawson perform mundane tasks like preparing meals, Dawson decided it was time to take Marcus on a field trip. They went to the local grocery store to pick up a few things. Marcus was becoming familiar with the concept of preparing and cooking meals. He thought the idea was extremely labor-intensive and a huge time-waster compared to the replicator he was used to. Plus, the end result was seldom perfect: too hot, too cold, overcooked, undercooked, and sometimes just plain tasteless. It was always something.
The grocery store was beyond his comprehension. He couldn't believe all the rows, freezers, and bins of fresh, frozen, packaged, and canned food. “Where does all of this stuff come from?” he asked.
“It starts by being grown on farms. Once it's harvested, it's taken to factories where it's prepared and packaged before being sent to stores like this one.”
“What's a farm?” asked Marcus.
At this point, Dawson realized he and Marcus would need to take a few more field trips before he was up to speed on how things worked in this world. In the meantime, YouTube became their teacher for answering many of Marcus's questions. Even though he was unfamiliar with many processes in this world, Dawson began to see real value in the knowledge Marcus held, and the two started discussing how this knowledge could be advantageous.
What Marcus was beginning to realize was that most everything in this world was labor-intensive. There was a labor force where he came from, but it was nothing like what he was now seeing. Here, there was hardly enough time in the day to rest before the next one began, and what people earned was hardly enough to make ends meet. Many people didn’t have enough and ended up living on dirty sidewalks, begging for food and money to survive. Even the slave population where he came from was provided enough credits for the basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter.
Marcus was on a sharp learning curve, and so far, he was not impressed with what he was learning.
As each day passed, Marcus became more disillusioned and frustrated. He found this new place to be extremely inefficient. To him, there was too much worthless information to navigate in a very intellectually stifling environment. People manipulated and used each other for personal gain, disregarding anyone else's feelings as long as they got what they wanted out of the relationship. He worked with Dawson on implementing updated quantum computing software. As far as he was concerned, even Dawson was using him.
While Dawson focused his attention on working with Marcus, Milo had other plans. He had not forgotten how Dawson had convinced Colonel Anderson to allow him to take custody of Marcus. Milo believed there was more to Dawson than either of them was letting on, so he began his own investigation without the colonel's knowledge or approval. He uncovered every lead he could find. Either Marcus was so deeply embedded that there was nothing to discover, or he actually didn't exist, and there was nothing to find. While Marcus was certainly present now, Milo wondered if he had existed before Dawson returned through the portal.
Milo was convinced that Marcus had come back with Dawson. But why? Was he a national security risk? Something was amiss, and the more Milo thought about it, the more convinced he became that action was necessary. He decided to go above Colonel Anderson's head and talk to his superiors. If they were unaware of the situation, they were about to find out.
It was a mistake. When Milo approached his superiors, they had already been informed about Marcus. He was ordered to stand down regarding Dawson and Marcus. National security depended on it. If he disobeyed, he risked demotion or even dismissal from the agency.
Six months after Marcus had stepped through the portal, he realized he had made a mistake. He did not fit in. This world was in constant chaos, with rioting and killing seeming to be the norm. The cities were decaying; people lived on the streets, and everything was dirty. Each new revelation frustrated him. The experience was reshaping his outlook of the world he had left behind and what Quest was on the verge of achieving. He began to regret his decision to leave and started planning for his eventual return. He had no idea what might await him back home, only hoping that the Unknowns had managed to take control of the Elites' computer systems and that he wouldn't be quickly arrested and disappeared upon his return.
He hadn't left empty-handed. He knew how to activate the portal from this side, but the problem was that he didn't know exactly where to find it.
Fortunately, he knew the person who did. He recalled how John and Kara were growing fond of each other, and even though Quest had sent John back, he was convinced John would jump at the chance to see her again.
When the time was right, he would approach John with the idea and gauge his reaction. For now, he followed the agenda Dawson had laid out for him, babysitting the clients he had been assigned while waiting for the perfect moment to approach John.
That moment came one evening when John stopped by to see how he was doing. The two of them sat outside under the stars.
“It’s funny,” remarked Marcus, “the stars are almost identical to the ones I look at back home.”
“Do you miss where you came from?” asked John.
Marcus saw this as an opportunity to test John. “Yes, I do. Things are so different here. It’s hard to get used to it. Sometimes I think I'd like to go back. Just out of curiosity, do you miss Kara?”
“I think about her a lot. If Quest had been open to it, I would have stayed.”
That was exactly what Marcus had hoped to hear. “If you could go back for a visit, would you go?”
“I might, but I don't think Quest would allow it even if it were possible.”
“I'll tell you something in confidence. Can you keep a secret?”
“I've never been one to gossip. What's your secret? I'll keep it.”
“It is possible to go back. How would you like to take a vacation?”
“How is that possible? I thought...”
“In spite of what you and the others think, I know how to get back. This place is not for me, and I’d like to return home.”
“Does Dawson know this?”
“No, and don't say a word. I'm willing to take you with me, but I need you to lead me back to the gate. Can you do that?”
“Without me, you're stranded here, right?”
“I'm afraid that’s how it is. Can you... or should I say, are you willing to help me?”
John sat back and looked up at the stars, quiet as he thought it through. If he agreed, it would change the lives of more than just the two of them. He finally replied, “I may not be welcome there. Then what?”
“Then you leave.”
“That's possible?”
“Yes.”
“If I agreed, I would need you to leave something behind.”
“And what might that be?” Marcus questioned.
“You have knowledge of quantum computing that surpasses anything we know here. You know you're being watched very closely, don't you?”
“I only assumed so, but that makes sense. I'm surprised I have as much freedom as I do under the circumstances. What is it you want from me?”
“I don't want Dawson to be left empty-handed. I need you to leave him information that will make it impossible for the New World Order to implement their plan of enslavement. Your world went through this. You know the mistakes made on both sides. We need something that will give us the upper hand.”
“But the enslavement did happen in my time, and I was on the winning side,” replied Marcus.
“Exactly. Can you leave Dawson with some sort of information that will help keep it from happening here? He knows the right people and can ensure it reaches the right hands. It will be an insurance policy against those who might turn on him when we go missing.”
“I believe I can do that, but what I leave won't be a guarantee. Your freedom will ultimately depend on the will of the people, not on any information I might have.”
“Absolutely,” replied John. “If we don't have the will to fight for what we believe in, it will never happen. Our history is filled with these events.”
“If you agree to take me to the gate, I can also leave Dawson some advanced information on how to elevate his knowledge of quantum computing to a level he would never have thought possible in his lifetime. The knowledge will open the door to many scientific advancements.”
“Or world domination,” added John.
“Yes, I suppose that's true. It will depend on how your world chooses to handle the information. If it gets into the right hands, it will work out well. I believe Dawson is someone I can trust to make the right decision. Do you agree with that assessment?”
“I do,” replied John.
“Then do we have a deal?”
“We do, but you'll need to handwrite it on paper. Your computer is most likely being monitored.”
“I can manage that easily. I'll let you know when it’s ready.”
“Just text me the word 'Houdini.' I'll meet you here three hours after you send it.”
“Got it, Houdini. What's Houdini?”
“He was a magician. An escape artist.” John glanced at his watch. “It's late. I need to get going. I'll see you soon.”
Marcus walked John to the door. “When you show up after I text you, come prepared to leave.” As soon as John left the house, Marcus positioned himself in front of his computer. Once he circumvented those monitoring his keystrokes, he began to type.
He had been typing nonstop for several hours when he heard Dawson come in the front door. He paused long enough for a brief conversation but then excused himself, claiming he needed to finish some work for a client. Returning to his computer, he continued writing out the information he would leave for Dawson.
The sun had been up for over an hour when Marcus tapped the last key of his writing marathon. He downloaded the information along with a letter of explanation onto a thumb drive, then completely erased the computer's hard drive. He ensured there was no way for anyone to retrieve what he had written. He put the thumb drive in his pocket and collapsed on his bed, sleeping soundly for several hours.
When he awoke, he found he was once again alone in the house. He attached a short note to the thumb drive and placed it in Dawson's office where he would be sure to find it. He then texted a single word to John, sat down in the kitchen with a cup of hot coffee, and waited. There was nothing to pack; he came with only a laptop, and that would be all he left with.
Three hours after Marcus sent the text to John, there was a knock at the door. It was John. “That was fast. I expected it to take at least a couple of days.”
“It's basic stuff. I put it on a thumb drive and left it in Dawson's office where he's sure to find it. Are you ready?”
John was hesitant. “To tell you the truth, no, I'm not. I've decided not to go back with you. As much as I want to see Kara again, I think it's more important for me to stay here and help reverse the trend I see happening in this world. I'll get you to the portal, but I won't be going through it with you.”
“I don't blame you,” replied Marcus. “You would probably feel the same way I do now: lost in a world that makes no sense. Are you prepared to take me now?”
“Yes, of course. Let's go.”
They jumped into John's car and drove off, unaware that they were being followed. One of Milo's men kept his distance several cars back. Milo had never felt right about the 'Marcus' situation and had been keeping close tabs on him since day one. He had even gone over Colonel Anderson's head with his concerns but was ordered to stand down and told that the situation was under control. That didn't sit well with Milo. At the risk of his career, he refused to comply.
As luck would have it, road construction had reduced the road to one lane. They had to stop and wait in a long line as traffic from the opposite direction was let through. When it was finally their turn, they were the last car to make it past the flagman. The car behind them was stopped, as was Milo's man. John and Marcus continued on to the area where they would park the car and begin their hike.
They arrived without incident, got out, and started hiking. John noticed it almost immediately: the little-used deer trail showed signs of heavy foot traffic. “Something's not right. We're going back to the car.”
Once back in the car, Marcus questioned John about their return.
“The trail has been heavily used. We need to find another way in, and I know just where to go. It's a mile up the road, but we can park the car where it won't be seen. Can you hike an extra mile through some heavy brush?”
“I'll do whatever it takes. Just get me to the gate.”
“There's no problem getting you there. I know the way. My concern is what we might find when we get there. What if we can't get to the portal?”
“We'll work that out when we get there,” replied Marcus. “First, let's see what we're up against.”
“You sound like Dawson: calm and clear-headed. Like you know more than you're telling me.”
“That's because neither of us makes up stories or jumps to conclusions. We wait for the facts before making a decision. That's why we're both so good at what we do.”
John found the spot he was looking for and drove his car into the brush where it wouldn't be seen. The two men got out and started hiking. They would have to bushwhack through thick brush for about a mile. It was slow and tiresome, but two hours later, they found the trail John was looking for. It would take them within 300 feet of the original trail and around to the other side of the portal.
As they approached, John spotted a tripod set up directly on the original trail. If they had been on it, they certainly would have been seen. They quietly passed by.
As they neared their destination, they were surprised by what they saw. Surveillance equipment was everywhere, and a wide swath of ground had been cleared to make room for a high-security fence around the stairs. From what John could tell, there was no chance of getting close without being detected. Without speaking, Marcus motioned for them to move further away. Only when they were at a safe distance did Marcus speak.
“With all the equipment they have set up, I can only imagine there are listening devices in place. If you're not going with me, they mustn't know you're here.”
“This doesn't look good,” replied John. “How do you plan to get inside?”
Marcus, having developed a discerning eye over the years, easily spotted a flaw in the blockade. “You're forgetting I was the head of security where I come from. This is a fairly unsophisticated setup,” he replied. “I can disable the equipment from my laptop. But as soon as I do, it will probably set off an alert. My guess is I’ll have a few minutes before someone shows up. But before I do that, I’ll need to get past the fence. I have an idea.”
John was all ears.
Marcus continued, “The trees they cut to make their clearing are all along the edge. Once I disable the equipment, we can lean a couple of the smaller ones against the fence. I can use them to climb over. What do you think?”
“It sounds almost too simple to work, but I'm willing to give it a try.”
“Then that's what we'll do. Once I shut down this equipment, we'll only have a couple of minutes. We’ll need to scramble. As soon as the trees are in place, you head back into the woods.” Marcus pulled out his laptop and began to work his magic. Fifteen minutes later, he closed the lid. “It's done. Let's go.”
The two men hustled to the clearing and quickly found a couple of smaller trees they could handle. They leaned them against the fence. Before Marcus climbed over, he turned toward John, reached out his hand, and handed him a thumb drive. “Thank you.”
“What's this?” asked John.
“It's for you. The key to the gate should you ever change your mind. Don’t share it.”
“Maybe someday,” replied John as he slipped it into his pocket.
They shook hands, and Marcus turned away, easily breaching the security perimeter as John headed for the trees. No sooner had Marcus hit the ground than the distinct sound of an incoming helicopter could be heard. He scrambled up the stairs, set the laptop down on the ground, got on his knees, and began to feverishly type as the chopper grew closer. Marcus closed the laptop and stood up just as the chopper came into view over the trees. As it landed within the perimeter, the portal opened. Marcus stepped through just as several soldiers, along with Milo, jumped out of the chopper. Milo bounded up the stairs after Marcus, determined not to let him get away. The portal closed just as Milo jumped. He didn't realize it until it was too late. The rocks below quickly came up to greet him.
John headed back to his car the same way he had come in.
That evening, Dawson found the thumb drive Marcus had left for him. He opened it on his secure computer. There was a note explaining Marcus's reasons for going back home and what he had left him. Dawson downloaded the information onto a new drive—not all of it, just what he wanted to share with those he knew would eventually be knocking on his door. It would be enough to barter his way out of being arrested. The rest would be used for a lucrative retirement.
John returned to his writing. Since his return, he had been posting a daily column about what was happening in the world around him. He could have run and disappeared along with Marcus, but this was his world, and it was in trouble. He needed to do whatever he could to help save it. If it ever came to the point where he needed to bug out, he knew exactly where he would go.
The end
|
Click the Buy Me a Coffee button below to find out how you can help support this site. Thank you. |
Please Share this Website
Add this site to your social media pages by using the social media buttons below. Your friends will thank you for it.
Deep in the Oregon wilderness, a hidden staircase rises from the forest floor—steps leading to a previously unknown portal. On the other side can be found a society eerily similar to our own—Where darkness has been disguised as light, and true freedom has been hidden from the masses. <Read it Here For FREE>
A full length novel by Scott A. Gese
The day Sarah McKinney finally escaped the clutches of her abusive husband, she and her adopted son, Jason, began a perilous journey and a new life on the run. The future hangs in the balance as their unhappy past and the man they left behind threatens to catch up with them.
Our Top Five Most Read Articles/Short Stories for the Month of April
(and Five From the File)
<HERE>
Newest Article
Struggling With Balance Issues Could Become a Downfall for Older Adults
RDNE Stock Project/PexelsAs we age, maintaining balance becomes increasingly vital to our overall well-being. While mental and emotional balance is essential for a fulfilling retirement lifestyle, physical balance plays a crucial role in staying active, independent, and injury-free.<Read The Full Article Here>
Newest Short Story
An Unexpected Shark
By Scott A. Gese
Image Source: PiqselsThe “regulars” thought it was great fun inviting a new player to the table in what they called a suckers game. Tonight the odds would not be in their favor.<Read The Full Story Here>
Newest Classic Film
Kansas City Confidential
(1952) John Payne and Coleen Gray.
Four robbers hold up an armored truck getting away with over a million dollars in cash.