The Reluctant Traveler, Chapter 7

A Conversation Between Disparate Souls

Chapter Seven
 

A Conversation Between Disparate Souls

         
         As Mark spoke with Ishmael, a young brunette woman entered the room. Mark looked at her and said, “Rhonda, help me Rhonda. No wait, that’s not right, Michelle, my belle!”
         
         Michelle looked at Mark and smiled. “That’s the first time you’ve come back and remembered who I am without being told. I think you’re beginning to adjust to these adventures you’re experiencing.”
         
         “I don’t know if I’m adjusting more, or if my memory’s improved some. In the recent past, it’s not been good at all. But it seems to get sharper with each passing day. Err, I mean minute I spend here.”
         
         Michelle smiled at Mark as she busied herself around the room, checking to make sure everything was just right. As she prepared to leave again, Ishmael stopped her. “Michelle, can you sit with Mark a few minutes? I need to go talk to Brian about the results from Mark’s past adventures.”
         
         “I would love to sit with Mark, Ish. Go share your findings, see what Brian has learned, we’ll be fine here.”
         
         “You’re sure you are okay with all this? It’s a lot you know.”
         
         “I will be fine, Mark will be fine, now get going!”
         
         Mark watched each of their faces as they spoke and could see the trust they had in each other. He found himself wondering what kind of relationship they had outside of work. After Ishmael left, Michelle sat near Mark and watched his wan features closely. Satisfied that all was fine for the moment, she sat back and relaxed.
         
         Mark glanced at her and couldn’t help wondering where she came from.
         
         “Michelle, how did you get in this business?”
         
         “What? Oh, working here? I have always been interested in the sciences. This field is new, just starting to explode into the forefront of science. Ish came up with this project, and I was lucky enough to join him.”
         
         “Ishmael, is that his real name?”
         
         “No, of course not. But he’s a huge fan of Moby Dick, his father read it to him as a youngster, and he’s read it many times himself. He adopted the name of the main character from that book as his pseudonym.”
         
         “Do you know his real name?”
         
         “Yes, of course.”
         
         “But you can’t or won’t tell me.”
         
         “No, it’s his decision, his alone.”
         
         Sensing this was a somewhat taboo subject, Mark changed the subject. “How did you get involved in this field?”
         
         “I have to say it started early in my life.”
         
         “Really, why. How early?”
         
         “My mother encouraged me.”
         
         “Not your father?”
         
         “My father was in the Marines; I was told he was deployed more than he was home. Shortly after my third birthday, he deployed again. He was a pilot; his squadron was involved in the bombing of the Bosnian Army that year, 1996. He didn’t die in combat; he died from a massive heart attack after a routine mission. The reports I eventually read said he was relaxing after returning from a particularly strenuous mission, reclining back in an easy chair. He started to get up, and as he did, he simply fell over and never moved. I was only three at the time, so I don’t remember him too well. I only know that my mother never got over his death. She kept a picture of him on her dresser and always said that if she ever fell in love again and her love died in some fashion; that she’d rather die with him than live life alone. She blamed no one and nothing. I know she had a broken heart that never healed.”
         
         “So your mother encouraged you to pursue a career in this field? Did she help get you into the right university?”
         
         At this point Michelle’s eyes welled with tears, her lower lip quivering. Seeing how upset she had become, Mark said, “Never mind, it’s not important. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
         
         “No, it’s fine Mark. You would think that after almost thirty years, that talking about this wouldn’t upset me so. But it does, and that’s fine. Let me start from the beginning. I was eight years old when my mother died. She was killed in a plane crash. My aunt was given custody of me and raised me here in San Francisco.”
         
         “I’m sorry to hear about your mother Michelle. Your aunt must have been a special lady to keep your mother’s wishes in mind, and help you get started.”
         
         Hearing that, Michelle chuckled as she wiped a tear from her eyes. “Aunt Sarah never wanted me to do anything other than what I wanted. For the longest time, I had no idea what I wanted to do. After reading how both my parents died, I became interested in the New Sciences. My aunt saw something in me though, and told me to specialize in this field; it was just getting off the ground. I had a decent inheritance from my parents which allowed me the chance to attend the most prestigious schools. So yes, Cal-Tech is where I decided to go. I studied with professors and scientists that were working on the cutting edge of this technology. I met Ishmael at a conference, and we hit it off quickly. He asked for my resume; I guess you could say the rest is history.”
         
         As she finished speaking, Michelle looked over to Mark and saw that he was once again gone. Her training kicked in as she busied herself. She calmly set the instruments to the correct settings to bring him back.
         
         Once done, she looked around and saw Ishmael watching her. “How long have you been standing there Jeffrey?
         
         “Long enough to listen to your conversation with Mark. You two have quite a rapport if you ask me.”
         
         “Oh don’t be preposterous Jeffrey.”
         
         “I’m not! If his memory was better, that would be one thing. But he seems drawn to you, even from the start.”
         
         “That’s not true. I do love caring for him, as I know you do too. That’s a large part of it.”
         
         “Yes, we both love caring for him, as we will anyone who decides to volunteer. To think that I almost didn’t hire you.”
         
         “What?” Michelle lunged toward Jeffrey, hands raised as if she was going to attack him
         
         Jeffrey laughed at her response and said, “You know I’m teasing you. You were going to be my assistant from the moment I saw you.”
         
         Abruptly Jeffrey changed the subject. “Everything set for his return?”
         
         “Yep, set exactly as we calculated in the lab, all we can do now, is wait of course.”

Jim Dorrell
8/18/19