Flung Out of Space (and Time)

It seemed to him that this Fenster knew nothing of the world and its workings. Or if he did know he didn't care to retain it. He seemed baffled to learn that with all of the available resources in the New World that Britain and France could not share the continent. The man spoke of a desire to break out, do his own thing, to escape. Monsignor Thierry convinced him that he could achieve escape through service to the King and the One True Church. He seemed a willing convert, to the army but not the church, mostly out of a desire to get as far away from his wife and their half-breed slave. In his years in this position he had heard the confession of many a man who hated his wife but very few who harbored the feelings this man did. He had murderous, hate-filled thoughts about his wife.

It was this dynamic that kept the Monsignor up at nights. A pagan's presence in this household was clearly having a deleterious effect on this good-hearted Frenchwoman and it was putting unnecessary strain on their master. He now worried what would happen to her should this man join the crown's army. In the third week of March the winter broke and the first hopeful signs of spring began appearing. As soon as he felt it was possible the Monsignor left his comfy, preferred estate and rode out into the quickly forming muck to where Fenster said his homestead was. Along the ride the snow is melting in patches, brownish green grass showing dotting the landscape, that turned the trail into a quagmire. Oh, the Monsignor dreamed of being called to the Holy Sea in Rome and it's weather that was about as opposite of this winter hell, dreamed it so hard that he believed if the French Army was successful in its fight against the British then his Cardinal would appoint him there. This was not a dream based in reality but he believed it as fervently as he believed in his god.

Riding along a trail that cuts through the woods the Monsignor gets closer and closer to the area Fenster claimed to live. It was only in the deepest part of his mind that the Monsignor questioned this man and what he told him but that portion of his mind was routinely ignored. Coming into a clearing he see's the cabin, just like the man described. The snow around it was in the process of melting while dark smoke pours out of the chimney. The Monsignor calls out Fenster's name, hoping the man will open the door and he will not have to get off of his horse and cross the muck filled area between him and the cabin. That does not happen and his heart sinks so he dismounts and his boots sink deep into the mire. With a scowl on his face he marches through this mud and then pounds on the door.

"Fenster, good sir, it is your dear friend, the Monsignor." He calls out, trying to sound friendly. Inside he can hear things rustling and hushed voices. From here he cannot make out who is speaking or what they are saying.

A tall woman, a good five or six inches taller than he is, opens the door and looks down on him. Her dress is ruffled and her hair is sinfully down. He recoils slightly before regaining his composure. She has opened the dear just a crack, meaning that he cannot see into the cabin. The woman stands there quietly and waits for him to speak.

"Good day, Madame, I seek your master." He starts.

"My mast..." The woman starts to question. She looks baffled.

"He asks of your Husband, Lady Delphine," a soft voice says behind the door.

"What of him?" The wife asks, insolence and defiance in her voice.

"I call after him, I wish to speak to him. He had agreed to join our Crown's Royal Army and it is time for him to report."

"He left, right around the first lasting snow. Claimed that he was going to ride out the winter in a logging camp before joining the Army this spring. He was to have sent money, do you bring said monies?" The more she speaks the more the Monsignor can see why Fenster was dismayed to have her as a wife.

"He made no mention of joining a logging camp. They don't operate in the winter either, Madame. Tell me where your husband is." The Monsignor doesn't trust a word out of this woman's mouth. Everything she says a lie straight from the Devil's lips.

"For all I know he is on the streets in Quebec, wasting every cent he earns on drink and whores. My husband was never one for the truth, had a fondness for liquor and fanciful tales, sire. He is not here and has abandoned us in our time of need. Please do not speak of him again."

With that she starts to close the door on him. The Monsignor is so shocked, the absolute disrespect this woman showed him has left him flabbergasted. He stands there staring at the closed door and the anger rises up in him. This man may well have run off; in fact, he sounded like he wanted to run off when they spoke in the fall but he makes up his mind, then and there, that this woman's behavior will not stand. Red faced and angry the Monsignor trudges through the mud back to his horse. As he goes to hoist his corpulent body up onto the saddle his muddy boot slips from the stirrup and he falls flat on his back, into the mud. The brown, oozing, cold mud sucks him in partially and dampens his clothing and defiles his face. He cries out in anger but the women in that house do not stir, do not come to his aide. Grumbling and cursing he works himself out of the muck and up onto his horse. The Monsignor rides away in anger and while he does he makes a plan.

For he recognized something back there that didn't reveal itself to him until after the fact, he had seen behavior like that before. A woman, or women, who had no respect for men and proper, Godly, authority. They rejected men in favor of women and in defiance of the Lord. He had seen that behavior among some of the heathens as well as with some of his nuns. Every time he encountered it he was made ill and felt the need to correct that open wickedness. As he rode he became more and more convinced that the heathen had made a pact with the devil to corrupt an innocent Frenchwoman into falling into lust with a woman and spurning her husband.

"Witchcraft, the Devils work!" He shouts to himself deep in the woods.

Monsignor Thierry angrily waves off the nun who tries to run to him when his horse approaches the abbey, seeing his sad state, and stomps into his room. Once changed and with the mud out of his hair he knows what must be done.

Chapter Eight: Chaos, Arriving

When we hear the man call out Fenster's name Jenna's thighs are wrapped around my head and my tongue is plunged deep into her core. We both jolt up at the interruption of our idyllic period, the feeling that we alone inhabited this world came crashing down. I jump out of bed and start smoothing down both my hair and my dress. Unfortunately the dress is dreadfully ruffled and not fixable but I feel good about smoothing out my hair. When I open the door I find an odd, repugnant man staring back at me like I'm less than. This pisses me the fuck off. When this shit refers to Fenster, my subordinate, as my master I just about loose it. Luckily Jenna reminds me that he is supposed to be my husband and I play along. Eventually I tire of his nonsense and close the door on him, hoping he will go away. We have but a week to make it until the device is fully charged and we can go home and I want no part of his nonsense. Right now there is nothing in the world I want more right now than to be home, to experience the sights and sounds of our bustling city again. I want to prep our ship for another run, though we will most likely have to go through an extensive debriefing period and hope to keep both our ship and our licenses, and cross systems again. I want to see planets again, and stars, and get out of this restrictive cabin.

I lean against the door and let out a loud exhale. Jenna shoots me a look that says: I think that worked. Then we hear him cry out and land in the mud. Through the window we see him cursing and grumbling, covered in thick mud. This strikes me as hilarious and I start belly laughing. Laughing in a way I haven't since our last run, since well before this nightmare started. Once I start Jenna joins in, before long we are both rolling on the ground with tears streaming down our faces at that pompous fuck getting stuck in the mud. Such a fitting place for him to end. When the laughter dies out we both get up and soon the mood turns serious again.

"Do you think he bought that bit about Fenster being in Quebec?" Jenna looks to me and asks.

"No, not at all," I reply, my tone serious. "Nero?"

"Go ahead Captain Ortega," his flat tone fills my ears.

"I need you to prep the drop ship, we need immediate EVAC tonight." I order.

"Understood, Captain."

"Also, keep an eye out on our surroundings. I fear a local Monsignor might return to our cabin with a mob."

"Mother and I will keep an eye out."

"Jenna," I turn to my lover. "We need to clean everything up here. Any personal effects should be packed or destroyed, we cannot leave the possibility of changing the timeline with something we've left."

She nods her head and we get to work. We strip everything down and make sure there are no signs of us being there. Jenna takes all of her carvings and tosses them into the fire with the slightest tinge of regret. I tear through the pile of blankets that Fenster used and find nothing and then we both check the bed. When I'm satisfied that everything is set for us to leave I get a notice from Nero and Mother.

"Captain Ortega, a group of twenty riders are closing in on your position."

"What direction are they coming from?" I demand.

"From the mail trail that heads north-northwest. Mother suggests that you head out the back window and head due east. While you may pass through some territory that you, as a Frenchwoman, may not be welcome in, Jenna will pass as one of them. Heading due east will lead you to a clearing that you should hit sometime around midnight. I will be waiting there with the drop ship."

I run over to the back window and throw it open. When I turn to Jenna she understands completely and she runs over and jumps out of it. This dress makes it hard but I follow her out and Mother calls out the directions for us to head. Jenna and I head deep into the thick woods, branches slapping into our arms and scratching our faces. The further we head into this dense woodland the darker and more ominous it gets. Behind us is the sound of men shouting in French, a steady stream of witches, burn them and whores. As the sun is starting to set we hear the snapping of branches in front of us. Suddenly two men, their bowstrings pulled back and arrows at the ready, step out from behind two trees and we come sliding to a halt in the muddy ground. Jenna calls out in Mi'qmaq and then men call something back to her.

The air is full of tension. Behind us there are men who want nothing more than to burn the two of us at the stake and in front of us are men who may want to kill us as well. The two Mi'qmaq men in front of us are angrily shouting and seem quite agitated. Jenna is doing her best to calm them down. She must be telling them of the Frenchmen who are heading our way. When she finishes they both stare at us. I feel a pit forming in my stomach. Deep down I know that we cannot rush their decision but I also now that we cannot just stand around here forever. Mother informs me that the men are getting close, are no more than a thousand yards from us. After what feels like forever we can hear the sounds of the Frenchmen behind us. It is only then that the Mi'qmaq men believe whatever Jenna told them. They tell her something and she grabs my hand.

Together we take off at a sprint again and as we move past the two men she was negotiating with I see many, many more. These men are warriors and are prepared for battle and the Frenchmen are running right into a trap. Darkness is starting to set and as it fully goes down we hear shouting behind us. The Mi'qmaq men are screaming war cries and the Frenchmen are screaming in surprise. I can only assume that this is not a battle but instead a slaughter. Mother tells us that we are heading in the right direction and that we will actually make the clearing well before midnight. We silently run, our eyes taking some time to adjust to the darkness and how it slows us down.

"Captain Ortega, the drop ship is circling above the clouds. I will descend as soon as you arrive." Nero informs me.

Panting heavily Jenna and I push on, forcing our legs to continue to pump and propel us forward. I can see how ancient man feared the darkness, how it can overwhelm and smother you. It is like a thick, heavy blanket that gets draped over you and amplifies all sounds. That amplification makes them worse, distorting them into grotesque and terrifying sounds. The woods at night and the sounds it makes will make one sure that there are monsters lurking in its depths. The heavy darkness gives way to a lighter darkness and above us I can see the twinkling of the stars, I cannot wait to be a part of them again. The clearing fills with the sounds of the drop ship descending from the sky. It lands softly and the door swooshes open. Jenna and I tumble into the door and it closes swiftly, with Nero quickly ascending back into the sky. My lover and I are sprawled on the floor, panting heavily.

"You two avoided quite the fight," Nero dryly comments. When we don't answer he continues. "The Monsignor and his men ran into the Mi'qmaq warriors. There was quite the scuffle and the Frenchmen were sent fleeing in retreat. Many were wounded but luckily for us no one died."

We don't catch our breath until the drop ship docks into the Elagabalus. Walking onto the ship I'm hit by a feeling of relief. We're back on solid ground, back in our element. Almost immediately I start tearing off the old clothes that Nero fabricated for us. Jenna looks at me in amazement as I'm soon stark naked in the middle of our ship. Leaving the pile where it is I walk back to the captain's quarters, my quarters, and slip into my old uniform. Jenna enters the room and starts taking off her own clothes. Once she's in her old uniform she looks at me. We both smile at each other and I motion her to come to me. When she gets to me I pull her into a hug. This hug is tight and we hold it for a long time. I pull my head back and stare deeply into her eyes. We've survived the worst thing imaginable, and while we're not out of it yet it doesn't diminish the feeling of relief that I feel washing over me.

"Jenna Hwang, I love you," I say while still locked into her eyes.

"And I love you more, Delphine Ortega."

With that she leans in and we kiss. I do my best to pull her body as far as it can into mine, our hips and stomachs pressing into each other. The two of us stay like that for what feels like hours, embracing each other and relishing the closeness of our bond. Going through this, surviving this nightmare, has bonded the two of us together in a way that is undeniable. Right then and there I know we'll be together forever, it doesn't matter what far flung section of space we wind up in, no matter what timeline we find ourselves in, the two of us will be together and in love. After we break our kiss off we walk back to the bridge, my arm around her shoulders with hers wrapped around my hips. I step over the pile of those filthy, horrid clothes and we pass through a place we haven't been in what seems like forever.

"Mother," I call out. "Status?"

"All systems are running normally, Captain Ortega. Power is operating at 15%. Lights have been activated with the return of the crew. The engine is in perfect condition and awaits ignition."

"Thank you Mother. Nero, what is the status of the device?"

"We are charged at 98%. I can say with 95% accuracy that if we attempted to use it now we can return home."

"Where will it drop us off?"

"That I do not know. Since I was not allowed to open the device, therefore knowing how it actually worked, I can only activate it. It seems that the device was programmed with a random year and place chosen, mainly for testing purposes. We can only assume that it will send us back to the time and place we were before."

"Jenna, objections to getting the fuck out of here?" I turn to my second in command and ask.

"None, my Captain," she replies with a slight nod.

"Very well. Mother, objections?"

"No, Captain Ortega, the likelihood of success is in excess of 96% whereas the success of trying to fly back to our proper system stands at .069%."

"Duly noted, go ahead Nero. Fire that puppy up."

He nods at me and then presses a button on the device. It starts to loudly hum before he hits a second button. We get that feeling of ripping through space again and when it stops I see a small, rocky planetoid in front of us. I can make out a base right before it lights up in a giant, orange explosion. The shock wave shakes the ship briefly.

"Mother, status." I call out.

"We have returned to the Jolanai system and the year is current."

Jenna and I jump up and I let out a little squeal. We hug briefly before I break it off, we need to get out of this system and we need to do it fast. I run over to the controls and fire up the engines. I bank up and to the right, hitting the thrusters to get us as far away from this planet as fast as we can.

"Mother, set course for us to get home." I call out. "Nero, I want you to file a report with the Company, stat. Before Jenna and I go under I want to make sure we have a home to go to. When done please prepare two stasis pods."

I don't let up on the thrusters until I feel that we have put a good quarter of the system between us and the base. Even then I keep them running as high as I think we can get away with. Nero leaves the room to file his report and prepare the stasis pods and is gone for well over an hour. He walks back in and stands in front of me at attention.

"Captain Ortega," he begins. "Company orders are for you to bring the ship back to Quantos. Once there a review before the board will be commenced."

"Good to hear. I want that device tossed into the incinerators, no trace. Do you understand my orders?"

"Yes, Captain, but the Company ordered me to bring it back untouched for further study." Nero starts to protest.

"We cannot let that fall into anyone's hands, do you understand? It is far too dangerous to be handled by anyone."

"A worthwhile concern. It will be done, I will file an amended report to state that the device burned up upon the return trip and was accidentally destroyed."

"Perfect, now start priming the engines for the jump. Before you do that I will follow you to the incinerator."

While the engines are priming Jenna, Nero and I watch as the device gets dropped into space just behind our thrusters and then incinerates in deep space. That thing is far too dangerous to just hand over to the Company for they will turn it over to the Confederation Fleet. Jenna and I choose to connect during the trip but we spend it lounging, just enjoying a peaceful and relaxing time while our ship makes to jump to our home system.

Chapter Nine: Closure, Open-Ended

First myself and then Jenna go before the review board over a period of a week. After the time on Earth a period in front of the review board feels easy. They commend us for returning the ship in one piece, in not damaging the timeline in any way and for not turning pirate when we returned. I was admonished, and had my pay docked, for having the device destroyed. They did not believe Nero's amended report and played his logs back, revealing my order. The board, six women and five men, was split on an 8-3 basis. Three wanted my licenses revoked and charges pressed against me. Another three agreed with my decision and the acknowledged the dangers the device presented. All told I was given control of the Elagabalus and Jenna maintained her position as my Lieutenant. When we walked into our cute, little apartment we both let out a loud sigh. My earlier plan had been for us to spend a few weeks in the apartment but after being cooped up in that cabin I don't allow that.