Journey of Rick Heiden Ch. 23-24

A minute later, a still dressing Cadmar and Rocke ran into the room, a smiling Maggie followed behind.

"Okay, thank you for waiting," said David. "You might hear more than me commenting, so do try to keep up. What do you want?"

"I wish to speak with you in private, Mr. Levitt."

"I'm sure you do, captain," said David, "but we have no secrets between any of us. Talk or don't talk, that's up to you, but it remains on speaker. I suggest you take this opportunity."

We could hear a sigh on the other end. "Very well, I should tell you that I am recording this conversation."

"Good," said David, "I appreciate the accuracy it will provide."

"Firstly, we wish for you to know that the Americans secretly had Monsieur Le Gal killed, and that the British Government does not sanction such acts and that we are dealing with them harshly as a result."

Yukiko said nothing, but her eyes closed in anguish. Julien's death upset us all; they took one of our friends from us, and we didn't take too kindly to that.

"Okay," said David, "but Her Majesty, the Queen, could have informed us of that from the throne of her private lavatory in Buckingham Palace. Why are you off our starboard?

"I am here to tell you that we admit we have made mistakes. We had nine years of your loyal service, Mr. Levitt; then, we treated you and your people abominably by aligning ourselves with the Americans rather than taking the opportunity to cultivate an unprecedented relationship between ourselves and your people on Jiyū. Our actions have been ignorant, reactionary, and shortsighted; for that, we humbly apologize."

They made an admission with a second-hand apology. It would have looked better and held more weight if the Prime Minister had made the apology in public.

We appreciate your willingness to admit it," said Aiden. "And now, the reason for your presence."

"Yes," said Captain Thurlow, "I have read your file, Mr. Levitt. The Right Honourable Ms. Newton of the Home Office has written extensively of your actions within her project. Many of us know you by reputation, but few of us know just how much you've done for us. You repeatedly helped our government save billions of pounds and avoid many potentially embarrassing situations, and much more that I will not speak of here. I see now why they've said nothing of your eccentricities, or your propensity to insert yourself into things beyond your purview. When you arrive, whatever you set yourself to accomplish, it's always better on the other side. It's for that reason we need you, Mr. Levitt. What we have done will harm the United Kingdom and this world; we see that now."

"I appreciate the recognition, Captain Thurlow," said David. "I could do without the ego-stroking, though. So, you want me to clean up your mess for you, is that it?"

I stared into David's eyes, and he shook his head. He had no intention of going with them.

"It's difficult to admit," said the captain, "but we've never faced, shall we say, 'alien' technology. It will require someone with expertise beyond our knowledge to help us get back on track, so yes. You would have an advisory position, of course. The problem is too big. You would need a great deal of help."

"Have the Americans tried to take control of the area around the portal yet?" asked Cadmar.

We could hear an agitated sigh on the other end. "Yes, that happened two days ago. It seems that the Americans we knew no longer exist. They appear disinterested in a partnership."

"They've changed rapidly after the end of the Cold War," I said.

"Yes," said Captain Thurlow.

"So, why keep cozy with them?" asked David.

"Better the devil you know than the one you don't," said the captain. "As it stands, Mr. Levitt, we don't want to go to war with the Americans, they outgun us, and my superiors tell me they keep bringing in soldiers, all of whom they have enhanced."

"Why can't you make them leave?" I asked.

"We would have many reasons it's not that simple," said the captain, "but I'm sure top people are working on that now."

"Do you know what they are doing around the portal?" Cadmar asked.

"Not precisely, but I have heard they have a lot of equipment."

"You know they want to get to the portal," said David, "and once they do, they will invade Jiyū."

"Can they get to the portal?" asked the captain.

"I don't know," said David, "but if we want a time when your people have a relationship with our people worth cultivating, you must ensure they don't. That is why we must return to Jiyū as quickly as possible. We must warn our people, and all this difficulty both you and the Americans have caused us hasn't made that easy."

"How can we know if you will return?" asked the captain.

"Captain, I don't know what the file you've read says about me, but if it doesn't, it should tell you that I'm a man of my word. I will return. I cannot tell you when because much of that is up to you, and what happens on Jiyū. You must keep the portal near London clear. One thing, though, the United Kingdom needs to strengthen its ties with Japan. Go to the Japanese Embassy in London. Tell them what's happened and that David Levitt, the Ambassador from Jiyū, wishes to make the same arrangement with the people of Japan as he does those of Britain and that I will make a formal offer to them later. In the meantime, they can think about it. I want to press upon you how important this is to everyone, especially to those of us on Jiyū, yet I'm trusting you to do this, and I expect you to trust me. If you can do that, and demonstrate your desire for a good relationship, our worlds could go far."

"What's in it for your people?" asked the captain.

"The people of Jiyū only seek a greater connection to their larger family," said David. "We are all family."

"I don't understand," said Captain Thurlow. "Why would you seek to befriend us? We have endangered your world, your lives, threatened you, allied with the people responsible for having killed one of your companions, and you still want to befriend us. Why?"

"Because we forgive you. That's what family does," said David.

"That makes no sense to me."

"We anxiously await a time when it makes all the sense in the world to every one of you," said David. "When that happens is up to you."

"And if we never do?"

"If you haven't destroyed yourselves utterly," said Cadmar, "there's always the possibility of change."

"So, now, the question is," said David, "what will you do to help us, rather than hinder?"

"Unlike you, I am under a chain of command," said the captain. "They have not authorized me to take any actions either way."

"That's an excellent answer for a cog in a bureaucratic machine, but-" said David, "what will you do as a human being?"

We heard only silence for at least a minute.

"I will have to get back to you," said Captain Thurlow, and the call abruptly ended.

"That was interesting," I said.

"What do you think he might do?" asked Rocke.

"Maybe nothing," said Cadmar.

"Perhaps," said David, "or it might be something. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt."

As the two ships continued to travel in parallel, the day went on as per usual with exercise, sun, meals, and conversation. Maggie told me something I would usually find interesting, but the news fell flat. I was beginning to see why David felt such things were none of his business. Not long ago, the gossip of Cadmar having slept in Rocke's room would have interested me, but I knew these people. I had too much love and respect for them to feel anything over it. As David would say, it had absolutely nothing to do with me. I appreciated that Maggie told me, if for no other reason than for me to learn that David was right. Maggie and I had a lengthy discussion about it. The conclusion resulted in registering the fact and moving on. We had, as usual, many more important things happening.

At every meal, Yukiko had sat next to a different member of our group, attempting to find where she would fit. That evening at dinner, she sat next to me. I had noticed she took to doing that the previous few meals. She asked me what Jiyū was like, and I told her the same as I did Maggie. I asked her what it felt like to be a CEO.

"It's like, I know I would find it rewarding if I could do my job without a group of men scrutinizing every decision I make because I'm a woman."

"You mean the board members," I said. "Isn't that their job?"

"Not to the degree the board has taken it with me. If I were a man, they would treat me differently."

"Would all the women in leadership positions have that problem?"

"I don't know. In a study, the sample size would be too small. Males dominate the culture of Japan, and the traditional roles of men and women remain in the minds of the citizenry. So, that fact alone tells me how far women still must go before men treat us as equals. When someone treats me poorly, it brings out my bad side. I know that doesn't help, but it often gets results. I don't like having to do that, though."

"What made Captain Okamoto not too thrilled with your visit when you arrived? He seems okay now."

"Oh that," she said. "He is my uncle. When last I saw him, we hadn't parted on good terms. I apologized to him and brought him a bottle of fifty-year-old, single malt Japanese whisky."

"Ah, he must like his whisky then," I said.

"Oh, he likes whisky okay," she said, "but he likes that I paid the equivalent of hundred and fifty thousand dollars for it."

"That's ridiculously expensive. Did the money you spend on it impress him enough to forgive you?"

"He's not interested in the money," she said. "He likes to keep the good stuff in his office to impress guests. I gave him the ability to do that, so he forgave me." She smiled.

It made me laugh. "It's funny the things that motivate people," I said, and I stared at her for a moment. "Why is it important that you help us? It's not just KGSC, is it?"

She smiled a little but looked down at her plate. "Julien told me you were perceptive. I haven't said anything because how we got here sounds highly improbable. Early on, KGSC solely had driven our involvement with you, and I admit that. However, I heard the surveillance, and a few coincidences resonated with me. Then, after Julien met you, whenever he contacted me with more information, more coincidences were added to the list. But when Julien told me that you believed you would find a portal in Japan, I felt like the pieces of my existence had fallen into place, and I made it my purpose to help you as best I could."

"That's quite a thing to say."

"Yes, I know," she said, "I find the significance of our interwoven circumstances a little intimidating."

"What makes you feel that way?"

"I grew up hearing a story that my family has repeated for ages. Someone may have embellished it at some point, but here it is. It's about two brothers. One, Yamato, a protector, lived in freedom. The other, Kosuke, a liberator, remained a slave to the emperor. The brother who lived in freedom protected many people, but he could only have done so because the other brother sacrificed himself by his enslavement. By living as a slave, he found people who longed for freedom and sent them to live with his protector brother. The emperor somehow discovered he was liberating people, and he caught the brother helping one of the emperor's daughters when he began forcing her to marry a man she despised. They sentenced him to death, but with the help of his son, he escaped. During their pursuit, they hid in a forest hoping to meet Yamato, his protector brother, but Kosuke couldn't find him. Before the Emperor's soldiers could capture him, he killed himself to preserve his honor, but before doing so, his son told him that he would ensure the family would never forget his sacrifice. My parents told me that our family descends from those people. For many years, I thought it nothing more than a family story, but when Julien told me of the possibility of a portal in Japan, all doubt had gone. I don't know if life destined me to help you, or if we live in a far smaller world than we think."

As I sat in awe of her story, I hadn't realized that all conversation at the table had ceased. Everyone listened, and no one said a word.

"Julien did all this for you, didn't he?" I asked.

She nodded and suddenly began to cry.

The image of a continuum of events had come into focus, leaving me speechless. I hugged Yukiko, and we stood next to the table like that for several minutes. It seemed that the entirety of the universe had come into alignment, and everything, at least for that moment of realization, was right with the world.

We drew near the Spratly Archipelago the next morning when Julien's mobile rang. While we had all assembled in the lounge --except Cadmar and Rocke, a call came from Captain Thurlow with an abrupt message.

"I have no time for debate or discussion," said the captain, "I'm trusting you; now you must trust me. After calling in a few favors, I have a helicopter en route to your ship; it could land at any moment. It will take you to Manila, where a jet awaits you, no questions asked. The Japanese will direct it to Toyama airport, where a government official will wait to help you bypass security. The Japanese government knows about you and is looking forward to your proposal upon your return. Good luck to you all."

With that, the call ended, our nautical companion veered to the right and headed back toward Singapore.

"This is sudden," said Maggie.

"Will you go?" asked Yukiko.

"Do you think we should?" David asked.

"Yes," she said. "I want you to make it home, and so would Julien."

"We're down two votes, but all in favor of bypassing this opportunity, say aye," David said. No one said a word.

Just before we scrambled to our cabins, I asked Yukiko, "Will you come with us?"

"I cannot," she said, "after Julien's death, I could use a few days alone before I go back to helming KGSC."

I nodded. "Thank you for everything you and Julien have done for us. It cost you dearly; I'm so sorry about that." I hugged her.

"If you return with David, I might see you again," she said. "I would like that."

I honestly didn't want to return to Earth, but I knew I would have to come back one day. At the least, David's absence would prove too agonizing. "We're a team, David and I," I said, glancing at David. "Where he goes, I go. If circumstances permit, we will meet again."

"Good," she said, "I'll inform Captain Okamoto of the change in plan and stop the ship."

As we raced to our cabins, I went to Rocke's room to get him and Cadmar; they jumped at the chance to go home sooner. When I left them to get ready, I suddenly felt the ship's engines disengage, and the vessel slowed. I found David packing our things and had sent Saburo to collect our laundry from below deck. We met him on the way out. David unceremoniously stuffed our bags with the clothing Saburo had neatly folded with an apology and gave him our thanks. He wished us good fortune.

We all stood on the deck, looking at the bow section with the helipad. A few minutes later, Yukiko joined us, and we hugged her goodbye.

"I couldn't imagine what might have happened to us if we could never have left England, so thank you," said Cadmar, holding tightly to the drone case. "I will remember you."

"I know you will."

"Without your part in my receiving the enhancement," said Rocke, "I would be dead. I don't have enhanced memory, but your brief presence in my life has been a gift that I will treasure." He kissed her hand, and she hugged him.

"Julien appreciated your leadership skills," she said. "If Jiyū has ships, they would do well to have you captain one. Good luck to you."

We didn't know what language our pilot would speak. I dreaded the notion of struggling to communicate with them. When the helicopter arrived fifteen minutes later, it pleased us to see how much room we had; it easily held six passengers. I sat in the co-pilot seat in the case of a language barrier. I did not need to worry; she came from Australia. We closed the side door and made lift-off.

The ship receded from my view as we flew northeast toward Manila. It had all happened so suddenly, and it frightened me a bit. I didn't know if we jumped headlong into a trap or not. It gave us no time to consider anything or weigh our options. We could have made a grave mistake, and if we had, we could not turn back.