Bright Night Past Yesterday: Book One of Forever Tomorrow, Volume One of The Book of Tomorrows, Page 5

CHAPTER FOUR

  A TIME TO LIE

  1

  Yes.

  The word sounded out in her mind as if hearing it spoken for the first time, except not by her. The voice in her head was Michael’s from seven weeks ago in response to the same choice of a yes or no answer Max and Jean gave her. Although the question was different, the answer was the same. After being caught up for most of the ride home from the museum in silent contemplation, Eve offered Michael the similar option of an easy out. He did not have to give any reason for his answer, no questions asked or clarifying response owed, to which he simply replied.

  Yes.

  With just the one word, much had changed in both their lives. To be fair, it was a change she had been well prepared for, ready to accept of her own free will, even after he extended her the same opportunity to gracefully back out of their prearranged partnership. Eve did take solace in knowing the final decision was not hers, having consented long before they ever met. An increasing desire to spare him the knowledge of the deceptive nature behind their illicitly programmed match started to grow in her heart, wishing it could have derived through proper channels without being cognizant of Michael’s regal, hereditary birth or her own parentally motivated, clandestine mission. The stronger her feelings grew the harder it became to tell Michael the truth, not wanting to risk losing the real love she felt in his heart, a love they both shared. In good conscience, Eve believed she had no other choice, and it was the right thing to do. She refused to live the lie they were asking her, despite acquiescing to their covert agenda.

  Following a brief courtship, the strong, passionate attraction they instantly shared transformed into a deep, true love, which pleased everyone from the SBP to the FWF—with the latter related to her by an equally enthused Max and Jean. And even though they were sorry to see him go, Michael’s friends were also happy for him, especially after meeting Eve. The only one with any misgivings over their impending physical relationship was Eve. Not because her feelings weren’t real, it was because they were. The indecisive battle waging in her mind played out with Hamlet-like overtones of endless doubt. Whether to live the lie or not to live the lie was the question plaguing her mind. With the pressure to consummate their appointed duty coming from the opposing agendas of others, Eve felt more relief than anything else when Michael suggested waiting until after they got married before doing the deed. At heart, she even agreed with him. It should occur naturally in accordance with the couple’s free will of desire. Not some pre-programmed computer chip inserted in a slot and downloaded onto a hard drive.

  The time allotted by the SBP for insemination provided a short courting period to permit a more spontaneous progression of sexual intercourse to transpire. Conversely, the FWF had other motivating factors pushing their agenda forward, wanting to produce a quicker resolution for their future prosperity. The patience of the SBP was not eternal, either. Prospective couples were encouraged to have a bun in the oven within two months of acceptance, and should at least have experienced coitus before moving into their SBP suburban home.

  The carefully designed communities offered a stable environment conducive to raising children without any of the worries of old associated with the status quo of keeping up with the Jones. Families no longer had to live in fear of bad elements preying on Lindberg babies, OJ obsession murders, Menendez family slaughters, Manson cult killing sprees, or mutilated Bobbitt parts found along the roadside. There were no street gangs, home invasions, domestic abuses, sexual assaults, racial prejudices, or financial burdens breaking up a family’s tranquil existence, infecting them with any of the social ills of the past. Instead, they had fully functioning community centers, parks, and playgrounds with well-maintained equipment and grounds. All regionally located near residential neighborhoods and separated by a five-year age demographic among the children within a ten-block radius. The modern-day schools served every child’s educational needs, assigning each student a Career Counselor to help guide the pupil’s academic achievements throughout their entire education, right up to college graduation or completion of any vocational occupation training.

  Aside from the inevitable friendships born among the children, the living arrangements also bred a mutual bond—along with fetuses—amidst the women. With no petty jealousies, envious desires for material possessions, seductive betrayals of the heart, or long held bitter grudges dividing girlfriends into exclusive clicks, true friendships blossomed, creating a communal village mentality in place of generational blood relations. Through a process of systematically interbreeding the different races, a separation of people by bloodlines, nationalities, or hereditary cultures, including distinguishing characteristic traits indigenous to ancestral, geographic regions, had all but vanished. Overtime, a general complacency developed in most people willing to conform to their environment, the way water always seeks the path of least resistance. Still, there were unique individuals who had personalities that were insuppressible by any outside forces or influences.

  Eve had one of those free spirited, independent personalities her new girlfriends found so charming, which was a rather novel concept to her, not being real close with any of the schoolgirls she grew up around. She actually found herself enjoying the good life amid new friends. In a little over three weeks since moving into their SBP home, the welcoming gifts from friendly neighbors, hosting weekend barbecues, made Eve temporarily forget her underlining purpose for being there. With many common threads linking the couples together, especially the women, it was easy getting caught up in their world of wedding planning, baby showers, and kids’ birthday parties, including mandatory SBP fertility and parenting classes, which necessitated a slew of medical exams, prenatal exercises, fetal testing, and pediatric care. It also was where Eve found herself sitting on an early Friday morning.

  The sterilized décor of the stark white waiting room in the SBP Fertility and Pediatric Center seemed oddly out of place to Eve as she waited for her monthly. That was what the girls called it, “their monthly”, five of whom were sitting with her waiting for their mandated monthly appointment.

  “I have been getting some of the strangest cravings lately,” Hilary Edwards, a twenty-four-year-old, feisty redhead in her first trimester, admitted. The unusual yearnings were not a new experience for her, having gone through it before when her daughter, Kelly, was born a little over two years ago, then again, something felt quite different this time around.

  “Hey, so does my husband every time he gets an eyeful of these babies,” Amanda Erickson indicated the mammary enlargement her six months pregnant condition caused, evidenced by the voluptuously robust blonde’s bulging posture.

  “I had an incredible taste for sweets, and I don’t normally care for them,” Bridget Jackson said in a hushed voice while breastfeeding her newborn son.

  “What I have been dying for is the biggest, juiciest steak I can sink my teeth into or maybe some barbecue spare ribs or a couple fried chickens, which would not sound so bad, except that I am a vegetarian.” Hilary revealed the oddity of her cravings.

  “Maybe you are having twins,” Jackie Roberts interjected an unpopular alternative.

  The intention of the twenty-two year old dark brunette’s comment was unclear, but if she meant to cause uncertain tension; mission accomplished. Only Eve seemed unaware of the foreboding mood entering the fertile setting with an imagined rise in temperature felt by everyone, except her. Eve did not understand the dark omen the comment held in the minds’ of the others. Jackie was the latest addition to the neighborhood, moving in a week after Eve who, along with her, was the only resident on the block without a child or pregnant.

  The examination room door flung open as Kim Curtis burst in the room in a proclaiming moment of joy. “Hey, everybody, I’m knocked up.”

  The sprightly, exuberant announcement of the twenty-year-old newlywed brightened the mood in the room, followed shortly by another notification coming from a nurse appearing in the doorway.

&nb
sp; “Hilary and Kelly Edwards, come with me, please.”

  Getting up with a softening sigh, Hilary called her daughter over. “Come on, Kelly. It is time to go see the doctor for mommy’s sonogram.”

  Before going with her mother, Kelly put away the toys she was playing with in the toy area of the waiting room without a fuss, and then obediently walked over and took her mommy’s hand.

  “Are we going to see the baby in mommy’s belly?” Kelly asked.

  “That’s right, sweetie,” her mommy answered as they followed the nurse.

  Kim was in no hurry to leave and sat down next to Bridget for some paternal female bonding.

  “You have such a beautiful baby, and I just love the name you chose for your little darling,” Kim said brushing her long brunette bangs from her eyes.

  “Thank you, Jeff Bridges has such a nice ring to it,” Bridget answered as she finished feeding her infant, then held him up to her shoulder and gave him a gentle pat on the back. Grasping at mommy’s light-blonde hair, the little guy let out an audible belch, making the girls giggle.

  “Sounds like somebody has had their fill,” Bridget said holding up her son, which caused him to smile and reach out at the sight of mommy.

  “I heard natural childbirth can be painful, but I cannot imagine this fellow could have been much trouble,” Kim said sticking out a finger for him to grasp.

  “Would you like to hold him?” Bridget offered the future mother the opportunity to experience one of the joys of motherhood.

  “Oh, yes, please, thank you,” Kim accepted, gently taking the young tot in her arms as she cradled him in a protective basket hold.

  “I cannot lie. Natural childbirth can be pretty rough, but it is much better for the baby. What helped me get through the pain was thinking about how the Prophet Warrior’s mother gave birth alone in a cave on a dark and snowy night.”

  The story of the Prophet Warrior’s conception and birth had become the foundation of modern day folklore, passed down over the years with no historical record to verify or deny its accuracy. Much like her celebrated son, there was only little known about the woman who brought the savior of mankind into such a harsh world, including her name. As legend goes, her father was a good friend of The Author, and she helped him bury the anonymous writer with the original copy of The Book of Tomorrows after his murder at the hands of an angry mob. With the law of the land reverting back to survival of the fittest, the father and daughter managed to find sanctuary hiding out in a small town for the next five years, but fell victim to the savage barbarism plaguing the land. After her father’s brutal murder, the daughter was left for dead and pregnant. From that point on, facts blur with legend as the Prophet Warrior’s mother, while still carrying him in her womb, sought out and got bloody vengeance just before giving birth—although some insist it was during delivery. A nameless heroine, idolized by young girls as a contemporary superhero, whose only power was the love for a child, so cruelly brought into the world, she believed he was born to save it.

  All these years later, the legend lived in the hearts and minds of those who still believed in and needed heroes as Kim expounded upon one of the more outlandish tales. “I heard she actually had to fight off hostile intruders while giving birth.”

  “I was told she taught the Prophet Warrior how to wield a sword,” Amanda added in the stimulated manner of an excited child worshiping her idol.

  “Girl, what I want to know, how did you keep your figure so slim?” Jackie asked about more grounded matters, injecting another opinion before anyone could reply. “Something else men do not have to worry about. It’s just not fair.”

  A debate on how men got an easy job they enjoyed doing and how the women had to do all the hard work took precedent over weight gain issues as Jackie, Bridget, Kim, and Amanda gossiped back and forth like a feminist sewing circle extrapolating on the injustices between the sexes—a conversation that has been in continual momentum since women learned to talk.

  “They get to work while we are expecting.” “They do not have to spend as much time preparing for childcare with all the fertility and paternity classes we have to take.” “And they get their careers back on track quicker, most of the time without even missing a beat.”

  Eve neglected to participate in the discussion over gender bias, figuring that was the least of her worries and somewhat hypocritical, considering her present situation.

  “You know, it is a well-established school-of-thought, the first three years are the most important in a child’s emotional growth,” Bridget said, expounding on one of the awesome responsibilities of motherhood. “So I cannot think of a better place to be during that time. And if some men, or women, would rather spend the time advancing their careers over nurturing their offspring, then they do not know what they are missing, and by the time they do, it will be too late.”

  “I also read an article saying ninety percent of couples who get married stay together, compared to only fifty percent who do not,” Kim furnished another opinion relative to the subject at hand. “That is why Tim and I decided to get married right after I got pregnant.”

  “Looks like we will need to throw a bridal/baby shower combo,” Jackie stated the problem at hand, then offered an easy solution. “We can even have it my backyard, tomorrow afternoon.”

  Eve already read the article Kim mentioned. She found the statistic fascinating. It was something she also hoped for, in spite of the fact she decided to confess everything to Michael against the instructions of the FWF. Fearing a long, happy married life to the man she loved might not be in the cards, afterwards. Selected couples who wanted to copulate before moving into their new homes had access to special SBP hotels, motels, and resort areas, except Michael and Eve wanted to get to know each other before jumping in the sack. Their original plan was to have a backyard wedding service on the second weekend of living there, giving them time to settle in and get to know the neighbors. Then after a New York City expedition got moved up six months, Michael received a special leave, arranged at Jacob’s behest. Feeling she dodged a bullet, Eve agreed to postpone the nuptials, also knowing it only delayed the inevitable.

  As Eve waited for her appointment, the nervous anxiety she felt over her impending fertility examination weighed on her mind more than any delayed wedding ceremony, being that her virginity was still intact. Well, sort of intact. Eve found herself in the unenviable and unusual position of needing to fake it in a way probably never conceived of at the present time. She needed to find a way to break her own hymen without the aid of any personal, penetrating devices from the past that were no longer part of the current culture. Her desire to be honest with Michael before taking the plunge, so to speak, forced Eve to resort to the unconventional means of utilizing various fruits and vegetables to accomplish the ruse. Not that she did not long for the real thing after spending the first week in their new home sleeping next to each other, curled around his warm, welcoming body, something she missed every night since his departure. At least he would be home tonight, maybe even when she got back, but would he still want her after learning the truth.

  The waiting room door flung open a second time with the same applied force of someone on the other side wanting to get out their news just as eagerly, but their announcement’s delivery had a decidedly different tone.

  “Damn, I am having twins,” Hilary stated in a distantly confused voice to go along with the faraway look in her eyes.

  2

  “I guess however it is viewed does not matter. It is still an amazing sight to behold.”

  Michael turned around at the sound of a familiar voice.

  “Jacob, what are you doing here?”

  “Just in the neighborhood and thought I would drop by.”

  After a friendly handshake, Jacob stepped up and looked out from Michael’s previous vantage point.

  “Now there is something you don’t see every day.”

  The noonday sun resting high over the New York Ci
ty skyline skewed quite a different perspective normally observable from the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, directly across from mid-town Manhattan. Even viewed from a distance, the cruise ship rammed through the Empire State Building definitely seemed out of place. Five or six stories from the top of the iconic skyscraper, the ship’s stern protruded from the front of the famous building with the bow sticking out the back, forming an almost perfect T.

  “If you think that is something, check out the view with these babies,” Michael suggested as he took off a pair of high-powered binoculars with a built in digital camera and handed them to Jacob.

  A panoramic view of the entire New York City skyline was seen in all its spectacular magnitude from lower Manhattan, where the World Trade Center used to be, all the way up to the George Washington Bridge, which had its own structural renovations courtesy of an aircraft carrier that had somehow splashed down on it, collapsing the bridge two hundred feet from the New York side.

  “I also got some great aerial shots the other day.”

  Jacob switched to the digital camera mode and was treated to a bird’s eye view of midtown Manhattan’s Time Square, where another aircraft carrier was resting on its side in about twenty feet of water.

  Digitally panning through the photos of Manhattan, another oddly displaced sight became discernible near Central Park South. In between the Time Warner Building and Carnegie Hall, where the Columbus Circle Memorial once stood, the upper half of the Statue of Liberty floated around like a buoy marker.

  “At one time this used to be the most popular and well-known city in the world.” Michael expressed his knowledge of the foregone metropolis, which looked more like Venice, Italy than the famous Big Apple with the entire city submerged under anywhere from ten to thirty feet of water.

  “Yeah, but they blew it all up.”

  “Damn them all to hell.”

  “Huh?”

  “Oh, nothing, I just sometimes think it might have been better if man never evolved from apes,” Michael said as Jacob handed him back the binoculars.

  Michael took another look across the expanded width of the Hudson River at the concrete jungle reduced to nothing more than skyscraper fossils standing sentinel over a dead city.

  “But as usual, I see you managed to show up after all the hard work is done. Then again, I’m not sure why you bothered coming at all, unless you are here to oversee the prep work.”

  “Hey, somebody has to swoop in to take all of the credit, but that is not the only reason why I am here, though.”

  Michael shot Jacob an I-know-what-is-coming-next-look of someone about to be asked a big favor.

  “It is only for one more week.”

  Michael’s hesitant reaction gave Jacob pause, wondering what could possible deter his further commitment to the job at hand.

  “Do not get me wrong, Jacob. Believe me. I am as excited about this recent find as you are, especially after everything I went through to unearth it. But I figured it would take a couple of weeks to get it ready for exploration, and give me some time to go home and get married.”

  Michael looked around for anyone within earshot, even though he knew no one else was there, taking a cautiously paranoid approach to what he had to say next.

  “It is just that Eve and I decided to wait until after we got married to….well, you know.” Michael shyly half whispered. “And I do not want the SBP to give Eve a hard time about still being a….um. You see what I am saying here?”

  Jacob let out an is-that-all type of laughing sigh before putting Michael at ease. “Do not worry about a thing. I will handle it. I know everyone concerned will understand the importance of what we are trying to accomplish here and will gladly grant you an extended leave from societal duties.”

  Michael gave him a silent nod of acceptance.

  “Besides, you only have yourself to blame. If you didn’t go out and prove Franklin Harriet’s theory of a secret, underground city beneath Central Park as nothing more than an urban legend proffered by conspiracy theorists, you would have been able to spend the next couple of weeks at home getting to know the wife, while the Department of Infrastructure’s core of engineers would have been doing all that excavating for nothing.”

  “Hey, I didn’t mean to rain on Franklin’s parade. But when I came across an old website about a hidden bunker under Central Park being used to conceal highly implausible political prisoners such as; Nicolas the Czar of Russia, Adolf Hitler, and even an absurd claim about housing the aliens that supposedly crash landed in Roswell—I knew there were some serious credibility issues being overlooked or outright ignored.”

  “So, what did you do? Go and sneak off in the dead of night to investigate another site on your own, ruffling Franklin’s feathers in the process. You know he had already planned on naming it Franklin’s Find.”

  “They can name it anything they want. I am here seeking knowledge, not glory. And it was early morning, not dead of night. You celebrity types always like to employ a little creative licensing when trying to make a point. ”

  “Well you are not going to have to worry about me embellishing on anymore of your adventures. I am going with you this time. And do not worry. I will gladly take all the credit and glory for you. What are friends for anyway? ”

  “If you don’t slow me down too much, it will be nice having a friendly face along.”

  “In that case, I am going down to get myself a hearty meal and a good night’s rest. We will head out first thing in the morning,” Jacob said walking away, continuing their playful repartee. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to hold you back, not that anything could.”

  Looking out from the New Jersey Port Authority’s Helipad affixed roof (with a helicopter parked on it), Michael smiled to himself as he tilted his head back to feel the hot July sun on his face. Like the Big Apple, the Garden State was mostly underwater, especially in the lower and central areas previously vulnerable to flooding. In order to gain access into New York City, they built long pontoon bridges over the submerged New Jersey highways to transport personnel and supplies for the expedition. They established a base camp at a cliffside-mansion in the town of Weehawken, near the New Jersey Port Authority building, where the Lincoln Tunnel used to connect the two states for travelers. But now, only marine life could make safe conduct through it. The air breathing species facilitated the use of a helicopter and various types of aquatic transports to explore the concrete jungle.

  While climate change contributed to turning the East Coast into a waterworld with a ten to twenty inch rise in sea levels, the real culprit came in form of a two hundred foot wall of water sent across the Atlantic Ocean when a volcano erupted off the coast of West Africa. The Cubre Vieja volcano in the Canary Islands erupted and collapsed into the ocean with a massive landslide, sometime after 2035 (no one knows for sure, since historical records were very sketchy from back then, if any). It sent a huge surge of displaced water racing across the ocean at over five hundred mph and slammed into the United States east coast seven hours after the first splash hit the water. With the country already decimated by disease, warfare, and the aftermath of those events, there was no warning given, nor could one have been responded to if it had come. The Tsunami swept away everything in its path not made of concrete and steel or located on high ground, wiping out most coastal cities, including New York City—hitting lower Manhattan the hardest, flooding tunnels, subways, airports, beaches, wetlands, Battery and Central Park, Wall Street and the financial district, along with the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, as well as Long Island and Staten Island.

  Taking one last look at the Manhattan skyline before heading down to the cliffside-mansion base camp, Michael could not help wishing Eve were here to share this moment with him. She would have gotten a real kick out of seeing the unintended addition to the upper floors of the Empire State Building. But what he missed most was waking up next to her in the morning, holding their bodies close together throughout the night, while subconsciously a
djusting position proximity anytime either one of them tossed or turned in their sleep. Thinking back on the first night they spent together, the day they moved into their new home, how nervous he was about sharing a bed with someone, never mind the thought of making love. Michael could not believe how natural and comfortable he felt sleeping next to her, or how he had not slept right since leaving for New York City.

  Even though they were in different time zones with neither of them aware of the others thoughts, Michael experienced his mental longings for Eve at the same moment in time she had her own reflected memories of him.

  3

  “Are you sure you do not want me to stay? It sure looks like you got your hands full there.”

  “No, thank you, please, I got this recipe from Warren, and I want it to be a surprise dish. So go on and give Jean the news about the move. I am sure she would love to hear from you.”

  “I could just give her a call.”

  “The personal touch is so much better when spreading good cheer. Besides, I want tonight to be a special night you will always remember.”

  “Okay, then, if you are sure.”

  “Most definitely, I got this. Say by the way, if I manage not screw this up and burn the house down, you should invite Jean over for dinner next week. I would kind of like to play chef again.”

  “I know Jean will be delighted to come. She has really grown quite fond of you.”

  “Let’s just hope she still feels that way after tasting my cooking. Oh, and tell her if she wants, she can bring that Max guy who seems to pop up whenever the two of you are together.”

  Eve paused a moment to take in the perceptive nature of Michael’s powers of observation. “I will be sure to include Max with the invite.”

  After telling Jean and Max about the dinner invitation and Michael’s astute conclusion about Max (they already knew about the move), Eve revealed the real reason she wanted to see them that day.

  “I am sorry. I can’t go through with it.”

  Max and Jean exchanged astonished, shocked expressions at the sound of Eve’s words spoken with such finality.

  “I cannot live a lie.”

  The distress, stunned looks on their faces transformed to countenances more concerned with the reticent dissent causing Eve such discomfort.

  “Michael has special plans for tonight, and I cannot bring myself to condone a physical relationship based on a foundation of deception. I have to tell him the truth, because if he found out afterwards, he may never forgive me. At least this way he will know my feelings are true.”

  “How do you think he will react to the news?” Max asked with an assenting sigh.

  “Michael deserves to know who he really is, and I think once he does, he will be more committed to the cause than anyone.” Eve paused a moment before continuing in a confident, controlled tone. “Max, you can inform the leaders of the FWF about this if you want, but there is little they could do about it now. I am sorry if you are disappointed with me, but I know this is the best way to accomplish our goal. I do not understand how they expect to expose a lie by perpetrating another lie.”

  “Actually, I am quite proud of you,” Max said.

  “We both are,” Jean added, trying to alleviate the confusion forming in Eve’s eyes.

  “You have taken the final step in becoming your own person. When you are willing to stand by your convictions and find quarrel in a straw when honor is at stake, then nothing or no one can deter you from seeking your true path.” Max said with the prideful exuberance of a teacher being eclipsed by his student.

  “I cannot tell you how much it pleases me to know I will have your confidence, support, and approval on the path I have decided to take.”

  “As for the leaders of the FWF, let us handle them. They don’t have to know anything they do not need to,” Max said trying to ease one of Eve’s concerns.

  “Max and I never agreed with their covert plan, but we were not given a choice.” Jean expressed her shared doubts with Max over the original programmed agenda.

  “They cannot see from the sidelines what is clear from the field. Sometimes you have to let your quarterback call the plays. Because who knows Michael better then you do?” Max said with an impromptu sports analogy.

  “If you truly do love each other, you can summon the strength to move mountains, if necessary.” Jean said.

  “It’s what I am counting on. I just hope my winning smile and charming ways have not deserted me,” Eve said as she let out a girlish giggle in a moment of levity.

  The vote of confidence coming from Max and Jean, backing her decision to go rogue to accomplish her vital mission, helped give Eve the courage to confess, while also keeping a hopeful heart true love would not be forever lost after arriving home—Home Sweet Home. Hearing those words going through her mind sounded funny. It may not have been too dissimilar from the thoughts a young couple had when moving into their first home—minus the financial worries over mortgage payments, job security, and living expenses—but the same fear of losing everything clearly existed in her mind, which could wear down one’s resolve to risk it all for a chance at a greater reward.

  Pulling in the driveway of their three-bedroom Cape Cod Colonial home with a gable front and white picket fence, Eve let out a deep sigh, wondering if today would be the last time she could call this place home. The distance to the front door from the car was only twenty-five feet, but it felt like the longest walk of her life. Each step seemed to get heavier the closer she got to her destination.

  Putting on a brave face, Eve walked inside giving a traditional family greeting.

  “Hi, honey, I’m home.”

  Spread out down the hallway, rose pedals covered the floor in a floral red carpet, leading past the living room and the second floor stairway, all the way up to a candlelit table set for two. The only other source of illumination came courtesy of several well-placed candles around the room, creating a cozy, romantic atmosphere.

  Eve just stood in the doorway completely swept away by the thoughtful gallantry of the endearing décor. Michael came out of the kitchen located behind the dining room that was in line with the front door. He had two salad bowls in his hands that he set down on the table after seeing Eve standing there left speechless by his enchanting, sentimental gesture.

  “Welcome, Mon Cheri, please allow me to present our culinary delicacies for this evening that are sure to delight your palate.” With the finesse of a maître d’ from a five star restaurant Michael rambled off the dinner menu.

  Eve moved up the hall to the dining room as Michael continued.

  “Tonight, we will begin with a Waldorf salad, plus a refreshing appetizer of Oysters Rockefeller. Then onto this evening’s entrée’, Ginger Steamed Salmon served with a side of steamed asparagus smothered in Hollandaise sauce. And for dessert, we have fresh strawberries and cream.”

  “Oh, my, I just cannot believe you went through all this trouble.” Eve replied after finding her voice. “If you don’t mind, I would like to go freshen up before dinner?”

  “Please, go ahead. Make yourself comfortable. Dinner can be ready in fifteen to thirty minutes. In the meantime, I will just put on some dinner music.” Michael said.

  As Eve headed upstairs to the master bedroom, Michael turned on the musical selections he preprogrammed into their living room CPU-HDTV. With the integrated speaker mode on, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata sounded out in perfect clarity in every room of the house.

  Moving about in a more hurried pace once upstairs, Eve rushed into the bathroom thinking she must look a wreck. After everything Michael did, the least she could do was look presentable. A quick change into that little black dress she had been saving for a special occasion would definitely go a long way in making a proper appearance. Now the foremost thought on her mind was if she could just do something with her hair. Temporarily forgetting about the potential sour note the evening might end on with her planned confession, she didn’t notice something else
moving around in the room until actually sensing another presence. Looking down into the bathtub, Eve found herself wondering aloud at the unusual sight.

  “Now that is not something you see every day.”

  It was Michael’s turn to be stunned, taken aback by the alluring vision of Eve walking down the stairs wearing a form-fitting black dress that accentuated every curve of her body as her brushed-down blonde hair flowed out onto her shoulders. Michael stood by the table wearing a dinner jacket.

  “You look amazing,” Michael said with her chair pulled out as he gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

  “Why, thank you, and may I say you are looking quite handsome this evening,” Eve replied before sitting down. Then once seated felt compelled to make an odd inquiry.

  “Michael, I do not mean to pry. But I was just wondering why are there two lobsters crawling around in our bathtub?”

  With a flushed face of reddened cheeks, Michael bowed his head as he stood behind her trying to hide his embarrassment over his forthcoming answer.

  “I could not bring myself to cook them. The recipe Warren gave me, which I didn’t bother to read until after picking them up, said I was supposed to drop them in alive, head first into boiling water. It just seemed so wrong.”

  Eve shifted in her seat reaching up to place her hand on Michael’s resting on the back of her chair. “That has to be the sweetest thing I have ever heard.” Eve sympathetically expressed her matching sentiment before adding in a more whimsical manner. “It sounds like something out of one of those old movies you are so fond of.”

  “I’m not too familiar with many romantic comedies, but I would not doubt it.”

  Letting out soothing giggles Michael and Eve sat down and proceeded to enjoy their meal.

  The cozy round table provided close comfort dining with the middle leaf section removed, which came in handy when it was time for dessert.

  The rich, white cream delicately clung onto the strawberry rising up out of the bowl. Delivered to awaiting, lush lips, an open mouth enclosed around the creamy topping as sparkling, white teeth bit into the juicy fruit, releasing its tasty red nectar. A little cream was leftover on the tip of Eve’s nose, and without hesitation, Michael leaned forward and kissed it away, causing them both to break out in pleasant laughter.

  Before Michael could offer her the rest of the tasty treat, Eve picked out another strawberry from the bowl with topping layered all around them and swirled on an extra amount of cream. “Uh, uh, it’s my turn now.”

  Bringing up the heavily coated strawberry to Michael’s open mouth, Eve playfully wiped the cream down his nose. She then reached out with her free hand and grabbed him around the shirt collar pulling him forward as she stuck out her tongue and licked the cream from his nose. The spontaneous acts they shared snowballed into several moments of unbridled, wanton abandon as their lips melded together with searching tongues finding each other in a passionate, embracing kiss. With hands moving over each other’s bodies, caressing the hidden flesh screaming to break free from the binds of clothing, Michael felt himself almost giving into temptation, and if not for the slight sense of a willing inhibition coming from Eve, he might not have been able to maintain his resolve in holding back.

  Removing his lips from hers, Michael slid his roaming hands up to her shoulders and pulled her in close for a tight embrace as he whispered in her ear. “We need to hold up a minute. I have something important I want to ask you.”

  Eve clung onto him just as tightly. Feeling waves of relief flowing through her body, she softly whispering back, “Me, too.”

  Simultaneously releasing each other, Eve remained seated as Michael went down on one knee, while reaching into his dinner jacket pocket.

  “Eve, I will love for tonight and forever tomorrow.” Michael said as he removed his hand from his pocket and presented his betrothed with an open ring box containing a simple gold band. “Will you marry me?”

  Holding her hand to her heart, Eve drew her breath inside as joyful teardrops started forming under her eyes. “Yes, oh yes, my dear one. For today, tonight, and forever tomorrow, or whatever may come.”

  “Here, let me show you something.” Michael said as he stood up next to Eve bending over her shoulder so they both could see the words, For Tonight and Forever Tomorrow, engraved around the inside of the gold band. Moving in front of her, he slid the ring on her finger, after which she sprung up from the chair throwing her arms around his neck and shoulders.

  “There is one more thing I want you to see,” Michael said gently slipping out from under her loving arms.

  Going into the living room, he retrieved a copy of the SBP Family Life magazine from off the coffee table and returned to Eve paging through it to find the article of interest.

  “Here, check this out.” They stood close together in the dining room sharing the article between them with each holding onto one side of the magazine.

  “It says ninety percent of the couples who get married end up staying together, compared to only fifty percent who do not.”

  Taking the magazine and tossing it on the table, Michael held her hands in each of his and gazed deeply into her eyes, possibly searching for a sign of premature acceptance of what he was about to ask. “I know we started something here, but would you mind very much if we waited until our wedding night to finish?”

  Eve had to use every fiber of her being to suppress letting out a tremendous sigh of relief, she was sure Michael would have taken the wrong way.

  “I think it would be best, too,” Eve said managing not to sound too eager, before asking. “Would you still like to share a bed with me?”

  “Very much so,” Michael answered then shot a quick look upstairs toward the bedroom. “Shall we retire for the evening, my dear?”

  Later that evening while lying in bed and planning their backyard wedding for the following weekend—a small, simple service with new neighbors and old friends in a quaint setting—Michael had a recalled thought pop into his head.

  “Hey, didn’t you also have something important you wanted to ask?”

  Curled around him half-asleep, Eve shuddered inside at the thought of her real answer then decided to lie. “Oh, I was going to suggest the same thing...about waiting until after we got married. I just wasn’t sure if you were going to ask me or not.” Good save, she thought to herself.

  They spent the night holding each other in a caressing cuddle hug, wearing only t-shirts and light cloth pajama bottoms, telling each other little white lies just like real married couples of old. They also got the best night of sleep either one of them ever had.

  The breakfast tray being gently placed over Michael’s sleeping form barely disturbed his peaceful rest until Eve cleared her throat with an audible, “Um, hump.”

  Blinking his eyes while becoming aware of the foreign object bridging over his legs, Michael slid himself up to a seated position and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Oh my, what a lusciously pleasing sight to wake up to, and the breakfast looks quite delicious, as well.”

  Eve’s blushed cheeks indicated she received the intended response for her sweet gesture, giving reply in a faux maid voice. “Why, thank you, monsieur. We try to provide a personal touch for all our guests at this establishment. I do hope your night was very restful. I know I never slept so well in my entire life.”

  With another tray she prepared for herself, Eve slipped into bed beside him and settled down to a comfortable position. The trays contained nearly identical contents; two halved grapefruits in small bowls with pineapple slices on the side, two hard boiled eggs in silver-cup egg-holders, strawberry preserves spread on whole grain toast, two small glasses of grape juice, and two cups of Darjeeling tea, with the only difference being a single red rose on Michael’s tray.

  Enjoying the Tuesday morning meal with thoughts faraway from harsh realities threatening to break up their peaceful harmony, Michael and Eve had no expectations of hearing any life changing news that day. So whe
n Michael’s personal phone starting playing the theme music from the original Star Trek television series, the symbolic nature of the downloaded ringtone and the message received (telling him of a journey he would be undertaking in the not too distance future to seek out old world civilizations and to boldly go where many have gone before) was not lost on him.

  “Hello,” Michael answered the phone in video mode.

  “Michael, how is the new home? I hope you had some time to settle in, because I got some breaking news to tell you.” Jacob’s diplomatic façade shone out on the mini-screen, one Michael recognized and knew quite well.

  Michael glanced over to Eve, who became real attentive to his conversation.

  “Your flare for the dramatics notwithstanding, let’s have it? What has happened?”

  “Okay if you insist on me being succinct, here it is. We are moving the New York City expedition up six months. Franklin Harriet claims to have found the old government’s secret biohazard lab. I need you out there by Friday to confirm the find.”

  “This Friday, but Eve and I planned our wedding for next weekend.”

  “Listen, I know this is short notice, and I do apologize for any inconvenience it may cause you and your lovely bride to be, but I need my best man in the field, and Franklin certainly ain’t it.”

  Eve decided to give them some space after realizing Michael might be more comfortable speaking in private. “If you will excuse me, I will just put these trays away, and go get myself ready for the day.” Eve removed herself from the conversation and the bed as she got up gathering both trays, placing one on top of the other.

  Jacob waited until Eve left before continuing. “Tell the little woman I am sorry about this, and I will figure out a way to make it up to her. She must be someone pretty special for you to put her ahead of an expedition, especially one to New York City.”

  “She is definitely the one for me.”

  Michael was pleasantly surprised how well Eve took the news, saying she understood the importance of his work and would never stand in the way of his career. Also adding, she would understand if he wanted to continue waiting until they were married or if he wanted to just shoot the moon and go for it, explaining how she wanted him to leave with a clear head, without any personal indecisions weighing on his mind.

  As the days of the week passed by, Michael and Eve continued sleeping together, but remained celibate, even though they both felt strong sexual urges burning inside of them. Eve explained the entire situation to Max and Jean, who were happy about her impending nuptials, but relayed the concerns from the FWF over what could be a dangerous excursion into an unstable region of the country, and they wanted them to encourage Eve to do everything in her power to get pregnant before he left. Max and Jean said they trusted her good judgment.

  On the Friday morning Michael left for New York City, a cool breeze chilled the early July air in the Western Territory of Palm Springs. He had been on expeditions before and always felt alert, confident, and self-assured. Only this time, he could not shake off the apprehensive mindset he was leaving behind something vital. His trusty Go Bag was packed and ready to go, hence its name, and he never forget it. The Go Bag contained everything needed to survive on your own for a few days, if your situation warranted it, plus some personal accessories. It wasn’t until the car came to pick him up, when standing in the doorway kissing Eve goodbye in a loving embrace, lips locked together, their bodies pulsing with a raw energy aching to be released, being held back by the sheer force of will, Michael figured out what that vital something was.

  He had thoughts of Eve running through his head the whole way to New York City—or at least to the New Jersey border base camp. The nearly three thousand mile trip across the country took less than twenty hours. But to Michael, it seemed like merely lost moments of time away from his new love, his one true love. On the way out of town, he could not believe how much he already missed her. He started to regret his decision for them to wait before doing the deed, sensing an ominous, dark cloud forming with a hazy forewarning of uncertainty that he might not ever see her again.

  It felt strange leaving home, gazing out the window of the DOS Eco-SUV at the different type of houses making up his neighborhood. Since the SBP chose your mate for you, they allowed couples to pick out their own home from an approved residential listing—which included various A-frame, colonial, bungalow, and ranch designs—then have it placed on an empty lot upon receiving acceptance of their selected partner. Michael felt very satisfied with the home they picked out, already on a lot from another couple who moved on.

  While the neighborhood still might resemble something out of a Norman Rockwell painting, the rest of the country appeared quite changed. There was a drastic reduction in the world’s population from around six billion people in 2015 to less than a billion at present, although the accuracy of that figure was not trustworthy, due to a lack of communication with many other nations. In corresponding to the success of New America, other countries attempted to rebuild their failed nations, but ultimately ended in unsuccessful, futile efforts. They insisted on doing things the old way, using wealth and power to rule the people, which only led to more civil unrest and eventual anarchy. This pattern continued for many years. Until, other countries finally realized the New American way worked best—rebuilding the country while nurturing an intelligent, well-organized population working together as one. New America was the only nation in the last hundred years to see an increase in the rate of births over deaths, with around eight thousand born per day to only seven thousand passing away—mostly from natural causes.

  Over the long years of decay, about a million square miles of North American landscape were lost to climate change as well as natural and manmade disasters, leaving many major cities and ten Nation States no longer a part of what used to be the United States of America. The root cause for the reshaping of the country was mostly due to a direct influence from the acreages of lost land. However, restructuring New America into Five Territories of Providence was only possible by enacting the old government maxim of invoking eminent domain.

  The Western Territory of New America was comprised of California, Nevada, and Arizona; while the Northern Territory consisted of Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan with most of those States’ mountain regions lost to extreme cold zones. North and South Carolina were merged into one with New Mexico divided between Texas and Arizona, and like many of the Coastal Plain States in the lower elevations of the Southern Territory, Florida had been transformed into a waterworld as well as most of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. The States in the Eastern Territory were the hardest hit by the rising sea levels, the aftermath of a devastating Tsunami, and exposure to extreme cold zones. Much of the East Coast was uninhabitable, including six of the original thirteen colonies (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, and Maryland) with Maine and Vermont reduced to frozen wastelands, leaving only parts of New Jersey and New York livable. The Fifth Territory, dubbed The Heartland, grew out of the main agricultural States: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and the combined States of North and South Dakota, with the frozen regions allocated to the Northern Territory. The Heartland also incorporated the natural resources available in Oregon, Idaho, and Utah into a sister Heartland separated from the main by the Rocky Mountains and Colorado—the nation’s new capital.

  There were Twelve Departments of Government created and overseen by the Committee of Twelve Experts with an appointed Committee Expert Official (CEO) representing each department. They assigned Bureaus of Responsibility (BOR) the authority to organize and coordinate the logistical needs for every department, according to their supply and demand with all twelve departments sharing duties and needs:

  1. The Department of Agriculture (DAG)

  2. The Department of Allocations (DOA)

  3. The Department of A
rts & Entertainment*(DA&E)

  4. The Department of Education & Employment* (DED&E)

  5. The Department of Energy & Environment *(DE&E)

  6. The Department of Health & Medicine *(DH&M)

  7. The Department of Housing & Infrastructure* (DH&I)

  8. The Department of Justice (DOJ)

  9. The Department of Media & Press*(DM&P)

  10. The Department of Science & Technology* (DS&T)

  11. The Department of Security (DOS)

  12. The Department of Transportation (DOT)