Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 121146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Then a new voice came over the Com-link—a voice that Celia recognized at once.
“Oh my goodness—Celia, doll, is that really you? Are the three of you okay?” Kat demanded. “We were so afraid you were lost for good!”
“Lost for good?” Celia frowned. “What are you talking about? We’ve only been gone three days.”
“Three days? Try more than three weeks!” Kat exclaimed.
“What? What are you talking about?” Celia demanded. “What’s the date?”
“What’s the date? Doll, you of all people ought to know that,” Kat answered. “It’s almost eleven o’clock at night of December twenty-third—the night before your wedding!”
47
CELIA
“So we think, from piecing together what you’ve told us, that the three of you experienced what is known as a ‘time dilation,’” Commander Sylvan explained as they sat together in his consultation office at the Med Center. “Which means that you actually traveled in time—specifically, you came forward in time more than three weeks—during your last trip through the wormhole.”
“That would make sense—it was in the act of starting to destabilize when we entered it,” Hold said thoughtfully.
“It’s a well-known fact that the time-space continuum can get rather wrinkled—bunched up almost like a piece of fabric under such circumstances.”
Commander Sylvan nodded at the dark red hospital gowns the three of them were wearing as an illustration. (Celia had refused to leave the ship until they got something to cover up with—she wasn’t about to go parading around the Mother Ship wearing the see-through silk gown with the slits in its front!)
“I guess we’re fucking lucky it didn’t wrinkle even more,” Fierce rumbled. “We might have been thrown forward even further.”
“I’ve heard of rare cases where people jumped centuries forward or backwards in time,” Sylvan remarked. “You’re very lucky you only came forward a matter of weeks. May I ask why you chose to use such a dangerous method of transportation instead of just calling for the Mother Ship to fold space for you?”
“Well for one thing, our long range communications array was out so we couldn’t call,” Fierce answered. “And for another, Celia there was worried for a while that she might be pregnant with another male’s baby. Which would have been a fucking mess—so we’ve been taking wormholes this whole damn time.”
“Hey!” Celia exclaimed, feeling her cheeks heat with an embarrassed blush. “That’s private, Fierce!”
“You could have just left it at mentioning the communications array,” Hold remarked, frowning at his brother.
“Sorry.” Fierce threw up his hands. “Just telling it like it is. Anyway, we’re not worried about it anymore—Celia’s with us now,” he added, speaking to Commander Sylvan. “So that idiot of a human fiancé of hers is out of luck.”
“I see,” Commander Sylvan said neutrally. “Well, just so you know, Peter Thielgood was notified when the three of you returned, just as he was notified when you went missing. So you’re going to have to deal with him eventually.”
“What? Why?” Fierce demanded, frowning. “Why would you tell that idiot human anything at all, Commander?”
“Because we were legally required to,” Sylvan replied, frowning. “He and Celia have signed some sort of agreement which he showed as proof that he needed to be kept abreast of where she was. Our Legal Department decided it was best to comply.”
“You did the right thing,” Hold assured him. “He has the right to know that Celia is home and safe—he loves her too. It’s just that she’s with us now,” he added, putting an arm around Celia’s shoulders.
Celia tried to smile at him, but she couldn’t help feeling guilty. She’d left Peter with the promise that nothing would happen between herself and the two big Kindred and now she had to tell her fiancé that she was leaving him for them. It was going to be an extremely awkward conversation.
“Well, you all seem to be fine despite your ‘wormhole adventures,’ but we’d still like to get you checked out—just to be sure you’re healthy,” Commander Sylvan said, clearly trying to change the subject. He looked at Hold. “I know you’re a doctor, Commander Hold, but I’d prefer to check the three of you myself, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” Hold nodded. “I agree—it’s better to have someone impartial do the exam.”
“Er…excuse me.” Celia cleared her throat. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I’d prefer to have a female doctor,” she said to Commander Sylvan.
“Oh, of course—let me call someone for you.” He nodded professionally. “Just one moment.”
In short order Celia found herself sitting on the exam table in another room at the Med Center with Kat, who had come to meet them in the Docking Bay.
“You feeling all right, doll?” Kat asked, giving her an anxious look. “I swear I never meant for so many crazy things to happen to you when I asked you and your guys to go get that jewel moss!”