movie.act2p1

scenes xxv-xxxvi

Pizza Games, Little Chats

           “Wow. This is where Zach got to grow up?” Laurie remarked as she, Jace, and Adult Millie approached the modern boxy domicile under a twilight sky. “Place is huge.”

           “That happens when your parents win the lottery,” Millie said with an undertone of jealousy. “Some people just get lucky. All right, go have fun, get out in two hours. We need to catch a taxi to the hotel you’re making me pay for. Jace, call me if it ends early.”

           “Where the heck are you going to be, anyway?” Jace questioned.

           “Wandering around Desert Tree, I guess. I didn’t grow up here, so I’ve never really seen it at night. Anyway, be careful with your game banter; don’t let something slip.”

           Good advice for Laurie, but Jace was a pro who didn’t need a warning. As Millie walked off into the dark, Jace rang the doorbell. Zach was at the door in seconds.

           “Jason, cool cuz Lara, hey!” He flashed a grin. “Come on in, we’ve been chillin’ in the living room, waiting for you before heading up.” He granted access, adding after closing the door, “If you’re only in town for a couple days, nothin’ better than pizza and polygons with some old buddies at my place, right? Hey guys! Look who’s here!”

           The rest of the gang, scattered around Zach’s large living room that was kept cold like always, looked up from their Game Boy Pocket screens, friendly chats, and in Wessy and Arthur’s case, Zach’s folks’ already impressive DVD collection that filled up the console shelf under the largest TV that could be made with fading CRT tech.

           Following all the waves and semi-shouted greetings, Laurie commented, “Nice living room. Kind of reminds me of the one at my house. Are those…” she added upon noticing the stacks of early DVD releases, mostly in cardboard cases. “Um… I’ve heard of this stuff.” She whispered to Jace, “DVDs are this old? Geez, Grandma still buys them.”

           “We just got a player at my house, too,” Arthur said. “But Dad’s only bought a few movies so far. Zach’s got… The Mask, Poltergeist, all the Batman movies, Twister, The Running Man, Mortal Kombat… Air Force One, Dragonheart, The Fugitive…”

           “Yeah, yeah, Arty,” Wessy sighed and started putting the cases back. “Zach’s got a real movie theater going here. It is cool tech, though. The picture quality is perfect.”

           “Ya don’t even need to rewind them,” Zach replied. “Movies on discs that will never look better, AOL, Game Boy Color on the way… The future really is here.”

           “The future’s also on your N64 upstairs,” Jared said. “Can we get going now?”

           “All right, J. Can’t spare a sec to dwell on the gang being together again? Sheesh.”

           Zach’s room made him out to be the prince of Desert Tree, and was one of the neighborhood’s few kid sanctums with more media and memorabilia than Wessy’s place. Two large windows gave views of the front yard and the back, out to the house’s lit-up pool. The walls were covered by posters for movies, video games, TV shows, and music albums. Zach had a growing library of curvy gray Nintendo 64 game cartridges under his own big television, which was between a computer desk and shelves of action figures and models of sci-fi spaceships and vehicles. In the middle of the room were two small couches, and by his closet was his current showpiece: a Double Dragon arcade cabinet.

           In the back was Zach’s childhood bunk bed with a vibrant red pipe-shaped metal frame, and of all the glorious things in the cool-lair, it was what got the first comment of the night, from Ash. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in here, Z. You still got that bed?”

           “Of course! I get the top and bottom, and I have a spare for sleepovers.”

           “What sleepovers?” Colin wondered. “You host them maybe once a year.”

           “Yeah, well, that’s what makes ‘em special. Now pick out some games and grab your favorite controller—I got all the colors, and enough for everyone.”

           “I say we start with Mario Kart,” Sadie said while skimming the collection, which put a smile on Laurie’s face. “And I’m sure Wes and Celly want some Goldeneye again…”

           “Now we’re talking,” Celeste replied excitedly. “Playing as Oddjob and throwing mines at everyone’s faces in the Complex level… That’s my new Zen.”

           “Z, did you get that last star in Mario yet?” Jared asked him.

           Zach huffed, “Nah, man… Still stuck at 119. The pizza should be here in fifteen minutes, guys, but there’s paper towels for a reason. No controller grease tonight, ’kay?”

           The doorbell downstairs suddenly rang, and Arthur remarked, “That was fast…”

           “That can’t be the pies already… You all didn’t invite someone else, did you?”

           Curious, Jace and Laurie followed Zach back out into the hallway, but stayed at the top of the stairs as he headed down to the door. He opened it to reveal…

           “Millie? What are you… I mean… Uh, join the party, I guess,” Zach greeted her.

           “Millie?” Laurie murmured to Jace. “Couldn’t be the adult one, right?”

           “I said I probably wouldn’t show up,” Teen Millie said as she was let inside. “Not the same as definitely. What’s the matter, afraid I’ll beat you at some games?” She and Zach looked up at Jace and Laurie. “Jason’s in town, and I wanted to say hi, too.”

           “What the crap, Lara?!” Celeste blurted out fiercely as Laurie crossed the finish line in Bowser’s Castle in Mario Kart 64, followed closely by Jace. “How are you so good? You and Jason both—first and second place on every track!”

           “Are you angry?” Laurie said meekly. “I just have… lots of practice.” She looked down at the odd controller again and added quietly, “But I’m still getting used to this thing.”

           “Don’t let Celly scare you,” Colin replied as he came in third with Donkey Kong. “She just gets hyper-competitive with games. Even more so in sports. Then she’s scary.”

           “Welp, Jason and his cuz can clearly dominate in a racer,” Jared remarked from one of the couches, and plucked another thin crust slice from one of the five Pizza Hut boxes. “But, we all know it’s just been a warm up so far for the main event.”

           “Let me guess, Goldeneye,” Sadie, nibbling on some crust, moaned. “It’s been out almost a year, and Celly, Wes, and Colin have all beat it on 00 Agent and unlocked all the cheats… and it’s still all they want to play. It’s fun, sure, but why the obsession?”

           “Hey, I beat it on Secret Agent!” Jared interjected from the other couch, where he was sitting cross-legged across from Arthur as they played on their link-cabled Game Boys. “Sadie, don’t you get it? It brings us back to the good old days of water gunning around the block, or the laser tag tourney. Only it’s a lot faster and easier to get going.”

           Zach, chilling out in his beanbag chair with the latest issue of Nintendo Power that featured Banjo-Kazooie on the cover, commented, “The real thing’s still better. But if that’s what you wanna play next, it’s the cart at the right end of the shelf.”

           “Better than letting this humiliation go on,” Colin said after glancing at the Mario Kart results screen, showing the combined scores of the four racers. He crawled over to the ever-growing row of games, noticing a strange black cartridge that stuck out as he snagged the James Bond title. “Zach, what’s this one with, like, the connector on top?”

           “Oh, that’s my GameShark,” Jared answered. “It’s a cheating and hacking device, Colin. Remember Game Genie? It’s like that. Me and Wes have been trying out all these codes that do funky things, like messing up the graphics and letting you walk through doors. It’s pretty cool—I could see you getting into it. I was showing it off to Z.”

           “My uncle told me about that,” Jace whispered to Laurie. “It’s what got him and Jared into programming. To think, their friendship was in trouble while I was here…”

           “So… it can edit game code?” Sadie replied. “Hm. Can’t do that in Bullet Water.”

           “Mm, yeah, but mostly…” Wessy spoke up, looking like he was about to reveal a painful fact. “Zach keeps asking us to use it to unlock stuff in his games.”

           Ash muttered near Sadie, “Really, Zach? Can’t bother to play your own titles?”

           “I play them lots!” Zach argued. “I’m just a busy guy with a full schedule. I don’t always have time to do every last thing in my games. Let’s just get it started—and I’m in the first round. Ash called me out, so I have to prove I still got plenty of skills.”

           Something caught Ash’s attention, and she removed from her vest pocket an egg-shaped colorful electronic toy. “Uh-huh, sure, but not against me yet. I’m… busy.”

           “Same here,” Colin added, now also tapping the buttons on his small blue egg. “This thing needs feeding and playtime. Maybe I’ll do some shooting in round two.”

           “Those atomo-gotcha things again?” Wessy mumbled as he plugged in his red controller and powered on the console, which booted up Goldeneye and played its iconic spinning logos, heartbeat sound, and James Bond theme. “Why do you care so much about virtual pets? At least you can hug…” he spaced for a moment, “real ones.”

           “Poor Wes,” Sadie said quietly to Laurie and Jace, so he wouldn’t hear. “He’s still getting over losing his old pup last year.” She then continued at a normal level, “I think they’re kind of cute. Remember how we had to take care of real eggs in third grade?”

           “If you two are into digital pets now… I’m telling ya,” Arthur looked up from his Game Boy, “this whole Pocket Monsters thing took over Japan. I dunno, it could be the next big event when it gets here in a few months. I have a feeling everything will change.”

           Wes turned from the TV screen where he was putting in the multiplayer match settings to ask, “You and Colin keep talking about it, but I still don’t even know what it is. Something to do with that old Monster in my Pocket NES game I rented years ago?”

           Colin explained, “Not even close. You go around catching creatures, then make them battle other trainers’ creatures. Latest news says we’re getting the anime, too.”

           “And for the English dub, they’re calling the main character boy Ash!” Arthur laughed. “Hey, Sis—you and Lara both have video game characters named after you!”

           Ash grumbled and rolled her eyes. “Greeeeat… Well, if it does go big in eighth and I catch crap for that… I can always just change my name to Ashley for a while.”

           “Game’s ready,” Wes reported. “We doin’ free-for-all knock-outs? Jason, Lara—we like to take turns doing four players, and the two with the lowest scores trade off.”

           “Sure,” Zach said. “You guys wanna be in the first round? Looks like Wes does.”

           “Just don’t play the Facility map with him,” Jared scoffed. “He likes to camp in the upstairs bathroom for cheap kills—and he hides mines in the toilets.”

           “Look, J, I can’t help it if that strat has always worked for me,” Wes replied.

           Zach called out, “Mill, you’re pretty quiet over there. You want in on this with your old pal here? Some good old girls-v-boys? I still think about that kickball game…”

           Nibbling on her preferred green pepper pizza from the computer desk, where she seemed to be monitoring a chat room with her feet up on the chair, she answered, “You know I don’t usually take competition seriously. But… maybe a later game, when everyone’s loosened up. And, uh, Zach, do you leave AOL on all the time in this crazy room? My dad gets mad if I tie up the phone line even for just a half hour.”

           “I already had my own line, but now that I got a cell phone like Arty and Colin, I found a better use for it. My one hundred and growing Buddy List is also the future.”

           “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Wes said impatiently. “Let’s get this going. Jared, you up?”

           “Sure, man,” Jared accepted the invite. He jumped off the couch, grabbed his borrowed green controller, and plugged it in next to Jace’s blue one. “You two have a chance to play Goldeneye yet?” he asked Jace and Laurie. “You do have 64s, right?”

           “Um, yeah, of course,” Jace answered. “But, haven’t gotten around to it. My ‘dad’ is always talking about the game, though… I’m good at shooters, so I’ll get the hang of it.”

           “Shooters aren’t exactly my forte,” Lara admitted. “But I do like explosives.”

           Wes exclaimed, “Now we’re talking! J, let’s swap to Temple rocket launchers.”

           “No, Wes…” Jared sighed—his ability to stand up to Wes, if just in minor ways, new to Jace. “Keep things simple for the newbies. Automatics in the Library is good.”

           The players eagerly chose their characters and started their match in the game’s basic wide open, well lit, rectangular arena, with the timer set on ten minutes.

           Jace instantly felt like he was right back with his buddies again, and seconds into the game, he remarked as he sprayed and prayed with a machine pistol, “Ah. This brings me back. Too bad four-player games weren’t really a thing when I lived here.”

           “Other than a few games at the arcade, yeah,” Wes said while sneaking around in the level’s labyrinthian basement on his quarter of the split screen. “It’s much more fun.”

           “But do you really not use the entire left side of the controller?” Jace groaned.

           “Dang…” Laurie grumbled when she found out she had placed in fourth about nine minutes later. “Almost tied with Jared, though. I guess that was kind of fun.”

           “Not bad for your first try,” Jared replied. “But Jason and Wes are something else at shooters. You two weren’t screen-peeking, right? Eh, anyway, who’s next?”

           Laurie and Jared traded places with Zach and Colin, and they jumped right into a match on the beloved chemical weapon plant known as Facility, famous for its long corridors and bathroom of all things. Zach and Wes quickly got way too into it.

           “Games always get rowdier when it’s just the boys playing,” Sadie mentioned to Laurie as she joined her, Celeste, and Ash on a couch. “Well, other than Jason, as quiet as usual. He’s… He’s great. We could use him around at Cookton. Some days get bad.”

           “He gave everyone advice back in fifth, and always had our backs,” Ash added. “You’re lucky he’s your cousin. But he never mentioned you… Are you close?”

           Laurie needed a moment to think about how everyone in the room seemed to perceive the kid that she had known for much longer than they did, but snapped out of it in time to reply before it got awkward, “Oh, um… when he moved, we got closer.”

           “I get it,” Celeste replied. “Easier to see each other, right? Where are you from?”

           “Uh… Port… Land? Portland. You know… in Oregon?”

           “That’s close to Seattle, which is where Jason moved, if I remember right,” Sadie said, and Laurie sighed in relief. “So, just wondering… what kind of music do you like?”

           “Uh-oh,” Ash said. “Depending on your tastes, she may request a rap battle.”

           “Rap battle?” Laurie said with a surprised laugh. “Sadie—you did… er, do those?”

           Sadie blushed a little. “It’s been a while. Kids at Cookton just listen to such mean music. Any battle I’d want to have would be filled with so many swear words that, win or lose, we would both go to detention. And I got enough of those from Mr. Garcia.”

           “Hm… My music preferences change all the time. Lo-fi chill is always a go-to.”

           “Don’t think I’ve heard of that. I only ask because I was curious if you were one of those emo kids? Don’t take that the wrong way. I’m not even really sure what it is yet myself, but we got a few students who listen to stuff like The Cure, or Deftones, or Nine Inch Nails—which just sounds painful. They’re kind of goth, but… not all the way?”

           Laurie self-consciously pushed back the hair on her face. “Oh, no—I’ve just been experimenting with my look recently. Yeah, I know how to handle my emotions.”

           “Maaan…” Wes whined when another match came to an end. “Not fair, Colin. You and Zach ganged up on me so much that you even got Jason in on it. Normally on Facility… I get on an unstoppable run. I know the spawn points and everything.”

           “We know,” Colin replied. “But Jason’s the one on a roll tonight. Who’s next?”

           “All right, time to show you how it’s done,” Celeste said, giving her knuckles a crack as she came over with her black controller. “Pistols in Bunker sound good?”

           “Fine with me,” Arthur said, taking Zach’s place. “Z, work on your aim, dude.”

           As a firefight erupted in a sheltered compound beneath Siberian tundra, Wessy grabbed a slice on his way to the couch, plopped down between Sadie and Ash where Celeste had been, then took a few bites and commented, “I love this system, and what video games are becoming. I still hook up my SNES sometimes, but launch weekend for the 64 was craaazy. Me and the guys all got to Target at dawn as it opened, left with our consoles, and then played on Zach’s, right in this room, until four in the morning!”

           “You’re still as nutty as you were in elementary school,” Sadie jokingly semi-scolded him. “It had, what, only two launch games? I just waited ‘til Christmas.”

           “I mean, sure, but Super Mario 64 and Pilotwings were so shiny, and all we needed.”

           “Wes, I get that vibe,” Celeste said over the noise while she pulled off headshots. “My karate sensei once spent an entire class talking about Mario 64 with everyone.”

           “Maybe stuff is changing a little too fast, though,” Sadie worried and stared at the digital violence. “We had lots of fun with our water and laser guns outside, and now…”

           “We’re changing faster, and video games won’t replace the memories,” Ash said.

           Laurie took in the sight of the crowded room and remarked, “It’s a little amazing that you’ve all stuck together this long. I try hard to keep my own friend circle glued together, but I definitely saw other ones break apart right away in middle school.”

           “Ah, yeah…” Wes murmured. “We’re all buddies, even if we fight about stupid stuff sometimes. Well… there was this one kid named Charlie, way back, who we don’t really hang out with anymore. Or talk about. He got too intense for us, anyway.”

           Though attention was already divided among the room’s seven-member audience who were doing their own things on the side, it seemed that the game faded even further into the background as those not playing got deep into sharing interpersonal stories and feelings as only young teenagers could do, regardless of the current generation.

           Gaming time became a blur as it always did, players shifted, matches became less serious, and towards the end of the night, it was Celeste, Millie, Sadie, and Ash who got to play the final round. As rambunctious as the boys could be, it was the girls who made a rule set that put them in the small Archives level with just explosive weaponry, used to blow up boxes and the glass windows of offices—bringing the frame rate to a crawl.

           “This is what our get-togethers eventually turn into,” Colin said over Zach’s hi-fi stereo system. “Game devolves into chaos, Zach plays Backstreet Boys ironically, and all that’s left of the pizza are grease stains.” He got up to stretch. “Okay, guys. I’m out.”

           “Get home in one piece, C-dawg,” Jared replied with a yawn. “We still got some more hanging out to do with Jason tomorrow. Maybe we’ll hit a movie or something?”

           “We’ll see what happens. See ya. Can’t wait to meet your other cousins, Jason.”

           He left with waves aplenty, and it wasn’t long until Wessy had gone as well. The match then came to a close, leaving the arena a smoldering ruin and some scores in the negative. Sadie shut things down, and once Celeste had done her version of limbering up—by punching into the air several times—she crossed her arms and smiled.

           “Zach, you’re always a good host. But I gotta get home and burn off the pie.”

           “You scare me a little, Cel, but you keep doing your thing,” he told her.

           “Z, are you still crushin’ on her?” Ash asked once Celeste had left the house.

           “N-no, Ash! Geez, I keep telling you and Sadie—I just admire her grit. We’re not going to be a… a thing. Besides, she’d make me go on runs all the time or whatever.”

           Arthur, who had been checking out Zach’s own collection of DVDs, turned and inquired, “Hey, isn’t Titanic out yet? It’s not downstairs, either. I’m, uh… just curious.”

           Sadie rolled her eyes. “Didn’t you guys see it enough times? For obvious reasons?”

           “Don’t know what you’re talking about, Said’.” Jared sprawled out on a couch and took out his Game Boy. “We just care about the story and special effects.”

           “Uh-huh,” Ash snidely replied. She then checked her watch. “Dad should be here in about ten minutes, if you still want a ride back with us, Jared. You good, Sadie?”

           “Yeah, I don’t mind a night walk.” Sadie put on her baseball cap and grabbed her keyring flashlight. “Z, I know you’re a ‘free spirit’ now and ‘here and there,’ but nights like this are still what being friends is all about. Don’t forget your roots, ya know?”

           “Aw, you’re so sentimental.” Zach smiled. “You guys are always on the guest list.”

           Within a few minutes, the former energy of the room had been replaced by Zach going around with a garbage bag and cleaning up the pizza boxes, paper plates, and soda bottles and plastic cups. Arthur was messing around as a birdman in the free exploration mode of Pilotwings, with the game’s soft jazzy tunes setting the ambience. Ash skimmed one of Zach’s trashy teen scene mags, Jared grumbled at his Game Boy game, Jace and Millie quietly caught up, and Laurie non-stressfully practiced her hacky-sacking.

           “Guess that marks the end of seventh grade…” Zach lamented as he worked on getting his lair back into top shape. “Ah, man. Years are starting to blend together.”

           “Top of the heap again in a couple months,” Arthur replied, his pilot’s bird wings flapping him into the sky. “Feels like a short journey compared to elementary school.”

           “Lara, you’re pretty good at that,” Zach casually commented. “My older cousin is a freshman in college, and she says everyone’s kicking those around. I… don’t get it.”

           “It reminds me how to focus,” Laurie explained. “Other times, it’s for fun.”

           Zach’s computer speakers let out the now-familiar sound of an America Online incoming message, and he checked his monitor. This time, he didn’t type out a simple response like he had the rest of the night whenever someone contacted him. Instead, he dropped the trash bag, leaned in to read something intensely, and exhaled sharply.

           “Uh, Jason? Could you come here a sec? Someone’s… asking for you.”

           Curious, he left Millie’s side to check it out—though she tagged right along, as expected. In a box was a perturbing message from a user named “xXDarkShadowXx.”

           “Zach, heard Jason was in town. Looking for him. I’m guessing you’re having your end of school party again, so if he’s anywhere, he’s there. Talk to me. Crucial.”

           “Is that…” Millie thought a moment. “That’s Charlie, isn’t it?”

           “Yeah…” Zach admitted. “We still chat every now and then, but this is the most he’s said, er… typed in weeks. What do you wanna do, Jason? I can deny you’re around.”

           Jace gulped and nervously replied, “Tell him… I’m here, and ask what he wants.”

           A fast typist, Zach pounded out the reply and got in return, “Good. Need to talk with him about something I found in my backpack today. Skate pLace. Now.”

           “What the heck, Jason?” Zach muttered. “Are you two scheming something?”

           Without hesitation, Millie took out her phone and declared, “You need a ride, don’t you? I’ll call my dad and tell him the change of plans. But I’m coming with.”

           As nearly two hours on the tick had gone by since the start of the pizza party, the elder Millie was already waiting outside at the end of Zach’s long driveway, no phone call necessary. When she saw her teenage punk self walking with Jace and Laurie into the glow of the street lights, her face dropped a little and she crossed her arms.

           “Okay, what’s this about?” she huffed. “I didn’t want to interact with… her.”

           “We might have a problem,” Jace reported. “Charlie wants to meet with us.”

           “For the love of… This day is never going to end. He say anything specific?”

           “No,” Teen Millie replied. “But he asked for Jace, so he knew he was here, and I’m guessing it has something to do with why you’re here. Are you screwing with stuff?”

           “That’s really none of your business, but I had to give something to Charlie that won’t matter for decades. For all I know, Laurie did more damage than I’d ever cause.”

           “What?!” Laurie exclaimed, shocked she’d been singled out. “Hey, hold on, I’ve seen enough time travel movies; I get how this works. For the record, I had fun up there and didn’t say anything that would’ve been dangerous. It was like… I became a different person, separate from 2022. Here, I’m Lara, 90s girl, hanging out with Wes’ crew and playing it cool. In fact, I love this so far! Everything’s so bold and aggressive, the music’s in your face, and people say what they really mean and don’t keep you wondering.”

           “All right, settle down,” Adult Millie sighed. “It’s not personal; I was just making a point. I’d hoped that he’d have no one to ask before school starts again, but there’s still us.” She groaned. “If he’s suspicious, then we need to talk to him. Well, you guys do. It’s the only chance we have to get him to trust us, and his ‘present.’ Where’s the meetup?”

           “The old skating rink by the mall,” Teen Millie answered. “My… our dad can give us a ride, but not here—the twins’ dad will show up any minute. Bad idea to let anyone else see you, right? You should really let me in on the big secret, though, since it’s sort of my job to watch Charlie and keep him under control. We both know what’s up.”

           Big Millie took this into consideration, and replied, “Fine. It’s a data stick he can’t look at until later, with files for a time machine that will self-destruct and, hopefully, get him to move on from all this. I’ve made the blueprints look like they were authored by a future version of himself, so he should trust it enough to keep it around until then.”

           “Hm. That’s clever, I admit. And does sound like something I’d come up with.”

           “Uh-huh, we’re really cool. Now where’s Dad supposed to pick us up?”

           At 9:30 on a Friday night, two Millies, Laurie, and Jace waited under the glow of a Circle K’s signage, at the side of Kettle Road and by a turn into Desert Tree. Amid the sound of traffic and late evening city life, Laurie sipped a small coffee.

           “Lor, you’re thirteen. I can’t believe you’re drinking that stuff already,” Jace said.

           “Long day…” she murmured. “Also, lots of cream. Still getting used to it.”

           “The rest of the gang likes to hang out here,” the younger Millie said to her older counterpart. “I don’t, since I hate the smell of gas, but the place does stand out along the highway. Dad should be here in a minute…” She looked up at her. “Look, as long as we’re working together, one of us should go by, like, a nickname. Like Wes and Wessy.”

           “I don’t expect this partnership to last long,” Big Millie replied. “But, if we must, then I’ve got seniority and get to keep my name. So… for you, let’s just stick with Mill.”

           Mill shrugged. “I mean, you already know I’d say ‘whatever,’ or ‘fine,’ something like that. Hey, you seem… tense? Are you just another stressed adult, or…”

           Millie uncrossed her arms and left the convenience store’s wall as a pick-up truck approached and replied, “Looks like Dad’s ride. I’ve just been screwed over before and I want this to go right. That’s all. Anyway… Good pizza party? How’s everyone doing?”

           “You know. Same as usual. They like video games way too much, but they’re all so… genuine. Okay, you better hoodie-up and keep quiet. You know how Dad is.”

           With Mill up front by her eyepatch-wearing, mysterious survivalist-type pop, the streetlights of Kettle passed by but barely touched the face of Millie, sitting between Laurie and Jace with her hood over her eyes. And it only made her more suspicious.

           “You say you’re Jason’s new mom, eh?” her dad asked, looking into the rearview. “I swear I’ve seen you before, somewhere. What do you see in his dad, anyway? Don’t get me wrong, he can watch out for himself, but last time I saw him, I was helping him skip town. Figured he’d still have debts. You know… This is one of the weirder things I’ve said to a stranger, but you’re almost like my kid if she came back to 1998 as an adult.”

           “W-what?” Mill exclaimed. “Dad, come on, you’ll make even more people think you’re crazy.” She turned to the back. “Don’t believe a word he says, uh, Jason’s mom.”

           Millie said in a fake deep voice, “It’s all right. I’m used to his kind of… humor.”

           “Used to it, or… enjoy it?” her dad wondered. “It’d be nice if someone did.”

           “Thanks, Dad,” Mill said once they had come to a stop by the neon marquee of Skate pLace, one of the classic premier hangouts for Royal Valley teens. “It closes in ten minutes anyway, so we should be right out—no driving off jokes!”

           “Okay, kiddo. I won’t ask about your shady dealings. This time.”

           The passengers hopped out, but the adult Millie knew it was best to still not get involved, so she waved them on inside and waited by the door, saying, “Good luck with Charlie. I’ll be here, enjoying the solid ground. Never did get used to Dad’s driving…”

           The venue was just as empty as the parking lot. The snack bar employees were closing up shop, and the half dozen remaining patrons were either gaming at the arcade machines or mingling away from the empty rink. The pounding techno music was still going, so the only place to have a real conversation would be away from the speakers.

           “Is that our guy?” Laurie asked over the music as she eyed the entrance to the locker room in the corner—where a broody teen in blacks and reds was waiting.

           “Charlie…” Jace murmured. “Be careful what you say. We can’t let him know a time-traveling Millie is behind all this. I wish I knew what he’s thinking. Maybe we…”

           “We gotta convince him that we want to help him build a time machine, right?” Laurie replied. “I’ll probably just… keep quiet. I’m definitely out of my element here.”

           “Follow my lead, Jace,” Mill said. “I have an idea. I’ve been trying to keep him from doing just that, so if I have a good reason for a change of heart… Well, you get it.”

           Charlie, who had noticed them the moment they came in, emotionlessly did the “come over here” finger gesture, and the three anxiously obeyed, walking over to join him in the small locker area that smelled strongly of old shoes. Mr. Pippin, experienced past his appearance, may have been on the shorter side but remained intimidating.

           With the music’s impact diminished here, he didn’t have to speak loudly to greet them. “There he is. Jace Baker. Couldn’t stay out of the past, hm? Did your uncle drag you on another nostalgia trip, to the late 90s this time? And who’s this? Be honest.”

           “My friend, Laurie,” Jace answered. “She… Um, she’s just helping out.”

           Charlie’s gaze turned to Mill. “You here to make sure I ‘stay on track?’”

           “Things are… complicated,” she replied without any shred of nervousness.

           “Uh-huh. So, how’d you do it?” He took the encased thumb drive out of a jacket pocket and held it up. “I don’t get how or when you slipped this into my backpack.”

           “We were… sneaking around school today,” Jace said. “Very… very stealthily.”

           Mill suddenly took command of the conversation by explaining, “It’s from an older version of you. It took some doing, but he convinced me to go along with it.”

           For the first time Jace had seen it, Charlie showed genuine curiosity and raised an eyebrow, replying, “Go along with… what, exactly? I can’t access this thing for years.”

           “What you’re holding is full of blueprints for a working time machine, no chance it’ll cause an accident like what happened to Wes. Well, I mean… supposedly. Guess it depends on how much faith you have in… yourself. Why do the hard work all over again, when he already figured it out and wants you to have the info early. Think how much sooner you’ll get to build your machine with all that R&D out of the way.”

           Charlie squinted, studied the three, and pocketed the thumb drive in a swift motion before asking, “If that’s all true, then why did they give it to me?”

           “Oh, pfft—your old self didn’t want you to see him all wrinkly, and… old.”

           “Y-yeah, I wouldn’t. Good point. But that doesn’t explain why you seem to be cool with it all of a sudden. Weren’t you the one who wanted to check up on me once a year after high school, to make sure I wasn’t up to ‘no good?’ What are you playing at?”

           Feigning modesty, she shrugged and cheekily explained, “Charlie. I never really cared if you make a time machine as an adult. How would I stop you, anyway? What’s it matter to me if you find out you need to learn the same lessons Wes did, or goof off in your favorite years? I just want to make sure you don’t mess with his personal journey, or his friends. Basically, don’t screw up his story and risk paradoxing us all, and you’re good as far as I’m concerned.” She gazed at him intensely, and perhaps upon realizing that he still had doubts, added the sprinkles. “Also, he spent so much time and money on the project that he got decrepit and broke, too old and tired to go back and get rich again. He wants you to, ya know, cheat the system and make bank while you’re young.”

           “Wow,” Laurie whispered to Jace. “Pretty good. She could sell used cars.”

           Charlie thought about it and rubbed his chin. “All right, yeah… I’m picking up what you’re putting down. And he, me, got you and Jace involved because you already know about time travel and all the Wes stuff. But what do you get out of it?”

           “Um… Some peace of mind?” Mill kept up the act. “Like… now that you know you can build a machine, maybe you’ll chill out a little until then? Not cause trouble?”

           “Making your job watching over me easier in the process.”

           “Yeah, that’s right. We both get what we want and the tension eases between us.”

           “But then why the secrecy? You could’a just hit me up after school or whatever.”

           Now Mill was having a little trouble coming up with something, so Jace took it upon himself to answer. “Time cops, Charlie. Had my fill of them last time.”

           “Riiight… You wanna play it safe around those assholes. Don’t want to attract their attention again when you don’t have your uncle and cousin around to protect you.”

           “Time cops are a thing?” Laurie said. “You didn’t mention them before, Jace…”

           “They got much bigger criminals to go after than some kids trading time machine plans, but I appreciate your… I guess I’d call it risk minimizing, Jace. I swear I’ll stay out of your business once I start flying around time again. Anyway, good talk with you, too, Millie. Nice to clear the air between us. Guessing I’ll see you around in any case.”

           “We should still chat once a year and catch up, yeah…” Mill said weakly.

           Charlie slid his hands into his pockets, gave his neck a crack, and started on his way out—but stopped at the door and shared without turning around, “Jace, time travel was just a hobby for me. I enjoy the freedom and was tired of getting older. But the past isn’t an obsession, like it was for Wes. You don’t need to worry about me, and Millie’s still on guard duty. So… if you’ve finally wrapped it up, then go home, have fun, and grow up. Adulting sucks sometimes, but at least it lets you find your place out there.”

           “See ya around, Charlie,” Jace murmured as Desert Tree’s ‘Cool Legend’ walked off into the night. He exhaled, let his shoulders drop, and huffed, “I think it worked.”

           “Jace, you have no idea,” Mill replied after letting out an even bigger sigh of relief. “You’re not around to keep an eye on him and feel intellectually inferior after every talk. My heart’s still pounding, I’m sweaty… and, ugh, now my glasses are messy and fogged up.” She took them off and wiped them with a hoodie sleeve as she continued, “He gets me seriously nervous—he’s my Moriarty. It’s all mind games and second-guessing when I’m around him, so I can’t believe we just pulled that off. There’s a mind of an adult that built a time machine and has been every-when in there. Worst of all, he’s really hard to read.”

           “I got mad respect for you right now,” Laurie said. “You’re in your prime.”

           “So I’m not when you know me as an adult, I assume?” She put her glasses back on, wincing. “Gah, these old things barely fit anymore. Okay. Let’s get out of here.”

           The main room was quiet, aside from a vacuuming employee. All of the other teenagers had headed out during the chat, and Jace caught sight of Charlie just as the front door shut behind him. A moment later and with a minute or so left until closing, Millie came in and met them by the entrance. She seemed even more paranoid than usual.

           “I saw him leave,” she remarked. “I think he was grinning. Is that a good sign?”

           “We convinced him that we were on his side, more or less,” Mill replied. “So, if that means he creates a faulty machine years from now… Is that it? Mission success?”

           “Whew. It should be. Good work, guys. I know I’ve been weird and super tense this whole time, but… Nah, forget it. We just need Dad to take us to a hotel.”

           She turned to walk them out, and everything seemed fine and over with… until Mill asked an innocuous question to break that tension in the air, “Hey, real quick before I forget. I was thinking about how Dad really needs to get me a new pair of glasses, and it got me wondering. You don’t wear them anymore, so… what happened, and when?”

           Millie faced the group again and answered casually and confidently, “Oh, a thing called laser eye surgery should be… just about available by now? Some people can have problems with it, but I took the chance and it worked great. No more annoying glasses.”

           Jace replied flatly and matter-of-factly, “But I thought you wore contacts…”

           And that… was what finally set Millie off. At first, she simply stared at him, but then her left eye twitched and she grimaced—which was just the build-up to a freak-out.

           “I knew it,” she snapped harshly. “I never had you convinced; you were playing games with me. I get it—I see it on your face. Ffff… Of course I mess up some inane detail. Story of my life! And if you knew… you probably told Charlie everything.”

           “Millie, what the hell are you talking about?” Jace asked in confusion aplenty.

           She suddenly took out her quartz and kept rambling, “All right, fine. I’ll just patch this tiny mistake and try again. I’ll try as many times as it takes to get it right. Damn it…”

           “Hey, what are you doing?” Laurie fretted as Millie banged on and squeezed the drained crystal to try and get it to work. “You… you can’t just leave us here! What—”

           “Sorry,” Millie said as she pressed on the quartz with both hands. “But I can’t—”

           She vanished in a flash before she could finish. The now stranded trio stood in awkward, befuddled silence for a few seconds, as the manager came over to lock up.

           “Millie…” Laurie murmured to the one that remained. “What did you just do?”

           “Eh? What happened to your strange adult friend?” Mill’s dad asked once the three had gotten back into his truck, each of them looking quite shaken.

           “She… uh…” Mill couldn’t bother to come up with a good story this time. “She lives in one of the rooms in the back of the skating rink. This is her… stop.”

           “Oh. I mean… Guess you have to live where you can. What about your friends?”

           Millie looked at them in the rearview and sighed. “Okay if they stay over?”

           This visibly surprised her dad, who turned in his seat to restudy the two young teens for a moment before replying, “Ah, well… Only since Jason seems like a good kid. I always wanted you to have more friends. About time you had a few spend the night.”

           “Ew, Dad! Are you implying we might do gross stuff? Geez. Can we just go?”

           Seeing that his daughter was clearly upset about something, he put the vehicle in drive and made the short trip to The Flamingo, the single-floor condo that catered to the older crowd, with a flickering pink neon bird lighting up the night.

           “Never thought I’d be back here…” Jace, sunken into his seat, whispered. “We spent the first months of our adventure at this place. Millie’s dad is the landlord.”

           “Mm-hm…” Laurie murmured. “Jace, why do you think she went berserk? And what are we going to do about it? If she really left us stuck in the past, I…”

           “Don’t worry about it,” he said tiredly as they parked. “I’ve been in worse situations. I’ll come up with something. For now… Let’s just try to get some sleep.”

           Mill’s home was small and basic, but it did have a working air conditioning window unit, a couch for Jace, and a sleeping bag for Laurie, so it would definitely be good enough for the night. Only around five minutes after arriving, all three had already changed for bed, but Jace knew that they had to talk about what just happened before anyone would actually find slumber. He knocked on the door of Millie’s bedroom, and he entered to see its owner in silky black pajamas. Laurie had been given a duplicate set.

           “You’re practically twins,” Jace said, shutting the door and looking around.

           “She’s lucky I have a spare,” Millie replied from the beanbag chair next to Laurie, who was sprawled out on her rug. She then noticed what Jace was wearing and let out a snort. “I’m going to assume that’s one of my dad’s college shirts.”

           Jace gazed down at the oversized and ratty faded orange shirt that simply had the text ‘I Drink Beer’ on it, mumbling, “He also offered me some old elastic boxers…”

           “Yeah, that would be a little too ick. She didn’t give you a chance to pack, huh?”

           “Nope. We just have whatever Laurie’s got in her backpack. But, whatever, my shorts are comfy enough. Millie, I don’t think I’ve seen your room before. You do have a lot of books on your shelves.” He went to her small computer desk and gave the beige tower resting atop it a pat. “How’s Wes’ old loaner PC been treating you?”

           “Great. Between all my notes and games, it’s running out of space, though.” She tossed him a mostly flat pillow and gestured to a spot on the rug. “We… should talk.”

           “If anyone can explain what happened back there, maybe it’s you.”

           “I doubt it… but I am working on an idea. It’ll be weird, but I’ll keep it brief.”

           Jace came over, dropped the pillow on a spot by the room’s bedside lamp and only light source, and plopped down. Exhaustion was now creeping into his bones.

           Laurie, barely squeezing a hacky sack, stretched out over a provided sleeping bag and asked, “So, Jace, I guess this makes one more home where you’ve had a sleepover.”

           He replied, “I’ve been to everyone’s. Well, except Celeste and Sadie’s. Obviously.”

           “And is this really your first, Millie? Not shaming or anything…”

           “… At my place, yes,” Mill admitted. “I haven’t been the friendliest person. Still aren’t. As in, I’m reluctant to make them. Lucky for me, Wes and his group have let me in—mostly. The only friend I ever went out and got all on my own moved away.”

           “Huh?” Jace piped. “Millie, you never told me about that.”

           “Not much to tell, and it’s more sad than anything. Her name was Samantha, and we met in second grade. I stayed over at her house a few times, and our favorite thing to do was pretend we were spies. I already liked… observing other kids by that point, but the whole, ‘serious’ Harriet the Spy thing I had going, I got from her. But then she moved just after third grade, and I went back to being a loner. It’s easier to talk about now, but for a while, since I was young and dumb, I used to think it was somehow my fault she left.”

           “Is that, maybe, why you don’t put the effort into making friends?”

           She shrugged. “Could be. Also, when you overanalyze others and focus on all their little flaws that actually aren’t any more numerous than what others got going on, you kinda let perfect be the enemy of good. Difference was, I cared about all those little things way too much after Sam left. She had plenty of flaws, too, but it didn’t bother me before. A-anyway, this slumber party isn’t about me. Er, well, I guess it is, but not me.”

           “Millie… You’re not going to pull a fast one us, too… right?” Laurie worried.

           “No! What reason would I even have? This is where I was going—I don’t think I will ever do that to you, because I’m not sure that Millie is actually me. As soon as I saw her up close, I could tell she was off. Since I watch people, I pick up on mannerisms, a person’s every tic. And I know myself the best. There’s something going on with her, and it made her twitchy and unsure of herself. I’m not saying she was an imposter—like, someone imitating me, but think about it. We know she’s time traveling, and that opens up possibilities. Who can say where or when she’s been? What if she’s from an old loop, like Warren was back when he was playing time ninja? Heck, maybe she’s from another timeline entirely. I didn’t fully suspect anything before I mentioned our glasses, yet I had that urge to ask. What I don’t get, is why she jumped right into the ‘oh, no, they found me out!’ thing. It’s almost as if… she thinks Jace knows more than he does.”

           “… Huh…” Jace muttered after a few seconds of quiet contemplation. “You just gave me a lot to think about. Only she can tell us for sure. Wonder where she is now… Well…” he yawned, “I better not stay in here any longer and get your dad all nervous.”

           “On the topic of what you’re also now implying and will never happen, I got one last, very important question before you go to bed.” Millie leaned in deviously. “I know you remember Ash giving you that kiss just before you left on July 4^th, ’96. So do the others. Okay, you’re blushing already—but I just have to ask, was that the first time?”

           “Ooh, Jace,” Laurie gave him a sly grin and nearly crushed her bean ball, “do tell.”

           “Hey, not fair. You two are ganging up on me! I-I…” He got up with his pillow. “It was the second time. First time was… at summer camp. Happy? Now good night.”

           “Sheesh, so dramatic,” Laurie sighed as Jace scampered out. “By the way, Mill, this sleeping bag is so soft and big. It almost makes me want to sleep on your floor.”

           “Yeah, it’s Dad’s.” She put her glasses on the nightstand. “He camps, a lot.”

           The living room was filled with flickering light, and Jace tiredly shuffled over to the couch where a blanket waited and Millie’s dad was sipping a beer to unwind as he watched a wrestling event on TV at a low volume. Upon seeing Jace, he made room.

           “Hey, kiddo. Knocking off already? This ends in about ten minutes. It’s pay-per-view, so if you want to watch a little primo material first… This Mankind guy is a beast.”

           Jace stared at the mindless entertainment for a bit, then shrugged. “Eh, sure.”

           About twelve hours later and following a long night of sleep, Jace, Laurie, and the rest of the gang were leaving one of the theaters of the Royal Mega 18 megaplex, all of them getting together to see a movie like the old days. Surrounded by a late matinee crowd and neon lights reflecting off chrome accents, they skipped to the commentary.

           “I was expecting more of a comedy with Jim Carrey in it and everything, but that actually made me… kind of emotional by the end,” Sadie started. “Truman is leaving behind a perfect town, all his friends and family… everything he knows!”

           “Can’t he come back to visit, though?” Jared wondered. “I mean… they’d keep Seahaven going for rich people to live in, or for fans of the show to tour, right?”

           “Man, what a head-trip,” Colin said. “I have so many questions. Like… did they keep all the schools he went to active? Can real-world parents send their kids to them? What if Truman just randomly decided to check out his old elementary school one day, but no kids came out on the last bell? How functional is Seahaven? Is everyone an actor?”

           “I’m more curious if the actors eventually forgot they were actors,” Laurie added.

           “And are cameras pointed at his toilet? Does the audience watch?” Zach asked.

           Ash winced. “Zach over here, as always bringing up the important questions.”

           “Dad told me about the movie,” Jace mentioned. “Now I see why. He likes to see his past as this… thing isolated in time and space, perfect and filled with stories.”

           “Kind of vague, but I think I get what you mean,” Millie said. “I really get it…”

           “It’s a thinker’s film, sure,” Celeste summarized. “But did anyone watch wrestling last night? Now that was crazy. Hm? No one? Tch. At least we still see movies together.”

           “Wes? You’re being unusually quiet at a post-movie chat,” Arthur noted.

           “I’m… still absorbing it,” Wessy murmured. “Like Sadie said… Stepping out of your own life and leaving home like that? Just pure… what’s the word… Melancholy?”

           “Careful, Wes,” Sadie replied. “Don’t forget, it’s ‘lame’ to have emotions in middle school. Anyway, looks like our parents and rides are waiting out front.”

           “Jason, are we going to see you again before you leave town?” Colin inquired.

           “Er, I think so. But first…” He turned to Arthur and Colin. “Can I ask a favor? Colin, would you ride with the twins’ dad, so you could help with a little… project? It’s important, but you might find the challenge fun. Oh, and Millie should be there, too.”

           Glancing at Colin, Arty replied, “Need the nerds, huh? Anything for you, bud.”

           “Here just a weekend, and you couldn’t stay away,” Arthur’s dad greeted as he let his kids and several of their friends into his house. “You here to catch up, or what?”

           “We’re working on a little science experiment, Mr. Teller,” Jace replied.

           “Ha. Well, if you need a computer, Arthur’s got a brand new one in his room.”

           “And it has Windows 98,” Arthur added. “I don’t think even Colin’s seen it yet.”

           “Lucky…” Colin groaned, and the gang got on the move to check it out.

           Halfway down the hall, Ash split off into her own room, and Jace got a glimpse at the TLC and Destiny’s Child posters on her walls before she playfully waved goodbye to him, closed the door, and started up some pop music on her stereo.

           “Jace…” Laurie whispered as they walked. “Hate to tell ya, but I think it’s over.”

           “It wasn’t really meant to be,” Jace, at peace with it, replied. “Nice to have that memory back again, though. It’ll always be my… Millie, you’re too close.”

           “Sorry, Romeo, but I’m still waiting for you to tell us what, exactly, we’re doing.”

           As they entered Arthur’s tech haven of a room that was also filled with action figures and comic books, Jace explained to Mill and Laurie, “All we need to do is send a message to my uncle, on the day we were pushed into the past, and get him to find his stashed quartz. But, Millie, your older self might be expecting the Back to the Future II send-a-letter-to-the-future routine, so I was thinking we could be… more modern.”

           “Nice machine,” Colin complimented while he studied the tower and Arthur dialed into the internet. “You got a Voodoo card in there? Can you do 3D graphics?”

           Arthur smiled. “You know it. I had to save up for a year to get it, but, worth it.”

           “You should see if your dad could get you a job at the park, then you might make so much money that you could buy one of those new flat monitors.”

           “The twins’ dad maintains equipment at King Arcade,” Jace told Laurie.

           “Oh, cool,” she replied. “Does he keep the Red Demon from breaking down?”

           “That’s a bit above his pay grade,” Arthur said with a laugh. “Equipment isn’t totally incorrect, but he’s more of the electrician. Okay, Jason,” he spun around in his chair to face him, “what do we got going on? And can we actually pull it off?”

           “Well…” Jace took a breath. “I’m not sure how tough this might be, or how to get started. I want to schedule a text message to be sent 25 years into the future.”

           “Really now…” Arthur rubbed his chin. “Interesting idea. Let’s get started.”

           “You guys watch that announcement for the iMac?” Colin asked the others, a few minutes into Arthur’s research at his desk. “An all-in-one machine with a colorful exterior… I want one, and Jared’s hoping Steader High has them in their lab by the time we start ninth grade. I do both Mac and Windows, but dang… that puppy looks nice.”

           “It still looks like a toy to me,” Arthur said as he scrolled through another text-filled technical page about SMS delivery methods. “But who am I to talk when hardware is obsolete after a year these days. Anyway, this is more complicated than I thought it’d be, but it seems like you can pay a premium to have a message stored on a company server, and schedule it to fire off at a later time. Jason, I’m all for setting up a digital time capsule to say hi to ourselves or whatever in the future, but… how important is this?”

           Choosing to make a play on emotions, Jace replied, “Think about how much it’ll bring you guys back, when you suddenly get a forgotten text from me, made when we were kids. I have a feeling that you’ll remember when we did it, and it’ll make your day.”

           “Sounds fun,” Colin said. “Maybe we’ll get it while we’re having a crappy time, like… after paying taxes or getting fired, and it cheers us up. I say we pay for the service, Arty. I’ll chip in for the…” he leaned towards the screen, “four bucks a message? Geez.”

           “All right, sure,” Arthur gave in. “Guess I’ll go and convince Dad to let us use his credit card. Jason, do you want to type the message? And what number it goes to?”

           “Hold on…” Millie spoke up after folding her own phone. “What are the odds, that, ya know… either of you guys will have the same number that far into the future?” She eyed Jace, sending a signal that more had to be taken into consideration.

           Jace added, “Um… or that this service will be running in, I dunno… let’s make it 2022. The internet and what sites exist are going to change fast. Probably. We’re on the right track, but we need something that should be around for a long time.”

           Colin thought aloud, “If we need a computer or server that will stay linked to the internet and plugged in, and will get its data moved when it’s time for upgrades… Yeah, yeah. That might work. Jason, my dad happens to be on the IT team at Royal University. He should be able to get your message saved and scheduled on the school hardware.”

           “Sounds like our best option,” Arthur said. “But when will we know if it works?”

           “I kind of have a feeling that I’ll find out pretty soon,” Jace answered.

           Taking out his cell, Colin added, “I’ll call Dad. Now ya got me invested in this.”

           Off in the 29th century, Nyra’s old junker time shuttle reappeared in a flash above Royal Valley, glittering with a million lights and bright windows on a foggy night. Millie, in the co-pilot seat but locked out from interacting with the holographic controls, let out a happy sigh as stars, satellites, and stations emerged from drifting clouds. An orbital hotel was big enough against the moon to make out its shape. Nearby and below, the police tower and its many aeropads loomed over where King Arcade once stood.

           “Royal Valley Time Travel Control, this is CA-771KL, reporting back from a quick trip to 2498,” Nyra called in seconds after arrival. “Sending all flight and data logs now. Looks like…” she skimmed a screen full of text, “negligible temporal butterflies.”

           “CA-771KL, copy that, hold position while we run a full scan,” was the response.

           Nyra leaned back in her pilot seat, stretched, and huffed, “I’d totally clock-back even more if I didn’t have to deal with pain in the ass go-return procedures every time.”

           “Now that I’ve looked up how rare they are, I’m amazed that you managed to get a civilian ‘explorers’ license,” Millie replied. “So, keep putting up with it; I wouldn’t want you to lose it. Seeing that there were still scars and cities being rebuilt a century after the Resource Wars really puts a big event into perspective. I hope I don’t sound too much like a history teacher. But thanks for all the little adventures. I needed the excitement.”

           “Sure, but when are we going to check out the 1990s? I’m running out of centuries’ last decades to show you. I wanna see where you grew up, together.”

           “I know, I know—you love the late 20^th, but I feel like if I go back for more than a fast check-in, I’ll get homesick for real and want to stay. Maybe I’m not ready to make our friendship that… personal just yet. I really appreciate all you’ve done to help—”

           Nyra scowled a little and argued, “Mill! I’ve known you almost two years. You ‘appreciate’ your automaid, or a tour guide. Ya gotta let people in, even if past scars are biting at you. If you… What’s that?” she asked when Millie’s glass phone began to beep.

           Millie took it out of her jacket pocket and looked at the flashing alert on the screen, replying, “Someone tripped my apartment’s alarm system. Back in 2022.”

           “Oh, yeah? Give me the exact time, and we’ll catch them in the act.”

           “Seriously? I don’t like confrontation. Why don’t we just let them leave first?”

           As she opened a time-date window, Nyra said confidently, “Proactive is better.” She then spoke to the operator, “Control, I need clearance. Had a change of plans.”