the ship.
Then I have no choice, I’ll have to inform James of the future. There must be a way! He’s three now, so I could wait until he’s old enough; tell him then. But that means I’ve got to meet him. Londuo’s feelings towards James were playing on her mind. I can’t meet him. He’d be so young; I’m old. It would tear me apart and he wouldn’t know why I love him. No, I couldn’t bear that. He doesn’t know me yet. Maybe I can write a letter to explain him what will happen so that he can change the future. But what if he doesn’t believe it? I have to somehow prove I know the future; but how?
Londuo played through many scenarios in her mind.
‘My diary!’ she said out loud. ‘My diary has the future in it.’
That’s it. I’ll give him my diary. It’s from the future; that’s proof in itself. She suddenly felt worried. But it’s too personal. He cannot read my diary; he’ll find out that I love him before we’ve even met. Wait, he doesn’t need to.
‘Kalrea! Kalrea is the answer.’
I need to get the diary to Kalrea. She will read it, get to know the future and advise James on what to do. I’ll instruct Kalrea not to tell James about our love.
Londuo felt very pleased with herself. All I’ve got to do is get the diary to him at the right moment. He will have to ask Kalrea to help him to read it. But I still need to work out why the timeline wasn’t changed, what went wrong and why we didn’t wipe out the Treitans. Maybe if I give all the details I can remember to Kalrea, she’ll be able to fill in the missing pieces.
*****
Londuo never got too close to James’ family, but there was one day where, against her better judgement, she ventured to the back of their property. She noticed a scarlet aeroplane lying on the ground and picked it up. She smiled to herself and could not resist throwing it down the hillside. However, she gasped when she saw a five-year-old boy exiting the house. The aeroplane landed, just missing him. She quickly hid behind a large bush. Her heart started to race when she noticed him approaching. That boy was James, her lover, and she knew he had just lost his father the previous day.
James, don’t come up here, please, she thought, looking for a way to escape; but it was too late. She had no choice but to talk with him for a few moments until he was distracted by his mother calling him. She quickly moved behind some trees before heading back to her car where she sat staring out of the windscreen. He’s so young and now his father has died. I know how he’ll feel. Londuo broke down and started to cry. I love you, James. I’ve always loved you .
*****
Londuo now had to wait patiently for 2019 to arrive, the year she knew that James would lose his mother and the year when his life would take a new direction. This was the right moment for her to give him the information he needed. By then he would be a young man, and she would be seventy-three years old, which is still quite young for Qinants, considering that their average life expectancy is equivalent to one hundred and two Earth years. So all she needed to do was to protect herself from any colds, which indeed she did. On 10th October 2019, the day Carol was supposed to die, Londuo was getting ready to go and visit her.
Her plan was to speak with Carol to ensure that the diary, with the information about the future, was given to James.
Londuo looked at the red data cartridge that contained her diary lying on the kitchen table. I’ve removed my name so he won ’ t know whose it is. She picked it up and held it in her hand, but began to have mixed feelings. A part of her was happy that the information in her diary would probably change the future and save millions of lives, but another part of her was beginning to feel uncomfortable about the fact that this information would change the timeline and possibly also James ’ and her future together. She glanced at the kitchen clock. It ’ s now or never.
Jody Lynn Nye, Mike Brotherton