The Great Altruist (41 page)

            
           
Jennifer

       
    
The following day, Roger left their home, withdrew their savings, and deposited them into the account with the large inheritance his parents left him, and moved to the organization's headquarters offshore - a small rented office in the Cayman Islands. While Jennifer's predictions of division came true, Roger stayed the course and within five years he acquired enough talent to become the largest of the sects.

       
    
Years later, Roger searched through a report his spy network produced and came across the name of a scientist who just made a brilliant discovery – and much sooner than he had anticipated. Time travel could now be achieved, and he and his wife's shared vision could now become a reality.
We bring this change together!
he thought.

       
    
Val stepped off the private jet and looked around at her new home, a floating platform that looked like a deep-sea oil-drilling rig. She followed Roger and the other crewmembers below deck and was amazed at just how few people worked on such a huge base.

       
    
“This must be the slow shift, huh?" she blurted out.

       
    
Roger turned to address her as they walked. “No, there are only about
two hundred and fifty people aboard, including the civilians.”

       
    
“So where do you rank among the Cabal?” she said with a laugh.

       
    
Roger smirked. “We rank the highest in every way, my dear.”

       
    
They continued on a few decks lower to the crewmember's quarters. Halfway down the cramped corridor, Roger suddenly stopped.

       
    
“This is your room, Val.”

       
    
She stepped inside and examined her new home. She carried no bags, as they left the bar with only the clothes on her back and spent every minute since on the jet.

       
    
“All that you require will be provided. We have quite a few styles of clothing you can choose from in the commissary below, all provided free of charge. Food is yours for the taking, as are any other items you need to be more comfortable.” He followed her into the room and gently closed the door behind him.

       
    
Val tried her best not to appear disappointed at the size of her room since it was much smaller than she imagined. As though trying to convince herself that all was wonderful, she sat on the bare mattress and jumped up and down to test it.

       
    
“Will you be okay for now?” Roger asked.

       
    
“Sure. Is there anything you need from me?”

       
    
He smiled. “Not at the moment. Please, take some time to personalize your room as much as you'd like. This is temporary until we complete our mission. Sheets for the bed are in the bathroom, which is just through that door behind you.” He pointed. “Consider yourself fortunate: most of the celibates share a shower room.”

       
    
“And if I want to share?” she asked.

       
    
“You're free to do so, of course. Although I should warn you, the governance rules are quite strict and if your goal is to remain celibate, it may be wiser to avoid a room full of naked men.”

       
    
“Of course. I was being facetious anyway.” She winked at him.

       
    
Roger cleared his throat and smiled, realizing he'd just been had. “Yes, of course you were. Well, anyway, I have a lot to attend to so...you'll be alright for a while?”

       
    
She nodded.

       
    
“Good. If you need anything, use this. I'll alert everyone who needs to know of your presence.” He sat a small, implantable ear radio on the nightstand beside the bed. “Just say my name and it will connect you to me directly. Thank you for joining us, Val.”

       
    
She smiled and said: “You're welcome. I'm here if you need anything.”

       
    
“Don't worry about having something to do. The real fun begins in the morning. For now, take a shower, enjoy your dinner, and check out the library a few levels down. Try to have some fun, as strange as it all sounds. You'll hear from me soon enough.”

       
    
Roger turned from Val and opened the door. He exited a moment later and closed the door quietly. Val hopped off the bed and looked around her room more. She realized Roger was kidding about acquiring clothes from the commissary because as she looked in the drawers of her new dresser, she found, neatly folded, all of her clothes from home – from undergarments to formal wear.
Wow!
she thought.
He must have known I'd say yes
.

       
    
Content that not all of her old life had been abandoned, Val proceeded to the bathroom and filled the tub for a bath. Much like the dresser, the tub was arranged just as she had it decorated at home, with all of her scented candles and bath supplies where she expected to find them. After removing her clothes, Val slid under the warm water and closed her eyes.
Home
.

           
James looked down at his cup of coffee, which he had barely sipped, and said nothing. The man who just introduced himself as John Archer had taken a seat at his table and listened as James just finished telling him of the recent events. He was still rattled by the thought that someone caused this to his wife intentionally, but Archer claimed he could help with her condition.

       
    
“James, what I am about to tell you very few people know. In fact, you are one of only two Americans on United States soil who have ever heard these words. I am head of a project conducted by an organization that is about to go on a remarkable expedition. When I worked for the government, I discovered proof that travel through time was possible.”

       
    
I knew
that!
James thought to himself.

       
    
“Now, I know you'll have a hard time believing this but I'm going to have to cut to the chase since time is short. The group I am putting together is going to do just what I was able to prove: travel through time. A vessel is waiting in a secure location for one hundred experts from all over the world and they are ready to leave. The trouble is I only have ninety-nine people, Mr. Grant.”

       
    
James finally stirred a little and looked up.

       
    
“Do you see why I am here now, James?”

       
    
“Why?”

       
    
Archer jumped a bit in his chair, as he did not expect James to say anything until he was through. “Well, I am here to…”

       
    
“No,” James interrupted, “why are you traveling through time?”

       
    
Archer smiled. “You’re a wise man for asking. But first, may I ask you with what affliction your wife suffered from?”

       
    
“Cancer,” James said plainly.

       
    
“I see,” Archer said. “I know this may not be of much comfort now, James, but millions of good people like you have been pained by the effects of this disease. The purpose of the mission is to rid the world of all such pain.

           
“You see, the main reason we are going on such a journey is to jump-start the world's civilizations. Isn't it interesting that there have been no major breakthroughs or cures for major diseases in over fifty years? What if you were able to go deep into the future and find the cures to all the world's plagues? And what if you could bring them back to our time? Think of the lives we could save.”

       
    
“You can't be serious,” James said, cutting Archer off. “What about potential paradoxes you could create in the stream of time?”

       
    
“We have already addressed such concerns,” Archer continued. “The very first people who were brought on board were a team of ethicists to debate precisely what you speak of. Believe me, James, we wouldn’t engage in such a dangerous ambition unless the benefits outweighed the risks.”

       
    
“And why are you telling me any of this? I run a charity for lost children. What's a philanthropist and soon-to-be widower going to add to your experiment?”

       
    
Archer sat back in his chair and sipped his coffee. “We are looking for people who have an emotional investment in what we are doing. The expedition is not just engineers and doctors. We have artists, writers, and poets and yes, we need philanthropists. You see, the charity industry is regulated heavily by the government, right?” He went on without waiting for a reply. “Isn’t it possible that more sensible laws may exist in the distant future? What if you could lobby for those same laws, but in
our
time? Couldn’t your organization then do more good things? Think of the advances your donations could contribute to if your industry were regulated more fairly.”

       
    
James nodded and finally took a drink from his cup, nearly chugging the now-cooled liquid. He knew to proceed delicately. This man, Archer, almost certainly didn’t know of his previous travels in time, and he couldn’t give any indication of reluctance or excitement. Either way, he might rouse suspicion. “So let me see if I get this straight: You want me to travel in time with you to somehow acquire medical technology that will cure the disease that is killing me wife. What happens when we get back? I get a paycheck and go back to life and watch her die? No, I don't think so. I'll only help you on one condition.”

       
    
Archer smiled widely. “Name it.”

       
    
“I'll come with you and do whatever you ask,
if
you agree to return to the past - before my wife dies.”

       
    
“A little selfish, isn't it?”

       
    
“I admit it is, but if you knew just how special she was, you'd understand why I couldn't live without her.”

       
    
“How refreshing it is for someone to demand something other than more money! Then I guess we have an agreement.”

           
A few months before he ever met James Grant, John Archer sat alone at his desk late at night and looked over the report on the time machine's instrumentation. It had only been a couple of months since arriving here and Roger had recently offered him the chance to interview some of the candidates for the mission. Only hours earlier, Archer alerted Roger that his work on the machine was complete. Further, the machine could be retrofitted to the vessel for the expedition as soon as he wanted. Roger was ecstatic and had dozens of question, all of which Archer answered confidently. The only reservation Archer had was a private one, which he feared to say aloud. No matter, since Roger was off to examine another candidate – a young army widow.