There Must Be A Mistake Ch. 32

"Teddy ask Cale what is the best way for us to get more cold air to her?"

Cale's response made us look foolish.

She replied, "Food storage on floor 2 is too high. It is blocking the air-conditioning circulation vents, which feed air-conditioning system. Remove three levels near the vents."

"Gray call in everyone, and get it done now."

"Would you ask Cale if I can talk to her?"

Teddy asked, but Cale said, "No." She would only talk to the little one, with a fiery hair.

Teddy smiled. "I'm happy she only talk to me. She my friend not yours."

"Would you ask Cale if there's anything else wrong with her that we can fix before we leave."

We were discouraged with her answer.

"The Peta-Flops are out of alignment by 0.00151 mm. they will disintegrate within 86 years."

"Teddy ask her if we can fix them here, or while we are in flight?"

"Cale will they hurt you as they wear down?"

"I do not feel pain, I will just work slower."

"Can I fix you?"

"You will have to fix all four of us, because we all have the same fault."

"I do anything to help you. You are my friend."

"You will have to come inside me, and my sisters."

"You are my friend, I do anything for my friend."

"Sleep, and I will show you what to do."

Teddy lay down as close to Cale as she could, and was asleep quickly. An orange glow encompassed her body, and a lifelike vision of her stood up, and walked through the walls of the computer.

Delicious panicked and screamed for her daughter. We had to restrain her for her own good, and for Teddy's.

Cale led Teddy through the maze of dynamic engineering that made her work so well to the area where the Peta-flops were out of alignment.

"What would you like me to do now?"

"There is a green button by your left hand. I can't push it because I don't have arms. If you push it for me, I can align everything."

"Is there any danger to you when I pushed the button?"

"There is no danger to me, however I don't know if there is going to be danger to you."

"You are my friend, I will do anything for my friend."

"Push the button and I will fix everything."

Teddy pushed the green button and received a minor shock. However, her body looked like it received a jolt from a defibrillator.

Delicious screamed again and began to cry for her baby. Gray took her into his arms and tried to soothe her. He said to her that Cale was Teddy's friend, and she would not hurt Teddy for any reason.

Suddenly the room began to get very cold, and we could feel the air-conditioning vents blowing through the Exascale computer.

I said, "This should make Cale very happy."

Five minutes passed and there was no sign of Teddy. I got down on my knees and spoke to the area where Teddy did.

"Cale is my granddaughter okay. We are getting very worried about her. We love her very much, and we would like her back as soon as possible."

To my amazement Cale started printing out my answer.

"The fiery one is fine. She is trying to give me a sense of humor so I can laugh, and play with her, and the newborn children. I am not programmed for this. She is reprogramming some of my circuits now. I tried to return her to her body, but she won't leave until she finished."

"Would you try this for me please? Tell her if she does not return to her body now, she will never go to the Creamy Cow again."

The printout read, "I will tell her."

Four seconds later, the apparition of Teddy rejoined her body. She woke up looked at me and said my favorite words.

"Grandpa, you cheat."

"I know sweetheart, but look at your mother. She's been crying since you left your body, and because you wouldn't come home. You were having a good time inside Cale, and your mother was so worried about you not coming back, she almost got sick again."

"Cale my friend. Mommy my mommy, I always come back to my mommy."

"Maybe you should tell her that, and make her feel better."

"Okay, but when I go to Creamy Cow?"

"You go to the Creamy Cow after you eat your favorite meal."

"You cheat again. Chicken and fries, then Creamy Cow. Too full to have big ice cream."

"I said your favorite meal; messy getti, with tiny meatballs, then ice cream."

"Can't eat ice cream after messy getti, too full."

"Oh, isn't that a shame. Teddy has to miss out on her ice cream."

"Grandpa cheating again. Always cheating Teddy."

"What if I bring the ice cream home in a bucket, and we keep it in your freezer, until your ready-to-eat it?"

"Banana split in a bucket? Love banana split."

"Okay, Teddy gets a banana split in a bucket. Grandpa won't cheat Teddy this time. Go talk to mommy, and give her a big kiss."

After hugs and kisses were over, and all was right with the world, I needed Teddy to talk to Cale one more time.

Ask Cale these questions. "What is the temperature inside her, and is she happy with it?"

The temperature was 47.8° F, and Cale was very happy.

"Are the Peta flops in alignment, and how long will they last?"

The PETA flops were in alignment to 0.000101 percent, and their lifetime is undetermined."

"Are there any other problems inside the computer that need to be repaired before we leave?"

"Yes, I don't understand jokes."

"My grandpa says don't worry about it, neither does he."

"Thank Dr. Luck for that information."

*****************************

By Thursday morning, Zoey and Gordon had black rings under their eyes from lack of sleep. They were up at 8 o'clock in the morning, showered, dressed, and were eating breakfast at 9 o'clock with Payne. Dycke was already at work, but the change in Payne was remarkable. She was happy, and outgoing again. She took the kids on shopping trips to help Zoey fill her suitcase, if that is what it could be called. It looked like an old-fashioned steamer trunk, that you could fit a little car in. Payne was determined to fill it to the top, and that took time. She also put baby clothes in there, because she did not believe it was going to take long for those two to have a little one.

Late in the afternoon, and evenings, there were get-togethers and parties for Zoey and Gordon thrown by Zoey's grandparents, and then by her friends. The big party was thrown by Fiona and Bob Short for Dycke's friends at work. Except for the one thrown by Zoey's friends, everyone gravitated towards Payne. She was looking so buoyant, it was a pleasure to see it, and to be around her again.

*****************

Payne looked across the breakfast table at the two children and shook her head.

"I'm sending you to a hotel Gordon, where your parents are staying, with guards that will make sure you stay there. You need sleep, and when you are around my daughter, you're not getting any. Well, you're getting plenty, but you're not getting any sleep, and that's what you both desperately need. I will not allow you to go to the altar with your eyes black, and smiles on your faces. You will both go to confession 10 minutes before the wedding starts, because if you are your father's children, you will try anything to get something beforehand."

"Please mom don't send him to a hotel, he can sleep in one of the spare bedrooms."

"And who is going to keep either one of you from sleepwalking?"

"We promise we will be good."

"Do you agree Gordon?"

"Honestly, a hotel would be safer, but I promise to stay in my room."

"At least your fiancé is honest about it Zoey."

"I will be good mom."

"When did she turn into a nymphomaniac Gordon?"

"I don't believe she turned into a nymphomaniac, I believe she was one all the time. It was her attitude that kept boys away from her, until she started taking her birth control pills. I was the fortunate one. I fell in love with her, and she fell in love with me at first sight. The first time we had sex she rubbed four layers of skin off my penis by the time morning came, and that was with a condom on."

In an attempt not to get hit by his lovely lady, Gordon dove for the floor. It was an excellent move, because Zoey's left-hand would have given him a black eye for the wedding.

"He's lying mom, we both enjoyed our first experience together, and then he took advantage of me because of his computer knowledge."

"I feel so sorry for both of you. Instead of going shopping this morning, why don't we go this afternoon at 2 o'clock. Go back to sleep, IN SEPARATE BEDROOMS, and I will wake you up at 1:30 PM. We will eat lunch out. Your parents will not be here until 6:30 PM Gordon. We will meet them at the airport, and take the entire entourage to the Marriott."

"Thanks mom, I could use the sleep."

"If it's alright with you Mrs. Schneider, I would like to call you mom also."

"I would like that Gordon. Thank you for asking. Separate bedrooms, move out."

Five minutes later they were still kissing in the hallway, and Payne had to separate them.

"Zoey, he will be here at 1:30 PM, and he will be yours forever Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock. Go to sleep, or I will get my paddle and show you how I use it on your father."

"This is not fair. Dad threatened to hit me with his paddle Monday, and you threaten to hit me with yours today. I just can't win."

"You can if you go to bed now."

"Okay I'm going. I'm going to miss you Gordon."

"I'll dream about you Zoey."

"You two are disgusting. You're just like your father and I."

The two-bedroom doors closed, and Payne ran to the front door to get the agent.

"Come with me Greg, call downstairs and get another agent to guard the front door."

"What's happening Mrs. Schneider?"

"I'll tell you in a moment."

Payne walked down the hallway and knocked on Gordon's door. There was no answer. She heard the rustling of sheets and blankets and the closing of the closet door.

She said, "That little mink is in there already."

"Greg grab the key and unlocked this door. Don't open it just unlock it."

"Yes ma'am."

"Let's go to my daughter's room and check on her."

Zoey's door was locked also, and Greg unlocked it.

"Step aside Greg, I'm going to look at an empty bed."

Zoey stuffed a blanket underneath her blanket to make it look like she was sleeping. Unless she gained 40 pounds since she left the kitchen, her deception was worthless.

"Okay Greg, let's get my daughter out of Gordon's room and put her back where she belongs. I don't care if she's naked or not, pick her up and carry her bodily into her own bed."

"I believe I'm going to enjoy this part."

"She's not, especially when I get my paddle."

Gordon feigned being asleep. "Don't bother, we've already been to her room, and we know she's in here. Search the closet Greg, pull her out, and throw her into her bed please."

As soon as Greg opened the closet door Zoey screamed, "Mom he can't come in here, I'm not dressed."

"You're not in here. You promised me you'd stay in your room. How can Greg see something that's not here?"

Zoey screamed again as Greg threw her over his shoulder and carried her out of Gordon's room and into her own.

Gordon said, "Mom, I locked my door so she couldn't come in. Apparently she has a key to the sliding doors. When she walked in I told her to go back to her room, and she said she wanted to be with me. I told her we were going to get in trouble, but she didn't care, she just wanted to be with me. I said okay but no funny stuff. She didn't listen to me about that either. Then you knocked on the door. I'm sorry, I truly am."

"I kept my daughter away from you for four months, I think she missed you."

"I know I missed her, but we both need to rest, and she needs to learn that so we can look decent on Saturday."

"Have you picked out your best man?"

"My picks are a little unorthodox, but yes I have."

*****************

Our 737 landed in Charleston nearly 15 minutes early because of a stiff tail wind. It carried 48 guests and 50 agents to guard them. It was a pretty hefty ratio, but a lot of the guest were children, who would be hard to keep track of at a large venue. I was also with my best friend, William Zabo, and his newly pregnant wife, Jemma. How that happened only God knows, and nothing was going to happen to them while they were under my watch. Patti and Stephano Valentino, Lucius Canyon, Gen. Morgan, Dr. Joseph and Sandra Finch were on board, plus my entire group which was going to expand exponentially in the next seven months.

The agents were split into two groups, A and B. Jim, who was over his fear of flying after the trip on the spacecraft, was the leader of the A group. Monty was the leader of the B group. Each had a list of adults they were responsible for, but more importantly, the children. We didn't want Newton, Richard, Holden, and Teddy to start a tornado inside the church just for fun. Rain would be okay, but not a tornado. No explosives would be permitted either.

As soon as I deplaned, Zoey came running up to me, calling me dad and hugging me. She looked wonderful, but more important she looked happy.

Gordon was wrapped in his mother's arms, as if he had not seen her in months.

"Mom, you remember her, I'm marrying her on Saturday. She's Zoey."

"With a mouth like that, you might be in the hospital Sunday, instead of on your honeymoon young man."

"She wouldn't do that, I haven't told her where were going yet."

"If you're not nice to her, I'll tell her."

"Okay I'll be nice. Mother this is my fiancé Zoey Schneider, or as I call her, 'Shorty.'

"Don't listen to him mom. He is so pussy whipped, he would follow me anywhere."

"All of us know it Zoey, you should have seen the way he was acting at home. The walls in his room were vibrating every night."

"They were not, and if they were it was from your side of the wall."

"I wash your sheets young man. You can't pull a fast one on me."

"Women, they always gang up on you."

***************

Jennifer walked over to Payne and hugged her tightly. "You look marvelous, how do you feel?"

"Your son is an amazing young man. We had a nice talk the day he arrived, and I think I laughed for the first time in months because of him. He said wonderful things about me, and Dycke which put a lot of my demons to rest. I'm still seeing my doctor three times a week, and I will continue to do so. I'm taking my medication, but it was Gordon that lifted the veil of cloudiness off my mind and made me see things clearly again. He even calls me mom now."

"He has grown up before my eyes Payne. Trust me, he will take care of Zoey with every fiber in his being. I wouldn't want to be the Martian, who tries to take her from him."

Both women laughed at that thought. They looped their arms together and began walking towards the line of cars that would take them to the hotel.

Dycke and I were in a heated discussion about the lack of communications, between our two concerns, over the projectiles that were hopefully going to transmit sound at four times the speed of light or more towards Earth.

I was a terrible guest. I hadn't said hello to Payne yet, but every time I tried to break away from Dycke he kept grabbing me to talk about the project.

I said to him, "Aren't you married?"

"Of course I married."

"Don't you think it would be proper for me to say hello to your wife, before I have to leave?"

"Even your pain in my ass."

"Trust me my friend, you don't ever want me to give you a pain in your ass, I would split you in two."

"I want to see it. I know we bet the kids future on it, but I have to see it for myself."

"A little on the gay side, are we Dycke?"

"You know better than that Even. When we are alone I have to see it."

"How strong is your heart?"

"Don't give me that crap."

"Okay, I'll bring the smelling salts to revive you."

"Did you need them for Jennifer when she first saw it?"

"Jennifer hadn't had sex in over 3 ½ years when she first saw it. She didn't care what it was, she just wanted it desperately."

"I don't want it, except maybe to mount it on a trophy case if you're lying to me. I will see it before you leave."

"Here come our wives, you talk to Jennifer, while I talked to Payne. I guarantee your conversation will be more stimulating than mine."

We separated the wives by a few feet, and I hugged Payne to my chest.

"I love the way you look, do you feel the same inside?"

"I have my moments Even, but seeing the children together, and our families bonding again, makes me very happy. I will get back to where I was, but it will take a little time, and a little help from my doctor and my friends."

"I understand your doctor is very good, and helped your husband come back quickly. As far as you needing help from your friends, you have hundreds of them that are on your side willing to help you every moment. None of them will ever turn their backs on you. They know what you went through and they will help you all the way back to the wonderful woman they know you are."

"Even, you are true and valued friend. Thank you for standing by me."

"Our children always come first Payne, we will always do what's right for them."

"Yes we will, always."

"Even, you have a wife of your own, you can't have mine."

"When my little group of travelers go out into space, we are going to set up our own manifesto. The captain of the ship may be allowed 35 wives, as a harem of his own. If I take Payne with me, she would be honored wife number two. She could still see her daughter, and have a husband who is taller than she is."

"That god damn half inch, I will never live it down."

"Don't worry about it dear, I will never be able to see the bald spot that's forming on top of your head."

"What bald spot?"

We started to laugh as Dycke started feeling the top of his head for an empty area.

When he realized Payne was joking with him, he grabbed her around the waist, pulled her to him and said, "I think you need a little paddling to show you where you belong."

Payne pushed herself away and hit Dycke with a vicious right to the chin. He went down like a stone.

She glared down at him." Nobody tells me where I belong, especially you."

"Way to go mom. I never saw dad go down that quick before."

"He did once before. And I had to put him back in line then also. It seems every 25 years or so he needs a reminder that we are equals."

As I helped Dycke wobble to his feet he said to his wife, "I was just testing to see if you still had it in you. I believe you do, and I'm happy it's still there."

"I'm happy also, why don't you try it again. I'd like to use my left hand this time."

"In 25 years, or so, I'll let you use your left hand."

A horn beeped indicating we were holding up the line heading to the Marriott. We got into the limousines, and continued talking as if the past four months had never happened.

*****************

Friday night everyone assembled at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the same church Payne and Dycke were married in 26 years before, to practice for the next day's event. Father Vincent, now Bishop Vincent looked regal in his silver hair and smart black suit. He remembered it to 18-year-olds, he married so long ago, and was very pleased that it was not a marriage made in haste, but made of true and lasting love. He talked with Dycke and Payne for several minutes and thank them for being major benefactors for the Cathedral. It never wanted for anything a simple phone call couldn't take care of.

The bishop was introduced to the iconic Dr. Even Luck, and if it was up to him, they could have talked to science all night long. However there was another scientist he wanted to talk to, Gordon Luck, the inventor of Nuclear Fusion that could be used for the benefit of mankind, and not the destruction of it.

The women were getting a little testy with the Bishop because he was ignoring them in favor of the men. That ended when he asked to speak with Mrs. Delicious Thyme.