I am wondering about the Tara/Emma connection also. Nice diary entry, Ami, very Sue-like!

Hi all...I will try to post later tonight, but I can't promise it. I was in a car accident today. Everyone is okay, but I can now say with all experience that being hit in the face with an airbag isn't any fun.

(Maybe) post again later...

Sorry to hear about the accident, but happy everyone is okay. I think you are more important then a post, take care yourself and the family first.

I don't think we have an airbag in the face smiley..........So glad you are okay. That had to be very scary! Take your time. We'll still be here when you're ready!

Jill

glad everyone is Ok, look forward to reading more when you're ready

cath

Yes, I'm late again. I love this rerio! But where exactly are Chase and Emma???? Sounds creepy! I love the journal and all of Sue's thoughts. Where could they be if they would get killed for having a bible and a journal??????

Sorry for being late. AGAIN!!!!!

Jenny

I'm back! I have a lovely scratch along the side of my neck from my seatbelt (yay for seatbelts!) and bruises on both of my knees from bracing during the accident. In addition, there are a few red places on my face from where the airbag hit me. I'm very, very grateful for that airbag, but if I'm ever in this type of situation again in the future I will try to remember not to look directly ahead before impact. My coworker took her airbag more on the chest, and she fared better. I didn't know we were going to hit because I was looking down at my lap, and so I looked up only as I heard her cry out. I looked up just in time to get hit dead on with the bag.

It was a really interesting experience...I actually faded out (not completely black, but very gray) for about five seconds. Not surprising, considering the blow my brain took. My coworker says I whimpered, and she was afraid to look at me for fear that I had been hurt. Then I came to, but I was still a bit confused. Who am I? Where am I? What is that awful smell? Oh yes, we're in the truck, and we've had an accident. I need to check on everyone. Driver is okay. What about the people in the other car? Why are my sunglasses in my lap? I need to get out of the truck. Why can't I get out? Oh right...undo the seatbelt, open the door. Call 911, call my boss...

So anyway, no major injuries to any parties, and painkillers and sleep have helped tremendously. Two things:

1) Praise God we were in the bigger truck. The afternoon before I had asked another coworker if we could trade because we were going to need his larger truck bed. If we'd been in either of the other two company vehicles (a Chevy Malibu with brake problems or a small Nissan pickup built back when dinosaurs roamed the earth), things probably could have ended very differently.

2) Please remember my coworker in your prayers. She was very upset yesterday and will not know until later this coming week whether she still has her job. She was not drinking or anything like that, but I'm fairly sure the accident will be determined to be her fault. Also, we hit an SUV with a mom and her two kids who were leaving town on vacation, so that shook my friend up quite a bit as well. Please keep her in your thoughts.

Okay, next post up in a few...

Y'all threw me with the "grandmother" thing. I did my ancestry math about a zillion times (even asked hubby to review it with me), and we came up with several generations between Sue and Chase. If I got it wrong, somebody outline it for me and I'll make the necessary changes.

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


2107

Chase read the final words of the journal entry, his voice hushed. "Jacob Samuel Hudson was my great-grandfather."

"So she was your great-great-grandmother," Emma said. Her finger traced the photograph that was pasted in the book. The journal's hiding place had been kind to it, protecting the pages and their precious contents. The picture was slightly faded, but the image was clear. "She was beautiful."

"Yes." His voice was gruff.

Her attention turned to the man in the photograph. "And he was...wow, he was very handsome."

For some reason, he felt a flicker of irritation. "I guess," he said grudgingly.

Her next words made him feel better. "You look like him; I can definitely tell that you're related." She sent a brief smile his way before returning to her perusal of the photo. "This must have been one of her favorite pictures. See how happy they looked!" Jack and Sue Hudson had worn informal clothes to their wedding. He was dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt and dark slacks, and she had on a simple ivory sundress. Their feet were bare, and Jack's trousers were rolled up at the ankles. They were standing in the surf of a beach, facing away from the ocean. Jack had wrapped his arms around his young bride and pressed an enthusiastic kiss to her cheek. She was laughing, and her eyes glowed with happiness. His were filled with devotion. "He loved her," Emma said.

"They loved each other," Chase replied. His words surprised him. He'd spent a lifetime ignoring his feelings, doing his best to become the impersonal robot he'd replaced, because it was the path of least resistance. How could a few words from an old book change that so quickly? It isn't just the book, something inside him whispered, and he cast an uneasy glance at the woman standing beside him. His discomfort fed the anger of his next words. "Whatever that means."

She glanced at him, shocked. "It means everything!" When he shook his head, unconvinced, she pointed to the journal. "Look at them. Look! They had something...a trust, a commitment, that was greater than the both of them. It was priceless, worth everything they had to give and more, and it was the single most important thing either of them would ever be a part of. You read what she wrote; you saw it. To belong...to belong like that..." her voice, which had risen with the passion of her conviction, faded away until he almost didn't hear her final words. "It means everything."

Her words shamed him, but not as much as the sheen of tears he saw in her eyes. He hadn't meant to hurt her. "I'm sorry," he said awkwardly.

It seemed forever before she answered. When had his heart learned to beat again, he wondered, that he could now notice its absence? Finally she offered up a weak smile, and the fragile organ resumed its hesitant cadence. "It's alright. You don't know how to see it yet." She looked at the journal, and her smile grew brighter. "You can learn. She can teach you. Something tells me that she knew a lot about love...about what it means to truly care about the people around you."

There was that word again. "Caring can get you hurt," he warned her.

"I imagine there are a lot of things down here that can hurt you. Some are just worth more effort than others." Her gaze challenged him.

He studied her for a long moment before nodding slightly. "Okay. Tell me what we've learned so far."

"Well..." Taking the book from him, she wandered over to a large, smooth rock and sat down. "We should start with the basics. Who was she? Where did she live? She mentions work; what type of work did she do?"

Intrigued despite himself, Chase followed her and sat down at her side. "I think I might have a clue about at least one of those questions. This picture...the ocean doesn't look like the one I've seen."

"You've seen the ocean?" The journal was forgotten as she turned astonished eyes to him and grabbed his arm with an eager hand. "When? How? Tell me everything," she demanded.

The stars in her eyes tugged at emotions he didn't realize he was still capable of feeling. He understood why she was amazed, but he remembered a time when things hadn't been quite so difficult. "It was before my parents died; I was just a kid. Travel was easier then; you didn't have to get a permit, and it was still possible for ordinary people to arrange transportation."

She looked at him, thinking. "How long have you been here?" She finally asked.

"Fifteen years, four months." His eyes met hers, unflinching. "Twelve days."

Her face grew pale as the edge of despair took root. Finally she drew a shallow breath. "So...the ocean?"

He felt the tension in his body relax as he focused on something only he could see. "It was...beautiful. That doesn't do it justice, but it's true. It was peaceful and such a perfect blue that I was sure it would be cold to touch, but it wasn't." His voice held the wonder of a long-forgotten child. "It was warm, brushing gently around my legs, and the color...it went on forever, until it melted into the sky. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen." Gradually he came away from his memories and glanced down at the journal she still held in her lap. "The colors in this picture are faded, so I can't be sure, but...it's not the same ocean."

She nodded. "You saw..."

"The Pacific," he said. "So we know that's not where they were...or at least, they didn't get married there."

Emma scanned the journal, looking for more information. "She mentions a job in New York, wasn't that somewhere near the Atlantic?"

"Yes, on the eastern coast of what used to be the United States, but she didn't take the job there," he pointed out.

"Still, maybe they lived somewhere in that region," she said.

"Maybe." Suddenly he realized how long they had been sitting together. "We have to get back. If we're not in bed by final check, the guards will notice."

She nodded and reluctantly handed him the book to place back inside the box. Closing her eyes, she waited while he returned the box to its hiding place. "We didn't get very far with your lesson," she said when he came back.

He laughed gruffly at the plea he heard in her voice. "Don't worry; we'll come back soon. We don't want to discover everything in one day, you know." Down here it was better to make each activity last as long as possible. Reaching out to take her hand, he said, "You'd better stay close to me. Take a wrong step in these caves and you might fall into a well so deep that you'll faint before you reach the bottom."

"Now you're just trying to scare me," she countered.

His eyes gleamed. "Is it working?"

"No." She tightened her grip on his hand.

He laughed again and pulled her close to his side. They walked in silence for a time, and then her voice reached out to him in the darkness. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I'll bet Jack was glad about the baby." Her voice carried a woman's assurance.

He grunted. "We'll see."

Well, you certainly had a scary, scary day, Ami! So glad you're alright!!!

As for the scene... all I can say is wow. I'm sure someone much more eloquent will happen along soon and say everything that I'm feebly trying to express in that one word...

Looking forward to more!!!

As much as I want to hear all about Jack and Sue (you know I'm insatiable ) I am so intrigued with where Chase and Emma are and the kind of existence they find themselves enduring. You have painted a very bleak picture of their lives.

And Janet, I think "Wow" is a great word to use. I find myself uttering it each time I read one of Ami's posts. (Of course, I'm not so eloquent myself! )

I'm thankful you and your coworker are okay physically as well as the family in the other vehicle. God was watching out for you all!

The picture of the future you are painting is such a bleak one...it's perfectly understandable why Chase has turned off his emotions and given up on hope, but it's obvious that there are already some changes in him as a result of meeting Emma. I look forward to reading more of Sue's entries over his shoulder!

I'm so glad you are okay, Ami...such a scary thing, but like you said, it could have been much worse. God really was looking out for all of you yesterday!

First of all: Rerio, I am SO grateful that God protected you and the others involved in the accident. God is good! I will be praying for you and your coworker both as you deal with the effects of what happened.

Secondly: WOW, you really have a way with words. The way you are developing Emma and Chase amazes me. I'm still a little fuzzy on where they are and what all is going on but I know enough to feel brokenhearted for them.

Lastly:
I don't know but for some reason this really made me laugh!

So when he said the Ocean was warm I thought the Gulf or the Southern Atlantic but the Pacific maybe Hawaii? Or maybe Southern California or the South Pacific. For sure not the Pacific where I grew up although I guess maybe global warming could have taken over, hmmm...

Glad you're alright Ami!

Ummm....south pacific? Or Hawaii, maybe? Sorry!! I've personally never been to the Pacific, but the pictures have always fascinated me because it's so different from the Gulf, which is pretty much all I know. I honestly just assumed that the water would be warm on warmer days...at least in the southern parts. So - you caught me!! This is what happens when I don't do enough research. Or we could just blame it on the head injury!

It's okay, Ami! we'll let you off the hook this time. I'm in the Pacific Northwest and the water is pretty cold here, too. Not sure about Hawaii or the South Pacific, though! hehe

Plus, like Pam said, by then, Global Warming might have taken its toll...I think you've got plenty of room to take creative license here!

And once in awhile off the Oregon coast we would have a couple warm waves (of course if your toes are blue anything feels warm), I think it was called the Japanese current. The Pacific is very different from the Atlantic and the Gulf Coast. I would settle for sticking my toes in any body of salt water these days!

I think I just got carried away by the thought of the ocean and wondered if it would play into the story. More intriguing though was the way Chase described what New York used to be.

*sigh* And I am stuck here with the very unorigional ditto to all of the above!


OOh, and now that you point it out Rerio, I do see the reasoning for great-great grandmother.... (it's only been 100+years? I kinda forgot about that detail... )

I forgot about the year too...I was just so caught up with your intriguing story!

Ami, I'm so sorry to hear about the car accident, apperantly, almost everyone I know had some kind of an accident in the previous week...(including myself, I'm kinda scared from small, tiny streets now...) do you think it's a world wide reaction chain?

But as long as everyone turned out to be alright then time and rest should mend everything!

That future you created sounds very dark, indeed, and I am very fascinated by those stories that have a little future sci-fi, I can't wait to see what you have in store for us, I'm enjoying every second!

I just caught onto this story. How amazing. The future does look bleak from what we are shown. It will be interesting to see how this develops.

I so enjoyed the journal entry of Sue's. I suspect we will be reading more.

All that talk about the ocean has me smelling the sea air! I love that smell -- I think I need a vacation!!!!...and so do you! I'm thankful that you are safe and sound and so is everybody else, but you must have been so shaken! And God bless that airbag! And you still posted!

With each addition to your story you take me deeper and deeper to where Chase and Emma are! It just break's my heart thinking of Jack and Sue's descendent living such a bleak exsistence. And you've mentioned "down here" again -- like they're deep in the bowls of the earth or something! This is fantastic and I can't wait for more!
kav

Thanks to all of you for the replies!

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


They decided not to read the journal every night because it was too risky. Workers were given free time each evening, and many people chose to walk in the darkness of the caverns after dinner. Chase and Emma could slip away, and probably most people would assume that they were seeking privacy like many of the other couples. Even so, they worried that being gone each night would attract too much attention. Instead, they read an entry and then spent one or two evenings sitting around the ward or visiting with other workers. The nights Chase liked best were the ones where they could find a quiet place to sit together and discuss what they had learned so far.

Emma had been right about the baby; the next journal entry had affirmed that Jack Hudson had been more than thrilled about the idea of becoming a father. In fact, Sue had shyly but definitively written about Jack's...impassioned...reaction, which Chase had found rather uncomfortable. Reading the words with Emma had made him think things he had no business thinking, and then he'd remembered that this was his great-great-grandmother's journal. He'd gone to bed feeling rather disgusted with himself that night.

They'd also talked about themselves, and he found that he enjoyed that almost more than their journeys into the past. He'd asked Emma about the farm with some trepidation, wanting to know about her life but afraid of upsetting her. Had it been very difficult, being raised among strangers?

"Oh no," she'd replied quickly. "Besides, we didn't stay strangers for long. I had two friends, Reena and Suzanne, whom I called my 'sisters'. We worked hard, but we were allowed to be close. The older couple who ran the farm were actually very kind; I think they considered all of us to be their children. They had to be strict so that we would meet productivity goals, but they found a lot of ways to let us know they cared."

"What made you leave?" Chase had asked. He knew with certainty that she hadn't chosen to be sent here.

Her jaw had tightened with anger. "The couple died, and their nephew took over. He decided that some of us older residents had gotten too comfortable and were 'untrainable'. We were reassigned."

"Where are Reena and Suzanne now?" he'd asked, but he already knew what she would say.

Her eyes had glimmered in the evening light. "I don't know. He didn't even let us say goodbye." She looked down at her hands and took a deep breath. "Then I came here."

There wasn't an answer for that, so he just put his arm around her shoulders and sat beside her until bedtime. It had become their ritual to walk back to the ward together at final check. He liked the fact that the last thing he saw at night were her eyes as she watched him from her bed just a few feet away. He hadn't wanted to know her, but now she was making a place for herself in his life...and in his heart.

Chase liked her, and because of that he wanted to protect her. He knew that Emma was having a hard time adjusting to life in the camp, and he tried to encourage her. That was why he became worried when he saw her talking with Ryan Peters one night after dinner. Not wanting to cause a scene, he waited until the pair had finished speaking and then walked up as casually as he could. "Want to walk around the caves tonight?" This was their code for journal reading.

"Sure." She nodded and fell into step beside him.

He waited until they were in the caverns to ask. "What did Ryan want?"

In the dark hallway it was difficult to see her expression, but her voice sounded hesitant. "He was telling me about this group he's a part of."

Anger shot through him. "I know his group. They're a bunch of radicals who think they can change the world."

"Doesn't it need changing?" she asked quietly.

"Maybe it does, but nothing we do is going to make a difference." He realized that his fear for her was making him press too hard, speak too loudly, but he had to make her see. "You have to be careful...keep your head down, or you'll get hurt."

Her voice remained soft but certain. "I told you from the beginning that there were some things that were worth taking a risk."

He shook his head, unconvinced. "You shouldn't talk to him anymore."

"Listen to you!" Finally he had broken through her resolve; her voice was now filled with irritation. "I would almost think you're jealous."

"No. No." He crossed his arms, frustrated because he couldn't make her see...frightened because she saw too much. Taking a deep breath, he tried to explain. "You're...important to me, Emma. I don't want anything to happen to you."

For a moment there was silence in the darkness. Then she laid her hand on his arm, and he could tell from her gentle touch that she knew how much his words had cost him. "I'll be fine. Let's just...take each day as it comes, okay? Now, are we going to read tonight, or did you drag me in here to practice your macho routine again? Because I have to tell you, your technique needs some work."

After that it was pure male pride that demanded he slip his arm around her waist and pull her close to his chest. "You think so?" he murmured darkly, fear still lending an edge to his voice. "Em, the day I bring you into these halls to practice my 'macho routine', you'll never want to leave."

She leaned against him and made a purring sound in the back of her throat. When she spoke, her voice was husky. "Get the book."

He laughed, but released her. He didn't ask her to close her eyes while he retrieved the case; they'd been past that point for awhile now.

As he bent to remove the box from its hiding place, her voice echoed across the cave. "Chase?"

"Yeah?"

"You're important to me, too."

Wonderful!!! I love learning about Jack and Sue's life together through the journal entries, and I'm glad that Chase and Emma have each other right now...sounds like companionship is about all they have in this place.

I see Jack here so much Rerio!

Yes! I see Jack too. Definitely a swoonable passage. And I'm interested in this Ryan Peters...I think his group is probably good in a scary kind of way :hide:

kav

Rerio, you just keep capturing my interest more and more! I love seeing the relationship between Chase and Emma gradually develop and I'm curious about the enviornment they live in. I too think that Ryan Peters' "radical" group is one that by today's standards we would consider good. But it's probably scary to be with them in this world.

Yes, Chase seems very much like his great-great grandfather.

I have a suspicion we will be reading more about Ryan Peters.

It sounds like we're about to more from the journal.

At that somewhat 'dark' confession I found that Chase does have a heart, despite his attempts to stiffle his feelings...beautiful, Ami!!

The National Oceanographic Data Center reports the temperature around the Hawaiian Islands today in the high 70's, and historical records demonstrate temps in the 80's throughout the summer. So I guess Chase visited Hawaii! <-- This is me, still blushing.

These journal entries are hard to write! I'm sorry they're not as long as the other posts, but I'm having a difficult time with them.

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


June 21, 2007

I'm tired but happy. We finished a big case today - typed the last report and closed the file. That's always a relief. It's a great feeling, to think that you've done something that has made a difference, that you might have helped someone. Sometimes it's easy to know what you think about a case, but other times it can be confusing or very emotional. If someone made a bad choice which led to criminal behavior, or if the investigator has to decide an outcome between the lesser of two evils...it can get to you. Not every case is a complete victory; some days I don't feel victorious at all. Thankfully this investigation wasn't like that. The lines were clearly drawn, we worked hard, and the good guys won. There's nothing quite so rewarding as realizing that today you were someone's hero.

To make it even better, we've been given tomorrow off as a reward for our hard work, which means we'll have a long weekend. I'm glad. We all love our jobs, but some cases take a lot out of you. The whole team went out for dinner tonight to celebrate. D's family came, and Lucy brought Tom (the one from the hot-air balloon date!). I asked the waitress to take a picture of all of us with my digital camera, and I have to paste a copy in here because it's such a perfect representation of who we are. Notice Bobby putting rabbit ears behind Myles' head, and Tara laughing and swatting at his arm. Meanwhile D and Jack are watching with amusement while Lucy sneaks food to Levi under the table. I saw that, Lucy! It's on film, so you can't deny it. I'm with the FBI; I'll bring the full force of the law after you for corrupting my dog.

We have so much fun together! They're my coworkers, but more importantly, they're my friends. I didn't know when I moved here that I would build such important relationships or meet my husband, but God did. He's been so good to me. Now He's blessing me even more with a baby, and I don't know how to thank Him enough. When I see some of the heartbreak that I encounter everyday at work...how can I adequately express how grateful I am? To be so blessed, with a good job, great friends, a baby on the way, and a wonderful husband...

Speaking of husbands, Jack left a present on my desk this morning. He'd bought a pair of baby socks and wrapped them (himself, from the look of it). I have this delicious image running through my mind of him shopping in the baby section. We'll definitely have to go shopping together soon just so I can watch him! Then I think of him holding our baby in his strong arms, and I melt. Was any woman ever so lucky?

Or so tired. I'm yawning as I write, and Jack is urging me to come to bed. From the look in his eyes, I'm thinking that sleep is not what he's suggesting. Lucky, lucky me!

I t doesn't read like you're having trouble writing them. And that sounded just like Sue. I can see that picture clearly in my head -- and it's poignant -- such a happier time for the whole world apparently. I wonder what Chase and Emma will think? And this part:
is swoonable...I do like that you seem to fit something swoonable in each post I have big brown eyes urging me to come to bed as well. Unfortunately they're attached to a four legged furry body with a plumy tail and doggie breath and he's lying on my pillow!

kav

Kav, you don't like sharing?!

I do agree, it doesnt appear you are having trouble writing it! The whole post just screams Sue!

I agree with kav - it doesn't read like you are having trouble.....It was a lovely entry, a picture of a happy time.

And can you imagine what must be going through Chase's and Emma's minds as they read? Have they ever experienced happy times - or has their life been consumed by this dreaded oppression?

And it's scary to think that our world could change that quickly - but it could!

Geez Rerio if you had trouble writing that journal entry I'd love to read one you didn't have trouble writing! Sounded just like Sue! And that last little bit...

Okay, I'm very late to the party. Actually, I'm late to the whole Summer Blockbuster Challenge.

Rerio, I love this. I've been a Sci Fi fan and this just seems so perfect for that. The journal entries are so incredibly Sue-ish.

I'm sorry about your accident and I'll be praying for all of you.

Ami it is wonderful! I'm kind of embarrassed I brought up the whole ocean thing - sorry.

What is it about a man with his baby that is so incredibly attractive?

This is an amazing story on so many levels... it sure doesn't read like you're struggling with it, but whether you are or not, it's definitely worth all of the effort!!!

Ami, first of all, thank goodness you're alright! I hope your coworker will be ok, too.

Secondly, I'm sooooooooo loving your story! I can't wait to find out what has happened from Jack and Sue's time to Chase and Emma's... ...or what Ryan Peter's group is all about.

Keep it coming!

2 amazing posts, the contrast between the times is incredible. i hope reading the journal gives them hope.

could so see jack in chase

cath

Ami...I'm glad you're okay.

I'm so enjoying this story. The journal entries are wonderful. You can just feel Sue's emotions permeating (sp?) through the pages. Her love for the team, her love for Jack, her love for life. You've captured it. I'm so excited that these pages are going to breathe life and hopefully vision into Chase as well. It makes me sooo sad to think he's been there 15 years. Makes me think about the Israelites in slavery in Egypt...they lost their identity over the years and once freed they needed to learn how to live free and rediscover who they were as people.

Loved this line from the previous post...It is SO Jack.

Sidenote regarding the generations...I wasn't doing the math...100 years have passed and what's a generation??...is it 40ish years??? I'm not sure but it's clearly not in the "grand" category. Line about what use to be the United States intrigued me...anxious to find out what's happened and what's going on.

Okay, enough from me...looking forward to more.

yep, it got me curious too can't wait for more Ami!

Ami Ami Amiiiiiiii So what if you have kids and a husband and a job? You've got us too....and we can get up to mischief if you're tardy Seriously, hope everything is okay and you aren't suffering ill effects from your accident...I know from experience that it feels worse a couple of days afterwards then it did on the day of. Here's and a hug (sorry, best I could do).
Take care of yourself.

kav

I'm here; I'm here! I have four children and a husband who are always on the computer. I've taken to writing scenes out by hand, which I hate doing, because (to quote my oldest daughter), "Mom, it takes so looooooong when you're on the computer! I'll be as old as you when you finish typing!" Lovely child.

Okay, so she didn't actually say that. But between working all day and having family on the computer all the time, I haven't been able to find much time this week to post or read.

Sidenote to Duckfan: Of course you were right to mention the temperature of the Pacific Ocean! How else was I going to learn? Just think, I'd have spent my whole life thinking that the water in California is as warm as it is in the Gulf. How embarrassing would that have been? I wasn't at all offended; if I can't stand some good critiquing, I need to find another hobby!

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


2107

For the second time in just a few days, Chase again felt his cheeks flush as he read his ancestor's words. The warmth of his thoughts mingled with the enticing presence of the woman sitting beside him, causing him to long for things he'd never wanted before. He didn't know how to handle this. Desperate to escape his embarrassment, he deliberately brought up the only other subject guaranteed to distract them both, the subject they'd both avoided mentioning thus far.

"She mentioned God a lot." His voice was hushed, frightened.

She nodded. "I know. What must it have been like, to be able to write about it openly like that? Do you think she talked to her family and friends that way, too?"

"I would imagine so. I think the ban against religion didn't happen until later." He paused uncertainly, wanting to ask something but afraid to delve too deeply into his thoughts. Finally he spoke, trusting Emma to lead the way. "Do you think it...helped her?"

"She certainly seemed to think so. I know that religions were abolished because they supposedly caused too much dissension, but she seemed so happy." Gingerly she traced the team photograph with her finger. "They all seemed so happy."

Chase looked at the picture, under which Sue Hudson had written names in her neat script. "Did you notice how diverse they were?"

"Yes! That's unusual, isn't it?" Emma studied the image, her gaze lingering on the faces of Lucy Dotson and the Gans family. "And when you pair that with what we talked about last time - that we think from what she wrote that she was deaf..."

He nodded, understanding her inability to finish speaking. The idea that people who were different were allowed to work together and be friends was so incomprehensible to them that there were no words. "This FBI that she mentions - it sounds like she worked for the police," he said wonderingly. What kind of world must it have been, that this woman - his ancestor - could have held the kind of job that was now available only to the privileged elite?

"I'm not sure they were much like our guards," Emma said thoughtfully. "Her intentions seem kinder. More honorable."

Chase nodded. "It was very different then, I guess."

"Yes. They were lucky." She looked wistfully at the photo. "And you're lucky, Chase, that you have these memories. I envy you."

Unable to speak, Chase slipped his hand over hers. She offerred him a tremulous smile and intertwined her fingers with his as she wiped away tears with her free hand. "That's why I have to keep looking," she insisted. "There has to be something more than this, and I'm going to find it."

He was beginning to understand, but it still frightened him. "Just be careful," he said. Don't leave me behind.

She reached out to cup his face with her hand. "I promise."

The glimpses you are giving us of Chase's world are so heartwrenching! What could have happened to change everything so drastically??? I'm with Emma....there has to be something more.

Jill

I started out doing a happy dance because you had posted. (and I didn't mean to nag...well, okay I did...and it worked ) One computer amongst 6 people> Just remember whose the mommy and mommy always has the last say!!!!

I love the way you are feeding us tidbits of this new reality that Chase and Emma live in. No religion -- and yet sadly, you can almost see how the powers that be would come to such a conclusion. Oh poor Sue must be full of sorrow watching the struggle of her great etc grand baby -- and without God too! Well, God is there, but does Chase realize that? I love Emma's tenacity -- like the idea of this strong woman leading the way into the unknown -- Chase reluctantly following because he doesn't want to get left behind, not because of a noble cause, though I'm sure that will change in time.

So I guess now it's time for me to sit patiently and wait while you waiting for your turn on the computer.

kav

It struck me as so interesting how in this future, history seems to be repeating itself in a way, with diversity frowned upon and the thought of a deaf woman working in a position like that, unheard of....had a long day, so I hope that makes some sense! Scary powerful stuff, Ami.

I was thinking what Tina was thinking about the world they live in and how truly frightening it is. This is so amazing Ami!

It's going to be very interesting to learn the story of how Chase and Emma's world came to be, out of the world Jack and Sue (and the team) had tried so hard to protect. This is very thought provoking, Ami. Hope you find more computer time soon!

it's almost as though the world has taken all the greatest evils of segregation, communism and naziism and put them together in one big package

cath