A 23rd Century Girl in the 20th Century -- Chapter 3
Submitted by Starla Anne on Mon, 06/09/2008 - 18:36
A 23rd Century Girl
in the 20th Century
Chapter 3
By Starla Anne Lowry
Doc Brown listened with curiosity to Lizzie Jane and Linda. Most of the talking was by Lizzie Jane and she was very thorough with her narrative.
“Are you sure that I cannot have children?” asked Lizzie Jane.
“Well, except for a miracle – I don’t think so. Of course, miracles do happen, as you well know. I gave you a complete examination and, although you have periods, they are irregular,” replied Doc Brown. “From all indications, you probably have polycystic ovary syndrome.”
"But, does it sound reasonable to think that Linda could be her own great, great grandmother?” asked Lizzie Jane.
“No, it does not sound reasonable,” answered Doc Brown. “But, I don’t know anything about time travel. The reason I even consider traveling through time a possibility is because it was proven that you, Lizzie Jane, did travel back in time and kill a T-Rex.”
“What should we do?” asked Lizzie Jane.
“You remember Doctor Scott Ledbetter, don’t you, Lizzie Jane?”
“Yes. He was the one who proved that I wasn’t crazy by proving that I actually was trapped in the past.”
“I think he would be interested in what you girls have to say. Give me time and I will get in touch with him and see if he has any ideas,” said Doc Brown.
“Okay, we will be at Aunt Maudie’s when you find out something,” said Lizzie Jane.
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Aunt Maudie, Lizzie Jane, and Linda were all puttering around the kitchen when Dr. Brown came calling.
“Come on in and make yourself comfortable,” said Linda as she answered the door. She was learning about southern hospitality and was doing quite well.
Learning who it was, Aunt Maudie and Lizzie Jane came into the living room. Aunt Maudie brought a glass of iced tea for the physician.
“Dr. Ledbetter was very interested,” stated Dr. Brown. “After finding the note Lizzie Jane had scratched on an aluminum box, he did some more investigating.”
Everyone sat silent as Dr. Brown continued.
“The bones of the T-Rex had never been examined as to the time period it had lived, so they were placed in a museum presuming they were from the Cretaceous period. Upon my insistence, the bones were dated and everything agreed that they were only about 1,000 years old.”
Linda’s eyes grew larger. She knew very well about the times of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods in which dinosaurs existed. When her father began his search for the time period in which Lizzie Jane was on Gorilla Island, he had never mentioned to the family which period he had found her.
He had only made visual checks through remote viewing of different periods of history without actually going back in time bodily. He had almost given up, but as he moved away from the most ancient times toward modern times, he finally discovered the proper time. That could have been the reason he did not note his complete findings.
“So after learning that it was only 1,000 years ago, he began planning some way of financing an expedition and getting governmental approval to revisit the area where they had made the dinosaur discovery.” continued Dr. Brown. “He thinks that he has gotten closer to obtaining the permission from Peru and other adjoining countries.”
“So they found the bones in the Amazon?” asked Lizzie Jane. “But it was an island when we visited it.”
“Well, maybe Dr. Ledbetter can explain that better when you see him,” said Dr. Brown.
“See him? You mean he might want us to go on the expedition?” asked Lizzie Jane.
“Yes. Just between us, he is planning on inviting you when you turn 18. He feels that you may be of great help in exploring the region.”
“I want to go, too,” declared Linda.
“Sorry, but you are too young. Lizzie Jane would not normally be asked to go until she is 21, but feels that this is too important a matter to wait much longer. He also mentioned the possibility of some new discoveries, such as the cave where the giant gorilla and the natives lived,” said Dr. Brown.
“I am adopting Linda and she will be my daughter. I have a right to bring her along, too,” declared Lizzie Jane. “She has been there, too.”
“But you were there a year and she was there only a few weeks,” replied Dr. Brown.
“She is going or I am not! That is final.” Lizzie Jane and Linda exchanged smiles. “And George is going, too.”
“George? Who is George?” asked Dr. Brown.
“He is a small gorilla – the son of Momma Gorilla. Linda brought him back with her.”
“That all?” asked a disgusted Dr. Brown.
Nope, my husband, Jake, too.”
“We will see what Dr. Ledbetter says. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Plans were made for the trip to Miami. A train was suggested, but George could not ride with the passengers unless they got special accommodations. A bus was out for the same reason. Finally, Dr. Brown offered his car and Uncle Jed offered to help drive. Also, Jake could help on the driving, too, so counting George, that made six traveling together which was the maximum for an automobile traveling that distance.
Doc Brown was able to pull some strings with the local judge and the adoption of Linda was quick and easy, based on the fact that Linda’s mother was dead and Linda’s father was assumed to be deceased, also. Although Lizzie Jane was not quite 18 years old, her birthday was coming up in a few months, so her age on the application was purposely exaggerated. Linda became Lizzie Jane’s daughter, Linda Faye Wall, which would make her Lizzie Jane’s great, great, great granddaughter approximately three hundred years in the future.
Lizzie Jane decided to wait awhile before adopting the other children.
Upon arriving in Miami, they found a hotel room waiting. – One room for Dr. Brown and Uncle Jed, a second room for Jake, Lizzie Jane, Linda and George, who had to be sneaked in.
“Doctor Scott Ledbetter – I know that name from somewhere – I think in history,” mentioned Linda the morning of the meeting.
“Think girl,” said Lizzie Jane. “ It might be important.”
After giving it some thought, she exclaimed, “I know – he was the one who wrote a scientific paper claiming that time travel was possible and explained the basic principle behind it!”
“Maybe he can tell you how to get back.”
“I don’t think so. He presented what was just a theory at the time.”
Upon arrival at Dr. Ledbetter’s office at the University, the group was welcomed by the receptionist.
“She is showing our friendly southern hospitality,” explained Dr. Brown to Linda.
“Well, Dr. Brown. Good to see you again. I suppose this is the time traveling group,” as Dr. Ledbetter greeted his visitors with a handshake.
“All but me and Doc Brown,” said Jake.
“Well, tell me about everything.”
Lizzie Jane told of her adventures, followed by Linda’s experience. Dr. Ledbetter listened closely, taking numerous notes, and raising his eyebrows at certain times.
“Very much what Dr. Brown told me on the phone,” he said when the girls finished.. “I am extremely interested in the statement that there were notes Linda’s mother brought to the cave, although Linda did not know what all they contained.’
“I have been planning an expedition for years to examine that area and the fact that there may be written notes sealed in a holder that is expected to last indefinitely makes me want to work that much harder. If we could find those notes, it may answer at lot of questions, including the paradox that would cause Linda to be her own great, great, grandmother. When I originally planned the expedition, I had planned to ask Elizabeth on the trip, but I was not expecting her Linda to go along too, neither Elizabeth’s husband.”
“If they don’t go, I don’t go,” answered Lizzie Jane.
“Oh, if we can get a release from you, her parent, I think she would be of a big help. After all, if it weren’t for her, some other children would not have been spared. She has shown that she can keep a cool head in face of danger.”
Linda thought to herself, ‘My head wasn’t cold. Wonder what he meant?’
Dr. Ledbetter continued, “Now, I have something else that has aroused my curiosity. I understand that Linda learned something about time travel. I wonder if she could enlighten me on what she knows.”
Lizzie Jane listened at the complex answer Linda gave to Dr. Ledbetter. He started taking notes again, stopping at intervals to ask questions.
“You are a very intelligent girl – and you say you learned this is school?” commented Dr. Ledbetter. “If you don’t mind, I think I will write a paper on this and present it to our scientific community.”
“I don’t mind,” stated Linda. “It is common knowledge where I came from.”
Lizzie Jane suddenly realized something. Linda had mentioned that Dr. Ledbetter had written a paper on time travel. However his scientific paper came from information that Linda had learned in school approximately 300 years later --which had come from Linda herself educating Dr. Ledbetter about time travel approximately 300 years earlier.
That improbable event made it more acceptable to Lizzie Jane that Linda really could be her own great, great grandmother.
--To Be Continued
All persons are fictitious and any resemblances to any person, living or dead, are coincidental.
Copyright 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
Time And Time Again
You have outdone yourself Starla. I am waiting to see what happens when the former Time travelers head back. Will they disrupt the time stream?
May Your Light Forever Shine