03.10.26 – 1715 – Log – Jackson
Kate called an emergency meeting. She was deathly pale when she and Elbert showed up. She received a data packet with hand written note on it through the emergency box. The note is in her hand writing and reads ‘Kate please read first. The data packet contains: Thearns coordinates, personal ‘notes to self’ for all adults, all of your sky scan data with markers of finds that were looked into, an important find that we haven’t fully looked into and two recordings of ‘our’ decision to send this packet.’
We watched the decision recordings first. Right away it was startling to see everyone at least five years older. Ashley had headphones and a separate screen because she was baby sitting. Josh wasn’t there. Kate looked sad. Dakota mentioned a dream that she had, it matched the one I had after Jack was born. The other me said so too. Everyone had looks of surprise. Kate was questioned about her ring use. And then Dakota proposed the time line change. She wanted to save Josh, Savannah and possibly the wedding crasher. There were some shocked gasps in the room here and now. He died in that time line and the thought was if we got Thearns coordinates he could go home and wouldn’t die. That means someone killed him or he did it himself. If an emergency ring event wasn’t triggered it was probably suicide and there was probably a note asking not to be brought back. That had me reeling. Poor fellow. Poor us having to live with that.
Elbert recommended viewing Thearn to confirm the story. I never pegged him as a skeptic, but it’s good. It knocked us back into reality again. It could be a bad practical joke by one of the prisoners. Maybe they got out and wanted to mess with things. We have the technology to make videos like that. If Thearn was where they said it was then we could go off and look at the ‘notes to self’ privately and then meet again to discuss.
Thearn was there. We sent a sky scanner to look around. It landed there sometime during the 1940’s. Kate readjusted and got the early 2000’s found a bank sign with the date and time on it, adjusted again and got the next ring perfect. We saw the wedding, with all the guests, our families. Mama was there looking beautiful. And then the ships filled the sky, flashes of light, people gone, and people returned. I saw Josh there! The prisoners weren’t there. I would have thought we would have dropped them back off. Maybe we decided to save that population from them and put them somewhere else. I can’t imagine keeping them here if we don’t have to.
Then we left and looked at the notes to self. Mine was pretty simple. It just said ‘Please do it, our babies (and you) need their grandmama. Kate has the houses ready the information for them is in her data.’
03.10.26 – 1800 – Log – Elbert
Kate has ringed back in time to collect Ethan and the stuff we gave him and sent him on to Thearn. She put him on a lonely island in the pacific at around 500 bc. We looked at our ‘notes to self’ afterwards and hers asked her to do the very thing she just did. The rest said that there were essentially two votes to do this. Both were unanimous. It said conception dates for future babies were provided so that those children weren’t lost. There is a database of homes that the other version of her had made. Some were deposited in pre-settlement history with large suspension devices and camouflaged, so that they wouldn’t be found. We sent a sky scanner to see one of them. The other Kate speculated that the suspension device could prevent loss between the time lines. The current Kate is still concerned that it may cease to exist. There was a reminder that Josh needs to go home and the remaining prisoners should be sent as soon as possible.
03.10.27 – 1400 – Log – Jackson
We had an early meeting to discuss our thoughts after the ‘notes to self’ were reviewed and Kate fessed up right away that she has relocated Ethan back to Thearn. She offered the data of where she put him. There are times to ask permission and times to beg forgiveness and this was one those for her. Nobody had a problem with it. I am relieved. We all want our families back and a few of us would like to offer citizenship to friends. Kurt wants to bring his brother here. Cam would bring his parents here. Kate wants her family and the option to vet Pete’s father and possibly bring him and his wife here. We decided to put together lists of people that we want to ask to live here. Next we discussed the remaining prisoners and Josh. There was a comment that we could put him (Josh) back in nano-bath and reset him back a few years. People might not even notice that he is a little older. We could just drop him back off at the wedding. From the sky scanner recording it looks like we did. The prisoners are a bigger problem. We don’t want them here, but we also don’t want them running loose there. There were comments about dropping them off at various places during different time periods, maybe each going to a separate place, or just getting them their own island like Ethan during a time when they won’t trouble anyone else.
03.10.28 – 1015 – Log – Dakota
Josh is suspended and in a nano bath. He’s so excited to go back. Kate is working on replicating the clothes that he wore the wedding day, he couldn’t find his uniform when we went back to check.
03.10.28 – 1235 – Log – Kate
I ringed to Joshes apartment just after we left for the gap trip and grabbed his uniform from his closet. He will have a little more muscle mass than when we got here, but it shouldn’t be too noticeable and the clothes are roomy enough that they should still fit.
03.10.28 – 1511 – Log – Tyler
The data that Kate has complied in the data packet is enormous. She suggested that we could go back to Thearn for seeds and livestock that we haven’t found here. We will review the list first. Some of us will go back to ask our friends and relatives if they want to join us. Visiting will have to be done carefully.
03.10.28 – 2131 – Log – Jackson
Zane had the idea to put the prisoners on an island not too far from Ethan’s island but to give them solar for power and set them up with a proper house. His plan is to go back and remove everything after they pass. That should be easy enough to do.
03.10.30 – 0925 – Log – Becca
The prisoners went to Thearn today. They were left with a years worth of food. Neil has been assigned to manage their food. He will check in with them in about nine of their months to replenish. He said that he plans to make a day or two of it. He has asked to borrow Kate’s large fabricator. Tyler will keep him supplied with solid units.
We decided to bring our people in one family at a time. Cam won the first slot. He went to speak with with them today. Both parents were happy to see him and are willing to come here. He only went back to the evening that we were taken on. They will take a few days to tie up some loose ends and then come here. We already have the house ready. Kate has quite the stash of them. Cam feels relieved that his father won’t have to care for his mother alone. Ashley and Jackson won the next slot. They went to see Audra. She can’t wait to see her grand-babies, but refuses to come without Miss Whitman. Miss Whitman is willing to come as long as she can bring her cats and Nemoy. Nemoy is also a cat, but he came from Miss Wallace who died a month ago (for her). Apparently he has bad manners and she is embarrassed that she hasn’t broken him of his habits.
03.10.31 – 1521 – Log – Maci
Jackson and Ashley are battling it out as to who Audra will live with. Kate asked why she can’t get her own house. We have enough houses, she made a bunch of them, and put them in beautiful places.
She has a cabin on stilts out over the ocean. The water is so clear. I want to have a mini vacation there. She has another at a hot spring. Lovely restful place. We had a vote on which ones to use for housing and which ones to leave for holiday spots and both of those will stay where they are. Kate has started an addition on her house for Miss Whitman. It will be like an in-law suite. Close enough to help out with house and food but she will still have some privacy. Kate is even adding a catio.
03.11.02 – 1604 – Log – Kate
Audra is moving in with me and Elbert! Ashley and Jack are flabbergasted. She wants to stay and help out with Miss Whitman. We have enough room. There are four rooms upstairs. I will move into my studio, the children will have their own rooms and Audra will get my bedroom. Elbert is excited to see cats.
03.11.09 – 2000 – Log – Elbert
The addition is done, Jack ringed Audra in yesterday. She was thrilled to see the children. I didn’t know it before that Ashley is adopted. Jackson was about four when his parents decided to adopt a baby. Their father was in an accident and died when he was eight.
We have a community meal every time someone new is brought in. The atmosphere is constantly celebratory and happy. Miss Whitman will come after Audra settles in.
Kate vetted Peter’s father, it seems to be going well. I believe that she is now vetting his wife. She is getting Peter and Emily’s rooms ready. Grady and Ella will choose a home when they get here.
03.11.11 – 1511 – Log – Audra
This place is beautiful. Young Jack, the little darling, looks just like his father did. He talked my ear off and showed me all of his favorite places. Charlotte is a sweet girl, she showed me Dolly a pretty fish Jackson gave her, and gave me her most favorite rock. It is a lovely dark metallic blue. I told her that I would keep it on my dresser and she could come and look at it any time. Kate says that she can get a replacement for it if the pangs of sadness get to big for her. Dash is delightful, but I’m glad he lives with Ashley and not Kate. He is a ball of energy. I got to hold all the babies and napped in the chair with a couple of them. There is no rush here. No crazy. They work when they need to and play the rest of the time. They are very community focused and have group meals regularly.
03.11.13 – 1321 – Log – Dakota
Miss Whitman was ringed in yesterday. Maci and Edie filled her with good food. She is pleased with her suite and loves the catio that Kate made. I have asked if I can groom Nemoy, he is heavily matted. I think she got him that way and he won’t let her brush him.
03.11.17 – 1501 – Log – Jackson
Miss Whitman is here. She loves having the children around and has been reading for story time. Dakota gave Nemoy a lion cut to get rid of some mats, he looks ridiculous now. Kate will have to make sure he is brushed regularly as his fur grows back. Nemoy is a giant cat, a mainecoon I think, he is still a kitten but is bigger than Miss Whitman’s other cats. The other cats Oliver and Tux are both older and want nothing to do with him, poor fellow. Kate has cat toys, beds, perches and hiding spots everywhere. Nemoy’s favorite toy is feathers bound at the quill end on a fishing rod type toy that spins as its waved through the air. He goes absolutely mental for it. Kate has to lock it away when they aren’t playing, or he grabs it and destroys it.
03.11.17 – 2000 – Log – Elbert
Oliver and Tuxedo are reserved, quiet creatures; they are standoffish and tend to stay in the catio. Nemoy is a character. He is a friendly, sociable fellow, and is more doggo like than the other two cats. Dakota gave him a horrible hair cut and he seemed to be offended by it. He enjoys playing with a feather toy and is willing to be brushed for treats. Kate is trying to get him used to being brushed so that he doesn’t end up with mats in his fur again.
03.11.24 – 2000 – Log – Elbert
Grady, Ella, Emily and Peter are here! Grady and Ella have selected a home, it has been placed and the systems are being hooked up. Kate is glowing.
03.12.10 – 1801 – Log – Jackson
Emily and Charlotte are inseparable, and Jack and Peter are like best buddies that have been apart for a while but are picking back up right where they left off. It’s a relief that they get along. It’s a blessing that they like each other. It’s selfish of me, but I am grateful that Emily is here for Charlotte. Emily is solid and level headed, she will reign in some of Charlotte’s willfulness and Charlotte will relax Emily into a slightly wilder girl. Jack and Peter will keep us all on our toes. They are going to have some fun.
03.12.11 – 1905 – Log – Tyler
Kate has made a commercial of sorts about our world. It has a good number of us in it, and lots of locations, many that I’ve never seen and would like to. We are going to start bringing in non-family members; she wanted to have it available for that. She has a cabin on stilts over crystal clear water. There is a tree house in the jungle, a home at some hot springs, video of nahnas and Georges clan, video from our gap trip (both landscapes and campsite life), all kinds of wildlife. She has documented our improvements and our village. I have asked for a tour of all the new places.
03.12.22 – 1804 – Log – Jackson
Kate has vetted her nephews father and his wife, she wants to sponsor them. The group has reviewed her work and approved the request. They seem like good people. She has a viewer/communication/ring set up with the ‘video brochure’ that she made, a short series of clips with Peter in them, and a short video of herself explaining who she is, who Peter is and asking them to call her if there was an interest in meeting him. Because there is technology shown in the video, she is going with a dramatic presentation. Basically she is going to ring into their kitchen (during their breakfast), hand the device to one of them, tell them what it is, how to activate it and immediately ring back out. Then we ‘wait’ for the call. The device is set to auto ring back as a safety feature if it is removed from the house. She is nervous, the children haven’t been told. We have scheduled her to ring there tomorrow. Tyler, Camden and myself will monitor the process, and extract her if necessary.
03.12.25 – 1901 – Log – Kate
There was a notation on a location to look into in the packet we received. It looks like the star fort that Jack made for one of his social studies projects. I posted for help in the want list. Tyler, Kurt and Zane responded. We have a trip planned to scout the area in three days.
03.12.29 – 1500 – Log – Zane
Kate found an oasis of old world foods. We are going to present findings at tonights meeting. I suspect there will be a vote to go out there and collect cuttings and seeds.
03.12.31 – 1400 – Log – Jackson
Kate found a jackpot of foods. She sent drones to look first, then she, Tyler, Kurt and Zane went out to try and get a handle on just how much was there. They came back with video. Its overwhelming, the whole village could go to sort through it and be there for months. Annette, Peters wife practically levitated with glee. She wants to go, we have a lot of foods that are new to her and she is ready for home foods.
03.12.31 – 1501 – Log – Maci
Kate found a bunch of old world foods. There are so many that it would probably take months of work to collect all the seeds and cuttings. The group is ready to dust off the RV’s and go right now. Kate has suggested updating them and making some new ones, because we have families and more people now. It wouldn’t be very comfortable to squish everyone in. We did pull them out of storage and opened them up. The children had a great time checking out the bedrooms and climbing the ladders to get to the roof. Kate’s brain was working while we were watching them have fun, you could almost see the gears turning. Becca has started making lists. Kate asked for lists of who was planning to go and who would be willing to stay to do chores for the people that go.
03.13.02 – 1501 – Log – Becca
We’re going camping! Most of us are planning to go. Kate is designing family style RV’s. We have cleaned out both of the kitchens, the showers, the poop closets, the chicken sled, and the storage and dorm sleds. The med sled is still in use and should be fine as is. I asked Kate for more washing machines. Kate mentioned that the new RV’s will have nice bathrooms so I haven’t asked for more poop closets yet. Tyler, Jackson and Camden have several giant tents set up and are setting up landing area’s, big and small, for seeds and samples that will be ringed back.
03.13.04 – 1605 – Log – Maci
Kate is making a new RV kitchen for me and Edie! She is considering turning the existing kitchen into a second outdoor kitchen.
03.13.04 – 2000 – Log – Elbert
Kate has designed family style RV’s, they are larger than the old style. They have a kitchen, a full bathroom with a tub and a laundry area. They have the pop up on the top like the old style. They are quite roomy and should be comfortable for the time that we are out.
She has also made connecting platforms so that the children can play on the upper levels. She has made slides and swings, and things to climb on.
03.13.04 – 2210 – Log – Kate
Everything is getting an upgrade. Maci and Edie are getting a new kitchen. I tried to give them everything that they have in the community center kitchen. The existing one will get a makeover and become a second slightly different outdoor kitchen. I’m separating the science and medical RV into two. Both will have the new larger RV footprint. The existing one will stay where it is until we get back. Anyone that keeps chickens now plans to bring them along and will get their own chicken sled. Some of the old RV’s will be converted into play rooms and gathering places.
03.13.06 – 2210 – Log – Jackson
Kate has made some improvements on the RV’s. I have to say they are quite nice. Maci is pleased with the bathroom, especially the bath tub and washer. Kate has made connecting platforms that can be covered. If it rains now we can visit on the roofs without having to squish through the mud and track it inside.
03.13.27 – 1601 – Log – Annette
We have arrived at the star fort and set up ‘camp.’ We could literally live with this setup indefinitely. Comfortably. They have…we have free power. We just need access to water. We have three community kitchens (one normal indoor type and two outdoor type) and small ones in the RV’s, public restrooms and private. There are play ground items for the children. There was video of them traveling with a similar set up, they certainly have it down. Kate even has a catio for Tux, Oliver and Nemoy. We’ve been here a few days, the chores have been assigned, both for here and back at the village. We have suspended what we could and brought what we could, but some things will still need daily attention. A map of the area has been created and recording devices provided. Right now we are just noting locations of plants and taking pictures. We will collect seeds and samples later.
I am especially excited about the vegetables, there are some familiar ones here, but most are new to me. Some are an acquired taste. When we set camp here and Maci and Edie started cooking for us my taste buds did a happy dance. I will have to get recipes or barter for cooking.
The children are having a great time. The transition from no children to having children was easier than expected. Emmy wanted to come with Pete and Kate was agreeable, I actually think she was hoping for it. Not that she wanted to get rid of her niece and nephew, she wants them to have two parents. She is still involved, she helps with the home schooling, and they go spend the night every now and then.
When we moved here Kate said that they had to technology to correct a medical issue that I had. I was sterile. She did a procedure involving this goo stuff in pack laid over my abdomen. That was it. We chatted about the children while the goo did the work. She said that I should expect a period after about ten days or so. I had one period (which I had never had before) and that was it. It’s been about sixty days since then. I am planning to mention it to her when I get a chance.
03.13.29 – 0801 – Log – Peter
Annette is pregnant! We are both ecstatic. She is still in shock. We have gone from no hope of children to instant family with a baby on the way. Apparently these things progress faster here and she is the Thearn equivalent of almost three months along. She even has the equivalent of ultrasound pictures.
03.15.07 – 1002 – Log – Tyler
We have been here forty five days and have about a third of the star fort mapped for veggies. Finn was out hunting with Kate and he found another patch of foods while they were out. We’ll be sending people out to look at that too. Finn and Kate came back with venison. We may send a group to get some beef after this is gone.
03.15.07 – 1403 – Log – Jackson
We found asparagus today! Mama’s favorite vegetable. Our list of finds grows every day, there is excitement in the group about our future meals. Someone found actual potatoes yesterday and we had a celebration at dinner.
03.15.10 – 1403 – Log – Camden
Babies! Kate and Dakota have delivered three babies since we got here. We are almost done with the star fort interior. We will begin a sweep of the exterior in a day or two.
03.15.32 – 2107 – Log – Kate
We are home. It was nice to work as a group, but it is nice to be back. We have made a list of found fruits and vegetables. People have started want lists. Miss Whitman had a craving for a grilled cheese sandwich, the kind with the processed cheese and batter type bread. We don’t have the template for it in the fabricator. Edie and Maci have been working on it, but haven’t managed anything close yet. I’m tempted to ring back and just buy some, but I don’t want to be seen on camera.
04.01.01 – 0030 – Log – Kate
I woke up in the night thinking about Emmy and Pete’s story. It was me. I’m going to do it.
04.01.01 – 1601 – Log – Kate
Done. I recorded the patterns (bread, cheese and sandwich) for the fabricator. I told the group about it at the meeting and then served them grilled cheese. We discussed going back to buy seeds, plants and livestock. The biggest stumbling block is money. For those of us that want newer varieties of seeds we could just go back and order them so that they arrive around the time we are taken (or buy them in person). That part is easy. For most of the live plants and livestock we need to find a way to get currency and either disguise ourselves or go back far enough in time that we aren’t recognized. The only way I can think of to get money without much notice is to go back to the gold rush. We could trade gold for cash, buy stuff, hide it, reclaim it later on, then sell the antiques. We might be able to do that with currency too, but I think it would be more noticeable. Levi volunteered to go, Zane did too. Zane suggested that they could say that they are brothers, they look enough alike that it is believable.
04.01.01 – 1714 – Log – Peter
I think I found my long lost dead uncle several times removed, which is a paradox, because its me or someone from here. I spoke with Kate about it, she said she got the gold rush part of the idea from my scrap book. Some of the teachers at my boarding school made it for me and gave it to me when I graduated. I lost it during a move. Kate agreed it was probably one of us. Now to set it up. It really shouldn’t be too hard.
04.01.15 – 1714 – Log – Jackson
Kate’s gold laundering plan is going well. Levi and Zane (aka Joseph) have claimed their land and have started cashing in their gold for currency. Kate has asked them to buy Levi’s. Some of the money went into household stuff…the girls bought it. We have been scattering the purchases around. We have been trying to figure out a good place to store the stuff. There has been debate over leaving it at Thearn to age or just bringing it here. Leaving it there is probably better, we can put sensors around to let us know about trespassers.
Kate has built a truck that I would have loved to have back on Thearn. We roughed it up to make it look well used. She made a nice livestock trailer to go with it. It’s really weird to see tires. Her next project is a 70’s era camper.
04.01.15 – 1841 – Log – Kate
I have to laugh, we harvested trees from Thearn, ringed them here, built a cabin and ringed it back. In a few ‘years’ a proper house will be built there. We can fill it with all the stuff we buy and put a proper lock on the door. What we don’t use will end up being Peters. The property has sensors everywhere so we know when we have visitors and can have someone there to greet them. There is a river with gold in it and we even put in a mine. There is actual gold in it too. Very handy.
04.01.15 – 1911 – Log – Audra
They have a plan to buy stuff on Thearn with actual currency. They are going through this elaborate process to do it. They could just ring the stuff they want away and leave gold as the payment like Kate did with the bread and cheese. It’s not just that they want a fair trade, they do. I think they want the challenge.
04.01.15 – 1951 – Log – Jackson
We have set up Peter with his ‘inheritance’ and have sold enough antiques to buy our fruit trees and bushes, some cattle, some fancy rabbits, more seed, all the different kinds of potatoes that we could find and some hand made items that we haven’t managed to make here yet. We have also collected some ‘food’ items to scan for the fabricator. Levi went a little crazy with the candy and junk food. We got items that people have had occasional cravings for. We got Mick D’s french fries, the original kind before they changed the fry oil and ruined them. Those could be dangerous to have. Somebody wanted fancy chocolate, and somebody else wanted soda pop. Grace got a bunch of oil paint and Kate and Dakota got watercolors. A bunch of us got hand tools – the new antique kind. We got critters too. Pets, mostly doggos.
The Great Experiment 