TSJ #36, Chapter 19: A New Tomorrow

“IRENE!” TOM SWIFT JR. EXCLAIMED in shock. He stood up, astonished. “It’s impossible! It can’t be!”

Irene smiled. “I’m glad to see you haven’t forgotten me! Bud tells me I’ve been out of the loop for quite some time. From what I can tell you’ve been pretty busy since we last saw each other.”

“But I don’t understand,” Tom said, not taking his eyes off her. “How is this possible? I mean, I actually watched you die – with my own eyes, in fact! Even with time travel I wasn’t able to save you. How did you get here?”

“It’s actually pretty simple,” Irene replied. “I wasn’t in the plane that you saw crash. Your father beamed me out of it moments before it hit the ocean.”

“But that’s impossible! I didn’t invent the Transmittaton until years later. ”

“He didn’t use your Transmittaton – whatever that is. He used the transporter on board the Exedra. Apparently Tom III has teleportation down to a science! It worked pretty well, too, from what I could tell.”

“The Exedra was there? But – why–”

Irene laughed. “Oh, Tom, I love you. It’s so good to see you again! When I left Brungaria I never thought I’d see you again. I was convinced I’d signed my death warrant – and then the next thing I knew I was sitting there talking to Anita. I am just delighted to be here, I really am. It feels like being born all over again. Everything is new, fresh, and exciting.”

Starting at the beginning, Irene told Tom everything that she had learned about the events of the past few weeks. Tom was dumfounded. “You mean I crashed into the Exedra?”

“You did,” Irene replied. “I guess even geniuses can’t think of everything. I mean, really! There were actually three Tom Swifts on board that starship and yet none of them realized that a large, invisible object lying directly in your path just might be a collision hazard.”

“Wow,” Tom replied. He shook his head in disbelief. He was astonished at how quickly his life had been turned upside-down. Just a few minutes earlier he had given up all hope, and now he found that his despair had been swallowed up by unbelievable joy. It was the most fantastic feeling.

“I don’t know what to say,” he said at last. “I’m so glad to have you back. It’s like going through a dozen Christmases all at once. I’ve longed for this moment for ages, and now that it’s here – I’m just shocked!”

“Then I’ll just have to leave you in shock,” the red-haired girl replied. She got up, walked around the desk, and kissed him. “I hate to leave you but I’ve really got to go see my parents.. I’m sure they’d like to know that their daughter has come back to life. But what would you think about a date tonight?”

“I’ll be there,” Tom promised. “My schedule is wide-open! I’ll be at your parent’s house at six to pick you up. Have you seen my triphibian atomicar?”

“Just that ugly semi thing you drove back in time,” Irene said.

“Oh, right. Well, we have much nicer models than that! I’ve got a red convertible model that’s just amazing.”

“Fantastic!” Irene replied. “So you’ll take me to dinner by the lake?”

“Absolutely,” Tom nodded. “By the way, do you need a ride home?”

Irene shook her head. “We’re in the future now, Tom! We don’t need cars anymore. I’ll just radio your man-in-space and have him beam me home.”

“Oh. Sure, you can do that. But I hope you realize that matter transmission isn’t exactly mainstream yet! That technology is still pretty new.”

“That’s something we’ll have to change,” Irene said eagerly. “From what I can tell you’ve done an amazing job creating the inventions of the future but a lousy job marketing them. All that’s about to change, Tom, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Irene looked at Tom. “By the way, may I have my pencil radio, please?”

Tom looked at the girl in surprise and then removed the pencils from his pocket and handed them to her. “Why, sure! I made them for you, you know, after you asked me to that day. But how did you find out about them?”

“Bud told me,” Irene replied, grinning. She used the radio to contact the outpost in space, and a moment later she vanished.

Tom smiled. This is going to be a good day after all, he thought. He glanced at his watch. I’d better get busy! I’ve got a lot to do before that date tonight.

The young inventor went straight to his laboratory and got to work. He’d only been working for a few minutes, however, when he was interrupted by a knock at the door. When he opened it he saw Phyllis Newton standing there.

“Hey, Tom,” she said. The teenage girl looked distraught and unhappy.

Tom’s heart sank. He remembered the scathing lecture she’d given him earlier. That talk hasn’t happened in this timeline yet, he realized wryly. I guess I’m in for it now!

“Hi, Phyl,” he said nervously. “Um, would you like to come in?”

“Not really,” she replied. “I mean, not anymore, anyway. It’s just not fair! I had it all worked out. I was going to come over here and dump you, after telling you what a lousy boyfriend you’d been. I was really going to put you in your place!”

“I know,” Tom replied. “I remember that conversation very well. You really let me have it, and I have to say I deserved every word. I’ve treated you horribly.”

“What do you mean, you remember it?” Phyl asked, puzzled. “How can you remember a speech I never gave?”

“We had that conversation in a different timeline,” Tom explained. “It’s kind of complicated.”

Phyl shook her head. “Whatever. I don’t want to know. But, anyway, as I was saying, I was just about to come over here when I got a phone call from Irene. That’s when I found out that your father brought her back from the dead.”

She sighed. “She’s so happy to be back, Tom. She really loves you, and I know you never stopped loving her. I couldn’t compete with her when she was dead, and I know I can’t do it now. So I’m just going to walk away and leave you two alone. Not for your sake,” she said, glaring at Tom, “but for hers. She’s always been good to me and I’m not going to mess with her. Especially not over you. Just – treat her well, ok? She’s a very special person. Don’t treat her the way you treated me or you’ll lose her.”

“I won’t,” Tom promised. He felt acutely uncomfortable. What am I supposed to say?

“Ok,” Phyl replied. “I’ll get out of your way then.” She sighed, turned around, and left. Tom watched as she got into her car and drove away.

There had to be a better way to handle that, Tom thought to himself. Why do I never know what to do in these situations? He stood there for a few minutes, thinking, and then went back inside his lab.

* * * * *
 

Late that evening Tom and Irene took a meandering stroll along the shores of Lake Carlopa. The sun had set long ago and the stars were out, filling the sky with countless pinpoints of flickering light. The moon had risen hours earlier and its glow lit the area with a faint, silvery light. In the distance the happy couple could see the seafood restaurant where they had eaten supper. It was one of the happiest meals Tom could remember. Tom was surprised to find that just being with Irene was enough to make him happy. He didn’t have to say anything or even do anything; just walking by the lake with her, holding her hand, filled him with a joy beyond words. He was deeply satisfied.

The couple found a large oak tree and sat down underneath it. The night was a warm one but a cool breeze blew over the lake. They sat down next to each other and watched the fireflies flicker in the forest.

“So what are you going to do now, Tom?” Irene asked.

“My Dad thinks I should go to Epsilon Eridani,” Tom replied. “It’s the largest space colony that’s ever been built – it’s even bigger than our operation on Nestria.”

“I’d love to go to Nestria someday,” Irene replied. “You have no idea how much I’d love to look up in the sky and see the Earth hanging there. That would be a dream come true.”

“I would be more than happy to take you. In fact, there are a whole lot of things I can’t wait to show you! Why, there’s Fearing Island, the Outpost in Space, Bartonia, the hydrodome – and you haven’t even had the grand tour of Swift Enterprises yet, for that matter! I could spend months just showing you around.”

“I think I could work that into my schedule,” Irene replied, grinning. “Really, Tom, I’d love it.”

“I would too. But to get back to your question, I think my Dad is right. Having a chance to build a true city in the stars is too good an opportunity to pass up. Interstellar colonization is a new chapter in mankind’s history – it’s the future, Irene. How could we pass that up? I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a part of it?”

Irene smiled. “I agree, Tom. But what I meant was not what are you going to to later, but what are you going to right now?”

Tom looked at her, puzzled. Irene laughed. “You haven’t changed a bit, have you? Maybe that’s why I love you so much. I’ll give you a hint: do you have anything for me?”

Instantly the young inventor remembered what he’d forgotten. He looked at the red-haired girl, astonished. “How could you possibly know? Have you been in my lab this afternoon?”

Irene shook her head. “I haven’t even seen your lab since I got back. But Tom, if you want to keep something a secret you shouldn’t leave your blueprints lying around on workbenches where other people can find them. We used to share the same laboratory, you know!”

Tom sighed. “Please tell me I didn’t do that! Dad and I went to such great lengths to hide it from you, and–”

Irene merely smiled. “No one ever said security was your strong point, Tom. But that’s ok – I love you anyway.”

Tom stood up and put his hand into his pocket. He suddenly felt acutely nervous. Irene looked so beautiful, sitting there in the moonlight, looking up at him. Just seeing her was enough to make his heart melt. I don’t deserve this, he thought. But thank you.

He removed the box from his pocket, got down on one knee, and gave the box to Irene. She eagerly opened it. When she saw the diamond ring inside she gasped. She carefully took it out and gazed at it. “It’s so beautiful,” she whispered.

Tom’s mind went blank. All he knew is that he was deeply, madly in love with the red-haired girl that was holding his ring, and he knew that he would always love her, to the end of his days. The flowery speech he had spent the entire afternoon drafting disappeared from his mind. All he could think to say was, “Irene, will you marry me?”

Irene placed the ring on her finger and looked Tom in the eye. She smiled, with pure love radiating from her eyes. “Of course,” she replied softly. She stood up, put her arms around Tom, and kissed him.

Tom closed his eyes and relaxed. All was well in the world. It doesn’t get better than this, he though happily.