Chapter 3: All in the Family

“Caitlin?” Emily pounded on her little sister’s door. “You need to clean up your room!”

The music blaring from inside lessened somewhat in intensity. “What?”

“You need to clean up your room!”

The door opened and thirteen-year-old Caitlin Jordan appeared, incredulous. “Why? What brought this on?” Caitlin had black hair and green eyes and, unsurprisingly, didn’t look anything like her stepsister.

“A woman from Children’s Services is coming. I don’t know her and we don’t want to give her any ideas…”

Caitlin looked uneasy. “Is this whole thing starting again? I don’t want to go live with Mom’s sister…”

“No, it’s not about you this time, but she’s going to be here so let’s not put the idea in her head, OK?” Emily looked past Caitlin into the room and winced. “Maybe I’d better help?”

Caitlin rolled her eyes. “I don’t want you touching my stuff. I’ll do it.” She moved to turn away, then turned back. “Why is Children’s Services coming if it’s not about me?”

Emily sighed. “You’d better get started; I’ll explain as you go. This may take a while.”

• • •


Thirty minutes later they sat side by side on the threadbare sofa in their “living room.” They lived in a detached mother-in-law unit that had been converted to a rental. It had originally been a moderately spacious one-bedroom cottage, but walls had been moved and it was now a two bedroom with a combined living/dining/kitchen area. It was cramped, but was all Emily could afford while paying off her medical school debt. Fortunately that was nearly done: a modest inheritance from their father had paid for most of her education.

Caitlin was fuming, her arms folded. “I don’t understand why she has to stay in my room.”

“Because your room is bigger, Caitlin. Where would I put her in mine? You’ve had friends over before and we’ve got that air mattress.”

“Why do you have to do this? Why can’t she go somewhere else?”

Emily resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “We’ve been through this.” She ticked the points off on her fingers. “It’s only for a few days—”

“You hope.”

“For a variety of reasons I can’t discuss now, we don’t want her to leave the area. One thing I can tell you is she’s been through a lot and it would help to have a somewhat familiar face to stay with.”

“Did you volunteer for this? You’re already way too busy!”

Emily blushed slightly. “No. I did say no to start with, but they bribed me.”

Caitlin’s mood shifted. “Oh?” she inquired innocently. “Is it the kind of bribe you can share?”

“Kind of. They got me moved to an eight hour day shift while Kara is staying with us. I’ll be working eight to four.”

Caitlin sat up straight. “Really? You’ll really be off that awful night shift? You’ll be at work when I’m at school and here the rest of the time? No more zombie Emily falling asleep on me?”

“Well, I’ll be home an hour or two after you’re done with school, and still on call some nights and weekends, but other than that, yes. At least while she’s with us.”

Caitlin considered this. “OK, she can stay in my room.”

• • •


Kara glanced back at the front of the hospital as she walked out with Dr. Penny and Ms. Morton. It did indeed read “Milford Memorial Hospital” across the facade. She didn’t think Dr. Penny was lying, but Mom had taught her to be skeptical of fantastic claims. Kara couldn’t think of a more fantastic claim than that her family and hometown were something out of a comic book.

The sun was just setting as they walked out to the parking lot, the last little bit peeking over the low buildings to the west. Kara scratched absently at her arms as a tiny itch plagued her, and followed the two adults. They stopped next to a red car.

“Kara, honey,” said Dr. Penny, “Can you go with Ms. Morton? She’ll take you to Dr. Emily’s house, like we discussed.”

Kara nodded, resigned. “Sure, Dr. Penny.” The social worker opened the door and Kara climbed in the back, then buckled her seatbelt. She reached automatically to check that she had her phone with her, then remembered and sagged.

At least she was going to be staying with someone she sort of knew instead of complete strangers. She liked Dr. Emily, and tried to think of it as staying at a friend’s house instead of foster care. She hoped she’d get along with Dr. Emily’s sister.

She watched out the window as the car turned out onto the street. The trees and general vegetation were familiar. So were the cars with their “Delaware: The First State” plates, though without the usual “Metropolis: City of Tomorrow” specialty plates mixed in.

However, the streets they drove through were suburban, almost rural, not the city that should have been there. She’d accepted what Dr. Penny and the maps had told her, but now she was seeing it with her own eyes. Somehow, Metropolis and her family were now fictitious, or at least everyone thought they were. What had happened?

The gravity of her situation started to sink in. This was not like getting lost at the mall, or going to Girl Scout camp, where you knew you were going home when it was over. Suppose she never saw her family again?

She felt helpless, and utterly lost. She started to sniffle as tears ran down her cheeks.

They passed a school; Kara read “Milford Middle School” off the sign in the fading light. She tried to peer in the windows, wondering what it was like. Her curiosity helped to distract her.

They turned onto a residential street, and after another minute pulled up in front of a house. Kara tried to collect herself. Mom had always told her that if she found herself in a bad situation, the first rule was to keep calm, so you could think.

“We could have walked,” she observed as she unbuckled herself. “It wasn’t far.”

Ms. Morton smiled. “I know, honey, but I need to head back to Wilmington right after this.”

They both got out of the car. Kara started towards the front door, but Ms. Morton called after her. “It’s around the back, honey. This way.” She turned as directed, and Ms. Morton peered at her face. “Have you been crying?”

“I guess so,” Kara admitted, looking down.

Ms. Morton squeezed her shoulder. “Everything will be fine, you’ll see. I’m sure the police will find your parents in no time.”

Kara nodded politely, but couldn’t imagine how the police could help.

They walked down the driveway; off to one side was a small cottage. Ms. Morton reached out and rang the bell. The door opened, rather too quickly, revealing Dr. Emily.

“Ms. Morton?” The social worker nodded. Dr. Emily noticed Kara and smiled. “Hi, Kara. It’s good to see you on your feet.”

Kara was suddenly glad to see a familiar face. “Hi, Dr. Emily.”

“Please come in.” Dr. Emily stood aside, and the two of them entered. Kara was struck by how tiny the cottage was.

Dr. Emily closed the door, and gestured to the girl sitting on the small sofa. “Kara, this is my sister Caitlin. She’s thirteen and in eighth grade.”

“Hi,” said Kara, waving shyly. Caitlin waved back, her smile a little forced.

“Why don’t you two get to know each other while Ms. Morton and I take care of some paperwork, OK?”

Kara nodded and went over to sit next to Caitlin while Dr. Emily and Ms. Morton sat at the tiny kitchen table. Ms. Morton pulled out a stack of papers and the two adults started conversing in low tones.

Kara turned her attention to Caitlin. “So… Dr. Emily is your sister?”

Caitlin shrugged. “Well, stepsister, but yeah.”

Kara thought for a moment, “So… your dad married her… mom?”

“Other way around. It’s a long story; I’ll tell you later.”

Kara nodded. “Do you go to that middle school we passed on the way here?”

Caitlin nodded. “Yeah. It worked out pretty well for us. Em can walk to work and I can walk to school, and the hospital is close by if she needs to duck out for an hour to do something parental.”

“Do you like the school?”

Caitlin rolled her eyes. “It’s school. I guess it’s OK. You’ll find out tomorrow.”

Kara could have sworn her heart stopped. “What?” she squeaked.

Caitlin frowned. “Didn’t they tell you?”

Kara shook her head. She looked to the adults and asked diffidently, “Dr. Emily?”

Emily looked up from the form she was signing. “Yes, sweetie? And you can just call me Emily, it’s OK.”

“Is it true that I’m going to school tomorrow?”

The adults exchanged glances. Ms. Morton replied, “Honey, no one is home here during the day and you can’t stay by yourself. You could go to the hospital with Dr. Jordan but I bet you’d be terribly bored. And you do have to go to school, even with everything that’s going on. We could delay it a few days if you’re still too upset, but not indefinitely. Would you rather sit in the hospital tomorrow?”

Kara sighed. “I guess not.”

“Don’t worry, sweetie,” said Emily. “I’ll go with you tomorrow morning, and the teachers and administration will know you’re probably only here for a few days. They won’t expect you to be on top of everything or to do homework. You’ll just be sitting in on classes.”

Kara’s stomach twisted; she wasn’t worried about academics. I think starting sixth grade for the second time is worse than getting kidnapped.

• • •


Caitlin and Kara managed to find a table while Emily followed with the tray. The two sisters sat down opposite one another, and Caitlin patted the seat next to her. “Here, come sit next to me.” Kara nodded and slid in next to the older girl.

Emily reached for her fish sandwich, then noticed Kara peering at her meal. “I’m sorry it’s McDonald’s, Kara; we usually try to eat better than this. But with the shopping…”

“That’s OK,” said Kara. “We have fast food or takeout sometimes at home.”

As soon as Ms. Morton had left they’d rushed off shopping, since Kara had only the ill-fitting clothes she was wearing. Caitlin’s old clothes might have fit her, but given their limited storage space those had been given away to Goodwill ages ago. Fortunately Ms. Morton had promised Emily a stipend to cover the costs of fostering Kara, and it included a clothing allowance.

They’d piled into Emily’s slightly rusty 1997 Honda Civic and headed for Walmart, a store Kara had never heard of. It was enormous. A couple of hours in the girls’ department and she had enough clothes to last for a week or so.

Kara was further distressed to learn that unlike Larson, Milford Middle School had a uniform policy. She’d been outfitted with both casual clothes for home and a few sets of white polo shirts and tan skirts for school.

They’d also picked up a limited set of school supplies, including a new backpack. With all that in the trunk they’d headed in search of a quick dinner.

Caitlin munched on her burger, and in between bites asked, “Kara, do you mind talking about your family?”

Kara, flustered, looked to Emily, who looked back, nonplussed. Emily thought for a while, then said tentatively, “Why don’t we cover that when we get home, OK? I don’t think we want to have secrets at home, but let’s not talk about it here.”

“Oooo-kayyy,” drawled Caitlin, intensely curious. “Is there something she can talk about?”

Everyone looked at everyone else.

Caitlin rolled her eyes. “OK, I’ll start.” Her voice turned bright and cheery. “Hello, I’m Caitlin Jordan!” She waved like a beauty contestant. “I attend Milford Middle School and I like to play sports. I pitch for the girl’s fast pitch softball team and I also play soccer. I like making ceramics, too.” Caitlin dropped the act and told Kara with an encouraging smile, “See? It’s not that hard. Come on, I promise I won’t bite. As long as we get home in time for Game 2.”

Kara squinted. “Of what?”

“The World Series; I guess you’re not a sports fan. So c’mon, tell me what you do like.”

Kara answered haltingly. “Well, umm, I… I like, umm, math and science, and… reading books, I guess.” She glanced anxiously at Caitlin, then continued, “Umm, I like to do gymnastics, too, and I’m in the Girl Scouts.” She thought for a while. “My dad’s parents have a farm in Kansas and we go there for a couple of weeks every summer. I like taking care of the animals and riding horses.” She looked at Caitlin again, and seeing a smile answered with a tentative one of her own.

“Are there any TV shows you like?”

“We mostly watch movies instead of TV, but my dad and mom and brother like watching sports, and I watch cartoons with my sister Saturday mornings. Mom and Dad like Doctor Who, and they let me watch sometimes if it’s not too scary. I like it.”

Caitlin grinned. Maybe we have something in common after all.

• • •


Emily jumped when the book she was reading in bed was snatched out of her hands.

“Oooooh,” cooed Caitlin, “Let’s see…”

“Caitlin,” groaned Emily.

Caitlin read aloud in an atrocious English accent, one hand held to her chest: “‘Eleanor’s bosom heaved like a tempestuous sea as Lord Montgomery’s hand roughly—’”

Emily snatched her book back and set it down on the bed. “Did you invade my bedroom for a reason?”

“Why do you read that trash anyway?”

“Because I haven’t had a date in eight years,” said Emily wearily. “Now, what is it? You have school tomorrow, and I ought to get to sleep soon too, now that I’m on day shift. I already let you stay up late to watch the game.”

“It’s about my new roommate.”

Emily looked to her bedroom door. “Where is she?”

“Asleep.”

“So, what about her?”

Caitlin flopped down on the end of her sister’s bed. “When I agreed to let her stay in my room, you forgot to include the little detail that she’s completely insane!”

“She’s not ‘completely insane,’ honey. She just has… issues.”

Caitlin rolled her eyes. “‘Issues.’ She thinks her parents are Lois Lane and Clark Kent, and you call it ‘issues’?”

“Look, we don’t know why she’s saying that, but other than that she’s a normal eleven year old.”

“Saying your dad is Superman doesn’t seem very normal to me.”

Emily tilted her head. “I seem to recall a certain ‘Princess Nausicaa’…”

Caitlin waved her hands. “OK, OK, you’ve made your point.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “Was I really eleven when I went through that? I thought I was younger…”

“Fantasy can help kids over a bad time in their lives. Like being kidnapped.” She paused. “Or losing a parent.” She looked meaningfully at Caitlin.

“OK, OK, I get it. But if she says anything about this at school, the other kids will be merciless. She already had trouble at her last school.”

“Why? Did she say something?”

“She seemed so nervous when we were talking at dinner, I asked her about it. She’s been teased a lot, for liking science and math and not being a Barbie clone.” Caitlin frowned. “She’s had trouble making friends.”

Emily’s face fell. “Oh.” She hesitated. “Can you help her out?”

Caitlin blew out her breath. “I guess so. As much as I can with her being in a different grade. I can at least coach her on the middle school drama, after what I went through for being a jock.” She smiled. “It might be fun being the big sister for a change. She’s a sweet kid. Insane, but sweet.”

Emily let it slide. “Thank you. Now, it’s late, and I think we should both be getting to bed.” She held her arms open.

Caitlin went over and the two hugged; she went back to her own room, opening and closing the doors quietly. As she stepped past the air mattress she heard Kara shift and whimper a little, and saw her flex her fingers. Caitlin crept quietly into bed.

• • •


Kara hadn’t had this nightmare in months. She was in the dark again, bitterly cold, unable to move, unable to see, unable to breathe. She was not suffocating or in pain, but she was trapped. She couldn’t even cry.

Then the dream changed in a way it never had before. She could see; she was inside some kind of opaque bubble not much bigger than she was. It seemed to be made of some kind of multicolored, iridescent light that swirled in intricate patterns. The portions of her skin exposed to the light began to itch.

She could move, and she reached out towards the bubble, curious. Tentatively she poked it; it stretched outward like rubber. She jerked her hand back when the bubble bulged inward momentarily, as if something on the other side had poked back.

• • •


As Kara dreamt, inside her cells tiny organelles reawakened — structures that were both technology and biology. Deprived of their usual energy source, they drew on their host’s chemical energy. They reached out to one another, forming a network that, while not a full, self-aware A.I., was more than a mindless machine.

Its purpose was to assist and protect its host. It did this by manipulating both subspace and the boundary between subspace and normal spacetime. That did not seem to be possible at the moment: the boundary was not behaving as it should, and the network could not reach through it to subspace.

The network set about investigating the curious situation in which its host found herself. It began by probing and analyzing the boundary.

• • •