It was a bright autumn day, near All Hallow's Eve, and the brisk breeze danced along the woodland path. The path was plain, though obviously much used. It led from a small country village to a small hut, from which a person was exiting.
The person was female, around eighteen years of age, with wavy blonde hair and green eyes. She wore a peasant's clothes: a simple brown tunic over a lighter brown shift. Her hair had been pulled back in a horse-tail, as was the custom for village women, and on her feet were stout leather shoes.
The woman hurried down the path fro five minutes or so, 'til she came to a small game trail. Glancing from side to side, the woman turned onto said trail, and followed it until she came to a circle of rocks, set in the maner of Stone Hedge. The woman removed and hid her clothes, and stepped into the center of the circle. She appealed to a goddess in a long-forgotten tongue: Latin. And then the woman vanished.
"Cardea! It's time for school!"
"Just a second, Dad!"
Cardea darted around the room, hurredly dressing herself. Why couldn't her clothes stay with her when she changed over?
Adjusting her blue skirt, Cardea glanced in the mirror. Her hair was back to how it had been earlier that morning. When she changed back, her hair was always dirty blonde and wavy, which was what it looked like naturally. Luckily for her, the bleached streaks and ironed-straightness returned. If only her clothes didn't just vanish when she changed over!
"Cardea! You'll be late!" her fatehr called again.
"I said, just a seond! Cardea yelled back. Grabbing her makeup - it didn't return when she changed forward- she quickly put on eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss before racing to the transporter.
Cardea barely glanced at the number pad as she punched in the correct sequence. "Now transporting one human to level three, room two," confirmed the monotonous speaker as it sent Cardea to the kitchen.
"Hi Dad!" Cardea said as she walked over to the Processor. "Three stips of bacon, extra crispy, one piece of lightly buttered toast, medium toasted, and one glass of orange juice," she said clearly into the microphone. The Processor made a purring sound for a second. Then the monotonous voice said, "Three strips of bacon, extra crispy, one piece of toast, lightly buttered, medium toasted, one glass of orange juice, now ready. Thankyou for using the Kitchen Processor Ultimate 2500. Enjoy your meal."
"were you visitng your mother?" Cardea's father asked. Cardea turned to look at him. He was in his fourties, and a little out of shape. He had been a professional radce-speeder driver until a crash in his thirties had paralized im from the neck down. The doctors were usually able to piece together a severed backnone, but Sebatian Casquer's injuries had been to severe; he wasn't paralized, but did require a computer chip embedded in his spine to move, and his movements were slow and jerky. Now he owned "Casquer's", the world's leading producer of expensive speeders.
"Yeah," Cardea answered. "She says hi. Oh, and Dad, is there anyway I can contact that Goddess?"
"You should show her more respect. Andy why do you ask?"
"I can travel through time, but I have two choices. The way I see it, if I go to Mom's for an hour, I should be able to return to the exact moment I left, not an hour later."
"I see. Well, I can't help you; you can't contact the Goddess except when travelling through time until you're twenty. That's what she said. Now hurry up and eat your breakfast."
Cardea nodded and sat down at the table. She hurredly ate her breakfast. When she finished, she got up, and picked up her plate.
"where do you think you're going with that?" her fatehr asked.
Cardea looked down at the plate in her hadns. "I dunno. I guess I'm just used to Mom's. There aren't any AIs there to clear the table." Cardea set the plate down, and glanced at her watch. "Aack! I'm gonna be late! Bye Dad!" She kissed him on the cheek, and dashed over to the transporter. She punched in the numbers, muttering the sequence to herself. "One-One-One-Six."
"Now transporting one human to level one, room six," said the speaker.
Cardea was off the transporter the moment she arrived. She hurried over to her shiney blue speeder.
"You're late," commented the girl sitting in the passenger seat. She was an AI, a birthday gift Cardea had received for her twelfth birthday. The AI had short brown hair and grey eyes. Her skin was lightly tanned, and she had a dusting of freckles on her nose.
"Sorry, 214A3," Cardea said as she got into the driver's seat.
"You should visit your mother before school. It takes too long," 214A3 informed her. Cardea shurgged as she started the engine.
"It doesn't matter. I wasn't planning on going to first block anyway." 214A3 looked guilty, but didn't say anything. She was supopsed to make sure Cardea behaved, but she usually just ended up covering for Cardea and doing Cardea's homework. Cardea sometimes felt a little guilty herself for taking advantage of the timid AI, but she had a social life, and nothing was going to get in the way of it.
They soon arrived at Sabina Coss High. Cardea parked her speeder, and turned off the blaring music. She waved to some frinends as she got out.
Hey! Whazzup?" she asked her best friend, Lisa.
"Nuttin' mmuch. You goin' to first block?"
"Nah. Got better things to do than algebra. 214A3, go tell Ms. Jlunker I'm busy." 214A3 looked upset, but did as asked. Cardea, Lisa, and the rest of their gang then wandered over to the smoke pit to smoke some bio-juana.
"Dad! I'm home!" Cardea said into a nearby speakerphone, pressing the "All Speakers" buton.
"Cardea, come to my office," her father resonded. Cardea grimmaced. He sounded ticked.
Cardea got on the transporter, punched in 1-1--3-4 and glanced at the clock as the annyoing voice confirmed her desination. 1:47 AM. No wonder her dad was upset.
He wasn't mad. He was furious. That was apparent the moment she stepped off the transporter.
"Where have you been?" he asked angrily. Cardea shrugged.
"Out with the gang."
"We went over to Sabina Coss Park."
"And what were you doing there?"
"Nothin'. Just hangin' out."
"Were you drinking?"
"Not much."
"Were you smoking?"
"Not much."
"And where is 214A3?"
"I sent her home early."
"Well, young lady, you are grounded! Don't protest! You brought this upon yoursel! Drinking, smoking, skipping class- yes, I know about that, too! Your school called. They wanted to know when you'd get over your "illness". I thought 214A3 couldn't lie!"
"She couldn't. I fixed that."
"Young lady, do you now how much I'm paying for you to go to that school?"
"No."
"Two-hundred gellos a year!"
"Wow. So, what's my punishment?"
"I'm taking away your speeder."
"But Dad-"
"No buts! And if you ever skip class again, I'll hire a tutor, so I know your learning. Now go to bed!"
Cardea stormed onto the teleorter, slamming her fingers on the buttons. "Now transporting one human to level two, room five," said the monotonous voice as Cardea was transported to her room.
214A3 got up- she'd been sitting on Cardea's bed- and started talking.
"I'm so sorry! It tried! I told the school you had the flu. I told them you wouldn't be there. I never thought they'd phone your father! They never have before..." The little AI disolved into tears- if they could be called tears. Cardea sometimes wondered if 214A3 was just defective; she'd never heard of any other AI leaking oil from their eyes!
Cardea tried to calm 214A3 down. "Don't worry. It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could do..." Cardea continued to try to soothe 214A3. She soon lost her patience, however. "Look, 214A3," she said. "Stop crying, and go to your room." 214A3 stopped crying immediately- she was programmed to be obediant- and stepped onto the transporter. "Transporting one Arificial Intelligence to level four, room two," the voice said as it sent 214A3 away.
Exhausted, Cardea fell into bed, and fell asleep.
The next morning, Cardea got up at six, brushed her hair and teeth, and got undressed. There was no point in losing her clothes in the Place Between Time. Then Cardea walked over to the empty portion of her room, preparing to make her daily visit to her mother.
Long ago, the place where Cardea now stood had held a Stone Circle, sacred to the Roman Goddess of Change, Cardea's namesake. Cardea wasnt certain, but she thought it might be the Stone Circle she used in her mother's time.
Cardea spoke the words of the incantation. They were Latin, but Cardea spoke Latin fluently. In the modern tongue, the words said, "Cardea, Goddess of Thresholds, take me from this place to another. Cardea, Goddess of Door Pivots, pivot me to another time. Cardea, Goddess of Change, change me, so I may enter the time of my mother, the Giver of my Life's Blood."
Then all vision blurred, and Cardea saw both times, superimposed over one another. She aslso saw the eyes of the Goddess of Chagne, watching her travel through time. And she heard whispers of the times she was passing.
Slowly, the two times merged, and Cardea found herself in the Stone Circle in her mother's time. Her hair was curly, and the streaks had vanished. Cardea quickly dressed herself in a nondescript shift, over which went a plain brown tunic. On her feet were worn leather shoes. She pulled her hair back in a horsetail, and tied it with a thin strip of leather. Then she headed for her mother's house.
It was a short walk to the cottage where her mother lived. Cardea knocked on the door, and hugged the woman who opened it.
"Hello, Cardea," her mother said.
"Hi, Mom!" she replied, coming inside the small house.
The walls were smooth oak. The floor was dirt. There was no glass inside the single window, which was covoered insetad by a simple yellow piece of cloth. On one side of the room was a fire pit, a box for keeping food in, a table, and two chairs. On the other side of the room was a bed, covered by a brightly coloured quilt, and a small chest of drawers. Beneathe the window was a washtub. Other than that, the one-room house was empty.
Her mother wet plates down on the table, and served breakfast: bread, butter, and porrige. Cardea and her mother ate in silence for a while- they had little in common, so little to talk about- until her mother broke the silence.
"After our breakfast, you ought to see your friend, Gwenllian. She has wonderful news for you."
"Really? What is it?"
"I think I'll let Gwenllian tell you."
Cardea spent the rest of the meal trying to coax an answer out of her mother. But her mother refused to say anything.
After the meal, Cardea helped her mother clean up. Then she said goodby to her mother, and went to town.
The town of Vamefi was small, with only twnety or so people. Everybody knew everybody, and everybody knew where everybody lived. Or thought they did. Everybody thought Cardea lived with her mother.
Gwenllian owned a small herb garden, and had a small store. She made just enough money to get by. She had been an orphan, raised by nuns of the Christian church. When she was twelve, she had moved to Vamefi with her mentor, Sister Elizabeth. Her mentor had died shortly thereafter, but Gwenllian had stayed, partly because of her new best friend, Cardea, and partly because of a boy she fancied, a woodcutter's son named Alton Kendrick. Alton and Gwenllian were in love, very in love.
Cardea stepped inside Gwenllian's shop.
"There you are!" Gwenllian cried, hugging Cardea. "I was over at your house last night, but your mother said you were out gathering rare plants, and you wouldn't be back 'til late..."
"Yes," Cardea agreed. "Mother had to have this plant, so I said I would go get it, but it's picky about where it grows." Gwenllian nodded, understanding. "So my mother said you wanted to tell me something?" Cardea asked.
"You'll never guess what happened!" Gwenllian said, her eyes shining. "Alton and I are going to be married!"
"That's great! When?" Cardea asked.
"In two months," Gwenllian answered.
"Awesome! Am I invited?"
"Of course!"
"I'll be there!"
The two girls then giggled and talked and giggled some more. They discussed the wedding, and started planning. Suddenly, Cardea notcied the height of the sun.
"Oh my gosh! I have to go. I- My mother wants me to get home."
"I guess you'd better go," Gwenllian sighed.
They hugged each other, and Cardea left.
"Where have you been?" Cardea's father yelled as Cardea was transported into the parking lot."
"At Mom's. Can I take my speeder to school?"
"Only if 214A3 drives."
"Ok. Bye Dad!"
"But-"
Cardea hopped into the passenger seat of the speeder. Why did her father yell so much?
"Can we go?" 214A3 asked tentatively.
"Yeah we can go," Cardea replied.
As they drove- slowly, Cardea noticed- 214A3 said,
"We're not aloud to switch drivers half-way there like we did last time you were grounded."
"Dady'll never know."
"Yes he will. He's hooked up a monitor and camera so he can view everything I see."
"Damn!"
"You shouldn't swear."
Cardea answered with a flood of bad language.
When Cardea arrived home from school- she'd skipped every class, just to annoy her father- her father's voice came on the speeker, calling her to his office.
"What?" she asked when she arrived.
"You are now forbidden to spend more than half an hour in your mother's time."
"But-"
"But what?"
"My friend's getting married soon-"
"On the day of the wedding you many stay longer."
"But-"
"And you will no longer attend Sabina Coss Private School. You will have a tutor."
"But-"
"No buts. Now go to your office. You will find your tutor there. Since you didn't attend school today, your classes will start immediately."
"But-"
"That is all. You are dismissed."
"Fine! See if I care!" Cardea yelled as she stormed off to her office.
"Might you be Cardea?"
Cardea scowled. "Maybe."
"Pleased to meet you. I'm your tutor, Mr. Rosler."
"Hi."
"Would you please take a seat, so we may begin?" Cardea scowled and sat down heavily in a chair. "Let us start with mathematics. Now..."
Cardea more or less ignored what Mr. Rosler way saying, taking the time to study him.
He was young, no more than twenty, with a mop of curly brown hair, neatly parted on one side, and thick glasses. He had a pale complexion; he probably avoided going outside. His eyes were bright, and he looked like he was enjoying himself. He had a biit of a British accent, and his voice was a bit high-pitched for a man.
He was a geek.
"You are not attending!" Cardea rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. Look, I've already been to school once today-"
"Your father begs to differ."
"And suffered through class-"
"Suffer? I doubt that."
"And afternoons are supposed to be free time-"
"You already had free time. This morning."
"And will you just shut up?"
"Look here. It is time for lessons, and I will teach you. Now be quiet and attend-"
"No."
"Pardon?"
"I said no! I've got enough to deal with-"
"I know the life of a teenager is difficult-"
"I have to deal with more than my friends-"
"I'm sure you're exagerating-"
"And will you STOP CUTTING ME OFF?"
"Alright, fine! Cardea Casquer, you are a very difficult child. I quit!"
"No you don't! I fire you!"
"No you don't! Only your father can do that!"
"I can too!"
"No you can't!"
"Yes, I can!"
"No, you can't!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"YES!"
"NO!"
"Um... excuse me for interupting..."
"WHAT IS IT?" both Cardea and Mr. Rosler yelled.
"Uh... Mr. Casquer sent me to see if you need anything," 214A3 said timidly.
"You may etll Mr. Casquer that I am going to resign," Mr. Rosler said, adjusting his beige jacket.
"Uh... Ok." 214A3 hurried over to the teleporter.
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"YES!"
"Be quiet, both of you!" Mr. Casquer yelled. Both Cardea and Mr. Rosler shut up.
Mr. Casquer rubbed his temples. This wasn't looking good. He'd known his daughter was difficult, but... William Rosler was young, but he'd gone to the best schools, been head boy, top of his class... He was said to have the patience of a stone. Apparently not.
Cardea-" he began.
"What? Am I grounded? Oh wait! I already am!"
"I can forbid you to visit your mother. Or I could sell 214A3-"
"You already did forbid me. And you wouldn't!"
"Would you lie to test that?"
Cardea scowled.
The next day, Cardea transported herself to her office, where Mr. Rosler was waiting.
"You're late."
Cardea glanced at the clock. "It's 9:01! I'm only one minute-"
"I do not except excuses." Cardea gave up. It was useless to argue.
"We will start with algebra." Mr. Rosler switched on Cardea's computer. "If you will please install these programs, we will begin."
She had learned more in the past week than she had in her entire life! She was sure of it. Mr. Rosler never gave her a break! It wasn't fair! And she never got to see her friends, she never got to drive her speeder, she never-
"Cardea, pay attention! This is important!"
No it isn't! she thought fiercely, but she payed attention anyway.
The wedding was tomorrow. Cardea was ready. She had a beautiful blue gown, with cloth-of-gold trim. Gwenllian was jealous. Cardea claimed it was a gift from her father, who (or so the story went) was a rich lord in a far-off land. Gwenllian's wedding dress was pretty, or so Gwenllian claimed. The field had been decorated with flower garlands and ribbons, and everyone from the village was bringing food. Everything in Cardea's mother's time was perfect.
If only the same could be said for her father's time. Her father was still mad at her, her "friends" had started ignoring her, her boyfriend had dumped her, 214A3 was being more assertive, and Mr. Rosler was preparing Cardea for her final examination.
Two lives. One was perfect. Everyone liked her, choices were easy, and her friends were true frineds. In the other, people hated her, choices were impossible, and her friends had left. I should move in with Mom. Life would be much simpler, she mused. Her musing didn't last long, however.
"Cardea! Pay attention! Now, let's go over ancient religions, shall we? I believe there's a goddess who shares your name. I think she's Greek-"
"Roman."
"You actually know something?" He sounded astonished.
"Yeah, she's my namesake. The Roman Goddess of Threshhold, Door Pivots, and Change."
"Fancinating! Your brain actually retains knowledge! Now if only it worked like that during algebra..."
Cardea sighed. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.
The day dawned bright and clear. That didn't neccesarily mean anything of course; the two times had little in common. But sometimes the weather was the same.
Cardea quickly got up, got dressed, and got breakfast. She wanted to be there early. Just as she was about to go to her room, her father wandered in.
"You're off, then?" He didn't seem angry...
"Yeah."
"Be sure to hurry back."
"Whatever."
"By the way, have you seen 214A3?"
"No. Why?"
"I sent her to the store to pick up some groceries. She should be back."
"When did she go?"
"Two hours ago. Would you mind going down to the store to see what's taking her?"
"Yes."
"Cardea!"
"Fine! I'll go!"
It was only five minutes to the store. Looking around, cardea couldn't see 214A3.
"Have you seen a short, brown-haired AI?" she asked a Helper. The woman shook her head.
"Nope. Actually, I don't think anyone's come in here yet. A couple of teens were hanging around outisde earlier. You could ask them."
Cardea went outside. There was no one about. Figuring the teens could have left to go smoke, Cardea got in her speeder and drove over to the park.
She found several of her friends at the smoke pit.
"Ooh! Looky here! Smarty-pants has come t' visit!" Lisa grinned.
"What brought you this way?" George, Cardea's ex-boyfriend, asked.
"Dad sent me to find 214A3," Cardea responded.
"And you always do what your Daddy says?" Lisa asked, an odd- almost sadistic- look on her face.
"Well, yeah, I don't have a choice," Cardea retorted. "Look, just ell me if you've seen 214A3!"
"Seen her? Maybe."
"Wha'd'ha mean?"
"Well... Yeah, we saw her. About two hours ago. She was lookin'... lonely." Lisa smirked.
"What did you do to her?" Cardea asked, getting worried.
"Nuttin' much. Oh, unless you count pullin' her y-frame wire."
"You WHAT?"
"Pulled her-"
"She'll DIE!"
Lisa shrugged. "She's only an AI. She can't feel anything. Whe won't care. It's not like she has feelings."
"She does! Where is she?" Cardea was starting to panic. The y-frame wire! That was the one that attached 214A3 movements to her "brain". Somtimes they could be replaed, but if it couldn't...
If it couldn't, 214A3 would have to be thrown out and recycled.
"We left her in a dumpster," Lisa said, laughing. "Poor AI. All alone, cryin' out in 'agony'. She has no nervous system! She can't-"
"Actually, she can," Cardea interrupted. "She was upgraded a month ago. She can feel pain."
Lisa shrugged. "Oh well. She's trash. Doesn't matter anyway. She's only an AI- Cardea?"
Cardea dashed off, ready to search for 214A3.
It was late. The sun was setting. And Cardea still hadn't found 214A3.
Then she heard something. It came from a small dumpster, one Cardea had overlooked. Fearfully, hoping yet not wanting to hope, Cardea peered inside.
It was 214A3.
She lay there, her hair, or waht remained of it, blowing across her face. her linbs were mangled, sprawled out in every direction. Her clothing was torn. Her synthectic skinw as peeled back in places, exposing wires.
She was dead.
While Cardea was searching, she had briefly considered the possibility of... this. But 214A3 wouldn't die! And even if she did, she'd live long enough for Cardea to apologize...
Foolish hopes. Empty hopes.
Or were they There was still one chance. A slim chance, to be sure, but...
Cardea pulled out her necklace. It was a large sapphire pendant, set in gold, on a thin gold chain. A gift from the Goddess Cardea. This necklace was her chance.
"Cardea, Goddess of Thressholds, Door PIvots, and Change, I call on you. Come before me. I beg, Goddess Cardea, come before me, for my need is great. Goddess Cardea, come!"
The world rocked. Then it dimmed. Bright colours flashed across her vision. What was she seeing? Was it... all times?
And then Cardea reached the Void Between Time.
Before her stood the Goddess Cardea. The Goddess was not what Cardea had expected. The Goddess was a mature woman, with an unlined face, despite her silvery hair. Her skin was white as marble. Her eyes were jet black, a void, with no white or colour. Only black. She wore a shimmering silver dress.
"Child of my Thoughts, why have you come?" the Goddess asked.
"To gain the power to repeat time."
"And why whish you for this power?"
"My... my friend. She lays in a dumpster, dead."
"Is she your friend? You show her no friendship, loyalty, or trust. You use her. How is she your friend?"
"I... I suppose... She deserves better than thi! To be ruthlessly murdered, because she is not flesh and blood! It is wrong! I have to save her!"
"And what of your other friend? Do you not wish to go to her wedding?"
"I suppose so... but 214A3's life is more important!"
The Goddess's expression softened. "Cardea, although you are my chosen, I cannot help you. I have no power over life and death. Her soul has passed on."
"But... If I could..."
"No. It has been done. It is too late. However, as she is not flesh and blood, it may be possible to recreate a semblance of her. And because I now know you understand, I shall give you powers. You now have the power to bed time to your will. You can now weavge the fabric of time to your liking. If only it did not take a friend's death. But now you must leave. Farewell, Child of my Thoughts."
"But-"
And the void vanished.
Cardea collapsed besdie 214A3. She'd go back! She'd make the Goddess understand! She'd talk to the Roman GOd of Death if she had to...
But it would do no good. Cardea knew it. No pleading would help.
Fighting tears, Cardea picked up214A3's mangled body, and carried it to her speeder.
"Cardea, pay attention!"
"Cardea, are you listening?"
"Cardea, she was only an AI."
Voices. Saying her name. Telling her something. She ignored them. She refused to pay attention. If she listened, if she looked through the dark cloud she had wrapped herself in, if she cared...
The pain would return. Much better to live like this. Better to burry her cares, lock herself away, destory her emotion. If she didn't, then... Then she would feel the pain. She didn't want to feel the pain.
"Cardea! Listen to me! Pay attention! YOu need help! You need..."
I need to be left alone.
William Rosler did not know what to do. His pupil had been improving. She had been less bad, more good. She was paying attentnion in class. She no longer smoked. She had been happier.
And then her AI died. When 214A3 wa alive, Cardea had treated the AI like she was dirt. No, not dirt; lower than dirt. But then 214A3 died, and Cardea went back to her old self, and then some. Smoking, swearing, refusing to listen, not to mention being depressed...
Cardea didn't know it, but William Rosler had not always been a good-goody. When he was her age, his father had died. He became depressed. He rarely ate. he took every drug he could get his hadns on. He drove drunk. He had become a bad kid.
Then William Rosler was introduced to Mrs. Wetch.
His mother had notcied her son's grades dropping, so she hired a tutor, a kind old lady named Mrs. Wetch. At first, William Rosler, then known as "Bad Bill", had hated her. But Mrs. Wetch was patient, and had slowly managed to get Bad Bill to pay attention in class, and to give up alcohol and drugs. Then, one day, Mrs. Wetch got through Bad Bill's "protective shield of indifference". Bad Bill had returned to William, although he had grown up immensly.
When he had reached collage, William had thought long and hard on what he'd like to do. He finally settled on being a tutor, preferably for teens with troubled lives. He technically wasn't a true tutor yet; he was just donig a sort of "work experience". He knew everything, but hadn't been in collage long enough, so his professors found a girl he could help, and sent "Mr. Rosler" to help her.
William Rosler felt extremely sorry for Mrs. Wetch. He now knew exactly how horrible he'd been.
If only he could penetrate Cardea's protective shield of indifference...
Well, he'd never get anywhere if he didn't try.
"Cardea, I want to tell you a story. About myself..."
Cardea heard him talk. A story. That was alright. He could say whatever he wanted! As long as he didn't...
What was that? He sued to be a...? No, that was impossible! What? He used to...? He had...? But... No, he wouldn't lie...
What was that? It was better to talk? No it wasn't! She could tell him? Maybe... He had been here...
Slowly, Cardea dropped her "protective shield of indifference".
And burst into tears
It had been two months. He was right; it had been better to talk. He'd helped her get through it, and she was glad. Why had she liked that detached feeling? It was horrbile! And if she hadn't gotten out of it...
But she was better now. Better enough to use her new powers. She'd gone to the wedding. It had been fun! Gwenllian was so happy. They'd laughed, and talked, and...
And Cardea had realized she didn't belong in the past. Gwenllian was a great friend, but only for a few hours. They had very little in common.
Of course, she was a better friend than 214A3's murderers.
Cardea had ivestigated, and found that the worst that could happen to them was that they could be fined for the cost of an AI. Cardea had seent o it they had been fined, of course- they had to be punished- but a fine didn't seem like enough...
"Hi Cardea!" her tutor said, entering the room.
"Hi, William!" she answered, giving her boyfriend a hug.
Neither had ever expected this to happen. But now that Cardea wasn't tryhing to make his life miserable, they had gotten to know each other. They had a lot in common. He was only two years older than her. They were going out.
Cardea knew everything about him now. And William thought he knew everything about Cardea.
He didn't know about the Goddess Cardea, and he didn't understand time. Cardea might tell him someday. Or not. She understood Time. She knew how to wave the Threads of the Fabric of Time. She knew who to fold Time, stretch Time, even cut Time. But it was too big a concept for a twenty-fifth century tutor. She probably wouldn't tell him.
He didn't need to know. He loved a twenty-fifth century teenager. No a second-century peasant or a Goddess's Chosen. He loved her now.
And now was as good a time as any, she supposed.