Chilling chilling in a bubble bath
Chilling in a bubble bubble bath
I am oh chilling in a bubble bath
Chilling in a bubble bubble bath
Pam leans her head back and closes her eyes. Maybe Jeffrey's right about it being fun to travel through time. She sort of witnessed the transformation of Norma Jeane to Marilyn Monroe. She should catch the performance of Marilyn that evening; it must be something special to see the legend at work before she became a legend. Something to boast about at home. Home. Pam feels the muscles in her neck tense up. She may not be going home any time soon. From what Jeffrey has told her she gathers that that is no one's fault. So, she determines, she should just relax and enjoy the ride.
Chilling in a bubble bubble bath
"You sound like you're having fun."
Pam looks up a little startled. Jeffrey's smiling face hangs over her.
"Hi."
"What's chilling?"
"Uh, some sort of slang. Means relaxing. At least it does to me." Jeffrey nods. "Where are Phineas and Marilyn or Norma Jeane?"
"It's Marilyn now. She's quite happy with that name. She said to say thank you to you for suggesting it. Your first Voyager mission and you're already helping out."
Pam can't help but feel a little proud of herself.
"Marilyn is practicing her new routine and Bogg is all over her. I needed some oxygen."
"Can he do that? Be all over historical people. Isn't there a risk he upsets history?"
"Sure, but he's a former pirate. They're like sailors: he has a new sweetheart in ever harbor. You'll get used to it."
"You're not used to it."
"I'm used to it. There is just so much eye rolling I can do before my eyes start to hurt."
"In a couple of years you'll be just the same."
"No way."
"Yes way. With those eyes of yours? Couple of years girls will be drowning in them by the dozen."
Now it's Jeffrey's turn to smile with pride.
"Wanna join me in this pool?"
"I don't have a bathing suit.'
"They rent them out at the stall by the main pool." Pam points in the general direction of the main pool.
"Okay, I'll go get one." Jeffrey walks away in his springy stride.
Pam closes her eyes again and splashes the water. At least she'll be doing this voyaging thing with some nice people. Well, Jeffrey's nice. She's hardly met the other one. But he seems like someone she can have a laugh with, and Jeffrey thinks the world of Bogg. My friend's friend could be my friend.
A hand touches her shoulder. Pam looks up, but before she can see who it is another hand pushes her head under water. Pam tries to fight back, but the bottom of the pool is slippery and she can't get any grip for her feet. She tries to get away, but someone pulling on her hair keeps her in place. She claws at the hands that hold her. She struggles, but all she achieves is using up oxygen. She feels her head starting to pound. She can't make out a face through the turbulence in the water she causes. Then the hands let go of her with one last jerk on her head. Pam tries to get to the other side of the pool as quick as she can. Gasping for breath she hangs on to the rim. A loud splash. A wave of water raining down on her.
Pam tries to take deep breaths. Her heart is thumping in her throat.
"Are you all right?" A hand on her shoulder. Pam hits it away in a reflex. "Pam, it's me, Jeffrey. It's all right, he's gone now."
Pam looks around. Jeffrey is in the water. He sees the fear in her eyes. He puts his hand out to her again. This time she lets him touch her. Jeffrey moves closer and puts his arm around her shoulders.
"It's okay, he's gone now."
Pam is still taking gasping breaths. "Someone tried to drown me." She manages the say.
"He's gone now," Jeffrey says in a soothing voice. He keeps talking to her, telling it is okay. He sees that Pam is slowly regaining her composure.
"Who was that?"
"Better get you out of these wet things first. C'mon." Jeffrey takes control of the situation. Pam meekly lets him usher her out of the pool. "Can you get dressed yourself?" Pam nods and Jeffrey hands her a towel.
Pam sits down in the changing cubicle and leans her head against the wall. "Why, Jeffrey? Why?"
"I'll tell you in a moment. Just get dressed first."
With all the strength she can muster Pam starts to slowly dry herself off. As she finally emerges for the cubicle wearing her jeans and T-shirt, holding her button down in her hand, Jeffrey throws her an encouraging smile.
"Come." He takes her hand. "Let's find Bogg. He has to know about this too."
-oOo-
In the ship's ballroom Marilyn is rehearsing her performance for that evening. Bogg is thoroughly enjoying her singing and her flirting with the audience. He is a little annoyed when Jeffrey calls his attention.
"What is it, kid? Hi Pam, enjoyed your soak?"
"Most of it." Pam drops herself on a chair. "Then someone tried to drown me."
"Drake tried to drown her!"
"What? Are you all right?" he asks concerned.
"A little shaky still. I'll be okay."
"What happened?"
"I don't know. I was just sitting in the pool when all of a sudden someone pushed my head under water and held me down." Pam shivers. "I couldn't get away. I thought I was gonna drown."
"It was Drake, Bogg. Drake was trying to drown Pam. I jumped him when I saw him. He let go of Pam and threw me in the water. When I came up he was gone. What was Drake doing here?"
"I don't know." Bogg shakes his head. "I saw him earlier. He was talking about fish."
"You saw Drake? And you didn't tell me?" Jeffrey shouts.
"It was nothing. He taunted me, I threatened him, he left."
"And then he came back to drown Pam. You should have told me, told us!"
"Uh, you both seem to know who tried to drown me. Who is it?" Pam looks from one to the other. Bogg and Jeffrey look at each other. Jeffrey gives him a you-tell-her-before-I-do look.
"Drake," Bogg says with a sigh. "He used to be a Voyager. He's gone rogue. His goal is to destroy Voyagers and get control of history."
"What's that got to do with me?"
"I don't know. He used to try to stop Voyagers by having them banished. He can't do that anymore. Maybe he just thought you were an easy target because you don't know him."
"I don't like that."
"Neither do I." Bogg squeezes her shoulder lightly.
"What are we gonna do now, with Drake around?" Jeffrey asks.
"Stay on our guard."
"You remember what happened last time?"
"Vividly."
"What happened last time?"
"Have you ever heard of Jack the Ripper?" Jeffrey asks.
"That was him?"
"We don't think so. But he did try to mimic his method." Bogg says. "So keep your eyes open for him from now on. And don't keep the cabin door unlocked anymore."
"Right. Except that I don't know what he looks like."
"I guess it would be best if you didn't wander around the ship on your own anymore."
"You forgot to mention this as one of the reasons why it is fun to be a Voyager," Pam says to Jeffrey. He replies her with a wry smile.
-oOo-
Around lunchtime the Voyagers decide to go for a bite to eat. Marilyn declines their invitation to go with them. She wants to discuss her act with the band. Rounding a corner in the corridor they run into Drake. Jeffrey acts immediately: he grabs Pam by the hand and triggers the omni om Bogg's belt.
They land on the pavement. While Bogg and Jeffrey scramble up Pam looks herself over, smells her armpit and concludes: "Just like a washing machine."
"What?" Bogg gives her a incredulous look as he offers her a hand to help her up.
"We always land somewhere clean," Jeffrey explains. "Like we just came out of a washing machine."
"Ah, I see," Bogg replies.
"Where are we?" Jeffrey asks looking around, taking in the red brick of the surrounding buildings.
"Yorkshire, England, December 1926. Red light."
"Yorkshire town. It's quaint," Pam says.
"Utterly English," Jeffrey adds in a mock British accent.
"What do we do now?" Pam asks.
"We find out why there is a red light," Bogg replies.
"Can we do that somewhere inside. It's cold here." Pam shivers and rubs her arms. "You may have plenty of muscle tissue to burn, but the boy is scrawny."
"Hey!"
"Shh." Pam grabs him by the shoulders and pulls him closer. "He could freeze to death out here."
"Well, there's a church over there. We could sit there a while. Maybe they have a ..."
"Churches are reputably cold places," Pam interrupts.
"What do you have in mind?"
"There's a hotel over there." Pam nods across the street. "I bet it's nice and warm there."
"Yeah, Bogg. Let's go to the hotel. Don't let me catch my death here. I'm just a scrawny kid." Jeffrey tries to emphasize his point by shivering and clattering his teeth.
Bogg throws him a look. "All right. We go to the hotel."
They cross the street.
"I bet they serve an excellent afternoon tea there too," Pam says.
"We're just going in there to stay warm and read the papers, nothing more."
"I just had a very traumatic experience. I need to eat that away. Some people are emotion shoppers, I'm an emotion eater."
"Well, you don't look like you've had more than your fair share of emotions."
Pam smiles at Bogg. "Thank you."
They go into the hotel and find themselves a table in the hotel tea room. A few of the tea drinkers turn their heads and pause their conversations when the three Voyagers walk in in their unusual clothing.
"Just pretend you belong here," Bogg says to Pam. "People return to their own business soon enough." Ignoring Jeffrey's and Pam's protests Bogg manages to order them a simple tea: just tea and sandwiches.
After he ate his fill Jeffrey asks if he can be excused from the table to look at the local papers for some clues as to the red light. Bogg excuses him with a little surprised look and Jeffrey bounces out of the room. Pam cradles her cup in her hands and swirls her tea around in it.
"Have you eaten away your trauma?" Bogg asks after a moment's silence. And immediately wants to smack his head for asking such an insensitive question.
"I'm getting there." Pam puts down her cup and looks at him. "Tell me more about Voyagers. What do you do for money? How are you going to pay for this?"
"Well, I spend a lot of my time as a dish washer in restaurants." Pam smiles. "And Headquarters sends me money. Sometimes even in a currency I can actually use."
"There's a Headquarters?"
"Yeah. You didn't think this was a one man operation, did you?"
"That Headquarters, can they get me home?"
"Probably."
"Then take me to that Headquarters. Take me to your leader."
"I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?"
"I just can't. If Headquarters needs me, they call me in."
"I don't believe you."
"It's the truth. Omnies have a setting for Headquarters, but mine doesn't work. Hey, do you think I would have been voyaging with a kid if I had a way to get to Headquarters?"
Pam eyes him carefully. "No, probably not."
"Right you are. You'll just have to wait until Headquarters calls us in."
"When will that be?"
"Well, I have my annual appraisal."
"Let me guess: you just had yours."
Bogg nods. "I'm sorry, Pam. But I'm afraid you're stuck with us just a little while longer."
Pam sighs. "That's okay, Phineas. You and Jeffrey are nice people, I don't mind spending some time with you."
"My friends call me Bogg," Bogg offers.
"I like Phineas."
Bogg winces slightly.
"You don't like Phineas?"
"Not much. Plus people from yours and Jeffrey's time seem to think that Phineas Bogg is a pun on Phileas Fogg."
"Do they? How silly of them. I know plenty of people named Phineas, but just one fictional one named Phileas. Did you know that the financial backer of Eli Whitney, who invented the cotton gin, was named Phineas Miller? Phineas was a very popular name for the boys in his family."
"No, I didn't know that. You just made me like my name a bit more." Bogg beams a smile at her. "Thank you for that."
"You're welcome."
"How did you know about this Phineas Miller?"
"I have a doctorate in Modern History. I know lots of trivia."
"A very useful quality for a Voyager."
"I'm still determined not to like being one."
"We'll talk about that again after you brought about a couple of green lights."