WHAT GOOD DIVIDES?
Bridge of the Nautilus "I'm telling you, sir," Ashanti exclaimed, his voice edging closer and closer to exagerant insubordination, "There is nothing out there." As though to amplify his point he waved his arm, palm up, across the blank ocean as it rose and receded before the window of the Nautilus bridge. Nemo frowned, thoug Ashanti could not tell from what. "Sir, it is entirely possible we were lied to," Ashanti continued, in a more reserved voice. Nemo's frown only deepened. "We have arrived upon a mystery," he said finally, "And I intend to have it solved." With that he turned and walked off the bridge. "I'd suggest looking in science fiction, Mrs. Harker," a voice said behind her. Mina pulled up in suprise, turning to look at Quartermain. She hadn't heard the hunter's approach. A thought that somehow disturbed her. "I'm interested in facts not fantasies, Mr. Q," she replied curtly. "Yes, but in our day in age such facts are merely fantasies," said Quartermain, pulling out one of the books. Mina frowned, but conceded. He was right after all. If she hadn't seen Carmine's technology for herself, she would have thought it was impossible. Sighing, she looked back at the bookshelf. "Is something troubling you, Mrs. Harker?" Quartermain asked. He could tell there was something she wished to ask, but didn't know exactly how to say it. He wasn't even sure if she would say anything, but it was worth the try. Mina considered the question a moment, before turning to look at Quartermain. Her blue eyes were focused and calm, but Alan could see something akin to suffering in them. "Yes," Mina replied, "I have been wanting to ask you something for sometime." "And what would that be?" Quartermain asked, crossing his arms. "When you were," Mina paused, unsure how to phrase her next statement, "Forgive me, but when you were indisposed, what was it like?" It was Quartermain's turn to frown. "Why do you need to know that, Mrs. Harker?" he demanded, his tone neutral, "Are you planning to go that way yourself?" Mina let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "We all die in our own time, Alan," she replied, "Some before others." "Ah," Quartermain said, understanding, "You want to know what it was like for your husband." Mina nodded, supressing the memory of Jonathan's arms wrapped warmly around her. Quartermain sighed. "I'm not sure what to tell you, Mrs. Harker," he replied, "Because I do not remember it myself." For a moment, Mina's eyes fell to a place far away. Then, as though breaking a spell, she pulled her jacket tighter and smiled. "It is alright," she replied, "If man was to know or remember the nature of life after death, he may try to attain it faster." Quartermain nodded, considering her point. He opened his mouth to say something, when suddenly, a loud alarm sounded. Caught off guard, both of them covered their ears from the shrill sound. "What is that?" Mina yelled over the noise. "I believe we've found our destination," Quartermain replied, and Mina noted amusement in his eyes. An amusement she did not share. "Come," said Quartermain, "I think we are needed on the bridge."
Mina entered the ship's library with regal quiet that seemed to speak with the ages of the text therein. Gliding gracefully along the racks, she found herself thanking the powers that be for giving Nemo the foresight to include all manner of material he could. Finally coming to a stop in front of the scientific non-fiction, she peered at the titles for physics and other topics. She found herself gazing over the covers, seeing if any gave information on time-travel or temporal physics.
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