(AN - Sorry for the delay in posting but unfortunately my future self failed in successfully sending back memories to the past causing me to have a fever for 2 days as a side-effect.
P.S.- The fever was real, the rest is just my speculation.)
RYAN'S POV
"Tell me more about the Danny of the future," Heather asked, her voice softer now, almost a plea. The initial shock of my revelations had settled, replaced by a yearning for details about her son.
"I will, in a while, Mrs Rand," I replied, using the new address naturally. "But for now, we are here." I gestured ahead, my arm sweeping towards the helicopter, a dark shape against the pristine snow, a little distance away.
We trudged through the snow until we reached the downed helicopter. I stopped, brushing away the snow that clung to the door handle, then rotated it and pulled the heavy door open. As the door slid sideways, a wave of snow cascaded down, and I stepped back quickly to avoid it dampening my already damp clothes.
Once inside, both Aunt Heather and I closed the door, sealing ourselves off from the biting wind, grateful for the temporary shelter. I settled into the pilot's seat, leaning back, trying to gather my strength and think about the next steps. The journey ahead was still long and dangerous.
After a few moments of quiet, I heard Aunt Heather's voice again, her tone now more relaxed, filled with a mother's concern. "So, now that I know Danny's safe, shouldn't we go to where he currently is?"
"I'm afraid that will be difficult, Mrs. Rand," I replied, already anticipating the complexities of explaining K'un-Lun.
"Call me Aunt Heather," she interjected gently, a small smile on her face.
"Pardon?" I asked, a bit taken aback.
"Well, since you're theoretically Danny's friend, you should call me Aunt," she clarified.
She isn't wrong, I thought, a flicker of amusement. But what the hell is a 'theoretical friend'? Is that even a proper phrase? I am his friend, truly, but the timeline doesn't exist anymore, which means… yeah, you know what, I guess I am his friend only theoretically. The absurdity of it made my head spin slightly.
"Aunt Heather, then," I conceded, a sigh escaping me. "The place he's at right now exists in a separate spatial pocket, a hidden dimension. It only opens up to our world once every decade, for at most forty-eight hours. That means we have no way to get to him, not for a very long time." The implications of my words hung heavy in the air, the reality of a ten-year wait for her son sinking in.
Her expression shifted, shock swiftly replacing her earlier calm. Her eyes widened, and her voice rose with urgency. "Is there no other option? No other way to reach him, even a temporary one?" she pressed, her hope clinging to any slim possibility.
"There are, but," I answered truthfully, my tone reflecting the unfortunate reality, "unfortunately, they are currently unavailable to us. The methods are highly specialized and require resources we simply don't possess out here. So, meeting Danny will have to wait." I didn't elaborate on the mystic arts or interdimensional travel, knowing it would only complicate matters further.
She frowned, clearly disappointed, her shoulders slumping slightly as the last vestiges of immediate hope drained away. "Fine," she said, a hint of resignation in her voice. "At least I don't need to wait ten years to see him again. That's... something." She appeared to have come to terms with our current, difficult situation, a weary acceptance settling over her.
"What about my husband?" she asked, her voice softening, a vulnerable, desperate hope re-entering her tone. "Did you find him? Is there any news of Wendell?"
"Unfortunately, no," I admitted, the words heavy, mirroring her dejection. "Nor do I have any information pertaining to his current location or situation from my future memories. So, my current priority is to get ourselves out of these mountains and find proper civilization, then we can figure out our next steps for finding him."
"I see." Her voice was a quiet sigh of dejection, the stark reality of their lost plane and uncertain future settling heavily.
We rested in the helicopter for two hours, sharing the remaining dry rations and water from my thermal bottle. The quiet companionship was a comfort in the vast, empty mountains, a silent acknowledgment of our shared predicament. After collecting all the available food and water supplies from the helicopter's emergency kit, ensuring we had enough for the arduous trek ahead, we proceeded on our journey, heading east towards the distant promise of civilization.
"So, where do you plan to go?" Aunt Heather asked as we walked, her voice breaking the silence, her gaze sweeping the endless snowy peaks.
"I plan on using the mountain regions to cross into Nepal, and from there we will cross the border into India," I explained, detailing our arduous, circuitous travel plan.
"Why?" she asked, surprised, her suggestion clear in her tone. "We could just go to any city nearby and book a flight to New York. It would be much faster, much safer than walking through these mountains."
Yeah, and then we'll probably be killed before we even reach the airport, I thought, the grim reality of the future I knew a stark contrast to her innocent suggestion. The simplicity of her idea was almost heartbreaking, knowing the unseen dangers that lurked.
"No, that plan, unfortunately, will not work and will put our lives in great danger," I stated, my tone firm, leaving no room for argument.
"What do you mean by putting our lives in danger? How can simply booking a flight be dangerous?" Aunt Heather questioned, her brow furrowing with apprehension, her fear now tinged with confusion.
"I believe any city near the vicinity of your plane crash will be under intense surveillance by people who would not want us leaving these mountains alive," I explained, my voice low and serious. "The Hand, the organization I mentioned earlier, would already be searching. They wouldn't leave loose ends, especially not a surviving witness to a carefully orchestrated 'accident'."
"How can you be so sure about their surveillance? Are they that powerful, even here?" she asked, her voice hushed, a chilling understanding beginning to dawn on her. The casual mention of a powerful, global organization and their reach was terrifying.