Chapter 2.7 Evelyn - It's Time

Evelyn spent most of her time in Oasis running around, gathering as much information as she could. There wasn't a building left unexplored or a person (or robot) left unspoken to. Unlike her family members, Evelyn had started to master the advanced technology that surrounded them. Learning to use the internet had really sped up her progress. 

Today she was on a slightly more relaxed visit through the city.

Her first stop? Souvenirs!

"Hello, customer. How may I assist you today?" The cashier sounded bored, but his robo voice was pleasant.
"What do you think a 2 and 5 year old would like?" She hemmed and hawed at the various offered gifts before settling on a 3 hoverboards: one for her, and the others for her kids when they were old enough. She also picked up a few more advanced computers, the ones where the screen was projected out of a large sphere. Emit was nice enough to give her some money, saying that he had set up a special savings account for her decades ago. According to him, she had a lot of money now. They wouldn't want for anything for a very long time.

She also enjoyed coming across people playing their weird instruments that shoot out colorful lights. The most amazing sounds would come out of those things, and Evelyn vowed to learn how to play one before they left.

Some shopping was done.

And yet another group of teens stopped her to ask for her autograph. People of all ages knew about her, apparently, and had studied her and her family their entire lives. She still hadn't gotten used to her very sudden fame. They all hailed her as some sort of hero, but all she had really done was follow some old notes left in a dusty old notebook.
"Evelyn! Evelyn! Sign my notebook! Please!" A boy with blue in his hair came running up to her, the girl that had been playing music trailing behind him. Both had an awestruck look on their excited faces.
"Of course! Anything for my young fans!" Just another day out and about for her.

Her shopping finally done, Evelyn had one more stop to make. She hopped on her new hoverboard, uneasy but quickly getting the hang of it, and headed towards the library. She had a meeting set up with the Oasis's official historian, Mr. Landgraab. She was told that he came from a very, very, very long line of very rich people, which relics and antiques dating back to the early 2000's. Mr. Landgraab has been studying history his entire life and knew more about it than even Emit.

Evelyn wanted to get to the library early to go over a few more things first.

The first thing she did, with some help from Emit, was purchase a new house, in the past, for her family. She wasn't entirely sure how Emit had done it, but he managed to procure a very lovely house, arranged for a boat to arrive at Cyrene's exact coordinates on the exact day she wanted. She left all the technicalities to him, instead just being excited that they could now leave if they wanted to!

It was right then that everything started to hit her: leaving the island she had grown up on, her extended family, what this new town would be like, would they even like the house? would all of this even work? what if it didn't? what if they went back in time and nothing had changed at all? what if this had all been a dream after all? Panic set in.

Evelyn was nothing if not neurotic.

Finally! Mr. Landgraab had arrived.
"Hello, Mr. Landgraab. I'm Evelyn."
"Ahh yes, you are exactly what I imagined you'd be. I've studied your family for years. You are truly a visionary."
Evelyn blushed, still unused to all the compliments she received on a daily basis.

"I wanted to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind."
"Of course not!"
"I've been looking into the time period that I'm from, but there really isn't much about it. Do you know anything about Cyrene? Or the people there?" She needed to know the answer, but really didn't want to.
"Yes, yes. Such a tragedy, that island." he started.
"A tragedy?"
"Let's see, hmm. Well, sometime around the 1920's or so, I believe, some powerful man, perhaps it was Lothario? bought the island. He had seen how well Sunlit Tides and Isla Paradiso were doing as tourist traps and wanted to have his own, more private and exclusive island. According to the history books, he only invited those who had the same amount of wealth and power as he did." Mr. Landgraab stopped to think for a few moments, recalling what he'd read about Cyrene.
"I believe he invited a dozen or so friends along with their spouses, to visit the island. It wasn't ready to be lived on, no, but I supposed he wanted to show the natural beauty he'd found off before renovations began. Unfortunately, a monsoon struck a few nights after everyone arrived, washing the boats away. Mr. Lothario had neglected to inform anyone of his, or his party's, whereabouts."

"What happened to them?" Evelyn asked, encouraging Landgraab to continue. She was enthralled.

"Hmm, well...Not much is known after that. It was a century later that things started to pick up again. Lothario and the others had adapted to their new environment, having children, building houses, and what have you. There was a brief description of a disease that wiped out many of the island's residents, from what I read, it sounded like S.I.V, perfectly curable these days, not so much back then, especially without any doctors. That's about when you come in. Everything else I know is a written account by you or a proceeding family member. All of you took very great notes until generation 11 or so, then things become a little less clear. "

"So...we're the product of a bunch of rich people who got trapped on an island because one guy kidnapped them?" What the hell.

"Uh...yeah, that about sums it up." Landgraab halfheartedly chuckled, unsure of how Evelyn would react.

This wasn't what she had been expecting at all. Just some rich guy wanting to one up all his friends, getting stuck, and making do with that they had gotten themselves into. She guessed it didn't matter that much anyway, their actions are the reason she was here in the first place. One man's greed had led to her being alive, at least.

Once Landgraab left, Evelyn went back to doing what she does best: research.

Back at home, Anthony worked on his painting skills. His wife was rarely home, off on some search for one thing or another. He didn't mind much, though, he knew she was doing what she thought was best for her family. He had his entire life to make up these lost years with her anyway.

Plus, the scenery here was too amazing to not want to paint. Lily often gave him pointers on new techniques, which Anthony very much appreciated.

Perhaps ignored a little too often, Arlyn kept herself entertained with the TV. 

Silas enjoyed spending time alone in the hot tub. No people? No problem!

It had been 2 years since the Rivers arrived in Oasis. Evelyn could feel the tug of Time getting stronger and stronger with each passing day. She knew it was time to go home, to their own time. She only hoped that Ryan, now 7, would understand. Maybe he was still young enough.

"Hey, sweetie. How was your day?" she approached him.
"Great! I got into a Dew fight with Annalyn! I turned her purple!" he giggled.
"That sounds like fun!"
"It was! I want to find some blue Dew and turn grandpa blue, since that's what he always is anyway!"
"What a great idea!...Ryan, honey, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"What's up, mom?"
"Do you feel....like something is tugging at you? Like a pulling sensation?" she wasn't sure if he would or not, since he basically grew up here.
"Well, yeah, but I think I've always had that..." he had a worried look on his face now, "is that not normal?"
"No, honey, it isn't. Do you remember when we came here?"
"Not really."
"We aren't...from this time. We're from the past, the past to this place. This is the future to us. Does that make sense? The pulling sensation, it's Time trying to correct itself."
"Oh."
"We have to go home soon"

"But this IS my home, mom!" Ryan stomped his feet.
"It is, and it isn't. We can't stay here anymore, okay? We're going back to our own time in a few days."
"I don't wanna!" Evelyn sighed and put her hand on his shoulder.
"I know, sweetie, I don't either, but we're going back whether we want to or not. Time will fix itself sooner or later. I'd rather it be on our own terms."
Ryan started to cry and ran out of the room. Evelyn crossed her arms, a few tears slipping down her cheeks, too.

Evelyn tried to make the most of the last few days in Oasis. Dew fights were aplenty.

Arguments about timelines with Emit were had.

And she made sure how to play with lights.

They all stood before the Portal and looked out into the city they called home for the last two years for the last time. They would all miss it, but they would only look forward, not backward. Even if Oasis was forward, just not for them.

They each took turns stepping into the portal for the return trip, Anthony still purple from the last dew fight he'd had with the friends he'd made.

It was time to go home.

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Author's notes: I had a lot of fun with Adventureland, but it kind of got old after awhile. I also didn't realize how close Ryan was to aging up before they left for the future. I think they spent 5 days or so here, before I had enough and sent them back. This is also where Anthony and Lily started to ramp up their flirts, which caused Evelyn to be upset with them a LOT. Her relationship with them was rarely at friend level until I made them spam woohoo or something. I also made Lily fight with Anthony a lot to get their relationship down enough to stop hitting on him.

Ugh.