Beverly and Alicia were pretty helpful over the next two days. The university put me in an empty dorm room; rather they put me in an apartment style dorm room that one of the bedrooms was empty, and a common kitchen would be shared with the three other girls.

They did all the medical tests they wanted, except taking a sample of my skin. And taught me how to replicate the experiment.

If my math is right, I have just over 40 hours left before I can leave. But before that, I've been asked to sit in on a press conference. Beverly took me to the Northside Mall and had me get an outfit I liked, we met Alicia while she was at work, and I received properly sized undergarments, I then chose a simple white blouse, a black vest, and dark blue slacks to wear with black socks, and a pair of white Converse shoes.

I then remembered something my wife used to do, and found a chain long enough to use as a belt. The one I chose was a simple chain of 1/2 inch circle links.

I put on the outfit while hanging the chain around my waist on top of the vest, letting the extra links hang in front of my left leg, reaching down to my knee. I think she called the style a cinch. It's been too long since she passed on, I don't remember clearly.

"Are you ready?" Beverly called out.

"I think so," I said as my suite-mate put down a flat iron from straightening my hair. "Katie did the makeup, and hair, will this work?" I asked, while stepping into the common area.

"Looks worthy of a TV debut. You are going to be bigger news than our discovery anyway." Beverly hinted, my suite-mates having not been told about my political position.

"Thanks. I guess this is the last time I can get treated like this. It all goes public in a few hours." I muse.

"Don't sweat it, Jess. We'll leave your room for you, at least until summer break when we have to move out." Katie said giving me a side-hug.

Beverly and I just looked at each other, knowingly. Thankfully she decided to change the subject.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone wear a belt like that, it looks cute though."

"It's something I've seen at home, never tried it myself. Thanks for the compliment."

I wave at Katie as I leave, knowing she won't act the same way when I get back to the room.

The press conference started the way any would have back home. I knew most cameras were cropping me out of the frame of the three PHD holders to my right. And I knew that was about to change. Paula was almost done with her speech.

"... The result of the experiment's trial run, however, was more successful than anticipated. Our intention was to hopefully pull an inanimate object or flora, at best. However the result was bringing to our world Oracle Jessie Korvall." She gestured to me, and I stood for her.

I watched as every camera lens, still and video, focused on me. As this was to be considered a formal introduction, I was instructed on what to say.

"I greet the people, on behalf of your Highest One." And I gave the cameras a wave and a smile. The camera flashes nearly blinded me, making me glad Katie's practiced hand did the makeup.

"As this event is not about me, I will not be fielding questions, so please be respectful to the researchers, who have worked hard for this day." I added myself. Almost in unison the cameras shifted away from me, back to the doctors. It made me feel weird.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

I was glad the attention was back where it belongs, but Reporters at home were vultures. If there was a chance of a story, they were in the thicket looking for it. With a single statement, these reporters left a once-in-fifty-year story of a new Oracle. That would never happen at home.

The rest of the conference went by without any incident, and only one Reporter asked a question to me, and it was about my experience being pulled in to the experiment. So I explained that it felt like I stepped out of my shower onto the platform. I just omitted the meeting and body change in the middle of it.

"Thanks for that." James said as he tapped me on the shoulder. "You could have taken over that conference, but you let us have our day. We will probably get funding for the next decade because of that."

"It's what I am here for. I only have one more day, you have a lifetime."

"Will you be able to come back?" Paula asked.

"Yes, I don't need your experiment machine anymore. I've also been told I'll be able to change my appearance, so don't be surprised."

Six men in black suits suddenly flanked me. I had no idea they were there.

"Oracle Korvall, please come with us." The large man in front of me states.

"I don't know you, so no." I have to look up quite a bit to look this man in the eyes. "We were having a nice conversation, I don't want...."

"Go with them. Don't stay there, you are in danger, tell the doctors to go home, and stay home for the rest of the day, don't leave home." I hear the Tenor voice that brought me here.

"Change of plans; you two go home. Now, don't dawdle, and don't leave home for any reason until sunrise. I look back at the man. "Lets go."

"Oracle indeed." The man says as he gestures me toward a side door. I look back just in time to see the older doctors running out of the building. "We've been watching you since your questioning. This is the first time a threat appeared."

"I figured, especially when I heard your god's voice tell me to follow you." He seemed surprised at hearing this. "I don't know everything going on, but they have a vested interest in keeping me alive until tomorrow. After that, I am on my own."

The man nods his understanding as he opens the back door on an SUV that is obviously armored, and painted high-gloss white.

"The flags, what do they mean?" I ask, pointing to the White flags with a thin red stripe horizontally across the flag.

"It's the flag the first Oracle was told to fly. It's been the Oracle flag since then."

"Tell them to hide my flag. You are being followed."

"The flags need to go, we have a tail."

He knocks a pattern on the dividing window, and I watch the flag on the driver's side fender lower and disappear.

We drive around Springfield, Missouri for the rest of the day, eventually pulling into a gas station filled with cops. Someone gets out, puts gas in the truck, and then the cops escort us out of town. Once on the highway, the city cops are changed out with highway patrol. The sun sets behind me as we leave the city. I lay my head against the six inch thick window, and drift off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"She is pretty relaxed," I hear over my earpiece from the driver.

"She was told to trust us." I relay. "She really is an Oracle, unlike the one my father served.

"How do you know the last one was a fake?" He asked. "And how do you know she is real?"

"Did you notice her eyes when we picked her up?" I asked. "They are ice-blue. They shifted to violet, and then she decided to come with us. They did it again when she told me to hide the flags. Highest One is talking to her."

"Okay, so how do you know the last one was a fake?"

"Because he wouldn't have questioned his guard as much if Highest One spoke to him." I sigh, "and he wouldn't have died from a car-bomb. Like her, he would have been warned."

The guys seemed to calm down at this.

"You're partially right." I hear the girl's voice, but it's not her tone; and her eyes are starring at me. Their deep violet warns me that it's not her. "He was fake, was never spoken to, and would have never been spoken to."

"Is there something important, Oracle?" I ask, fully aware of who I am talking to.

"After tomorrow, this young lady will have no reason to help this world. And as she said, I have a reason to keep her alive. You must let her leave, but ask her to return. Even I don't know why she is important, but she is more precious than the six of you combined. I need to let her rest, I won't be able to talk through her like this for a while. Keep her safe, and give her a reason to come back." Her eyes close, and her head rests upon the interior armor once again.

"This does not go in the report boys." I say. I hear five clicks in my earpiece. We now know how important this young lady is, just not why.