Time Being

Alma is a 1st generation, 23rd century post-apocalyptic Amerikan who with father expat Crown Prince of Sweden Pter and mother K live on Black Hills property belonging to the latter's USA ancestors including Dakota war chief Crazy Horse and last democratically-elected US President Dalton Scruggs. On this safe, comfortable, intentionally hidden island existence, Alma has no playmates except "e;Uncle Dutch"e; and robot dog Protoid. No other humans for thousands of miles, home-schooled by a dangerous-if-detected Internet, she concocts a magical kingdom from her intimate relationship with pristine nature and its interactive processes of human evolution within it. On the eve of her 13th birthday Pter uncovers "e;The Object"e; that ignites fantastic transformations for everyone. Far from civilization and the dying planet's horror, life for Alma is blissful, until the day her family's world is shattered by two separate, opposing intrusions. Believing her great-grandmother Even Moor long dead, Alma encounters the first alien she's ever met - young Arab Farouk - claiming to be Even's messenger sent to escort Alma's family to safety. Simultaneously arriving nearby a contingent of "e;Waterers"e; - soldier/builders of The Great Dam under construction at the mouth of the Mississippi River - sent to eradicate everyone. Only Pter dies but Alma, Protoid, Dutch and Farouk escape. Wild escapes crossing the Atlantic - including Alma falling in love with Farouk - they arrive on Crete, where Even angers Alma by sending Farouk to his father in New Israel. Compounded by a whimsical romance between Dutch and Alma's great-grandmother exposes ulterior motives involving Protoid that trigger Crete's invasion by the same culprits who murdered Pter - this time killing Even and Dutch while capturing Robodog. Again Alma and Farouk escape to search for her robot pet who precedes them from the Middle East to Sweden to Russia to Indochine confronting misdeeds and injustices of evil-dominated 23rd century Earth. Reunited with her robot dog they're all captured by the same miscreants who destroyed Pter, Dutch and Even thus commencing a grand trial. With Alma's and the bodies of her closest comrades captured, Indochine's Imperator and current ruler of the planet Mu Ting already controls elements Earth, Air, Fire and Water intends upon mastering Quintessence - the 5th Element enabling the other four to coexist. But Protoid's true purpose - his raison d'etre - enables Alma's clan of still-alive souls along with Alma and Farouk escape Mu Ting's palace. Attempting a return to Alluvium their getaway aircraft crashes on the banks of USA Virginia's Potomac River, destroying all physical bodies except Protoid's. Navigating Bardo their souls return to prehistoric Alluvium where turning AI on its head Protoid converts into a real dog and Alma's soul transforms into a single drop of rain anointing the body of her long lost soulmate's, her Twin Soul's baptism in the River Jordan.