Into the Fourth Universe

by Robert Wingfield

  “In your dreams, buddy.” She got out a lighter, and fired up the offending article. Now that he was thinking more rationally, Tom noticed the staining on her fingers. She was not a stranger to the weed, he realised; and even more so when the acrid smell of something resembling cannabis reached his nostrils. “Please put that out.”

  “I’ve had a long flight and I need something to buck me up.”

  “We have coffee.”

  “No.” She inhaled deeply and deliberately blew a cloud of smoke at him. He coughed and pressed the button on his desk. Vac returned. Tom nodded in Suzanne’s direction. Vac gently prised the cigarette out of her fingers and extinguished it by snubbing the tip between his fingers. He politely returned the stub to the outraged woman.

  “I cannot believe you did that.” She stared at the remains.

  “Vac will do it again if you try to light up,” said Tom. “Now come and sit down with me here and tell me all about yourself. I’ll get coffee sent in.”

  “Have you anything stronger?” She eyed the drinks cabinet.

  “At ten in the morning?”

  “Start as you mean to go on, I always say.”

  As they settled into the sofa, Suzanne wedging herself as far away from Tom as she could, he took in a few observations he had missed with her first dazzling arrival. There was a slight slur to her voice, which also revealed the throatiness of a dedicated smoker, and this theory was reinforced by the nicotine stains on her fingers. He noticed the faint marks on her expensive dress which might have suggested she had been having difficulties matching food with mouth. She was as thin as a lath, thinner than the svelte form he knew, almost bony, but the material of the dress mostly hid this. Tom sniffed; there was something other than the smell of smoke on her body. Her eyes darted around the room, like an animal looking for an escape route. He grabbed her hand. She tried to pull away but he held on tightly.

  “Is everything okay?” Tom tried to guess what was going on in his wife’s mind.

  “Why would you care?”

  “I care. Since my blackout, I’m a changed man.”

  “So I’m told.”

  “By whom?”

  “Oh, I, er, heard. Don’t think I’m going to start liking you now, after all you’ve done to me.”

  “What have I done?”

  “It’s all your fault I smoke a bit now.”

  “Not a bit. You’re addicted to it. But how is that my fault?”

  “You left me alone…”

  “You said you wanted to be alone. You didn’t want me anywhere near you. You said that was the deal.”

  “You didn’t try.”

  “Didn’t I?” Tom tried to recollect, but no memories of his former life here remained. “Sorry.”

  “So you should be. I’m leaving now. Don’t try to stop me. By the way I need some more money.”

  “I’ve looked at your allowance; it’s more than adequate. I’ll get Amber to book you on a scheduled flight so you don’t need anything for that.”

  “But I need some for expenses.”

  “What sort of expenses?” He tried to catch her gaze, but again it was wandering around the room.

  “Oh, you know. I need a new car, parking fines, speeding fines, towing fees, TV Licence, new carpets…”

  “What about the car?”

  “It got towed away…”

  “Can’t you get it back?”

  “After the accident; it was a write-off.”

  “And the fines?”

  Suzanne fidgeted and stared out of the window.

  “Go on?” Tom prompted.

  “Huh, if you must know, they were all at the same time. I was driving fast after a bit of a drink, smoke and sushi, session, and accidentally parked it in a television shop that jumped out in front of me. It wasn’t my fault.”

  “Is it ever? And the carpets?”

  “The last get-together got a bit out of hand.”

  “With charcuterie? A cold meat related accident? I’ve not heard of that before.”

  “Anyway, all my money has gone. I need a loan to get me through the next week and then I’ll be fine. Will you let me have my ciggy?”

  “No, I’m not having you leaving my office full of gasper smoke. Go outside.”

  “Don’t make me hate you.”

  “I thought you always did.”

  “Hate you more, I mean. So what do I do while I’m waiting for a flight? I’m not staying with you.”

  “I wouldn’t want you to.”

  “I’ve got no money for a hotel or food or anything.”

  “I’ll get Amber to find somewhere for you until the flight time, and I’ll give you some cash for spending money.”

  Her face lit up. “You are wonderful. I love you.” She gave him a peck on the lips; the smell of her breath made him gag, but he tried to ignore it, and then she was gone, leaving nothing but a sense of unease and a lingering mixture of expensive perfume and illegal substances—he made up his mind to check if they were illegal on this island.

  From the West Wing there was the sound of gunfire and then a large explosion. “Sounds like Vac is downsizing HR then,” muttered Tom.

  * * *

  Tom called Amber into the room. “How are the security uniforms coming along? Are they here yet?”

  “Sorry, but they appear to be delayed in Gerbilblock airport, sir. Apparently there’s a baggage handlers’ strike. Do you want me to request any from an alternative supplier?”

  “No, let’s see how these shape up if they arrive. Gerbilblock; that place again. Didn’t my wife fly in from there?”

  “Yes, sir. Ratblast is a suburb.”

  “I see.”

  “And where’s our area office out there?”

  “Ratblast, sir.”

  “I smell a four legged rodent.”

  “Shall I call out Maintenance, sir?”

  “A figure of speech. Which hotel did you book for my wife?”

  “Hotel Skagos, sir; the only one on the island. It isn’t much I’m afraid.”

  “How so ‘not much’?”

  “You know the ‘star’ rating for hotels across the globe?”

  “Of course.”

  “This one rates minus two.”

  “Suzanne isn’t going to like that.”

  “I didn’t tell her, sir.”

  The window shattered. Glass rattled around the room as a hail of bullets hammered into the wall between them. Tom dived to the floor, pulling Amber down with him.

  He smiled at her shocked expression. “No problem. I think she might have found out about the hotel. Can you get to the emergency button?”

  “Not been installed yet, sir. What makes you think that Suzanne fired the shots?” More bullets smacked into the wall, destroying expensive murals.

  “Just a hunch. Keep down. Where’s that security man?”

  “Here, Sah.” Vac eased his way into Tom’s office and scooted across the floor. Another volley of shots whistled through the broken window. The security chief stood to one side, calmly took a machine pistol from its holster, and released a salvo into the undergrowth. There was no reply from outside.

  “Sorted, Sah. You are safe to stand up now.”

  Tom helped Amber back to her feet. “Thank you, Vac. Where were you, by the way?”

  “Outside the door, Sah.”

  “Didn’t you hear the shots?”

  “Yes, Sah.”

  “Then why didn’t you come in to my rescue immediately?”

  “You didn’t call, Sah.”

  “Right, I think we may need a talk about that too.”

  “I will look forward to it, Sah.”

  “Send some people to search the jungle, and bring back the body.”

  “At once, Sah.”

  “And that gun? You didn’t have it before.”

  “Part of the uniform, Sah. It doesn’t come off. Wouldn’t be properly dres
sed without it, Sah.”

  “Thank goodness you were here.”

  “Yes, Sah, you see why we need a security team now.”

  “You’re right, so be it; let me know what you find in the jungle. Dismissed.”

  Vac clicked his heels, turned smartly and marched out of the office. They followed him and Tom sat down by Amber’s desk. “Can we get Maintenance to clean up and fit a new window; perhaps bullet-proof glass this time?”

  “I’ll call, sir.” She settled back down in her seat. “I thought you’d sorted out assassination attempts; terminating the immediate staff was supposed to be a deterrent.”

  “Yes, something must have changed; perhaps since Suzanne turned up?”

  “I don’t think that was her who tried to kill you, sir.”

  “How would you know?”

  “She is a member of the Ratblast Women’s Guild, Sherry and Rifle Club. She’s won trophies for her shooting. She wouldn’t have missed.”

  “Maybe it’s because she’s off her head. I need to find out what she’s up to. Is there any way I can get a video feed into that hotel?”

  “Yes, sir, anyone can buy spyware over the internet. It hooks into the security cameras. You should be able to see everything.”

  “Can you get some for me then? It doesn’t sound very secure though, if anyone can order it.”

  “I have to give an email address to validate who I am and why I need it, and also so that they can send me TUNA.”

  “What?”

  “Targeted, Unsolicited, Nasty or Annoying mails, sir. There are shoals of TUNA servers all sending rubbish to people around the globe. It’s a big problem.”

  “Yes, it was where I come from too.”

  “What, in Ratblast, sir?”

  “I guess so. Anyway, buy it in. Give them Errorcode’s email address and hack in to his mail so that we can see the authorisation codes.”

  “You would have to give me the permission to over-ride, sir.”

  “No problem.”

  Amber typed a few requests and then handed the keyboard to Tom to enter his password, place his thumbprint, have his retina scanned and his saliva tested. Access to the account was quickly granted. “Oh?” Amber leaned back in her chair.

  “What?”

  “Mr Errorcode appears to have already obtained the software, sir. I have a licence key here.”

  “I see. then use that key and you can see if you can hack the hotel while I have a look through his mailbox.”

  Errorcode’s communications were disappointing. Tom could not find anything remotely incriminating; either his aide was totally above board, or he was very careful with his correspondence. Likewise, Amber found the hotel, but checks on the rooms revealed no sign of Suzanne. Had she really been outside and killed by Vac? He remembered his security man, and called.

  “Here, Sah.” Vac marched in from the corridor and stood to attention.

  “Why didn’t you come in earlier?”

  “You didn’t call, Sah.”

  “What news about the sniper in the bushes?”

  “We did a thorough search, sir.”

  “And?”

  “Found something.”

  “Oh dear.”

  “A ripe pineapple, Sah, slightly damaged.”

  “I see. Any trace of the person with the gun?”

  “Nothing but used shell cases, Sah.”

  “Any bodies?”

  “No, Sah. The unsub had made good his escape.”

  “Unsub?”

  “Un-killed Subversive, Sah. Applies to anyone we shoot at and miss.”

  “Thank you Vac. You may go.”

  “Sah.”

  “If any more news arrives, you have my permission to knock and request entry.”

  “Thank you, Sah.” Vac marched into the corridor and stood beside the door.

  “You may close the door in the meantime.”

  “Thank you, Sah.”

  “It’s a struggle, but I think the lad’s getting there,” said Tom.

  “So what do we do now, sir?” Amber wandered over to the coffee machine and poured two cups.

  “Track Suzanne down, find out what Errorcode’s up to, check out the mining operation and see what’s keeping Maintenance I suppose.”

  “Nothing much then, sir. Milk and sugar?”

  Hawk burns her Fingers

  A

  s the army forged deeper inland, the signs of devastation decreased. Antarn’s troops had had not seen anything quite so undamaged or advanced for a long while and were held tightly in check. They took some time to move forwards, being delayed by regular detours on looting detail. The advance was therefore slow, and it was several days into the journey before there was any response from the natives. A plane flew over. It appeared to hesitate and then returned for a closer look. A few surface-to-air missiles were half-heartedly launched by the army, but it easily avoided them and disappeared towards the east. “I guess we’re due for some visitors soon.” Antarn picked up a loud-hailer. “Stand alert, guys. We may be meeting some resistance at last.”

  There were groans from most of the troops, but they continued the march.

  * * *

  A week later the army halted and formed a line. Ahead of them along a low ridge was a bank of the indigenous military. A tank advanced down the incline towards them, a white flag fluttering from the turret. “We don’t do talking!” Antarn waved to his artillery. “Drop a shell on it. That’ll show them we mean business.” One of the field-guns fired. The projectile blew up an innocent bush a long way from the intended target. They saw a puff of smoke from the advancing vehicle, and something dropped into the ground in front of where the General was standing, showering him with dirt. It was a projectile, but instead of exploding, a small antenna extended, and a tinny loudspeaker played the ‘Stars and Stripes’.

  “Good morning, boy.” The music faded, and the drawl was loud enough to be heard by most of the troops. “That wasn’t very nice y’hear. Not ‘specially when we’ve come all this way to meet ya. What’ve ya got to say for yourselves? Speak up into the aerial so we can hear.”

  Antarn squared his shoulders and brushed some mud off his uniform. “We’ve come to claim this land for our own. Any resistance will be dealt with by deadly force. Send out your women to be raped, your men for court martial, your children for slavery, your goods for confiscation and your chattels for doing with them whatever one is supposed to do with chattels.”

  “I think you got it wrong there boy.” The voice from the speaker was unruffled. “You’re outnumbered and out-gunned. D’y’ think this shell landed by accident? I could’ve dropped it on y’head instead if I’d wanted.”

  “You’re bluffing; prepare to die if you aren’t going to surrender to us right now.”

  “See that gun y’unkindly shot at me from?”

  “Yes, please accept my apologies for the inaccuracy of the discharge. They will get it right next time.”

  “Move y’r men out of the way…”

  “Stand your ground,” shouted Antarn as the gun-crew scattered. They ignored him.

  “Are y’ready, boy?” There was another cloud of smoke from the tank, and the gun disintegrated. The voice continued once the echoes of destruction faded. “See what I mean. Now don’t be difficult and come over for a chat.”

  “Never. We will fight and die rather than negotiate.” Antarn waved his ceremonial sword. “Men, fire at will, and advance!”

  The army made a half-hearted attempt to comply, but then Gough stepped forward. “Sorry, sir, but we’re seriously outgunned. Have you seen the size of the army on that ridge? And the accuracy of their weapons makes it suicide to tackle them.”

  “Codswallop. Are you defying me? That’s a court martial offence.”

  “I know, sir, but I’m not challenging you, I’m advising you as your protocol officer, that the situation is hopeless.”

  “I over-r
ide your authority.”

  “You can’t, sir. That’s a court-martial offence.”

  “Oh for Phoist’s sake. I’m going to attack anyway. You lot can come if you’re not too scared.”

  “Not scared, sir, only sensible.”

  “Charge!” Antarn grabbed the wheel of his vehicle, and it sped forward with Gough and Caryl hanging on for dear life. The approaching tank stopped and waited, its gun trained directly on them.

  “Oh shit,” muttered Gough. Caryl tried to find a place to jump, but the ground was rocky and the speed too great.

  They skidded to a halt in front of the tank and stared down the barrel of its cannon. Antarn grabbed the machine-gun on the car and loosed a volley into the turret. The bullets bounced off harmlessly.

  “This has gone too far!” Caryl hit him with the stock of her pistol.

  “Court-martial,” muttered the man as he sank to his knees.

  “I know,” said Caryl, and hit him again.

  “Don’t shoot!” Gough put his hands up.

  A large cheery face emerged from the turret of the tank. “Ah wasn’t going to, boy. Ah could see that leader of yours was a nutter. I’ll put him under arrest. Now stand your boys down and come up to my camp for a chat. I presume y’are in charge now?”

  “Apparently so. Give me the link to your shell-phone and I’ll tell the troops to put their guns away and make tea instead; if in rout, brew up.”

  Antarn’s army was already settling in to a ruined village while Gough and Caryl sat in a comfortable trailer with the general and his adjutant, a sturdy girl with bright red hair. “Good to meet you. I’m Welson, and this here is Hawk.”

  “Commander Gough, apparently acting leader of the invasion force from the Third Universe.” The men shook hands.

  “And I’m Caryl Six. I’m from here, a long time ago.”

  Hawk gasped. “Caryl Six? The same Caryl that Tom Smith was whittling on about?”

  “Tom, is he here?” Caryl’s hopes soared.

  “He went to look for you.” She regarded Caryl’s disappointed expression. “I guess he had no luck.”

  “I waited, but he never came. Isn’t he here now?”

  “He’d saved the universes and then went all maudlin on us and buggered off. Perhaps he’ll come back when he realises he can’t find you.”