Fractime Sojourn (Part 2)

by Steve Hertig

Chapter 22

  Plus: 29 Dec 2075

  "Commander, a new temporal message." Johnston's com link announced.

  "Put it through to my private station," she said tersely as she watched Cliff staring at the rough surf out the command post's window.

  As far as the Leadership knew, Aashif was missing downline. And it was now apparent to her that he had withheld critical knowledge on current operations. She was struggling to appear informed enough not to raise suspicions.

  The message from their agent in the STS HQ was brief, reporting the enemy was attempting to construct a massive EMP array in downline Calgary in hopes to disrupt transits. Also, their asset in the Moonbase was dead.

  She was wary after the last intel from this asset prompted her downline twin into the disastrous attack on the enemy's hardened HQ. Her twin had dismissed the failure, contending it was a feint to allow their agent access to some vital experiment, but even that failed. Johnston felt the loathing from the Leadership just based on shared DNA with the cow. A shiver ran down her spine just thinking of her.

  "What's the status of the nuke strikes?" she demanded of the link.

  "All aircraft are ready. The fifty-three warheads and their transfer deployment mechanisms are installed and operational."

  "Do we have a target over central Canada, over Calgary?" Johnston asked.

  "Negative, Commander."

  "What's the closest target?" she asked.

  "Chicago, Commander."

  "Redirect to Calgary." She hoped that would solve any issues with more EMPs.

  "There are two other targets in Canada, three in Mexico and the rest are targeting the major cities, military installations and infrastructure in the continental US," the link reported.

  She knew this, but tolerated the report with indifference. "I'll be coordinating the attack from aboard my aircraft. Prepare it for takeoff," she said.

  "Yes, Commander."

  "The strike aircraft will be on station with full support from combat drones in eight hours," she said. "I personally will give the weapons deployment order."

  "Yes, Commander," the link repeated dryly.

  There was a timid knock on her office door.

  "Come," she said agitated at the interruption.

  Her aide entered and announced that the new cull master had arrived and was waiting to see her.

  "Send it in," she said knowing the timing of cull master's arrival was terrible.

  A mountain of a creature just squeezed sideways through the doorway.

  "Kharg, cull master," it said sharply. "Leadership mission brief." It held out a pad to Johnston, whom promptly dismissed it. Kharg keyed something into the pad, and then left it on a nearby table.

  "You! Come with me," Johnston ordered Kharg. "You, too Mr. Henrys," she added with quick glance at Lutzger apparently sleeping in his cell as she stormed out of her office, heading to her command aircraft.

  Cliff had never been in a combat plane before. Johnston was up front at the main com station and there was a lot of activity in the plane with the crew of seven busy since takeoff. The huge brute took up three seats next to him with indifference. Cliff knew a killer when sitting next to one, but he was not so sure with this monster. Turning to look out the cabin window, he wondered what made the water so many shades of blue.

  Johnston interrupted his daydream. "You clear on your mission?" she asked.

  "Yes, ma'am," he replied looking at the floor of the aircraft.

  It seemed simple enough to him: ask around and find out who was snooping around the volcano. See if he could find out where the strange transfer devices came from. If he could not find out, they would return to Martinique, but in 1930 just before the discovery of the TRs.

  She was following him downline, only to transit the TRs back with her. He did not like his stranding in Iowa, and this wasn't even the United States. What would Billy do, if he did not come back? Who could save him?

  "I'll find out where the transfer devices came from," he said looking at the wooden museum case.

  "Good, we'll be there in a few minutes," she explained. "We'll have to move fast once we touchdown. The island is not secure. Understand?"

  "Yes, ma'am," Cliff said looking at Martinique out his window as they made a slow decent onto an overgrown runway.

  After the four-person security team established a loose parameter around the aircraft, Johnston, Cliff and Kharg exited the plane.

  As Johnston readied the transfer devices just a few meters from the aircraft, Cliff stretched and noticed Kharg inspecting a stunted, hibiscus in flower growing in a crack in the old runway.

  "You've got your pack and maps of the area?" Johnston asked.

  Cliff nodded.

  "I have to throw this device through first to make sure everything is clear for our transfer," she said holding a round metallic orb with several lights flashing around its circumference.

  Cliff figured it was some kind of sensor to make sure they did not walk into a tree or something worse during transfer.

  "Commander, if something goes wrong, will Billy be okay?" Cliff asked holding his pack by a single strap.

  "Don't worry about Lutzger, he's fine," she said depressing a button on the side of the orb.

  "He's not fine; he's sick," Cliff said with conviction knowing Billy had not spoken for days.

  Johnston looked over Henrys and shook her head while making the final adjustments on the TRs. "You will complete your mission, or I'll kill Lutzger slowly while you watch," she said. "You understand?"

  Cliff dropped his pack at the treat Lutzger.

  "What the fuck are you doing?" Johnston screamed in his face.

  One of the security team, used to her outbursts, casually looked them over as the cull master continued examining the hibiscus bloom in detail, unfazed.

  Cliff remained frozen as hatred for Johnston filled him.

  "You fucking imbecile," she yelled, her face reddening. "Pick up your pack; we have to transfer, now!"

  Cliff did not remember the punch. He just saw Johnston stagger back clutching her throat.

  The nearest security officer took aim at him with a pulse rifle.

  Johnston waved him off. "I'll handle this," she choked hoarsely. She got to her feet and slowly moved closer to Cliff, and once within her long reach, she cuffed him in the side of the head, knocking him to the tarmac.

  He tried to get up, but she kicked him with full force in the stomach. He knew she was toying with him. She let him get to his feet as his head cleared slightly. He realized finding the information on the transfer devices for her was now the only way to help Billy and make amends with this maniac.

  She approached him again, but instead of avoiding her blow, he charged her, knocking her down. Entangled, they rolled across the crumbling tarmac. The security team watched, laughing at the spectacle. Even Kharg now seemed amused.

  Cliff head butted her, rolled off to one side, and then scrambled to his feet.

  He activated the remote he had picked from her flight suit pocket, scooped up the orb from where it fell, and tossed it through the center of the TRs.

  Blood gushed down his face from a cut above his eye. He knew the security detail must have guessed what he was planning as they started to run to Johnston's aid.

  Grabbing the pack, he bolted to the transfer devices; he was only a couple of meters away.

  Johnston got to her feet to draw her phased pistol, but its holster was empty.

  Cliff blindly fired a round with her weapon over his back, narrowly missing the aircraft.

  She ran after him. Her hand was only inches from his shoulder when she desperately leapt into the air, only to see him vanish before her eyes. She fell to the tarmac toppling one of the TRs and dissolving their quantum transfer envelope.

  Watching, the cull master chuckled softly.

  A low-pressure front with severe thunderstorms forced Johnston's command aircraft well east of the Florida Keys. She sat at her terminal in the command aircr
aft as rain swept past her dark window and repeatedly tried to wipe Henrys' blood from her face and uniform. She knew more information concerning her precious TRs would have to wait.

  "Aircraft strike status," she demanded of the tactical officer.

  "Fifty aircraft holding over targets, remaining three on target in less than five minutes," he replied.

  "Which ones are late?" she asked.

  "Salt Lake, Mexico City and Calgary."

  Damn, she cursed to herself remembering the weapon system the enemy was deploying in Calgary. They would have to wait a few more minutes.

  The pilot interrupted her thoughts. "ETA to south Florida command is thirty-five minutes."

  Then the tactical officer reported, "Nuke deployment scheduled in ten minutes on my mark...mark."

  Prime: 19 Oct 2068

  Jenny could see the Level-3 operations center was near the controlled level of chaos that meant everyone was doing their jobs at optimum efficiency.

  "Anything?" John asked looking at the tactical displays in front of Tye, Higgs, Mikael and Jenny.

  "So far it's been fairly quiet," Jenny said.

  "The secure com link to the Moonbase went down a few minutes ago," Mikael said. "But the base just reported through normal channels everything is secure, and that the link should be back up soon," he added.

  "And a few more local thugs had to be moved out of Calgary in Plus," Tye said.

  "The EMP array has been fully deployed," Higgs reported after checking his pad.

  Jenny knew he was referring to the real EMP being operational as well. "The disrupted com link with Robert and Master Guns is troubling. I wonder what they are facing up there."

  "Moonbase secure com is up," the com officer announced. "Telemetry is active."

  Tye opened a new screen to display the relayed solar readings.

  "The targeted spectrum is within the threshold," she said. "Duration is at 30 percent, 35 percent, and now 40 percent."

  Jenny leaned over to John. "The recalls have already begun," she said. "Using Robert's last estimate to the EMP detonation threshold, we've only got a few minutes. Fingers crossed."

  John said stoically and avoiding her eyes, "Then Colonel—"

  "You've got to go," she said knowing where he wanted to be and Prime was not it.

  "What about the legend? Who's going to push the button?" she said.

  "Higgs, where were you born?" John asked.

  "Pittsburg," he replied without taking his eyes off the Prime Calgary monitors.

  John turned back to Jenny. "There you go: a scientist from earth can give the order."

  "Thanks for everything." He gave her a hug and turned to leave then stopped and faced her.

  "And tell Master Guns and Robert they've done a good job. I've already told the rest." He then saluted her smartly.

  She nodded and then stood at attention, returning his salute.

  "Good-bye John," she said as the doors to the operations center closed behind him.

  Jenny was nervous, there was nothing to do now but wait as their plan unfolded.

  "We've got an incoming aircraft over Plus Calgary," Mikael said pointing to the radar tactical display. "Ground defense is engaging," he reported.

  "Any ID on the aircraft?" Jenny asked.

  "It has a VTOL profile and is accompanied by numerous RPAs, probably combat drones," Mikael said.

  "I knew this quiet was too good to be true," Jenny said and saw Tye grasp Higgs' hand tightly.

  Tye looked at the solar readings. "Ninety-five percent," she announced.

  "Timberin reports the drones are attacking the ground air defenses. They have smoke on the VTOL. It's hit," Mikael said.

  "The great flare has crossed threshold," Tye reported. "Five seconds to detonation."

  Jenny watched the operations center's clock countdown, and then said to Higgs, "Major, give the order."

  Higgs looked around the operations center.

  "He's left Rodney," Jenny said calmly. "Give the order."

  "Initiating the EPFCG," he said and keyed his authorization code into the solar monitor's display." He looked at Tye. She nodded, and then he tapped the holo screen.

  The Prime Calgary display instantly failed as was expected.

  Higgs brought up John's data-stream image of a globe displaying the primary poles and global instabilities. The Calgary instability was now enormous, and all its flux lines were bright white as it slowly drifted north across northern Canada towards the terrestrial north pole.

  Tye nodded to Jenny.

  "Stop all recalls!" Jenny ordered into her com.

  Plus: 29 Dec 2075

  Johnston stared at her stations display. The Calgary aircraft was under attack and damaged, but still appeared to be operational.

  "All weapons' deployment in ninety seconds," the tactical officer announced.

  "Proceed and get me through to the Calgary aircraft," she ordered.

  "Com is open commander," the copilot finally said.

  "What's the aircraft and weapon's status?" she demanded.

  "We've depressurized but are still operational; the weapon's deployment mechanism is functional," the captain replied.

  "Weapons deployment in five seconds, four, three, two, and one. Weapons systems deployed, commander," the tactical officer reported. "Communication with the Calgary aircraft lost," he added.

  Johnston sighed and then smiled as she sat back and looked at rain streaking her window in front of the dark Atlantic sky.

  "Commander," the pilot said as a lighting flash filled the cabin, "we have reports of transfer malfunctions coming in from all over the globe. And there are no confirmations of downline nuclear detonations."

  The enemy's Calgary EMP array now made sense, and she knew the only possible answer was what the Prophesy called a Sojourn. That meant this universe's transfer devices were now undependable. They had probably deployed the Leadership's last nukes to irradiated prized hydrocarbon accumulations in central Canada in this universe.

  "Whiskey," she said to the head of the security detail.

  He passed her a half-empty bottle of vodka as she initiated the aircraft's auto destruct sequence.

  "This'll have to do," she muttered and then took several large gulps as the cull master watched.

  He smiled as she released her Synth.

  Prime: 19 Oct 2068

  "The Plus Calgary feed has gone blank," Mikael said with clenched fists.

  "Prime Calgary reports?" Jenny asked, knowing there had been Air Force aircraft holding outside the blast zone, and they should be over the city by now.

  "Air Force recon indicates minimal physical damage in Calgary and has eyeballs on ground defense. West's forces appear unscathed, and the blast zone north of the city is aerially limited but also absolute," Mikael reported.

  "Reports from the Chronos lab indicate all TRs have stopped operating altogether," Higgs added.

  "The Sojourn is in place," Tye said with relief.

  Higgs slumped on her shoulder as she helped him into a nearby chair.

  Jenny knew the detonation order weighed heavily on him. His twin's team at the real EMP were to transit to Minus at the last possible second, but the attack on Prime Calgary put his escape in jeopardy.

  Jenny ignored the instantaneous celebration growing around her as she sat in down in a nearby chair. They pulled off what seemed nearly impossible for the last few weeks. They terminated the enemy's access into Prime and all downline fractimes. All they had to do was mop up the remaining traitors in Prime. Of course, they'd have to monitor TR function in case the Sojourn reversed, but Tye didn't seem too worried about it. The rest, it seemed, was in hands of the Time Corps.

  ###

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