His view widened across the valley, taking in the sea of bodies around him and settling on the fireball above him, raising a hand to his eyes in a vain attempt to get a better view. He saw a nearby tree and ran forward on wobbly legs, hoping to climb it for observation and maybe make a plan. Then ahead, about twenty feet to the left a sudden amber glow erupted in the crowd and Jackal stopped in his tracks.
Because here in a tropical valley with a fireball about to burn the world around him, spinning and swirling through the air there was snow. Snow falling all around the amber glow. Something triggered in his synapses, something buried that brought muscle memory into play. Jackal uttered a guttural scream and changed direction, scrambling through the crowd of sedated people towards the sudden snow flurry.
Popping Mr. Popper
London, 2088
On the exposed roof of a grimy tower block. A huddle of six black-suited police officers stood around a kneeling prisoner. Almost face down in the rain his bloodied face was leaking in streams across the puddles soaking his knees. He was a hulk of a man, Dennis Popper, not dressed for the weather and worse for being at the end of a struggle with London’s finest. Behind the group stood Davies, a weathered senior officer, showing the sense to stand in a dry spot and keeping the collar of her coat up around her neck. She spoke loud enough for the others to hear.
“You’re in for a treat, the Timeagents are here.” One of the officers turned to her and she nodded up at the sky, where the J-Van could be seen breaking the clouds. The whine of its engine creeping higher as it approached.
One of the officers shouted back across the rain, “I thought they were closed down?”
Davies smiled a thin smile, “Most of them were, but Brass like to keep a few on the side. Nice and quiet, for special cases like this.” She waved at the mess of Dennis, “Boys like Mr. Popper don’t fit in well in population. He would be a burden in a normal prison.”
“So where do they take them, Ma’am?” Davies watched the vehicle touch down; she saw Trencher and Mack slide out of it and start their walk toward her. She felt a lurch of joy seeing the Timeagents, it had been a while.
“It really pays not to think on it too much, just be thankful the courts don’t get hold of him and we’ll never see him again.” Trencher arrived first, followed a step later by Mack, but Mack spoke first.
“Good to see you Sam, it’s been a while.”
“Too long Mack.”
“You could have picked a better night though.” Said Trencher as she crouched down beside the prisoner. The officers took an involuntary shuffle backwards from the slightly scary redhead.
“Step back guys, let them work”, said Davies to the officers.
Trencher looked up from the prisoner, “Messy”, she said.
“He resisted.”
“I’m not surprised.”
Mack circled the heap of a man and hoisted him to his feet. Hopper stood on wobbly legs. Trencher locked eyes with the man, ensuring she had his attention.
“Dennis Popper. You have been arrested on account of multiple homicides, resisting arrest, trafficking, armed robbery and throwing a damn fine officer off a building.” Dennis kept his calm composure, no movement, no flinch, nothing.
Mack glanced over towards Davies, “Sam, get your boys back a step.” Davies ushered them a few steps away from the scene, her hand movements carrying enough weight to not have to speak.
Trencher continued, “In light of today’s events you have been sentenced to the I-Prison for the rest of your natural life”, she paused for breath, “Do you understand?”
He peered up through shaggy brows and a bloody grin split his mouth. “Fuck you”, Trencher rolled her eyes.
“My Partner is going to strip you, Dennis.” She flicked her head toward Mack, “He will dress you for travel to your destination. I warn you not to resist or we will be forced to use force against you.”
Dennis looked from her to Mack to Her. “Fuck You. Copper.”
Trencher let the moment build for a beat. “Dennis, you swore needlessly at me twice in succession. Was that because you couldn’t think of anything else to say or do you believe it simply serves your present situation?” Popper sucked back, then spat bloody phlegm over her face. Trencher closed her eyes and took a breath.
“Trench”, hissed Mack, “Don’t.”
Her head snapped forward, her forehead burying itself into his face, crushing his nose. There was a snap followed by a pop, then keening from Dennis. His nose became a pulpy mess, more blood rushed from him. Trencher grabbed his hair and lifted his eyes to her, fixing him with an icy glare. “I ain’t the law. Don’t piss me off.” She dropped him back down and he started howling like a wounded animal.
Mack stepped in quickly and pumped a needle into Hopper’s neck. The sedative kicked in quickly, Hopper’s eyes rolled back, and he slumped forward. Davies watched quietly as Trencher and Mack went about their business, Mack had Dennis back on his feet now. Sedated but malleable to get dressed in a gown. She turned to her officers, “Mack told me once.”
“Chief?” Asked the only policeman not transfixed by the scene.
“Where they take them”, she cast her eyes back to Mack, “They go somewhere, suitable, you just need to know he’s never coming back.”
“What do you mean Chief? They can’t execute them; the system is there for a reason, isn’t it?”
“Sometimes the system breaks, sometimes rules need to be stretched.”
“But you can’t just kill them?”
Davies turned to the young Officer, “I never said anything about execution, did I?”, there was anger in her face, he went to speak but she waved him quiet. “They take him to a safe place, where he can live free with like-minded people for the rest of his natural.”
“That the official line?”, he sneered.
“No son, it’s the fact. Besides, these guys work to a tight schedule, they operate to a window and every window closes eventually. So, get on board, zip it and watch”, she stared the point home, the officer gaped like he was about to say something, but thought better of it.
Trencher was finishing with Popper’s possessions, stuffing them into an oversized zip lock bag. As she squeezed the last gasps of air from the bag, she tossed it aside. Mack was done gowning up Dennis, so Trencher stepped forward with the black cube in her hand. She looked at Mack, “Activating Timekey.” She lifted the coat open and spoke toward the Timeagent badge pinned beneath. Trencher tilted her head for a moment, as if hearing a faraway train. “Brig, do we have a lock?” She said to nobody on the roof. She nodded imperceptibly and spoke again, “Solid copy, here we go.” She lifted the cube up and thumbed its smooth surface.
The cube exploded, spreading out into twenty-six smaller cubes expanding the shape and moving outward. There were no strings to be seen, this was on the border of magic. The mini cubes expanded, Trencher withdrew her hand and stepped back as they sped up, building the shape of a door.
The rectangular box now stood between Trencher and Mack. Twenty-six mini cubes arranged to frame a six-foot doorway, at its centre was a boiling cloud of amber gas and at the centre of that gas was a dark heart. “Wormhole in sync. All yours Mack.”
“Got it.” Said Mack. He slid in behind Popper and shuffled him forward into the box of ethereal light. Dennis was still sedated, his body complying with the nudges from Mack, his brain a million years away. The light bathed them both. “He’s over the threshold”, he said. Then he leant back, before shoving Dennis forward, causing the big man to lumber forward, pitching into the box of light.
Falling into the dark centre. Dennis never hit the floor, he vanished, not even a splash on the wet ground. Trencher raised her hand and snapped her fingers. The twenty-six cubes collapsed into each other, the light snuffed out and suddenly shrouding the rooftop into darkness. The cube clattered to the floor in the space between them. “Brig.” Said Trencher into her badge, “Package on the way.”
Mack scanned around
the rain-soaked area, locking eyes with Davies for a moment before scooping up the Timekey. He handed it to Trencher. “We’re done Costigan, let’s go.” They both start walking towards the J-Van,
Davies falls in step with them. “Never gets old. Your magic show.” She said, staring ahead.
“Yeah, enjoy it while it lasts Sam”, grunted Trencher.
“Not here Trench.” Hissed Mack.
Davies stepped up to get ahead and held out a hand to stop them. “What did I miss? Finally closing the shop, are they?”
Mack looked away, then back to Davies, “Something like that.”
“Well, that would be a waste of talent. I could use you guys”, she pulled her collar up tighter, “I’m serious. If either of you need a leg up sometime.”
Trencher patted Davies on the shoulder and continued walking. “I’m hungry”, she said to nobody.
Mack sighed and smiled, “Good to see you Sam, and thanks.” Davies gave him an awkward hug, then he clambered into the cockpit.
“You too.”
Mack pulled down the canopy door and started to fire up the Van. He watched Davies walking back to her squad. “What’s with the finger clicking Trench?” He asked.
“Just adding my own bit of pizzazz, you know, magic. Theatre for the kids”, she was muffled as she dug into the seat around her.
“You need to start taking things more seriously my friend.”
“I hear you, but first, first.” She stopped rummaging and held up the foil package, “I need to finish my sandwich.” Mack shook his head, thumbed the controls and pulled the Van away from the rooftop. Below them he saw Davies waving as they were swallowed up by the low clouds.
fire in the sky
Southern Mexico, 66 Million Years Ago
The whomp was a hard sound, it was the rush of air leaving a space where Dennis landed. If he wasn’t sedated the sudden feel of grass under his hands and feet would be equally as exciting as the incandescent sky above, boiling heat blasting the valley as the fireball came ever closer.
Dennis landed on his hands and knees, his bleary mind would never recall it, and neither would he recall retching. Snowflakes swirled around him centered on the glowing space he came from, they were not long for this world, evaporating as soon as they appeared. If Dennis was of a capable mind, he would have seen that he landed at the feet of Jackal, he would have heard the shout as he retched at Jackal’s feet, and he would have felt the cruel stomp of Jackal’s bare foot on his face.
Jackal stepped up to the amber portal, his head was cocked like an animal on the plains, under the hum he could hear distant voices. Distorted, but absolutely human. He looked from the portal to Dennis and back. “So, this is where you’re from?”, he hefted the inert Dennis to his feet and dragged him back to the portal, “let’s see if you can go back.” Jackal shoved Dennis back into the Smokey doorway headfirst up to his chest. Jackal paused for a beat then dragged him back, Dennis gasped, his bleary eyes ranging around.
“Interesting.” Jackal thrust Dennis back in to be sure. This time the door snapped shut, there was a soft crump as Dennis had his torso severed cleanly in two. The bottom half of his body dropped from Jackal’s grasp, while his top half was lost to another dimension. “Shit.” He said to himself, staring at the space where the doorway had been.
His view widened and he began to take in the masses around him, thousands of people all dressed in gowns, all sedated, all staring up at the fireball in the sky.
He stepped back from the blood pooling around his feet and lashed out at the corpse, “Dammit, fucking amateurs.” He wheeled around looking for an exit, looking for a plan. Then out of nowhere a snowflake spiralled down in front of him, followed by another, three, four, many more.
In the same breath, next to the remains of Dennis, a new doorway began taking shape.
brig has a problem
London, 2088
The night was making the ride back to base a bumpy one, the weather and the London thermals keeping Mack on his toes. Trencher took a last bite of her sandwich and balled the wrapping. “All I’m saying is that she obviously likes you, still”, she said while sucking some stubborn cheese from her teeth.
“Just leave it alone, please.” The van rattled and his knuckles tightened on the controls, “I’m busy.”
“One coffee wouldn’t hurt though, would it?”
Mack whistled through his teeth, “Been there once Trench, you know how it went.” “I just don’t want to see you wind up as a lonely cat-man, you know with whatshisname.” The van’s HUD burst into life; the cabin was filled with a calm female voice. It was the voice of BRIG, the Timeagents Handler, an advanced artificial intelligence her presence was ethereal, both haunting and melodic.
“We have lost the signal on Mr. Popper.” The statement sent shivers across the cockpit. Mack and Trencher stole a glance to each other, this was not good, not good at all.
“You don’t lose the signal Brig”, said Mack his syllables falling like tombstones.
She repeated for effect, “We have lost the signal. He travelled, he arrived, now he has dropped off the trace.”
“How can that be?”, asked Trencher.
“Many possibilities, dead on arrival seems unlikely, he registered as arrived for over a minute. A glitch in co-ordinates is possible, but as you know…”
“We need to confirm the body”, interjected Trencher. “It’s not the Event?”
“Negative. There was at least ten minutes left after his arrival. The window is sufficient to return. We need to investigate; this could be something else that we haven’t considered.”
Mack shook his head, “No. It’s too dangerous Brig, I’ve been there I saw how close it’s getting.”
“Come back to the station, we have to follow protocol. I can reopen your key in a controlled environment, we must ascertain what happened. One of you will have to view the body.”
“He’s about to be toast along with the rest of Southern Mexico Brig.”
“There is time Mack.” Trencher piped up, “She’s right. If he went astray, he could be anywhen, imagine the repercussions.”
Mack held her gaze then pushed the van into a steep dive, gathering speed. “Sooner we get shut down, the better”, he said. “We’re coming in hot Brig.”
“I can see you’ll be here in three minutes; I’ll be ready.”
“Thanks Brig, when this is all over, you’ll make someone an excellent GPS”, hissed Mack before thumbing a button on the dash and killing the communications. Brig was gone.
“Don’t be mean, you’ll hurt her feelings.”
“She’s an AI Trench, she doesn’t have feelings.”
“She’s, my people.”
“Well for the record, I love my cat more than most people”, the van dropped out of cloud and they sped forward.
The rain screamed across the windshield, giving way to the glass and steel tower holding court over the London skyline ahead of them. Dubbed ‘The Manor’, the tower housed all manner of law enforcement and at their height a lot more Timeagents. As they approached a landing bay lit up to guide them into one of the higher floors. The van became a speck against the imposing structure, then it was swallowed into the maw of the bay.
A huge steel door hissed open inside the Timeagents Control Room, Mack and Trencher strode in side by side without breaking stride. In the centre of the room Brig looked up from a series of displays, her voice filled the room, “Welcome back.”
“What’s the score Brig?” Asked Trencher.
Brig floated closer; she was a hologram projecting from a ceiling rig. A blue, ghostly apparition of a mid-thirties woman in a lab coat. “Nothing new Agents, he arrived, he vanished”, she made sure she had their attention, “Something killed him, something happened, because if he just died on the spot, we would still have his co-ordinates.”
“I don’t like it Brig, for the record.”
“Neither do I Mack, but we need to know”, she countered.
/> “Brig, the zone is going to Hell”, said Trencher flatly, “If something goes wrong, we will be done.”
“We need a visual report, what if he didn’t get there. What if he went somewhere else? Do I need to remind you about what could happen?”
“We would know by now. Surely, something would have changed.”
“How do we know it hasn’t already Costigan?”, Brig was impassive her fingers started to fly across a holographic keyboard floating in front of her, “I may be advanced, but I have not had time to cross reference every record I have of humanity.”
Mack stifled a laugh, “Sarcasm Brig?”
“An attempt to lighten the mood”, she winked at Trencher, “I have a solid lock on a wormhole, fixing co-ordinates.”
He turned to Trencher, “She never used to be like this.” He waved at Brig, “Look at what you did.”
“Mack. Calm down.”
“Calm? Calm?”, he was pacing now, “She wants me to stick my head through a portal. Check for our possibly dead perp. Dead from God only knows what and quite probably witness the event that destroyed the fucking Dinosaurs!”
“Mack.”
“CALM!”
“I’ll go.”
“Trencher. Nobody is going. I’m the lead, it’s my call.”
Brig slipped between them, “Sorry to interrupt, but the Chief is on his way down.”
“What did you do?” Asked Mack.
“Protocol.”
“Fuck’s sake.”
“I’ll go”, Trencher offered insistently, grabbing his shoulders.
“No.”
“It will be seconds, I will pop in check and be back in a blink, before you know it.”
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