Weight of Gravity

by Sheron Wood McCartha

  Trajan, Charles, Emily… Richard knew the names. He sipped his wine, giving her time to gather herself. When she looked up, he asked, “What weapons did they use?”

  She wrinkled her nose in thought. “Explosive missiles, lasers, maybe an atom splitter.”

  “An atom splitter?” The wine went down wrong, and he choked.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Why do you want to know?”

  He cleared his throat. “I need to know so I can prepare Alysia. There’s a possibility they’re headed here.”

  Their silence could have filled empty space.

  Ariel glanced at Darius. “The two of us don’t have enough power to move this planet like the Enjelise did ours”

  Her companion nodded his head in agreement.

  Carter’s eyes blinked while Elise’s mouth dropped open. The idea of moving Alysia sent shivers up and down Richard’s spine. But it begged the question of what else could they do?

  “Er,” He stood up to pour more nectar into Darius’s glass, “What suggestions do you have that might protect Alysia?”

  The Enjelise appeared uncomfortable with the question. Ariel tapped her glass with delicate fingers. “We would need to evaluate our resources,” she said. “There may be some protections we could put in place.”

  Richard’s eyebrows lifted. She slid a glance at Carter who scratched his head. “I’m not much on weapons design. I’m robots and contraptions, but I might be able to think up something. We could set up a satellite array as a first line of defense. Let me rough out a few ideas.”

  Richard turned to his wife. “I was told that your mother saw one of these Fallen in person.

  Clutching her arms with her hands, she shivered. “Yes.” She closed her eyes. “They are a grotesque version of Enjelise. They remind me of a zombie movie popular on board the ship. Their limbs were twisted, their hands thick. But when she went on board their ship, the interior contained very sophisticated technology. The captain spoke a guttural language that no one understood, but his attitude was unquestionable. He’d killed his crew, so they wouldn’t be captured and interrogated. That’s how ruthless they are.”

  “If they are a variation of Enjelise, what extraordinary powers might they have? We need to know what we are up against,” said Richard.

  Ariel’s hands twisted in her lap. “That depends on how fast they have developed and in what direction they have concentrated their abilities. Darius and I will look into that question and explore what help we can offer.”

  Richard stood up and collected their glasses. He swiveled to face them, saying, “You realize this is all top secret. We can’t divulge that Alysia may eventually be under attack by hostile aliens. The world would panic and destroy itself before we could even figure out a defense.”

  Elise rose with the others. She rubbed her hands down the sides of her pants. “That’s if we can find a solution before they attack… if they attack.”

  “There’s no if, only when,” Richard responded.

  ***

  Richard peered down into the crib where Tempest lay. He rested his arms on the railings. “I suppose my first step should be to inform President Courtland and Trace.”

  “Da, da.” Pudgy arms waved wildly about. Seeing him beside her crib, Tempest flipped over and scrambled to her feet, bouncing up and down.

  Richard mused on, “Then, I’ll need to evaluate the Alysian station’s weapons system. I really don’t want to go. I’d rather send someone else.”

  Next to him, Tempest patted his hand. “Bye, bye.”

  “Your mother won’t be eager to see me off. She’s been rather cranky lately.” He closed his eyes. “She needs another dose of that gebbit potion.”

  “Ah, ah, ah.”

  “Yeah. That’s what she said after she drank it. How about I take Abbie with me? Carter says his sister is good in designing weapons.”

  “You two!” Elise stood in the doorway.

  “Mama, mama.” Tempest reached out to her.

  “Don’t mama me, young lady. It’s nap time. Richard, she needs to go down for her nap, or she’ll be impossible at dinner.”

  “No, no, no.” Tempest hopped up and down.

  “Oh, a new word. Okay, what if I read you a bedtime story?” Richard gathered up his daughter and pulled her into a big comfy blue chair near the crib. “How about The Little Gebbit That Did Big Things. Isn’t that your favorite?”

  They settled into the chair. Tempest stuck her thumb in her mouth and leaned her head on his shoulder as he began to read.

  Chapter 23

  Talking to Trace

  “Why do you always put me in this kind of position?”

  Trace Armstrong turned from the office window he had been staring out to question an entering Richard Steele.

  Richard crossed to join Trace at the window. He gazed out onto the bustling city of Tygel from the top floor of the plain gray I.N.Sys building. Slanting a look at the I.N.Sys Director, Richard asked, “I assume I can talk freely in here?”

  “My office is secure, although I plan to personally record every word, sigh, or fart that you make.” Trace pulled out a recorder and shook it in Richard’s face.

  Putting up his hand, Richard stepped back. “Hey, I didn’t do this on purpose. Fate, Trace, why would I want aliens to attack Alysia? How would I manage such an event?”

  Trace sighed. “Isn’t this the third time you’ve come with dire warnings of an attack from aliens? It’s getting old.”

  “And I’ve been right. Something did happen every time, just not what we expected.” Richard glared at him. “We were lucky it turned out as well as it did. We may not be so lucky this time. Dare you risk that chance?”

  Trace headed over to his desk and slumped into its chair as Richard followed, grabbing a seat in front of him. He raised his head and gave Richard a steely look. “I’m not convinced the Terran integration is progressing as smoothly as you would have it,” he said. “Elija, concerns me. Elise’s last report indicated he’s hiding a secret military manufacturing installation. In addition, there appears to be an underground movement that is creating havoc all over Alysia. We could lose the planet if we’re not careful. Fate, Richard, we don’t need more invaders.”

  Richard snorted. “We far outnumber them. Perhaps we’d have more success if we’d treated them better and not so much like inferiors. That would go a long way towards establishing a peaceful coexistence.”

  In an abrupt motion, Trace sat up. “I can’t change human nature. Alysians are only trying to protect their territory. And now you want me to believe some mysterious stranger from the far future warned you of an impending alien attack.” Trace coughed. “Takes quite a leap of faith.”

  “So, leap. You’re one of the few people aware of my time-traveling ability. It’s been awhile since I’ve used the lab, but I’m going to need to reactivate it. Then, I’ll need some kind of cover story. Maybe you can hire me for a scientific research program on a part-time basis, so I’ll have the needed funds to upgrade the lab.”

  “Running low on Grandad’s inheritance, are we?”

  “Hardly.” That stung, and the remark was uncalled for, but then, he had upset Trace with his own announcement. He knew the government was over budget and funding a large unexpected project would be difficult.

  Trace scrubbed a hand through his black curly hair and sighed. “How am I going to convince President Courtland to embrace such an expensive and wide-ranging program? His platform has been focused on cleaning up the planet, not exploring space, much less defending against aliens. He knows little of the Timelab and even less about its impact on Alysian history. While our President understands something of Arwoyn’s accomplishments, he doesn’t understand the full extent of your ancestor’s temporal activities. For obvious reasons, much has been kept secret.”

  Richard rubbed the back of his neck and leaned forward. “You’re one of the few in a position to grasp the seriousness of the situation, and I’d hoped you might find a way to s
crape up some resources.” Richard pushed back his chair and made as if to get up. “Actually, you can take on the whole mess if you want. I’m only a messenger.”

  Trace’s eyes widened in horror. He paused as a pained expression passed over his face. He grabbed Richard’s arm. “Okay. Okay. I’ve got too much on my plate now to take on the whole project, but I’ll help where I can.”

  “Then, you believe me?”

  “Only because I’ve watched your wild predictions come true all too often to ignore them. What choice do I have?”

  “I didn’t choose this either. Believe me.”

  “You’re the only time traveler on the planet, right?”

  Richard grimaced. “At the moment.”

  “And only you know how to operate the time lab?”

  “I can teach others, but they can’t time travel. Only my genetic line won’t implode when going through the timegate. Something at our cellular level is different.”

  “If that’s true, then who is this other time traveler?”

  Richard shrugged. “Arwoyn traveled through time both forward and into the past. He wasn’t known for his celibacy. Also, I plan to have more kids, and they may carry a variation of my time gene. It appears that an organized cadre of future time travelers has created time monitors across the time lines. ‘Time cops,’ to quote my source.”

  Trace tapped on his desk. “Who else in the here and now knows about this future event? Who else have you told?”

  Casting a look at the ceiling, Richard answered, “The aliens are a group of Enjelise who were exiled to a harsh world. That environment changed their DNA, making them more violent. So obviously, the Enjelise know about them.” He paused to direct a gaze at his companion. “And Elise’s predecessor met one face to face. He was captain of a ship who exploded his own ship to avoid capture. Elise saw it happen from the bridge of her ship. That means that Elise knows, you know, and Carter knows… so far that’s it.”

  “Met one of those alien face to face?” Trace’s jaw dropped.

  “Yes, the fleet engaged them in a battle that cost them five ships. However, they did manage to capture and board one. Elise’s mother interrogated its captain before returning to her own ship.”

  “Whoa. There is eye witness evidence that they exist?”

  “That’s what I’m saying.” Richard’s voice rose. “Listen to me. We need to put a plan in place to defend Alysia, and we should include other countries, too.”

  Richard pounded his fist into his palm, then flattened it out. “Orchestrating a worldwide defense without stirring up worldwide panic will take some serious diplomacy. We should frame it as a space exploration program brought on by the appearance of the Terrans.”

  Trace unconsciously tossed his electronic tablet back and forth in his hands. “What do you plan to do first?”

  A grin formed on Richard’s face. “While you encourage President Courtland and Alysia’s various leaders to embark on a space exploration program, I plan to visit the Alysian Space station along with Carter and Elise. She also requested Abbie and Jacob join us there from Earth 2.”

  “Hmm… You intend to inspect and augment their defense system.”

  “Exactly. Elise says Carter helped assemble computer-guided missiles that worked well in her battle with these aliens, which, by the way, the Enjelise call the Fallen. Also, he proposes to create a weaponized satellite array to use as a first-line defense. Then, he suggested designing a space probe to send out as a scout, using the cover that it is an asteroid hunter. We also need to alert Commander Bradley’s fleet.”

  Trace rubbed his face and moaned, “Ka-ching, Ka-ching. I can hear government officials screaming already. Okay, step one. Build a frontline defense. Maybe Courtland can dig out funds from ongoing space initiatives without resorting to a Galley vote.”

  “We’ll have to build a space fleet to meet them before they reach Alysia. Any battle should be off planet.”

  “That will require more than shifting a few funds. We’ll need active government support for that.” Trace tapped a few notes on his electronic notepad.

  “How about we make it a universal fleet like I did with the space station?” Richard stood up and stretched. His back hurt, but he had come to say what he had to say. “Oh, and you might look the other way and not shut down the Homestead. If they’re building military robots, or anything military, it might come in handy if the situation escalates to a ground attack. The Terrans have a very sophisticated technology they might be willing to share if they feel threatened.”

  Trace walked him to the door. “Get Elise to write a report on these Fallen, my eyes only. Include any suggestions on how we can defeat them. Give me a detailed history on both them and the Enjelise. I’ll pass the information to Sean Courtland and officials who have top security clearance. Also, keep in touch and let me know if anything further develops or shows up in your shiny new lab. I’ll put you on the payroll for now. Try not to explode my expense account.”

  Richard threw an arm across his friend’s shoulders.

  “I’ll try to behave.”

  “And…” Trace paused, a wicked grin on his face. “Enjoy your ride to the space station. So sorry I can’t accompany you because I would love to watch the agony on your face during the flight.”

  A gust of air whooshed out of him, and a shiver of fear rippled over Richard’s body. “Yeah, it should be loads of fun.”

  But as he suspected … it wasn’t.

  ***

  Richard peered out the shuttle viewport as they approached the Alysian Space station. His stomach and sinuses brought on both nausea and a blinding headache. Still, the grandeur of the rotating station before him filled him with awe. He swallowed another nausea pill and stared out into the deep star-sprinkled abyss, admiring the beauty of his creation.

  Far different from the Terran station, this one was a complex arrangement of tubes connected to various sized modules, Elise said it reminded her of a giant Tinker Toy. It had evolved over time as one by one, the nations of Alysia contributed to the station, giving this one a more amorphous structure rather than the Earth2 that resembled a compact spinning torus. At the center of the Alysian space station, a large, central cylinder rotated with radiating tubular arms that connected to several large circular modules, forming a lattice work of individual but connected units. At first, each module, created entirely by a individual region, had embodied that culture, but Richard soon realized that such an arrangement only led to conflict. As each section vied with the others for resources and rank, politics soon raised its ugly head.

  Therefore, Richard reorganized the growing station along lines of function. One module held sleeping creches, and another daycare centers. A farm and greenhouses spun along the rim helped by the heavier gravity there. Inward, office modules, restaurants and lounge areas provided places to work, eat or relax. Another section was designated for scientific research, while yet another could be set to zero gravity to accommodate a wild sport of z-ball where muscles could be worked, and aggression redirected in monthly matches between the inhabitants. The large cylinder at the center held the control room on top, admittance, and the main trading concourse comprised the the central area, while the docking bay lay at its base. At the very top, in the bubble, Adrian Wood and staff reigned as overall administrators and final arbitrators.

  “It’ll take another half hour to dock,” Elise warned.

  “Hope this station doesn’t greet us with drawn weapons like the other one did,” he muttered irritably.

  “Fear not.” She patted his arm. “Trace called ahead to make sure they knew we were coming and ordered a warm welcome. Adrian promised to behave, although he did warn of dissident factions on board.”

  “Humph.”

  Carter eagerly leaned into the window, edging him over. “Trace said that Abbie and Jacob have arrived. I haven’t seen my sister in a while and look forward to it.”

  “Me, too.” Elise bobbed over to join them at the viewpor
t where the others gaped at the closing station as it loomed larger and larger.

  “Strap in,” Merek ordered, ever mindful of everyone’s safety.

  While buckling in, Elise said, “I really appreciate Amanda staying behind to watch the kids.”

  A chuckle emerged from Merek. “I think she was glad to have me out from under her feet and get some alone time for herself.”

  “Your Traje is a well-behaved love, but Tempest… is a handful.”

  “The kids complement each other.” Merek shifted in his seat and strained forward. “You secured yet, Deuce?”

  Trace’s envoy waved from his front row seat. “In tighter than a tick.” Deuce’s springy, ash brown hair formed a cloud around his head. Any movement set it bouncing. The motion was mesmerizing, and Richard found it hard to look away from the agent’s frenetic curls.

  “Good. We’re almost there.” Noticing beads of sweat on Merek’s forehead, Richard concluded that the indomitable bodyguard also was feeling the effects of space travel but hid it better.

  Soon the station’s bay doors cycled open and the shuttle glided in, landed on a docking pad, where it was locked down. Captain Parsons stood up and stretched. “We’re here. Wait until the dock hands get us secured. Everyone can unbuckle and exit once the mobile corridor is in place.”

  A loud clang rattled their eardrums and shook the shuttle as the corridor mated with the ship. After a few minutes, an overhead green light flashed on. Richard fumbled with a strap as the door opened and station master Adrian Wood stuck in his head. “Welcome to Alysia Station, everyone. Don’t worry about your luggage, my men will take it to your units.” He held out a hand to Elise. “Here, let me help you Mrs. Steele. Watch your step as the gravity is light.

  Richard noticed a small furrow appear on his wife’s brow, and an expression of irritation crossed her features. The title of Mrs. Steele rather than Commander was proving difficult for his wife to swallow. And, when it came to maneuvering around in low gravity, she was by no means inexperienced. Richard braced for a sharp comment, but she returned Adrian’s smile with good grace.