by Julie Cross
The Eyewall building was constructed so uniquely, one and a half floors are visible aboveground and at least half a floor sinks beneath the earth. Electric fences surround the entire place and beyond those perimeters, a dark forest encircles the building. We used a hover vehicle to fly over headquarters and land near the entrance. I had only seen hover vehicles in a museum. No one used them in my present, hadn’t since around 2650, after teleportation devices become accessible to everyone.
Why wasn’t teleportation an option in 3197?
I was too scared to even speak as Thomas led me inside the building. Men and women in brown coveralls moved swiftly through the hallways. I stuck close to Sasha’s side even though I had no idea if she’d been here before, if this even fazed her. But I couldn’t trust Thomas. I couldn’t let him know how much I disagreed with his actions. Distance in this kind of situation was crucial.
“Twenty-two years,” Thomas said as he opened a door at the end of the first hallway. “It took that long to build this project and generate successful products.”
Sitting in the middle of a room full of technology I couldn’t even begin to unravel, was a much older Dr. Ludwig. He had to be in his sixties by now. His skin looked worn and wrinkled. He smiled at me and the reunion was less awkward than I expected considering I’d only aged about two months since the last time he saw me and he was my grandfather’s age now rather than my father’s age.
He spoke quietly to Sasha, who left the room abruptly without another word. Thomas dimmed the lights and pressed a button on the wall. Dozens of hologram screens popped up in front of us, displaying identical rooms, bare white walls, beds, dressers, and in most cases, one individual per room.
I held my breath as my eyes scanned the images one by one. I saw girls and boys about my age, several small children, but no one much older than me. And that made sense … twenty-two years. I’m seventeen. They had to build the building, the machines, everything.
Thomas raised a finger, hovering over one of the rooms where a small girl with bright red hair sat on her bed reading from a handheld device. “This one … this one is my project,” he said proudly. “She’s completely unique, not a full-blood like the rest of them. She’s a part copy of another experiment that showed promising results but failed in the end to be useful. The results so far have been exactly what I predicted. Her brain activity is superior to anything known in your present. She’s fluent in every language we presented her with and she’s only 2525 days old.”
I watched her tiny legs, dangling off the side of the bed, while she read. “What’s her name?” I asked Thomas, barely managing an audible whisper.
“We don’t name the experiments. Too complicated. Some of them look too much alike,” he said. “She’s 1029. Part of the Untouched group.”
“Untouched? Like she’s above the others in ability?”
He shook his head. “No, she’s never had direct contact with human skin. Any needed contact was performed with thick, rubber-coated gloves that reach above the elbow. And it isn’t just physical contact, the experiments grouped in this area are given no rewards from humans at all. No verbal praise or positive words. They are given instructions appropriate to their age and gender and if instructions aren’t followed, basic needs are taken away for a period of time without warning. There is no leader or teacher. No parent role. They are taught nothing but self-sufficiency and they know no other option except to complete tasks exactly as given. Safety is never in jeopardy because nothing can influence them to test their limits. So far, the theory is working exactly as envisioned.”
I immediately pictured a headless body, holding an infant out at arm’s length. A sick feeling washed over me. This was so wrong. And Nora, my friend, practically my family after everything we’ve been through, would be giving birth to Thomas’s child soon, having no idea how little he valued this tiny girl’s life.
And the others, what about all the others?
“1029 is predicted to be able to achieve proficient time travel around 3650 days old,” he said.
Ten. She’s going to start performing missions for Dr. Ludwig and Thomas at ten. This is not what God intended us to do with our mind power, with our abilities.
I knew what I needed to do first and foremost. Tell Nora everything. And get her as far away from Thomas as I can before he gets his hands on that baby.
The coldness of these manufactured humans sitting alone in their rooms was the polar opposite of watching Lily Kendrick run around her neighborhood playground at eight years old. Or the feeling I used to get as a child, racing my brothers or my friends to school, my mother tucking me into bed. My father leaning over me at the kitchen table, checking my schoolwork, rubbing the top of my head if I had done well and sometimes even if I hadn’t.
My present wasn’t as open to touching as Lily Kendrick’s because of the Plague of 2600. But still, human contact, whether physical or emotional, was essential to growth and development. It’s a fact. I learned that in school. The people who influence us and whom we influence represent the humanity in us.
Maybe that’s what Thomas didn’t want in these soldiers. Humanity. Would this really work to stop whatever war had caused this destroyed world? And even if it did work, what price would we pay after death for this moral corruption?
All I could do today was agree to help Thomas even though I knew I wouldn’t ever consider being a part of this. I had to get back home and find Nora as soon as possible. Then I needed to do something to stop this. Maybe I can’t fight it, but I have to at least let someone know. Someone who cares.
JUNE 10, 2875.
MEMORY EXTRACTED FROM HOST.
Nora is safe. My hands are still shaking, I’m so scared of what will happen when Thomas finds out she’s gone. Grayson came here and took her to a year before the first time traveler was discovered. We decided that was best and also decided that he shouldn’t tell me the year. It would be safer for me not to know. I paced the apartment for hours, knowing the time jump could kill the baby, but Grayson came back and told me Nora was just fine. He gave her a new identity and they didn’t want to tell me that either, but he’s already looked her up and she had a boy. A healthy boy.
After Grayson left, I had to report to the lab for regular testing. Frank, President Healy’s committee member who was so openly opposed to project Eyewall when it was first presented, was there waiting for me.
My heart pounded as I watched Frank lock the door to the lab and turn off the surveillance systems. Did he know I had just aided in a time-travel escape?
“Listen carefully, son,” he said, turning to face me. “I only have a few minutes. The President’s committee has been infiltrated and only two members in opposition to Project Eyewall are left.”
“You know what Thomas and Dr. Ludwig are working on—?” I started to ask.
“Yes, yes, of course I know. Dr. Ludwig has always possessed the type of ambition that would lead him to extreme measures such as these. It was only a matter of time,” he said. “First of all, do you know where Nora is?”
“No,” I answered honestly. “But I know she’s safe.”
He let out a breath. “Good. As you heard in the presentation several months ago, Project Eyewall crosses lines of ethics the government and the United Nations do not support in any way, shape, or form. We only listened to the presentation and voted out of courtesy to President Healy, who we now realize might be brainwashed.”
“I’ve seen it,” I said, looking at the middle-aged man who possessed nearly as much political power as the president himself. “Eyewall headquarters. I’ve been there. It’s … it’s the complete opposite of everything good in the world.” Those were the best words I could use to describe the horror of this project. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I finally realized that I had someone to help me, to take this burden off my shoulders. “We have to stop them, you don’t understand how terrible—”
Frank held up a hand to stop me. “I know. I have a plan, but I
need your help—your abilities—to put this in place.”
“Just tell me what to do.”
He checked the door and the hallway, using the computer system before continuing. Then he pulled up a file on his handheld labeled PROJECT EYEWALL. “Many lives were risked to acquire this information, so listen carefully because I’m going to have to destroy the evidence when we’re done here.”
I nodded and leaned over to see the screen. My legs were already shaking.
“Dr. Ludwig is not the brains behind the successful cloning. So many formulas were tried and all of them failed throughout history, except one young man’s theory recorded in 1953.”
I glanced at the information on the screen. Andrew Melvin: April 5, 1953, basement of NYC Public Library. “Who is he?”
“A very smart young man,” Frank said. “I need you to pay him a visit.”
“You need me to destroy his notes?” I asked, catching on to this plan.
Frank shook his head. “That wouldn’t be enough. The theory is etched into his memory. He’ll write it down again. I’ve already sent someone to talk to him, but it didn’t work. Somehow Dr. Ludwig still got the information.”
“Who?” I asked. “Jean? Lonnie?”
Frank hesitated for a moment, like he was debating telling me another secret. “There’s another time traveler. I’ve kept him secret from absolutely everyone. I saw how all of you were going to be used and I knew we needed someone working on our side, the side that will not aid Project Eyewall in any way.”
Another one of us. Except he didn’t have to give up his life like the rest of us. Or maybe he did, but just in a different place, in a different way.
“This time traveler is much older than you. I think your age and your apparent distress in this situation could be enough to convince Andrew Melvin to keep his work a secret and not pursue it any further.”
“I’ll do everything I can,” I promised Frank.
He touched a hand to my shoulder. “I know you will, son. You have always displayed the ability to do what’s right. I respect that more than anything even if no one else does.”
I’m pretty sure that was Frank’s way of telling me that my so-called bad habit of showing nerves, excitement, and apprehension during training sessions and meetings showed that I was human more than anything else.
The jump to 1953 wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. Frank had me memorize a map of the city in the 1950s. The access code he gave me to open the CIA-protected door worked perfectly.
What surprised me most about 1953 was Andrew Melvin. I hadn’t expected to have this world-saving conversation with a skinny kid about my age.
“Andrew Melvin?” I asked, wanting to be sure I had the right person.
He pushed his glasses up on his nose and eyed me skeptically from his desk, which sat in a large room full of shelves of books, papers piled in every corner. “Who are you?”
“Blake,” I said. “Listen … this is going to sound crazy, but just give me five minutes to explain.”
I had to give him credit for his patience. He listened to me for ten minutes without asking questions.
“I don’t know what theories you’re talking about,” he said when I had finished explaining my I’m-from-the-future story. “Probably a mix-up. Another Andrew Melvin think tank.”
“It’s not another Andrew Melvin,” I said firmly. “And I’m not asking you to admit to anything. Just don’t write it down. Destroy it if you already have. Don’t let anyone have that information inside your head. It will be the worst thing you’ll ever not get credit for. Trust me.”
I could see the debate in his eyes. The internal conflict as he asked himself, “What if this crazy fool is telling the truth?” Could I do anything more than that? Maybe one thing … “I have a good friend in 1987. I’m going to check up on you and make sure that you did what I asked you to.”
I left him with those final words because I could feel the fatigue and stress dragging me down, lessening my power.
JUNE 11, 2875.
MEMORY EXTRACTED FROM HOST.
I collapsed into my bed the second I returned from 1953 and slept for fourteen hours straight. When I woke, Thomas was in the kitchen putting eggs on a plate. He glanced up at me and set the plate in front of an empty chair. “I made you some breakfast.”
My eyes stayed on the plate of eggs and bacon, the glass of orange juice sitting beside it. “Um … thanks.”
“I had a meeting with the presidential committee this morning,” Thomas said, giving me no indication of his mood based on his tone. “Frank said you went on several missions yesterday for the committee, that they might have worked you too hard.”
I nodded, unable to trust my voice, then I sat in the chair and started eating even though food was the last thing on my mind.
“I know you were trying to help find Nora. I appreciate your effort, Blake. I really do. But I think it’s best if you don’t put stress on your mind looking for her,” he said.
I was literally holding my breath, not even able to swallow.
He sat across from me at the table, hands folded in front of him. “I’ll admit, I had high hopes for this child, but obviously Nora and I didn’t agree on certain aspects of parenthood. I just wish she would have spoken to me first. If she had been honest about her concerns, I would have listened.”
I highly doubted that.
“I’ve told the committee to let it go, that she’ll come back when she’s ready and we should give her some space.” He paused for a second, watching me carefully. “You didn’t tell Frank what I’ve shown you in the future, did you?”
“No,” I answered honestly. We hadn’t actually discussed this in detail.
“Thank you. He’ll find out soon enough,” Thomas said. “That’s what I wanted to tell you. The committee was impressed with the progress of Eyewall, though they were a little disgruntled with Dr. Ludwig’s choice to go against the vote. Either way, they’ve forgiven Dr. Ludwig and given us their full support to continue the project. Frank, however, has chosen to betray the government since being outvoted. We’ve taken him into custody this morning, but we have evidence he’s already formed a new agency specifically designed to act in opposition to Project Eyewall.”
Grief and fear took over. I hadn’t done it. I failed to convince Andrew Melvin that his ideas would eventually destroy the world. And now I’d lost the one person in my present who could help me. But had Frank really done it? Had he organized an opposition knowing they’d take him away soon enough? He seemed prepared, like he’d been planning every last detail yesterday.
All I could do was hope.
“I’m as disappointed as you are,” Thomas said. “Frank has been a crucial member of the government for fourteen years. I trusted him, we all did. And I wouldn’t worry about this opposition. He doesn’t have time travel on his side. Only we do.”
Hope sprang up inside me. Yes he does. He has a secret time traveler. Frank was smart. He knew exactly what he was up against. And this time traveler was skilled enough to steal files from Dr. Ludwig. I just had to figure out how to find him.
Deal with Thomas first, I reminded myself, he still trusts you.
Jean came through the front door before I had to verbally react to the information Thomas had just given me. “Oh good, he’s awake.”
Thomas looked from Jean to me, and then said, “I have a task for both of you. Something you’ll be working on together.”
I only got a few minutes to finish my breakfast and clean myself up and then Thomas, Jean, and I were in Central Park. In 1992.
The day was warm and people were everywhere. Thomas walked several paces in front of us, and Jean leaned into me and whispered, “What are we doing here?”
Finally, Thomas stopped and sat on a bench, pulling a newspaper from his back pocket, spreading it open to block his view. Jean and I guessed we were also supposed to stop and sit. So we did.
“If you look straight ahead, about two
hundred feet away, you’ll notice a young man and woman with two small children running around in the field.”
I squinted in the sun, making out the outlines of two taller people and two little ones. I could see bright orange pigtails sticking straight out of one child’s head.
“Those children are a creation of the Eyewall opposition organization,” Thomas said. “They call themselves Tempest.”
“Tempest,” I said under my breath, memorizing it. Is this what Frank had done?
“Wait, so they’re cloning in 1992?” Jean asked.
My head snapped to look at her, realizing Thomas’s words … the creation of the opposition.
“No,” he said. “The woman with them carried them, a surrogate. But they used the eggs of one of our products, a successful time traveler. They have two brilliant scientists working on their side. And they have a theory. They believe the half-breed method will create abilities stronger than the products of Project Eyewall.”
“And you think they’re wrong,” Jean concluded.
“No,” Thomas said, folding the paper back together. “I think they’re right.”
“So what do we do about it?” Jean asked. The eagerness in her voice scared me. She would follow Thomas anywhere. “We’ve got to destroy them, right? We can’t have time travelers not under our control.”
“Violence is almost never the answer, Jean,” Thomas said. “And who says they aren’t under our control? Or that we can’t bring them to our side eventually? It’s just a matter of showing them what they can be a part of. The importance their lives can hold.” He turned to face me and Jean. “That’s your mission. Keep watching the twins. Tempest calls them experiment Axelle. Product A is female and B is male. When and if their abilities present themselves, we need to be right there, ready to help them make the right choice, understood?”
“And what if they refuse?” Jean asked. “Look at the way they’re being raised, it’s not the methods used for Project Eyewall. What if we can’t convince them to join us?”