An Altered Course

by R A Carter-Squire

  I should’ve asked him if there were any other companies he knew of that would be capable of developing time travel. Oh well, Billy will find something, and we’ll put an end to this whole thing.

  “What are the chances that somebody else could develop the same program as me?” He wasn’t asking the question as much as thinking aloud, forgetting his computer could hear him.

  “The probability of two people developing the same program is infinitesimal, but for two people to develop the identical program in two separate dimensions and thirty years apart is at least sixty million to one. The question you should be asking is, why?”

  Michael frowned. “Okay, why would someone in another dimension do that?”

  “I’ve arrived at three possible scenarios: One, they forced you along this path because they already know what the future holds for this time and for you in particular. Two, something will happen in the near future which will require you or someone you know to go back in time to change that situation. Three, to stop the people who want to monopolize transportation by using transporters. In other words, you aren’t the sort of person to use the technology for personal gain and the world would be better off because of your invention.”

  “I like that idea the best, but they all sound like different versions of the same scenario. How could they know about this dimension and see us here? We don’t even know if other dimensions exist. Couldn’t this be aliens? At least that makes more sense.”

  “You’re correct, but that means your friend is and has been in a space ship or on another world all these years.”

  Michael hadn’t considered that idea. Aliens were the most likely reason for Joe’s disappearance. They had the technology to travel across space and time, but what had he been doing for the last thirty years. What would he look like if he came back today? Maybe they’d changed his memory, and he’d been here all along. That idea shocked him more than the possibility of aliens actually existing.

  “Michael,” a female voice called from the end of the hall. “I think the alarm company is here.” He got up and left the room. Three men stood at the door, two in uniform, and one in jeans and a T-shirt. The men in uniform introduced themselves as the alarm company.

  “Hi,” Michael said as they shook hands. “I don’t know what you were told to do, but go ahead and seal this place up tight.” They grinned and set to work. The other man came in and introduced himself as Jon’s friend.

  “Paul Juneau, we served together in the French army.” The grip was surprisingly firm as they shook hands. The man was thin, probably light enough to blow away in a strong wind. His blond hair hung to his shoulders. The clothes he wore seemed clean and hung loose, yet his eyes were intense and captured everything happening around them.

  They sat at the dining room table and watched the installers work. Paul answered many questions about his past with a smile, but his eyes never stopped watching every move the workers made. The only time the conversation was interrupted was when the installers headed down the hall.

  Michael dashed after them. Paul trailed behind. The taller of the two men in uniform entered the computer room and stopped just inside the door. Michael stepped up behind him.

  “Holy shit,” the guy whispered as he saw the machinery.

  “Impressive, right,” Michael said. The man whirled, looking guilty and afraid at the same time.

  “Sorry,” he stammered. “I need to put the sensors on the windows. I’ve never seen anything like this before. Is that a computer?” He set his tool case on the floor and moved carefully toward the window.

  “Yes, and not that I don’t trust you, but the machine is very sensitive, so I’m just here to make sure you don’t accidentally touch anything.” There was a bit too much emphasis on the word accidentally in his mind, but Dawn was a crucial part of his life. The worker didn’t respond, taking everything in stride. Paul was across the hall watching the other installer.

  An hour later, the work was completed, and they all gathered around the keypad at the front door. The foreman on the job pressed several buttons to test the system and then took the time to run through all the features. He was just filling them in about the password codes when the front door opened, and Jon, along with three large men, entered.

  Paul moved to greet them. Everyone was shaking hands and whispering, knowing instantly what was happening behind them. Michael nodded to Jon and told the guy to continue. Heather moved under his arm. He and Heather programmed personal codes into the control panel, and the foreman tested the system once more.

  He smiled. “Good, you’re all set. I suggest you carry the codes with you for a couple of days in case you forget. Just remember, you have twenty seconds to enter your numbers or the alarm will sound. If you don’t punch in your password by then, the company will call to find out if there’s trouble. Anyone who tries to enter without the correct access numbers will have three minutes before the police arrive.” He seemed proud of that response time, but Michael was a bit more skeptical. The house was in the hills and would take the police twenty minutes on a good day to get here from downtown. Sure, the police had sirens and lights, but to be here in three minutes meant they’d have to be waiting down the hill all the time.

  He thanked the men for coming so quickly and shut the door after them. Jon had already done introductions to Heather.

  “Michael this is Otto, Dieter, and Lucas. They are my friends and military comrades.” Hands were shaken as the gentlemen greeted each other. Otto was a mountain in a pair of jeans. He looked more like a weightlifter than anything else, but his grip was gentle. Dieter seemed less muscular, but still larger than Jon. Lucas was smooth, more of a model than a soldier.

  They chatted for an hour and then went out for supper. Michael sat in the limo thinking about the new security team. Seven other men would be joining them later because Jon sent them to do some investigating. Eleven men plus Jon to protect him and Heather; he was feeling safer already.

  Chapter 20

  Tuesday, Billy showed up early for breakfast. He was a little shocked at first when a stranger met him at the door where he was frisked before he could enter the house.

  “What the hell is going on, Michael?” he demanded sitting at the table.

  “Jon has increased security since we were kidnapped in Europe. They even make sure the dog hasn’t been strapped with a bomb.” His smile was weak. “What did you find out?” The extra people in the house, the constant surveillance, and tension were becoming oppressive.

  Billy shook his head, trying to understand all the fuss. “I tried to find companies working on anything similar to us, but there aren’t any. Then I looked at all the ones who might have the capability to develop the same technology and found one.” He smiled over the rim of his coffee cup.

  “Who is that?”

  “Dredger Electronics in Germany. They make conductors and computer chips, but recently they branched out to develop some programs for their military. I couldn’t find any information on what they’re doing, but I think it might have something to do with space. The German government is trying to get up to speed with the Russians, and they’ll do anything to catch up.”

  Paul was sitting at the table, sipping coffee and listening to the conversation. He cleared his throat to get their attention.

  “Please excuse me for butting in, but I know something about that company.” Michael noticed the guard by the door turn to look in their direction. “Dredger has been working under the radar for years. They make the best spy hardware in the world—not the stuff you can buy at Radio Shack, but the kind legitimate spies use. The sonar the American government purchased for the first nuclear-powered submarines was made by Dredger. Space technology to them wouldn’t be any different from the ocean.” He took another sip of coffee as if this was any other conversation.

  “Did you know any of that?” Michael asked Billy. The shocked expression on his face before he started shaking his head said everything.

  “I�
�d be surprised if anyone outside of the military knows anything about the company,” Paul said.

  “Is there any way to get a meeting with the guy who owns the company?”

  “I don’t see why not, but I have no idea who that is.”

  “Find out what you can, Billy, and set up a meeting between him and me. This guy has to be the person responsible for all this trouble. If I can see his face, I’ll know for sure.”

  Billy nodded and left the house. Michael looked over at Paul. The man didn’t seem too intelligent, but then appearances can be deceiving. There was an attitude of laziness about him that made people dismiss him as a threat.

  Jon charged through the front door. He was sweating and seemed frightened. The guard by the door drew his gun and took a defensive stance, covering any threat from outside.

  “We need to go,” he shouted. “Get out to the car and keep your heads down, now.” Wells stood on his mat and barked at the commotion.

  Paul ran out the door first, holding a gun in his hand. The other guard moved to the side of the house, eyes searching in all directions. Once Heather and Michael were in the back seat, Jon jumped in beside them while Paul took the front passenger seat. The car raced forward onto the street. Turns felt as if the car was about to tip over. Swerving through traffic at incredible speed, Michael and Heather were held down by Jon lying across their backs to shield them. Breathing was difficult with his diaphragm pressed into his knees, but Michael could only think about Heather beside him. The ride ended with screeching tires and more shouts from Jon as he ordered them out of the car.

  Michael’s head swam as he leaped out of the door and into a house without looking around. Something seemed familiar about the door, but he didn’t stop to think until he ran into the living room. This was his house.

  He turned back toward the front door as Jon, Paul, and Otto came inside. Jon was smiling, but the other two remained stern. The man guarding the front door must still be outside, Michael decided.

  “What the hell was that, Jon? You scared the shit out of Heather and me.” Michael was angry as he held Heather by her trembling shoulders.

  “I told you when you hired me that you had to do exactly as I said. Today was a test to see if you would react accordingly in an emergency. You passed with flying colors. Relax now,” his brilliant smile beamed. “I feel a lot better about looking after your safety because you’re willing to react like you did today.”

  “Son of a bitch, that was one hell of a ride. Hopefully, that’s the last time.” He smiled, still shaking, “I think we’ve found a competitor who might be capable of developing time technology. Paul was telling me about Dredger Electronics when you came charging in and made us think we were under imminent attack. Do you know anything about them? Who owns the company?”

  The smile on Jon’s face fell away instantly. His usual good nature turned black.

  “Tristan Dredger,” he snarled. “His grandfather was a top official in the Nazi party during the war. The rumor is the family started the company with stolen gold looted from the Jews as they filed into gas chambers. Tristan’s father built radar equipment but somehow saw the coming boom in technology after the sixties, and he switched to computer hardware focusing on miniaturization. Governments all over the world go to him for spy hardware. Tristan is a spoiled rich kid. He’s been arrested three times for rape, but the charges never stick. There’s also a rumor that he killed three CEOs from competing companies because they had something he wanted. Under no circumstances will you go near this man. If he doesn’t want you dead by now, he will definitely put you in his sights if you make contact with him.”

  “I have to–” Michael started to say.

  “No, you don’t,” Jon cut him off. “I’ll confront him on your behalf, but you won’t go anywhere near that animal.”

  Michael held up his hands in surrender. He knew when to drop an argument, but his imagination had already created the picture of his potential enemy. A tall blond man who showed the world his arrogance and disdain through actions and words. He would move through a crowd like a king and treat everyone around him with the same cruelty as a despot dictator. A man above the law, at least in his mind, Tristan Dredger was a monster. Michael shivered with relief that Jon would meet the monster on his behalf.

  Billy phoned half an hour later and told Michael a meeting had been set up. Dredger was coming to California for business this week and would only meet with Michael. The appointment was Thursday afternoon at the Fairmont in San Jose. He sat with a reluctant Jon to go over details of the meeting. There wasn’t much in the way of ultra-elite hotels in Silicon Valley, but the Fairmont was among the best. Dredger would be slumming if he were staying there, Michael figured.

  Chapter 21

  Michael and Jon pulled up to the front entrance of the Fairmont ten minutes early for their meeting with Tristan Dredger. Two of Jon’s men were there already, pretending to be customers in the dining room. The limo driver was Otto. His job was to monitor the exterior of the building in case there was an attempt to kidnap Michael.

  They had decided to play to the man’s ego with an offer of assistance in the project Dredger’s company was building. If he insisted the project was nothing similar to Michael’s, they’d leave. If he turned them down without a good reason, they’d know he was working on the same idea and wanted a monopoly. On the other hand, if he accepted the offer, he might just be an honest businessman. Was he vain enough to be blind to their suspicions? He was already too anxious to meet with his competition, but Dredger might be just trying to see how smart Michael really was.

  Jon led the way into the hotel lobby. He moved with certainty as if he’d been here many times. The two men strode with purpose into the dining room and stopped at the maître d’ counter. A tall man in a black suit and tie stood smiling at them. He seemed familiar to Michael, but he couldn’t place where he’d seen the man before.

  Jon told the headwaiter who they were meeting, and they were led to a table near the rear of the restaurant. A blond man in an expensive tailored suit was sitting at a table with another gentleman about the same size as Otto. Both seemed to be in their early thirties. The larger of the two stood as Jon and Michael approached.

  “Gentlemen, welcome, and please have a seat.” The blond-haired man smiled and waved at the two empty chairs. He spoke with a thick German accent. “I am Tristan Dredger, and you are Michael Eldridge.” He reached forward to shake hands. Michael was met with a grip that seemed cold and made of plastic. “This is my security chief, Reutger Mansoff.” Jon exchanged a handshake with his alternate, and all of them sat down. Dredger fit the conjured image from Michael’s imagination perfectly.

  “This is my friend, Jon Richter.” Tristan reached across the table in greeting. Michael noticed Jon wipe his palm on his leg under the tablecloth.

  “What would you like to drink, gentlemen?” The headwaiter had been hovering near the table. He took the orders for coffee and left. “I’ve wanted to meet you for a very long time, Michael. Your career has been of immense interest to me for many years.” The s in his words was accentuated like a lisp.

  Michael saw the smile, but noticed there was nothing but suspicion and probably some hatred in his eyes. A cold shiver passed down his spine as he realized what a mouse must feel like as the snake approached. He returned the false smile.

  “Thank you, but I must admit my ignorance of you and your company. The only reason I became aware is your recent work in developing projects along similar lines to us. I’d very much like to collaborate if you’re willing. I’m not expecting any compensation or acknowledgment, just a willingness to share. Call this a repayment for the technology your company provided to my government.” He swallowed, hoping Dredger wouldn’t notice. The waiter brought coffee, giving the German a moment longer to consider the offer.

  “I’ve always tried to keep my life and my business affairs quiet, so I don’t take any offense to you not knowing about the company or me. It’
s true that the project we’re working on is similar to your Mars probe, but there are enough differences. As a businessperson, I don’t see the benefit of you helping me. We are, after all, competitors.” The smile was gone. His face turned to stone, and his eyes were filled with hate now.

  Michael smiled. He sensed the hesitation in Dredger, the uncertainty. Jon’s knee tapped his as if to say be careful. No problem. He’d expected this reaction from an honest competitor. Michael took a sip of coffee and a deep breath before speaking.

  “We’ve finished our project. I’m interested in sharing what we have learned with the rest of the world. Your company is working in the same direction. It makes sense for me to distribute our knowledge so that no one company can monopolize what we both know is the ultimate result.”

  Dredger smiled, but his eyes were greedy. “I didn’t know that our top-secret project was so widely known. Perhaps you could explain to me how you think what you did for the Mars project could be useful to what we’re working toward.”

  Michael knew this was a typical strategy when negotiating. Dredger was asking Michael to show his hand before making a decision. His hand was lacking, but he’d keep the trump for last.

  “All I know is that you’re working for the German space agency. The specifics are not critical, but since my company has been working with NASA for many years, we might be able to help you. Space is important for the future of all humanity, not just one country. Why shouldn’t I share what I know with you?” Now let’s see what cards he has, Michael thought, his heart racing.

  Tristan glanced at his bodyguard before taking a sip of coffee. He set the cup back on the saucer and perched his elbows on the table, staring at Michael. The man’s face had gone dead.

  “Should I believe your altruistic attitude, Mr. Eldridge? Are you actually offering me help or are you trying to find out something else?” He paused, breathing slowly. “I may not be a computer genius like yourself, but I do understand that to help me would mean giving you access to my company. The technology and information we’ve developed over the years would be at your disposal. A little corporate espionage might happen, so to keep everyone honest, I propose the same access to your technology as needed. Are we agreed?” The pale, plastic hand extended across the table toward Michael. He hesitated for a second before gripping firmly, wanting to squeeze hard enough to crush the bones under the clammy skin.