The Imagineer's Bloodline: Ascendant Earth Chronicles – Book 1

by J. J. Lorden

  Racheal continued, “There’s something else that you guys didn’t see.” That got their attention. “After you were both laid-out, the stack of pans floated back onto the rack, and then two hands–misty, ghostlike hands–appeared above the counter, pressed together, like in prayer or like that thing monks do?”

  Austin and Matty nodded wordlessly at her implied question, the silence begging her to finish. Racheal smirked a crooked smile at their rapt silence. “Then the hands bowed, as if they were attached to a body, and disappeared.”

  Austin listened and found his ire rising. He was also intrigued, but his anger held an edge over his curiosity. “Hold on,” he said. “Are you saying that after the two of us were attacked and knocked out; basically, singled out, right? I mean, they clearly missed everyone else in the place on purpose.”

  He looked at Matty for confirmation. “Yeah man. I think the first few missed on purpose, probably to clear the place out,” Matty said.

  “Exactly, those weren’t random misses.” Austin nodded. “After that fucked-up shit, the unused ammo, excuse me, the unused pans, politely put themselves back on the shelf?”

  He paused, and Racheal nodded. “Okay–right. Then after that show of consideration, the evil disembodied hand Matty saw appeared once again, accompanied by its previously unseen partner…. and bowed to us in a sign of respect?” Austin finished.

  A little grin crept onto Racheal’s face. “Yep, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  Austin was about to ask another question, but Racheal preempted him. “Don’t forget about the mysterious golden light either. That was definitely magic, and definitely part of this.”

  He scowled. “No, I won’t. That golden light nearly cost me an expensive dental bill.”

  Austin considered Racheal; it felt like he had seen that yellow light somewhere else recently. Face pinched in concentration, he looked away, searching for the link. Last night, when I logged, he remembered–a faint residue of golden light had accompanied his exiting Kuora.

  He had never seen it when exiting Elle’s training framework, and it lasted only a second, so he had dismissed it as a side-effect of having begun the world-seeding process. That seemed logical then, but now he wondered.

  If they were connected, it meant that somehow the quantum array was not only physically interacting with the real world, but it was doing it at a distance and with obvious intention. At that thought, he became both properly scared and seriously excited.

  Racheal interrupted his reverie. “You know what’s also really weird? You guys woke up at the same time.”

  They looked at each other. Austin shrugged. “That’s not so weird. We both got hit by the same weapon, in the same place, at the same time. To wake up simultaneously a few hours later is a little odd, but it’s not really that unbelievable.”

  Matty nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Besides, we’re like Eskimo brothers, linked by a cosmic bond that instantly alerts us whenever the other one starts talking nearby.”

  Racheal looked skeptical. “That’s not true.”

  Matty nodded back. “Sure as the shits after a night of Jäger bombs, it is.”

  Austin smirked, and Racheal shook her head bemusedly. “Alright, whatever.” She snorted a laugh. “But I think there’s more to it. You guys have been out for more than just a few hours.”

  “What? How long?” Austin asked.

  Racheal turned her hand up to check the time. The thin black band around her wrist, her iCore, projected it into the area before her palm. “It’s 9:27 PM now, and the pizza attack was at five, so… 6 days, 4 hours, and 27 minutes. Almost a week, boys.”

  She looked at them with mock exasperation. “Feeling rested yet?” Her eyes shifted to Austin. “If I remember correctly, didn’t you leave the VR cookies in the oven?”

  “Oh my God, the seeding process!” Austin blurted out. Seven days instead of one—that’s not too bad, right? Oh, who the hell am I fooling, that’s horrible.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck… we were supposed to login and start the beta after a single day of world creation. Not fucking seven!”

  “Oohhh.” Matty drew out then fixed him with one partially squinted eye. “Is that bad?”

  “Well, shit! I don’t know. I’ve never done this before. But seven days at 1080 virtual years per Earth day. That’s almost 7500 years! Wasn’t the last ice age 10,000 years ago? So yeah, I’m guessing it’s a bit long to be an absentee landlord.”

  Leaping from the bed, Austin began frantically searching for his clothing. “And if that isn’t stressful enough, there’s a runaway simulation protocol. It’s a failsafe, just in case I got in a car accident or died of a stroke, to protect against an unmonitored simulation getting out of control.

  “I’m the only one who has access and knows Kuora is live. If I don’t return to the lab within seven days of launch, it activates and the entire universe stops cold, then all of the data, the entire world gets deleted. The crystalline storage where it’s all held gets a hard reset.”

  “What!?” The other two exclaimed in unison.

  “Why the hell did you set that up?” Racheal asked.

  “It seemed like a good idea. I figured that leaving a virtual world running indefinitely at almost 400,000 times the speed of the human world, well yeah... that seems bad.”

  Matty’s eyes widened at that. “Okay. Yeah. I can get that; sounds a lot like the start of a movie where the machines take over the Earth.”

  “I know!” Austin confirmed. “It doesn’t matter though, I’m awake, and we’ve got a bit less than an hour and a half to get there and save the data.” He looked intensely to Racheal. “You got your car?”

  She was grinning again. “Does the Pope shit in the woods?”

  He twisted a face of mocking disapproval at her, thinking, No, he definitely didn’t. “Blasphemer,” he said.

  She shot him a mischievous look from under a tipped brim. “Damn straight.”

  He just shook his head. Racheal was nothing if not committed to flying in the face of authority; it was one of her most commendable qualities. He smirked back at her. “We need to go. Now. You in?”

  “I’m not sitting here because the damn chair is comfortable. Of course, I’m in.”

  “Good. C’mon, Matty, get your shit on. We gotta roll.”

  “Are we going to get an answer to the pans?” Matty asked as he moved to get Racheal’s help pulling his IV line.

  “Maybe… I don’t know. I doubt it. We can deal with that later, though. Right now, let’s just get the hell out of here,” Austin answered as he fumbled through his clothes for his underwear, but they were missing. Well, looks like freeballing is in the weather forecast. With a smirk, he grabbed his pants, tugging them up under the hospital gown.

  He pulled the gown off. Matty was a step ahead of him, shirt already on and stuffing his feet into shoes. The sound of footsteps hurriedly coming down the hallway reached the trio. “That could be a problem,” Austin said, casting a look between his friends, then at the open door.

  He acted swiftly; jerking his shirt on and snagging his shoes. Then, ignoring his unbuttoned pants, Austin stepped through the door before the approaching feet arrived, preventing he and his friends from being boxed in.

  His previous experiences with the most current iteration of hospital checkout procedures were painful, drawn-out, bureaucratic nightmares. These people were the paperwork-loving demons whose chief responsibility was to ensnare him in that morass, and he had no time for it.

  He didn’t wait for them to grab the initiative and authoritatively announced, “We’re both checking out right now. I’m sure your billing department already has my name and home address. As for your checkout paperwork and requirements, my attorney will contact you to complete the necessary forms. He has full power of attorney for me as well as for Matty.”

  He waved the other two by behind him, directing them down the corridor. He wasn’t actually sure if Dave had a power of attorney on Matty, but it
didn’t matter. He would deal with it later.

  Glancing over his shoulder and spotting a red exit sign at the corridor end, he started backing up; the other two were already edging that way as well.

  The nurse kept advancing. She was followed by a larger guy, his face sour and indignant, knowing he held the moral high ground. Although Mr. Serious wasn’t in charge, he probably wouldn’t hesitate to get physical should the nurse ask it.

  Austin turned his attention to the nurse, immediately seeing the thin set of her mouth, indicating fierce determination–he knew she would make problems.

  He stopped backing up, and they both stopped in response, probably thinking he’d come to his senses. Austin looked closely at her, cataloguing details: close to his age, dirty-blond hair cut to shoulder length, no makeup, faded but playful scrubs printed with a googly-eyed bumblebee, a twice-a-week workout figure, flat-bottom, posture correct shoes, tallish, probably five eight, American flag pin next to a yellow ribbon slashed with purple above her pocket, no wedding ring… no, there it was, barely visible, on a chain around her neck.

  She darkened at his appraisal and reached to get a hold of his arm. Austin twisted away from her and held up his other hand, palm out. “Hold on.” She stopped and withdrew slightly. “I have an idea.”

  He needed out of this hospital fast, but he preferred to leave without creating another problem. If they ran without handling the discharge procedure, she could potentially contact the police, in which case a blogger could learn about it.

  Some media types almost certainly knew he was here. If he skipped out, they’d find out, write about it, and generate attention he didn’t want. Staying to complete the paperwork still wasn’t an option. He’d run out and deal with the consequences before allowing that to occur, but there might be a way to convince her.

  Austin glanced at her name tag and took a chance. “Irene, is your kid smart?” The question caught her off guard, and the shock on her face was his answer.

  Ah-ha, good. “I’m guessing that she is since her mom is obviously a dedicated nurse who could work at a much more prominent hospital.”

  He guessed at the gender–it was a coin flip. “But you don’t, do you? You live all the way up here to keep her out of the urban-zone school systems. You want to make sure she gets the best possible chance in life, right?”

  Without moving or responding, Irene eyed him with glaring suspicion.

  Austin took that as a positive indicator. Her guard was up, but she was curious.

  He turned his hand up, another disarming gesture, raised his brow, and asked the question that was his hook. “Is she getting close to applying to colleges?” Then waited silently for a reply–her moment of buy-in.

  His pulse ticked up as the silence stretched.

  “Yes. He is,” Irene finally answered. “He’s starting his applications now.” Austin had guessed the gender wrong, but it did not matter. She was talking, engaged with his dialogue; she wanted to know where this was going.

  He pressed on, “I’m sure you want him to go to the best college possible, maybe even one of the few that would keep him out of a city and in New England.” It wasn’t a hard guess–even the best inner-city schools were falling out of favor with breathable air quality on a steady decline.

  “But those aren’t cheap, are they, Irene? Admissions have also gotten much tougher with the influx of internationals and rich urban zone parents pushing their kids into them in droves.”

  He paused for a moment, waiting for some confirmation that he was on the right trail. She picked up on the silent query and nodded her head slowly, still scowling at him.

  “Do you know my family, Irene?” She nodded again; scowl determinedly stuck in place. As he made ready to barrel on, Austin suddenly realized that Irene was actually quite beautiful, even in the scrubs. He banished this thought, ordering his hormones to cool it.

  “Okay, I’d like to do you a favor. But I need you to let Matty and me out of here–right now. Allow my attorney to handle the several hours of hospital discharge paperwork. If you do, your son’s name will go to the top of the list for scholarship interviews at Dartmouth. I’m on the admissions committee, and Texier Labs basically paid for their nanotech school.”

  She froze, her scowl replaced by wide-eyed shock, tinged with an inkling of hope. Just then, Mr. Serious–Brian, from his name tag–tried to advance, but Irene held up an arm, barring his way.

  Despite that action, her stubborn reluctance held fast–Irene was still on the damn fence. This woman took her job seriously. Gotta roll the dice buddy, can’t just stand here hoping. Austin shot a quick glance over his shoulder. Matty and Racheal were standing anxiously half-way to the exit.

  Austin took a breath; he had one more card to play to win Irene over. If he was right, it’d almost certainly close the deal. If not, it might just piss her off.

  Resolved to either win her over or flee by any means, he said. “It’ll be up to him to impress the rest of the committee and meet the standards, but he’ll have my vote and support. And also, Irene…” He paused for dramatic effect. “You should know that the Dean and I both have the utmost respect for the wives and children of fallen heroes. He’ll have the inside track.”

  That did it. Her eyes teared up, and she put a hand over her mouth to suppress a sob. Through tears, Irene responded, “You swear on your mother’s grave?”

  Austin’s breath caught and his heart hammered as the question cut at the old wound. Looking away he took a steadying breath, suppressed his grief, and squeezed back tears.

  Irene’s intuition was sharp, too sharp. His emotions began to ebb, he was well acquainted with this old pain, and was practiced at keeping it from spilling out at unwanted times. Austin tilted his head back up, turning an appraising eye on Irene again.

  On instinct, she had drawn on what little she knew about his family to pinpoint his one truly vulnerable spot, and then used it to emotionally bind him to the promise.

  Voice a bit shaky, Austin responded, “Yes, Irene. I swear on my mother’s grave.” She nodded, and then returned to nursing.

  Wiping away her tears, she addressed Austin and pointed a finger at Matty. “Both of you, stand here in front of me.” Matty stepped tentatively forward. “Are you dizzy, seeing multiples, or feeling any tingling in your hands or extremities?”

  “No,” they replied in unison.

  “Good, stand on one foot, and hold out your arms.” They both obeyed. “Heads back and touch your nose. Left hand first, then right.”

  An old school field sobriety test? Austin thought.

  His appreciation for Irene grew. Without the scowl she was attractive in the honest way women who had nothing to prove wore naturally. He tilted his head back, wondering how she’d look in a dress, or jeans and a tank top. Yeah, jeans and a white tank top.

  Distracted by the image, he wobbled a bit, nearly losing his balance twice, but completed the task and looked back at Irene with a little smile. Matty did it easily.

  Her eyes seemed to linger on him. Was that a longer-than-needed look? He couldn’t be sure, but he thought so.

  Irene pulled out a penlight. “Look straight ahead.” He did and she proceeded to flash it in each of his eyes a couple times, and then she did the same to Matty.

  Irene stepped back, pocketing her penlight with a slight head tilt and a curious eye cast at Austin.

  He raised a brow. “All done? Are we clear to leave? Dave Emmerstine is my counsel, I’ll contact him right now.”

  She nodded. “Yes, go. I’ll handle the rest.”

  Matty and Racheal had already turned and cut toward the stairwell door. As Austin followed, he looked back at Irene and their eyes met. The look was completely different now. Something in their relaxed fearlessness revealed hope and a lonely confidence.

  Even more, he saw in her a feeling he knew well. He was alone, but he didn’t want to stay alone, he just wasn’t willing to compromise. Irene had that look in the way she held herself.
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  Her head tilted ever so slightly–curiosity, recognition. Yes, there. Irene loved who she was. She had a strong heart, but she held it close. She was waiting for someone to give her reason to try again.

  The knowing connected them, and as he ran down the hall, Austin found himself sharing a soulful moment of raw human vulnerability with Irene. He held the look for only a few seconds, but it affected him deeply.

  Sensing the end of the hall approaching, Austin willed himself to break the trance. Just in time, he was at the exit door.

  His unbuckled pants started to slip, and cool air ran over his bear delicates.

  Grabbing them with his right hand, he extended his left, still holding his shoes, bracing it against the steel door frame, and twisted himself into the stairwell. He stumbled but managed to avoid falling.

  From behind, a soft laugh echoed down the hall. Austin smiled and a feeling of warmth flooded his body as he bounded downstairs. He might have to visit the hospital again soon.

  6

  Olli

  Texier Quantum Labs Research Facility and Q-Core Node Host Front Gate

  Thirty minutes south of Bethel, Maine

  May 13th, 2064—World Seed plus 6 days, 23 hours, 19 minutes

  Racheal mashed the brakes as her fingers quickly tapped the shifter paddle dropping the car from fourth gear to first in an instant. The pitch of the engine’s howling whine barked rapid-fire, and they slammed to a stop inches from the Texier gate. A small cloud of white smoke, pungent with the smell of burned rubber and ozone, billowed around them.

  Despite wearing a racing harness, Austin had a death grip on the oh-shit handle. He flexed his hand open, knuckles stiff and finger joints aching from being contracted.

  Glancing over, he saw Racheal wearing a wicked, tight-lipped grin. She had displayed the full breath of her semi-pro driving skills during the trip from the hospital.

  Together, they were a pair of speed junkies, but Austin was typically driving, or if not and Racheal was, they still took his NexU since it had the look ahead detection. Plus, it was also faster than Racheal’s Pangierra-VX. A fact that made her endlessly jealous.