‘I’m so tired now…’ he whispered, sunken eyes unfocused, sallow skin pale and limpid. ‘I think it’s time to go…’
Jenson dragged himself up off the deck, shuffled forward and took Black’s bloodless hand in his once more. ‘Hang on in there old friend,’ he implored. ‘We’ll find a way to save you….Just hang on in there…’
‘You already have saved me…’Black whispered with the faintest of smiles. ‘To know you are waiting for me is all I need to know…Ah….it is indeed time to move on….I shall be at your side once more, very soon…’
Captain Peter Black began to fade. He became insubstantial, ghostly, and within a few moments he was gone. He rejoined the rest of Excalibur’s crew on the far-side of the dimensional membrane. Paul Jenson collapsed back onto the deck at the foot of the empty captain’s chair, emotionally drained. Jennifer lifted herself up from her seat, stepped to the centre of the bridge and sat herself next to Jenson, putting a comforting arm around his shoulder and giving him a hug. Moss thought to himself how much more empathetic his lovely wife was, compared to himself. It was something he struggled with. From his pouch, securely attached to his father’s chest, baby Arthur regarded the events around himself with a seriousness that was improbably rare in a infant of his age.
‘Excalibur!’ Han Sandpiper called out to the sentient AI.
‘Yes Han?’ the smooth female voice responded.
‘This isn’t our time-line is it?’ he asked her directly.
‘No… it is not,’ was the equally direct response.
‘Which is why the Karine exited the sub-ether earlier than our original flight-path predicted?’ he added.
‘Indeed…’ was the confirmatory response.
‘As a quantum artificial intelligence, your are quantum entangled with the Excalibur of our own true time-line?’ Sandpiper continued.
‘I am…’
‘Is Captain Black and the crew of Excalibur, in our true timeline—in any current mortal danger?’
‘They are not….they are all alive and well.’
‘Are we free to return to our own time-line?’
‘You are. A new flight-plan has been input into the navigation computer onboard the Karine. It will guide you back to the Excalibur in your own time-line,’ the sentient AI told them. There was a pause, as each of them considered what had just happened and what they now knew.
‘I guess we should have realised sooner, that this isn’t our timeline. But, as horrific as this has been, what we have learned will be invaluable to our own people,’ Moss mentally thought at them all. ‘It may prove key in stopping the events that have happened here from being repeated once more.’
‘Is there nothing we can do to help all the poor souls here?’ Jennifer thought back at him. ‘They may not be part of our own timeline, but they are still the crew of Excalibur! We can’t just abandon them!’
‘I’m not sure that we have much of a choice…’ Moss answered. ’Their reality is quarantined from ours. We’re only on the periphery of this dimension. We can’t intervene directly. ’
‘I can guess who’s stopping us…’ she retorted.
‘So can I, but that doesn’t change anything. We have no direct influence over events here. We’re observers only…’ Moss replied wearily.
‘Excalibur, is there any way we can help the crew, or aid the fleet?’ Sandpiper demanded out loud.
‘I am afraid not Han,’ the calm female voice responded. ‘As Moss pointed out, you are observers of this timeline only. You may not interact or actively change events there.’
‘Oh for Frack’s sake, I’m sick of this..’ He said quietly, but with feeling.
Jenson gently, but firmly, took Jennifer’s arm off his shoulder. He stood up, angrily wiped a tear from his eye, turned and faced them all. Despite being wan, tired, and clearly distraught, he pulled his shoulders back and said, ‘We’re done here…It’s time to go home.’
As purposely, as he could, he marched across the bridge to the door of the transport pod. The others took his lead. They got up, brushed themselves down, and followed. There was nothing more to be said or done. It was time to go home, truly home…
Nimue and Myrddin stood in the centre of Excalibur’s bridge and gazed at the large holo-viewer as the Karine left the main hangar. They watched silently as the ship and it’s precious cargo glide along the length of the hull, then headed away, past the orbit of the large asteroid. They stood there patiently, unmoving, until the swirling mists of a wormhole appeared, flashed with energy, and disappeared. Only when they were sure the Terran vessel was safely en-route to it’s true timeline, did they relax.
‘Thank you…’ Nimue eventually said to her brother without looking at him. She still wistfully looked at the asteroids and stars on the bridge holo-viewer, but she took his hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze.
‘For what?’ he asked, making no effort to move his hand, but also gazing at the viewer.
‘For agreeing to place a dimensional membrane between their world and this one,’ she answered.
‘Not a problem,’ he replied. ‘It would have been inhumane to expose them to the full reality of what’s happened here. It may well have pushed them over the edge.’
‘Maybe we have already?’
‘Already what?’
‘Pushed them over the edge,’ Nimue clarified. ‘I’ve never seen them so distraught before…it was painful to witness.’
‘It was necessary,’ Myrddin told her. ‘So much depends on the lessons they will have learned on their recent travels; but yes, it was hard to watch their pain. They are after all, family.’
‘And the Excalibur’s crew is their family.’
‘Indeed….’
The pair lapsed into silence for a few moments and then Nimue asked, ‘Did the bio nanobots get transferred OK?’
‘Yes…’ he confirmed with a nod. ‘Allowing Peter Black through the membrane allowed Jenson to become infected when they touched hands.’
‘And you’re sure they won’t all become victims of the nanobot pandemic? Just like all those other poor souls?’ she queried in a concerned voice.
‘There is a copy of Brabazon’s metamorphic code-virus in the Karine’s data-banks,’ he told her. ‘Once in the sub-ether, they will receive instructions on how to nullify the nanobots, using the code-virus.’
‘But they’ll still have physical examples of the nanobots to examine and study?’’ Nimue added.
‘Indeed…’ Myrddin responded.
‘Hmm…’
Silence descended once more and the minutes ticked by.
‘So, I guess we’re just about done here?’ Myrddin eventually asked Nimue.
‘I guess so…,’ she replied. ‘There’s just the question of our friend Excalibur here…’
‘Excalibur?’ Myrddin called out aloud to the sentient AI.
‘Yes, Myrddin?’’ the soft female voice replied.
‘What do you wish to do now? You are free to choose,’ the ancient asked.
‘I will cleanup and sanitize all the decks. Remove all traces of the pandemic. And then…’
‘Yes?’
‘And then I wish to rest…’ Excalibur told them in an almost heart-felt tone.
‘You may do that. You deserve it…’ Nimue told the sentient AI. ‘And Excalibur?’
‘Yes Nimue?’
‘Thank you….’
‘You are most welcome. I am content to know our mission is thus far successful….’
‘Indeed…’
Silence descended upon the bridge of Excalibur once more, as they each savored the post-drama calm.
‘I think we deserve a holiday,’ Myrddin finally declared.
‘I agree. Where to?’ Nimue replied.
‘Paris, of course…’ Myrddin stated firmly.
‘Circa 1890?’
‘Of course… when else?’
‘You know our estranged family members will probably be there are well?’
‘I’m banking on it…’ Myrddin answered with a sly grin. ‘And I’ll even let you be the “good cop” this time…’
Nimue simply nodded in agreement and gave his hand another squeeze. Another adventure beckoned.
‘Farewell Excalibur.’ Nimue said to the sentient AI. ‘Thank you again, and we wish you well.’
‘Farewell Nimue and Myrddin.’ Excalibur replied.
The figures of the two ancients, became insubstantial, faded and disappeared. The bridge was empty once more, as was the entire vessel. The work-stations were switched off, all non-essential services shutdown. Hidden as she was, in the lee of the large asteroid, Excalibur went into hibernation. For how long for? She couldn’t be sure. One day her services would be required again, but for now, it was time to slumber. The lights went out and Excalibur slipped into darkness.
EPILOGUE
Excalibur, in orbit above the planet Dyason.
September 3rd 2057. 11.10hrs ship time.
Moss sat on his own at the back of the auditorium and watched as Josh Brabazon briefed the senior ship and fleet officers. Gulag and Colmarrie, the captain and executive officer of ‘Dominator’ sat on the front row. Besides them sat the Heligsion seer Dauphne, and the Valvia’s captain Daal. Around them and filling the other rows of the large briefing room, were other TWDF deck officers and scientists. In fact, nearly every fleet ship in the vicinity of Dyason had sent a senior representative to listen to Brabazon’s lecture on the initial findings on the information stored in the Karine’s data-banks.
Since their arrival in their own timeline, and safe return to their own Excalibur, activity had been feverish. A perfectly healthy captain Black and his crew, had been delighted to see them all, after so many weeks absence. After a rapid debrief, a security cordon was quickly erected around the Karine and under Josh Brabazon’s careful scrutiny, the invaluable data was retrieved. Jenson was whisked off to Excalibur’s medical centre where Dr Berry and her team removed and isolated the deactivated bio nanobots residing in his body.
The information regarding the bio nanobots and the metamorphic code-virus was deemed to be ‘Ultra Top Secret’. Thus, the briefing now being given by Josh Brabazon was to be on the planet Samarcia, multiverse constants, artificial intelligence and their repercussions in the fight against the Starweb. Which was more than enough for any audience to get their heads around.
Soon, Excalibur would be heading back to Earth, where Brabazon’s lectures would be repeated for the TWDF head brass. This briefing was just the first of what Moss knew would be many. Scientists, politicians and military leaders would be arguing over the consequences of their recent adventures, for many months, if not years, to come.
‘And so, this is the first time there has been irrefutable evidence that we indeed live in a multi-dimensional multiverse,’ the voice of Brabazon drifted up the aisles to were Moss say. ‘Up until now, the maths and the equations all pointed to the existence of the multiverse; of alternate realities to our own. However, there was never any physical evidence to ratify the mathematics. Now, there is…’
Moss sat and watched for a few minutes as Josh Brabazon used graphics and cockpit cam footage to explain how by descending further into the sub-ether, the Karine was able to slip into a parallel timeline. One where events that happened in the historical past on Samarcia in this timeline, happened on a present-day version of the ancient civilisation, in an alternate timeline—very confusing. Exuding enthusiasm for the scientific discoveries revealed during their adventures, Brabazon glossed over some of the more complex aspects. This lecture was very much a brief overview only. But, this was what they had all previously agreed. It would be sometime; if ever, before much of what they had learned could become general knowledge.
It would also be sometime before the psychological wounds of what they had all been through would heal. There had been a few evenings of informal debriefing and ‘decompressing’ in Excalibur’s famous bar ‘The Pissed Pilot’. The tall Amazonian resistance leader Colmarrie had told Sandpiper in no uncertain terms, that he wasn’t going off for on any other adventures without her. Black and Jenson had spent quite some time renewing their friendship; it was taking some time for Jenson to come to terms with what had happened to his old friend in the alternate timeline. Jennifer unsurprisingly, was emotionally and physically exhausted and was sleeping whenever baby Aurthur slept. Moss himself felt angry and frustrated at events and was quietly determined not to let his family and friends be manipulated in such a manner again.
After a few more minutes of watching the incredulous reactions of Brabazon’s spell-bound audience, Moss got up out of his seat and left the auditorium. There was somebody he needed to talk to.
Moss knew where to find who he was looking for. The acres of woodlands and gardens of the biosphere deck was Excalibur’s garden of Eden. The plants, trees and animals here were, except for a few exceptions, all from Earth. A little piece of home to take with them on long voyages.
After walking for some time with the artificial early evening sun glinting through the leaves, Moss heard the familiar babbling of running water. The trees parted and the small lake with the gentle waterfall stood before him. The golden sun glinted off the deep blue water and the two young ladies in swimsuits splashing about in its centre. They were both about nineteen years old with brown tanned skin and long fair hair. Their laughter echoed off the nearby oak, ash and pine trees as they played with bright abandon.
Moss sat down on the lush grass at the edge of the lake and watched Excalibur’s holographic projection of its own persona play with Aquiline, the young Heligsion seer. This was where the sentient AI and the operant Heligsion teenager were often to be seen. It was a form of mindfulness therapy that worked for them both. It was also much needed calming therapy for himself. Ten minutes or so went past and then there was a rustle in the trees behind him. Moss didn’t bother to turn around; he waited until the stranger had approached and sat down on the grass next to him.
‘Hello son,’ the stranger greeted.
Moss turned to look at the man. He was somewhere in his mid-forties, lean and muscular. His mass of dark hair was shoulder length and framed an angular, handsome face.
‘We meet again Arthur,’ he greeted his ancestor somewhat coolly. ‘A lot has happened since last we met. Even more than before…’
‘Indeed it has lad…indeed it has,’ Arthur agreed, settling himself down in the lush grass beside him. ‘I’m guessing you are looking for an explanation?’
‘I am…’ Moss replied firmly. ‘Beginning, with why you felt it necessary to abduct my wife and child?’
There was a sigh and the apparition regarded the girls swimming in the lake for a few moments before answering, ‘They were never in any real danger…They are too precious for us to take unwarranted risks,’ Arthur replied in a slightly defensive tone.
‘Us?’ Moss queried. ‘So you are a part of some group? You are not a solitary entity? ’
‘I was mortal once; your ancestor. We are of direct lineage, you and I. This much you already know,’ came the explanation. ’When I met my untimely demise, my conscience was absorbed into a collective intelligence. Much the same as our friend Brother Dakol.’
‘The Starweb?’ Moss demanded, somewhat alarmed at this revelation.
‘No, not the Starweb, but another, much older network,’ Arthur told him. ‘Although is it true, that they were once deemed “artificial intelligence”, they evolved into something far more advanced than a network of supercomputers.’
‘Multi-dimensional, quantum entangled, life-forms?’
Arthur nodded. ’It’s a near inevitable evolutionary consequence of quantum computing…’
Moss sat and thought for a moment, staring out over the lake, before saying,’That explains a lot, but it does not explain why you abducted my wife and child.’
‘It was necessary.’
‘Why?’
‘To set in action a process that will help restore balance
to the multiverse...’
‘We’ve been here before…’ Moss said dryly. ‘You’re going to have to do better than that…..I’ve heard the “Save the Universe” bit already…’
Arthur looked at him with a frown. This response was unanticipated, it had never happened this way before.
‘Your cynicism is perhaps well founded,’ Arthur tried again. ‘However, it is true, that it was necessary to create an environment where you would be forced to face certain truths…’
‘Such as?’
‘Would you have truly believed there are parallel worlds, parallel timelines, if you had not actually seen them for yourself?’ Arthur replied bluntly, looking Moss squarely in the eye.
Moss hesitated before answering. He considered his response, before saying, ’I’ve been aware for a long time, of the laws of Quantum Mechanics and the maths which state the existence of the multiverse. However, you are probably correct that I would not believe other timelines were of consequence to our own.’
‘And now?’
‘OK, I accept it is possible for one timeline to interact with another,’ Moss replied grudgingly. ‘But let me guess,’ he added. ‘Such interaction can only happen when a “multiverse constant” is present?’
‘I see you have been giving events much thought,’ Arthur responded. ‘You are indeed correct, it requires a multiverse constant to transverse the dimensions.’
‘And baby Arthur is one of these constants?’
‘He is…..,’ the adult Arthur confirmed. ‘It was a great surprise to us all. We had not foreseen that your offspring would become a new multiverse traveler. We had to test that he truly was a new constant. To be sure of his abilities.’
‘Which could only be done by physically moving him to another timeline?’
‘Baby Arthur was given assistance, but the actual physical move from the medical bay on Excalibur, to Samarcia, on an alternate timeline—that was all the newborn infant’s work.’
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