Nexus of Time

by Mark Riverstone

"Colonel, I told you more than enough to prove I am who I say. I'm not here for you. I need your help to get me to General McCaffery. With all due respect, you need to share your information with me. I can only help you if you tell me the specific reasons why you set up an encampment in this location, why your soldiers are patrolling in hazmat suits, and why you are bringing in so much equipment."

  "You do cut to the chase and I believe you know something of the truth. We are at this location because it sits just outside the radiation boundary from leakages caused by the Augusta Nuclear Plant remains. My troops are passing into and out of the perimeter, trying to box whatever is in there. They are searching for any sign of those...according to you...Grey aliens, and any people in the area who may be exposed to radiation. No aliens found yet, but what we have found can only be explained as not human."

  "What have you found, Colonel? It must be unusual for my explanation of another species makes sense to you."

  "Oh, it's unusual," says the colonel in a funny tone.

  An officer working communications calls out, "Colonel Lex, fifteen minutes!"

  "Thank you, Captain. Xanthos, I need to divert my attention to this current mission underway. Why don't you watch, and maybe you will offer some last-minute information that could be helpful."

  "Is this operation pertaining to the unusual thing that caused you to believe me?" asks Mr. Nix.

  "See for yourself."

  The colonel leads Nix to the back section of the trailer closed off by a wall and door. A solider opens the door for the Colonel, exposing a dark room lit by a stack of camera monitors. An officer sits in the dark working the controls. Over speakers, the conversations of fighter pilots in flight chatter.

  "This is something serious, Colonel. What are the fighter pilots en route to?"

  "Captain, up on main screen."

  Up on the main screen is a long shot of something enormous, revealed by its perspective to the surrounding trees. The shape is plain; an oval and a rectangle that were meshed together and then the surfaces smoothed for continuity. The tree line only comes to one third the height of the thirty to forty meters high object. Yet wider and longer than high. The color is dull silver with no markings.

  "What is that?" asks Nix.

  "Hoping you could tell me. Zoom in closer, Captain."

  The visual expands until the object takes up the screen. The object is at the edge of where the nuclear plant once stood. A huge opening almost the full width and a fourth of the height spans the front of this object. The slowly moving object scoops up whatever is before it into the opening. Massive balls with studs rotate inside the opening, grinding up everything going into it: dirt, building chunks, poles and asphalt.

  "How did that get there?"

  "Captain, could you bring up the footage from thirty-eight hours ago?"

  The captain taps keys on the keyboard, and an image appears. It is handheld footage taken at ground level by someone nearby. It shows a massive Grey ship hovering above the ground, with the bottom open. Light, rays and spray particles flow out the base of the ship, assembling this massive object from the ground up, similar to a 3D printer.

  "Unbelievable; instant assembly. We knew they had the capability for single-machine assembly that went directly from raw materials to finished product. Have you taken a closer look at it before deciding to attack?" asks Mr. Nix.

  "We airdropped in a reconnaissance squad. Some troops landed right atop the thing, the others aside it. It has no latches or devices other than that massive mouth and a smaller discharge opening in the back. We took a sample from what was coming out the back: soil and pulverized wood, organic stuff. The discharge wasn't radioactive. It's sanitizing..."

  "Decontaminating..."

  "That. We even sent a chopper in to retrieve those troops. That thing did nothing as the helicopter hovered around it. No defenses, no offensive weapons. It just eats up and shits out. And it has been focusing on the spot where they destroyed the nuclear plant. It is not digging up the woods around it yet. We concluded that thing is a terraformer, changing the ground, making it more to their liking."

  "I said, Colonel, they are from here. They don't want to change the Earth, just undo what humanity did to it. You said only organic material is coming out the back."

  "That is correct."

  "Then I know that machine's function," says Mr. Nix confidently.

  "Please share."

  "Not only do they have fabrication machines that create from raw materials, they also have deconstructors that take inorganic objects and deconstruct it into raw materials. That machine out there isn't terraforming, it's deconstructing the man-made stuff from the power plant and converting it into raw materials. Decontaminating the discharged materials makes the land habitable for life again."

  "If that's the case, where are the raw materials?" asks Colonel Lex.

  "Inside. That massive thing is a storage space for what it has collected. Piles of resources and rare materials waiting for them to collect for their own use. When it's full, there will be enough in there to build a habitation or colony. And wipe out our presence at the same time."

  "I will destroy that thing. Stop it before it gets out of this area and starts tearing apart buildings still standing. While out here in the restricted zone, we can fire at will whatever we want and not worry about civilians or collateral damage. Nothing we do will make the land worse than the radioactive dead zone it is."

  "Mind if I watch the assault?" asks Mr. Nix.

  "Please. I want you to. Then you can tell General McCaffery how I popped that bugger open like a tin can. We'll see if I can even send you back to him with a souvenir, a gift from Colonel Lex, and tell him I'm always ready for a promotion."

  "Five minutes, Colonel," calls out an operations lieutenant.

  "Put the object live on center screen. Bring up the aircraft cameras on the other monitors," orders Colonel Lex.

  The screens change to live views, most show the ground below whipping by as seen from the incoming fighter jets. Those in the room are silent, waiting. Pilot chatter increases as they can see the massive Grey terraforming Deconstructor in view.

  "Raven at angel one naked tally Turtle coming in at six o'clock."

  "Roger that, Raven, Bulldog has your visual at three o'clock and confirmation tally Turtle."

  "Roger that, Bulldog..."

  Colonel Lex turns to Mr. Nix, "Turtle is the name for the object."

  "I got that, thanks," responds Mr. Nix.

  "Raven Fox one."

  "Roger that, Bulldog Fox three."

  "Tabby Fox two."

  "Viper Fox two..."

  As the pilot chat continues, most the aircraft on the screens release missiles, rocketing towards the Grey object.

  "Bulldog winchester and RTB..."

  "Roger, Raven winchester and RTB..."

  "Tabby, that Turtle is FM."

  As the missiles strike the object again and again, many of the aircraft cameras turn around and fly away. When the flashes and blasts from the missiles stops, the object is unharmed. The colonel shows no expression as he touches the shoulder of the officer at the control panel.

  "Tell the Spirits to begin once the fighters are clear. The ones with slicks can start, and tell the one with the silver bullet to wait until ordered," commands Colonel Lex.

  "Yes, Sir..." responds the lieutenant.

  Mr. Nix turns to the colonel, "A second wave of stealth bombers?"

  "That's right. I figured something with the weaponry to do the destruction they did might not go down easy."

  "And one with a nuke?" asks Mr. Nix.

  "Tactical nuke. Just in case."

  "Do you think that's wise on homeland soil?"

  "Absolutely. This might be the only chance to drop a nuke. The area is already contaminated with radiation. It's only a twenty megaton. I want to make sure that thing out there never leaves."

  "Fighters clear," calls out a lieutenant.

  "Begin air strike," co
mmands Colonel Lex.

  Two of the screens show a mass of bombs dropping out a craft's bottom. Afterwards, a bombarding barrage pummels the massive object. When the smoke clears, it bears a few cosmetic blast marks, but shows no damage.

  "Turtle remains undamaged," informs a lieutenant.

  "Commence surgical strike with the tactical nuke," orders Colonel Lex.

  "Release silver bullet when ready..." relays a lieutenant over the comm system.

  A third bomber plane shows the release of a lone bomb. After a long moment, the tactical nuke detonates against the massive object. A flash blinds the visual screen, followed by a blooming cloud of incinerating smoke. The Grey terraforming Deconstructor rocks as the surrounding trees turn to ash and dust. When the smoke clears, and the scene settles, the area around the massive object is a barren blast zone. The Deconstructor's exterior bears scorch marks. However, the massive object is intact, continuing to scoop up what is in front of it as if never attacked.

  The colonel's jaw drops as he falls to a seat in a chair.

  "Orders, colonel?" asks a lieutenant.

  "Tell all aircraft to return to base," orders the Colonel in a deflated tone.

  "All aircraft RTB, I repeat, RTB..." relays the lieutenant.

  Mr. Nix stares at the screen, shocked. The Committee destroyed a deep-sea base with a nuclear torpedo. A more powerful nuke, but that Grey facility was larger than this thing. But that deep-sea base never expected an attack by humans. And Seventeen's sabotage to that colony on the inside inhibited their ability to defend from a blast. The Greys predicted humans would try to attack this terraforming Deconstructor with their most powerful weapons and apparently made certain these machines could withstand anything mankind threw at it.

  The colonel collapses into a chair.

  "Any ideas, Agent Xanthos?" asks the colonel.

  "Don't attack that object," responds Mr. Nix in a flat tone.

  "Are we screwed? Is there nothing we can do to retaliate?" asks Colonel Lex with a hint of desperation in his voice.

  "I didn't say that. We just can't attack the Greys in ways they expect. We must find targets they don't expect us to attack in ways they won't consider. Their technology trumps ours. Human's advantage is our unpredictable nature and irrational behavior. You need to exploit that if you want to succeed against them," explains Mr. Nix.

  "What are you thinking? What targets do we hit?"

  "For now, just keep the area contained, keep people away from that thing, send most of your men back to the base, and help local authorities keep control over civilians. If people panic and get out of control, our own citizens could get in the way enough to prevent your ability to perform a successful strike against any Grey targets."

  "Greys. Why do you call them Greys?"

  "Same reason humans name each other. Skin color."

  "Are other intelligent creatures out there? I'd hate to think there are worse things out there than these."

  "There are other intelligent species in the universe. Many of them fear the Greys. These beings are among the most dangerous."

  "Agent, do we stand a chance?"

  "Just remember, Colonel, they are from here. And we control what they want: the planet's surface. They will not do anything to destroy the planet, which they could. Every creature's greatest weakness comes from their place of origin. It's part of the cycle of nature. Life, death. An ecosystem needs life to die so life can be born. Since they are from Earth, Earth put something in them and on this planet to help them die, keeping nature in balance. We need to figure out what that weakness is if we want a chance."

  "What about you, Agent? What are you going to do?"

  "I need to reach DC. Anything you can do to help me? I need to get in touch with the Pentagon."

  "Well, we'll start packing things up here, and tomorrow send troops back to the base. In forty-eight hours, my comm officer will work with you to get a hold of the DOD in DC somehow. But I must admit, we had a hell of a time getting in touch with anyone outside a two-hundred-mile radius. I was able to connect with local commanders in the Air Force and National Guard, but this operation was arranged and authorized by myself and the Air Force Base Commander, because we couldn't reach anyone higher up the chain."

  "Forty-eight hours! I need help now."

  "Tell you what. I can requisition you a stripped transport Humvee, clean fatigues, rations and a pistol with one magazine. A supply officer can scrounge that stuff up and have it ready in an hour. Why don't you grab a shower, get a bite at the mess tent, be back here in an hour and you can go on your way? That's the best I can do. Will that work for you?"

  "Very much, Colonel. If possible, make it a Humvee with dual gas tanks. I could use the extra fuel."

  "I'll see what I can do."

  Colonel Lex stands and opens the room door, "Captain Baines, could you tell the guard outside to come in and escort our guest here to the showers and mess?"

  "Yes, Colonel."

  The colonel turns to Nix, "See you in an hour. And thank you for the information. May God help us."

  "That is, if God is on our side, and not the Greys."

  Had, Have, Will Have

  Chapter 31

  Inner Research Labs, The Barge, Arctic Ocean.

  Walter and Dr. Black, in unfamiliar territory, slowly walk down the passageway looking around while following a man dressed in a sleek royal blue naval style uniform. The man stands aside to the left of a door, saying nothing while leaving space for Walter and Dr. Black to pass. Walter and Dr. Black peek past the door. Walter enters first. Dr. Black says, "thank you," to the man by the door who says nothing but smiles and nods, then enters behind Walter.

  Inside, Captain Nemolopolus is alone in the small observation room. One wall is glass whose view is blocked by a blast door. A sealed door is next to the window. There is a control console and small monitors facing the window.

  "Walter, Professor Tomb...I'm sorry, which should I use to address you these days? Or you can request another name. Here on the Barge, you decide what you want to be called, unlike the Committee," states Captain Nemolopolus with a snip in his tone.

  "Walter is fine. I'm used to it. It's warm. Puts people at ease."

  "Dr. Black? Do you desire to change your name?" asks the captain.

  "In the past, I'd say yes, but after everything, I am Dr. Black."

  "I didn't expect you to be so dark and gothic, but so be it. Let me welcome you both to the Barge. Dr. Black, it is an honor to have you join us here, we long for your expertise."

  "Thank you, Captain Nemolopolus."

  "You can just call me Captain, or Nemo, though I'm not a fan of Nemo, or my full name, whatever you prefer."

  "I'm not sure what I prefer. When Sandy asked me to join, Walter said future me joined your staff, so right now I am on autopilot, going through the motions without thought," says Dr. Black with uncertainty.

  Captain Nemolopolus nods, "That is understandable. I felt the same way when we discovered Walter's radiation marker. The only way that marker could exist is if I agreed to help him in a past future. So, when I found it, there wasn't any choice for me. I agree, Dr. Black, strange and weird feelings stir being in the present approaching the future, realizing you are living a new version of a future that you already lived. But that makes Walter special. He's so brilliant he can flip my world."

  "Where did I leave the marker?" asks Walter. "I want to see if I can derive information from the location that might help us.

  "I'll tell you the coordinates, but that is our current destination. The Barge should reach them in an hour. More significant than the coordinates is the information you left there for us."

  Captain Nemolopolus turns to the table to start a video on a monitor, "The Barge was drifting along the Fram Basin, when we detected radiation that was out of place. So, I sent a probe in to get a closer look. I wanted to make sure it wasn't the remains of a nuclear vessel, an inactivated nuclear weapon, or an exposed uranium vein. What
we found was very interesting..."

  The video shows a deep-sea camera view with spotlights shining ahead, approaching a rock wall coated with short growth polyps. As the probe camera centers on a spot with the shortest growth and stops, it exposes a surface with distinct grooves.

  "That is the radiation spot. The Barge archeologist and I agreed there was something peculiar on this spot. Not the location, but for Walter, just leaving a radiation signature seemed...too simple. These grooves are time eroded, the radiation decay dating the marker placement near five thousand years ago. I guess, Walter, you overshot a little," chuckles the captain.

  Walter explains, "The whole reason we need to build a dimensional receiver is to create a beacon for the transmitter's gravitational rift to lock onto. The receiver's rift sets an end point along the Earth electromagnetic-gravitational tesseract tunnel in the fifth dimension at the exact location the signal will be sent. Since the transmitter and receiver are at identical coordinates, the data exits in the receiver's rift. Without a receiver, if it didn't go back in time far enough, the marker wouldn't have been here when we looked. That is why I used...will use a radiation marker. To prevent dissipation even if overshot by thousands of years, which your scientists confirm. But maybe future me left more than a radiation marker. Is there a message in those groves?"

  "I made sonic and ultrasonic scans of the surface to distinguish what it could be." Captain Nemolopolus searches through file images, "Before I show you, what do you think you put here, Walter?"

  "Something essential...specific and relevant. A laser carving," proposes Walter.

  "Here is our first rendering after the sonic scan. The eroded surface made it difficult to decipher at first glance."

  On the screen is a sonic image of the stone surface. It shows four lines of carving in squiggles that resemble letters and numbers.

  "We ran it through a rendering program to decipher what we were seeing, and we got this."

  A clarified image shows greater detail. The first two lines are scientific equations, a third line is a carving of the letter 'R' and the numbers '09-27', and the fourth line is the letter 'T' and the numbers '10-15' etched in the stone.