Napoleon

by Stephen Arseneault

  “He will survive. I've sent him home to be with his family for a week. Will help him put things back in perspective.”

  “You made this comm for a reason, what is it you want?”

  Nunol leaned into the camera. “I wanted to give you one last opportunity to end this. All charges will be dropped and businesses, reputations, and status in the science community made whole. Just stop this madness.”

  Naffi leaned back in his chair with a coy smile. “It has come to our understanding that you are no longer backed by the Opamari government. We now have to call into question if you ever were. Your claims as to the reward for us returning, what assurances do you have to offer that will let us know you are not deceiving us?”

  “My word as a scientist. My integrity as an Opamari.”

  Naffi chuckled. “Is that word backed by... let's say... Baritoc?”

  Nunol returned a nervous look for only a moment, but it was enough to reveal his secret.

  Naffi sat forward with a smile. “So it is Baritoc. I look forward to a good competition with a worthy opponent. I respect his business savvy. But make no mistake, your world will be changing. It is only a matter of time before we find the right combination of events. And keep in mind, Baritoc has to maintain a somewhat public persona. That will make him vulnerable, a problem we don't have.”

  “We will find you. And you will wish you had taken our offer.”

  Chapter 26

  _______________________

  Naffi closed the comm with a grin. “This news of Baritoc is tremendous.”

  Vara agreed with a nod. “I'll get to work on this immediately upon my return. If Nunol or Marwal have contact with him, we will know.”

  “They will of course be careful with this connection, but knowing Baritoc, he will not be a silent partner for their funding. He will want his price. And at some point they will be forced to pay it.”

  Vara smiled. “This may sound like a bad idea, but what if we bring Baritoc here? What if we sent him back on a journey? If he knew what it was they were actually doing, he might be far more difficult for them to control, demanding his own adventures as payment for his investment.”

  “Hmm. Intriguing. We will have to think on that.”

  An hour later, Vara was slipping away in a shuttle. Reno and Naffi readied a new set of clones and returned to the lab.

  Naffi pointed at the table. “I insist this be your journey. We need to advance technology at a faster pace if we are to be successful.”

  Reno readied the equipment for a bio-link. “I will see what I can do.”

  A new clone of an aging Marc Lamonde was standing in the People's Academy of Science, reviewing the work of his elemental team.

  One of the students asked for his attention. “Sir, I believe I have isolated a new element.”

  Marc followed the young student to her workstation.

  “I was reviewing the work of Martin Heinrich Klaproth. The element uranium, it seems to have been forgotten. I've isolated a sample here I would like you to take a look at.”

  Marc smiled. “Very well. Hmm. Good work... Ms. Anna Sundström. Is that Swedish?”

  “It is, and thank you.”

  Reno paused the playback. “We are now able to accelerate our march toward atomic power. This was a discovery she made on her own and was a full two years ahead of what I had planned. I placed her in charge of a special division that would explore this further, giving her a dozen other chemists and physicists to pursue this study. I have no doubt these Humans, had it not been for their annihilation, would have gone on to accomplish great things.”

  “Is that all you have to show?” Naffi asked.

  “All that would be of interest. Shall we check the archives?”

  Several minutes were taken to scan through the new Human history. The first atomic reactor had been achieved in 1825. By 1840 the first commercial unit was generating electricity. By 1870 the hundreds of nuclear power stations were being replaced by fusion reactors. By 1880 the first air-war was taking place with numerous bombing raids reducing a number of major cities to rubble.

  Naffi scowled as he stood and paced the room. “We move forward only to have Marwal and Nunol bring us back. These wars must end. They are inhibiting our progress.”

  “We have our spies in the Marwal camp. Perhaps on your next journey you should attempt to grab him?”

  “That seems to only buy us a few years at most. We need something more significant, more permanent.”

  Reno replied, “We need to grab Baritoc. He is their source of funding. If Nunol requires external capital, he must have used up all the goodwill he had at the OSSHR.”

  “Baritoc has to know we now know of his involvement. His security teams will be on alert. But I agree, he may be our best possibility of being able to disrupt their operations. I'll pass the word to Vara to see if his capture can be conducted.”

  The Naffi clone was the next to be sent to the past. Construction and production continued to boom. By 1816, highways reached between the major cities of Europe and Britain, with an army of trucks being made use of for transport. The oil wells of the Middle Eastern provinces were now producing the black gold that would allow the French Empire's continued expansion.

  Another year of alternating visits by Naffi and Reno passed before an effort was made to capture Marwal. His compound in America, just outside the Capitol, along the Potomac, was heavily guarded. But the guard was not much of an issue when insiders were there to assist.

  The clone of Marwal was loaded into a small sub in the river and taken downstream to the Chesapeake, where a steamship was waiting to move him across the Atlantic.

  Naffi sat in a chair in a cabin on the steamer as the clone of Marwal was brought before him. “Remove the gag, and the restraints. His isn't going anywhere.”

  Marwal slowly shook his head. “Well executed. I did not think it possible.”

  “In an hour we will be well out into the Atlantic.”

  “I'm surprised you were able to get one of your ships this close to D.C.”

  Charles Ducat smiled. “Who says it is a French ship?”

  “Interesting. I suppose I could have pulled that information from the archives upon my return.”

  “A number of years from now perhaps.”

  “Actually? No. Had your people given me a thorough pat-down they might have found the transmitter implanted in my side. We are being tracked at this very moment.”

  Charles's smile turned into a frown. “Raise his shirt.”

  One of the guards took action with a search. “There is something under his skin, sir.”

  Charles nodded. “Well played. Can I suppose you have forces closing in as we speak?”

  A rumble was heard, followed by the pops of gunfire. Charles Ducat picked up a briefcase that had been on the floor by his chair. The case was opened and a switch flipped.

  The clone of Marwal returned a frown. “I suppose that is your counter to my counter?”

  “It is. May I ask you a question? Your time here, are you enjoying it?”

  “How could one not. We are like gods. We implement grand technologies, push policies, and even make wars. All the while our own lives are not in danger. But the lives of our families, the families of Dr. Nunol and I, are in danger of no longer being in existence.”

  “As we have said before, bring them onto your station and that will no longer be the case. They would be safe and secure. After that, help us to change this Human history. Help us to help our own people out of this malaise of an existence. Our people, the Opamari, are stagnant. There is little drive and compassion in us. These Humans... they want to live life to the fullest each and every day.”

  “Life comes with a price, Naffi. Yours will be paid in the future.”

  The display went blank as the recording came to an end.

  Reno asked, “Explosive?”

  “Yes. And Charles Ducat can live on as a new clone. The bodies in that room will have all been incin
erated.”

  A quick check of the archives confirmed the incident. The next several years of Human time saw a half dozen failed captures of the clones of Reno and Naffi. A new attempt at capturing the Marwal clone also ended without success. But the Human technological advances continued to come.

  By 1820 the roadways connected every city, town, village and hamlet in the French Empire of Napoleon. Rail lines crisscrossed Africa with major highways running alongside them. The use of mechanized automation continued to expand with farm yields hitting ever-new highs. By 1822, the first commercial aircraft were coming into service.

  Reno returned from a journey. “Another success. Our communications will soon include video.”

  Naffi frowned as he looked through the archive data. “All these advances and yet we are still hobbled by coming wars.”

  Reno sat beside him. “And yet unless something drastic has happened, technology advances.”

  “Drastic is exactly what happened. Look. By 1850, Napoleon had retired and was on his death-bed. By 1875, when fusion power was beginning to go mainstream, the Americans declared all-out war. Paris was the first city to be hit with a nuclear-tipped missile. Three others followed before the Empire surrendered.”

  “So the American's took over everything? I believe we can work with that.”

  “Apparently not. Within fifteen years, most scientific studies in Europe had come to an end. In fact, progress was almost nothing for the next one hundred fifty years, leaving the Humans unprepared for the arrival of our people.”

  “I suppose the use of those weapons would be a deterrent to advancement.”

  “After their initial, original use by the Americans, those weapons became a deterrent to war. Several world powers were in possession of them and the threat of annihilation was enough threat that major wars were quickly dubbed 'things of the past.' We don't have the deterrent on the other side here. At least not yet.”

  Reno sighed. “I had hoped to pass that threat altogether with a unified world government. Cooperation between the French and the Americans seemed the next best thing.”

  “Yes, well, it isn't working.”

  “And we are not yet finished.”

  “I'm just saying, we might have to take drastic measures.”

  Reno tilted his head in question. “What are you suggesting?”

  “I'm suggesting we build a bomb first and take out his technology compound.”

  “What? That would never work. He would return and build a bomb of his own. Starting all this earlier will only escalate the damage done to this world, leaving it even less prepared for the Opamari arrival.”

  “Then we take the Americans completely out of the equation by taking out their major cities and forcing a surrender. That will give us the one-world government we seek.”

  “This development is troubling. And no, wiping out one side will not help our cause. Marwal would simply return and build bombs elsewhere. Those could be deployed to any city. Any detonation could bring a total collapse of our Empire. And for that matter, he could continue his nuclear annihilation, leaving our people with even less of a challenge when they arrive. What we have to do is neutralize Mentox-II.”

  “Unless and until Vara finds Baritoc, that doesn't seem likely.”

  “We have two hundred Earth years. At our current rate of time progression that leaves us several months.”

  “Seeing as how the first of these bombs may be used in about fifty years, that estimate of months is likely weeks or possibly even days of our time.”

  Reno rubbed the sides of his head. “Then our situation is even more dire. Contact Vara and tell her to step up her pursuit of Baritoc. He has to be the key to stopping them.”

  “Are you certain? She may be putting herself in danger.”

  “Are we doing this or not? Do we want change? Are we willing to make the sacrifices bringing about this change may take? Vara was willing to undertake this venture, she has to be ready to make it a success.”

  A comm was placed to the number three conspirator.

  “I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon. Has something happened?”

  Reno leaned toward the camera. “Something will happen. We only have a short time before Marwal and Nunol blast the Humans back to their Stone Age with nuclear bombs. The Humans chose that route in our latest future and were successful in shutting down all progress. They are certain to have realized they can make those weapons at virtually any time and place, thwarting our efforts without having to bother otherwise. We need you to step up the capture of Baritoc. We have to shut down Mentox-II.”

  Naffi said, “You may need to take some risks. Our time has suddenly become very limited.”

  Vara replied, “He will be speaking at a gala tomorrow night. That will be my first opportunity. And when you say take risks, how far are we willing to go?”

  Naffi began to speak and was cut off. “I—”

  Reno took charge. “You should be willing to go all the way. Even if it means taking Baritoc out of the picture completely.”

  Naffi pulled back. “What? We never discussed this.”

  “And you suddenly have a conscience now, why?”

  “You are talking murder.”

  “And eliminating thousands from the population is different, how?”

  “It's different in that we are now doing this to a targeted individual.”

  “If she was to find and eliminate Marwal or Nunol, you would view that differently?”

  Vara said, “I am prepared to do whatever it takes. Tell me what it is you want.”

  Reno slowly shook his head as he looked at Naffi. “Are you bothered because Baritoc is a fellow businessman?”

  “Hmm. I suppose I am. I've lived my adult life with the unwritten rule that you did not take out your opponents through violence. You could ruin them financially or destroy their reputation, but physical violence was a line we wouldn't cross. I suppose the suggestion of such just caught me off-guard. Vara, proceed as needed. If your only option is to eliminate Baritoc... do so.”

  A single nod was returned. “Expect news tomorrow evening.”

  The comm closed.

  Reno stared for several seconds. “It was only days ago when you were ready to annihilate the Opamari Empire. Why the sudden change of heart?”

  “I suppose I hadn't put much thought into it before. I was angry and hurt. I suppose those feelings, while not gone, are no longer the driving force behind my actions.”

  “Too much time with the Humans. Not with the Humans themselves, but with time itself. In your mind now it has been many years since the accident claimed your family's lives. The heightened levels of sorrow and grief have given way to time.”

  Naffi stood and paced the lab for most of a minute in thought. “Thank you for maintaining perspective. Our choices here will continue in the same direction as before. We will prepare the Humans and change the Opamari. Consider my attitude renewed and refreshed.”

  Chapter 27

  _______________________

  The Marwal clone was back at work in the Americas. Rail lines crisscrossed the northern and southern American continents. Highways were under rapid construction. The first of the personal automobiles had rolled off the assembly lines. Employment was full with most businesses looking for additional workers. The industrialization of the Americas could not happen fast enough.

  A similar story played out in the French Empire. With major roads in place and expanding, efforts were turned to the building of airports. Human technology and the advances that came with it was changing the world. No population lacked food or work or the prosperity that came with the economic boom. Still, Reno and Naffi knew of the coming future... a horrific nuclear future, driven by Nunol and Marwal where Humans would be sufficiently weakened before the arrival of the Opamari. Earth time had advanced to 1826.

  Naffi took a seat. “Such progress, and we won't know if we are successful until this evening. Vara has to end this. I never dreamed I wo
uld be involved in the assassination of an innocent.”

  Reno sighed. “I don't get your reasoning. Any change we make can eliminate thousands and yet you are fretting over a single individual.”

  “An individual we have selected to possibly kill.”

  “Were Nunol and Marwal not our targets as well? Why is Baritoc any different?”

  “Because Baritoc is not trying to capture or kill us.”

  “I'm certain the rules of this game have been explained to him. He is a willing participant.”

  Naffi huffed. “You trust Nunol and Marwal to tell him the truth? They will spin whatever story they need to get his backing. In Baritoc's mind we might be thought of as cannibals or baby killers. We have no idea what Baritoc has been told.”

  Reno inserted a bio-link in a new clone. “Regardless of this evening's outcome, we have a job to do in the past. We can get in a dozen journeys between now and then if we choose to stay here. So just keep your mental energy focused on moving production forward for the moment.”

  “Very well.”

  The Reno clone was sent back. A meeting with his science round table saw a path laid out where the current radio communications system would be upgraded to include video.

  A minute later, Reno was sitting beside his partner at the console. “Nothing worth seeing during this journey. Go straight to the archives.”

  Naffi growled. “We are still on the path to a nuclear war in 1877. Tremendous progress is made toward our continued industrialization. Aircraft are fast becoming the vehicle of preference for longer trips. The last of the steamships was decommissioned only weeks before Paris was destroyed.”

  “This has become frustrating. Looking at the ancestry logs there is again no change. All of these advances are meaningless when Nunol and Marwal can so easily set progress back. They have to be stopped.”

  The remainder of the afternoon saw continued advances. With those advances came improvements in both nutrition and medical care. The rate of population growth was on a steep incline and would be passing the two billion mark before the coming nuclear domination by the Americas.