Copyright © 2015 PD McClafferty All rights reserved
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact: [email protected]
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover artwork by Gary Val Tenuta at www.gvtgraphics.com
Interior artwork from Shutterstock
For more works by PD McClafferty, please visit www.pdmcclafferty.com
“What we find changes who we become.”
— Peter Morville
CONTENTS
Chapter 1: NOT AGAIN!
Chapter 2: THE SPRAY
Chapter 3: THE YEUGATE
Chapter 4: SHSA-TIRION
Chapter 5: STORMS
Chapter 6: MISTAKES
Chapter 7: TRAILS
Chapter 8: THE UNIVERSITY
Chapter 9: THE CITY THAT TIME FORGOT
Chapter 10: END RUN
Chapter 1
NOT AGAIN!
Ernst Gareth Köhler, he much preferred the name Gareth to Ernst, former Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, had expected the legendary Eye of Zuebrihn, the goal of his quest for the past months, to be one of many things, but he did not expect a six meter blue eye floating in an eight meter wide, stomach wrenchingly transparent crystal tank of nutrient solution. He could see nerves and rudimentary muscles through the walls of the vat, dangling from the bottom of the Eye like tendrils from a grim jellyfish. Some filaments had adhered to the walls of the tank itself, giving the Eye the ability turn. The ceiling of the room was a clear dome, the cloudy sky visible beyond. Fingers of steam rising from the solution surrounding the eye attested to the warmth of the tank, and as he watched a ripple swept the liquid as the eye shifted position to regard him. The dark pupil narrowed.
Gareth would have fallen down if he weren’t already sitting. Framing his thought carefully, he directed his mental question to the brain that controlled the Eye, in a room ten stories below. Would you please say that again? He didn’t really need a repetition of the information, but he did need the time to get his mental feet back under him. He found the cool feminine British voice murmuring in his mind rather pleasant.
As you wish. The Eye replied. A red supergiant about two hundred light years from here went supernova a hundred years ago. The radiation wave will strike in full force in another hundred years. The radiation wave will begin to affect Earth in six years, with levels peaking in another fifty years. Ten years later earth will be a sterile ball of dirt. The former leaders of the world moved the moon into a position in the path of the oncoming radiation. Rigged with carefully placed explosives, the moon can be reduced to a cloud of dust that will, with the introduction of select ionized particles, block the oncoming radiation. It took engineers one hundred years to calculate the exact date of the supernova, and another hundred years to determine the amount and position of the explosives and ionized particles to do the job. When the lunar dust cloud finally dissipates after one hundred and sixty years the radiation threat will be gone. The only problem with their grand scheme is that the best and the brightest of Earth chose to evacuate the planet because of incessant wars long before the moon was detonated.
Gareth groaned. Why didn’t they just blow the moon when they had the chance?
The voice in his mind let out a distinct, and very British sigh. The moon has to be exploded at an exact moment. Too soon and the dust cloud will dissipate before the radiation arrives, and too late the radiation wave will have already reached Earth, and there will be nothing left alive to protect.
And that exact moment to blow up the moon is… when? He winced, anticipating what the answer would be.
Oh, there is some leeway in that. The voice in his mind announced airily. You have ten years, more or less.
ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT I HAVE TO BLOW UP THE MOON?? In his mind he shrieked. I’ve been trained to use explosives, but this is just plain crazy. No, it goes way beyond crazy! How do I go about getting there? I don’t have a spaceship in my backpack! He could feel the edge of panic in his thoughts, and he sensed a certain hesitation in the reply.
I don’t know. As I said before, the last war began as the final charges were set on the moon. The ancients were thorough, if nothing else. I’m sure that they put all the information into the central computer before they departed.
That’s what Athena said too. Where did they run off to? Can we get them back?
They went all over this arm of the galaxy, in hundreds of great colony vessels. By now, if they survived, there should be a great galactic civilization of humans. You see, they culled the race quite thoroughly by leaving the undesirable humans on Earth.
Bullshit! Gareth swore, but it explained where the explosive diversity of the remaining humans came from. The dreamers and the artists used their own bodies as their canvasses. I’ll repeat what I said earlier. The leaders of Earth were vain and self-centered. They left the creative types behind because they made them think and feel; the artists and the dreamers. Those people are as important to a race as the engineers, if not more so. Even the undesirables, as you call them, with their anger and prejudices have something to offer. They have a passion that is often missing in the engineers. The people they left on the Earth were the soul of the race.
The voice of the Eye was silent for some time, and Gareth wondered if he’d offended it somehow. It is possible that the ancients made a grave error, and it may be up to you to save all mankind, both here and across the stars.
You said that once before, Gareth interrupted, and I thought you crazy then. I still think you’re crazy. Save the human race across the stars? Are you insane? I’m having a hard enough time just saving myself. He took a deep breath. First things first. He managed to get out. What do I have to do next?
The Eye seemed disturbed at the interruption. You will have to go to the central computer, of course, for more detailed information, and instructions on how to detonate the moon and distribute the ionized substances.
Gareth frowned. Is that the same central computer that controls the matter replicator?
Yes, why do you ask?
Simple curiosity. Please continue.
You will have to go to the central computer for further instructions. The Eye repeated primly in his mind.
Gareth wanted to scream. And the central computer is located where… exactly?
The Eye sniffed. Access to the central computer is located in the City of Jafelon. I understand that Jafelon is now known as The City that Time Forgot.
He shut his eyes. And where is the City that Time Forgot? Again, he knew the answer before the Eye ever said it.
I’m sorry; that information was classified during the insurrection, and is above your pay grade. The Eye said so softly he almost missed it.
Gareth leaned back in the straight-backed chair he’d been sitting in, and held his head in his hands. “Scheiße!” He cursed aloud for the second time. “Not again!”
I will, of course, notify others like myself scattered about the planet that you are looking for Central Control.
There are others like you? Gareth asked, looking up.
A few. The Eye replied evasively. The liquid in the tank churned in agitation.
Gareth shut his eyes. He hated dealing with computers, even if they were organic and especially if they were bureaucratic. Can you tell me where the others are?
I’m sorry. The Eye looked away. That information is above your pay grade.
I’m sorry, that is above your pay grade.
Gareth resisted the temptation to draw his Colt and shoot the obstinate Eye. Are there any still on Earth that are my pay grade or higher?
No. The Eye admitted.
Then what’s the holdup? He clenched his teeth to stop from shouting.
You are a Lambda two clearance, or possibly three at the very most. Those cleared for the information you requested are Omega seven.
Gareth shut his eyes. Will you please wake my friends? He said softly, although a raging fury burned within him.
Chiu blinked her blue eyes, frowned and stood in a fluid motion he always admired. “What happened?” Her voice was gravelly from the bitter weather they’d been traveling through.
“I found out what the Eye had to say.” He growled abruptly.
Chiu raised one eyebrow. “I take it what you discovered wasn’t what you really wanted to hear.”
“Yeah.” He grunted, shrugging his battered rucksack over his shoulder. Against the wall, Lyndra and Wokeg were slowly getting to their feet. “I’ll tell you all that I discovered, later, when I’ve gotten a little better control of my temper.” In the depths of his mind he felt Chiu gently probe into his memories, and he roughly slammed the door to his mind shut in her face. Her eyes widened with surprise, hurt flickering across her face. Sorry. He muttered to her as civilly as he could manage. You can look all you want… later.
He felt her retreat, and she gave him a curious look. “This is going to be good.” She muttered.
“What will you do now?” The voice of the Eye said from the air around them. “Will you continue with your mission, or will you simply quit?”
Gareth’s face reddened, and his fists clenched at his sides as he turned to face the Eye of Zuebrihn. “I’m sorry.” He said in a flat monotone voice. “That information is above your pay grade.” Without another word he turned and exited the room. The fluid in the tank was splashing out onto the cold metal floor as Chiu led the others quickly in Gareth’s footsteps. In his heart Gareth knew the action was childish and petty, but he was like that sometimes, and in this case the Eye’s obvious agitation made him smile.
By the time he descended one hundred stories to reach the lobby of the Tower his legs were shaking with the strain. Chiu, being a shapeshifter, had transformed to a hawk and flown down the long dark stairwell, and was lounging at the bottom, along with Lyndra, who happened to be a werewolf and able to change to a wolf’s form at will and Wokeg, who was an ogre at heart but changed to a human form when wider social interaction was necessary. They were an odd bunch of traveling companions, and Gareth was unsure why they all stuck together as well as they did. Chiu, he knew, had a vested interest in his own wellbeing since she was bound to him as his familiar, and able to read his thoughts. The sight of her human form made him smile.
She stood and slowly turned. He guessed her age in the mid twenties. She was tall, of Asian ancestry, and cute as hell, with black hair cut in a bob. She held a heavy coat draped over her shoulder and her small pack sat on the floor by her feet. Her smile was lazy. “It took you long enough.” She purred in a deep contralto voice that Gareth found distracting.
Leaning against a wall with one hand, Gareth wiped a drop of sweat from his nose. “Since you’re all so well rested, get your coats on. It’s a long walk to the farm house.” Chiu, and Lyndra shot him almost identical glares, while Wokeg simply shrugged his wide shoulders. His flat ogre face was expressionless. Gareth waited patiently until they were ready to go, and then carefully removed the belt from under his coat and belted it on the outside, where he would have easier access to both the half-meter Damascus steel kukri fighting knife, and the high-tech Colt 1911, that looked like the original pistol, but was in fact a deadly, hand-held railgun. He saw Chiu frown, and he returned a grim smile. “The precautions are just in case, especially on this insane asylum world.”
Her returned look was wide-eyed and vacuous. “I don’t understand what you mean.” Gareth caught the amused sparkle in her sapphire eyes.
“Since I arrived in Eldenworld,” He said in a flat voice as he adjusted his coat. “I’ve met witches, familiars, goblins, shapeshifters, werewolves, ogres, trolls, dragons, and a myriad of creatures I don’t have a name for. I’ve been told that many, if not all, were once as human as me. To top it all off, I find out that in most cases the humans are the bad guys, and the monsters are the good guys.” He glared back up the stairs he’d just descended. “Now I discover that I have to blow up the moon to save the world; but of course, how wasn’t mentioned, nor where the trigger, detonator, or fuse might lie.” Chui’s startled reply was cut short as Gareth jerked open the outside door to the squeal of ancient rusted hinges, and the howling of the frigid wind.
By midday the next day the four were staggering with exhaustion. The kilometers and the weather had taken a toll on their nearly limitless energy. Although the abandoned farmstead where they’d spent the night on their way to Zuebrihn was just a few kilometers ahead, Gareth was having his doubts that any of them would make it alive. Snow snakes had been their primary enemy so far, sliding in and out of the slithering blowing snow to dart in on an attack. Since he appeared to be immune to snake venom, Gareth placed himself between the snakes and the small company, picking snakes off as best he could with the overpowered Colt. Presented to him by Athena, it was a 500th Anniversary release of the venerable and ancient Colt 1911, .45 caliber, ACP. The new model had a pop-up digital targeting system that activated as soon as the user squeezed the grip. The pistol fired a magnetically accelerated sliver of hardened titanium at a significant fraction of the speed of light. It was, without a doubt, the most powerful weapon Gareth had ever used. It was, however, slightly overpowered for the job at hand, being similar to swatting flies with a bazooka. He’d switched to the pistol after his arm grew tired of swinging the heavy kukri. Although it had been a full hour since they’d seen their last snake, his muscles ached, and his coat was splattered with gore.
A deep-throated growling from the woods behind them stopped the company in their tracks. Gareth drew the Colt, blinking his eyes to focus on the dark woods. “Wolves?” He asked Lyndra over his shoulder, never taking his eyes from the threatening trees.
The thin blond woman shook her head tiredly. “I don’t think so. I’ll take a look.” Her form wavered, shrinking to her wolf shape. Moving cautiously, the wolf headed off for the woods as Gareth sighted his Colt. A moment later the wolf turned and bolted back toward the companions just as a half dozen forms burst out of the concealing trees. Similar to Lyndra’s wolfish form in shape and coloring, they were much larger, and more heavily muscled at forty kilograms.
“Dire wolves!!” He heard Chiu gasp behind his back as he drew a bead on the head of the Alpha Male. He squeezed the trigger, and the Colt exploded in a three shot burst, the blast of the hypersonic rounds temporarily deafening his companions. The head of the lead wolf vanished in a flash of superheated blood and bone, and the dire wolf to its immediate rear collapsed, his front shoulder reduced to a red gory ruin. The other four wolves spread out, teeth bared as they slowed their approach. Spread out, they would be harder to hit. The woods crashed again, and something else burst out that made the dire wolves look like puppies, as it buried its forty-five centimeter canines in the skull of the closest dire wolf. Even from a distance Gareth could hear the crunch of bone. Branches snapped behind the other wolves, and two more cats stepped out, ears flat, eyes riveted on the wolves. Being pragmatic creatures, the last three wolves turned and ran.
“Holy shit!” Gareth whispered to no one in particular. “Smilodon populator. Make no threatening moves
, and retreat very slowly.” Glancing over his shoulder he noted wryly that the other three were clustered as close to him as they could get. Even Wokeg, in his ogre form looked worried. Chiu and Lyndra looked pale and terrified. Turning back to face the saber tooth, Gareth gave it a long look. “Thank you.” He said slowly and clearly as he holstered his weapon. Behind him he heard Chiu hiss in surprise or fear. The big cat, weighing in at what Gareth guessed exceeded two hundred and seventy five kilograms gave him a slow deliberate wink with one of its blue eyes, before it turned to the free meal that lay at its feet. Despite the cold and failing light, the humans made very good time to the abandoned farmstead, all thoughts of their former fatigue long forgotten.
Chiu rounded on him just as soon as they entered the darkened farmhouse, and Gareth was surprised he didn’t see smoke curling from her nostrils. “What just happened back there?” Lyndra and Wokeg were staying well out of the line of fire, but Gareth could see their interest. “What the hell was that… thing?”
Gareth blinked. “This is your world. You should know a Saber-Toothed Tiger when you see one. The Latin name is Smilodon Populator, and it lived in North America in the Pleistocene era, roughly two and a half million to ten thousand years before my time. He was looking fairly spry, for an old codger.” He turned to Lyndra and raised an eyebrow. “You used to live around here. Any stories of these big cats?”
All heads swung to face the thin blond woman and a red flush slowly crawled up her cheeks. “There was one story of a giant cat that lived in the far north. None dared to hunt it, for the hunter too often became the hunted. The beast was uncommonly clever.”
Gareth shucked his weapons and his coat and bent to the fire. “That wasn’t just clever. The cat watched and waited until I holstered my gun before it relaxed. You could see the tension go out of its shoulders. The wink was just the frosting on the cake.”
“But,” Wokeg rumbled from the shadows, “how did you know it wouldn’t eat you as soon as you put away your gun?”
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