by Mark Lingane
Memphis turned to Niels. “Okay, what have you got?”
Niels unfolded the paper, which turned out to be a map. “Well, Margre—”
“Don’t,” she warned, but there was no stopping him.
“—the, our, first challenge is the wall. We proceed to precisely seven hundred yards from the Steamboat Springs Gate, then tunnel under the wall for one mile at four degrees due east, then rise to the surface having avoided detection.”
“Tunnel?” Memphis sighed. “I’m not sure which plan is worse. How about we get to the wall and then make a decision based on, I don’t know, reality and available facts?”
Both males sighed in exasperation.
“I’ll lead the way,” Niels said. He folded himself back into Veronica, and after several attempts managed to press the start button. The microcar trundled off through the trees toward the east.
Sebastian and Memphis followed leisurely behind, with Sebastian occasionally sounding his horn. The day was warm. The ground slowly and steadily rose, and the sun fell behind them as they travelled.
Shortly before the sun set, Niels led the way onto a plateau next to a large lake and pulled over. The sunset bounced off the still waters, reflecting a golden glow over the mountains encircling the lake.
“Welcome to Gilbert Peak,” Niels said. He stretched out his hand toward the vista and bowed.
“It’s beautiful,” Memphis said. She stood still and took in the inviting view.
“Enjoy it,” Niels said. “The terrain gets less hospitable on the other side of the mountain.”
They soon had a campfire going, and in no time were sitting around the flames in the warm summer night.
“Can you tell me a bit more about the weapons you developed?” Sebastian asked Niels.
“The cannon? It can fire a beam powerful enough to sweep away anything in its path.”
“It sounds bad.”
“The idea was so simple. All I wanted to do was develop an efficient way of cleaning a tabletop. The dust gets everywhere, and I thought it would be a sensible idea to just flick a switch and have an electromagnetic beam force the dirt and grime off the table. I must have miscalculated, because when I turned it on, it knocked everything off the table and through the wall. Anyway, one thing led to another, and before long, I had a larger version that I used to clean the floors, and occasionally knock over people who annoyed me. The Master saw it and took the idea to a whole other level.”
“But something like that would need power.”
“The smaller ones used batteries, and were ultimately quite harmless. But if you channel a huge power into a large cannon, then you’re going to get serious devastation.”
“But the Master can’t get that kind of power, can he?”
“You know he’s brought in teslas.”
Sebastian nodded.
“Well, they don’t have to be particularly powerful teslas to channel the kind of power that pours from the Time Flare. The Master places a tesla near the source, who redirects it to the cannon.”
“Wouldn’t that kill the tesla?”
“Yes. Eventually. He sacrifices them.”
“If he already has teslas, why does he want me?”
“Maybe they aren’t powerful enough, and they only direct partial power. You might be able to control the whole flare.”
“How big is the flare?”
“I have a picture, here.” He pulled out his “bible” from his pack and opened it reverently. A small piece of paper slipped free. He offered the old, yellow slip to Sebastian. It showed a soaring white column in the center of the image towering into the sky. Its enormity engulfed the surrounding landscape, with the white light exploding outward and obliterating most of the image.
“Pretty big, then,” Sebastian said. “What are the gray shapes nearby?”
“They’re time surfers. You know how everyone wants to live forever? When you approach the hole, time slows down. The closer you get to the hole, the slower time moves for you in relation to here. So, time surfers stand as near as they dare, just before the black hole kills them, and watch the world die in front of their eyes. They wait for the universe’s doomsday.”
“That’s terrible,” Memphis said, “to be trapped like that.”
“They’re not trapped. It’s a choice they make. They can step back into the world at any time they want, that time being some point in the future. But they all walk toward the approaching darkness when the sun starts to die, turns into a red dwarf, and swallows Earth. Of course, they don’t know that, they haven’t read the book.” He slammed his hand down on the dusty cover.
“What possesses them to do that?” she asked.
“That kind of power affects people. It awakens the spirituality within them. They wait for God, believing he or she will turn up at the end of the universe.”
Memphis frowned. “Will that happen?”
“They’re assuming God is sentient and treats the universe like a lost set of keys. It could be just an animal, or even an essence of expression, something our mere minds can’t imagine.”
“Saying that would get you into trouble back home,” Sebastian said.
“Saying the wrong thing anywhere will get you into trouble,” Niels said. He frowned, and for a moment his eternal optimism drained away. “But say God was something like a big cosmic dog, and it did a big poop and wandered off, there’s no way of knowing whether the dog has any interest in its poop. Bacteria in the poop could start to evolve, life could start and, abracadabra, it all explodes and we have a universe, not because of a plan, but because the conditions are right. Perhaps a god plans like you, Sebastian, charging ahead, then thinking about the consequences later.”
“I don’t like the idea of the universe being a big exploding poop,” Sebastian said, “but it would explain a lot.” He gave Niels a smile, but the older man had withdrawn into a dark mood.
Sebastian ate the rest of his dinner, and then ate Niels’. He sat back, momentarily satiated. “Looking around at this scene of beauty,” he said, “the forest, the lake and mountain, and the wonder of the perfect sky with its infinity full of stars, it’s hard to believe there’s so much hate and destruction in the world.”
“You wait until you see the other side of the mountain,” Niels said.
The next morning they cruised down the meandering road off the mountain, catching the majesty of the Flaming Gorges before the land turned mean and desolate. Lush foothills gave way to squared-off mounds and brittle bushes that clung to the ground as if fearful of the ferocious winds that sucked the moisture out of the air.
“It’s a shame about the land here,” Sebastian called back to Memphis.
“I’m not sure the view was that great before the nuclear winds destroyed everything,” she replied.
The plain stretched out ahead, with the hint of mountains on the horizon. The summer sun bore down. Sebastian felt good in the warmth. The heat soaked into his bones and reminded him of home. Dust whipped up around him and the bike powered ahead, as Niels’ modifications strutted their stuff. The land twisted and wound into odd shapes that had been sculpted by centuries of hostile winds. Deep valleys cut through dried-up creeks, forming sheltered alcoves that housed piles of bleached bones. And never a drop of water was seen anywhere. The sun continued to beat down, and the occasional cloud tumbled across the sky, throwing distorted shadows over the ground.
Niels had found a suitable gear and was motoring along, not too far behind the bike. Sand dunes rose up out from the plain and the land grew soft underneath, slowing them down. Another shadow floated across the plain, and over a sinkhole. Out of the hole jumped a familiar shape.
“Oh, great, an infected,” Sebastian said. “At least it’s only one.”
The bike fought against the soft sand, twisting when he tried to move forward. He put the bike in neutral, withdrew his sword, and sliced through the creature as it lunged at them. It fell to the ground with its internals spilling out across the dir
t.
Memphis tapped him on the shoulder and he glanced back to where she was pointing. Two dozen infected were charging at them.
Sebastian revved the bike, and with unexpected speed, it rocketed ahead, leaving Sebastian and Memphis clutching on for dear life. Sand spun high and far into the air, and rained down on the charging infected. Several infected split off from the main group and raced off after the bike, while the others turned toward Niels.
Veronica was sinking into the sand. Niels tried to urge the car forward, but the wheels dug in deeper, spinning uselessly.
Memphis jumped off the back of the bike and Sebastian spun around. He charged back toward the creatures that were following them. He leaped off the bike and swung his sword into the small pack. He sliced into the first, and brought the sword down into the skull of the second. He kicked away the third as it jumped at him, then speared it to the ground.
Memphis cheered. He rode over to her, and she climbed on the back again.
The remaining infected had reached Veronica and slammed into the vehicle, rocking it from side to side.
“Hey, get your filthy paws off her,” Niels shouted from inside.
The infected slapped their hands against the windows, smearing trails of mud and blood across the glass.
“Have it your way, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Niels depressed a lever and simultaneously flicked two switches. There was a low hum that gradually built in intensity. “Ha! Now you’ll feel the wrath—” The buzzing died. “Oh.” He felt under the dashboard and found two loose wires.
An infected threw itself against the car, leaving a deep scratch on the side.
“Come on, now,” Niels said. “There’s no need for that behavior.” He struggled with the wires under the low dash. The infected started to rock the car from side to side; each time it tipped further. “Now, that’s somewhat disconcerting.”
When the car was teetering on two wheels, Niels finally connected the wires. A silent blast exploded from the vehicle, knocking all the infected to the ground and turning them into nothing but red-and-green smears.
Sebastian and Memphis cruised alongside the microcar. “That was impressive,” Sebastian called to Niels. “I could feel the electromagnetic surge when you did it.” He glanced around at the smeared remains. “Although it was pretty localized.”
“It’s only a small hydrogen battery,” Niels said. “Imagine what a cannon one hundred thousand times stronger could do. You look brighter. Did you find it helped your head?”
“Yeah, the general background pain weakened for a bit.”
“I hear engines,” said Memphis. “Out here, that means outlaw.”
Niels attempted to start the car, but the battery failed to spark. The engine barely made any sound at all.
“You have to jumpstart me,” he shouted.
The approaching engines grew louder.
Sebastian and Memphis got off the bike. They put their shoulders to the small car and pushed. It began to move slowly forward, gradually gaining momentum. The tires dragged through the soft sand, and sweat began to pour off them.
Niels dropped the clutch and the car juddered to a halt, but the engine was running. “Let’s go,” he shouted.
They turned and ran back to the bike, just as the outlaws came into view. They could all hear distant gunfire.
Niels rammed the gears and pressed the accelerator. The wheels spun slowly, then quickly. He looked out and saw the tiny wheels spitting out sand sideways.
Sebastian rode up on the bike.
“I’m bogged,” Niels shouted.
“We should leave you behind,” Sebastian replied.
They got off the bike again. They pushed on the back of the car, which inched forward. Sebastian looked over his shoulder. The outlaws were closing in on their motorbikes. They redoubled their efforts and heaved on the car, running and pushing until it sprang free of the loose sand and found purchase on the rockier terrain.
Bullets came slicing in, and sand exploded around their feet.
“Go,” Sebastian shouted, and they raced back to the bike.
Niels shot away at warp 4.7.
There was more gunfire, and the outlaws came closer, forming a circle around the bike. Sebastian twisted the accelerator to maximum. Niels, don’t fail me now, he thought.
The wheels spun, sand exploded, and the bike went from standing still to rocket speed in seconds. The front wheel was in the air. The extreme acceleration caught the leading outlaws off guard. He crashed through their bikes, and they belatedly fired off several rounds. But they were gone, and the outlaws lay face down behind them in the sand.
They hung on tightly as the steambike powered away. Sebastian applied the brakes and the front wheel descended from the sky, bouncing along the rocks. They were gone, leaving a cloud of dust settling back to the earth.
Memphis held on for her life, clenching her eyes tightly closed, and didn’t see the astonishing sight of Niels zooming past them.
64
“WE HAVE TO find shelter,” Niels shouted above the rushing air. “The vehicles can’t maintain this speed for much longer.”
Sebastian looked down at his gauges. One was already in the red, and steam was leaking from one of the engines. There was another burst of gunfire. They all ducked instinctively. Up ahead was a small town.
“What about there?” Sebastian said.
Niels squinted ahead and shook his head. “That’s nowhere. We should aim for the gate. There’ll be people, and the outlaws wouldn’t dare enter the town.”
Another round of gunfire punctured the air. There was a sudden hiss from Veronica and the car lurched to one side. A deep bullet mark scored the side of the vehicle. Niels fought with the controls, but the car veered dangerously from side to side, nearly crashing into Sebastian, who swerved to avoid the car and nearly tipped over.
There was a ping, followed by a loud hiss from one of the steambike’s engines, and the power dropped to half. Sebastian and Memphis were thrown forward with the continuing momentum. Sebastian fought for control, but the bike toppled over and crashed heavily onto the rock surface. They staggered to their feet. The outlaws were catching up. They jumped back on the bike and limped forward.
Niels coasted into the town and crashed into a post that held up an awning in front of one of the buildings. He was squeezing himself out of the car as the other two arrived.
“This’ll have to do,” Niels shouted. “We need to defend ourselves.”
“With what, exactly?” Memphis said. “It’s not as if we’re loaded down with heavy weaponry.”
“I have some things.” Veronica’s trunk fell open and Niels scooped out several elaborate weapons. He handed a large one to Memphis, and took two smaller ones for himself. Then, he dug inside and pulled out a small black box. “Margrethe, my box of tricks.”
“What about me?” Sebastian said.
“You have a sword.”
“That won’t help at range.” Sebastian looked back. He could see individual riders in the pack clearly as they approached the town. “I’m guessing we’ve got about thirty seconds before they’re here. We have to find somewhere to hide.”
They took in the view of the town. Above them, an intense sun beat down, roasting them and flattening the desolate street. It was bleached to a white-gray; only the main street appeared to have survived the ravages of time and nuclear weather. The secondary roads had been long buried under the creeping sand dunes. Balls of dried grasses tumbled across the street.
“It’s a pretty grim place, all right.” Niels pointed to a derelict shop across from them, where the two main streets crossed.
Bullets flew around them as they sprinted over to the shop. One bullet hit Memphis, and she tripped and tumbled to the ground.
“You take her,” Sebastian shouted. “I’ll stop them.” Niels wrapped his arm under Memphis’ shoulder and they limped toward the corner store.
Sebastian ran into the center of the crossroads and
faced the arriving outlaws.
Several rode in behind him, revving their engines as they narrowly missed him. The remaining men blocked off the other exits. Nowhere to run. A fat outlaw pulled up in front of him and dismounted. He wore dark glasses on his bald head, and a leather waistcoat that was too small to fit around his large stomach. He pulled a cigar out of his mouth, which was full of broken and brown teeth, and looked around him. The other outlaws followed his lead, dismounting and aiming their machine guns at Sebastian. They kept the bikes running. Their stench wafted over him. He fought down the compulsion to gag.
Niels crashed through the front door of the corner store. It had large, but dirty, windows that gave a panoramic view of the crossroads. He saw the outlaws ride in and surround Sebastian, then laid Memphis down on the floorboards and inspected the wound.
“It really stings,” she said through gritted teeth.
“That’s good.” He pulled back her sleeve and examined her arm. She gave him a look of venom. “I’d be worried if it didn’t hurt. It would mean you were in shock.”
“Ow.”
“Shush, Margrethe, it’s nothing more than a flesh wound, a light graze.”
He opened his box of tricks and pulled out a tight roll of cloth. He wound it around her arm and gave her an adrenaline shot.
He looked through the window and saw the outlaws moving in toward Sebastian. “I think I know what Sebastian wants us to do.”
The outlaw leader smiled and flicked cigar ash onto the dust. “You’re a valuable man to the right person.”
“I’m not for sale,” Sebastian replied.
The wind picked up and dust billowed across the street. The leader’s eyes blinked as the grit flickered in behind the glasses. His face muscles twitched.
The man laughed. “I didn’t say I’d be buying you. Consider me a talent scout. I’m collecting you for someone else.”
Sebastian withdrew his sword, and trailed the point through the dirt behind him. “I don’t think so.”