by D. N. Leo
He took the wristband off, as it had finished the job, and gave it to her.
“I understand about time travel and memories, Ciaran. But what if the drug fails?”
“It has to work.” He rubbed his thumb lightly over the dimple on her left cheek, his ingrained habit. “But if it fails—”
“No, you won’t let it fail. You’ll fix it, Ciaran. You always do…”
He wiped away a tear on her cheek she didn’t know had fallen. “I just want you to know that whatever happens when you go back to the future, we are soulmates, and I love you.”
“I love you, too, Ciaran.”
He kissed her. It didn’t matter how long they had been together, whenever he kissed her, it was always like the first time.
But this time, and perhaps it was the only time, he couldn’t finish his kiss. He was totally out of it. His head lolled on her shoulder. As she held him in her arms, she drew in the scent of him, the feel of his body, and the taste of his lips. They were always the same, yet each time, there were some differences. And she remembered all of them. The drug would work. He would forget all of this. But she would remember forever.
“We need to go, Madeline. Jo has opened the gateway.”
She leaned him back into the driver’s seat. And then, in the distance, she saw the LeBlanc’s emergency crew arriving. Doctor Thomas stepped out of the helicopter, followed by Ciaran’s younger brother, Tadgh.
As they loaded Ciaran onto the helicopter, Doctor Thomas looked in Madeline’s direction. She didn’t think he could see her, but he nodded a goodbye.
Chapter 50
Eudaiz. Current time.
Madeline and Alex rushed into the control room where Jo worked frantically on her computer. She spoke even before she looked up. “I saved the benchmark model, recording the status quo of your life and everyone related to you before you left. I’m comparing that model to what’s happening right now to see how much damage you’ve done and how much things have changed.”
“And?” Madeline asked.
Jo looked up. “There’s only one thing that changed significantly. Everything else stayed the same.”
Tadgh rocked on the balls of his feet. “I don’t like suspense, Jo.”
Jo smiled. “There’s a new chief of intelligence named Ziva at the center in Alphi.”
“Who the hell is that?” Tadgh asked.
“Don’t worry, Tadgh. She’s fine,” Madeline said. “Who was the previous chief?”
“Alphi has always been too small and remote from us to have a chief. That’s why I said the changes don’t affect us much at all.”
Madeline nodded. “All right, then. Can we wake Ciaran now?”
“Absolutely,” Jo said.
“We need a plan before we wake him, don’t we, Jo?” Tadgh said.
Madeline nodded. “I agree. Ciaran will ask why he was put in the STILL. How much will he remember about what happened before we froze him?”
“We can manipulate that info. But that’s all we can change now, and we have to be quick,” Jo said.
Madeline contemplated. “That’s good enough. We don’t want him to go digging around the time machine log and find out that not only did we use his untested time machine, but we also used the beta Mind Eraser on the past version of him.”
“What about the Aries key-related matter?” Tadgh asked.
“I’ll figure out a way to deal with it when we come to it,” Madeline said. “As for now, we just want him to wake in one piece and move on with life.”
“So what do you want me to put here as the reason we put him through the STILL?” Jo asked.
“Can we say he had an accident when he was testing one of his programs, so we just put him in the STILL while we checked his medical records for damage?” Madeline suggested. “There won’t be any damage, of course, so we are now taking him out of the STILL.”
Jo nodded. “Yes, we can certainly say that.” Her fingers flew over her keyboard.
“What if he checks the medical records?” Tadgh asked.
“When you have to lie, you go all in. The made-up record and the incident have been created and filed. He won’t be able to tell. Well, he could if he deliberately picked holes in the story. But he’ll have no reason to,” Jo said as she tapped the execution button on the command. A winning smile spread across her face.
“Let’s do this!” Madeline said.
They approached the locked chamber of the STILL. As they looked at the screen, they could see Ciaran sleeping peacefully inside. Jo, Tadgh, and Madeline placed their palms on the control panel and unlocked the chamber. The door opened, and the bench on which Ciaran lay slid out. The cool air inside the chamber spread throughout the control station.
Ciaran opened his eyes. He took in his surroundings and then sat up.
“How are you feeling?” Madeline smiled.
“I’m good.” He stood and looked around the room. As she expected, he asked, “Why was I put in the STILL chamber?”
Madeline shrugged. “You were doing some testing with your programs, whatever that was. We got a call from Jo saying you’d had an accident. You hit your head. She put you in the chamber while we checked your medical file to see if you were okay.” She grinned. “And you’re fine. Good as new.”
“How long have I been in there?”
“Three days,” Tadgh said.
“Three days? You put me in a coma for three days? What tests did you run?”
“No, Ciaran,” Jo jumped in. “The tests didn’t take that long. It was just that the machine had a problem, and I needed time to fix it. You had a good sleep, though, don’t you think?” Jo grinned.
Madeline had always thought Jo had a killer smile. She should trademark it. Whenever she used it, she got what she wanted. This time was no exception.
Ciaran nodded and smiled. “Yes, it was indeed a good sleep.”
Madeline exhaled in relief. “Let’s go home, Ciaran.”
Ciaran nodded.
“What are you doing in the control station, Alex, and with that dog?” Ciaran asked.
Everyone turned and looked at Alex.
They had totally forgotten about him.
If it were possible for a vampire to turn red, he would have.
“This is LP. It stands for ‘little poodle.’” Alex grinned. “I was walking him, and I thought I should stop by to say hi.”
LP scooted over to Ciaran, wagging his tail frantically and licking Ciaran’s hands as he patted his head. “Well, you’re very friendly for our first meeting, LP. I’m glad Alex doesn’t use you as a guard dog. Alex, did you walk your dog all the way from Antarctica on Earth?”
Alex picked up LP and held him in his arms. “Nope.”
Tadgh laughed. “Even vampires can’t walk that far. He’s staying in our guest house.”
Alex smiled again. “Yep. And I’d better get going.” He turned to leave.
“That way, Alex.” Madeline pointed toward the entrance opposite where Alex was heading.
“Totally!” he turned and exited the room with vampire speed.
Chapter 51
Eudaiz. One year later.
“You’ve just signed a death sentence,” said a green creature the size of a garden gargoyle. Its mean, gritty voice echoed in the room.
Madeline grabbed a large wooden stick and swung at the creature standing on her desk. The creature shattered into thousands of particles and vanished. She’d killed Greenie. Again. She had done this countless times before whenever it said anything she didn’t like hearing.
She was the First Councillor of Eudaiz, the most prosperous universe in the entire multiverse with billions of citizens. Of course, she’d had to make several important decisions, but never did she cause harm to good citizens.
And this letter wasn’t about just any citizen—it was about her family.
“You’re an idiot, Greenie,” she muttered to her imaginary mind stalker.
Madeline folded the letter she had just writte
n and pushed it toward the far end of the desk. She sat down, leaned back in her chair, and gazed out the window at what she referred to as her front yard: floating images of London, New York, their palace Mon Ceil, her favorite bagel bakery in New York. There were so many places that filled her sweet memories of thirty-three years on Earth. The scenery had been designed for her by her beloved husband because she preferred that view rather than the magnificent landscape of Eudaiz.
She was a mind tracker in Eudaiz. That small talent came with a downside. She had precognition—and an annoying and nagging imaginary mind stalker. When she was on Earth, before she realized her talent, she thought of it as her inner voice—her demon. It always spoke against her actions. And she hated it for that. She tried not to take it seriously, but what the voice had just said to her still bothered her.
There was no harm in checking. She opened her letter and read it again.
Eudaiz
Tower 3
20th 21162 16th month, 259 multiversal slot
Dear Ciaran,
Only four more days before Xmas, but our children haven't seen you for a week. If you don’t come home soon, this will be the second time you’ve missed Xmas. And it’s only the third Xmas in Eudaiz, a holiday we created for the sake of our children. So what is the point of all this, Ciaran?
I’m just writing to let you know that I have made the decision to support Jennifer’s request. I know you will disagree, but I won't apologize for it. I believe my actions were justified. Your brother Tadgh and your cousin George support me. Between the three of us, we hold enough numbers of votes in the council to get the agreement.
Jennifer is not just a citizen of the multiverse—she’s your mother. She and I didn't always live in peace, but she’s the only mother you and I have. As your mother, she alone decides what she wants to do with her personal life. And as her son, you cannot order her around, even if you are the King of Eudaiz.
Jennifer spent a large part of her life on Earth. It’s only natural that she wants to go back to live—and die—there. She wanted to use the MDT Tunnel, and I have signed off on that, too. It’s more efficient that way.
By the time you get this letter, Jennifer will be on her way through the tunnel. I stand my ground on this one, and there is nothing you can do about it.
If you're really pissed, you can get the votes from the council to force me to resign from my position. Otherwise, I'll remain as a council member to monitor your decisions and act in the best interest of this family.
Love from Madeline
Madeline folded the letter and shoved it into an envelope. She shrugged absently. It was only a letter. She could easily call and tell Ciaran all this, but she preferred to write. It gave her time to compose her thoughts properly.
She smoothed the edges of the envelope. Writing words on paper was one of the very few activities from Earth she had managed to retain. She loved the smell of paper and ink. It was easy enough for her to send Ciaran an electronic message, but it wouldn’t feel the same.
Plus, Ciaran loved to read her writing. It was one of many things he cherished from their days on Earth.
There was a sound at the doorway. Madeline turned around, and there he was. Ciaran LeBlanc, her husband, stood tall, leaning against the doorframe and looking at her with a smile on his face.
She lost her train of thought.
It didn’t matter how long they had been together, the sight of him always made her stomach do somersaults and her mind wander. In front of Madeline was the perfect package, created by God when he’d been in an absolutely wonderful mood. Ciaran had the body of a noble warrior, long black hair that almost touched his shoulders, and the perfect face of a dark angel with smoky and intense gray eyes.
"Madeline!"
And there was that accent!
"Huh?" Madeline snapped back to reality and pushed the envelope under a pile of papers on her desk.
Ciaran approached her. He put a few bags and boxes on the floor and then grabbed Madeline and gave her a deep kiss that made her muscles quiver as if they would soon depart from her body. Then he released her and lightly kissed the dimple on her left cheek. His favorite part of her—among others.
"How are you?" Madeline asked while she was playing with his hair.
"Well enough. You didn't answer my messages."
"Why didn't you call?"
"I was down on level nine at Alphi.”
She nodded. “No signal.”
He smiled. “You haven’t been there for a while. Ziva sends her regards.”
Madeline rolled her eyes. "Really? I thought she wanted to send me to the oblivion jail."
Ciaran kissed her forehead. "Come on. Time heals all wounds."
"Umm..." Madeline picked up the boxes and bags. "What are these?"
"Xmas presents for the kids. And one for you, of course. I made a special trip to the upper district to get the presents. That’s why I’m late. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.” Madeline felt a lump in her throat. She cleared it.
Ciaran pulled out a small, nicely wrapped box. "This is yours. But you can't open it until Boxing Day." He grinned.
Madeline grabbed the box, but Ciaran pulled it away. "Promise you won't open it before Boxing Day?"
"That’s like making me refuse a chance to go back to New York for a real bagel!"
He frowned. "You miss Earth that much? We could go. Next month. I'll make the arrangements. What do you say?"
"No—we have a lot to do here. Let's just see how things go, okay?"
He nodded.
“I … don’t have a present for you … yet … I mean, I’ve been busy … I mean, not like crazy busy … but . . .”
Ciaran grinned. “That’s fine, Madeline. You have to run the council when I’m away. That’s an insane amount of work. I’m sorry to put that on you.”
She felt intolerably idiotic, nonsensical, irrational, shallow, and inconsiderate. The fact that she hadn't gotten him a present was a small issue. The gigantic problem was shoved in the envelope sitting on her desk.
"What were you doing when I came in?"
"Huh?"
"Are you well? You look a little ... confused."
"Oh, just a little headache. I did some writing. You know, like in the old days."
"Madeline, what's up? You hardly write these days, but whenever you do, there’s a problem."
"Really? So I can't write without having a concrete reason?"
Ciaran contemplated. "No. I don't think so."
"Well, this is a first then. I might start doing some creative writing. What do you think?"
Ciaran smiled. "If it makes you happy, I’m sure it will make me happy. Let’s see it."
He walked toward the desk to see what she had written.
Madeline grabbed his hand. She turned him around and kissed him. Then she wrapped her arms around him and tugged at his shirt. "I missed you," she said.
"I missed you too."
Madeline pushed Ciaran backward a couple of steps. With a nudge from her, he became off balance and landed on the couch. He pulled her on top of him and then flipped the two of them over so that she was underneath him. He kissed her forehead, then gently worked his way down her neck.
He smiled. "If you missed me that much, it would have helped if you’d replied to some of my messages!"
"It’s not that I didn't care about your whereabouts. I just don't like electronic gadgets. You know that. And I knew you were in Alphi. I just didn't know you were down on level nine. I thought you would call if you wanted to talk, not just send a message and rely on the message bank to deliver it."
Ciaran pushed her gently aside and got up from the couch. "Are we at odds about something, Madeline?"
"No, no. It’s nothing."
"So there is something."
He was always like that. He never let a single issue slip between them. He always talked things out. That positive trait of his could be a bit problematic for Madeline at times.
"I did. There was a distress signal from Alphi, and I didn't have much time before I left. But I called and left a message because you didn't pick up."
Madeline went to her desk and grabbed her wrist unit. She showed it to Ciaran. "Take a look. There were no messages from you."
Ciaran took the unit but didn't look through the messages. He took her word for it. "They might have slipped through the system somehow."
"Slipped through the system? I can't believe you would accept that explanation so easily, especially when you have such pride in your technology. This has to do with the people who handle your communication system."
Ciaran stood up. "What are you saying? Ziva has nothing to gain by manipulating the data except a chance to be exiled."
"I'd do anything for love," Madeline mumbled to herself.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Don't tell me you don't know she has a thing for you, Ciaran. You're too smart not to know. And you’re also too smart to not use her feelings for good."
Ciaran's voice came out as low like a growl. His noble British accent thickened. "You're saying I'm a—"
"No, I'm not saying that." She had to cut him off before the venom came out. "Ziva is a problem. Your problem. And you know that. But it might not be the problem at hand right now."
"So what is the problem that you have to worry about right now, given I’ve worked every hour of the last four weeks to stabilize the system that allows us to breathe here?"
"Was there a real issue with the air chamber or just a warning from the system?"
"It was a warning to start with, but the problem was real. It's fixed now."
"Would the problem have anything to do with the central intelligence system?"