The Never War tpa-3

by D. J. MacHale

  “Sorry, mate,” he said stubbornly. “Can’t take the chance.”

  We were slipping into dangerous territory. We were a team. I had to get Spader back with the program.

  “Remember what you told me in that cab?” I asked. “You said we were all important, but I was the one who was going to hold us all together. Well, that’s what I’m doing now. I’m holding us together. The only chance we’ve got of beating Saint Dane is if we stay together. You’ve risked your life to save me, Spader. I need you to be there for me again.”

  Spader thought about this for a moment. Was I finally getting through to him?

  “If you’re right,” he said, “there won’t be a problem. You’ll get to Third Earth and back in plenty of time. We’ll hook up and take on Saint Dane and his gangster wogglies like you were never gone. But if you don’t make it back in time, then somebody’s got to be here to make sure they don’t blow up that ship. That’s why I’m staying.”

  I didn’t know what else to say. He had made up his mind, and to be honest, I wasn’t completely sure he was wrong.

  Spader then walked up to me and said, “Go to Third Earth. Find out what you can. It might be a big help. But let me stay here and take care of things in case something goes wrong.”

  I knew Gunny and I would be back in time, but that wasn’t the point. What bothered me was that Spader was pulling away from me. He was always a guy who wanted action. Right now he had Saint Dane in his sights and didn’t want to let him get away, even if it meant going against what I thought was best.

  “Have it your way,” I finally said. “We’ll meet back here and then we’ll all go to Lakehurst. Together.”

  “Now you’re talking!” Spader said, then left us and went into the bathroom to clean himself up.

  I didn’t want to look at Gunny. I felt as if I had messed up and the team was falling apart.

  “When he’s got his mind set on something,” Gunny said softly, “I don’t think it’s possible to change it.”

  “Saint Dane is strong and smart, and he’s got way more power than any one of us,” I said. “The only chance we have to beat him is by staying together.”

  “We’ll be back in plenty of time.”

  “Yeah, probably. But I’m afraid Spader is on his own mission now.”

  Gunny fell silent. He knew I was right.

  I wanted to leave right away, but Gunny said I should get some rest. It had been a busy day and I was beat up pretty badly. Suddenly the idea of a little sleep sounded really good. He left the room, saying he’d be back in a few hours, ready to head uptown.

  I lay down on the couch and closed my eyes, ready for sleep. But it didn’t come. Even though I was dog tired and needed to recharge my batteries, my mind was working in too many directions to let me nod off. So I got up, hit the typewriter, and finished this journal.

  I’m excited and scared at the same time. I can’t believe I’m going to see Earth in 5010. How cool is that? I wish this were a trip about fun and discovery, but it isn’t. I’ve got a very bad feeling about the way things are unfolding here on First Earth.

  If there’s one thing I’ve learned about dealing with Saint Dane, it’s that just when you think you’ve got things figured out, he changes the rules. He did it on Denduron. He did it on Cloral. Question is, will he do it again here on First Earth?

  That’s what I hoped to find out on our trip to Third Earth.

  I know this is going to sound totally bizarre, but the next time I write to you guys, I will have seen the future. I can only hope that it’s a happy one.

  END OF JOURNAL #10

  This may be the most important journal I’ve written to you guys.

  I’m back on First Earth now. I wrote most of this journal on Third Earth, but I’m adding this little bit to the beginning because I want you to know right away how valuable these pages might end up being. I know, you treat all my journals like they’re important, but this one might be the topper. Handle it like gold.

  Gunny and I are on a subway train headed back to the Manhattan Tower Hotel. We’ve returned from Third Earth and we’re running out of time. We’ve got to hook up with Spader and get to New Jersey before theHindenburgarrives. But it’s critical that I write down what we discovered on Third Earth because, just as I feared, Saint Dane has changed the rules. No, that’s not exactly right. He didn’t change the rules. We weren’t smart enough to figure out what the rules were. But now we know and I can’t begin to tell you how scared I am.

  What we found on Third Earth was beyond horrible.

  I hope you’re reading this, Mark and Courtney. I know I’ve written that before, but I mean it now more than ever. Because if we fail today, history will be turned upside down, and there’s a very good chance you two will never be born. I’m serious. You will not exist. Neither will most anything else as we know it. I don’t mean to scare you. In fact, if you’re reading this it means we’ve won. But if you’re not reading this, then the journal I’m writing now may be the only record that Mark Dimond and Courtney Chetwynde of Stony Brook, Connecticut, ever existed.

  That would be tragic, but only the beginning of the horror to come if we don’t stop Saint Dane.

  Most of this journal has already been written. I’ve tried to include every little detail, because in many ways, I’m recording history.

  After finishing Journal #10, I put it safely in the desk where I was keeping Journal #9. Gunny planned on taking the journals to have them bound and covered, but not right away.

  We first had to take our trip into the future.

  Once the pages were put safely away, I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep. Spader was already conked out. Just as well. I was getting tired of worrying about what he would do next and warning him to be careful. I hoped I could count on him in the future, but right now I didn’t want to talk to him.

  The plans were set. Gunny and I would flume to Third Earth, and Spader would wait here in case we didn’t get back in time. As nervous as I was, I think I caught a few z’s. Man, I needed it. But it couldn’t have been for long, because before I knew it, Gunny was gently shaking me awake.

  “Ready to see the future?” he asked with a smile.

  “Absolutely,” I answered, wide awake.

  The idea of jumping three thousand years into the future had me totally jazzed. Though I wished we were doing it for less intense reasons. Gunny and I took the subway to the Bronx. We changed trains twice and found ourselves back at the familiar station that I had been through so many times before. It was still kind of strange to see it open for business though. When I thought of this place, my mind always went to the first time I came down here with Uncle Press on Second Earth, when the place was abandoned. Was that a million years ago? It sure felt like it.

  With so many people hanging around, it was a tricky thing to sneak down onto the tracks to get to the gate. We didn’t want people going all nuts and calling the police because two lunatics had jumped down onto the subway tracks. But Gunny had done this before. We walked to the far end of the platform and waited for the next train to show up. When the train came in, the doors opened, passengers got out, passengers got on, the doors closed, and the train began to roll out of the station. This was the perfect time for us to move because the station was then pretty empty. As soon as the train cleared the platform, we jumped down onto the tracks and ran for the gate.

  Nobody saw us. Nobody yelled. Success.

  “After you,” Gunny said, pointing to the wide mouth of the flume. We had decided to flume separately. Gunny was too big of a guy to flume tandem with and neither of us felt like knocking heads while rocketing across time and space. Besides, I liked fluming solo. It gave me time to think.

  “Is there anything I should be ready for?” I asked. “I mean, is there anything on the other end I’ve got to watch out for?”

  “There’s plenty to watch out for,” Gunny said. “But nothing you have to worry about.”

  I then stepped up to t
he mouth of the flume. I have to admit, I had goose bumps. This wasn’t an ordinary flume ride-if any flume ride can be described as ordinary, that is. No, this was more like stepping into a time machine. Next stop: three thousand years from now.

  “Third Earth!”I called out.

  The flume growled to life. The sparkling light could be seen far in the distance, headed this way. Along with it came the familiar jumble of musical notes that would lift me up and take me into the future of my own territory. I was thrilled, nervous, and terrified all at the same time. Then again, that pretty much defined my life as a Traveler.

  “Enjoy the ride!” Gunny shouted.

  An instant later I felt the tingling of energy, a slight tug, and I was pulled into the flume.

  The ride was uneventful, or at least as uneventful as rocketing through a tunnel headed to a different time and territory can be. It felt good to be alone with my thoughts for a while, and I tried to imagine what Earth might be like in the year 5010. Would it be all Jetson-like and modern? Or did the human race evolve back into monkeys, like inPlanet of the Apes? I didn’t worry too much about the ape thing. Gunny would have filled me in on that little nugget of information.

  I don’t know how long the trip took. Actually, now that I think of it, it took around three thousand years. Time sure flies when you’re having flume. Of course, it only felt like a few minutes. I felt a slight pressure on my chest, then seconds later I found myself standing in a surprising spot.

  I was back at the mouth of the same flume, inside the same gate, looking at the same rocky room I had just left.

  Huh? Did I make a mistake? Did I say “First Earth” instead of “Third”? Did I somehow make a U-turn somewhere in flumeworld? That’s when I heard the musical notes sneaking up behind me. Gunny was incoming. I jumped to the side as he landed in a flash of sparkling light. ”Uhhh, did we make a mistake?” I asked. “We’re back on First Earth.”

  “Nope, everything’s fine,” Gunny said.

  He walked over to the side of the cavern where a pile of clothes lay. I hadn’t seen them when I first landed. I was too busy being confused. “Only looks like First Earth,” he said as he sorted through the clothes.

  Hearing that made me relax a little. We weren’t going to step into some bizarro new world. But I have to admit, I was a little disappointed, too. I kind of wanted to step into a bizarro new world.

  “I have no idea how these show up,” Gunny said as he looked through the clothes.

  I joined him and looked through the clothes for myself. “Uncle Press told me it’s the acolytes.”

  “Acolytes?” exclaimed Gunny. “What’s an acolyte?”

  “I’m not sure. I’ve never met one. But Uncle Press once told me they’re people from the territories who help the Travelers. Beyond that, I haven’t got a clue.”

  I was glad to see the clothes weren’t all weird and futuristic. I picked out a pair of normal-looking khaki pants and a navy blue turtleneck. There were even regular old socks and boxers, too! The shoes were the most futuristic thing there. They didn’t even look like shoes. They were more like big, white doughnuts. That is, until you slipped them on your feet. As soon as your foot was in, they molded to you and made a perfect fit, kind of like the air globes on Cloral. One size fits all. Cool.

  Gunny put on a regular old white shirt with buttons, and a pair of black pants. He chose a black pair of doughnut shoes. White shoes weren’t his style. He also put on a black jacket that finished off the look nicely. He then reached into the pocket of his jacket and took out a small, silver square that was about the size of a baseball card.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “Some kind of telephone thing,” he answered.

  “Telephone?”

  “Uh-huh. It’s how we get in touch with Patrick. Don’t ask me how it works-it’s all magic to me.” He pressed a button on the card and a red light on top blinked twice. It then blinked green and went out. “He knows we’re here,” Gunny announced. “He’ll come get us.”

  “Cool. Can we, uh, take a look around?”

  Gunny smiled. He knew I was dying to see what the future looked like. “That’s what we’re here for,” he said. “C’mon.” He led me to the wooden door that was the gate.

  Before he opened it, I asked, “Any problems with quigs?”

  “Quigs? You mean those yellow-eyed dog things? Nah. If they know you’re not scared of them, they don’t bother you.”

  That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. Iwasscared of those yellow-eyed dog things. I hoped Gunny gave off enough brave vibes to counter my fear vibes. Gunny then pulled the door open and we stepped out of familiar territory. I expected to see the subway tunnel of First and Second Earth. But that’s not what was waiting.

  It was a subway tunnel all right, but nothing like the one I was used to. First off, it was bright. White light came from long tubes than ran along the ceiling. The walls were white and shiny and totally clean. This was nothing like the subways I was used to. Along the floor were two silver rails about ten feet apart. I guessed the subway train of the future was a monorail, like at Disney World.

  The tunnel stretched far off in each direction. I could see ahead to the lights of the station. It was still there. I wondered if it had reopened since being abandoned in my time of Second Earth.

  We then both heard a loudclickand turned quickly to see the gate had closed behind us. If I hadn’t known better, I’d say the door had disappeared, because it was absolutely flush with the wall. You had to look really close to see the outline. Weird. The inside of the gate was the familiar, wooden door. But the outside was shiny white like the rest of the tunnel. There was only one clue that it was even there. Carved into the wall was the familiar star symbol that marked all the gates.

  “We best get moving,” Gunny said. “Don’t want to get caught by a train.”

  I ran ahead of Gunny because I was so excited. When I got to the platform, I quickly jumped up, then helped Gunny when he caught up with me. I turned around and got my first look at a subway station, Third Earth-style.

  What I saw blew me away.

  The station was there, all right, and it was definitely open for business. It wasn’t very crowded. Only a handful of people wandered about, waiting for their trains. They all looked pretty normal, too. People hadn’t changed at all in three thousand years.

  But the subway station sure had. I walked a few yards away from the track and was hit with an incredible sight. Standing at a railing, I looked down onto a massive, underground mall. It must have gone down fifty floors below train level! Imagine the biggest mall you’ve ever seen, then multiply it by like forty times, and you’d have this place. And it was all underground! We were on the very top and could see down to multiple levels that had tons of shops and restaurants, and even a whole section that looked like private entrances. They must have been apartments or something. People moved around on every level. Some walked, but many rode these odd two-wheel scooters that silently and quickly moved them along. Looking all the way down to the bottom, I saw a humongous pool. It was practically an indoor lake, where people swam and played ball. It was even big enough for people to paddle kayaks around.

  This was an enormous, underground city in the Bronx. Or should I sayunderthe Bronx.

  Gunny had walked up behind me but didn’t say anything at first. I think he wanted me to get over the shock.

  Finally he asked, “What do you think?”

  “Amazing is a good word,” I said in awe.

  “The way I heard it,” Gunny explained, “they were running out of space, so they decided to move into the only unexplored area left on Earth.”

  “Underground,” I said.

  “That’s right,” Gunny said. “From what Patrick tells me, this is nothing. There’s whole cities like this all over the world.”

  I watched as people went about their business, like this was normal or something. I guess to them itwasnormal but…wow., I also saw all sorts of people of e
very race. This wasn’t a segregated neighborhood. Maybe people had finally learned how to get along with one another.

  “It gets better,” Gunny said.

  He led me to the escalator that would take us up to the surface. As we walked, I saw a subway train pull into the station. Gone was the clash of wheels on metal and the screech of brakes. The train slid smoothly into the station with a quiet hum. Very cool. Very Disney.

  We hopped on the escalator and I had to stop myself from running up faster. I was dying to get my first look at the outside world of Third Earth. As we rode up Gunny said, “I guess people got smart somewhere along the line. It stopped being about building more and bigger. People began to understand they had to respect what they had or it wouldn’t be around for the future.”

  “So what did they do?” I asked.

  “Look,” Gunny said.

  We had reached the top of the escalator where I was expecting to step out into the middle of the normal, busy Bronx. Well, we were in the Bronx, all right, but it was far from normal.

  The first thing I saw was grass. Lots of it. It looked like a park! There was a vast lake where people were fishing under the shade of leafy-green trees. The terrain wasn’t flat, either. There were hills and rocky rises and even a footbridge over a stream that fed the lake. The sky was clear blue on this amazing, sunny day. I even smelled something familiar. It smelled like-

  “Pine trees,” Gunny said. “That’s what you’re smelling.”

  He had read my mind. The green subway kiosk was built on the edge of a dense grove of pine trees. It was a far different smell from the chemical fume-odor of First Earth.

  There were a few odd buildings scattered around that looked like a jumble of boxes stacked on top of one another. They must have been apartment buildings because I saw people out on their balconies, talking and reading and playing and basically hanging out.

  There were streets, but rather than the normal grid pattern of a city, these roads gently curved around the natural terrain. There was traffic, but the cars were small, and must have been powered by electricity because the only noise they made was a gentle hum. Many people rode bikes or walked or zipped along on those two-wheel jobs I had seen underground. I also saw a lot of small, dark green shelters scattered around. We had just stepped out from under one of them. My guess was that these shelters marked the entrances to the incredible underground complex below.