James looked down from the building office window at the horrible sight of the
frightened young girl vanishing with the pernicious beast that almost destroyed his hometown.
“Yes!” Yelled Ramrod and all cheered in a sigh of relief.
“Awesome” yelled Tina who took off and met up James during the melee as he was coming out of the building.
“Who was that girl?” Asked Davis.
“The prisoner?” Asked Ramrod rhetorically, “you let her get away.”
“Oh crap. No Sir, the little girl in the light portal.”
“Time holds no bounds, young man. The town is safe. We’ll leave it up to the politicians to deal with the other stuff.”
Tina raced back upstairs to the office building and saw James. “What happened to Staffnight?” Asked Tina.
“He is um… resting comfortably.” He beckoned to the lying form of Broad Staffnight on the floor unconscious.
“Nice fighting kiddo” said Tina joyously.
“Let’s go.” Said James.
“Yeah, we still have warrants on our heads. But I got this….” Said Tina as she held up the emerald waving it into the air.
CHAPTER 47
The laboratory in the basement of Temporo Inc. headquarters was big enough to house a dozen football teams yet was only occupied by two scientists. A short portly balding man approached a metal workbench where a petite young woman with large framed glasses and short brunette hair combed through several cards on the table.
“How is the examination coming Vanessa?”
“Well, Sir” she responded shyly. “I am cataloguing the reference samples. I just find it fascinating that all the hours spent on this project and the end result was so… unpredictable.”
“How long have you been working for the company?”
“You know I just started.” She gasped.
“Yes but you are not new to science. You know there are some things that can never be known fully. We represent a machination that has worked long and diligent hours on a way to harness clean energy and power but we are restricted by the inherent ebbs and flows of space and time.”
“That is why you are so brilliant. You are the genius credited with this new approach.” She smirked beckoning to the cards and the immense amount of lab equipment on the table and in the surrounding areas spanning for the entire length of the large room.
“It took a lot of effort” he rubbed his head. “It was a long shot using a modified version of Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity with a magnetic wave leverage inhibiter to capture tons of energy from the electromagnetic void that surrounds the world. We can finally break free of the bounds of space and time and capture raw energy. We can end the world’s fuel problems and make Temporo Inc. shareholders very wealthy.”
“And what will you get out of it my proud teacher?” The young scientist beckoned to her mentor.
“The thrill of scientific discovery is enough for me but… having my picture in the world’s science literary journal would be of great interest. I have always wanted to visit Stockholm. My research will surely place me in the top five physicists at the global level coveting the famous Nobel Prize.”
“You deserve it” she put the cards down and turned to her mentor. “No doubt your theories on new age astrophysics will revolutionize the world we live in. Was it really the key goal to deliver a stream of particles directly from the jet propulsion systems? What about the threat of negative energy?”
“It was the case my protégé. The negative energy would simply evaporate into the void once penetrated. Our calculations were air tight. It’s as if the knowledge of the ancient’s device was infused in me like a whatchamacallit, a shaman being possessed by a poltergeist. Scary stuff isn’t it?” He laughed.
“Oh yes. Kudos Doctor Antoine Denis.”
“But there could be the problems with the sub molecular quantum producer that created a truly profound and coherent effect on the temporal void. A single slip can be devastating…” he thought aloud. “Even the slightest miscalculations in the equation could be enough to open an unstable rift to any number of dimensions along the multiverse theory.”
“The beasts that attacked the city earlier could have been the result of our work, Doctor. What about the artifact?”
“It is connected but our experiment is to blame. Everything is going to be covered up now… so much for the Nobel Prize.”
“That beasts of immense size and power come from an alternate dimension is truly an incredible belief let alone a reality that is actually happening. Is it the end now or will more come soon from any point in space or time?”
“It has already started!”
CHAPTER 48
That night in the city order room, Broad Staffnight and Elizabeth Peters addressed a crowd of city representatives including Chief of Police Brent Hightower in a private super emergency meeting.
“Damn it Broad. What happened today was inexcusable neglect. You exposed our city, hell our universe to something that we may never live down.” Yelled the Chief under the auspices of the fuming mayor and council.
“Mr. Chief and distinguished colleagues. What happened today was a mere oversight. We have had an unexplainable intervention and a variable not contemplated during our initial calculations. As a result we were taken by surprise. I assure you we will not let that happen again.” His eyes widened. “The U.S. government has expressed interest in complete control over Chronix Bay under martial law in the interest of national security.” Said Broad.
“After what has happened recently, I can’t say I blame them.” Said Liz.
“We will submit to it under one condition.” Said Broad.
“What condition is that?” Asked Hightower.
“We will implement a new system, which is why it has been proclaimed and ordered by this council that Temporo, Inc.’s board of directors will govern the city when it comes to matters of extra jurisdictional affairs and as this involves beings from another universe, this falls within that jurisdiction.”
“And what about these two derelicts who beat you and stole the device, Prescott and Timewalker?” Asked Cumberberry curiously, his hair grey and face more wrinkled with age. “They know how to use it as they have done so. They could be anywhere in time or space.”
“They will be found and dealt with” said Hightower. “There is a triple net reward out for them, dead or alive and it will remain on their heads to last for five millennia if need be.”
“And since the board of directors is governed by one, it has been determined that, that one is me. All will answer to me with regard to this matter.” Said Broad. “I now control the City of Chronix Bay.”
“So be it.” Chief Hightower nodded and all clapped in anticipation of the success he will usher in for them all. Mark Cumberberry snorted as he slyly sipped his cabernet in the corner.
CHAPTER 49
Near the city of Chronix Bay, out to the sea past the local ports, a small rowboat with a makeshift sail is floating towards an unknown and uncertain destination.
“James, what are we going to do? How do we know what we are supposed to do now?” asked Tina frantically. “It seems like only yesterday I was learning about it in college classes and books about this crazy topic…destiny… fate… but I never thought we would be talking about this on another scale, in terms of other worlds and dimensions or times… I say it’s crazy because it seems so ludicrous yet so appealing. Is this some type of social change or movement by these beasts? Is it meant to be better or worse? Just walking down the street or turning on the evening news you can see it is not getting better. It seems hopeless. There are a lot of questions and no answers.”
“As long as we don’t give up, we can succeed. We have seen a lot and who knows what else is out there.”
“But, James, I don’t know if that is true but I do want to keep helping and being useful … with you.” Said Tina.
“I think we will be helping each ot
her.” Said James. “We have been through a lot for sure but I have a feeling we have only scratched the surface of what we are supposed to accomplish with this thing and for our sakes. There has to be hope if we have faith.” He looked down at the emerald in her lap wrapped in a cloth, glowing brightly in the moonlight.
PART TWO
A SECRET DESTINY
CHAPTER 50
“Nighttime has a funny thing to it,” thought Mercedes Gonzalez, a lonely individual adrift in the world. It has the tendency to make one second guess one’s choices and also has the tendency to make one recognize the rightness of one’s own innate abilities.” Mercedes sat on a bus on its way towards a destination she never dreamed she would possibly be headed, not in her wildest nightmares, the U.S./Mexican border. She was of Mexican descent, mocha complexion, dark brown hair, tall, pretty but not feeling she was, and spoke with a slight accent but she was American, born in the United States, educated to middle class parents who struggled from their roots in a poor town near Juarez City to the hard work and perseverance of becoming citizens of the greatest country in the free world to give their children a better life. Mercedes felt like the odd ball of the family as her siblings, one older sister and one younger brother went on to college and further studies in law and medicine while she herself never aspired for anything passed high school and she embodied the blue collar working class struggles of many of her peers. She felt that maybe if she made a better choice to be “somebody” like her siblings and like her parents pushed her towards, she would not be in the predicament she was in now, a thirty-odd year old woman, single, childless, and having been arrested and convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, now being taken to the Mexican border under order of deportation because of some mix-up in paperwork she does not understand and despite her pleas that she is a citizen, her lack of proper identification resulted in the border patrol being forced to carry out their order. She wore a brown suede jacket and jeans and sneakers. Her hands in handcuffs in front of her as a prisoner of the state being escorted between boundaries like the others around her. She looked around the bus and saw empty seats, but the ones that were full were filled with sad people just like her who felt wronged in some way by the system. The poor huddled masses that were picked up and swept back by the increasing alert of security and political slants against the illegal immigrant population were her new contemporaries on this sudden voyage of the damned.
She regretfully and vaguely remembered when she was first apprehended only a few months ago when the process began journeying her through the system. She was going to a local bar in her hometown in California. She was alone and hoping to meet someone to marry someday. She made her way passed the usually vulgar crowd of ruffians and drunkards who already had too much before happy hour was over. And she saw a young man in his forties, dark hair, handsome schoolboy look, and wearing a classic Armani exchange suit with golden cufflinks. He looked like he was very wealthy or at least comfortable enough to fake it so she approached and introduced herself, ignoring that he was talking to several younger girls at once.
“Hi, I’m Mercedes Gonzalez. What’s your name?” She sat beside him.
“Broad Staffnight. You look really hot.”
“Thanks,” she blushed “this old thing.” She referred to the bright red dress she had on, a special at a local thrift store.
“Want to buy me a drink?” She uttered.
“Sure. Excuse me ladies,” Broad brushed aside his younger targets and escorted Mercedes as she clung to his elbow, to the bar. “Two margaritas,” He told the bartender. “So tell me where you’re from and where you’re headed, doll?”
“Born and raised in the west coast and headed hopefully to your place, handsome!?”
The bartender brought their drinks and they sipped them and talked more about their interests in local activities. A few drinks later, they were discussing going home and then a young woman with blonde hair approached and yelled at them.
“I knew you were cheating on me you bastard. I don’t want to see you again.”
“Wait, Elizabeth!” Said Broad.
“What?” Mercedes stood up tripping over herself over too many margaritas.
“Who is this slut?” Elizabeth yelled.
“Who you calling a slut, you Trollope?” Mercedes screamed shoving Elizabeth back with both hands. Soon Elizabeth shoved her back and the two women were embroiled in an amateur wrestling match on the ground of the bar.
“Ladies, please” yelled Broad trying to straighten it out but the wrestling switched to exchanging blows. Mercedes picked up a beer bottle that fell to the floor and smashed it against Elizabeth's head who then felt her head and then seeing her own blood on her hands fainted. Mercedes got up and looked around at the people looking at her and the police running through the door yelling “hands up, you’re under arrest.” She was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and convicted. After that her inability to verify her identity and a “mix-up” in her paperwork made them think she was an illegal and undocumented Mexican immigrant and an immigration judge ordered her deportation. The process was quick and without question.
“It’s like I’m cursed.” She thought to herself sitting on the bus. “How could this happen? How come my parents couldn’t stop it? I am totally screwed.”
The bus came to a stop at the border and a chubby border patrol agent walked on and yelled first in English then in Spanish that they had arrived at the border and they must exit the bus single file and await processing on both sides of the border before they can go home. Mercedes thought to herself, “I’m going to be homeless in a country I’ve never visited. I can’t believe this is happening to me.” She walked out of the bus in order and was processed by the officer on both sides, asking her routine questions that were obvious to answer “no” to because she was in police custody, like “do you have any fruits, vegetables, or other items to declare?” And “are you travelling with company?” So she was released from police custody and detention into the port of Juarez City, Mexico. She walked around in the darkness of night fearful that she would be attacked or assaulted. She had nothing of value nor any belongings but the clothes on her back but feared for her safety as she saw the squalor of poverty and violent muggings take place before her in the inner city so close to the border. No sooner than leaving the bus did she immediately smell the stench of marijuana smoke and tequila near the sudden burnt ash of a steel oil drum and she thought to herself, “Oh my God, where do I go? There isn’t even a church nearby.” She did not want to fall asleep in any alleyway in such a dangerous part of town so she walked for miles until too tired to continue and the daybreak was starting to come. She saw a small farm house and walked over and knocked on the door. The door opened and a small frail elderly woman answered in Spanish, “hello”. “Uh, my Spanish is not that great. Hello. I am looking for a room” said Mercedes in her best Spanish fluency but broken to say the least. “My God, Are you American?” Said the woman in Spanish. “Yes, American, Yes” responded Mercedes in Spanish smiling and nodding, “do you speak English” She asked in Spanish. “When my son arrives, Juan Carlos.” The older woman yelled into the house in Spanish as she opened the door all the way and Mercedes entered slowly. “Mama, I was sleeping, why did you wake me?” A young man with a muscular build comes out shirtless from his bedroom, with short dark hair and a tan complexion. He spoke in Spanish and opened his eyes and sees Mercedes and stops in his tracks. “Oh” they stare at one another only for a second but for both seemed like an eternity as they both found one another incredibly attractive. “There is this American woman” said the old woman to her son in Spanish. “She needs a room for the night, I think. This is my son, Juan Carlos.”
“Hey, you speak English?” Said Juan Carlos.
“Yes.” Replied Mercedes.
“Welcome, we got a spare room. Only three pesos per night.”
“Um, I don’t have any money, it’s a long story. I can work it off. I
can do housework and maybe fieldwork if it’s not too strenuous.”
“I see. I think that can be arranged.” He smiled and she nodded in return.
CHAPTER 51
The darkness stood still in the twilight of the secret facility not too far away from the farmhouse, in an abandoned factory. Figures moved around slightly disturbing the stillness but something still remained that rendered it still and empty. “Hurry up, let’s deliver this stuff very quickly.” A dark crinkled voice uttered in Spanish yelling at one figure in the darkness as a group of men in dark ninja garb stood ready to accept their mission. “We are here for the item.” One of them spoke in a hoarse and crinkly voice.
“Hey,” Broad spoke to a number of men in dark suits and glasses with broad brimmed hats. “I didn’t think it was necessary to do her like that. Setting her up. Why did we have to set her up too? Was it necessary?” He added nervously but hiding it very nonchalantly as he was partially intoxicated.
“We must remember the essence of our existence.” A dark crinkly voice emanated from them but not from any one apparent individual. “The last time is approaching and the project remains true. We cannot allow for any setbacks and for the truth to be, there must be a sudden return and certain events occurred in time.”
The Time Stone Page 15