Aliomenti Saga 6: Stark Cataclysm

by Alex Albrinck

  “Where are you going?” he asked.

  “There’s one more thing I need to get.”

  “Why didn’t you get it before?”

  “I had two hundred pounds of Assassin on my back.” And with that, Fil disappeared up the steps.

  Adam sighed, grabbed the time capsule, and moved toward the rear wall of the house. He dodged the detritus flowing back into the tunnel and set the time capsule inside, wedging it between two stable bits of rock at the edge of the tunnel. It would remain covered, invisible to human eyes, until Angel retrieved her nanos decades from now. He shook his head. Time travel made things complicated.

  He sprinted back to the time machine, brushed the dirt off his clothing and out of his hair, and dug in his bag for the incendiary bomb.

  ~~~~~

  Fil sprinted up the steps. He might not be worthy to be Will Stark’s son, but he’d never pass up the chance to do a good deed. And as with his father’s example, he’d do that even if the effort put his own life in peril.

  The fire had started to burn through the Assassin’s special accelerant. Walls finally began to burn. The true destruction of the house was underway. The heat intensified, but he ignored the pain as embers fell upon him, searing his skin and scorching his clothing.

  He had a life to save.

  Smokey recognized him. She didn’t mind that he’d aged decades in mere minutes. He watched as the dog’s body trembled, as she tried to get to her feet to greet him. The injuries were too extensive. She settled for twitching her long tail instead.

  He knelt beside her, scooped her into his arms, and held her close, letting the familiar black fur ruffle against his face. “It’ll be okay, girl,” he whispered. “I promise.”

  He moved carefully down the stairs this time, focusing on keeping his movements smooth to avoid jarring her. Smokey twisted her head to lick his hand. Fil felt his eyes mist behind the sunglasses. He moved to the time machine and placed Smokey on the front seat, giving her an encouraging pat. He had one more job to do, and moved to the spot he remembered so well.

  He was there. Him. He was six years old, knew his name to be Josh Stark, and he was invisible behind his father’s covering of nanos. The words came easily. He remembered his mother’s decline, remembered her as she’d neared death, and urged her to seek and accept help. He remembered his confusion at that age, wondering where Dad was, and knew he’d start soon along the path of anger. He addressed his younger self, offering a heartfelt plea to the young boy who would begrudge his father’s absence when that absence represented a much greater sacrifice for Will. He stepped aside and watched as Angel addressed the invisible duo as well, keeping her eyes well above where young Josh Stark’s head would be.

  They finally moved back to the time machine. Fil scooped up Smokey and set her on his lap.

  “You… you saved Smokey,” his father whispered from the back seat. Fil thought the man had passed out; apparently not. “Thank you.”

  Fil, not trusting himself to speak, merely nodded.

  “My wife… my son… were you able… to save them… too?”

  Fil glanced in the direction of his younger self, remembering seeing and hearing the conversation, and repeated the words he’d heard as a young boy. “They were already gone when I got there.”

  He turned away as his father wept, unable to watch any longer, and tapped Adam. “We need to get going.”

  Adam nodded and activated the machine, then pressed the remote to activate the countdown timer on the incendiary bomb.

  The top formed above them, and they listened as the time circuits pulled electricity in from the batteries. Twenty seconds later, the top went opaque, and they felt the sensation of displacement once more.

  Fil heard the audible sighs of relief, and scratched Smokey’s fur. “We made it, girl.”

  Adam looked at him, then back at Angel. “We did it, my friends. I guess it’s time to hop out and get to work.”

  He hit the button to open the lid.

  Fil stopped moving and stared.

  They weren’t back in the time machine room. They’d materialized somewhere he’d never been in his life.

  XIX

  Detour

  2219 A.D.

  He stood with Smokey in his arms, turned, and set her down on the seat. “Stay here, girl,” he whispered. After giving the dog a reassuring pat on the head, he climbed out of the cabin, joining Angel and Adam.

  The air was fragrant, clean, with just a hint of salt. He could hear birds chirping and the sound of waves breaking. “We’re near the ocean. This can’t be the right place, can it? Is it the right time?”

  Angel glanced back at their father, making sure he reclined comfortably in the back seat. “It’s not the right place. We were supposed to end up back in the camp, back in the same room we left. This?” She looked around. “This is much too nice.”

  Adam looked around, frowning. “Did the machine malfunction? I guess it didn’t work correctly.” He shivered.

  Angel shook her head. “The time machine worked. We moved. Are we… what year is it? Is the date right?”

  Adam leaned over the dashboard and checked the readouts. “The date’s right. But the physical coordinates are wrong.” He concentrated for a moment before floating up into the air. Fil didn’t detect any Energy usage; the man was putting his nanos to good use. Adam rotated in the air above them, taking in their surroundings, before returning to the surface. “We’re on a small island. Beautiful terrain.”

  “How could we end up in the wrong place?” Fil frowned. Had all of the testing been for naught? “Did the Mechanic plug in the wrong physical coordinates?”

  “He must have,” Adam said.

  “So we should recharge the batteries, put in the correct physical coordinates again, and make the final jump. Right?” Angel didn’t look worried, just unsure of what they should do next.

  Adam shook his head. “We have a time machine. What’s the rush? Let’s check this place out. We might learn something interesting.”

  Fil shook his head. “What if we’re late and the Mechanic sends the other machine back in time for us? Then there are two time machines in operation. That’s something we must avoid. We need to get moving right away.”

  “Fil, I think Adam’s right.” She glanced around. “If we have a time machine and adjust the spatial coordinates, we’ll end up in exactly the right place and time, no matter how much time we spend here. Why not explore this place? ”

  Fil shook his head. “We’re on a tropical island. This is the wrong place. What if it’s unsafe?” He moved to the cabin of the craft and looked at the coordinates. “Those aren’t the right numbers. I memorized them before we left. They’ve been altered.”

  Adam shrugged. “We know what the correct numbers are. We can always jump through time again. Angel’s right. We can’t think of time in a linear fashion with a time machine at our disposal. We’ll arrive right when we’re supposed to. We may learn something. If we find something dangerous, we’ll deal with it.”

  Fil turned to face his friend. “Adam, we have no way of knowing if this detour is due to a malfunction or an error, so…”

  “We’re pretty well equipped to handle anything.” Adam glanced at Angel. “Sense anything?”

  Angel concentrated. “No. I mean, I sense… safety. If that makes any sense. No specific person or people, no threats from local wildlife, nothing.”

  Fil sighed. He couldn’t shake the feeling of foreboding about this place, as if death awaited them everywhere. But if Angel thought they were safe, they probably were. “Okay, okay. Let’s look around. Angel, are you coming?”

  “I’m staying with D—with Mr. Stark.” Her mouth twitched, and Fil felt mild amusement. She was practicing her form of address with their father. “You two should split up and look around.”

  The two men glanced at each other and shrugged. “I’ll head this way,” Adam said, and set off, moving down a rocky hillside toward the most prominent soun
ds of the ocean.

  Fil watched him for a moment and chuckled. Perhaps Adam just wanted to soak his feet or build a sandcastle. After everything they’d all been through, he wouldn’t blame the man at all. He might learn that waves break, or find an impressive seashell.

  He turned and headed in the opposite direction.

  He noticed the relative silence of the island more than anything else. There were singing birds, breaking waves, the occasional chirp of an insect. But he heard nothing to suggest a human presence. No roars from cars, no murmurs suggestive of chattering populations, no thrum of electricity. His enhanced senses detected nothing either. Had this island gone undiscovered and undisturbed throughout all of human history?

  He stumbled a bit, not because he’d transitioned from the rocky incline to level grass, but because the idea of an undiscovered tropical paradise had such appeal. He could live here. He could let his Shield crack, just a little bit, and do the occasional bit of Energy work without the worry of discovery.

  He moved through the gentle grove of trees at the foot of the hills and out onto a gently rolling plain. He saw a small stream. If the island was undisturbed, then the water should be safe to drink, right? He put his hands in the water and listened. He wasn’t sure when he’d developed the ability. But he found he could tell if something was safe for consumption by touching it and listening for sounds that were… well, he’d never be able to describe it to anyone else. But the sounds of things that were poisonous, poisoned, or otherwise a danger to him would make negative sounds. He heard nothing like that with the water, and used his hands to ladle water out to drink. It was the most delicious, freshest water he could ever remember drinking. He gorged himself on it, standing only when he thought his stomach might burst.

  Maybe he should go find a beach, lie down, and take a nap.

  Tempting as that was, he wanted to know more about this island, and continued walking along the shore of the ever-widening stream. There were no clouds in the sky, and he felt the warm sun upon his skin. Between the warmth and fresh water… yes, he could definitely live here. His nose detected the faint scent of fresh fruits, potentially native to the region. He glanced into the stream—now better described as a river—and could see fish swimming about. Plenty of food. The waters were deep enough for boat travel, and as he looked farther down the river, it widened enough for two narrow boats to travel at the same time before they’d lay anchor at the dock.

  Wait. A boat dock?

  Then he saw the rest of the site.

  The small shelter sat a few dozen paces from the river, a short walking path from the wooden dock. Fil felt an odd chill. Angel seemed certain the island contained no human settlers, and he himself had detected nothing during his walk. Yet here was direct evidence that people lived here… or had lived here. He didn’t see any boats at the dock, which was concerning. Were the residents fishing downriver?

  No, Angel’s skills were too strong to miss a human or two fishing the river on an island of this size. He was safe. But he couldn’t help wonder about the people who’d lived here, and what happened to them.

  Only one way to find out.

  He was on the wrong side of the river, but that was no concern. He didn’t want to risk any Energy usage at this point, though. He glanced around, let the nano clothes dissolve around him, and jumped into the water. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone swimming. Yet another reason to stay here permanently, if he could. Strong strokes took him to the opposite shore in a hurry. He formed the nanos into a rough but effective towel, dried himself off, reformed his clothing, and marched up to the door of the shack. He noticed the larger building behind the shack, perhaps a barn, and decided he’d explore that next. He knocked on the door, heard nothing inside, and walked in.

  The place was only slightly dusty, perhaps kept clear by the gentle breezes that flowed through the open windows, carrying with the them scent and sounds of the breaking waves against the beach. The furnishings were simple. A wooden table. Two chairs. There was a fireplace in the kitchen area. The ash in the fireplace was cool. No residents had created fire here recently. There was no sign of refrigeration in the building, suggesting that the residents had harvested their meals directly each day. That was plausible. The river held plenty of fish. The island hosted trees and plants providing plenty of edible fruits and vegetables. Food storage, on an island where the weather demanded you spend time outdoors, was unnecessary.

  He moved through the doorway into the only other room in the small dwelling. The mattress was simple and covered with a pair of quilts. Fil suspected the residents slept atop one and beneath the other. A wooden wardrobe held only a few changes of clothes, but the clothing made clear that at least one man and one woman had lived here. Fil nodded to himself and headed back to the main room. He wondered what they’d been like, the people living in this island paradise. Were there others?

  He headed outside and moved around the back, searching until he found the door for the larger building. The door was stuck. He gave it a few kicks before it opened. The breeze scattered papers that had been sitting atop the desk near the door, and Fil instinctively stooped to the wooden floor to pick them up and put them back.

  When he stood and saw what was inside, he froze on the spot.

  It was the unmistakable body of a submarine.

  His breathing slowed and his eyes widened. A chill having nothing to do with the weather coursed through him as he moved forward with tentative steps. He reached out and touched the surface. It felt rough, unpolished. The submarine was small, not large enough to hold more than one person. It would certainly not allow for extended trips underwater, even if the ship was seaworthy. The bolts holding the panels together were obvious and gave the surface a jagged appearance.

  He knew what this was. He knew what this place was.

  He sprinted out of the building, racing at full speed back to the time machine.

  Angel wiped the blood from their father’s face. One of the towels had been dampened with a bottle of water sitting next to her. She looked up as he approached, sensing the deep if unidentifiable emotion exploding from her brother.

  He grabbed her arm. “You need to come with me.”

  “I can’t leave—”

  “He’s fine. You’re more right than even you know about this place being safe for us. Put the towel down and come with me.”

  She cocked her head and flicked her eyes down at her arm. “You’re not usually quite so… insistent.”

  He let go of her arm. “You’ll understand why in a few minutes. It’s not far.” He held out his hand.

  Angel draped the towels over the side of the time machine and climbed out. “I really don’t like leaving him here, Fil.”

  “We’re traveling the fast way.”

  “You’re not worried about detection?”

  He shook his head. “No chance of that.”

  She held out her hand, and he teleported the two of them to the dock.

  Angel looked around, surprise covering her face. She brushed the strands of flaming red hair from her eyes. “I… thought this place was uninhabited. That’s why I thought it was safe.”

  “It’s uninhabited at the moment. The only residents aren’t here right now. Come on. I’ll show you.”

  He walked toward the building at the back, listening to the soft grass squish beneath his feet. He could feel her confusion at his actions. And they were strange, he admitted to himself. Yet even though he couldn’t lie to his sister, he knew she’d struggle to believe what he’d found without seeing and realizing it for herself.

  They entered the building. He opened the door more slowly this time and leaped inside, slamming a hand down on the papers before the breeze blew them off the desk once more. He looked up and motioned Angel inside.

  She spotted the submarine immediately and her eyes widened. “Is that… what I think it is?”

  He nodded. “It’s an early submarine prototype. One of many that eventually le
d to the ones the Alliance use today.” He glanced around. “This is Dad’s workshop.”

  “It’s true, then.” Angel’s voice was a mere whisper. “Mom always talked about Dad finding an island that nobody else could ever find, told us how they spent a lot of time here before the Alliance started and the Cavern was done. She said this was the place where he built the first submarine.” She looked at Fil. “That’s why you were so confident nothing would happen to Dad, isn’t it? Nobody else could ever find this place.”

  Fil nodded. “It is. And I know they’d supposedly abandoned it quite a while ago, but I’m pretty sure it’s been where Dad’s been living during his supposed death. And…” He snapped his fingers as realization dawned. “This is where he brought Mom after they left, to help her get better. Maybe there’s something here, on this island, that helped her to recover. Remember the vial of sand he left as a clue? This is where the sand came from, the beach that I could never find.”

  Angel pointed to the desk. “Look there. What’s that from?”

  Fil looked at the desk. Draped across the surface was a flaming red strand of hair, far shorter than the Energy-colored tresses Angel possessed. “Whose hair is that?”

  Angel thought for a moment, and started nodding. “Yes, that makes sense. When I talked to Mom about the ancient days at one point, she mentioned she was born a redhead. It’s why I went with this color. Young Dad had never seen Mom with this hair color, and it would be more difficult for him to make any type of connection between us as a result. But once he gets to the ancient past, he’ll meet Mom, and she’ll have this color hair.” She touched the strand of hair. “It makes sense, doesn’t it? As she recovered and her hair came back, it grew back in its original color.” She looked at Fil. “This is their message to us, Fil. If we ever found this island, this is the message they left for us to tell us that Mom is healthy now. She grew back her hair in its original color, which means she’s back to her youthful appearance.” She wiped a single tear from her cheek. “I can’t wait to see her like that.”