“Don’t put me in there again!” the Assassin screamed.
“Smokey will be sitting up front with me.”
“I’ll take the trunk,” he muttered.
“Good man,” the Mechanic said. “By the way, you’ll forget this room and anything you might have seen in it.”
He hurled the Assassin into the trunk and slammed the lid closed. He hopped into the craft and whistled to Smokey. The dog hopped in, he closed the lid, and took off.
He turned the craft invisible just outside the camp and flew until he was about a mile outside the city. “Stay, girl,” he told Smokey, patting her on the head. He hopped out of the craft and pulled the Assassin out of the trunk.
“Good news: that’s the last time you’ll travel that way. Better news: you’ll find the nearest city with an Aliomenti branch about an hour’s walk down the road. Your scummy little friends should be able to get you back to your island.” He smirked. “Make sure you check the date when you get into the bank.”
“But—”
“Goodbye,” the Mechanic said. He hopped back into the craft, closed the top, and took off, heading in a different direction than the one he’d taken on the inbound trip. He kept the craft visible until he was certain the Assassin couldn’t see him. With the craft invisible, he made a direct line back to the camp and settled into his lab.
He hopped out with Smokey and found that he wasn’t alone.
“Good to see you back,” Adam told him. His eyes flicked toward the craft. “Your project is out in the world again, I take it?”
He nodded. “Everything is tested. He couldn’t even react when I punched him.”
Fil looked impressed. “You punched him? I’m jealous.”
The Mechanic flexed his hand. “It’s not quite as enjoyable as it sounds.”
Adam cleared his throat. “We need to get Will set up with communication nanos. He’s due to… depart soon, and we need to get him some initial training before his visit to Aliomenti Headquarters.”
He nodded and walked over to the nano-producing kegs, where he found the vial with the communication nanos. “Here’s the allocation. He just needs to swallow these. They’ll get implanted within a few minutes.”
“What about a small batch of the general nanos?”
The Mechanic snapped his fingers. He’d forgotten that. He flipped the switch on the second keg. “They’ll be done in about four hours.”
Adam shook his head. “He’s likely to run off very soon. I’ll take whatever quantity is done in fifteen minutes. It will be enough.”
The Mechanic slumped into his chair. How had he forgotten to activate the device earlier? He’d been distracted by the prospect of releasing the Assassin, even under the circumstances. Had that been enough? He remembered the circumstances now. Will would need enough nanos to deflect a sword thrust at him by the Assassin, the man he’d just released. Would fifteen minutes create enough nanos to meet Will’s needs?
Perhaps he could find a way to increase the quantity produced. He walked to the keg and tapped on the controls. “I’m going to make a quick change that should give Will about thirty percent more nanos than I could normally get in this time frame. It’s not really safe, especially for longer production runs, but I think the risk is worth it in this case.”
He handed them the vial when the timer sounded fifteen minutes later, and the three headed out to locate Will Stark and teach him how to work with his new nanos.
The Mechanic sat in a chair and exhaled deeply. He still had a great deal to do, and time was running short. He glanced at the original time machine. He’d fitted it out with the necessary nanos to give it lift and act as a flying craft for transport. It lacked the airspeed velocity of the pure nano-based craft. He smiled. That machine could travel to its target destination in an instant, but they didn’t want that to become common knowledge. The Phoenix Technologies transporters had been popular for a while, but consistent successful efforts at sabotage had forced them to close the business after ten years. It worked out well. The Aliomenti would likely step up discovery efforts in the next few weeks. A large, successful company with machines able to teleport materials over long distances would garner their attention. It would certainly make them suspicious about claims by the Assassin that the Alliance were down to at most twenty members worldwide.
He looked at the time machine again. The effort required to create the original had been immense, and they’d taken advantage of breakthrough ideas wherever they might arise. He’d had no such luck with the question regarding the thickness of the exterior body, however.
He closed his eyes. Adam, Fil, and Angel climbed aboard the machine. They’d checked all the readings and sensors to make certain everything was in proper order. He’d stepped back as Adam pressed the start button. The system recognized the special ink in the tattoo on Adam’s palm and activated the startup sequence. The top formed above them, completing and sealing the cabin. The computer calculated the power required for the jump and provided that information to the time circuits. The time circuits pulled the necessary power from the batteries. When the circuits reached the necessary levels of power, the computer flipped the top opaque to block out all harmful exterior radiation, and then “folded” the target time to the current time.
Something nagged at him. He knew it was something so simple, something he ought not overlook. Something about the sequence he’d just remembered contained the answer. He was certain.
He opened his eyes and looked at the machine again. What was he missing?
He jumped to his feet as the answer struck him.
They’d constructed the top with nanos.
The top was, by definition, thick enough to withstand all pressure and radiation associated with time travel. If the body and exterior were the same thickness, they would withstand the same pressures.
He glanced at the calendar. The timeline said that Will Stark would head to Aliomenti Headquarters two days from now and return on the third. They’d discuss time travel with him on the fourth. In five days’ time, Will Stark would travel back in time in a machine not yet built.
He pushed the table and other furniture aside and set the keg to producing nanos full time. He’d need every single one he could get.
“Sleep, I’ll see you on the other side of this,” he said. “I have a time machine to build.”
XXIII
Fil
2219 A.D.
Fil glanced at Adam. “It’s probably best if you raise the topic.”
Adam nodded his consent. “You’re right. He might run and hide right now if you show up first.” Adam’s face was sympathetic, and the words were meant to be a compliment. He’d played his role well, too well perhaps. He was meant to drive his father away, to eliminate any thought the man might possess about remaining behind when offered the chance to go back in time to save the lives of his wife and son.
Success meant achieving the one thing in the world he wanted least of all.
Some life.
Adam left, and Angel looked at him, her large violet eyes filled with concern. “The man who matters is the one who’ll remain behind, Fil. That man will be impressed with your strength and maturity. Don’t throw it all away chasing a perfection that cannot exist.”
She knew. Of course she knew. After all of the cheering sessions, she’d be well aware that he’d never forgiven himself for what happened fifteen decades earlier. He’d judged himself. He’d make amends to the world he’d destroyed as best he could. He’d fulfill his role, not for himself, but for those who deserved better. People like his parents, like Angel, like Adam and Gena and Charlie.
His father’s goal was to ensure he received the gift of life. His goal was to give his father a chance to fulfill that goal. Once he’d succeeded, he’d say his goodbyes. Permanent goodbyes.
The talk of war with the Aliomenti concerned him. Would he abandon those who needed him too soon? In condemning himself to death, was he condemning them as well? Would he be
the difference in Angel surviving?
Only one decision carried a permanence that couldn’t be undone.
Adam returned moments later with Will. Will smiled at Angel, and then saw Fil. His eyes fell. Fil knew the look was one of discomfort associating with the role he played. He knew it had nothing to do with his father’s thoughts of his son. It was difficult not to treat the look that way, though.
“We need to get you set up with nanos,” Adam told Will. “For them to work, you need to have what are called communication nanos inserted.”
“More nanos inside me?” Will arched an eyebrow. “Will the healing nanos attack these communication nanos?”
Impressive. Will Stark didn’t miss much. “No,” he said. “We’ve updated the code inside the healing nanos to recognize the communication nanos and leave them be.”
Will gave him an appraising look. “Will it hurt? The last time I ingested something with those little machines, I lost half my body weight.”
Stay in character, he reminded himself. “You were warned of the potential side effects.”
Will opened his mouth to argue, and then shook his head. “You’re right. I was. But my question remains: will it hurt?”
“No,” Angel said. “It won’t hurt. But it will be a disorienting experience.”
“Disorienting?”
“You’re adding another set of eyes you can access when you close your physical eyes,” Adam explained. “It takes some getting used to and practice to control. If overused, the information overload can be quite overwhelming.”
“And these overwhelming extra eyes are the price I must pay to have this army of tiny robots at my disposal? Robots that can form into houses and furniture and flying bobsleds?”
Fil couldn’t help snorting. Will gave him a strange look. “Yes. That’s the price you must pay.”
Will nodded. “It sounds like my insides will remain intact. What do I need to do?”
Adam handed him the vial. “Drink this.”
Will examined the vial. “No blood red color? You’re losing your touch.” He smiled, then drank the solution. He spied the second vial in Adam’s hand. “Is that the second dose?”
“No, it’s the initial batch of nanos you’ll use to begin instruction. Once you’re comfortable with the small number here, we’ll provide a larger set capable of forming flying bobsleds at any time you choose.”
Will snorted. “How does this work?”
“It’s best to close your eyes and wait for the images to appear,” Angel said. “That’s when you’ll know that the communication nanos are in place. You then think at them to make them work.”
“Think at them? Like a telepathic projection?”
“No. You visualize what you want them to do, what shape you need formed, and any rules you need them to follow. That’s how we form our homes. We visualize the shape and designate who is allowed entry.”
Will nodded and closed his eyes. Fil watched him. His face was calm and confident, but Fil could detect a slight quivering in his jaw. It was subtle, and it took the enhanced vision of an advanced Energy user to notice. Will had developed a strong Energy Shield, but struggled to hide his thoughts and emotions. Fil was stunned. His father was… scared? Worried that he’d bring the Hunters upon his new family? He swallowed. His thoughts of family, despite everything, included the man in the sunglasses who’d made his experience in camp so difficult.
His father considered him family without even knowing his true identity.
He clenched his teeth, forcing the emotion beneath the surface. This wasn’t the time.
“I can see us!” Will was surprised. Fil watched as Will opened his eyes. “That is unusual. I can think the video images off, you say?”
“That’s correct,” Adam told him. “Just think at them. Tell them to stop sending video. They will.”
Will closed his eyes, then nodded. “Wow. That’s… quite a rush. I can see how it could become overwhelming, especially with a larger allocation. Can I parcel up the nanos to different locations and turn them on or off by location?”
“Like a set of security system cameras?” Adam asked. “Absolutely.”
“Good to know,” Will replied. He chewed his bottom lip and looked up at the sky. “I’ll try to form something with them.” He closed his eyes and held out his hands. Fil watched as the object formed in Will’s hands. It was a necklace. But it wasn’t just any necklace. It was—
Will opened his eyes, and breathed deeply. “This looks like the necklace Hope wore at our wedding. She said it once belonged to her late mother, and had been retrieved by a friend before it was lost forever.” He ran the links of the chain through his fingers, then held the jewel up to his face. “I may leave them like this for a while.”
They had Will practice forming the nanos into other shapes, then had him use the nanos to carry objects around. When he finished his training, Will reformed the nanos into the necklace, draped around his neck and hidden inside his clothing.
Fil coughed. “If you ever find yourself outside this location in the future, I’d recommend leaving the nanos unformed and invisible. Personal effects that disappear and reappear might raise questions.”
Will stared at him. “Why would it matter?”
“Fil’s right, Mr. Stark,” Angel said. “This is our secret technology, the one that helps us to overcome the advantages possessed by the Aliomenti. We must each do our best to avoid revealing that technology to our estranged brethren.”
Estranged? Is that what she calls it? Fil thought that was a generous description of the relationship between the groups. But he wasn’t Angel.
Will studied her. “I’ll take that under advisement.”
They separated for the evening. Fil and Angel moved back to their shared dwelling, both exhausted, both knowing they were a day closer to ending their roles. Sleep came quickly.
Will found the three of them the next day. He looked excited and terrified, eyes wide. “Where have you been?” Adam asked.
“I teleported, but that’s not important. Look, I—”
Fil was shocked. He’d teleported after two months of Energy work? Fil couldn’t remember a time when he’d been unable to do so, but development at such a pace for a neophyte was unheard of. He tried to feel jealousy, and used that emotion to start his rant. “You did what? How is that possible? Who told you how to teleport?”
Will wavered a bit. “Nobody. It just happened. But that’s not the important part. I ran into one of the Hunters there.”
They all knew who it was, and would have known without having seen this event from Will’s memory videos centuries earlier. “Porthos. What did he say?”
“He said that I confused him. He kept talking to me, and before I knew it, the other Hunters were there.”
Well, nothing quite like meeting the bad guys all at once, Fil thought.
Will explained that they’d funneled him toward Aramis, and the sensation of this new Energy being crushed, a feeling not unlike having the wind forced from his lungs. He’d resorted to throwing an elbow at Aramis before he’d run to his old tree. The Energy synergy was instant and powerful, and he’d found himself right outside the new camp.
“You idiot!” The words came unbidden. He didn’t want to say them, but somewhere deep in his mind, the words burst forth. “They’ll be able to track your Energy back to your destination. We’re going to have to move again!” And then, since he’d not humiliated the man enough, he added the ultimate dagger. “If my sister is hurt again because of your carelessness, I’ll deliver you to the Hunters myself.”
The words weren’t true. He’d never turn Will over to the Hunters. But they had the effect he’d tried to instill in his father since they’d arrived from the past. Will needed a reason to leave this time and place. The man with the sunglasses was meant to be that reason.
And the man with the sunglasses had just struck the critical blow.
He could see Will deflate. And when the man departed him
for his lessons with Adam, Fil returned to his room to weep at his words.
There was a knock at the wall. “Fil?”
He ran his nano sleeve across his eyes, then let loose a small burst of Energy to erase the moisture from his tears. “I’m fine.”
“Liar. Let me in.”
“Door’s open.”
“Ha ha.” She walked through the wall. “Are you okay?”
“You seem to have an opinion on that already.”
She sat down next to him. “You’re not okay.”
“Thanks for the pep talk.”
“You’ve been blaming yourself for everything that’s gone wrong on this planet for over a century, Fil. You think the world would be a better place if you were no longer part of it. Am I close on this?”
He said nothing.
“That’s what I thought. Fil, everyone has moved on. Nobody in the human world ever knew what happened. Everybody in the Alliance does. Have either of those groups given you cause to believe you’re not wanted, not loved, not forgiven?”
He sniffed. “The humans at the cleanup sites wanted my head.”
“Did you listen carefully, Fil? Most thought the cause was an advanced weapon that malfunctioned. An accident. Did you hear who they blamed, who they wanted punished?”
“My memory seems to be failing me.”
“It wasn’t the person who hit the button to activate the weapons, Fil. No, they were angry at those who’d ordered the weapon fired. Which of those is you, Fil? Did you order the weapon fired? Or did you hit the trigger?”
“I’m not exactly sure either of those is a perfect description of my part in this. You’re leaving out the part where the launch operator left his wife and daughter unprotected and launched the weapons, not because of orders from on high, but because he thought it the only way to save his own family.”
“Is that what this is about, then?” Her voice had dropped to a whisper. “Your regret is that you tried to save them, rather than giving up and walking away?”
Aliomenti Saga 6: Stark Cataclysm Page 30