System Seven

by Parks, Michael

  The nukes....

  He believed in Johan’s abilities, but the risk was still far too high.

  He turned and ran for the castle.

  “Anki, wake up!”

  Anki started. “What? What’s wrong?”

  He pointed at the sleeping form at her side. “He’s going after Ryota and Kaiya.”

  “No! Why? How do you know?”

  After hearing the story, she turned to Johan and punched him in the face and then again, splitting his lip. “Wake up, you bastard!” She pummeled his chest with both fists. “Damn you!” she shouted. “We must wake him. He’ll get us all killed.”

  Sean arrived at a run with pistol in hand. “What is it?”

  “He’s gone after Ryota,” Anki said. “I should’ve known. Damn, I should have known.”

  • • •

  Dawn’s song played to the quiet of night, signaling her eventual arrival. Cathbad sat in the study in his bed clothes, gazing at the fire. The familiar pressure of substantial fate ground against the silence, threatening. Things were in motion beyond his reach, altering everything.

  Footsteps sounded in the hall and Sean appeared in the doorway.

  “Selfish and short-sighted. The son of a bitch! It’s like a stab in the back. I would kill him given any other circumstance.”

  Cathbad spoke low, to the fire. “ ‘Once found, the Change will divert the stream, coursing through harsh lands unseen by man, until choice and chance become one in the first Acts of Conflict. Be them sturdy of character and true of soul, and be thou also, for survival of Good relies on such.’ The last of the welets’ Words. I fear they come true tonight.”

  “Should we try to stop him?”

  “No. He’ll find Ryota where Kaiya dreams and then the korjé will strike. That is the natural way of things – he will succeed or he will fail. This is his choice.... and our chance.” He closed his eyes. “Move him to Belfast. And raise our bràthair. Raise them all.”

  Chapter 19

  Would you learn the secret of the sea? Only those who brave its dangers, comprehend its mystery.

  - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American Poet (1819 - 1892)

  Of course the old druids had good reason for caution. They’d played the game for centuries, learning hard lessons of survival along the way. They’d operated within the limits of their situation, preserving the secrets, their family, and worked towards a more certain future.

  That was respectable but didn’t mean his way would be the same or that it should be.

  No druid had ever moved through Saoghal with such power as he, nor had any Comannda. The ultimate reason was not lost – opportunity to enact balance was greater now than ever before. A reason to wait wasn’t forthcoming and in fact appeared unwise. Time was short, the enemy still in control. The people behind the manipulation deserved nothing less than justice for their treasons against humanity. To impart such justice and save mankind required a better understanding of the playing field. What better way to learn than by settling a debt to Sakuma and making good on Edward’s promise to Austin?

  At the doorway of his dream, the shimmering blackness of Saoghal stretched out without end, a universe of consciousness where souls lived, dreamt, evolved, and departed. It was here that he would impact destiny, starting with his promise.

  To seek Ryota required a sense of the boy’s soul, his meta imprint. Johan drew upon the oyabun’s memories from their shared dream. Visions formed – a happy child, filled with wonder and joy, safe with his loving grandfather. The soft voice, calling ‘Sofu! Sofu!’ Ryota... little Ryota.

  He cast off into Saoghal’s night to find him.

  Darkness soon gave way to green fronds rustling in the wind, shading the boy from the sun. His mother sat on a bench nearby talking on a cell phone. Ryota rolled a truck over the warm brick patio and made his motoring sounds soft so he wouldn’t disturb her. This was home, a memory of Sakuma’s. He pulled away from it.

  He tried again and focused on Ryota’s essence.

  Darkness again gave way, this time to swirling textures of black. He’d arrived somewhere with a great many minds nearby. Rather, he was among them, as yet unseen. Concepts mingled, distant and strange. Involvement. Disruption. Mutiny.

  A yellow face emerged from the ebony. Simple black eyes, a slit for a nose, and thin lips, all framed in a narrow, pale, sun-colored face.

  “You endanger more than yourself, dreamer.” An eerie voice, neutral of gender. Images of fiery holocaust flickered, unwelcomed. “Impulsive and dangerous. Very dangerous.”

  The face faded despite efforts to hold it there. Darkness swirled, the place stranger still. Faint bells rang, water splashed, and distant voices intoned, layers of them. He found himself free and withdrew to the safe house in Oostendorp, to the living room.

  The encounter spawned questions – questions that shook foundations, stealing focus from his mission. The Mu? Had he found them or had they sought him? He forced them all aside. Kaiya and Ryota had to be found first.

  A sense of Cathbad permeated the room – necessity and synchronicity drove the dream. He softened, allowing it.

  The doorbell rang.

  He descended the stairs and checked the glass. Sean stood on the porch with a woman. He opened the door, ready to act.

  “You’ve made up your mind about this ill-planned treasure hunt, so I’ll spare you what I’d like to say. Instead, you’re going to need to know where to put Kaiya’s core. Get a sense of this woman, right now. She’s your lighthouse. Hand Kaiya off to her, she will be the container.”

  Johan ignored the druid’s terseness. “Container? You don’t have a body for her?”

  “No, I haven’t had time to get out and shop for one. Maybe I’ll look online tonight, find something with one hour delivery.”

  “Fuck you, Sean.” He looked to the stranger. “What’s your name?”

  “Amanda.”

  He explored the woman’s presence, a finger dip into her pond to sample energy and map her patterns. A Spaniard. “You know Marco and Rachel?”

  “I know of them.”

  Johan looked to Sean. “And Ryota?”

  “You jumped the gun. You wanted shit to fly, you have it. But we’re looking for him, as fast as we can.” He turned to go then stopped. “We’ll talk about this breach of trust if we all live through its effects.”

  The two vanished.

  • • •

  Williams stood amidst the candles, waiting. Cathbad sat by the fire, alone in thought.

  Sean came through the door. “Soldado is done. The prototype is being field readied. They’ll make the attempt at Ichigaya in three hours’ time. And we’ve located the boy. A clinic in west Tokyo, all knit up with threes and twos. There’s no time for anything near graceful or safe enough by our local teams and I doubt Johan will take very long finding Ryota’s core.”

  It was a nine hour flight. Cathbad acknowledged the dilemma. “But you have something in mind.”

  “Actually, it’s something Austin has in mind though he doesn’t know I know.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Since before Tokyo he’s been levitating himself in private. From what I see it’s become almost effortless compared to lifting objects.”

  Cathbad looked up in alarm.

  “No, I didn’t see him do it, but it’s legit, solid. He’s been doing it. There’s a link between his thoughts and his body that we need to explore. Whatever it is, he can manipulate his body far more easily than anything else.”

  “Why hasn’t he told us?”

  “The same fear. Of doing things he doesn’t want to. Of becoming a weapon for anybody.”

  “Yet you’re about to propose he fling himself across the globe and confront them at the clinic? I don’t like it and I’m sure he won’t either. It’s madness.”

  “It’s only madness if you compare it to the past. What he can do now is what matters. He’s already thought about long distances and speed. He wants to try.” Sea
n shrugged. “You said it, the Change will direct things. If he doesn’t get there, how else will we retrieve Ryota’s body? They aren’t going to just give him up.”

  “Yes, but good Lord, it’s a trap. So much coverage for the boy? They know his value. Things are unraveling too fast.”

  “It’s either that or you pull Johan back.”

  Cathbad stared in the fire. “Risking both at the same time. It’s madness...”

  “Yet the trackways lead there.”

  The old druid slowly nodded. “Indeed, they seem to.” He looked up. “Confirm it. Measure his effort while levitating. Increase the dose if need be. Prove to me that he can sustain it, Sean, through the rescue. And show me a bulletproof exit plan. Meanwhile I’ll see what the Confrere can do to help.”

  • • •

  “I didn’t fucking tell you because I didn’t want you to know, get it?” Austin paced the kitchen at Cullstone. Sean leaned against the counter. Anki sat at the breakfast bar. “There’s got to be a part of me that is private, that exists away from the Runa Korda. Just because I’m not as advanced as you doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be able to keep certain things private. You have your privacy, right Sean?”

  “Relax,” Anki advised. “You’re going to pop a heart valve.”

  “No, I’m not gonna relax. This is serious shit.”

  “Yes and no, Austin. I’m able to fully protect myself. You’re still new and so you need monitoring. Skimming keeps us in the loop and helps keep you safe. That’s the reality for now.”

  “Okay, but you know it’s something I wanted private. That doesn’t count for anything?”

  “It’s a god damned breakthrough, Austin. It’s phenomenal. You can’t keep that shit in your pocket. It’s the path we need to be on to understand not only telekinesis but maybe our own placement in the universe. You are literally thinking yourself into a new relationship with Raon. The implications are tremendous. You can’t be afraid to learn more about it.”

  “I can’t? What do you know about my fear? Is it natural to do this?” He rose into the air and hovered, causing Anki to gasp. “Let me tell you, this doesn’t feel natural, man. It feels like I’m breaking the law, nature’s law, and somehow, some way, I’m gonna get busted for it. And now you want to increase proteins so I can fly myself around the world? That is nuts. You’re nuts. Really, really nuts.”

  Anki gave Sean a warning glance.

  “Alright, I’m hearing you. All I know is that Johan’s out there and will most likely find Ryota’s core. If he’s successful, he’ll grab it and will need a place to land it and quick. The best, safest place is the boy’s own body. I’ve told you the situation at the clinic. Now you tell me a better way to get his body than you going in and getting it. No one can do it as simply and as directly as you. No one.”

  Austin lowered to the ground, shaking his head. “Propelling myself thousands of miles over oceans and desolate wilderness using only my mind is not simple, it’s insane. And supposing I make it, I’d have to bust in and fly the boy out to safety, eliminating any threats along the way. For all I know they have a TK waiting there to swat me like a fly.” He gave Sean a hard look. “What I really want to know is, why even suggest something like this? If I’m so rare and important, why risk my life?”

  “It seems like a risk, but there’s more to it. More than we understand. Situations arise. Options appear. We’re led to the answers if only we listen. Cathbad knows how to listen. And as crazy as it all may sound, Johan’s actions are the signals. Your abilities are the exact fit for the situation and the only thing standing in the way is growth on your part. Growth that is meant to happen.”

  The two shared a long glance.

  “The trackways,” Austin said. “Ancient trackways. What does that even mean?”

  “It means destiny leaves footprints. Each footprint is timeless and is connected in some way to the ultimate outcome. Listening to the path leads to knowing.”

  “It’s not exact.”

  Sean shook his head. “Nothing ever is. But it’s possible to sense a direction.”

  “And you’re saying this is the right direction?”

  “Yes,” he said. “It is.”

  Austin paused, reflecting on the very same feeling Sean spoke of. He had to admit the direction was there, like a flow. Things were taking shape, the form already familiar. Johan must’ve known what he could do. Be ready to work with me. He could fly and there was a reason. Had to be. Helping Johan was part of it. He felt it, almost knew it.

  That didn’t mean he had to like it.

  Early dawn broke outside the garage behind Cullstone where he stood with Sean and Anki. Wearing doubled up thermals, jeans, three shirts, a Kevlar vest, electric socks and glove inserts, and adorned in black riding leathers and boots, he was as bundled as an astronaut and about as protected. On his back he wore a low-profile parachute, on his wrist an altimeter from Sean’s jump equipment, and on the other wrist a GPS device with his route programmed. He wore a holstered Glock on his right hip.

  His body was ready. His mind understood what to do. His fear still felt like a fever, though. Thousands of miles, at speeds better suited for metal-plated jets. What would a bird strike feel like? “Stay above six thousand feet and that won’t be a problem,” Sean said. “Stay below eight thousand and your breathing will be fine.” And aircraft? “We’ll plot your flight on the GPS away from known routes.”

  Despite the fear, successful testing made the journey seem possible. He’d shot north across the Scottish highlands at seven thousand feet without a problem. The GPS calculated a speed of nearly a thousand miles an hour and truth told it was easy. Too easy. He’d formed a piercing dome to split the air and reduce drag. Almost no effort. He could go faster. Hard-iron butterflies flittered in his chest still, but he was confident enough. He would go for it – to earn a chance to save Kaiya and to help the boy win his body back.

  Sean was displeased with Johan though he kept it to himself. He spoke over the hiss of spray paint as he primered a motor cycle helmet black to match the outfit. “I need to fill you in with a few details that you probably won’t like. The Comannda have a type of aircraft they use a lot. Not your usual craft.” He stopped spraying and glanced at Austin. “They are fast. Broken laws of physics fast and they’re tough. They can split through an airliner like a pile of kindling.” He resumed spraying. “There’s a few of them in their fleet–”

  “Wait, wait. UFOs?”

  “–and if they catch wind of you out there playing superman, they’ll target you if they can. It’s unlikely, of course, because they won’t know you’re up there. And no, not UFOs. They made them.”

  Williams entered the garage carrying a dark duffle bag and a plate of food. “This ought to do. I’ve lined it with Kevlar, thermal padding and fur–”

  “Wait a second!” Austin stood, dazed. “Sean, why the fuck didn’t you tell me this before?”

  “Relax, Austin,” Anki said and took the plate of food from Williams.

  Sean set the helmet down. “Because we don’t see them being a significant threat. They’re antigravity transports, best we know. Yes, they can be used for intercept and ramming. But in your case they won’t even know you’re up there. Still, just watch for them. They’re normally jet black when you can see them–”

  “When I can see them? What the–”

  “Typical saucer shape, like two frisbees put together. Watch for sudden holes in clouds, that sort of thing. Yes, they have metamaterials bending light around them. Not perfectly, but it’s impressive. Again, it’s highly unlikely they’ll be involved. Here,” he took the duffle bag from Williams, “this is Ryota’s seat for the ride to safety. There’s a med kit in case you get hurt. It’s got the joiner strap so you can wear it in front, under the jacket. I updated the GPS with two more safe drop points, so there’s five to choose from. Now, grab a bite to eat and then I want you to try it again. Use route number three on the GPS. Try ten thousand feet and go faster
. I want you confident before you set out,” he glanced at his watch, “in twelve minutes. Williams, see if the clinic floor plan is ready, please.”

  Austin accepted the food from Anki and stood there, still in shock. Anki led him to a bench outside the garage.

  “Relax, eat. You need your strength. I’ll get you some water.”

  Despite Anki’s advice to relax, a thin line ran right down his middle, once more challenging belief in what was happening. Terrestrial UFOs. Questions popped like fuses, each one more urgent than the last. Did they have weapons, too? Lasers? What about killer satellites? Would he be targeted? What else hadn’t they told him? Out of the jumble one thing stood certain – things would well and truly never be like they were.

  He heaved a big breath and let it out. “Shit.”

  Anki came from the garage with a cup of water. “Okay now, seriously, I could feel you from in there. You’ve got to stay grounded.” She sat next to him. “What’s got you most worried?”

  “Are you kidding? You name it.” He took a bite of fried chicken. In the silence between them, a mesmerizing feeling grew that calmed and centered. Time slowed. Details stood out. Light from the east had woke the morning birds and brought the horses out to the pasture for a walk. Their energy fused with the beauty of the morning. The castle’s brown stone seemed to glow as it shed night’s hue. An overriding peace colored his every thought.

  “Thanks for that, Anki.” He took the offered cup and drank. “Damn. This is really happening?”

  “Yes, Austin. It is.”

  “Why me? Of all the billions of people... why me? I’ve got zero qualifications for this. I’m more apt to fail, you know, than, than a whole lot of people. I just don’t understand why me.”

  “You said it yourself, you’ve always wondered at the mystery of life. It’s in your nature. And somehow, some part of nature is more open to you. There is one thing you need to recognize and fully accept: you have the right soul for the job. That has to be your best qualification. I don’t believe you would have been given the gift otherwise. I’m sure of it.”