Birth of the Alliance

by Alex Albrinck

  He was able to detect loose pockets of Energy from the Aliomenti living here, and ensured he avoided those spots. It had been forty years since he'd been in this area, but given Aliomenti lifespans, there would still be plenty of residents here able to recognize him on sight.

  He slid into the forest near the shore, noting the change in temperature as the strong rays of the sun were absorbed by the trees, and he gave an involuntary shiver at the sudden, relative chill. The trees gave off a fragrant scent, not quite so sweet or powerful as ambrosia—the Aliomenti would never plant those trees outside their protective walls—but nonetheless very pleasant. Will used the nanos to float into the upper branches of some of the taller trees. The spot provided him with a view over the outpost walls and directly into the community. Will’s eyesight was exceptionally strong. If Sebastian was still living here in Waterloo and moved around the community, Will would see the man and carry out the next part of his test. He scanned the community, and while it was buzzing with activity, he was unable to spot Sebastian.

  He did see Victor walking around, hands clasped behind his back, observing the behavior of his fellow Aliomenti. Tacitus, now grown to adulthood, walked in a similar loop. A scroll was pinned between his left arm and his side, and he carried a quill and parchment with him as he walked. He'd stop periodically, frown at an Aliomenti who passed him, consult the scroll, and then scribble a note on the parchment. Will sighed. He remembered Tacitus reciting a list of supposed crimes he had committed. The man was no doubt on patrol, trying to catch his fellow Aliomenti committing some “crime” for which they should be imprisoned, punished with the temporary loss of Energy only Tacitus could promise.

  Will had nearly concluded that Sebastian no longer lived in Waterloo when he heard the man speaking below. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

  “…hasn't spent the past forty years sitting around doing nothing, I'm sure.”

  “Then what has he been doing?” The second voice was Arthur's, and Will nearly fell from the tree. “He spent a lot of time away from outposts during the last four or five centuries. Nobody seems to know where he went or what he did then. Nobody, therefore, has a good sense of what he might be doing now, or where he might be.” There was a deadly pause. “I had expected you to be able to answer the where question by now, Sebastian. I grow tired of waiting for Will Stark to simply fall into our laps.”

  If the tone or accusation rattled Sebastian, he didn't reveal it in his tone of voice. “I can detect people from a distance, Arthur, but that distance is finite. If he's fifty miles away? Sure. If he's… I don't know… if he's moved to the Colonies, then I'm not going to detect him unless I'm there and relatively close to him.”

  “Fifty miles is not enough, Sebastian. That gives people like Stark far too much of the world to use as a hiding place. You must increase your Tracking distance.”

  “So I've been told, Arthur. But this is one of the many reasons why I've argued for expanding to the Colonies. When he left, Stark knew we had no presence there, and no plans to expand there, either. They say the land is fertile, the business opportunities outstanding. If I were Will Stark, that's where I'd go. We'd have a better chance of finding him if we dispatch a large number of Aliomenti across the Atlantic. And while we're at it, we can make a lot of money in the process.”

  As he listened, Will carefully made sure that the scutarium suit, gloves, cloak, and face-covering mask were in place. He started generating Energy inside his body, as if trying to warm himself on a cold day, or in preparation for teleportation or flight.

  “We've had this discussion already, Sebastian. We just opened two additional outposts on the Mediterranean coast. Our numbers are spread thin. We cannot afford to spread ourselves out even more until we add more people.”

  Will's Energy cycling was enough to move him several miles through teleportation. Sebastian hadn't made a comment about it. Will cycled still more Energy.

  “I understand that, Arthur. But if our goal is to both maximize our coverage of areas that can make us money, and to find Stark, shouldn’t we decide now that our next few expansion spots are in the Colonies? They have a few larger cities we could target. New York, Boston, Philadelphia…”

  Will was certain he could teleport dozens of miles away at this point. If Sebastian had said nothing, had emoted no indication that he’d sensed Will’s presence, then he never would. The scutarium was a success.

  “We'll add each of those cities to the list, Sebastian, when we're prepared to expand. Until then? If Stark is in the Colonies, so be it. Of course, given your lack of effort in developing your skill, he could be standing right next to us and you wouldn't notice.”

  “I guarantee you, Arthur, that Stark is nowhere nearby. I’m telling you, he's in the Colonies.”

  “Then I suggest you work on pinpointing his location even further. This conversation is over.”

  Will waited until he was certain they were gone, then pulled all of the Energy loose inside the suit back inside himself. He established his own Energy Shield to ensure he didn't set off Sebastian's maligned Tracking skill, and then removed the mask and gloves, breathing in the fresh air, inhaling the fragrant scent of the trees around him. He eased himself out of the upper boughs of the tree using the nanos until he set foot once again upon the forest floor.

  The scutarium worked. It was time to return to the submarine.

  “Where did you come from?” Sebastian's shocked voice sounded behind him.

  Will spun. Sebastian stared at him, slack-jawed, with Arthur right behind him.

  Arthur slapped Sebastian in the head. “Didn't you just tell him he was in the Colonies? Then how is he here now, may I ask, you incompetent fool?”

  “He wasn't there just a minute ago, I swear!”

  “Funny, how I'm looking right at him then, isn't it?”

  Will thought quickly. If he teleported, Sebastian would definitely find him. If he ran, they'd teleport ahead of him.

  Instead, he packed the nanos around him and flew straight up into the air, intentionally leaking a small bit of Energy to give the impression that his flight was Energy-based. He accelerated his pace, feeling the wind whistling by him. Sebastian could track Energy; he couldn't track nanos. Will flew inland first, letting small bits of Energy leak, in the hopes that they’d chase him here. If they did, they'd be heading away from Hope and the Nautilus.

  Will landed about twenty minutes later near a stream, and took a few moments to hydrate himself. He also wanted to give Sebastian a few minutes to start chasing him.

  In fact… he could help that process out.

  Will covered himself entirely with the scutarium clothing, then removed one glove, put his hand on the ground, and sent a large amount of Energy into the soil. He then replaced the glove so that he was fully shielded, and used the nanos to fly due west. Sebastian couldn’t help but notice that Energy burst; the Tracker would probably assume it was Energy from a long-range bit of teleportation. By the time Sebastian and other Aliomenti reached this spot, Will would have looped around, back to the shore near Waterloo.

  Will arrived back near Waterloo, nearly two miles west of the outpost, and continued out over the Mediterranean Sea. He made a wide loop and flew back toward the shore in line with the submarine. He took a deep breath, and then flew below the surface of the sea, stopping only when he reached the side of the submarine. Only then did he teleport inside the vessel.

  "You're late." Hope folded her arms across her chest, her look stern.

  Will, remarkably dry for one who had just spent a full minute under water, pulled off the gloves, the mask, the cloak, and finally the boots. He took deep breaths of the familiar air of the Nautilus. “I… uh… ran into some old friends.”

  Hope's look softened a bit. “What did they say?”

  “That they'd had no idea I was there until they stumbled over me.”

  “So… it works, then?”

  Will grinned. “Oh, yes, it works perfectly. It does
n’t prevent them from seeing us if we’re right in front of them. But they were truly stunned that I was there when they saw me. The positive thing about all of this is that they’ll think I’m still living somewhere in Europe. Sebastian was convinced I was living in the Colonies, and wanted Arthur to pick a spot there for expansion. Arthur didn’t seem convinced before. Now? He might wait even longer. So we should still have several decades of peace.”

  Hope smiled. With the scutarium now a proven commodity, they’d always have a safe haven somewhere nearby, a place where they could disappear from any type of detection by the Aliomenti. They’d be at risk only when they chose to step out of those shadows to make their change upon the world.

  It was the type of risk they'd choose to make on a regular basis. It was only possible to do so much without stepping into the light.

  VII

  Discovery

  1750 A.D.

  The city of Philadelphia had grown steadily since Will’s last visit, and now boasted over twenty-five thousand residents. The humid summer air was thick and stale, and the smell of sweat and equine refuse was powerful. Crowds of people thronged on the streets, dodging carriages and the occasional child intent upon an errand or some outdoor game of tag. Few gave a second thought to the tall man with jet-black hair and spectacles, lost in their own concerns and worries. He glided smoothly through the clouds, his face a disinterested mask, his attentive green eyes missing nothing.

  Will found the building he sought, one he’d last entered three decades earlier. Had it truly been that long? He pushed open the door and entered. The printer, a man in his mid-forties with long, thinning hair, glanced up. “Good day to you, sir. How may I be of service?”

  “I am looking to purchase a copy of Poor Richard’s Almanack. It is my understanding that Mr. Saunders uses your shop to create the books, and hoped I might buy a copy here directly.

  Benjamin Franklin considered Will for a moment, then nodded. “I should have a handful of copies of the Almanack available. I do fear the Mr. Saunders is unavailable to thank you in person.”

  Will nodded. “Please pass along my compliments to Mr. Saunders when you see him again. I find it a valuable resource, full of useful information and bits of wisdom.”

  Franklin nodded before disappearing into a back room. He emerged a moment later with a copy of the Almanack, and collected the appropriate fee from Will. “Many thanks, good sir.” He paused, his gaze narrowing on Will. “Have we met before, sir? You remind me of someone I met long ago.”

  Will looked thoughtful, not because he was trying to remember if he’d met Franklin—he had—but because he was trying to remember if he’d actually erased that memory from Franklin’s mind. “I don't believe so, sir. I certainly hope, though, that the man you met previously, the one I reminded you of, was an agreeable sort.”

  Franklin nodded. “He was.” He gazed at Will again. “My apologies sir, but I am noticing that there is an imperfection in the spectacles you wear. Does it not interfere with your vision, rather than correct it?”

  Will shook his head. “I can angle my head to look above or below it. I will need to get the imperfection fixed in the near future, however.”

  Franklin nodded, looking thoughtful. He tipped an imaginary hat at Will. “I thank you for your business sir, but I fear I must return to mine.”

  Will nodded. “Of course.” He turned and left the printing shop. This time, Franklin wouldn’t remember his face.

  Will walked down the street with his copy of the Almanack folded under his arm. “Did you get that, Charles?” he whispered.

  “I did, Will.” Charles’ voice was audible through the small device in Will's right ear. “How do I sound?”

  “There's a bit of buzzing, but I can understand you.”

  They’d developed the first audio transmission devices—microphones, receivers, and speakers—a decade earlier, and had spent the past ten years reducing the size. As the devices continued to shrink, they’d added small portable batteries to the mix. Tests in the Cavern indicated a range of about two hundred yards. Charles was positioned two blocks away with an earpiece receiver and microphone identical to Will’s. The implications of this technology were immense: they could communicate in a manner reminiscent of telepathy without requiring the use of Energy. It was another tool to help them avoid Aliomenti interference with their work.

  “Did you get the visual as well?” Will asked.

  “Give me a moment. I need to… find a bit more privacy.”

  “Understood.”

  They’d begun a similar project for video capability, with comparable successes. Charles had a traveling bag containing a small viewscreen, much like those found aboard the fleet of submarines. It would display video transmitted from the tiny cameras embedded in Will’s eyeglasses. Franklin had noticed the “imperfection” in the spectacles the miniature cameras provided. Charles needed to move out of the sight of the residents of Philadelphia, who would take exceptional interest in the device… especially if they saw one of their better known residents moving around on it.

  “Will, I’m looking now,” Charles’ voice came through the earpiece two minutes later. “Good news! The video came through just fine. It’s not perfectly clear by any stretch… but it’s clear enough.”

  The cameras at this size would be useful in spying on the Aliomenti, and were another step along the miniaturization journey they’d need to complete to get inside cells and view the effects of ambrosia. They weren’t small enough yet, but the steady progression was encouraging. His nanos included miniature cameras and microphones that fed signals to the communication nanos in his head. The video images were blurred, though, and he had no means of determining the problems with those devices without knowing how they’d been made. Thus, he’d need to invent the nanos himself, figure out the reason the camera images were blurred, fix the images, use the images to decipher the riddle of ambrosia, then….

  Hope had stopped him from this line of thinking, or at least slowed it down. Will didn't need to do everything himself. Others were becoming motivated to find what was referred to as the Reversal or the Cure, and for the same reason as Will. None had the deadline he did, but the motivation was there, nonetheless.

  “We’re getting closer, Charles. I just know it. It won’t be long now.”

  “I hope so, Will. Rachel and I… well, you know exactly what we’re going through.”

  One of the core differences between the Alliance and the Aliomenti is that the members of the Alliance were encouraged to find love and start families if they wished. Recruits had no obligation to ever take morange and zirple. They were not required to take ambrosia. Not everyone found that opportunity right away, however, and many chose to accept the ambrosia believing that they’d have a better chance at some point in the future. Charles had joined the Alliance in 1720, and had taken the ambrosia five years later.

  Rachel had joined the Alliance in 1740. The relationship had developed and deepened quickly, and they wanted nothing more than to start a family. But the ambrosia prevented them from doing so. Rachel, who had been 27 when she’d joined, had waited nearly a decade, but seeing no cure, she’d elected to take ambrosia as well, hoping she’d still be around when a cure was found. They were certainly eager, as eager as Will and Hope, to find that cure, and both worked on projects to guarantee success would come to them one day.

  “I’m looking forward to being an uncle to the kids you and the Shadow have, Will. She’s a great woman.”

  Will smiled, even though Charles couldn’t see him. “She most definitely is, Charles.”

  Hope, known to the Alliance as the Shadow, had become an immensely popular member. Hope had gained tremendous stature in the hidden underground city of five hundred residents. She trained new recruits to use Energy, helped them identify their particular area of specialization, and perhaps most critically, she trained those preparing to go Outside to survive and thrive without raising suspicion among humans and without b
eing detected by the Aliomenti.

  She was also a popular babysitter for couples with children. In the forty years since the Alliance had started, they'd seen twenty children born to their group. Most couples were content with one child, and would take their ambrosia once their healthy child was born…. Most were quite happy with the choices they made in regards to taking or not taking ambrosia, and it was expected that the community would accept each choice without scorn, regardless of what it might be. That included those, like Charles and Rachel, who’d taken ambrosia and now wanted to reverse the effects, at least temporarily.

  Charles’ contribution had been the development of the ability to record the audio and video signals transmitted by the devices that Will and others were developing and miniaturizing. It would be critical that they record the video signals inside cells, as none of them expected to see any effects in the instant they happened, nor to know exactly when the changes might start. Charles’ affirmation to seeing the video of Franklin and the printing shop was one in which he’d played back the video signal transmitted through Will. That meant that the test was a rousing success.

  They’d traveled to Philadelphia for the test because Hope was returning to the Outside for several years, and they could use one submarine to accomplish both goals. Will’s direct ancestors would be in danger due to the upcoming wars, and Hope would be there in Philadelphia to ensure they survived. Will was able to select as their video and audio test subject one of the key figures in American history, and the fact that the recording aspect worked meant they had the man’s face and voice recorded for posterity.

  “Will? I think I've got a chance to do that change thing you always talk about.”

  The mantra, be the change you want in the world, had stuck. All members of the Alliance had unique opportunities to go out into the world—referred to as the Outside—and make small, incremental, but meaningful changes in people's lives that altered those lives for the better. Over the course of years, decades, and centuries, those changes would add up.