Preserving Will

by Alex Albrinck

  While Hope spoke about their time in the bunker, Adam focused his efforts on finding and removing the memory blocks still in place. She knew about Energy, and remembered a great deal of what she and Will had been through together before Josh was born. She remembered a few members of the Alliance, but she didn’t know who Adam was.

  But she did think he looked familiar.

  He worked on her mind, vaporizing the blocks he encountered, smoothing over the rough patches, while she discussed her memories of the night of the fire. “It was so difficult not to blast the Assassin; he really is too awful to let live,” she said. That was a memory based upon what she’d expected to do, to let the Assassin get to the point where her death seemed imminent before teleporting the two of them to the safety of the bunker. She didn’t remember their conversation, their decision to block her memories so her human-like behavior was no act.

  He found that memory block and removed it. “Have you been talking to Josh about everything?”

  She nodded. “We’ve discussed Energy, and why it’s important for us to keep our Shields up at all times.”

  “I don’t envy you your part in all of this, especially given the side effects. Josh does know what happened, right?”

  Hope nodded, and Adam felt the wave of sadness at her memories of what the Shielding of Josh had meant to her personally. Her efforts to keep her son’s existence secret from the Hunters meant she’d also hidden from Young Will the personality, intelligence, and skill of his son, how she’d suffered doubly at Will’s every moment of sadness and guilt over Josh’s condition. Hope wondered if Old Will had forgiven her for denying him that time together with Josh. Adam also detected a sense of understanding from Josh; the boy knew at a far deeper level now why she’d felt the need to protect him as she had, regardless of the consequences.

  Hope confessed—after a prompting by Josh—that she was pregnant, and he reached out to Angel with Energy-based words of greeting. The warmth and affection from the girl were startling in their power and potency. Angel’s mother might not fully remember Adam just yet, but her daughter did.

  He asked both of them questions about Shielding, stressing the importance, as he found and removed the final memory blocks he’d set, including those blocking her lifetimes of memories of him. As he did so, he found the memory she had from the fire, of the events after the video feeds had been lost. He was able to immerse himself in her memories, and, in an instant, those memories became his. He realized that she’d seen him climb out of the time machine that day. That was why she thought he looked familiar, and was able to understand he was a friend even if she didn’t truly know him. She’d seen him with her grown children, coming through time to rescue her husband.

  A final sweep of her mind revealed that all of the memory blocks were eliminated, save for the single block he hoped he’d never need to remove. Adam handed over the identification papers that he’d produced, and helped the newly minted Phoebe and Fil Trask transform their appearances with Energy. Moments later, mother and son were sporting jet black hair just like Will’s, with narrower facial structures than before. The difference those simple changes made to their appearances was startling, and even Adam, who knew they were the same people, struggled to convince himself that they were Hope and Josh.

  Hope, now known as Phoebe Trask, gave Adam a curious look. “You seem very familiar to me. I know we worked together recently; you were a major part in creating our will and getting all of the money out of the Trust and back in our hands. But I have this strange feeling I know you from somewhere else.”

  Adam smiled. Her memories were slowly working their way back into her consciousness, but it would take time for the recall to become instantaneous. She was just over a millennium in age; there were a lot of memories to reconnect. “It’s not the where that’s important, Phoebe. It’s the when.”

  She caught the hint, the emphasis on the timing of their first meeting, and her mind sought out ancient memories relating to the man standing before her. Her smile gradually broadened in understanding. “I met you centuries ago, when you and Eva first came to the Cavern. We’ve planned so much, put so much effort into making all of this happen, all to ensure that Josh—Fil—was born.” She glanced at the little boy, who looked so different now, so much like his father, and so alive with the gargantuan Energy stores buzzing inside him. “Thank you.”

  Adam nodded. “It’s truly been my pleasure, Phoebe. But I’m not the only one who was involved. There are others here eager to see both of you again.”

  They stepped out, one at a time, allowing Phoebe the chance to let her memories reconnect. She called to each of them by name, slowly at first, and then with greater confidence as each face meshed with centuries’ worth of memories, and her sense of being among her extended family grew.

  “So, in the end, it was Will who saved you,” Graham noted.

  Phoebe bristled. “I did not need saving.” Her eyes burned, threatening and angry.

  Graham held up his hands, surprised. “We all know that, Phoebe. You were playing your part in all of this, including allowing Adam to block any memories that would alert the Assassin to the fact that you were no mere human woman. That’s the only reason the Assassin’s not part of the dust on the floor there.” He gestured toward the foundation, and the few dusty remnants of the structure and possessions once inside.

  Phoebe relaxed a bit. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s just… it’s just…”

  She burst into tears.

  Graham looked around. “I’m… sorry. I didn’t know that she’d…”

  Eva patted Graham on the shoulder. “She has been through a great deal lately, Graham. It will take time to process everything.”

  “She’s been puking, too,” young Fil told them, trying to be helpful.

  Adam nodded. “She’s pregnant with Angel. We knew that.” He paused. “Do you suppose the mood swings are…?”

  “Possibly,” Ashley said, frowning. “But it seems that her fatigue and sadness started before her pregnancy. And she didn’t have the same symptoms with Josh.”

  “You know, I am right here!” Phoebe snapped. “Stop talking about me!”

  Eva fixed Phoebe with a steady gaze. “You have been sad, and tired, and tearful to a degree I have not seen in all the centuries I have known you. I am concerned, Phoebe. This is not normal behavior for you. All of us are concerned, and we wish to understand the cause of these symptoms, and to help you overcome what ails you.”

  Fil nodded sagely, his young face lighting up. “Mommy! The people from the fancy car… remember what they said?”

  Phoebe seemed not to notice her son’s words. “The cause?” She laughed without humor. “My home was destroyed, and I watched as my husband, young and naive, was set up to be attacked by men able to destroy him. I’ve watched as the time we’d have together rapidly dwindled, from centuries, to decades, to years, to months, to days, and then hours. And now that time is gone. He’s gone. You don’t spend that much time with someone, knowing for a fact that it would one day come to an end, and watch as that day finally comes, without suffering an emotional breakdown. And while I appreciate your concern, I’d like you to at least consider the possibility that my reaction to all this means that there’s nothing wrong with me, other than reacting as anyone watching a loved one disappear forever would react.”

  There was silence in the clearing as they absorbed this, uncertain if she was scolding them, pointing out the obvious. Could it be so simple?

  Fil tugged on Phoebe’s arm, his icy blue eyes filled with fear and the beginnings of tears. “Mommy? What do you mean Daddy’s disappearing forever? I thought you said…”

  Phoebe’s eyes widened as she realized the trap she’d set for herself with her own words. “I’m sorry, sweetie. Mommy just doesn’t know where Daddy is or where he will be now, and it’s very… frustrating.”

  “Oh.” Fil’s tone suggested he was no more convinced by Phoebe’s explanation to his question than the
rest of them were by her comments about the cause of her recent mental and emotional state.

  Adam clapped his hands together in an effort to get everyone’s attention and change the subject. “Anyway. Phoebe, Fil… as I mentioned a short while ago, we’ve got a house rented for you, in your new names, quite a distance away. We can leave at any time, to get ourselves settled into our new roles and lives.”

  Phoebe looked as if she was ready to protest, to argue that those preparations were tasks she could have handled herself… but remembered that she’d picked out the general location herself several years earlier. “Let’s go, then.” She hesitated, and then looked back at each of them, her taut face relaxing as she smiled. “Thank you, all of you, for everything you’ve done for me, for my son, and for Will. If it weren’t for all you, none of us would be here, and we would never have been able to save Will’s life and start him on the journey all of you have spent centuries witnessing.”

  There were murmurs of appreciation at her comments.

  Hugs were exchanged while Adam summoned the invisible flying craft to the interior of the De Gray Estates. As he waited, Adam allowed his appearance to transform back to that of Adam Trask, using the printout before him to ensure his appearance matched that of the man who’d made purchases, signed leases, and opened bank accounts in Oregon. As the craft landed, the elderly Adam Trask phased out and walked through the walls into the cabin, followed soon thereafter by his daughter-in-law, Phoebe, and his grandson, Fil. Adam tapped the controls on the screen, and the craft slowly rose into the air, silent and unseen by those on the ground. It continued its ascent until it was well above the levels of commercial and military aircraft, and then accelerated to the west, into the darkened sky.

  Phoebe and Fil each sat in one of the comfortable chairs in the cabin. Fil had fallen asleep, but Phoebe stared out of the walls of the aircraft, which were transparent for those on the inside. “I wish I knew where he was.”

  “I saw your memory of that day, Phoebe, when I was in removing the memory blocks that hadn’t already fallen.” She didn’t seem surprised. “I saw what happened. I know you didn’t need help, and you really didn’t get help, not in the way the words seemed to suggest, anyway. What you got was far more important and far more valuable. You got confirmation that he’s still alive, and you saw your children, fully grown. What he gave you wasn’t the aid to teleport a few feet, but the new memories you’d need to go on without him directly in your sight all the time.”

  She nodded without looking his way. “I know.” She watched the lights far below for a few more minutes before turning back to face him. “What do you think, Adam? Is there something wrong with me? Or is it just what I said earlier?”

  Adam considered. “When Will appeared dead at the hands of the Hunters, you reacted far differently. But I have to remind myself that you probably knew, or at least suspected, he was alive, and that you’d be seeing that version of him again. Roughly seven years ago, if my guess is correct.” His eyes flicked in Fil’s direction, and the briefest trace of a smile touched Phoebe’s face. “Now, though? You have more of a sense that he’s out there, somewhere, but don’t know the circumstances under which you’d see him again. I think anyone would be upset.” He took a deep breath. “But I do think there’s more to it than that. You’re the strongest person I know. You’ve spent centuries apart before. There’s no reason to believe you won’t be reunited again one day, because you know for a fact that he’s very much alive. But it’s like Eva said… you have been more fatigued, more prone to emotional outbursts and tears, than at any time I’ve ever known you. I think there’s something else exaggerating the emotional effects of your current circumstances. The question for me, then, is what, beyond your admittedly stressful life experiences, made the past few years different?”

  He let his head settle back against the headrest and he closed his eyes. “If we can figure that out, Phoebe, we can answer your question with confidence, once and for all. And more importantly… we can do something about it.”

  XXVII

  Angel

  September 1, 2030

  After sitting at the hospital for the past fourteen hours, Adam Trask was left with the realization that the depiction of labor and delivery found in television shows and movies was inaccurate at best and an outright lie at worst.

  They’d left home the previous day, departing from the small house they’d lived in for the past six months. It was time for the very pregnant Phoebe to place herself into the hands of human medical professionals to deliver her daughter. They’d slipped through Saturday evening traffic comprised of people trying to get to the nearby college football game. Phoebe—he’d finally gotten used to calling her that, overcoming centuries of habit in the process—had sat in the passenger seat, hands upon her abdomen, breathing as she’d practiced. Her face, to Adam’s surprise, was one of blissful calm.

  He wanted to be nervous, to panic, and to drive at speeds twice the posted limit. He thought he’d pull up to the hospital, and she’d be whisked away in a wheelchair, screaming in pain. He thought that he’d park the car and race to her room, to find her holding Angel in her arms.

  Life was never quite as planned, though, and any plans or expectations of a dramatic and rapid delivery were vetoed.

  The children were doing the vetoing.

  “I need to be there when Angel is born,” Fil had declared as they were preparing to leave.

  “I’m sorry, sweetie,” Phoebe Trask told her son. “But the hospital requires you to be at least ten years old before you’re allowed to be in the room when a baby is born.”

  “That’s silly,” Fil declared. “Besides, I’m very mature for my age.”

  And while that was true, his age wasn’t in dispute, and that was the rule.

  “Angel said she’s not coming until I’m there,” Fil announced.

  It’s true, Angel projected. How can my big brother not be there when I’m born?

  They did their best to convince Angel not to cause trouble. The girl went silent. That worried Adam. She could cause trouble at the hospital; of that, he had no doubt. But at least now they’d be able to get out of the house.

  Aunt Eva and Uncle Aaron had arrived, cramming themselves and their luggage into Fil’s bedroom while the boy “camped out” in the living room. Fil had the sense not to ask why they couldn’t use a nanokit to build a spare bedroom in the basement for their guests. He took the time to build blanket forts instead, just as any boy approaching seven years of age might do, tucking blankets into cushions even as he protested the fact that he’d be left behind.

  “I promise I’ll take good care of her, Fil,” Adam said. “I’ll take good care of both of them.”

  Realizing there was nothing else he could do, Fil grumbled, but went back to playing in his fort. Eva and Aaron watched Adam and Phoebe drive away.

  Check-in, to his surprise, was no less dull. He’d dropped her off at the hospital entry, but she’d walked in under her own power to the check-in desk. She was still filling out the last few forms when he returned. She grimaced at him, and he couldn’t help but smile. Will’s company had drastically cut the costs of health care, but the industry still demanded the sacrifice of several trees prior to providing services.

  He wheeled her upstairs to the tenth floor, and the medical staff there began fussing over her. She was eventually wheeled into room 1018, a number which made her chuckle.

  And then… nothing happened. Angel was apparently throwing a temper tantrum.

  They waited, and waited, and waited. With an epidural in place, the mild contractions gave Phoebe little discomfort, and she fell asleep a few hours later. Adam amused himself by chatting with Angel telepathically. It made him think of the decade he’d spent talking to Gena in a similar manner, with one major difference: Angel was in no danger of dying.

  Why are you waiting? Your mother is eager to see you. And I know you’d like Fil to be here, but there are rules in place that we must follo
w. You’ll be able to see him with your eyes soon enough. There’s no need to wait.

  Silly, I know that! I’m not waiting for Fil anymore. I’m waiting for Daddy.

  He’d learned that the Stark—no, the Trask—children were rarely wrong in their intuitive proclamations. Fil had offered insights about people and situations throughout the summer that astounded him. He supposed that was to be expected. Fil, and his sister, would be born with the kind of ability, awareness, and confidence that would make them unique in the world.

  But Angel was now waiting for Will to arrive before she’d permit herself to be born. Could she be right? Would Will make an appearance?

  Angel, I’m glad you want to wait for your Dad. But I’m not sure where he is. How long will you wait?

  He’ll be here in a few minutes. I can feel him. Can’t you?

  Adam looked around, startled. Will was on his way here now? Perhaps he was taking Adam’s approach, disguising himself as a member of the hospital staff so as to enter the delivery room without suspicion.

  Okay, Mr. Adam. Daddy is here now. Wake Mommy up so I can be born. And Mr. Adam?

  Yes, Angel? He was trying to avoid sounding shocked at the news that Will was in the room… because Adam couldn’t see or sense the man at all.

  Something is wrong with Mommy. Her body is changing for some reason, like it is missing something. Please help her get better.

  Adam frowned. Phoebe’s body was changing because it was missing something?

  He looked at her, at her pregnant belly, and wondered.

  Then he realized what it was.

  Angel, I think I know what the problem is. But let’s get you born before we worry about that. He paused. You said that your Daddy is here. Why don’t I see him?