The worst part is the bodies. They’re everywhere. Mostly soldiers, but there are some who are clearly civilian, even children. I can’t stand it. My mind screams for me to run, to get away from the madness. I rip off the lenses, my breath coming in great gasps.
“What the hell?” Zed asks, his eyes huge as saucers.
Bridger tosses the lenses to him. “Take a look for yourself. Apparently that’s what the future is going to be like, unless this Ellis fellow can stop that bioweapon from going off.”
While Zed views the apocalyptic scene, Bridger inserts the other disk into his DataLink and pulls up the contents. Elijah and I flank him to see what’s on the holographic screen, which hovers over his wrist.
It’s a simple document with instructions:
I’m sure you checked out the Virtual Scene I gave you before reading this. It’s not pretty. But knowing you, Bridger, in the back of your mind you’re still doubting my sincerity. So here’s how to get the piece of the puzzle that you’re trying to figure out. You and Alora need to shift to the military division at the DTA building on August 10, 2126. Arrive at approximately oh-nine-hundred hours at room number 2505. I would tell you what happens there, but you need to witness this for yourself to fully believe that it’s real. And one more thing. Do NOT share this information with any authority figures. I can’t risk them doing anything to change the timeline. Good luck.
I back away from Bridger, stunned. This is it. This could help us figure out what the DTA is really up to—why they went through so much trouble erasing all of our memories, why they’ve been illegally cloning people.
Vaguely, I see a stunned Zed passing the Virtual Lenses to Elijah. After he views the message, he places his hand across his mouth before running it down the side of his jaw. “This is so furing insane. What have we gotten ourselves into?”
“We haven’t gotten ourselves into anything,” Bridger replies, his eyes narrowing. “All of this started with my Dad’s death. I’m going to do whatever it takes to find out what happened to him and who cloned him. The same goes for Alora’s father, too. The DTA needs to learn that they can’t just come in and mess with our lives like they’ve been doing. And they can’t keep breaking the law and cloning people.”
“So what are we going to do?” I ask. “We have a place to start, but how on Earth are we going to get into the military division of the DTA building? I mean, that place will be heavily guarded. And how are we going to get to that exact date? Free shifting is out of the question,” I say, thinking of how far off I was when I tried to visit Aunt Grace. “If we’re going to do this, there can be no room for error. So that means we have to have Chronobands.”
Elijah tears off the Virtual Lenses, his mouth curled in horror. It’s not every day that you get to see a part of your own future, especially one that’s so desolate. “That was definitely New Denver, and it has definitely never looked like that,” he says, glancing at the lenses.
“I know,” Bridger replies.
“What if it’s a fake?” Zed says.
“It could be, but that doesn’t make sense. Why would Ellis bother giving me fake information? Or these, for that matter?” He reaches back in his portacase and pulls out two Chronobands and two comm-sets.
“Hey,” Zed says, scowling. “He just gave you just two sets?”
Bridger nods.
“Fine, but don’t expect us to just sit here twiddling our thumbs. We’re going to help however we can. Right, Elijah?”
“You can count on me, man,” he says, placing his hand on Bridger’s shoulder. “I’ve missed being around you these past few months. I thought we were broken, you know? But it wasn’t us. It was whoever’s been pulling the strings. We’ve been puppets to them.”
“And it’s time for us to cut the strings,” I say, feeling a little better about Bridger’s decision to tell Elijah and Zed the truth. “So, what’s next?”
A slow smile spreads across Bridger’s face. “My grandmother is in the military, and her office is at DTA headquarters. I think it’s time we visit her at work.”
18
BRIDGER
FEBRUARY 18, 2147
Mom arches her eyebrows as I walk into the kitchen. “Why are you wearing your uniform?”
Shan is at the counter, attacking a tall stack of pancakes, already dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt with the red, blue, and green triple rings of the North American Federation’s flag on it. He glances up, then shoves a forkful into his mouth and goes back to scrolling though the DataNet feed.
I grab a plate and pile several pancakes on it. I’m still kind of in shock that Mom felt like cooking breakfast for us this morning. “I told you last night. Grandma is giving Elijah, Zed, and me a tour, since Zed is thinking about joining the military.”
Of course, that’s just the cover story that we came up with to convince Grandma to let us see the building. She had to submit an official reason for the request, but it worked. Our appointment is at ten o’clock. I have exactly an hour to get there. Then we’ll take the tour, which hopefully won’t last too long.
And then Alora and I will meet up after we’re finished and shift to 2126.
“Well, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” Mom says. She takes a sip of her juice and continues, “What if another protest forms while you’re inside? You could be trapped.”
I tell myself to keep calm. The last thing I need to do is start an argument with Mom and have her forbid me to leave the apartment. Of course, I could leave anyway, but then she would report me to the DTA, and I do not need that on my record. “I’ll be with Grandma. At the DTA headquarters. If something were to happen, that’s a pretty safe place to be.”
Mom closes her eyes for a moment before she says, “I know you think I’m trying to hold you back, but I’m not. I want what’s best for you. For all of us,” she says, her eyes straying to Shan.
Of course she has to look at him. That’s who she’s really concerned for, not me.
“Mom, I’ll be fine. I’m not a child. And if you want to, just track me through my DataLink. I’m meeting everyone at headquarters, and as soon as we’re finished, we’re going to Elijah’s house. That’s all.”
That’s the truth. Or at least most of it. I just omit the whole part about shifting illegally.
Mom’s DataLink chimes. She checks it and sighs. “I have to take this. I’ll be right back.”
I finish my breakfast in silence, totally surprised that it tastes decent—not like the synthetic junk we usually have. When I get up to leave, Shan stops me. “Hey Bridger, have you finished using my Virtual Lenses yet?”
My cheeks grow hot. I was going to sneak them back into his quarters after Alora, Zed, and Elijah had viewed Ellis’s Sim. But I’ve been so preoccupied with school and wondering what we’ll discover when we shift to 2126. I just forgot. I think about denying that I have them, but it’s no use. He knows.
“Um, yeah,” I stammer. “I … how did you know I took them?”
“I saw you.”
My brow furrows. I thought he was asleep. The little sneak. I’m impressed and a little embarrassed.
“Why didn’t you stop me?” I ask.
He looks away and shrugs. “I dunno. I guess I figured you’ve wanted to borrow them for a little while, since Dad gave them to me.”
With those words, the dark, empty space in my chest pulses, reminding me of what I’m missing. Of what Shan and Grandma are missing. That Dad’s still out there, somewhere in our future, alive. And I can’t tell them. At least, not yet. Hopefully I’ll have some answers soon.
But right now, I have to get out of here. I’m too ashamed to be around Shan right now. I mumble an apology and promise to give them back Monday, then grab my portacase and leave before Mom can come back to start any crap with me.
I gaze up at the Department of Temporal Affairs building as I approach it. Built in the early part of this century, it’s an oval-shaped, sixty-story-tall building composed of glass walls. The ba
se starts out wide and tapers to a narrow rooftop. Dad used to bring me here sometimes, when I was little. I didn’t have to request an appointment for that.
My eyes still on the sky, I almost bump into a Purist woman. “You people think you own everything,” she snarls at me.
I want to hurl an insult back at her. But it’s not worth it. Instead, I incline my head to the officers on duty just ahead of us. These appear to be regular police. But down the street I spot a few military Space Benders and I grin.
The woman scowls and hurries away.
“You’re late,” Grandma says when I finally arrive in the small courtyard outside the DTA building. She’s already sitting on a stone bench with Zed and Elijah. Behind them is the massive memorial wall bearing the name of every Time Bender who’s died.
They’re not happy with me. When Grandma glances toward the entrance, Zed holds up both hands, his fingers curled in like he wants to choke me. Elijah is giving me a major stink eye. I check my DataLink again. Our appointment is in ten minutes. But Grandma is one of those people who’s always early.
“I’m sorry,” I say for the second time today. “I got held up at the Maglev station.”
I don’t bother telling her why I got held up there. Two Purists decided to pick a fight with a couple of the military Space Benders on patrol, and that led to a few more Purists coming to their defense. They claimed the Space Benders had insulted them. I doubt that’s what happened. What would the Space Benders gain from doing something that juvenile? But Purists picking a fight, now that’s something I believe would happen.
Grandma stands, smooths out her uniform, and motions for us to follow her. “Let’s go, boys. You’re only cleared to be in here for an hour and a half.”
Elijah and Zed flank me, and we fall into step behind Grandma.
“Your grandmother practically interrogated me,” Zed complains. “She wanted to know what made me change my mind about joining the military, and all sorts of fun stuff. I even had to tell her about my dads and where they live now.” He pauses to heave a sigh. “You owe us big time.”
Elijah agrees with him. “Man, I vote that you take us out to eat somewhere expensive and pay for it.”
The plan is that, after the tour ends, we’ll exit the building and meet Alora in the alley around the corner. She’ll give me my Chronoband and comm-set, since I can’t smuggle them past the DTA’s scanners. I’ll leave my DataLink with Elijah and Zed. From there, Alora and I will activate our cloaks, sneak back into the lobby of the DTA building, and shift to 2126 from there. Elijah and Zed will go back to Elijah’s house to wait for us.
We pass two soldiers stationed outside the entrance. Once we’re inside, we sign in with a retinal scanner and walk through another scanner that searches for weapons or explosives. Then we meet up with a short woman with shoulder-length black hair and deep brown skin, dressed in a navy-blue uniform. Even though I haven’t seen her in several years, I recognize her as Professor March’s younger sister. Dad told me once that they were never close because the professor was so much older than her, so she was always annoying him. I can totally relate to that.
“I’m Captain Olivia March, and I’ll be your guide today,” she says in a clipped voice.
“Hey, are you related to Professor Telfair March?” Zed asks.
The captain’s back straightens. “I am. He’s my older brother.”
And because Zed has no shame, he says, “Huh, that’s weird. He’s never said anything about having a sister.”
I want to sink through the floor. Elijah looks like he wants to do the same thing.
Grandma snaps, “That will be all, Ramirez. We’re here because you’re considering joining the military yourself. Please act accordingly.”
Zed blushes. “I’m sorry. That won’t happen again.”
“Apology accepted,” the captain says. “Now, if you will follow me, we’ll begin the tour.”
It takes exactly an hour to complete the tour. In that time, we make a brief pass through the DTA’s civilian sector, which takes up the top thirty floors. The lower thirty floors house the military division. The difference between the two sectors is stark. The civilian portion of the building is decorated in a kaleidoscope of styles from the various points in time that have been visited so far. The military section is much starker, painted in varying shades of gray.
And for the military sector, we’re only allowed to tour the Operations Center on the fifth floor, several artifact recovery rooms, and Grandma’s office as a special favor. But floors twenty through thirty are off-limits. I’m exceedingly annoyed. I didn’t know that. I had hoped we’d be able to check out the room we were instructed to visit before shifting. If I can’t get there now, will Alora and I be able to once we shift to 2126? What if we need some kind of key or biometric scan to access it?
Captain March deposits us back in the lobby at precisely eleven o’clock. “I hope the tour was beneficial to you. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, Cadet Ramirez. I sincerely hope that you decide to join us in the military. The work is quite rewarding.”
“Charming lady,” Grandma says as soon as she departs. “Well, can I interest you boys in lunch? My treat.”
Zed looks like he wants to accept so badly. But of course, he has to decline along with the rest of us.
“We’re supposed to eat lunch with my parents,” Elijah says quickly. I could kiss him for coming up with a good reason not to go with her.
“Oh well. I’ll grab something in the cafeteria then. I’ll see you later,” she says. She casts a glance back at us. It seems so longing—almost like she’s lonely and really wants us to go with her.
I wish I could. I really do. The way she looked just then reminded me so much of Dad. I can’t wait to find proof that he’s been cloned and tell her that he’s alive. That’s better than nothing. But I certainly can’t make those claims right now.
We have to check out before we’re allowed to leave the building. That’s to be expected, but it doesn’t leave us a lot of good options for shifting to the past. Once Alora and I go back inside, we’ll have to stay in the lobby.
“Are you sure about this?” Elijah asks once we’re past the soldiers on guard. “You can always change your mind. We won’t judge you, right, Zed?”
“You speak the truth, Elijah,” Zed replies. “I admire you for wanting to do this, but it’s dangerous. What if you and Alora get caught?”
“We won’t. We have the Chronobands. We’ll be fine.”
“I hope so,” Elijah murmurs. “I really do.”
“Let’s just hope your mother doesn’t send one of her space-bending buddies over to my house to check in on you. I don’t know how I’ll explain having your DataLink,” Elijah says.
“I hope it won’t come to that,” I reply.
By this time, we’ve reached sidewalk. We turn left and hurry to the thin sliver of space between the DTA building and the neighboring skyscraper. Halfway down the pristine alley, we find Alora already waiting in the shadows. She’s standing really still, with her back against the wall and her arms folded tightly against her chest. Her face lights up when she sees us. I find myself grinning.
Elijah elbows me in the ribs. “You have a thing for her now?”
“No, of course not,” I snap.
He snorts. “Right, man. I hear you.”
I clench my jaw. Alora and I are just friends. I like her a lot, but I can’t be distracted with a relationship. And besides, the DTA can’t know that we’ve been spending time together. They might suspect that we both remember the truth of what happened to us in 2013.
“I’m so glad you’re here now,” she says when we reach her.
“How long have you been waiting?” I ask.
“I’m not sure. Maybe fifteen or twenty minutes,” she says.
Zed looks at her in disbelief. “You knew what time we said we’d be here. Why didn’t you just pop in from your apartment?”
Alora gives hi
m a withering look. “Because I’ve never seen this alley before. And besides, the only way I could convince my mom to let me out by myself was to tell her I was going to the museum today. So I went there first and hid my DataLink in some bushes so she could track me. And then I had to run into the restroom to change into my uniform.”
“Oh, sorry,” Zed mumbles. “I didn’t realize your mom is like Bridger’s. We have to take his DataLink with us, too.”
“Which reminds me,” I interrupt while I remove my DataLink and hand it to Elijah. He puts it in his pocket.
Alora reaches into her portacase and pulls out my Chronoband and comm-set. I slip the comm-set over my head first, then fasten the Chronoband on my wrist. I won’t be able to record anything since it’s not joined with my DataLink. That’s fine. I just need it to see Alora, once we’re cloaked, plus any Unknowns we may encounter.
I look at Elijah and Zed and say, “See you two soon.”
“Good luck,” Elijah whispers.
“And don’t get caught,” Zed adds.
Alora and I lean against the side of building, exchange a quick look, then press the gold buttons on our uniform collars to activate our cloaks.
Elijah and Zed head out of the alley in the opposite direction. Alora and I walk in silence until we arrive at the entrance of the DTA building.
Alora’s steps slow when she spots the two guards outside the entrance. “You’re sure they won’t be able to see us, right?”
“I’m positive,” I say. “They’re not wearing comm-sets. We’ll be fine.”
Alora reaches out and grabs my hand. “Okay. Let’s get this over with.”
We stand next to the entrance for a few more minutes until an officer enters the building. As soon as he opens the doors using the biometric scanner, we fall in behind him. Then we turn left and stand with our backs against the wall.
On Through the Never Page 13