"It is my pleasure. I've been waiting for the chance to meet the fifth Founder." His eyes looked to Alice, who was now upset that her mother had taken the Argo Force ring away.
As Sergio approached, Michael lifted the sword from his sheath and pointed it towards Sergio's chains. Sergio nodded. A few brief swipes later and the chains fell from his hand and feet. Michael resheathed the sword in one fluid motion and began signing again. He indicated they move inside the tent. Kat and Sergio followed him inside and they found a room to sit and rest for a moment.
"You probably have questions," Michael signed.
Kat translated for Sergio before responding. "Yes we do," she said. "For starters, why haven't you come to help us before. We haven't seen one of you since Alice was born."
Michael bowed his head. "We have been there. But direct contact was forbidden.
"Forbidden!" Kat raised her voice, forgetting that the man could not hear the volume increase. "People died for us. We nearly died."
"But look at where you are now. Both of you are now much more capable than you were a year ago. You, Kat, you managed to escape Invergence on your own, then sneak back to save your daughter. You have shown courage that few in this world possess."
"But people didn't need to die."
Michael considered that for a moment. "I know it may sound arrogant to say so, but I can assure you that they are in a better place. It was their time, a time that comes for all of us eventually."
That was not an answer that Kat liked to hear. Answers like that implied that it was okay for horrible things to happen. "So, you're telling me that there is an afterlife, and...a God...and all that?"
Michael smiled and continued signing, "I am probably the person most qualified to answer that question. There is certainly an afterlife. And there is a God. We call him the Hand."
"I don't suppose you've met him." Kat was starting to not like this man, despite his help earlier.
"Yes, I have." That answer made Kat think twice. She hadn't been expecting that. Michael sighed, "Once, a long time ago. But it is rare. Only the Founders have ever met the Hand, and I'm pretty sure some haven't yet. But while I can tell you of my experiences, I cannot do more than that. You want proof. You cannot have it."
"Why?" Kat asked. It was a genuine question. Why, if God was real, wouldn't it be completely obvious. Why wouldn't he make himself known to everyone!
"Because knowing would eliminate faith. And faith, trust, is what we're here to learn."
Kat had never really considered it that way before. She was still unsure and still had questions on the subject, like how can one trust in a God who lets such bad things happen. But Sergio interrupted before she could articulate another question. "So, you're a Founder then? One of the five Founders?"
"Yes," Michael signed back, "I was the fourth to join Argo Force."
"And the girl who helped us a year ago, was she a Founder too? She seemed to know a lot about our daughter."
Michael laughed, the first sound they had heard him make. "She is a Founder," he confirmed.
"Where is she? We haven't seen her at all since that day."
"You've seen her every day since then."
Sergio frowned. Kat also had no idea what the man meant. Then comprehension dawned on her. She looked down at Alice, at her blonde hair and blue eyes. Hadn't they thought Kira looked a bit like Kat's sister? They had the wrong relative all this time.
Kat looked to Sergio who still didn't get it. "She never told us her real name." Kat raised Alice a little, giving Sergio the hint he needed to understand. His eyes widened.
"You mean to tell us, that our daughter...from...from the future, was the real Kira?" he asked her and Michael together.
Michael nodded. "That is why she hasn't returned since then. She could only help you before you gave birth." He nodded his head at Kat. "We have strict rules against interacting with our younger selves."
Kat felt her head spinning. She had met her daughter earlier than she thought! Pride welled in her. Kira...Alice had been so competent and skilled. It was quite the contrast to the curious but still helpless baby she held in her arms.
Michael looked to Kat. "I know it may seem like there's no hope at times. We don't take the same direct approach that Invergence does, most of the time. But we have been watching, and we've been there to protect you when you needed it most."
Kat almost wanted to scoff at that, but then she remembered something. She looked at the horn that Michael carried at his belt. "You were the one who called off Invergence when we were at the hospital. That loud noise, that was you."
Michael nodded, "Invergence was familiar with my call. It has spelled trouble for them in the past. We also inspired Simon to find you, and helped Valerie get lost so she would rescue you from Invergence. We might not have taken much direct action, but we are masters of subtle time manipulation."
Kat still didn't like the whole situation. Thoughts of the Evans family kept swimming to her mind, their dead corpses in a burning house. No matter what she heard, she would never accept the fact that Argo Force did nothing to keep them from dying. But, it seemed, she had misunderstood a lot of what was going on. So for now, she said nothing more on the subject.
Michael began signing again, and Kat translated to Sergio. "I've been given new orders. It's too dangerous for the three of you to remain in this century. Surveillance tools make it too easy for Invergence to find you. I'm to take you somewhere where they can't do that. The other children here, they will be safe. We will take care of them."
Sergio spoke up, "Wait a second. What do you mean, not remain in this century? You're not going to..."
Kat was wondering the same thing, so Michael explained further. "Don't worry, I'm only going to take you back far enough that you will still have the advantage of technology, but Invergence won't have the advantage of the Information Age."
In her surprise, Kat forgot to translate this for Sergio. Instead she said, "well don't we get a say in this?"
"I'm sorry. This order comes from much higher than I have authority to change."
Before Kat could protest further, or translate the words to Sergio, a bright bubble of light emanated from Michael and enveloped Kat and her husband. The light grew brighter, and Kat thought she might be sick.
Moments later, and they were standing in a different place. A different time.
Author’s Note
Thank you, thank you for reading the first in my series about Alice: The Last Founder. This novel, or collection of serial episodes, was my first book ever written. As such, it has some things I would change if I were to go back and re-write it. For example, it’s not 100% clear what the genre is. I eventually branded it as urban fantasy, but it also has elements of time travel and superhero genres.
Ultimately, though, that doesn’t matter to me. Alice is an extremely important character in my little shared universe that I’m building, the Argoverse. You’ll see her at least once in every series I write. In some, it may be a small cameo, in others she may take on a more important role.
I had the idea to make her series one where each book covered one year of her life, starting with her birth. I thought this a really cool idea at the time, and planned to release in real time, with one book a year focusing on one year of Alice’s life. This release schedule may change eventually, so that I don’t die before her story is finished. But I still intend to write one book for each year of her life.
But for right now, the story is really more about her parents, Kat and Sergio, and it will remain that way until Alice turns 8. What happens when she turns 8, you ask? Well, you’ll just have to keep reading to find out.
Once again, thank you so much for reading Alice’s first story. I look forward to sharing the next one with you.
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About the Author
Jason Hamilton is an unapologetic nerd of all things science fiction and fantasy. He is the author of the ongoing serial of Alice: The Last Founder, as well as the Roots of Creation series and many other forthcoming novels.
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Also by Jason Hamilton
Roots of Creation Series
Out of Shadow
Year One Page 16