Convergence

by Frank Carey

  "Trying to change the past so that the future was rosier for her. This room is off-limits to all civilians. Has Command been briefed?"

  "Yes, sir. Dr. Aymar-Taggart is in-bound with her team."

  "Good. Rista, Saffron, and Dr. Mykroft are checking out the system. You're in charge of the scene."

  "Where are your going?"

  "To get some air before the shit hits the fan."

  "Shit, sir? "

  "Yeah, shit and lots of it. We have a freakin time machine sitting here. Imagine the mayhem someone could induce upon our peaceful world."

  "Yes, sir. We'll keep it safe."

  "Thanks, Commander. Commissioner, would you care to join me for a stroll?"

  "Of course. Commander." Pris replied. They walked out of the room, then headed outside.

  ###

  Gabe leaned against a vehicle and stared at his wife while security personnel patrolled the nearby perimeter. She walked over and leaned against him, her tail slowly swishing about as it tried to bleed off the tension she felt. "I think I have some explaining to do."

  "Yes, you do. First off, how the hell are you not aging? You look the same as you did when I saw you five minutes ago."

  She kissed him. "How can you be so sweet? I've been keeping a secret from you for almost a quarter-century."

  "As have Marta, Gloria, Ciara, and I assume, Lucien. Look, just Rista and I being there caused the temporal stress meter to go to orange. Just imagine if you had told me what to expect? I think it would have gone nova."

  "So, you're not mad?"

  "My God, woman, why would I be mad. You're sexy when you get all protective. Seeing you standing there with blaster drawn while staring down Zoe is a sight that I will not soon forget."

  "You and Rista did good. She's tough."

  "When you saw her the first time, did you suspect she was your daughter?"

  "I had a weird feeling, a protective, 'Leave my kid alone'-sort of feeling. So, yeah, I guess I knew she was my kid. I hate time travel. "

  Gabe looked over and saw Gloria heading into the building with an intense look on her face. "I don't think we'll have to worry about it much longer. I think the Cube Tombs are going to soon receive a new tenant." Gabe's earcomm beeped. "Go for Adon... Right... We're on our way."

  "What's up?"

  "Someone or something has activated the portal," he replied as he went to stryker form.

  They headed back into the building.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Civvies were streaming out of the portal room as security personnel formed a perimeter. Armored members of EarthSec and the EMEF ringed the platform as a portal materialized at its center. Gloria and Taz stood behind the console while Rista stood guard with a particularly lethal looking weapon. "Gloria, any idea who's visiting at this god-awful hour?"

  "It's point of origin is Anne's universe. I'm reading three life forms arriving in three... Two... One... Mark!"

  Three figures appeared on the platform--one human and two stryker. One of the strykers--Anne by the look of her--picked Zoe up and threw her into the room. Taz ran over and helped her up while yelling at the strykers. "You made your damn point, now leave her alone!"

  "Or what?" she asked while taking a step toward the fallen scientist.

  "Or else you'll have to deal with me," Gabe said as he stepped between the Katalan stryker and Zoe.

  "And me as well, mistress," the other stryker said as it stepped off the platform and walked over to stand next to Gabe. "Dr. Muntz has unlocked the rift and your Zoe is dead. Your vendetta is satisfied."

  "Gamma?" Rista asked.

  "Dude, welcome back," Gabe said while retaining eye contact with Anne.

  "Thank you, sir."

  "Anne, you're the one who saved me on Orta, weren't you?" Gabe asked

  "Yes, I missed Zoe's people, but found you. I also needed someone smarter than me to help with the rift." She stared at him. "You're defending her. She's tried to kill you every time she gets near you. She's kidnapped you wife, endangered your daughters, and killed more people than the plague, yet you stand there protecting her."

  "I am DCI Gabriel Adon of Earth Security. It is my duty to protect ALL citizens of the League of Planetary Systems from threats both internal and external. Until she faces trial and is convicted by a jury of her peers, she is one of those citizens, and if you continue your aggression against her, you are one of those threats." He stood there, an immovable object in Anne's way.

  "Sir, we will leave you in peace. You have my word that there will be no further aggression on the part of Mistress Kitra."

  Gabe and Anne looked at Gamma. "You can do that?" he asked.

  "Yes, sir. After Anne executed her Zoe, I loaded a virus into her system to prevent her from killing our Zoe or you, if it came down to that. Mistress, forgive me, but your species is thousands of years behind the Commissioner's species when it comes to emotional evolution. Like DCI Adon, I cannot allow you to threaten the League or her peoples."

  Anne tilted her head as she looked at the AI. Then she looked around the room and saw every person in the room had a weapon pointed at her, all except Gabe, who stood there and watched. "No weapon, Gabe?"

  "So many choices. I thought I'd wait to see if I need one."

  Anne nodded. "Come on, Robot, let's get back. I assume you'll help us evolve."

  "Commissioner, I request an extended leave of absence," Gamma said.

  "Granted. Go, teach, then come back. We need you."

  "Yes, ma'am." He walked over and shook her hand, then Gabe's. Finally, he walked over and hugged Rista.

  "Don't be a stranger," she said as she held back tears .

  "No, Officer Adon. Never strangers."

  He joined Anne on the platform. "Until we meet again," Anne said.

  "Antio sas," Gabe replied in Greek. A flare of light and the pair were gone.

  Gabe turned and looked at Zoe. "We're even, so no more shit, got it?"

  "You saved my life," she said while almost swooning.

  "Get her out of my sight!" Pris roared.

  "I'm going with her," Taz said as he helped her up. They followed their escorts out of the room.

  Pris joined her husband. "We could have taken her, right?"

  "Nope." He put his arm around her and his two daughters who had walked over. "How about ice cream when we're finished here?"

  Pris kissed him. "Works for me."

  ###

  Hushed discussions filled the meeting room while everyone waited for the last attendees to arrive. Sitting around the table were Gabe, Priscilla, Retired EMEF General McMurphy, and Gloria. Yet to arrive were representatives of the League ruling council.

  "So, Doc, everything squared away with Zoe and her lab?"

  Gloria sat back and stared at Gabe. "Where did you find the patience not to kill her?" she asked.

  "Is the good doctor giving you fits?" Pris asked the elf engineer.

  "Oh yeah, in spades. Every other word out of her mouth is some kind of demand or a threat if the demand isn't instantly satisfied. You know, I could introduce her to some of the Tombs' residents."

  "Yeah, and then what do you do when they quit?"

  "You have a point. I may have to rethink my idea. "

  The missing participants took that moment to walk in and sit down. They immediately got down to business. "This meeting is now designated top secret," the lead council representative said. "Dr. Aymar-Taggart. What is the status of the time portal?"

  "The portal, and all related equipment, is now stored in one of the Cube's Tombs. All data pertaining to time travel is locked inside a secure data facility."

  "And Drs. Muntz and Mykroft?"

  "They are now working for me while Zoe receives treatment. The Cube shrinks assure me that they will have her back to our version of normal within a year."

  "And your research?"

  "Progressing. We feel that in a very short time, we will be able to observe moments in the past with little or no da
nger to the continuum."

  "Good. Commissioner?"

  "Zoe's lab in upstate New York has been razed and the land turned over to a non-profit farming coop involving orphan children per DCI Adon's request and using seed money supplied by him."

  "General McMurphy, why can't we seem to allow you a quiet retirement?"

  "I don't know, sir. It must be my winning smile. We've swept all stryker facilities for any remaining cyborgs. We found 28-strykers, all of whom have been given the choice of decommissioning or becoming members of the military where their abilities will be of immense value."

  "Good. DCI Adon, do you have anything to add?"

  "I only have one question, sir."

  "And that is?"

  "What about Anne?"

  "Yes, Priscilla-Anne Kitra, our commissioner's doppelganger. I have been informed that the continuum incursion sensor system established during the Alue incident has been upgraded to include Anne's quantum spin signature. We've requested that Katala's finest historians advise the council on where Anne's people are with regards to our Katalan societal norms. Hopefully, our next meeting will be on better terms. If there's nothing else, I declare this matter closed."

  No one said anything.

  With a final nod, the meeting was adjourned.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  It was a beautiful day at the North New York Dragway--a few scattered clouds, and a light breeze blowing across the track. People from all over the League had gathered to watch motor enthusiasts show off their rides. Up in the stands, Priscilla, Rista, and Saffron searched for their reserved seats. "Over there, Mom." Rista said as she pointed to a set of boxed seats.

  "I see Marta and Lucien," Saffron noted.

  Priscilla looked. "Ah, and there's Royce and Losira. I think we can go this way," she said.

  "Priscilla!" Marta yelled as she waved at her three, sun-dress wearing relatives." Finally, after a few minutes of moving through the crowd, the three Adons sat down next to their extended family.

  "I've never been here before," Priscilla said after giving her drink order to an attendant. "You guys have box seats?"

  "One of the privileges of being royalty," Losira explained. "Love the dresses."

  "Back at you," Pris replied. "Anyone see Gabe anywhere?"

  "We thought he was with you," Marta said. "Isn't it a little odd for Grandpa to invite us, but not join us?"

  "He said he had to take care of something."

  Pris shrugged. "That's our Gabe." She read through the program. "Hmmm, they're about to start the unlimited race."

  "What's that, Mom?" Rista asked.

  "Well, according to the program, an Unlimited car is a special class that races against the clock. Anything goes with regards to fuel, engine, or design."

  "Who's up first?"

  "A car named 'Nadine.' The driver isn't listed. "

  "Mom, isn't Dad's car named Nadine?" Saffron asked.

  Before Pris could answer, the announcer came on the PA system. "People of the League, your attention please. Welcome to the North New York Dragway. Today's first car is Nadine, driven by a local driver, Gabriel Adon. Race length is one-quarter mile. Target speed is 300 miles per hour. People of the League, let's give a New York Welcome to Gabe and Nadine."

  Priscilla jumped out of her seat. "That maniac is driving the plarking car he died in! I have to stop him."

  "Mom! Calm down," Rista said. "Armor, remember?"

  Pris slowly sat down and watched the race. Her outer calmness belying her inner horror.

  The crowd went wild when an obsidian black, 1970 Dodge Charger chugged out to the starting line. Gabe got out, removed his helmet and waved to the crowd before blowing Priscilla a kiss. He started the car, then as the crowd oohed and awed, eight exhaust stacks rose from the hood surrounding a huge roots supercharger. He gunned the engine a couple of times, causing flames to erupt from the pipes. The crowd went wild.

  "According to the blurb in the program, the body, chassis, and drive train are vintage 20th century Earth while the engine is from 2025," Royce noted. "It was one of the first engines to incorporate adamantine in its design."

  Pris said nothing as she chewed her claws.

  Next, Gabe drove forward until the track marshaller signaled a stop. Gabe then did a burnout to heat the tires and lay down a layer of fresh rubber.

  Seeing their mother's reaction, Rista and Saffron took positions on either side of her and held her hands.

  The marshaller helped Gabe move Nadine into starting position. Once there, the flag-person waved a green flag to signal that all was ready. As the crowd waited, the Christmas tree starting light array lit the topmost orange light, then the second, then the third, then the green .

  Ten-foot high flames shot from the stacks as Nadine leapt off the starting line and headed down the track at over 4 G's acceleration. Less than four seconds later, three parachutes popped out of the back of Nadine, helping slow her to a stop.

  "He did it," Rista jumped up and yelled. The track time keeper showed 3.701 seconds and 328 MPH.

  Priscilla stood up, straightened her dress, then silently stormed out of the box.

  "Should we follow her?" Saffron asked.

  Everyone silently shook their heads before turning to watch the next race.

  ###

  Pris walked down to the pits, flashing her badge as she went. Around her was a world different from hers. Here, the gear heads ruled. People from every planet in the League, and several she could not identify, were prepping vehicles for upcoming races, or bent over engine compartments making minute adjustments while talking to others of their ilk. Ahead of her, a small crowd had gathered around Nadine, many with their upper torsos disappearing under the hood, or underneath the vehicle while Gabe stood nearby in deep conversation with other drivers and their mechanics. He looked up and smiled that damned disarming smile of his. As hard as she tried, her anger at him evaporated as she got closer.

  "Honey! I did it, I broke 300! The old Nadine never made it past 250!" He turned back and handed keys and paperwork to a Tralaskan male standing next to him. "Take good care of her," he said.

  Pris recognized the man holding Nadine's keys. He was the dean of a small university on Tralaska, one that specialized in engineering and science--a tech school as Gabe called it. "Chancellor Yerst? I'm surprised to see you here," she said as she shook hands with him .

  "Normally, the school could not afford to send me on such a trip, but your husband fixed that."

  "How so?"

  "Didn't he tell you? He's donated Nadine and the contents of his shop to our school along with a substantial honorarium to establish a new school of automotive engineering. He flew me and some of our top faculty, staff, and students out here to take possession of Nadine and to enjoy a day at the track."

  "An honorarium? Whom, may I ask is the honorarium for?"

  "Why you, of course. He thinks that it would be a way of bringing auto racing to Tralaska while improving inter-species relations. We've already broken ground on a new building. We were hoping you'd join us for the official opening."

  "I would be honored," she replied. She took a business card from her purse and handed it to Yerst. "Call my secretary at that number when you're ready. Gabe, could we talk?"

  "Sure. Excuse me, guys," he said to the crowd.

  Once they were out of earshot, she stopped, crossed her arms while her tail formed a question mark. "Well?"

  "You know, elf tails make the same shape when they have a question. Are you sure you're not related?"

  She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

  "I had to get it out of my system. It was the last loose end from my past."

  "And it's tied up and out of your system?"

  "Yep. I've decided to franchise one of Lucien's bakeries. I plan on opening it near Precinct One so that I can supply all the officers with pastries."

  She frowned. "Why would cops be interested in pastries?"

  He took her by the arm,
waved to his friends, then led her back to the stands. "Tradition, my dear commissioner. Tradition!"

  <<<<>>>>

  About Frank Carey

  Frank Carey has been formally writing and publishing works of science fiction since late 2013. Over the years prior, he had dabbled in various forms of writing including haiku poetry, but that all changed when he and his wife, Jo, decided to try their hand at writing and self-publishing. All his work, to date, has been in the science fiction genre.

  Most of his stories take place about two centuries in the future when Earth joins the League of Planetary Systems. Many of his protagonists are strong females. He is an inveterate pantser who believes the story will go where the story wants to go.

  Frank’s background includes degrees in physics and extensive work as a scientific programmer and technologist.

  Frank can be reached via e-mail at elvenindustriespress@gmail.co m