by Steve Hertig
Chapter 11
Prime: 10 Aug 2068
Everyone stood as President Donald Chambers strode into the briefing room with a tired look on his face. The secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security as well as the Director of National Intelligence followed him.
"Sit down everybody," the President said. "We have a lot to cover and discuss. Major General West has informed me that we have many challenges ahead," he said drawing attention to the new star on West's lapel.
John took a couple deep breaths and a sip of hot tea to ease a nervous chill. He glanced around the table at the others stopping at the SecDef. He had seen him many times before in the news media, but now in person, the grey of his temples was even more of a marked contrasted with his dark skin.
"So people," the President said, "seems you have discovered a war on a scale that's pretty hard to grasp. So what we need now are ideas on how to break the back of this so-called Leadership. Jenny, it's good to see you. The SecDef tells me you have some thoughts on this."
"Yes, Mr. President. We've had limited time to study the citations of the Prophesy, but the team from Plus are experts," Jenny said looking to Major Timberin.
Timberin took a deep breath. "The enemy softens any global resistance with an extended terrorist strategy. This stage can last over a hundred years. Next, they initiate a major offensive, effectively wiping out whole governments and continent-scale infrastructure with biological or nano weapons. The final stages are brutal and commonly involve significant biologic weapons and even sometimes nuclear, if nukes can be captured. They refer to this stage as 'the cleansing'."
John felt another chill sweep over him and sipped his hot tea again.
"Have you had any contact with farther upline?" the President asked.
"After the invasion," Timberin said, "Plus-2 managed to collaborate briefly with us. We offered sanctuary to those who could reach us. Few did, and we've had no contact with upline for over a year."
Jenny, straightening her posture, continued, "We have three distinct advantages over the future outcome the Prophesy dictates. First, we have had transit technology long enough, thanks to a fortunate discovery, that we will be able to use it to a tactical advantage. Second, I believe the Prophesy itself has made the enemy complacent. They know how to follow it, but can they adapt to an unforeseen change quick enough?"
The President asked, "And the third?"
Jenny took a purposeful breath. "Captain Mackinac and I have made a rook's move," she said glancing at John.
"You mean you've traversed time in Prime?" the President asked breaking the silence in the room.
"In a matter of speaking, yes. On a return transit from Minus after the attack on the Mountain, Captain Mackinac and I did not return to Prime in sync with the mission clock; we returned ten years prior."
Jenny's admission obviously shocked the room.
She continued, "Our effective rook's move was completely unexpected; however, Captain Mackinac has a plausible theory about why we fell temporally short."
Everyone turned their attention to John.
"Mr. President," John said, "Ms. Scott's and my unusual transit has something in common with the TIA that Dr. Watkins discovered near Mount Pelee in Martinique sixteen years ago."
"Is this the same artifact that's the subject of all the net theories?" the President asked.
"Yes, sir," John confirmed uneasily. "The analysis of the TIA indicates its technology originates beyond our own much less 1902 and certainly not consistent with the statistical transit envelope averaging eleven years. The huge mass effect of the Mount Pelee eruption may be linked somehow to the occurrence of the TIA in its pryroclastic debris field."
"We still don't have the TIA in our possession?" the Director of National Intelligence asked.
"No, sir," Jenny replied. "It has been missing since '52. We believe the enemy was responsible for its disappearance from a storage facility outside the University of Michigan, and we have confirmed that they were extensively searching the discovery area on Mount Piquet in Minus. We are not sure of their exact motives, but it's obviously related to the TIA."
"Perhaps they suspect a rook's move is possible," Tristan said.
"Or what I believe more likely," Jenny said, "is the enemy wants to control the discovery of the TIA, and thereby early TR technology development in Minus."
"They would be pressed to develop a contingency for Prime's early TR development for the Prophesy," Timberin added.
John continued, "Ms. Scott's and my transit to Minus during the attack on the Mountain was unusual in that a missile exploded just as we were transiting. Not only destroying the TRs, it caused a local displacement of many kilotons of rock that nearly killed us. I know it is tenuous, but we have both the TIA and our rook's move associated with significant and simultaneous mass dislocations."
"In theory," Jenny added, "we could modify TRs to simulate a mass effect. We've already started research on such a possibility, unfortunately the lab damaged during the attack contained experiments related to this effort."
Tristan and West gave each other uneasy looks at the mention of the damaged lab.
"Mr. President," West said, "the tactical advantage would be obvious. We could stop the enemy before they act."
Tristan looked at Jenny then said to the President, "I agree with Major General West completely, but I wish it was as simple as that Mr. President. You need to know we could stop the enemy with such a tactic, but that type of activity would have huge risks. Ms. Scott has confirmed proof of their rook's move with a message she left for herself in '58." Tristan slid a paper print of the scribbled note left in the corner of the Colorado Springs storage room to the President who then smiled.
Jenny's face went flush. "Bugger," she whispered to John.
"However," Tristan said, "the creation and defense of a Plus base for staging timed counter-attacks must be paramount to our strategy."
"I am guessing," the Homeland secretary said, "that our enemies are planning a much bigger disruption of Prime's timeline than we could deal out with unknown paradoxes. How far out of sync with Plus are we?"
"Currently," Major Timberin replied, "we are at an average 5 percent similarity metric. Projections I made with the Prime team's help last night suggest a greater than 98 percent difference by 2075."
"That settles it," the President said. "Our main concern is defeating the enemy. And we will expand research into a rook's move at all costs. I intend that Plus join Prime to contact the government in Minus, and I want Ms. Scott on the contact team," the President said. "Major General West will continue to address technical challenges with new help from Plus. I'll instruct the Joint Chiefs to form a joint task force to integrate defenses, including a base in plus that can withstand nuclear strikes. Major Timberin, consider our alliance solid."
"I'll liaise with the Plus defense command immediately, Mr. President," Timberin said.
John saw hope in the major's face for the first time.
"Any questions, comments?" the President asked. The room was silent. "Captain Mackinac, as we must go public with all this and then manage the ensuing chaos, you're hereby appointed a science advisor on the subject. We need your kills as an educator to help the Press Secretary bring the American public up to speed on the nuances of fractime. You'll report to DC as soon as your STS debriefings are finished. I'm sure they can be accelerated," he said
"Yes, sir," both John and Jenny said in unison.
The President stood up; everyone followed suit. He nodded at the SecDef and Major General West and then left along with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence.
"Captain Mackinac and Ms. Scott report to my office in ten minutes," the general told them on his way out.
"Congratulations Captain," Tristan said standing beside Jenny.
"Should keep you busy," Jenny added.
"Thanks. I think." John said still getting his head around the announcement. "And good to final
ly meet you," John managed to say, shaking the SecDef's hand.
"Good to meet you, too." Tristan managed to reply before a deep cough racked his body.
John could tell Jenny was concerned as the SecDef recovered.
"It's okay," Tristan said, "had it since I was a boy. We had better not keep the general waiting. But John, can you give us a minute?" he asked.
"Sure," John said and then left to wait for them outside the briefing room.
"Tristan, are you okay?" Jenny said knowing Tris rarely went personal during duty hours ignoring his cough.
"There have been several matters including those of national security that I've not revealed."
"I know. You are the SecDef."
Tristan knew this day would come, and he actually felt relieved. "Among other things," he told her. "I love you."
"I love you back," she told him looking into his eyes as they caught up with John in the hallway.
"What's up with the general?" John asked Jenny as they made their way to the general's office.
"Whatever it is, it bet it's going to be interesting," Jenny said and the SecDef chuckled.
The general was waiting for them in his office. His aide arranged four chairs in front of the general's desk and then left.
"Have a seat," West said.
Jenny sat between John and Tristan.
"Captain, the whiz kids have been tinkering with your theory of mass dislocations being related to the anomalous transits awhile now. And few days ago, they had a breakthrough, but we need more information."
"A breakthrough?" Jenny asked surprised she had not caught wind of it since her return.
Tristan looked to the general.
"I'm sorry your briefing had to wait until now," West told her. "As you know, the lab damaged in the explosion was the site of a TR modification experiment to test the captain's mass-effect theory. What you don't know is the explosion altered the experiment and produced remarkable results. They were using monopole sleeves around a TR to mimic a mass effect. The explosion was highly concentrated and had a small damage radius, but it modified the monopole's properties."
Tristan added, "This has reduced the uncertainty of the temporal-transit envelope to just over three months, give or take a week. We now have the ability to dictate the transit range up to 200 years. There've only been a few test transits, but so far they have been stable."
"Unfortunately only one TR set was affected," West said. "Higgs is scratching his head trying to duplicate the conditions that produced it."
"That's absolutely incredible," Jenny said.
"Unbelievable," John added.
West continued, "But these Minus transits are still in sync with Prime's mission clock. The physicists have a few ideas to try to duplicate your rook's move without involving a trip to Minus, but they need more data. They have devised a rather elaborate procedure to collect it. Higgs has approved the first research mission using the new TR technology."
Jenny had many questions racing through her head as Tristan and John remained silent.
General West called to his aide on his desk com, "Have the lieutenant come in."
A stocky Marine entered the office and then at attention saluted the general.
"At ease Lieutenant."
It took a moment for Jenny to recognize him then poked John in his ribs with her elbow.
"Carl! How?" John said getting up and embracing his friend.
"It's great to see you again, Captain and Ms. Scott," he said smiling from ear to ear.
"It's been a long time," John told his friend.
"Come on, Doc. It seems like only a few months," Carl said with a quick glance to the SecDef.
"Take a seat Lieutenant," the general said.
"It's regrettable," Tristan told Jenny, "that you didn't have more time for explanation when you contacted me ten years ago to set up the takedown of Cliff Henrys and rescue the lieutenant. At first, I assumed you were from Plus. However, I knew there was another possibility. We couldn't take that chance; and so for reasons of national-security Carl's identity was changed, and he enlisted."
Jenny stared at Carl, and then looked at Tristan. "You tried to avoid a paradox. If I was from future Prime and the '58 me found out about it, no telling what would have happened."
John nodded in agreement with a subtle smirk.
"Your call in '58 started events that are only now coming together. We kept you in the dark, until we knew you had made the transit from which the call originated. It's been a long ten years, Jen," Tristan said.
"No kidding, but it was occasionally interesting," Carl added.
"It's okay," Jenny said. "I understand completely. But it's amazing you were able to keep it dark for so long."
"You're telling me," Tristan said, "and there's this." He handed her a small sealed container.
"Is that the drive we recovered from Henrys?" Jenny asked.
"The very same," Tristan said.
"What's on it?" she asked.
"I'm thinking it's time to find out," the general said.
"I can't believe you haven't opened it," Jenny said inspecting it. "The intel will be dated but let's hope they have no idea we have it after so long," she added.
"How did you ever suspect a rook's move had even the smallest possibility?" John asked.
General West looked at the Tristan.
"There's more," Tristan said. "Apparently, I've made a rook's move myself."
"What?" Jenny was astonished.
"I was helping a man collect data near Mount Piquet in 1902 when the eruption occurred."
As Tristan looked at Jenny, she took his hand in hers.
"I was seventeen," he said. "A man held us at gunpoint. I have little doubt that part of the gun is the TIA. Another man, Horloge, tried to save my life, by pushing me through what I now know to be TRs during the eruption.
"I woke up after several days at a hospital in Martinique with minor lung damage. It was 2031. Some hikers found me, but I didn't remember much before waking up in the hospital. It didn't take me long to realize what had happened, and that it was a very important event in history. I knew Horloge was American, so I came here in '33 hoping to find answers. The circum-Middle East war had just begun and the following year I enlisted."
"You had never made the original transit to Prime, so maybe the TRs didn't know what to do with you?" John said. "But it's weird you didn't land in Plus."
"But where did the TRs come from?" Jenny asked.
The general pulled a half-full bottle of Kentucky bourbon from his desk with four shot glasses and began filling them.
As he pushed the glasses across his desk, Tristan said, "By the way, the UD has confirmed I am from Prime."
"No thank you General," Carl said gently pushing back his full glass.
Following the generals lead, the others downed their shot.
"When I joined the NIA," Tristan explained, "I fought for research into what the net then erroneously called 'dimensional transference'. At first, funds were limited, but it was the beginnings of the Chronos project."
Tristan gave his wife's hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
"Lieutenant, why don't you update Ms. Scott and the captain on your mission?" the general asked.
"The plan is to return to Mount Piquet before the eruption to collect the needed data to advance the captain's mass-effect theory. Higgs' team has devised a near-real time, data transmission scheme with the TRs that will allow data collection right up to the eruption. It appears, I already have a cover to use," he said glancing over at Tristan.
"The mission clock starts in a week," West said.
"Why not use another major eruption, like Saint Helens?" John asked. "It is closer both in time and distance. And does Carl have to go?"
West replied, "The Secretary of Defense's personal knowledge of the events leading up to the eruption will be critical to the mission's success. We also know this as history, we're apprehensive not to follow
its course."
Jenny subtly shook her head at the general's logic and then looked at John, also deep in thought.
"And what of the man, Horloge?" she asked Tristan.
"It was a long time ago," he said, "and I remember asking people in the hospital about him; they didn't know who I was talking about. However, I'm positive it was Lieutenant Watkins. I still remember his face clearly."
"Lieutenant, this is a very, very dangerous mission," Jenny said still trying to comprehend the apparent paradox represented by his return to Martinique.
"Don't worry, ma'am," he said staring at his untouched whiskey.