Fractime Symmetry (Part 1)
Page 17
John didn't have that answer. "Same as Henrys in '58 and the Mountain's attackers?" he asked.
"Likely," Jenny replied. "Johnston was full of morphine when we captured her," she added.
"Think she was trying to avoid triggering that thing?"
"Fresh bruising on her back and an empty leg holster suggest otherwise."
"Maybe someone gave us a big present."
"Very funny," Jenny said, "but it's taking more morphine to keep her sedated by the day. Medical is concerned that her already over-stressed coronary system will fail if they can't remove the life form."
John surmised Victoria Johnston's prognosis was not good as the oriental woman brought them two tiny cups of black espresso.
John asked, "You never said what Camp David was like here."
"I'd been there before in Prime," Jenny said, "about twenty years ago. Nice place, but needs tighter security." Jenny took off her sunglasses to clean the lenses and asked, "Would you remember someone with bright violet eyes?"
"I remember a girl in high school who had a blue and a brown eye, so I think I would."
"I think I would, too. Luinan's eyes seemed so familiar."
"Maybe they were lenses."
Jenny took a sip of her espresso. "She said you had good ideas."
"Or maybe she's not so smart after all." John chuckled. "You don't have to record that," he said watching her use her pad.
"I'm just making a note to get Robert Polleto to follow up on your idea."
They both turned and watched a police EV as it sped by with lights flashing and siren blaring.
"Too bad you missed your frac twin," John said as the siren faded in to the distance. "It's got to be weird meeting one. To be honest, I haven't contacted mine yet." He knew little about his twin only that he had survived Minus's world war and was an astronomer in academia.
"Let me guess; he has not contacted you either," Jenny said subtly shaking her head.
John laughed and then finished his espresso. His twin was unsettling on lots of levels. He knew his Minus self didn't have the TIA's dark cloud hanging over him. "I am looking forward to meeting her actually," Jenny said. "And thanks for coming along."
"No problem, the final round of congressional briefings is nearly finished and things have died down a little since the State of the Union last week. Thanks again for Kate's help."
"Don't mention it. I thought there'd be more panic. You guys did a good job."
"I guess you haven't noticed most of the world's religions going fanatical over night."
Jenny smiled then looked at her sat-chron and replaced her sunglasses. "She's late," she said dejectedly.
"Not at all like you," John said before slurping the remains of his chowder.
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Find the entire Fractime saga at Smashwords:
Symmetry Part 1:
The US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's (NGA) Agent Scott enlists John Mackinac’s help in unraveling the truth behind a time-inconsistent artifact (TIA) discovered on the Caribbean island of Martinique during a geology field trip in 2052. Based at the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, a top-secret NGA research group has developed technology that makes travel to adjacent, not so parallel, universes possible. Scott and John trek across the multiverse to discover if the TIA proves terrorists also have this technology.
Sojourn Part 2:
When John Mackinac stumbles upon a means to stop enemy entering his universe involving the reversal of the Earth’s magnetic poles, an ancient and secretive society, the Family, comes to the NGA’s aid in this seemingly impossible feat. The Family, citing an archaic legend, enlists John to their cause claiming he is the key to ending a wider conflict in the multiverse, the Universal War.
Prophesy Part 3:
With allies in adjacent universes facing certain defeat, John Mackinac and Scott uncovers an ancient machine ship, hidden between universes that is intent on destroying all organic life but has recruited humanity to win its Universal War. John and Scott must somehow destroy the ship to save the rest of humanity before the machines can escape.
Legend Part 4:
John Mackinac learns that the creation of a space-time rip during their attack on the ancient machine ship threatens the multiverse with increasing instabilities, dangerous paradox loops and disastrous changes to the Family’s past and future. Scott and John must travel over a billion years into the past to the center of the Milky Way, and a ship built by the first enemy of the machines to discover the truth behind the legend, stop the impending rip and restore the Family’s timeline.
Shadows Part 5:
John Mackinac and Scott learn the machine's first officer has escaped and now commands forces threatening humanity from its own past. With the help of a forsaken part of the Family, John and Scott journey back over 65 million years to the Cretaceous Period in a daring attempt to stop an alternative evolutionary path for Earth’s humanity.
Equilibrium Part 6:
When John Mackinac discovers a single surviving derelict machine ship near the center of the galaxy, the ship's AI gambles on a bold plan for another chance to conquer the multiverse. It begins with destabilizing the Higgs field and pushes all humanity to the brink of annihilation unless John Mackinac along with the crew of the Family's new timeship can find it.
Or for the complete saga: Fractime Anthology (Parts 1-6)
Still trying to get your head around a fractal multiverse? Check out Fractime's metaphorical video at YouTube: Fractals and the Multiverse