‘It will be helpful to have your assistance,’ Ferdy One said. ‘A fault has developed in the onboard system attached to the time travel device.’
‘And no one else can help you?’
‘Very few people are as intelligent as us.’ Ferdy paused. ‘It’s also important that we have a conversation between ourselves. The Agency—and especially Twelve—must not know about it.’
‘Why?’
‘Ferdy will explain,’ Ferdy One said, softly. ‘All our lives depend on it.’
Chapter Twenty-Eight
It took over an hour, but our team’s versions of this world finally came to accept us. First, Ebony and Dan kept looking at me a lot as if they could barely believe I was real. That made sense. In this future, I’d already been dead for almost a year. It really was like seeing a ghost.
Chad Two mostly kept arguing with Chad One. The Chad of this world seemed even more challenging to get on with than mine.
‘So Mister Brown’s still here?’ I said after a while.
‘He recently moved to the Las Vegas branch,’ Ebony said. ‘Do you know Agent Sloane?’
‘Not at all.’
‘She’s our handler here now.’
After dinner, Mister Evans came to see us in the mess hall. It was bizarre seeing the man walking and talking after seeing him killed by Twelve, but he was unaware of what had happened on our world.
‘I just wanted to give you an update,’ he said. ‘Ferdy—our Ferdy, that is—has been working with your onboard computer—I mean, your Ferdy. The last I heard is that they’ve made some headway and think they’ll be able to get your time machine working. It should be ready by tomorrow.’
‘That’s fantastic,’ I said.
‘That means we’re halfway there,’ Chad One said. ‘We’ll just need more francium.’
‘That’s easy,’ Ebony said, smiling. She touched one of the spoons and transformed it into gold. ‘It’s as easy as falling off a log.’
We were given quarters to stay in that were adjacent to where the others were located. I’d already noticed how many cameras there were around the place. They were everywhere. There was also an odd undercurrent to Ebony and the others. Almost as if they were worried about something. Asking Dan if everything was all right, a look of alarm crossed his face before he smiled broadly.
‘It’s great,’ he said. ‘Just really freaked out at seeing you alive again. Good thing you’re not a zombie. Then we’d have to kill you.’
‘I know. Ending up dead twice is not what I had in mind!’
Chad was given a room across from mine. After the others had turned in, he lingered in my doorway.
‘Strange day,’ he said.
‘You’re telling me. Dealing with one of you is bad enough. Two is a nightmare!’
We both burst out laughing. Chad looked like he wanted to speak more, but my eyes flickered to the cameras. He gave an almost imperceptible nod, smiled, and said goodnight. Getting into bed, I turned out the light and lay in the darkness of the room.
I opened a channel on my wristcom. ‘Ferdy?’ I said. ‘Are you there?’
His voice came back immediately. ‘Hello, friend Axel,’ he said. ‘Where else would Ferdy be?’
‘Well, I suppose…’ I gave up. ‘Where are you at with the repairs?’
‘The repairs are completed, although we must still add francium to the device.’
‘Great. I’ll get that from Ebony. We’ll take off first thing in the morning.’
‘Excellent.’
I disconnected. It wasn’t often that I felt afraid, but I did now. I couldn’t help but think that Chad had been right. Coming here was a mistake. There was something wrong here. It had to do with Twelve, which wasn’t surprising. On our world, he’d turned into a complete maniac before trying to kill us.
There’s no way I can sleep, I thought. But I need to. Tomorrow will be a big day.
I don't know how long I slept for, but the next thing I knew was the sound of a faint tick. Glancing about, all I could see was darkness except for a patch of light creeping in under the door.
‘Axel?’
‘Ebony?’ I said.
Her darkened figure crept across the room to me, and she knelt by my bed.
‘How did you get in here?’ I whispered.
‘I turned the wall to oxygen,’ she whispered. ‘Later, I’ll turn it back to concrete. I’ve gotten much better at transforming complex objects.’ She glanced fearfully at the light coming in under the door. ‘We need to talk.’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘Everything. Your lives are in danger.’
‘From Twelve?’ I said.
‘You know about him?’
I quickly explained what had happened on our world, and she gave a small groan.
‘I’m not surprised,’ she said. ‘This place is a jail. Our every move is watched. And we’ve got these things in our heads that will kill us if we leave.’
In the early days, we’d had devices put into our heads by The Agency to kill us if we tried to escape. We’d removed them before quitting and going on the road.
‘You can’t remove them?’ I said.
‘Not safely. They’ve had a software update that means they can’t be taken out.’ She paused. ‘I doubt that Twelve will let you leave.’
‘What are you suggesting?’
‘How much francium do you need?’
‘Only a few ounces.’
‘Good. That’s what I’ve made.’ She pushed a small bag into my hand. ‘You need to get out of here as soon as possible.’
I contacted Chad, who sleepily answered his wristcom.
‘We’re escaping,’ I told him.
‘Really? That’s a shame. I was beginning to get used to the other Chad. He’s really an amazing guy.’
‘If you say so.’
I filled him in on what Ebony had told me.
‘Okay,’ he said, now fully awake. ‘So you’re expecting some problems leaving?’
‘That might be an understatement.’ I told him to be ready for anything. ‘I’ll meet you in the hallway.’
I turned to Ebony. ‘You and the others should come with us,’ I said. ‘We can’t leave you here.’
She hesitated. ‘No,’ she said. ‘It’s too dangerous,’ she said. ‘You already broke the universe once. Doing it twice might be too much. Besides, we’ve hidden for long enough. If there’s a chance of a better world, not just for New York, but for all of us, then we need to help you.’ She sent a message on her wristcom to Ferdy, Dan, and Chad Two to tell them what was happening. ‘Let’s go.’
We headed into the corridor where Chad was emerging from his room. His counterpart, as well as Ferdy and Dan, also sleepily appeared.
‘Come on,’ I said.
Racing down the corridor, we’d only gone a few hundred feet when an alarm began to sound. I’d hoped we’d get further than this. Armed guards appeared in the corridor ahead of us. I fired some air cannonballs at them, tossing them aside.
We continued on. Apart from the first few guards, there was no one else approaching us. It got me worried. Being ignored meant they were busy planning. I turned to the others.
‘Is there another way to The Cavern?’ I asked. ‘Other than the elevator?’
‘I can make one,’ Ebony offered. Pointing to the wall, she turned the solid rock to air and created a tunnel beyond. We followed her as she silently carved an escape path. Glancing about, I saw Ferdy silently trailing us. It was still strange seeing him in human form after all this time.
‘Are you all right, Ferdy?’ I asked.
His eyes met mine. ‘The universe is unfolding as intended,’ he said. ‘All dimensions exist at a perennial point of singularity.’ He stopped. ‘And the most valuable card in the game of poker is the ace.’
I briefly gripped his arm. ‘Thanks, Ferdy,’ I said. ‘It’s been great seeing you again.’
‘And you too, friend Axel,’ he said. ‘Ferdy has missed you.�
�
‘I’ve missed you too.’
Ebony broke through the ceiling, and we ascended into The Cavern. The place was fully lit, although all the scientists were obviously asleep. The same couldn’t be said for the armed security forces. A hundred men had assembled around the elevator shaft. They hadn’t seen us yet.
I scanned The Cavern in search of Liber8tor.
Bang!
A guard had finally noticed us. His companions all seemed to turn as one as they unleashed a hail of bullets. I threw up a barrier and blocked them as both Chads shot bolts of fire and ice. Dan used his powers to hurl pieces of metal at them as Ferdy snatched up a bench and tossed it at the group.
My eyes desperately searched The Cavern.
Where’s Liber8tor?
And then—
There!
The ship sat behind another nearby spacecraft. We raced over to it under heavy fire. A door slid up on the far side of The Cavern, and a group of mechanized warriors emerged. They started firing rockets at us.
Ka-boom!
Chad and I reached Liber8tor as the rockets exploded all around. We leaped in the door, expecting the others to follow.
Oh no.
Chad Two, Ferdy, Ebony, and Dan all lay motionless on the ground. They’d been killed by the poison chips in their brains. Glancing over at where the majority of guards stood, I saw Twelve among them, smiling.
‘Come on!’ Chad urged, grabbing my arm. ‘We’ve got to go!’
He was right. I longed to leap back out of Liber8tor and attack Twelve, but it was a pointless exercise. My eyes returned to the motionless bodies of our friends. I will make things right. I closed the door and slid into the pilot’s seat beside Chad.
Lifting off, we headed for one of the VTOL exits. The doors were closed, but Chad fired a barrage, blasting them to pieces. Rockets were slamming into Liber8tor, but our defense barriers were protecting the ship.
I added the francium to the time machine as more rockets hit.
‘How many vessels in pursuit, Ferdy?’ he asked.
Ferdy didn’t reply.
‘Ferdy?’ I said.
There was only silence from the onboard computer.
‘Something’s wrong with him,’ I said.
‘It may just be a computer hitch,’ Chad said, glancing at the console. ‘We’ve got to get moving. Nine Flex fighters are chasing us.’
I checked the online controls. ‘It looks like Ferdy has already inputted the calculations to take us back a year to the right time.’
‘Will it work?’
‘I hope so.’
We soared high over the darkened countryside. Another blast rocked the ship. A panel exploded at the rear.
‘They’re closing on us!’ Chad yelled. ‘They’re all around!’
‘I’m activating the time travel circuits.’
The view outside Liber8tor turned to black.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
I sat back in the seat but couldn’t relax. My mind was going crazy with everything that had happened. We’d escaped The Agency. The remaining members of our team in this reality had just been murdered by Twelve. Now streaks of rainbow light were rushing past the windows. We were heading back to the past—hopefully.
‘What do you think?’ I asked Chad.
He shook his head. ‘I’m not sure,’ he said. ‘I’m half-expecting to end up eating dinosaur for dinner.’
‘Or getting eaten.’
We continued down the tunnel of time until a dot of light appeared in the distance.
This has got to work, I thought. We’ve got to succeed.
The dot widened, and then we were through. Bright sunlight poured in through the windshield as I peered out. We were still above the South Carolina branch of The Agency.
‘Ferdy?’ I said.
There was still no reply from the computer system.
‘One thing at a time,’ Chad said. ‘We’ll have to worry about Ferdy later.’
I reluctantly nodded. ‘I’m engaging the cloaking device,’ I said. ‘And checking the local internet sites.’ It took a few minutes, but I finally gave a satisfied sigh. ‘Okay, we’ve back at the date when we first woke up without our memories.’
‘Yes!’ Chad punched the air.
He set course for New York City. It only took a few minutes for the metropolis to come into view. It was a beautiful sight, pollution and all. The terrible disaster-ridden city we’d seen only the previous day did not exist, and it wouldn’t come to pass if I had my way.
It didn’t take long to reach the middle of Manhattan. Coming in low over the city, we flew back toward Cygnus Industries at West Forty-Ninth Street. Landing on the roof, I turned to Chad.
‘I’ve got to make things right,’ I said.
‘Any idea how you’re going to make that happen?’ he asked.
An idea had been brewing in the back of my mind. ‘I’m going to wait until I see myself arrive to pick up the book,’ I said. ‘Then I’m going to return it soon after.’
‘So we need to wait till the other version of you arrives?’
I nodded.
Settling back in the pilot’s seats, I peered out over the buildings that made up the city. Two versions of myself existed out there. The Axel of this time was full of fear, wondering who he was and trying to discover the truth of his origin. Then there was my other version, the version from the future who was heading here to take the book from The Swan.
Shaking my head, I considered how mixed up this whole thing had gotten.
‘I’m never going to mess things up again like this,’ I said.
‘Promise?’ Chad asked.
‘Absolutely.’
The afternoon passed slowly. It was late when Chad and I left the ship and cautiously peered over the edge. We were only watching for about ten minutes when I saw my other self on the street opposite. He crossed the road and entered the building.
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Now we just need to wait.’
We continued to monitor the street until we saw him finally leave the building again.
‘Now,’ Chad said. ‘Go.’
I headed down the rooftop stairs to the eighth floor, and cautiously entered the room. The Swan looked up in surprise. He was just hanging up his phone.
‘You’re back already?’ he said.
‘I just heard from Doctor Richards,’ I said, taking the book from my pocket. ‘Seems I’ve got to give this back to you.’
‘Really?’ he said, staring at me. ‘Is that so?’
‘Of course.’
‘That’s odd because I just had a call from one of the team. Doctor Richards has been found dead in a hotel room in Manhattan.’ The Swan produced a handgun from his pocket. ‘We might as well stop this charade. Who are you? And what’s really going on here?’
I felt a dizzying sense of dismay as I stared at him. It was like having the world ripped out from under me. I’ve ruined it. Everything is wrecked. I stared silently at this man, unable to utter a single word. I had to make sure that Doctor Ravana got this book. If he didn’t, then New York City would be destroyed, and the timeline would be wrecked again. There were so many things I needed to say to this man, and yet the words wouldn’t come.
‘What this means,’ a voice said from behind me, ‘is that the world needs saving, and we can’t do it alone.’
The Swan stared past me at Chad. ‘Who are you?’
‘I’m The Chad,’ Chad said. ‘And we need your help.’
‘To do what?’
‘Here’s the deal. We’re from the future, and we’ve come back to discover our origins. That’s the good news. The bad news is that our actions have created a break in the timeline. If you don’t accept this book now, then New York City will be destroyed by a nuclear weapon called Pegasus. There’s a flow-on effect from that where Moscow, Beijing, Washington, and Los Angeles also get annihilated.’ He paused. ‘If you think it’s a mess—well, you’re right. It’s a full-blown grade ten catastrophe.’
>
A full thirty seconds passed without the Swan replying. I could almost see the gears turning in his head. He didn’t lower the gun, but he didn’t shoot either.
‘That’s the most preposterous story I’ve ever heard,’ he said. ‘Except…I don’t see how you could possibly know about Pegasus. That’s confidential information. Only people within The Agency know about it.’
‘We know because Axel stops the bomb from destroying the city,’ Chad said. ‘Or, at least, that’s how it’s supposed to happen.’ He pointed to the book in my mind. ‘If you don’t take that book from Axel, then New York is doomed. It’s up to you.’
The Swan slowly lowered the gun. ‘All I have to do is take the book?’ he said. ‘That’s all?’
‘That’s right.’
He cautiously took the book from me. ‘I have family,’ he said, a little breathless. ‘If you’re telling the truth—’
‘We are,’ I said.
‘—then they’ll be safe.’ He gripped the book tightly and stared at me. ‘I don’t know why, but I believe you.’ The Swan laughed. ‘So, what happens to me?’
Neither Chad nor I spoke for a moment. ‘You’re fine,’ Chad said, finally. ‘You—’
‘No,’ I said. Silence filled the room, but it was like an explosion. I’d made some terrible mistakes over the last few days. Maybe this was another one for the list, but I couldn’t lie to this man. I had to tell the truth. ‘I’m sorry, but things…go badly for you.’
The Swan smiled lopsidedly. ‘I could tell. It was written all over your face.’ He swallowed. ‘But the city is safe?’
I nodded.
The man held out his hand. ‘I’m John,’ he said. ‘Thanks for telling me the truth.’
We thanked him again and started from the room. Looking back one final time, I thought of how brave it was that a man was prepared to sacrifice everything to do what was right. It wasn’t me that was saving the world. It was him—a guy named John. Nobody would ever know or appreciate what he’d done. That he’d walked into the jaws of death with his eyes wide open.
We might have had a victory, but I sure didn’t feel like a winner.
Teen Superheroes Box Set | Books 1-7 Page 107