Portal

by Fred Alvrez

  “I don’t know. We should be over halfway by now, at least to Whangarei, but we’ve had some crashes to navigate around and it’s slowed us down quite a bit. It’ll probably get worse south of Whangarei.”

  She looked back to Wiremu. “Oh. Bummer. What’s with all the crashes anyway? I saw them in Melbourne, too.”

  “When they run the program, well, it’s like all the people are taken away. A truck driver in a moving truck isn’t there anymore, so it crashes. For the project, we know why and we don’t care so we just drive around them. The test is always run at 3:00 a.m. to minimize the amount of crashes.”

  Amy sat, soaking up the rays of the Far North sun.

  Still looking out the window, she said, “What do you do in the army?”

  “My job? I’m a mechanical engineer. I’m not really sure why they took me on this project. I think my uncle had something to do with it. I guess I could fix stuff if it broke down. But all I did for the TIGER project was drive, and that was pretty much it. Compared to some of my army mates, it’s a pretty sweet gig.”

  “So when we get back—and I’m sure we will—and after you get lots of attention, what job will you do then? Will they keep you on the project?”

  “I’m not sure. I haven’t thought that far ahead. The thing is, the project isn’t a full-time job anyway, so I’ll go back to being an engineer. Nothing wrong with that, though. I love figuring out and building stuff.”

  Miles passed as Wiremu drove around lots of crashed logging trucks.

  “Amy, I never asked what you did before this.”

  She laughed. “I’m a dental assistant. Not as glamorous as an engineer, but I liked it.”

  “Some of the places I’ve been have not been glamorous, believe me. Nothing wrong with dental hygiene.”

  “Speaking of hygiene,” Amy said, “I see there’s a motel coming up shortly. After three years, do you think you could spare the time to have a shower? You really reek, Disco Man.”

  Wiremu drove on, staring out the windscreen.

  “You don’t have to, Wiremu, but it’d be a nicer drive for us both if you didn’t—uh, you know.”

  “I do know, but if we get to Auckland and the team have beaten us to the portal, then it might get shut off. So I’d be back in New Zealand, but still alone. A few minutes might be all it takes.”

  Amy sat back in her seat. “Well, you wouldn’t be quite alone. But, yeah, I see your point. All haste, then, huh?”

  “Yup. Let’s get to Devonport as soon as we can, then worry about showers. Maybe I should put the lights and siren on?”

  “No.”

  Amy looked back out the window.

  Their great plan for making good time to Devonport was changed by crashed vehicles all the way from Whangarei.

  Darkness had fallen hours ago. She thought about suggesting they call it a night, but she understood his—and her—need to get to Devonport as soon as possible.

  Neither of them wanted to be left in TIGER World forever.

  She looked over to him. His disco outfit was looking far from pristine now, and on his face she could see the weariness. This had been a long day.

  Amy looked at the clock on the dash. Ten o’clock had been and gone.

  “How long do you think?”

  “A few hours yet, mate, judging by our time so far. You would think with no cars driving around it’d be easy. But it never has been.”

  “How long have you been on this project?”

  “Eleven years now. When I disappeared, that was my third test to go through.”

  Amy’s mouth dropped. “Wow! They take that long between tests?”

  “Yep. Lots of program changes, and some sort of testing before we actually test it for real.”

  Amy dropped off to sleep again, and jerked awake as Wiremu went over a pothole.

  “You should have got in the back, Amy. There are stretchers there. Much more comfortable.”

  “And miss all the action? Never.”

  Wiremu grinned at her. “Anyway, we’re nearly to Devonport,” he said. “Soon, all going well, we’ll both be home.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  After almost an hour, Kevin let out a woof.

  “Kev? What’s up, buddy?”

  “Woof!”

  Nathan listened harder. A car was coming.

  “A couple more turns, sir, then we’re there.”

  “Good.”

  Brian looked out the windows. A power cut had sunk Devonport into darkness. He didn’t care. Their portal had its own power systems.

  Once the rest of the unit was there they’d be going home.

  Casey, Kevin, and Nathan watched as the old Mini drove past them.

  “That has to be them. Even in the darkness I could see it was the sergeant driving,” Nathan said. “Was was that Mini they were driving, Kev? What a come-down from their Land Rover.”

  Kevin’s tail started wagging frantically. “Woof woof!”

  “You said it, buddy.”

  “We need to follow them,” Casey said. “It’s our only hope.”

  Nathan put his hand on her arm. “But they’ll see us following. Not good.”

  “Our headlights are smashed, remember? They won’t see a thing.”

  In the moonlight, she saw Nathan smiling. At last a break had come their way.

  Casey started the truck, did a U-turn, and accelerated to catch up with the Mini.

  “Where are they going, Nate?” Casey asked.

  “Not sure. Down into Devonport so far. Unless…”

  “Unless what?”

  He looked at Casey. “Well, the old North Head defense post is on the coast around here. That’s the only other military type of thing in this area, I think.”

  They drove on, keeping the Mini’s taillights in sight.

  “We’re here, sir. Time to go on foot.”

  “Yes. Well, at least there won’t be any test equipment to carry, since we have nothing left.”

  “We still have our pride, sir. We made it without those intruders.”

  Brian nodded. “True, Sergeant, but let’s be honest—there was no way of them knowing where we were going anyway. Plain sailing from here. Let’s get to the top entry and sit it out to wait for the rest of the unit.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Stepping over a small fence, he and the sergeant started the walk from the locked parking lot gates to the top of the mountain. He cursed himself for suggesting they put it here instead of the naval base. Still, he knew he was on the money with the location—there were too many eyes at the naval base to put the portal there. What better than a hidden tunnel that no one knew about?

  Mind you, he did Google it now and then to make sure no one had found it. Just in case. “Freaking internet.”

  “Sorry, sir?”

  “Nothing. Reminding myself there’s a bunch of idiots out there in internet land.”

  “There sure is, sir, but I’m happy to say they aren’t here in TIGER World with us.”

  Nathan stopped the SUV and killed the engine.

  The three of them looked up at North Head to see the two soldiers walking, already well ahead of them.

  “Looks like we are walking from here. Uphill, too. Wonder where they are going,” Nathan said.

  “Woof.”

  “You said it, Kev. Let’s go. Casey?”

  “Yes, I guess we have to go. I’ve got a bad feeling about this, though.”

  After exiting the truck, Nathan walked to the back door and started to open it.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I thought I’d get Daisy out, deal to their car.”

  Casey tilted her head. “Maybe not. We might need it yet. Who knows? And they probably hear the sound, anyway.”

  “Yeah, okay. Guess you are right. I had a lot of fun with her before. I can wait.”

  Nathan shut the door on the SUV and they started the climb up the hill, following the direction that the soldiers took.

  Captain S
anderson and Kahi got to the top of North Head, both puffing.

  “Somehow I get the feeling we aren’t as young as we were when we started this project, Kahi.”

  As the portal grew closer, Kahi felt his hopes rise. They would be home soon. “True that, sir. A lot has happened in those decades. Including adding extra weight.”

  The pair walked along the top of the hill to a bench seat under a circle of trees, giving them excellent cover.

  “Kahi, let’s camp out here. No point going any farther until the rest of the unit shows up.”

  They sat on the park bench in the darkness of the trees, waiting for their team members to show up.

  After a few minutes, Kahi leaned forward and dropped his voice. “Sir?”

  “Yes?”

  “I see people coming in the moonlight, and they don’t look like our unit. I’m guessing two people and a dog.”

  Wiremu drove on through the suburbs of Takapuna, Hauraki Corner, and then they arrived in Devonport. They found a parking lot on the north side, and left the ambulance, walking up the hill on foot.

  Amy smiled. Even with the wind, she could hear Wiremu’s disco suit swishing, and it sparkled blue in the moonlight. She thought of telling him this, but expected it would upset him. She wasn’t even sure he remembered he was wearing it. His total focus was on getting them both home.

  She was glad for that.

  Casey, Nathan, and Kevin walked uphill, following the concrete path until they finally reached the top.

  “Is it just me or have they disappeared?” Casey asked. “I can’t see them anywhere.”

  “Me neither. Maybe they’ve gone into the portal already. But you’d think we’d see it, too. Maybe they closed it already.”

  Casey looked to Nathan. “What do we do? Keep walking? I see a small building up ahead, but unless they were running I don’t think they could have made it there.”

  Nathan looked down to Kevin. “Kev, you’ve got this awesome doggy smell and vision. Anything?”

  “Woof woof.”

  “Okay, well, let’s keep going until we find something. Anything. Eagle eyes open.”

  Captain Brian Sanderson sat on the bench seat, mouth open. How the hell could they have known to come here? Were they following the two Minis? Did they use another portal to get here? So many questions. He was desperate to find answers, but also desperate to dispose of these two—three, if you counted that talking fucking dog.

  He kept his voice low, just above the volume of the wind. “Kahi, remember they are likely armed. I have my pistol, and we have the element of surprise.”

  “Very good, sir. What’s the plan?”

  Brian removed his pistol from the holster as quietly as he could. “Wait until they get close enough, spring them, and take their weapons.”

  “Roger that. Disposal, sir?”

  “Most likely. But let’s question them first. Remember, one of them can stop time or some shit like that. So let’s not linger before I kill them. As soon as we have our answers, they are terminated.”

  Sitting in the shadows, Brian could see them getting closer. They weren’t heading directly to the tree he and Kahi were sitting under, so he assumed they didn’t know he and Stu were there already.

  It was good to have the upper hand again.

  Time for payback.

  “Woof.”

  “What is it, Kev? Can you see something?”

  Kevin stopped walking. “Woof!”

  “What does one woof mean, Nathan?”

  Nathan looked at her. “It means ‘yes’.”

  “Stop right there! Arms in the air!”

  “Shit!” Amy yelled.

  Wiremu turned around. “What’s happened?”

  “I’ve twisted my ankle. It hurts!”

  Wiremu came ten feet back down the grassy hill to her and checked her ankle in the moonlight.

  “That’s going to swell up big time, mate. Come on, I’ll help you walk up the hill.”

  “No, Wiremu. We might miss the portal. You go on ahead. I’ll crawl up if I have to, but if they are there, get them to hold it open for me. Okay?”

  She saw Wiremu frowning.

  “Not okay and I don’t like it. But it makes sense. I’ll get up there as quick as I can, then come back for you.”

  “Good. Get going, Disco Man.”

  Wiremu started up the hill at a brisk pace.

  Amy looked at him. He began to run, with his long hair blowing in the breeze. She soldiered on, part crawling, part limping with her twisted ankle.

  “I said stop right there and put your arms in the air!”

  Brian saw the two comply. He laughed on the inside, as the dog sat on his haunches and put his front paws in the air.

  Sanderson and Kahi exited the shadows, and he kept his pistol trained on them. “Sergeant, disarm them.”

  Sergeant Kahi retrieved Nathan’s pistol and searched Casey, finding nothing. He put the pistol in his own holster.

  “Clean, sir.”

  “Right, you two! Number one: No funny shit like what happened at the lake. If I see anything—anything—weird happening, I will kill both of you. Actually, I’ll kill the dog, too. Secondly, I want answers or I shoot, and there’s no countdown. Untruthful answer or no answer means you die. Understand?”

  The pair nodded. “Yes.”

  “You, Nathan. How can your dog talk?”

  “He put his head in a portal, and when he pulled it out, he could talk. That’s the truth.”

  Kevin put his front paws down. “Woof.”

  “Bullshit. Look, he’s not talking now, or is he trying to fake it?”

  “It only works until midnight or something, then it stops.”

  Brian mulled this over. “Hmm. Okay, let’s say that’s the truth. What the fuck happened at Karapiro?”

  “That was me,” Nathan answered. “I put my head in a portal and then, somehow, I could stop time. I don’t know how I did it. That was the first time.”

  “How could you not know something like that?”

  Nathan turned his hands up into an I don’t know gesture. “It just happened. You were pushing all of us, and something happened. Sorry, captain, I don’t know any more than that. It’s weird for me, too.”

  “I’ll bet it is. Question three: How did you know to find us here?”

  “My turn,” Casey answered. “I put my head in a portal, too, and I can read minds. Your sergeant here was nearly breaking my arm, but when he touched me I saw Devonport in his mind.”

  Brian waved his pistol around in an arc. “What I’m struggling to understand is how come I’ve been through a portal lots of times, and I have no powers?”

  “We don’t know,” Nathan answered. “This is all new to us.”

  Kahi put his hand on Brian’s shoulder. “Sir?”

  “Nathan, this is bullshit. My whole team has been through portals numerous times and this has never happened.”

  “Sir?” Kahi asked again.

  Nathan ignored Kahi, focusing warily on his adversary. “I don’t know—maybe you have some sort of power and don’t know it? I didn’t know I could do anything until it came time.”

  Brian contemplated this statement. He had to admit, he actually believed this pair was telling the truth.

  “Sir!”

  “Yes, Kahi! What is it?”

  “There’s someone else coming, sir. And it’s not our team.”

  Kahi pointed off to the left.

  Brian looked over to the far side of the hill. Squinting, he could see a male walking toward them.

  Another fucking civilian?

  In the moonlight, the male’s clothes seem to shine somehow.

  He kept his gun pointed at Nathan, but all five of them were watching the figure approach them.

  With only fifty feet to go, Brian realized the male was wearing some sort of sequined suit, perhaps from the 1970s. He saw the male’s long, flowing hair blowing in the wind. Confusion reigned in his mind. What time period had
this man come from?

  At twenty feet, he pointed his gun at the male.

  “Stop right there! Answer my questions or I will shoot and kill you. Are you from the past?”

  “Yes,” the man answered. “I’ve been stuck in time and I’ve finally made it back here.”

  Brian stood in shock. It seemed impossible to believe, but then beside him were people who could read minds and stop time—let alone a talking dog. “What year have you come from?”

  “2015.”

  Brian was even more shocked. This didn’t add up. Three years ago?

  “Wiremu?” Kahi said.

  “Yes, Uncle, it’s me. Can Captain Sanderson lower his weapon?”

  Kahi sprinted to his nephew and embraced him. Words were quietly spoken between them. Brian slowly lowered his gun, then remembered Casey and Nathan and pointed it back at them again.

  Sergeant Kahi, his face beaming, brought his nephew over.

  Sanderson looked to Casey and Nathan, who looked confused, staring at the man from the 1970s, their hands still in the air. “Corporal Kahi, explain yourself and make quick work of it. We have a situation here with this pair.”

  “Yes, sir. Three years ago during out last test I found a portal in a JET gas station in Taihape, and went into it to check it. That portal closed while I was in it, and I was stranded there. The portal finally opened up this morning. I knew you’d be coming here, sir, so here I am.”

  “So what’s with the disco suit and long hair, soldier?”

  “My uniform fell to pieces, sir. This is all that could be found without straying too far from the JET. My hair grew long, sir.”

  “I can see that, soldier.” Brian tried to figure out what to do next. This wasn’t a scenario that was ever expected—either two civilians in TIGER World or a supposedly dead soldier coming back.

  Now he had three people and a dog to kill. Fearing Casey and Nathan would sprint away or stop time at the first opportunity if he aimed his gun away from them again, it was time to put his sergeant to the test.