Time's End: A Future Chron Novel (Future Chron Universe Book 34)

by D. W. Patterson

  “Wait Dr. Rawlings that could be dangerous.”

  But Pearce was already well on his way. And just as he approached the building a man came out of the door marked restrooms.

  “Dave!” said Pearce.

  “Pearce, I didn't think I'd see you again.”

  “I thought the same. Our building was completely destroyed.”

  “Yeah we had a little warning from one of the security guys. I think everybody just scattered. I found myself outside running when the bubble hit. The sound was tremendous. Then I ran across this car, got it running and headed out.”

  “Well we've got the van. We can all head west together.”

  Reynolds agreed and before long the four were in the van and on the move. Edgar had removed the partition between the cab and back of the van. Reynolds and Rawlings sat in the back but could hear and talk to Edgar and Anais in the front.

  They were all discussing their eventual destination. Edgar had just turned briefly to respond to Pearce when Anais yelled. There descending on the road ahead of them was what looked like another time bubble but huge. Edgar reflexively swerved and hit the brakes. The van spun around and was still skidding tail first when it was brought to rest with the rear embedded a foot or two inside the bubble. Edgar yelled to get out.

  Pearce and Dave were facing the bubble only a few feet away. They could feel the prickling of the skin that the negative energy caused. The partition between the cab and body was only about two feet by three feet. But both the men were through and pushing Edgar and Anais to get out the van's doors as fast as they could.

  The four met up in front of the van and stared momentarily at the bubble, itself about twenty feet in diameter. Then they noticed it moving, it was swallowing up the rest of the van and moving towards them.

  “Let's get out of here,” said Edgar.

  “What's causing it to do that?” asked Dave.

  “I think it is attracted to the mass of the van. It should stop once it finishes engulfing it,” said Pearce.

  They were backing away and watching the bubble engulf the van. In less than a minute the van had disappeared but the bubble was still “rolling” toward them.

  “I think it's picking up speed,” said Dave.

  “We should move faster,” said Edgar.

  They turned to run. The bubble was now moving at walking speed but accelerating. Though at first they had outdistanced the phenomenon it soon became evident that it was going fast enough to overtake them.

  Anais yelled, “I can't run any faster.”

  The noise of the bubble was like the rumble of a train coming fast.

  “Quick,” said Edgar. “Up the embankment.”

  They all started climbing up the bank above the road. It wasn't too steep at the bottom although it inclined more toward the top. Pearce helped Anais climb.

  It worked. The bubble rolled past in a rumble.

  “How'd you know Edgar?” asked Dave.

  “I noticed we were running downhill. So I assumed the bubble wasn't chasing us but rolling more or less like a ball down an incline.”

  Dave looked at Pearce and said, “Maybe Edgar should be the team leader.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Edmund watched the wallscreen with the rest of the customers in his pizza business. But he couldn't quite grasp what he was seeing and hearing. The Territorial government had made a treaty with the Core planets within which it would essentially be subservient. The news said that other territories had also joined in the treaty. In return the territories were guaranteed access to the helium-3 they would need to keep the power on and industry working. Those regions of the world that had not signed were not guaranteed a sufficient supply although they could purchase the helium-3 at a higher price.

  Edmund didn't know whether to feel happy that his power would stay on and he would stay in business. Or sad that the Territory's autonomy had been sold out. It was the same among his customers as he went around after the broadcast talking to those that had stayed. Many were relieved, some were angry and some were upset, even crying.

  Then the President came on to give a speech about the treaty. Some booed and some applauded. Edmund heard the President say that the treaty was in the best interests of the people of the territory. That it would avoid the hardship of not having the resources needed to maintain their way of life. That the Core planets had pledged complete autonomy for the people of the territory. And that he and the legislature were still the civil authorities.

  At that Edmund returned to the kitchen to make and pound dough. He knew the President was not telling the whole truth as he pounded the roller into the ball of dough. He wondered what it really was that their new overlords wanted. He pounded the dough again.

  I wonder what Pearce thinks.

  Pearce at that moment was sitting on an old railroad bed that had been abandoned but turned into a hiking trail. But even the trail looked abandoned as few people got this far away from a tower complex. Anais was sitting beside him.

  “You feeling any better Pearce?”

  “A little. The dizziness has stopped. Boy I wish we had brought some water.”

  “Don't worry I'm sure there are some streams up in these mountains. Dave and Edgar will find them and bring back some water in the cup. Then we can all go to the stream and get refreshed.”

  “You seem at home in this wilderness Anais.”

  “Perhaps Pearce. You see I was not raised in a tower complex. My parents had a small farm in what was once the nation of Germany. I grew up there until I was sixteen and they sent me away to boarding school where I fell in love with physics.”

  “So you are a country girl.”

  “Is that what you would call me?”

  “Yeah. Growing up in the Atlanta Complex that's what we called anybody that lived outside the complex.”

  “Then I'm a country girl,” she said while flashing a smile. The first time Pearce had ever seen her smile and he hoped it wasn't the last.

  They heard Dave and Edgar coming back.

  “Here you go Pearce,” said Dave handing Pearce the large plastic cup they had found and cleaned.

  Pearce drank half and then offered the rest to Anais.

  “We're only about a quarter-mile away from a stream but it's farther up the mountain. Do you feel strong enough to make it?”

  “I think so,” said Pearce.

  Edgar and Dave led with Pearce and Anais following. The climb was steep in some areas. Edgar led them at an angle to compensate. Pearce was leaning on Anais by the time they could hear the gurgling of the water. Pearce and Anais repeatedly dipped the cup into the clear, cold stream. Dave took a handful while Edgar was scouting ahead.

  “Well we've got a source of water,” said Anais. “Now if we could just find some food. I didn't have time to eat before the attack.”

  “Do you think Edgar can do something with his weapon Dave?”

  “I don't know Pearce. If he can't then we are going to need to find someplace in these hills that can feed us and soon.”

  Shortly the three heard Edgar returning. He came out of the brush about ten yards away. Pearce was just about to shout when he saw two men dressed in combat fatigues trailing Edgar. And Edgar had his hands up. Before the three could make an attempt to get away the two men were pointing what looked to be old-fashioned guns at them.

  “Stay where you are folks,” said one of the men. “I'm Crawley and my friend is Danvers. We found this fellow poking around our farm. We explained how we didn't appreciate his interest and asked him if there were any others. That's when he brought us to you three. Not that it was his first choice.”

  Crawley brandished his weapon.

  “Is that a gun?” said Pearce.

  “Yeah,” said Crawley. “And it's quite accurate from this range.”

  “Oh no doubt, I just haven't seen a gun in a while.”

  “Well maybe I'll show you a few more samples later but if you don't mind I'd like for you folks to tell me who you a
re and why you are here.”

  Pearce spoke and introduced himself and the others. He explained as best he could that they had been attacked by the spaceships from the Core of Planets. He described the time bubbles and a bit about their research.

  “So that's what was happening in the town. We knew someone had moved in but we weren't sure who. We also knew about this Core of Planets business and we don't like it. Having one government infringing on your rights is quite enough. And you think your research would have given the territorial government a weapon to use against these invaders?”

  “We think so,” said Dave. “At least it would have made the Core think twice before taking over.”

  “Can you still do that research?” asked Crawley.

  “I don't see how,” said Pearce. “All our equipment has been destroyed. Some of it was quite sophisticated.”

  “Well we have our sources.”

  “You mean we could continue our research and you would be willing to help.”

  “Maybe,” said Crawley. “But it would cost us a lot and we are going to need something in return for our support.”

  “What's that?”

  “We'll want a time weapon of our own.”

  “I don't know,” said Pearce. “A government is one thing but to give it to a private citizen. That could be dangerous.”

  “More dangerous than your government turning on you?”

  “What do you mean?” said Anais.

  “I mean ma'am that the territorial government probably cooperated in helping the Core attack you. I guess you haven't heard about the treaty?”

  “No I don't think we have.”

  “Well I'm surprised your territory man hasn't told you,” said Crawley pointing to Edgar.

  “The territorial government made a treaty with the Core planets. They basically surrendered in return for the Core delivering a small amount of helium-3. I suspect they told their new overlords exactly where you three were so that they could stop the research.”

  “Edgar did you know this?” asked Pearce.

  “There are several factions in the government,” Dr. Rawlings.

  Pearce turned to Crawley again.

  “Well if what you say is true Mr. Crawley then I guess we may have to rethink our relationship with the territorial government. But what I want to know is why you think you can help us get our research going again?”

  “Well Dr. Rawlings my complete name and title is Dr. Linus Crawley, I'm a physicist. And this is Dr. Ron Danvers an electronics engineer. The other twenty or so people making up the farm also have advanced degrees in other disciplines. If we can't help you I doubt that anyone can.”

  The six hiked the mile or so to the “farm” as Crawley called it. Crawley quizzed the three as they walked.

  It did look like a farm from a distance with a farmhouse and barn out back but as they came closer Pearce and the others noticed what looked like entrances to underground bunkers scattered among the trees. One thing that Pearce did not see were vehicles.

  “As you see ladies and gentlemen,” said Crawley. “The house and barn are the only structures above ground. They are the living quarters for the members of the farm. We have some empty apartments still in the barn so those will be issued to you although two of you will have to bunk together. Edgar until we decide what to do with you I'm afraid you will be in the house's cellar under lock and guard.”

  “Dr. Crawley I ask you to consider that Edgar has been very protective of us,” said Anais. “Without him I doubt if we would have survived.”

  “I will take that into consideration Dr. Eiffel.”

  “Edgar if you will come with me please. Dr. Danvers if you will show the others to their accommodations. I'll see all of you at dinner where you can meet the other farmers, as I call them.”

  The “accommodations” on the third floor were pretty sparse. Dr. Danvers assigned Pearce and Dave to a ten by twelve-foot room with bunk beds and no window. He explained that the facilities were on the ground floor.

  “Top or bottom Dave?”

  “I'll take the top bunk and the top drawer,” said Dave indicating the small two-drawer dresser which looked more like an end table. The only other furniture in the room was a small writing table and a single chair.

  “Well we're still alive, that's something,” said Pearce as he laid on the bottom bunk and read.

  “What human being would ever have conceived the idea of such a journey? and, if such a person really existed, he must be an idiot, whom one would shut up in a lunatic ward, rather than within the walls of the projectile.”

  “Lunatic ward,” said Pearce out loud.

  “What's that?” asked Dave.

  “Oh nothing just something I read.”

  After they had both visited the sparse facilities they headed over to the farmhouse for dinner. Dr. Crawley met them on the front porch and showed them into the main room which had two long tables with a couple of dozen chairs.

  He chose an end chair and they took two chairs on his left.

  “We have an excellent cook, Dr. Lewin, a zoologist. Everyone takes turns assisting him. The signup sheet is in the hall. I urge you to sign up voluntarily as I'm the monitor and will sign you up myself if need be.”

  “No problem Dr. Crawley,” said Pearce.

  The other diners began arriving. As they sat down Dr. Crawley introduced each of them to Pearce, Dave and Anais, who had also arrived. Pearce recognized more than one name. He was especially keen to talk to Dr. Brennan, an experimental physicist he had known from a few seminars. Finally Edgar came into the room accompanied by a tall man.

  “Probably a guard,” thought Pearce.

  Once assembled Dr. Crawley gave a short introduction for the three.

  “Gentlemen,” he said. “And now ladies. I've introduced you to our three newest farmers. Now in case you have been living in a cave I should tell you that these are the individuals that have been working on a temporal device to counter the Core planets. As some of you know they were abandoned by the territorial government and as probably you don't know were attacked by the Core forces with intention to kill. As you can see those forces failed. I have tentatively offered them the resources to continue their research in return for a copy of the device that we farmers can use to defend ourselves. They have not officially agreed but once they are more familiar with our setup here I hope they will. For now, let's eat.”

  CHAPTER 17

  From The PopSci Encyclic

  2700 A.D. Edition

  The Mach Barrier was Elias Mach's answer to the attacks on the Centauri System during the First Aggie War over a three-hundred years ago. The break-away faction of Aggies, the Beleni, used a long-cast wormhole generator to deliver an unconstrained plasma against human targets. Elias Mach came up with a way to block the casting of the long-distance wormhole mouth by the Beleni.

  Mach's method would generate a near wormhole mouth and then unlike usual instead of casting the far wormhole mouth some distance away he would cast it to the same coordinates as the near mouth.

  The energy density of the mouths would cause the disruption of spacetime in their vicinity. By making one mouth larger than the other the area between would hold the disrupted spacetime instead of allowing it to spread and destroy any matter it encountered.

  The idea was similar to gravity waves bouncing back and forth in a spinning black hole between the outer event horizon and the inner Cauchy horizon. The Cauchy horizon being the place where general relativity breaks down (this would be the singularity in a non-spinning black hole). There was a bit of leakage through the outer wormhole mouth but not enough to cause problems.

  The barrier, if created between the attacker and his target, prevents the establishment of a far wormhole mouth because it can not be cast through the disrupted spacetime of the barrier.

  For Edmund and others in his neighborhood changes were coming fast. The local government which at first had seemed to be resistant to the orders coming out of the ter
ritorial government had finally submitted. Many thought the locals had given in when the territorial government threatened to withhold funds. Also, many on the Tower's council had to fight charges of support for terrorists and insurrectionists or more personal attacks. Some had resigned and been replaced by territorialists.

  Edmund noticed a few of his fellow business owners had started displaying the “Coalition” sign in their windows. The coalitionists were a response to the territorialists. They asserted that local decision making was best.

  Edmund himself was considering joining the group when it happened. The neighborhood baker's shop disappeared overnight and in its place was a shiny new building up for lease. The baker had also disappeared. To Edmund it seemed to be the same as when the nightclub disappeared but he was not at all pleased with this incident.

  The neighborhood buzzed with talk about what had happened to the building and the baker. Most thought it was a direct attack by the Core group of planets on the Coalition. The tower's council denied such rumors saying that the baker had retired and the property sold and “fixed” up. They called it progress and a win for the neighborhood.

  “They're not even trying to pretend anymore,” said Ethan the barber. “The powers that control the territorial government know they have an overwhelming power advantage over us.”

  Ethan and Edmund were talking in the pizza shop.

  “Ethan,” said Edmund. “I wouldn't have believed this could happen last year at this time. So much has changed.”

  “Yeah we've been conquered.”

  “Poor Samuel,” said Edmund referring to the baker. “I wonder what really happened to him?”

  “He's dead,” said Ethan. “Or he wishes he was.”

  He paused.

  “I've got so much money invested in that barbershop. Those robots aren't cheap you know.”