A New Reality

by Clare Solomon

  He had liked her from the first day they met but their whole friendship had been a lie, a set-up, designed to let her spy on him and Farlden. Elliot knew from seeing into her mind that her feelings for Farlden were genuine but how could he be sure that she wasn’t still spying for someone else, ready to betray them all again?

  Chapter Ten

  “WE WERE friends for a while.”

  Callie stared at Elliot, trying to make sense of what had just happened and of what he had said. She nearly asked him what had destroyed that friendship, since he clearly disliked her now, but she suddenly found that she didn’t want to know. He was a stranger and yet he knew her and, when he could bring himself to look at her at all, his gaze was cold. This whole idea that everyone had had different lives that had suddenly changed was too bizarre for her to deal with. She wanted to believe that it was a lie but Tchaffi – whom she had met a couple of times and who Dervyl trusted – apparently had the same memories of the other reality that Elliot did.

  “Are you all right?” Fal asked Elliot, who had no trouble meeting his eyes, a look in them that she couldn’t interpret: a mixture of pain and some other emotion.

  “I’m fine.” She didn’t need Elliot to say anything to know that he had also met Fal in the previous timeline and that Fal mattered to him in some way.

  She felt sorry for Elliot but his hostile reactions to her were confusing and she wished he had never joined Dervyl’s team.

  There was a knock at the door and an Izient Callie recognised as Tchaffi – wrinkled and white-haired – came in and offered them all a cheerful smile. “Elliot, could I speak to you privately if this is not a bad moment?”

  “It’s perfect,” he said, brightening at the sight of her and she realised it must have been just as confusing for him as for the rest of them, with no one but him around who knew the things he remembered. Elliot said that he and Fal could try the magic again another time and he and Tchaffi left together.

  “That was so strange,” Fal said as the door closed and left her alone with him. “It felt as if Elliot and I had done magic before, as if our magics were connected in some way.”

  “I guess you did, in that other reality.”

  “Yes. He said that we knew each other yesterday but it didn’t really sink in until just now. I could feel...” He trailed off and didn’t finish the thought but there was a brightness in his gaze that bothered her.

  Callie had always been a bit wary of magic, of the danger inherent in certain people having more power than others, but now she wished she could experience what Fal and Elliot had shared, even if only for a moment. A literal joining of minds and magical abilities sounded like such a profound thing. She couldn’t offer Fal anything so special. She just loved him.

  It wasn’t enough. When she had accepted this job she had thought that working with each other would make them closer but there was still a barrier between them, stopping them getting as close as she wanted them to be. She knew he cared about her but sometimes there was a lack of understanding between them so strong that she feared it would tear them apart. It wasn’t that they belonged to two different human races, as she had grown up with Nean friends and had never felt this way before.

  She had tried talking to her sister about it and Lucy had told her that she and Fal would grow closer the longer they knew each other, which made sense. Her sister. Her heart lurched at the idea of a reality where Lucy was dead. They had always supported each other and been good friends and Callie couldn’t imagine how she would cope if something happened to Lucy. She didn’t want to believe that what Elliot had said was true, but why would he lie to her?

  Fal pulled her into a hug and she put her arms round him, needing the affection. She rested her face on his shoulder, feeling the slight undulation of his muscles, and asked. “Do you trust Elliot?”

  “Yes. I could feel his honesty when we shared magic.”

  “Did it change things between the two of you, sharing minds like that?”

  “That isn’t what it’s like. I saw your memories, not his.”

  It felt as if he was only giving her half an answer, which he had never done before. He had spoken before of the magic connecting him and Elliot. He had never said anything like that when he did magic with Mosrra or Al. In fact he had said the opposite: that using his magic with them had been an uncomfortable experience. “Did you see any of the past timeline?”

  “No, but I had a sense of him remembering it, particularly his shock when he saw Lucy.” His hands moved in circles over her back, soothing away the panic she felt over her sister. He added, “Everyone agrees that this world is completely changed so you needn’t worry about Lucy. She’s safe and well.”

  “Yes.” She wished that Elliot had never appeared to disturb their lives and scare her like this. She didn’t want Fal to keep working with him either, the two of them having more experiences she couldn’t share. She just didn’t want their lives to change and, whatever Elliot said, she had a lifetime of memories that told her what was real and what wasn’t.

  Fal pulled back and kissed her lightly and, just like that, her fears faded. “Let’s go and get some lunch,” he suggested.

  She smiled and took the hand he held out to her, relaxing at the thought that they would get through this together.

  Chapter Eleven

  “I REMEMBER both the previous timeline and the newly created one,” Tchaffi told Elliot. “I understand that you only recall the former.”

  They were in an empty office next to Dervyl’s, where Tchaffi looked at home, as if she had been here before. She was in a tiny seat that had been designed for Izient women and she looked small and frail, but he had felt her magical power when she helped change reality and it was stronger even than Dervyl’s, far beyond his own gifts.

  “That’s right. I feel completely lost here.” Farlden was much of the reason for this but not knowing anything of this world made Elliot permanently confused by the people and the society around him.

  “I can look into a mind the way you can but I can also let someone see my thoughts,” she said. “If you reach out with your magic I can show you something of this timeline’s past and present culture.”

  “Thank you,” he said gratefully, accepting the offer without hesitation. He trusted this woman, who was kind and wise in both timelines.

  He closed his eyes and did as she had suggested, reaching to meld his magic with hers. It didn’t feel as natural as it did sharing magic with Fal, but neither did it feel as personal or emotional, which would have been odd since he and Tchaffi didn’t know each other well. It had an almost clinical formality that he remembered from when they had worked together to change the timeline; Dervyl was also able to combine magic with him without it being more intimate than sharing a conversation with a colleague.

  With her help, Elliot saw a series of memories from her mind, like a DVD film showing at double speed, with only a hint of the feelings that went along with what she had experienced. He learned that many Izients had stayed in this world from humanity’s beginnings and had worked with Neans and Sapiens, keeping the peace and making sure each race understood the value of the others. Magic users were valued instead of feared, Neans and Sapiens who possessed magic being invited to work with Izients to expand their minds with new ways of looking at life. This was a large part of her own work and he felt a touch of her excitement at the ways that Nean and Sapiens minds worked differently than those of her species, so they could all gain greater knowledge of the hidden aspects of the world through these shared experiences.

  The current timeline, he saw, was far less under Sapiens control as it used to be, and more a reflection of three races combined, with more emphasis on saving the environment and its creatures. The culture here was also far more affected by all three races, having less bigotry, less of an emphasis on equating money with success and more value placed on learning and knowledge. Scientific and medical research had progressed further than it had in the other timeline, wi
th computers being more sophisticated and cures having already been found for such diseases as cancer. Also, with no nuclear weapons, violence was on a much smaller scale but he caught a glimpse of something that alarmed him.

  When he had found out everything she was willing to share, he asked, “What was that politician saying about Sapiens who wanted to have more control over others?”

  “The SPS – Sapiens Purity Society. It is an unpleasant organisation reminiscent of the Klu Klux Klan that wants to increase Sapiens power by harming Neans and Izients. It has branches in every country and a lot more support than it should have but, compared to the bigotry in the world before, it is a small evil.”

  The idea of such a group made him angry. He had sacrificed too much to see the good they had all worked to achieve undone. He dismissed the thought of it for now and looked at the older woman. “Thank you for sharing that with me. It helps to know more.” After this and his conversations with his family about the changes to his own life, he already felt less disconnected from the new world around him. Tchaffi’s memories felt as real in his mind as his own, so they were already beginning to ground him in the changed timeline.

  “Were you and Farlden practising magic together when I arrived?” Tchaffi asked, her robes shimmering with light as she moved slightly, making herself more comfortable in the seat.

  “Yes.” It was the first time he had felt happiness in this world, that feeling of their minds and magics joining. “We thought it might help with the ghost problem.”

  “It might.”

  He frowned as he thought about the recent appearance of the creatures. “I don’t see how the magic we did could have started bringing ghosts to our worlds from – presumably – some kind of death dimension. Does it make sense to you?”

  “The creatures certainly resemble ghosts but we know nothing of who or what they are at this point, only that they are causing harm to our people. They may not be dead or have any supernatural qualities. The magic we performed was so extreme that it was likely to have some kind of repercussions, although no one predicted this. We expected that there might simply be unpredictable changes in the timeline, things we had not intended to alter.”

  “Since Dervyl and Farlden were also involved in the magic, do you think they might regain their past memories?”

  “It is possible but, rather than relying on that, you might find it better to start to rebuild your previous relationships.” She had a knowing look on her wrinkled face as she said this and that prompted him to share more about his own life.

  “Fal loves someone else now, a person who might not even be trustworthy.”

  “Be patient.”

  “Should I tell him or Dervyl that Callie betrayed us all once before?” he asked, needing advice from someone he trusted.

  “How do you think Farlden would react if you told him that the woman he cares for is unreliable? Do you think he would believe you or wonder if you were trying to poison the relationship?”

  Elliot grimaced, knowing she was right. Farlden was loyal: he would not believe anything bad about Callie unless he experienced a betrayal himself.

  Tchaffi went on, “As for telling Dervyl, why should she doubt someone who was, I assume, doing her job? You might have felt that what Callie did was a betrayal but she might have seen it as her duty or been lied to herself.”

  “She did try to help me and Fal later by telling my mum where we were,” he grudgingly admitted. It would have made his life easier to have a reason to hate Callie, to be free to pursue Fal with no concern for her feelings, but it wouldn’t be right.

  Tchaffi got to her feet and patted his knee. “I must speak to Dervyl and then return to my dimension.”

  He nodded. “I’m really grateful to you for helping me learn more about this reality and for listening to my worries.”

  “Your life will get easier, Elliot,” she promised and he tried to believe it.

  * * *

  “How is he?” Dervyl asked, putting down a new report on the ghosts as the older woman came to sit next to her in her office.

  “Elliot will recover and adapt to the changed reality. I have done all I can to help him.”

  “Thank you. He has been through a lot and I fear his life – none of our lives – will get any easier.” Her team was newly formed and untried, many of its members barely more than children. She had wanted them to have time to learn about the universe – to see it the way Izients did and share their own perceptions – but now she feared, because of their abilities, they would be put in danger. It wasn’t what she had ever wanted.

  Tchaffi gestured to the file on the table in front of them with a wrinkled finger. “You mean the creatures known as ghosts?”

  “Yes. They are driving people insane and we still don’t even know what they are.”

  “Our people are working on the problem too but with no results so far. I do not see how their appearance can be a consequence of the world-changing magic performed.”

  “Nor can I,” Dervyl agreed, sighing.

  “However, they may have somehow detected the magic and been drawn to it.”

  “I had not considered that.”

  Tchaffi shrugged her bony shoulders. “It is a personal theory of mine but the only one I can think of that would account for the appearance of the ghosts directly after the change to reality.”

  “It would suggest that they have magic of their own.”

  “That or exceptionally powerful technology for travelling to different dimensions. I have studied images of the beings when they appeared and disappeared, though, and could see no use of devices to transport them.”

  “They appear like magic. A fake magic trick.” That was what Al had said. Yet they were somehow driving people insane.

  “Let us hope they will not find what they want here and that they will leave permanently.”

  “It would be ironic if we changed the world to make our races less violent, only to be faced with war and need the violent spirit we have lost.”

  “There is no reason to suspect that yet. Only a handful of the beings have appeared, which is rather pitiful for an invasion.” Tchaffi’s words made Dervyl smile in spite of her worries.

  Tchaffi leaned on the table and pulled herself up. She was one of the oldest Izients living: Dervyl sometimes forgot that, distracted by Tchaffi’s wisdom and magical strength.

  “I must return to our dimension,” Tchaffi said, effortlessly creating a doorway to the other world. “I will let you know if our people discover anything useful about the ghosts.”

  “I will do the same.” Dervyl stood and Tchaffi reached out to pat her arm, as if she were a child in need of comfort.

  They said goodbye and Tchaffi walked through the glowing doorway, which vanished behind her.

  Dervyl was left alone with thoughts of what these strange ghosts might want with the human races.

  Chapter Twelve

  DERVYL CALLED another meeting first thing the next day and the smartly dressed group assembled in her office once again. “The number of sightings of ghosts has been increasing every day,” she said. “We need to come up with ideas for how to deal with this problem.”

  “I’d like to try to see the moment we changed Time,” Elliot suggested. “It might give us an idea of what, if anything, went wrong.”

  “If anything?” Abbrin said in a snide way.

  “It is possible that the timing is a coincidence,” Dervyl said, “and that it had nothing to do with the magic.”

  “I suppose that would be helpful to your conscience,” Abbrin said and Elliot breathed in sharply at this insult. He glanced round to see how the others were reacting, concerned that they might all blame him and Dervyl for the ghosts, but most people were looking at Abbrin with frowns or fidgeted as if discomforted by his words.

  “It would be helpful to look for a solution in the right place,” Dervyl said as pleasantly as ever and Elliot saw that her lack of reaction to his words irritated Abbrin. “If the
appearance of the ghosts has nothing to do with changing Time then something else might have occurred to bring them here. Since we cannot communicate safely with the creatures, finding out how they are here and a way to prevent that are our main goals at present. All our other work will be put on hold. Elliot, I will assist you and Farlden in carrying out your suggestion.”

  He smiled at her and glanced at Fal, who was sitting with Callie again on the other side of the table. Elliot tried to ignore his knee-jerk reaction of hurt and anger every time he looked at Callie, determined to move on from a past she wasn’t even aware of and get along with her and everyone else here. He could only hope that, in time, Fal would realise it was Elliot he wanted to be with. Fal’s smoky eyes met Elliot’s gaze, sending need coursing through him, and the Nean gave a nod of agreement to the plan.

  “Does anyone have another idea?” Dervyl asked.

  “Mosrra and I have also been studying Time and have as yet found no sign of anything amiss,” Abbrin said.

  “Good,” Dervyl said. “Keep on with that.”

  “How exactly do the doorways to different dimensions work?” Elliot asked as the thought occurred to him. “I mean, you can travel from this dimension to the other earth one and if the ghosts are doing something similar, perhaps there is a way to stop them.”

  “It was actually an accident when Izients first travelled to the other earth dimension and it took us centuries to be able to travel back and forth at will. Even now, only about three hundred of my people have the ability, although we can bring others with us. It is a form of magic, of accessing certain parts of the mind and practising to expand the power contained in all our minds.”

  Elliot thought this over, struggling to understand the Izient perception of the world which was so different from his own. He had learnt a lot about magic in the other timeline but it was like one drop of water in the ocean of knowledge. “Amy has the power to stop magic being performed. Perhaps, by working with others, her ability could be strengthened to stop the ghosts ever arriving in these dimensions.”