To Wake the Living (The Time Stone Trilogy Book 2)

by Robert F Hays

  Sam flung the police revolver in his hand against the house wall. “Thair ain’t no plot and they ain’t mutants. How many stupid heads do ah have ta slam together ta convince y’all. Ah lived on Batalavia eight local months and ah says they’s jest the same as us.”

  “But the members of the police all agree...”

  “That’s why y’all was picked! From that there psychological test they picked the biggest boneheads that would believe them! Ah had a mule that was smarter than you fellahs!”

  The officers nervously glanced at one another then back at Sam’s glaring face.

  “You held us up,” Jim said. “So, looks like your pilot will have to fly us back to town. The rest of you can walk.”

  “But it’s thirty kilometers,” the Sergeant protested.

  “Well y’all better start a walkin’ quick.”

  “Ah...” said the police pilot catching Jim’s attention. “I don’t know if the strato will fly with those three holes you put in it.”

  “You were trying to take off.” Jim said. “I had to do something. Looks like we’re just going to have to find out.”

  * * *

  “Land us there,” Jim said. “The department store parking lot across the road from the park.”

  Several other civilian stratos circled and Jim saw one unloading passengers some distance away. By the markings, they were obviously shuttles from outlying settlements used for public transportation to and from the city.

  “But the lot’s full of navigators,” the pilot protested.

  “Just hover above one and we’ll climb down. Use the fore and aft jets so we don’t get hit with the down draft.”

  They watched the monitors as the packed parking lot approached. The roads around the park were likewise jammed with abandoned vehicles of all description. Access streets in all directions were blocked for hundreds of meters. Steady streams of people moved in the direction of the park to join the thousands already there.

  Jim, Sam and Joan climbed from the hatch of the strato onto the roof of a navigator, then to the ground. With a downdraft that nearly knocked them of their feet, the strato took of again and rose into the sky.

  “It’s President Sam!” a bystander yelled followed by a cheer from hundreds of voices.

  “Ah am a goin’ ta need protection,” Sam announced. “The police have tried ta arrest us on some false charge.”

  “They won’t get near you!” a woman yelled.

  Surrounded by a crowd of excited citizens, they slowly made their way to the monument in the middle of Central Park. Climbing the steps, they looked out over a sea of people.

  “Ah thank y’all fer commin’” Sam yelled at the top if his voice, but even that was insufficient to reach the furthest members of the crowd.

  Jim watched as twenty or more police officers tried to force their way through. A solid wall of linked arms stopped them. Moments later, he saw one of them dragged into the crowd and wrestled to the ground while the others stood too afraid to draw their weapons. A woman bent over the grounded officer, stood then handed a small object to another next to her. It was passed from hand to hand in the direction of the monument and eventually to Sam.

  “How do ya operate one of these here thaings?”

  Jim looked at the small cube and pointed to a touch control on the side. He repeated his announcement into it. His amplified voice silencing the assembled crowd.

  “Ah can sees ah got the number of people ah asked fer so ah ain’t resigning!”

  A deafening cheer temporarily interrupted his speech.

  “You have enough,” Jim said, “and they’re still coming.”

  When there was quiet, Sam continued. “Ah’m callin’ fer a Presidential inquiry into everythaing that has happened...”

  “Including the 3Vs technical difficulties?” a woman a few meters away yelled.

  “Yup, includin’ that. So ah’m tellin y’all ta go home and wait fer the results. We have ta do thaings legal like.”

  Chapter 20

  “I believe we’ve got ‘em,” Jim said before looking up toward the vague spot somewhere on a wall where he had designated that their listener’s electronic ear was located. “Hear that? We got you, you pricks. Next thing we work on is that police force.”

  “Fire the bloody lot,” said Dan who had arrived shortly after they got home.

  “Grid navigator in the driveway,” the computer announced. “Signature, John Colby”

  Matt looked at Sam in confusion. “Who the hell is he?”

  Sam smiled. “Member of Darlison’s staff. Ah met him once at an official dinner. He holds a minor data entry position in Darlison’s office. Probably a comin’ over ta deliver his latest offer of some sort a deal.”

  “Should I turn on that anti-eavesdropping damper thing?” Matt whispered.

  Jim shook his head. “They know he’s coming.”

  Matt nodded in agreement.

  After a few minutes of waiting, the tinkling chimes of the doorbell rang and Matt jumped to his feet to answer it. Moments later, he escorted a young man in his early twenties into the room. The tall, dark man nervously looked around at all present, then his eyes rested on Sam nonchalantly sitting in an armchair awaiting the latest proposition.

  “Mr. President, I came over because I have something for you.”

  Sam stood with a gratified smirk. “What is it, an announcement that Darlison’s leavin’ town?”

  “No, ah... I’m beginning to realize that it’s all a lie. There’s no Commonwealth plot to take over and there’s no difference between those people out there and us.”

  Sam laughed then turned serious, looking the man in the eye. “That’s what we’ve been a sayin’ all this time. Ah cain’t tell if’n there’s some sort of plot somewhere by some group or other but the Commonwealth means us well.”

  “That’s what I’ve been thinking lately so I brought you something that’ll destroy Darlison’s power for good. I got suspicious so I stuck one of those new camera things in his office. I put it on record and picked up a meeting between...”

  Jim jumped to his feet. “Shut up!”

  Colby retrieved a camera from his pocket. “But Darlison met with an agent from the Bund...”

  “Shut up!” Jim yelled as Matt dove for the damper. “Didn’t you know they’re listening to every word we say?”

  A look of horror crossed the man’s face. “No, ah... shit.”

  Jim walked over to Colby and grabbed the camera. “They’ll be here in minutes.”

  “Damper’s on,” Matt said, “we can talk now.”

  “How do you know this isn’t some sort of trick?” Joan said.

  Jim paused to take a long look at Colby. “One, there’s nothing more damaging than the actions of a disillusioned disciple. Two, his reaction to being told he could be overheard was genuine.”

  “I’ll agree with that,” Dan said. “He looked like he was about to have bloody kittens.”

  Jim held out the camera. “We have to split up and run for it. Someone has to take this. Any volunteers?”

  Joan snatched it from his hand. “Me and Sam’ll have to do that.”

  “Ok, don’t take your own navigator, don’t take a road and dump the vehicle as soon as you’re clear of this place. They can easily locate a traveling navigator so it’s better to get yourself lost on foot.”

  “Don’t just bloody dump it,” Dan said. “Jump out and tell it to go somewhere. That way they’ll be chasing empty navigators all over town.”

  “Even better,” Jim said. “We’ll meet at the designated rendezvous we decided on the other day. When you get there, don’t wait around long just in case one of us is caught and made to talk.”

  Colby’s expression had changed to one of near panic. “Where’s the rendezvous? If they catch me, I’m dead.”

  Dan grabbed him by the sleeve. “C’mon mate, you’re with me. If you’re handing us a load of shit, I’ll slam ya down like a dunny lid.”

  “I�
��m not, it’s all true,” Colby protested as Dan pulled him toward the door.

  Once outside, Jim sprinted to Sam’s navigator. “Authorize it Sam.”

  “Navigator,” Sam yelled, “authorize all voiceprints.”

  A barrage of similar commands from the others followed the command that opens a navigator’s computer for use by anyone.

  “I’ll send this one out without a passenger,” Jim said then turned to the vehicle. “Navigator, spaceport, direct route, depart immediately.” It rose and slowly slid sideways toward the driveway.

  “Behind you Jim!” Joan yelled.

  Jim turned to see Dan’s passengerless navigator also rising. “Damn, it thought the command I just gave was for it.”

  The second navigator slowly followed the first. Jim sprinted to cut it off. It slowed to a stop as he leapt in front of it then slid sideways to avoid the obstacle. Jim jumped in front of it again while glancing over his shoulder to see if the first was out of earshot.

  “Open door and cancel destination,” Jim commanded as he pounced for its side and dove through the opening door. “Verbal directions, left twenty, increase speed.”

  “Designated obstacle, lawn, on proposed route,” the navigator’s computer announced.

  “Override and shut the damn door.”

  Jim glanced over his shoulder and saw the other vehicles accelerating in various directions. His own first sped up then slowed down.

  “Obstacle, vegetation, ahead.”

  Jim looked up to see a barrier of two meter tall saplings in his path. Matt had described the area to him earlier, jokingly, as the forest.

  “Override.”

  The navigator accelerated again and Jim heard the snap and rustle of young trees either being bent over or broken at their base.

  “Obstacle, rock, ahead, will cause vehicle damage.”

  “Twenty left.”

  The navigator turned and accelerated again. Jim saw a large boulder, obviously the beginnings of a rock garden, pass on his right side. The ground leveled and he saw the next door neighbor’s two story house ahead.

  “Thirty left.”

  Jim’s hand leapt to his eyes as the bright white light of the neighbors security system activated. From that, he knew that he had just crossed the property boundary. He hoped that the neighbor wasn’t the nervous type that programmed the security module to notify the police of all intrusions.

  “Shit, left ten.”

  Moments later, the lights went out as he exited the neighbor’s property and penetrated the parklands behind Matt’s house.

  “Multiple obstacles ahead.”

  “Retain general heading, override on obstacles that do not cause damage, auto navigate, maximum speed, and override passenger comfort on turns.”

  Jim was suddenly thrown left as the vehicle made a quick correction, then right again. From reflex, his arm jumped to cover his face as the vehicle crashed through another grove of saplings.

  Jim made an instant decision to zigzag in an attempt to throw off anyone attempting to intersect his course. He knew that by now police eyes would be following his exact course on their standard instruments. “Twenty right.”

  The lights of the residential area he had just left dimmed as he traveled further into the park. Ahead, he saw the city glow of Carlisle and slightly to the right was another residential enclave. Jim rose from his seat as the vehicle suddenly descended into a small gully then slammed down again as it climbed the other side. A shower of mud spay partially obscured his vision as the nose of the navigator hit a ditch at the bottom of the gully. One more sharp left and a low rock cliff passed disturbingly close on the right.

  The command ‘twenty left’ threw him against the door and he reached for a painful section of his head caused by the collision.

  Through the new growth to his right, he caught a glimpse of a house and decided that his exciting ride was getting oppressive. From memory, he knew that another road was ahead and he thought that if the police were fast enough they may be waiting for him there.

  “Slow to twenty and open the door.”

  “Opening a door would be haz...”

  “Override!” Jim snapped, losing patience with the time wasting safety announcement.

  The door opened and Jim climbed halfway out while searching the ground ahead.

  “Destination spaceport,” Jim ordered over his shoulder as he suddenly stepped out the door. “Maximum speed, close door!” he yelled as his legs came together and he assumed the shape he had learned many years ago in parachute school. A jolt of misgiving hit him, mid-air, as he desperately hoped that his body remembered the landing roll he had so often used long ago.

  His legs whipped out from under him and he felt the splat of soft earth up his right side. Stars flashed passed his vision as the ground left his back; he was momentarily airborne again. A quick glance past his legs revealed the ground coming at him a second time.

  His knees gave way as his feet hit and he rolled twice with arms and legs flailing unceremoniously in all directions.

  “Ouch!” he said and pulled himself up to a sitting position. “I’m getting too old for this shit!”

  Rising to his feet, he heard the navigator crashing through yet another grove of saplings in the distance. He looked around trying to remember the direction of the dwelling he had just seen and spotted the soft lights from an upstairs window.

  Brushing the small lumps of sod from his now filthy outfit, he stepped out in the direction of the house.

  * * *

  “Oh damn,” Colby said as he reached down to pull his pants leg out of the knee deep water.

  “Well it was your i-bloody-dea to come down here in the first place,” Dan said.

  “It was either that or shoot it out with that police road block, eh. You don’t get many police patrols racing up and down the sewers.”

  “I’ll agree with that. Would have picked this way myself if I’d have known where the maintenance hatch was.”

  “I was on the committee that approved the sewer system,” Colby announced proudly. “The Renton main city branch is the only one that’s two meters underground. The hand scanners can only penetrate to a depth of one and a half meters. Even if they knew where to point one they couldn’t pick us up.”

  Dan stopped and stared at Colby. “One point five meters? I thought their I.R.s were line of sight only.”

  “No, two weeks ago they got new stuff. That’s one of the things that made me suspicious. I saw the original manuals and they were all written in German.”

  “Damn, the others are running around thinking that all they have to do is duck behind a wall and they won’t be picked up on the scanners.”

  “Well, you all didn’t give me much time to give you a briefing, eh,”

  Dan turned and resumed walking. “That can’t be helped now. We can only hope that if they’re caught in a situation they’ll figure it out for themselves.”

  Dan swung his pen phone around. The standard flashlight at its end cast weird shadows on the rough rock walls of the sewer. The section they were in stretched behind them for more than a kilometer in a perfectly straight line, accurate to within a centimeter.

  “What else made you suspicious about them buggers?”

  “Little things like the look that Darlison gave us after a pep talk about the mutant plot. It was sort of a half smile, sort of like he was saying: ‘So you idiots believe this shit?’”

  “You picked it mate.”

  “It was also the numerous occasions we were told to go take a walk when some stranger showed up. I didn’t believe in that mutant stuff but I got off on the promote the planet rhetoric. I must’ve been stupid.”

  “So why didn’t you just leave?”

  “I tried once. Told him I was going to join the new military. He called me into his office and gave me the once in always in speech. He can be quite intimidating.”

  “So, where’re we going from here?” Dan asked as he bent down to roll up his s
oaked pant legs.

  “There’s an inspection shaft in the center of the Harris housing area. My cousin lives there, he can give us a ride to town.”

  “Can we trust him?” Dan inquired, looking up.

  “Yep, when I joined Darlison’s staff he banned me from visiting the house.”

  “Well, that’s a good recommendation.” Dan looked ahead as the sewer forked to the left and right. He stepped aside to allow Colby ahead of him. Colby stopped to peer down each of the two tunnels in turn. “Let me guess,” Dan said. “It’s either this way or that way, correct?”

  * * *

  “Who’s there?” a woman called from her back porch as Jim stood below an exterior security light next to a newly planted flowerbed. He lowered his head to disguise his facial features in shadow.

  “Ah... sorry ma’am. There are people chasing me. I’m from New Hope and some rather rough characters keep calling me a mutant and want to beat me up.”

  “Oh hell,” the woman said in disgust, “damn know nothings. Come inside, I’ll call the police.”

  “Ah... don’t do that lady. I just had to check to see if you were one of them. Could you give me a ride to the city? The President could be in danger.”

  * * *

  Matt flung his near new business suit into a ditch and reached down to wipe up some of the brown clay at his feet. He ran his muddy hand along the seams of his one piece, neck to knee undergarment then across the chest. Making circular patterns, he tried to remember the colorful designs on the currently fashionable exercise outfits. The cut of his underwear was fortunately similar in basic shape. Once satisfied with the facsimile, he climbed an embankment to the footpath and started out at a sedate jog toward the glow from the city lights on the horizon.

  Fifty meters down the road, he smiled and waved at a fellow jogger headed the other direction then glanced down at the torn piece of shirt he had tied around his wrist. It was folded and knotted to look like the standard exercise blood pressure, pulse, perspiration and lactic acid analyzer used by most people conducting athletic activities.