* * *
“President Sam?” the startled man said as he opened his front door.
Sam smiled and glanced at Joan. Her normally perfect hairstyle was matted with mud and hung strangely to one side. Both their clothes were soaking wet and clung to their bodies in an unflattering manner.
“Ah am a tryin’ ta decide the situation regardin’ the Commonwealth, so ah’m conductin’ one of them there survey thaings. Are ya in favor of a stayin’ in or of a gittin’ out.”
The man looked them up and down for a moment before replying. “Staying in of course. Only an idiot would want to go it alone in our situation.”
“Fine,” Sam said with a grin. “Can ah use your V phone ta call in the results?”
“Sam, they’ll key in on your voice when you make the call.” Joan whispered.
“That’s only on the public system,” Sam said.
“Sure,” the confused man replied. “Would you like to dry yourselves first?”
* * *
Jim stepped out the door of a bright blue navigator. “Thank you very much,” he said.
The woman looked up with extreme concern on her face. “Is there anything else I can do to help, Jim?”
“No, just go home and keep watching the 3V. When the President comes on, do exactly what he says. When that happens, call all your friends just in case they weren’t watching.”
“I’ll do that,” she replied as the door closed. “Navigator, home.”
Jim broke into a fast stroll as he past storefronts on the way toward the park. He didn’t want to be taken all the way as he wished to observe the meeting place from the cover of an alley first. Late shoppers and browsers stepped on and off the moving sidewalk that crossed his path at right angles. He stepped on and tried to relax. It carried him through a small shopping arcade.
“Hey!” called a voice from behind.
Jim turned to see two police officers standing by a store entrance and staring in his direction.
“It’s Young!” one called and Jim broke into a sprint while drawing his laser pistol. Several people jumped out of the way when they saw the drawn weapon.
* * *
A patrol navigator slowed to match Matt’s pace. “What’re you doing?” the police officer said.
“Jogging, what do you think? I hate those electro nerve stimulation exercisers and prefer to do it the natural way.”
Matt ran his fingers through his hair. It often amused him that his facial appearance changed when his hair was wet and plastered back. This time he was quite thankful for the rodent like features that he would normally have gone out of his way to modify. The task was accomplished with help of a roadside puddle left by the morning rain.
“Know that, but why here? It’s an industrial park.”
“I do ten K a day,” Matt said between attempts to shroud the fact that he was fighting for breath. “I heard those mutants can do thirty. Have to improve on that if we’re going to fight them some day.”
“Keep the faith,” the officer said and the door closed.
“Oh shit,” Matt gasped as he watched the navigator round a corner and he slowed to a staggering walk.
An inviting bench seat compelled him to sit and he leaned forward to ease the nausea. He thought of the pen phone he had shoved in is underwear. If the police had tagged the phone system he’d be picked up within minutes of announcing the number he was calling.
“Are you all right?”
Matt looked up to see a young lady watching him. “I think I overdid the exercise. My lactic acid reading is off the scale.”
“Should I call you a medic?”
“No thank you, I’m fine, but I’d appreciate it if you would call me a taxi.”
* * *
Jim sat in the entrance to a closed store to catch his breath. In order to elude the police I.R. scanners he dove through a water fountain and was now soaked to the skin. He remembered that the equipment they had was a century old and purchased from the Regis police property disposals office. If they had the financing to buy up to date gear, Jim knew he would be in custody by now.
He slowly stood and checked the street before briskly walking, keeping close to the store windows. The park’s recreation center, which was their meeting place, was only three blocks away. The closer he got, the more cautious he became. Getting himself caught was one thing, leading the police to the others was worse.
A hundred meters ahead, he caught sight of three police standing at an intersection across the road from the park.
Desperately looking for an alternate route, an alley caught his eye so he made a quick turn into the welcome shadows and toward the back of the buildings.
“Mr. Young,” came a voice from the shadows ahead.
“Huh? Who’s there?”
“I believe you’ve been trying to find me, or find out who I am. I’m the person who was with both Stuchmans and played a key role in your current dilemma.”
“How melodramatic. I meet Mr. Big in a dark alley,” Jim said while leveling his pistol in the vague direction of the voice.
The man laughed. “You’re quite a capable man. That fountain would have yacked up our old scanners, but the new stuff followed you. Is your meeting place in the park?”
“No, it’s this alley and they’re standing right behind you.”
“Do not be so antagonistic. You and I are very similar. We’re both opportunists.”
“Opportunists?”
“Yes, you had the opportunity in the contents of that truck of yours, and I had the same by being at the right place and the right time. Both of us found ourselves in a situation that was too good not to take advantage of. Right now, in this alley, you’re again in a beneficial position.”
“For what?” Jim inquired sharply. “Frying your head?”
“No, I’m offering you power.”
“I have power.”
“Power? You control only a fraction of one billionth of a percent of what there is in this galaxy. It’s time for you to move on. You’re wealthy, you’re intelligent, you’re popular with the masses of all the factions in the galaxy. No telling how much power could be yours with the right advisor behind you.”
“What? You’re telling me I could be Emperor of the galaxy or something?”
“The Commonwealth is falling apart; the Alliance is too chaotic and weak to be of any consequence. There has to be some great leader to pull things together.”
“What about Darlison? You already have him.”
“I set him up for you. Defeating Stutchman gave you credibility as a leader. Defeating Darlison will give you the first offer of real power.”
“I take it you set Stutchman up as well?”
“A word here and a word there made it easier than it would’ve been. If I made it too easy, you would not have proven yourself as a symbol of freedom to these people.”
“So, I’m going to conquer the galaxy with a planet that has a population of under six hundred thousand.”
“Rome was a small town at one time.”
“No thanks, I’d much prefer to be wealthy and have no say in anything else but my own affairs.”
“Think about it, but first I need that camera.”
“What for, it implicates Darlison?” Jim paused a moment to think. “Ah... you screwed up didn’t you? Got yourself caught on America’s Funniest Home Videos.”
“A small mistake, but we’ll have all of your friends soon. So who has the camera and where’s the rendezvous? If you tell me now, it will save us both time and trouble. My anonymity is essential if you’re to gain power.”
“Tell me one thing,” Jim said, looking around. “Have we met before this?”
The man gave a low chuckle. “It’s a possibility.”
“I don’t recognize your voice. I take it that you’re using some sort of instrument to disguise it.”
“Could be.”
“You don’t talk like one of the people here. You talk like a city raised man from
Batalavia.
“That could be intentional, to confuse you.”
“Well one thing I do know, you don’t have me quite yet.”
Jim fired three times then turned to run. His body convulsed as he saw bright blue sparks and heard a low electric crackle. His eyes blurred as the smooth surface of the alley rose to hit him in the face.
* * *
“You all right sonny?”
Jim grappled with his mind to figure out the words he had just heard.
“You hit the steering wheel pretty bad. Got to get you out of the cab of that rental truck and lie you down.”
“Huh?” Jim said as he reached up to feel the steering wheel his head was resting on. He struggled to open his eyes but his eyelids refused to cooperate.
“Lucky we ran across you out here, the Arizona desert’s a big place. Your boys were scared and didn’t know what to do.”
“Arizona desert? I’m on Casia.”
“Never heard of that place,” the voice said. “You’re just south of Interstate ten in the Arizona desert. I should know that, me and my partner have been prospecting this area for years. This fancy rental truck of yours probably ran over an abandoned mine. It must’ve caved in ‘cause your front wheels sank into the sand. My partner went for help. A tow truck’ll get it out.”
Jim finally opened his eyes and looked around. Desert and cactus stretched to the horizon. He recognized the place. It was the last he had seen of Old Earth. It was the place where he was captured by the Time Stone.
“My boys?”
“They’re all right.”
“I’m all right dad!” Colin yelled from outside the truck.
“Michael?”
“He’s all right too,” the man said.
“I’m all right!” Michael yelled.
“What century is it?”
“Twenty first, what else? You must’ve been hit in the head harder than I thought.”
Jim shook his head a couple of times before asking the next question. “How long was I out for?”
“The boys said fifteen minutes.”
“It was fifteen minutes dad,” Colin agreed.
Jim turned and looked past the bearded man in a checkered shirt and jeans standing at the door of the truck he had rented in Killeen Texas. Colin and Michael stood just behind him with smiling faces.
“It was a dream?” Jim said as he tried to assemble his thoughts. “It couldn’t have been. It was so real.”
“What was that? You had a dream while you were out to it?”
Jim slid from the seat and stepped to the ground. “Sure did, and it was a beauty,” he said.
“What was it about? I’m sure your boys and me would all like to know. It sounds interesting.”
Jim leaned over and hugged Colin and Michael. “Are you two sure you’re all right?”
“Not a scratch on ‘em,” the man said.
“Not a scratch on us dad,” Colin said. “Tell us about the dream.”
Jim stood and scanned the desert. He saw the road on which he had tried to make a U turn. He saw the tire marks his truck had made in the sand and he saw the cactus that Michael had used to relieve himself.
Looking under the open door, he saw the front wheels of the truck sunk into a hole where the ground had given way. He then slowly sat on the cab’s step. “It was a dream? I’m really here?”
“That dream you’re talking about sounds very important to you. Tell us about it.”
“It was stupid. Just before I woke, some guy offered me the position of Emperor of the galaxy.”
The bearded man laughed. “Sounds like a better one than I usually have. Did you have a palace with dancing girls?”
“No, I was just offered it in a back alley.”
The man laughed again. “Did he want to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge as well?”
“No, he just wanted a camera.” Jim looked at his two sons. “I hope you don’t think your old dad’s going nuts.”
“I’m sure they do not think you’re going nuts.” The man said.
“No we do not think you’re going nuts dad,” Michael said.
“Michael, why do you keep parroting this man?”
“You’re still dizzy sonny, from that blow on the head. I’ll get my canteen from the mule.” The man turned and walked toward a mule standing quietly a few meters away. “Now what was that about a camera?”
“He wanted it, but a friend of mine had it. Where did that mule come from? It wasn’t there a minute ago.”
“It’s been here all the time. Now I’m sure your boy’s want to know more about that dream.”
“Yeah dad, what about the dream?”
“A friend of mine had a camera that the man wanted, but my friend was in hiding. I was supposed to meet him some place.”
“And you did not meet with him?” the bearded man asked as he pulled a large canteen from the back of the mule. “Where was the meeting place?”
“You said ‘did not’ and that mule definitely wasn’t there before. Do you have a five G disk on you?”
“I might have,” the man said, reaching for his pocket. “What do you want it for?”
“Sorry, I should have asked for five dollars. G disks were in my dream. How did you know what I was asking for?”
“You said five bucks. Have a drink of water. It’ll make you feel better.”
“You said ‘did not’,” Jim said. “Back on Earth you would’ve said ‘didn’t’.”
“What? Are you the grammar police?”
“What is this, a corporeality room?” Jim reached for the inside of the open door. The cold metal lacked the tingle of the items in a corporeality room. “No, I’d say it’s drug induced. You’re the only real voice here. I don’t see or hear anything unless you verbally put the idea in my mind.”
“Now, don’t upset your boys. They’ll think you’re going crazy.”
“Dad?” Michael said with tears in his eyes. “Please don’t go crazy.”
Jim repeated the words: ‘Michael, don’t say a thing.’ over and over in his mind.
“Michael, what’s your mother’s name?”
Jim watched as the boy just stood there and smiled. He then looked up at the bearded man. “Seems that I have some control over this thing. So, what now?”
“I guess I’ll just have to try a different way,” the man said with a broad smile. “Have to wait for the drug to wear off first.”
Jim looked around again. “Amazing, such detail. I can even feel a slight breeze.”
“It’d change if I told you it did. I suspect you see me as an old weather beaten prospector with a western style moustache and six guns.”
“Full beard actually, and no guns.”
“That’s from your own memory. I give you the suggestion, you fill in the details. Three hundred years ago there used to be parlors with trained controllers who’d put you under and take you anywhere you wanted. They made them illegal when it was discovered that prolonged use had psychological effects.”
“And I just might have fallen for it,” Jim chuckled as he looked around.
“I yacked up,” the man said. “I should’ve mentioned the mule sooner so it did not suddenly appear in your mind. I should’ve used a contraction with the word ‘not’ and I fell for it when you asking for five G. I did like throwing in the Old Earth expression about the Brooklyn Bridge.”
“You heard that in one of my videos,” Jim chuckled. “One other thing made me suspicious. You said we were south of interstate ten. The place where the Time Stone got us was north of interstate ten.”
“Just so you know, my intentions are for the good of humanity. I believe you’re the only one who can save the human species from self destruction.”
“While we’re hanging around doing nothing, could you tell me how you planned to conquer the galaxy?”
“We take advantage of what’s happened. Both of us have set things up quite nicely.”
“I didn’t get people killed.”
>
“Just different circumstances that’s all. You’ve had people die indirectly from what you’ve done. The current interstellar conflict was inevitable when you turned the key and unlocked the door releasing the contents of that truck of yours. You have revived the old loves, hates and desires of centuries past. The people again know the faces of their history, the famous men and women and the lusts behind the power of the golden crown. They again hear the sound of tank or chariot rushing into battle and the might of the iron clad knight conquering from horseback. This sudden epidemic of knowledge has prompted many to right old wrongs, defeat old enemies and carve for themselves a piece of the glory that was.”
“How poetic, but it was the previous lack of knowledge that caused the problems.”
“Whatever the actual cause, a rash of opportunists are now using it for their own ends.”
Jim shrugged and tried to figure out whether his body was actually going through that motion or was it entirely in his mind. “So what has all this to do with me?”
“Oh yes, I still want to persuade you to join me, after I get that camera of course. Phase one is Prime Minister of this planet. There’re no real professional leaders here, just technicians. They’d planned to have the hierarchy set out during the next generation. The colony’s evolution was accelerated somewhat when you showed up. You’re a logical choice to command.”
“Logical?” Jim said. “Why would they elect me Prime Minister?”
“In politics it’s not what you know, or even who you know, it’s more who knows you. You are the one they know.”
“Then what?”
“From there the three confederations of the Alliance will join you. Their leadership is in total chaos. Their fleet can no longer defend them. As the knowledge you brought is the base of their sudden national pride, they’ll readily accept the leadership of someone they believe understands it better. With all this Old Earth hype going on they’d be most receptive to your offer of sorting out their problems for them.”
“Oh sure,” Jim said. “On the basis of the contents of my house in Texas I’m going to rule the galaxy.”
“The contents of that truck is a plague; a plague of knowledge, and you are its king. Jim... you are the Fifth Angel.”
To Wake the Living (The Time Stone Trilogy Book 2) Page 39
