Realms of Time (Scrapyard Ship)

by Mark Wayne McGinnis

  “Status, XO?”

  “The Lilly is situated within a forward section of the Minian.”

  The overhead display showed a high-resolution perspective of the Minian from several miles off her port side. Distorted and venting from multiple locations along her hull, she appeared to be a dying ship. The XO continued, “The result of our phase-shifting into the Minian’s hull was devastating. She’s obviously no ordinary vessel. While The Lilly is in relatively good shape, the displacement of matter from the phase-shift process was nothing less than cataclysmic to the Minian. Her bridge and numerous other sections of the ship are now history. Subsequent explosions resulted, forcing multiple hull breaches; the ship’s atmosphere has vented into space at multiple locations. Billy is currently heading up a rescue team to locate any survivors. We’re not optimistic that there will be any.”

  Jason brought his attention to the display and there, bright blue and perfect, Earth slowly rotated in the distance. The loss of Nan filled his mind and he longed to see her again. There were things left unsaid, things incomplete. It took all his will to push the vision of her aside. Jason gestured toward the blue planet above them on the display.

  “And the result of those five missiles fired from the Minian? Earth seems to be in one piece.”

  Perkins didn’t answer, waiting for Ricket to slowly make his way across the bridge. He was limping and seemed to be in some pain. “Captain, those five projectiles were actually targeting transmitter drones. Each hit its intended target and was in the process of a massive data download when the Minian was struck.”

  “What were the targets?”

  “Spread out over five continents around the planet—the specific locations allow for optimal communications dispersal between transmitter drones.”

  “So, what were the Caldurians planning to use those drones for?” Jason asked.

  “I believe they were following up on their promise. Setting the time reference of Earth back one hundred years.”

  “So we stopped whatever the Caldurians were attempting?”

  Ricket and the XO glanced at each other. Ricket continued, “The transmitter drones were able to connect, basically network between themselves and generate a continuous, overlapping, relay system. The Caldurian intent was to blanket the Earth, within the shifted time/space reference, back to the beginning of the twentieth century.”

  “That would have been devastating. We stopped it, right?”

  “No, not entirely, Captain. When we phase-shifted onto the Minian, the data stream was interrupted. From what I’ve been able to piece together, this caused the transmission drones to compensate, or at least try to compensate. Corrupted information was propagated across the drone network and replicated itself, until finally stabilizing at its current time reference.”

  “And what time reference is that?” Jason asked.

  “It depends on the specific location. There doesn’t seem to be any one single timeframe, Captain. The planet is in chaos—multiple time references, or realms of time, are coexisting. One, two, or even three completely different time references can be found within a one hundred mile radius.”

  “How do we turn them off? Is there something on board the Minian that can do that?”

  “There was,” Ricket replied, matter-of-factly. “Not now. I can’t stress this enough, Captain. How we proceed is critical. Tampering with any one of the five transmitter drones could make this time imbalance permanent. Only by destroying the five drones simultaneously can we enable our present day timeframe to be reinstated.”

  Chapter 3

  Phase-shifting into open space, The Lilly was finally extricated from the Minian. Jason, running from one emotional fire to the next, tried to keep his grief in check and still be present for his little girl. Mollie was sleeping now, which gave Jason the opportunity to check in with his father and the fleet’s ongoing battle with the Craing, some sixty light years away.

  “I’m sorry, son. I wish I could be there for you. I’m ever so sorry.”

  With a subtle nod, Jason acknowledged the sentiment. “Well, I’m sorry I had to leave you to fight the Craing on your own, Dad. But I understand the Craing have surrendered.”

  Jason saw the life return to his father’s eyes. “I can’t tell you how good it feels to finally turn the tables on those …” the admiral let the words trail off as he shook his head.

  “Dad, Earth as we know it is gone. Ricket believes there’s a remote chance things can somehow be returned to normal. But he warns us we should be prepared for the worst.”

  The admiral saw the pain and guilt on his son’s face. “You did the right thing, Jason. Earth, our home, was undergoing an alien incursion, and you used the only means available at the time to strike back.”

  “To what end, Dad? Nan is dead. Life on Earth is a living hell. Wouldn’t things be better if I’d—”

  “Fuck no! We’d be at the mercy of those pinch-faced Caldurians while they held our world hostage a hundred years in the past. No, you did the right thing. Now, I need to get back mopping things up here. And by the way, thanks for the mess you dumped on the Meganaught. We have Serapins, trolling pill bugs shooting acid from their asses, and a wide assortment of every man-eating creature you could possibly think of—yeah, thanks a lot for leaving us to deal with all that,” the admiral added with a wry smile.

  Jason appreciated his attempt at humor and smiled back.

  “Oh, and have Ricket coordinate the spooling of a wormhole for tomorrow. I’d like to be there for Nan’s service, son.”

  * * *

  The flight deck was open on both sides, The Lilly’s shields invisibly holding back the black void beyond. Shuttles and fighters were moved closer to the bulkheads, leaving room on the flight deck for the simple pod of brushed-chrome metal. Positioned at the starboard side of the deck, Nan’s pod sat mere feet from the open vastness of space.

  Jason held Mollie’s hand. She wore a simple dress—one her mother had previously configured and stored on a replicator. Jason wore his captain’s dress whites. Behind them stood the crew, family and friends. Rhino-warriors stood tall at the perimeter of the flight deck, their hides painted black, their horns a contrasting bright white.

  The admiral, then Orion, and lastly Jason, shared warm remembrances of Nan Reynolds. Tears fell, not a dry eye to be seen. He looked out at family members, and those who’d become his shipboard family. Brian looked pained and uncomfortable. Ricket, standing near the front, was wearing officer’s whites. Unaccustomed to the spectrum of emotions he had been feeling over the last few days, Ricket seemed to have taken the loss of Nan particularly hard. His eyes were moist and he repeatedly blinked and wiped at his cheeks.

  Earlier, Jason had asked Mollie if she wanted to select the music, or a special song to play at the end of the service. She had spent hours alone listening to her mother’s iTunes library. In the end, she selected It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday by Boyz II Men. Now, as the familiar song filled the flight deck, Jason felt as if his heart was being torn from his chest. His eyes never left Mollie, standing beside him, looking so brave. Brave and something else … She looked determined.

  As the song was ending, Nan’s pod rose and hovered several inches above the deck. Slowly it moved forward, eased off the flight deck, through The Lilly’s shields and out into open space. The gathering moved forward and watched. In a bright flash the pod shot forward, streaking toward the sun. The final verse of the song echoed off the bulkheads.

  And I'll take with me the memories

  To be my sunshine after the rain

  It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.

  * * *

  What remained of the day belonged to Mollie. After conciliatory hugs and best wishes, Jason and Mollie returned to his suite and changed clothes. Together, they made their way down to the Zoo. Mollie inputted the code to enter HAB 4 and they stepped into the lush, humid world that Nan had come to love and often escaped to when she needed some time alone. Gre
en and vibrant, the jungle was alive with sounds and movement. Within moments Raja, an Indian elephant, made her way toward them. Mollie ran forward and hugged one of Raja’s thick front legs. The end of Raja’s trunk gently probed Mollie’s face—a gesture that seemed profoundly touching to Jason. The sounds of the jungle increased and then quieted as a distant rustling closed in on them. Alice, running full out, broke from the dense foliage. Her six legs strode forward in a mismatched rhythm that added to her quirky, lovable nature. The drog, as Mollie had named her species, leapt and caught Mollie off guard, knocking her to the ground. Alice relentlessly licked her face until giggles erupted.

  Jason found the low wooden fence where Nan would sit for hours reading a paperback book. This was her spot. Now, sitting on the top rail, he watched Mollie and Alice play. He rubbed the wood beneath his hands and felt a splinter. To his right, the top of the vertical post where Nan would rest her book had been marked. Leaning in close, Jason realized it had a familiar symbol scratched into its surface. There, plain as day, was a heart with two names etched inside it: Nan + Jason.

  He let his fingers follow the contours of the etched, weathered wood. A gentle breeze rustled the treetops and, like a soft caress, touched his face.

  Chapter 4

  “Why can’t we simply destroy them from up here—from high orbit?” Jason asked.

  Ricket pursed his lips and said, “It’s because they are droids. That makes it more difficult. They’re mobile and will detect and evade a barrage of synchronized incoming missiles. They are programmed to hide; they’d either dig into the Earth’s crust or simply find sufficient cover elsewhere. They also have shields, making plasma strikes too unreliable—again, they all need to be destroyed simultaneously.”

  Jason looked around the captain’s ready room conference table. No one offered up any suggestions until Billy spoke up. “We handle this like any other mission. We engage them one at a time.”

  Jason was about to interrupt him.

  Billy held up a hand, “I didn’t say destroy, Cap, I said engage. One at a time we locate the drones, then disable or incapacitate them.”

  Jason thought about that and slowly nodded, adding, “We attach our own explosive munitions, along with a transmitter and triggering device.”

  “That could work,” Ricket said, then added, “but we cannot underestimate Caldurian technology. The droids may be equipped with a self-destruct mechanism. One that overrides any programming when captured or, as you said, incapacitated.”

  Orion, sitting to Billy’s right, raised her eyebrows as if something else occurred to her. “The Minian’s not completely destroyed, right? Maybe there’s more of them lying around we can test?”

  “No, they would have been constructed on the fly, much as The Lilly does with her own JIT phase-shift munitions,” Ricket interjected. “But if the Minian’s own phase-synthesizer unit is still operational, we may be able to fabricate one.”

  All heads turned to Ricket as he brought up a virtual 3D representation of the Minian and expanded it out over the conference table.

  “The areas that are black have been destroyed and are not accessible.”

  Jason watched the model slowly rotate. Much of the forward third of the vessel was completely blacked-out and numerous areas farther back were either black or dark grey.

  “If we use the configuration of The Lilly as a possible example, the Minian’s phase-synthesizer would be situated here, or maybe here.” As Ricket spoke, the corresponding sections of the virtual model changed color.

  “Billy, did you see anything like our phase-synthesizer when you were searching for survivors?” Jason asked.

  “You’re assuming that I’d know what that was. I probably wouldn’t, even if it bit me on the ass.”

  Chuckles erupted from those seated around the table, including Jason. “Have environmental and gravitational systems been restored?” Jason asked, turning to Ricket.

  “Yes, well, for the most part. Obviously some areas are closed off—areas that are still open to space.”

  “Why don’t we go take a look? I’m itching to get a good look at that ship anyway.”

  For the first time, Dira raised a hand to speak. “And you’re sure there are no more bodies, no deceased crewmembers?”

  Billy shook his head. “No guarantees, but I believe we found them all. Since most of the crew would have been positioned forward, they were either vented out to space, or displaced with any matter The Lilly came into contact with.”

  “Battle suits and multi-guns; let’s not take any chances,” Jason said. “Give me thirty minutes to take care of some business. We’ll meet in the mess.”

  Jason was the last to emerge from the conference room. Brian was waiting in the corridor.

  “Hey,” Jason said.

  “Hey. Listen, I was wondering if I could hitch a ride back to Allied space?”

  “Don’t want to stick around for a while?”

  “No, it’s not that. I promised to get Betty back home. She saved my life—least I can do.”

  Jason listened to his brother and watched his face. “You got a thing for her?”

  “What are you talking about? Thing? Me?”

  “Yeah, you. It’s been a few years since we’ve spent much time together, but I do know when you have a thing for a girl,” Jason said.

  “Whatever. I’d like to get her home, that’s all.”

  “Dad’s still here. Go back with him.”

  “He hasn’t spoken to me since we arrived.”

  “I’ll talk to him. He’s leaving within the hour, so you, Betty, and that hopper creature need to be ready.”

  Brian shrugged and turned to leave.

  “Oh and Brian, thanks again for what you did to save Mollie. I won’t forget it.”

  “Think everything of it,” he replied with a smile.

  Two doors down, Jason was at his father’s cabin door. A moment later, the door disappeared and the admiral stood in front of him. Mollie was on the floor playing a virtual game of some sort.

  “Come on in.”

  “Thanks.”

  “That was a beautiful service, son.”

  “I think Nan would have appreciated it,” Jason said. “Listen, Dad, I was wondering if you could set your differences with Brian aside for a while and let him return to Allied space with you.”

  “I don’t have a problem with that. I was meaning to talk to him after the service, just didn’t get to it.”

  “I’d appreciate it. He seems to have … I don't know—perhaps matured somewhat?”

  “I’ll believe that when I see it,” the admiral said.

  Mollie looked up from her game and scowled.

  “What’s up with you, Mollie?” Jason asked, returning her scowl with his own.

  “I’ve asked three times for someone to bring Teardrop to me.”

  “Teardrop? Is that a game from your cabin?”

  “No, it’s my drone. The one that saved my life, Dad. I told you all this.”

  “Yes, I remember now. I owe that drone my appreciation. It’s being repaired up on 4B. Ricket’s tending to its repairs himself—as time permits.”

  There was that face again: determination. She held two fingers to her ear the same way he typically did, and a moment later she was speaking to someone.

  “… is he ready yet? No. Okay. Okay, good bye.”

  Jason raised his eyebrows. “What was that all about?”

  “Ricket says he’ll bring Teardrop down in a few moments.”

  Jason exchanged a glance with the admiral and sat down next to his daughter. “What’s this game you’re playing?”

  “I don’t know what it’s called. It’s something I made up. Not everything has to have a name, Dad.”

  Jason was well aware that Mollie would be going through a rough patch for an indeterminate period of time. He knew her emotions were churning inside her like a blender, and right now she was angry. Later, it might be grief, and even something else beyond
that. All he could do was be there for her. He watched her as she positioned hovering geometric three-dimensional puzzle pieces together. Some gave the appearance they would fit together just fine, only to discover when they were flipped over they were not the right shape.

  A melodic sound pinged from the door. Mollie rushed over and provided access to Ricket, with Teardrop following close behind. Mollie pulled the drone inside, hugging its reversed pyramid-shaped torso in close to her. Its painted-on face stared straight ahead, mute, saying nothing.

  “You’re going to live here now, Teardrop. Did you bring everything you need?” Mollie asked.

  This was news to Jason. How had the drone so quickly taken his own place as the one to console his daughter? Jason stood up and he, Ricket, and his father stepped to the other side of the room, away from Mollie and Teardrop.

  “I need to know, is Mollie safe with that thing? I’ll be away from the ship off and on over the next week or so, and I need to know I can count on that drone.”

  The admiral placed a beefy hand on Jason’s shoulder. “She’s obviously bonded with the thing. We should all be so lucky to have something, anything, to connect with at such a profound time of loss. She’ll come around. Right now, let her dictate the terms of what she needs.”

  “Since when did you become an expert on parenting?”

  “I guess when I became a grandparent,” the admiral replied, squeezing Jason’s shoulder.

  “Captain,” Ricket said, “the drone, Teardrop, would sacrifice its own existence to protect your daughter. Caldurian technology is not something to take lightly. This drone is practically a sentient being. I believe she’s in good hands.”

  Chapter 5

  Jason, suited up and armed with a multi-gun, entered the mess and joined Ricket, Billy, Orion and Dira. They too carried a multi-gun with the exception of Dira, who wore a sidearm holstered on her hip and a medical pack on her back.