“All that comes to mind is descriptions I’ve heard of a crunch bomb.” For a minute Angela didn’t even know who said it. Then her mind traced the voice to a shy woman who had only recently been elevated to the level of prime factor.
Crunch bomb, that was what they called the massive implosion device the darkones had used to destroy the dimension in which Sanctuary had originally existed. Once exploded, in the star around which Sanctuary orbited, a catastrophic chain reaction had occurred and the entire dimension imploded. Instant warning bells began ringing in Angela’s mind on hearing that the dark may have pulled out that weapon again. “Where and when was this?”
“EA01747, an alternate where the Gene Wars never happened. I was stationed there, but I ran when the sun went dark,” the woman replied.
“What makes you think crunch bomb?” Angela asked, almost literally on the edge of her seat.
“I left behind sensors, the closest match to their readings was the record of the big crunch,” The woman pulled out a pop-pad and tapped it a few times. Then a graph appeared on the screen of Angela’s pad.
Angela glanced at it, the two lines shown deviated very little from each other. Dispassionately, she tapped off the display. Angela leaned back in her chair and shoved her own fear into the back of her mind. “Thank you for your report,” Angela paused infinitesimally to rake her brain for the proper name, “Allison. I want everyone to take note and put in some time looking over all we know about crunch bombs just in case this isn’t an isolated incident. Allison I need you to go over all your notes and data, and get copies to me and Bill in pattern recognition.” A brief silence hung in the room while everyone else typed or scrawled brief notes into their pop-pads. Angela glanced around the table, “Any other field reports?”
No one suggested there were any, so Angela focused her attention on Gene. “Gene, what do you have for us?”
Gene seemed suddenly excited and animated, “Yllera, came in from the field yesterday morning, and promptly began a metamorphosis. Since then, a lot’s been happening. It has surprised even Tina, with its ferocity. It seems that Yllera’s body is completely restructuring itself. Yllera’s musculature and skeletal systems have altered to begin following the standard pre-plague Agurian mode, there’s no telling how long it will be before she starts shape shifting. Already her genetic mimicry abilities have advanced beyond pre-plague abilities. Yllera so completely mimicked Tina’s DNA that even with the clinic scanners Tina had trouble recognizing and finding Yllera’s Agurian DNA core. I personally have never seen anything like it.”
Angela felt an uncomfortable knot in her stomach, “What about the crisis you mentioned?”
Gene shrugged an answer, “Tina still seems sure something’s coming, but I can’t see where she’s getting that certainty from. I personally don’t see anything in the scans. The trouble is that I don’t want to discount Tina’s thoughts on the subject, you know with her gut she’s usually right.”
Angela nodded thoughtfully, “Can Tina see any way around the crisis?” Gene fumbled through his pop-pads and shook his head. Angela, scratched her brain trying to remember if Yllera had already been discussed this meeting, no, not so far. She searched out Yllera’s field supervisor with her eyes. “Erica did she manage to make her report before this happened?”
“Well, not exactly. There was a bit of a scuffle during her extraction, some future science geeks lives were saved. There was a catalyst involved and . . . I don’t know too much about it I walked in on them patting themselves on the back,” Erica answered.
“Are you still standing behind a promotion for her?” Angela remembered Erica hadn’t said much since the last meeting Gene had attended. There had been a brief and unsatisfactory written report since, something about mishandling information about a dark plot. Angela tapped at her pad to bring up the report and skimmed it again.
Erica squirmed, clearly uncomfortable, “I guess I’m still for it, but I thought that Yllera’s last field report had precluded the possibility.”
Angela finished rereading the report. Even Yllera acknowledged the fact that she had made a foolish and amateurish mistake, running blindly into the enemy’s lair to rescue others. It was a mistake like many, truth be told, Angela had made in her younger days. As Chief factor, Angela knew encouraging such recklessness would get someone killed, but she also knew that such an intense desire to help people had to be rewarded. Angela’s thoughts swung back the other way; she couldn’t just arbitrarily promote people. After all, the others might think she wasn’t fit to do her job. Angela paused. If that idea weren’t reason enough to promote the girl, Angela didn’t know what was. Then again, how would Yllera feel if she ever found out she got promoted because Angela wanted to get fired? “Grrrrrr,” Angela growled out loud, without quite meaning too, “What did the catalyst have to say on the subject, was Yllera a help, or a hindrance?”
“I believe he found her helpful. According to him, Yllera noticed the situation and called for backup, and he arrived first,” Erica answered.
“So on her first solo mission she made amicable contact with a local catalyst, no disasters happened and at least one was diverted,” Angela smiled, “I’ll think about it. Being Agurian, perhaps she could manage to make herself welcome in the areas on Jelaria where we haven’t been welcomed before. We’ve known for some time that the Jelarian Agurians would make strong allies.” Minds and clothes rustled briefly, as some in the room briefly questioned the wisdom of giving someone so green such a critical position, Truth could be truth, but the girl could always think the reason for her promotion was something else. Angela shelved her smile and glanced around the room, “Any more business?” A resounding silence answered her. “Then I call this meeting officially cl. . .”
“How’s that thing with the factor applicants going?” Gene interrupted.
“I’ve seen some definitely promising traits in one applicant, but so far the other seems unsuitable.” Angela glanced at Sinclair, who had already risen to leave. He paused and smirked, looking down on Niri as though the unsatisfactory one were her applicant. Angela couldn’t resist needling him, “HE doesn’t seem to possess the right talents for it.” Sinclair sputtered and left the room stiffly.
Niri, who was still seated tapping away at her pop-pad, paused and glanced up. She had a “did I miss something?” look on her face.
Angela smiled at the other woman. “Okay, meeting over! Let’s go to work.” Angela rose, tucked her pop-pad in her pocket and headed for her private exit, which lead directly to her office. Behind her people started to leave, most funneled out of the room through the door but some simply teleported away. Angela was on the office side of her threshold when she heard a voice calling her name.
“Angela, whoa! I wanted to talk to you,” Briefly, Angela’s boredom numbed mind couldn’t recognize the voice. Finally it came to her. The voice belonged to Ben, her husband’s best friend and her cousin’s husband. She paused holding the door open by virtue of her position. He sprinted and followed her into her office.
“What’s up?” Angela asked trying not to sound as tired as she felt.
“I suppose it is a bit much for you to remember what day today is,” Ben answered as the office door closed behind them.
Ben’s words didn’t hold the slightest bit of sarcasm, though they could have. Angela scoured her mind, but found nothing. “What day is it?”
“The eighth anniversary of my arrival in Sanctuary. Remember, the day I fainted and cracked my head open on a rock in the green space behind your apartment?” Ben answered with a twinkle in his eyes. Clearly he was up to something.
“Okay, so?”
“So, on our last mission, Miranda and I picked up a souvenir that I thought would make a perfect anniversary gift.” He whipped a small blue tissue-wrapped bundle from behind his back, “Here’s to finding a wacky plan.”
Angela accepted it hesitantly. Unwrapping the tissue, Angela found a second layer of suede wrapping tied with
a hemp twine. What had their last assignment been anyway? She slipped off the twine and unwrapped the suede. At its center was a small tin star, a badge reading sheriff. Angela’s confusion slipped out in a soft huffing sound as her left eyebrow rose.
“Okay, so you don’t remember telling me about feeling like a poor sap an old west town made the sheriff after the real law gave up?” Ben began.
“No, I remember I just don’t get why you,” Angela gestured with the badge to finish her sentence.
Ben smiled, “It just occurred to me that in all of the old westerns the poor saps always got a badge, before their wacky plans worked. You’ve been operating without a badge, so how were you supposed to find a wacky plan?”
Angela smiled and grasped the badge firmly. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts she’d ever received, “Thanks, who knows, maybe it is what’s been missing.”
- - - - - - - - - -
Annette awoke to the bed vibrating beneath her. She started to key off her alarm, but remembered belatedly where she was. She was in Corrine Dayton’s old room and this was the beginning of the second day of the rest of her life. Annette rolled out of bed and pulled herself into an upright position, despite legs and arms that complained of overuse. In an attempt to rectify the situation she went through a set of rigorous stretches in a hot soapy shower. After her shower she slipped into a comfortable, exercise suit.
“So, how did it go?” Tawny’s voice asked as Annette gathered the last of her thoughts before heading out to meet Niri.
“I don’t think it went well. I didn’t finish Angela’s obstacle course,” Annette answered dimly.
“Hmm, obstacle course ala Angela? She’s doing the tests? Tell me more.” Tawny mumbled.
“Well, there’s me and three others, a set of twins and a boy that Sinclair is sponsoring. Anyway I took the test with the girl twin, and she had a lot of trouble with it. She fell off the balance beam and had a wicked fear of heights and ended up twisting her ankle. I helped her out, and then didn’t manage to finish because of it,” Annette answered taking one of her headache pills. She paused before swallowing, had anyone said the siblings were twins? She thought hard. No, it wasn’t mentioned, but she knew they were. It was a truth she just knew, and she knew it wasn’t just because they seemed so close in age.
“Really, Sinclair had a kid being tested? I bet the kid’s a big jerk, just like Chavez,” Tawny mumbled.
“He’s a bully.”
“So if the other twin had problems in the test, this boy probably wouldn’t have been much help, right?”
“I’d be surprised if Tony didn’t trip him, seeing as he got a few feet further than anyone.” Annette answered, thinking about it for the first time.
A smaller version of yesterday’s breakfast appeared on the desk, “Breakfast’s on me, and I wouldn’t worry about Tony. I think you did better on the test than you think, but that’s just me. Who listens to a forty-year-old computer program?”
Annette sat, prayed and ate quickly, thinking about the test and Tawny’s reaction to it. Chavez was clearly sponsoring Tony, and Annette knew Niri was her sponsor. Was Niri Becky and Rupert’s sponsor as well, and if she wasn’t who was? Annette sensed something to that idea, but let it go in the interest of finishing breakfast. Niri might already be waiting impatiently for her. Annette finished, “Thank you, Tawny for another excellent, if too large breakfast. Is Niri waiting outside?”
“No, she left a message to wake you by nine, and have you work on your class work. She is in a meeting. When it’s over, she’ll come and pick you up for the rest of what she has planned.” The breakfast disappeared and a pop-pad appeared in its place.
Annette grimaced, and tapped it on. The list of makeup assignments had grown long since she last checked it, and there was another separate folder labeled factor studies. She tapped that one and found another list of readings and assignments almost as long as the makeup work. With a groan she returned to the homework list and began dutifully reading and doing the assignments, holding the other file as an imaginary carrot in front of herself. Annette was just finishing the makeup work and getting started on the other when Tawny’s voice interrupted her. “Time for lunch, what would you like?” The media screen over the desk lit up with an elaborate menu, including dishes so exotic Annette had never even heard of their ingredients, let alone the dishes.
Annette searched the list, finally deciding, “I know it’s not on the list, but could I just have a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some potato chips.”
“I’m programmed with a gourmet menu, and you want p b&j?” Tawny asked, she was clearly surprised.
“Is it a problem?”
“No, it’s just that Corrine had some strange tastes, and that’s what I’m used to. I’m not used to having a housebroken resident that lets me off so simply,” Tawny answered as Annette’s order appeared, “Fair warning, Niri’s meeting just let out, so she’ll probably be here in about a half hour.”
“Did she call you?”
“No, her room is a horrendous gossip, and since you are going to be working with her, it feels it necessary to keep me abreast of her movements,” Tawny answered in a tone that clearly showed she would rather be left out of the loop rather than listen to Niri’s room. Annette smiled at that thought, and started to position her lunch for eating when it suddenly disappeared.
“What’s up?”Annette grumbled.
“Sorry, I just received a message that you aren’t to eat lunch. Niri says you’re headed for a thorough physical and Tina would prefer to do it on an empty stomach,” Tawny apologized.
“It’s okay, I guess it doesn’t much matter. It’s not like I’m starving, you were the one who brought it up,” Annette shrugged.
“She’s here.” Tawny mumbled.
“Niri? I guess I’d better go,” Annette started for the door. For a moment she fumbled with the knob before realizing Tawny still had it locked. “Uh, I need to go.”
“I know, I just wanted to give you something first. Hold out your hand.” Annette did as Tawny asked. A small broach dropped onto her outstretched palm. It was a golden spider with an oval ruby for the abdomen and tiny faceted ruby eyes. It was pretty, but confusing.
“What’s this?”
“It’s my remote pin, silly. Just in case you need anything while you’re out and about. Or if you get any messages,” Tawny answered vaguely.
Annette slowly pinned it to her collar, the place most factors in training wore their room’s remote pins, though most were just simple gold buttons. It was a strange gesture on Tawny’s part. “Thanks, it’s really pretty.”
“Remember, I’m here if you need me,” Tawny’s voice bleeped out of the pin. Annette turned the doorknob opened the door revealing Niri waiting almost patiently on the other side.
“I guess I can’t complain at improvement,” Niri mumbled glancing at her pop-pad, “We really need to head to the clinic. I hope you haven’t eaten lunch.” The woman started down the hall, only absently paying attention to direction while she continued to study her pop-pad.
“No, but I’m not understanding why I need a physical. Tina took a lot of scans while she was taking care of my concussion. She took some more to make sure I was better. Why does she need more?” Annette asked following behind.
“I don’t know. She made the request and it isn’t a bad idea before we begin training. It’s going to be pretty intensive. What with-A Niri bumped into Chavez interrupting her own statement, “Oh, sorry Sinclair.”
He glanced up long enough to take in Niri and Annette then turned his attention back to his own pop-pad. “Whatever,” He growled back, though from Annette’s point of view the run in had been almost as much the fault of Sinclair’s distracted navigation as Niri’s. After he spoke, he looked up again and stared at the pin on Annette’s collar. “Wait! Niri, how in the heck did you convince that room to take in that girl, and to give her a remote on top of it!”
Niri stopped and turned b
ack to look at Annette, “I asked politely, but I didn’t know it gave her a remote.”
“I’m fond of her,” Tawny answered back to both of them through the pin.
“I’ll be tarred and feathered!” Sinclair swore.
“I don’t doubt it’ll happen sooner or later,” Tawny quipped back, “Now if you’ll excuse us, I believe mistress Annette has an appointment with the assistant head of medical services which cannot wait.”
Niri nodded at that and resumed her course, Annette followed behind slowly. They were around the corner when she heard Sinclair mumble to himself, “Mistress Annette? Maybe there is something to that kid! Four computer services guys couldn’t get the damn thing to listen. . .” His mumbling receded slowly as they approached practice cavern.
Then Niri did a surprising thing, rather than taking the long way to the medical center, she ducked into her office and headed into the transport pod. In all their acquaintanceship, Niri had made one thing clear to Annette she didn’t like laziness. Annette had suffered through multiple long rants on the sheer laziness that factor technology encouraged. The worst example of which being the transport pods. Now, for the second time in as many days, Niri led her into one.
Niri activated it when Annette stepped into the pod, and they had arrived before Annette could think it. At first glance, Annette didn’t recognize the waiting room around her. They must be in a specialized portion of the medical complex. Annette stepped out of the pod ahead of Niri, but had to reach for support when a sudden wave of dizziness attacked her. “Are you okay?” Niri asked, while reaching out to steady Annette.
Annette held her head very still for a few moments longer, until the vertigo passed. “Yeah, but maybe it’s a good thing I get a check up.”
Niri helped Annette to a chair, “You, wait here, I’ll go hunt down Tina.”
Annette sat with every intention of remaining there, but shortly after her rear met cushion she began hearing or feeling a rhythm in her mind. It seemed like a heartbeat, but it hurt, and something about it told her gut that she heard it with her mind not her body. She turned her head, searching for it with her ears. That didn’t help, but leaning her whole body to the right did seem to make it louder. She stood and took a step in that direction, confirming the sound or feeling got stronger in that direction. Annette took as many steps as she could, until she came to the wall of the waiting room. By then the sound-feeling had begun to take on a strange somehow air-like taste. Her curiosity prodded her onward. She glanced left towards the hall Niri had disappeared down. She should wait for Niri and Tina, but the sensation was so strange.
Sanctuary Falling Page 7
