Strangelets

by Michelle Gagnon

“What now?” Nico yelled from his perch.

  At least in that gear he looks like he belongs up a tree, Declan thought. Meanwhile, he and Sophie looked like hapless flood victims. The sheer absurdity of the situation struck him, and he almost laughed. Declan Murphy was halfway up a tree in Long Island, with some B-movie monster chasing after him. His mates would be pissing themselves if they could see this. Katie, too …

  It was silent down below. Declan strained his ears, listening for movement.

  “Where’d it go?” Sophie whispered.

  Motioning for her to be quiet, he inched out along the branch. The leaf cover was too thick, he couldn’t get a clear view of the ground. He wasn’t sure what kind of tree this was—oak? Sycamore? They didn’t have anything like it in Ireland. Leastways, not in Galway. Then he caught a flash of something below. “I think—”

  In the next tree, Nico suddenly yelped.

  “What is it?” Sophie called frantically. “Do you see it?”

  “There’s something on my tree … it’s climbing!” Nico cried out. “I think—oh my God.”

  Nico fell silent. Declan squinted through the canopy of leaves and branches. Nico was no longer visible.

  “Nico?”

  No response.

  Declan and Sophie looked at each other.

  “What do we do?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” Declan admitted, avoiding her eyes. “If these things can climb, well …”

  Sophie stared at him, a look of utter defeat on her face. He scooted over until he was sitting beside her and took her hand. For what seemed like a very long time, they both listened. From this high up, all he could discern was scuffled movement in the brush—likely the sounds of Nico being eaten alive. He shuddered.

  “Declan?” Sophie said quietly.

  “Yeah?”

  “So many times when I was lying in that hospital bed, I wished that I’d done something earlier, when I still had the chance. Having my family sit around, waiting for it to happen, well … it was horrible. For them, and for me.” She examined her hand in his. Without looking up, she continued, “I don’t want to watch you die.”

  “We’re not going to die,” he said forcefully. “I’ll think of something.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Sure,” he said with false bravado. “It’s times like this I’m at my best.”

  Her lip trembled, and a tear rolled down her cheek. But she nodded. “I bet you are.”

  “Seriously. This is nothing compared to a few days ago. Russian bastard had a gun pointed at my head.”

  “Right, but wasn’t that how you ended up here?”

  “Got away from him, though, didn’t I?”

  Sophie smiled through her tears. “Any way you can make it happen again?”

  “Trust me, I’ve been trying since we got here. No luck yet, though.” He squeezed her hand and added, “The odd thing is, meeting you … I didn’t expect that. It almost makes it worth it.”

  Sophie sniffled. “Really?”

  “Well, I could live without the giant man-eating lizards, but … yeah.” He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. They were lovely, green with yellow flecks around the irises. A man could drown in those eyes, he thought. The dark circles beneath them were gone, and the sun had tinted her skin the same honey-brown as her hair. Gently, he wiped her tears away with the back of his free hand.

  Sophie started trembling as he ran his thumb along her jawline. Softly, she asked, “What about Katie?”

  Declan bit his lip. Katie felt so far away right now, he was having a hard time even remembering her face. What did that say about him? They’d been together nearly a year, and after just a few days she seemed intangible as a dream. And the worst part was that he hardly even felt badly about it. Something about Sophie just felt … right. And they were about to die, anyway. Whatever happened, Katie would never know.

  “Right now, I can only see you.” Leaning forward, Declan pressed his lips to hers. Sophie kissed him back, and for a moment he forgot about the danger they were in, forgot about Nico, forgot everything but the warmth of her face in his hands.

  She pulled back first and said, “Wow.”

  Declan couldn’t speak. He could barely breathe.

  “Was it okay?” Sophie asked hesitantly.

  “Okay?” he laughed weakly. “Bloody hell, that was—”

  “Hey!” someone hollered from below.

  Declan nearly fell off the branch. “Nico? That you?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.”

  Declan leaned over and peered down. Nico was standing at the base of their tree. Weirder still, he was grinning widely. “What happened?”

  “Is he all right?” Sophie asked incredulously, gripping Declan’s elbow for stability as she jutted her head out to see.

  “You can come down now, it’s safe,” Nico yelled up. “But hurry!”

  Sophie carefully descended, following Declan from branch to branch. Halfway down, her breath caught and she stopped dead—Nico wasn’t alone. A sinewy old man stood at the base of their tree. His hair and beard were long, matted, and streaked with gray. There was a longbow strapped across his back, and he wore a strange mix of clothing: threadbare jeans, a frayed flannel shirt, and a thick wool coat despite the heat. He was easily in his sixties, yet carried himself ramrod straight.

  She and Declan exchanged a look.

  “It’s okay!” Nico called up. “This is my father!”

  “Bloody hell,” Declan muttered. “The man himself.”

  They proceeded more slowly. Based on what little Nico had said about his father, she’d pictured a tweedy geek, with glasses and maybe a pocket protector. This guy looked like he could kill someone with his bare hands. Plus every time she glanced down, he was glaring at her from beneath heavy brows. Self-conscious, she let go of the bottom branch too quickly and landed hard, stumbling before righting herself.

  “All right?” Declan asked with concern.

  “I’m fine,” she mumbled, embarrassed.

  Declan extended a grubby hand. “Declan Murphy. Nice to meet you, Mr. Bruder.”

  Mr. Bruder’s glower deepened. He turned and said something to Nico in German. Nico’s face went dark, and they started arguing. After a moment, his father waved for silence. “We leave now,” he said in a gravelly voice. “They’ll be back.”

  Without waiting for a response, he turned and started walking through the forest. Nico threw them an apologetic look, then fell in behind him.

  “So much for nice to meet yas,” Declan muttered as they hurried to catch up.

  Sophie managed a thin smile. She was seriously regretting the decision to help Nico find his father. So far, the guy seemed almost as creepy and dangerous as the creatures chasing them.

  Declan’s thoughts were apparently running along similar lines, because he called out, “Was it you who scared that thing off, then? How?”

  Without breaking stride, Bruder held up a small flute. It was rough looking, clearly hand-carved. “I made this to mimic their signals. Very effective.” He tucked it back in his pocket. “It won’t fool them for long, though. Walk quietly. No talking.”

  He threaded sure-footedly through the trees, with Nico right behind him. Sophie exchanged another glance with Declan, but they followed in silence. Night was falling fast, and the sky above the treetops was already tinged dark blue. No matter what, she didn’t want to be out here if that thing came back.

  Bruder suddenly stopped so abruptly Nico nearly crashed into him. “Vater? What is it?” he asked.

  Without replying, Bruder stalked back to where Declan and Sophie had frozen in their tracks. Looming over them, he demanded, “Nico said you all woke up in the infirmary together a few days ago. Is that correct?”

  Sophie shrank under his glare. It sounded like a test, as if he suspected they were lying. “Yes,” she stammered. “The day before yesterday.”

  “Not sure how we all ended up there, though,” Declan added, his voice strained.
“Nico said you worked there. Any chance you can explain it?”

  Bruder stared at them for another long moment. Sophie shifted under his gaze. It was oddly predatory, like he was trying to figure out which part of them to eat first. Nico said something in German and touched his arm. Bruder jerked away, admonishing, “I said, be quiet! The thrinaxes have formidable hearing.”

  He spun on his heels and marched ahead. After a beat, Nico followed sullenly.

  “Thrinaxes?” Sophie asked Declan in a low voice.

  “Should’ve known Nico’s dad would turn out to be a nutter,” he murmured back.

  “Shh,” Sophie said. “He’ll hear you.”

  “You think he has formidable hearing, too?” he asked, aping Bruder’s grave tone.

  Sophie nearly laughed out loud but caught herself in time. The two of them scurried to catch up.

  Nico and his dad had reached a small clearing. At the far end stood a jumble of enormous boulders; the largest was the size of a shed. Bruder weaved between them, then abruptly vanished from view.

  “What the …?” Declan muttered.

  There was a space in between the boulders, just large enough for a person to squeeze through. And in the center, a hole led down into the ground. Nico stopped beside it.

  “See?” he said triumphantly. “I told you he was probably underground.”

  “Bloody hell,” Declan muttered.

  “At the bottom of the ladder, turn left,” Nico instructed. “The last person has to pull those branches over the top.” His head dropped down into the hole.

  “Ladies first,” Declan said, waving elaborately.

  “Thanks a lot,” Sophie muttered.

  “You’d rather be the one dragging over the branches?” He cocked an eyebrow.

  Sophie glanced at the heavy looking pile of brush stacked beside the opening. “Nope. That’s all you.”

  “See you down there.” He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

  Sophie felt herself flush. To cover, she ducked her head and carefully lowered herself into the hole. After a moment’s groping, her feet found the rungs of a ladder. She descended carefully, fighting back claustrophobia as the darkness swallowed her.

  She paused at the base. It was damp and musty down here, pungent with the smell of earth. She wondered how Nico’s dad knew about this tunnel—could he actually have dug it himself? Seemed like a strange thing for a scientist to do, especially one whose home décor suggested a total neat freak.

  Declan dropped down beside her. “All right?”

  “I guess.” Sophie swallowed hard.

  “Dark as a tomb down here,” Declan noted cheerfully, taking her hand in the dark. “This way, bird.”

  Sophie followed him down a narrow tunnel not much wider than her shoulders. There was a faint gleam of light up ahead. Despite the cold, a small part of her was panicking over the possibility that her hands might be sweaty. She tried to force it aside—she was underground, with monsters after her, and all she could focus on was the fact that a cute boy was holding her hand? It was ridiculous.

  After about twenty feet, the tunnel opened into a small room. The ceiling was so low that Nico had hunched over to avoid knocking his head. His father moved around the room, lighting rough-hewn candles. A tiny fire sent a thin stream of smoke up to a narrow hole above.

  “The bees survived, thank God,” Bruder said cheerfully, waving a candle. “Actually, they’re probably enjoying better numbers than they’ve seen in a century. The cataclysm was a true boon for the insect kingdom. Not so much for the animal one, unfortunately,” he muttered as he bent to light another wick.

  “The cataclysm?” Sophie asked, taking in the room. Yup, this pretty much completed the portrait of a mad scientist. The packed earthen walls were covered in scrawlings and formulas. There was a pile of blankets in one corner and stacks of books everywhere. No chairs or a table in sight.

  “Right, you know nothing.” Bruder straightened and scratched his beard. “Hard to know where to begin, really.”

  “Do you have anything to eat, Dad?” Nico interrupted.

  His face split in a wide grin—which, if anything, made him look even more alarming. “Of course! Sorry, you must all be starving.” He rummaged around in a plastic bin at the far end of the room, finally withdrawing a small plastic packet.

  “What is it?” Sophie asked as he ripped it open and handed her something long and brown.

  “Turkey jerky,” Bruder said reverently. “Probably the last package left on Long Island.”

  “Oh,” Sophie said. “Thanks.”

  “Never had jerky before,” Declan said dubiously, examining it. “You’re sure it’s edible?”

  “Long past the expiration date, but with jerky, that shouldn’t matter.” Bruder flashed another rotten yellow smile. “It doesn’t really go bad. That’s its chief merit.”

  “It’s certainly not the taste,” Declan said, grimacing as he chewed it.

  Sophie had never been a big fan of jerky either, but after the cobbled-together meals of the past few days, she wasn’t feeling picky. She devoured hers in a few bites.

  “Don’t suppose there’s any more?” Declan asked, echoing her thoughts.

  “That’s the last of the jerky,” Bruder said mournfully. “I had hoped it would last the winter, but … well, I wasn’t expecting company. I do have some nuts left over. Tomorrow we can fish. The fish have done well, too.” He had a faraway look in his eyes, as if he was actually seeing through the walls to some healthy-looking fish.

  Sophie cleared her throat. “Mr. Bruder, we have a lot of questions—”

  “Dr. Bruder,” he grunted. “Sit.” At a glance from Nico, he added, “Please.”

  Following his lead, Sophie settled on the floor. It was bare earth, and the cold pressed through the thin material of her borrowed jeans. Despite what waited for them outside, she found herself shuddering at the thought of spending much time down in this dark, creepy hole. It smelled terrible, stale air mingled with body odor and dying leaves and smoke. And she didn’t like the way Bruder kept glancing over at her.

  Declan cleared his throat and said, “So—”

  “Silence!” Bruder thundered.

  They all froze. Even Nico appeared taken aback. Bruder tugged at his beard. “I just … it’s been a long time since I’ve spoken to anyone. I need to figure out how to explain it. Have you all studied physics?”

  Sophie shook her head.

  Declan shrugged. “A bit. But not much,” he amended when Nico threw him a skeptical look.

  Bruder sighed. “That would have been too much to hope for.” He abruptly lunged forward. Sophie reared back as he stopped inches from her face.

  “Hey!” Declan protested, grabbing Bruder’s arm. “Stay back, you nutter.”

  “Vater, what are you doing?” Nico said, sounding horrified.

  “I won’t hurt her.” Bruder shook off Declan’s hand and stared at Sophie, giving her the kind of once-over she used to get in doctors’ offices. After a second, he sat back. “Doesn’t appear to be anything remarkable about you. Probably just a fluke that you were caught in an eddy.”

  “An eddy?” Nico asked.

  Sophie’s pulse was still racing. She swallowed hard. Bruder had moved alarmingly fast, like a snake. She had to fight the urge to run back down the tunnel and scramble up the ladder.

  “Nico, you should know all about this,” Bruder said reproachfully. He picked up a small piece of wood and started carving it with a nasty-looking knife. “We’ve spoken many times about how Kolmogorov’s theory could be applied to quantum physics.”

  Nico shifted uncomfortably. “Was that the one about chiral perturbation theory?”

  Bruder sighed and shook his head. “I blame your mother. She was never serious enough about your education.”

  Nico’s brow darkened. His hands closed into fists in his lap. Sophie felt sorry for him. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to find a dad who turned out to be a bizarre jerk. Now sh
e was really wishing they’d stuck with Anat and Yosh. They’d probably be on a boat right now, instead of cloistered underground with a maniac.

  “I’ll do my best to break it down into layman’s terms,” Bruder continued, lapsing into a professorial tone. “There was an accident at the place where I worked. It created a rift, of sorts, that kicked off a chain reaction. Strangelets, mini black holes …” He tapped the wood against his palm as he ticked off each point. “Anyway, you were all caught in a sort of eddy, just like one in a river.”

  “We were in a river?” Declan asked. “That doesn’t make any sense. And what are strangelets?”

  “An eddy in the space time continuum, not a river,” Bruder said laboriously. “Strangelets are a kind of matter containing an almost equal number of particles: up, down, and strange quarks. Although it’s a good term for you, now,” he added with a small laugh, shaking his head. “A bunch of strangelets.”

  “But how did we get here?” Sophie asked, fighting back a wave of vertigo; none of this made any sense. She almost preferred Nico’s nuclear accident explanation.

  “That’s the question, isn’t it?” Bruder held up his hands, gesturing around them. “Odd that you were all consolidated in one location. Fascinating, really.” He jumped to his feet and started to pace. “This turns several theories on their heads. If only Fitzgerald was still alive, I could run it past him, he might have some thoughts—”

  “I’m sorry,” Sophie interrupted. “What are you saying exactly? We time traveled?”

  “Well, yes, in a manner of speaking,” he said impatiently. “Although that’s not really how it works.”

  “So what year is it?” Declan asked.

  “Twenty thirty-three,” Nico muttered.

  “What?” Declan spun on him. “You knew?”

  “He told me,” Nico said defensively. “When I first saw him he looked so much older, I almost didn’t recognize him.”

  “And you didn’t tell us?” Sophie said.

  Nico shrugged avoiding her eyes. “There wasn’t time.”

  “All right, then.” Declan ran a hand through his hair. “Bloody hell. So what are those creatures? Some sort of new animal? Because from what I remember about evolution, it takes a lot longer than twenty years for nature to come up with something like that.”