“You okay?” Nathan called forward.
Okay? No. Not really. Her stomach hadn’t kept anything down for over twenty-four hours; she’d discovered enough explosive to sink the entire ship several times over; she’d handled a successful negotiation with a hard-nosed Russian Captain—one who didn’t mind committing crimes in the pursuit of money—and now they had to find some way to help the Captain make a plan to seize a weapon that didn’t exist.
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said over her shoulder. “How long do you think this awful tide thing will last?” She felt, rather than saw, Nathan give his customary shrug of his shoulders behind her.
“Who knows. We should ask the Captain. I can’t imagine it’s anything other than some temporary thing—you know, like maybe all the planets, moons and asteroids in our solar system have lined up in some once-in-a-billion year event, and someone forgot to tell us.”
She nodded, afraid to turn around, lest she get caught out by another sudden lurch, but instead concentrated on following Rona along the metal walkway in front of her. “How do you stay so calm, Rona?”
Rona looked back at her, while wheeling herself forward, albeit slowly. “I’ve had a lot of practice, Sarina. I wasn’t always. But I do thank myself that I’m alive. Every day. And remember to breathe.” She gave Sarina a big smile. “You have to let it go, Sarina. Whatever it is that’s eating at you. Let it go. You single-handedly saved us all, but you don’t have to be the hero all the time. Sometimes it’s okay to just be a girl who still has the rest of her life to live.”
Sarina thought about Rona’s words all the way up to the meeting room. Maybe Rona was right. She didn’t always have to be the hero. Maybe she was trying too hard to always be the Orange Witch.
As for letting go ... well that would be fine, if she knew what it was she had to let go of.
All those thoughts vanished when they entered the Captain’s meeting room and saw the television up on the wall at the far end. All six of the men in the room, including the Captain, were fixated on the broadcast. The image showed a classic shot of the moon and the Earth in space. But what had slammed into her brain was the caption underneath, still legible despite the Russian subtitling.
She looked at Nathan, expecting to see a shrug, but all she saw was his white face and panicked eyes. He shook his head.
Rona wheeled herself up to the table and announced herself. “Well it seems we have a lot to talk about.”
Sarina looked up at the caption on the TV again, wondering if she’d just been hallucinating from all the stress, but no, this was real enough.
MOON FALLING TO EARTH: NEW ALIEN ATTACK THEORY
~ 30 ~
Man Made
Sarina watched the news bulletin finish. Captain pointed the remote at the TV to switch it off, then looked at them. He bared his teeth in a pirate-like grin. “Is funny. Stupid people want believe alien make moon fall.” He tapped the side of his head. “Ilia know better: humans stupid enough to make by themself. Maybe your friend know people who make such experiment?” He grinned again.
Sarina wanted to shout at him. No, of course Professor Harrison would not know such people. He didn’t make weapons for humans to use against each other. She was sick of scientists anyway—she wanted nothing more to do with them. The moon falling to Earth? Scientists thought they were so smart—but they didn’t predict this did they? Well now they’d have to invent some way to stop it. A part of her wondered how long they all had left, and if she’d ever see Drysdale eat his words.
“Captain Ilia. Is there something wrong with the moon? Do you think the moon is causing the tidal buffeting?” Nathan was still pale, but stood there with his solemn gaze focused on the Captain.
Trust Nathan to be more interested in the moon than escaping off this giant vomit-bucket.
The Captain held out his large hands. “Please sit. Is important for you to know, yes? Because might interfere with plans for customer, no?” He grinned again. “Clever boy is right. I tell brave children about moon.”
Nathan drew up a chair, and held one out for Sarina. She glared at him and sat. His expression said, ‘What have I done now?’ but she ignored him.
Captain Ilia cleared his throat. “Big tide wave caused by moon, yes, but not so bad for ship.”
Sarina looked at him in surprise. You could have fooled me—and my stomach.
He caught her look. “Yes, is true. My Princess Alexandra only being tickled. You are safe.” He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Safe from sea, but not bad men with explosives, eh?” He smiled at her. She realised her image of the stocky, cranky, criminal Russian Pirate-Captain might be underestimating the man. He continued and looked around the room. “Men here understand most English, but only Captain and Piotr here”—he slapped the shoulder of a swarthy, dark-haired man to his left—“speak well. All impressed with little girl bravery.” He nodded, and she felt the eyes of half-a-dozen burly Russians on her. She forced a smile.
“First we discuss moon. Important to know facts. Experts say moon coming closer to Earth. Maybe more faster each day. Big problem for small islands and small boats.”
“The tidal ranges would be bigger.” Nathan looked excited. Not for the first time did she wonder about his endless capacity to be interested in things even if they meant the death of them all.
Ilia nodded. “You bring clever boy. Brave girl and clever boy.” He turned his attention to Rona. “What you do?”
“I bring common sense. So the moon is coming closer to the Earth. What will that mean for all of us?” Rona looked him right back in the eye.
The Captain shrugged. “Is not good. Except for surfers. But big problem for shipping. Government people say in three more days all international shipping terminated. This bring much unrest, maybe war.”
Rona raised her eyes. “Really? How so?”
“Lady not understand. Most people not understand. Ninety-percent of all we eat or buy, travel by cargo ship. Like this one. No cargo ship: no goods. No food. People get upset and when people upset and hungry, they fight. I know, I have eight children.” He shook his head. “Very bad for business. But expert scientist”—he said the last word with more of a hiss—“promise they will make solution. But I don’t think so.” Sarina thought he might also share her suspicion of scientists, which warmed her even more to the man.
The Captain pointed outside. “This is moon we talk about. Is big, no? I think scientist suck it out of their fingers.”
Nathan leaned over to Sarina. “I think he means the scientists are talking out of their bottoms—”
Sarina elbowed him. “I agree.” She looked at the Captain. “What caused it? Do they know?”
Captain Ilia looked at Piotr, who nodded and spoke for the first time.
“Yes, they don’t know. This is what we watch when you come in. Is news. Experts had secret but some people didn’t want that, so they tell TV people.”
Sarina frowned. “They don’t know? But they found out something?”
“Da. I mean, yes. They discover moon was moved deliberately.”
Sarina, Rona and Nathan all gasped. The men at the table looked at each other and nodded.
“Yes. Big news. All over TV. Some people blame Americans. Some people blame Russians. Others the Arabs or the Jews. Some crazy people make alien solution.” He held up his hands. “Me, only a sailor engineer. I don’t know this. But I know when food run out and people suspicious of people who deliberately move moon, is not happy ending.” He sat back.
There was silence for a while. Sarina was still digesting the idea the moon’s orbit had somehow been deliberately manipulated. The tension in her jaw made her face ache. She tried to follow Rona’s advice to let it go. How did she stay so calm? She watched Rona thinking through the news, then hold up her hand just as Nathan opened his mouth to speak. “Let me go first, Nathan.” Rona looked at Piotr. “Did they say how they know it was deliberately moved?”
The man nodded. “Da. Astronomer
moon expert lady in Australia make answer. Big change happen on exact date and time, but not at same coincidence as anything else in nature. I sorry for bad English—”
Rona waved at him. “I understood perfectly, thank you. What was the exact date and time, out of curiosity?”
Piotr looked down at the papers in front of him and traced his finger across one of them. “The lady expert she say June seventeenth at precisely 1534 hundred hours and twenty-two seconds.”
“Over three months ago.” Nathan rubbed his chin. “I wonder what could—”
This time Captain Ilia held up his hand. “This is world problem. Big problem and nothing Captain Ilia can do to fix. But customer problem ... this is possible for us to be on same side, yes?”
“Do go on, Captain,” Rona said. “Whatever your plan you make, it must surely involve letting the children go.”
The Captain looked insulted. “What you take me for? No one put explosive on my ship or try to kill children and get away with it. No—I already find traitor on ship who take money to let man on ship who hide this bomb. Traitor is no longer on ship, but before he wave bye-bye, he tell me information to help me.”
“That was nice of him,” Nathan said, “how ...” then his face fell. Sarina assumed he must have deduced what had to have happened to get the traitor to talk.
The Captain motioned with his hand. “Not for children to know. But now I understand why they do this bad thing, and what they want. This why I bring you here for talk. Ilia think we can move children off ship and also make sure customer not do this again. At same time.” He looked straight at Nathan. “But we need help of special friend. He will help, you think?”
Nathan in turn looked at Sarina.
“What choice do we have?” she said. “The whole world is falling apart anyway. Why not see how Professor Harrison—” She clapped her hand over her mouth.
“Is okay,” Captain Ilia said. “I am on same side now. But I have idea to kill two hares with one shot.”
“Kill two birds with one stone,” Sarina corrected.
He nodded. “This too. But to kill all birds and all hares at once needs special plan for Professor to make, and special plan for ship. I have radio—will you speak to him?”
Sarina nodded. “I’m sure he’ll be only too happy to hear from us—”
“Wait!” Nathan leaped to his feet. “Do you have wireless internet encryption on board?”
The Captain didn’t understand. “End cripped shon? What this is please?”
Piotr leaned to the Captain and whispered in his ear. Ilia nodded.
“Okay. I understand. Ship look old, but not all Russian equipment is old. Piotr explain me. We have this. In radio room. But will take time to set up satellite in this weather.”
Nathan looked at Sarina and Rona. “I have an idea. Is it okay for me to suggest a plan?”
Rona smiled. “From what I’ve heard about your plans, it will be a good one. Go right ahead.”
Nathan shot a look at Sarina, who shrugged. “Yes. It’s fine by me. As long as we’re not going through portals to parallel worlds. I’ve had enough of that for one lifetime.”
Nathan dipped his head in acknowledgement, and turned to face the Captain. “Kapitan Ilia?”
The Captain spread his hands wide. “So talk, clever boy. I hear your plan, then you hear mine.”
Nathan sat back down and leaned on the table. “Here’s what we do.”
~ 31 ~
Time Stamps
After Nathan outlined his plan, the Captain shared his. The two of them hit it off, throwing ideas at each other as if it was no more than a game. Sarina often wondered if that’s what Nathan thought all life was: just another a game. She admired both Rona’s ability to stay calm, and Nathan’s tactical prowess. Her sole tactical ability seemed to be to be able to get angry and upset with people who stopped her from doing what she wanted. Not an appealing look, she thought.
“Penny for them?” Rona wheeled up alongside her. They’d returned to the hold and were waiting on a new area to move to so the Russians could dismantle the false metal plates on the wall. Sarina had wandered off to find a quiet space to sit and think.
She sighed. “Sometimes I’m not sure I live in the same world as everyone else.”
Rona pulled her hand into hers. “All part of growing up. Give yourself some credit for what you have achieved—more in your short time here so far than many could in their entire life. You have to stop being so hard on yourself, Sarina.”
“That’s easy for you to say.”
“Is it?”
Sarina looked down at Rona’s legs and felt her tears forming. “See what I mean? I’m stupid. I have no idea what other people are going through. Are you telling me you blamed yourself for the accident?”
“Who else do you think volunteered to take the blame? It took me some years to free myself from it.”
“What did you do?”
“To get rid of my self-hate? I painted, of course.” Rona looked Sarina in the eye. “Whatever place you’re in right now, let it be okay. We’ve all been subjected to extreme stress in the last two days—on top of which you’ve lost most of your food not long after eating it. You need some rest.”
A voice hailed them. “Hey, sorry to interrupt the deep and meaningful and everything, but I’ve just had a thought.” Nathan sauntered up. He still looked very pleased with himself.
“Since you’ve already interrupted, how about you tell us what’s on your mind?” Sarina said, hearing the tired sarcasm creep into her voice without intending to.
He threw her a strange look for a moment, then continued. “You know how Peter said—”
“Piotr. It’s spelled P I O T R.” She couldn’t help herself.
“Yeah, whatever. I’m a scientist, not a translator. He said that Australian woman had worked out the exact time the moon was first shifted.”
Sarina and Rona both gave him a blank look.
“I was wondering where I was at the time. You know, out of curiosity?”
“Yes, Nathan! Spit it out—where were you?” Sarina was running out of patience.
He gave her another odd look. “You should know. You were with me.”
“I was?” She thought back. “Oh! Were we in Paolo’s world? So we wouldn’t have even known about it, even if there’d been some hidden experiment or something.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Um actually, I was wondering if we had caused it.”
Sarina jumped up. “WHAT? Nathan Goldberg you are talking gibberish. What do you mean, ‘if we had caused it’?”
Rona gave Nathan a puzzled look. “Better explain, before Sarina explodes.”
He held up his hands. “Okay, okay. I just wondered if when we blasted that portal with special super-rem and punted the collider somewhere else, it somehow affected the moon. That’s all.”
Sarina felt her jaw tighten. “How would we know? You know full well time runs differently in their world. We have no way of knowing if that was the exact moment.”
He chewed a finger and looked around the room. “True.” His gaze stopped dead on Lena, playing with the mobile phone. “Actually not true. I reckon I could tell to within fifteen minutes.”
“How?” Sarina said.
He pointed to Lena. “That phone. I’m surprised it still has any charge left ... um, come to think of it, I’m not. It used to be Agent Blanchard’s. But that’s the phone I used to flash at Valkrog when you told me to distract them—you know—in the township’s park.”
She remembered the scene vividly. “But how would that—?” She screwed up her face.
“The photos! Every flash was also a photo. Mobile phones automatically add a date and timestamp to every photo. All we need to do is cross our fingers the photos are still on there. If they are, then the timestamp will be calculated in our world’s time. I reckon we blasted the collider and sealed the portal about fifteen minutes after that melee. Come on—let’s ask Lena to show it to us.”
She felt the blood drain from her face. Could it be true? Could the rem-blast have done that? Was she responsible for the Earth’s greatest man-made disaster?
Nathan was already turning to leave, but he stopped when he saw the expression on Sarina’s face. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
She shook her head. “I don’t believe it. It can’t be possible.” She looked at Rona and Nathan. “Could it?”
Rona shrugged. “I’m no scientist, and either way, what’s done is done. But let’s check the photos.”
They moved across to Lena, who greeted them with her usual beaming smile. “Thank you for telling the Captain off. That was brave.”
Sarina forced a smile back. “Do you mind if we look at your phone for a moment?”
Lena’s smile vanished, replaced by a dark look. “You can’t have him. He’s mine.”
Rona, Sarina and Nathan exchanged looks. “We only want to look at some photos. If there are any on there.” Sarina tried to sound gentle.
Lena pulled the phone in tight to her chest. “No! He’s my daddy, not yours!”
“What?” Sarina sat next to Lena, who tried to edge away. “Is there a photo of Professor Harrison on there you don’t want us to see? Or you’re worried we’ll accidentally delete? Nathan’s an expert with gadgets you know. He won’t do anything bad.”
Lena was already shaking her head. “Not that daddy. My other daddy. REAL Daddy.”
“Show me?” Sarina smiled at Lena. “I won’t take the phone. Just show me.”
“Promise?”
Sarina nodded. Lena pulled the phone away from her chest, swiped the screen a few times, then turned the front to show Sarina. She had a tear in her eye. “That’s Daddy, there.”
Sarina looked at the photo, and let out an involuntary shriek. “Makthryg!”
Lena pulled the phone back, her eyes betraying her hurt.
“What?” Nathan leaned over. “Can you show me? I won’t touch, promise.” Lena flashed the screen at him. Sarina saw his eyes widen and his fight to control himself. “That’s Daddy?”
Lena nodded. “I have other photos of him at home.” She frowned. “He does look a bit ... sick. And angry.” She peered down at the screen.
The Dreamer Chronicles Trilogy Boxed Set Vol I - III: A Sci-Fi Parallel Universe Adventure (The Dreamer Chronicles - Science Fiction For Kids And Adults) Page 79
