The Dreamer Chronicles Trilogy Boxed Set Vol I - III: A Sci-Fi Parallel Universe Adventure (The Dreamer Chronicles - Science Fiction For Kids And Adults)

by Robert Scanlon

  Sarina eyed the clouds. Rona was right: they’d have little time left before nobody in their right mind would be above deck. Then again, if they told anyone what they were about to try to do, their sanity would already be in question. And maybe they’d be locked away, like her great-aunts. She crouched next to Lena. “Lena, we’re going to make a portal—you know, like we did before in that warehouse?” Lena nodded. “Do you think you might be able to make contact with Lucio, or”—she hesitated—“your daddy?”

  Lena stuck out her lower lip. “I’ll try.”

  Sarina smiled, and the wind whipped her hair across her face. She brushed it back. “When you do, can you ask them to concentrate on a strong picture of their surroundings, then try to pass that picture to me? We need to have something to try to draw on this bulkhead. But don’t tell your daddy why. Let’s surprise him.”

  Lena’s eyes were wide. “I’ll do my best.”

  “We’ll all be doing our best too. Now, I think first we have to hold hands and think of Lucio. I’ll try to draw him on this surface too, ready to add the surroundings.” She looked at her friends. “Ready?”

  They nodded and moved closer to join hands. Sarina stood so she could release her right hand to draw, pastel at the ready. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Think of Lucio, Nathan. You too Lena. We need an image of him as we remember him best—happy. Rona, try to pick up on any vision you have.”

  Sarina focused on Lucio. The boy’s calm face floated in front of her, his mop of hair over his brow, the beginnings of a small smile. The image brightened and his face became animated, as if he was about to laugh. She felt Nathan’s imagery strengthen her own. She opened one eye, released her right hand from Rona and began sketching a rough image of Lucio’s face on the bumpy painted metal.

  “Lena—do you see him?”

  “Yes.” Lena had her eyes closed.

  “Where are they?”

  “Lucio is not there with them. But he says he sees them in his mind. Like we do. He says they’re walking out of a forest, up a steep rocky hill.”

  “Can he send you that picture? Can you describe what Lucio is seeing? The colours?”

  “The rocks are reddish-orange and the earth is dull brown. There are no trees now. There’s some funny spiky plants everywhere. Dark green.”

  Sarina had a very faint image of the same scene. Enough to draw? She didn’t know. “Can you see that too, Nathan?”

  “I can.” The voice was Rona’s. “You want me to make that stronger?”

  Sarina nodded, then realised Rona had her eyes closed. “Yes.”

  An image of a steep mountainous pathway popped into her head. Deep red rocky terrain, dotted with spiky bushes. “Wow. You’re just as good at this as any of the kids. I’m going to start drawing ... then we’ll all have to concentrate on the picture and bring the portal to life.”

  She sketched the background next to the image of Lucio, swapping pastels to best simulate the colouring. The image wasn’t precise, but she’d made portals with far less. “Ready to open your eyes?” She felt her hand being squeezed. “Then we have to focus all our energy on getting through to the other world. Now!”

  She looked at her drawing. A few areas here and there had taken on a sparkling other-world appearance, but most of it looked no different to a hastily drawn mural on a dirty wall. She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. It had to work! The images of Lucio and the strange red-rocked mountainous path returned. She braced herself to let her energy flow onto the drawing, and opened her eyes.

  There was nothing. She banged her hand against the wall. “Come on. Open the portal ... please!” Parts of the shimmering mural brightened for a moment, then flickered out, leaving behind a dull sketch. She looked at Nathan in panic. “It’s not working. But we had it! Lena made the connection. Why isn’t it working?”

  “Try one more time,” Nathan said. He glanced up at the sky, then back at her, grim-faced. “But be quick.”

  She closed her eyes and brought back the image. She held her right hand out for someone to take hold of, and Rona’s warm energy flooded into her. She took a deep breath—and the ship lurched to one side, throwing them all against each other. The wind gusted enough to whip their clothes around them and brought the first spots of cold rain with it. She steeled herself for one more attempt, and brought the image closer, resisting the ship’s rolling motion and the stinging rain. There were other people in the image—Tomas, Andreas, Paolo ... and one other, with his rounded back to her. Who?

  The figure turned, and the image was clear: a man, pale-faced and looking at her with hard, flat eyes. Makthryg. The ship heaved without warning, and she let go of the hands to steady herself. The image faded. One last chance. She opened her eyes and concentrated hard on the pastel mural in front of her.

  But the portal was dead. All she could manage to conjure up was an after-image of that pale face staring at her.

  The heavens opened, and she felt herself being manhandled through the downpour by capable hands, and back into the dry depths of their would-be prison.

  ~ 34 ~

  Incomplete

  Sarina wiped away her tears. “I don’t KNOW why it didn’t work! I tried my hardest, I did. I saw the mountain path, I saw Andreas, Tomas, Paolo ... and Makthryg.” She didn’t mention how the sorcerer had stared straight at her. “I drew what I saw, and it started to work, but—”

  “Something was missing?” Rona’s voice was gentle.

  Sarina looked up at Rona. They were in a different part of the ship—the Captain had given orders to settle the children in safer, smaller areas. Sarina didn’t know how they had got to the empty room they were in, but now she was seated on the floor, in front of Rona and next to Nathan, and trying to recover.

  Nathan looked at Rona in surprise. “Is that a guess, or did you feel that in her?”

  “You tell me, Nathan.” Rona was calm. “I sense that the reason you’re asking that question is because you felt it. Am I correct?”

  Nathan hung his head and tried to avoid eye contact with Sarina. “I felt some kind of blockage. I thought it was Sarina.”

  Rona nodded. “I felt the same. And I bet if we asked Lena, she would too.” The men had taken Lena to where the younger kids were now stationed, leaving the three of them to analyse what had gone wrong.

  Sarina eyed them both warily. “Are you saying there’s something wrong with me?”

  “Something incomplete.” Rona smiled. “Not wrong.”

  The sentence echoed in Sarina’s head. Maybe Rona didn’t remember Drysdale’s words: ‘there is something inside you not fully developed’. All she’d wanted to do was to be a simple painter, inspiring kids around the world. Now, as well as dealing with the moon’s fall to Earth—and fast becoming the world’s most wanted thirteen year-old—she was getting the message she needed to look in the mirror and find out what was holding her back. Something ‘inside’, whatever that meant. She’d just about had enough of people prodding and poking around in her brain, and scientists telling her she was incomplete. She’d show them. Missing part or not. She felt her cheeks grow warm.

  “Dratted scientists!”

  She glared at Nathan, who recoiled.

  “Hey! What have I done now?”

  “If Professor Malden hadn’t messed around with that machine we wouldn’t be in this mess. And if your great-great-grandfather hadn’t stuffed wormholes into my great-aunties’ heads, then they wouldn’t have spent their days in mental homes. It’s so stupid. Playing God and mucking around with mother nature—and now look where it’s got us: the end of the Earth. Then when I try to fix things, apparently I have ‘something missing’. Well I’ve had enough of this. The sooner we get off this horrible wobbly boat, the better. Then I’ll prove you all wrong.”

  Nathan’s mouth was wide open. “That’s not fair—”

  Rona laid her hand on his arm to stop him. “Probably not the best time to have that discussion.” She looked at them both.
“But I think Sarina is right—we have to get off the ship and make contact with Professor Harrison. There’s got to be another way.”

  As if on cue, the door flew open, driven by the wind, revealing Piotr. “Mister and Misses, Captain Ilia send me to tell you encryption system ready for clever boy.” He pointed at Nathan and beckoned with his finger. “You: please come.”

  ~ 35 ~

  An Invaluable Contribution

  “I’ve managed to buy us some time, Blanchard, but it’s about to run out. What information do you have for us? Any idea where the kids are?” Harrison looked over at his colleague and long-time friend.

  “We’re closing in. One of our agents uncovered a Russian connection we’re now pursuing. We suspect the children are being held in London. I’m confident this gives us the opportunity to lean on the right people and make them talk. My only problem is they are more afraid of the Consortium than of us.”

  They sat at the table in a meeting room Harrison had organised for them to use at the Parliamentary Committee recess. Harrison glanced outside at the worsening storm clouds. “You’d think they would be more concerned about the end of the world.” He fixed his gaze on Agent Blanchard. “This might sound heartless, but there’s more at stake than the kids. I must find that device, wherever it is, and destroy it—and I need Sarina and Nathan for that. I’m more convinced than ever they have a connection with it. Given the right conditions they might even be able to pinpoint its location. And help me make sure it never sees the light of day again.” He imagined he could hear Malden’s voice nagging him. What about rescuing Lena?

  He slapped the table. “Now I wish Malden had never persuaded me to construct the blasted machine. It’s too powerful—and in the wrong hands ...”

  Blanchard nodded. “I’ll find them. Give me a few more hours. I know we’re close.” He shifted in his chair. “Ah, sir?”

  Professor Harrison raised his eyes.

  “It’s a little delicate, sir, but I think we might be well advised to try analysing the footprint of the Anti-Psi Kids website. One of my men raised it with me—he made a good point. It’s far too well run to have sprung out of nowhere and already be wielding such influence. We believe someone powerful is behind it, and you know who I mean. I suggest we trace all traffic in and out. Sooner or later someone will make a mistake, or say something incriminating. It will necessitate some IT intervention ... if you would authorise it?”

  Harrison gave Blanchard a slight smile. “Running a little outside the law are we?”

  Blanchard indicated the weather outside with a tilt of his head. “Do we have any choice, sir? As you said, there is a lot at stake.”

  “Then take that as your authority. But finding Sarina and Nathan takes priority. And for that, you may step outside the law as much as you need to. The Consortium has no such qualms, and it’s their game we must play.”

  The two men stood and left the room with no further conversation necessary.

  ~~~

  The operator removed his headphones and looked at the older balding man next to him, who was doing the same. “Do you have everything you need, sir?”

  The man nodded. “Oh yes, thank you. More than enough.” He stood to leave. “Please delete the audio files—they are no longer required.”

  The operator nodded, and the older man left the room and walked down the corridor. He turned the corner and passed Professor Harrison coming the other way. Professor Harrison nodded his acknowledgement to the balding man. “Good afternoon, Minister Denning. I trust you’re of the opinion the Committee is progressing well?”

  The other man stopped and smiled. “Oh yes, Professor. I think we may even have a breakthrough shortly.”

  Professor Harrison inclined his head. “Very good. I’m pleased to have been of service.”

  The balding man considered the Professor’s comment before replying. “Your contribution has been invaluable, Kingsley. Invaluable.” He paused a moment, then strode on down the corridor.

  ~ 36 ~

  S.E.E.K.

  Nathan returned to the room after some time away. Sarina smiled at him, and he threw her an odd look. “Why are you smiling? I thought you hated me?”

  “Your great-great-grandfather perhaps. But not you.” She looked him in the eye. “I’m sorry.”

  “What for?” He looked at Sarina and then Rona, then spread his hands out. “You’ve nothing to be sorry for ... well apart from shoving the moon into the Earth perhaps.”

  Sarina elbowed him as he came past and sat down. “Not fair! I’m trying to apologise for being so cranky. I really thought the portal would work. Anyway—what happened up there? Wherever you went.”

  “I went to their radio room. They’d set up a cubicle for me in there with a computer and an English keyboard. Thankfully.”

  “Did it work?” She hoped her face didn’t show the doubt and anxiety she felt.

  “I can see you didn’t expect it to. But yes, it worked. Exactly as we planned.” He frowned.

  “What?”

  Nathan regarded both of them for a few moments. “While I was there, I logged in to that Anti-Psi Kids site—or S.E.E.K. as they seem to be calling themselves now.”

  “You’re a member of that disgusting thing?” Sarina narrowed her eyes.

  Nathan grimaced. “I have to wash my thoughts out with soap after every visit.”

  “What does seek stand for, anyway?”

  “S.E.E.K. is apparently short for the Society for the Eradication of Extrasensory Kids.”

  “How nice.” Sarina made a face.

  “Yes. And I think we can all guess what they mean by eradication. But the good news is I’d already created an account for myself when I hacked in, back in the labs.” A brief smile crossed his face as he remembered something, then left just as quickly. “It’s even more disgusting to read what they talk about, but it’s the best place to find out how these idiots think. And unfortunately I discovered something rather sad.”

  “What?” Rona and Sarina said simultaneously.

  “They’re not actually all idiots. Some pretty smart members are stirring up support and putting forward very strong arguments.”

  “For what?” Rona’s brow creased. “Sounds dangerous.”

  “It is. They want all the so-called Dreamer Kids brought in and quarantined. Worse still, there’s one group of extremists who are claiming the changes in the moon’s orbit was caused by experiments carried out by Dreamer Kids. They’ve managed to get quite a following.”

  Sarina groaned. “Oh, great. How did they find that gem of information I wonder.”

  “If it’s any consolation, I don’t think what they’re planning will affect us.”

  “What they’re planning? What do you mean?”

  He waved his hand as if dismissing the idea. “Oh, just protest marches in every major city and on Parliament.”

  Rona drew in a sharp breath and Sarina whipped her head around to look at her. “That’s not good, is it?”

  Rona shook her head. “No. We’ll have to be careful.”

  The ship’s engines changed in pitch, sending a much louder vibration through the floor, and the entire vessel shuddered and lurched. Sarina held on to the wall and steadied Rona’s wheelchair with her other hand. “What’s that?”

  “We’re underway, I think.” Nathan leaned backwards and peered out of the window. “Yep. I guess the Captain’s received his destination.”

  Sarina moved to the window, after helping Rona secure herself. She wiped the dirty glass and looked out. “In this weather? Will it be bumpy?”

  The ship lurched and pitched them all forward.

  “Okay, okay. No need to answer. I just hope it won’t interfere with our plan.”

  Nathan looked at her. “In the interest of full transparency, and so you don’t think I’m downplaying anything, it will definitely make it ... more risky. And let’s hope they find us before the bad guys realise our Russian friend has defected.”

  A l
oud grinding noise drowned out any further conversation and the engines increased in volume. “I THINK WE’RE CROSSING THE BAR AND HEADING OUT TO SEA!” Nathan held onto the window frame for support. “BETTER BRACE YOURSELF!”

  The ship pitched up and down violently. Sarina sat down—quite by accident, she had no choice in the matter—and she stuck her legs out to brace Rona’s chair. Rona looked at her. “I think I might be better off out of this thing.” She slid herself out halfway, just in time to be thrown to the floor next to Sarina by another roll of the freighter. “Quite an adventure we’re having, don’t you think?”

  ~ 37 ~

  Intercepted

  The balding man scratched under his eye again, as he was wont to do when thinking. He regarded his younger colleague across the table in the dim light of the new room. As a public figure, he had to protect himself carefully, and they usually met in a different hotel each time to minimise the risk of discovery. The Consortium would not be happy to have one of its key servants ousted. But the latest intelligence had him call an urgent meeting, necessitating the use of a previous location. No matter. He couldn’t afford to be jumpy.

  He cleared his throat. The other man waited.

  “Our Professor intends to destroy the machine. It appears his claim to be retrieving the machine was a ruse—unfortunately one that worked. It has caused us a delay in meeting our commitments. Any more delays would be quite painful, I fear.”

  The younger man spoke. “Yet you think he actually does know where the device is?”

  The older man shook his head. “That’s unclear to me. But what is quite clear is that two of the captured children—the girl and the boy—are in possession of information that will lead Harrison to where the collider is located. He means to find them and act on that information, and stupidly, he intends to destroy the device. Of course, he will never have the chance, but—”