Her mind began to wander. The hypnotic loud roar of the rain, the near-blindness of her terrain, and the constant one foot in front of the other had made her lose track of time, of space, of distance. How much longer could they sustain this? Had they been walking for days? Wet, soggy, dripping days? Her thoughts bounced around—from Malden to Harrison, to Nathan. What was happening in their world? Her mind returned to Rona, resigned to watch the oncoming storm and rain with no choice but to wait.
The rope slackened and she almost bumped into Tomas in front. “What is it?” She realised she no longer had to shout. Tomas pointed ahead, and she strained to see through the murky air. There was a darker smear in front of them, some way ahead, but she guessed the mere fact she could see it meant the rain was easing, if only a little. She looked up at Tomas, too tired to do anything but show a question on her face.
He leaned down to her, haggard from his efforts hauling Malden’s dead weight. “The forest. Not far. We rest. Aye?” Talking was an effort for him, too. She nodded, glad for a new goal, a step up from survival.
‘Not far’ turned out to be still some distance, and by the time they crumpled to the soft leaves of the forest floor, the last of her reserves were spent. Somehow they managed to lay Malden out. Sarina checked his breathing and heartbeat. She was no expert, but he seemed stable. His resurrection from the merging of Makthryg and Valkrog must have taken its toll, and he’d run out of energy way before she had. She looked at Tomas. His eyes were red from staring ahead in the stinging rain, and he was breathing heavily. He slumped against a tree trunk and pulled out two small bags from one of the packs he’d lifted off Sarina. He threw one to her. “Eat. Then we rest.”
She ripped open the bag, expecting some horrible-tasting dried meat designed for remote trekking, but instead found some of the brightly-coloured fruit she knew well from her last stay in this world. She bit into the pear-like gourd and savoured the sweet taste, nodding her approval to Tomas, who smiled and took a huge bite out of his own. Maybe the worst was behind them—another trek through forest trails once daylight hit them again, and they’d be ... where? Up against their next obstacle. No use whining. She heard Rona’s voice in her head again: “Control your focus.”
The water dripped down through the canopy above, bearable enough. They were still being soaked, but the roar of the deluge was now way overhead, making their surroundings seem quiet compared to the rain-battle they had just experienced. She finished the last of the fruit and looked at Tomas. “Do you have anything to cover us—especially him?”
Tomas nodded and pointed to the other pack. “Woven snake-vine sheets. One each.”
Sarina shrugged. Woven snake-vine sheets sounded positively luxurious. She clambered over and pulled out three thick, but tightly rolled bolts of a coarse material. She pulled apart the ties, spread one out over Malden, and made sure he was arranged as comfortably as she could manage on a decent bed of leaves. She passed the other to Tomas, and found herself an area of flat earth and leaves. She lay down, pulled the rough cloth over her, and listened to the rain and the roar of the wind. She arranged the wax-bonnet in such a way as to redirect the water drops off to the side, and was asleep in minutes.
~ 58 ~
Black Sheep
She awoke at daybreak to find Professor Malden already sitting up and smiling at her and looking quite awake, thank you. The rain had stopped, so she listened out for the roar of the wind, but it was still there, high above them. Small branches and twigs lay over her rough blanket and she wondered what would have happened if a larger branch had fallen. In their haste to rest, no one had thought to protect themselves from their shelter above. Too late now, she thought, and climbed out of the blanket. Her body was stiff and sore from sleeping on a forest floor, and from the weight she’d carried yesterday. She stretched and stood.
“That was quite some storm,” Malden said. “How did we manage to get to shelter? I don’t remember walking that last part?”
“That’s because you didn’t,” a deep voice said. Tomas was also standing and stretching.
“You fell unconscious.” Sarina indicated Tomas with her thumb. “He carried you.”
Malden gave a grateful smile to Tomas. “Then thank you, sir. Possibly you saved my life.”
Tomas looked at him for a while. “We may be doing yet more of that for each other along the way. Let us eat some more fruit, consume the rest of the harrowberry juice and be on our way. The rain has abated for now, but we cannot be sure it will not return.”
In short order they were on their way through the trail, this time with Tomas carrying the majority of the supplies. Sarina was glad to be feeling lighter—and glad Professor Malden had recovered. Her optimism returned. “Tomas, how much further to the township?”
He looked back over his shoulder as they walked. “Less than half a turn of the sun. Assuming there is no more rain.”
She smiled and nodded, then dropped back to walk alongside Professor Malden. “Professor, when we get back, what will we have to do first? We’re going to need a lot more rem-power, aren’t we?”
“We will. First I have to see Kingsley—Professor Harrison I mean—and work out the exact calculations. That should give us a good idea whether my estimates were correct—and of course we need to get a fix on where the rift opening is. But the eggheads who look at the sky all the time will probably already know where the issue is—they just won’t know what caused it.”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
He looked puzzled, and pushed a branch out of the way as they made their way along the narrow trail. “Apart from the fact that I still don’t know the exact mechanics of how we will seal the rift? No, I don’t think so. It’s rather straightforward: triangulate the rift points, then focus as much rem-power as we can, as close as possible to the rift opening on our world. Then seal it up.” His brow creased and he peered at Sarina.
“Perhaps I used the wrong word, Professor. Aren’t you forgetting someone?” She smiled.
“Ah. Yes. Quite. Yes. The first thing I will do is embrace my daughter. I expect she will be a little shy at first.”
Sarina burst out laughing, for the first time in a while. “I don’t think so. And ... Lena is a pretty powerful rem-manipulator herself.”
Malden looked embarrassed. “I have a lot to catch up on. She managed to contact this Makthryg fellow, you say? I suppose that’s one indication of her skills.”
Sarina found it strange Malden had no memory of his time as Makthryg/Valkrog. Which meant nothing in this world would be familiar to him—though he should be familiar with Harrison’s lab, which was a key part of her plan.
“When we get to the township, we’ll collect Eva and Lucio and head into the square. We’ll try to make the portal there—and Professor?”
“Yes?”
“Do you remember the lab building—you know, where the ... accident happened?”
His eyes defocused and he sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. A very clear recollection—assuming Harrison has not remodelled the place.”
Sarina shrugged. “I don’t know. Was there a café area, with tables and a lounge?”
Malden smiled and looked at her. “Oh, yes. That was Harrison’s idea.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. That will make the portal easier to activate—when we both know the destination well. I suppose it’s the same reason we’re better off making the portal in the park in the town square. We’ve done it there before, or at least Lucio, Eva and I have. I wonder why it works like that?”
“Something to do with the emotional intensity and our familiarity I expect—it allows one’s mind to focus without the distraction of one’s surroundings. Another example of rem-manipulation intensified by our emotions.”
She nodded. It made sense. Something still nagged at her. Something Malden had said. After working out the calculations and the rift points perhaps? The thought came to her. “Professor, when you said, ‘focus the rem-power’, you
were referring to all of us Dreamer Kids working together, weren’t you?”
“Yes. We’ll probably need to cobble together some kind of focusing device for you—”
“Me?”
He looked at her as they walked. “Yes. We need our most experienced and most powerful rem-manipulator at the helm. And that, my dear, is you.”
She gulped. “But how are we going to find that many super-creative kids in such a short time? Didn’t you say we need more than a million? Right now, I think we’re the world’s least-loved people. No one will want to volunteer to be a black sheep.” She looked at him. “Will they?”
He stopped and looked her in the eye. “Sarina. The destruction of our universe is at stake. We will have to convince the authorities to mass-recruit these Dreamer Kids, as you call them, as a matter of urgency. Harrison has the connections to set that up.”
“But ... but that means someone will have to convince people it’s okay to admit to being a Dreamer Kid.” She screwed up her face. “I can’t see Professor Harrison managing that—I mean, he’s very nice and everything, but all the other scientists will ridicule him—won’t they?”
Before he could reply, they heard Tomas call back to them from further ahead on the trail. “Come. We must keep moving. We are at the edge of this trail and must cross the open fields again. But I have good news. We are almost there.”
Malden looked at Sarina and spoke gently before moving on. “It won’t be Professor Harrison doing the convincing, Sarina.”
She looked around, confused, and threw her hands in the air. “Then who?”
“You.”
~ 59 ~
A Cosmic Argument
They struggled across the fields surrounding the township, forced to lean into the driving wind, though fortunately, the rain had now passed them completely. In the distance, up into the rocky peaks back where they had come from, Sarina could see the black clouds gathering, like a giant swarm of angry bees. From this distance the twisters looked innocuous. For Rona’s sake, Sarina hoped the storms were nowhere near her cave hideout. She caught Malden’s eye and pointed back, at the same time as sweeping the hair out of her face. “I hope they don’t get caught in the same weather we were. Not only for their own safety, I mean. We’re going to be relying on them, aren’t we?”
Malden nodded, bracing himself into the wind and trudging next to Sarina. “Yes. But as far as getting caught in the same storm, I fear your concerns are well-founded. It is my belief the storm is seeking out the rift—or vice-versa. Either way, they are drawn to each other. And therefore to your friends.”
So my friends are playing piggy-in-the-middle of a cosmic argument. What have we done?
She took a deep breath and carried on. All she could do was play her part, which as she had just learned, was a leading role in more ways than she had imagined. How did Professor Malden expect her to convince the world the only way to fix the inevitable collapse of their known universe was to recruit a million or so kids with super-powers?
A small figure burst out of one of the small streets that wound around the cabins in the township and ran towards them, and her disturbed thoughts vanished. “LUCIO!” she shouted over the wind, and ordered her aching legs to pick up speed. Behind Lucio she saw a tall, long-haired woman step out from the street, holding her hat with one hand and waving with the other. Eva.
Lucio reached them and jumped up on Tomas. “Tomas! Sarina!” He looked around, puzzled. “But where is Paolo?” He disentangled himself and embraced Sarina, then peered around her at Malden. “Is that who Makthryg used to be? Is he good now?”
Sarina nodded. “How did you guess?”
“Not a guess. Lena told me she found her papa and sent me picture.” He pouted. “But I do not hear from her now. I think something happened. I felt it.”
The memory of their pinch-faced assailant disappearing into a million fiery specks along with the collider flashed into her mind. Of course. She turned to Malden. “That must be why you still can’t reach Lena. It’s not just because we were too close to my messed-up portal. It’s because the collider got vaporised and severed your connection back to our own world.”
Professor Malden gave her an admiring smile. “Impressive deduction. We’ll make a professor of you yet.”
“Not in a million years.” She furrowed her brow. If Malden’s connection was broken, could she still make a portal? She looked at Lucio.
“Can you still make an image of Lena? In her world?”
Lucio grinned, and placed his hand on her arm. A picture of a beaming Lena appeared in her head. Sarina smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. Then we’ll need your help. And your mother’s.” They reached Eva and turned the corner, enjoying the respite from the constant fight to stay upright, and some protection from the buildings.
Eva’s eyes reached her, and as always, showed she understood more of their predicament than should be possible. “There is trouble in our world—and in yours. But first, speak to me of Paolo and Andreas. Why do they not accompany you?”
Sarina heard the lack of worry in Eva’s tone, which to others may have sounded odd, but to her was perfectly normal. Normal for Eva to know her older son and Andreas were safe, and there was a perfectly good reason for them not to be here. She caught herself. Maybe not so much a good reason, as a necessary reason.
Tomas was looking at her. “I trust your forthcoming explanation will satisfy Eva. But can it wait some more cries of the crow? I am famished and sorely in need of shelter from this.” He pointed into the air.
Eva nodded and immediately turned, beckoning them to follow her around the township’s deserted pathways and into the cabin Sarina knew well.
Eva closed the door and gestured for them all to sit. She fetched a large bowl of fruit and placed it in between them all. Malden looked confused. “I haven’t been introduced, yet you act as if I am one of your party. But I was your enemy—I don’t understand.”
“You have to get used to them, Professor,” Sarina said. “They’ll bring you a cup of tea before you even know you’re thirsty.”
“Besides,” Eva said, smiling, “it was not you that was our foe, but something ... out of place. And from what I observe, Sarina believes you to be an important part of ending this madness. Why else would she return to this world—just to make friends with her old enemies?”
“Touché,” Malden said, and dipped his head.
“Now,” Eva said, turning to Sarina. “What is it we must do? What is this nightmare between our worlds, and why are Paolo and Andreas not here safe with us?”
Sarina drew a deep breath. Such a long story, and so little time to tell it.
~ 60 ~
The Abyss
After a couple of interjections by Professor Malden and Tomas, Sarina finished her rapid flashback of recent events, ending with her request for Eva and Lucio’s help.
“Then we must not dally any further,” Eva said. “Lucio and I will give everything we have to help you return safely. To the park, you say?”
Sarina nodded. “The park, yes. Remember to save some energy for making some kind of contact with Paolo. We may need it.”
Eva handed out the rest of the fruit. “We can eat on the way. I do not know when we might have the chance again, so profit from it now.”
Good advice. From what Professor Malden had told her, if they didn’t fix the rift as soon as possible, then their last supper might be sooner than anyone expected.
They left the comparative quiet of the cabin and went back out into the chaotic wind, tightening their clothes around them.
The wind’s strength in the park was worse, and made conversation all but impossible. They came to a halt and Sarina stretched up to Malden’s ear. “I’LL USE MY POWER TO PAINT THE INSIDE OF THE CAFÉ IN THE AIR IN FRONT OF US. WE ALL JOIN HANDS. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ADD TO MY ENERGY.”
Malden nodded and moved to straighten, but Sarina pulled him back to her. “HOLDING FOCUS IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART
. WHEN THE PORTAL IS ACTIVE, WE JUMP THROUGH. NO HESITATION.”
He nodded again. Sarina held out her hand, closed her eyes, and brought forth an image of the lab café’s lounge area. She held the focus for a while, intent on burning the image into her mind and overcoming the constant buffeting from the wind. Then she opened her eyes and allowed a stream of orange plasma to flow from her fingers, and began to create a frame. The image—about the size of a garage door—hovered above the ground in front of them. She completed the last join in the frame, and the orange perimeter took on a dim glow. Not enough power. She focused again, and held out her other hand without looking around. “Lucio—hold my hand and join with the others. This may be more difficult than I thought.”
In truth, making the frame had depleted her energy reserves much more than she expected. The strenuous trek through the exhausting storm must have taken its toll without her realising, and now she was running on pure adrenaline. Focus. Follow your own advice.
She jumped slightly, feeling the power surge through her from Lucio, Eva ... and something else; unfamiliar yet known? She realised with a shock it was Professor Malden, whose power was infused with familiar vestiges of her old enemy. She took a moment to take in her new strengths, and lifted her hand to continue with the orange imagery. In the cabin she’d made the decision: in one of her first discoveries of her so-called power in this world, she had manifested a fluorescent orange stream of crackling plasma. She hoped the familiarity would overcome any resistance thrown up by the rift, or her and Nathan’s previous legacy when they thought they’d been trapped in Paolo’s world. On that occasion Nathan had helped create a shift in frequency, and with help from Lucio, and then Eva, it had made all the difference. But Nathan wasn’t here.
All those thoughts flashed through her mind by the time she completed the image of the café, which now shimmered in mid-air, and was spitting angry dark-orange sparks in random patterns. “TRY TO KEEP IT STABLE. PROFESSOR, WE LEAVE IN THE NEXT FEW SECONDS. GET READY TO JUMP. POWER UP, EVERYONE!”
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 91
