by Grant Fausey
"Jason," said Redford anxiously. "We're going to need your expertise with the past. Katrina's patient takes priority, so Mains will collate your data here for evaluation. You'd better take a component part with you." Jason sloppily saluted and headed for the door.
"Good luck!" Redford reaffirmed with a nod, before heading for the exit himself. Less than a half an hour later, Hansen's runner exited the portal, accelerating to high speed. A new time travel vortex formed in the forest between the huge trees. It's rainbow of color alighting the surroundings in a pulsating array of colored light. This time the runner looked different. The machine still had its familiar "Y" shape; however, the upper part of the bridge between the exterior engine mounts outfitted with an assault pod. The pod rotated like an old World War II gun turret, complete with bubble. All of which, mounted centered on top of the vehicle.
Inside, Hansen took the controls from Tiana. Hudson latched the assault pod's delicate trigger mechanisms, while Tennerick and Kyle Travis climbed into their respective workstations.
Hansen was a good pilot, Vex Redford trusted him. But regardless of his experience, a time jump mustered danger. It didn’t matter if it was a simple space flight or some reconnaissance mission on a far off planet. This mission was different. It felt comfortable; right on course. The threshold vortex was an easy target. One Hansen could hit blindfolded on a precise trajectory.
"Vortex stable. Future wave corridor open," acknowledged Redford's voice over the intercommunications device. "Cleared for departure.
"VR" on line. We'll be with you every step of the way."
"Locking transit vectors," announced Tiana.
"Full power," said Hansen and the ship vanished into the time vortex.
Meanwhile, Vex Redford entered the communications and computer center, stood in the nucleus of the virtual reality core, hovering above the ground in the apparatus like a fly caught in a spider's web. As before, the entire machine was an intricate part of the main computer complex, suspended from the top of the computer and communications center. The operation concentrated on being capable of seeing into the past, the future or just into your favorite video game. In fact, the operation itself was a sort of video game. There were players and settings, opponents and imaginative alternatives to problems that needed to be solved. "I'm assembling the power grid..." said Redford. "Transit field is coming on line. Tracking." Vex looked to where the computer assistant worked the power grid.
"Power grid operational!" said the device. "Understood, Shangri La," echoed Hansen's husky voice. "Thunder one departing." Vex Redford acknowledged. The array of his visor lit up with a beautifully displayed version of the tropical rainforest. It was an experienced view. He had a complete understanding of the power grid that was forming in the image. The headset lit up with the appropriate information. The upper visor filled with computer screen icons like any good program. The power grid was coming on line. A time counter became visible in the lower right hand corner of the grid, depicting a ninety-second countdown.
"Power grid is stabilizing," announced Mains computerized voice. He was calm and well versed in the tactics of being direct and right to the point. "Full power in thirty seconds." The virtual reality representation of the tropical rainforest, dissolved away and the image in Vex Redford's visor became that of the real rainforest. The runner neared the vortex. The exhaust ports on Hansen's runner burst into life and the vehicle accelerated across the threshold of the time travel portal, vanishing into the interior in a flash of illumination. Vex Redford removed his helmet and stepped out of the virtual reality apparatus.
"It's over to you, Mains. Keep constant track of them and report any deviations to the plan."
"Vex," announced Katrina over the intercom. "We've had some developments in medical.”
“On my way!" shouted Vex Redford, heading for the exit. The Shangri La Mansion's medical Facility was state of the art, a real fashion in the techniques of diagnosis and treatment. The room was circular with small alcoves along the back wall. The entire operation was small, but nonetheless, effective. Vex had spared no expense in its creation and the premises reflected his care and professionalism. The medical department could double as a research department, which it often did.
Vex Redford entered through the sliding doors to the medical facility. The injured pilot was still in the center of the room suspended on the same medical analyzer table. Nothing had changed, not even the position of the circular rings of light, which passed along the length of the table, covering every part of the woman's body in the rejuvenating rays of the same medicinal light he had seen before. Katrina Malee approached him as before, but this time she didn't smile before discussing her patient's condition.
"How's she doing, doctor?" he asked, concerned. "Any changes in her condition?"
"Some," she said warmly. "But you'll have to see for yourself. We've had a few developments and we may have figured out why she hasn't been responding to the treatment. Mains has identified some very interesting hypothesizes about her genetic makeup. She is different; even more so than we thought. Vex looked at the table and Katrina continued her report.
"If I didn't know better," she said with a bit of an attitude. She's alien, but she's not. She's as human as you or I. She's just been undergoing a kind of metamorphosis. Consider her a new breed of human, Vex. One that's been manufactured, but I don't think it’s been recent. Her DNA structure is too complex, or at least too rearranged. Katrina pondered a thought then exercised her voice.
"It's as if the entire Earth..." she said gesturing with her hands. She made a circle with her arms, "...as we know it, never existed." Vex Redford stared at her, trying to understand what it was she was trying to say. "It's as if it's a different Earth ... with a different evolutionary past," she continued. "Her DNA is more plant than animal ... yet it's somehow being maintained on the same molecular level."
"Then you've confirmed she's some kind of mutated human being? "Oh, yes," said Katrina. "But she's not a hybrid, not in the sense of being an improved model of one of us. She's not a hybrid of Homo sapiens. It's more of an alternative one of us, one based on a new set of amino acids. Another past to the Earth?"
"No," said Katrina, answering Vex's question. "Perhaps another past for humanity, maybe. At least a coexisting one, like I said before, everything that makes her human is still being rewritten. It's an evolution in mankind, or in part, what we are. Regardless of how you look at it, it's not the same world anymore."
"Do you think she knows what she is?"
"Ask her yourself," answered Katrina. "She is awake." Vex walked over to the apparatus with the doctor joining her patient and the medical assistant. Vex smiled. "She says her name is Walker ... Laura Anne Walker.
"Is that anything like, Bond?" chuckled Vex. "James Bond?" Laura Ann and Katrina both laughed.
"No..." answered the doctor, shaking her head. "At least, I don't think so."
"Well, maybe..." added Laura Ann Walker.
"He was always my favorite boyhood hero."
"Mine too." Laura Ann extended her hand and Vex Redford took a gentle hold of it, shaking hands with her.
"I'm Redford," he said in a stern masculine voice. "Vex Redford." Laura Anne smiled. "I'm glad to meet you, Vex Redford." "We've been discovering some very interesting things about you, young lady. Do you have any idea...?"
Laura Anne looked oddly at him. He continued his thought anyway. "Ideas about what, Vex Redford?" she asked. "Being human, or bio genetically engineered?"
"That's a good starting place," answered Vex Redford, considering she had hit the nail on the head. "We're trying to understand, but we have a lot of questions."
Laura Anne tried to sit up and Katrina caught her, helping her to sit on the edge of the table. "I'm not some kind of freak, if that's what you're asking. I'm a scientist, that's all and your runners keep interfering."
"Our runners?" questioned Vex, taking a step back. "How can our runners be interfering?
�
�With what?"
"With the natural course of our evolution, Vex Redford." Katrina opened her instruments again and started to run a scanner over Laura Anne's body from across the room as she stepped away from her. "We're trying to repair the damage done by the Atarrell Corporation. The future is much different than you imagine, Vex Redford." Laura's tone became quite serious. "The Atarrell Trini Earth Corporate controls the planet. It wasn't an easy win. The hostile takeover of the Earth's corporation undermined the structure of humanity. They did it somewhere in the past."
"You mean to tell me, some alien changed the basic structure of life on Earth?" "We're still trying to find out when," noted Laura. "Our history begins about the time of the Rannian period, your Jurassic. But it seems to end there, and pickup again later. Our evolution has been periodic, starting and stopping. At least, as far as we can tell, my race emerged as a result of the hostile takeover of Earth Corporate."
"You mean they eliminated Earth Core from existence?"
"Yes," answered Laura coldly. "That's exactly what I mean."
"Vex," interrupted Katrina. "Look at this." Katrina connected the scanner to the instrument panel and a three dimensional representation of the information appeared over the scanner apparatus, detailing the helix and DNA strands."
The image of the helix brightened then started mutating. "There it goes again!" Katrina continued the scan. "The sampling is continuing to mutate on its own."
Laura Anne lowered her head.
"Mutate..." said Vex Redford.
"Yes," concluded Laura. "We're continuing to evolve. We just don't know into what. We're more plant than animal now. You said it yourself. We're undergoing a metamorphosis."
"Don't worry," said Vex. "We'll get to the bottom of it! We've good people on our team and you're welcome to join us.
"Thank you, Vex Redford. I'd like that."
"You're welcome," added Vex Redford. Mains mechanical voice echoed into the room, breaking the moment with a loud, summoning command for details. "Redford to the communications center ... incoming transmission from Earth Corporate, priority one!"
"On my way, Mains," answered Vex, astonished. "Route communications to the "CIC" lounge. I'll take the transmission there."
– 7 –
A GAME OF TAG
• • •
THE THIRD UNIVERSE
THIRD DIMENSION
Vex Redford entered the lounge and routed himself to a communications terminal at the opposite end of the long conference table. "Proceed with transmission, Mains," he demanded. The terminal lit up with the image of Senator Cobson Rondell filling the screen.
"Vex,” said the Senator in a hurry. “I haven't much time, but I wanted to inform you of corporate discussions involving the Shangri La operations. The directors have initiated a search and destroy policy on all non corporate runners, including yours."
"Understood, Cob." Vex Redford was visibly concerned about the situation, but he had to get to first things first. "Cob," he continued. "I want you to listen to me. We've bigger problems!"
Vex told the extraordinary tale to Senator Cobson Rondell listened to each and every word of it, hearing the about the young woman Redford's team had retrieved from the future after the attack had been made on Hansen's jumpship. His eyes widened, concern over the facts. Redford was talking undermining of the Earth Corporate Alliance and the replacement of humanity with a vegetable version of Homo sapiens. The entire tale was extraordinary. The mere fact that humanity had been dealt such a strong blow was astounding to Cobson Rondell, and he wasn't going to take it laying down. The Earth Corporate Alliance had to be notified. But who could be trusted? Senator Rondell looked out the large viewport windows, drawing near to the aperture as he listened from his passenger seat on the Star Bus.
"Tender Foot" he could see the entire docking facility. Suddenly, everyone became suspect to him, "... and that's as much as we know, Senator," concluded Redford. "She's continuing to mutate. As soon as we have a handle on it, we'll make an educated guess at returning her to a normal pathway. For the moment, I think that's all we can do. Our only hope is that Hansen will discover something in the past that's usable."
"I agree," answered the Senator. "In the meantime, I'll see what I can find out on this end. I'll get back to you with some answers, hopefully. Good luck ... Rondell out!"
Vex Redford hesitated for a moment, ending the transmission at the terminal. He was considering what the Senator had to say. Sarcastic for the most par: He was feeling a little…. "Great," he admitted finally. "Another feather in my cap."
Redford turned around. Mixed feelings. "Mains," he said optimistically. "Meet me in the computer center. I want to run a simulation. Have your version of the analysis ready." Redford had a plan, one that obviously required Mains’ mathematical skills.
Mains voice crackled under the added stress. "Computing for translation," said the machine. The genetic engineer in Redford came to life, excited. He had an idea. "Program ready at your request."
"Thanks, Mains. You're a great help."
Redford thought for a moment then continued. "Katrina..." he waited for an answer.
"I'm on the line, Vex," answered Katrina. Her voice echoed. "Will you and Ms. Walker meet me in the computer simulation bay?”
"On our way!" answered Katrina.
Samuel Nomad awoke to find himself in the confines of a dark and dismal cargo hold. The floorboards rattled pounding at his ears. He gaged at the smell, bound from behind, and laid face down on the veneer. Why, he asked himself. The answer was simple––His father wasn't his father, but rather one of the engineers who helped create him the nutty professor. Shanghaied, he thought, and by none other than … he stopped. Michael Tyler was right. He needed to watch his back, but why? Who wanted him out of the way, and for what? It was obvious Michael was involved with the professor on some level. The question remained. "Why?"
Samuel Nomad knew the answers would be long in coming. Perhaps once the transport landed, he would find answers. For now, he was trapped like a rat in a cage ... all because he hadn't followed the advice of a friend.
He felt the ship make the jump to dimensional travel. Wherever it was he was going, he was in for the long hall. Ships didn't make dimensional jumps unless they were destined for other realities, other futures or times long gone. Samuel knew somehow was heading for all three.
• • •
Vex Redford climbed into the Virtual Reality apparatus one more time, and maneuver it through a maze of twisting and turning movements until Katrina Malee and Lisa Keri’s image entered the simulation bay behind him. "Okay Vex..." said Katrina. "We're here."
Vex acknowledged them, but didn't look up from the simulation. "Mains," he sundered. " Begin simulation."
"Simulation running," charged Mains. "Index two three one point two three."
A holographic image materialized in the center of the simulation bay forming the basic shape of a DNA strand. The Helix formed in the center of the chamber. "Entering simulation," said Redford. "Continue to index the next cycle."
Mains acknowledged him and began computations. It was obvious Vex Redford was more or less speaking to himself, considering what he was looking for, his breathing heavily; everything an effort.
He began his briefing.
"What you see here is a normal alpha helix. Now, let's overlay the mutated version taken from our first encounter."
The image broadened and the second representation overlapped with the image of the original arrangement of the helix. "Log the index," said Vex. The image of another Helix formed coexisting with the previous image.
"Katrina," continued Vex Redford, addressing her directly. "Log the first sample of Laura's DNA from your initial scans so that Mains can overlay them into the image."
"Okay!" answered Katrina as she walked over to the control panel and depressed the keypad, extracting the appropriate information. Mains transferred the data into the system and the simulation adjusted the image of Katri
na's first scan to fit the overall picture. The image adjusted to the simulation sliding in between the other two Helix images.
"Good," said Vex preoccupied. "Enter the scan from when I met Laura." Katrina made the appropriate adjustments and the system retrieved the information.
"Okay," answered Katrina. "Displaying now." The image of the scan entered the simulation.
"Mains," said Vex excitedly. " Add the logged indexes and interface with the new pattern then align the images with the last bio-scan of Laura Anne. Scan and adapt, display the results in multipoint perspective!"
A pattern appeared around Laura Anne Walker, surrounding her in another radiant light as it moved around her. "Displayed," announced the computer. The simulation adjusted to fit between the Helix images. "Identify and log all variations on the original DNA and display with color coding, Mains." The image manipulated, identifying the appropriate variations with a brilliantly colored cryptograph. Several of the originals scan logged on, identifying with the last interpretation of Laura's DNA structure.
"There's an answer here. We're just not seeing it. We need to find that Pteranodon. We're going to need a sample of its DNA.”
Vex stepped out of the simulation.
"Any ideas?"
Katrina thought for a long moment. "Get Hansen back here," she said definitively. "I think we're looking in the wrong place."
”
– 8 –
MICHAEL TYLER
• • •
THE THIRD UNIVERSE
THIRD DIMENSION
Vex Redford stepped out of the simulation room and entered the communications center through a set of double glass sliding doors. "Mains," he snapped. "Open a channel to the Earth Corporate Directive. I want to talk to my old friend, Michael Tyler."
