Of Crimson Indigo: Samuel Nomad's NEW AMERICA

by Grant Fausey

  "All right," said Flatbed Eight. "Let's get busy. They'll be back before you know it, and we're going to have to have this machine donate a few components to refit twenty-one." Zez Lee pivoted, stepping solemnly over to where Flatbed had tracked himself next to the components. He looked down at the remains of the escort ship and let out a half sigh. "Sorry, little fellow. But you're going to have to be giving up a few components until we can get you back to base."

  Flatbed endeavored to lift the cockpit section by himself. Zez Lee balked awaiting an answer from the organic machine. It was as if he was having a form of deja vu. He remembered being here, at this particular moment before. He had watch Flatbed move the machinery only moments before. It was as if he was reliving what they had already done. Something was wrong. Something was different. Zez just didn't know what it was. But it bothered him. The smaller machine let out a moan and groaned as he helped lift the cockpit with Flatbed. He whined a little, but it wasn't from the strain of the work, but rather from the uncertainty of the events. He pressed himself forward and in his stride, transferred the remains to Flatbed's cargo cradle. Flatbed eight let out a groan: His suspension system taking on the heavy load. Zez let go and the cargo settled into position, secured in the cargo bed. The task was over, but Zez looked puzzled. He had never before experienced deja vu, and he hoped he never would again. The experience was to unnerving.

  – 11 –

  THE SELF

  • • •

  THE THIRD UNIVERSE

  THIRD DIMENSION

  The time distortion wave rippled across the remains of the cargo whale dissipating as it widened its transformation of the universe. Tia was face down on the floor of the main cabin, however the bridge no longer was filled with smoke. The windows along the nose of the flight deck had been busted out from impact of the crash. A forest of undergrowth had taken root through the openings, filling the interior of the ship with a jungle setting. Electrical arc leaped from Tia's wristband, striking about the interior. Tia again awoke, coughing. "Where am I..." she moaned, holding her head as she pulled herself up, attempting to stand like a newborn fawn.

  "Wait a minute. I've already been through this, haven't I? I was just..." She moaned again. "What hit me?" she asked running her hand through her hair and across her forehead to find dried blood covering her scalp. She didn't remember having a head injury, but she did remember being in a crash. Someone had saved her ... her father, no ... it wasn't her father ... something or someone had entered her thoughts. Deja vu. She had done this all before, but something was different, something was tugging at her mind.

  "Damn..." she groaned: Again the voice of an unseen being emanated out of the surroundings into a voiceless essence in her mind, startling Tia. "I have a headache."

  "You were in danger..." said the voice of the self.

  Tia spun around slowly, attempting to get a fix on the voice, but it came from everywhere, or at least, it seemed too. She shook her head, hard and nearly fell over. "You left us no choice..." continued the voice. "US..." uttered Tia. Now she was really confused. "Wait a minute ... my head. You're in my head.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Where are you?"

  Tia looked around, scanning in all the broken conduits, hanging wires, smashed panels and broken glass that her mind could take. "What are you?" she continued. There was no answer. "Who are you?" she repeated, angrily. "A friend ... Tia," said the voice. "I'm a friend."

  "Great..." Tia figured she had snapped. "I've a friend," she said bluntly. "So where the hell am I?"

  "Orgus two ... remember?"

  "Oh yeah. The mining rig..." Tia was very distant, disturbed by the incident. "The whale?" she yelped remembering the accident.

  "What about the Jumpship and the whale..." The events seemed to pound at her had like she was being ordered to forget.

  "Wait a minute," she said angrily. "What about the whale?

  “The cargo of Senators?" Again, there was no answer, only the awning at her brain. She stepped out into the center of the flight compartment, pushing aside a dark, blue green leaf.

  "Something hit the whale ... I remember. Jennifer hit the whale and we were thrown into the rig by her time wake."

  "You've been here for more than a year, Tia," said the voice.

  Tia was frightened.

  "A year..." she whimpered. "I've been out of communication for more than a year!

  “How is that possible? They would have searched for me. Why didn't the find me?"

  "Something happened to the universe, Tia. It's not of my doing ... something is wrong."

  Tia lost her balance and stumbled; not really falling. She caught herself on the edge of the pilot chair, tugged on the seat cushion and pulled herself up next to it. "Something wrong with the universe," she repeated making more or a statement than an inquiry.

  She straightened her hair, and coursed her lip with the edge of her finger, feeling the worn edge of her lip. She was remembering events that had never happened to her, like a fuzz haze in her mind. It was a memory all right, but it was as the universe that had changed. She wasn't sure what it was … an indifference maybe: Something that shouldn't be there. But one thing was definite. Samuel Nomad was gone. The transport tube was cracked and crushed at one end. Foliage and thin vines were growing out of the top of the view port window of the suspension chamber. Tia proceeded slowly, cautiously.

  "The man is gone," said the voice of the Self. Tia took one step at a time, hopefully not to alarm the entity within her craft. She wondered if Samuel Nomad himself, or his life force had remained. His human remains would have decayed over the course of a year and there certainly wasn't any evidence of his body in the tube. "There's no need to be afraid, Tia," said the self. "The man was removed from the universe. The change that occurred to the universe had no place for him."

  "What are you saying?"

  "Why are you so frightened?"

  "A single man was removed from the universe. That's not possible. You can simple remove someone from the universe.

  "No one else knows you're here," continued the Self. We've kept you well-hidden, don't you remember?"

  The Alpha Renetta, thought Tia. She was in the presence of the Alpha Renetta. Tia thought about it for a moment. If she was in the presents of the Alpha Renetta she was in no danger. If she wasn't, well, anything could happen. She decided to be honest. It was the best policy regardless of how the situation developed. She couldn't lie.

  "No..." she said bluntly. "I don't remember. And, frankly, I don't think I want to either."

  Tia was beautiful mess, but still beautiful. She was young, her auburn hair was in desperate need of attention, but still she was a beautiful woman. She walked shakily toward the exit, trying to but some distance between her and whatever it was that was in the flight deck with her. "I have to check on the Senators," she said coyly. "I have to make sure my passengers are okay."

  Something unseen moved past her. Tia spun around facing the rear of the flight deck, but nothing was there. Not even a shadow. "The men you speak of are no longer here, Tia. The universe altered for them also. They have been removed."

  Tia tried leaping through the broken window in the nose of the tug. She hit the ground in a tuck and roll, and came back to her feet. She looked back at the ship, seeing it's charred, crushed and collapsed hull. "My God!" she screamed. "I'm dead aren't I?"

  The self didn't answer, instead, the invisible being listened to her pant. Finally, once she caught her breath, Tia searched for a place to run, but there wasn't one. A barrier of fluctuating energy surrounded her location; encased her ship, making escape impossible. The invisible wall, filled with electrical arcs, shattering the silence of the early morning peace with a crackling sound that erupted like a burning log on a fireplace fire. Fear coursed her veins. This was a prison an impenetrable prison.

  "I'm here, Tia..." said the self making her frantically uncomfortable. "Are you hurt?" Tia didn't answer. Instead she cur
led up in a ball, backing away from the sound of the voice. "Why are you so afraid. As you have asked, the barrier is for your protection. If you want outside I can move it back for you."

  "Remove it all together.” Tia shook her head. Please," she screamed, nearing hysteria. "Let me go..."

  "Why do you plead with me..." said the self. The unseen being was becoming more than concerned. "You are not a prisoner here. I have been with you all your life, Tia. It is only now that your abilities awaken and remember the gift of the Tribesmen?"

  "Why do you treat me as a stranger?" The voice became questioning, puzzling. The self awaited her answer. But none came. "I'm not to be feared," continued the soft voice of the Self, softly. "Please do not be afraid. As I am now, I have always been. I am your friend."

  "Right..." snarled Tia. "That's why there's walls to keep me in." "To keep you in ... no ... you are wrong, Tia," commanded the self. His voice became defensive. "The walls were your ship's safety measure. An extension of the electromagnetic shields around the cargo holds of your starship. The living essence of your machine used the energy to create a simple fence to keep out the beasts of the night. If you must explore I'm can remove the barrier as you wish."

  "What's outside...?"

  "Your cargo, Tia. Remember your crash?"

  "The Senators?" whispered Tia, remembering." No Tia, the universe changed. The dinosaurs...Tia."

  "The Dino what?"

  "Dinosaurs..."

  "What's wrong with me? Why can't I remember this?" The self didn't answer. Instead, Tia heard the angry roar of a dinosaur beyond the barrier. "Dinosaurs..." repeated the young pilot.

  "Yes, Tia," whispered the Self. The cargo, remember?" Tia remembered the mining rig, but not much more. What the hell was a dinosaur?

  "What's happened to the universe?"

  The wall of energy began to move, passing over Tia as she shuttered, emerging on the other side. She stood there in awe, confronted with the immeasurable beauty of her surroundings. A lush, green valley stretched beyond the crash site, covered in a thick forest of towering trees. Along the trunks of the great timberland, multi leveled cities hovered above the surface, suspended by huge bridges between the trees of the forest. It was an alien landscape. One she had never laid eyes on before. The lush green plants measured hundreds of meters in the air. The cities towered over them, extending out in circular rings that filled the forest with a bazaar of alien cultures. The civilization had soared to the height of the sky in a thundering embrace with nature. Even the remains of the cargo whale had fused to the masses, becoming one with both the forest and the remains of the mining platform.

  "My God!" she pleaded, feeling the overwhelming power of the beauty with which nature had bestowed the planet before her. But then, she realized an unshakable truth. She didn't know this world. Her rescuers didn't know this world. "They don't know where I am," she said startled by the fact. "They're looking for me in the wrong place. We're not in the past, are we?" Tia turned to look back at the city. "The universe has changed, Tia," repeated the Self. "This future is not your future. Consider it an alternative to your existence. Your friends have no place here. The changes have already been made." Tia's eyes widened; her mouth dropped open. She realized the impact of the Self's statement. She was in the future of an unknown universe! And, she was alone." Base One was a hive of activity. The computerized communications center had become the central command center.

  Trigen Three Four descended to the main level via an elevated platform, which appeared out of the wall along the edge of the automation center. He moved along the tracks embedded in the wall between the library and the computer core. Trinod Rex stood overlooking a tactical display, which materialized at a center point of the room. Below what he considered the control room of the communications center at the lower level, two blips appeared on the scope of the intercommunications viewing screen just above the core. Three screens lit up with transmissions. The first and most important was the center screen. The mission telemetry scrolled across the board. Trigen Three Four studied the display.

  "Main Frame," he said with a casual ease. "Data log up-link zero one two one, point one: Haulers Incorporated mission to Olympus Terra Three. Mission log shows us complete. Route the Submariner from Oceanna as requested. Return immediately to Base One for reassignment." The living machine paused, then made adjustments to the mission status.

  "Correction," he said boldly. "Mission diversion approved. Assist with the search and rescue, recovery operation." Brian's deep voice crackled over the airwaves. The fate of cargo whale was still unknown. Jake had retraced the departure path from point of origin to the past with little result. Trinod Rex looked up from his conference call to address his computerized counterpart.

  "Trigen," he trumpeted. "Have zero four five meet me in the main lounge. I'm going to need his help." The living machine attempted to compute the need to which Trinod Rex was referring, but the explanations he came up with didn't seem to fit any configuration that enhanced the immediate events. He figured the best thing to do was just carry out his orders. "Right away..." he answered. Hansen's runner came out of transition near the center of the explosion that sent Jennifer's escort and the tracker with Jake Stern aboard on their high-speed chase. But it wasn't the backlash of the impact that sent the shock wave across the land. Something else had entered the space-time continuum, a widening eruption of time and space itself. The cargo whale crumbled in the collision, shattering to the subatomic structure. The tug ripped through the towers and went scrambling into time, as did the cargo pods of the whale.

  "Brace for impact," shouted Hansen, supporting himself for the concussion of the approaching shock waves. "Hang on! We're going to be hit hard!"

  Hansen was right of course. It did hit hard. So hard in fact, that the jumpship was forced away from the explosion in a routing that hurtled it out into the open air of the valley. The resulting explosion swept the vehicle backwards away from the distortion waves. Every major system overloaded at the same time. Sparks flew from the panels in front Him. Tiana covered her face as electrical arcs raced through the length of the ship. Hudson screamed at the rear of the craft, his body covered in an electrical field as it centered on him. Then it happened, the bulk of the runner came apart, disintegrating in a rage of thunder that could only be signified by an implosion of explosions.

  Hansen felt the shutter, but he didn't see it. He could feel the machinery around him driven from the runner's framework metal surface curled and scrolled into useless pieces of metallic junk. Yet, he was still alive. The aft section of the command deck severed away from the rest of the vehicle, splintering in a rupture of components that filled the interior of the ship with a fireball of terror. Hansen's mind scrambled. Thunder one was disintegrating right before his eyes and not a single one of his crew had been killed. Injured maybe. But no one had been killed. What the hell was going on?

  And why?

  "Abandon ship," screamed Hansen. "All hands, abandon ship!" The runner wasn't going anywhere else. That was a fact. A hundred pieces of the ship slammed into the ground, driven by the force of the explosion. However, and this was much to his dismay, most of his gallant crew were gone. He just didn't know where. The entire episode was a mystery. Only Tatiana remained at his side. Hansen felt the ship hit the ground. The floorboards rip away under the tremendous impact of the fuselage against the surface. His machine was gone; his crew had suddenly vanished, and his universe changed right before his eyes. And there was nothing he could do about it.

  – 12 –

  TOO MANY MOVING PARTS

  • • •

  THE THIRD UNIVERSE

  THIRD DIMENSION

  A tall, slender piece of biomechanical machinery, Zero Four Five; a component part of Trigen Three Four, moved along one of the ceiling transit rails on a trek to the main lounge from the access way at the end of the corridor. The tiny machine descended from the upper levels and dropped from the railing, waiting for Trinod to arr
ive. At the other end of the adjoining corridor, an elevator door swished open, and Trinod Rex emerged into the corridor. "Awe..." said Trinod acknowledging the machine's presence. "There you are. I was wondering if you would accompany me to the lab."

  "Certainly, Trinod," answered the timid machine, speaking sheepishly. "What do you have in mind?"

  "A little old fashioned ingenuity, that's all," said Trigen as he smiled and reached up, holding open the transit rail connector for Zero Four Five. The tiny machine locked itself into position and departed along the rail, staying just slightly behind Trinod as he walked the length of the corridor and entered the maintenance and regeneration station. A huge cargo mover, a Tripodal carrier, lumbered through the regeneration station, whistling one of his favorite musical tunes. He was definitely ready to tackle anything the new day had to offer.

  "Well, howdah partners," he said in his southern draw. An old dialect trait form the southern part of what was once known as the United States, circa eighteen hundred. "It's a fine morning, wouldn't you say?" Trinod beamed at the carrier.

  "It certainly is, Tee Two. It certainly is." Zero Four Five nodded, continuing his trek on the overhead rail system. "Would you see if you can help secure the Submariner from Telta Minor upon its return," continued Trinod, taking care to make sure the Tripodal mover behind him, was listening. "The cargo it's carrying has to be transferred to the ark for departure to Nimbus Trexelle Three. The Earthcore Two departs as soon as loading is complete." The Tripodal mover gleamed from ear to ear.

  "Right away, Mr. Rex, Sir..." His voice beamed with genuine honesty. "I'll see you later. Tell Trigen Three Four I'm right on it. I'll be with him as soon as I get me some grub…" Trinod laughed. "That'll be fine, Tee Two," he said half paying attention.