“How could I miss the chance to meet our young guests from the Fourth?” Wizard replied. “It’s the chance of a lifetime. First contact with members of the Fourth Verse. It’s all so exciting.”
“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Dorian turned to Asher. “Ava was asking after you. Why don’t you rejoin her, and I’ll see to my father. It would appear he has had a bit too much to drink.”
Asher, glad to be out of the awkward situation, excused himself and made his way across the room to where Ava was still surrounded by a small group of people fawning over her. Halfway there, he turned back over his shoulder and saw two large men on either side of Wizard escorting him out. He hadn’t thought the old man was that drunk, but maybe he’d been wrong. Or maybe… No, it was best not to entertain such thoughts. The old man had just been talking craziness in his cups.
He rejoined Ava and nursed his cocktail as the night wore on. Just before Asher finished his drink, Lady White and Dorian took them aside.
“If you’re up to it, there is something that I’d like to discuss with you, before the hour grows too late. I’m sure you must be tired,” Lady White said. “After all, you’ve had quite the day or two.”
In fact, Ava was not tired at all. She felt wide awake and energized, as if she could go all night and into the day. “We would be delighted.”
They retreated to the Prime Minister’s office on the top floor of the Embassy building. They were seated comfortably on two couches that faced each other. “Can I offer you anything? A nightcap perhaps?” Lady White asked.
“I’d love one,” Ava replied. Lady White looked to Asher for his reply.
“Nothing for me, thank you.” In truth, he had been thinking about the drunken ramblings of Dorian’s father. Had he been rambling, or was this what he had been talking about? Asher couldn’t be sure about anything right now, but he did know that he wanted as clear a head as possible. In fact, now he was wishing that he’d taken it easier on the drinks altogether.
“Lovely.” Lady White poured the drinks herself from a small bar along the wall. One for Ava, Dorian, and herself. After passing them out, she began. “I’m sure that by now you must have countless questions, but one most likely reigns above the others—why are you here? What did we go through all the trouble of bringing you to our Verse for?”
“Well, the simple answer is, of course, that you need our help with something,” Ava replied confidently. “And, given the very advanced state of your world over ours, it’s clearly something that only we can do for you. Am I right?”
“Perhaps more right than you know,” Lady White said. “In truth, there is something that we need you to do, and you are uniquely suited to accomplish this task.” She paused, gaging their reaction. “You see, there are other Verses… Ones that are not so kind and benevolent as ours. Regrettably, one such Verse—at one time considered to be our closest friend and ally, has committed an unspeakable crime. They have stolen something very dear from me.
“I became pregnant during a sensitive time of political unrest and conflict with the Verse responsible, the Sixth. Fearing for the safety of the child, I had the embryo removed from my womb and preserved. Many years later, agents from the Sixth found out about it and managed to steal the embryo. I have searched tirelessly for the last fifteen years for any trace of my child. Several weeks ago, one of our agents stationed in the Fifth came across what turned out to be, my son’s DNA markers in a random search. Every attempt to get closer to him has resulted in one of our agents going missing. We believe that the Sixth has agents of their own in the vicinity, and they are closing in on his whereabouts.”
“What can we possibly do that you can’t?” Ava asked. “If your agents keep disappearing, what makes you think the same won’t happen to us?”
“An excellent question, Ava. I’m glad you asked.” Lady White continued, “This is where your unique makeup comes into play. You see, the members of the Sixth Verse are unlike the rest of the MultiVerse. Whereas we have evolved with the help of our technological advances, they have evolved somehow without them. We’re not exactly sure how it happened, but it did. They have the ability to communicate directly with each other’s minds. The cruder term for it is telepathy, but I assure you, having experienced it in my dealings with them, it is much more than that. They have the ability to affect our brains in such a way that they can make us see what they want us to see and hear what they want us to. And all at a distance, no less. Most of the population possess only the basic ability, but a very small subset, those who become agents, have powerful abilities that go far beyond the others. We refer to these agents as Shadows. Some, but not all of them, have the ability to move matter with their minds—the effects of which can be quite unnerving, believe me.”
“And you want us to go up against them?” Asher asked, not believing his ears. These people were insane. He thought back to the terrible feeling he’d had just before they’d gotten in the car with Dorian. It was not a feeling he hoped to ever experience again.
“Please, Asher, let our hostess continue,” Ava admonished. “I’m certain she was just about to explain.”
“Yes, we have come up with a plan, that, with your help, will bring my son home, where he belongs. It is not without some risk, but most of it will be on our agents, and, with luck, you and Asher will be in and out before anything is suspected.”
“But the Shadows keep intercepting your agents—how will it be any different this time?” Ava asked.
Lady White turned to Dorian. “Do you want to answer this one?”
He nodded. “Of course… Much in the same way that the members of the Sixth Verse are different from the rest of the MultiVerse, so too are the members of the Fourth. We think it has something to do with the radiation fallout from your wars, we’re not entirely certain, but what is clear is that your minds are somehow shielded from the Shadows. They have no way of detecting someone from your Verse with their abilities, making you the perfect candidates for retrieving the prime minister’s son.
“Our own agents will draw the attention of whatever Shadows may be in the area, and lead them on a grand chase, providing you with a distraction. You need only locate the boy and extract him.”
Silence hung in the air for several minutes while Ava went over everything in her mind. Finally she spoke. “And in return for our help, I expect you’ll return the favor?”
Asher was shocked by Ava’s question.
Lady White merely smiled as if she had been expecting it all along. “Of course, we would be in your debt. Is there anything you can think of that we could do for you?”
“For one, you can help my Verse find a cure for the plague of darkness that has fallen over it.” Ava explained the details of the last few weeks in New Britain.
“Done. As soon as you return with my son, I will send a team of my best scientists to find out what has befallen your world.”
“Good. After that, I’m sure we can find some suitable form of trade between our two worlds. Something that would benefit us both,” the princess said.
Lady White bowed her head. “It would be our honor.”
“Very well, then. You have a deal.”
Chinese Take Out
Jack and Kid were released three weeks later. They had been separated, questioned, threatened, and bullied—but only for the first few days. The remaining time they spent in relative comfort as they played their roles.
The news networks, in conjunction with local and federal law enforcement, had leaked that a man and a boy had been apprehended and were believed to have been responsible for the riot. When the madman responsible heard that someone else was being charged, he came forward and confessed, not able to stand someone else getting the credit for his handiwork.
Kid’s parents were officially assumed dead, along with countless others. Kid seemed to be coping with the news, but Jack could only imagine what he was going through.
With no next of kin, Jack worked it out for the boy to stay with him,
until something else could be arranged. Truth be told, with all the paperwork and clean up going on, the officer in charge was relieved to have one less thing to deal with. He conveniently lost the paperwork and warned Jack that in the future should any of it come to light, he would not be the one to take the heat for it.
Jack assured him that no such thing would be necessary. After all, Jack’s ID was fake, and he knew his guy could come up with some forged adoption papers for Kid.
“You hungry, Kid?” Jack asked as he walked in the door to his apartment. He had been looking for a new job. Even if the cab company hadn’t fired him, he would have had to find new work soon, with the sky lanes being almost complete.
Kid spent his days in the apartment, surfing the net and watching vids. Jack would need to get him back into school at some point, but for now, there was enough to worry about.
“I’m starving!” Kid replied.
Jack was a bachelor and his place reflected it. His fridge had little else besides half-empty condiments in it.
Chinese food was decided upon, and they walked around the corner to the Shanghai Garden.
Jack ordered for both of them, then led Kid to a booth in the corner. As they were settling into the booth, a tall man in an overcoat and hat passed by. “Good day, gentlemen,” he said, continuing on his way out of the restaurant.
“You feeling alright Kid? You look awful,” Jack said.
Kid’s face had gone pale. “I had a strange feeling when that man walked by, that’s all. I’m okay.”
Jack scanned outside on the street and found the tall man on the opposite corner of the street, looking in their direction.
The man, seeing that Jack was staring at him, slowly looked away.
He must have been looking at the sign on the window, or something, Jack thought, it just looked like he was watching us.
“Shake it off, Kid, he’s gone now.”
“Yeah, I feel better now. That was weird.”
They ate and discussed the events of the day—how the city was recovering from the Riot, how everything would be different with the sky lanes, and how Kid couldn’t tell anybody about Jack being from the future. Not that anyone would believe him if he did.
Jack wondered how the boy was coping with his own loss, but decided not to ask about it. Better if he brought it up whenever he was ready to talk about it.
Returning from dinner, Kid was the first to notice the note on the door of the apartment.
Jack, we need to talk.
Call me, there’s a cell inside.
— Desmond
“Who the hell is Desmond?” Kid asked.
The boy’s language had taken a turn, Jack noticed. Probably his fault, he wasn’t used to having to watch what he said.
“I’m not sure, but remember I told you about being sent back here? This might be the agency—maybe they found me. Or, it could be a new landlord.” The building they lived in was always changing ownership and management. Jack had thought about applying for the position himself on occasion. Couldn’t do a worse job, after all.
Either way, Jack was not happy that someone had been inside the apartment uninvited, and apparently by unforced entry.
“Did you lock the door?” he asked the boy.
“Yep.”
“Honest?”
“Honest! I swear I did. When have I not before? My mom used to say it every time I left the apartment, ‘make sure it’s locked, I don’t want anyone sneaking in here while I’m taking a nap.’ It wasn’t me, Jack. I locked it.”
Best to just go on in and see then.
Jack went in and looked around. Doesn’t look like anything is missing. Then again robbers don’t usually leave a note either.
“Check your stuff Kid, make sure nothing is missing.” While Kid went off to check, Jack found the cell phone on the kitchen counter. He picked it up and flipped it open. It was an old design, nobody used this kind anymore. A text message popped up: press send, D.
Jack didn’t know if he was ready just yet. He wanted to think on it a little more.
Kid came back in. “Nothing’s missing,” he reported.
Jack thought about it, for a few minutes, weighing the pros and cons until he finally said, “Fuck it,” and hit send.
The phone rang three times before someone picked up on the other end. “Jack, so good to hear your voice.”
“Who is this?”
“You know who this is, Jack.”
“Desmond? What do you want?”
“I want to give you an opportunity. An opportunity that would be beneficial for you and the boy. May I come in?”
There was a knock at the door. Son of a bitch. Jack went to the door and opened it. It was the tall man from the Chinese restaurant. “Not too freaked out, I hope.” He came in, uninvited, leaving the door wide open for someone else to close.
“You’d better start explaining real fast pal, or...” Jack backed up toward a certain spot in the wall.
“Looking for this?” Desmond asked, holding up the gun Jack had been going for. “Found it. And don’t think about going for the one in your room either.” He pulled a second pistol out of his overcoat. “You ancients never give me the time to explain, before you go off, resorting to violence. Or the threat of violence, anyway.”
“Kid, shut the door,” Jack said, as he sat down on the couch, motioning for the tall stranger to do the same.
“I’ll stand, if it’s all the same to you.”
“Suit yourself,” Jack said. “Alright, I’m listening, what’s this all about?”
“Like I said before—an opportunity.” Desmond paced back and forth slowly, like a man delivering a speech to an auditorium. “Someone is coming for you. They will try to talk you into coming with them, and if that fails, they may try to force you. Now, I know what you’re thinking, so stop thinking and just listen to what I’m telling you. I’m trying to do this the nice way. People are coming for you, if you’d like my help, you have my number.”
Jack was about to respond, but when he looked up Desmond was gone. Jack looked all around and finally to Kid. “Where did he go?”
“Where did who go? Are you feeling alright? Ever since we got back from the restaurant you’ve been acting weird. Did you get some funny noodles?”
“You mean to tell me you didn’t see him?”
“Jack, we came in, you told me to check if any stuff was missing, and then you started talking to yourself. You walked over and opened the door, then sat down on the couch and told me to close it. To be honest, you’re kinda freaking me out.”
“The man from the restaurant, the tall one, the one you had a strange feeling about, do you remember him?”
“Yeah…”
“So you mean to tell me, that you didn’t see him in the apartment here, just a second ago?”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you Jack, there’s been nobody here but you and me.”
Jack didn’t know what to think about all of it. He knew he hadn’t imagined it. It was real, it had happened, but why didn’t Kid see it? He needed some time to process everything. I need a nap, Jack thought to himself.
He had just closed his eyes when he heard the knock at the door. He really didn’t feel like getting up to answer it. “Kid, see who’s at the door, will ya?”
Kid walked over and opened the door. “Hi. Can I help you?”
There were two people standing out in the hallway, a young man and woman. They wore street clothes but their hair was long, almost down to the waist. Nobody wore their hair that long, except for the punks and the naturalist freaks. They must have the wrong apartment number, Kid thought. It had happened all the time in the building where he had lived with his parents, before the Riot had changed his life forever.
“We’re looking for Jack Spade, does he live here?”
“Who’s asking?” Kid found everything more fishy by the minute.
“Just tell him some friends from the Company dropped by.” The woman took out a
card from her pocket and wrote something on it. “Here, this is the hotel we’re staying at, room 506. Tell him we’d like to talk to him.”
They turned and left, and Kid shut the door, thinking that the day couldn’t get much weirder.
“Who was it?” Jack called from the couch.
“Two people from the Company…?” Kid replied. “Does that mean anything to you?”
Jack’s eyes went wide. Had they finally found him? Were they coming to take him back to his time line? “What else did they say?”
“That they were staying at a hotel nearby and they want to talk to you. Here.” Kid gave him the card that the man had given him.
Jack turned the card over. It was a standard business card reading:
The Company
established (at some point in time)
Jack had a laugh at that. The problem with time travel is that time to most extents becomes no longer relative. What was ironic was that they hadn’t been trying to travel through time at all. He was supposed to go to some parallel universe, but if he had, he went to one that was exactly like the old one, only a few hundred years behind it.
It was getting late and Jack decided to wait until the morning to see what the old Company wanted with him, if in fact it even was the future Company and not the upstarting Company of this time line.
He locked the door, told Kid not to stay up too late, and climbed into bed. He drifted off to sleep trying to make sense of the strange day he’d had.
Jack woke early, got dressed, and left a note for Kid that he’d be back by lunchtime. The hotel was nearby and Jack decided to walk. After all, in a few years the street level of New York would be all but non-existent as the city’s commerce began to grow skyward.
When he reached the hotel, the lobby was quiet. He greeted the doorman and made his way to the elevators. He got off on the fifth floor and wandered the hallways for a bit before he found the room he was looking for. He knocked on 506.
Strangers and Shadows Page 7
