The Garden

by Craig W. Turner

  Unfortunately, he thought, while such a process could protect individual members of the team from false accusations, since many of Robert’s trips were solo, he could not lean on this process to keep himself out of harm’s way. There was no one who could confirm or refute anything he’d say under questioning. Which was unfortunate. Something they should’ve seen coming.

  Dipin shook his head. He didn’t imagine he was being watched through the glass at the moment, so it was for his own benefit. The signs had all been there for them, but they were too caught up in the pageantry of their own brilliance. While all along it was the U.S. President whose plan had been magnificently constructed. Dipin hadn’t had enough time to get back to SATP and warn Robert. His intent had never been to rush in at the last moment to try to save the day. But he’d been hastened by the Attorney General’s announcement, which he knew would spur Reilly and the team into some kind of ill-conceived action. Fortunately, his own plan had already been set in motion, and he was in Washington, just a few hours’ ride to Greensboro. Had he still been in London, or even Toronto, he never would have made it in time.

  Now, he sat alone in a room in the darkest basement of SATP waiting for them to execute him.

  He wasn’t one hundred percent on his prediction for his own outcome, but he was pretty sure that was what was going to happen. When, he didn’t know. With a flurry of activity taking place in the SATP levels above him, it wasn’t clear when they’d make time for him. If the U.S. government realized what Robert and his team were up to, it would delay them, certainly. But the President’s program was underway. They would forcibly be taking over SATP soon, and they’d be doing away with anyone who had knowledge that could be used against them. Within 24 hours, SATP would be “shut down” in the eyes of the world, and while the partner nations would politically vie for the right to house and continue the program, the President would quietly and easily take control of what essentially was the ultimate weapon: the ability to change the past.

  His father had known it was a possibility from the outset, but Jay Chopra was a better scientist than he was a politician. The technology had been swept away from him in far less time than it had taken him to develop it. He had still assumed a prominent role within SATP, and Dipin’s own involvement had carried forward his legacy, without question. But it had only taken 20 years for political ambition and manifest destiny to win the day.

  He thought of the kid, Landon. Knowing what was coming, in private conversations with Robert, Dipin had not been supportive of his candidacy. He’d wanted someone more seasoned on the political spectrum. On the scientific side, there was probably no one in India more qualified. But Dipin believed that in a political struggle, Landon would not be up to the challenge. He’d tried to impress upon him the severity of the situation in their brief conversation, but wasn’t confident that he’d made himself clear. Now, Landon was set to go on this Eden mission, which would take him, with his colleagues, out of the picture.

  Dipin rapped his knuckles on the table twice and stood. He walked across the room and peered into the one-way glass, unaware if anyone was on the other side doing the same. He noticed he’d left a fingerprint on the window and breathed condensation on it before wiping it clear with his sleeve. Then, he stood at ease next to the door and closed his eyes.

  He let the silence echo in his mind, peacefully clearing his thoughts. It seemed like meditation, but in a less formal way. Just an exercise that he pulled out of his bag of tricks every occasionally, when clarity was useful.

  It was effective enough that he lost track of his sense of time. He didn’t know how long he was standing there before he heard the doorknob click.

  Dipin’s eyes opened just as the door did. A glint of polished black metal reflected from the overhead lights and his hands shot out quickly toward it. In a split second, he grasped the cold steel and pushed it upward. The barrel of the semi-automatic rifle he’d been anticipating coming through the door caught its carrier in the nose, shooting a stream of blood onto the door and across the floor. As the man fell, Dipin separated him from his weapon, and before the other guard could react, he swung it like a cricket bat, catching him in the jaw. The man stumbled, and Dipin shifted his hold on the gun, attacking the bridge of the man’s nose. Another spray of blood, and both men lay motionless on the floor.

  Dipin surveyed the hallway outside in anticipation of back-up for the incapacitated men, seeing no one. SATP had now tried unsuccessfully to kill him twice now, but assassination was not the organization’s forte. He dragged the two lifeless men fully into the room and closed the door before leaving on a contorted path through SATP that very few would be savvy enough to navigate.

  CHAPTER 38

  To Amy, it wasn’t the actual intensity of the mission that made her nervous. It was the fact that almost all the personnel that would normally be on-hand for a SATP mission had been cleared out in anticipation of the U.S. government’s move on the facility. There was a safety issue there that no one seemed willing to admit, which disappointed her. None of them had been brought onboard to let something so significant go on haphazardly. But none of them, herself included, were saying anything about it.

  The time had come, and they were passing through the security office manned by two former U.S. soldiers who she was convinced seldom saw the light of day. In fact, when they arrived, they began probing the team to learn what was happening in the levels above them. SATP protocol dictated that, under normal circumstances and without a scheduled mission, no one was allowed near the time portal. But, with Reilly accompanying them, there was little the soldiers could say.

  As they’d each passed biometric, voice print and ID code checks, opening the door leading to the time portal for them, Amy had listened intently to the tone of the conversation as Reilly had persuaded the guards that they were making the right decision in not impeding the team. She was astonished as the soldiers acquiesced to the General. Of course, he was the boss, but she did know that somewhere in the protocol book, there was a stipulation for when someone in authority would attempt to circumvent the rules. She was relatively sure that the guards were still supposed to stand their ground, and was genuinely surprised that their allegiance to SATP was so resolved. While she didn’t fully understand American politics, she did know, however, that these men were out of a job in a few hours if the mission was unsuccessful, which may have been motivation enough for them.

  As Amy passed through the door to the time portal, she instinctively cast a glance at the enormous glass window to her left, high along the wall. On the opposite side was Keegan, who was putting the final preparations together before joining them in the portal. It was risky, timing-wise, but with the engineering team out-of-service, someone had to do it. While it felt odd to walk into the portal as a team, but without him, she smiled to herself, thinking about how just a few hours before she’d been trying to keep up with his enormous strides as they’d gone to recruit Chester Davies, who was now beside her.

  She turned her attention away from the window and back to the team and her pod, the fifth from the left. She thought Claire had done a great job with the wardrobe – another role being filled by someone who didn’t normally do it. The two women were wearing longer dresses, tied with rope at the waist. The men wore white tunics and trousers, also cinched with rope. The ropes were made with natural fibers to survive the trip. Amy had no idea what their outfits should have looked like for the mission, and she was pretty sure Claire didn’t either, but under the circumstances, she felt like she was dressed properly for a trip to antediluvian times.

  Her pod was open, awaiting her. On the seat lay a small pack containing the most important part of her gear – her fully-programmed return cloak, which she’d strap onto her back before taking her seat in the pod. It had been a few months since she’d time traveled, but the routine was ingrained in her.

  She wondered briefly if the pods would look the same in the Chinese version of the time portal, then climbed into th
e one in front of her.

  CHAPTER 39

  Landon considered himself to be inquisitive, but generally preferred to get his information from research rather than asking questions, particularly in situations like this, where variable answers were not only possible, but anticipated. Now, especially since he wasn’t enamored with anyone on the team at that moment, he put that practice to use, watching the others’ procedures for getting into their pods rather than asking how things should be done. He figured Amy was the one to watch, as she seemed the most meticulous in her approach, and duplicated her every move – first sliding the small pack that had been provided for him onto his shoulders, and then taking his seat in the pod. He pulled a strap around his midsection and harnessed himself to the seat. He noticed that the others had all left the doors to their pods open for the time being, so he did the same.

  Now, finally, moments away from his first mission, he had a chance to inspect the device that would send his molecules hurtling through space and time. It was not quite as he’d expected. He would almost describe his surroundings in the pod as rustic. He’d seen the portal from the viewing room during his interview visit, and then again with the students the day before – which now seemed like it had been three years ago – but had no comprehension of what the inside of the device would look like. When he saw it, it made sense, since anything made of organic material would be sent through time. There were few bells and whistles: a monitor, presumably so he could watch a countdown, an array of reinforced tubing to his right and an orange lever to his left, which he pondered for a moment before a shadow fell over him.

  “How are you feeling?” Reilly said as Landon looked up to see him.

  “As you can imagine, I’m not in a peaceful frame of mind,” he said. “In a perfect world, the first time I see this device wouldn’t be right before I’m leaving in it.”

  Reilly nodded. “I know,” he said, then sighed. “I know this is not ideal for you, and that we’re asking a lot. I’m asking you to stay positive.”

  “Oh, I’m always positive,” Landon said. “Exactly how I get myself into messes like this.” He could tell by Reilly’s face that he wasn’t sure if Landon was being sarcastic or not, and Landon wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction by letting him know one way or the other.

  “Ok,” he said. “Not much to show you here. You’ve got your return cloak. The key is to just relax. Keep your eyes closed. It’s important. Don’t try to watch what’s happening. You probably won’t like it.”

  “That’s encouraging.”

  Reilly continued. “That monitor will give you a five-minute countdown and track your biometrics. Up until 90 seconds left, you can pull that orange lever to stop the process. Well, let me clarify. It doesn’t stop the process. It resets the system for another five-minute countdown. It’s not a chicken handle. It’s to be used if something’s wrong. Once the time portal is in motion, there’s no getting out of the pod, and there should be no reason to pull the handle.”

  “Why put it there, then?”

  Robert poked his face into Landon’s view past Reilly. “Everything good?” he asked.

  All Landon could do was nod.

  “Good,” Robert said. “It’s going to be great. You’ll see.” Landon thought his voice didn’t project as though it was going to “be great,” but also understood Robert’s position here, and appreciated even his attempt to be encouraging. He reached out and tapped Landon’s arm. “We have everything we need to keep us safe right here.”

  Landon glanced at his newly-acquired technology, where as much of SATP’s research on Eden as they could fit had been uploaded. “I wish it was that simple,” he said.

  Robert nodded as Reilly turned and left. “I’m going to close your pod now and get in mine. Then we just wait for Keegan, and we’re out of here.” He paused for a moment, then smiled. “It’ll be good. I’ll see you in a few minutes, 10,000 years in the past.”

  Darkness took over the inside of the pod as Robert closed the door.

  Landon’s anger for everyone in the pods next to his quickly subsided.

  It was replaced with fear.

  CHAPTER 40

  It was a flash across one of the screens on the right side of the display that first caught Keegan’s eye. Then one to his left. Then another in the middle of the array of monitors. The control room didn’t provide the same blanket coverage as the SATP security office, but it was comprehensive enough to let him know that there would be no diplomatic solution. What was coming, as Reilly had predicted, was an all-out assault on SATP.

  He could now see armed assailants entering various areas of the complex, weapons drawn. On-screen, he watched SATP security, as instructed, throw their hands in the air and allow the agents to pass. With no resistance, it would not be long until they reached the critical areas of the facility.

  Keegan glanced down at the monitor in front of him. Had they had the normal amount of time to prepare for this mission, the last-minute rush would not have been necessary. At 79%, the portal was probably charged sufficiently to make the jump. At least the first jump. Without a full charge, at this point it was questionable whether they’d be able to get back home, though. Under normal circumstances – meaning, without FBI agents storming the building and likely also on their way to this very room – Keegan would feel safe in knowing that the system would replenish its charge after they left. But with the imminent danger, there was no guarantee that the FBI wouldn’t knowingly, or unknowingly, shut down the system and strand the SATP team in the past. He had no choice but to hang tight.

  Below, in the portal, he could see the six occupied pods, with his empty one beside them. Robert, Landon, Amy, Claire, Reilly and Davies were ready to jump as soon as the system was sufficiently charged. Keegan would join them, but to do so he still had to make his way through what amounted to about a mile of highly-secure corridors. He figured he could cover the distance and the security checks, which were still in place for the moment, in about nine minutes, with the condition that he didn’t run into any FBI agents along the way. Anticipating they’d be headed to both locations, he knew he didn’t have much time.

  “Keegan, we’re waiting,” he heard Robert’s voice say through his headset.

  He touched a button closest to his right ear. “The system’s not ready yet. We’re only at eighty percent.”

  “That should be fine.”

  “No, it’s not,” he replied. He wasn’t sure if they knew about the intrusion yet. The FBI were making their advance ahead of schedule, so to Robert and the team, there should be no reason for concern at this point. They knew the clock was ticking, but had no idea just how quickly. For a moment, he considered saying something to Robert, but the comm system didn’t allow him to single Robert out for communication. He would have to tell all of them and, having taken a glance at their biometrics, which were already raging with anxiety, especially Landon’s, he knew they couldn’t handle the news.

  “Keegan, it’ll be at 85 percent by the time you get down here and-”

  He cut him off. “It’s not enough, Robert. Just sit tight. I’ll be on my way shortly.” He was sure the rest of the team was wondering what the hell was going on, but that his response would be enough for Robert to pick up what was really happening.

  There was a pause, then, “Alright. We’re standing by.”

  The charge was not filling as quickly as he needed. The other issue he was facing was that they’d chased Haru Fujioka out of the control room the evening before. Not chased her, exactly, but certainly made her uncomfortable enough to leave. So, there was no back-up. He, and he alone, had to get the system ready. And he had no choice but to stay here in the control room to see it through.

  He cursed himself for not starting the charge sooner. But it was what happened when you took a process that normally took a minimum of six weeks and crammed it into 12 hours. There was bound to be problems. He prayed this one was the worst of it.

  Glancing back at the secur
ity monitors, he tried to evaluate how far into the building the FBI had infiltrated. It was not an easy route that was ahead of them – SATP was quite intentionally designed to protect its most valuable assets within the compound. But they would get there soon. He had no doubt in that. By Keegan’s estimation, they were about three stories above the time portal. Which meant they were two stories above his own location.

  Keegan peered at the progress meter. Eighty-two percent.

  He would have to stay.

  CHAPTER 41

  The brief interaction between Robert and Keegan over the comm had been a strange one, but Claire tried to put it out of her mind. Keegan was the most scientifically-gifted person on the team, and if he was assuring Robert that his extra checks on the system were important, then they were important.

  Her mind flashed back to her own anxiety. In only a few minutes, she would be traveling 10,000 years into the past, to a time undocumented by man and one in which they had no idea what to expect. She was certain of one thing, however: that they would not be finding a mystical garden with two naked people running around naming animals. That much was clear. However, if they were to encounter humans, it would change the way people thought about their very own existence. Unable to focus her thoughts through her nervousness, she attempted to comprehend the extent of human history in total, until finally she forced herself to stop. It was only rattling her.

  Instead she focused on the fact that within a few minutes, her body’s molecules would be translated into light particles and bounced off satellites separated by tens of millions of miles to hopefully end up in a specific time and location that they’d determined was the right one.