“How do you know that?”
“Because I saw it. Beings—dead beings— I’ve never seen before.”
“I saw a woman get killed up there.” Carlos added.
“A human woman?” Axel asked.
“How can that be if the tower never made it here?” Jessica asked.
“It is possible that the nature of the towers is more than they appear,” Nobu said. “As though they are…I need to see the data.” He started toward his android team.
“I can save you some time, Doc,” Hick said.
“Hick?” Riot asked for clarification.
“Don’t worry, Sarge. This old boy knows more than how to shoot a gun. The nature of the towers is that they’re all separate but one. Like a…Like a—”
“Hive mind?” Axel asked.
“Yeah. Like a hive mind. These Space Druids are the same way.”
“How do you know this?” Nobu asked.
“Well, you just have to listen to them talk. And if B team, here—” Hick patted Carlos on the shoulder. “—saw a human lady, then she was either merged from one tower to that one or that tower has been here before. My money is the former.”
“Spoken from actual knowledge?” Riot asked suspiciously.
“Why, Sarge, what ever do you mean?”
She turned her attention back to Doctor Nobu. “Whether the towers are all for one or one for all, we can’t keep going out every time one shows up. Especially since we have no clue how many of them there are. If nothing else, my team needs to rest and who knows when the next one is gonna show up.”
“I’m fine,” Hick said. “How about you, Jessica? You look like you’re fine, too.”
“I am,” Jessica grew silent as though suddenly uncomfortable. “I’m actually fine, too.”
“And we know tin can is always ready to go,” Hick added.
“Are you referring to me?” Lino asked.
Riot shook her head. “Fine, so the three of you are ready for action. Diaz and I need a break. And we’re not gonna get that if another tower shows up in the next five minutes.”
“What are you proposing?” Axel asked.
“We go to the source.”
Axel and Nobu glanced at each other. They looked worried.
Chapter 21
Nobu stepped up to a pair of sliding doors on the wall. He activated a switch and the doors parted, revealing a liquid display on the wall behind them. The silver, mercury-like, substance flowed on the wall, held by a force Riot could not see.
“Since this all started,” Nobu said, touching the flowing substance. “There have been eight events, including the two you have stopped, Miss Dawn.” The liquid shifted to a map of the world. Nobu touched it again and seven protrusions poked out from the map in various parts of the world. It morphed every time he touched it, as though the substance reacted to whatever he was thinking.
“Where’s the meteor?” Riot asked.
“This display only shows us the Earth.”
Riot stepped closer to the display. She was curious about any emerging patterns in it.
“Each protrusion marks a citadel,” Axel said. “And as you can see the pattern is fairly random.”
“And now we’ve got these things coming from outer space,” Carlos said.
“Which, as you can imagine, creates a new problem for us.”
“All the more reason to stop it at the source,” Riot said.
“I wish it were that easy. First we’d have to find the source.”
“We do not know where the Space Druid home world is,” Nobu said.
“Nor do we know what to do once we have boots on it,” Axel added.
“What do you know?” Riot asked, growing frustrated at the lack of information and the prospect of a no-end game plan. As a former soldier, she knew that it was impossible to accurately plan for total victory. All she’d been able to rely on was the information she had. But during her traditional engagements, there was always an approximate end-time. Though, that was when there was a clear enemy leader and a clear destination. The Space Druid home world was an unknown entity with attackers that didn’t all swarm at once. But if it was true that their appearance had sped up, Riot knew it wouldn’t be much longer till they were dealing with double and triple events.
“We know that these towers merge with Earth,” Axel said. “They show up here and a piece of here goes somewhere else.”
“Or becomes part of the tower,” Carlos said.
“Why can’t we just be where the next tower is?” Jessica asked.
“What do you mean?” Axel said.
“Well, if parts of Earth go to the home world when a tower appears then maybe we could do the same by being where a tower is before it gets there.”
Axel glanced at Nobu, looking for a confirmation of the idea.
“It is sound and certainly logical in many ways,” Nobu said. “Unfortunately, we do not know when or where exactly the next citadel is to appear.”
“And you have no way to find that out?” Riot asked. “You’re See-SID. You have all the most advanced tech and you can’t figure that out?”
“We have run simulation after simulation with all possible variables and mathematics. There is no correlation of time or location with regards to the appearance of any of the towers.”
“Lino?” Riot asked.
“Calculating.” Lino’s eye continued from left to right as his computer brain ran the numbers. “Calculations complete. It is a mathematical improbability of being at the exact coordinates at the exact time through current known methods of travel.”
“You telling me the See-SID doesn’t have a hyper drive engine or light speed ship?” Riot asked.
“Even at theoretical speeds,” Lino added. “The odds of being at the exact coordinates at the exact time are low. One would have to be in all places all at once to within a one centimeter’s difference.”
“I’m sorry,” Axel said. “At best, we can put together a few more teams. Run them in shifts as more citadels appear.”
“You’re being a little too cavalier about things, ain’t ya, Lynch?” Riot said.
“I don’t know what else to do. Nothing about any of this is exactly normal. Space Druids? You running around with a couple of resurrected teammates and an android? Earth in danger?”
“Earth is always in danger,” Jessica said.
“True. But we can usually see the problem. A lot better than we can this whole thing.”
“I guess that’s it, then,” Riot said.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Keep calculating. The rest of you get some rest. It’s gonna be a short night.”
“Query,” Lino said.
“Yes?” Axel asked.
“I have been running a CSID file check since Sarge interrupted my main protocol upon activation.”
“You hacked the See-SID system?” Axel asked in disbelief.
“My routing programs are already connected to it. I would hardly call it hacking.”
“What did you find?” Riot asked.
“I cannot tell if it is a mode of singular transport or a vehicle of some sort. The schematics are uncertain.”
“What’s he talking about?” Axel asked Nobu.
“Doctor Nobu,” Lino continued. “What is an Aesir Tube?”
Nobu pursed his lips together and took a breath. It was obvious to Riot this wasn’t something he wanted getting out.
Finally, he spoke. “A way to be in all places at once.”
Chapter 22
A cacophony of sounds ruminated from the platform in the middle of a dark room to which Nobu had led them. Fluorescent lights were attached to the inner edge of the platform. Riot leaned her ear closer to the platform, trying to make out what the voices were saying but there were too many, speaking too fast. For her, they sounded like passengers on a passing train car, fading in and out while being replaced by the voices of others.
“Can you turn that down?” she ask
ed.
Nobu brought a slider down from a control panel and the voices stopped, replaced only by the sound of rushing air as it flowed across the platform.
“We must keep it running until ready for boarding,” Nobu said.
“What is this?” Axel asked.
Nobu hesitated before he said. “I suppose you will be climbing up the ranks in record time, Agent Lynch. This is the Aesir Tube. From all readings and study, it is beyond ancient. But there are old records that tell of the travel of the legendary, old gods. They would use this chamber to appear in all places at once, appearing to their followers all over the world.”
“How is that possible?” Carlos asked.
“We have discerned that those who originally built it did so as a means of traveling to any point.”
“So it’s light speed tech?” Riot asked.
“It is faster,” Nobu told her, surprising everyone. “Mathematically it is faster.”
“Impossible,” Lino said.
“We thought so, as well. But we have run many tests and have concluded the speeds to exceed those of light.”
“What about the issue of mass change with increased velocity?” Jessica asked.
“That, I am afraid, is an answer that has eluded us. Somehow the Aesir Tube does not change the travelers mass, going against everything we know of light speed formulas.”
“That’s how we can be in all places at once,” Riot said. “Negative consequences?”
“You will be going around the planet in all directions at all times,” Nobu said.
“How about hitting a wall?” Axel added. “Or a mountain. That’s a pretty big negative.”
“Their mass will not change but their density will. It will be as though you are phased out of reality.”
“How’s that gonna get us to the Space Druids’ home world?” When no one answered, Riot glared at Nobu. “You don’t actually know?”
“Miss Dawn, try to understand,” Nobu started. “We have run many tests with this device but none with a living subject.”
“Gimme an educated guess.”
“Well, the citadels phase into our world from their’s. And you will be at all points on the globe. Theoretically, your phase shift combined with the phase shift of the towers could solidify you within the tower thus transporting you to the Space Druid home world.”
“Sounds shifty, if you ask me,” Hick said, giggling at his own joke.
Carlos shot him a stern glance. Hick only smiled back.
“I don’t like the theory behind that,” Axel said. “What if it doesn’t work?”
“What if it does?” Riot fired back.
“Then great, but you have to take into account that it might not. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“You getting sweet on me, Lynch?”
Axel’s face turned red but he answered stiffly. “I brought you into this. That makes me somewhat responsible. I just don’t want another black mark on my record.”
“If it’ll make you feel better, we could throw a dog in there and see what happens,” Hick said.
“Negative. This is the best chance we’ve got. If it doesn’t work, we’re back to square one,” Riot said. She decided to ignore Axel’s obvious attraction to her…for now.
“Perhaps you should consider putting together a new team should we fail,” Lino suggested.
“You doubting me, soldier?” Riot asked.
“No, ma’am!” Lino shouted.
She was the first to step onto the platform. The fluorescents cast an uncomfortable glow on her. Riot could tell they were temporary attachments. The stone floor was carved with detailed images of people and animals she didn’t recognize. Why are all these things made out of rock, she wondered.
“I do not know what will happen to you once we activate the device,” Nobu said. “Are you certain you wish to proceed?”
“Mount up!” Riot ordered her team.
“How’s that talisman working for you?” Axel asked as the rest of her team filed into the chamber.
“It sucks at protection. But it’s great for ice walls. Throw the switch, Doc.”
“Initiating Aesir Tube activation in three…two…one. Activating.”
“Wait,” Jessica said. “How do we get back?”
Her question went unanswered as the lights on the floor went dark then flickered back on.
Axel nearly fell backwards as he noticed the team not only still in the room but he could even see flickers of them every few seconds as if they were teleporting around the room.
He waved his arm through them but they were like ghosts, unaware of his presence or where they were.
“Is the rest of the world seeing this?” he asked.
“Yes,” Nobu replied.
Riot and her team took in their surroundings. All of them were completely visible to one another but the rest of the environment was pitch black. Not like a dark room but like all of existence was gone and they were the only ones left, standing still in a dark void.
“What happened?” Jessica asked.
“Lino, scan the area,” Riot ordered.
“Scanning…Error. Rescanning…Error.”
“What’s going on?”
“We are nowhere, Sarge.”
“That doesn’t sound like a good place to be,” Carlos said.
Something moved at the edge of Riot’s vision. “What was that?” she asked, spinning around.
“What did you see?” Carlos asked, drawing his weapon.
“Holster it,” Riot ordered. “It looked like kids on a playground.”
“There’s another one!” Hick shouted.
“I see it, too,” Jessica said.
“What’s going on? Is this thing working?” Carlos asked.
“It must be an aspect of the Aesir Tube,” Lino said. “I cannot track how fast we are actually traveling but our perception of objects must be slow and we are able to see objects and people well after we have passed them.”
“Are they seeing us?”
“It is possible we are perceived as flickers.”
“Like ghosts?” Hick asked.
“Affirmative.”
“That would explain the all places at once,” Carlos added.
“Does everyone else hear that?” Jessica asked.
“I guess Nobu couldn’t keep the audio down from in here,” Riot said.
There were random whispers of disembodied voices and conversations that seemed to trail off.
“You don’t have to keep telling me,” Hick whispered.
“Telling you what?” Carlos asked.
Hick smiled. “Just talking to the ghostees.”
“How long do we have to travel in this thing?” Carlos asked.
“Until we’re on their home world,” Riot said. “And who knows how long till that happens?”
Hick took a few steps forward but Riot grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “I don’t know where the edge of this thing is and I don’t want any of us falling off. Everyone keep it close and stay that way.”
Suddenly the very spot where they stood buckled as if jumping off of a track. Riot’s arm instinctively grabbed onto Lino whose inner-stabilizers kept him on sure footing.
Carlos dropped to one knee, keeping himself from falling over but the jerk made Jessica stumble forward away from the group.
“Sarge!” she shouted, falling toward the darkness where her top half disappeared.
Chapter 23
The rest of Jessica was quickly disappearing in the dark. But a hand reached out and grabbed her belt, pulling her back in.
Hick wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him. “I gotcha. You’re alright.”
Jessica was shaking. “I saw…There was so much. Like they were all mashed together and—”
“Hey, you’re safe now, right?” Hick asked.
“Yeah,” Jessica said. “Thank you, Hick.”
“My pleasure.” Hick leaned closer to her ear. “Besides, I couldn’t let you ju
st fall out. You, me and us gotta stick together.”
She frowned back at him. “Us?”
Hick released her and went back to the middle of the platform. “Of course. You’re part of the team.”
Jessica stepped back toward the group, unsure of his honesty.
Riot shoved past Hick to get to her. “You okay? What happened?”
“I lost my balance.”
“But you’re alright.”
“Just a little shaken.” Jessica glanced at Hick who only winked at her.
“You see anything that didn’t look like Earth?” Riot asked.
“I didn’t see anything that looked like what I’ve seen before. It was like people were merged with these blobs of…It was horrible.”
“It is the human brain trying to make sense of fused images and after images,” Lino said. “The human mind cannot organize what the eyes are seeing fast enough. It merges them all together. Do not worry, Jessica, it was just an illusion.”
“It looked real enough to me.”
“Well, like Hick said, you’re safe now,” Riot added.
“We have stopped,” Lino said.
“What?” Riot asked, surprised. There had been no other jerking or any indication of speed decrease.
“He’s right,” Carlos added. “You hear that?”
Riot listened for a moment. The sound was more consistent and less random that it had been. The occasional sound of voices had given way to a hum—an almost chanting like sound.
“This looks familiar,” Hick said, reaching out for the nearest wall. A single dim green light appeared briefly and then faded until their surroundings were completely dark.
“This must have been where the tower was,” Riot added.
“And now it’s on Earth,” Carlos said. “With who knows how many others.”
“We’ll have to let See-SID worry about that,” Riot said.
“More dead soldiers.”
“Why does it sound like you’re blaming me?”
“I didn’t say anything,” Carlos told her.
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