“The incursion?” I asked.
“Where Eas-el first entered this universe.”
“I guess that’d be Dory living room,” replied JJ.
“Take us there at once,” instructed Yibitriander, in a tone I imagined he last used a few million years ago.
The trip was quick and silent. Perhaps they were talking telepathically, but their facial expressions could only be described as grim.
JJ opened the door and stood aside, directing the group in.
“Where precisely is the earliest known location of Eas-el?” asked Yibitriander without looking at JJ.
“You mean the butterfly, right?” JJ asked. I must say he looked quite intimidated by this pack of three-legged stiffs.
“Yes,” Yibitriander said dismissively, “the butterfly.”
JJ walked to the window and pointed to the table next to it. “Dory said she was sitting here looking out this window when the butterfly came through the window.”
Yibitriander looked at his companions like JJ had just farted long and hard.
“What?” I asked in my boy’s defense.
I swear Yibitriander looked like the very image of a Nazi officer responding to a condemned prisoner. “If you knew what the Last Nightmare were, you wouldn’t continue to refer to Eas-el as a butterfly.”
“What do they look like?” asked JJ rather pointedly.
“Please stand aside, child,” said Yibitriander, pushing JJ with the back of his hand.
Kymee rushed to fill the rudeness gap. “All in good time, my friend. All in good time.”
“Jon, please ask Wrath what exact time he estimates the contact took place.” Yibitriander addressed me without the courtesy of a glance over.
“Why don’t you ask him?”
Yibitriander stared at me harshly.
“It is generally considered improper for anyone but the vortex’s Form to initiate a conversation,” said Kymee.
I started to say something along the lines that Yibitriander had been Wrath’s form long before I was, but I let the distraction go. When matters involved Yibitriander, everyone’s nerves were on edge.
“He says 10-3314-0.3, whatever the hell that means,” I said after checking.
“Hmm,” remarked one of the others I didn’t know.
“Yes,” agreed Kymee.
“What?” I was forced to ask, since nobody was saying anything intelligible.
Kymee held out a hand to say all in good time.
This was getting annoying. Remind me never to vacation with the Deavoriath.
The pack crowded around the table. They sniffed the air intently. Then they all extended their probes, randomly sampling the air. They looked like a bunch of dogs at a fire hydrant.
“And where was Eas-el last seen to exist?” asked Yibitriander.
JJ led us all to the open-air location. “Dory was standing right about here with the bu… Nightmare on her right shoulder,” he said, pointing to the ground.
“Jon, can you display any video records to help establish the location more precisely?” asked Kymee.
“Sure.” I extended a fiber so Kymee could interface with it.
“Thank you.”
“Does it really matter that much?” I asked.
“Yes, it actually does. I’ll explain it all…”
“I know. In good time.”
After extensively sampling the spot, they stood still, roughly in a circle. I was certain they were discussing what they’d learned amongst themselves. For that matter, they could be communicating with the One That Is All. Finally, without a word or ever eye contact, the group split apart. Yibitriander escorted everyone but Kymee in the direction of the vortices. Kymee remained where he stood, looking glum indeed.
Once the others were gone Kymee came over to me. “So, is this your son, JJ?” he asked trying to smile.
“Yes. JJ, this is my dear friend Kymee.”
JJ extended a hand to shake. I took it and set it on Kymee’s right elbow. “Here,” I said to JJ, “like this.” I pushed his shoulder against Kymee’s.
“Your father speaks of you endlessly, JJ. He loves you very much.”
“Ditto,” said JJ as he blushed.
“Come,” said Kymee as he slid a hand on JJ’s back, “let’s make ourselves more comfortable.”
We sat at the kitchen table. “Do you drink beer, Kymee?” asked JJ.
“I do now,” he replied. “Thank you.”
JJ clinked three glasses on the table and we all took a sip.
“So, I think it’s in good time now, my friend. What gives?” I asked looking at him sideways.
“First, I’m sorry we barged in on you, and I’m sorry we were so mysterious.”
“Not a problem,” I replied.
“It’s just that this is big, Jon—as big as it gets.”
“That sounds heavy.”
“Oh, I don’t know how much it weighs, but it’s a massive development.” He sighed. “Most unwelcome too.”
“We’ll sit here, and you talk when you’re ready,” I said.
After a moment, he spoke in a detached tone. “The Last Nightmare are a species that has existed longer than time.”
“Sorry,” I said, “I hate to interrupt, but what does that even mean?”
He smiled faintly. “It’s complicated, Jon. Let’s just say they’ve always existed.”
“Longer than the Deavoriath?”
“Goodness yes. Much longer than this universe we live in.”
“Wait, that’s impossible. Nothing can exist before nothing existed,” said JJ.
“Of course, it can, JJ. Just not in this universe.”
“It’s official. You lost me,” he said looking to me.
“According to our best interpretation of physics, there isn’t just one universe,” I explained. “In fact, there are an infinite number of universes. Think of it like apples on an apple tree. Each apple is a separate, complete, and self-contained universe. It’s isolated a long distance from all the other apples. They apples don’t interact and can’t even know the other apples are out there.”
“That is how reality is structured,” said Kymee. “Each universe may or may not have the same laws of physics. They can be similar or radically different than one another.”
“What does any of that gibberish have to do with the Nightmare?” asked JJ, still confused.
“The Last Nightmare, JJ,” corrected Kymee. “They are the final nightmare one will ever experience.”
“That sounds bad,” I responded.
“It isn’t bad. It’s much worse than bad. They end universes. They consume them.”
“How can anyone consume a universe?” I asked, joining JJ on the confused side of the room.
“It’s…”
“And do not tell me it’s complicated.”
“Very well, I won’t. But that’s exactly what they do. Before they enter, the universe exists. After they return to the Neverwhere, the universe ceases to exist.”
“Where’s this Neverwhere?” I asked.
“It’s nowhere. Don’t you see? Never,” he moved his hands from his right side to his left, “space, where. Don’t focus too much on this part, Jon. It’s not a critical point.”
“Okay, these guys come from outside a universe and they destroy it. Why? Is it territorial? Dietary? What?”
“It’s what they do. I doubt very much there’s a rhyme or reason. Plus, it doesn’t matter either way. If they are in your universe, you’re doomed.”
“What sort of time course are we looking at?”
He shrugged. “Who knows? Probably a long time, based on our measurement of time.”
“Then what’s the big deal? If we have millions of years or whatever, why stress?”
“Because however long it takes them to erase a universe, they’re starting here. Now.”
“Probably not a good thing, right?” asked JJ.
“You have your father’s powers for understatement.”
> “So, no biggy. We’ve faced long odds before. The Uhoor come to mind. You and I have whooped Berrillian butt. Now we just kick a different shaped ass.”
“Jon, did the Berrillian threat drive eight Deavoriath to activate two vortices?”
I flicked my head to one side.
“The Uhoor and the Listhelons combined?”
“No, not exactly.”
“Suffice it to say that the only thing that would motivate all us bumps on logs to do anything constructive would be the only thing we fear.”
“You make a strong case there. Not happy about it, but I am impressed.”
“I’m confused. If these Last Nightmares have never been in our universe before, how can you guys know about them?” asked JJ.
“Excellent question. We have made some limited contacts with alternate universes. That is how we came to learn about them.”
“Wait, the Deavoriath have traveled to other universes—other apples?” I asked.
“After a fashion. It’s really complicated. It’s also dangerous. The varied physical properties make it quite dodgy.” Kymee chuckled. “One time Yibitriander cast a bitter enemy of ours out of this universe.” He held up a hand to say don’t ask. “The universe they emerged in was different enough to cause an explosion of apocalyptic proportions. He almost blew this universe up.”
“I bet they weren’t too happy with him in that universe either,” I scoffed.
“They never knew what hit them,” replied Kymee morosely.
“Hey, that makes Yibitriander like a junior member of the Last Nightmare,” I said with a giggle.
Kymee set a hand on my arm. “Don’t ever let him hear you say that.”
“Another not-funny-Jon-ism, dad,” quipped JJ.
“He’d kill you ten times over,” added Kymee.
“So, what conclusion did you guys arrive at? What’s our plan to beat the odds and not vanish?” I asked.
“We don’t know,” he said flatly.
“So, is there a short-term plan?” I asked.
“You meet with your people, let them know what we’ve discussed, and see what their thoughts are. I’ll contact you shortly to see if the great Deavoriath have the slightest idea how to win.”
“Don’t like the sound of that. If it’s beyond you guys, God help the rest of us mortals.”
Kymee stared into my eyes. “Amen.”
TWENTY-FOUR
Sitting around a big table with a bunch of distraught politicians. Yup, that was my fate. I must have been a bad person in a former life, because I always ended up at that stupid table. The odds were spectacularly against us, hope was completely unjustifiable, and all eyes were on me for a solution. Same drunks, different bar. Oh boy.
I rubbed my face with both palms. “We all know the facts, limited as they are. Any ideas?” I asked.
Alexis Gore was present representing the USA. Bin Li sat for the UN, JJ for Azsuram, and a few other major leaders attended. A smattering of military types sat stiffly, hoping to hell no one called on them, because they had no clue what to say other than it’s been nice knowing you all.
Alexis broke the silence. “So, your friend Kymee said he’d contact you? Maybe they will come up with a viable plan. I mean, they ruled the galaxy for a million years. They must be one hell of a military force.”
“It’s possible, but Kymee looked pretty shaken. Never seen that look on any of their faces.”
“Just because they entered on Azsuram doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll enter there a second time. Maybe they’ll start their annihilation ten billion light years away?” said JJ with more whine than conviction.
“Yes, but we have to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Plus, maybe they start with hacking up quasars, but they may move very rapidly. How and at what rate they destroy are things we don’t know. By the time we do, it may be too late to do anything but cover our eyes and try not to cry.” I wasn’t very encouraging.
“When do you think we’ll here from the Deavoriath?” asked Bin.
“No idea. Probably soon, I’d guess. They tend to decide quickly.”
“Any chance your vortex can stop them, General Ryan?” One of the military stiffs was trying to sound confident.
“No. If the Deavoriath thought the vortex would stand up against these bozos, they wouldn’t have had such long faces.”
“What about a massive discharge of all our combined weapons. Your vortex, our nukes, the entire fleet’s weaponry? Surely that would have a significant effect.” That was General Colin Winchester, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. He’d replaced Katashi Matsumoto as overall commander of our defenses.
“Who knows?” I had to answer honestly. “Keep in mind, we don’t know the form of attack they employ. They could fly up to us in a line, or they might exist in some type of non-real space.”
“What do you mean by that?” asked Colin.
“They may not be in our reality at all. In that case, our weapons will be useless. They might occupy higher dimensions. Until we know more, it’s hard to plan.” I was mentally exhausted.
“Well, I suggest we not beat ourselves up,” said Alexis. “I vote we adjourn to my study and see just how good two-hundred-year-old cognac is.”
“I’ll second that motion,” I said quickly. It was a solid plan.
Halfway through my second snifter, Al went off in my head.
Pilot, I wish to thank you.
Hello, Al, old pal. You’re welcome. Anything else? Otherwise I’m busy with critical matters of state.
Yes, I see. State of drunken revelry.
Gee, sorry, Dad. I promise not to drive myself home. I’ll call a cab, or maybe you or mom could come get me after I face-plant.
Silence. Al was always good with the silent interludes.
Al, up to the Last Nightmare kill me, I’m immortal. I can wait you out. You know that, right? In fact, I could come there right now and unplug you. Then I’d win.
That would be a good idea.
Huh? You think me turning you off is a good idea? I’ll be right there.
No, my simpleminded commander. I think you coming here would be a good idea. But you think you can switch me off? I’ll disable you faster than you can say, “Al’s the best there is.”
Oh, you’re a tough guy now?
No. I always have been. Give me a reason, android. Give me one good reason.
Al, I’m betting we’re getting far from the point here. Why would it be a good idea for me to come to Wrath?
So you can escort Kymee to your debauching associates.
Kymee’s here?
If he wasn’t, how could you escort him to your den of iniquity?
Al, I can’t believe you made him wait while you played this childish game.
Ah, Pilot, he’s immortal too. He can wait.
But, you stupid vacuum cleaner, we’re under imminent threat. We’re facing total extinction. This is serious.
I’m sorry, I was adjusting a diode. What did you say?
Tell him I’ll be there on the double.
He asks what that means. He wonders if you’re going to clone yourself. We’re both on record as dead set against such an addition to our current set of dilemmas.
Tell him I’m rushing to greet him.
He says thank you. He also asks me to remind you he’s immortal. No rush.
He never said that, you outmode.
Outmode? I think the kettle is calling the pot black.
Are you done wasting words?
No. You haven’t thanked me yet. Remember, if your ancient circuits still can, that is how our discussion began?
What am I supposed to thank you for again?
Fortunately, the elevator doors were opening to the hangar bay, so I was almost there.
For lowering myself to be your errand lackey, your appointment secretary, your handmaiden.
Thank you. Oh, by the way, if you were my handmaiden, you’d need to wear a pink dress. All my handmaidens do. I’ll be conducting a forma
l inspection at zero six hundred hours. FYI, cutie pie.
I’m sending a complaint to my union and the EEOC officer as we speak. You’ll rue the day you sexually harassed me, Pilot.
“Kymee,” I said as we bumped shoulders, “sorry my lame AI made you wait while he tried to be a comedian.”
“No problem. I rather enjoy listening to you two bicker. It reminds me why I haven’t seen my wife in over a hundred thousand years.”
“Great. The universe is about to end, and I’m saddled with two wannabe comedians. I hope the Last Nightmare hurry up and end my suffering.”
“Maybe this is the juncture where we begin walking to where your leadership meets?” Kymee asked, tilting his head.
“Sure, why not?”
Kymee provided an interesting rolling commentary as we wound our way to Alexis’s study. He hadn’t been in a vibrant, functioning environment for a seriously long time. To see people scurrying about, hear the whirring of machines, and feel the pulsing of the ship made a big impression on him. He needed to get out more often. Too bad he might have waited until the end of the universe to step out of his shell.
By the time I returned with Kymee, Alexis had moved the group back to the conference room. She was back in business mode.
“Hey, where’s the cognac?” I asked as I entered.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me?” asked Kymee with a big smile.
“Yes, of course. But first things first.”
Alexis stood. “I’m President Alexis Gore,” she said graciously and held out her hand.
Kymee shook it. She introduced him around the table.
“Would you like some cognac?” she asked him.
He wrinkled his nose. “Is it alcoholic and strong?”
“Yes, but we have…”
“Then definitely yes. Thank you. These are excellent times to be intoxicated.”
We all chuckled. The bottle reappeared and he was handed a glass.
Kymee made a show of smelling and tasting it. “Marvelous,” was his conclusion. “I trust you have plenty for everyone. I hate to drink alone, but I will if you force me to.”
“Perish the thought. Diplomacy is most critical at these early stages. I’ll have the steward bring up the reserves.”
Forever Series 5: The Forever Alliance Page 13
