Birth of the Alliance

by Alex Albrinck

  “I… suppose that visiting is acceptable,” Eva said slowly. “But I cannot leave this place permanently.”

  Will glanced around at the empty cavern. “Is this where you live?”

  “Yes, for a goodly portion of each year. I travel quite a bit.”

  Will arched an eyebrow, curious. “What do you do?”

  She smiled. “We all fight Arthur in our own way, Will. I have found my own unique contribution to that cause. And I perform that role quite well.”

  Will grinned. “That’s what the Alliance is all about, Eva. Whatever you’re doing, we’ll have lots of people who would love to help build upon it. So—”

  “It is something only I can do, Will. It is better for you not to know.”

  Will blinked, nettled at her unwillingness to share. He realized that her refusal might be of a similar vein to his telling Adam that Adam could never know the true location of the Alliance headquarters. Adam knew that information was being hidden from him, and eventually came to accept the decision as correct. Perhaps Eva’s role was of a similar level of sensitivity.

  Still…

  “I trust you on that, Eva. Is it safe for you to know where we’re based?”

  Eva nodded. “Your secret is safe with me, Will. There is no risk that I could expose it to anyone in the Aliomenti organization, if that is your concern.” She paused. “What else did Adam tell you?”

  Will recognized her effort to change the topic, but didn’t push. “He gave me something, and told me to guard it with my very life. I don’t know what it is, but perhaps you’ll know.” He reached inside his shirt, pulled out the chain with the mysterious vials, and handed it all to Eva.

  She looked at the vials, puzzled, and then gasped. “Oh, my goodness, Will! This is… incredibly valuable. He was right to tell you to guard it with your very life.” She handed the chain back to Will. “Do not let anyone else touch that, and do not ever let it out of your sight.”

  “What is it?” Will asked. “I have no clue what this is, or why it’s valuable.”

  “I will explain when you take me to your hidden Alliance location.”

  Will arched an eyebrow. “Bargaining with me, Eva? You always were quite good at that. But there’s no need. You’re welcome there at any time.”

  “Your bargaining skills have diminished, Will,” Eva said, but there was humor in her voice. “Do not offer me everything I want without first getting something of value in return. But you misunderstand me. I am not using the information as a bargaining ploy. You are not the only one who needs to hear the answer.”

  Will paused. Had Adam developed a weapon, one that could be used against the Aliomenti? Perhaps Eva needed to explain the usage to everyone at once. “I’m not sure I understand why others need to hear the answer, Eva, but… I trust you.”

  Eva nodded. “It will make sense in due course. Was there anything else Adam told you?”

  Will nodded, wondering what she expected to hear. Why did she keep asking what other secrets Adam had shared at the time of his death. “He… told me something that seems impossible.”

  Eva tilted her head. “After everything that has happened to you, Will, after everything you have seen, after everything you have experienced… how can you possibly think anything is impossible?”

  “I feel like I’ve had this conversation before,” Will muttered.

  Eva shrugged. “Perhaps you have. But clearly you need to hear the words again, for you have failed to learn their lesson. So tell me. What impossible thing did Adam tell you?”

  “He told me that he has a son.”

  Eva looked thoughtful, as if she wanted to question the statement, but merely nodded instead. “And you consider that to be impossible?”

  “He’s taken ambrosia, as have the rest of us. How could he have a son?”

  “There are only three possibilities, Will. The first possibility is that Adam was lying to you when he provided you with that information.”

  Will shook his head. “He was dying, Eva. He knew that he was dying. Why would he lie to me?”

  “People lie all the time, Will, and for reasons we cannot always comprehend. So you must ask yourself if you truly believe Adam was telling you the truth.”

  “Perhaps he was mistaken…”

  Eva sighed. “Will Stark, you cannot truly believe that he would not know if that statement was true. Therefore, he was lying… or he was telling the truth. Which is it?”

  “I can’t believe he’d lie, but it’s impossible for his statement to be true—”

  “You speak that word again, Will. Impossible. When you were born, did you believe you would be talking to me in the year 1969?”

  Will smiled. “No.” Eva didn’t realize that was because he wouldn't be born for another quarter century, but her question—and his answer—were still valid.

  “Then, why is it impossible that Adam was telling the truth?”

  “Because the ambrosia—”

  “Stop, Will. If Adam was telling the truth, then the ambrosia did not stop him. Why?”

  Will stared at her, remembering what Hope had hypothesized. “He had a son before he took the ambrosia? So his son is centuries old?”

  Eva smiled. “An educated guess, Will. That is one possibility. And that possibility means that you do not have to dismiss Adam’s words on anything but their own merit. I can assure you, however, that Adam did not have a son prior to consuming the ambrosia.”

  “But that means…”

  Eva arched an eyebrow. “The fact that you do not want to accept the fact you are unwilling to speak does not make it any less true. Say the words, Will.”

  Will was tormented with the realization. “He figured out how to reverse the effects of the ambrosia.”

  Eva smiled. “That is partially correct. He was told how to reverse the effects.”

  “So he got Ambrose to talk before he killed the man.”

  “No, Will. I got Ambrose to talk, and told Adam my findings later. Adam later learned that Arthur was sending his minions to find and destroy all sources of ambrosia, morange, and zirple to prevent any competition. Adam realized the danger that posed. He could not stop that effort, and elected to kill Ambrose to protect the secret and prevent it from falling into Arthur's hands.”

  Will winced and his face fell. “That sounds like Adam.” He paused, as the realization hit him. “But that means… he knew all along… and he didn’t tell us… but….”

  “There was a good reason for him not to tell you, Will. But you are not ready to hear the answer.”

  Will folded his arms and glared at Eva. “I’m tired of waiting, Eva, tired of being told I have to keep waiting, tired of watching the clock tick while the answers I need are dangled in front of me. I’m not playing the waiting game anymore! Tell me the truth!” He took a step forward, eyes blazing.

  Will didn’t hear the sword being drawn, but he did feel the sudden pressure as the blade pressed against his throat. An arm wrapped around Will, pinning his arms to his side. “Your manners are appalling, stranger.”

  Will teleported away from the blade to stand next to Eva, facing his attacker, and the voice he knew so well. But even when he saw the face before him, he could only stare in shock.

  “Who are you?” the man demanded, holding the sword in front of him. “Why do you threaten her?”

  Will could only whisper the name in reply. “Adam?”

  XVIII

  Blood

  1969 A.D.

  The man relaxed slightly. “How do you know my name, stranger?” As the words left his mouth, he regained his fighting stance.

  “You… well… you look a lot like somebody that I used to know.” Will spoke slowly, the shock still slicking off him like rain from a storm. He wasn’t sure he’d blinked since he’d turned around.

  The man’s eyes widened. “You knew my father?”

  Will staggered back. “He… Adam… he was your father? Truly? But… how?”

  The man ga
ve a wry smile. “With all due respect, sir, you appear to be old enough to know the answer to that question.”

  Will choked. “No, that’s not what I mean. I—”

  “Will.” Eva's voice was gentle, but firm. “This is Adam’s son. He has been known by many names in his life, but only one name has held any deep meaning for him. With your news of his father’s death, he may now take that name as his own. That name is his father’s name, and he will be forever known as Adam.”

  Will didn’t understand that; he’d known many fathers and sons to share the same first name. “But you look exactly like him. How can you not… be him?”

  But even as he spoke the words, Will realized they weren’t true. There were subtle differences, a slight difference in the hue of his hair color, a slightly different angle to the nose, a modest difference in the way he pronounced words. This was not the Adam he'd known the past nine centuries.

  It was the one he'd known those two months in the future.

  What puzzled him was how he’d not realized that the two men with the same name were not, in fact, the same man. The Adam he’d first met was a calm, patient teacher; the one he’d met in the distant past more impetuous and impulsive. The mass execution of the original residents of the North Village was more shocking because the original Adam had never struck him as someone capable of such impulsive violence. He’d wondered what events and experiences had led to the change in personality.

  It wasn’t a change in personality. It was a change in person.

  Adam’s son, known forevermore as Adam, frowned. “I can’t be anybody but myself, sir. I must ask again: why were you issuing threats moments earlier?” He still held the sword, but seemed to have sensed there was no real danger present.

  “They were not threats, Adam,” Eva replied. “Will is seeking answers to questions only I can provide, now that your father is gone. He is no threat to me or to you.”

  “Will?” Adam, the son, turned to look at Will, his jaw slack. “You… you’re Will Stark?” He dropped his sword to the ground, stepped forward, and offered his hand. “Please, forgive my earlier attack. Had I realized who you were it would never have happened.”

  Will took the offered hand and shook it. “No apology needed. I am in shock, though. It’s not every day that you meet a dead man’s twin and find out he’s his son.” He glanced at Eva. “Especially when the dead man wasn’t supposed to be able to have children.”

  Adam inclined his head, ignoring the aside to Eva. “I understand.”

  Eva glanced at Adam. “We need to travel with Will. I need to talk to him and to Hope, to share information your father and I have learned over the years. It is of vital importance.”

  Adam nodded. “Of course. Where are we going?”

  “We shall travel to the headquarters of the Alliance. That is the group Will started to fight the Aliomenti.”

  Adam’s eyes widened with delight. “I’m ready to leave when you are.” He glanced at Will. “Do you have any form of transport to the location in question?” He grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. I’ve heard much about you from my father, and never thought I’d actually meet you in person. It is truly an honor.”

  “The feeling of shock at our meeting is mutual,” Will replied. “I do have a means of transport to our destination, but we’ll need to wait a few hours before it’s available.” As Eva and Adam watched, he activated a voice transmitter worn on his wrist like a watch, and conversed with the Nautilus. The ship was able to identify his location through the GPS chip in the watch, and set a course toward the island of Atlantis. The submarine arrived ninety minutes later, and Will teleported the three of them aboard.

  "This is amazing!” Adam exclaimed, looking around in awe. “I doubt the Aliomenti have something like this.” He glanced at Will. “How did you come to build this?”

  “I didn't actually build this one,” Will admitted. “I built the first ship of this type centuries ago, continued to enhance it, and then others in the Alliance took over. They built another twenty ships of this type, of all different sizes, and continued to improve upon them. They rebuilt my original ship a few decades ago, which is stowed underwater far from here.”

  Eva glanced around. “I do not see anyone piloting this vessel.”

  “You won’t,” Will agreed. “The vessel drives itself.”

  Adam’s eyes widened. “Incredible. And it will take us where we need to go?”

  “It will,” Will replied. “The vessels are lined with materials which prevent Energy and other traceable signals from escaping, so we’re protected from detection by the Aliomenti here.”

  They spent much of the two-day journey sleeping—Will and Adam slept on the floor while Eva took the single sleeping cot—and discussing how Eva and Adam had come to spend much of their time living on Atlantis. They’d needed a location near England to serve as a temporary residence, a spot where the Aliomenti wouldn’t think to look, and Eva believed that the site of an abandoned Aliomenti outpost was an ideal location, much as she’d explained to Will earlier. Exploration revealed the underground river and tunnels, and they were able to isolate themselves there when necessary as part of their work.

  Will didn’t ask why their work required them to live in isolation, and in that specific spot. Eva wasn’t in a sharing mood.

  They finally arrived at the dock outside the tunnel, and Will moved them aboard a pod shuttle for the final leg of the journey to the Cavern. He glanced at Adam. “You, in particular, will need to stay aboard this shuttle until I come for you.”

  “Why?”

  “At a glance, everyone there will assume you are your father, and since it’s well known that he’s dead… it would raise difficult questions. Let me spread the word first, to avoid the shock, and then I’ll come for you.”

  Adam considered this and then nodded. “I understand.”

  “Should I wait as well?” Eva asked.

  Will shook his head. “No, there’s no need. We’ll go straight to Hope. Just remember: people here know her as the Shadow. We don’t want her real name—current or past—reaching Arthur’s ears.”

  Will teleported the two of them to the beach while Adam waited inside. There were a few double takes, but no one thought anything of it. Visitors were assumed to be new recruits to the Alliance cause, and Eva’s appearance with Will gave the occasion added credibility. They walked over a pair of bridges and two of the rivers in the underground city. Will pointed out various features as they walked, and Eva marveled at the ingenuity of it all.

  They finally reached the small dwelling that Will and Hope shared, and he stepped inside. Hope glanced up, smiling. “You're back.”

  He nodded. “There’s someone here that I think you’d like to see.” He stepped aside, and Eva stepped into the room.

  Hope’s eyes grew wide, and the silence was powerful. She finally rose from the desk she was sitting at, raced to Eva, and threw her arms around her mentor and friend, sobbing.

  Eva, for only the second time since Will had known her, allowed the emotionless mask of her face to crack, and the tears rolled down her cheeks as well.

  Will stepped out, leaving them alone. They had a lot of catching up to do.

  Peter, one of the first members of the Alliance, walked by, a curious look on his face. “New recruit?”

  Will could only nod. “Something like that. She’s someone I thought long dead, and I’m happy to find she’s alive. She was one of the first of the Aliomenti, long hidden from Arthur’s reaches.”

  “Who is she?”

  “It’s Eva.”

  Peter’s eyes widened. “Really? But I thought she was… no, wait, forget what I thought. She’s alive? She’s here? That’s… that’s amazing!”

  Will smiled. “It most certainly is. Can you help spread the word to meet at the beach? There’s something else I need to tell everyone, and it’s best if everyone hears it at the same time.”

  Peter nodded. “Sure thing, Will. See you in bit.” He set
off, pausing to chat with a few residents before he sent a broadcasted telepathic message to the entire Cavern. Will felt the Energy from the message wash over him.

  The announcement would prove interesting.

  Will walked back into his home, and found Eva and Hope sitting on a sofa together. Both sported red eyes from the tears that had been shed, but Will didn’t need his empathy skills to recognize what he was witnessing. Explanations had been provided, tensions had been released, sins forgiven, and the two were acting as if the past centuries hadn’t happened.

  He cleared his throat to get their attention. “I wanted to let you know that I’ve called for a meeting at the beach with everyone here, but I wanted to tell Hope what I was going to say ahead of time. It might be better if you told her, Eva.”

  Eva glanced at him, and then nodded. “Will has no doubt told you of the messages Adam delivered as he lay dying.”

  Hope nodded. “Of course. He said to find you, gave Will a chain with some vials on it, and told Will he had a son.”

  “Will succeeded in the first part, and I will tell both of you what those vials mean shortly. What Will plans to tell the group is that the third part is true. Adam does indeed have a son.”

  Hope snorted. “That’s impossible.”

  Eva glanced at Will. “It is clear that the two of you were meant for each other. I seem to recall having this conversation earlier.”

  Will grinned at Eva, and then looked at Hope. “It’s true, Hope. Adam’s son—also called Adam—is in one of the pod shuttles. He looks just like his father. Strikingly so. I wanted to warn everyone before he came ashore and people wondered if Adam had returned from the dead. That’s what the meeting is about: letting everyone know about Adam the son and the reunion with Eva after too long a separation.”

  Hope looked between Will and Eva, wondering if this was a joke. “You’re not kidding, are you?” Seeing nothing in either face to suggest anything other than complete honesty, she slumped back into the sofa. “So it’s true, then? I guess nothing is impossible, is it?”

  “Indeed,” Eva replied. “Finally, someone understands.”