The interior provided hints of a unique personality to this particular transportation hub. They’d pumped a scent resembling eucalyptus throughout the complex. A handful of enterprising youngsters—Energy-wielding children who’d been born in the port to parents stationed here on duty—had confiscated miniaturized cameras and microphones, teleported to the Sydney Opera House, and planted them inside. They’d been punished by their parents for their actions—until they showed how the orchestral music could be played live throughout the port city as a result. Coral Beach sent a sizable anonymous donation to the Opera House each year.
Ashley flicked her eyes at Joshua. He’d matured a lot since his teenage prank, having gone from “vandalizing” a human landmark to providing day-to-day operational leadership of the undersea city. He was still a bit rough around the edges, but he’d live for centuries, giving him plenty of opportunity to mature.
She took a deep breath, inhaling the eucalyptus scent, and took another sip of her drink. “What is this, by the way?”
“Pureed koala.”
She spat the drink out and fixed him with a glare as Joshua howled with laughter.
“I’m joking, of course. It’s a mix of fruits native to a handful of the nearest islands. The combination creates an effervescing effect in the mouth that I find intriguing. And it tastes quite sweet. Do you like it?”
Ashley looked at the cup’s contents closely. “You’re sure there’s no koala in here?”
“Positive.”
“Then I love it.” She took another sip. “Would you like me to talk with some of the construction engineers about making the structural changes?”
He shook his head. “The construction part I can handle. But we’ll need help on the comm links and establishing the schedule for the volunteers who will handle the calls.”
Ashley nodded. “I can do that.”
They were ready to head back toward the central section of the underwater city when the door to the teleportation room opened up. Eva, the woman who’d teleported Judith to safety nearly two decades earlier, emerged. She was a tall, regal woman with platinum blond hair and a face that made it clear that she wasn’t one to trifle with.
“Hello, Eva!” Joshua said, unable to keep the surprise from his voice. “To what do we owe this honor? I didn’t know you were working in this part of the world.”
“Hello, Joshua,” Eva said, grasping the man’s hand. “I am enjoying the beautiful background music you arranged years ago.”
Ashley snorted as Joshua’s ears turned pink. “I…ah…thank you?”
Eva’s mouth turned up in a slight smile. “I am here to speak to Ashley. May we be excused?”
Me? Ashley wondered why the ancient woman was looking for her. Nobody seemed to know exactly how old Eva was, but the rumors had her at over one thousand. Ashley hoped she looked that good as she approached her own millennial birthday.
Joshua nodded, and after he shook Ashley’s hand and thanked her for providing her insights, the two women walked away.
“I… have to admit I have no clue as to why you’ve come to see me, Eva,” Ashley said, glancing at the other woman.
Eva gave a faint smile. “I am relieved to hear that.”
They moved through a handful of people just heading in from one of the submarines while Ashley tried to make sense of Eva’s reply. As she considered, Ashley caught sight of a familiar face in the crowd. “Archie!”
The man paused, turned around, and stared. “Ashley? Is that you?”
“Excuse me, Eva,” Ashley said, as she trotted over to Archie. The man stared at her with a bewildered look on his face. “This will take only a moment.”
Eva followed.
“It’s been a long time, Ashley,” Archie said, and he smiled. “It’s good to see you.”
“And it’s great to see you, too,” Ashley replied. “Where are you headed?”
“I just finished up my Outside time, so I’m going to spend a few days here and then head back to the Cavern to decide what to do next. What about you?”
“I’m here to help Joshua update their system of teleportation rooms. There are some changes we made at South Beach that should really help them. They have a single large room and no one to coordinate the comings and goings. Oh, I almost forgot… Archie, have you met Eva? We were just talking when I saw you.”
Eva inclined her head with a smile. “We have met. Archibald ensured I had a comfortable bed in which to sleep after we helped our friend Judith a few years back.”
Ashley blushed. “Oh, I’m so sorry. How could I forget?”
Archie held out his hand to Eva. “It’s good to see you healthy once more. What brings you to Coral Beach?”
“I arrived so as to deliver a message of extreme importance to two people, but I only expected to find Ashley present,” Eva replied. “I am most fortunate that you have arrived, Archibald, as you are the second person I seek.”
Archie blinked. “I’m sorry?”
Ashley glanced at Eva. “You have something to tell both of us?”
Eva nodded. “Let us help Archie store his belongings and meet at the lower level restaurant. I will deliver my message there.”
They met in the lower level restaurant twenty minutes later. The restaurant specialized in seafood, but the choice of cuisine wasn’t its best-known feature. The exterior walls and floor in the restaurant were created from a transparent material and offered an unobstructed view of the sea life swimming around them. Over time, they’d developed a simple, non-toxic chemical which illuminated the area around the restaurant, providing an ethereal view of the outside in an area where little sunlight reached. While the views were impressive, many residents and visitors found it difficult to eat when a shark swam directly at them. The restaurant was nearly empty for that reason.
And that was why Eva had suggested they meet there. She wanted privacy.
After they’d placed their orders, Eva considered for a moment before beginning her comments. “I said that I came to bring a message to both of you, and that is true. But with no context, the message will seem laughable, and you may doubt my veracity. I shall therefore begin with a question. What do you know of Will Stark?”
The two of them glanced at each other, surprised. “He’s old, and was one of the founders of the Aliomenti,” Archie replied. “He lived in the original North Village before all residents other than Adam and the Leader of the Aliomenti died in a tragic accident. I know that you lived there as well, so you’re probably better able to answer that question than me.”
“He was responsible for a lot of the innovations the Aliomenti experienced, usually far before the general human population became aware of and used those ideas,” Ashley added.
Eva nodded. “Have you ever wondered how it was that Will so often arrived at these insights and innovations, so far ahead of others in both human and Aliomenti communities?”
Archie shrugged. “He’s a genius?”
“I will agree with that,” Eva replied. “Genius should have limits. Yet we have a man who invents electricity and computers three centuries before Franklin flew his kite. He built a self-navigating submarine when most still struggled to pilot boats with rudders and sails on the water. He made advances in commerce that put the Aliomenti on the road to a level of wealth the world had never before seen, even in the hands of the most powerful of monarchs. Seeing advances in one area driven solely by one man would be staggering. But in all of them? It should be impossible. So I ask again: why was Will Stark so far ahead of his time?”
Ashley’s look of puzzlement was shared by Archie. “I don’t know. Why does it matter?”
“The answer to that question will shape your combined futures. That is why it matters.”
“Why?” Archie asked. “What does the source Will’s genius have to do with my future?” He looked at Ashley and paused. “Wait. With our combined futures?”
Eva studied both of them. “It is good that you are already seated. What I am
about to tell you is known only by a very select group, only those who need to know. Before I reveal this information to you, I must therefore have your solemn vow to never reveal what I will tell you to another.”
Their suspicions were raised. Secrets were frowned upon in the Alliance. The fact that they were being asked to swear never to reveal a deep mystery about Will Stark felt counter to the group’s ideals. But they trusted Eva, and curiosity won out. Both of them nodded their consent.
“I know the true secret of Will Stark’s genius. The secret is this: he was born just three months ago.”
Both of them stared at her. “Come again?” Archie said.
“Will Stark was born at the start of this year. 1995.”
Archie laughed. “That’s impossible. Seriously, what’s the big secret?”
Eva said nothing.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Ashley’s face was full of doubt and confusion.
Eva nodded.
And then Ashley understood. “You’re saying he was born… now… and then went… back ….to the beginning? That’s why he had so many ideas? Because they weren’t new ideas to him. They were memories, historical facts.”
Eva nodded. “Precisely.”
Archie snorted. “Oh, come on! I can’t believe you’re actually falling for this, Ash. She’s pulling a prank on us.” He snapped his fingers. “Joshua, the guy who runs this port… he’s a pretty big prankster from way back. He’s probably in on it.”
They paused while their food was delivered, each taking the time to savor a bite of perfectly grilled salmon. Eva took a sip of water before responding to Archie’s comments. “I assure you, this is no joke. Will was born three months ago. He will become a very successful businessman in the human world. He will marry and have two children. Before his second child is born, he will be found by the Hunters and attacked.”
Archie rolled his eyes. “Let me guess. Our newborn Will ends up married to the Shadow, right?”
Eva nodded. “That is correct.”
Archie laughed and glanced at Ashley, stunned to see her look of acceptance at this news. “You’re truly buying this?”
Ashley gave him an exasperated look. “Archibald, have you forgotten your skills? Scan the woman, determine if she’s telling the truth, and stop acting like an utter fool.”
Eva smirked.
Archie sighed, and trickled Energy into Eva, assessing her thoughts and emotions. When he stopped, he wore a look of shock on his face. “She’s… she’s… she definitely believes it to be true.”
Ashley smacked Archie on the arm. “It is true, moron. Now shut up and let the grownups talk.” She stabbed at a piece of salmon. “You mentioned that Will’s secret of success would have something to do with our futures. Can you elaborate?” Her eyes widened. “Are we supposed to help send him… back?”
Eva shook her head. “Not directly. That will be a job for others.” She took a sip of water. “There is a machine back at the Cavern which can display targeted memories with perfect accuracy. We can record those and watch them. When Will told a few of us his secret—and yes, we had our own initial doubts, just like Archibald—we used that machine to record his memories of the future. That is because Will’s survival of the Hunters’ attach that day is the epochal event in our very history. If the Hunters succeed in killing Will—which they want to do because he confesses to violating their Oath against reproduction—then none of us would be here. He must survive. He must be rescued. And he must be transported to the past.”
She hesitated. “We wondered how we would protect him until that moment. He is born to very human parents and has no Energy skills. His name and likeness are those of a man the Hunters have known for centuries. They would not mistake him for another. And thus, he’s at risk during this time. True, the Shadow will be with him the final ten years before his transport. But until that moment, before the time of the attack—what happens then?”
“Why can’t the Shadow handle it?” Ashley asked. “She’s powerful enough to deal with the Hunters.”
“The Hunters and Assassin do not know the Shadow exists, for her true identity is one the Leader of the Aliomenti would be most interested in learning. Will has fought to ensure she has never needed to use Energy near the Hunters, and we do not wish to give them a signal for tracking purposes. When the Hunters arrive that day, they will believe her to be the human wife of the ancient Will Stark. She will be targeted for death. The Hunters will come away from the attack believing the Assassin was successful in his murderous mission. That must not change.”
“Wait a moment,” Archie said, raising his hand, and then lowering it sheepishly. “They’ll believe the Assassin was successful?”
Eva nodded. “Will is rescued by the Alliance, and they take him to the distant future to train him in Energy skills, and to provide him with advanced technology to help him survive his journey. During that time in the future, his memories show a run-in with the Leader, the Hunters, and the Assassin. The Hunters make it clear they think his wife and son died in the attack, because they taunt him about his loss. That means the Shadow cannot use her skills to destroy any of them. That memory from the future is one of the reasons Will always argued strongly against invasions and attacks. He knew those we would most want to destroy are meant to survive.”
“You mentioned we were involved in this somehow…?” Archie prompted.
“Yes,” Eva replied. “In our reviews of the memories Will provided, we observed those with whom he interacted: those living in the Alliance community in the very distant future, as well as the humans living near him in his community. That community is both large and private. Five homes exist inside the walls that surround it. One of those homes is owned by the Starks. One is occupied by a very human couple, with only the woman surviving until the day of the attack. And the other three are occupied by current members of the Alliance, all in disguise as older, wealthy humans.”
Ashley whistled. “And…we’re one of those couples?”
Eva nodded. “The memories—which you will be able to see in the Cavern—give an idea of your role in human society. Peter and Judith, two of our Firsts, live there as well. And Aaron, another First, lives in the fifth house.”
“That sounds like a great bunch of neighbors,” Archie said, finally warming to the news.
“Wait a moment,” Ashley said. “You said there were five families living in the neighborhood. The Starks. A human couple. And three Alliance couples. One of those couples is the two of us. One of the couples is Peter and Judith. But you didn’t mention who in the Alliance is with Aaron.”
Eva merely smiled.
II
Illusion
1995 A.D.
When she woke, Hope’s eyes refused to open, crusted over with the remnants of the tears she’d used to fall asleep the previous night. She considered staying in bed; life was something she didn’t want to deal with at the moment. Yet she knew the people living in the Cavern needed her right now, perhaps even more than she needed them. They needed to see the brave face she wore, the decisiveness and determination to continue to advance the goals of the Alliance. They weren’t a one-person organization, doomed to wither and die with the loss of their founder and leader. Their own ideals demanded they continue on, continue to thrive, and continue to live with the same zest they’d shown before.
If she let them see or sense how much Will’s loss had shattered her, though? That might all end. And that was the one thing Will would never want. Or forgive.
And so she saved the tears, the agony, and the tremendous sense of loss for her times alone in the house they’d shared for centuries, crying herself to sleep each night. It was only by the sheer force of will she’d developed over centuries of facing life’s greatest challenges that she adopted a stoic, even cheerful image in public, concentrating on restraining her emotional Energy so as to keep everything running smoothly and moving forward.
Today was a new chapter in her life after Will.
It was the first time she’d venture Outside since news of Will’s loss had arrived months earlier. She’d looked forward to such journeys in the past, for she was almost guaranteed to have a “chance” run-in with Will during her travels. And if not? She still knew that he was out there, somewhere, and that they’d be reunited at some point in the future.
Now? She had no such assurance.
Well, that wasn’t quite true. In fact, she’d see Will this very day. She’d told everyone she was scouting a young man, someone she believed would make an excellent member of the Alliance in a few years.
The infant Will Stark would indeed be just that, and so much more.
In many ways, seeing six-month-old Will would be the ultimate form of pain, the reminder that this infant was the only Will Stark now, the only one she’d ever see again. She’d have the tortuous role of watching her husband grow from newborn to man, and have him for only a few years before he set off to rescue her from the mental and physical torture that was her childhood.
Will’s own childhood would be no picnic, either.
“His parents wanted a daughter, and only a daughter,” Adam had explained. Somehow, he’d managed to be present at Will’s birth, a feat he’d not bothered explaining. “They’d planned out every bit of their lives, Hope. They’d marry, have a son, then have a daughter, invest heavily, retire when their youngest—their daughter—graduated school and was self-sufficient, and then travel and dote upon their grandchildren. They’d written the story of their lives ahead of time, and expected life to give them exactly what they demanded. When Will was born… well, what they’d demanded from life could no longer occur. They could never seem to accept the fact that they still had two healthy children, and that nothing about their plan needed to change. They couldn’t accept life’s minor alteration to their plan, and the shock and frustration at the realization that life could tell them no…it’s materializing as hatred for Will. I’m convinced that if the hospital hadn’t intervened, if they’d not called and told the babysitter that they’d be coming home with their son… I dare say they would have left Will behind. Or worse… they might have taken him home and neglected him to the point that he wouldn’t survive.” He shook his head. “It was awful. I injected him with some Energy, some protection, to help him deal with what I fear will be a childhood spent being unloved and told he’s worthless and unwanted.”
Preserving Will Page 2
