by Adair Hart
Dr. Snowden bobbed his head. “There were … girlfriends, but none really stuck around.”
Sarah swatted Dan’s arm.
Dan jerked his head back. “What? That’s their version, not me.”
“I could see you doing that,” said Sarah.
Dan shook his head and chuckled. “I’m getting blamed for what my parallel-universe version did.”
“At least she has you. Does she have a boyfriend?” asked Sarah.
“She doesn’t,” said Dr. Snowden. He raised a finger. “However, she has had several girlfriends, and also met someone on our adventures that she had a relationship with. An older woman.”
Sarah’s eyes widened. “Oh. Okay. So she … likes women.”
“Both men and women. She’s more attracted to a type of personality and outlook, regardless what gender it is.”
Sarah wrinkled her eyebrows. “I could see that.”
Dan turned his head toward Sarah. “Really?”
“I know what you’re thinking,” said Sarah with a half smile. “What’s important is that she’s happy.”
“She was,” said Dr. Snowden as they turned a corner. “She’s starting to be more like the Emily I grew up with, but she’s now a lot more aware of what’s going on around her. She trains four to five hours a day, studies like there is no tomorrow, and in general seems more comfortable with the situation overall.”
“She’s adapted,” said Dan.
Dr. Snowden met Dan’s gaze, and in unison, they said, “Learn. Adapt. Evolve.” They enjoyed a laugh.
Dan shook his head. “Sounds like regardless of the universe, the philosophy is still the same.”
“Yeah,” said Dr. Snowden. “You used to put me in a headlock when you taught me that. Well, my version.”
“I did the same to our version,” said Dan with a cracked voice. “This … situation is so messed up. Not only do we have to deal with the fact that aliens exist and we were abducted, but also that there are parallel universes, and I can interact with versions of my dead brother and a daughter I never knew.”
Dr. Snowden wagged a finger at Dan. “Don’t forget the nanobots.”
Sarah rubbed her hands together. “About that … have you seen any side effects?”
Dr. Snowden gazed off into the distance for a moment as the myriad of issues he had with them cropped up in his mind. He bobbed his head. “I think the big thing is that you age five weeks every year. On top of the enhanced strength, speed, and general senses, you’ll also be able to raise them to a higher activity level, with a corresponding increase in effectiveness of your abilities.”
“What do you mean?” asked Dan.
“Like … if you get lost in emotion, you can reach a state that calms you. Or if you’re in a fight, they can … sorta tingle, and you become stronger, or faster. Also any damage heals faster. I can’t imagine my life without them. They cured my prostate cancer even.”
“Huh,” said Dan. “Something to consider then.”
“You want to keep them?” asked Sarah.
Dan motioned a hand out. “It … deserves some thought. If it means we can have a kid …”
Sarah smiled. “I’d like that.”
Dr. Snowden swallowed hard. He missed Dan, and being with a parallel-universe version just reminded him of how much he did. Sarah was close with him too, and the three of them spent many a night hanging out. Since Dr. Bryson was his college roommate, he would join in the group at times.
When they reached the control room, he entered and headed over to the panel. It did not take long for the red dot above it to turn green, and when it did, he activated the console and pulled out the switch he needed to flip. Once it was done, he turned to the others. “That’s it. We can head back now.”
Dan stood next to the table in the small room and swept a hand between the wall and the table. “Is this where you fought those three Grynge?”
Dr. Snowden eyed the area and nodded.
“Albert … that’s not a lot of room to maneuver in.”
“I was on my back.”
Dan shook a hand out in front of him as he slowly raised his head at Dr. Snowden. “You were giving your life to save Emily’s …”
The memory of the fight in the room came roaring back. Dr. Snowden averted his eyes as he struggled to breathe. He had been stabbed three times, and he knew that he would not win that fight. The sudden onslaught of emotions caught him off guard. “I … wanted to buy her time to escape.”
Sarah rushed over and hugged Dr. Snowden. “Parallel universe or not, you’re a great person.”
Dr. Snowden exhaled as his eyes reddened.
Dan laid a hand on Dr. Snowden’s arm. “I suspect if we had a daughter and it was a similar situation, our Albert woulda done the same thing.” He shook his head as his voice cracked. “We’ll get through this. Once this is all over, you and Emily should stick around for a bit. Maybe we can get to know each other better.”
Dr. Snowden nodded as Sarah stepped back. “I’d love that and think Emily would too.”
“It’s settled then,” said Dan, clearing his throat. “We’ll have a cookout with burgers and hot dogs.”
“My favorite,” said Dr. Snowden. With a final sweep of the room, he said, “Let’s get outta here.”
Emily surveyed the large empty room that she and Evaran had just entered. They had traveled without much resistance for the last hour and were nearing the Torvatta. Some creatures postured as if they were going to do something, but all it took was Evaran communicating to them that they would not fare well. Others just ran. Some appeared to be sentient but took off before any communication could be done. Her nanobots began to tingle.
Evaran raised a hand. “A Time Warden is near.”
She activated her shield, pulled out her PSD, and extended it into a staff. “Should I camouflage?”
“No, they can see through that.”
She surveyed the room and counted four doorways into smaller rooms, with a large hallway opposite them and one to their right. The room seemed like a junction room whose purpose was connecting other areas, but it had conveniences scattered about. Broken tables, chairs, and machines were strewn on the ground. The screens on the wall were cracked, and some emitted electrical sparks.
Despite all that, she knew the Time Warden was near. Her heartbeat increased as she picked up the faint sound of something tapping on metal. It reminded her of a clock.
Evaran extended his utility handle into a staff and activated his shield. “It is a Time Warden predator.”
Emily wrinkled her eyebrows. “A different type?”
He drew his lips flat. “Yes. These have heavier shielding and armor and can paralyze their victims. They are larger than the ones we fought inside the facility where my last plane form was.”
“Predator or not, we got this.”
He eyed her for a moment. “I appreciate your confidence, but these are not to be taken lightly. My last run-in with them in our universe was almost fatal. To be fair, I fought six at once, including a Time Warden commander. And I was full strength at the time.”
Emily sighed. “I’m not underestimating them. It’s just that we make a good fighting unit.”
“We do,” said Evaran. “I will serve as the main distraction. When an opening to its body appears, take the opportunity to jab it.”
She nodded. “You can count on me.” She gulped as her attention focused on the sound of the predator in the opposite hallway. Trying to peer in was difficult due to the lack of lighting. Her breath staggered as the first segmented tentacle snaked into the room along the right wall. Another went on the other side, and the predator pulled itself into full view.
She noted that it was similar in design to the smaller ones, but this one was colored black and gold. Its multiple eye sockets ended with a red outline. Four tentacles were attached on the underside, with four more on top. The elliptical body seemed heavier to her as well.
The predator paused and homed in
on them. It crawled forward, flicking debris out of its way as it moved.
Evaran stepped forward and raised a hand. “Hear me, Time Warden.”
The predator paused, then raised itself. In a deep, synthetic-sounding voice, it said, “You are the time transgressor. Submit to the will of the Time Wardens.”
“I cannot do that,” said Evaran. “I have already defeated some of your brethren. This is your chance to turn around and crawl away.”
“Time Wardens do not crawl away,” said the predator.
“They do when facing a superior opponent.”
The predator vibrated a bit. “Are you responsible for the destruction of our anchor station?”
“I am.”
“Then you will suffer the consequences.” It raised its top tentacles in a backward arcing manner and fired orange energy beams at Evaran.
Evaran raised his shield and braced himself as the beams hit.
Emily angled her shield in front of her and made her way toward the back of the predator.
The predator pivoted its tentacles to fire on Emily.
She gritted her teeth as the beams pushed her back. Her nanobots began to pulse.
Evaran charged forward, and when he was within striking distance, he jumped into the air and sliced off two of the top tentacles on the right side.
The Time Warden fumbled back. It pivoted and used the other two tentacles to knock Evaran away. It then wheeled around and crawled toward Emily.
She rushed up to it and dodged the first tentacle. With a downward motion, she cut the end off the second tentacle.
The first tentacle grabbed the top of her shield and tried to pull it away.
She went flying forward.
The predator released its grip on her shield and stabbed her in the back of the leg.
She screamed as the predator tossed her to the ground. Her body fought her as she tried to get back up. A fire ran up her leg and began to spread. Sweat seeped into her eyes, and every motion was a struggle. Although her nanobots were at full tilt, whatever the predator injected into her was more effective. She pushed against the ground, but the effort was futile.
Evaran was a tornado of strikes as he rushed forward into the predator. It slid back with each attack.
Once he severed the two remaining top tentacles, he jumped on top of the predator. He changed the staff into a rod capable of puncturing the body.
The predator rolled to the side and used three of its underside tentacles to grab Evaran and began to squeeze. The other tentacle grabbed the staff and pulled it away. Once the staff was on the ground, the four tentacles had Evaran wrapped up.
Emily clenched her jaw as she crawled toward the Time Warden. The fire had become an inferno, and the war fought between her nanobots and the toxin made it hard for her to breathe. Each movement took everything she had.
The unusual face Evaran was making pushed her even harder. She had to do something. With no free tentacles, the predator was a sitting duck. She raised her PSD and changed it into the rod that could pierce the shielding and body. With all her strength, she pulled herself to within striking distance. She yelled as she plunged it deep into the predator’s body.
The predator emitted a loud shrieking noise as it shuddered. A yellow goo oozed out of the wound. It evaporated while making an unearthly sound, and Emily collapsed to the ground.
Evaran untangled himself when the tentacles lost their tension. He picked up his utility handle and rushed over to Emily. After scanning her, he knelt and said, “You have been paralyzed. Thankfully, the dose is not fatal, at least for you. I need to get you to the Torvatta immediately. The effects usually last about six hours, but it may be faster for you due to your nanobots. I have something in the medical lab that will shorten it even more and help deaden the pain some. I need to update Levaran.” He interacted with his ARI.
After a few minutes, he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. “Levaran has been updated. They are nearing docking bay 6.”
Emily tried to move but nothing responded. She bet Dr. Snowden was probably ready to charge across the ship. The thought made her laugh in her mind, as nothing else reacted physically. The only thing that seemed to be working was breathing. The feeling of helplessness washed over her and brought back a memory of being caged on the prison planet. Her breathing intensified.
“Try to stay calm,” said Evaran. “I know this is difficult, but I will keep you safe until we can get to the Torvatta.”
She did not doubt his words. It was the shame of having fallen so easily. Despite all her training, all it took was one jab and she was down. She understood that the predator was a challenge even for someone like Evaran. Even so, she vowed to look at ways to make her body armor tougher. If Evaran had been laid out, they both could be going to the Time Warden ship now instead of what was happening.
When Evaran had traveled for about ten minutes, he paused in a long corridor and laid Emily down.
Lying on her side, she watched as he approached three men.
It was Jerzan and two others. All three had on a patchwork of brown-and-gray light armor with weapons in their hands.
Emily recognized Jahl, Jerzan’s right-hand man, but not the other one. Maybe it was Hosk, although she never saw him during her and Dr. Snowden’s abduction. Their greased-up hair and pockmarked fair skin did them no favors. Although she was paralyzed, she could still smell the foul odor of weeks aboard a cramped ship on them.
Jerzan strutted forward. “Well, well, well. What have we here?” He gestured at Emily. “Looks like I’ll be first for a change.”
The other two men laughed.
Evaran extended his utility handle into a baton with a glowing blue end. He aimed forward and shot the two men with a stun beam, causing Jerzan to stumble back in surprise.
Jerzan took out his weapon and fired. The energy beam reflected just over his head.
“Jerzan. I would advise you not do that again,” said Evaran.
Jerzan’s eyes widened as he relaxed and moved his weapon to the side. “Who are you?”
“Someone who has already dealt with you. However, I do not have time for your foolishness this time. Jahl and Hosk are stunned. The rest of your crew,” he said, pointing back the way that he and Emily had come, “are back there, locked in a room.”
“So you locked them in … ,” said Jerzan.
“I did,” said Evaran. He walked backward and scooped up Emily with one arm while keeping an eye on Jerzan. He held her around the waist as he approached Jerzan. “I would suggest you get your men and get off this ship. It is headed toward the sun.”
“What!”
Evaran stared Jerzan in the face. “I am giving you a chance. Take it. I am not in the mood to deal with you. If you wish to test that, I will stun you and leave you and your friends at the mercy of the first creature that passes by.”
Jerzan’s face turned white. “Um … O … okay. No need to get crazy. We’re all friends here, right?”
Evaran narrowed his eyes and continued on. He slung Emily back over his shoulder.
She could no longer see what Jerzan was doing, but she suspected he was trying to figure out how to move two stunned members and get the others out. Evaran’s demeanor surprised her somewhat. It was like he showed a bit more emotion than normal. She wondered if it was due to syncing with Levaran and seeing things through her eyes. Whatever it was, he was not happy. She wanted to shake her head, but could not. At least it would be a straight shot to the Torvatta, hopefully.
When they reached docking bay 3 thirty minutes later, Evaran paused just outside the entrance. “There is another Time Warden predator inside.”
A sense of dread welled up inside Emily. She was now a liability, something she had vowed never to be. Her mind had been working in overdrive to try to move, and she thought she could almost wiggle her fingers.
“I have an idea,” he said. He laid her up against the wall and gazed into her eyes. “We are going to use your camoufla
ge shielding. Although they can see through it, our thermal signatures will be obscured by the containers. I’ll keep my left arm toward the predator just in case. However, I will need to hold you close, so I apologize ahead of time if it makes you uncomfortable.”
She had no issues with being used as a shield, but she thought it was funny that he felt the need to apologize.
He accessed her forearm control. After the camouflage activated, he picked her up and wrapped his right arm around her waist.
She could see why he would think she might be uncomfortable. At her height, her head fell onto his shoulder, and her body was held close. The situation was dire with the predator lurking inside, but his reaction would have made her laugh if she could.
Evaran slipped inside the docking bay doorway and hugged the wall.
All she could see was the wall, but at the pace they were moving, it was not long before they hit the corner. There were a few stops where he held perfectly still behind the containers. She guessed maybe the predator was close by at those times.
When they got to the hallway leading to docking bay 4, he rushed down it.
From her vantage point, she could see the predator. It had been much closer than she had thought, just one container away.
The predator had waved a tentacle into the hallway behind them, as if checking for something. A light beam filled the corridor. After a moment, it jerked away and disappeared from her view.
Evaran increased his pace. “It has detected us, but it has no way of fitting in here. It will try to bore its way through the docking bay 4 entrance.”
Emily’s heartbeat ramped up. Given how strong she knew the predator was, she figured it would have no problem clearing a path. Maybe it would even shoot through it. It dawned on her that they could have done that too, but maybe there was a structural reason for not doing so.
A wave of relief swept through her when she saw that they had exited the hallway. It was not much longer before she could see they were inside the Torvatta’s shielding. The sound of something being pummeled against the wall filled the docking bay.
A few moments later, she was lying on her stomach on a medical slab. Her face was turned to the right.
