Eschaton

by Andrew Hastie

  As he spoke, Dalton snapped his fingers, and six more creatures began to mould themselves out of the dark liquid.

  Josh’s belly was on fire, and he looked down to see blood spreading out across his tunic. He was still wearing the underclothes of the fire armour, where a large red stain was blossoming across the lower half.

  ‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’ Dalton sneered. ‘Before you die, wouldn’t you like to know about your father?’

  Josh felt light-headed, the pain and the loss of blood making it difficult to stay focused. He needed to find a way out of this, but he seemed to be running out of options — other than talking.

  ‘Who was he?’

  ‘You still haven’t guessed? Who would be so obsessed with maintaining the continuum that he would sacrifice his own son to protect it.’

  Then Josh realised the only man it could be.

  It was a strange feeling, not a surprise, but more as if he’d been dreaming and someone had woken him up unexpectedly.

  ‘The Founder.’

  Josh thought of the time he’d shown him how to heal the colonel’s timeline, the connection they’d shared with the Infinity Engine. They were compatible, like one being working together, harnessing the power of the device.

  ‘Thank you,’ said Josh, feeling his strength returning. The memory of that shared moment was like a key, and he let his mind reconnect with the engine and felt the lines of power flood into him.

  100

  Aetherium

  The Djinn home-world looked like a planet, a giant black sphere that hung in the void, its outline only defined by the iridescent halo of spectral gas that surrounded it.

  ‘What’s it made of?’ asked Caitlin, watching their approach from the viewport.

  ‘Aetherium,’ muttered the founder. ‘Dark energy.’

  ‘They’re using dark energy?’

  ‘They’re made of it.’

  ‘Do you think Josh is still alive in there?’

  The founder nodded. ‘I think the Nihil are fascinated by him. He’s in a state of quantum superposition, he should not exist, but he does. They won’t have met anything like him before.’

  ‘And he can’t kill them?’

  ‘Dalton, or whatever he has become, has a talisman. He may be using it to protect himself from the temporal effects. Come, sit by me. I think it’s time I told you about the Nihil.’

  The founder drew a deep, solemn breath and closed his eyes.

  ‘When I was much younger, I was an ambitious and impetuous fool, filled with visions of my own achievements and unwilling to listen to those who knew better about the dangers of quantum forces.’

  Caitlin looked confused. ‘When was this?’

  He smiled. ‘This was no history that you would recognise, but to tell you more would burden you with a secret I’m not sure you’re ready to hear.’

  ‘That there’s more than one continuum?’

  The founder looked genuinely surprised. ‘You never cease to impress me. How may I ask, did you discover this?’

  She shrugged. ‘When you’ve been in the maelstrom you realise that there’s way more to the universe than our tiny, insignificant lives. It changes your perspective.’

  The founder looked out through the glass. ‘I have always imagined that the maelstrom was full of wonders: lost times, disconnected pasts.’

  ‘And paths into alternate timelines.’

  He nodded. ‘Have you ever wondered where the Djinn come from?’

  ‘I’ve seen ghosts in here, spectres of other lives. I guessed they were remnants of older timelines.’

  ‘Or dead ones.’

  She looked puzzled. ‘Can a timeline truly die?’

  He sighed. ‘I am the living proof that it can. My own continuum was destroyed; it was only my research that saved me — although you could say that it ultimately caused the catastrophe in the first place.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘The Nihil is a non-linear species that is drawn to dark energy. Our scientists detected their presence during the early tests of the Infinity Engine. At first, they registered as nothing more than anomalies in their data, unexplained spikes in the monitoring. So we ignored them, as we were too focused on the limitless source of power I had discovered.’

  ‘Infinite power?’

  ‘Yes. Like every other civilisation, we needed energy; ours was running out — my world had consumed every natural resource, and our population growth was out of control. There were few options left, and tension between nations was beginning to escalate. Something had to be done to avoid all-out war. My work with dark energy had been an obscure branch of astrophysics until I discovered a way to harness the energy. It was hailed as the single most important discovery in our history.’

  ‘And the Nihil?’

  His eyes were glistening, and she could see tears were gathering in the corners.

  ‘The Nihil feed on dark energy. When my generators tapped into the maelstrom, they became aware of our existence, like a beacon. I painted a target on our timeline, and they swept through it like an invading army. They took everything, a billion souls — including my wife and family.’

  ‘Yet you managed to survive.’

  ‘I did. I used the only escape route — I walked into the breach they created and found my way to your world.’

  Caitlin went to the window. ‘And the Nihil are down there?’

  The founder came to join her. ‘I have spent so long trying to hide your timeline from them — it was why I created the Order, to ensure that this reality never made the same mistakes that took my own, but it seems that is unavoidable now. We can do nothing but face our demons and hope that the Paradox can save us.’

  Caitlin took his hand. ‘I’m not sure Josh is ready for this.’

  ‘He has to be. He’s our last hope.’

  She turned towards him. ‘You knew he was coming?’

  He took out the small box that contained the Infinity Engine from his robes and placed it on the low table. ‘I realise now that I am the reason he exists.’

  101

  Home-world

  The surface of the Djinn home-world appeared to be a featureless dark sea as they approached it. Once it filled the viewport it was like looking into night, nothing but the reflection of their ship to show there was anything there at all.

  The crew of the Nautilus gathered at the window, each one of them holding their breath.

  Strange structures rose as they neared the surface, formed entirely from the dark sea they manifested themselves like the ghosts of ancient castles, their walls covered in carvings of terrifying monsters.

  ‘Is it water?’ Thomas wondered aloud.

  ‘No,’ the founder answered, ‘dark energy, in a concentrated, liquid state. The Djinn dwell beneath in their native forms.’

  ‘And where is Dalton?’

  ‘Somewhere below.’

  ‘Do we have a bearing?’ asked Caitlin’s mother, staring at the founder.

  ‘Where is he, Lyra?’ Caitlin whispered to her sister, who was sitting holding the vial of aetherium while in a trance. Her eyes were glazed over, and her lips moved silently, but she made no sign that she’d heard her.

  Suddenly the Infinity Engine began to glow.

  ‘There he is!’ said the founder, jumping up out of his seat.

  He opened the box and held it up for them all to see.

  ‘He’s initiated a remote connection.’

  ‘Prepare to jump,’ commanded Juliana. ‘We need to get below this.’

  102

  Battle

  Josh took out the six Djinn before they’d fully formed, reducing them to dust with a touch.

  He could feel the proximity of the Infinity Engine — it was nearby and so were his friends — and with that the hope he might actually survive.

  Dalton-jinn screamed when Josh destroyed his latest creations. Like a battle cry, the sound echoed down the hall, shattering every window and letting in the ocean.

  A
s the water flooded through the tall arches, it transformed. Thousands of Djinn were bursting out of the torrents, and like newly born calves they scattered across the floor, their skin hardening into armour as they climbed to their feet.

  The Nihil cursed him in a hundred different tongues as they fell at Josh’s feet, none of them able to reach him.

  Soon there was nothing left of the building, and the sea was released from whatever gravity Dalton had imposed on it. Their world came apart and reformed.

  Josh was surrounded by a sphere of malevolence, circling him like the eye of a hurricane of monsters, biding their time — trying to find a way to hurt him. But he didn’t care. He felt like a god — like superman.

  Suddenly, there was a massive burst of energy that blasted a hole through a hundred Djinn, and the Nautilus swept through it, cannons blazing.

  Josh saw the familiar faces of his friends in the viewport. The colonel, Caitlin and her family — all staring out in wonder at him, like children at a toy shop window.

  He could feel the Infinity Engine within the ship and summoned it. In an instant, the glowing orb was in his hands, a beacon of light in the dark storm. The Nihil’s shrill cries at the sight of it stirred the Djinn into a frenzy.

  Josh ignored them, focusing on the multiple timelines that were weaving out from this moment; he could see so many ways this could end, but none of them were good. There were too many of them, and even with the Nautilus, it was unlikely they could take out more than ten percent before they would be overwhelmed. He needed to protect them, and as he thought about how, the fields around the orb expanded to encompass the ship.

  The Djinn couldn’t resist the pull of the Infinity Engine’s energy, and like moths to a flame, they threw themselves against its shielding, burning up as they collided with it.

  With the barrier holding, Josh turned to see that some of his friends had left the safety of the ship and were coming to join him.

  The colonel took his place beside Josh, the book of deadly names in his hands. Caitlin and Lyra both had talismans, while the others manned the cannons on the ship. They looked hopelessly outnumbered compared to the Nihil’s horde, but Josh was really glad to see them.

  ‘You should leave,’ he told the colonel.

  ‘And miss the big finish? I don’t think so,’ the old man said with a grin. ‘Anyway, I know how to take out at least seventy of them,’ he added, opening the book.

  ‘Hey,’ said Caitlin. ‘Why am I always the one getting you out of the shit?’

  ‘Guess it’s just your destiny,’ he said and shrugged.

  ‘Don’t use that word!’ she said, vaporising a Pentachion with a spectral burst from her talisman.

  The Nihil regained control of their forces, pulling them away from the shield. Josh couldn’t make out how they communicated, but like a million swarming bees they clustered around their commanders. He could see Dalton-jinn amongst the horde, reshaping his creatures, breaking them down and creating terrible new beasts from their parts. They merged and grew into grotesque giants, like monstrous siege weapons, and he fashioned a new army and sent them against the wall.

  The remade were stronger, smarter than the foot soldiers, and tested the shield, finding how to weaken it, coordinating their attacks. Everyone turned their weapons on the new threat, and for a few minutes they kept them at bay, but it was a never-ending onslaught. Dalton had an endless supply of new and more effective weapons, and Josh knew they were trapped here.

  The Nihil could sense it too, and broke away, taking half of the swarm with them and heading towards the bright timeline of the continuum.

  ‘They’re going for the timeline,’ he shouted to his friends. ‘You have to go and warn the Order!’

  ‘Not a chance,’ said the colonel as he summoned a ballistic missile and sent it into the belly of a tentacle-headed leviathan.

  ‘We can’t just leave you,’ said Caitlin, her talisman’s spectral guardians floating around her.

  ‘You have to. I can hold them, but you have to warn Derado that the Nihil are coming.’

  She took out a tachyon and snapped it onto his wrist. ‘Don’t do anything stupid — I’m not going to be here to save your arse — no matter how cute it is.’

  He smiled and kissed her. ‘You know me — I’m a born survivor.’

  ‘Just try not to die,’ she said, kissing him back.

  Caitlin reluctantly let go and headed towards the Nautilus, signalling the others to join her as she went.

  ‘Sure you can handle this?’ said the colonel.

  ‘It’s what I was born to do. It’s my dest—‘

  ‘Don’t say it!’ interrupted the old man with a wry smile. ‘I taught you better than that!’

  The founder appeared beside Josh. ‘I’ll stay with him.’

  The colonel saluted the two of them and followed Caitlin.

  Josh turned to the founder. ‘I can do this, but I can’t be sure it won’t destroy you.’

  The founder smiled, taking out his Anunnaki. ‘I think I’ve lived long enough.’

  103

  Leadership

  Grandmaster Derado leaned heavily on a stick as he stood in the centre of the Star Chamber, surrounded by the entire membership. He’d refused to let them dress the burns on his face; instead, he bore them as a reminder to all those that questioned his abilities, and it was working. Ten thousand men and women from every guild sat in silence waiting for him to speak, humbled by the bravery of his men during the fire.

  Rufius and Alixia stood beside him, their news not unexpected, but still it weighed heavy on him. He was a practical man; if they were going to survive this, every one of them would need to understand the danger and be prepared for what came next.

  He cleared his throat and tapped the cane on the floor. ‘Our Order was founded for one purpose, to protect the future. We have dedicated our lives to maintaining the continuum, guiding it in the best possible direction for the survival of humanity — and we have failed.’

  Derado stumbled, and Rufius caught him before he fell.

  A murmur swept around the audience, and Alixia stepped forward, raising her hand to silence them.

  ‘We have failed because we became too closed in our ways. We’ve become blinded by our own beliefs and traditions. The future is not something that can be codified and calculated — though we have tried very hard to control it.’ She looked directly at what as left of the Copernicans. ‘We still can only make an educated guess at what might happen a minute from now. Despite our best efforts to predict it, we have done nothing to avert the danger that lies beyond our borders.’

  She turned and pointed at Rufius who was helping Derado to a chair. ‘We have just returned from the maelstrom where the Djinn are amassing a vast army, and there’s no doubt now that the twelfth crisis is upon us; we must prepare for the next assault. If we fail now — there will be no tomorrow!’

  The Draconians and the Antiquarians were on their feet, clapping and cheering, but the Copernicans and the Scriptorians were shaking their heads and talking amongst themselves.

  Something was wrong. Alixia turned to Rufius, who shrugged. She looked around the auditorium, thinking about the war that was to come.

  There were still divisions within the order. If they couldn’t heal the rift, there was no chance of surviving this. So many of them were ready to sacrifice their lives defending a world that didn’t even know they existed, but without a unified Order, it would be for nothing. They had some terrible choices to make, but all of the founder’s plans had failed, and they were all that was left.

  104

  X9009

  [Kverkfjöll volcano, Iceland. Date: 12.418]

  They were standing in the middle of Fermi’s facility, a hundred different versions of Lenin sealed into grime-stained pods on every wall.

  ‘How?’ asked Josh. The last thing he could remember was the Infinity Engine shield failing and a swarm of a thousand Djinn pouring in.

  ‘I designed t
he engine to help me escape,’ the founder said, holding up the weakly glowing sphere. ‘All I needed was your timeline to get me here.’ He sat down slowly, holding his side.

  ‘You’re hurt?’

  The founder nodded, opening his robe to show a deep wound from a Djinn strike. ‘Aetherium.’

  ‘I can fix that,’ Josh said, reaching for the orb.

  The founder shook his head. ‘We’re close to the source of the twelfth crisis. This is the beginning of the Eschaton Cascade. You and Caitlin will arrive here soon, and I’ve one last mission that must be completed.’

  He pointed to a recessed unit in the wall. ‘I believe that will do.’

  It was some kind of upright med-bay, the recess was moulded into the shape of a body and the words ‘TRANSFER STATION 5’ stencilled above the console next to it.

  Josh helped the founder into the unit and watched as the various probes and needles deployed themselves onto his head.

  ‘Transfer commencing,’ intoned a metallic voice from within the booth.

  The founder’s body stiffened while the readouts changed on the displays. The colour drained from his face, his mouth gaping open as his eyes rolled up into their sockets leaving nothing but the whites — if it wasn’t for the heart monitor Josh would have said he just watched him die.

  ‘Complete,’ reported the system.

  A pod bay opened on the far side of the room and one of the Lenins came to life and extracted itself from the compartment. He was naked except for the number tattooed on his neck.

  ‘X9009’

  ‘I don’t have much time to explain,’ said the Lenin. ‘You will have to trust me.’

  He pulled out a knife-like injector and drove it into the founder’s chest, an indicator on the side flickering to life as his DNA was harvested.