Soul Taker

by John Garforth

  She turned her attention back to Otto.

  “There’s one more thing you can do,” she said, “give the knackers a ring and get that thing moved, they won’t argue, they’ll get some profit out of that.”

  “What’ll they do with it?” Asked Piper

  “We use what we can in the Burrows, nothing goes to waste if we can help it. The Carapace has all sorts of uses, mostly Sanitary ware, toilets, wash basins and baths, that sort of thing. The rest of it will be reduced for animal feed. Away from the cities we have a few animal farms, we keep pigs, cows and sheep, they’re open top, so the beasts get the sun and rain on their backs.

  “Anna, before we pick the others up, can I ask you something?”

  “What?”

  “Would you mind if I came and called on you again. I feel that the Molers and Toppers could help each other out in lots of ways. I’ve got another a job to do which means I’ll be gone for a couple of days, but when I get back. Would that be ok?”

  “I’d look forward to it Piper,” Anna said smiling, “just come back the way I take you out, it’s not far. Look, I’m going to stick my neck out here, I’m giving you a simple phone number which will connect you with our phone, back at Bakerstop.”

  Thanks Anna,” said Piper, feeling flattered, “don’t worry, I’ll keep it to myself, nobody else will see it.”

  “You know, sometimes in life you get a feeling about people that you can trust, well, right or wrong, I’ve got that feeling about you Piper, I just don’t think you’re the kind of person that would let your friends down.”

  “I don’t think that I ever have so far Anna, but thanks for the confidence.”

  “You might have noticed, we don’t use a lot of technology down here in the burrows,” said Anna, smiling, a simple action, but it changed her face from plain to lovely, “but this telephone business all began just after the war, when our grandparents began to build the tunnel networks back in Switzerland, they used all the tunnelling machines that they’d found undamaged at Cern. You’ve probably heard of the place, it’s where they built that enormous Hadron Collider machine beneath the ground.”

  Piper nodded, she was very familiar with the Hadron Collider, a lot of the particle physics work for the Time Machine had been developed there before the war.

  “Well, whenever our tunnelling network went underneath a city, it was obviously much simpler and faster to use the existing city Metro system for ourselves. So, at nearly every Metro Station around Europe, on the lowest platform level, you’ll find that there is one public phone that works and is connected to our rather basic phone system. It was all done with the safety of our labourers and engineers in mind, you probably won’t know, but couple of years after the war, all the Metro systems were like a magnet for the scavengers and gangs that roamed the wasteland. They’re all dead now, but back then it was a big problem and a phone link meant our people could get help quickly.”

  Anna pulled out a pencil stub out of her dungarees and scribbled 1331 on a scrap of paper and handed it to Piper.

  “I’ll blindfold the others before we leave,” she continued, “I don’t trust them like I do you, so you can imagine, I don’t really want them knowing their way back, ok?”

  “I don’t blame you Anna,” said Piper, “leave it to me, once they’re out, no-body will know the way back, I promise. I’ll put a word in for you about the Helicopter as well, try and smooth things over with our commanding officer.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Piper woke to the shrill sound of the alarm clock, rolling onto her back, she looked up at the low grey ceiling above her. The previous evening dominated her thoughts. Linderman had been furious with her, a large, intimidating presence in a small room, ranting about her immaturity and the dishonour she brought to her rank. Piper kept repeating that the three kidnapped Marines were still alive, but he ignored her. Face scarlet with anger, shaved head gleaming with sweat, he grabbed her by her lapels and although his eyes were strangely cold and empty, he began screaming that if he could, he’d have had her shot. That was the first time that she sensed a deep reservoir of violence, barely disguised, just below the surface. Then, as suddenly as it had flared, the anger subsided, Piper was breathless, it was an emotional rollercoaster ride, the switch of tempo felt more like instant amnesia than a mood swing. The rigid body language disappeared completely, as he reached for her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, squeezing her briefly, telling her that he was glad she’d made it back.

  She was then paraded in front of Brigadier General Oscar Brightside, overall commander of Launch Control and Pipers mentor and flight controller. If she’d thought Linderman was upset, then incandescent would best describe her controller. He told her that she’d jeopardised the entire mission and nearly destroyed the relationship between America and China. Things had been on such a knife edge that he’d been moments away from ringing the President and resigning. Was she so stupid that she didn’t realise that there was no way the launch could be cancelled. Today’s date was written in stone, if they missed today, then they would have to wait a complete year before trying again. There was too much riding on this launch, politically and financially, nothing could stop it. There were only two reasons why he hadn’t put her in chains and sent her for a court-martial. One, it was too late to ferry in a replacement, and two, the fact that she’d brought everybody out safe and sound.

  She felt a miserable failure as she climbed out of her bed, in the tiny cabin Launch Control had given her. She’d rehearsed this day a hundred times in her mind, this was not the way it was supposed to be. Her career was in tatters, the words, stupid and impetuous, would be etched on her record. That description would blight her progress in the military for the rest of her life. She was almost in tears as she showered and dressed herself in the overalls supplied. Then she made her way to the Refectory. Cereal and dry toast, washed down with coffee was all she could manage.

  It was 8.30am on the 10th April, she was due at the launch site at 8.45. She’d already been told that she’d wasted an entire day. She pushed back her chair and froze, aware that she had become the centre of attention. Out of a total compliment of fifty at the station, there must have been thirty taking Breakfast, all their eyes were on her and they were smiling.

  She suddenly felt a lot brighter.

  “Finally reached celebrity status old girl,” she muttered to herself as she looked around the room, standing, she smiled and made a self-conscious wave. The whole room got to their feet and applauded as she walked out the door. Now she felt ready for the day ahead.

  The control headquarters had the feel of a giant Lego set, sparse, practical, plastic and glass. Piper glanced out of the nearest window and shuddered. In the cold grey light of morning, the blackened, twisted ruins of Berlin lay all around her. The dreadful nuclear blast had destroyed this once bustling city. Millions had died dreadful deaths, their bodies part of the thick black ash that covered the sterile earth. The curse of radiation was not what it used to be, thank goodness, but even after sixty years, everybody wore a dosage monitor.

  S.A.C, the builders of the Control and Launch site, had researched the area well and picked the spot carefully. Using surviving records and internet research, they had built the centre on the rim of the Berlin-Tempelhof park, the biggest in Berlin. It had been an old World War two airport, but at the end of the war, Town Planners had ring fenced the area for public use only.

  Piper was heading for the launch site, containing the Time Pod, it was positioned above what was left of the Friedhoff St Mathias Graveyard, the scientists had determined that this would be her arrival point in the past.

  “Captain Reed?”

  She turned to her right. A tall, slim woman, smartly dressed in an Airforce uniform stood at the bottom of a flight of stairs, clipboard in her hand. Piper guessed her to be in her early fifties, sandy hair, swept back tightly in a bun, hazel eyes and a wide grin. Piper noticed the insignia on her shoulder and saluted.

 
; “Yes ma’am,” she said, “Colonel ma’am.”

  She walked towards Piper still smiling and holding out her hand, Piper took it and they shook.

  “Call me Mary Piper, I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said, still smiling, “most of it quite impressive. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, even if you are a day late.”

  Piper looked at her, a flicker of anxiety crossing her face. Mary’s eyes were sparkling.

  “Sorry, couldn’t resist mentioning it. The Brigadier told me that you’ve been in a bit of hot water.”

  “Yes, I think that’s an accurate description, ma’am.”

  “I said Mary.” Piper smiled and nodded.

  “Right,” she said walking, Piper followed, “things being as they are, we don’t have a lot of time. My team and I have a long checklist to run through with you.”

  “I’ve always known this would be a long day,” said Piper

  “I am sorry Captain, but events have telescoped everything,” she said, ushering Piper towards the stairs, “we must launch on the 11th April, that’s tomorrow morning at 6.00 am. I’m sorry but there’ll be no sleep tonight, we’ll have to work right through. I did send e-mail after e-mail to the Council advising that we needed more prep time, but as usual, it changed nothing. I know you’ve done a lot of training in Hong Kong. But in my opinion, a dry run in a dummy Pod is not the same. I want you to familiarise yourself with the Sphere Piper. Strap yourself in and get a feel for the machine, it’s important.”

  “I know, in Hong Kong they were forever telling me that I need to feel like the Pilot and not the passenger.”

  They were walking along a long grey corridor, when Piper, breathing deeply, suddenly stopped, Mary turned around to look at her.

  “I’m sorry, I know that it’s a bit late in the day, but, for the good of the mission, I think I should share this with you.

  “What Piper, what’s the matter?” Mary was concerned, she’d seen the flash of fear in the young officer’s eyes

  “It’s probably normal Mary, but I’ve got this awful panicky knot in my stomach,” said Piper, I’ve looked forward to this day for so long and now I wish that I was anywhere but here. The mock-ups in Hong Kong were ok, but at the end of the day they were just mock-ups. When it comes to it, the thought of putting myself inside a fully functioning live Nuclear Reactor is, to say the least, a bit daunting.”

  “I get it Piper, this is so new to all of us, I can only guess at how nervous you’re feeling. I’ll try and make as much time as I can for you before we launch.” Said Mary, smiling, “see how you go, but if you want, I could get the Doctor to give you something to take the edge off?”

  Piper stopped walking, put her hands on her hips and stared down at the floor as she struggled to regain her composure. After a few moments, she looked up at the ceiling, closed her eyes and rolled her head, to ease the tension in her shoulders. Eventually, she opened her eyes and looked across at Mary.

  “Sorry, massive panic attack, first one I’ve ever had, took me by surprise, won’t happen again. Didn’t get much sleep last night, then when I did, woke up full of gloom and doom, having the Riot Act read to me a couple of times last night, didn’t help much either”

  “You’re allowed the odd wobble, now and then” said Mary, giving Piper’s arm an understanding squeeze.

  Nothing more was said about the matter and the two women continued to walk towards the end of the corridor in silence.

  There was a time in Mary Robinson’s life that she seemed to be late for everything, marriage, children and career. Her father, who she’d loved very much, had died suddenly, when she was in her early twenties. She was an only child and took the hard decision to stay at home and take care of her ailing mother.

  After high school, she’d studied a Nursing degree and left University with a Batchelor of Science in Nursing and was a Registered Nurse at the Saint Joseph Hospital, in her home city of Denver. She was a kind, honest and caring woman and when her Mother died, two years before her thirtieth birthday, she took a little time out and re-assessed her life. She still had her looks and was hungry for a taste of spontaneity in her life, so, she joined the Army nursing corps with the rank of second Lieutenant, left the hospital in Denver and rented her house out.

  Two years later she met her husband and was married at Thirty one, by the age of thirty three she had two children, a boy and a girl. In her early forties she moved out of active nursing and into Admin, gaining the rank of Colonel, both her children were now at University. Her husband, a colonel in the Marine Corps, had recently started an affair with a younger woman, resulting in a bitter separation that had left Mary deeply distressed. But within the last three months there had been a reconciliation, both of them had committed themselves to counselling, in the hope that they could eventually begin living together again. Mary had volunteered for a position with the Time Travel trials in Germany, before the reconciliation with her husband, but this was to be her last tour of duty before retiring.

  • • •

  “I presume you’ve been told that the reactor is all Chinese?” Said Mary, at last.

  “I was told that it came out of their Space Program,” Piper replied.

  “Yeah, that’s right, without it we’d be going nowhere. The Sphere that’s been delivered here is unique, I don’t think they’ve built another one yet and to be honest, I’ll never know how they built this one. It’s almost unbelievable, nobody knows how they’ve condensed so much power into the shell of that Sphere.”

  “That’s what I hear, but I think I’m right in saying that it was our science that built the Chrono drive wasn’t it? I suppose that’s the driving force behind the collaboration, neither nation could have made this project work without the other.”

  “You’re right, it’s a true partnership, the only trouble is that, historically, the Chinese and the Americans are not natural bedfellows, neither one of the contributors, trusts the other.”

  “Spot on, you see that’s another thing that niggles me Mary, I tried to get an answer to something that was bothering me in Hong Kong, but they simply ignored me, without giving me any reason, I just presumed that they didn’t know, but looking back, maybe they were just being bloody minded.”

  “What was it, that was troubling you, maybe I can give you an answer?”

  “Well, if everything goes to plan and I carry out the mission successfully, will everything have changed when I get back? Will the World that I return to, be different from the one that I left?”

  “No Piper, when the ability to travel in time was discovered the scientists and government decided that we couldn’t allow the changes to be immediate, that would insert too many imponderables into the equation. If your mission succeeds and the bombing of Northern Italy never happened, then we are creating a paradox. How could you be travelling in time to stop something that had never happened. The time line that would emanate from this non-event would create too many changes in our continuum. Many of us that live in the present time line would probably cease to exist.”

  “Good, so like I say, if everything goes to plan and I manage to change things a little in the past, then I should be able to get back here, to my own time, before any changes happen. I was concerned, that when I made the changes, I might have somehow got stuck in the past, just as the bombs were dropping, or, suddenly get snuffed out, like the flame on a candle.”

  “No, I promise you, nothing like that will happen Piper. It was for the very reasons that you’ve just outlined that we’ve had to use a space time structure exhibiting closed paths in space. I’m sorry, I know all this sounds so technical Piper, but I just want you to know what you are letting yourself in for. The Chronos drive reduces you and the time pod into quantum particles that then travel through a Wormhole back in time, then, when you return, you come back through the same Wormhole to this location in space and time.

  “Right,” said Piper, grinning, “got you, we covered most of that at Uni.”

&
nbsp; “Good,” said Mary, “So, just to make it absolutely crystal clear, the manifestation of your actions does not affect the time fabric until you return to this location. Making sure that the changes you have wrought are not visible or apparent until you return. According to the space time mathematical model we are using, this reduces to a minimum any distortion we may have caused.”

  They’d reached a wide double door, criss-crossed with yellow and black tape. Mary swiped her ID card and it opened. Piper was taken by surprise, the sphere was so close to her that she could’ve reach out and touched it, as it hummed and hovered over a large hole in the floor of the chamber.

  “This is all a bit embarrassing,” said Mary, nodding towards the sphere. A fully armed Chinese soldier stood guard on one side, an American marine on the other.

  “Like I was saying, this just reminds me of Hong Kong,” said Piper smiling ruefully, “all of this makes our partnership a bit of a joke”

  “Isn’t that a fact?” Said Mary, “it’s classic, each one of us thinks that other one is going to steal all the secrets. Then there’s the fact that you were chosen to carry out the mission, it’s become common knowledge that the Chinese are really hacked off that it wasn’t one of their guys.”

  “That’s the feeling that I got in Hong Kong,” said Piper, “and that reminds me, the other thing that I’d like explaining, is what are the Chinese getting out of all this? The Italian project is hardly in their back garden.”

  “I’ve heard on the quiet that they consider this to be just a test run for bigger things. If it works,” Mary showed the whites of her eyes as she looked towards the ceiling, “sorry Piper, when it works. The original SAC agreement was that both nations would own and operate independently, their own working Time Sphere. A complete sharing of our combined Technology.”

  “Is that significant?” Asked Piper frowning.