The shocked look on Jennifer’s face made him wonder if he had said too much. Then the shock turned to elation as what he had said hit home. Before she could open her mouth that elation had shifted into fear and disbelief.
“Is that even possible? Won’t they try to stop you? What about the dangers?”
“Give me a second, honey,” said Sean with a smile. “I think it is possible. I’ve been looking up the science behind it.”
“And what have you learned?” asked his wife, picking up Glenn and laying him on his back on the couch so she could gesture with her hands.
“Give me a second, dear. Let me get to your other questions first. Yes, it seems possible. As far as the dangers, no one knows. There seems to be a lot of theory, and very little fact. A lot of conjecture. I guess it depends on what you want to believe.”
“What you want to believe,” shrilled Jennifer. “Are you delusional. I was trained as a scientist,” said the physician who was his wife. “Things don’t work out because of what you believe. What are the facts?”
“I’m still trying to find that out. If it looks safe enough, I don’t see why we can’t do it.”
“But only if it’s safe enough,” said Jennifer, pointing a finger at her husband’s chest. “And only if people who know what they are talking about sign off on it.”
“Don’t you want your son back? Don’t you want our city to be whole again?”
“Of course I do,” said Jennifer, tears coming to her eyes. “But they are gone. Can we bring them back without consequence? Or will the Universe slap us down for our effrontery?”
“Now that sounds like superstition,” said Sean with a smile. “The Universe is a physical entity, not a thinking creature.”
“And what the scientists say about the impossible supernovas in near space? What about that?”
“What about that?” growled Sean, standing up and throwing his hands in the air. “Conjecture, assumption. We don’t know how in the hell those stars blew up.” He stalked over and stood looking down at his wife. “Don’t you want your son back?”
“More than anything,” said Jennifer in a quiet voice. She looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks. “More than anything. Don’t you realize that. But I don’t want to pin my hopes on something that might destroy us.”
“You’ll see,” said Sean, storming out of the room. He rushed into his office down the hall, then ordered full security procedures over his implant. I’ll find out, he thought, setting up the contact. She’ll know, if anyone would.
* * *
“Yes, your Majesty,” said Dr. Lucille Yu, the director of the Donut. She looked in surprise as she noted that all the conference functions on her com were down.
“This conversation is to be considered top secret, Dr. Yu. Nothing we talk about is to be discussed with anyone else, understand. Not anyone, not even that Secret Service agent you are sleeping with.”
“What?”
“Dr. Yu. Who you sleep with is not any of my business, much less anyone else’s. But I must make sure that you understand that what we talk about is to go no further. I am declaring this an official secret, and only you and I are cleared for this. That is why none of your recording or surveillance systems are active. So, are we in agreement? If we aren’t, I will stop here.”
“You’ve sparked my curiosity, your Majesty. So yes, I agree.”
“What do you know about time travel?”
“Time travel?” asked a confused Yu. This was not what she had expected, not at all.
“Yes, time travel. So, is it possible?”
“Theoretically, yes. Though according to the theories I have seen, it would take a magnitude greater power than opening a wormhole.”
The Emperor whistled. “That much. But we have that kind of power.”
“Yes,” agreed Lucille, picking up her coffee cup and finding it empty. No help for it. She would have to wait. “What we don’t have is the means to use that power. Theory points to the ability to move a wormhole back in time, but we have no clue how to do it.”
“And if someone did?”
“If someone did it would no longer be theory. But I would be cautious in letting them do it. Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should.”
Sean frowned, and Lucille could tell that he really wasn’t listening to her cautionary warnings. It was important that he realize how risky such an action would be. She wasn’t sure why he was thinking of such an action, or if he even knew how to do it. But…
“Do you know Kenji Guatarrez?”
“I remember the man, though I wouldn’t really say that I know him. Something about using wormholes to go back in time. I remember his lecture, but he never told us how he intended to do it. Fleet intelligence had appeared by then and took him into custody. I thought it was because the Imperial government was concerned that he might actually try to pull it off.”
“Whoever took him into custody, Doctor, it was not my people. We don’t know what happened to him. But you don’t know if he was onto something, or just another crank?”
“No, your Majesty, though I would tend to go with the last option.”
“And what would be the consequence of going back in time and changing the past?”
“How much of the past? This is not something you are considering?”
“No, no. Just curiosity.”
Then why swear me to secrecy, thought the scientist. Something just didn’t ring true, and a shiver went up her spine. “Consequences could be disastrous, your Majesty. Time is not something to play with. Change time far enough back and millions of people, maybe billions, of those alive today would cease to exist. Just think. If someone was conceived seconds later in the new timeline, the person here today would have never been. Instead there would be a new person. And then there are the warnings from the ancients about tampering with time. It was said that they did it, and many of their stars went supernova. Stars that were not massive enough to do so, but did anyway.”
“The Universe punishing them? Come on, Lucille. Surely you don’t believe that the Universe is conscious, and punishes those who go against its wishes.”
“No, sir. What I am saying is that we don’t know what happened. Only that something did, something that goes against all of our theories of stellar evolution. It gives us something to think about. If it were me, I wouldn’t do anything to tamper with the time stream. No matter what you think you might gain.”
“Thank you, Lucille. You have given me something to think about.”
“Satisfied your curiosity, your Majesty?” Yu was now more sure than ever that this had nothing to do with simple curiosity, and hoped that the Emperor would think long and hard before he started any kind of project that had to do with time travel.
“Quite. And thank you, Lucille. Remember. Not a word to anyone else.”
The holo died, leaving Yu alone with her thoughts. She didn’t think she would be getting any sleep tonight, not with thoughts of the most powerful man in the empire thinking of time travel. And she couldn’t talk to anyone, not even Jimmy, her lover and confidant. It was something she would have to carry alone, while worrying that someone else would make the right decision.
“Get to work,” she said under her breath, pulling up the reports on the repairs to the station that would be going on for the next couple of years. The only way she could think of to get the worry off her mind was to keep busy. She wondered if there was enough work in the empire to get something like this off her mind.
* * *
“I want to discuss your proposal,” said Sean to the mystery man who had contacted him about time travel. He wasn’t sure how the man had gotten through to him, but he had, which indicated a level of resourcefulness that could prove advantageous.
“Would you like to meet, your Majesty?”
“I would, but would you trust me to play fair if you approach me?”
“I’m guessing that’s the only way this is going to happen, since I dou
bt you will come by yourself to meet with us.”
Sean smiled. He had almost expected the man to ask just that. And of course he would refuse. He wasn’t about to let someone take him captive and use him as a hostage.
“I’m taking a chance here, but I guess it’s the only way we’re going to get anywhere.”
The man’s face appeared on the holo. Sean thought he recognized the face, but couldn’t place it.
“I am the Count Nicholas Stumpfield, my Lord. But you can call me Nick. And I propose that we meet in your office, tomorrow.”
“You will trust me not to take you?”
“If you give your word not to, then I will trust you. Besides, even though I lead this project, I am not the scientific brains behind it. Without that brain trust, I would be useless to you.”
“Very well. I will set an appointment for you tomorrow morning. Don’t bring anything with you that might make my security nervous.”
The man smiled and the holo died. Sean sat there thinking for a moment. He would listen to what the man had to say. If it was something of interest, something that might turn back the clock and save hundreds of millions of people, he would consider it. He was still thinking that way, consideration, not even realizing that he had already made up his mind.
Chapter Two
A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life. Charles Darwin
IMPERIAL PALACE, JEWEL. MAY 6TH, 1003.
“Count,” said Sean in greeting, standing up from his seat and holding out a hand to the slightly bowing noble.
“Not afraid I might have something on my hand, your Majesty?” said Stumpfield, grasping the offered member.
“If you can get something past the nanites my security detail have used on you, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be safe no matter what.”
“We have no reason to wish you harm, your Majesty. You are the man we need to make both of our plans come to fruition.”
“And what do you think my plan is, Count?” asked Sean, gesturing to a seat. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Not at the moment, your Majesty. But as to plans. I think you want to undo the damage the Cacas did to your capital. And I want to stop the Cacas, once and for all.”
“With time travel?” asked the Emperor, placing his hands on the table and leaning forward. “You realize the risks? Or at least the predicted risks.”
“We have already gone back in time and retrieved someone who wouldn’t exist right now if we hadn’t. So I don’t think the risks are as feared. Our expert, Dr. Guatarrez, seems to think it’s safe enough. After all, if the Universe didn’t want us to go back in time, it shouldn’t have arranged such an easy method to do so.”
“And when can I meet this person, this life you saved from the past? Is it someone I know?”
“You know him alright, your Majesty,” said the man with a wide smile. “In fact, he’s a very close relative of yours. Very close.”
Sean felt a shiver run up his spine. Could it be? he thought. He tried to keep his excitement under control lest he be crushed with disappointment.
“Do you hear what I’m saying, your Majesty. We went back and retrieved your son before he could be killed by the Cacas. We have Augustine.”
“Where is he? What do you want for him?” gasped the Emperor, reaching out across the table.
“We’re not kidnappers, Sean,” said the count in a soft voice. “I couldn’t bring him with me, since I couldn’t predict how your security would respond. But give the word and I will have him brought here.”
“Do it. Now. Then you can tell me what you propose to do with this method of going back through time, and what you need me to do.”
* * *
“I have a surprise for you, honey,” said Sean, standing outside the nursery.
Inside he could hear his wife moving around, and Glenn cooing.
“I’m a little busy right now,” said Jennifer in the angry tone that seemed to mirror her prevalent mood.
“Not too busy for this,” said Sean, looking down at his first-born son, laying in his arms. The baby was squirming, but had yet to make a sound. The child was fine as far as the medical staff could tell. Healthy, sound. It was Augustine, down to his recorded quantum resonances. And months younger than he should have been, proof, with the lack of any kind of cryo scaring, that he had been brought forward in time.
“What now,” whined Jennifer, walking toward the door.
The baby heard his mother and suddenly wanted her. He started wailing, and Jennifer was there in an instant, staring at the child, her mouth moving without a sound.
“It’s him. It’s a miracle, baby. But we have our child back.”
Jennifer reached out for the child, her hands shaking, and Sean put his heir in the arms of his mother. Jennifer stood there rocking the baby, tears streaming down her cheeks. Sean enfolded both of them in a hug. It would take some getting used to, but he thought things would work out alright for them from here on out. Now if only things would work out for the rest of the empire.
“Your Majesty,” came a priority call over his implant. “We need you to see this.”
* * *
FENRI SPACE. MAY 7TH, 1003.
“So, what’s the total count?” asked Grand High Admiral Mgonda, looking at the sector plot that showed all of his task groups, along with the three oncoming arrows of the enemy fleets. One was coming in from a direct line to the Ca’cadasan Empire, the other three hundred light years to Galactic west, and the third three hundred light years further to the west. All three outnumbered his forces considerably, and when they combined in any of several possible pincer movements, any of his forces in the area would be overwhelmed.
“We estimate over ten thousand ships in each force, sir,” said his intelligence officer. “In their normal proportions of one to one to two.”
Mgonda nodded. As long as they had been fighting the Cacas, their initial forces had always consisted of one quarter superbattleships, one quarter super cruisers, and two of their large scout ships. To a human, to any of the other peoples of the Perseus arm, this seemed an unbalanced mix. Human forces always had twice as many cruisers as capital ships at a minimum, and five or six times the escorts to the large warships. It made sense in any known naval establishment, since no one could ever have enough capital ships to cover all the duties of the fleet. Battle, patrol, escort. The Cacas didn’t think that way. Their fleets were made for battle only, with enough scouts and covers to go along with their capital ship heavy fleet.
So they had at least seven thousand of their superbattleships, while he had less than a thousand of all kinds of capital ships. He was also light on wormholes, the one thing that could tip the balance.
Why in the hell did Sean have to recall so much of my fleet? He knew the answer to that as well. The Fleet needed the ships in other places, and the Fenri campaign was all but over. Except now it wasn’t, not really, since the Cacas were going to roll in here, take the systems, fortify them, and go forging on into sector III, which was not the most heavily fortified region of the Empire. It could have been worse, since that was the sector that also faced Lasharan space, so there were some old fortified systems there. Enough? Probably not. And none of them between the incoming Cacas and the core worlds. It was up to him to fight a battle that would slow them down enough for reinforcements to flow into sector III. New Terran Empire forces, Elysium ships, Margravi and Klassak vessels.
“We’re receiving a message from the Admiralty, sir,” said one of the com officers. “Grand High Admiral McCullom.”
“Put her on the holo near my chair,” ordered the admiral. “Sondra,” he said as her face appeared in the air to the side of his command chair.
“Taelis,” said the frazzled looking CNO. “I have more bad news for you.”
“Wonderful. Just what I wanted to hear.”
“There are three more Caca fleets, of equal or greater size to the ones hitting your region, coming in at th
e Republic. President Graham is screaming for reinforcements. I don’t have to tell you that her fleet will not be able to stop them by themselves. I also don’t need to tell you that we can’t afford to lose the industrial systems of her nation again. Most of our fleet in sector IV will be going there, along with all of the Crakista forces we can assemble. Which means..”
“I’m the odd man out,” said Mgonda, his shoulders slumping.
“We’ll still get you what we can,” said Sondra, trying to smile, and failing. “All of our allies on that side of the Empire, as well as what we can spare from the central reserve. I’m afraid you’re going to have to wage war against overwhelming odds until we can get you more. But that’s why we have a tactical genius like yourself there at the spear point.”
And I would rather have a force that because of its size was overwhelming as well, than have to depend on tricks. But that was not the hand he had been dealt here. “I’ll do my best, Sondra. Please assure his Majesty of that. But I cannot guarantee a victory here.”
“No one ever can,” replied the CNO. “But I know you will do your best, as will your people. In the best tradition of the Fleet.”
The holo died, and the admiral was left to sit there with his own thoughts for a moment. He thought about what assets he did have, ships and wormholes, and how he could use them to fight a winning battle. He saw some possibilities, though nothing concrete. But that was why he had a staff.
“Send out orders to all staff officers,” he said, looking over at the senior com officer. “Meeting in conference room A in thirty minutes. And I want everyone to bring any ideas they might have, no matter how silly or insane they think they are, with them. Any flag officers that are within com connection to us are also invited to attend.”
The admiral came to his feet and walked toward the flag bridge hatch. He expected they would be working all hours from here on, and it might help to get a shower and a change of clothes while he still could.
* * *
Exodus: Empires at War: Book 12: Time Strike Page 3
