by Jim Musgrave
Be the boarding-axe sharpened, the scimitar bared:
Set the canisters ready, and then bring to me,
For the last of my duties, the powder-room key.
It shall never be lowered, the black flag we bear;
If the sea be denied us, we sweep through the air.
Unshared have we left our last victory's prey;
It is mine to divide it, and yours to obey:
There are shawls that might suit a sultana's white neck,
And pearls that are fair as the arms they will deck.
That was when I decided to take the little doctor back to the temple with me. I realized I had in my hands a possible key to this case. If I wanted to stop the pirates from beginning their raids on shipping, I had to infiltrate their lair. What better way to gain acceptance than to learn about them from someone who had once been somewhat in their confidence? Despite his drunken state, I believed I would be able to get much more vital information from Doctor Franklin Biggs-Pemberton once he was sober. Cerberus was no longer guarding the mansion of Hades; he was going to be staying inside one of the temples of God.
* * *
“What do you plan to do with him?” Doctor Adler was staring down at our little guest as I tucked him into my bed next to the time machine. I could tell by the rabbi’s demeanor that he was not pleased with my choice to bring this man to the temple. In point of fact, the rabbi almost refused him entrance. I had to explain to Doctor Adler about his transformation into this midget state by our adversaries and that he was, in reality, a scientist from the future.
“I believe his story, and I want to take a chance. He mentioned the fact that the Society sees me as part of their plan, and this single fact made me trust him.” I sat down on a chair, and Doctor Adler pulled up another chair to face me.
“Trust is an important factor in human events. I hope you can verify your trust in this man with something other than your own self-importance. Pride is our most egregious character flaw,” Doctor Adler pointed out.
“I know how Jane the Grabber works. I have seen her send children to their deaths for profit, so Doctor Biggs-Pemberton’s story about how he was kidnapped from the future in England sounded very authentic. It is the pride of this organization that holds the fatal flaw in their character, Doctor Adler, and I am going to use this pride against them,” I said.
“What did this little doctor tell you about Seth’s visions concerning your future? Are you to battle with the Master Dreamer?” the rabbi asked, raising his eyebrows.
“I believe this might have been a dream of Seth’s human self. He is also a little boy, and Doctor Biggs-Pemberton told me both my dream mother and the Master Dreamer were ruses created by the Society to trick me,” I explained.
“But how can you be certain? He also told you that you were part of their plan. What plan can that be? What is their goal, and what part will you play in achieving it?” Doctor Adler was getting to the heart of my discomfort.
“I believe they plan to use steam power to dominate our present time period. If I am to be part of this plan, then they must have an idea that I will be made to cooperate with them. I want to use Doctor Biggs-Pemberton to infiltrate their domain. I want to learn as much as I can about this organization and use it against them. They still do not know where I am or that I have access to a time machine,” I pointed out.
“True, and I assume this time machine is your Queen in this game of chess you are playing with them. You have the freedom of movement, but so do they. What if you were to meet up with this woman, Jane the Grabber, on one of your expeditions into the future?” Doctor Adler was now playing the Devil’s Advocate.
“I suppose it would be an excellent chance for me to end all of their kidnapping once and for all. I believe I should be armed if I am to make any more journeys in your machine. Tomorrow, I want to question the sober little doctor of gen-ethics, and I want to discuss midgets with him.” I got up from my chair and stretched. “It’s been a long day, Doctor. I am going to turn in. I thank you for this discussion. I believe I am becoming more aware of what this organization is trying to accomplish.”
“All right, Detective O’Malley. Just remember that you alone have been called to this hero’s task. All the evidence thus far points to your having to surmount obstacles in order to gain a deeper understanding of your adversaries and yourself. We discussed earlier about the fact that all of your cases have included an element of the supernatural. Why do suppose that is?”
The rabbi also stood up. He then walked over to stand above the little English doctor from the future. “He is from our future, and this future has a science that can mix the basic building blocks of our biological nature. In my religion, it is not permitted to scar the body or to use it for any other purposes than for what it was intended. In his belief system, the body can be changed the way Seth can transform into other beings. We humans are constantly attempting to behave like we are gods or angels, and yet we never take the time to consider the consequences until it is often too late,” he said, reaching down and pulling up the blanket to the little man’s chin. “I would like to talk to this man as well. I have always had a fear of the future because it meant change. Do you suppose that is the main obstacle to progress? We fear change because we believe that outward transformation might corrupt our inner morals.”
“I am not a philosopher, Doctor. I am a detective. All I understand is the fact that I was given unsubstantiated proof from a little mazikeen that there will be crimes committed in my jurisdiction. I am obligated to stop the perpetrators of these crimes. In order to do this, I must ask questions, investigate and use subterfuge. None of these techniques require my philosophical understanding. I suppose that is why I have you,” I said.
“I appreciate your faith in me, Detective, but I do not have a complete understanding of what is happening any more than you do. We must wake-up to a new day, and with each new day comes the promise of new events. That is the only philosophy I know for certain. Oh, yes, and I do believe in one other fact,” he added.
“And that is?” I asked, taking my clothes off.
Little Doctor Biggs-Pemberton was agitated in his sleep. He cried out, “Help me! I am not a dog!”
“My Creator is so all-powerful that in His domain, anything is possible,” Doctor Adler said. “I will now turn out the lights,” he added, standing still next to the stairway leading up into his offices.
“Thank you,” I answered, and then it became dark all around me. I could hear the little man turning in his bed, and he made whining noises in his restless sleep. If the possibilities were limitless, then why were we constantly trying to force limits on them to reflect our own insecurities? Perhaps I was a philosopher. I often became one when I was in bed with Becky. Women lead us into that realm as if they were Beatrices and we were Dantes.
Little Cerberus barked again. Where was he going to lead me? I closed my eyes and waited for my dream within this dream.
Chapter 8: Herein Beneath the Central Park Lie the Underground Pirates
For a little man, Doctor Biggs-Pemberton had a big headache when he arose the next morning. We ate our breakfasts with Doctor Adler. Our guest’s demeanor had changed dramatically from the previous evening in the Steam City Ale House. He was quite reserved, and he insisted that we call him “Franklin” and not doctor. As he nibbled at his toast and sipped his tea, he was able to answer our questions with honest candor.
His sparse hair looked combed across his forehead, and his pug nose appeared less canine in the morning than it did at the mansion or inside the tavern. He wore the same soiled frock coat and trousers, and his shoes were scuffed and dangling over his chair like a child’s from the ends of his tiny legs.
“You were singing a buccaneer song last evening,” I said. “Were you aware of any pirate activities by the Society?” I believed I might as well get directly into what I wanted to know. I had placed my faith in this man’s honesty, and I was going to question him to see h
ow far his resentment against his former employer ran.
“I always sing when I imbibe. However, I cannot hold a tune for the life of me. I used to scare children with it at church. As to your inquiry, yes, piracy was a focal point of their recruitment. I must say, they had me interested, as I believe many scientists—especially research types—are secret adventurers. They told me they would be developing a method of hijacking the wealthy merchant vessels coming into the harbor,” the little man explained.
“Did they tell you exactly what this method would entail?” I did not believe they would have told him, but it was worth the chance to ask.
“No, they simply said they needed emergency funds to establish their humanitarian goal of saving the world from thermonuclear destruction,” he said.
“What is this word ‘thermonuclear’?” Doctor Adler asked. He was spreading cream cheese evenly upon his bagel.
“Great Caesar’s Ghost! Yes, I keep forgetting that I exist in the year 1868. One moment I was in England of the 21st Century, and the next moment I am standing in an underground cavern beneath Central Park. Thermonuclear weapons were created in the 1950s by the United States in order to combat the spread of world Communism. These Communists had also assembled the same kind of weaponry. The nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Warsaw Pact countries kept increasing the numbers of weapons until there was an accidental computer error. All you need to know is that these weapons created what was called a Nuclear Winter, and all life on Earth was destroyed. The Society was allegedly formed in another universe as a result of this catastrophe,” he explained, sipping again from his teacup. “They are a collection of humans and cyborgs, which are humans who have incorporated future technology into their bodies to give them longevity and additional powers. They came to our planet in this universe in order to exploit this time period. They have made obvious physical modifications to certain people, including your Hester Jane Haskins, in order to use them in their misadventures.”
“I don’t understand. If this world is destined to end, then how is the Society going to stop it from happening?” I asked.
“The way the Society explained it to me was that the purpose of developing only steam-powered technology is to keep your world at an environmentally friendly state of homeostasis and not to allow computer technology to develop. Unless we maintain an internal equilibrium, we are destined to destroy ourselves. It is a scientific fact. The advent of computer technology, according to the Society, was the proximate cause of thermonuclear war. This is the argument the Society gives to every inventor they kidnap, and it seems to be working.” Doctor Biggs-Pemberton raised his napkin to his mouth and blotted his thin lips.
“You did not accept their argument. Also, what about the Network? You informed us that they were attempting to shut down the Society’s entire organization. What does the Network know about them, and why is it more difficult for them to stop this activity?” I was trying to obtain the technical and personal information I needed to apply to my own efforts at stopping this group.
“Let me explain something to you. The hierarchy of the multiverses is very complex. When one is referencing the limitless spheres of potentiality, one must use language very carefully. For example, the Network conglomerates are officials who exist in the highest levels of the multiverses. Their science and social structure have advanced so far beyond us that the Network no longer uses weapons. All disagreements are decided almost instantaneously by computers.”
The little doctor was immediately interrupted by Doctor Adler. “Computers? What do they do?”
“These computers became the most phenomenal invention during the age of the technocrats. All finance, government and weaponry were administered by some kind of a computerized system of organization. These devices could store what is called ‘data’ and use it to do the most interesting and horrifically impersonal tasks humankind could invent. This one device was the main reason the universe wherein the Network is located took charge and our conglomerate became a reality. You see, whenever there is a cataclysmic event that occurs, a new universe is born, and the Network is in charge of the organization of these new universes. However, just as a human body can have its arteries clogged by a static piece of plaque, so too can the multiverses become clogged so that no new universes are born to branch off from the horrors that exist in another part of the system. As a result, the Network has the technology to travel in time to gather evidence, but they lack the weaponry or killer instinct, if you will, to put an immediate end to organizations like the Society. I am afraid I am not making myself clear enough.”
He indeed may have well been talking foggy words. I did not understand much of what he was saying, but Doctor Adler, strangely enough, had seemed to intuit his meaning.
“What you are saying is that the multiverses must maintain a certain harmony with one another. Freedom from any one system dominating and overtaking the others should be the rule to be enforced, correct?” Doctor Adler asked.
“Correct. The Network needs the help of the universe’s population where this blockage is taking place. I know this infinitesimal planet of ours may not seem like much in the grand scheme of the multiverses, but it simply took one minor computer error to destroy your world, so it can be one group like the World Scientific Advancement Society for Progress which can keep the multiverses from being created and branching off to keep the circulation of freedom going. You see, I am now a secret member of the Network and the Organization for Time Travel Independence. Vicereine Dusteby recruited me before she had her unfortunate accident.” Franklin folded his arms across his narrow chest.
We were quite flabbergasted by this statement. I looked over at Doctor Adler, and he was just as surprised as I. His mouth was agape, and I was able to respond only after much thought.
“Is there a connection between the midgets and the Network?” I asked, risking it all.
“Yes! How did you know? We must have this body size in order to utilize our telepathic powers to their utmost degree. Humans at the Network’s level of existence have no physical essence. We are spiritualized digital computer signals. In our universe, a discovery was made that changed the social order and removed the one component that caused human suffering. That component is the human body, which in turn uses its senses to promote desire, which in turn causes regret, disease, suffering, and death.” Franklin’s voice was quite restrained as he said this, as if he were sharing a quotation from scripture.
“Yes, Becky has told me about these Buddhist and Taoist beliefs,” I said.
“We isolated the spiritual spark of light--an infinitesimal wave, better known as the life force—and we invented an injection process whereby we can insert this spirit or soul into a digital computer signal wave in order to create a citizen of our realm. We can, of course, traverse the sensory aspect of our world, whenever we wish, by simply entering the physical bodies of our other inhabitants. This is only for recreational purposes, however.” Doctor Franklin smiled.
“Some fun,” I remarked. “In the Bible, I think they referred to it as demonic possession.”
“That sounds quite blasphemous! How dare you tamper with humanity in such a manner?” Doctor Adler’s face was pale.
“Therefore, on other, more backward planets in other universes, similar to ours, members of the Network must enter the bodies of selected humans in order to function. They have found that the bodies of midgets can be used most easily for telepathic communications. When the Society changed me into a midget as a punishment, I became an easy receptacle for conversion. I am now inhabited by Network Officer KCP3672. I have been promised that I will be given back my original body once this mission is accomplished.”
Doctor Franklin Biggs-Pemberton’s eyes closed, and his entire face squeezed into an intense look of concentration. “I can tune into each one of my comrades whenever I desire. They are presently at their stations, awaiting my orders. I was the only one who was able to insinuate myself into the Society
’s caverns beneath Central Park because of my previous status as an inventor for them. We tried to enter recently, but we were turned back by some bumbling New York citizen who stumbled upon us.”
“Maguire!” I exclaimed. “He was the stumbling New Yorker who saw you in the park. Is there a member of your Network working at Superintendent Kennedy’s mansion?”
“Yes, he is in charge of our police spy network. I think you understand how we work. We need to accumulate enough evidence to stop this congestion in your universe. Without it, the freedom of the multiverses may be in dire jeopardy.” The little man stood up on his chair, wiped his face with the napkin, and tossed it upon his plate.
“If you are not very competent with your new bodies or with weaponry, then how do you propose to stop the Society if they begin using advanced weapons?” I was obviously interested in this line of enquiry because of Seth’s vision of the pirates in New York Harbor.
“We are limited in that regard. Time travel is still supposed to be a single person affair, even with the members of the Network, and thus we can only utilize the citizens who have not yet come under the thrall of the Society. The Society is breaking another of our rules by kidnapping inventors and bringing them back to the 1860s. Obviously, you and your friends were aware of the sinister nature of this organization. The Network must rely upon you and your expertise in order to thwart the Society. Is this not agreeable?” Franklin asked, raising his thick brow.
“Yes, I believe we may be able to assist each other in this endeavor,” I said. “Do you see that machine over there? This is a time machine that I have used to do my own spying on the Society. I recently traveled to 1870, and I arrived in Central Park. I witnessed a huge airship being used to retrieve stolen goods from merchant ships in the harbor. It had the name of the Society painted on the side of its balloon. This airship was larger than anything ever invented in the 1860s, so I assumed it was created by one of the kidnapped inventors from the future.”
