All The Frail Futures: A Science Fiction Box Set

by J Battle

  Jack struck no blow, however; he simply wrapped his arms around his copy, and merged their fields together. Inside the safety of their fields there was nothing to protect them from each other.

  Jack began to squeeze, his arms metal bands trying to crush the life from his replicant. Number Three struggled, calling for help all the time. But his body was 2000 years old, with very little in the way of maintenance or development. It was never going to be an equal struggle with Jack’s latest revolution in metaform bodies, boosted by TPI technology. Within seconds his servo mechanisms were beginning to fail and the pump that supplied oxygen to his organic brain was ripped out.

  Jack tossed him to one side and went searching for further prey.

  Two and Four were nowhere to be found, no matter how long he spent scouring the environs of the great gas giant.

  Suspecting that they had mini flicked away from him, he slipped into the 12th Prime to see if there was evidence of their transit. He found it immediately, but was surprised to find that they hadn’t returned to their home Prime, as was normally the case when travelling using TPI drive. In fact, they had crossed the 12th Prime and exited it at the 11th.

  This gave Jack pause; he didn’t like that particular Prime, not at all. He preferred Primes where causality worked in the right direction. He wanted his reactions to follow his actions, his effects to follow his causes. In the 11th Prime, things didn’t always work out that way.

  But if he was going to stop the rogue replicants, he was going to have to follow them and hope that his knowledge of the Primes was superior to theirs.

  He began to work his way across the sticky reality that was the 12th Prime, careful not the allow himself to slip too low and be captured in the gravity field of the Absence. Light was very sluggish in this Prime, so vision was always a little fuzzy, but he managed to focus on his destination and reach the 11th Prime without any undue delays.

  During his approach, he set up some coded programmes with his AI to help him manage his escape from the 11TH.

  He burst into the easy fluidity of the new Prime and allowed himself to be carried along by his own momentum, his arms folded across his chest, his legs locked at the ankles. The secret of survival in this Prime was to do as little as possible, for you could never accurately predict the consequence of your actions.

  Using only passive sensors, he found both replicants waiting for him nearby, hiding behind a small asteroid that had miraculously managed to retain its physical integrity long enough to perform this service.

  Jack was still floating away from them, but he did nothing to change his course. He was fairly sure that the replicants had made a potentially fatal mistake and he was quite happy to be increasing his distance.

  After only a few more seconds, the asteroid lost its battle with the Prime’s absurd reality and collapsed in on itself, falling the vast distance to the minute black hole that had emerged at its core, dragging both replicants with it, to their certain death.

  Fortunately, Jack had floated to a safe distance, so he was not affected greatly by the asteroid’s collapse. In fact, he was pushed away at a slightly increased pace.

  He took a moment to regret the need for the demise of the replicants. But there really was nothing else he could have done; they had gone rogue and it was his responsibility to act. He decided that any future replicants would have remote override facilities incorporated in their design.

  But now he had to make his escape from this intrinsically difficult Prime. First, he needed to slow down and reverse his direction; so he accelerated at full burn. This stopped him in his tracks and sent him flying back the way he’d come, towards the boundary of the Prime. At the last minute, he switched all of this motive power to break and surged through the rubbery skin of the boundary in to the slow, dough-like reality of the 11th Prime.

  Soon he would be back in his home Prime.

  Chapter 40

  Number Five: Mk II was watching the scene from the safety of his position on a high mountain spur above the Grazer village, as the natives crowded around the tall dark figure in their midst.

  It wasn’t Jack; he could see that clearly, but he did look fairly new, with subtle alterations to his design that only another replicant would detect. It certainly wasn’t Number One. So it had to be Number Seven, he presumed. And if Number Seven was here, where was Number One and where was Jack?

  Things were not working out at all as he had expected when this whole mission had begun.

  He wasn’t very happy with his new ship; it wasn’t nearly as good as the one he’d been forced to leave behind. Still it had carried him to the system being decimated by Number Two, though he couldn’t help feeling that he was lagging behind Jack.

  He was quite pleased with the work Number Two was doing; all of those billions of replicants would make it much more difficult for Jack to completely bend to Earth’s will, but he had his own mission, so he didn’t tarry long.

  **********

  Jack and Debois were on deck together with Max and Sarah otherwise occupied. Jack tried not to eavesdrop on them in their private moments, though it was tempting. It was so long since that physical act had been part of his life.

  ‘How do you think it’s going, then Jack?’ Asked Debois, supine on his couch. ‘Two down and four to go, and what’s the score, then?’ He answered himself.

  Jack chose not to respond.

  ‘It’s a big fat zero, isn’t it? Number of replicants destroyed? Zero. Number of replicants captured and removed from a position of threat? Zero.’

  He raised himself to a sitting position.

  ‘If this carries on, you’re never going home, Jack. Surely you can see that.’

  ‘Don’t worry about me. Everything is working out as I wished, apart from Number One. And it’s a shame we had to lose Number Seven. Nevertheless, two parts of my three part plan are fully in place.’

  ‘Would you care to explain yourself?’

  ‘Explain myself to you? That would be a first. I will just say that my medium term and long term options are in place; but I do need to resolve my short term position.’

  ‘Well, we do seem satisfied with our little self, don’t we? Be sure you don’t underestimate your opponent, Jack. Be very sure.’

  ‘Are you talking about yourself or Earth?’

  ‘You know me, Jack. I’m just a sad old sack trying to do his best.’

  ‘If you say so.’

  ‘Where to next Captain? Can you take us to a place where we might actually succeed in our task?’

  ‘How’s your head for heights?’ Was Jack’s response, after a long pause.

  **********

  Julie was an excellent runner; a born athlete.

  Jack could plod along forever, but there was no real speed in his legs. And he could never match Julie as she propelled herself along, her feet barely touching the ground.

  The road was still wet from the rain earlier and Jack couldn’t seem to avoid the puddles. Soon his calves were cold from the splashed water and threatening to cramp. In the distance Julie was gliding along; cool, relaxed and strangely dry.

  She came to a hill and flew up it with no sign of effort or strain. Hit the hill hard, she always said. Then power over the top and relax coming down. That’s how you do hills.

  Not so much for Jack. He just chugged his way up, his stride getting shorter, his arms pumping, his breathing heavy.

  He paused at the top; there she was waiting for him at the bottom of the hill, leaning against an old wooden fence, half a smile on her face.

  He charged down towards her, his arms outstretched, laughing as he ran.

  She took a half step towards him, then faltered. The smile was frozen on her face as she watched him bearing down upon her.

  She began to turn away from him, her smile gone; only determination on her face.

  But he was already there, wrapping his arms around her; gasping and laughing together.

  She twisted in his grip and braced her hand
s against his chest; pushing him away. He staggered backwards, shocked at her reaction.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, one hand reaching out to her.

  ‘Who are you?’ she hissed.

  Chapter 41

  ‘How long do you think it will be before we return to Earth?’

  Debois turned towards her, his face unreadable.

  They were alone on deck. Max was still asleep and Jack was about his own business elsewhere on the ship.

  ‘It would be best if you set your heart on a different ending to this little adventure,’ he said, slowly.

  ‘Won’t we be going home? I thought that was the plan!’

  Debois was quite captivated by how cute she appeared with her concerned little face.

  ‘Hopefully we will find a safe place for you and Max before we travel much further. That should be your immediate aim. If at some point in the future you find yourselves in a position to return under your own steam; that would be the best likely outcome for you. I can really say no more.’

  She walked to the door, frowning. Then she turned back to him.

  ‘Who are you, anyway?’ she asked.

  ‘What do you mean? Isn’t it obvious?’ Debois preened, slightly.

  ‘You introduced yourself as Michelle Debois the... 43rd was it? That sounded a little odd to me.’

  ‘I frequently come across as a little odd, I must admit. However, if I give my full name, it may be clearer for you. I am Michelle Debois the 43rd Clone of Michelle Debois the 1st.’ He bowed a little and did some complicated little wave.

  ‘I see. So who was the first Michelle Debois?’

  Debois sighed.

  ‘I don’t believe I am giving away any secrets when I tell you that he was the result of a great deal of genetic modification as Earth prepared for the expected return of Mr Russell. Naturally those modifications have been carried on through the many generations of clones that followed over a period exceeding 3000 years, and that brings you to me.’

  ‘So you‘ve got special powers or something? Great! What can you do?’

  ‘That would need to be revealed in the fullness of time, my dear.’

  ‘Oh, you’re no fun.’

  ‘You’d be surprised.’ Debois turned then, as Jack came on deck.

  ‘Jack,’ he said. ‘Is it time? Are we there yet?’

  Jack paused, glancing at Sarah and Debois.

  ‘We’re close. You can get yourselves ready, if you want.’

  ‘Where are we going?’ asked Sarah. ‘Will there be people there?’

  ‘It’s a world named Springhaven and, yes, there will be people there. That’s probably where we’ll drop you off, unless something goes disastrously wrong.’

  ‘Disastrously wrong? What makes you think anything could go wrong?’ teased Debois.

  ‘Get Max, will you,’ said Jack, ignoring him.

  ‘So, Springhaven. What can we expect there? Ravening beasts, ambulant trees, delightful brain sucking butterflies?’

  ‘Nothing like that. We will have to meet the locals; they are what’s left of a human colony that settled there several thousand years ago.’

  ‘The remnants of a colony? I’m not sure I like the sound of that.’

  ‘Things happen. It’s as simple as that. It was a comfortable temperate world, originally. But they allowed unintended climate change to melt the ice caps and raise the level of the seas. Dry land is at something of a premium there. You’ll see that when we arrive.’

  Chapter 42

  They descended quickly towards the blue and white world, buffeted by the thick cushion of air that surrounded it.

  They raced across the rippled blue water, the white clouds watching their progress, large birds vainly attempting to follow. They had to circumnavigate half of the globe before their destination came in to view.

  And what a view it was.

  The top was still invisible, hidden in the clouds. The bottom was also kept from view, obscured by the curvature of the world.

  But the middle was there for them to see, towering over them.

  It was only a tree, but it stretched from the ground to the heavens. Its great tan bulk seemed to have its own gravity as crowds of white and grey birds spun around its lower levels.

  ‘Welcome to the Skytree,’ said Jack, proudly. ’I planted it.’

  As they approached the Skytree, the ship slowed and began to circle its base, gradually rising towards the lowest branches, a full kilometre above the improbably small island that supported the tree.

  ‘We won’t be able to land anywhere, so we’ll just hop from the ship onto the nearest branch.’

  Max glanced at Sarah. ’It’s a long way down,’ he said.

  ‘Your suits will stop you from falling, so you don’t need to worry about the height,’ said Jack.

  ‘Be sure they’re switched on,’ advised Debois, hurriedly.

  ‘Trust me,’ answered Jack.

  When he stepped on to the edge of the hatchway, Max looked up at the thick branch just above his head and placed one hand on its comforting bulk. With a thought, he floated up and stepped onto its flat upper surface. It must have been 10 metres wide at least, but he couldn’t judge the length as the branch bent away from him, downwards and to the left, and became entangled with other nearby branches.

  The others joined him as he bent to run his hand along the smooth skin of the branch. Surely this wasn’t natural, he thought.

  ‘If we walk towards the trunk, we should meet the people who live here.’

  ‘Have you been in contact with…? Oh, which one is this now? Number Four, I would say.’

  Jack paused to consider his guess.

  ‘Yes, you’re right. He is waiting for us. There is a slight complication, though. I didn’t really think it through when I hid him here. So he can’t come to us under his own steam.’

  ‘Which is why we are going to meet the inhabitants of this overgrown tree?’

  ‘That’s about it. Number Four doesn’t want to be destructive about this. He thinks they may be able to help.’

  ‘So we have to be charming, then?’

  ‘That’s why I’ve brought you, Debois. For your people skills.’

  ‘Flattered, I’m sure.’

  Sarah turned to watch the ship glide silently away to take up station somewhere above the tree, she guessed.

  ‘They want us to stay here,’ she whispered to Max, as they started to follow Jack and Debois. ‘But there’s nothing here but this great stupid tree.’

  ‘There could be all sorts of things here we haven’t seen yet. Give it a chance. As you said, if they aren’t going to take us home to Earth, this might be the only option we get.’

  They strolled along the branch hand in hand, in no hurry.

  ‘You know, don’t you? About Jack, I mean,’ asked Max, in a quiet voice.

  ‘Of course I do. I recognised him as soon as I saw him. I don’t know much about history, but I do know that much. We did him at school.’

  ‘Don’t you think it’s strange that Debois is still going through this charade?’

  ‘I guess he knows what he’s doing.’

  They caught up with Jack and Debois at the trunk. This close, they could barely detect its curve. It could have been just a high wooden wall.

  Sarah stepped back and looked upwards. All she could see was the next layer of branches blocking out any further view. She looked to her right at the next branch on her level.

  There were people there.

  They were only 30 metres or so away and she could see them clearly. They looked tall and skinny, with disproportionally long arms and legs, and tiny heads. They seemed to notice Sarah at almost the same time; they began to gesture to each other. Then one stepped of the branch and began to walk towards her.

  Slightly puzzled, Sarah looked down and realised that there was a woven fibrous mesh hanging loosely between the branches, which supported the man easily as he walked in a bouncy fashion towards her.

&n
bsp; ‘Jack!’ she hissed.

  ‘I see him.’ Came the reassuring response.

  The man flipped himself on to the branch with a relaxed, accustomed movement.

  When he stood to his full height, Sarah was surprised to see that he was quite a bit shorter than she was. Not a situation she’d come across very often in her young life. She was also a little surprised to see that he was naked except for a rope belt loosely fastened around his narrow waist.

  The man looked at each of them in turned, studying their faces closely.

  ‘Hello,’ he said at last. ‘Are you from below or on high? Does the sea feed you or is your sustenance from the sky?’

  Debois recognised a formal, ritual greeting when he saw one.

  ‘We have come to your Skytree from afar, from a planet that orbits a distant star.’ He was stumped a little then. He wanted to ask to be taken to their leader, but he couldn’t think of a rhyme that wasn’t offensive.

  ‘For goodness sake, Debois!’ said Jack, stepping forward. ‘There’s no need for this pantomime.’

  He gave a short bow and held out his hand.

  ‘My name is Jack Russell. My friends and I hope that you will make us welcome. We have no intention to harm you or your tree.’

  The little man took his hand.

  ‘My name is Arrow, and I welcome you and your peaceful friends. If you follow me, I will take you to a comfort place where you can be refreshed and rested, and meet our seniors.’

  ‘Just what we need,’ said Debois.

  Arrow guided them back to the trunk where they found a narrow ledge encircling the tree, providing access between the branches.

  ‘The Old Folk use this,’ he said, indicating the ledge. ‘They don’t like to use the nets to traverse the levels. If you walk 20 degrees around the trunk, you’ll find a pulley lift that will take you up three levels to the nearest comfort place. I’ll meet you there. I don’t use the lifts, none of us Climbers do.’