Climbing up another series of stairs, then through a confusing maze of identical-looking passageways, they came to a stop. They’d reached their destination. A wooden door, appearing no different from the hundreds of other wooden doors they’d passed along the way, was quickly opened. Roughly thrown inside, Dira landed hard on the floor. The door slammed shut, the lock latched from the outside.
She sat up and looked around her new surroundings. This is a bathroom. In contrast to the rest of the castle, the space was modern and well-appointed. An indication that the actual living spaces of Lardel Hold were anything but bleak and cold. No, this was nice. In the middle of the room sat a huge tub that could easily fit four. Steam rose off the surface of the water and she inhaled a faint floral fragrance that was pleasantly scented. On top of a nearby sideboard table lay folded clothes. Evidently those are for me. She looked down at her gown, noticing it was stained with only God knew what, and that the other strap on her gown had also given way.
Tempted to stay as she was—not let the new king dictate her actions—Dira’s hesitation lasted all of a few seconds. She removed her soiled torn clothes and tossed them on the floor. She heard the sound of metal hitting stone and noticed her now useless SuitPac device. It had been hidden within the folds of her gown.
She stepped into the luxuriously hot water. As she let herself settle low in the water, she immediately felt a sense of guilt. Right then, the Omni, near death, was lying on the cold rock floor of Bastille Spire. With a sigh, she located an inset tray, filled with an assortment of small soaps. Reaching for one, she heard sounds at the door. Someone was unlocking the latch.
Chapter 17
Jason led the team into the ravaged city. Periodically, he and Boomer yelled out toward the crumbling structures, “Michael! Are you there, Michael?” Jason was struck by the overall bleakness—truly a dead city.
Not quite at the frantic stage yet, but soon getting there, he said, “I really love that kid, but oh boy, can he find trouble …” Jason’s words were cut short when a light, reflecting off some surface, caught their attention. He saw that a tall glass door up ahead was swinging open and reached for his shotgun, just as Boomer grabbed for her shield.
“Hi, Dad! Wow … Boomer? Is that you?” Head down, both arms pumping, Michael ran toward them as fast as his little legs could carry him.
Jason’s first instinct was to scold him. Though he’d never taken him over his knee, at this point he was tempted. Instead, as the six-year-old fast approached them, he found himself smiling and then laughing. Boomer ran ahead and, scooping him into her arms, swung him around. They both laughed.
“Let me down! Let me down! I have to tell you something!”
Boomer did as told. Michael bent over, still trying to catch his breath. Eventually, he looked up, staring at Boomer first, then at his father. “Dad … you … are … not … going to … believe what … we found.”
As if on cue, the tall glass door opened again, and Two-ton stepped out, waving.
“Ugh … a mecher,” Boomer said.
“Yeah,” Jason responded, “but not like any mecher you’ve ever met.”
“No, not the robot! I’m not talking about the robot,” Michael shouted, squinting up at them. “Better than that.” Grabbing ahold of his father’s and Boomer’s hands, he pulled them toward the robot, and the still-open glass door a half-block ahead.
“Okay, okay … we’re coming,” Boomer said.
Jason slowed, and then stopped, when he saw an old man step out onto the sidewalk. “What the hell …”
Boomer, catching sight of her father’s startled expression, asked, “What … who is that, Dad?”
Michael said, “It’s our great-grandfather, Boomer. He’s our relative.”
Leaning forward, squinting her eyes, Boomer’s expression was similar to Jason’s. Astonished. She asked, “Dad? Is that really him? How is that even possible?”
“I … I don’t know. He’d be in his nineties, by now. He doesn’t look that old.”
Jason watched as Ol’ Gus—the man who’d raised him from childhood when his father was either off at sea or off in space—approached them. Studying him now—his wispy white hair, atop a balding head, and the same healthy paunch around the middle—he was even garbed in familiar clothes. Dressed in baggy khakis, and a faded blue button-down shirt, Ol’ Gus—like always—had his shirtsleeves rolled up to the elbows.
Ricket was first to take a tentative step forward. With tears already welling in his eyes, ready to spill over, he asked, “Gus? Is that really you?”
Reaching him, Gus knelt down and opened his arms. As the small alien and the old man embraced, Ricket said, “I thought you were …”
“Dead?” Ol’ Gus replied. “Nah … not me. I haven’t aged a day since I left The Lilly … or was it the Fungshy? Hell, I don’t remember. That must be twenty years ago. I think it’s all due to the time I spent in one of those MediPod things.” He stood and looked at Jason. “How are you doing, son? You look good. Real good. I’ve sure missed you and your brother, Jason.”
Still speechless, Jason found himself encircled in his grandfather’s arms. Breathing in the male scent, familiarity was restored, and he knew, beyond any doubt, that the old-timer was indeed his long lost grandfather.
“Hi … um … great grandpa! I’m Boomer.”
Separating from Jason, Gus turned his attention to her. Without looking back at Jason, he asked, “And this is your beautiful daughter?”
Again, Michael interjected: “I told you, Ol’ Gus … I have two sisters. This is one of them. The other one is Mollie, and she’s with my mom.”
“Well, it’s wonderful to meet you, Boomer.” Then, catching her off-guard, he pulled her into a hug. Once apart, he said, “I’m sorry. I’ve missed so much … so many years have been lost.”
Jason was ready for some answers. Sure, this seemed to be his long-lost grandfather, but a lot of questions still needed addressing. “Gus. What are you doing here?” Jason gestured at the ruined city. “Why are you here? And why didn’t you come back?”
Gus held up both palms, feigning surrender. “Easy there, son … that’s a whole lot of questions. There’re answers to all of them, but first we need to get inside. Rattle-Rats start coming out around this time … mean little bastards.”
“Yeah, we saw some rat-looking things earlier,” Boomer said.
Ol’ Gus, motioning with his fingers, said, “Come on, follow me.” Taking Michael’s hand, they headed off. Before following after them, Jason turned around, wanting to ensure the whole team was also coming. He caught Billy’s eye. “Crazy, huh?”
“Yeah … kind of,” Billy said back.
Ol’ Gus held the door open for everyone. As the last few stragglers approached, he shooed the recruits impatiently inside, saying, “Come on in … that’s right! Inside you go.” He then shut and secured the door after the last one entered.
If Jason hadn’t known better, he would have sworn he was standing within the bridge of a Caldurian spacecraft. Like the Jumelle, it too possessed a three-hundred-and-sixty degree domed display. The cityscape, residing outside, surrounded them in three-dimensional relativity. Only here, there was no captain’s chair; no distinct helm, comms, tactical, or engineering sections. All in all, it was a completely different kind of setup.
As amazing as the interior of the building was—this compartment—it almost paled in contrast to the over-the-top reaction Jason was seeing in Ricket. He watched him run toward a series of highly advanced-looking consoles. Each one possessed mini-projected 3D displays, hovering over complex-looking control boards.
“I have been searching for this for twenty-three years!” Ricket announced, glancing around to see if anyone shared his enthusiasm. Jason gifted him with a big smile and an overenthusiastic nod.
Ricket said, “I never thought to look within one of the habitats. Of course! It only makes sense.” He turned to Ol’ Gus, who also looked rather pleased with himself.
<
br /> “This is where all the magic happens, my friend,” Ol’ Gus said. “This is where Caldurian scientists seek out planetary wonders. Where they, not so unlike Gods themselves, manifest identical, virtual, worlds. Granted, Zoo habitats are much smaller, and sectionalized, but they are fantastical worlds just the same.”
“And this control room is accessible from all Caldurian Star Watch vessels?” Ricket asked.
Ol’ Gus shrugged. “I suppose so, but, they haven’t come a-knocking. It only makes sense that if you, my old friend Ricket, couldn’t figure it out, nobody else within Star Watch could either.”
“There’s a problem with that logic,” Two-ton interjected. “What are there … ten Star Watch vessels within the fleet?”
Jason and Ricket both nodded assent.
“Most, if not all, those vessels were ’jacked from the Caldurians … is that not also so?”
“Jacked?” Gus asked.
“Stolen, hijacked,” Boomer said.
Two-ton continued, “If this is a shared … let’s call it a habitat control hub … why aren’t you finding Caldurians popping in here from time to time? Off their numerous, potentially thousands of ships?”
Ricket pondered that for several moments. “It may have something to do with the fact that the Caldurians, for the most part, occupy a number of other realms within the multiverse. But that’s just a hypothesis. I will study your most adroit question, Two-ton. Thank you.”
Jason brought his attention back to his grandfather. “Twenty years. For twenty years you didn’t try to return to the ship?”
“I did try! I stood at the portal access panel for hours at a time … every day, for weeks and weeks. Eventually I … well, I just gave up.”
“It’s the first four symbols … beep beep beep beep,” Michael said.
Ol’ Gus looked down at Michael for a lengthy period, and an uncomfortable silence filled the space. “No! That … that … would be too easy. Why would the Caldurians use such a stupid, simple code? One that anyone could think of?”
No one answered the question. Gus, obviously, was having a hard time with the revelation he could have left the habitat so easily—years ago.
“I’m sorry, Gus. Let’s forget about that for now. Here’s another one. What have you been doing for the last twenty years? It must have been terrible being so entirely alone.” Jason smiled at him sympathetically.
Ol’ Gus stared back at Jason, then at the others. “That would have been terrible … awful! But I never said I was all alone.”
“What do you mean? We saw some rats, but the city—”
Gus hurried across to the nearest console and began doing something on the control board. Without looking up, he said, “That’s only a camouflage habitat you see out there. Uninteresting, and sure to keep unwanted visitors from hanging around.” He continued to tap away before looking up.
Jason’s breath caught in his chest. He slowly turned on his heels, taking in a new, completely different world on the wrap-around display. “It’s …”
“Amazing? Beautiful? That it is!” Ol’ Gus said, standing at his grandson’s side. “And I created it.”
Chapter 18
The ultra-modern glass-and-chrome cityscape was about as different from what existed before as one could imagine. Some of the superstructures looked to be miles high. And there were graceful, elevated high into the air, archways and span-ways that seemed to levitate weightlessly—untethered. The architecture, although futuristic, was not cold or impersonal in structure. Personal aircraft, flying here and there, followed seamlessly along on invisible sky paths. To Jason, it was the most beautiful city he’d ever seen, and certainly one he’d like to visit.
Ricket turned to Ol’ Gus. “The people here. There must be hundreds … thousands?”
“Oh, at least,” Gus said.
“That is unusual. Caldurians’ common practice was to build habitats void of technologically advanced beings.”
Jason thought about that. He remembered the Craing, their tribes primitively undeveloped, living within HAB 12. One step above Stone Age, they certainly weren’t technologically advanced.
“Well, the Caldurians didn’t build this place … I did,” Gus said. “Step out with me and see for yourselves.” He ambled toward the front door, then, turning back toward the others, said, “Come see my world.” Once he opened the door, sounds of a bustling city crept into the quiet control room.
Michael, excited, was the first to hurry over to his great-grandfather. The old man picked him up in his arms. Jason stood, looked at the others then shrugged as he moved toward the entrance. Ol’ Gus held the door open wide. One by one, they exited, emerging onto a sidewalk devoid of dirt and grime. There wasn’t so much as an errant splotch of flattened chewing gum; it was pristine, like everything else in this place.
Jason said, after taking in a deep breath, “It even smells nice.”
“There’s no expulsion of carbon gases. No harsh or harmful chemicals emitted into the atmosphere.”
Well-dressed pedestrians walked along the sidewalk. Some were strolling unaccompanied, while others were in groups of two, three, or more. Overhead, quiet commuting crafts whizzed by.
Ricket asked, “Gus … these people. Do they know …”
“That they are habitrons?” Gus asked.
Jason made a face. “Habitrons? What the hell is a habitron?”
Ricket answered for Gus. “This city and its people are all duplicates … identical in every conceivable way to other beings, residing in another actual place, somewhere in the universe. Habitats are created from a section … a cookie-cutter, macrocosm slice of another world. Like taking a snapshot, with a near-infinite level of reality.”
“You’ve certainly learned a lot over the years, Ol’ Gus,” Billy said skeptically. “From scrapyard foreman to creator of worlds, huh?”
Gus didn’t comment on that.
“So, getting back to Ricket’s question,” Jason urged.
“Yes … they know. Of course, they know.”
“Why of course?”
“Because ten years ago, after I first began cloning data from the original world location, there were boundaries, or space impositions, existing here. Those boundaries, or walls, have been greatly extended out over time. But in the beginning, you couldn’t walk much past the city before hitting the wall.”
Having traversed numerous Zoo habitats over the years, Jason was familiar with reaching the outer limits of a HAB. It wasn’t so much a physical wall, as one’s inability to actually progress any further. There wasn’t anywhere to progress to.
“And they,” Boomer gestured to the towering buildings—the masses of people both in and outside them “… are okay with that? Knowing they are clones and that they are trapped in a limited, confined space?”
Ol’ Gus looked uncomfortable with the question. “There were problems at first, yes. For years, it was difficult. Took some getting used to. But over time, what at first seemed a hardship has become a blessing. How many societies wield this kind of direct influence over their environment?”
Jason watched as the new recruits started roughhousing with each other in the middle of the busy street. Idiots. He then noticed a small line of pedestrians forming to the left of the control hub’s door. Ten or eleven people were patiently waiting, more than a little interested in their city’s newcomers.
“But there’s something they don’t know … about you … isn’t that right?” Jason asked Gus, who nervously glanced at the growing line of people.
Billy caught Jason’s eye, and then, figuring it out, asked, “That true, Gus?”
In a hushed tone, Gus responded, “Please … there was no possible way I could tell them; none of them. As far as they are concerned, I too am a victim of circumstance.”
Jason winced at that. As far as lies went, this one was immense. Gargantuan. “How do you explain all this … your little control hub here, your knowledge of things?”
“Simply
said that I was transported here too, right along with them.”
“So you’re the wizard behind the curtain. What’s their story?” Boomer asked, gesturing with her chin toward the growing line of people. There was hesitant coolness in the way she now addressed her great-grandfather.
“They … like most everyone else here … want to expand their reach; expand the physicality of this world. They are here to petition for expansion rights in one location or another. You see … I’m also the city’s Prime Minister.”
“Congratulations,” Jason said without any enthusiasm. “So they want to expand … outward … to where?”
Gus looked exasperated by all the questions. “The better question would be, where not to expand to? What started here with a hundred square miles was soon pushed outward to a thousand, then to fifty-thousand-square miles, and even more. Small oceans were formed. And then mere terrestrial existence wasn’t enough for them.” He raised his eyes to the sky. “They wanted to travel into space … out as far as possible. Now they want to travel to other worlds.”
Realization crossed Ricket’s face. “So that explains the massive amount of space being consumed within the Parcical’s memory banks.” He slowly shook his head, staring down at his feet. When he looked up, there was fear in his eyes.
“What is it?” Jason asked.
Ricket kept his eyes locked on Gus. “You do not know how precarious this … reality of yours is, Gus. How close it is to unrecoverable fragmentation effects. The problem, Gus, is that lives will be lost. It could be weeks from now, or several moments from now. But there is no more memory available to continue expanding this habitat. You … these people … and now us, are currently in great danger.”
“Just how far into space did you go?” Jason asked, his voice taking on a more scolding tone.
Ol’ Gus waved away the question, like it was an annoying fly. “Look, we’ve never had any problems.” Staring down at Ricket, he added, “I’m sure you’re making much to-do about nothing here.”
Scrapyard LEGACY (Star Watch Book 6) Page 10
