Arrows of Time

by Kim Falconer

  She’d shown him yet another world, full of contrast, gloriously bright fields of grain and flowers, dark forests and darker swamps, rumbling mountains and rippling streams, oceans, cities and prairies. This other world was also suffering. Because of his fountain of youth, no children were born in that other place and their cycle of life-death-life failed. He laughed at the irony.

  His people, who fervently wanted to preserve existence, were preventing it, trapping the life force until the energy dried up and turned to ash. Suspended animation was not a lifegiver after all. They’d got it wrong, and he was the one who had to set it right.

  He had wanted to say, why me? He’d screamed it out to her, but what she’d shown him next made his mouth snap shut. Instead of a protest, he’d squared his shoulders and dipped his head. This was his chance to turn it around. He said, ‘Why, me!’

  The stainless steel table reflected the halogen lights, hitting his eyes like a sunbeam. He focused on the hard edge, unable to look elsewhere, unable to turn away. He pulled off his gloves, letting them fall to the floor. In his peripheral vision he saw his team moving as if in slow motion, turning off monitors, clamping drip sets, folding up instrument packs, collecting rubbish. No one walked away, though. No one left her side. He understood why. This was their first death.

  ‘Dr Kelly?’

  He didn’t reply. His eyes shifted from the table to the delicate wrist of the woman who lay upon it, her hand like a lotus, white fingers curled, red-painted nails pointing towards him. He closed his eyes.

  ‘Dr Kelly?’ The attendant was next to him, shoulder to shoulder. He appreciated the touch, the contact bringing him back to the present. ‘What happens now?’ The question was outlined on everyone’s face as he scanned the room.

  ‘Is it too late for Cryo?’ a med student asked.

  ‘She’s not going there,’ Everett said, after clearing his throat again.

  ‘I don’t understand. Where, then?’

  ‘We’ll put together a death kit. Run the procedures and get her down to the morgue.’

  A nurse stared up at him. ‘Dr Kelly, we don’t have a morgue.’

  ‘We do now.’ He felt a wash of relief. Some of his staff had been alive for decades past their centenary, patched together with synthesised donor parts, looking lopsided and taut from repeated plastic surgeries. Their eyes were tired, glazed. Lifeless. Without death, there could be no life. She had explained it to him. Now he had to convince ASSIST, and the rest of the world.

  ‘What’s a death kit?’ the nurse asked.

  ‘Get me a lab pack,’ he directed. ‘I’ll show you how this is done.’ He snapped on a fresh pair of gloves. ‘Hally, can you call Admin for me? I want Dr Martin in on this.’

  ‘Chief of Staff?’

  ‘Please.’

  The door swung wide and a large man appeared, gasping for breath. ‘Dr Kelly? The press are here. What do I do?’

  ‘Let them in, and cancel my appointments for the rest of the day.’

  Everett squinted as the digi-cameras flashed. The press edged into the exam room, throwing questions at him from the second they crossed the threshold. He motioned them closer, covering the corpse with a sheet, calm in the midst of fervour.

  ‘Dr Kelly. We’ve heard you’ve just pronounced a death. Is there some mistake?’

  The room went silent.

  ‘No mistake,’ he said. ‘She died at 1.05 p.m.’

  A barrage of questions erupted and he addressed them, answering each reporter, one at a time.

  EARTH & GAELA—TIME: FORWARD

  CHAPTER 38

  Teg awoke; his head was resting easily under a bunched cloak. For a second, he didn’t feel the pain. In that instance he didn’t remember anything but warmth and a sense of peace. He groaned when the second passed.

  ‘You’re awake.’ Kali laughed softly. ‘I thought I’d have to carry you out of the corridors, and I wasn’t looking forward to it.’

  The sense of peace vanished as his memory rushed back—the race to the portal, the wounds from fang and sword, Le Saint’s challenge, his escape with Kreshkali. He groaned again, inside and out.

  ‘That bad?’ she asked.

  ‘Worse.’ He shifted onto his side. ‘I feel like I’ve been mauled.’

  ‘Drink this.’

  He tilted his head back, accepting the liquid with its earthy fragrance and bitter aftertaste.

  ‘More,’ she said, holding the vial up to his lips.

  He took another gulp and pulled his head away. ‘I’ll be sick.’

  She handed him a waterskin and returned to her vigil by the entrance. ‘Wash it down. Slow sips.’

  The water was sweet, though the sour aftertaste remained. ‘Thanks.’

  He could see her profile outlined in the dark. She was standing at the mouth of the portal, streams of light rushing by. He tried to get up and yelped.

  ‘Not yet,’ she said. ‘Give that draught a minute to work.’ She was back at his side now, her cool hands on his face. ‘You need to learn to protect yourself, Teg,’ she said. ‘Your defence is shocking.’

  ‘Yes, Mistress.’

  Her hands were hovering over his wounds. Warm energy radiated from them and the shooting pains along his side and ankle eased. She tapped his spine, his head and around his eyes, chanting quietly as she did. The pain eased further.

  ‘That’s magical,’ he smiled, catching her hand and forcing her to look at him. She returned his gaze with a flash of fire that made him let go.

  ‘Drink more.’ She propped his head and held a waterskin to his lips. ‘You’re dry as bark.’

  He swallowed, and choked, sitting up and coughing. ‘That’s not water.’ It was much stronger than the first potion she’d given him. His mouth stung, and his throat burned with the harsh taste.

  ‘I know. Take another sip.’ She held it to his lips.

  He took a few more swallows. ‘Am I being punished?’ he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, his face pinched. There was something rancid in the concoction. Maybe she’d decided to poison him.

  ‘You’re being cured, fast. You might also take it as a reminder to avoid getting wounded in the future.’ She studied his face. ‘Teg, you have a powerful magic. Why are you so reluctant to use it? These wounds were unnecessary.’

  He shrugged and looked away.

  ‘There’s no shame in being a Lupin,’ she said when he didn’t answer. ‘Nor in using the arcane magic. It’s a gift.’ She returned to the mouth of the portal. ‘Please run true,’ she whispered to the Entity. ‘Take us straight to Rosette.’

  ‘What’s wrong with the portals?’ he asked, relieved to shift the focus off his failings.

  ‘I don’t know. Someone’s tampering, I think.’

  ‘Trackers?’

  She shook her head. ‘I’m not certain. Maybe.’

  ‘What else could cause them to run erratic?’

  ‘I need Jarrod to calculate that.’ She rubbed her shoulder. ‘Entropy is my guess.’

  ‘How do you stop it?’

  ‘The old school answer?’ she said. ‘You don’t.’

  He smiled. ‘I’m glad you’re not old school then.’ He leaned back, staring at the ceiling. ‘Kali, it’s not shame that makes me hesitate,’ he finally said, understanding it as if for the first time.

  ‘What, then?’

  ‘I don’t actually enjoy injuring others.’

  ‘Even to protect yourself?’

  ‘Even that.’

  She turned and smiled. ‘Don’t let the Sword Master hear such ideas. You’ll have a philosophical debate on your hands that’ll last aeons.’

  He laughed, cringing. ‘I guess I never put it to the test quite like this before.’

  ‘Perhaps not. But, Teg, the test isn’t over yet.’ She straightened her spine. The whirl of colour rushing past the portal slowed, the blur coming into focus—red plains, cracked land, treeless and desolate save for the green Gaela apples. She silently thanked the Entit
y. ‘We’re here, Teg. Can you walk?’

  ‘Not on two legs.’

  ‘Then shift. I’m not lugging you all the way to the temple.’

  He sighed, focusing his thoughts on his wolf form, and rose on all fours, favouring his near hind leg. He was surprised at how much stronger he felt. Between the potion and his Lupin form, the pain was nearly halved. His emotions were steadier too. He tuned into Kreshkali, sensing their connection. That was all he needed to feel—nothing more, nothing less. He followed her out of the portal and into the intense heat of the day. The apple trees rustled in the wind.

  I’m hungry.

  ‘Good sign, but it’ll have to wait.’ Kreshkali stood in front of the gates, her eyes closed. In a moment the call of ravens filled the air, their jet-black bodies bearing down on them at top speed. They swooped and dived, escorting them through the entrance.

  ‘Rosette is here.’ She smiled.

  Alive? Teg asked.

  ‘Not yet.’ She crouched to the ground. Meet me there.

  She rose in the form of a black falcon, overtaking the ravens and disappearing in the distance. The Three Sisters squawked for a moment before shooting off after her. Teg loped, his side in a stitch. He winced, slowing to a trot. He’d been an idiot to let himself be wounded, twice. This wouldn’t go down well.

  Teg!

  He spun his head around, turning on his haunches. Hotha?

  You’re wounded?

  Not badly, and I can explain.

  No time. We’re called.

  He looked past Hotha and saw the scattered clan of Lupins, black and grey dots on the red earth. They approached slowly, tongues lolling in the heat.

  For Rosette?

  Hotha dipped his head. Blood heals blood. He frowned at Teg’s wounds. What happened to you?

  Long story. Do you remember a woman named Lily?

  A deep rumble came from Hotha’s throat. How could I forget?

  Grayson saw the Three Sisters take off, their cries muffled by the music. He put down his guitar and left it on the stage. The ravens’ sudden departure could mean only one thing and he hoped it was good news. ‘Kreshkali?’ He mouthed the words to Jarrod and slipped out of the temple.

  The courtyard was abandoned save for Canie. Fynn, he corrected himself. Shane had told him the pup’s name, explaining how Rosette had picked him up in Gaela when she and her familiar had switched bodies. The dog was sitting under the weeping fig tree. His ears lifted at the sight of Grayson.

  ‘Come here.’ He slapped his leg and the little dog trotted over, his tail wagging in circles. ‘Are there too many people in there for you, lad?’ he said, scratching the animal’s back.

  Fynn yipped and ran to the tree, jumping up the trunk and sliding down. Grayson smiled. Halfway up, on a smooth wide branch, was Drayco, his hind leg dangling, his tail lashing. The temple cat leapt down and sauntered over to Grayson, surprising him with a lunge that placed his front paws on the tall man’s shoulders. ‘Is Kali coming, big fellow?’

  ‘Be here any moment,’ Jarrod answered from behind.

  Drayco jumped down and rubbed his cheek against Jarrod’s leg.

  ‘I think Rosette’s out here,’ Grayson said, looking at the tree. He couldn’t see her, but he could sense her presence. Besides, Drayco and Fynn staying so close was a sure sign.

  ‘She is.’ Jarrod nodded to the temple cat. ‘He’s keeping her from drifting.’

  Grayson scanned the road, shielding his eyes. ‘And Kali?’

  ‘Here she comes.’ Jarrod pointed at the sky where a black falcon winged in. He held out his arm and Grayson stepped back as the raptor stalled to land on the outstretched wrist. A moment later the air around her blurred and Grayson felt the now-familiar waft of energy, like a wave hitting his face, and Kreshkali stood before him. She was injured, her long robe tattered, but her eyes were clear and flashing. ‘Make room.’ She pushed past Jarrod and headed towards the temple.

  ‘What’s happening?’ Jarrod rushed to keep up with her.

  ‘The Lupins are coming.’ She paused, turning to the tree. ‘Rosette! We need you inside.’

  EARTH—TIME: BACKWARD

  CHAPTER 39

  Everett gripped the podium, staring at the crowd. Their twisted mouths shouted exclamations, hands waving, faces vying for attention, bodies jostling—an ocean of need. All their energy, the frantic expressions, the yearning, the straining, the hope in their eyes, was directed towards him. He was the man with the answers, he reminded himself, though it felt like the force of their questions would bowl him over. He wanted to run, but he kept his feet planted firmly to the spot. These people needed the truth and he was going to supply it, as best he could.

  He didn’t know how to explain exactly why the suspension of death had all but swallowed up their lives. He didn’t begin to understand the impact on other worlds, the other choices as she’d called them. He wasn’t going to try to elucidate that. It was more than this press conference was ready for. It would be enough to get them thinking about existence in a broader way. He’d have to do this one step at a time—let them see the body as a vehicle, and its spirit as the energising force. Keeping the spirit in the same vehicle for too long sapped the vitality of both. They’d lost their shine. Their energy had stopped moving forward. It simply hovered above the ground.

  Look around, he would tell them. Such was clearly a fate worse than death. Would they see it that way?

  ‘We’ve feared death,’ he said to them, projecting his voice above the crowd. He paused until they all settled. ‘We have fought against it, and in our fear and aggression we thought to conquer it, beat it, repress it. But now we’re trapped in the void of its absence. More dead than alive.’

  The auditorium went silent.

  ‘Fighting against death is not the way to free the spirit. It has let the energy, the life force, of our world turn to dust. This is no way to be. This is no way to live.’ His voice echoed over the stillness. The only movement was the flicker of digital cameras, strobes of light flashing across his face. He blinked, perspiration dripping into his eyes. He ran his arm across his forehead and continued. ‘The intention of the Allied States is to restore the life cycle. We are working on that now as we launch the new protocols. Questions?’

  The crowd took a breath and everyone started talking at once. He signalled to the reporter in the front, one he was sure to hear above the uproar.

  ‘Dr Kelly, is it true that the first death came here from another dimension? Another world?’

  Everett forced a smile. ‘Only if you call the Borderlands another dimension. From what I’ve heard, the description is probably apt.’

  The crowd laughed with him and more questions followed. He wished he could be completely honest about the whole matter, and the ramifications, but ASSIST had been clear. His line of delivery could not waver. He was under their control and had to keep to the strict boundaries of disclosure. He had to. That way, they wouldn’t see it coming.

  ‘Just get them comfortable with the notion of a life span,’ the board of directors had told him. ‘Most are so detached from their relatives in Cryo that they won’t be missed.’

  ‘I’m not so certain,’ Everett had answered. He rubbed his ring finger.

  ‘We are. Remember, we need at least a billion death certificates in the next month. Get onto it.’

  There was no misunderstanding ASSIST. They’d been looking for a reason to reverse the immortality protocol for decades and now they had it. It didn’t matter to Everett that their motives were for their own convenience. The results would be the same. A more or less natural life cycle would be reintroduced, and with finite lifetimes the population would be renewed. What ASSIST didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. He nodded to a reporter towards the back, waving the others silent. He’d take one last question and wrap it up.

  ‘Dr Kelly, has there been definitive proof of life after death and has that been the reason for the shift in policy?’

  ‘You mean life af
ter life?’

  The crowd cheered.

  He never answered this question directly, but he implied the response, as he had been instructed to do. A swarm of questions followed. He nodded to the security team on either side and they stepped forward. ‘That’s all we have time for today. Thank you for coming.’

  The crowd cheered louder, pressing in, arms reaching towards the platform. He slipped out of the auditorium and headed back to his office. He had three hours to go before his last meeting, three hours before he would collect his things and get out. Then I’m done. Finished with it all. No more ASSIST, no more press, no more death certificates, no more lies, and hopefully no more bad dreams. He was escaping to the Borderlands, and he hoped to all powers that they actually did exist.

  EARTH & GAELA—TIME: FORWARD

  CHAPTER 40

  Rosette floated above the crowd. She felt as if the wind would blow right through her.

  It actually does blow right through you, Maudi.

  She wanted to smile, but the effort seemed too great. Can you tell me what’s going on? I’m muddled. I don’t remember why we’re here. I’m not even sure where this ‘here’ is.

  Temple Los Loma, Earth. The place Kreshkali was looking for when we answered the Caller.

  I’m glad it’s clear for you. I don’t remember anything.

  It’ll all return in time.

  That’s just it, Dray. I don’t even remember what’s not coming back. I’ve forgotten what I’m worried about forgetting. I don’t know what I’m meant to be doing. She heard him purring. At least there was no forgetting how good that sounded.

  Kreshkali’s here, Maudi, and Jarrod and Grayson. They will help. Everyone is helping.

  Why, again?

  To get you back into your body. Come closer. Can you see?

  She could. Everyone in the room was filing past the altar, pausing next to her corpse. All the people were smiling and laughing as they told stories. She hadn’t been listening before, but they were talking about themselves now and how they knew her, telling yarns and snatches of memories that clearly filled them with delight. It was bringing her delight too. It made her want to giggle and she drew closer to catch the details. The stories were funny and warm and interesting—things she hadn’t thought of since they’d happened but were a comfort and joy to her now. I can remember this!