The Valteran Ascension (A Paradox of Time Book 1)

by Mara Amberly

  Eric left for a few minutes and in that time Cora was left alone in the cockpit. This time she resisted the temptation to check the scanners and waited for him to return.

  Eric returned with a strange metal device, which was small enough to hold in his hand. It reminded her of a pistol, but it seemed to be something different.

  “What’s that?” she asked cautiously, inching back in her seat.

  “It’s an implant gun. Roll up your sleeve and I’ll put a small pellet in your arm. It’ll protect you against the time variances when you’re out of range of me and the ship.”

  “You’re going to shoot me with it?” she asked nervously.

  Eric sighed and sat down beside her. “The implant’s tiny. You’ll hardly feel it, I promise.”

  Cora cringed and gave him her arm, pushing up her sleeve. “I trust you,” she said.

  Inwardly Eric groaned because she had to go and say that. The truth was, he knew it would hurt. Probably quite a lot. But it would be over with quickly and they could get back to the mission.

  He brought the gun up to her arm and shrugged slightly. “I lied,” he said.

  “What?” Cora asked, at the same instant he activated the device. “Owww,” she cried, and then she stopped, forcing the device away.

  “Sorry, yeah it hurts. Are you alright?” he asked beneath the force of her glare.

  Cora rubbed her arm and looked at it confused. It seemed it hadn’t even drawn blood.

  “You’re sure that worked?” she asked. “I don’t see where it cut in.”

  “You wouldn’t,” Eric said. “It passes through your skin. The important thing is you’re protected now, so let’s get back to work if you’re still speaking to me?”

  Cora flinched, but she hesitantly agreed.

  “Don’t lie to me again,” she said. “I can handle the truth. Un-lying at the last moment doesn’t make it less of a lie.”

  Eric couldn’t help but grin. It wasn’t helping but he found the situation amusing.

  “I promise unless it’ll somehow mess with the universe as we know it or something like that.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good enough reason,” she said.

  “It’s got to be.” Eric wondered if she’d consider it lying by omission that he hadn’t told her that he saw her back in Cornwall before they’d officially met. He was sure he would mention it when the time and place was right.

  The more he thought about it, the more Eric realised there was no reason he couldn’t tell her now unless it messed with her future, but then how would he ever know?

  “Do you remember when we first met at your home?” Eric asked, wondering if she’d be mad at him.

  “Yes,” she replied. Cora seemed to sense there was more to the story.

  “I don’t think it was the first time we’d met. A woman helped me in Tintagel over fifty years before, so I could escape. I didn’t know her at the time, but I think she was you.”

  Eric studied Cora, giving her time to process that.

  “You’re not trying to make fun of me?” she asked, eyeing him cannily.

  “I swear, I’m not. I’m telling you the truth. It’s why I knew you had to come along with me.”

  Cora laughed and then shook her head.

  At first, Eric thought she was disagreeing with him, but then he realised there was frustration mingled with laughter. Did he really have that kind of effect on her?

  “You lead the craziest life, Eric. Aren’t you lucky that I know your cause is a good one? I can tell your heart’s in the right place, even though your life isn’t an easy one.”

  Eric supposed that was true. He realised he hadn’t really thought about it. He’d been too damn busy to spend the time. There were more important things to do at the moment.

  “I just wanted you to know that because…”

  “I know,” she said. “When do you want to go back there?”

  “When all of this is done,” he said.

  “So what aren’t you telling me?” Cora asked. “There’s got to be something.”

  “Of course there is,” he said. “I haven’t told you the details of it yet. One thing at a time though.”

  She could worry about the fact he wanted her to clobber someone later.

  Cora hadn’t seemed too concerned when she did it, so he wasn’t going to worry about it now.

  “I’m going to contact Shenalon Base. Keep an eye on the sensors. I want to know immediately if trouble’s headed our way. Interrupt me if you have to.”

  “I’ll do as you ask,” Cora agreed as she adjusted the scanners.

  He activated the comms and set them to a particular military frequency he knew. With a deep breath, he opened a channel. “Shenalon Base, do you come in?”

  Dare he reveal his ship’s name? No, he dare not, he decided.

  “This is The Oberon, requesting a secure channel to speak with Commander Tom Woods.”

  “This is Major Guthrey,” a voice replied. It was so crystal clear, he might’ve been in the cockpit with them. “I must enquire as to the nature of your request. We don’t have you on our sensors.”

  “It’s a matter of Valteran Security,” he replied. “I’m in high orbit,” he said, disinclined to give a more detailed description than that.

  “Ah, we have you now,” the Major replied.

  Eric glanced at Cora, who shrugged. Obviously, nothing stood out to her on the sensors that posed a threat.

  “I’ll need a name,” Major Guthrey said.

  “Captain Furey,” he replied. Eric didn’t point out the fact he was ex-military now, nor that his chosen surname was a moniker.

  “Service number?” the man asked.

  Eric had been in the service long enough to learn things that didn’t necessarily apply to himself. He’d associated with intelligence agents in the past, and he hoped in the last five years things hadn’t especially changed.

  “Blue Ultra Override,” he said and left it at that.

  “Please hold,” Major Guthrey replied quickly.

  Eric smiled. Pulling rank on people was a joy, especially when that rank wasn’t real.

  The Valteran military would hate that, but it seemed he was building a list of many things they were going to dislike. What was one more?

  Another voice answered; that of an older man who seemed confident yet down to Earth.

  “This is Commander Tom Woods. Service number 183-14-9B,” he said. “This is an unexpected surprise.”

  “It certainly is that,” Eric said, before the Commander could ask for details confirming his identity. “I need to inform you that some parties among the Valteran government have tampered with the future timeline. On the 18th December 2132, there will be an attack on Shenalon Base. My understanding is this will come around 09:30 hrs after a number of the crew have refused to evacuate.”

  “That’s crazy,” he replied, and then Commander Woods hesitated.

  It was well-known that the Valteran military possessed time travel, but how it worked was a closely-guarded secret.

  “You’re sure?” he asked. “Why would anyone do this?”

  “I am,” Eric said. “I’ve visited Shenalon Base before. It was here in the future and then I came back to find it mostly obliterated. I managed to track down one local survivor – your wife, Juliane, and she told us when it happened. She took us back into the ruins of the base and I took scans and imaging of the environment. I’m uploading them to you now.”

  “Oh my God,” he exclaimed. “So you are trying to save the timeline?”

  “Yes,” Eric replied. “That and the lives of the people who stayed behind on the base, yourself included.”

  “What can I do about it,” Commander Woods asked, “other than book days off for when the disaster takes place?”

  “You wouldn’t do that well in advance…?” Eric asked.

  “I’m not a fool,” the Commander replied. “Is my wife there with you?”

  “I’m afraid she lost her lif
e returning from the base.”

  “So I have no choice but to succeed,” he said. “How do I know you’re telling me the truth?”

  Eric had a feeling he would ask this question, despite the evidence. “There’s the footage we took and I’m also prepared to meet with you. I also need some spare parts for my ship.”

  “Visitors to the base are discouraged, but I can send them up to you. What do you need?”

  Eric sent him through a short list, including the engine part he needed. It wouldn’t hurt to have some other spares.

  “That’s them there.”

  “Oh, these aren’t any trouble,” he said. “When I have them, I’ll contact you again and confirm your coordinates.”

  Eric knew the serial number of the engine part he needed. He hoped it wouldn’t be different because that meant it shouldn’t have come from the base at this place and time, and he wasn’t ready to deal with more complications. Maybe he would accept it and move on if that happened; it worked more often than you’d think with time travel.

  He thought the conversation would end there, but Commander Woods had more questions.

  “I need to know more about who did this and how I can stop them. You have my attention; I will say that.”

  “It’s my understanding they were Valteran military vessels that attacked you, but I don’t know under whose command.”

  “We are the Valteran military,” he said, with extreme unease.

  “We’re not sure everyone on the base can be trusted, but Juliane trusted you, and that’s why I’m talking to you now.”

  “This isn’t encouraging,” he said.

  Eric was silent for a moment because he knew how right Commander Woods was.

  “My understanding is all Valteran military will be recalled back home. Those who don’t go as ordered will be treated as enemies. All off-world bases will be destroyed, along with anyone who refuses to leave.”

  “I can’t believe that. So what you’re saying is those who follow orders to return to Valtera will be safe?”

  “I think so, but I’m not sure. They travelled back in time to destroy your base. That much I know,” Eric replied. “The Event that follows the attacks will cause widespread damage. I don’t just mean on Valtera; I mean on a galactic scale. It’s not without a purpose that might benefit our race, but it will be at an enormous cost. It will cause widespread fracturing of the space-time continuum. They know this and they’re going to go ahead with it anyway.”

  “I see.” The Commander’s voice was strained.

  Eric wasn’t sure Commander Woods believed him, but then it was a lot to take in without irrefutable proof. Perhaps he shouldn’t have told Commander Woods as much as he did, and instead should’ve focused on the base, but he needed all the allies he could get. At least the Commander had plenty of time to consider the chain of events and a lot of motivation to live.

  “You have plenty of time to plan ahead and make up your mind about what you want to do. I would suggest you only entrust this information to those loyal to you unless the chips are down or a group decision has to be made.”

  Eric had originally come to Earth so he could reach Shenalon Base for help, but he realised now that if their forces helped him, they still didn’t stand a chance against the Valteran armada if that was what had been sent.

  Perhaps a small team on the planet’s surface could achieve what a larger force could not and put a stop to it before it happened.

  “I’ll look for you after it’s over,” Eric said. “If it doesn’t succeed to an acceptable level, you’ll hear from me again before the date of the attack.”

  Eric cut the comms and sank back into the pilot’s seat.

  Cora gave him a sympathetic smile. “That bad huh?”

  “No,” he said, sighing. “It’s just this whole situation. It feels like a hopelessly tangled string and every time you unpick one knot you find another. Half the time it’s one you caused yourself. I wonder if there’s anything we can do to solve this and put things right, that’s all.”

  “My father used to say that if you can’t solve a big problem all at once, work on the little problems one at a time. Solve them all and you’ll find the big problem solved.”

  Eric smiled at her. “That’s very wise,” he said.

  It was ironic that wisdom could be found in the past when there was often so little demonstrated in the present… or the future. Maybe those people didn’t heed the lessons of their ancestors or maybe they just didn’t care.

  Eric knew his mood was at risk of falling further, so he got up and walked around. At anxious and tough times, he always found moving around helped. Maybe it was his way of convincing himself he was doing something constructive.

  “This is Shenalon Base. Bring your ship to coordinates 14 by 11 by 12. Please instruct us when you’re in position.”

  “Understood,” Eric replied over the comms. “Bringing her about.”

  Eric adjusted the ship’s course, turning the Equinox in a wide u-turn and approaching the coordinates the base requested.

  It took him a few minutes to line it up precisely and then he got back on the comms.

  “My ship’s in position,” he explained.

  He flicked some switches, powering up the cargo bay beacons. “You should have a nice, clear image of the cargo bay now on your sensors.”

  A moment passed, then two.

  “We have it on our sensors now, Oberon,” the voice replied. “Cargo delivered.”

  Eric found that very quick and easy.

  “Thank you, Shenalon Base. Oberon out.”

  The first thing he did was power down the beacons and raise the shields. It consumed power, but he felt safer with them in place, especially as he knew he had enemies.

  Eric put some space between his ship and their earlier coordinates, bringing it closer to Earth and slowing its speed.

  Cora had left the cockpit some time ago, so he looked in on her. The ship had fairly basic quarters, and Eric found Cora alone in hers, studying a reading program he’d given her on a computer tablet. She was sounding out vowels when he reached the open door. He listened for a few moments before he gave the wall a small tap.

  “Hi Eric,” she said, smiling over at him.

  Much of the ship’s contents had survived unscathed, but the blanket on the bed was in little more than tatters. He’d have to find her a better one.

  “I’m learning,” she said. “Are the spare parts aboard?”

  “That’s good, and I’m about to check on them. It’s been a long day. I’d suggest we get some dinner and rest, and then take a look at the future first thing in the morning.”

  “I was going to say I’m getting tired. How can you tell when it’s night time or morning on the ship?”

  “You can set the clock but I prefer to use my tiredness as a guide. We’ll want to be well-rested for tomorrow,” he said.

  He left her there in her cabin and went to the cargo bay. It took him a minute, but he found the box that had been shipped aboard. It had a cargo manifest taped to the top of it – even in the future, paper and tape had its uses, and he found the goods inside, including the part he needed. When he checked the serial number, Eric smiled. He’d memorised the digits out of paranoia, but here it was. Time was proceeding as it should. It was one less thing to worry about for now.

  Chapter 16

  June 2132 – Aboard the Equinox, Close to Earth

  “Why don’t you go back in time first to place the items you need, so that you only need to check the future once?” Cora asked.

  Eric rubbed his eyes. He hadn’t given much thought to it before, but he drew the conclusion now that she was probably a morning person. She was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, whereas he was still waking up.

  “I would but if things aren’t as we want them to be, it’s easier to know the cause if we don’t make other changes to the past first.”

  “That makes sense,” she reasoned, as she studied the view screen. It show
ed a distant view of Earth, like a great radiant blue sphere in space.

  She wore a dress that was familiar now – she’d worn it many times, yet goosebumps rose on Eric’s skin as he recalled seeing it on a hillside further back in time. Its stiff bodice and softly-pleated skirt were lovely, though an unusual choice for a ship such as his. Cora didn’t always wear the cap over her hair as was likely expected of her in her own time, but she did today, just as he remembered. Once again, Eric realised what an oddity and a gift time could be.

  “Are you looking at me?” she asked, glancing at him.

  “Of course I am,” he said. “I wouldn’t know where you were if I didn’t.”

  A subtle grin played over his lips, which suggested to Cora that he was joking or at least knew what she was talking about.

  Cora shook her head slightly, her expression somewhere between bemused and confused.

  “How far are you going to take us ahead in time? Long after the attack?” she asked.

  “Not long,” he replied. “Why don’t you take a seat and we can do that now.”

  As she strapped herself into her seat, Eric brought them closer to Earth. He made sure there were no problematic gravimetric or tachyon readings; his earlier issues had taught him to be careful. After that, he opened a rift in space-time. Eric wasn’t sure time travel ever should’ve been invented, but it certainly had its advantages.

  The rift opened like a glowing tear in space, and Eric took the ship through slowly. It didn’t take long for the Equinox to come out the other side. He’d only gone ahead just over a year and maintained almost the same point in space.

  Little appeared different at their new location and he quickly closed the rift.

  Eric set a course that would take them into a high orbit above the base, and he exchanged a meaningful glance with Cora.

  “So far so good,” she said. “What were you expecting?”

  “The unexpected,” Eric replied.

  The truth was he didn’t know and that’s what concerned him. It was why he hadn’t made the time frame shorter. The Valteran military might’ve left a scout ship for a month if they knew he was going to check on the base, but they probably wouldn’t wait a year. Still, he couldn’t know that for sure. It was unlikely they knew of his intended return, but it was possible.