by Mara Amberly
Eric had sent him a communication prior to his arrival. It wasn’t secure, so he coded it as best he could to throw any potential listeners off the scent.
“Thanks, man. Don’t let anyone get close to her.”
He was, of course, speaking of the ship.
“I’ll do my best,” he promised. “You have her locked up well?”
“Oh yeah,” Eric replied. “She’s locked up tight and won’t fly until I’m back. I made certain of it.”
“You’re in luck then that she can stay where she is until you return,” he said, meeting Eric’s gaze.
“You know what to do if anyone comes sniffing around?” Eric asked.
“Sure do,” he replied. “It’ll be active long before anyone gets the chance.”
Cora didn’t want to intrude but Eric could tell she was curious.
“A cloaking field,” he said.
“Oh, that makes sense,” she replied with a grin.
Eric had seen her watching the top of the chasm too. The view was blocked by the dark red cliffside, which unfortunately would make this low ground in a fight. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He and his allies had enough on their plates already.
“I’ll need payment sent to my account,” Thuris replied.
“Already done. It should be hitting your account about now.”
“A pleasure doing business with you,” the man replied, tipping his non-existent hat.
The others watched the exchange with interest, other than Tom who stared off into the distance, as though trying to avoid witnessing it. Eric hoped he wouldn’t be a problem; he liked Tom, and he hoped that saving his life and his son’s would be reason enough to settle his concerns. He knew if it got worrying, he’d have to talk to the man.
Janice wordlessly handed Eric a small tablet computer, which he slipped into the pocket of his jacket.
The only person who seemed to notice was Cora, and she studied Janice for a moment after but didn’t say anything. Cora didn’t miss much.
“It’s this way,” Eric told the others, guiding them along a barely-marked path toward the cliffside. It was hard to see because it blended in so well, but there were rough-hewn stairs cut into the cliff, and also a goods lift built into the side.
“There are no railings,” Janice commented, once they’d reached the base of the steps.
The lift was marked ‘goods only’, but Janice chose it instead. She walked in and the others followed. With a sigh, Eric did the same and Tom pressed the button.
A few moments later the door opened to a shelter carved from stone and beyond it an impressive view of the city, Relsar’o.
Cora gasped at the sight and everyone present seemed to enjoy it.
At its centre, buildings towered high and glimmered in jewel-bright greens and blues like a strange, alien plant blossoming from the red earth. The city was majestic and it was massive. With smaller buildings around the outside, it seemed to form a semi-circle, too perfect to come about randomly. It looked surreal compared to the organised chaos of human architecture and civilisation.
“It doesn’t look quite so impressive from within,” Eric explained. “It’s like any society – the rich have most of the power and that leaves everyone else with less than they deserve.”
He was explaining for Cora’s benefit, and he saw from her expression that she understood. It was the story of the universe, as old as time. Valtera was no different.
A road cut toward the city; it was grey and only lightly obscured by the red dust.
There were no cars or other vehicles around. However, several ships descended toward a far off point in the city as they watched.
“They’ll be heading for the spaceport,” Tom commented, drawing a nod from the others, aside from Eric and Cora.
Eric already knew that well enough; he’d once served there. He smiled when he caught the enchanted expression on Cora’s face. She obviously loved discovering secrets like this.
“So are we waiting or are we walking?” Harry asked.
“Waiting,” Eric replied. “A shuttle’s coming for us and they’ll drop us where we need to go. You have your comm-links, so if you need to reach me or each other, you can.”
They had chameleonic surfacing and could blend in against the skin.
“Tom and Juliane, I’d try to keep within Zones 1 and 2 if you can. I’m not anticipating being here for more than a few days but it’s possible. I did some research and your son’s academy should fall within Zone 2 on the north side. If they pull the shields back, you should be protected if you stay in the area. If we don’t make the first rendezvous, fall back to the second site.”
“If we have any difficulties, we might need to put some distance between ourselves and whoever’s looking for us,” Tom explained.
“If you do, I’d try to avoid areas further out than Zone 3. That’s going to be the maximum limit of the shielding.”
“We’ll be careful,” Juliane replied, glancing at her husband, “and likely stay in the Zones, unless it’s absolutely necessary. Thank you for bringing us to the planet, Captain,” she said, before turning as their shuttle approached.
Cora leaned in close to Eric to whisper. “Which Zone is your ship in?”
“None of them,” he replied. “It wasn’t an option.”
The shuttle was more flying cab or minivan than a traditional shuttle geared for spaceflight, as it was only designed to operate within Valtera’s atmosphere. It was automated, the course pre-programmed, and adjustable from within. They all climbed into the back; Eric hoped it wouldn’t be the last thing they’d do.
The shuttle set off, nothing out of the ordinary. While they were alone in there, Eric knew privacy wasn’t guaranteed. There were bound to be listening devices on board. However, inbuilt imagers were forbidden by law in shuttles and other vehicles.
“Stay in touch and organise what you need to,” he said.
They each knew what they were doing. While they had greater strength in numbers together, Eric found it safer to divide up their group. That way if any of them drew unwanted attention, the others were less likely to be discovered. Certain actions, such as Janice’s preparations, brought increased risk. Eric wanted her help but he still had every intention of being careful about it.
He’d brought credit chips along with him – each of them untraceable, and handed one to each of them in case they ended up on their own, Cora included. There were several quiet murmurs of thanks before he motioned them to silence. The fewer clues they left behind, the better. They already had their security badges and some of the supplies they’d brought with them. The aim was to look more like locals than visitors, with the possible exception of Cora for now.
The shuttle dropped Tom and Juliane off first. They silently climbed from the vehicle and Juliane gave the others a wave. They were left in the middle of an urban area near a small square containing restaurants and stores.
“This place is incredible,” Cora whispered to Eric.
He agreed and it was part of the reason he wanted to save his world so much.
Eric and Cora were dropped off next, leaving Janice, Oron and Harry to continue on to a neighbouring part of town. The shuttle had already been paid, but even if it hadn’t been, the credit chips would each have covered it fifty times over.
Eric recognised the area where they stood, which was on the edge of Zone 1. It was close to the central city, which held the majority of the skyscrapers.
“Those buildings are massive,” Cora exclaimed as she glanced up at them. “It makes me dizzy just looking up at them. Goodness, that people could accomplish this.”
“Oh this is nothing compared to space-flight,” Eric replied with a smile. “Or time travel. It’s a much greater accomplishment.”
They passed several men and women walking along the street, who wore sleek, dark suits.
He could tell that the outfits drew Cora’s eye because they were so different from clothes she might’ve worn.
&nb
sp; “They’re not going to think it’s strange that I’m dressed as I am and they’re dressed like that?” she asked. “I thought you wanted to blend in.”
Cora wore a 19th Century dress in dark green linen. Eric had convinced her to forgo the cap, which she’d reluctantly agreed to, and she’d braided her hair into a long plait.
“Probably,” he said. “Our people have picked up fashions from many worlds and time periods, so you can find a variation in the city. You would stand out more with the cap.”
“Oh, okay,” she replied, her tone relieved.
“It’s hard to tell what the buildings are for,” Cora noted.
“Large companies own these,” he said, indicating those nearest. “Mega-corporations.”
Cora seemed uncertain. “Are we going to stay in one?”
“We could unless you’d rather be closer to the ground?”
“I’d choose the ground,” she said. “It seems like up there you would be cornered with nowhere to go if someone tried to block your way out. I’d also be afraid they’d break off!”
Eric grinned. “They shouldn’t, but they sway a little in the wind.”
“Why would anyone want that?” she asked, shuddering involuntarily.
“I don’t know,” Eric replied, smiling. He recalled it had something to do with protecting them against earthquakes and other natural disasters. “Ships sway in the wind.”
“Yeah but that’s different,” Cora replied. “I don’t know why, but it is.”
“I think I know a good place to stay,” he said.
Eric’s first thought had been to find an inn or hotel, but they were bound to ask questions or look for ID. He had his ID on him, but there was an earlier version of himself out there in the city with the same ID. Eric knew where his earlier self was living and where he was working at the time. By this point, he’d left the military and was working as an engineer for Viktor. It was how he’d ended up with the ship; the old bastard liked him. He made Eric’s life hell at times, but he did it out of the goodness of his heart.
Eric considered his Valteran friends. There was one he knew had been out of this sector for several years until he returned shortly before the Event with his new alien wife in tow. Michael had attended the academy with him as a boy and they knew each other well, so Eric had no compunction about breaking into his house. He trusted Michael would understand if he knew the full circumstances.
“We could just stay on the ship?” Cora suggested, but Eric wasn’t convinced.
“This is the better option with our plans in mind,” he said.
Now he just had to make sure he didn’t trigger Michael’s alarm system.
“Are we going to stay with your younger self?” she asked, her expression curious.
She’d obviously caught on to the fact there was another Eric out there somewhere.
“Oh no. I don’t want to risk changing my own timeline that much. Best we keep our distance,” he said.
It took them around fifteen minutes to reach a much shorter, plain-looking building that Eric knew well. It only had three levels, unlike the taller buildings more centrally-located.
Eric already knew the door code. He keyed it in on the panel and they were permitted entry. Smooth sleek corridors had a dark metal floor with speckles of a lighter colour through it.
“Unit 12 – that’s his home,” Eric told Cora as they approached it.
The corridor was empty other than for themselves. The individual apartments were sound-proofed, so Eric wouldn’t have been able to tell if anyone else was there.
Eric moved close to the door and spoke into his wrist device. “TSAI, scan for active security and deactivate all. Alarm code ‘Eric, you bastard’.”
He blushed as Cora glanced his way.
“Scanning,” the voice replied, and Eric watched the tiny holographic display as an image took form. “Active security found. Alarm deactivated. Venomous mammals found. Unable to deactivate.”
Eric stifled a laugh. “Michael always did like his venomous pets.”
Eric scanned them in further detail, studying the scan results.
“They’re nothing to worry about,” he promised Cora.
“TSAI, remain vigilant. If an alarm’s triggered, please notify.”
Eric tried the door, and then raised his wrist device. “TSAI, unlock the door. Same code.”
It swung open, causing Cora to grin this time.
“What type of venomous pets does your friend have?” she asked.
“That kind,” he said, noticing a face peering at them out of the shadows. Two yellow eyes glinted as Eric turned the lights on with the flick of a button.
“They’re… cats?” she asked with slight confusion.
Large, orange and fluffy. Two of them lounged nearby, their attention drawn by Eric and Cora.
“Not exactly,” he said. “They’re feline synthetics – copies of animals. Felines are dangerous on our world. Venomous and thoroughly unpleasant.”
“You’re kidding?” she asked. “Someone built these? That’s incredible, but what do you mean, venomous?”
“I would kid about many things but felines aren’t one of them,” Eric replied.
“That’s confusing. Why would Michael keep them as pets when they’re venomous?” she asked.
“Michael’s not like other people,” Eric explained. “Think of them like guard dogs. In the wild, felines would kill ya as soon as look at ya, and then they’d play with your corpse. These will give you a bit of a tingle. Leave them alone and you should be fine, and for the sake of all that’s holy, don’t try to bathe them.”
She chuckled at that, wondering if Eric might be making this up, but his TSAI supported the notion they were venomous.
It was only then that Eric and Cora more thoroughly examined their surroundings. Michael’s home was untidy and more than a bit dusty, but it seemed he’d made some effort to put some things away and cover the furniture before taking his leave. It was very different to Juliane’s home, but Cora recognised signs of technology, including screens similar to those on the Equinox.
“We should try to limit how much we come and go from here. We’re less likely to be noticed that way.”
“What about the uh… felines? Is someone feeding them?”
“They don’t need food, so it shouldn’t be a problem. They’ll still beg for food but you can ignore them. I can set up a means to warn us if anyone approaches the door.”
Eric checked the fridge, and there was no sign of food or drink in there. Michael’s home looked mostly empty. The bed hadn’t been slept in.
“There’s a basement level, so if anyone was to enter the apartment, we can hide down there. I don’t want to port out unless we have to. There’s too much chance space-time would splinter around here. My people are bloody fools, doing this to our own world… or any world.”
Cora’s expression turned sympathetic but it seemed she didn’t know what to say to that. She couldn’t disagree because he was probably right.
“Are you sure it’s your own people who have done this?” she asked.
“Uh, what?” Eric asked, and then his thoughts broadened.
“Do you have an enemy that would intentionally do this to your world?”
It was a question he hadn’t thought to ask before. A blindingly obvious one. “There were but we wiped them out, er about a hundred years ago.”
“Who were they?” she asked, meeting his gaze.
“They were aliens from a planet our people had established trade with – it was called Trinus 6. It was the 6th planet in a binary star system millions of light-years from here. The people – we called them Trines, weren’t that technologically-advanced or so our people believed. It turned out they were wrong about that. Our people can’t agree on what started the conflict or even if they were at fault, but before the year was out they were at war.”
“Oh no,” she replied. “You’ve never run into them in the past?”
Eric s
hook his head. “I can’t. Certain areas are prohibited in the time frames in which they operated, all the way from their galaxy to ours. It’s so we don’t encounter them. I literally couldn’t lock in the coordinates, even if I wanted to. If I tried to fly the ship into those areas, I would receive warnings with a threat of jail time.”
“What if you went to one of those areas and you or your ship stayed there while time passed. Could you encounter them then?”
“You’re worrying me, Cora. Yes, that’s theoretically possible.”
It didn’t seem likely but he couldn’t reject the possibility.
“Is it possible some of them survived?” Cora asked.
“Our people bombed their planet back to the stone age, but I suppose it’s not outside the realm of possibility.”
And there it was – a possibility that went beyond Valtera turning on itself. Eric wasn’t sure he’d feel better about it even if it was someone else.
“How would they do it?” she asked. “I mean, how would they convince people to do this?”
He thought of the politicians in their government. Selflessness hadn’t been among their key traits.
“Maybe it’s stupidity or greed, or enemies might’ve replaced them using technology like my own.”
He wondered if anyone would’ve noticed if they had.
“If they had a Holographic Matrix Projector like mine, it might help them get in the door but there are many more forms of security they’d have to bypass in order to maintain the guise of someone important long-term.”
Cora’s expression was troubled and Eric could see why. He was trying to make sense of the possibilities too and they were off-putting, to say the least.
“How do you plan to get in there?” Cora asked.
“I still have a clearance level and tricks up my sleeve.”
“And those people could do the same thing?” Cora asked.
Eric shrugged. “It depends on who they are. If it isn’t an alien race like the Trines, it could be someone else.”
There were a whole range of possibilities.
“You were sure it was your own people?” she asked.
“Cora, I don’t know. They’d been discussing it in meetings for months. We’re about 4 months away from it being publicly announced at this point. They glorified the benefits and withheld the disadvantages from most of the populace.
