The Impossible Future: Complete set

by Frank Kennedy

  “Rot in hell,” Sam said. “Both of you.”

  Rosalyn turned to her brother as they left. “What’s hell?”

  Ulrich helped Sam down from the table.

  “For the record, I wouldn’t have done it this way. Very sloppy. That man at your estate almost got you killed. Take my arm.” She did for lack of any other choice. “In fact, he did kill one of our soldiers. Fortunately, an immortal. He’s back with us now, recovering.”

  “Where are we?”

  “The Lioness, flagship of the Salvation fleet. We are en route to our new home world. You might know it as Hiebimini, although James plans to change the name to something more appropriate.”

  “Why did he do this to me?”

  Ulrich shrugged as he walked her forward.

  “James has plans within plans. We never question because he has lived up to all his promises.”

  He led her into a lift. “Stellar dome,” he announced, and the lift moved. “My advice is simple, Samantha. Follow his orders, never so much as contemplate betrayal, and you might live long enough to see Earth again. No one will be coming to your rescue.”

  Sam smiled. “You don’t know Michael.”

  “I don’t have to. Even if he brings an entire army, it won’t matter. He’ll never get close.”

  The lift stopped; the door slid open. Ulrich led the way, insisting she follow. As she stepped out, the voice Sam heard earlier cascaded across the ship.

  “Aperture closing in three, two, one.” The Lioness shuttered and stabilized in seconds. “All ships confirmed. The fleet has arrived. Welcome to the Hiebimini system. We have come home.” Seconds later: “Scramjets Beta, Gamma, Tau, prepare for immediate launch. Set aperture coordinates for the Hiebimini system Nexus point. Spool catalyst drivers …”

  “Hear that?” Ulrich said. “Within days, the Nexus point will be inaccessible. Like I said, no army will come for you. Now, if you’ll follow me.”

  The arena design that encircled an elevated round stage did not capture Sam’s attention as much as the great open dome above. She saw an emerald green planet with swirling cloud patterns and pockets of deep, deep blue. The ship was nearing orbit.

  She no longer harbored delusions of this being a nightmare. Sam thought of the last time she saw Michael, watching her from his pillow as she drifted off, hoping for a better tomorrow.

  I’m so sorry, sweetie. Pray for me.

  Sam knew she needed Michael’s God when she saw the three wannabe gods on the elevated stage. James, Valentin, Rayna. Side by side, staring out at their new home world. She flashed back to the last time she saw them, just like this but at Hinton Station. There, they were captivated by SkyTower, which they soon destroyed. She knew then how dangerous they might become. But this? She had no words.

  Ulrich pointed up the stairs. “Climb.” When she reached the top, Ulrich made an announcement. “The final piece, Brother James, as you requested.”

  The three turned as one and looked down upon Sam. She sensed disdain, even disgust, in the Ukrainian’s eyes. Valentin betrayed no emotion. James, on the other hand, opened his arms and beckoned her with a broad smile.

  Sam saw nothing recognizable in him. Fifteen years, she grew up with him in a small town. And now, after two years apart? Nothing. Just a sadistic monster with eyes of flames.

  Don’t show your fear. Don’t make him think he’s won.

  Sam could not, however, hide her tremors.

  “Thank you, Ulrich,” James said. “Please report to the command bridge and speak with Major Kane.” He pointed toward the planet. “What do you think, Samantha? An amazing achievement, isn’t it?”

  “You …” The words came out through stumbles and bumbles. Sam never felt so inferior, so helpless. “You killed millions of people. Innocent people.”

  “Millions? Yes. Innocent? Not so much. They were like you, Samantha. Chancellors who wanted my kind to be their servant monsters. They brought this on themselves.”

  “You’re wrong. You’re …”

  “If you dare to call my husband insane,” Rayna said, “I will leave most painful marks on you.”

  “It’s fine, Rayna,” James said. “Samantha has had a long trip and she’s tired. Why don’t you and my brother attend to matters on the command bridge? I’ll need a few minutes.”

  Rayna spit at Sam’s feet as she passed, but Valentin shot an impatient glance at his brother then offered Sam a comforting hand on her shoulder before he left the stage.

  James smirked. “I don’t believe my wife likes you. That’s OK. Give her time and space. She’s pregnant with my third and fourth children. She was always moody during the first pregnancy. Please, Sam. Come. Join me.”

  He beckoned her to center stage. When Sam didn’t move, he wagged a finger.

  “As if you have anywhere else to go? Come.”

  She did as instructed, remembering Ulrich’s warning.

  “It’s been a long time,” he said as she drew close. “I always knew this moment would happen, but seeing you in person is as remarkable as it must be to you.”

  “No, James. Remarkable isn’t the right word. Sickening is better.”

  “Ah, yes. The eyes. They take some getting used to. You will.”

  “The last time we spoke, you told Michael and me you were a killer and that you needed to kill. That’s all you’ve been doing ever since.”

  “Mostly, yes. But I’ve also been communing with the Jewels of Eternity, understanding the distant past and seeing the future. I’ve built new technology and freed whole worlds from enslavement. I think that’s a busy two years. Yes?”

  Sam was seething. “And you used those children … those poor twins. I don’t know what you did to them, but you killed their parents and turned them into monsters like you.”

  “You misunderstand. I simply directed them with a manipulation of Jewel energy and a few other techniques I’ve learned. Those are Chancellor children. They aren’t immortals and they aren’t hybrids. They served their purpose. They’ll be vented into space.”

  The sheer scope of the man’s cruelty did not come into total focus until that instant. Sam fell to her knees. James bent down beside her.

  “Hiebimini is reserved for my kind, those who worship me as their god, and for you, Samantha. My personal servant monster. The last of your family, and the bitch who lied to me all my childhood. You are mine now, and you will be until your last breath. And best yet, you will serve me willingly.”

  “No. Not a chance. I’ll kill myself before that happens.”

  “You might try,” he said. “But if you succeed, know this. I will kill Michael. I will kill everyone who helped you end the war on Earth. And then, I will wrap Earth in a noose of the same weapons I used to destroy the Ark Carriers. And since this Earth is so closely tied to the one where we grew up, I suspect the impact will extend through those interdimensional folds.”

  Sam now understood. This was her punishment.

  “Why, James? Why do you need me? I’m nothing.”

  “On the contrary, Samantha. You’re brilliant. Once we are settled on the planet, we will establish trading partners and political relations with the new sovereign governments. You will be my ambassador to Earth. They will need a familiar face as they struggle to survive all alone in the galaxy.”

  “No, James. Never.”

  “Yes. And you will do this willingly. Gleefully. Allow me to show you my light.”

  He placed his titanic hands over her cheeks. Islands of blue escaped his fingers and burned inside her. A wave of warmth coursed through her blood and deep inside her mind. She tried to resist, but Sam had no defense.

  He buried his lips in her with a violent passion.

  When next Sam opened her eyes, she no longer saw a monster.

  She saw Jamie Sheridan, and her heart was full.

  77

  Hinton Station, Philadelphia Redux, NAC

  Tier 17, Platform B

  Fourteen standard days later

/>   G OODBYE. IT WAS THE ONLY WORD Michael wanted to say. Short, sweet, uncompromising. Goodbye to the few friends he found on second Earth. Goodbye to the illusion of wealth and privilege. Goodbye to anyone who made the mistake of putting their faith in him.

  He did not sleep more than three hours any day since losing Sam. The constant refrain never let him rest. You should have known. You should have known. The guilt – and the time needed to arrange this expedition – ate up his waking hours.

  At first, Supreme Admiral Poussard thought it a foolhardy venture and rejected his request for soldiers, supplies, and munitions. The Ark Carriers retreated from the colonies within the required seven-day window, and she did not want to risk sending a large contingent of peacekeepers back into a colonial system. Yet on the tenth day of the withdrawal, she reversed course.

  “There may be another way in.”

  That’s all she said while agreeing to supplies, munitions, proprietary Guard tech, and a small team of special operations soldiers. It was good enough for Michael.

  The ship was another matter. Five Presidiums quietly chipped in credits to purchase the commercial liner Praxis, a vessel built to house up to three hundred people.

  Now, Michael stood on the platform ready to board the largest vessel currently docked at Hinton. The crowd that came to see him off was small but important. Most of them, he was seeing for the last time. On that matter, his heart was certain.

  He came to rely most on Merton Bayfield. He didn’t realize how fond Merton had grown of Sam until they spent hours in his office planning the mission, banging their heads against a wall, and in quiet moments, reminiscing.

  “Thanks for everything, Merton,” he said as they hugged. “I couldn’t have gotten this far without you.”

  “Doing my job, Michael. No one wants Samantha to come home more than I.”

  “You’ll make sure the Pynn estate is placed back in trust?”

  “Naturally, Michael. The estate was dormant for fifteen years. It can sit empty again for however long it takes.”

  Dropping the Pynn compound into quiet trust and leaving it in the hands of a single caretaker was not Michael’s preference. But paying staff with dwindling credits was not sustainable. Sam obliterated half her wealth fighting back against Celia Marsche and the Admiralty. He deleted another twenty-five percent paying his Presidium’s share of Praxis.

  Truth was, Michael never wanted to see that house again. The ghosts were real. Reminders of those beautiful moments in their bedroom suite, where he and Sam dreamed of the life all lovers desire. Memories of laughing at the dinner table with Finnegan Moss. Making nice with the twins who were working against them all along. David Ellstrom’s horrible luck encountering the kidnappers following his predawn jog about the compound. Vids proved the twins hid in the cellar for two days before stealing weapons from the armory.

  The house was never more than a waystation, and he was glad to be done with it. Michael removed two half-folded pieces of paper from his jacket and handed it to Merton.

  “There’s something important I need you to do for me, Merton. I know you can pull it off because you have contacts. You put together that strike team for Sam in no time.”

  “Of course. And this would be?”

  “Open it.” Merton glanced at the opening lines and winced. “I wrote it last night. Merton, it’s a letter to my parents.”

  “On your first Earth?”

  “Yeah. Look, dude, you got to know something. I’m never coming back. For two years, I been dodging people trying to kill me. No matter what I try, I’ll never really fit in here. Whatever happens to me is gonna happen out there.” He pointed up. “I’ve thought about writing this letter for a long time. My folks, they never found out what really happened to me. Probably assumed I was dead. Maybe this will help. It’s my handwriting, so they’ll know it’s real.

  “Merton, can you arrange an expedition to cross the fold? I know it’s dangerous, but all they’d need to do is deliver the letter. The address and directions are there. Can you make it happen?”

  “It might take some time but …”

  “As long as it gets to them.”

  “I’ll see it done, Michael. And if we never see each other again, I want you to know it was … an honor.”

  Dear Mom and Dad:

  There’s twenty kinds of shit I regret, but I guess the worst was leaving you in the dark. I can’t imagine what you’ve been going through, or what the hell they’ve been saying about me. Just know I didn’t have time to make a smart decision. I went with my gut, which pretty much always spelled trouble. No different this go-around.

  I’ve gotten my sorry ass caught in the frying pan more times than I can reckon. Somehow, I always come out the other side, either on account of dumb luck, an angel on my shoulder, or hell, maybe there was a plan for me.

  Not this time. The place I’m going, there’s no coming back. That means I’ll never say this to you in person.

  I love you, and I’ll never forget you.

  Michael wasn’t sure Rikard and Matthias would be here in time to see him off. The early negotiations on the way forward without the Solomon Treaty were moving slowly and occupying most of their time. Complicating matters: The return of almost four hundred Ark Carriers housing eleven million people; the Guard battalions stationed across the planet; and stalemates on how to transfer vast sums of property titles to Solomons. Nonetheless, they came.

  “Thank you both,” Michael said between hugs. “You two gave me a purpose. Can’t put a price on that.”

  “I wish you told us sooner about this mission,” Rikard said. “There are many Solomons who would have volunteered.”

  “No. This is my cross to bear. The rest of you should stay here and build a better Earth. God knows, it could use the work.”

  “I wish I had been a better general, Michael. Harrisboro was my fault. It’s a damn miracle you survived.”

  “Yeah, I’ve gotten good at that survival business. Look, Rikard. None of it matters now. Go get the Solomons what they deserve.”

  “You be safe out there, Michael. Space is a dangerous place.”

  “If it weren’t for everything you’ve taught me, I wouldn’t be strong enough to take this on. I’ll miss you both.”

  Michael prepared to board – until he saw a familiar face running toward the platform, a bag slung over her shoulder. When she reached him, Maya Fontaine caught her breath and threw on that stoic face Michael knew all too well.

  “Reporting for duty, Mr. Cooper.”

  “Wait, what? Maya, I haven’t heard from you since Harrisboro. Are you planning to …?”

  “I am. I offer my prodigious services to your company.”

  “How did you even hear about this? It’s totally off-book.”

  She twisted a smile. “You have to ask?” She looked over her shoulder to Rikard, who flashed a thumbs-up as he departed.

  “Maya, this mission is dangerous. You might not come back.”

  “Precisely why I’m here. You need me at the darkest hours. I saved your life in Entilles, kept your head on straight in the mountains, and performed wonderful triage on you in Harrisboro.”

  Michael had a revelation. “That’s why you stayed away when Sam and I came home together.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t be a nuisance until you need one.”

  “Good to know, Maya.”

  She grabbed her bag. “Come along. It’s time to board. Yes?”

  Yeah, so … I’ve learned a few things about life.

  A man ought to know better than to get comfortable. As soon as they pat you on the back and fill you full of ‘attaboys,’ that’s when you’d best send up the radar. Those same boot-lickers sure as hell won’t be around when you fall – and they’re just waiting for the trapdoor to open.

  And another thing: Don’t assume you’ll live forever. Be ready to go next Tuesday. If old man Death has you marked up in his calendar, ain’t a thing you can do about it. Just hold on tight
, find the biggest, most impossible rollercoaster in the universe, and let her rip. What’s the worst that can happen?

  When he and Maya boarded, an adjutant to the ship’s captain escorted them to the residential quarters, where they settled in. He said Praxis would leave Hinton in thirty minutes and the captain would brief all members of the executive team three hours into flight.

  Michael was impressed. “I’m an executive, am I?”

  “Of course, Mr. Cooper. Do you not think you’ve earned the title?”

  “Yeah, well, I’ve earned a lot of things. Let’s not talk about most of them. But … um … in the meantime, am I free to tour the ship? I did pay for part of it.”

  “Certainly, Mr. Cooper. If you need a visual guide, consult your admin stack. You should have received the full schematics by now. However, the Captain would prefer you avoid the command bridge until we have cleared Earth.”

  Michael couldn’t sit still, so he walked bow to stern on three of the four levels. On Level 3, he came to a spectacular platform with panoramic viewing ports. Praxis was entering the upper atmosphere. Within minutes, he saw the planet in its glory. Just like the videos he remembered from the International Space Station orbiting first Earth, Michael watched the sunrise and was overwhelmed.

  “Is it everything you expected?”

  Joseph Doltrice joined Michael. The man whose team rescued him in Harrisboro had shaved off his beard and most of his hair. Michael thought he looked ten years younger. Doltrice signed on to the mission the instant Michael proposed it.

  “It’s sweet,” Michael said. “I never figured to see something like this, at least not in person. How is it for a vet like you?”

  “Hmm. I’ve seen orbital sunrise on eight worlds. I can’t say they impress me any longer, but do they remind me of how small I am. It’s a humbling exercise, one you will do well to appreciate.”

  Michael understood. “Back home, on first Earth, we had this thing called movies. They were like two-hour stories. Space was always so big and exciting. Star Wars. Star Trek. You name it.”