A Collision In Time

The whole thing becomes like this evil enchantment from a fairy tale, but you’re made to believe the spell can never be broken.

– Jess C. Scott, Heart’s Blood

May 18, 2289, Sandon, Texas Federation, Northern District

Before the council meeting, Dov and Cara met Uriel and Ariel for lunch. They enjoyed tea and coffee, homemade tomato soup, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Uriel spoke as the two women ate with appetite. “Emerson and Jeannie will be speaking this afternoon at their emergency council meeting. I suspect they will be seeking a motion to prepare their defense, but the council may disagree, deciding that Sandon holds a strong military advantage over the regions. But we know things they don’t; specifically, we understand the evil of —”

“Modi,” Cara said.

“Indeed, Modi.” Uriel nodded.

“It’s silly for the council not to agree to prepare to defend themselves, in my opinion,” Cara said.

Uriel considered the context. “I suspect the town has operated safely and securely for many years, and the government is not used to significant dangers. They’ve held power over the regions for so long, backed by superior technology and surveillance, that they take their situation for granted. The introduction of Modi creates a power imbalance they don’t realize.”

Cara jumped in with a dismissive tone. “To be prepared is common sense. Something that humanity is short of lately.” She changed the subject. “I can’t just wait around. What do we do in the meantime?”

Dov peered at Cara, annoyed. But Uriel spoke before Dov had a chance to. “There may be things our drones are missing. I doubt it, but Modi is clever. Perhaps some additional reconnaissance may be in order. Why don’t the two of you hike along the creek toward the checkpoint? Look for anything you think may be useful. But be careful and keep lines of communication open. Then meet back here in a few hours.”

“Sure,” said Cara. “I could use a walk. We would love to.” Cara subtly rolled her eyes.

Dov ignored Cara’s dismissiveness. “A walk sounds great and we promise to be careful and report back on anything we see that’s unusual. Ariel, while we are gone, could you please look for new signals from Pachamama? I have a hunch that our assumptions may be causing us to also miss something obvious there as well.”

“What do you base your hunch on, Dov?” Ariel asked.

“I had a dream implant this morning from Elder Brumion. I’ll share it with you shortly, but it’s bothering —”

Cara interrupted Dov. “Shall we be off, my dear?”

Dov nodded quietly, feeling frustrated.

“Cara,” Ariel said, “before you leave, can we outfit you with a proper subvocalizer?”

“Perhaps when I get back, if you don’t mind. I am happy to just listen to the chatter for now. If things heat up later, then most definitely. I am sure I am safe for now.”

“Are you sure?” asked Dov.

“For sure,” responded Cara. “Let’s get going.”

The early morning sunshine had disappeared, replaced with an overcast sky threatening showers. Cara and Dov dressed for rain and headed down the narrow path beside the creek. They walked in single file, exchanging small talk. Dov noticed the tension between them but tried to ignore it, brushing it off as shared stress and exhaustion. They continued along the path as it snaked around boulders, trees, and slopes. At the bottom of a hill, the path stopped at the creek, only to continue on the other bank. Three rocks above the level of the water spaced between the two banks demarcated the path, with a substantial hop from one rock to the next. Cara swiftly leaped from rock to rock and landed on the opposite bank without any hesitation.

Dov studied the first rock. It seemed small and so far away.

Cara called, “Dov, you can do it.” She extended her hand from the far bank. “Make it to the second rock, and I will grab you.”

“I don’t know, Cara. It’s not like I do this back home.” Dov chuckled nervously. “Our paths are bio-manicured.”

“Okay, one sec.” Cara leaped back, skipping along the rocks to join Dov on her side of the creek. “You okay, Dov? You seem stressed at me. Was it my comment about the town council meeting?”

“Not only, but yes.”

“Sometimes I can be far too practical. I am sorry. But you said not only?” she pressed.

“I said not only?”

“Yes. What else is bothering you?”

Dov swallowed hard. “Well, you should think more about Uriel and Ariel’s ideas. They can comprehend and calculate events and outcomes that we humans just cannot. You dismissed them at lunch.”

“Not at all,” returned Cara. “I regard them as providing one set of data to consider. They aren’t my parents.” Cara’s expression altered, as if she regretted how the last statement came out. “I mean—”

Dov cut her off, angry at the implication. “They aren’t my parents, either.”

“Yeah, they are, actually. When you visited me that morning in Boston, I remember you telling me that Ariel was not happy with you being over. As though it was your mom or dad judging you.”

“No, I was worried about impacting the time-wave anomaly.”

“No, that’s not true. If that was the case you wouldn’t have come at all. Coming to my apartment was a rare sign of rebellion, like a teenager ignoring direction.”

Dov’s eyes began to tear up. “That’s insane. I directed everything on this trip.”

“But from what I have seen since you arrived, Uriel and Ariel have influenced every tactical decision. They tell you to turn right or left, jump up or down. Since Boston, we have made no substantive decisions. Between their nano-cams and their algorithms, we dare not first breathe without their analysis.”

“Is that why you opted out of a subvocalizer?” Dov whispered.

“Yes.”

“The subvocalizers aren’t an open microphone. They only work when I focus on them too. Uriel or Ariel cannot listen in on our conversation. Yes, they are monitoring my vitals, but only with my permission.”

“Well, that’s good to know, at least.” Cara sighed. “Listen, Dov. I am enjoying our friendship, but I feel like I’m also in this with two parents at your side. Maybe I’m jealous; I don’t know.” Cara’s anger had subsided.

Dov sat down on a stump. A tear flowed down her cheek. “You are jealous? That’s ironic. Growing up I never knew my parents, just an ever-changing set of AIs, at least until Elder Brumion brought in Ariel and Uriel.”

“I’m sorry, Dov.” Cara leaned in to Dov.

Dov took a deep breath. “I was far from being the only child like that, so I should probably reframe.”

“Was that a problem in your society?” asked Cara.

“It is—or it was, or it will be.” Dov laughed. “Tense issues once more. Anyway, the lack of family created issues within our social structures in Pachamama, part of why Heretic rebellions occur on my planet. We have a lost generation and they are seeking independence, wanting to turn their back on tech.”

Cara laughed. “In every utopia, a dark side.”

“Thanks for being honest with me, Cara.” Dov sighed.

“I want a friendship with the real you.” Cara smiled and wiped the tear from Dov’s cheek.

Dov stood and embraced Cara. “I am not sure who the real me is.”

Cara whispered in Dov’s ear, “Dov is in there somewhere. Let her be free.”

Dov sensed the tension between her shoulder blades melting away. She knew why she enjoyed being with Cara so much.

“We better make haste and cross the creek now. Are you ready?”

“Let’s do it. And thank you, Cara.”

Cara hopped to the opposite bank. She rubbed her hands together and in an encouraging voice shouted, “Focus on where your feet will land, but stare at the target in front of you, the next jump. Your body will calculate the rest. Trust your instincts. Don’t think about it, just fly forward. I will be right here.”

Dov studied the rocks. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“Do it,” Cara said.

Dov walked a few steps back, then launched herself forward. She leaped gracefully toward the first rock. When her foot hit she propelled herself to the next, then the next and just like that, she was on the opposite bank.

“Woo-hoo, Dov.” Cara laughed.

They embraced. “I do like you, Cara. Thank you.” She wanted to say that differently. The sentiment came out less intense than she wanted.

They moved quickly downstream. As they walked, the mist in the air became heavier, progressing to the odd raindrop and then a light, steady shower. They pulled up the hoods on their raincoats and walked in silence, taking advantage of wider sections of the path to hike side by side. The creek flowed swiftly westward, roughly following the road that connected Sandon to New Denver and connecting two valleys. Their path veered sharply north as it followed the creek, placing them within a few hundred meters of the checkpoint on Highway 31A.

Cara came to a sudden stop. She turned around to face Dov and held her finger to her lips. “Shhhh,” she whispered and indicated with her hands that they should squat down. “I think I heard something.”

Dov nodded and followed Cara behind a dense thicket that bordered the creek.

“Voices,” Cara mouthed carefully.

“One second,” whispered Dov. She subvocalized, “Ariel?”

“Yes, what’s wrong?” Ariel responded, reading the stress in Dov’s voice.

Before she had a chance to reply, Dov also heard faint voices. She nodded at Cara. “I hear them, Cara,” she mouthed. Then to Ariel: “Send a nano-drone to our location.”

“A nano-drone is120 meters away from you. It will be there in half a minute.”

“Thirty seconds, Cara,” said Dov quietly. “Stay tight.”

“Hang tight,” Cara corrected and grinned.

“Yes, hang tight.” Dov smiled in return.

They remained well hidden and waited for a notification from Ariel. The voices remained faint but still noticeable.

Dov whispered, “It sounds like they are waiting for something, like a signal or direction. They are bragging about their weapons now. They sound well prepared.”

Ariel interrupted. “Dov, listen carefully. You are surrounded on three sides by hundreds of soldiers—not ours. My strong recommendation is that you leave as soon as you can and return the way you arrived. The nano-cam will accompany you.”

“Cara,” Dov subvocalized, “we are beside hundreds of Modi’s men. We are going to retreat and a drone will provide surveillance.”

“Wait,” Ariel subvocalized. “Hide. Men are coming toward you.”

Dov touched Cara’s arm and touched her lips with her finger.

They withdrew fully into the thicket. Branches poked into Dov’s neck and face as she squeezed in beside Cara, holding her breath. Even against the background murmur of the creek, they could hear the unmistakable crunch of men’s boots on leaves. It was difficult to determine their distance and they dared not peek to find out. “Shhh, Dov. Don’t even breathe,” whispered Cara.

Each second seemed an eternity. Dov’s pulse raced as her breathing slowed. “How many men are here?” she subvocalized to Ariel.

Before Ariel had an opportunity to answer a distant voice yelled out, though the call to action was unmistakable. “Move out.”

The crunching footsteps stopped, and Dov took in a quiet breath. She had completely forgotten the pressure of the branches against her skin.

“Already?” a nasal voice said, too close for comfort.

Dov dared not move a muscle. She welcomed Cara’s strength as her friend’s arms wrapped around her body.

“I thought we were to camp here tonight,” a deeper voice said.

Another voice spoke. “One sec, sergeant. I’m sure I saw movement here a minute ago.”

“It was probably a bird or an animal,” said the deep voice.

“I don’t know; it seemed—”

“We should head back,” the deep voice said.

Gunshots rang out. Then shouting. More gunshots.

“Shit, let’s run,” said the man with the nasal voice.

Ariel subvocalized to Dov and Cara, “I’ve alerted our soldiers at the checkpoint about the intruders. I didn’t expect them to fire their weapons, however. You’d better flee now.”

“Is anyone around, Ariel?” Dov asked.

“No. Go now. The situation is very dynamic,” Ariel said.

“Cara, Ariel says we should go,” Dov said, near panic. “I concur.”

Cara cautiously poked her head out and glanced about. On her hands and knees, she emerged from the shrubs. The noise of weapons reverberated off the nearby rock cliffs.

Cara smiled. “Not to contradict, but this is where I wholeheartedly agree with the robots. Shit’s gonna hit the fan.”

They jogged back to Sandon, fueled by adrenaline and fear.

* * *

In a symbolic gesture to its original ghost town status, Sandon resembled an abandoned city, made more dreary by rain that poured steadily down. Emerson ignored the precipitation and walked briskly toward the fire hall through the empty streets, stress evident in his tense shoulders. Emerson considered the weight of responsibility and duty from his earlier motion to the council. He reflected on the council meeting. His appeal had been too late, yet had proven prophetic.

His parents now hid in the cellar of his home, well stocked with water, and food to last a week or even two. At worst this couldn’t last more than a few days, Emerson had reasoned with his parents as he prepared them. He wasn’t sure they would stay down there for long. They would need reminders of the importance of remaining unseen.

Gunshots echoed across the hills, rising in crescendo, then pausing without any discernible pattern. Certainly, the ongoing blast of weaponry would be an incentive to ensure that his parents remained hidden. If it is the sound of guns that keeps them safe, so be it. So long as the danger remains distant.

Emerson arrived at the fire hall, which teemed with activity. Inside he saw Cara, Dov, and Jeannie. At first his instinct was to avoid them, grab weapons, and volunteer with the local reserve to provide support to the soldiers protecting the town.

Jeannie caught his eye. “Em, how are your mom and dad?”

“They are good, Jeannie—in the basement. What’s going on here?” He changed the subject. It was time to fight, not be sentimental.

“There is fighting at the checkpoint. A squadron of attack helicopters and men is en route from Denver and will be here in an hour or so. We should be able to hold Modi until they arrive. Regrettably, there are casualties, but fortunately, the enemy appears unorganized. They have lots of soldiers and guns, but as I said, they are undisciplined.”

Emerson nodded and wandered to a group of men that was checking weapons and preparing. They wore standard-issue army camouflage but no body armor or communication gear. “Hey, Mike, where do I sign up?”

Mike glanced at Jeannie and she nodded to him. He took a breath. “Too late, Em. We need you here at headquarters directing traffic. You are designated as leadership and marked essential. Anyway, we probably won’t see any action, as our orders are to retain the line of defense at the town’s border. I expect we’ll be bored.”

“Who the fuck directed that I remain here?” Emerson said.

“Council, I believe. Anyway, it’s too late because we are heading out now. I’ll see you soon, Em. You ain’t missing a thing.”

The reserve team headed out. Those remaining in the fire hall continued to move purposely about. Excitement filled the air—almost a sense of play, like it was make-believe. The mood concerned Emerson.

“Emerson,” called Jeannie, “please join us for the situation update. In the kitchen.”

The council convened around the kitchen table usually used by the fire brigade. It was now a mess of monitors and computers, snacks and drinks. There was a single spare seat that Jeannie pointed to for Emerson.

The mayor hushed the committee. “Let’s proceed with updates. Start with the drone reporting, please.”

“Okay,” said Jeannie. “Unfortunately six of our drones are disabled, presumably shot down, which accounts for the surprise at the checkpoint. Thankfully the drones deployed by Ariel more than made up the coverage. We identified between two and three hundred of the enemy at the checkpoint and approximately twenty-five vehicles lined up one mile from the checkpoint. Our soldiers are in a defensive position and should hold until the reinforcements arrive from Denver, expected in forty-five minutes from now.” Jeannie paused. “That’s it.”

“Good,” said the mayor. “Sounds encouraging. I can report on the reserves. Forty-five soldiers have taken arms and established watches at various locations around the town. If some of the enemies break our first line of defense, their job is only to identify and call in their location to the command center, who will dispatch qualified soldiers to detain or disarm them. They are instructed to only use their weapons in self-defense, as a last resort. As you observe, they are now moving into position. Questions?”

Nobody responded.

“Remember to stick around here. We may need you.” The mayor stood to adjourn the meeting.

Emerson also stood to leave but felt a finger poke his ribs. It was Dov.

“Hey Emerson, would you mind helping us for a few minutes? We’re trying to figure out what Modi might be up to and we need information about the town’s geography.”

“Sure. It doesn’t appear that I’m needed anywhere else.” Emerson didn’t try to keep the frustration from his voice. “Where to?”

“Follow me, and thank you.” Dov smiled. “You should count your blessings—things are quiet.”

Emerson followed Dov upstairs and into a room filled with technology he had never seen before, or even imagined—floating graphics and real-time video feeds from drones that highlighted every angle of the confrontation with Modi and his men. Ariel sat in front of a cluster of floating three-dimensional images displaying shimmering lines and numbers he didn’t understand. Uriel stood to one side, focused on video feeds and graphs and curves waving in front of him. Cara sat gazing out the window, concern on her face.

Emerson marveled at the technology. It was both awe-inspiring and extremely worrying that a team with this level of sophistication thought it necessary to come to his town. Adrenaline pumped through his system as he considered the implications. “Holy shit, Dov, what sort of operation is this?”

“This is top secret, Emerson. We are providing intel to the teams, but we can’t reveal the source of the intelligence. So far they aren’t asking and I would appreciate your confidentiality, if you don’t mind.”

“So why did you bring me here? I don’t possess any sort of clearance.”

“Because you are an important person for us, and your actions and well-being matter. We want you safe, yet productive. So what better way than to be here, helping to coordinate things.”

“What do you mean, an important person to you? You said that earlier as well, that you wanted me to be safe. I don’t get it. Why?”

Dov hesitated, as if unsure what to say. “There is a reason Modi tried to kidnap you. You are a very significant person to him, and important to us. We need you on our team. We need your leadership. Work with me here, Em.”

They locked eyes, and Emerson sensed she was hiding something from him. He ignored the instinct and nodded. He wanted to feel valuable, respected, and critical, and here in front of him stood an opportunity. Besides, he loved technology and he had never seen any better than this. The decision was easy. “What do you need me to do? I want to help. God knows my town council sees little value in me.”

Dov nodded. “Excellent. Uriel, Emerson may offer you answers.”

“Can we get right to work, Emerson?” Uriel called.

“Of course.”

Uriel directed his attention to the holographic images. “I am less curious about the standoff at the checkpoint than I am about locations around the town, but I am not sure how to interpret what I am seeing.” Uriel pointed to trails at the opposite end of town, upstream and above the townsite. “The algorithms red-flagged these points as outliers but I can’t tell what we are looking at.”

Emerson leaned forward and pointed toward the indentations in the hills. “These are all old mining caves, many still open and accessible. These caves are well known and …” He felt an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of his stomach. “Oh fuck.” Emerson stood and walked to the window looking out toward the caves. Emerson spoke slowly, almost digesting the information as he spoke it. “Someone blocked the openings, not long ago.”

“What do you mean?” Uriel said.

“Well,” Emerson pointed to the rock formations on the holograph image. “Each of these is an old cave entrance. And someone went to great lengths to hide them with these rocks.”

“How big are the caves, and the entrances? Are there secondary entrances?”

“Shit Uriel, yes there are, the entrances are as much as one or two kilometers away toward New Denver. Some of the caves tunnel inward through the mountains a long way back. These are big and long enough to hold and transport thousands of people, and tons of equipment. They were proper iron ore mines, after all.”

“And someone camouflaged these entrances to make them look closed?” Uriel asked.

Emerson nodded. His stomach tightened. “Or to prevent someone from entering them, to hide something.”

“To hide something or someone?” Ariel joined the conversation.

“I need to go check it out.” Emerson fought a compulsion to spring out and run toward the rocks. He stopped himself from leaving. “Uriel, these rock formations here, here, and here”—he directed attention to the cave entrances—“need to be analyzed. They are out of character—”

An alarm sounded, and a section of the holograph magnified. Emerson studied the image. Then he lifted his hands to cover his face in disbelief. He leaned in to watch. A cave entrance he hadn’t noticed opened up, and through it streamed dozens of soldiers, armed with automatic weaponry and rocket launchers.

“Oh my god,” yelled Emerson, pointing.

Only seconds passed before Emerson marked movement in a second cave nearby—the entrance rocks were being hastily dismantled. Another wave of soldiers pushed through.

“The attack is coordinated,” Emerson muttered. He roared, “Call Jeannie! We need to redirect our troops.”

Emerson knew it was too late. He watched as Dov ran downstairs as if in slow motion to alert Jeannie, even as cave after cave opened, revealing hundreds of soldiers. They would be here in minutes.

The first explosion made it real The power plant under construction on the outskirts of town erupted in flames. The remaining reserves took up defensive positions nearby, tasked with protecting the town center. They were people who barely understood how to use weaponry, let alone had any training in basic military tactics. The man leading them, a friend of Emerson’s, had been the town’s power engineer, just weeks from retirement, whose training had come from an interest in action-adventure movies. The newly minted soldiers huddled behind barricades normally used for flood protection when spring runoff swelled the creek’s water level. Emerson watched them from his vantage point. To join them was folly, and now he accepted that. At this moment he provided the most value by leveraging the intelligence he had in front of him and relaying instructions to provide whatever advantage he could.

Emerson called his friend the power engineer. “Hey Timothy, can you hear me?”

“Hi Emerson, what do y’all see?”

“The enemy is about half a kilometer away now, on the upper trails. They don’t appear to be in a hurry.”

“How many men, Em?”

“A lot, Tim. Sorry. Hang on, things could get rough.”

“Shit. Okay, got it.” Timothy sounded nervous.

“Several trained soldiers are on their way by vehicle. They will join you in about ten minutes. You’ve got this, Tim. You can do it.”

“Okay. Thank god for the reinforcements. Make them hurry.”

“Just remain protected and you should be fine,” Emerson urged.

Timothy didn’t respond.

A second explosion nearby shook the fire hall, though from Emerson’s vantage point he wasn’t sure which building it hit. He yelled, “Uriel, what happened?”

“The bank, Emerson—a rocket grenade hit it.”

Emerson broke out in a sweat. If they could hit the bank, there was no reason the fire hall would not be next. His heart raced but he applied willpower, determination, and a sense of duty to calm himself. With each heartbeat, events around him seemed magnified, sharpened with a level of detail that surprised him. He welcomed the clarity and became sure of what must happen next.

Emerson raised his voice. “Cara, Dov, we need to leave and find a safe spot. I know of one. Let’s pack this gear and gather any batteries we can carry. I will arrange for transportation. But if we don’t leave now, it’s going to be too late. Bring everything downstairs through that side door there.” He pointed.

Dov nodded. “Let’s pack up,” she called out. “Ariel, Uriel—pack up.”

Emerson pulled out his phone. “Hey Tim, I need two of your men and a pickup. Can you meet us at the fire hall, at the side entrance, and help us?” He called Jeannie. “Jeannie, evacuate the fire hall, now. Everyone to Power Plant Number One.”

Jeannie disagreed. “We are as safe here as anywhere.”

“No, they are playing with us. Just trust me.” Emerson hung up and ran to Uriel. “Where are those Denver helicopters—”

Another explosion erupted, this time very close. Debris and dust showered down upon them. For a few seconds, the power flickered off, then on.

“Is everyone okay?” questioned Emerson.

“Something fell on me, but I think otherwise I’m okay,” said Dov, shaken. Computer equipment had landed on her and cut her arm. Though there was a lot of blood, the injury seemed superficial.

“Dov?” Cara asked, alarmed. “Let me look,” Cara grabbed a nearby rag and wound it tightly around her arm.

“We’d better hurry,” said Emerson. “The next time we won’t be so lucky.”

Cara stood with Dov. “That should do it. Let’s find a first aid kit when we can.”

“There is probably one in the truck on its way to help us,” Emerson said. “Let’s move on. Sorry, Dov, about your injury.”

“It’s quite alright. I agree, Emerson—the sooner we can exit, the better.” Dov put on a brave face.

Moving at a speed that Emerson had never seen before, Ariel and Uriel got the equipment to be transported packed and then transferred to the waiting pickup truck.

Dov hollered over the echoes of discharging weapons and wailing sirens, “Emerson, can you drive us first to our hotel to get our luggage? There is confidential technology and documents that must not fall into Modi’s hands, should it come to that.”

Emerson stared at Dov, frustrated. “Fine, but there’s not a moment to waste.”

Ten minutes later the group had stopped at the hotel, packed up, and were ready to go. Thus far the reserves, still in position back at the fire hall, had managed to hold their defensive positions against long odds. Despite the material difference in size, it was clear that the Sandon reserve forces faced an untrained, hastily put-together group of men unaccustomed to military operations.

“Another cave just opened up,” Uriel said from the backseat as the truck started.

“What do you see, Uriel?” asked Emerson, preparing to drive.

“Just a few men, but they are well-armed with rocket launchers… Emerson, drive—they are aiming right at us. Go!”

Emerson accelerated and put distance between them and the hotel just as a blast of heat and energy detonated behind them.

“Uriel?” Emerson shouted. “Tell me what’s happening.”

“Drive, Emerson, drive,” Uriel exclaimed. “I think they are reloading.”

In the back, between Cara and Uriel, Dov grabbed Cara’s hand, leaned into Cara, and whispered in her ear, “So is time travel all that you thought it would be?” She chuckled nervously.

The truck accelerated forward, leaving a cloud of dust.