A Collision In Time

Admiral Nimitz thought he was dropping bombs “sufficient to pulverize everything on the island.” But incredibly, the enemy defenses were growing.

– James Bradley, Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima

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

“Helicopters,” Cara shouted, and pointed. She followed three steadily expanding spots in the sky from the backseat window. “Here comes the cavalry.”

Focused on the road, Emerson raced over the Sandon Bridge. He pushed the accelerator to the floor and gripped the steering wheel as though his life depended upon it, which it did. He swerved to avoid burning wreckage and veered to the right as a burst of flame erupted on the left side of the bridge. He glanced over his shoulder and yelled, “Uriel?”

In the backseat, Uriel focused on the images projected on the HD. He magnified the visual beamed from the drones. It displayed the enemy preparing rocket launchers. “They are aiming at us,” hollered Uriel.

Dov clutched the seat as Emerson turned to the right off the bridge and onto a gravel road. He accelerated.

Cara screamed, “Here comes the heli—”

A roar overhead interrupted her. Seconds later, the hills above Sandon ripped apart in flame and flying rock. The shockwave shook the air and flowed through their truck.

Emerson slowed the vehicle to examine the source of the blast while Uriel studied the HD. It displayed a dark image. Uriel spoke over the noise. “You can stop, Emerson. Nobody is targeting us anymore. The Denver helicopter cavalry has indeed arrived.”

Emerson pulled the truck over to the side of the road, next to the creek, and they exited the vehicle to view downtown Sandon and the surrounding hills. They stood shocked at the destruction. Rock debris and burning tree stumps littered the hillside where seconds before Asmodi’s conscripted soldiers had stood.

“There must be hundreds dead,” said Dov. She covered her eyes.

“But the timing was impeccable, Dov,” Uriel said. “They had us targeted. We are lucky.”

Gunshots echoed in the downtown streets of Sandon. The ping of a bullet against a metal casing drew their attention.

“This isn’t over,” said Emerson. “Modi’s soldiers are aiming at the helicopters.”

They watched as the drama unfolded. The three black helicopters maneuvered and hovered above the fire hall. For a moment everything stood still, save for the rotating blades of the helicopters as they repositioned higher.

Like a symphony of violence, the armaments in the hovering beasts opened and unleashed in a horrific rhythm. Missiles and rapid-fire bullets targeted the now fleeing intruder. They offered no opportunity to surrender.

Those standing beside the vehicle at the lookout heard screams as the bullets connected with enemy flesh. Again and again.

Dov yelled, horrified, “It’s a slaughter.”

“Better them than us,” Cara said. “They started the shit.”

“If they had a choice, you mean,” argued Dov. She turned her head away, refusing to observe, and pressed into Cara.

“You are shaking.” Cara held Dov close to her. “I am so sorry.”

“This is awful. They’re suffering and dying. They are still human beings with families.” Dov called, “Emerson, let’s get out of here. Can you take us anywhere away from this?”

Emerson nodded. “Yeah, let’s get the fuck out of here. I’m going to make a quick pit stop at home and get my parents. I have a spot to hide away for a while as the Marines clean up the mess.”

“Thanks, Emerson,” said Dov.

“Okay, folks, let’s head out,” directed Emerson. “We’ll have to move quick—”

A flash of orange and a deafening blast interrupted him. Black smoke poured from a helicopter across the river. The injured aircraft sputtered in midair briefly before it plunged toward the town center, colliding with the theater beside the fire hall. Flames burst from the theater, followed by gunshots and explosions. Mere seconds later, a second helicopter was struck. It fell immediately in a controlled descent. Its crew escaped and ran from the burning wreckage just as it exploded.

“Wait a minute,” said Ariel. “Look.” He pointed at the town center. A man stood on a rooftop armed with a kinetic rocket launcher. “That weapon should not exist in this time period.”

“That’s Modi,” said Uriel. “How did he get on the roof so quickly?”

“Emerson,” Dov said worriedly, “let’s leave before he sees us.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Emerson said. He rushed to the truck, opening the doors as the rest of the group hastened into the vehicle. They didn’t wait to watch the last helicopter be destroyed, though they overheard the impact, explosion, and crunch of metal. They leaped into the truck and Emerson raced ahead on the gravel road.

“Uriel, tell me what’s happening,” Emerson called as he drove. He kept one eye on the road as he glanced at Uriel.

“Sorry, I can’t. The drone is not well positioned. I am adjusting…”

“I’m turning, hang on.” Emerson veered from the highway onto a narrow road with thick forest on either side. He immediately veered right and followed a well-hidden logging road. He slowed down, now concealed from view, and followed the gravel lane up the hill through a series of switchbacks.

Cara had been so engrossed in the details of the driving, she hadn’t noticed Dov beside her, white as a ghost. Her wounded arm continued to bleed and soak the bandage. She lifted Dov’s arm and gently placed it on her lap. “Sorry. How do you feel, Dov?”

“I’m pretty scared. I’m not accustomed to this. We academics aren’t usually on the front lines.” Dov managed a weak smile.

“I’m scared too. We need to change the bandage; you’re losing a lot of blood.” Cara tapped Emerson on the shoulder. “Did you pack a first aid kit?”

He didn’t respond.

“Are you doing okay, Em?” Cara asked.

Again, he didn’t answer the question. “We’ll be hard to spot now.” He slowed the truck to a crawl.

“And your parents?” Uriel asked Emerson. Uriel glanced at Cara, hinting that Emerson may be preoccupied.

“I will come back for Mom and Dad later. I hate to leave them. Hopefully they’ll be ignored.”

“I may have missed it, but where are we going?” asked Cara.

“To my cave,” Emerson answered bluntly. He glanced at Uriel. “Any intel on your end?”

“Modi’s looking for targets, and I assume he knows about us. He’s working with several others and they’re rearming but don’t seem in a hurry. It appears we lost them.”

Emerson slowed, then stopped the truck along the side of the road. There were no obvious landmarks nearby. “We’re here. Gear up, we a five-minute walk to the cave. After we unpack, I’ll drive away and deposit the truck as a decoy.”

Emerson left the truck and hiked a few meters into the trees. He moved branches and shrubs away to reveal a small path. “Y’all hurry now. Follow the path until you come across a wooden platform leaning against a stone wall. That’s the entrance to the cave. Unpack and I will meet y’all at the entrance.”

They started to remove their gear when a blast shook the air and echoed from the mountain walls across the valley. They froze and waited for what may happen next. Another explosion, this time on the other side of the hill, hundreds of meters in the opposite direction. Then another explosion, this time a little closer.

“They are bombing the hill,” Uriel said. “Randomly hunting us, I imagine.”

“I suggest, yet again, we hurry,” Ariel responded.

Each person grabbed luggage and gear and ran up the path toward the cave entrance. Another explosion, much closer than the rest, knocked them to the ground.

“Everyone okay?” asked Ariel.

“Scratched but fine,” shouted Cara. She picked up her gear and hurried down the trail.

They each ran to the cave entrance, dropped the gear they’d been carrying, and returned to the truck for more. Back and forth they went, no longer pausing at each explosion.

“Every twenty seconds,” Uriel called out.

A loud blast shook the ground close to them, scattering leaves and branches into the sky. Cara noticed Dov fall and pick herself up. “Head to the cave, Dov—that’s an order. There are only a few more packages. We got it.” Dov nodded and moved toward the entrance.

Cara returned to the truck, grabbed two more duffel bags, and sprinted up the path, narrowly missing Ariel as he sped past and around a narrow bend.

A bright light flashed in front of her.

As if punched by heated invisible air, her body flew upward and slammed against a birch tree with a thud. She fell to the ground, moaning, and lay there struggling to reorient herself.

A hand reached down and helped her up. It was Emerson. “Cara?”

She took a deep breath. “Fuck, I am getting tired of this. I’m going to have a hell of a bruise on me. I’m fine.”

He picked up her bags. “Can you run to the cave? I’m right behind you.”

“Yeah, I’ll make it, thanks.”

The next explosion occurred a long way away, followed by another, much closer. Cara ran to the cave entrance next to Ariel, followed closely by Uriel with the last of the baggage. Emerson returned a few moments later and stood outside until they were all in. He pushed the inside door shut and lit a lantern. They hurriedly piled rocks, then sand against the entrance until they were tightly sealed inside.

“Come on in.” Emerson waved his hand. The ground shook from a nearby explosion. “Let’s move in a little deeper. There is food, supplies, water, and bedding set up.”

Dov waited farther up the cave, sitting on a rock with a lantern in her hand. Cara sighed and approached her. She examined her arm. “How do you feel? Your arm, I mean.”

“My internal nanobots initiated, so the healing should happen quickly.” Dov shrugged. “One of the advantages of future technologies, I guess.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“No, and the painkillers are working too. My issues are all mental at this point.”

Cara nodded, unsure what to say to that.

Dov didn’t wait for an answer. “And you, Cara?”

Cara lifted her shirt to expose her back. “Shine the lantern over here. Let’s see how bruised up I am. Also, my head is ringing.”

Dov moved the lantern toward Cara and reached out to touch her skin.

“Ouch,” whispered Cara, grimacing.

A loud blast interrupted the conversation. Dust and small rocks fell from the cave ceiling like a gentle snowfall.

“Fuck, that was close.” Cara peered upward.

Emerson approached them. “There are bandages and medicine at the camp, a few minutes from here. Let’s stick together.”

The group followed Emerson single file toward his camp. As they moved deeper into the cave, the noise of the rocket attacks dimmed, sounding instead like a fierce thunderstorm in the distance. The cave was extremely well organized. The pathway was groomed and lined with rope lights, handrails, and wooden pathways that crossed crevices cutting across the rock floor. The narrow trail opened up into a cavernous space where a freshwater rivulet flowed into a pond that drained beyond another rock wall. A small camp was set on platforms. On the edge of the platforms, Emerson ignited additional kerosene lanterns. The entire space brightened. Sleeping gear, cans and packages of food, water jugs, emergency equipment, and weapons sat on wooden shelves surrounding the camp.

“Wow, Emerson,” said Cara. “You’ve been busy.”

“Not really. This has been a secret project of mine since I was a kid. I had a premonition that it may be important one day. Who knew, huh?”

Dov stared at Emerson with a curious expression. “Someone did.”

A loud blast shook the cave. “When I was in high school,” said Cara, “we learned about how the American forces during World War II, in the battle of Iwo Jima, shelled the Japanese soldiers, who stayed hidden in caves and bunkers for days, waiting for the invasion. I feel an affinity with them now.”

“Lucky for us,” Emerson responded, “Modi doesn’t own battleships.”

Another roar sounded, and dust wafted down once more.

“That sounded close,” Uriel said. “Modi seems intent on destroying the hillside. There seems to be a pattern to this bombing.”

“I agree with Uriel,” said Ariel. “I observed that as well. Systematic planned destruction that flows from one side of the mountain to the other.”

“He wants us dead,” Emerson whispered. “No doubt about it.”

“And,” said Uriel, “he saw us drive into this part of the forest, but not drive out.”

“So what do we do?” Dov said.

“Wait it out,” Emerson replied. “The mountain walls are strong, thick granite. It will easily hold. Nothing to worry about. Once there is silence and the bombing is over, let’s go look. There is a back entrance about a two mile walk from here.” Emerson walked toward the supplies. “I can’t imagine they carried an infinite supply of rockets. It will be over soon, and I would think that Modi will assume that we could not have survived his attack. I’m hopeful. In the meantime, let’s eat and drink. There is coffee, wine, or whiskey. Then we can get ready for the night.” Emerson approached Dov and Cara. “Let me examine your wounds.”

They dined on canned stew over a small fire and enjoyed a bottle of wine that Emerson had saved for a special occasion. He held up the bottle for all to see before he opened it. “I always figured on enjoying this when celebrating something, but I can’t think of a better reason than now. We need something to enjoy.” He opened the bottle and poured glasses for Dov, Cara, and then himself. He raised his glass. “To Mom, Dad, Jeannie, and so many others out there. Stay safe, my friends and family.”

“Here, here.” Cara took a sip. “This is fantastic.”

“A Malbec from Mexico. There was a shipment of wine from Houston mistakenly dropped off in Sandon. Let’s just say I borrowed a few dozen bottles. This is the last bottle.”

“From Mexico?” said Cara. “Must be climate change. I’ve never heard of Mexican Malbec.”

“Should help us sleep,” Dov added. “Thank you, Emerson. You are a considerate host.”

Emerson nodded, leaned back, and took another sip of wine. “Who would’ve figured, eh?”

The distant rumbling continued well into the night, fraying Cara and Dov’s nerves. Sleep came slowly. In the middle of the night, Dov awoke and sensed something was wrong. She rose from her sleeping mat to find Cara and Emerson beside the fire, talking to someone she couldn’t view. She approached, curious to visit, and saw a man with his back toward her who was not Uriel or Ariel. Cara caught Dov’s eyes as she approached. “Dov, come meet an old friend. I was just introducing him to Emerson. If you can believe it, this is Mr. Burrows. My old teacher.”

The man turned around.

“Elder Brumion?” Dov said, surprised. She neared him and his face resolved in the light of the fire. “Elder? This is not a dream, is it?”

“What do you mean, Elder Brumion?” asked Cara. “This is Mr. Burrows.”

For a moment nobody spoke. The only sound was the crackle of the wood in the fire. Finally, the man spoke. “I am both and I am neither. I apologize. Dov, you are correct. This is not a dream, nor is this a dream implant, either.”

“Go on.” Dov sat on a nearby stump and waited.

“I have traveled from afar.” He walked to the woodpile and placed a fresh log on the fire, then sat. “I am known by so many names, over thousands of millennia. Some of them you would recognize, but most you couldn’t even pronounce. Here on your planet, my common name is Arion. It’s a variant of the Greek so-called God of Ages. But I am no god. I am as natural as you are.”

Arion pushed a stick into the fire and stirred the coals. “The three of you were brought together as we fight a common adversary. You know him as Asmodi or Modi, but he is my brother. He has an interest in you three, though I know not why. I recommend you be careful, for if he calculates your worth is not greater than your cost…” Arion stood. “Well, there is no time for more conversation. However, you will see me again soon in another form, since this one is tired and I have little imagination left. My message to you all is simple: Cooperate. I will see you again. Protect each other.”

Arion flashed out of existence.

“What the hell?” Emerson looked at Cara.

Cara shrugged. “This must be a dream.”

“Let’s go to bed,” Dov said, and left the fire.

* * *

Dov awoke. Her holographic device read 6:23 a.m. She carefully slid off of the sleeping mattress so as not to disturb Cara and, seeing Ariel next to the fire, walked over to see that he was doing.

He looked up from the equipment he was working on and grinned as Dov approached. “Good morning, Dov. Great news—the bombing stopped a few hours ago. I assume Modi figures that we are done with. Also, Uriel and I set up a hardwired network with a relay station at the back entrance. We are just about to re-establish the connection to the network, assuming it’s still intact. Uriel and Emerson are due to exit the cave to learn what’s happened outside.”

“That’s excellent news, Ariel.” Dov paused. “Something unusual happened last night.” She waited until Ariel was listening. “Another dream implant, courtesy of Elder Brumion. Yet Elder Brumion said he is someone else, called Arion. Also, Cara and Emerson experienced the dream with me. I didn’t think it was a dream at first, but I am really confused about it.”

“Curious. And you are sure it wasn’t a regular dream?”

“I don’t think so, but when Cara awakes, we can confirm that easily.”

“Did Elder Brumion, or this Arion, say anything else?”

“Yes. We will meet him again. Also—and this is disturbing—Modi is in reality his brother. It almost sounds like we were intentionally brought into some epic fight or something involving others.” Dov grinned. “Maybe it was a dream, now that I listen to myself.”

“This sounds important, Dov. We must keep it in mind.” Ariel studied his device. “Ah, good. There is a network connection. Let me uplink with the drone.” Ariel gestured and an image materialized in front of them. Ariel expanded the three-dimensional image to show a panorama of the entire town. He rotated the view to show Dov. She absorbed the picture, her eyes narrowed and her mouth tight.

Sandon was no more, and the region surrounding the townsite had been leveled. Not a tree stood on the hill overtop Emerson’s cave. Sandon itself had been reduced to a collection of destroyed and still smoldering buildings. It brought back images that Dov had seen the other day, when she had been exploring this timeline’s twentieth-century history of Hiroshima, or German cities following the end of World War II, or of cities in Ukraine at the beginning of the recent Russian occupation.

“Ariel, there is nothing left.”

Cara stirred and woke as Dov and Ariel looked at the holograph. “What time is it?” She hesitated. “What’s wrong?”

Dov glanced at Cara. “It’s seven o’clock. You’d better come and examine this.”

Cara rose and joined them. “I had a crazy dream last night I have to tell—oh my god.” Cara studied the holograph.

“I am sorry, Cara.” Ariel directed the drone to fly toward the town center. Images of destruction unfolded as the drone flew into the center of Sandon. Flattened buildings, still burning. There the body of a soldier, almost unrecognizable. There a vehicle, fully ravaged by flames. The roads were pockmarked with craters. Black smoke wafted up from a scorched house like a ghostly presence emerging from the depths of hell.

“Why destroy the entire city?” Cara shook her head. “Is he insane or deranged?”

Ariel directed the drone to fly back toward the cave. Dov pointed to the image. “That must be our truck.” A burnt-out vehicle stood amongst fallen, blackened, still smoking trees, debris scattered around it. “I guess the good news is, this would lead an observer to believe we are dead.”

“Where’s Emerson?” asked Cara.

Dov replied. “He and Uriel walked to the back entrance and launched a micro-drone. This is where the images came from. It appears nobody is around.”

Dov viewed the images for a few more minutes, transfixed. The drone flew over a vehicle with burned bodies still inside it. There was no way to know if the occupants had been citizens of Sandon or enemy combatants. She felt the blood drain from her face. “I can’t keep doing this. He can’t be human.” She remembered last night’s dream and wondered if he was truly the brother to Elder Brumion.

“Wait,” said Ariel. “There is some movement on the periphery.” He panned inward. “Ah, that’s Emerson and Uriel. I wonder what they are doing.”

Dov and Cara followed the image as the pair jogged toward a flattened house. Wispy smoke wafted from the rubble. When Emerson reached it he immediately grabbed chunks of still smoldering wreckage and tossed them aside.

* * *

“Mom, Dad,” Emerson shouted, fighting panic. He worked quickly with Uriel, throwing debris aside. Over the next fifteen minutes, they carved a path inside the rubble toward the entrance to the cellar.

“I heard something.” Uriel motioned toward the ground.

Emerson stopped working and remained quiet.

“There, now—do you catch that?” questioned Uriel.

“No. What do you hear?”

“Tapping, I assume.”

They got back to work, stopping every once in a while to extinguish still smoldering parts of the fallen house.

“Dad, Mom,” Emerson yelled once more, and stopped to listen.

“I recognize voices now.” Uriel picked up a beam and tossed it. “They must know we are above them.”

Uriel’s strength surprised Emerson. He removed beams normally unmovable, except with proper tools and machinery. They made progress until the cellar door was cleared. With a heave, they hoisted the door open and peered down.

“Hello?” a voice called from below.

“Dad!” Emerson yelled, suddenly weak with relief. “Are you okay, is Mom there?

“Yes, we are fine. We are coming up now,” his mom replied.

Dov, Cara, and Ariel screamed out loud as the rescue unfolded, laughing and crying as they saw Emerson’s parents emerge from their shelter. The three of them hugged. Tears streamed down Dov’s face. “I’m sorry I am so emotional. I’m not sure what’s got into me.”

Cara squeezed Dov and wiped the tears from her face. “I love that you are crying now. I love your innocence.”

Dov laughed, still crying.

Ariel smiled. “With that done, I am going to study the disturbances. I’ll be back shortly.”

* * *

Ariel configured the computers to study the time-wave. His AI mind raced through calculations. None of the events in the last seventy-two hours had been recorded in the Pachamama version of history—not surprising, given the two previous divergent events already. There were many unknowns to consider, including the potential for hundreds of now-dead persons with unknown implications for the future. He started the interface and probed scenarios for the broader AI system to consider. It would have been beneficial to have the full processing power that was available back on Pachamama, if that still existed.

If it still existed? Ariel had to consider Dov’s new dream, featuring a new time traveler named Arion. What did that mean?

If events in Sarajevo had rendered the future of Pachamama moot, then these calculations mattered not. His comparison would be against a future that no longer existed.

A drone alarm interrupted him. He studied the source and called Uriel.

“Yes, Ariel?”

“Dozens of helicopters en route. They are approaching from the South so are likely the Texas military.”

“When will they arrive?”

“Ten to twelve minutes.”

* * *

Emerson, Uriel, and his parents watched the helicopter squadron land in a variety of locations throughout the ruins of Sandon. They took cover as the drafts from the rotating blades kicked up dust and debris. A precariously leaning wall, once part of the Sandon movie theater, fell in the wind. Emerson shook his head. “Couldn’t they have been a little more sensitive?”

A woman in uniform ran toward them, followed closely by two heavily armed Marines. “Are you in charge?” she barked, looking at Emerson.

“I guess I am.”

The woman didn’t waste time on pleasant exchanges. “We identified a lot of casualties, but fortunately picked thermal fingerprints up there.” She pointed toward the estates up the hill, along Emerson’s walking route. “Friendlies?”

“Probably; makes sense,” Emerson answered.

She spoke into her radio. “Likely friendlies, but take precautions.”

Immediately two helicopters launched, followed by groups of soldiers in full battle armor, running along the road toward the estates.

She spoke once more to Emerson. “You can relax, man; we got this. We will rescue those who want to be, of course. One more question: did the invasion originate from the New Denver, Silverton region?”

Things were happening too quickly for Emerson to absorb. “Yeah, but under the influence of an outsider.”

The woman spoke into her radio once more. “Operation POF is a go.”

“What’s POF, ma’am?” Emerson asked.

“Pound of flesh. Texas needs to send a resolute message of strength. Houston is pissed and Denver lost a lot of Marines. We must finish what LESA couldn’t.” She turned to leave.

“LESA did this? It caused this carnage?”

“Of course.” The woman stopped and turned back. “We couldn’t let the renegades win, could we? Do you have anywhere to stay?” The woman asked the question of the entire group, clearly changing the subject.

“Yeah, we do, thanks,” Emerson declared. “Mom, Dad, do you mind going on a bit of a hike to the cave?”

Emerson’s mom replied. “Of course. I can’t tolerate being around here. Let’s get out of here.”

They walked slowly together and in silence, absorbing the destruction as they passed each building, now unidentifiable. Emerson’s dad cried openly as they walked.

“What’s LESA?” said Uriel once they had moved a distance from the Texas soldiers.

“Texas’s low Earth orbit satellite army. The fighting will have triggered a satellite system to recommend an attack. That’s why there is this much devastation. It makes sense. Intelligent missiles will have been launched from satellites to destroy Modi and his army. I doubt he survived. Speaking of surviving…” He paused, “I hope Jeannie managed to hide somewhere. She probably fought till…” His eyes moistened. “Pound of flesh sounds appropriate. Finish the job, Texas.”

On cue, Uriel pointed to the sky. A faint triangular formation of five dark points had appeared on the far horizon. Emerson felt the sheer power as the dots grew quickly, resolving to jets, then just as swiftly shot past them, followed by the thunder of a sonic boom. Moments later they heard stifled explosions that echoed amongst the hills surrounding the valley. The jets roared past them, this time heading in the opposite direction.

“Operation POF, I imagine,” said Uriel. “Can’t be much left of New Denver.”

There was no reply by Emerson or his parents.

* * *

Outside the cave, the sun began to set. Inside, a conversation started. Ariel pointed to the shimmering red line superimposed on the floating graphic image. “Interesting that there is no sign of any time disturbance, only mild time-wave fluctuations. Either the disturbance is still to come, or it failed to materialize, and given what just happened, I suspect the latter.” Ariel gestured, and the holographic graph condensed. “Modi failed, though the damage is enormous.”

They sat in a circle surrounded by lanterns and ate piping hot chili drawn from the store of canned food.

“I just had deja vu,” said Cara. “Didn’t you say the same words in Boston?” She took another sip of wine, opened to numb them to the last two days’ events.

“Well, he is an AI,” Dov said. “Reasonable sameness in the data should result in reasonable sameness in the response.”

Emerson’s dad cocked his head and stared at Ariel. He furrowed his brow. “Ariel is what?”

Dov grimaced. “He is super smart.” She laughed and whispered an admonishment to herself, then asked aloud, “Uriel, what do you think?”

“This next disturbance remains as before in Sumeria.” Uriel gestured and the holograph magnified. “As this shows.”

“What am I looking at?” Emerson studied the graphs. “And what about Modi? I figured he was dead.”

“He is still out there, Emerson,” Dov clarified.

“Where, do you figure?” Emerson scooped up a spoonful of chili. “How do y’all know?”

“More like when,” Dov said.

Emerson gawked, confused. “So you are going after him? Do you know where he is going?”

“We do, and also when he is going,” Dov said. She refilled her cup of wine. “Listen, Em, it would help if we explained a few details. Let’s start with the dream you had last night. It may help you sort things out.”

Emerson walked toward the holograph. “No, I am more interested in finding Modi. Maybe this crazy technology can help do that.”

Emerson’s mom spoke up. “Wait, Em, I’m bothered. Dov, you were saying ‘when.’ What do y’all mean by when he is going to be?”

Dov replied, “More like when was—”

Cara interrupted. “Oh my god, you people. Let me just say it. Dov, sorry, this passive conversation is killing me.” She turned to Emerson. “Emerson, we are chasing Modi because he seeks to destroy and create chaos not just around the world, but through time. This is why we keep saying when. We are fighting him through time and space. Let me be more clear about what I just said. We are time travelers. I am from the past, and Dov and her two high-tech companions are from the distant future.” She pointed to Ariel and Uriel. “They are actually holographic robots. I promise they are. So yeah, we do have”—she changed her tone of voice, emulating how Emerson had just spoken—“crazy technology.”

Emerson shook his head. “You guys are nuts.”

“Let me continue, Em. Hundreds of years ago, I discovered the phenomena of time-waves at MIT in Boston, which I now understand is underwater. I digress. In the future, Dov will figure out how people can safely time-travel. Also in the future, Dov figured out that something is happening that can alter history with potentially devastating consequences, and as I just said, it’s Modi. We aim to stop him and that involves time travel. Understand?”

Silence blanketed the room, as Dov and her companions waited for Emerson’s reaction.

When none came, Cara continued. “Also, I can prove the technology.” She looked at Uriel. “Disappear into a speck of light.”

Uriel stood, unsure how or if to proceed. He grinned as though embarrassed.

Emerson smirked. “This whole thing is like I’m in a science fiction movie. So, I’m thinking to myself, if I was a character in this movie, how would I react? I don’t know, to be honest, but your ridiculous story does answer questions like your technology, and it explains Uriel and Ariel, and their abilities.” Emerson caught Dov’s eye. “So Dov, maybe we should start at the beginning.”

Dov finished her remaining wine. “Sure. A mentor of mine, named Elder Brumion, assures me that Asmodi is interested in you, though I am not sure if he wants to influence you and create a new future, or use you to ensure the current historical path is maintained. He is also motivated because you have outstanding leadership qualities.”

Emerson chuckled. “I have no idea what you just said. Who is Elder Brumion?”

Dov nodded and persisted. “My Elder Brumion has been busy, influencing Cara as well under a different alias—Mr. Burrows.” She glanced at Cara, who met her gaze. “He is called Arion.”

“That’s the man you introduced to me in my dream, Cara,” said Emerson.

“Not a dream,” interrupted Ariel. “Last night, both Uriel and I felt a significant surge of energy sweep through us. Upon analysis this morning, we deduce that our systems experienced a massive increase in quantum field expansion, such as when an entangled wormhole is formed. A tunnel that connects two points in space.”

Uriel shifted to a London accent. “The most likely explanation is that we had a visitor last night, one who traveled to us with technologies we just don’t yet have. Perhaps this was Arion?”

“So it wasn’t a dream?” asked Cara. “Mr. Burrows visited me?”

“Indeed,” Uriel said.

“Whose real name is Arion,” Dov interrupted, “and he confessed that he existed as both my Elder Brumion and your Mr. Burrows. He said we will see him again.”

Emerson interrupted. “What are you all fucking talking about? You keep losing me with all of this extra information. I am—”

“Wait,” his mom interjected. “What does this all have to do with Em?”

Dov replied, “I suspect, or I hypothesize, the interest in Em is not about his past, but a potential future.”

“Or,” added Uriel, “perhaps not the future, but Earth’s past.”

“What do you mean?” Dov asked.

“Listen to my logic. Modi could have chosen anytime in the future to create a disruption, but he didn’t. He selected this moment, at a fork in the road as we prepare to journey far in the past. He meant to ensure Emerson didn’t travel with us and perhaps instead join him.”

“That’s a circular argument,” Ariel said.

“No, more subtle,” Uriel said. “I believe Emerson’s greatness is critical in the next significant disruption. The question is not about now, but about you, Emerson. Maybe you will become a significant presence in ancient Sumeria.”

“Where?” questioned Emerson. “Never heard of it. Also, what do you mean by traveling with you?”

The conversation stopped. Tension stirred in the room.

“Don’t ya’ll speak at the same time,” joked Emerson. “Anyone?”

Cara started. “I understand your hesitation to believe anything and yes, this is mind-blowing. Seven days ago, I met Dov and her two friends. I didn’t believe a word of what she said at first but, also like you, I was targeted by Asmodi. I have discovered they tell the truth. Trust me, Em.”

“You are not safe here alone, Emerson,” Dov said carefully. “And we are soon due to travel to our next destination. You are safest with us.”

Uriel jumped in. “All of our latest modeling suggests that we have the greatest chance of avoiding harm by sticking together, acting in unison, as a team. Cara has proven that since she joined us. We can collectively respond to situations better and avoid chaos.”

“So where is Sumeria?” Emerson repeated.

“Ancient Sumeria is a civilization that thrived in the early Bronze Age, roughly 3000 BC,” said Ariel. “In what is today known as Iraq.”

“Our intent,” Dov said, “is to time-travel there as a team with you, while attempting to neutralize—”

Emerson raised his voice. “Y’all be quiet for a second.” He cleared his throat. “I’m super confused. This is a lot of information. First, it sounds like you assume I am coming with you. That I will drop everything that needs doing, like rebuild and to resettle my parents, for time travel to 3000 BC.” He smirked. “It’s ridiculous.”

Emerson’s dad spoke up. “Em, your mom and I will resettle with my sister in Kaslo. She needs company and assistance. You know that. She is lonely and probably scared out of her mind now. If they are lying about time travel, and god knows why they would make that up, then what is the worst that will happen? They push a button and nothing changes. You walk away and help with the rebuild. But Em, what if they tell the truth? Imagine the adventure.”

Emerson looked at his mother. “Mom?”

“Your dad is right.”

His dad continued. “Have courage, Em. I think we all know they are truthful. Of course, life would be much less frightening to deny the truth and remain here, bored out of your mind.”

Emerson remained silent but nodded. He smiled.

“I have one request,” his dad added. “I want to watch when you leave.”

Emerson felt the world upon his shoulders. Indeed his father knew him.

“I know this is all happening very fast, Emerson,” said Cara. “The same for me. Just one week ago I sat eating pizza in Boston, breaking up with my boyfriend. It feels like a lifetime ago now. When Dov offered me the opportunity, it felt overwhelming and still does. This has not been a beach holiday. Sorry, Dov.”

Cara moved over and hugged Dov and then did the same with Uriel and Ariel. “These are good people, Emerson.” She patted Uriel on the head. “Sorta people, anyhow.”

After a few moments’ consideration, Emerson warned, “Don’t make me look like a fool when you push a button, or whatever you do, and nothing happens. I will kill you.” He laughed. “Joking, obviously.”

“Obviously,” said Dov.

“When do we go?” said Emerson, shifting the conversation. “Nothing is holding me back. I mean literally, I own nothing. Everything is gone, burned up. Any belongings that I own are here in this cave.”

Dov answered. “We travel light anyway, so there’s no need to pack. We’ve preprinted outfits already. And with where we are going, I can’t imagine anything from this time being useful. You can help us pack our nano- and microtechnology.” Dov sighed. “It’s time to leave Sandon anyway. Ariel, Uriel, do you have any ideas about when we go, and how?”

“I do indeed,” responded Uriel. “Two power plants are by fortune still unharmed and operational. I suppose even Modi and Texas recognized their usefulness for their constituents. The plants create more than enough energy to transport us, and it will be easy to configure them to power up. We will go tomorrow, midmorning if you like.”

“Dear?” Emerson’s mom said, “We will be okay, you know it.”

“Fuck, fine,” Emerson said. “Push the red button.” He chuckled. “I can’t wait.”

“Emerson.” His mom shook her head in displeasure. “Your mouth.”

“In a way, I want this to fail, just so I can see the expressions on your faces.” Emerson smiled.

* * *

No button was pushed the next morning—the process was far more elegant than that. But they did disappear, to the amazement of Emerson’s parents, who were unsure if Emerson’s disappearance was, after all, a good thing.