A Question of Will (42 page)
Would any man willingly make the decision to live a thousand years in the past, guarding the woman he loves yet unable to marry her, so that his future self can do so? We know of a man who did so, though he was deceived into doing so. Yet we believe that his love for her was so genuine that he would choose to make that sacrifice. It is easy to give your life for those you love in death; it is far more challenging to give your living in the same cause. You may see our dilemma; we needed you to be prepared for a mission of great significance in the past relating to saving your wife, but we couldn’t know if you’d make the decision if you knew the whole truth. We hope you forgive the deception. The decision needed to be made, for you, Will Stark, are a critical piece of history, and it is a mission you needed to undertake.
We have supplied you with clothing and coins appropriate to this region. This paper will periodically provide you with key information through your journey. Our first is this: the village with the early Aliomenti is to the west. Remember: you have yet to meet anyone in that village, no matter how familiar they might seem. You know nothing of Energy. And Elizabeth is not your wife. You must take the time to develop your back story, acclimate yourself to this time, and set out.
We have ensured that nothing visible or tangible from the future, save for this paper, remains behind. You do not have a gun or a flying craft. You do have a massive swarm of nanos, for your future clothing and the whole time machine are now part of your arsenal. Use them — and your hidden, Shielded skills — wisely.
We wish you well in your journey, Will Stark. We beg your forgiveness for our deception. And we look forward to speaking to you again in our present, your future, at a time of your choosing.
Adam, Angel, and Josh
P.S. Josh nailed the assassin with a fastball that night. He learned well.
Will spent nearly fifteen minutes trying to process what he’d just read.
It explained his inability to teleport to his home, as the building wouldn’t exist for a thousand years. He glanced at the bundle of clothes and the pouch of money. They’d at least prepared him for those essentials. The letter told him that he should travel to the west, for that was where Hope — no, Elizabeth — lived, and she needed his help.
For her, he truly would do anything, even live a thousand years to protect her from harm.
Will went to the pile of clothes, removing the nanos from his body. They joined his full original allocation, along with those which comprised the time machine. He donned the outfit in the bag, not without some difficulty as the style was completely foreign to him. He picked up his money pouch, and put his paper computer from the future in a pocket. Using the sun as a guide, he oriented himself to the west, toward his destiny, and towards Hope.
The journey of a thousand years would be taken one step at a time.
His mission established, his duty accepted, he moved forward. One step at a time.
Author’s Note
Thanks for reading! I hope you’ve enjoyed the ongoing saga of Will Stark and the Aliomenti. To find all of the books in the series, check
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Other Books by Alex Albrinck
The Aliomenti Saga
Book 1:
A Question of Will
Book 2:
Preserving Hope
Book 3:
Ascent of the Aliomenti
Book 4: Coming in 2013!
Copyright (c) 2012 by Alex Albrinck. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law, or in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, contact [email protected].
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.