Aliomenti Saga 6: Stark Cataclysm (32 page)

He’d stayed out of danger for the most part, risking injury only when he went to the Stark’s home just before the Assassin unleashed an explosion and destroyed the space where he’d been sitting. Now, though? They’d tested the time machine, sent the device backward and forward through time, fixed every conceivable problem and some he’d never considered.

They’d never tested it with living cargo before.

If the ship broke this time, it wasn’t a failed test. It was instant death for them all.

He didn’t fear the physical aspect of dying. Not exactly. But if he was dead, he’d never know if he’d ever work up the courage to talk to Gena. Friends told him interest was mutual and strong. But each time he thought he’d worked up the courage to talk to her, something came up. She’d run off at one point to find out what the Aliomenti were planning to do to Fil, and she’d nearly died. He’d cursed himself for letting her die without telling her how felt. When she’d recovered, though, his courage fled. He could see the hurt it caused her.

He couldn’t tell her he was unworthy. Terribly unworthy. If she knew everything about him, she’d agree. And she’d find out everything one day. Better to keep his distance to lessen her hurt. Maybe, just maybe, she’d forgive him and then they could… no, best not to even consider the idea.

He wished Will was around. He could ask Will for his blessing to court the sister he’d never known. If Will said no—and he certainly should—then he had no right to continue entertaining these thoughts. No, he corrected himself. He had an excuse.

If he died today, though? What would it be like dying knowing you’d never told the person you loved most in the world that you loved them?

He might find out.

Dawn broke, and he took calming breaths. They’d agreed he’d need to be the calming influence of the trio, because both Angel and Fil would undergo severe emotional trauma throughout the day.

Angel had been growing more frenzied in the past few weeks; she was so excited that she’d finally see her father in person that she’d been unable to sleep, and had kept others up as well.

And Fil? He didn’t envy Fil his role at all. Fil was busy trying to rebuild his anger at his father’s abandonment of him when he’d been just a little boy, reliving the memories that would fuel his surly attitude toward Will while the man remained in their camp. It would be difficult to maintain the charade; today, he’d see the beating the older Will had allowed the Hunters to inflict on the younger. His father had chosen to accept the physical trauma rather than risk the entire future history to unravel. And in the course of this day, Fil would be required to save the Assassin and escort him to the future and nurse him back to health. In light of Abaddon’s atrocities, the brutal unfairness of that task couldn’t be understated.

Adam, though? He wasn’t traveling to retrieve long lost parents. He should be calm and steady to stabilize the siblings. But they didn’t realize that he considered Will Stark the closest thing to a brother he knew, and that he’d take a bullet to protect Hope if need be.

Regardless of what anyone else thought, they were his family as well.

But he’d stay strong anyway. For them. For
all
of them.

He took another steadying breath and checked the supplies once more.

Fil’s bag contained only the breathing mask he’d use to move safely through the smoke-filled first floor of his childhood home. Angel’s bag contained the vial with the “sleeping” potion and several other vials and bottles filled with placebos, along with towels for cleaning up the blood and salve for his burned skin. The multiple vials were an important touch. They didn’t want Angel to have one vial that just happened to contain exactly what Will needed; eventually, he’d wonder why that was the case. With multiple vials, he’d think Angel simply had her group’s first aid kit and helped him accordingly.

His own bag contained two boxes. The smaller of the two was the incendiary device he’d plant to complete the demolition of the Stark house after they’d departed. He also carried the time capsule the next Angel would recover twelve decades after he planted it in the tunnel.

He rechecked the list against their inventory one final time and loaded their bags into the time machine cabin.

The Mechanic entered the dwelling, nodding at Adam. “Today’s the day.”

Adam returned the nod. “It is. I’ve rechecked everything inside the vehicle.”

“I’ll start the diagnostics.” He glanced around. “We’ll need Fil to complete charging the batteries.”

“I finished that last night,” Fil replied, melting though the walls and into the room. “Unless those batteries lose a significant percentage of their charge in a short period of time, we should be fine.”

The Mechanic checked the readouts. “The batteries are at 98.6% capacity. Full capacity gives us twice the energy we should need for the trip. Plenty of contingency.” He motioned Fil toward the “passenger” seat in the cabin. “What you might think of as the ‘glove compartment’ is a scutarium gel-surrounded charging station. If any of you want to recharge the batteries at any time, put your hand inside, drop the Shield just from that hand, and push the Energy in.”

Fil nodded. “Got it. I’m sure we won’t have any problems.”

The Mechanic nodded. “I hope not. I’d really hate to have to send the backup machine back in time.” He inclined his head toward a second machine, a twin of the first. “It’s programmed to go to the secondary site at the designated time. I know the time and place you’re expected to return, and if you don’t arrive as expected, I’ll ship the secondary craft back for your use.”

Fil nodded. “Like I said, I don’t think we’ll have any problems.”

Angel entered the room, her flaming red hair a marked contrast to the coloring she’d used in Alliance-friendly confines her entire life. She’d retain the new coloring until her father was sent to the past. Angel had strongly resembled her mother; the red hair and a few minor facial alterations would make it more difficult for Will to notice that resemblance.

Adam found the concept of a neophyte Will strange. It was more difficult for him to accept the fact that
he
would teach
Will
to use Energy. That was so incomprehensible to him that he begged someone else to take on the job. Angel had shaken her head. “You’re the best candidate, Adam. If either Fil or I try to teach Dad, it won’t take more than a few lessons before one of us would slip and reveals who we are.”

Adam sighed quietly. He might reveal things he wanted kept secret as well. But he understood Angel’s point. And training Will was his duty.

The three travelers climbed into the cabin and their designated seats. Each checked their personal bag of supplies. Once they left, they couldn’t come back to get something they’d left behind. The Mechanic leaned inside, scanned the digital readouts, and then leaned back. “Everything is in perfect operational condition. The coordinates and times for both the trip to 2030 and the return are in the computer.” He took a step back, and his mouth formed a tight light, his brow creased with concern. “Good luck. I’ll see all of you again in a few minutes.”

Adam nodded. He glanced at Fil, seated next to him, and then to Angel, seated behind her brother. “Ready?”

Angel swallowed. Her heart was racing and her hands were shaking. “As ready as we’ll ever be.”

Adam nodded, faced the dashboard, and pressed the green activation button.

The nanoparticles slid over them, completing the interior cabin of the time machine. The devices were clear; they’d snap opaque and block out all external radiation once the time circuits activated. Angel watched the dashboard, watched as the battery capacity readouts began falling. She could hear the time circuits warming up, the now familiar sound reminiscent of propeller-driven aircraft. The sound grew louder as the seconds passed. Angel focused on controlling her breathing. She was about to become one of the world’s first time travelers. Or she’d die in an instant, unaware that anything was wrong until she wasn’t aware of anything. It was exhilarating and terrifying.

And there was no turning back.

The top turned opaque and all outside stimuli ceased. She felt a sense of displacement, as if she was falling. It felt like she was teleporting. In a strange way, she was doing just that. Her target had a different fourth dimensional address.

The time machine shook, vibrating as if it had dropped to the ground, and everything went still and silent.

Adam exhaled, Fil let his head slump back against his chair. Angel took deep breaths, trying to prevent her heart from beating its way clear of her chest.

They’d made it.

Fil turned around. The mirrored sunglasses blocked his eyes from every angle. It unnerved her. “Are you okay, Angel?”

She patted her shoulders and arms. “I seem to be in one piece.”

He smiled. She savored that image; it would be two months before he’d be allowed to smile again.

Adam turned around and faced the siblings. “Are the two of you ready? The clock is ticking.”

“Give me a minute,” Fil said. He shoved his hand into the scutarium gel opening. “I’m too emotional right now and need to discharge some Energy. I’d probably crack my own Shield. Batteries were at 18% and 96% capacity when I started and should be full in a few seconds.”

Adam nodded. “We need to let the Mechanic know that when we get back. Okay for me to open the top so we can get started?”

Fil nodded. “Have at it.”

Adam tapped a button on the dashboard. The cabin top turned clear and then vanished.

She’d prepared herself for the fact that she’d been in her own basement, but being here was another experience entirely. She could feel the heat from the fire raging above. She could even sense her father’s profound grief. He’d seen the explosion and the fire and would fight against the realization that his wife and young son were likely dead.

Will’s grown son pulled his hand from the gel, grabbed his backpack, and sprinted for the stairs.

Angel followed his lead. She knew Adam was already sending a nano shield to protect her father while he combed over the machine’s exterior, looking for cracks. She sent her nanos at the rear wall of the basement and simulated a throwing motion.

The wall exploded as the nanos tore apart the larger substances. She ordered them to act as a conveyance system, scooping out debris along the path to her father while carrying the debris out of and away from the tunnel. She’d been the best choice for this task. Her natural attunement to her father enabled her to identify his position in the backyard. Adam and Fil might “miss” him and the tunnel would be worthless.

She turned to watch Adam.

~~~~~

He ran his hands over the exterior of the craft, sensitive to any deformities in the surface. The smooth polish wasn’t for purposes of vanity or appearance; he could find cracks with the sensitive nerve endings in his fingers better if the majority of the exterior was smooth. He found one defect and kept his hand on the spot as he reached inside the cabin for the repair kit. The “paint” seeped into the microscopic crack and resealed the surface. He finished his inspection, finding no other imperfections. It should be about time to plant the time capsule. Angel’s tunnel was growing, splattering dirt and rocky debris all over the—

“Adam, he needs a shield right now!” Angel’s voice startled him. He grimaced; he was supposed to send the nanos out to surround Will the instant he exited the time machine. He sent the swarm out to surround his friend with a protective barrier.

He watched Angel. Her face was tense, her powerful connection with her father leading her to feel every kick, every punch, every cracked rib and broken bone, every renewed wave of despair. When her eyes widened and her jaw snapped open, he knew it was time. The Hunters and Leader had learned of Josh’s existence. Will was no longer facing a lifetime of imprisonment. Arthur Lowell had pronounced Will Stark’s life forfeit for his “crimes.”

Well, Arthur was about to learn that even
he
didn’t always get his way. Adam ordered his nanos to snap into a solid, protective shell, an invisible suit of impenetrable armor.

He closed his eyes, letting his mental vision take in the view from the nanos.

He saw Aramis lying on the ground in apparent pain. Aramis wasn’t hurt; he’d been so shocked and scandalized at the news of Josh Stark’s existence that he’d fallen to the ground in shock. Athos and Porthos, however, remained bound to their duty. Both held short swords in hand. Will couldn’t move or stand; he’d be unable to defend himself against their attack. Typical Aliomenti approach.

He watched the blades come right at him, seeming ready to pierce his skull. But the blades ricocheted off him—off the nanos—and the two active Hunters stood, looking around. He smiled. They were worried, wondering if an attack was coming. More than a half dozen powerful Alliance members sat in a house a mile away, but they’d do nothing. It wasn’t part of the plan. Adam wondered how things might have turned out differently if they’d elected to take the attack to the Hunters and the Leader rather than waiting things out.

Aramis recovered and grabbed his sword. He began stabbing, trying to puncture Adam’s skull.

That was Adam’s signal. He glanced at Angel, and she nodded. The tunnel was completed. Adam ordered his nanos to return through the tunnel in the ground, maintain the physical armor around Will. As his nanos entered the tunnel and left the surface, Adam saw the three faces of shock, and smiled at the stunned looks on the faces of the Hunters.