Time of the Draig (35 page)

Chapter 26

Samantha held up her hand in a gesture that asked for one more minute. Her mind whirled in the neural connection even as she felt the warm hand on her shoulder and knew her time was up. The sigh left her lips, and her hand pulled the connector from her temple. She blinked rapidly and asked, “How long?”

Boomer replied, “For once, you’re right on time. Three hours on the dot.”

Samantha rose and stretched in the chamber across the hall from the one she and Faolan shared. It was still the only place she felt comfortable logging in to UNK005. The chamber seemed cold and lifeless after the session, while her mind still reeled from the implications and the encounter as a whole.

“How did it go?” Boomer asked and handed her a cup of water.

After the drink, she nodded. “I can’t believe how easy the session was with the primary connection to the smaller UNK005.” The mysteries of the universe should have all been accessible and ready to be explored. The larger UNK005 functioned as the anchor it was meant to be. She could only assume the mainframe at the base must have caused some type of interference with the connection. That was all she explained to Boomer. The last thing she needed was for him to be in a panic.

UNK005 had completely controlled the data stream. It had limited what she could explore and prohibited her entry into the vast amount of its stored information. For the first time since the technology had been entrusted to her, Samantha had not been the true operator. UNK005 had taken her where it wished and no further.

“Everyone is waiting in the hall for your report,” Boomer reminded her.

The mysteries of the universe were going to remain hidden. Miller had given reluctant permission for the session, and Faolan was most likely out of his mind with worry. No one had any idea what the connection would or could do to the child she carried, and for once, scientific curiosity would not come first. The session had accomplished everything she needed to make certain her mission was complete.

With a nod, Boomer walked by her side down the stairs to the crowd that waited for good news.

Her feet had barely hit the stone floor when Faolan reached her side to hold her face in his hands. “The dark mountain refused to let me near you,” he grumbled.

Boomer laughed. “Give me a break. I can handle watching Sam all by myself. What I can’t do is listen to your whining about it.”

Samantha grinned up at him and pulled his head down to hers with a soft kiss for his frowning lips. “We’re fine, and I’m done.”

Jeff’s voice rose over the men gathered. “Report, Major.”

Releasing herself from Faolan’s grip and tugging his hand within hers, she strode to face her men and Dana. “You should all be pleased to know the mission is done and, by my standards, a success.”

Cheers erupted and had to quiet of their own accord before she could finish. “To continue with the analogy used, this bubble is secure. The two UNK005s being in one place has locked this time securely. UNK005 believes the timeline develops in almost the same way as the one we left, and we could almost write history before it happens. There will be subtle changes in this timeline that prevent the world war and the destruction of humanity we left behind.”

Again, cheers rang in the stone hall. Samantha left out how the other time stream, or bubble, ceased to exist. The explosion that had chased them from the lab was more than just the lab’s or base’s destruction. UNK005 had popped the bubble. Parallel timelines were the imaginings of science fiction, not science fact.

Guilt should have plagued her at the destruction of what was, but didn’t. The new bubble already existed as a whole. The future was there; UNK005 had reassured her. While she couldn’t open a door to the future without risk, it was happening or had happened. Time was tricky that way. Humans saw a line with a start and an end. UNK005 had shown her the truth. The bubble was whole and complete. From every glimpse she had been shown, it wasn’t perfect, but it was good and inspired hope.

Jeff stepped to her side. “You left out what?” His voice was soft and could not be overheard given the celebration in the hall.

Samantha nestled her back against Faolan’s chest and pulled his arms around her like a security blanket as she considered how to answer the question. “There is more to UNK005 than I could have ever dreamed. There’s a sentient quality mixed with a sense of moral responsibility. Don’t ask me how, it won’t tell me. Some secrets aren’t meant for us.”

Jeff’s jaw dropped. He then asked, “Are you done with that thing?”

Samantha nodded. “It doesn’t matter what I want. It’s done with me. The last login was a goodbye. Its job is done now that time is safe.” She smiled at the confused look on the captain’s face. “UNK005 wants you to live your life.”

“I hope you’re joking,” Jeff muttered.

She was and she wasn’t, but Jeff didn’t need to know that. With a loud voice, she said, “All of the tech and materials we brought with us get stowed. From now on, we live based on the rules of this time.” The order, while issued from her mouth, had come from the last session.
Who am I to argue with UNK005?

As an afterthought she added, “All of the data stored on the pads needs to be converted to hard copy. I want drawings of the water tables, all of the landscape features above and below ground, and the schematics we took of the keep.” It may be a bit more than she had agreed to in the last login; however, it seemed like a prudent final command decision.

It was Efraim who asked the question. “Are there UNK005s buried in the future in Arizona?”

“Yes,” Samantha replied. While truth, she couldn’t comprehend how two pairs of the strange technology existed. The potential risk of two sets of UNK005s in one world threatened to erase the celebratory mood from the hall. She quickly added, “UNK005 is not found in this future. It was extremely clear on that fact.”

Murmurs of mild approval met her ears. She didn’t like it either and had some significant doubts to what her login had revealed about the future. Still, UNK005 insisted the other set was safely buried in the desert and would remain that way. Samantha said, “There is no chance of world war due to UNK005 based on the intel, so relax and go back to being happy. That’s an order.” She chuckled as the men obeyed the flippant command.

Dana stepped away from the men who rejoiced in war’s end. She asked, “How did my door happen?”

The best question always came last, and it was usually the hardest to answer. UNK005 had been vague when she probed for the answer to the conundrum.

Samantha said, “I’m not exactly sure. The closest I could come to a clear answer in my limited time was that your door was a residual effect of the initial quantum door. While our bubble is secure, there are cracks within this bubble made by our entry into this time. Times that should never touch and that are separated by mechanics I will never understand will occasionally make contact. Doors will appear for seconds or several minutes to connect this past with this future. I only know it will be an extremely rare occurrence.

UNK005 believes these phantom or residual doors will be localized to the geographical area I initially broke through and these lands. The placement of the orbs here acts as a beacon of sorts for the quantum fissures. In some way, the orbs we have here and the orbs buried in the future have a light connection.” Samantha paused and waited for Dana to process the incomplete information. “There didn’t seem to be a way to repair the cracks, and UNK005 didn’t want me to try.”

Dana nodded and lifted her eyes to smile at her grandson. “New lore needs to be added to our tales. Newcomers must always be made welcome within these walls. Any who travel to this land and through time will be recognized as family, not just a part of this clan.”

Samantha considered the idea. “It’s probably the least we can do, though I hate the thought of anyone being trapped here away from their lives and loved ones.” There was no guilt for the end of a time bubble. It had been flawed and corrupted and was apparently destined to destroy itself. But more people traveling in back in time was a different subject. UNK005 tried to reassure her the cracks in time were necessary and should not be corrected. She knew lives would be altered dramatically. No one wanted to become stuck in the past even if their present was less than ideal. UNK005 had firmly disagreed.

Family lore would need to include more than a welcome to the extremely lost traveler. Her mind processed the generations to come and how to best impart their responsibility for the security of the future. Her hand rested on her flat abdomen, and she nodded at the silent idea. Family lore would be the tool she needed. The thought surfaced that it wasn’t her idea because UNK005 had planted the seed. It was merely her role to make certain the seed bloomed.

She had mentally argued with UNK005. Her orbs of power had told her to leave it be, a plan was in place. The sensation of being a pawn in a game orchestrated by UNK005 settled over her with a cold certainty. The feeling of Faolan’s arms shifting to wrap around her waist did little to suppress her shudder at the feeling of being used from the beginning.

“Be at peace, my heart,” Faolan whispered in her ear. “I can hear you thinking. Be here in this now with me.”

The phrase hinted at the parting message from UNK005: “This power is no longer meant for you, though you have served us well. Enjoy your moment in the continuum.”

His warm hand settled on the fabric of her dress to cover her still-flat stomach. Despite the confusion over the morning’s session and the disturbing conclusions, she smiled.

She studied the men of her time who relaxed and laughed in a stone hall that most likely should have never existed. Her gaze fixed on Dana who joined in the merriment and seemed content with the weak explanation of how she became trapped in the past fifty-plus years ago. Her eyes fell to the hand covering her abdomen, sheltering the life that would signify the next portion of her existence. A whole new series of
nows
to explore were about to unfold with the man she should have never met, whose love meant everything to her.

The physicist wanted to explain what happened, and the major wanted to command UNK005 to obey her commands. The wife of Faolan, the simple woman known as Samantha, covered the hand protecting their child with her own. She said, “I love this now with you.”

Epilogue

August 1131

Samantha glanced at the large leather bag at her feet as the sounds of earth being dug filled the morning air. Sweat began to pop out on her brow, and she knew it had little to do with the heat of the day. The twinge in her extremely swollen belly made her want to command the men to work faster. She rubbed the belly covering the baby who had apparently decided it was a fine day to enter the world. Her whispered request for the child to wait a little longer was too soft to be heard by the men gathered.

The high-pitched squeal of “Momma” was the only warning she received prior to her daughter, Miranda, latching on to her thigh. Without thought, she reached down to stroke the child’s thick dark hair that already threatened to escape the morning’s braid.

“She is too fast for me,” Dana panted when she reached Samantha’s side. “Every day, I seem to slow down just a bit.”

“Nonsense,” Samantha said, and she smiled at the old woman. “Miranda becomes faster.”

At two and half years of age, her first child was fast in a way only a small child could be, full of enthusiasm for what every moment held. The fact that she was also brilliant crossed her mind. Miranda had been speaking in whole sentences for six months. The urge to have Efraim begin teaching the child to read had crossed her thoughts many times, always to be pushed aside. Her daughter would have the childhood she never had. She would laugh and play and be allowed to be silly. Her education would be held off until she was five, and even then, it would be tempered with plenty of fun.

With a soft but firm voice, Samantha said, “If you are going to be out here, you need to stay by my side. Do you understand me?” The hole the men were digging was deep and definitely a danger to a curious child.

When Miranda agreed, Samantha looked over at the progress being made. The foundations for the rebuilding of the keep were finally underway. The back half of the keep, primarily the kitchen and baths, were the first objective. Her first winter there had been the inspiration for designing a better bathing chamber, one with a fireplace and heated floors. Since the Romans had designed such wonders centuries ago, she believed the anomaly of a hypocaust system was forgivable if contained to the bath. A large study would be added in addition to other smaller chambers for use over the centuries to come. Underground storage would be found under all of the chambers for keeping food supplies edible over the long winters as well as simple storage.

Word had spread of the Draig’s desire to build in stone at every local traveling market, through correspondence to other landholders and lairds, and via the word of mouth that kept news moving forward. In June, Keith and his band of workers, complete with families, had arrived at their gates asking if they could have the “honor of cutting the stone and seeing it locked into place.” The formality of the request still struck her as poetic. With the addition of those families, the village had almost doubled over night.

Samantha nodded as Keith stepped toward her and silently waited for permission to speak. The russet-haired, middle-aged man was the finest example of formality she had ever met. Trying to explain they weren’t formal people had fallen on deaf ears.

“My lady, we have dug deep enough to pour below the foundations of the original building. Though, I must admit I am surprised at the depth we had to reach. Whoever built here, built the keep to last. No additional supports will be needed to add stone chambers over the existing hall.” He continued with assuring her the current hole would become the underground center of the structure once the addition was completed.

Jeff walked up behind Keith and slapped the man on the back. “Every word he said is true. I verified it myself.”

Samantha furrowed her brow at the former captain. She knew what he meant. Against her orders, he must have used the sensor tablets to confirm the builder’s beliefs. She chided, “It goes in the bag at my feet now, Jeff.”

Dana laughed when Jeff frowned like a schoolboy being caught acting naughty. She said, “You’re lucky your wife isn’t here. She hates it when you play with toys that are forbidden.”

“Your wife is here,” Keira said, rounding the corner and coming to join the gathering. Her arms held their two-year-old son, Nathan, who immediately squirmed to be released and toddled to Miranda’s side. She scolded, “I will be pleased to see that bag of tools disposed of this day.” Her discomfort with the technology was obvious in the statement.

Jeff leaned down to kiss his wife, who willingly accepted the loving gesture and then promptly swatted his chest. Jeff said, “No more, I promise.”

Dana asked, “Is it all there?” Her eyes locked on the leather sack.

Before she could answer, another pang moved across her abdomen to ripple around to her back. Dana’s eyes widened, as did Keira’s, while Samantha sucked in a quick breath. She shook her head to prevent the chaos that would follow the moment she admitted labor had begun. There was still a final duty to perform. The last one the major needed to complete.

“Call the men, Jeff,” she said and frowned in disapproval as he bellowed for the men who had come with them to that point in time. She could have done that.

One by one, they came. The once-prisoners who had been forced into her lab at gunpoint filled the backyard of the keep knowing what was to happen. Only one man was missing, and Miranda noted the absence.

“Where is Boom Boom?” the small child asked with a pouty frown.

The crowd gathered laughed at the nickname, all except for Keith. His sharp eyes narrowed in on the man and his companion walking toward the gathering.

Samantha smirked as she saw Keith’s eldest daughter, Caelyn, perform a beautifully executed faux stumble. The woman, who was just a few years younger than Samantha, normally had the grace of a gazelle. It was amazing how many times she needed Boomer’s arm to keep her steady. Her red hair and fair complexion practically glowed next to Boomer’s dark skin. A relatively tall woman for the age, she seemed tiny and petite next to the massive former soldier. Somehow the image of the pair was one of perfection.

Keith glared, but he liked Boomer. She knew from conversations with the mason that he was waiting for Boomer to ask for his daughter. Permission would be given only after he made her friend squirm a bit. She wanted nothing more than to be present on that day.

A soft feminine voice gushed, “Thank you, Thaddeus.” Caelyn was the only person alive who could get away with using Boomer’s birth name. That was all Samantha needed to know.

Miranda let go of her skirts and ran to jump into the arms of the man who would always catch her. “Hi, Boom Boom.”

“Hello, sweet girl,” Boomer said after kissing her cheeks repeatedly. Uncle Boomer was her favorite out of all her uncles.

Samantha sighed at the perfection of the sight of her daughter laughing and Boomer with the right woman and leaned back onto the chest of the man whose presence behind her she instinctively recognized.

Faolan’s arms wrapped around her rounded belly, and he rubbed the mound gently. “Are you ready to say farewell?”

Samantha nodded and sighed. The goodbye had been said several years before that time. She had tried to connect two years ago out of curiosity, but the laptop was dead; UNK005 had stopped providing a charge to the battery. No vibration had met her hand when she held the amber orbs in her palm before the fire. Even the swirling mass inside had lain dormant. The goodbye was merely a formality, one to ensure UNK005 stayed out of human hands.

With a gentle request from Dana, Keith and Caelyn stepped away from the event that needed to be private. Samantha tried to bend to make certain the leather bag held everything; her laptop, the bag with the orbs, the semi-automatic weapons, sensor tablets, remaining communicators, binoculars, and the Bowie knives. Discomfort from the impatient child in her belly halted her squat.

After she made a joke about her size, Weiler crouched and offered her the count she had expected. All tech and small futuristic objects were contained. A pile of packs and sleeping bags lay closer to the hole. Boomer didn’t buy the comedic effort; his face transformed, and she knew the burial needed to be quick or he’d carry her upstairs with or without her permission.

“Let’s bury the future, gentlemen,” Samantha said and led Faolan by the hand to the pit waiting to be filled with the bag and tons of homemade concrete.

His hand held her to a stop two feet before the opening. “Nay too close, my heart.” His whispered command came with a kiss to her hair.

Packs and bags went first, and Weiler held the leather bag with concern etched on his face. Everyone gathered knew their tactical advantage was about to be lost, though Samantha had never shared the concern. The keep was filled with the finest soldiers of her day and Dark Age warriors who should become legends given their strength and character.

Before Weiler could throw the bag over the edge, Samantha stopped him. “Hand me the small bag inside, please.”

She waited as he dug out the smaller drawstring pouch and placed it in her hand. Not surprisingly, Miranda pushed out of Boomer’s hold and ran to her side.

The curious child asked, “What is it?”

Samantha met her daughter’s vibrant green eyes. “An orb of great power.” She held the two UNK005s in her hand for the child to see and startled at the light vibration that ended far too quickly. She had her final goodbye. One day the child would hear stories to be passed down to her children. Every tale has a beginning, and UNK005 was theirs.

Faolan bent down and said to Miranda, “‘Tis what brought your mother to me. When you are older, I will tell you the tale, and someday you will tell your bairns.”

Miranda stared at the orbs in clear amazement and lifted one finger to touch the larger. She giggled. “It wiggles.”

“I know,” Samantha answered. With a quick glance at Jeff, she added, “It likes you.”

Another contraction threatened to make her drop the orbs. Using all of her concentration, she placed them into the small leather sack and then within the larger bag and finally bid Weiler to finish the deed. The yard was silent as the items that had no place in that time landed in the deep pit. With a nod from Jeff, Keith and his men drew closer and poured the layer of cement that would keep time, and the universe as a whole, safe and secure.

It was of no surprise to her that Boomer commanded the next moment. “Miranda, honey, you’re with Uncle Boom Boom today.” The child clapped her hands and again launched herself toward waiting arms.

He continued with barked orders. “Miller, grab a midwife and make it double time.”

The gathering turned to stare at her when Faolan turned her to face him. “Now?” The question was practically screamed.

Samantha sucked in a sharp breath as her belly tightened in another contraction, before she said, “Oh yeah, right now.”

A flurry of activity blurred the previously quiet morning. Dana yelled for the bed to be prepared and for the household to spring into action. Keira thrust her son at Jeff and was gone before anyone could blink.

Faolan scooped her up into his arms, and even with his quick strides, she knew their chamber would be ready for the birth before they reached it.

He growled about her lack of thought and putting their bairn at risk, at how she should have told him when the pains began. He ended the tirade by assuring her he would not leave her side until she held the new babe in her arms. His whispered words of love were exactly what she needed.

Despite the sheen of sweat that covered her body and the pains that came closer together, Samantha sighed contentedly. Another future was about to begin.

Their son had come into the world in the same manner as their daughter. Miller and the midwife aided the affair, and Faolan had sat behind Samantha on the bed to offer his strength and love. His grandmother had been present to offer words of support and, in her own words, “to ensure everything was handled correctly.” Jeff had paced the corridor, along with the rest of her men, waiting to be the first to hear of the child.

Faolan let out an exhausted sigh at the memory of the boy’s lusty cries, which were halted when he was brought to his wife’s breast. The same had transpired during the cold night Miranda had entered the world. Tears of joy had streaked his face upon the sight of his wife and new son safe within his hold.

Dusk had fallen before Boomer brought Miranda upstairs to meet her brother. His sweet little girl cooed at the tiny baby and promised to be a fine big sister. Of that, there was no doubt in his mind.

Faolan sat in the chair before the fire with his new son in one arm and Miranda curled on his lap settled under the other. Boomer and Samantha whispered to one another, and he gave them their private moment. While no longer her guard, their bond ran deep, and Faolan understood Boomer’s need to make certain Samantha was safe after giving birth. A fact he had made Miller and the midwife swear to over and over again, until both had left the chamber refusing to say it again.

Boomer’s light laughter was the signal he had been waiting for. With a kiss to his daughter’s midnight hair, he lifted her and carried both of his children to their mother. “My heart, I need to take our son to the hall to be introduced. The clan waits to meet him and hear of your safety.”

His wife’s gaze narrowed on him in suspicion. Samantha asked, “And exactly how do you plan to introduce him?”

Faolan gazed down at the boy with the shock of dark hair and knew his eyes would be as green as his mother’s. She referred to a conversation they had loudly discussed several nights ago before deciding on better ways to pass the night. His gaze took in his daughter, and he saw not only her beauty and sweet nature, but also the intelligence in her eyes and the strength her small frame would someday bear. If her mother had any say, and she always did, that strength would be turned into deadly skill.