Ever-Life the Two Book Set: The C.P.T Incident and Time Trust (38 page)

              “Yes Ma’am; I am Gabriel, by the way. If you need anything else, just buzz.”

He smiled and walked forward, back to the cockpit, just as a voice spoke over the loudspeaker, “Mrs. Sheldon, this is Captain Blake. We are scheduled to land at Dulles International, by 5:45p.m., East Coast Time. Make yourself comfortable; and, if you need anything, let me know.”

              Rachel rolled her eyes and pivoted the chair around so she could see out the window.

“Thanks, anything I need, huh? I would like a quiet evening with my family.”

She gulped the Mimosa and began to read Jack’s notes.

From the cockpit door’s window, the steward, Gabriel, looked into the rear cabin.

“Gabe, is she out yet?”

             
“No, Captain; I don’t understand. I slipped her a double dose in each one.”

             
Captain Blake pushed the frequency button to 715 and spoke to his ear set microphone, “Brazzie one; this is Hush-Jet 6… Brazzie, come in…Come in. Brazzie one; this is Hush-Jet-6…Do you copy?”

He flicked at his ear piece twice, repeated the call codes; and then, he heard a reply.

“InVoy here; InVoy here…Read you Brazzie.”

“Yes Sir, this is Blake. We have the package, and await instructions.”

“Switch to satellite reading 126…Follow input directives.”

“Understood…On our way”

The captain cut the call and turned the plane 30 degrees to the right, SSE, at an altitude below detection.

             
“Gabe, make yourself comfortable; destination, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.”

             
“How long, Captain?”

             
“This baby is faster than, anything, I have piloted. Watch how she handles this bank.”

             
“Captain; she has passed out.”

             
“Good… Here we go.”

             
The plane turned south, southeast, while Gabe watched Rachel Sheldon as she flopped side to side, unconscious in the chair.

Chapter 8

Jake’s Briefing      

At 4:00 p.m. Egypt time, Allenfar docked at transport station 210, directly below the Great Giza
Pyramid. Jake Burns walked out and onto a people-moving tram, which took him to Carrier-Unit elevators. As he rode down one, he pondered the whole concept of ‘compatibility’.

Christ, it’s not enough that this bunch of bees run everything-they are construction engineers, utility and food providers, elevators and transportation. God knows what else. I don’t want a date…!

When the elevator door opened, Burns stepped out to see the transport station’s grand arcade.

“My God look at this. There is nothing to compare up there.”

He gazed upon the lighted rock walls and splashing waterfalls, flowing down into a bottomless chasm. Tube-like crossways bridged the diameter of the vertical tunnel.

“I still can’t believe the beasts made all of this.”

Jake took one last look at the view; and then, he turned around and walked to Swanson’s office. He loved meandering and examining the priceless healthcare exhibits, paintings and sculptures that filled the foyer. At the other end of the room was a round door. There was nothing like it, anywhere else, in the colonies. It was built back in 4000 B.C. during one of the dynastic periods in ancient Egypt. No one knows how or why; but, it opened and closed like a human iris. Jake remembered his headset session about it. Originally, this ‘Post 2 station’ was one of the first medical research facilities in the region; and, the door was a security entrance. In those days, on the surface, medical chieftains or Shaman, diagnosed illnesses based on examining eyes. Ever-Life learned much from ancient ancients. Jake liked the fun of moving, repeatedly, halfway in, and then out, of the door; in, out; in, out; watching the center circle open and close. Through the door, Swanson’s assistant, Patty, watched; shaking her head and giggling at him.

“Hello there, Mr. Burns. Are we still in kindergarten?”

“Hello Doll. Why can’t I get one of these things?”

“You are right on time; as usual. He is ready for you, I think. You may go right in.”

“Ah, thanks…Why don’t you let me take you away from all this? You should be my secretary, now that the big guy is retired. At least, call me Jake.”

“In your dreams…Anyway; I have been with the GGM for more than thirteen years now. I would never leave. And, if you remember, protocol is protocol. Thanks for sharing, though.”

“Yeah well, I’m too old for you anyway.”

“I didn’t say that, love.” She winked.

Their banter made him forget the morning ride. Jake walked around her desk and, as the buzzer sounded, he strolled between the mirrored sliding doors behind her, into Swanson’s loft office suite. There were wall-to-wall carved bookshelves, and rustic Adirondack furniture, with all manner of character carvings and hieroglyphics etched everywhere.

Frankly,
I miss the Santa patterned Victorian chairs, and the fireplace.

He stood ridged, at first; but, after a moment, he felt an overwhelming calm, as if he were meditating.

“Hello Burns! Is that you down there? Make yourself at home. I’ll be right down.”

Jake snapped out of his euphoric moment, and sat down in the plush leather chair, next to Swanson’s desk, which, by the way, was a priceless heirloom and looked like an upside down pyramid, levitating.

“Great; thank you, Sir.”

He began watching the eight-60 inch floating monitors, positioned around the room, displaying Ever-Life’s news. After having headset sessions, Jake understood all the different languages, appearing on video and tape texts, at the bottom of each screen.

How did I live without this shit, all those years? If only Watzin knew. Christ, if the boys in New York knew; I’d never live any of this down.

One of the tape text feeds, interrupted his nostalgia. Within seconds, all the monitors reported the exact same story:
Billionaire Marion Brock returns to buy Time Travel Inc.

Jake’s eyes widened. “Oh my God!”

He tapped his Knofer; and, it did confirm the authenticity of the reports. Swanson was walking down the stairs, staring at the monitors.

“Sir; is this from surface news? The feed is all the same.”

“You know we don’t get that crap. These are from our resources. It is very strange. Our systems don’t work like this, all channels displaying the same video. It is as if someone has hacked into us.”

Jake tapped his Knofer again and executed a defense protocol to trace.

“I’ve got nothing...”

Swanson stopped for a second at the bottom of the stairs. “All of it says Marion Brock is alive. I have to wonder…”

He walked to his desk, hesitated; and then, he took a book out of the drawer, and tossed it in front of Jake. It was titled, Ever-Life.

“I wonder if any of that, or our recent event at the ceremony, have to do with ‘this’? Perhaps it is no longer a private matter, just between you and me…?”

Jake picked up the book, while he listened to Swanson.

“…Somehow, we have to fix this, my friend. The book is about all of, us down here; and, it was written long ago in 2011. There is a stamp on the first page that says N.Y.C. Public Library.”

Jake took a deep breath, while Swanson pointed, annoyed at what he saw.

“This may already have had earth shattering implications. There are pictures of Carriers in it. Did you read this paragraph? 
‘Many people write stories they imagine. That is fiction today. But what if someone writes a ‘true’ story that hasn’t happened yet?’
…And precisely, what do you think that means? You sent this to me, via Carrier; so there would be no record in ‘head-set’ files. You must have suspected something…?”

Swanson gestured to the monitors.

“…And now; the Brock story? If this book was on the surface, for that many years; and Brock, or one of his gofers read it; my God, man! How many copies were made; do you know?”

“No, Sir.”

“The more I think about it, the more I am certain they are related somehow. Put what is on those monitors and in this book together, along with the Carrier episode at Mathew’s ceremony; and what story do you come up with, eh?”

“Perhaps, Sir; but, it is a very interesting story.”

“And I know I’ll love it. Apparently, it is a story worth writing a book about, eh? Tell me, Jake; we don’t have all the time in the world, anymore. After all, the book has existed for how long now, centuries? Do give me the who, what, where, when and how of this. And, now would be a good time to start.”

Swanson plopped in his chair.

“Puzzling too, since Brock was taken away by a Carrier, those months ago.”

Swanson began fidgeting, while he looked at a Carrier model, which he kept on the right corner of his desk. Suddenly, his desk top Knofer ticked. He tapped it, and a three-foot hologram appeared of Marion Brock. Swanson’s jaw dropped. Jake quickly grabbed his Knofer again, and pushed buttons to record and send to GGM Bellos. At the same time, he triggered the next level of Ever-Life’s security protocols to 313, and alerted all colony Post Controllers. Then, both Jake and Swanson fixed on the hologram.

“Hello Gordon.”

Brock smiled that arrogant sinister grin.

“I can tell by your usual blank expression that I’ve interrupted nothing. Long time no see. As I recall, you thought I was swallowed into the Earth’s core; gone, forever. So, I thought I would call and tell you; I’m just fine; never was dead, really. I do hope you are prepared?”

“Frankly Marion, nothing you do surprises me. How did you get my number, by the way?”

“Hah, well, I do love a sense of humor, old boy. To put it bluntly; I plan to make some changes, and you are one of them. You see; I just acquired a new research complex. You just saw the ads. The point is, old man; we are going to compete. I thought a ‘heads up’, so to speak, was in order.”

“Marion, even your laws don’t allow you to compete with Brock/Swanson.”

“Of course not; I’m talking about your little Ever-Life secret. I’m talking about your ‘time travel’ operation. You see; I have kept up, on what the old staff is doing. My new Complex will be…Oh I’m sorry; what I meant to say was, my new Complex ‘is’ fully operational. Anyway, it’s dedicated to stopping your Ever-Life, from becoming, well, ‘forever-life’…I am saving that little jewel, for myself. You will have never existed, in the first place, when I’m done…I just wanted you to know, my fool hearty friend. I told you a long time ago, you didn’t have a clue; and I meant it. I wanted you to know, the bullet is coming, my dear partner; and it’s coming from me, personally, to you. Have a nice day. Oh, one more thing; I would like to compliment you on these little gadgets, they are called Knofers, right? Quite fun, actually.”

The hologram disappeared; and, the monitors went completely black. All went quiet. The two men looked around, as if expecting something else.

“Now that man, definitely has issues.” Jake quipped.

“Hmm…” Swanson rocked back in his chair. “…So, either he read this book, or; it’s something else. And then, there is the issue of the Carrier at the ceremony, and the earthquakes, and the explosion…Wheeler.”

“Yes Sir; we shipped his body to lab 202.”

“Any news on him?”

“GGM is handling, personally. He designated it a priority-one security.”

Swanson swiveled his seat, looked at the ceiling; and then at Burns.

“Okay, you and I run this effort, personally. Completely hands on. You obviously have thought about this book, and Brock. You started something here; and, I trust, you will finish it. Use only the best of our team. We need a good plan. Let’s start with you telling me everything about this book thing.”

“Fine; also I have to tell you about my ride here.”

“Priorities, Jake, priorities…”

“Fine…Remember; when you first offered me this position; and Mathew took me on that tour? I was very attentive; and, he did show me a lot, in a relatively short time.”

“Yes; go on…”

“One area was a ‘Time-Trust’ pavilion, in Arden. I was so impressed; specialists and small Carriers all around. By the way, that was where I thought, in a blink; I would accept your job offer.”

“Hmm…”

“Anyway, one of my instructors was ‘Time-Trust’ specialist, Chelsea Bathwaite.”

“Chelsea; isn’t that a girl’s name?”

“Do you know him?”

“Jake, we have a global population of roughly three billion; so no, I don’t; go on.”

“Well, we sensed an immediate chemistry, of sorts; much like you and I did the first time we met in D.C.; at the weapons conventions?”

“Yes?”

“Yes, well there wasn’t enough time on that day. We had to cut it short, because you and Dr. Bellos had to travel to Jerusalem.”

“Thank you for reminding me,” Swanson sighed, exasperated. “Jake, we have a lot to cover; and I do have other meetings. Do keep that in mind.”