System Seven (41 page)

“Wait a second!” Austin
stood, dazed. “Sean, why the fuck didn’t you tell me this before?”

“Relax, Austin,” Anki
said and took the plate of food from Williams.

Sean set the helmet
down. “Because we don’t see them being a significant threat. They’re
antigravity transports, best we know. Yes, they can be used for intercept and
ramming. But in your case they won’t even know you’re up there. Still, just
watch for them. They’re normally jet black when you can see them–”

“When I can see them?
What the–”

“Typical saucer shape,
like two frisbees put together. Watch for sudden holes in clouds, that sort of
thing. Yes, they have metamaterials bending light around them. Not perfectly,
but it’s impressive. Again, it’s highly unlikely they’ll be involved. Here,” he
took the duffle bag from Williams, “this is Ryota’s seat for the ride to
safety. There’s a med kit in case you get hurt. It’s got the joiner strap so
you can wear it in front, under the jacket. I updated the GPS with two more
safe drop points, so there’s five to choose from. Now, grab a bite to eat and
then I want you to try it again. Use route number three on the GPS. Try ten
thousand feet and go faster. I want you confident before you set out,” he
glanced at his watch, “in twelve minutes. Williams, see if the clinic floor
plan is ready, please.”

Austin accepted the
food from Anki and stood there, still in shock. Anki led him to a bench outside
the garage.

“Relax, eat. You need
your strength. I’ll get you some water.”

Despite Anki’s advice
to relax, a thin line ran right down his middle, once more challenging belief
in what was happening. Terrestrial UFOs. Questions popped like fuses, each one
more urgent than the last. Did they have weapons, too? Lasers? What about killer
satellites? Would he be targeted? What else hadn’t they told him? Out of the
jumble one thing stood certain – things would well and truly never be like they
were.

He heaved a big breath
and let it out. “
Shit
.”

Anki came from the
garage with a cup of water. “Okay now, seriously, I could feel you from in
there. You’ve got to stay grounded.” She sat next to him. “What’s got you most
worried?”

“Are you kidding? You
name it.” He took a bite of fried chicken. In the silence between them, a
mesmerizing feeling grew that calmed and centered. Time slowed. Details stood
out. Light from the east had woke the morning birds and brought the horses out
to the pasture for a walk. Their energy fused with the beauty of the morning.
The castle’s brown stone seemed to glow as it shed night’s hue. An overriding
peace colored his every thought.

“Thanks for that,
Anki.” He took the offered cup and drank. “Damn. This is really happening?”

“Yes, Austin. It is.”

“Why me? Of all the
billions of people...
why me?
I’ve
got zero qualifications for this. I’m more apt to fail, you know, than, than a
whole lot of people. I just don’t understand why
me
.”

“You said it yourself,
you’ve always wondered at the mystery of life. It’s in your nature. And
somehow, some part of nature is more open to you. There is one thing you need
to recognize and fully accept: you have the right soul for the job. That has to
be your best qualification. I don’t believe you would have been given the gift
otherwise. I’m sure of it.”

Sean stepped out,
patting the helmet. “It’s dry enough. Whenever you’re ready.” At Anki’s glance,
he added, “Sorry, but time is short.”

• • •

Director Tomov woke to
the sound of the comm. He noted the time.

“Yes?”

“Sir, Gerrit is out
and headed for the girl.”

Four minutes later he
emerged in the control room. “Initiate priority live-log to the Executives. Are
we synched to the cloud? Good. Java, please?” He took the vacant command chair. The touch screen before him updated
noticeably with four gold indicators along the bottom – four Executives already
linked in.

“Ops, status?”

“A watch-listed
revenant led to proxy contact with Gerrit. Signus 5 was tracking the target but
was unable to make the leap after contact. Fortunately they achieved a strong
reading. He’s going for the girl and her little friend.”

“Excellent.”
By the book. No mistakes
. “And the boy’s
body?”

“G3 has it secured.
Riders are standing by at the clinic with the recognition pattern for Austin.
Reinforcements have been ordered.”

“Fit the clinic for detonation,
fast. I want to level it with a word. Confirm scenario J86 as an option for the
region. No mistakes, people. Not one. We make history tonight and it better be
the right version.”

“Sir, scenario J86 is
enabled as an option. Executive authorization required for execution.”

Scenario J86 was least
preferred but if things went that way, so be it. Not his job to be concerned
with the outcome; the target’s actions would determine the results, not him. He
called up the feed from Signus Alpha. The little island filled the screen. Kaiya
sat with the boy, talking to him, soothing him. Under G1 observation since the
last hop, she realized they were trapped. As soon as Gerrit merged in, all
three could be contained.

“Signus Alpha, confirm
your panels are ready.”

“Confirmed, director.
Currently twelve linked with two more in briefing, due shortly.”

“Good, because he’s on
his way.”

“Bring him in, sir,
we’ll bag him.”

• • •

Hurried plans made
Noboru queasy. Nothing done hastily ever seemed to go well. Normally there was
time for meticulous planning, for crafting an operation like a well written
application. All tight code and efficient functions. In this case there was
almost no time.

The call came just as
he prepared dinner for Kou, the Shitzu he’d adopted from the family two floors
down. They were moving to Honshū and could not keep the little rascal.
Noboru had made the mistake of holding him on the elevator ride up. Amazing
what six floors and a pair of moist, imploring eyes could do. He put the beef mixture
in the bowl and left it at Kou’s feet before hurrying to the roof.

Rows of bee hives
glowed a milky white beneath the pole lamp. He walked the narrow aisle between
them and made sure he was alone before he knelt before one. He slid open the
storage door beneath and retrieved the hidden comm link. From a brief
transmission, he received instructions. The queasy feeling began upon hearing
‘highest priority’ and deepened at hearing the announced job and timeline. Two
hours to deliver a team of two into the defense ministry’s communications
building! Third basement!

Asinine! It couldn’t be done!
Yet even as he thought it, pieces of the
solution began to form. By the time a response was required, he knew two
things: he’d received his riskiest assignment yet, and Kou would need a new
master if things didn’t go just right.

• • •

Austin stuffed the map
in his jacket and closed it up. The last try was better and had done much for
confidence. The grid’s potential was at peak response, flowing in line with
every intention; pliable, focused and stable. That he was about to propel
himself six thousand miles to arrive in Japan’s evening sky wasn’t something to
think about – it just had to be done.

Anki and Sean stood
aside when Cathbad arrived to see him off.

He clasped his
shoulders. Gray eyes spoke concern. “What Johan isn’t considering is how far
they’ll go to destroy you both. Pay attention. Be open to me, Sean, and Anki.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I wish this weren’t the path but damn it, it is. Be
aware, be in tune, and you may just save everybody’s skin. Godspeed, lad.” He
stepped back.

Sean clapped his hands
once as he came forward. “Remember, take as many breaks as you need but keep
them short. You really need to push for speed. Follow checkpoints and wait at
the last one. Use the flashing light to guide you in. Once you’re on the roof,
an old man will give you instructions. We’ll be monitoring you every step of
the way and will guide you as needed. Be open to us. Any questions?”

“Dozens if I stopped
to think.”

“Then Godspeed, Austin.”
Sean shook his hand. “And watch out for the AG units.”

Thoughts of
antigravity ships made his stomach spin.

Anki stepped in and
hugged him tightly. “Be strong. You’re the Change. Make them wish they’d never
messed with Mother Nature.” She was right – they
had
done just that. Anki touched his cheek before stepping back.

He slid on a thermal
mask followed by the helmet. After fastening the straps he paused to face the
three. In that moment, the two druids and the empath felt as close as family.

“Am I clear?” The
bràthair would scan to be sure the hills and skies held no observers.

After a moment Sean
nodded. “Clear.”

He imagined a grand
exit and knew it would work. Intention turned to reality: the grid folded in
closely, braced him, and like a slingshot flung him upward. In a flash he
became a dot in the morning sky then vanished from sight altogether.

“Holy living hell,”
Cathbad muttered, craning to see.

Sean nodded. “He’s got
it now. The Change, indeed.”

• • •

Ryota finished covering
his legs with warm sand and patted it down. Buried up to his waist, he appeared
content and resumed staring at the storms pressing in from all sides. For the
first time wind blew in the tropical dreamscape, introducing cooler air. The
sun hung overhead in its usual place to light the tiny island despite the
approaching gloom.

Kaiya walked along the
water’s edge looking for something unique in the clouds, anything to take
advantage of. After three slow laps, she found nothing. Control had wilted long
ago. What little she had left she clung to in the hopes it might matter in a
crucial moment, like when the storm fronts collided at their island. They
would, she felt it.

She returned to Ryota
and put on a smile. “You look comfy. A sand blanket.” He looked up. She tapped
her temple. “Smart, very smart!” He seemed to understand.

The wind gusted
stronger, a reminder time was short. They’d worn her down all too easily. Her
initial burst of creativity had freed them but it hadn’t taken long for them to
retake her.
Weak
. Before this, the
idea of lucid dreaming belonged to Psych majors and coffee house beatniks. She
couldn’t have imagined the reality of it before. The people who tried to save
Mac had to know about this dream world. She’d expected them to try a rescue,
yet saw no evidence of one.

She looked directly
up, shielding her eyes from the sun and the too-perfect blue sky. What was
beyond sky in a dream? What space did a dream occupy? Dread suddenly became
more than just a feeling. The winds whipped harder, growing persistent. The
towering black clouds loomed closer, converging in the counterclockwise flow of
the wind.

Everything was closing
in. Everything was going to end.

She knelt next to the
boy and patted him on the back, receiving more comfort than she gave. He wasn’t
suffering from the same panic – only a sadness beyond his years. Helpless to do
anything, she thought of digging in next to him.

Inspiration struck,
though admittedly weakly.

“Ryota, you are
very
smart. We need to dig a hole.” It
was all she could think of – to do nothing was madness squared. She dropped to
her knees and began furiously swiping the sand aside. She squinted hard at the
wind-whipped grit.

“Close your eyes,
Ryota!”

He watched her through
slitted eyes before climbing out to help. Already the sand in the shallow hole
was more moist, better to form a burrow to escape the coming storm.

“Thank you, Ryota, you
understand me! Yes, here, dig. Dig a big hole. Wider – there, good. It will be
our safety cave. Safe is good, yes!”

Somehow believing made
it more likely so.

• • •

Eight thousand feet
was the sweet zone as breathing came easy and the distance to the earth proved
breathtaking. The Norwegian coastline slid by on the right, backlit by early
dawn.
I’m flying, through the sky.

He stayed focused and
tuned, scanning for anything in his path. Confidence grew with every passing
moment. The GPS fluctuated but read just over a thousand miles per hour. The
symbiotic nature of the connection with the grid grew. The sense of expenditure
and recovery evened out, as if he were both giving and receiving energy in the quantum
process. Gratitude for the gift was unavoidable just as was the pure, uncut
amazement at flight.

When the cold grew
bitter, he imagined a warm bubble of air and one formed. He pushed harder until
the speed indicator rose to two thousand miles per hour. He crouched to look
behind. The warm bubble leaked like exhaust into the cold air, forming a
contrail – just like in the first dream at Kaiya’s apartment except it wasn’t
purple or made of curiosity. Here, it was an arrow pointing to his passage.
Moments later, the contrail dissolved, the dome hardened to contain the warmth.
He couldn’t help but recall Edward’s words about joining with the creator at
the far end.