The Impossible Future: Complete set by Frank Kennedy (mini ebook reader .txt) 📕

Michael guessed would have put them somewhere in Virginia. Then she drew a line east off the coast and hundreds of miles distant to a lonely island.

“Is that?” He whispered.

Sammie nodded. “Bermuda.”

“Our destination,” Ophelia said, “is the Isle of Seneca. Most Chancellors are unfamiliar with it.” She pointed to the southeast corner. “The entire population of one thousand is located here, the Heinlein Outpost. A beautiful facility with a spectacular view. These are primarily scientists, bioart designers, and a few rogue Chancellors who left urban living behind.”

“Who are we posing as?” Brey asked.

“For the record, we represent a bioengineering consortium based on Xavier’s Garden. We are developing an immuno-resistant strain of BM44. It’s for an insect-borne epidemic they’ve been experiencing in their southern jungles. Seneca’s flora may provide answers.”

“Decent cover,” Brey said, “but why the narrative? We’re only there to pick up the Ukrainian and move on.”

“Good question. This facility is compact, although its resources are considerable. New arrivals are carefully noted. We do not want to draw undo attention, which is why you,” she pointed to the mercs, “are not dressed for battle. We will arrive one hour before the Ukrainian, assuming no obstacles on either side. If all goes well, we will be gone inside two hours. Good? I will turn over the tactical details to Patricia.”

The Chief took over, talking only to the mercenaries, laying out a series of maneuvers and positions they should take upon exiting at the transport bay and at the time of transferring the Ukrainian. Michael lost interest in the details when a horrifying thought crossed his mind. He led Sammie aft.

“I know you don’t figure the Chief for a traitor, after what happened to her team,” he whispered. “But what if this has been a setup?” She frowned, but he didn’t give up. “No, seriously. Perrone knew everything about Patricia. Where she was stationed, her war record. All of it. Then he had the last of her team executed. What if… it’s crazy… but what if he did that to maintain her cover? Make us think there’s no way she’d ever work for the admiral.”

“Sounds like you watched too many Tom Cruise movies,” Sammie said. “But we’ve been through ten kinds of hell the last few days. If it makes you feel better, I’ll keep an open mind.”

“Fair enough.” He looked forward, where Ophelia consulted with Brey and Rikard as Patricia continued discussing tactical ops. “She’s talking as if we’re gonna cruise in, cruise out. Name me one thing we’ve done so far that didn’t damn near get us killed.”

“It would be nice to have something go our way for a change.”

Michael rubbed the pouch holding his gun but took no comfort.

32

M ICHAEL SAW THROUGH OPHELIA TOMELIN, and the picture he was forming terrified him. She seemed smart enough, wealthy enough, and claimed to have powerful allies. Yet as Michael reviewed the full picture, he decided nothing added up.

As a leader, her track record appeared dismal. She led her team into a massacre at the fold after allowing a spy inside then seemed helpless when Perrone arrived and began barking orders. She didn’t expect the attack on Rikard’s shuttle and didn’t think to check for bleeders until after the fact. She learned of another spy in her presence but decided not to act. Who does that? One concern led to another. Who is she getting her information from? Is that person on her side? Is she just making this shit up as she goes?

While the shuttle made its way for the island, Michael used the quiet moments as opportunity to build his own backup plan if Ophelia’s failed. He called up more of the information he learned in the Tier 1 Educate amp. He looked for knowledge connected to terms he heard thrown around since he arrived. Some, such as presidium or sanctum, offered more details than he wanted, while terms related to weaponry, ships, Unification Guard, or anything related to stream amps came with a common disclaimer:

“The information you have requested will be facilitated in Stage B of this Tier. The required implantation of a Communications Amplifier to your synaptic cortex will take place in year six according to Chancellory bylaws. Please consult your educational consortium.”

“Great,” Michael whispered. “I’m a five-year-old.”

He addressed Ophelia, who stood in the still-seat to his left.

“So,” he said, under his breath, “You probably got a lot buzzing around in your gray matter right about now. Making sure you got the bases covered. But I could I trouble you with a couple questions?”

She didn’t look at him. “If it’s about the plan…”

“No. Got nothing to do with the plan.”

“Then perhaps they are best saved for later?”

“Now seems as good a time as any. How long before the island?”

“Twenty-seven minutes.”

“Perfect.” He recognized her tiny smile, the curt one many of his teachers employed while tolerating his silliness. “See, I don’t want to be a nuisance. I’m not the kid in the back seat always asking if we’re there yet. But I figure if I’m gonna spend the rest of my life in this universe, I need to get the inside dope.”

She eyed him with the now-familiar grimace of Chancellors who didn’t understand his references. But he had Ophelia’s attention.

“So, how long you been involved in all this?”

“All what, Michael?”

“The Jewels. Were you there from the start?”

She hesitated. She wasn’t expecting that question.

“No,” she said. “I came along after… after the creation.”

“So, you helped hide all these people in the other universes?”

“Not directly. I was a field delegate for a regional Sanctum on one of the colonies.”

A term Michael understood. “You were a politician?”

“Not a very good one, Michael. I trained as an exobiologist. My descendency has a long history with this Sanctum. A family tradition of sorts. I