Planetbound by DM Arnold (best contemporary novels TXT) 📕

“Oh, Nyk -- you must keep them away.”

“I can't -- I have no choice. Quinn's Postulate applies -- I can't change history.”

“Suppose it doesn't work like that.”

“Do you want to take the risk to find out?”

“Keep Sukiko away. You must! Maybe you can't stop the disaster, but you can keep them away.”

“You don't understand -- If I kept them away, then the genealogy would be different. We wouldn't be having this discussion, because September 11 would no longer be significant.”

“Not significant?” Andra replied. “It was one of the defining moments of Earth's 21st Century!”

“To Earth's history, yes. To Floran's ... I'm afraid not. It's only significant to us because of Suki and George. And -- consider the temporal interference implications. Destiny wants Suki dead -- for whatever reason. Suppose she were to live and ... and object to the woman Nicky wants to marry. Suppose Nicky doesn't marry Jenna, but someone else, and this marriage is childless -- the Kyhana line stops, and there's no Koichi...”

“And, thus, no Floran. I'm beginning to comprehend your dilemma, Nykkyo. But, you must do something.”

“I dare not. I can not alter history -- I must stand by and watch it unfold. What will be -- has already been. I must do nothing to change it.” Nyk heard Suki coming from the nursery. “I must go.”

“Call me again.”

Nyk nodded. He shut the lid on the laptop.

“Talking to Andra?” Suki asked.

“Yes.”

“How is she? My God, Nick -- you look like you've seen a ghost! Is everything all right with her?”

“Fine with Andra.”

“Well, I got Nicky settled. Do you want to watch a movie -- or, spend time with my folks?”

“Let's go to bed.”

Nyk lay on his back, his eyes wide open. Suki lay beside him, her arm around his waist. He felt her relax and drift toward sleep. The words he had read and the images he had seen played over and over in his mind.

Destiny plans to take George and Suki. They will die in the attack. The wisdom of concealing the encyclopedia crystallized. No one could change history, but what damage could one do with such knowledge! Destiny had given him precognizance. He knew not only when but where and how. Why? Why would Destiny tell him what was to happen? Was he to prevent the tragedy? How?

What if he notified the authorities -- placed phone calls to security at Logan and Dulles? Would he be considered a crackpot? How would he explain his knowledge? George and Suki -- and thousands more would be spared. But at what cost? Would disrupting the timeline cause the Floran hegemony to cease to exist? Were three thousand lives the price to pay for twenty-four billion?

Then there was Quinn's Postulate -- if he stopped the attack, there would be no record of an event to stop. He couldn't stop something that didn't happen. If he didn't stop it, the attack would proceed. Destiny already had decided the outcome. The attack will happen -- it has already happened -- and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He turned his attention to George and Suki. Could he spare them? He could fabricate some excuse to keep them from the towers. But, what then? The paradox -- the damnable temporal paradox.

Destiny plans to take George and Suki -- She has already taken them -- from the face of the Earth, and nothing could stop Her.

Could he cheat Destiny?

And then, with crystal clarity -- he knew. He could visualize the events unfolding, one by one -- and he knew what it was he must do.

The subway pulled into Grand Central. Nyk looked at his watch.

“See you here tonight,” Suki said.

“I'll ride with you to Pace.”

“Why?”

“I've never done it -- I want to see the place. I have plenty of time today.”

“Okay.” He took her hand and she smiled. “This is a pleasant surprise.”

Nyk walked with her to the downtown platform. He looked at the system map on the wall. “Which stop?”

“Brooklyn Bridge.” Nyk nodded. He counted the stops from Grand Central.

The train pulled up to the platform and they boarded. Nyk stood, holding the overhead rail. Suki held onto him as the train lurched through the tunnel.

“Here's our stop.”

He escorted her to the street and held her hand as they walked past City Hall. Nyk pointed toward the World Trade Center. “I didn't realize it's so close.”

“It looks closer than it is, but it is within walking distance -- about a fifteen or twenty minute walk. Daddy and I have had lunch at Top of the World.” They reached the Pace University building holding her office. She kissed his cheek. “Thanks -- this was different.”

“See you at Grand Central tonight.” He glanced at his watch, turned and headed back to the subway station.

Nyk lay holding her and caressing her arm. She looked into his eyes. “Mmm... that was the best ever.”

“Ever?”

“Best EVER!” She kissed his cheek.

“Suki? Can I ask a personal question?”

“Certainly.”

“You once told me you don't believe in a personal god.”

“I don't.”

“Do you believe it possible for circumstances to put you in the position of God?”

“Well -- not exactly. I suppose we all have the power to take a life -- but not to give one.”

“Suppose someone takes your life. Suppose at that very moment you are given a choice -- you could go straight to heaven -- or, you could spend the remainder of your natural life as a spirit.”

“Some cultures believe that's what does happen -- when someone is murdered, for example -- his spirit haunts the living until ... until revenged, the moment of his natural death -- or, until a proper burial.”

“If you could choose, which would you want?”

“I suppose the chance to live out my natural life.”

“Even as a spirit?”

“I suppose so.”

“Even if you could never make your presence known to any of the living?”

“This is beginning to sound like the stuff of a Greek myth... Yes, I suppose...”

“You'd prefer that to heaven?”

She giggled. “Of course -- especially since I don't believe there is any such thing as heaven or hell. Or, an afterlife for that matter. I'm surprised to hear such talk of God and heaven coming from you.” She touched his nose with her forefinger and kissed his cheek. “Bon'noka, Nick.”

Nyk sat at the kitchen table. Yasuko placed a cup of coffee before him. “You're not finishing your breakfast?”

“No appetite this morning. I see George was out the door early.”

“Yes -- he has a big underwriting meeting today.”

Suki walked into the kitchen, stood behind Nyk and caressed his shoulders. He jumped. “Boy -- you're tense today.”

“I suppose we'd better get going.”

Suki picked Nicky out of his highchair. “You be a good boy today.”

“Give him a big hug,” Nyk said. “You'll never know which one might be the last.”

Suki looked at him, kissed Nicky on his cheek and handed him to her mother. Yasuko kissed her daughter. Nyk held Suki's hand and headed out the front door.

He had walked about half a block when he heard someone calling his name. He turned and saw Yasuko waving some papers at him. “Nick -- Sukiko!” she shouted. She approached them. “George just called from his office. He left this behind and would like it if you'd take it to him.”

Suki took the papers. “Sure -- no problem.”

“What are they?”

She giggled. “His underwriting proposal. He'll be S-O-L without this. I'll take it over first thing -- as soon as I drop off these exams.” She slipped the papers into her case.

Nyk stood with her on the platform awaiting the inbound train. The car stopped. He escorted Suki and took a seat by the door. The train accelerated and headed under the East River toward Manhattan.

“You're so quiet this morning,” Suki said to him.

He glanced at his watch. “I've a lot on my mind.”

The train approached Grand Central. “See you tonight,” Suki said and kissed his cheek. She stood and held a rail as the train slowed. The doors opened, she stepped out and headed in the direction of the downtown trains.

Nyk stood. The doors began to close. He pushed them open and stepped onto the platform. He could see Suki ahead of him as he followed her toward the downtown trains.

A train approached the platform, stopped and opened its doors. Nyk saw Suki board one of the middle coaches. He broke into a run and headed for the tail car. He was about two and a half steps away when the chime sounded and the doors began to slide shut. He attempted to work his fingernails under the gasket of the door, but the train began to accelerate.

He stepped back from the edge of the platform and slammed his fist into his palm. He realized he hadn't ascertained how often trains on this line ran. His eye caught sight of a young Black man who had been watching him. The man smiled and shrugged.

Nyk paced the platform checking his watch. He stood near the edge, leaned over and peered down the tracks; then paced some more. He checked his watch again. A crowd was beginning to form.

A glint on the rails from oncoming headlamps alerted him that the next downtown train was approaching. He stood near the edge of the platform. The tail coach whizzed past him and stopped a train length and a half further up the platform. Nyk ran toward the car. The chime sounded as he reached the door. He blocked the door with his hands and hopped aboard.

Nyk held an overhead rail as the car lurched through the tunnel. He counted the stops and leaned to look out the windows as the train made its way downtown. Finally, it halted at the Brooklyn Bridge station. He jumped onto the platform and headed for the surface.

Once on the street he half-walked and half-ran toward Pace University. He passed City Hall and sprinted past the Pace bookstore. Once in the lobby of Suki's building he bent over, rested his forearms on his thighs and panted to regain his breath. The guard in the booth glanced at him through the glass and returned to reading a newspaper.

Nyk checked his watch -- 8:10. He picked up the courtesy phone and punched in Suki's number. It rang. He heard her voicemail greeting advising her caller to leave a message or press zero for the department secretary.

He pressed zero and heard another ring signal. “History department,” a voice answered.

“Is Dr Kyhana in?”

“Who's calling?”

“It's her husband.”

“Oh -- hello, Mr Kyhana...”

“It's Mr Kane,” he interrupted.

“Mr Kane -- you just missed her. She dropped off some exams to be duplicated and then left to meet with her father.”

“How long...”

“Ten or fifteen minutes ago. She shouldn't be more than an hour or so -- she has a 9:30 class. I'll tell her you called.”

“Thanks.” Nyk hung up the phone. He felt his heart sink. She'd be nearly there by now, he thought, and there was no way he could catch up with her. He poked his head out the door and looked up the street toward the World Trade Center.

Nyk stepped to the guard booth. “Excuse me, did you see Dr Kyhana leave?”

The guard looked up. “I dunno -- I don't pay attention to who goes out -- only to who comes in.”

Nyk turned and took some steps into the lobby. Images from the Encyclopedia entry swirled in his mind. He bit his lip, turned to face the wall, leaned against it and began sobbing softly. So close, so close, he thought. If only he hadn't missed her train...

“Nick?” He heard her voice. “Is that you? Are you all right?”

He clamped his eyes shut, took a deep breath and wiped the tears from his face. “Your secretary told me you left ten minutes ago.”

“I was on my way but the dean buttonholed me to discuss one of my students.” She held up a manila folder. “I'm going over there, now. I must hurry or I'll miss my class. What're you doing here?”

He took her hand and headed out the door. “I'll walk with you -- we can talk on the way.”

When he reached the street he turned and headed toward Brooklyn Bridge.

“Nick -- Daddy's office is this way...”

“You must come with me.”

“What about Daddy's proposal?”

“We'll deal with it later.”

“But, Nick -- he needs it and I have a busy morning.”

“This is more important.” He continued to lead her toward the Brooklyn Bridge subway station.

She stopped. “Nick! I'm not taking another step until you tell me what this is about.”

“Have I ever lied to you?”

“No... You've omitted some things, but you've never out-and-out lied to me.”

“Trust me -- this is vitally important. I don't have time to explain. Come on!”

She shrugged. “All right -- but,