The Journey of Rick Heiden - Chapters 49 and 50
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This novel contains 50 CHAPTERS, and every post will have 2 chapters each.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
My head rested on my folded arms, and I stared upward as though lying in a hayfield, counting clouds, wiling away the hours. However, when I glanced at the clock; it was a few minutes past two in the morning. The temperature in the penthouse felt conducive to sleeping, as did the soft sheets and supple mattress beneath whose padding cradled me in comfort. I felt secure, having bolted the doors before tipping a chair beneath the knobs on the entryway from the balcony, but sleep eluded me.
The next day was Saturday; one day away from discovering that David either faked his own disappearance for reasons unknown, or unknown people had him --if they hadn't killed him outright.
I recalled the last time I saw David as he climbed the portal to leave for Earth. I played it many times from my enhanced memory, viewing it as if it were happening before my eyes. His strong legs propelled him up the stairs, the look on his face as he turned to me and smiled. David was so handsome. He spoke to me just before he vanished into the portal.
"You're not sleeping either, are you?" Cadmar's voice, a mere whisper, yelled to me in the dead silence of the penthouse, disrupting my remembrances.
"Some of its portal lag, no doubt." I rose to the side of the bed with a deep breath, both exhausted and resigned.
An insistent rapping sounded. Cadmar rushed to answer the door. "It's Sal!" He said aloud, and I heard unlatching sounds.
I grabbed my pants and slipped them on.
"Where's Rick?" I heard Sal ask in urgency.
"What's wrong?" asked Cadmar.
"Quick, turn on BBC News. They're about to play the rebroadcast. It's on channel 503."
I hurried into the sitting room, still fiddling with my pants. "Our apologies, Sal, people raised on Jiyu have no sense of modesty."
He glanced at Cadmar, who unabashedly hadn't bothered to dress. "I noticed."
As Cadmar took the hint to don his pants, I rummaged for the remote to the flat-panel television, which hung unused upon the wall. Pushing a few buttons had us viewing the channel in question.
"...growing concern for some time," said the American president to a special joint session of the United States Congress. "They have infected the population with their technology. They have caused a severe blow to the economy. They have shown us how easily they could invade this world at the portal near London. And when we sent our five emissaries on a peaceful mission through the portal in Japan, they eventually returned, three of them dead, killed in the most horrific ways.
"Of the two that survived the encounter on the alien planet, only the recently recommissioned Captain Hector Lopez came back in his right mind."
The screen split to include a shot of our erstwhile Mr. Lopez, whom they apparently reinstated into the Army and had given the rank of captain. He sat in the gallery in full army service uniform.
"His name's Hector," I said, "that suits him."
"The other survivor," the president continued, "Salvatore Greco has gone missing, but we hope to find him so that we can help him. Captain Lopez tells us that they broke Mr. Greco, and he told them everything they wanted to know. Having been broken, whatever Mr. Greco says now, he should not be trusted.
"We intend to stop Earth's creeping Jiyuvian takeover, or else we'll find ourselves with a world we don't recognize, full of people ripe for their conquest," he said, to which both houses of Congress gave considerable applause. "I have a message for all Jiyuvians on this planet. 'You and your people will pay for what you did to Mark Wallen, Jacob Tourney, and Thaddeus Coulter; those are names we will not forget.'
"On my orders, American forces will begin targeting Jiyuvians, and their aircraft, providing an unequivocal message to these people. `Go home and do not return, or you will face the deadliest of consequences.'"
The rest of the speech consisted of little more than an indulgent mix of ego-stroking and a sermon on how their god had blessed them and would continue to bless them as Americans. It ended with profuse applause from both sides of the aisle, with a lot of back-patting, as they stood in a rare moment of solidarity over the extreme measures they would employ, protecting their power and financial interests.
"The rest is only interviews and speculations," said Sal.
"They're attempting to discredit us," said Cadmar.
"For the gullible people of the world, they did a good job of it," I said.
"How will the British respond to this?" asked Cadmar.
"They won't rush into anything," I said, "and I wouldn't expect any extradition treaties to apply in this case. The British Government will know they're lying rather blatantly about some of it, so they have no reason to believe them about the deaths of those three men."
"What will we do?" asked Sal.
"If someone from the British government doesn't contact me, I will contact Mr. Haywood in the morning."
Sal appeared more haggard than he had earlier. He wore the same clothes we had given him before he left Jiyu. He had bathed, however, and the hotel had provided him some personal hygiene items. I noticed his lip had swollen. "What happened to your lip?"
"Becca sleeps with the television on, but she was awake during the Presidential speech. She got angry at me for dragging her and Gertie into all this. Tomorrow, she intends to catch the earliest flight to Houston. She's going home to her mother."
"What about helping Gertrude?" asked Cadmar.
"If she considered letting you help her before, she wouldn't trust you now."
"Is she not your daughter too?" I asked.
"I'm her stepfather, and although I'm the only father Gertie's ever known, Becca insisted when we married that she would retain the sole right to decide Gertie's medical needs."
"What difference does that make?" asked Cadmar. "Rebecca is making a decision based on lies. Gertrude is suffering; give her the nano-suspension anyway. It's the morally right thing to do."
"Yes, Cadmar, it's the morally right thing to do, and Sal might even agree with us, but this is Earth. Morality almost invariably takes a back seat to what those in power want or what is legal, and when they do correlate, too often, it's purely coincidental."
I had never witnessed Cadmar angry before. It didn't last long, but his brows lowered, and lips stretched into a tight line. "I don't like this place," he said.
"That makes two of us." I turned to Sal. "You said you wanted to speak to us last night, what about."
He nodded. "You should know what happened when I came back to Earth." He sat in the chair behind him, so we sat up on the couch. "I've been back for nearly six days. When Lopez and I arrived on Earth, no one greeted us. And although I didn't want to, we moved the body bags with Wallen and Tourney to the side of the clearing, so someone could pick them up later. We walked to the road and hitched a ride in a truck bed to Camp Fuji; that's a nearby marine corps base. You should know that someone created a narrow path from the portal site to the parking lot of the Ice Cave tourist attraction. It looked fresh."
"That sounds important," I said to Cadmar.
"When we got to Camp Fuji, we were brought before the base commander, Colonel Chapman. He ordered that they debrief us separately.
"They didn't question me verbally. They didn't even ask about my personal experience after we got there; they gave me a pen and a piece of paper full of questions to answer. They didn't get the data from the drones they sent with us, but they had us, and in some ways, that was better. They asked about the Jiyuvian military, the technology, the geography of the area, what the food was like, a lot of things, but nothing personal. I tried to tell them what happened, but I sat before them the picture of health, so none of it mattered. They just wanted their questions answered."
"Considering what you went through, that's pretty callous of them," said Cadmar.
"What did you tell them about Jiyu?" I asked.
"I would normally have done my duty as an American," he said, "but I couldn't. As a civilian, they couldn't make me do anything. I wanted to remain in good conscience, so I decided to return the kindness given to me on Jiyu, by not allowing anyone here to benefit from the lies they fed me before I left Earth. I told them nothing.
"When you found us in the meadow," he said, "I had lost my mind from exhaustion, fear, desperation, and hunger. Lopez was dying in front of me, and I couldn't help him. I told no one on Jiyu, but I had planned the morning you found us to put Lopez out of his misery and then shoot myself. You didn't just save our lives by showing up, you saved me from having to do such a terrible thing. So, thank you."
"You're welcome," said Cadmar.
"What did they say about your silence?" I asked.
"After I told them my intentions, they said I would be held in detention. They stripped me and kept me in a kind of solitary confinement for a few days. Then, the night before last, someone let me go. They gave me my clothes, my passport, some yen, and an opportunity to escape. I don't know who let me go, but I suspect it was Lopez."
"You saved his life," said Cadmar.
Sal nodded. "I think he felt he owed it to me. So, I took the opportunity to escape from the cell.
"The Japanese must be genuinely kind people. The first person I came across helped me. He called Becca for me so I could talk to her. I got her to use every dime we had to get her and Gertie to London and buy me a non-stop flight to Heathrow from Tokyo. Mr. Bosan hid me until the time came for my flight."
"Mr. Bosan?" I asked. "I think you're a bit confused. I doubt he was Mr. Bosan. Bosan means monk; no wonder he helped you."
"Ah! That explains the amused look whenever I called him that. He didn't speak English very well. I think he understood more than he spoke."
"Did you happen to see our 'friend' Major Palmer at some point?" asked Cadmar.
He shook his head. "I've told you everything that I know."
"What will you do now?" I asked.
"I have no idea. When I left the suite to come up here, Becca told me not to come back and threw her wedding ring at me."
"That's a bit harsh," said Cadmar.
"She's from Texas; the blood in her family's veins runs red, white, and blue. She heard what the President said about me; that's good enough for her. As far as she's concerned, I'm a despicable coward and no better than Judas."
"What do you say you are?" I asked.
He paused to think and took a deep breath. "Probably more trouble to you than I'm worth. That's what Rebecca's uncle, Jackson Scott, always said about me."
"What?" I asked.
"Rebecca's uncle is Jackson Scott?" asked Cadmar.
"Yeah. Jackson treats Becca like his daughter. What's wrong?"
"Jackson Scott's been a thorn in our sides before Phalin showed up."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that; otherwise, I would have said something. But don't worry, it's not like Jackson and I are pals. The way he's treated me, I've been a thorn in his side since the day Becca said, `I do.' I suspect he's sent me on dangerous missions, hoping that I would have a happy accident."
"It almost worked with the last one," I said. "You knew that he hated you enough to want you dead, but you kept working there?"
"I married Becca during my eight-year stint in the army, I've had four tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq, so I'm a good soldier, and under normal circumstances, I can take care of myself. When I got out, I didn't want to work for Phalin; I wanted to do something else. I'd had enough of endless war, but she got me the job, and I didn't want to disappoint her."
"Wouldn't she tell her uncle where you are?" Cadmar asked. "If so, that will also lead them to us."
"Should we leave?" asked Sal.
"Maybe," I said. "Would you want to go with us if she and Gertrude stayed on Earth?"
"They're after me now," he said. "I know too much, and I know what they're capable of. I want to live the rest of my life in peace. Apparently, I can't have that here. You saved my life; I'll never forget that. Will the two of you still have me?"
I nodded. "I trust you, so you can come to Jiyu with us."
I chose for us to stay in the penthouse for the next few hours. Cadmar and I spent the remainder of the night sitting on the couch to doze a bit. I gave Sal the bed. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, and it hadn't taken long before we heard the occasional snore emanating from his direction. I found his genuine and implicit trust in us utterly disarming. He had an inherent likability that caused me to believe that he meant no harm. Evident to me, he had reached his limit with his experience on Jiyu.
As I expected, the previous night's outrage had someone contacting me the next morning. An insistent knock came upon the door. Cadmar said it was a woman that he didn't recognize. Sal kept out of sight, and Cadmar answered the door with his weapon drawn.
A woman, with my height and an auburn pixie cut, wearing a dark gray business suit, expressed indifference to the pistol in her face. "I'm Agent Thorpe with MI5." With caution, Cadmar lowered his weapon while she texted someone on the smartphone she held. She turned to me and presented it. "For you." I didn't recognize the make or model, but it struck me as official in some way and rightly so. As she palmed the phone, it received a call. "It's the Prime Minister," she said.
In my previous contact with the PM, David did all the talking, and I acted merely as support. Speaking to Amanda had been one thing as she was a friend, but the Prime Minister was quite another.
I took a deep breath, the mobile from Agent Thorpe, and answered the call. I couldn't determine how to activate the speakerphone, so that left Cadmar out of the conversation. Agent Thorpe closed the door behind her and waited inside the penthouse.
"Hello."
"Mr. Heiden?"
"This is me. Good morning, Prime Minister."
"Is it?" he asked. "I wish it were. Have you seen the President's speech from last night?"
"Yes, on the rebroadcast."
"Good. I do not know who currently represents Jiyu right now, but the Home Secretary informed me that I should speak to you. Is that correct?"
When he asked, I found myself unable to speak for a moment, and my gut began tying itself into a knot. I left Jiyu to find David; I had gone to Earth for nothing else. However, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom expected someone to represent Jiyu, and while David had made me his proxy in One City, I wasn't merely representing him should I say 'Yes'. I would replace him, and that felt as though he weren't just missing, but gone.
Did I have a choice? Technically, of course, I did, but the life of a Jiyuvian couldn't hinge on technicalities. If I valued my honor, the decision was made. Cadmar had communicated his position quite clearly; he left me in charge, and I had agreed to that. Still, despite the quasi-predicament in which Cadmar's presence had placed me, at that moment, I couldn't have felt more grateful that he was there.
"Yes, that is correct," I said.
"Good. I hope you understand that I want to give you our full support," said the Prime Minister, "but we need an assurance that you will follow through with the promise to provide the technologies we need. We want to know that you have an investment in our mutual friendship."
"That's understandable," I said. "What about the claims made by the President last night? Are you not curious whether any of it is true, especially about the deaths of those three men?"
"We already know they're lying," he said. "When Mr. Levitt told us of the incident at the portal in Japan, we had it independently verified and obtained samples of the rock left behind to corroborate his story. Our people have assured me that the stones are not from Earth. And depending on how this conversation goes, I will make a media-wide denial of the American President's claims with a release of evidence for the world to see."
"We would appreciate that," I said. "This is too important to keep to ourselves. The truth is our best weapon. As for the technology, I currently have an original of our newest nano-programming device, or NPD. I will give it to you and produce a copy of the plans in a format your systems can read, as well as the software for the device itself. However, I have stipulations on giving it to you. The plans will come all-inclusive, so it also comes with the schematics and instructions to create the isotopic cell necessary to power the device as intended. If I give you what you need to build an isotopic cell, I want you to openly give the Americans that information too, and you should want them to have it."
"Why would either of us want that?" he asked.
"The Americans have demonstrated that they can produce a similar cell by analyzing the one in the older model NPD they possess; with Earth's technological ability, the cells are apparently not difficult to build, but they can be dangerous. The ones that the Americans use leak radiation and are somewhat unstable. They're only safe if they're made properly; when made improperly, they can be weaponized. The Americans know this and did so with the reconnaissance drones they sent to Jiyu from Japan. Currently, they only know how to make weaponizable cells. I want to give them the ability to make them correctly, so they can be held wholly accountable for any occurrences rather than giving us excuses."
"In that case, I will agree," he said. "The plans on the dark web do not include a power source, only the electrical information needed to run the device by a source of your own choosing."
"If you built a device based on those plans," I said, "I suspect that you'll discover it won't work. The uploader used a bit of subterfuge. I suspect they wanted to generate interest in the device so they could sell working models for an exorbitant price."
"So, when can we expect to receive the information?"
"David scheduled himself to return tomorrow, so I will give it to Mr. Haywood today. Speaking of enhancements, I have a question. Have you received the Foundational Enhancement?"
"No, I have not," he said.
"Amanda Newton hasn't either," I said. "Has anyone within the British Government received it?"
"I don't know."
"I find that curious," I said.
The prime minister, members of his cabinet, the entirety of parliament, and the house of lords were not above illness (surely someone would want the relief it could provide), and yet he knew of no one who had it. That's when I recalled something that Elena Lombardy said to me. I hadn't thought anything of her seemingly casual comment at the time, but what if it weren't so casual. She said, "I hope it hasn't compromised me." If I had paid more attention, I would have noticed it as a rather specific and telling choice of words.
"Why is that curious?" the prime minister asked.
"You don't think I should find that curious? You don't trust us, do you?"
"It's nothing personal," he said. "I am exercising caution. As the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, I can't afford to compromise myself."
That word again. "And you cautioned the other governmental bodies and their employees to reconsider receiving it based on those grounds."
"Yes, I did," he said. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"So, you left it up to the individual to decide?"
"I cannot speak to what supervisors may have said to their charges, but yes, I did."
"Then, no, I don't have a problem with that."
"Good." He changed the topic. "I would like to know how you plan to proceed. How will you respond to the American declaration of war?"
"He didn't declare war; he just made threats."
"Perhaps you've yet to notice," he said, "but the Americans love to declare war without actually using the word 'war'."
"Fair enough. How I plan to proceed is to proceed as I do. I have little choice but to keep going. The threats will not frighten me into giving up on our relationship if that's what you want to know. We won't abandon you if you don't abandon us."
"As I had hoped," he said, sounding relieved. "I must go in a few minutes, so I should make this quick. There are things I will ask you to do to protect yourself and your people. Eliminate your electronics or activate their flight mode. If you're connected to the network, they can find your general position, even when you turn off its GPS. You have in your hands a secure mobile. It will automatically encrypt calls and texts. The internet is shielded with our own VPN, so it's invisible. It sometimes has a bit of a lag, but it's worth it for the added protection. It already contains mobile numbers that you will need, but you'll have to move your most important contacts yourself. I also had it equipped with a removable two terabyte chip. If you can, the files can be stored on it and given to General Director Haywood at MI5. We took the liberty this morning to have that mobile set to your current number, and we disconnected your other device."
I immediately went to my mobile on the table and checked it; the service was off.
"I apologize if that's an inconvenience," he said, "or if you feel we've overstepped ourselves, the timing made it imperative."
"Well, you have overstepped yourself," I said. "The service was mine; I paid for it, but I understand why you did it. In the future, I prefer that you consult me."
"I will," he said, "you have my word."
I heard in the background some muffled talking and the Prime Minister telling them that he would be right there.
"Whenever you're ready, Agent Thorpe will take you to Thames House, where the director will meet you."
"Very well, thank you for your assistance, it's appreciated. I know you must go, so I won't keep you. Let's stay in touch, shall we?"
I explained to Cadmar and Sal the situation, and according to Agent Thorpe, the invitation didn't extend to Sal. He would stay at the penthouse unless his wife and daughter left for the airport, at which point he would stay in the Regency Suite to hold down the proverbial fort as I intended to move us there. If David or anyone else showed up, I asked that he call me immediately on the landline.
I hated to bring down the ship so soon, but I made a promise. So, I retrieved it from orbit on high alert since the Americans were gunning for us.
Thorp, Sal, Cadmar, and I waited on the balcony. When the ship arrived, I opened the hatch and entered the cabin.
"Will we leave in this?" Thorpe asked me as she attempted to climb aboard the ship.
I blocked her entrance. "'This' is the Berlioz, and while the cat may be loose, I'm not prepared to let anyone pet it just yet. So, if you will kindly excuse me, I have things to do." I insisted she exit the ship, and with disappointment, she complied.
"How long will you be?" asked Cadmar.
"If I'm lucky," I said, "only a few minutes, but I wouldn't count on it." I closed the hatch and settled into the captain's chair.
I took the mobile given to me by the prime minister and placed it onto the console. Having had the onboard computer interface with the internet satellite, it had familiarized itself with Earth-based computer language and given itself access to whatever knowledge it needed. So, when I had the computer analyze the phone to create an isolated software clone of it, it had little difficulty complying with the request. It would allow me invisible access to the mobile network without the device should that prove necessary. I knew from my experience with the ship, the Berlioz's computer held an enormous amount of data, including schematics for many pieces of our technology. I uploaded the NPD plans onto the mobile's chip in a secured file format, as well as the software and instructions for creating the isotopic cell. That took about twenty minutes.
While the files were transferring to the mobile, I thought about where to hide the ship. I had chanced enough bringing the ship down, and I hadn't wanted to place it in further danger by having it traverse an orbital distance whenever we needed it, to do so would provide a visual target. Venn hadn't exaggerated when he said it could fly in almost any environment, so I decided then that the best option was to hide it in the North Sea, east of London between England and Denmark. From there, the ship could reach us in less than five minutes, and I plotted a general location on the computer. It would find the best spot inside the chosen area. When I finished, I sent the ship off to the sea.
As it flew off, I slung my pack over my shoulder and asked Cadmar, "Are you ready, captain?"
"Ah, the work-face," he said, with a little smile. "I am, indeed, captain."
The previous day's gloom had dissipated somewhat, and the cloud cover had broken into pieces, but the air held the same chill. Thorp had the standard black Jaguar awaiting us when we exited the lobby, and she drove us to MI5's main building.
I don't know what possessed me to not realize it, but upon entry to Thames House, as with any secure building, one must pass through a security checkpoint to enter the more sensitive areas of the facility. Our escort, Agent Thorpe, went through first. Cadmar and I watched as she emptied her pockets and removed her watch, placing them into a tray for the x-ray machine. Naturally, they found nothing, but upon witnessing this, both Cadmar and I refused to comply.
"Why?" she asked.
"Sir, you must if you wish to enter," said the woman at the machine.
"Thank you, but no," I said in declination.
Cadmar and I both carried our packs and weapons and wore the watch Venn gave us that contained the beacon for the ship, but I also had a canister of nano-suspension and the NPD. I had no intention of letting anyone see any of it, especially on an X-ray image.
Agent Thorpe's attitude suddenly veered from the friendly poise we had witnessed to something less pleasant. "What are you doing?"
I made sure to appear as deadpan as possible. "Nothing more than I must. I'm not making a point."
"What do you expect these people to do?" she asked. "They have a job, and the director is waiting."
"I have a responsibility that supersedes theirs," I said. "I don't mean to be rude or obstructive." She scowled at me, so I made a further suggestion. "I will not go through security. However, if you insist that I enter, you can provide armed escort should anyone feel threatened by me."
"The same goes for me," said Cadmar, turning to the woman at the x-ray machine. "You might want to call someone who can make decisions."
Other people passed through inspection while we waited a few minutes for the head of security to arrive. Her attempt to force us through resulted in an emphatic statement from me that she would either allow us through, as we were, or Cadmar and I would leave. In the end, her intransigency to bend her security protocol, caused me to tell Agent Thorpe that if Director Haywood wanted what I had for him (and he would want it), he could find us in Victoria Tower Garden up the street sitting on the park bench closest to the memorial.
CHAPTER FIFTY
As we left Thames House, Cadmar questioned my plan. "Can we sit in a park in safety while at war with the Americans?"
"I don't mean to be picky over your wording, but they're not at war with us, but what we represent. However, the past should never pick a fight with the future. As it bombards every present moment, the future will always win. Besides, the Americans don't know where we are. I activated the GPS on my old mobile, and currently, it sits on the Penthouse dining table connected to the hotel's Wi-Fi."
"Clever," said Cadmar.
Victoria Tower, on the southwest end of the Palace of Westminster, loomed over the peninsula-shaped park, which consisted mostly of an open field of grass surrounded by trees. Cadmar and I crossed the street at the traffic circle and descended the steps next to Lambeth Bridge. A few supervised children played in the sunken sandbox, and Horseferry Playground near the base of the steps to the left, and a row of well-manicured trees lined the walkway to the right. Farther left beyond these, they had placed a row of raised benches and the wall that lined the Thames River.
The Buxton Memorial Fountain, a pointed edifice made of Devonshire marble, commemorated the emancipation of slaves within the British empire. It appeared appropriately ostentatious; an attribute common of the Victorian Era in which it was made. We passed it on the way to the bench, and I gave it a once over. It seemed a bit run down, missing some statues, and had water I wouldn't drink even in the direst of circumstances.
We couldn't see much of the river from the bench as the tide was out. We took up residence in the center of the wooden, thickly planked seating, and Cadmar waited for a jogger to pass before he spoke. "Is this private enough for a conversation with sensitive information?"
"I'm sure it will be fine. There's only the occasional jogger right now."
About fifteen minutes later, Agent Thorpe, two men from security, and Mr. Haywood, the general director of MI5, entered the park. He wore a beautiful pinstripe suit under his coordinating coat. Thorpe stayed away from the bench on which we sat and hung about the fountain, barely within earshot and security took up locations that made them look less conspicuous. Haywood hadn't said anything. He just took the full-sized brolly he used as a cane and tapped both Cadmar and me on the leg, indicating he wished to make a space between us. Once we had, he sat.
Mr. Haywood held the comportment of a calm, genial man who simply spoke to friends in the park. However, one should not judge by appearances.
"You are amateurs," said Haywood, "playing with things you know nothing about. I am the general director, I will not be dragged from my office again by the likes of you, I don't care where you're from. You allowed a simple security protocol to interfere with delivering critical information pertinent to the affairs of this great nation. But I'm here now, so don't keep me waiting."
I turned in my seat to face Haywood's profile as he continued to stare out at the Thames. Cadmar tipped his head back, knowing what was coming. I dug deep within me to find a relatively quiet voice with the exact level of contempt Haywood deserved just then.
"Let me remind you that this world has arrived here in large part because some leaders of this 'great nation', as you call it, decided to assault that nice man sitting to your right. As if this nation, by virtue of its greatness, owned him and could do with him as it pleased. That fountain behind you, that monument to the abolition of slavery, remember that? This country, this world, has made a mockery of the worthy goal of abolishing slavery because monuments like that are a lie. You haven't abolished slavery. You've merely redefined what it means to be a slave. So, don't give me that sanctimonious shit about your 'great nation', or how much you're above walking to a park for the likes of me. Because. You. Are. Not. Too. Good. If I refuse to go through security or anything else I may do, you can rest assured that I have a valid reason. You are not here on a whim."
I straightened myself in my seat and spoke in my usual casual tone. I informed him of what O'Byrne said to me. "Before I give you what you came for, I have something I wish you to know. Clement O'Byrne had set a trap for David, and I spoke to O'Byrne last night. He told me, and I quote, `If I give David to Jackson Scott, he will overlook us, just as he will a select group of elites the world over. The Foundational Enhancement is only an economic problem if everyone has it' end quote. I want it known, that if this great nation should even consider taking on such a despicable point of view, covertly sanctioning the notion that the alleged 'elites' should have the benefit of the enhancements available from the NPD that I give you, but not the so-called 'commoners', that will make me EXTREMELY disappointed. Do I make myself clear?"
"You do," said Haywood, his stare fixed upon the buildings across the Thames.
I opened my bag and pulled from it the small case containing the NPD, and I handed it to Haywood. I removed the extra chip from my mobile and handed it to him. He reached into his pocket, retrieved a small case for it, and with care, placed it into the container. He gestured to one of the security men who took possession of the items.
Haywood turned to me. "I apologize."
"If we can't be friends," I said, "we can at least be civil, and perhaps something worthwhile will develop."
"I'm not opposed to that," he said.
"Neither am I. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, director."
With that, he met Agent Thorpe at the fountain where she waited. They spoke quietly for a few minutes, and he left with his security detail.
We joined her at the fountain. "How the hell did you do that?" she asked me, whispering. "Normally, he would bite someone's head off for speaking to him that way."
I said, "It's a matter of tone, timing, location, company, and above all, don't be wrong."
Agent Thorp dropped us off at the hotel, and Jatin informed me that the guests staying in the Regency Suite had checked out. I inquired about the room for us, but once they placed it back into availability, the hotel quickly booked it for some other guest. I settled the bill for it, and when we returned to the penthouse, we found Sal sitting on the floor in the vestibule waiting for our return.
"I didn't know where else to go," he said.
"You did the right thing," I told him. "I apologize that I neglected to get you a key."
We hadn't been there more than three minutes when a knock came upon the door.
Sal hid out of sight when Cadmar pulled his pistol to answer the door. "It's a man I don't recognize."
The man had Cadmar's size and height with black hair cut in a classic side-part fading into a permanent five o'clock shadow. The right side of his face had several recent cuts and abrasions. He wore a tailored three-piece suit in charcoal with a blood-red, checked tie. He stared unfazed into the dangerous end of Cadmar's pistol. "No need for that," the man said holding out his credentials. "You can call me Merrick. I'm with Special Branch newly assigned to Jiyuvian Affairs. The prime minister has tasked me with protecting you, and I need to speak with you alone, Captain Heiden."
"I keep no secrets from Cadmar," I said, "and I trust Sal. So, if you have something to say then say it."
Merrick shook his head. "Non-negotiable. I have answers you will want. So, it's you alone, or you will never get them."
Cadmar stared at me, searching for a sign; he would accept whatever I decided. I took a deep breath. "Let's go onto the balcony."
Before Merrick followed me outside, Cadmar drew close to him, his synthetic eyes ablaze. "You hurt him; you die."
Merrick gave him a curt nod.
Once over the threshold, I door shut the balcony door.
"That man is fiercely loyal to you, isn't he?" Merrick asked.
"You had something to say."
"Yes. This has to do with David."
The moment he said it, my stomach dropped.
"One thing that I always admired about David was that he kept his promises. He never told you what he did for the British Government, did he?"
Like the Rabbi in Venice, his use of past tense had not gone unnoticed, but I hadn't wanted to assume anything.
"Nothing specific," I said. "He always seemed to dodge my questions, and he answered me in generalities when he finally did say."
"And he never mentioned me."
"No, so who are you?"
"What I will tell you, you cannot repeat."
"As I said, I keep no secrets from Cadmar, but then what you tell me may not be worth the bother of repeating. You have my word that I would only tell him the things that are important for him to know if anything."
"Very well," he said, "and that may be the case. My relationship with David evolved over time, but I will condense it for you in order of occurrence. I saved David's life. I befriended him, and I loved him here first. I was his confidant, and he was mine. And at one point, I was almost his mate. We eventually decided that having the foundational enhancement would hinder my ability to effectively shield him from the government's discovery of his secret. I worked for MI6. I became his handler, his trainer, and sometimes, his partner."
"David worked for MI6?"
"Not really, David was a government asset for many years, and when he wasn't acting in that capacity, he worked for Amanda Newton in her project to help cut government waste and loss. On the odd occasion that David's special talents were called upon, we would leave; I would get David in; he would do his job; I would get him out, and when we returned, there would be fewer problems in the world."
"Are you saying that the British Government used David as an assassin? I won't believe that."
"Unlike most of the world," he said, "I've seen and heard all of the surveillance the Counter Terrorism Command had on both of you from the source. Why do you think that Amanda Newton suspected David would kill Theodore Roberts that night when you were kidnapped? And why do you think she didn't blink an eye when he admitted he did, saying `one of them mysteriously died.' They used all that veiled talk for your benefit."
I must have stood there with shock written across my face, and almost immediately, my mind began trying to reason it out.
"I can see the wheels turning inside of you," said Merrick. "You're trying to find a way to justify this and rectify your thoughts and feelings about him, ensuring to yourself that he was indeed the man you knew. That's unnecessary. Since atrocities happen so often on this planet, one thing he frequently told me was, `I'm here, I feel I should help them,' and he did as much as he could. What those men did, they did with impunity; killing them saved tens of thousands of lives, perhaps more.
"I imagine that you're appalled by the whole thing, and you may not want to stare this world in the face and see just how ugly it is, but inside, you must know this world as well as I do. So, tell me, what is best among these choices? We know the men, in various parts of the world, who relish the opportunity to destroy entire villages, burn them to the ground, killing or enslaving its people. That happens so often, you would never hear about it in the media; It's non-news. Should we ignore that it happens? Should we take the legal route and start a war over it that would inevitably kill an untold number of innocent lives? Or do we let David, with his keen eyesight and incredible skills, pick off the ones who reveled in enslaving and killing the innocent who just wanted to live their lives in peace?"
"Why are you telling me this?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold ring with a diamond embedded into it. "Because David would want you to know the whole truth of him now that he's dead."
Turning pallid and clammy, I fell to my knees as though I were in the process of a stroke, sensing the ever-tightening gordian knot that both my gut and my life had become; it squeezed my racing heart and strangled my throat. The light, brisk breeze that swirled about my head chilled my watery eyes and refused to satisfy my lungs. My skin turned numb and icy beneath the jacket that wrapped me in warmth only moments before. I heard Merrick call for Cadmar and moved to help me as I collapsed into unconsciousness.
I didn't know Merrick, but when he said that David was dead, I believed him because I think I already knew. That's why I cried so much in the shower the night before. He would have sent a message to someone, but we had nothing but silence. No one else would say they suspected as much. Maybe even Pearce, Aiden, and Magnar knew. If so, that would explain why they insisted on Cadmar presence. Had everyone known but me? Was I being protected by the people who knew and given just enough information to slowly figure it out and accept it, rather than blowing my world apart with a news bomb? Merrick hadn't cared to spare my feelings, and on some level, I appreciated it.
I awoke on the couch with my feet elevated on the armrest. Cadmar sat next to me, his face the picture of compassion.
"There you are," he said.
"He didn't hurt me," I said.
"I know. Thanks to Magnar Sharing with me, I now know what a panic attack looks and feels like." --he handed me a glass of water-- "So, David's dead."
"So, he says." I studied Cadmar's face for a moment. "You have the hearing enhancement, don't you?"
Cadmar nodded. "I don't tell people, but I want no secrets from you."
"Thanks." I looked past Cadmar's shoulder to see Merrick standing behind him. "How do you know he's dead?" I asked him.
"I was there when it happened."
"Did you accompany David on the train?" Cadmar asked.
"Yes, but it didn't happen there. Without the protection of anonymity, David would have made a lot of enemies here. While we were in the tunnel, David received a voice-mail message saying that Jackson pointed the finger at him to several countries --so he was no longer anonymous-- and that they believed that the Sudanese were tracking his mobile. David immediately turned off his phone, and just in case, he destroyed the GPS tag he carried. We weren't sure anyone was following us, but the train held us captive, and the station in Paris would be a danger."
"David probably shouldn't have threatened Jackson to let Pearce go," I said, "but it did work."
"Jackson knew of what David was capable," said Merrick. "He took the threat seriously, but also they knew they needed to eliminate David if they were to target Jiyu and its people."
"What better way than to let someone else do the work for them?" I asked.
"That's true," he said, "but Phalin killed David."
Cadmar thought of it first; the shock of David's death caused it to slip through my thoughts, but as a practical matter, I'm glad he did. We were responsible for it.
"Where is David's pistol?" Cadmar asked Merrick.
"Phalin took it."
"What happened?" I asked.
"We always avoided these kinds of scenarios, but David wanted O'Byrne's information. We were careful about anyone following us, so no one should have known, and we accepted the risk. Cimolais sits along a single road. There's no other way to get there, and no other means of escape. They got us Friday morning on San Osvaldo Pass between Erto and Cimolais. There was snow on the road, so we had slow going. They shot through the side window of our vehicle.
"When they hit us, I couldn't drive straight and see to David at the same time. We ran off the road and struck a tree. They pounced on us, ensured that David was dead. The pistol was right there, so they took it and left. I couldn't stop them."
"Why didn't they kill you?" I asked.
"I don't know."
"Where is David's body now?"
"The authorities are holding it in a mortuary in Maniago, Italy, for you to claim when you can. They said they would take care of him for you as long as necessary."
I heard what he said, but my mind needed to piece together the evidence to know if his story was true. "Flying glass, that's how you cut your face."
He nodded. "David got most of the glass and several bullets, but a few bullets grazed me a bit."
"Let me see," I said.
He hesitated but carefully removed his jacket, which showed his right shirt cuff unbuttoned. He pulled up his sleeves and removed the bandages from his forearms. He had rather poorly rebandaged them himself and had underexaggerated the extent of the damage. A bullet made a gouge across his right forearm, but he had a hole in the upper left forearm that went all the way through. I noted, as he tried to put the bandaging back into place, that the fingers of his left hand were less responsive, and he couldn't button his right sleeve. Sal assisted with reapplying the tape and buttoned him up.
"Thank you," he said to Sal.
"I also have a shallow one across my stomach." He placed a careful hand on his abdomen. "Will you want to see that one as well?"
"No, that's not necessary," I said.
"You're not enhanced," said Sal, a bit surprised.
"No."
"Do you want it?" asked Cadmar. "It will repair the nerve damage in that left arm."
"And don't give us that 'compromised' crap," I said. "If you intended to help protect us, you should be at your best. Besides, if David's gone, you no longer have a reason to deny yourself."
"I can still use my weapon," he said, "my right arm is fine."
I rose from the couch and stood in front of Merrick, giving him a considered appraisal of his physical state. "I will give you two choices. You can take the nano-suspension and stay, or you can go home now to struggle with opening sugar packets at teatime all on your own. After all, the PM has no idea you've sustained any injuries besides those on your face, has he? He would never have sent you here if he did."
"I just got back this morning," he said, "and I kept my injuries from him, but he knows of David's death. He left it to me to tell you when he gave me the assignment."
"I've seen nerve damage like that before," said Sal. "Those men were never the same. Without the suspension, you'll lose your job. You can't hide it forever."
Merrick's gaze moved from Sal to me, and his eyes practically bore a hole through me. "I want to hear you say it; will it compromise me?"
"It depends on your definition of compromise," I said.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"The Foundational Enhancement will fundamentally change you, but if you worry it will control you, then no, it cannot do that. However, if by compromised, you mean, make you different from who and what you are now? Then, by that definition, it will compromise you."
"Then I won't have it," said Merrick.
"Don't be so hasty. That's a shallow definition. It takes no account of the human condition. We are never the same person from one moment to the next. Our experiences change us. The Foundational Enhancement is an ongoing experience that cannot help but change you, but it leaves you in the same position in which you've always been. You make your own choices based on your circumstance, who you are, and who you choose to be at any given moment.
"If you cared for David, his death has affected you. You have nerve damage in your left hand. You are not the same person now. By your definition, you're compromised, but that's just life. The Foundational Enhancement would affect you just as profoundly, but for the better. To deny yourself is like living with a disease that has a cure but refusing to take it."
"How can I know for sure?" asked Merrick.
"You knew David for several years," I said. "David had the Foundational Enhancement, and he was a good human being, smart, strong, brave, sensitive, kind, thoughtful, caring, and yet he still had flaws like any other human. Oh, how horrifying if that's what it means to be compromised."
"Will it make everyone like that?" he asked.
I began to get frustrated. "I guarantee you that Earth has people with the Foundational Enhancement right now who, sadly enough, have remained the same selfish bastards they were before they received it."
It felt so important that Merrick understand because I knew that David would want him to have it. Eventually, I poured a measure of suspension into a glass from the kitchen, and Merrick drank it.
I couldn't let go of David at that point. It felt too soon. I resolved to think of my newly acquired position as liaison with the British Government as merely an extension of David's proxy, and that allowed me a gradual acceptance of his ongoing absence from my life. Cadmar said nothing to me at first. He remained a supportive but not suffocating presence. He kindly gave me the space I needed.
We had little left to accomplish at that point, just pack up, make plans, and go home. Earth would function without me for a while. Merrick contacted someone who could release David's body to us. Since we had no way to keep it cold, the man in charge would allow us to pick it up at 1:30 a.m. that night, so we could leave London and retrieve his body under the cover of darkness.
Merrick received unusual news at midnight (8:00 a.m., Tokyo time). The British told the Japanese government of what had happened when I came through the portal the previous day, and that morning the Japanese declared the portal and the forest of Aokigahara to be a sacred and protected site, and they declared Japan a Jiyuvian safe zone. That prevented the American government from leaving any sort of garrison at the portal there or waging war with us over Japanese territory.
I felt too many emotions, and none of them were good. So, Merrick, Cadmar, and Sal sat at the table making plans while I gathered and folded David's things to pack into the canvas bag that I had brought with me. When I went to fold David's jacket a manila envelope the size of a seed packet slid from the inside pocket onto the bed. On the side in David's handwriting were the words, "For Rick, just in case," and beneath it, he wrote the date of the day he left. I figured whatever he had to say would probably only upset me, and we had things to do, so I told no one about it at the time. I slipped it into the pocket of my jacket and closed the flap for safekeeping.
We weren't exactly sure what we would face on the return trip. Cadmar parked the Offenbach in high orbit, and he left it in station keeping and evasion modes. When I recalled the Berlioz, it would just be Sal, Cadmar, and me. We invited Merrick to join us for a visit, but he couldn't. He was seeing someone. He showed me on the map where I would find the mortuary. He said he would continue to be assigned to protect us and gave me his contact information for when I returned.
Cadmar, Sal, and I barely spoke on the way home, the atmosphere too thick with solemnity for words, especially once we had visited the mortuary. As the next of kin, I identified the body; I had never done such a thing. They covered most of his face because of the damage, but it was him. Just then, I felt disconnected from what was happening, like it wasn't real, or my emotions wouldn't engage. Cadmar and Sal moved it onto the ship, and I knew it lay behind me inside its protective bag on the floor of the Berlioz, but I refused a second look.
When we arrived in Japan, the sun was up, and since the ship couldn't be tracked, if I were careful, our departure would likely cause little notice. I came in as carefully as I could and descended into the portal. I reduced the screen's intensity as the sphere enveloped us, and once we were through, I returned the screen to normal. They had moved the portal from the meadow. We found ourselves centered on the floor inside our Pantheon at the Quadratum. We had upon us the eyes of every visitor who came to see the new structure.
The moment we arrived on Jiyu, Cadmar called David's parents, Magnar, Aiden, Maggie, Pearce, and Rocke to the temple where I intended to land on the hardscape there. The oculus above us had more than enough room for the Berlioz to fit, so I took us up, out of the building.
I couldn't tell if any of them knew they would be given such terrible news, but we clung to one another sharing our grief and sorrow.
We had no means to store David's body, and most everyone on Jiyu opted for cremation, but David told Magnar long ago that he wanted to be entombed, and before David left for service in London, Magnar had taken it upon himself to ensure that if anything happened to him on Earth, his wishes would be carried out. As people inside the temple prepared to take David into the catacombs, I told Cadmar I wanted to be alone for a bit. I sat on the edge of the hatchway of the Berlioz. I had removed my jacket earlier, having left it on the ship. I pulled the envelope from my pocket, opened it, and read what it had to say. I have never known anyone as beautiful as David. His kindness and generosity seemed boundless, and he constantly inspired me, even after his death. By the time I finished, my head and face ached from the strain of crying over the letter's contents.
Cadmar called me into the temple when they were ready. On the way, I picked up two pebbles, and my friends and I followed the others down into the catacombs, beyond the gold door at the bottom of the staircase. David's raised tomb, deep within that room, lay right beside the one his parents shared. Cadmar stood by me as we watched them lowered David's casket into the vault, and everyone had good things to say about David. He was loved and admired by so many people. After having read the letter he left me so recently, when it came my turn to speak, I faltered and couldn't say one word for crying so much.
At the end of the gathering, a thewsbot carefully placed the heavy granite lid onto the base, like a massive door closing for all time, the deep rumble of stone echoed through the room with finality. Magnar had the cover carved long ago and depicted a sculpture of a young David sleeping there. I touched the stone face and closed my eyes remembering all the times I had with him. I couldn't have felt more grateful that I had had my memory enhanced. David lived in my memories in such wonderful detail, and I would carry him with me in my mind and in my heart.
I placed one of the pebbles on the tomb of David's parents and one beside the head of David's sculpture. I ran my hands down its arm and touched the hand as I turned to gaze up at Cadmar who stood beside me as most everyone else departed. Aiden, Maggie, and Pearce waited for us by the door. I took Cadmar's hand in mine, and as we left, I noticed that the name David Levitt had already been carved into the granite wall beside the names of his parents.
I never told anyone about the letter that David left me, but I carry it in my memory along with all the rest.
To my most beloved,
I don't know what happened, but however it happened, it has taken me from you, so with regret, I am sorry, and I apologise. You worried this could happen, and I should have listened. I find it difficult to write this in the eventuality that my actions here, whatever the cause, of which I have myriad, have led to my death. If that is the case, I have things I feel you should know.
For me, you were a beautiful gift bestowed upon me by circumstance, and I have treasured you. You brought joy to my life that I had not fully known, and I didn't deserve you. I have done things, disturbing, terrible things that needed doing. I don't regret them, but I regret what it made me, and then you came, with your innocence and polite, gentle kindness. You reminded me of life on Jiyu, and I wanted to take you from this place. How you managed to survive here all those years, and still be a loving, compassionate human being has amazed me.
I trust you, and although I know you trusted me, I wish you had trusted me more. I might have surprised you. Your letters to me have left out much that you had gone through on Jiyu in my absence. You hadn't wanted me to worry about you. And I would have, but I hadn't left you as my proxy solely to protect your standing in the community. I believe you are capable of great things.
I am so proud of you, and I am grateful to Magnar for allowing me to know that I had not misplaced my love, my trust, and my belief in you. He has kept me apprised of all that you sought to withhold from me. I don't blame you for it. We both knew that I would face opposition and challenges here, which have come to fruition. You didn't want to add to my burden.
On top of everything else you went through after I left, I know about the incident with Cadmar, and that you kept your promise to be faithful to me at a considerable struggle. You had no reason to feel embarrassed by it. However, I'm gone now, so move on. Magnar told me of Tamika's baby, that whole circumstance is unfortunate, but I had seen the way Cadmar had looked at you on our journey to Japan. I know you both like one another, and now, Magnar tells me that he believes Cadmar loves you. It's up to you, but if you don't mind taking the lead, you could do worse than Cadmar. He's a good man. No, he isn't me, but Magnar tells me that you aren't the same Rick I knew, less innocent perhaps, but more capable, and he promised me that he would teach you to defend yourself. I approve. You deserve to have that ability and the confidence that comes with it. If by now you've obtained that, lookout world.
Every time I told you that I loved you, I meant it, and I know you felt, and still feel, the same. We never let go of the love we feel for others, and that's as it should be, but that doesn't mean we stop having new loves. If you feel you can love Cadmar or someone you have yet to meet, do it. Live while you have the time. My time has come and gone. That's how life is. Live yours.
With all the love I have, I love you,
David
THE END.
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