Bridgebuilders Read online

  She brought up a display of Sun Headquarters. “While I was a prisoner in that little room, I wrote a bunny to help me build a map of the building. I hate not knowing where I am.”

  “Wait.” Ned shook his head. “You wrote a bunny? What does that mean?”

  “It’s a piece of computer code. We call them bunnies, because we can send them hopping through a system for us. And because if you’re not careful, they can multiply.” Amid snickers, Sarah zoomed her display out to show a grid of Sun Headquarters. She pointed. “Feldman’s office is right here. Eighty-fifth floor, east end of the building.”

  “If you ever need a job ...” Arkady shook his head.

  “Don’t work for the other guy!” Karen said.

  Ned clapped his hands together. “Let’s get moving. What do you need for this blood marker?”

  “Just your basic chemistry lab,” Sarah said. “I can do it for you.”

  “This way,” a man called out, and they followed him around a corner. People began talking about cleaning up the station while they waited for the action to start. Arkady assembled a team to work on the video feed and prepare to once again hijack the public broadcast frequencies. Sam watched as Andy worked out the coordinates for Feldman’s office.

  “Are you really thinking of staying around a while?” Andy asked.

  “Haven’t discussed it with Sarah yet,” Sam said. “I’m going to hear about that later, I can promise you.”

  Andy laughed. “I bet.”

  “But it’s your biggest advantage, and you won’t have it for long. Feldman’s been holding that chip for a few days now. I’m sure he’s had a team looking at it.”

  “No doubt.”

  “Provided we can access all the components, we can build one of these things in a few days.”

  Andy glanced up. “What was your original time frame for this mission? When are you expected back home?”

  “I was hoping we’d be gone for one day. We allowed for three.”

  “You’ve been here five.”

  Sam nodded.

  “What is your team doing?”

  “Waiting. We do have a fail-safe in place, that retrieves us after seven days. We have our own problems with secrecy, you see. Only five people in our world know about the two universes.”

  Andy whistled, and Sam propped himself onto the table, giving in to the need to confess.

  “The truth is, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble when we get back. Just one person knew of this mission, Sarah’s uncle, Jamie Andrews. He’s a Nobel laureate, and quite respected. The three of us head a research consortium, somewhat similar,” he shuddered, “to Sun. Without the drama and control, I hope.”

  “But given what’s happened here, and the reality of the political climate, I’m afraid we’ve put our world into terrible danger. Sun’s leaders will not ignore us, now that they know how to find us.”

  Andy rubbed a hand over his mouth. “Blimey. You do have a mess on your hands.”

  “We won’t be able to ignore it. When we get back, we’ll have to go to our world leaders. I don’t know what they’ll do.”

  “You have to protect your world from us,” Andy said, his voice deep with conviction. “Sun is the greatest danger, but not the only one. What if they try to invade?”

  Sam stared at his hands, rubbing them together in slow circles. He didn’t answer.

  “How can you keep helping us, knowing we might destroy your world?” Andy asked.

  Sam looked up, then. “Because you’re the reasonable voices in this world. You’re our biggest hope, Andy. You have to save your world, for our sake, as well as yours.”

  “The stakes are higher than ever then, aren’t they?” Arkady said from behind Sam. “I couldn’t help overhearing.” He pulled a chair over. “Your video feed is ready. I’d like to wire you. Ned, too, in case you get separated.”

  “Okay.”

  “Sam, you’re doing the right thing,” Arkady said. “Secrecy is a killer on this world. Everything we do needs to be out in the open. Full public knowledge will be our most powerful weapon. Even more than CERBO.”

  “It will have to be that way on our world, too,” Sam said. “We are both going to have stunned populations when all this comes out.”

  “They’ll live.”

  “That’s the idea.”

  Chapter 38

  Sam didn’t know what to expect when Feldman’s office appeared around him. He tried to be ready for anything, but he was not prepared for the bloody body on the floor in front of Feldman’s desk.

  Fortunately, Ned kept his wits about him. He aimed his taser squarely at Feldman’s heart.

  Feldman did not seem concerned about it, but he did sit back in his chair and scowl at them. “I can see this invention will require new standards of etiquette,” he said. “You might have called first.”

  Sam shifted his gaze from Dinnie Warner’s body to Feldman’s cold eyes. “What did you do?”

  “Don’t be naïve, Sam. It’s obvious what I did.” He waved an indifferent hand. “Dinnie Warner was a traitor. The penalty for that is death.”

  “In cold blood? Without judge or jury?”

  “Expensive time-wasters. Is there a reason for this visit?”

  Sam gave himself a moment. When he thought he could trust his voice, he said, “First, you should know this meeting is being broadcast in real-time. We’ve hijacked the public channels.”

  “Impressive. But the company you’ve been keeping are known for their lawbreaking tactics.”

  “If the people of your world know their history, they’ll remember there are sometimes lawless regimes, which require lawbreakers to change.” Sam sensed Ned shift behind him, reminding him to stay on topic. “But we aren’t here to discuss morality with the amoral. You have items which belong to Sarah and me. I’ve come to collect them.”

  Feldman rolled his chair back and Ned moved the taser with him, stepping forward as he did so. Feldman stopped, and raised both hands. “I need to open my safe.”

  “Where’s the gun you used to kill Dr. Warner?” Ned asked.

  “In my inside jacket pocket.”

  “Take it out. Slowly. Put it on the desk.”

  Feldman did this, his expression somewhat amused.

  “Sam, go pick it up.”

  Sam walked forward, glad that Ned came with him, the taser still on Feldman. Sam shuddered when he stepped around Dinnie, careful to avoid her blood.

  Ned kept control. “Please stand up, Mr. Feldman.” When Feldman did, Ned moved around the desk, and frisked him. “I’m sorry about that,” he said. “But you understand, we have to be safe.”

  “Of course I do, Mr. O’Malley. Do you understand that there are weapons in this room, as well as surveillance, which I do not control?”

  “We can be pulled instantly,” Sam said.

  “Yes, I see that you don’t have your CERBO with you. I assume Mr. Green is operating it? How is his young girlfriend, by the way?”

  Sam looked upward and shrugged. “The chip, please. And the journals.”

  After first obtaining Ned’s permission to move, Feldman led them to a small statue near the wall. He twisted its head in a complex pattern, and a shelf on the wall moved aside to reveal a small door with a keypad. Feldman entered a code and the door opened. He reached inside the small space and pulled out three journals. He handed these to Sam.

  “Where’s the chip?” Sam asked.

  “I don’t have it.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Oh, come now, Sam. Surely, with the events of today, you don’t think my superiors would let me keep such a valuable item? The fact that the two of you have remained alive in my office for this long is a sign of how far I’ve fallen. Regardless, I wouldn’t have the chip anyway. One of our science teams has it. Before you ask, I don’t know which lab it’s in. If I did know, I wouldn’t tell you.” He stood straight, as if proud. “I’ve made unpardonable mistakes, but my loyalty is not in question.�
��

  Sam heard Arkady’s voice in his ear. “Guards are coming. I’m pulling you out.” He didn’t have time to argue, or even take a breath, before the walls of NISS formed around him. Behind him, Ned sighed.

  “Sam,” Arkady waved a hand from his seat in front of the comm unit. “We still have the broadcast channels. Will you make a statement?”

  They had talked about this before leaving. It would be important to tell people what was going on. Sam supposed that, if Sun still had the chip, it was even more important to warn the world.

  He met Sarah near Arkady’s station and handed her the journals. She rubbed a hand across her grandmother’s book, then brushed a tear from her cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered, and kissed his cheek. Then they each took a chair, and began to explain.

  ~~~

  The next morning, Andy found Moira gazing in quiet rapture at the view outside the outer rim. The view was virtual, as the need for radiation protection prevented the luxury of windows. The station was wrapped in a sphere of water, which was encased between thick walls of RXF2 shielding material. The interior side of the outer rim was lined with floor-to-ceiling vid screens, for the enjoyment of the colonists.

  Andy knew the view was virtual, but when he finally found Moira at the wall the next morning, it mattered not at all. He joined her, lost in the wonder of the planet below them. Above and beyond the planet, stars filled the view.

  She smiled up at him. “All the time I was here yesterday, I never saw any windows. It wasn’t until this morning at breakfast that I got to see the view.”

  Andy nodded. “I kept thinking of that, too. Some of the bombs were planted on the outer rim, so I did see it. Couldn’t stop to admire it, though.”

  “I imagine not.” Her gaze turned back to the window. “I looked for you this morning, but you were in a meeting.”

  “Yes, and when I got out of that, you were in a meeting. Arkady tells me he offered you a place on NISS. But the Swiss offered you asylum, too, didn’t they?”

  She nodded. “They did.” She paused to take a deep breath before saying in a rush, “But I’ve decided to stay here.” Her eyes flashed back to his face, revealing her worry that he would be upset with her decision. “I talked with Hans Greigan, who heads the physics department. He said they could offer me a research position while I read for a degree. Arkady said I could attend school here, to finish any courses I need for the sixth form, and start my college courses. There are several students here.”

  He turned to face her, crossing his arms and leaning against the railing. “That’s wonderful. It’s everything we hoped you’d be able to do with the rebels.”

  “Yes. I’m very excited about it.” She stood close to him, her eyes on his face. “You’re going to Switzerland, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. It seems our best bet for neutrality, and for the facilities we need to build another CERBO. The fail-safe in their CERBO will take Sam and Sarah home sometime tomorrow, but I’ll continue to work on the project. The Swiss government has offered to assist us as we try to get the charges against us dropped. There’s also the mess at Strickert to clear up. Evidently, Feldman teamed up with your stepfather to create that news report. The Lioness doesn’t deserve what’s happened to her reputation.”

  “And Grace,” Moira said. “Please check on Grace.”

  “That is one of my first priorities, I assure you.”

  They were both silent, their shared burden felt without words.

  Then Andy smiled, and reached a finger to touch her hair. “I will miss you. But I know you’ll be in good hands here. It really is for the best.”

  “Yes,” she said, animated again. “Everyone says that. They have all told me how much better off I’ll be when I’m away from you. That I need time. Fortunately,” and she gave a short, bitter laugh, “they don’t quite say that I need time to grow up. Rather, they say I need time to learn who I am, so that I can know what I feel for you.”

  “It’s true,” he whispered. “I’ve said it myself.”

  “I am tempted to stamp my foot, and declare that I am old enough to know my own feelings.” She struck a pose, hands on her hips, and a foot pounded the floor. He smiled, enjoying the picture she made. After a moment, she smiled back and relaxed. “I can’t argue with the logic. But mostly, it occurs to me that you deserve someone who knows herself. Someone who is a whole person, who brings as much to the relationship that you do.” Her voice cracked, and she looked away, swallowing hard. When she spoke again, she sounded normal, although she did not look at him.

  “That isn’t me, not yet. I have so much life to live, first.” Her brows twitched upwards. “Arkady says I’ll be on my own, here. Essentially an adult, although I’ll have a counselor to assist me.”

  “This will be good for you,” Andy said. “You’re a very sensible young woman, you know. You’ll make good decisions, and find good friends, and you will have the time of your life.” He smiled because at last, she looked up at him again. “Do that, Moira. Have fun. Be at peace. When you’re ready, date a few fellows. Find out who you are, and while you’re doing that,” he held up a finger, admonishing, “be sure you stay in touch. I expect daily reports, at least.”

  She laughed, but there were tears in her eyes. “At least. I would go insane if I thought I couldn’t talk to you.”

  “We are friends, more than anything else, Moira.” His Pad buzzed and he silenced it, his expression remorseful. “It’s time for me to go. We’re meeting the Swiss consulate in Bern at half past.”

  Her hand shot out and gripped his. “I’m suddenly terrified. How do I live without you?”

  “We’ll talk again in just a few hours,” he said. “You’ll settle in here, and soon, you’ll be fine. I promise.”

  “Okay.”

  He pulled her hand toward him and held it against his chest. She had to lean toward him to keep her balance. “You have my heart, Moira. Take care with it.”

  “Always.” A whisper.

  He turned away, and left her there, knowing she watched him until he was gone. And he smiled, knowing that once he was gone, her gaze would return to the stars.

  Second Universe

  Epilogue

  Dublin, Ireland

  Two days later

  Jamie Andrews watched the swirls as his spoon moved through the teacup. If the answers he sought were there, they weren’t obvious. He brought his gaze back to Ireland’s president, who was rubbing her forehead as if she had a headache.

  She did this for a few moments more, then turned her attention back to him. “I wish you’d seen fit to bring us in on this several decades ago.” Her glance included Sam and Sarah in her disapproval, even though both were far too young to have anything to do with decades-old decisions.

  “Are you suggesting,” she continued, “that I contact the heads of state of every other nation, and tell them we must prepare for an interdimensional war? I would be laughed out of the room.”

  “They have the right to know,” Jamie said.

  “It may not come to war,” Sam said. “The most powerful force on that world was badly discredited. While a few megalomaniacs may harbor a desire to take over our world, I don’t believe they have the power to accomplish it. A few of the more liberal governments were already working together to prevent aggressive use of the CERBO. I’m hopeful they will be successful.”

  “Hope is not how one protects one’s country, Dr. Altair.”

  “No, of course not. But I do think it’s important that we consider what the nations of that world will want from us.”

  “Which is?”

  “Resources.”

  “What resources?”

  “All of them,” Jamie said. “Or any of them. That world is becoming toxic to humans. They will want water, food, air ...”

  “How can they steal our air? In fact, how can they steal any of these things? Can’t you create some kind of barrier that will keep them out? Or is there a weapon that would destroy their ... bri
dges, did you call them?”

  “Bridges,” Sam said. “And the answers are no and no, I’m afraid. As to how,” he shrugged, “they port in, set up a base somewhere, and begin mining whatever they need. When a large quantity is ready, they simply port it back to their world.”

  “This is the kind of thing we need to be watching for,” Jamie said. “They could be here, and we might not know for years.”

  The president stared at him, her mouth opening, then closing a few times.

  Sam cleared his throat. “The Sun Consortium already had my chip, which was programmed with the neutrino shape of our universe. The fact is, Madam, they may already be here.”

  “We need to offer them alternatives, in my opinion,” Jamie said. “For instance, they have the ability to travel through time, which will create a new universe. If they go far enough back in time—before humans existed—they can have an entire planet to mine.”

  “That is feasible,” the president said. “Then we have only the megalomaniacs to deal with.”

  “Exactly,” Sam said.

  The president placed both hands on her knees and stood. The others scrambled up, exchanging uncertain glances. “You’ll be happy to know,” she said, “that we do have an emergency world-wide alert system in place. I can be in contact with every head of state in a few hours. I’m going to ask you all to remain here. I am certain there will be questions.”

  She turned a sharp gaze on Sarah. “You did not go back in time to find your great-grandparents, did you? Do you plan on trying again?”

  Sarah shook her head. “No ma’am. We have discussed it, and we are certain that my grandmother would be against it, given the circumstances.”

  “I knew her,” the president said as a faraway look entered her eyes. “It explains so much about her, to know that she came from the future.” Her lips twitched. “I always thought she was remarkably far-sighted.”

  Her visitors smiled at this, and she continued. “I’ve tried to emulate her in that regard. I suppose I should continue to do that, while I encourage the other world leaders to do the same.”