With thanks to my beta readers: Rachaeljurassic and Sue Eastick
Moving On
"John!"
The urgent note in TIM's voice cut through the pleasant dream the young man was having. He leapt out of bed and hurried into the main room at the lab, fastening his dressing gown cord around his waist as he went.
"I have an urgent message from Stephen on the Galactic Trig," the biotronic computer said.
"Patch him through then."
"Stephen requested that all of you be here to receive the message," TIM said.
"Let's not waste any more time then..."
'Elizabeth, Mike, Andrew, Hsui Tai,' John called telepathically.
The voices of the other four Tomorrow People sounded in John's head.
'Yes John.'
'You all need to return to the lab immediately. We have an urgent message from Stephen coming through. And, before any of you ask, no it can't wait - 'urgent' means now!'
Mike had been performing with his group, 'The Fresh Hearts', at a local venue and Elizabeth had been acting as a chaperone for them. The two Tomorrow People had intended to stay overnight in a hotel with the rest of the band and were just about to go to bed when the call came. They made their excuses to Mike's band mates and stepped into the corridor, out of sight of the other guests, before jaunting back to the lab.
The other two were at Andrew's home in Scotland. The boy had gone to provide the monthly manifestation of ghosts. Hsui Tai had been invited to sing for the hotel guests after her very popular performance the previous month. They materialised in the lab seconds after Mike and Elizabeth, just in time to see Stephen's face appear on the viewing screen. He looked very serious and was silent for a moment as if gathering his thoughts. He took a deep breath and then hurried into speech,
"There's no easy way to say this. You must all leave the Earth... as soon as you can and... er... and..." Stephen hesitated, clearly at a loss as to how to continue. "Oh you tell them!" he finished abruptly, turning his head to the left.
The screen panned across and another face came into view.
"Tricia!" exclaimed John and Elizabeth together.
"You have to leave as soon as possible and you won't be able to return for some considerable time!" Tricia said.
"That's not all," Stephen's voice cut in, "It would be extremely inadvisable for any of us to make contact with anyone on Earth while we are away."
The shock showed plainly on the faces of the five Tomorrow People standing in the lab. They were silent for a moment then they all started to speak at the same time.
"What's all this about?" asked John.
"We can't just pack up and leave. What about any new Tomorrow People who break out while we're away? Someone has to be here to help them," Mike said.
"Yes, show them the ropes," Andrew put in.
"Mike and Andrew are right, we can't all leave," said Elizabeth.
"That's just what you must do," said Tricia.
"Look what is all this about, you can't just order us all to vacate the Earth without telling us why," John said.
"Well if you'd all just shut up a moment Tricia will be able to explain," said Stephen.
"OK, we're listening, fire away," said Mike. He'd seen the look on John's face and spoken quickly, hoping to deflect him from lecturing Stephen about his manners.
"As you know I've been keeping in touch with some of my old friends from the psychic research department and I had lunch with one of them today. What I found out makes it imperative that you leave as soon as possible. If you don't it's almost certain that we Tomorrow People will be wiped out very soon and there's a good chance there will be no more of us... ever," Tricia explained.
"Whatever it is that you've learnt can't be that serious. We know we're going to take over from the Saps eventually," said John.
"Peter – the boy from the future - assured us of that," Elizabeth said.
On the view screen they could see Tricia's puzzled frown. She shook her head as if to clear it then continued,
"I don't understand how what you were told fits in but, from what I learned, it's clear that - if you stay - things will get extremely difficult. Some of my old colleagues have got very edgy about our superior powers. There's going to be a meeting early next week to discuss what to do about us. They consider that we pose a threat to national security."
"Your friend told you all this? Has she forgotten that you're one of us?" asked John.
"Well she didn't exactly tell me," Tricia replied, looking slightly embarrassed.
"What do you mean?" asked Hsui Tai.
There was a momentary silence then Mike spoke,
"You read her mind!" he said accusingly.
"I didn't do it on purpose. You know I try to respect the privacy of my friends but her thoughts were so strong I couldn't help but pick up on them. And it's just as well that I did. From what I can gather you are going to be given a stark choice. Either you allow yourself to be used for military purposes or you'll be incarcerated."
"But we'd be no use to the military. We can't kill, you know that. Nor can we do anything that we know will cause harm to anyone. They can't force us into going against that," protested Andrew.
"The fact that we can't kill won't stop them. They'll use any trick to try and fool us into helping them, just like when Colonel Masters and I tricked Elizabeth into bringing the doctored Russian dolls back that time. Any Tomorrow Person who doesn't fall for their tricks will be kept locked up instead - under permanent sedation. They're terrified that we'll be used by another major power. And, even worse, there are some Saps who hate all that we stand for so much that, given an excuse, they'll kill us," Tricia said.
"But the Tomorrow People will prevail, we know that for a fact," John said stubbornly.
"Well I can't see how," Tricia said.
"I'm not leaving unless we have definite evidence that we are in real danger," John said.
"I'm sorry John but I think that Tricia is right," said Stephen.
"It's easy for you Stephen; you're not based on Earth now anyway," Elizabeth said.
"I vote we stay," said Mike.
"But maybe we're meant to leave. Perhaps by staying we'll change the future?" Andrew said thoughtfully.
"What do you think TIM?" asked Elizabeth.
"Well Peter did make it clear that the Saps will no longer rule the Earth in the future but Andrew has a point, it is possible that you do have to leave to ensure that particular timeline is preserved."
They seemed to have reached an impasse. John and Mike adamant that they were staying on Earth, Tricia and Stephen equally determined that they should leave. Hsui Tai, Andrew and Elizabeth were much less sure about the best course of action.
Just as the silence in the lab was becoming unbearable Peter materialised.
"Talk of the devil," Mike muttered.
Peter ignored the comment and launched into speech,
"I'm sorry but Tricia and Stephen are right. You do need to leave, all of you. The Saps, as you call them, have to be convinced that you don't have any interest in returning to Earth. Everything has to go, including this lab and TIM. All traces of you must be gone."
"I don't understand why you are here Peter. I thought you weren't allowed to influence our lives in case you change the future," said Hsui Tai.
"Must be one of those paradoxes," said Andrew, "you know... 'will happen, has happened', that sort of thing."
"Andrew's right," said Peter, "in my time this has already happened. You did leave and therefore you have to. If you don't then the future will be changed and the Tomorrow People will not prevail. To preserve the timeline I'm allowed to give you enough information to persuade you to leave."
"But surely it would be better for at least one of us to stay. Just to help out any new Tomorrow People," said Mike.
"In my timeline there were no new break outs for at least a decade. In around ten years from now new Tomorrow People will emerge. Their powers will be stronger than yours. They'll be able to teleport much further without the help of a computer and communicate telepathically over longer distances than you. They will still have to learn to use their powers just as you did but once they get used to them they'll be in a much better position to protect themselves. What Tricia and Stephen told you is right. If you don't leave now there'll be no more Tomorrow People in the future, you'll die out here and now and all of the future will be changed. You must go, you must make it clear that you're not coming back and that you have no further interest in events on Earth. It means that, once you have left, it won't be safe for you to contact anyone here – not even those people you are closest to. The Saps will be monitoring your families and friends carefully to see if you get in touch," Peter said.
"Are you telling us that we can never come back?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, I'm saying that the Saps have to be convinced that you aren't going to return," Peter replied.
"So we will come back come back then. In the future I mean?" Tyso asked.
"I didn't say that either. Look, you know as well as I do that I can't tell you what's going to happen."
"But you did say that you're allowed to give us enough information to persuade us to leave. Well you haven't convinced me yet," Mike said.
"Oh all right, I'll tell you! At least one of you will return in the future and will help newly emerging Tomorrow People just as you all do now. But, if you don't leave, then there won't be anyone around who needs your help. That's all I'm going to tell you so please don't ask me any more," Peter said.
The five Tomorrow People in the lab looked at one another. There was a long silence. Finally John spoke,
"All right we'll do what you say. We'll need some time to arrange everything though."
"If Tricia's information is correct, and there is no reason to doubt that it is, the Saps will hold their meeting next week. It will take them a little time to finalise their plans so I would estimate that you have just under a week," TIM said.
Having secured their agreement, Peter bid the young people farewell and dematerialised.
Stephen said, "Look on the bright side, with the massive reorganisation of the Galactic Federation going on, there'll be plenty for us all to do. They'll be very glad of our input."
"Right now that isn't a lot of consolation," Elizabeth said sadly, thinking of all the family and friends that she would have to leave behind.
"It will not be easy for us but at least we will have each other," Hsui Tai said gently.
"I'm sorry to be the bearer of such awful news," Tricia said as she broke the connection to the others and her image faded.
The view screen went blank and the five Tomorrow People in the lab looked at one another in disbelief. They seemed unable to move, they were so stunned.
They were shaken out of their temporary paralysis when they suddenly became aware that people were materialising on the jaunting pad. John reached for a stun gun but then relaxed as the shapes solidified into Tyso, Kenny and Carol.
"Stephen and Tricia put us in the picture and we decided you could use our help," said Carol.
"Besides I want to say goodbye to my mum," Tyso put in.
"The other two will be along to help as soon as they can get away," Kenny said.
There followed five days of intensive activity taking apart everything that could be dismantled, saying farewell to family and friends and removing all traces of their activities. TIM suggested that they inform the Prime Minister that they were leaving the Earth permanently and Tricia and Elizabeth jaunted into his private office to put him in the picture. He seemed saddened but not surprised and both women sensed that he was also relieved. They suspected that he had tried unsuccessfully to allay the fears of the Saps who were plotting against them and was happy that the plan would not come to fruition.
At last everything was cleared away, everything except the jaunting pads and the portable table that housed TIM. All ten Tomorrow People were together in the lab.
"What are we going to do about... er...," Kenny's voice tailed off and he gestured towards the bio-computer.
"You heard what Peter said. You cannot leave anything behind that might indicate you intend to return. That includes me," TIM said.
"We can't destroy you TIM. We can't kill, you know that," Hsui Tai said.
"I consist of biotronic Artificial Intelligence therefore, strictly speaking I am not alive, destroying me would not be killing," TIM said calmly.
"Don't be silly TIM. You may not be alive in the same sense that we are but you are capable of thought. We think of you as alive so I don't think that we'd be able to bring ourselves to shut you down permanently," Elizabeth said.
"Tyso has shown that he can kill non-human life forms. Therefore he, at least, could shut me down."
"Can't we just take you with us?" Andrew asked.
"I would not be useful on the Galactric Trig. I was built to help Tomorrow People here on earth. You would be better advised to concern yourself with how new break-outs will manage."
"That's true and I've been giving quite a lot of thought to the emerging Tomorrow People of the future and I'm really worried that, without guidance, they will get stuck in hyperspace the first time they jaunt," Carol said.
"Well maybe one of us should stay behind," Tyso suggested hopefully.
"You mean you think that you should stay. I've got family as well you know and there's the band to consider – we've just been offered a deal with Salmon & Clarke records," Mike said.
"I think it should be me that stays. My dad needs me to conjure up the ghosts for the hotel guests," Andrew said.
"Oh yes, that's a really good idea Andrew. I'm sure the Saps will never put two and two together and realise that the manifestations are being produced by one of us Tomorrow People," Mike said sarcastically.
"I'd be the best one to leave behind. I'm a gypsy, I'm used to staying one jump ahead of the authorities," Tyso said.
"Don't be silly, none of us can stay. Tyso, I agree that you are more than capable of dodging gamekeepers - and maybe even the local constabulary - but we're talking about the secret service here. There's no way you can hide from them for long. They'll circulate your description to every police station in the country and probably all the military bases as well. You'd be forever looking over your shoulder," John said.
"I'm sorry Tyso but John's right. I know you'll miss being able to pop down to Earth and see your family whenever you feel like it but you must see that you can't," Elizabeth said.
"The Saps will stop at nothing, they'll offer rewards for your capture. If that doesn't work, they'll start threatening your family and friends. No-one you care about will ever be safe again," Tricia said.
"Okay, okay so none of us can stay and the new Tomorrow People will have to take their chances," Tyso said sulkily.
"I think we need to set up something to help them out. Any suggestions TIM?" Stephen asked.
"I agree that they will need help, otherwise the risk of them jaunting and being lost forever is very high. But you must maintain telepathic silence, any evidence that you are still concerned about the affairs on earth could have serious consequences. The new Tomorrow People will need some other form of guidance. I have been giving considerable thought to this matter and there is a course you can adopt which will help secure their future and alleviate the need to destroy me," said the bio-computer.
"We can use you?" asked Hsui Tai.
"That would be advisable. I suggest that I am transported to a remote island, hidden using the Spectra Shift and given a beacon to which newly emerging Tomorrow People will be drawn when they jaunt."
"You think that would be okay? What if the Spectra Shift fails and the Saps discover you? Elizabeth asked.
"Don't forget that Peter said that unless we remove all traces of ourselves then the timelines will be altered. We don't want to risk the whole future of people like us," John said.
"Well I say we should do what TIM suggested. There won't be any future Tomorrow People if the first thing they do is jaunt into hyperspace and get lost forever. The Spectra Shift isn't likely to go wrong. I say it's worth the tiny risk of the Saps finding TIM," Stephen said.
"Stephen is right. The equipment is unlikely to fail. However it would be advisable to disguise me in some way so that the Saps will not connect me with you should they locate me," TIM said.
"As a spaceship perhaps," suggested Tyso, laughing.
"Actually that's a good idea. The Saps are always eager to believe that they've had visitors from outer space. That's probably more palatable to them than accepting that the threat to their status quo comes from us here on Earth. Housing TIM as a spaceship is an excellent plan. I say we go ahead," said John.
"Okay if you sure," said Elizabeth.
"I still have doubts even if the rest of you think it's a good idea. You don't know as much about the methods of these people as I do. I think that any risk is too dangerous," Tricia said.
"Well I reckon that we should go ahead and set up the beacon. If we aren't meant to do it then we'll probably have another visit from Peter," Andrew remarked.
"Yes, if Peter doesn't show up then we're doing what we should. It's another one of those 'has happened, will happen, must happen', sort of things that Andrew was on about earlier," said Mike.
"Okay Stephen you're with me. I'm sure that we can build something between us," said John.
"While you're doing that, the rest of us will go and say our final goodbyes to our families," Elizabeth said.
...
John and Stephen were engrossed in their task when the others re-materialised in the lab.
"Time to leave," said Carol, with tears in her eyes.
John and Stephen watched as the other Tomorrow People stood on the jaunting pads for the last time and teleported away. Then the two young men returned to their task with renewed vigour. A couple of hours went by and then Stephen spoke,
"Okay we're done TIM. Your spaceship 'home' looks great!"
"We'll programme you to destroy the jaunting pad as soon as we're clear and then you can use a matter transporter to get to the new location. Things are set up to make it look as though the ship's been around for centuries. That way, even if the Saps do discover it, they'll never connect it with us. Will you just run a check on everything before we leave?" John said.
"The co-ordinates for the new location are correctly programmed in, the Spectra Shift is working so I will blend into the background once I have matter transported there and the beacon is operational. I will maintain telepathic silence until the new Tomorrow People emerge. Everything is ready... it is time that you left," TIM replied.
John and Stephen looked around one last time. It was hard to believe that there had once been a lab in the disused station, so thoroughly had it been cleared. As soon as they were gone TIM destroyed the jaunting pads and matter transported away. All traces of the Tomorrow People were gone.
...
Years passed and TIM maintained telepathic silence as agreed, waiting and waiting for the day when new Tomorrow People would emerge. Everything was very quiet and still until one day an undersea volcanic eruption caused a tsunami to wash over the island and smash into the bio computer. The Spectra Shift was damaged beyond repair. Luckily the spaceship which housed TIM was half buried in the sand by the force of the wave and hidden from any ships that happened to pass by. All but one single arm had sunk below the sand. The beacon that was intended to attract teleporting creatures broke off and floated a little way out to sea, jamming itself on the seabed. TIM's vocal and memory circuits were badly damaged.
...
More years went by. TIM was still waiting patiently when a young man, appropriately named Adam Newman, teleported without realising what he was doing and found himself in the sea by the beacon. He swam to shore and spotted the spaceship. He started to clear the sand away from it so as to get a better look. Recognising a telekinetic touch TIM opened the door and Adam fell down into the body of the ship.
How I did I get here? Adam wondered, as his fingers tentatively touched the control panel.
The bio computer picked up the young man's thoughts and, because they were in physical contact, was able to use telepathy to communicate with him. TIM's damaged circuits made it difficult for Adam to understand all that the computer was trying to convey but he did get the gist of the message -
'You are a teleporting, telekinetic, telepathic person. The next stage in the development of humankind,' TIM had transmitted.
The young man also picked up that he was being told that there were others with the same powers and that they were part of an emerging race of people.
"Others?" Adam said aloud. "Who are we?"
'The Tomorrow People,' replied TIM.