Chapter 7
Rachel left us to get into position. If the Chee would not help us, though I thought they would, she still needed to be able to continue the timeline and kill Tom. I did not tell the General or Yahal what we meant by the Chee. The Chee were a race of sentient androids created thousands of years ago by a race so advanced they had forgotten about war. The Chee are hardwired for nonviolence, and because of that, when another alien race came to destroy their creators, they could not save them. The Chee escaped to earth, where they have been hiding since the building of the pyramids. When they came, they infused the essence of the Pemalites, their creators, into wolves, and dogs were formed from that union. Rachel, Ax, Tobias, Jake, Marco, and I were the only humans who know about the Chee, although Toby also knew about them. They have helped us more times than I can count, as well as helping the Hork-Bajir. However, three years ago - that is, today - Jake kidnapped Erek, one of the Chee, and forced him to help us with creating holograms and other things by threatening to order a slaughter if he did not help us. Afterwards, I wanted to apologize, but I knew it was impossible. We used him, and abused his programming. None of this had happened yet in this time. And now, we had to ask of their help again.
I flew toward the wrecked city. I had to stay low. I knew that my other self from the past was nearby, and Marco from the past was looking for the Chee just like I was. I thought. I looked down, and saw his familiar features ducking between the ruins of our hometown. I landed behind some still-standing, ruined, burnt-out buildings, and morphed fly. I thought, as I realized that the only thing of any interest to my fly brain was the various body odors oozing out of Marco's pores. I zipped over to where he was, did a flip in midair, and zoomed into his sleeve. There, I landed on the rough fabric of his t-shirt. I waited. After about an hour, I felt the air growing colder, and a breeze pushing me upwards. I realized that we were going down. I thought, but I must have said it aloud, because Marco said "What?" I was quiet after that, and I guess he decided he was hearing things. When I felt his stop, I flew out from his sleeve, and went to a closed off area. Then, I demorphed, and remorphed into wolf. I hoped that if I slunk low to the ground, I would appear to just be a large, shaggy dog. I milled around, playing with the other dogs, all the while watching to see when Marco left. As soon as he did, I demorphed, and walked up to an android.
"Excuse me, but where is Mr. King?" I asked. It is nearly impossible to distinguish between the androids in their normal state, as they were now. The Chee turned around, and told me where I could find him. I walked off in that direction, and eventually bumped into him.
"Mr. King," I said. "I have a favor to ask of you and another Chee."
He fixed his chrome, doglike face on me. "Cassie? What are you doing here? What do you want from me?" His voice sounded hostile, although I knew he could not hurt me. "Marco just took Erek, for no good, I presume."
I looked down. I knew that they would be angry, but I did not expect this. How could I ask for help? "You're not going to believe this, but I am Cassie from three years in the future," I said, and took a deep breath. "I was trying to leave the solar system in a space ship, and it was hit by a meteor. It opened a rip in the time-space continuum, and I ended up here. I know what is going to happen today. I know that today, my best friend is going to die, after killing her cousin. I know that the deaths of those two people will send my true love into clinical depression. I know that the death of Rachel will cause Tobias to disappear for two years. I know that today will ruin the lives of my closest friends."
He continued to stare at me.
"I figured out a way to save them though. Doing so, however, will screw up the timeline, and I do not know what will happen then. I do not want to know what would happen if the timeline was ruined. But if you and another Chee were to project holograms of Rachel and Tom, and say the things exactly how I tell you to, we can save them without changing the timeline. Please, can you help me?" I looked at him, pleading.
"You know I have to," he said. "My programming will force me to. It saves lives." His hologram of a middle-aged human flickered back on. His projected face had a frown. "I'll go get Lourdes."
He turned around and left, but returned a few moments later with a Chee which looked like an elderly bag lady. "Alright, Cassie, what is the scene we need to play out?"
I looked at both of them, waiting for my command. I suddenly felt all the pressure Jake must have felt all these years. I closed my eyes and opened them again. With that, I told them every little action, every word I could remember that Rachel and Tom said in their final moments, knowing that they would remember all that I said, being androids. After I finished, I looked at them hopefully, pleadingly, as I asked if they could do it. Yes, they answered. Yes. I only needed to get the real Rachel and the real Tom out of the way.
Rachel left us to get into position. If the Chee would not help us, though I thought they would, she still needed to be able to continue the timeline and kill Tom. I did not tell the General or Yahal what we meant by the Chee. The Chee were a race of sentient androids created thousands of years ago by a race so advanced they had forgotten about war. The Chee are hardwired for nonviolence, and because of that, when another alien race came to destroy their creators, they could not save them. The Chee escaped to earth, where they have been hiding since the building of the pyramids. When they came, they infused the essence of the Pemalites, their creators, into wolves, and dogs were formed from that union. Rachel, Ax, Tobias, Jake, Marco, and I were the only humans who know about the Chee, although Toby also knew about them. They have helped us more times than I can count, as well as helping the Hork-Bajir. However, three years ago - that is, today - Jake kidnapped Erek, one of the Chee, and forced him to help us with creating holograms and other things by threatening to order a slaughter if he did not help us. Afterwards, I wanted to apologize, but I knew it was impossible. We used him, and abused his programming. None of this had happened yet in this time. And now, we had to ask of their help again.
I flew toward the wrecked city. I had to stay low. I knew that my other self from the past was nearby, and Marco from the past was looking for the Chee just like I was. I thought. I looked down, and saw his familiar features ducking between the ruins of our hometown. I landed behind some still-standing, ruined, burnt-out buildings, and morphed fly. I thought, as I realized that the only thing of any interest to my fly brain was the various body odors oozing out of Marco's pores. I zipped over to where he was, did a flip in midair, and zoomed into his sleeve. There, I landed on the rough fabric of his t-shirt. I waited. After about an hour, I felt the air growing colder, and a breeze pushing me upwards. I realized that we were going down. I thought, but I must have said it aloud, because Marco said "What?" I was quiet after that, and I guess he decided he was hearing things. When I felt his stop, I flew out from his sleeve, and went to a closed off area. Then, I demorphed, and remorphed into wolf. I hoped that if I slunk low to the ground, I would appear to just be a large, shaggy dog. I milled around, playing with the other dogs, all the while watching to see when Marco left. As soon as he did, I demorphed, and walked up to an android.
"Excuse me, but where is Mr. King?" I asked. It is nearly impossible to distinguish between the androids in their normal state, as they were now. The Chee turned around, and told me where I could find him. I walked off in that direction, and eventually bumped into him.
"Mr. King," I said. "I have a favor to ask of you and another Chee."
He fixed his chrome, doglike face on me. "Cassie? What are you doing here? What do you want from me?" His voice sounded hostile, although I knew he could not hurt me. "Marco just took Erek, for no good, I presume."
I looked down. I knew that they would be angry, but I did not expect this. How could I ask for help? "You're not going to believe this, but I am Cassie from three years in the future," I said, and took a deep breath. "I was trying to leave the solar system in a space ship, and it was hit by a meteor. It opened a rip in the time-space continuum, and I ended up here. I know what is going to happen today. I know that today, my best friend is going to die, after killing her cousin. I know that the deaths of those two people will send my true love into clinical depression. I know that the death of Rachel will cause Tobias to disappear for two years. I know that today will ruin the lives of my closest friends."
He continued to stare at me.
"I figured out a way to save them though. Doing so, however, will screw up the timeline, and I do not know what will happen then. I do not want to know what would happen if the timeline was ruined. But if you and another Chee were to project holograms of Rachel and Tom, and say the things exactly how I tell you to, we can save them without changing the timeline. Please, can you help me?" I looked at him, pleading.
"You know I have to," he said. "My programming will force me to. It saves lives." His hologram of a middle-aged human flickered back on. His projected face had a frown. "I'll go get Lourdes."
He turned around and left, but returned a few moments later with a Chee which looked like an elderly bag lady. "Alright, Cassie, what is the scene we need to play out?"
I looked at both of them, waiting for my command. I suddenly felt all the pressure Jake must have felt all these years. I closed my eyes and opened them again. With that, I told them every little action, every word I could remember that Rachel and Tom said in their final moments, knowing that they would remember all that I said, being androids. After I finished, I looked at them hopefully, pleadingly, as I asked if they could do it. Yes, they answered. Yes. I only needed to get the real Rachel and the real Tom out of the way.
