The dirty silver metal might pass for steel but Eddie had a feeling it wasn't anything so simple. It was a square box that was three feet all around. On the top was a hole the size of the palm of his hand. A silver sphere sat in the hole, the top half jutting out of the top. Every few seconds a crackle of blue electricity danced across the smooth metal of the ball.
"Is there an off switch?" she tried hopefully. Just once doing something easy would be nice.
He circled the box once. No cords or cables went into or out of it as far as he could tell.
"Doesn't look like it," he replied quietly.
She sighed. "It was worth a shot." Nothing was ever easy.
Looking at the rows of computers in the room Eddie tried to think it through.
"Go that way," he told her, jerking a thumb in the opposite direction from where they had come. "See if you can find a control console or something. They had to have a way to operate it. I hope."
They walked in opposite directions. Jordan thought the place was creepy. The blinking lights cast strange patterns on everything around them. As she moved further from the box, a faint beeping sound steadily grew louder. When she had gone a hundred yards the computers cleared once again. Before her was what appeared to be the backside of a long metal bank counter. The back rose to nearly her chest. The bottom opened up about mid thigh to reveal cables, cords and wires. Small vents dotted the metal.
She rounded the side and stopped. It looked like something they showed in military ads on TV. The ledge was desk high and the panel behind it was littered with buttons, switches and screens of various sizes and colors. But it was stenciled writing on the bottom edge of the back panel that caught her attention.
"Eddie!" she called, "I think I found something." That's putting it mildly, she thought as footsteps echoed towards her at a fast pace.
"Oh yeah," he whistled, "You've got the touch."
"Got more than that," she said as he rounded the edge. "Look."
His eyes widened as he read the words: PROPERTY OF THE US ARMY. Shock smacked him upside the head with the force of a moving train. He smiled shakily and offered a high-pitched, strained laugh.
"This is" the words trailed off and he stared blankly at the object of his shock. After a few silent moments he managed to regain his senses. "Ok, this is big man," he tried again. "But it only leaves me with one really huge question."
"What's that?" Jordan asked. She thought the whole thing was pretty clear and it left her disgusted.
"Does the government know about the aliens or are the aliens high enough in our military that they can get a project like this green lighted?"
*******
He was rocked to his core by the words uttered by the young man that was his son. Obviously things in this world were very different. Things other than the invasion. The boy had said nothing of Eddie or Jordan and he wondered how greatly their lives had been altered by the one change that was glaringly obvious.
After blowing the Gua installation, Raine had given up her mission for his. In the process it seemed they had possibly pushed back the invasion but had ultimately failed. Not only had the Second Wave come, but Raine had died giving birth to their son.
Had she known the consequences of not continuing with her own mission? Or had it been fate or luck that led her to continue on? He didn't know. He couldn't possibly understand the whims of fate, destiny and dumb luck. But there was one thing he did understand with a perfect clarity he had never achieved before. Those people who had not given up their roles in life to take up his mission were right to do so. They had known, even when he had persisted, that that battle wasn't theirs. Raine had known that as well.
He rose on unsteady legs after placing a light kiss to the forehead of the dead boy. With one last look at his son he turned and left the cave.
The children were busy gathering items from the cave at Raine's direction. Blankets were being folded and water containers sealed. She looked at him worriedly and he offered her a weak smile.
"Are we ready?" he asked quietly.
"Almost," she replied, reaching out to touch his shoulder lightly as he came to stand next to her. "We're taking the blankets and water just in case."
"Good idea."
"You ok?"
He shrugged a shoulder. "I'm not sure I understand how the fate of the world can rest in a handful of decisions," he told her honestly.
Her smile had a hint of knowledge to it that he didn't think he ever wanted to know himself.
"Yeah, fate can be funny like that."
It was tempting to try to decipher the underlying meaning to her words but he just wasn't up to it. He was still stunned to know even part of the events that had led to this world. Emotion and questions whirled around inside of him. He wondered if she felt it too when she offered him an out.
"The kids tell me there's a back entrance to this place that doesn't require climbing."
Until then he hadn't stopped to consider how they would get the kids out. The older kids might possibly be able to descend on the rock face without being harmed, but the younger kids would never make it.
"That's a plus," he said, "How much longer does it take to go that way?"
"Tim says not much longer. It's not like climbing is speedy," she looked around the cave a moment. "He says the portal discharges some pretty fantastic lightning when someone comes through. That's how they knew we were here."
"How did Eric end up here?" The question was out before he knew it was coming.
If she was surprised she didn't show it. She never missed a beat.
"When the first kid slid through Eric saw the discharge. It had been a while since it had happened, so he came to investigate. He found Tim and knew he couldn't take him back to what was left of the city. The Rebels had become increasingly fearful of strangers. It seems they had killed several others." It made Cade think of the other people missing from years ago that Eddie had found. "So he decided to bring him here. Tim says Eric brought blankets, water and food here for him. When a few more kids had shown up Eric decided to stay here with them. He was already sick so none of the others would wonder where he disappeared to. He tried to make sure they were ok. As much as he could anyway." Pride colored her smile lightly when she looked at him. "He was a good kid."
He wanted to ask but he couldn't make the words form the question in his head. He didn't have to.
"It's the air," she told him. "They all die young here. The Gua did something to the air before they wiped out everyone who wasn't in hiding then tainted as much as they could. The air, the water, the ground. The Rebels found ways to make the ground and water at least useable, but not the air."
He didn't want to think how she had come to know the information. With one last look at the cave he asked, "We forget anything?"
Raine smiled as the kids lined up in twos. Younger kids had older ones in front of and behind them. She hoped they could keep them together in the sand. The sounds that had risen in the short time they had been here indicted the wind had picked up considerably. Moving to each pair she wrapped a blanket around them, taking care to cover their heads and as much of their bodies as possible. "Remember to hang on tight," she told the youngest, "It will help keep the sand out of your eyes." As she passed each by, she paused briefly to touch each of them. Cade had the feeling she was sticking some kind of mental beacon on them in case they were separated. The small flow of blood she wiped from her nose with the bottom edge of her shirt confirmed it for him.
When they had all been covered and marked she clapped her hands together once. "Ok guys, is everyone ready?" The kids all cheered their eagerness to leave this desolate place. "Ok then. Remember to stay together." A look to Foster had him moving to the rear of the group. "Time to go home guys."
*******
The blue sparks had become erratic as Eddie set up his laptop to download as much from the mainframe computer as he could. Since the writing didn't tell them all they needed to know, he hoped something in the files would. Jordan paced, keeping an eye on the bolts of electricity that jumped across the silver sphere.
"Almost done," he told her, his voice causing her to jump.
"How are we going to shut it down?" she asked.
"Hopefully we can find a shut down from here. If not we may just have to blow it." He looked at her. "Here's hoping that works."
She studied the sphere as Eddie clicked at the keys on the keyboard. "I was thinking" she started, her thoughts coming into focus slowly. "It looks to be some kind of electricity right?"
He looked up from his typing and nodded. "Seems like a fair assumption."
"If we reversed the flow, wouldn't that cause it to short?"
"If it's AC current then, in theory, yeah. But actually reversing the flow is easier said than done, why?"
"I got a plan," she told him after a moment of consideration. "You don't think that generator is a human creation do you?"
"No," he admitted. "The sphere looks a little too much like the essence spheres to suit me. Could be wrong, but"
"I was thinking the same thing," she confessed.
The laptop beeped at them and Eddie unhooked it quickly. Blue flared from the direction of the alien generator and they paused.
"Looks like we're running out of time."
Jordan frowned but couldn't argue with that. "They're not back yet."
It was a fact he was well aware of. He was also very aware that if they didn't shut the whole thing down soon it might open a portal that was big enough to swallow the whole town. The hourglass was dumping sand fast. They looked at each other and Jordan nodded. She knew it as well.
"We'll give them another five minutes," Eddie said. He hoped like hell his best friend would call him before then. He didn't want to have to blow the power source before they got out, but he would.
"Five minutes," she echoed as they headed back down the rows of blinking lights.
*******
Lightning split the sky ahead of them and they stopped in the blowing sand. Raine frowned and Cade moved from the back of the group to stand at her side.
"What is it?" he asked softly.
"Not sure." He felt it as the stillness surrounded her, then a brush against the back of his head as she reached out. After half a minute she let out a soft curse. "It's becoming more volatile. We're running out of time."
"Can we make it?" he questioned seriously.
"I don't know," she replied honestly. "All we can do is try."
He nodded and she started forward again, the children moving behind her. When they passed him he fell in line. The sand bit into his skin like stinging wasps and he silently wished he and Raine had blankets to help shield them as well. Desperately he tried to ignore that his irritation at the discomfort was just a distraction to the panic he felt at the possibility they'd be stuck here.
Spears of light cut across the sky again. This time a clap of thunder loud enough it shook his bones sounded just after the light faded. They were only a hundred yards for the place they had been spit out into the sand. There were no marks to let them know, but the spot was tattooed on his brain. He couldn't forget it if he tried.
When they reached the spot, Raine hesitantly held a hand out and breathed a sigh of relief when her hand disappeared through the veil of the portal.
"Ok guys, time to go."
Just then lightning fractured the sky again and she was thrown back away from the gateway.
*******
Both of them looked nervously at the glowing sphere. Bolts of electricity shot up from it, no longer adhering strictly to the metal object.
"It's been five minutes," Jordan said quietly. "We've got to kill it."
"I know," Eddie admitted reluctantly. Come on Cade, he thought desperately, I can't just leave you there.
"Give me that meter you had earlier," she directed. When he did she tore her attention away from the orb long enough to work the rubber grip off the handle. She handed the metal box back to the hacker and took a step forward.
"Careful," was the warning, "it might jump."
"Really hoping I don't give it the chance."
Twenty seconds passed before the glow faded and the ball was silent. She moved close then, touching the metal with the hollow rubber handle. Gingerly she coaxed the sphere to turn like a ball in a mouse until it had rolled a complete 180. Just as she started to move away the globe flashed to life. Electricity shot outward and sent her flying back. She slammed into one of the metal casings, her head impacting with a loud thump.
Eddie was by her side in only a second. Carefully but quickly he helped her rise. The charges were now jumping from the sphere to everything in the room. Sparks started flying as blinking lights blew. Florescent lights popped above them, the room growing rapidly darker. He scooped her up, wrapping an arm around her waist. He paused only long enough to grab the laptop he had dropped before he ushered her towards the door.
Another loud pop and a crashing sound came from behind them as they fled through the door.
*******
"NO!" she screamed as the streaks of light faded and the portal crackled closed. Panic rushed in as the floodgates of control were pulled back. The thought of being stuck here had terrified her before she had even known the things that had happened in this place. Now it sent her over the edge.
Eyes began to glow violet and Cade felt the stir of an energy born wind around him. Sand fell to the ground as the created wind crashed against the natural one. He gathered the children in a group and urged them close to the ground.
"Stay here," he shouted over the noise.
"Are we stuck?" asked a young girl with tears welling in her eyes. He thought it might be the young girl the teacher had witnessed disappear.
He looked at Raine and knew the answer. "No," he assured her, "I don't think that's going to happen."
The air around her flickered with violet light. Sparks of purple danced between her fingers. Energy swelled and he was reminded of the first time she had touched the Quantam Pocket. A glowing hand shot out. Brilliant sparks of blue and plum flared at the point of contact. They shot around her and into the sand, the spots they hit taking on a strange sheen. It took him a few seconds to realize those spots had become pieces of glass.
The bolts of blue and violet began to crawl up her arm and over her shoulder. Then they spilled down her body and he knew the instant they touched the scar left by the bullet. A connection he would never be able to fully understand or explain opened between them and he could feel everything as she did.
The energy gathered in their body, infusing everything it could reach with it. It rose higher, the charge prickling along their skin. Both their hearts began an arrhythmia as the current grew further. Breath stuttered in lungs. Toes and fingers began to curl, the muscles confusing the charge with a more natural one. Then she began to control it. To shape it into something more useful. Static left the extremities, flowing back up. Hearts jumped one more time before assuming their normal beating patterns. It crept back down their arm. When it felt as if it could be contained no more she hurled it, slammed it into that place the barrier had risen.
Lavender lightning ripped across the sky, tearing a hole in the very fabric of reality. Starting off as only the size of her outstretched hand it grew rapidly. Deep amethyst light swirled and churned with lilac light. The radiance wavered then snapped into place and steadied.
Raine dropped to the ground.
*******
They ran. Stone had begun to fall and tremors ran through the walls and floor around them. Jordan had steadied enough to run on her own without his help and he was thankful. They could move faster that way.
Sliding around the corner, Jordan nearly lost control. His quick reflexes kept her from slamming into the opposite wall due to inertia alone. The numbers were slightly luminous up ahead and she silently prayed they were the right ones.
"Bout time," she ground out, not breaking stride as she moved up the ladder as fast as her body would take her.
When she reached the top, she threw herself to the side. Plastic scraped against concrete as he shoved the computer ahead just before he cleared the hole. Neither took any time to speak preferring running for their lives to talk. Bits of ceiling rained down on them as they sprinted up the stairs towards the basement door. Wood cracked and the doorframe split. Like they were fueled by an explosion, the splinters of timber flew towards them. Jordan swore as one drew blood on her forehead. Eddie batted some from his face receiving one through the webbing of his thumb and index finger for his trouble.
They cleared the doorway and slipped on the debris in the slick hallway. Tucking heads down they ran full out for the glass doors that led outside. Bursting through, she tripped, rolled and somehow managed to jump back to her feet. Glass shattered behind them and the bricks of the building began to come down. They stopped at a safe distance and turned to look. Fire had started somewhere and was now raging through the structure, tongues of it flickering out of broken windows.
Both drew rapid panting breaths.
"How are we going to find them?" Jordan finally managed, her hands on her knees as she made a concentrated effort to control her breathing.
"I don't know," Eddie gasped.
Words were cut off as the breeze came to life around them. Searching for the source of the sudden wind, they both turned, searching the night for a clue to its origin. A blink of pale lilac light flared then faded away. Eddie grabbed Jordan's arm.
"There!" He yelled over the wind pointing to their left.
She saw it then. Another flash of purple light. This time it stayed, growing bigger with each passing second. Shades of purple swirled together and flashes of static skimmed across it.
"Raine," Eddie said as the portal steadied.
*******
He rushed to her side and gathered her in his arms. Memories of that day in the woods, her life's blood draining from her, inundated his brain. Screaming her name he turned towards the portal. The sight of the kids huddled against the sand brought him from the edge of panic. Looking at the kids, he started to speak, but Tim and Johnny had already taken charge. They gathered them all together by pairs as they had been before.
"Do we go through now?" Tim asked fearfully.
Cade started to answer but he didn't know exactly what to say. Without her awake to tell him, he had no way of knowing if Raine had succeeded. Then Jordan stepped through the portal and saved him from having to say anything. Blood stained her forehead and had run down her cheek but it appeared to be a small wound. Quickly assessing the situation, she offered a smile to the kids.
"Ok guys," she said cheerfully, "We need to hurry. Uncle Eddie is on the other side waiting for you guys."
Tim nodded and pushed the first pair of young children towards the portal. "It's ok," he told them. "We're going home."
"She ok?" Jordan asked Cade as she ushered another pair of kids towards the portal.
"I think so. She spent a lot of energy forcing it back open."
The red head said no more. With a nod she smiled again at the remaining kids and helped them through. Tim was the last of them left and when he was gone Cade walked through with Jordan, carrying Raine in his arms.
*******
Red and blue lights flashed brightly in the night. The beacons spun hurriedly across trees and playground equipment.
They sat in the swings. She looked like she might fall over at any second, but somehow she had managed to keep moving.
"What did you tell them?" he questioned quietly.
"That you were a private investigator friend of mine. That I wanted back up I could count on even if things got weird." Her voice was distorted and congested sounding.
"You told them I was a PI?" The thought made him laugh. He imagined himself with a long trench coat and a stylish fedora hat.
"It's mostly true. You investigate things" Her tone was a little defensive. She pulled the Kleenex from her nose and let out a soft ick. Her voice was mostly normal again when she continued. "I just didn't tell them what kind of things."
"I can stay if you want," he offered again even though they had already gone over it.
"No, you can't," she reminded him. "You and Eddie are jumpy as hell and if you stick around someone might start to wonder. I tried to take care of things here, but I might have missed something. We can't risk it. Not yet."
Even though he agreed he wanted to argue. Wanted to tell her he wouldn't let her slip away again. She kept nearly dying on him. But he didn't. Instead he tried to accept that her mission wasn't done.
"I know," he finally admitted. "I don't want to leave you alone."
"I'll be fine Cade," she assured him. "Nose seems to have stopped bleeding. Nothing else is hurt. A bit tired." Tired was the understatement of the century.
"Could you do it again?"
A slight shrug of a shoulder. "Don't know," she acknowledged. "Probably not from nothing. The energy was there. It was fading, but it was there. I just acted like a lightning rod for it. Gathered it as much as I could then sent it back. Tried to focus on Jordan and Eddie to make sure we ended up in the right place."
"It worked thank God," he said in a breath.
"Yeah."
"The kids are home?"
"Most of them."
"What are they saying?"
"Not much. Their stories are coming out quite jumbled and fantastical."
"Not surprising."
Silence fell between them. He had a million things he wanted to say to her but somehow he couldn't make sense of them in his own mind. She rose from the swing and he rose with her.
"I-" he tried but nothing more would come.
Raine smiled slightly and shrugged. "It's just the way it is sometimes Foster. But hey, the sex was damn good." She looked at the still smoldering daycare and sighed. "You need to go. They're going to want to talk to me some more soon."
Hands slid across her skin and cupped the sides of her face. Pale violet eyes looked at him. His aura rushed over her and she shivered. The kiss was gentle, full of unspoken emotion. When he broke the kiss, she nearly begged him to stay. Somehow she managed to hold her tongue.
"I'll find you guys again soon," she promised.
"We've got stuff to talk about," he reminded her.
"Yeah, we do."
One hand slid into her hair and pulled her forehead to his. The other slid down her arm and pressed something into her hand.
"I'll see you soon," he said softly.
She said nothing as he stepped away from her. He gave her one last look then turned on a heel and walk away. The sun broke the horizon as he reached the edge of the demolished building. Watching until he was gone she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
Ever so slowly she raised her hand so she could look at the object she held in her palm. The metal was warm and his aura clung to it which sent shooting tingles up her arm. Light flared on the edge of the band as the sun rose slightly higher and cast a beam of light on it. Swallowing hard, she closed her hand tightly around it. The wedding ring dug into her palm.
The ring slid onto her thumb as she made her way towards the flashing lights.
August 2002