Success! Pem knew immediately when his plan finally came to fruition. He could sense the shudder as the timeline realigned. The sense of nausea that twisted his gut and the memories crawling through his head heralded his success. Because he had wrought the change, his old memories remained, memories of oppression by the Time Board, memories of humiliation dealt out by Admiral Morton… But he also was forming new memories… Memories of an Admiral Harriman Crane, born because his ancestor had met and eventually married Sharon Nash. Pem giggled at that. If Crane were like his ancestor, he might be looser, sunnier, easier to get along with. That could only mean more freedom… He could almost taste it. There was still a Time Board, but now he could bend the rules. With that hard-nosed jackass, Admiral John Morton out of the way – truly out of the way; he never existed – he could travel as he wished, do what he wanted. He savored that with closed eyes and deep breaths. That was the beauty of time travel. A man could change the whole future simply by searching the timeline, finding the spot that could be changed with a minimum of fuss, and making a plan. Admiral John Nelson Morton had a host of illustrious ancestors. But Pem had tracked them back farther and farther until he'd reached the early twenty-first century, where the entire line rested on one man's shoulders…
And then he'd come up with a plan. Killing Lt. Commander Morton outright was foolish. Someone in his time would recognize that it had Pem's name written all over it… But there was no reason he couldn't convince an unstable crewman to kill Captain Crane. He had nothing against Crane, but Admiral Nelson wouldn't stand for that death. Of course, he had taken the bait on Pem's hook and gone back three days to save his captain. Of course, he had enlisted help in the person of Lt. Commander Morton. And of course, Admiral Morton's twenty-first century ancestor had acted according to character and taken the bullet. And now, he was experiencing sweet revenge and wonderful victory all in the same moment.
No Admiral Morton to tell him how many times he'd violated Time Board regulations. A less hard-nosed Time Board and fewer of those damned regulations. Pem was free now to travel wherever and whenever he wished, to do whatever he wished. He could make any changes he cared to make; his life would be easier, richer… Oh, he couldn't wait!
Just one more conversation with Admiral Nelson. Plant a single thought in his head. He had planned it all so carefully; he knew it was unlikely anyway that Nelson would try to go back again. The captain was the man he really cared about, the son he'd never had. Unlikely indeed that he'd bother with that cold fish, Morton. Never showed anything in his face, never betrayed by a single hair what he thought or felt. Oh, Admiral Morton had been just like him…
But… It was always good practice to have a contingency plan. Pem would plant the seed in Nelson's head that time compensates. It was only true. Time did always compensate. If a life were required, then a life would be demanded. But in this case, naturally a life hadn't been required. Pem had simply reached out and taken one. But the admiral didn't know that, and so the admiral theoretically could be convinced. He smiled, anxious to get that conversation over with, and to return to his own time to enjoy his victory.
Ah, here was the admiral now…
Pem frowned. He had not expected this dejection; the harsh guilt in the set of the man's shoulders, the despair in those blue eyes. This was something he hadn't planned for. "Admiral! I am so sorry for your loss."
The admiral straightened his shoulders and looked into Pem's eyes, and his own were suddenly blazing. "Sorry? Sorry! So help me, if I thought that you knew this would happen…"
Pem hastened to cut him off, spreading his fingers widely in a show of innocence. "Of course, I didn't know… Well… I didn't know who it would be…" He stepped back several steps, suddenly afraid of the look on Nelson's face.
The admiral spit his words out between clenched teeth. "What do you mean you didn't know who?"
Pem assumed a sorrowful expression, but scurried back another step or two, just in case. "I'm so sorry, admiral, but surely you knew… Time always compensates. To save your captain, of course, you had to surrender another life. I thought you understood…" Oh, that sounded marvelous. Just the right amount of concern…
The admiral glared at him, but the starch had gone out of his shoulders. He sat down in the chair behind his desk. "You didn't tell me that."
"I was so sure I had…" Pem shrugged. "I am sorry. But you must realize that a life for a life is a common theme throughout time. Your captain is safe. Surely that must make you happy?"
The admiral snarled at him, but didn't speak. It was clear that – for whatever reason – it didn't necessarily make him happy, though he was certainly relieved. But as he stared at his desktop, his gaze brushed against the pocket watch, and he laid a hand on it. Not good. Pem should have picked it up before the admiral returned to his quarters. "I can go back again…"
"I wouldn't recommend it, admiral." Pem thought quickly. There had to be some way to make him refuse that option. "You don't know who you'll lose… It could be anyone. It could even be the captain again… How will you safeguard everyone you care about?" He shook his head sadly. "You cannot keep going back in time trying to rescue people. Best that you quit while you're ahead…" He paused just the right amount of time. "And you are ahead, admiral. You have your captain back. Do you want to risk him for someone else?"
He could see the answer in Nelson's eyes; the answer that meant that his victory was permanent. He had to bite his tongue to keep from sharing his glee. Goodbye, Admiral Morton.
Wonderful. He reached into his pocket and activated his own pocket watch, anxious to return to his own time and see the changes.