The Great Altruist (57 page)

       
    
“Stop!”

       
    
The voice was Val's.

       
    
“Surprised to see us?” James said.

       
    
“Not really,” Val answered. “Once I realized your little woman could travel through time, I knew you'd show up eventually.”

       
    
They turned around to face Val, who stood weaponless and naked.

       
    
“And what's to stop us now?” James said. “You?”

       
    
“Wait a second,” Genesis said. “Something's not right here, James.”

       
    
Val grinned.

       
    
“What is it?” James asked.

       
    
“I felt something in the stream when we came back. I should have known.”

       
    
“Are you starting to figure it out yet, sweetie?” Val said.

       
    
“She's like me, James. Look at her: she's not wearing the device on her arm.”

       
    
James suddenly noticed the missing device that all crew were required to wear at all times. “How is that possible?”

       
    
“That’s not important,” Val said. “What’s important is that Genesis come with me.”

           
“Not a chance,” Genesis answered.

           
“Why, Val?” James asked. “Why are you doing all this?”

       
    
“You have no idea the sorts of betrayal I've had to face.”

       
    
“You did this because I rejected you?” James said.

       
    
“James, don’t be so vain. Roger was right: the world needed to be rebuilt, and I'm going to make sure that history doesn't repeat itself. No more deceptions, no more lies. Everything's an open book.”

       
    
“Does that mean telling the rest of the civilians about your new
power
?
”
Genesis asked.

       
    
“The pro-creators will fall in line because I'm the one who will protect them.”

       
    
“Val, this is insane,” James said. “All of us have been betrayed by someone we love. You can't really mean to make yourself ruler over these people!”

       
    
“Is that why you came back?” Val asked. “So the two of you could rule?”

       
    
“No,” Genesis said. “We returned for one purpose: justice.”

       
    
“Don't push me, girl,” Val said. “I know what else you can do.”

       
    
Genesis made no expression but laughed on the inside. She spent the majority of her life perfecting all of the powers she was given; there was no way Val could match her strength. “Then leave James out of this!”

       
    
“Not a chance. He betrayed me, so he has to die!”

       
    
Genesis finally laughed aloud. “You have nothing to fear,” she said to James.

       
    
“I never do.”

       
    
Just then, Val tried to attack but Genesis merely chuckled, shielded James, and tossed Val against the wall with her mind. “James, go!” she said. He touched his wrist and disappeared.

       
    
Val came to and got to her feet. “I'll find him,” she said.

       
    
“You are free to try,” Genesis responded.

       
    
Val grinned, then disappeared, but only slightly before Genesis followed.

       
    
On the surface of the earth, James stood waiting for Genesis to return. Not a second after arriving, Val appeared – more furious than ever. If fear was ever to grip James in the face of a girl he once rejected, it abated instantly when Genesis arrived. Val turned away from James and tried to lash out at Genesis. Fire erupted from Val’s hands, but a shield formed around her and absorbed the fire. Val prepared another attack when, above them, the
Apocalypse
listed to one side and began to descend. As it fell closer to the surface, James saw the faces of the other civilians on the bridge. The engines revved and the doomsday weapon charged for another discharge.

           
“Genesis!” he shouted.

           
Val smirked and disappeared into the stream.

           
Genesis grabbed hold of James and formed a shield around them as the weapon fired. She stood on the edge of the shield and focused all of her power into it. James huddled behind her. The weapon’s burst dissipated but the shield was holding all of its fury. She gathered all of her strength to keep it from penetrating the force-field.

           
“I can’t hold it forever!” she said.

           
James held onto her and realized the only option left would violate her most cardinal axiom: to never kill a human again. “We have no choice,” he said. “I forgive you.”

           
She knew what had to be done, and not only to save herself. She was always prepared to die instead of harming another soul. But she couldn’t let harm come to the man she loved. With every ounce of her remaining stamina, she pushed back against the surge of energy trapped within the shield. The energy
finally
reached the edge of the field where she channeled all of its strength into a narrow beam and fired it skyward, striking the
Apocalypse
. The shield collapsed and Genesis fell to the ground. They knew they were successful when the ship, now empty of all life (as well as a pilot), veered off course and fell to the ground miles away in a magnificent conflagration.

           
“Are you okay?” she said.

           
“I’m fine. You?”

           
“I’m a little winded. I need to get Val. But I’ll be keeping an eye on you. No harm will come.”

           
“I know. I’ll be here waiting.”

       
    
Genesis slipped into the stream of time to track Val, who was easily traceable. What Val apparently never learned was that jumping through space and time always left a mark, so her attempts to leap in and out of time to throw Genesis off her trail only made it easier for Genesis to find her.
Amateur
! Genesis thought.

       
    
Finally, Genesis exited the stream and saw Val standing in front of a massive tree about a hundred feet away.

       
    
“Not so fast,” Val said.

       
    
Genesis stopped and prepared to defend herself against the only woman who could claim to be her equal. “Well, well, Val,” she said. “Looks like your little ruse has failed.”

       
    
Val smiled broadly. “You can't kill me, Genesis.”

       
    
“I'm quite sure I can.”

       
    
“Even while I carry his child?”

       
    
Genesis did not react the way Val anticipated. Instead of lashing out with anger, Genesis merely tried to perceive James's presence, which his child would undoubtedly possess. To her chagrin, Val was blocking her ability.

       
    
“What, you don't believe me?” Val said. “It’s not your fault he needed companionship.”

       
    
“I’ll never believe you,” she answered.

       
    
“Oh, come on! We lived as husband and wife for two months. We both had needs.”

       
    
Genesis took a step toward Val, almost falling for her ruse. “There’s more to knowing a man than trying to seduce him.”

       
    
Val rolled her eyes. “That may be true, but I must admit, James was a lot easier than most.”

       
    
Genesis lashed out finally, forced a ball of energy to her hands, and hurled it at Val, who ducked as it sailed passed and struck the tree behind her. The tree, having been hit by a mass of energy constructed of compressed space/time, curled in on itself, and reappeared as a tiny sapling as though it had just grown younger.

       
    
Val was prepared for an attack, but she was unaware of what exactly Genesis just threw at her. When she realized that being hit by it would have reverted her into an infant, she looked up at Genesis and scowled. “You’re going to regret that!” she shouted. “But not yet.”

       
    
Val turned from her and immediately disappeared.

       
    
“Great!” Genesis muttered. She jumped into the time stream where she could sense Val looking for somewhere to exit. While never doubting her husband
for
an instant, once inside the stream, Genesis confirmed that Val lied about carrying a child.

       
    
Val sensed Genesis gathering speed behind her with tremendous velocity. Val slipped out of time and appeared in a new time period. She looked out from her new vantage point upon a battlefield of ancient Mongolian warriors. At seeing her standing among them stark naked, they dropped their weapons in shock as some of them ran towards her.

       
    
Genesis appeared a moment later and watched as Val stand paralyzed in fright.

       
    
“Oh, I forgot you’re not used to this yet!” she shouted. Genesis too stood naked on the hilltop looking down on Val as she began to run. Unlike her nemesis, Genesis didn’t have a care in the world. “You must be cold!” she scoffed.

       
    
Val looked up at Genesis as she ran when it dawned on her that she need not suffer the abuse. She spun around, faced the soldiers charging her, and lifted the boulders nearby with her mind and hurled them at the attackers. The boulders shattered long before they reached the soldiers, but their disappearance into powder forced the soldiers back. Val knew that the rocks were pulverized by her enemy, and with the warriors distracted, she turned to attack Genesis instead.

       
    
Genesis sensed the attack coming and slipped into the time stream with Val not far behind.