The Purification: Book 3 of the Evaran Chronicles (35 page)

“The tracer has been activated,” said V.

Evaran dipped his head at Lord Vygon, who then walked up to the rift door and tossed the quantum beacon through.

“Transferring visual,” said V.

Dr. Snowden expected to see lines and the beacon zigzagging between them. Instead, there were no vertical lines, just a horizontal line that ended in a hollow oval shape.

“Analysis. Pocket Universe 622 is the destination.”

Evaran rubbed his chin. “Interesting.” He interacted with the rift controller and shut down the rift door. After entering the prison planet destination code, the rift door activated again with a similar red surface.

Dr. Snowden shook his head. “You sure you entered the right codes?”

“I did. I suspect red indicates a pocket universe destination,” said Evaran. He nodded at Lord Vygon.

Lord Vygon walked up to the rift door and tossed the second quantum beacon through.

The projection showed the same journey as the first quantum beacon.

“Analysis. Pocket Universe 23 is the destination.”

Evaran shut off the portal and faced Captain Laban. “There is a second base on this planet. I can send you the coordinates. It is partially destroyed.”

Captain Laban jerked his head back. “How do you know that?”

“There was another one in the parallel timeline. We visited it here to make sure it existed before telling you about it. There should be no one there, but the front may be a bit … scorched.”

Captain Laban eyed Evaran. “Pocket universes … parallel timelines … you’ve lost me. And you’ve cleared another base out already?”

Evaran shook his head. “It was abandoned, but we did meet the messengers from the Purifier leader. He left us a gift.”

“Nice guy …”

“Extend your arm, and I will transfer the coordinates.”

Captain Laban wrinkled his eyebrows as he extended his arm.

Evaran placed his UIC on it, which glowed wildly for a moment, then stabilized. He perused his ARI, then tapped at it. After a moment, he pulled his UIC off and put it back on his belt. “You have the coordinates now.”

Captain Laban interacted with his forearm. His eyebrows rose. “What is that device?”

Evaran half smiled. “A gift, from a friend, that just gave you the second base coordinates.”

Captain Laban narrowed his eyes for a moment, then laughed. “We must be like children to you.”

“Not at all. It is a good trait to be inquisitive,” said Evaran. He gave a Helian salute. “Nonetheless, we must be off … to find the other Emily.”

Captain Laban shook his head. “I won’t even pretend like I understand, but if you need assistance, let me know.”

“Your place is here, on Earth. There is still work to be done in finding the remaining sentinels, and you have the other base to attend to as well as rebuilding Atlantis.”

Captain Laban exhaled from his nose. “Yeah … there’s a lot to do.”

Evaran half grinned and placed a hand on Captain Laban’s shoulder. “You better get to work.”

“You got it.”

Evaran nodded and then turned and exited the portal room with everyone in tow. After reaching the Torvatta command area, he pulled up the prison planet destination on the front right screen. “V, take us to the prison planet.”

“Acknowledged.”

Dr. Snowden gulped as he watched the left screen. The Torvatta lifted off and flew into space. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He glanced at Nanobot Emily and smiled when she gripped his arm. The question of what would Organic Emily think of Nanobot Emily flashed through his mind. His attention focused on the green beam that shot out from the Torvatta. A portal with a gold border and purple rippling surface appeared. He understood now that, like the rift doors the Purifiers used, the colors had meaning.

The Torvatta flew through and exited above a planet.

Dr. Snowden scooted to the edge of his seat as he scrutinized the planet. He flinched when the border of the right front screen pulsed.

“Quantum beacon detected. Time dilation detected. The quantum beacon was sent through ten minutes ago at 5:27 p.m. today. The beacon records a time of 11:27 p.m.”

Evaran rubbed his chin. “For every minute in our timeline, it would be ninety minutes here.”

Dr. Snowden exhaled sharply. “What? It’s been three days since Emily was sent here!”

“I know, and by my calculations, that means it is roughly two hundred seventy days later, or nine months.”

Dr. Snowden’s heartbeat raced as he struggled to breathe. Gripping the chair did not help as he slid to the ground.

Nanobot Emily knelt beside him and put her arm around him. “If my dreams are insights into what she went through, she was surviving.”

“For nine months!” said Dr. Snowden as spittle flew from his mouth. Tingling sensations began to pulse over him.

“Dr. Snowden … waves,” said Evaran.

Dr. Snowden struggled to produce the mental imagery of the waves, and after a moment, he was able to spread the wave over his body. He stood and then sat back in his chair. “I’m okay. I was … close to losing it again.”

“But you did not. You are getting better at controlling your anger.”

Dr. Snowden shook his head. “Doesn’t mean I’m okay with the situation, though.”

“I understand,” said Evaran. “V, using the calculations on the time difference, take us to the moment Emily arrives.”

“Acknowledged.”

Dr. Snowden’s eyes perked up. “So … that would mean …”

“The last nine months would not have occurred from her perspective.”

A big smile crept onto Dr. Snowden’s face.

“What about my dreams?” asked Nanobot Emily.

“That will be the price of doing this,” said Evaran. “They will remain as just dreams and not a glimpse of reality.”

Nanobot Emily nodded and glanced at Dr. Snowden. “I understand. It’s worth it. Let’s do this.”

“Acknowledged.”

19

E
mily frowned as she studied Kal. While the thought that there might be something living here was tantalizing, there was the other thought that they might be hostile. “Do you have an image of them?”

Kal extended his hand. A projection shot up of a small, chubby snakelike creature about a foot in length.

“How many are there?”

“There are three hundred twenty-six.”

“Just great. A snake pit.”

Kal stared at her.

She sighed. “Show me the layout of this place.”

Kal extended his hand and showed a wireframe view of Central Command.

“Indicate the other creatures with a red dot.”

Red dots populated in the lower portion of Central Command a bit away from her present location.

“Why haven’t the creatures moved to the higher levels?”

“I do not know.”

She exhaled from her nose. “Where are the living quarters?”

Kal pointed at several locations in the upper part. “There are multiple living quarter units.”

“Take me to the nearest one.”

Kal turned and glided across the platform floor.

She followed while scanning the environment. There were other transportation units docked. She figured they were the ones that came when the evacuation order was given. After crossing the platform, they walked up a giant ramp exit. She noticed that like the facilities, the metallic flooring and walls gave an advanced technological look. Screens were embedded in the wall, and the ceiling was a black glass-like material. The strong smell of something rotting assaulted her nose.

Upon exiting the ramp, Kal went down a large hallway and then walked through a small metallic canopy into a large octagonal room. Other hallways branched off to the left and right and opposite them. The slanted sides of the room had long desks in front of them. In the center of the room were various booths with machines.

She wrinkled her eyebrows. “What is this place?”

“Transportation control center.”

She looked up and saw that the room was large enough to have a second layer with windows. They continued to the right hallway. As they walked, she peered into the rooms. The medical room was easy to place, but some of the others she had no idea about. At the end of the hallway was a T-split that ended in ramps going in either direction.

Kal gestured to both sides. “The living quarters are the next level up. They are both equally distant. Which one did you want to go to?”

“Whatever one doesn’t have those creatures.”

Kal took the right ramp, and after going around a bend and up another ramp, they entered the central living quarter area.

She went to the first door, like she had in the other facilities, and checked it out. It was larger than what she was used to, and there were several more rooms. She put her things in the bedroom and faced Kal. “Kal. Deactivate.”

Kal shimmered out of view.

She locked the door and made sure there was nothing around. After verifying it was safe, she took a hot shower, which took her mind off the situation for a while. She was not tired, but the massaging water was lulling her to sleep. The bedroom was more and more inviting the longer she was in the shower.

After drying off, she decided to take a nap, and then she would tackle this new environment. She double-checked that the living quarter door was locked and had Kal stand guard to alert her if any of the creatures came near the room.

Her eyes popped open when Kal emitted a high shrieking noise four hours later. She jumped out of bed, put on her suit, and pulled out her PSD. Tingling sensations swept across her. “Kal, what is it?”

“There are three creatures outside your door.”

She swallowed hard. “Can they get in?”

“No.”

She sighed. “What do you know of these creatures?”

“Everything.”

She circled a hand. “How do they attack?”

“They bite and possess a hallucinogenic compound in their venom. When the prey dies, they release a chemical that attracts others.”

“Oh, that’s just wonderful.”

Kal stared at her.

“Would this suit prevent their bites from going through?”

“Only the hardened parts.”

“Is there a better suit?”

“Yes.”

She shook her head. Talking to Kal was a painful experience. “Where is the clothing adjuster station?”

Kal led her to a separate room.

She jerked her head back as she scanned her surroundings. The room had several cabinets instead of one. On the back of the room was a console embedded in the wall. After fiddling with it, she saw that she could browse the different items that could be made. There was a lot of general clothing, but not much in the way of defensive suits. She faced Kal. “Are there more defensive suits available than what is here?”

“Yes.”

“Where can I get them?”

Kal began to walk toward the door.

“Wait! What are you doing?”

“Taking you to the armory.”

She sighed. “I need to deal with these creatures first.” With her back against the wall facing the door, she aimed her PSD forward. “Kal, open the door.”

Kal waved his hand, and the door opened. One of the creatures slithered up to the door. It was green and had what looked like muscles under tight skin instead of scales. The mouth was more like a rat’s than a snake’s. She hit it with a stun beam, causing it to stop moving. Another creature slithered up. It fell victim to a stun blast. The third creature took off.

She ran to the door, looked out, and could not see where the third one went. “Kal! Show me a layout and red dot that creature!”

Kal complied.

She studied the projection. The creature was moving fast. Looking down at the felled creatures, she could see they were dead. The stun beam was lethal to smaller animals. She grabbed both of them by the tail and tossed them through the waste disposal panel outside the room.

The new goal was to clear this place of these creatures. She knew she would not be able to fully rest with threats around like that. Central Command would need to be secured. She leaned against the wall and smirked at the thought that she was now an unofficial Coraanan guard.

Roughly six months passed with killing the creatures as part of her daily routine. In the mornings, she would clean up, have breakfast, then go up to a balcony she had found on the higher levels. After soaking up the view and relaxing for a bit, she would begin prepping for a cleansing run. Her goal was to secure, section by section, the entirety of Central Command. Areas that were safe got locked up. She had made significant progress, and according to Kal, there were only sixty left.

After her cleansing run, she would rest up. If she had been bitten, then she would have hallucinations for ten to twenty minutes. The hallucinations were potent. It made the creatures seem like people she knew, and they talked. She did not know if it was the creatures talking through the hallucinations, her mind creating them, or a combination of both. Several times they had taken on the form of Dr. Snowden and Evaran, and even her father. Sometimes she even thought the Torvatta was real. The hallucinations did not save the creatures from her killing them. It had been hard for her to do it, but the nanobots kept her coherent to a degree. She could see how others would have fallen for their strategy.