Time of the Draig (12 page)

“Yes, ma’am,” Boomer replied.

Dana rose from the table. “The evening meal is around sunset this time of year. I expect you all here. My clan will want to meet the tribe that arrived with my grandson. Now, if you’ll excuse me, the meal gets done a lot faster if I’m overseeing the kitchen.”

As the older woman left, Jeff asked, “Faolan, could we see the barracks?”

“If you wish. Bring your packs and see them tucked away safely.” Faolan extended his hand to her while he asked, “Samantha, are you finished with your meal?”

Food had disappeared from her plate, but she had no recollection of eating. She nodded and took his hand to step back over the bench, afraid that she would fall if left on her own. Obligation focused as she said, “Weiler, once the barrack is deemed secure, wait at the gate for Efraim and Miller to let them know where they bunk.”

Samantha heard the “affirmative” and let herself be led back outside with her hand still tucked within Faolan’s reassuring grip.

Satisfaction filled Faolan as he gazed around his crowded hall. His warriors were all present along with their wives and wee ones. The din of the gathered crowd sounded like music as his people mixed with the newcomers. Laughter rang out, as did conversation, and a babe crying completed the moment. Full trenchers covered the tables, and all feasted. He and his warriors stood out in the hall wrapped in the colors of the clan, the blue, green, and black on their plaids worn to mark them as the men who protected the people.

His grandmother had surprised him by being the first to offer words of welcome. She had claimed the travelers as part of her tribe and thus established a reason for their arrival. The scene had been completed when she placed a kiss on each man’s forehead and one on Samantha’s cheek.

His words of welcome had been met with cheers from his clan as the men and Samantha had been presented. She had graced the evening with kind offerings of peace and alliance. She sat on his right side, and Jeff honored his left.

Jeff continued, “If my initial scans are correct, there is quite a bit we can do to improve how the outhouses remove waste. It goes a bit too close to the water table for my comfort. With your permission, I’ll have my men look into the situation and come back with recommendations.”

Faolan nodded. “If you say the matter should be addressed, then I appreciate your efforts. Though I would prefer for you all to rest for several days.”

Jeff laughed. “The men need a purpose. The last thing we need is a bunch of bored soldiers underfoot.”

With a slap to the man’s back, Faolan replied, “My thanks for sharing your skills, but enough for now. The evening is for welcoming and enjoyment. The tasks of the day can wait until the morrow.”

Faolan had been called away from his guests shortly after the midday meal. Duty called as a laird’s afternoon spent in leisure was not common. He had missed seeing Samantha’s reaction to her chamber. She had been given the best he had to offer, one that faced the sea and the cliffs, and filled with sea-scented air. It was no coincidence it was the one across from his.

Samantha was the only one who seemed lost in the celebration. Questions were answered, but she did not engage beyond that. Faolan could also sense her unease though no threat was present or expected. A light sheen of perspiration glowed on her forehead.

Faolan leaned over to ask softly, “Are you unwell?”

“No, I’m fine,” she replied. When he waited with eyes fixed on her, she continued, “I’m not used to so many people in one place.”

“This is good for you, Sam. We’ve been isolated for much too long,” Boomer interjected.

While Samantha patted Boomer’s hand, she said, “I know but still . . .”

“Would you care to step outside for some air?” Faolan asked, even though Boomer glared at him. It was the perfect excuse to steal a moment alone with her.

“Actually, I would like to go back upstairs. I need to get some work done,” Samantha stated.

Faolan frowned at her denial. In his mind, he saw a quiet walk to the cliffs and her reaction to the moon over the sea. He described the potential sight and saw curiosity in her eyes. He offered, “Boomer is also welcome.”

Boomer nodded. “Nice to know you paid attention.”

The sound of a small babe crying pulled Boomer’s eyes to the corner of the hall. Faolan said, “‘Tis our way to include the wee ones.”

“I’m good with the kids being here, and honestly, it’s nice to see. Been far too long since I’ve seen so many children.” Boomer pointed at the woman patting the back of the small babe in her arms and said, “If she pats that baby any harder . . . I can’t watch this. Excuse me.” With that said, the man rose to walk around the room.

Faolan followed at his heels, wondering what came next. While the men had been welcomed with joy, Boomer’s size would be considered a threat if he approached a woman with a new bairn.

As they reached the young woman patting the baby, Boomer held out his hands and said, “Hand the little one over.”

As the big man commanded, the room stilled, and the woman looked up in horror.

Boomer said in a surprisingly gentle voice, “Please hand over the baby. You’re doing it wrong.” His hands stayed out expectantly.

Faolan said to the mother, “I trust the man.”

The woman winced as she placed the wailing baby in Boomer’s hands and cringed in fear. Boomer simply asked, “How old?”

A timid voice replied, “About one moon.”

Boomer smiled and held the bundled crying babe to his chest and ran his hand up and down the child’s back until a large burp erupted. He said, “This one is too young for pats, a nice gentle stroke will get you there.” He then placed the squirming babe on the table and rewrapped him. “They like it when you swaddle them up tight. Makes them feel nice and secure. Let me know if you need to see that again.”

The woman scooped up her child as cheers rose through the hall. Faolan smiled, knowing Boomer’s gesture had secured his place as a warrior with a heart. All laughed when the woman scolded her husband for doing nothing to ease their new son.

Samantha’s voice sounded from behind him. “I think they like Boomer.”

Faolan took the opportunity to take Samantha’s arm and sneak with her to the front door. While Boomer was entangled by mothers seeking advice, they stepped into the cool night air. “How about that quiet walk?”

Samantha nodded and stepped by his side as he led her past the front courtyard, beyond the barracks, and to the cliffs. He could the feel the tension leave her body, and they walked in comfortable silence. The relaxed smile that covered her face at the beauty of the scene made the evening perfect.

Faolan wondered at her silence. It was not his first stolen walk in the moonlight. Normally, the lass giggled as they walked or stole glances at him in expectation of the kiss to come. He preferred to make them wait; the anticipation had a way of making the surrender sweeter. Some lasses were bolder and dared to lead him to a more secluded spot.

Yet, the woman by his side only stared at the sea, and he watched her grin fade.

Waves rolled to the base of the cliffs below their feet and filled the quiet night with their roar. The sky was full of twinkling stars, and the moon had come to bathe its light on the sea. Faolan asked, “Does it please you?” He wanted her to be delighted with his lands.

“Yes,” she answered though her gaze stayed on the dark horizon. After a deep breath, she said, “Boomer has a way with children. He was the first child out of seven with lots of older cousins who had kids of their own.”

“Does he still see them?” Faolan asked, not sure if the question made sense given the change in whens and said as much.

Samantha offered a sad smile but said nothing. It was enough of an answer. Faolan did not wish to spoil the evening with her presumed tale of woe, so he left it alone.

“Why didn’t you tell me about your grandmother?” Her voice held no trace of emotion.

“I wasn’t sure you would believe me. In truth, I never truly believed her tale of time,” Faolan explained. “I thought she teased and attempted to entertain on long winter nights.”

He knew something about his grandmother bothered her immensely. The sparkle had gone out of her eyes after the tale was told. Samantha had grown quiet and withdrawn since. Faolan asked, “Why does it bother you?”

She laughed though the sound contained no joy, only bitterness. Samantha did not face him as she said, “She shouldn’t be here. I’m not sure how it happened, but it’s so wrong. Somehow I did something that made that wrong possible.”

“I am grateful she came, or I would nay be standing here looking at the moon with you on a fine night,” Faolan said, hoping to cheer her.

She stared at the waves that came in to crash on the rocks below. Faolan saw the single tear that slipped down her cheek, as she whispered, “I know.”

“Samantha,” Boomer’s voice rang through the night.

Faolan silently cursed the man as he approached. He said, “Samantha needed some fresh air.” She offered a weak smile as she nodded in agreement.

She looked up at Boomer. “Hope you’re ready to work the night shift.”

“Fine. The door is solid, and I have a nice pillow for the chair. Jeff knows he can’t hold you off any longer. We have decided you have a max of eight hours.”

Faolan noted the glare in her eyes as she said, “It’s going to take a lot longer than that to figure out this mess and come up with a solution set.”

“Eight hour chunks, time for eight hours’ sleep and time spent outside in the fresh air, or no deal,” Boomer replied.

“Boomer, you do realize I can lock myself inside the chamber after I kick your ass out,” Samantha taunted.

It was clear Boomer was negotiating to keep Samantha from the pale, exhausted state she had been in when they met. Faolan said, “Any door within my keep can be hacked apart with my sword if your safety is threatened.”

She looked up at him with a frown. “I thought you were on my side.”

The hurt on her face was for show. Faolan lifted her face in his hands under Boomer’s watchful gaze. He said, “I am yours in all ways. If I must deny you to keep you safe, I shall.” Then he smiled at her and felt her lips upturn in his palms, satisfied that she still responded to him.

While he wanted nothing more than to kiss the lips that had previously pouted, he removed his hands. “May I escort you both upstairs? Boomer can fetch me if you have need of anything or if he would like a rest. I would be pleased to stand guard outside your door.”

Boomer nodded. “Nice to know I can take a latrine break.”

Faolan walked them back to the keep, disappointed their stolen moment had been interrupted. As he listened to Boomer and Samantha’s banter, he noted she kept her sadness from the man she claimed as guard and friend.

Chapter 10

“How long will you permit this to go on?” Faolan challenged Boomer outside the door of Samantha’s chamber. “She was supposed to have time to sleep, yet the sun is already in the sky.” He had waited for her to share the morning meal and then waited half the morning just to be certain she was fine.

Boomer glanced back at the closed door. “I checked on her not too long ago.” He let out a sigh. “This is nothing. Once she’s in the zone she can go for a day at a time. I never expected her to stick to the time limit.”

“Does Jeff know how the bargain has been violated?” Faolan asked.

“I do, and I’m not happy about it,” Jeff said as he walked toward them in the corridor. He looked at Boomer. “The men have eaten and are now beginning the sanitation survey. Miller already returned from the village this morning after checking on the child. I wanted to talk to the major about our men training with Faolan’s.”

Jeff turned to Faolan. “And I also wanted to talk to you to see how you felt about combining our skills. There is also the thought that our men should learn to handle a horse.”

Faolan didn’t even contemplate the question before his reply. “The idea is a fine one. Kagen has the warriors on the training ground behind the walls of the keep. Your men are welcome.”

Boomer chuckled. “You can go in and talk, but she will ignore you. Do you really want to start her day with ideas on how to violate the timeline with joint training?”

“Dana already peed in that pool,” Jeff said. “How long is it safe for her to work like this?”

“She can handle it. It’s only been fourteen hours according to my watch.”

Then Faolan heard a cry that made blood freeze in his veins. Through the closed wooden door, he heard Samantha scream, “Nooooo!” Then nothing.

Before the sound ceased, Boomer was on his feet with the door opened. Faolan saw her seated at the small table he had provided. On the surface sat an open metal box, which glowed and held her attention. There was a piece of metal on her temple and a small round item next to the box.

Again Samantha screamed. “No! No! Nooo!”

The three men poured into the chamber and ran to her side. It was Boomer who said, “Oh my God, she’s shaking. This is wrong. It’s never like this.” He called her name and received no response.

Jeff asked with panic in his voice, “Can you break the connection?”

Boomer seemed to weigh the question before he said, “Get Miller and the med kit. I’ve never had to do this before.” His hand reached for the metal on Samantha’s skin.

Jeff ran from the chamber. “Be back in five.”

Faolan stared with dread as the mountain removed the metal and counted four heartbeats before it happened.

Samantha cried out in anguish and gripped the sides of her head. Her screams continued as her body fell to the floor in convulsions. Boomer tried to pick her up, but she fought as if her life depended on it. Her arms and legs battled while her eyes rolled in their sockets.

Both men received blows from the unseeing woman as they tried to come to her aid. Faolan saw Boomer fall backward as her foot connected with his chest. She struck out with her fist, and Faolan saw stars.

It was Boomer who held him back from another attempt. “Wait for Jeff and Miller. We can’t do this alone.”

Faolan stared in muted silence as Samantha again convulsed on the floor. It seemed like they waited for days, though the help came fast. He heard Jeff’s boots pound on the floorboards, and then he and Miller flew into the chamber.

Boomer stated, “She started as soon as I disconnected UNK005. Don’t touch her!” Then the man spoke of her attack.

Faolan saw the item in Miller’s hand. It was the same one he had used on the boy. The healer waved it over Samantha’s writhing body.

“Her heart rate and pulse are through the roof, neural activity is off the charts, and it can’t even read the adrenaline levels.” Miller knelt by his case. “Find a way to restrain her so I can sedate her. Now!”

Boomer looked at Faolan and Jeff. “I’ll pin her middle. Someone else take her arms and legs.”

Faolan feared for her ribs as Boomer dove to cover her chest. Jeff’s knees pinned her shoulders, and still Samantha fought them. When her legs moved to dislodge Boomer, Faolan covered them and wrapped his body around them.

He never saw what sedate meant, only felt the fight leave her body. The sigh escaped him as Boomer lifted slowly and declared it safe to let go. Faolan silently apologized for his rough treatment of her small frame as he rose.

It was Boomer who lifted the quieted body from the floor and placed it on the bed. All the while, the man uttered apologies. Tears brimmed in the large man’s eyes, and Faolan feared the worst.

Again Miller waved the item over her body. His voice was soft. “Heart rate and pulse are returning to normal as is the rest.”

Jeff rose and moved to the side of the bed. He assisted Boomer in placing her pliant body under the blankets. “What in the hell was that?”

The pain came out in Boomer’s reply, “I don’t know. Samantha never reacted like that before. That wasn’t even her longest log-in.” The big man held her hand as he answered.

Jeff walked to the table and took the small round object in his hand. He held it up and asked, “Now what?” With a look of disgust, the object went back on the table.

“The major will be unconscious for most of the day. I gave her a large dose based on her reaction. Now we keep an eye on her and wait for her to wake up. I plan on hourly scans just to be safe,” Miller answered.

None of it reassured Faolan. “Will she be fine?”

Miller nodded. “I think so.”

All he wanted was to scream at Jeff and Boomer for allowing such to happen. However, the men already bore such pain in their eyes that he kept quiet. Faolan said, “I will sit by her side.”

Boomer never looked away from Samantha as he countered, “Not now, Faolan. She’s mine to protect.”

Jeff’s hand touched his shoulder before he could speak. Jeff said, “Faolan, let Boomer stay for now. You can come and check on her later. I think I may have caused a small panic in the courtyard when I went to get Miller. My men and yours are waiting to hear what happened.”

“What did happen?” Faolan asked.

“I’m not sure, but we can let everyone know Samantha is resting,” Jeff replied.

It was the whispering that woke her. Yet she had to fight to crack open her eyes and regretted the decision as nausea took hold. Samantha wondered who whimpered before the realization struck that it had been her.

The male voice said, “I think she’s finally waking up.” It took her a moment to be certain it was Jeff who spoke.

A strange woman answered, “Then I will leave you.”

Samantha only caught a glimpse of the swish of dark skirts that left her darkened room. She asked, “Who was that?” Her voice was rough and cracked.

“Keira, the housekeeper. She came to check on you and bring me something to drink,” Jeff answered. “Though you may need it more.”

It took a great deal of concentration to force her body from the soft pillow into an upright position. Though the room spun with effort, she asked, “Why am I in bed?”

Jeff held out a cup and lifted it to her mouth. With his aid, she sipped the cool water and again asked, “Why am I in bed?”

“Yesterday morning we had to disconnect you from UNK005 because you were screaming and shaking. It resulted in you having convulsions, and Miller had to sedate you,” Jeff explained.

For the first time, she noted the dark night outside the window and the small fire burning in the hearth. “Yesterday?”

“You’ve been unconscious since. It’s now the end of the next day. I’m useless without my watch, but the evening meal ended a while ago,” Jeff said as he again handed her the cup.

She cringed as he told her of her physical resistance to help, the tranquilizer, and the worry she had caused her men, Faolan, and the people of the keep. While grateful not to have woken alone, Samantha asked, “Where’s Boomer?”

On cue, Boomer entered the chamber and sat beside her on the bed. He stroked her bound hair as he said, “The latrine is behind the keep and not exactly convenient.” His arms pulled her close as he whispered against her head, “You scared the crap out of me, Sam.”

“I’m sorry, Boom,” she answered, and she leaned in for the embrace. “I’m so sorry.”

Boomer pulled back. “What happened?”

The question was also on Jeff’s face as Samantha decided how to explain. “I’ve never connected to only the small UNK005. It’s always been to both. Previously my primary connection was to the large sphere with a secondary link to the smaller.” She continued to explain the difference, including a connection with the base’s computer network. “Turns out the large one is more of a power source and contains comparatively small amounts of raw data. The small one is the true information database, and together they form a complete circuit. I learned more in that one session than I’ve gathered in over five years of research.”

“So we now assume the small one is too dangerous?” Jeff questioned.

“No. I mean, I don’t think so,” she replied.

“Perhaps you missed your breakdown,” Boomer added.

“That happened because I attempted to download too much at one time, I think.” Samantha replied. “Imagine the smaller UNK005 is like a normal computer with files within files. Now imagine that computer realizing what you need and finding it for you.”

“Are you saying that thing is sentient?” Jeff asked as he wagged a finger at the desk.

“Not as in alive and breathing, but it led me to where I needed to go within the files.” Samantha heard the awe in her voice as she said, “While I was searching it, it was searching me to discover how to best fulfill my needs. UNK005 took me places I wasn’t prepared for and downloaded it too quickly for my mind to process. It led me down pathways I never even dreamed of searching. Basically, the neural connection goes both ways.”

Before Jeff could say anything, she continued, “The information download overwhelmed me, and it was my fault. I knew the data was coming in too fast. I felt the moment I lost control, but my curiosity kept growing. It only gave me what I wanted.”

“No more, Major,” Jeff commanded.

“You’re missing the point. Next time I know what to do to prevent overload.” Samantha hesitated. “But I don’t want to go back in for a while. I need time to convert what I absorbed so I can fix what I did.” The simple truth was the download had scared her. For the first time, she hadn’t been the one in control of the log-in; UNK005 had been.

“What did you do?” Boomer asked.

The tears pooled in her eyes, and she said, “At first I thought I broke time.”

Jeff stood and began pacing the chamber. “How exactly did you break time?”

She knew how, and UNK005 knew how, but Jeff would never understand the complexity of dark matter particles and the ebb and flow of the universe. She sat straighter in the bed and said, “Time is not linear, nor is it the constant we believe. Gravity can bend time and light in a black hole. The scholars of our world have theories that explain this phenomenon, and they are all wrong according to UNK005. All you need to know is that time is more of a fluid-like material trapped in a bubble, yet it still has defined borders. Borders that once violated cannot be repaired.

“Despite your science fiction imaginings, there are no other realities and no other timelines. Only one exists, yet the possibilities within that timeline, or bubble, are infinite. Free will is real and has a direct impact on all matter, dark and physical.”

Jeff stopped his motion. “Okay, so there is only one timeline. I’m with you on that. What does that mean to us?”

“It means that by opening the quantum door I made a new bubble. Though I’m now certain Dana’s arrival here came after my creation of the quantum door.”

“Whoa, back up a second,” Boomer said. “She got here first by over fifty years.”

“No, Boomer. First, I made the quantum door that left a residual door which Dana found,” Samantha said. “Stop thinking of time as a line. So, I made the door and left cracks within the bubble. Dana stepped through a crack into a new section of the bubble.”

“Why couldn’t she step back into her time?” Jeff asked.

“The future being unwritten is a constant. Some theories are correct, and every action leads to environmental reactions. Dana changed the world by simply arriving in this time. We are currently rewriting history in a new bubble due to my creation of the quantum door and our entry into this time.” Samantha waited for both men to nod and continued, “According to UNK005, this should be the new and now only timeline. But because the smaller and the larger UNK005 are separated, both time bubbles exist.”

“Is that a problem?” Jeff asked.

“In theory, the universe can support the additional time bubble with no negative consequences.” Samantha took a breath. “The problem lies with the larger UNK005 being alone in the other time reality. Somehow it keeps that time bubble as a solid construct. Should the colonel or anyone else attempt to duplicate my research and open another quantum door without the control sphere, the smaller one, the power contained in the larger could in theory destroy both of the bubbles.” She paused. “That realization is why I screamed. I saw the potential end of everything.”

Jeff ran his hand over his hair. “I’m lost with all of this bubble versus bubble stuff. Just tell me what needs to happen.”

“Our world is close to destroying itself. The sad reality is that it has no impact on the universe. Our planet is merely a speck in the fabric of reality. The issue that needs to be resolved is still the larger UNK005. Our people will try to make another quantum door, and they will fail without the completed circuit. We need to stop them and find a way to prevent the destruction of . . . well, of everything,” Samantha said. “UNK005 is certain it will be used if left in my lab, hence the whole destruction probability.