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Sometime- some place
Her watch read a quarter to four, Thursday, six and a half months from now.
Chloe saw the man fire his gun at Mister Weinstein. She couldn't see the man's face. Out of nowhere, another man who resembled Mr. Weinstein but who was taller and skinnier caught the bullet in his hand.
Chloe felt a sudden nausea. She had the vaguest sense that what she was seeing was going to happen but it was not supposed to be what was happening. Another blurry figure appeared- an old woman with grey hair- who glared at her with a face so cold that its mere glance would make it unable to snow for miles.
The whole universe began dissolving around her. She vomited up meals she hadn't even eaten yet. As she came to, there were gibberish spouting voices. She held on to them and struggled to understand. After what seemed hours- days- thirty-eight Tuesdays- finally she could understand, but she still could not see.
"... o think that was really him?" came an unfamiliar voice.
"I don't know. I- I don't know who the man with the gun was, either- or the old woman- maybe I should ask that her- the one over there," came the other.
"Don't be silly, Chlo, that's you- or rather past you. If she knew then you'd know now," said the first voice.
"After our crazy adventures lately- I'm not so sure of that, Freckles..." the other voice said.
She tried to remember. There was something else burning its way into her thoughts. It was like five songs playing, overlapping in her head, five particular songs. Five specific songs- Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water, Bob Dylan's Tambourine Man, They Might Be Giants's Do Not Forsake Me, Beethoven's Ode to Joy and the incessant loop of the theme song to Freakazoid. She was trying to listen to all of them and was quickly overwhelmed.
She tried to hold on to the memory but it slipped through her hands. Like the pack of toilet paper and the box of mac and cheese that inspired one's trip to the grocery store in the first place- it was forgotten once she got there.
Andrew Weinstein's Office - Now
Andrew saw the liquid on the floor.
"Get out of my office," Andrew said.
The robed men simply stood silently. Silence meant they wanted him to think they were in control. Though the fact they were here in the office- offering him a seat in his office was a sure indicator that they weren't. They needed him.
"So... what do you need?" he asked.
The robed men glanced at him.
The robed man who had spoken earlier took several slow deliberate gasps of breath. Upon closer examination Andrew saw the portable oxygen tank and the cane the man used to walk. The other men were adjusting various pieces of medical equipment.
"And you are..."
"The Prime Integrate- H. Reginald Wilson," said one of the robed men.
The man coughed.
"Ah- please- please- Mister Weinstein- it's just Reggie-" the robed man wheezed.
"Not often I get to meet a dead man," Andrew said.
"You work with super heroes-"
"That's different. There's usually aliens or so called magic involved. You- you died of brain cancer more than 10 years ago," Andrew said, peering at the dead man with interest.
"Look- I can't be here long. I'll have to be going back within the hour. We have much to discuss. About your failed attempt to join the church... about my corrupt disciple Joe Bridge- Maybe- maybe- I can finally give you the answers you've always wondered- about your brother- and your grandfather and his sculpture-" Wilson said.
"How- how did you know.."
"No time for that...."
Time and Place: Unknown
If Chloe was awake she wasn't sure. It was a confusing experience for her. Her clock remained still, a sure sign she was asleep but she couldn't time walk. Which meant she was awake. She felt another presence in the room though it was not Tuffy.
"Somnabula- you there! Hello!" a voice shouted in her head.
"Who? What?"
"It's Angelica - your friend from work. The one who comes to check on you to make sure you aren't waking up on the job- and brings cookies," she said.
The skies of tomorrow burned, leaving nothing but a trail of ice. Chloe knew she could remember the voice and face but couldn't remember where or why. Even the room began to blur and change shape.
"Am- am I awake? Why can't I tell?" Chloe asked.
"Halfway between...I'm trying to keep you in a dream state telepathically..." Angelica explained.
"You can do that?" Chloe asked. "And where's Tuffy?"
"The dog said he knew his presence created a mild psi-distruption field. He'll meet up with us later- if he's needed. But if you don't mind- this telepathic link is more unstable than cell phones on the subway. I can do it- but it's difficult. Certain minds- precognitives, astral projectors or people like my brother who just have too much activity going on- are hard to get a lock on unless they really want me in there. Andy needs to you to do a very important scan and he needs it yesterday," she said.
"Another terrorist attack or super villian?"
"No. This is much bigger than that. Andy wants you to scan for holes in the fabric of space/time," she said.
"I'm not sure I can. I can see events in specific. The time/space continuum is big... even locally..." Chloe said.
"I can anchor you. Major Primeaux has built some devices to shield us from psychic feedback. With any luck we can find our answers," Angelica said.
"When you put it that way, it sounds so easy-"
"Damn it- why'd you have to say the 'E' word?" Angelica huffed.
"What? What's wrong with easy..."
"You ever hear about actors saying 'break a leg' instead of good luck? It's like that- only if you say 'easy' people have a habit of dying," Angelica said.
And all Chloe could think was 'runs around in her underwear'...
Wilson coughed again. He stuck some peyote gum in his mouth and began chewing and continued talking. Andrew looked at him as intently as he could. He pushed the record button on the security system. If anything important was said he could always review it later.
"So- the blob is-"
"It's the future- in the metaphysical sense- yes. It's not attacking either of us right now because- well as you said, I'm dead. I'm not really part of the present, let alone the future. My very presence here confuses it," Wilson said.
"And those other men-"
"All me- after a fashion. At my integration level- if I work hard enough I can pull them along with me-" Wilson said.
Andrew rolled his eyes.
"And Bridge- how does he fit into this?"
"He's a mid-level- well was- I guess he somehow got money and rose up the ranks. I can't say for sure... that was after my time... but so it goes," Wilson remarked.
"The reports of Wolf Pack involvement?" Andrew said. "Let me guess- they are or were employed the church?"
"We did retain Wolff for a time. I'm not sure if they still do. I do know something... Bridge and Wolff go way back. They met in their Harvard days. Bridge was a physics professor who had a rep for 'tutoring' female students- so they traveled in the same circles, you could say. The elder Bridge got Wolff's sloppy seconds when he was finished with them. Wolff had a thing for your girlfriend, you know. She was one of the few women he met who could say no. Might have been part of the attraction," said Wilson.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because- you must understand it all before the coming of The Fifth Beast," Wilson said.
"Explain."
"The singularity- the one who will for a fraction of a second bring an unexplained moment of peace to all mankind- past, present, future and various never moments. It will change our understanding of everything... physics, psychology, religion, sociology- everything."
"Ah- the Messiah story. Every religion gets one sooner or later. Atheists are no better- the way they pray at the feet of Charles Darwin and Richard Dawkins..." Andrew said. "I mean if people in the past get this moment too- wouldn't it have happened by now?"
"Not all of us take it for what it is- I know you didn't," Wilson said.
Location Unknown - 25 Years from now.
The large hall was crowded. Mister Weinstein and the science lady from TV were sitting in one aisle. Angelica, a balding man and three teenagers sat behind them. .That rock star guy from The Polarized Ions and some grey haired woman sat next to him. A man and woman came marching down. The justice of the peace walked in.
"Do you Jonathan Malcolm Weinstein take Erin Curry to be-"
It didn't seem right. It didn't seem real. Her eyes were drawn toward Mister Weinstein.
Time froze. The past remained in the sky above her. It burned. She could feel the frozen ash fall and turning to snow before it hit the ground.
"Have you ever had a moment where it all made sense?" Wilson said.
"A man of my intellect would find it hard not to," Andrew said.
"I don't mean scientifically, lad," Wilson said with a cough. "I mean- life- the meaning of it all- the human condition."
"Yes, but I always attributed it to a misfired neuron. Even I'm not perfect."
"Are you always this cold, boy?" asked Wilson.
"I don't know what you mean," Andrew said.
"Have you ever known a woman who was a terrific lay?" he asked.
"All three I've ever taken to bed," he said.
"How did that feel?"
"Good. Really good."
"Now, have you ever been in love?" Wilson asked.
"Twice. Maybe."
"Now- have you ever done it with someone you actually loved?"
Andrew stared at the wall.
"Imagine that feeling- of that first time-- going out to everyone everywhere- at the point in time where they need it most-" Wilson said.
Andrew Weinstein's Penthouse, Five months ago
The sun rose in his penthouse. Andrew had been surprised Islalynn was still there. He was used to women walking out sometime while he slept. He had never woken himself up just to hear a woman's heartbeat only to drift back to sleep before.
"What...?"
"You opened your birthday present early last night," she said.
"It's okay. Tradition says I'm allowed one," Andrew said.
"Your present isn't done with you yet," she said as she put her glasses on.
Chloe didn't think she should be watching this. It's not that she didn't have an interest in sex, but rather that her powers- which kept her sleeping- didn't allow her to get much experience. There was a part of her that always wondered what it must be like. Though the closest she was like to get was a quasi-imaginary dog.
She fled. She knew what might happened if she dream broadcast around people whose emotional state were more extreme than her own. She didn't want to have her dreamself melt and briefly experience the moment as Islalynn or even briefly, Andrew- depending whoever was in control of the situation.
Andrew had the odd feeling that they were being watched for about fifteen seconds but then it was gone. That wasn't what made him uncomfortable. It was this: He'd wanted this since the day they first argued about anti-tachyons. It felt good, only he couldn't control it or understand it. To his surprise, he found he didn't want to. He didn't even want to understand why he didn't want to understand.
Andrew stared at Wilson with his coldest possible glance.
"You want to share that feeling with everyone?"
"Yes. I mean otherwise- what's the point of life?" Wilson said.
"You really are some sort of delusion mad man, aren't you?" Andrew said.
"Why would you say something like that?" Wilson asked.
"Because I can't think of anything in the world more terrifying," he replied.
Wilson coughed. The other robed men attended to his equipment.
"A little fear is a good thing. Keeps us sane," Wilson said.
"The man who thinks mankind is going to be destroyed by Lemurians, that our past is our biggest enemy and that if people cryogenically freeze their brains they can telepathically communicate with their other selves in parallel or convergent realities where they're still alive or at least other worlds where they are frozen in jars- until somehow people on the outside can clone them new bodies thinks I'm crazy?" Andrew responded.
"The cloned bodies thing wasn't me. My disciples thought they'd get more recruits if we added a way for members to somehow return to their own land of the living- instead of becoming hunters and protectors of The Fifth Beast on as many never moments as possible," Wilson said.
"Where's Tom Hanks when you need him," Andrew muttered.
Wilson took a few steps back.
"Think what you will about my religious beliefs- you know as well as I do that it's regret that drives most people to do what they do. I- I spoke with Malcolm. He said it's okay- he's alive-- in the year 2036 anyway--"
"My brother is dead-" Andrew said. "NOW GET OUT!"
"You know that isn't true. Otherwise- you wouldn't have built that machine- the one that Amir guy blew up to begin with-" Wilson said.
Feburary 28th, 2002 - Weinstein Weapons Testing Facility - Springfield, VA
Andrew sat at the monitor board. He knew most of his technicians could do this, he just felt he should be here. It was rare for him to take his feelings into account. He knew this was the last chance for this experiment to do its job between now and July 29th, 2036.
"We have telemetry. Window is open," Primeaux announced.
"Begin tachyon wave collection sequence," Andrew said.
"Graviton levels are rising ten percent," said another technician.
"Why's this so important?" Primeaux asked.
"Need to know, Major," Andrew said.
"This thing is army property-"
"Relax Major, I built this thing. If I break it- I can buy the army two more. It's only money. If this works- it'll be worth a lot more," Andrew said.
Chloe looked around. She felt Angelica behind her. It was an odd sensation. She wasn't used to bringing other human minds with her. Angelica's presence itched like it was velcroed to her soul.
"Andrew, are you sure the Tachyon Force Canon can handle this level of readjustment?" Primeaux asked.
"You'd be wrong Major. If anything my Tachyon Reintegration Field Generator was never really meant to be readjusted into a force canon," Andrew said.
"Reintegration at two percent and rising," said the technician.
There was the loud explosion. The emergency klaxons went off. The power went dead.
"Switch to back up power," Andrew said. "Now- before we lose him!"
"We've lost signal," Primeaux reported.
"Reacquire, damnit!" he shouted.
"Andrew-"
"Window is at sixty percent," said the technician.
"Get me that signal..."
"Almost there," Primeaux responded.
"Thirty percent..."
"Signal reacquired..."
"Window closed... I'm sorry, sir," the technician said.
"Damn it! Damn it! I'm sorry Mal- I'm so sorry-" Andrew said.
Primeaux's eyes shot up.
"Mal? You told me your brother was dead..."
"No. I said he left us. I never said he was never coming back," Andrew said.
October 7th, 1998
Malinda Wilson stared down at her husband. His vitals had been dropping slowly and steadily for the last hour. She looked back up and over to the Church's doctor. Then back down at Reggie.
"It's time," she said.
His brain waves blinked upward again for a few seconds then stopped.
Chloe felt a small jolt in her neck. Angelica looked only half surprised. Then the jolt struck her. Chloe spun. She was in a bank, at the wedding, back in Andrew's penthouse, a carnival, the pediatrists office and a Chuck E. Cheese grand opening she went to when she was five years old. Then she caught a glimpse of things she didn't recognize- things she knew must have happened to Angelica- including looking into Chloe's memories and being confused.
"What the hell was that?" Chloe exclaimed.
"Poupette's machine might still have a few bugs in it-" Angelica replied.
An old man- who looked like several old men- float downward past them.
"Evening ladies - I'm on my way back home now..." he turned toward Angelica. "I almost forgot- Miss Weinstein- if you make it back can you tell your brother that your grandfather's sculpture did indeed walk- but not under its own power."
"Uh- Sure- but why didn't you tell him?"
"Gods and prophets- we have a certain reasoning to the way we operate," said Wilson enigmatically as he began fading away. "Damn- it looks like I've over stayed my welcome. I knew I would- I did but I was hoping I could change th-"
The world rumbled. Chloe wanted to wake up screaming in pain like an old cliche but she couldn't. Angelica's face flashed red and then purple.
"Hey Freckles," said Chloe. "I think I found our time rift."
Primeaux watched the brain patterns blip. Then they stopped. The machines went down and then the power came back on. The monitors were still giving blank readings for several seconds.
"Get those brain waves back- ASAP," Primeaux said.
"They're already, back. Somenb- Samna- the girl who sleeps all the time's brain patterns are almost normal.... just a little off but Angelica's look completely wrong," said Shock Jock.
"Crap! Andy already blames me for what happened with Mal- who knows how he'd react to this-," she said.
"You think that's bad? I'm supposed to going bowling with Josh and Callidy tonight. What am I supposed to say- nice seven ten- sorry about toasting your girlfriend's oversized brain?" Shock Jock replied.
The door opened. Josh walked in.
"Ahem, what did you say?" Josh said.
"Nothing," Shock Jock said, looking elsewhere.
Angelica made weird growling from her nose. She hopped off the bed and directly on top of Chloe. She wagged her butt back and forth.
"Is- she- is Angie licking her?" Shock Jock asked, peering at the screen.
"Umm- is it weird that I'm a little turned on?" said Josh.
Chloe awoke. She was back in her room at home. The picture of her teenage self was missing from the wall. So were most of her books, CDs and other items. The room looked much like it did before her powers manifested. She put her hands through her hair- which was unbraided.
"What- the Explorers? It- it was all a dream? Tuffy- you're alive-" Chloe said.
The dog seemed unhappy to see her.
"You have got to be kidding me," groaned Angelica's telepathic voice from Tuffy's head.
Next: It's a Dog's Life
Characters created by Jesse N. Wiley and various authors
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