Forever Until Tomorrow (War Eternal Book 5) Page 16

  He walked with Lyle over his shoulder, out past the damage toward a line of trees. They were somewhere near Denver, far enough that he didn't see any signs of immediate civilization and close enough that he didn't feel lost. He had grown up on Earth. An Earth nearly four hundred years ahead of this one, but the same planet. He had been to Denver. He doubted it had changed much. Technology hadn't progressed the way it should have since the Dove had launched. Li'un Tio, the Knife, had always questioned why. Mitchell had a bad feeling he knew the answer.

  The Tetron were more deeply ingrained with humankind than they had realized. Was that the reason a copy of Origin had remained behind? Was that the reason she had deleted almost every reference to Katherine Asher from the data archives? It made sense.

  It was also terrifying.

  They couldn't beat the Tetron in the future. Would they be able to defeat them here?

  They must have before if the Goliath continued to return to the future. If not defeat them, then outmaneuver them and force them to bide their time.

  The Tetron had nothing but time, and this recursion was different. Watson was here, with his broken understanding of emotion and his damaged sense of logic. The Mesh was broken. He had forgotten until now. They had planned this. They needed Watson to be here. Why?

  He had to get to Katherine. He had to find Origin.

  He put Lyle down under a tree, and then went back to the wreckage, searching for the passenger car Max had been in. He would help any survivors he could find as well, but he needed Vape's duffel. Just because the crash was over didn't mean Watson wouldn't send anything to make sure he had died. He needed to be able to defend himself.

  He made his way along the trail of chaos, finding their car upside down and half-crumpled against another one. The smell of blood was thick enough to taste. Would emergency crews be coming soon? If they did, could he trust them?

  He entered the car, stepping over the bodies until he reached their cabin. He took a deep breath before he grabbed the door and yanked it open.

  He released it. The cabin was empty. No Max. No duffel. Where the hell had the Corporal gone? Was he under Watson's control?

  He saw the emergency belt on his seat was cut. He had been in the crash, and he had survived. Where was he?

  He left the cabin, walking the length of the car back toward the exit. Katherine and Origin were in trouble. But if Origin found Katherine, she could take care of her. Couldn't she? If he went to them, he would be giving the Tetron one massive target to hit. Was that the play he wanted to make?

  Watson was out there, his core connected to the Internet, his eyes everywhere the millions of cameras in the world could follow, his ears listening for any sign of them. He wanted Mitchell dead, but he wanted Origin alive. Why?

  He came out of the train car distracted by the thoughts.

  He didn't notice the man standing on the upright bottom of the train behind him.

  He shouted as the man slammed into him from behind, knocking him forward and sending him sprawling. Off-guard, but not defenseless. He recovered quickly, turning over and kicking out before he saw his attacker. His foot caught the man in the knee, cracking it hard and sending him stumbling back. He saw his opponent then, a muscular guy in a bloody suit. A configuration? Or a slave?

  He pushed himself to his feet, taking a defensive posture against the man, who seemed to know how to fight.

  "Why don't you die?" the man said, charging at him, attempting to grapple.

  Mitchell stepped aside, lashing out with a foot that caught the man in the gut. He expected the man to lose his breath, but instead he grabbed Mitchell's leg and twisted, forcing Mitchell to fall or risk having it broken. He yanked the foot away, bracing himself as the man fell on top of him. He put his arms up in front of his head as the slave threw heavy punches at him.

  "Why don't you die?" the man shouted. "Why don't you die?"

  He repeated it over and over, becoming more and more angry with each blow. Mitchell kept his arms up, bearing the brunt of the attack on them, the old scars burning with each strike. He needed an opening to get his own attack in, to throw his assailant off-balance and get back on his feet. He was rusty. Sloppy. It had been too long.

  "Why don't you-"

  The man's voice cut off, replaced with the crack of a gun. Mitchell saw the left side of his head burst out, the force pulling the body off him behind it. He turned his head. Max was standing a hundred meters distant, weapon in hand.

  "Yeah, keep yelling, bro," Max shouted. "Nobody will find you that way." He ran over to Mitchell, extending his hand. It was wrapped in cloth, the blood soaking through. "Needs some stitches. No biggie."

  Mitchell took it, letting Max pull him to his feet.

  "Thanks," he said.

  "Anytime. I was looking for a little action. I wasn't expecting this."

  "You were wearing your restraints. Why?"

  "Always do, Captain. Habit of mine. I was in a VTOL crash during the war. Only survivor, thanks to wearing my belt. Technology can frig up anytime, and now that's twice I've beaten it." He turned his head, surveying the scene. "Carson?"

  "Over by those trees," Mitchell said, pointing.

  "Alive?"

  "So far. He may have internal damage. I don't know."

  "Let's hope not. He owes me fifty bucks."

  "Why?"

  "I bet him we wouldn't make it to New York without running into trouble. He thinks he knows because he's a Detective. He doesn't know shit."

  "What do you know?" Mitchell asked.

  "I know to always wear my safety belt." He smiled. "I also know that you're the kind of guy that trouble always seems to find. And, I know how this shit works. There're a million ways the AIT could have gotten eyes on you, a million pockets they could have lined."

  Mitchell didn't bother to tell him how Watson had tracked them down. It didn't matter. "Keep that gun close. As far as I'm concerned, everyone is an enemy until proven otherwise."

  "Hooo. It's that bad?"

  "The AIT just crashed five maglevs to get to me."

  "Five? Shit. It is that bad. Looks like I found a party. I've got your six, Captain."

  Mitchell started walking toward the trees where he had left Lyle.

  Watson wanted something from Origin.

  He had to figure out what.

  37

  Mitchell and Max carried Lyle away from the scene of the crash, hiking two miles through the trees to escape the carnage before emergency services arrived. There was no way for them to know if those first responders would be friendly, or if they would be acting of their own free will.

  There was no way to be sure about anyone.

  Mitchell had no idea what the people of the world were going to make of five maglevs exploding at the same time. Would there be a stronger call to do something about the AIT, now that they had raised their violent protest to unprecedented levels? Or would Watson find another way to spin the disaster, manipulating the facts the meet his needs?

  The Detective woke up an hour later. They had stopped to rest by then, with the understanding that they were only ten miles outside of Denver. Max had checked their location on his AR glasses, right before Mitchell had taken them and thrown them away. He had followed that up by explaining the situation to the Corporal while leaving out the fact that he was essentially a time traveler. He was sure that would come out soon enough.

  "Carson," Mitchell said as Lyle opened his eyes and looked around, trying to figure out where he was.

  "Mitchell. What the hell happened? My head is killing me."

  "You might have a concussion. What do you remember?"

  "Walking into the dining car. Seeing you with that guy. You looked upset, so I eavesdropped a little."

  "What did you hear?"

  Lyle blinked a few times. "I think I know what I heard, but if I hit my head, I'm not sure it was real." He turned his head to look at Mitchell. "Something about recursion and timelines." He fell silent for a few secon
ds. "Who are you?"

  Mitchell clenched his jaw. He needed to say it in a way that didn't sound completely crazy. Was that even possible?

  "Colonel Mitchell Williams," he said.

  "I thought it was Captain?" Max said.

  "I had forgotten about my promotion. Colonel Mitchell Williams, United Earth Alliance Space Marines."

  "Space Marines?" Lyle said.

  "It's a long story, and it's going to sound crazier than anything you imagined. You both need to know what we're up against because it's nothing you can prepare for. We have to be smart about this. Detective, you remember I told you I thought my memories were blocked? They were. I was the one who blocked them. They came back to me on the train. I know who I am, and why I'm here. Four hundred years in the future, an advanced artificial intelligence will appear from forty-thousand years ahead of that with the intent to destroy human civilization. It's already happened more times than I'll ever know. I'm trying to stop it from happening again."

  Mitchell paused, his face serious while Lyle and Max processed the statement.

  "I don't even know what to say to that," Lyle said after a long silence. "I mean, I heard what that guy was saying to you, and it backs up what you're telling me, but."

  "I barely believe it myself," Mitchell said. "I've lost too much not to."

  "Why is it that damn AI always wants to kill us?" Max said. "Why not end world hunger, or come up with a recipe for the perfect cheeseburger or some shit?"

  "I don't know why they do it. I know that Watson is their leader, and he's damaged. Something happened to him. I think we did it. I think we made him worse to weaken him, but so far that plan has backfired. He's smarter than Origin gave him credit for."

  "Origin?"

  "The only good AI. The first one. They call themselves the Tetron."

  "The future," Lyle said. "I knew there was something to you when you got picked up. But this? How did you wind up in a St. Louis alley?"

  "I don't know. I can't remember that part."

  "What happens to us in the future?" Max asked. Some of the soldier bravado had faded, leaving him curious and shaken.

  "It isn't this future. It's the future of the last time recursion. It's complicated, but I'll try to explain it to you. If we can stop Watson from grounding the Dove, this future will see mankind traveling the universe and settling dozens of planets, only to be exterminated at the hands of Tetron. If we don't stop him, we're going to die a lot sooner than that."

  "I have to tell you, Colonel," Max said. "I'm not a fan of those scenarios."

  "Neither am I. I'm leaving out a lot of detail right now, but the important part is that we've managed to wound Watson to the point that he's vulnerable. This is our shot to get the killing blow in, against him and against all of the Tetron. You saw what happened on the train. Watson has the power and the ability to do a lot of damage. I think he's holding back, and I think he has a reason for it. I'm not sure what that reason is yet, but it doesn't matter. It's my job to stop him before that happens."

  "What about Katherine Asher?" Lyle said.

  Mitchell felt his heart jump at the name. So many emotions had come rushing back with his memories, and all of them started with her. They were connected in a way he didn't understand. He loved her in a way that made no sense, despite the fact that they had never met.

  "In my timeline, she helps bring the Dove into the future. We use it to fight back against the Tetron. It isn't about the ship, though." Mitchell paused, the realization striking him.

  "Are you okay?" Max said.

  "It isn't about the ship," he repeated softly before looking at both of them. "It's about the people."

  "What do you mean?"

  "It doesn't matter right now. Look, I understand if you think I'm out of my mind. I understand if you don't want to be part of this. Watson is out there, and I can tell you things are only going to get worse. He isn't destroying everything, which means he wants something, and he risks losing it if he does. Somehow, we have to figure out what it is he's after."

  "How do we do that?" Max asked.

  Mitchell shook his head. "I don't know yet. First, I need to know if you're with me."

  "That asshat tried to blow me up," Max said. "I told you I've got your six, Cap - Colonel."

  Lyle pushed himself to a sitting position and then saluted. "Maybe it's just because my head took a beating, but even if you're crazy about the whole future thing, what happened on that train is real. I won't change my mind about that."

  "Thank you. Both of you. I know we were heading to New York to try to meet up with Major Asher. That's not a good idea right now. Bunching up will make it easier for Watson to take us all down at once. It's better to keep his attention diverted."

  "What do you want to do instead?"

  Mitchell reached into his pocket and removed the data chip from it. "This is the only thing I was carrying when I was brought to St. Mary's. Evelyn died before she could tell me what was on it. I still don't remember its purpose, which leads me to believe it's pretty damn important. I think knowing what's on it will give us a clue about what Watson is after."

  "I don't know anybody in Denver," Lyle said.

  "Max?" Mitchell said.

  "Sorry, Colonel. Most of the action is on the coast." He stopped for a second. "Actually, I have an ex who moved here a couple of years ago. She was in intelligence. She might know somebody."

  "Then that's where we're going. Can you walk, Sergeant?"

  Lyle nodded and reached out. Mitchell grabbed his hand and pulled him up, holding him steady while he got his balance.

  "I'm okay," Lyle said. "Some pounding, but I've taken worse hits."

  "We've got a bit of a walk ahead of us, and it's going to be dark soon," Mitchell said. "Let's see how far we can get."

  "At least we're off the grid out here," Max said.

  Mitchell's thoughts turned to Katherine. The configuration had claimed Watson had arranged for her to be discharged, and that in turn would draw Origin out of hiding. That Origin hadn't been keeping watch over him only solidified his belief that the chip he was carrying was important, and that he was making the right decision to stay away from Major Asher. As much as he wanted to meet her, to see her with his own eyes, to touch his hand to hers, he wanted to protect her even more.

  He had lost everything else, but he hadn't lost her.

  Not yet.

  38

  For the second time in as many days, Katherine found herself waiting for Trevor Johns. She hadn't gone to the cafe to track him down this time, knowing now that it wasn't safe to make an appearance anywhere that public without preparing for it. Fortunately, Origin had ways of acquiring information that wasn't readily available to the general population, and she knew how to get it without tripping any of Watson's alarms.

  Origin. Katherine still struggled with the story her twin had told her. She still had a hard time coming to grips with the idea of time travel, or the Tetron, or even that there was a man out there that she was supposedly destined to love. It was all a lot to take in, and a lot to try to believe. She was doing her best, but the most comfort she found was in moving forward, taking action, and at the very least working to get herself back on the Dove. The launch was apparently more important than she could have ever realized, and she would be damned if she was going to miss it.

  The Tetron had urged her to be cautious when dealing with Trevor, as they had no way of knowing if the soldier was under Watson's control, or had simply been monitored as a former acquaintance of hers. Origin had even volunteered to meet him in her place, an offer that Katherine was quick to decline. If she was supposed to be part of this, she was going to be part of this, not let someone else fight her battles for her.

  She kneeled behind a wide metal column, careful to stay out of sight of the cameras spaced around the parking garage. She had been warned that showing too much of her face would draw Watson's immediate interest, but she also needed Trevor to be able to see her and to kn
ow who was confronting him.

  A soft hum signaled the approach of a vehicle. Katherine raised herself slightly so she could see around the edge of the beam and over the back of a separate car, squinting in the combined brightness of the overhead lights and the headlights of the transport. She had watched Trevor leave on the small, red, bike two hours ago, on his way out to the gym. Once Origin had tracked down his home address, catching up to him was easy. He was still on the same workout schedule he had kept during his time in Project Olive Branch.

  The bike rolled gracefully across the garage. Trevor's face was hidden by an opaque helmet, but she could tell it was him by his physique. Not many men were as lean and at the same time muscular as Trevor, his body built to win triathlons and seduce women. And Katherine had seen him with women. She didn't hold any illusions that she was anywhere near the first or last female he had been to bed with.

  That was all ancient history. The only thing that mattered now was that he had been the one to tell her where to meet the dealer, and that meeting had gone completely sideways. Maybe it wasn't his fault, but she was having a hard time believing he was completely innocent. If someone had been tailing him, he was experienced enough that he should have noticed.

  She crept around the parked vehicles as Trevor slowed and pulled the bike into a smaller spot near the stairwell door. She was a good ten meters from him, far enough to get his attention without making him defensive. Close enough to catch up to him if he tried to run. Not that she could imagine why he would try to run. They had sparred a few times in the past, and he had always gotten her to submit.

  He parked the bike, climbed off the left side, and pulled off his helmet. Katherine remained hidden from the cameras but had moved over enough that she would be in his view when he turned.

  "I wasn't sure you would still be here when I came back," Trevor said, his back still to her.