"You realize how much like mad science this sounds?" Majayplay said, a digital eyebrow raised.
The ancient wisewoman's appearance was always a mystery to Hallfar. In the old stories, Majayplay adopted the appearance of a wise old beggar or simple countryfolk. Why she'd picked a cartoon character baffled Hallfar. Of course, Majayplay had always been unpredictable.
"Perhaps, but it's our best bet. Even technical files from the future might prove vital to our universe's defence. And we aren't changing history, so fate has no reason to backlash against us," Hallfar replied.
"If you ignore the paradox caused by taking something from the future, sure," Majayplay said, rolling her eyes. The amount of animation on this cartoon character was astonishing. Every hair swayed as Majayplay moved her head.
"I wouldn't be risking this if it wasn't vital. We don't have a choice," Hallfar said, frowning.
"There's always a choice, but I get your point. If you do this, you'll be walking into a future Earth overrun with Altair." Much to Hallfar's relief, Majayplay wasn't dismissing him outright. She was warning him of the dangers of his crazy, foolhardy plan.
"I realize that. That's why I'm taking a small crack team." Of course, Hallfar would go along himself. He refused to send his men into a situation he wouldn't go into himself.
"It sounds like you don't plan on bringing either Rose or the Luyten V."
"No. She is a vital asset. I won't risk her on such a dangerous plan. We might not even return. Besides, the Luyten V would draw too much attention." Rose would likely get swarmed by near-endless Altair. No, stealth was a better approach.
"You're committed, then, but why do you assume I know the secrets of time travel?" Majayplay asked.
"I have a hunch you're the reason the future version of Rose was capable of sending the Luyten V into the past. You've kept it hidden for good reason, Majayplay, but please, this might be our best chance," Hallfar bowed his head in deference.
The digital being remained silent for several long moments before sighing. "Okay. When Future Rose sent the Luyten V into the past, it weighed, what, 340 tons? It must have required a tremendous amount of energy, enough to power half of the planet. A dozen or so people? Much simpler."
"Sounds feasible enough." Tirgess's hyperdrive could manage three times that amount.
"You must promise me one thing," Majayplay said. "Once this foolish adventure is over, you will destroy all equipment and records. Your scientists must swear an oath never to explore this technology again. I shouldn't need to explain why."
"Done." Only Hallfar's most trusted scientists would be put on this project.
"And I'm overseeing the operation. I won't tolerate any shenanigans."
"Fair enough, considering we literally have no idea what we're doing. Where should our base of operations be? I imagine the Tirgess would be the best option." He'd rather not have humans learn about the operation.
"Your flagship is fine, but the actual time transfer needs to be on Earth. When factoring in the planet's orbit and rotation, there are already enough calculations to consider."
"I'll arrange it. We'll have everything you'll need."
"Excellent! But…" the digital entity furrowed her brow.
"But?"
"It's short notice, but retrieving it shouldn't be hard." The ancient being stroked her digital chin.
"What?" Was there some other element his people currently didn't possess?
"I'll get it." The feed cut off.
"More secrets." But Hallfar didn't mind. They were playing with fire here, with a possibility of burning their entire universe's future. Their only chance for survival was to trust this strange creature from folklore. He wondered if humans had similar legends about Majayplay.
"Jalmren, contact Doctor Raldu on the planet. Shuttle him onto the Tirgess as soon as he's available."
"Sir, can't you just contact him through comlink?" the Corporal asked, confused.
"Do as I instruct, Corporal." Hallfar's words brooked no argument. A commander didn't need to explain his reasoning to his subordinates. They needed to trust that their leader knew his business.
"Understood, sir," Jalmren replied, offering no further questions.
Hallfar's computer buzzed, and a list of materials appeared there. Majayplay was asking for a lot, but nothing his flagship couldn't provide. He would personally make sure they were ready. He would tolerate no mistakes. For their future's sake, they couldn't afford such a luxury.
///
"How have you been, Cecilia?" Sandage said, bending down to match Cecilia's eye level.
"Well enough," she replied.
Since her accident, the LUVOLT agent had visited her every day. It was somewhat excessive in her opinion. But she humored him, allowing Sandage to wheel her outside into the hospital's garden. It was nothing special, only a grassy area with planted flowers and a bubbling fountain. But it was nice to feel the sun against her skin. Her bodyguard, Al-Kindī, stood at a distance, providing them plenty of space to talk alone.
They enjoyed the fine day in silence. Some children played around the flowers while a nurse tried to corral them away. Other patients were enjoying the sunlight and a reprieve from the oppressive hospital.
"Tomorrow you go home. Are you excited?" Sandage asked.
"Can't wait, really." She was still pretty beaten up, but nothing that required a longer hospital stay. They had her on some serious painkillers, but thankfully they didn't make her as loopy as the earlier drugs had.
"I'm glad. I don't like hospitals either. They remind me of when my father passed away ."
"Your dad died?" Cecilia asked, surprised.
"Yeah. Cancer. Lung." Sandage sighed. "My mother always warned him against smoking, but it was a cool thing in his time. He started when he was thirteen."
"Really?" Cecilia scrunched her face in disgust, baffled how anyone got hooked on cigarettes at such a young age.
"It got so bad he needed a respirator to breathe. He thankfully passed away in his sleep."
"I'm sorry."
"I miss him. I wish he'd been around longer. He never got to see his grandson. But when I got married, he told me he'd never been prouder."
"Oh," Cecilia had never realized. It was sad to hear Sandage had lost his father so early. Not that she would know. She'd never had parents.
"Cecilia, I have a proposal. There's no rush for an answer." The sudden topic change gave Cecilia whiplash. For whatever reason, Sandage seemed nervous.
"Okay?"
"Cecilia… My wife and I have been talking. We've been talking about whether we want another kid running around the house. We can easily convert my home office into a bedroom."
"Are you planning to have another child?"
"That's not what I mean. Cecilia, I was wondering if you'd like to be our daughter? We want to adopt you."
Cecilia's mouth opened, but words failed her. They wanted to adopt her? Her?
"I've stunned you into silence," Sandage said, laughing. "There's no need to answer now. This is a serious life decision. You shouldn't rush into it."
"Why me?" Cecilia finally managed. "There are tons of other children out there."
"Because I care for you, Cecilia. We both do. It was a crime how those scientists treated you. You're no lab experiment. You're a person. Cecilia, you deserve all the love and attention someone your age deserves. It saddens me I couldn't help you earlier, but I'm here now."
"I…" The pure passion in the older man's voice surprised her. He was speaking from his heart and soul.
Still, did she want this? Did she want Sandage to adopt her? When he caught the indecision on her face, Sandage only smiled.
"It's a big decision. I won't begrudge you if you say no. But understand this. Even if you refuse, I'll always be here for you, okay, Cecilia?" Sandage grabbed her hand and squeezed.
"Okay." Cecilia felt something drip down her cheeks. Much to her surprise, it was tears—her tears. Was she crying? Why? Cecilia wiped them, furious with herself. Why were her emotions so screwed up?
Sandage, however, kept a firm grip on her hand. They talked a little longer, but the words were a blur as Sandage's offer circled in her head.
Did she want a family? A lab freak like her? Yet Sandage's offer had been sincere. Oh no. She was crying again. So stupid.
Cecilia thought back to when she'd visited Sandage's home. His wife had been so inviting. Despite never having met her before, she'd opened her home to Cecilia. And she supposed their son Joe wasn't too bad either, if a bit annoying. She remained in her thoughts. Cecilia's only company was the nurses who often dropped in to check up on her.
Embarrassingly, she needed extra help. For example, getting into her bed or going to the bathroom. This was her life now. Cecilia was depressed that she was stuck this way forever.
"What now?" Cecilia asked herself. Whatever she chose, her life would be different forever once she left the hospital. Sandage stayed, and they enjoyed the garden and fresh air. They just talked, putting aside the adoption topic for another time. It was nice.
It threatened to get dark when work pulled Sandage away, but he stayed with her until he wheeled her into her room. Much to Cecilia's surprise, her guardian was waiting for her.
"Oh, hey, Doctor Burbidge." Thanks to her work, the doctor hadn't had much opportunity to visit her ward.
"How are you, Cecilia?" the doctor asked.
"Okay, I guess," Cecilia said, somewhat glum. "Did Mr. Sandage tell you about his offer to adopt me?"
"He did. Visited me in person, actually."
"What do you think?" Cecilia asked, giving her guardian her full attention.
"My opinion is immaterial." Burbidge smiled at Cecilia's startled expression. "It is your life. The decision is yours."
"And if you were in my place?"
Burbidge paused, giving the matter some thought. "I'd consider what I thought about Joe Sandage and make my decision from there." Which didn't answer Cecilia's question.
While frustratingly vague, Cecilia mulled over her guardian's words. What did she think of him? She remembered the day she'd first met him. Sandage had found her oddly fascinating. And since then, he'd watched over her. Cecilia recalled countless times he'd made sure she'd eaten or done her homework. He'd been a guardian of sorts, she supposed.
And it was clear he'd grown to love her. Cecilia, the lab freak who almost matched his height. The girl with freaky powers. Unexpected warmth blossomed in her heart. He always supported her, didn't he? He cared for her. After her accident, he'd freaked out like his own son had gotten hurt.
"He's a good man. He certainly loves me." Oh dear. She was crying again. "And I think I want him as part of my life."
This earned a sad smile from Doctor Burbidge. "I'm happy for you. You deserve it. I haven't been the best guardian for you. Truthfully, they only assigned me to you because of my expertise. You deserve a real family. I pray your life with Mr. Sandage will be a happy one."
"Thanks, Doctor Burbidge." Cecilia wiped away her tears. She supposed she'd already decided in her heart. She just hadn't realized it yet.
Family. She was going to have a family. It scared her, inviting them in. Yet, it thrilled her as well. She hadn't realized how much she actually wanted this. When she'd seen Rose with her parents, hidden deep down, she'd been jealous. She'd cursed her freak existence and how it'd stolen any chance of family. But that had been a lie. Rose and Sandage were already her family.
How had she become so fortunate? So loved? She only hoped she'd be a good daughter to Sandage.
///
"This is your master plan, is it?" An unamused Raldu asked, adjusting his spectacles. "Go into the future?"
"You've seen our scouts' reports. The Altair are building a bridge into our universe for a full-scale invasion. We do what we must to defeat them," Prince Hallfar replied patiently. This hadn't been the first pushback against his admittedly mad scheme.
"Madness," Raldu shook his head disparagingly.
"Have you examined the schematics Majayplay provided us? When will the time portal become operational?"
"Excusing the fact I barely understand how it works?" Raldu replied. "Give me four days. Our engineers are working around the clock, but this is very technical equipment. As instructed, I haven't told them the device's purpose."
"Good." It'd have to be enough. About a week shouldn't be a big deal.
No, what bothered Hallfar was the lack of any activity from the third Altair general, Gamma. They still hadn't found any sign of the Altair fugitives. Unlike Beta, who had been ruthless and cruel to a fault, Gamma seemed content to stay patient. And why not? It assumed the Altair had already won.
Still, would Gamma keep quiet until the invasion, or launch a surprise attack on Rose or Cecilia? Hallfar considered using them as bait, but dismissed it. Both because the Altair wouldn't fall for it again and because Hallfar's heart couldn't stand putting them in danger again. It'd be best to keep their locations a secret.
It'd been Hallfar's fault that the Burbidge girl had gotten injured. It had shattered his soul to learn that Cecilia would likely never walk again. He'd allowed Beta to get the better of him, to tragic results. And the injury wasn't anything even Ectutai science could easily heal. Still, he'd make amends somehow. He'd already called a specialist from Ectutai to aid her recovery. It might regenerate the nerve endings in her legs. However, this procedure was experimental, specifically created for Ectutai. It was unclear if it'd be effective on a human.
His comm beeped. "Yes."
"Sir, we have a call from Home System." The communications officer paused, carefully considering his next words. "It's from your sister, Princess Janit."
The officer's tone brought a spike of apprehension through Hallfar. "Okay, patch her through."
"Sister," Hallfar said.
"Hallfar," his sister said, her tone neutral. They'd never been on the best of terms. With Hallfar out campaigning, he'd rarely seen her in her seventeen years. They'd just never had the time.
"Why do you grant me this call?"
"It's Father. He's hurt badly." A sniffle crackled through the shaky comm signal.
"No," Hallfar found himself seated in his desk chair. Doctor Raldu respectfully took his leave. "What happened?"
"It was Imrele. This morning, he attacked Father in the royal chambers. They scared him off, but not before he seriously hurt the Emperor. I heard some alien creature had stolen his face, but I never…" Her words trailed off. She regained some manner of composure. "Father is alive, but the attack left him with some strange infection the doctors have never seen before. We don't know what to do! Father might die soon."
Just like Rose. Hallfar had read the reports. Somehow the Lutven V had saved her from the Altair infection, thanks to their bond. Obviously, that wouldn't work here.
"Can it be amputated?" Hallfar asked.
"No, it's reached his ribs," his sister replied. "They've put him into a coma, but that's only slowing the growth. Unless we find a cure, he's going to die."
"Okay, keep me posted." Hallfar's mind whirled at the implications. If his father died, he'd need to become Emperor. But he didn't want the role. He'd always intended for Imrele to take it.
"What? That's it? You're kidding! You're not coming home?" Janit's words were acidic. "You're ignoring that Father's dying!"
"I can't leave my duties. Too much is at stake."
"Like what? Who cares if some backwater is getting invaded? I guess the big military man doesn't care about his father dying!"
Hallfar sighed. He had expected the outburst. His sister was young. She didn't understand the burden of his duties.
"This isn't about just one backwater planet. The Altair are planning a full-scale invasion of our universe soon." This earned a gasp from Janit. "I'm working to stop the tide of destruction. I'm leaving the situation in Brigadier General Almoss's capable hands." Besides, it'd take almost a month to transit back home. That was time they could ill afford.
"But…"
"Tell the Brigadier to contact me as soon as possible," Hallfar continued. "I understand the situation better than you know. It pains me that I can't be by our father's bed, but we must stop the Altair, whatever the cost. Watch yourself, Janit." He dismissed the communication before his sister could reply.
"Call Doctor Raldu in," Hallfar told his secretary. Four days? No, it'd be ready in two. He'd work his men to death if necessary.
The Altair would pay for their insult. He would burn their entire race out of existence. Hallfar swore this by the old god. They wouldn't survive his wrath.