Sara dressed and went to the adjoining hotel room to meet with Johnny Highpitch, Marissa Tulvak, Teresa Becker, and Lee Edwards, whose one arm was in a sling.
“You look rested, Sara,” said Marissa. Sara nodded her thanks and sat down in the chair next to Edwards.
“We have gathered here to decide the fate of the strange device we found in the temple of Khyber Gorah.”
“I believe we are calling it the Omnisphere,” said Teresa. “Obviously, we need a team of scientists to thoroughly examine what information resides within it and do the best to catalog it.”
“This is based on the assumption that the data stored in it is all true,” countered Sara. “We have no idea from where it came from.”
“We can’t fact-check something that claims to be from the future,” remarked Johnny.
“That’s why I say we destroy it,” said Sara. “It’s deadly enough in the wrong hands, but it could do even worse damage in the right hands. It’s better we not know than to act on misinformation.”
“Why are you so convinced that the Omnisphere is some kind of Trojan Horse or Pandora’s Box?” asked Teresa.
“It’s hard to say no to a fountain of knowledge,” said Johnny.
“That’s exactly it,” said Sara. “It’s a temptation. It’s simply too good to be true.”
“But it could contain valuable information of species not yet discovered,” said Marissa.
“It could,” said Sara. “But the Omnisphere is just too dangerous to keep around. Too much knowledge is just as deadly as too little knowledge. We could end up letting the Omnisphere dictate our choices.”
“I must admit that your scenario is a bit overdone,” huffed Johnny. “You’re making it sound like it’s some kind of doomsday weapon.”
“Just think of the benefits we could gain from it,” said Teresa.
“Daring told me once that there was once a great network of computers called the Internet,” said Marissa. “It was an open and free system, but there was nothing in place to regulate content, so rumors and gossip has as much validity as the facts.”
“So, even if we can’t verify the information on it, why destroy it?” asked Teresa.
“Because the Cabal knows it exists, and they’ll keep coming after it until they get it. If we destroy it, then neither of us will have it, and it may save us a great deal of bloodshed in the process,” said Sara. “There’s just too many questions and not a whole lot of answers.”
Teresa sighed. “I guess we should put it to a vote?”
Teresa and Johnny voted to keep the Omnisphere. Sara and Marissa voted to destroy it. All eyes turned to Lee Edwards.
“What say you?” asked Johnny.
“Well, this discovery would make me famous,” started Lee. “But I think that Sara’s right. When I think about this Omnisphere, I become afraid.”
“You’re just afraid of change,” said Teresa. “Think of all the medical advancements we could make. The new technology alone…”
“What about all the new weapons that could be stored on it?” asked Lee. “Those alone would cancel out whatever lives we saved otherwise. We barely have a grasp on the technology we’ve created for ourselves, much less advanced technology from the future. We’re just not ready for it.”
“Then, it’s decided,” said Sara. “Tomorrow, we will take the Omnisphere to an undisclosed location and destroy it.” Sara stopped Lee as he started to leave with the others.
“Can you get me Old Timer?” she asked.
Meanwhile, Zoey clutched her sides as she laughed. “Stop that,” she said between gasps. “That hurts.” They had just come back from an evening on the town, and both were dressed in appropriate eveningwear.
“You’re lucky Marissa’s such a good surgeon.”
“The Kevlar helped.”
“Well,” he said. “I don’t think I mentioned that during the briefing. It still needs tested, seeing how both you and Lee got shot.”
“True,” admitted Zoey. “But it did stop two of the bullets.” Junior sat down next to Zoey. They sat quietly on the balcony of her room.
“You’ve been kind of moody lately,” said Junior lately.
“Post-operation blues,” said Zoey. “Actually, it’s this whole thing with the Omnisphere. Sara wouldn’t let me get near it, and I’m convinced it has information on Zeitgeist.”
“The man who experimented on you a long time ago,” said Junior. “Are you still obsessed with him?”
“I don’t really hate him. Not anymore, I guess, but it’s like being adopted. I have these questions in my soul, and he’s the only one who can answer them.”
“What if you never find him?”
“I don’t know,” replied Zoey, suddenly becoming aware of how close they were sitting.
“Would it tear you up inside?” She felt Junior’s eyes looking deep within her.
“Maybe,” she said. His warm hand caressed her cheek. She could feel him drawing her closer until…
“Are you two lover birds in here?” came a cantankerous voice from the doorway. Old Timer came stomping through the room and out onto the balcony. “Well, there you are. What in sam hill are you to doing out here?”
Junior stood up at this. “What do you mean what are we doing out here? We’re enjoying the night atmosphere.”
Old Timer made a face, like he just swallowed something sour. “Phooey. You been to one city, ya seen ‘em all, I sez.” Old Timer turned to Zoey. “Sara was asking about ya. You okay and stuff?”
“I’m fine, thanks,” replied Zoey. “Just a little sore still.”
“That’s good to hear,” said Old Timer with a toothless smile. Old Timer nodded at Junior. “Let’s get going, squirt.”
“What?”
“Sara’s got a job for us tomorrow, and I want ya bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.” Old Timer started to push Junior back into the room.
“I can’t understand a word you say,” protested Junior.
“Ya don’t gotta. Just keep moving,” said Old Timer as he kept pushing. Zoey walked over to edge of the balcony, as the commotion moved farther and farther into the hallway. Zoey sighed when silence finally returned, almost. She heard the soft footsteps on the carpeting.
“Hello, Sara.” She said without looking.
“Feeling better?” asked Sara, not at all surprised.
“Yes, of course,” said Zoey as Sara joined her by the balcony. “It was probably your idea for Junior to help me recover.”
“They’re going to destroy the Omnisphere tomorrow,” said Sara. “I’m sorry.”
“Why am I not surprised? You always get what you want.”
“Just what would you do if you found him?” asked Sara.
“I don’t know, talk to him? You already know how bad I am with a gun. It’d just give me a sense of closure, I guess.”
“Only characters in a story get closure,” said Sara. “I never found closure.”
“So you should be like you?”
“No, but this man’s dangerous. He’s not someone you just ‘talk to.’”
“And you’re the world’s greatest negotiator. You’ll find a way. He owes me, Sara.”
“And what do you owe me? I’m the one who found you and nursed you back to health.”
“Congratulations. It took you five minutes to bring that up,” snapped Zoey. “Why can’t you respect my decisions?”
“I’m just trying to help you.”
“Wrong, you’re trying to protect me.” Zoey stalked off the balcony and out of the room.
Sara leaned against the balcony’s fencing and quietly exhaled. She pulled out of her pocket a liquid plasma hard drive. Within it was all the information on anyone with an alias of “Doctor Zeitgeist” from within the Omnisphere. She slowly closed her hand into a fist until the drive was dripping down onto the floor.
“Damn you, Zeitgeist,” she muttered.
Doctor Zeitgeist was possessed with an unearthly rage. For the first time in a long time, he felt the bitterness of defeat. Bile burned his throat as his large hands pushed everything off of his desk. It was rare for him to lose his composure, but the lost of his men and his loss of face in front of the rest of the Cabal was too much for him.
But the sight of the chessboard, untouched by his rage, calmed him immediate. What did it matter? There were other games to start, more important strategies in play. He was still untouchable.
The door creaked open and in walked his assistant, Ragdin. “You idiot,” snarled Zeitgeist. “I told you I was not to be disturbed.”
“It’s urgent,” insisted Ragdin.
“Yes?” Ragdin tossed something onto his desk. It was a pair of handcuffs. “Is this some kind of joke?”
“Put them on.”
“I’m in no mood for this,” roared Zeitgeist.
Ragdin pushed his fingers against his face until they broke the skin. He twisted his hand, making the tear larger. Soon, he grasped the tattered remains of his face and tossed it onto the desk next to the handcuffs.
“You’re under arrest for crimes against humanity,” said Rick Daring. “Put them on, or face the consequences.”
Click Here to Go To The Final Chapter
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
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