Chapter Six

For the Z Batch, the journey to Cairns was uneventful. Zoltan had grasped the rudiments of driving the antique automobile just as quickly as he’d understood its internal workings. So, despite a feeling of insecurity created by the knowledge that there was no anti-impact device fitted, the Z Batch enjoyed the hundred kilometre trip through the lush countryside.

For the first time in any time zone, the Z Batch had a feeling of pleasure in their surroundings. The city was small, much more like the clusters of living zones they were used to, and the air was clean and fresh, fresher than any they’d smelled since home. There was an air of relaxation that made Zac slightly homesick.

Ben indicated to Zoltan to pull over to the side of the bitumen road when the taller towers of the central business district loomed close.

“We’d better hike it in from here,” he said. “I’d hate to explain to a local cop why three weird characters in long underwear are driving a car that runs without petrol.”

“You should get some proper clothes as well,” said Kylie. “You look too different. We’ll keep a look out for a bin.”

Zac was puzzled. “What’s this bin?” he asked. “Some sort of transaction place we’ve not heard of? When we’re short of materials we go shopping.”

Kylie laughed. “So would we if we had any money. No, we take stuff from the bins the charity people put up.”

Zac still looked blank.

“People put the things they don’t need any more into the bins. The charity people collect them and give them to people who do need them.” explained Kylie.

“A sort of disorganised recycling,” said Zac. “So that’s how people without transaction material clothe themselves.”

“That’s it,” said Ben.

“So why were you collecting clothing at night?”

“So the cops wouldn’t see us,” said Ben.

This answer completely perplexed Zac, so he lapsed into silence. He tried to compute why the authority figures would bother someone was using something that no-one else wanted, but it was beyond even his mental abilities.

“Come on we’ll find one.” said Ben.

“But we don’t need to do that,” said Zara. “We have ample transaction material.”

“Yes” said Zac. “We can go shopping. I like shopping. We never get to do it at home.’

“Sounds like a weird place,” said Ben.

“That word,” said Zoltan. “What does it mean?”

Zac translated. “Weird. Obsolete word meaning something strange, peculiar - we’d say obverse.”

“Got you,” said Zara. She spoke to Kylie and Ben. ”You see, we press buttons on the manubox to ring the autos for anything we need. There’s no commerce in our time. Commerce breeds greed, and that doesn’t exist any more.”

“Except in mutations like Darkon,” muttered Zoltan.

The mention of their quarry’s name brought the trio back to earth with a jolt. They had been enjoying so many new experiences that they had forgotten their quest.

“Come on,” said Zara. “Let’s find those shops and get into some historical costumes.”

Ben laughed. “Historical costumes! Is that what you call our latest gear?” Then he looked more serious. “You won’t get a lot with those old fashioned looking notes you showed us.”

“That’s cryo,” said Zoltan. “We’ve got other material, stuff that’s the same in any time zone. Look.”

He pulled the small handful of diamonds from his pocket and Ben and Kylie stared in awe as the sunlight sparkled on the gemstones.

“Are they for real?” gasped Ben

“Pure crystallised carbon,” said Zoltan.

“Diamonds,” said Kylie.

“Diamonds,” agreed Zoltan.

“Well, if you’re going to try to sell them you’d better spend all your cash on one new outfit.

“One of you will have to look truly excellent to trade them without making anyone suspicious,” said Ben.

“Excellent?” said Zara.

“Radiant,” said Zac. “It’s the 21st century equivalent.”

Zara nodded.

“So let’s go,” she said, setting off towards the city.

“What about the car?” asked Ben. “Aren’t you going to lock it up?”

“Why?” asked Zoltan.

“So no-one steals it,” said Ben.

Zara looked puzzled at Zac.

“An obsolete word, used in early centuries to indicate the dispossession of material goods by one person from another.”

“Why on earth would anyone want to dispossess anyone of anything?” asked a bewildered Zara.

“It’s just the way things were,” said Zac.

So, after taking the keys from the ignition switch and locking up the car, the Z Batch followed Ben and Kylie through the city streets until they came to a shopping mall. There Zara had her work cut out to stop Zac from wandering into all the shops and to keep Zoltan away from auto accessory stores.

But finally, everyone including Ben and Kylie were dressed in the latest and most expensive clothes.

The Z Batch was amazed at the transaction value the merchants placed on their crystallised carbon. They had so much money that could hardly put it in their collective pockets.

Happy with their purchases, they walked out into the sunlight.

“That has to be the best climate control centre we’ve been in anywhere outside of home,” said Zoltan. “The system as we know it must have begun about this time.”

Zac tugged at the collar of his shirt, which was made of unbleached cotton, for none of them would allow anything near their skin accept natural fibres and said: “It’s a pity they haven’t started on the outside as well. I’m uncomfortable.”

“You’ll just have to get used to it,” said Zara.

“You mean you control the outside climate in your time?” asked a disbelieving Kylie.

“Lots of things in our time would baffle you as much as things baffle us here,” said Zara. She looked around and sniffed the air. “Where are you Darkon?” she muttered.

“No sign of him?” asked Zoltan.

“Nothing at all,” she said. “But he must still be here, hiding under the cover of his other identity.”

“Why don’t we check the data sheets?” asked Zac. Zara looked questioning. “The data sheets,” he continued, “where we saw Darkon’s picture the last time. Newspapers they called them. They’re not very efficient, but they do contain plenty relevant information.”

So they found their way to the local newspaper office and began to hunt through the files. It didn’t take long, for the arrogant and conceited Darkon couldn’t resist a camera.

There was a recent shot of him scooping a large armful of chips in the casino.

Kylie looked at the picture with interest. “You reckon that’s your mutant from the future?” she asked.

“That’s Darkon all right,” said Zara.

Ben studied the picture. “Now I know you’re crazy,” he said. “That’s no mutant. It says here that he’s James Konrad, head of Konrad Industries. He’s one of the richest men in the world.”

“That’s who he wants you to think he is,” said Zara. “Take a close look at his wrist. You’ll see his Time Trekker.”

“That’s just an expensive wrist watch,” said Ben.

“Take a closer look,” said Zara holding out her own wrist.

The 21st century children studied both intently, and then looked up, mouths wide open.” They’re the same,” said Kylie.

“You are for real,” said Ben.

“We certainly are,” said Zara grimly. “We’ve been tracking him from 19th century France, to 20th century England and now we’re here, and we still can’t get a full grasp of what he’s up to.”

“All we do know is that he has been mixing with the pioneers in the medical field,” said Zoltan. “And Konrad Industries, you said before, was a pharmaceutical company.”

“That right,” said Ben.

Zara was grimly reading the newspaper report. “Konrad Industries is one of the biggest genetic engineering companies in the world. They’re reinventing life almost.”

The Z Batch stared at each other, horrified.

“He’s already made changes,” said Zac.

“That’s his plan,” said Zara, in awe. “He wants to control genetic experiments through time, through this company, to change our future.”

She turned to Ben. “Is Konrad Industries the only genetic engineering company in existence?”

“Not on your life,” said Ben. “There’s tons more, some big, some small, all working on different things. Konrad’s is just the biggest.”

“Then we can still stop him,” said Zara. “To change our future he will have to have complete control of the industry. But how will he do it?

Zara studied the paper and read the report fully.

“He’s going to travel out to the edge of the Barrier Reef in two days time to open an oil pipeline,” she read

“Why is he still messing with carbon fuel?” asked Zac.

The question went unanswered.

Zara continued reading. “It doesn’t say where he’s staying,” she said. “But maybe if we find this Konrad Industries building, I might be able to pick up his magnetic field. He must have been there.”

He was in fact in the headquarters building right then, in an office which management had given him. He was poring over the maps of the Coral Sea and Barrier Reef.

His fingers, trembling with excitement, traced patterns on the blue of the sea; they wandered from the dots that were coral cays to the X-marked position of the oil rig.

He then consulted a large, red-bound book and made a few complicated computations. His intense concentration was creating strong magnetic disturbances in the room, but finally his frown disappeared and an evil smile crossed his face.

“Perfect,” he said. “I couldn’t have hoped for more if I’d planned the position of the rig myself. But then, maybe I did.”

He laughed at his little joke.

Then he slammed the book closed and strode confidently to the window. He gazed out over the glinting ocean.

“Two days and I will have everything I want,” he said aloud. “One press of that lever and history will be changed for ever. No-one, not even Kane’s creations will be able to alter it. My world will be created.”

He closed his mouth abruptly when a knock came on the door.

“Come in,” he barked, his voice quivering with authority.

It was Pike.

“Everything’s in place,” he said. “We’ll fly by helicopter to the rig. There’ll be a big press contingent there for the official turning on of the oil pipeline.

“Your announcement of the cancer cure will come as a complete surprise. It should make a sensational international news item.”

“And send our stock price soaring,” added Darkon.

“And put your name up with the greats of medical research.”

“Good,” said Darkon, thinking of how magnificent his name would read in the new histories of the world and how the people of his own time, in the world he would have created would react when they realised that the mysterious Mr Konrad of ages past was actually their ruler.

He was the one who not only controlled their lives, but their past and future as well. He couldn’t hold in the immense sigh of satisfaction this thought aroused.

“Yes,” said Pike, miss-reading the mutant. “It will be a great day, one for the history books I’m sure.”

Darkon flashed a look that sent a shiver up Pike’s spine, but he managed a smile. “What do you want to do for the rest of the day?”

Darkon looked through the window. A normal man would have thought of a fishing trip or a day relaxing on the beach, but Darkon was no ordinary man.

“I think a trip to check our Indonesian operations might be in order,” he said.

Pike’s mouth dropped. “Indonesia, but that’s a minimum four hour flight even in the rocket jet.”

Darkon smiled his unpleasant smile. “Which means we can work for eight hours before returning for dinner, taking into account the time differences,” he said. “Does that cause any problems?”

“Er...of course not Mr Konrad,” said Pike, wondering how he was to explain this latest escapade to his wife, who was already unhappy at the constant demands for business and leisure time his employer was placing on her husband.

“So arrange things.” Darkon indicated the telephone on us desk.

Pike hurried to do as he was told and insisted that the company rocket jet be ready to take off in thirty minutes.