Jamie Andrews watched the swirls as his spoon moved through the teacup. If the answers he sought were there, they weren’t obvious. He brought his gaze back to Ireland’s president, who was rubbing her forehead as if she had a headache.
She did this for a few moments more, then turned her attention back to him. “I wish you’d seen fit to bring us in on this several decades ago.” Her glance included Sam and Sarah in her disapproval, even though both were far too young to have anything to do with decades-old decisions.
“Are you suggesting,” she continued, “that I contact the heads of state of every other nation, and tell them we must prepare for an interdimensional war? I would be laughed out of the room.”
“They have the right to know,” Jamie said.
“It may not come to war,” Sam said. “The most powerful force on that world was badly discredited. While a few megalomaniacs may harbor a desire to take over our world, I don’t believe they have the power to accomplish it. A few of the more liberal governments were already working together to prevent aggressive use of the CERBO. I’m hopeful they will be successful.”
“Hope is not how one protects one’s country, Dr. Altair.”
“No, of course not. But I do think it’s important that we consider what the nations of that world will want from us.”
“Which is?”
“Resources.”
“What resources?”
“All of them,” Jamie said. “Or any of them. That world is becoming toxic to humans. They will want water, food, air ...”
“How can they steal our air? In fact, how can they steal any of these things? Can’t you create some kind of barrier that will keep them out? Or is there a weapon that would destroy their ... bridges, did you call them?”
“Bridges,” Sam said. “And the answers are no and no, I’m afraid. As to how,” he shrugged, “they port in, set up a base somewhere, and begin mining whatever they need. When a large quantity is ready, they simply port it back to their world.”
“This is the kind of thing we need to be watching for,” Jamie said. “They could be here, and we might not know for years.”
The president stared at him, her mouth opening, then closing a few times.
Sam cleared his throat. “The Sun Consortium already had my chip, which was programmed with the neutrino shape of our universe. The fact is, Madam, they may already be here.”
“We need to offer them alternatives, in my opinion,” Jamie said. “For instance, they have the ability to travel through time, which will create a new universe. If they go far enough back in time—before humans existed—they can have an entire planet to mine.”
“That is feasible,” the president said. “Then we have only the megalomaniacs to deal with.”
“Exactly,” Sam said.
The president placed both hands on her knees and stood. The others scrambled up, exchanging uncertain glances. “You’ll be happy to know,” she said, “that we do have an emergency world-wide alert system in place. I can be in contact with every head of state in a few hours. I’m going to ask you all to remain here. I am certain there will be questions.”
She turned a sharp gaze on Sarah. “You did not go back in time to find your great-grandparents, did you? Do you plan on trying again?”
Sarah shook her head. “No ma’am. We have discussed it, and we are certain that my grandmother would be against it, given the circumstances.”
“I knew her,” the president said as a faraway look entered her eyes. “It explains so much about her, to know that she came from the future.” Her lips twitched. “I always thought she was remarkably far-sighted.”
Her visitors smiled at this, and she continued. “I’ve tried to emulate her in that regard. I suppose I should continue to do that, while I encourage the other world leaders to do the same.”
She turned to the door, but paused, and looked from one to the other of them. “Second universe,” she said, shaking her head. “None of them are going to like that idea.”
She opened the door. “They won’t like it at all.”
Look for the third book in the Time Travel Journals Series. Coming soon!
The Time Travel Journals: Honor System
Novels
The Time Travel Journals: Shipbuilder
Short Stories
The Farm
Anthologies
Pagan Writers Presents Samhain: “Webs”