Fallen Empire

chapter 11

XI.

Alice studies the photograph on the computer screen and turns to the Guardian, “Tell me about this scientist.”

“His name is Daniel Phoenix. He is a member of the Specialized Science Development Unit of MI-5, the English secret service organization. In True Time. Phoenix discovered a reliable and feasible method of Time travel in the year 4002.”

“Why is he changing time?”

“In Phoenix’s time, international tensions are at a breaking point and most governments are anticipating a third World War.”

Alice’s heart breaks on his words, “Third World War. You mean the world undergoes two others?”

“Yes, and they did damage beyond estimation, but the weapons were primitive enough not to destroy the ecosystem. Phoenix’s world is crumbling with l**t for power and greed. The most powerful governments have weapons that can remove all life from the planet. Phoenix used his new technology to travel into his future and witness the outcome of this war. He saw the surface of the earth made uninhabitable by chemical and nuclear weapons. The survivors, a minimal fraction of the world’s population, were forced underground in order to survive.

‘They carved out a new life without benefit of sun, sky, wind, or rain, haunted by guilt and an obsessive fear of conflict. Each community existed entirely separate from all others in relative peace and the memory of life on the surface receded with each generation until it was merely a fairy tale and World War III was a story told to frighten children away from outsiders. This race of men lasted for a thousand years before the earth broke apart, leaving only what this fortress stands on.” The Guardian says with a heavy heart.

Alice contemplates this and carefully formulates her response, “I understand his motivation, but what does a war thousands of years in the future have to do with Ancient Rome?”

“The world domination of Rome prevents any world wars, thereby preventing the need for the human race to go underground. Phoenix creates your world when he assassinates Brutus on March 15, 44. B.C.”

Alice is taken aback at this statement. “How would the death of one Senator push Rome to conquer the world?”

“It is not Brutus’ death that causes Rome’s longevity; it is the chain of events in the aftermath of his wake. The Senate hears rumors that Julius Caesar is responsible for the assassination of their fellow Senator and calls for his abdication. Caesar decides to relinquish power, not to the Senate, but to a Democratic government of his own creation. He thinks that if anyone should redistribute the power of Caesar, it should be Caesar himself. This Democratic system prevents the series of debauched and wicked Emperors that sinks Rome lower and lower into despair, eventually collapsing.”

Alice stands in stunned silence for a moment; she feels fear for Brutus’ life but if the death of one man can prevent three World wars, who is to say which is right, “Why is Phoenix wrong? The Senatorial system has worked. We have no wars, no famines, no unnecessary death. How can you judge Phoenix for a murder he hasn’t committed?”

The Guardian stares off into space, his eyes eventually focusing on his chessboard, “Have you ever played chess, Dr. Faith?”

“Yes,” Alice replies slowly, “I fail to see its relevancy.”

“Chess is relevant to all aspects of life. You make a move based on the odds that it will help you win. Knowing your opponent’s strategy helps decrease the element of surprise and increases your odds of beating him. Phoenix has been pulling every trick and bluff he can in order to outmaneuver me. Up until now I have blocked his every attempt before it is complete. The most important skill that I have learned from the game of chess is that it is important to know your opponent’s weaknesses as well as their strengths. Phoenix has discovered mine and is playing to it.” The Guardian reveals bravely.

“What weakness do you have? You’ve mastered Time and space…”

“I have only three methods of possible Time travel. The first is through teleportation, which is extremely hazardous if used over long periods of time. The second is through a vehicle; the third is the method how I brought you here the ShadowGate. It opens a door into whatever Time and place I want. The only limitation IT has is that it can only be opened on the ground level. Phoenix has exploited that weakness by placing himself on the rooftop of Pompeii’s Theatre to kill Brutus.”

Alice’s scientific curiosity takes over, “When can I see these different methods?”

“All in good time; for now, we’re in a hurry.”

 Alice scoffs a little and says, “Time should be the last thing that pressures you.”

The Guardian shakes his head, “Until we prevent the creation of your world, your Senate will continue to send Cerberions into Ancient Rome.”

“So why did you bring us here?”

For a moment The Guardian looks very humble, “I need your help to stop Phoenix.”

Alice is less than convinced, “How do I know that you are the right one to help? What proof do you have that you are not trying to create your own Time disruption?”

 “My life’s purpose now is to protect the Time Circle and preserve it for the next generation of life. If I die before my mission is complete, the Time Circle will end along with every hope of life. Phoenix refuses to acknowledge that his actions could bring about the end of all life.”

“Well, that’s possible, but I’m sure Phoenix would say the same about you.”

“You’re not convinced,” The Guardian sighs, “Maybe it will help if you hear it from Phoenix’s own lips.”

•

Upstairs, Seren examines the keypad mounted discreetly beside the first door. It holds a small screen, keys with the characters of the English alphabet, and a large green button. Seren presses the green button and the screen comes to life.

Ryland looks over Seren’s shoulder, “What’s it doing?”

 “It requires a password to open the door, which seems to be the answer to this question.” Seren reads the words scrolling across the screen in small blue letters and types four letters on the keys. He presses the green button and the door slides in half, one piece going up into the ceiling and the other going into the floor.

“What was the question?”  Ryland asks as the door opens.

“What is the effect of humidity on a wet environment,” Seren says noncommittally, “The answer is mist. I am surprised that they would go to the trouble of putting in a password with such an easy question.”

They look into the room as the opening releases a blast of warm air. A fine haze of mist shrouds the interior of the room as it is cleared by a cool draft from the corridor. Seren and Ryland stare in surprised fascination, knowing that although they didn’t know exactly what to expect, this certainly wasn’t expected at all. Instead of the Spartan, highly sophisticated machinery of the lower floor, this room hosts a canopy of palm and brush trees shades a luxurious carpet of green moss. A bright red and blue bird sails gracefully past, tail feathers streaming behind it. It lands on a branch to get a closer look at the intruders. It squawks disapprovingly before flying deeper into the trees. Rain drips lightly, but steadily, from every leaf and palm frond. Out of sight in the thick vegetation, more birds call to each other and insects buzz busily.

Ryland drops to one knee to examine an outrageously green caterpillar crawling lazily on the broad flat leaf of a bush. He looks up at Seren, “What is this place?”

“It is a rainforest, a piece of Earth.” Seren looks around curiously, “I have seen pictures of a rainforests, but they do not compare with the reality. He seems to have an entire ecosystem in here.”

Ryland frowns, puzzled, until Seren explains, “An ecosystem is a self-sustaining circle of life.”

“So, this sorcerer has a whole world in one room? He is powerful indeed.”

Seren smiles slightly at Ryland’s naïveté. “Come on. Let us see what worlds the other rooms hold.”

They back out of the rainforest room and Seren presses a button on the keypad to close the door.

The second room password question is: What is the result of freezing H2O? Siren types in “ice” and the door slides open.

A sheet of frigid air hits them and Ryland starts shivering. The entire room is a sheet of thick white ice, raising and dipping in places to form miniature ice peaks. Snow blows around their feet in a stiff wind. In places, the ice is thinned to reveal fish darting past. A penguin, looking pompous in its black and white feathering, waddles over curiously. Several others slide down the ice peaks and dive into a shallow pool, where they can be seen under the ice chasing the fish.

Ryland backs out of the room and pulls on Seren’s arm. “C-close the d-d-door, q-quickly!”

Seren glances at his near-frozen companion and obligingly closes the door, “Why are you turning blue? Does everyone in Scotland turn blue in the snow?”

Ryland, rubs his arms vigorously, and answers, “Not just in Scotland. Every person turns blue in such bitter cold.”

“Oh, was that cold?” Seren asks curiously, “My internal thermometer emptied completely and was not entirely sure why. I have never experienced a temperature that low before.”

“Were you not cold?”

“I have internal tools that read temperature, air pressure, humidity, and wind force so that I know when Alice will be uncomfortable and adjust her wardrobe accordingly, but I do not feel the difference between hot and cold.”

“Have you never felt a change in the air?” Ryland could not imagine being without such basic senses.

“Not in the capacity that you are inquiring about. What is it like?”

“Cold causes men to shiver, an’ the water in our bodies to freeze. Our humors slow down an’ cause us to turn blue. We lose feeling in our arms an’ legs and will eventually die if we donae’ warm up.”

They reach the next room and Seren says that the next password was water, answering the question: What element besides light is necessary for the growth of plant life?

No drastic changes of temperature greet them in this room. A long sweep of tall grass waves gently in a warm breeze. Overhead clouds gather, darkening the ground, raining for a few minutes before dissipating. A groundhog raises its nose to sniff the wind and dives back into its hole. A rabbit hops quickly by, looking nervous.  A shadow passes over it as it dives into its warren, hidden beneath a scrubby bush, and the hawk screeches in frustration as it returns to its nest atop a single dead tree in the center of the plain.

Seren looks up at the ceiling, which appears to be domed, “He must have a machine somewhere to manipulate the weather.”

“Weather can be created indoors?” Ryland asks.

“Elements can be mixed to make changes in the air, which make clouds or snow or wind.” Seren explains.

 Ryland starts to ask another question and Seren interrupts, “These rooms are fascinating, but Alice is alone down there with this ‘Guardian’ and we need to find out more about him before he comes up here and catches us. Let us see what the last few rooms on this side hold.”

The next keypad asks the name of the only constant star in the heavens. Seren types in Polaris.

The doors open revealing a long stretch of red sand. Several spiny cacti offer no shade from the white-hot overhead lighting. A large, flat rock that looked as if it were comprised of many layers sits near one of the cacti. A rough gray lizard suns itself on the rock and a snake crawls out from under its brief shade.

Ryland begins to sweat under the blinding heat of the lamps. Seren looks at him curiously.

“Men also become uncomfortable in weather that’s too hot, it causes us to sweat.”

 Once again Seren has not seen a climate this extreme. He looks blankly towards Ryland and the Scotsman continues, “It empties all the water in our bodies through our skin. Heat can cause aches an’ pains to be more severe, even affect our sight. If you look at a stone in the heat of summer from a short distance, the stone appears to be moving like water.”

“From what you have told me of being human,” Seren says thoughtfully, “I am fortunate not to experience it.” He closes the door and moves to the next one, signaling an end to the conversation. The next door asks: What mineral is found in ocean water? Seren types in ‘Salt’ and the door opens.

There is no recreation of a piece of land in this room. All Seren and Ryland can see is water. The entire room is filled, top to bottom, with fish and water behind thick sheets of glass. The only space in the room is an arched passage between and under the glass tanks. The light itself is tinged blue and bounces through the water, causing ripples of light on everything, including Ryland and Seren. Ryland pushes past Seren to enter the room. He touches the tank wonderingly, Seren feels impressed also. It is awe-inspiring to feel as if the ocean has risen up and filled everything except one small arch. Brightly colored fish of all sizes swim mostly in the same direction, as if directed by invisible signals. An octopus pushes off from the rock-covered bottom of the tank and propels itself obstinately against traffic. A large chunk of orange coral in the center of the left side hides small fish running away from a shark, which cruises lazily passed without even glancing their way.

 Seren breaks the spell first, “We need to move on to the next room.”

“Why? This place is beautiful...” Ryland presses his nose to the glass to watch a stingray float by, flapping its wings like a bird.

“The Guardian may have already missed us,” Seren says firmly, “This may be one floor of many and we are running out of time.”

Ryland reluctantly follows Seren out, looking backwards over his shoulder at the aquatic view until the door closes.

The next door asks Seren in which season the leaves change color. He types in: Fall, and the door opens.

Ryland gasps, “We’re in Scotland!”

Thick forests of evergreen and hardwood trees fill this room. The moss underfoot is covered in a thick layer of pine needles that crunch slightly as Ryland steps into the room. The air is tangy and sharp with a pine scent. Short saplings and wild bushes heavy with berries grow in clusters around the roots of the trees. Ryland walks through, letting his hand linger on trunks and low branches. He happens upon a peach tree and plucks the ripe fruit, suddenly realizing how hungry he is. He walks back to Seren and offers him a peach with his mouth full.

Seren looks at the fruit with some contempt, “I do not require your kind of fuel. I am lithium powered.”

Ryland shrugs his shoulders. “Suit yourself. Food gives pleasure as well as fuel” He takes a few more bites feeling quite pleased to be home. His delight fades as memories flood him, “Perhaps we should move on, the desire for home is upon me an this is but a shadow of it.”

They move on to the next room and Seren reads the question on the keypad: What is the strongest metal on Earth? “They make these password questions too easy,” Seren says smugly as he types ‘Titanium’

“Incorrect ‘password’. Access denied.” says an emotionless mechanical voice from the speaker next to the keypad.

“So… metal men aren’t perfect are they?” Ryland comments slyly.

Seren is more than mildly perplexed, “It must be a mistake. My casing is made of titanium BECAUSE it is the strongest metal.” He goes to the next door, and Ryland sighs impatiently.

“Enough with the rooms! They donae’ reveal anything except strange living preferences. I want to know where those stairs go?”

Seren turns away from the last room on that side to see the stairs Ryland refers to, “It would appear that they go up. I suppose we have time to see what is up there.”

“Thas’ the spirit lad.” Ryland says taking the lead up the steps.Seren is used to Alice’s curious nature but in Ryland’s case he feels that curiosity could prove detrimental. Regardless he follows Ryland up the stairs hoping to find out something about this Guardian.