Chapter 2 - The Signs Of The Times
They stepped into the small room and were immediately struck by a wave of cool, stale air belching out of the window unit.
"This is much better," Mei-Wan chirped with glee over the twenty degree temperature difference. "Thank god there are environmental control units in this century."
Jack looked about the room. Without paying much attention to the bland yellow wall paper or the carpet which had gone through far too many cleanings, his eyes focused on the two large beds. "Only two?"
"The man at the desk said they were queen-sized," Hank related with a shrug. "They'll be far better than the bedroll I've had the last four days." He set his bag down on the floor and approached the twenty-five inch screen sitting on a table opposite the beds. "Now what do we have here?"
Jack turned around. "A display unit?"
"But where are the controls?"
Both Hank and Jack scanned the room while Mei-Wan contented herself to stand in front of the air conditioner vent.
Hank sat down on one of the beds and examined a small set of controls attached to a nightstand.
"Now we're getting somewhere," Hank said as he looked at the remote control. "Most societies have a pretty careless attitude about how they secure their data networks." He touched the power button. The three of them turned to stare at the screen as it came to life. "Give me a few minutes with this terminal and we'll have everything we need."
On the screen, a man stood in front of a map of the United States. "Most of the gulf states are going to see rain, but in Florida, you'll have sunny skies and temperatures in the mid eighties..."
Hank nodded. "See, the weather net. Now all I have to do is find location information and..." He touched another control and a blaring maelstrom assaulted them from the speakers.
"Hey yeah, I'm the one that you wanted... Hey yeah, I'm the superbeast!"
"What the hell is that?!" Jack shouted.
Mei-Wan reached over to the control and hit the "mute" button, silencing the clamor. "This isn't a data terminal, Hank. It's called television."
Hank frowned. "Great. We're about fifty years too early."
"This is primarily an outlet for entertainment," Mei-Wan said. "There's probably an information selection somewhere, but nothing like we want." She turned to Jack. "We need to get to a library."
Jack smiled. "I thought you said we should avoid going out."
"There are things I need to find out that I can't learn sitting here and watching television."
"Take it from me, Jack," Hank said. "You won't win arguing with her." He touched several controls on the remote and the sound came to life again.
"Senator Kerry again raised questions about President Bush's handling of the Iraq war today during a speech in Columbus, Ohio."
The image changed to show a tall, stern man behind a podium.
"We need a president who seeks support from the international community. We need a president who understands the pain and suffering that follows a wrong military policy. Based on what's happening in Iraq, it's clear we don't have that right now."
Hank frowned as he watched. "Seems like he's got a burr up his ass about something."
Mei-Wan sat on the edge of the other bed and unfastened the boots she'd bought in 1874. "My guess is he's trying to get elected president."
The screen changed again. A man holding a microphone stood in front of a large white structure.
"The White House responded by asking, 'When will Senator Kerry tell the American people what his plan for Iraq is?' Despite some recent movement in the polls on the war in Iraq, the Bush campaign feels confident they're on the winning side of this issue."
Mei-Wan began to rummage about her large bag from Target. "Iraq... I seem to remember reading something about that."
"Humanity was always fighting wars prior to first contact," Jack said as he relaxed on the bed.
Mei-Wan turned to him. "True. But this one was the first in a series of wars fought with the idea of forcing civilization onto those countries which refused to participate in the global order."
"Sounds like a good idea to me," Hank said.
"Except that it didn't work," Mei-Wan replied. "In the short term they calmed things down, but the long term ramifications along with certain technological advances gave rise to Colonel Green and the Mind Control Revolts, which eventually led to the third world war."
"If I remember my history, the same thing was done at the end of this century and that did work," Hank stated with a grin. "And despite those behind it being condemned for their actions, history proved them right."
Mei-Wan pulled the price tags off a pair of jeans. "Those circumstances were much different."
"Sometimes people don't appreciate those who are willing to do what's necessary."
Mei-Wan narrowed her eyes at Hank. "Just because the eventual result turns out for the better doesn't negate the horror of the atrocities used to get there, Hank."
Jack sighed and stood to his feet. "If you're going to argue ethics again, I think I'll take a bath." He grabbed his own shopping bag. "You two try to avoid starting your own little war, okay?"
With a grin on his face, Hank pointed at Mei-Wan, trying to place the blame for the argument on her. She rolled her eyes, but said nothing.
Jack stepped into the bathroom and looked around a moment. His eyes focused on a set of silver knobs. "Oh yes!"
Mei-Wan rushed in. "Something wrong?"
"Hot and cold running water!" He pointed at the controls. "I haven't had a hot shower in five years."
Mei-Wan smiled.
Jack reached for one of the towels. "If you'll excuse me, I intend to enjoy every moment of this."
***
Jack came out of the bathroom thirty minutes later wearing jeans and a dark blue pullover shirt.
Mei-Wan studied him for a moment. "I'm not sure about this," she said in a playful tone.
"About what?"
"I think I liked you better with the beard."
Jack ran a hand over his now smooth face. "You always told me you hated beards."
"On most men, I don't think they look good, but for some reason on you it looks... exciting."
Jack shook his head. "Why don't you get a shower?"
Mei-Wan grabbed her shopping bag. "No time. I'll change and then we can go."
"Go? Where?"
"We need to find a library, remember?" And with that she entered the bathroom and closed the door.
Jack turned Hank, but he was fast asleep on one of the beds. Jack grinned. "I'm glad somebody has a chance to relax."
***
"You sure you're reading that thing right?"
Mei-Wan, now wearing a pair of jeans, a plaid flannel shirt over a white t-shirt, and her own sunglasses, frowned at Jack. "I'm an archaeologist. I do know a little something about reading a map."
Jack peered over at the unwieldy mass of paper Mei-Wan had picked up from the motel office as she attempted to fold into a more reasonable size. "But that thing..." His words trailed off as the legend of the map caught his eye. He nearly pulled it out of her hands to get a better view of it.
"Do you mind?!" Mei-Wan glared at him. "What's the matter with you?"
Jack pointed at the text on the map. "Look at the name of the city we're in."
Mei-Wan's irritation subsided as she read it. "Chicago." She looked at him and smiled. "Then you should be able to figure out where we need to go."
"Mei, what are the odds we'd end up in my home town?"
She stopped walking and thought a moment. "Not very probable if it were left to chance." She looked around to make certain none of the nearby pedestrians were paying attention to them. "Dasari. She probably knows this is where you were born and wants you here for some reason."
Jack surveyed the area quickly and gave a chuckle. "I doubt it was to give us any advantage. A lot of things will change between now and when I'll be a kid running around this city." Memories of a simpler time in his life filled his mind. "Let me see the map again."
He opened it and took several looks up and down the street to get his bearings.
Jack noticed a group of six men, none of them taller than four feet, as they walked along the sidewalk on the other side of the street. They appeared to be arguing over their own map. Jack smiled, glad that he wasn't the only one having trouble finding their way.
He glanced up at a building several blocks away. "I think I know where we're at," Jack told Mei-Wan. "The public library should be about ten blocks north and then two blocks east." He smiled a moment. "Assuming I'm reading this right and we're right here," he said as he pointed to a spot on the folded mass of paper.
"There's only one way to be sure." Mei-Wan began walking again.
Jack followed her. "You want to tell me why we're going on this little trek?"
"I need to find out if we succeeded in preventing the murder of James Butler Hickok."
***
Jack and Mei-Wan sat at a desk in the quiet, cavernous library. Mei-Wan paged through a large book, reading it as quickly as she could.
"Damn," she whispered.
Jack looked over at her. "You find something?" he asked in a low voice.
"Hickok was shot and killed by a man named Jack McCall on August 2, 1876." Mei-Wan closed her eyes. "We failed."
"At least we know it wasn't me." He turned the page of her book. "It doesn't appear to give a motive for the murder."
"Don't you understand? The Guardian took us from 1874 before we'd repaired the timeline."
Jack finally caught her implication. "It didn't want us to stop Hickok's murder." He paged through the entry on Wild Bill Hickok. "Someone's using the Guardian to alter the past. But what reason could Ahwi Dasari have for doing this?"
"As much as I would like to place all the blame on her, this is far too much for a lone sixteen year old to accomplish on her own," Mei-Wan stated. She watched the pages flip past as Jack skimmed the book.
"Then we go back to the nineteenth century again and get it right this time," Jack said.
"Somehow I get the impression the Guardian isn't likely to allow us to do that." She closed the book. "Besides, I'd hate to think of the result of us running into ourselves back in 1874."
Jack leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. "What if we were brought to this time to repair the effects of Hickok's death?"
"I don't believe we're here to repair anything, Jack. Whoever's doing this is using us to alter the timeline."
He turned to her. "Then what do we do?"
Mei-Wan stood from her chair. "Nothing." She walked away.
"Mei, hold up!" Jack began to follow, but a frumpy woman in her mid-forties, gave him a stern look.
"It would be appreciated if you'd return the reference materials to where you got them, sir," the librarian told him.
Jack forced a smile. "Of course." He picked the books up while she kept a close eye on him.
***
Jack hurried down the front steps of the library and found Mei-Wan sitting on a bench being bathed in the afternoon sun. He put his sunglasses back on and stepped up to her.
"You okay?"
She didn't look at him, but instead watched the people walking past. "I don't think you really want an answer to that."
Jack sat down next to her. "I guess I deserve that."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to..." She finally glanced over at him. "It's not you, Jack."
"What is it?"
She returned to watching the passing pedestrians. "Can you imagine what it's like for them?"
"What, living in this time?"
"No... not knowing that time can be altered, being able to think things are as they always have been. Not knowing what we know."
Jack sat back on the bench and joined her observation of the locals. "I lived in an even more simpler time for the last five years; one without nuclear weapons, mass communications, or quantum physics."
"I guess you would be the wrong person to ask," she said with a chuckle.
"No, I am the right person," he said, turning to her. "They live their lives just like you and me, Mei. We do the best we can and try to live as happy a life as we're able to. For all the technology and cultural achievements you and I grew up with, human life hasn't changed much."
"Except I know this can all change," she murmured. "If I go looking for a young boy in south Florida, I can prevent the monster who will become Colonel Green. A lot less death would occur."
"And what monster would rise up in Green's place? Or Khan's if you could prevent the genetic experimentation which produced him?" Jack put his hand on her shoulder. "You see, we are just like them, Mei. We have no more idea of the long range consequences of our actions than they do."
"But I know what's going to happen... and I know what shouldn't have happened. Hickok should have lived another thirty years."
Jack stared at her. "This isn't about them, is it?"
Mei-Wan shook her head. "I'm worried about what we'll find when we get back to our own time."
"That's assuming we ever make it back."
She looked at him with a frown. "That doesn’t exactly help my mood."
"I've got something that might... you hungry?" he asked with a grin as he stood.
"What are you up to?" she responded with an uncertain look.
***
Several miles away amidst high winds and soaring birds, the Sears Tower stood silent sentry over the millions of inhabitants of the city. But that silence was broken by a burst of space-twisting energies above one of the outer ledges of that monolith of human architectural achievement.
Out of the brief flash fell two dark clothed figures to the hard surface of the garden ledge. Both of them had green biomechanical skin covered with technologies unknown to the world they now found themselves. The two muscular humanoid females struggled to their feet.
"Where is that damn child?!" one of them cried out, her bearing suggesting a regal attitude. She opened her eyes and her anger gave way to confusion. "Where are we?"
The other female stood to her feet and momentarily unfurled the large wings adorning her back. She removed a small scanning device from her side. "Unknown, but we are no longer aboard the station."
The first creature stood to her nearly seven foot height and looked out at the surrounding city. "We're on a planet!"
"Yes," the subordinate answered, still scanning. "An industrialized world, but I detect only a single, small space station in low orbit." She made an adjustment. "We are somewhere in the Alpha Quadrant, but I'm unable to determine the system. Nothing is where it should be."
A door behind them opened and Charlie Ellis, a man in his mid-forties wearing workman's coveralls stopped and stared at the tall figures at the edge of the roof. "What the hell are you?"
The taller figure spun about and pointed a device that Charlie immediately took to be a weapon.
"Your death." And she fired.
Charlie never knew who killed him or why as his body fell hard to the roof. He only wished he'd had another chance to tell his wife that he loved her.
"What is it?"
The female with the scanner walked over to the body with the gaping hole in its chest. "Human."
"Yes, that makes perfect sense." She looked out again at the city. "McCall thinks he can hide on a world full of his wretched species. It would give him time to plan."
"This would be beyond McCall's abilities even given how resourceful he has been in the past, " the subordinate replied.
"No, it was McCall," her commander interrupted. "If the stars stopped shinning, if the Galaxy ceased turning, if the very flow of time reversed itself I would lay the cause of it upon the dark soul of Jack McCall." She watched the slow crawl of vehicles on the street below. "I have underestimated him far too many times to my regret to ever do so again."
The other female knew there was no point in challenging her commander's view. But their immediate problem had not changed. "But how do we find him?"
The tall commander turned with a smile. "Mei-Wan will lead us to him."
"How so?"
"The virus I injected her with has a unique genetic signature. It should be a simple matter to find it. When we find Mei-Wan, we will find McCall." She thought a moment. "But be quick about it. The virus was designed to become inert once the victim died. We have perhaps but a few hours before it kills her." She laughed. "How ironic that I now wish to delay the very death I conspired to cause."
The subordinate nodded and activated her scanner as the commander looked out toward the horizon.
"Hiding here will not stay my hand, McCall," she whispered. "Too much has happened between us for you to escape your fate."
