reverted back to its original frozen mask. “And she did,” he said grimly, “die, that is, many times.”
They were both silent, staring out at the far-off mountains with pointed peaks as flatly one-dimensional as a child’s drawing.
Finally, Odell asked, “Why am I here? By all accounts, I shouldn’t exist, and neither should Ettie. If Ivy’s goal was to give birth to Odette, then when the timeline was reset, Ivy would have no purpose there, and I shouldn’t have been born.”
Ambrosius shook his head, and Odell felt rather than saw his amusement. “Didn’t I tell you it wasn’t that simple?”
“No, you didn’t,” Odell huffed, and then laughed when Ambrosius shrugged his shoulders. “You mean, you don’t know.”
“Super-evolved humans we may be, but we are still only human. There is much that remains a mystery.”
“Great,” Odell said with resignation, “What do I have to do?”
“We now believe that the alternate reality where Odette was born is a default timeline. Any unnatural interference will always result in some variation of it.”
Odell gave him a quizzical look and opened his mouth to speak.
“Yes, yes,” Ambrosius anticipated him, “one would assume infinite variation, but time is always seeking to contract and will try to revert the timeline to a period of tremendous social constriction. And even within this alternate reality, the differences can number in the billions, although it may be only a small change.” He sighed a little sadly. “We were confident that we had discovered the pattern, a formula that would, when interference occurred, help us determine in what direction the timeline would veer and easily correct it. So confident were we… well, we felt secure in initiating our own historical mission to… um… to promote a more expansive future.”
Odell noted his hesitancy. “What happened?”
“We don’t know,” he answered bluntly. “We believe there has been a seismic upheaval in the timeline. The dimensions are jumbled and fragmented, making it especially difficult to see how it is manifesting in the present or future.” Ambrosius made an uncharacteristically agitated gesture. “It is almost as if the interference is random or, ah… childish even. That is why we need Odette so desperately now. She is more capable of sifting through the obstructions.”
“And you need me,” Odell asked again, “to do what?”
“You must take over Odette’s mission,” he answered. “While she searches the dimensions for this latest breach, you must address a specific need in the past.”
Odell looked at him questioningly. “Okay, where then?”
“It is a time of expansion and connection,” Ambrosius explained. “A time of much promise, but also of missed opportunities. It was to be the beginning of an epoch of long and peaceful balance, and it is there you must change the course of history.”
Odell stiffened. “ Change history? Not preserve it?”
Ambrosius cleared his throat uncomfortably and admitted, “It is not ideal, but it is the only way to reverse the damage that time has done in the ensuing centuries.”
Odell stared down at his hands uncertainly. When he looked up again, Ambrosius had stood and walked over to the edge of the plateau. Odell joined him there.
“Okay, when?”
“It is a time not entirely unfamiliar to you, only a few years from when you were held captive,” Ambrosius replied. “But before I go into detail, I must ask if you understand. Not that you believe, or even agree with what I have told you, but that you truly understand what you are up against.”
Odell turned his gaze from the horizon to look at the impassive profile.
“Basically,” he replied dryly, “time is the Devil.”
Nine
AVA PEERED AT the lit screen of her handheld palmavox and twisted the dial to expand the image. She had never before been tempted to explore the tunnels running beneath the campus, and today was no exception.
They were both silent, staring out at the far-off mountains with pointed peaks as flatly one-dimensional as a child’s drawing.
Finally, Odell asked, “Why am I here? By all accounts, I shouldn’t exist, and neither should Ettie. If Ivy’s goal was to give birth to Odette, then when the timeline was reset, Ivy would have no purpose there, and I shouldn’t have been born.”
Ambrosius shook his head, and Odell felt rather than saw his amusement. “Didn’t I tell you it wasn’t that simple?”
“No, you didn’t,” Odell huffed, and then laughed when Ambrosius shrugged his shoulders. “You mean, you don’t know.”
“Super-evolved humans we may be, but we are still only human. There is much that remains a mystery.”
“Great,” Odell said with resignation, “What do I have to do?”
“We now believe that the alternate reality where Odette was born is a default timeline. Any unnatural interference will always result in some variation of it.”
Odell gave him a quizzical look and opened his mouth to speak.
“Yes, yes,” Ambrosius anticipated him, “one would assume infinite variation, but time is always seeking to contract and will try to revert the timeline to a period of tremendous social constriction. And even within this alternate reality, the differences can number in the billions, although it may be only a small change.” He sighed a little sadly. “We were confident that we had discovered the pattern, a formula that would, when interference occurred, help us determine in what direction the timeline would veer and easily correct it. So confident were we… well, we felt secure in initiating our own historical mission to… um… to promote a more expansive future.”
Odell noted his hesitancy. “What happened?”
“We don’t know,” he answered bluntly. “We believe there has been a seismic upheaval in the timeline. The dimensions are jumbled and fragmented, making it especially difficult to see how it is manifesting in the present or future.” Ambrosius made an uncharacteristically agitated gesture. “It is almost as if the interference is random or, ah… childish even. That is why we need Odette so desperately now. She is more capable of sifting through the obstructions.”
“And you need me,” Odell asked again, “to do what?”
“You must take over Odette’s mission,” he answered. “While she searches the dimensions for this latest breach, you must address a specific need in the past.”
Odell looked at him questioningly. “Okay, where then?”
“It is a time of expansion and connection,” Ambrosius explained. “A time of much promise, but also of missed opportunities. It was to be the beginning of an epoch of long and peaceful balance, and it is there you must change the course of history.”
Odell stiffened. “ Change history? Not preserve it?”
Ambrosius cleared his throat uncomfortably and admitted, “It is not ideal, but it is the only way to reverse the damage that time has done in the ensuing centuries.”
Odell stared down at his hands uncertainly. When he looked up again, Ambrosius had stood and walked over to the edge of the plateau. Odell joined him there.
“Okay, when?”
“It is a time not entirely unfamiliar to you, only a few years from when you were held captive,” Ambrosius replied. “But before I go into detail, I must ask if you understand. Not that you believe, or even agree with what I have told you, but that you truly understand what you are up against.”
Odell turned his gaze from the horizon to look at the impassive profile.
“Basically,” he replied dryly, “time is the Devil.”
Nine
AVA PEERED AT the lit screen of her handheld palmavox and twisted the dial to expand the image. She had never before been tempted to explore the tunnels running beneath the campus, and today was no exception.
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