The Crew from the Time Chariot had been gone for centuries. Only the Alternity Group knew of their existence, far back in antiquity. There, in the Pleistocene, the crew had built a new headquarters after escaping the fall of Chronopolis.
Now, all missions started from 11,000,000 BC, in the rustic working lab built on the backs of Alternity agents Justin Nicholas Thyme and his one-time protegee and now President of the United Nations, Infinity Staires. Unlike the original UN of 20th century Earth, President Staires oversaw a galactic affair. At the moment, she was just a visitor to the camp on an informational. Her best friend Nikki Night Bird would be arriving any moment, along with Justin and with Infinity’s younger sister Harmony.
It was rumoured through many sound-garbled transmissions, that the crew had discovered the Aztec Jade mine known as the ‘Cavern of Forever.’
Infinity’s Woolly Mammoth ‘Owdy’ was now full grown, living on the great river with a family of his own, and the Pleistocene remained blissfully simple. Nandi, the Sabre Tooth Cat was still predating on the Whoopers, and all things Pleistocene had stayed that way. Except for the rustic HQ, which now held a secret subterranean room filled with technology curated by Infinity during her long sojourn to Kaleidoscope City. Here, they sat in a reality where they were the only modern hominids on the planet, and they were waiting on three more to join them.
Suddenly, the afternoon sunbeams began to bend and take on a translucent red glow. Lightning cracked in the cloudless sky above the camp, and the word came in that a craft was in the process of dimensional condensation. All raced out to the tarmac and toward a rear hatch on an impossibly enormous craft. The sky turned dark and a dangerous electrical storm forced the crew to step over a threshold and into the open lighted hatch on the bulkhead. The craft dematerialized at the instant the last protoplasm was through the hatchway portal, and they were all instantaneously teleported to the future headquarters in Chronopolis. The new date was August 5th, 2200. It was the day before the fall of Chronopolis.
cont’d…
Next: Tomorrow Never Comes See less
Between the Ticks of Time
Part II
Tomorrow Never Comes
With a metallic clank and spinning amber caution lights, the gargantuan time ship docked with the Chrona in the large drill hall of Alternity Corp. Machines shut down with a hiss and a rush of cool mist, then all fell suddenly silent. The crew disembarked and received a hose-down, while the overjoyed spectators of Alternity Group watched from behind a protective mylar window. Harmony wore a broad smile as she was the one who had never been here before. Her training had come at the Rustic Camp circa 11 million BC.
But Justin and Nikki had graduated here in Chronopolis all those years ago, amidst pomp and circumstance. Nikki Night Bird was now Commander Night Bird and pilot of the fearsome ‘Harpy.’ Justin attained the rank of Commodore, could pilot anything placed before him, such was the skill of the most famous agent in the trans time agency.
With the destruction of the large facility imminent, it was still available for use because it was being held in an anomalous state. In Chronopolis, the Chrona was created and developed by a small group of impossibly wealthy men known as the Alternity Group. Ultra-rich, superior in scientific endeavor, and demonstrably the most altruistic group in any history. They developed the Chrona and used it to strike forth on time travel missions. In order to create a better present and future, they sent their agents back in time to change key pivot points in the past. And it worked! However, human nature being what it is and shall perhaps, always be, the military sought this awesome technology to use for terrible non-altruistic purposes. So, backed into a literal corner, Alternity decided to hop into the Chrona themselves, strap into the time portal and leave the timeline. Not only did they leave the military behind, but they also left them a small gift in the form of a limited nuclear explosion.
Hence, the destruction of Alternity HQ, AD 2027.
And tomorrow would be that day. But the Alternity Group had a special time agent by the name of Cosmique. She was recruited from the planet and time of her origin, which was AD4500. Her home planet was Magna, a low gravity planet about the size and mass of Mars. There, a race arose with strange abilities. Among those was the ability to cause brief time loops. Magnans with this ability were called Gyros. And Cosmique was a Gyro. It was Justin who brought her home to the Rustic Camp HQ, to hone her skills in the quiet calm of the Pleistocene.
Now here at Alternity Corp. in 2067, her job was to engage her power at the split second before the stroke of 2400 hours, ensuring the day start all over again, leaving the imminent destruction of Alternity HQ forever on the horizon but never coming to pass.
Next: Meeting of the Minds
Between the Ticks of Time
Part III
Meeting of the Minds
Mist hung over the large room where only a mylar shield separated the Alternity science lab from a trillion centuries of timeline. An occasional earth tremor could be felt throughout as star pulses followed their respective conductive wires down from the surface through a huge subterranean power portal. Archaic by new Alternity standards, but yet still an effective way to gather enough fuel to energize the Chrona.
Senator Stillwell and Colonel Jasper wore broad smiles as they each took turns wildly shaking the hand of the Commodore. “You make all this possible,” fawned the Colonel. Justin chose to ignore such praise, and got right to work. After the new arrivals were all hose-washed and decontaminated, they were allowed to enter the ‘clean room,’ which was more than just a simple room to meet in. Upon entering, the first thing everyone did was turn to look back at the strange apparatus used to send and recall agents from their missions around the multiverse. The Chrona’s receiving portals stretched away endlessly, not unlike holding two mirrors facing each other. The endless series of images represented infinity.
“A fella could get lost in there,” quipped Justin. And he had indeed gotten lost in there, thinking back to when he and a overzealous Detective Raskin of Chronopolis Police Department had once scuffled inside the Chrona portal, knocking the lever-select out of position, sending them both back to a time before the Cambrian! Justin and the detective eventually were saved by Infinity Staires, and became the best of friends. And a time was coming soon when there would be a reunion.
Meanwhile, in the here and now, several dozen members of Alternity sat to a last business luncheon here at the doomed Alternity Corp. HQ. The featured speaker was none other than newly elected President of the Galactic United Nations, Infinity Staires.
“Of course, it is so good to see all of you in one place -and one time together,” she started. “And I promise you, there is a good reason. We have received word from the Armstrong Space Station that there have been marauders about, and our help has been requested. At first, I felt as you all probably do- those gals on the Armstrong can take good care of themselves, right?”
Nobody took their eyes off her while waiting for the other shoe to drop. “But then we got a second communication from the more distant future. It seems these same marauders have been taking liberties at the furthest time outpost, Kaleidoscope City.”
“Who’s got the tech to harass Kaleidoscope City?” asked Senator Stillwell.
Infinity looked up from her clipboard. “We have reason to believe these marauders are the same aliens who abducted me.” This sent a gasp up around the large table. She continued, “If true, then Alternity will have your hands full trying to compete with the alien technology.” She looked over at her best friend, Nikki Night Bird. “Commander, you will make the jump first. It will take the larger ships longer to get secured for the trip.”
Nikki jumped to her feet, saluted and was off to get the Harpy readied for trek.
Next: Through the paces
Between the Ticks of Time
Part IV
Through the Paces
Commander Nikki Night Bird rolled out of the launch bay and allowed the Harpy to tumble off the giant time ship and out into linear space. Once clear, she switched the joystick from linear to transitional mode and had barely enough time to level out the craft before she was instantaneously transported to the mysterious and brumous skies above Kaleidoscope City. She checked the dash for the exact year and the atomic pendulum flashed its’ digital readout at AD11068. Far below, lay the colorful yet perpetually obscured lights of this most distant of time outposts where few agents and even fewer scientists have been. A broad beam of defeated yellow light swept across the city every thirty seconds. This was a highly developed security technology akin to radar. The beams intrusions were disconcerting at first, but Nikki soon made the adjustment. Nikki didn’t switch back to linear so she could remain hidden. Some miles below, the Kaleidoscope Royals floated In the Hall of the People, well aware of the presence of the Harpy. The security band was de-energized over the city and Nikki was contacted via extra sensory minds of enormous power. She throttled the stick to linear, the ship materialized and hovered in for a landing, clearly demarcated by lights of blue, indigo and violet. “Alternity, I’m here. Looks like they’re glad to see me,” she said, her communication wafting back across the ages. “Roger that Commander,” answered Justin. “We’re right behind you. Be careful.” A high-pitched whine ground its metallic song in a fading decrescendo as Nikki settled the Harpy into a nest of blue lights. High above, the yellow security band resumed at full power, encapsulating the entire planet with every sweep. At this point, automation took over and the Harpy was rolled via conveyor inside a superstructure that was impossible to describe, let alone understand. It was almost like a sand dune, eroded by heavy rain, with a splash of iridescence. She tried not to dwell on it. Suffice it to say, the future looks fantastic- but apparently, they were having some problems.
Next: The Marauders
Between the Ticks of Time
Part V
The Marauders
Commander Nikki Night Bird settled the Harpy down in a calming bath of blue light, and powered off the nuclear furnace. After popping the canopy, she climbed out of the cockpit to find an android waiting to take her to eat bathe and sleep. In the morning she awoke to a large colorful video of Planet Earth, circa 14,000 BC. The deer were frolicking, the sky was blotted out by vast bird migrations, the waters pure and clear. It brought a tear to her eye. At the sound of a not unpleasant tone, a door slid open and there stood Nikki’s android at her service. “Do you have a name?” she asked. The android gave a honk but nothing more. The robot then pivoted on its’ axis and led her away to meet the Altrusians- the royalty of Kaleidoscope City.
On the way to the Hall of the People, Nikki and ‘Honk’ passed by many citizens of Kaleidoscope City, or passed through them was more accurate. These specters seemed well aware of human visitors, but existed on some other plane. “Why are humans able to pass through the citizens?” asked Nikki.
Honk replied by expelling a written answer through a thin slot, saying: “The low gravity environment has changed their bone density, and over the long ages, the density of all parts of their physiology.”
Even knowing this, Nikki continued to say “excuse me, pardon me, sorry about that.” The irony was apparently not lost on Honk, who gave a chuckle each time she did so. The citizens simply went about their own business, and paid little mind to the human visitor and her new android friend. Suddenly, a loud buzzer sounded, letting off a continuous low tone that was unmistakably an alarm. All the specters disappeared and Honk led Nikki on a detour to the city’s higher elevation. There, they stood on an overlook that offered sweeping vistas of the planet. Honk pointed his corkscrew arm away toward a gaping hole in the upper superstructure. Soon, a series of alien discs popped from the hole, making their escape in straight line formation.
“The Marauders!” exclaimed Nikki. Honk gave a high-pitched chortle while spinning on his axis.
The discs were illuminated from within, revealing strange alien occupants. Nikki recognized these as the aliens who had given her trouble so long ago. Or was that so long from today? Time transition could be confusing. As the aliens disappeared over the horizon, the buzzing stopped and great activity could be seen all around their point of departure. The android gave a honk, and led Nikki away, back toward the meeting with the Altrusians. Once arrived, Honk removed Nikki’s helmet in chivalrous manner, and brought her before the Altrusians. Large-headed and translucent, these were the royalty of Kaleidoscope City. They were stationed in a long row and floated sever yards above an apparatus that provided a constant stream of green light, flickering up from below. This seemed to provide an artificial atmosphere in which Altrusians could be comfortable.
Between the Ticks of Time
Part VI
The Altrusians
Commander Nikki Night Bird was led through a series of cavernous rooms all throughout Kaleidoscope City by Honk, an artificial intellabot. Nikki was an advance scout sent to assess the situation at this far- future outpost by her home agency, the Alternity Group. Nikki had already seen the damage being wrought by the thus far unidentified marauders, and was then summoned to meet with the royals of the city, the Altrusians. When they finally arrived outside the Hall of the People, Honk stayed behind. Androids were not permitted past the two giant cobalt alloy doors leading into the hall.
There was a slight creaking as the doors slid slowly open on a thin bed of compressed air. Nikki craned her neck up high in order to get a good look at how high these doors actually stood. Perhaps 100 feet, she thought. A pleasant tone sounded, inviting her to step through, and she took several big steps forward. The doors closed silently behind her. The room around her was dark, but its huge size was betrayed by the echo of every breath she took, even by the pounding pulse in her temples.
Inside her own head, she heard a loud clear voice speaking to her with just a hint of some unknown accent. “Welcome to Kaleidoscope City, agent of Alternity. You are here to ask how you can help us, and you are most appreciated.”
Nikki felt some sort of ventilation kick on, making her breathing much more comfortable and the new air was quite refreshing. Dim colored light came slowly on, as if a fader switch, and soon a red light splashed on the far bulkhead, climbing ever higher, revealing the gigantic form standing with back to wall- the head of the Altrusian royals. Looking something like an impossibly tall Roman warrior, the man-statue stood fully 80 feet high, with body falling away at the belt, where pipes tubes and hoses took the space where legs would have been.
“My name is Commander Night Bird and your appreciation does me honor. I know my people are waiting for a preliminary report from me. I am ready to convey your story.”
The voice rang in her head once again. “Commander, we are a people of much peace. Our spirituality is our greatest achievement. We seek no conflict with these marauders, only a resolution to such. But thus far our thoughts have fallen on closed minds, our words on deaf ears. It is our hope that these marauders will be more willing to conversate with your people, as you have already once shown yourselves to be their master.”
Nikki switched on her wrist communicator and the large Altrusian spoke once more. “It is our request that at this time, your people initiate dialogue with the marauders.”
Justin’s voice came over the communicator. “Nikki, we read that loud and clear. We’re on our way. Alternity out.” Nikki saluted and did an about face toward the now re-opening tall doors. Honk was there to escort her back to her pod.
Next: Window on the Universe
Between the Ticks of Time
Part VII
Alternity II (Big Blue)
At seven o’clock on a sunny Miocene morning, a group of Alternity agents stood out in the grassy savannah savoring a last cup of coffee. A large prehistoric bird soared overhead, huge wings undulating in the thermal winds. Clearly visible downslope, the surface of the river reflected the bright sunshine shimmering on the water. Innumerable mammals and beasts of all shapes and sizes stood in and around the slowly moving tributary, going about their daily Miocene routines, the business of living.
Coffee tasted better when sipped along with a view fit for kings.
The braying of a giant Mammoth herd suddenly grew in urgency until the peace was shattered by a locally-concentrated electrical storm, sending the herd stampeding out of the water and out across the savannah on the far side of the river. Soon, not a single living thing was visible for miles. “OK folks, this is it!” shouted Commodore Justin Nicholas Thyme. A rolling robotic tabletop dug into the turf with moon-tires and agents slapped down their coffee cups and began checking their freeze suits. At precisely 7:30am Miocene time, circa 11,000,000 years ago, a giant hovering time craft condensed in the air directly above the rustic barn HQ, some 500 feet in the air.
“Line up single file, place all personal papers and devices on the tabletop for storage.” Justin added.
The craft settled slowly down to meet its growing shadow beneath and a hatchway popped open on the superstructure when it finally landed. At the controls sat a fine young agent from a different timeline, same agency. His name was Riff, a captain for Alternity 3000, and he was more than just a friend to both Infinity and Nikki. Several of the agents knelt in a modest chapel, a routine before any mission. Justin had contacted Alternity 3000 requesting Riff bring Big Blue to Alternity corp HQ in 2067 to pick him up and ferry him back to the Miocene-Pleistocene base. That’s where they were now, about to embark on a mission to the far future. Justin took the controls with Riff, who had some new gadgets to show him recently built into the craft, Big Blue, whose official moniker was ‘Alternity II.’
Blue was normally stored at Alternity 3000 base for just such technology upgrades. The crew piled in and strapped themselves down for the ride. The gigantic craft shimmered in the morning meadow light- and vanished at once!
Next: Along the Time Stream
Between the Ticks of Time
Part VIII
Along the Timestream
Justin switched the giant time ship to linear propulsion and brought it out over the open desert ranges of Space Base 3000. There, he allowed the craft to condense back into matter and floated it gently to the sand below. The ground crew of Alternity AD3000 had their emergency vehicles surrounding Big Blue in an oblong 3-mile elipse, headlamps on and pointed inward, illuminating the fuselage. A hatch popped open and out stepped Captain Riff, removing his faux dinosaur gloves. “Thanks for the lift, Commodore, catch you on the flip!”
Justin threw up a salute, went transitional and vanished. Now the journey began in earnest. Unlike the Chrona, the technology of Alternity II precluded any need for spinning or rotating. Where the visions of all interstellar events once traveled round and round on the walls of the Chrona, interested hands on board Big Blue could lay to the cavernous cargo hold and follow the journey as it splashed large and high upon the bulkhead. And what a show it was! Asteroids screaming through the near vacuum of space, tall reptiles stretching to nibble on the primordial fruit atop a 100-foot Mesozoic palm. Lobe fin fish talking first baby steps onto the dry land, old time black and white silent movie shorts of mustachioed men with canes, gaseous clouds of nebulae condensing into stars and they, in turn, to planet systems.
Any event that ever happened or will happen in the wide Universe was briefly thrown somewhere, somewhen, on that cobalt alloy bulkhead. On the outside of the anomaly, time stood still. But inside the massive time machine, events seemed to unfold as did usual.
Justin made a quick appearance in the cargo bay to be among his cast and crew, then returned to the bridge and took over command from the Officer of the Deck. Some 8,000 years later, Big Blue made its appearance on the doorstep of Kaleidoscope City, where Commander Nikki Night Bird waited with her report in hand. The great craft was materialized and set down into a lock, not unlike the locks used on Earth for ships navigating canal systems. Justin handed the deck and the conn to Harmony Staires, and disembarked to the strains of a boatswain’s whistle. The bridge bell rang six times for the Commodore.
Next: Mission for the Harpy
Between the Ticks of Time
Part IX
Mission for the Harpy
Kaleidoscope City existed far enough in the future to negate the famous reputation of Justin Nicholas Thyme, eliminating the usual fawning and ogling. That suited Justin just fine as such adulation always made him uncomfortable. In this case, it was Commander Nikki Night Bird who was admired by the Altrusions. After all, it was she who rode her Harpy to the rescue when the same Marauders had abducted her best friend Infinity Staires and locked her away for experimentation.
Justin was now aboard the Alternity II, also known as Big Blue, sitting in a lock system large enough to accommodate Yankee Stadium, and on a holding pattern as events now unfolded. It was Nikki’s Harpy the Altrusions insisted on sending to initiate dialogue with the Marauders. Nikki began readying herself and her craft for what was sure to be a harrowing mission to the Neil Armstrong Space Station, some 6500 years along the backward timeline. This also offered some distinct advantages for her. The Armstrong system exists in 4500AD, and is where Justin’s sweetheart Leung Dao aka ‘the woman in white’ is Commander of Operations on the hulking all-girl station. That would allow a base for the Harpy.
Also, the Armstrong system is where Magna is located, which is the home planet of Cosmique,’ a Gyro, with the power to hold back time on a small scale. This could come in quite handy in a pinch. It had been Cosmique’ who held back the destruction of the original Alternity HQ in Chronopolis for one 24-hour period, causing the day to start over before it came to an end. That allowed the Alternity brass an opportunity to meet in comfortable settings and utilize their lab right up until the end.
It was decided by Justin that Cosmique’ would accompany Nikki in the Harpy, even though he was hungering for a chance to see his lady. But for now, that would have to wait. Nikki sent Honk the Intellibot to bring the news to the Altrusions, while she went over the plans with Justin. After a meal and a shower, both women strapped into the sleek and powerful craft. With Nikki on the Harpy’s communicator, and Justin aboard the gigantic Big Blue, they went down the pre-flight checklist. The Altrusions watched the entire process and were surprised to see how all communication was done analog instead of telepathically.
Nikki fired up the Harpy’s twin nuclear engines and the craft lurched forward, out to the precipice of space. “Harpy, you are a go!” directed the Commodore. At that, Nikki propelled the craft up into a position standing on its nose. The Harpy tumbled off the superstructure of Kaleidoscope City and fell away, swallowed up by the star-smeared inky blackness of the cosmos. The craft leveled out, the engines ignited into high burn and the Harpy became indistinguishable from the stars.
Next: Space Station Armstrong AD4500
Between the Ticks of Time
Part X
Space Station Armstrong, AD4500
The Harpy’s pitch and yaw had Cosmique’ feeling queasy, but didn’t affect Nikki at all, as she switched the craft from time transition to linear. Harpy carved a ribbon of infra-red light from the dark void as Nikki maneuvered it in a sweeping curve, and toward a dot on the distant horizon.
Nikki handed her copilot a few dry crackers for her motion sickness. “Here, try a couple of these. They absorb the grease and settle your stomach.” Cosmique’ snatched them from her hand and chewed them in earnest. In a moment she felt better. “See? I told ya,” Nikki said with a smile.
“Do you really have to turn like that?” asked the Gyro. Nikki laughed but was now paying close attention to the blinking and colored lights on the Harpy’s dash. Two horizontal bars were closing in on a central dot between them, indicating the girls were homing on Planet Magna and the giant space station that revolved around it. Space station Armstrong was an unusual working satellite by virtue of an all-female population. Androids and Intellibots were the only non-females permitted on the station, and penalties for violating the rule were swift and severe. Nikki had seen the punishment meted out by robots on her previous trip.
Upon approach, the Harpy was snared by an electromagnetic field pulling them close alongside the station and into one of thousands of docking slips. Several glowing red spheres drew up amidships and flashed on and off, signaling a welcome. These were actually policy enforcement craft, piloted by men from Magna, who worked as guards but were themselves never allowed to set foot on the station. They were fine with it, being so close to home and making a good salary. These guards went home to Magna after every shift.
“I wish I could go down with them, just for a visit,” said Cosmique’. “I haven’t been home in a long while. It seems funny being this close!” Nikki was sympathetic, but her thoughts were elsewhere. An image flashed on the Harpy’s screen of a beautiful woman of some stature, clad in pure white. Nikki recognized her immediately as Leung Dao, Justin’s lover. Also, she who came to the rescue of the abductee, and her would-be rescuers- Infinity and Nikki, respectively. Alternity owed this woman a lot. And now she would help them again. “Leung, it is great to see you!” said Nikki.
“Lieutenant Night Bird, and who is that with you?” replied Leung.
“That’s Commander Night Bird now,” Nikki said proudly. “And this is Cosmique’ from Magna, actually.”
“Well this is apparently a homecoming of sorts then.” Leung smiled broadly. “Let’s get you aboard and rested. Then we’ll meet for supper on the mess decks and go from there,” said Leung. “Over and out.”
The image snapped off the screen and the hatches blew open with a mild pop. Two brawny men in rather soiled uniforms helped them onto a shuttle with an intellibot pilot and they dove into the smoggy polluted atmosphere of Space Station Armstrong.
Next: Return to the City in the Sky
Between the Ticks of Time
Part XI
Return to the City in the Sky
Nikki and Cosmique’ spent only a single night on the space station but it was one they would never forget. The all-woman crew of Armstrong were possessed of a strength and beauty that Nikki found irresistible, but was no surprise to the Gyro, who was born and raised nearby on the planet they were circling. After supper, they met with Leung and her top brass, and all were in complete agreement as to the aliens. Take the Harpy to the City in the Sky, and try to communicate. If the aliens won’t play nice, a different approach would be necessary.
The ladies retired to quarters and Nikki and Cosmique’ were led to the guest showers by a very attractive Space Station Officer who never gave her name. The girls disrobed and entered the shower while the lovely lady-officer stood by. Nikki was unable to keep her eyes off her, and soon the woman herself began to disrobe. Cosmique’ found herself another stall in which to shower, leaving the two ladies alone to some relaxation and a ‘one-hour shower.’
In the morning Nikki awoke in the lady officer’s bed, having had the choice of sleeping in one strange bed or another. She had chosen the one with the alluring woman beckoning. After a final embrace, Nikki opened the doorway and was met by an Intellibot, who led her to her own quarters. There, she dressed as Cosmique’ waited for her. “You spent an hour in the shower last night,” she said.
“Was it an hour? It went quickly,” replied Nikki.
“It’s ok, I held things back an hour, so you wouldn’t lose an hour of sleep,” said the Gyro.
“Thank you!” They giggled like two teenagers. Now the two shuttled back aboard the Harpy and set a course for the last known location of the Marauding aliens- the City in the Sky! The Harpy was set to linear travel and the nuclear burners to full hot. In a moment, they had attained a high enough altitude to gain a glimpse of the place, a true city above the clouds. Nikki had been here before when she rescued Infinity and her ant-people friends. Perhaps they should all get together again someday.
Within half an hour, they were approaching the city, and Nikki throttled down to half power. They circled the city and moored the Harpy at a Lagrange point, where the city’s own gravity would hold the craft stationary. Cosmique’ stayed aboard while Nikki donned a rocket suit and jetted her way to the surface. To her surprise, she found the streets completely empty, the tall buildings all devoid of life. “Cosmique’ this is Nikki, I have no signs of life down here at all.”
“I wonder what happened to everybody?” answered the Gyro. Nikki decided to look around for any clue as to the present whereabouts of the vanished aliens.
Next: The aliens and the Iceteroid
Between the Ticks of Time
Part XII
The Aliens and the Iceteroid
Nikki began the long hard slog of climbing the stairway of every building on what amounted to an archipelago in space. The endless clack-clack of her heels seemed to go on forever. The first two buildings were over 100 stories, and the rest not much less. When she reached the top of the third building, she opened a doorway leading to the roof. Once up there, she slumped against the wall and took a good long swig of her water bottle. It barely served to slake her thirst.
A brisk wind blew above her, herding clouds like cattle. Soon she was surprised by a flock of large colorful birds who like her, were apparently here to rest. At first, Nikki thought she was feeling the ill effects of having climbed more stairs in a few hours than ever before in her whole life. Her vision was blurred and she was seeing these birds as though they were owl-faced aliens. The colors were as bright as any giclee. She shook out the cobwebs and had another drink from her water bottle. It was at that moment the aliens decided to reveal themselves to Nikki. She looked up and watched slack-jawed as these ‘birds’ dropped to the floor one at a time. Now it was quite easy to see they were the alien crew, and what a crew they were. Like the Armstrong ladies, these aliens seemed to be all female, not a male among them. Nikki couldn’t be sure of this, of course.
There was a tall alien in the center who seemed to project for them all. She never spoke a word but Nikki understood her thoughts perfectly. “Young tigress,” the blueish alien-woman thought. “How is it you have come to our city and why?”
“I mean you no harm,” answered Nikki, “only to have a word with you.”
“I remember your last visit to our city and it was quite harmful,” the alien thought again.
“You were holding one of our agents -my best friend- against her will. You almost killed her!” shouted Nikki out loud. I have been sent here by the Altrusians of Kaleidoscope City to ask you to cease with your marauding of their upper sanctum. I saw with my own eyes the large hole your discs tore in them.”
The aliens looked toward each other, saying nothing but making a lot of different facial expressions. The big one spoke again. “Tell your Altrusian friends they have no need to worry from us, but there is a worry to which they must attend.”
“I’m listening- to your thoughts, that is,” said Nikki.
“Our long-range sensor beams have detected a threatening object moving at great speed out of the western quadrant. I myself worked out the trajectory and it is headed straight for this city.”
“I am not understanding what that has to do with the Altrusions,” said Nikki.
“The object is on a straight-line course to pass through Kaleidoscope City’s upper sanctum before hitting our City in the Sky. Surely you have noticed the whole city has been evacuated?”
“I did wonder about that, it is true.”
“We are prepared to destroy the Icetroid -that which you call comet, but in order to do so, it must come within range. That means it has to first hit Kaleidoscope City,” thought the alien. Nikki’s eyes grew wide.
“In order for that to happen, we have carved out a hole of sufficient diameter to the upper sanctum, allowing the Iceteroid to pass cleanly through, and into the space between our two cities. There, we can have a direct impact with a laser beam, not unlike the polaser you have strapped to your hip- only much more powerful. Return now to Kaleidoscope City and allay the fears of the Altrusians, and all will be well.”
Between the Ticks of Time
Part XIII
Frozen in Time
The aliens quite literally vanished into thin air, leaving Commander Nikki Night Bird to fend for herself. Nikki ignited the jet pack she was wearing on her back and gained enough altitude to clear the balcony surrounding the city. She let inertia take her tumbling end over end, like the Harpy time-rocket she loved so well, and it took her a semi-parsec to straighten out into level flight. She made her way back to the Harpy, where Cosmique’ waited by the communicator for her return. Nikki entered the airlock aft and let herself on board. “Did you help with the time?” asked Nikki.
“Nope,” answered the Gyro. “That was all you.” Nikki adjusted the joy stick to linear once again and the Harpy was off for the stars. The lady brass from the Armstrong Space Station now pulled alongside them, and Nikki could see it was Leung Dao at the helm. The two pilots pointed forward inside their respective ships, and it was a race to Kaleidoscope City. In no time at all they were boarding the gargantuan city, and it was Commodore Thyme who greeted them at the portal. He embraced his lady love, whom he hadn’t seen in 10 long months- until now. Nikki swung herself aboard and settled the Harpy in its’ special slip on Big Blue.
Justin, Nikki, and Cosmique’ all boarded the large spacetime craft and began running down the preflight checklist. The Altrusians watched the proceedings nervously, as the visuals were being displayed inside the cavernous mess decks. Soon the crackling sound came from somewhere above the cheering crew, and the Iceteroid became visible as it approached from the West.
The speed of the intruder was difficult to determine as it was heading straight for Kaleidoscope City. With a final pass through the infrastructure, the alien discs cleared the last debris and the Iceteroid blazed through the upper sanctum like a bullet through balsa. The city was rattled by a shock wave, but never lost its integrity. “I believe we are out of the woods,” remarked Commodore Thyme.
The snowball passed straight through the highest spires and was caught unprotected in Kaleidoscope City airspace. With a direct laser blast, the ice ball was a marauder no more. The Altrusians cheered loudly, with a new understanding of their alien neighbors, and once again, they were indebted to Commander Nikki Night Bird and her Alternity Corp. crew.
Between the Ticks, epilogue
Several million years along the backward timeline, Commodore Justin Nicholas Thyme and his new wife Leung Dao, took great pleasure in pinning the Medal of the Galaxy on the breast pockets of the agent and the Gyro. Even the President of the Galactic United Nations was there, and afterwards, she walked her giant Woolly Mammoth to the river where he grazed on succulent rush. Justin smiled at his crew, wondering what they would be called upon to do next- and when!