Part 0
Synopsis: John leaves Abby and Kershia in charge of Luna and jaunts off alone in the hope that he may gain some advantage in the TPs struggle against the Saps.
The Kindred Spirits universe is dedicated to the late Philip Gilbert.
This is the twelfth story in the Kindred Spirits sequence. Recommended reading order is:
1) Kindred Spirits - Two Aims, One Destination
2) Kindred Spirits - Double Bluff
3) Kindred Spirits - Slipping the Net
4) Kindred Spirits - Consumed by Fire
5) Kindred Spirits - The Stair
6) Kindred Spirits - Stara Majka
7) Kindred Spirits - ZD28-FV6
8) Kindred Spirits - Darkness and Lust
9) Kindred Spirits - Abandoned
10) Kindred Spirits - The Path Ahead
11) Kindred Spirits - Serpent's Tooth
12) Kindred Spirits - Grand Central Station
Thanks to Anyta, Elizabeth and Ana for beta reading this story. Your helpful input was much appreciated.
Disclaimer:
This story is based on the television series 'The Tomorrow People', created by Roger Price and owned by Thames Television/Freemantle Media. It also features original characters and situations created by, and the intellectual property of, Jackie Clark and Elizabeth Stanway, October 2003.
E-mail Address(es):
tiylaya@yahoo.com
Jackie@the-tomorrow-people.co.uk
John opened his eyes wearily. His entire body felt somehow dislocated from his brain, his joints and muscles ached and his skin was tight and inflamed. The only thought that seemed to sum up his condition was the comical notion that he had been run over by a bus! But he knew this to be an impossibility.
Lifting his head from the soft pillow, he looked about him. He was lying on a plinth in a padded chamber, the very walls of which seemed to undulate with a myriad of colours, pulsating as gentle waves of movement passed across their surface. On his right was an arched opening, and beyond that he could see a much larger space with a high domed ceiling and perfectly white tiled floor.
"Where am I?" he whispered to himself. "How did I get to this place?"
With arms weakened from prolonged disuse, he struggled to pull himself into a sitting position, then sighed heavily. His last concrete memory was of his hasty departure from Luna Lab. Not wishing to face his friends, his decision to leave them while he considered the situation had not been an easy one. He knew that if he were forced to explain himself, his resolve would most likely have faltered. The decision of where to go was also difficult. TIM had been reluctant, to say the least, to equip him for the journey, but John had insisted that this was the most logical course of action and eventually TIM had complied with his wishes.
On dematerialising from the jaunting pad, the teleport had felt like no other he had ever experienced in his long years as a TP, and from the look of it, he had obviously failed in his quest.
Distant voices reached him from somewhere across the huge hall and John noted the sound of approaching footsteps. Deciding that whoever was coming this way, it would serve no purpose to pretend he was not awake, he sat up and swung his legs towards the floor. Looking down at his aching limbs, he was shocked to see that he no longer wore his A.E suit. Instead he was clothed in a long white gown, its flimsy material undulating in ever-changing patterns of light not dissimilar to the covering on the walls.
John looked up as an elderly man, dressed in a similar robe, entered the chamber. This man looked vaguely familiar, although John was certain they had never met before. He had a long white beard that reached almost to the ground and carried a staff in his right hand. "Hello, John," said the man, smiling warmly and nodding his head. "I've heard a great deal about you. I am Zenon, Guardian of the Time Lanes. I believe you know my grandson, Peter?"
John gave a jaded smile and tried to step down from the bed. As his bare feet touched the floor, his legs gave way under the strain of his body weight and he almost collapsed. "What's happened to me?" he asked softly, willing himself unsuccessfully to stand upright.
Zenon came further into the room and handed John his staff. "If you insist on standing while we talk, then I advise you to use this."
Reluctantly, John gripped the warm surface of the stick and pulled himself up to face the Time Guardian. "Thanks," he mumbled.
"I am afraid, John, that you were imprisoned in the time trap for two of your Earth months before we discovered your identity." Zenon scowled disapprovingly. "I recall chastising one of your kind before about using crude home-made time discs. By the time we discovered your identity, you were close to death and it was only the intervention of a healer from Cantella Prime that saved your life. You have lain here, drifting in and out of consciousness, for a further three months, I'm afraid."
John looked about him in shocked confusion. "I have to get back," he cried. "The Tomorrow People... The Federation..." He looked up into Zenon's eyes, desperate for information. "Timus warned me about the Federation's intentions. Has there been any word on the possible Inquiry?"
"Please, John, calm yourself. In your present, the Federation Inquiry into the proposed threat from the planet Earth is still ongoing." John sighed deeply at Zenon's words. "That issue will have to wait until you are recovered. Your body is too weak from lack of food for you to contemplate jaunting out of here." Zenon walked past John and approached the far wall. As he touched its surface gently with his fingertips, an opening appeared and Zenon removed a plate containing a blue jelly-like substance. John watched him carefully as he laid the plate on the bed beside him. "This nutritional supplement will aid your recovery." He nodded towards John. "Eat it now, and I will return to you shortly to discuss the situation further."
As Zenon started to walk away, John called out in protest, but the Guardian of Time ignored his pleading and left the room without further comment. Looking down at the strange foodstuff, John grimaced as he spooned some into his mouth. As the soft substance touched his tongue, John's eyes widened in amazement. It not only tasted absolutely delicious, but it also made him realise how ravenous he in fact was.
Half an hour later, John was feeling more himself and greeted Zenon's return with a smile. "If, as you say, I was caught in the time trap and have been close to death, then I thank you for your intervention." He sounded contrite as he made his apology. "I had hoped that the disc could take me outside of time while I considered how my people might fight against the increasing Sap threat. But it seems that I have failed, yet again." He shrugged his shoulders, deflated by the reality of his own words.
"Success or failure is all relative, John," replied Zenon cryptically. "Tell me," he looked at John questioningly, "what did you hope to gain by such an action? I am certain that your kind is aware that unlicensed time travel is forbidden."
John sighed while he gathered his thoughts. How could he convey to this stranger the nature of his mental dilemma, when he himself hardly understood how he had come to this impasse? Deciding to avoid the painful memories of his conversation with Emina, he suddenly changed tack. "Do you have much contact with Peter? Has he ever told you about the times when he worked with the Tomorrow People on various missions?"
"A little," Zenon replied. "The duties of a Time Guardian are many, and Peter has been working on a number of projects lately."
John couldn't help the disappointment showing in his face. "I didn't mean lately." He sighed again. "I was wondering if he ever conveyed to you what happened on Robowski's ship, nearly fifty years ago now. He and Carol were captured and held under the influence of a Medusa."
Zenon walked across the room and sat on the bed beside John. "You must remember that the past, present and future are all meaningless to a Time Guardian. From Peter's perspective that episode could have happened just yesterday, a century ago, or is indeed yet to happen." He nodded in response to John's deep frown. "Yes, John, Peter did tell me something of what happened that day."
"Carol told me too. She said that when she revealed to Peter who and what she was, at first he didn't believe her. But then Peter guessed that she was part of a secret underground movement who remained in hiding until after what he called 'The Great Emergence' in the twenty-first century. Peter told her that they were currently in the twenty-sixth century, and Robowski himself kept referring to how the new breed of man called Homo novus had spread across the galaxy."
Zenon looked thoughtful. "This is most unfortunate."
"What is?" demanded John.
"It is against our people's most fundamental codes of conduct to reveal any aspect of an individual's future. To tell Carol about the Great Emergence was highly irregular."
"Well, tell her he did. And now that the Mass Breakout has begun, I'm assuming that our fight against the Saps is all part of this Great Emergence."
"Perhaps it is and perhaps it isn't, John. That is precisely the reason why the divulging of such information is forbidden. It surprises me that a Homo novus such as yourself would decide to break the law in this manner. What exactly did you hope to gain by buying yourself this time?"
John shrugged. "I'm not altogether certain. But desperate times lead to desperate measures, and it did seem logical at the time." He gave a half-hearted smile. "If you'll pardon the pun."
Zenon stood and began to pace the small room, his staff beating a rhythm on the polished floor as he walked. Stopping abruptly, he swung around and gazed into John's eyes. "In some respects, John, you were lucky that the crude time disc brought you into the time trap. Your predicament would have been much more serious if you had travelled to either the future or the past. Under those circumstances I would have been unable to give the Senate any defence for your actions."
"Well, I offer no apologies for saying that I'd secretly hoped that the disc would take me to either of those times. Travelling to the past might have allowed me to warn my people of the imminent war with the Saps. Likewise, in the future I could have gained some insight into how we can win the war." He paused for a moment, staring at his feet as a multitude of possibilities passed through his thoughts. "But instead of gaining some advantage, all I've done is thrown away time I couldn't afford to lose." Looking up once again, John had sadness in his eyes as he met Zenon's gaze.
Zenon nodded thoughtfully. "Then am I correct in assuming that your desire to travel to the future was to acquire some information about the outcome of the Great Emergence?" John nodded his head but remained silent. "That you believed the information Peter accidentally revealed to Carol, and thought you could gain an advantage if you could ascertain how the Tomorrow People eventually triumphed over their adversaries?"
John lowered his gaze to the floor as a wave of disappointment washed across him. "I suppose that now I'll never know," he mumbled.
Zenon approached and placed a reassuring hand on John's arm. "And that is precisely how it should be, John. What if you had arrived at your destination only to find that the Tomorrow People were not successful? What would you have done then?"
John looked up into Zenon's eyes, disbelief and confusion spreading across his features. "We have to be successful, we just have to! Why else would Robowski refer to himself as one of the last remaining real men, one capable of killing?" Realising that his next request was unlikely to be granted, he decided that it was still worthwhile asking Zenon for his help. What have I got to lose, he thought. "If I knew what lay ahead, if I could return to Earth and tell my people that their struggle was not in vain, it would make such a difference. From your comments here today I'm assuming that, like Peter, you also know the outcome of the Great Emergence. Can you tell me about it, please? I swear that I won't do anything to change the time line, but to know what happens will give us all hope."
Zenon stood and prepared to leave. "I am sorry, John. To tell you such information would break the foremost law of the Time Guardians." He bowed. "Now, if you would please excuse me, I must go and report what you have said to the Senate of the Eternal Order. It would be advisable for you to remain here and sleep for a while. If you require more food, it can be supplied at your request. I will return shortly with the Senate's decision on your sentence."
"Sentence!" exclaimed John, indignantly. "What have I done that's so wrong?" His shoulders immediately slumped as he realised the stupidity of his outburst. "Okay," he continued resignedly, "I realise that unauthorised time travel is illegal, but it's not as if I did any harm or changed anything. All I set out to do was to buy myself some time..."
Zenon nodded slowly in response to John's words, before reluctantly turning towards the exit. He had almost disappeared through the archway when he stopped and looked back into the room. "By your own admission, John, you have engaged in unauthorized time travel," he said earnestly. "You have even affirmed your hope of acquiring information about the future, thus opening the possibility that you may change the past. Despite the noble spirit of your intentions, such behaviour cannot and will not be tolerated."
John had no idea how long he lay on his back, staring at the patterns of light that danced across the ceiling of what he now understood to be his prison cell. Shortly after Zenon's departure John had tried to follow him through the archway, only to be rebuffed by an invisible barrier of some kind. After discovering how to acquire more food from the seamless wall and where the bathroom facilities were located, there seemed little else to do than comply with Zenon's request and try to sleep.
Despite the continued exhaustion of his body, which was still recovering from its enforced isolation inside the nowhere place of a time trap, sleep didn't come easily. A few snatched moments were all his mind would allow before he awoke with a jolt in response to some nightmarish imagery dragged up from his unconscious. There were flashes of the Camps, their wasted inmates slowly decaying under the influence of Barlumin poisoning, fleeting images of Abby or Kershia struggling to control riots in the cramped corridors of Luna, and most frightening of all were scenes of the Federation inquiry, with his dearest friends screaming frenziedly at the immovable obstinacy of the 'One Mind.' And permeating all these images was the notion that he had failed, that he was personally responsible for the plight of his own people and that such guilt was justified by his internment in this very room. If I remain here for the rest of my life it will not be enough to repay the debt I owe them for their continued loyalty, bravery and trust, he thought.
With a huge sigh of relief, he noticed Zenon had returned. Knowing that this elderly man brought him only bad news, John was still thankful for the distraction from the nightmarish images that haunted not only his sleeping but also his waking mind.
"Well, have they decided what to do with me?" he remarked, without looking round.
"Indeed they have, John."
"And?"
"I know that this may sound strange, but I cannot tell you the Senate's decision, for the same reason that I cannot convey to you the outcome of the Great Emergence, if it does indeed happen, that is."
John sat up abruptly. "What sort of a ludicrous response is that?" he spat, struggling to maintain a level tone as the anger spilled over from his thoughts into his words. "If I'm a prisoner here, then I demand that you formally charge me in accordance with your laws, and allow me the opportunity to defend myself in a fair trial."
"Perhaps you are not charged with anything."
"But you said before..." Outraged by the nonsensical words of the Time Guardian, he launched himself off the bed and strode across the small room. Coming to a halt in front of the doorway, he swung around and stared at Zenon angrily. "In that case, I'll be leaving then." John threw himself towards the force field and was astonished when it yielded to allow him through. "What!"
Zenon followed John through the archway and motioned for him to walk towards the centre of the huge auditorium. After a long pause they stopped and looked at one another. "Tell me, John," began Zenon thoughtfully, "what do you hope for the future of your people?"
"That our current struggle will end peacefully, that the Saps will stop persecuting us and, I suppose, that eventually we will take over the Earth, putting an end to violence and war." John shrugged. "Since the very beginning of my time leading the Tomorrow People that is what I believed would be our future. It was the Sophostrians who told me that this was our destiny."
"And what made you believe that the Sophostrians were correct in this assurance?"
"They are a sophisticated race of philosophers, founding members of the Galactic Federation. And their planet is one of many where such phenomena have already occurred. It seems logical that the Earth is following other races towards the same goal. Doesn't it?" John didn't sound too sure any more. Events since he awoke had taught him that nothing was as certain as he'd originally thought.
"I appreciate that from your perspective, John, these ideas must appear to be a logical progression for your world. But how do you know that the Tomorrow People's Emergence is actually in their best interests?"
"I don't know," he mumbled half-heartedly. "No one can know. But I'm certain that it's what nature intended for us."
Zenon opened his arms wide and spun around gently in a circle. "Look around you, John. Does this place resemble anywhere familiar?"
John looked about him. The huge domed hall was at least a hundred metres long. In the far distance were three tall windows not unlike those found above the altar of a church or cathedral. Flanking each wall were numerous archways similar to the one he had just walked through, and immediately above each a small arched window with a spotlight of brilliance streaming through to illuminate the floor. The walls themselves were bare, apart from the randomly undulating patterns of light that appeared, fluctuated then disappeared again. "Should it look familiar?" he asked hesitantly, knowing with certainty that he had never visited this place before.
"Let us consider the Hall of the Time Guardians as one of your major railway termini on Earth," began Zenon. John found himself curious about where this analogy was leading. Remaining silent, he simply nodded and Zenon continued. "Before you are many different tracks, some leading to a different destination and some leading to the same one. Which route would you choose to take, John?"
John shrugged. "Are you saying that I'm free to leave, that I must choose where to go first?"
With a warm smile Zenon started to walk gently forward once again, and John obligingly followed suit. "Not really, John. For how would you make such a decision? You do not know the destination of each of these tracks, and I cannot tell you. Neither do you know where your destination actually is, what it will look like when you arrive or how long the journey there will take." He paused for a moment, allowing John to take in the implications of his words. "I said to you once before that success is all relative to the individual's perspective. At this time all you have knowledge of is that the Mass Breakout has already begun, that Peter spoke of some kind of Great Emergence when an underground movement rose up on your planet. And finally, that by the twenty-sixth century the galaxy is almost entirely populated by Homo novus rather than Homo sapiens."
John looked incredulous. "Are you telling me that the Mass Breakout is not, in fact, the Great Emergence? That we are struggling against the Saps for nothing?" He stared down at his bare feet and the feelings of guilt rose within him again. "I led my people into this fight, you know. I encouraged them into believing that if we organised ourselves we could win the battle and eventually triumph over the Saps. But if that is not to happen... all those people suffering in the camps. It's all my fault! Maybe I should have allowed Operation Malthus to succeed after all!"
"Perhaps, John, perhaps. And perhaps the Federation's idea of folding the Earth within a multiplex time-space distortion is also a good one, but then again, perhaps it is not. I am not at liberty to tell you. What you must do, John, is decide for yourself how you are to act."
"This is hopeless," remarked John. "How can I alone make such a decision?"
"Indeed, you could see the situation as hopeless. You could go straight back to Earth and surrender to the Saps, then see what happens, or go directly to the Trig and yield to their findings. Or perhaps it would be better if you were to remove yourself from the situation altogether. Maybe this isn't your fight any more."
John looked pensive as he recalled Emina's sharp words. "Someone has told me that before, you know," he muttered, more to himself than the aged man beside him. "But if I leave them to their fate they will believe that I have abandoned them. How can I let them down - Abby, Stephen, Kershia and the others? They deserve more than that."
"But if you knew that your decision was the right one, would it matter if they thought so badly of you?" asked Zenon.
John shrugged. "I suppose not," he replied. Images of people and places raced through his mind, of the early days in the Lab with Kenny, Carol and Stephen. They were all so young and so determined, never questioning their mission. In those days it all seemed so easy; they had the advantage over the Saps and John never thought for one minute that he was doing anything but what was right for the future of Earth. Things changed somewhat the day Stephen and Tyso left to take up posts on the Trig, but still he felt no compulsion to question his actions. The new breakouts may have been few and far between, but he knew deep down that they would one day win through. When the Mass Breakout began it was almost an anti-climax. Here at last was the beginning of the future they had been promised. And now, he sighed, now he had to question whether his actions in leading the TPs had actually been worthwhile. Maybe Emina was right - it would be better to leave the younger generation in charge. Perhaps his time was over and by holding onto the past he was in some way holding back the future. Pulling himself upright, he suddenly found a new determination. "Okay, then. I decide not to return to Earth. Do you have any suggestions where I should go to live out my retirement?"
Zenon grinned. "Oh, John," he began. "Do not think that you can make this decision so lightly. My suggestion to you is that you seek advice from others before you commit yourself to any action."
"And whom did you have in mind?"
"I think Carol would be a good person to begin with. After all, it was to her that Peter let slip the idea of the Great Emergence in the first place. I believe that she has returned to her home world after giving evidence at the Federation inquiry."
"Do you mean you are sending me to her?"
"We cannot send you to Adonisia directly, only to the same point in space from where you disappeared, but you could travel there to speak with her."
"Adonisia is on the other side of the Galaxy. How am I expected to get there with the Federation out looking for me? I take it that my absence has been noticed by now. If I materialize on the Trig and ask for a long-distance transporter beam, they'll have me entrenched in this inquiry so deeply that I'll never get away. The only way to get there is by Kalinar and I don't see any of them lying around, do you?"
"How you acquire the transport you need is of little interest to us, John."
John started to pace up and down in front of the old man. "Okay," he said at last. "Let's assume that I did manage to find transport, the journey to Adonisia will take years. I've been stuck here for five months already. I have no idea of how the fight against the Saps is going or how far the Federation inquiry has progressed. I don't have time to go gallivanting across the galaxy on some voyage of self-discovery."
Zenon chuckled to himself while John looked on incredulously. "When you came here, John, and requested that I reveal the future to you regarding the Tomorrow People's Emergence, I said that this was something that I was forbidden to aid you with. What you must realise is that you asked me the wrong question."
John felt his temper flare once again. How could someone supposedly so wise be so incomprehensible? "Get to the point, Zenon, please. You wanted me to make a decision on where to go next and I've made it. I can't stand around here exchanging words with you forever. Time is running out for my people!"
"John, when I said that I couldn't help you to know the future, I meant it, but there are other more practical ways by which I can help you. You see, there is no rule that says I cannot lend you all the time you may need to seek out advice from Carol, or anyone else. No rule at all!"
Your comments will be gratefully received. Mail to: Jackie@effdee.demon.co.uk