Journey of Rick Heiden Ch. 17

All Rights Reserved © 2018, Rick Haydn Horst

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Cadmar spoke in a weak voice. "Pearce can do it, and I can help him."

Everyone turned to Cadmar. Maggie and Julien then saw Cadmar's eyes and how their appearance was like Amaré's. I saw the familiar expression on their faces as they stared into them. "Pearce!" Cadmar said, raising his voice. "What's the matter with you? Someone needs your help."

Although not well, Pearce awoke from his preoccupation. At that moment, he tried to concentrate on someone else. "I need two blankets, a few towels, alcohol, scissors, all the tweezers you have, a sharp knife, and bandages if you have them."

Maggie had all the items, except the bandages; they made do with strips of clean sheets. They had placed Aiden on the floor upon one of the blankets and laid the other on his upper body to keep him warm. They carefully cut away his pant leg. Cadmar, with his amazing eyes, said he could see the bullet. It had lodged at an angle, indicating an indirect hit, like a ricochet off the lab's cement floor. Cadmar said if the slug had hit him directly, it would have shattered his femur because he could see Aiden's Foundational Enhancement had not completed itself. As it stood, no damage occurred to the bone. Despite the bullet's shallow depth, Pearce had to cut it out. The nanos in his body should take care of any potential infections, and rapidly heal the wound, but the foreign object blocked their ability to do that. The removal seemed straightforward, but we had nothing to give Aiden for the pain.

Maggie had quietly cried, and I tried not to. Aiden, quite characteristically, never complained. He said it hurt, but more to let us know that he had pain than anything else. He continued to astonish me with how much he could tolerate. However, I feared the removal would prove too much, even for him.

Maggie could no longer watch without helping. She kneeled beside him, held his hand, and whispered, "I am here for you." He looked at her and tried to smile.

The ceramic-bladed paring knife she gave Pearce came from a set she brought from France. It cut like a razor. Pearce put alcohol on the blade, the tweezers that he selected, the surgical site, his hands, and the wound, which made Aiden wince. Just before Pearce, guided by Cadmar, began to cut into Aiden's leg, Maggie kissed Aiden to distract him. Lacking a sense of ghoulish curiosity, once the incision started, I refused to watch. I faced the other way, David's arm around me and my forehead against his shoulder. Aiden barely made any sound, but it had to hurt.

"It's out," said Pearce, and I watched as they began to wrap Aiden's leg.

"You did well, Aiden," said Cadmar.

It hadn't bled much. Maggie continued kissing Aiden.

Pearce spoke, "Thank you, Cadmar, I could not have done it alone."

Maggie ended her kiss with Aiden. I noticed he had a tear running into his hairline.

"Thank you," Aiden whispered to Maggie, and she whispered into his ear. He tried to smile despite the pain and nodded. "Later," he said. He got up on both elbows, his face pale. "Well, chaps, will I live, you think?"

Cadmar glanced at Maggie. "We'll make sure you do."

"Thank you, both," said Aiden.

"You're welcome," said Pearce.

"I'm glad I could help," said Cadmar.

"Cadmar," said David, "may Rick and I speak to you for a moment?"

He slowly got to his feet,

"Aiden, I'm sorry not to include you," I said.

He waved a weary hand dismissively. "It's fine."

We helped Cadmar down the hall to the bedroom and sat him on Maggie's bed to conserve his energy. He had been out of the loop for some time, so we caught him up as best we could. David told him of the experience the Americans had put Pearce through, and it upset Cadmar.

"How did the British treat you?" David asked.

"Not that bad," said Cadmar. "I got struck hard by the car and became unconscious --or semi-conscious as you say-- for a while. When I awoke back to normal, they had me where you found me. They hadn't experimented on me that I know of, but they took samples of all the body fluids they could think of and ended up extracting as many nanos from me as they could. I'm experiencing nano depletion; I don't feel well. But now I know why Pearce acts as he does, and he looks terrible. They must have taken far more from him."

"What's nano depletion?" I asked.

"After a while," said David, "your body relies on the nanos to perform various biological tasks. If someone loses a significant quantity, like with Cadmar and Pearce, it takes a long time to replenish them without drinking more nano-suspension. Because your body requires them for certain bodily processes, and you haven't enough for the job, you get ill. When severe enough, nano depletion can kill you."

When the conversation ended, we emerged to find Aiden sitting on the chaise lounge with his feet up. He had improved, so the nanos in his body were doing their jobs as rapidly as possible. He said the pain level had decreased with the bullet out.

With our mission accomplished, the question remained, when would we leave for the portal? Aiden needed to stay off his leg, so we decided to go at 7:00 p.m., allowing him to rest and for us to avoid the afternoon traffic.

Late that afternoon, the rain had stopped, the overcast grew darker, and night would soon fall. We ordered the delivery of a staggering quantity of food. We had enough for a small army and required several delivery people to bring it to the door.

Five of us ate at Maggie's table, but Maggie insisted on sitting with Aiden on the chaise. As they ate, Aiden practiced his broken French, much to Maggie's delight.

Maggie and Aiden had more going on than was said, but I couldn't complain. I carried much of the responsibility for that. I had given them both, as Maggie said, the Rick Seal of Approval, and they trusted me. During our meal, when David and I noticed the considerable amount of food Maggie was packing away, we knew they had not limited the previous evening to merely talking.

"Did you send the recording you and I made to your people?" David asked Julien.

"Oui (Yes)," he said, "I still await a reply."

"What do you think they will do?" I asked David.

"I hadn't intended the message to allay anyone's fears, but to relay the truth," David said. "It's difficult to say what they'll do. Humans here can be volatile; they don't always appreciate brutal honesty."

"What you told them will hit them in the one place that will make them listen," I said, "their wallets."

"What do you think they might do, Julien?" David asked.

"I cannot say how they will react," he said, "but it worries me."

I saw that Julien wore a wedding ring. He had a spouse, and I suspected he would not want to go with us. He seemed like a nice man, but if he were faking it all for any reason, I couldn't imagine the purpose.

"I see that you're married," I said to Julien.

"Oui (Yes), eight years now," he said.

"Ever thought of moving?" I asked.

He looked at me. "You mean to Jiyū? It's my understanding you have no need of policemen there, and I am a policeman."

David smiled. "Even when you drive the getaway car?"

"As you told me," Julien said, "it was a rescue mission, one that my superiors would support. However, I suspect this world will find itself in a predicament with you. You have the distinction of being the first official non-citizens of this world. They will have much debate about how to treat you. The more peaceful nations will view you as friends and potential allies. As it is on their soil, the British are considering proclaiming the portal as their own, from what we heard. The Americans will want control of the portal and everything on the other side."

"They will find that difficult," said David, "we can defend ourselves."

"No doubt, your people have advanced technology," he said, "but I see one thing you lack."

"And what is that?" Cadmar asked.

"The capacity for guile. The fact that you do not think in those terms does you credit, but when it comes to dealing with the people here, if you cannot recognize when someone dupes you, that is to your detriment."

"Are you saying we're gullible?" I asked.

"I would not use that word," he said. "You are neither foolish nor stupid. I would say, naive. You have inexperience in dealing with unscrupulous people. You gravitate toward seeing the best in others, and that is wonderful, but you could not deal with humans in positions of power without first cultivating a far more suspicious nature."

"Have you considered helping us in that regard, so we can help you?" David asked.

"I would never presume to have the ability," said Julien.

"Why not?" I asked. "As a detective, I should think you're eminently qualified for suspicion."

Julien laughed. "That's flattering, but no. My qualifications are on another level."

"Oh no," Aiden burst out.

"What's wrong?" asked David.

"Will it rain again?" I asked.

"I thought I should make a quick scan of the local news. They're reporting that military troops, both British and American, have gathered at the park at Painshill. They've cordoned off the area, and they will allow no one into the park until further notice. The comment section beneath the article has ridiculous speculations as to what's going on there. I see rumors of a downed aircraft, some say spacecraft, that either crashed or landed there. Some have said that they saw a bright light in the area early yesterday morning and in the past."

"Let me see." David rose to take Aiden's mobile, then returned to his seat.

"So, we can't go home?" Pearce said, becoming distraught.

"Calm down, Pearce." --David placed a hand upon the top of his-- "I need time to think. The article says it began before noon yesterday, that figures --the portal isn't exactly subtle at four o'clock in the morning. Well, they can't access the portal, but with their presence at the park, neither can we."

"So, that's why it didn't matter to them if you rescued me," said Cadmar. "They had already planned to trap us here."

"They certainly seem adamant that if we plan to leave for home, we must go through them," I said.

David glanced at me. "If only we could have gotten the portal to follow us, the way it did the ancients on Jiyū."

"What's this about?" Cadmar asked.

"Rick read the ancient texts," David said.

Cadmar's gaze held complete astonishment. "You read those?"

Everyone had their eyes upon me with interest, even Maggie and Julien, who knew nothing of the texts.

"Sure," I said, "their condition was decent considering their age. The part to which David's refers told of how the area around the portal where they lived had no consistent food, so rather than go back to Earth, they chose to abandon the portal in search of a better place to settle. They made a journey west, and when they reached the ideal location, they discovered the portal had followed them, or so they said. Of course, they didn't use the word portal, they said 'sun,' but it's an apt comparison."

"It couldn't have followed them," Cadmar said. "We don't even know if it can move; we even failed to pick it up. I suspect whoever built the thing, tethered it to the ground somehow."

"So, what are you saying?" David asked.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "Of course. The portal didn't move. They just thought it had. Think about it; they left the portal, surely a unique object, but they reencountered it when they reached the mountain. They made a mistake; they didn't see the same portal, just one identical to the one they knew. There are two portals." I looked at David.

"Jiyū began as a Japanese colony," David said. "So, the first portal must exit in Japan."

"Japan has a portal," said Julien with eyes wide.

"I have an idea," Aiden said.

"Let's hear it," I said. We turned toward Aiden.

"I think I can reconfigure the drone to search for the other portal's field."

"Do you know the frequency?" David asked.

"Laurel told me that, in her estimation, I needed to know."

"What do you think, David?" I asked.

"Aiden, I need to speak to you and Rick for a moment?" he asked.

With some struggle, we brought Aiden into the bedroom and sat him on the bed.

"I would like your opinions," David said. "We could go to the local portal and see what they want, or we could trek to the Far East, with all the difficulty that would entail, and chance that a portal is there. Aiden, you go first."

"I doubt they would allow us to use the portal here," said Aiden, "We would give them exactly what they want by going there."

"I agree with Aiden," I said. "One might say that the barbarians are at the proverbial gates. We will hand them the key if we go to the portal. I would also add that a portal in or near Japan would fit all the facts. I would be willing to go there no matter the distance or difficulty, so we can go home."

"Well put," Aiden said. "At least in Japan, there's a chance. There isn't a viable chance here. If they had any honor or integrity, they would have just given us Cadmar rather than contriving his death and all the rest. We know the Americans aren't trustworthy; they abducted and almost killed Pearce. They only let him go because you threatened them."

David took a deep breath and shared with us his most profound concerns about the future of humanity on Earth. "What will we do about a soft landing for the good people here when the Foundational Enhancement begins to spread? When the word gets out what it does and how it spreads, people will clamor to get it, and riots could break out. What happens to them when their faiths begin to fall because they probably will. They don't have the knowledge, philosophy, or discipline to live their lives without their gods. Those in power have ensured that many of them have nothing else. What happens when the food supply runs short? People will die. I'm here. I feel I should help them."

I took him into my arms and held him. "David, I must say something to you, and I want you to listen carefully. Okay?" He held his face against my shoulder, and he nodded. "Good." I moved his head until we were face to face. "You cannot, Can Not, single-handedly save the people of this planet. You couldn't do it even as the leader of a million like-minded persons. People are complicated, and their minds change of their own accord to the degree that an individual is able. You cannot expect to reach them in significant numbers to make even a dent in the problem that exists here. My heart goes out to them too, but you are asking too much of yourself to think you should try.

"Now, we have five people here, not including yourself, three of whom are injured. They count on you to get them home. That will challenge you enough without an attempt to save everyone else along with it.

"You are an amazing, wonderful, loving man, whom I treasure above all others, and for as much as I like to believe it when we're alone, you're not a superhero." I kissed him and hugged him tightly. "So, take a deep breath, make a decision, and let's go tell the others."

He nodded. "You're right," David said to me. "I don't know why I do that."

"I do," I said, "but that's a conversation for another time. So, what shall we do?"

He shrugged a little. "I accept your arguments," said Davis, "If Aiden can do what he suggests, we go to Japan, but I also want to know everyone else agrees. I don't want anyone going into this half-hearted. We must all pull together to get this done. Do either of you have anything else to say?"

"Not I," I said.

Aiden pointed his thumb at me shaking his head. "I can't top that."

As we emerged from the bedroom, David went first and didn't notice Aiden pat me on the back as I helped him to the chaise, whispering "excellent job" into my ear.

David resumed his seat at the table, "Okay, I want to hear everyone else's thoughts. Do we chance to let the barbarians into Jiyū by negotiating with the British and the Americans to let us through unharmed, or do we make a difficult journey to Japan, and chance that a portal exists there?"

"I don't trust the Americans," said Pearce, "but Japan is far. How much of a chance would we take?"

"The existence of a portal in Japan explains all the facts, and it solves our local problem," David said, "but I wouldn't want to make this particular decision alone. We must unite in this. It would require solutions to many problems before we go. We do have the element of surprise on our side; they would never expect us to leave this portal. So, all in favor of trying the local portal, say aye, and state your case." No one spoke. "Anyone who opposes going to Japan, speak now and give us an alternative," David said. Still nothing. "That settles it then. Aiden, if you feel up to it, get to work on the drone. If altering the drone proves impossible, the whole thing is off anyhow. Any indications of how long that might take?"

"I'm working on bringing the drone down, but this shouldn't take long," said Aiden, "maybe an hour or two."

"Excellent," said David, "if you need any assistance don't hesitate to ask. How is your leg?"

"Better," he said.

"Good," said David. "We have two major challenges. First, while most of us have passports, Cadmar does not."

"I don't have mine either," said Aiden. "I didn't have mine when we left; it's at the hovel."

"Oh, that's right," said David. "Julien, could you get Cadmar and Aiden a French Passport?"

"I will have to ask," said Julien.

"Fair enough, please do. Secondly, we don't know if using our passports will alert authorities, or if the authorities canceled them, which they might do, to hold us here."

"In for a centime in for a franc," said Julien. "I could always ask them for five passports. If Mademoiselle Maggie's passport is French, they will not have control of it, and France would not cancel it."

"When the time comes," David said, "try for five, but we'll accept two if that's all we can get."

Julien nodded.

"Here's what I'm thinking," David said. "The government knows we have Cadmar back, and no reason to stay. They expect us to go to the portal. They'll show patience for a while, but they'll tire of waiting and come after us. I want us gone before that happens. Julien, will you go with us?"

"I think I should," he said. "My presence as an Interpol officer could provide security and weight in any difficult circumstance that might come along."

David smiled at him. "Thank you, that means a lot to us."

"I told you," Julien said, "you do have friends in the international community, including myself. However, as a matter of practicality, and not intending to sound harsh, your prolonged stay on Earth would cause nothing but trouble now that they know you exist. Some people will make it their purpose to gain every advantage from you so they can dominate the rest of us. You should go home."

It took longer than expected to reconfigure the drone due to the difficulty of opening its casing with tools not intended for such a job. With Cadmar's help, Aiden completed the task. We kept it inside the flat that night for safety. With Iris offline, we stayed with Maggie, who had preferred that everyone had a bed but needs must. We brought all the blankets and pillows from my flat to Maggie's and settled in for the night.

While everyone figuratively bedded down, I invited Maggie into the hallway and hugged her. "I'm sorry for the complications. Do you still wish you to come?" I asked in a low tone.