Bridgeworlds: Deep Flux (26 page)

JACK AND TYREE FOUND THE PORTAL and went back through it. In
the tunnel on the other end was a cat... standing and wearing period
clothing. It walked toward them and behind it was Bogdan. Jack smiled at
the sight of Bogdan. The cat stepped forward. It wore a white suikan. From
studying ancient cultures Jack knew the suikan of the type of clothing. It
was a sort of soft white linen over-robe. It had very large sleeves that were
only attached for a few inches behind the shoulder. The body was a singlepanel of fabric wide, and the sides of the body were left open to display a
shimmering silken robe beneath. The cat himself had what looked like cowprint markings. He said, “I am Meu Kou, advisor to Queen Elise the Queen
of Musterion and grandson of Alora. I have a message from Omar. “He
bowed then stepped forward and handed him a scroll.

Jack stared at the walking talking cat for a moment and then
looked down at the scroll in his hand. He unraveled the scroll and read it
aloud, "Dear Jack, what a great friend you are. Bogdan and Sasha found me
and Sasha is with me. Please know that there are not words to express my
gratitude for your actions in coming here to 'rescue' me. I assure you that I
am well and do not need rescuing. But there is something I need greatly. I
need you to return to Earth and ensure that my project continues to get
funding. Tyree, not the one you are with but the one back on earth, will
have a teleportation device. I have left instructions for him to figure it out
and replicate it. If he does so I will need you to get the board together and
regain the military funding I had. Thank you, I knew I could rely on you.
~Omar"

Jack nodded. "Alright, I was hoping to find Omar but I can always
come back for him. Let's go," he said.

Bogdan led them through a series of tunnels and secret passages
until they found a tunnel with an archway that had a shifting light passing
through it. Meu Kou made a running jump through the archway and
somehow deactivated the light passing through the archway.

"Hurry up," called Meu Kou and Jack and Tyree made it through
just in time before the light started back up.

There was a portal on the other side. They all followed Bogdan
through the portal. They entered and stared in wonder of the beauty of the
center of Musterion. Then Bogdan led them to an archway that had scratch
marks by it.

"That is the way that you will go," said Bogdan.

 

"You aren’t coming back to earth with us? You have a large sum of
money waiting for you there," said Jack.

 

Bogdan shook his head, "I don’t belong there. Take that money and
split it between the others you owe. I have no need of it."

 

Jack shrugged, "Alright Bogdan, have it your way."

 

Meu Kou shed his clothing and got down on all fours. Then he
looked to Jack, "I will be coming with you."

 

Jack cocked his head, "Really?"

He nodded, "You may need some proof. I think I can provide that
by just speaking to them but you need to promise me I will not end up in
some lab on earth."

"Of course," said Jack. Then he looked to Bogdan, "I will be back. I
will need to find the others at the very least... Maybe even pay a visit to
Omar at his destination."

Tyree then spoke up saying, "I am coming too. It will be nice to see
earth not at war or with a virus."

 

Jack laughed, "You have more than earned that."

Jack motioned for the others to jump through the archway. They
did. Then he looked to Bogdan and said, "Take care old friend." Then he
jumped through after them.

As Jack came through the other side of the portal he saw General
Elder and Tyree there studying the piece of tunnel there with a team of
scientists. As they came out of the tunnel they saw that they had several
rifles trained on them by military personnel.

General Elder had the men lower their weapons. Younger Tyree
approached them, "You are back so soon. Where is your team?"

Jack put his hand up, "It’s a pretty long story. Shortened, Sasha is
with Omar and Bogdan is looking for the rest of the team. I know you have
received a device from Omar that can teleport people. I’m here to ensure
that the project regains military funding and continues in Omar's absence."

Old Tyree walked up to General Elder. One of the soldiers with him
trained a rifle on him but Old Tyree didn’t flinch. He handed his military
identification to the General. Old Tyree made a point to glance over to
young Tyree and then put a finger over his lips. The Old Tyree and Young
Tyree looked different enough that the Young Tyree could likely look right
at him and not know that they were the same person.

The General looked at the identification wide eyed but nodded in
agreement to Old Tyree that he would say nothing. "We will talk later in
private, soldier," he said.

General Elder turned his attention toward Jack. "I will need you all
to come with me. You will be taken to a clean room where all of your vitals
will be checked. After that, we can talk."

The general and young Tyree gave Jack an odd look as he picked up
Meu Kou. Meu Kou pinned his ears back showing his disapproval at being
picked up. One of the scientists went to take him from Jacks hands and
Meu Kou clawed and hissed at him. As the scientist backed away Jack said,
"The cat comes with me."

The scientist looked to General Elder who waved his hand to
dismiss the minor issue. "Let him keep his cat," said the general in an
almost mocking tone.

Jack was ushered to a lab where his vitals were taken and his blood
was drawn. When the scientists went to draw Meu Kou's blood, Jack
refused to let them and they finally left with just Jack's blood, skin sample,
and urine. After about an hour of waiting the general made his way into
Jack's room.

"I am sorry it took me so long but I needed to visit with Tyree first.
It seems that you, Tyree, and Omar intend to create another timeline
where I never recruited Tyree into the marines and I never sent him into
the portal. Tyree has also given me vital information that can help the
United States stop wars that are supposed to happen before they happen. I
find a lot of what Tyree has told me hard to believe. But when we tested
your skin cells we found that your skin cells are regenerating at a much
more rapid rate. They are still deteriorating but at the rate they are
regenerating you will age much slower. This is consistent with what Tyree
has told me. I feel I need more evidence to the outlandish stories though."

Jack nodded and looked to Meu Kou.

 

The cat stood up and bowed, "I am Meu Kou. Queen Elise of
Musterion sends her regards."

The general who was normally cool mannered jumped out of his
chair and was on the other side of the room before Jack could react to calm
him.

The General stared at the creature with eyes wide open. "You are a
talking cat named Moo Cow?"

Meu Kou turned away so as not to show the anger on his face.
"Yes, it is... It's not cat, the proper racial turn is Katken. The name is
because of the unique markings I was born with." Meu Kou paused and
thought for a moment and then began speaking again, "Before you begin
trying to have me dissected on a lab table you should know that your
associate, Jack, promised me protection."

Meu Kou was now pacing making hand gestures as he spoke for
dramatic flair, "You found the stories told to you hard to believe but my
family has traveled through the portals to many of the Bridge Worlds that
Musterion is the gateway to. There are limitless earth dimensions. This,
where we are, is true earth. Don’t ask how I know, it’s complicated but I
know."

Meu Kou jumped up on the hospital bed that Jack was sitting on
and climbed onto Jack's shoulder standing there so that he would be eye to
eye with the general. "But you must know that dimensions are not the only
places that the portals lead. The Bridge Worlds include endless earth
dimensions, a dream plane, the spiritual plane, and other planets so far
away that the human race could never reach them otherwise."

He jumped down to the hospital bed, "Now, the truth of the
matter is that the teleportation device that was given to Tyree is child’s
play to the discovery that Omar Metzger made in finding a portal to
Musterion. In comparison, for lack of better terms, it ten times more
important than the discovery of space travel and the invention of the car.
Man-kind can now eternally go where they have never gone before. The
true age of exploration is upon you and you have one of the only three
vehicles on Earth. I would say that America is at a great advantage because
of Dr. Omar Metzger's discovery and it would be the greatest act of
stupidity in all of history to deny him the funding he needs to keep his
project running."

General Elder cleared his throat, "That was some speech."

 

Meu Kou laughed, "It was a first for communication between
earthen human and Katken, I wanted to make it count."

The general nodded his head, "And indeed you did. I will do
everything in my power to make sure that this project continues to gain
funding but I will need your help."

"I will help you on one condition," he said.

 

"What is that?" asked General Elder.

"To ensure my safety, I will need a replica of the teleportation
devise for personal use. It is to ensure that I always have the upper hand
should anyone try to capture me and take me for experimentation or
dissection," said Meu Kou.

The general nodded. "I will do that and better. I will also promise
you that I will not let harm come to you if it means my own life. And I
promise you access to all of Doctor Metzger's equipment and studies."

Meu Kou smiled, "Good, that is a good start."

 

Jack shook his head, "Well, I will let you two hash out conquering
the universe. I need to go check on Tyree."

He walked down the hall and heard a familiar unwelcome voice. It
was General Klaus and he was yelling at the top of his lungs. Jack peeked his
head in the door to see Tyree locked at attention as General Klaus chewed
from one end of Tyree to the other. Does he realize how lucky he is that he
has not yet triggered any PTSD? This isn’t right. I won’t stand for it.

"I cannot believe you came to General Elder before me! I ran this
project! I canceled this project, the Secretary of State gave the orders to
me!"

Jack spoke from the door, "And you abandoned this project, you
tried to abandon it from day one."

 

The general whipped around to see Jack at the door. "You stay out
of it rich daddies-boy. This is a classified meeting."

 

Jack saw Tyree stiffen. Tyree could probably kill this guy with one
punch.

Jack shrugged, "It's a good thing I have Top Secret clearance. Or did
you forget that a civilian can hold that clearance. And if that doesn't cover it
General Elder is down the hall. Last time I checked you had four stars on
your shoulder and he has five. Should I go get him, since we are pulling
grade and rank? I’m sure he would love to join in on this completely
appropriate classified conversation you are having with Tyree."

The general turned toward Jack, "Don’t you threaten me, boy."

Jack shrugged with a grin and then reached for his cell phone in his
vest. "Let's see which speed dial number was it for the Secretary General?
Have you told him yet? About the device?"

The General knocked the phone out of his hand but Jack reacted
quickly and punched General Klaus in the throat. The General grabbed his
throat and made a choking noise. Jack moved in on the General who was
backing up with a look of panic and surprise on his face. Tyree put his arm
out blocking Jack from advancing. Just then General Elder walked into the
room.

"What are you children doing?" he asked. "Have we suddenly
resulted to school yard tactics at resolving disputes?" He pointed to
General Klaus, "Bullying," and then pointed his finger in Jack's face,
"Fighting?"

The General shook his head, "No, I will not have it under my watch.
The only one here who is acting in order and in place is Tyree." He took
ahold of Tyree's arm and looked at the many scars running down it from
the lashes of Drakoni whips. "This man has served as a United States
Marine for several hundred years. I would say you were retired a few
decades into that. So not only does the military owe you back retirement
pay for several hundred years, you can consider yourself a retired Marine
(ranking at four star General with a purple heart) meaning if this man yells
at you again I expect to see you knock his block off. And if he lives through
it, he might actually learn from it and not abuse the power that he has
again."

General Elder turned to General Klaus. "I have spoken to the
Secretary General and I am now in charge of this fully funded project. As
this now involves other planets it falls under the jurisdiction of Air Force
Space Command which I am over. Thank you General Klaus for your many
contributions to this project but you will no longer needed. Now get out of
my face before I have one of those stars."

General Klaus just blinked in surprise his face red with anger. Jack
picked up his phone and snapped a picture. General Elder glared at Jack but
he only smiled as he left the room with Tyree.

"What you going to do with that?" asked Tyree.

 

Jack laughed, "It's a present for Omar."

 

Tyree shook his head, "So you are really going back in?"

Jack nodded, "I was thinking. You are currently under employed
and very rich. I say we go in this together, get some more toys to go into
Musterion with and do some exploring."

Tyree laughed as he shook his head, "You just don’t quit do you?"

 

Jack shrugged, "Well? What do you say?"

Tyree sighed and before he could answer the younger Tyree
approached them. The older Tyree turned his head trying to look
distracted.

"I know you are me. I know it because I can almost feel it. What is
going to happen to me to give me so many scars? Please warn me so I can
stop it," he said.