The Sands of Time Ch 25

 

"You're kidding, right?" 

"Well, no. I'm not kidding. You asked," Stella retorted. "Especially since Mallory here feels you need to have all information." 

"I just feel," began Mallory. 

"Regardless," Stella interrupted. "You have earned some consideration, I guess." 

Joon waited for more. 

Stella sighed. 

"You and your girlfriend have gone above and beyond, I suppose." 

Joon didn't take the bait but Maia did. 

"I have, you know, a name." 

"Yes you do, and an exemplary record as well. It would be a shame to shoot you. No, I'm not going to do that. No, no. How did you two... well, I guess that can wait. Anyway..." 

Joon was trying to put it together. 

"How many... teams do we have out there?"

"Well, it's not really teams, frankly. It's more like, in some cases, we've established... beachheads."

"We've bases in other dimensions?"

"Well..."

"Yes," confirmed Maia. 

Joon looked over at her. 

"Reading between the lines." 

"She's right," confirmed Mallory. "We have several... ongoing concerns."

Joon sighed. 

"Closing the Gate will abandon them." 

"It will," said Stella. "And I can't do that lightly. At the same time, our expeditions have attracted undue attention. Hence, the Incursions. You know what, we can't have this conversation over commlink. Get here and we'll talk." 

A few minutes later Stella's team came through one of the magenta doorways in the air, and Joon and Maia were soon back in Command. 

"That was weird," said Joon. 

"What's it feel like, Joon?" Mallory asked excitedly. 

Stella scowled at her. 

"Ma'am," a soldier came over, "we have something." 

Stella went to see and Mallory gave Maia a hug. 

"We need to get you cleaned up." She took Maia over to a med tech, and soldiers ziptied Hillier and took her away. Stella came back over, worried. 

"There are reports of teams sweeping the base. Masked, decontamination gear. They're not from me, it looks like they're shooting people indiscriminately. I think they're hunting the Intruders... from the Directorate." 

"Would the Directorate act without your sanction?"

"They might if they think I've fucked up, or they just determine it's hosed and need to take certain measures." 

"Is their position that the Gate needs to stay open?"

"I think so. Imagine the resources that are out there... the possibilities. It matters not, I suppose, that we've attracted unwanted attention and may be vulnerable to beings way more advanced than us." 

"That's a tough choice." 

"Maybe. Maybe not if the Earth is at stake." 

"You mentioned other ways of controlling the Gate."

"Well, as you know, we didn't build it. It was found. We built a lot of this base around it- and yes, we are trying to build our own- but that's the motherlode. We have had success using it, we can control it- somewhat- or we could. Now though." She raised her hands. 

"What's your backup plan?"

"With the Hub offline and all our control efforts not working- the one thing I can think of is to... send someone through. I have someone on the other side... one of the other sides... who has a way- I hope- of shutting it down. Will he do it? He'd have to come home or be abandoned. Probably not a great conversation starter." 

"Who is it?"

"We'll get to that if we proceed. You're not really cleared for any of this." 

"Who would you send?" 

She smiled tiredly.