Chapter 7: What's next?

As I pushed the button a fleeting recollection of Murphy’s law passed through my mind:

‘Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.’

As I waited, I thought to myself, “Damn!” nothing had happened...

A blinding painful flash, then darkness.

I must have passed out then as awareness slipped away from me...

I came to with pain pounding in my head, colors flashing through my mind, and the loudest damn noise in the world in my ears. As my head slowly cleared, I realized the sound was the alarm klaxon, and the colors were the spinning red emergency lights that were assaulting my senses.

I then heard a voice, weakly, in my head, “ ... can you hear me,” it then repeated somewhat stronger and clearer, “Can you hear me...”

It seemed to repeat this over and over.

I made myself respond, “Yes.”

The voice inside my head went on, “Affirmative. Subject designated James Adam Wolfenstein, Family Alpha Prime, has regained consciousness. The subject was unconscious approximately ten point five minutes, the subject has sustained injuries and nanomites are not responding. Analyzing. Subject’s remote readings have now stabilized, having reached dangerously unacceptable levels. An emergency response team has been alerted...” The voice in my head continued, “Further scans for internal injuries inaccessible due to nanomites not responding. Analyzing. Unable to determine subject’s precise location. Analyzing. Scanners are non-functional, prioritizing repairs. Analyzing. Numerous subsystems are offline. Analyzing. Analyzing.” Then silence, and a damn good thing too as I thought I was going to go crazy if it said Analyzing one more time. Clearly, I thought to myself, it was having issues as well.

The girls had recovered more quickly than I had and were hovering over me, looking at me intensely, as their hands swept over me.

Shaking my head to clear it, only made the pounding pain worse. It reminded me of the one time I had foolishly gotten totally drunk. The next morning, I had had one hell of an excruciating headache.

The girls, “Please do not move Master, you have injured your head, you may have a concussion.”

I asked out loud, “What the hell happened?” and immediately regretted it!

The girls looked back at me, just as perplexed as I was.

The girls spoke almost as one, “Please do not move or speak Master. We are trying to ascertain your injuries.”

How was that? They were trying to Ascertain my injuries? I had always thought they were angels, but nurses, too, I wondered?

There was Adam’s voice, this time it was not in my head, and yet it was not exactly his voice. It sounded different as it said, “Evaluation unavailable, insufficient data. Systems undergoing diagnostics, repairs, and resets. Analyzing.”

Oh No, please no! Not with the Analyzing again!

Then I thought to myself, ‘Right! Evaluation is unavailable, insufficient data! Just what the hell did that mean? Never mind, let’s just try to work to find out what it did know?’ My head felt like it was still being stomped on, so I said to no one in particular, “Shut that damn noise off!“

I was striving to calm myself. The noise of the alarm klaxons finally subsided, which helped somewhat. I felt if I was this shook up, how was the rest of the compound taking it? Then I added. “And fix those damned lights as well.”

Taking a deep breath, I tried to steady myself. Finally, I called out, “Adam, report.” Hadn’t I just asked that, with an ‘Evaluation unavailable‘ Response?

There was some noticeable hesitation with Adam, as I finally heard a strange more mechanical voice, “Working ... working, diagnostics systems coming back online. Working, please stand-by, core system recovery in progress.” Followed by, “Data indicates general system-wide shut down at 1.93 seconds after activation of the device. Analyzing. (Please couldn’t it just choose a different word or words?) The system went on lockdown to prevent further corruption, system-wide isolation, emergency backup power now online, automatic diagnostics and reboots have commenced. There was a general failure to gather data during that time. Test sensors did continue recording, data will be analyzed for corruption.”

“All incoming network data has been blocked while the system is on lockdown.

“All tracking sensors went offline, as well as communications. The system is working to re-establish internal communications. Analyzing.”

Adam continued, “Working ... reporting multiple system failures, running diagnostic ... Working, waiting for completion of diagnostics.”

Adam’s voice still not normal in tone continued to recover, however marginally. “Diagnostics complete, internal systems have been reset and appear uncorrupted. Systems are functioning within specifications and operational parameters. No further faults detected. Systems indicate failures stem from a massive electrical power surge, similar to an EMP wave. Analyzing.”

“Internal communications have been reestablished. Initial reports incoming. There is no ping return from any external sources. All calls for further data return the ‘page cannot be displayed’ error. Interconnects with external servers are unresponsive, satellite links unresponsive. Connection to outside power grid down, landlines down. Analyzing.”

Then Adam stated abruptly, “Alert! Major significant outside atmospheric changes. Air intake systems have been sealed, the underground complex is now on internal air supply. Decontamination protocols now being enforced. Samplings of outside air now being analyzed.”

I took this as an indication that Adam might not be anywhere near 100% if it has taken this long to detect something so significant.

Adam continued his report, “Barometric abnormalities, indications of a 1,282-meter shift in elevation, Insufficient data for evaluation of readings, recommend physical inspection of sensors. Temperature 31°C, Cloud cover 76%, Humidity 85%, Wind out of the north: 3.22 km/h, Major deviations from last recorded temperature reading of 25°C, clear skies, 59% Humidity. Major deviations of all atmospheric readings and air samplings. Independent physical verification recommended.”

I asked, “When were the last previously recorded readings taken?” My head was still pounding, and I was struggling to recover. It was all confusing as hell, I was no weatherman or meteorologist. Somehow the phrase, “Damn it, Jim, I’m a doctor, not a meteorologist, “ came to mind.

Adam’s responses were still somewhat slow, “Accessing ... reading before system-wide failure, twenty-seven minutes, forty-eight seconds ago. There was system-wide power loss. The system was down for approximately 5.73 minutes, till power was restored. Then system rebooted, further delays due to the emergency system-wide diagnostic checks and reboots, internal clock indicates system went off-line 1.93 seconds after activation of the device. Subject James Wolfenstein was unconscious approximately ten and a half minutes. There was a complete system-wide power outage. Loss of data input from 1.93 seconds after initiated test until partial system recovery commenced 5.73 minutes later. Test sensors continued recording, data is being analyzed for corruption.”

It was coming to me that there was something very wrong here, I heard the words, but they were not making sense. Subject James Wolfenstein? And the syntax Adam was using was just not sounding like Adam. For all, it said it was okay. Clearly, it was not. Could I trust it?

Adam reported again, “Air traffic control monitors are clear of traffic. Correction! Now tracking two small contacts, flying at low altitude, emerging from ground clutter. Contacts at 358 degrees, relative, range 25.6 Kilometers, attitude 304.8 meters and climbing, speed 161.168 km/h, moving north. Prior to the incident, ATC system had been tracking 37 aircraft from ranges of 26 Kilometers to 400 kilometers. Contacts using non-digital, non-coded, and obsolete military frequency band. Running diagnostic. Communications are consistent with ground control with aircraft. Contacts appear army reconnaissance aircraft. No indications they are turning south. Evaluation of communications indicates it is a training flight.”

I needed something for this headache. Did Adam just say they were using non-digital communications? Wasn’t everything digitized? I would have to get to the dispensary soon for a checkup. What was wrong with the Nanomite implants? Weren’t they supposed to react to this and heal me, or fix me up, at least do something about the damned pain?

Adam, “ ... diagnostic complete, no malfunctions. There are no other aircraft in the air within 400 kilometers.”

No other air traffic? What was going on?

“Adam, prepare two drones for a reconnaissance mission.” I heard myself order. Part of me at least was working.

Adam, “Working, Delays due...”

Groaning, “Yes,” as I said to myself “system diagnostics,” as Adam stated the obvious.

I was wondering if there was any good news. Then asked, “Adam, casualty report.” I must be a gluten for bad news.

Adam, “Working, Data incomplete, there are delays with incoming reports, due to human input issues.”

“Well, that’s not very informative, other than to prove I wasn’t the only one having problems.“ I thought though that I could see that whatever had happened, had also severely affected Adam.

A sudden thought came to me, “Adam, run a check on the nanomites in me.”

What had happened? Evidently, my prayer had gone unanswered, and that would be the last time I relied on crossing my fingers for luck. Maybe a rabbit’s foot next time...

Adam then reported, “Implant is not responding to advanced queries. Implant reports nanomites went into a state of dormancy, they are not responding as they flow near the implant. Implant failed diagnostic, and self-resetting. Analyzing. A full recovery will be delayed. Immediate medical evaluation is called for.”

I rolled my eyes as painful as that turned out to be, “You think?“ I barely recalled that I had been told that before, that the nanobots were unresponsive. An indication that I was still in shock.

Before I knew it, an emergency transport vehicle and medical personnel arrived and were frantically checking me over, though they didn’t find anything wrong other than a slightly significant bump on my head that they were worried about, and my somewhat elevated blood pressure and pulse. (With the Implant and nanomites, not working, maybe I should have been more worried as well.) As I was to learn later, they had been dispatched as soon as communications had come back online.

Adam continued, “All external communications - satellite, microwave, or landlines - remain unresponsive. There is still no return ping from any server system. Internal Diagnostics indicate complex networks are secure with limited operational functions, while they conduct system checks.

“Breakdown of incoming security data has triggered an automatic Stage One DEF-CON Alert, Compound is on lockdown, Security forces being deployed. Two Drones have cleared diagnostics, and are being readied for immediate reconnaissance missions.”

Adam, “Reporting major abnormally, a preliminary radar scan shows no orbiting satellites of any kind.”

I thought just what the hell happened? To be sure I am placing a double lock-down over that Red button. Not that I felt it was the cause, but I didn’t believe in coincidences. Maybe a padded cell for myself as well?

I thought again about Murphy’s law that had passed through my mind: If anything can go wrong, it will.

I was going to amend that to Anything that can go wrong will absolutely go wrong.

Adam’s voice again, “Casualty figures are now coming in. Medical staff reports no fatalities, reporting disorientation of 64% of all personnel, including Medical staff within shielded locations. The most serious casualties are of broken bones and minor injuries. Reported injuries are consistent with falls or injuries sustained from loss of consciousness. There are no reports of life-threatening injuries. Medical staff reports that of the injuries sustained, none require immediate transport to outside trauma care facilities. Casualty figures will be updated as reports come in.”

As soon as I heard that, I called out, “Adam, ground all manned flights till Medical staff has a chance to clear all flight personnel.”

Adam then informed me of two drones that had been readied and cleared for immediate takeoff. I would soon have my aerial reconnaissance.

So far, the incoming reports were spotty, in that while the immediate areas within the town and compound area were consistent with pre-incident appearances, and appeared intact, the outlying areas, people were claiming they saw rice paddies, and beyond that, encroaching jungle growth. Also reported was that to the north, east and south were nearby mountains all covered with dense jungle growth. To the west, it was said unbelievably that there was a vast sea or ocean. All personnel that was outside were reporting hot and humid weather conditions. The drones should clear up any questions on those reports.

Nick requested I come to the command center at my earliest convenience. Even in my groggy state, I took that to mean now. I used the emergency medical transport vehicle to take me there.

I painfully made my way into the bunker (the nanomites were still not working, I would have to get to Dr. Bellows lab as soon as I could.) and walked in. I saw on the big monitor what the drones were showing us. They were just getting ready for take-off, and you could see the runway in front and below it as it made its way to the takeoff point. There was the rush as it started down the strip, then you could see it quickly lifting off and climbing. At first, things were looking normal. Then there was an abrupt shift, and they were not, with our view corroborating reports of rice paddies, jungle, mountains, and ocean.

What’s more, there was a sizable village, south of us, along the coast. The most shocking feature, as the drones climbed higher, was that you could clearly see the vast circle on the ground that was the area of the compound, the airbase, and base housing. The outlying Agricultural Research Station was now just within the border of that circle. The rice paddies and jungle closely bordered the circle. It looked like someone had taken a giant cookie cutter, made a massive cut out of this land, and replaced it with us.

The compound was split over the old coastline, with just over half of it jutting out into the sea. The other half occupied the low lying inland area. I shuddered thinking what would have happened if we had been dropped in the middle of the ocean.

Yet, there was something odd looking about it. ‘As if the whole thing wasn’t odd, to begin with.’

I instructed that one of the drones take a closer look at the border. As one moved closer, I could see the sharp definition of the outline of the compound.

“Zoom in on that exposed edge of the compound, where it’s in the sea,” I ordered. Yes, I could see it now more clearly, it was as if there was a glazed or fused rock face along the outline of the border. That explained why I felt so odd when I first saw it. It hadn’t collapsed where the ground was higher than the water’s surface. To be sure, the sea had moved into the few places where the land was below the sea level. We were indeed fortunate that there was very little of that.

“Have the drones make a pass all along the border.” ‘For it is surely a border, if I ever saw one,’

The drones showed where the power and phone lines were down on the ground, as if cut in mid-span, then there was the rail spur line just ending. It was somewhat eerie. ‘What the hell am I thinking? It’s all eerie as hell. I would have to say my games of chess with grandfather had not prepared me for this ... or had they?’

I had once caught grandfather cheating. He had distracted me, then moved a piece out of turn. I was angry as I had never expected him to try something like that. He had merely said prove it. Then I recalled to him every move made to that point, and that he couldn’t have moved as the pieces were now on the board. He smiled and said, “Good.” The offending piece was moved back, and the game continued. Funny, I can’t recall if I won or lost that game.

A sudden thought came to me. What had happened to anyone that had been within that circle before we occupied it. As worrisome as that was, there was nothing to be done about it now. Then I thought about those that had been left behind, out beyond the border and the gatehouse. Then it was replaced with thoughts of what we had left behind! Was it a gaping hole, or had it been replaced with the land ... and sea ... we now occupied? My head ached thinking about it. Again, it was something I couldn’t do anything about. I had problems enough as it was!

In a moment of clarity, I thought about making borehole samplings along the border to see just how deep it went. “Make checks all along the border. I want to know about the power lines and anything that might have stretched past our new border. Have the labs go over those severed ends.”

“Right away Sir,” Nick responded.

As the drones flew higher, the picture reviewed that it was indeed a perfect circle.

The boats were apparently fishing in the nearby waters. The drone’s cameras zoomed in, and you could clearly see the people in them were Asian, the small fishing boats didn’t seem to have motors that the drone’s systems could detect. Details could not be made out due to the clutter, there most likely sails. On a somewhat improved road, people were walking as it led from the village to a pass in the mountains, no vehicles unless you counted two-wheeled ox carts, loaded with large bags, were spotted. (I was later to learn that the oxen were called Carabao, that were used in farming.) No other vehicles were detected. One drone was following the road and mapping out that area. The other was moving along the coastline, passing over what appeared to be a coastal artillery battery, before moving on. There, vehicles were spotted, they must have been antique vintage trucks and cars, for surely the army had more up to date equipment that wasn’t in sight.

Adam’s reports were still coming into my head, as well as Nick’s more verbal briefing. “Incoming reports showed a marked change in the surrounding terrain. The area out to a radius of 3.86 kilometers - or approximately 4.8 miles in old measurements - in diameter - has remained unchanged. The radius is centered on the position of the device, matching the previous geography,” Adam said he was running a comparison on the topography for matches. It was clear we were not in our original position. I had to stop Adam’s voice in my head. It was too distracting, and it actually hurt to hear it.

The 2.25-kilometer-long runway lay on the north-western side of the circle, with the town on the eastern side, of the compound. The mountain Matterhorn was just off center in the middle, concealing the bulk of the town from view from the sea. Just how long would it take before anyone noticed the change in the coastline?

Thinking to myself, well, so far so bad. It would be safe to say, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore, “ ... this was literally true.

Adam then sounded off, “Comparison on external Topography completed. The current center of placement is 14.579077°N, 120.395779°E.”

Rolling my eyes and finding that still painful, I thought, ‘Okay, that was brilliant, but not particularly useful.’ I patiently asked, “In English please!” ... Okay, so maybe that wasn’t so patient. Somehow another phrase, “Damn it, Jim, I’m a doctor, not a Cartographer.” came to mind.

Immediately the central monitor showed an overhead satellite view, it must have been from Google maps, showing the area as it had appeared in 2034 or 2037 as there was no date stamp. Then overlaid was the compound, then finally the current land features replaced the 2034 ones. Then there was merged a current picture of where we were. The viewpoint zoomed out to show the whole of the Philippines and that section of the world. As the Japanese Islands came into view, a nagging feeling came over me. I couldn’t understand why.

The map then zoomed back in.

Continuing, Adam replied, “Affirmative. Data points to current geographic location as approximately four--point-five kilometers north of Bagumbayan, Philippines. Bagumbayan was a third-class municipality in the province of Bataan. According to the 2037 census, it has a population of 35,568 people. Analysis of the village currently shows a significantly lower population...”

Ordering Adam to stop, “How did we get here?” I asked,

Adam, “Insufficient data,”

I said with an air of exasperation. “Just what do you have sufficient data on?”

Adam with his same non-emotional voice, “Currently, it is May 3, 1937. The time is 0737hours [GD1] and 23 seconds. I am adjusting clocks to local time, current location 14.605336° N, and 120.382672° E, which is on the northern border of Bagac, in the province of Bataan, Philippines, approximately one hundred years from initiation of your system test, plus or minus fifteen minutes.”

I stood, stunned. I believe everyone around me who had just heard that was, as well.

“Aw, fuck me!“ I muttered, having selected the phrase from a host of explicitly, expletive, and derogatory statements, of which all were wholly inadequate to our present situation.

Adam replied, “I fail to see the relevance of your statement to my report,”

Rolling my eyes painfully at one of Adam’s many ways to say, ‘insufficient data’ and then sighing, I merely said, “Report understood.” To be sure it wasn’t, but I wasn’t about to get into a debate with Adam over it at this time.

There was the evidence before us.

I turned, still stunned, to an equally stunned Nick, and said what I had been thinking.

“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

I couldn’t be sure, but I think I saw a flicker of a smile. While not particularly amusing, it did serve to lighten the situation despite the fact it was all quite impossible. I imagined that I might still be unconscious, and this was merely the result of mixed delusions, figments of dreams or nightmares, though I couldn’t recall ever being in this part of the world before.

No, awake or not, time travel was not possible, added to that the physical displacement of the compound. I had attended all the lectures in my advanced Physics classes that said so! Then the voice of an old Professor came to me with the advice of Occam’s razor...

... the simplest hypothesis proposed as an explanation of phenomena is more likely to be the true one than is any other available hypothesis, that its predictions are more likely to be true than those of any other available hypothesis, and that it is an ultimate a priori epistemic principle that simplicity is evidence for truth.

— Swinburne 1997—

It hadn’t made much sense, then, and it didn’t now; but here’s the gist of it, in layman’s terms.

“When you have eliminated the impossible; whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth,”

— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as stated by Sherlock Holmes — 

“Eliminated the impossible?“ I thought I had. No, I still believed time travel was not possible; however, there remained the possibility of ‘timeline jumping,’ or shifting, where there are “alternate parallel realities,” I didn’t really believe that either, and infinite possibilities of infinite universes. Could a portal have been opened, and we had dropped through it? Or was I just reaching for straws? None of it made sense. The pain in my head was returning full force.

Quite apparently, I had hit my head much harder than I had thought, and was still unconscious. It was the only rational answer. But just in case, I said out loud, “Would someone please pinch me.”

“Ouch!“ Looking around for the guilty party, and finding Nicky looking at Wind Song and giggling. I said, “That was meant as a rhetorical question, not an actual request.”

At that, the whole room burst into laughter.

Hopes dashed, I knew I was not asleep or unconscious, while my head still hurt like hell. Obviously the impossible had occurred. I felt like a baby fresh out of the womb, “Now what?”

Okay, I needed answers. Judging from the looks I was getting, people were looking to me to provide them ... Thinking not for the first time, ‘Grandfather, why me?‘

Okay, let’s - dare I say it - ‘Assume’ it might be true. Had we jumped into the past? Logic dictated that if we had done so, we shouldn’t even be here, as affecting the past affected the future. Meaning something done here would change what we would do in the future. Another phrase, “Damn it, Jim, I’m a doctor, not a Philosopher.” came to mind. Damn that bump on the head! I wasn’t even making sense to myself. Sighing, I felt that what had happened was not likely to unhappen, as I wouldn’t be pressing that button again, anytime soon. I could hope that was the case, anyway. Why was my head hurting like this? “Damn it, Jim, I’m a doctor, not a physician. Oh, wait I am a physician. Even that fleeting thought was painful.

I thought I could afford to stall. Turning to Nick, I said, “Start gathering reports on everything that has happened. Have the personnel checked out; then have everyone check their equipment, both for damage and for any sensor readings they might have recorded. Any abnormalities no matter how small, I want to know about.

“Maintain DEFCON One, till we get a better handle on this,” as I turned to leave, I added, “and keep me abreast of all developments. I’m going back to my lab to find answers.”

He immediately replied. “As you will, Sir,”

The emergency response people had been waiting for me. It was then I realized I wouldn’t be going back to my lab after all, and I allowed them to take me to the hospital to be checked out. My head was still throbbing.

“You have your orders, Nick, carry them out. I expect reports to be coming in by the end of the day. No one sleeps till we have a handle on this.”

Nick responded sharply, “At once, Mr. Wolfenstein.”

That might buy me a few hours. Sighing I let them place me on a stretcher and carry me to the hospital via an electric cart. They must have given me something, for I was not awake by the time we got there.

When I came to, there were the girls, one on each side of the bed. Each holding one of my hands. I felt better; in fact, much better. Dr. Bellows was there. I had sensed that a great deal of time had passed. I asked, “How long?”

Dr. Bellows didn’t answer. Instead, he took out his flashlight and looked into my eyes. Maybe he saw the vacant look I gave him.

Adam’s voice spoke in my head, “You have been unconscious thirty-seven hours...”

I thought, ‘What?’ (Surprised my head hadn’t exploded.) blurting out loud, “Thirty-seven hours?”

Dr. Bellows looked startled, “How could you know that?” Looking at the girls accusingly. Again taking out his flashlight and looked into my eyes.

Adam responded, his voice still in my head, “It was determined that you remain so, while a complete examination was made. The Medical bed has awakened the nanomites from dormancy. They have been completely checked for damage, and have resumed their functions. A CAT and MRI scan of your brain and body were done, and Doctor Stine made a complete mapping of your brain, a much more detailed mapping than what the nanomites could provide.”

‘I recalled that Doctor Stine made a complete mapping when I had been in his lab.‘ That all took time. There were those words again, ‘It was determined‘ Somebody was doing an awful lot of that for me.

I called out, “Adam, out loud, please.”

This seemed to reassure Dr. Bellows, as he said; “Oh, I see now.”

Speaking of time, Dr. Kimble had just arrived. He told me he was sorry that he hadn’t been here when I had awakened, but with a large number of people suffering from continuing confusion and disorientation, he had been swamped. He and Doctor Stine had been inundated, conducting brain and CAT scans as well as mapping the affected people’s brains. Dr. Kimble had to admit it was an exciting new tool for diagnostics, and they had learned a great deal. Not too many answers just yet, but he felt it was only a matter of time.

Nick appeared soon afterward, carrying a heavy armful of folders. Groaning to myself at the sight of them, I remembered the old saying: be careful what you ask for, you just might get it. Colonel Blood was accompanying him.

I had thought, if this was indeed a different alternate timeline, just how much of a difference might there be? Would this World be the same, except with minor differences? Or would it be completely different?