The Argonaut Affair (TimeWars 7)

"Yes, sir," Steiger said. "There are two significant points there, again, neither of which can be substantiated, but the circumstantial evidence in their support is strong. Drakov told us they were early prototypes of hominoids made for S.O.G., a number of which he had stolen. That, combined with the fact of the dead warriors, strongly suggests that S.O.G. still has a significant inventory, if you will, of these early prototypes. And my discovery of them in the storage room on Lemnos supports our conclusion that they can be deactivated. Since they are not androids, but organic beings similar to ourselves, we think this deactivation is probably accomplished by placing them into some sort of deathlike coma, like suspended animation. The interrogation of our prisoner should give us more conclusive information."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," said Forrester. "Capt. Hunter has escaped."

"Escaped?" said Andre. "How?"

"Well, more to the point, he was never placed in custody," said Forrester, wryly. "No one at HQ was aware that a prisoner was clocking in, so he managed to bluff his way past the transition station personnel and disappear along with his stolen warp disc."

"I'll be damned," Delaney said. "And now he's loose somewhere in our timeline."

"Yes, but at the moment, we have more pressing concerns," said Forrester. "I'd like to get back to your report, What about those nysteel birds that attacked the ship?"

"It's possible that they were Drakov's," Steiger said, "but he never mentioned them and they never showed up during the battle on Rhodes. That's what makes me think they were S.O.G. drones, equipped with nysteel projectiles and programmed not to kill certain members of the crew. They had to keep Theseus and certain others that were important to their historical continuity alive. That's why they couldn't make a direct hit on the entire ship."

Forrester nodded. "And the same applies to the so-called 'dead warriors.' Specifically programmed not to kill certain members of the crew. Which is why I find your final comments about Jason very interesting. When you mention that he apparently acted counter to his programming in throwing the golden fleece overboard, you have in parenthesis the words, 'developmentally related?' What precisely do you mean by that?"

"Again, this is getting into conjecture," Steiger said, "but we're assuming that there was a programmed imperative in the Jason hominoid. It seems to be a fairly safe assumption, but we don't know for sure what that imperative might have been. Obviously, he was programmed to be Jason and to act accordingly, but there's no way of knowing precisely how that imperative was couched, so we don't know just how far his actions ran counter to his programming."

"There's also the fact that it's not as if we're talking about an android here," Delaney said. "Jason was purely organic, essentially a cloned human being raised under highly controlled conditions. Drakov implied that the generation of hominoids Jason came from was the most advanced one. Perhaps the level of development was responsible for the independence of the action. Jason might have been naive and emotionally simplistic, but he nevertheless had a fully developed personality. And then Moreau seemed to have a highly protective attitude toward his creations, so that could have been a factor as well. He may have specifically programmed them to allow them a certain amount of independent thought and action, especially the more advanced ones."

Forrester nodded again. "That about covers it, I guess. Unfortunately, it still leaves us with a number of unanswered questions. Archives Section isn't going to be very pleased. I notice that you never addressed the issue directly, but there are a number of implications here between the lines that are going to give them real headaches. Specifically, there's still the question of trans-temporal influence. It doesn't seem probable that the earthquake responsible for the 'Clashing Rocks' was arranged in any way, and yet the event fits the myth precisely. Our myth. And what was Drakov planning for this timeline that made Moreau turn against him? That has to be our single, overriding concern right now. And I'm afraid it may tie in directly with the question of trans-temporal contamination."

Delaney frowned. "What do you mean, sir?"

Forrester stood. "I'm referring to the fact that Moreau's body was never found. And to the fact that he is the creator of the hominoids and that his name happens to be Moreau." He scanned his bookshelves. "There is a book here I think you should read."

He took down a leather bound volume and handed it to Delaney.

"The Island of Dr. Moreau," Delaney read from the cover, "by H.G. Wells?"

"I think you'll find it very interesting," said Forrester, "and highly disturbing, in light of your recent experiences. Perhaps it's only a coincidence. Perhaps it's also only a coincidence that Wells also wrote a novel called The Time Machine."

"Those would be two very interesting coincidences," Steiger said, uneasily.

"Yes, they would indeed," said Forrester. "I realize you've just returned from a mission, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to send you out again almost immediately. Drink up. I want you to get a good night's sleep. You'll be clocking out at oh-six-hundred. I think you three should have a long talk with Mr. H.G. Wells."

* * *

Drakov stood alone in the dark, dank cellar of the ruined castle. He held a torch in his left hand and in his right, he held a small electronic box.

"It seems as if we have come full circle, my friend," he said, looking down. "It began in a ruin much like this one, in Ruritania. In the cold, damp corridors of Zenda Castle, where I first encountered the temporal agents. And it is a fitting environment for your beginning, as well."

He pressed a button on the tiny box, activating the implant that would revive the creature from its deathlike sleep.

"You shall give them nightmares," he said, chuckling. "And you shall only be the first of many."

He put the black box back inside his pocket, activated his warp disc and disappeared. For a moment, all was silent in the cellar of the ruined castle, and then a hand came out from beneath the coffin lid.