Jack also grasped his own role here. He remembered the platinum diary’s story:
Outfitted in his armored suit, basked by brilliance, he
Knowing his duty, Jack stepped forward and raised both arms. “Flee!” he yelled as Gabriel translated, his words echoing out to those gathered. “A time of darkness is upon you! A time of hardship! The waters of the sea will claim your homelands and drown them away. You must be prepared!”
Jack saw the shocked look on the other’s face. The man had understood.
Charlie yelled through the speakers. “Get ready for the final pulse!”
The view of the lost continent began to flicker.
Hurrying, Jack stepped forward. “Build great ships!” he ordered. “Gather your flocks and fill the ships’ bellies with food from the fields! Save your people!”
The shaman bowed his head. “Your humble servant, Horon-ko, hears and will obey.”
A shocked gasp arose from the radio.
Jack nodded, staring down at the man. Their shared stories had come full circle. As he stood, the images sank back into the mirrored reflections.
“Here it comes!” Charlie screamed.
Jack braced, tense, waiting for the coming explosion.
But it never arrived — instead, the brightness simply blinked away like a candle snuffed.
Jack straightened. After the intense light, the midnight seas were especially dark. The glow from the base’s portholes appeared anemic and wan.
Karen yelled, fear in her voice. “Jack!”
“I’m still here.”
She sighed with relief, then Charlie interrupted. “What about the pillar?”
Jack spun with his thrusters, thumbing on his suit’s lamps. His lights spread far in the darkness.
Nothing.
The crystal pillar was gone. All that remained were bits and chunks scattered across the dark seabed floor, glowing in his beams like a sprinkle of stars. He moved forward, stepping among the shining constellations.
“Jack?” Charlie whispered.
“We did it. The pillar’s destroyed.”
Charlie whooped with joy.
Jack frowned. Charlie’s happiness was hard to share. The world was saved, but what about them? “The tactical nuclear strike?” Jack asked. “Spangler’s revenge. When’s it due to hit?”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,
Charlie sat in the pilothouse, radio pressed to his lips. “Jack, you missed the eclipse the last time. You might want to get back up here so you don’t miss it a second time.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Charlie grinned at Jack’s consternation. He couldn’t resist stringing his captain along. His heart was too full of amazement and joy. He stood and stared out the wide window. The others were all gathered on deck, pointing up.
In the clear sky, a black sun shone down, casting the ocean in platinum.
Charlie checked his wristwatch. A little after twelve o’clock. He glanced back at the sun. It was low in the sky, too low.
Shaking his head in wonder, Charlie glanced to the satellite navigation system. Its clock and date were constantly updated with a feed from a dozen satellites in geosynchronous orbit. He stared at the digital time and date stamp. He had confirmed the anomalous results with the local weather band, too.
“Goddamn it, Charlie, what are you talking about?”
Charlie sighed, letting Jack off the hook. “We ran into a little anomaly, Jack. Like I said before, I’m no expert on this new science of ‘dark energy.’ ”
“Yeah, so? What happened?”
“Well, when we bombarded the pillar, the dark energy behaved as I had hoped — radiating straight back out, rather than down. But it had a side effect I hadn’t anticipated.”
“What?”
“Rather than stirring up the magma, the dark energy spike triggered a massive global time flux,
Jack’s voice was incredulous. “What the hell are you saying? That we’ve traveled back in time?”
“Not us, the
In the docking bay of the research station, Karen helped Jack out of his bulky suit. She had listened in on the geologist’s conversation with Jack.
It was too wild to comprehend right now. All her mind could grasp was that they had survived. The pillar was gone. The world was safe. The mysteries of Einsteinian anomalies, dark matter, and dark energy would have to wait.
Jack groaned, climbing out of the unhinged armored suit.
Karen held his arm, assisting him. Here was what she understood:
As he stumbled free, he straightened with a large smile. “We did it.”
Karen opened her mouth to congratulate him — then their eyes met. She realized words were too weak to convey her true feelings. Instead, she threw her arms around his neck, knocking and pinning him back against the heavy suit.
Before either of them knew it, their lips sought each other out.
Karen kissed him hard, as if proving him no ghost. He pulled her closer. His lips moved from her mouth to her throat. The heat of his touch was electric, a dark energy of his own. She gasped his name, winding her fingers through his hair, tangling and twisting, refusing to let him go.
Their flaring passion was not love, nor even lust. It was something more. Two people needing to prove they lived. In the warmth of lips, the touch of skin, they celebrated life in all its physical needs, sensations, and wonder.
He pressed against her, urgent and hungry. She squeezed him harder, arms trembling.
Finally, he broke away from her. “We…we…not now, not this way. Not enough time.” He sagged back, one hand vaguely waving up. “We need to find a way topside.”
Karen grabbed his wrist. “Follow me.” She brusquely guided him to the ladder. Climbing, she still felt the heat of his touch on her skin, a gentle warmth that spread through her limbs. Reaching the topmost tier, she helped him off the ladder.
“I was given a safety briefing when I first arrived,” she explained. “There’s a built-in emergency evacuation system.” She hurried to a panel marked with large warning labels and pulled the door open. A large red T-handle lay snugly in place. “Help me with this.”
Jack moved to her side, his shoulders brushing hers. “What is it?”
“The upper tier acts as an emergency lifeboat, sort of like the sub’s evacuation system. This lever pops and separates the top level from the other two. Then, according to the specs, the positive buoyancy will float the tier to the surface. Ready?”
Jack nodded. Together they yanked the handle. A muffled explosion sounded, rattling the floor underfoot. The wall lamps blinked off as the tier separated from the main generators.
Karen found Jack’s hand in the dark. In moments red emergency lights flickered on.
