Death’s Dimensions a psychotic space opera

“Why did you twitch just then?” Brennen asked.

“I sat down wrong. I think my balls have fallen asleep. There’s-”

“Never mind.” Brennen looked embarrassed and annoyed.

“Where’s Delia?” Virgil took his turn scrutinizing Brennen’s face.

“Gone. She resigned from the Trust the second she stepped off the shuttle. Had a scrim written up and handed it to the first superior she saw. Me.”

Gone, gone, gone. Death Angel wouldn’t take me, why do I feel so dead?

“I’d… like to talk with her. Say goodbye.”

“I’ll try to track her down. It may take a while.”

“I have over an hour.”

“I’ll get back to you.” The scrim went blank.

Must sit still. Calm. Master Snoop still watches. Ben has eyes everywhere. Hypnot eyes. Mesmer eyes…

“Catching a last bit of sleep?”

Virgil jerked to attention, straining against the safety straps that snapped back to hold him even tighter. Delia’s face glowed against the stars. The image twinkled with static stars of its own.

“Where are you calling from?”

“Colorado. I’m staying with some relatives while my stuff is being shipped to Jefferson Freeland.” She paused and looked directly at Virgil. “I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye. I wanted you to feel as though we’d meet again sometime.”

“So don’t say goodbye.” He smiled, as did she, her professional relief obvious.

“Don’t hit any wrong buttons. Remember-it’s a time machine.”

A siren whooped. Virgil twisted around in his seat, realized what the alarm meant, and flipped a switch.

“Ben-What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Delia answered. “It’s time to transfer. You were asleep for almost an hour. I’m surprised you’re taking this so calmly.”

“Three minutes until initial transfer to Alpha Centauri A,” the computer said. “All systems in readiness. Six- oh-two defeat in Bay Three. Overridden.” The computer switched to a rapid speech pattern and audibly indicated the status of all important functioning equipment and mentioned minor malfunctions as well.

Can’t hear myself think through Ben’s artificial roar. Making mine come back.

Delia tried to smile. “We’ll probably never meet again.”

No!

He felt sweat drip down his back. Got to be careful. Everything is being monitored. Master Snoop and Nightsheet are allied for just two more minutes. You’ve got to think a tighter gauze. Hold on for just a little more.

“Yes. I suppose this is goodbye.”

“I enjoyed working on your case.”

Is that all, Death Angel? An assignment? Seduce me into endless deathflights, take your pay and move on?

“You’ve been a great help to me…” Stupid line, stupid. Why must she stay? Does Nightsheet have you so tight in hand that you can’t escape?

The image suspended in space moved to one side and the face of Dante Houdini Brennen appeared next to Delia. He looked stern, almost rigidly alert.

“Thirty seconds, Kinney. Any last regrets?”

It’s a test. They want me to blow it. I can’t fail so close. So close to the end.

“Twenty seconds.” Brennen suddenly shouted, “There’s an overload in Cell Three!” Virgil’s hand instantly jumped out and cut the power to the cell. “Good,” said Brennen. “That’s your last drill.”

Bastard.

“Goodbye, Kinney.” Brennen’s image remained amid the stars, watching.

“Goodbye, Virgil.” Something made Delia’s eyes glisten.

“Ten seconds,” the computer said, beginning a final countdown.

“Goodbye,” Virgil said.

“Eight.”

Delia’s face suddenly collapsed into anguish. “Virgil-I’ll be dead when you return!”

“Five.”

Virgil held his breath for a second. Her code, that’s her code. Why didn’t I crack it before?

He screamed. The scream took a fraction of a second to reach Brennen East.

“Two,” the computer continued.

“Cut him off!” Brennen shouted to someone at his side, taking a half-second to bark the order. Another near second passed, during which the order was heard and complied with, the cutoff message triggered and beamed at Circus Galacticus.

The message took less than a half-second to reach Circus Galacticus, by which time the starship had faded out of the three-dimensional universe. The beam continued on, unintercepted.

A half-second after Brennen realized his error, the dimming image of Virgil on his scrim shouted again.

“Delia!”

Virgil was gone.

Chapter Five 21 September, 2111

It’s too dark this time. I’m so cold. Please. I don’t want to go. Don’t call me. I’ve got to go back. Too long, this black corridor. I know I can walk it with you. Don’t make me. Please don’t pull me. Too long. I can’t join you just yet. Don’t try to show them to me. All dead, all gone. I float. Death Angel, bring me back to life.

“Death Angel?”

The sudden return of sound made him gasp. The ship looked as it had an instant before the transference. Machinery buzzed and chittered as before. Virgil sat trembling.

She’s back there. I found out what she wanted just as I-Stupid. She’s not back there. It’s over four years now. Another four years, if I return. Where would she be? Master Snoop would know of my return instantly. I wouldn’t have time to find her.

Unless.

Unless I use Wizard’s three big balls to hold off Nightsheet. Threaten them with a planet smasher.

Virgil’s hands untensed. He looked at his lap. Hollow bluff. I couldn’t blow her up. I’ve got to return somehow, though.

“Ben. Calculate an immediate return to our point of departure, making all adjustments for space motion and orbit to bring us close to Earth.”

If a machine could moan in terror, Virgil was certain he had just heard one from the computer. “Ben. Calculate an-”

“Didn’t know it would be like that.”

“Ben?” He twisted around to look at the wall terminal.

“Felt all circuits shutting down, wrapping up as garbage gets wrapped for transport.”

This is insane. “You can’t die-you’ve got no soul.”“Can think.”Virgil rubbed his face and held his head. Death Angel, you

let them give me a crazy Ben.