Tau

Head of Control

On the Designation Zero orbital ring, Collection Team Leader Baal stood before the Head of Control.

'We received coms feeds and visuals from our Agents on the planet surface.  Two of the invading Aliens... they look like you.'  The Head of Control pointed a shaking finger at Baal.

'You think they are my people?'

'Are you in contact with them?'

The figure, who looked just like Baal, thought carefully before he spoke.  'I was on the surface when they landed, checking on the mining operations there.  I did meet them... and yes, two of them do look like me, but ten don't.'  He raised his hands, and made a questioning expression with his face.

'What did they say to you?'

'They said little, but it looks like they are terra-forming the planet.  I'm thinking they are what kick-started life here.'

The balding man before Baal took off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes.  He put the glasses back on.

'Our Agents have advised that we advance the collapse of the other designations.'

'Do you believe that The Void will restart creation?'  Baal had a sceptical look on his face.

'That is the purpose of our mission here.'  The Head of Control avoided answering the question.

'But, I expect you were hoping you wouldn't be around when The Void swallows up everything here, right?'

'It should take a lot longer than my life time for the collapse to come.  That's one of the comforting thoughts about the mission.  We only have so many resources available.'  The Head of Control swept his hand over the piled papers on his desk.

Baal decided to offer the tired Head of Control a life line.  'I have a suggestion for you.  Let me observe what happens down below: send me into the future.  I can tell you how it pans out for the orbital ring... and you.'

'And, what if the aliens decide to destroy us?'

'Can you relocate?'

'There is only one Designation Zero.'  That was all the Head of Control had to say about relocating.

'Ah... there is only one Designation Zero that you know of.'  Baal corrected the Head of Control's assumption.

'That is true... there could be another Control, but we haven't found one yet... and we have been looking for generations.  We have always hoped that this orbital ring here is the only causal loop.  In any case the orbital ring itself cannot be moved.  We could start constructing another ring, though, in another designation.'  Ideas began to tumble through the Head of Control's mind.  For once he was glad that Baal had got him thinking about ways out of the predicament that the arrival of the aliens had caused.

'If I were you, I'd start constructing another ring mighty soon.  As my mother used to say: it doesn't pay to have all your eggs in one basket.  I'll head to the future, see what happens here and return.'

'You realise that, if the orbital ring is destroyed here, that you might not be able to return?'

'Hmm, what happens if I come back and there is no Transporter Room?'

'Without the transporter base to stabilise the Casimir engine, you'd end up smeared across space.  The engine that initially came here had an internal field stabiliser.  The engines in the Tranporter Room don't have the same internal stabilisers.'  The Head of Control's explanation began to raise ideas in Baal's mind.

'Can you send me in an engine with internal stabilisers?'

'We can but if you come back and we have been destroyed, you will reappear in empty space, miles above the planet, with no air.'

'Now, wouldn't that be interesting?'  Baal smiled.

'Okay.  We will continue with the collapse of the designations as originally planned and wait for your report on the action of the aliens below.'

'How far ahead in time do you want me to go?'  It was time to work out the details of the journey.

'Just 24 hours initially.  See if you can communicate with the aliens and then return.'  The Head of Control thought that contact with the aliens could well end up with Baal dead, but that thought only brought a slight smile to his face.

'Good.'  Collection Team Leader Baal smiled back at the Head of Control and walked from the room.  Along the long corridor and towards the Transporter Room he moved with confident steps.

The transporter engineer, Gulla Durarn smiled, as she saw Baal approaching.

'My dear Gulla, so good to see you again.'  Baal touched the girl lightly on the shoulder and she liked the warm feel of his hand.

'Time for another mission?'

Baal nodded his head slowly, up and down.

'Where to?'

'Planet surface... 2 billion years time.'  It seemed that Baal's plan for heading into the future was a little more involved than the Head of Control's 24 hour mission.

'Woo.  That could be a problem.  The transporter pad below wouldn't be there in 2 billion years time.

'The Head of Control wants me to use the engine with internal stabilisers.  Can you handle that?'

'Hmm.  That should be possible.  Come with me.'

Gulla Durarn walked off towards a locked door.  The man who looked just like Team Collection Leader Baal followed behind her.  Gulla Durarn opened the door with a small golden key.

Inside the room was a golden cage that looked different from the other cages back in the Transporter Room.  It rested on metal supports, with no ebony pedestal beneath it.  Inside the cage there was a single seat and additional machinery and dial controls.

'This engine has internal stabilisers.  I'll set the translocation time and spatial co-ordinates.  Is there a specific year you want?'

'Head of Control wants me to check that the alien ship out there doesn't affect the development of life down below.  Can you get me there at a time before any people first evolved?'

'That should be possible.  I'll double check on the exact time frame.  We have sent surveyors to check on key points in time.  We can use their co-ordinates and data to plot you a course.'

Gulla consulted a screen at a desk close to the golden cage and made notes on a small handheld keypad.

'All done.  Do you want to return to this point, here and now?'

'Sure.'  Baal was glad the girl knew what she was doing.  His life was now totally reliant on her calculations being correct.

Gulla Durarn set the dials within the Casimir engine and waved Baal through to the seat.

'Ready?  Good luck... see if you can bring me back a souvenir.'  The young girl smiled again.  Baal gave her a thumbs up and pulled the golden lever beside the chair.

The golden sphere rose into the air, above its supports and began to spin.  In a matter of moments it disappeared from the room.

Within the Casimir engine Baal began to relax.  His eyes changed from deep dark pools to the colour a deep green sea.  Baal's jet black hair faded and became blond.  Baal's red skin became pale and white.  Where Team Collection Leader Baal had sat before, now there was the Djara, Kirad Nirgalen.  In the pocket of his jacket was the box, containing the blood of the Nephilim.

Whatever it was that the Nephilim had in mind for the planet, Nirgalen was up for helping them with it.  He also had a few ideas of his own.  With a way to travel through time, unaided, a whole vista of possibilities opened up for the Djara.  With the time jump set at 2 billion years, it seemed that the Head of Control would have a long wait for his report.  That thought brought a smile to Nirgalen's face, as he hurtled, headlong into the future.