D. MacHale - The Pilgrims of Rayne

They broke outside on A Deck and ran to the stern of the ship. The deck was empty. Nobody would bother them. At least not for a while. They hit the rail and stopped. Courtney looked down to the frothing ocean that was being churned up in the wake of the massive ship. It was a long way down. She turned to Mark, and for that one moment, she saw the little boy she had known for so long.

“I miss you, Courtney,” Mark said.

The two hugged. Courtney squeezed her friend tight, allowing herself to think for that one moment that everything was going to be okay.

“You’re freezing,” Mark said, and took off his tuxedo jacket. He wrapped it around Courtney’s shoulders.

“Thanks.”

“A lot’s happened,” Mark said sadly.

“You have no idea,” Courtney replied. “I’ve got to make sure you do. Mark, I understand what you told me. I understand why you did what you did.”

“You say that like it’s already done,” Mark said. “We haven’t gotten to England yet.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Courtney said. “That’s why the flume sent me back to before you brought Forge to that KEM company.”

“You know about it?” Mark asked, surprised.

Courtney wanted to laugh. Did she know about it? She knew more than she ever wanted to know.

“There is so much to tell you,” she said quickly. “But we don’t have time. They’re probably hunting for us right now. I’ve wrestled over a million different ways of how to get you to understand what really happened. Or what’s about to happen. What I finally realized is that none of it matters, except for one single fact. It’s the most important thing I can get you to believe, because everything else follows from it.”

“What is it?” Mark asked.

“What I told you before is the truth. Andy Mitchell is Saint Dane. From the day we met him in kindergarten. This story didn’t begin when Bobby left home. Saint Dane has been setting us up our whole lives. Setting you up. He got you to fear him. Then he seduced you by suddenly revealing he was a genius. Then he got you to trust him when he helped you rescue me after the accident in the mountains. It was all planned, Mark. You know what he’s done on other territories. You know how he works his way into people’s confidence to get them to make mistakes. That’s what he’s been doing on Second Earth. He’s been working us. You have to believe me, Mark.”

Mark didn’t take his eyes off Courtney. She tried to read his mind. She hoped he was moving in fast forward through everything that got them to this point, looking at it from a new perspective. Mark was brilliant. He may feel used, he may feel betrayed, he may even feel like an idiot, but she felt sure he would understand and accept what happened. There was no other explanation.

“You’re wrong,” Mark finally said.

“But-“

“There’s only one fact that matters to me. If events played out the way they were supposed to, my parents would be dead.”

“But they are!” Courtney shouted. “I mean, I don’t know what I mean, but I saw Second Earth after the past was changed. After you changed it. Your parents still went down with that plane.”

“Then why are they here, right now, dancing in a spotlight?”

Courtney faltered. She didn’t have an answer.

“Courtney!” Dodger called as he jogged up to them.

Mark stiffened.

“It’s okay,” she said. “This is Dodger. He’s Gunny’s acolyte.” Dodger stuck out his hand and shook Mark’s. “Pleased to meet you, chum,” Dodger said amiably. “You’re a tough one to get hold of. But now everything’s fine. Right?” Mark and Courtney both looked down to the deck. Dodger frowned. “You told him about Saint Dane, right?” “He still doesn’t believe me.” “What proof do you have, Courtney?” Mark asked. “You can read Bobby’s journals,” Courtney said weakly. “That’s not enough,” Mark barked. “I have my parents. Here.

Alive. You’re asking me to destroy Forge, right? That’s like saying you want me to kill my parents.” “I know, it’s hard,” Courtney said.

“Hard?” Mark shouted. “That doesn’t come close to describing it.”

“Mark, something isn’t right!” Courtney countered. “By introducing Forge to First Earth, you’re going to set off a chain of events that leads to the creation of a technology Saint Dane is using to topple Halla. That’s a fact. You don’t know. You haven’t read the journals.”

“Maybe the journals are wrong,” Mark countered. “You’re saying how Saint Dane was able to fool us our entire lives, and fool me into starting Armageddon, maybe he was smart enough to monkey with those journals. Did you think of that?”

“No,” Courtney said, shaking her head furiously. “You know that can’t be right.”

“But your version isn’t true!” Mark barked. “My parents are proof. All you have are words on a page. I have living proof.”

“But I was there!” Courtney cried, tears of frustration welling up. “I saw how Second Earth was changed.”

“I’m sorry, Courtney,” Mark said. “I think Saint Dane must have a hand in this somewhere, but it looks like you are the one he’s been working. Like he did at that Stansfield Academy. I’m going to deliver Forge to that company in England. They are going to do with it whatever they will and begin a series of events that will save the lives of my parents. I don’t know what Saint Dane did to you, but your version of events is not the way it was meant to be. We’ll figure this all out once we get to London.”

Mark touched Courtney on the shoulder warmly and began to walk away.

“Stay right there, Mark,” Dodger said.

Mark looked up in surprise to see Dodger standing in his way, holding the pistol he had taken from Sixth Officer Hantin.

“Dodger? What are you doing?” Courtney exclaimed, stunned.

“This is our last chance, Courtney,” Dodger said. “Once he leaves, we’re both going to get pinched by the crew and spend the rest of this trip in the brig. It’s now or never.”

“Put that away!” Courtney ordered.

Dodger didn’t waver. Mark backed toward the rail nervously.

“He doesn’t believe you!” Dodger complained. “You know what’s going to happen if he leaves. Is that what you want?”

“No!” Courtney exclaimed. She turned to Mark with tears. “Please. Mark. I’m telling you the truth. I can’t explain why your parents are alive, but if you don’t destroy Forge, you could be destroying Halla.”

“I believe you believe that, Courtney,” Mark said. “I don’t.”

“Please don’t make me do this,” Dodger begged. His voice was nearly as shaky as Courtney’s. His gun hand wasn’t too steady either.

“I’m going to deliver Forge,” Mark said, his voice growing more confident. “And I am going to save my parents.”

He took a bold step toward Dodger. Dodger wavered. Courtney grabbed the gun out of Dodger’s hand and held it on Mark.

“Stop!” Courtney commanded, crying. Her hand was shaking, but the gun stayed on Mark.

“C–Courtney?” Mark stammered as if his brain wouldn’t accept what his eyes were seeing.

“There’s more I haven’t told you,” Courtney said through the tears. “Bobby and I went to Third Earth. We looked back through history. Everything I said was true, Mark. Even this. Your body washed up on shore with a bullet in it. The computers didn’t know who the killer was, but I think that mystery has been solved. It looks like it was… me.”

“N-No,” Mark stuttered. “I don’t believe you’ll shoot me.”

“I love you, Mark,” Courtney said, sobbing. “But I can’t let you do this. I can’t let you change history.”

Mark stood frozen. Courtney cocked the pistol. Mark backed into the rail. There was nowhere to go.