In the City of Tomorrow: Chapter 5

Amy and Amanda Stryker were resting on a comfortable leather couch in the Infinite Room. The room’s floor was covered in a luxurious white carpet and appeared to stretch off into infinity. There were no walls or ceiling. The room was well-lit but the light did not come from any visible source. It was a quiet, peaceful place – a sanctuary set apart from the rest of the Universe. The Sentinel had constructed it when it fled from the Poneri. Here the girls would be safe.

The Sentinel had taken the form of a distinguished-looking gentleman who was standing in front of the twins. He was a tall, middle-aged man and wore a gray suit and hat. He had just explained his history to them and how the girls happened to find themselves here. He told them that he had been forced to remove them from the Sparrow so that he could get their permission to battle the Poneri – an ancient threat from an ancient world.

“Won’t our parents miss us?” Amanda asked.

“Only for six minutes,” the Sentinel said. “I can arrange for us to be there when the ship arrives, and I can transport you on board the moment the ship decloaks. We can then explain what happened.”

“What if we don’t make it to the future?” Amy said.

“Then your parents will have many questions and no answers. They will find themselves in a very strange world with no one to explain what has happened. But I do not think that is likely to happen.”

“I guess we had better get started, then,” Amanda replied. “The sooner we join them in the future the better. Now, who are these Poneri?”

“Hold on just a minute,” Amy interrupted. “Do you have a name?”

“As I said, I am the Sentinel. That is my name.”

“But don’t you have another name?” Amy asked. “Is that really what everyone calls you?”

“In the future there is only myself and the Artilect,” the Sentinel explained. “There are no others.”

“Then you need a given name – a family name,” Amy replied. “I’m not going to call you ‘the Sentinel’ for the next five thousand years. That’s just not going to work.”

“Amy!” her sister exclaimed. “That’s not very nice! If he wants to be called the Sentinel then that’s his business.”

The Sentinel smiled. “It does not matter to me, little one. If your sister wishes to assign me a new name then that is her right as administrator. What name did you have in mind?”

“Steve,” the girl said without hesitation. “Definitely Steve. It fits.”

Amanda frowned. “Steve? Why Steve?”

“He looks like a Steve,” her sister explained. “It’s a great name.”

“If you say so,” Amanda said dubiously. “Are you going to give him a last name too?”

“He’s already got a last name,” Amy replied. “He’s a part of the family now. He’ll be known as Steve Stryker – or just Steve for short.”

“Don’t you think you should talk to mom and dad before adopting new family members?” Amanda asked. “I’m really not sure this is a good idea.”

“Are you kidding? They’ll be thrilled to have him! Besides, he just saved our lives! If he hadn’t protected the Sparrow we’d all be dead right now. This is the least we can do to thank him.”

“The name has been duly noted,” the Sentinel replied. “Is there anything else you need?”

“I really would like to know about the Poneri,” Amanda said. “I mean, I’ve heard of them before but I don’t really know anything about them. I thought they were just legendary – like Father Christmas. Just a story that adults use to frighten small children.”

The Sentinel shook his head. “They are quite real. The Poneri come from the Old World.”

“The Old World?” Amy asked.

“In the beginning of all things the Lord created the Heaven and the Earth. He created the sun, moon, and stars, and formed the Earth to be the home of mankind. After creating plant and animal life He fashioned your ancestors in His image – the Man and the Woman, whom He placed in the Garden. In those days the world was a perfect place; there was no death or pain, and there was no evil of any kind. There was peace and harmony between God and Man, between Creator and Creation.”

“Then they blew it,” Amanda said.

The Sentinel nodded. “The Man and the Woman sinned against God. They ate of the Tree of Knowledge and transgressed His commandment, bringing death and evil into the world. Paradise was lost and the world became a place of darkness and corruption. Then they reproduced and bore children. Some of them were wise and righteous, but others corrupted themselves and became exceedingly evil. The evil of those days became so great that the Lord destroyed the entire world in a Flood, saving only righteous Noah and his family.

“The Poneri come from the Old World. They are artificial life forms that were created by the Old Ones – a race of giants that existed before the Flood. They are exceedingly evil creatures. Like myself they are neither alive nor dead. They exist only for themselves and care nothing for anyone else. Most of them were destroyed in the Flood but a few escaped. Over time they have learned how to reproduce and now threaten humanity once more. We must stop them before they can act.”

“How did they survive?” Amy asked.

“I do not know,” the Sentinel replied. “I was surprised to find them on board the Starfire. I destroyed the ones that I found there and then I tracked them to their home star system and froze it in time. That should have brought an end to them but somehow they survived.”

“Did your stasis field collapse?” Amanda asked.

“It is still intact. The Poneri do not have the ability to defeat it – they are advanced but the ability to manipulate time is beyond anything they can do.”

Amy frowned. “Really? But even I can manipulate time – it’s easy! I can stop it, make it slow down, or make it go faster – there’s nothing to it.”

“That’s because you’re plugged in,” Amanda replied. “We can do anything that the Sentinel can do as long as we’re connected. In a way we’re cheating.”

“We can do anything Steve can do,” Amy corrected. “Steve. That’s his name.”

“If you say so,” Amanda replied.

“Being connected gives you a great many abilities,” the Sentinel said. “You will remain connected for the rest of your lives. I apologize for disconnecting you earlier; I was attempting to maintain the integrity of the timeline. It was not my intention to reveal myself to you before we reached the future, but circumstances forced me to act. However, both of you are administrators and are entitled to the full abilities of that position.”

“Just how long are we going to live?” Amanda asked. “Our expected life span is actually pretty short. I hope your big plan isn’t going to take very long.”

“It was, but that has changed,” the Sentinel replied. “I have cured both of you, so your disease is no longer a threat. Now that the disease is gone the nanites will be able to maintain your life indefinitely.”

“What do you mean, indefinitely?” Amy asked. “Are you saying we’re immortals?”

The Sentinel shook his head. “Only God has the power to grant everlasting life and He only grants it to those who trust in His Son. That is a gift I cannot bestow. The nanites can protect you from many dangers and they can cure many diseases. Under normal circumstances they should be able to extend your life until Jesus returns to take His children home. But I cannot say that the nanites are able to protect you against all possible dangers. At some point your work will be done and the Lord will call you home, and when that day comes there is no power or science that can keep you here.”

“Wow,” Amy said. “That’s great!”

“What about the rest of our family?” Amanda asked.

“Although they are not administrators, as citizens of the network they will also be included. The only difference between you and them is that you will be able to command the full resources of the Artilect and they will not.”

“Wow,” Amy repeated. “That’s a lot to think about.”

“I think right now we need to be thinking about the Poneri,” Amanda said. “We can deal with the future later, after we’re actually there.”

“I guess you’re right,” Amy agreed. “So what’s the next step?”

“Do I have your permission to hunt down and destroy the Poneri?” the Sentinel asked.

“Of course,” Amanda said. “They’re a threat to all forms of life. We need to get rid of them.”

“Right. But how do we track them down?” Amy asked.

“I guess we start at the beginning,” Amanda replied. “Didn’t you first find them on the Starfire? What were they doing there?”

“I do not know,” the Sentinel said. “At the time I was attempting to locate you and your sister. I only investigated the Starfire because the Poneri resisted my scans and brought themselves to my attention.”

“Did you find them anywhere else in space – aside from their home system, of course?”

“I did not,” the Sentinel said.

“Then what were they doing on the Starfire?” Amanda asked. “Of all the ships that are out there why did they pick that vessel? Is there something special about it? Does it have something that they want? Why do they care about it?”

“I do not know, but that would be a good place to start,” the Sentinel agreed. “Perhaps that cursed ship would provide some clues that would enable us to track them down.”

Amy stood up. “Sounds good! Then let’s go.”

“Slow down there,” Amanda replied. “Don’t we need to be hidden or something? I mean, we’re both supposed to be dead and I’m sure that the crew probably shouldn’t meet Steve either.”

The Sentinel flashed a pattern into their mind. “This cloak should enable you to hide from both the occupants of the ship and the Poneri. Had I used it earlier they probably would not have spotted me, but I did not realize they were still a threat.”

“Great,” Amy said. “Got it. Are we all ready now?”

“I think so,” Amanda replied.

“Then we shall depart,” the Sentinel said. A moment later the three of them vanished, leaving the Infinite Room empty.