1:4:10 Crait (Part 4)

Simplicity was almost exactly as she remembered. Although her time on the ship had been short, its layout and the events that occurred within were still fresh in her mind. She was, however, still surprised that it was in one piece given the way their last encounter had concluded.
“Something’s wrong.” Char looked around the room, scanning every detail. “This isn’t the bridge.” She approached one of the terminals only to find that it was just a piece of plastic with a high resolution sticker stuck to it. Charrlene and The First did the same and came to the same conclusion. “Why go to all of this effort?”
“Because… Because it’s Crait and they do this sort of thing.” The First shook their head. They were beginning to show something that Char didn’t think a Lore was capable of: Anger.
Char thought for a moment before responding. “When we spoke with Crait, they seemed rather pleasant. This looks as though it’s their attempt at confusing us or maybe making us feel a little safer?”
“And how would fake panelling make me feel safer?” Their tone grew harsher.
Char took a breath and tried not to match their aggression. “If we can’t do anything in here, neither can they. These terminals are just as useful to us as they are to Crait. Once they’re in here, they’re cut off. It’s not to annoy you… At least I don’t think it is, it’s a show of good faith.”
A white flash filled the room followed by a slow clap. “Well done.” Crait looked at the room’s occupants. “I honestly didn’t think the newbie would out-think you Lore… Getting slow in your old age. How old are you now, seventy, eighty, older…” Crait shook their head. “It might not be physically showing but you’re getting on aren’t you. But this spring chicken… She’s virtually new.” Crait approached Char. “Where’s your Lore?” They were virtually nose to nose when Crait whispered their question.
The final syllable of their request stretched until it eventually became background noise, slowed to near freezing with the time it floated in. Char slowly backed away before answering. She considered whether to give them the truth or to lead them on. The more she focussed on the potential outcomes, the clearer they became. Although she wasn’t fully conscious of the reasoning, she knew that both answers would eventually lead to the same final response so, with a smile on her face, she decided to take a few liberties with her answer.
She stood up straight and waited for Crait to finish. “You’d do better asking the Lore and Char you sent to Johned. I think they know where Lore went.”
“What Lore and Char?” The skin on The First’s face transitioned from its natural, chalk white to something closer to a tomato in hue. “What Lore and Char?” They repeated.
Instead of talking, Crait decided a picture would say all they needed to. They tapped at their Breacher until they found the image with the words they wanted to say then displayed it as a hologram. Floating just above their wrist, a picture so familiar yet so different.
“That’s…” The First stumbled.
“Taken at the moment they Breached down from the top of your Slingshot.” Crait’s pearly whites shone in the light of the hologram. The picture showed Undulia and Loren with all fifty-two members of the council in the background, their backs to the imposters.
Silence. None of them knew quite how to react to such a revelation. Char looked at the photo of Undulia, painted in gold, then to Crait. “Did they make it back safely?” She asked with a tinge of green in her eyes.
“They did. But they came back alone…” Crait dispelled the picture and raised their Breacher to their mouth. “Scan the ship. Let me know if we’ve got any uninvited guests.”
“You’ll never find them.” The glint of green grew slightly brighter, as did her smile. “They’re in the last place you’ll look.”
Crait’s heart rate quickened. There was a barely visible change in their demeanour but Char somehow knew. “Where are they?” They asked calmly.
Char shook her head. She then pointed to their Breacher.
As she did, it buzzed. Without breaking eye contact, Crait answered. She didn’t have to hear the other side to know what had been said didn’t please them. “Well, search again!” Crait whispered through gritted teeth. Breacher back at their side, they narrowed their eyes as if to focus them on Char’s soul. “Where are they?”
“Why do you need to know?” Char crossed her arms slowly.
Crait slowly started pacing. “How did you make it back then?”
“They vanished with your people. I had a mess to undo and a timeline to maintain. Plus, if they came back with me, they would have died.” Char showed them her teleporter’s history. “Look, I was exposed to a lethal amount of Tempora radiation in my escape.” She shrugged. “I’m a Quatarrian so it’s fine but Lore, Lore’s a human.”
Crait’s pace quickened. “They weren’t with you?”
Char slowly nodded. “Because they were already gone.”
Charrlene looked between Char and Crait. “Why do you want to know?” She repeated Char’s initial question.
Crait slowed slightly. “Because…” Their voice stopped but their feet didn’t. “Because after last time, I made them a promise and I don’t want to break it.”
“You did what?” Although they sounded angry, The First was more confused than anything.
“When?” Charrlene looked to Char.
“Dekk Rekkarvik.” Char replied. “Lore called Crait from Cyenzeit and arranged for us to meet on neutral ground. Dekk Rekkarvik was chosen.”
“Last time I saw them, I blinded them.” Crait shrugged. “I never wanted that. They’re different and… And…” It was if they snapped. Their anxiety became determination in an instant. “Where are they then?” Their tone was steady and calm yet had a power that lingered behind it.
“They’re stuck in a time loop. More specifically, the timeloop of The Three Year Month.” The blue light left her eye, it’s job done. Her conviction was enough to convince Crait she was telling the truth.

The four of them stood in the fake room for a moment. Emotions had gotten so high that the moment’s respite was welcomed by everyone.
Crait broke the silence. “So, we know where and when they are but how do you plan on getting us there? The Second Civil War and especially The Three Year Month are almost impenetrable points in time.”
“The Slingshot could get us through.” Charrlene looked to The First. “Theoretically. It’s designed to get us to Quatarr a week after but with some adjustments and the right ship, we could make it through the radiation barrier.”
“What would happen if it didn’t work?” Char directed the question at Charrlene then opened it up to The First and Crait.
“You know when you jumped through the nebula?” Crait began, Char nodded. “That happened because your teleporter had to compensate for the nebula on both sides of the jump. The Tempora radiation build up around you to much higher levels to protect you but then, when you materialised, you absorbed a lethal dose. Well, imagine that again but instead of it irradiating your whole body at once, it’s delivering that lethal dose to every cell, at the same time in the past, present and future.”
Char looked horrified as she turned to Charrlene. “Or, best case scenario, we bounce off and land a week later; when we normally land for the final stage.”
Crait opened the door with their Breacher. A guard on the other side poked his head through. “Everything alright in here sir?”
“Get me Loren, Undulia and a large enough bench to seat us all.” Crait spoke calmly.
Even so, the guard couldn’t have looked more uncomfortable if he tried. He squirmed in his armour before responding, a blush crossing his face, his pulse beginning to race. “Right away sir?” His question dangled in the air with Crait thinking it rhetorical. “But… But… Inquisitor Loren requested that he and Mistress Undulia be left alone to enjoy some… Private time after their mission…”
Crait took a deep breath, the day was testing their resolve. “I want Loren and Undulia here within the next five minutes and I want a bench big enough for us all to sit around.” They waited for the guard to do something. “Preferably now…” They gestured for him to start moving and with that, he was off. Crait turned back into the room. “Now, would any of you like anything?” Crait turned back into the corridor to see that another guard had taken position at the door. “I’ll have a jug of water, not too cold please and…”
“A pot of tea?” Char looked at her compatriots. Charrlene shrugged and The First refused to respond. “A cup of tea for me then please.”
“And a cup of tea.” Crait had expected the conversation to be over but the guard spoke.
“How does our guest take their tea?” She then lowered her volume. “And should I put anything extra in it?”
“That won’t be necessary.” Crait matched her volume before doing the inverse. “Just bring us the ingredients necessary to make tea on a tray.” The guard nodded and was about to leave when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Oh. Sorry.” Crait promptly removed their hand. “We’ll need three glasses for the water and could you also bring…” They started whispering again. “Two Sazeracs. They’ll be in the American historical archives, somewhere in the eighteen hundreds. Thanks again.” Crait flashed her a smile then closed the door. “Drinks ordered and a table on the way.” Crait beamed at Char. “I’m getting a sense of Deja vu which, given our situation, you think I’d be used to but it’s strangely exhilarating!”
“Who is this Loren?” The First spoke.
Crait opened their mouth to answer but closed it again, knowing their response would likely be contentious.
“He’s a clone of you… More specifically, whichever Lore donated their DNA to make my Lore.” Char responded for them. “Loren is a clone of you.” She could have sworn she had already told them.
The First seemed oddly calm about the situation; they just looked at Crait.
Crait returned to pacing. “It sounds bad I know but it’s barely any worse than what you yourself have done.” Crait swallowed. “I scoured Illia after what they did and, buried under the snow, I found a cache of equipment and a cloning vat like none I had ever seen before. There was just enough genetic information inside that, when coupled with the samples I took from Lore’s hospital visit, I could complete a genome for them and create my own Lore. I just wanted my friend back.”
“And you got him…” Char raised a suggestive eyebrow at The First. “So why not leave the rest of them alone?”
“Because the work must remain done.” Crait stopped pacing. “The cycle must end and humanity must maintain the lead I’ve given it. We both know The Outcome is coming. This might be the time we choose to stand together.”
“We could have stood together… We could have been brilliant but you… You decided that there was another way of doing things… You decided I was wrong and you were right…” Crait had clearly been bottling this up. “You left me!” They paused. “So I made a new you…”