The Evaran Chronicles II: The Lost Ship | The Rift Impact | The Cosmic Link | The Galactic Web

Dylan did a last-minute check of the Aztec clothing hologram over his survival suit in his living quarters. Evaran and M, the cosmic time travelers who had saved him, Isaac Barret, and Dr. Kate Minter, had taken all of them to Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Aztec Empire, which was located on Lake Texcoco in central Mexico. It was 9:00 a.m. on March 22, 1501 AD. Their holoshells made them look like commoners.

Evaran would use his own personal hologram, and M had his robotic body to do his display. Everyone was to assemble on the ramp of the Torvatta, Evaran’s ship, in five minutes. Dylan cherished the restful sleep he obtained every time he was aboard, and having a functioning holo room was great. He had gone overboard with the simulations in his room at night initially, but he had toned it down some.

As Dylan did his business, he reflected on the previous week. They had gone to a ceremony on a parallel world where Earth Ward Inspector Dalton Kingston and his team, along with a lot of other Earth Ward members and groups, had helped liberate the planet. Dylan had wanted to join in on the ceremonies, but due to the potential impact of any Evaran sighting, they had been relegated to watching from the Torvatta’s roof.

Brad Washington, one of Dalton’s team members, was also one of Dylan’s closest friends. Brad had filled him in on the experience the next day. It gave Dylan more to chew on as he thought about his role after traveling with Evaran and M.

He doubted he would do so forever, and if he had to settle back on Earth, he wasn’t fully sure what he would do. Having traveled on the Torvatta carried a lot of weight, so Dylan was confident he would have a lot of options.

After five minutes, he joined the others on the ramp that led outside the Torvatta’s shielding. Although he saw Isaac and Kate in their survival suits, Evaran in his usual advanced outfit, and M in his robot body, he could toggle how they would appear to others by using his augmented reality interface, or ARI.

Dylan loved the little data labels that hung off to the side of anything he viewed. It helped him understand everyone’s holograms better. Evaran, M, and Isaac wore white loincloths, which the Torvatta labeled as maxtlatl. If it had been a real cloth, it would have been made of maguey, a hard fiber, instead of cotton. They had a white draped cloak, known as a tilmàtli, like Dylan had, and they all wore sandals, which were called cactli.

Kate had on a skirt, or cueitl, with a sash around her waist. She also had on a blouse, or huipil, and sandals. Her two-strand braided hair reminded him of horns.

Kate twirled around. “I like this.”

“Looks good on you,” said Isaac. “This holoshell is pretty convincing.”

Dylan shook his head. “Yeah, and it looks like you really work out. Look at them abs!”

“Although that’s a holographic representation, your nanobots do keep you physically fit,” said M.

“I’m not complaining,” said Isaac. “I look good in both views.”

Dylan and Kate cracked up.

Evaran swept his gaze across the group. “You all look period appropriate. I’m not expecting anyone to hassle us, as our attire says we’re not elites. We’ll appear as commoners, which is desirable.”

“Works for me,” said Dylan.

He gazed out through the shielding at the city. It was 9:05 a.m., and they were on the outskirts. It amazed him that the main part they were going to was like a city on an island. Canals and walkways led to it, and a fair number of people were out and about. Thankfully, they were in a spot in the forest where they could walk out with no one noticing.

They stepped out, then moved onto a path.

Dylan relaxed as the sun bathed them and the smell of dirt and flowers permeated the air. His stomach rumbled when he smelled smoked peppers mixed with salty air. The sound of chirping birds was reassuring, as it indicated this was a place birds wanted to visit as opposed to fleeing.

It still blew Dylan’s mind that Tenochtitlan had over two hundred thousand people. He had always pictured this place and era as scattered villages. Their first destination was a small island that had a bridge to it. Then they would go on to Tenochtitlan proper.

Dylan gulped as people passed them. He was a part of history, and it fascinated him that he could witness this. They spoke Nahuatl, but he heard it as English thanks to the advanced nature of the Torvatta’s link with him.

The conversations he listened in on were normal. Some talked about their daily schedules, others mentioned upcoming events, and a few discussed certain people or gods.

The Aztec pantheon was one aspect the group needed to avoid. Although they would have known of Evaran, there were no records of him interacting with them in this time period. Dylan figured they wouldn’t, but it did make him wonder how that would impact the future, if at all. Meeting them seemed minor to him, but he understood it would cause a timeline change, something Evaran generally didn’t like.

They approached the causeway that led to the grid-like design of Tenochtitlan.

Dylan spotted canoes, and the walkway was lined sporadically with trees. In the distance, blocky temples stood out against the sun.

Some people had given them curious looks, and Dylan wasn’t sure what that was about. Maybe it was unusual to walk in a group, but he had seen others with a similar makeup. It could also just be Evaran, as even a human would be able to tell he was something different, although they probably would have no idea unless they knew of nonhumans or were wisened.

The small island had a smattering of trees. There were no structures present, although some people rested on the shore. Dylan and the others were traveling north to the city, and the east side of the lake had a strong salty smell.

“Where do they get their drinking water from?” said Dylan, wrinkling his nose.

Evaran pointed at a structure in the distance. “They use aqueducts from the Chapultepec hill to get drinking water.”

“Ah.”

Kate scrunched her face. “This is a well-designed city, and we haven’t even reached the main part yet.”

“Someone’s excited,” said Isaac.

She swatted his arm. “Aren’t you?”

He beamed. “Oh yeah. Definitely.”

Dylan treasured being with the gang and exploring places like this. There was so much to learn, and new experiences were addictive. The traffic increased when they approached the main part of the city. The smells from before were replaced by stronger ones that reminded him of bacon mixed with apples.

The environment had also gotten louder, and barking dogs caught him by surprise. Although he knew dogs had been around man for a long time, he never recalled seeing them in Aztec civilization images. Then again, he hadn’t seen many to begin with.

The group passed into the first part of the city grid. They filed into a two-column formation, with M at the end by himself.

Dylan cringed at the hustle and bustle of the street they were on. Although the formation helped, it was clear how easy it would be to get swept away. Although he didn’t have claustrophobia, he could see where that might bother someone here. Getting boxed in with a never-ending swarm of people would be scary.

Their destination was the marketplace, and it didn’t take long for them to arrive. Dylan was blown away by the sheer size of it. It was like a city unto itself.

“And we’ve arrived,” said Evaran.

Isaac ran a hand over his mouth. “This place is huge. And loud.”

M chimed in. “Historical reports suggest upward of sixty thousand came here.”

“So many,” said Kate. “Must be a lot of animals here because I smell them.”

“They have various lanes dedicated to animal groups,” said Evaran. He raised a finger. “You may see various small dogs in cages. They were generally castrated and used for food. Although you may want to free them, we need to avoid interfering as much as possible.”

Kate frowned. “Poor dogs.”

“We can start with the herb street,” said Evaran. He waved forward. “Let’s go.”

Dylan’s pulse quickened as they entered the marketplace. There were aisles lined with stalls everywhere. One row had all sorts of birds, from pigeons to hawks. There was another part of the street farther away that sold bird heads, claws, and beaks. He figured they were used in rituals or were worn like jewelry.

The cacophony of birds was almost overwhelming, but thankfully, Isaac squeezed Dylan’s arm, which made him focus on where they were going. Due to the various canopies, there was a lot of shade, but there were areas where the sunlight shone through.

The herb street was as advertised. Bags with mountains of herbs and spices presented a colorful scene. Dylan could smell cinnamon, but there were a lot of other odors he couldn’t identify. As they walked down the street, he listened in on several conversations. He had thought there would be a lot of talk about cooking, but the majority dealt with medicinal topics.

One discussion almost made him laugh out loud. A middle-aged man was being convinced that a salve would regrow his hair. No time period was safe from tricksters.

He bumped into Kate.

“What’s going on?” she asked, glancing at Evaran.

He gazed into the distance. “Yacatecuhtli approaches. We need to leave this area.”

“Who’s that?” asked Isaac.

Evaran nodded. “An Aztec god usually associated with commerce. His presence here would not be unusual.”

Dylan followed the group to another street.

Evaran paused halfway down it, then pivoted to stare at a vendor.

Dylan widened his eyes. It was Lord Vygon, a powerful ancient vampire lord. Despite his lack of black light armor, he was identifiable even in a loincloth, a draped cape, and sandals. Dylan had come to know him fairly well, but he never mentioned this meeting in the past.

Dylan wondered if they had broken a time travel rule or if maybe Lord Vygon had. Or it could be a part of history but not one Lord Vygon told anyone about. He was good with secrets.

“There you all are,” said Lord Vygon. He stared hard at Dylan, Kate, and Isaac, as if trying to figure something out. “This is early in your time streams. Nonetheless, come quickly. There is a safe place for us to talk.”

Isaac was not sure what was going on, but encountering Lord Vygon was unexpected. Evaran’s slight tilt of his head indicated he was probably thinking that too. Lord Vygon had appeared confused initially when examining them, so perhaps he knew of a later version that didn’t match this one. It made Isaac wonder what version he knew.

Lord Vygon hustled into the stall, which had a small alleyway in the back. Once they followed him in, he opened a door to a side building. The door was almost impossible to detect. It was something that would have taken time to implement, which made Isaac think Lord Vygon had been here for a while.

The room they entered was tiny, but the main object in it was a hatch. Lord Vygon wasted no time in lifting it and motioning for everyone to climb down.

Isaac peered down the tunnel. With darkvision, he could see far down but not to the bottom. Evaran climbed down first, followed by M, Kate, and Dylan. Isaac took a deep breath, then began his descent.

Once he was far enough down, Lord Vygon joined him and closed the hatchway. The bottom of the seal glowed for a brief moment. Isaac wasn’t sure what tech was being used there, but it probably was to ensure no one could get in. Maybe it was a magnetic lock.

The trip down took about ten minutes.

Isaac examined the well-lit room that had a round table in the middle with seating. A small refrigerated container sat on another table along with a device that reminded him of an air fryer. On the walls were various paper maps that showed not only the world but also highly detailed regional maps.

“Please sit,” said Lord Vygon. “I’ll explain everything. At least as much as I know.”

The group complied.

“Your presence here wasn’t expected,” said Evaran.

Lord Vygon chuckled as he sat. “Not at this point in your timeline.”

“Ah. It would seem, then, that I met you in the past and requested for you to be here.”

“I can’t confirm or deny that. Your rules.”

Kate wrinkled her brow. “So do you have to follow some sequence in what you say now?”

Lord Vygon eased back into his seat. “Normally, for these sorts of things, yes. However, it was left vague this time.”

“Evaran told you it could be then, right?” asked Dylan.

“I can’t say, but that’s a good insight,” said Lord Vygon. “Nonetheless, I’m to present three things to you all. The first is that I placed a vase-shaped device in the heart of the marketplace early this morning. I’m to collect it tomorrow morning, then hold on to it until Evaran asks for it.”

Evaran rubbed his chin. “Intriguing. That would indicate that I wanted to monitor something. I assume you aren’t to show me the device until after you’ve picked it up tomorrow.”

“That’s correct.”

“And the second thing?”

Lord Vygon placed a quarter-sized coin with an elegant circuit design on the table. “I’m supposed to give you this.”

Evaran scanned it.

Data labels, screens, and streaming data materialized in the air. The map of the marketplace was easy to recognize, but there was a clock that could move forward and backward, and various colored dots moved around on the map. Isaac recognized Yacatecuhtli as one of the named dots.

“It’s tracking the Aztec pantheon’s movements throughout the day in the marketplace,” said Isaac.

“Yes,” said Evaran. “This information would allow us to visit the marketplace without interruption.”

Dylan wagged a finger. “So let me get this straight. Lord Vygon places a device this morning that will track the Aztec pantheon’s movements today. He then gives it to Evaran at some point in the future, and the data is transferred to that coin thing. Evaran passes the device and coin to Lord Vygon sometime in the past, and Lord Vygon gives the coin to us now, which allows us to visit the marketplace without worry. Jeez.”

Evaran studied him. “Yes, that’s an accurate analysis.”

Kate’s eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute. That’s a bootstrap paradox. When was this monitoring device created? It seems like it just changed hands.”

“The Torvatta can sustain the paradox,” said M.

Dylan puffed his cheeks, then used his hands to mimic his head exploding.

Isaac knew he would run into paradoxes, but this one interested him. The device had never been created in this loop, but it existed. It had to exist for this moment. This mixed in with Lord Vygon’s seeming somewhat surprised at the group’s appearance suggested that the version he met in the past was very different. At least for Dylan, Isaac, and Kate. Isaac had a burning desire to know the differences but figured Lord Vygon wouldn’t say anything lest he alter the gang’s future.

“I assume you didn’t know of the device’s nature until now,” said Evaran, glancing at Lord Vygon.

“You’re right. I didn’t.”

“Okay. What is the third thing you were to present?” asked Evaran.

Lord Vygon pulled out a small cube, then set it before Evaran. “This. I’m not sure what it is.”

Evaran scanned it. “It’s time-locked.”

“I guess. And it was given to me with only one instruction: Isaac needs to carry it for your next summons, but before doing so, Kate, Dylan, and Isaac each need to hold it.”

Isaac jerked his head back. “I do? And what does time-locked mean?”

“A time-lock occurs when an object isn’t accessible until a specific point in time,” said Evaran. “Only the Torvatta can create a time-lock, so I suspect it has its reasons. I’m unclear on why Isaac needs to carry it, but it must be for a specific purpose.”

“We have a mystery on our hands, and we’re not even in a summons,” said Kate.

Lord Vygon eyed her. “Yet.”

“Oh! Sounds like there’s more.”

“I can’t say,” said Lord Vygon, giving the device to Isaac. “You can hand it to Dylan and Kate next.”

Isaac held the strange object. It glowed briefly, almost making him drop it, but there had been no heat or pricking of his skin. He offered it to Dylan.

Dylan used the device as it glowed, then gave it to Kate. After the same thing happened, she returned it to Isaac.

“Not sure what that’s all about,” said Isaac. He faced Evaran. “I guess we’ll find out when the time comes.”

“Indeed,” said Evaran.

“Any more surprises?” asked Kate.

“No,” said Lord Vygon. “However, there’s one last thing.”

“And that is?”

Lord Vygon bared his fangs. “Enjoying the day with you in the marketplace. I’ll be your tour guide.”

Kate clapped. “That’s great!”

Lord Vygon’s eyes darted between Kate and Isaac. “Very interesting.”

Isaac furrowed his brow. “I get the feeling the version of us you met is very different from what’s here now.”

“You could say that, but as you know, I can’t say anything. Doesn’t mean I can’t make observations.”

“We’d be glad to use your tour guide services,” said Evaran.

M high-fived Lord Vygon, making everyone laugh.

Isaac had an uneasy feeling despite the lighthearted mood. Something felt off about the situation, but he understood abiding by Evaran’s rules regardless of which version it was or at what point in his personal time stream it was.

The way Lord Vygon had sized him and Kate up indicated they were definitely different in a future meeting. It was something that would eat at Isaac, but he knew Lord Vygon wouldn’t say anything. Perhaps something might slip, but he doubted it. At least for now, they could explore the marketplace without worry.