Shattered Perceptions
Chapter Ten
by Tim Francovich
Somewhere in the North Atlantic...
"Open the airlock, if you would, James," Cable asked, bringing the PAC/RA to a stop. "We should be connected to the base now."
As Warpath moved to the exit, Siryn confronted Cable. "Just where are we, Cable?" she demanded.
Cable slung his rifle down from his shoulder. "This is the base of an assassin from my future known as Sinsear," he explained.
"Isn't he the one who kidnapped you one of those times?"
"Yes, one of those times. He ran away after I defeated him, but he might have come back, so everyone be on guard. He's extremely dangerous." Cable got up and moved to the airlock to join Warpath. Siryn, Boomer, and Rictor followed him.
"How is this going to help us find Star and Sam?" demanded Rictor.
"Last time I was here, I didn't bother to look around much," Cable responded. "There's no telling what kind of technology Sinsear time-ripped back with him. I'm hoping that something here will allow me to access my Time Displacement Core, and maybe, just maybe... some way of reaching the Mojoverse."
"The door is open, oh fearless leader." Warpath gestured to the open airlock.
"On your toes, people," Cable ordered. "Let's go. Siryn, scout ahead. Shatter anything that even looks like it might move toward you."
Siryn flew ahead, warily searching the walls, roof and floor for any threat. In a moment, she had entered the central dome of the structure. The technology looked very similar to what had been in Cable's space-station, Graymalkin. A massive column rose from the center of the dome, topped by a command chair with multiple consoles.
Cable and the rest of X-Force entered cautiously. Siryn touched down beside them. "There doesnae appear to be anyone here," she reported. "Where would Sinsear have gone?"
Cable frowned. "If he's still obeying his programming, he'll have gone to search out Apocalypse. His primary goal was to kill Tolliver--who turned out to be my son, Tyler--and his secondary goal was to ensure Apocalypse's ascension," he recalled. "If Sinsear does turn up again, I have a feeling it will be at Apocalypse's side."
"But he's dead, isn't he?" Warpath wondered.
"Until I see the ashes of his disintegrated body, I doubt I'll believe that," Cable observed.
"Well, let's crank this thing up and see what we've got," Boomer suggested, moving toward the central column.
"That... may take a while," Cable admitted. "During my fight with Sinsear, I blew out the central control module."
"Now he tells us," Siryn groaned.
"Relax," Cable replied. "I can fix it... I think."
High above, a small camera, attached to the roof of the dome with a shiny new mounting, silently observed them, relaying their words and actions... elsewhere.