Ascent of the Aliomenti Page 0,2

he did. Theirs were minds begging to be molded to another’s vision. Before, that meant cruelty. What might happen when such people developed sufficient power to do something like that?” He nodded toward the fire, and then leaned in closer, to whisper in a conspiratorial fashion. “Or do what you are capable of doing?”

Will knew all too well the answer to Adam’s rhetorical question, for he’d seen the future Aliomenti, under Arthur’s direction, work to stifle human innovation and progress in his own time and in his own future. They’d amassed incredible wealth, wealth Will had seen evidence of during his visit to their Headquarters. He suspected they’d infiltrated human governments and businesses as well, seeking to control, seeking to stifle, seeking to keep the mass of humanity downtrodden in order to raise their own absolute and relative stature and influence in the world.

“Many of them were slaves, Adam. They were men and women accustomed to living their lives at another’s whim, for another’s pleasure. They’d tasted freedom, and their greatest fear was somehow losing that freedom, having to once more bow to another. They knew the power that would come with the successful completion of the experiments they’d all forced upon Elizabeth; failure to be the first to acquire the power they expected her to discover would mean being a potential victim yet again.” He quieted as that realization hit him. “She never had a chance, did she?”

He’d seen through most of Arthur’s manipulations. Arthur’s facial expression during Elizabeth’s first public display of Energy showed Will that Arthur’s supposed dream, a dream of a future where they’d all developed “magical” abilities, was nothing but a facade, a straw man to make himself of critical importance in the village. Only Arthur, through Elizabeth, could unlock the code. That meant Arthur would be the first to reap the rewards... along with the special few he chose. It had been a decade-long accumulation of influence and power over the villagers, who had willingly handed over their gold and human compassion to Arthur to ensure they’d be an early adopter. When Elizabeth finished unlocking the code, they believed, she would tell Arthur, and Arthur would tell his inner circle. They’d be the leaders of a powerful new alliance.

But Elizabeth hadn’t told Arthur. Elizabeth held the secret, held all of the power in that singular instant. In that instant, all of their individual scheming and plotting and influence building was rendered worthless. They were once more at the mercy of another, a person who had no obligation to treat them well. Given her treatment at their hands, they’d realized they were at her mercy, for they’d showed no compassion toward her and would receive none in return.

Faced with a loss of all status, faced with control by someone who owed them nothing, they’d lashed out and destroyed her, their pride preventing them from delivering the apologies that would have thawed Elizabeth’s chill toward them. They’d fallen on her en masse and beaten her, urged on to greater levels of ferocity by Arthur’s public disowning of his own child.

Adam said nothing, but his face revealed his agreement with Will’s words. “And yet you think it would have been wise to give those people yet another chance?” He spat on the ground, the spittle narrowly missing Arthur. “Your unwillingness to see people for what they are is going to lead to your demise, and the demise of those you care for. I am willing to act when I see the truth, regardless of what that truth might be.”

Will seethed inwardly. It was more than his personal philosophy that prevented him from acting. Much as he believed many in that village deserved punishment for their behavior, he lived with knowledge of the future. That knowledge was both a blessing and a curse, for any action – especially murder – could lead to an altered future. Will had met both Arthur and Adam in the future, and that knowledge meant he could not kill either, and that he’d even need to protect both men if necessary. And while he’d not met any of the other villagers in those future times, taking any of their lives could end the lives of those he had met in that future. A death at his hands in this era might eliminate the direct ancestor of someone he’d met in his business dealings, neighbors in his community, friends and colleagues he’d known in his philanthropic endeavors.

The premature death of any person here could