by Don P. Bick
Chapter 16
The rock exploded in a puff of dust and hail of small pebbles. There was very little noise this time. It wasn't much of an accomplishment, however. The noise should have been many times greater, even though the rock had exploded from the inside out. There weren't any explosives used. It was a matter of the correct directed use of the will-power of the mind.
At least it was a little faster that time, thought Uri, as he prepared for another try. Having newly arrived from the planet Uranus, he was trying to regain some of the power and control he had possessed on his home planet. The use of his directing will was an automatic and simple thing at home. But very few were able to use those lifelong powers from Uranus after they arrived in this world. For some unexplained reason the ability to direct the energy was lost to most Uranians during the transfer process after death. Those that were still able to use the will as directed power did so in varying degrees. Although no Uranian in this world, so far, was able to direct the energy with much power or strength. And there was very little hope that the power would ever increase to a higher more meaningful level to any of the Uranians living in this land. At least that had been true up until Uri arrived.
Uri already possessed greater use of his will than any other Uranian in recent history. In fact, the last time such a person had arrived with as much usable will power from the planet Uranus was during the last quest for the secret to the bridge. No coincidence Uri was sure, having the belief that all things can be scientifically explained. He further believed if they can't be explained, then the person or people simply didn't have enough information about the situation in order to pass judgment or understand.
Uri spent a great deal of time each day practicing the use of his will. He had markedly improved since his arrival, however weak the results still seemed to be to him. Another rock exploded with a soft sounding puff.
He diligently practiced because a couple of weeks ago word had come to the community that a new quest for the bridge was in the making. He was told he may be called upon to join this force with those presently being assembled. He was looking forward to the opportunity to help. There wasn't that much to do in his community that was of great interest to Uri. He longed to travel, to see and explore the newness of this different world.
Uri was an adventurer. Always studying some new theory or trying out some new experiment. Of course, that was what got him into trouble back home on Uranus. He and three other scientists had attempted to use their combined will together in a blended and harmonized project. The project involved the molecular disassembly and re-assembly of an object. Everything was going fine during the experiment until one of the three scientists lost his focused concentration for just a fraction of a second. That was all it took for tragedy to strike.
They had almost succeeded in the molecular disassembly of a metal sphere when it happened. The harmony of their blended wills turned to discord, setting up a chain reaction within the disassembled atomic particles. The result was catastrophic. Atomic particles blew apart at the speed of light, leaving instantaneous vacuums. These vacuums were created with such force the resulting pressure gradient was tremendous. Although they had prepared and were safe from the initial explosion, they hadn’t planned for nature’s way of filling voids; each of their bodies was forcefully drawn inward to fill the vacuum that had been left by the retreating matter. Fortunately or unfortunately, their bodies weren't drawn equally or evenly. They separated in hundreds of places simultaneously, causing the instant death of all four.
His death wasn't in the least bit painful. It had all happened in a fraction of a second. He would definitely be more careful about those he chose to experiment with in the future, he thought with a chuckle to himself. Anyway that part of life was gone from him now. He needed to make ready for what the future held. That future may possibly be a quest for the bridge. If so, then he may very well need all the will power he could muster.
Uri was a tall man. He stood about 6'5" with a thin build and snowy white curly hair. He was a young man of thirty five years, measured as they would in this world. He wore a captivating smile that lit up his light orange skin. His blue eyes were not only overly large but shone with added brilliance and intensity.
Uri concentrated on another rock. In a second the rock exploded with a fairly strong noise. That was the fastest yet, Uri thought with satisfaction. All the practice was finally starting to pay off. On Uranus he would have been able to explode the rock almost instantaneously with very little concentration. Now he had to focus and concentrate his mind to the exclusion of everything else.
Uri lived in the village Nemaris, named after a city on the planet Uranus. But it wasn't much like the city he knew back home. This was a community of simple log homes tucked in the woods along the river. In contrast, the city Nemaris on Uranus was an elaborate feat of architectural beauty.
Uranians were a basic, simple non-materialistic people. They used their minds in the highest examples of creative endeavor imaginable on Uranus. Such was not the case in this world. They seemed to have lost the energy and creative drive that was so characteristic of the Uranian people. It was as though the creative portion of their mind had been lost during the transference into this world. Uri didn't wholly believe that theory. However, that was another reason Uri wished to join this quest. To help his people regain some of their dignity and regal standing. He believed it was a simple matter of mental focusing, disrupted due to the death process they had undergone while coming here. Mental refocusing was easiest when the subject was in a positive and inviting mood. The Uranian people here did not seem to be in a very positive or inviting frame of mind. Perhaps he could help stimulate their readjustment through his own example and hopeful success on the quest, if he was allowed to join, that is.
It was late in the day so Uri quit and began walking back to the small log cabin where he lived near the river. His mind was tired. Tomorrow he would get up early and work some more on the speed.