by TJ Viola
The scenic drive into the Colorado foothills had breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains covered in a light dusting of snow. The hills and valleys were blanketed with tall evergreens that forever stood guard, protecting and nurturing a vast array of wildlife. The drive was otherwise uneventful until they reached Deadman’s Road, just past Red Feather Lakes. Deadman was a narrow gravel road with a steep cliff on one side and the ever-present danger of falling boulders on the other. The automatic chest constraints activated as Danny’s dad swerved the car to evade recently fallen rocks, and then swerved back to avoid the dangerously impending cliff. This zigzag maneuver continued for several seconds before his dad regained control, muttering that the road was appropriately named.
They finally arrived at Beaver Meadows; the entrance road meandered down through a canapé of virgin forest for six miles until it opened to a picturesque valley. Exiting the forest, they rumbled over an old wooden bridge that spanned a narrow estuary connecting two natural lakes sparsely lined with fly-fishing enthusiasts. The road rambled back up the valley where numerous log cabins blended into the natural surroundings, providing a tranquil setting. Off to the left, just past the bridge, were the main facilities consisting of two structures, one containing town homes for the less adventurous, and a little farther along a tree-lined pathway stood a large log cabin containing a restaurant, general store, and equipment rental establishments.
Their cabin sat among a grove of pine trees, showing the weather-worn signs of an old weary hermit with several tree branches overhanging the roof. As they climbed the wooden steps, the porch moaned in protest to their intrusion. Danny’s mom had low expectations as she opened the creaking door but was pleasantly surprised when a breathtaking view overlooking the lake and valley below flooded her vision. The door opened onto a warm family room with large picture windows opposite the entrance and a small loft above, providing additional views of the majestic Colorado scenery and skyline. To the right, at the end of the family room, in the center of the wall was a large natural stone fireplace that extended to the beamed roofline. Next to the fireplace was a solid wooden door with heavy metal hinges leading to a small bedroom. To the left of the entrance was the kitchen that contained an old-fashioned woodburning stove. A cord of firewood was stacked outside on the side porch.
Once everyone was settled, with the parents in the small bedroom off the family room and Danny and Crystal in the loft, they decided to have an early dinner at the local restaurant. After dinner, they rented fishing gear and two hovercycles and stocked up on groceries. Upon returning to the cabin, Danny and Crystal played with an old checkerboard game they found in the loft, while the parents attempted to fire up the woodburning stove to prepare some hot chocolate. Before retiring for the night, they all agreed that Danny and Crystal would explore the area for a suitable camping site so they could spend a few nights sleeping under the stars before returning home.
Up in the loft, Crystal asked Danny again about Yolan.
“Danny, tell me everything you know about Yolan.”
“As I said, not much.”
“Aren’t you scared? I am.”
“I was in the beginning. It’s clear she’s been trying to help and protect me, but I don’t know why. There is one thing I didn’t tell you. I think more than one person has been communicating with me. I’m not sure; it’s just a feeling I have.”
Crystal shrugged. “I guess we’ll know more tomorrow.”
They both had a restless night.
*****
Breakfast was a small disaster; the bacon grease caught fire, filling the cabin with dense smoke. Danny’s dad came running in from the back porch and put out the fire, but, unfortunately, it was too late to save the bacon, and in the commotion, the egg carton got knocked off the counter. The fallback was cereal, which was a poor substitute for eggs and bacon.
Excited to meet Yolan, Danny and Crystal wolfed down their cereal and promised to return in time for dinner. They rode their hovercycles to the main entrance where there was plenty of room to practice driving. The cycles rode six to eight inches off the ground and could travel over rough terrain. They practiced driving for thirty minutes and decided to leave after having another near disaster involving a little girl’s baby beagle. The beagle was blown flat against the ground unharmed, but the little girl was still screaming as they exited across the wooden bridge, in search of Yolan.
Crystal asked Danny if he knew where to find her.
“No, but I have a feeling I’ve been here before. I guess we should just drive and I’ll follow my instincts. I suspect Yolan transmitted the directions while I slept last night.”
They headed back to Deadman’s Road and turned left, traveling farther into the national forest. After six miles, Danny pulled off the main road onto an old logging road. The hovercycles had no difficulty maneuvering over the muddy ruts and debris. Suddenly, Danny stopped.
“What’s the matter?” Crystal yelled.
“A bear.”
Crystal saw a great black bear standing on its hind legs looking angry.
“Oh, my God!” she shrieked.
The bear started to attack to protect two cubs that were off to the side of the trail.
“Danny, use the stun gun!”
Danny, realizing they were too inexperienced to maneuver and outrun the bear, jumped off and grabbed the hovercycle’s stun gun.
“Crystal, go! I’ll try to slow her down.”
Crystal froze behind Danny with her eyes closed as he fired the gun, but the bear was out of range and kept on charging. Danny suddenly felt Crystal’s presence as his aura became alive with energy and extended out in all directions. His reflexes took control when his mind exploded with the sound of Yolan and Titch simultaneously, telepathically shouting, “FOCUS YOUR AURA!”
He felt the shock waves of the bear charging against his aura, slamming into his body. He instinctively planted his left foot behind him firmly against the ground and summoned all his strength, which he could feel surging from his calf muscles up to his chest, rushing out into his arms and hands. As the pressure against his aura increased, he focused his surge of energy and pushed back against the pressure of the charging bear.
There was an ear-piercing sound, as if two supersonic trains collided, throwing the bear backward against a large tree. Silence blanketed the forest; Danny was looking down at his hands in disbelief as the bear tried to shake off the blow, got on all fours, and stumbled away dazed. Crystal opened her eyes.
“What was that noise? Where’s the bear?”
“I did it again. A force shot out of my hands,” Danny whispered, looking down at his hands.
Yolan interrupted his thoughts. “Danny, I will explain when we are together.”
Danny looked up when he heard her thoughts.
“It’s Yolan,” he told Crystal. “She wants us to continue.”
They remounted their cycles and after thirty minutes exited the forest onto a dirt road that was adjacent to a small lake buffered on three sides by magnificent rock outcroppings. As they followed the dirt road, Danny received instructions from Yolan.
“Do you see the natural platform near the top of the rock formation on the left side of the lake? If you climb to that ledge, I will be close by.”
Danny stopped and looked around.
“Crystal, we need to climb that ledge.”
She looked at him like he was crazy.
“Don’t worry,” he said, “it doesn’t look too difficult and most animals are nocturnal.”
“Tell that to the bear,” she murmured under her breath.
They made good progress until they noticed a bobcat sleeping in its den between them and their destination. Danny took Crystal’s hand, guiding her forward. She held her breath as the bobcat raised its head and watched them pass.
When they reached the ledge, Crystal looked pale. Holding hands, they sat on the ledge overlooking the shimmering water below. The water’s surface was randomly rippling from
fish feeding on insects. Danny felt totally relaxed and communicated to Yolan that her special place was magnificent, just as she’d described, but he was wondering where she was.
“I’m behind you.”
He stood and turned but saw only the solid surface of a granite slab rising twenty feet above the platform.
“Where?”
“What I’m going to ask you to do will seem impossible, but if you trust me, you will soon learn the truth.”
Danny reflected on all that had happened during the last few months—he wasn’t about to turn back.
“Okay, what do you want us to do?”
“Yes, Crystal can join you. Take Crystal’s hand and walk together into the granite wall.”
He was stunned but determined to go forward. Reaching down, he gently pulled Crystal up to his side and turned her to face the massive structure.
“Crystal, what I’m about to ask will sound crazy, so you can stay here or come with me.”
She shook her head. “You’re not leaving me on this ledge with a sleeping bobcat a few yards away.”
“We’re going to walk into that wall!”
“What?”
Yolan interrupted, “Danny, once you enter the surface, don’t stop for any reason. You must continue until you’re on the other side.”
“Crystal, if we want to find Yolan—we have to trust her. We’ll walk with our hands out in front and if we hit a solid surface, we’ll stop. But once we enter, don’t stop until I tell you.”
They reached the rock surface, and their hands went through the granite as if it were water. They had a sensation of pressure on all sides but kept walking until it was gone and they found themselves in a large cavern. They turned to touch the surface behind them; it was cold, damp, and solid.
Once again, Yolan spoke. “Danny, Rolo and Bounce will show you around, and I will explain everything shortly.”
“Who are Rolo and Bounce?”
Just then Danny noticed the cavern was illuminated off in the distance and the light moved rapidly toward them. As they strained to see what was coming, they saw what looked like two large balls surrounded by a bright aura of electrifying energy. Danny felt fear emanating from Crystal’s body.
“Relax. Yolan won’t hurt us.”
“There’s something you’re not telling me. Now would be a good time for an explanation!”
“I think Yolan is from another planet. We’re about to understand why they chose me to communicate with, and why we’re here.”
Chapter 14
Future Revealed
T he electrically charged objects stopped within two feet of Danny and Crystal, igniting their auras with brilliant, swirling colors. Hundreds of erratic strings of electricity were absorbed by Danny and Crystal’s bodies as they stood frozen in the electrical storm that engulfed them.
“Danny, what is happening to us?” Crystal screamed.
“Their energy is charging our auras. Try to relax—they will not hurt us.”
The electrical interaction began to instill a feeling of euphoria eliminating any sense of fear or fatigue. Gradually, the intensity of the energy emanations from the balls of electricity decreased, providing just sufficient light for Danny and Crystal to see their immediate surroundings.
“Welcome! Yolan has asked us to show you our facilities and to answer your questions,” announced the larger of the two spherical objects.
“Which one of you is Rolo?” Danny asked.
“I am,” the larger of the two responded. “We are electro-activated polymer androids responsible for operation and maintenance of this facility.”
Having calmed down, Crystal’s curiosity took over.
“Our robots are mechanical devices with probes and artificial limbs. Do you always roll? How do you operate this facility without limbs?”
After a moment’s delay, in which it appeared that Rolo and Bounce were communicating, Rolo transformed into an exact physical replica of Danny, and Bounce an identical twin of Crystal.
Rolo broke the silence that followed. “We can change into any anatomical form by controlling the ionic flow into our polymer fibers. We can emulate muscle, bone, organs—living organisms, as well as inanimate objects.”
Rolo suggested they proceed to the main control chamber while they answer questions. Danny hesitated as he turned to grab Crystal’s hand—both Crystals were standing side by side and he couldn’t tell them apart.
They followed Rolo, listening to his every word.
“We are what’s known as self-contained androids with more computational and memory capacity than Earth’s most advanced supercomputers.
“In addition, we maintain communication with the computation network in this facility and have instant access to any information required that may not be stored in our polymer memory fibers.”
“How can you generate so much electrical energy?” Danny asked as he extended his aura to continue absorbing a charge from Rolo as they walked.
“Miniature cold fusion cells generate the energy that enables us to function and activate our polymer fibers.”
Danny was about to delve deeper, when Yolan interrupted his thoughts.
“I know you have zillions of questions, so I’m going to instruct Rolo and Bounce to take on my appearance and that of my superior. This way we can talk directly to each other and determine how best to proceed.”
Danny moved closer to Crystal and explained what was happening as their anatomical twins converted back into two balls of energy and reemerged as Yolan and Zeiss.
*****
“First, let me welcome you again. I’m Science Director Zeiss. We realize you must be confused, so I will explain why we invited you here. Danny, you have correctly surmised that we are an alien race. We are from another galaxy, light years from Earth, but in many ways, kindred spirits since our two planets and life-forms are essentially identical. We are, however, a much older and more advanced civilization, certainly with respect to technology and cerebral development. We are peaceful beings, trying to help the human race survive and, hopefully by doing so, accomplish the same for our own.”
“Are there other life-forms in the Universe?” Crystal asked.
“Yes,” Zeiss responded. “The Universe is teeming with life, and that leads to why we are here. There is one race, the Ammagans, who seek to dominate the Universe and are causing mass destruction and misery. Our goal, with your help, is to stop them before they destroy our home planet, Grillion.”
“You look human. Are you taking this shape so as not to scare us or do all alien races have the same appearance?”
“As I mentioned our galaxies are identical in every way, except for age, so our life-forms are identical. The Ammagans, however, evolved from a quagmire of acidic gases and elements bubbling up through bogs of corrosive chemicals, exposed to intense uranium radiation—the essential catalyst for developing and sustaining life in the absence of sufficient sunlight.
“The Ammagans are fierce-looking, massive animal beings with armor-like scales protecting a muscular frame, with the ability to detect infrared radiation and emit lethal radioactive rays through their infrared sensors.”
“What can we possibly do to stop the Ammagans? We’re just teenagers,” Danny asked.
It was Yolan who tried to answer. “Danny, this will be difficult for either of you to understand at first, but with time, you will come to appreciate the technology available to you and why you are unique in your ability to assist in our quest.” After a short pause, she continued. “We are communicating with you from the future, using telepathic time travel; this is why we’re unable to be physically with you. We believe that we can stop the devastation caused by the Ammagans by changing the past. In order to accomplish this, we need you to change Earth’s future, which is in our past.”
Crystal was totally confused.
“How can we change your past by changing our future unless they are somehow connected? How do you know your future will be any better
off if you change the past?” Zeiss, impressed with her logic, responded, “You’re absolutely correct in your thinking, young lady. Our futures are connected and that is why we have been searching for someone on Earth who has the capability to receive our telepathic communications—that person is Danny. To answer the second part of your question, all I can say is our current future is either total annihilation or enslavement, so any risk is worth taking. On the other hand, our theoreticians believe a more positive future is possible if we change your future without physically altering your past, but have it evolve in a different direction with our indirect assistance.”
Danny listened intently and asked the question that was on both their minds. “How are our futures linked?”
Just as he asked, they entered the main facility, which became illuminated as if they had walked into a plasma screen. Danny was so awestruck by this abrupt transition that he forgot his question. The cavern they entered, which looked as sterile as an operating room, was lined around its perimeter with alcoves filled with space-age equipment. Some of the stations looked quite sinister, and if it weren’t for the trust that Yolan had already established, he would have been concerned for their safety.
“What is the purpose of all this equipment?” Crystal asked.
The android that represented Zeiss stepped forward. “The original mission of this base was to document Earthlings’ evolutionary and technological development. This required sophisticated psychological and physiological evaluation methods of harvested specimens. Studying the technological advancement was trivial in comparison since we have had access to all your methods of communication over many centuries—the physiological changes required direct access to subjects in order to study the human genome and to analyze physical and mental evolutionary changes.”