by Neely Dobbs
CHAPTER 58: Alliance
Jazon had shaken himself from his musings about ADIZ and the call to Sabanda. When he returned his thoughts to his surroundings, he had noticed the lengthening shadows created by the stately procession of trees along the boulevards. He had repeated the pattern of the last two evenings: eating at the restaurant atop his hotel, where a polite AIDD would serve him; returning afterwards to his plush suite at the pinnacle of the Towers; sitting on the open verandah which offered an unobstructed view of the heavens; then watching the fading glory of sunset and then the slow turning of the night sky until he could no longer keep his eyes open. Finally, mercifully, he would manage to drift into an uneasy sleep.
Jazon had been resting on a lounger on the verandah of his room, thirty floors above ground, staring expectantly at the sky. He could view the heavens and the dominating sight of the Milky Way galaxy spiraling across the sky, but he had observed no significant changes during the last two hours.
It had made him begin to wonder if this was a wasted trip, and that had caused his thoughts to drift back to ADIZ. Jazon wished he had allowed him to come along for company, but knew it was better for ADIZ to be available to Sabanda if a new crisis arose. Besides, his real hope was that— somehow, some way— the problem with the SDs would solved in the near future and the crisis would come to an end. Then ADIZ could oversee the return of everyone at Sanctuary-1 from hibernation. But I'm still amazed that ADIZ managed to circumvent the orders I dictated. It was almost as if he actually felt concerned for my welfare!
Jazon had finally retired to the bedroom, in spite of the splendid view from the verandah,. Now he was stretched across the bed at an angle, where he could view a portion of the night sky through the open verandah doorway. His thoughts drifted again. Do I hope this never happens, or do I wish it had happened already? If I am taken away, how long will I be gone? Will Hoga do a ‘time stop’ again? Has he already? Will I arrive back at Kepren soon after I left? An involuntary shiver came and went. Or might I never make it back?
Then, in the eerie silence, he felt an electrical tingle permeate the air. From the corner of his eye, he caught a hint of motion from the bedside tabletop. On it were several of Jazon’s personal articles and a small sheet of villium which, during his tense wait, he had nervously rolled loosely into a tube. Curious, Jazon turned his head toward the table. The rolled tube, lying on its side, pivoted on the table as though it were a compass needle seeking a particular alignment. Then one end of the tube lifted slightly away from the tabletop. It slowly raised higher, then started to vibrate and dance rapidly. Simultaneously, the hair on Jazon’s body stood erect. He quickly rolled off the bed and started to get up. A wave of dizziness struck him. His body would not respond properly and his mind whirled.
Then Jazon realized that his room had become violet tinted.
This must be it! It’s happening! Just as Hoga predicted! The system really is going to vanish! But where What if I can’t return? None of the others have! Will I survive? Sam….
His mind cleared enough to wonder if the system’s sun might offer visible evidence of the phenomena. Then he remembered that Plathymiir had long since set. Despite the confusing mental and physical whirl, Jazon retained enough presence of mind to realize he could observe the sun by viewscreen. He managed to growl, “Center! Real-time projection… Plathymiir… my room. Now!”
Instantly, the wall opposite his bed seemed to vanish, replaced by a view of Belshimitar's sun. At first glance, it seemed entirely normal.
His sense of dizziness— of displacement—continued to grow. Unsure of his balance or of what violent events might occur, he crawled to the verandah opening. He struggled to a sitting position and leaned against the open doorway for support. The eerie sense of physical instability continued to grow, but no detectable visual signs supported his feeling of internal quaking. When this dizziness passes, it will probably be all over.
Through the doorway, he saw an increasingly bright glow of a lurid purple haze enveloping the sky. It’s what the recordings showed, but so much more….
At that instant, the room shook and seemed to shift around him, Jazon braced for more violent shocks, fearing that more intense jarring and quaking could collapse his room or even shatter the planet into rubble.
A momentary increase in his dizziness was followed by a sudden sense of stability. He waited, unknowingly breathless,
Is it over? Or is this only a short pause before the final destruction? Jazon waited several seconds more, still holding his breath. Everything seems exactly as it was before. Has a transition occurred? Did something prevent it? Or has Hoga stopped it?
* * *
Hoga smiled.