The Elicon

by Rob Roth

  Jace put the stone back into the container and slipped it into his pocket.

  “We have to figure out what this blue stone is, and what it is meant to do. I think to find these answers we should start with Severs, but I need to face the fact that Allison could be right. The ‘alien’ visions of Severs and Davis might have been caused by exposure to the gas. My ‘beautiful lands’ vision also could have merely been a vivid dream from exposure, so maybe looking for Severs is a waste of time, but I don’t know what else we can try. Let’s lay low here for a few days while we plan our next steps, if we can convince Van Dyne it is in his best interests. General Heissman is probably still looking for us,. This may be the safest place to be right now. I imagine Van Dyne knows that too and will want to keep us safe.”

  “Sounds good to me. I could get used to the finer things in life for a few days. What say we talk to Gerard and see what he’s preparing for us tonight?”

  Jace awakes to find himself hovering in front of the most beautiful woman he has ever seen… the woman in the fiery mirror… sitting in her adorned chair in the palace, with her hands clasped, as before. Looking in concentration at first, then seeing Jace, a joyous smile breaks on her face, and Jace in turn feels inexpressible peace and contentment. And Love? She raises her hands and unclasps them, and Jace sees a blue stone sitting in the palm of her hand. She nods once at him, and suddenly Jace starts moving backward toward the window. He doesn’t wish to leave, but he has no control, as before. But again, she nods in a way that Jace understands she is telling him everything is fine, and he must travel.

  Once out the window Jace sees the beautiful tower, then turns around and flies returning over the beautiful landscape he had traversed before. He sees the majestic mountain peaks of snow, the beautiful silvery lakes, and soon the forests and glades. He begins flying faster and faster over a landscape that continues to be just as awe-inspiring — green pastures next to crystal lakes and streams resplendent with herds of unknown types of beasts, waterfalls coming from lush mountains and glistening with mist and rainbows, rocky peaks rising from the ground like teeth into misty air, with the peaks full of trees and greenery growing on them. Other are vistas so glorious he doesn’t have words to describe, as they are like no place on Earth. The ground far below is passing by so quickly that after a while he figures he must have travelled ten thousand miles or more, and each span is as glorious as the next.

  But then he starts to slow down and notices a darkening up ahead. Whereas the skies he had travelled had been clear blue, up ahead are dark clouds and a dark land. He stops near the transition and sees a sharp demarcation, as if some barrier he could not see is holding the darkness at bay in a clear separation of both land and sky. The dark lands have tall structures that remind him of alien skyscraper cities he had seen in futuristic movies. A feeling of malevolence suddenly overcomes him, in sharp contrast to the feeling of peace and contentment he felt emanating from the land of light. Suddenly, something appears in the dark skies over the skyscrapers. It looks like a silvery spaceship. But it is egg shaped and has the pooling appearance of mercury.

  Jace woke up, startled to find himself in his bed at the Van Dyne estate. Light was coming in through the windows, so he assumed it must be morning. Dooley was already awake and dressed, sitting in a chair and reading, when he noticed Jace had opened his eyes.

  “Good morning Professor. Looks like you decided to sleep in today,” Dooley said.

  Jace sat up and took a moment to gather his thoughts, and said, “Dooley, we definitely need to find both Severs and Davis, and learn what they know. I’m beginning to think their stories could be true, and the aliens are somehow connected to Project Stardust.”

  Jace and Dooley were sitting at the large dining table at the Van Dyne estate, enjoying another sumptuous breakfast. It was a sunny morning, and light was streaming in through the windows that lined one side of the room, throwing rays of sunlight on the floor intermixed with the shadows from the window frames.

  “The mixed fruits and omelets were great!” said Dooley. “But I think I’ll have a couple more biscuits and bacon before calling it quits.”

  “Suit yourself,” replied Jace. “I’ll keep you company. I still have my coffee to finish. But after you are done, I think we should call Van Dyne. We’ve delayed long enough. I should go ahead and tell him we will start hunting for the blue dust tomorrow.”

  “Sir, a phone call for you, from Mr. Van Dyne,” Gerard interrupted, bringing the phone over to Jace. After handing it to him, he departed. Jace looked at Dooley with a quizzical expression on his face and picked up the phone.

  “Hello, this is Jace... What!? … Are you serious? …No, we haven’t. But I will let Dooley know as soon as possible.” Jace finished and turned the phone off.

  "What was that all about? What’s going on?” asked Dooley

  “Well, from what Van Dyne said, Miss Trask has gone rogue. She went on a rampage of some sort, and Van Dyne is worried we may, for some reason, be in danger as well. He wanted to warn us.”

  Dooley shook his head sadly and said, “I guess I was right not to trust Trask. God knows what game she is playing ...”

  “This is not a bloody game!” they heard Allison Trask say, as she stepped in through the doorway with a gun in her hand. “Lives are at stake here! I am trying to do what’s right!”

  “Oh yeah, is that coming here and, what, shooting us? You’ve gone off the deep end, Trask. Why are you out to get us?” asked Dooley.

  “Get you? Bugger, Dooley! I’m not out to get you. I have the gun because the bloody authorities are after me! I came here to try to convince you not to help Van Dyne acquire more blue dust. I’m pleading with you, mates,” she said as she laid the gun on the floor. Dooley was tempted to rush for it or take Trask out before she changed her mind… she seemed a bit irrational... but he decided to hear her out.

  “Look, I overheard Jace say you were going to help Van Dyne find more of the blue dust. I’m begging you not too. I didn’t realize how dangerous that gateway would be until yesterday. Can’t you see how they will abuse it? No matter how noble Van Dyne may be, I know Heissman only wants it for weaponizing. So, I’ve nicked their diamond and dumped their existing cache of blue dust in the Yarra river where they’ll never find it. Your plans to help them have been bolloxed temporarily, but Van Dyne will acquire a new crystal eventually, and if you find more blue dust, it will only be a matter of time before they cross that blasted dimension of theirs. Please don’t help them!”

  Allison is truly mystified when Dooley broke out in a big smile.

  “Allie, that’s the best news we’ve heard today!” he said.

  “Wait… what? What do you mean it is good news? This goes against your plans….”

  “Allison, we had no intentions of helping Van Dyne,” Jace explained. “Dooley and I agree we can’t let those crazy fools pursue this gateway. Of course, we know how Heissman and the other military groups would use that capability. We were merely playing along with them until we could find a way to stop them for good. It seems you’ve now bought us some time. It was a genius move stealing the diamond and eliminating their blue dust. That should set them back months at least.”

  “I…. I don’t know what to say,” Allison said with a confused look on her face.

  “Well you don’t have to say anything,” Dooley said smiling. “Allie, I’m sorry we didn’t trust you. I guess you really have been on our side. I could kiss you for what you did to mess up their plans!”

  "Bugger that Dooley! I wouldn't try that unless you want to find yourself on the floor.” Allison said with conflicting emotions. “Maybe when I see a bit more respect and trust from you… I mean… then maybe we can get back to being friends,” she said turning slightly red.

  “Ok, ok, I’m happy for you both,” Jace said with a little impatience in his voice, “but we have a bigger problem on our hands. We already had Heissman chasing after us. Now Allie has added Van Dyne to the list of
those after us, if he finds out Allie is with us.”

  “You’re right,” Allison said. “No worries. I should leave. I have several safe houses I can go to, thanks to some old military buddies. I can’t bring my troubles onto you.”

  “No, Allie, you misunderstood me. I meant, now that you are with us. We aren’t going to throw you to the wolves by having you go on your own.”

  “That’s for darn sure!” added Dooley with a smile.

  “Besides, “I can see Dooley is very eager to work on mending that friendship,” Jace said. “And we really could use your help with the next lead we need to follow, what with your training and contacts. We need to get to Severs. Do you have any way to get us out of here and back to the U.S. without detection from Van Dyne or Heissman?”

  “No worries, Jace. I still have some mates in the military. I can arrange to get us there on one of their aircraft which bypasses normal customs. And I know of a safe house in the states as well if we need it. We Aussies tend to stick together.”

  “Great. When we get there, I’ll fill you in on what Dooley and I know, and really some things I know which I haven’t yet shared with even Dooley. Then we can all plan out our next steps together.”

  Suddenly the phone rang again. Jace gave a shrug and picked it up, putting his upraised index finger on his mouth indicating they should keep quiet. “Hello, this is Jace. What? … Well ... that's wonderful news Connor. Well then, I guess Dooley and I will head back to the U.S. and start planning the search for more blue dust. Thanks so much for your hospitality. It’s been wonderful staying here.” For such good news, Jace was looking anything but happy.

  “Van Dyne called to give us the supposedly good news that General Heissman has come across a small stash of blue dust, which he appropriated from Colonel Severs and Davis. They are both now in military custody because they were supposedly trying to move the supply to the enemy. General Heissman decided we were not involved. It was strictly an inside job, so he’s off our backs now. In fact, he and Van Dyne still want our help to find a larger cache of blue dust as his isn’t quite enough. Thank goodness, Allison’s quick action bought us a little time. If you hadn’t destroyed that other cache, Allie, they would have had everything they needed. However, you are now persona non grata with just about everyone. Except us of course,” Jace added with a smile.

  SEVEN

  A cool front moved into Arizona, dropping the September temperature at TUFO and bringing cloudy skies with it, but Captain Severs didn’t really mind. The brisk walk over to the onsite coffee bar invigorated him. His dark green sweater and khaki pants kept him warm as his long strides took him across the open quad to the shop. It was small but comfortable inside, having a retro diner look. A few half-circular dark leather benches with small built-in tables had surrounding half-walls just right for a private conversation. Severs bought two coffees at the bar and then took the far booth seat while awaiting the arrival of his co-conspirator. In a few minutes Davis arrived. Spotting Severs, he walked over and took a seat.

  “Davis, I think we both know I need to finish what we started, but I want you to know, if you feel you should step away I think I can handle the rest on my own. We know the artifact is safe for me to use. I can attempt to contact them by myself. I just don’t want you pulled into something that could affect your career or worse. If you step away now no one will even be aware of your role in this. But I need to try to get this egg to the aliens.”

  “Captain, for once I feel like what I am doing actually matters and could make a difference in this world. Most of my life I’ve dreamed of someday making contact with an alien race, and now we actually have! So, I want to see this through. That egg is theirs, and if it really can save their race, I imagine it would buy us a lot of gratitude and goodwill. So yes, I’m with you one hundred percent.”

  “Ok Davis. I have the artifact and the egg both locked in my office safe, but I’d really like to move them to my quarters. It’s much more private and away from prying eyes. Let’s meet at my office at around six o’clock tonight, and we can put them in an ordinary moving box and cart them to my quarters. If anyone asks, I’ll tell them I’m replacing some of my office furnishings and you offered to help.”

  At six o'clock, the two met in Captain Severs’ office and packed up the two items as planned. They used a little hand cart to pull the load. As they headed down the main hallway, Colonel Steinmacher happened to be coming the other way.

  “I hope you aren’t leaving us, Captain Severs. Looks like you are moving out,” Steinmacher said jokingly.

  Captain Severs laughed and said, “No Sir, I just decided some of my office furnishings were getting a little dated, and Specialist Davis offered to help me remove some of the older items and pick out some newer ones. He’s quite creative and I have no talent for such things.”

  Steinmacher smiled and replied, “I understand completely. I’m the same way. Carry on gentlemen.”

  Severs and Davis headed out of the Command and Control building, while Steinmacher continued down the hall. As he passed Severs’ office he happened to glance through the glass windows and was somewhat surprised to see the office still appeared fully furnished. “Very curious,” he murmured to himself.

  Once in his quarters, Severs unloaded the box, moving the two halves of the egg into his own private safe he reserved for confidential papers he brought home overnight to study. He then moved a little stand next to the bed and placed the artifact on it with the palm impression up. Davis sat in a nearby chair with a pad of paper and pen in hand to write down whatever Severs said, or anything unusual Davis observed.

  “Ok,” said Severs lying down on the bed. “I’m not exactly sure how I’m supposed to do this, but I guess I will concentrate on what I am thinking and speak fairly simple words slowly and out loud. I sure hope this device works both ways and they will be able to receive on their end.”

  Severs put his hand on the artifact. As before, he felt the low voltage tingling in his fingers and hand… moving up his arm. Then, he saw image flashes in his mind. In a minute those images stopped, and his mind went from being somewhat foggy, to clear, as if the mists in his mind were parting. He took that as a cue to start talking.

  “My name is Severs. I think we found your egg. We want to return it to you.”

  Severs waited a number of seconds, and soon had the feeling that a tuning process was going on in his mind, as if blurry concepts were being sharpened. What came into his mind as general unfocused thoughts suddenly became very clear and he could almost swear he heard them out loud in his mind.

  “We must be sure… we no longer have sufficient ..… to transit more than one time. Can you describe the… egg?” came the mental reply

  “It looks like a black rock split in half. It is about the size of my open hand,” spoke Severs as he concentrated on thinking about the words.

  Another delay occurred as if they were contemplating his response and trying to make sure they clearly understood it.

  “Was a smaller ….. found inside?” Severs heard them ask in his mind.

  “No. But a small indentation was found. It must have been there. I think I know who has the smaller object,” Severs said aloud while thinking.

  “We need the egg you found. That is most important. The ….. that the other one has is dangerous. It must be broken. It cannot remain. Keep it cold. Then destroy it.

  "Please put the egg where we left the talking device. Talk to us again when it is there, and we will come to get it.”

  Suddenly the mental connection Captain Severs had felt abruptly ended, as if an off switch was thrown. Apparently that’s the end of the communications, thought Severs.

  “Let me fill you in on what they were saying,” Severs said to Davis.

  “No need Captain. When they answered your comments and questions, you were repeating out loud what they were saying. It was like your mind was linked. I captured it all down,” answered Davis.

  “Very interesting… Se
vers said thoughtfully. “Well, I see we now have two tasks we need to do. Tomorrow we will need to come up with an excuse to get to the canyon and set that egg where we got the artifact. We should also bring the artifact with us so we can make the call to them on site to confirm the pickup. I’m going to lock the egg in my safe tonight. Can you take the artifact and lock it in the lead safe we have in Gromit for holding radioactive materials? It’s too big for my office safe and anyway we'll need it when we take Gromit tomorrow. Once we’ve delivered the egg, we should come up with a plan to track down Dr. Larkin and destroy whatever the hell he took, before it can cause any harm.”

  “Copy that, Captain. But…you know… I heard what the aliens said. It’s just that… I don’t know… they want Dr. Larkin’s object destroyed. For some reason Larkin didn’t tell you about the object inside the shell. Why? He seemed like a decent guy to me. And hell, he’s a human at least. I still can’t forget what those aliens did to that helicopter. My gut tells me to trust Larkin over them. Just… don’t be too hasty…”

  “Davis, I agree we are flying somewhat blind here,” said Severs. “Until we talk to Dr. Larkin we won’t know why he kept that a secret and what he’s up to. But we can’t wait for him to turn up, or let our own personal feelings get in the way of the facts at hand.”

  Captain Severs locked the alien egg in his safe, and Davis took the artifact. They agreed to meet in the morning at the coffee bar at 9 am to devise their plan for the return trip to the canyon. After Davis left, Severs thought about what the aliens had said. It sounded like they only had enough fuel or whatever, for one more trip. Did he understand that right? They certainly wanted to make darn sure they were picking up the egg they needed. And what the hell did Dr. Larkin have, and why did he take it in the first place? Whatever it was, those aliens were quite clear it posed a threat. Most likely Larkin had no clue it was dangerous. But Davis was also right. How do we know who we can trust? Captain Severs had so many questions going around in his mind that his sleep that night was anything but restful.