Mobius

by Vincent Vale

  Allienora? You’re not dead?

  I don’t think so. Unless in the afterlife you’re paralyzed, and forced to stare for eternity at a wall of blinding yellow light. Allienora’s words became intense: Is that you, Theron? I thought I was hallucinating.

  How is it we’re communicating? I thought. My mouth doesn’t move, yet you hear me.

  I don’t know, came Allienora. However, my thoughts are what you perceive as well. Are you also hanging from some great machine?

  Yes. We must be close, since the walls are the same glowing yellow you described. I suddenly felt tears in my eyes. I’m glad you’re alive.

  So am I.

  Hold on, I interrupted. From the electric-yellow wall, a previously undetectable crack expanded into an oval doorway. From it, one of our captors appeared. One of the aliens enters.

  “Excellent, you’re awake,” said the alien in a perfect English dialect. “I was beginning to fear you had brain damage from the operation.”

  As it spoke, I noticed its mouth didn’t move. However, the polyps surrounding its mouth trilled in sync with every word I heard.

  It continued, “It was possible you weren’t going to wake up.”

  Unable to move or speak aloud, I stared at the alien.

  “Forgive me,” said the alien. It approached a control podium and tapped on it, triggering my release.

  I felt a network of fibers retract from the back of my head—it was a weird sensation. The metal restraint at my chest released, and I fell to the ground in a mound of bent joints and loose muscles. I picked myself up and stood proudly, unashamed by my nakedness.

  “What have you done to us, you evil fucks?”

  The alien’s expression shifted. “I admit that my skills with such procedures are that of a novice, but ‘evil’ is a harsh term to use considering I’ve saved your lives. I was the only person on this planet with the skill to help you. I only did as the two Oryxes instructed.”

  “And how is it you speak my language so fluently?”

  “I don’t,” said the alien. “Besides repairing your mortal injuries, I was also asked to implant a biolinguistic lobe within your brain. This will allow you to communicate with any other species with such a lobe. It works by a sort of psychic transmission. In short time, you’ll master its use, so not to mingle your thoughts with your intended communication.” The alien gestured to a tangle of metal on the table. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t implant the biolinguistic lobe without removing your primitive neural implant. This setback may have been the reason you were comatose for so long.”

  “Comatose?” I said.

  “You’ve been unconscious for two hundred days.”

  “Impossible.”

  “Don’t worry,” continued the alien. “If you had any appointments to keep, you won’t miss them. This room is contained within a temporal bubble, which dilates time. For every day that passes within, only a minute passes outside.”

  “Remarkable,” I said. “And where is outside?”

  “We’re in the floating city of Azimoir, not far from where the Oryxes found you.”

  “What of my companions? Where are they?”

  The alien again tapped at the control podium. The machine from which I had hung was in the shape of a large cube. It revolved, revealing the naked figures of Allienora, Morion, and Orsteen.

  “They’re all alive,” said the alien. “The female is healed, and everyone’s biolinguistic lobe is functioning properly.” The alien pointed to me. “You were the most troublesome of my patients. I had to remove your artificial eyes. They sucked the life right out of you. Though I must say, they were a lovely albeit imperfect design.” The alien ran a hand along his arm, showcasing his glowing skin. “Your people may someday achieve total systematic integration.”

  “So you’re not a machine?”

  “Organic or mechanical, we’re all machines. But to answer your question, my people are mostly organic.”

  “What else did you do to me?”

  “Your tissues were saturated with poison. I tried to flush it from your system, but your brain is dependent on it. Thus, I grafted a gland to your pancreas to supplement your system.”

  With new eyes and the amber narcotic in my blood, I now knew why my mind was so clear.

  “What’s next for us? Why have we been taken captive?” I realized there was a much greater issue. “Why have you invaded Earth?”

  “I know nothing about this place you call ‘Earth,’ or the invasion you describe. Yet, the name is somehow familiar.” The alien rubbed one of its quivering polyps with a long finger. “I consider myself a well-traveled man, acquainted with many civilizations, and, still, I’ve never seen beings quite like you. Moreover, I’ve never heard of a species not born with biolinguistic lobes.” The alien extended his long finger upward. “I must reference the compendium.” He stood at the control podium, and after a few minutes formed an expression like shock. “The Oryxes didn’t tell me who you were. You’ll have to talk to them. I’ll let them know you’re awake.”

  The alien manipulated the control podium and Allienora, Morion, and Orsteen all fell from their bondage. The alien walked briskly toward the electric-yellow wall. It generated an opening that immediately sealed shut once he passed through.

  We stretched our weary limbs and rolled our heads, attempting to regain our flexibility. In all, the machine that had sustained us during our sleep prevented any serious atrophy.

  I found everyone’s clothes on a nearby table.

  Allienora stood in a timid pose, shielding her nakedness to the best of her ability. She looked at me and smiled. “It’s good to see the color of your real eyes, Theron. Hazel always suited you.”

  “It’s good to see you with them.”

  From behind her, Morion ogled her pleasing form. The things I’d do to you. The positions I’d have you in.

  Allienora glared at Morion in revolt. “Your thoughts are easily heard with our new biolinguistic lobes. I assume this is the case for all weak-minded souls.”

  “So, our thoughts have become one.” Morion smiled wide. “What a turn of events. In light of our new psychic connection, I’ll explore your thoughts and discover your true feelings for me. They’re likely pent deep within you, my lovely Allienora.” Morion modeled his nude figure, arms akimbo, chest heaving, belly drawn in, and face twisted in a perverted grin. “Look at me! And reveal your emotions!”

  I laughed at Morion’s absurd pose and his look of stupid concentration as he tried to read Allienora’s mind. “I think you’re going crazy, Morion.”

  “I’m a dreamer, Mr. Mobius!”

  “Whatever you are, it’s good to know you’re capable of bringing humor to any situation. Every company of travelers should have a clown on hand. It’s good for the spirit.”

  Morion released his breath and let his stomach fall forward. He grabbed his clothes from me, and then turned away with slumped shoulders.

  The armored aliens—or Oryxes, as we now knew them—would arrive shortly. I put on my clothes and went to the table of surgical tools. I selected some kind of scalpel. When I pushed a button on it, the blade glowed red as if the molecules became energized.

  “This should do the trick,” I said, sliding the tool under the tight fabric of my sleeve. “They better keep their snouts away from me.”

  I grabbed at my heart as I felt a strange emptiness. I realized my wife’s necklace was missing. Thankfully, I found it among the surgical tools. I held it tightly in my hand, hesitating to put it on. I looked to Allienora who currently argued with Morion.

  My feelings for her are growing, I thought. Am I being unfaithful to Cassandra?

  Orsteen apparently noticed my preoccupation. “You must move on with your life, Theron. Would Cassandra want you to mourn forever?” Orsteen tilted his head toward Allienora. “Be happy in the moment. There’s enough room in your heart.”

  I admired her for a moment and then tucked the necklace into my pocket.

  As
Orsteen nodded in approval, the walls of the room drained of their electric-yellow light, quivered momentarily, and then vanished. We now stood in a large room, surrounded by many thick marble columns that seemed more decorative than functional.

  I walked out on an attached balcony, which afforded a panoramic view of the ocean. In the distance, I saw the cliffs of the peninsula we had stayed on two hundred days ago. I corrected my perceptions.

  It was only yesterday.

  From an arched doorway came the two Oryxes. Instead of their armor, they wore smocks of a delicate white cloth. At first, I thought they were in a calm mood, with snouts long and relaxed. But as they neared, something in their round emerald eyes conveyed intense emotion.

  “You’ve been quite frustrating,” said one of the Oryxes. “The proverbial bug in our bed!”

  “The same could be said of you,” I replied.

  I contemplated the moment. They stand without their armor. I’ll move fast. Pull the surgical tool from my sleeve and get my revenge for the Brahman Station.

  “Your trap in the cave was wickedly ingenious,” continued the Oryx. “Poor Bergus never saw those stalagmites coming.” He let out a sad snort, like a sob. “Before we entered, I advised him to engage his head armor, but Bergus was a stubborn fellow.”

  The other Oryx gave his snout a passionate tug. “Our friend wasn’t deserving of such a meaningless end! Your ignorance killed him!”

  I threw up a hand in protest. “You accuse us of ignorance! Who are you to judge? Your attack on Earth is why we’re here. We merely tried to stop you.”

  “Your efforts were too ambitious. Your companions didn’t succeed at destroying our vessel with their weapon. We were able to contain the spatial disturbance when it was detonated. Your friends, unfortunately, didn’t survive, and like poor Bergus, they too died a needless death. You must now understand that we’re not the hostile force you believe us to be. We’re not planning to harm you or anyone on Earth.”

  “Ha!” I scoffed. “Over five hundred crew members and guests aboard the Brahman Station died from your act of sabotage! You may inform their families of your pacifism!”

  The two Oryxes began snorting and grunting in an awkward laugh. “You’re mistaken. Your friends weren’t killed when the Brahman Station fell into Jupiter. And, the Brahman Station wasn’t destroyed.”

  Is it true? I thought. Are they still alive?

  I grit my teeth. “We saw your replica of the Brahman Station. You can’t fool us twice.”

  “You’re right, it was a replica. The real Brahman Station and its passengers are... somewhere else, safe. This, I promise you.” The two Oryxes engaged their armor, which appeared from nowhere. They held out their hands. “Come, it’s time to show you how the universe has come to be.”

  I hesitated. “Where do you plan to take us?”

  “Back to our vessel near Earth,” said the Oryx.

  I looked to the others, who appeared no less confused. I then reluctantly accepted the Oryx’s hand. The rest of the company gathered around.

  Everyone shifted through space.

  DECA-HELIX

  I was baffled by our new surroundings. We stood in a comfortable living room no different from one found in a human home. It was furnished with oversized couches, wooden tables, and gaudy lamps that lit the room in a pale light. Paintings of alien landscapes hung from the walls and statues of unusual animals were positioned randomly about.

  “This is the alien vessel near Earth?” I asked.

  “Yes,” responded one of the Oryxes. “This is the sphere ship just outside your solar system. We’re in the Impresario’s personal residence within Central City.”

  “Central City?”

  “A city at the center of the sphere, where all the forest channels intersect.”

  “And who’s this Impresario?”

  “The Impresario is the administrator of this sphere. You’ll find your answers with him. If you’d excuse us, we have other things to do.” Without pause, the two Oryxes vanished.

  While we waited for the Impresario, we snooped around the room. I approached a set of tall shelves crowded with leather-bound books and oddments, noticeably ancient. Among the shelves sat a cage, perhaps for a bird. From it, a faint voice emanated: “Bring an end to my dismal existence. Show me mercy. Smother me in a clenched fist, or cast me into space for the journey into cold eternity.”

  I approached the cage for a better look and found a pathetic creature, no more than a foot tall. With feeble fingers, it gripped the bars of its cage, pushing and pulling its body back and forth, struggling with its confines. It gazed up with weary eyes. “You! Large fellow! I beg you—bring me relief.”

  “Are you held against your will?” I asked. “I’d be glad to free you from this cage.”

  It heaved a profound sigh. “This measly, wretched, constricted, corporeal state is my cage. This body is my burden. My mind desires freedom. It seeks a higher plane.”

  Perplexed by the miniature character, I could only stare in curiosity as it opened the door of its cage and hopped to a nearby shelf, where it sat on edge, with elbows on knees and head slumped into palms.

  As we marveled at the sad creature, we noticed an intense light spilling from around a corner. We turned the corner and found a giant archway that led to a brightly lit room. A group of aliens sat at a table—all unique in physiology. They were obviously in conversation, but we couldn’t hear them talking. One of the aliens with a fantastic horse-head looked at us for a moment and then returned to the conversation. I suddenly became disoriented as I looked out the large window of the other room. I saw a beautiful city of glass buildings. Alien air-cars flew by. In the distance, a bloated orange sun sat on a horizon. The archway must have been a dimensional gateway, but one that allowed you to see the other side. Just a step away was an alien planet. I grabbed a book from a nearby shelf and tossed it through the gateway. It landed on the other side and the entire table of aliens looked at me with something like annoyance. They went back to talking and I started to step across the threshold of the archway.

  “Stop! I wouldn’t do that!”

  I turned and found the little creature from the cage.

  “You don’t have any shielding and you’re a double-helix species. You’d require a lot of genetic repair if you step through that gateway. Only deca-helix species with self-repairing genetic strands can tolerate the amount of radiation on that planet.”

  “Why can’t we hear them?” asked Allienora.

  The little creature looked at Alleinora as if she were joking. “Sound can’t travel across a dimensional threshold.”

  “How far away is that planet?” I asked.

  “Please no more questions,” said the little creature. “I don’t have time to babysit the four of you. I was just about to kill myself, and need to get back to it.”

  A moment later, the alien with the fantastic horse-head walked through the dimensional archway. He spoke in a deep voice. “Greetings, travelers! Sorry to make you wait, but I had an important meeting with some other Impresarios. Big events are upon us.”

  We stood there in awe of him. He had an exquisitely shaped skull, two great hollows for cheeks, and a large jutting jaw. Blue velvet garments draped from his body. His lofty stature and upturned chin gave him a regal appearance.

  “I see you’ve met Stimple. I hope he didn’t bring you down. He’s been a bit sad lately. Once every thousand years, he suffers a fit of depression. It’ll pass in a year, maybe two.”

  “You’re the Impresario?” I inquired, staring in wonder at the alien’s fantastic horse-head.

  “I am. You may call me Fandoral.” Fandoral inspected each in the company, rubbing his massive chin.

  His gaze was oddly joyful. I wondered if there were cages somewhere for us. Was Fandoral planning to add us to his collection of curiosities and miniature men?

  “It’s a favor of fortune that the four of you have arrived here, and now.” Fandoral applied his att
ention first to Orsteen. “Ah... Orsteen Hunn of the Mercury Miners—unrefined, hard-working, and loyal.” He stepped to Allienora, examining her soft features. “Allienora Chang, Prime Minister of Earth and the last of royalty—elegant, beautiful, and mysterious. Morion Morpheme, Prime Elitist of Mars—a connoisseur of fine living, verging into gluttony, vainglory, and excess. And, finally, Theron Mobius—”

  “Enough!” I protested. “What’s this all about? What do you want from Earth?”

  “This will take some time. Come, have a seat.” Fandoral gestured to a low table surrounded by couches of a heavy, green fabric. We sat in awkward silence.

  Fandoral remained standing. He cleared his throat and adjusted his blue velvet garments. “The things you’ve seen in the Guardian Sphere are not what you think. My people, this place, and the Obelisks we’ve sent to Earth, are not related to the Fume and his presence around Earth.”

  “Bullshit,” I said.

  “It’s true,” replied Fandoral.

  “What of the sabotage of the Brahman Station?”

  “Also the Fume. It was his human minion who planted the devices on the Brahman Station, not us.”

  “The Oryxes assured me the crew and passengers of the Brahman Station are unharmed. Does this mean you saved them from the Fume’s sabotage?”

  Fandoral smiled. “No. In a sense... they weren’t saved.”

  “Then what happened to them!” I yelled. “You and the Oryxes speak in circles!”

  Despite my outburst, Fandoral’s smirk remained. He raised and whirled a thick-jointed finger, and a node rose out of the table in front of us. It projected a holographic image of perfect clarity.

  I jumped to my feet when I saw Atticus. He was alive. His face was drawn and withered, but he was alive.

  The hologram became animated and Atticus spoke: “It’s been hard times, to say the least, since the sabotage of the Brahman Station two years ago.”

  I looked to Allienora and the others, confused by the stated interval of time.