Cap shrugged his shoulders. “I guess so.”
“Of course it would be,” said Ravenwood, nodding his head. “And I think you would accept the offer if you found yourself in a constant struggle with your neighboring countries. Any advantage that could tip the scales on the battlefield would be welcome.”
“Maybe,” replied Cap. “But what does that have to do with Dr. Chambers or us?”
Ravenwood folded his arms. “I’m going to tell you three a story that you would not have heard growing up where you did, or anywhere else for that matter. Years before the Impact, the United States was engaged in a decades-long struggle with the Soviet Union. That much you should know. One of the areas of competition was space exploration. The Soviets had scored some early victories by sending satellites and even humans into Earth’s orbit, so the United States responded by announcing its intention to send humans to the moon.”
Logan recalled the book Attika had shown him in the reserve section of the library. “The Apollo program,” he said.
Ravenwood raised his eyebrows. “Correct, Logan. It was called the Apollo program. And they achieved their goal. They sent men to the moon, not just once but several times.”
Lena’s eyes lit up. “What did they find?” she asked.
“Mostly rocks,” replied Ravenwood with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Rocks and dust.”
He looked at each of their faces and continued. “Undeterred by these mundane results, the United States sent several additional ships to the moon, and they found more of the same. However, one of those missions is of great significance to us. I am speaking of the Apollo 14 mission, which occurred in 1971. Although long planned for, the timing of its launch was also in response to something scientists on Earth had observed occurring in space. Just two weeks before launch, listening stations on Earth detected the unmistakable sound of an explosion, which they believed originated somewhere between Mars and Jupiter. Furthermore, they heard some sort of electronic communication just before and just after the explosion. Then, after several days of silence, they heard a steady transmission coming from the moon.”
Cap looked at him incredulously. “So you’re saying an alien spaceship blew up somewhere between Mars and Jupiter and a piece of it landed on the moon?”
“I think he’s saying survivors landed on the moon,” said Lena.
“Exactly! Very good, Ms. Castell.” replied Ravenwood, clapping his hands.
“So that’s what the Apollo missions were about?” asked Cap.
“No, not all of them, but the United States repurposed Apollo 14’s mission to discover the source of the signal. According to the reports of the time, the mission had a crew of three astronauts, but there was a fourth crew member. He secretly boarded the rocket, and while the world watched the other three play golf on the moon and plant flags in the dust, he made his way to what turned out to be an escape pod.”
“How did he get to the pod? I mean, it’s one thing to go to the moon, but how do you get around once you’re on the surface?” asked Cap.
“He used a lunar rover, a bare-bones jeep,” offered Logan. “I recall seeing an image of one in the book Attika showed me.”
“Okay, so they had a vehicle,” said Cap. “How did they get it home? How big was the Apollo ship?”
“You ask good practical questions, Mr. Caparelli. I admire that,” said Ravenwood with a warm smile. Looking at Logan he said, “Yes, they did use the lunar rover and they did use the cargo space intended for moon materials in order to bring the small pod to Earth. But there’s more. The fourth astronaut found not only the pod, but he also found a single survivor, and in that survivor’s hand was this.” He pointed at the sphere.
“He found a sentient alien on the moon?” asked Cap. “How is that still a secret? How could something so big be kept quiet?”
“They didn’t keep it quiet,” answered Ravenwood. “The story was leaked within a few weeks of the astronauts’ return. But rather than deny the truth of the allegations, which would only lend it credence, the United States engaged in a massive misinformation campaign that went on for years. Reports of alien visitors, alien spacecraft, alien abductions, and so on were constantly fed into the news outlets. These stories soon acquired a life of their own. Sometimes people believed it, and sometimes not, but it didn’t matter because the government had achieved its goal of masking the truth in a sea of lies.”
“So what is it? What is the sphere?” asked Logan.
“The sphere?” asked Ravenwood, tapping the cold object. “This is a carrying case. It’s the thing inside the sphere that interests us, and many others. Would you like to see it?”
He picked up the medallion and brought it close to the sphere. When they were nearly touching, a circular portion of the sphere the size of the medallion flattened to reveal an intricate design of ridges and valleys. Ravenwood placed the medallion into the newly formed indentation. With a click, the grooves on the reverse side of the medallion locked into the sphere’s new indentation.
Logan and the others leaned closer, transfixed by what they were seeing. The top half of the sphere opened to reveal a small round object in the middle, no bigger than a child’s marble. It was black, but tiny ribbons of white, yellow and red ebbed and flowed within. The object floated in the middle of the sphere, suspended in a shimmering, golden energy field.
“It’s beautiful,” said Lena, eyes wide. “What is it?”
“The Apollo Stone, and it is the most important item on a ship if you want to shift space.”
“What do you mean ‘shift space’?” asked Cap.
“Shifting space occurs when you bend space until two different points occupy the same location and then you unbend it. A ship that can shift space would begin in one place, bend space, and then appear in a different location. Any location. Instantly.”
“Sounds like he’s talking about an Alcubierre Drive,” said Lena.
Logan shook his head. “An Alcubierre Drive is a very speculative hypothesis.”
Logan looked at Ravenwood, who appeared puzzled, and said, “An Alcubierre Drive would, hypothetically, expand space-time behind a ship and shrink space-time in front of it to create a space-time wave which would allow the ship to essentially surf through the universe until the ship’s current location and a desired destination touch. The ship doesn’t really move, in the sense we’re used to movement. Space moves around the ship. It’s an interesting idea, but it’s just a hypothesis.”
“I agree it’s just a hypothesis,” said Lena. “But what Ravenwood is describing sounds like an Alcubierre Drive.” Looking at Ravenwood, she asked, “How would you get enough power to shift space? According to the hypothesis, a ship would need a huge amount of power to bend space-time. It would have to convert something with a mass about the size of Mars into energy. You know, E=MC2? There’s no power source that could achieve that.”
Ravenwood looked from face to face. “Well, I don’t know the answer to that question, but I would say you three know more about shifting space than I do, which is welcome.”
“Leaving aside the impossibility of building a functioning Alcubierre Drive,” said Logan, “how was my grandfather involved with this Apollo Stone?”
“He developed the power source you say can’t exist and the navigation interface that would allow a ship, a very powerful gunship called the Blackhawk, to use the Apollo Stone to instantly shift to any desired location.”
Cap leaned forward and looked closely at the Apollo Stone. “He built an engine and navigation system to use this thing? How could he have done that without even knowing what it is?” He pointed at the Apollo Stone. “How do you go from finding it in an alien escape pod to building an Alcubierre Drive?”
“You are forgetting the survivor,” said Ravenwood. “The survivor greatly accelerated the learning process.”
“But you said the Apollo Stone and the survivor were found in 1971,” observed Cap. “It’s 2136. Is the alien still alive?”
&
nbsp; “I believe so,” said Ravenwood.
“That’s a long time,” said Logan. “We’re talking one hundred sixty-five years.”
“It is, but who’s to say how long aliens live?” asked Ravenwood.
Logan took a long look at the Apollo Stone. Its beauty was calming, hypnotic. The slow swirl of colors in the midst of pure blackness filled his vision and drew him steadily in.
“How did you come to know all of this?” asked Logan, pulling his gaze away from the stone.
“I know because your grandfather told me,” replied Ravenwood in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Unlikely,” said Logan with a scoff. “He was a true believer. He never would have talked to you, an enemy of the People’s Republic.”
“Circumstances change. People change,” answered Ravenwood. “He gave you the sphere and medallion, after all.”
Logan frowned and shook his head. “He gave it to me, sure. But just to keep it safe. Whatever his plan was, it didn’t include letting me keep it.”
Ravenwood grinned. “How well do you think you really knew your grandfather?” he asked. “The SPD watched his every move, listened to his phone conversations, spied on his friends and family. He couldn’t risk telling anyone what he was planning to do. Not without risking his life and perhaps the lives of others, too."
“He did give you the clues to find the sphere,” said Lena. “He must have at least considered the possibility that he wouldn’t be able to retrieve it.”
Logan thought about the conversation with his grandfather a month earlier at Veterans Park. They had talked about Chambers’ discouragement with the direction the government had been going in recent years. They even discussed Logan’s father, whose denunciation and execution during the Rededication had been a taboo subject in the family since Logan was a boy. But Chambers hadn’t breathed a word about the Apollo Stone or suggested in any way that he planned to commit treason. Nevertheless, Logan had definitely noticed a change in the old man.
Ravenwood held up the sphere and looked at the Apollo Stone. “Although his motives may forever be unknown, I personally think Dr. Chambers realized that what he and his colleagues were building would give the Guardians an insurmountable tactical advantage over any enemy. Don’t forget Chambers’ engine and navigation system were to be installed in an extremely powerful gunship, the Blackhawk. With the Apollo Stone guiding it, the Blackhawk would have been able to suddenly materialize behind enemy lines and cause massive casualties without warning.”
Lena looked at Cap. “Have you heard anything about this gunship?”
“No, but I did fly the new generation Phantom fighter,” he said. “It’s such a huge leap ahead of previous aircraft that I wouldn’t be surprised if the same technology was used to build some kind of big gunship.”
Ravenwood laughed and said, “Aha! I detect a modest acceptance that what I have told you is the truth. Don’t misunderstand. I’m glad you three are skeptical, but please keep your minds open to new possibilities.”
He closed the sphere and returned it, as well as the medallion, to Logan. “Here,” he said. “Dr. Chambers entrusted them to you, so it is your responsibility to keep them safe. But remember to keep the sphere closed. If you open it, the Apollo Stone can be detected.”
Logan looked at the sphere. “Does the stone emit some kind of radiation? Should we be worried?”
“No. It doesn’t emit radiation. But we don’t want to risk attracting attention,” replied Ravenwood. “Now, we’d better get moving. We don’t have much time.”
Lena cleared her throat. “Before we go walking out the door, I’d like to know the end goal,” she said. “I understand we don’t want it to be used in the Blackhawk, but what are we supposed to do with the Apollo Stone? Destroy it?”
Ravenwood shook his head. “You cannot destroy the Apollo Stone. You could hit it with a sledge hammer and it wouldn’t show a scratch. And don’t think for a moment that the Blackhawk is no longer dangerous simply because it cannot shift space without the stone. It has extremely advanced weaponry and propulsion systems. I’m told it is also capable of transporting up to two hundred and fifty troops. It is a formidable weapon in its own right.”
“Okay,” continued Cap. “So we can’t destroy the Apollo Stone and we have to be careful about the Blackhawk, but what’s the plan?”
Ravenwood started walking toward the steps leading up to the tavern. “The plan is to leave immediately and head for the Blue Mountain. It is the gateway into Cumberland Gap. I had hoped to skirt north of the Allegany Mountains and travel west, parallel to the Heartland Road, but I no longer think that is possible, given how intently the Guardians are searching for you.”
“It sounds like the Cumberland Gap is the more direct route to the Mississippi anyway,” said Logan.
They reached the top of the stairs and passed through the false door. Ravenwood nodded to the woman behind the bar and ushered the others out the tavern’s back door and into the night.
As they walked toward the place where they had hidden their packs, Ravenwood replied to Logan’s earlier observation. “It is true that traveling through the Cumberland Gap is the shorter route to the great river and the League of Free Cities on the far bank, but the Gap has its own perils,” said Ravenwood.
Before Logan could respond, Ravenwood stopped and looked up at the stars. Muttering to himself and turning a half circle to get oriented, he pointed at several constellations, then lowered his eyes to the forest in front of him. He held out his arm in a straight line.
“This way,” he said as he set off with long strides into the forest.
The others scrambled to grab their gear from where Kane had hidden it and catch up with Ravenwood as he disappeared into the night. When they had caught up to him, Ravenwood continued to speak. “As I was saying, there are dangers associated with traveling through the Gap. Chief among them is the fact that the Allegany highlands are the home of the so-called Mountaineers, a general term referring to the many loosely associated and frequently bickering peoples living there. The most powerful Mountaineer tribe is called the Greenspurs. They are led by Tamara Barrough. Calls herself the Queen of Cumberland. Queen Tamara’s allegiance usually lies on the side opposite the Guardians, but one can never be sure whom she will support.”
Cap laughed. “The Queen of Cumberland? Isn’t that a little excessive?”
“Well, what is your Grand Guardian if not a king?” asked Ravenwood. “He is selected by the rather pliable Congress of Representatives and serves for life. He cannot be removed from office except by unanimous consent of the four other Guardians and the Premier Judge, and his word has the power of law.”
They pushed through thick brush until they reached a well-worn trail. Ravenwood turned west and set a quick pace.
After they had walked a few minutes, Lena said, “If we’re not sure about Queen Tamara’s allegiance, can we get through the gap without her knowing?”
“No. The pass runs right in front of her stronghold.”
“Can we go south, around the Smokey Mountains?” asked Cap.
“Perhaps, but time is too short.”
They came to a three-way split in the trail. Without hesitating, Ravenwood led the group down the left path.
“What about Kane?” asked Lena. “Will he be able to find us? Does he know the route we’re taking?”
“Yes,” said Ravenwood. “If all goes well, we will meet him at the Blue Mountain.”
Chapter 30
They had been marching in silence for several hours when Ravenwood said, “It will be light soon. There is a cave behind a waterfall not too far ahead. We will spend the day there and continue in the evening.”
“How much farther to Blue Mountain?” asked Logan, who had begun to feel the effects of several days of constant walking.
“About twenty-five kilometers,” answered Ravenwood. “If all goes well, we’ll be there after tomorrow night’s march.”
They continued walking for anot
her fifteen minutes, when they heard the sound of rushing water. Just as the sun was lighting the eastern sky, they came around a bend in the trail and entered a grassy clearing. There was a small pool and a stream running from it toward the south and into the trees. The pool was fed by a seven-meter-high waterfall. Ravenwood led them around the pool until they were next to the waterfall. He turned sideways, pressed his back against the rock, and slipped behind the tumbling water. The others followed.
It was dark in the open space behind the falls, but Ravenwood lit the area with a flashlight. He walked a few meters into the cave to escape the dampness and pointed to dry ground on which the others could sit. “We’ll rest here. Try to get some sleep. The march tonight will be a long one and the ground is uneven. You will need your strength.”
They were all grateful for the break. Each was in good physical condition, but they were not accustomed to walking such long distances with packs on their backs. Logan dropped his pack to the ground and lowered himself to his knees. He unfastened a side pocket to get his canteen and refill it when he noticed his left hand beginning to quiver. He grasped it with his right hand, but it didn’t stop the involuntary motion.
“Damn it!” he whispered angrily.
He felt the quiver grow stronger and darkness began to fill the edges of his vision. Knowing what was coming, he sat down on the ground and waited.
Cap looked at Logan when he sat down and noticed his pained expression. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s happening,” answered Logan.
Cap dropped his bag and went over to Logan. He crouched down and put his hand on his shoulder. Just then, Logan’s eyes became vacant and his hands began fumbling with his jacket buttons. He methodically clenched and unclenched his jaw muscles.
Lena crouched next to Cap. “What’s going on?” she asked, her brow furrowed.
The Navigator (The Apollo Stone Trilogy Book 1) Page 17