He tried objecting, “Oh—come on Liz, most people are in the tunnel apartments…sleeping.”
“I don’t care. I want you first before the word gets out you’re back. Lie down.”
Suitably chastised, Al did as she asked. He knew better than to argue.
From the elevator, it was a short trip to the in-house transporter that put them in the upstairs sleeping area. Elizabeth stopped her son at the smoky screen that served as a door to their tiny sleeping quarters and said, “Give me just a minute, Chris, I want to talk to him first.”
Once inside, and alone, she turned to him and her gaze went down and then up. “Well? Start with your outfit; I can’t wait to hear why you are dressed like that.”
Al knew he would be repeating his story several times, to a lot of people, so he tried to condense his answer knowing there would be people banging on their door before long.
“We kind of had a little party before I left. I think they gave me the clothes so I would not forget them. I should probably change, don’t you think?”
“Never mind that—did you find a place we can live?”
He had considered an answer to that query. “Yes, but there are conditions. Before they can assist us, we have to help them.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Caretaker outpost on their planet is controlled by someone calling himself King Agenor, who uses the townspeople for slave labor. His ‘scholars’ have learned over the years how to operate some of the equipment, and they use what’s produced as leverage. He’s using them to build a castle around the facility.”
“Why? That makes no sense. The facility is secure by itself.”
Al didn’t know why. What he did say was, “I think he is suffering from a God complex. All powerful and all that.”
“What does that have to do with us?”
“We have to help overthrow the king—but we will have a dragon to help.”
“A dragon?”
“It’s a long story.”
“You did all this in twelve hours?”
“Twelve hours? Was I only gone twelve hours?—I was there for ten days!”
****
Elizabeth was right, and it wasn’t long before there was a crowd in the common area outside their room. It was not more than fifteen minutes before someone was tapping at the door.
Chris was on the radio as soon as they left him standing outside, and they all came; all the close friends and the de-facto leaders of the settlement. Captain Tobias Effinger, captain of the Excalibur, and Camelot’s elected mayor was the first to arrive; followed by Doctor Jacody Mumbada (Cody), the Haitian surgeon that had been around since the beginning and one of Al’s closest friends.
Doctor Edward Florida, the community roboticist and the one responsible for the maintenance of Al’s high-tech body, came down from his work. He and Tammy Morris, Chris’ wife, were replicating items needed for the colonists and were surprised to hear he was back already. They hurried to the sleeping area to find out why.
Last to arrive was Anastasia Kossalowski (Ana), the young hibernation specialist that helped to wake the first survivors; and with her was Kira, the native Avalonian that followed the colonists into their mountain dungeon. She was transformed by her relationship with the Earthlings and was now more comfortable with their kind than with her own. A girl with metal legs did not fit in the world of before.
In the center of the common area outside the sleeping cubicles is a six-foot square table with low benches on three sides. It proved to be the perfect tight setting to tell a story.
When everyone settled down, and Al was ready to begin, Tiro appeared. The holographic representation of the Caretaker needed an update, like everyone else. All these refugees were overwhelming his resources and damaging his complex. “Do not mind me Mister Clark. Please continue.”
Al started in the beginning and worked his way through the tale. He told them of the abandoned station on the desert planet, and his failure to find anything worth salvaging. When he mentioned his surprise discovery of the invisible lizard with wings, there were immediate questions.
“An invisible lizard with wings?” repeated Chris.
“Yeah, kind of a mini-dragon. Without the fire-breathing, of course,” answered Al.
Ana wanted to know how big it was, and Al held his arms apart, “About three feet or so. He is very friendly—and smart. He helped me escape from the castle guards.”
“Castle guards?” repeated Elizabeth.
“Where is he now?” asked the Captain.
Al smiled and said, “Hold on, let me tell the story.”
He told them of Dusty, Darius, and Timothy, and about his secret trips around the island called Thera; how the land glowed in the moonlight where he thought they should settle. When he finished, they sat for a moment thinking over Al’s story, and then the questions began again, and he did his best to fill in the details.
****
They viewed the two data cubes Al brought back with Tiro’s assistance. The cube from the desert planet revealed a sun-drenched dying landscape with naked drooping trees, large open bare spots devoid of plant life, and the remains of a lake that had turned stagnant. The rings left by the water line indicated it was evaporating quickly. The image was still, but the audio recorded a group of frightened people determined to leave in a hurry. A Shuttlecraft could be heard winding up for departure, and then a loud crash just before the recording stopped. The remaining silence was ominous.
The cube he acquired from the temple on Thera told a different story. The leaders of the settlers from Earth watched the screen before them with interest. The scene was an idyllic village seen from the elevated outpost. Straight lined crops surrounded the little village of twenty mud and straw huts that resided along a running stream of water cascading down from the slopes of the mountain.
A hunting party was headed out, armed with bows and arrows, the men laughing and joking as they head into the forest. People were outside working the land, and improving their homes. The Caretaker transplants appeared hard working, healthy, and happy. Stored in the cube were hours and hours of simple villagers going about living. They watched for half an hour and then started making plans.
Cody and the captain had duties to attend to at Overlook, so they decided Chris, Elizabeth, and Edward would accompany Al back to Thera. Edward came for the expertise he learned from Tiro of the Avalonian facility, Chris because he was competent, eager and young, and Liz because she would have it no other way.
Kira stood across from Al, and he saw the way she shifted her bionic legs to stay balanced. She appeared pent-up, and restless. “How about you Kira? Are you well enough to go?”
Her reply was immediate, “Yes Mister Clark, It would please me to be allowed to help. I am feeling no ill effects from my new legs, and I’m getting used to them. If I lean forward, I can run like the wind!”
Al chuckled, and some laughed.
“If it has anything to do with willpower, Kira, I think you might be right.”
Before they left, they needed to inform the rest of the settlers of Al’s find and give them some of the details. The largest gathering place they had was a room they used for a dining area, and the captain sent out word for a meeting. His goal was to calm their fears, and side track gossip with facts. These were not happy people; crammed into a tunnel divided by blankets, thin sheets of plastic, and equipment. Their lifestyle had deteriorated drastically.
The meeting room filled quickly, with people outside the large doors jumping up and down to see the captain when he began his announcement. He tapped on the box set up as a rostrum and gazed around the room until the crowd quieted: seemingly holding their breaths. “Our security chief Al Clark has successfully transported to a world we might be able to colonize, and returned safely.”
The result of his statement was a joint release of breath and then a hundred questions bombarded him simultaneously. He made no move to speak again until they settled down, and then
continued.
“A small party will accompany him on his return and attempt to make arrangements for our relocation. He has made contact with the local population, and they are receptive to our early inquiries. Preparations are underway for this exploratory party to leave tomorrow, and I don’t want to be too premature, but the prospects look good.”
He wanted to give them something to look forward to. A glimmer of light at the end of a long and arduous journey. Many had lost family and friends in the attack that led to their exile, and they were a sullen and beaten group.
“We need to equip the party with essentials and are asking for your help. We will be posting a list on the wall to my left. We need specific items, and I need all of you to check the list, to see if you can help with some of it.”
A good leader attempts to supply hope in dire circumstances, and if possible, a sense of purpose and team. He needed his colonists to act as a team, towards a goal they collectively desired. He wanted them to believe they could leave this place, and try again somewhere new.
He answered their questions as best he could, without getting too involved before going to the next question.
“Who is going?” came up early. It was an expected question.
“Mister Clark, of course, and Elizabeth Clark, Chris Morris, Edward Florida, and Kira, the new addition to our community. That is all we dare send for fear of scaring the natives. For this to work, we will require everyone to help where they can.”
The captain ended by thanking them for their continued support and cooperation. He added, “We will get through this, and our lives will improve. Please be patient.”
****
They developed a backpack for each member of the team. Explosives were carefully packed into one, and climbing gear in another, which Al and Chris would carry respectively. Rations and cookery filled the pack Elizabeth would wear, and emergency medical in the pack for Edward. Kira was still adapting to the robotic legs her friends the Kuthra made for her, and they decided she didn’t need to carry additional supplies. The added weight would throw off her balance.
These were ordinary people they would be fighting, confused by propaganda, and the ultimate goal was to have no casualties. A bloodless coupe. For that reason, they would all carry tranquilizing dart guns. If deadly force became necessary, Chris and Al were armed with laser pistols.
During their preparations, Tiro could sometimes be found monitoring their conversations. When Al confessed to the captain he was having trouble developing a plan to gain control of the outpost, the alien hologram appeared. Tiro asked, “Are you aware that my program is stored in a single data cube, and that I can be used in any of our research facilities where there is a functioning central computer?”
Al realized what Tiro was proposing, “We can take you with us?”
“Yes, and once installed I can reformat the controls, and temporarily lock down the outpost to only authorized personnel.”
“You would do that? Favor one group of people over another?” asked the captain.
“You are all our children, but outright control by a few is not beneficial to the whole. The facility was unearthed many years ago and has done little to improve the lives of the population. It is time they learned the truth, and the technology made accessible to all.”
Al and the captain were pleased. Tiro helped enormously when they discovered the outpost on Avalon. It was the hologram’s creator, long dead, that left a trail of blinking indicators that led to the activation of the short, gray, alien hologram. The knowledge he possessed was invaluable. His addition to the team would simplify the operation considerably.
To alleviate the chaos of a public departure, only a few selected representatives were allowed to attend when they donned their gear and stepped into the glass cube. The overall mood of the team was excited and hopeful.
It was early in the morning according to their data pads, when the captain initiated the transfer. Once again Al went from a place of bright lights to one of total darkness. The trip concluded in an instant.
LED lamps came on and swept the interior, to find the room empty. They started with a piece of luck, and Al thought, So far so good. He opened the door, and they left the transport cube as quietly as possible, gathering by the external control station.
Elizabeth whispered, “Doesn’t look at all like what I expected. There is nothing like this on Avalon.”
“This facility is different; I guess to fit the need. No time to talk, Liz, we have to move,” replied Al.
They jogged up the steps, two at a time to find their exit locked—from the inside. Al twisted the key still in the lock, and they crossed the hall to the exterior door. It was in the dark, early morning hours when they made their entrance onto the island.
They wore dark clothing and picked a time that would put most of the citizens in bed and sound asleep. The town was a working community, and the citizens slept soundly after a hard day’s work. It was a short trip to the Forman house, and as previously planned, they walked directly into the home.
Dusty was sitting at the table, apparently talking to himself. He stopped abruptly when the four travelers came in, and for a moment sat frozen. A tear trickled down his cheek, and the twelve-year-old exclaimed, “You have returned! I knew you would, and I have been waiting.”
Al was confused. “Dusty, I have only been gone for a few hours, just like we planned. I gathered my team, and we packed up and left as fast as we could.”
Now Dusty was confused, he thought for a second and replied, “Master Clark, there has been almost twenty-two sunsets since you left. I was beginning to think you might not return. Last week they came for my father, and he has not returned. Timothy has been staying here with me.”
“The temple guards took him?”
“Yes, and they would not talk to me. I asked over and over what he did, and finally, one of them said he was guilty of heresy—what is heresy?”
“Never mind that, where is Timothy? Is he okay?”
“He went to get water from the well. I kept forgetting and let us run out. He should return soon.”
“How about Falkor, where is he.”
“He was here—I was just talking to him.”
Al glanced around the room but saw no sign of the little dragon. His camouflage was very effective. Thinking maybe he was unsure of the people accompanying him, he called out, “It’s all right Falkor, we’re among friends.”
That was all he had to say for the lizard to appear. A section of the floor by his feet turned green, and a happy dragon jumped into his arms, squealing and licking his face like a dog welcoming his master home.
****
Timothy returned ten minutes later lugging two sloshing five-gallon buckets of water on a stick across his shoulders. At first, he did not notice their presence. He came through the door, calmly laid the buckets down, closed the door, and turned to see they had visitors. His tired manner disappeared, and he stood taller, a broad smile growing on his face. “You have returned! I cannot say how happy I am to see you. Much has happened in your absence.”
“I am sorry about that Timothy; I did not realize there would be such a large time difference.”
He introduced the other members of his team, and they crowded around the worn table to exchange information. Dusty went to find more chairs, but Al was not waiting to become comfortable. He turned to Timothy and asked, “Why did they take Darius?”
“I am afraid the king has become suspicious of our little insurrection. They took two others when they took Darius; people we recruited to our cause. It appears there are more spies than we thought.”
Al was thinking, This could be bad. “Do you know where they are keeping them?”
Timothy’s answer was uncertain. “There is a man that cleans in the temple, picking up the mess they leave from their feasts. He told me they were locked in a small room off the main hall. He took them food once.”
“Is this man one of your converts?”
“No, he is too afraid, but he was willing to talk to me.”
“Good. His information will come in handy. How about the others? The ones you did recruit?”
“We have only two that are still free, but they are ready to do whatever is required.”
Al needed to know how serious the situation was. “Do you think Darius and your friends are in danger?”
“King Agenor is well known for his temper, and of late has become increasingly so. I do not believe he will take kindly to plots against him.”
“Do you think one of the prisoners talked?”
“No. I do not, but Agenor knows that something is not right in Thera. If he suspects our true intention, the king will not be kind.”
“So…we probably should hurry this up?”
“I think it would be prudent,” acknowledged Timothy.
Chapter Seven
They closed the curtains and locked the doors. Kira was fast becoming friends with Falkor and Dusty and took them aside so the others could make plans, but not so far where she couldn’t hear.
“Can we use the same door we used before to get in?” asked Al.
Timothy replied, “The king has a pin or badge that he uses to open and close doors. He has taken to locking the metal doors after dark. We will be locked out.”
Only one option was available. The vent halfway up the mountain; which meant the people accompanying him would be witness to his capabilities. A debate had been going back and forth in his head, and now the decision was made for him. He had to prepare them for what was about to happen.
“There is a vent, halfway up the mountain that I used to get in on my first visit. It is very high and difficult to reach, but it’s an option because I am a—.”
Thera Page 5