by David Byrd
“I’m sorry if you were frightened by the scouting party. We normally have one or two people who wander in each year looking for a thrill,” the man said. “We just urge them out and call it a day but I think that you came here for a completely different purpose did you not?”
Katia and Jasper were mentally throwing questions back and forth at each other and the man in front of them was just waiting patiently almost as if he knew what was going on between them.
“Sir, I…I was directed here and we would very much like to know what this place is.” Katia said.
“Yes I can see that you two have merged and you had a conversation about this just now,” he said. “My name is Lorken and I am the leader of the Guardians. I’m sure you are tired from the journey here and we have rooms ready for you to rest. Afterwards I’ll answer all your questions to the best of my ability.
As the couple was being led away, Jasper threw one last question at Lorken.
“But I don’t understand…you seem to be expecting us.” Jasper said.
“Young man…we have been waiting for this day for 1200 years.” Lorken said.
Chapter 26
As they were being led to a room, Katia and Jasper noticed people passing by looking at them. They smiled and nodded and seemed very curious. It was not uncomfortable but it seemed that everyone had an interest in the couple that they knew nothing about. They were led into a large room with fruit and various other food and drink on a table. As the young girl closed the outer door, Katia noticed a bracelet the girl was wearing that had the same strange symbol as the golden box and her necklace.
“Jasper look,” Katia said. “The same symbol is etched into that drinking glass.”
“Yeah, I saw it on a belt buckle on one of the three men who brought us here. It has to mean something. Somehow they are connected.” He said. “Well let’s eat, and rest and hopefully Lorken will be able to give us some answers later.”
Several hours later the door chimed and Jasper opened it to see Lorken standing there.
“Ah, good…you are both looking much more rested now,” he said. “If you would indulge me I’d like to show you around a bit first.”
The couple agreed with nothing better to do and followed Lorken around the dome as he pointed out shops, factories, laboratories and all of the necessary abilities to create a colony. They then went outside and took a trip in an actual ground vehicle they called a “rover” to farms, orchards, Hydro towers, ore processing facilities and to the pumping station. They finished the tour when they were found in front of the statues of the original settlers in Serenity Park.
“Lorken, I don’t understand why you do all of these things when you can just blink them in out in the world.” Jasper said.
Lorken sighed heavily and motioned for them to sit on the grass.
“I had hoped to spark in you some of the original qualities we had before the void by showing you that you don’t need instant anything and that without it, you can be just as happy.” He said. “Alright…I can see that this is going to be slower than I had hoped so let me tell you a story.”
“You both know the story of how we came to live on this world and that after several conflicts with our home planet; we had a conflict of our own. What you have not read on link is that the “great evil” told about in folk tales was a real colonist who attempted to terraform and convert everyone to his will. That person may or may not have perished but he was imprisoned in the great south forbidden zone. I just wanted you to know that he was a real person and not a myth. Now to the reason we are here. You see over a thousand years ago, one of the original settlers came to us with a proposal. Originally, we were a splinter group who left the colony to save the planet. Our founders thought that living in harmony with nature was the answer. But that was before the planet was terraformed and the void was created. So seeing a need for future generations, the settler convinced us to move back to this 120 by 120 square kilometer area of the original settlements to actually save the planet. To carry on living and working as we originally started to when the colony was founded.”
“So why do you have those holo projections of ruins and dead areas?” Jasper asked.
“Well there is already prejudice against anything that cannot blink in at a moment’s notice right?” Lorken said. “I mean we are actually talking instead of mentally projecting even though we too have that ability. We have never lost any of our abilities and we can use link just as you do today but we use it for information. We build and think for ourselves. We are self-sufficient and have been preparing for the day when our skills which have been lost to everyone else on the planet will be needed. For those few that wander into the area, they leave when they see the crumbling ruins.”
“What has any of this to do with me though?” Katia asked. “I mean all my life I’ve been told stories of the founding and have had this ceremony with a box telling me to come here for some reason. I see you looking at the symbol I wear and we’ve seen it several times here. What does it all mean?” Katia said with exasperation.
“All I can tell you Katia is the knowledge that has been handed down for generations says that one day we will be needed to help the people of Trellis II survive. And when that time is near, one with the knowledge necessary will be sent to pave the way. That one will bear the symbol of infinity that you wear around your neck and that we use to symbolize our group.” Lorken said.
Katia was on the verge of tears and Jasper was soothing her frantic mind. She was looking for answers and finding more questions.
“I’m sorry I have upset you but I believe you to be the one Katia,” Lorken said. “This is just the starting place. Whatever led you here was for a purpose and it will surely lead you to the answer you seek. My people and I will help you in any way we can but I believe for now the journey you are on is just starting. You are welcome here anytime and you can link if you have questions.”
Lorken stood, bid the couple farewell and left in the rover.
“Well that went well,” Jasper said
Katia looked at him and wanted to scream and then just hit him with something and she noticed that telltale smile he always had and burst out laughing. He was just trying to lighten the mood and it seemed to be working.
Jasper went to the grav car and brought out the sleeping packs they blinked in at home and spread them out on the grass. Trellis I was just starting to set and giving off a golden glow on the lake in the distance.
Sometime after midnight, Katia couldn’t sleep and she got up and walked a few feet over to the monuments. There was enough reflected light from Trellis I to see the dedication plaques. She read Hollis Meska and then moved on to the next, Max and Jean Barlow. The final monuments were dedicated to Noel and Faye Hasten. Katia looked at the likeness of Noel and Faye and then read the dedication. At the bottom center of the last paragraph was a mark. Just a decorative flourish symbolizing the end of the dedication but as she looked closer, it almost looked like her necklace…the infinity symbol Lorken had said. She idly ran her fingers over the symbol tracing its curves and lines and suddenly without warning her finger tingled, and the same sensation she had with the box came over her. Sudden urgent images of a road, a geo location and something very important. As suddenly as it started it was over.
Jasper came awake with a start having some of the information spilling over from her through the link.
“Our next clue,” she said smiling.
Chapter 27
Cali Bertam was lounging in the resort town of Oneida next to a crystal clear green lake. The resort was all the rage these days for overworked people all over the planet. She was particularly stressed since she had spent over three hours last week supervising the blink in of a park and a playground. It was exhausting but today as she lounged in the sun on the beach her mind was clear and free from any thought at all…except maybe a drink. She mentally thumbed through a selection of the top 100 or so of her favorite drinks and selected one with her current mood.
Sunset Burst. Cali ordered the drink to appear and…nothing happened. She ordered the drink to appear again on the table and nothing happened. With a sigh she got up and walked down to the water’s edge. She again called for the drink and this time it did blink in.
“Oooo these are sooo good,” she thought. “I think I’ll have a few more.”
After several drinks she casually watched two kids creating colored blocks on the water and stacking them in different directions. It looked like fun which gave her an idea. She had never been out into the deep clear green water which was touted to be bottomless. So finding a template in link she ordered up a clear block of PlazSteel. She ordered more blocks to join this one about a half meter above the lake surface out into the lake…further and further she went happy as a lark and just a bit wobbly from her sunset burst drinks. She stopped near the middle of the lake and marveled at the view down. It was so crystal clear and deep that all you could see was a beautiful deep green color indicating great depth. After admiring the view she noticed that the sun was setting, so she ordered another pathway across the lake to the shore in a different direction. The golden shimmer on the lake surface glittered below the clear blocks and as she walked she drifted mentally never seeing the fact that several blocks in the walkway ahead never materialized. Cali continued walking right off the empty space where blocks should have been and disappeared into the depths below.
The aide to Trellis II President Grayson Carter knocked softly on the door to announce his arrival before entering. The door slid noiselessly open and the aid approached the president who seemed to be enjoying something on link humming to himself.
“Sir, I…I thought you should know that we have more reports of non-materialization.” The aide said.
“Yes…yes I’ve see them. They seem to be happening all over the planet but no one knows why. I think we should just replicate more blink reactors. They are probably just getting old or something.” Carter said immediately lapsing back into his link.
“But Sir, we’ve had reports of people falling off buildings on floors they were building. There was even a report of a women disappearing in a lake.” The aide said.
“Don’t believe everything you hear son. Now just go send out a link broadcast to replicate a few more reactors and let me have some peace and quiet.” Carter said.
Chapter 28
Katia and Jasper followed the heading she had been given in her last vision which took them to a canyon location still in the dead zone. They landed the grav car outside what appeared to be a cave of some sort fearing that there may not be clearance to turn back around. Setting out on foot, the cave became darker and up ahead it looked like a dead end.
“Are you sure you didn’t just dream this up?” Jasper asked playfully. “I mean it’s not exactly the gardens of Ascension or anything.”
Katia knew this was the right spot and Jasper was just kidding but she was starting to get a bit dejected that all of the years of study and the mysterious symbols, box and everything else had led them to this dusty cave.
She turned around and leaned against the back wall looking at Jasper and merging with him. Saying all those things they needed to in that moment. They had decided to go back and see if there were any more clues Lorken could provide. When she stepped forward Jasper saw a glint of gold behind her. Leaning against the wall had dislodged a bit of dust.
“Help me with this,” he said as he started to wipe away inches of dust and sand that had blown in over time. In a few minutes they were covered in dirt from head to toe but they had uncovered a door with the infinity symbol and a square device mounted by the side.
“Well…Now what do you think about my…visions?” She asked.
“I knew you were right all along,” he said as he rubbed the final dust of the device. “So what do you think this is?”
Katia traced the outline of the symbol on the door and then looked at the flat square device that seemed to be part of the surrounding material. The only difference was the color which if not dirty would probably have been a shade of white. She ran her fingertips over the surface and a faint glow appeared and followed the tips of her fingers where she touched the device. Intrigued she placed her whole hand squarely in the middle and left it there. The entire square started to brighten by degrees. The device started to feel warm and just then it became bright white and a chime was heard. The door slid up into the ceiling shaking loose a cloud of dust.
Choking and blinded the couple took a few moments to be able to see again and walked through the doorway. A brilliant white light from overhead came on and they could see a very large room of sorts. It looked like something out of an ancient museum. Couches, chairs, real paper bound books in dozens of cabinets but there were also some more modern unknown equipment around the edges. There was no dust or dirt anywhere as if a time capsule had been opened.
“Wow…what kind of a place is this?” Jasper asked.
“WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU HERE?” A voice shouted from all around them and the entrance door sliding suddenly shut.
“I…I’m Katia and this is Jasper. We were told in a dream how to get here.” She said.
In the center of the room, motes of light coalesced into the shape of a person. They could partially see through him and he was the very old. Solid white hair with wrinkles on his face and wearing archaic clothing.
“A dream you say…Hmmm…possible …and then there is the fact that you gained entrance. This facility was sealed and locked save for one key.” He said.
“Ah…Sir, who are you?” Jasper asked.
The figure blinked in and out of existence a few times and then seemed to be more coherent.
“Ah that’s much better. It has after all been a very long time so I had to make a few adjustments. I assure you I am 100% now. As for who I am…I am the…caretaker of this place, and you may call me Hollis.”
Both Jasper and Katia were merging and firing questions back and forth mentally and planning their next move when Hollis interrupted them.
Oh my…I do believe you may be the one I’ve been waiting on all this time. I can see the energy currents between you two. You have the ability to communicate your thoughts and feelings I presume?” Hollis asked.
“Yes we do…but how could you…see that?” Katia asked.
“My dear that is a very long story that I’ll be happy to relate it to you but first I need to verify your identity…don’t worry this will only take a moment.” Hollis said.
A ring of green light surrounded Jasper at the top of his head and it worked its way to his feet. The ring disappeared and reappeared above Katia’s head following the same procedure. In the center of the room a three dimensional map of sorts began taking shape. Like the roots of a tree, Katia was at the lowest point which branched and divided farther and farther up the DNA chain until at least reaching the top tier.
“Outstanding,” Hollis said. “You my dear are the one.”
“Um…the one…what exactly is that?” She asked.
“Why the one who will help to save the planet of course,” he said.
Chapter 29
Katia and Jasper sat down on one of the couches trying to absorb this latest revelation. It had been quite a day already.
“So what are you exactly?” Jasper asked.
“My boy I am the memories, personalities, mannerisms and all that made up Hollis Meska. All of that has been encoded into the systems of this complex for the purpose of assisting.” Hollis said. “You see, at one time the original settlers created a plan to help the future generations of this world to overcome the crisis that would develop. All of our individual attributes were encoded into the system. I am the systems of this complex but with all of Hollis’ qualities.”
“I still don’t understand what I have to do with anything,” Katia said. “I’ve been directed here and you say I’m…the one…of something and what is it with that family tree thing? Who do you think I am?”
“My dear, you are a direct d
escendant of Noel and Faye Hasten, two of the founders of this planet.” Hollis said. “You are the only person who can make decisions to fully utilize this complex and all that it has to offer.”
“But why can’t you do that? It seems like you run thigs now.” She said.
“My dear, I may talk and act like Hollis but I am not human. We discussed this at great length and decided that the power of this complex could not be entrusted to a computer system however advanced it may be. So you are the human that can enable certain advanced systems. I can only guide you.”
“Hollis this is all a lot to take in and I’m still not clear on what Katia is supposed to do to save the planet. I mean what’s wrong with it anyway?” Jasper asked.
“Katia has been conditioned as all of her line has been to be able to interface with the systems of this complex. She has also been trained in the history of the planet and I’m sure with the merge has shared all of that with you Jasper,” Hollis said. “So if you remember history, the planet was partially terraformed. That converted matter to energy and suspended that energy ready to use for anything you could ever want or need. The original five of us calculated that and built models and projections of the eventual exhaustion of the sub-atomic particles to around 1200 years. Since you are here, the golden key determined that those particles were running out.”
“And that means…?” Katia asked.
“Well my dear, when the particles are exhausted…there will be no more creation of anything you want or need including food and drink,” Hollis said. “Humanity has been using up all the suspended energy all over the planet to build cities, houses, create food and anything your hearts could dream up for 1200 years. When they run out which will be soon now, the human race will be left to try and remember how to do everything for themselves again and those skills have been lost to all but the Guardians in Ancora. The Guardians have kept alive the knowledge of science, manufacturing, building, farming and all the necessary skills to survive. They along with resources from this complex can re-educate the population.”