TROPHY

by Paul M. Schofield

  “Most likely, they are probably adding another layer of shielding. They are taking no chances.”

  The day was beautiful with a clear blue sky, fields of green grass, and leaves in the first stages of autumn. The sunlight filtered through the trees onto the summer's last wildflowers scattered on the forest floor.

  Rogerton didn’t want to think like a soldier, but as a tourist without a care, on vacation, trusting everyone. She didn't want to think that anyone would harm her on such a day.

  The fifteen minute trip was a delight as they hovered along tree clad rolling hills beside a small river. The crystal water swirled and foamed around the colorful stones and mossy boulders. The heady perfume of late summer vegetation filled their senses. Both officers longed to linger in this tranquility and natural ambiance, soaking in what they hadn’t seen, smelled, or felt for months.

  Rogerton had never seen CENTRAL before and had no idea what to expect. When they turned the last corner and approached the complex of low-story stone buildings she wondered if they were there yet. Looking around she realized that most of CENTRAL was underground and the approaching buildings were the receiving areas for personnel and supplies. If the size of the mountains that backed up the buildings were any clue, the underground structures must be enormous. The thought of her being here in the seat of government for the entire earth, not to mention the Solar System and nearest star systems, was awe-inspiring and humbling. She could understand why the Star-Commander was here, but why her? Why a young Lieutenant-Warden only in command of a small patrol craft with a crew of six? She suddenly felt very small and inadequate.

  Their vehicles glided past the attractive stone and wood buildings with their steep pitched green roofs and under a massive stone-arched opening into a well-lit, expansive tunnel. They continued deeper into the mountain through a series of heavy blast gates into a spacious receiving and entry area. The vehicles lowered their wheels as they came to a stop. The shields and anti-gravity units were turned off.

  Rogerton’s eyes swept the panorama of the interior. She remembered her feelings upon first sight of the trophy room in Bestmarke’s ship. Only here, they were much more intense. The ceiling was like a blue sky with no definition where wall and ceiling joined. The illumination was like the soft golden glow of a late summer afternoon. There were endless varieties of plants and trees growing everywhere, surrounded by water in ponds, creeks, and fountains. Waterfalls could be seen and heard at the distant edges, a kilometer away. The floor was rich green grass and various ground covers with pathways of polished, richly hued stone. A tree lined boulevard wound through the center. All manner of natural sounds could be heard: a variety of birds and insects, the soft sigh of a gentle breeze, the trickle, drip, gurgle, and flow of ever running water. The air was clean and pure, delicately scented by flowering shrubs and trees. Small animals could occasionally be seen darting or scampering through the low growing bushes. It was as if the luscious outdoor scene they had just traveled through had trespassed inside.

  Rogerton and VanDevere looked at each other and smiled. Both were at a loss for words, overwhelmed by the beauty and serenity of this magnificent foyer into the heart of the Empire.

  Rogerton was puzzled by the lack of people. They had seen a few small groups scattered about and none seemed to be in a hurry. Shouldn’t it be much busier here at the center of the government? It was just another question to add to her growing list of questions.

  Lieutenant Constantine led them along the boulevard to its end. They followed her through a mist into a spacious lobby and then down a number of wide corridors to an area labeled Guest Services. A team of white-uniformed Specialists greeted them, showing them their quarters and accommodations for food and refreshment.

  “I will be here tomorrow at 13:00 hours for your appointment with the Guardians,” Constantine said. “Please rest well and enjoy your visit.” She turned and walked away.

  VanDevere's eyes met Rogerton's. “Well, Lieutenant, tomorrow should prove to be interesting. Would you not agree?”

  Chapter XXII

  Guardian V was visibly upset as they brought the unconscious Louis Franelli into the Chambers. “Do we have to restrain him like some wild animal? It will just have a negative effect on him when he awakens.”

  “We have to take some precautions,” Guardian III said with a straight face. “He has been so long with Bestmarke we dare not risk having him unrestrained. We quite frankly do not know what he will do.”

  Guardian V sighed as she watched the Specialists place him in a chair that restrained his arms and ankles. When the Specialists were finished, they left the room.

  “Perhaps we can release the restraints soon,” Guardian V said, walking around the chair, anxiously looking at Louis.

  “It will be up to him,” Guardian III said, matter-of-factly. She also walked around the chair inspecting the restraint mechanisms. “If he cooperates and shows no signs of violence, perhaps we can. We will take no chances, though.”

  “He is a hard one to read and understand,” Guardian I said, walking up and standing in front of the sedated man. “We may have to force him to open up with us.” She walked to the front of the holographic fire.

  “Dare we use a mind probe on him?” Guardian II said, her face clouded with concern.

  “We dare not risk any damage to his incredible mind!” Guardian V said. “There must be another way!”

  “Your feelings for him run deep,” Guardian I said. “We must remember our priorities, and our own inherent weaknesses.”

  Guardian V walked over to Guardian I. “Do my feelings for him show that much? I thought they were dead or at least dormant. But now that he is here, they have awakened with full intensity. These are the same feelings I had for him years ago when we worked together here at CENTRAL as researchers, back before I was a candidate to be a Guardian.”

  “I remember that you cared for him back then,” Guardian I said.

  “I did, very deeply. He was always polite and thoughtful, and seemed to return my feelings. But he was so focused on his work – and frustrated by people constantly questioning the direction of his research. His prison sentence and banishment from CENTRAL were sudden. I was distraught but buried my feelings and plunged head-on into my own research and studies. I was able to conquer those feelings at the time, but not my memories. I was never able to forget him. Perhaps it is not wise that I be here to awaken him. One of the other Guardians should take my place. I am beginning to doubt my own objectivity,” she said as she looked into the fire.

  “No, you belong here,” Guardian I said, watching her. “You have a unique insight into his thinking the rest of us do not have. Your mild and gentle heart may be what turns him to genuinely helping us and seeing our point of view.”

  “Then I will stay,” Guardian V said. “I do hope we can help him.”

  “We all do,” Guardian II said, making final adjustments to the equipment. “Let us awaken him now.” She began administering the reviving agent.

  The four Guardians arranged their chairs in a semi-circle facing Louis and waited for the reviving agent to take affect. After a few minutes he began to stir, trying to move his arms and legs. Feeling the restraints, he sighed. Looking up, he scowled at the Guardians, one by one, looking last and longest at Guardian V.

  “I thought you were my friend, Sondra,” Louis said. “I can see your loyalties haven’t changed.”

  “I am your friend, Louis, and my loyalties have not changed. They are the same as they always have been – to the Empire, and the good of all people.”

  “The good of all people. Ha! Then why am I restrained? Is that part of ‘the good of all people’?”

  “You are restrained, Mr. Franelli, because you have been aligned with Galen Bestmarke,” Guardian II said. “Guardian V, Sondra as you know her, objected to the restraints.”

  “So, Sondra, now you have become a Guardian,” he said, looking right at her. “But you are not my Guardian. No one is!” He t
urned his gaze to Guardian II. “I am not aligned with Bestmarke! I didn't join him! He abducted me and gave me a choice – work for him or go back to an unjust prison sentence. What choice would you make? I simply work on his ship and make things for him. I do not think the way he does nor do I care how he thinks. I do not belong to anyone, not to him, not to the Empire. I answer only to myself, that's all.”

  “Technically we can implicate you in his crimes as someone who has aided and abetted a known criminal,” Guardian III said, intently looking at him.

  “Yes, technically you can bend the laws to say anything you want. You have done it before!” he said. “I dislike playing games. What do you want from me?”

  “The truth, Mr. Franelli, the truth,” Guardian II said, looking weary.

  “Whose truth do you want? Do you want what I think is true? That didn't seem to work before. Or do you want me to accept what you think the truth to be?”

  “If we cannot have absolute truth, Mr. Franelli, then we at least want your version of it,” Guardian II said.

  “Then put a mind-probe on me. I have nothing to hide. Ask what you will, Guardians!”

  “You would allow that?” Guardian V said with a shocked look. “Are you sure? It could damage your mind if taken too far.”

  “Well, then, for ‘the good of all people’, don’t take it too far,” he said, simmering with anger. “I have always told you the truth. What I have said about my relationship with Galen Bestmarke is the truth. If you don't believe me, test me out with a mind-probe.”

  “Do you trust us?” Guardian II said. “Are you not afraid we will hurt you?”

  “I ignore fear. What will happen, will happen. Fear is a waste of time,” he said. “And do I trust you?” He fixed his piercing blue eyes upon her. The seconds ticked by accompanied only by the crackling fire. With his gaze still fixed on Guardian II he spoke again. “Yes, I trust you to act in harmony with your beliefs. If you believe the laws of the Empire are correct and noble, then I trust you to follow those laws. Trust should be reciprocal, though. Do you trust me?” he said, his gaze further intensified. “If you do – loosen my restraints!”

  Guardian I rose and stood directly in front of him, looking him in the face. “What will you do if we free your restraints, Louis?”

  “I will do nothing. I do not lie and I do not attack people.”

  “If trust is indeed reciprocal, then we ask you – what do you want from us?” Guardian I said, a gentle expression on her wizened face.

  The fire crackled in the background as Louis remained silent, lost in thought, taken aback by this unanticipated line of reasoning. Guardian I leaned over and tapped in the code to release the restraints. Then, still standing in front of Louis, she reached out both her hands. Firmly holding his upper arms, she lifted him up to a standing position. She was tall, as tall as Louis, although with a slighter build. She stood close, her dark eyes bent upon his. “If you could have anything, Louis Franelli, what would you want from us?”

  The fire continued to snap and hiss in the silent room. The other three Guardians watched and wondered as Guardian I stood toe to toe with Louis. With his blue eyes fixed on the Guardian, he considered his answer for a long moment. “I would like my freedom, and to carry on my research. Nothing more.”

  “That is all?” Guardian I said. “You do not want riches or power or vengeance or any other things? Has not Bestmarke offered or given you those things?”

  “No. Those things are meaningless to me. I must do my research,” he said, his expression softening. “In fact, I am driven to strive for knowledge. Do you understand me at all?”

  “I understand you, Louis Franelli. Will you help us? Will you help us to save our species, the human race, from extinction? We can offer you freedom to do your research and we will care for your other needs, too.”

  “You would offer this to me, a fugitive for over ten years? Why? Why now?”

  Guardian I walked over to the fire and stared at it for a long time, contemplating her next thoughts. “We must bury our differences and past mistakes on both sides, and grasp the unique opportunity we now have before us. What you have discovered, time-travel through the Keyhole, must be used in the proper way to ensure our survival, not hasten our extinction.” She turned to him, her dark eyes shining in the firelight. “We do not have much time left. We can offer you conditional freedom to do your research, right here at CENTRAL.”

  For a long time Louis continued to stare at her, still overwhelmed. Finally he gave his answer. “I will do research for you. I will not harm anyone nor scheme against the Empire, but I will not give it my undying allegiance either. I will need time to think this through.”

  “You shall have time, Louis,” Guardian I said. “We will place no demands on you. Just concentrate on your research. Guardian V will assist you.”

  “You mean she will be my jailer?”

  “No, Louis, she will be your helper.”

  Chapter XXIII

  The night’s rest was long and sweet for VanDevere. Her usual schedule of rising early and reviewing her day’s agenda didn’t happen. There was no need today. Although she knew it wouldn’t last, self-indulgence felt very satisfying once in a while. She slept late and enjoyed a leisurely hot shower. The anticipation of a delicious gourmet breakfast further broadened the smile on her face as she walked along the stone floors of the spacious corridor to the dining room. Exotic plants and flowers lined the way, their unique fragrances tantalizing the senses. Thought provoking artwork hung on the high walls, and dramatic sculpture highlighted the numerous alcoves lining the way. The high ceilings were like a dark blue sky, glowing with the luster of an afternoon sun. At an intersecting corridor she met Lieutenant-Warden Rogerton, also on her way to breakfast.

  “Good morning, Ma’am,” Rogerton said. “I didn't realize how late I had slept. It seems an easy thing to do here.”

  “Good morning, Lieutenant. I do not know when I have slept so soundly. I feel almost slothful.”

  Rogerton smiled. She couldn’t remember ever seeing the Star-Commander in such high spirits. Apparently even a short break from her stressful routine was therapeutic for her.

  Breakfast was delightful and VanDevere chattered away as if speaking to an equal or a close friend. Rogerton warmed to her even more now that the barrier of rank was set aside, at least for this short while. She felt a sisterly affection for the somewhat older VanDevere, and began to understand the depth of her loneliness, something only too common for those in high command positions. Rogerton was probably a little older than VanDevere’s daughter, away at the Academy. Perhaps the Star-Commander was missing that bond and had rediscovered it in the Lieutenant-Warden. Whatever the reason might be, Rogerton was happy to be her friend.

  “May I ask you a question please, Ma’am?” Rogerton said as they sipped their coffee.

  “Certainly.”

  “Why do the Guardians want me here?”

  Instead of showing that down-to-business serious face, VanDevere just kept smiling, allowing nothing to spoil her present mood. “I really do not know. I learned a long time ago not to anticipate the command structure. Trying to second guess the situation will eat you up with worry. Accept it as a challenge, and view it as a positive experience that will help you gain knowledge and grow. You do not know all the answers, nor can you accomplish everything. All you can do is your best, and that is usually more than anyone else expects. We are more demanding of ourselves than of others.”

  Her expressions were like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. “Thank you, Ma’am, that helps a lot,” Rogerton said. “Would you like more coffee?”

  “I would love some more, Lieutenant. By the way, do you know the time?”

  “It's only 11:09, Ma’am. We have plenty of time before our appointment.”

  They continued their breakfast, enjoying each other’s company and mundane conversation. At 13:00 hours, Lieutenant Constantine and a Specialist arrived at the lobby and escorted the
Star-Commander and Lieutenant-Warden further inside the complex, past more blast gates, and deeper into the mountain. They reached a wide reception area with a floor of luminescent white marble and matching walls. The walls ascended high up into what appeared to be clouds or mist with a ceiling like a dark blue sky, the same as the rest of the complex. At the center of the wall were two massive metal doors with a finish like stainless steel or nickel, but having a rainbow sheen, the colors of which seemed to be ever changing, like the reflection from an oil film on still water. Above the doors was a single ten-pointed star of black onyx. Guards in white uniforms were before the doors and came to attention as the four approached.

  Lieutenant Constantine approached. “Permission to enter Chambers, please.”

  The guard checked the identification badges of VanDevere and Rogerton, doing retinal scans on both. Satisfied, she allowed them to enter. The Star-Commander thanked the Lieutenant, and the two officers passed inside, the doors silently closing behind them.

  Total darkness greeted them except for the pathway of luminescent white marble which glowed in front of them and darkened into blackness behind as they followed it forward. Nothing but the pathway could be seen nor did they hear anything but their own footsteps and nervous breathing. The air was still and carried a vague odor of electrical circuitry and components. The floor quit glowing ahead, so they stopped on the last portion they could see. A woman's voice spoke to them. “Please stand still, one meter apart from each other, and close your eyes tightly.”

  They complied and immediately an intense light shown on them from all angles. It felt like the burning rays of the sun on a hot day, but from all directions. It lasted only ten seconds and then went dark. Their clothes had a newly ironed smell to them. The voice informed them to open their eyes and remain standing until the path was again illuminated in front of them. Soon the pathway glowed in front of them and they followed it until it stopped at a blank wall. Vertical and horizontal slits of light began to appear and grew wider as two large doors smoothly swung open, revealing an interior area like no other they had ever seen. The faint odor of rain-washed air and warm electronics rushed to meet them as they entered. A tall, slender, olive-skinned woman with short, wavy blond hair was facing them. She was wearing a simple, white uniform with a ten-pointed star of black onyx near her left shoulder.