by Michael Berg
Amidst the now lofty mountain ridges, they each wore the warmest of clothing, having seen sufficient to prepare for this contingency. Technology played its part providing them with comfortable portable quarters shielding out the coldest of the alpine weather.
“The map is new see.” Valeena showed Arthren how images had appeared and others changed. “It is working with our intuitions through coming to the pass, and with Beth. Her energy is quite strong now.”
They both looked over towards Beth as she sat alone and still atop a large round boulder. The stone itself resembled the very craft her and Valeena had used on Earth when living at the old bordello house. In fact, most of Vindor’s terrain featured these shapes created through intense wind vortexes funneling over landscapes, pausing at stones resonating semi precious frequencies to carve them into spheres through sudden intensely increased winds. In a few moments, a stone could transform before a person’s eyes if they were lucky enough to see it occur. Hence, the topography across all of Vindor featured millions of spheres as most exposed rock of the planet did bare precious elements.
Beth was calm - they could feel it. Valeena and Arthren felt the same way because of Beth in part, and also due to their reassurance of how their individual journeys were revealing new life with a sense of knowing confidence. How each would respond was itself a role in Beth’s reckoning. As were the legends, it is said of those whom are to be at place with the spring, are delivered with accomplice. A man and a woman must attend, so the legend called for more than a single soul assisting the growth. Balance and alignment were imperative and could only become this way, for place was the essence of invigoration in evolution of projected and changing eternal growth.
“I’ll start a fire. It will be cold tonight. The wolves won’t come this high, but I’ll keep a watch anyway…”
“I’ll help you Arthren. Maybe Beth will too without really doing anything.”
“I had a feeling she could…or might.”
“She feels the calling. See how she sits so upright. It is the alignment as she readies herself.”
Morning delivered a cold misty start obscuring the path ahead as they stood looking uphill between the twin boulders marking the beginning of their final reach to the pass. The trees became sparse not far beyond this gate, leaving the remainder of the half day walk, exposed on the rocky slopes of purple, blue, and orange stone. Snow had already begun underfoot prior to their place of overnight encampment – its orange glow now adding light to the larger still visible stones it had dusted. Thicker drifts from where it remained in shadow during the day, cast stronger strips of orange glow completely burying the rocky features underneath in places.
As she breathed in the orange mist, Beth felt its coolness deep within caressing her sense of breath. Upon exhalation, the mist appeared to have been tinged with gold, something surprising both Valeena and Arthren. They had no knowledge of such things from the legends, and now as Beth breathed curtains of sparkling orange gold, they could do nothing but remained affixed gazing at her. She looked straight back into their eyes in turn, smiling and appearing as if she was much younger and full of an almost child-like spirit.
“Let’s go. We must make the pass today well before dark.”
“Of course Beth. You had me dazed for a moment or two.”
“I saw the affect on you Arthren. And you Valeena. It feels nice too. Cool and loving. What magic.”
“Magic is what we hope to find at the pass.”
“Of course, but only if we make it at the right moon time.”
Arthren and Valeena had completely overlooked this fact. Despite having no knowledge of the legends from reading the texts, Beth had told them the key issue they had forgotten – to align at The Pass of the Eclipse during the daily moon eclipse hour when Vindor’s three satellites transited the face of the sun star, casting their shadows on the world. Each moon was locked into an orbit moving together as one with a varying axis in relation to the mother planet. Moon shadows appeared on nearly all regions of Vindor – their placement at this time was not important for Beth only required there to be an ecliptic moment when their way forward was to be determined from within.
When immersed within the thick mist towards the pass, no longer could they see Beth’s golden breath. Visibility was limited to just beyond their reach. They continue carefully finding the path as they went, aware they were traversing a narrow mountain ridge way.
As the sun bore high towards day’s midpoint, they climbed the narrow ridge taking them to the relative expanse of the pass shaped like a saddle. Here they would be at ease away from the precarious steep mountain sides immediately nearby yet hidden from view. Above them were the last tendrils of orange fog giving way to The Pass of the Eclipse. The mountain tops glared brightly in full red sunlight, turning the snow an odd burnt crimson as the sunlight increased its rate of orange mineral absorption. After stopping for a moment to consider their time and place, they continued without delay, continuing the last climb until they reached their objective. Clear of the mist, the Pass affected their senses as if to show their achievement was one of mind and spirit.
“I knew it would be clear at the pass. Beth what do…?” Arthren looked around for her to find she had taken Valeena’s hand quietly and led her to a stone near the edge of the area. He walked over the moment Beth turned with a waving hand beckoning him to join them.
“This is where we need to see the map again Arthren. Take it out please.”
He feigned undoing his trousers to the temporary amusement of Valeena only as Beth found no humor, instead insisting he get on with showing her the map.
“See how this image emerges now we are here. We made moon time otherwise it would not occur.”
“I cannot see any shadow of eclipse Beth.”
“You don’t have to Valeena. The time is here. Wherever the shadow falls will be our place for finding the spring.”
“How do you know?”
“It is telling me to follow. We will learn of the shadow’s fall and to there we must go.”
“Are you sure? It sounds too easy to me.” Arthren looked as if he was suspicious of this task being too convenient despite the success of their venture so far.
“Arthren, it takes one who is of the spring to find this. These times are unique. I know you can see and feel this. Without me there are only those few others who can see what we see. To seek the place is only possible in accomplice.”
“How will you know of where shadow fall is made Beth?”
“I will be guided and you must accompany me. The senses of knowing coming to me now are the guidance. This map will change as we go telling us what to look for and what to avoid. It is an ethereal map of light, not just of places.”
“What of Brador? He gave us this map. Will he try to work his way in?”
“We cannot tell. Brador is a man between worlds tempted by both and natural in both. We must not allow him to influence our thoughts should he try. Whatever innocence he may portray, we must rely on our own intuition to detect any notion of deceit.”
Valeena looked to Arthren as Beth spoke. She did not seek his confirmation of gaze, nor did she speak of the wisdom in Beth’s words. She thought of the man standing beside her, of how he came to her in innocence as a friend, yet many knew Arthren as neither innocent nor friendly. At least she had the element of trust sufficient to master a notion of this peril together seeking the legend so few considered worthy of even momentary consideration.
Beth studied the map closely as Valeena and Arthren were forced to merely look on watching her. Holding it close to her face, her eyes were fixed on looking through the map to feel and see the answer to their quest. It came in a flash moment. Beth suddenly looked up to them both smiling again – this time she knew where the shadow fell and it filled her with glee.
“Shadow fall is just beyond the pass. It will take us a day to reach or less. Come now.”
She led Valeena and Arthren away from the pass without wo
rd, and they followed without word trusting she was now in charge of their direction. Arthren felt a little abashed now he was no longer the man taking the women on this plight. Beth sensed this rare moment of ego for him. She stopped, turned, and waylaid his feelings showing him cause to be at ease with her body. She spoke to him through her inaction making him think of the senselessness of taking an affront to the situation.
“You are the male accomplice Arthren. Just see it and all will come to you.”
Their journey would soon be at an end – Beth was taking them now as her calling sang to her in voices only she could hear. By the next day’s end, they would know precisely where to find the legendary spring.
Chapter 11
Their last night in Salisbury was cut short in celebration of recreation – they received a call at six on the evening to leave immediately for the north of England and transport back to the moon. The past few days had been spent wandering around the festival mostly pre-occupied with the notions indicated by the woman they met at the Stonehenge heel stone. An effect of this was a retraction of their projections of self into their surroundings. They remained a closed group unable to pass the information from the woman off easily. When it was time to leave, it was with a degree of contentment, happy to see the end of their brief respite so they could determine how her information might affect their mission.
The transport craft lifted them swiftly above the green rolling countryside leaving the festival behind on way to the north of England and launch into space. They could all see it was to be the third and final night of energy ignition at Stonehenge as the tower sparked into life focusing electrical current in a geometric pattern traversing the stones. It was a spectacular sight adding a strange electric blue to the air and ground about the ancient focal point extending all the way into Salisbury to encompass the many who were there celebrating with those at the stones. Those within the ancient circles were directly connecting with the forces and fields of active power generated by the arrangement of stones.
Five minutes after launch, they were injected into low Earth orbit for one entire revolution of their home sphere, before electric interplanetary drive was engaged for the ninety minute trip to the moon. Upon arrival, they were given no time to contemplate their surroundings – command ordered they attend mission briefing immediately.
Bobby led the way to a place and a time forever to change their lives.
“Reporting as ordered sir.”
“Thank you Bobby, Miss Candice. Please sit. Hello Mister Weston and Mister Livingston, we have some information you are all going to find intriguing no doubt. It affects the projected outcomes for your mission involving the time scope technology. As you know, our science team has been working hard at deciphering the technical aspects of Vindor time scope technology and they have reached a spectacular point of knowledge. It will be included in your mission parameters as a way to deliver the outcomes Earth requires in suppressing Vindor offences.”
“My command?”
“Is as per the original specification Bobby. For all of you it is proceed as planned except for…”
“Forgive my intrusion please commander, but we all experienced something during our short vacation we consider relevant to our progress. Even my own thoughts and feelings have varied somewhat from my usual command type psyche.”
“I can understand your position Bobby…for all of you. Suddenly thrust into a mission three of you would never have dreamed to be a possibility not so long ago, is a demanding thing to ask. We have a lot of trust in Mister Regal’s sense of character.”
“It is not so much our sudden thrust,” Miss Candice replied thinking of how fast the electric rocket could propel them towards any chosen destination. “Our minds and hearts have been struck by the intrusion of information coming from an unlikely source we feel coincides with your additional discoveries.”
“Often it is the way Miss Candice.” Bobby appreciated her air of confidence as she spoke forthright to the commanding officer. “We have been given an indication more awaits us on Vindor than you may have anticipated sir. We have all come to the conclusion there are ramifications attached to our mission far outweighing any temporary advantage we may strike against Vindor.”
“It must involve gold. We know gold is Vindor’s main target and they want humanity to service their needs in acquiring the metal. Our science team has discovered an interesting fact during your absence. They have come to the conclusion gold is a special metal of stars augmenting the solar force in all it contacts. There is no history of such appreciation for gold on Earth previously. Humans have seen it as a precious metal and a great asset to many technological marvels, but now our science team have found an intrinsic link to its properties and this universal application within their studies of time scope technology. We are also seeing many other applications. Perhaps Vindor need it for other reasons aside from saving their sun.”
“Then we must work on our intuition about what the old woman meant Mister Regal.”
“Tell me Bobby. What is this new information Weston has just now mentioned?”
“We barely can make sense of it ourselves sir. From our thoughts we gained the insight of this added dimension.”
“Well then I trust as our defender Bobby that you can steer the source of this mission to find this implication beyond the presence of our campaign to stave off the forces of Vindor.”
“Indeed sir. I have the sound mind of my accomplices in Miss Candice, Mister Weston, and Jonathon here to ensure we gain clarity and are at the ready when circumstances demand.”
By evening Earth time, they had a full brief of the mission ahead based on the scientific findings of the past week since Bobby’s time scope travel. As they sat under the single viewing window where they had gathered previously, minds devoted to the mysteries offered by the old women saw them subconsciously move to gather in close quarters. Bobby felt this renewed keen sense for mystery – a trait he thought lost to his service as a space commander, and he was glad to have all their company, especially Miss Candice.
Each iteration of calling released to her a sense of self being discovered in the moment. As defender of Earth, Bobby fulfilled this expectation of his superiors and as he admired her emerging qualities similar to his, her touch through chance from being crowded together on the one couch, tantalized him to seek more.
Miss Candice glanced his way as if she could sense his sub-conscious at work as their bond through no effort was gaining strength and so would be called upon to reveal its tenacity through the events to come.
“She called me a drunkard. Do you think she meant something else as if I or we should look at how we consider ourselves?”
“I know you have thought long on this Jonathon. Don’t worry as none of us see you as a drunk. You are right though. Mister Weston has a proposition I think we could pay heed to…albeit without haste and through consideration in conjunction with feeling.”
“Yes Mister Livingston, I agree with Mister Regal. Our approach as we have pondered is to be not a measure of our tactics, but a measure of our will if such a thing can ever be established accurately. When the woman spoke of gold, she mentioned the one thing linking all present factors. Vindor wants it, Earth has it at home and within the asteroids, and as our commanding officer told us, it is the special metal augmenting solar force. Think of its applications from the ancient times of ornaments, coins, and jewelry, to its present day applications in technology including the wonderful electric rockets we fly to the stars. See how Vindor wants it for themselves and the rescue of their planet from their dying sun.”
“The woman spoke of waters and the flow. She warned against temptation. She must have meant a thing or place and the stone…”
“It points to Vindor.”
“How do you know Bobby?”
“A simple stellar chart shows the link Jonathon.”
“A place upon an alien planet of purple and orange skies where gold must be present. Oh Mister Bobby, cou
ld it be we are to embark on a quest to find this treasure as part of our mission?”
“It would seem to be Miss Candice, given our superiors words and the mission brief.”
They considered the information presented to them after their initial meeting – Earth scientists had discovered how the gold element refined the time scope process enabling them to reach a point of confidence in their appraisal of targeting specifics to rocket across the light years to the distant planet. It had been added to the workings of the device now being installed. In thirty hours they would begin the first test of this machine and take humanity beyond the realm of the solar system for the first of many firsts to come.
“Come Miss Candice, it is time we retired. I want to discuss something with you for the mission.”
She looked at Bobby surprised he was so forthright in announcing it was time to retire. Mister Weston and Jonathon were lost to their individual thoughts on the mission, barely noticing the look on Bobby’s face. He was lying - something he barely ever did. Miss Candice sensed his dilemma in covering up why he really wanted her company. She saw it as out of stead for his usual candor and took to it enthusiastically.
“Certainly Mister Bobby. It has been a long day and sometime soon it is time for bed.”
“Then we must make haste as what I have to say cannot wait and so is to be spoken before the lateness of the hour renders our minds tired.”
“Never our hearts though Mister Regal. I too will retire to my thoughts…and dreams.”
Jonathon decided to take a late nightcap at the Moon Base bar.
“Our time has been short Bobby. It is with admiration I see your virtues and as such, place trust in you. I can only hope your heart will be as I aspire to see it.”
“And more Candice. I long for you yet in all my application, I must be of character befitting such a fine person as yourself.”