“Can you do it?” Solomon asked expectantly.
He wanted to say yes, but that would be a lie. At the same time, telling Solomon about his uncertainty would only breed discouragement and distrust. If only there was another way besides creating a foldway. Studying the old man, Bram came up with an idea.
“I can feel the psychic thread that connects you to the material world,” he said. “If I latch onto it with my mind, I’m fairly certain I can follow it back to New Terra—with Solomon in tow. I’ll need your help to accomplish that. The thread should be strong enough to—”
“We are sorry, but that is out of the question,” the old man cut in.
“But why?” Bram cried.
“It sounds like it might work!” exclaimed Solomon.
The old man shook his head, casting a pitying eye toward each man. “There are two reasons why your plan is unworkable, Mr. Waters. To begin with, even if you did manage to follow our thread of consciousness and return to the material world, your atoms would be absorbed into our physical body as a whole. As tempting as that prospect might be, I remind you: there is a virus to consider.” He focused his gaze on Solomon. “We would love to consume the two of you, seeing as you both are such fascinating creatures, but doing so would be catastrophic. We would be unable to contain the virus inhabiting your cells, Dr. Chavez; thus, it would spread through our system, killing us in a matter of hours. We hope that answers your concerns.”
Bram’s shoulders slumped. “Well, I better start figurin’ out a way to create a foldway.”
“Two foldways, Mr. Waters,” Argus corrected.
Taken aback, Bram shot a nervous glance at Solomon, who was studying him with a look of uncertainty on his face.
“You are surprised. Such a reaction is understandable,” Argus said. “We will endeavor to explain why two foldways are required, but quickly—our connection to the material world is growing thinner by the second.”
The old man actually was looking washed out, Bram realized. To calm his nerves, he took a deep breath of imaginary air. It didn’t help.
“If you created one foldway and appeared together on New Terra, you would literally appear together,” Argus said, chuckling softly. “Without the New Terran technology as a conduit, your cells would emerge as one body, which would not be conducive to optimal health, if you take our meaning. In truth, there has already been a slight merging of genetic material during your fight to maintain cohesion. Being a psychic projection, we are not affected by the virus … but you, Mr. Waters, have been infected.”
He heard Solomon gasp. “I’m sorry, Bram. I had no idea—”
“Save it,” Bram rasped. “Being your friend is one thing, becoming blood brothers is a little more than I expected.”
“As for you, Dr. Chavez,” the old man continued, “some of your genetic structure has been altered, though to what extent is uncertain at this time.” Solomon appeared unnerved by this revelation.
“Your worries should be put aside,” Argus said. “Mr. Waters, you must find a way to open the two foldways before it is too late.”
“But if it’s impossible for both of us to return to New Terra, where will the second foldway lead to? The Arrow’s too close and there’s not another habitable planet around.”
“Wherever you want—as long as the locations are far enough apart to prevent a catastrophe. However, you must visualize the location you choose as clearly as possible; if you do not, when the second foldway opens your atoms will be scattered across the cosmos … the both of you.”
“Well, that’s comforting,” Bram huffed. “What do you think, Solomon?”
“I think you should return to New Terra.” There was a brittle edge to his voice. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to quit talking and get this show on the road.”
Bram had been certain Solomon would choose New Terra. “Are you sure?”
“I have my reasons,” he said, glancing furtively away.
At this point, Argus cleared his imaginary throat.
Bram realized the old man had faded even further. Knowing he couldn’t put the inevitable off any longer, Bram nodded and closed his eyes. “Start thinking about where you want to end up, Solomon; I’ll take care of the rest,” he stated, filling his voice with as much self-assurance as he could muster. He wished he felt half as confident as he sounded.
Slowing his breathing, Bram centered his thoughts on the present moment. He had to achieve oneness with the void without losing himself completely; perhaps then he’d learn enough about the void’s properties to escape the awful oblivion that awaited him and Solomon, should he fail. Despite his reservations, Bram was starting to feel confident in his abilities. After what he’d been through over the past few days, his psychic powers had gained in strength.
Bram probed the void with his mind. It felt lifeless, as though a vast nothingness was slipping through his fingers. He opened his mind further, hoping to catch a glimpse of truth, knowing that infinite possibilities comprised the heart of reality. That’s when the remarkable happened: within the limitless aspect of the void, Bram’s mind began to expand exponentially. With that, his sense of self crumbled. All at once, the void evaporated like a sheet of rice paper caught in a rainstorm. And then, before he could fully comprehend the enormity of the moment, he connected with the font of all knowledge. He was no longer Bram Waters, psychic detective. He’d become one with everything, become more than the sum of his parts.
The past and future were as one. Time was meaningless. Ego meant nothing. Knowledge was everything and everything was knowledge. All that was ever known or could ever be known made up the being that was once Bram Waters. A peace beyond understanding infused a soul that had spread across time and space.
Bram’s egoless, boundless consciousness looked down upon the gorgeous swath of galaxies that comprised the universe and, as before, suddenly remembered his own self.
At that instant, Bram’s expanded consciousness began to shrink. Every bit of knowledge he’d acquired during this deeply spiritual journey began to fade away, disappearing from his memory like snowflakes under a desert sun.
Bram began to panic.
As he desperately tried to hold on to any scrap of precious universal knowledge, one memory mocked him: it was the goal he’d set for himself—find a way to create a foldway that would save Solomon and himself from destruction. He must not fail. Solomon was back in the void, waiting on him, depending on him. He … must … not … fail …
His soul burned for the answer. He refused to let that one bit of information slip away.
There it was! Locking onto the cherished answer, he reeled it in and held it close to his soul, exerting a viselike mental grip to prevent it from vanishing like the others.
He needn’t have worried. Like a bolt of lightning, the answer suddenly entered his mind and became clear. Bram knew what to do.
Before another thought crossed his mind, he was again floating in the golden void. He opened his eyes. Solomon was floating exactly as he left him, but Argus was nothing but a shimmering wisp, a vague outline.
Two foldways appeared: one hovering beside Bram, the other beside Solomon. Bram sensed that his friend was prepared and ready to leave this corridor, this void between dimensions. There was no time to waste. Using telekinesis, Bram latched onto Solomon and eased him through the foldway, at the same time focusing on New Terra and easing through his own.
Darkness … then a sudden blast of freezing cold …
27
“Commander Allison, you and your people are under arrest.”
Richard glared at Lorna. Her cadre of Minders had surrounded his small group.
“What the hell’s going on, Chancellor?” he hissed. “We were told that Lt. Muldoon had been killed, but now we find out she’s alive?”
Lorna gave him a quizzical look. “Alive? What do you mean?” She glanced questioningly at the poker-faced Minder standing at her side.
“She was attacked seconds after contac
ting us,” Richard angrily probed. “Who’s to blame for this? Are you involved?”
Her focus remained on the Minder at her side. “What do you know of this, Norla?”
The woman looked much like any other Minder Richard had seen over the past few days. The only difference between her and all the others was the thin, gold-colored belt she wore around her waist. It must signify her rank as captain of the Minders, Richard decided.
She barely glanced at the chancellor. “Lt. Muldoon’s survival was an unfortunate oversight,” she said, matter-of-factly. “I estimated that because of her perilous location, together with her grave physical condition, risking the safety of one of my officers was out of the question. Therefore, we left her to her fate. It seems that she is more resilient than previously thought.”
“I’m sorry, Commander,” Lorna said with a note of concern.
“You still haven’t answered my question,” he tersely replied. “There are no Minders out in the field, Commander. If a mishap has befallen the lieutenant, it is not of our doing,” said Norla.
“Well then, send a squad out there to find her,” he demanded. “My shipmate is in trouble and needs help. You can make up for your mistake by bringing her back safe and sound.”
“We’ll do what we can, Richard,” Lorna snapped. “Meanwhile, as I said earlier, you and your people are under arrest, so hand over your com devices.” After they reluctantly complied with her order, she waved dismissively. “Take them away.”
With stun-batons pointed at their backs, Richard and the others were marched to the nearest foldway. When they arrived, Norla entered a code.
Richard exchanged a look of concern with Floyd Sullivant.
The large Welshman asked, “Where are you taking us?”
“Eventually, you will be confined to your quarters,” said Norla. “But first, you will need to spend some time in the Room of Atonement.”
•
Lorna watched Richard and his people disappear through the foldway. When the entrance returned to stationary mode, she waited as Norla ordered her squad of Minders to resume their normal duties. One by one, the group entered their various sets of codes into the foldway and went their separate ways. Finally, the only two people left beside the foldway were the steely-eyed Minder captain and Lorna Threman.
Norla’s finger hovered near the control panel, awaiting her chancellor’s order. With a cursory nod from Lorna, she entered the code, and both women stepped through the foldway.
The room they entered was small and plain with two rows of seats set up auditorium-style. Each row consisted of seven comfortably appointed seats positioned in front of a fourteen-foot wide by eight-foot tall HV screen. Four of the front row seats were already occupied.
As soon as Lorna entered the room, all four women rose to their feet: Morvan Godley, the Prime Keeper, who was now wearing a diaphanous pink shift over her tall, bony body; Doric Sardis, the bald yet pretty Vice-Chancellor, who was devoted to Lorna and her occasional lover; Jemis Calverton, High-Priestess in charge of the New Terran breeding program, and Kateling Tarnal, the sixty-eight-year-old former chancellor who was Lorna’s most trusted adviser.
They’d left the center, front-row seat open for her. The four waited as Lorna took her seat.
Norla made for the back of the room and stood in the corner with her arms crossed.
Kateling Tarnal, the former chancellor, was the first to speak. “This should’ve been done the moment they arrived, instead of wasting our time with dinners and tours.”
“I’d hoped to find common ground and incorporate them into our society, Kateling,” Lorna responded, staring straight ahead. “Furthermore, the crew onboard the Arrow would’ve become suspicious if, upon the landing party’s arrival, they failed to report back. As luck would have it, during my tryst with Commander Allison, I learned that he contacts the ship’s communications officer on a regular basis—three times a day, like clockwork. We have over two hours before his next scheduled communiqué—plenty of time for a thorough interrogation.”
Kateling Tarnal grumbled and shook her head, looking unconvinced.
Doric Sardis leaned forward in her seat beside Morvan Godley, who sat to Lorna’s right. “I think it was wise to attempt reconciliation. After all, there’s a high degree of probability that the Old-Earth humans possess valuable assets that will benefit us in the long run.”
Lorna turned her head and flashed the young woman a quick smile. “I appreciate your faith in my leadership abilities, Doric.”
“The subject is moot,” announced Morvan Godley. “The Lord just now informed me that She notified Admiral Axelrod of the landing party’s arrest for espionage. The admiral agreed that their incarceration was justified; therefore, we are under no time constraints while we interrogate the commander and his intrepid crew.”
“Well then,” chuckled Jemis Calverton, “let’s get on with it. I’m interested to see how they hold up to the mental pressure.”
Raising her hand, Lorna signaled the Minder captain to proceed. The huge HV screen came to life, showing Richard, Floyd, and their two remaining shipmates standing in the center of a twenty-foot in diameter by ten-foot high circular white room. Richard was shaking his fist and yelling, “Why won’t you answer me? Dammit! Where the hell are my people?!”
“What a brute,” sneered Morvan Godley. “He’s–he’s positively animalistic. You must have been thoroughly repulsed when you slept with him, Lorna.”
“I agree,” Doric Sardis said, her voice small, sounding wounded.
Lorna remained silent. Staring at Richard, her thoughts centered on how, instead of looking brutish, he looked powerful, sexy, magnetic—so very different from the scores of weakling men she’d been with over the years. No, Richard was not a brute … he was a man, a real man.
With a nod of her head, she signaled Norla to activate the screen in the Room of Atonement. The room’s four occupants suddenly looked their way, and did not look pleased. Richard walked toward the screen and stopped little more than a foot away.
“What is this?” he asked, lifting his hand. “Is this a two-way mirror, or an HV screen?”
“It is an HV screen, Commander,” Lorna replied. “We are located elsewhere. Now, if you don’t mind, we would like some answers. If you cooperate, you’ll be returned to your quarters none the worse for wear. But, should you remain uncooperative, you will learn firsthand why the space you’re being held in is called the Room of Atonement.”
Richard rejoined the others and asked, “How’s the search for Lt. Muldoon progressing? What really happened to the forest expedition? Where are my—”
Leaning forward, Kateling Tarnal snapped, “We will be asking the questions, Commander!”
“Where are my people?” Richard scowled, keeping his eyes locked on Lorna. “Why aren’t Lt. Fletcher and Ensign Ogeto in here with us?”
Feeling a momentary pang of guilt, Lorna hesitated before answering. “Lt. Fletcher and the ensign were … uncooperative. Sadly, they have atoned for their lack of cooperation.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Floyd Sullivant blared.
“They were caught spying, you oaf,” snapped Doric Sardis. “What do you think it means?”
Richard glared at the young, bald-headed woman. “Are you telling me they’re dead?”
Doric was about to reply when Lorna’s hand rose to quiet her.
“It was not our intention for them to die, Commander,” she began. “They were being inter—”
“You fucking bitch!” Floyd shouted, stepping forward. “I ought to wring your neck!”
Quickly grabbing hold of Floyd’s arm, Richard brought the man’s furious advance to a halt.
“Don’t waste your breath, Lieutenant,” he said through clenched teeth. “They could care less about us. Their hearts are cold, like the machine that rules over them.”
Lorna peered quizzically at him. What was Richard talking about? she wondered. “As I was saying, we did not intend for
your shipmates to die. We did not anticipate their brains’ inability to handle the stress,” she lied. “To compensate for your antiquated physiology, adjustments have been made to the room’s program. Shall we begin?”
“What about Lt. Muldoon?” Richard pressed. “Before I answer any questions, I want to know her status. And the others in her party—did they really die in a crash, like you said?”
Morvan Godley answered, “Lt. Muldoon’s status does not concern us. As for the others, the bodies of the pilot, the agricultural commissioner, and Lt. Commander Albans were consumed by the fungus that grows in the forest. Dr. Chavez and Mr. Waters survived and were brought back to the city.”
Lorna’s head jerked toward the Prime Keeper. This was news to her.
Godley continued. “The Lord questioned them and found them uncooperative. They were summarily executed.”
Hearing this, all but one of the prisoners raged at the screen. Richard stared at Lorna coldly. She signaled Norla to turn off the sound. “Why wasn’t I informed of this?”
Morvan Godley looked down her beak-like nose. “The Lord doesn’t require your approval, Chancellor.”
“I know that, Prime Keeper, it’s just that—” Lorna tamped down her anger. “How were they executed?”
“They were cast into the Great Void.”
Lorna suppressed a shudder. There was nothing left of the two men, not even their souls. A wave of compassion swept through her.
Morvan Godley gave the Minder captain a signal, and the sound returned. The prisoners had stopped shouting and were staring at the group with contempt in their eyes.
“Since that’s settled, I’ll ask the first question,” Godley purred. “Commander Allison, the Lord has instructed me to acquire your command codes. If you would, please recite them clearly to avoid confusion.”
With a snort of amusement, Richard turned to Floyd and both men began to laugh. “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m not giving up the ship’s command codes.” Richard’s mind turned to the admiral, thankful that her conditioning didn’t extend to complete betrayal.
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