by E. R. Mason
It took a moment for Jax to recover. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“This boat doesn’t need me, except for a reason to sail. It’s been refit by my people. I can tell it where I want to go and it tracks seas, weather forecasting, charts and everything else. If no one was on board and it received a message to travel, it could kick off its lines, back out and set sail all by itself.”
“Geeez . . . How far out are we going that we need three days?”
“She’ll follow the coast line just for our safety in case we need to go in to port. She can do in excess of 50 knots but she knows I’m not crazy about wave-jumping. Hang on a moment, cabin boy.”
Skyla went to the control seat and made a few entries on a keypad there. The Sundancer’s engines revved up and the boat backed away from the dock. Jax had to grab a handhold to keep his balance. After a gentle turn, the Sundancer headed out the inlet.
Jax came alongside Skyla and watched out the windshield as she studied display screens on the dash. “So, we’re under way. Can I know where I’m going now?”
“To a place called Devil’s Hole. It’s where I live. Have you heard of it?”
“If it’s the one I’m thinking of it’s a weird little place in the North Sea where the bottom suddenly drops off. Fisherman named it that because they keep losing nets.”
“Actually my people named it that. It was a good way to help discourage visitors.”
“You live in Devil’s Hole?”
“Yes.”
“Underwater?”
“Yes.”
“So you don’t have an apartment over somebody’s garage and you don’t live on this boat after all.”
“It’s like I said. Everything I told you was true. I did have an apartment over someone’s garage and I did live on this boat at times but that was just for the mission.”
“And you weren’t really a student at the school when I met you.”
“I was enrolled at the school as a student and I took classes.”
“So you weren’t actually writing a book about Demon House. You were there to figure out the time problem and the people disappearing.”
“When I am done transcribing my report on Demon House, it will be as long as a book. And I was there to find out about the time anomaly and the people who were disappearing.”
Jax gazed out at the open ocean approaching. “Everything you told me was a lie, and everything you told me was true.”
“Everything I told you was a lie, and everything I told you was true.”
“Well, damn it all.”
Skyla began to laugh. She fought to contain it.
“How long to reach Devil’s Hole?”
“Depending on seas and currents it may only take eight or nine hours. We’ll sail north along the coast to Dundee then head out to open sea.”
“Where should I stow my gear?”
Skyla cast a devilish glance at him. “As you already know, my cabin is the big one up forward, or you can choose one of the others, but you’d just be kidding yourself.”
“Have we got anything to eat?”
“We’re fully stocked. You sound like Remy.”
“Rem, I hope he’s really okay.”
“My people will visit him today. Believe me, his days of discomfort are over. By the way, what about his step parents? Have they become concerned about his disappearance?”
Jax shook his head and scowled. “They’re leaving for their three month vacation in the states today. They said he knows how to reach them if he shows up. No police report, no nothing. They figure he’s just running around having a good time somewhere. They don’t care. He’s 18. They don’t get the support payments anymore. It’ll be months before anyone realizes he’s not around, if then even.”
“Too bad they didn’t treat him with love. They’d probably be millionaires about now.”
Jax held to the boat as it crossed larger waves leaving the inlet. “Sky, what happens when we reach Devil’s Hole?”
“It’s easiest if you just wait and see, sir. It’s too much to tell.”
“Will we have to get wet?”
“Skyla burst out a short laugh. “No, cabin boy. Your tootsies will not get wet, except maybe in the shower with me.”
Jax’s eyes opened wide. He tried to come up with something smart to say but found he had nothing.
Beyond the inlet, the Sundancer began a gradual turn to the north. Skyla stepped back from the controls and took Jax’s hand. “Come on, grab your bags and I’ll make you some breakfast.”
In the galley, the slight roll of the boat kept causing Jax to bump into the back of Skyla as she tried to prepare the food. Finally exasperated, she turned and shoved him away. Indignant, he returned and shoved her back. An uncoordinated wrestling match broke out which quickly ended up in the master stateroom.
Later, after breakfast was actually served, the combatants found themselves at it again, this time in a guest stateroom, and as the trip continued, Jax’s mind slipped into a private celebration of freedom from the past. There was laughter, exotic food, game play, visits above deck, and moody conversation, all punctuated by frequent love making. As foretold, Jax did find himself in the shower with Skyla where rocky seas kept throwing them against each other causing shrieks of erotic laughter and playful hanging ons . . . Sleep eventually won out.
Jax awoke to the thumping of rougher seas. He eased himself away from Skyla’s sleeping form and went up on deck. He held to the pilot seat and did a slow 360. Land could no longer be seen in any direction. The wind had picked up and was cold. The sky was still bright blue with passing cumulus clouds.
As he soaked in the remoteness of it, Skyla stuck her head through the hatchway, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She climbed up and stood beside him, holding his shoulder for balance. “We’re just about there.”
“How can you tell when we’re there?”
“The boat will stop, silly. Plus there’ll probably be a Rova floating nearby.”
“What’s a Rova?”
Skyla opened her mouth to respond when the engines suddenly idled back. The boat began to pitch and rock. She went to the starboard rail and glanced over, then looked back at Jax. “That’s a Rova,” she said, pointing over the side.
Jax joined her and looked down. The thing looked like a carnival ride. It was perfectly round with round cushioned seats along the inside walls, enclosed by a clear domed canopy. There was a transparent floor that looked down on the dark, forbidding depths.
Skyla smiled as the Rova’s canopy slowly opened like a clamshell.
“Which way will it go?” asked Jax, though he already knew the answer.
“Down?” replied Skyla and she blurted out a laugh.
Jax watched as the Rova guided itself to the back of the Sundancer. It bumped up against the stern where the dive platform ladder led down.
“What should I bring?”
“Not a thing. Are you ready?”
“What about the boat?”
“It will stay right here waiting.”
“Without an anchor or anything?”
“Uh-huh.”
“After you,” said Jax.
Skyla gave a smirk. She shut the galley door, went to the stern, and climbed down into the rolling Rova. She sprawled out in a comfortable position on the oval seat and tapped her fingers impatiently waiting for him. Jax rolled his eyes and climbed down in. As soon as he took a seat beside her, the canopy swished close.
As the Rova moved away from the boat, Jax peered down at the glass floor. “Oh boy . . .”
Skyla just smiled.
The water outside began rising. Waves began splashing off the canopy. Slowly the water line crept up the side of the canopy and finally washed over the top. The blue sky and clouds overhead became a surreal blue blur and began to recede.
Skyla slid closer to Jax and took his hand. “The lights will come on in a minute.”
Jax assumed she was referring to interior lights but a moment la
ter bright spots all around the craft beamed on. Rays of light lit up the water in every direction including downward. Despite the light, the view looking down was still one of an empty abyss.
“How deep does this thing go?” he asked.
“Actually it’s not that deep where we’re headed. About 400 meters, 1350 feet.”
“Not that deep . . . right. What is down there? Is it like an underwater space station?”
“No. Somebody might see that.”
“Well what then?”
“It’s kind of like a cave.”
Outside the craft vague sections of ocean floor began to be visible. A long flat plain of mud appeared on the right. It seemed as though they were about to touch down except the glass bottom still showed nothing directly below. As they continued down, the flat silty bottom rose up past them forming a rock wall. Jagged rock and mudslides now filled the view to the right. They had begun the descent into Devil’s Hole.
Several more minutes of diving were marked by more jagged rock and mud walls along with occasional clouds of silt kicked up by the Rova’s engines. Overhead, light from the surface world was no longer visible. Finally Skyla spoke nonchalantly, “We’re here,” and a large fog of disturbed mud billowed up around the sub. It quickly became so dense there was no visibility at all. Suddenly Jax felt a sideward movement followed by a brief clanking sound after which the vehicle seemed to be on a stable platform.
A series of bangs and other machine noises sounded. The muddy water around and above the canopy gurgled and bubbled. The water level began to recede around them until a wet chamber came into view through the mud on the canopy. A spray from somewhere above cleared the canopy. Jax could now make out a metallic room with silver walls and recessed lighting. Next, a blue beam of light swept over the sub and an instant later both sub and chamber appeared to be completely dry. Jax watched in awe as the canopy slowly rose to release them.
Skyla smiled, stood, and stepped out of the Rova. Jax followed warily.
“It’s so nice to be able to finally bring you here,” she said, and she took his hand in hers.
The silver floor was grated and dry. The chamber had a low, domed ceiling. A double door nearby abruptly slid open. Skyla led Jax through it.
The open doors led to a well-manicured forest. Overhead there was blue sky with clouds drifting by. There seemed to be no end to the trees and flowers surrounding the wide stone walkway that led them through. As they walked, Jax spotted an opening in the trees. Hills far in the distance lay beyond. Jax suspected it was an image projected on the walls but he was not able to see through the façade.
“Sky, how big is this chamber, really?”
“As big as we want it to be,” she replied.
“Come on, really.”
“I’m telling you the truth. The actual forest is pretty big, and if you start getting near the end of it the holographic generator can reconfigure itself to make you think you’re walking in a straight line even though you’re not. It tricks you so you can never find the boundaries. But a lot of the forest is real. We harvest the fruit from the trees and plants. It’s quite a wonderful park, really.”
“Incredible,” murmured Jax.
“There are many things here that will take some time getting used to, Jax,” said an unfamiliar male voice. Jax turned to find two unusual people a short distance away. They wore skin tight suits that looked like diver’s wet suits except for the intricate patterns that covered each. The man on the right was dressed in a deep green with yellow embellishment. The young lady next to him wore aqua blue with white detail. Both wore boots that came above the ankle and matched their apparel. Both suits had high collars and no seams or zippers. The man’s hair was white and came down to his shoulders. The woman’s was sparkling silver and came down to her chest.
Skyla laughed a pleasant acknowledgement and led Jax to them. She seemed delighted to make the introductions. “Jax, these are my friends Venia and Cyrus.”
Jax held out a hand to the gentleman and was suddenly stunned by the scene behind him. There was a long wrought iron fence with a large open gate. Beyond the gate was a wide cobblestone city street with shops and other buildings. People dressed in the same one piece suits with individualized designs on them were everywhere, coming and going from the storefronts. Jax looked back at the garden forest behind him and noticed a red cardinal on a tree branch. As he thought to ask if it was real, it stretched its wings and flew away.
“How can this all be real?” he said as he shook Cyrus’s hand.
“To what do you refer?” asked Venia.
“When I first arrived, I knew this place was an underground structure. Now I can’t tell it from the surface world.”
“This is our vision of the surface world,” said Venia, and she took Jax’s hand from Cyrus and held it affectionately for a moment.
“We’re holding a trolley. We should go,” said Cyrus.
Stunned, Jax followed the group out to the street where a red and gold open air trolley waited in the middle of the street. It had no wheels or tracks but hovered six inches off the ground. There were no overhead cables, but as soon as the foursome was standing and holding on, the vehicle gently pulled away.
“These shops are all real?” asked Jax. “People own them?”
Skyla gave him a quick hug. “Nothing here needs to be owned,” replied Skyla. “Some shops are operated by people, others are automated, but they’re all real.”
Jax watched as they passed a sidewalk fruit stand. There was no one selling fruit. Patrons were taking what they wanted then waving a hand over a nearby pedestal. The design of the city reminded him of Eastgate in Chester. The trolley passed under a colorful brick arch that provided a walkway above the street. There was a clock tower a short distance ahead. The buildings were artistically decorated and pristinely kept.
“This just seems impossible,” said Jax to himself.
Skyla heard the comment. “We’ve been here for a very long time,” she said.
“I so love this part of the city,” said Venia.
“And here we are,” added Cyrus.
The trolley slowed and stopped in front of a three story glass office building. The group crossed over and entered through automatic doors which temporarily faded away rather than slide open. Inside, the front room was filled with plants and sculpture. As before, the room was well lit but no lights seemed to be present to provide it.
Cyrus led his guests through an open archway that led to his office. It was sparsely furnished: a heavy deeply carved maple desk and a long oval meeting table. The walls were covered by changing scenery of forests, waterfalls, and gardens. He motioned everyone to sit.
“Just a few things we should talk about before we send you off to the melioration bath,” said Cyrus.
“The what?” asked Jax.
Skyla smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll explain.”
“So Jax, Skyla has already sent me her preliminary report from the boat. We are greatly indebted to you for your service in this particularly dangerous temporal occlusion. Our analysis of the past events suggests we might not have been successful in resolving this without your help. I know you cannot yet fully grasp the significance of this, but the conclusion of this mission now makes you a constitutional member of Hyperborea.”
Jax squirmed in his seat. He looked at each of the three people around him. “Am I a prisoner here?”
Skyla rolled her eyes. Venia dropped her head and shook it.
Cyrus understood. “You are a free man Jax, in both worlds. Although I must say, here you are something of a celebrity. We will provide you with whatever assets you need and you may travel between worlds as you wish.”
Jax looked at Skyla.
“He means you’re rich.”
Venia laughed.
“By the way, I am told Mr. Remington Summerfield is responding very well according to our doctors. I must say, the man is quite an impressive individual. He has handled this crisis with more di
scretion than could have been hoped for. He will also be offered citizenship here when he is fully recovered.”
“Thank you for helping him, sir,” replied Jax.
“It’s just Cyrus here, Jax. We use only first names here in Hyperborea. No one is more important than anyone else. You may be interested to hear that our initial evaluations of this mission’s timeline changes look very promising. No discordant changes have been found.”
“By the way, we did lose our mobile phones,” said Jax.
“Actually only your phone was left out of time. Skyla’s dissolved a short time after her absence. We have already searched the available records thoroughly and found no trace of your device. We will monitor for it, but I suspect it was lost in the destruction of war.”
Venia asked, “Are your dual memory paths troubling you at all, Jax?”
“You mean the new things I’m remembering? So far I seem to be learning the new stuff piece by piece. But, it’s been okay, so far,” replied Jax.
“How wonderfully surprising,” commented Venia. “Some day you must document this experience for us so that we may further understand it.”
“To be honest, I do still kind of feel like a man out of time,” said Jax.
Cyrus replied, “We’ll help you as much as you’d like with your new future here and up above.”
“My new future?”
“Have you considered what direction you’d like that future to take?” asked Cyrus.
“Only that it will involve flying. I have a deep love for flying.”
“Very logical, Jax. And while you continue to consider that, let me suggest you also look into space flight. Were you to enter the space program that would be of great assistance to us, although you are not under any obligation to do so.”
“How could my entering the space program be helpful to you?”
“There are several next generation space craft under construction in the U.S. sector. It will give humans much greater access to space. Since we oversee human development in this area of the Earth, we need to monitor and guide what the human race does beyond Earth’s exosphere.”
“What was that about overseeing this area of Earth?”
“Earth’s surface is divided into many different population sectors. Each is overseen by an advanced race. In our case we work closely with the U.S. and several other sectors. We only allow each population enough technology to learn and advance as is appropriate. Now that human space exploration is about to take a leap forward, our job will become much more difficult. We need to prevent humans from accidentally running into incompatible species, or treading on the property of other races, things like that. We need direct access to those affairs. You would be a great asset to us that way.”