“Yeah,” Harry said, “It’s like a kick-ass version of those artificial islands they keep building in Dubai. Most have cost a goddamn king’s ransom. Here we have a super theme park and we can’t make a nickel off of it.”
“This place is beyond cool,” Shan said. Our little alien was no longer obsessed with Earthly slang, but still liked to sprinkle it about.
Carl added that he felt much the same when he first entered the Hollow Mountain. “But this is much better because I am here with friends.”
Bob said, with a wistful smile, “I agree with Carl.”
Shan just smiled and turned the volume on her iPad up to the max and bopped up and down to some god-awful pop tune that hurt my ears. I made a mental note to ask M1 to kick Amy up the bum for investing in that thing.
At the trolley station we dropped our packs and introduced ourselves to theColónel’s men and the drone crew. Major Fran Alton, who was one of the Drone pilots, was also the officer in charge. With her was a group of ten troopers, loaded down with operational material. She looked a bit like Fran Allison—young, attractive and curious about our own pilot, Harry. All of Nexus knew the bios of the Dance Band and Harry was fast becoming a legend.
Shan was in a panic for a time. Her iPad battery died and there was no way to give it a charge. Fran, who had piles of electronic equipment, came to her rescue. She gave our girl several portable charge sticks. To my utter delight, Fran also gave her a nice set of headphones.
“Fran,” I said, “I thank you for the gift of silence. We are friends forever. You may call on me for any task and it will absolutely be performed unless it is inconvenient.”
“Weasel,” she said, but with a grin. “You’re a Benny Hill fan.”
Alice and the boys had earlier decided that we would first hike to the center of the city, as indicated by the middle of the circle of snewels. Lunch was a cup of Alice’s brew because we were anxious to get going before the director decided to send us off on another side trail. We kept all of our equipment with us, as was our usual practice. Amy declared that on her next trip to Earth she would get some luggage with wheels.
M1 had a fairly good estimate of the location of the center of the snewel ring. The direction we took was not straight down one of the avenues, but diagonal to the street plan, which created a jagged path as we dodged between buildings. The ill-defined cross streets were more like the open spaces between buildings. At one corner, we came across three of the robot street cleaners who individually and as a group completely ignored the visitors to their town. It was Joe’s opinion their intelligence did not extend beyond their assigned tasks. We hiked along, enjoying the morning and the scenery.
Talk was sparse until I heard Harry’s voice. “I just remembered something about Peru. They have these really ancient and large surface constructions that can only be seen from high altitude.”
“Yes,” Alice said, “you’ll find them in the Nazca Desert. I flew over them about fifteen years ago. Quite impressive and mysterious.”
“I’m thinking of one of the figures,” he continued. “It was something like a dog with very long, straight legs and toes that looked more like fingers.”
All eyes immediately went to Blue who was busy trotting around on his long, straight legs and finger-like toes, sniffing at this and that. He soon noticed he was the center of attention and paused to stare at each of us in turn with a quizzical look on his face. We said nothing because there was nothing to say.
Moments later, damned if he didn’t say, “WHAT?”
For the first time in who knew how long, laughter floated down the empty byways of the Old City. When we arrived there was no mistaking our target. It was a large, open plaza. Adding to its prominence was a wide avenue going straight east and west that effectively bisected the city. Tiny gazebo-like structures, miniature trees and many benches bordered the plaza on all four corners. This was a beautiful and appealing gathering place for the long ago citizens.
The dominant feature appeared at the exact center. There I saw a large monument, perhaps forty feet tall, covered by its own, even larger, roofless gazebo. Well, not exactly a gazebo, but close. The monument inside was an ornate, cone shaped sculpture depicting strange animals, all gracefully climbing and reaching upward. A large pool of water with a low stone curbing surrounded the whole edifice, but I saw no liquid squirting anywhere. There was no base as such. The pillars of the gazebo simply rose up from the still liquid, as did the monument inside. We approached the water’s edge, and then circled the entire pool for a closer look. At the poolside facing west, a wide stone walkway led straight to the monument base, but we couldn’t see any doorway. We continued to circle the pool until we were opposite the walkway.
“It looks quite shallow,” Alice said. “I’ll check the temperature.”
She lifted one foot, toe down and moved it over the water. Before she could lower it, Jesus leaped from his perch on her shoulder and Joe called out from my second button, “Do not touch the water!”
She jerked her foot away and stumbled back, taking the group with her until we were well clear of the edge. I looked behind us and saw Jesus and Blue even further away from the now ominous liquid. It did no more than softly shimmer, reflecting nothing but the sky of Enigma.
“Thanks, Joe, I guess.” Alice told him. “What’s the story on the water?”
“Before I answer,” he replied, “you must promise not to yell at me.”
We were all startled at that, especially Alice. “James, now I’m subject to the whim of your computer? Next a toaster will want something from me.”
“I’ve known from the beginning Joe was more than a machine,” M2 said.
By that time Alice was standing directly in front of me with a peculiar look on her face. She said nothing to command silence, but we all froze, waiting for her reaction to Joe’s surprisingly human request. She reached to loosen my number two shirt button and fingered the golden disk to the outside of my shirt.
“Joe,” she asked, “do you see me from your case or are you looking at me through James’s eyes?”
“Either way is adequate.” He said.
“Let’s do James’s eyes. Okay?”
“All right. You may proceed.”
She turned those big eyes to mine and I did my best to be neutral, but few can ignore Alice.
“Joe,” she began, “obviously I was wrong in considering you just a machine and I apologize for that and the toaster comment. I think deep down I sensed you had feelings, but I guess I just assumed emotions were an impossibility for you. I now know better and I hope you understand.”
“Of course I do,” Joe said, “and I thank you.”
“Now I ask you to activate your logic and memory circuits,” she continued. “You have been a member of the Band for more than a few days. I know you have been busy observing us and learning, among many other things, how we relate and interact with each other. There are differences in the way I connect with people in general and Band members in particular. There are times that I yell at M2 and James and call them nincompoops or worse. When you look logically at my relationship with them compared to the others, what conclusions can you draw?”
“I already knew,” he replied, “you care very deeply for every band member to the extent that you would defend them with your life. Your treatment of M2 and James has a degree of humor that negates any meanness. I suspect you have never really kicked James’s ass.”
Alice smiled. “Then didn’t you know, even if I didn’t fully realize it, I connect the same with you?”
“I needed to hear you say it,” Joe said.
“Well, I say it,” she added. “You are a member of the Dance Band and we all have your back. By the way, James, are you in there?”
“Yes mum.” I answered.
“Are you the one giving me the doe eyes or is it Joe?”
“I wouldn’t dare, boss,” I said.
“I like you,” Joe said and that ended the episode.
> Amy joined the conversation, “I just thought of something, Joe. Since you apparently have human characteristics, would you like to have your own body if we could manage it?”
“This is something new to consider,” he said. “The thought is intriguing.”
“OMG, Joe,” Shan chirped, “that would be totally awesome! Could you look like anybody you want?” She started a thumb dance on her iPad. “Here, look at these pictures of really dreamy guys.”
This whole thing is intriguing,” M1 said, “but I’d like to return to the problem at hand. Joe, would you like to answer Alice’s inquiry about the water?”
“Certainly, but it begins with I don’t know. I reacted to the reaction of Jesus. The cat sensed something that didn’t register with the rest of us.”
“Maybe it was just the water,” Alice speculated. “Cats do not like water as a rule.”
“I have information on the physiology of felines and Jesus’s reaction was more than avoidance, but he now just seems disinterested. On further examination of the water surface I do sense a slight attenuation of normal surface tension. I am reasonably sure what we see is indeed water, but something else is going on. I cannot say what it is and if it is dangerous.”
Harry chimed in. “I’ve always been suspicious of cats and I still am. I think we should keep an eye on Mr. Fuzzy.”
“Whoosh!” Alice blew out a big breath while touching her toes. “I’m doing this because I can’t think of what else to do. I hope someone has an idea.”
Harry grinned at our dog-like creature and rubbed him behind his ears. “How about we have Blue sniff the water?”
“Shan?” M1 asked, “what do you think?”
“I’ll go with him to the edge,” Shan said, a little reluctantly, “and hold him so he doesn’t touch it.”
She called Blue to her side, then walked him to the edge of the pool and knelt down with one arm around his neck. She whispered in his ear and soon we saw his nose lower to within an inch of the fluid surface. He took a few sniffs and before Shan could react, I saw his tongue drop for a taste. She quickly pulled him back and examined his mouth, but he had not suffered any injury.
“I was watching closely,” Amy said, “and I don’t think his tongue actually touched the water.”
Shan pointed to the water and asked Blue, “Smell water?”
“Something,” Blue said.
“No portal, no door?” Shan asked.
Blue shook his head, his ears making little flapping sounds.
“Something,” he repeated. “Not same.”
“Let me do a little test,” M1 said. “I saw his tongue too and it should have dipped into the water. There might be a barrier of some sort just above the surface.”
He walked close to the edge. Once in position he took a quarter from his pocket and gave it an underhand, Frisbee toss out over the water. The coin did behave like a skipping stone, but it didn’t disturb the water. It bounced along just above the surface. There was so little friction the coin struck the monument and bounced back. It came to rest just a couple of feet from he who had tossed it.
“My turn,” Carl said. He was standing next to the edge at our left. “If it’s all right, I’ll touch the surface with the toe of my boot.”
“Okay,” M1 said, “but just sort of tap it and draw your foot back pronto.”
We all watched as he gingerly stuck out his left foot, made a tapping motion and quickly pulled back.
“I felt resistance, but nothing else,” he said. “Shall I do it again?”
“Yes,” M1 said, “but this time slower and slide your foot around a bit.”
“It’s slippery,” he said, while swinging his leg from side to side without disturbing the water below.
M1 joined him, knelt down and poked a finger at the surface.
“Do be careful,” Amy said.
“Feels just like a portal barrier,” he said. “This must be another form. M2, you stay on the pavement, but hold my hands for balance while I tread on the water.”
Amy put out her hand. “Be careful. Stay right on the edge.”
M1 gave her a nod and smiled slightly. Bebe nudged me with her elbow, but old James could not decipher her message. The boys locked hands and M1 gingerly stepped out, looking like a novice ice skater trying to keep his balance, but he remained above the liquid and worked his way back.
“Seems safe enough,” he said, “but awkward to say the least. There’s that walkway on the other side, but I’m tempted to walk on water. Anyone have any ideas?”
“Easy,” Amy said. She sat down at the pool’s edge and swung her feet over the water. Using her arms, she lifted her butt and moved it past the edge. “I’ll sit and slide all the way. Someone give me a shove.”
“Allow me,” M1 said.
He sat down back to back, locked arms with her and shoved off with his feet. They both floated effortlessly and leisurely, followed by our applause, until they collided with the base of the monument where the sculptures provided a wealth of handholds.
I felt a pull on my sleeve, it was Bebe. “Can we do that, James?”
Sixty seconds later we bumped into Amy and M1 who promptly toppled onto us amid hoots of laughter from the far shore. Alice and Harry came next, followed by Carl and Bob and last, Shan and M2 skittered across. That left Jesus and Blue to stand watch on the shore. Blue trotted back and forth, constantly whining while our cat was busy licking himself. We all made it to our feet by holding onto the stone carvings and began to work our way around the structure while examining what we saw.
At our level we were grasping the limbs of a variety of absolutely strange, but beautiful animals. Each sculpture seemed to be straining to reach up. Their faces and eyes looked skyward through an opening in the top of the dome.
“These are wonderful beasts,” Alice said. “I wonder if they represent living animals? You think any are from Earth?”
“Look at their faces,” Bebe said. “There is nothing savage about their expressions. I see only yearning and intense longing for something above. Notice that the ones above become progressively more like us, like Primes. In fact, although I cannot see them clearly, the ones at the top could be just like Primes and still they reach upward.”
“There is meaning here,” Bob said. “I hope we will be able to discover the nature of this work.”
Carl was first to reach and step onto the stone walkway, which ended at the sculpture of a blobby, prehistoric-looking creature. It wasn’t much more that a smooth surfaced ball.
“Nothing here,” he said, “other than this strange symbol carved into the sculpture.”
“What’s it look like?” Alice asked.
“Sort of like a figure eight lying sideways.”
“Maybe it’s the infinity sign,” M1 said.
“Yeah, but it’s different,” Carl mumbled, while looking closely at what we couldn’t see. “Oh, yes, it’s a Mobius strip carved into the stone.”
He reached to touch the image and vanished. He simply winked out with a short snap. We were frozen in place momentarily.
“Jesus Christ,” Harry said. What the hell happened?
Alice called out to the empty space. “Carl? Carl? Are you there? Can you hear me?”
She started to move toward the empty space, but M1 pulled her back. “Let’s get back to solid ground any way we can. Stay away from the walkway.”
We all just shoved off in a disorderly scramble, but we made it to the pavement and then gathered around for a conference.
“What happened? Where is Carl? ” Shan’s voice was shaking and tears were streaming down her face. “What is it that I just saw?”
Amy put her arm around her. “We don’t know, Shan. Give us a little time to sort this out.”
“I don’t know,” Alice said. “Ideas—anyone?” She had no offers. “Joe, how about you? Can you shed any light on this?”
“I can observe much faster than humans,” Joe said. “The phenomena lasted only nanoseconds.
First, Carl vanished instantaneously. This created a vacuum which caused the snap when it imploded. There was a very brief time when the vacuum assumed Carl’s image and then it was gone. I think I did see something in the image.”
Joe hesitated long enough for Alice to react. “What the hell did you see, Joe?”
“It was looking at deep space,” he said.
The silence stretched out. We were trying to absorb the impossible. Our emotions ran all over the place.
“But what about our Carl?” Shan asked, in a squeaky voice. “Can we save him? Can we go after him?”
“This is way the hell above my pay grade,” Harry said.
Amy walked up to M1. “Don, what can we do? Is he transported or dead?”
“I just don’t know, Amy,” he said. Turning to me, he said, “James, how about taking Joe for a close look at that symbol? M2, go along with James and take some tight shots. Alice, do you think it’s safe to take Jesus to see if he has any reaction? For God’s sake, do not touch it. I’ll ask theColónel to post a permanent guard here to keep people away.”
Harry turned to Alice. “Let me take the cat, in case he has a bad reaction.” As she opened her mouth to protest, he said, “C’mon, lady, let me do something gallant for a change.”
She presented her cat laden shoulder to Harry. “Here you go, Sir Bismarck. Remember, he has not been declawed.
M2’s camera clicked continuously as he and I approached. As soon as I dangled Joe in front of the odd carving, Jesus began that weird wail that only cats can produce. Harry got several scratches on his hand when our cat launched away from the symbol. It took him no more than two seconds to reclaim his perch on Alice’s shoulder. I tried desperately to think of something to do, but this event was unique. I automatically reached toward the symbol, but Harry’s strong hand clamped on my wrist. On our return M2 had some good shots, but my computer companion had nothing more.
“Not such a great idea,” Harry said, while wrapping his bandana around his injured hand. “Hey, Joe, what’s the deal with Jesus? Can you think things to him like you do with James?”
LOST AND FORGOTTEN: BOOK THREE - ENIGMA Page 2