Attack of the Rockoids

by Gene Steinberg

  The motion of the elevator was slow at first, but it eventually accelerated downward at an almost dizzying pace. Ray felt a tightening in the pit of his stomach as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.

  The scene inside astonished him.

  They entered the same laboratory he’d trashed when he first visited Area 51 in his own century. The machines had been reconstructed; there was no sign of the destruction he wrought. He was even more amazed when he saw huge flickering lights, and heard a loud grinding sound. Gotlieb looked around and saw a master switch. He slowly walked toward it and raised his hand.

  “Hmm, I wonder why this was left on. Oh well, might as well conserve energy…”

  At this point, Ray had a sudden revelation and tried to warn Gotlieb not to turn off the switch…he was too late!

  Gotlieb switched off the power supply and Ray stood there, staring at everyone in dumb amazement.

  At first, he felt dizzy. Suddenly, as when he first traveled to the future, all motion around him seemed to stop. White flame began to engulf him and he started falling toward that horrible silver tornado again, seeing his life spinning before his eyes once more.

  He struggled to get away from that awful turbulence. He breathed harder and harder and felt as if he was about to suffocate.

  Everything went black.

  * * *

  It was a while before he could see again, but the voice was very familiar. “Ray, Ray what the hell happened to you? Are you okay? Do you need help? Wake up! Wake up!”

  The fog before his eyes lifted and he looked up. Apparently he had fallen. He stared at the concerned face looming above him.

  Ray panicked. No, it can’t be! It’s impossible…this is all a dream…a nightmare. This couldn’t possibly be happening!

  Manny Gonzales looked at Ray with growing concern. He had followed him down into the lower chambers deep within the Area 51 complex after Ray failed to return the following morning. When he entered the secret laboratory, he saw it filled with a strange, smoky mist, and within that mist lay Ray’s unconscious body. Without a second’s hesitation, he lifted the larger man over his shoulder and slowly stumbled out of the laboratory, into the elevator, out of the facility, and back to Ray’s car, where Ray was now lying in the back seat.

  How he had accomplished the task continued to amaze the old soldier. Somehow he found within him the reserves of strength sufficient to drag Ray to safety.

  Gonzales had had to cash in many favors to get inside the base, and steal his way out, with Ray in tow. He feared they had been discovered by others not privy to their little “arrangement,” but there was no time to consider that now.

  “You had me worried sick, Ray. What happened in there? Did something explode?”

  Ray struggled for a few seconds before he could get his voice to work. Finally he stammered, “The Rockoids, Jennifer, Gotlieb…where…what…were they all part of my dream?”

  Gonzales stared on in wonder, but finally managed to say, “Rock who? What? I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but…”

  In his haste to rescue his friend, he had not paid much attention to what Ray wore. The strange, multicolored garb was completely unfamiliar to Gonzales, yet it appeared to be a military uniform of some sort. An insignia representing one’s rank, similar to a captain’s emblem, adorned the left shoulder. He noticed strangely shaped medals, apparently honors for meritorious service in battle.

  It was made of a material totally unlike anything he’d ever seen, a form-fitting, shiny fabric that was soft, yet gave the impression of incredible resiliency. It was the sort of uniform one saw in a science fiction film. There was also a strange watch on Ray’s hand.

  It looked a lot like he came from an early Halloween party.

  “Ray, what’s this stuff you’re wearing? Where’d you get it?”

  Ray finally recovered enough to look himself over. “I thought they captured you.”

  Gonzales laughed, “Me? No way! They just arrested a soldier who made a ruckus after going out for a night on the town.”

  “Where am I?”

  “I found you unconscious in that strange laboratory. I brought you back here to your car, before they spotted me.”

  Ray got up with a start and cried out, “I have to go back there!”

  Gonzales looked puzzled. “What do you mean? Back where?”

  Quickly, Ray told him about his experiences in the future, about his friends, the battles with the Rockoids…about Zanther. As he told Gonzales about his amazing adventure, a look of increasing shock came over Gonzales’ face and his eyes widened. He simply couldn’t believe it. The entire thing seemed impossible, fodder for a silly science fiction novel.

  “Come on, man, you must have been dreaming. Maybe you had a little too much to drink in there…” Gonzales laughed.

  Ray glared at him. “Manny, it was real! I’ve really been to the future. I have go back…to her! I belong there now!”

  Ray started to become hysterical. Gonzales talked calmly. “Listen Ray, I don’t know what any of this is about, but you’ve had a terrible ordeal. Maybe you picked up that clothing in the laboratory, maybe…”

  “Yeah, but what about this?”

  He pointed to his wristview. Ray played back scenes that showed him and his companions from the future. He also displayed the log he made of his encounter in Zanther’s throne room. Gonzales looked at the holograph-like images and heard the sounds, which, for a moment, made him feel as if he was seated in a large movie theater. He had a confused look on his face, as he searched for|the source.

  Gonzales marveled at the amazing little machine for a moment longer, until he realized the truth of what he had just seen. The very last image was one of Zanther seated on her throne with a huge smile on her face, recorded just before Ray had left her ship.

  “Then this…this thing…it really is from the future. You’ve been there, haven’t you? Is that Zanther? She’s so beautiful. No wonder you’ve been so obsessed….”

  Gonzales was struck speechless.

  “Manny, I’ve got to find my way back there. It’s my home now…my life is waiting for me there. Help me, please!”

  “Ray, I really don’t know what to say. But we’ve got to get away before we’re both caught and arrested. The only way you can get back to wherever you went is to remain free.”

  Gonzales picked up Ray’s keys, which had been left conveniently on the front seat, and started the old Mustang. Ray sat in the passenger seat, dazed, as he put on his seatbelt. For a second, he almost believed it would wrap itself around him automatically.

  Ray stared at his little viewscreen as the car accelerated. Her picture was still there, unmoving, as he pushed the Pause button.

  As the sun rose, the car sped away in the early morning light.

  Exhaustion overtook Ray and he soon fell asleep. He dreamed about a world of wonder, friends and love. A world he feared he’d never see again…

  The great battle was history, but Zanther stood plain as day before him. Instead of anguish, he saw the bright gleam in her eyes and a big smile. He could feel her deep love for him.

  He smiled back…

  About the Authors:

  Gene Steinberg discovered the magic of writing while still a teenager. He edited his own science fiction and New Age fanzine, and began writing a science fiction novel about an Earth man who finds himself in an unknown land faced with life-threatening situations.

  In the 1970’s, several of his science fiction/science fact articles appeared in Saga UFO Report and Beyond Reality magazines.

  In 1984 Gene began to work with the original Apple Macintosh personal computer and never looked back. Over the next few years, Gene finally decided to follow his dream and become a full-time writer, but he also devoted extra time to work as a computer software/systems consultant, partly to provide material for his books and magazine articles.

  Gene has written more than 30 books on computers and the Internet, plus h
undreds of articles for such industry publications as MacAddict, MacHome, MacUser and Macworld. He has also written for CNET, ZDNet, Gannett News Service and usatoday.com. Gene’s computer news and support Web site, The Tech Night Owl (www.technightowl.com) receives over 1.5 million hits per month, and he hosts two weekly syndicated radio shows, The Tech Night Owl LIVE (www.technightowl.com/radio), focusing on personal technology, and The Paracast (www.theparacast.com), which is all about UFOs, the paranormal, and what Gene describes as “things that go bump in the night.”

  As for that science fiction novel Gene began as a teenager, he and his son, Grayson, have expanded that original story and used it as the basis for the exciting new science-fiction adventure series, Attack of the Rockoids.

  While not saying just what’s being planned for the future, Gene admits that the first novel is just the beginning. There are more stories to be told about the characters he and Grayson have created. The best is yet to come.

  Grayson Steinberg first began to write while still in grade school, beginning with short plays performed by his classmates. He also wrote a number of short science fiction and fantasy stories, both for his schoolwork and on his own time. His writing abilities grew over the years until he decided to put them to good use and join forces with his dad, Gene Steinberg, to create Attack of the Rockoids.

  In addition to his versatile writing talents, Grayson is a die-hard music lover, guitarist and violinist. He listens to everything from alternative rock to free jazz.

  Grayson graduated from Arizona State University in 2008 with a BA in journalism and mass communication.

  He also completed reporting internships at several publications in the Phoenix metropolitan area, including The Arizona Republic, the region’s biggest daily newspaper, and the Phoenix Business Journal.

  These days, Grayson lives in Madrid and teaches English as a foreign language to both children and adults. He continues his writing career in his spare time.