“Now what?” Michelle asked.
Blake reached for his scanner, but before he could do anything, the door buzzed and unlocked. It swung open on its own to an empty room similar to the one where Blake had entered with a row of monitors and minimal controls for people to monitor the subjects in the rooms. Reinforcing the idea that this facility was used for detention as opposed to testing was the remains of a caged area right outside the door, but the door to the cage was unlocked.
“I think it is safe to count our blessings that that idea actually worked,” Blake said. “It was a long shot. I’m glad it paid off.”
“Me too, but can you find our way out of here?” Michelle asked.
“The way out is not what we need,” Blake said. “We need to find our way to Wilster and our military escorts. I don’t know what this forswight is, but if the Kursas are so determined to acquire it, based on what we know of them so far, I suspect it is something we don’t want them to have.”
He looked at his scanner again and adjusted the range a bit wider.
“All right,” he said, “I can tell which direction they are, but we’re on our own to navigate through these hallways to get there. Hopefully, the layout is simple enough to allow us to find them.”
They walked outside the control room, and Michelle found the blank, boring hallways a welcome change to the unwanted excitement of the testing environment. Blake stared at his scanner, blindly walking through the halls toward where he saw the life signs of the people who left them behind.
“On your scanner,” Michelle said hesitantly, “are there life signs other than the people who left you?”
“You mean the Kursas?” Blake asked. “I have two different sets of life signs. The Kursas have made their way inside the facility if I figured the distance right, but they have not yet found our group. Or at least I hope not. I can’t be completely certain.”
“So we’ll know once we get there,” Michelle said without enthusiasm.
“It’s all part of the fun,” Blake said with a smile.
Michelle continued to follow him through the empty halls toward a destination rife with uncertainty.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
With only the indicator of his scanner to go from, Blake moved through one identical hall after another hoping that going in the correct direction of their target would eventually allow them to arrive. Yet somehow, the underground labyrinth of tunnels for this supposed science facility just seemed to go on forever without any sense of logic. It was little wonder that Wilster had said that they would be unable to find their way without him. Without the directional indicator on Blake’s scanner, they really would have been hopelessly lost.
“We’ve got to be almost there,” Blake said in an attempt to reassure Michelle that he had a clue as to where he was going.
“As long as we’re not trapped in that test thing back there,” Michelle said, “I’m fine wherever we end up.”
Another turn down another hall. And then another. But no matter how many turns they made and how many halls they walked down, the dots on Blake’s scanner never appeared to get any closer. Finally, Blake stopped and looked closely at their surroundings.
“What is it?” Michelle asked.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Blake replied.
“No kidding. How is this design supposed to help anyone get around?” Michelle asked. “There are no guides or signs or maps or anything down here.”
“Precisely,” Blake agreed. “You know, these halls look like they’re in better shape than the area where we came in. I thought that maybe it was because we were just further into the facility, but… What if we’re still in the test area? I was afraid we might have been able to leave too easily.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“I wish I were.”
Blake altered the settings on his scanner to check actual geographical location and trace back their movements. The screen showed that they had, indeed, been walking in circles in a very narrow area, so he decided to find his way to the wall of the area instead.
“Stay close,” Blake said. “I’m not sure how this place works, but I’m going to try to walk toward what should be a wall. What I don’t want to happen is for it to close up around you and cut us off from each other. Of course, since I never actually touched a wall since we got here, I don’t even know if they’re real. Wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”
“You mean walking around in a cage when the walls aren’t real?” Michelle asked. “Yeah, that’d suck.”
Keeping the scanner set to a purely geographical view, Blake carefully walked due east since that was the direction where the other life signs had been. The closer he got to what should be the outside wall, the more distorted the wall illusions got.
“This is actually making me kind of sick,” Michelle said.
“Don’t pay attention to it,” Blake said. “It’s trying to force you to turn away from itself by using an optical illusion. And a really good one too.”
As they reached the “wall,” Blake reached out and his hand passed right through it. He put his hand behind him, and said, “Michelle, take my hand.” Michelle did as he asked and together, they walked through the wall and ended up in a narrow area between the projection and the actual outside wall. Blake touched it and gave it a little push to make sure it was real. It was solid, so he was certain they had come out of the test area.
“Now, let’s find the real door,” Blake said, and he led Michelle along the wall until the found what looked like a door, though it had no handle. It was only an outline, which made sense, given the type of room they were in. He scanned the door, but the scanner gave him no indication of how to open it.
“So if this was a test as well, will this actually take us out of here?” Michelle asked.
“I suppose that depends on how difficult it is to open this door,” Blake replied. “If it is too easy, I’ll have some doubt.”
He pulled out his electronic lockpick and opened the security code breaker tool. He held it over the right side of the door about handle height in the hopes that it would activate what it needed to since they could not see any means of accessing it. Nothing happened. He tried the same area on the left side of the door, but still nothing.
“Well, at least it isn’t easy,” Blake said. “That’s something. A test would give us something to go on. An exit would be as difficult as possible.”
“I’m banking on the exit,” Michelle said.
“As am I,” Blake agreed. He pulled out his scanner and tried settings he would not normally use for a door, such as biosignature and chemical composition. Eventually, while scanning the floor at a molecular level, he found what he was looking for. There appeared to be some kind of plate that was identical to the floor in every other way except that it was made of a slightly different material. It would have been otherwise completely invisible.
He scanned back over the door and found two other areas of this same material at about shoulder level on the door itself. He put the scanner in his pocket.
“Ok, stand back,” Blake warned. “I’m not sure what this will do, but it seems logical.”
Blake stood directly on the floor plate and then touched the areas of the door with his hands. He winced reflexively, but nothing happened. He looked at the floor and then the door again. He glanced at his hands and then his feet.
“Oh, of course,” he said.
“What is it?” Michelle asked.
“Well, it looked like some kind of conductive lock, so I figured standing on the right place on the floor and touching the door would complete the circuit, but it didn’t work,” Blake explained. “Then I figured out why.”
“Hold on, I think I know this,” Michelle said proudly. “Shoes.”
“Yup,” Blake agreed. “I’m not relishing this, but I don’t see what choice we have. Hopefully, I don’t get electrocuted. We don’t know if the narans can handle more current than humans.”
“I’ll be su
re to at least drag you out,” Michelle assured.
Blake chuckled and removed his shoes and socks so that he could stand on the plates barefoot. He handed his footwear to Michelle so that she could follow him out when (and if) the door opened.
“Here we go,” Blake said preparing himself for the worst. He placed both feet on the ground plates and put his hands out to touch the door. He took a deep breath and leaned forward. He felt the electricity surge through him, and while it did hurt, it was not unbearable. More importantly, the door swished open. He and Michelle rushed through the open exit and found themselves in a control room very much like the one they thought they had been in earlier.
“So now are we out?” Michelle asked.
“All we can do is press forward,” Blake said as he sat down in one of the chairs and held his hand out for his shoes. “As long as we’re no longer in the testing portion, we should be able to find our way to our companions.”
With his shoes back on his feet, Blake and Michelle walked to the door of the control room and looked out. Unlike the pristine halls of the holographic test chamber that kept them going in circles, this hall was dingy and unevenly lit. Blake supposed that the test chamber was made during a time in while the halls would all look that good, but the program was never intended to reflect their actual state now years after the testing ended.
Blake looked at his scanner and switched it back to detect life forms. What he found was not only their companions, but others were now invading the facility. They had to move quickly to rejoin them.
“This way,” Blake said, and he led Michelle through the winding corridors hoping that the way would remain obvious to them. He also kept one eye on the other life signs moving through the facility, and after a few moments, he noticed that the life forms following them were tending to their location rather than to where he presumed Wilster and company were going. However, it was more important for the moment to find out what this device that Wilster found was and try to figure out why it was so important to the Kursas.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Blake held the scanner in front of him, leading Michelle quickly through the underground facility desperate to outrun the other life signs closing in on them. He felt fortunate to be able to see the signals of the others or he would have been hopelessly lost in the tunnels. They turned down a hallway with a door at the end of it and a couple of crates stacked in front of it.
“Hold it,” a male voice from behind the crates warned.
“Darvin, it’s us,” Blake said. “We made it out.”
“Are there any of those lizard things with you?” Darvin asked.
“No, why would there be?” Blake asked.
“Because they’re coming,” Darvin said. “Get inside.”
Darvin popped up from behind the crates and waved them forward. He knocked on the door and it was opened from the inside by Retinda.
“Good to see you made it out,” Retinda said.
“No thanks to our host, I might add,” Blake said coldly. “Where is he?”
Retinda pointed to one side of the room behind more of the crates similar to the one outside the door. Blake walked into an opening among the old storage containers and stopped when he saw Wilster sitting in front of a glowing sphere, staring into it like a small child in front of a television. Blake was immediately concerned because the sphere looked familiar to him.
He looked at his scanner and changed it to look for something very specific. It confirmed his suspicion.
“Mr. Wilster,” Blake said cautiously. “You may want to step away from that.”
“Why?” Wilster asked. “It calls to me. Only me.”
“Madam, I pray your weapon is strong enough to destroy that,” Blake said. “It cannot fall into the hands of the Kursas. Not with what I’ve seen of them.”
“Why not?” Retinda asked. “This is what they came for. This is why they’re killing my people.”
“If they get this, your former suffering will be nothing,” Blake warned.
“What is it?” Michelle asked.
“It’s so beautiful,” Wilster said. He reached out his hand to touch it.
“Wilster, don’t,” Blake warned. “Don’t touch it.”
“Why not?” Wilster asked. “You want it for yourself, don’t you? It came to me.”
“It didn’t come to anyone,” Blake said. “It is affecting your mind”
“Blake, what is it?” Retinda asked again.
“It’s called a Larsarin Manipulator,” Blake said. “The Larsarins were from a planet called Flakologa which you’ll find has no Larsarins on it. They were a strong race who created some fantastic things. This was not only their greatest creation, but also their downfall. They could resist its call, but they were not immune to its effects.
“Its purpose is to control, and not just control a single person. It could exact the will of its holder across an entire planet and some say even further than that. It made its holder effectively like a god. However, that much power is more than any one being is capable of handling so every being who ever touched a Larsarin Manipulator went mad.
“What makes it worse is that over time, it calls out to the minds of those around it, just like it is doing to Wilster. That’s why he took it. That’s why he’s so protective of it. While he was researching it, it took over his mind, and desperate to protect it, he stole it. He won’t give it up either. It didn’t get on that pedestal on its own. He has handled it, so he is probably beyond hope.”
“So the users just go nuts?” Michelle asked.
“Depends on their physiology,” Blake said. “The Larsarin were powerful beings. Most reports of those who used them other than the Larsarin died. Their minds burned from the inside out. Their bodies and everything remained intact, but it killed them. They were outlawed by most galactic governments of the time along with the Galactic Federation. Anytime one is found, it is destroyed not out of concern of people who use it, but because of the damage they can do to a planet before it kills them.”
“Then let’s get him away from it,” Retinda said, and she walked to Wilster. “Let’s go, Mr. Wilster.”
“No,” Wilster said. “You can’t take it from me.”
“And we can’t give it to the Kursas,” Blake said.
“What choice do we have?” Retinda said. “If it kills them, then so what?”
“It’s not that it will kill them that’s the problem,” Blake said. “It’s that it remains out there. We saw some logs of the Kursas ship that crashed. It didn’t make sense at the time, but it does now. This thing took over the crew and drove them mad. So much so that they crash landed here. All hands were killed, but that thing survived.
“If we don’t destroy it, it will just keep going.”
“No!” Wilster screamed, and he took hold of the device.
“Don’t do it!” Blake yelled, but it was too late.
Wilster held the glowing ball in his hands. Light shot out of it and surrounded him. He stared silently at Retinda who knelt on the floor before him like a force pressed down upon her. Blake put his hand out in front of Michelle to stop her from going anywhere close to him.
“Wilster,” Blake said. “You have to put it down before it kills you.”
The light show dissipated and though it remained in his hands, Retinda was able to rise to her feet.
“Sir, you are an unwelcome guest,” Wilster warned. “I control this power, and it will not be taken from me.”
“How often have you used it?” Blake asked.
“Often enough,” Wilster said.
Darvin suddenly ran inside the room. “I’m afraid we have company.”
“How many are there?” Retinda asked.
“A lot,” Darvin replied. “And they have what appear to be hostages.”
“They are cowards hiding behind innocents,” Retinda said.
“All the same,” Blake said, “if they have hostages, they are likely in a speaking mood.”
“The
re is nothing to talk about,” Retinda said. “They wish to have this forswight device. As far as I’m concerned, they can have it.”
“Imagine what Wilster did to you happening to your entire planet,” Blake said. “We don’t know how strong the Kursas are when it comes to this technology. They may be able to subjugate your people to death before they’re affected.”
“You just told me that it drove their crew mad on a voyage,” Retinda said. “If it kills them, then we’re all the better.”
“I disagree,” Blake said.
“This is not your decision,” Retinda said, and she defiantly walked past him to the door. Blake looked at Michelle, and she could see his displeasure in his eyes. Finally, he shook his head and followed her behind Darvin. Wilster remained at the glowing ball, which he had returned to its stand, continuing to stare into its depths.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Retinda, Darvin, Blake, and Michelle all exited Wilster’s storage room into the hallway where Darvin had been keeping watch. At the opposite end of the hall stood Pyrhinia and more Kursas than they could see in the confined space, but more importantly, behind Pyrhinia stood Perry and a naran prisoner.
Upon seeing this, Michelle grabbed Blake’s arm, but he remained dispassionate upon seeing Perry in the hopes that his still being alive gave them a chance to save him. The naran with him had blood on her clothes and looked exhausted, but did not appear to be injured in any way.
“I bring you greetings once more, Retinda of Zago,” Pyrhinia said in the manner of a diplomat. “I trust you have come here to fulfill our terms.”
“I have,” Retinda said. “We have located the forswight for you. We have learned that it has a mental effect on our people, and one of them had taken it beyond his will.”
“Beyond his will?” Pyrhinia asked. “Are you all so weak-minded?”
“I see you hold some of our people prisoner with you,” Retinda said. “Will you release them?”
The Kursas Page 12