“At the rate the temperature is rising, even if the sun rose now, it will be near the boiling point of water before it sets again,” said Anthony. “We should head toward the nearest polar region and move as quickly as possible.”
“That could take several months,” said Destiny. “If we reach a point where the heat is not excessive, the cold will be.”
“The only other choice is to find a deep cave to spend the day when the heat is excessive,” said Anthony. “The cave we slept in is the best possibility we've encountered. We'll need to explore it further to see if even it will be suitable.”
“We should head back there,” said Destiny. “If it isn't suitable, we won't be able to stay long.”
“How do you think the animals are able to survive?” asked Anthony.
“They may not survive this cycle,” said Destiny. “I believe this planet's spin is slowing down. If so, each cycle will be worse than the previous one. This could explain what happened to intelligent life, if it ever existed.”
“Didn't those animals head off in that direction?” asked Anthony. “We'll need to be careful that we don't run into them again.”
“Help me determine the rate of rotational decline,” said Destiny. “When the rotation stops, the dark side may be habitable. Especially if it stops before too many more cycles.”
“But the rate of decline will have to decrease or it will start to rotate in the other direction,” said Anthony. “It will take several hours to determine at what rate the decline is decreasing.”
“If it does stop, we need to be on the dark side when it does,” said Destiny. “Unless you plan on staying underground.”
“There has to be some heat convection going on,” said Anthony. “We're seeing a rise in temperature even before the sun has begun to rise. Did you take that into consideration?”
“Do I look like a novice to you?” asked Destiny. “Of course I considered it, but I can't confirm exactly how much effect it is having until I know when the sun actually rises.”
“Sorry,” said Anthony. “I didn't mean it to sound like I thought you were incompetent.”
“I'm sorry too,” said Destiny. “It's been a while since anyone questioned my calculations.”
“Do you suppose the animals are heading for the cave?” asked Anthony. “That could be a real problem.”
“They may be,” said Destiny. “We need to get there before it gets too crowded.”
“Why don't we jump a thousand years into the past?” asked Anthony. “If we only move through time, and not space, it won't take much energy and we can keep these bodies.”
“That's a good idea,” said Destiny. “Perhaps we'll have time to determine the cause of the planet's rotational shift. Maybe we can do something to prevent it.”
“Is time jumping dangerous?” asked Anthony. “I've never done a temporal only jump.”
“In our energy form, it's not dangerous,” said Destiny. “But since we are jumping in these bodies, it may be possible to rematerialize inside solid rock.”
“That wouldn't be good,” said Anthony. “Surely we can find a way to minimize that risk.”
“If we were in the water, floating several feet above the floor, we should be relatively safe.”
“Let go back to the pool where we created these bodies,” said Anthony. “It was deep in some places.”
“And you found every one of them,” laughed Destiny.
....................
“Be prepared for our arrival,” said Destiny. “If this pool is dry, we may fall a few feet when we materialize, or we may be up to our knees in mud.”
“I'm ready,” said Anthony. “Activate the portal.”
....................
The sudden shock of the frigid water almost forced Anthony to inhale. The darkness was absolute. “I'm in deep water,” he thought. “I've got to get to the surface. Don't panic. Get your bearings first. Which way is up?” Anthony pulled out his sword and loosened his grip on the handle and felt which way it tended to fall. He then allowed it to fall and swam as quickly as possible toward the surface. His lungs began to burn and his limbs began to cramp.
Suddenly he bent double in agony. “The bends,” he thought. “I've surfaced too quickly.”
The pain was unbearable. Anthony gasped for air, but water filled his lungs. He began to drift slowly toward the bottom. In a moment he was unconscious.
Suddenly the pain returned. The water stung his nostrils as it rushed out of his body. He could feel a pressure on his chest. Then he felt the soft lips against his, breathing air into his lungs. “Breathe, Anthony,” pleaded Destiny. “Please breathe.”
Anthony inhaled a breath of air and coughed up water. “Take it slow, Anthony,” said Destiny. “Slow shallow breaths.”
The pain began to subside. “I had the bends,” said Anthony. “What happened?”
“When you drifted back down, your body was pressurized,” said Destiny. “I brought you up as slowly as I could.”
“Where are we?” asked Anthony as he sat up and looked around.
“We're on a small island,” said Destiny. “The sun's up and the temperature is pleasant. It looks like this world is now on a twenty hour solar cycle, and it seems to be consistent.”
“We've got a huge lake full of drinking water, if I didn't swallow it all,” said Anthony. “But food could be a problem.”
“I saw plenty of small sea creatures as we were ascending near the surface,” said Destiny. “Why don't you rest a while, and I'll catch lunch.”
“I'll gather some of that driftwood for a fire,” said Anthony. “I never was fond of sushi, and the fire may kill any possibly harmful bacteria.”
....................
“I saw what looked to be a submersible vehicle anchored in about thirty feet of water,” said Destiny.
“A submarine?” asked Anthony. “After we eat, we could try to get their attention. They must be intelligent.”
“But they could still be hostile,” said Destiny. “I'd prefer to know a little more about them before we make contact.”
“What if they leave before we can contact them?” asked Anthony. “We may not get another chance. Who knows how long we could be stuck on this tiny island.”
“We can use some of the larger driftwood to make a raft,” said Destiny. “There's plenty of drinking water and food. But you're not going to build a fire on my raft. You may have to learn to like sushi.”
“What if they come ashore?” asked Anthony. “There's nowhere to hide. We should start on that raft right away.”
“Too late,” said Destiny. “Look.”
Anthony looked up to see a dozen beings wading ashore. They all wore scuba gear and wet suits so it was difficult to tell what they looked like. They were humanoid in form; two legs, two arms, one head. “They're armed,” said Destiny. “Don't make any threatening moves.”
As they drew nearer, the leader motioned for the others to lower their weapons. “The spear guns were probably for protection underwater,” said Destiny. “I don't think they're hostle. But they're definitely curious about us.”
“I can't read their minds,” said Anthony. “We'll have to pick up their language the hard way.”
The leader began to speak and make gestures. His voice was calm and soothing. Anthony could see that Destiny was pretending not to hear him. Anthony did the same. The leader motioned for them to stand up. He gave orders to some of his crew, and they starting walking toward the center of the island about one hundred feet away. When they reached the center they stopped and motioned for Anthony and Destiny to follow. As they walked toward the motioning crewmen, the others followed. When they were all near the center, the leader stood on a small mound of sand and using a metal staff, he jabbed the sand near his feet. It made a hollow metallic sound. As he stepped down from the mound, they all took several steps back.
Slowly the ground beneath the mound began to rise up about a foot. Then the risen area opened up l
ike the lid on a manhole. A spiral stairway could be seen leading down into the bowels of the island. The same crewmen led the way again as they marched single file down the stairway. Anthony and Destiny followed and were followed by the remaining crew. The stairway was well lit, and they hardly noticed the lid closing behind them. After several minutes they reached the metal floor of a large circular room, much larger than the tube through which they had descended.
The crewmen began removing their wet suits and scuba gear and placing them on a conveyor belt, along with their weapons. The leader motioned for Anthony and Destiny to do the same as he also began to undress. Wearing only their undergarments, they proceeded toward a glass door. Their skin color was slightly paler than Anthony's except for the darker muscular areas. Otherwise they were very similar to humans except for the webbed fingers and toes and of course the gills which were closed now and hardly noticeable.
Once inside, a mist of hot water began jetting out of holes in the walls. This continued for almost the full length of the hallway. As they reached another door the mist dissipated. They each proceeded down another hallway where cool moist air blasted them from both sides. As they entered the next room, each crewman removed their normal clothing from their personal lockers. The leader handed Anthony and Destiny some clothing and waited while they dressed.
“You'd hardly know we were aliens,” said Anthony. “Maybe they don't realize how alien we are.”
“If they hear you speaking English, they will,” said Destiny. “We need to learn their language quickly.”
The leader motioned for them to follow. At the end of another hallway he led them into a room that looked like a crewman's quarters. He locked the door and left. Anthony and Destiny looked around the small but tidy room. There was a bed, a circular table with two chairs, and what resembled a sofa. Through an arched doorway was the bathroom with a sink, toilet, and shower. Another archway led to a kitchen.
“Do you think the room is bugged?” whispered Anthony.
“I doubt it,” whispered Destiny. “It's not exactly your typical holding cell. I don't think they were expecting visitors.”
“I think I picked up a few words,” said Anthony. “The crewmen were talking amongst themselves. Let's compare notes.”
“Good idea,” said Destiny. “There's food and drink in the fridge. It's a shame we just ate. It looks pretty good.”
“Why do you suppose they were wearing scuba gear?” asked Anthony. “They have gills.”
“I think it was to help them breathe while out of the water,” said Destiny. “Have you noticed the high humidity since we entered that first room with the spiral stairway. They didn't remove the scuba gear until they were inside. I think the dry outside air is damaging to them.”
“They're probably wondering how we were able to breathe it,” said Anthony.
....................
"Sir, I've got some bad news," said Leo. "They've beaten us too it. The Easterners have already developed terrestrials. I have a couple of them locked up if you would like to take a look."
"Are you certain?" asked the Professor. "We were years ahead by last report."
"We found them on the island," said Leo. "Sitting right out there in direct sunlight with hardly any protection. They were breathing the dry air like it was water. They've also been surgically altered. They have no gills and their webbing has been removed."
"Do they show any bad side effects?" asked the professor.
"They can't hear or speak," said Leo, "or they are pretending that they can't hear or speak."
"All these years of work, down the drain," said the professor.
"What about your other theories, Sir?" said Leo. "They are going to need land if they can create terrestrials."
"You're right, Leo," said the professor. "This isn't a setback. It's an opportunity. We'll begin our research right away."
"What should I do with our captives?" asked Leo. "They know our location now."
"We can't let them leave," said the Professor. "Study them for a while and see it they can be of benefit to us. If not, destroy them. And find out what they were doing on this island."
....................
"I've found some reading material," said Destiny. "Here, you study this one."
"It's a technical manual," said Anthony. "Don't they have any scifi books?"
"That's all I could find," said Destiny. "Unless you would prefer to read about their gastrointestinal system."
"This is looking more interesting already," said Anthony."I think it's about supermagnets."
....................
"Anya, I'm home," said Leo. "How was your day?"
"I think we may finally have a breakthrough,” said Anya. "We've solved the rejection problem."
"That's great honey," said Leo. "But the program has been cancelled. We begin new research tomorrow."
"Cancelled! They can't do that," said Anya. "Do you know how many years I've put into this program?"
"Of course I know, darling," said Leo. "But the Easterners have already perfected it."
"So what's the new research?" asked Anya. "Don't tell me we're going to be working on his new theory."
"Don't you believe it could work?" asked Leo. "The theory sounds good to me."
"Tilt the planet's axis in order to form polar ice caps and lower the sea level," said Anya. "Sure, it should work. If the research doesn't kill us all. It's far too dangerous."
"I'm sure the professor will take every precaution," said Leo.
"He may be brilliant," said Anya. "But when have you ever known him to be cautious?"
"We can always go back to growing and harvesting sponges," said Leo. "That was a simpler time."
"You were never satisfied with that life," said Anya. "Of course we're staying."
"I found two terrestrials today," said Leo. "You've got to meet them. I'll take you tomorrow before you start your shift."
"That would be fascinating," said Anya. "Tell me all about them."
....................
“I guess we should get some rest,” said Destiny. “We may be here for a while.”
“I never thanked you for saving my life,” said Anthony.
“No words are necessary,” said Destiny.
“No words are sufficient,” said Anthony. “But there are other ways to show my appreciation.”
“I'll have to save you more often,” said Destiny. “And you're very welcome.”
....................
“They don't seem to be able to talk,” said Leo as he reached for the door. “I'm not sure how to let them know that you want to examine them. Just smile and try not to stare.”
Leo knocked on the door before entering. Anthony and Destiny were sitting at the table eating and drinking. “I see they found the food and drink,” said Leo.
“It's quite tasty,” said Anthony. “It's good to see you again.”
“You can speak,” said Leo. “Excellent. My name is Leo and this is my wife Anya.”
“I'm Anthony and this is my wife Destiny,” said Anthony. “We're very pleased to meet you.”
“How long have you been terrestrials?” asked Anya.
“We just became terrestrials a few days ago,“ said Anthony.
“Sorry to interrupt,” said Destiny. “But my husband doesn't seem to know when to shut up.”
“Oh, don't stop talking,” said Anya. “I want to know all about you.”
“We have a few questions of our own,” said Destiny. “Why are we prisoners?”
“You're not prisoners,” said Anya. “Are they, darling?”
“Well … uh … they may be spies,” said Anthony.
“Nonsense. They would have sent normal agents that could blend in and go unnoticed,” said Anya.
“They?” asked Destiny. “Who are they?”
SCIENCE FICTION SHORT STORIES VOLUME IX Page 11