by Paul Ormond
The room fell silent once again. Mitch could feel the glares of the soldiers as they hovered all around him and SoHee. Beyond the security forces and the sphere Mitch could make out the faces of the people in the crowd. Their frozen forms sat corpse like in their chairs and their dead eyes served as a chilling premonition of the future. He became faintly aware of pulses of light coming from behind him and he could see their ripples reflecting off of the masks of the soldiers. As he turned around he saw that SoHee was immersed in an intense ball of light that began to blind him and all of the security forces. From the ball of light several more pulses sent shock waves through the dome forcing the security force backwards. SoHee looked down at Mitch and he instantly knew that he should get as close to her as possible as more pulses were emitted from the orb.
`“Don’t just stand there, light ‘em up,” Robert hollered. “She’s gonna blow this place down.”
As the soldiers began to fire, SoHee raised her hands above her head and the light around her grew in intensity. She screamed as she brought her hands down and then all was drowned in an intense explosion of light and sound. Mitch cowered down and covered himself in horror. He felt a whooshing sensation and his stomach dropped as the light consumed everything around him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Mitch opened his eyes and all he saw was an empty blackness. He blinked several times and looked around, but he still couldn’t tell where he was. He could hear water dripping in the distance. He was still crouching and he realized that he was covering his head, but he was no longer inside the MindHIve complex. Instead he was standing on a pile of rocks and as his eyes began to adjust he saw that he was in some kind of a tunnel. In the distance he could see a source of light, which reflected off of a pool of water. He felt a chill wash over him and he noticed a cold breeze blowing in from the blackness behind him. He was still wearing the blue one piece suit and it was soaked with sweat. His flipped the visor up on his helmet and He began to move towards the light, but the tunnel was strewn with rocks and rubble making it difficult to find a footing. He stumbled a few times, but he was able to catch himself before he fell.
The light began to grow in intensity as he neared its source. He could see that the cave led to some type of larger cavern, and as he neared he could tell that the source of light wasn’t from the sun. An oddly familiar green hue accented the light and Mitch was not surprised to see SoHee sitting on rock surrounded by her hovering orb of light.
“Is this what you meant by a trick up your sleeve?” Mitch asked as she saw him rounding the corner. The immense cavern stretched up above them and the light from the orb danced off of the stalactites hanging from the ceiling.
“Maybe, I’m not exactly sure what happened,” she said as she hopped off of the rock that she was crouching on. “Where is this place?”
“I think we’re in the mines underneath Kingsford, but I’m not entirely sure. There is a network of caves that have been here for centuries, but they haven’t been fully explored,” Mitch said as he sat down.
“I had no idea,” SoHee said.
“Well, there’s obviously a lot you don’t know,” Mitch said. “How come none of this is surprising to me right now?” he wondered aloud. “This is the new normal for me I guess - absolute insanity,” he said with a laugh as he stretched out on the rock. “A few weeks ago, I was the laughing stock of the internet and now I’m lost in a cave with Little Miss Science and we’re both fugitives from the law. That is just typical.”
“Do you think this is funny?” SoHee asked.
“I don’t know what it is, but I’m laughing anyway. If you had any idea what I’ve been through in the last while you’d laugh too,” he said. “Actually, what am I talking about? Here I am telling you about my insane life and you're sitting here a million miles from home with your magical goo ball best friend - yes, absolute insanity.”
“I saw your friend. He’s in trouble,” SoHee said.
“Which friend? Oh, you mean Drak. Where did you see him? Was he locked up with you? He’s the reason that we’re all in this mess. Well, it’s not really his fault, but if not for him, none of us would be here. Oh, it’s a long story. Of course he’s in danger, they’ve got him,” Mitch felt himself babbling away and he could see the look of confusion on SoHee’s face as he spoke.
“There are others coming, terrible things,” SoHee said. “We’re all in danger.”
“How do you know this? Did you talk to Drak?” Mitch asked.
“I’ve seen it,” SoHee said.
“What do you mean 'seen it?’” Mitch asked perplexed.
“This stuff lets me see all kinds of things and it showed me horrible images of what may come and what has happened. I saw that crazy MindHIve guy opening a giant gateway or portal and I saw massive metal creatures coming into our world. I saw your friend being handed over to them and they took him away,” SoHee said with distant eyes. The glowing orb behind her pulsed rhythmically as she spoke.
“So you’ve seen these masters in your vision,” Mitch said with a laugh.
“This is no joke. Why are you laughing?” SoHee shot back at him.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve heard it all before. Hearing you say it means that I’m not crazy and all of this is really happening.” Mitch said with a sigh.
“It is really happening and that’s what frightens me,” SoHee said. “Soon we will all be their slaves. The things I’ve seen are horrible.”
“You don’t have to convince me,” Mitch said. “I’ve already been down the rabbit hole. I just have no idea what we’re supposed to do about it.”
“We have to stop them,” SoHee blurted out.
“Yeah sure, but how? Chapman has a whole army backing him up. He’s probably going around telling everybody that we are terrorists too. The whole world is most likely hunting us down as we speak. If we ever get out of this cave we’ll probably spend the rest of our days rotting away in some black site,” Mitch said.
“We can stop them. I have seen it,” SoHee shot back.
“Oh, the oracle has spoken. I’m sorry I forgot about your magical powers,” Mitch said. “How do you propose we stop them? I know you’ve got your friend and I’ve got my …,” Mitch stopped talking and patted himself until he found his phone. He pulled it out and then frowned. “Oh great, it’s dead,” He said as he sat back down on the rock again.
“Don’t lose hope,” SoHee said. “All is not lost.” The orb behind her fluttered momentarily. “Let me see your phone for a moment.”
“Yeah sure, but unless you’ve got a . . .” Mitch stopped talking as he saw SoHee turn around and a beam of light reached out from the orb and took his device. “Oh, I guess I should’ve known.” The orb took the device into its core and a flash of light blasted the cavern walls. As quickly as it happened the orb handed back the phone and SoHee handed it over to Mitch.
A brief smile flashed across his face as she handed it back to him, but he frowned again and sat down deep in thought. The cavern was immensely silent save for some water dripping into a shallow pool.
“First of all, we’ve got to figure out where we are. Can’t your thingy do some kind of thing and whisk us out of here?” Mitch asked as he raised his head. “What happened up there anyway? I thought we were dead for sure and then that thing did whatever it did and now we’re here.”
“From what I’ve been able to understand, the orb created a temporary wormhole and it sent us here,” SoHee said.
“So that thing can make wormholes too. Well, I guess that shouldn’t be surprising,” he said with another laugh.
“I still don’t understand why you are laughing,” SoHee said again.
“I’m not laughing. Well, I’m laughing, but I’m not laughing because I think it is funny. I guess I’m laughing because I don’t know what else I am supposed to do. So, your thing can make wormholes. Do you think it could wormhole us out of here? Actually don’t, they’ll find us in a heartbeat. We need to find our way
out of here manually and go find help. Can your thing just tell us where we are?” Mitch asked.
“Just give me a second,” she said and she closed her eyes. Pulses exchanged between her and the orb and after a few seconds she opened her eyes again. A holographic 3d map appeared before the orb. “It appears that you were correct. We are directly underneath the city. There’s a way out at the opposite end of the cavern.”
“That’s crazy,” Mitch said as he peered at the map of their location. “Hey, can you zoom out a little bit?”
“I think so,” SoHee said and a pulse of energy passed between her and the orb. The image expanded to reveal a wide swathe of the area.
“No way. We’re right beside the Kingsford Pits. That’s pretty funny,” Mitch said.
“What are the Kingsford Pits?” SoHee asked.
“It’s a Kingsford thing,” Mitch said with a laugh. “ What else did the orb tell you?”
“It also says that there is some activity happening deep underground and that it appears to be connected to the MindHIve complex. A massive energy field is active beneath us,” SoHee said.
“The portal! They are going to open the gateway. Drak really is in trouble and so are we. We need to get moving. Time is running out and we’re going to need some help if we want to stop all of this from happening. And with your thingy, I think I know how.”
“Who do you think will help us? We can’t go to the authorities,” SoHee said cautiously.
“Yeah the cops are out, but, I think I know a few guys that can lend a hand,” he said as he began to walk towards the other end of the cavern. “Come on, let’s go save the world.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
“How do you respond to the allegations that this situation is slipping out of control?” a reporter shouted out.
“I would say that the notion that our little convention is slipping out of control is preposterous,” Robert said from behind a podium as he stood for questions before a large group of reporters and television cameras. “We’ve had a few hiccups, but that’s to be expected when you take on something as bold as what we are doing. MindHIve is a company that takes great leaps forward and in doing so one must anticipate a bit of collateral damage along the way,” Robert said.
“What happened during the black out a few hours ago, and where are the missing attendants?” another reporter shouted out.
“That was a simple power surge that was the result of an overload on the system, but we’ve been able to solve the problem. Like I said earlier, we’re working out the kinks and over all the convention has been a tremendous success.” Robert said with his trademark charm.
“Where are the missing people? What happened to Mitch Mythic and SoHee Moon? Why all the secrecy surrounding their whereabouts?” Another reporter asked.
“Miss Moon is safe and sound in our medical complex and she is recovering from a bio-shock scare caused by some reckless material handling. She will be fine and once she is out of quarantine, you’ll have a chance to talk with her. I spoke with her a few hours ago and she was in good spirits. As for Mitch Mythic, he was injured during the surge and he is recovering as well. He should be right as rain in a few days. He had an amazing game and we sure are excited about his future. In the meantime, I think everybody needs to stop worrying and pay attention to the all of the good things that are happening all around us at this convention. We are not running some prison camp nor do we have some diabolical plan to take over the world. MindHIve is committed to bringing the greatest technological innovations to the people of this planet and our conference only adds more weight to that statement,” he said.
“What about the mother of the girl? She is hysterical and she wants to see her daughter. It has turned into a diplomatic nightmare that the president is about to weigh in on,” a reporter in the back shouted.
“Of course SoHee’s mother should be concerned about her daughter’s well-being and I can understand why she would be upset, but we have quarantine regulations in place in order to insure the safety of everybody within the complex. It’s unfortunate that Miss Moon was exposed as she was, but the incident was accidental in nature and nobody was hurt. We are simply taking the necessary precautions to prevent any large scale disaster and to understand the nature of the substance in question. I can assure all of you and anybody watching at home that SoHee is unhurt and she will be released from quarantine as soon as possible,” Robert said.
“What is the substance that you are speaking about? There are strange reports circulating on the internet,” another reporter shouted out.
“For now that will remain classified,” Robert said while maintaining his cool.
“People are reporting that they experienced blackouts and loss of memory during the supposed energy surge. Can you elaborate on what happened during that period of time?” another reporter asked.
“The power surge created an unstable environment for the inReal program and we implemented security measures to, once again, ensure the safety of all involved. I understand that there is a great deal of speculation and hearsay whipping up controversy all over the internet, but these reports should be seen for what they are: hysterical reactions and ridiculous conspiracy theories. I’m surprised that I have to answer these kinds of questions. Any reporter of substance would have thrown any of these speculations out the window as soon as they crossed their desk. I’ve read all kinds of ridiculous things on my MindHIve feed: ‘We’re planning to enslave the planet’ and all of this nonsense. It’s unbelievable that people would suggest such a thing,” Robert said with gusto. “With that in mind, I think I’m done answering questions. Tomorrow is another big day and I’m certain that we will be seeing even more incredible developments as this convention continues.” Robert walked off of the stage as the cameras continued to flash and reporters shouted more questions. He smiled and waved once more before he turned and was ushered out the back door by two security personnel.
“Ughh, the things I’ve got to put up with,” Robert said as the door closed behind him.
“You handled it beautifully, sir. I’m always impressed with how you stuff it to the media,” Allan said as he followed Robert down a long hallway, making sure to stay just a little behind and to the right.
“There’s no reason to go brown-nosing right now, Allan. Just keep your head down and know your place. You’ll get recognition when you deserve it. In the meantime, get me a new towel. This thing is soaked,” Robert said as he tossed a wet towel at Allan. Allan begrudgingly caught the towel and scrambled to keep up with Robert. He snapped his fingers at an employee wearing a blue shirt and mouthed “new towel,” and handed off the soaking cloth.
“Will you be retiring for the evening, sir?” Allan asked.
“Indeed, I will Allan, but I’ve got a couple calls to make before I do. It’s a never -ending battle when you’re at the top. Play your cards right and maybe one day you’ll find yourself up to your elbows in idiots like I am,” Robert said with a laugh.
“Understood, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?” Allan asked.
“You can get out of my face with that cat food breath. I thought I told you to get some gum or something,” Robert snapped as he approached a closed door. A security panel scanned his face and the door slid open. “That will be enough for tonight, Allan. Thank you very much.”
The door snapped shut, leaving Robert alone. He walked down a short hallway that led to another door which opened automatically for him. He stepped through the door into the captain’s quarters, his temporary home away from home.
He walked to the end of the conference table and entered the ante chamber that served as his bedroom. He threw his device onto the table and made a sweeping gesture to activate the panel. As the panel came to life an orange banner flashed indicating that he had an incoming call. He pressed the button and frowned as the video came up. “Hello daddy,” two children chimed as the video call connected.
“Everybody wave to daddy,” a woman’s voic
e said. Robert’s wife could be seen peering into the camera. “We love you and we miss you.”
“Hey guys,” Robert said with a grin. “Who misses daddy?”
“We do,” a boy and a girl said.
“When are you coming home, daddy?” the older boy asked.
“I’ll be home soon. Daddy has more work to do, son,” Robert said.
“How are you doing, honey? You’ve been all over the news. People are saying crazy things,” his wife asked.
“I thought I told you not to believe what you see on TV. Isn’t that right, sport?” Robert said while looking at his son. “Do you think your daddy is a big bad meanie?”
“Yeah, you're a big bad guy,” his daughter said.
“Yeah, that’s right I am and when I get home I’m gonna get you,” he said as the children squealed with laughter.
“Robert honey, we talked about scaring the children. It interferes with their therapy,” his wife said.
“Sure thing honey, but they’d better watch it or the big bad meanie is gonna get them,” Robert shouted into the camera.
“Robert, what are you doing?” his wife shouted.
“Oh, lighten up, Darlene. They could use a good scare. The way you coddle them is doing more harm than good you know. Daddy’s gotta go do more work. I’ll call you guys when I have some time. Love you,” Robert said as he ended the call. He let out a big sigh and stripped off his red uniform. After quickly showering and changing into a suit, he sat down in the egg shaped chair and closed his eyes. He was still for a few moments and then he rose to his feet. He placed the inReal device on the ground and raised his hands over his head. The orange orb rose up before him. He quickly spun it, then bowed low and waited for an answer.