by Jim Laughter
With this he sat down and Betty rose to the lectern.
“As soon as we had the record, we analyzed it and were able to enhance the image into recognizable form,” she said.
Signaling to another trooper, the room lights dimmed and the screen lit up behind Betty. There, centered in the background of the planet, was the blurry image of a little blue ship. Several of the people in the room gasped. A quiet sniff sounded from the remote box that Ane had brought in for Mary.
The lights came up and the screen darkened. Betty continued.
“From the time we have for the lifting of the little ship and the position of this image, we’ve been able to determine the direction and a rough speed estimate of the ship.”
She paused to let the information sink in.
“From the distortion of the image, we were also able to determine that the ship was flying down into the atmosphere toward the surface. We now believe the ship is still somewhere on Shalimar.”
The room was deathly quiet and then erupted as everyone started speaking at once. The indignant admiral walked over to Trooper Mayne and clapped him on the back, apologizing for his indignation.
“You’ve done a great service for your empress, son,” the admiral said. “A great service indeed.”
From outside the curtained window, they heard Baby’s voice cry “Yippee!” and both Ane and Betty broke into smiles.
∞∞∞
A few hours later Baby and Myra were inside the research hanger at the institute. Betty finished briefing them on what she wanted them to do. Taking a stopwatch from Betty, Myra entered the little pink ship. They rose and hovered over the position where Mary’s cargo hold had been.
At a signal from Betty, Baby slowly lifted and flew up to the skylight. Positioning herself to scrape the edge where they had found the blue paint, Baby slipped through the opening. She hovered briefly, then at the same speed and angle of ascent as the missing ship, zipped upward to the position where they estimated the missing ship had reached apex. Angling downward at the same angle of decent, Baby accelerated to the speed matching the image of the missing ship.
As Baby flew along the flight path, Myra engaged the extra recorders Betty had installed for this experiment. Mile after mile they flew, reaching out for any clue the sensors could give them. Baby slowed as they approached the place where the flight path intersected with the ground.
Myra kept the sensors running while they scanned the countryside for evidence of the missing ship. Climbing again, they approached the mountains, circled the mountain village, and started back along their original path. Reaching the intersecting point, they began a slow spiral outward for several miles.
“That should about do it,” said Myra just as the special recorders ran out of room on the cartridges. “Let’s go back to the institute.”
“Okay,” answered Baby and reset her course.
∞∞∞
Bobby attained the top of the ridge and turned to look back. The panoramic view of the station, part of the village, and some of the picnic area presently covered with new fallen snow spread out below him. Soon the morning train would arrive and discharge its passengers like a human flood on the quiet scene.
Off to one side, Bobby was able to see the lookout point with its viewing platform and railings. Perched on the promontory, it jutted outward from the mountain toward the low country spread out below. Bobby found a cleared boulder and sat there for a couple of minutes resting and drinking in this view of his world.
He heard the echo of the train as it left the midpoint station on its morning run up the mountain. Soon it would pull into the station, unload, and then turn on the wye for the return trip.
Few passengers ever took the morning train down, and Bobby knew his grandfather would enjoy the relative quiet of the empty cars. Thinking for a moment, Bobby realized this was the day that included an extra freight car bringing up supplies to the village. He grinned at the thought. That meant more new books at the general store. Sighing, he stood and made his way over the ridge and down toward the mine.
When he reached the mine-site, Bobby noticed there seemed to be less snow than before around the remains of various buildings. The short winter would soon lose its grip on the mountains and he knew spring would arrive. He climbed up the rise to the vent opening, paused, took a last look around, and then slid down the sloping shaft into the mine.
Bobby noticed immediately that it felt warmer inside than the last time he’d been here. He was glad. It meant he could shuck off his heavy coat for the lighter one he’d brought along for the purpose.
This visit was different from his first visit when he’d been terrified nearly out of his socks. Today he felt confident and relaxed and he looked forward to the climb down into the cavern. He turned on his flashlight and proceeded back down the main passageway, noting the blaze marks left by Grandpa Gary and himself on the timbers as he passed.
The thought of his grandfather gave him a boost of confidence and banished his last fearful thoughts. Turning down the tunnel to the cavern, Bobby again noted the blue paint on the spike in the timber. Still puzzled by it, he resigned the curiosity to that mental department reserved for unsolvable mysteries.
Bobby reached the lip of the cavern and looked over the edge, examining possible ways to climb down. Shining his light around the sides of the cavern, he spotted a narrow ledge that spiraled downward to the cavern floor. He wondered why his grandfather hadn’t told him about the ledge then reasoned that it was probably one of those ‘learn by doing’ things Grandpa Gary always talked about. Happy that getting down would prove easier than he had expected, Bobby made a decision to use the extra time to explore further into the complex.
With that in mind, Bobby took out the rope he’d brought and secured one end of it to one of the last timbers in the tunnel. He then tied the other end to his backpack and lowered it over the side and down to the floor. The security of the rope gave him a second way out of the cavern in case he couldn’t negotiate back up the ledge from the floor. Grandpa Gary had taught him that some paths only go one way, and it was always wise to have an alternate plan.
∞∞∞
The little ship had just finished reading the book for the third time that day when he heard noises from up above in the mine. Storing the book back with the thermos in his nest, he turned off his lights and listened carefully. It sounded like the strangers that had come before.
He turned and picked up his treasures. He didn’t want to leave them out where they weren’t safe. Gliding quietly, he moved back into his hiding place, settled down, and waited for the strangers to come and go as they had before.
∞∞∞
Taking one last look around before descending, Bobby started edging down the ledge. It was wide enough that he had a considerable safety margin, but he was careful none-the-less. He was glad he’d decided to lower his backpack down instead of trying to carry it with him. The ledge was wide, but not quite that wide. No need to take any extra chances in here.
Reaching the bottom, Bobby flashed his light around again to gain his bearing. He saw the pattern of pebbles close by and the backpack opposite him across the cavern floor. Walking over, he untied the rope and picked up the backpack.
Bobby shined the light around again until he spied the hot spring. If memory served him correctly, the book and thermos were close by. Reaching the level area by the spring, Bobby looked closely for the missing items.
He was puzzled they weren’t there. The thought that some animal may have dragged them off somewhere didn’t cause him much concern. Last night he and Grandpa Gary had discussed the cavern, and Bobby learned there were no other ways out of it except the tunnel into the mine. All the side chambers of the cavern were dead ends and the shaft would be too steep for an animal to climb.
A little tired from his exertions, Bobby set the backpack down and decided to take a break. It was comfortable here beside the bubbling water and made a nice place to rest. Sitting on the s
mooth floor, he leaned back against a small boulder. He reached inside his backpack and pulled out the new magazine Grandpa Gary had purchased for him that morning.
Turning to where he’d been reading earlier, Bobby propped the flashlight on the boulder behind him and directed its beam of light over his shoulder and onto the page, soon to be immersed in the article about the new experimental ships. Drifting into a world of his own imagination, Bobby became oblivious to the world around him.
∞∞∞
After a while, the little ship heard the approach of the strangers. From the sound of it, there was only one this time. He watched the flash of the single light sweep the cavern from above. More noises followed, and soon he saw something lowered to the floor. The light then changed direction and the little ship heard the scrape and shuffle as the stranger edged down the ledge running from above.
When the stranger reached the floor, it paused and swept the room again with its light. The little ship was able to see that this stranger was definitely a human, and possibly what the book had identified as a boy in one of the pictures.
Slowly, the stranger made his way across the cavern carrying something toward the little ship’s nest. Settling down, the boy took another book out of the thing he carried.
The little ship forgot to be frightened. In his excitement, he rose up and silently drifted forward where he could look over the shoulder of the boy as he read his book.
∞∞∞
At the institute, Betty, Myra, and her assistants were going over the data obtained by Baby and Myra during their excursion along the projected flight path of the missing ship.
“Even using the enhancers, we still don’t have anything,” said Betty disgustedly as she surveyed the results.
“We covered the entire area you indicated. We even overflew the mountains,” came back Myra. “Do you want us to do it again?”
“No,” answered Betty. “Duplication of a fruitless search won’t help us any right now.”
“How’s she doing?” asked Myra, referring to Mary.
“Not so good,” answered Betty. “She seemed to perk up a little when I sent you on the search, but when she peeked in on the enhancers when we went over the data, I heard her sigh. Since then she’s said nothing.”
∞∞∞
Having impatiently suffered the delays while the train turned on the wye, they slowly descended the mountain. Gary was glad to finally reach the bottom. He went to a comm center and placed a call requesting ground transportation. Being a retired trooper did have its advantages.
The ground car soon arrived and Gary eagerly piled in. He asked the driver to take him to the palace. The driver engaged the drive and they were soon on their way, weaving through the light traffic as they drove across the city.
Chapter Thirteen
Bobby continued to read for some time about the new ships the Axia was developing. The article even had an inset about the little ship everyone called Baby, and he was fascinated by what the ship could do. He leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment. Laying his magazine on his chest, he imagined what it must be like to fly among the stars.
Bobby had the uneasy sense that he was being watched. He tensed at the thought. He opened his eyes slowly, and without moving, looked around. Just when he thought it might be only his imagination, a strange looking arm reached out from above him and lifted the magazine from off his chest. He froze in terror while he watched it take the magazine and slowly withdraw.
When the arm was clear of his line of vision, Bobby leapt to his feet and turned. There, behind him, a large blue thing hovered silently. It flipped through the pages of his magazine. Just then it seemed to look up, and with amazing speed and quiet, it flew backward into the side chamber behind it, dropping the magazine on the floor of the cavern.
His heart pounding in his ears, Bobby frantically tried to think of what to do. The words of his grandfather came back to him about a brave man knowing his fear. He thought for a moment and decided that he’d better face this one down.
By its reaction, the thing was as frightened of him as he was of it. The magazine lay on the floor of the chamber, still turned to the article about the new ship. Bobby picked up his flashlight and directed the beam down the passageway. He could see quite a distance and didn’t see the thing anywhere.
Cautiously, he crept down the tunnel and slowly reached down to pick up his magazine.
“No!” cried a little voice from the back of the chamber. Suddenly, the thing reappeared out of the darkness, lights blazing, and its arms waving. It rose in the air over Bobby and reached down, snatching the magazine from his hands. Without another word it turned again and zipped back into the side chamber.
Bobby stood there for a moment, stunned by what had just happened. Then he started to get mad. That thing had taken his new magazine! When it was overhead, he’d noticed that it also held his missing book and thermos. He’d had enough of this and was going to get his stuff back!
The boy was too mad now to be afraid. Shining his flashlight ahead of him, Bobby turned and stalked toward the back of the inner chamber.
∞∞∞
At the palace, Gary had to wait for a while, which just added to his sense of urgency. Being a retired trooper had helped some in getting him this far, but it couldn’t help the fact that the man he’d come to see wasn’t immediately available.
After what seemed like an eternity, a trooper escorted Gary out of the waiting area and through the door into a wide corridor. His escort said little as they walked through a maze of hallways. At last they stood before another trooper seated at a desk. He checked their identification again, buzzed an intercom, and indicated that Gary should go through the door behind him.
Times have sure changed, thought Gary. There seemed to be more bureaucracy than when he’d served.
Going through the door, Gary found himself in a medium-size, unpretentious office. Seated behind the desk partially covered with the third given in the universe, paperwork, sat a trooper about Gary’s own age and build. Gary learned from the desk plaque that this was the palace chief of security.
“May I help you?” asked the chief, indicating for Gary to sit.
“I was sent here to deliver some interesting pictures for you from a friend of yours.”
“You must be Gary,” replied the chief. “Jack just called a little bit ago to tell me you were coming.”
“He wanted me to give you these and explain them,” said Gary as he handed the packet to the man.
The chief took the packet and opened it. He removed the pictures and leafed slowly through the stack of pictures until he came to the negative picture Jack had prepared. He studied it intently for a minute and then looked up at Gary.
“Where did you take these?”
“In a cavern up in the mountains,” answered Gary.
“As you’ve probably already figured out, this pattern of pebbles is a star map of the sky over Shalimar,” said the chief. “Do you know how old it may be?”
“Yes I do,” replied Gary. “It couldn’t be over two months old, three at the outside.”
“How can you be so sure?” the chief came back, his voice betraying suppressed excitement.
“Because last fall I checked out the cavern and the adjoining mine pretty carefully so I would know it was safe for my grandson to explore. At that time, the cavern floor was clear.”
“Gary,” said the Chief as he stood, “I think you might have just given us the very clue we’ve been hoping for to solve a problem of galactic importance.”
Shoving the stack of pictures back into the envelope, the chief started for the door.
“I’m going over to see the empress and then to the Ebilizer Institute. You’re welcome to come along.”
Gary grinned at him, and without saying another word, the two men walked out the door.
∞∞∞
Bobby slowed his approached to the back of the chamber. Shining his light ahead, he spotted the metallic blue
shape over to one side. It was hunkered down now with its back toward him. He estimated it was about thirty feet long and about fifteen feet wide.
As he crept forward, Bobby saw the thing was reading his magazine, flipping the pages from back to front. It stopped on the page with the inset article about the ship called Baby and seemed to stare at it intently. On the ground beneath the creature were the thermos and the history book.
Bobby carefully sneaked forward and picked up the items. He stepped back but the thing rose and turned toward him. It started the boy. He fell backwards and lay sprawled beneath the creature’s shining lights.
Slowly, the thing approached him and hovered over the prostrate boy. Bobby’s courage left him as the thing’s mechanical arm reached for him and he stared up into its unblinking eyes.
∞∞∞
Empress Ane was sitting in her office going through the contents of her infamous red and green boxes that were a part of her station. Citizens of the Axia could appeal to the empress on any matter, and serious concerns always made their way to her red box. There she would review it and either delegate it to someone else for further study, or in special cases, intervene herself.
Every time she would just about empty the red box, a trooper would appear and reload it. Although she knew she could delegate her Council of Nine to take care of the boxes while she was away, she knew problems would follow her to her dying day.
“I could never get lost,” she mused to herself. “All I’d have to do is construct a red box and a trooper would show up from the courier service to fill it.”
The buzz of Empress Ane’s intercom interrupted her thoughts. Her secretary told her that the chief of security was coming over with a visitor on an urgent matter. Ane cleared her desk and waited for their arrival. In short order they arrived, and after introductions, the chief got down to business.
