Dreamstone

by Ben L. Hughes

“Yeah, the more people we involve, the more people that might be at risk,” Melissa remarked.

  “It looks like our ride is here,” Matt announced when a white non-descript van parked in front of their cottage near the light pole. Melissa peeked through the window and saw a man was waving for them to come out.

  “Wait here a minute, I need to confirm the password,” Matt stated in a firm tone as Melissa opened the door. Then he picked up a large heavy flashlight and held it behind his back as he walked out.

  “I’m here to pick up Matt and Melissa,” the man announced.

  “What’s the password?” Matt questioned.

  “Password?” the man replied, stalling for a moment, as he slowly reached under his seat with his right hand. Matt tightened his grip on the flashlight as he waited for the man’s reply.

  “The password is… get in the van!” the man replied as he pulled out the stun gun, but before he could fire it, Matt dealt him a direct blow on his hand with the flashlight. A distinctive popping sound emanated from the assailant’s wrist and fingers, and the stun gun fell to the ground. The man instantly withdrew his broken hand, and sped off down the street.

  “What the hell just happened?” Melissa asked as she ran up to see if Matt was okay.

  “That wasn’t our ride,” Matt said in mundane voice, trying to downplay the seriousness of the event. Melissa noticed the flashlight clinched in Matt’s white knuckled hand, clearly illuminated by the street light.

  “Are you alright?” she asked.

  “I am,” he replied, but she knew Matt only answered questions in short sentences when he was very upset.

  “Was that someone from the military?” she questioned, as she bent down to pick up the stun gun.

  “Yep, and he didn’t know the password. I think he was going to force me into the van... but instead, he got a broken hand,” Matt remarked.

  “Good! You were more than justified,” she insisted as she put the stun gun into her back pocket.

  A moment later they noticed a black SUV slowly approaching. “I hope this is this our ride,” she said, looking at Matt. He quietly motioned for her to head back towards the cottage. As the SUV pulled up next to him, he anxiously waited for the driver to roll down the tinted window.

  “What is the password?” Matt demanded, before the driver had a chance to even speak.

  “New Frontier,” the driver replied. Matt sighed in relief; he remembered that that was the name Angelia called hyper-reality project. A name that the Department of Defense would never divulge.

  “Okay,” he replied. Then he signaled to Melissa that it was the ride they wanted.

  “Where are we going?” Melissa asked once they got inside.

  “To an airstrip a few hours away,” the man replied.

  “And from there?” she questioned, while keeping her hand in her back pocket.

  “I don’t know. I was told to pick you up here and drop you off there; nothing more, nothing less,” the man replied. Melissa kept her hand on the stun gun, but it did seem like he was telling the truth.

  After several hours, the driver pulled off the main highway and went down a gravel road that came out onto an old landing strip. A small single engine airplane was waiting for them and the driver parked across from it.

  Matt and Melissa grabbed their things and proceeded to board the plane. The pilot looked back at them, and motioned for them to put on their seat belts. Once he was satisfied they were securely buckled in, he dimmed the interior lights and throttled up the engine. The plane accelerated down the neglected runway jerking violently back and forth until it lifted into the air. Matt sighed in relief, feeling safer in the air than on the ground for the first time in his life. As they gained altitude, the ride smoothed out and Matt stared out the window into the darkness as they headed south east.

  In the distance, a long line of snow-capped peaks was faintly illuminated by the moon. Matt looked on as the peaks drew ever closer and he began to wonder if they were going to cross over the Sierra Nevada. His fears were soon realized as pockets of turbulent air rising off the peaks caused the plane to rise and fall in sudden abrupt jolts like a roller coaster. Matt felt his stomach flutter and he quickly reached over and grabbed Melissa’s hand for comfort. Melissa turned and gave him a reassuring smile and it helped relieve some of his worries.

  Once they passed over the last peak, the ride smoothed out and they started to descend almost immediately. As they dropped in altitude, Matt noticed a faint runway in the distance and the engine quieted down as they approached it. Matt closed his eyes as the pilot dipped down and after a couple of bumps they came to a stop. Matt opened his eyes and the pilot motioned for them to exit. Once the pilot saw that they were clear of the runway, he turned the plane around and took off into the cool night air leaving them all alone.

  “I don’t like this,” Melissa said nervously, as she looked around at the stark surroundings.

  “Don’t worry; I am sure Alex has someone coming to get us.” Matt replied.

  Melissa nodded as she zipped up her jacket.

  “I think our ride is here,” he noted as a pair of headlights approached in the distance.

  Melissa looked on suspiciously as the car came to a stop near the edge of the runway. A moment later the passenger side door opened and Alex stepped out.

  “Hi Matt, hi Melissa, how was the flight?” he asked.

  “Bumpy,” Matt replied.

  “Where are we going from here?” Melissa questioned.

  “We’re going to meet up with Angelia and a Secret Service officer named Tony Mattell. When the President heard about the assassination attempt on Congressman Anderson, he placed the Secret Service in charge of our care and has ordered an investigation into the event,” Alex reported.

  “How did you become so involved in all of this?” Matt asked in a suspicious tone.

  “Matt my friend, the radio show is so much more than just late night entertainment based on conspiracy theories, aliens, and unexplained phenomenon. It really serves several functions, first-off it’s a safe place for people to come forward and discuss topics outside the mainstream media. It also acts as a pressure relief valve, allowing little snippets of controversial information to flow out into the public domain. The program then serves as a bellwether, allowing the government to gauge the overall acceptance of those unexplainable events or phenomenon. It also provides the government with the opportunity to keep tags on the flow of extremely sensitive information, so they can plug any leaks that might compromise national security. It is a bit of a balancing act, and the government doesn’t always like the topics that I cover, but it is mutually beneficial. A perfect example is the secret project that you uncovered. Without my contacts, you would not be protected, and the executive branch would not have known about the Department of Defense’s secret project,” Alex explained.

  “I guess that makes sense,” Matt replied hesitantly. “What I don’t understand is that your contacts are inside the very government that is after us.”

  “The part of the government I represent is composed of forward thinking individuals who want the public to be more informed about the advances in science that will shape the world. Unfortunately, there are still a few segments of the government with a ‘cold war’ mentality. They feel that the public is best served by maintaining a cloud of secrecy, and all technological advancement with military applications are to remain under the military’s direct control. They are of the opinion that the public is not prepared for the truth, and the government’s role is to protect people from themselves. The argument is probably somewhere in the middle, but I believe that in order for humanity to mature and grow, we need to have a more open government. As you probably figured out, Congressman Anderson has exposed one of the factions within the government that is not willing to give in on this issue. They have spent decades developing the technology and they are not eager to hand it over. Anyhow, we need to get going, but if we have time we can talk more about this
later.” Matt nodded in agreement as they headed east on some unmarked roadway.

  After a while, the driver turned off the highway down a single lane road that passed by a rather imposing secure gate. The driver continued on another mile until they came to a small building that appeared to be nothing more than a maintenance shack.

  “This is it,” Alex said as he looked over his shoulder at Matt and Melissa, who were both sitting quietly in the back seat.

  “What is this place?” Matt asked as Alex led them over to the building and swiped his access card.

  “This is what is known as a Remote Command Center, RRC for short. Basically its function is to provide a safe location for governmental officials to stay in the event of a Nuclear, Biological, or Chemical attack. From this location they can keep the government running at a sustenance level. It’s not NORAD, but it can oversee basic operations in this region. There are a number of these self-contained facilities across the United States to prevent concentrating the hierarchy of our government in one spot,” Alex revealed.

  “I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Matt replied.

  “They are not publicized, and your knowledge of them is now officially classified. That goes for you as well Melissa. All I can say is that you must have really impressed Congressman Anderson, because civilians are never allowed in the RCC’s,” Alex admitted. Matt looked over at Melissa and they exchanged wide-eyed glances.

  After going inside the shack, an elevator took them deep underground. When they reached some unmarked level, Alex stepped out and led them down a long corridor that ended at a small cafeteria.

  “Help yourselves to some snacks, and there are refreshments in the refrigerator. I will be right back, please wait here,” he said in a tone that conveyed it wasn’t optional.

  After a few minutes, Alex reappeared with Angelia.

  “Hi!” she shouted when she saw them. “I’m so happy you all made it here safely.”

  “Thanks to the man with all the connections,” Matt exclaimed as he gave Alex a thankful smile.

  “Tony Mattell of the Secret Service will be here soon. He is expecting Angelia to present him with the information she obtained from Congressman Anderson about New Frontier. Matt, I would like you and Melissa to support her claims as needed. I don’t know how open minded Tony is, so it would probably be best not to refer to aliens or the dreamstone at this time. I suspect his main objective will be determining who is responsible for the assassination attempt on the Congressman and why he was targeted. Please consider your choice of words carefully before answering any of his questions. Keep in mind how far-fetched your story might sound to an outsider,” Alex warned. Just as Alex finished his sentence, everyone’s attention quickly shifted as a tall well-dressed man came in and sat down at the table across from them.

  “My name is Tony Mattell and I am the Deputy Director of the Secret Service. I am happy to report that Congressman Anderson is making a full recovery and is also in protective custody. I can also share with you that a suspect has been taken into custody and the next step in the investigation is to sort out the motive behind the assassination attempt. Keep in mind that the more information you can provide me with, the sooner everyone can go home and return to their normal lives. Angelia, I have been told you and the Congressman have been working together to expose a rogue program, can you please provide me with the details of that operation.”

  “Yes, we have uncovered an advanced test facility being run by the Department of Defense in Montauk, NY. At this facility they are perfecting a revolutionary new form of space travel that uses multi-dimensional physics to cross the vastness of space in real time. This technology is so advanced, that we need to carefully consider the potential risks and unforeseen consequences of using it. We believe that the Department of Defense is unaware of these dangers, and may misuse the technology without understanding the unparalleled risks involved,” Angelia declared.

  “Why is the Department of Defense developing its own space travel technology, isn’t that NASA’s responsibility?” the Deputy Director asked.

  “That is my concern as well. I think we have to look at it from their perspective... what could they do with the power to travel anywhere in the universe in a matter of days or weeks?” Angelia replied. The Deputy Director seemed to consider the statement for a few minutes before turning to look at Matt and Melissa.

  “How are you two involved?” the Deputy Director asked.

  “Melissa and I were researching some early radar experiments conducted on the U.S.S. Eldridge. We believe that those early experiments gave the Department of Defense its first look at the technology that Angelia just described. We also met with Congressman Anderson and gave him our research notes exposing the Department of Defense’s clandestine pursuit of the technology along with some of the risks the technology poses,” Matt replied.

  “I will look into this,” the Deputy Director replied.

  “What’s going to happen next?” Angelia asked as the Deputy Director was preparing to leave.

  “To be honest, the Department of Defense is going to deny any involvement with the assassination attempt. The suspect we have in custody will lead to a bunch of dead ends and if we do get lucky and tie him back to the Department of Defense, they will use him as a scapegoat and then hide him under the umbrella of National Security. Unless you have something more to disclose, I believe this case will close quickly. Please remain at this facility until we finish our investigation and conclude that you are not in any further danger,” the Deputy Director ordered.

  After he had gone, the room remained despairingly silent for several minutes. Then Matt got up and angrily threw his drink in the trash.

  “What the hell was that?” he exclaimed.

  “I don’t know,” Alex replied. “My guess is we’re getting an official snow job, and there is a hidden agenda in motion. What do you think Angelia? You were working closely with the congressman.”

  “I thought we made a lot of progress, but now I am wondering if they just brought us here to keep us out of the way while they clean up the mess,” she said looking extremely disappointed.

  “I bet they bury this whole incident in a deep hole!” Matt exclaimed. “The last thing the government wants is to appear to have rogue factions working on secret projects that are not under its direct control. Even more embarrassing is that those factions are willing to kill to protect their clandestine operations. I seriously doubt if any of this sees the light of day.”

  “Let’s not all jump to conclusions,” Alex suggested. “I admit we are getting smoke blown up our asses by the Secret Service, but they have an assassination attempt to contend with. I think this will shake the highest levels of government, and despite their desire to bury this, I think it’s too big to just cover up. There will be fall-out from this, mark my words.”

  “I hope you’re correct,” Matt remarked.

  “I hope so too, but worrying about it won’t change the outcome. For now, let me show you the luxurious sleeping accommodations your tax dollars have purchased, and you can get some rest. I for one, am beyond tired,” Alex remarked as he led Matt and Melissa down a stark hallway.

  “Here’s your room,” he said with a grin. “There are lockers for your stuff on the wall, and if you continue further down the hall, there are restrooms with a shower on the left.”

  Matt peeked in the room and turned on the light. It was small, sterile, and wanting for décor. There were two olive drab cots in the corner with matching gray wool blankets and pillows resting on them. Melissa walked over to the two cots and slid them closer together so it would seem like they were sleeping next to each other. Then she unfolded the blankets and laid them out neatly across each cot while Matt went off to use the bathroom. When he returned, she kissed him on the cheek, and then went down to the bathroom to brush her teeth and get ready for bed.

  “Goodnight,” Matt said when she returned.

  “Goodnight,” she replied after turning off t
he lights.

  Melissa was awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of scratching. She looked around the room cautiously until she saw a small white mouse scurrying along the floor. The mouse sniffed around for a few moments and then left through a small vent hole in the wall after it was satisfied they didn’t have anything to eat in their stuff. When it was apparent that the mouse was not coming back, she closed her eyes and slowly drifted back to sleep.

  The next morning Melissa woke to find the mouse had pulled some of the stuffing out of her jacket and used it to make a nest in the corner of the room. It was hard for her to be angry at the mouse when she peeked over and saw it was curled up into a ball, sound asleep on the bedding it had stolen.

  “What is it?” Matt asked as Melissa nudged him.

  “Take a look in the corner of the room,” she replied.

  “You made a friend,” he remarked with a yawn, seeming unimpressed by the mouse.

  “I know... I’m going to run down to the cafeteria and get myself and the mouse some food. Are you coming?” she asked.

  “Okay,” he replied after looking at his watch, and seeing it was a little after 7 am.

  When they reached the cafeteria, Matt noticed Alex was already inside filling a large plate with pastries.

  “How did you sleep?” Alex asked when he saw them.

  “Not too bad,” Matt replied

  “How about you Melissa?”

  “I was so tired I don’t even remember falling asleep,” she replied.

  “Well that’s good. I have been told there is going to be a debriefing later this morning, and we might be able to go back to our homes sooner than I expected,” Alex announced.

  “Really?” Melissa said in an excited tone.

  “Yep, apparently some Bureaucrat from the Pentagon will be coming here to go over the latest developments, but it sounds like the case is already wrapping up,” he replied.

  “Are you kidding me? The government never moves this efficiently,” Matt remarked.

  “It can when it wants something unpleasant to disappear,” Alex remarked.