The Traveler's Return (Traveler Series 3)

by Dr L. Jan Eira

  Predators are outside the apple tree line, detained by the smell of the amygdalin poison, she had explained.

  The beast shall not penetrate the circle, he thought. I shall remain inside with the creatures of peace.

  He saw a beautiful animal inside the circle. It ran gracefully through the meadows. I will call you gazelle. He looked at the ground nearby. You will be called serpent.

  Alexandra had commanded him to name all the creatures and trees and fruits. Everything he could see. An animal he had named sheep ventured out of the Circle of Eden and soon was attacked by a predator he had dubbed wolf. He witnessed the group of wolves jump upon the sheep and devour him piece by piece. Within the time it took the light in the sky to travel a short distance, the wolves had the whole animal gobbled up, leaving a large pool of red stain on the ground. Surely these predators would do the same to him if they had a chance. These predators, however, would not dare to enter the Garden of Eden. They remained in the far-away elevations, a long walk away, beyond the circle line of apple trees.

  When he reached his cave, he began imprinting new symbols and drawing pictures on the rocky walls. Eagle, owl, rabbit, bass. He thought of an apple tree, its red fruit dangling appetizingly. Apple, he thought as he drew the symbols on the flat stone that would remind him of the sounds he made with his mouth. Gazelle. Sheep. Cow. Tiger. Wolf.

  He labored until the skylight faded. The rip in the sky dome was no longer the shape of a C as it had been a few darks ago. The gash had become round; and it grew plump and bright.

  It was time to sleep. Sleep and visit with Alexandra. His hard work would please her. He closed his eyes and fell into the unmindful.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Deep inside the cave, the huge boulder twitched slightly. A ten-cubic-meter chunk of rock began to liquefy and morph; the sound koo eeky…koo eeky springing up in the process. The molecules commenced to heat up and little by little transformed into a head, neck, torso, and limbs. Next, the rough, rocky texture smoothed out, and Alexandra’s pale skin and white hair became progressively more evident, as did her clothing. Soon, the little girl stepped out of the rock; the empty space she left behind in the boulder filling out with more rock material, eventually leaving no clue whatsoever that the avatar molecules had been previously integrated inside. Alexandra stretched out her little body and looked around the cave.

  She gave her computer a thought command. “Computer, scan the planet for living Terrae Virentians with the profile characteristics I inputted before and then analyze the area for an appropriate vehicle for my travel.”

  “Hello, Commander William Baten. Welcome to Terrae Virentia. I will scan. Standby.”

  And just like that, Alexandra’s game was on.

  Once the transfer of his essence from Alexandra, now materialized inside the rock in the cavern on Terrae Virentia, to his own body was complete, William gathered the wits about him and took a deep breath. Being back on the Traveler Research Space Center and in his own hide, felt delightful. The mere sensation of air entering his lungs versus that in Alexandra’s body was amazingly different. He concentrated on his breath and then other aspects of his body function. Somehow, he felt the astonishment of a blind man suddenly able to see. He smiled. Now, he was eager to check out his catch and see if their transport to the space center was uneventful. He ran to the pressurized chamber right outside the planetary-vehicular module port, where Ellie, Valerie, and Brent had placed the anesthetized Terrae Virentians on hovering cots. With a silent smile, William greeted his colleagues, his nonverbal posture saying, All clear! All good!

  The two guests passed by him, the couple unmoving, prone on the floating stretcher. A clear dome covered each of the Terrae Virentians to provide the precise atmospheric pressure and required air mixture to mimic the conditions on the planet.

  They measured about three feet in length; their hide a hairless greenish-gray leathery material. Their lower bodies were covered with a brown blanket, Earth’s Interstellar Fleet insignia attached to one corner. Helmets with a large clear window that allowed visualization of their facial features enclosed their relatively large heads. The creatures had no mouth or nose, per se. Instead, on their faces were four small stomas, openings they used for feeding and breathing. Their foreheads were substantial and contained four apertures, their eyes and ear canals, which at the present time were concealed by thick, leathery, scaly membranes.

  “They look like twins,” said Brent. “Are they?”

  “No, I doubt it,” said William. “I got them from different continents, tens of thousands of miles apart.”

  “What should we call them?” asked Ellie.

  Valerie looked at William. “If we ever have kids, I was going to name them Mackenzie and Zack.”

  “Done, then!” said Brent. “Meet Mackenzie and Zack, the first Terrae Virentians to ever visit the Traveler Research Space Center.”

  William smirked and gave a mental command. The floating stretcher began to track him to the research lab. The other three scientists walked behind the recumbent visitors. As they approached, the doors to the prep room adjacent to the lab opened automatically. Brent, Ellie, William, and Valerie donned their helmets and appropriate attire. The main challenge was the boots. They were as heavy as lead, each weighing 250 Earth pounds. Once this was accomplished, Brent opened the safety door, exposing the red button. A sign over this button read, Climate Transformer. The other three nodded, and Brent pressed the button. Per protocol, his hand hovered over the key, ready to undo the process at any second if things went awry. A few seconds passed. Silence. Anticipation. All at once, the weighty boots and garments became light again and much more manageable. The air inside the helmet became harsh and thick for a few moments as the hiss of oxygen filled the helmets, and then breathing eased once more.

  “Now we can remove Zack and Mackenzie’s helmets,” said William.

  The process took a few minutes and allowed the scientists to observe more closely the rough, scaly nature of Terrae Virentian youths’ skin. The visitors remained unmoving, their chest cavities expanding and retracting with ease. William entered the sterile room; the door sign indicated Terrae Virentia atmosphere and climate. The relatively small room was uncomfortably warm for the scientists but perfectly matched the most desired weather conditions on the nearby planet. The place was all monotonous off-white—ivory. Ivory walls. Ivory flooring. Ivory ceiling. Ivory linens. This color was chosen because it was considered the most peaceful down on the planet. An extremely high-pitched sound the doctors could not perceive was being piped in via multiple speakers embedded in the walls. This resonance was found to confer a sense of serene existence to the Terrae Virentian listener. The air contained particles of a derivative of propafol, an odorless, invisible drug designed by Valerie to provide sedation and bestow a feeling of tranquil well-being on their two young guests. A small needle was inserted into one of the feeding apertures, through which a nourishing mush would serve to keep the guests with satiety and comfort.

  “To them, this will feel like eating the most delightful chocolate cake ever,” said Ellie as she hooked up the tube to Mackenzie. “The most enjoyable delicacy imaginable.”

  “Delicious yet nutritious!” added Brent.

  “Computer, begin feedings,” said William.

  “Now, to figure out how to cure this infection before everybody on this planet dies,” said Ellie.

  “And learn more about how to communicate with them directly,” said Brent.

  “We must work fast,” said William. “We need to take these two back down to the planet soon, before they’re missed.”

  And the four scientists marched to the research lab and went to work.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Mackenzie knew she was taken from the room of serene white where she was provided topmost contentment. Important questions such as Where am I? How long have I been here? Where is this place? Why am I here? seemed to matter not at all there.

  But now, she
had awakened sitting; her body kept upright by some sort of harness. She recalled faintly a feeling of well-being and peace, euphoric moods that had now diminished significantly. She tried to move, but the belts around her bare chest and abdomen pinned her to her seat. She touched the belts lightly with her fingers, and, suddenly, the harness released its grip on her naked body. She fell forward.

  There was a red button with strange markings over it. Administrative Control. She vaguely remembered a time when she might have been able to understand these symbols, but not now.

  She looked around the small quarters, side to side. She felt confused, lonely, and sore. She lamented not being in the unflawed place from where she came. There, she was never cold; here, she shivered uncomfortably. There, she was always satiated; here, she suffered with inner grumbles. There, all her desires were fulfilled before she even desired them; here, she felt alone, naked, and vulnerable. Her body was covered by her long, slightly wavy black hair, which cascaded down her front and back all the way to her hips, providing her only concealment.

  She touched the walls of her new tiny dwelling, and suddenly she heard a hissing sound, the swish of a latch opening. Cold air rushed in, chilling her skin even more. She pushed out, and the door opened farther with ease. She walked outside the capsule toward the sound of running water. It was odd shaped—oval on top, flat on the bottom.

  When she reached the river, she knelt down and touched the flowing liquid. More cold. More shivers traversed her body; a sensation she never recalled having had before. Alarmed by the strange sensation, she turned around and ran from there and into the woods.

  During one of his exploratory excursions throughout his realm inside the vast Garden of Eden, he noticed a troop of baboons carrying on, their excited, overwrought behavior, a telltale sign that something bizarre was going on. Behind the group, he saw an unusual round, shiny object. The thing was sparkly; its surface smooth and slippery, preventing the baboons from climbing atop. It seemed hard. It was like a gigantic bird’s half egg. Some of the animals repeatedly hit the object’s walls with rocks and tree branches. Curious, he ran to it, making scary noises with his voice, a ruckus he had previously learned scared the animals away. Although the group of large baboons initially retreated several yards, they didn’t scuttle far. Their curiosity compelled them to stick around and observe the unusual object. The nearer he got to it, the bigger the thing seemed. It had an opening created by a door that had been left ajar. He looked inside the object. There was a chair, which the baboons had completely ripped apart, its stuffing all over the innards of the strange half egg. There was a red button on the wall that was broken in pieces; some particles of it strewn all over the floor. Over the curious button, there were symbols—symbols resembling the ones Alexandra had taught him and marks he had been crafting in his home cave. Adm——ive Con——ol. The baboons had evidently assaulted the inside compartment, including the red button and its symbols, with rocks and sticks.

  Outside, he could hear the increasing babbles of the baboons, who were returning to the round thing, now in bigger numbers. Afraid of a potential confrontation with the unruly animals, he collected what he could from the scene and took the pieces back to his cave.

  He sat on the ground of the cavern wondering what the symbols represented. Adm——ive.

  Curiosity was too enticing, and it called to him to investigate further. He decided to return to the rounded thing and collect more artifacts so as to study them in more detail. The skylight had melted off as the dark grew; a thin C-shaped rip the only crack in the sky blackness.

  Upon his arrival, he noticed the baboons had recruited more troops and had continued to assault the broken half egg, this time with even more rage. They had managed to beat the thing to smithereens. Reluctantly, he approached the clamoring animals under the blanket of nightfall. With cautious steps, he ambled toward them, all the while attempting to displace the baboons with deep yells. But this time the baboons remained unafraid. Several baboons approached Zack from behind and struck him on the head and chest with a large chunk of the unusual object. He collapsed to the ground, his consciousness fading fast. He stretched out his arms toward the thin C-shaped slit in the heavens and saw Alexandra, her little body standing next to him, stiff and unafraid.

  The baboons’ hullabaloo turned into a massive uproar when they realized the little girl was standing in their midst. She waved her hand, and the animals dispersed rapidly, leaving her and him alone. A deep gash spurted blood from his left lateral chest wall. A smaller cut oozed red down his forehead and onto his face and shoulder. Behind them, the rounded thing had collapsed and was now in multiple pieces of shiny material.

  “Forget the attack.” Alexandra touched his temples. “Remember nothing of today.”

  And then his awareness seeped into the all black of dreamless deep sleep.

  The caveman regained consciousness in his home cave and immediately felt the intense pain and the sore on the side of his chest. He touched the gash over his ribs and gasped with the throbbing sensation. He looked around his surroundings; his concussed brain slowly reconnecting with reality. It was then he saw the creature. It lay there next to him on the ground of his home, an uncanny resemblance to himself. It looked just like Alexandra, but its bulk matched his own. It looked peaceful as it slept at his side. He felt a feeling that it belonged there next to him. He felt that it should walk with him, eat with him, and discover with him. As he attempted to get up on his feet, he again winced in pain, his rib discomfort cutting short his intake of air.

  “Creature from my rib, welcome to Garden of Eden. My home,” he said. “Our home!”

  His words woke it up. Startled, it got on its feet and hurriedly backed away from him with fear in its eyes. He gestured to it: You are safe! I will not harm you. It looked side to side, gathering information about its surroundings, panic still overwhelming its being.

  He tried to get up, but the pain on his rib cage screamed with dizzying smart. He fell to his knees again, holding his side. It approached him, its fright and disorientation slowly dissipating. He moved his hand and allowed it to see the scar mending his side.

  “You,” he said, pointing at the wound. “From my rib.”

  And it came to him, touched the hurt soothingly, and sat by his side.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “We should never have physically visited the planet,” said William looking out a porthole from the Traveler Space Station onto Terrae Virentia. “Not until we understood their physiology a lot better. We’re running out of time. Wish we could stop—”

  “That’s it!” exclaimed Ellie.

  “Stop time?” asked William.

  Ellie smiled and nodded. “I’ve been thinking about this. We need a way to stop time, right?”

  “Hibernation?” asked Valerie, her head nodding slowly. “Put the whole planet in stasis?”

  “Yes,” said Ellie. “How would we accomplish that?”

  “Neural synaptic depolarizer,” said William. “These beings are smaller in comparison to us, so a widespread, low-level of neural depolarization should do the trick.”

  “I’ll create a computer model to begin dose calculations,” said Valerie.

  “I’ll prepare the pod for travel to Terrae Virentia,” said Brent. “I’ll make arrangements for the neural depolarizer interface with the ship. A low flight around the planet while blasting away should depolarize every living neuron on the planet and place everything into a deep fugue state of stasis.”

  “They’ll get retrograde amnesia,” said Ellie. “Even if they spot you, they won’t remember a thing when it’s all over.”

  William nodded. “They don’t have the technology to fight back, so you should be safe.”

  “We’ll also need a cover story,” said Valerie. “One the whole planet will buy and be able to explain away the glitches in time they might perceive.”

  “Yes,” said Brent. “We’ll need everyone to remain indoors too. The cover story should
force the inhabitants to remain enclosed and avoid them getting out and about.” “Yeah!” said Valerie. “Stay in one place!”

  William squinted his eyes. “Unfortunately, in the process, we may cause some deaths. We need a cover story that’ll give a potential explanation for that as well.”

  The four paced around for a long moment. Ellie broke the silence. “Like an inclement weather event with harsh temperatures, storms, high winds.”

  “And cold!” said Valerie. “Lots of bitter cold.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  And then the soldiers arrived uninvited. The squadron docked on the Traveler Space Station with no warning to its indwellers, and the armed warriors invaded the outpost like an intrusion of cockroaches.

  The one in charge, Colonel Pete Riggs, stomped into the research laboratory, his air cocksure, like he owned the place. His black hair was cut short, and his baby face revealed a square jaw with a close shave. His fatigues were loose fitting, concealing his obvious muscular body. He was in his early forties but looked much younger.

  “I’m here to speed up your efforts, Commanders,” he declared.

  “Colonel,” said William, “this is not acceptable. We’re in the middle of a scientific and peaceful mission.”

  Valerie continued. “We’re working on the treatment for the Staph infection that is killing the Terrae Virentians as well as on a way to disseminate and implement the planet-wide cure. There is no need for the military here.”

  “Commanders,” said Riggs, his face stern, his words harsh. “I’ll forgive this insubordination but only this one time. Now fill me in on your medical studies of these creatures. Tell me about the stuff they breathe out.” He gave a mental command, and then read the displayed notes in his visual cortex. “Carbonyl trioxide.”

  “With all due respect, sir,” said Brent, “what exactly is your mission here?”

  “Need to know, Doctor. Need to know.”