Vostok

by Steve Alten

25 SEPTEMBER 12:17 HOURS

  I’m back onboard a transit chopper, Brandy girl, my precious bundle of joy hidden beneath my seat.

  T’was no easy thing. The ride up through the ice sheet was a rough grind. Ashlynn Archer managed tae keep my mind off me bein’ sealed in an armored suit in a coffin while the laser burned through four kilometers of ice. I was unconscious when they finally pried me loose.

  I awoke in Ashlynn’s sleeping bag with an I.V. feedin’ fluids intae my veins. The Colonel stopped by tae offer a congratulatory handshake. He teld me Zachary was safe and tha’ they no longer needed my services.

  Ashlynn arranged for a helicopter tae take me back tae the dome for proper medical attention as soon as my I.V. drained. Fine by me, only I needed tae smuggle the egg oot of the Valkyrie’s storage compartment. Feigning fatigue, I teld Ashlynn tae return tae duty whilst I rested.

  The moment she was gone, I yanked oot the I.V. and searched her quarters for something tae hide the egg inside of. I found a bathroom towel and a backpack filled wit’ paperback books. I emptied the lot, then tossed the towel in the backpack and found my way back tae the Valkyrie pod and sled.

  Fortunately, the egg was where I had left it. Wrapping it snugly in the towel, I shoved it in the backpack and stowed it under my ski jacket and ECW gear that was piled atop a folding chair. Then it was back tae bed where I waited for Ashlynn tae return.

  25 SEPTEMBER 2:09 HOURS

  Good news and bad. The good: I’m back in the dome, and the backpack is in my tent. I’ve spoke tae Angus in our own special Highland code. He’s over the moon and is makin’ arrangements tae fly intae Davis Base aboard a charter paid for by whit he referred tae as “private investors.”

  The bad news: Zach’s gone missing.

  18

  “Curiouser and curiouser.”

  —Lewis Carroll

  It was Sir Isaac Newton, the man who formulated the theory of universal gravitation, who first discovered that sunlight passing through a prism revealed the colors of the electromagnetic spectrum.

  The human eye perceives only visible light, which lies in a very small region of the spectrum, each color possessing a different wavelength. From shortest to longest the rainbow runs red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The human eye cannot see wavelengths outside this spectrum. Ultraviolet radiation has a longer wavelength than violet light, and infrared radiation has a shorter wavelength than red light. White light is a mixture of every color of the visible spectrum. Black is the absence of light.

  Sunlight, our most important source of energy, consists of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Violet and blue wavelengths scatter across our atmosphere more efficiently, but the sky looks blue because the sun emits more energy as blue light than as violet and our eyes are more sensitive to its wavelength. Grass and leaves appear green to us because green is the only color not absorbed by the leaves. The sun’s scattered wavelengths shorten at sunrise and sunset, producing orange and red hues.

  My heart pounded with adrenaline as I moved through the ice tunnel, my eyes darting from the pulsating orange light ahead to the Geiger counter in my gloved right hand.

  Just a quick look. One quick look and I’ll have enough information to theorize cause and effect. Then I’m up the rope and climbing out of the chasm, and we’re back in the sub and en route to the north basin. Up the ice sheet and I’m done. Done with Vostok, done with Antarctica and its insane cold. Then it’s home to Brandy and William.

  Wary of the time, I started to jog, counting each ice-crunching stride to gauge the distance back to the rope.

  Twenty-one… twenty-two… twenty-three…

  It was a surreal feeling, the color as dazzling as a tropical sunset, the cavern’s solitude violated only by my metal spikes digging into the ice.

  Eighty-six… eighty-seven… eighty-eight…

  By the time I arrived at the end of the tunnel, the ice was glowing red.

  Wheezing cold air from my esophagus, I bent over and paused to rest, my eyes tearing, the goggles pinned against my neck. The tunnel ended ten paces ahead. The light originated from a meter-high ten-pointed figure, the upper three sparks white, the middle six blinking crimson, the bottom one violet.

  The pulsating marker was embedded in metal, part of a massive object that spanned the entire opening of the tunnel and beyond, the dark mass entirely encased in ice except for the glowing panel.

  This was no asteroid. This was an object not of our world.

  How long had it been here? Was it still functioning? Was it the source of the magnetic interference?

  Remembering the Geiger counter, I scanned the icon, which registered no radiation.

  My adrenaline pumping, I approached the ten-pointed figure, which seemed strangely familiar to me. I had seen it before.

  But where?

  Moving closer, I noticed a light mist rolling off the unpolished surface. Removing my right glove, I held my palm close to the six red points of light, registering a radiating warmth on my flesh.

  I hesitated, then reached to touch the three white points of light—

  —and was inhaled into darkness.

  I opened my eyes to warmth and shadows, half-expecting to be confronted by any one of a dozen extraterrestrial sci-fi scenarios, from being surrounded by high-tech control consoles and three-dimensional holographic computer displays to finding myself imprisoned in a barless cage while other captive humans were strapped to exam tables awaiting lobotomies or anal probes… whatever was on the menu.

  Based on the I.Q.s of the stereotypes who always seemed to be the ones abducted, the differences between the two procedures weren’t that far off.

  I heard a chuckle in the darkness, and then a single red candle flickered to life, revealing a wall of books.

  And Joe Tkalec!

  My middle school science teacher and mentor watched me from his favorite easy chair in his home library and smiled. “I always enjoyed your sarcastic wit. Are you comfortable in this setting?”

  I was seated on the padded rocker where I had spent numerous hours reading after school. “How did you— Wait. That icon, it probed my mind and my memories, didn’t it? Hope that’s all you probed.”

  The entity appearing as my mentor smiled. “Anal probes… as if exploring the human rectum could reveal the meaning of life. You do realize all of those ridiculous stories were the result of a disinformation campaign executed by your military intelligence operatives to scare the public about extraterrestrial activities.”

  “Yeah. I mean, sure. Why would an advanced species travel lightyears to probe a redneck’s asshole?”

  “You’re wondering if this is real or a dream. For now, let’s call it a lucid dream.”

  “Sounds like you’re playing a mind game. Is that what this is?”

  “Not at all. My role is to provide you with the information you desire. We felt that communicating with you in a familiar setting would be far less distracting than revealing your true surroundings.”

  “So, if you’re not really Joe Tkalec, what should I call you? How about Alien Joe? Where am I, Alien Joe? Is this your spaceship?”

  “It is more of a portal. Think of it as a spaceship if it makes you feel more at ease.”

  “A portal bridges the gap between two distinct places. Assuming I’m physically still in Antarctica, then where are you?”

  “I’m here with you, only not in a physical sense. We’re communicating using the universal consciousness.”

  “Yeah, yeah. But this ship was built to travel. Where did it come from? Where’s your home world?”

  “Does it matter?”

  He had a point. What difference did it make what star system his planet belonged to? The fact is he was here, at least mentally.

  Alien Joe seemed to be reading my thoughts. “Human travel moves from point A to point B on a linear realm. Think beyond this.”

  My head was swimming with a million thoughts.

  Am I awake? What the hell i
s a lucid dream? Is there a purpose to this? He said it was a portal, only we’re both here in Antarctica…

  “You’re referring to trans-dimensional travel. Theoretically, it’s the only way to travel beyond the speed of light.”

  Alien Joe smiled. “Very good, but let’s refine your conclusion. Travel pertains to an act of physical movement; movement invokes the passage of time, which is a component of the physical dimension. As we speak, you and I occupy a higher dimension where time does not exist. I mention this to ease your mind about hastening your journey back to the submersible. Time is not passing in the physical sense while we are conversing, so don’t feel pressured. Let me also assure you that you are not being held captive. Simply express the desire to leave, and you’ll find yourself back in the ice tunnel and on your merry way.”

  “Will I remember any of this?”

  “No.”

  “Then what makes it real?”

  “The implications of our communication are very real.”

  Settling deeper into the seat cushion, I began to rock, finding the familiar action soothing. “You say we’re in a higher dimension. It doesn’t feel any different.”

  “Do you hurt?”

  “No.”

  “Yet you were experiencing physical discomfort before you entered the ice tunnel.”

  “But if this was a lucid dream, I wouldn’t be shivering or suffering from frostbite or aching muscles or joint pain. Or even hunger.”

  “Good point.”

  “How many dimensions are there? Are they all like this?”

  “You studied quantum physics at Princeton. How many dimensions are there, Zachary?”

  That’s why the icon seemed familiar!

  “Ten. There are ten dimensions, at least according to superstring theory. And they’re arranged just like that icon glowing on your—your front door.”

  Ten golfball-sized sparks of energy appeared between us, hovering four feet above the wooden floor in the same alignment as the icon, only now the three upper dimensions were burning white, while the middle six were flowing with the colors of the spectrum—red to orange intoyellow, followed by the darker green, blue, and indigo hues. The lowest dimension, our physical dimension, remained bathed in violet.

  “Interpret what you see, Zachary.”

  “Energy. It seems to be flowing through the ten dimensions in accordance with the electromagnetic spectrum, from the three upper worlds into the bundle of six, and from the six to the one, the physical world.”

  “Very good. White energy encompasses the inclusive spectrum. Darkness, defined as the absence of light, generates an eleventh dimension, which we do not access. What else can you theorize through your observations?”

  “While the purest energy is abundant in the upper three dimensions, by the time it reaches our physical world it’s been filtered considerably. The wavelengths are longer and yet weaker, as if by design.”

  “Excellent. And why is that significant?”

  “Less energy imposes limitations.”

  “And what limitations might be imposed on a physical being such as yourself?”

  “You really do sound like Joe.”

  “Answer the question, please.”

  “Sure. Wouldn’t want to waste your time.” I burst out laughing, feeling giddy.

  And there it was—the answer he was trying to coax out of me.

  “My own mortality. In the physical world we face the threat of dying every day. You can add to that disease, pain, hunger, hatred, injury, loneliness, and sorrow. Do you experience any of these things on your world, Alien Joe?”

  “We did, but not anymore. We evolved.”

  “You’re immortal?”

  “The soul is immortal. Physicality imposes limitations that can be overcome.”

  A chill ran down my spine. At least I registered the sensation as such. “Alien Joe, why are you here?”

  “I am here because I chose to communicate with you. Why are you here, Zachary?”

  “I’m here because I sought answers about life by exploring the past. Now that I’ve been given access to an advanced intelligence, I need to know more. How did you evolve as physical beings? Does it have something to do with this energy that is flowing down through the ten dimensions of existence? Where’s this energy originating from? What does it do? How can we access it?”

  “You say you seek answers about life. What you truly mean is existence: why are we here? What is our purpose?”

  “Tell me.”

  “How can I tell you that? My purpose is different from yours.”

  “Then tell me, does God exist?”

  “Define God.”

  “The Creator. The entity that was here before there was a here.”

  Joe closed his eyes and rocked. “Let’s play our old game of cause and effect. How was the physical universe created?”

  “The Big Bang.”

  “If energy flows from the higher dimensions into the physical universe, then which came first, the energy or the Big Bang?”

  “I suppose the energy.”

  “Then imagine, if you can, the entirety of existence before the here as pure, infinite, conscious energy. And in this infinity of conscious energy, there was the essence of the energy’s DNA, an essence which gave it an all-consuming desire.”

  “What desire?”

  “The desire to share.”

  “Share what? What can energy— Oh, you mean immortality.”

  “Far beyond immortality, Zachary. We’re talking about everlasting, unimaginable fulfillment. But there is one problem: sharing requires a receiver. And so this vast all-consuming conscious energy created another consciousness to receive its energy. Let’s think of this second consciousness, this creation, as a vessel. With the creation of the vessel, the conscious infinite energy could experience its own fulfillment by sharing, and the vessel could receive fulfillment by receiving. And everything worked, until—”

  “Until what?”

  “Until the receiver wanted to experience what the energy, its creator, felt. It wanted to feel the desire to share. You see, even though it was created to receive energy, the vessel was made from the energy’s essence, endowing it with a like desire to share. But unlike the energy, the vessel hadn’t earned its fulfillment. Imagine, Zachary, that you were given every accolade as both an academic and an athlete, and yet you had never earned those honors. Remove the trials and tribulations that lead to success and you are left with emptiness. That’s how the vessel felt.

  “Seeking to earn its fulfillment, the vessel did the only thing it was capable of doing—it shunted its creator’s flow of energy. And in doing so, it shrank to a singular point of existence.

  “The creator energy understood what its creation desired. Because the energy loved the vessel unconditionally, it gave its creation the opportunity to earn its fulfillment. The vessel reopened, and energy rushed in until the vessel burst.”

  The entity appearing as Joe Tkalec stopped rocking and opened its eyes. “Zachary, tell me again how the physical universe came into being?”

  “The Big Bang.”

  “Describe the event.”

  My scalp tingled as I suddenly comprehended what I was being told. “The Big Bang was the sudden expansion of a singularity of inconceivable energy containing protons, neutrons, electrons—all ejected into the vacuum of space.”

  Alien Joe nodded. “And now you know cause and effect. The event that shattered the vessel and expanded the physical universe also gave order to the upper dimensions so that the flow of energy might be veiled.”

  “Why veil it?”

  “Think of the upper dimensions as everlasting fulfillment and the physical universe as the arena where that fulfillment had to be earned. This is what the vessel desired.”

  My mind was reeling. “Okay, so if the conscious energy is what we collectively refer to as God, what was the vessel?”

  “The collective immortal soul in its unified state prior to the Big Bang.�
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  I closed my eyes, attempting to absorb everything I had just heard. “Well, then, organized religion sure screwed that creation story up. Chalk that one up to quantum physics.”

  “The primer of existence is communicated to every physical species, including yours. Humans were given the information 3,409 Earth years ago.”

  “Really? I’d love to see it. Is it buried somewhere?”

  “The information was encoded into the Old Testament’s original Aramaic, transcribed on Mount Sinai to the entity Moses. Fourteen centuries later, the information was decoded and recorded in the text referred to as the Zohar.”

  “So all those hokey Bible stories were just written as an excuse to encrypt the info contained in our owner’s manual? What are Adam and Eve supposed to represent?”

  “Protons and electrons—the male and female aspect of the atom.”

  “Nice. What about the creation of the world in six days?”

  “Six days refers to the bundle of six dimensions. The only creation is the vessel of the unified soul. The physical world is not the real reality. The physical world is the lucid dream where fulfillment must be earned.”

  I felt dizzy. “Why am I here?”

  “That remains to be seen.”

  “Whoa, now hold on a minute, Alien Joe. You’ve made it a point to tell me that time has no bearing in the upper dimensions. If that’s true, and quantum physics seems to back that theory, then you not only know what happened in the past, you know what will happen in the future—my future. You knew I’d be exploring Lake Vostok, which means you purposely left this portal under the ice sheet for me to discover and access. I want to know why.”

  Alien Joe rocked in his easy chair, his demeanor unaffected by my rants. “Your observations are correct. Time has no bearing in the upper worlds; therefore, this moment, and everything that follows, has already occurred numerous times before, all with varying results but similar outcomes. Do you know what a multiverse is, Zachary?”

  “It’s a quantum term, referring to the choices we make in life. Each choice theoretically creates its own universe.”

  “Correct. Now tell me why this spaceship is here.”