"This is Cely," Dr. Avery stated. "My daughter will explain his capabilities and functions."
"Thank you," Angelica said, as she turned to the audience. "Cely is a fully functional cybernetic organism, made from artificial skin and organs, light weight titanium metal, and hydraulics systems. Once we have integrated the artificial intelligence control functions in the circuit board in his back, he'll be able to see, hear, and make decisions the same as any human. This will be beneficial to the space travelers of the future. Androids breathe no air, eat no food, drink no water, and they survive on a ion powered battery that lasts ten years. Humans make mistakes which could cost the crew their lives, as where androids have a specific plan of action, preprogrammed by their creators. They can and will be an essential part of this program, and we expect to finish the four of them within time for the launch date. Cely is my own creation, and I have spent the past five years developing his systems. Say hello, Cely."
"Good afternoon, Ms. Avery," he said.
"How do you feel today?"
"I don't understand the question. Please clarify."
Angelica turned back to the audience. "Cely has no emotions or ability to experience what a human does, so this is why he is puzzled. Once we finish his AI board, he will be able to answer it to some degree. Cely, what is your mission?"
"To assist humans in the exploration of space, and to obtain samples from hostile environments unsuitable for human habitation, as well as assisting in the operation, maintenance and development of all the vessel's systems."
"Thank you, Cely," Angelica said. "You may go now." The android then walked out of the room, just as if he was human. "Cely is the main prototype, the other three are in production."
"Thank you for that information, Angelica," Dr. Avery said. " If General Carver doesn't have anything else to add, I'll answer questions now."
"How are you going to control the electromagnetic field you're going to place around the ship?" Jeff asked.
"By using antimatter and dark matter," Dr. Avery replied. "It turns the field on and off using the same process, stabilized by the dark matter."
"Forgive me, Dr. Avery," another visiting scientist said. "But do you really think your spacecraft is going to work? The amount of energy needed to run such a device would take as much as a star!"
"Exactly," Dr. Avery replied. "A star about the size of our sun."
"Are you saying you can harness the power of the sun?" the scientist continued.
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"You must be mad!" the disbeliever laughed. "It sounds like NASA is just wasting their time with this project."
"I haven't heard any other projects working from your division, Dr. Wallace," General Carver interrupted.
"How do you intend to stabilize the dark matter?" Jeff asked. "Major Walker stated you need an onboard particle collider to achieve such a task, and the size of it would have to be enormous."
"We worked on this problem extensively," Avery continued. "But I do believe that we've found a solution."
"And what about the speed to mass ratio?" Jeff asked. "Once you get to light speed, how do you slow down?"
"We have fusion reactive retro-brakers that will slow the craft down once we reach our destination."
"And what if that destination is a cold, desolate place with no life at all?"
"Our sensors have indicated that's not the case. The planet is like Earth, only a little larger, and has a Nitrogen-oxygen based atmosphere like ours once was."
"And this android Ms. Avery has built," Jeff asked boldly. "How can you be assured the artificial intelligence board will be safe from tampering."
"What makes you think someone would tamper with it?" Angelica asked. "Our staff all have the highest security rating, and there are no foreign governments anymore, just a world organization."
"Just a hunch." Jeff said.
"Could I ask our distinguished guest to ask questions of a more general nature?" Carver interrupted, as he realized Jeff was getting a little too intrusive."
"Yes, of course," Jeff answered. "How long do you expect for this journey to take?"
"We don't know exactly. At the fastest, we estimate approximately three months," Dr. Avery said. "That is, if we are able to achieve faster than light status. We realize this is not an exact science, and even with light speed, our calculations of distances may be off a bit. Are there any other questions?"
There was a moment of silence, and then Carver stood up again.
"I'd like to thank you all for coming, and enjoy your dinner," he said. "There will be a simulated demonstration later this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. You are all welcome to attend. Thank you."
After everyone began to parade over to the banquet line, and Carver began to rise and walk that way as well, Angelica grabbed Jeff's arm.
"Why do you think someone will tamper with my android?" she asked him.
Thomas Walker put his hand on her shoulder.
"Honey, he's not authorized," he said.
"He seems to think someone is going to mess with Cely, and I want to know how he knows that?"
"I just have a feeling that's all," Jeff said. "You should talk to your friend, General Carver. He knows things he not telling you."
"What things?" Major Walker asked.
"Not here," Jeff said.
"Well, where are you staying, we can come there," Angelica said.
"No, they have my room under surveillance," Jeff stated. "And I'm still under guard."
"How about this afternoon, after the demonstration," she said. "I can say that I'd like to show you the rocket propulsion system."
"You're violating protocol," Major Walker said. "You could get us both court martialed."
She placed her arms around Tom's neck, and kissed him on the lips.
"Please, for me," she said. "Just this one time."
"Okay," he said. "Just leave me out of it."
The three of them stood in line, as Carver approached them with an elderly gentleman with gray hair, who was in his sixties. He wore a pair of wire rimmed glasses and a light blue suit, and stood about five feet, ten inches.
"Mr. Barkley," General Carver said, introducing the stranger. "You remember Professor Gabe Ravella? He was your instructor at the academy."
"Ah yes," Jeff said. "Professor Ravella. Nice to see you again after all these years."
"Yes," Ravella said, not really sure who he was. "It's been a long time, hasn't it? Al, I'd like to discuss something with you privately, if you don't mind."
"Yes, Gabe, of course," General Carver said. "Please excuse us."
They walked away, and as they did, Angelica turned to Jeff.
"He just looked at you as if he didn't have a clue who you were," Angelica said.
"Must be Alzheimer's," Jeff said. She smiled, and she and her fiancé continued through the luncheon line.
"They're talking about you, you know?" she said to Jeff.
"Who?"
"Carver and Ravella."
"How do you know?"
"I can read lips."
"What are they saying?"
"Right now, Carver's asking if he knows you. He's telling him, no, that's not Jack Barkley. If you're not Jack Barley, than who the hell are you?"
"I'd rather not say right now. I'll tell you later. Trust me."
"How am I supposed to trust you when you lie about who you are?"
"I promise, I'll tell you everything later."
"You better," she reminded him. "My father and I have come too far
to let anything interfere with our work."
"Yes, I know," Jeff said. "Your work will someday be of great benefit to mankind, allowing us to go to other planets and beyond."
"You speak in riddles," she stated, and raised her right eyebrow. "Almost as if you know what's about to happen. Just what kind of man are you, Mr. Barkley?"
"The kind of man who knows what's best for all of you."
"You sound like my father."
"I'm nothing like your father."
"I can see that. You're more like my fiancé."
"That is a more accurate description."
"You aren't related, are you?"
Jeff knew where this line of questioning was going, and he was sure he didn't want to reveal that type of information to her yet.
"No, not at all," he answered.
They proceeded to walk to the head table, when Carver came up
beside Jeff, and grabbed his arm.
"We need to talk, now," he said.
"Couldn't you wait until after I have my lunch?" Jeff asked.
"I'll have it sent to your room. Right now I'd like you to put your plate down and come with me," Carver ordered.
"As you wish," he said. "Ms. Avery, I'll see you at the demonstration this afternoon?"
"I doubt it," Carver interrupted.
"Yes, of course," she said, and went to set her plate down at the table.
Jeff walked towards the door, as Carver and the two guards followed behind him. He heard Carver say something to one of them, but couldn't understand what it was. Carver stepped in front, as he opened the door which led into the hallway.
"You mind telling me what this is all about?" Jeff asked.
"Just keep walking until you get to the room on the right at the end," Carver stated.
He followed his order, entered the room, and Carver shut the door loudly. He then turned, as one of the guards pushed Jeff onto a chair.
"Hey!" he yelled. "What's the big idea?"
"What's the big idea?" the General asked. "The big idea is you aren't who you claim to be! Who are you really, and where is the real Jack Barkley."
"But I am the real Jack Barkley."
"Don't play games with me, Mr.!" Carver roared, two feet away from him. "Ravella said he knew the real Jack Barkley very well, and he claimed you are an imposter! "
Jeff didn't know what to do now that his secret was exposed. Carver would never believe the real story, and he had no other backup plan.
"I'm waiting for an explanation," he snarled.
"My name is Jeff Walker," he said.
"Walker? Like Major Thomas Walker?"
"Yes."
"Are you related to him?"
It seemed to him like he already had this conversation before.
"Yes."
"Who is he? Your nephew, or maybe your younger brother?"
"My grandfather."
Carver began to laugh. "All right, Mr. Walker," he chuckled. "Now why don't you tell me who you really are?"
"Would you prefer the explanation that I am a gray alien in disguise?"
"You never quit, do you? I want the truth now, or you'll spend the next hundred years in the brig."
"That's exactly where I'm from, the next hundred years," he said.
"You're trying to tell me you're from the future?" Now, Carver had heard everything.
"That's exactly what I'm telling you. Surely, you, a man who has seen an extraterrestrial might give some credence to the idea."
"Time travel is against the laws of physics, especially backwards in time! Why am I arguing the point with you anyway? You're the intruder here!"
"Yes, you're right, I am. But I came here for a good reason."
"And that would be?"
"To stop you from launching those spaceships."
"You came to sabotage my rockets? I should have you sent to Washington right now, and let them deal with you."
"Just hear me out!"
"I've been hearing you out, and all you do is give me lie after lie? Tell me, Mr. Walker, what were you doing with the rocket blueprints, figuring out how to plant a bomb?"
"No," Jeff said. "I was merely figuring out how it worked. It's obvious he didn't get that technology from anywhere on Earth."
"Now, why would you say that, Mr. Walker?"
"Because where I come from, jumping through wormholes is common place, as well as speed of light travel."
"Impossible, in one hundred years? I mean, you're obviously human, and you claim to be my chief technician's grandson. Explain to me how Earthlings can travel through wormholes in a hundred years, or through time for that matter?"
"It's a bit complicated. I also am from another universe, a parallel universe. I was taken there by a race of aliens called the Tolarions, by a dictator named Balta, in the year 2159."
"2159? Tolarions? Balta? Mr. Walker, you have quite an imagination!"
"I'm telling you the truth," Jeff insisted. "The Tolarions were a race created by Dr. Avery by using chimpanzee, human and alien DNA. He created them after he entered the other universe. They will eventually destroy your Martian base."
"If I believed you, and let's assume you're telling the truth, what do you expect me to do about it?"
"Stop the ships from leaving!"
"You know I can't do that. Too much is at stake. Besides, how does Avery get through to the other universe? His ship is designed for warp speed, not wormholes."
"I don't know," Jeff said. "I haven't quite figured that out yet."
"Well, until you do, I'm confining you to the infirmary. Would you agree to a polygraph test conducted by Dr. Reynolds?"
"If it will clear things up, yes. What about Dr. Avery?"
"What about him?"
"What do you propose to do about him?"
"Nothing, until we get to the bottom of things. I never said I believe you. Until then, I don't want you near him or his daughter. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Sir," Jeff said, in a reluctant tone.
"And another thing, how do I know you haven't sabotaged the rockets already? You were crawling through our air ducts, weren't you? And you stole some blueprints as well?"
"Trust me, I haven't touched your precious rockets. So I guess this means being your pilot is out, huh?"
"If I'm right about what you are, you won't be flying anywhere but to a maximum security prison!"
"Can I keep the suit at least?" Jeff joked.
Carver smiled and nodded, then gestured for the guards to pick him up, and take him back to his room. They both grabbed his arms, and pushed him to start moving. At that point Jeff knew his fate was sealed, and he possibly compromised the whole mission. The thought of becoming a vegetarian for the rest of his life didn't appeal to him, and never being able to see his newlywed bride again wasn't something he could bear to take.
CHAPTER NINE
Wilson awoke from her slumber, rubbed her eyes, and wished this whole nightmare would end. She knew this wasn't the case, however, and they had started a chain of events which would never end, no matter how they tried to change it. She sat up, rubbed her face, and then slipped into her overhaul suit. She put on her belt, strapped her gun holster around her waist, and left the sleeping quarters area, down the long tunnel like hallway of the ship towards the bridge.
When she arrived, Lori was no where to be found. She thought this was odd; she wouldn't just abandon her post, especially being the only one up here.
"Lori?" she yelled. She expected her to shout back, assuming she might have gone to use the facilities. She eyed the bridge to see if anything was malfunctioning or out of place; but found nothing.
She turned around, went back through the hallway, and checked each room, first starting with the make shift kitchen, then the brig, and so on,
but still had no luck. She headed back toward the brig, and then glanced at the wall near the air lock. One of the suits was missing, and she was certain Lori was wearing it. "Damn it!" she yelled, and ran to the bridge to check the sensors.
She discovered Lori was about four miles away, and barely breathing. She noticed a green message beacon flashed on the panel, so she turned it on, and the main viewing screen engaged. Lori's face appeared on the screen, and she was sitting in front of the communication panel.
"Hello, Liz," she said. "I know what you're probably thinking. That silly girl went off to find her husband. It's just something I don't think you'd understand
being single. Jeff and I love each other, and we're a team. He doesn't like to admit it, but he needs me as much as I need him. I couldn't stand just waiting to know if he was going to be all right. I still didn't heard back from Batar, and I thought it was best not to tell you what I was going to do. Forgive me. I'll contact you when I get there. Please
don't follow me."
She turned off the recording, having a very bad feeling about this whole situation. She wasn't getting any readings from Batar, and very faint ones from Lori. She guessed the radiation was just too much for either one of them. It would be foolish for her to attempt to save them and get herself killed in the process; but on the other hand, if she stayed here, there was nothing she could do either.
She contemplated her next move, while a transmission came from the Varcon.
"Scout ship one, do you read?"
"Yes, Barva, this is Wilson."
"We have reached Mars and landed. What is your status?"
"Jeff is still in the facility, and Batar and Lori set out after him, but I still haven't heard back from either one of them. My life readings indicate Lori has shallow respiratory readings, and I have no readings from Batar. Varloo has landed, but no sign of him yet either."
"You wouldn't get readings back from Batar if he's under the Baratu," Barva answered. "When in danger, it can effectively prolong his life for several hours, maybe even days."
"Barva, what should I do? If I leave, I risk the chance of them finding
the ship, or worse yet, Varloo finding the ship. And if I stay, I could put my friends in danger."
"Would you like me to send another scout ship with some men?"
"No, you need everyone there to set up a make shift base. I'll figure it out. Do me a favor, though?"
"What's that?"
"If you don't hear from me in ten hours, don't send anyone else. It's too dangerous."
Dimension Lapse III: Dimensional Breakdown (Dimension Lapse Series Book 3) Page 11
