Efren completely forgot about the intense vertigo that accompanied his previous transit. Corren was completely unprepared for it as a result. He fought for composure as he dropped to his knees. He literally crawled the rest of the way through the tunnel, emerging into a well-lit cavern, although the intensity and the color of the lighting were not the same as they had just experienced.
Both were astonished to find themselves face-to-face with two Telkans, weapons drawn, aimed directly at them.
Chapter 49
Rehl upended the bag of westrum mix and finished the rest of it off. He crumbled the bag then wiped his mouth. As he inserted his water bottle into the pouch on his belt at his left hip, he noted that he no longer heard Corren and Efren’s hushed tones. He turned and glanced around the large open cavern. They had just moments before gone around the other side of the tunnel. Rehl zipped up his jacket a little more and quickly went to look for them. It was apparent within a millisecond that neither were in the cavern any longer. The fact that they had just been near the tunnel and were now nowhere to be seen instantly told him they had somehow gone through it to the other dimension!
“Where did they go?” Rehl said out loud. He had no idea if their sudden disappearance represented a new method of transfer they hadn’t identified before, or if something much more sinister had occurred.
“What is it?” Corren’s personal lawyer Dolet Krem asked as he hurried toward Rehl. He had noted the distinct alarm in the Rehl’s voice.
“The First Executive and Efren are… gone,” Rehl said, again loudly to get everyone else’s attention.
“What?” Krem shot back. There was a sudden gasp from nearly everyone as the group quickly gathered in their direction.
“They were just there,” Rehl pointed. “Now they’re not. But that’s impossible. The portal doesn’t respond to anything except the discs.”
“I just went into that tunnel!” one of the men shot back. He was the only one who had dared step foot in the cylindrical opening and go right up to the odd static-like barrier in its center.
“And you’re still here. It’s impossible to trigger the portal unless it’s properly activated,” Rehl told him firmly.
“Then someone must have done so,” Krem retorted, overstating the obvious in true lawyer-like fashion.
“The remote controls that could do so were destroyed,” Rehl responded immediately. “There’s only one left and it’s back on the Guardian.”
“Obviously not. Get them back.”
“How?” Rehl demanded. “I don’t have a disc.”
“You’re the security here, you figure it out,” the lawyer boomed.
He was indeed the security here. “Everyone. Get out now! Wait for me back in the entrance cavern,” Rehl ordered. He began ushering everyone out of the large cavern, his arms spread wide while keeping his eyes on the tunnel ever so often. Once everyone had vacated the cavern Rehl pulled out a small pistol from his pack. It was a good thing he had kept it with him because it was beginning to look like he might need it. He made sure the last person was headed down the corridor, then turned back to the now empty cavern.
He placed his back against the polished surface adjacent to one of the cylindrical openings with his weapon aimed upward and listened for scuffling, crawling sounds, or anything that might indicate something was coming out of the tunnel. Nothing. Finally, he hazarded a fleeting look inside. The cylindrical tunnel was as lifeless as it had been when they first arrived not twenty minutes before. Rehl could only conclude the worst. Frantically, Rehl tried to figure out how this had happened. All but one of the discs had been destroyed, or so he thought. Was it possible it had been stolen? If so, did Efren get hold of it? The man couldn’t possibly have known where it was, much less gotten it without help. Even if he had it, how had both he and Corren gone through the tunnel with only one disc? Was it possible they held on to each other? They hadn’t even considered that method of transfer before. He quickly concluded there was no way to determine what actually happened. It would take days to find out if the disc was still back on the space station even if he sent a comm buoy right this minute. In a heartbeat, this sudden change of events completely altered how he was going to complete his task.
After determining there was indeed no sign of activity at either end of the mysterious tunnel, Rehl ran as fast as he could back to the entrance cavern. He needed to get a message back to Rish as soon as he could. This little ‘event’ was going to change how he was going to complete the task he had been assigned by the man. But first, he needed Corren’s personal strongman Satto, to help him prove he wasn’t responsible for their disappearance.
Corren had never been so frightened in his entire life. One moment he thought he would simply be traversing the portal’s tunnel, the next he found he was nearly vomiting from intense vertigo. Worse though were the large powerful-looking aliens aiming weapons at both of them. He knew immediately they were Telkans. They were considerably more imposing looking than any of the descriptions he had read or the vids of the mummified ones he saw.
The look on Efren’s face told Corren everything he needed to know. He realized he had made a horrible mistake only seconds before everything went black.
Satto had had to make sure his people were safe and had been more than willing to lead them out of the larger interior chamber. Once the group was all together, he had everyone exit the cavern and wait on the dry riverbed. Nonetheless, he hadn’t been pleased at all about being hustled unceremoniously away and was already returning to the cavern when Rehl showed up out of breath. They nearly ran into each other.
“Phanafor, this way,” Rehl told him decidedly as he jerked his head back from whence he came. “Where is everyone?”
“Outside.”
The look on Rehl’s face was all Satto needed to issue his order. “Dolet,” Satto called out to Corren’s lawyer. “Everyone will return to base now.”
“Why?” he asked. “We’re not in any danger, are we?” His voice was very shaky.
“No, and I intend to keep it that way. We’ll stay and monitor the situation. Have the pilot send a standard rescue team. They’ll have weapons and equipment.” Satto was obviously preparing for the worst.
Everyone rushed toward the shuttle, now nearly in a panic. This wasn’t Earth. Who knew what might happen. This was an alien planet as far as they were concerned, regardless of whether it was an Inhab. They moved quickly, but with all the dignity they could muster.
Satto drew a weapon from his holster and raced back down the corridor with Rehl. Moments later they reached the inner cavern. Both stopped and listened, letting their breathing calm down. Hearing nothing they circled the tunnel several times, searching, wary, weapons at the ready. Rehl had a sensor in his other hand. It turned up nothing, exactly as he suspected.
Satto came up to him to read the display. “He said he wouldn’t do it.”
“What are you talking about?” Rehl asked.
Satto barely knew Rehl, yet couldn’t help himself. He knew Corren could be impetuous when it suited him, but the man had never been this reckless before. After all, no one became First Executive by acting irrationally. Apparently, Satto had grossly underestimated him. “The First Executive used one of the discs to go through the tunnel.”
Rehl was sure it had been Efren. “How did he get it?”
“You don’t want to know, nor will you. Regardless, it happened. He gave one to Llarena, too.”
Rehl was in total disbelief. “Is the man crazy? He knows what we reported. He had no reason to believe otherwise!”
“He said he was only going for a quick look.”
“How quick?” Rehl shouted at Satto, furious. “Do you see them yet?” He waved his weapon at the rectangular rock.
Satto didn’t respond.
“How long do you intend to wait for them?” Rehl demanded.
Satto looked at his wristcomp. “If they don’t return in another hour we’re going after them.”
“An hour!” Rehl laughed heartily. “Maybe you’re going after them but I am not going through that portal again. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I don’t have a disc! Even if you do I’m not going with you.”
Satto thought about it for a moment. It would take a week, probably even longer, before he would be able to have more of the discs made and sent to Rylerra. The logistics were impossible for a quicker turnaround. “We have an hour. So, we wait. The rescue team will be here shortly after that anyway. Position yourself at the other end of the tunnel and watch,” he said briskly. “If you see any sign of movement let me know.”
Rehl glanced at one of the charges to his upper left. It was going to be a huge risk if he went ahead with what he needed to do while Satto was there, but he realized he might not have any choice.
“Power?” Satto asked, looking at Rehl’s weapon.
Rehl checked the tiny indicator on its side. “Full.”
“Good.” He pointed for Rehl to stand guard at the other end of the tunnel.
Rehl ever-so-slightly shook his head. Here he was taking orders from someone not in his chain of command. It didn’t sit well with him but he could tolerate it for now. Rehl sat on a rock several meters from the end of the opening, keeping watch on the cylindrical interior. He had been there for less than a minute when he heard Satto emit a gasping sound. Almost instantly, he heard a weapon discharge, a clatter, then a dull thud.
Rehl’s heart rate skyrocketed. He fought for composure as he tried to hold his breath in check. It wasn’t working. He had already stood and pressed himself against the side of the massive block of rock. Slowly, he rounded it and peeked. He could see Satto from the waist up, laying on his side in a heap. Rehl could tell that Satto was quite dead. He listened as he kept very still. Scuffling, then the distinct sound of metal against metal. Obviously, something or someone had emerged from the other end without warning. Satto’s sudden demise only made that realization worse. He was next, unless he acted fast. He was nowhere near the corridor. He couldn’t make a fast exit. Making a run for it was out of the question. Even if he got to the entrance cavern, it would take several seconds to login to the control panel and run the countdown sequence. There was no way he could make it without being either injured or killed. Damn it, he thought.
As quietly as he could he slowly raised his weapon, paying close attention to not make a sound. Hushed voices. They sounded odd, guttural. He was sure it was the Telkan language. There were most likely two, if not more of them. He couldn’t tell from here. The voices stopped. He was sure they were assessing the situation, trying to determine if they were alone or not. He already knew the Telkans had sensor equipment. Could they scan through the mysterious rock and detect him? Would their equipment pick up his biosigns through several meters of its solid surface? If so, he was only moments from being very dead.
Footsteps. He leaned forward a tiny bit. Two Telkans. One with his back to Rehl. The other was facing left. Both were examining Satto’s body. Neither had any sensor equipment at the ready. He was in the clear so far.
Rehl raised his weapon, aimed and pressed the trigger four times in rapid succession. Both Telkans spun around as they hit the dust. One of them fell directly on top of Satto, making his body flail momentarily like it had sprung alive all the sudden.
Rehl’s breathing was in rapid-fire. He sprinted across the cavern and down the corridor as quickly as he could for ten meters, stopped, and pressed his back against the wall. And listened. His ears were ringing slightly from the weapons fire. But he still had plenty of hearing left to determine it was quiet now. Two Telkans. Two discs? Should he chance it? He had to. The odds of there being any more were next to nil. He was sure of it.
He slowly maneuvered himself down the corridor and back into the inner cavern. There was no sign of movement anywhere. The irony was that there were once again three dead bodies in this chamber. Only this time one of them was human.
The seconds tick off. There was still no sign of any other movement. He knew his assessment of the situation was accurate now. If what Satto had said was true, then the two dead Telkans had in their possession the two discs Corren had somehow obtained. He briefly wondered if Kestin had been involved or if the man had somehow contacted Corren. Apparently, the threat of a lawsuit against the man wasn’t good enough. Had Corren offered him a full credit account? How else could the other discs have been obtained? Pure speculation. No answers. He ceased that train of thought.
Rehl kept his weapon trained on first one then the other Telkan, along with keeping an eye on the portal, just in case he was horribly wrong about the number of discs being used.
The Telkans were oozing yellow blood from mortal wounds. There. The first one had on a jacket with distinct pouches and zipper compartments. He patted several of them before he felt what seemed like a disc-shaped object. He unzipped the compartment, pulled the device out and let it drop to the dirt. Mustering up even more courage, he looked for the other one on the other alien. It was in a pouch at the creature’s waist.
He shook his head. Seizing a rock that had long ago fallen from the roof of the chamber, he hefted it, then savagely smashed both of them. Surprisingly, both were brittle and easily broke. Corren was far smarter than anyone on Andakar had figured. Clearly, he was too smart for his own good. Who knew how many more there were? “Fruck!” Rehl said out loud. Worse though was that the cavern in the alternate universe had been compromised. It was quite obvious that Corren and Efren were lost on the other side of the portal, which the Telkans had clearly been occupying. Since there had been no sign of either of them, Rehl was sure now they had either been captured or killed. He had more than enough impetus to carry out his clandestine mission now.
He immediately activated the imager component of the sensor he had and snapped off dozens of 3Ds of the dead bodies as quickly as he could from various angles. He wanted to have plenty of evidence in his defense for what he was about to do. He made sure the smashed discs were in at least three of the images, too. Two minutes later, he was again sprinting as quickly away from the portal as he could toward the entrance cave.
He went to the console he had checked on when they first arrived, pressed his finger against the logon icon and entered the code. He looked for an options icon. Finding it, he changed one of the parameters. The program had been set to detonate the charges in two hours. That way they would all have been long gone from the cavern when the timer reached zero. He changed the countdown to two minutes. He watched the display for several seconds to make sure it was counting backward, then dashed outside.
The shockwave from the blasts was so massive that it shook the ground and even caused dust to fly out of the entrance. A slab of loose rock above the entrance collapsed in a dusty heap all over the side of the dry riverbed. He didn’t have to see any more to know there would be no way any other Telkans would ever find their way through the portal.
Efren awoke with a massive headache in a dark cell. Only a red glow above him on the ceiling allowed him to determine the boundaries of the room. It was devoid of anything except for an alcove that was clearly a bathroom and a pullout bare slab from the wall, which passed as a bed. He sat up, holding his head.
He was nearly apoplectic with rage. Telkans, he spat. For the first time in his life he had been taken captive by them, and without a weapon to defend his honor. On a planet he shouldn’t have been goaded into visiting. Once he started thinking about what had transpired, it made sense the cavern would have been guarded. After all, it was a Telkan Held World and they would be very interested in the portal. Idiot, he told himself. It would have been only a matter of time too that Lieutenant Navar would have been found either by his people or by that other team of Telkans. He had tried to convince the man of the dangers! He fumed at not having stood up more forcefully against Corren. In anger, he went to the wall and punched it. While nursing the new pain he had inflicted to his knuckles he was sure he heard Corren yelling somewhere nearby, or was it far away? He
couldn’t be sure. He had heard Telkan ships were nearly soundproof in their interiors.
“Welcome to Q’emt’la, soldat Llarena,” Captain Pacudas said pleasantly as he stood dressed in a grey prisoner uniform in the center of the six-sided room. The men who had survived the Telkan attack months before stood alongside him and Rogerto Tomús’s men. “It’s been too long.” He turned to his Lieutenant. “Navar, I believe you have some unfinished business.”
Corren hadn’t been so much as introduced to the eight men, but clearly they all knew each other. It was impossible to follow the exchange because it had taken place entirely in Empire Spanish. Nonetheless, the look in the man’s eyes who approached Efren was unmistakable.
Lieutenant Navar’s eyes squinted as he took aim. “With pleasure,” he told the captain before he pulled back his fist and struck Efren squarely on the side of his jaw. Efren fell in a heap, out cold; blood splattering the floor and across his face.
Horrified at the immediate display of violence, Corren braced himself. He was sure he was next.
Epilogue
“The last of the water was drained out three hours ago,” Aarón told Chimo.
“Then it’s safe to go down now?”
“There’s no mud. Just wet sand at the bottom.”
“Okay, lower the ladder,” Chimo told the other two. Domingo and Goyo lowered the ladder into the gaping hole.
Every week a new section of the quarry was ready for blasting. The odd part of the last one was that it opened up a large hole filled with water. The hole was a meter and a half wide, halfway up the side of the nine-meter high hollow chamber. Plumbing the hole, they discovered that it led to a huge chamber. Galea MarbleWorks had worked the quarry for nearly two generations. It was assumed the marble was solid for several more kilometers. No one had ever reported such a large opening in this rock mass in its entire history.
The Rylerran Gateway Page 46
