The Tower Bridge

by Steve Simons

  The boys can hear mumbling, as Henry makes his 'petition' to the Saysestrians.

  Suddenly there is a booming voice, that asks, "Here? They have come here? Did you summon them?"

  Further mumbling and then the booming voice replies, "How many of them?"

  Stuart whispers to Andrew "The Saysestrian do not seem at all pleased about us being here, do you think it will be alright?"

  Andrew pauses a moment before replying, "Probably just a shock that after all these years. Then suddenly arrive out of the blue."

  The booming voice says, "Very well, bring them in."

  The door slides open again and Henry re-appears. He says, "Sorry if you overheard any of that, the Saysestrians were as surprised as I was about your arrival. Please go in, don't worry I will come with you."

  As the boys enter the rather brightly lit room, the lone tall figure cloaked in black shiny material, stands out really well against the background of the pure white walls. The figure seems to have its back to them.

  Each step takes the boys yet closer to that cloaked figure. The boys move slowly and nervously towards the entrance, their heads scanning back and forth between the cloaked figure and Henry. Henry has an encouraging smile, whilst the cloaked figure has nothing visible with which the boys can judge it's intent. Only the recollection of the voice that they had heard. The one that had seemed so menacing. Nothing in it indicated any real desire to meet the boys. Yet why is Henry so keen to introduce them? Each step, seems like a step further towards danger, big danger.

  Henry joins the boys as they walk through the doorway. The group head towards the black figure. The boys jump as they hear the door slide shut. Their escape route now blocked. Yet Henry seems oblivious to their fear, he seems quite joyous at the prospect of the meeting. He must have grown to know and trust these Saysestrians quite well. After all he has been here nearly a hundred years. How many such meetings has he held over all that time?

  Henry walks in unison with the boys, they advance as one group.

  The black figure has, in all this time, not moved even the slightest amount, almost as if it were a statue. This in itself makes the meeting even more foreboding.

  The figure, does not turn around as they approach, it is almost as if it is not aware of their presence.

  Henry stops and the boys follow suit. Henry says, "These are our visitors. Oh I sorry I have forgotten your names, I have not had need for names in all the time I have been here."

  The boys look nervously at each other, as if the telling their names would give extra power to this cloaked figure.

  Andrew responds, "Hello, I am Andrew and this is my friend Stuart."

  The cloaked figure does not move, but does reply, "We welcome you, And Rew, and Stew Art, citizens of Henry's home. We welcome you amongst us, as we first welcomed Henry."

  There is an embarrassing silence.

  Henry breaks the silence, "These boys accidentally switched on the same device that bought me here. Their parents are probably worried about them. Where were your parents when you came here?"

  Stuart says, "They are staying in the hotel also."

  "Oh yes." Henry suddenly seems to have lost interest in the conversation thread as he continues, "The boys have seen some of my work and are quite enthusiastic about it."

  The cloaked figure asks, "Could they help you in your work?"

  "I doubt it they are children." Henry replies.

  "What are these children that you speak of? Are they a lesser species?" The figure asks.

  "No!" Henry seems somewhat disturbed by the accusation that the boys are somewhat lacking in intellect, he continues, "They are the young of our species, our progeny."

  "Ah yes, we used to have those at one time. Perhaps these.... children of your future bring with them new knowledge that you could benefit from."

  There is a pause before Henry thoughtfully replies, "You have a point there. They may be of help in my work."

  "It may be that their arrival is timely, after all we have not made sufficient progress to the present time." The accusation by the Saysestrian, causes some discomfort to Henry, it shows in his face, like a child being told that their school report did not come up to their parents' expectations, yet the child believed they were doing well.

  Henry finds it within himself to defend himself with, "I thought I was making good progress, I was not aware that you had any sense of disappointment in what I was achieving."

  "You have achieved small steps along the path, but our overall aim does not seem to be within close grasp."

  Henry counters this with, "I have had some success. You must admit that."

  The boys detect the desperation in Henry's attempts to convince the figure that his work has been worthwhile.

  The figure pauses before replying, "You have achieved a lot. With these, these children from your future you may be able to achieve a lot more."

  Andrew asks, "Excuse me, but surely it is most important to try and find a way to get us home and back to our parents?"

  "Parents?" The figure asks.

  "The progenitors." Henry replies to the figure, then turns his attention to the boys as he continues, "As I explained it will not be possible to get you back home there is no electricity here."

  "Is there something else that we could use instead?" Asks Andrew.

  "No, I am afraid not, I have searched, but found nothing." Henry replies.

  "It may help things if you can make these progeny comfortable." suggests the figure.

  Henry asks, "What do you mean?"

  "Provide for their immediate needs, like you required when you first came here, things to eat, drink, somewhere to, what do you call it?"

  "Sleep?" asks Henry.

  "Yes. That may help things." the figure, whilst it does not say anything extra, somehow gives out the sense that the audience is drawing to a close. Perhaps it is the slight rotation away from the group.

  Henry responds, "Yes, yes, quite, we must go now. Thank you for this audience. Say good bye boys. No doubt you will meet the Saysestrian again."

  Stuart starts to ask a question and gets as far as, "What there is only..." But Henry's look tells him that the audience is over.

  Henry turns and walks towards the doorway and it in turn, responds by sliding open again.

  The boys turn to observe Henry's action. When they turn back again towards where the black figure had been, there is just an empty space.

  ~~0~~0~~0~~

  Chapter 6 - Don't Give Up Hope

  The two boys are now in a room on their own. Henry has provided some bedding material, that is light brown in colour but feels really soft and warm. It has the texture of some sort of spun fibre, like cotton wool.

  Andrew has waited some considerable time before saying, "That Saysestrian, must have been a projection of some sort, to disappear like that. Perhaps this whole place is some sort of virtual world, not real at all. That Henry beggars belief, he just followed whatever the Saysestrian suggested."

  "Are you back on your entertainment theory again?" asks Stuart.

  "What?" Andrew asks somewhat confused.

  "You know, what you were saying before, Henry is a robotoid built by the natives of this place, to keep them entertained?" Stuart replies.

  Andrew says, "Not so much, to entertain, more like make things for them. Did you hear what the Saysestrian was saying about Henry's work and his progress? Sounded like they have set him a particular task and he hasn't quite come up with what they were looking for. It also looks like they are going to hold onto us, so that we can come up with it instead."

  "I didn't like the way that the Saysestrian, didn't challenge Henry when he said that it wouldn't be possible to get us back home." Stuart remarks.

  "And why should they or it? Because they want us to work for them, that's why." Andrew states, then he sits down on his pile of bedding.

  There's silence for a while, then Stuart asks, "Do you t
hink we are going to end up trapped like this Henry fellow?"

  "Not if I have anything to do with it. I'm sure there's got to be a way round this problem, after all just look at the marvels that Henry has managed to produce so far. There is probably something already which he has invented, that combined with our flair for making stuff will produce a way home. Don't give up hope like Henry has." says Andrew.

  Stuart is rather annoyed that Andrew should accuse him of giving up hope, he was merely seeking Andrew's view on the situation, he wasn't declaring that he had given up. Stuart just sits silently looking at the floor.

  Andrew realises that Stuart is not happy about his accusation, but cannot think of a way to ease things, so he simply says, "Lets get some sleep, tomorrow could be a really busy day."

  Stuart settles down without a word, but although he is tired, he finds himself too worried about what his parents will be thinking about the disappearance of the two boys and come to that will he ever see them again? He finds himself also thinking about that cloaked figure in that white room, just what has it got planned for the boys? If they refuse to help Henry with whatever he is supposed to do for these Saysestrians, what will they do to him and Andrew? Perhaps they will end up being foodstuff for those large insect like creatures.

  The light fades, there's just dim light now coming from the ceiling, Stuart can make out the stars through the window in the roof. He wonders how far away his home is, and whether they are looking at the same stars, but from a different direction?

  ~~o~~o~~o~~o~~

  Stuart didn't think he had slept, but the daylight streaming down on his face now, brings him round. He feels a little groggy, like someone finding it difficult to wake up. He looks around to see if Andrew is awake, but his pile of bedding is empty. What has happened to Andrew?

  "You OK?" Andrew asks, "I thought it best to let you sleep. I think our Henry is up and about, I heard someone or something go up the corridor earlier."

  There's a tap tap on the door.

  Andrew responds, "Yes, it's OK to come in."

  The door slides open to reveal Henry standing at the entrance with a tray in his hand. He says, "Good morning I thought I would bring breakfast to you, hope you had a good sleep."

  Both Stuart and Andrew are standing now. Henry enters and offers them the tray. There are three glasses with coloured liquid in them. Henry takes one and invites the boys to take theirs.

  Andrew is first to take a sip. He spits it out with the protest, "Yuck! Its so bitter."

  Henry smiles and replies, "Sorry I should have warned you, it is an acquired taste, made from a local berry, but very healthy, contains lots of vitamins and other helpful substances that pep you up first thing in the morning."

  Stuart says, "Sounds like coffee, my Dad says he wouldn't be able to get started without it. I tried it once and it was so bitter. Do you have any sugar perhaps that would help?"

  Henry pauses a moment then exclaims, "Ah I think you have it, wait here I'll get some Yazi fruit, that's very sweet, in fact so much so that I can't eat it on its own. I will be back in a short while."

  Henry hands the tray to Stuart and departs at speed.

  Stuart examines the fruits on the plate nearest him, the cautiously tastes one. He exclaims, "Hey try this it has the feel of bread and yet it is quite tasty."

  Andrew finds some on the plate nearest him and soon replies, "Yes very nice, I could go for this a breakfast food."

  By the time Henry returns with a new glass of a rather green liquid, the boys have almost finished their plates. Henry tops up the glasses with this new liquid an suggests, "Try that, let me know if it isn't sweet enough."

  The boys do as suggested, Stuart likes his as it is, whereas Andrew asks for a little more. He is soon happily polishing off his drink. Henry is catching up.

  Stuart asks, "How did you find out what was safe to eat and drink here?"

  Henry smiles and replies, "Good question. Well mostly, it was the Saysestrians who helped me identify what things were likely to be safe. I did have one narrow escape though, they had directed me to a sort of fungus that they used to consider as a delicacy, luckily I only tried a small amount, as I nearly died. I was ill for several days."

  "Lucky you didn't eat a lot." Stuart comments.

  Henry nods and replies, "It certainly was, I did not like the taste. As we have now finished breakfast, I suggest we go to my laboratory as the Saysestrians want me to show you what I am currently working on."

  Andrew asks, "You said yesterday that you have investigated all the materials of this place, were any magnetic?"

  Henry looks puzzled but answers, "No, there were no magnetic materials at all, which I thought was most strange."

  "How about crystalline?" Andrew asks.

  "Well a few, in fact these glasses are made from one. I have a collection of them in my laboratory, some are quite attractive. In fact I have a large one as a paperweight on my desk." Henry replies.

  "Could you show them to me?" Andrew smiles.

  Henry says, "Well if you are that interested, of course. Come with me now."

  The group make their way back to the large room that serves as Henry's laboratory.

  Henry leads the boys past the exit that they had emerged from yesterday and instead travel up the corridor into a smaller adjoining room. There are several benches inside and a rather untidy rectangular table, that is covered with various things, presumably things that Henry is currently working on. Sure enough in one corner is a rather attractive brightly coloured object that looks like it is made of glass. The object has several spikes sticking out.

  Andrew carefully picks up the object from Henry's desk, he turns it over in his hand, observing the changing colours as the light from the roof panels catch each of the spikes in turn. Andrew says, "I can see why you like this one, rather cool eh?"

  "You think so? I thought it seemed to retain ambient temperature." Henry is rather surprised at Andrew's observation.

  "Oh I see, I mean it is interesting. I wasn't referring to its temperature." Andrew puts the item down.

  "You have a strange way of speaking, you people from the future. You do not seem to mean what you say some of the time."

  "Suppose so." Andrew replies, then asks, "Where are the other samples of crystallines?"

  Henry walks over to a bench in the corner, and comes back with a tray of what looks like pieces of different coloured glass blobs. "Here they are."

  Stuart asks, "What are you looking for?"

  Andrew replies, "I'm not sure, but I know that some crystalline structures can, when squashed, produce electricity."

  "That's right, isn't quartz one?" asks Stuart.

  "I think so, they use the effect in electronic lighters. Henry have you got anything that could squash these?"

  Henry looking somewhat confused, doesn't reply immediately, then his face changes to a look of delight as he leads the boys back out into laboratory and over to some large device with a pile of round smooth stones beside it.

  Andrew declares, "Excellent, we are in business. right if I may?" Andrew reaches out and takes one of the glass like objects and places it in the centre of the device. Henry places a large board on top then starts placing stone on top of the board, one at a time. Henry asks, "How will we know if it is producing electricity?"

  "We'll see sparks jump across the surface." Stuart replies.

  "Quite so." Andrew relies>

  Henry volunteers to reduce the lighting and in so doing, show off yet another of his inventions.

  Several samples latter, Andrew suddenly lets out a yelp of pain and jumps.

  "What's the matter Andrew?" Stuart reaches out, but Andrew's warning stops him.

  "D don't! You'll get a shock. We we've found it!"

  Henry smiling, says, "Well done, I would have never though of doing that. Shame you had to suffer an electric shock in the process. All we need now is to replicate the oscillators and som
ehow change the direct current to alternating current."

  "I may have a few ideas there, that you and I could explore. Looks like we have quite a lot of work ahead of us." Andrew suggests.

  ~~o~~o~~o~~

  Chapter 7 - Determined

  "Well it is certainly looking looking good now." Stuart remarks.

  "It certainly is young Stuart, how are things going in the energy generation department?" Henry asks.

  Stuart, full of pride replies, "Only one shock today and that was because I was a bit careless when I was removing one of the stones and dropped it, causing a bigger charge than normal. Made me jump, I can assure you. We now have 40 batteries charged. I had a peek earlier at your work, seems to be coming along well, Andrew tells me that you have the first stage of oscillators completed and tested, how much more work do you think will be involved?"