Intervention: A Science Fiction Adventure

by J. W. Huemme

  With a complete plan in place, the Agosei proceeded to separate a portion of the liquid metal forming a smaller version of their craft. They programmed it with all of their knowledge and with the details of their plan. Once this was completed, the Agosei continued on their journey of exploration. The smaller craft was left behind to enact their plan, shifted into stealth mode by shifting into the dimension void of everything, and headed toward Egypt to begin its mission.

  Chapter Three

  Masquerade

  Nefree scooped water up from the bowl with her hands and splashed it onto her face. It felt so cool and refreshing as she wiped the water from her face with the soft linen cloth.

  Nefree turned to her husband and said, “I don’t see why I must go to these silly ceremonies everyday anyway. It’s just a way for Khufu to appear important to everyone. ‘Look at me, Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt.’ That’s all he really cares about.”

  “Don’t say that; don’t even think that,” Sanar responded. “Ra may hear you. Besides, how would it look for Khufu to see me there without you? It wouldn’t help my appointment as chief architect to the Pharaoh, now would it? If you want all the things my appointment would bring, then the least you can do is attend the daily ceremonies with me without making such a fuss.”

  Setting down the linen cloth, Nefree gently placed her hand on Sanar’s chest. “You’re right as always, my husband,” she purred. “Let us go to the temple so Khufu can see you with your loving and devoted wife at your side.”

  It was a long walk to the temple, and as usual, the afternoon sun cooked the stone path beneath their feet. As they grew nearer to the temple, the crowd grew thicker and thicker. The daily afternoon ceremony was attended each day by thousands who would come to pay homage to Khufu, Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt, and to Ra, their most powerful god.

  Nefree was always proud to see Sanar greeted with such respect by so many friends along the way. Sanar’s upcoming appointment as chief architect to Khufu was a position that brought with it much power and wealth, so now Sanar was being befriended by those he did not even know. He was well aware of the things that would come with his appointment and gave the polite and friendly nods of acknowledgment, like any good politician would, to those who greeted him along the way.

  Sanar and Nefree continued up the stone walkway, passing through the large crowd already gathered in front of the temple on each side. They continued up the steps into the temple where they would find at least some relief from the hot afternoon sun. Servants greeted them, offering liquid refreshment so they might soothe their parched throats after their long walk.

  “You must look forward to your appointment—it means you won’t have to walk so far to the temple each day,” joked Pasis, one of Khufu’s advisors.

  “You’ve found me out already,” Sanar replied smiling at his friend.

  Pasis continued, “But seriously, I have several new ideas we need to discuss as soon as your appointment is made official. I have already told Khufu of some and he looks favorably on them. With your help, I know we will be able to make our land the greatest in all the world.”

  The first gong sounded, interrupting their conversation and indicating the ceremony was about to begin. “We have to wait until my appointment is official, of course,” Sanar responded. “For now, we best go to our places for the ceremony.”

  The wives moved to an area to the side of the balcony overlooking the thousands gathered for the afternoon ceremony, as the men took their places on each side of the altar where Khufu, not yet present, would speak to the crowd.

  Once everyone had found their way to their appropriate place, a second gong sounded. The murmuring of the crowd, as well as the talking of the advisors and their wives, ceased as everyone now awaited the appearance of Khufu. Though this ceremony took place every afternoon, there was always an air of anticipation after the sounding of the second gong as everyone waited for Khufu to emerge from the temple to speak. For Khufu was the Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt, the voice of Ra from whom all knowledge and wisdom flowed. His words could change the course of their lives in an instant forever. He held the power of life and death over everyone within the realm. Everyone who could attend the afternoon ceremonies did so, and when Khufu spoke, everyone listened.

  The hot afternoon sun beat down relentlessly from the cloudless sky. Sanar took advantage of the moment to check his appearance. He didn’t want Khufu to see him not at his best. Not that it would affect his appointment; he just wanted to always be at his best where Khufu was concerned.

  It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop when the third gong sounded, signifying Khufu was about to make his entrance. Every eye was fixed on the archway where Khufu would emerge from the temple, and as the inner door was opened, a mist of incense smoke preceded Khufu’s entourage, who were dressed in ceremonial garments, through the archway and onto the balcony. They took their positions so as to be on each side of Khufu once he arrived at the altar. Once in their places, Khufu emerged through the smoky archway. His movements were slow and magical as he moved towards the altar to once again face his people.

  Khufu stood silently. He wore a white cone-shaped headpiece signifying his rule over Upper Egypt, combined with the red headpiece signifying his rule over Lower Egypt, which together signified him to be the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt. Khufu looked straight ahead and above the thousands gathered before him. Even his eyes were fixed on the distant heavens, giving him a god-like appearance.

  “Ra, most powerful of all the gods, sends you his blessings.” Khufu’s voice bellowed through the crowd with this usual beginning to the daily ceremony. “My voice is the voice of Ra, as he has chosen to speak to you of this world through me, Khufu, until such time as Ra himself chooses to speak to you himself. Ra speaks to me, and I speak to you.”

  The sun suddenly grew dim. Everyone looked up, but there were no clouds to be seen—no reason for the sun to darken. A single ray from the sun shown down upon the altar. After a moment, an eye began to appear over the altar just above and in front of Khufu in such a way that, no matter where you were, it appeared to be looking directly at you.

  “It is the eye of Ra!”

  “The almighty is here!”

  Gasps of awe could be heard as everyone dropped to their knees and bowed their head in the presence of the almighty Ra. Nearly three feet in diameter, the eye of Ra seemed to float by itself. Khufu reeled back in fear as a voice so loud it could be heard for miles around began to speak.

  “Behold! The eye of Ra looks upon you.” A moment of silence was given for this to set in, then, “Rise up before Ra and take heed, for I bring to you a task,” the voice continued. “Under the guidance of Khufu, all will help to build a monument to me, Ra, according to plans to be drawn by your new chief architect, Sanar, whose appointment I now make official. Take heed—anyone who fails to devote his or her life to this task shall know the wrath of Ra.”

  A series of energy beams suddenly came down from the heavens in rapid succession, striking and vaporizing all of the statues of the other gods. The Egyptians stood in awe of what they had just seen. The eye of Ra continued to stare as a few moments passed. Then, once again the thunderous voice rang out.

  “Remember, the eye of Ra will be watching you.” With that, the eye began to fade just as it had appeared, until it completely vanished. The single ray of light returned to the heavens, and the sun once again shone brightly.

  The thousands stood in absolute silence under the once again hot afternoon sun as they tried to understand what had happened. Khufu, gratified that the voice of Ra had publicly confirmed his position of leadership as Pharaoh, cautiously moved back up to the altar. Those who were not at the afternoon ceremony, heard the voice of Ra from a distance. They joined the crowd to be sure their absence was not misinterpreted by Ra.

  “Ra has spoken,” Khufu bellowed in the loudest voice he could muster. “Return now to your homes. Rest and return here at the morning’s first ligh
t. Tomorrow we begin to build the greatest temple of all for Ra himself.” Khufu stepped back from the altar, turned, and disappeared through the archway into the temple. His entourage immediately followed and the door quickly closed behind them.

  Nefree, equally unsettled by what had just happened and regretting every bad word she had ever thought about Khufu or the temple, quickly found her way to Sanar, now the second most important person in the realm by the words of Ra himself. Sanar found himself surrounded by temple officials. His status had been highly elevated the moment Ra named him chief architect. He was doing his best to appear calm. Nefree placed her hand on his shoulder to confirm her place by his side.

  One of Khufu’s personal aides emerged through the small crowd and spoke to Sanar. “Khufu wishes you to join him in his private chambers. Please, follow me.” A hush fell over the small group for, with the exception of only a few select personal aides, no one had ever been inside Khufu’s private chambers. Nefree watched with tears of pride on her cheeks as Sanar, following Khufu’s aide, disappeared into the temple.

  Khufu’s aide opened the door and stood to one side to allow Sanar to enter Khufu’s private chambers. Khufu was seated with his red and white headpiece beside him. Although Khufu tried to appear calm, he was obviously shaken by what had just happened. “Please, come sit by me.” Khufu said as he motioned to a seat in front of him. As Sanar seated himself Khufu continued, “I must admit I am at a loss for words, although I don’t believe there are any words, even for a Pharaoh, for what has just happened.” Khufu paused and then said, “I feel it is safe to assume that you are as surprised as I am.”

  “I too, have no words,” Sanar replied. “Although I can assure you I will do everything in my power to fulfill the wishes of Ra.”

  “Yes, yes, of course you will. I don’t doubt that for a moment.” Khufu went on, “As we speak, quarters are being prepared for you and Nefree here in the temple. I have sent my personal aides to your home to gather all your belongings and to bring them here to your new chambers. Within your living space, you will have a private chamber like this one in which you may receive instructions from Ra. No one may enter it aside from you and your new personal aides. Not even Nefree may enter. I have assigned you several of my best personal aides for this purpose. I have also assigned temple guards to stand watch over the entrance to your personal chambers with instructions that no one but you and your aides may enter. For now, I wish for you and Nefree to come eat with me. By the time we have finished, your new quarters will be ready.”

  * * *

  After they had eaten, Sanar and Nefree went to their new quarters. While Nefree looked at every nook and cranny, Sanar went into his private chambers to get acquainted with the place where Ra would speak to him. At the far end of the inner chamber, he saw a beautiful large drawing table with all the drawing tools he could imagine. He sat down at the table and began to feel strange. The chamber grew bright with a light that did not come from his crude oil lamps. Images suddenly appeared in his mind. He picked up a writing tool in order to record them. He would later think, How amazing that Ra is already speaking to me! For now, there was no time. He put the images onto the parchment as fast as they came to him. He drew rectangular blocks to be quarried from nearby stone, complete with dimensions. He drew a large square onto which the monument would be built and the location where it was to be laid out.

  “Yes, I understand,” he said out loud. “It shall be done, as you have told me.” The bright light slowly faded and the chamber was once again dim and lit only by the small oil lamps.

  Sanar sat back in his seat looking at what he had drawn, feeling suddenly tired from the experience. He summoned his aide. “Go tell Khufu that Ra has just spoken to me. I must see him at once.” Expecting his aide to return with a message from Khufu, Sanar was surprised to see Khufu enter his private chamber himself.

  “Ra has spoken to you already?”

  “Yes, just a few moments ago.” Sanar went on, “He did not actually speak, but instead put images into my mind. I drew them here as they appeared.”

  Khufu looked at the images. “How many of these stone blocks are to be made?”

  Sanar looked a little puzzled. “I’m not sure; I was not told. But judging by the size of the square where the monument is to be built, the number must be a large one.”

  Khufu looked at the large square and its dimensions. “Are you sure about the dimensions of this square? It appears so large.”

  “Yes, those are the dimensions Ra put in my mind,” Sanar replied. “There is no mistake. I also was told I would be given more instructions as time went on, but that we should start with these large stone blocks and the large square.”

  “We will start with this first thing in the morning,” Khufu said. “Till then, try to get some rest. You look tired; I think we’re all tired tonight.”

  Khufu met with his top advisors. After several long hours, it was decided that in order to quarry the stone as fast as possible, dwellings would have to be built near the site where the workers could rest between shifts. While the men worked their shifts, the women would prepare meals for the workers and bring them to the quarry site. Since so many stone blocks were to be quarried, the workers were to be divided into groups. The first group was to start carving the large stones from the ground. The second group would construct dwellings for the workers. The third group would make tools for those in the quarry to use in carving the stones. The fourth group would build dwellings for the workers at the site where the monument was to be built. The fifth group would clear the site for the construction of the monument. In addition to the laborers, within each of these groups were surveyors, architects, advisors, and group leaders.

  * * *

  “I feel like I should be doing more,” Sanar told Nefree as he sat in their new quarters. “I’ve been sitting in my private chambers every day for weeks now, and I’ve received nothing—not a word since that first night.”

  Nefree tried to calm her husband. “Darling, the workers have barely even started. I’m sure Ra will speak to you when the time is right.”

  “Some of the group leaders were here just yesterday to report that several of the first stones have been completed, and they wish to know how they are to move them to the monument site. I don’t know what to tell them.” Sanar lifted his head up and looked at Nefree. “I will go to my chamber; perhaps Ra will speak, and if he does, I must be there.”

  Sanar felt odd as he walked toward his private chambers. The guards opened the door for Sanar to enter; he spoke softly as he passed through the doors. “I’m not to be disturbed.” The guards gently closed the doors behind him and stood firmly at their post.

  Sanar sat in front of the drawing table. Suddenly, the light began to brighten as if the sun were in his private chamber. He saw pictures in his mind just as he did before. Sanar drew the images that were placed in his mind as quickly as he could. There were more this time, and Sanar could barely keep up. As soon as he had finished drawing the last image, the light faded. Sanar quickly summoned his aide.

  Upon the aide’s arrival, Sanar sent him to bring the top group leaders back from the work sites so he may show them how they might move the giant stone blocks.

  In the meantime, Sanar made several drawings, one for each of the group leaders, as well as a copy for Khufu. As soon as all the group leaders had arrived, Sanar gave each of them a copy of the plan to move the giant stones.

  “You will see on the drawings a formula of materials that when mixed together and allowed to set for two days, will become as rock. You are to use this to construct a road on which you will transport the stone blocks to the monument site. In order to move the stone blocks on this new road, you will construct sleds as I have drawn for you. Trees will be cut down and trimmed of all their branches till they are no more than cylindrical poles. These are to be placed under and in front of the sleds. As the sleds are pulled forward by the laborers, the poles emerging behind the sled will be picked
up and moved to the front of the sled. Also, to make this task as easy as possible, oil should be placed in the sled’s path as well as on the timers. If you have no questions, return to your work sites and start preparing to move the stone blocks.” Sanar continued, “When I have received another vision from Ra, I will again summon you. When you come here to receive new drawings, you must bring with you the previous drawings, and under no circumstances should anyone make any copies of these drawings. If they do, they will answer to Ra.”

  As the group leaders left, they talked amongst themselves, comparing thoughts and ideas about this idea of moving the large stone blocks. Sanar, on the other hand, went to his living quarters. He wanted to spend some time with his wife.

  Nearly three weeks went by before Ra spoke to Sanar again. As before, Sanar sent his aides to summon the necessary group leaders as soon as he finished receiving the information from Ra. This time the information was for the group leaders working at the monument site.

  “You will see I have drawn the means with which you are to prepare the site for the monument where the stone blocks are to be placed. Now that the site has been cleared, you are to dig a shallow trench into the stone in the shape of a perfect square, which will be the base of the monument. When this trench has been made, you will fill it with water. Remove any stone that the water does not touch until the water touches the stone equally all the way around the site. Once this has been done, stretch twine from one edge to the other, as tightly as possible, and then remove any part of the rock that the twine touches. When you have done this, you will have a perfectly flat and level base onto which the stone blocks will be placed. When I have received another vision, I will summon you.”