“Did that do away with faith in God?”
“No, it didn’t do away with faith; it improved it. People didn’t abandon their belief in God, but it did prevent religious leaders from coercing others to believe as they believed. Most people still believe in God.”
“Have those who believe found evidence to prove that God exists?”
“No, of course not,” Roc-2 replied, “but the fact that they cannot prove that God exists does not prove that God does not exist. Our men of science have confirmed that the universe is comprised of energy, but they don’t know where the energy comes from. Those who study theology have concluded that there will always be people looking for the source of that energy, and we hope they’ll find it. We believe that paradise can be established and maintained right here on earth.”
“My Geiger counter shows only minimal atomic radiation. How did you get rid of the deadly radiation caused by the atomic bombs?”
“Men of science worked franticly and, in time, produced a material that absorbed radiation like a sponge absorbs water. Slowly, over time, all harmful radiation was absorbed and contained.”
“How did you dispose of the containers of radiation?”
“We used rockets and propelled the radioactive material into the sun. The sun used the material to produce more solar energy. Comparatively, the amount was so small that it didn’t even make enough difference to be recorded.”
* * * * *
Chapter 9
I sat quietly, trying to allow my mind to consume all of the information. We were rapidly approaching the first city when Roc-2 asked, “Would you like to go around the city and see what it looks like from the outside, or would you rather go through it?”
“Let’s go through it,” I replied.
Our keri entered a large open passageway. The city was laid out grid fashion, and keris moved through the passageways, both vertically and horizontally. Shops, restaurants, and places of entertainment lined this section of the city. I saw no vehicles on the surface, and there were no streets or sidewalks. Wide pathways decorated with plants and fountains meandered through the city. People wandered the pathways, smiling and talking. Many carried packages and looked as though they were shopping. Some hurried, some strolled, but none looked tired or haggard. A few children accompanied them, but there were no old people. The adults all appeared to be in their mid-twenties. Women dressed in soft, flowing garments of every color. Some dressed provocatively, others conservatively. Men wore clothes less flowing but equally colorful garments. It was obvious that they wore clothing as adornments. They didn’t need to wear anything for comfort; the temperature was perfect.
“How do you maintain a comfortable environment, with so many people in an enclosed area?” I asked.
“All surfaces are cleaned daily,” Roc-2 said, “and the air is continually circulating through purifying chambers where humidity and temperature are carefully controlled.”
“Oxygen levels are constantly monitored,” Jan-3 added.
Children were running and playing with no apparent concern about getting lost.
“How do the mothers keep track of their children in such crowds?” I asked.
Jan-3 smiled. “Each child wears a miniature transmitter that emits a silent signal. The mothers carry receivers that enable them to see and hear their children at all times.”
“Aren’t they worried that harm will come to them?”
“Everyone watches out for children; no one would harm a child,” Jan-3 continued. “After our security people have cleared you, I’ll take you on a tour and show you how our cities work.”
“I’ll look forward to that.” I was quietly evaluating what I saw. The city was clean and gleamed with glorious colors. The people appeared to be healthy and happy; it seemed to be a paradise in every way. This is too good to be true. There’s a fly in the ointment somewhere. I could see that we were approaching the other side of the city, and I was getting hungry.
“Could we stop at a restaurant?” I asked Roc-2.
“There are many restaurants,” Roc 2 replied, “but you’ll have to go through the purification chambers before we can allow you to mingle with the people. Your body and clothing contain harmful microbes and viruses. Jan-3 and I will have to go through the chamber also, since we’ve been in close contact with you. The cleansing process isn’t unpleasant, and it doesn’t take long. You’ll benefit because the cleansing will eliminate all of the things that are preventing your body from replenishing itself perfectly, and that will allow you to live long into the future.”
“Will I feel differently?”
“At first, the only thing you’ll notice is that you’ll feel invigorated, but after your body has rejuvenated each cell, you’ll have more strength and stamina than you would have believed possible,” Roc-2 pointed out. “The rest of our journey is over the open ocean, and since Jan-3 is going to show you the things you want to see, I recommend that we complete our journey at maximum speed.”
“I would like to experience maximum speed as well,” I grinned.
* * *
After leaving the city, we ascended rapidly and traveled over the ocean at an incredible speed. Floating cities glowed like jewels on blue velvet. I could tell by the cloud formations that we were entering the earth’s tropical region.
In the distance, I saw a city much larger that the rest.
“Is that Alpha-1?” I asked.
“Yes, that’s our capital city. It’s the largest city on earth, and its home to more than a billion people. Everything that the city needs we take from the air, the ocean, and the earth beneath the ocean. It would take many years to see all the wonders of the city.” Roc-2 moved a lever and the compartment began a rapid decent.
I wondered about my status. They were treating me like a guest, but I wasn’t sure that, in reality, I wasn’t a hostage. I took a good look at Roc-2, wanting to know what I would face, if a disagreement arose. He was about six foot one; I guessed his weight to be about 180 pounds. His facial features were sharp and clean cut, his eyes were deep blue. He had the look of a man with exceptional intelligence. His hair was nearly black and shined without any apparent hair dressing. Everything about him was masculine. He appeared to be about twenty five, but there was something about the set of his jaw and his unblinking eyes, that told me that he was much older. I was bigger and more muscular, but Roc-2 was lean and sinewy. His movements were quick and graceful. Should a physical confrontation occur, he would be a worthy opponent.
We approached Alpha-1 and proceeded to a glass chamber near the center of the top floor. In seconds, we stopped in the chamber. The door of our keri opened and we stepped out.
“This is as far as we can go until we are purified,” Roc-2 stated. “We’ll have to leave our clothing and everything we have with us in this chamber. We’ll lie on that moving conveyor, and it will move us through the purifying tunnel. By the time we reach the next chamber, the machines will have decontaminated our bodies in every way. In the next chamber, we’ll be provided with everything we need.”
I was concerned about losing the time travel button so I asked, “What happens to the things we leave here?”
“They won’t be harmed. They’ll be cleaned and decontaminated in another way, and returned to us in the next chamber.”
Patting the leather pouch that held the button, I said with finality, “I can’t leave this behind.”
“If you take it with you, it may be irreparably damaged,” Roc-2 explained. “If you have in that pouch what I think you have, then the lives of a hundred billion people may depend on our obtaining the information that device can provide. We don’t want to take a chance that it might be damaged. We’ll return it to you as soon as we’ve examined it.”
“How did you know what I have in this pouch?” I asked.
“We have what in your time would have been called X-ray vision. That is only one of the many things we can teach you, but we need your cooperation. Will you help us?”
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“I told you I would, and I meant it, but that button is the only way I have to return to my time. Can you assure me that it will be returned to me unharmed?”
“We’ll return the button to you after we’ve examined it, but I can’t guarantee it will be unharmed. It’s no good to either you or us unless it’s in working order, but we’ll have to take it apart to find out how it works. I understand that if we destroy it, you’ll be stuck here,” Roc-2 smiled reassuringly. “This isn’t a bad place to live, and we’ll treat you with the utmost respect. As you go through the purifier, it will cleanse you of every disease, every harmful microbe, and every virus. It will render you immune to all harmful fungus, mold, and allergens. You’ll be free from every known ailment and, if you should return to the twenty-first century, you’ll be a superhuman.”
“Thank you for the purification,” I said with apprehension, “but I still don’t want to part with my button.”
“We can’t allow you to become a part of our society until you are purified, and you can’t take the device you call a button with you through the purifier.” Roc-2’s eyes examined me intently. “Our law prevents us from taking your property without your approval, so you must decide.”
After considering, I replied, “It seems I have no choice.”
Jan-3 removed her golden gown and satin-like pink undergarments and stood waiting for me to undress. I’ve seen beautiful women before, but I’ve never seen one with such a perfectly formed body and glowing skin tones as Jan-3. If her intentions were to arouse me, she was sure going about it in the right way. She acknowledged my admiring look with a smile.
I removed my shirt and shoes, then, after fumbling with the zipper, I stepped out of my pants, wondering how I compared with the men Jan-3 had seen before. She seemed to be taunting me as she watched me undress.
“I’ll go through first,” she said. “You can follow me, and then Roc-2 will follow you. I’ll see you on the other side.” With that, she lay on the conveyer and disappeared into the tunnel.
I followed and quickly entered a narrow tube-like tunnel that was lined with, what to me were exotic machines. The purification chamber reminded me of a giant CAT scan. I felt as though the machines were consuming me. I had been examined before, but nothing compared to the extensive examinations these machines performed. They took samples and injected fluids in every part of my body. I saw no one, but I knew that someone or some things were monitoring the procedure.
At last, I emerged in the next chamber and stepped down from the conveyer. My body tingled, but other than that, I felt normal. A silent attendant—a woman, I think—dressed in polished copper, handed me a bundle of clothing.
Jan-3 was already dressed and watched me with a sly smile. I was examining my new clothes, trying to figure out how to put them on. The undergarment was made of a soft absorbent material that felt like cotton. The outer garment was in two parts and made of what appeared to be spun gold mixed with blue synthetic fibers. The bottom was form-fitting pants, and the top was like a long, smoking jacket. I saw my reflection in the mirror. The weight of the gold fibers caused the robe to form to my body. I was pleased to note that I looked casually elegant.
Roc-2 had emerged from the tube and was dressing. His garments were also made of spun gold.
I asked him, “Where did you find enough gold to allow you to use it to make clothes?”
Roc-2 finished dressing and started walking down a hallway. He turned and gestured for me and Jan-3 to follow. Then he responded, “We didn’t find gold; we manufacture it like you manufacture synthetic gemstones. Most of earth’s minerals are dissolved in the ocean, and the elements are separated when we distill the water. Our chemists have learned to form gold by adding or subtracting neutrons and protons to the nucleus of the atoms of other more abundant minerals, to make gold. We simply manufacture whatever we need.”
Still feeling a little embarrassed about having been nude in Jan-3’s presence, I asked, “What’s your social life like?” It must be a lulu.
Roc-2 answered, “All men are handsome, and all women are beautiful. The sameness can be boring, so we wear gold and jewels to express our individuality. To a woman, a man’s desirability depends upon his knowledge, skills, and personality. Men, who are educated and accomplished, live better than the ones who aren’t. That hasn’t changed since people lived in caves. Men want women who want to be women. No man wants a woman who is bossy and dominant. That’s important to a man living in a society where most women are highly educated and accomplished. Women don’t need a man to bear children, and they don’t need a man to provide for them. That leaves both men and women free to be interesting companions to one another.”
* * * * *
Chapter 10
“We are expected so we must hurry;” Roc-2 said as he increased his pace.
I was enjoying the brisk walk. I felt alert and exhilarated and wondered if it were because I had gone through the purifying tunnel. We entered a conveyance similar to an elevator, except it moved horizontally as well as vertically. It seemed as though we were descending into the heart of the city. The conveyance stopped, and we stepped out in front of an archway with glowing lights and an array of golden statuary of men and women. Soft philharmonic-type music was playing, but there was no echoing as I would have expected in a glass enclosure. I tried to enter what appeared to be an open archway but bounced back. I had walked into an invisible wall!
Roc-2 smiled and said, “Wait here with Jan-3. I’ll see if they’re ready for us.” He stepped unrestricted through the archway. Jan-3 and I watched him walk down a corridor and disappear through what appeared to be another invisible door. This whole thing was becoming surreal, and I was beginning to feel unsure about the outcome.
Seemingly, out of nowhere, two unsmiling men appeared. They wore form-fitting uniforms of what looked like polished copper, with shiny black sashes around their waists. They didn’t speak; but they motioned for Jan-3 and me to follow them. They had no visible weapons, but their stony expressions and unblinking eyes left no doubt that they were prepared to insist, forcibly if necessary. Jan-3 and I complied with their gestures.
I put my hand in front of me to prevent running into the invisible door again and stepped forward. Jan-3 smiled as she stepped briskly through what, for me, had been an invisible door saying, “Come on, the wall isn’t there anymore.”
I watched the attendants closely. I’m not the type to follow commands meekly, but I was keenly aware that I had no say in what was happening. I followed Jan-3 down the passageway listening to soft, caressing music coming from somewhere. The music was pleasant, but it did nothing to ease my apprehension. We passed the place I had seen Roc-2 disappear without my being aware of having passed it; I looked back and couldn’t see the archway behind us, so I knew we had walked through another invisible door. I wondered what I should do if I needed to escape. I probably wouldn’t be able to find my way out even if I knew where to run. I sure couldn’t zap my way out of this situation— they’ve taken my button!
We came to a place where a mirror was blocking the passageway. One of the escorts gestured that we should proceed. Proceed to where?
Jan-3 stepped into the mirror; her body merged with her reflected image and disappeared. I had no idea what to expect, so I hesitated. When I stepped into the mirror there was no sensation of passing through anything, but I was suddenly inside a domed chamber.
Three men sat on a stage, in throne-like chairs; four uniformed men stood in attendance.
Our escorts led Jan-3 to a high-backed chair where she sat as though she was to participate in the questioning. Two attendants led me to a low platform near the center of the room and indicated by gesture that I should stand on the platform facing the stage. The men seated wore robes reminiscent of ancient Rome. I felt as though I was the subject of an inquisition. These men, like all other adults I had seen, appeared to be about twenty-five years old. Their heads were covered, and they had finely chiseled features.
Their manner was serious, and their eyes seemed to penetrate the deepest recesses of my mind.
I was astonished to see that the man seated in the middle was none other than Roc-2 himself. His eyes were intense, but at least they were friendly.
From somewhere behind the stage, two men appeared. One wore a black robe and the other wore white. They strode to where I was standing and stood beside me. The white-robed man stood at my right, and the other stood at my left.
Roc-2 raised his right hand. An eerie silence settled over the assembly. Roc-2 spoke strong and firm: “Gus, you’re not charged with doing a wrong. We’ve brought you here to determine if you are a threat to planet Earth. Would you tell us the story you told me when we first met? Then we’ll question you to verify that you are who and what you say you are. We must determine how, and why, you came here.” He extended his hand to me, and said, “Speak!”
I felt that my life hung in the balance, so I carefully told the story of how I got the button, and how I learned to use it. Then I explained that I was seeking knowledge that I hoped to take back with me to help my people through a difficult time.
The black-clad man stepped forward and exclaimed, “He comes among us using knowledge we do not have! The story of how he obtained the time-travel device seems to be true, but it doesn’t explain why he used it to come here at this time. I think he’s a spy.”
The man in white stepped forward. “We’ve examined his clothing and everything he had on him. They are of primitive origin. His actions prove he has no knowledge of our technology, so he has not come from a more advanced culture. I can see no reason to believe that beings from another galaxy singled him out to receive the time-travel device, since they had no way of knowing what he would do with it. I believe his story, and I think we should use him to help us develop time travel for ourselves.”
Button in the Fabric of Time Page 5
