Dark Moon Rising

by Michael E. Gonzales

  Hugh thought this a bit out of character for Dr. Whitmore. He rose and examined the chasm. The doctor was right. It was half again as wide.

  Hugh looked down at Stanley and said, "Winchester, that means 30:30," then he switched back.

  "I want everyone to remain where they are. I'm going forward to scout the area ahead of us. I'll be back in fifteen minutes."

  ****

  When Hugh had gone one hundred meters ahead, he stopped to look around. He walked closer to the edge of the chasm and peered over. There was nothing but a vast, empty black pit. Crossing safely was going to take a miracle. He'd decided to go another fifty meters before turning back to join the others, when something caught his eye.

  Off to his left in the dark cavern—there! He saw it again. He switched off his lamps to ensure that he was not seeing a reflection. A moment passed and he saw it again—a small blue light. It seemed to flutter about like a lightning bug. He turned his lights back on to checked that he was leaving footprints he could follow back, and then made his way toward the light.

  He had moved perhaps twenty-five meters when the light became very still. Hugh stopped. Now, the light moved off to Hugh's left. Again, he followed it. He had made a hairpin turn, coming about and heading back in the direction of the others, but now some twenty-five meters farther from the chasm. The path he was following became very steep, forcing him to climb upward. At the top, his gaze fell again on the tiny blue light, it had stopped and seemed to wait on him.

  Just as Hugh reached the top and stood upright, the light shot away at great speed, to his left, and disappeared. He scanned the area looking for the light so intently that he almost didn’t see the obvious. From the top of the incline another stretch of rock arched across the chasm. It was a bridge.

  Excitement gripped him. "Balaji, Larry, can everyone hear me?"

  "Yes, we hear you," Larry responded.

  "What is it, Hugh?" Balaji asked.

  "I've been shown a way across. Balaji, Mary, Joe, keep moving along the edge of the chasm. You'll see my light very soon. Larry, all of you on this side remain where you are."

  Hugh attained the bridge and started moving across. In the center it was quite narrow, only about a meter wide. The bridge connected to a vertical column of stone almost six meters above the ledge where Mary, Joe, and Balaji were walking. Their ledge just ended right below where Hugh now stood. It had obviously broken off and fallen into the depths.

  The three approached this precipice just as Hugh had finished tying his cable off to the bridge. The dangling cable was almost a meter too short, and it was not suspended above the ledge, but above the dark maw of the vast gulf.

  "You're going to have to jump," Hugh instructed.

  "Okay." Joe was ready.

  Mary only nodded apprehensively.

  Balaji seemed petrified.

  "You want to go first, Doctor?" Hugh asked Balaji. "Just run at the cable, jump, grab it and I'll haul you up."

  "Hugh, my friend, did I ever tell you I am afraid of heights?"

  "First Bob, now you. Bal-ah-gee, now is the time for you to face your fears. Look right at the cable, run as fast as you can, and at the last minute, jump toward the rope. In this gravity, you'll seem to move in slow motion and you'll jump much farther than necessary. So, as you float toward the cable, just grab it. Ready?"

  "Ah—"

  "One last thing."

  "Yes?"

  "Don't look down."

  Hugh watched as Balaji eyed the distance to the edge, and the height of the cable, then started running. At the very edge, Balaji leaped at the cable as hard as he could. Hugh could see Balaji had squeezed his eyes shut as he jumped.

  "Open your eyes!" Hugh shouted.

  Just as the cable came within range he opened his eyes, reached out, and grabbed the dangling cable.

  "Hold on!" Hugh said, as the cable began to slide through Balaji's gloved fingers. At Hugh's rough command, Balaji closed his fists and tightened his hold, then pulled the lifeline hard into his chest. Momentum carried him in an arch under and away from the bridge, until the length of the cable became taught and he began to swing back. Hugh was already pulling with great force. Once at the bridge, Hugh pulled Balaji up and laid him on his stomach on the solid, narrow surface of the bridge. Shaking like a leaf, Balaji slowly began to crawl across the span.

  "Ready, Joe?" Hugh asked as he lowered the cable. Joe made the jump without hesitation or problem. Once Hugh had pulled Joe to safety, he turned and laid down right where the cable was tied. He looked down at Mary. "Okay, Mary, it's just you and me now."

  She only nodded.

  "Are you ready?"

  She nodded again, but did not move.

  Hugh became concerned that she had frozen. "Mary, talk to me hon-nee."

  "Honey?"

  That seemed to snap her out of it.

  She started running. Hugh watched her closely. She jumped too soon! He watched her float out over the endless darkness below. Her forward motion slowed and she started to arch downward toward the abyss. "Mary," Hugh shouted, "reach up, grab the cable!"

  She stretched up with her right hand and just barely caught the end of the cable. Then she began the swing outward.

  "Grab it with both hands!"

  She pulled with all her might and grabbed the cable with her left just as she reached the end of her swing and her full weight jerked at the cable. Now, she started to swing back the other way. Hugh grabbed the cable and started to haul her up.

  "Hugh, I'm slipping!"

  Chapter 17

  Hugh pulled as fast as he could without throwing Mary off the line. As the cable shortened, Mary swung faster. She was within arm's distance when she reached the end of her swing and started back. Hugh could see her hands weakening, sliding down.

  "Hang on Mary!" Hugh shouted as he jerked the cable hard toward him then reached out and grabbed her arm, his grip on her like iron.

  "I'm gonna fall!" she screamed.

  "If you fall, I'm jumping after you," Hugh said, then pulled her up and onto the bridge. She landed on her knees next to him. Hugh rose up onto his knees. "Are you all—"

  She threw her arms around him and hugged him hard. "I was gonna fall, I almost fell!"

  "You're okay, Mary, I've got you."

  She looked into his face. Though he could only see her eyes, he knew she was smiling. Then she said softly, "My hero."

  "Ah—yeah. Come on, let's go."

  "Hugh, you said you would jump after me if I fell."

  "That's right."

  "You didn't mean it, though—"

  "Didn't I?"

  He nudged her along the narrow bridge toward Joe and Balaji, who was still crawling. Joe, behind him, was trying to encourage him to stand, and pointing out how wide the path had become.

  "Balaji, it must be near two meters wide right now."

  "Yes, and tens of kilometers down."

  Behind Joe, Mary followed, still shaken from her experience. Hugh guided her along with his hand on her hips.

  As they approached the end of the bridge, Hugh called to the others. "Mar-tha, would you all please head this way?"

  "Alright, Hugh, here we come."

  Those on the bridge climbed down the steep incline, and at last, the entire group was reunited. Martha reached to quickly hug Mary.

  "Take a break, everyone," Hugh said. But he would not rest.

  These people were his responsibility. He paced back and forth, his thoughts erratic and disjointed. This was unlike him, and he could only assume it was because of his deep worry for Mary, and what had almost happened to her. He glanced at her, and saw she was watching him, as well. Balaji's gaze was on him, too.

  "Hugh," Balaji began, "you said you'd been shown a way across. What did you mean?"

  Hugh stopped and looked at Balaji, then at all the others. "You're going to think I've lost my mind, but...well, I never thought to look up as I was walking along the edge there. I would have walked right past t
hat path up to that bridge, but I saw this blue light that...it showed me the way."

  "Oh, you're talking about the spirit lights," Larry said.

  "The what?" Bob asked.

  "The spirit lights," Larry continued. "They were first observed by construction crews when the base was being built. I did a tour up here back then, I remember it.

  "Early on, one of the architects was killed when he fell into a crater and broke his helmet’s face shield. Shortly afterward, workers started seeing these lights in dark places, in deep craters and in the shadows of hills and mountains. During that first lunar night there were times when there were so many of these little lights that the Moon's surface was as full of stars as the sky. We lost a lot of superstitious types within the first twelve hours. They packed up and demanded to be sent home. Scientists told us it was the result of the release of geologic energy. That struck me as funny because we hadn’t experienced any lunar quakes yet, or anything you could call geologic. Regardless, over several weeks, the little lights faded away and eventually it became quite rare to see one.”

  "Ghosts?" Stanley submitted, with a laugh.

  Larry became defensive. "I didn't say that, did I? Whatever it was, we all saw something."

  "Larry," Hugh said, "did these lights ever seem to move with a purpose?"

  "Not that I recall. Many were stationary, those that moved just seemed to float or dart about."

  "Like lightning bugs?"

  "Yes. Exactly."

  "The light I saw was just a pinpoint. It led me to the way up then directed my attention to the formation that spanned the chasm."

  "Wait just a minute." Stanley rose to his feet. "Let me ensure I understand you here. If not some odd, yet to be explained natural phenomenon then you're saying this light was—what, paranormal? Perhaps under intelligent control?"

  "I don't believe it was a freak natural phenomenon,” Hugh insisted. “It turned corners and was smart enough to wait for me to catch up with it before it accelerated ahead. Do I think it's intelligent and benign. Yes."

  "Ladies and gentlemen, you are following a man who is allowing himself to be led by Casper the Friendly Gho—"

  "Well, how do you explain it?" Joe barked the question.

  "I can't. But as a scientist and a man of reason I don't jump to the extreme conclusion that we're being haunted." Stanley turned to face the group. "How long will you all be led like sheep to the slaughter? Use your heads. The rescue party will start its search where we were last seen; they will follow our path down to where the dome was and may still be. What we must do to survive is return to that spot. Sit, be still, and wait for rescue."

  Hugh stepped forward. "We've had this discussion already and I won't add to my argument. I will say this: Dr. Whitmore is correct. If a rescue team is coming, that is where they will end up. Should they find no sign of us there at the edge of this chasm they will return to the surface. But, as you know, I don't believe rescue is coming. Now, I'm moving on. Any who want to follow me are welcome. Those who wish to stay here with Dr. Whitmore, please do so." He turned and headed off. All but Stanley followed, even Bob.

  After a minute, Stanley shouldered his pack. "Wait for me."

  ****

  Together again, and with Hugh the undisputed, if unarmed, leader of their band, they all followed him as he took the obvious paths that led upward. There were no more arguments, and no more lights.

  Eventually, they stopped for yet another rest. Hugh observed the fatigue all were suffering. Still there was no end in sight. At every stop, he went to each person and looked into their eyes. When he reached Mary, she drew in the dust the word "Colt" and they both switched to 19:11.

  "Hugh, we're all very hungry and dying of thirst."

  "I know. I just can't see a solution. I'm starting to think St-an-lee was right. I had no idea we were this far underground. I calculate that we are now sixty four meters above the point where the dome came to rest and we don't appear any closer to the surface. I'm sorry Mary. I may have killed all of you."

  She looked up into Hugh's eyes. "No, don't do that. I only have one regret—" She paused, her eyes widening. "Oh, Hugh, look!"

  There above them in the vast vault of the cave hovered a tiny blue light. "That's it," Hugh murmured. He did not take his eyes off the blue speck. "Mary, go back to Winchester."

  "Hey, folks," Hugh said calmly, "it seems we have company."

  First, all eyes turned to Hugh, and then followed his gaze upward.

  "What the hell is that?" Joe said, coming to his feet.

  "Well, I'll be damned," Stanley muttered.

  The small, blue light hovered for several minutes. Then it seemed to follow the arch of the ceiling downward, curving around the dough-like formations, weaving through holes, and winding around columns. Soon, it settled ahead of them just above the path they were traveling, and hovered there.

  They were all on their feet by this time.

  "How big is it?" Martha asked.

  "There is nothing near it to give us perspective," Balaji responded. "It could be quite close and thus, quite small. Or, very distant, and very large, there is no way to make that determination."

  Several seconds passed. It did not move, or even waver. Then, it flashed. The flash was bright, at least twice its previous magnitude.

  Hugh spoke up. "I think it wants...let's follow it."

  They gathered their things and started to walk slowly toward the light. Visually, it did not alter as they approached. It remained the same size, and the same intensity.

  "Just from the illumination below it, my guess is that it is the size of a cricket ball," Balaji stated.

  As they neared to within nine meters, it started to move away from them, and then it turned to their left, and disappeared from view.

  Balaji, Joe, Larry, and Hugh rushed to the spot. There was a tunnel, a perfect tube. It seemed to follow a downward slope at a fifteen-degree angle. The ball was now so bright they didn't need their lamps. Switching them off, they all followed.

  Hugh noted the tube was close to six meters in diameter, and its walls were wavy and somehow translucent in appearance, as if coated in glass. This gave the walls a wet look. Hugh led the group as they slowly descended along the path, keeping pace with the brilliant ball.

  At last, the ball of light stopped at what appeared to be the end of the tunnel. It flashed at them again, so they cautiously advanced. It did not move, but as they got closer, its luminosity decreased a little. Martha, Larry, and Joe kept about two meters back, the others gathered close to it. Beyond the point where it was hovering, the tube seemed filled with a silvery liquid; either water or liquid mercury. Mary slowly reached toward the sphere. When the tips of her gloved fingers were but centimeters away, it slowly backed up and started to submerge itself. It was about half gone when it stopped, flashed again, and then quickly vanished into the liquid. It had not gone too far away, as its light was still illuminating the tube.

  "It definitely wants us to follow it," Larry observed.

  Hugh turned and said, "You wait here, I'll—"

  "You'll go in and re-con, we know," Mary interrupted him. "Well, I'm coming with you. Period. No discussion."

  "Hugh," Balaji said. "We might as well all go. There are few alternatives. Dehydration is what is awaiting us."

  "Okay. But I go first."

  "Nope, I'm going in right beside you," Mary insisted. Hugh glanced at her, then stepped to his left that she might stand at his right side. They looked at one another a moment then stepped off.

  The others watched as the two of them entered the liquid and listened as Hugh described the experience.

  "Well, it's not eating through the suit. There is no sensation whatsoever. My helmet is entering now. The liquid is clear. I can see—"

  As his helmet broke the surface, Hugh looked out onto a sight so unexpected and amazing that he was left speechless. He and Mary were standing inside a cavern that, though much smaller than the one they had just lef
t, was still enormous by Earth standards. The bread dough look was gone, replaced by a vast, rocky, chamber. There were, of course, no stalagmites or stalactites. But what they saw was beyond amazing. There was a bright yellowish light emanating from an unknown source. Every rock face, wall, floor, ceiling, was covered in a fluffy green moss. They stood there, awestruck.

  Hugh and Mary exchanged glances. Her eyes were enormous.

  Just then, they heard Balaji's very much concerned voice. "Hugh! Mary! Are you all right?"

  "Can you hear me, Bal-ah-gee?"

  "Yes. Is everything okay?"

  "Yeah. Bring everybody down here."

  Shortly the others descended through the shimmering silver barrier and joined Hugh and Mary in their state of awe.

  Joe spoke first. "Is everybody else seeing this?"

  "Yes," Bob responded.

  Balaji knelt down to look at the moss. "This is photosynthesis," he said after a quick examination of the vegetation.

  "What?" Mary turned.

  "This is photosynthesis taking place right here," he repeated.

  "But that's impossible," Stanley exclaimed.

  "Look around Stanley. We will have to redefine that word."

  "Then...we're not underwater. This is air." It was Larry's observation.

  "You know, he may be right," Balaji said.

  "Don't these suits have a little instrument on them to test atmosphere?" Larry asked.

  "No," Stanley said simply.

  "Well, they do in all the movies."

  Everyone turned to stare at Larry.

  "Does anyone have something that produces fire?" Stanley asked. Fire must have oxygen to burn."

  "I understand your intent, but that would not be a good idea," Hugh suggested.

  "And why not?"

  "What if this is a pure oxygen environment? The place would explode," Hugh reminded him.

  "It cannot be a pure oxygen environment," Balaji stated. "There has to be carbon dioxide for the vegetation. However, in this bright light, these plants will be producing an abundance of oxygen. So a fire is not a good idea."

  "Then the only thing to do is open a helmet and remove a mask," Hugh said.