“We’re gonna need a bit more of a crew to man that spaceship I would reckon,” Rex said as he looked at the rest.
“I have a plan for that as well as supplies.”
In the distance, they all heard the sound of faint rumbling that began to increase in loudness with every passing second.
The five of them looked off into the distance and saw two motorcycles racing in their direction.
Glenda let out a yelp. “Yikes! It’s the Russell brothers! Run!”
“Wait!” Jhahnahkan said with a firm command.
He stood apart and walked a few feet out in front as the bikers came to a stop before him. The Russell brothers got off their bikes, secured the kickstands, and slowly approached. When they reached Jhahnahkan, they stopped and took off their helmets, removed their gloves and sunglasses, placed them inside the helmets, and set them on the ground.
“Thank you for coming,” Jhahnahkan said.
“We understand now,” the brothers said in unison. “We heard you calling us in our minds. Anyone that can stand before us and not be afraid, anyone of your stature, deserves our respect and admiration.”
“You are welcome to join us,” Jhahnahkan said as he extended his hand.
The others looked on in disbelief as Jhahnahkan shook each of their hands and watched the Russell brothers return his gesture with civility.
“Your mission is to gather enough supplies to support us on our journey to the stars,” Jhahnahkan said with a commanding voice.
“Yes,” the brothers said, “we will return with the necessary appropriations as you require.”
Jhahnahkan gave them a nod, turned back toward his friends, and just smiled. They got back on their bikes and rode off.
“What else do you have up your sleeve?” Kate asked as she joined his side.
He pulled out his master crystal, held it out before him, and opened up a vortex, and after only a few moments, the good Dr. Sam Collins, who assisted Kate, exited the vortex. Jhahnahkan left the vortex opened.
“You’ll need a physician on your trip,” the doctor said.
“Yes, I ask if you could also join us.”
“It would be my honor,” Sam said, grinning ear to ear. “If you can give me some help, I have collected a stash of medical supplies and equipment that might come in handy.”
“Glenda, Rex,” Jhahnahkan directed, “please assist our good doctor.”
The two jumped at the offer and stepped back through the vortex with the doctor and set a rendezvous time to return, and after they entered, he closed the vortex.
“Helen, Kate,” Jhahnahkan said, “it is time. We will move to the starship and begin making preparations. There will be much to do while we wait for the Russell brothers and the others to return. I will recall them to the ship. Gather anything you will need now. We will not be returning here.”
The two were busy for several minutes, gathering anything they could carry that might come in handy on their trip, and then returned to Jhahnahkan with their items.
“Hey,” Kate said, stopping for a moment, “I hear sirens. Sounds like Sheriff Matson is coming too.”
“No, I have not reached out to him,” Jhahnahkan said, looking out at the speeding patrol car approaching. “I have no use for him. I am afraid we will have to disappoint him once again.”
Jhahnahkan held out his master crystal before them and invoked the vortex once again. The speeding patrol car raced toward them. The sheriff had vengeance on his face and gritted his teeth as he approached his fugitives.
Jhahnahkan, Kate, and Helen stepped through the vortex, and it closed behind them just in time for the sheriff to once again see his outlaws escape. He got out of his patrol car and began to curse. Then he took his hat off and slammed it on the ground and stomped up and down on it vigorously as if that would help him deal with his inability to finally capture his most wanted.
“Yeah,” he shouted to himself, “and I will say it again. You haven’t seen the last of Sheriff Matson. That is for sure!”
The vortex opened inside a dark and vacant room. The air was stale, and the feeling was cold and slightly damp. The entrance of the three as they exited through the vortex caused the interior lights to be triggered, and air pumps and scrubbers fired up, which quickly cleansed the stale air. The room illuminated, and it appeared they were in a cargo hold of an ancient space vessel.
Jhahnahkan stepped over to a control panel that appeared to have been activated by their presence. He pressed some buttons, and a screen appeared and showed the schematics and layout of the space vessel. After he studied the drawings, it appeared as if he already knew the inner workings of this ship.
“This is incredible!” he exclaimed. “After all these thousands of years being dormant, the ship still has an intact power source.”
After he spoke the very first words, the ship’s computer changed all of the labels and displayed markings to his language.
Kate stepped over by his side and examined the panel. “How did that just happen?” she asked.
“The computer must have a built-in subroutine that interprets voice patterns. It looks as if the ship’s computers have been active all this time, monitoring and learning every language throughout the centuries.”
“Quite correct,” an automated-sounding voice answered.
“Fascinating,” Jhahnahkan said in reply.
“I am capable of performing every ship function by voice command,” the computer continued. “How may I assist you?”
“Show us the ship schematics on this terminal,” Jhahnahkan said.
The computer quickly complied at such a fast pace he had to ask it to slow down the output.
The ship was 550 feet in length. It spanned three hundred feet in width and had a height of nearly eighty feet that contained five decks that also included a conning tower positioned forward, which housed the command center of the ship. The ship could be run by the ship’s computer, but only seven crew members are needed if in manual mode. The vessel could hold up to eighty-seven crewmen as its full complement. The hull was constructed of an advanced form of titanium that had long been forgotten how to manufacture. The ship had two engines on each side which were of a plasma fusion technology. Jhahnahkan counldn’t help notice that this engine technology was far more advanced from anything he had ever seen. The ship had four fusion auxiliary backup engines integrated within the ion-drives. The weapons systems were also just as impressive with three laser turrets and five missile bays with three different types of payloads; the ship contained over ninety missiles in total. The ship was also equipped with several scanning capabilities equally advanced as all of the other systems.
After the three of them completed the ship review, Jhahnahkan instructed the computer to terminate the preview and requested the rest of the ship be activated, air scrubbed, and reactor fired up to full power. The ship immediately began to come to life, all computer stations were activated, the ship’s lighting increased throughout, and the computer began to prepare the command tower. The ship’s engines were also fired up and put on standby, waiting for further commands.
Jhahnahkan instructed Kate and Helen to stand back. He pulled out his master crystal and opened up a vortex. The doctor, Rex, and Glenda stepped through, bringing with them the doctor’s equipment and supplies. The three of them looked about their surroundings slightly confused and then realized they were already aboard their space vessel.
“Nice digs,” Glenda said as she looked around.
Rex and the doctor both agreed as they nodded.
They moved the equipment to the medical bay, where Sam was completely overwhelmed with the remarkable advancements there were on this ship. “I didn’t realize that there would be all these things. All of this equipment I brought seems antiquated compared to what this ship has to offer,” he said. “This is a very humbling experience.”
Jhahnahkan, back at the cargo bay, once again opened up the vortex, and a large cargo truck drove through and parke
d in the middle of the bay. The vortex closed, and Jhahnahkan met the Russell brothers as they exited the cab of the truck.
“Here you are, boss,” Tim said as he approached Jhahnahkan.
“I see you do nothing small,” Jhahnahkan answered. “I will not ask how you came into this truck and all of these supplies.”
“No worries,” Chuck said. “We got it all legitimately. We pulled in some favors, and here we are.”
Chuck and Tim followed Jhahnahkan’s instructions and off-loaded and stowed all of their supplies for the trip. Then they secured the truck within the cargo bay and were given the task of learning the weapons systems through one of the computer terminals.
As the doctor familiarized himself with the medical bay and the Russell brothers learned the weapon systems on the ship, Jhahnahkan and the rest made their way to the command center. The doors on the deck slid open and revealed the bridge section.
Each station was organized around the perimeter of the conning tower with the navigation control front and center. The command chair was positioned slightly behind the navigator and elevated above the rest of the stations. The captain’s chair could swivel around a full 360 degrees so that he could face any one of his crew members manning any given station.
“Who’s gonna drive this thing?” Rex asked as he almost drooled at the helm station.
“Initially,” Jhahnahkan began, “the computer will drive this thing, but I can see you are really interested. Looks like I have my first volunteer.”
Rex immediately took the seat at the helm control and began to familiarize himself with each function, using the computer as a guide.
“Boy, howdy, I’m just about as happy as a pig in slop,” he said with a big grin on his face.
“Glenda, you man the communications channels.”
“Yes, sir,” she said as she took her station.
“We are going to need you to monitor any and all communications once we reach my solar system,” Jhahnahkan said. “You tell me if anything you hear sounds important.”
Glenda gave a nod as she too began to learn her station’s functions. “I’ll have this figured out in a jiffy.”
“Kate, you are my first mate.”
“No pun intended,” Kate mused as she took her seat next to Rex.
“Computer,” Jhahnahkan asked, “what is our present location?”
The computer quickly responded, “We are one hundred feet below the polar ice cap.”
“Oh good,” Jhahnahkan said sarcastically, “the polar ice cap.”
“I do not see the point of your answer. I have already provided your location,” the computer answered.
“Disregard,” Jhahnahkan said. “Can you fire up our engines and get us in orbit?”
“Yes, is that our current destination?” the computer asked.
“Acknowledged.”
The ship’s reactor and engines fired up, and they could hear the groan on the outside hull. The computer engaged a strange system that caused the entire ship to change to a pale-green color that turned into a phosphorescent glow. The icy grave that the ship had been imbedded for centuries in began to melt away, and a hole formed above the large ship structure. Once the ice had melted and the ship was exposed, they could feel movement.
“Hold on, everyone, I think we are about to take off,” Jhahnahkan said as he sat firmly in his command chair.
No sooner had he finished his sentence that the ship lifted up and slowly rose into the air. They cleared the icy sarcophagus that the ship had been resting in, and it began to increase in elevation and then headed up toward orbit.
“I am hearing all kinds of chatter on several channels,” Glenda reported.
“What are they saying?”
“I am hearing several reports of a large unidentified flying object being spotted over the polar ice cap.”
“Computer, can you screen us from their scanners?”
“Yes, I am increasing the phosphorus shielding,” the computer said. “However, we have several military jets inbound according to my sensors.”
“Can you take evasive action and keep them from reaching us?”
“As you wish. Engaging full power to secondary fusion engines.”
The crew were pushed back into their seats by the high G-Force.
“Computer, compensate,” Jhahnahkan commanded.
“Engaging inertial dampeners. Is that better?”
“Yes,” Jhahnahkan said as the G-Force relaxed its pressure on them.
“The four military jets that were on an intercept course are trying to chase us, but we left them in the dust,” Glenda said with a smile.
“Whoooh doggies,” Rex shouted, “can this bird move or what!”
The crew all looked out in front of the speeding ship; the sky disappeared as they entered orbit around the planet.
“Engaging artificial gravity units,” the computer said. “We have established orbit around terra firma. We are invisible to all sensors.”
“Maintain our current orbit and wait for further instructions.”
The computer complied with its instructions and fell silent.
“Glenda, ask our crew below how they are doing after that ride.”
“They are already reporting in. They’re fine and are enjoying the scenery,” she said, looking over to Jhahnahkan.
Kate stood from her console and moved closer to Jhahnahkan. “So what is our next step?”
“We need to study the current star charts on file and find a general direction,” he said. “Then we will leave orbit and move out a slight distance from the moon. I will then attempt to open up a large vortex and pass through to my galaxy system.”
“Can you do that?” Kate asked.
“I need to rest up a bit, and I will need everyone’s help on board,” he answered.
“Rex,” Kate asked. “have you discovered the computers star library?”
“Yes,” he answered, “I’m a pullin’ them up on the screen now.”
Rex started to flip through the various charts on file as Jhahnahkan looked over his shoulder.
“This is amazing,” Jhahnahkan said. “There are so many charts. Computer, how did you come into having so many star charts in your library if you have been locked within the ice cap all these centuries?”
The computer came alive and began to provide them the answer. “While the ship has been locked away, my systems were all active. The same way I assembled the language library, I obtained the star charts.”
“But earthlings have never left this solar system. We just made it to the moon only fifteen years ago. Explain,” Kate said.
The computer once again answered, “I obtained them from other visiting starships.”
“So we are being visited by aliens?” Glenda said from across the way.
“Yes,” the computer answered.
“I knew it!” she exclaimed with excitement.
“Glenda, this should not be of a surprise to you given all of the things I have told you about me and our people and our fight with the Zelinite,” Jhahnahkan said.
“I know, but I still get giddy when I see the proof,” she said, turning back to her station.
“There!” Jhahnahkan said to Rex as he rested his hand on his shoulder. “Go back one.”
Rex complied and backed up to the last chart.
“That is my system,” Jhahnahkan said. “Computer, plot a course to the star system being displayed on the navigation screen.”
The computer came alive and began to leave orbit and follow a course to Jhahnahkan’s home system.
“Computer, estimate time en route,” Rex commanded.
“Depending on the exact sector for our destination, I estimate our arrival time forty-seven years, eight months, seven days, thirty-six hours, twelve minutes, and twenty-two seconds.”
“Whoa,” Glenda chimed in, “that’s a really, really long time. I’ll be an old woman by then.”
“Relax, Glenda,” Kate said. “You must have m
issed the part about using the vortex.”
“Oh, silly me,” she said with a wink.
“Do you know exactly what sector we are going to?” Rex asked as he looked up at Jhahnahkan.
“Yes. Computer, zoom in on sector 523.”
The computer zoomed in the screen and focused on the coordinates.
“Computer, set course to this location, leave orbit. Take us out to a safe distance from the moon and engage full power to engines.”
The computer immediately changed the ship’s course and sped away from Earth and flew past the moon. Once they were a safe distance, the computer fired up all its engines while at the same time compensated the artificial gravity so the crew would stay in place.
“We are at maximum velocity,” the computer alerted.
“Great, maintain course. I will give you further instructions in a few moments,” Jhahnahkan said. “Glenda, assemble the rest on the bridge.”
Glenda followed her captain’s orders and called down to Dr. Collins and the Russell brothers.
A few minutes went by before the entire team had assembled on the command deck of their ship.
“Great,” Jhahnahkan began, “I need each of you to form a semicircle behind me and the command chair. Each of you will join hands. The two on each end will rest their free hand on my shoulders. Everyone needs to start concentrating on sector 523. I will have my master crystal generate a large enough vortex for the ship to pass through.”
“We will be ready,” Kate said, reassuring the others that this will work.
“Before I begin, I must speak with Roth’stavous. I will return to you all shortly.”
He took out his master crystal and tossed it in the air before him. The crystal suspended in the air just out in front of him. He closed his eyes and found himself within the white sphere where Roth’stavous was standing waiting for him.
“I see we have found the starship and you have plotted your destination,” Roth’stavous said in a calming voice.
“Yes, we are ready to invoke the largest vortex I have ever attempted.”
“You will be successful, Jhahnahkan. You are the chosen one. Just remember to guard your emotions as to what you might find on the other side. Be ready. Be accepting.”
Secret of the Crystal - Omnibus Edition Books 1-3 (Time Travel Adventure) Page 22
