Curtains Of Time
Page 11
Chapter 11 – Getting Away At Last
Gizmo was still at work when Marco showed up at the lab the next morning. Marco had stopped at the dining room on the way in and gotten enough food for both of them. But Gizmo was far too excited to eat.
“I have it Marco. I have it. I’m just about done with the model. Then we can try it out.”
§§§
Gizmo installed the device in Giselle, and then sat back. With Cepheus standing by in the Captain of the Guards office he signaled that he was ready. Cepheus switched on the brain wave radar, and Gizmo watched him smile and nod his head. Gizmo leaned over and activated his device and watched as Cepheus’ eyes grew wider.
Gizmo told Marco to stay seated inside Giselle and when he signaled, to turn the device off, then he walked over to Cepheus.
“I see it but I don’t believe it,” he said. “I had both of you on the brain wave radar, and then all of a sudden there was nothing.”
Gizmo motioned Marco, who switched off the device. Immediately the radar lit up with Marco’s presence in Giselle. Gizmo again signaled Marco and watched as the image on the radar disappeared. He was grinning from ear to ear.
“Next we will have to do a field test but I will have to get Sula’s permission for that,” he said. He couldn’t have been happier, but there was one further modification he had to make.
§§§
Back in the lab with Marco, he explained that he wanted to combine the cloaking device and the brain wave cloaking device into one complete unit. The technology was clear to him but would take the better part of a day to complete and miniaturize for use in the entire Colony fleet of vehicles.
He returned to Giselle and removed her cloaking device over her protests. He told her he was going to improve it and would install the new device within the next day or so.
He was back in the lab and working again when Marco entered with more food. This time he would not take no for an answer when Gizmo said he was too busy to eat. Marco led him to the food and sat him in front of his lunch.
“You haven’t slept or eaten in two days now. You either eat or I will tie you to your chair until you do.”
§§§
A day and a half later Gizmo had completed his gadget to his satisfaction. It was small enough to fit into the palm of one hand and yet had the power to disguise both the space vehicle and the individual brain waves of all the passengers inside. While he had been working on it, Marco had gotten Sula’s authorization to do a field test once the gadget was ready.
Today was the big day. He alerted Cepheus on the flight deck and as they climbed on board Giselle, Gizmo felt that thrill of excitement he always felt at the completion of one of his inventions. It was a mixture of excitement and anticipation, mixed with a nagging twinge of uncertainty. Had he forgotten anything as his thoughts leaped from option to option and were at least four steps ahead of his fingers? But multitasking was something he had become quite good at.
He took a deep breath as he looked at Marco. This would be the moment of truth. He requested and was given clearance from Cepheus. Giselle lifted gently rotating in place, and headed toward open space. Once in the open, Gizmo gave her the command to proceed to the coordinates he had given her. Instantly they were in a galaxy far, far away from the Colony.
The exercise they had worked out required them to engage in a zigzag course while returning to The Colony, engaging and disengaging the cloaking device randomly. They were careful to never travel in a direct line back to the Colony with the cloaking gadget turned off in case anyone was ‘watching’ them.
§§§
As Giselle settled gently down onto her assigned parking space on the flight deck, Sula, General Brand, Alexur Thoren, and Cepheus were waiting. The field test had been a success. Gizmo’s gadget had performed to their expectations. There was only one step remaining. Install the gadget in all The Colony’s vehicles so business could get back to normal.
Gizmo created a second cloaking device and turned it over to the Colony lab technicians. They would take it from there, reproducing the gadget and making sure all Colony vehicles had their own clocking device. That meant Gizmo and Marco were free to go on their long awaited vacation.
§§§
Climbing aboard Giselle, Gizmo said, “Let’s go raise some hell.”
“Raise some hell?” Marco responded with a quizzical look on his face.
“Giselle?” Gizmo called out.
“It is a humanoid express meaning making trouble just for the fun of it,” Giselle said.
“Yeah, let’s get plastered.”
“Plastered?”
“Giselle?”
“It’s a humanoid express meaning to get extremely drunk.”
“I don’t understand drunk?”
“Marco, don’t tell me you’ve never been drunk. Don’t you have alcohol where you come from?”
“If by alcohol, you mean the spirits of the Gods, then yes we have some in limited quantities, but only the elders are allowed to drink it.”
“You remember the Star Bar don’t you? That was the intergalactic bar where we were drinking and met the men from The Colony for the first time? There was alcohol in those drinks. That was my first time drinking alcohol too. Back where I come from, there is an age limit on who can drink it. They don’t serve alcohol to anyone below the age limit. I was not only under age, I was also considered a nerd.”
“A nerd?”
“Giselle?”
“It’s a humanoid expression to mean a person who behaves awkwardly around other people; someone who is socially inept, and usually has unstylish clothes and hair, and is somewhat unattractive. It also includes a person who is very interested in technical subjects, like computers, and is usually slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits.”
Marco just sat staring at him. In the lengthening silence, Giselle said, “For what it’s worth Master, I don’t see you as a nerd.”
Marco finally said, “I don’t see you as this nerd either. You’re the smartest person I know Gizmo.”
“Once a geek, always a geek.”
“Geek?”
“Different word, same meaning,” Gizmo smiled. “I always knew I was different from everyone else, but it didn’t bother me. In fact, I was glad other kids left me alone. It gave me more time to work on my gadgets. And it paid off didn’t it? If I wasn’t a nerd, we wouldn’t be here now would we?”
“Let’s go raise some hell,” Marco said straightening himself in his chair.
§§§
Gizmo was quiet for a moment then, looking at Marco he said, “Marco, you and I come from different universes right?”
“I don’t know,” Marco replied. “All I know is you showed up and found me. But I do know that we have been to other universes in our travels. At least that is what Giselle says, and I have no reason to argue with her.”
“I want to go back to my own universe and prove a few theories I have been brought up with. There are many people on my planet who do not believe in multiple universes; they believe that the very definition of ‘universe’ is all that exists for us in all of time and space. You and I now know that is not true, but there are a few other things I would like to explore if you are up for it.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“Not at all, at least I don’t think so.”
“Then what are we waiting for?”
“Okay then. Giselle, I don’t know the coordinates but I want you to take us back to my home universe and then to the very limits of it. Can you do that?”
“Of course, Master. Your wish is my command.”
“Giselle, I thought we talked about that. Do I have to reprogram you, AGAIN?”
“Sorry Master.”
“Enough of the ‘master’ crap. Okay?”
Silence.
“Okay?” Gizmo asked again.
Silence.
“Okay then. As soon as we get back,
I am going to pull the plug on you and do a major reprogramming of your attitude.”
“I understand sir. I will no longer call you ‘master.’ But you are still my master whether I call you that or not. Is it okay if I call you ‘sir’?”
After a brief pause, Gizmo said, “I will allow that, but I would prefer Gil or Gizmo.”
“I request to be allowed to call you ‘sir’ because if it weren’t for you I would not exist. I am merely expressing the fact that you are not only my creator, and my master, I will endeavor to follow your every wish. I use it as a sign of respect sir.”
It was Gizmo’s turn to be silent.
Turning to Marco, he said, “I hate it when she uses logic on me to beat me at my own arguments.”
“Okay, Giselle. You win this round. You may call me ‘sir,’ but I’m putting you on notice. Consider yourself warned.”
“Yes sir,” Giselle said with a decidedly smug tone in her voice.
§§§
Gizmo and Marco slowly exited The Colony air space and were soon on their way. Gizmo turned to Marco and continued his explanation of why this journey was important to him.
“Although the concept of multiple universes is being talked about more and more on my home planet, I want to test some theories that have been discussed. Our cosmologists have estimated that there are at least 100 billion galaxies in our universe, very few of them believe there is more than one universe. It is becoming a more popular theory but so far there is very little evidence to prove it.
“Most believe in the ‘big bang’ theory where our universe was created by a big explosion that moved outward from a given point forming the given galaxies. Most cosmologists believe the universe is ever expanding since there continues to be a growing distance between galaxies, but there seems to be some difference of opinion on whether it is growing as one would blow up a balloon, or whether it is expanding on a linear line.
“That is why I want to see the edge of our universe to see what is beyond it. If our universe continues to expand, what is it expanding into? Is there another universe out there that ours will combine with, or will it again trigger a big explosion if our universe collides with it? If colliding with another universe will create another big bang explosion, it will annihilate all living beings in both universes.”
“Excuse me sir, we are arriving in the galaxy on the edge of our universe. It has a small weak sun with an inhibited planet closest to it. The planet surface has breathable air but a rather inhospitable atmosphere. Temperatures on the surface tend to be somewhat colder than what we are used to. Most inhabitants live underground. Shall I attempt to communicate?”
“Yes. Send out signals on all wave lengths,” Gizmo said. “There is little chance we will be able to establish contact with them, but at least we can try.”
§§§
On their second circuit around the planet, they were all surprised to get a strong signal from the surface.
§§§