“There is air here.” Henry replied. “Breathable oxygen, we wont need suits. However, it is a bit cooler than normal but well within our tolerances.”
Nari nodded, focused mostly on the flying. Henry’s mind wandered back to his research, his former life before the invasion and everything changed. It almost seemed to him that he was not going further from where things started, but to another beginning.
“Henry?” Chalice asked as he looked to him. “What do you think happens after all this? I mean say we find aliens in this universe and we can converse with them…what next?”
“Well I imagine some things will go back to the way they were.” Henry replied. “I also imagine some things will be different forever. It is the situation when man is given something to change it that cannot be stopped. I am sure there are many that would love for things to be just as they were before we discovered this older universe, but that might not be possible. In the history of our own world there were times when advancement came and though some wanted to ignore it, it could not be halted. The industrial revolution, the space race, the computer age. All things that mankind grasped for even though it meant unprecedented change. This will force us to accept that there are universes other than our own and intelligent people’s other than us.”
“I suppose we will all just have to adapt.” Chalice nodded. “Something we seem to be growing better and better at.”
“That is true.” Nari said as she looked over. “You spoke of humanity and its unstoppable advancements. Our world before the space has been at war for countless generations and with war comes unprecedented advancement and change. We are the first age to make advancements trough sheer will for discovery.”
“Well we are in it together.” Chalice added. “The entirety of humanity.”
“Indeed.” Henry agreed.
“We are coming up to the site in several moments.” Nari interjected.
“You pinpointed a landing area and approach vector so quickly?” Chalice asked in a surprised tone. “Just like that?”
“I wish that our technology could take all of the credit.” Henry replied. “But is also that Nari is just that good.”
“An exaggeration.” Nari added. “But just by a little bit.”
“What can you tell me of this place we are going?” Chalice asked.
“Well it seems to be like a bore hole.” Henry replied. “Human geological scientists were trying to dig one like it on earth but never even goth a fraction to as deep as this one seems to be.”
“It seems to go all the way through the crust and into the mantle.” Chalice admitted. “It’s amazing!”
“I suppose we could go deeper now.” Henry commented. “We have not used the technology for much of that but we could.”
“We have been to focused on the stars.” Nari replied. “We are going forward and rarely look back. We rarely stay in one place for long enough to call it home.”
“What do you mean?” Henry asked. “Are you talking about humanity or us?”
“That is not actually something we need to talk about now, I’m sorry.” Nari replied. “I suppose that I am just so caught up in things that parts of my life and thoughts of non-exploration can get jumbled in.”
“Well after this mission we can have a talk.” Henry replied with a smile.
“That is fine with me.” Nari replied. “Though we can focus on this supposed bore hole. As you said, they supposedly got deeper into their planet than any manmade device ever made and punched. I can imagine this leads into a chamber with high temperatures and tumultuous conditions.”
“Almost sounds like they punched through to hell.” Chalice commented. “Thematically speaking of course.”
“It is a constant in our religions and theology to believe that if you do evil deeds you suffer for them in the afterlife.” Henry replied. “It is not unreasonable that other species from other universes might reason the same.”
“I doubt that they would think of their negative afterlife as we do though.” Nari added. “I find myself wondering what kind of lore they would have, what kind of ethics. Are some universal or are some based on the planet you evolved on?”
“I suppose it is the nature of rational beings to wonder about their choices in life and an afterlife.” Henry replied. “I actually think it is interesting that on earth how many races had such similar concepts of good and evil. However, though I severely doubt that there is a tangible hell at the bottom of an alien bore hole.”
“Well they did find something.” Chalice replied. “They dig the bore hole and mad the pocket that we are able to perceive. I don’t think it’s hell but likely one of the more dangerous places we have strived to go to.”
“Well I suppose we are about to find out.” Nari added. “One way or another.”
The shuttle landed in a flat area near a strange metallic structure that housed the bore hole. The building was in rough shape, showing that it was close to succumbing to the elements.
“Looks like it has been a long time since anyone has been here.” Chalice commented as the ramp from the shuttle went down. “I am not detecting life signs of any kind.”
“None at all.” Henry replied. “Whoever built the structure and bored the hole is long gone. I am not detecting and active power sources or intact technology.”
“Though there is definitely something down there.” Chalice added. “We still can’t fully scan it but there is something down there.”
“Well it is what we are here for.” Henry replied. “This is another part of the trail that we have come to follow.”
“Let’s do it.” Chalice replied enthusiastically. “I am scanning the structure to kind of figure out what it might have been for. The outer layer has worn away but I can wager a few guesses.”
“Do we think it was an archeological thing?” Nari asked. “They might have been looking for what was down there?”
“Unlikely.” Henry replied, walking in through a large door that likely once was closable. He moved closer to the massive borehole, a strange echoing sound emanating from below. “According to my scans this hole was dug from the bottom up.”
“From down up?” Nari replied. “So, this is not so much an excavation as an evacuation?”
“That is a possibility.” Henry admitted.
“Over here!” Chalice said as he moved forward deeper into the structure. “There is some sort of device here that looks like a computer terminal.”
Henry moved over and attached a spare tablet to the device. He worked with Chalice to interface it. There was of course no power supply but Chalice proved skilled in engineering and managed to get it to run from a portable wave battery.
“It seems our power is compatible with theirs.” Henry commented. “But this thing has been off a long time. It seems to be booting up but it might take time to decipher it.”
“Well our technology can search for patters and start to decipher it.” Chalice replied. “It will likely take several hours but we certainly can get some information left if it is intact.”
“It looks that the system is much less complex.” Henry commented. “Like the ship before was a mainframe and this is like a laptop. However, it seems that over seventy five percent of the information is intact.”
“That is encouraging.” Nari commented.
“Very much so.” Henry replied. “Take it like what someone would be able to learn from a random laptop of a random human. It might not have the compendium of human information but contain their language, peeks at their culture and a good start to figuring them out.”
“Well leave it to me.” Chalice commented. “I can analyse the information as it comes out.”
“Impressive.” Henry replied. “You have come so far in the relatively short time I have known you.”
“Thank you, Henry.” Chalice commented. “I did have an engineering and computer science background. I suppose all that has happened has caused me to learn in leaps and bounds.”
“W
e all have.” Henry commented. “You keep working on the console. Nari and I have another task.”
“I don’t think I like where this is going.” Nari said with a laugh.”
“Nari?” Henry asked. “Do we happen to have any kind of extreme environment suits on the shuttle?”
“You want to go down there, don’t you?” Nari asked. “To the chamber the bore hole punched through from.”
“I don’t think we are going down to hell.” Henry replied with a grin. “But I think there are a lot of answers down there.”
“We have deep atmosphere suits on the ship.” Nari replied. “As well as anti grave drop and recovery harnesses. “We only have the two though but I am sure I can adapt one to mission parameters.”
“Let’s do it then.” Henry replied. “You and I will go down and Chalice can you stay on the surface, relaying what’s going on to the ship and deciphering the console.”
“Absolutely.” Chalice replied. “I will get all I can from its, I will leave the earth world record spelunking and exploration stuff to you.”
“I will call Basta to get clearance.” Nari said with a nod. “We should be able to start the decent within the hour.”
Shortly a pair of metallic suits were brought from the shuttle. Henry stood in front of his and it formed around him, adjusting to his size and shape automatically. He then stepped forward, the suit moving with him freely. Once the suit was finished he took some exploratory steps. He could feel the weight of the suit but it felt like it was helping him move. Nari walked up, suit already set like she was born to it.
“How is it working?” Nari asked. “Do you think you can move safely.”
“Takes some getting used to.” Henry admitted. “It’s more oppressive than a space suit, but I think I got it.”
“Then we go.” Nari said, taking two devices and clamping them to the top of the hole, one lit up red for her suit and one for blue for Henry’s. “These are like magnetic lines, they wont break or fail, and guide the suits antigrav systems to control our ascent and bring us back.”
“You ever done a drop like this?” Henry asked.
“No one has done a drop quite like this.” Nari replied. “But I have done some big jumps and I hear long terrestrial jumps like this are challenging but relatively safe.”
“Relatively?” Henry asked. “That is encouraging.”
“Well let us go.” Nari replied. “The answers are not going to find us.”
“I suppose let us both…go to hell.” Henry said with a nervous laugh.
Nari put a hand on Henry’s shoulder, pushing them both over the edge, the world succumbing to darkness as the pair fell into the unknown abyss below.
Henry had been skydiving before, he had been scuba diving in deep ocean, and even floated in the vacuum of space. However, all of those experiences did nothing to prepare him for the trip down the bore hole. It seemed like they were falling fast but with the dark sides, only lit by the lights of the suits, it was impossible to tell the exact speed. Henry wanted to panic, instinctually knowing that something was not right. But he looked over to Nari finding the woman calm and collected. Nari, after all was the person who had experience with the equipment and how it worked. Henry decided that if Nari was not panicking then he likely did not need to himself.
“Can we still contact the others on the surface?” Nari asked, trying to seemingly keep Henry’s mind off of the decent. “Or will there be too much interference.”
“I set up a wave link com.” Henry replied. “It does not rely on open space to transmit as it uses a wavelength between tangible dimensions. We can contact them but don’t overdo it…it takes a lot of power.”
“Understood.” Nari replied.
“So, do we have any idea how much further?” Henry asked. “And do we have to worry about slowing down…or hitting the sides?”
“Not sure how much longer.” Nari admitted. “The scanning device is still searching ahead for the bottom. But do not fear, once it senses it, the suits antigrav will slow us. It also will keep us away from the sides.”
“Ok good.” Henry said with a nod. “I used to think I was pretty bold. “Well at least since going to space. I must admit…I do not care for this.”
“It is one thing to be bold when you know your world around you.” Nari replied. “Being bold when you don’t is another story. I will admit that though I seem to be on top of my fear most of the time, I very much am not.”
“You are so strong though.” Henry commented. “You are one of the bravest women…no, bravest people I have ever met.”
“It is not weakness to show fear or uncertainty.” Nari added. “A lot of people think that true strength is one built above emotion. That is not true…true strength is based on facing emotion. The strong cry as well as the weak, it is what you do when you are done crying.”
“A very good way to look at things.” Henry replied. “I am no warrior, but I hope to be able to overcome fear to do what we have to do.”
“I believe you will.” Nari replied. “When you came to me I thought you were a small person from a small world. However, you proved to me that you were more and it not only changed how I saw you but the universe at large.”
“Well we are trying to better not just ourselves but humanity, aren’t we?” Henry asked. “For the betterment of those after us, that is why we do this, that is our way forward.”
“Indeed.” Nari replied. “It seems the scanners have found the bottom, be ready.”
“All right.” Henry replied.
The bore hole abruptly ended, opening up to a massive cavern below. It was so large that Henry could not see the sides, totally unable to gauge the size and dimensions. There were bright yellow crystals, seemingly covering the ceiling and going off all the way around, likely comprising the outer shell of the cavern. There was molten lava bubbling from holes around the ceiling and spouting from below. Nari manipulated controls on her suit, guiding her and Henry to a level area of solid land below.
“How hot is it in here?” Nari asked.
“So hot the air itself would cook your lungs.” Henry replied. “Well if the air down here was not made of flammable gas that is.”
“The suits can protect us, right?” Nari asked, the suit slowing her and Henry down as the ground grew closer.
“Well we are not dead.” Henry replied. “So, for the time being at least…were good.”
Nari landed first, the impact no more intense then landing a parachute. Henry landed next, stumbling a step but righting himself instantly. They were on a massive hardened crystal area that was like an island in a sea of fire. There were countless other islands, most close enough to jump with the grav suits. Nari crouched down and plugged a pair of devices into the ground. “These are where the lines are. We can’t really have them linked with us as we look around. Keep in mind if we want to go back up we gotta get back here.”
“Right.” Henry said with a nod. “This place is unlike anything I have ever seen before.”
“Does it look like Hell?” Nari asked in an amused tone.
“Well mostly.” Henry admitted. “Though with far less people and no demons.”
“There are no such things as demons.” Nari replied. “Other than the ones we hide within ourselves.”
“No less terrifying.” Henry admitted. “So, let’s see what we can find. Now that were here I think either of us wants to spend more time down here than we need to.”
“Agreed.” Nari said as she headed off, careful not to lose her footing or fall off one of the islands, lest the lava prove too much for the suit to repel.
The area was like a terrifying labyrinth of crystal, stone and magma. Henry thought that it could take scientists a lifetime to unlock all the secrets to the place. “This place should not exist.”
“In what way?” Nari asked.
“Well what is keeping this place from just becoming a lava pool?” Henry asked. “There are things that should be melted here and it is
like there is some internal force maintaining most of the integrity of the bubble.”
“You are right.” Nari agreed. “It is my experience that places that should not exist usually are doing so by some outside interference. Whatever this place is, it is more than a random pocket.”
“Henry can you hear me?” Chalice’s voice said over the com.
“Yes.” Henry replied. “We are at the bottom, it is a hell scape in nearly every sense of the world. I think the gasses escaping through the bore hole are what is causing the sound coming up the shaft.”
“That’s great.” Chalice replied. “I am starting to make some headway with the computer. I can now start using the program to translate it.”
“Can you patch it into my device?” Henry asked. “I might need my system to translate down here if we find any more alien technology.”
“Yeah.” Chalice replied. “Once it gets a basic bead on the language I will send it all at once so as not to overtask the wave broadcast signal.”
“Agreed.” Henry replied. “Let me know when it is done.”
Nari nodded. “Alright let’s get back to work.”
“I do have one more bit of information.” Chalice replied. “The system seems to want to connect with something down there. There might be something there to find.”
“That is encouraging.” Nari agreed. “Because so far this is just fire and stone.”
“Well there is that thing.” Henry said, pointing to a massive metallic object sitting in the sea of lava. It was hard to tell what it was but it was definitely not naturally occurring.
“Yeah that is definitely not supposed to be here.” Nari agreed. “And if it is not exactly what we are looking for I will be damned.”
Nari and Henry walked toward the massive structure, the closer they got they realised that beyond the obvious debris and oxidation that it was mechanical in nature. It had a circular hull, large circular portals and looked not unlike a ship they have seen before.”
Waves: The Collapsing Universe Page 14
