by S V Hurn
Kore stared down at the doctor. “Absurd. What foolishness are you going on about? Our so-called ancestors came here thousands of years ago! This ship and its crew, whomever they are, could not possibly be from our past!”
The doctor sat back in his chair and crossed his arms on top of his round, protruding belly. He looked up to this fabled ship. Pointing to her image book with a confident smirk on his face, he said, “What you have in your possession, although not an original image album from the time, certainly bears an uncanny resemblance to the images I have from the ancients that came to us so may eons ago.”
Kore stopped short in her questioning, her curiosity getting the best of her. “You have an original image of this ship in your possession?”
Feeling he had the upper hand, Dr. Hoffman simply said, “Yes, yes I do.”
Her eyes wide with excitement, Kore demanded, “Where . . . you have to show it to me!”
Hoffman leaned forward with a smug smile on his lips and a spark in his eyes. “I will show you what you are seeking, but I want one promise from you in return.”
She glared back; she was not very often in a position of helplessness. “Look my dear Doctor, I will take the information I need with or without your help . . . I would prefer that we work together,” clearing her throat and hissing, “as a team.”
Dr. Hoffman gleamed with approval. “Okay then, I will arrange to have lunch brought to us before we depart.”
“Depart? Where do you have the information I seek? Kore was growing impatient and wanted answers. “Why is this information not here?”
“Prime Minister, this is not the type of thing we have out in the open, the information you seek is classified.”
“Classified!” she screeched. “If it is classified why have I not been made aware of it?”
Hoffman said, looking through his magnifying lens, his one eye appearing walleyed, “I was called in decades ago to make an assessment on an ancient artifact that had been dug out from a dried lakebed. I was taken there so I could inspect it and cataloged what had been found and since that day it has been secured, its location secret, and I believe it to still be there. The reason I am sharing this information with you, other than the fact you have in your possession something of importance that could explain its significance, is that you, my dear lady, strike an unnerving resemblance to one of the occupants of your transient space craft.”
Kore was rendered speechless. All her years spent searching for her ancestry, always having dead-end results; now she had a new twist to the core of her existence. She stared at the good doctor for what seemed to be a lifetime, finally gathering her thoughts, “How will we gain access to the information we seek?”
Hoffman was excited with pleasure from merely the thought of having the power to please this woman. All had deemed her in such unfavorable terms, but he knew that under every hardened façade lay an individual with a torrent past. A past that had sculpted the person she had become. Dr. Hoffman reached over and patted her rough weathered hands that had been gripping the edge of his dusty desk. “I believe you have the authority to get us in, if you act as if you are quite aware of its existence.” Hoffman winked, “Act the part.”
A sideways smile lingered on Kore’s lips and her eyes sparkled as she dared a glance into her cohort’s eyes, finding herself feeling young and attractive for the first time since she was a young woman.
Dr. Hoffman and Kore sat staring up at the image before them, both contemplating what the other wanted in return. Hoffman broke the silence that had enveloped the room. “This ship has always been thought of as lost, and its occupants from a place far away. I’m sure you are familiar with our questionable origins as there has never been any real proof of our evolution. I believe you are one of the few, being a direct descendant.”
She sat, arms crossed, wondering how much Hoffman knew of their past. “The reason I am here is to know what you know about this ship and my little capstone, not to question how or why I have these artifacts in my possession.”
Hoffman knew he was entering dangerous waters and knew that only with her help would he ever find the truth. “Okay I will share with you what I know, then perhaps you might find a reason to share with me any further information that might be advantageous for you to do so.”
She pondered a moment and held out her hand, “Okay Dr. Hoffman, I trust you and I
have come to an understanding.”
Hoffman reached over his desk and clasped her frail hand in his as he leaned in and kissed it. “You can call me Allen.”
She recoiled. “You can give me my amulet back.”
CHAPTER 43
Coolie and Patsup disembarked, leaving Jobar to act as guild for the group’s supply mission. Jobar gave his oldest friend a quick hug. Pointing to Patsup he said, “You do exactly as Coolie says, no questions asked. Get back to my home and remove all references to what we have been up to over the years, take the credits out of the safe box and destroy anything else that could lead anyone who might be looking. And tell our sister not to worry, the less she knows the better . . . tell her we are taking another vacation.”
Patsup whined, “What about my job!” Jobar cut him off sharply by whacking him upside his head. “Your job now is to assist us and to do as you’re told . . . forget it all . . . your old life is gone!”
Coolie grabbed Patsup by the sleeve and pushed him into the airlock, looking back as he switched the locking mechanism. “Be careful my friends, I will get this done thoroughly and in a timely fashion and will contact you shortly.” There was a brief shutter as Jobar’s ship disengaged and hurried on their way home.
Jobar look liked a man who had been beaten but was not down. “Okay my friends let me see if I can find a way to disguise ourselves as not to stand out . . . this should go smoothly without any hitches.”
The group stood at the hatchway, preparing to disembark donning tattered looking cloaks that Jobar had assembled using blankets and old bits of coveralls and other remnants he could find lying around. Their bodies were covered from head to toe with just their eyes exposed. Jobar required that they wear goggles of some sort to not only protect their eyes from the harsh sunlight, but also to cover their eyes and faces from being seen, as the indigenous people had their own unique appearance. Brenda and Magnus were chosen to stay behind to watch over the ship and the mission in case something was to go wrong and they needed to lift off at a moment’s notice.
Dorathy was clutching her sack and adjusting her goggles on her face as Henry opened the outer hatch, the solar radiation piercing the air where they stood. Brenda blocked the light from her eyes with her hand. “Good luck guys.”
The land was stark and dry and devoid of anything that resembled food. The ship was hidden in a valley that appeared to be an ancient riverbed. Jobar assured the group that no one ever ventured out this far from the village. The group hiked for what seemed to be hours, taking in the desolate scenery, when at last they ascended over the cusp of the steep incline where they could now see the small village and the green farm land that stretched for miles surrounding it.
Dorathy peered out towards the horizon with an eerie feeling of déjà vu brewing in her gut, her eyes wide. “How is this possible . . . what type of irrigation have they developed to farm this land and what of the plants, how can they survive this intense radiation?”
Jobar explained their methods of creating water from the atmosphere from within the soil. “As far as the solar radiation, I guess life just seems to find a way to adapt. I fear this planet is doomed and before long it is highly likely the atmosphere will boil away in time.”
Henry, looking at the village said, “Jobar, won’t we be out of place and cause the locals to become curious of our being here?”
Jobar shook his head. “No, this place is not unfamiliar with visitors, but they are a rowdy bunch of settlers and can become bored very easily. We should make haste and get what we came for and be on our way quickly.”
; Henry looked at Dimitri and Dorathy. “Okay gang let’s get in and out as fast as we can, we have more than enough credits to purchase what we need. Jobar will do the negotiating for us so follow his lead.”
Approaching the village, they could see the market area and steep dirt roads leading up the mountain to the north. Most of the villagers had built their homes into the sides of the rocky outcroppings and caves using a system of lava tubes, creating a community that used the mountain as protection against the solar radiation. The air was still, and they could smell the peculiar scents of local grown fruits and vegetables lingering in this parched oasis.
Dorathy tightened the scarlet-colored scarf around her face to hide her identity and protect her altered skin from the searing sun. They walked through the village careful not to make a great deal of fuss and avoided prolonged eye contact with the locals. Jobar acted as interpreter and buyer, filling their huge back sacks quickly.
A stiff wind picked up suddenly and they could see a yellow darkness was fast approaching from the east. “Jobar said, almost yelling to be heard over the thunder echoing in the distance, “I was afraid this might happen, as we are in their monsoon season when massive dust storms are known to happen in these parts.”
Henry shook his head motioning to his commlink. “I will have Magnus prep the ship for lift off and come get us just out of sight over behind the tree line.”
Without warning, Dorathy’s scarf blew off from around her face and she hurriedly chased it down as it whipped from one stall to the next. She now realized she had exposed her identity to the locals as they were packing their stalls in the wake of the approaching storm.
From behind Dorathy felt a firm grip as heavy hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her up and over his shoulders. Screaming to be heard, she dropped her sack of goods and successfully fought her way free when she felt a sharpness in her thigh and her world narrowed to blackness; nothing left but her scarf fluttering in the wind, impaled on a nearby post, and spewed vegetables on the dusty ground.
Henry had caught a glance of Dorathy as her scarf blew off and saw as she dashed to retrieve it. The very next thing he saw through the scurrying crowd was her scarf high up on a support post connecting the now wildly moving shade awnings. Henry pushed past Dimitri and Jobar only to find her sack spilled on the ground. He climbed up on a table to the objection of one of the locals and searched wildly for her, yelling her name as his voice was drowned in the wind. Henry reached up and grabbed her scarf, yelling at the local trying desperately to communicate the whereabouts to the owner of the brightly colored scarf.
Jobar and Dimitri ran over to investigate; they could see the horror in Henry’s goggled eyes knowing something had happened to Dorathy in the last few seconds. Jobar started yelling to the local as she was hastily packing up. She yelled something back as she picked up her cart of goods and vacated with the others. Jobar shook his head in despair and yelled, “She saw her, but she was too busy to see what had happened. She said something about a mating ritual that perhaps she had been chosen!” Jobar bent over, his mind reeling as his heart sank, and put the vegetables back in her sack as he hoisted it over his shoulder. “We have to go now; these storms can be very dangerous. We will have to look for her later . . . there is not much we can do now!”
The wind was howling, and the dust was coming at them with such ferocity that if it weren’t for their cloaks and goggles, their skin would be sand-blasted and eyes blinded. They slowly pushed their way to the other side of the tress as the ship came in for a landing, hovering almost motionless above the ground before gently landing in the dust whirling around them.
The hatch opened as they stumbled in, shaking the dust from their bodies. “Brenda looked past them outside with a puzzled look on her face. “Where the hell is Dora?”
Dimitri removed his goggles and scarf and calmly spoke. “She has been abducted by one of the locals.”
“What! What the hell are you talking about!”
Henry put his hands on Brenda’s shoulders. “She was taken . . . the storm came and there was a lot of chaos . . . and she was there one second and gone the next.”
Brenda yelled now, “God damn it, we have to go back and get her!”
Jobar shook his head. “There is nothing we can do for her at the present time, we have to wait for the storm to pass.”
Well shit . . . that could be hours!”
Henry walked past Brenda with Jobar and Dimitri following with their bags of goods, Brenda running after them saying, “Fuck you all, we land this fucking ship in town and come out firing . . . someone is bound to spit her out!”
Magnus heard the commotion and came into the main lab. “What the hell is going on back here?”
Brenda explained the situation and he said, “Well my dear they are right, we will go fetch her when the storm passes and best to do this in the cover of night.”
“Brenda relax,” Henry said. “She’s a smart cookie and we all know she can handle herself—she is probably already working out her escape plan.”
Doctor Allen Hoffman and Kore enjoyed each other’s company while they sat for a quick bite to eat in the privacy of his cluttered office. Kore put a plate down for Nikko to enjoy. “You have been such a good boy.” Hoffman loved animals and Nikko could feel his warm heart and jumped up on his lap for a scratch. “Hello fella, I must say he is an unusual choice for a pet.”
Kore remembered the day she obtained him from an animal keeper who was considering having him put down due to his deformities as an infant, but she would not have it; she took him in and nursed him back to health.
Their meal finished, the three departed in Hoffman’s personal transport ship for the underground storage facility. Kore was amazed, as this location was always been known to her as just another one of the many government installations. She never paid much attention to the conspiracy theories surrounding it. Many believed it to be far more interesting by saying it was a secret installation where the New Western Ordinance kept top secret advancements in technology and other speculative items. The base was in the middle of nowhere, on a long time dried lakebed in a high desert valley surrounded by jagged mountains. On the outside, only a few tattered old hangars were visible clumped alongside an air strip that looked as if it were only occasionally used. There was no sign of any activity as they came in for a landing.
Kore smiled and laughed on their approach. “You mean to tell me that the rumors about this place are factual?”
Hoffman smiled, “My dear, never judge a book by its cover. The surface is just a façade to lead people to think nothing of importance is happening here when in fact lots of incredible things are being stored here.”
After landing they noticed a single red light high up on a post shining bright as a warning not to proceed. The three of them approached an old airshaft with nothing but a heavy metal door concealing the entrance. Kore and Nikko were close on Hoffman’s heels and Kore asked, “Allen where are you taking us, this seems very peculiar.”
“Remember, act the part,” he said, feeling confident that she could get them past the guards who were no doubt waiting within.
Hoffman pulled the door open, surprisingly finding it to be unlocked and only a single armed military personnel standing guard in front of an elevator shaft and a man sitting at a console who looked up at them, noticing Kore’s insignia on the front of her cloak. A surveillance monitor from the ceiling cast down a circular beam that engulfed them in a bright green field of energy that left them immobile. Nikko screeched, trying to release himself from its grip and Kore hissed, “What is the meaning of this, do you know who I am? I demand you release us at once! We are here on official business and I will have you demoted for your lack of obedience!”
The man at the console seemed unaffected by her threats. “Standard procedure ma’am. As soon as I can verify who you are you will be free to establish contact with a controller.”
Before she could protest any further the beam flicker
ed out. “Okay madam Prime Minister, a controller will be here shortly to escort you to sublevel one where you can discuss your being here.”
“This is absolutely unacceptable and completely unnecessary.” With her taking another breath to voice her defiance the elevator door hissed open and with it a cold draft filled the small space that sent a shiver up their spines. Inside was a single occupant who wore an irritated stern look on his face, his body language showing his disapproval. Hoffman feared that perhaps he had been over-confident in the Prime Minister’s authoritative ability to get them to sublevel fifty-one.
Kore was not accustomed to this type of procedure and usually had the upper hand with her demands; regardless, she held her head high and did not sway from her status that she had held for so many years. “I am Prime Minister Athanatos here on official business and this is Doctor Allen Hoffman, Director of Antiquities for the NWO History Gallery.”
The man seemed unimpressed and agitated by the unexpected arrival of his unwelcomed guests. Sounding bored he responded, “I know who you are, the question is why you are here, and we will address that downstairs so come with me.”
Kore went to protest to his behavior but refrained and they entered the elevator. The door hissed shut, leaving them in an eerie red glow as they descended. When the doors opened, they found themselves in an area that held countless offices with people buzzing around doing their daily routine. Kore’s was confused as to where all the employees had come from as they followed their escort down a brightly lit hall. The starkness of the surface facades was quite effective in leading most to believe there was nothing of importance in this abandoned base.
Finally, the man came to a stop and opened the door to what seemed to be his office. “Please take a seat.” They both sat, leaving Nikko curled up at Kore’s feet.
The controller sat at his desk and asked, “So please tell me why have you shown up unannounced at this military facility? We don’t get too many visitors here, not because we are so far removed from civilization but simply put, it is strictly off-limits. So, for you to show up as you have, I sure hope you are here for good reason . . . otherwise this is going to be a very short trip.”
