by Alex Getz
“Do elves understand our language?” Carol asked.
“They converse with us telepathically, and yes, they understand what we say without difficulty,” Mr. Ketling explained. “By the way, elves learn very quickly. Lately, whenever we play, they sit down after us and repeat what they’ve just heard.”
“Why don’t we have elves in our world?” asked River.
“Ortigon chased away anyone who could bring the suspicion that something apart from his world exists.”
Vic looked pensive. Yesterday’s events resurfaced again in his head like a nightmare.
“Who wants more tea?” Chloe’s cheerful voice carried over the table.
“I’ll have some, please,” Grandpa Joe asked for a second cup.
Time flew very fast. After dessert, it was time for the guests to say goodbye. Over the past few days, they grew well accustomed to one another, and the children were reluctant to return to the guest territory.
“I’m glad we had a chance to host you,” Chloe said.
“Thank you very much for your hospitality,” Grandma Doris replied.
“Come play on the swing again sometime,” invited Germaine.
“Definitely,” Arthur gave the thumb up.
Mr. Ketling gave Grandpa Joe a lamp for the road, as night was beginning to fall. Thanking the Ketling family once more, the guests set off in the campsite direction. They walked through a field along a trampled-down path. Upon approaching, when lights from the windows of the main house became visible in the distance, Grandpa Joe said, “It’s time for us to say goodbye, as well.”
Carol hugged him.
“We will meet again very soon,” Grandma Doris assured.
“I wish we could say hi to our parents,” River said. Brothers hugged the old woman goodbye.
“Enjoy your time here, but also be careful,” Grandma Doris said.
The grandparents’ bodies began to lose density, becoming transparent before disappearing entirely. The four children stared for a few moments at the space where their grandparents had just stood and right after that moved toward their tents.
Chapter nine
Group Twenty-Four
The next morning, all of the visiting guests were gathered in the main house. A considerable number of people were already seated and chattering noisily when Arthur, River, Carol, and Vic arrived. Gamp greeted them at the entrance, telling they will be in a group twenty-four during next lesson. They headed to the auditorium, where chairs were arranged in a semicircle, as in an amphitheater. The din of children talking continued until a figure materialized in front of them. Everyone fell silent.
“It’s Florence!” someone yelled from the first row.
Florence welcomed the audience. “I decided to organize this meeting due to recent events that took place in our land. As you all know, the threat of Ortigon attacking has become more than just a remote possibility. For the next year, we will no longer be able to invite guests from Ortigon's world as we have done before. This is a necessary precaution.”
“This could drag on forever!” River grumbled, so only Arthur, Vic, and Carol could hear him.
Suddenly, Florence stopped talking and stared directly at River.
“I understand that some of you think we have already been powerless against Ortigon for far too many years and are forced to live in a state of constant protection. We have several plans that might save the Earth from Ortigon's rule, but each is riskier than the next. These plans require us to confront Ortigon, and we can't afford to take such a risk just yet. We can't jeopardize the safety of the entire planet. We hold a great deal of responsibility and for now, our best option is to strengthen our power and, in the future, continue to invite people from his world. Noticeable changes are already taking place thanks to our former guests, and a day may come when their impact becomes more than just noticeable. And the majority of the population will no longer accept Ortigon's world as true. Unfortunately,” Florence continued after a pause, “your time in Octavia has been shortened for your safety. But still, you will be able to learn the main subjects.
After I finish speaking to you, each group will be teleported to a specific laboratory for a lesson. As you can see, we have guests from other civilizations here today. They will join your class, so in this way, you can get to know one another a little better. Now, our meeting has come to an end. Gamp will meet you in the hallway and teleport each group through a tunnel to their destination.”
Everyone stood up from their seats and headed toward the exit.
“Also, I must ask Vic Walsh to stay for a minute,” Florence added unexpectedly.
Carol, River, and Arthur looked at Vic with both curiosity and concern. Vic shrugged his shoulders, he didn't know what to expect from his upcoming talk with Florence.
“We'll wait for you in the hallway,” River told him.
When everyone left the auditorium, Florence invited Vic to sit down in the front row.
“Vic, you know that Ortigon took your clone under surveillance. He has now released the clone, so as not to draw unnecessary attention. The academic year at your school has ended, and Ortigon has fewer opportunities to monitor your clone outside of school. Nevertheless, they will try to not let your clone out of their sight. You will need to take this into account upon your return and follow all behavioral norms in order not to bring any suspicion.”
“How long will this last?” Vic asked, clearly not thrilled by the news.
“I can't say for certain, but you will need to be extremely cautious when you first return home. Okay? It isn't easy to accept that they will be watching your every step. But you have had the opportunity to see everything in a different light. And even if you can't share your knowledge with others at first, it will be possible with time. Ortigon can't penetrate the consciousness of others. Also, one more thing, I want you to stop feeling guilty for what happened. In any case, it isn't your fault. Try to use the rest of your time here to your maximum benefit.”
“I'll try…”
“Good. Now go and catch up with your friends.”
Vic stood up and climbed the stairs toward the exit. Stopping somewhere along the center rows, he turned to thank Florence, but she was already gone. He glanced around the empty room one last time and quickly scampered out to the hallway where the others waited.
“There he is,” Arthur said, noticing Vic.
The three turned to face Vic, who was rapidly descending the spiral staircase. Only a few other people remained in the hallway, waiting for their turn to slide through the tunnel. Gamp stood near a trapdoor in the floor and supervised the transportation process.
“Number fifteen!” Gamp yelled, and several children approached him. “Who's first, you? Well, go ahead!”
“Is everything alright?” Carol asked her brother.
“Yeah, everything's fine,” Vic replied, quickly sharing his conversation with Florence.
“Hey! Why are you crowding over there?” Gamp shouted at them.
The group twenty-four came closer to the trap door and, one after another, jumped through the tunnel as if doing so was already a long-accustomed habit.
“Happy landings!” Gamp yelled after the jumpers and slammed the door shut behind them.
They flew through the passage and, in less than a minute, landed on mountainous terrain. The midday sun blinded their eyes, and they could distinguish no other living soul nearby besides the birds which flitted and chirped to one another.
“Where are we?” asked River looking around.
“I hope still in Octavia,” Arthur said.
A falcon landed not far from the children and froze in place, scrutinizing them with its brown eyes. After a few seconds, another falcon landed next to the first, followed by yet another and another. Soon, a dozen birds gathered close by, beginning to fly in a circle. Gradually, a human silhouette took shape in the very center of the soaring circle. This transformation was quite intimidating, so the children moved backward, not knowing wha
t to expect from this bird-man. But eventually, there was nothing birdlike about his appearance. It was an older man with wrinkles and grey hair.
“Hello,” he said, “I probably startled you a little. You are Group Twenty-Four, aren't you? My name is Rufus, and I am one of Octavia's elders.”
Everyone studied the man with interest. He didn’t look ordinary, his manner of speaking, gestures, and movements did not correspond with his wrinkles and grey hair. A pince-nez balanced over his nose, and his fingers bore many rings with a variety of stones. In general, he looked slightly eccentric.
“Your other groupmates from Venus arrived a little while ago. Now, do you see this canyon? We are going to enter it,” Rufus pointed to the canyon towering not far from them.
“Enter the canyon?” River asked.
“You heard me correctly. We are going to enter this canyon, which will be a painless process, so don’t worry. Inside of it, there is a laboratory of the planets’ creation. People who reach high mastery of their skills can create their planets. At Octavia's university, there is a department dedicated to planet construction. Every year, only a few people are given the possibility of studying this field.
I am in charge of this laboratory, and today you will observe the process of planet creation and also will try your hand in it.”
When they approached high canyon, Rufus walked through it, disappearing from view. The others followed after the elder, as like there was no physical obstacle in front of them. In a second, they appeared in a large, underground laboratory, divided into several sections. Specialists worked at each area where a particular planet part was developing.
“Now we will visit the animal section,” Rufus said when a staircase appeared near his feet out of nowhere. Rufus took to the stairs in nearly a run. River, Carol, and Vic tried not to lag. Arthur followed behind the others. Looking down, he noticed that the stairs below disappeared the second he took another step upwards. When they appeared in the animal section, Rufus introduced their three new Venusians groupmates, who looked like living dolls.
“In their true form, they look sort of differently; a human appearance was specially made for them, so you all can interact with one another,” Rufus explained.
Identical twin sisters and a boy turned toward them and greeted with smiles. The girls were named Lucy and Kristen, and the boy was David.
“So,” Rufus began, “here we are creating a new project. Most animals will be the same as on Earth. But also we are developing new species with different functions.”
Rufus led the children past an array of animals, which included even dinosaurs.
“Why do you call the new planet a project?” Vic asked.
“That's speaking figuratively. The Earth, for example, is also a project. Once it was developed down to the finest detail, just like we are currently creating this one.” The elder led them up to a large platform that looked like an oasis for southern plants and animals within the laboratory walls. “Right now, we are performing a check on the interaction between various types of animals. Each animal species programmed with its own personality traits.”
On the platform, a tiger leaped with a roar at an unfamiliar animal. The onlooking children shrunk back in alarm; the twin girls hid behind David.
“Stop!” one of a specialist commanded, observing the events on the platform. In an instant, all animals froze as if someone pressed the “pause” button. “The tiger shouldn't attack that animal, fix that please.”
Another laboratory worker pressed some buttons on a large screen, and the tiger returned to its original place. Next time it walked as before, but the animal didn't even catch the predator's eye.
“Rufus, are these real animals?” River asked.
“They are robots specially designed for these trainings, so don't worry if you see one animal eat another. Any other questions?”
“Do things ever get out of control on the actual planet? I mean, what if this tiger attacks animals it is programmed not to eat?” Carol asked.
“That is rare, but it does happen. We try to calculate every detail, but sometimes the natural course of events makes its adjustments.”
Rufus led the children to a door at the end of a narrow glass corridor. Upon opening it, they appeared in another laboratory room.
“We are developing a new type of human being in this section. We are coming up with a new physical appearance at the moment. This body will serve many more functions and will have more features,” Rufus explained. He also said that some of these human beings would have the ability to fly. Wings resembling two rays of the sun would facilitate this function.
“Why will only some people be able to fly?” asked Arthur.
“Those who will try to develop their potential will have this ability. Now, we get to see how inhabitants of the new civilization might look,” Rufus said and led them a bit further.
A huge glass cylinder appeared in front of them. An extraordinarily beautiful girl floated inside of it. The girl's hands and legs were longer than average. Her skin was a silver shade. She greeted the visitors with a serene gaze and a barely discernible smile.
“We call her Elsa,” Rufus said. “She is the closest version of what we are trying to create.”
“She's amazing,” River seemed fascinated with Elsa.
“I hope that soon she will be able to live as we do. For now, this is just an exterior, the outer shell of what will possibly one day be endowed with life. These beings will feel the surrounding world in more ways than we can.”
Elsa, as if confirming Rufus' words, slowly blinked her big eyes. The rays behind her back flitted and lifted her upwards within the glass cylinder.
“Alright. It’s a time to go underground,” said Rufus.
The elder and the group took an elevator, as the underground section was situated deep below the canyon’s surface. When they walked into the elevator, Rufus said the level number, and it moved down. It arrived in a large hall where instead of the walls were large windows with an underwater view. It seemed as they were on the bottom of the ocean. A team of laboratory workers laboring over a large diagram caught the children’s eyes.
“We develop underwater projects in this section,” Rufus explained. “Right now, our main task is to finish building the underwater city—one of our new projects. A large part is already created. Soon you will be able to see it with your own eyes. Now, I just spoke telepathically with my assistant Eve; she already has prepared the whales for us.”
“May I ask please, prepared them for what?” River asked.
“You’ll see for yourself after a minute’s patience.”
River, Arthur, Carol, Vic, and Venusians followed Rufus, who took off again at nearly a run. They passed through numerous halls when they finally arrived at a large pool. The elder handed them swimsuits to put on, which looked similar to diving suits.
“Rufus, I can't swim,” Carol said. “Does it mean I should stay here and wait for you to get back?
“I can't swim either,” Arthur added hurriedly. River looked surprisingly at his brother.
“Don’t worry, here you will be able to do that. Also, we are going to ride on whales’ backs.”
Arthur tried not to betray any emotions at this news.
“When did you forget how to swim?” River whispered to Arthur.
“When they erased your memory and replaced it with a new one with holes.”
“Oh, I thought when you got a crush on someone.”
“Shush, you!”
Rufus stood at the edge of the pool and whistled loudly with his fingers. Ten seconds passed, twenty, then half of a minute. Suddenly, they heard some noise from the depths of the pool. Dark, fast-moving silhouettes drew closer and closer, gradually becoming distinguishable in the water. The whales surfaced for air for a moment, and watery sprays flew in several directions. Rufus approached one whale and stroked its skin.
“Beauties. Come closer, kids, you have a long journey ahead with them. Don't be a
fraid. You can pet them.”
They cautiously approached the water. Several whales swam up to meet them.
“They're so friendly,” Carol cooed.
Rufus swam up to one of the whales and climbed on it.
“Come on, don't lag! Get on top of them! And, most importantly, hold on tightly! You will be able to breathe underwater as easily as here. Also, you will almost not feel the water, as I put a water repellent charm on you. ”
When everyone was settled, Rufus held a short briefing, and on his command, the whales began to descend under the water. Their bodies were gradually submerged. As they found themselves entirely in water, the kids took a few breaths there and found they could breathe as easily and freely as before. The swimming pool led directly into the underwater city; they distanced from the pool with increasing speed. At first, they could not see anything surrounding them. But very soon, Rufus exclaimed, “Look at the bottom!”
Following his advice, they still did not catch sight of anything other than a tight, dark blue reservoir.
“I don't see anything,” River shouted.
“Neither do I,” Arthur agreed, “unless…it seems to me that something below really is starting to appear.”
The water's thickness dissipated, and soon it was clear that they were swimming high above a submerged city. It was almost as if they were flying in the sky and looking at everything below from a bird's eye view. The whales descended slowly. When they swam closer to the ground, they could see that the city was quite futuristic, but it also had some old-fashioned buildings. Swimming along the empty streets, the children peered through windows of houses, which held only empty rooms. A structure much like a castle stood in the city's center.
“I suggest you take a look inside the castle, while the whales will rest a bit,” said Rufus.
Releasing the whales, the group swam inside the castle. The exterior was somewhat dismal, and the interior wasn’t much brighter. Enormous chandeliers hung in every hall. Paintings on all the walls lacked any sort of depiction, they were just framed empty canvases. The rooms had some furniture, which stood fastened firmly to the floor. Arthur swam up to a table and picked up a candlestick, easily separating it from the table surface. He showed that to Carol, who was swimming by.
