Chapter 09 | New Horizons
Like a silver thread the monorail ran through the grassland of the open plains and caught the light from the moon and stars that shone from the ebony blackness of the vast sky.
"It's an open bar – so help yourselves gentlemen, don't be shy…"
In near total silence a gleaming black monorail glided through the tall grasslands as it slid along on its smooth track. The bright moonlight caressed the sleek modern lines as the train elegantly flew along the elevated rail to an unknown destination.
"I'm going up front to make sure all our paperwork is squared away – then I'll be back to give you a rundown on the ground rules… let you know what were in for."
The door to the lounge car closed with a solid thump leaving three seriously confused men alone with their thoughts. One of them glanced out of the window at the darkened landscape.
It was SO hard to believe…
"I… you mean – this REALLY isn't Earth?!"
Robert Buxton ran his hand through the few strands of hair remaining on the top of his shiny pink head as he marveled at the view. The only thing stopping his turned up nose from touching the glass of the window he was leaning against, was his large belly that stretched his bright white shirt almost to the breaking point. Robert spoke quietly as he stared in fascination at the rolling plains that flowed past them in the night.
The second man, was Steve Jones. He was slightly younger than the fat man at the window. A stocky individual with thick curly hair and a flat, broad nose. He walked solidly across the elegant car and plucked a glass of champagne from the bar then and stopped next to Robert at the window. He gave him a sharp, playful shove on the shoulder as he answered.
"Of course it isn't Earth! Geeziz Bob – where the hell do you THINK we are? We were on that weird space shuttle for three days! Seriously – what do you –"
Chip Pemberton broke in, causing the other two to turn.
"Well, maybe – we just went in a big circle… Did you even consider that possibility? You know – just a few high level orbits, then simply returned."
Everything about Chip, was thin. Thin hair, plastered flat against his thin head. He had a thin nose that tapered to a point just above his thin lips. His black horn-rimmed glasses were thick and seemed to almost jut out past his thin shoulders. Chip pushed them back onto his nose as he took another bite of his king-sized snickers bar and continued to speak around it.
"I mean this could very well be an elaborate trick. Mr. Harrison brought us here for an executive team building retreat after all – so maybe he wants to see if we can… perhaps determine if we can be fooled?"
The men puzzled for a moment as they looked to the door that Gregory Harrison had passed through only moments ago, then Steve broke the brief silence and pointed to the sky through the large ceiling window.
"No way Chip – look at the stars! NONE of 'em are in the right place."
"…and the moon too…" said Robert quietly. It was almost a whisper. "It's so big. At least three times the size of what it should be."
"Yes…" conceded Chip. He was beginning to realize the truth. "…it is…much too big – and the pattern – it's all wrong."
As they continued to look up and out at the strange world around them, the door to the car slid open and their leader, Gregory Harrison walked back in.
"Okay – shit's about to get real gentlemen, so listen up. There's a few things I wanna go over before this little safari gets underway."
Gregory Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of Chem-Life Pharmaceuticals, reclined into the plush leather of a deep black chair and took a moment to enjoy the feeling of the quiet motions as the train sailed through the grasslands beneath them.
Robert wasn't sure he heard him right. Picking up another drink with his chubby fingers he asked, "Suh… Uh, Safari? You mean like..?"
Rounding a low hill, a glittering city tucked into the deep blue mountain several miles ahead appeared through the large observation windows. Gregory silenced Robert as he gestured expansively at the moonlit fields, the rolling hills and the large dark canyon beyond and addressed the three executives seated just across from him.
"Yeah, that's right – Safari – and we're talking the most exotic, mind-blowing, interplanetary hunting trip you've ever experienced! But there's a few things you all need to know first. The New Horizon's Game Reserve is REAL particular about everything out here. That candy wrapper you're holding for instance – CHIP."
Chip Pemberton slowly peered down at the chocolate smeared wrapper he was about to toss out of the cracked window. He pulled it back and held it in front of him. He looked like a curious water bird examining a potential threat. Then cautiously, he raised his gaze back to his boss who continued his explanation.
"You throw that fucker out the window, and we get sued into the goddamn stone-age. Only the most MINIMAL disturbance to the natural habitat here is tolerated. The whole environment – everything – is to be kept absolutely pristine."
Gregory Harrison was an older, accomplished man of enormous wealth. He was in his middle fifties, and had been a long standing member of New Horizon's Club. It was a little known and extremely exclusive organization catering only to most wealthy and well-connected members of the global community. All the major players came here. The senior executives from Monsanto, Bechtel, Pepsico, DuPont, all the biggies had their yearly retreats at New Horizons. This included the global corporation, ChemLife. Gregory had been the Chief Executive Officer of the multi-national mega industry for the past ten years and every year, he made the trip out to New Horizons. But this time – he also brought his senior executives for an intensive team building experience.
Gregory's father, grandfather, great grandfather and his father before him had all been New Horizon members. He took a long drink and swirled his glass. Then leaning forward, he spoke quietly - conspiritorially.
"This New Horizon's Club dates way back to the 1890's – 1898 to be exact. THAT'S when FTL travel was first invented. I shit you not – it's been around for generations! But almost no one knows… we keep it under wraps and for good reason! Ever hear of that famous egg-head, Nikola Tesla? Yeah? Well he invented more than just the alternating current. Or a stupid-ass coil that makes sparks. Or that bull-shit copper sphere on a stick that sucked static electricity out of the air. That wacked out dill-wagon wanted to power homes for FREE. What a dick."
The three executives smiled and nodded in agreement as they sat down on a large couch across from their boss. As if they were powered by a single mind, the three men leaned forward over the glass table that separated them. Gregory paused a moment.
"Refills?"
Quickly draining their glasses, the men nodded almost in unison. As he filled their glasses, he continued.
"So – here's where it gets interesting. No one except for a few people and now you – know this… Tesla invented the practice of time cresting. It was based on the idea that space-time's not an intellectual construct, but actually a natural force. A force that travels in waves."
He made little wave motions with his hand and the thick gold rings on Gregory's manicured hand caught the lights and sparkled. The men's heads bobbed slightly as they watched every motion.
"Rather than ride on the entire wave – this brilliant Tesla mutha-fucker – designed a vehicle that didn't move, but resonated at certain frequencies, allowing the occupant to 'travel' across the crests of space-time like a large catamaran skimming over the waves of the sea."
Steve, leaned forward slightly. He was getting it.
"So… so that's how…"
"Right – you got it – that's how the 'space shuttle' got us here. It's not a space shuttle per-se, it's a star hoppin' - time cresting – Tesla powered, interplanetary pimp-wagon on goddamn STEROIDS and it brought us twenty three point six light years from Earth to Gliese 667 Cc - or as we like to call it NEW HORIZONS! It brought us here like it brought generations of elite, sporting gentlemen here before us - going back for more than a hundred years!"
Gregory's tanned, leathery face stretched into an artificially whitened, capped-toothed smile as he leaned back into his seat.
"Trust me – you guys are gonna LOVE this. Now – how about a little toast to the coming hunt?"
Three arms connected to impeccably well-dressed executives, eagerly extended their glasses towards their leader. As they smiled and nodded, their tone was at once agreeable and deferential.
"Sure thing GH – to the hunt!"
"Thanks boss - cheers!"
"Sounds like a plan Mr. Harrison – to the hunt!"
One of Gregory's heavy, gold cufflinks clinked faintly against the glass of the champagne bottle as he reached for it. He generously re-filled the three large crystal glasses in front of him once again. This time, the glasses overflowed liberally spilling a quantity of the costly champagne across the glass table and onto the floor of the luxurious compartment they were traveling in. No one paid attention as it soaked into the carpet, leaving a heavy, wet stain. He winked confidentially at his C-suite executive team as he poured.
"We're nearly there. This club is amazing, it's like nothing you've ever seen… but I gotta tell you – this little hunting trip will be a team building exercise to end ALL team building exercises!"
The rustle of an expensive shirt – one of the executive team raised his hand slightly.
"Uh… GH?"
"Robert? You gotta question? Shoot."
Robert's pudgy, face always had an ever present, slightly quizzical expression no matter what the situation. He fidgeted nervously with his stubby fingers as he took one more sip then looked around the interior of the tram and asked.
"So this hunting trip – Is… I mean, if we're going hunting… are we going to use – um, where are the guns?"
The other two executives looked up from their drinks eyebrows arched expectantly as they anticipated their leader's answer.
Gregory looked down at his drink and smiled again. He shook his head slowly as if re-living a private joke – then took a long drink draining his glass. As it went down the other executives watched as his throat contracted, working the bolus of alcohol into his cologne drenched body. The effect looked strangely like the gullet of a komodo dragon swallowing the hind leg of a fawn. Then he stared at the trio with eyes that glittered darkly as he answered.
"Guns!? Heh… Boys… boys… boys – that's strictly small time. What do you think this is?! This is NEW Horizons. Here we don't hunt with guns… guns are for pussies! When we hunt – we go BIG – when we hunt HERE…"
He held up his glass to the trio who met his with theirs. The clinking of the crystal was sharp and hard.
"…we do it as TITANS!"