Chapter 3: Alan's Debriefing
Alan Carter dusted himself down as he approached Commander Koenig, who shook his head. "That smile on your face," Koenig exclaimed. "We've been worried to death but it doesn't look as if you spared us any thought. Have you seen Victor?"
Alan shook his head, unable to wipe the smile from his face. "No, Commander, but that thing…" he indicated the pyramid, "is not hostile. It's some kind of portal. You're not going to believe this, but I actually experienced time travel!"
The other two men who had been waiting with the ATVs had approached and looked at Alan in his strange getup. Koenig had activated his commlock. "Paul, call off the search for Captain Carter. We just found him unharmed."
"Great news, Commander," Paul Morrow replied. "What about the Professor?"
"Continue the search," Koenig said, but Alan placed his hand on his Commander's arm.
"You're not going to find him, Commander. He's having fun in another time."
John Koenig shook his head. "Let's get you over to medical for a checkup, Alan. You look fine but it's your mind I'm worried about."
"I'm perfectly fine, Commander," Alan started explaining as they headed to the vehicles. "And I just had an adventure that'll blow your socks off. That thing took me all the way back to 1918 and World War One!"
The men stopped, staring at Carter in unbelief; then glanced back at the golden pyramid. John Koenig still looked worried. "Let's get you checked out anyway, Alan. You've been gone for three days and we have been frantic with worry. After that you can tell us your story." The Commander turned to the other two men. "Stay here and watch that thing in case Victor shows up. Let me know. I'll send two new guys to relieve you in a couple of hours."
"Yes Commander," Hector Perez nodded. Their ATVs were parked under some trees and the men sat against them on the soft Berg ground.
"Hop on," Koenig indicated to Alan. "I'll take you over to the medical center in Uzazi." Alan Carter climbed on the ATV behind his commander and as they started the long journey back to their community he replayed everything in his mind. He just kept smiling as he remembered every detail and couldn't wait to tell about his incredible adventure. Commander Koenig was silent, perhaps contemplating his chief pilot's strange demeanor or still worried about Professor Bergman. But Alan concluded in his mind that the Professor was fine, wherever he was, and wondered what great adventure the scientist was experiencing.
As they entered the medical building in Uzazi, orderlies stopped to stare at Alan in unbelief. Word had spread and Helena Russell and Bob Mathias came to meet them. They too stopped in amazement and studied the pilot in his strange getup.
"I'm sure the Professor is fine," Alan said to Helena Russell. "All I experienced was time travel." He indicated his clothes. "I ended up in a squadron during World War One."
The doctor's face became alarmed and Alan realized that it had probably not been the best thing to say. But she pulled herself together. "Well, get those clothes off and let's check you over." She indicated one of the patient rooms.
"We're still looking, Helena," John Koenig said softly and she nodded.
"Thank you, John."
"I'll wait here," the Commander said.
Mathias and Doctor Russell followed Alan into the room and waited while he shed his flight jacket and flight suit. He had already taken off the leather flight helmet, goggles and gloves because Berg was much warmer than where he had been, and carefully laid it all on a chair. "Souvenirs," he explained with a smile.
While Doctor Russell led him to the examination bed he noticed Bob Mathias fingering the clothes as if to ascertain that they were real. He could see the astonishment on the man's face.
"How did you get back?" Helena asked while affixing electrodes to his temples and extremities.
"I was flying a World War One fighter plane and the golden pyramid simply appeared in front of me. I flew straight into it."
The two doctors looked at each other; then bent over the monitors to study the readouts.
"Well, his vital signs are all normal," Bob Matthias concluded. Helena Russell straightened up, facing her colleague.
"So are his brain patterns. Let's draw some blood just to be sure."
Carter reflected that he had just survived a dogfight during a war without losing a single drop of blood but here he was getting ready to lose some on a peaceful planet and he found himself unable to suppress a grin yet again.
"You appear a little euphoric, Alan," Helena observed.
"Hell, yeah I'm euphoric," he replied, not disrespectfully. "I just had the most incredible experience and I'm dying to tell people about it. I really am fine."
Helena left the room, leaving Bob Matthias to draw the blood and Alan could see her outside through the window talking to John Koenig. They both pushed into the room as Matthias was finishing up.
"Well, Alan, you seem to check out OK." John Koenig sounded relieved. "While they run those blood tests, start talking." The Commander pulled over a chair and sat down. "Just the outline."
"Well, Commander, it seems when I touched that pyramid, it pulled me into a different time."
"Victor had not touched it, though?" John interrupted.
"No, but he was holding onto me," Alan replied after thinking for a moment. "He had been standing up with the scanner to reach higher up. I remember him telling me that the pyramid was very dense but was not emitting anything, so I reached out to it."
"We saw the golden fog or mist or whatever it was, surround you," Koenig added. "When we approached the moon buggy, the scanner and the laser cannon were still there, but the two of you were gone."
"I had the time of my life, Commander!" Alan gushed. Then he looked at Doctor Russell. "I'm sure the Professor will be fine, but he didn't end up where I did. I ended up in a field in France, close to a British airfield." He noticed the other three looking incredulously at each other.
"While I tried to work out what had happened, planes appeared," Alan continued. "Biplanes. World War One Sopwith Camel biplanes. You can imagine my surprise, just as you find it hard to believe what I'm telling you. I tried calling on my commlock but the instrument was dead. There were soldiers around and they eventually escorted me to their Commander, a Major Brand. And the most incredible thing was: they were expecting a bunch of Australians to join them, so that's who they presumed I was!"
"They didn't find your clothes strange?" Helena asked.
"Oh yes. And my commlock and stun gun. I managed to talk myself out of it, pretending that the Aussies were trying something new," he laughed. "They took me to get those clothes." He indicated the pile on the chair and Helena Russell went over to pick some of it up.
"It's dirty," she frowned. "And it smells of castor oil."
"It's what they lubricated the engines with in those days," Alan explained. "See, it's all true. Then I got to fly a Sopwith. I took part in one uneventful mission with some of the squadron, and though the plane was fun to fly, it had some obvious structural issues. I thought up a way to improve it and went to speak to this Brand fellow."
"He was the squadron leader?" Koenig asked again.
"Yes, a fellow from South Africa. Quintin Brand. Anyway instead of letting me improve the Sopwith he showed me a captured German triplane: a Fokker. He told me I could fly it the next day and allowed me to repaint it to get rid of the German insignia."
The three Alphans listening were now mesmerized as Alan spewed his story. "I practiced with the Fokker and it was a much better plane. The Germans had a far better understanding of aerodynamics at the time. The guys also told me that the Red Baron was in the area and had been giving them trouble." Alan laughed aloud. "Can you imagine? The famous German flying ace was there!"
Now John Koenig laughed too. "That pyramid certainly knew where to kick you, Alan!" He turned to the other two. "Manfred von Richthoven was the most successful fighter pilot in World War One. I can't remember how many planes he downed, but it was incredible."
"Eighty," Alan replied. "He had downed 80 enemy planes. He was known as the Red Baron because he painted his later planes red. And those guys at the airfield were just terrified of him."
Koenig shook his head, amusement still on his face. "Now you're going to tell me you went and shot him down?"
"Exactly, Commander. I flew the Fokker the next day, we engaged a bunch of German fighters and yes, the Red Baron was downing planes all around me, so I swept in from the side and hit him. I don't know what happened after that, because suddenly that golden pyramid was in the sky before me so I decided to fly right into it. The rest you know… I found myself back on Berg."
"Well," Koenig eventually said. "It certainly is a fascinating story and boy, am I glad you're back safely. It still doesn't solve the problem about Victor though."
"I'm sure like me the Professor will be wondering how to get back himself, and the pyramid most probably will appear for him too and he'll know it's the way back."
"I hope you're right, Alan," John remarked. "We've been watching it round the clock, but also searching all over Berg. I even asked the men on Erath to fly around some, looking. Meanwhile that pyramid just hangs there, as if it is waiting for something…"
"Perhaps it's the cosmic council's gift to us for entertainment," Alan laughed. "Just imagine all the different adventures we could have by going into it."
"No one is going near that thing," Koenig answered.
"But I'm fine, Commander!" Alan still could not wipe the smile from his face. "I had the most wonderful time!"
"What if the Red Baron had shot you down, Alan? What if you had been killed in a war that you had no part of? Would that thing have spat out your body, dressed in those clothes, while we were forever in the dark as to what had happened?"
"Commander," Alan smiled. "Remember you said that the unknown doesn't need to be feared anymore. And I'm back, and safe. So, everything worked out."
Helena and Bob Mathias were still listening to the two men going back and forth. "Victor is not back yet," John said. "Until we find him, or he comes back through that thing no one is to go near that pyramid."
Alan nodded, getting up and collecting his new clothes. "Yes, Commander, I understand," he said. "I'm willing to bet the Professor is just fine, and will have an equally incredible story to tell when he gets back. Now I'm going to go tell my mates…" And with that the young pilot left, still grinning from ear to ear.
(To be continued…)