Chapter 6: Gone
John Koenig had decided to make his trip to the space pyramid low-key. He had explained to his people his decision to test it himself, and most in the community were rather excited as to what he would experience. There had been much speculation in the light of what Alan Carter and Victor Bergman had experienced and the most popular idea was that he would somehow find himself involved in the launch of Apollo I.
Commander Koenig smiled at the thought but he was still of the opinion that the pyramid had a more specific purpose. Across from him in the eagle, Victor Bergman was studying some printouts. Commander Koenig had transferred command to his friend in his absence. "What is keeping you so busy, Victor?" he enquired.
"Toshiro asked me to look over these plans for our monorail," the scientist replied. "We have kilometers of light rail from the travel tubes and engineering wants to start on our line between Uzazi and Kukua."
"I think it will be a great improvement if there was a regular shuttle service. It will also save our other vehicles from wear and tear."
Victor nodded. "There are a few problems, but we're hoping to get around them." He placed the bundle of papers on the seat beside him; then smiled at Koenig. "The pyramid really is a distraction. Whatever it has in store for you, I hope it is fun for you and that it returns you quickly."
"It may not return me at all," John answered softly.
"I'm not even going to consider that," the Professor sighed, shaking his head.
"Commander, we're landing!" Alan Carter shouted from the eagle command module. Moments later the eagle set down several meters from the glowing golden visitor and the three men disembarked.
Engineering had erected a laser barrier around the base of the pyramid to discourage those wanting to try their luck and to save on manpower for guarding it so Commander Koenig disabled it with his commlock; then handed the commlock to his friend. "Paul can also control it remotely." A camera had also been installed to keep an eye on the silent presence, but during the past week it had just hovered, unchanged.
"I hope you have fun, Commander!" Carter grinned. "Can't wait to hear the story you're going to tell us."
John Koenig checked his stun gun and hung the scanner/camera he was taking around his neck. While it would be unable to transmit, they were all hoping he could capture images and information during his experience.
"Well then," Koenig said, shaking the men's hands. "No use in dawdling. Let's get this over and done with."
"Be careful, John," Victor nodded as Koenig stepped towards the pyramid. The Commander walked right up to it before turning and smiling at the two men. Then he reached out and placed his hand against the glimmering golden surface. When nothing happened, he used both hands, but eventually he turned to the other two and shrugged.
"Well, that's unexpected," he exclaimed. "Not for a minute had I considered not going."
The other two men also looked at each other before Victor stepped towards the pyramid. "Let's try with someone who has already gone," he offered, and the Commander removed his hands. But once again there was no reaction from the pyramid when the Professor placed his hands against it.
"Maybe it only turns on at certain times?" Alan Carter said.
"Or perhaps, like Alan and I, it needs two people," Victor said, glancing at John, who shook his head.
"Alan," Koenig nodded at his chief pilot. Alan Carter stepped up to the pyramid and put his hands against it with his Commander. When nothing happened, both men shook their heads in surprise. "Unbelievable," John said as Alan stepped away.
"Let me try, John," Victor said, and after thinking for a minute, Koenig nodded.
"This thing is inactive for some reason," John said as Victor put his hand against the golden side again, with no effect. The Professor nodded to Koenig, who reached out to place his hand beside that of his friend.
Alan Carter, who stood a few meters away, stepped further back as the pyramid started glowing and the strange mist from before suddenly enveloped the two men beside it. "Commander! Professor!" Even as he waited for the mist to dissipate he knew, however, what he would see.
When the mist cleared, there was no one at the base of the pyramid. Carter shook his head and activated his commlock. "Berg command, come in Berg command?"
"Yes Alan? Everything going according to plan?" Paul Morrow asked.
"No, Paul. That pyramid took both the Commander and the Professor."
"What?"
"Nothing happened when the Commander tried by himself," Alan explained. "The Professor and I tried too, with no result. But then they both touched it together, and now they're gone."
"That's upset things somewhat, but there's nothing we can do," Paul sighed. "Return to base, Alan."
"Right. Activate the barrier though. The Professor had the commlock with him."
"We'll meet briefly when you return, Alan."
Alan Carter trudged back towards the eagle, glancing angrily at the pyramid a few times. But Paul was right. There was nothing he could do, so he lifted the eagle off and headed back to the communities on Berg.
"Alan! Alan!" Paul's voice was sudden and urgent on the communications console. "Go back! Look! It's leaving!"
Carter brought the eagle around and saw the golden pyramid slowly ascending. "What's going on?"
"I don't know, Alan, but it looks like it is leaving."
"With the Commander and the Professor? Didn't they time travel? Do you think they're inside?" Alan shook his head, confused, his fingers hovering above the eagle's weapons system.
In the command center on Berg, more people had gathered to watch the ascending pyramid on the screen. After it had lifted off a good distance it hung motionless for a moment before the golden shape started the erratic, tumbling motion they had seen before. Word would be spreading soon. Paul Morrow looked around him at the astonished faces, and realized that he needed to make a decision. They had effectively been left without command.
"Don't fire on it, Alan," he said. "Follow it and stream visual for as long as you can. I'll get those left on the leadership team together immediately and we'll be in touch."
John Koenig looked down at his feet with amazement. Though it appeared he was standing on air, it felt solid beneath him. Around him seemed to be some kind of transparent sphere through which he could see the glowing walls of the pyramid. On the other side of the sphere he could see Victor Bergman looking around with just as much amazement.
"What's happened, Victor?" he said. There seemed to be some kind of membrane separating them, and he reached out towards it. He saw his friend speak, but heard nothing. The membrane had some give when he touched it, but returned to form when he removed his hand. "Why is this not a portal anymore?"
He saw Victor point at his ears and shake his head. So, for some reason they could not hear each other. He became aware of a low humming though and pointed at the sphere and his own ears. His friend nodded, looking around. He must be hearing it too.
John Koenig's mouth dropped open. The golden sides outside of the sphere had suddenly started moving, turning, and he realized with a start that they were moving! The pyramid was tumbling the way they had first seen it arrive. "Hey!" He banged his palms against the membrane of the sphere. "What's going on? Let us go!"
Victor too was pushing and prodding against the membrane on his side, but making no progress. Koenig could see him calling on the commlock, but from his friend's reaction he could see that there was no reply. The Commander tried kicking the membrane, but except for a little give as his foot struck it, it remained firm. He motioned for Victor to move to one side of his half and aimed his stun gun at the opposite side, but even the laser had no effect: the membrane simply absorbed it, even when the Professor joined him and they fired both stun guns at the same spot.
"John Koenig, put your weapon away. We are not going to harm you."
Koenig looked around frantically as the voice filled the sphere around him. "Let us go! Who are you? Where are you taking us?" he exclaimed as he turned around in his side of the sphere.
"I am Gavreal, messenger of the intergalactic council."
"Why have you taken both of us?" Koenig tried again, aware that Victor was watching him intently. He presumed that the voice was only on his side of the sphere.
"Your journey will take a while, John Koenig, but you will be comfortable and safe if you relax."
"Relax? You've taken both of us, my people have no idea what's going on, and this thing is not doing what it did before!"
"Your people will be informed," the strange, deep voice stated.
"Why can't I talk to Victor?" John shouted; then after a while: "Hey! Answer me! Why can't I talk to Victor?" The inside of the sphere remained silent.
On the other side of the membrane his friend stood with both hands pressed against it, facing his Commander, the question in his eyes. Koenig merely shrugged and shook his head. He had no idea what was going on and he didn't like it. Mostly he felt angry because the pyramid had not behaved as he had expected it to and he turned to look at the golden glow around the sphere. Somehow, even while looking at the erratically moving sides, he did not feel sick.
"John?"
Koenig swung around, suddenly realizing that he could hear his friend.
"Victor! Can you hear me now?"
"Yes! Yes I can," his friend smiled, relieved. "Where are they taking us?"
"I don't know, Victor. I had a voice talking to me this side, but it only told me that our people would be informed, and that we won't be harmed."
"I wonder why we couldn't hear each other before?"
"I complained," Koenig grinned.
Victor pointed at the glimmering sides. "It's tumbling now, like before."
John nodded. "And I bet Alan is just outside, following."
"Did the voice identify who they are?" Victor asked.
"Yes. Some messenger from the intergalactic council."
"Then that must be where we are heading," Victor said. "Wherever they are. Did we commit some cosmic sin again?"
Koenig had to laugh at that, but then he said more soberly: "I thought they communicate in their minds. Why would they need to abduct our physical bodies?"
"Guinea pigs?" Victor offered with a half-hearted grin.
"Why this elaborate ruse then? Why send two people on a time travel experience first? Why not just keep you and Alan in the first place?"
"Perhaps you were right, John. Perhaps they had to calibrate this thing first for whatever purpose they landed it, and we were on it too quickly?"
"If it is a portal though, why does it have to travel with us inside now? Could it not just have brought us to wherever this council wants us?"
"I presume we're traveling in our time now," The Professor mused. "If not calibrated as a time portal, it may simply be a strange craft."
"I would think an intergalactic council with all their advanced scientific knowledge could design something more suited for space travel."
"The design may have something to do with being dual- or multi-purpose," Victor said, glancing around him. Suddenly he pointed: "John, look, the sides have stopped turning! Do you think we have landed again?"
Outside the tumbling pyramid Alan Carter was playing cat-and-mouse with it, his communications open to those of the leadership team gathered in Uzazi. He had positioned his eagle cross-ways in the path of the pyramid and was holding his position.
"If it doesn't slow down, get out of there, Alan," Paul called. "We can't afford a collision." Everyone gathered in Commander Koenig's office held their breaths as the erratically moving object slowly drew closer to the eagle. Suddenly though, the movement simply stopped and the space pyramid hung motionless beside the eagle.
"So it is some kind of craft," Alan observed. "Let me see if I can drive it back." He brought his eagle around, facing the pyramid with the command module; then slowly steered the eagle forward. Seconds later the pyramid started its tumbling motion to the left, neatly bypassing the advancing eagle. "Son of a gun!" Alan exclaimed. "Paul, if we get a few more eagles up here, perhaps together we can herd it back to Berg."
"Wait up, Alan," Paul said, turning to the others gathered with him. "Ideas?"
"If it doesn't want to be stopped, nothing we can do will stop it," Helena Russell offered. "We have to presume Victor and John are inside, so we can't be aggressive."
"If it has them for a reason, it's best to let it finish with them, right?" David Kano said. "Then it will let them go."
"We hope," Paul muttered. "Alan, just follow it for now."
"It hasn't left before," Helena sighed, "so we don't even know if it will return them. What if it goes beyond the range of our eagles? I warned them…"
"It has not harmed anyone before," Sandra whispered. "I believe it won't harm them now."
"But what does it want with them?" Kano scratched his head. "There is no logic to how it behaved: first two episodes of time travel, and we presumed it was merely a portal, but now it's acting like some kind of craft?"
"I don't think we will understand until it wants us to," Helena said. "And we keep on making the mistake of presuming we understand things out here in space."
"Paul?" Tanya Alexander's voice was soft on the communications console. "I know you said that the meeting was not to be disturbed, but there is someone here who insists on speaking to you all."
The leaders glanced at each other in surprise and Paul punched the button to open the sliding door between the command room and Koenig's office. On the steps stood Kevin McMurry, behind him Hector Perez.
"I'm sorry, Paul," the security man said. "But he insisted on coming."
"It's OK," Paul nodded, and the boy slowly climbed the steps, his electric blue eyes traveling from face to face. He stopped in the doorway.
"Commander John and Professor Victor will not be harmed," he said.
"How do you know that?" Paul asked, but Helena held up her hand and went to squat in front of the boy.
"Thank you for telling us, Kevin," she smiled. "Do you know who told you that?"
The boy took her hand. "The voice of Gavreal," he said. "The messenger."
"Did the messenger tell you where they are going?"
He shook his head slowly.
"Did the messenger tell you anything else, Kevin?" He nodded as Helena smoothed his hair. "Don't be afraid. We're not mad; we'd just like to know what is going to happen to the Commander and the Professor."
"I don't know." The boy's voice was but a whisper. "But the messenger said they will be back in about two years."
Even Helena could not keep the surprise out of her voice, and her sudden exclamation startled the boy. "Two years!" Realizing how she had frightened him, she gently took his arm. "Sorry, Kevin. I was surprised, that's all, not mad."
He nodded, but from his demeanor she realized he knew the news he had brought was not accepted well.
"Anything else, Kevin?" He shook his head. "Thank you." She struggled but managed to smile at him. "You can go with Hector now."
The boy turned and joined the security man. From the faces of all those in the command room, there was no doubt that they had heard the exchange. Helena turned back to the rest of the leadership team, reading despair on every face.
"Two years," Paul groaned. "Man, these people really have it in for us… we just can't get ahead."
"But they will be back," Sandra pointed out.
Helena had joined them at the table. Paul punched up the communication to the eagle. "Alan, return to base. We have to meet, all of us. We won't be able to stop that pyramid."
"We have to try."
"No. Return to base, Alan. Please."
"OK Paul. Eagle six out." They could all hear the anger in Alan's voice as they looked up at the big screen and the image of the slowly tumbling pyramid.
Inside the pyramid the men had noticed the sides begin their motion again. Victor had sat down on his side, not an easy feat with no visible floor, but he assured John that it was comfortable. He leaned back against the wall of the sphere. Koenig was pacing the small space on his side of the sphere.
"For what it's worth, John, I don't think they mean us any harm," Victor tried.
"I don't care. I want to know what they want with us and where we are going. Right now the high and mighty intergalactic council is no more than a bunch of kidnappers in my book."
Bergman could see his friend was livid. He tried to think of things to say to calm the Commander down, but fell short. He did not much like the situation himself, even though part of him was very curious at the strange motion of their craft, and the unknown journey ahead of them. But apart from the transparent, rubbery sphere they were in, and the soft glow of the golden sides, there was nothing to see.
"The journey will be much more pleasant, Professor, if you close your eyes and rest," a soft, pleasant voice sounded in his head.
"Did you hear that, John?" he asked.
"What?"
"Someone spoke… in my mind, I think."
Koenig shook his head. "No, but ask them what they are doing with us."
Victor looked around as if he could find the origin of the voice. "What is your purpose with us?"
"Do not fear, Professor."
"I'm not afraid. We'd just like to know what's going on, and why you have taken us."
"All in good time," the voice soothed, still in his mind. "Regard it as a learning experience."
"I'm not getting much in the line of a reply, John," he said after a while. "The voice is telling me not to fear, and to be patient, I think."
"I'm not afraid," Koenig said forcefully. "But I'm about ready to try tearing this damn thing apart with my bare hands."
Victor got up and stood beside the membrane dividing the sphere. "For what purpose, John? We may not understand their methods, but I'm of the opinion that whatever they have in mind for us may be to our benefit."
"Why didn't they just land a ship on Berg and invite us? Why this subterfuge?"
"No matter how hard we try, we won't be able to figure it out, John," Victor said with a sad smile. "Just give it a rest. I'm sure we'll find out in due time."
"Your friend is correct, John Koenig," the first voice surrounded them again. Both men looked around but there was no one to be seen. "In time you will understand. But first you need to learn serenity."
"Serenity? When you kidnap us from our people in some secret, crazy craft; cut us off with no contact, and won't tell us what you want with us? You space people are quick to condemn humans for their actions, but this is not much better!" Koenig smashed his fist against the sphere membrane, but there was no reply. "Hey! This one-way conversation is not helping much either! Can't you just answer a question with a simple answer?"
John noticed Victor talking on the other side of the membrane and realized once again he could not hear his friend.
"You are very good at commanding your people, John Koenig. You are not very good at commanding yourself."
"What is it to you? What would you have done if you were taken without permission and carted off who knows where?"
"Not long ago, John Koenig, you astounded the intergalactic council with your wise decision about the insurgency on your new planet. Then, you made equally good decisions when your community came under attack, and pleaded for the life of your friend. Where is that Commander now?"
"Who are you?" Koenig dropped his head in his hands, well aware that Victor was watching him intently from his side.
"I am Gavreal, messenger of the intergalactic council. Your people have been informed, John Koenig, that you are safe and will be returned unharmed. They are capable of continuing your communities in the absence of the top command structure. Have faith in your people."
"Let me speak to Victor," Koenig asked. But even as he spoke, he saw Victor turn away and sit back down against the back of the sphere.
"The Professor has elected to rest as suggested," the infuriating voice droned again, but Koenig held his tongue. He was somewhat encouraged by the fact that those on Berg had been told what was going on; that is, if the voice could be believed. But he had also realized that further arguing would be futile. Aliens had never been really forthcoming, so he too went through the strange motion of sitting down on a nonexistent surface.
People were gathered inside the command center in Uzazi: everyone who could spare time away from a task, and the room was crowded. The remaining leadership team was on the steps of the office, listening to the loud discussions. The news that both their Commander and his choice for backup in his absence had simply been taken and spirited away in the space pyramid was causing quite a ruckus. The news that they would be gone for two years was even worse, not because people could not continue doing what they were supposed to do, but because it was so unexpected. The past few years, first on Alpha, then on Berg, they had grown to rely on their steadfast Commander and his brilliant sidekick.
For Helena Russell, Thor on her hip, the news had been especially devastating. She had warned the two men, but she realized that the pyramid had carefully controlled the outcome. Based on Alan's report, it would not have taken anyone else but the men it had been intending to take, so the outcome was preordained. Two years was a long time in human terms. She had been enjoying the last few months of peace, time spent with Victor and their son; watching their communities grow and improve. She was already missing Victor: his quiet steadfastness, his small glances and gestures of affection. She hugged Thor to herself, fighting to keep tears from her eyes.
Paul Morrow was glancing over the crowd gathered before them, his mind in equal turmoil. Things had finally started looking up for them, and now this? With so many things that needed doing, and the many plans they had for expansion, they now had to deal with the loss of their two most senior leaders. He felt a great resentment against the cosmic forces that would just not leave them alone. He put his arm around Sandra and looked down at his wife and small daughter with what he hoped was encouragement before speaking.
"At this point," he began, "there is not much we can do to get our Commander and the Professor back, but we have been informed that they will not be harmed. I think the Commander would want us to continue with our lives simply as if they were still here." There was some scattered applause. "So, we've felt it appropriate to get as many of you together on short notice as we could, because we need to decide on an interim command structure until Commander Koenig returns."
Helena Russell turned to him. "Often before in his absence, John had given the reins to Paul. I propose we accept him as our interim Commander."
There were some calls of support, and after a while, when there was no objection, Paul spoke again: "This is just temporary, but I will do my best. Be assured that no big decisions will be made without the input of the entire leadership team." He waited for the applause to die down before continuing. "As you all know, we had a long list of new projects we were starting on. In the light of what has happened, it is my opinion that we should scale down the list, focus on the most important ones, and on our families and raising our children."
There were some calls of: "Hear, hear!" and many nods among those present.
"Since the first lamb is already in the artificial womb, we need to continue working on that project," Dina Korkova called out.
"Agreed!" Paul replied. "I think any project that has been started, needs to be completed, most importantly those in the care of our agricultural unit."
"Let's start on the monorail," Toshiro Fujita called. "That is a sufficiently big project to keep us busy, but one we can complete." There were more cries of agreement.
"Let's shelve the tunnel project until the Professor gets back," a heavily pregnant Angela Robinson said. "My baby will be here soon, and whatever is under that ice is not going anywhere. We'll lose the progress made on the tunnel, but it's not that important."
"The mining teams still need to start their prospecting," David Kano suggested. "But right here on the dark side of Berg. We do need to find what kind of raw material is available to us."
"What about the quarry?" Jim Haynes asked. "Are we going to go ahead with that?"
"It can combine with the mining," Kano said. "The rock removed in the search for minerals can be worked for building material."
Sandra was writing furiously on a whiteboard, listing the things being suggested.
"Continued monthly checkups for all personnel," Bob Mathias pointed out.
"Yes, nothing already set in our routine gets changed," Paul reiterated. "We all know what to do. We'll just be short four hands…"
"And one brain," someone shouted, after which there was much laughter. When things started quieting down again, Helena stepped forward.
"We will miss our Commander, John Koenig," she said, "Two years is a long time, but it's not forever. And I will miss Victor, as Thor will miss his dad. But together we will get through this, and our men will return to us from whatever the cosmic forces want them for. Anger, bitterness and sadness will not help the two years go faster. So I agree with Paul. We all know what is expected of us, so let's go do our jobs, and let's make our Commander proud!"
(To be continued…)
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