Chapter 7: The Green Room

John Koenig had been lying on the strange, triangular object for a while, just studying the place he was in through half-closed eyes. From time to time Victor Bergman, moving through the room, drifted into his line of sight. Koenig had run his hand over the smooth, soft surface of what he presumed to be some kind of bed; had fingered the light, downy sheet covering him and had discovered that he seemed to be naked. Finally he made an effort to sit up.

"John!" His friend was by his side in a flash.

"Victor… why are you wearing Chinese pajamas?"

The Professor looked down at the loose black tunic and pants he was wearing as if seeing it for the first time. "It's what they gave me." He pointed to the edge of the triangular bed. "There's some for you too."

"They? Who's they?"

"The entities here. Attendants. Or guards."

"Where are we?"

"We are on Axoldera. It's some kind of quarantine station."

"We're in quarantine?"

"It seems so, John!" Koenig looked in amazement at his friend's animated expression.

"And it doesn't bother you?"

"Of course it does, John, but what can I do? So, I've been focusing on trying to determine their purpose for us. And this place really is fascinating."

The two men studied their surroundings in silence for a while. The entire room, triangular in shape, seemed to be emitting light by itself, and everything was bathed in a cool green haze. There were two of the green triangular beds, but nothing else. High up along the walls were triangular portholes through which they could see a green tinged sky.

"These people seem to be obsessed with triangles," Koenig remarked.

"A triangle really is the strongest geometric shape," Victor explained. "In some cultures it represents strength. In mathematics the triangle, or delta, represents difference…"

John held up his hand. "Victor, please… I was just thinking out loud. I didn't really want an explanation." For a moment his friend looked slightly taken aback by this dismissal and Koenig instantly regretted his abruptness. "I'm sorry, Victor. I guess I'm not taking this… abduction… very well."

The older man gripped his shoulder. "It's OK, John. It is rather inconvenient, but whatever they have planned for us, we might get through it faster if we cooperate. They really don't mean us any harm."

"So you've spoken to these… entities?"

"Yes John. There were two of them here while you were asleep. They brought the clothes and said to let them know if we needed anything…"

"What do they look like?"

Victor studied his Commander for a few seconds, a twinkle in his green eyes. Finally he grinned. "They look like… triangles."

Koenig didn't know whether to deck his friend or laugh. "C'mon, Victor?"

"It's true, John." Victor was up on his feet again, striding across the room. "They came right through here…" He indicated a section of green wall where the Commander could see no doorway. "They were about a meter tall and looked like they were gliding on wheels. Their bodies were triangular and about halfway up they had a platform of sorts running right around the triangle. The clothes were on it."

"No arms? No legs?"

"No limbs of any kind," Victor nodded. "I think they were some kind of robots."

"Did they have weapons?"

"Not that I could see. Of course their whole structure may be a weapon in itself."

"How do you know we are under quarantine?"

"They told me. They said we are at Axoldera, a quarantine station, and that our journey would soon continue."

"Did they say where we are going?"

Victor shook his head; then turned back to the bed, excitement evident in his lean frame. "You know what, John? I don't think we're under physical quarantine. I think this quarantine is… mental."

"What do you mean?"

"Our minds are always filled with so many thoughts, John. But these… aliens… they seem to hold on to, and communicate only that which is completely necessary. I think before we can go on, they want us to get rid of the clutter in our minds."

"You mean forget everything. That's not possible!"

"No, no, not forget. Just… learn to temporarily shelve that which is not relevant."

Koenig sighed. "I'm really not in the mood to be some kind of experiment for alien triangles again. I want to know why the pyramid acted the way it did and took us both… and not for a time travel experience, but this… this… whatever it is."

"You thought the pyramid would take you to Vana," Victor commented. "Now you're disappointed it did not."

John hung his head. "Yes. You are right, Victor."

"How do you know it might not still take you to her?"

"Why can't these people just do straightforward things then? Why make us jump through a thousand hoops to get to the real purpose?"

"I have some theories about that," Victor started; then hesitated. "If you want to hear them?"

"Sure." Koenig put on the velvety black tunic and started fastening the button-like closures. He noticed they were in the shape of triangles too.

"Well, it seems pretty clear that the pyramid wanted the two of us. For some reason, though, whoever sent it knew that we would most likely not come willingly. So, they programmed it to be a time portal and gave Alan and I interesting adventures, so that we would be intrigued enough to want to repeat the experience. All it had to do then was wait for the right people – us – and lock everyone else out." The Professor had wandered over to the section of the wall he had said the entities came through, squatting down and running his hands along the surface, feeling for seams.

The Commander was up, slipping on the lightweight pants. "When you put it like that, Victor, it seems very logical." He squatted down beside his friend. "Why do you think we would not have come willingly?"

"That is a little harder, John. Three conclusions come to mind: that we would not have liked or agreed to what they want to do to us; that we would have realized we wouldn't be returning or that we would return, but only years later in human terms."

"Or realized that we might not survive?"

Victor nodded. "I included that in my premise that we wouldn't be returning at all."

"So they tricked us."

"That's what it looks like in our terms. But the purpose of our… summoning… might be important enough for them to have employed any means to their disposal to ascertain our… cooperation."

There was a soft 'whoosh' and both men turned towards the sound somewhere behind them. The atmosphere in a section between the beds seemed to shimmer for a few seconds and then, slowly, a form materialized.

"Raan!" Koenig exclaimed, striding towards the man in the long cloak. "Your damn experiments again!"

"It's good to see you again, John Koenig," the man said softly. "But no, this time I have nothing to do with it. I have only been allowed to take on a form you would recognize to come and allay your fears."

Victor had walked over. "You know this man, John?"

"Yes. Raan, from Zenno. The one who wanted to use me… for his experiments."

"Let us sit, and refresh ourselves," Raan suggested. Three chairs reminiscent of those in Koenig's office appeared and the tall golden Zennite positioned himself in one. At the same time a table appeared in the middle and two triangles came through a wall bearing trays on the platforms attached to their bodies.

The Commander walked over and took the trays from the silent robots and placed them on the table because he could see his friend was stunned by Raan's apparent 'magic' trick. "He creates things with his mind, Victor." he said. "Come, join us."

The scientist sidled over, keeping his eyes on the departing robots. Before sitting down, Victor felt the chair as if to ascertain that it really existed. Finally the three men were seated around the table. There were two cups of coffee and two plates with what looked like biscuits or cookies of some kind.

John helped himself, then turned to Raan. "Well, the floor is yours. Help us understand what's going on."

"For the first time in the history of earth-man, humans have been chosen to become part of the intergalactic council. You are those humans." Raan paused for a long time as if expecting a reply, but the two men just stared at him. "It is a great honor," the Zennite continued. "And to be honest, not everyone in the universe agrees with this inclusion. But your friend Arra played a great part in convincing the council that it was of benefit to all."

"I don't see any benefit to us now, Raan. We've been removed from our people without choice," Koenig interjected. "And there is something else I don't understand. If the intergalactic council communicates with their minds, why bring our physical bodies here… or wherever we are headed?"

"One does not become ascended to the council overnight, John," Raan droned on. "You have to be trained. This is your period of training and preparation."

"Will we return to Berg?" Victor asked.

"I know about your wife and son, Professor, so the answer is: yes. During your training, time is suspended for the two of you, but your people on Berg… such a lovely name for a planet… will experience the passing of time. Depending on how your training progresses, they will experience about two earth years."

"Two years!" Koenig exclaimed.

"Your people will be well, John Koenig. The guardians of the universe will look out for them, but no threat is perceived."

Victor held up his hand, eager to ask a question. "Wait, wait… you said time will be suspended for us. Does that mean… when we return everyone else will be 2 years older, but we will be the same?"

"Correct, Professor."

Victor beamed. "I like that, John!"

"You'll miss your son growing up," John grumbled.

"Two years, John, only two years. By the time we get back he'll be walking, and talking, and those other children will have grown too, and they'll be little humans. Just think… there may be more children by then!"

Koenig could not help but smile. "So are you saying, Victor, that babies are not humans?"

"No, no, that's not what I mean," the scientist protested. "I just… find it hard to relate to them… you know?"

John laughed and shook his head before turning back to Raan. "Continue," he said, folding his arms.

"You will learn about the hierarchy, methods and purpose of the intergalactic council. You will no doubt meet some of the other members, and may even be taken to their planets. And you will be taught the method of the mind."

"How long will our quarantine be?" Koenig asked.

"The council had hoped that the time here would still your mind, Koenig, but since it had the opposite effect, they asked me to come and set you at ease. It's not really quarantine, just a period to allow you to meditate and rest before the journey continues."

"And if we learn quickly, we might return to our people sooner?"

"That depends on the council, John Koenig. But you might learn other ways to go to your people in the meantime…" Raan paused for a very long time. "… much like Vana has been coming to you."

The two men held each others' eyes.

"Though I have ascended to a higher level than Vana and the other Zennites still on Zenno, I have observed her… like any father would his daughter. I am well aware that she has been visiting you, and of your feelings for each other."

The Commander glanced at Bergman for a second before turning his attention back to Raan. "And you still don't approve."

"You give me very little credit, John Koenig. I realized during your first visit to Zenno, that you had used my daughter to get me to send you back to Alpha. But I also realized that in the end, you did develop a fondness for her. And she had fallen in love… ever since then rejecting all the matches arranged for her on Zenno. My wish is for my daughter to be happy, which I suspect is the purpose of the council in sending me to persuade you to cooperate. I have a vested interest in seeing you succeed, because that may increase my daughter's chances to unite with you."

"She has no choice?"

"She has made her choice. She lacks the wisdom to be allowed to go, for she is still very young. For Berg to become her home she would need other people who understand her abilities and even share them, otherwise it would make for great loneliness. You humans have a saying: 'Opposites attract', but it can only do so for a while. If common ground is not found, the attraction will fail or even lead to enmity."

For the first time since the start of the journey, Commander Koenig was thoughtful and silent.

"Now, John Koenig, I suggest you rest." Raan turned to the Professor. "You too, Victor Bergman. There is nothing more you will learn here. I also suggest you eat those cakes," he pointed to the plates, "they are very nutritious and will take care of your digestive needs for a while. When the intergalactic council is ready, they will summon you for the next leg of your journey."

"We've done nothing but rest," Victor piped up. "We're ready now."

"Patience is what you need to meditate on, Victor Berman," Raan said, turning to the scientist. "And you, John Koenig, need to mediate on the purpose of anger." The air around the chair Raan was sitting on started to shimmer and the Zennite faded away slowly.

Victor pursed his lips. "I guess we have a lot to think about," he said, taking one of the cakes.

Helena Russell with Thor, Sandra Benes Morrow with Paulandra, Tanya Perez with Anna and Angela Robinson with her newborn son, Jonathan, were beside the pool in the recreation area, watching Sheena Harris and Victoria Delray play in the water.

"They've been gone for a month now," Helena observed with a sigh.

"You miss them, Doctor?" Sandra's question was rather superfluous.

Helena nodded and Angela exclaimed. "Hell, even I miss them! Berg is not really the same without the Commander and the Professor."

"I do miss them too," Sandra said, pulling her daughter away from the side of the pool.

"Ma… ma… spash… spash."

"I think she wants to swim," Sandra smiled.

"Yes, let's." Tanya agreed. "Anna loves the water."

The women climbed into the water, allowing their babies to splash. Angela was careful with Jonathan, holding him against her with only his squirming legs touching the water. "Don't want him to grow scared," she explained.

Thor was making big, strong movements, trying to pull away from his mother. "No fear, this one," Helena laughed. "Sometimes it scares me. He had crawled all the way to the couch last night, pulled himself onto it and gotten hold of Victor's rocket on the table beside it. I got to him just in time as he was trying to pull that big thing down."

"Paulandra got away from Paul a few days ago by the lake," Sandra joined in. "By the time he had caught up to her, she was inside one of the boats. I'm glad we're teaching all our children to swim early on."

"Berg has so much water, Victor thought it was wise," Helena mused, holding Thor by the waist while his chubby little arms were wind-milling in the water.

"What do you think the men are doing right now?" Angela Robinson asked. "From a scientific standpoint I wonder what experiences they are going through."

"I think they have traveled to a far away galaxy and are meeting interesting new people," Sandra said.

Angela nodded. "I don't think they are in any danger. But I wonder about the time period: two years. What can they be doing for that long?"

"Hector thinks they are in a sort of boot camp," Tanya replied.

"You mean like training?" Sandra asked. "Military training?"

"Boot camp can be training of any kind," Angela Robinson said while wading around with Jonathan. "Though it is mostly associated with the military."

"And if the intergalactic council took them," Helena added, "yes, they could be learning things we might need here for our future on Berg."

"That's a wonderful thought," Sandra smiled. "That instead of hostile forces, someone in the universe is concerned with our future."

"Their sudden capture appeared rather hostile though," Tanya said. "Strange that Kevin would be the spokesman for that council."

"Kevin is an unusual young man," Helena told them. "His brain patterns are quite unlike what we are used to seeing in medical."

"He doesn't speak much, but when he is in the lab, boy, he observes!" Angela had allowed Sheena to help hold Jonathan and was showing the girl how to support the baby's head and neck.

"Alan says he's fascinated by the eagles. He'll be flying one in no time," Sandra added with a laugh.

"His life on earth before they were put in the Superswift must have revolved around that spaceship too while the remnant was preparing it. Perhaps he can be our engineer for the future: designing and building new kinds of craft."

"How's the lamb doing?" Sandra asked.

"If all goes well, it will be born in about 6 weeks," Angela replied. "So far we have not seen anything to cause concern. Dina is working very hard to ensure the success of the experiment."

"How will you simulate the birth?" Helena wanted to know. "From a medical standpoint I'd be interested to know."

"It'll probably just be taken out of the artificial womb when it reaches full term," Angela explained. "If it needs medical assistance, it can be ventilated and given nutrients outside of the bag. It is even growing wool already!"

"What are you going to feed it, if it survives?"

"Milk is obviously a problem," Angela said. "Though we have some powdered substance left. Dina would be the best bet for the correct answer, but I would expect them to mix some nutritious liquid similar to sheep's milk." The women started climbing out of the pool. "We have many problems here on Berg when it comes to agriculture," Angela continued, "mostly because there is no insect life, no birds, no animals, no wind, no way to pollinate. Everything we plant has to be hand pollinated."

The women were intrigued by this impromptu insight into the science of Berg and listened with attention while drying their children and themselves.

"Alpha did have a colony of bees," Angela continued, "and we still have some of them. The Bethan hit on the hydroponics unit destroyed the fledgling new colony being set up. And there were entomologists among our staff, some with interesting insect collections in their quarters. But we've not yet done enough research to determine if letting loose insects on Berg would be wise. But here is something top-secret," Angela smiled. "David and the Professor had been working with engineering to build tiny robotic drones, no bigger than a grain of rice. They could be computerized to home in on a specific plant and pollinate, and would only need to be released when needed."

"Wow," Sandra replied. "Insect robots!"

"David is continuing the work, but they are not ready yet. So our botanists and agriculture section still have a lot of hand pollination that needs to be done. Slowly and surely science will make our survival here more certain."

"Fascinating," Helena said, gathering her things. "Same time tomorrow?"

The women nodded. They had begun meeting after their work shifts to keep up to date on the progress of the children and to help pass the time. For Helena it was a wonderful time to get out of her quarters and not miss Victor so much.

"We hope to hear more tomorrow, Professor," Sandra smiled, waving. She held Paulandra's hand and the little girl tottered along by her side.

"Because they are easy to raise and keep," Angela said to Helena as they walked towards the door of the recreation center. "Cockroaches have been used often for research. Some people might not like to know we have them here on Berg!"

Doctor Russell laughed. "As long as they stay out of my house, I don't mind. See you tomorrow, Angela… and thank you!"

"Victor, did you even rest a little bit?" John Koenig called out, watching his friend pace up and down on one end of the green room.

"A little bit, John. But there is so much to think about, so much to process, it seems like a waste." The scientist strode over to Koenig's bed. "I wish they want to get on with it and take us wherever we're going next."

"Did you even meditate on patience, Victor?" John asked with a smile.

"Patience! Bah. I can have all the patience in the world if I need to have it. This is just a waste of time."

"You were the one who suggested a mental quarantine to empty our minds," John teased. "So maybe all your thinking is holding us back."

"The chairs and the table are gone, see," Victor gestured, the teasing going right past him. "They were gone when I got up. Do you think the robots took them, or did Raan simply stop thinking about them?"

"I can't see those triangles carrying tables or chairs, so I vote for the latter," Koenig grinned. "Why is it important?"

"For years humans have thought in the line of 'mind over matter', but what if it is 'mind is matter', John? Think of the implications! The practical applications…"

The two men were interrupted as two of the triangular robots entered through the wall. The two entities stopped neatly at the foot of the beds, like soldiers coming to attention.

"The next part of your journey will now commence, earth-men," one of two recited. "We will take you to your craft."

"Like this?" Koenig asked, gesturing to the black clothes, his bare feet.

"We will take you to your craft," the triangle repeated.

"It would help if you could show us the door," Victor said with a shrug at John, who grinned. Immediately a section of the green wall seemed to dissolve, revealing a dim passage beyond. "Bare-footers guide to the galaxy," Victor quipped, heading for the opening.

Koenig had a hard time holding back laughter. "You better show respect for our captors, Victor," he whispered, falling in behind his friend. The two little robots – that's what the men presumed they were – brought up the rear. The passage, like a tunnel, led only one way, so the men headed that way. After a few minutes of walking they found themselves on a platform, facing a spaceship.

"At least this looks more like a traditional spaceship," Koenig observed.

"Note the shape," the scientist chuckled. The triangular ship was long and flat, unlike the pyramid they had traveled in before. It looked very much like a large arrowhead.

"Enter and repose," one of the robots ordered. An entrance appeared in the hull and the two men stepped through. Immediately the hole disappeared. The two entities had not followed.

"Repose," Victor remarked dryly. "Haven't heard that word in a while. Shades of Shakespeare?"

The men looked around, but apart from the hull around them, there was nothing to be seen in the ship except two seats, facing the back, deeply hollow and leaning back. Victor jerked his thumb at the seats. "I suppose they mean in those."

"You will be put in stasis, as the velocity of travel would destroy your fragile human cell structure," a booming voice suddenly announced. "Please take your seats so we may begin. You will be perfectly safe."

The Professor ambled over to a seat and sunk into it, but Koenig hesitated for a moment. "Victor, how do they know we will be safe?"

"What choice do we have, John," came the resigned answer. And even as he watched, the commander saw a cocoon of transparent liquid, almost like that they experienced in the space pyramid, form around his friend. Koenig shook his head. As intriguing as their journey was, in his opinion, these entities were playing fast and loose with their lives. He sighed. Victor was right though. What choice did they have? He sunk into the seat and closed his eyes.

He opened his eyes to the soothing sound of a burbling stream. Fingers were gently playing in his hair, and he looked up at one of the most beautiful sights in the universe. His head was on Vana's lap, and she was running her fingers through his hair, smiling down and watching him.

"Is it over?" he asked. "Are we home?"

"Your body is in stasis, John, and I have been allowed to come to you and soothe your mind."

"You're doing a great job," he smiled, reaching up to touch her cheek. "Do you know what's happening to us?"

"It's the buzz of the universe," she said, and saw his astonishment. "Earth lingo. I've been learning it."

John burst out laughing. "That's adorable," he whispered, pulling her down to him for a long kiss. "Hmmm… that's very soothing," he grinned as she sat up. "So the aliens are talking about us, huh?"

"Yes, John. They are speculating on the chances of success for the earth-men."

John sat up too, pulling her against him. "So there's a chance we might fail?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"What will happen to us if we fail?" he asked.

"You'll be sent back and things will just be as they've always been."

"Well, then we have to work very hard on our lessons and make sure we do not fail," he said, kissing her hair.

"Your friend has already gone," she smiled.

"Gone? What do you mean? Home?"

"To visit Helena. In her mind. That is a great success."

"How did he do it?"

"He focused on what he wanted to do. She will experience it like a dream, just like you experience my visits with you, my darling. But his mind took him. To him it will be real."

"I want to visit you too, Vana, whenever I want."

"You cannot yet do that, John. You do not know where I am. That's why I visit you until we can be together."

"But I can go to Berg?"

"Ask your friend when your journey is over. But yes, you can go to Berg. You can visualize anyone you want to visit, and if they are in a dream state, your minds can connect."

"On earth we call it transcendental meditation," John observed. "But it is frowned upon and regarded as dangerous by some."

"On earth it is attempted by artificial means to separate the soul from the physical body. It is not the same as traveling in your mind."

"Is the mind not part of the soul?"

"I am here in my physical body, with my mind, and so are you. We can touch and we are fully aware of physical sensations," she smiled, reaching out to stroke his face.

"Now that's something we can investigate," he grinned at her.

"Not yet, John. You have a long journey ahead of you. You will need all the strength and focus you can muster."

"Your father came to see us," John said.

"Yes. He came to see me too."

"He explained that time will stand still for us."

"Many things will be different for your physical bodies during your journey. You will gain strength. You will learn greater control over your physical structure. You will be much more than earth-men if you succeed."

"Like Superman!" John exclaimed, laughing.

"You'll be surprised, my darling, to learn how many of earth's legends and stories are rooted in long lost facts. But now I must go, and you must continue your journey."

"Will you come see me again?" He hugged her to him and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Yes, John. I will. Take care of yourself."

(To be continued…)