During July 2040 a youthful figure could be seen near the horizon teetering in and out of focus, as she bounced through the open caustic wasteland. From a distance Zola Zarcho’s body image appeared influenced by the surrounding air density.
During July 2040 a youthful figure could be seen near the horizon teetering in and out of focus, as she bounced through the open caustic wasteland. From a distance Zola Zarcho’s body image appeared influenced by the surrounding air density.
“Zola, you better come back, we have to continue to our destiny,” Tamara shouted.
A small echo came back, “But we have been limited in frolicking.”
“True, you know we have one day a year to surface.”
“Right and for that ‘Day of the Supplyunit’.”
Zola now half running slowed, as she caught up with Tamara. Walking side by side she maintained her youthful manner. When they reached the AVIK entrance, both stopped.
Tamara looked around in a searching mode, “Maybe my mother will come. We should enter as a family unit, in order that our transformation can be enjoyed.”
“Remember your mother Danya made her choice,” Zola said.
“Understanding is one thing, but missing her is another.”
“I know.”
“Why couldn’t she endure life within her own species?”
“Good question, but we have to go in.”
“Of course, let’s not stop the festival.”
With the increasing multitude of bodies, both blended into the hue of spiritual reflection. Tamara thought, it has been written that all universal creations are deemed of equal value. If true , why do I fear the future? I guess that answer is not always apparent.
Not far removed from the same hills through the heavy over cast stood the town of Konawl. Inside what looked like a General Store, Donn and Lorii Ozell stood together stocking colored pills into vials of different sizes.
Lorii quietly whispered, “Our EMO (EMOtional) pills are running extremely low. Do you know when we are getting a new supply?”
“I really don’t know, but a transport should arrive through the tubes any minute.”
“Can you remember the last time we ran out of pills?”
“You have an interesting question, but we are not out yet.”
They continued sorting and stocking vials. Lorii stopped and gazed through the stained front opening, “Do you think Kentt is surviving out in that polluted desert?” pointing to the vast view of nothing.
“I sure hope so.”
“That training station has been his home for years.”
“More like ten years, he should have been on his first mission by now.”
“Do you think there ever was a mission?” Without waiting for an answer, “I can remember how excited we all were when he was accepted into that Boundless Future Group.”
“Yes, because their mission was to find another planet for our future.”
“Do you think they knew what was going to happen to our planet earth?”
Not wanting to dwell on that, “Ten years have past and if it wasn’t for those video cube exchanges, we would know nothing.”
“Who knew how hostile the outside environment would become? Even our garments crumple and disintegrate when exposed to the outside.”
“That because the Law Enforcement Protective Group, dominate and our life. If it wasn’t for the extra material we had available, well we would be totally without cover.”
“Look how our skin has become bleached and hardened. Hair that was once plentiful is but a memory.” Both automatically ran their hands over the tops of what remained a circular tight skin.
“We had warning, but refused to see any of the signals.”
“Survival was easy and thus complicated.”
“Birth is an out of body experience now and controlled by the . . . You are right, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Can you remember when the last time we had physical pleasure?”
“Yes! How can we ever forget natural joy? Just because couples are prohibited to touch or kiss, does not mean we can’t talk about it.”
“We are no longer free, that’s why.”
“How about that so called mystery disease whipping out humanity?”
“The epidemic of the year Two Thousand was the stated cause of earth’s devastation.”
“First robots worked in the caustic industry and now all tasks are performed by them.”
“Do you feel this was a part of the systems’ master plan?”
“Shall we borrow a minute?” Lorii changed the subject.
“Sure dear, and for what purpose?”
“I want to hold your hand.”
“You know that is taboo.”
“What can they do? We are but skeletons of the past and serve little for their future.”
“You do have a point that I can agree with. One thing for sure, we can never again feel the sensation from the past.”
“I know, but we can see each other like we were and that they can never take away.”
“Right that is all we have, except for these dam pills.”
“Without them our lives would not exist.”
“Would that be so bad?”
“No, I guess not, but who would run these supplies?”
“The system would find replacements. Everything they do is controlled.”
“I have an idea. Why don’t we close shop and try finding Kentt?”
“It is prohibited to close any emporium, never mind wandering out into that caustic environment.”
“You are right.”
“We haven’t heard anything from that facility for years.”
“You know all remaining human species are being systematically eliminated.”
Trying not to hear Lorii continued, “There is one window of opportunity, we could dash out between patrols and find cover.”
“Not bad dear, but I think we need a better plan. Why get punished for something stupid?” Donn placed his hand on hers. A slight spark surfaced deep inside both bodies allowing those hidden emotions to react.
“Do you want an EMO pill?”
“No, I can’t stand taking all these pills for every little thing. It just isn’t right.”
“To be alive has to be good.”
“Do you call this living?”
“Now dear, you are getting all worked up.”
“It is bad enough that we accepted the system controlling our lives. What we have left can only be called a fragmented society.”
“Oh, here comes that System Patrol Officers (SPO). You know they are always ready for their daily hand outs. Get some EMO pills ready.”
Lorii gathered a hand full and placed them in a clear vial and moved close to Donn. “Right after they leave we split.”
“Alright.”
Outside near the mountains, you could barely see modernistic modular tubes interconnecting the training center. Inside Kentt Ozell watched the decaying atmosphere outside.
He had a hard time remembering what the clean bright skies looked like, “These emissions are so thick that the sun can never pierce through its shroud.”
Thinking “If it wasn’t for the double layer of material the corrosive chemicals would have eaten through these plastic tubes years ago.”
The cover continued to shroud Kentt’s only activity, “If it wasn’t for that miniature power plant, which had a modern perpetual energy source of the 90s, I would be lost.”
Mixed in with earths’ past society two groups became a functional requirement for their own propagation. The Aroos Society feared the sun, and yet lived side by side with earths’ counter part. The Aroos were guided, by `The Book of Acumen’, that clearly stated; “A strength beyond the powers of the universe has maneuvered life and all will gain the glory of final salvation.”
Deep underground, thousands of the Aroos Society had filled their ceremonial chambers of faith. They gathered for their final and glorious feast known as `The Day of Supplyunit’.
Keventian their mystic leader appeared through the center of the masses and said, “Our temporal restoration is quickly coming to conclusion. This planet has become a hostile environment and with that, it is beginning to self-destruct. Our mission though limited was driven by the total universal presence of ‘SARUS’.”
At the mention of his name, all bowed in respect. “We are in our last time increment and with that `Yondic’ the highest spiritual celebration will begin.” Those holy words, made each member deliberate on their absolute purpose. ‘Yondic’ sometimes known as the spirit of death went unexplained. All were about to experience it, because this society on planet earth neared their culmination of life.
Wanting to leave this mammoth gathering, Tamara somehow knew how it would end. Yet she couldn’t move as her eyes became mesmerized by group of giant living rings. She recognized the umbra of life and with that her feelings extended. Until a vision of what all this meant, became clear. “Life after, was here.” And that fact began affecting her motivation to leave. Forcing her eyes shut, because she had visions of her true celestial apex.
While high above in the clouds a refined cloned civilization progressed with one single purpose, global attainment. This residue of life was happy with the gaiety of similarity and for the most part they remained in a state of tranquility. No sex, no drugs, no violence, and none of the destructive habits that past man had endured. Only the unity of purpose has the pure power of perfection.
Blond, brown, black and red haired people mingled within their own class. Females and males had equal rights and the wearing of clothes was limited. Birth became a pure laboratory function controlled by absolute numbers. The balance of power was maintained by the innovative System Directorate organization, which flourished in the High Dome Society.
The highest dome held the unparalleled master known simply as ‘SD’ or System Director
“Our Directorate Society has flourished since the year 2020,” SD said.
AD the second senior, controlled the Arid Dome, “My quadrant of Enidun has remained hostile.”
“The greatest accomplishment existed when we developed the secret technique of gene modification. Modifying the powerful influence of emotion created our master strain. Finding the passages of brain manipulation produced the holocaust on earths’ society,” SD said.
“How were we able to produce a gene that was robot compatible and assimilate a human form?” AD asked.
“That was when humanity slowly became a part of our recycled bio pits. Life looks functionally normal, but humans are dying.”
“There have been ghost reflections on the screens, but they never last,” AD said.
“Nothing worthwhile has become of their downfall, the next generation is being substituted by our own Repro People,” RD Said.
“Good that will establish our final dominance,” SD said.
“Constant scans indicate there is no life form, except there are animals that cultivate the fields. With our abounded supply, nothing goes to waste and our life cycle has become guaranteed. These sectors will have to be sealed for us,” RD Said.
“Good.”
Deep inside his home Kentt became suspicion of the hostile environment, “All life indications coming from the surface are reading danger. It looks like the unfiltered air is paralyzing any future life.”
Meanwhile Tamara began to realize she was not the only survivor on this planet. Her mother Danya had to be living out there somewhere and that helped. One problem crossed her mind, “Would or could she assimilate into this hostile expiring world of vision? If so, life would be limited because the planet was slowly decaying.”
Tamara now felt outcast in both worlds. After a life time of loneliness, she knew that the dying earth could not offer her any known refuge. “Now what?”
She came across a run down factory building. Passing through she spotted unfamiliar reflections of the scattered past. Hundreds of figures were being replicated in the images of pink humans. The each section appeared to be dipped into a pool of black substance and then joined. Protective outer garments no longer became a requirement as a dull looking shell surfaced.
What surprised here after a brief time frame, each form turned pink. Tamara had a hard time understanding what drove these shapes, “These shells could be perceived as `the new living entity’.”
Once completed these formed lines and marched like an army all in sequence then they and mixed within the dusk of their caustic atmosphere. She realized that there was no end of these creatures.
Quickly walking out of there, she discovered many of the shapes stuck in the granules of sand, but their movement never stopped. Some buried themselves deeper into the earth, but always kept on moving.
Then it came clear, I have not seen any real pink skinned people. In the past these people were like ants in the sand. Now the only thing I saw was those replicas of humans.
She sat on a ledge wondering, why did I walk out into this world of nothing?
Her features began changing and with that she tried to remain in control of her old ways. With no sun, only her daylight made life confusing, what does all this really mean?
She thought, No matter where I walk ‘the new living entity’ is no longer visible. Once they were so painful and now those strange creatures roamed the land.
Without warning a storm began and its intensity increased, she thought, At least one factor has remained constant.
Tamara managed to push forward and into her future. Resting behind an old structure, her body began to emit a hue of light, which make her visible and invisible. She feared that maybe she would remain only visible. This might attract danger from within the dimension of this hostile old world. Strange I can remember how glamour’s all this once was. The ultimate life existed with the pink people now nothing.”
These fluctuations drained her inner drive to move on. She was forced to rest on this ancient stained bench on the side of a dilapidated building.
Ironically inside the same building, Lorii was pacing waiting for Donn to wake. She felt that it was time to continue their journey into the desert.
Walking by his relaxed features, Lorii became concerned. He had not moved much in the last few hours. Not wanting to disturb him, but it was time for them to move on. She thought a good rest will help him for the long trip ahead. He hasn’t been feeling that good, but his spirits remained high.
Sitting next to him, she realized he didn’t look right. Touching his head it was cold. “Oh my God! Donn, Donn my love! Why? Why?” She embraced his cold body and whimpered.
“All his life he worked hard to find comfort. Here he died in a building of old. It was only fitting that he found his peace.” She said.
Closing the giant vault, Donn rested in peace. Lorii walked toward the front door. She wanted to leave, but a wind storm was beating against the walls and windows. Her small frail body could not budge the door enough to get out. She knew that this storm would help her escape the tracking system once she got out.
She decided to try the side door, Maybe it will open. Taking one last look at the vault door, she whispered, Peace be with you my love, I will be joining you.
The side door opened as she walked into a calm void. Without warning a fine dust began attacking her from all direction, almost like she was expected to take a beating. The massive force surprised her as she stumbled and fell to the ground. Covering her eyes became natural, because she was instantly blinded.
Breathing was labored and moving forward on all fours made until she had to rest at an old style wooden bench. Pulling herself up, she stretched the material up from her back and over her head.
Holding onto the bench was a battle. Quickly glancing at her feet, she found them trapped by the attacking sand. Opening her eyes through her cover didn’t help. They hurt with a new burning sensation she called out. “I can’t see!” Fear crept through her mind, Could this blindness become permanent? The she felt this greenish tinge penetrating through her closed eye lids.
To her surprise the glow had human feature and sat next to her. Carefully lifting her hand she reached out and thought, I have to try and touch this image or is my pain creating this imagination?
Tamara had rested and was startled, jumping slightly because she felt an unusual pressure placed on her shoulder. The weight is gentle and soft. Opening her eyes, a form came into focus between the flying particles of sand.
Tamara transcended into the world half of her human life. A figure became visible and by the features it appeared to be another female of the once dominate society. Not wanting to scare this peaceful looking form, she sat patiently wondering, how do I make contact between these mediums?
Once the winds subsided Lorii could open her eyes and saw a female creature within the green hue. Her skin pigmentation was not human.
Lorii thought, my mother had earth jars with a mosaic design that look like this. Why is this happening to me? Are women human? Or am I in a mirage?
Off in a distance the Repro People were gathering remaining humans. While moving in the shadow of the second twelve, two distant figures were adjusting to their own living organism. Their polymorphic existence went unchallenged by the Repro Patrol. This Patrol was programmed for human likeness and all other visions became opaque.
Both Tamara and Lorii remained cautious of their plight. Neither spoke, as they inched through the depression of pain. Individually each had a mission. Lorii needed a sign of her past, while Tamara was looking for her future. Lorii’s breathing became labored; she felt tired and needed rest. Tamara recognized the weakness of Lorii’s human form.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“Yes, this atmosphere is more caustic then I had ever imagined. I now see why, Donn, God rest his soul, couldn’t take it.”
“Where is your God?”
“In a location of eternal beauty where life continues after death,” Lorii said.
“Oh, Omniam.”
“I have never heard him called that.”
“In our universal presence, ‘The Book of Acumen’ speaks of total restoration. Our people are now in that temporal high. I had been chosen to lead the way into another measure, which will offer eternal and everlasting peace.”
In our human life we believe in a form of restoration, but not until after all life has ended. On that final day we become one and free of all sins.”
“When would that be?” Tamara questioned.
“Our species really doesn’t know.”
“Then how can you have faith in this type of belief?”
“That is all we have. Faith is God and that contains its own reward. Admittedly our culture has come upon hard times.”
“Then why does your God allow the destruction of the human race? How can you still look up to him?”
“We call it faith, blind faith, but that is all there is. Very confusing, I know, but that’s all we have. We have been taught to accept this.”
“It sounds like your species had a fruitful life.”
“Yes, but we lost sight in the true meaning of faith by allowing material substance to rule our lives. Good life dominated these activities.”
“You mean no one wanted the responsibility of their own life?”
“We felt others were responsible and that made life easy. Around 2040 all hell broke loose, as the ultimate payback surfaced. I am sorry Tamara for rambling on like this. We should be moving on. We can become targets for SPO’s.”
“SPO?”
“Yes, they are the so-called peace keepers of this planet, and are a part of the System Patrol Office.” Stopping to think at Tamara’s reaction, “You mean. Your society has no controls?”
“Our society worked in the mines for `tinctures’. The male mate was the worker.”
“Very interesting but bizarre it looks like we both ended up the same, without our culture.”
“My spirit accomplished its goals, except for that final restoration. We better find cover for our sore bodies. These outfits are continuing to disintegrate in this highly toxic air.”
“I know. You are without protection, but your skin appears resistant to our environment. In fact it doesn’t look bleached at all.”
“I noticed your texture is no longer pink.”
“You have seen into our culture before?”
“Yes, I had been active with my mother trying to break into your society.”
“Why would you?” She stopped and wondered what all this implied, “This is confusing. Break into our world?”
“We came to earth before your decaying process and I was conceived by one of your forms.”
“What are you saying?”
“My mother is the only other member of our society still alive. Somewhere in these local mountains, she met and mated with one of your pink skinned men.
“When were you born?”
“The calendar year was your 1960.”
“How can that be? You are young and a classic figure of a female. I was born eight years after you and I am just about holding my life together in this wrinkled shell of a human.”
Tamara could not comprehend this conversation, “My life cycle is only about half complete.”
“You’re what? My body never looked that good at thirty. How can that be?”
At that moment, the spike from a power stick penetrated through Lorii’s body. With pain she cries out, “Stop!”
Two SPO’s had surprised them, but Tamara went undetected, leaving Lorii absorbing the energy through her weakened body. Tamara recognized the danger and pulled Lorii closer to her body. Huddled together they rushed for cover. With that action, any further punishment was eliminated.
The SPO’s continued walking looking for that one MUe. They couldn’t understand how anyone was able to disappear so quickly.
“Have you managed your region without alarming the population?” SD asked high up.
“On occasion the MUes (flesh mutants) wander out of their rim sections.”
SD quickly cut in, “Look they move undetected.”
“They know the danger, but they continue. What they don’t know, only one will endure and those are the humans of our artificial flesh. The Repro People live between them and move undetected, because they look and act like common MUes.”
“How long will this transformation process take?” AD asked.
“Remember the lessons of history, because they are often repeated. With any conquest, confidence grows and because of that, each person gets a false sense of accomplishment and leaders ultimately fail. Our plan has been activated to eliminate every human MU. Even with their grand power, and everything they honored, they as a people became lost. The human MUes as we know them are completely out of power. They will never again dominate their own destiny,” SD responded.
“Watch your monitors. Look at those two almost images. They are never clear, but have that distinctive characteristic of a MU. What is different about these Mues?”
“It shows little human composition or make up,” UD said.
“I remember one period past, these masses wandered endlessly in the desert. They worked in the mountain regions, mainly in my section of Enidun,” AD broke in.
“Their threat was never to our society, but for some reason they always appeared in groupings. Why was never answered, but we can track all the normal MUe species. Why two images seem to wander through life and move undetected with all our controls, is not understood?” SD continued.
“The odd thing, I had a special set of sensors modified. This should have helped us visualize any of their movements,” UD added.
“You are right UD, but how can one such insignificant unknown origin cause any concern for our power base of operation?” AD picked up on that.
“Good question AD. We have the SPO’s running down all MUes and eliminating those that do not conform. This has been especially true in my rural country quadrant,” RD jumped into the conversation.
Stopping for a moment, “Well SD, what is the real importance of this condition?”
“Let me remind you all.” Looking at UD, “Our rise to power was accomplished by control. Leaving nothing to chance, that is our goal. Now that slight blip of an image could be noise, but we must verify every event. My guess is that those faint MUes are different because we can hardly see them with our modern apparatus.”
AD broke in, “Let me contact the SPO Chief in my quadrant, of Enidun.” He picked up the digitalized voice phone.
“Chief Enidun, this is command.”
“Yes sir!”
“Check quadrant Z12, Y300. There moving subjects that require identification.”
“Let me check our display. There are no visible objects in that sector, Sir.”
“I need actual sighting. An on site quadrant view will be required.”
“Yes sir, Commander, our tubes are activated. It will only take a second.”
After a few seconds the Chief responded, “The report from the site showed that there were no visual verifications made.”
“Could you scan and transmit from a hand held monitor for my review?”
“Done!” A close up image was transmitted to the SD office, which had a larger screen.
“Here is the image transferred from quadrant Z12, Y300. A slight blur appears in this section. Visual conformation could not reveal the meaning of that blur.”
The System Director got up and viewed the blown up section, “I don’t like it, our sensitive equipment is never out of calibration, this clearly indicates a limited life form. It might be finite, but we cannot ignore its existence.”
“This blip could represent one signal out of place or hidden within the pattern,” AD said.
“We control this degenerated plant and have taken it seriously. Never underestimate these old life forms. We are apart of their dissentients. Our very strength came from different parts of all their genes. Enough!”
He sat back in his Chair of Comfort and closed his eyes. This was a sign of rest and all automatically followed his lead. The ultimate reward of the Directorate Society System was about to follow.
Meanwhile Lorii couldn’t believe how Tamara’s body protected her. “How did you know that your body would protect mine?”
“You forget I came from your world and have mastered the art of transformation.”
“We had best get out of here.” Quickly standing, shaking their bodies trying to remove some of those clinging dust particles.
“You are right. It was too close, even for me.”
“I would have died if we didn’t meet.”
“We better hurry.”
They pushed toward the open desert and into the canyon mountain areas.
Back in seclusion, Kentt began pacing and watching the strangeness of the storm. This ten-year seclusion had become very intense. Now that he was ready for the next phase there was only silence.
Resting, Lorii became tired and worn out with the strenuous activity and the harsh environment. Food by pill form had not maintained her reliance of spirit. Tamara recognized her condition and tried to offer her confidence. “We have been out here for four twelve-time elements. We can rest before continuing.”
“Yes.” Lorii started gasping for fresh air, “How can you be so calm and have no problem in this environment, amazes me. Plus you consume no pills.”
“Just because my form appears similar to yours does not signify our bodies are the same. We, as a society passed through a transformation process that made us resilient to these extreme conditions.”
“You keep mentioning this outside environment. Do you mean that your society kept indoors? What type of life did you have?”
“We lived in the mountains.”
“You mean? You lived inside these hills?”
“Sort of we had simple homes that were located around the perimeter of each camp site. For the most part we worked in the ground mining the required volume of `tinctures’.”
“If that is true , why aren’t there signs of those buildings?”
“Because the `tinctures’, which are required elements of our origin. Have you ever heard of ‘Thanum’?”
“No, not really.”
“It is a form of ore and considered a rare earth oxide.”
“Does that keep you young?”
“Yes, our system had become modified by a lattice vibration. This normally would not make a difference in your body, but it changed our refractive index, and caused a crystallization influence against our surface skin. Our bodies were transformed by an electron-proton excitement. These high voltage forces propelled micro sand granules into our once human body.”
“Doesn’t your body decompose?”
“Yes, but not until the great day of our feast that by the way I have walked away from.”
Looking around Tamara was ready to leave when she saw Lorii had fallen asleep with a smile on her face.
Lorii reach deeply into the dream word and her body began vibrating with fear from the past. She heard that panic cry, “The world has ended! The world has ended.” She woke startled and called out, “Donn!” She could only hear her own echo while opening those blurred eyes.
“No, its Tamara, I am sorry I had to shake you, but you became violent and when moisture began seeping out of your skin, well I became concerned.”
“I am all right. I had a dream that took me back before the world began falling apart.”
Tamara touched Lorii’s arm, “This feels like water.”
“You mean your skin does not perspire?”
“No, for some reason this event never occurs in our system. Oh, we better move right now, I could feel tracking has spotted our location.”
“Good idea. The last thing we want is to get captured. I must see my son.”
Slowly Lorii stood, weak but strong at heart. They left for the security of the mountains. Tamara’s vision allowed them entry into unseen caverns.
“How did you find this opening? I saw nothing but rocks and darkness.”
“Our ability to see beyond your human bandwidth is natural.”
“Okay I guess. It feels more comfortable being out of the caustic elements.”
“True.”
Lorii was not comfortable, “Are you sure we are safe?”
“Of course, why do you ask?”
“I feel like someone or something is watching us. Do you see anything?”
“No, but false vision can reach beyond the limits of the mind.”
“With my sensitive cells I can’t see anything worth concerning yourself about.”
“If you say so, but I would like some light.”
“You might be seeing sparkle coming from past harvested minerals.”
Gradually, sleep conquered both bodies; even with that, rest was not comfortable.
Off in a distance hovering near by, a monitor began sending signals to the Directorate Society System.
“Earths’ domination cannot be taken lightly. Nothing can prevent our superiority and for the last thirty years we have attained sub-zero population growth. Gradually all the MUes will become dust in the winds of time. For our doctrine to reign, we the power, must remain vigilant,” SD had the floor.
“Yes, but these original flesh mutants cannot survive, so why are they a treat, SD?”
“We must not allow their attitudes to become assimilated and change the program of our Repro population. Assimilation of these MUes could pose one danger, emotion. Dealing with that is real and we must avoid our Repro-types from recognizing their own limitations. Being fully controlled and programmed, they can judge and correct or adjust their own internal hybrid chips. These changes could deviate from our true purpose of full assimilation.
“Another words, they would feel like what the current MU’s were. Remember they have longevity on their side, and that is by design. Each has implanted one simple nuclear power pack chip.”
“Very good, I see our cause has not been misguided. Now let’s track these two somewhat modified signals.”
Scanning both regions, they couldn’t spot them. “Now, we have a problem,” SD said.
“How so SD?” AD asked.
“Everything is clear of disturbances, and for them to disappear so quickly they had to have a pre-directed destination.”
“Shouldn’t we increase the patrols for them?”
“We have that area mapped. We could gather some sand particles for our bio-pits examination?”
“Not bad AD, right after this incident I took that step mainly because the scan revealed some unique formations. We saw nothing new, but there has to be a clue out in this wasteland somewhere and how all this occurred.”
Breaking their concentration when a voice came loud, “SPO command to System Director.”
“Go ahead number one.”
“We have scanned the region and found nothing. The land is barren and the mountains remain stripped of growth. Some forms of cacti have survived and a few limited standing dirt hacienda type dwellings. We stumbled upon and old abandoned silo.”
“Number one, what makes you feel that it has been abandoned?”
“We have no response reading from our scanners. No recorded activity since 2040.”
“You mean to tell me that after all these years we have never entered this facility?”
“Yes, but we have no indications or, evidence that would suggest life forms still exist inside.”
“Could there be any other areas that could support MUes?”
“No, except maybe in the cliff dwelling of that prehistoric era, these appeared run down and have never been required to be apart of our modern force of destruction. This hot trans-mountain country has survived the turbulent emigrants of the environment. Those old inhabit of the past have great powers of the soul.”
“Look number one, the scanners and receptacles you are using cannot for some reason record these sensitive outreaches that have loomed out from the past.”
“Your report has been factual and accurate. Remember, what is sometimes lifeless, can become incipient of problems. Nothing at this point will be considered unworthy. SD out.”
“Confirmed number one.”
The group formed in the main control chambers. “SD, you show allot of concern in areas with insignificant readings, almost like it has a true sense of urgency,” AD said.
“We have enthralled the planet with our Directorate Society System. Our plan must be kept advancing for the chosen few. Any sign of weakness has the danger of returning us all back to the past. This Directorate has been manned to run without deceit and remain in order, we the supreme can never surrender our inbreed heritage. The importance of safe guarding our gene splitting vault is paramount. We require continuous leadership with our offspring’s and we must remain this program under our control.”
“The doctrine has to be for us to survive and at the same time endure and be secure,” UD broke in.
“Why then do we fear the few MUes moving around, when in time they will perish. The old civilization has already become desensitized. We have rendered them harmless, except for their most important product,” AD quickly responded.
“Their memory,” RD injected.
“Right, that is what we at least can afford to be complacent about, because that is where our past is traced. Pleasure and freedom are ever present in these earthly MUes. They must be eliminated, but not erased.”
“You mean the most powerful group ever devised fears the past, through some psychic phenomenon of thought?”
“Well phrased, AD. Our bodies are a flawless model and because of that we have an identical body and mannerism. The timing and the different environment in our incubation aqueduct, during the fertilization processes created slight differences. We can enjoy the pleasures of the body, but it is not the driving force of our life. Our exist is endless in duration, so duplication becomes a non issue. The capability must always remain advanced for our society to prosper.”
“I know we don’t have a problem with this.” AD added.
“Escaping our control is impossible, but at times a scant insignificant number could temporality bypass these controls. The time is near when we will eliminate all the MUes. Our fear is not of losing domination, but that some might escape from earth. With our advanced mind, which is beyond any human evaluation and with it we can dominate other forms of universal life. Having the ability to reach out beyond this small planet has to be our future goal, with it lies our greatest fear. When any outside alien visitor scans this lifeless planet, it will be viewed as normal and with that comes our survival.”
“I have a hard time understanding that portion. Why would other universal cultures venture out into a scared non productive planet? They would only see three quadrants of our world and we have them under control. Most of what will be viewed is open country free from all the holocaust of destruction,” UD responded.
“That my good man is our free standing survival. We have mastered the art of masking what is not pleasing and that can never be seen by the outside universe.”
“How can we prevent that? We all know it exists and is real.”
“One advantage of breeding through the cloning process has been to tune into our increased utilization of engineering. Each body has concentrated on its own specialty. With that we collectively combine into a vibrant body of control. With our visible scanning rate we can see what no other life form sees.”
“Yes, I think we are starting to understand. Image de-magnification plays the most important part of what we have devised. The base object cannot be seen because we utilized our primitive elements. With that all vision has become modified with basic coronae variation. This allows diffraction grating that in turn stabilizes our fringe images,” AD added.
“Remember, with our city of control, here each dome can influence what others feel and see. Increasing the environment with noise has helped induce electromagnetic interference, which by the way will not allow focusing of our planet. Becoming a time-consuming process that would capture the dynamic effect of our most innovative society,” SD smiled and had continued.
“What you are saying, we are the bases of our own scrutiny and must impose the highest standard for our directors to stay in control,” AD enforced his understanding.
“Yes, we must generate an interference pattern that will automatically reflect power away from our planet. This magnitude will leave us with an ambient sphere that looks like we are placed in a vacuum. This unprecedented resolution will allow only microscopic motion to become recognized.”
“Now I see, this accounts for our static position and we maintain control. What an innovative approach, our life amplitude becomes integrated with the patterns seen by others.”
“Yes, we have the ability to synthesize these images, which creates a true three-dimensional display. All past short comings in our generation of genetics became eliminated or combined for the benefit of our society. Now you can sense the importance of our operation and why two MUes could not only be important, but a problem. This decade of surviving life on the surface is important and at the same time sensitive for us to maintain control.”
“What a great life,” UD and company sat near a simulated oasis of pleasure and said.
While two human spirits from different societies were united in the struggle to survive, the question was did it become a fruitless drive to hide? One body had decayed beyond its prime, while the other was returning to its prime. This unconformity meant that each had a desire for life within the limits of their bodies.
In his multi-mega construction Kentt felt secure, he had utilities and supplies. The structure was built with advanced materials and became his primary composite type construction, nothing could penetrate his safety, but at the same time he was trapped inside.
Sitting trying to relax, sleep of sort controlled his senses. At the same moment sharp sounds echoed throughout the vastness. Kentt didn’t expect to hear anyone. Puzzled, he approached the sound area. His main concern was to assure that the outside environment with its venomous impurity would not contaminate his safety.
There was an anti chamber locking mechanism that he activated. This would capture whatever entered his escape sector. Carefully opening his shielded the window, he could see for the first time into the room. Shock and surprise came across his mind as he recognized a frail image figure of his mother. Puzzled he thought how could that be?
“Mother, is that you?”
Lorii started sobbing with joy, “Kentt, it can’t be? You are alive.”
“Mother, how did you ever find me in this isolated mountain hideaway?”
“I will explain, but first why don’t you let us in?”
“Time is required to purify the anti chamber before I can open my section.”
Then it hit him. Us! “Mom, who else is with you, I can only see you.”
“Son, trust me, there is another person with me and she is no threat to your safety.”
“I believe you, but I can’t see anyone else.” Quickly scanning his spectral isolator, he began looking closer for other images. There was a slight flicker of a reading, but he could not identify its source.
“Are you sure? My equipment can’t identify any other living object.”
“It is a very . . . almost human person. Her name is Tamara and if it wasn’t for her, I would not be here. I was close to becoming captured and transplanted to the bio-pits for . . .”
“Yes, I have seen some of these results. I guess Dad didn’t survive this holocaust?”
“He did up to a point in fact we both started many elements ago. He just couldn’t survive the hostile environment. We stopped to rest on the way. He fell asleep. His rest is now ever lasting. No one will ever disturb him. He had his heart set on seeing you.”
“I am sorry you had to struggle like this. It will take time to reduce the caustic elements so try relaxing.”
“Don’t worry. We don’t want to contaminate your living environment. You look do look healthy. All that hair nothing like what we have turned out to be.”
“I have watched my video cubes and little by little our race is becoming nonexistent. We are replaced by the Repro People; they act and look like we did before the 2030 disaster.”
“We never realize that joining the Inter Galaxy Space Program would save your life.”
Checking his equipment he was eager now to see his mother. “It will be at least another half hour. That air, sure has become hard to purify, it must be really bad out there?”
“Yes, the air has turned caustic; in fact most of our clothes are falling apart because of it.”
After his gages read clear, Kentt opened the outer door and at the same time moved behind another safety chamber. He needed to verify the chemical content of those discharged particles. Looking closer at the mystery figure, the one named Tamara became visible with some limited isotropic characteristics. His equipment though modern could not define the uniformity of her skin surface. Slowly the reflections became transparent and a speckled pattern surfaced.
As the chamber temperature stabilized, so did the relationship of her phase sensitivity, he thought it could be an optical delusion. From nothing came a gorgeous shape. Watching her, his body functions began to react.
Lorii spoke, breaking his thoughts, “How much longer Kentt? I sure could use some hot coffee and a shower.”
“I hear hot coffee has been outlawed, but I can still fix you a cup. Water is no problem. I even have a miniature hot water tank with plenty of capacity.”
“How can that be? You have been isolated for more than ten years?”
“Right, there is one small step left before you can enter my chambers. That will take only a few increments more.”
“What remaining step would that be?”
“There is a particle process that requires all material contents, including jewelry or pins to remain in the chambers. The body will pass a final de-ionizing process. This cleanses and vacuums your skin by lifting out all of the tainted imbedded particles.”
“You mean?”
“Yes, mother. Don’t worry I will not look.”
She smiled, knowing what he meant.
“There are round cast steel bins near by. Your clothing goes into them. Right next to them there is a small oxford gray box. It has a sliding cover. That is where all the metal objects go. Mom, you can start first.”
During all this Tamara was quiet. She had a hard time accepting what was going on. She knew if Lorii trusted her son, there was no danger. Slowly she started to discard her outer garments, tossing them carelessly into the steel bin.
Kentt sat admiring Tamara, her beauty became more than he had ever seen or could have visualized. Once the drab garments came off a slight light brown pigmentation of mosaic skin texture surfaced, her arms, legs and thighs, where all woman. When she pulled her top section off, the best was still to come as Kentt felt uncomfortable, and with it came an unusual reaction.
Slowly Tamara’s body became totally visible. He knew her outer layer of skin was not normal, but he associated it with the caustic environment.
Watching his pollution indicator, new forms of gases were captured, leaving her body partially transparent. Once totally absorbed, her body came clearly into view. Her golden yellow hair fell down over her body, covering her features.
“Magnificent. This is truly a woman. I never would have had the capacity to visualize such a person.”
Reluctantly Kentt had two robs ready for them. For the first time in his life he had other ideas, but it was like any fantasy. Tamara’s body glistened and with that the air had little impact on her posture. Once the process was complete the air stopped. Opening the door Kentt handed both them a bathrobe type covering. Tamara’s figure was totally covered with her tesselated hair.
Lorii rushed to greet her son.
“I am sorry Mom that you had to go through all this,” Kentt said.
“Kentt, my boy, I am glad to see you alive and normal looking.”
“Mother you apear tired and beat. I hope you didn’t worry too much about me?”
“Your father was so proud of you. We never really knew if you had survived, but we had faith in your ability. Oh, I would like you to meet Tamara. If it wasn’t for her, well I would be with the spirit of your father.”
He smiled, “It’s nice to see” stopping, “I meant that is also meeting you.”
“Go ahead, sake her hand, she won’t bite.”
Walking closer he could feel the radiant warmth emitted off her body.
“Thank you helping my mother and welcome to my chamber. As you see we are free from the outside environmental influence and this area is safe from the Directorate.”
“Son that is the reason you has survived.”
“I know and for some reason they haven’t been able to detect my home. The material used for these tubes were state of the art at the time and lucky for me unknown to those pirates of mankind. Would you guys like something to eat or drink?”
No response as they walked to the center tube and into what looked like a dinning area.
“This place is different,” Lorii said as she sat.
“From what I have been able to see outside, this has to be the last refuge from what was once so common, freedom.”
“Yes son, we are quickly dying off. I am not sure you know this, but there are no new replacements being born, at least from the natural human act of love.”
“I hear that all birth has been controlled in the Dome City region. These locations are high above the earths’ hostile environment, protection by the clouds. Enough about all this Mom, why don’t you try relaxing a little and remember you are safe inside with me.”
“I forgot, I am sorry.”
Kentt looked at Tamara, “You have been quiet Tamara.”
“Why has your hair and skin remained so natural?” she asked.
“Because the air inside is filtered and only pure particles remain.”
“I heard these features were once common on earth, at least before this holocaust.”
While talking with Tamara, Lorii’s head bobbed a couple of times and her head rested on the table and she fell asleep.
“How about a quick tour of my facility?”
“Sure.”
“How about slipping into something that is more comfortable?”
“I am comfortable.”
“Yes, that I can see.” Kentt still had a hard time accepting her beauty. Walking side by side her top section jumped out between her hair and that distracting him.
She pointed to a large metal shaped door, “What is that?”
“Inside is my Galaxy ship.”
“A what?”
“Spacecraft. It was programmed to leave our galaxy and explore the universe.”
“Are you trained for this type of exploration?”
“Yes, the original plan was to make contact with other worlds. This so called galaxy mission was all a part of a greater program.”
“I don’t understand?”
“This organization’s mission was to made contact with planets out of our galaxy. My ship has been pre-programmed for flight.”
“You mean your form wanted to leave earth?”
“Yes, based on what has happened wouldn’t you want to leave this burned out world?”
“Why then did you stay isolated?”
“I became trapped and lost contact with my leaders.” Changing the subject, “Tamara is an odd name. It can’t be apart of our culture? Your skin texture is unusual and not human.”
She smiled, “We are out of your visual spectrum.”
“But, I can see you! Well most of the time.”
“True, what you might not realize, I was conceived by a pink skinned male.”
“You mean your mother was invisible?”
“Sort of.”
“Then how did she ever mate?”
“She had powers of light absorption and could transcend into your world, but it was hard and became limited.”
“I don’t understand what you are saying?”
Both sat on opposite chairs facing each other. Kentt was a little perplexed at this story.
“Is your mother still alive?”
“As far as I know she is. I think she finally found her pink mate in these mountains.”
“You mean you don’t know?”
“No, she disappeared many years back.”
“Where are the rest of your people?”
“They are all in the `tinctures’ of life, waiting for their cosmic dream of restoration.”
“I am not sure what that means?”
“We are no longer in the form you call human. We have returned. In fact, our spirit is, like it began. The best I could do, its like clay mixed with sand and that is our bonded form of life.”
“You got to be kidding? Sand is all we have here in Enidun.”
“Yes and that fact made our existence compatible on your planet. Our future here held limited risk, until your planet began changing in 2020.”
“That part I understand. We have destroyed our culture and our life. I hear humans have been replaced by those so-called Repro People.”
“I saw these creatures being manufactured and they appear as the dominate human race.”
“How did you survive when all of your people went back to sand?”
“I walked out of the final ceremonial chambers as the edifice of the mountain turned into the ultimate alcove of `tinctures’.”
“So now you are alone? The only living member except, maybe your mother?”
“Yes, my destiny was to survive. Maybe it was wrong? By the way you are the first mate I have seen.” She reached over to touch his hand. Her rob opened exposing her mosaic skin.
Kentt felt her warm hand on his heart and he carefully placed his hand on her arm.
“Your skin is softer than I had expected from the looks.”
“Yes the pink influence has given me more texture then anyone in my race. In fact I became an outcast by their standards.”
“I can understand all that.”
“Do you have any cloths in this chamber?”
“Right here.” Pointing toward a wardrobe of hanging material, “You can select what you like, I will check on mother.”
His thoughts raced from the events of the past few minutes, but all screeched to a halt. She was gone. Walking to the table where she had rested, he found a simple smudged message scribbled on the surface. “I love you, son.” He knew she went back to the hostile environment called earth.
Outside Lorii managed to stumble on a small band of renegades that gladly accepted her. Survival was their common bond.
Saddened Kentt sat waiting for some scan of his mother, but he knew that she would never return. Tamara had a hard time understanding his human emotion.
“Kentt, you must not blame yourself. Lorii was happy to find you alive. Now is the time to go on with your life.”
“What life? I can’t go out there. The pit of mankind has made destruction king. I don’t want to end up, looking like my mother. No hair, no skin texture, but more important the will to live. I have been isolation in this cave and what was once my career has turned into a trap.”
Tamara walked over, “I feel your emotions and in my culture any type of anger or joy was never openly experienced. We considered it a weakness.”
“It isn’t a weakness, it is life. Becoming trapped inside a mountain waiting only for death, how can this be considered weak?”
“Why is death so frightful? Our people preferred it.”
Kentt couldn’t respond to that, other then, “Death is permanent. I would like the pleasure of youth and life, but you might be right. What pleasures could there be left in this decayed society?”
Sitting back, he pondered what his next move should be. Tamara sat next to him trying to understand his feelings and at the same time figure out a way to comfort him.
“We are together.”
Coming back in a low keyed voice, “What kind of remark is that?”
“More than likely we are the few remaining pure elements of life. Maybe of different cultures, but no one has violated our minds or body. I am more of your earth culture then you realize.”
“A good point what can the two of us do to overcome this environment?”
“Leave it.”
“Leave it? You mean . . . No way. You got to be joking?”
“Why not? It can’t be any worse than what is in store for our future here.”
“That is interesting; the universe might have greater opportunity for survival then this retarded earth.”
He stopped and started thinking, “I like it, because the universe has unlimited vision for the future. Never coming back was always my concern, in fact it bothered me. Now, what is there to come back for? If we should parish in space it would be quick. At least we miss being tortured and killed. There is one point, you have not been trained in space flight or have you?”
“No I have not, but you learned, so can I.”
“The way destruction is moving out there, what choice do we have? In the morning we will draw up a schedule. Check the supplies and prepare our lunch date.”
“You are intelligent, but why wait? You have had the key to break out and yet you never considered it.”
“Why don’t we rest first? The days ahead will be busy and I do need some time to think about a plan.”
Getting up Kentt continued, “Let me show you the sleeping chamber, it is small, but it will be huge compared to the spacecraft. Normally there are two people per chamber.”
Walking toward the first door, “I have been using this one. There is another chamber right next door. You can . . .”
“Is it all right if I stay with you?”
“Sure,” he closed the door.
“There is the shower and plenty of towels.”
Tamara looked puzzled. Kentt saw her concern and asked, “Is there something wrong?”
“The shower you mentioned, is that with the component, water?”
“Yes, do you have a problem with that?”
“Sort of my skin cannot receive any large volume of water. Once I was caught in a downpour and it almost killed me.”
“You’re kidding?”
“No, our body functions never required that type of purification.”
“But you are half human.”
“True, your air cleansing system is closer to what we use to renew the particles in our skin.”
“No problem, I can set that up for you.”
While working hard to change the hardware, he began explaining about the world he never really knew.
“Mankind struggled for their own eternal salvation. You might ask, what controlled their salvation? That was never clear, but life continued to move forward. Until one day, all mobility became labored.”
“A change in the system had occurred.”
“Yes, with the destruction of the races, one radical group slowly dominated all, regardless of any ones belief.”
“Life then turned out to be sad for your people.”
“The ultimate weapon during these unstable conditions helped in their downfall. Now they struggle with the mind set that their Ala will give them an honorable death. Accepting the reality that death justifies their life. Dying was always considered a part of their religion sect and coping with this concept of systematic elimination never phased their subliminal conscious, until that day when they became the hunted, not the hunter.”
“When each enemy became eliminated by this new culture, little did they know that this a part of the master plans? Once they did, it was too late.”
“So that’s how the Directorate System overcame resistance and without any link to themselves.”
“Humanity ends up in the Bio-Pits for experimentation.”
“Next came that sad day on earth when no birth was recorded. That’s when the second stage of the process occurred. After a short duration, no one under the age of twenty-one survived. That became known as phase three. We are in the final phase, total elimination of the human population.”
“What the Directorate did not consider was their makeup and how quickly people learned to adapt. Another word once the quick kill removed most of the population, word spread like wild fire. Certain elements had prepared for this event since the 1970s. Those that were prepared had temporarily escaped earths’ destruction. But living underground was only safe until they became hunted and all were eliminated once discovered.”
“I am sorry Tamara for getting carried away like this.”
“Never had I realized what life on earth meant and how sad it became in its own destruction.”
“Your purification process is ready. I will shower and meet you in the chambers.”
Kentt had showered and felt stirred up. Wondering, how could a body cleanse without water? Never realizing that other forms of life coexisted, didn’t help his mind set in a way he understood, because he himself used clean clear purified water. But Tamara had to use purified air which she had gotten accustomed to in her life. Both concepts worked on cleansing the skin.
Kentt laid back relaxing looking at the blankness of the chamber. Wondering, “What kind of life has this turned out to be? What will tomorrow bring, when I can’t understand what has happened today.”
He felt a strange chilling sensation throughout the room.
“That has to be you Tamara. Give me a break and visualize.”
“I am sorry Kentt. I had concentrated so hard on this new environment.”
He laid on his side facing her, “By the way how old are you?”
“We do not count our ageing.”
“You mean you don’t know how old you are?”
“It was never important, we progressed till we met our `Day of Supplyunit’ and thus return to our only salvation, known as `tinctures’.”
“I don’t understand? What year were you born? Or when did your mother give you light?”
“How did you know it was once called light?”
“It was a guess.”
“Your calendar year of my light was 1960.”
He sat up with disbelief. “You can’t be eighty years old?”
“Our ageing process has a different cycle and it remained set to allow our process of mining `tinctures’.”
“Very few humans lived to be that old, but when they did, they never had the features of a youthful body. How long did your society live?”
“We never perish.”
“You what! I don’t see how that can be possible.”
“Our life on this planet lasted only in this mandated form for a few hundred years. That is based on your earth system of maintaining time. Our methods are different.”
“You aren’t kidding?”
“No. Our physical body matured at `Prolix’. Here we celebrated what was called `The Second Generation of Transformation’ or life to you. At this point our bodies started the return to our source.”
“Meaning what? You are losing me again.”
“You have to remember our whole reason for life on this celestial body was to find a planet that could support our future. Earth was a compatible planet, close to our own. Of course that was before its destruction.”
“Why me, what does all this really mean?”
“You too have been chosen.”
“Why would I be chosen and for what purpose? There never was anything written about your existence as people. None of this makes sense.”
“True, in fact we were not visible in your society. Our world survived between your living shadows. We could never tolerate the pattern of light, regardless how weak it was. Even the light of incidence could harm us. This made us dark dependent. We adapted easily to a brightness response. Even today I can control my visibility for you. This is based on the situation of the chambers’ spectrum sensitivity.”
“That makes sense, I have adjusted to the lowest photometric response and that produces a limited intensity.”
“Yes, that has allowed me to shift in and out of your visible spectrum. By the way the outside atmosphere no longer has any differences between light and darkness. That made it ideal for our cover. My system response has become uniform. For example the force from the power sticks the SPO’s use cannot harm me, but the light beam can. Another word any form of light striking my body can do more harm than the emitted force.”
Kentt touched her body, “You sure feel human, a little on the scaly side. With your mosaic texture, it doesn’t seem quite like my skin.”
“Our skin protects us from the earth and more important the universal power that strikes this planet. There are extensive invisible forces that effect the aging process in your human society. This never influenced our people and the texture made us invisible to your vision. Not that we weren’t there, you just didn’t know it. Our life cycle duration eliminated any contact with your people, but the phasing was critical.”
“At this point I really don’t understand anything.”
“During the month of July, we held a yearly gathering. It was the holiest of days, when all became cleansed; we would automatically convene in our shrine, the AVIK.”
“What in the world is an AVIK?”
“This was an underground ceremonial chamber. Here our `Book of Acumen’ was secured. The Council leader, Keventian would give his reading.”
For some reason Tamara started coming in and out of focus. Kentt’s vision couldn’t maintain her features. At the same time his lights also began to flash on and off. Some kind of interference began impacting his facility. Bells and red lights turned on. Jumping up Kentt knew that someone was trying to cut his main power source causing this interference. Finding his uniform, he began suiting up. Kentt knew that he would be protected against the hostile environment, should there be a break in.
“What is going on? Is there anything I can do?” Tamara asked.
“Yes, get yourself suited in one of these extra uniforms. It appears that this location has finally been discovered and they are trying to enter and find us. Or even worse destroy this facility.”
She understood the seriousness of his voice as Kentt said, “We do have a back up generation system, but if the System Directorate Command is behind all this, we might be in trouble. Over the last few weeks there have been signs someone was attempting entry in the outer perimeter tubes. I had abandoned that area many years ago.”
“Do you think we are in any danger?”
“You tell me. Living in this training center since the start of the holocaust, has helped. But I have not seen what kind of hell, is out there. You have.”
“We could be in allot of danger.”
“Thanks, I needed that.”
All dressed. Both left the security of their chamber. Kentt headed for the main control sector, but never made it. The power was curtailed. Tamara had the ability to see through the darkness. She quietly said, “Kentt hold my hand. I will lead you.”
“How?”
“Trust me.”
She headed through the doors. Kentt manually activated each opening. This slowed them down a little, but they made it through each portal. Using a small light source, he was able to view his instruments. The image projector and light amplification simulator were not working.
“What are you looking for?”
“Here it is our backup power source. This energy will reduce our capacity, but there is plenty of fuel for our survival. By activating a series of coded controls, all the none essential chambers will become fuzed shut. Effectively, we will become trapped in this secondary control chamber. This one small room and the Inter Galaxy Space Shuttle Silo (IGSSS) will become our new residence.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, there is no way out, but by the IGSSS.”
“Do we have too . . .” Before she could finish, Kentt jumped in.
“Yes or we will become a part of their test world. At least I will, you can become invisible and escape, but where would you go?”
“You do have a point.”
“Once we energize these series of commands, we had best take all we want and place near our chamber.”
“I don’t have anything.”
“Don’t you want your belongings?”
“No, nothing will have meaning, where we are going.”
Kentt ignored that comment, but understood. “How long do we have before they will enter the chamber and find us?”
“The best I can figure, it would or could take a week or at best a month.”
“How long do you need for flight preparation?”
“Three time elements,” she was surprised at that question.
Tamara remembered what she had taken with her, “Kentt, I forgot my sacred locket, I would like to retrieve before we activate the backup system.”
“Sure, but make it quick.”
“I will be back shortly.”
Sitting on one of the few chairs, he could see and began wondering what all this was about. Darkness was heavy as cloud cover appeared to be extra thick. Trying to look beyond his tubes Kentt saw sparks of dying embers that could have been a form of light near where the SPO’s forced entry was made.
The Directorate had systematically combed the area and captured or destroyed all in their way, with a sweep so massive that very few escaped their domination.
Kentt checked his scanner, he could activate only one camera and he watched Tamara retrieve her locket. He could see the locket raise itself and hang there without any real body. Scanning deeper outside, he pin pointed the source of the sparks. Surprised when he saw hundreds of Repro’s working with lasers and heavy equipment, they were trying to dig blast or blow up the first of the many chamber doors.
While walking around scanning the area, he thought, what a world?”
In the City of Control a Directorate meeting was in process.
AD was making statements of fact, “We have discovered that there were a few secret training stations scattered around the region. They were to be used for inter galaxy flights.”
This interested the System Director, “According to my information they all had been destroyed. Now you are telling me you found one. Was it abandoned?”
“It has all the appearance that it is,” AD quickly replied.
“Why did it take so long to find, when we knew that these types of facilities signified a danger to our complete domination.”
Silence hovered over the four. “We or our GPMS could not identify them, I think these MUes might be the same ones we lost. The image propagator became blocked and could not distinguish the many tubes within the enormous mountain ranges. This facility must have been a part of The World Exploration Agency,” AD meekly said.
“Dam it!” SD pounded his fist on the clear table surface. “I knew there had to be a satellite station near by. We discovered their headquarters group and eliminated them right after the year 2030. Not only was this organization dedicated, but they had plans to leave our planet. Space exploration with future colonization in the universe was their ultimate goal. Most, if not all of their equipment remained classified beyond ultra secret. This ranged down to the type of metal utilized. That was their power base, because they had reached far beyond the imagination of any living man. In fact their plans were never fully documented. The metal they utilized were unique in that they were both invisible and could not be detectable.”
Stopping to calm down a little he asked, “How did we find this setup after ten years?”
“The massive Repro People were guided by SPO’s command and they were systematically checking all quadrants. Those disappearing MUes sparked this intensive search.”
“Yes, I recall, excellent job AD. What made you search that area?”
“We were interested in this district for more than ten years, because this sector indicated life movements. Checking the local land forms we saw that it did not match the required profile index. With our advanced power stick and force field reduction devices, our indicators came up with a slight miss-match. Once we massed a group of people with equipment, it became apparent there was more than met the eye.”
AD turned and switched on one of his monitors, “Here is a cubic view of what we found breaking through the first chamber barriers.”
“That is amazing. A timely find because our survival is now in the balance,” SD said.
“How so SD?” RD asked.
“Should there be more of these set ups on the planet surface, they could escape our domination and then feed back what is real on our planet.”
“True, but one isolated station can’t be a threat,” UD broke in.
“Somewhat true , but our ability to control could indicate other subtle break away’s and this small but an unimportant find could grow to become significant.”
“Flash! Flash! AD this is SPO Command.”
“Yes, SPO.”
“All indicators are that once there were many Gala-Space forms in training.”
“Great, are there any indicators of life inside?”
“No, we have found their power link, which was completely functional and in operation. Signifying those mortal forms were once using it. Our theory is that they had automated equipment and it could be operated without any living humans. The power source had an infinite time cycle for service, nothing like I had ever seen.”
A small pod comes into focus. “This material is immune to our weapon. When one of our Repro Patrol accidentally sat on a power link, he fried and that instantly cut off all power inside.”
“Why have you stopped?” AD asked.
“These chamber doors are sealed through some kind of hydro-mechanical locking-method. We cannot force them open. The first opening we managed to trigger open with our force beams. Now with all the power cut off, nothing works. We are getting some burring equipment in place and hopefully we will be able to pierce our way into to this facility.”
“Transmit your findings immediately.”
“Yes quadrant leader, out.”
“I wonder how many other unknown secluded operations are functioning undetected by our network of tracers.” SD stood.
“Our domination is unlimited and complete even if there were a few cases of resistance,” RD said.
“Understood, but finding one case can imply others. After years of intensive screening, ten years to be exact I am concerned to find that new types of materials exist. Not only does this material absorb our signals, but worst than that, our powerful force of destruction does little to weaken material. That my good men, can never be ignored.”
“True, SD, but these are still isolated occurrences and are considerably spread throughout the whole earth region. Leading us to the fact, that maybe only this single outpost remained undetected,” AD responded.
“You might be right, but remember how our own directorate gained control.”
“SPO Command to AD.”
“Yes Number One.”
“Our equipment does not influence this material.”
“Do you have the latest version?”
“Yes.”
Muting the response, “SD, how do we want to handle this?”
“Let them use the Atom Trigger.”
“With that we could forfeit our working base.”
“Yes, so?”
Looking around, all nodded their heads in approval. ”Number One this is AD, have the Atom Trigger brought in.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, we need to penetrate those walls and find any resistance that might be forming to destroy our society.”
“I understand, but the risks far outreach the value of this find.”
“You may utilize all the available Repro-People in the area, but it is imperative that we find our way inside this facility.”
“Should there be anyone inside, they will instantly parish, because of the vastness of power that will be released to gain entry.”
“Understood, how long will it take to initiate this plan?”
“We can mass the equipment in six maybe five time elements.”
All agreed that this time frame was adequate. “Fine, before the actual detention, informs our group. We will shield our high dome society from the shock and after shock.”
“Yes AD.”
“Number One, this is SD. It is imperative no one knows of this plan. We have to maintain discipline and control. We offered peace to all with the promise never to utilize the AT again.”
“I will direct the operation myself.”
“Excellent, SD out.”
In System Patrol Headquarters on the earth quadrant, Number One stood wondering, “What was all this fuss over an old abandoned training center anyway. Why is this area so important for destruction? Especially when no life form signals appear, there has to be more to all this, but what?”
Number One reached for an old reference document dated the year two thousand and it was titled, “Advancement of the New.” A book he had cherished, but it was no longer allowed for reading material. It had facts printed that were beginning to fade. Finding one interesting article titled, “Future is in the Stars.”
Here it explained the mission of the World Space Exploration Agency’s functions. “Why were the Inter Galaxy Flights so important for the earths’ future?” Looking at some of the deteriorating photos of these facilities he began searching the surface and found what looked like a chamber opening. “Now that was a find.”
Flipping the index, he stopped under the heading of materials. It clearly states, that the material composition was made from a new type of composite. That is why we could not detect its location. Once our force finds its location, destruction would still be impossible.
Scurrying like two little mice Tamara and Kentt were busy gathering what had value before they would seal off the launch chamber. The blast of the distant chamber door echoed through their mind.
Kentt asked, “Are you sure this is the only way out for our lives?”
“Travel out of any universe is never easy, but reaching for the unknown, makes all forms exist. People from earth never had to re-colonize, now that is the only option, if you want to survive?”
Kentt gathered his training material and began reviewing the original galaxy launch routine. Turning to Tamara, he asked. “Do you have any idea what our launch coordinates should be for this mission?”
“Your maps of the universe are incomplete?”
“How do you know that?”
“I know, trust me, just program for the outer most stars.”
“That will bring us out of the earth’s gravity and once that happens, we can never return.”
“Do you think that this planet will ever be worth returning too?”
“But . . .” The question was quickly answered, without a real response. “For some reason, I can no longer trust anything on this planet and yet there is some attraction to it.”
“Your people have a strange story about the moth and the flame. Each moth is taught early in their development stages about the danger of fire. When the adult moth reaches maturity it feels superior. The source of light coming from the flame attracts all, and with it they vanish. You know if you stay, it will result in the same faith and yet you would like to stay. Your earth mentality has caused the very circumstances that are now out of control. No one wants to fight until you can only lose.”
“You know Tamara that makes allot of sense. That leaves me with a simple question, what makes you think we can survive out there?”
“You have to forget about this planet. Dying out there for a piece of dirt will never give you a fighting chance. Out in space a chance does exist. Survival means a new life, and with that, freedom will be ours. If we don’t, how will you ever gain flight experience first hand? Isn’t that goal of achievement worth the risk?”
“No family, no friends, what can I expect out there, where nothing lives?”
“Again your earthy culture has never allowed you to learn what life beyond the stars has to offer. Remember, just because it cannot be seen, does not mean you can’t survive.”
“You mean, life can be in any form?”
“Life in many forms coexists in this galaxy. With your limited exposure of the universe explains that fear. We came to earth after searching many different types’ of planets, looking only for something to help support life. We had searched for centuries in order to be able to transfer our psyche.”
“If your planet had it so good, why did you have to explore others?”
“Evil and greed have no bounds, even with a peaceful loving society. Of course these words can have different meaning. They are never clear cut, but effectively the same. Different species have cultures that can be in a higher or lower form of existence. Emigration traces through the galaxy of space, like nothing your society can understand. Space ships are used only to protect the physical attributes of life form. Once that danger has passed, traveling in the spirited body becomes much easier. Now this spirit pattern is not always understood by earth links. Life, regardless where it originates, has a spirit. The common bond of this `Omnium’ will never cease.”
“You mean that you are only visible to me because you are considered a spirit?”
“Right, we could coexist as spirits and never have any visible form.”
“You mean? No, this can’t be real.”
“Why not?”
“I have never heard anyone suggesting that this thinking could be considered fact.”
“You are here on the planet and it has always been primitive. Look at the hard time you are having trying to understand a simple concept. Everyone has the spirit of life, so why do you fear it?”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“I must admit your space craft design is perfect, almost like I would have programmed for me.”
“It was what? You got to be kidding?”
“No, our plan developed around eighteen hundred. That was when our first species made contact. This became a careful and gradual transformation. First our cultures had to learn from their differences, and at the same time work hard in making contact. Your world and my planet had similar desires, survival.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Nothing is without purpose and that leads us to our meeting.”
“I know what you are saying, but I don’t know what you have been referring too?”
She smiled and sat in front of him, “We are related.”
“Sure, based on what you said about all men are of the same spirit.”
“Yes, that is part of it, but our ties are even closer, more of an earth kinship.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Let me ask you a question. What do you know about your heritage?”
“We all came from the land of Enidun.”
“True, but your origin comes from the East Coast.”
“Yes I have read that, what are you getting at?”
“Around 1880 we began breaking into your primitive world. Did your great-grandfather have a general store not to far from these very mountains?”
“Yes, in Konawl.”
“Very good, have you ever read, `The Konawl Theory’?”
“Yes, that was a study about stray light with vision of figures and other objects.”
“My mother was ten, at that time, based on your reference.”
“Now I have a problem. I can’t be hearing this correctly or is this all a dream? You told me she was ten in 1880. How can she be only twenty-five in the year 2030? I do not understand, oh no, don’t tell me again about the spirit.”
Kentt walked away not wanting to think about all this. Having packaged everything, including a few personal items, he began checking his gear and their food supply. Picking up a strange shaped clear cylinder he looked inside, “What are these odd shaped crystals? They look like minerals. Why didn’t you mention this before? Why couldn’t I detect these materials in any of my screening?”
“These are the cores of our civilization.”
“There you go again. Are these the `tinctures’ you spoke of?”
“I think you are starting to understand why these scant rocks hold generation of existence.”
“Well at least you travel light.”
Tamara became noticeably upset with his candid remark.
Kentt quickly broke in, “Look I am sorry. It was my way of releasing some frustration. I guess it was in poor taste.”
“The form you are holding is life in the stages of metamorphosed. Do not try touching this configuration. If these elements become contaminated, sections could break away. Then this will produce a wavy uneven formation, thus rendering everything useless. I know you are trying to understand all this and that has become a task. Many levels of sedimentary rocks constitute our processes into a gneiss. This transformation absorbs our `tinctures’ and they become one. The closest I can explain, it is like forming granite.”
“If you say so I have to go check on our fuel source.”
Leaving her all alone, he concentrated on what he had to do next.
“SPO Command, Number One, do you read me?”
No response.
“This is SD, SPO Command.” Still, no response.
“AD, can you tell what the hell is going on down there?”
“No sir.”
“That dam World Space Exploration Agency is responsible for this. Are there any SPO’s near the desert quadrant? Respond!”
“This is SPO, ZA how can I help you sir?”
“Have you heard where SPO Command has gone?”
“No sir, the last sighting was near the mountain sector, something about using a force field to gain entry.”
“Could you transcend to that location?”
“Sorry sir, our assignment has been strictly for MUe elimination. We are scanning the vastness of the region here on the erosive surface. These enormous land forms require many scanners, which SPO Command can redirect, ZA out.”
“ZA, this is SD.”
“Forget it SD, they are programmed for one task at a time and it would not do any good.”
“AD, we have a potential concern with this situation.”
“Our domination of the earth surface is complete, say 99.9% and one small segment can’t do anything to upset our new free world. Most if not all the original flesh mutants are in process of becoming eliminated or captured for our Bio-Pits.”
“You are right. Let’s have some relaxation.”
Meanwhile, SPO Command was deep in the single tunnel of the Inter-Galaxy Training Facility.
“What a great set up, I have never seen such luxury of man. Nothing seems modified. How can that be?”
“The Directorate spoke of nothing on this planet was worth saving. Yet this facility was saved and I can see why it was worth the effort?”
Using his power light as a guide, he entered ever deeper. During this process he lost his link for any communications to the outside world. Ending in the halls of many tunnels, he stopped to look around, realizing that there were many opening. Standing in the hub of tunnels, he couldn’t remember where he came from? All looked identical and nothing was distinguishable, now he felt trapped and the darkness began crowding around him. He knew there was no way out.
Trying to use his hand held monitor, didn’t help. All he could get was snow and a strange raster sound. Static dominated his equipment. He couldn’t get an open channel. All transmittance became absorbed within the confines of the facility. Stopping he was lost. “Now what?”
Meanwhile Kentt returned and could not find Tamara. His mind was still buzzing with all the information she had shared. Tired he laid down to rest and automatically fell into a silent restless sleep.
Tamara had everything under control knowing that on the next time element departing from earth would become mandatory. Being invisible she moved through the chamber loading all her essentials. Tamara’s life union would never have meaning, without the legacy of their `tinctures’. This faith became entrusted to her very spirit.
She knew everything would be destroyed, when they departed. That was the only way the Directorate could not follow or have a clue as to their real mission.
Quietly entering the chamber was Kentt lay sleeping, Tamara relaxed and sat in the far corner. The vision of her future was here and with it, the time element collided with today and that constituted their coming. Having shed her human covering, revealed what only the flesh could, finally rest will become internal and the human bond would be in the spirit of continuum.
A rumble, with strong vibrations woke Kentt he quickly jumped up wondering, “What was going on?” Walking over to the opening, he saw nothing. All right, at least make yourself visible so I can see you.”
“I am here,” she became visible.
“You are more human then spirit Tamara and I can’t get over your age and about your ability to transcend from visible to invisible.”
“My mother mated with your father’s mother’s brother, Jessee.”
He stopped and couldn’t respond, “My what?” Blurred out. “All his life, he lived in the desert as a waco, in total isolation. That can’t be?”
“Why not?”
“Are you kidding?”
“No. Jessee had the ability to see in both worlds. The sun we call `Helioid’ was almost as bothersome for him as it was in our living process. Any contact with light could deform or even reduce our bodies into dust. He lived with pain and during one of his desert expeditions; he met my mother and patiently mated. Having developed her ability to match vision within `The Helioids, helped her. She began traveling around during your day. While making these expeditions, she began seeing human pink forms.”
“After all this time, how did she find my uncle?”
“By chance and controlled by our universal spirit Omnium, my mother was an outcast after my birth because these features are not found in our society. Much of my skin and hair, even my eyes are not of Aroos origin.”
“Aroos, what is that?”
“Our society on earth became known as the Aroos Spirit Society.”
“It has no meaning to me. You mean to tell me all this was by your so-called high spirit?”
“Yes, destiny of our future controlled your advancement.”
“Then your leaders knew what would happen to our planet? Why did they allow this to happen?”
“Yes and no. Knowing it, but not having the ability to control destiny is different.”
“This sure is confusing, and it doesn’t make sense.”
“Our people were invisible to the earth population. Only two people ever made contact, my mother with your uncle. Our safety within your society had to stay protected or both societies would have experienced greater danger. We had a mission, which we are . . .”
“You have your mission and that is to escaping from these mad men. Your humanly flesh will never survive, if you don’t.”
“But there is no guarantee that out there, my flesh will survive.”
“You already know it will never survive here.”
“I get your point, but you came from out there and stopped here.”
A bigger rumble and shock wave penetrated through their chamber.
“I see the end of the month is approaching quickly.”
Smiling, “You never give up, do you Tamara?”
“No, it is one of my earthly traits that somehow I got from your family.”
“That I believe. Even your suit fits like a glove, tight.”
“This was the largest one I could find.”
“Only kidding it is made for you and your body, which blossoms beyond all this.”
“You remain attracted to this type of a body? Why is that important?”
“We better get out of here. The pad for lunching is more isolated from this facility. We need to enter the pad before we get sealed out. Once we enter there is no returning. This system is good for one launch. Another words no coming back because everything self-destructs.”
“Why would your society design such a concept?”
“Once launched from this site there is no landing. This was purely a training set up. The World Space Exploration Agency wanted each of these training silos to have launch capabilities. These activities were covered up and kept secret. On lift off, the required people were informed that it was not a training program.”
“Your command was thoughtful.”
“Yes and if it doesn’t work . . . well we will then visit your people.”
“Have you ever launched a rocket system?”
“No, normally it is computer driven. During all our simulator training everything went as planned.”
“Another words. You have simulated this routine for the last ten years?”
“Do we still go?”
“Look Kentt. I am not critical just concerned about our future. What do you think the odds are in making a successful launch?”
“I was the best student before my training stopped. During my successions, I developed proper techniques for survival. It took ten years, but I am ready, at least as ready as I could be. Why, do you foresee a problem?”
“No, no.”
While in the high dome society, the System Director was again harping on finding out where the command leader of the SPO’s was.
“From our reading, many of the Repro People were heading toward that Inter Galaxy Space Training site. The odd thing about that, none are coming back out. It must be an enormous setup for so many of them to disappear. Why can’t we get any readings from within?”
“The indications are that this construction dates back to the invisible flight era. Detection was not possible during that time frame, even their planes were invisible,” RD responded.
“You mean a composite material we can’t detect with our Light Amplification Simulator or Image Propagation? How did we allow that to happen? We are in control and these original flesh mutants become invisible. Hopefully there is only one site.”
“We will be able to reduce this substance once our trackers break off a sample.”
“I sure hope it happens quickly. This new situation is a puzzle. Here we are at the brink of total control and one small facility sticks out. We have no idea what quality of life has survived for these many years. What can they do to hurt us? We have dominated the planet without a thought. Yet one small spec on this shrinking globe could influence our goals and objectives. Look around the blue panoramic view. It is endless. Can you see any forms of flight other than clouds? Our destiny to dominate is eternal. We have a new generation of people that are like you and me. Once we obliterate that single spec, our direction is complete. We will last forever.”
“Yea, yea!” The three quadrant leaders stood and shouted, “We have succeeded where no other man could, and we live in infamy!”
At that the moment, the sounds of shattering glass and structures crumbling replaced their cheer. As a giant fire ball blazed through the sky piercing the heart of the High Dome Society, all the leaders stood in its destructive path. Taking a direct hit, the glass and plastic continued crumbling. With one massive shift downward, each dome collapsed like falling dominoes into the decaying earth below.
These once humble structures became distorted in tiny fragments as they scattered throughout the decomposed region. Each particle was totally and instantly absorbed by the pollutant and caustic environment. At first it left the impression of a cleansing action, but nothing could recover what was set into motion. Rotating gale winds turned into giant storms. The earth returned to a turbulent existence, by ravishing the land and producing the greatest vigorous vacuum ever experienced. Land, robots, people, sand, vegetation all became mixed.
The lower atmosphere became a huge chemical experiment. For one single moment, this chain reaction opened the sky, revealing a clear outer universe. This permitted a few moments of neutralization from what was normally a caustic environment. Even the sun returned and the distant pastures remained scattered, leaving a silent return of what could have once been a somber community. Those lamentable outcries could be heard searching for that one joy of fresh air.
Zig zagging through that instantaneousness blue spectrum a fireball of light could be seen trying to beat a trailing white stream of smoke. This fresh radiant source was aimed toward that grand opened universe by slowly creating another star in the galaxy of life. A cosmic phenomenon became generated by the speed of light and in turn capturing the embodiment spirit of soul. Dispersion of this vision was greatly attenuated and peace gradually returned to the planet earth below.
The inferno was no longer, the relevance returned to the sand of time, waiting for its subsequent rebirth. With heaving and shifting, those destructive turbulences settled the earth. With this process, the land features tried to rejuvenate and the elements of automation twitched and jerked. Slowly the earth settled into retardation. The power struggle had finally ended, nothing of dominance survived.
The incidence of particle decomposition allowed the light to again become visible. A new active burring could be seen through the lower atmosphere. Mountains become valleys. Valleys become mountains as the earth structured to maintain its origin of base, this sudden alteration of properties, caused waves of evaluation throughout. Time came to rest and with it, peace.
Finally a pause could be seen in what began in the outer fringes of our galaxy. This fresh harmony in the wilderness allowed the primitive solitude to act as one, leaving mankind with one basic question. “First close your eyes and see today’s life, could you view that old sediment known as time? More to the point, could we be advancing in between two dimensional spectrums? If so, which creations are you? Can you perceive what it could have been like, say forty million years ago? Or what it will be like in the year 3000?”
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