SCIENCE FICTION SHORT STORIES VOLUME IX Page 6

  “I see you got the generator going,” said Richard. “How long have you been running it?”

  “A couple of days, “ said Tony. “I needed the light to try and fix the radio.”

  “Hopefully there's enough fuel left to run our equipment,” said Richard. “You'd better just forget about the radio until we've got a place to work that's not so dark.”

  “My machine will run on batteries,” said Lindsay. “Did you remember to pack the solar powered battery charger.”

  “Yeah,” said Richard. “And there should be some candles in one of those boxes. We should find them so we can turn off the lights and save fuel.”

  “We haven't even looked through all the boxes,” said Maria. “Things take up less room while they're in the boxes. We're still trying to figure out what all this stuff we've looked at is for.”

  “Like the elephant phrophalactics,” said Tony.

  “Elephant condoms?” asked Lindsay. “Richard?”

  “Weather balloons,” said Richard. “We use them to get our instruments aloft.”

  “I told you, Tony,” said Maria. “There's no elephants around here.”

  “That would explain the air tank,” said Tony. “I thought there was something wrong with it.”

  “Tony breathed some of the gas,” said Maria. “He thought he was dying. He ran around sounding like Donald Duck during hunting season.”

  “That wasn't funny,” said Tony.

  “Trust me,” said Maria. “It was funny. He didn't mess with any more stuff after that.”

  “I was busy working on the radio,” said Tony. “Here they are. How many candles do you want?”

  “Two or three should be enough,” said Lindsay. “How many are there?”

  “Looks like a couple of dozen,” said Tony. “Enough for a birthday cake.”

  “You didn't bring birthday candles,” said Lindsay. “Let me see one of those. Oh, these will be fine. I'm sorry I doubted you, Richard.”

  “I still haven't gotten over the weather balloons,” said Richard.

  “That reminded me of the last man I was intimate with,” said Lindsay. “I still remember his last words.”

  “What did he say,” asked Maria.

  “Okay lady,” said Lindsay. “You're clear to board the plane.”

  ....................

  “We should get started on that hut,” said Richard.

  “Are you sure we can't stay here in the cave?” asked Lindsay. “It's waterproof, especially compared to anything we might be able to build.”

  “There's not enough room,” said Richard, “and we'll need some privacy, and I'm sure they'd like some too.”

  “There's another cave,” said Maria, “on the other side of the island. It's huge. We thought about using it, but the entrance wasn't as well hidden as this one. We didn't think anyone would ever find us in here.”

  “How far is it to that cave?” asked Richard.

  “We can be there in a couple of hours,” said Tony. “A couple of hours to look around and we can be back here by dark.”

  “Let's do it,” said Richard. “If it checks out, we can move in tomorrow.”

  ....................

  “Look at those storm clouds building up over the island,” said Lindsay. “I've never seen storm clouds build so quickly.”

  “Too bad we don't have our equipment set up,” said Richard. “This could be a prime example of what we're looking for. Does anyone have a compass or a magnet?”

  “I've got a compass,” said Tony. “But I can tell you we're heading east. Look at where the sun is.”

  “I want to know where magnetic north is,” said Richard. “Could I see your compass?”

  “That's not north,” said Tony as he looked at the compass. “Wait a minute. Now it's pointing that way. Is this what you were talking about?”

  “Exactly,” said Richard. “I wish I knew how long the magnetic field has been disabled. I'll bet it coincided with the storm buildup. Oh well, tomorrow or the next day we'll get the instruments in place.”

  “Will we have to go up on the hill?” asked Tony.

  “Maybe not,” said Richard. “I thought we'd need to go up there to see storms developing in the distance. But it looks like they're developing right on top of us. I hoped to be on an island near the center of the phenomenon. I had no idea we'd be right in the middle of it.”

  “Is that a good thing?” asked Maria. “I hate thunder and lightning.”

  “It's starting to rain again.” said Tony. “Run. The cave is just around that bend.”

  ....................

  “How much have you guys already checked out?” asked Richard.

  “This is it,” said Tony. “We didn't have any flashlights when we were here before.”

  “Well, we've got some now,” said Richard. “And we've got a couple of hours. Let's see just how big this sucker is.”

  “Don't get us lost,” said Lindsay. “Remember, the compass will be useless for a while.”

  ....................

  “It's really cool in here,” said Lindsay. “It must be a deep cave.”

  “And it's dry,” said Richard. “That's unusal for a cave. It may be the evaporation that makes it feel so cool. My mouth is already dry. This may not work out if it's two hours to the nearest fresh water.”

  “There's another stream just a little ways farther down the beach,” said Tony. “Water will be no problem.”

  “Any tidal pools?” asked Lindsay. “In case the crabs dissappear.”

  “Maybe a half mile further,” said Tony.

  “Perfect,” said Lindsay. “Welcome to our new home.”

  “Well, I guess we can head back and prepare for our move,” said Richard. “We'll have plenty of time to explore after we have the instruments set up.”

  “What will the instruments tell us?” asked Tony.

  “Two things,” said Richard. “They'll measure magnetic field strength and weather conditions like barometric pressure and humidity.”

  “One or two instruments could do that,” said Lindsay. “Why did you bring so many?”

  “The instruments will give us a time based profile,” said Richard. “By comparing their readings at several locations all around the island, we should be able to triangulate the exact center of the phenomenon as well as any connections between the atmospheric conditions and the magnetic field strength.”

  “That's sounds important,” said Tony. “We should set up the instruments tomorrow. We can move into the cave while the instruments are recording their data.”

  “Good idea,” said Lindsay. “It won't kill us to stay in the small cave for one extra night.”

  “Actually I was thinking of sleeping on the beach tonight if it's not raining,” said Richard.

  “Under the moon and stars,” said Lindsay. “That sounds so romantic.”

  “Actually, I was going to keep a lookout for UFO activity,” said Richard. “If we're as close to the refinery as I think we are then there should be some activity.”

  “The crabs,” said Maria. “How are you going to sleep with crabs crawling all over you?”

  “We'll build some hammocks out of the parachutes and cords,” said Richard. “We'll just need to put up some poles to tie them to.”

  “I'd like to see these UFOs,” said Tony. “Mind if we join you?”

  “Still skeptical?” asked Richard. “Sure. You can join us.”

  ....................

  “You girls go get the parachutes while Tony and I cut down some trees,” said Richard. “We need to get this done before dark. We're gonna need eight poles, Tony.”

  “Actually five should be enough,” said Tony. “We put one in the center and we tie all of the hammocks to it.”

  “That way we all face in different directions,” said Richard. “That's perfect.”

  ....................

  “We've got an extra parachute here,” said Lindsay.

  “Leave it,�
� said Richard. “If the rains are light, we can use it to build a tent.”

  “We'd better go inside and eat,” said Lindsay. “Maria said it should be ready about now.”

  ....................

  “So what exactly are we looking for,” asked Tony as he lay back in his hammock. “Bright lights and weird sounds?”

  “I doubt that they will turn on their parking lights,” said Richard, “and they're probably small enough to land on the beach. We probably should look for something blocking our view of the stars as they pass overhead. Unless they're extremely close, they'll probably only block a few stars.”

  “What's that sound?” asked Lindsay. “It's some sort of clicking noise.”

  “That's the crabs,” said Maria. “It's starting.”

  “You couldn't hear a jumbo jet over all of that racket,” said Lindsay. “And it's getting louder.”

  “There are thousands of them,” said Maria. “They come down to the sea to mate.”

  “Look at that,” yelled Tony as a bright light streaked across the sky.

  “It's just a shooting star,” said Richard. “Now, if you see one of those change direction or speed, then we may be getting somewhere.”

  “What about that blinking light?” asked Maria.

  “There's your jumbo jet,” said Richard. “The blinking is too consistent to be a star being blocked by passing objects. And the light itself is moving. The stars will look stationary.”

  “With the low tide tonight, there's a lot of beach,” saud Tony. “They could land a pretty big ship and the high tide will cover their tracks.”

  “With the increased weather activity in recent months, I'll bet they've increased the production of Di-Lithium recently,” said Richard. “Unless they're stockpiling, this should be the perfect night to see one of the ships.”

  “What if we do see one?” asked Maria. “What will we do?”

  “It's possible the island is the center of the activity,” said Richard. “But it's far more likely they will land in the ocean and submerge during the transfer. We won't be able to reach them if that's the case. But if we see them, that will confirm my theory.”

  “Then what?” asked Tony. “Who do we tell?”

  “No one,” said Richard. “At least till the boat arrives in four weeks. But if we can find the location of the refinery, we may be able to contact them.”

  “First contact,” said Tony. “Isn't that dangerous?”

  “We think we've already contacted them,” said Lindsay. “We're still alive.”

  “You think you've contacted them,” said Maria. “What did they look like?”

  “We can't remember,” said Lindsay. “We can't even remember meeting them. But things we think we remember tells us that our memories were erased. Who else could do that?”

  “The C.I.A.” said Maria, “or the K.G.B.”

  “They would have killed us for sure,” said Richard. “And why would the C.I.A. or the K.G.B. be processing Di-lithium? There's no use for it here on earth. At least none that we know of.”

  “Maybe a super-laser,” said Tony.

  “I've thought of that,” said Richard. “It could theoretically be used in a super-laser. But how many super-lasers would you need.”

  “What about an anti-magnet?” asked Tony. “You said yourself that it could be used for that.”

  “There's no indication that it has ever been used outside the Triangle,” said Richard. “If our military had it, they would surely have used it by now. And that goes for any military. And if humans are processing it, for whatever reason, they would have learned of its anti-magnetic properties.”

  “Maybe they have good intentions,” said Tony. “Not all humans are corruptible.”

  “Think back to the first reported incident that gave the Triangle its name,” said Richard. “It was back in 1945. Do you really believe humans could keep a secret that long?”

  “What about Roswell and Area 51?” asked Tony. “We know all about your government secrets.”

  “That's exactly what I'm saying,” said Richard. “You would have heard the same kind of rumors about this if humans were involved.”

  “The pressures they're using to process the Di-lithium were beyond our capabilities until recently,” said Lindsay. “You can forget about humans.”

  “What's that?” asked Maria as she pointed to the sky.

  Everyone gazed up to see a patch of sky darken as a shadow grew and drifted slowly toward the sea. Just then the rain began to fall.

  “It's just a cloud,” said Richard. “It's starting to rain. Help me put up the tent.”

  “The wind's picking up,” said Tony. “We might as well go inside.”

  “I guess you're right,” said Richard. “We can try this again some other night. Besides, the instruments will give us some answers after tomorrow.”

  ....................

  “What do you think the aliens use the Di-lithium for?” asked Tony. “Propulsion? Could it also have antigravity capabilities?”

  “I don't think so,” said Lindsay. “Magnetism and gravity are not even related. Maybe they used them to create warp speed like they did in Star Trek.”

  “Was there any scientific justification to using that idea on Star Trek?” asked Maria. “I thought they just made it up as they went along.”

  “What else would they have that we don't have?” asked Tony. “You can bet it's something new?”

  “Time travel maybe,” said Maria.

  “If they had time travel capability, they could go back in time to process the Di-lithium,” said Richard. “Then they wouldn't have humans snooping around.”

  “Good point,” said Tony. “What about transporters like the ones on Star Trek?”

  “You would need a concentrated energy beam,” said Lindsay. “It could definitely be used for that.”

  “That's it,” said Richard. “That's how they get the raw material here, and the processed crystals onto the ships.”

  “That's why we didn't see any UFOs,” said Maria. “How far away could the ships be?”

  “If they can transport it through solid rock or ocean from Costa Rica to here,” said Richard, “they could probably transport it to the moon or farther through air and space.”

  “Why couldn't they just move their processing facilities to the moon?” asked Lindsay.

  “That's a great idea,” said Richard. “I was wondering where they could put it so that it wouldn't interfere with our weather.”

  “But they'd need air, water, food, and all sorts of things that you don't have on the moon,” said Tony.

  “No more than they're using right here on earth,” said Richard. “They could transport it along with the raw material. We'd never miss it ”

  ....................

  “It's our ship,” said Lindsay. “But they're not due for a couple of days yet.”

  “We must have lost track of time,” said Maria. “It's been so much fun over the last three weeks. No storms, no aliens, no pirates, just fun. It's been a real vacation. We're gonna miss you guys.”

  “When the storms pick up again, we'll come back,” said Richard. “Would you guys like to join us when we do?”

  “You can count on it,” said Tony. “It's been a real pleasure.”

  “Well, let's not keep them waiting,” said Richard. “Wait till you see the bedrooms on the ship. They've actually got mattresses.”

  THE PORTAL of FOREVER

  D estiny had traveled through endless time and wandered for eons before she found this world. It was a world like none other, a world with life, a world so unlike her own. She would need to blend, to adapt, to belong, at least for a while. Earth was her new home now.

  Her home world had been wiped from existence, past, present, and future. There was no going back. There was nothing to go back to. Her loneliness had driven her to search out this new world. She needed a companion, someone to travel the endless roads of time, someone to share the wonders of the
universe, the monotony of forever.

  Like others of her kind she had lived forever. She possessed almost infinite wisdom and power. But even forever has a beginning and an end. She alone had escaped to wander the universe. However she knew little of this world, of any world save her own. She hoped that her wisdom would serve her well in this new home.