Chapter Nineteen

Soaking wet, Otters caper and leap

And a soft seaweed bed’s where they sleep.

They eat flat on their back,

Giving shellfish a crack

With some rocks they bring up from the deep.

Otto awoke in a heavily wooded area. It took a few minutes for him to recalibrate his senses and remember what it was he was doing. (Most successful universe transfers take place with the traveler fast asleep at the outset.}

“OK, here I am on Biosphere X. I hope I’m on Biosphere X. I really don’t want to spin off to somewhere else where the Wolves can’t keep track of me. We agreed I would spend 12 Earth hours here and then they would pull me back. Not exactly sure how they were going to do that but both of them have had very positive results with their journeys. First thing to do is to find the electron entangling device left here by Susanna Shrike. Howard had provided the coordinates, but this is a different venue. Do you measure distances the same way in a place like this? Now that I’m here, this doesn’t seem to be the hot idea I thought it would be.”

Uninhabited world? Hardly! What the Otter didn’t realize was his arrival had triggered off a series of alarms in monitoring stations covering the surface of Biosphere X. Unaware but cautious, Otto decided to invoke his high adrenal level and disappear while he got his bearings.

His sudden “now you see me, now you don’t” action had attracted the attention of several surveillance monitors who passed on their assessments to the Headquarters that controlled entry and exit from the planet. “Who was this new arrival and where is he or she at the moment?” First reaction: a malfunction in the scanning system.

The Protector ordered a diagnostic sweep of the monitoring stations. They showed no change in status. “Keep a close eye on that quadrant and report any change immediately.”

The Protector, a very large, grizzled White Tailed Eagle, was charged by The Supreme Council with assuring the existence of Biosphere X (known to them as Home World) remained a closely guarded secret. The Home Worlders, all of them some species of Raptor, were aware of alternate universes and expended major efforts, motivated by paranoia, to prevent exposure while they in turn, examined the Multiverse for threats. A special team of avian voyagers had arrived on Earth twelve years ago and had subtly inserted themselves into environments from which they could observe and report any possible efforts to uncover Home World’s existence. They were authorized to take radical steps as necessary, to discourage or abort any such efforts.

After years of inaction, they discovered an experimental program on Earth to remotely affect electrons in other universes. Home World was a target environment. This could not be allowed to proceed or, worse yet, succeed. Two of them, a Shrike and a Cormorant, were appointed to sabotage the effort. Yes, the same Shrike and Cormorant.

Of course, at the moment, Otto knew nothing about this, although he had his suspicions. First things first: locate the electron generator. It was supposed to have a homing signal that he could invoke. He gave it a try. No response. He tried again. Same result. Was it damaged? He took out his smart phone and used GPS to physically locate the device. Zilch! Suddenly it dawned. He is on another planet and there may or may not be positioning satellites in the space around it. In any event, this was getting him nowhere.

Just then, a large winged shape with a very substantial wingspan descended out of nowhere. Otto had let his invisibility slip and the bird spotted him immediately. Before he could zap, he was trapped in a pair of talons and lifted off the ground. The Protector had caught him.

They flew over the ground at high speed and increasing altitude until they reached a large and formidable aerie built into the side of a mountain. The Eagle flew up to an entrance portal and unceremoniously dumped the Otter into a cage. He settled into a seated position on a lavishly decorated bar and stared at Otto as only an Eagle can stare. He started to screech as only an Eagle can screech.

Otto raised one paw and with the other reached into his backpack and pulled out his UUI Peapod translator. The Eagle thought it was a weapon and jumped back behind a stone platform partially covered in instruments.

Otto screeched at him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to threaten you. This is not a weapon. It’s a language translator. Can you understand me?”

The Protector resumed his seat on the bar and screeched again. “Who are you? Where did you come from? Why are you here? “

Otto decided to play dumb. “My name is Hairy Otter. I was sound asleep and when I woke up, I was in that forest where you found me. I don’t know how I got there and I would very much like to go back to my bed. Where am I and who are you?”

“This is Home World and I am the Protector. I deal with any strangers who cross our borders. With that back pack and your translator, I don’t believe you were in bed. I believe you made a deliberate journey here and I want to know why.”

“I’m from Earth. I am part of an experiment to see if we can use teleportation to move around our world. We experimental animals don’t control our travels. I was supposed to be sent to a spot nearby our lab. Something must have gone wrong for me to end up here, wherever here is.”

“You’re trying to tell me that you are not part of a plot to invade Home World?”

“I don’t know anything about Home World. (Cute and innocent Otter face number 12) I am trying to make some money to pay for my education. We volunteers are payed to undergo teleport experiments. Am I the first one to arrive here? Have you sent anyone to Earth?”

The Protector skipped a beat. “I’ll ask the questions. You say you don’t have any knowledge of an Earth-based team trying to enter our universe. We know better. We have been aware for a long time of an effort to cause a remote-control change in our physical structure. We are not taking that threat lightly. You are under arrest. I will confer with our Supreme Council to determine what to do with you.”

That suited the Otter. He wanted to identify the prime movers of this biosphere and see if Home World was indeed sending representatives to Earth to meddle with inter-universe projects. Once he got that information, he would zap back to his arrival point and wait to be ported back to the Bear’s Lair.

A large screen crackled into life revealing three large birds - a gray owl, a vulture and another eagle. “What do you wish, Protector?’ This from the vulture who looked to be in charge.

“I have a non-avian being from Earth in captivity here. He insists he got to Home World by accident, but I don’t believe him. Do you wish to interrogate him, or should I simply dispose of him?”

“Do you have contact with our Earth agents?”

“Not at the moment, but that is easily taken care of.”

“Check with them. See if they recognize this fellow. If they do, it’s a good sign our efforts have been discovered. If not, we may probably continue to obstruct their electron entangling project. In either case, after you have done that, dispose of the invader in our usual manner. We do not want him returning to Earth knowing about us. Good work!”

“It shall be done!”

This was the moment that Otto was waiting for. Let’s see who the Protector conjures up.

“Madame Shrike! How goes our great protective work?”

“Bingo!” thought the Otter, “Susanna Shrike is an Agent for Home World!!”

“It goes well. The fools think that I am staging breakthroughs in their entangling efforts. I even have them convinced that I placed an electron generator on the surface of what they call Biosphere X - our Home World. I did nothing of the kind. They will be puzzling for a long time why they cannot establish an entanglement.”

“What of Commander Cormorant? I am going to contact him next. These communications with you two are difficult and expensive. I try to keep them to a minimum.”

“The Commander recently disposed of a major source of leakage in the project. A Cougar venture capitalist. He was selling the research team’s progress reports to several Earth entities in spite of a pledge of confidentiality. He got himself caught up with a crackpot Muskox who wanted the information to support a series of lawsuits he had concocted. Intolerable! The Cougar killed the Muskox and the Commander in turn, killed the Cougar.”

“Unfortunately, this brought the minions of the law down on the research team and an overwhelming Kodiak Bear who has been financing the Project. He is wealthy beyond belief and quite learned. He is under suspicion for the deaths. We want to keep it that way. So far, neither the Cormorant nor I seem to be under any serious suspicion. If that suspicion becomes more pressing, we may have to call on you to teleport us back to Home World.”

The Eagle screeched. “I don’t know how you two continue to operate, surrounded by a menagerie of ridiculous animals. We may want to consider replacing you. You have put in a long and worthy tour on that abominable planet.”

“Thank you, but we have risen to the heights of our professions and it would take a great deal of time and effort to replace us. I appreciate the concern. Now, what prompted you to call me?”

“I have a captive animal here who says he arrived in Home World by accident. He claims he was participating in an Earth-bound teleporting experiment that went wrong. Do you recognize him?”

He turned the camera on Otto’s cage, raised the lighting and swept over his prisoner.

“No, he is not a member of the research team. I have never seen him before. He may be an associate of the hateful Bear, but he is not part of our team. Perhaps the Commander may have seen him. He is physically closer to the people involved than I am out here in the West Coast of the United States. What are you going to do with him?”

“I cannot allow him to return to Earth. After I speak with Commander Cormorant, I will dispose of him and take whatever steps are necessary to cover our tracks. Thank you and good fortune!”

Otto had been taking all this in and trying to decide when he should disappear. He opted for waiting till the Commander appeared and verified that he indeed had killed the Cougar.

More static and snow on the video screen. Then a large bird came into focus. “Greetings, Protector! What can I do for you?”

“Greetings, Commander! I just finished speaking with the Shrike and she gave me a report on the progress, or lack of it, of the Quantum project.”

“We have to be very careful, Protector. We must seem to be moving forward but encountering devilish delays and mishaps. So far, remote electron entanglement is more of a hope than a reality. At some point, we expect the team to abandon its efforts.”

“That is the Supreme Council’s desire. I need to check two things with you. Did you indeed, kill Covington Cougar?”

“Yes, he was sharing highly secret information about the project with too many animals. In fact, he had a falling out with a Muskox Professor who planned to use the project results to extort funds from concerned entities. He killed the Professor. He then attempted to use the information to enhance his own fortune. We want the information to remain a closely guarded secret. The Cougar had to be stopped. We met at the salt marshes of Cape Canaveral and I struck him several times with a tire iron from his car. I left his body in the marshes where it was discovered. I then joined a team of law enforcement officers and scientists who inspected the cadaver and made inquiries about the Cougar’s activities. I believe I am above suspicion. What else do you want to know?”

“I have a prisoner here from Earth who claims he ended up on Home World as a result of a botched teleporting experiment. I would like you to identify him, if you can. I am not going to allow him to return home, but I want to know whether he is part of the group searching for answers to the two deaths and the failures at the electron project. Here he is!”

The Eagle turned the lights higher and focused the camera on Otto’s cage. He blinked, shook his head and blinked again. No Otto!!

The Cormorant screeched, “Where is he? He’s been listening to all of our discussion. He can’t be allowed to get back to Earth. He’ll blow Shrike’s and my cover.”

The Eagle looked at the cage. It was tightly locked. All six sides were intact. The Otter had simply vanished into thin air. “I don’t know. I’ll intensify the monitoring systems. I’m going back to the area in which he first arrived.”

That was what Otto also had in mind. The twelve hours were almost up. He hoped that the wolves were keeping the channel open. He zapped back to his original landing spot. In order for them to snatch him, he had to be in his bodily state. Nothing for it. He shook himself several times and ended up visible and vulnerable. Murmuring to himself, “There’s no place like home” he clicked his heels several times. He could have used some ruby slippers. Over the horizon he could see a bird flying at top speed in his direction. The Protector. He’d wait till the last minute to zap again. This time the Eagle wasn’t alone. Several hawks were coming at him from different directions and they all looked menacing.

“Hey Colonel, Frau and Ursula! This would be a fine time to bring me home,” he squeaked. One of the hawks spiraled down on top of him but came away with empty claws. The Otter was gone. The Eagle screeched in frustration.

* * *

“Welcome back, Herr Otto. How was your adventure?”

“Pretty exciting, Frau Schuylkill. Have I got a lot to tell you all! Can we gather the troops while I catch my breath? Colonel, can you set up an audio link for my Pea Pod. I captured a couple of conversations that will put this whole mess in perspective. Meanwhile, I could use a vodka and kelp juice.”

Octavius lumbered into the room. “Welcome back, my little friend. I gather you have some interesting facts to share with us. Good!”

The room slowly filled. Marlin’s and Ursula’s connections were established. The Colonel linked up the Otter’s Pea Pod. Otto was delighted to see the Bearoness. He adored her. A shame Chita had gone back to England. Howard came in with L. Condor and Bruce. The Cubs were out getting into some kind of mischief with Mlle Woof in hot pursuit. They had taken to slavishly following the Flying Tigers around hoping to go flying. Not to be. (as yet)

Hail! Hail! The gang’s all here!!

Otto started by giving Biosphere X its proper name. “Home World.” Populated entirely by avian raptors who had raised paranoia to an insurmountable level. He had been arrested as an invader and it was clear he was not going to get out of there alive. He described the Protector and the Council. He had persuaded the Protector to let him keep his Pea Pod translator, so he could communicate with him. What they didn’t know was he had it on record mode. The Eagle would not believe that Otto’s arrival was accidental and wanted verification by two Home World agents that he was a spy from Earth. The agents were (Ta-Da!) Susanna Shrike and Commander Cormorant. Lots of reaction on that one.

He then turned on his Pea Pod and let the conversations speak for themselves. Howard and Marlin were beside themselves in anger. Octavius stopped the meeting and asked Bruce to bring his law enforcement companions up to speed on the two murders. They also needed to arrest the Shrike and the Cormorant ASAP. Not sure about the Shrike but the Cormorant certainly admitted his guilt. Congratulations all around and Otto finished off his second vodka and kelp juice and promptly fell asleep.