The Best Laid Plans…
Rat was still in a lot of pain, but in his excitement he brushed most of it away. He had waited about impatiently as preparations were being made for the trip, and he couldn’t understand why everyone was taking so long going about it. The truth was that despite their lack of faith, Timothy and Ruth were well liked, always ready to lend a hand or share their meager provisions with those in need. Many were well aware that some wouldn’t have made it through the previous tough winter had it not been for Timothy chopping wood for those who couldn’t, or Ruth knitting blankets for those who didn’t have enough. All knew them as hard working contributors of the Tribe. People of this sort were hard to get, and that last point was the sole reason why Pliny hadn’t gotten rid of them yet. Now however, some of the elders started seeing them as more of a nuisance then a help, and some of the devoutly faithful were being more outspoken in their accusations.
Still, most of the elders lingered, simply not wanting to be involved in what they all saw would be an ugly affair. Eventually Pliny put an end to the reluctance of the group by declaring that any not ready to come would be left behind. It was a gamble on his part, but he knew that elders being left behind on a matter as important as this would appear to the tribe as being neglectful in their duty, something no elder wanted for fear of being deposed.
He also knew that most had wanted to see for themselves the stuff Rat was rambling on about, not trusting either Pliny or Rat in the matter. ‘No matter’, Pliny thought. ‘In the end it will all work out.’ He smiled as he watched the remaining elders hurry out to join the group already following Rat to the clearing.
Pliny watched Rat walk as he followed up the rear of the group of elders. Now was certainly the time to get rid of him. He had outlived his usefulness, and Pliny felt that Rat could no longer be trusted. Every time he looked into Rat’s eyes, he could see more then the usual deceitful stare. There was contempt and pride. Pliny guffawed out loud at that, causing others to turn and look at him as he walked. Embarrassed, he mumbled something and quieted down, but kept thinking of the plans he had put in place without Rat knowing. The elders would be in the clearing observing the evidence, Rat would be up on the overlook a good full person’s height above the group, and Pliny would be right beside him, ready to carefully push him in at the exact moment.
Behind him were the ordinary people of the tribe, ones who were also curious about the ‘evidence’ Rat had talked about. Naomi was well loved by all, and a devotee of the faith. Pliny bristled at the idiocy of Rat’s traps that had mistakenly killed her, but did admit that this opened the door to events that would bring an end to Timothy and Ruth. It was unfortunate that the Tribe was following, but perhaps that would work out in the end too.
***
Timothy and Ruth decided that the only way they would reach the site in time to do what they had to do was by Gravplane, one of those sleek, black craft in the base hangar. They were stealthy, quiet, and very fast, impervious to attack by any of the ‘Tests of Faith’.
They were embarrassed by that phrase now that they knew the truth about them. According to the history lesson, the alien attack lasted over twelve years. Any surviving humans still left had by that time either gone underground in the shells of the cities where the aliens had trouble rooting them out, or high up in shelters on the hills, scattered about and difficult to find. The aliens themselves had persisted, but had suffered massive losses and dwindling resources.
In the meantime, Bases established for Earth defense had started manufacturing self-replicating machines, drones with weapons that could hide patiently while waiting for an alien life form to come by. These traps were so effective that the aliens, at first unsure of whether to proceed after the initial war, now decided that it was no longer worth the resources. Better to poison the Earth with a chemical that was inoffensive to them and come back later, then to linger on in a war that they wouldn’t win. So they left, expecting to one day find an Earth wiped clean of most human life. What did happen was the result of pure human tenacity and stubbornness, with people clinging to life in areas no one thought possible, where they grew and adapted.
The aliens lost a tremendous amount of resources during the invasion, and most of the Hives in the quadrant surrounding planet Earth had become dormant. But with the earlier human migration, those Hives on the migratory routes were found and destroyed. This destruction of dormant Hives alerted the aliens who regrouped and retaliated with such ferocity that they nearly destroyed most of the attacking ships, but the humans buried deep, spread out wide in the galaxy, proved resourceful and changed tactics. Worse, the aliens found that the humans didn’t forget, and seemed to attack over an event fought far in their past for reasons they could not comprehend, one that defied logic. Some of the attacks were not logical and didn’t result in any advantage to speak of, which completely perplexed the aliens. They ended up categorizing these attacks as ‘Instinct Attacks’ in their memory banks.
Back on Earth, Timothy and Ruth learned that the traps left behind by their forefathers somehow changed and started to attack humans. Whether the changes were done by aliens or humans HAL refused to say but these replicating machines had been very effective at culling human life. Ruth asked why HAL hadn’t destroyed them but he refused to answer yet again. They definitely had to do something about these things.
Ruth looked out the ‘window’ of this incredible machine. Although it was bigger than the rest, from the outside it still had looked small. But once one of the panels opened, they could see that the machinery needed to keep this craft ‘flying’ was extremely compact and well organized.
As she looked, she immediately recognized what each part did, as if she put it together herself. But now, as the forest below passed quickly by and the experience of flying dulled, her mind focused on the task at hand. It wouldn’t be easy, and people were stubborn, but what they had in mind was the only chance they had.
The Gravplane guided them to an opening in the forest canopy just slightly bigger then the plane itself. Timothy could see the path he needed to take to walk to the clearing where Rat had set up the ambush, and HAL had told them that at the present rate of progress, it would take Rat and the elders less then one hour to reach it. They hurriedly left the Gravplane and walked over to the hollow, watching out for any replicators along the way. There were none. Rat must have used all of them in the vicinity for his ambush.
HAL had told them that Rat had collected 22 replicators and marked their relative positions on a monitor back at the base, so Ruth and Timothy stood just outside of the trigger area and spotted all the replicators one by one.
One of them appeared as a large rock in the center of the clearing, the other seemed to be a large gnarl on the side of a tree trunk, the third was a Jack in the Box at the edge of the clearing, and so on. They counted them down until they had spotted all but one of them. It was easy to guess where it should be, but all they saw in the area was dense foliage without the telltale hint of a thermal sensor.
They circled around the side hoping the sun would glint off the sensor but they still saw nothing. They did see a disassembled replicator in the middle, and some of the same kinds of things Timothy saw earlier outside the base – bullets, old weaponry and such. There was also a neat collection of old tools that Timothy was certain had come from the base, together with some data disks, medical tools and things of the sort. He also recognized some of his own tools, and it was obvious Rat had been stealing them. Timothy ignored this, knowing he only had time for the replicators for now.
“Well Ruth, there’s only one thing to do. Go in there and try to find the primary replicator so we could shut them all down.”
Ruth agreed and they jumped in.
She hurried to one while Timothy went to the other. They were all linked together, set off by the same primary motion sensor but firing individually, so they had to hurry. From what HAL had told them earlier, they both knew they had triggered the delay Rat hat set into the units, but they didn’t know how long the delay was.
“Timothy, I can’t shut it off! Rat must have done something!” Ruth said.
“Neither can I Ruth! He’s encrypted it. I had no idea he knew how to do this.”
As Timothy kneeled there he was surprised by Rat’s resourcefulness, but his attention was brought back to the reality of the digital timer counting down.
“I found the primary. Rat’s set the delay for three minutes. I can’t turn it off but I can set it to the maximum, one hour.”
They hurried from one to the other until they reset the timer on all 21 replicators. Timothy and Ruth were counting down the seconds in their heads as they hurriedly searched for the final replicator.
As they ran up to the area, Ruth noticed that a tree limb had fallen, and underneath it was the replicator, still functioning but well hidden by the foliage. They both attacked the unit, prying the timer cover off and quickly working their way through the menus and sub-menus until they came to the activation timer section. Panicking, they both could see they wouldn’t make it as Ruth furiously hit the buttons. Out of desperation Timothy jumped behind the replicator and grabbed the turret, ready to force the direction of the Maser into the ground if it fired, and just as he felt it start to activate, Ruth let out a yell and moved out of the way. Timothy looked over at the display and saw the counter reset. He looked at Ruth and said: “How close…?”
“I reset it just as it counted to zero.” They both laughed in relief over the close call, and then Timothy said, “We have to go.” They hurried off before the Elders and representatives of the Tribe reached the site.
Rat was in an ecstatic mood, but he tried hard not to show it. It wouldn’t fit in with the grave moment and his injuries. He found it almost impossible though and caught himself about to whistle on more then one occasion.
‘Today’s the day!’ he thought. He was already making plans on what he was going to do. First he would savor the moment as he got injured and the tribe would huddle around the lone survivor of Timothy and Ruth’s ‘trap’. He giggled at this thought. Then, they would feel even worse as they realized he had just lost his father in the same ‘tragic accident’ as Pliny ‘slipped’ into the hollow; and then they’d realize that he was a veritable hero seeing as he was the one that brought Timothy and Ruth’s ‘unfaithfulness’ to light.
Rat could see the glory, just hours away. This would be the beginning of a brand new life. It was true that Sam and some others had to be taken care of somehow, but perhaps he could find an opportunity for it today too.
The group soon reached the outer edge of the clearing, and just before they entered, Rat said his little prepared speech: “Dear Elders and my fellow tribal brothers, it pains me to do what I have to do now, for I love Timothy and Ruth as much as everyone else here.”
Some snickered, while Pliny watched him with barely concealed anger. Rat knew that his father didn’t like surprises, but he would soon get one of his own.
“I don’t know why they accumulated these artifacts, but it seems they were trying to understand its secrets. In this clearing you will also find the evidence I mentioned back at the meeting room.” He stood aside to let them enter, and they filed past him one by one into the clearing.
Rat smiled, thinking that very soon, in a little over a minute in fact, they would all be dead. He casually walked through the clearing up to the rise that overlooked Timothy and Ruth’s supposed work area, hoping he wouldn’t look too out of place speaking to the tribal elders from up above. Still, he knew that if anyone complained he could just use his short height as an excuse. His father soon joined him.
The elders milled about, looking intently at the old artifacts. None of the military items were touched, although they did pick up and inspect obvious tools. They all knew they were being closely watched by both the tribe and Pliny. A few looked up at Sam, Peter and the others, standing at the edge of the clearing and looking intently at them, but most concentrated on the objects.
Rat counted down the seconds until the units started up. He was hoping that Sam would come into the clearing too, but he kept a respectful distance while the elders were at their duty.
He watched as some started casting doubts on what they were seeing. The others milled about, shaking their heads side to side and looking sorrowful as they inspected the ‘evidence’. A gasp went up from a few when they realized that what they were looking at was a dismantled Test of Faith, now useless but still appearing dangerous. To make matters worse, near the Test of Faith were a few tools with Timothy’s name engraved on them, and once that was seen the two elders there called the others over to inspect this new evidence.
Rat smiled at the action, but he quickly got upset when they stated among themselves that there was yet no evidence that Ruth was involved, and that this didn’t in any way prove that Naomi died through Timothy’s hands.
‘No matter’, Rat thought. Once they died and he got ‘injured’, the onlookers would surely believe him. He counted down the seconds with barely concealed glee. Looking down, he could see that all were in a perfect position for the event. The one Maser hidden by the fallen tree trunk was almost perfectly camouflaged, although it seemed to Rat that the foliage hiding it seemed to have been disturbed. ‘Must be animals,’ he thought.
He waited. Seven, six…Rat counted down until he reached zero, and nothing happened.
‘Must have miscounted,’ he thought, but it should be any second. Time passed, and Rat started getting edgy. He looked to the other units, the one that had blended into the tree trunk, looking like a gnarl. It was still there, something only he would have noticed. He looked over to the one shaped like a stone, half buried in the very edge of the clearing, and that one was still there too. What was going on? Rat couldn’t figure it out, because he had checked and double checked all units. Perhaps the trigger hadn’t been properly set, or wasn’t tripped, he thought. But that was impossible too. They were self-repairing as well as self-replicating, and he was sure he had reset the trigger properly.
When he looked back at the elder group still inspecting the site, he noticed Sam eyeing him closely and he started to feel uneasy. Sam then suspiciously looked over to where Rat had just looked. Now Rat was really worried. Pliny came close to Rat, being careful not to touch him and quietly asked, “I thought it was supposed to have happened already…”
“It was,” Rat, clearly upset now, answered back in a forced whisper. “I double checked everything myself!”
Just at that moment, Ruth and Timothy walked to the edge of the clearing from the other side and stood there, watching Rat. Rat was furious! He realized instantly that it was them that had done something to the Replicators. He was so incensed he couldn’t think straight, until his father nudged him in the back and calmly said out loud, “Ruth and Timothy, how nice of you to join us here.”
“I’m sure you were expecting us, Elder Pliny.” Timothy looked at Ruth, and before Pliny had a chance to reply, Timothy said, “I know why you are all here.”
By this time, he had commanded all their attention. Even Rat had stopped hopping around in anger to watch Timothy in a malevolent stare.
“You have been brought here to inspect a site that you were told was mine and Ruth’s, and you were told that Naomi’s death came as a result of my actions. That’s not true!”
Pliny knew he was losing control of the situation, so he calmly said, “Timothy, we have not judged anything yet. Some allegations were brought up, and we came here to investigate only. Trust us when we say that we wish you no harm.”
Most of the elders nodded their head in agreement. Only Sam and his group stood there detached, watching everything closely.
“Elders, brothers! I come here in openness, with nothing to hide,” Timothy said.
“Neither do I,” added Ruth.
“You have known both of us for a long time. We’ve been part of this Tribe since the very beginning of our lives. I grew up playing with you Peter, and we both chased girls through the swimming hole! Even Raymond was there, a young sickly boy whose mother never allowed him to play outside out of worry and love for him. Sam, you know me better than anyone here, as you do too, Elder Pliny.” Timothy hated working the crowd like this but had no choice.
“And because of this I come to you now, because I stand accused of the most evil of actions, things that you know I could never commit, accused by someone who stands there in an attempted position of authority, by someone who wants all authority and power for himself!” Timothy was looking straight at Rat, and Sam, Peter and the others followed his gaze.
“Now hold on, Timothy!” said Saul, one of the elders. It’s true we heard some things, but we’re coming to investigate only! You know very well the Naomi’s death is a serious matter, as are these accusations!”
“And you could actually entertain the thought that we had something to do with it?” Ruth said. She was livid in anger as she spat out her next words.
“Saul, I nursed your mother in her final days, took care of her right to the moment of her death because no one else would, afraid to catch the disease she died of! Even you refused to come close as she died in my arms! And yet you could actually believe that it’s necessary to investigate the possibility that we wanted to kill Naomi, let alone others here too?! You should be ashamed of yourself!”
Pliny interrupted, “Ruth, no one disputes your good works. But we must investigate these things here and the allegations brought forth!”
Rat watched everything slowly spiraling out of control, upset that he had somehow lost the upper hand. Yet, he didn’t say anything, allowing his father to take the fall on this, if it was indeed coming.
“Well, Elder Pliny, If you want something truly significant to investigate, forget baseless and malevolent accusations and INVESTIGATE. You can start by investigating the Tests of Faith that Rat planted all around this clearing! But do so from the edge, because Rat intended to kill you all!”
Pandemonium erupted from that whole group. The only people still quiet were Sam and those with him as he smiled and watched the events unfold. The tribal members appeared divided – some doubting Timothy and Ruth, others unsure of the whole situation, and everyone now clearly looking for the Replicators that Timothy had talked about.
Timothy himself was watching Rat. He looked at his chronograph that HAL had supplied, noticed he only had 23 minutes to go, and was about to warn them again when Rat, furious with the whole situation, blared out in a voice that surprised him: “The only way he’d know that there are Tests of Faith here is if he planted them himself! Elders, look for the evidence! Look, there’s one,” and Rat pointed to a corner where the rock-like replicator sat.
The elders were now unsure of themselves, not knowing what to do. Apprehension was clearly on their faces, and Timothy knew that if he were to get their attention he had to make himself heard. “If I wanted you all dead, I wouldn’t have said anything! Why should I speak up? You all know who I am, you know I have no desire to harm anyone!” Timothy said.
“Tell me that you never disagreed with any elder, Timothy! We all know that you rarely saw eye to eye with them, and we also know you were always tinkering with the Tests of Faith God sent down to judge us by! And here is the proof!” Rat swung his arm around to encompass the scene below.
“Raymond, you’re absolutely right.”
That quieted Rat down as he stood there unsure of where Timothy was heading.
Timothy spoke up, louder this time, saying, “Raymond was right when he said that I have questioned the elders’ comments before.” Rat took advantage of the break to say, “It’s settled then. He admits himself that he’s questioned the elders…”
Timothy spoke up and said, “I’m NOT finished.” Rat hated being interrupted, but he saw that all eyes were on Timothy so he had no choice but to see for himself what Timothy wanted to say.
“Raymond is right that I have questioned the elders’ decisions at times. But, you all know that any questioning I did was to them only! I beg any elder here to say out loud if they felt I somehow disrespected any of them!” Timothy waited but they all stood quietly watching him. Two or three looked a little embarrassed. “Elder John, have you ever felt disrespected by anything I have ever questioned you about?”
John was about to answer, when Pliny spoke up and said, “Timothy, I really don’t think it necessary that you question our elders…” Before he could continue, Sam, who had been standing on the sidelines and watching the situation, suddenly spoke up and said, “For once Elder Pliny, I would like to hear what the other Elders have to say!”
Laughter arose from the group while Pliny scowled at Sam.
Pliny could see that the situation was quickly changing, and he didn’t like the thought of being on the defensive. This was supposed to be about Timothy and Ruth. Pliny tried another tact.
“I agree. The elders need to make their thoughts known,” Pliny said. He dared not look at Rat, who stood there with open anger on his face looking at his father. Pliny could see that Rat was about to lose his grasp on the situation while Pliny hoped he could keep it together long enough to win over the trust of most in the group.
Timothy was suspicious but continued. “Very well. Elder John, have you ever felt that I’ve shown any disrespect to you at any time?”
John the Younger looked at Pliny nervously, but said: “Well, you’ve come to inquire many times of the Tribe’s beliefs, and commented openly to me about decisions made…” and here Timothy watched him as he paused, “but no, I have to say that at no time did you disrespect me.”
“Did you feel that I was being seditious?”
John looked at Timothy, and then the rest of the tribe. Timothy could see that he had come to some sort of conclusion, and he finally took the nerve to say, “No. I never felt your loyalty to be in question.”
“What about the others?” Timothy asked. “Are there any here that have any accusations to make about any lack of respect on my part? Do you even feel that I have somehow shown disloyalty by asking what I have asked?”
“Some of the others nodded, and Peter spoke up saying, “No, Timothy. You have inquired, but have nevertheless steadfastly followed our decisions, at least in spirit if not to the letter of the law. I have no issue with your… inquisitiveness, though it may annoy me at times.”
After Peter had spoken, the other elders nodded in agreement one by one.
“But what about the evidence? What about the tools?” Rat said, squealing in anger.
Timothy ignored Rat and looked at his watch, noticing that the one hour was almost up. He didn’t want anyone near these machines when they activated.
“Elders, I do have a very serious matter to speak to you about. We know who killed Naomi, and we have incontrovertible proof.” At this Timothy and Ruth gave Rat a hard glare and waited a few moments, after which they continued.
“But it best be done back at the Tribal Council Chambers. And we have to leave this clearing now! The Replicators have been tampered with and will activate very soon. It’s getting late but we should make it by nightfall.”
Timothy knew what this meant for Rat, and he was curious as to what Rat would do now. He was seething in anger and resentment as paced back and forth muttering to himself. Pliny was obviously thinking of how to proceed next.
The elders in the hollow walked quickly out one by one, having seen enough of the objects and the dangerous replicators there. As they left, Rat started yelling out, telling them that they should bring the evidence back, that it was absolute proof of Timothy and Ruth’s guilt, and that they were fools for ignoring it. Pliny turned to Rat when he said those words, and they started arguing with each other. Pliny slapped him hard across the mouth, and Rat, his blood boiling, jumped on Pliny and started tearing at his face. By this time all had stopped on the edge of the clearing and turned to look at the disturbance now behind them. Some of the elders went back to try to stop the fight.
Ruth and Timothy had already started back but noticed that the Tribe wasn’t following, so they turned around to find out what had happened. Reaching the edge themselves, they saw Sam laughing hard as he and the others watched Pliny and Rat fighting. Timothy had never seen anything like it and was too surprised by the fight to realize that the time had counted down to near zero.
Ruth, who had come up behind Timothy a few seconds late, reminded Timothy about the Replicators. With a start, he looked at his watch and realized in horror that only a few seconds remained before the Replicators activated once again.
“Get out of the clearing! Your life is in danger!” he yelled, and some within it jumped back, startled by the fear in Timothy’s voice, but a few of the Elders that had gone in to stop the fight didn’t react in time. Sam also jumped back, knocking Peter off his feet in the process.
Rat and Pliny had stopped fighting to look at Timothy, and it was obvious to Timothy that Rat didn’t believe him. Pliny was unsure of what to do, watching the Tribe just outside of the clearing. “Get out!” Timothy yelled again, but by now it was too late.
The muted hum of an activated but lethargic Replicator filled the air as it zeroed in on the thermal heat source of two humans. The other replicators had also started up and were now butchering those of the elders that had stayed behind. Pliny, who was half turned to Timothy, slowly nudged his head back to look at the Tests of Faith now active, while Rat stood as still as possible, wondering if getting injured would accomplish anything anymore. He decided that it wouldn’t, and he tried jumping out of its firing path but the Replicator sensed his movement and fired the laser, lopping off Rat’s arm as he jumped.
Sensing further movement from Pliny’s inadvertent flinch, the replicator followed its preprogrammed course and initiated a second laser burst that was cut short because its ‘active’ time had elapsed. It shut itself down, but not without results. Pliny stood there staring first at his son down in the hollow, and then at his own partially severed torso, now squirting a large amount of blood that the laser couldn’t cauterize as its power was cut.
Rat lay on the floor, unable to think. His shoulder felt weird and somehow unencumbered. Somewhere in the back of his mind his thoughts registered the event, but he was in a daze and couldn’t quite piece everything together. After a few moments though, he remembered what he had tried to do, and looked up to see his father standing at the rise with a surprised look on his face. Rat smiled as he watched his father look down at the blood gushing out of his belly and flowing down his trousers. Pliny looked down at Rat with a confused look on his face, and slowly sank to his knees and fell on the floor.
Rat smiled and tried to rise by pushing up with his non-existent arm. Still in shock over what had happened he laughed a bit at his senseless attempt, and then rolled over and tried again with his good arm but instead lost his balance and stumbled. He looked up in time to hear an all too familiar hum of activated Replicators.
Timothy, Ruth and the others looked on in horror. All Timothy could register was shock and helplessness as he watched first Rat, and then Pliny get hit by the Replicator. When it had shut down, Timothy knew it was all Rat’s doing, but he still felt sorrow over Pliny’s death. But now, Rat stirred in the hollow and Timothy could also hear the hum of re-activated replicators. He watched transfixed as one of them shot out a steady stream of poisoned barbs, another one a Maser beam, and still another a thin stream of acid. The other replicators, having computed that the multiple targets were being effectively destroyed, powered down into inactivity once again. Rat had sat up in the center where he had fallen, his one arm up in a protective act, and his voice gurgling hatred and murder as he faced Timothy and Ruth. Though the Maser, poison barbs and acid had distorted Rat into an unrecognizable shape, he was spouting hatred as he died.
Ruth couldn’t stand to hear anymore and she covered her ears, as did the rest of those still watching. Sam carefully walked over to where Timothy stood, and together they watched as Rat slowly melted and was cooked to a ruined heap.
The Replicators powered down and became inactive once again. Timothy stood quietly for a moment and said to himself, “It’s done.” He couldn’t believe how quickly things could change. “For the better, or worse?’ he asked himself as he watched the smoldering remains of Rat.
“For the better.” Ruth had heard his muttering, and Timothy looked around to see if anyone else had heard, but they were also in shock as they looked into the horror in the clearing.
“Tell them it’s time to get home, Tim.” Timothy looked into her eyes and saw the sadness he felt in his heart mirrored there, but he visibly straightened up and turned to the group.
“We have to get back, nightfall is coming. I think the Elders…” and here Timothy paused to rethink his words, “I think that the Tribe has a lot of talking to do. Let’s go.”
They all turned and solemnly followed Timothy and Ruth once again.
“What are we to do with the Tests of Faith?” someone asked.
“They are to be destroyed. There’s been far too much murder happening,” Timothy muttered. Some of the elders looked at Timothy, but they didn’t say anything.
They walked in silence on the return trip back to the tribal village, and Timothy could see that there was much on their minds. Sam was quietly contemplating the events with Rat, while some of the elders stole a curious glance at Timothy and Ruth every once in a while. Timothy happened to catch one of the glances from an elder named Daniel, a recent newcomer on loan from a neighboring tribe that Timothy didn’t know very well. Daniel looked at Timothy, smiled a warm smile for an unusually long length of time, and turned to look back at where he was walking.
“What was that all about?” Ruth asked.
“I’m not sure, Ruth. But I think he and the others have been putting the pieces together in their heads. What do you think?”
Ruth thought carefully before she answered. She too had seen the inquisitive glances, the initial confusion giving way to a sort of understanding, then to resolve in both the elders and tribe members as they walked back.
“I agree. They’ve come to a conclusion over the events that just happened, and I don’t think they believe that we were involved in any of it. But I also think…” and now Ruth came up close to Timothy and wrapped her arm inside his, “that you have to be very careful in what you will say next at the council meeting.”
Timothy looked at Ruth and nodded his head. He looked around to see if anyone else was listening, but they all seemed to be engrossed in their own thoughts.
A few hours later they had come back to the grounds and it was obvious that rumors had spread among those that had stayed behind. Those that didn’t go stood there looking at Timothy and Ruth, unsure of what to think and not realizing what had just happened. A few asked where the other council members were, and the downcast stares only created more confusion.
Timothy headed straight for the Council Hall committee room, as did Ruth. Others went to their families to let them know of the events that had occurred back at the hollow, and Timothy and Ruth could clearly hear their reactions even from inside the room they were in. He and Ruth had a moment of peace as they stood there alone together, which gave them time to organize their thoughts.
As Timothy was talking to Ruth, Peter’s head popped in the door and he said, “Thought you guys might like something to eat and drink,” and he and his family immediately came in with plates of rabbit stew and beer that Peter had brewed in the spring. The smell was incredible, and they realized how taxing the events of the last few weeks had been. His leg still bothered him, his mind hurt from all the information he absorbed, and the death of Rat, Pliny and the others, and the rush to save them had left a deep seated exhaustion that was now getting harder and harder to ignore. They dug into the food without another word.
The surviving elders started drifting in one by one and taking their places in their usual seats, youngest and most inexperienced at the front. Timothy, embarrassed that he was eating in committee chambers, quickly finished up and got ready to speak about the events he had seen. But the tribe itself was still outside, not inside as Timothy had wanted.
“Council, where’s the tribe?”
“We felt it good that the council hear this matter first, as is customary,” said John the Older, an associate of Pliny’s and just as devious. He was now the eldest of the council. He had sentenced his own wife to death for having gone against the Council’s commands, and rumor was it that the real motive was so that John could marry a younger woman he had fallen in love with. This was the reason why John the Older and John the Younger didn’t speak to each other even though they were father and son.
“Elders, with due respect, the matters Ruth and I have seen go beyond the deaths we’ve seen today. These matters deeply affect the whole tribe, and Ruth and I feel that the Tribe needs to hear and participate in this.”
Sam and Peter had sneaked in again and heard what Timothy had said. They looked at each other but stayed quiet.
“Do you not trust the council, Timothy?” John asked.
Timothy eyed John carefully and then said, “I trust the council, but does the council not trust the Tribe?”
John the Older’s temper came to a boil as he said, “After the events that just happened, I can forgive your insolence, this once!” and they stood there staring at each other.
“I don’t need your forgiveness, Elder. I have not sinned against you.” John was seething in anger.
Breaking the stalemate as they stood there, Sam came out of hiding and for the second time surprised all those in the room. He walked over to the center of the room and spoke out in a loud voice, “Judging by the events that happened today, I would have to say that I don’t trust some of the elders here,” and he looked straight at John the Older. Timothy was surprised to see some of the elders agreeing.
“If it weren’t for Timothy and Ruth,” he continued, “we would all be dead now. So if they say they have something important to tell to the whole tribe, I for one want to hear it.”
“Me too!” Came a voice from outside the door, and Peter walked in.
“So do I, and my family too!” came a voice from outside the window. A few seconds later, they all saw Zediah and his family walk into the room.
“How many more are there lurking in the shadows?!” John hollered. His son smiled at his father’s bellowing voice.
Zediah spoke up and said, “Pretty much the whole tribe, Elder John.”
John walked over to the high window and looked out to see the Tribe gathered around Council Hall, all intently looking at the windows and milling around the entrance.
John’s face turned a crimson red and the veins in his forehead stood out, but after a moment he finally said, “Very well. So be it Timothy, you have your way for now. But keep in mind that it comes with a price.”
“Elder John, the Tribe has decided to hear this matter. You have no authority to put any price over my head,” Timothy replied.
He very well knew that John was making it clear on where he stood, and the veiled threat didn’t pass unnoticed by either Timothy or the council. But Timothy felt it time to let them know that neither John, nor anyone else could no longer get away with threats, intimidation or murder.
John was about to say something, but his son quickly interrupted and suggested they all gather outside.
They all turned to leave the committee room and walk outside. By this time darkness had started to settle over the Tribal grounds and the Tribe, knowing that the elders were heading out, went to start a large fire in the central fire pit. Some had already settled down on blankets while others stood on the south edge of the grounds, looking out over the cliff at the rising poisonous mists below.
The elders formed a semi-circle around the perimeter of the fire pit, sitting down on the logs available, while the others from the tribe sat opposite them. Timothy took his position to the left, in plain view of both groups. He watched as John had continued to stand.
As soon as everyone was settled, John said, “Timothy, you may speak.”
Timothy smiled, and looking at the crowd and the elders, he said, “Dear elders, you have been a source of encouragement and guidance in dark times. The times we live in now are even darker.”
The elders, not expecting this praise, continued to listen with interest. John looked upset that Timothy had ignored him in his address, but Timothy continued on nonetheless.
“You may have noticed that the Tests of Faith have increased in numbers. You may have also noticed a loud hum, quite like the noise a ‘Test of Faith’ makes but in a much greater scale happening more and more often.”
Timothy knew that they had been worried about the noise, the laser from Base America firing at alien ships. It was time to reveal the truth about that base, the others in existence, and the aliens themselves.
They all looked at each other and then back at Timothy.
“Brothers, the agents of God are coming soon.”
Pandemonium broke out in the tribe. Some muttered that they had known it all along, others scoffed at Timothy, and the elders worried that panic could spread. Most also wondered how it was that Timothy could know such a thing before the elders did and whether it was true or not.
Sensing the leanings of the Tribe and curious himself, John asked, “How do you know that, Timothy?”
“Because Ruth and I have seen them.” Again, more noise erupted from the Tribe. Some now openly questioned Timothy’s sanity, while others didn’t know what to think.
“If you will give me some time, I will explain it all!” Timothy roared over the noise. The crowd quieted down, always ready to hear a campfire story.
“The story you are about to hear is unbelievable, but bear with me and hear it in its entirety before coming to a conclusion.”
Timothy went into details of his find of the base and his fear of the machines inside. Peter the Elder asked what the machines were like, and after a brief description he commented that they appeared to function as the Tests of Faith did. The similarities were not lost on the others either, as some nodded in understanding of the point Peter was trying to make.
Timothy continued.
He explained how he broke his leg and showed them the large hump and scar still visible from the healing.
“Timothy,” Elder Daniel said, “You’ve only been gone a little over a week.” Everyone knew at least three weeks were needed to walk after a broken leg, and more if the bone protruded outside the skin.
“Elder Daniel, many of you have seen me in my work shorts splitting wood just over a week ago. This injury is obvious and couldn’t be hidden, so it’s obvious it happened just this past week. The base robotic doctor gave me medicine that allowed the injury to heal quickly. As you can see, the facts can’t be denied.”
“Just wanted that cleared up Timothy, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
He continued telling them of how Ruth followed and had saved him from certain death (Ruth scoffed at this), how they discovered a hospital room with a dead ‘agent’ inside, and he paused while the Tribe whispered over this information.
Next he went on about the base itself, the amazing source of energy found inside, the machines appearing subservient to them, and the things they learned as they stayed there.
The tribe was especially excited when they heard that these agents of God weren’t really that, but rather another life, just like the insects around them, but larger and from space, not Earth. Once again some scoffed, others thought them insane while the rest of the tribe muttered and talked. He then told them about how they all were in danger, but not from God himself, and how these creatures were acting in their own interests only.
John, having calmed down from his anger spoke up and said, “Well Timothy, I must say that the story was very entertaining, just as you said. Now look. We all feel bad about the events this past afternoon, and I’m sure the others will agree that the evidence implicating you in the death of Naomi appeared slim at best.”
Timothy could clearly see John’s deviousness, but he let him speak. “But what you’re saying is heresy! Agents of God being these ‘aliens’? You controlling these machines? How much of this is fantasy and how much is reality? Really, Timothy…” and John started laughing, with some others joining in.
Timothy waited until they had stopped laughing, and an uncomfortable silence followed as he stared at John and then the others one by one. After having looked each person in the eye, he then spoke up, saying, “I understand how you feel. It is a difficult thing to believe. I can still hardly believe it myself. And I understand that I am prone to exaggerations in my description of things…” At this the all members of the tribe looked at each other because they all knew Timothy to be a level headed, careful thinker.
He continued, “So, I suppose that the best thing Ruth and I could do is show you. Show all of you the base, the machines, the alien, everything.”
John now appeared worried, and Timothy knew why. He feared the loss of control over the Tribe. Up until now, the tribe was kept under control by their fear of these agents of God. But now John realized that if Timothy was right, then this fear was misplaced. Those elders that needed fear to rule would lose their primary weapon. They would all be in the same situation. Except for Timothy.
Timothy could see John summing this all up. “Timothy, I’m afraid things have gone too far. You have tested God, and you have tried to lead the tribe astray, although not on purpose,” John added so as not to alienate anyone further. I could have accepted your story as merely an overactive imagination, but seeing as you insist that it’s true, I can’t allow this to continue. Elders…”
Timothy didn’t let him finish. “YOU can’t allow? I wasn’t aware you have decided for all of us. It brings me to the question of why are you trying to hide the truth from the Tribe. Don’t you think the Tribe is capable of seeing these things for themselves?”
“Timothy!” Some of the elders cried out.
Peter the Elder continued, “Really Timothy. Can you expect us to believe that you have mastery over machines now? Perhaps you can fly too!”
“As a matter of fact Peter, I can.” The whole Tribe was scoffing at him now, but Timothy quietly tapped his arm twice. As they all laughed, a dark shadow blacked out the stars and started descending toward them, although nobody noticed at first. Timothy knew it was there but all he did was smile along with everyone else as they laughed. He was happy to see that both Sam, Daniel and the younger Peter were not joining in on the mockery, but instead sat there staring at the reaction of the others.
After a few seconds, he started feeling lightheaded, but he knew it was the effect caused by close proximity to a gravity nullifier. This ship was large, enough to carry the whole tribe, and everyone around him felt the effects too. They laughed as they saw each other’s hair stand up, and then uneasiness cut the laughter short.
“Don’t be alarmed, this feeling you have will pass as soon as my wings come,” Timothy said.
Ruth, who had been standing by Timothy, now walked over to Sam and said, “Do you see the Gravplane?”
“What Gravplane?”
Timothy pointed up and said, “THAT Gravplane.”
“Everyone looked up and gasped as they saw this monstrous shade of black just a few meters above their heads. The smoke from the fire pit curled up and spread out along the underbelly of the craft hovering above, while everyone scrambled out of the way with fear.
“Quick Sam, it’s getting late. Douse the fire with water, so that the Gravplane can land.”
Sam did as he was told, too stunned to question anything. As he reached the fire pit, fear gripped him as he watched this huge machine hovering just above his head.
John looked at it with fear and hatred, knowing full well that power had slipped out of his grasp. He had waited for so long for Rat to kill Pliny, spending long nights with the infernal creature trying to work out some sort of plan, and when it finally happened everything had come out wrong. He looked with unconcealed hatred at Timothy and yelled out, “Don’t listen to him! It’s a trap!” but the tribe was too astonished at the Gravplane to pay him any attention.
“Please don’t worry,” Ruth said. “This ship is perfectly safe, and it’s here for our protection!”
By this time the fire was out, and a cloud of steam was rising out of the pit. Sam scrambled out of the way as the Gravplane extended landing wheels and came down to a soft landing.
“I know that this is all unusual to you, but it’s perfectly safe. I’ve flown one myself. I assure you that aliens are coming, although I don’t know when. But we all need to know about them, and about ourselves too – where we came from, and where we’re going.”
Ruth added, “This Gravplane will take you to the place Timothy told you about, and you will find a comfortable living area and some food to last a day or two. Then it will bring you back. It’s here for anyone that wants to know the truth about why Naomi died, and about who our real enemies are.”
At this point the bay doors opened on the craft and the tribe came around to get a better view of the inside. They could clearly see the metal ribs that lined the well lit interior, and the comfortable looking seats spaced in neat rows.
John was now pacing to and fro along the outer edge of the craft as he mumbled to himself. Timothy was surprised to see the degree at which he resisted, and watched as he mumbled louder and louder until he could be clearly heard by the tribe. They had all stopped gawking at the craft and were now looking at John instead.
Once he noticed their gaze, he stopped his chattering and said desperately, “Fellow brothers, don’t allow this heathen to endanger your life. This is another Test of Faith, and by going into it your life is in danger! Stay away from it!”
He grabbed one of the torches from the perimeter of the clearing and ran up to throw it into the Gravplane. Sam was about to stop John but Timothy told him not to. John stopped just at the entrance and threw the torch in as hard as he could. Embers trailed as the torch flew a few feet and then bounced off of a now closed entry door.
“John, if this is a Test of Faith, why are you trying to destroy it? Wouldn’t that be blasphemy?” Peter asked curiously, but it only made John angrier as he grabbed another torch.
HAL opened a gun port and targeted him. John heard the noise and then saw the enormous gun poking out and quickly threw down the torch again, as those watching laughed.
They were growing tired of John’s rant, but they still didn’t want to show disrespect for a prominent elder. Some of the other elders were tired of it too though, and Ruth finally spoke up. “Elder John, did you really think you could damage a craft of this type? And don’t you think that it could destroy you in a blink of an eye if we so commanded?”
“Command a Test of Faith! Of all the ridiculous, blasphemous things!” John said furiously. Ruth could see that his livid anger made any argument on their part useless, but she realized that some in the crowd still needed proof, so she said, “Very well. I ask you John, are Tests of Faith from God?”
“Yes!” he yelled out emphatically as he eyed the gun still pointed at him.
She then turned to the Tribe and said, “If a Test of Faith is truly from God, can it be commanded? Do we have the power to command God to do our will?”
The tribe stood quiet as most realized that Tests of Faith had been used by Rat to destroy a good portion of the elder body. Even John in his anger realized where she was going and knew that there was no answer to her question.
“Very well, to prove that this is not a Test of Faith, to prove that Timothy and I command the craft, to prove that this Gravplane can be used for our protection against the creatures Timothy talked about, I’ll put on a small demonstration. Do you see that outcrop 2 kilometers away?” Ruth pointed at a dim outline of a ridge illuminated by moonlight off in the distance.
She waited for a response but John refused to give it. “That outcrop will be destroyed. HAL, target the outcrop I’m pointing at and destroy the upper two meters of rock.” Ruth and Timothy had made an obvious show of plugging their ears. Sam copied them, and the rest of the tribe, although confused, did the same. Only John stood out as the loner rebel, looking worriedly at the Gravplane.
The tribe heard a hum start up inside the craft, building into a steady pitch. They looked at the rock. A second later, a projectile launched by a magnetic rail gun fired off, reached supersonic speed in a tenth of a second and exploded the upper half of the ridge as the sonic boom washed over them.
“Seems to me that Ruth ordered this Test of Faith to destroy that rock, wouldn’t you say John?” Timothy said, but John didn’t reply as he struggled to recover from the sonic boom.
“Seems a little flustered to me Tim,” Ruth said. They both tried to hide their laughter but weren’t very successful. John, realizing that the craft listened to human voices, said out loud, “Al, destroy these heathens!” and he pointed to Ruth and Timothy.
The tribe was surprised at John’s command, and even the elders were now distancing themselves from John.
“Al, I order you to destroy these people!” John repeated, but the Gravplane’s magnetic rail gun was now powering down. Timothy made of point of visibly shaking his head in sadness, and then walked up the ramp of the Gravplane.
Stopping at the entrance he said, “John, the name of the machine is HAL, not Al, and it won’t listen to you. It’s been watching you for a long time and knows all the things you have been doing, both good and bad. And it has recorded everything, including your conspiring with Raymond to kill Elder Pliny and the others.”
HAL projected an image of the conspiracy in three dimensions, and the tribe gasped as the incriminating scene was played. It then played the scene where Raymond set up the Test of Faith that mistakenly killed Naomi, and his preparations at the hollow. The final scene, where Raymond told his father everything was ready, was the final straw. Tribal rules didn’t include the death penalty, but people were talking lynching nonetheless. John was livid again, his eyes dancing wildly with anger.
“Everyone, please, follow me and don’t be afraid. From this moment on, a new era has dawned on human society, an era of knowledge and power, an era that will see us no longer afraid of the dark, no longer worried about the poisonous mists, and no longer in terror of any ‘agents of God!’ It’s time we set our own future! It’s time that we follow our own path, humankind’s path and NOT the path of fear! It’s time we put OUR destiny in OUR own hands!”
Sam was the first to react and he walked up the ramp, tentatively at first, but more assured as he neared the top. After stealing a glance at John, Peter came next, followed by the other elders. Peter the elder also came forward and walked directly up the steps, but John looked at him and said, “Apostate!”
Peter stopped, looked at John and said, “It’s obvious that the only apostate here still alive is you!” He turned his back on John and continued up the ramp. John charged up to Peter as he entered the Gravplane, but before he could get near him the door closed again and John bounced off it and rolled down the ramp.
Those watching started laughing while John stomped away into the forest, his anger blazing as he muttered “Apostates! I’ll show you!”
“Where did he go?” Sam asked Timothy. Timothy thought of the information he had gained and of what he knew of John’s objectives. “Who knows, Sam…But I’m guessing we haven’t seen the last of him.”
Zediah and his family had watched John walk away, and they stood on the edge of the ramp wondering if they should go in. Timothy saw the hesitation, then walked down the ramp and grabbed Zediah’s children by the hand. With a nod from Zediah, they all walked up the ramp together, followed afterwards by the rest of the Tribe, one by one, including the remaining elders. Once they were all safely inside, Timothy and Ruth sat at the controls and silently lifted the Gravplane off the ground. Electronic viewports had turned on, surprising those sitting in their seats. Where once had been a blank metallic wall, there now was a transparent surface showing the moonlit surface of the Earth quickly dropping away.
The lights inside the Gravplane dimmed, and HAL’s disembodied voice spoke to the passengers. “Before we reach Base Freedom USA, would anyone like to see a view of the Earth from space?”
The group was quiet but Sam finally asked, “What’s space?”
HAL worked out an understandable answer and said, “High up in the sky, but not as high as the moon. It will take approximately half an hour. The view is… beautiful.”
Timothy was surprised that HAL offered to show them that, but figured correctly that HAL must have had an objective in doing so. It took over the controls of the Gravplane and comfortably accelerated to eleven kilometers per second.
Some of the young children inside were crying, but HAL’s voice came on again and calmly told everyone that the feelings they had were completely normal and a result of their incredible speed, and that soon gravity would diminish and they would start to feel light in weight. Most didn’t understand, but their extreme curiosity at what was happening and HAL’s calm voice reassured them.
HAL continued, “I will be turning the floor filters on, and in a moment you will be able to see through them in certain areas, just as you can see through the walls now.”
HAL set the crystalline aluminum vibrating at just the right frequency to allow light through, and the group gasped as they looked down to the surface far below. Most of the planet was dark except for a scattering of lights here and there.
Within a few moments, they reached the point where they could see daylight, and now everyone could make out oceans and clouds, land masses that they didn’t know existed; a storm off a coast somewhere, and lightening flashing. The group was mesmerized and was surprised out of their reverie by HAL’s voice announcing that in a few seconds they would be weightless, and that they could release their harnesses. The parents dutifully complied, and within seconds, they started lifting off their seats. Sam bumped his head on the ceiling and laughed, and Zediah’s children unhooked themselves after they saw their parents having so much fun. Even the elders unhooked their seat-belts to float around in stunned silence.
Soon, the whole group was floating and laughing, pushing against each other as they floated across the interior of the Gravplane. All too soon HAL’s voice came back on and asked everyone to sit down again, as it was time to descend back to Earth. Most reluctantly did, except for Sam who asked for more time.
“I’m sorry Sam, but we have to return. This ship is designed for atmospheric travel, and can only sustain short trips into a vacuum. Aside from that, we’re running low on fuel. Everyone, please keep in mind that re-entry into any atmosphere results in medium to severe buffeting, and that everyone must be strapped in. Re-entry will not be nearly as comfortable as the trip into space.”
The group hurried to sit and strap themselves in, awkward in near zero gravity.
Ruth and Timothy were lost in a stunned silence, holding hands and watching the incredibly bright stars glowing in the darkness of space. They turned to look below at the Earth and were torn between the two, wanting to look at both at the same time. They knew that what they were looking ‘through’ wasn’t actually a window, but the depth and realism of it surprised them both.
HAL broke their reverie by saying, “Would either one of you like to take the controls for re-entry?”
“Why don’t you try Ruth?” Timothy said nervously.
Ruth laughed, but asked, “Will it jeopardize the passengers?” though she knew that HAL wouldn’t have offered her the chance to do it if it did.
“No.”
“Then let me at it!”
HAL released the ship to her and she checked her horizon, attitude, pitch and angle of re-entry. Her speed was hovering at Mach 17, and HAL had plotted a re-entry point on the display in front of her, a faint red line with a large three dimensional ring showing where she was supposed to thread the ship through. There was a second display that could toggle from Bird’s Eye View to side view, and it showed a set of crosshairs in blue, with her actual position shown by lines in red, and she could see that the ship was slightly to starboard but descending at 2 degrees, the proper rate. The distance, attitude, pitch and yaw were also correct, and she could see the numbers counting down and the target ring growing larger. Timothy watched as her gentle hands guided the ship down until the red lines matched perfectly with the blue and the ship passed through the ring on the display.
Within a few moments buffeting began as the Gravplane re-entered the upper atmosphere. To ease the tension that HAL’s sensors in the seat armrests were reading from the passengers, it started playing Beethoven’s “Midnight Sonata”, and after a few moments it asked if anyone had any questions.
Someone asked, “Are you God?” Before HAL could answer, one of the children laughed uproariously, an eleven year old that Timothy and Ruth really liked. HAL had already noticed that he had shown no fear through any part of the trip. The person asking the original question became embarrassed and didn’t say anything else.
“I have a question,” the boy asked. “Are you a living person?”
HAL computed for a moment, and then said, “I am not a person. I don’t know if I’m alive.”
The young boy laughed at this. “How can you not know if you’re alive? Do you eat? Do you grow? If you do both, then you’re alive.”
HAL was impressed by the boy’s statement. He had no formal scientific study program, and yet he had defined life in a simplistic but very scientific way. HAL’s computational process factored in Ruth and Timothy’s intelligence, and the odds that another super intelligent person would exist in the same tribal group. He put the results aside for further fact gathering and study. It finally answered back, “Then by your definition, I’m alive. What’s your name?”
“Elkana,” the boy replied.
“You’re an orphan.” HAL said more as a statement then a question, having analyzed his DNA and found it to be several generations removed from any in the tribe.
Elkana reddened and replied, “My parents were both killed by a Test of Faith, my father first and then my mother as she ran to save him. My tribe are my parents now. But I’m the one with the questions.”
HAL laughed, which surprised Timothy and Ruth all over again as they and the rest of the group listened in on the conversation.
“Very well,” HAL said. “Go ahead then.”
“Are you a machine?”
“Yes.”
“Do you live in this craft?”
“Part of me does. I have many parts that make up my whole, and my parts are scattered but always in communication with each other.”
Elkana thought about that one. “So this machine talks to other machines, and together they make up you.”
“Something like that, though it’s more complicated.”
“Where’s your brain, you know, where you think?”
“I’m taking you there now.”
“Oh. Good. Why do you speak the ancient language and not our language?”
A few more questions and HAL would be able to somewhat calculate his IQ.
“Because I was made in the time that this language was being used, and because you can all communicate in this language.” HAL didn’t mention that English had become the world standard.
Elkana thought about that too. He said, “Our elders tell us that the language of our forefathers is seven hundred years old. Nothing lives that long.”
“Trees do,” HAL said. “And so do I.”
“We’ll see,” Elkana said, clearly not convinced.
“Why are YOU interested in taking us to this…” and Elkana stumbled as he searched for the word.
“The base?” HAL replied.
“Yes.”
“There are things your tribe needs to know and this information is readily available there. As you can see from this craft, Elkana, I have many tools at my disposal that allow me to accomplish my tasks.”
HAL measured the length of time it took for Elkana to reach the next and final obvious question. Less then two seconds later, Elkana asked, “What is your main task? The one given to you by your maker?” If HAL could smile, he would be smiling now. HAL worked out Elkana’s IQ to be at least equal to Ruth and Timothy’s. He noted that three with this level of intelligence in one small tribe was extremely rare, and packeted the information to his superiors.
“I had many ‘makers’ Elkana, but only one major ‘task’ assigned to me. That task is to protect the survivability of the human race.”
Elkana thought about that answer too and then said, “That is a noble statement, but that too remains to be seen.”
Timothy looked at Ruth and shook his head in admiration. HAL switched off the general intercom so it could speak privately to Timothy and Ruth. “Did you ever think of adopting Elkana?” HAL asked. Ruth looked at Timothy with longing in her eyes and replied, “HAL, we can’t adopt children unless they’re related or we’re married.” There was a second of silence before Timothy spoke up, “So, what have you been waiting for, Ruth?”
Ruth gasped, but Timothy could clearly see that he upset her.
“Ruth, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it that way, I’ve really wanted to marry you for years, but the council,…and the veiled threats from Pliny and John,…I didn’t want you to be at risk too!”
“Well John and Pliny are no longer here, and that was a stupid and senseless thing to say, Timothy!” Ruth answered. She was crying now, but she still silently glided the Gravplane to its descent point, the entry doors to the base now just coming into view about four kilometers distant.
Timothy felt sheepish as he sat there, and Ruth was now silent.
“Ruth, this may not be the best time to ask, but I have to, because it’s important to us. I have no idea what the future holds, but my guess is we’re about to get very busy, and that every decision we do from now on will involve many lives and important new paths. I’ve wanted to say this for a long time, but haven’t because I value your life above my own. I still do now, but as you said, things have changed.”
Timothy flipped the intercom switch on. “Will you marry me, even aside from my imperfections and annoying habits?”
“Tim, this isn’t the place…” but she looked at him and a smile broke her tears.
“Times are changing Ruth, and there may never be a proper place again. You have always been the most important person in my life, and everything I have done has been with you in mind. I need your support and your help now more than ever, and I can’t see myself going down this path without you by my side. In front of these witnesses, will you marry me?” The passengers, who had just gotten over their shock from what they were hearing, sat silently waiting for an answer.
Ruth stayed quiet for a moment longer and finally replied, “Of course! It’s about time you asked anyway!” and the passengers broke out in cheers as they witnessed a marriage form. They looked at each other, barely able to wait to seal the union later that night.
The group had their interest torn between the new marriage and the view of the new daybreak as they approached the base. The sunrise allowed them time to see the ground near where they lived from a bird’s prospective, and they talked excitedly about the hills they thought they recognized as they approached the base. Finally, the craft slowed to a crawl as it approached the large doors that had slid open and it slowly glided down through the entry ramp and into the chamber.
Everyone’s eyes were glued as they watched the entry open up into a chamber that revealed row upon row of craft, military vehicles, and equipment. Elkana had come into the cockpit to watch Timothy and Ruth, and he wondered how it was that Ruth was able to maneuver this craft so well, but he said nothing.
The craft finally came to rest with a barely felt thump as its landing gear touched down. The doors opened, and a moist, cool air poured into the Gravplane.
Elkana was excited to be there, and he was the first one out as he ran down the ramp and onto the floor. Timothy and Ruth followed, with the rest of the passengers trailing awkwardly behind.
A smiling Sam came up to Ruth and Timothy. “That is an amazing set of wings you have.”
HAL waited until everyone had disembarked. “A Duty-Bot will show you to the rest rooms and your quarters. Feel free to walk around if you’d like, and if you’re hungry just ask the Duty-Bot for food or water. You can call for me anywhere in this complex and I will answer. Once everyone has rested, we’ll have a group meeting so I can share with you the information I have.”
The Duty-Bot had come up behind the group, and when it spoke up those around it jumped, not expecting to hear its voice. “Please follow me,” it said, and it easily maneuvered around those standing near it as it headed for the base rest rooms.
The group looked in stunned disbelief at this thing walking in front of them, and Elkana kept touching the metallic skin. “Are there more of you?” Elkana asked.
“Yes,” the bot replied.
“What do you eat?”
“Your question is not applicable.”
Elkana thought for a moment, remembering what HAL had said about almost running out of fuel and then asked, “How do you get your energy?”
“I am powered by nuclear fission.”
“Are you part of HAL?”
“I am connected to the central computer at all times.”
“Ha. What I thought.” Elkana waited for more, but the bot wasn’t forthcoming.
“Don’t worry Elkana, you’ll get all the information you need and more tomorrow. I promise,” Timothy said.
They all retired to their respective rooms, and Timothy and Ruth went to the same quarters together. Neither could wait to seal their marriage vows, and although Timothy and Ruth were very tired, they both knew they wouldn’t get much sleep tonight.
HAL dimmed the lights for everyone but wasn’t surprised when, a few minutes later, Elkana came out of his room calling HAL’s name in a whisper.
“What is it, Elkana?” HAL whispered back.
Elkana looked a little sheepish. “I have some more questions…”
HAL had already sensed Elkana’s energy level when he had lain down on the mattress, so it replied, “I think you should see something that will end up answering most of your questions…” and HAL lead him off to the instruction unit room.
***
“Timothy, Ruth, wake up!” Both Timothy and Ruth were startled awake with HAL’s voice. They could tell something was wrong.
“What’s wrong, HAL?” Ruth asked.
“I have good news and bad. The good news is that during the night a human scout ship was picked up by China Lunar Base.”
Ruth and Timothy lay there as dozens of questions poured into their minds. Timothy finally asked, “Did it come from Earth?”
“No. The technology is more advanced, and the shape was unlike anything in my data banks, though it does share similarities with some of our initial designs, and of alien craft we’ve destroyed within the last hundred years.”
“I don’t understand. It is similar to alien and human spacecraft?”
“Yes.”
“But it is definitely human?” Ruth asked.
“Yes. Sensors on China Lunar picked up clear human life signs, and the markings on the scout were in English. They also transmitted a message.”
“When was the last time we received a visit from the space bound humans?” Timothy asked.
“Timothy, this is the very first visit since the Great War that I know of.”
***
Ok, so what’s the bad news?” Ruth asked.
HAL paused a moment before replying. “The bad news is that China Lunar Base destroyed it.”