IMAGINATION'S PLACE
FICTION
JOURNEY TO THE LIGHT
By; Speaker Gerald Polley
All rights reserved.
Chapter 24
Carol could not believe the excitement next morning, not just among the
children but among the adults as well. She had everybody just
about ready when security officers appeared with the young woman.
She was in a pretty red outfit that looked like something out of a
Christmas movie and in shackles and handcuffs. Carol snapped
"Take those things off her feet! Where in the hell is she going
to run?"
The guards looked at her for a moment then snapped
"Yes ma'am!" One of them bent down, undid the shackles, rolled
them up and put them in a storage bag. He then handed Carol a
key. "For the handcuffs, ma'am!" he announced. Carol took the key.
"Is she talking?" she asked.
"A little bit, ma'am," one of the officers answered.
"We were passing some of the planters and she said 'Oh, that's pretty!'
not too much else. One of the boys whistled at her and she said
'That's cute!'"
Carol smiled. "Well, we're just about ready. I
think you two can take off. I can get her to the ship. I'm
sure you have other duties."
Both men nodded. Carol turned to her guest.
"Just as soon as we're in the shuttle," she promised, "I'll take those
off. You're not going to be any trouble, are you?"
The girl looked at her, tilting her head from side to
side. "No, ma'am," she answered. "I'd never cause you any
trouble!"
Carol returned her smile. "Sit down!" Carol
instructed. The girl did so. One of the children came over
and asked
"We're having porridge. Would you like some? We have honey and real cream!"
The girl smiled. "That would be delightful!"
she answered. She looked up at Carol. "They killed him you know,
last night. The word hasn't come yet, but they did. I saw
it. I don't know how I saw it so far away, but I saw it."
"Oh!" Carol sighed. "Well, don't worry about it.
That's the past. We'll only look towards the future, all right?"
Carol went into the bedroom and turned on the news
channel. A reporter was just saying "We got details on the death
of Cardinal Hall. Republic forces raided the main cathedral in
Amsterdam, penetrating a secret chamber that had recently been
discovered. The cardinal and several of his followers were in the
chamber. They put up a vicious resistance. There were no
survivors. The Catholic Church has announced it will make no criticism
of the raid. As far as they were concerned the cardinal was not
entitled to sanctuary and they had weapons and were firing on the
personnel trying to apprehend them. I repeat, Cardinal Hall, who
called himself the true pope, and many of his followers have been
killed. Many of his groups around the world have committed
suicide believing they will immediately be taken to Heaven. The
Church Of True Believers is gone."
Carol sighed and turned off the viewer, then went
back out. "I wish you could've reached them," the girl remarked
without looking up. "They're happy now. They'll believe for
a long time and then join everybody else. Only a very few were
lost forever, those that hurt others. You shouldn't feel bad."
Carol smiled. "I don't dear. I just don't want you to feel bad."
The girl looked up and smiled. Carol's husband came
in. "We're ready!" he cried. "Let's line up! We've got a long
walk. Anybody want to sing anything?"
They started off through the halls and the prisoner
began to sing "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of The
Lords, they are tramping out the vintage that the grapes of hate have
stored. They have loosed the faithful lightning of their terrible
swift sword, Their truth is marching on!"
All the children joined right in. Then they
sang some other songs and finally got to the shuttle, and everybody was
just too excited to talk about anything else. Carol was surprised
to see her young friend in the pilot's seat.
"Well!" she teased, "I see I've got a little bit more than a driver!"
Her friend grinned. "Yes, ma'am!" he
snapped. Our instructions are to fly up to the top of the
asteroid and look for a large, flat area. There's a wall at the
front of it. We're told to make for that wall just a little bit
faster than the asteroid's orbital speed."
"Then, let us proceed!" Carol instructed.
The children were just in awe as they maneuvered out
and made their way to the asteroid. "We're really in space!" her
oldest cried. "I'm so glad I found mother. I'd have never had
adventures like this before!"
Everybody laughed. They came in over the large, flat
area. "I don't see any hatch!" the pilot cried, "just flat
smooth...whoa! A circle is opening up! I've never seen
anything like this, it's just opening up! There's an orange glow,
I think it's a force shield like we use. I'll just ease back a
little bit and put us in."
They passed through the force shield and quickly
came to a stop, settling onto the broad, flat surface. Smooth,
shiny walls could be seen in the distance. "Whoa! We've got
company!" the pilot cried.
Carol looked out the front windows. What
looked like a large spider with six legs was approaching. When it
got near the shuttle it turned around. Something flipped out of it,
attached to the shuttle's front wheel, and the thing began to tow them
deeper into the asteroid. The pilot raised himself up and looked
out. "I think it's feet magnetically attach to the ground.
That's what enables it to pull us."
"Affirmative!" a voice came out of the
speaker. It was similar to the voice that always spoke to them,
just slightly different.
"You're not the main computer, are you?"
A strange sound came out of the speaker and then the voice
answered "No, ma'am. I'm a service module. We come in
several different sizes but we're all self aware, which is good because
the main computer would have probably gone out of commission if it had
not had us to talk to. I'll have you to the stairway in a few
minutes. We thought this was easier than trying to tell you how
to get there."
"Quite true!" Carol agreed.
"One of the boys cried out "Oh! I wish I could go out and ride on its back!"
The module stopped. "What a delightful idea!"
it cried. It hunched down to the ground. Carol looked to the
pilot and giggled.
"Open the hatch!"
In moments the boys were outside and on the module's back. It rose up and headed off again.
"How delightful!" it piped, "How delightful!"
Everyone laughed. Carol's youngest took her
hand. "Mother, they're very very lonely. It's been terrible
for them. We mustn't let them be any more."
Carol understood what she was saying. "Yes," she agreed. "We'll see to it they have visitors."
They finally came to the stairway. Another big
module appeared and four little ones. "The smaller units will
take you to our leader."
One of the children took out a candy bar and began
to unwrap it. One of the little modules scurried over. Two
holes appeared in what apparently was its head and it began to
sniff. "Choc choc? Choc choc?" it began to say.
"Chocolate," the boy cried, "you like chocolate?"
"Choc choc!" the module continued then it backed off. "Apologies!" it sighed.
"One moment," Carol snapped. She went back
into the shuttle and came out with a box. She pointed to the
other three modules. They hurried over. Carol held out four
chocolate bars. The modules began to bob up and down. Each
came forward and took one, using two of its legs for hands. Carol
went over to the bigger modules and held out two bars for each of
them.
"Most gratitudes!" the one who had brought them praised.
"Interesting!" her husband remarked. "I thought they were machines. They're organic!"
"I still think they're somehow manufactured," Carol put in, "but they're marvelous!"
Their companions led them off. They went up to the
stairway into a beautiful park like area. "Shields hold the
water," one of the modules said pointing up, "keep it in the
center."
They came to a platform where the water
was much closer. Suddenly a large head popped out of the
water. "At last!" it cried. "Oh, it is so good to really
see you! They are marvelous! They are beautiful! As The
Great One said The Maker's perfection! Oh, such delight! And you
are making a new one. Even more delight!"
"Ah," Carol began.
Her husband took her shoulders and turned her around. "Making a new one?" he asked.
"Oh, dear!" their host cried. "Did I reveal a secret?"
"It's all right!" Carol sighed. "I was trying
to keep it quiet for a little while. But yes, I am making a new one."
"Oh, delight, delight, delight!" their host cried.
"Wonderful! Would you mind if I did some scans? If the
children did not mind I would like to scan them too, nothing intrusive.
I am still trying to determine what happened to the others, why they
could not reproduce and died."
Carol took a step back. "That's why this is
all empty," she managed. "You had people, you had a crew.
They all died?"
"It took forty years to arrive here," their host
answered. "Those that started out were old, but it was believed
they'd have children and we would be thriving when we
arrived. But they had no children. They grew old and
died. I have cared for them so they may be put somewhere in the
ground as is their custom after they are reduced to ashes. But I
could not do that, couldn't do it. I was hoping..."
Carol's husband spoke up. "Absolutely!" he promised.
"We'll get some people. We have facilities for doing that."
"Joy! Joy!" their host cried. "Oh, to be in the
company of such kind creatures again! It has been too long, too
long! Now, if you continue along you'll find another space with
tables and different games and things that I think the children will
enjoy. Then one at a time I will ask them to come further down to
my work area."
Long tentacles came out of the water. "May I touch? May I caress?"
Without hesitation the children rushed forward.
Tentacles went from one to another joyously touching them, ruffling
hair, pulling ears. The children laughed and giggled. "Oh,
such delight!" their host cried. "Life! Wondrous, beautiful
life! Come! Come! Come! Come! Come!"
It followed them along as they made their way to the
recreation area. "It's a Squiddy, mommy!" Carol's youngest
piped.
"Very, very similar," Carol agreed. "But I
think it's capable of breathing air as well as water. It's probably far
more comfortable in the water."
"Oh!" their host cried, "Such intelligence!
Such understanding! How marvelous to be with minds of such
capability! It is so joyous! It is so joyous!"
Knuckle came closer. "I think we could use a
med tech," she suggested, one that specializes in mental
conditions."
"Only if it appears necessary," Carol answered.
"Right now I think companionship is what's needed. Twenty years
or more with just the modules to talk to? I don't know if I
would've survived."
Knuckle nodded. Everybody relaxed and had a
good time. One at a time Knuckle or Black Ant would take one of
the children off and in a while bring it back. The children
seemed to be delighted by the experience. Finally all of them had
visited the exam area. Their host returned. "May I, er.."
Carol smiled. "Of course!" she answered, "I'll be
back in a little while," she told the others. "Should I undress?"
she asked as she got to the exam area.
"It is not necessary!" her host answered. "Just lie down."
Carol did so. Instruments passed over
her. She felt movement inside her body but nothing uncomfortable.
Finally, her host said "I don't understand! I simply do not
understand! This cannot be!"
"What?" Carol asked.
A screen lit up. "This is your bio sign," her host
explained. "Bio signs are absolutely unique. No two are
alike. This is the biosign of my commander. Look!"
He adjusted some gauges and the two biosigns went
over each other. Carol looked in awe with her mouth hanging
open. "They're identical!" she remarked.
"All of the rest of you," her host continued,
"are a match for someone that was on this vessel, even the injured
one! There is a problem with her, you know."
"There is?" Carol asked.
"Yes!" her host answered. "Do not let
her be alone with you in private, always have a male companion.
It is the politest way I can say it. It was not acceptable with
those that traveled with me, I doubt if it is acceptable among your
people."
Carol suddenly realized what he was talking about.
"Oh!" she managed, "It is not. I will see that she has counseling."
Her host nodded. "I wish," he sighed, "I had
someone with a better knowledge of these things. I am afraid to
send a signal to the others, that if they try to go other places and
restore viability the same will happen to their crews."
"Do you have holographic projectors?" Carol asked.
"Oh yes!" her host answered.
"Interface with our computer," Carol
instructed. "Ask for educational program 26-324. Ask it be
put into your systems."
Tentacles flew over a keyboard. In a few moments
there were flashes of light then a winged being stood in the middle of
the area. It straightened and stared at their host. "My
goodness!" it remarked and then turned to Carol. "Why have I been
put in this system?"
Carol explained.
"Oh!" the winged being managed. "I see! Yes, indeed!
I am definitely needed here. Why don't you run along? I'll talk to our
host and go over his data. Definitely if this would occur with
others they must be warned! You proceeded correctly. Thank you."
Carol bowed. "Marvelous!" her host sighed, "So real! So vital! Marvelous!"
Carol went back to the others. Food had been brought
out and spread on the unused tables. The children were stuffing
themselves! "I see plates far too full!" Carol commented. "I
don't want any tummy aches!"
"Yes mother!" some of the children sighed. The
rest answered with "Yes, ma'am!" Carol smiled, checked out some
of the food, got a plate and sat down. She motioned over one of
the modules. "There are living quarters here, aren't there? Are
they functional?"
"Oh, yes!" the module answered.
"I will be sending some people over," Carol
continued. "We are short handed but I think some people should be
here. Would that be acceptable?"
"Oh, yes!" the module answered, "Oh yes, madam! And
do not worry about the leftover food. We will consume whatever they
leave."
Carol grinned and nodded. A while later she went to the shuttle and gave some instructions.