"Looks like the same guys are coming back," Orion said, "come on." They started jogging.
"I don't think we're going to make it." Celli vocalized what they could all see from the hologram and they broke into a run. The guards would turn the corner before they could reach the next juncture and they would be in plain view.
Jenna suddenly stopped. "Here," she whispered, "this part of the corridor is darker."
"What?!" Celli exclaimed. "We'll never fit in there. They'll see us."
"Not if we use the stealth technique," Jenna pointed out.
They scanned each other's faces. It was too late to argue. They all quickly piled into a nook in the wall which looked like it had once held a large vertical pipe. Fel still held the projector – they could see the green dots coming around the corner, closing on their position. He deactivated it and placed it in his chest pouch. They remained as still as possible, then focused their energy inward.
From their perspective nothing changed, but from the outside they were almost impossible to notice because of the mental deflection they were creating. This technique affects the way a brain perceives the images and sounds it receives – in effect deflecting all attention from the awareness of any animal or human. This technique, however, does not fool Merenthaal, or Baccaran. They could hear the guard's footfalls again. "Shift your eyes to the floor when they pass." Jenna reminded them. Movement or sound or eyes could still be detected.
A few seconds later the guards passed them, but after twenty meters they stopped. We're sunk! Orion thought. They could hear what sounded like a panel opening in the wall; then there were some electronic beeps, then the panel closing. "All clear." One of the guards said into a communicator. "Copy," came the reply. The footfalls began again, moving away from them. Soon they faded altogether.
The four teenagers exhaled audibly. "That was way too close." Celli said, a distraught look on her face. Orion, by contrast, felt rather euphoric: enjoying the exhilaration of outwitting authority. Fel re-activated the projector – the green dots were not on the display, neither was the first corridor they had entered.
"What happened to our exit?" Celli whispered.
Orion glanced around. "I don't know, maybe they locked it out; probably an electronic wall."
"If we hadn't left when we did..." Celli said.
Orion nodded. "No going back, though."
They walked quietly along the corridor following the hologram until they came to a large tightly sealed door with no handle. "It's bio-chip activated," Fel observed, and then said, with a sly smile: "But... I bet our new chips will open preeeeetty-much-anything." He reached up and pressed the activation button. A green laser scanned his shoulder. A second later they heard a mechanism whirring. A light at the top of the door began blinking orange. A few seconds later the light turned blue and the door opened smoothly and noiselessly inward. They were all impressed at the power of their new chips.
As soon as they had entered, the door closed behind them, sealing tightly. Orion swallowed nervously. Inside they could see what looked like a laboratory. There were monitoring panels along the walls and work tables full of various kinds of equipment. The space was as large as a warehouse. There were braces supporting chemical vats; large, heavy looking hand-held weapons; hazardous material containers. At the far end they could see what appeared to be targets for weapons practice. The more they studied their surroundings the less comfortable they felt. This was a place where people planned for death. They looked to the projector image which blinked blue, indicating they had reached their final destination.
"So, this is it." Orion said needlessly.
Fel nodded his response.
"I wonder if we're being monitored," Celli whispered. Her voice echoing off the walls.
Fel glanced around. "Hard to tell."
The only movement they could detect was a white light which pulsed rhythmically on a console by the entrance; other than that, everything was silent and still.
***
Almost two hours had passed, during which time the young people had relaxed somewhat. They had seated themselves on high stools around one of the smaller laboratory tables and had broken out Antarion rations. They were conversing casually, savoring chocolate-chip cookies and coffee with milk when they heard a click from the door. They spun around and stared.
There wasn't enough time to do anything but sit and watch. The door opened and a slight, balding man in laboratory work clothes entered and walked directly to a large table. So intent was he on his task that he did not detect the four people sitting at the table. He picked up a metal tool and began measuring something on a cylindrical object he had brought with him.
Orion knew this man. He silently communicated this fact to his companions, then he made his introduction.
"Renro Forenthos?" Orion spoke quietly.
The scientist jumped back against the wall, the metal tool still in his hand. He stared in silence at the four strangers as if they were spirits from Nelvah.
"It's me, Orion." The pilot gave what he hoped was a friendly smile. "You... used to come over to our house for the evening meal. You gave me an electric constructor for the half-cenro festival, during my ninth cenro. You and my father used to work in our basement, you wouldn't let me in, but I watched you from a spy lens I made. I saw you designing equipment – your secret project. You stored it in a safe under the panels. I never could get into the safe. We left it when we lost the house. It's probably still there."
Renro's eyes widened in shock. He turned and made for the door.
"Renro, wait!" Orion called.
Something in Orion's voice made the scientist stop. The boy sounded like Kurin, his father. He swallowed nervously as he turned back to face the four young people. His haggard face bore the marks of sustained stress and declining health. He stared into Orion's eyes, searching for truth. At once his expression started to soften.
He slowly walked towards them, never taking his eyes off the young man in front of him. "Yes," he said as if he had just made an important discovery, and as he said this he seemed to grow younger. "Yes!" A look of wonder slowly spread across his face, "It's the eyes; the eyes do not lie." He nodded and reached for Orion's hand. Tactile contact would give him the proof he needed. Orion took his outstretched hand. Renro held it firmly and slowly nodded. "The question is... how?"
"It's... kind of a long story," Orion said, "but we want you to know that we have come to help. We..." he looked at his companions then back at Renro, "are part of a... team... that is trying to find solutions for the effects of the weapons testing in the asteroid belt."
Renro nodded, still entertaining doubts that this could be a strange hallucination, or maybe an advanced form of remote holographic projection.
"Renro, who else is here, working with you? Are Frezor and Roshil here?
Renro didn't answer Orion's question. Instead he sat on a stool at the table with them and gave a long sigh. He shook his head gravely, shifting his gaze to the table top. "I remember," he said regretfully. "I remember the way things used to be... before we found out; before we realized what would happen. That was another time; another world – for us – for those of us that managed to escape. He looked back to the boy and there was deep sadness in his eyes. "Orion, I am so sorry." He had evidently thought about this often. "There was nothing we could have done. I'm so sorry."
"I know. They would have got you too."
"Part of me wishes they had. It hasn't been easy." The look in Renro's eyes suddenly changed to one of shocked disbelief. "But... but how is it that you have appeared here? There is no way you could have found this place..." he looked at each of the young people, "...there is no way anyone can, not without us knowing about it. There's no way you could have entered this room without..." Renro realized that his interrogation was pointless. He would listen to what these impossible visitors had to say. What else could he do?
"Please," he said with a resigned sigh, "I think it prudent that I hear whatever message you bring. I'm not saying that I will believe you," he chucked nervously, "or that I even fully accept that you are here right now, but I am forced to give you fair hearing because my senses tell me you are more real than imaginary." He quickly glanced at each of them. "That, at least, is something." He raised his eyebrows.
The four comrades looked dubiously at each other, and Renro presented a reasonable question. "What do you know about the weapons testing?"
The mrith team tacitly voted with their eyes that Jenna should have the honor of being their spokesperson. Jenna nodded her consent. "We know that it is scheduled to take place in about four porthen, in zone LP-86. There will be twenty-seven separate quantol detonations, and according to the analysis you made, along with Orion's father and the other scientists, the reaction between the iridonium-3 and hexolium will cause multiple waves of radiation. When they reach the com-zones they will combine with the larintor and pherion contamination particles resulting in a super toxic reaction fatal to human life, as well as causing a critical level of electrical disturbance. Anyone in the com-zones beyond ten mec-lan won't survive. Those who manage to get out within that time frame may survive initially, but will probably die soon afterward."
Renro was shocked. "How... did... you get this information?"
"The scientists of the Regala figured it out, with help from off-world agents."
Renro looked at her in amazement. "The Regala! They survived out there!"
"We thrive out there," Jenna said defensively, and somewhat proudly.
"You..." the scientist's eyes were wide, "you are Regalan?"
Jenna nodded. "This isn't a problem that you were supposed to solve on your own. We also are citizens of Ophilion."
"But, you do live in the free-zone, don't you? You wouldn't even be affected by this event."
"We are all connected," Jenna repeated what she had told the com-kids when they first met. "We are one people."
Renro shook his head and smiled. "You have no idea how refreshing it is to hear someone say that."
They went on to tell him, as concisely as possible, all that had happened in the past five weeks. They told him that this time it would not be possible to sabotage the tests, but that the Merenthaal had a plan – they were going to do something to mitigate the problem. They were already intervening. They tried explaining some of the things the Antarion had explained to them – about the Baccaran and dimensional agents and Togan, but his eyes glazed at the mention of immortal alien benefactors and power-hungry super-villains; the collective choice factor and knowledge of people as yet unborn. Their story was more far-fetched than anything Renro had imagined, but these young people seemed to believe it. Certainly, he could not ignore their knowledge of the secret weapons test.
"There is one more thing," Orion said. He motioned to Fel, who produced the projector and relinquished it to Renro's scrutiny.
The scientist turned it over carefully in his hands. "I must admit, I have never seen anything like this." He looked at them. "What does it do?"
"Place your palm on the central jewel," explained Fel, "then touch these three with your fingers."
Renro, eager to discover, did as he was instructed, and to his amazement, a high-definition hologram appeared. It was a map of the entire mechanic complex with the route to their subterranean hideout marked in red. Renro had to smile. "Very clever," he remarked, "very clever indeed." He looked at Jenna with admiration. "Your scientists are advanced."
"This isn't Regalan; it's Merenthaal. It was in the safe that they found."
"Yes, well," Renro looked somewhat self-consciously from one young person to another. He realized that they were perfectly sincere and well equipped for their task. The question was whether the information itself was, in fact, true. He realized that he needed to inform his partners – and he needed to give his brain time to recalibrate before he experienced an overload. "I will have to confer with the other Chiefs. I think it best that you stay here. It may take a few mec-lan." A polite thought suddenly struck him. "Are you hungry by any chance? I could arrange for something to be brought."
The four young people looked at each other for a moment. "We have food in our packs," Jenna said, "the important thing is that you bring this information to your people as soon as possible."
"Very well." Renro looked around the laboratory, "I'm afraid it's not that comfortable here. I'll try to be as quick as I can." He paused, "Can I take this projector with me? It might help to validate your claims."
They all nodded.
"What about the maps?" Celli asked.
"Good idea," Orion answered. "That might help." He pulled them out of his bag and put them on the table.
Renro opened the folder and drew out one of the chats. He nodded appreciatively as he looked it over. "These were in the safe, you say?"
They dodded.
"Quite valuable, you know; I'll take good care of them. You could make a fair bit of credit on these." Orion nodded.
The scientist rose from his chair, carefully placing the projector in his large front pocket and tucking the folder containing the maps under his arm. He walked to the door and was about to exit the room when he looked back. "Please do not leave this room till I return; if anyone else were to see you it would... cause serious misunderstandings. I am leaving you here unguarded because I believe that you are not a threat to us." He gave the hint of a smile, then he quickly exited the room and locked the door.
The four young people were left in silence.
"Well," Fel said at last, "That went well. I sure hope the chiefs believe him. I guess it does sound a bit crazy when you say it all at once like that."