The Alien Orb (41 page)

“
How did the aliens connect them to
each other?
”

“
I only know that they connected some
on this world, and took them to their
destinations.
”

“
At least, we have a transporter,
which can take us all over that world, and to other worlds, if we
become tired of this one. There must be thousands
–
or millions, in
other universes
–
with valuable locations. On all the machines! We could be
searching them for the rest of our lives!
”

Dexter rested against a wall, on the badly
shaped seat, and he placed a head device over his head, and
activated it.

Basinger leisurely switched on a lever.

A projection beamed out of the machine, and
the hologram world lit up in the air, at his front, and a vivid
green diagram appeared over it, marking regions on it. Dexter tried
to see where the island was, on it.

Basinger finally left, and Dexter decided to
continue his search of the destinations, and he chose to check the
other machine, at the end of the corridor.

He began by automatically pressing controls,
and ignoring views of soil, searching for any signs of structures.
His speed gradually increased, and his hand rhythmically went from
control to control, as images swiftly appeared and vanished.

An image on the screen stuck in his mind,
and he once again activated it. In a murky view of some location,
he made out a perfect shape, and he was about to forget the
meaningless sight, but he saw that there were no signs of soil, and
he then caught a glimpse of a faint square shape, shifting wildly
about. It was dark, but he was positive that he had found a
destination with a damaged Star Chamber, with a black hole formed
in it.

The familiar pattern of movements fascinated
him!

Dexter was tired, and left it, realizing
that it was night at the location, and that he might be able to see
something on it when it was daylight at the location.

When he returned the next morning, to
continue his search, he instantly observed that the location on the
screen was now brightly lit, and vibrating furiously, in a blur of
many images.

Yet though it was bright, it was not
daylight
–
artificial lights beamed over it
–
and, to his great delight, he saw
an image of the laboratory, spin through the frenzy of
images.

Chapter 13

Destination:
Earth

An extraordinary scene developed before
Dexter, as he landed on the floor of the chamber. A mass of
shuffling, activities, and flickering lights erupted about him, and
he ignored cries of shouting and mumbling voices.

Dexter leapt over to his side, and the
others came through, behind him, drawing away the attention of the
crowd, from him, and he was able to see them properly.

How could he have been so unlucky? The
entire laboratory was full of reporters and television crews. Had
they actually expected their arrival? He had expected the
opposite!

The laboratory looked the same, except for
the screen, which was a more dense material. The crowd, behind it,
watched them, with profound amusement, unable to believe what was
in front of them. They occasionally cracked jokes, and loudly
laughed, while they desperately filmed them.

Basinger observed himself and them, at
different angles, and he shrugged. Selina held her ears, to ignore
the racket.

Dexter imagined the media, and public,
remembering them, the way they were, forever
–
as the scientific
expedition that returned from the famous black hole as
savages
–
dressed in bits of alien animal skins, and covered in muck,
sand, and bits of creatures.

He felt as though he were Robinson
Crusoe returning to civilization. He barely understood their
reactions to things. How had he changed so quickly? Their
cleanliness was unbelievable! Would they actually accept what had
taken place
–
and that they had come from another world
–
and that they had stayed in
the remains of a futuristic alien civilization, in another
universe?

Professor Bergman finally appeared, and he
pushed his way through the crowd. Then he stood glaring, in utter
amazement, and confusion, at them, and Basinger repeatedly shrugged
his shoulders, with embarrassment.

Professor Bergman rushed back through the
crowd, and he ordered his assistants about.

They gradually drew the crowd away, and they
started setting up equipment, to check the black hole. They finally
opened an entrance to the chamber, at the side of the screen, and
anxiously ushered them out.

“
What happened ...?
”
Professor Bergman cried
out.

Basinger lifted his hands up, exasperated,
and he let them fall to his side. Burrell and Selina laughed, and
Dexter laughed more uncontrollably than he could remember doing,
and he decided that he was going to let someone else explain.

“
Why was the media here
...?
”
Selina asked.

Professor Bergman observed her, for a few
seconds.

“
We thought that the black hole might
disperse, after its appearance had altered
–
and the media had a
fascination in it. What information have you discovered about
it?
”

“
You will not need a protection screen
around it anymore!
”
Burrell muttered.
“
It will not pull anything into it
anymore ...!
”

Professor Bergman looked at him, as though
he were mad, and he touched a piece of animal fur on his
shoulder.

“
What in the blazes is
that?
”

A technician, at the door, came over, and he
examined it.

“
May we take this
...?
”

“
You can have all of it
–
once I have put
on some proper clothes!
”

“
Do you want these as well
...?
”
Dexter asked, taking out a handful of bits of
vegetation.

“
What are they?
”
the technician muttered,
examining their peculiar features.

“
They are seeds!
”
Dexter replied, handing him
the seeds, from the jungle.
“
Can you have them grown, and, if possible,
tell me why some of them shift about?
”

“
Yes!
”
the technician replied firmly,
confused.

“
Look ...!
”
Burrell called out.

The black hole vibrated, as though something
was coming through.

Then, as its movements stopped, Dexter saw a
strange blur in front of it, which vanished into it. Then the black
hole started contracting, until it no longer existed.

“
How did that
happen?
”
Basinger grumbled.

Dexter realized why, from the
spaceship
’
s
information, but he never said anything, because it had been the
entity, and the last of what some of the super-species had advanced
into, before their new species had completely annihilated
itself.