Chapter 2
They were stood at the opening they had previously entered. The view outside had changed dramatically. It was totally silent, not a breath of wind, nothing to be seen except a total blackness; a small sound erupts like the turning of the tide over a manhole cover.
“Do you have to pass wind right now Carl?” Muttered Pat.
“Better out here than in there.” Carl replied.
“True.” says Pat.
Another silence ensues, disturbed by both Pat and Carl's water works taking a meander around inside.
“This is very helpful, all this standing here,” says Pat,” but where's the bloody jungle gone, more to the point where have we gone?”
They both realised that they were no longer in the Brunei jungle on Saturday lunchtime.
“This is bloody bad,” said Carl,” all we've done is moved two switches and here we are, but where?”
“You know, I don't fancy going out there.” Said Pat, as he changed the torch to beam and shined it on a black flat smooth surface about two metres below them and four metres ahead down an inclined ramp. The torch beam moved away, slowly, across the flat surface, but it was difficult to judge further than fifty meters away due to the beam's spot being absorbed by the black surface.
“If we go down there, what's to stop this ramp coming up, the door closing and this bloody machine disappearing?” said Pat.
'Definitely a point to consider'. Thought Carl.” Oh Hell,” he said,” what's happening to us? I've always dreamt of the little green men taking me away in the flying saucer, but this is actually happening and I'm not at all keen on it, not at all.”
“I just thought of something,” said Pat,” it's lunchtime and I'm bloody starving.”
“Is that it?” Said Carl,” All you can think about is your bloody stomach.”
“Yes it bloody well is,” said Pat, as if to prove his point his stomach gave an enormous groan,” think about it and you'll see what I mean, where do we get the stuff we call food, and when?”
“At times Pat, you come up with very astute points, that's one of them, perhaps we ought to see what we've got in our bags and then have a search of this ship for anything eatable.”
“Right,” said Pat,” I've got nine beers.”
“Is that it? Nine beers?”
“Yep, what's your stock?”
“Bottle of Lime, three tubes of barley sugars, two glucose sweets and a packet of digestive biscuits.”
“We've got enough to feed one small child for two hours. Great!” said Pat.
“Unless we can get back to the steamy jungle in one day, we’re going to be awfully hungry.” Said Carl.
“Hey Carl, look, I can see the area around here easier now,” Pat said,” is it all the carrots I eat or is it getting lighter?
It was a fact, the pitch black was now only a very dim black and heading further towards the dim and away from the black as the minutes ticked by. In three minutes it was 'dim' enough to turn off the torch and see the extent of the area the 'craft' was sat in. It was big, easily as big as Wembley Stadium. Dead flat on the ground and circular with concave walls leading to similarly circular and flat ceiling - some one hundred yards away. There were no observable 'Hanger Doors', or any doors of any sort visible.
“It's so quiet,” said Pat,” we must be underground or something.”
“I vote we go out and take a shufty round,” Carl said,” we can jam our parangs in the door slider, that's sure to stop this thing from leaving, what do you say?”
“Ok, decision made,” said Pat,” but if this bugger leaves without us, you're in trouble”.
“And you.”
“Right.”
It took more than five minutes to get the parangs lodged in what looked like a door groove, at the right side, before they were satisfied that the door couldn't dislodge them and they were pretty sure it couldn't crush the metal,...they left.
“Let's go to the wall opposite and walk around and find a door.” Carl suggested.
“Try to find a door.” Said Pat, in a sarcastic tone.
“You're a bloody pessimist you are.” Carl said.
Their Hash boots, rubber soled and hockey studded, were soundless on the floor, a similar softish material to the aircraft's cabin floor.
There was the slightest hint of a breath of air every now and again, and it smelled pretty stale.
“I reckon our arrival has got the Air-con system started up,” Carl said,” they always smell a bit when they initially start up.
“Wonder when the time they last started up was.” Said Pat.
“Yes, I wonder, can't see anything like a door so far, how about you?”
“As I'm looking at the same wall you are, then I'm not likely to see anything either, am I?” He quipped.
They carried on in silence for about five minutes.
“Hang slack,” said Pat,” what's that?” Pointing at the wall in front of them.” Is that a door?”
'That', was a seam or joint. It rose vertically for about three metres, went horizontally at the top for four and back down to the floor.
“Looks like it,” said Carl,” let's see if we can find the opener.”
They didn't need an opener, the panel began to open, from a middle seam they hadn't noticed, each side slid sideways. They were presented with a corridor, the same size as the doors and dimly lit, straight ahead for ten metres and then with a T-junction, off to the left and right.
“Let's do it,” said Pat,” but let's keep together.”
They chose to turn left and noted that there was an indent on the wall of the corridor, it was an English '#' sign.
“Now that's a relief, it's in English style,” said Carl,” could it be that we are amongst friends?”
On closer inspection the number sign was seen to be not paint but what appeared to be a lighted display in the black compound.
“It's actually in the wall and not on it,” Carl said,” remember the number sign and then we'll know how to get back to the hanger.”
It was all very disconcerting that everywhere, so far, was in dead silence, there couldn't be any life or machine action, they would have heard it.
In their walk along the corridor they noted that the lighting was now pretty good and it was all coming from the black surfaces around them.
“Here's a door,” said Pat,” and it's opening.”
The door was normal size and led into a wedge shaped room, the door being at the narrow end. There were comfortable chairs and tables at normal height and a large glass screen at the wide end. The ceiling was about three metres high, the colour scheme was neutral grey.
“We're getting nowhere fast here,” Carl said,” there's no one around and the place is dead, well nearly.”
They had walked into the room and over to a console set into the wall. There were a couple of buttons and a few dials and that was all.
“Don't touch them.....” Carl started, but Pat was already pressing both buttons, one after the other.
“Let's see if this connects us with anyone,” he said,” could be an intercom, ‘Hello, anyone there?’” Total silence. However, two lights had illuminated and one dial moved, a display rolled over for ten seconds and stopped.
“What now?” Said Carl.
“The little green man comes in with two beers.” Said Pat, beer on his mind again.
It was now possible to hear machinery at work, there were a few tickings and slidings, a mesh orifice materialised in the wall and a quiet fluting came from it and then the machine noises stopped.
At waist height a bench top slid out of the wall with two plates of what could only be described as fried meat and rice served on them. It smelled absolutely great. There were also two spoon-shaped utensils on each plate. They both stood still, looking at the plates, doubt in their minds.
“Bugger it,” said Pat,” I'm going to try a little bit of the meat.”
He collected a plate, Carl took the other one and they went
across to the nearest table and sat down in the luxury leather lookalike chairs, which raised until their elbows were level with the table top and stopped.
“Bloody hell.” Said Pat. He had lowered his head until his nose was barely a quarter of an inch from the meat. It obviously smelled good.
“I'm going to have a go,” he said,” I leave me car to me mother if I die.” With that he picked up a piece of the meat-looking substance with the spoon and licked it.
“Tastes ruddy marvellous,” he said, and popped it into his mouth,” bloody hell, it's good.”
Carl sat and watched for a couple of minutes, Pat was still breathing.
“It's ok,” he said,” have a go.”
So Carl did. It was as good as it smelled. There was enough food to last a good ten minutes of eating, after which they were pretty full.
“Let's see what happens after that lot.” Said Carl.
Carl then found controls under the arms of the chair, small press buttons and had already pressed one before he realised what it was. The result was that the glass 'screen' on the wall ahead was slowly having the backing raised. It was black behind initially, however, not totally black. There were spots of white light here and there and a large glowing orb.
“It's a bloody planet,” said Pat, jumping to his feet,” where the hell are we?”
He was absolutely right, in their viewing area was a planet, of sorts, but they knew for sure it was not the planet Earth, their planet was not bright red, with at least four moons.