The lid was transparent.
The three men stood looking down at the man floating in some kind of liquid inside a coffin shaped chamber. Hundreds of little black tubes protruding from the chamber pedestal, entered through the lid and attached to the man's skin one per every square inch. There were so many of them, it was difficult to discern his features.
“It’s not possible," whispered the doctor.
"Yeah, it surprises the hell out of me, too," said Ben looking at the man in awe. And then he added in thought, to say the least.
The man was totally nude, except for the black tubes, and his muscular frame measured close to six feet three inches in length. The long, black hair, from his face and head, floated freely in the fluid, like strings of black algae in a tropical fish tank.
"Of course it's possible," said the Galaef. "There he is." He spoke in such a loud voice, it seemed as though he were being irreverent in a holy place.
"It's just hard to believe," said the doctor quietly. “I knew what we would be looking for when we left Galactus VII, but I never expected to find a living being in a suspended animation chamber. Usually there is some truth to a myth, but scientists have realized for a long time that suspended animation is virtually impossible.”
Doctor Riker was in charge of the medical staff aboard the Commander and had a list of credentials as long as his arm. He knew as much as anyone could possibly know about the human body. "This man hasn't been in this chamber more than two years," he said. "Notice the length of his hair."
"That's not possible," said Ben. "This chamber has been hidden for at least six hundred years."
"Why are those little black tubes attached to his skin?" asked the Galaef. At the moment it appeared he wasn't interested in the man's age.
Dr. Riker thought for a few seconds. "They're insulators for electrical conductors. Periodically small electrical voltages are applied to the skin, keeping the cell groups or tissues from dying. The voltage acts as an energy source and a stimulator."
Ben continued to look at the man in the chamber for another few seconds, then for the first time since entering the room, he looked around. By suggestion of Dr. Riker the lights in the room had been kept dim. It was a safety precaution to prevent possible blinding of the man in suspended animation.
The chamber was in the center of the room on a small raised platform. The two sidewalls were smooth, except for a door in the middle of the wall to the left. The far wall had numerous control panels, key boards, TV screens, and computer screens. Three of the screens were functioning. Obviously relaying information about the man in the chamber, thought Ben.
The Galaef, Ben, and Dr. Riker were the first to enter the room, that is, with the exception of the crew member who made the discovery.
Due to his location, only fourteen floors from the bottom, it had been a short search.
The power supply center, on the other hand, taking up an entire floor near the center of the complex, had taken longer to find. Since then the technicians were able to make a complete power hook up. It involved another few days of patient waiting by Ben, but the day finally came. And now he was standing in a room where a myth had become reality.
Ben thought it was strange that Thorne and Myra hadn't come along. Thorne may have been against the project from the beginning, but in the end this discovery would surely go down as one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. And who wouldn't be curious to look upon a legend, to look upon a myth come true. The curiosity alone would be enough to make anyone who had the clearance to come charging in to look at the man who had been living for six hundred years in suspended animation.
Ben continued to scrutinize the control panel, and then something caught his eye. He walked toward the right side of the flashing panels, which were relaying information, and as he got closer he realized what it was. "Come look at this," he said.
The Galaef and Dr. Riker came around the chamber and looked over Ben's shoulder. "What is it?" asked the Galaef.
Ben pointed at a digital display. "Look," he said, "a year counter."
The Galaef and Dr. Riker, looked at the readout with puzzled looks. The Galaef stood shaking his head. He finally asked, "What does it say?"
"Yeah," asked Dr. Riker repeating the question, "What does it say?"
Ben looked at Dr. Riker who was still looking at the counter. "You're not going to agree with this," he said. "It reads six hundred fifty-three years, six months, ten days."
Dr. Riker's face turned red. "You're right," he blurted out. "I don't agree. And I don't agree because it's not possible. The cells of the human body begin to disintegrate after 40 years causing the major organs, including the brain to stop functioning. And this leads to death."
"But maybe they had perfected a technique that we know nothing about," replied Ben. Dr. Riker was beginning to irritate him. He had seen these scientific types before who, when they had their minds made up, wouldn't believe it even when overwhelming evidence was clearly in front of them.
"The chamber doesn't appear to be any different from the ones we've made in the past." He paused, and then said, "With the possible exception of the liquid. It appears to have a slight yellow cast to it." The doctor wiped his hand across his forehead. It was a trifle warm in the small, dark room, and perspiration was forming on his brow. But maybe it wasn't just the heat that was making him sweat. He continued to stare at the man, and then he said, "It's as if someone knew we were coming, and they put this man here for us to find."
“You mean this might be a hoax?" Ben asked, dubiously.
"No," said Dr. Riker, "not a hoax, but a carefully conceived plan. There is, after all, a revolution afoot, and maybe they've known about this complex all along."
"Nonsense." stated the Galaef in a low voice. "There are only two ways into this complex, and they've been guarded from the moment they were constructed." A flush of anger left his face. "You better think of something more reasonable," he said in a quieter tone.
The three of them stood staring for a moment at the indicator. They were each lost in a different reality, thoughts in space and imagination turning slowly searching for answers.
Finally, Dr. Riker turned and walked back to the chamber. "There is another possibility," he said. "It may be that there is more truth to the myth than we realize. There is something about this man," he continued as he looked into the chamber. "I'm not much for intuitiveness, but every time I gaze at this man I want to shudder."
The Galaef walked over to the chamber. "You're making too much out of this." He looked into the chamber. "This man is certainly not . . ." The Galaef stopped talking and looked as if he were forcing himself not to shudder. “He is certainly not a God,” he finally managed to say.
Ben joined the other two men by the chamber. "There's one way to find out."
The Galaef exploded out of his stupor. “"That's right." He looked at Dr. Riker. "How long will it take to bring him back to consciousness?" he asked with an authoritative tone.
The doctor thought a moment. "If we treat this man as if he has been under for over six hundred years, then it will probably take in excess of two months." The doctor drifted off as if he were talking to himself. "We will have to slowly increase the magnitude and frequency of voltage potentials. As this is done we will substitute air for the suspending liquid, and at the same time increase his heart beat. This will create a demand for ATP. A low concentration of glucose will then be injected into his circulatory system. If the concentration is too high the shock could halt all life functions," he paused for a moment. "The entire operation will be controlled by computers, of course."
"Of course," repeated the Galaef. He looked down at the man in the chamber. "I'm putting you in charge, Dr. Riker. You will have full authorization to acquire all the manpower and equipment you will need. Professor Hillar will act as your assistant and advisor as you bring this man back to consciousness.” There seemed to be a hint of excitement in his voice. “And th
en we can ask him the appropriate questions.” He looked at Dr. Riker. “Begin the operation right away, and keep me informed."
Ben glanced down at the man in the chamber. “You know,” he started, before the Galaef could leave the room, “the myth states that the Aeolian Master destroyed the inhabitants of Earth by the billions.” Ben raised his head and looked at the Galaef, “You don’t suppose we’re bringing a monster back to life?”
“Ridiculous,” replied the Galaef with a barely detectable nervousness in his voice. He turned and walked out of the room.
Chapter Seventeen