“You tell me, you’re the one there. Think about it.”
“It’s so bright, that’s it. It’s really bright in here,” commented Tim.
“Bright, what do you mean by bright?”
“Everything, everything is so much brighter. It sure is pretty like this. The colors are what are so bright, that’s it! Man, look at the blue of the sky, it’s much darker blue in here. No, that’s not the word. Deeper, a deeper blue. How come? Is it because we’re inside or something?”
“No, it’s because of the air,” answered Mr. V. “There is about fifteen to twenty percent more oxygen in the air than you are used to.”
“That explains why I’m a little light headed,” said Tim.
“No, that is from the excitement. The air you are breathing is the same mix as you are accustomed to. The air these fellows lived in would be dangerous for you. The mixture of gases is all wrong, and there are organisms your body has no defense against. At this stage in the Earth’s development the planet is home to many more plants and more efficient oxygen producing ones than the present, and the atmosphere is saturated with oxygen. That’s what makes the colors so vivid. Oxygen is a fairly heavy gas, so the atmosphere is much thicker, allowing the dragonfly to be larger, and still fly. In Earth’s present atmosphere, that fellow there would never have gotten off the ground. Also, insects have a rudimentary breathing apparatus and can only get so big in your world. Incidentally, some of his later relatives were even bigger.”
“Wow, no shit! Man, what a crazy world.”
A tremendous roar filled the air, and Tim spun around looking for the source. In the distance, almost a quarter of a mile away at the other end of the body of water, a gigantic shape was moving along the shore. The creature was huge, even at this distance.
“What is that?” Tim asked excited.
“Everyone’s favorite dinosaur, the King, Tyrannosaurus Rex. Big bugger huh? He lived a lot later than the dragonfly did and was quite remarkable.”
“Oh man, I don’t believe it! Look at that mother!” Tim exclaimed in total awe. This is something else!” Tim watched as the giant creature wandered along the opposite shore.
“There are somethings about this fellow and his family that would truly amaze you.”
“Really!” Tim exclaimed. “Like what?”
“First of all: Mr. Rex there was quite intelligent, second, he was warm blooded, third, he possessed a rudimentary language, and he had feathers.”
“Oh come on!”
“Oh yes, it’s true. The last dinosaurs, before they became extinct, had advanced much more than is thought today. There was a family of smaller carnivores, the raptors, that were extremely intelligent. It’s difficult for your scientists to really know much about them because there is not much left of them, just petrified bone. Mr. Rex and his family could communicate amongst themselves much as a modern day Ape family would.”
“What happened to them? Why did they all die?”
“The Earth caught fire.”
“What? Oh come on! You don’t expect me to believe that?”
“Why do you insist on doubting me? When I answer one of your questions, I answer with the truth. There would be nothing to gain with false information, would there?”
“I guess not, but it sounds so ridiculous. How could a planet catch fire?”
“It would do no good to go into the details right now, but there was a point that the concentration of oxygen became so high; anything and everything could burn, and did. It took millions and millions of years to reach that point, but the drastic results were complete in a matter of months. Incidentally, the dinosaurs continued on.”
“Really?”
“Yes, their legacy is modern birds.”
Tim didn’t say anything for a moment. I know Mr. V is telling the truth, but I’ll get the details later.
“How did you do all this? I mean, I know this is just a show, but it’s a good one,” said Tim.
“You’re right about the show aspect of the thing. Touch the dragonfly,” said the computer.
“As long as you don’t start it up again, okay?” Tim said, as he stuck his hand up toward the insect. His hand was to the bug, but he couldn’t feel anything. He extended his hand farther and his hand disappeared into the torso of the creature.
“What the hell!” he shouted, as he pulled his hand back. “It’s not real!”
“The real dragonfly would have looked at you as a meal. This whole experience is a full dimension hologram.”
“Oh! It’s not the real thing then?” But, I guess that’s not possible, huh? It probably explains why I was ‘standing’ on the water before, huh?”
“I was wondering when you would ask about that,” Mr. V said.
Tim started to drift back out over the water, slowly sinking into it as he moved. As the water rose up on his body Tim couldn’t feel the wetness of it. He continued down until he was completely under the liquid. The fact he could still breathe air, meant it was truly a fancy slide show. Many different fish were swimming in the hologram, some the same as the dead one on the beach, others different. There were also many strange plants below the surface.
“The climate is much warmer in this period,” Mr. V’s voice emanated from the water surrounding Tim, “and the polar ice caps have disappeared so there is much more free water. Water-born plants produce more oxygen than landlubbers compounding the high oxygen concentration. How do you like the experience?”
“Terrific! Man this is just like magic because it’s so real! How can you make all the smells and sounds? It is just amazing! Oh, I wish Ann could see all this.”
“All the necessary information is stored in my memory banks and I simply reproduce all the information. It is technology you wouldn’t understand right now, satisfied?”
“Oh, yeah! Too bad it isn’t real though.”
“For what purpose?” Mr. V asked cynically.
“I don’t know? Just so I could say I saw a real dinosaur, I guess?”
“Real would be ‘real’ dangerous. Getting killed and eaten would be real. Is that what you wish?” the computer asked.
“It wouldn’t have to be ‘that’ real.”
“It would if you were going to test yourself.”
“You think I just want to see how brave I am, huh?” Tim responded quickly.
“I think you wonder. The dragonfly scared you.”
“Oh yeah, at first, but I wasn’t really ‘that’ worried!” Tim exclaimed defensively.
“Because you knew I was there, correct?” said the computer.
“I don’t know, I guess. . .but real would be dangerous, I admit.”
“Then the word you are looking for is not ‘real’, it is ‘safe’.”
Tim made no comment, just watched the fish swim about.
I’ve just seen a six foot dragonfly and a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and I’m under water talking to a computer that runs a seven million year old alien base. Crazy shit for sure.
The surrounding water began to shimmer and disappear leaving Tim standing in the chamber where he had been before.
*
In the next two days, Tim made preparations to bring Arty back to Mr. V, and explored parts of the base. The size of the underground structure was awesome. The forest Mr. V had told him about was the most spectacular.
Mr. V had directed him down a tunnel that curved slightly and came to a small room. As he stood in the chamber, the far wall began to open in the same fashion all portals worked in the base. The entry simply started as a small point in the middle and then dissolved outward until there was enough room to go through. After he was through, the reverse action resealed the wall.
In front of him was the forest. Tim stood on a rock ledge looking out over it. The floor of the forest was twenty feet below where he was standing. For the first hundred feet or so, the trees were small and sparse, with abundant grass covering the ground. The trees became larger as they grew farther out from the edge of the chamber
. Far in the distance Tim could see some were massive. He tried to look to the other side of the vast underground chamber, but it was so big the far side was lost in the distance. Both sides of the underground cavern moved away from him in a gentle curve to the left and right and got lost in the vastness. The rock wall behind him went up straight a hundred or so feet and then began to curve gently out toward the middle, gradually disappearing in what was the sky. Tim knew it had to be artificial, but it looked every bit the same as the sky he was used to.
From his vantage point on the ledge, he could see many different kinds of trees. Mr. V had told him this was the subtropical zone, and all temperature regions of the Earth, except the Arctic Tundra, were represented in this one chamber. The different zones had different climates, all controlled in this one chamber. Total size of the forest was three million plus acres, and the maximum height of the chamber was seventy-seven hundred and ninety feet.
Mr. V explained the construction of the chamber had been quite simple. He could vaporize the rocks and any other material, and then use all the elements to make anything he needed. There was plenty of water down here so that was no problem. Regulating temperature and humidity for the various plants was the most difficult, but just took constant vigilance. Sunlight was artificial and better for the plants than the real thing because plants need only certain spectrums of light. The complete spectrum could be damaging. The plants enjoyed a day, night, and seasonal cycle, all manufactured. Mr. V could also control any diseases. The artificial chamber was a much better environment for the fauna than their natural habitats.
Tim stood and gazed at the splendor for many minutes before looking for a way down to the floor. He found it easily. On the ground he found he was as relaxed as he had been since the whole ordeal had started. He shuffled his feet in the dead vegetation as he headed deeper into the forest.
A short way under the larger trees he stopped and listened to a new sound, running water. He followed the sound and a bit farther on he came to a small stream. Following the water he soon came to a fairly large pond surrounded by large thick trees with heavy vegetation. He wasn’t familiar with the trees, but they had large leaves. The undergrowth was dense also. The artificial day must have been at its zenith because out in the open it was hot and sticky, but under the large trees he found cool shade.
He sat down on some rocks where the water bubbled around them as it entered the pond and laid back.
Tim spent no more than half an hour at the pond the first time, but he returned often. When Tim was away from the forest he was constantly busy, either working on the rescue of his brother or going through the vast amounts of information available. When he came to the forest he just came to enjoy the beauty. He could have still been in contact with the computer, but it would have spoiled the peace and serenity he found there. He wanted to explore more of the forest, but each time he came to the pond it was as far as he got. He decided when he got back with Arty; he would then do the exploring.
He sat for quite a while on one of his visits and mentally constructed a tree house high in the branches of a stately tree sitting back from the pond. If he had a chance he decided he would build the house.
If only Ann could help me,
He thought about her often now that he was safe with Mr. V. After the quake, on the outside, he had been scrambling constantly and had little time to reflect on the old times. Now, being alone by the pond his memories were with him a lot.
*
The rescue of Arty was taking shape and it didn’t look all that difficult, but Mr. V was constantly warning him of unforeseeable things, and the need to be careful and concentrate on his task ahead. There were things that could not be predicted, but Mr. V felt he could protect Tim adequately.
*
Some of the information Mr. V possessed was startling. Many of the facts or perceptions of Earth’s history were correct, or close, but many more had been recorded or interrupted wrong. It was fascinating to have the real truth at his hands. Some of our alleged heroes were really bums and some of the great things had been accomplished by unknowns.
The most interesting information to Tim was the evolution of man, the beginnings, the struggles, and the triumphs. The human animal had a humble start. In the beginning it was just part of the food chain and it definitively was not at the top. Man’s advantage was its bigger primate brain, but about ten million years ago, true man began down a different path than its close relatives the Apes and Monkeys. Out on the open savannas of Africa; man was an ape that stood more upright than his cousins. It was easier to cool its body that way, and it could see better, and it could travel longer distances. Because the front limbs were free it developed complex hands. It could grasp objects because it had developed an opposing thumb. Finding more and more uses for the unique front appendages its brain began to evolve with astonishing speed. With the bigger brain the advantages were staggering and the rest of the life on Earth was left far behind.
The first real men had the knowledge to make the tools to conquer the world right from the beginning and there was nothing that had a chance of halting their march. Neither plant, or animal, nor the planet itself was safe from what they would become. Even the human animal himself recognized the danger of its own actions and still it plowed on unerringly.
*
Not all the information was positive though. Most disturbing to Tim was when Mr. V informed him the Earth was headed for a surface restructuring and the environment would forever change. The outcome had no certainties. All the connections between the Earth’s plates had begun to flex and major movement was not far behind. The earthquake on the fault under Tim’s home had been the beginning, but other faults were starting to surrender to the strain. Mr. V assured Tim the base would survive. It was the outside world Tim was concerned about. Worse would be the climatic changes. The Earth’s atmosphere would be saturated with dust and smoke, and the Sun would be unable to warm its surface adequately. It was going to get cold, very cold.
*
Tim was in the sleeping area because he needed to rest. Tomorrow he would try to get Arty. He was trying to go to sleep, but so many things were going through his head it was difficult. He was considering asking Mr. V to help him have another dream. The first one about Arty’s crash had been disturbing, but exciting at the same time. At the last moment, he changed his mind. It was something he didn’t understand so to really appreciate what was happening he would have to wait until he knew more.
His thoughts went to Arty and suddenly he had a strange desire to contact Arty. It was a crazy idea, but somehow he had a feeling it might be possible.
He was thinking about contacting Arty when Ann popped into his head. Not just a thought though. For a second it was more than that. It was so strong he was sure he had actually been in contact with her. Was it possible? He dared not think about it too long. He missed her because she was a connection to the past.
He felt like he had a strange power developing in him. A crazy insane thought crossed his mind.
“Nah, it couldn’t be?” he said to himself.
It might make some sense though. I was shot up really bad and now I’m good as new.
“Brand new!” he exclaimed out loud.
Tim jumped up and ran to the eating area. He had remembered some sharp utensils there. He took one of the sharp instruments and held it up to his forearm, then his courage waned. It wasn’t the pain or the blood that bothered him the most. What if his suspicions were correct?
What if I cut my arm and get sparks instead of blood?
He put the sharp knife down.
“First you wonder if you’re sane and now you’re wondering if you’re real?” he mumbled, trying to comfort himself.
Tim grabbed the knife again and quickly stuck it into his arm before he had a chance to change his mind. “Jesus!” he yelped with pain. “You moron, a simple prick would have done it,” he added.
“After all the work to fix you up, you go making more hol
es,” said Mr. V. The voice startled Tim. He was still not used to the fact the computer was always there even though he saw no one.
“Oh, funny! You’ve got me so confused I just cut myself to prove to myself I’m still me.”
“This has nothing to do with funny I can assure you. It is serious business when you go slicing yourself up out of curiosity,” said the computer.
“I need to know, am I real?”
“I assure you, you are you. You are just as much Tim now as when you were living in your old home.”
“Why do I feel so different then?”
“Your environment is different that’s all. There have been tremendous changes in your life in the last few days. It will take some time to get use to many of the new things around you.”
Chapter 8
Rescue
It had been an exhausting few days for Tim. So much had been explained, but how to absorb it all was the problem. It had been ten days since the initial earthquake, but now with the escalating events it was going to get even more bizarre. Mr. V was predicting more severe quakes, but he could not give the exact location or time. Two heavy jolts had struck the base early that morning and a monstrous vent was forming at the fault line five miles to the North. The vent was caused by lava pushing toward the surface. In one or two days, millions of tons of molten rock would push through and spread out through the lower parts of the valley.
*
He must get on with the rescue of Arty, in haste, if he was to succeed at all. It would be a difficult trip, but Mr. V had assembled a few pieces of equipment to make the mission possible. There was a life support system for Arty; there was a fuel generator for the van, and an interesting device for protection. In each palm a small flat disk was attached to hair thin wires running out to the end of the first finger. The weapon was fired by straightening the finger and then touching the thumb to the top of the middle knuckle of the second finger. The weapon fired an energy beam that could immobilize, or kill, the largest animal. The beam was adjustable by keeping the fingers bent and pressing the middle of the disk. The entire device was almost transparent and undetectable. Tim would also be surrounded by an energy field; along with the one piece suit he had been given earlier. They would protect him from projectiles and two thousand degree heat. Also among the equipment was food and water for a month.