shaman glanced at his fellow tribe's men standing at the bar. Their hands immediately dropped and rested on their large hunting knife hilts.
"Oops, I didn't see that one coming," moaned Jack. The lawmen drew their weapons hidden within their overalls and placed them in their laps. "Try not to think about what I told you regarding the Bandits and the Colorado fiasco." Bruce swallowed hard. All the bar patrons were strapped with eighteen-inch, steel bladed knives which were legal. "For now, I would be most satisfied with just a Mexican standoff. I think the only thing keeping us alive is the fact we have the shaman pinned down." More and more patrons began training their attention on the booth in the rear. "Folks, the floor is open for suggestions."
Bruce popped up, "Sorry boss, I don't think we're in control of the situation and I have no idea of how this is going to turn out. This may sound like really bad timing and stupid but since we're not going anywhere I'd love to ask these gentlemen about Pandora. I'm dying... er rather, very intrigued." Jack almost laughed at the absurdity and waved 'go ahead' with his empty hand. Siqiniq signaled a subtle 'hold' command to his comrades.
"What about it gentlemen?" asked Jack as he surveyed their precarious predicament. "What's the scoop on Pandora? And please keep it in layman's terms; I almost flunked Physics."
The trio glanced at each other and shrugged, Why not? Atwater began, "Two years ago I felt confident I had been the first person to discover the anomaly I deemed the Pandora image. First, please realize astronomers world-wide are a tight-knit family even though we are separated by great distances. We don't discuss classified or security related sensitive material but we are all of the same mind-set. These two other gentlemen are in different fields but overlap in strengthening and proving postulates. My assignment in Houston was to test the acuity and range of the Starfinder telescope orbiting the moon. Its capabilities are phenomenal. It can see to the edge of the Universe... and beyond. Scientists all over the world have been using it to discover earth-type planets and trying to devise a realistic route to get to them by using the hydra-magnetic Starsearcher vehicle under development. During these last two years there have been quite a number of startling discoveries and we are now confident one particular finding has led to the disappearances or even the deaths of some analysts." He checked with Robert and Gary; they indicated for him to continue. "Let's see how I can convey this simply? During my tests I incorporated deep quad scanning in addition to point focusing which the Star search programs utilize. Quad and depth scanning goes beyond the more densely populated core within our realm, our universe. Galaxies thin out as they get further away and become closer to the Edge. The Edge is real; it's like an invisible wall. Space is not an infinite vacuum. Distance-wise it may as well be. Mankind could not get to the Edge even if we were capable of traveling at the speed of light for ten thousand years." He paused to let the magnitude settle in. Continuing, "You've heard of the Big Bang Theory which science has fully accepted for the last two hundred years? I and others have determined there had been a bang of a sort but not as we had previously assumed. With Starfinder we were able to determine all matter is flowing in the same direction. A massive Big Bang Theory explosion would send it flying outward in every direction, similar to a holiday sky rocket, grenade or bomb. Starfinder was able to look 'back', through and opposite its directional flow. Beyond our core there is plus ten times more distance to the furthest Edge. With the telescope pointed 'forward' in the opposite direction, I ascertained there existed nine tenths less distance to the Edge than behind. The sides remained constant. Gary, would you please explain the bio molecular atomic separation aspect?"
"Certainly, thank you, Louis. Everyone has been educated to some degree concerning atom smashing and d.n.a... They've both been around a long time. We still separate atoms on occasion for a demonstration but have almost completely abandoned the research application. The reason why is: no matter how much we break down an atom, molecule, speck or a known particle there is always another 'entire world beneath'. It acts similar to two geometric lines converging on a curve, they come closer and closer yet they will never intersect. Now try to imagine this principle being applied in reverse order."
"Reverse?" muttered Bruce. "I can't even begin to comprehend it."
"Gary, may I continue?" requested Atwater. "Returning to my deep quad scanning." He held up a beer mug, "Imagine this as the Earth revolving around the sun within our Milky Way Galaxy and keep in mind there are millions of galaxies surrounding ours." He lowered his hand slightly. Now we have directional movement for the entire Universe. We have established a pseudo up, down and sides. I have taken thousands of scans all around our sides." He held his other hand next to the mug and then backed it away at arms-length. "I've knitted hundreds of scans together on let's just say the 'left side' of our galaxy. There are no true ups and downs, the base is arbitrary." He removed a folder from his docucase, extracted nine large photos and formed them into a square on the table. "Each photo is a knit of sixteen other interconnecting photos." He lined up the edges together and sat back. Jack and Bruce craned over the display. There appeared to be a distorted image as if you were looking inside out of a fishbowl. It was the face of a smiling little girl on the other side!
"Impossible!" blurted Bruce. "Your pics have been corrupted by a reflection!"
"Note her eyes," directed Louis. "They appear half open or closed. Correct?" Jack and Bruce nodded 'yes'. "Here's where time lapse sequencing applies. Over the last two years those eyelids have moved. It's just a fraction which only a computer could detect but I have proved it repeatedly. And I believe other scientists around the world have done so also. The girl is in the motion of a blink. The significance is her lids are opening therefore moving in the opposite direction of the universal flow. Down to up. Quantum physics and analytical mathematics have proven flowing matter in space can not reverse itself. It would be the same as two positive poles attracting. It would result in atomic chaos, therefore the movement and hypothesis must be valid. In support of this hypothesis we also would have straight lines working in unison. Another Physics impossibility."
"Wait just a damn minute, are you trying to tell us some little girl in outer space is watching our Universe as if she's playing with a toy?" wailed Jack.
"Yes, it's very similar to a child shaking up a snow globe and watching the flakes swirl and fall to the bottom," explained Atwater. Her flakes would appear as silvery white specks which are galaxies in our Universe.
"This is crazy... I think... I hope..." He stopped and thought a moment. "But, if this is true, do you have any idea how this will affect mankind!" The shaman remained stoic. "The first thing I can think of is that it will effectively destroy religion... the belief in God." Then he remembered Marc Atwater's note, 'I was misinformed'. "Oh, geez." Marc, who had a masters' degree in biology and religion obviously agreed with these men... so much so he couldn't live with the perceived truth.
"So let me recap this if I may," offered Bruce. "Pandora is the little girl watching us, we are the box and the Starfinder is the tool which opened the box. Therefore, in Pandora's realm our universe would be similar to another 'entire world beneath' to her."
"Bingo, partner." An upward crook formed at the corner of Siqiniq's mouth. Jack reflected on the horrifying premise which had been presented and proven as far as these scientists were concerned. "So, gentlemen how much time do we have until our snow globe universe gets shook up again and humanity is rearranged... annihilated?"
"Impossible to say," answered Atwater. "A thousand years... a hundred thousand or tomorrow. Pandora may have her hand on the bottom of the globe and beginning another shake as I speak."
Crenshaw had enough. He rose and placed his weapon on the table. He had made a flash, yet concrete decision, "Guys, this is not what I signed up for, nor what I want to be doing with my life should the End come. I'm going to report we did not find you and a reliable source informed us you three hopped a freighter in Seattle bound for unknown points west a month ago. Wi
ll you back me up on this, Bruce?"
"Absolutely, sir..." as he laid his weapon next to Jack's.
"I don't want to be the one who starts world chaos," continued Crenshaw. "A billion people will die... from heartbreak and suicide... just to begin with. Some will believe the data and some will hold onto their faith. But as time goes on with the onslaught of more and more proof even the atheists' spirits will be crushed and mankind will regress to a level of barbarism which it has never experienced because it has completely lost hope and purpose. No one, could exist knowing they are a mere child's cosmic toy."
He took a deep breath, "Now with your permission gentlemen," as he looked straight at the shaman, "I would really like to leave this place and not bother another soul for the rest of my life." The Bandits and Inuit tribesmen had formed a half circle surrounding their booth. Argun Siqiniq waved to let the duo pass through. Jack and Bruce raised their hands and slowly shuffled through the cordon. As he went he scrutinized the biker's eyes - they were angry: in contrast to the Inuit's tribe's men who expressed sadness... the pain and weight of carrying the knowledge for so