| EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK BEYOND STARLIGHT BEYOND STARLIGHT James Abbey |
In the dark outer reaches of an insignificant star, three objects parted ways. One spinning cold, end over end not caring to choose its path
through the night and radiating little energy in its journey. The object would give off a small burst of electromagnetic energy every 892.4 of
its revolutions. The energy burst was insignificant and was lost in the noise of the void. The second object immersed in a fury of raw
impatient energy, spinning in its death to the whims of the cosmos, it had no mind as to its destination or its soon to be reached, critical
state. The third object moved in a fashion that slipped by the simple laws of reason and unlike its counterparts it had intention and
direction for it was headed on a long journey that would take it beyond starlight.
Kata stared at the young man, skin ablaze with red sunlight as his silvery skin captured the image of the star’s light. Jonathan's left hand
was still clasped around a nearby light tube. She thought of the image of him reaching up with his hands to clutch the light tube during the
passion of their love making. With the light from the sun, the tubes displayed a red tint displacing the night’s gold color. Kata reached out
and touched a tube, her hand moving along its smooth surface, gave a slight tingling sensation. There was something unique about the
tubes, each had a unique feel almost a signature to it even though their appearance seemed indistinguishable. All of the light tubes
exhibited the same diameter and height.
"I know there is something different." Kata thought,
leaning to look closer at the spiraling filaments inside the tubes which gave no real clues to her feelings.
"Good morning Jonathan."
Kata had detected the breathing shifting in Jonathan who was lying behind her.
"Good morning Kata, I see you are examining the light tubes."
"What is your understanding of them Jonathan?"
"If you’re asking their purpose, I haven’t a clue. For a while I thought of them as some sort of functioning machine, reproduced across this
valley to collect power from the sun’s rays for some yet unseen device, but now .. . . . "
"Now you feel that's not the case." Kata completed his thoughts.
Jonathan sat up before responding.
"No, there is that element of energy collection but these tubes serve a larger purpose . . . something . . . I don't really under-stand."
Kata watched Jonathan struggle with his thoughts.
"Jonathan, last night in my dreams I could see some of our friends from the Sunchaser. I had the feeling it was more than a dreamscape
somehow did you see or dream of friends from the ship?"
"No, What did you dream about Kata?"
"In the dream I felt that a number of the crew had some-how found their way home. I saw the Captain and Chan, and a few others, and they
seemed lonely and isolated somehow. It made me think of our journey and reminded me of home and our people and how much I miss
them."
Jonathan could hear the sadness in Kata's voice which was reflected in her face. Their eyes met, Jonathan reached out for her and time
passed with each holding on to the other and the wind singing its light song.
“Jonathan, do you think it possible that after what happened that some others may have survived?"
Jonathan thought it over before answering.
"We can hope they did, knowing Chan and the Captain, if there was a slight chance of surviving they would figure a way.”
Again there was a silence between them with only the wind noise present. Finally Jonathan spoke up.
“I suggest we put these energized bodies of ours to the task of finding out."
Kata broke from their embrace and stood holding him at arms length, watching his face, sensing his seriousness.
"How do we go about that?"
"We start by heading further down this roadway or what-ever it is."
They both turned in silence and stepped onto the smooth road and started walking still holding each other.
Jonathan had not told Kata of his thoughts and what "dreams" he had under the influence of the light tubes. …………
…….. As Kata looked on Jonathan stopped the incoherent speech as he slumped into a restful sleep. Kata looked down at the man whom
she loved, knowing she could comfort him but little else.
From her own experience with the device Kata sensed its considerable potential. She knew that with some experimenting the machine
could send and receive messages across the vast distance that bridged them from home and friends. Looking back down at Jonathan
now deep in sleep, she spoke to him.
“Jonathan, we still have no idea if the Saganist back home got our message. I need to know Jon, did they get the warning or do we need to
try again."
Kata moved to get up, placing Jonathan's head unto the ground she turned to look at the green monolith several hundred meters away
slanting off into the horizon. The odd structure's tilt looked impossible without support. The sky overhead again presented a twilight picture
of a rich star field.
Kata turned again to the communication device setting still at the moment, it's skin reflecting the light from the stars. Kata took a deep
breath and walked toward the device. The device gave off a low humming noise, indicating it was still functioning and ready. Raising a foot
to the lowest tube she reached for a second higher one to leverage her self up and into the machine. The machine's surface felt slightly
warmer in certain area's of the tubes. Kata felt a slight vibration as her feet rested on the tubes.
The changed placement of the hundreds of tubes necessitated some searching for the right spot, as the placement of the third operating
position had moved from where Kata felt it should be. The position ended up near the top of the machine. Having thought it through Kata
had decided to attempt contact with the crew of Sunchaser.
Glancing once more at Jonathan sleeping nearby Kata thought again of their odyssey together, several lifetimes’ spent just observing while
lost in the Cosmos. To Kata it seemed they were mere drift wood floating along on a river filled with wonders, not able to navigate or chose
their path, only to observe.
The machine's vibration changed, its tempo raising.
Kata bent lower hands wrapping around the small light tube positioned in front of her. As her forehead touched the tube a white light
appeared in her minds vision. Focusing on the visions she had of the crew members she worked at strengthening the image. Adding
contrast to the misty images and working on the individuals faces always fine tuning the images to bring them into clarity.
Kata’s senses were registering increased noises, temperatures and vibration from the machine. Her mind was imaging views of the crew
members. The focus fading in and out then stabilizing to show a dozen of the crew standing around dark gray rocks. The figures seemed
animated as if in serious debate. Again the view faded out leaving the gray misty background. Kata continued to concentrate in an attempt
to bring back the image of the crew but was aware of a strong throbbing pain starting at the base of her neck and spreading upward. The
pain intensified to point she could not hold her concentration. Knowing she would not be able to hold on to consciousness long, she forced
her self to refocus on the sight of the crew.
“Kata, no! .....don't...."
The machine movement intensified as the tubes picked up speed, connecting and reconnecting actions starting to blur. The tubes now
alive, always finding new right angle alignments then moving again, as if the machine were trying to reinvent itself. Jonathan looked on
yelling but the words now seemed lost in the high-pitched noise of the terminal as it started to shimmer and fad in the midday sunlight, the
machine beginning to exit, went into oscillation between the sandy plain and elsewhere.
Jonathan's hands came up in an attempt to attract Kata, but as he pulled himself up he knew the effort was too late as the cycling of the
machine brought itself and Kata back to rest on the dry ground less and less. In a few heartbeats the machine and Kata were gone,
leaving only a flash, an after image of Kata setting partially inside the machine a determined look on her face. A strong pop occurred along
with a flash as electrons rushed into the now empty space where moments before the machine and Kata existed.
Jonathan found himself standing hands out stretched frozen from moments before when he was still trying to snatch Kata's attention away
from the terminal.
Jonathan felt the collapse, his body drifting toward the ground and while he struggled with the movement he was unable to alter the action
just as he was unable to change the final outcome of Kata's fatal actions. Jonathan knew what that third position on the machine was and
what the result of its use would be. As he hit the dry floor with his hands its dust scattered up. Tears dropped unto the brown plain. A few
seconds later Jonathan joined them in quiet unconsciousness his last words, streaming out in an alien language had one recognizable
word "Kata.”……………
Jonathan stopped on another grid, leaned down and looked in. This one had finite glowing specks, looking like small glowing pin points of
light. Only a few dozen could be seen. They were randomly scattered about in the darkened cube and looked as if someone had taken a
handful of glowing particles and thrown then into a dark space then frozen them in place. The colors ranged from deep red to bright white
blue.
Jonathan was falling, sinking into the cube. The fall was slow as if he was flowing into a thick liquid.
The points of light were closer now, looking like small micro stars, their sizes varying and colors more distinct.
As he drifted past the first few he could see they were indeed some sort of miniature suns/stars. For a second he had the urge to touch
one of the stars, but was distracted by the whispering in his mind. The whispers returned slowly building up from a barely perceptible level
to something he could just hear and under-stand.
The voices had similar qualities of that of his uncle, and yet he knew the intelligence behind the voice was not Max. One thing was quite
clear, the whisper contained warnings about proceeding. As he focused on the whisper, a part of his memory opened, unfolding like a
page in a book, releasing images/ feelings of his experience on the dark world and the friendship that was given to him by the strange
entity called the Historian. Swelling of emotions swept over him as the thoughts went from the kindness the being showed him, to concern
over the memories.
Jonathan twisted, attempting to turn or slow his progress, but the liquid glass or whatever it was retained pressure all around his body and
he was drawn deeper into the cube. In his mind he started to panic, passing more of the miniature stars, he could see their size was no
more then a pinpoint. His mind was screaming in panic. Again he called out for Kata, his uncle and now the Historian. It was the Historian
that had guided him, gently assisting, and now was urgently warning not to enter the cube.
Calmness entered Jonathan’s consciousness replacing the panic for the moment. As he continued to fall he tried to get his thought’s
focused in order to communicate to the Historian. The miniature stars were passing near by some so close he could touch them. Again
the whispered warnings from the Historian seeped into his consciousness.
“Do not proceed further into the cube. It brings dire consequences, friend Jonathan.”
Jonathan tried again struggling in vain to slow his forward momentum. Nothing he did seemed to change the direction of the descent. He
looked on as a cluster of miniature stars approached off to his left. Panicking he reached out to grab a yellow star nearby hoping that
something, anything would stop his forward plunge. Moments before he touched the star, the Historian called in a voice filled with urgency,
a warning not to touch the stars. Too late, Jonathan responded, feeling that something terribly wrong was about happen. The Historian’s
voice grew fainter just heartbeats before fingers made the contact. It was difficult to hear the words but to Jonathan it sounded like.
“We will not forget you . . . ” the rest was cut off in mid sentence and never returned.
Contact with the miniature star gave Jonathan a sharp jolt just as blackness set in, and he ceased to exist in the universe.
| N = N* fp ne fl fi fc fL |