The Beyond

by Thomas R. Willits

Table of Contents
Part 2 appears
in this issue.

part 3 of 6

“Yes. But I generally don’t follow rules very well.”

Ethan laughed at this and handed the picture back. It was apparent Ric didn’t follow a lot of rules. The no-fly rule was there as a safety precaution. However, there was no one there to enforce it.

“I think you’ll find this interesting too,” Ric handed him a disc. “It is the data from my ship. I think you will find it useful.”

Ric closed the briefcase and stood up.

“Are you going?” Ethan asked. He wanted to know more.

“Yes. I must be going. I have other business to attend to. You haven’t given me an answer yet, so I will leave you my card.”

He placed the card on the side table and started for the door.

“I am interested. I’m not sure how I feel about not having a flight plan. It is tempting, though.”

Ric handed him back the photo. “Keep this. I have another one, so I won’t miss it. Give me a call tomorrow and we will meet. Of course you can discuss this with no one. This conversation never took place. If you do reveal me or my company then the deal is off. Understood?”

Ethan considered his words and nodded. “Yes, I understand. What if I decide not to go through with this?”

“Nothing. Depending on if Droverson succeeds. We would very much like you to breach the barrier in our ship. It would give our company a unique position. When I was out there something captured my curiosity. This is almost personal for me.”

“Almost?” Ethan asked.

“Well, I suppose it could be a profitable mission as well as an inspiring one, right?”

Ethan smiled and realized Ric might not uphold the same morals, considering who he worked for but at least he was honest. Now more than ever honesty counted.

“It will be a race, you know. They won’t allow us to enter the barrier. I know Droverson. He wants this mission.”

“Then we must be ready.” Ric stepped forward and extended his hand. “At last I must leave. I will see you tomorrow and we will talk further.”

Ethan shook his hand and watched as Ric left his apartment. It was late now. The evening with Norian and his wife were now distant memories. If he was going to pursue this offer he was going to need all the sleep he could get. In just over four days Droverson would be leading his team to the barrier. He desperately wanted to study the data Ric had left for him but he was hardly able to stay awake.

Ethan neared sleep, staring at the photo, drifting and wondering about the possibilities. He drifted towards the barrier. It was closer than it had ever been. For the first time since the conference he began to feel alive. Eventually, through the excitement of thoughts of this new adventure, sleep took him.

The next few days were as unrelenting as Ethan had expected. After what Ric had revealed, there were no assurances. The plan Ethan contracted for Pegason was flawless. It was a little unsettling to discover he might have been wrong.

The days were exhausting as they worked on Ric’s ship called the Hermes, kept behind one of the main buildings of Lennport Shuttles. As the Hermes was not fitted for the barrier, it required engine adjustments and increased shield output if it were to survive the conditions once inside.

While Ethan worked he began to think about what events might happen if he were to breach the barrier first and return. Even if he succeeded it might not matter: Droverson would see him held accountable for interfering in government operations.

“They will have my hide,” Ethan mentioned to Ric as they were aboard the Hermes.

They had been working inside the engine room. The enormous magnetic core was behind them. The core, ten feet in diameter, was a complex machine of circuitry and coils producing the magnetic energy the ship needed for movement.

The energy for movement was harnessed through two long shafts that ran vertically and horizontally. The vertical shaft disappeared beneath the core and rose above the room’s ceiling. The horizontal shaft ran the length of the ship to the bow and stern. The energy was harnessed through these shafts and led to the exterior of the ship. It provided movement in all four directions.

At this time Ethan and Ric were making last-minute modifications to the magnetic core. The modifications would provide an increase of thirty percent efficiency and power output. Surely a match for the Aeon, the ship Droverson would likely command. Ethan looked at Ric and thought a bit more about his remark.

“Well, that is, if I make it back. But they’ll likely imprison me for interfering with a government mission.”

Ric put down his instrument. He was securing the final bypass capacitor. “I’m working on that. You should know at this point I don’t have a solution to that little problem. If Droverson discovers us, he may act.”

“I’ve thought about that, too.” Ethan put his own instrument down. “I’ve known Droverson for ten years. Most of the time he’s been fair. But he’s never nice to anyone. For a brief moment I thought he was capable of a little kindness, but I was fool for listening. That day in the conference room he was like another person. He wasn’t himself.”

“He is obsessed now,” Ric said. “If somehow he discovers us he may defend his mission.”

“I don’t believe he would harm us,” Ethan broke in. “I mean, sure, he wants this. But I don’t think he would kill for it.”

“I hope you’re right.” Ric picked up his instrument as he spoke. “You know we will be undermanned. We will likely be the only two going. I could get no one to sign up for such a mission. I’m not sure if even I want to go.”

“I’ll go alone if I must,” Ethan said truthfully. Then he considered what Ric was saying. “You mean there might not be much we can do about Droverson if he were to discover us.”

‘Right.”

“This is the final adjustment.” Ethan fitted the bypass into place and secured the maintenance cover. “Is yours finished?”

“Putting it in place now.” When he finished, he shut the cover and stood up. “We will be ready. I estimate two, maybe three more days of refitting.”

“The Aeon leaves in four days.” Ethan picked up his tool kit and rose to his feet. “It is going to be close.”

“Yes. We will be ready for launch when the Aeon leaves. I promise you that much. Now let’s eat lunch. I’m starving.”

Ethan couldn’t argue with that. His head was light and he was having trouble concentrating. Food was necessary.

The final day was spent cramming as much information as possible into the ship’s computer. As the day came to and end the work required for the Hermes was complete. It was nearing dark, and the Aeon was scheduled to leave in fourteen hours. Noon the next day.

“Care to have a drink?” Ric asked as they left the lab and heading to the transport vehicle.

Ethan chuckled as if he was serious. “I can’t afford a hangover.”

“I mean just one. To celebrate our completion and our journey.”

Ethan thought one drink might do him some good and ease his nerves.

“I’ll have one. I’m glad we were able to finish in time. We’ll actually be leaving on schedule.”

They drove the transport car to the restaurant a few blocks away. The restaurant was old and tucked away in the middle of the city. They entered through the front entrance and order their drink at the bar. There was a clang as their glasses met.

“To the Hermes,” Ric applauded. “May she bring us good luck.”

“And good fortune,” Ethan added and they drank the glass of bourbon together.

“What will you do after this mission?” Ethan spoke after finishing the drink.

“Depends on what happens tomorrow, I suppose.” Ric set his glass down and looked at it. “I have many means of work. Don’t worry about me.”

“You seem confident you can evade what may happen to us when we return. I think you must be overconfident.”

Ric considered this and nodded. “You may have something there. My overconfidence is my weakness, eh?”

“No,” Ethan said. “I just mean that... well I have to go. You do not. I can run the ship solo. I’ve done missions before alone.”

“Yeah, I bet you could. But I can’t let you take all the credit, now can I?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Ethan was amused with this and laughed. They were there another thirty minutes in conversation before leaving, only having the one drink as suggested.

Ric dropped him off at his apartment which was about ten minutes away. He climbed the steps to the front entrance and waived as Ric pulled away in his transport car. Once inside he rode the lift to his apartment on the tenth floor. Ethan decided is was best to get some sleep. He entered the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water.

The night he met Ric a few days ago had almost given him a heart attack. He surveyed the entire room. He was alone. He put the glass down and sat down on the couch, the photo of the Beyond lying next to the arm rest. He picked it up gazing at its mystery. So much could happen tomorrow. So much was unknown. Thoughts of what might happen were racing through his mind.

He lay there thinking of tomorrow and what he had to do. He slept deeply and did not wake until morning.

There was one. Two. Then another. Flashes. He adjusted position and then another. Flash. Flash. They were all around him. He was moving through the barrier almost at maximum speed. One exploded from astern, then one in front. Death was imminent. He saw Droverson’s ship just ahead, so far moving on untouched by what was happening around them. His ship was moving ahead, faster.

Ethan looked beyond the Aeon, his heart at a much faster pace than normal, and searched for an end to all of this. There were flashes all around. They gave no break in their delivery. Over the intercom he could hear Droverson’s laugh, beckoning him on further and further. Soon the flashes were constant and all Ethan could see was bright immense light. There was no way out.

He began to feel this mission was hopeless and started to turn the ship around. Ethan slowed the ship and prepared to change course back to Mirano. Back to Mirano where it was safe. Amidst the constant bombardment of light a single flare erupted from above. It moved in an erratic zigzag line and finally struck the Hermes dead center. The Hermes exploded into a billion tiny fragments.

It was bleeping and it wasn’t stopping. Ethan’s eyes fluttered open not knowing whether alive or dead. He could hear it. The bleeping was his communicator. A message was coming in. The call startled him from sleep. Ethan slowing got up from the couch realizing it was all a dream, almost welcoming the call that tore him from his nightmare. It had been so real.

He crossed the living room to the communicator on the wall and grabbed the handle from its hold and pushed the button. The communicator gave one last bleep before it gave in the put the call through. Ethan walked to the window and looked outside. Morning. He looked at the time on the display next to the communicator, reading seven hours into the day. He wanted to be up by six. His alarm had been set but it either had not sounded or Ethan hadn’t heard it.

The voice coming through was familiar. “Ethan. Finally I got through.” It was Norian and he sounded distraught. “I’ve been calling for over an hour! Listen. You have to listen to me.”

Ethan switched hands and moved the communicator to his right ear. “Norian. What’s wrong? What...”

Ethan was confused. Why was Norian calling him this early? And why hadn’t his alarm wakened him? He had the feeling of sleeping through something important. Norian’s voice came back through the communicator franticly.

“Ethan,“ Norian said quickly. “Ethan listen to me. You have to listen to me. Someone, I don’t know who. But someone entered Pegason sometime in the night. He slipped right through security. Right through. He sabotaged the Aeon. Or tried to I don’t know yet. They’re not telling me much.”

Ethan was listening from a great distance at this point. He knew who it was. Ric. That foolish man. He had said he was working on a solution. This must have been it. To delay the Aeon long enough so he could succeed.

“Wait!” Ethan yelled. “Slow down. Tell me everything.”

“I was called an hour ago,” Norian exclaimed. “They caught this intruder. He triggered a silent alarm aboard the Aeon. He did something to it I don’t know. I believe they killed him. He tried to flee but security was all over. They killed him right there.”

Ethan began to sweat. He rubbed his forehead, confused at the night’s events. His heart rushed and he leaned against the wall next to the window.

To be continued...