Fundamental Force Episode One by Albert Sartison Page A

how
many opportunities exist there. The military have no reliable
information on the exact plans, but what they have discovered
clearly points to the activities of certain very influential
economic groups who are collecting data to this end. And for
security reasons, we cannot allow anyone else, with unclear
intentions, to be in Gliese apart from the official expedition.
It’s too dangerous.”
    “Why us in
particular?”
    “You must be
joking, Steve,” said the professor in surprise. “Your role in the
first contact and in the second one too... You are now doomed to be
linked to all such projects for evermore. That is a cross you’ll
have to bear for the rest of your life.”
    The ship was
flying at an altitude of several thousand feet. Far below, a few
clouds floated by, throwing a shadow on the empty bluish ocean
extending from horizon to horizon.
    “Where are we
flying now?”
    “You are bound
for the Lunar Base, but first we have to cover our tracks a bit.
They may be on our tails.”
    Soon the ship
began its descent into a grey mist. The further it descended, the
darker it became outside the porthole. It was gloomy weather over
the place to which the ship was heading.
    Steve looked
out of the porthole. Nothing could be seen because of the dense
cloud. The ship passed through the cloud base and the clouds
outside disappeared. Before them, in the middle of the ocean, lay
an island. In its brightly illuminated center, military ships could
be seen parked here and there. But instead of landing next to them,
their ship flew around the base and carefully taxied into one of
the tall hangars. Through the portholes, they could see the
servicing personnel inside turning away from the hurricane of wind
from its engines.
    “Here we go our
different ways,” said Shelby, releasing the straps and getting out
of his seat. “You will fly to the base from here and I shall stay
here to work. Your spacecraft is already waiting.”
    He pointed to
the other end of the hangar then pulled his suitcase from under the
seat.
    “We left the
campus in such a hurry that we don’t have our things with us, but
we can get everything we need when we reach the Lunar Base.”
    The three of
them stepped out onto the floor of the brightly lit hangar.
    “Well, best of
luck, lads,” said Shelby, shaking their hands in turn.
    “What is your
job?” asked Clive.
    “We have to
change the parameters of the portal. The president should not have
blurted out the fact that we have developed this technology, so we
have to be cunning, to confuse whoever might try to take advantage
of the situation. We shall have to open the portal somewhere
else.”
    Shelby gestured
towards a spacecraft standing in a far corner of the hangar.
    “That’s where
you have to go.” He went along with them to show them the way.
    “What about
communication? When we are on the other side of the portal, will we
be able to communicate?”
    “Unfortunately,
live communication will not be possible. We have not yet mastered
the technology for transmitting information in the gravity
waveband. But we shall regularly open the portal for this purpose
and send you a package with instructions. You will do the same,
that way there will still be some sort of contact.”
    “I reckon
that’s better than nothing,” said Steve as he tried to keep up with
Shelby, who, in spite of his short stature, was walking so fast
that he was finding it difficult.
    “When we were
working with the aliens’ portal, we couldn’t communicate live
either, on account of the distance,” said Clive.
    “Yes, so you’re
already used to it,” replied Shelby, without slackening his
pace.
    “Good luck to
us all, then.”
    “Good luck. And
Clive: try to be more careful this time.”

8
    The deafening
noise of thousands of loudspeakers resounding through the hall made
his whole body vibrate. The human mass on the dance floor, like a
swarm of insects, was moving in time to music more like the roar of
a