Mobius (22 page)

I led everyone back toward Brahman’s duplicate and returned to the booth selling exotic masks. While the attendant stood oblivious, I stole four masks. I handed them out. “Put these on. When I signal, we’ll disengage our cloaks and walk away in plain sight. Carry yourselves with a swagger, like you own the place.”

I thought it only fitting that I wore the mask of myself, while I gave Allienora the mask of Sensimion. When choosing for Morion, I couldn’t help myself, and I selected a mask with three goggling eyes that surrounded a long phallic nose hanging limp to the chin.

“My mask is one of buffoonery,” complained Morion, slipping it on with hesitation. “Orsteen’s would be more to my tastes.”

Orsteen stepped back, defending the rights to a regal, black-beaked mask.

I smiled under my mask. “I thought, with your extravagant Martian tastes, you’d savor something between humor and grotesquery.”

Morion grunted.

I surveyed the aliens around us, trying to judge the right moment to disengage our cloaks.

“Now,” I signaled.

We disengaged our cloaks and remained still, fearing the three armored aliens might see us. Fortunately, we were undetected and we began walking to the ends of the crowd, where we would re-cloak and take to flight.

While moving with a confident gait, I looked casually through the crowd for the pursuing aliens. I had lost sight of them, hopefully for good.

We continued for a brief while, but once again the aliens materialized. They were closer than ever, standing next to a row of dimensional archways. Their crystal eyes stared forth, following our movement. It felt as though their golden eyes were capable of examining my very substance.

In tandem, and with no cue but a possible psychic moment, we all drew our plasma guns. Our hands shook as we fired a stream of plasma molecules at the aliens. To our dismay, they stood unmoved as their armor absorbed every molecule, leaving them unhurt.

We ceased fire and stood motionless, surrounded by hundreds of aliens who stared at our four masked faces. Reactions from the alien crowd were unreadable, but their silence was clear.

To the side of the armored aliens, I noticed one of the dimensional archways had been hit by a stray plasma molecule and now lay in ruin.

“I have an idea,” I said urgently. “Follow me into an archway!”

I ran forward at best speed, with the rest of the group following behind me. I jumped head-first into an archway and disappeared.

NEURO-RAPTURE

I found myself in some kind of intermediary dimension
—a transcending place of pure thought, devoid of body. I saw a panorama of the universe. Elliptical galaxies, spiral galaxies, and barred-spiral galaxies encircled me like radiant chandeliers. Then, I heard it, a whisper coming from the center of my consciousness:
My thread of thought I forged in flesh, you journey far into the light. I await your return to cure my blight.

Before I could put further thought to the oddly familiar whisper, all but one of the galaxies shrank back into the depths. My consciousness raced toward the remaining galaxy. A jarring convergence of body and mind made me whole again and I belly-flopped on the surface of an alien planet.

I lifted my face from a maroon-brown soil and then picked myself off the ground. I watched as the others spilled from the archway, one by one.

Before the armored aliens followed, I fired at the archway until it was a pile of broken parts. I hoped this would slow them.

We removed our masks and brushed ourselves clean. Morion looked disdainfully at his phallic-nosed mask and then threw it on top the pile of broken archway.

We were on a new world. It was night and we stood atop a sea cliff. It overlooked a calm ocean illuminated by two swollen moons, each hanging low on the water. Against the two brilliant, meteor-scarred faces, wisps of clouds lay silhouetted, moving gently across the sky as if traveling the serene ocean waters for mere pleasure. It was an intoxicating scene that bested the most fantastic of dreams. A cool, salty breeze blew in from the ocean and greeted us.

We turned away from the ocean and found a primitive town sprawled out behind us. Simple wooden houses with circular windows, square doors, and red-shingled roofs lined a central plaza. At its center, a bonfire blazed, casting dancing light on the houses.

“It’s a bit primitive for aliens with dimensional travel,” I said.

Allienora gazed up to the stars. “I wonder where we are, and how far we’ve come.”

I gestured to the ruined archway. “From the amazing journey we experienced through the archway, it seems we traveled to a different galaxy. It truly was an exhilarating ride.”

“What do you mean?” asked Allienora. “I experienced nothing when I passed through the archway.”

“What about you, Orsteen?” I asked. “Didn’t you find your thoughts traveling through space?”

Orsteen shook his head in bewilderment. “My journey was instantaneous.”

“There’s no time to talk!” said Morion. “Aliens are coming. They must have heard Theron destroying the archway.”

The aliens were tall and thin and moved with an urgent gait. With the light of the bonfire at their backs, they looked like shadows racing closer.

“Quickly,” I said. “Take cover!”

We rushed to the nearby tree line and hid behind some bushes, where we spied on the six aliens. I recognized their backward bending knees and the gloss of their bio-mechanical skin and the circuitry-like pattern embedded in it. We had encountered similar aliens in the crowd around the Brahman Station’s double.

The aliens inspected the ruined archway. One of them outstretched an arm like a tendril and grabbed Morion’s phallic-nosed mask from the remnants. He shared his out-of-place finding with his companions.

The aliens discovered our trail of footprints. They turned threatening glances to the forest, but didn’t seem to know our precise location. They kicked their way to the tree line, while emitting a high-pitched noise from two rows of polyps along their cheekbones.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said. “There may be more on their way.”

We pressed into the dark woods, where the sound of chattering insects surrounded us. I pushed through branches and bushes. I heard the scuffling of nocturnal wildlife and feared we might stumble into the waiting jaws of something large and hungry.

After a long distance, far from the alien colony, I stopped the group near a hole in the ground. “My scan pad indicates an underground network of caves extending as far as the sea cliffs, to our right.”

Allienora surveyed the hole. “You think we’ll find safety in the ground? We have no idea what’s down there—hibernating beasts, venomous serpents.”

“Better to be met by a sleeping beast below than a stalking beast above.”

A distant rustling of leaves caused Allienora to jerk her head toward the dark foliage. “Good point.” She removed a small electric lantern from her pack and then took the lead into the opening.

Morion, obviously exhausted from our flight, gasped for air. “I’m not as easily convinced this is the best plan. Crawling into a dark hole like a petrified mouse is no solution. More importantly, I’m vastly claustrophobic.”

I pushed him toward the hole. “We’ll only stay below until daylight comes.”

I waited for Orsteen to enter and then took up the rear. At first, the tunnel was narrow, but it soon gave way to a wide cavern. The sound of dripping water echoed from all directions. We weaved around stalagmites and stalactites, delving deeper into the cavern. At last, we found a suitable area to settle down, devoid of puddles and wetness.

Orsteen nodded his head in approval. “Theron, you’ve found us a cozy spot. I feel like I’m back in the belly of Mercury. How about something to eat?”

“Good idea, Orsteen.” Allienora removed a set of rations from her pack and handed them out. I waved away her offer, but she insisted. “You haven’t eaten in over twelve hours.”

“I feel sick. These eyes are again taking a toll on my health. I need another injection.” I removed the syringe and vial from my pack and administered the prescribed dosage of nanites, which, though helpful, wasn’t the medicine I truly craved.

Damn that wretched centipede creature. Damn myself. I’ll be strong. I’ll fight the memories.

I scrutinized the vial of nanites. There might have been a hundred doses in it. After that, and without proper care, I’d have one of two choices—die from the degeneration of my health, or remove the eyes from their sockets.

Allienora again put food in front of me. “Please, eat.”

She truly cares for me,
I thought, allowing myself to smile. “As you wish.”

We sat in a bubble of dim light produced by our lantern and ate our flavorless food. Morion devoured his share in a few thoughtless mouthfuls, and then proceeded to grope at the cave floor, frequently turning his head to the unseen ends of the dark surroundings.

“You seem anxious, Morion,” I said.

“I told you I was claustrophobic.”

“Why do you grope at the cave floor?”

Morion scoffed. “To ensure I’m not being overtaken by anything that crawls or slithers. Those puddles are infested with small gelatinous-filled-sacks-with-legs. They hop from puddle to puddle, spreading their stench.”

Orsteen turned in the direction indicated. “Such things may have the potential to be eaten... or smoked, if we’re lucky. Let me know if your groping turns out to be fruitful.”

I moved the lantern closer to Morion. “I believe you’re safe from such creatures, Morion.”

“I’ll be the judge of that!” said Morion, eyes shifting back and forth. “Do you think I can’t manage my own safety? And, just so you know, I believe the walls have decided to cave in on us. See there!” Morion stabbed a finger toward the cave’s ceiling. “That stalactite—it attempts to wobble free, so to impale me.”

“Merely a play of light and shadow,” I said.

Morion started to come to his feet, as if preparing to escape back to the surface.

I pulled him back down. “You’re having a panic attack. Be calm. We must remain here.”

“Here!” barked Morion. “Here, where you’ve condemned us. Your madcap getaway has stranded us. What now? Do we wander the forests and caves of this alien world forever?”

“You should be thanking me rather than blaming me. We needed to escape the alien vessel before the black hole weapon was detonated. Coming here saved us.”

“Silence!” said Allienora. “Such bickering is pointless. We must learn to adapt, so we can survive. Forget the comforts of your past lives and anticipate hardship. Let’s just hope this new life wasn’t delivered in vain. We must pray the alien vessel will be destroyed. Now, as to your claustrophobia, Morion, I noticed some tranquilizers in my pack.”

“I have something better,” said Orsteen. “It’ll instantly cure your claustrophobia, Morion.” Orsteen revealed a metal flask. “I never go anywhere without my reserves. It’s a comforting concoction that I sip before bedtime. Ingest only a small quantity. It slides down the pipes like a knot of thorns.”

Morion grabbed the flask and took a big drink. His face puckered, and he was overcome by a strenuous cough that raised arteries in his neck and forehead. Morion extended the flask to me. I gracefully accepted it and drank with similar intensity.

“A powerful drink, Orsteen,” I said through clenched teeth. I passed it to Allienora, who handled it with more charisma.

Before Orsteen took a drink, he raised the flask high. “To Thirm Bastile and Rozlyn. May they deliver destruction to the alien vessel and escape unharmed.”

I nodded in approval and received the flask for another drink.

After a few more rounds of the flask, my body numbed and the cave floor softened. We rested on our backs with sprawled arms and legs, enjoying the effects of Orsteen’s drink.

My lips and face tingled. “There’s no coming down from this alcohol, Orsteen.”

“Like a bird floating on air,” said Morion, no longer showing concern for the looming stalactites and scurrying cave creatures.

“It’s not alcohol,” said Orsteen. “It’s a hallucinogen.”

“What!” said Allienora with concern. “It’s not addictive, is it?”

“Absolutely not. What’s more, you’ll have no hangover in the morning.”

“What’s in it?” I asked.

“I’m not sure,” said Orsteen. “It’s used by our young when performing their rites into adulthood. As leader of Mercury, I’m allowed special access to it. It’s called Neuro-Rapture, said to elevate the mind from youthful ignorance to mature wisdom.”

“Then there’s indeed hope for Morion,” said Allienora jokingly.

“Unfortunately not,” said Orsteen. “The mind must still be youthful. It’s far too late for Morion to undergo the transition.”

We were silent for a while, each of us enjoying our altered states. I found my mind going to strange places—both fantasy and nightmare. But I quickly focused on reality when Allienora inched her way toward me. I accepted her in my arms with pleasure.

Morion raised his head from the cave floor. “I couldn’t help but notice the intimacy the two of you share, and something unsettling occurred to me. If we’re going to be stranded here for the rest of our lives, then we have a problem.”

“Which is?” I asked.

“The composition of male to female is askew. Two of us gentleman will be living a very lonely existence.”

“You’re right,” I said, now pulling Allienora’s warm body closer.

“I propose,” said Morion with a grand tenor, “for the health of our little tribe, that Allienora relocate her feminine comforts every other night between the three of us, so we may all share in her fruits. Additionally, she won’t play favorites and will remain vigilant to the schedule of rotation—this, in effect, will avoid any jealousy among the three of us men.”

“You’ve lost your mind,” said Allienora. “I won’t be passed around like a whore. You can find comfort from that stalagmite at your feet. Fondle it to your heart’s content.”

Morion smiled crookedly. “My proposal wouldn’t be unreasonable to a woman of Mars
.
”

“This isn’t Mars. Your perverse ways are irrelevant.” Allienora smartly turned her gaze from Morion.

Morion stroked his hair in contemplation. “Then, I immediately declare this planet in the name of Mars. Thus the rituals and social customs of Mars immediately apply.”

I raised my hand in objection. “I was first to arrive through the archway, and it’s this essential detail that gives
me
ultimate authority. Thus, I declare Allienora will act as she pleases and pursue any affairs she wants.”

“If this is how it must be, then I warn you, Mr. Mobius, I plan to charm her with all my secret ways.”