Peter Prellwitz - Shards Book One

"Credit card numbers?? Sanchez inquired.

"Never mind. The point is, there are a great many things that the world is better off not knowing, or has no right to know in the first place."

"True enough, Abigail,? Susie conceded.? We won't press it. But if it turns out that we do need that information, you may end up being the key."

"You said that my connection to Chris was a major part of my status,? I commented, changing the subject.? What was the other?"

Susie smiled, knowing what I was trying to do, but allowing it.? It's probably better that we show you.

Now I'm going to play a little game. It's called stirring up your female curiosity. Computer!? Her voice raised.? Access, Susan Lendler. Level five."

Suddenly, the whole place became brighter. The black wall to my left melted away, exposing another one far off in the distance. I turned around, and at least a dozen doors that had been red were now pulsing green, and many other doors appeared. Several platforms raised up from the ground, showing large displays.

"We're now at level five,? Susie began explaining.? I can go…"

"How many levels are there?? I asked excitedly, running to several of the nearby doors and looking in.

This puterverse was stunning.

"There are sixty-four, but…"

"How high can we go?? I couldn't contain my eagerness, and didn't try. I ran up the steps of the nearest platform and looked out over the landscape. Though not as populated as level three, there were still many other people sharing this area.? Does the access increase steadily, or geometrically?"

"Geometrically. But you can't just…"

"Then why don't we go higher? Say level fifteen? Or twenty?? My fingers flew over the access panel on the platform display, teasing colors and images from it. I was giddy with a sense of adventure and…

"Private Wyeth!? Lieutenant Sanchez barked.

I jerked to a stop and snapped to attention, my body and training overriding and bringing to earth my emotions and mind. If he'd grabbed a two by four and popped me one in the face the effect would have been the same. He walked over to me and inspected me as though I was something unpleasant he'd just run over.

"Are you always so disrespectful of your friends and commanding officer?"

I flushed with shame, only now realizing my rude behavior, and at a loss to understand it.? No, sir! I'm

… I'm sorry. I was just so overwhelmed…"

"I didn't ask for an explanation, Private. I asked for an answer."

"Yes, sir! That's to say, no, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

He stooped slightly and stared me in the eye.? Then perhaps you would be so kind as to show more restraint.? He paused and summed up the entire episode with,? Young lady."

Of course. That was it. I'd become so engrossed with my surroundings that I'd let down my self-discipline. In just the few days I'd been my new self I found it more and more difficult to keep myself in check emotionally, and my maturity was wearing thin in more than a few places. It wasn't a losing battle; it was a lost war. At least one nice thing about this loss of maturity was that I wasn't too worried about it.

"Yes, sir,? I replied, somewhat subdued but not much.

He contemplated me for a few seconds longer, then nodded.

"Very well.? He turned to Susie and smiled slightly.? You may continue, Susan."

Susie grinned at me, and I relaxed. I was very glad they seemed to understand. They certainly understood more about me than I did. I smiled back at her.

"Sorry, Susie."

"That's okay. I remember my first time accessing. I was three, and I acted just about the same way you did. No offense.? I blushed-or it felt like I did. I didn't know if an energy signature could turn red from embarrassment.

"Anyway,? she continued,? the answer to your question is, yes, we can access higher, and the view is even better. But there's a downside, too. Although access to the puterverse is a mental operation, there is a physical strain on the entire body. The higher you access, the more pronounced the strain. You can train yourself to an extent to tolerate the stress, but the benefit is realized normally with the length of stay and only marginally on level of access."

"How bad is the strain?? I asked, trying to sound calm.

"Very. Only one in a hundred go higher than level nine. Fewer than one in ten thousand can access level twelve. And at level thirteen, the stress on your body becomes actual damage. Few have ever been higher than eighteen and survived.

"Don't worry, though, Abigail. We're not going anywhere near there today. You'll be pretty sore tonight, but it shouldn't be too bad. No point in overdoing it. This is your first time here, so you're not ready for it.

And also, we don't need to go that high to show you what we want you to see."

"And what is that?? I asked, sounding calmer than I was. I had a feeling something unpleasant was about to happen.

"You'll see. Literally.? Susie looked at Sanchez, who nodded. She took my hand and spoke to no one in particular:? Locate Oregon fire storm, 2414."

A tunnel just large enough for the three of us opened in the air about thirty meters in front of us. We remained still as it approached and engulfed us. Streaks and slivers of light, similar to the river, flashed by us on all sides. In almost no time, I noticed we were hurtling toward a pinpoint of light. The pinpoint grew to the size of an exit, and the light reddened. Then, as quickly as it had sprung on us, the tunnel abruptly terminated and we were in hell.

All around us were the massive flames of an uncontrollable firestorm. Vague shapes of buildings could be seen through the curtain of flames. Intertwined in the roar of the flames so as to almost come from them, were the screams of the dying, perhaps the already dead. I spun around, to look for escape, but there was none. Desperate to escape, I called for a platform, and we lifted up into the air, twenty, fifty, one hundred, meters. From horizon to horizon was nothing but flames and the sickening smell of death.

I had never seen anything so completely and utterly destructive. It had been, to me, almost ten years since I had left the horror of the Ethiopian Campaigns behind me. But I still should have been able to cope at some level with this conflagration. I couldn't. My senses were reeling from the horror. I felt no heat, but the terror would burn my soul for a long time. I covered my ears and started to sink down, but Raul lifted me up. He shouted something at Susie over the flames. She nodded and the flames died out as the platform we were standing on darkened and turned into another tunnel. Instead of falling in, our orientation seemed to change and we were standing in it, traveling quickly through it, the flickering red skies at our backs diminishing into the past.

The tunnel ended in moments, and we were standing on the moon's surface. I should have been overcome with the wonder, but the memory of the firestorm demanded all my attention. It took Raul gently shaking me to make me look up and put the horrible sight behind me to see this beautiful one.

The Earth sat in the sky, only just risen. All around was the rocky, pitted surface of the moon. I recognized the site as our first permanent moon base, established only twenty years prior, memory time. I realized we were also in a kind of lunar park, for the surface area of the base had ropes around it, and roughhewn benches, cut from native rock, were scattered around. Several flags, stiff with wire and shaped to flutter in a nonexistent wind, decorated the base. In all directions, I saw dozens of plastic bubbles protruding from the surface. Air locks, most likely.

"Look over there, Abigail,? Susie said quietly. She pointed to a large rectangular rock about ten meters to our right. Walking closer, I could see an inscription. I leaned down and read it out loud.