The Vostok Revelation

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Mengal

Emperor Bharata stood over the black stone console, eying the cerulean symbols that hovered millimeters above its flat diamond shaped surface. A dozen scientists, engineers and technicians, the best in their professions, had been surprised by his unannounced arrival and were scattered prostrate throughout the science hall.

As with all things conceived and constructed by the Ancients, the knowledge that his distant ancestors, those who walked Vasundhara several millennia before his original birth, had constructed the objects vital to the preservation of their species, kept Xi in awe. This long dormant device, engineered to awaken when the natural conditions on Vasundhara were optimal for humanity’s return, waited only for his input to begin.

“My Emperor!” Ka’Na Portus, wearing his official purple tunic and his purple and gold collar of office, shouted with overemphasized pleasure as he entered the chamber. Stepping over the prostrate body of one of his staff, with difficulty befitting his advanced years, he dropped to his knees before his Lord and ceremoniously pressed his forehead to the tile in submission. Once acknowledged, Xi watched the old man struggle to rise.

Too much time has been given to this Ka’Na. He barely manages to get back to his feet. When this matter has concluded it is time to reincarnate Ka’Na.

“Advisor Portus, you sent a messenger. What have you for me?”

“Communication has been established with Vasunhara, lokanAtha.” Ka’Na moved beside his Emperor, “As you can see, the symbols are in the ancient linguistic, ready for your command.”

Xi broke the plane of several symbols causing them to dim before moving to the next symbol. After several seconds, he stepped from the console, pleased at the initial step toward reclaiming humanity’s ancestral home-world.

Late December 2239. Enki’s Calendar Mozambique, Africa

Five weeks had passed without incident. Hundreds of Federation scientists from around the Earth came to examine the obelisk. All had left with their readings, notes and data. None offered the slightest suggestion of how the obelisk suddenly arose from the ground, what may have powered it or what its purpose was.

On the thirty-sixth night, long after the latest contingent of scientists and engineers had put aside their study for a well earned rest, the obelisk began to slowly and silently rise into the air, and then disappeared into the night sky.

Late December 2239, Communications Control Center, Utopia City. 0600.

“What do you mean the obelisk is gone?” Director Serrano asked the moment she entered the Communication Control Center.

“A tech from Belarus woke a few hours before sunrise to adjust his instruments, and the obelisk simply was not there, Madam Director.”

“Can someone please explain to me how the hell a 130 ton pillar of stone could move without anyone hearing or seeing a thing?”

An uncomfortable silence resonated in the command center.

“We’ve had satellite surveillance on the obelisk since it rose from the ground,” the Director said angrily. ”Tell me we can track this.”

“We… we do not have a fix on the obelisk at this time. It’s not appearing on any feed from anywhere in the hemisphere. All that remains is a three meter hole at the site,” the technician replied timidly.

Anger boiled inside of Josefa Serrano. It was inexcusable that no one, not one of the hundreds of scientific minds or dozens security personnel who came to examine the obelisk, had had the foresight to attach a device that would enable it to be tracked. It was a mark of incompetence that she herself did not order that such a thing be done the moment a team arrived to study it.

“Madam Director!” a technician called out from the far side of the chamber, “We have reports of a dark object in the sky approaching Utopia City from the east.”

A moment of stupefaction overtook Josefa as she processed what was just said.

“Place the feeds on the center view screen.”

“Madam Director, these are proximity reports from Utopia City’s forward observation stations. At this time the skies are completely empty according to our instrumentation.”

“Then get me connected to someone in one of those observation stations!” the Director practically shouted.

A cold chill ran down Josefa Serrano’s spine. It’s coming here.

“Madam Director,” a deep male voice with a thick Ukrainian accent said, “I am Master Chief Kiev of Utopia security of the forward port security station, level 14.”

Director Serrano wasted no time on formalities, “Master Chief it is my understanding that you and your department have eyes-on this object. Please report all you are seeing.”

“I can see a large black object approximately twenty kilos east of Utopia City approaching at an elevation of roughly sixty thousand kilometers. It is rectangular in shape. I can see no wings, markings, or exhaust from propulsion. Based on three separate sightings each taken one minute apart we estimate it’s approach to be at seven kilos per hour.“ The Master Chief hesitated before he continued, “Madam Director, whatever this thing is, it is huge and looks very heavy. Should it fall from sky and land on our decks, even from one kilometer high, it would do in incredible damage.”

The Master Chief had no foreknowledge of the events leading up to this moment. Director Serrano, as well as everyone else in the CCC, watched as the center screen shifted to focus on the quadrant of sky the Master Chief had indicated. It was vacant.

“Noted, Master Chief Kiev. At this time the object is not registering on our sensors. Please continue to report the object’s movements to the communications control center. And Master Chief, well done to you and your team.”

“Thank you, Madam Director,” Master Chief Kiev replied dutifully before the connection was severed.

Director Serrano turned to face her security escort, “I need to get back to my apartment and clean up. In thirty minutes time I want to be on an elevated deck with an unrestricted view of the east sky. I also want a really good set of powered binoculars.”

Late December 2239, Communications Control Center, Utopia City. 0900.

Despite an unprecedented security presence — eleven-hundred security personnel stationed in windows, on rooftops, and on ledges at various levels of the buildings circling the parade courtyard; those stationed high with long-range pin guns; those low with stun batons, shock rifles, and localized EM-pulse grenades — Director Serrano, standing alone with the obelisk hovering fifteen meters overhead, had never felt more exposed.

Outwardly Director Serrano, wearing the ceremonial uniform of her office, presented a confident demeanor. Internally, her heart was pounding from the sheer enormity of what was about to happen. History was about to be made. She would be the first human to meet with and attempt to speak to someone or something from another world.

Filled with a terrified exhilaration and focusing solely on the descending object, she flinched when something warm slid across her palm and tightened around her hand.

“Your hand is freezing,” said Ian Sanderson, his eyes also fixed on the massive black pillar.

“Well, there isn’t exactly precedence or protocol for a meeting of this nature.” She whispered back without looking, and then added, “You do realize how inappropriate it is for you to be standing here with me?”

“I do,” he replied quietly, ”but you looked like you could use a little company.”

“Thanks,” Josefa said, glancing slightly in Ian’s direction with a nervous grin and giving his hand a slight squeeze.

It took twenty minutes before the massive black structure gently came to rest in the center of the raised thirty meter concrete slab in the center of the courtyard.

“Madam Director, the object is now visible on all of our instrumentation and cameras,” a voice from CCC informed softly in her ear.

Ian stood transfixed by the enormity of the giant black stone that was now only fifty meters from where he was standing. Always alert, he fingered the antique American quarter he carried in his left hip pocket. The coin, a high yield directional explosive typically used to create blast a man-sized escape passageway through one meter of solid steel, was comforting insurance that something could be done of this thing became violent. At the very least, he figured, the charge should do enough damage to at least slow it down.

After a minute of staring at a big black rock, Director Serrano released Ian’s hand, took three steps toward the obelisk, tipped up her chin, spread her arms welcomingly, and began to speak, “I am Director Josefa Serrano, the elected leader of the Federation of humankind. I wish to welcome you to our planet.” Her prepared words, crafted to be completely neutral and non-aggressive, were delivered perfectly, without a trace of the nervousness she was feeling inside.

Ian, in spite of his true purpose for being on Utopia, couldn’t help but be impressed by the woman whose bed he’d been sharing. While he had taken her hand to genuinely offer comfort, he had also coated it with an organic micro-filament that would enable his people, the Americans, to track and monitor the alien, should she touch it.

Several second passed before Director Serrano lowered her arms.

A minute later, Director Serrano lost her smile.

Without any sign of activity from the obelisk, after fifteen minutes Director Serrano, somewhat deflated, disappointed, and annoyed, smartly turned on her heel and, with Ian Sanderson close behind, exited the courtyard.

“No one is to approach the obelisk under any condition,” she barked to the duty officer. “And, I will be notified immediately of any change, any minor change, in its status.”