Proxima Adventure

Chapter 23. Revelation.

Chapter 23. Revelation.

Charles decided to visit Alice one evening. She was lounging in her living area studying a paper on evolution. She glanced at him as he sat down next to her.

"This must be important," she told him. "You never come to my quarters."

"True, but I wanted to discuss our situation."

She turned to him with a concerned expression. "What do you mean?"

"I believe it's time to recognize the truth that we are a team. We are the unofficial leaders, but we don't act like it."

She stared at him with her beautiful blue eyes for a few moments before replying. "I sense that this is an invitation for a more serious relationship."

"In a way, yes. We should project a relationship that's more amenable. We want the crew to trust our ability to command."

"Why the change?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I kind of miss the feminine touch."

"Aren't you afraid that it will lead to complaints about us taking advantage of our status."

"I don't think so. I believe they realize that we've had more, should I say, amorous incidents."

She smiled. "I'm game."

He smiled. "Thanks. I appreciate that."

She watched him walk out of her quarters. Was he actually serious or just pranking her? Only time would tell.

The next day, Alice was occupying the pilot's chair scanning for trouble while Hilary was checking out the telescopes to make sure they were working correctly.

When Charles came on the deck with Carl, he stood behind Alice. "Find any new habitable systems?"

"Not really. I was scanning for nasty robot alien ships."

Suddenly, the main screen lit up with the image of their robot buddy, startling them.

Charles decided it was time to ask the big question, "What caused the total cleansing of Earth?"

"We will explain."

Suddenly, Charles was enveloped in a bright light before he vanished.

"What in the hell!" Carl yelled.

"They must have transporter capability," Hilary said, her eyes wide with excitement.

Both Alice and Carl looked at her as if she had gone bonkers.

Charles found himself in a totally metal domed room. Several robots stood at stations around the room. His robot buddy looked at him without emotion. Right then he realized that he was dealing with cyborgs, not robots.

"When the rift opened it blasted out a powerful microwave beam that contained oxygen atoms that have more neutrons. When they collide with oxygen atoms at near the speed of light in atmospheres it causes fission that elevates temperatures many thousands of degrees. The fission is enhanced if there is carbon dioxide."

Charles smiled. "Ah, now that makes sense why we weren't affected. Our ship's atmosphere doesn't have carbon dioxide." He paused. "How often do these rifts occur?"

"Not often."

He assumed that that meant that he and his crew experienced a rare event that changed everything.

"We will be going out again soon," he said.

"We will accompany."

Suddenly, he appeared on the Proxima B's command deck, startling everyone.