Creation Rings

Part 6 - Riding the wave

As promised, the car was waiting for me when I got to the ground floor. The black cylindrical aqua-car had tinted windows and was surrounded by 2 other vehicles: police cars. When I exited the building a door opened and a distinctive suited individual came out of the back seat to greet me. I only notice a second "suit" behind me when I reached the car. He had probably been right next to the door of my building when I left but I was so anxious that I didn't even notice. He startled me when he walked past me and opened the front passenger seat and got in.

"Good evening Dr Vatu." the man at the back door greeted me. "Please" he gestured towards the inside of the vehicle.

I thanked him and got in.

My mind had been racing since receiving the phone call. What the hell could they want from me? I had no experience in any field pertinent to the Rings' study but I figured I didn't have much choice in the matter if all these government branches were involved. Compliance might be better than having to be dragged against my will. Plus this way when they realized I was useless it would not look like I was being purposefully uncooperative. I dressed as fast as I could and as well as my wardrobe allowed. That was the easy part. The elevator ride was terrifying, I had nothing to occupy my mind and I kept devising the most ludicrous scenarios as I was gently lowered through 11 floors.

Once in the car, my escort sat next to me, closed the door behind him, and signaled his companions that we were ready. The automatic locks clicked and the car was moving seconds later, escorted by the police cars.

"I'm Agent Ell from the Qualiak Secret Intelligence Services. Before we begin I would like to ask you to sign this document" he told me handing me a handful of papers. "It's a non-disclosure agreement that basically says that if you share or reveal any information you learn while working for this task force you could be charged with treason and sentenced to prison for life without the possibility of visitation." 

"I see. I suppose I have no option but to sign it either way." I replied taking the pen he offered me.

"You will be very well compensated Dr Vatu and provided with anything you might need" he smiled pointing at one of the fore-last pages "And we will ensure your safety to the best of our ability."

"Emphasis on 'the best of your ability '..." I replied absentmindedly before I notice all the zeros of what was to be my compensation for services rendered.

He chuckled before collecting the papers from my lap. He didn't seem the typical muscly secret agent we saw in movies.

"Now that the formalities are out of the way, here are the updates on the situation," he said opening a briefcase filled with photos and handed me a closeup of the Ring's shining. "Am I correct in assuming you are familiarized with the light emission phenomenon?"

"Yes, I saw that in the news."

"Great. Then here is the part you won't be." he continued pulling a portable computer from under the papers. "A few minutes past the tenth tide, the light emissions intensified. As of that time, no type of radiation had been detected but, suddenly, all the instruments registered massive amounts of every known type of radiation emanating from the Rings."

"How much radiation are we talking about?" I interrupted as he was opening the computer.

"High enough that it was off the scale of every instrument we had pointed at it. Some even fried."

"But that's impossible, the entire cave would be dead just from the gamma radiation alone. It must have been a false reading."

"We assumed the same, but all our instruments reported the exact same thing so we have to conclude that there must be another explanation. We have begun to replace all of the instruments in case this last phenomenon was preceded by another undetectable one, similar to an electromagnetic pulse, that caused any equipment in the vicinity of the Rings to experience a malfunction."

 "I agree, all the instruments reading the same thing is suspicious."

"Indeed. So we decided to quarantine the area out of precaution. It was fortunate we did." he finished pressing play on the video that was waiting on the screen.

The camera was pointing out from the Ring's Museum, the only building in the location, framing the Rings and the round Plaza, with the city in the background. It was devoid of people, a sight I had never witnessed. 

A few seconds into the video, the brightness increased again, and for a moment, the entire screen was white. When the lights dimmed down again we see that there is now a column of light shining down on the plaza and, at the center of it, a black silhouette I couldn't quite make out from this distance. The video ended. I was confused.

I could feel the agents' eyes on me waiting for my reaction.

"Let me replay that in slow motion and with a light filter" he finally said.

Same background and then the whiteout. Now, pixel by pixel, I could see a blurry shadow descending from the Rings and stoping at the ground before the brightness died down and the beam of light shun on it.

I shivered as a chill came down my spine. "Something came out of them??"

"Yes" he replied calmly handing me a few more pictures.

The first one was taken from inside the Museum, full zoom on the figure: a being dressed in black robes covering it from the shoulders to his feet, similar to what a priest would wear. It was just standing there. 

The next pictures were taken closer, at ground level. I assumed this was a battle camera, attached to a soldier as I could see other Quamans in full battle-suits with one too. They were circling it, pointing assault guns at it. 

The last picture was a closeup of its face.