Odyssey Bourne Force

Chapter 4: Odyssey Bourne Force Part 2

According to Dr. Reynolds, this was not hard to answer. His meticulous records noted that when he found the BSP, six crystals were set up on a pedestal, exactly six meters in front of the BSP. The patterns etched into the crystals later matched with star maps pointing to a planet not even discovered by Earth at the time- a planet with two moons, known as Ahmadeus. When the crystals and BSP moved into the base, Dr. Reynolds made personally sure thanks to his videos that positioning was exactly as discovered.

Then, the inevitable questions followed. Had beings visited Earth thousands of years ago using the door? Perhaps, though no solid proof was unearthed.

Was this Earth like planet the destination used by an ancient people?

According to his studies inside the Temple of Junghis, it appeared so. Ancient wall drawings showed a planet with two moons depicted, confirmed when Divisions' star map computer pinpointed the exact positioning of the three bodies. Though this scripture was tested and aged as new, compared to other stories scattered about the walls. Dr. Reynolds suspected from his interpretation of the ancient dialect that travel to Ahmadeus was more an escape than a visit, otherwise why leave the crystals positioned like this?

The majority of the crystals packed in a clay box inside the temple were half buried in the dirt floor. The box was remarkably well preserved, and the outside covered with drawings of the crystals set in various patterns. These could be more directions to other worlds.

The arguments quickly began regarding the pros and cons of sending a person through. Dr. Reynolds had argued that he should be the one to see if a person could get through and back. The powers that controlled Divisions intervened, stating the risk to Dr. Reynolds was too great. Nevertheless, he refused to work any further on the project unless they chose him. After intense debate, the powers-that-be relented, and it was decided that if the first journey proved safe and successful, small, specialized teams would be organized.

Incidentally, the frog survived the journey contained in a cage strapped onto a remote controlled car. Largest leap a frog has ever taken was the going joke and brought back by the first live team that ventured through and now residing in Dr. Reynolds' lab.

Dr. Reynolds' life was beyond excitement since his discovery of such a practical form of space travel, and incontrovertible proof of intelligent alien life. The only stipulation in his contract was he could not tell anyone. However, there was nothing in his contract about discontinuing his personal journal. He was amused and more appreciative of the imaginations of the people behind popular sci-fi shows such as Star Trek and Stargate. At times, they were so close to the truth it was uncanny. He knew if the truth appeared full face to the masses on Earth, chaos and hysteria would spread and modern civilization including most religious cultures, would crumble. The ripple effect would be enormous. Having those sci-fi shows may just help to soften the blow that will hit us all, if the OBF failed to do their job and protect Earth.

No one could predict the future.

Divisions' scientists had calculated there were countless numbers of these sister doorways throughout the known galaxies, and beyond. Humans, given the half decade that the OBF program had been running, had only explored a tiny fraction.

There was so many sequential positions for the crystals to determine possible destinations that an elaborate computer program accommodated the growing library. At that point, they had thirteen thousand, five hundred and forty two recorded crystal addresses to call on. Many initially visited by robots and probes, as correct atmospheric conditions had to be pre-determined before anyone would dream of stepping through. Due to the amount of worlds to explore, numerous teams, both human and robotic, were off world at any given time.

They discovered that all the established BSPs were similar to the one on Earth. An interesting experiment predetermined that once the door became activate, anything the size of a tank could go through, as the door's perimeter was somehow stretched by the onslaught of light. Once the light had faded, the door's perimeter returned to its solid size. Inactive, it looked like a door with no handle.

This all took months of intensive research and experimentation. It would have taken Divisions longer if it were not for the self-effacing, brilliant Dr. Reynolds, being the leading authority in deciphering geological and archaeological scriptures, and a firm believer in ALF (alien life forces), combining his expertise with ex-military Major Isaac Mason, who knew just about everything there was to know on astronomical matters. Upon the BSP's discovery, Divisions always had a foremost team in mind to set up all the preliminary work.

Reynolds, Mason, and a handful of gifted scientists and technicians set out to collate the expanding crystal addresses to correspond with their revered creation-a sophisticated computer program that would hold all the crystal addresses and enable ease of deployment. Further assimilated with the Divisions' starmap computer program, responsible for creating and recording all known and newly discovered stellar topography. They named the program Crystal Address Star Portal, shortened to CASP. To a soldier like Tremaine, it made one feel very small when faced with infinite space.

For preciseness and avoiding any instance of a wrong address, computer controlled robotic arms were commissioned with the arduous task of placing the crystals on the pedestal that matched with the preordained specified computer patterns. When everything was perfect, the operating technician pressed in the release code and a glass cover that housed a large red button flipped open and started the laser, which took around sixty seconds to power up. Protective eyewear always worn to avoid injury or blindness, however, this was only for the few moments of dazzling light that shone through the crystals on the BSP. Once the BSP, changed to its psychedelic colored rain, it was safe.

Tremaine grinned lopsidedly as he remembered the time Divisions had selected the first team. They proudly put on the new uniform that carried the OBF insignia superimposed over the Earth on their upper arms. Tremaine, a US Air Force Colonel, had been quickly snatched up-a reliable and proven leader. He had been training and running the away teams from the program's inception. At the age of forty-five he was single, tall, ruggedly handsome, with, at times, a tactless sense of humor that he called straight shooting. Nevertheless, this hid the other side-a cunning, at times vicious man of swift tactics. A man who could think, run, and uses a gun at the same time.

Though brilliant, Doctor Peter Reynolds was shy and not really a team player. However, his many talents made up for that. He was a great linguist and possessed an IQ off the scale. He was a walking encyclopedia and generally respected among his peers. Born with a photographic mind, he absorbed foreign languages like a sponge. As a boy, he knew the study of the human past, especially archeology was what he wanted to do-being essentially the foundation to humankind's future. Yet, as he moaned, his multi-talents could never get him a date.

Finally, Isaac Mason, thirty-nine, the mastermind in helping create CASP, was a no-nonsense, muscular African American, who had knowledge unsurpassed in the field of astronautics and astrophysics. Hunting and martial arts were his pastimes, with a few trophies to boot. He reckoned, if he had remained in the military instead of joining this program, he would be a five-star general. Though he loved his role in the civilian secret new defense force like a boy with a toy, he would never openly admit it.

Along with five other full time specialist teams, the support staff, soldiers, administrators, and their project boss, Commander-in-Chief Paul Pilcher, were all dedicated and sworn to secrecy. As Pilcher stated in his personal interviews, the requirements ruled it as a necessary and dedicated existence. Tremaine's tongue-in-cheek interpretation was a deadly dedication.

Tremaine forced his mind back on the rails to his current assignment.

"Right, is everyone ready?" Tremaine barked. He gave the word to fall out.

The three men edged along the ramp towards the light, hesitated for a nanosecond, and then disappeared.

The laser light faded, leaving no trace.

On Ahmadeus, the team emerged through a replica of the black stone on Earth, eerily resembling the enigmatic monolith in Kubrick's 2001, A Space Odyssey.

The team's priority is to meet with their alien colleague, a Cantal, known as Sataal, a rebel ex-Trimadian, who had set up small spy networks amongst the enemy Trimadian ranks. Sataal, like most of his rebel followers, had virtually evaded their evil Trimadian masters.

There were very few of them.