Engine by Frank Carey

Author:Frank Carey [Carey, Frank]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, Space opera
ISBN: 9781944946395
Amazon: B074JL94YC
Barnesnoble: B074JL94YC
Publisher: Frank Carey
Published: 2017-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

The two researchers--Dr. Chris Todd, human, and Dr. Felix Oscar, elf--stared at the board and scratched their heads in disbelief. "Chris, are you sure about this?"

"Felix, we've checked and rechecked the figures at least five times using three different computer systems. That structure out there dates at over ten billion years in age."

"A manufactured artifact over twice as old as Earth. There goes everything I learned at university. Have you contacted Muntz yet?"

"Yeah. He's ecstatic, but he refuses to give up his sources or tell us anything useful. He does ask if Gabriel has arrived yet."

"When are they going to let the key keeper come to do his thing?"

"God only knows. The council is worried something might go wrong..."

The door to the room burst open followed by four heavily-armed mercs and two people wearing black battle suits. Once they were in place, a woman in a black one-piece uniform strode in. "Who's in charge here?" she demanded.

"Who the hell are you?" Felix demanded.

"Who the hell are you, ma'am!" one of the armored ones said as a minigun grew from its forearm. It pointed the weapon at Felix. "Say it!"

"Who the hell are you, ma'am?" Felix said.

"Dr. Zoe Muntz at your service. The gentleman with the minigun is Stryker-6 and his companion is Stryker-5. The others are unimportant. What is important is that I find the person in charge of this expedition."

"That would be me, Dr. Christopher Todd, Destiny Survey Team Leader. Dr. Muntz, are you related to a Dr. Josiah Muntz?"

"Aye, he's my addled-brain brother..." she stopped and watched as the elf reached over and activated a wall-mounted device.

"That's the emergency beacon. League forces..."

"Can't hear a thing, so they won't be here for a while. My people have surrounded these buildings with a jamming field. Now, take me to the Engine of Creation."

"Why?" Chris demanded.

"So that I can see it, silly human. Now move before I order my mercs to turn you into toast."

The two researchers walked past her then out the door with Zoe and her people following close behind.

###

With her mercs and strykers keeping watch, Zoe ran her hand over the control console. "No much to look at, is it?"

Chris rolled his eyes while Felix's tail drooped. "Dr. Muntz, you are standing at the top of a ten-plus-billion-year-old device that reaches down to the very core of this planet," Felix explained. "We think it draws power from the core and channels it to that platform over there."

"For what purpose?"

"According to Gabriel Adon, your brother, Josiah, thinks this energy can be used to restore the Grange Universe."

"Restore? How?"

Chris pointed to some ruins a hundred yards past the platform. "Our readings indicates those ruins have thousands of quantum spin signatures. Engineers at the Cube think it's a portal generator."

"So, the beam is emitted by the generator, then travels to the portal and into whatever universe it's connected to?"

"Yes," Chris replied.

"What about the platform?"

"The platform sits directly between the engine and portal. As for what it does? We're working on it.

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