Meltdown Ophilion - Book One

12_SPHERE II

Celli came around and walked slowly to the end of the cave and felt around the wall. "It's here," she said in the same disconnected, unnerving tone of voice she used earlier that day. "It's right here."

The three of them brushed the walls with their hands and scuffed at the floor with their feet but found nothing.

"Hey," Fel exclaimed, and focused his search-beam on the floor where he had been standing. The light reflected off something on the ground. Orion came over and touched the part that was visible. He brushed away some of the dirt from around it. Etched designs on a curved metal surface became visible.

Celli and Fel got down on their knees and began to dig feverishly in the packed dirt. Orion couldn't believe what he had just seen. He quickly bent down to help them. They soon cleared away the dirt from the top half of the sphere. They stopped digging and stared in awe at the surreal object that had been, literally, a dream. Now it lay at their feet.

They finished clearing the sphere and Orion reached in to lift it out. He paused for a second. This is the part when that thing appeared, he remembered. He could feel his heart hammering on his chest; he could feel excitement and dread in equal measure, but he could also feel that the thing was no where near them. He clearly sensed the safety of their position. They were alone in the cave, in subsection SY-113; section M-57 - the Belemer Lake area.

Do you need some help?" Fel whispered, breathing hard.

Orion shook his head. He placed his hands in the dirt underneath the sphere and slowly pulled upwards. It was lighter than it appeared to be. Celli and Fel moved aside as Orion reverently placed it between them. Astonished glances passed from eye to eye as reality set in.

Celli reached out and made contact with the sphere. She slowly moved her hands over it as if in a trance. "Over here," she said. Fel adjusted his beam. Orion looked on as Celli carefully studied the etched designs on the surface; then, methodically, she pressed a sequence of dots that lay within the circular patterns. The boys didn't have a chance to analyze what Celli was doing.

There was a loud click, or at least it seemed loud in the perfect silence of the cave. Celli withdrew her hands as if she had received an electrical shock. Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, the etched lines on the surface of the sphere began to glow. It was an eerie deep yellow glow, made all the more uncanny by the circumstances in which they found themselves. After a few seconds the lines were glowing brightly and the sphere began to vibrate.

Without warning it opened. The top half slid upwards a few centimeters, then stopped. The vibration also stopped and the light faded.

The three of them leaned cautiously towards the sphere, as if something might spring out at them. Orion reached out to touch the now partially open sphere. Nothing happened. It felt as it had before. "Fel," he whispered, "over here." Fel aimed his search-beam. Orion swallowed hard as he reached out for the top of the sphere. Celli made a small gasp. Orion stopped in mid-action and looked at her. Celli shook her head apologetically and placed her hand on her mouth. Orion took hold of the top of the sphere and pulled up. A smooth metallic sound echoed through the cave as the top slid off the shaft. He carefully placed it on the ground and they leaned forward to look inside.

There was a shiny metallic cover which encased the bottom half of the safe. Whatever it contained was underneath that cover.

"Any ideas?" Orion asked, still whispering.

"Just touch it and see what happens," Celli whispered back. Orion reached in and felt around the metal covering. Nothing. He then took hold of the metal rod and pulled. The covering slid up easily, revealing the contents of the safe. They leaned closer.