The Navigator

Schmootz

Schmootz

They tumbled down the ramp for what felt like an eternity before the slope began to flatten. Sliding to a stop in the darkness, he heard Reese scrambling to her feet. As he stood, one of the blue lights in the ceiling flickered to life, illuminating a small room maybe twenty paces long by his estimation. The room was a dead end, no doors or any means of egress he could observe.

"Welcome, Navigator, to the entertainment routine," the Arbiter's wheezing voice sounded out.

The light turned from blue to red.

"What the hell is going on? I demand you to tell me what you are doing," Dr. Fox exclaimed.

"Who the hell is that? AI?" Reese whispered.

"No, companion of the Navigator, I am a Tevari."

"Wait, you're a Tevari? Where's your body? How have you lived for so long?"

"My body is in stasis, while my mind floats free. I am linked to Acheron and control all with but a thought."

"Wait, you're speaking in our heads, right?" Reese asked.

"Indeed I am. I possess the means to communicate with all who enter Acheron," the Arbiter replied.

"How is that possible?" Dr. Fox asked.

"It is one of my many abilities, Navigator," the Arbiter replied smugly.

The lights flickered and there was a rumble as the room began to rearrange, sections of the floor rose into seating around a table. It was all constructed of the same blue metal as the walls and floor.

The far wall parted like a curtain and a shimmering humanoid figure emerged. It strode over, glowing and glistening as it sat down.

"Come, let the challenge determine your worthiness, Navigator," the being hissed aloud in the Arbiter's voice.

"Why does he keep calling you Navigator?"

"I think it's because they took my blood," he said, still woozy from the loss.

"I don't get it," Reese replied. "What is a Navigator?"

"Will you accept the challenge?" the Arbiter said, annoyance slipping into its voice.

"If we surmount your stupid challenge will you let us out?" Reese growled.

"Indeed I will," he spat out like the sound of shoveling gravel.

An image appeared, swirling into existence. A single dot in the center surrounded by a circle, bearing another dot. The circle moved outward, jumping outward five times before halting, then turning into a squiggly line and shooting off the edge of the holoscreen hovering before them.

"What is the answer?" the Arbiter intoned.

"How is that a question?" Dr. Fox cut in, perplexed by the display.

"I know the answer!" Reese said suddenly. "It's 13.8 electron-volts, the highest excited state of the electron in a hydrogen atom, just before it becomes ionized."

"Correct!"

Another image flickered to life, showing two of the hydrogen atoms. A third image appeared, similar to the hydrogen image, but with greater complexity. Many dots filled the center, and there were just as many concentric circles each containing a dot.

"Water!" Reese exclaimed. "H-two-oh."

"Wait a second," Dr. Fox interrupted. "You said a question. That was two. How many do we have to answer?"