Astronomicon: Behemoth

Chapter 56 - Teleport

"I can't help noticing that Megan isn't along for this one," said Margaux as the four-seater buggy turned into the teleport hoop chamber.

Ekono laughed. He slid off the buggy then gestured to the others to join him. Aron and Margaux followed immediately but Walter, sitting behind the driving position, made no attempt to move.

"You too, Walter," Ekono urged.

"I think Santiago's concoction has knocked him out," chuckled Aron.

"Wake up!" Ekono shouted, stretching across the buggy and lightly punching Walter's shoulder.

Walter woke with a start, looked around with wide eyes and then set about climbing off the buggy.

"Sorry, guys. I don't even remember feeling tired."

"Come on, let's get through this teleport hoop before Santiago's painkiller mix wears off," said Aron. "Are you still okay going first, Walter?"

"Yeah," Walter replied. "I can't say I'm looking forward to it."

"Okay. Let's stick to the plan. You go first. Ninety seconds later, I'll follow, then Margaux. Ekono you get to sit with the buggy for a while and guard this room until we return."

Ekono gave a military-style salute. Walter walked cautiously closer to the large hoop.

"Remind me, how do you activate this thing?" Aron asked.

"It just starts as you get close enough."

"How close?"

"Less than a metre," Walter replied. "We've never tested it. I really hope that Santiago's painkiller does what he said it would."

"Let's get this over with," said Aron.

Walter reached out his right hand towards the centre of the look. Aron watched with amazed fascination as a loud crackle sound started with a pop, loud enough to hear through his helmet. A near-blinding, fluctuating orange flame burst into life around Walter's fingertips, spreading rapidly and seeming to almost pour up Walter's arm.

"How does that feel?" Aron asked urgently.

"You...don't want...t-t-to...nmmm," came Walter's stilted reply.

The sparkling flame illuminated the entire room as it reached Walter's shoulder and spread to his torso. Mesmerised by the spectacle, Aron did not notice the radio link icon for Walter blink out on his visor display.

"I don't want to do this!" crackled Margaux's voice over the radio.

Her voice sounded subdued, but Aron was too awestruck by the teleport to reply immediately. The flame enveloped Walter's helmet and disintegrated its way down his torso. With a powerful mix of fear and fascination, Aron wondered how Walter could survive his legs being in one place and his upper body in another. The technology involved was many generations ahead of anything he had worked with, or even read about.

Seconds later, Walter was gone, and the orange flame quickly disappeared too. He pressed the button on his arm console to begin the ninety-second countdown. The decrementing number was replicated inside his helmet and seemed to be taking a bizarrely long time to count down.

"That looks horrible!" said Margaux.

"I know, but we have to stick to the plan. I don't want Walter thinking he's been abandoned."

"I don't think I can do this," she replied.

"You'll be fine," Aron said. "Megan and Walter have already done this twice and they were both fine afterwards. Santiago's painkiller will stop it hurting."

"That thing tears our molecules apart," she whimpered.

"And it puts them perfectly back together on the other side. It'll be a weird experience, but no aftereffects. Remember to start your time as soon as I go."

His heart sank as his own timer clicked down to zero. "Time to go. Just wait ninety seconds, then follow me. It will all be over very quickly."

Before he stepped forward, he glanced back at Ekono. Ekono tipped his head towards Margaux and nodded confidently.

"See you on the other side," Aron said as he stepped towards the hoop.

The sensation was impossible to describe but the one thing he knew immediately was that Santiago's painkiller injection did not work at all. As the brilliant, flickering flame spread, he focused on trying not to scream, for Margaux's sake.

* * *

Consciousness returned as a fog. The air around his face felt cool and he could not hear the faint whine of his E.V.A. suit's ventilation fans.

"Come on, Aron," said a familiar voice. "We've got to get you out of the way as Margaux will arrive any second."

His memory returned and a whiteness appeared in his vision. His muscles seemed to only be partially connected to his brain and moving his limbs was weirdly sluggish. He tried to reply to Walter but could not. The more he tried to move, the more his muscles lost their sluggishness, allowing him to sit up and, after a brief pause, climb unsteadily onto his feet.

It took a few more seconds to realise that his helmet visor was open and, therefore, he was breathing the air in the room.

"She should be arriving now," Walter announced looking at the touch panel on his sleeve.

Aron cleared his throat, swallowed and then tried to speak again. "That was rough," he slurred.

"It all comes back quite quickly," Walter replied, helping Aron walk slowly away from the white hoop. "She should be here. Ninety-seconds is up."

"Give her a moment," replied Aron.

"What's gone wrong?"

"Nothing," Aron chuckled. "She was nervous. She probably just needs a moment."

"How long do we wait?"

"Ekono will make sure she steps into the hoop. Just give her some time. While we're waiting, let's get a look at this control room.

"It's this way," said Walter, pointing at the only archway in the small, plain room.

"I think my legs are working again now," Aron announced, shaking each of his feet in turn. "That teleport really shakes up the old nervous system!"

"Santiago won't be pleased that his painkiller injection didn't work properly."

"Santiago won't be pleased! I can't say I'm thrilled with that situation," Aron chuckled. "It's the return trip I'm worried about. I don't know if it's worth taking the second dose?"

"The pain goes away sooner with it, but it didn't help during the transfer."

"That's something, I suppose. Let's get a look at this control room then."