Trouble in Orion's Belt; A Stellar Journey
Chapter 2: The Reunion

The planes on Mars were small and a little stuffy. For a family of three it was cramped but the flight would only take a few hours. Pressure suits were worn on the trip to access the walkway to the facility without having to put them on at the end of the flight. Brad was waiting in his pressure suit to accompany them into the facility. The three greeted him in the corner of the landing field. Richard introduced Julia to him.

“Dad has told me a lot about you. He said you could read people and get to know them very quickly.”

“Well I hope he didn’t scare you with any of that crap.”

“No just fascinated.”

“Well you were born a Cancer and your ruling body is Luna and your element is water which means you’re very creative. Whether or not my observations will agree with that assessment remains to be seen.”

“I don’t have any idea what you are talking about.”

“What Brad is saying is that through the instrument of astrology he can make an assessment of your character,” Donna intervened. “But until he’s able to make some observations of you personally he won’t know how accurate the evaluation would be.”

“That is kind of creepy.”

“Not really dear it’s all just superficial observation.”

“And in the end it’s just a hobby of mine,” Brad said.

They had entered into the facility through an airlock. While they were removing their helmets Brad explained that the entrance to the Biocontainment field was a community elevator that was capable of servicing twenty people at a time. They rode the car down with four other people and it was quite comfortable. When they exited the elevator twelve people got onboard.

“It’s not a very busy day,” Brad remarked, “there are usually at least thirty people waiting outside the elevator.”

They stepped onto a metal grated walkway which extended along a wall for thirty feet where they turned in front of a building which was actually a small restaurant.

“I’m parked over there,” Brad said pointing passed a row of cars in the restaurant’s front parking lot.

Brad’s car was an open air vehicle which could seat five people. Brad and Richard climbed into the front while Donna and Julia rode in the back.

“I had this thing designed after WW II army jeep and then I had an electronic genius friend of mine install an engine that was designed by Nikola Tesla himself.”

Brad drove out of the parking lot onto the main road and pointed up a slope where a heating unit was humming steadily.

“That is the very spot your mother and I examined ‘the nodes’ with Bob Wilson.”

Julia looked up the slope through the vegetation which was mostly Martian but noticeably some had been exported from Earth. Evidently the landscape had been groomed in Earth standard.

There were a plethora of plant species which aligned road. As the car gained speed she allowed her eyes to be drawn by the scenery which was a combination of big leafy plants, ferns, vines, and some transplanted Douglas Firs.

“You can barely make out the old cart trails we made,” Donna remarked.

“They’re not as winding as the old trails once were,” Brad said. “The engineering was overseen by the Martians to keep the workers from disturbing the wildlife. I wasn’t around at the time but I’m sure Aumrill let them get away with absolutely nothing.”

“I’m sure,” Donna and Richard said together.

“Geez, mom and dad you make it sound like Aumrill is the ruler of the universe.”

“No not the universe just Mars,” Richard said.

“Aumrill is an amazing person,” Brad said. “She may be actually listening to us at this moment.”

“And anticipating every move we make,” Donna agreed.

“She’s not some kind of god, is she?” Julia asked.

“Oh no, she’s human but far more advanced technologically. The Martians can do some seemingly amazing things but by their own admission are limited.”

At that time the car came to an intersection where the beach and lake were visible. Brad stopped the car and pointed up the road to a large white house on the edge of the beach.

“Okay folks,” he said. That’s my house resting at the bottom of the slope next to the beach. I’m going to park my car and then I’ll meet you by the lake.”

The three got out of the car and they watched Brad drive up the road towards his house. There were some smaller houses that were not that small but were dwarfed by Brad’s eloquent abode.

“Come with me Jul I want to show you something,” Richard said motioning toward the lake.

The two women followed close behind. When they got to the lake Richard picked up a rock and skipped it over the lake.

“Is that what you wanted to show me?” Then she picked up a rock and skipped it over the lake.

“Okay Jul if you imagine that in all your life the only thing you’ve experienced in artificial flying is skipping stones. Now you live in Chryse and have never traveled more than twenty miles from your home and that’s all you know. You hear stories about this place fifteen hundred miles away with a lake and a beach with animals you’ve never seen except in pictures.”

“Okay get to the point.”

“I’m getting there, hang with me. Some people fly into Chryse on a plane like the one we took this morning and they tell you about their trip and some of the things they had seen and experienced.”

“That would be difficult to imagine having never been more than twenty miles from home but I still don’t get your point.”

“Okay close your eyes and try to imagine being on that plane.”

“I just see a blank spot in my mind because I’ve got no reference point to draw from.”

“Now you’re getting there. Let’s say they take you to the plane and you see it with your eyes and can touch it. How would that make you feel?”

“I would be excited, a little disturbed, and a bit scared.”

“Okay now you get on the plane and you sit next to the window and you watch as the plane leaves the ground.”

“And then I’d really be scared.”

“And why would it scare you?”

“Because I’d be seeing something hard to imagine and it would be unbelievable.”

“You took the plane this morning and weren’t scared at all. Why?”

“Because I’ve rode on planes and I know what they are and what they can do.”

“Do you think they’re amazing?”

“Not really it’s pretty simple when you think about it.”

“That’s how we are with the Martians. They’re so far ahead of us it’s hard to imagine. Aumrill told me once that they are not much different than us. They realize their limitations and then they overcome them.

Whereas Earthers have a hard time admitting to their limitations therefore has a more difficult time overcoming them.”

“I see what you mean dad. You mean like the ’Dark-Ages ’when people believed that Earth was flat.”

“Yes now you get the point. So if you were a Martian would you have anything to do with Earthers?”

“I would be reluctant to say the least after all it would be pointless.”

“I feel that way too but fortunately for us the Martians have overcome that prejudice too.”

“Richard who is that group of people walking on the beach they couldn’t be who they seem to be?”

Richard looked over to his left.

“I’ll be damned! You should ‘never say never’ babes. It’s Julia walking with the Wilson’s.”

Brad walked up beside them.

“Well I’ll be slapped silly and sideways I think Aumrill is working overtime.”

When the three arrived at the area Julia hugged young Julia.

“I can’t believe you’re so tall,” she remarked. “The last time I saw you I had to bend over to hug you.”

“And I can’t believe you’re here you were on Earth just a few days ago.”

“I was on Earth this morning only it was afternoon in Pensacola when Aumrill appeared and offered to teleport me here. That was four hours ago. I met Bob and Dana on the beach who were as surprised I was.”

“We were on Ganymede planning our trip back when Aumrill appeared and offered to teleport us,” Bob told them. “And that was only twenty minutes before Julia arrived.”

“Does Aumrill always know where everyone is?” young Julia asked.

“It appears that way but the Martians don’t communicate the way we do and we have no way of knowing how they do it,” Donna answered.

“Well I’m just happy that everyone is here and we don’t have to wait months on end,” Brad said. “Hell, I thought I wanted to spend time on the Beach but it’s chilly out here. Let’s go up to the house.

Brad’s house was a three tier building with an eloquent front step design. There were long straight steps in the front that ran almost the full length of the house and was flanked on each end by steps that led to the corners of the wraparound porch. The front door was recessed under upper decking which wrapped around the second level. The third level was a rectangular dome made of clear acrylic and it was used as an observatory to look out over the lake. Brad told them it was fashioned after a drunken sailor’s home who once lived on the beach in Massachusetts.

The seven went directly up to the observatory. Brad had set a row of seats facing out toward the lake where Julia and Donna immediately began catching up to present affairs.

Richard and the Wilsons sat at a card table behind the rows of seats talking about life on Ganymede. Young Julia was curiously eying Brad’s brass telescope that was attached to a brass tripod set to view the lake. She grasped the telescope shifting it up and down smiling.

“Go ahead and look through it,” Brad suggested.

“You don’t mind,” young Julia said.

“Of course not, that’s what it’s here for.”

Young Julia looked into the eyepiece and laughed.

“No, this can’t be real,” she chuckled again.

“See something interesting?” said Brad.

“Yes, two Spanish Galleons at full sail. I’ve only seen them in pictures but if there was anything like that on Mars it would be well known.”

“Let me show you something,” Brad walked over. “See this adjuster knob,” he said pointing a brass knob on the side. “Now look through it again while tuning this.”

She did as she was suggested.

“Oh, ha, ha, the Galleons faded and now it’s the Spirit of St. Louis. Oh, and now it’s the Titanic sinking.”

“Don’t worry,” Brad said. “It only goes as far as the stern lifting up out of the water.”

“Where did you get this?’

“I built it as a novelty about fifty years ago. I was hoping it would catch on but it didn’t so I keep it here to amuse friends.”

“My mom and dad told me that you were an eccentric genius.”

“Well, they call me names and they didn’t even invite me to their wedding,” then he winked in jest.

Donna cleared her throat.

“But, Brad you know you know that Richard and I were never really married. Besides eccentric isn’t a bad word.”

Brad laughed. “You know I was joking and it was the genius thing that I was talking about.”

Young Julia eyed her mom and then her dad.

“You guys never told me you weren’t married,” she said in a surprised tone.

Richard and Donna glanced at each other.

“Are you telling us that you didn’t know, dear?” Richard said.

“Come to think of it,” the older Julia said, “You guys never talked about it.”

Donna looked surprised.

“I don’t think that marriage is important Richard and I are together because we want to be not because of some Utopian ideal.”

“I was married to Mark for twenty-two years,” Julia said. “Was that because of a Utopian ideal?”

“Look at it this way Julia; let’s say that you and Mark were on a planet completely alone. The two of you love each other and want to be together anyway. Should you feel guilty that no-one is around to perform a ceremony?”

“That would be different. I never regretted marrying Mark and I would have stayed with him regardless but it would have felt strange if we weren’t married.”

“And if you felt differently about marriage, what would you have done?”

“I would have married him anyway; after all who cares about a piece of paper. In the end a ‘promise is a promise’ and a promise means nothing if you don’t intend to keep it.”

“That’s my point Richard never made any promises and if we were meant to be separated it would have happened.”

Richard walked over and kissed her.

“You mean I didn’t promise in words but I never lied to you either.”

“But how do you feel about it Jul?” Julia asked.

“I haven’t had time to think about it but aside from being a little surprised it doesn’t matter much. And they’ve never lied to me either.”

“That’s all that matters,” Julia said. “Just as long as you guys are happy.”

“You were married to Mark for a long time,” Brad began, “where is he now?”

“He was killed in a shuttle accident four years ago. It’s only me and my daughter now.”

“I understand,” Brad said, “I was married for eight years. My wife died in an accident when she was twenty-eight and I was thirty. We had two sons.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that you had children. Where are they now?”

“Well Erik is fifty-seven now and Thomas is fifty-nine. Thomas is an oceanographer and lives in San Diego. Erik lives and works on one of the mid-stations between Earth and Mars. And it is beyond me because I can never tolerate the artificial gravity for any length of time.”

(The mid-stations are the one-hundred-fifty space-stations midway between Earth and Mars where ships can stopover for crew rest and recreation and to deliver supplies.)

Their conversation was interrupted by a communication tone on Richard’s device.

“It’s Dave,” Richard said. “he must have gotten my message.”

“Hello Dave, how are you doing this afternoon?”

“Okay, but it’s late at night here. We just finished the last runs at the mines and I will be able to join you at the facility tomorrow.”

“Great! Bob, Dana, and Julia are here with us just hanging out at Brad’s.”

“Aumrill isn’t wasting any time is she? Tell Brad I can be there in about twelve hours.”

“Okay, we’ll be expecting you Dave,” Brad said over the speaker-phone. “And we will wait for you to arrive before we get into our in-depth discussion of the expedition.”

“Okay. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“Goodbye Dave,” they all said.

“Okay now that the dust is settling,” Brad said, “could I interest everyone in dinner?”

“I’ll help you with the cooking,” young Julia offered.

They ate a hearty meal and later Brad took them all to the second level of the house and made sure each of them was comfortably in a room.

The next morning the group was joined by Jean, a regular visitor according to Brad, and later Dave appeared on schedule.

“Now that Dave is here we can get on with the planning of the expedition,” Richard said. “This will primarily be an archeological venture but I feel there are some aspects that Aumrill isn’t telling me.”

“And what has Aumrill been telling you?” Dave asked curiously.

“Not a whole lot,” Richard admitted. “But she’s always been peculiar in that way. From what I can see she is giving us a chance to explore a planet in another star system in Orion’s Belt. This planet once had intelligent life, I surmise from the seemingly architectural formations on the surface.”

“Well, it’s about time she proposed something,” Dave said. “We’re all getting along in years and before too long we won’t be able to make that kind of an expedition.”

“I suspect that she plans to provide enough equipment to bring the expedition within our capabilities,” Richard assured him.

“Oh, I’m sure of that,” Dave agreed, “but the Martians think so vastly different than we do that I’m sure there will be plenty of surprises in store for us.”

“Well I never said it wasn’t going to be an adventure and we all know what dealing with when it comes to the Martians.”

“True enough, they’ve always been honest with us but the air mystery always looms.”

“I believe that the Martians only let on as much as we can understand at a time and you must admit that even then we end up in the deep-end learning how to swim.”

“Well, Richard, that’s what, bothers me most. It seems that we always end up in a blind alley.”

“Yes, but Dave, look at it this way, when you were learning to fly you had to become familiar with aerodynamics before you could master the movements of the plane.”

“I remember learning on Earth about wind resistance and relearning the difference of the thin atmosphere of Mars. Once I got the hang of it, though, I could fly almost anything.”

“There, you see. You understand the Martians far more than you give yourself credit.”

Jean entered the room just as they finished their conversation.

“Orion’s Belt is out on the outer arm of Milky Way isn’t Richard?”

“Nebulous and remote is one way to describe it.”

“Not without cause I’ve been making strong considerations.”

“Your face is brimming with questions so start asking my friend.”

“Stellar travel is fascinating to me to say the least and I am thrilled.

Travelling such distances is millennia beyond our capabilities. Respectively I am spellbound in awe by our forthcoming expedition. And Orion is among the great wonders of our Galaxy.”

“Now I’m intrigued by your dilemma,” Dave said.

“Get on with it Jean, the anticipation is killing me, Richard said.”

Brad interrupted, “Just spit it out I can’t wait to hear the end.”

“Okay, I don’t think we are ready for this extreme leap forward. Why don’t we call a meeting with Aumrill present?”

“That’s not so unreasonable, Richard,” Brad said. After all he’s right this is a stretch of our capabilities.”

“And I’m going to have to go along with them on this,” Dave agreed.

Later everyone gathered in the observatory for the meeting.

“It looks like we’re all here except Aumrill,” young Julia commented. “I was hoping to finally meet her today.”

“She’ll be around soon dear,” Donna assured her. “The Martians are quite peculiar by our point of view and their appearances and disappearances can be abrupt.”

“That is to say the least,” Brad agreed. “Their conversations can be that way too.”

“Yes, the Martians can be pretty invasive,” Richard concurred.

“So, why do you have so much respect for her,” young Julia formally mused. “She seems to be opposite of what you try to teach me.”

“Aumrill isn’t from Earth she is accustomed to an entirely different code of ethic. And although at the time of her appearance it may seem rude and annoying in retrospect her intrusions are quite appropriate and even within her right.”

“I don’t understand, how could it ever be appropriate?”

“We primarily are squatters and interlopers and we are obligated to observe the rights of the territorial rules and customs. In other words if Aumrill wanted to send us away she could do so and be within her purview.”

“And she could send us away in an instant if she saw fit,” Donna concurred.

“And we’ve witnessed a number of examples,” Brad reiterated.

“The Martians have a supreme yet benign authority when it comes to Mars. They are nonetheless hospitable even by Earth standards after all no authority on Earth would tolerate an occupation such as ours.”

“So, taking consideration of this we should assume that the proposed expedition is entirely appropriate?” Jean queried.

“Yes,” Richard said, “but you are right we should have Aumrill clarify her position.”

All got quiet for a few minutes in the observatory as boredom fell. Monotony was beginning to take hold when Bob picked up his guitar. Bringing it into tune with his voice he began to play.

Everyone recognized ‘Earth Rhythms’ as the name of the song he was playing. Bob wrote it as a reflection of his leaving Earth many years before. He played it for young Julia when she was a baby and she always loved the song. Bob’s voice arrested her as he sang in his smooth melodic technique of balladry. The music helped her to put her mind off the anticipation of meeting the enigmatic Aumrill a personage of whom she had heard inconceivable stories since she was a child. She just let the music carry her away as the lyrics painted pictures on her mind.

Someday I will wake up and see the world as it is

I will look up to the sky and allow future to unfold

I will sing for the sunrise and at sunset wait for the next

Give up my restrictions and fly ever on

Someday I will walk and not crawl into my destiny

I desire only freedom as my heart comes of age

Wisdom is my guide to the tranquility I seek

As I trod this hard well worn highway of unassuming nature

Someday I will remember things now I do not know

I’m never in solitude my love travels by my side

She often wonders what resides beneath my pale blue eyes

A reaching for humanity on its uncertain road

Someday I will rise above this cloud around me now

I will come to the final conclusion

Where finally I will see the meaning of it all

And something tells the day is soon to be

“I don’t know why but that song just makes me feel dreamy,” young Julia said.

“It worked when you were a baby too,” Bob said.

“It worked like a charm,” Donna agreed. “Now that you’ve gotten us into the mood why don’t you play a few more?”

Bob just smiled and started strumming again. He was just warming into the main melody then he stopped short.

He held his guitar still and his eyes were fixed in the middle of the room. The rest of the group turned to look and saw Aumrill standing next to Simon Balkan.

”Well, Aumrill I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show up,” Richard said. “And Simon, it looks as though you’ve changed your mind.”

“Well, Richard I had to make sure everyone was of the same mind.” Aumrill said.

“After I left your house I’d spent my time in sleepless regret. This morning I was mumbling to myself and Aumrill appeared. I thought well, I have nothing to lose so ‘what the hell?’ Aumrill convinced me that we will have everything we need.”

“Now, Jean I understand your concerns,” Aumrill began, “but in every journey there is a new awakening. Transference from the unknown into the known is sometimes an abrasive journey and we must accept this before we can move forward.”

“I see, you say for every new experience there is something new to be learned,” he responded.

“That is essentially correct.”

Well, Simon your expression, ‘What the hell’, is quite appropriate. I will repeat it,” Jean said.

“What the hell,” Simon repeated.

“Yes, what the hell are we just standing around gabbing for? Let’s just pick up our heels and go,” Dana finally said.

Bob kissed her cheek.

“I’ll second that dear.”

“It looks as though we have our crew together,” Richard said. “How soon will we be leaving Aumrill?”

“Now that we are all together in agreement we will begin the preparations momentarily.”

“Hold it,” said Donna sharply. “You don’t think you’re just going disappear without me do you?”

“I thought you were totally against this venture and now you’re insisting to come along?”

“I was never totally against it and now that I know that I can’t stop you then I’m going with you.”

“Richard,” Aumrill interjected, “we anticipated that Donna would want to come along and preparations have been made; she may make the decision.”

“Well it looks as though you’re coming with us,” Richard said as he kissed her cheek.

“You bet I am,” she sad and she kissed him back.”

“So, mom and dad, are you planning to leave me here?” Young Julia said.

“Jul dear, you’re an adult now,” Richard said. “I would imagine that you would want to use this time to spend with your friends. You’ll have the entire house for three weeks. You could even have your friends stay over if you’d like.”

Julia just hung her head low as if not knowing what to say.

“Richard dear,” Donna said. “We’ve forgotten something; Julia’s friends have all gone to Earth to study in their chosen fields. Her boyfriend Joel is studying physics at Princeton University and her best friend Clarice is studying geological science in UCLA. Jul stayed behind to study at your Archaeological Academy.”

“You’re right I did forget a few things. With all this to light it makes good sense to have her come along as an intern.”

“Dad, I was really hoping all along that you would ask me to come with you.”

She hugged him and laid her head on his shoulder.

“Well, I suppose I should put my bid in too,” Julia Davis said. “I was hoping to spend some time with Donna while my daughter is away at her job. So Richard I would like to come alone as well besides there must be room on the agenda for a linguist.”

Aumrill intervened again.

“Accommodations have been set ahead for these two as well because we anticipated that they may want to come along. So once everyone is settled and comfortable we will precede.”

“What’s with all the babble?” Simon said. “We should allow the Martians to do their preparations and get along. There is much work awaiting us that I want to get my hands into before I get a day older.”

“I second that,” Jean said. “I would like to get started before I change my mind again.”

“I want everyone to form a line in the middle of the room,” Aumrill requested.

Brad was the first to walk up and he stood facing Aumrill. Jul was next to him followed by Richard and Donna. Then there was Dave followed by Bob and Dana Wilson. Then Julia followed by Jean and finally Simon.

“Now we are ready to begin,” Aumrill said.

Brad looked to his right as an arched passageway appeared next to his right shoulder and into the next wall.

The walls of this passageway were visibly a foot thick with the outer wall reaching at least nine feet tall and five feet wide. The inner walls had an eight foot arched ceiling.

.“It looks as though this thing goes directly through the wall,” Brad said.

“It does just that,” Aumrill confirmed Brad’s assumption.

“When I look into the passageway it seems to fade into total darkness and then into infinity,” he said further.

“Alnilam is one-thousand light years from our Sun and this portal compresses the distance to approximately twenty miles”

“Do you mean that we will walk to Orion through this portal?”

“That is not entirely correct,” Aumrill explained. “This portal is what you may call a conduit that transforms matter, time and space in one instance and combines them into a singularity. Your body’s experience would be as though you had only travelled twenty miles.”

“Everyone must stand quietly,” Aumrill directed. “We are ready to begin the preparations”

Everyone stood quietly in the line and looked over to their left where it seemed that Martians in groups of three were walking directly out of the air.

The first group of Martians attended Brad and the next group attended Jul and it was so down the line to Simon.

Shortly there were three Martians around each person in the room. There was a Martian on each side of each person and one in the front of them. The ones on their sides lightly held their wrists and touched their shoulders. When everyone was into their positions Aumrill said:

“We will begin the preparation.”

At that time the Martians began moving their hands around each person’s body about three inches from actually touching them. Periodically they would touch and massage the small of their backs and the front attendant would periodically caress their temples.

With each pass of the hands the grey hair would darken the skin became smooth and their backs became straighter; subsequently causing them to appear younger. Young Julia, of course remained unchanged.

After a few minutes of these repetitions Aumrill said:

“The preparation is complete.”

At which time the Martians began walking in reverse order back to which they came, appearing to walk into the air and vanish.

“Now Brad you may turn to your right and everyone else you may form a line behind him.”

Everyone did as they were told and formed a line outside the portal.

“Now everyone put your right hand behind your back and now everyone grasp the right hand of the person in front of you. And Brad once you are on the other side it is important that you continue walking until everyone is visibly on the other side of the conduit. And everyone must continue to hold hands until Brad tells you that he can see all of you.”

“There is adequate shelter and ample provisions to sustain you for three weeks when you get to the other side. Now begin walking through the portal.”

One by on the group began stepping into the mouth of the portal. The line moved steadily until Simon was almost in front of Aumrill.

“Aumrill, I believe I lost sixty pounds in the preparations,” Simon said as he passed.”

“I believe you are correct, Simon,” she agreed. “Have a pleasant journey.”

As he stepped through the opening Aumrill’s voice seemed to stretch in a continuous echo inside the passageway.