Chapters 1, 2 and 3

I was heading out for several meetings with other scientists to exchange information about the advanced physics associated with the Eegis gravity experiments. Because of the highly sensitive and secretive nature of our project, these meetings were always conducted in person at a secure location. The second series of experiments, which I had set up, would be conducted in my absence during my trip. We had no inkling of just how dangerous those experiments would be. Unknown to any of us, our efforts were taking us down a path that would threaten the very existence of Earth, and so much more.

For years I’ve kept an overnighter in my briefcase with underwear, shirt, socks and a toilet kit. That’s for those quick trips I’ve had to take frequently at the last minute. I remember setting it out by my doorway before I went to bed on Wednesday. I don’t remember even getting up on Thursday. Hmmmm? Wait a minute. Now I seem to remember a bit. I grabbed my briefcase and headed over to the deli for breakfast. Then I walked down the street toward the limo pickup spot. I remember passing a large gray van parked at the curb. Then—nothing. It’s like, zappo—not there.

Chapter 1 - Trip to Stentor 7

I deliberately studied each passenger who came through security and into the waiting area for the shuttle. It was from force of habit. The years working on various highly sensitive projects taught and trained me to look carefully for anything unusual. On my first vacation in years, I was headed back to my favorite place in this quadrant of the galaxy. Officially “on vacation” I remained, as always, an active though relaxed member of the Eegis project.

My relaxation ceased and my mind sprung to attention when a tall, and very beautiful redhead strode catlike into the waiting area and flowed into a seat. From the feline way she moved I was sure she was a rare, homo sentient from the old earth. I’d heard about this advanced human subspecies, but had never even seen one. Her simple dress clung to her like a second skin, moving flawlessly just enough to show it was not attached. It was an unusual color, a deep red with amber overtones, almost Titian. As she sat, our eyes met and locked for a moment. A sudden, intense feeling of pleasure ran through my body as I imagined her moving sinuously against me. It was more emotion than thought and caught me off guard. I am never caught off guard and it bothered me big time. The thought, something is just not right, sent a chill through me.

When they called my group to board, she stood and walked toward the gate right in front of me. She was slender, almost fragile. My eyes would not leave her body and its sultry movements as she moved fluidly up the steps and into the shuttle. I have never seen anyone whose body moved so smoothly. She almost seemed to have extra joints in her limbs.

This is one lucky day. I thought to myself as she slithered into her assigned seat next to mine. As soon as I settled in my seat she turned and looked directly into my eyes while her words emanated from the most inviting, full, red lips I had ever seen.

“I’m Leura Clauson. Who are you please?”

Her directness and the musical sound of her voice surprised me even more than her exotic appearance. “Uh Draxel, Draxel Sil—call me Drax.” I was uncomfortable and ill at ease—sure that my voice betrayed my discomfort.

“Have you been to Stentor Seven before?” her silky voice chanted softly. “This is my very first visit to the Vegan star system.”

“Been there several times,” I struggled to say. The barely detectable smell of her sweet breath was like warm milk. She wore a perfume that hung just on the edge of awareness. It was there, but as soon as I thought about it, the scent was gone. I was in uncomfortable territory without a secure footing. “I’m going on my first vacation in years and this is my favorite place to visit. Are you on vacation?”

“No, I’m a botanist on a research project. I plan to study plants growing in the low gravity and artificially controlled atmosphere.”

The lilt of her speech was enthralling. It wasn’t an accent, just different and very musical. “A scientist! I’m impressed!” I smiled as I spoke thinking that was a huge understatement. “How long will you stay? On your project, I mean.”

“At least one stellar year. My grant may be renewed for an additional year. It’s my first major assignment. . . . What was that little smile about?”

“Just a little private joke—on me.” Her perception was amazing.

“A secret?”

“No, just a laugh at myself.” Her directness, too, was a surprise.

“Tell me.”

Now I was getting irritated. “Let’s say it’s just something I’d rather not tell someone I’ve just met.”

Disregarding my irritation, she switched the subject smoothly. “What’s your profession?”

Then it hit me, another uneasy feeling, this one like a deja vu experience. I met this lady before, but that’s impossible—strange! I thought to myself before replying, “I’m a gravity propulsion engineer. Do design work on the propulsion systems on craft like this one we’re on.”

“That must be terribly interesting. Gravity propulsion is a highly complex technology, is it not? I know it takes a great deal of education. Tell me about it, please.”

“You really want those boring details?”

“Absolutely! And also, where did you get your education?”

That question caused a strange experience. It was as though my earlier schooling was a blank. All I could remember was the AGP school. Something in my head was not right and that worried me. “I took advanced gravity propulsion at the AGP center on Earth.”

“And how long did that take?”

Her questions were natural enough, but that nagging worry about something just beyond my senses and memory continued. “After a basic engineering degree, state licensing requirements include two more years of advanced schooling with lots of math and physics. Then we have a year of training on the equipment, two more of working in the field and finally, passage of an examination before the state grants a license.”

“Wow! That’s five years. Botanists have it much easier.”

“I don’t know. Biochemistry is a very intricate and demanding science. Applied to complex living systems, it has to demand a great deal of effort.”

“It is also very fascinating and rewarding.”

“I’ll bet it is.”

“So you are vacationing here?”

“Yep! This vacation is long overdue and Stentor Seven’s my favorite place to visit.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve seen the digirecords, but those are quite bland. No beauty or poetry. You said you’ve been there?”

“Yes, and it certainly is beautiful, spectacularly beautiful.”

The shuttle’s engine hum increased and it rose slowly from the pad to start the two-hour trip. The motion was quite noticeable, but would disappear as soon as we cleared the atmosphere and the main drive kicked in.

“How did it come to be? The records were very sketchy about the planet’s origins; they just mention that it was artificially created with no explanation. What does that mean?”

I was becoming more comfortable and overcoming that sense of misplaced reality. Maybe that was because I was now on familiar territory. “It was once a small, sterile planet a bit smaller than Mars and about two thirds its mass. It lies just the right distance from the red dwarf star, Stentor, for a life supporting environment. Focused gravity beams were used to tow huge ice planetesimals in from the Stentor Oort cloud. They melted and became the oceans and created the atmosphere, mostly carbon dioxide. Special vegetation was introduced to consume the Carbon dioxide and add oxygen to the atmosphere, but you should know all about that, don’t you?”

“Yes, that’s one thing I studied, the conversion of primordial atmospheres. All botanists study that early in their schooling since it has been used to modify many planets.”

“Then you should also know this, a wide spectrum of the biota from earth-like environments was also introduced. It took almost six hundred years of a great chaotic profusion of these plants on the land and plankton in the seas to bring the atmosphere to its present mixture, very much like earth’s except for a bit lower content of nitrogen and a much larger argon component. Am I right?”

“The introduction of the biota, yes, but the six hundred years it took? I don’t remember being taught about that.”

“That’s probably because the exact time for the change varied from place to place. After that, temperatures, pressures and everything else were adjusted for human habitation and the biota thrived. Since then, many larger life forms were introduced and soon flourished. The combination of optimal rotation rate and distance from Stentor, along with lots of work over the years gave us a semitropical paradise covering the entire surface.”

“It sounds wonderful.”

“Because of the low gravity, plants grow to immense size and spectacular proportions. That, I trust will be the focus of your research project.”

“You are correct. Please tell me more.”

“In this light gravity, stable mountains rise seventy thousand feet with sheer cliffs and unbelievable waterfalls. The muted sounds of the slow waterfalls and of the unusual rivers are like a chorus of musical mumbles. Waves on the oceans can grow huge, yet they seem to roll in slow motion. The surf amazes everyone with spectacular thirty foot breakers tumbling slowly and gently onto the sand.”

“I can see why it’s such a popular vacation spot. How about the weather?”

“The weather is marvelous, mostly sunny and warm with fractal-like white clouds moving slowly across hazy, pale blue sky. In order to have adequate surface pressure, the atmosphere is kept many times deeper than on your home planet. Because of this, no stars can be seen at night and the central star, Stentor appears bright red. Clouds can rise as high as a hundred miles and the winds always drift by gently.”

“That’s amazing, very different from Earth.”

“Then there’s the rain, the unbelievable warm rain. Because of the low gravity, raindrops fall slowly, congealing into large blobs which grow to near tennis ball size before they blow apart by the air as they fall through it. The soft pelting of big blobs of warm water feels great.”

“I heard about the rain. I can hardly wait to experience it. I want to run through it freely, without clothes.”

I would sure like to see that, ran through my mind, but I didn’t mention it. Her next comment drew vivid mental pictures in my mind.

“If the chance comes up, could we run through the rain together? I’d like that.”

It was said so innocently, so matter-of-factly, she caught me speechless. I paused to calm my imagination and struggle for composure. “Uh—yeah—sure. That sounds like a great idea.”

“It sounds like true paradise. I hope I can spend my leisure time enjoying a few of the things you describe. Would you show me around some while you’re on vacation? I don’t mean to interfere with your plans, but I know no one else here.”

I was beginning to believe my good fortune might overwhelm me. “Why, yes! I would enjoy it. I have no specific plans, none at all.”

“Wonderful. I won’t have much to do for the first few weeks so I want to look around a lot. I’m certain to find many new things to experience. It all sounds so exciting,” she said just as the main drive took over and the hum and vibrations ceased. We soon cleared the atmosphere and were on our way.

Over the next hour I relaxed completely as we spoke about families and friends. She drew pleasant experiences out of my memory and shared her experiences as a child and about growing up. There was an unusual quality to her stories. They were very softly emotional. Incredibly, I could almost feel her joys and pains as she described them.

After a rather long pause in our conversation I realized she had fallen asleep. Her head against my shoulder brought on pleasant sensations, as did her snuggling down against me several times during the flight. I examined her closely. Her hair was extremely fine with individual hairs growing unusually close together. It was the same dark red as her dress with no hint of a color change near the roots. If it was dyed, it was an absolutely perfect job. She turned a bit and put her hand ever so gently on my right arm. Her pale amber skin was baby soft and unflawed. When I touched her hand, it felt like satin, almost frictionless. By now I knew she was far too perfect for a normal human. The “scentars” as those rare advanced humans were called by some, were reported to have unusual emotional abilities. She certainly seemed to possess those.

I noticed a crystal pin high on her dress, the only adornment she wore of any kind. It was a feather, about an inch long and quite fragile. It looked like a real feather, but very tiny and crystal clear. When it moved, it displayed faintly the many colors of the spectrum. It seemed one moment to be clear, another to flash color, and another to catch and reflect or refract any light source. It flashed with colors so vibrant it seemed almost alive.

A slight bump was followed by vibrations and the hum of the landing drive. Leura sat upright without the slightest hint she had been asleep. “We must be arriving.”

I looked blankly at her. “You slept the last hour almost without moving. I wish I could do that.”

“Just concentrate on pleasant thoughts and close your eyes. You’ll go right to sleep.”

I smiled at her easy answer, still concentrating on the lovely crystal feather pin. “What’s that pin your wearing? It’s quite beautiful.”

“A gift. My mother gave it to me when I completed my studies. It’s the only jewelry I ever wear. It’s supposed to signify fidelity.”

“That’s one I never heard before.”

“Actually it’s a special kind of fidelity. Fidelity to a common, usually treasured experience with someone you love. My mother loved me very much, and I her. It’s about the wonderful life we spent together before I left home. Specifically, it’s commemorating our last day together. That experience will never happen again.”

“That’s beautiful, sad, but beautiful.” I felt undeniably and intensely morose for just a moment as she spoke. That nagging wariness of unknown origin again troubled me.

“Yes, I gave her a similar pin. It’s a family custom. We both knew we would never see each other again.”

I’m sure my shock showed. “Why not?”

Her voice had changed almost painfully. “It’s a bit complicated. We just knew our paths would never cross again.”

The sorrow within me became almost overpowering. “How can you be so sure?”

Leura had the tiniest hint of melancholy for just an instant. “Please, I’d rather not talk about it anymore.”

I experienced a sudden intense change to terrible anxiety. It was almost overwhelming. Then, just as suddenly, it was gone and I felt fine. “What was that all about?” I said out loud in reaction.

“What was what all about?” her clear, silky voice had returned.

“Sorry. I just had a very strange feeling for an instant and it startled me.”

Once more Leura shifted mental gears without hesitation. “Would you be able to help me to my hotel? This is all so new to me and I’m a bit nervous about going there alone.”

With my luggage scheduled to be delivered, I was free to go where I wished. “Certainly!”

“You’re sure it won’t be an inconvenience?”

“Positively. I’d love to see you to your hotel.” Once again I could hardly believe my good fortune. By this time I was beginning to grow accustomed to her soft, musical speech.

As we approached the hotel I remarked, “Buildings like this hotel are constructed in ways unimaginable on planets with normal gravity. Giant overhangs, huge spans, delightfully fragile overhead structures with plazas, walkways and open spaces.”

“Yes, it is quite extraordinary,” she said as the air car dropped us at level 196 of the hotel. It landed smoothly on the cantilevered plaza. Leura picked up the one small bag she carried and danced across the plaza right to the edge. She was a little girl spinning with excitement from one side of the outside walkway to the other as I led her to her room.

“I’ve never been up this high in the hotel. How’d you manage such a room? I thought the upper floors were reserved for foreign dignitaries?”

“And foreign botanists,” she quipped as she flipped her hair and, with a flourish, hand-printed the door which slid soundlessly into the wall and then closed silently behind us after we walked inside.

I was dumbfounded. The room was decorated in shades of the exact same colors as Leura’s dress and hair. “This can’t be accidental. How’d you get your room decorated to match—you?”

Her look and demeanor changed and she laughed in that sensuous, lyrical way, no longer the little girl. Her voice also changed its timbre and now sounded almost like a flute or muted violin, terribly emotional.

“I plan on being here for at least a year so they let me have my choice of decoration. Do you like it?”

“It takes some getting used to, but it certainly is beautiful.” Once more I smiled as an intense feeling of warmth and pleasure flowed through my entire body. “Wow!” came out of my mouth as an involuntary expression.

Leura stepped lightly to the entertainment console and turned on music I had never experienced. In its unusual tones and mixed rhythms I sensed more than heard the plaintiff cry of a loon, the rustle of pine trees in the wind, the crashing of waves on a rocky shore and even the sounds of passion. It bordered on being visual and was very pleasing. Leura smiled as she switched the glass outside wall from clear to one way. We could see the beauty of Stentor Seven stretched out before us, but no one outside could see in.

Once more I became aware of her delicate perfume, just on the edge of my senses as she walked over and looked straight into my eyes. The warm milk-like fragrance of her breath also caressed my sense of smell. It was intoxicating. She reached up and gently placed her wrists on my shoulders. Her hands hung loosely, just touching my back. I hated the shirt that lay between her hands and my skin.

“Now, Mr. Sil, I want us to dance together. Would you like that?”

Completely out of my element and on the edge of losing any hint of control, I replied lamely, “Yes, I would.”

What the hell is happening? I wondered to myself. I was now totally beyond rational control. When she slipped her silky fingers around my neck, took my hand and moved to the music, I looked directly into her eyes. I realized they were a dark blue with just a hint of red to the black of her huge pupils.

“Pull the little ring at the back of my collar,” her soft voice commanded.

With a slight pull her dress changed from the dark red-amber to an iridescent blue-green. She began moving rhythmically against me to the hypnotic beat and sound of the strange music. The sensation penetrated my whole body which flushed with warmth.

“Now, dear Drax, I want to show you my appreciation for what you are going to do for me.”

She pulled me gently into the bed where cool satin sheets caressed my skin. I could hardly tell the difference between those sheets, her skin and her silky dress. Something akin to fear, but not actually fear, surged through my being. I was perceiving everything with intensely heightened senses and enjoying every delicious moment.

“Lie on your stomach. I want to give you a massage,” she urged.

Ecstatic, I immediately complied. Her long, slender fingers were soon working up and down my spine, around my shoulder blades and neck and finally down the back of my legs. I had never felt so good, so totally aware, in my entire life. Just when my body had turned completely to jelly, she stopped the massage and began dragging her fingers lightly over my bare arms. Suddenly I felt her lips moving up and down the back of my neck. The stimulation to my skin was ecstatic. She stopped and lay down on her stomach beside me.

“My turn.”

I was overcome with passion and amazement. “What do you want me to do?”

“Just do to me what I did to you. Don’t you think that’s fair?”

I remembered a line from the distant past and uttered it under my breath, “Resistance is futile.”

I began in the middle of her back. The fabric of her dress seemed just like a second skin. Unbelievably soft and satiny, it moved smoothly to my touch. She had no taut muscles. After I massaged her for a while she rolled over on her back and looked up at me, those dark eyes boring into my very essence.

“Tickle me please. Slide your fingertips slowly and gently over my skin. Just barely touch me. Just like I did to you. You liked that didn’t you?”

“I prayed you’d never stop.”

“Do it until I can’t stand it anymore. Then we can weep together.”

“Weep? What do you mean, weep?”

“Weep for joy. Ultimate joy.”

“I’m game. Joy sounds wonderful right now.”

“You’re doing wonderfully. Then, when both of us are completely overwhelmed with joy—then we will weep.”

I felt as if I would explode. Every touch of my fingertips on her silky body drove me to new heights of ecstatic pressure. After what seemed like hours Leura rose slowly, slid over beside me and began brushing my hands and arms with her fingers as I continued touching her. When I could stand it no longer, I stopped moving my hands.

She sensed the change and rolled ever so slowly onto her back pulling me down with her.

Those dark blue eyes continued to bore into my very soul while her soft voice hummed quietly, “Weep my love. Weep for time,” —Her voice trailed off into silence.

My mind and senses virtually exploded, a long, delicious explosion of complete abandon. I completely lost my sense of gravity and seemed to float in the midst of the continuing soundless explosion. I had never before felt such intense pleasure. The center of my very being separated from my head and floated through my body. Intense feelings ricocheted between joy and melancholy, then pleasure and despondency, never remaining for long in any single state.

After what felt like an eternity, Leura’s near whisper floated through my head. “Thanks dear Drax. Thanks for life and love.” I opened my eyes and looked at her for an instant. I was surprised to see narrow streams of tears running from the corners of her eyes. I drifted once more in complete, all-engulfing, feeling-filled silence.

Things changed—suddenly and drastically. Normal gravity had returned. When I reached for her, all my grasping hands found was a slightly damp, rumpled cotton sheet. What the . . . I thought as I opened my eyes to the shock of a bright, sunlit window in a beige room. I was alone and in a different bed in a different hotel. Outside, the sun was rising over the unmistakable skyline of Cleveland Ohio. “My God!” I said out loud. I was incredulous! “I never . . . almost forgot who I was,” came stumbling out of my mouth.

A flash of realization made me check my watch. I saw there was barely enough time to get to my breakfast meeting with Arlo Trippy, the engineer who was my NASA contact, working with me on their part of the Eegis project. I dressed quickly, grabbed my suit coat and headed for the dining room. Arlo was waiting as I walked in.

“Right on time. I like people who are punctual.”

“I almost wasn’t. You wouldn’t believe the wild dream I had last night or rather this morning. At least, I think it was a dream. It seemed so unbelievably—alive.”

“Sometimes dreams can seem very real.”

“This one sure was.” I shook my head. Still, bewildered. “Well, let’s get down to far out physics. That’s reality.”

“Certainly.” Arlo paused and gazed intently at my coat lapel. “What’s that pin you have on? You weren’t wearing it yesterday.”

I glanced at my lapel. Firmly attached was a tiny crystal feather.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 2 - Was it or wasn’t it?

I felt an instant of absolute disorientation as I tried to concentrate on the business at hand while facing the unbelievable reality of the crystal pin in my lapel where my small Mensa logo pin usually was attached. How could that feather be?

“What’s the matter, Drax? You look almost—terrified.”

I struggled to come up with a plausible explanation for Arlo’s ears. The dream would definitely not work. “I– uh– just realized– uh– that I forgot to tell my boss about something very important before I left.” A lame little lie, but it would work—for Arlo.

“Well why don’t you get on your cell phone and tell him now? I can’t believe that the unflappable Draxel Sil could freak out over anything.”

Sanity and control were slowly returning, responding to my I-can-handle-anything attitude about life. “No big deal. I don’t need to call right now, and it’s Ms. Mendrex. She’s a career administrator and probably hasn’t a clue about what we do at the research level. Still, she has a lot to say about who does what.”

“Do I hear a hint of resentment?”

I was feeling more comfortable and recovering from the initial shock of seeing the feather as the minutes passed. “No, nothing like that. Actually, I like the job she does. She keeps us on our toes and makes us justify the time and money we spend yet doesn’t meddle in what we actually do. She’s one of the best superiors I have ever had.”

Arlo continued as his usual nosey self. “Then why the white knuckle reaction? A little macho male reaction perhaps?”

“Damn it Arlo, I don’t think like that. Maria is a great boss in every respect.”

His snide grin disappeared. “Just a thought.”

I stumbled mentally. Lying like this was just not in my area of expertise. I was quite uncomfortable and wished Arlo wasn’t so curious and aggravating. “Let’s get down to what we met to discuss. I remembered a minor error and can correct it with a call after our meeting. No harm done.”

“You still looked for a moment as though someone had hit you right between the eyes with a two-by-four. Are you sure you’re OK—that you don’t need to contact her right away?”

“Positively!” Come on Arlo, let it go. I thought to myself.

As if in an answer to my unspoken plea a waitress suddenly appeared. “You boys ready to order or do you need a few minutes?”

By the time breakfast and our discussion of the status of the Eegis project was over Arlo seemed to have forgotten the incident that still gnawed at my thoughts. As Arlo left, he gave me this admonition, “You’d better remember to call your boss pretty soon. Whatever you forgot must have been quite important.”

I almost lost it, but managed to control my reaction with, “Thanks for reminding me. I’ll do it as soon as I get back to my room.”

Walking back to my room I knew the reality of the feather was going to dog my thoughts for a long time.

There were many jewelers in the Schofield building on Ninth Street and there was one I wanted to see about the feather. I knew Victor Bump since renting a room in his house while attending Case-Western Reserve University years ago. I headed across the square from my hotel. I walked up Euclid Avenue to Ninth past stores and buildings greatly changed since I last walked this way. I knew Victor would give me his opinion of the feather or at least something about the pin if anyone could.

It was about eleven thirty when I walked down the hall my heels clicking on the ancient white tile on the eighth floor. Little had been changed in this building since it was built during the boom early in the twentieth century. Dark sandstone, cold metal ceilings and black and white mosaic floors, slightly worn. It even smelled ancient.

“Hi Victor.” I called as I walked into the tiny office and up to the open half door separating the reception area from the work room. “How’s the jewelry business these days?”

“Drax! Is that you? How have you been and what have you been up to? I haven’t seen you in years.”

“I don’t remember for sure, Victor, but it was at least three years ago. I was in Cleveland right after you made those special earrings for me to give to Stephanie and she’s been out of my life for almost that long.”

“I never did think she was right for you. A bit too mercenary for my tastes and for yours, I’ll bet.”

“You got that right. How’s your family? That boy of yours is out of college now, isn’t he?”

“Yes, Chris is doing quiet well. He’s working for NASA on some kind of hush-hush project. He won’t even tell his old dad about what he does—top secret he says.”

I gulped at that revelation. I wonder if he could be involved in the Eegis project? I thought, but of course remained silent. “That’s great. I know you are very proud of him and justifiably so.”

“Yes, He certainly makes me proud of him. Sheila does as well. She will graduate from dental school in two years. That’s all well and good, but you didn’t come up here to chitchat about my kids. What can I do for you?”

“Actually, Victor, I have something—a piece of jewelry I want your expert opinion about.”

“Oh? Let me see it?”

“It’s this small pin in my lapel. What can you tell me about it?” I asked as I removed it from my jacket and handed it to him.

Victor took the pin and started to examine it with his loupe. “That’s a very high quality piece—it looks carved and not cast.”

“Do you have any idea who could have made it or where it comes from?”

“Hmm!” emanated from Victor’s mouth as he examined the pin, but otherwise he remained silent.

After about five minutes, he placed the pin on the counter and looked at me. “This is an extremely unusual and high quality piece of workmanship. Frankly, I’ve never seen any like it and would have no idea who might have created it or where it could have been made. It is obviously carved, but I see no carving marks, none at all. One cannot carve any kind of crystal without leaving tiny marks from the carving instrument. This piece has no marks of any kind. In fact, I can see no imperfections of any kind. That is startling. Where did you get it?”

“It was a gift from a friend, an unusual friend.”

“Well, I’d like to know where your friend got it. Such detailed and accurate work. It looks almost as if someone took a feather, turned it into an unusual crystal material and then shrunk it to its present size. I know that’s impossible, but there it is. Can’t you ask your friend about it?”

“I doubt I’ll ever see her again.”

“Her, you say? Drax are you out trying to find that one woman again? That kind just doesn’t exist.”

“You’d better not let Martha hear you say that.”

“Well, there are those few exceptions,” he said with a grin. Then quite seriously, “I’d still like to know where she got this and how it was made. Nothing I’ve ever seen even comes close to this kind of workmanship. That feather is a master work of art.”

“If I ever see her again, I’ll ask.”

Victor gazed intently at the pin, turning it this way, then that. “I wonder,” he said slowly.

“Wonder what?”

“Would you let me examine it again and test it a bit more thoroughly? I promise not to hurt it.”

“What kind of test?”

“I have become a bit suspicious about the material it’s made of. There are very few materials that are so clear and refract light the way it does.”

“And what materials would those be?”

“Glass, cubic zirconium, quartz, moissanite, and diamond. Let me put it in my little magic analyzer and I’ll tell you which it is.”

I handed the pin to him and soon he had it mounted securely in his little machine. “What does that do?” I asked.

“It will provide us the refractive index, heat conductivity and hardness. Each of the materials mentioned will have a different combination of those three properties. It will only take a moment for the analyzer to give us an answer.”

Several flashes of light, a click, a hum and then a small piece of paper scrolled out of the machine. Victor picked up the paper, looked at it, and turned to me with an amazed look on his face. “What is it?” I asked.

“That’s very hard to believe, Drax, very hard indeed.”

“Tell me.”

“Before I do that I want to look at it through a magnifying glass more powerful than my loupe,” he said as he transferred the feather to another examination instrument.

After several minutes examining it in silence, he gave me a look of incredulity.“It’s technically impossible, but your feather is made of absolutely flawless clear white diamond.”

“Diamond? Are you sure?”

“Absolutely! Now I know I have never seen—even imagined such a piece. That feather is a priceless piece of art. Absolutely priceless. Where did you meet this woman? Where is she from?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you which I won’t.”

“OK Mr. Mysterious, have it your way. I will pry no more, but I would certainly like to know. That feather’s quite spectacular. It belongs in a museum under 24 hour guard. I can’t imagine its worth—hundreds of millions to the right buyer I’m sure.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Never more serious in my life.”

“My God!—What do I do about it?”

“Seriously? The best thing you could do would be to keep wearing it on your jacket. If it were a known art or jewelry object I would have heard of it and remembered. If you keep this information to yourself, I doubt anyone would notice. And the best place to hide a small object? Right in plain sight. Oh yes, don’t lose it or leave it anywhere. I wish I could refer you to someone else for help, but I wouldn’t know where to start.”

“How can I act casual about it?”

“Drax, I know you quite well. If anyone can do that, you’re the one.”

“Damn! That’s not going to be easy. I’ll be as nervous as a mouse in a barn full of cats.”

“You know your secret’s safe with me, but don’t mention it to another person—ever!”

“OK Victor, and thanks for the exam and info even if it did blow both our minds. You’re still the best there is at answering such questions. I’m glad I was in Cleveland and knew you when I got it.”

“Thanks for the compliment. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“That’s about it. If I ever do find that one woman, I’ll have you make some special jewelry for her.”

“Stop in anytime. It’s always nice to chat with an old friend, especially one who did so much for my kids when they were little. Any chance you’re here long enough to stop over for dinner? Martha would love to see you and Chris lives close enough to drop over.”

“Unfortunately my plane leaves in about two hours. I just came to town for a short meeting that we couldn’t handle over the phone or Internet. Prying eyes and ears you know.”

“Well, try and get back for a real visit with us before I have grown grandchildren.”

“I’ll try! Say hello to Martha for me and remember me to both of your kids, will you? I have some great memories of times spent with them.”

“You know, of course that you’ve always been Chris’s idol. He went to Case and got his engineering degree just because you went there.”

“I knew that and considered it one of my crowning achievements—earning his respect that is. I hope he keeps up with his dream of making a scientific break through. I didn’t realize he was working for NASA. Of course, I haven’t seen any of you for several years while I’ve been working in California.”

“They’ll be glad to hear from you. I assume you’re still working on those far-out things you couldn’t talk about.”

“Yeah! It’s a living.”

“Are you still associated with Cal-Tech? The physics department wasn’t it?”

“No, I left there about three years ago to join a small, private research group working on some extremely revolutionary stuff.”

“I suppose that too, is very hush-hush?”

“For the most part, yes.”

“You and Chris seem to have that too in common.”

“Yeah! It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it.”

Victor laughed. “Get out of here, but come back soon. Best of luck on whatever you’re working on.”

“I’ll try, but no guarantees.”

“Sounds just like the Drax I’ve known for so long. One last thing, if you ever decide to sell or otherwise get rid of that pin, let me help you. I won’t take a penny, but I know enough about the problems associated with such an item to save you a great deal of grief.”

“Victor, you are a jewel. I will definitely do as you suggest. If ever I decide to do anything like that.”

As I walked down the hall to the elevator, many happy memories of Victor and his family ran through my head. Thoughts of the feather soon took over my mind. I was at a total loss as to what to do next to find out about the pin or where and how it came got on my lapel. There was just no rational explanation unless that “dream” was a reality. If it was real, how did I get to the hotel in Cleveland? That together with the knowledge Victor provided was driving me crazy. I could hardly think about anything else.

I grabbed a cab to my hotel, picked up my small overnighter and headed for the Rapid Transit to get to the airport. I would have to hurry to catch my flight. The feather and the dream fully occupied my mind—it was becoming an obsession. No matter what I thought about, it always lead to a dead end. By the time I dropped into my seat on the plane I was on the verge of becoming a basket case.

My Delta flight was by way of Salt Lake City and would get me into LA about quarter to nine. Normally I would read, sleep or work on my PC to occupy my time. I tried reading, but couldn’t concentrate. I knew PC work was impossible and doubted I could get any sleep. Thank God the tiny, elderly lady sitting next to me was deeply engrossed in a book. I was not up to small talk with anyone.

My mind reeled all the way to Salt Lake—no ideas, no anything. I was completely without answers, even lacking intelligent concepts to think about. I finally decided to have a couple of drinks—and I just don’t drink. Maybe then I could get some sleep. By the time the plane touched down in Salt Lake City I had managed a few short naps, but still no relief.

I wandered aimlessly around the terminal ‘til departure time, taking my seat in the plane with about fifteen minutes to wait. As the door closed, a young woman with a high collared coat and a large head of hair black as midnight walked in and sat down in the seat next to me. She had two carry-on bags. One she placed overhead, the other she opened in her lap and removed several large books before placing it under the seat. I was so preoccupied, little about her registered with me. One thing I did notice was that her face was virtually hidden by hair. It was in that carefully coiffed, seemingly messed, just-got-out-of-bed look.

“Are you from Salt Lake?” she asked

“No!” I responded not wanting to start any conversation. She obviously understood my feelings and immersed herself in one of the large books in her lap.

I finally went to sleep and was only awakened when the pilot announced our landing at LAX. My deplaning habit was to wait in my seat until most passengers were gone, then walk out quickly. The young lady next to me took some time putting her books into her carry-on before standing and taking down the bag from the overhead bin. To my great surprise she suddenly reached over and pressed a very small envelope in my hand before hurrying down the aisle. I immediately opened the envelope and found a card with a phone number and the words, call me. The number was one that placed its location close to where I lived in Pasadena. The thing that grabbed my interest and almost blew my mind was the other item in the tiny envelope. It was my Mensa pin. What the hell is this all about? I said silently to myself.

I hurried off the plane looking for her, but the young lady was nowhere in sight. The mystery was getting complicated. This was a new and very real contact. The experience with Leura was seeming less and less like a dream, but there was no doubt about either pin. Both were very real as was the woman in the plane and the note. Those very concrete facts gave me pause to wonder if my "dream" was indeed a dream. I had no choice but to follow it up.

In the Limo between LAX and my apartment in Pasadena I studied the envelope and the note. It looked ordinary enough, a simple, plain, personal note like those boxed notes sold in office supply stores. There was, however, something about the way it felt that bothered me with unidentified familiarity. It hung just out of reach of my memory like a name one can’t quite seem to remember. I would certainly call that number in the morning. I tried my cell phone but the battery was completely discharged and it would be far too late to call by the time I got home.

I watched the late news from my bed and mercifully dropped off to sleep before it was over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 3 - The Mystery deepens

I awoke to the morning news which merged seamlessly with the news that had put me to sleep. I just finished dressing after my morning shower when the door chime announce a visitor.

“Who’s there?” I said to the entrance intercom.

“This is lieutenant Corbett, Pasadena police, Mr. Sil. I’d like to have a word with you.”

“What’s this about?”

“It’s quite important. You either need to come down here or let me in so I can come up there.”

Now what the hell do the cops want with me? I wondered. “C’mon up.” I said as I entered the door release code in the keypad.

Five minutes later I welcomed the lieutenant into my apartment. He was early fortyish with an athletic body and tousled, curly brown hair that clung to his head like a knit hat. He looked like a guy you wouldn’t want to mess with.

An extended hand and friendly “I’m Jim Corbett, Pasadena police.” made a good first impression. I liked this man immediately.

“Draxel Sil, just call me Drax. I know this isn’t a social call, What’s it about.”

His first question was a shocker. “Do you know a Leura Clauson?”

Add that to all that had happened earlier and I became even more confused. “Uh—yes—sorta.” was all I could think to say.

“Sort of? What kind of an answer is that? Do you or don’t you know her?”

My mind raced to find a reasonable answer that wouldn’t paint me as an absolute kook for the lieutenant. I found it. “Yes, I know her in a very unusual way I’d like not to try to explain until I know more about why you are asking.”

“Well, maybe you can explain this.” He handed me a bound notebook about five by eight. “Look inside.”

As I glanced through it I saw pages filled with neatly written information about me, my travels and my meetings—the ones I had yesterday along with a number of previous days. It went back at least two months. “Where in Hell did you get this?”

“I thought you might be interested. We found it just a block down the street in the apartment of one Leura Clauson. At least that’s the name on the tenant list and on the lease. That’s why I asked if you knew her.”

“Why were you in her apartment? Has something happened.”

“Take a look at this and tell me what you think.” he said handing me a digital camera showing a photo of a badly damaged room.

“Is that blood all over everything?”

“Yep! Lots of it. The apartment, her apartment, had been torn up more than any I have ever seen before. That’s why homicide was called. Folks in the neighboring apartment called 911 to report a violent fight about two this morning. When our guys arrived they found her apartment virtually destroyed. Furniture was broken and the main entrance door was torn off its hinges. There was blood everywhere as you can see in the photo, but there was no one around, alive or dead. The people who called it in had barricaded their door they were so frightened.”

“Did anyone else see anything?”

“I don’t think I should answer that just yet until we can explain what that notebook was doing there. We found it on the floor, under the bed. That’s why I’m here.”

“I wish I knew, lieutenant, I really wish I knew, but I’m dumbfounded by that notebook and I don’t believe I ever met the Leura Clauson who lived in that apartment.”

“But you do know a Leura Clauson, right?”

“I was afraid you were going to ask that. How are you on bizarre stories?”

“I checked you out before coming here and you don’t seem the type to tell bizarre stories so go ahead, tell me you story.”

“Well, very basically, I met a Leura Clauson in a dream, a very strange and yet very real dream I had just the other night. I’ve never met anyone by that name in real life, never. Believe me, I would have remembered.”

“I asked several of her neighbors to describe her so we would have some idea who to look for. Only one remembers ever seeing her clearly and she has lived there for almost six months. She seems very private. No one remembers having spoken with her.”

“What did your witness say she looked like.”

“Tall and very slender, youngish, maybe mid-twenties, and with a very large, coal-black hairdo.”

Click—a match! “She sounds like the woman who sat next to me on the plane from Salt Lake last night. She handed me a note and asked me to call her.”

“Do you have that note?”

I picked up the envelope from my desk and handed it to him. “Not much on the note.”

The lieutenant removed the note and read it. “Can I have this? It might help us out.”

“Sure! But I want it back.”

He scowled at the note, then checked his own pocket notebook. “Well isn’t that interesting? That phone number is for the one in her apartment. I don’t think you need to call. I believe you have met our Leura Clauson. Does she match the one in your dream?”

More complications. I thought. “Not really. The one in my dream had straight red hair, but the rest of the description fits, sort of.”

The lieutenant became very official. “Where were you around two this morning?”

I grinned. “You had to ask, didn’t you?”

“Just doing my job. I’m sure your apartment security will tell us, but how about it?”

“The limo dropped me off about eleven. I was so exhausted from my quick trip east I went right to bed watching the late news and died. I got up just a short time before you arrived.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positively! By the way lieutenant, have you had breakfast? I’m starved and usually eat at that little deli across and down the street. Would you like to join me? Cops do eat, don’t they?”

The lieutenant relaxed noticeably. “Usually I eat on the run, but we can certainly continue our conversation over breakfast.”

I slipped into my shoes, grabbed a jacket and we headed for the deli.

In a corner booth at the deli, and over ham and eggs, toast and coffee, we continued our conversation. “In my report I’m not going to mention anything about your meeting this lady in your dream. I’ll just mention that you met her on the plane. That’s a very interesting story, but I don’t know if I want to hear any more. Dreams don’t make good copy in a homicide report.”

“Homicide? I didn’t hear you mention a body.”

“Honestly? We have no body, but there was enough blood we are quite sure someone died. It looks like a homicide to me and we’re treating it as such. Even without a body.” The lieutenant brought out his notebook. “Do you know a Charles Hruby?”

“No!”

“How about Sigmond J. Frawley?”

“Another blank.”

“Maria Mendrex?”

Click! Again. “That’s my boss’s name.” I said in wonderment. “Why do you ask?”

“Your boss? Those three were listed on a single page in her notebook along with phone numbers. I hoped maybe one of them would be familiar to you. We’ll be running them down for questioning soon.”

“I’ve worked for Maria for two years now. She’s a straight arrow. Very sharp. I’d like to talk to her about this myself.”

“At last we have a positive link, weak, but definite. Otherwise, you’re no fount of information about this lady. What did you two talk about on the plane.”

“We didn’t.”

“You sat next to her for two hours and never said anything to each other?”

“She asked me if I lived in Salt Lake and I said no. That was the sum total of our conversation.”

“Then she gave you the note and left the plane, right?”

“That’s about it.”

“What do you mean, about?”

“I didn’t tell you about the pin.”

“What pin?”

“My Mensa pin. It was in the envelope with the note.”

“She had your mensa pin? How did she get that?”

“That’s a mystery I’d like an answer to myself.”

“Are you sure it is your pin?”

“I know it’s mine because it has the ID number I scratched on the back.”

“When did you lose it? Do you know how long it has been gone?”

“It was on my coat lapel when I hung it up in my hotel room in Cleveland two days ago. The next morning when I went to breakfast it was gone.”

“So you lost it in a hotel room in Cleveland and a lady you do not know gives it back to you in an envelope with a note to call her she handed you before you get off a plane from Salt Lake City. How in hell do you expect my to believe that?”

“When you put it that way it sounds kind of goofy.”

“Impossible I call it. What really happened?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you so I won’t.”

“Try me.”

“Not a chance.”

“Sounds like obstruction to me. You could be arrested.”

“Suppose I told you a little green man walked through the wall of my hotel room, took the pin for a day and then walked through the side of the airplane in flight and gave it back.”

“Now you’re being ridiculous.”

“My point is made.”

“What point? You tell me a ridiculous, nonsensical story and that’s supposed to prove a point?”

“It did to me. If I told you what actually happened to me it would be even more bizarre than the little green man story. Believe me, you would react in the same way. If I ever figure out what happened about the pin, I’ll tell you, but not until.”

“No matter what?”

“No matter what!”

“You are one stubborn son-of-a-bitch.”

“I’ve been called worse.”

“I guess I can’t use a rubber hose and beat it out of you, but if you’re involved in this young lady’s murder or disappearance, I’ll nail you. Count on it.”

“Lieutenant, if I knew anything real that might help you out on this case I’d tell you. Believe me! I’ve told you everything I know or can reasonably suppose. For the sake of my sanity I want those answers at least as much as you. Right now you know a hell of a lot more about Leura Clauson than I do so get off my case. How about telling me what you know for a change.”

“I want to believe you, but it’s hard to keep those doubts in check. You’ll have to admit it sounds a bit shaky.”

“Shaky lieutenant? Hell, what seems to have happened—no, what actually happened to me in the last two days is impossible and I’m on the inside. Your doubts are minor compared to mine.”

“OK, I’ll cut you some slack. I’ll even tell you what we know about Ms. Clauson.”

“That would please me to no end.”

“First of all, we ran a check on her and couldn’t turn up anything. It was as if Leura Clauson didn’t exist. Then we tried searching under similar names and came up with quite a list, most of which were dead ends of one sort or another. There were two women on the list that we decided were possibilities. One was a Lureen Claisen. Dr. Lureen Claisen is a professor of botany at the University of Florida in Gainsville. She did all of her undergrad work and got her advanced degrees at Florida. She is the youngest PhD in botany in the country, twenty-four years old. Her records say she was a child prodigy originally from some little town in Minnesota.”

“That’s very intriguing.”

“Why do you say that?”

“My brother is working on his masters in botany at Florida. He never mentioned any young female professors in his department. I can’t imagine him not telling me about a botany professor as you describe. Ori always talks about the young women he meets.”

“Well, he must have missed this one. Anyway, Dr Claisen disappeared about a month ago—vanished completely without so much as a trace. Her clothes, her PC and the project she was working on at the university all disappeared with her. No one has heard from her, no family, no friend. At least not anyone has admitted to any contact. We’ve got photos coming, but I have not seen them yet.”

“I’d sure like to see those photos.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Maybe this afternoon.”

“I’ll be available.”

“The other name is even more interesting. Laura Claiborne has a very sketchy background. She almost seems to have appeared out of nowhere as an adult woman four years ago. We could find no records of any kind about her before the time she walked into the studios of public TV in New York and auditioned for an opening as an interviewer on a new science show. She said she was a physicist with an advanced degree from somewhere. They were so impressed with her knowledge they gave her the job and a one year contract in spite of her lack of any resume. She claimed to be a Kurdish political refugee from Iran. In spite of her dark skin, hair and eyes, she looked more Italian than Kurdish and spoke perfect English. In any event she soon became a regular on public TV.”

“Yeah! I remember seeing her several times on TV. Didn’t she also have a show of her own on the science channel?”

“That’s the one.”

“For all I saw of the lady on the plane and remember of the TV program, it could have been her—with a big hairdo. And now that I think about it, that gal did resemble the Leura Clausen I met—resembled her a lot.”

“Well, she disappeared about the same time as the other one, without a trace also. She had been on a shoot somewhere in the desert in Chihuahua, Mexico. She had a complete mobile unit and two technicians with her. According to the technicians they took their jeep and went back to town to get something they needed while she stayed in the large van that served as their mobile unit. When they returned, the van and everything in it had disappeared, including Ms. Claiborne. The van had been parked on rocky ground and there was no trace of a trail. Funny thing, the road they took to town about forty miles away was the only road anywhere in the area. If she had driven out she would have had to go past them, but they never saw her or the van. How something as big as that van could disappear, even in such a remote area, is a real mystery. Not a trace of the van has ever been found and Ms. Claiborne has not been seen either.”

“You’re giving me lots of questions, but no answers. We need answers.”

“Oh yes, and the names of the two technicians? Charles Hruby and Sigmond J. Frawley, the other two names in her book. That’s not the worst of it. The van they were using?”

“What about it?”

“The PBS station said it couldn’t be one of theirs as all of their mobile units were accounted for.”

“Sounds like you have very few answers, maybe none at all.”

“Lots of questions, absolutely no answers. I was hoping maybe you could fill in some of the blanks.”

“Guess not.”

“It’s early on in this case, too early to worry about a lack of answers—a normal situation. Finding those answers is what we do, and we will.” Lieutenant Corbett took a last sip of his coffee and stood up. “I need to get back to my desk and see if those pictures have come through. I should also be getting the preliminary DNA report from the blood by late this afternoon. Let me know if you think of anything you didn’t tell me. Also, we’ve got a body to find and my people are still investigating the crime scene. I’ll check with them before heading in, just in case they found something I should see.” He handed me his card and said, “Call me if you think of anything.”

“Good luck! And I mean that.” I said as we left the deli. “And please keep in touch.”

“Don’t worry, I will. I’m counting on lots of help from you on this case.”

“Why so?”

“I read your complete background, remember?” was his parting shot as he headed for his car.

Just as bewildered as ever, I headed back to get my car and drive to my office. Hopefully I could put enough confusion out of my head to get some work done. First of all I wanted to ask Maria a few questions. And if one of those women was Leura, what did all that information about my travels and meetings mean and how in hell did it get in her notebook. Unfortunately even more confusing events would soon descend upon me.