Encounters: Unseen Things, #10

By Duane L. Martin

The moons of seven different dimensions were destroyed by the nathalis in a effort to bring an end to the zethichtalarin, and while it did succeed in killing off the majority of their race, it was inevitable that some of them would escape to other dimensions before their worlds were destroyed.

It was assumed that whatever survivors had managed to escape would be so scattered throughout the dimensions that they would no longer pose a threat, but when Beth and Erin encounter one of their military officers in the Paradise dimension, that assumption is quickly proven wrong.

Now that the zethichtalarin have begun to show themselves again, what lengths will they go to in order to rebuild their empire? The answer may be found in the Faranox dimension, where there's a suspicion that the survivors of that race may be using thousands of captured slaves to build themselves a new city. Unfortunately, no one knows where they are, and all they have to go on are rumors and suspicions.

With some of the survivors now showing themselves again, the groups in Washington and Scotland redouble their efforts to search both the command centers and the armories they found on the ghost worlds, not only to salvage the zethichtalarin's advanced technology and weaponry, but also to find out what might have led to the nathalis' attempt to wipe the zethichtalarin out of existence. What they find however, leads them to realize that the nathalis may have, just by the thinnest of margins, saved themselves from an unbelievably horrific weapon that they weren't even aware of.

Encounters is book 10 of the Unseen Things series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Duane L. Martin
• Release date: Jul 19, 2014
• ISBN: 9780991612543

Duane L. Martin

An avid reader since he first discovered the Hardy Boys books in the second grade, Duane L. Martin spent years being educated by some truly great authors. In 2013, after years of dreaming about writing a novel of his own, he finally hit upon a story idea that would ultimately turn into the 22 book Unseen Things series. Currently, aside from the series, he's also published two standalone novels. Cindy's Story, which is a humorous private investigator novel, and a superhero story called The Accidental Hero, which is both humorous, and quite dark at times. Aside from his writing, Duane is also a musician. He took his first bass guitar lesson in 1987 and has been playing bass ever since. He also plays some guitar, and a little keyboard and some percussion as well, with a particular focus on hand drums. As he's always been a great lover of music, he often has it playing quietly in the background while he writes. Born and raised in Northern California, he would later move to Idaho, where he lives the quiet life of a relative hermit with his wife Sharon, and their two dogs.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Can you two hear me all right? Charles asked over the intercom.

Yeah, we hear ya just fine Charles.  What do you need us to do? Martin asked.

Bring the gurney over next to the tank, and then take him out and lay him on it.  Also, grab some towels and lay them next to it so you can clean him up once he's out.

I'll get the gurney, Martin said as he grabbed it and wheeled it over next to the tank.

God, I'm so nervous!  I've been dreaming of this moment for so long, and now I feel like I'm about to piss all over myself, Heather said anxiously as she grabbed a pile of towels and laid them on the floor at either end of the gurney.

Yeah well, don't do that.  You don't want the smell of pee to be the first thing he notices when he wakes up, Martin said with a grin.  All right, I'll get his feet, you get him under the arms.

All right, I got him.  On three, ok?

Yep, ready when you are sweetie, Martin said.

One...two...three, Heather said as they lifted Jonathan out of the tank and laid him on the table.

Excellent.  Now, go ahead and turn off that red valve on the wall over there.  That'll leave him on pure oxygen, which will accelerate the process of his awakening.  You can go ahead and start getting him cleaned up as well while you're waiting, Charles said.

Charles, is he gonna be able to remember stuff right away, or is it gonna take some time to come back to him? Martin asked.

Well, he'll be a bit confused at first because of the sedatives, but they should wear off rather quickly.  He'll remember everything right up to the point that he died, and he'll still be in that moment when he opens his eyes, so your job is to just keep him as calm as you possibly can, and to do your best to make him understand what's going on.

All right.  Thanks Charles, Heather said as the two of them started wiping the serum from Jonathan's body.

They spent the next several minutes getting him cleaned up, and as the minutes ticked by at what seemed like a snail's pace, Jonathan's breathing finally started to deepen.  Eventually, he started rolling his head from side to side, and let out a quiet moan as he slowly regained consciousness.

I think he's pretty close to waking up now.  Should we go ahead and remove the respirator? Martin asked.

Yes, take it off and set it by the valves over there.  You can turn off that green valve now as well, Charles said.

Ok, no problem, Martin said as he gently removed the mask and did as he was instructed.

Now what Charles?  We just wait? Heather asked.

Once they start to stir like that, it usually happens quite fast.  In fact, he should be opening his eyes at any moment now.

"Heather watched her brother carefully, and just as Charles has said, less than a minute later his eyes began to open.  He stared at the lights on the ceiling for a moment while his body worked at clearing the sedatives out of his system, but then he heard a soft cry and turned his head slightly.

Sis?  What are you doing here?  Oh no, did they get you too? he asked in a voice that was little more than a whisper.

Johnny, look at me.  I want you to really focus on me now, ok? Heather said while Martin walked a few paces away so he wouldn't interfere with their reunion.

What is this place? he asked.  This ain't my house.  Wait...  Why am I naked, and how'd you get here?  What's going on? he asked as his mind quickly began to regain its focus.

Oh god Johnny, Heather said in what amounted to little more than a sob as she looked down at him and gently brushed the serum-soaked hair away from his eyes.

Oh god what?  What's going on?  Wait...  Am I dead?  Are you dead?  What the hell's goin' on here sis?  Just tell me already!

No Johnny, you're not dead.  Not anymore, Heather said with a trembling voice.

"What do you mean not anymore?  I was dead?  Wait...I remember now.  The cancer came back.  I was dead, wasn't I?  Am I still dead?  Are you dead too?"

Johnny!  Please, just be quiet for a minute and I'll explain things to you.  Before we do that though, how are you feeling?  Do you feel all right?

Yeah...I feel fine actually.  Why do I feel fine all of a sudden?  Is the cancer gone again?

Yeah, it's gone Johnny.  It's gone forever, Heather said.

How do you know?

Tell you what.  Why don't you sit up here on the edge of the gurney, and I'll explain things to you, Heather said.  Jonathan sat up and spun around so that his legs were hanging over the edge.  As he sat there, he suddenly he realized that he felt better and stronger than he'd ever felt in his life.

What is this place, and how did we get here? he asked once he got himself settled.

Ok, I know this is all gonna sound really weird, but I need you to..., Heather started to say, but then the door flew open and Thayelle came running over, throwing her arms around him as she cried into his shoulder.

Thayelle?  What's going on?  Why are you crying? Jonathan asked as he held her and rocked her back and forth.  Please don't cry.  You know I hate to see you cry.

Oh Jonathan..., she said quietly.  I wasn't supposed to see you, not yet anyway, but I just had to.

Thayelle?  Why weren't you supposed to see me?  Come on guys, someone please tell me what's goin' on here, he pleaded.

Ok, here goes, Heather said with a sigh.  You died several years ago in the Faranox dimension while you were living in Thayelle's village.  We brought your body back home so it could be restored, and you could be brought back to life.  There, I said it.  I know it sounds insane, but there ya go.

So, back to my original question then.  How'd I end up here, and how am I alive again all of a sudden if I died several years ago? he asked.

It's a really long story.  Tell you what, why don't we get you cleaned up, and then you can get dressed.  There's a shower right over there.  I promise, I'll explain everything to you after, Heather said.

Ok, Jonathan said as Thayelle backed away a bit and allowed him to jump down from the gurney.  Oh, who's that? he asked, suddenly realizing that he was standing there naked in front of a total stranger.

That's Martin Decker, my fiancé.

Hey.  Welcome back, Martin said, with a smile, and a little wave.

Thanks.  Wait...what?  Fiancé?  You're getting married? Jonathan asked as he shot a surprised look at his sister.

Yeah.  Now go get showered up.  I promise I'll explain everything as soon as you're cleaned up and dressed.

Jonathan looked at her for a moment, and then nodded slightly before he turned and headed over to the shower.  A little over a half an hour later, he was clean, dried off, and fully dressed.  Heather sat him down once he was finished, and just as she'd promised, she set about the task of explaining everything that had led to his return.  Thayelle never left his side during the explanation, and even held onto his arm through most of it, trying to give him as much love and support as possible.

So that explains why she's got the tubes going up her nose, Jonathan said after Heather explained to him that the faranox couldn't live for very long in our dimension without extra oxygen.  Why did you risk coming here though if it's so dangerous for you?  I would have come to see you.

She's here for you Jonathan, Heather said, though she wasn't really sure how much she should actually tell him.

What do you mean she's here for me?

Jonathan...I..., Thayelle started to say, but then she stopped and looked down at the floor.

What?  What is it? he asked.

Don't you know Jonathan? Heather asked, looking at him like she was waiting for him to figure it out.

Thayelle? he said quietly as he lifted her chin so he could look at her.  She stared at him for a moment, and the desperation in her eyes was just heartbreaking.

I came...so we could be together, she said quietly.

I'm glad you're here, but if it's dangerous for you...

You don't know how dangerous, Heather said.

What do you mean? he asked with a sudden look of concern.  If it's that dangerous for her, she should go back home, before something bad happens.

She's not going back Johnny, she's here for a reason.

What reason?

Thayelle, maybe you should just tell him and get it over with, Heather suggested.

Tell me what?  God, I'm so sick of not understanding!  Please, just tell me whatever you have to tell me!

It's all right Thayelle.  Just go ahead and tell him, Heather said encouragingly.

Jonathan, I...I love you, Thayelle said with a deep look of embarrassment.

I love you too, you know that.  But why are you here?

"She's here because she doesn't just love you like a friend.  She's in love with you, and she's about to do something really dangerous, just so you two can be together," Heather explained.

Thayelle?  You never told me you felt that way, he said as he looked from his sister, back to Thayelle.

I've felt that way for a very long time, but I never said anything because it wouldn't have worked.  You're human, and I'm not, she said with a sadness in her eyes that he'd never seen before.

Thayelle...I mean...I didn't know.  I'm so sorry, he said as he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

It wouldn't have made any difference.  You know as well as I do that we couldn't have been together in that way.

But if I'd have known that you felt that way, I could have told you that I loved you too.  I could have let you know how I felt before I...

So you did love her then, Heather said.

"Not did.  I still do," he said as he wrapped his arms around Thayelle and held her close.

"But even if we do love each other, we can't really be together in that way.  That's why I'm here," Thayelle said.

What do you mean? he asked as he leaned back to look at her without letting her out of his grasp.

"The ones who brought you back...they're gonna change me.  They're gonna make me human, like you.  It's the only way we can ever really be together.  I never thought anything like this would even be possible, but they said they can do it.  We were just waiting for you to come back before they start the process.  You weren't even supposed to know I was here, but when I saw that you were alive again...I just couldn't stay away."

How are they gonna make you human?  How is that even possible? he asked.

The same way they brought you back to life, only they're doing something slightly different with the process, Heather explained.  They're using donor DNA from a human female to create a custom version of the serum, like what's in that tank there.

Is it safe?  I mean, nothing bad's gonna happen to her, is it? Jonathan asked.

It's never been done before, but they say they can do it, and they've never let us down before, Heather said.

How long does it take?

I have no idea.  Like I said, it's never been done before.  They do think she'll probably die for a while at some point during the process, but then they'll revive her at the end if she doesn't come back on her own.

She's gonna die?  No way!  Thayelle, you can't do this!  We'll work something out.  I don't know what, but we'll do something.  Please don't do this! Jonathan begged.

There's no other way Jonathan.  You know that as well as I do, Thayelle said, giving him a sad but longing look that tore him apart inside.

Then I'm not leaving here until it's done.

Johnny...

No, sis.  I'm not leaving.  End of story, he said firmly.

Charles? Heather asked.

Just a moment Heather.  Let me discuss it with Richard.

Who the hell's that? Jonathan asked as he looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

That's Charles.  He and Richard and Freddie are responsible for coming up with the process that brought you back.  This house belongs to Charles and Richard and their ach'len friends, and it was Freddie's theory that led to them being able to bring back our dead loved ones.  They've already brought back two others.  You're the third, Heather explained.

Ach'...what?

Ach'len.  They're these tall pale guys with blonde hair and gold eyes.  Charles and Richard are what we call blue fins.  They and the ach'len come from two different dimensions.  I'll explain it all to you later.

Heather, I've discussed it with Richard, and we think it'll be all right if you stay throughout Thayelle's transformation.

Are you sure?  We don't want to put you out, or cause any problems with your ach'len friends, Heather said.

It'll be ok.  We called up to the kitchen to ask Giles, and he's agreed to it.  Sav will just have to tolerate it whether he likes it or not.

We saw Sav on our way in.  He was being friendly enough, Martin said.

Was he now?  I don't suppose he had a bottle in his hand, did he? Charles asked.

Yeah, he did actually.

Ah well, that explains that then.  Anyway, if you don't mind, we'll come in to do the examination on your brother now, and then afterward we'll show you to your rooms.

Thank you so much you guys.  I can't tell you how much we appreciate it, Heather said gratefully.

Think nothing of it.  We'll just get our instruments together, and then we'll be in.

Ok, no problem.  Now before they come in here, I think I better explain to you just who and what they are, Heather said as Jonathan stared at her nervously.

*   *   *

Any word yet? Danny asked as he stepped into the living room.

No, nothing.  I'm sure we'll hear from 'em after things calm down a little, Beth said.  She was trying not to let her nerves show, though truth be told, she was just as anxious to find out what was going on as everyone else.

What about the kids?  Any word from them?

Yeah, they went to the area where Jack came to our dimension, since we know there was a free village there that helped him.  They said the village is still there, but they don't speak English, and they don't have any slaves there.  They were able to make contact with 'em though by linking with 'em to explain who they were, and why they were there.

How come they don't have any slaves there?  I would have thought that being a free village, they'd have picked up a few strays here and there over the years.

I wondered that too, but apparently they're not all that close to the border with the slavers, and the slavers don't own as much territory as we originally thought.  I guess all those months that Jack was on the run, he just never happened to run into a free village.  It makes sense I suppose.  We're talking about an area the size of North America here.  The population density is low, and it's a safe bet that the villages are probably spread out quite a bit no matter where you go.  He was probably so afraid of getting captured, that he avoided more than a few of the free ones along the way, just because he didn't know they were free.

So, what are they doing now? Danny asked.

They're gonna keep traveling west until they either find a slaver village, or they find a free village near the border between their side and the slavers, Beth said.  From what Jenny told me, they apparently have a hell of a long way to go.

Why so far though?  I was always under the impression the slavers owned a lot of territory.  How come we're just finding out now that they don't?

Well, apparently they did hold a lot of territory at one point, but while the kids were at that village, they found out something we didn't know, Beth said.

What's that? Danny asked.

There was another war.  I guess the free villages gathered their forces and went on the attack when the slavers weren't expecting it.  They overran one slaver village after another, and captured a whole lot of territory in the process.

Oh man, I wasn't expecting that.  Well, good for them.  What happened to all the people though?

Jenny said the leader of the village told her that the ones that survived were taken somewhere by the free army.  That's not counting the ones that scattered off to God knows where when it all went down.  Unfortunately, they have no idea where the free army took the ones that survived, or what happened to them.

What do you mean the ones that survived? Danny asked.

Yeah well, that's the bad part, Beth said with a frown.  Apparently, word spread that the slaver villages were being overrun, so a lot of villages started killing off their slaves in an attempt to pretend that they were actually free villages.  I guess they hoped that the free army would just pass 'em by and move on to the next one, which makes a lot of tactical sense I suppose.  Once the free army had passed by, all they had to do was to start a whole new round of abductions to replenish their slave supply.

Oh man..., Danny said with a sad look.  What'd they do with the amulets?

I don't know.  But I'm guessing they'd have confiscated 'em all, Beth said.  Where they ended up after that is anyone's guess.

Well, as long as they're in the hands of the free army, then I don't think there's any harm in them having 'em.  They don't really know how to use 'em anyway according to Jack's notes.

Still, I think we need to find out what happened to them if at all possible.  I don't like the idea of a whole shitload of amulets floating around out there somewhere unaccounted for.  Thayelle's people are about the only ones I'd trust with 'em, and that's only if we actually trained 'em properly, so they didn't end up getting themselves in trouble with 'em, Beth said.

They've never asked for any, or shown any desire to have 'em, so I guess we don't have to worry about it for now.  We should make sure they have at least a few though, just in case they need to come through to contact us, Danny said.  We should set 'em up with some solar power and cell phones too until Charles and Richard have time to build the new zero-point modules.

Yeah, we'll get 'em set up with something.  I don't know how well solar power would work since it's always twilight there, but maybe we could hook 'em up with a generator or something.  I wonder if Thayelle's picked someone to replace her as the leader yet.  Did she mention anything to you while she was here? Beth asked.

No, and to be honest, I'm not sure she's even had a chance to think about it since she was so preoccupied with Jonathan coming back.  That, and her own pending transformation.  She was more than a little nervous about that as well, but she was totally determined to go through with it.

Hey guys! Erin said as she and Dylan came in through the front door.

Hey you two!  Where's John and Sheryl?  Didn't they come back with you? Beth asked.

They got it in their heads to go fer a walk since it's such a nice day out.  They'll get themselves a cab later on, Dylan said.

Oh, ok.  Jeez, it's weird having the whole house to ourselves.  It feels so empty with Martin and Heather and the kids all gone, and now John and Sheryl aren't here either.

Yeah, it's a pretty big place for four people, Erin agreed.  We should do something.  Oh, I know!  With everything that's been going on in the past few weeks, we haven't been back to Paradise yet.  Whatcha think?  You guys up for a little trip?

Aye, it's a beautiful place.  Just what the doctor ordered, Dylan said.  Erin looked at him sadly for a moment, because she knew he was still struggling with his guilt over Ellie, but at least he seemed to be handling it somewhat better now.

Cool, sounds good.  You guys wanna head out right now? Danny asked.

Sure, why not?  Let's gear up and head on over, Erin said as she took Dylan's arm and headed off toward the equipment room with Beth and Danny following along behind.

*   *   *

I swear this place gets more beautiful every time I see it, Beth said after she stepped through the portal.

I know, right?  What gets me is how clean and pure everything is.  Not a trace of pollution anywhere, Erin added.  She looked around for a moment, and then she took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the cleanest air she'd ever had the pleasure of breathing.

There's a river over there about a quarter of a mile away.  Why don't we go kick back there for a while, and just stare up at the sky while we listen to the water roll by? Danny suggested.

Oh, that sounds nice.  Whatcha think? Erin asked as she took Dylan's arm and snuggled up against him.

Aye, that does sound nice, he said with a smile that looked a little too forced.  Erin kissed him on the cheek, and then pulled on his arm as she dragged him off toward the river.

By the time they got to the river bank, they were once again mobbed by various species of animals looking for affection.  They'd become quite accustomed to the friendliness of the animals, and the appearance of the numerous variations of bear, deer, rabbits, badgers, birds, wolves, and other strange creatures was almost always welcome.  Today however, they simply wanted to relax by the river, so getting mobbed by so many animals looking for attention was more of a nuisance than it was a pleasure.

Persistent, aren't they? Danny said with a laugh as he pet the badger like creature that had climbed up onto his chest after he sat down.

I wonder if I can get 'em to just lie down here with us instead of climbing all over us looking for affection, Beth said as she looked around at the menagerie that surrounded them.

Do you think it'll work on them? Erin asked.

It's worked on everything we've tried it on with a brain, Beth said.  Patty even got it to work on Squawks.  She told me the other day that she made him forget all the embarrassing sex talk he'd picked up.

Give it a try then, and we'll see what happens, Danny said.  Beth opened her mind and tried to send out a general command for them to all lie down next to them, but the animals didn't react to it at all.

Hmmm, that's strange.  I wonder why it didn't work? she said, wrinkling her brow a bit in confusion.

Dunno.  Let me try, Danny said as he opened his mind and attempted the same thing.  Unfortunately, he got the same result.

Ok, this is weird, Beth said as she looked around at the animals curiously.

Something's not right here.  These things aren't afraid of portals, and they don't react at all to our mental commands, and yet we can link with them for some reason, Erin said with a nervous look.

So what are ya thinkin'? Dylan asked.

I don't know exactly.  Something's just not right with this whole thing.  Let me try something real quick, she said, and then she closed her eyes and relaxed.  About a minute and a half later she opened her eyes again and looked around.

What's the matter? Beth asked.

They're gone.

What's gone?

The animals.  They're all gone.

No they're not.  You've got a rabbit something or other in your lap right now.

No, I don't...and neither do any of you, Erin said.

What are you talking about? Danny asked.

They're just projections.  Block 'em out like you'd block someone who was trying to link with you, Erin said.  Everyone closed their eyes, and a few moments later when they opened them again, the first thing they noticed was that the animals were no longer there.

Ok, what the fuck is goin' on here?  Those animals looked and felt real, Danny said nervously.

Just like Diana looked and felt like a human when they took her to that spa.  Guys, someone or something here's been making us see all these animals, Erin said.

Yeah, but wh..., Beth was about to ask, but then she suddenly realized what the answer was.  You think the people that destroyed the creators are here, and they're the ones making us see these things?

That'd be my guess, but what I can't figure out is why, or why we were able to link with them if they were only illusions, Erin said.

Well, where are they then?  Why haven't they shown themselves? Danny asked.

"I don't know, but if they were feeding us something that pleasant and harmless, then I don't think they mean us any harm.  If they could make us see all these friendly animals, then they could have just as easily made us see things that would have scared us off, if they really wanted to.  Maybe it was their way of finding out if we we're good people or not," Beth suggested.

That wouldn't make sense though.  Why would they keep doing it, and how is it that they always know when and where we come in? Erin asked.

I don't know.  Like I said though, it seems harmless enough, and it's nice to be able to turn 'em on and off like that.

I know we should probably investigate this, but I think the best course of action might be to just not do anything at all, Danny suggested.  I don't think they're gonna expose themselves to us until or unless they're ready to, so we should probably just keep hanging out here every so often and give 'em a chance to observe us, so they can see that we really don't mean 'em any harm.  Then, maybe at some point down the road somewhere, they'll actually decide it's safe to make contact with us.

What about the animals though?  Should we keep blocking 'em? Dylan asked.

Well, if that's their way of checking us out, then we probably shouldn't, Danny said.  I know it makes it hard to relax, but we can put up with it until we see what happens.

All right then, everyone open yourselves back up, and get ready for the furry ambush, Beth said.  As soon as they stopped blocking whatever was causing them to see the animals, they once again found themselves surrounded by a mob of fur and affection.

Ok, so they're back.  Now what? Danny asked.

I'm gonna link with this deer and see if I can find out anything, Beth said as she opened her mind and connected with the deer that was persistently pushing its head under her hand, demanding to be pet.

At first, all she felt from the deer was what she expected to feel, but knowing that the deer was only an illusion, she attempted to go deeper...to go beyond what she was feeling.  In essence, she was attempting to see behind the curtain.  At first there was nothing to grab on to.  The only thing she felt were the thoughts of the deer intermingling with her own.  After a while however, an image started to form in her mind.

It's a machine, and it seems to be hidden somewhere.  It's what's been generating this whole thing, she said as she continued to let the image take shape in her mind.  Once she realized what she was seeing, it came easier to her, until at last the picture became clear.

A machine?  So there is someone here, Erin said.

If there is, they're blocking themselves from being detected.  All I see is the machine.

Can ya tell where it is? Dylan asked.

No, unfortunately I can't.  It's in a dark place, like a closed room, or a cave or something.  There's nothing else in there that I can sense other than the machine.

Could just one machine be creating these illusions all across the planet? Danny asked.

Hang on, let me check something else, Beth said as she altered her perceptions and subconsciously looked to the skies.  It was there that she found her answer.

Anything? Danny asked.

Yeah, I thought so.  They're using satellites.  The machine is feeding the satellites, and they're rebroadcasting the illusion all over the planet.  That's also probably how they're detecting when we show up, and where we're at.

But it's just the animals that are the illusion, right?  I mean, we closed ourselves off to everything, and the rest of it was still here.  So this world really is what it seems to be aside from the animals, Erin surmised.

Seems that way.  It still doesn't explain why they'd go through all the trouble to put satellites into orbit all around the planet just to create the illusion of animals, Beth said as she rolled it all around in her head for a moment, trying to make at least some sense out of it.

Oh...shit.  I just thought of something, Danny said suddenly.

What's wrong sweetheart? Beth asked.

Everyone put on your glasses and look around.  Maybe they're watching us right now, and we didn't even realize it because we were so preoccupied with the animals.

Damn, you're right, Beth said as they all pulled their phase glasses out of their cases and put them on.  A quick scan of the area revealed nothing initially, but then something caught Dylan's eye.  It was just the briefest bit of movement, but it was enough to get his attention.

Over there, he said, pointing toward where he'd spotted it.  He wasn't even sure he'd actually seen anything, but there was enough of a certainty in his mind that he led the others over to check it out.

As they got closer, the animals became more persistent in their efforts to get attention, blocking their path as much as possible to prevent them from proceeding any farther.

Guys, block these things out.  I have a feeling that machine is programmed to use the animals to protect whoever's here, and to prevent us from getting too close, Beth said.  Everyone closed their eyes for a moment and shut out the illusion, just as they'd done before.  Once the animals were gone, they continued walking toward where Dylan had seen the movement.

There it is again, Dylan said as he pointed ahead of them and slightly off to the left.  It just ran behind those rocks.

Everyone be careful.  We don't wanna scare 'em, but we don't know what their real intentions are.  Dylan, you keep watching for the one you saw.  The rest of us will keep an eye out around us for any others that might be out there, Beth said anxiously.

Aye.  What do ya think they want?

I dunno, but it seems like they're just observing us.  Everyone stop for a minute and sit down here back to back so we can watch all around us.  Dylan, keep an eye on those rocks and see if they come back.

All right, Dylan said as he dropped himself into a sitting position.  When Erin leaned her back up against him, he took her hand and gave it a little squeeze.  She linked with him just long enough to tell him she loved him, and after she felt the same from him in return, she closed the link and started scanning the area in front of her.

Anything? Danny asked after about five minutes of just sitting there.

Nae, not a thing, Dylan said.

Just be patient.  I know it's boring, but if we sit here long enough, it might just pay off, Beth said.  They sat there for another half an hour with no more signs of their observer to show for it.  It was then that they all started hearing a strange sound.

Is that what I think it is? Danny said with a laugh.

Hey, wake up! Erin said, giving Dylan a little nudge with her elbow.

Whaaa?  What's goin' on then? Dylan asked as he jerked awake and started looking around wildly.

You fell asleep, that's what's goin' on.  Jeez, remind me to never put you on guard duty, Danny said with a breathy laugh.

Asleep?  Bah!  I was just restin' my eyes a bit, Dylan protested.

Dunno how they could get any rest with all that snoring, Danny said, much to everyone's amusement.  "It's all right man.  This is pretty boring.  Maybe we should just go back to the river and enjoy our afternoon, instead of worrying about this other stuff.  I'm guessing they'll come meet us at some point, if and when they decide they want to, so we might as well just relax and enjoy ourselves in the meantime."

It'd be nice if they weren't running around out of phase.  At least then we could make contact ourselves, Erin said as she stood up, brushed herself off, and straightened her shirt.

Well, at least we can see 'em, so we know when they're getting close.  Maybe next time we should wear the contacts instead of these things though, just so it's not so obvious.  The sunglasses might make us look a little intimidating, Danny said.

Ugggh! I hate contact lenses, but you're probably right, Beth said.  I just wish there was some way we could let 'em know that we want to make contact with 'em.  Like a sign we could give 'em that they could see when they watch us.

Guess we could go to one of the ghost worlds and bring back a corpse.  Then we'd just stake it into the ground like a scarecrow, with a big ol' sign around its neck, Erin suggested.

A sign? Beth asked.  What would it say?"

Hey, we know you guys did this.  Thanks for saving us the trouble, Erin said with an evil grin.

I don't think hanging out with the corpse of one of their enemies is really going to endear us to them, Beth said with an amused look.

We'll have to think about it then I guess, and we should tell the others in Washington too, so they can keep an eye out over there, and try to make contact if they get a chance, Erin suggested.

"Oh man, they're gonna be so disappointed that the animals aren't real, especially Tina and Sarah.