Chapter 13

                Lock cleared his mind and envisioned the location where he noticed something fall while first observing the cube or Probe as he had learned later.  Only a few hours had actually passed and he was sure of the location.  Fixing the location in his mind, he walked through the Nexus barrier.  He unconsciously closed his eyes again as he moved forward, first a couple of steps on the hard floor, then in an instant he was walking on noisy dry leaves.  His balance seemed to be an issue as he opened his eyes after the transition and he stopped moving forward momentarily to keep from falling down. 

                The woods had become very dark and he strained to see ahead of him while his eyes adjusted to the night.  To help himself get his bearings he slowly turned in a circle, hoping to recognize anything in the immediate area.  Lock noticed with surprising dread that he couldn’t see the Probe anywhere at all.  Remembering that he had a small red LED light attached to his keys, he fished in his pocket and turned on its small beam, perfect for this type of searching.  The last thing he saw when the object fell from the Probe was a group of five or six blue spruce trees, all in a tight group.  The trees would be just behind or to the South of what he knew now to be the missing crystal and there was a power pole a few yards to their West

                With these clues in mind he scanned the horizon using the Moonlight to look for the power pole.  He was sure he could spot the pole, follow it down to the ground and find the Spruce trees without too much difficulty.  So he thought….as he turned while scanning the horizon he spotted moving lights, probably flashlights coming toward him.  Instinctively he hit the ground and lay still, trying to access what was happening.  As the lights got closer he could hear two men talking back and forth.  Lock immediately thought of the hunters he suspected were the cause of his present predicament.  One of the men was angry with the other for not paying attention to where some animal, an unfortunate beast that he had apparently shot, had run off to and now they were heading back to there camp both tired and empty handed.  They would be the joke of the group’s camp for the rest of their trip and the first man was not very happy about it.  Both men had obviously been drinking and this condition certainly contributed to their combined lack of tracking skills.  Even though Lock couldn’t see the Probe he realized he had a sense of just where it was.  A benefit of his Key no doubt and the hunters were heading straight for it.

                “Ok buddy, I’ve got civilians headed straight for you and we need a diversion.  Can you move at all without giving yourself away?”

Yes I can move but debris on the ground will move and clearly give away my location.  How much time do you think remains before our guests stumble on my exterior?

                “I estimate maybe ten to fifteen minutes.  I have located the land marks that should lead me to your crystal but I’ll need more time to get there and back.  These guys will have gotten to your location by then.” The men were too engrossed in the conversation they were having, to notice they were about to pass Lock as he lay on the ground only a few feet from them.

You are still thinking in normal linear travel terms.  Simply relax, concentrate on the location you are speaking of and transfer, if necessary transfer again until you get to your goal.

                Lock had found the top of the power pole while observing the hunters.  Concentrating he found himself at its base.  He immediately looked to the East of the pole and could see the spruce trees much closer than he remembered.  Now out of ear shot by the hunters, he just ran the fifteen or twenty yards and stopped at the edge of the tree group.

                ‘What am I looking for?  It’s so dark and I don’t want to chance shinning my light around.”

The crystal is an inanimate object with no energy of its own but your Key will allow you to see it guised in a bluish aura.  It is the shape of a cylinder about three inches in diameter, eight inches long and has a pyramid looking attachment at one end, the point of the pyramid points away from the rest of the crystal.  It has a fair weight and may have settled down through the ground cover.  You may have to scuff around to find it

                Lock got down on his knees and pushed around the combination of leaves, twigs and pine needles, feeling with his hands.  He searched for three or four precious minutes before he touched something cold and smooth.  Pushing away the combination of leaves, twigs and pine needles he uncovered the blue glowing treasure.  Fair weight was an understatement Lock thought as he lifted it up and cradled it in his arms.

                “I’ve got it!” Lock said with pride, “I don’t know where I need to go but I’m transferring back to you now….steer me to the right place.”

                Lock appeared in another dimly lighted area of the Probe unknown to him.  He was at the head of a landing of sorts to a stair well leading down.  There was no where else to go so he stepped down on the landing and waited for the instructions to come.

Excellent!  At the bottom of the stairs you will see a row of drawers.  Look for the drawer that is darker than the others.  Pull it out toward you until it stops and lift up the internal cover.  The cover hinges in the rear and will rest back against the back of the drawer.  You will see three other similar crystals, all positioned down into holes with the pyramid ends the only thing you see.  The crystal you have found belongs in the hole furthest back in the drawer.  The hole is actually an opening in a force field that makes up the bottom of the drawer.  When the projectile struck our outer surface the force field partially failed in the drawer.  Compensation circuits did not react quickly enough to stop the crystal from falling out of the control matrix. 

                After following the Probes directions to the letter, Lock was poised over the hole just as it was described. 

                “I’m ready, how much time before were discovered?”

Only mere minutes remain.  When you insert the crystal it should glow like the other three.  Follow this step by lowering the cover and pushing the drawer shut.  The drawer front will then appear equal in brightness to the others on either side of it.  I will know the second the process is complete and with power restored bump us out of real time just a few seconds, just enough to remove the possibility of us being found.  We can then resume your training without any interference.

                As Lock pushed the drawer shut he felt an odd sensation that left his stomach behind somewhere.  He knew the Probe had made good on its claim and they were now out of harms way.  He smiled……