Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Under a colossal astronomical dome Dr. Frank Osborne remained pinned to the binocular telescope scanning an area in the Kuiper belt almost holding his breath, then suddenly he dislodged himself, ran to a panel of instruments and sprinted back again to the telescope. He repeated that marathon several times.
His two colleagues working on a bench at the far end just looked at him and wondered what their colleague was up to. They however, continued at what they were doing. Seconds later they were startled by Dr. Frank's loud cry that shattered their serenity, "No, No, Nooo ..." he kept repeating.
They were petrified and both stood perplexed as he approached them with his hands waving. "It is coming, history is going to repeat itself, an asteroid a little bigger than the Martian moon Deimos is heading for us."
"What are you saying, are you sure?" Dr. Walker Smith interjected.
"I must have a look, would you like to accompany me Dr. Maki." Both headed for the telescope.
After minutes of scrutinising the two walked out to an adjacent room where Dr. Frank sat in silence.
"Let us double check with Dr. Rochelle, ask her to scan, using her telescope." Dr. Maki Sen suggested.
An hour later she confirmed the approaching asteroid and nick named it 'Inferno.'
"An appropriate name for the time being," Dr. Walker said softly.
"We have to inform headquarters and let them deal with the situation," Dr. Frank suggested.
"Let us not be hasty, spend a few more hours studying its behaviour, and once we have all the information we can make the announcement to the Boss at EW5 Headquarters," Maki suggested.
"Good idea, you both do your homework if it takes you the whole night, and tomorrow we meet and call the Boss. Keep it to yourselves, we don't want panic here." Dr. Frank said and sat morosely thinking.
At seven in the morning Dr. Maki walked in and found Dr. Frank slummed on a desk fast asleep.
Over a cup of coffee he murmured, "It is coming at us in about three and half years."
Dr. Rochelle Wright, in charge of the second observatory on the island's northern tip, drove to meet them, and found the three astronomers sitting in silence, thinking.
"From the present data I have charted a temporary trajectory and its rendezvous with Earth. Will be more accurate once it comes near Pluto. In any case, I am ready to pass the news to London. Do we agree?" Dr. Frank looked at his colleagues one by one. They all nodded their heads, "Go ahead Frank, let's not waste any time," Dr. Rochelle said.
All four sat at a round table with a red coloured phone laying in the middle. Dr. Frank punched a number and waited a few seconds then entered another two digits.
All could hear the ringing tone as it was on the loud speaker. A voice answered softly, "Hello Dr. Frank, It better be good to wake me up, you know it is Sunday and eight in the morning."
"Yes boss but it is most urgent." Dr. Frank said politely.
"I have bad news, we have a state of alert for Earth." He explained the entire situation and waited for an answer.
There was pin drop silence at the other end. His answer was brief, "I will fly over to Twin Peaks Island and be with you by the day after, we will talk then, and by the way stop calling me boss. You may call me by my first name."
"Yes Mr. Justin."
"And no Mr. please, just Justin." He hung up.
Two days later Justin Bloomberg accompanied by his five colleagues, each representing the countries of the EW5 members, arrived at Twin Peak Island. After studying all available data about the approaching asteroid, Justin suggested that the situation should be kept strictly to the senior four at Twin Peak and the EW5 members from London.
It was agreed. "Any announcement to the world would create havoc, social upheaval and chaos. The inevitable will happen, let the people live their remaining days in harmony. Not even heads of governments were to know." That was their decision.
Back in London Justin kept in touch with Dr. Frank on daily basis. Inferno kept coming. Fearing some observatory in the world would soon discover the approaching asteroid, Justin prepared a news bulletin to falsify such reports, and that the asteroid is no danger to Earth, it will be caught by Jupiter's gravitational pull.
The news item was sealed and put in a safe. No one else was told about the repot. As time went by there were no mention or even a hint in any newspaper to the relief of Justin.
CHAPTER 2
Twin Peak Island is situated just about twenty miles off the south east coast of South Africa, practically unknown to the outside world except for a handful of highly specialised personnel from Great Britain, Canada, the United States of America, Australia and Japan, which comprise the Earth Watch Five nations, with Justin as its head. Its closest neighbour to the south is Prince Edward Island. The Island is simply called Twin Peak Island, because of its twin peaks, one in the centre rising to 3000 feet and the other to its northern tip just about 2000 feet. The island is five miles wide and fifteen miles long. Population of fifty seven people mostly highly skilled scientists, astronomers, astrophysicists, mathematicians and general staff that control its security.
The Twin Peaks are actually flat plateaus rising above the topographical structure of the land mass hence got its name. On each, there are observatories, large radio telescopes, video and magnetic tape display and analysis system, computer and recording devises, receivers and amplifiers. All funded by the five nations and only they knew of its existence and the work that goes inside. Their world headquarters is in London.
Their main function is to keep a watch on all activities of satellites and outer space. The personnel live a very solitary, restricted outdoor recreational activity under the watchful eyes of the security staff.
Few buildings house the staff and their recreational facilities. The western coastline enjoys a large stretch of sandy beach, further inland a varied vegetation from bushes to high trees cover the entire western mountain slopes of the island. Camouflaged within that growth, an electronic fence surrounds the entire island that can stun an uninvited visitor or animal. A few seasonal streams meander gently emptying into the ocean. The eastern coast forms the mountain spine, with a wall of precipitous drop of varying heights, straight into the ocean, littered with boulders and rocks that go out a few hundred feet. A natural barrier that discourages any trespassers.
Except for the towering astronomical domes the island gives an uninviting appearance to onlookers or uninvited guests. A couple of casual looking boats circle the island keeping a watchful eye on its security.
For the residents, their solitary life is compensated by a life style of a five star hotel, from entertainment to sporting facilities. Thanks to the EW5 catering services.
The island traditionally was known as Demon Island by local tribesmen of South Africa. It earned its name centuries ago when some adventurers tried to settle there but had to leave in a hurry in a couple of days and return with tales that the island was haunted and inhabited by demons that howl and moan all day and night. Many years later in the early twentieth century a British explorer and a seasoned sea captain took the challenge to visit the island. "I will bring you the heads of those demons," he told the tribesmen as he and a team of five crew embarked on their journey.
They first sailed around the island studying its coastline. They anchored near the south western tip and set up their camp on the sandy beach close to the shoreline. Late that night they were awakened by a ferocious whirling sound like someone in agony or pain. It died out as quickly as it had come, then it came back with more violent tones, followed by ghastly howls and suddenly died out with a whimper. They scouted the area for any wild animal that might be prowling nearby. The full moon shown bright, exposed hundreds of feet of clear vision. They found no prowlers of any kind, but an element of fear griped them. Huddled together they slept, but were awakened several times by the repetitious howls and groans that filled the tranquil air. It continued in phases, sometimes soft but mostly violent.
The next day the terrified crew gathered and approached the captain, they wanted to leave the island. Disappointed with their attitude, the captain had to think fast.
"Gentlemen, demons and spirits are old women's tales, there are no such things, it is possible there are wild animals, you are seasoned sailors and have faced many challenges and won. We have weapons and can outsmart any animal big or small. Screw up your courage and let us work as a team to prove to the people back home that they were wrong. A few heads of the wild beasts will solve the myth of demons."
The crew walked away and paced the shoreline, and made a decision. They came up to the captain, proudly one of them said, "Thank you sir captain, for thinking so highly of us, we fought many battles with you, fighting any beast won't be as hard as those wars. We are ready to face the dammed beasts or demons."
"Thank you lads, now let us sit and listen carefully where from the sounds are coming. I spent the night concentrating on the direction of those howls and the hissings, and they were coming only from one side of the island. So let us move on to that spot. That would be more likely the abode of whatever it is."
Carefully in a military formation they scanned the terrain to their right and left until they came to the edge of an escarpment where the ferocious howls were deafening. Someone pointed to a small opening on the face of the cliff just about fifty feet up. "That is where the sound is coming from," Someone pointed out. "Those wild beasts must be living in that cave. There may be several of them."
"We are going up there to meet the challenge, beast or no beast, just keep your weapons ready, but no one to use them unless I say so," the captain instructed.
Nervously they exchanged glances, but followed their captain who led the way.
The ground was sandy and moist, their feet sank inches into it, and at the same time they had to hack their way through unruly bushes with prickly long leaves. Further inwards, to their relief the ground became firmer. Steeped gently, with high trees rising up to fifty feet in length. Their upper braches intermingled and formed a canopy. The ground became steeper. They rested for a while, and began the arduous journey to scale up the almost vertical side of the cliff leading up to the orifice, where from the wailing continued as if to warn them not to come any closer.
Projecting rock formations eased their climb, but was painstaking. Using hands and feet, inched their way up, the captain was the first to reach the howling gap. With hands and feet firmly anchored to the side of the cliff, he placed his chin on the tip of the floor of the cave and looked inside. A strong blast of wind almost blinded him, blew his hat and sent it flying, muffled his hair and he almost lost balance but managed to scuffle to the top. His crew watched in terror, frozen to where they held firmly. The captain anchored himself against a jutting rock on the side of the cave, lowered a rope and one by one pulled them up. They bunched together with eyes and ears on the alert, uncertain to what might suddenly leap out at them from within. The captain took the lead and asked them to file behind him with their weapons pointing forward as on a battle field. They moved cautiously, the wind was overwhelming and the yowls were unwelcoming.
The captain moved on stealthily, they followed, and readied for an unexpected ambush, a demon or a monster who might suddenly pounce on them. As they advanced into the cave, it became darker, with twists and turns, filled with scattered chunks of rocks and large dried tree branches, which obstructed the passage. Carefully they maneuvered, at one point there was a sudden gust accompanied by an uncanny whimper and a faint moan. They froze and held their weapons in readiness. They moved cautiously with their guns brandished high. It was getting darker and they inched their way nervously inwards. The captain shouted, "Come on brave lads, nothing to be afraid of, if there was a monster it would have devoured us by now. Just follow me, to make it easy for you, with one hand hold each other by the shoulder and feel the side of the cave with the other, as you move along. One of you hold mine." In a single file they moved on."
Deep inside they got disoriented, when a strong blast of wind almost threw them off balance, but managed to press on in disarray. The howls, wails and shrieks continued fiercely, which further perturbed their concentration. Like blind men they moved on. The passage narrowed, both sides of the cave were brushing against them. Sharp edges of rock tattered their hands.
The captain stopped, he hit a wall, a dead end, but felt a strong torrent of gust from below. Bent down and with his hands sized the opening, sufficient to crawl through. The ghastly strong wind shrieked as his body battled forward. On the other side he stood up, half dazed and shaken. He shouted, "I feels better on this side, crawl through."
The crew heard him but ignored his call. They slid against the wall and barely managed to sit, frightened and disoriented by the continuous eerie hisses that filled the narrow enclosure. The captain shouted again, "What is keeping you, hurry up." His call went on deaf ears.
He waited patiently, then someone yelled, "Go ahead captain, need to rest, we will follow shortly."
"Damn you John for convincing us to go along with the captain," One of them cursed.
"I am sure there is a monster waiting for us, hiding in a hole somewhere. Perhaps on the other side." Another commented.
"Let the captain go on, if we don't hear his scream, it means the coast is clear." Someone put in.
The captain lost his patience waiting, "When you all make up your minds, come through, I am moving on, will wait at the end wherever it takes me," he yelled.
Darkness was overpowering. Moving on, razor sharp edges of rocks bruised his hands, and slowed him down. A sudden gust threw him off balance and he fell, rolled back and his head hit a rock. The captain struggled up, and continued.
Meanwhile, the crew sat thronged together near the small opening, terrified.
"Did you hear a scream?" Someone asked.
"No, only the monster's howls."
"It must be nearby, sorry for the captain. After him it will have us for its dessert."
The captain continued unperturbed. At one point, the path led him to a right angle turn, as he did, spotted a gleam of light in the far distance. Raced up to it and entered a large hollowed section, with a rounded roof top, to his joy, an opening of about ten feet wide, through which he could see the blue sky and the ocean below. He walked to the edge, looked at the waves beating mercilessly at the countless boulders that littered the coastline. The wind was strong and unruly. He looked up at the rounded ceiling, "The wind over the years must have hollowed it, and carved the labyrinth of this cave." He pondered. He let out a smile and shook his head. "How stupid we are?" He said to himself. Suddenly remembered his crew, and let out a mischievous smile, went back a few feet into the cave and fired his gun several times and called out loud, "Come you lazy bones, I have got the beast." He repeated several times and rested behind a rock and waited.
The captain guessed that part of the island must be the narrowest and he was facing east. It dawn on him that all that fuss about monsters and demons came from the wind blowing through the intricate passage of the tunnel. "Fear comes out of the unknown. When one cannot find an answer, invents one, to suit the situation which no one can challenge. That is how we make up superstitions and fantasies." He mused and decided to play a prank on his crew.
"Can you hear me, you old sea salt," he shouted louder, his voice echoed throughout the maze. He waited patiently as they lumbered in. Stood and looked around for their captain. From behind the rock he brandished both hand and said with a gallant voice, "I have the head of the monster."
"Can't see anything but a pair of empty hands," one of the crew said suspiciously.
"In my hands, you fools," the captain muttered and stood up.
"Your hands are empty," another said.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Rescue"
by .
Copyright © 2017 H.P. Kabir.
Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
