Into the Unknowable Ch. 15

"He wants to go through the door," she said.

"What did you say to him?"

"Well, that by doing so he would enter another completely different space ship," said Beatrice. "He also wants to go with the soldiers he's gathered together."

"Is that OK?" Paul asked anxiously. "I'm not sure I want armed and uniformed men in my villa."

"I don't believe we've been offered much choice."

Paul glanced at the hand weapons held by the soldiers. "I suppose you're right."

"He also wants us to go through the door first."

"That's very civil of him," said Paul who wondered whether Paolo was perhaps a nicer fellow than he seemed.

"I think it's to provide cover for him," said Beatrice.

It wasn't a long walk to the door but as Paolo gripped Beatrice' shoulder by a hand and one of the soldiers grasped Paul's hands together behind his back the walk took longer than it might have done otherwise. Paul supposed that this was to prevent Beatrice and him from running away into the space ship Intrepido, but that seemed most peculiar as he would much rather return to his villa on the Intrepid. He'd had quite enough of this unpleasant place.

However, when Paul and Beatrice passed through the door back into his villa, he was surprised to find that a welcoming party was already waiting for him. That was really very considerate. It was a very select company that included Captain Kerensky, Chief Science Officer Chang and several soldiers. They appeared to be very stern and didn't respond in kind at all when Paul greeted them with a cheerful smile. He would have waved a greeting had his hands not been held behind his back.

One of the soldiers, who Paul vaguely recognised as Major Schwarz, addressed him and more appropriately the people holding him captive in what he assumed to be German. It was astonishing how many people on the Intrepid spoke obscure languages, just as it was very surprising but rather reassuring that so many senior officers had gathered at this point at such short notice. Presumably they'd been alerted by the Intrepid's security system when it detected a foreign presence on board the space ship.

The exchange between the major and the Chief Scientific Officer wasn't at all amicable. This impression was reinforced when Paolo Mauritz pressed a hand-weapon against Paul's forehead. This didn't bode at all well. Paul rather regretted that he'd taken Beatrice's advice and followed her through the mysterious door.

Then the situation abruptly changed. Paolo Mauritz collapsed unconscious to the ground as did the four other soldiers. Beatrice stepped forward and took Paul by the arm. He could now see that the silver-uniformed intruders were slumped down just beside the door to the corridor open behind them.

"Are you OK, Paul?" asked Captain Kerensky sympathetically.

"I'm fine, thank you," he said. "I'm just glad you were here when we returned. I don't know what we'd have done otherwise."

"Well, as long as you're well," said the captain. "That's the main thing."

Paul looked at the silver-clad soldiers prostrate behind him. "Are you going to take them back through the door?" he asked.

"It's not as simple as that, Paul," said Major Schwarz. "There's been a security breach in the Intrepid. It is most peculiar to have a door like this appearing in a villa that leads into another space ship. We need to interrogate these intruders to find out what they know."

"I'm pretty sure they know nothing more about the door than we do," said Paul, who glanced at his wife for confirmation.

Beatrice nodded but not so much in agreement with Paul. "The major's right," she said. "It is most peculiar. And it's also very strange that this Paolo Mauritz looks so much like you."

"Surely that's just a coincidence," said Paul.

"Even if it is, Paul," said the Chief Science Officer, "it needs to be investigated. This is a voyage into the unknown. There are exciting new discoveries every day. They all need to be studied carefully. It is very odd that this man should resemble you so exactly."

"The hair and eye colour is totally different," Paul protested.

"We still need to examine these intruders," said the captain. "We also need to investigate this breach."

"Three of my men are going in there now, captain," said Major Schwarz. He indicated three soldiers who were walking towards the door armed with unambiguously menacing weapons.

"We also need to secure the breach," said the captain.

"Won't that simply trap the soldiers inside?" Paul wondered.

"You worry too much, Paul," said the major kindly. "My soldiers will be fine. We'll stay in constant communication with them, never you mind. Our first priority must be the security of the Intrepid."

"Furthermore, Paul," said the Chief Science Officer, "Remember why we're in the Anomaly in the first place. The reason is precisely to identify, isolate and investigate exciting new scientific phenomena such as this. Aren't you excited by the opportunity to add to the wealth of scientific discovery?"

"I guess so," said Paul who stood back with Beatrice and the other officers. He watched as three soldiers from the Intrepid walked through the door and closed it behind them.

"What will they do now?" asked Paul.

"They'll seal up the door from the other side," said the major. "That should prevent any more people from the other space ship trespassing into the Intrepid with lethal weapons and equally lethal intent. Then they'll investigate the rest of the ship."

"And the door on this side?" Paul wondered.

"The Intrepid is already patching up the hole that's been made, Paul," said the captain with a broad smile. "That will set things back to how they were before."

"I'm sure they will," said Paul who watched the wall metamorphose into a seamless surface with no evidence at all that it had once held a door, let alone one that led into another space ship.

Although this was precisely what Paul most wanted—that the villa should return to exactly the state it was before Beatrice had noticed the strange door—he was still anxious and uneasy. What prevented other similar doors appearing elsewhere on the ship? Why did Paolo Mauritz resemble him so exactly and where did he come from? He didn't dress like someone from a part of the Solar System that Paul knew about. And, even more troubling, how could there be more than one space ship co-existing in exactly the same point of space as the Intrepid?

And why were the senior officers so relaxed about sending three of their soldiers through a door they'd now sealed shut? Were the senior officers really so heartless as to sacrifice the soldiers' chance of returning home so casually?