Read Online Button in the Fabric of Time by William Wayne Dicksion - Free Book Online

archway with
glowing lights and an array of golden statuary of men and women.
Soft philharmonic-type music was playing, but there was no echoing
as I would have expected in a glass enclosure. I tried to enter
what appeared to be an open archway but bounced back. I had walked
into an invisible wall!
    Roc-2 smiled and said, “Wait here with Jan-3.
I’ll see if they’re ready for us.” He stepped unrestricted through
the archway. Jan-3 and I watched him walk down a corridor and
disappear through what appeared to be another invisible door. This
whole thing was becoming surreal, and I was beginning to feel
unsure about the outcome.
    Seemingly, out of nowhere, two unsmiling men
appeared. They wore form-fitting uniforms of what looked like
polished copper, with shiny black sashes around their waists. They
didn’t speak; but they motioned for Jan-3 and me to follow them.
They had no visible weapons, but their stony expressions and
unblinking eyes left no doubt that they were prepared to insist,
forcibly if necessary. Jan-3 and I complied with their
gestures.
    I put my hand in front of me to prevent
running into the invisible door again and stepped forward. Jan-3
smiled as she stepped briskly through what, for me, had been an
invisible door saying, “Come on, the wall isn’t there anymore.”
    I watched the attendants closely. I’m not the
type to follow commands meekly, but I was keenly aware that I had
no say in what was happening. I followed Jan-3 down the passageway
listening to soft, caressing music coming from somewhere. The music
was pleasant, but it did nothing to ease my apprehension. We passed
the place I had seen Roc-2 disappear without my being aware of
having passed it; I looked back and couldn’t see the archway behind
us, so I knew we had walked through another invisible door. I
wondered what I should do if I needed to escape. I probably
wouldn’t be able to find my way out even if I knew where to
run . I sure couldn’t zap my way out of this situation—
they’ve taken my button!
    We came to a place where a mirror was
blocking the passageway. One of the escorts gestured that we should
proceed. Proceed to where?
    Jan-3 stepped into the mirror; her body
merged with her reflected image and disappeared. I had no idea what
to expect, so I hesitated. When I stepped into the mirror there was
no sensation of passing through anything, but I was suddenly inside
a domed chamber.
    Three men sat on a stage, in throne-like
chairs; four uniformed men stood in attendance.
    Our escorts led Jan-3 to a high-backed chair
where she sat as though she was to participate in the questioning.
Two attendants led me to a low platform near the center of the room
and indicated by gesture that I should stand on the platform facing
the stage. The men seated wore robes reminiscent of ancient Rome. I
felt as though I was the subject of an inquisition. These men, like
all other adults I had seen, appeared to be about twenty-five years
old. Their heads were covered, and they had finely chiseled
features. Their manner was serious, and their eyes seemed to
penetrate the deepest recesses of my mind.
    I was astonished to see that the man seated
in the middle was none other than Roc-2 himself. His eyes were
intense, but at least they were friendly.
    From somewhere behind the stage, two men
appeared. One wore a black robe and the other wore white. They
strode to where I was standing and stood beside me. The white-robed
man stood at my right, and the other stood at my left.
    Roc-2 raised his right hand. An eerie silence
settled over the assembly. Roc-2 spoke strong and firm: “Gus,
you’re not charged with doing a wrong. We’ve brought you here to
determine if you are a threat to planet Earth. Would you tell us
the story you told me when we first met? Then we’ll question you to
verify that you are who and what you say you are. We must determine
how, and why, you came here.” He extended his hand to me, and said,
“Speak!”
    I felt that my