Post by Arthur Galbatorix on Mar 21, 2007 14:33:49 GMT -5
Prologue:
(I just had to)
"Sir!...Sir!...come quickly..."..cried a soldier as he storms into the office of the General, in charge of the Gate facility.
The General, startled as he is, and highly annoyed that he had been interrupted, apologizes to his guest, an official straight from the white house.
Looking at the soldier he gives him a very stern look, which clearly didn’t mean any good.
“This better be …very important”…says the General in a voice which suggested that, if it wasn’t, he, the soldier might as well, already be on his way to the kitchens for punishment potato peeling duty.
Suddenly realizing his error, the soldier stops abruptly and stands to attention…
“Sir, it is, Sir!” he says a little shaken, but still very excited….
“They finally succeeded in….”
At this moment the general quickly puts his hand up to quieten the soldier before he could say anymore….
His eyes brightening up immensely, the general just says two words…
“The Gate?”
“Sir, yes Sir, they…”
“Thank you soldier, that will be all” the general adds quickly, though it was clear that he was also very exited by the news.
“Dismissed!” he adds in a voice which clearly held no room for debate.
Disappointed the soldier answers with, "Sir, Yes Sir!", and turns to leave…a second later he was gone.
*****************
About 10 minutes later, the General himself, hurries into the Gate control room, having just commandeered a jeep to take him as fast as possible to the Gate complex.
Leaving a bewildered white house official behind.
“Report!” he asks finding it difficult to keep the excitement out of his voice.
This was what he had been waiting for, for the past 6 years…his dream was finally coming true…or so he hoped.
Ever since an ancient looking gate, or at least that’s what it looked like, was found hidden deep in the frozen glaciers of the Antarctica, he had been assigned to it.
At first no one knew what it was, but recent tests suggested that it might actually be a link to another world.
“Sir, you’re just in time” a control officer calls out after hearing the general.
“We are just about to start the count down sequence.” he adds.
Turning their attentions towards the room next door, the two men and a team of other high security cleared individuals watch as the gate starts to hum.
In the other room, two platoons of soldiers were busy taking defensive positions around the gate, ready to confront and hopefully contain anything which might emerge.
Another official turns to the general and says,
“Sir, would you like to have the honour?“ he asks motioning towards a pile of computers nearby.
“ME!?” asks the General, clearly surprised by the question
“Yes, if you like” the official responds smiling…"it’s really fairly simple…all you have to do is press the red, button followed by the green one, then the blue one next to it”.
"After that you turn the small gadget beside it which looks like a wheel to a 6 O’clock position and finally you hold down these red and the yellow buttons at the same time, and press down this leaver over here” he says pointing at each button, the wheel and the level as he explained the procedure.
“After that you have to…”
“Ah…thanks very much, but I really think you deserve the honour” the general replies, having lost his concentration at the wheel part of the officials intructions.
“After all it’s your project…you should do it”
“Are you sure?” the official asks politely
"Yes” the general answers in an equally polite voice.
“Ok…Count down, in 10….9….8….7…"
“Did you send that letter to your wife?” another officer asks the general, as the count down continues
“Did I what?” the general asks in a perplexed voice.
"6…5…4…".
“It’s just, that you probably won’t have much time from now on”
The officer adds.
“Oh right……I guess not”, the general says, with a little worried frown appearing across his face…”Darn!” he adds then turns his attention back to the matter at hand, he would have to do it later…
"3….2…1…energize…"
With a great flash of white bright light, and a load bang the gate jumps to life and a multicoloured liquid ball starts to form near its opening.
The two platoons who were guarding the gate watch it wearily as it begins to grow.
“What is that” the general asks fascinated.
“Eh..oh..I don’t know” says the official, who had lectured him about the button and switches just a moment ago.
***Oh …so there is something he doesn’t know after all*** the general thinks smugly as he continues to watch.
Just then the multicoloured ball starts to move….slowly at first, as if studying its new environment…then…with a gigantic flash of multicoloured light, it was gone….and the two platoons with it.
Then the gate was quiet again.
(I just had to)
"Sir!...Sir!...come quickly..."..cried a soldier as he storms into the office of the General, in charge of the Gate facility.
The General, startled as he is, and highly annoyed that he had been interrupted, apologizes to his guest, an official straight from the white house.
Looking at the soldier he gives him a very stern look, which clearly didn’t mean any good.
“This better be …very important”…says the General in a voice which suggested that, if it wasn’t, he, the soldier might as well, already be on his way to the kitchens for punishment potato peeling duty.
Suddenly realizing his error, the soldier stops abruptly and stands to attention…
“Sir, it is, Sir!” he says a little shaken, but still very excited….
“They finally succeeded in….”
At this moment the general quickly puts his hand up to quieten the soldier before he could say anymore….
His eyes brightening up immensely, the general just says two words…
“The Gate?”
“Sir, yes Sir, they…”
“Thank you soldier, that will be all” the general adds quickly, though it was clear that he was also very exited by the news.
“Dismissed!” he adds in a voice which clearly held no room for debate.
Disappointed the soldier answers with, "Sir, Yes Sir!", and turns to leave…a second later he was gone.
*****************
About 10 minutes later, the General himself, hurries into the Gate control room, having just commandeered a jeep to take him as fast as possible to the Gate complex.
Leaving a bewildered white house official behind.
“Report!” he asks finding it difficult to keep the excitement out of his voice.
This was what he had been waiting for, for the past 6 years…his dream was finally coming true…or so he hoped.
Ever since an ancient looking gate, or at least that’s what it looked like, was found hidden deep in the frozen glaciers of the Antarctica, he had been assigned to it.
At first no one knew what it was, but recent tests suggested that it might actually be a link to another world.
“Sir, you’re just in time” a control officer calls out after hearing the general.
“We are just about to start the count down sequence.” he adds.
Turning their attentions towards the room next door, the two men and a team of other high security cleared individuals watch as the gate starts to hum.
In the other room, two platoons of soldiers were busy taking defensive positions around the gate, ready to confront and hopefully contain anything which might emerge.
Another official turns to the general and says,
“Sir, would you like to have the honour?“ he asks motioning towards a pile of computers nearby.
“ME!?” asks the General, clearly surprised by the question
“Yes, if you like” the official responds smiling…"it’s really fairly simple…all you have to do is press the red, button followed by the green one, then the blue one next to it”.
"After that you turn the small gadget beside it which looks like a wheel to a 6 O’clock position and finally you hold down these red and the yellow buttons at the same time, and press down this leaver over here” he says pointing at each button, the wheel and the level as he explained the procedure.
“After that you have to…”
“Ah…thanks very much, but I really think you deserve the honour” the general replies, having lost his concentration at the wheel part of the officials intructions.
“After all it’s your project…you should do it”
“Are you sure?” the official asks politely
"Yes” the general answers in an equally polite voice.
“Ok…Count down, in 10….9….8….7…"
“Did you send that letter to your wife?” another officer asks the general, as the count down continues
“Did I what?” the general asks in a perplexed voice.
"6…5…4…".
“It’s just, that you probably won’t have much time from now on”
The officer adds.
“Oh right……I guess not”, the general says, with a little worried frown appearing across his face…”Darn!” he adds then turns his attention back to the matter at hand, he would have to do it later…
"3….2…1…energize…"
With a great flash of white bright light, and a load bang the gate jumps to life and a multicoloured liquid ball starts to form near its opening.
The two platoons who were guarding the gate watch it wearily as it begins to grow.
“What is that” the general asks fascinated.
“Eh..oh..I don’t know” says the official, who had lectured him about the button and switches just a moment ago.
***Oh …so there is something he doesn’t know after all*** the general thinks smugly as he continues to watch.
Just then the multicoloured ball starts to move….slowly at first, as if studying its new environment…then…with a gigantic flash of multicoloured light, it was gone….and the two platoons with it.
Then the gate was quiet again.