The Man From Taured (25 page)

Noble studied that spot where he had seen the air shimmer. He focused, and now he could see several areas in that direction shimmering. They were popping up and vanishing like fireflies.

Weak spots. Holes in reality. Opening and closing. Perhaps some just the size of a pinhole, but others big enough for something to step through.

Noble pulled his gaze away from the shimmering portals and scanned this part of the town again. This was the outskirts, the bits of commerce that always popped up around the exits and entrances to major highways. But he was willing to bet that most of the people who worked at the gas stations and restaurants lived in Knorr, or very close by. He wondered how many of them had seen things they could not explain, or heard stories about things that could not be explained. He was willing to bet that many of them had at least heard a story, but had been able to dismiss anything odd that they had seen as tricks of the eyes, dreams, or their wild imagination.

He had done the same thing, hadn't he?

The wool had been removed and the world looked very different. Now, as he turned his head from left to right and back again, the shimmering continued and he could see it easily now. The world had changed for him and he wasn't sure that he liked it. Was he really ready for this?

No, of course not. How could anyone be ready?

Noble sighed and breathed in the air, wishing he knew what kind of trees were around here. It smelled good. The air was cool and he guessed there would be fog in the hills come morning. It was beautiful, despite the terrifying thought of the portals opening and closing constantly.

It was time to head into the hotel and maybe get something from a vending machine. He had to call his wife. He had to get some sleep.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

***

Noble awoke the next morning from very strange and troubled dreams that part of him guessed were not really dreams. In one a very young girl, long dead, ran up to him and begged him to play with her. When he said no, she vanished into the haze with her head down and Noble felt bad, calling after her. He could not find her again. In another dream he saw a beautiful teenage girl in a blue dress who greeted him warmly and told him to be careful. He felt his heart tug when he saw her, but then she opened a portal there was a young man waiting for her on the other side. In the final, and most disturbing, dream something huge and menacing came to him out of the ether. It was hard to see, but Noble could tell that it was massive, taller than the trees, taller than the buildings, and it had teeth that somehow gleamed in the darkness. It also had enormous red eyes that glowed fiercely. It spoke to him in a sinister whisper and tried to convince him to let it inside of him so that it could re-enter the world. Noble backed away, ran through the haze and darkness, and the thing pursued him, stomping and trampling anything and everything.

His sheets were covered in sweat and his body was shaking. The blankets were completely wrapped around his legs. Noble extricated himself from the blankets and the bed covers. The muscles in his legs shook as he flung his feet over the edge and he stood up unsteadily. He breathed heavily, filled with fear, wondering what other things were out there in the darkness and the places in between.

Noble dressed quickly and then shuffled into the lobby area where there was a breakfast nook and food. He ate a Danish and toast and found some scrambled eggs that weren’t half bad. After he ate he felt better, more like himself, but he was nervous. He had no idea what to expect, but the pull of this place was now undeniable.

The night before, he had spoken to Olivia and tried to tell her about Knorr. She was worried for him. She said encouraging words, but Noble could feel the tension in her voice. He did his best to soothe her, and had almost believed it as he fell asleep. Now, after a night of plagued with dreams that seemed all too real, he wasn't so confident.

Shaw and Dash showed up just as Noble was finishing off his coffee. They immediately set about getting breakfast. Shaw looked very tired and Dash always looked ready to go, but Noble saw that his eyes were very red and he wondered if they had had dreams as disturbing as the ones he had had.

"How did you sleep?" Shaw asked as he placed his paper plate down on the table. The plate was piled high with food.

"Terrible," Noble replied. "I had weird dreams that I now suspect were not really dreams."

Shaw nodded. "Me too. This place is powerful."

"I stood out in the parking lot last night while you guys went off to get dinner and I could see portals opening and closing," Noble said. "I could see a shimmering in the air, in the darkness, going off all over."

Shaw smiled. "Very good. That's your ability, Noble. That's your talent for seeing and finding the Rifts."

"Can a Rift move?" Noble asked just as Dash came over and placed his plate down and then took a seat. "Can it seek out people like me?"

"It's always been a theory," Shaw said. "You are the only person who is a Rifter that I've ever met, so I can't say for sure. Why?"

"I suddenly have all of these memories from my past that don't add up," Noble said, sipping his coffee. "I have memories of sitting in the living room of my house when I was little and strange things happening very suddenly. I wondered if it was possible for a Rift to just find me and swallow me up."

"Possible," Shaw said.

Noble was not satisfied, but he could not fault Shaw for not knowing. It was weird to know that you were one of a kind.

"So, what is Whitten?" Noble asked. "When he came to me in the elevator, he was certainly not human."

Shaw forked eggs into his mouth. "No. Perhaps he once was, but he is now infused with Void. We don't know how that could be, but you have probably heard stories of possession by demons and Satan himself. We think that was likely Void trying to get through to our world through someone else. Whitten seems to have invited Void into himself. He is entirely an ally of the Void and he has gained a very long life in exchange for allowing the Void to enter him and take him over. It gives him incredible strength, as you saw. For all intents and purposes, he is immortal."

"Is he the one working at Gemini?"

"We think so," Dash said. "From what intelligence we've been able to gather, we think he is now fully employed by Gemini. Perhaps he has also corrupted others at the company. He now has the top floor of the Gemini building and we think that the entire floor is where he is conducting his experiments."

Noble sighed. "How do we stop him?"

"First thing's first," Shaw said. "We need to make sure you are comfortable with your abilities. We are going to need them. There is no place better for this kind of training than right here. So, once we finish our breakfast, we are heading out into the wilderness there and we're going to see if we can find a Rift. Then we'll go on from there."

"I'm going to admit that I'm scared about this," Noble said.

Shaw finished his eggs and nodded. "You should be."

They stood in the parking lot for several minutes and Noble found a quiet spot in which to close his eyes and concentrate. He could feel the Rifts all around him, tugging at him. Some of the tugging was big and some of it was small.

"Let's head that way," Noble said, pointing to the northwest.

Shaw and Dash climbed into the car. This time Dash took the back seat. He was now armed, his pistol strapped to his leg. Shaw had also put a pistol in his pocket, but the man looked like he
had no idea how to use the thing. Noble sat in the passenger seat, closing his eyes and concentrating on the pull and tug of the Rifts.

"There's a strong one," Noble said, "just that way."

Shaw drove, up and down the hills and narrow roads. The roads twisted and turned and the trees got closer and closer to the side of the road. It was like stepping back into time. The more Noble concentrated, the more he could discern where the Rift was. It was like a hand in his guts, tugging at his spine, pushing at his back. It made him excited, nervous and more than just a little nauseous.

"We have no idea what we're going to find there," Shaw said. "We have to be careful. The Rift could be anywhere, in the middle of a home, in a shopping mall or on a high branch in a tree."

"Yeah, I get that," Noble said, annoyed at the distraction. "Do you guys really think that your guns are going to be able to stop something if it comes through?"

"Well, it's better than nothing," Dash said.

"Doesn't IDEA have some advanced weaponry or something?" Noble asked. "Something that can deal with these things?"

"Yes, we have lots of things, but I didn't bring them with,' Shaw replied. “It might cause too much of a stir to see a bunch of guys standing around with advanced weapons."

"Right," Noble said. It made little sense to him, but Shaw had his own way of doing things. Fine. More than likely even IDEA’s weapons would be nothing against some kind of monster. "Turn right up ahead."

Shaw made the turn. They sped down the narrow road. On either side were fields with only the occasional house. The houses were small, but the property was large, with wide lawns and huge gardens. It was beautiful.

"We're close," Noble said.

The feeling inside of him was so strong, it was nearly overwhelming. His entire body was tingling from head to toe. The car pulled up into a small clearing between two large wooded areas.

"Stop!" Noble said.

Shaw found a place to pull over as best as he could. Other cars roared past, rocking the van. Noble wasn't sure what to do next.

"So, what now?" He asked.

"We get out of the car," Shaw said. "And you walk. This is where your training begins. This is where you really learn how to use your powers."

Noble shrugged. Sure, that sounded logical. Just walk into another dimension and get eaten by monsters or aliens or just cannibals or...whatever! Made sense.

They piled out. A truck roared past them, rocking the vehicle, sending a wind right up Noble's pants, making him shiver. He walked around until he was near the edge of the field. Dash was on his right, his gun already out, pointed at the ground. Shaw flanked him on the left, looking unsure of himself, his hair blowing wild in the steady wind. Noble stepped closer to the field, the gravel crunching beneath his feet and then whispering across low grass. When he felt safe, and like he was far enough from the road, he closed his eyes, put out both hands to his side, palms facing the field.

The feeling came over him right away. It was more than just a sensation of being pulled. It was like electricity, running from his toes and up through his head. All of the hairs on his arms, across his chest, on his neck, stood up. It was overpowering, but pleasant.

Noble opened his eyes and there it was. The air over the tall grass was shimmering. It was a huge oval shape, pointed a bit at both ends, as if the air had been ripped apart. The breeze that he was feeling came from this opening. It was in the middle of the field. He could see beyond the portal, but it was wavy, indistinct.

He walked into the field, his legs and mind filled with purpose. The shimmering oval grew closer and closer. He could smell things now, a wet smell, a bit rotten, as if whatever was on the other side was filled with vegetation decaying. There were sounds, too, moaning sounds, or crying sounds. Anyone who happened along here and heard those them would think that the field was haunted, perhaps.

Noble heart was hammered in his chest. The tingling sensation grew stronger and stronger with each step along with the feeling of a hand pulling him forward. He was now directly in front of the portal and he reached out his hand.

The portal reached back for him.

The pointed edge of the portal was above his head, until he reached for it. Now that edge reached forward, downward, as if extending toward his fingertips. Noble opened his mouth in amazement, and the tingling turned into an electric shock that shot through his fingers and toes. His fingertips vanished. It looked like his fingers had been chopped off.

"Wow," Noble whispered.

The portal expanded and swallowed him. Now his arm was gone. He walked forward and now his shoulders and head pushed through. Then he felt a giant hand yank him forward, pulling him right through the portal. The ground disappeared from beneath his feet.

There was a feeling like being on a roller coaster. His stomach, heart, organs dropped down into his shoes. There was a moment when he felt as if he could not breathe, an instant of bright white light, and then there was ground beneath him. He was breathing again.

Noble opened his eyes and he was in the middle of a forest. It was dark. The trees looked dark blue and extended far, far, far up above his head and all around him as far as he was able to see. The sky that he could see, between the finger-like branches, was a dark, dark purple. The air was so humid it was like trying to breathe water. The grass beneath his feet was also a purplish shade. The bushes around him was filled with huge thorns.

He breathed in the thick air. It was tough to catch a breath in the humidity. He looked behind him and saw that the portal was still there, shimmering, reaching out to him.

The ground shook.

Something, several somethings, flew out of the trees. Noble looked up and there were hundreds of birds, or some other flying animals, it was too dark to see for sure. They cawed and wheeled in the sky, flying right toward Noble's head. They were all around him in an instant. They flew so fast that Noble could not get a good look at them. He flung his hand over his head, the wings battering against his arms and head.

The ground shook again.

Something roared.

The roar went on and on, filling Noble's ears. More animals began to run away, scampering through the bush and the shrubbery around him. There squeaks and caws and growls. It was like being in the universe’s most terrifying zoo.

The ground shook at a steady pace.

"Footsteps," Noble whispered.

Whatever it was that was headed right for him was enormous. Noble could not imagine what kind of creature could make the entire ground shake. All he knew was that he had to get out of there.

Noble turned, reaching out his hand again, the portal reached back. Just as his fingers disappeared something came through the trees. He got the image of a giant creature, its head high above the trees, a face with glowing white eyes and huge arms that looked like human arms – except for the fact they were made from what looked like swamp material like weed, reeds and vegetation. Just as his shoulder vanished through the portal he saw a giant mouth filled with white teeth. His nose filled with the smell of swamp, rotting vegetation, as if the creature was entirely made out of it. The air flowed around him in a rush and he got the impression that the creature was rushing toward him, reaching for him with those giant vegetable hands.

Noble's head vanished into the portal and there was that roller coaster feeling in his gut. Then feeling of electricity throughout his body, the bright white light, and then he fell, tumbling, head-over-heels, onto the ground in the field back in his own world. There was a loud popping sound that echoed and roll across the hills like thunder. He fell hard, on his back, and rolled, getting to his feet and gasping, whirling around, expecting the giant hand from the huge monster to be reaching for him.

There was nothing.

The field was empty. There was a soft breeze. Dash and Shaw stood near the road, both of them with guns in their hands. Noble snorted derisive laughter, wondering how those guns would have worked against a creature so enormous.

Noble studied the air above the field. The wavy portal was gone. He could see straight across it now and the view was distinct and clear. No longer could he hear screaming, crying or cawing. The ground did not shake. There was only the sound of birds, regular, familiar birds, all around him.

"That was intense," Noble said.

In truth it was exhilarating. Now that he knew what it was, what he could do, he wanted to do more. He was no longer frightened, his fear gone, knowing that he could control what he did. How many more were there? How many more dimensions? The adrenaline rush was unlike anything he had felt before. This must have been what skydivers felt like after they completed a jump and landed safely on the ground.

Noble told them what he had found. Shaw nodded as if that was normal. Dash blinked, the only indication that he was a little frightened or put off.

"Let's go find another one," Noble said.

Shaw smiled his approval.

Once in the vehicle Noble closed his eyes and sensed where the next rift was. It wasn't far. This one was in the middle of downtown Knorr, down a short alley and behind a restaurant. Shaw pulled into the mouth of the alley and they all poured out again. The portal was there, hovering just about two feet above the ground, in the center of the alleyway. This time it was a weak portal and they could see through it to the other end of the alley, but it was like looking through frosted glass.

"OK, here goes," Noble said.

Noble walked toward the portal and reached out his hand. Once again, the rift reached back toward him. His fingertips touched the outer edge of it and there was intense tingling up and down his arm and throughout his body. He let the tips of his fingers brush across the top of the rift, the electricity coursing through him. Then he pushed his hand forward, slowly, his fingertips disappearing, the portal growing in size and shape, now devouring his forearm, elbow and up to his shoulder.

There was that roller coaster feeling. Then the sensation of the world falling away, bright white light, a moment of sheer terror where he could not breathe or feel anything around him. There was another flash of light and smells and sounds filled his nose and ears.

He was in another alley, but it was not a small town anymore. It was a loud and bustling city. There was the powerful smell of exhaust from cars. The the sound of cars and trucks backfiring pounded his eardrums, the engines much louder than back in his own dimension.

"Hey, what the hell are you?"

Noble turned and saw a man wearing a long dirty coat, a watchman's cap, a scraggly beard down to mid-chest. The smell wafting off him was a potent mixture of booze, vomit and body odor. The man's eyes were bleary and there was a half-empty bottle of something cradled in his arms.

"Sorry," Noble said.

He should just jump back into the portal, he thought. He knew that, but there were people walking past at the mouth of the alley. Women with skirts down past their knees
and men in long raincoats wearing fedoras. It was like stepping into a Humphrey Bogart movie.

"You just popped out of the air," the old man slurred.

"Yeah, that kind of thing happens," Noble said, feeling stupid, but walking past the bum.

He crept up toward the mouth of the alley. He kept to the shadows. Overhead, the sun blazed down on him. The buildings over his head were huge, standing and pointing high into the air. He soon noticed airships slowly crawling across the sky. He watched the cars as they puttered past, in the model of the 1940s. At the same time, he also noticed that several of the men and women had what looked like cell phones up to their ears. A few had hands-free earpieces in their ears.

Noble watched for a minute and then decided he had seen enough. He turned and walked down the alley. When he got near the shimmering area in the air he noticed that the bum had passed out, lost again in his dreams. More than likely he was going to think whatever he had seen was just an alcohol-infused dream.

He popped back out into the alley in Knorr. There was that feeling of losing his breath and then a bright white light. There was another, stronger, feeling as the air behind him popped. He staggered as he came back into his home dimension and when he looked back, the rift was gone, the air calm.

"I need to see more," Noble said.

"OK, let's not get carried away," Shaw said.

"Just a couple more," Noble said, already heading for the van. He could feel another rift right now tugging at him. Now it was like a drug. He was like a kid with a new toy and all he wanted to do was play with it again and again.

They spent most of that day traveling from place to place in and around Knorr. Most of the rifts were in isolated areas, but one was located in the middle of an intersection in downtown Knorr. Noble went into each one.