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– Yes, but to be honest, I’m not surprised. Although in winter there are more people here.
The young man looked at the bartender in surprise.
– Really?
– Oh yeah. The fact is that in winter there is an important event for all residents – reindeer sleigh races. Then a lot of people come here, including nomads. They are excellent riders…
– It’s right.
Arthur turned to the speaker. The words belonged to an old Evenk sitting in the corner of the bar. A smile played on his face.
– Have you been to competitions? – the young man approached him. – May I sit down?
– Yes, I have been to competitions many times, and my team always win prizes.
– Really? And you, probably, are perfectly oriented in these places? Arthur looked at the Evenk with interest. The elderly man was wearing a leather jacket with fur and warm quilted trousers. The weather-beaten face of an Evenk and a serious look, said that this man had seen a lot, but was not used to sharing his thoughts with anyone.
– Well, yes. Recently, I even helped one of your scientists get to the valley where you mine ore. He was a good man.
– Do you remember his name?
– And then, how! His name is Alexander Karpatov.
– And your name?
Evenk gave Arthur a suspicious look.
– Why do
– Excuse me, please. My name is Arthur Dalivin, I am a professor’s student.
– Well, yes?! True, right? I am glad! What brought you to us?
– That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. But, if possible, as they say, face to face.
Loko nodded and they paid and went out into the street. Arthur looked around and, making sure that no one was interfering with them, said:
– It concerns your journey with him. The professor was very grateful to you for the help rendered to him then and told a lot about the places where you visited with him. And especially about that mysterious clearing.
Evenk nodded.
– So, the professor, unfortunately, did not have time to tell anyone about what he saw, except for close friends, before the epidemic claimed his life.
Loco interrupted him.
– Did professor die?”
Arthur nodded. Loko lowered his head and sighed heavily.
– Very sorry. He was a good man, not like some of yours. The mind was open, understood a lot… But why did you come here?
Arthur lowered his voice.
– There is a reason. Now everyone is only interested in money and, in addition, everything has been swallowed up by the global market economy. And in what ways to sell a product and how to produce it – it does not matter to anyone. And so, recently, the board of directors decided to build a huge nuclear power plant on your river. Previously, people thought about environmental protection and anomalous zones, sent expeditions to these places, but everything has changed. Now for such stories, unless, of course, you can provide evidence, it is quite possible to lose your job. Therefore, the professor informed me of this under the strictest confidence. In secret from everyone, we gathered an expedition and decided to go in search of these places. If our enterprise succeeds, then it will be possible to declare your land reserved and inviolable for such encroachments. And if you help us…
Loko thought for a moment, and for a moment there was silence, broken only by the rustle of the beginning of rain. Then he looked at the young man again and nodded.
– Okay, I’ll be happy to help you. But remember, these places are for those who know them and whom they know. Therefore, we must be very careful…
– Thanks, Loco. We will try.
***
The next morning, having collected the necessary provisions, the detachment set off. It was decided to move along the river, as going straight ahead would have taken too much time. Trees dressed in gold and scarlet outfits and untouched by man, nature, beautiful in its originality, and clean air fascinated. It seemed as if you were transported to another planet, and the smog and stuffiness of the cities was just a forgotten dream. During the campaign nothing unusual happened, except that several times small herds of deer were shown in the distance, still living in the local forests. Finally, on the fifth day of the journey, the travelers, accompanied by Loko, approached the foot of the hill, all overgrown with young birches and pines, where an amazing phenomenon awaited them – the trees were dancing. Their trunks bent into sometimes simply incredible shapes – from helical to intricately curved,
– Incredible! – Stas approached one of the trees. – How is this possible?
– It’s impossible to explain this logically, – Arthur examined the tree from all sides. – Although I saw something similar on the Curonian Spit on the Internet…
– Of course, while sitting at the institute, there is little you can see with your own eyes, – Ushakov grinned and turned to the conductor. So, it looks like we’re almost there?
– No, for a long time. From this hill, do you see the trail going up? We’re just there. Then everything is straight and straight. Go to the valley a day and another day.
When the group climbed to the top of the hill, they saw a stunning view of the river and the hills overgrown with forest. And behind them was an open space with the tops of rocks of bizarre shapes rising to the sky.
It was decided to arrange a halt in a small clearing. The sun went down, the temperature dropped sharply, and a fire had to be lit. The rising flame dispersed the cold, and everyone felt quite comfortable. After supper with stew warmed over a fire, the expedition members went back to their tents.
Chapter 5 Not one step back
Anna woke up early in the morning. All around you could hear the predawn singing of birds and the sound of the river in the distance. She stretched and, trying not to disturb Alla, who was sleeping sweetly nearby in a sleeping bag, left the tent. To the surprise of the girl, the whole space around was filled with a milky-white fog, in some places the outlines of tents were still visible, but everything else was hidden by a white curtain. Anna hesitated in place, as strange sounds were heard in the distance, like call signs. Taking a long stick she had saved up from the evening, the girl, as if enchanted, unconsciously moved towards these sounds. They became clearer and clearer, when suddenly Anna slipped and felt herself falling. She screamed loudly and plunged into darkness…
She woke up from the fact that someone gently moistened her forehead with an alcohol wipe. Opening her eyes, the girl froze. Most likely she is still sleeping… How else can one explain the conditions in which she found herself? An oval-shaped white room, bright light reflecting off the walls, and a young blond woman in light silver jumpsuit leaning over her.
– Who you are? Where am I?
The young woman smiled.
– Don’t worry, Anna, you’re safe. My name is Saima, I’m the chief paramedic of Aldabra Medical Bay.
– Aldabra? The girl looked at the young woman in disbelief. – What is it?
Saima spread her hands.
– I think you should meet with the captain, he will explain everything to you. Just be careful not to make sudden movements.
– But what happened, may I ask? I was walking along the path, I heard strange sounds and… I blacked out.
– No wonder, – Saima helped the girl to get up. – You have to look at your feet. Then you would see an open hatch… and a ladder.
The girl frowned angrily. So here’s the thing… Rubbing her bruised head, she got to her feet. Apart from a slight dizziness, Anna felt quite tolerable, so she followed the doctor without much difficulty. Leaving the medbay, they descended a long spiral staircase down. Touching the wall, she felt metal. So it is – the stairs and the walls of this strange room were metal! Finally, the stairs ended, and Anna, accompanied by Saima, went out into a large hall, consisting of several levels, where battened-down compartments opened. An incredible guess flashed through Anna’s head: “Really… An alien ship… I’m in an alien ship! Fantastic …” However, all her doubts disappeared by themselves when two people approached them in the same silver overalls, but with gold stripes on their chests.
– Saima, is everything okay? How is your patient?
This voice… Anna, not believing, peered into the alien’s face. But an alien? She took a couple of steps back in shock. It’s impossible…
– Anna, calm down, – the man, noticing her confusion, held out his hand. – I’ll explain everything.
– Alexander? But you… you…
The man gently took her by the shoulders.
– Yes. But a lot is not what it seems… I’m alive, but in a different way.
A familiar image flashed through her mind’s eye: the hospital, the same one she had volunteered for during the last epidemic, ten years ago. A tinted window, bright lamplight, a table with an artificial lung ventilator and… a hospital bed on which an unconscious man lies. They became friends in practice… Although they were separated by a tangible age difference, he never refused to help his wards, he could give wise advice, and at the same time remained himself, without arrogance or arrogance. And he was always so kind to her… But the outbreak of the epidemic had its own plans. The girl felt that her strength was leaving her. If the young man who accompanied Alexander had not supported her, she would have fallen.
– Alex?! You… But how?! I have seen with my own eyes…
– Hush, hush … – the man hugged the frightened girl. She immediately felt the anxiety dissipate, disappear. – Everything is fine. I know that this is unexpected for you, but… You will understand everything soon, I promise, – the man gently ran his hand through the girl’s silky hair. “Do you remember that vision, a few years ago?
The girl nodded uncertainly.
– So, it was you! And I thought I was going crazy…
– No, you’re fine. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. And by the way, my real name is Art…
***
Arthur woke up as if someone had pushed him in the side. Tired from the long journey, he was drawn to fall asleep again, and, waving his hand at everything, he was already falling into the world of dreams, when he heard someone scream. The dream immediately vanished. The man started up and, having risen on the bed, began to listen. However, the cry was no longer repeated. He put on his jacket and left the tent. There was such a thick fog around that almost nothing could be seen, except for the vague outlines of neighboring tents. Trying not to make any noise, he groped his way to one of them, but lifting up the canopy, he noticed that Anna’s bed was empty. The young man was seized with an unpleasant presentiment. In agitation, he touched Alla on the shoulder, she started up and looked at Arthur incomprehensibly:
– Arthur, what are you doing here? What the…
– Alla, where is Anna?
– And how do I know… I was sleeping! What is it?
Arthur jumped out of the tent and called again:
– Anna!
However, there was no answer, and the young man hesitated. To wake everyone up meant to sow panic, and it never leads to anything good. Finally, what does he lose if he tries to figure out what happened himself? Having made up his mind, Arthur moved forward along a path barely visible in the fog. And then… he heard them. Strange signals, similar to the callsigns used on ships. As if in a dream, the young man walked towards them, when suddenly…
He didn’t notice how it happened. Losing his balance and clutching at the air with his hands, Arthur collapsed into the void. However, the flight ended before it even started. The skill and experience of climbing made themselves felt – grabbing the edge of the crevice, he tried to feel the bottom with his foot and, to his amazement, found a light metal ladder. There was no way back and, slowly but surely, the young man went downstairs. The light of day had faded and a slight twilight reigned all around. As his feet touched the floor, the young man looked around. It looks like he is in some kind of dungeon. Complaining about the lack of a flashlight, he groped his way forward. Metal! The walls of the room were completely made of metal! Cautiously moving along one of them, he noticed another staircase leading into darkness and began to descend again, as a bright light flooded the entire surrounding space. Discouraged, Arthur stopped, shielding his eyes with his hands. There were voices from below. The young man quickly overcame the remaining steps. Before his eyes appeared a huge hall, from which the doors of the compartments departed in different directions. But then, at one of the doors, near an incomprehensible device in the form of a type-setting panel, he saw three people. They turned around and Arthur saw Anna among them.
– Anna?
– Arthur? The girl approached the man. – How did you get here?
– Where here? Anna, where are we?
– And what do you think?
– I… – Arthur looked around in bewilderment. Then he met the gaze of a tall man in the clothes of an astronaut. As if reading his mind, he nodded. -Does it mean…
– Surprised? – Anna smiled ironically. – But you yourself wanted to find “something extraordinary,” didn’t you?
– Yes, – Arthur pursed his lip. The slightly mocking look of the girl almost pissed him off. – Thank you for the reminder. I already realized that I was visiting aliens. Aren’t you afraid we’ll be their guinea pigs?
The girl frowned.
– Looks like someone has been watching The X-Files too much. Yes, Arthur, we are indeed in an alien spacecraft. And let me introduce Art, the commander of the expedition, and Mikkel, the captain of the Aldabra.
The astronauts bowed, placing their hands on their chests.
– Very pleased to meet you, – Commander Art waved his hand around the room. – Welcome to Aldabra – the fastest ship in the Orion Constellation.
– Well, nice to meet you, – Arthur held out his hand and Commander Art smiled and shook it.
– Forgive me for interrupting you, – the young man whom Anna called the captain of the ship took a step forward. Graceful, dressed in a silvery suit, with black hair pulled back, he looked like the hero of some fantastic movie about elves. Noticing Anna’s enthusiastic gaze fixed on the alien, Arthur felt an unexpected pang of jealousy mixed with envy. The man pursed his lip, and his hands clenched into fists of their own accord. Not noticing the complete hatred of the look of the man, the Captain looked around everyone with a serious look of chocolate eyes. – We don’t have much time.
The commander nodded, turning his gaze to the girl.
– Oh sure. Anna, now I hope you understand the reason for your being here.
– Not quite… – Anna replied with a shrug. – Although… if you want to say that, once on your ship, we ended up in, so to speak, an alternate reality…
– What?! Arthur looked at Anna in shock. Anna, are you out of your mind? What is another alternate reality?
The astronaut shook his head.
– No, – Commander Art exchanged glances with Mikkel, who impatiently crossed his arms over his chest, and hastened to add. – You are in your own time and space, but we are all connected by one common mission, thanks to which you found our base and our ship.
Seeing that the young people still did not understand him, he sighed.
– Apparently, explanations are indispensable… I think you have heard about the spirits that protect your planet? So, we, of course, are not one of them, but our mission is to observe the life of earthlings.
– Like “Men in Black”, or what? – Arthur chuckled.
– Something like that, – Commander Art nodded. – Of course, this sounds fantastic, but I’m sure, Anna, you are not one of those who need to prove that your planet is not the only one inhabited in the Universe.
The girl nodded. For many years she studied astronomy, the Vedas and Ancient Texts. And Arthur’s recent discovery seemed to have prepared her for the last step of accepting what Commander Art was hinting at. But Art?
– I… of course I understand, but… If you died, then… Now you…
– What? – Arthur threw a perplexed look at the astronaut, but he impatiently waved his hand, interrupting him:
– Yes, you can say that. I don’t want to go into details, but I don’t seem to have a choice. Well, we can actually live one or more human lives in order to awaken those who are ready…” He glanced pointedly at Anna. – Midgard is not just a planet, but what earlier spiritual leaders called a kind of Purgatory. Having come here from our world, your souls, through several rebirths, can receive healing from negative energy…
– So does karma exist? I knew it…
