Read Castle Kidnapped for Free Online Page A
Authors: John Dechancie
apartment gave him a commanding view of the city. After spending most of the day in the city library. Gene would go back to his lair and eat a synthesized but palatable dinner. Then he would sit at a window and look out at tall spires set against the plains beyond, waiting until the swollen yellow sun set behind distant mountains. Then he would crawl into an Umoi bedâa simple affair like a sleeping bag with a spongy bottomâand listen to the silence until he dozed off.
He would dream of empty cities and of a race that gave up living.
Awake, he would give some thought to trying to find the portal, though he was acutely aware of the possibility that it might never again make an appearance in this world. Even if it did, there was no telling where it would pop up, or for how long.
But he had the resources of the city to help him. From what Gene could surmise, the Umoi had forgotten more science and technology than terrestrial humans had ever created. The twilight years of Umoi civilization had been characterized by a racial desire to simplify life, to return to the basics of existence. In this the Umoi had succeeded only too well, relaxing their hold on things to the extent that life simply slipped away. Gene suspected that degenerate Umoi cultures had continued to scrape by outside the cities for a long stretch, perhaps for as long as fifty thousand years. Things had been very peaceful and natural for centuries; but in time, ancient enemies took their toll: disease, dwindling resources, stagnation. The Umoi had gone out with barely a whimper.
âCase in point, lesson taken,â Gene intoned, sitting at a library view screen, âin the twilight ... area."
âI beg your pardon?"
âUh, nothing. I gotta stop talking to myself."
âIs this habit common among your species?"
âYes, perfectly normal. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.â Gene yawned. âI'm bushed, but let's go over this once again. You say that the Umoi developed the technique of interdimensional travel centuries ago but abandoned it?"
âThe Umoi weren't concerned with the practical applications of their discoveries,â the city told him.
âHow pure and virtuous. But are you telling me that one of these machines exists somewhere on the planet?"
âI'm telling you that it's a possibility."
âWhere?"
âI can't be certain, but such a machine was reputed to have been built in the city of Annau, long ago. It may still be there."
âWhere's Annau?"
The screen displayed a map. A flashing dot marked the spot.
âHere."
âOkay. Where is that in relation to where we are?"
âThe city of Annau lies exactly four thousand gi to the southwest."
Gene whistled. âJeez. Quite a hike, even if I don't know exactly how long a gi is."
âTransportation can be provided."
âYeah? What kind?"
âA self-propelled, cross-country vehicle powered by the nuclear fusion of certain isotopes of hydrogen. Primitive, but effective."
âSounds like a great way to go, but it's still a long shot."
âDefine âlong shot.ââ
âRisky. If I break down, or get a flatâ"
âA flat what?"
âNever mind. Let's just say that I need to assess the risk factors here."
âThat can be done."
Gene said, âWell, let's do it."
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Queen's Dining Hall
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âHow was your flight?â Sheila asked.
âFine,â Linda Barclay said. A pretty blonde with pale blue eyes, she was tall and perhaps a bit too thin.
Sheila had always wanted to be a blonde, had always hated her own red hair. Although Sheila wasn't aware of it and would probably disagree, she was just as good-looking as Linda.
âYou say you tried calling Gene's parents over and over?"
Linda set down her coffee cup and reached for another roll, thought better of it. âI was even thinking of stopping in there, maybe asking some neighbors whether they'd seen Gene, or
He would dream of empty cities and of a race that gave up living.
Awake, he would give some thought to trying to find the portal, though he was acutely aware of the possibility that it might never again make an appearance in this world. Even if it did, there was no telling where it would pop up, or for how long.
But he had the resources of the city to help him. From what Gene could surmise, the Umoi had forgotten more science and technology than terrestrial humans had ever created. The twilight years of Umoi civilization had been characterized by a racial desire to simplify life, to return to the basics of existence. In this the Umoi had succeeded only too well, relaxing their hold on things to the extent that life simply slipped away. Gene suspected that degenerate Umoi cultures had continued to scrape by outside the cities for a long stretch, perhaps for as long as fifty thousand years. Things had been very peaceful and natural for centuries; but in time, ancient enemies took their toll: disease, dwindling resources, stagnation. The Umoi had gone out with barely a whimper.
âCase in point, lesson taken,â Gene intoned, sitting at a library view screen, âin the twilight ... area."
âI beg your pardon?"
âUh, nothing. I gotta stop talking to myself."
âIs this habit common among your species?"
âYes, perfectly normal. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.â Gene yawned. âI'm bushed, but let's go over this once again. You say that the Umoi developed the technique of interdimensional travel centuries ago but abandoned it?"
âThe Umoi weren't concerned with the practical applications of their discoveries,â the city told him.
âHow pure and virtuous. But are you telling me that one of these machines exists somewhere on the planet?"
âI'm telling you that it's a possibility."
âWhere?"
âI can't be certain, but such a machine was reputed to have been built in the city of Annau, long ago. It may still be there."
âWhere's Annau?"
The screen displayed a map. A flashing dot marked the spot.
âHere."
âOkay. Where is that in relation to where we are?"
âThe city of Annau lies exactly four thousand gi to the southwest."
Gene whistled. âJeez. Quite a hike, even if I don't know exactly how long a gi is."
âTransportation can be provided."
âYeah? What kind?"
âA self-propelled, cross-country vehicle powered by the nuclear fusion of certain isotopes of hydrogen. Primitive, but effective."
âSounds like a great way to go, but it's still a long shot."
âDefine âlong shot.ââ
âRisky. If I break down, or get a flatâ"
âA flat what?"
âNever mind. Let's just say that I need to assess the risk factors here."
âThat can be done."
Gene said, âWell, let's do it."
Â
Â
Â
Queen's Dining Hall
Â
âHow was your flight?â Sheila asked.
âFine,â Linda Barclay said. A pretty blonde with pale blue eyes, she was tall and perhaps a bit too thin.
Sheila had always wanted to be a blonde, had always hated her own red hair. Although Sheila wasn't aware of it and would probably disagree, she was just as good-looking as Linda.
âYou say you tried calling Gene's parents over and over?"
Linda set down her coffee cup and reached for another roll, thought better of it. âI was even thinking of stopping in there, maybe asking some neighbors whether they'd seen Gene, or
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