Project Hyrax: Beyond Time

Darkness engulfed them as they kept whirling and screaming at the top of their lungs, then they were blinded by flashes of light in quick successions. The dizzying lights were nauseating, Robin could hear John's high-pitched screeching which worsened his headache. The panicked lads didn't know what to expect, their jittery thoughts and vertiginous ride were in sync, as though they were thrown into a bottomless abyss. Suddenly, in the middle of total darkness, Capsule-1437B abruptly stopped, causing the boys to bump into the activation panel and fall back to their seats. All was silent. Nothing could be seen, or heard, or even felt in that void-like state. Then, the silence was broken by a loud thud, signifying that the capsule had finally landed and causing Robin to spiral into unconsciousness.

Gently, he regained his awareness of himself and felt a bright light shining on his eyelids. He slowly lifted his eyelids, and witnessed a gleam of sunlight passing through the leaves and the capsule window, shining right on his face. There was a huge tree in front of the capsule, providing shade with its leaves branching out in a canopy. He thought he was surrounded by mist until he became aware of the smell. It was smoke.

Robin was alerted that danger was imminent. He tried to look for John, but the thick smoke covered his view. He noticed sparks began to appear from the activation panel. He tried to stand, but his legs felt weak and numb. His back was paining as well, he had to hunch a little.

"John!! Can you hear me?" Robin called out. There was no answer. Robin became worried, John might be unconscious. He tried to move and reach out to him, but his legs still felt heavy. With his vision blurred, he desperately tried to find a way out. His lungs began to strain for more air. He pressed the button. The door didn't unlock. He pushed and kicked the door with his weakened legs. Gasping for air, he used all his force to give a hard kick. The door finally relented. The smoke began to diffuse into the outside world. Robin tried to find the Commune, but all the tools and doc.u.ments were scattered around the Capsule. He searched thoroughly and found it lying stuck below his seat. He pulled it out and switched it on. The display turned on and showed the Hyrax logo.

~*Determining Signal Strength*~

~ *Establishing Connection*

~ *Connected*~

Robin's heart was beating rapidly when the Commune connected. He was about to cry for help before a voice spoke through the device.

"Hello? Kid, you there?" Kael asked. His voice sounded fuzzy through the Commune, but still very much audible.

'General! A problem! The capsule is malfunctioning! Err…sparks on activation panel…smoke's everywhere…John!! CAN YOU FREAKING REPLY ME?' Robin yelled.

'Okay calm down, kid.' Kael replied. 'Now, check the capsule for a microfiber cloth and place it on the activation panel. Then get a rod at the back of the capsule and pry open the door. Quick.'

'Hold on.' Robin scrambled across the capsule to search for the safety cloth. He placed it on the activation panel and quickly searched for the rod, before he realized that he has already kicked the door open. The sparks on the panel began to fizzle out. As the smoke mellowed and diffused into the outer air, the interior of the capsule became more visible. Robin's burning eyes began to see things clearly. He wished he didn't.

'No…No this can't be…JOHN!!!'

'Kid? What's going on?' Kael asked calmly.

Robin didn't reply. Tears swelled up in his eyes as he witnessed a long rod piercing through John's body. The rod had pierced through the activation panel as well, causing the sparks to occur. John's eyes were wide open as he laid lifeless on the seat. Robin stared blankly at John for a moment. His mind became empty, his body became numb.

'Kid?' Kael repeated his question.

'It's…John. He is…dead. I have lost my strongest support at the beginning of the mission itself.' Robin answered.

'How?'

'Some kind of a rod pierced him. Why the eff you placed a rod in the capsule for?' Robin raised his voice.

'Look, kid. That's a safety rod, to pry open the door in case you were damned, just like how helpless you were moments ago-'

'Oh yeah, and now I am hopeless.' Robin interrupted. 'I feel blank. All my hope, strength, determination is fading away! He had been with me for so long, and now he is gone the moment we landed, what a way to start. Now I am lef-'

'Kid, listen to me-'

'Left all alone in a middle of what seems like a jungle! Who knows what type of extinct beasts I have to face all alone here-'

'Shut up, Robin. Just shup up.'

Robin held his tears, his watery eyes blurred his vision, but he didn't wipe them away, neither did he let them flow.

'Now you listen to me with your mouth shut. You were sent there to find the missing crew. To find your father. For every second that you keep whining, the longer you are wasting time. Now do as I say. Get out from the capsule and take a look around your surroundings, then describe it to me. Do it, Robin. You need to keep your hopes strong, for your father at least.'

Robin got down from the capsule and observed the place. All he could see were trees everywhere. Sounds of crickets and wild animals were heard near and far. The sun dyed the sky in shades of smoldering ember. The wind blew as the leaves hummed, as though mourning for him.

'In a forest. Sunset. Gonna be night soon. No creatures seen nearby.' Robin told.

'Okay, get back to the capsule and take the Tracker. Switch it on, and tell me what it displays.'

Robin climbed back into the capsule. His heart sank once again as he looked at John's body. He grabbed his backpack and took out the Tracker. The Tracker beeped as he pressed the button.

'It says searching for signal.'

'Good. It may take a wh-'

'One signal found. Labelled "ALEX", about 25 degrees north west, 28 miles from where I am.' Robin said. There was no enthusiasm in his voice despite the great news.

'Excellent!' Kael beamed. 'See, it is not all bad, kid. I understand your grief, but you need to stay calm. Look at the bright side, you managed to enter the same world as your father, and tracked him. We are using Commune for the first time, and it worked! Imagine that it doesn't and you have no one to talk to, now that's worse, isn't it? You have to be strong, kid, and keep going.'

'I need to sit down and clear my mind, general. I can't think of anything right now.'

'Sure, kid.'

Robin went to the huge tree in front of the capsule and sat down. He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. An upsurge of guilt filled his conscience. It was him who persuaded John to follow him, despite the latter's reluctance. He thought of John as his strongest support and best friend, never as his lab assistant. Ye he became the catalyst to his own hopelessness. Doubts took over his mind. If only he didn't call John, things would have different. If only he was not part of Hyrax, things would have different. If only his father didn't create a time machine, things would have different. Yet, time proved to be the ruler despite mankind's strenuous attempt to manipulate it. Can he use the time capsule to bring back John later? Or would bringing back a dead person create a distortion in timeline? He shuddered at the thought. He recalled what Kael had told him. He needs to find his father. He can't change anything now. All he hopes, is that his father better provides a solid reason for all the chaos. John's death should not be meaningless.

Robin stood up and took a deep breath. 'I have to do it.' he whispered to himself. He picked up the Commune and spoke to Kael.

'I will do it.' Robin affirmed. 'I will go and find them no matter what. But first, I will bury John before I leave. I can't leave him like this.'

'Fine, kid. But don't rush to find them. 28 miles is still far even if you walk in a consistent, brisk pace. Considering that night is approaching, it is better for you to rest for the night. Find a safe spot, like a cave or something. Take some rest for your body and mind.'

Robin went inside the capsule and looked at John's body. He unbuckled the seat and slowly carried his assistant towards the tree. He used the rod to slowly dig up a hole, while preventing his tears from flowing. He placed the body inside and buried it with the soil and twigs and branches from the bushes nearby. That was the best he could do for someone who has been with him for years. He had nothing to make it look like a proper tomb, but he promised to return and find a better way once he has found his father. For now, it was time to leave.

Robin's Commune beeped. 'Kid, you there?'

'Yea. Gonna leave now.' Robin replied.

'Okay, just a little reminder. Don't forget your backpack and all the necessary tools in the capsule. There's a bottle labelled as Sprax. It's a tiny antiseptic spray that eases pain and temporarily binds wound by forming a mesh of thin fabric layer. Might help if you have any injuries. Take a good look around the capsule before you leave it, possibly try to close the door back, you might wanna come back later.'

Robin took the Sprax and sprayed the antiseptic on his bruised ankles. The wound was covered quickly and his pain subdued. He picked up his backpack and took some doc.u.ments that contain explanations regarding the capsule. Though nothing much was understood, he decided that it might be useful later if he ever needs to fix the capsule by himself.

As the sky succ.u.mbed to the encroaching darkness, Robin kept searching for a safe spot to rest for the night. He could hear the chirps of cricket and screams of monkeys as he continued to tramp the bushes. When it was too dark for him to see clearly, he took out his flashlight. The outrageously bright light illuminated his surroundings and scared away the nearby monkeys and birds. Robin could sense the fear of the animals feeling threatened by the glare of his torch. Not to alert too many wild animals, he switched off his flashlight, and instead used his laser blades. The blades let out a soft red glow, just enough for him to see.

The thick forest was covered in pitch-black darkness. Robin could not see any signs of a cave. He ate a Genogr.a.p.e, and decided to rest under a tree surrounded by spiky bushes. He powered on the Shield Dome, and a radiant blue light encircled him. He was completely exhausted, yet he knew he won't able to doze off. Not after witnessing the horror earlier.

He gazed at the sky covered in myriads of stars, glistening under the moonlight. The view was supposed to be mystical, calm and soothing, in contrast to the night sky back in the future, which pales in comparison, artificially brighten by man-made lights. His brain told him that the view was marvelous, yet his heart is unable to feel any of the said beauty. John's demise kept haunting him. He tried to ignore it by closing his eyes and focusing his mind on the sounds of the forest.

***

'Anything so far?' Syrah asked. 'Besides the boy's death and the broken capsule?'

Kael shook his head. 'Nothing significant. I told him to find a safer place like a cave to rest for the night. Hasn't got any updates yet.'

At the very moment he ended his sentence, his Commune beeped. He could hear a trembling voice. 'What's going on, kid?' he asked.

'There's this weird bird, general. I don't know how to describe it, but I have never seen anything like it. Some sort of a lizard's head and a hawk-like body. It was aggressive, was trying to penetrate the shield dome.' Robin gasped.

'Kid, there is a reason why we gave you a gun and a laser blade. Also, it won't be able to penetrate the shield dome no matter how hard it tries, so no whining about it. Just kill it.'

'It went away.' Robin was relieved. 'But I have never seen anything like it. I did try to study the kind of extinct animals that have existed 50 000 years ago, but nothing like this bird. It was really weird-looking, and seemed sick. I got away from the place when I used my flashlight, and realized that the surroundings looked burnt. Burnt marks on the trees, bushes, ground, and I don't think it is a forest fire. It's only in this area. I don't know what's wrong with this place.'

'Didn't sound like anything to be worried about, kid.' Kael retorted. 'Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't I advise you to go search for a cave?'

'Yea, you said find a safe spot like a cave. I thought this was safe. Never mind, I am searching for a cave now.'

Kael placed the Commune back on the desk and continued his work. Syrah stood next to him, tapping the desk.

'Well? Do you think he will cope?' she sneered.

'We will see.'

***

Robin decided to stick to his flashlight this time. Better to scare away the monkeys rather than being attacked by a horrendous bird, he thought. He did expect to come across various kind of creatures, but this particular bird didn't look normal at all. He thought he was overthinking, and decided to carry on with his journey.

He couldn't rely on his watch to observe the time, but he assumed it was somewhere past midnight. The jungle was quiet, except for the nearby monkeys who were startled by the rude awakening from the flashlight. For a moment, Robin felt like someone was watching him, but he couldn't see anybody, even with the bright light. He thought his mind began to play tricks on him and resumed his quest.

Trees after trees, there were no signs of any cave. Robin was fatigued, he desperately wanted to rest, but didn't want to annoy Kael again in case something happens. He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. Throughout his life, he never had the opportunity to go for a hike or even visit any kind of national park, but now here he is, in a middle of an uncharted jungle, in the middle of the night. He looked around. Trees, bushes, monkeys, insects, and a faint glow of light from afar. Robin rubbed his eyes, and it was clear that another light source besides his flashlight was coming from a distant away. Out of curiosity, he suppressed his fear and headed towards the light source.

As he approached closer, it became apparent that the light was coming from a cave. Robin's heart skipped a beat, he didn't really want to think about what's in there, but whatever it's going to be, he has his gun and laser blade to protect him.

He reached the cave, and slowly went inside. The cave had a high ceiling, but no bigger than the conference room back at Hyrax. No creatures were seen, but a fire was lit in the middle of the cave.