Through the Gate, Part Three

It was suggested that the escape pods would be more entertaining. I was also told that the station itself was actually not far from the sim, or county, in which Mr Roo had found me and used his Stargate.

And here I thought I had been transported to the other side of the Mainland!

Laughing at this, I said that if it were truly the case, I would take the escape pod. Mr. Roo agreed to this and Mr. Pontchartrain said he would lead the way in order to illustrate their proper usage. Walking over to the pair of escape pods against one wall, he folded his wings against his back and entered. An automated process began and the see-through doors folded directly onto him In a wink, the pod dropped through the floor. I stood and watched it disappear into a small dot, fading from view and plummeting to the ground below. Mr. Roo was next and after he had disappeared I was faced with climbing into the next pod which dropped from holding in front of me.

Taking a deep breath, I climbed into the pod and as the green tinted doors closed directly in front of my face I allowed myself a childish grin. What could ever go wrong? There were a few mechanical sounds, I steeled myself for the worst, and then the pod was released. I dropped. Looking up, the station seemed to fall upwards and away from me. The rush was exquisite as I tumbled like a rock toward the ground below. However, I barely had time to be concerned before some gravity adjusting controls took over and the pod landed on the ground once, bounced slightly, and then rolled onto its side. The green doors opened and unhurt and filled with adreneline I stepped upon solid earth again.

Standing next to a blue energy teleportation disk, we said our goodbyes at that point. I inquired if it was possible for Miss Ofeq and I to use either the land or the station as a base point for our next camp and, of course, the wonderful Mr. Pontchartrain agreed. We would be setting up camp slightly higher up the slope as I didn't see the need for random escape pods to be falling around our tents. Within moments, Mr. Roo and Mr. Pontchartrain had moved over to the lift disc and were on their way back skyward. I suddenly found myself by myself for the first time in several hours. It was at that point that I began to feel overwhelmed by what I had seen and experienced.

I had come to the expedition expecting to find an odd culture with scantily clad natives practicing odd and wayward social practices. But this? This was not what I had been expecting! If the teleport disc to my left had not been sitting upon the ground I might have actually believed, like Bottom at the end of a Midsummer's Night, that I had just experienced some dream or figment brought about by exhaustion and poor eating habits. But I knew that simply by stepping onto that disc, immediately or days later, everything I had experienced would be brought back to me in clear and crystal confirmation.

Many thoughts swirled around my head as I stood and stared out towards the ocean. I had stumbled upon something so grand in its technological scope, I felt, that it could uproot and change the very fabric of Caledon should all the details be provided. Where was my responsibility in such things? Was it mine to report truthfully and faithfully and possibly suffer the slings and arrows of disbelief or should I keep the information to myself until it was more fully researched? Perhaps clandestine entries to Mr. Shang would be more in order before supplying such information? At that point, I found myself in a twisted knot of ethics. Obviously, you are reading this now so I must have come to some conclusion regaradless of my trepidation. However, those minutes standing at that spot, were intense and meditative.

Eventually, I activated my flying crystal and flew down towards the ocean to gather my bearings. I found with some delight that I had come out only slightly westward of the inlet near the riverboat and the "Dancing Lady Pub." I flew over the comfortable looking old world cottages. Landing back at our small temporary camp, I jotted down crucial notes and thought further of what I had seen.

The following day, I retraced the path with Miss Ofeq and this time, I played host. I warned her of what was to follow and I watched her reactions carefully. She was amazed and shocked much as I had been but, at the same time, delighted by what she was seeing. Lke myself, she recovered quickly and immediately began wanting to research and analyze different devices. There was only one moment of distress upon the station and that was during the presentation of the outside landing strip. She appeared quite hesitant and nervous to walk out the strip's full extent. Since this was within minutes of arriving, I have attributed it to the first shock of contact this place can have.

In touring the place again and in watching Miss Ofeq's reaction I came to realize one very important thing which lies at the crux of why you, my faithful readers, are even reading these entries. Indeed, it lies at the core of our very expedition. We who are journeying upon the Mainland are not merely exploring and learning in an attempt to gather what we can from it. We are not trying to bring the Mainland to Caledon. Are we here to learn? Absolutely. Are we here to document? Most certainly. Yet, the one thing that must be held solid against the wonderment of new devices, new creatures, new experiences is that we are here, in fact, to bring Caledon to the mainland! To share with it our culture and the things that make Caledon great not to be influenced, in turn, by who or what may, or may not, make the Mainland itself great. That is part of our mission and whether we accomplish it will be the true test of its success or failure for us.


Our journey continues onward and the story is far from finished. You of Caledon, take what I have presented and do with it what you will. I am now more convinced that Caledon will not buckle and crumble at mention of such devices or experiences. No, she will persist.

For myself, I have now had a more intimate look at the breadth and scope the Mainland holds for us and, I wonder, will ten weeks truly be enough? For the past week Miss Ofeq and I have been residing near or within this great station but will be moving onward soon. The rest of the Mainland awaits us.