Semper Paratus

by Eyes in the Dark

Prologue: To bend space

,,,^..^,,,

Daniel had always prided himself on being prepared. Whether it was in his military service or after, the motto Semper Paratus just made sense to him. Latin for "Always Prepared" or "Always Ready" was reminiscent of days spent with childhood friends where he would scour the countryside in search of adventure and mischief. Daniel was usually the one with the rope and sandwiches- that much was certain. Whether following the town drainage ditch for miles in search of "treasure" or hiking through the county woodlands to abandoned cotton gins where he grew up. He was dubbed "Calvin" at a young age and grudgingly kept the title until he left for military service after a brief stint with a express package delivery company.

Daniel never found "Hobbes" all those years back but that didn't deter his adventurous spirit of wanting to see the world. While his high school friends were content to stay in their home towns and lacked ambition, Daniel never sat still. It was that high energy demand that led him to the logistics side of UPS and it was the same "high speed, low drag" demeanor that took him from it three years later where he landed boots first in the United States Air Force.

Years later, training and hard work were paying dividends that couldn't be matched had he stayed in his sleepy hometown. The military had sent him overseas to some of the most remote corners of the globe, and he loved every minute of it!

Korea, Italy, South America, the Persian Gulf- those were just a few of the places he could openly talk about to his family back home. Other, more lucrative locations were not discussed readily but his references to certain aspects left little to be imagined.
Twenty years later and with retirement right around the corner, Daniel decided he'd had his fill of military service. With an honorable discharge, a small house in the Ozarks paid for and few, if any, bills- he breathed the air as a civilian of 41 years old and sat on his front porch watching the sun rise.

His love of the outdoors had not darkened, and he still took as many trips as he could across the US, often backpacking for days on end in search of the perfect spot. Of course with retirement from the service, his paycheck dwindled to basics and he was glad he squirreled away a little for the future. There was an added bonus of a few good friends he had made along the way and it more than made up for his lack of funding. In the logistics world, time was money where distance was concerned and Daniel was a master of it all. He knew the right individuals to call and how the system worked...across several continents.

One particular individual he made an impression on had offered him a job after his military service but Daniel had politely turned it down stating "I gave my country the best years of my life, and once I retire- that's it. I'm retired!"

The cordless phone rang out a generic tone and Daniel eyed it from over the top of his mug of coffee. Very few people had his number and for any of them to call at 6:20 in the morning was not normal.

"Hello?"

"Daniel? Good morning! It's Bruce."

Daniel's eyes narrowed slightly at his friend's voice on the other end of the line, "Bruce, good morning... why are you calling me so early? I've not even finished my cup of coffee..."

Bruce had been the one that offered Daniel the job and from time to time pestered him about turning it down. "I'm sorry about the early hour Dan, I'm just getting off an all nighter at the lab and I want you to see something."

Daniel sipped his coffee and watched a squirrel precariously trying to defeat his 'squirrel resistant' bird feeder, "Bruce, I already told you I'm not interested in a job..."

"...no, no- this isn't about a job at all," Bruce cut in with a bit of excitement in his voice, "this is about traveling, you know, all those places you visited."

Daniel smirked when the squirrel's weight triggered the clasp that closed the feeder and his little claws found no purchase on the slick metal. The little critter quickly lost balance and fell the short distance to the ground with a thud. With an affronted screech at being displaced, the squirrel leaped quickly back onto a nearby tree to try his luck a different way.

"My traveling you say-" Daniel wasn't really paying attention as he sipped his coffee again.

A new voice chimed in to take the place of Bruce, "Dan? It's Shannon; you really should listen to what Bruce is trying to say."

Daniel blinked several times and made himself focus, "Shannon? Don't tell me you're in on this too..."

"Come on Dan, we've been friends for a couple of years now and this is the serious Bruce talking. And no Shannon isn't on here to guilt you into anything- Tony needs to meet all three of us over in Thayer!"

Daniel eased his chair back against the wall and propped his feet up on the railing of the porch, "why Thayer Bruce? That's over the state lines."

Shannon exhaled on her end, "Daniel look, why can't you just trust us on this? If we want to get together for some coffee or something what's wrong with that?"

Dan gave a little huff, "because you didn't just come out and say it Shannon. I've had my fill of secrets and covert motives, if you want to get together for something just tell me!"

"Fine Dan, it’s for old times’ sake- you know we wouldn't call so early if it wasn't important, " Shannon added a bit deflated.

Daniel could mentally see her rolling her eyes at him, "you're a terrible liar Shannon..."

The line was dead in anticipation for a couple moments before Daniel's slurp of coffee broke the stalemate, "where in Thayer do you guys want to meet up?"

Again, he could nearly see them both relax before Bruce spoke up.

"Thanks Dan, alright, if you come into town from 63 south- at old US highway 19 there's a Dairy Queen on the right hand corner at county road west. Let's meet up there in 3 hours; will that be enough time for you to get out there?"

Daniel glanced at his watch, "if I take the bike I can make it in less time but yeah, that should be fine. Still not gonna say what this has to do with my travels are ya Bruce?"

"Trust me Dan, you'll want to be in on this! We'll explain everything over brunch."

Daniel groaned inwardly at this meeting. Why was this so difficult for him? Oh, maybe it was the way his and Shannon's relationship had crashed and burned before it even took off.
"I'll see you all around 9:30." Dan ended the conversation clicking off the phone and didn't wait for the others to say anything. He didn't want to see Shannon anymore- Bruce and Tony meant well enough but they also worked with her and felt obliged to include her in everything.

Daniel looked down in the dreggs of his mug at the now cold coffee. It wasn't that Shannon was a bad person, in fact, just the opposite. At one time she might have been Daniel's ideal dream of settling down. But the military had changed him all those years back. His dream of having a family and raising kids on a farm were trashed time after time- each mission he was sent out. He had grown a grudge against humanity with each pull of the trigger, every paper signed, each medal given to justify human loss that tallied against his countrymen.

Shannon had been introduced to Dan several years ago before he retired and they grew close enough to hang out and date. She was an intern at the time with the company where Bruce and Tony were scientists, PhD's to be exact. Daniel had helped that company get through some logistical 'red-tape' with some of his contacts and thus earned a spot as their friends. Daniel's past would not let him get any closer to the woman that could complete him and eventually pushed her away. The months that followed were harsh. A lot of things were said that could never be taken back, sure, Bruce and Tony were there to offer their support but how much could they really do? None of them had military experience and couldn't fathom where Dan was coming from.

Daniel went back inside to wash out his mug and change into his motorcycle gear. He walked into the garage and tapped the door opener. Cool, crisp morning air spilled into the space where rider and bike stood. His red Honda 919 speed machine stood as a stark contrast to his canary yellow Jeep wrangler Rubicon. The Honda was clean with smooth, fast curves while the Jeep's exterior was marred by countless off-road trips where trees, rocks and mud had given the paint job 'character'. Daniel's Jeep was built for slow off-road scenery where as the Honda was a pure adrenaline injected junkie bike- and it was time to stretch the legs.

He straddled the bike and clicked over the starter. The purr under him washed away the prior phone conversation and he slipped on his helmet. The Honda wanted to fly, it's logo with wings was a testament to the engineering behind the aluminum horse. Once outside, the garage closed and house locked, Daniel eased onto the short gravel road that connected his existence to the rest of the world. The blacktop stretched away to his right and left and a grin spread on his face as he pointed the red demon North-East and let out the clutch.

The needle jumped in time with his heart as the speed climbed to triple digits. A corner came on fast and Daniel down shifted smoothly into it and rolled on the throttle for traction.
It was one of the few feelings in the world that could nearly erase his memories and even those small details that clung to him from past wars and conflicts couldn't hold onto the 919's speed. Time wasn't allowed to exist when Daniel was on that bike, he would ride until the gas light came on and then ride some more after a fill up.

The Ozarks were a beautiful place to ride a motorcycle. Whether it was a cafe racer or cruiser, the winding roads were therapeutic for each and every rider.
Daniel glanced down at his watch and looked up for the next mile marker.
'Good', he thought as the bike eased out of another curve and slowed into small town traffic, 'I'm OK on time and maybe an hour away.'

Daniel sat more upright to stretch a bit at the slower speeds and reverently touched the side of the gas tank in thought, 'you'll never love me, but you'll also never betray or use me.'
The miles clicked off and soon, with the state lines behind him by many hills, the small town of Thayer came into view. He slowed further into a school zone and glanced around at the pristine countryside, it was merely another small nugget as far as towns went in the back nine of the US of A.

Thayer was considered a railroad town as most were that sprung up along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks. The late 1800's early 1900's had seen many such communities but unlike the status quo- Thayer (which had originally been named Augusta) had endured through generations. With Mammoth Springs right around the bend from the place, Daniel had never even considered a trip to Thayer- there was no need.

That is, until today.

The Honda eased into the parking lot of Dairy Queen and Daniel killed the motor in a spot by a window. The silence was deafening as anyone who has even ridden a motorcycle can attest to. Glancing at his watch, he realized he had made good time and decided on brunch without his friends. They would be there soon enough and Daniel would take this time for a little peace while he ate.

Daniel walked inside and noticed the lack of patrons for the hour. True, they had just opened but he guessed not many people would go for the greasy burgers or fries at 9 in the morning. He set his helmet and gloves down at a side booth that gave him a clear view of the parking lot and his bike. His hand reached down and adjusted the pants leg that covered the top of his boots and also hid a holster. He never traveled without some kind of defense.

"Good morning Sir, welcome to Dairy Queen- may I take your order?" The young girl at the counter bubbled slightly with new day vigor. Daniel couldn't help but wonder if she still had that energy after the lunch and dinner rushes.

"Good morning, yes I think I'll have the... iron grill classic club, fries and a lemonade chiller. For here please."

Daniel could see the young kids step into motion as the order qued onto their screens. A payment later and Daniel was off to the side watching the hustle of making food. He never tried working in the 'fast-food' scene but he did have a lot of respect for those that gave it a try- even if they didn't last long.

A tray was produced from around a corner and set up with Daniel's meal. He thanked the young man and took his place next to his helmet to eat.
The club sandwich was phenomenal! As he took bite after bite, his mind drifted back to times when he scarcely had water to drink- let alone hard food. Those times out on the land had done two things for him. One, he made sure he had the right combination of seasonings and supplies in his pack to kill, clean and cook just about any critter that could feed him and two, any food that was normal cuisine for the average American was enjoyed with an almost spiritual reverence when he came home.

Retired or not, that love of the almighty cheeseburger, onion rings or root-beer float didn't dim with his lack of service. Daniel pulled a long drag from his lemonade and glanced over the top of the cup at the clock above the cash register, 9:26.

'Huh, they should be pretty close to...'

Speak of the devil and he appears. Two SUVs and one fairly new sports car slowed to park in the spots closest to the Honda. A person each got out of the vehicles and they made their way to the entrance. Daniel speared some fries and watched his friends enter.

Bruce opened the door and let Shannon and Tony pass by, they were all close to Daniel's age but he secretly doubted anywhere near his maturity level. Bruce was the "crazy uncle" type that your folks warned you about. His smile was often infectious and he loved fireworks. Daniel liked things that went boom too and when they got together they had to make sure it was far enough away from city limits so the cops wouldn't come looking for the cause of a ruckus. Tony was the shortest of the group and even a couple inches shorter than Shannon but the guy was all business- most of the time. He got his PhD a few months before Bruce and was the senior engineer at TeleFab Inc. Although you wouldn't know it to look at the guy, Tony's jeans and t-shirt attire blew any preconceived notions right out of the water.

And then there was Shannon, Daniel was a fool for letting his past dictate his future but what could be done now? She was every bit of 5-10, 130 pounds of American country girl, and her voice was angelic- when it wasn't plowed-drunk.
Daniel had been privy to the fact she liked her strong drink and by that he had to wonder how someone so country could be both all Irish and part fish.

Daniel gave them a polite wave as they came over to the booth first.

"Looks like you beat us by a few minutes Dan, mind if we get some food too?"

Bruce was already making his way to the counter and Shannon had briefly eyed his club sandwich wondering if she should get one.

"I don't mind at all Tony, I've got time and nowhere to be so... Shannon? The club is rather good- I recommend it." Daniel lifted the sandwich she had been eying and took a bite of it.

Tony chuckled lightly at Shannon's embarrassment and she broke off her look with a huff. The trio placed their orders and was soon content to munch on their selected choices at the booth next to Daniel.

Bruce took a mouthful of his chicken sandwich, "Uhnf, caun yew beweve wit?"

Tony and Shannon both glanced over as if something was wrong.

"It's just so delicious!" Bruce finally said after a swallow and grinned. Shannon rolled her eyes and went back to her chicken salad and fries, she had ignored the club after all.

Daniel had to grin at that knowing full well what he was just thinking.

It didn't take much time for the group to finish and with only bits and pieces left to pick at, they decided to start the meeting proper.

"Daniel I suppose you want the down and dirty first and then we can chat up the finer points." Bruce finally mentioned after counting the M&M's currently surfaced in his Blizzard smoothie.

Daniel crunched on a piece of ice and nodded, "I think the bottom-line-up-front would be nice."

Bruce and Shannon both looked at Tony who cleared his throat gently for the floor, "Dan, since you turned down the job you were offered by our company some amazing breakthroughs have been made. And with these advances have come some perks within the company, paychecks, and so forth. And while we actually do the footwork there, it was you that originally made it all possible you see."

Tony paused for moment before glancing at both his coworkers again, "Daniel, we want to offer you a vacation to a location of your choice, pretty much free of charge travel-wise and all you have to do is come to our facility."

Daniel took a drink from his almost depleted lemonade to hide his amused expression, "you want to offer me a vacation? Why the hush-hush bologna on the phone, why didn't you just say so?"

"Because Dan, you'll be using company transportation and we didn't want to say anything over the phone about it." Shannon added with her voice down a little.

Daniel snagged a toothpick to fish something from his teeth, "ok, so what's the catch?"

Shannon huffed and took a pull from her diet coke, "why would you think there is a catch? There is no catch... Why can't you just accept a gift for what it is?"

Daniel chewed on the toothpick lightly and looked across the table at her deadpan, "I already told you once today you're a terrible liar and for starters the only thing that can't be said over the phone is either one, being monitored, two, illegal, or three, a surprise." He held his hands up to finish.
"I am surprised at this and I will accept on a couple conditions. Is it illegal? And what transportation is it exactly?"

Bruce shifted uneasy in his seat, "alright Daniel, fair enough. It's not exactly illegal because no laws have been written on it yet which points to the transportation end of your question." A pause-
"It's a portal Dan, plain and simple. We can open a door here in Missouri and step out in Africa if we wanted."

The three scientists relaxed a little since the proverbial cat was out of the bag but Daniel sat closer to the edge of his seat. "A portal you say? Just like that, walk onto another continent?!" He looked over his shoulder quickly making sure they were still the only ones in the restaurant, "do you realize what this could do for shipping? Industry? My God, the possibilities... th-the nightmares!"

Tony nodded at that, "yes Daniel, I think you understand the gravity of why this had to be a face to face meeting now. You can see what would happen if this kind of technology was offered to the world," he leaned in to the group, "Daniel we don't want to start a war over logistics!"

"So what does this have to do with the vacation bit?"

"Well, we wanted to offer you this chance before it gets taken away, before word of the capability gets out. The plan was to offer someone the chance to use the portal to travel somewhere they were familiar with, but it couldn't be one of our own people Dan because they would be missed. It has to be someone who could make it on their own if the portal didn't open back up, someone with your experience for living off the land and wouldn't need to contact any local agencies to get back if things went south."
Bruce slurped his Blizzard again, "you were the first name to come up and the only one everyone agreed on since you helped us all those years back. Let us offer this to you Dan..."

Daniel had to admit, it was a bombshell if the word got out. He could imagine the chaos if people and/or supplies just started appearing in different parts of the world. Hell, with the right nefarious political puppet-masters pushing buttons on a device like that, governments could be swept away overnight.
But then there was the lesser of two evils, travel- instantaneous, worry-free.... FREE. Just open a door here and BLAMMO, he could be anywhere. Anywhere?

"How safe is it?" Daniel finally had to ask.

Shannon piped in for that, "it's 99 percent accurate Dan. The one percent being the time we tried opening the portal over the pacific ocean only to have it open underwater. And well, it took months to get all the saltwater out of the lab and clean the equipment but since then we've opened doors on every continent and always away from populated areas."

"What do you say Dan? You are the most qualified to go- just say where." Tony said taking a swig from his drink.

Daniel had watched the others faces as they talked and he could tell they were excited for him. 'Alright', he thought, 'let's see where this goes...'

"Brazil, 20 degrees south between Campo Grande and Rio Paraguay. It's well off the beaten path, temperate forest and jungle terrain. And my Spanish still works well enough to talk to the locals if needs be," Daniel crossed his arms and waited for the answer to sink in.

Tony was the first to crack a smile, "I'll take that as a 'yes' then. And by the sound of it, you've been there before."

Daniel gave him a wiry smile too, "you could say that Uncle Sam sent some of his boys down that way before..."

"How soon would you like to leave?" Bruce asked grinning for ear to ear.

Daniel had to consider it a moment, "well, how long would I be gone for? A week, a month? I'll have to make sure my bills are paid up and put a hold on the mail... but I always have my bug-out bags ready so I guess, um, tomorrow?"

The grins were getting infectious now as Shannon even sported a looker, "tomorrow will be perfect and as for the time?" She looked between Bruce and Tony, "we were thinking a week to start out, it would give us the appearance of 'business as usual' and we'd open back up the portal in the same spot so you could either come back or stay a little longer. That part will be up to you to a point I suppose."

Both men nodded in agreement.

"Huh," Daniel had heard of the 'gift horse' before but never had one this close, "alright, give me the details."

The group talked for another hour and had to get refills on drinks before it was over. Daniel ended up with a map leading further North into Missouri to the out skirts of Current River State Park. The plan was so simple he had to tell himself it was real; bring a week's worth of provisions, shelter, the works- show up at their facility by 1800 the next day, open the portal to South America, step through, enjoy a vacation of roughing it approximately 5,000 miles away! That was it in a nut shell, but it couldn't be! Could it?!

All the way home Daniel went over the scenario again and again, it was true- most of it. Daniel had been down around Paraguay before and even once spoke Spanish with a modicum of proficiency, would it all come back to him if and when he needed it? He had driven quite a bit slower heading back and once he stopped in his driveway, he looked up at his cabin with a sly grin.

"Semper Paratus..."

,,,^..^,,,

The next day, Daniel awoke early and got in a good morning run and mild workout in keeping with his military training. Even after the service he saw a need for the conditioning and it paid out exponentially when it came to hiking distances. With a quick shower out of the way and breakfast eaten, he began to gather the gear he would need. His 75 liter internal frame backpack was first on the list. He always went down the contents list in order it was naturally used so nothing was missed.
Tent, tarp, 550 cord, inflatable sleeping mat, ultra light goose-down bedroll... He continued taking out the gear and arranging it on the floor for inspection. Anything torn or missing would be replaced and a repair kit would be included too.

Next was the cooking gear; MSR 12 and 28 ounce fuel bottles (full), multi-fuel stove, three man cook set, titanium utensils... Daniel looked at every item critically as there would be no parts store close by. After that was done came the seasonings and spices- some things you could get off the land while others needed to be brought. Dry pack soup mixes and 'instant' pouches were great additions when one needed a quick hot meal with sustenance. Another zipper pouch revealed a fishing kit, another was water purification. Daniel opened the first aid kit and checked the contents and dates, he'd have to swap out a few 'stale' things like Doxi for infections...

He cast a careful eye on his camp axe. An item he would never be without and in a moment of contemplation, he went into the garage and took out his old trusty machete and take-down re-curve bow. With a simple Allen wrench the bow would fold away nicely in his pack and would save on ammo for hunting....ammo! Daniel snapped his fingers as the meager one pound of iron on his ankle was all but forgotten until that very moment. He reached down and ripped off the Velcro fasteners that held his trusty revolver in place; a Smith and Wesson model 360 snub nose in .357 magnum. The Crimson Trace laser grips activated with a touch and he was satisfied with the brightness. On opening the cylinder he noticed his defense rounds would not be needed. Still out in the garage he grabbed a 50 count box of soft points he had been saving for hunting- a perfect time to use them, although sparingly.

Back in the house, he set out more equipment and went to the kitchen for Ziploc bags. How many times had he forgotten this little detail only to end up with soaked things in the rain. Daniel stopped in his bathroom and took a few hygiene items; soap, toothbrush, paste, floss, toilet paper! He laughed out loud remembering the times when his crew or himself had forgotten that critical roll only to be miserable for days out in the sticks. Well not this time! Two should be plenty for this trip...

Daniel had lined up more things from clothing to small finger-long signaling explosives. But even in the large backpack, there was only so much room. Extra shoes didn't make the cut along with his camping coffee pot- Daniel hated that detail but resigned to pack some Korean instant coffee sticks instead. Speaking of Korean, some of the instant noodles had to be left out as well as some canned sardines.
'There would be fishing in the rivers and streams', He thought to himself as he began to reassemble the gear. Daniel nearly had everything neatly packed up when a thought occurred to him.
'The LED headlight, tent light and shaver ran on AA's and AAA batteries... better bring the solar charger!'

He went over the mental list again and again before taking the pack out and setting it in the back of his Jeep. The bills were paid up online, the post office was called and told to put a hold on mail for the next month, water and electric bills were auto-pay...hmm.
Daniel walked through his house and caught a glimpse of himself on the edge of a plaque he'd been given before retirement, his short cropped brown hair and equally brown eyes looked back at him and twinkled in a smile. He was really looking forward to this!

Once satisfied that his bike was put away, the house was locked up and everything was in its place, he turned over the ignition on the wrangler and set his map out on the passenger seat. It would be easy getting back to Thayer and once there, continue heading North-East until the park turn off showed. Easy.

It took an hour and a half longer to reach Thayer and after getting lunch to go and gasing up, Current River State Park was on the horizon. He glanced at the clock in the dashboard, 5:01 PM. The map wasn't the best and the side roads weren't marked so twice he had to double back and go a little further.
5:45 now and a gate ahead, Daniel slowed the Jeep at the guard shack and stopped for the man in the window.

"I'm here to see Doctor Bruce Wallman or Doctor Anthony Cinders."

"Name please." The guard asked picking up an old school corded phone from the wall.

"Daniel Hopkins."

"Just a minute."

The phone rang up to the main building and the guard conversed with someone on the other side for a brief moment before hanging up.
"Ok Mr. Hopkins, through the gate to the main facility, you can park in any of the visitor spots."

Daniel thanked him and drove through once the gate was opened. Around the corner Daniel spied a well kept area the size of a football field but on two levels. The lower level was the parking and the upper level was the main building. But what caught his eye was a ring structure one fourth sunk into the ground on an outcropping above the parking lot. It glimmered in the sun and he could just make out cables hanging from it, people on ladders and what looked like others talking into radios.

Once the Jeep was parked, Daniel shouldered his backpack and locked the doors. He walked toward the main structure only to have it tower overhead by at least a few telephone pole lengths. There were stairs and also a convenient elevator to the side which he opted for the elevator. The platform was as large as the lower parking lot but incredibly smooth. The entire thing had been built on a rock ledge that gave anyone on it a beautiful view of the State Park that stretched away into the hills. There were massive clusters of cables and wires laying between the building and the metallic ring- some of the wires were laid in troughs sunk into the concrete while others lay haphazardly out of the way of foot traffic.

"Daniel!" A familiar voice called out and caused a couple heads to turn his direction.

He smiled and accepted an out stretched hand of the scientist in a white lab coat, "'evenin' Tony, looks like you guys are pretty busy- are we still on for this?"

Tony motioned for him to follow as he spoke, "Oh yes, we're still on for the trip. I see you are well packed! Good-good... We had a small anomaly come up in a test run this morning so all the techs are looking over a few things; I won't bore you with the techno-babble Dan."

"I don't mind Tony, if it's something you think I should know, I mean you haven't had anyone actually go through with this before I'm assuming?"

Tony led him through the facility and to the staff lounge where Bruce had papers in stacks all over the large conference table.

"Ah Dan! Good to see you! Please- set your gear down for a minute if you want and we'll get you spun up." Bruce's lab coat wasn't as clean as Tony's, in fact, it had a couple of burn marks on it that made Daniel chuckle and he pointed to them.

"To answer your question, no, we have not. Bruce was going to volunteer but being one of the senior staff- well, that got shut off quickly."
Tony noticed the burn marks too and grinned, "Bruce were you playing with the high voltage dumps again?"

Bruce mumbled something about having metal in his pockets while Tony gave Daniel a rundown of the machine. Now he did not confess to be anywhere near tech-savvy but what Tony was outlining was nothing short of Star Trek material. Apparently through their multiple trial and errors, a stable database had been erected to house 'way-points' they could choose from. Getting other coordinates to open was merely a matter of taking one distance minus or plus another and seeing how close they were. It was presumably much more complicated than that but again- Daniel was thinking layman terms.

They walked up to the observation windows that commanded the entire area. Theses were huge ten foot windows tilted outward to give an unrestricted view of the archway. To the rear of the command section were another set of equally huge windows that looked in on the warehouse-like interior where so much hardware was jammed in Daniel could only guess at the electric bill.

"...we had to move the portal gate outside after the Pacific Ocean incident..." Tony was going on to say, but Daniel was watching the movement out on the pad.

The technicians and scientists were unplugging and moving back rolling diagnostic machines in every direction and a red light started flashing on the outside of the building. A radio squawked to life in the command section and Daniel was motioned to a seat.

"You'll want to see this Daniel!" Tony mentioned on the side while talking through the comm set.

Daniel watched as the platform was evacuated and final checks were called in. More men and women in white lab coats filed into the command section, only a few giving him any look. One of those was Shannon. The sun was just setting at the tree line when the word 'Go' was voiced. Several of the workers grabbed yellow lens goggles while other didn't seem to mind. Computers whizzed in the background and a count was started from somewhere in the back of the room.

"Energizing capacity coils... 15, 14, 13..."

Daniel was leaning on the short desk by the window as a soft glow began to envelope the metal ring outside.

"... 12, 11, 10- coordinate sequencing started..."

Electricity pulsed across the smooth mirror finish of the ring and swung to the right and left. A bolt of pure blue lightning arced off the concrete pad and eyes turned from the monitors to ever growing light show outside.

"... 9, 8, 7, 6..."

A physical vibration ran through the building as if a large water pipe had been opened beneath them. At that moment, a flash of white cast shadows on the command section from the windows to the interior. The ring outside now pulsed with a clockwise motion and with every pulse; the duration was longer, brighter and more focused at its center.

"...5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."

At the count of one, several things happened that made Daniel now question the sanity of this 'trip'. A pressure wave slammed into the building but for all he could tell it came from the inside too. A few of the scientists were trying to hold down their dinners and one had to use a handy trash can.

The sunset of the day was waning but full on light poured out from the now open portal door. Daniel's eyes had never left it, instead taking in every detail that had happened. The pressure wave, the implosion of light in the center of the ring and what looked like an iris of a camera opening in the center to as large as the ring's interior surface. From the observation windows everyone could see grass and trees just beyond the portal's archway- right where the end of the platform would have been and dropped straight down by a hundred feet!

Breathes were taken by those that didn't know they were holding it, hands were shaken and others quickly moved out of the room to the platform below.

"Just like that..." Daniel mumbled to himself, awestruck.

"Well, Dan," Bruce slapped him on the shoulder, "that was just the test to get the right way-point, we'll close that door and open one for you next- are you ready?"

Daniel exhaled slowly and stood up, "as ready as I'll ever be I suppose."

Bruce, Shannon and Tony had a quick conversation for the re-set team and afterwards led Daniel back to retrieve his heavy pack. Those workers that had gone out onto the platform were recalled as the portal was closed but the power was kept on. Daniel and the three stood just inside the double doors and awaited the PA system to address the next run- they didn't wait long.

"Coordinates entered for live run, standby." The speaker above them chirped and went silent as the glow around the ring pulsed and brightened again.

"Portal opening in 3, 2, 1..."

The flash and pressure wave slammed all the personnel again and Daniel compared it to standing next to a tank firing its main gun- except the blast lasted much longer than last time.

For a moment the Portal lay open but to those looking on, it appeared as though nothing had happened. On the inside of the ring, the light was the same as the sunset in Missouri, except for one small detail- the angle of it was wrong. Bruce pushed open the double doors and escorted the group out onto the pad.
His walkie-talkie sprung to life once he was within view of the command section, "portal gateway is stable Dr. Wallman, and we’ve got green lights across the board."

"Good job command, we're approaching now and will get the observer to view the doorway from the other side."

Daniel and the group stopped just feet from the towering ring that glowed an eerie shade of blue and purple. It almost reminded him of a plasma globe- except this one was flat.

"Daniel, this is your part now, but we need you to do something for us once you are on the other side." Tony motioned for him to walk closer to the portal.
"We need to know what the doorway looks like from the other side and when we close it- what that will look like too."

He shrugged and nodded looking from each of his friends that were making this possible, "well, I guess I'll see you guys in a week, huh?"

They all nodded together.

Daniel adjusted his pack and stepped within a few inches of the two surfaces. One, the concrete pad just below the ring and the other, a finely cut line of grass and dirt just scant inches beyond. He set his jaw and slid a foot right up the grass and dirt and tapped it. When it didn't give or disappear, he put more weight on it. Seemed solid. But that was the thing, his mind was telling him he was at the edge of the platform and where the grass and dirt started- there should only be thin air.

Daniel's eyes didn't lie, the closer he got, he could see to the sides and up at the thick trees overhead. There was no sensation as he planted another step onto the soil.

"Huh!" He almost laughed to himself. Daniel had almost thought there would be more to it. Some kind of weird tunnel effect or maybe him blacking out. Nope, just like walking from the inside of your house through the door to the backyard.
He stepped completely through and turned to see Tony, Bruce and Shannon just a stone's throw away back on the concrete.

"That was too easy Tony!" He called back and set his pack on the ground.

"You don't feel any different there do you?" Bruce asked writing some notes on a clipboard.

"No, feel fine. Temperature seems a little cool but maybe there was a weather front that came through here."

"What does the portal look like from that side?" Bruce asked with anticipation.

Daniel walked to the side and tried to see any lines of demarcation, "well, it's kinda hard to tell in this light but I can't see any 'frame' from this side- like you can on that side. It's just a perfect hole in space!"

Bruce and Tony were both furiously taking notes and Shannon came a little closer to offer a thought, "Daniel, can you find a stick or something there? I want you to try something for me."

It took only a second for him to find a discarded branch as long as his arm and he held it up for her to see.

"Ok, find the boundary of the portal on your side and try to press the branch into it- there should be a heavy repulsion property on that side."

Daniel nodded and drew closer to the edge of the seamless door, but he noticed something immediately. He body was being pushed back gently as if he was walking into a strong wind. He couldn't get the branch within a couple of feet let alone a couple of inches.
Shannon nodded thoughtfully and relayed that detail back to her colleagues.

"Alright!" Bruce stated with enthusiasm, "Daniel, be sure to remember what the door looks like as it closes on your side and mark its location."
His smile was clear even in the failing light, "You have a good time now, and we'll see you in a week!"

"Thanks again fellas, this is going to be great!"

With that, Daniel took a few steps back and dug his foot into the soft earth to make a line. He could hear Tony talk to someone on the radio and they waved to each other.
Daniel watched as the portal's edges became hazy and wavered like a fog machine had turned on. The edges began to curl and shift toward the center until only a couple feet remained opened. And then fast like a clap of thunder, the hole was closed and all that was left was a line in the dirt. Or at least that's what Daniel first thought.

There was just enough light to the see the grass by and the stars overhead began to show. He swung his pack around and dug into the side for his headlight. Finding it and clicking it on, he could now see what the portal had done to the ground... and the trees.
Where ever the outside of the portal had touched, the ground was pushed back and compacted to rock. Daniel pointed the light on a spot and kicked at it with his boot. He might as well have been trying to move a building with Jell-O. He looked up from the perfect ditch to the trees above. Branches and trunks had not been enough to stop the portal from forming. Everything within 30 feet was smashed flat. Daniel would have to remember that, when the portal opened, nothing was safe within that distance.

Digging into a side pouch again, he took out a small roll of florescent orange construction marking take and wrapped the trees closest to the portal and also made a section to look like an arrow to denote the 'front' of the door.
He surveyed his work and for the first time noticed the background sounds of the approaching night.
'Approaching...' Daniel thought to himself, 'it's already night!'
He glanced at his watch and activated the electroluminescence, 1850. He had always thought military time on the 24 hour clock made more since then the AM and PM clock, but it was a rather moot point now.

"Guess I better find a spot to settle for the night before it gets too late." Daniel mused aloud and re-shouldered his pack. The round globe compass attached on a forward strap came into view and he frowned at the plastic ball. The disk inside would shift from North to South and then West... hover for a moment and change back to North.

"Huh, must have screwed up the magnet walking through the portal."

He shrugged and got his bearing in relation to the trees and rutted ground. If he remembered right, the sun had set to the right of the portal as he came through, so facing the trees he should be pointed North. Easy fix.
Daniel looked at his watch and calculated a pace with his stopwatch function, once he was satisfied; he set out East at an easy pace.

He was used to this kind of hiking and but this time he wasn't under fire or part of any covert mission. Daniel slid his machete from the sheath and swung a few times at some opposing bushes. An odd thing came to mind and he stopped after another swing. The night sounds were different than what he remembered. He could hear a few frogs and toads and crickets nearby but something was different... a tickle just out of reach.

Daniel glanced at his watch and noted that he had been walking and chopping now for the better part of an hour. He took a drink from his camel-bak and let his head light fall on the surrounding area. Four miles and not one sign of a hut or dwelling, no smell of smoke or light of fire. He knew he was in Brazil but he didn't think the gateway opened 'that' far off from the Rio Paraguay.
The brush thinned enough ahead to allow him to set his pack down and consider his options. He was really hoping to find water before sleeping and have some dinner but that would have to wait until morning when he could clearly see where he was.

Daniel fanned out an area and began to make camp for the night. He marked a couple more trees with North and East for a heading in the morning. After the chore of tenting setting was complete and had his pack stowed, he cut more of the brush back and made provisions for a fire circle should he need one.

The night was cool but comfortably so; Daniel decided against a fire and clicked on his tent light. Once inside, he made quick work of laying out his bed and undressing to a comfy level. The three man tent had ample space for him alone and could lay out everything on one side without even touching the bedroll.

He set his head lamp to the side and put his revolver up by his pillow, the last thing he needed was for some Jaguar to come along and be snackish...
With a content sign, he turned out the light and let the darkness wash over his senses. In fleeting thoughts he wondered how close he was to the locals and what adventure tomorrow might bring.

Comments

[Fucks Ungiven]

"We need to know what the doorway looks like from the other side and when we close it- what that will look like too."

why not just open it a few feet away???

[kotor511]

Very nice and smooth introduction of the character, his background and the general situation. Unfortunately he is not in kansas anymore . Speaking of all the hiking and wanderin', I should look out for some Bear Grillz stories. Most of the time I only see parodies or comedies of him in equestria, just once I'd like to see a serious attempt to form a story with him. He was in the SAS afterall, so why the hell always make fun of him?

[theonewhoknocks]

3010313 they don't know what the effects of opening a portal are to the other side, if it was dangerous (as Daniel soon found out) it would kill them