Eight

When Henrik finished talking the door opened and other "envoys" from outside entered. Their uncomprehending faces revealed uncertainty and helplessness.

"Look at them, they don't even know that they've left the world. They think that they're in a camp or on some secret trip. I remember the first day when I was naïve and excited from a new change in my life. But it looks like you said, that this change is forever. At least I'll find new people to teach Eureka to, that's the only thing maintaining my sanity. Oh how I want to be home. In my house, to go for a walk in the local park and to the shops. Imagine how many new things there must be on the shelves ever since we've been in the stronghold of ice and snow. This cursed dome is creeping me out. It's actually a terrifying place and I'd like to know how all of this got into this icy hell. Not even a person could build this in this cold. Where did it all come from?"

Thea got up from the chair and exasperated, she joined the crowd of new people. She asked the newcomers about eureka but they didn't react, just stared around the hall like in a kindergarten. If only they knew that the moment they crossed this threshold of time they were forever lost.

In Henrik's house the door opened and the woman in a red bodysuit switched on a small device which made electronic sounds.

The small robot that was stamped on, came to her feet. The woman picked it up and placed it on the table. She switched it on the transmission regime. The small screen showed words, sentences… that made no sense. After finishing the check-up, she switched the device off and placed the small robot into her handbag.

She sat and thought. Then she took a blank piece of paper out of the drawer and began to write down numbers that also didn't make any sense. Then she moved to the window and watched the snow fall on this town from all sides. Not even the snow scooter which she came on could be seen. It's covered with snow, just like everything else.

Henrik and Thea returned from the walk and went to their rooms. Today they really weren't in the mood to watch the endless documentaries and aimless walks in the centre. Henrik sat in the middle of his room in the adjustable armchair and stared at the Touch Hand with hatred. Suddenly there was a shrieking noise. A metal shrieking which couldn't be previously heard. The door to Henrik's room opened and a woman in a red bodysuit entered. Her entry was followed by men in black suits. As always, they just silently gazed in front of themselves. Henrik stared, uncomprehending.

"Who are you?" he asked and incredulously looked at the woman with fear about his own safety.

"I don't have a name. We don't have names. We're the third plan. We won't wait any longer, till they'll really erase you. We have our plan, which, if they find out, will erase us as well. FOREVER. But we'll continue further and you'll help us with it."

"Me?!" Henrik wondered and he withdrew a little to himself.

"Yes you, since you have the gift that be a threat but that can also save… look into the hall and come out of your room."

Henrik walked out of his room and everyone followed him. The hall with the big screen was empty. There wasn't a single soul around.

"What's the meaning of this?! Where is everyone? I never saw this happen, people stumbled over each other every day and the noise... has everyone then gone out for a walk?! That can't be, since we've been on a walk during the day."

The woman stood close to the screen and explained to Henrik how it all works.

"Everyone is here. They didn't go anywhere, we just bended time. Now we're in an interface of time and have only a few minutes to disappear. In this centre K1000 time's on a halt. Exactly like you described to your acquaintance Thea. It's based precisely on this principle. But we don't have the power to control or make, or change. I just calculated a code that you helped me generate. In your dreams you often saw numbers that you afterwards wrote down. All the time you thought about what they could mean. You helped bend time in this space and thus we created a gap and got here without anyone seeing us. We don't have a lot of time. It's as if you bent a thin branch. It'll bend back to its former position. If that happens and we're still here, then we'll stay here forever as well. We'll never be able to leave. And we can't risk that since we've established a great plan. So you see that if you helped us with this thing then you have a great power. You don't even realise it. You can shift great things and it will be very useful for us. For the final goal."

Henrik was still looking around the hall and suddenly he felt numb.

"I know, you're looking for Thea and you also got used to this infinite system. But now it's high time and we have to get to the coast."

"Let's go!" shouted Henrik.

"I won't wait a minute longer, no matter what happens." They all moved swiftly to the main gate which was open and snow, accompanied with icy wind was rushing through it. The dreadful metal screeching began and flashes of purple-blue colour began to form.

"Run! Run towards the water, so that we escape the time loop! Water is resistant to it! Jump into the water!" yelled the woman in the red bodysuit and all of them were knee-high in the water.

There was the unbearable sound of screeching and the whole island was covered with lightning bolts of different colours. Suddenly there was a bright explosion of white light. A blinding light against which everyone hid their faces so as not to lose their sight. The terrible noise shook the whole island. Everything returned to its original form. The gigantic dome with a lighthouse on top of it and snow rushing from all sides.

There was complete silence.

"What's going to happen now? We're knee high in icy water, at least it's good that these bodysuits are made for this. But look at the men in the suits, they'll soon collapse of cold. They won't last long."

While Henrik was asking the woman questions, she just silently looked at the dark water and then pointed her finger at the moon. Henrik looked incomprehensively at the moon and nervously kicked his legs in the water. In the reflection of the moon on the night surface a silver ship appeared and it was heading to the shore.

It was a ship without a crew or a captain. It had been programed for this journey. This type of ship functions through a means of a magnetic system, just like all other transport in this age. They move entirely without a sound. The ship slowly paused at the shore and they all had to walk even deeper into this icy water that generated horror by its noise and darkness. At the side of the boat a trap door opened. They all climbed up and got on the board of this wonder that bore a silver colour.

The door closed and the temperature on the board adjusted. In the middle of the board there were sofas and a screen with different information and some kind of a map.

The men were drying themselves from the water and the woman sat in front of the screen. She began to recite some numbers and names. When she finished she turned to Henrik and said: "We can't stay in Norway and we can never return back here. They would erase us. Now we'll head for the opposite side of the globe. But you have to take into account that my third plan can work but it also doesn't have to. It's a risk we had to take. Either way, you wouldn't stand a chance to survive if you had stayed in the K 1000 centre. You'd stay there till you died and nobody would know that you were there. Those that enter never do a step back. It's impossible. You don't have anything to lose. If it works out, that which we're trying to change…"