FORBIDDEN BARRIER

The darkness appeared ink-black save for the bright balls of fire circulating along the walls of the valley. Resounding, as it seemed, from the very crevices of ancient rock were the strange and unearthly grunts of some unknown family of creatures. The little animal had never before seen or imagined any other living species save for himself and the members of his own family. Yet, he sensed the meaning of danger and his instincts told him he must get away and hide in an attempt to preserve his very life. Already the creatures were nearer, seemingly guided to him by the sounds of his wildly pulsating organisms. The little ball of fur bounded into flight not knowing or even beginning to imagine the desperation with which his killers were being guided.

Huge hands gripped crudely constructed, hammer-like objects and powerful bodies thrust the lead-headed weapons to the earth, searching out their victim along the valley floor. The resolution and determination of the Neander chieftain was outlined in the rudiments of his countenance - the heavy jaw, sloping forehead, and the concrete lips opening to a canyon filled with discolored teeth.

His peculiar tongue rose into the night air, "My good warriors, do not be afraid of the God of the Night. Overrule your fears. Think of your families. We must have food. For days we have hunted and caught nothing. I say we go on. Uga, Coola, and Soomi, take your men to the tops of the hills. We will thrush the hillsides and surround the beast in his lair.”

Having found a small turf and having shaken off the warrior that followed him, the queer, little animal rested. He heard the voice of the great chief Huli, but could not understand the dialect. He sat, blinking his queer, beady eyes into the night, not knowing his next move or what was to come in a few moments time.





Chicago was like every other big city that night. The continuous screech of brakes, smell of burning rubber tires, sounds of horns and racing motors displayed the anxiety of nightlife. The speedy pace had been previously set and everyone rushed forward to beat the other guy to his destination. The lights of the apartment buildings mingled with the other electrical facilities of the city. In the rooms above the streets, people were getting ready to step out on the town and go night clubbing.

Over the whole city, excitement ran havoc like wind among autumn leaves. Smog clung to the city, rolling over the river and breathing up the sides of the buildings, peering through the windows and jumping over the rooftops.

As one traveled from the centre of the metropolis, the picture changed. The surplus sprawled into the suburbs. The bungalows were neat, compact structures designed for uniformity, and for housing the common working man and his family. The children had been put to bed by now and Mr. Average Man sat in his favorite chair, contemplating the latest news while his average wife busied herself in the kitchen doing the dinner dishes. After awhile they would both settle down in front of the television. A few hours later, they would retire and wait for morning to creep upon them. Life continued in the steady concrete path.

Suddenly, in the heavens, there appeared a tiny ball of white light, observed only by watchful astronomers. It's brilliancy and the speed with which it moved distinguished it from the other heavenly bodies. Onward it sped, following some void, circular path and with every orbit drawing only that much nearer Earth. The gravitational forces of the Earth increased it's velocity. Nearer it sped towards the unsuspecting planet.

Inside the rocket, lights flashed as waves of electricity sped along the instrument panel. Wires twanged as the heat increased. On the floor in front of the control panel, lay a young woman. Her blonde hair spread limply over the hard floor. Blood oozed from a gash in her forehead where hard metal had cut into the soft flesh. Her space attire was disheveled and led one to believe she had recently been involved in an act of violence. Around her wrists were circular bands of red where she had been tied and ropes had bitten into her arms. On the finger of her left hand was the ring of an interplanetary space station. On the finger of her right hand she wore a gold band bearing the initials "E and R".

By her side was a small ball of black fur. It's beady, little eyes sought movement and it sniffed the motionless body of the woman. Deep from inside the creature rose a high, piercing screech, a sound that on a still, dark night would chill the blood cold.

A short distance away there was the sound of shuffling feet. Two men, dressed in similar uniforms, grappled, as it seemed for their lives. Huge fists struck into flesh. Blood spurted from the lip of the older man. He was stout, heavy-set, and moved about with restraint. His hair was just turning grey and the skin of his face was thick and blotchy. Under his bushy eyebrows was a pair of cold, close-set, glaring eyes. The tiny moustache that framed his upper lip looked like the fringe along the edge of a marsh and completed the piggish rudiments of his face.

His opponent, who was younger and moved about with greater agility, was starting to feel the presence of exhaustion. His face was somewhat handsome and wavy brown hair topped the crown of his head. He had deep, brown eyes. Generally they radiated warmth and gentleness, but now they raged with hate and determination.

Both men were thrown against the steel wall as the craft lurched and spun out of control. Sweat trickled down the face of the younger man. He struggled forward and launched a blow into the belly of the other. When his opponent retaliated and threw a chair, he ducked and it crashed to the floor behind him. They both felt the rocket surge. It's velocity increased and pressure ripped at it's sides. Still, the men fought on.

Again there was a sudden jerk. It was as if a giant snarled and tossed the ship from hand to hand. Both men fell as metal hit water. The ship bounced several times and then it came to an abrupt stop.

When Lieutenant Robert V. Morgan regained consciousness, he was surrounded by darkness. His head felt like it had been smashed into an infinite number of pieces. But, his senses told him that water was quickly claiming the craft. His survival instincts urged him to get outside before being taken down into the depths below.

Mustering all the strength he could regain, he managed to pull him himself to the door. The cool night air fell upon his bruised and burned flesh and helped to revive him. Within moments, he had planned his course. He sat at the door until the water began licking his feet. He then lowered himself into it and began to push forward. He felt a small object on his shoulder. It's eyes looked at him in the darkness. He convinced himself that it was just a figment of his imagination. With painful strokes he reached for the shore. Would he withstand and fight onward? Surely it would be better just to sink down into the cool water and find eternal rest.

Finally, he made it! One last movement put him up on the spongy, damp shore. As he lay there fatigued he thought he saw the strange, little creature again. He put out his hand to what he thought was imaginary, only to find that it was real.

The animal, like himself, was in a bad way. It's tiny paws were crushed and it had been drenched thoroughly by the surging water. Morgan drew the little thing close to him and gave it some of his body's warmth. He felt it's tiny pulsing heart as he wrapped his arm around it. The little body shivered once, then it's head fell limply on his chest. A minute later Morgan also collapsed.

When he came to for the second time, Morgan opened his eyes in the clean white atmosphere of a room in West Washington General. Surrounding his bed were several uniformed generals and other officers.

"You really had a rough one, didn't you!" stated the nearest member of the group. "The doctors were surprised to see you even pull through. Do you feel well enough to answer a few questions?"

"I'll try to give you all the information I can, but I doubt if anything I say will be of much help," came the reply.

"We have your dog-tags and have inspected the area where you were found. When you feel up to it you can walk down to the morgue and view the bodies of your friends. They have already been examined and are waiting to be claimed by relatives. Now, tell us, why were you in the spacecraft and where did you come from Lieutenant Morgan?"

"I don't know," he replied. "All I remember is the water splashing up on me as I lay on some river bank. There was a tiny animal with me. Did you find him?"

"An animal? We didn't find anything. There were only your marks in the soggy earth where you'd struggled to gain the shore.

"Are you sure there was an animal?" inquired the official on the other side of him.

After a few more questions, the officers left Morgan. Deep inside he remembered the little creature with absolute surety. Later in the day he made a visit to the morgue. He saw the man lying on the cold marble slab. There was something about that face. He just wasn't sure what it was or where he'd encountered it.

His heart ached when he saw the young woman. She was so beautiful. He was sure he knew her but why couldn't he remember? What role did this woman play in his past?

A few days later the doctors discharged Lieutenant Robert Morgan. They said he had temporary amnesia. His general abilities and intelligence hadn't been affected, so two weeks later he boarded the interplanetary space transport. He was on his way to the refueling station on the star Nebula, presently ruled in joint partnership by Earth and Jupiter.

Morgan took to his new job with enthusiasm and found his life on the Earthling side of that world quite pleasant for the first few weeks. It was, however, as he lay awake at night thinking and trying to remember who those people were and what had happened between them that loneliness haunted him.

Then one day he saw, or thought he saw, the girl - the girl who had lain on the marble slab, chilled by death. There she was, disembarking from one of the Jupiter transports, not ten yards away from him! He couldn't even call out to her. She walked away, leaving him standing speechless. That night he lay awake devising a plan. He knew he must meet her.

The following morning he gained permission from the Commanding Officer to take in the Jupiter side. He said he wanted to observe their various modes of lifestyle for a paper he was writing. He trudged through the streets for an endless time. Just when he was about to give up, he saw her. She was entering a building not twenty feet away from him.

His voice swelled within him and he called out earnestly to her.

"Miss! Wait!" he implored.

She turned and waited as he ran up to her.

"Am I glad to see you," he said breathlessly.

"Are you?" she questioned. "Why?"

"For a moment I thought you were going to disappear like my other memories," he said.

The girl, although she had obviously never seen him before, was drawn to him. Some strange voice inside her said it was all right.

"I'm sorry," Morgan apologized. "I've forgotten my manners. I'm Lieutenant Robert V. Morgan, U.S. Flight and Command."

"My friends call me Electra," she stated.

"Would you like a drink or something?" he asked. "I've got some time before my leave expires. This is my first visit to the Jupiter side so would you accompany me?" he implored.

She agreed and they spent the next few hours getting acquainted.

During the weeks that followed they were together as much as possible. They grew closer and closer as their relationship developed. He gave her a ring that had the inscription "E and R."

He seemed to have almost forgotten the events of the past. Then sometimes a small snatch of memory or a feeling of unease would begin to surface only to be driven back to the recesses of his mind by some other event or interruption.

One night he stood waiting for Electra at their usual rendezvous. She was late, something unusual on her part. He was almost ready to turn back when he saw a hunched-over figure coming slowly towards him. It was Electra! In her arms she was carrying a small and rather strange-looking animal. As she drew nearer it poked it's head out and looked nervously at it's surroundings.

Suddenly Morgan knew something was wrong. He ran to Electra. Her face was racked with pain. He saw fear and exhaustion in her eyes. He reached for her hand but winced at the sight of it. Circling her wrist were the deep red cuts left by wire clamps, clamps used to pass an electric current along the nerve channels to the brain. An ingenious mode of torture!

"My God!" whispered Morgan. "Who did this to you Electra? Hallenschlaef? I'll kill him!"

"No, Robert!” she pleaded. “You mustn't go near him! He's cruel and merciless. I couldn't bear to lose you now. We have to get away from here."

Robert took her back to his room, bandaged her arms and gave her a strong drink. As he packed a few things, Electra told him how she had become involved with Admiral Randolf Hallenschlaef.

"On Jupiter," she began, "when I was just a little girl, times were difficult. My home country, Loudna, was being crumpled internally by civil strife when our planet was invaded by aliens. During the invasion, my parents were killed. I was taken to Electordina where I was sold as a slave for the sum of seventy nine calabins, about ten of your planetary dollars."

“And Admiral Hallenschlaef was your master," Morgan finished.

"At that time he was just a captain," she continued. "I was schooled and upon graduation, taken into his service to work. He grew fond of me and made me his personal assistant. That's when I first learned of his cruelty. I watched him torture his captives into confession. I couldn't stand his methods and tried several times to escape. But I was always caught, brought back and punished. This time we must succeed or be ready to die. I know him only too well, Robert!"

They drove quickly to the launching and refueling pad. Robert spoke to someone in the control centre and received permission to take out one of the observation models. Ten minutes later he and Electra walked up the ladder and through the doorway of the spacecraft. Morgan glanced quickly looked around and did a brief assessment.

"Looks as if we're ready," he stated. He led her to the front and told her to sit in the co-pilot's chair. He took the seat next to her, checked several switches on the instrument panel and then made contact with the night guard.

"This is Lieutenant Robert V. Morgan in space vehicle XCMO3974," he stated. "The craft has been inspected and is fully refueled. We request permission to lift off."

"Permission granted," came the reply.

"Fasten your seat belt Electra and hang onto your small companion,” Morgan instructed.

Several hours later the craft was in sight of the planet Earth.

"It looks as if we're going to make it after all, "said Morgan as he turned and smiled at Electra.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that, Lieutenant Morgan," stated a male voice near the door of the flight quarters.

Electra jumped. She gasped. Then her body went rigid. She recognized that voice only too well. Her sudden alarm sent the little animal scurrying from her lap and onto the nearest tabletop.

Morgan put the space vehicle on automatic pilot. Then he turned around.

Standing in the doorway was a short, fat, little man. His hair was just turning silver and bushy eyebrows fenced his beady, cold eyes. He wore a small moustache. In his chubby and ugly hand he gripped a pistol.

"Now, you'll do exactly as I say," he ordered. "Get up slowly, Lieutenant Morgan and walk over there." He nodded slightly to the left.

At that moment the automatic pilot switched off and the ship jerked. The fat man stumbled and the gun flew out of his hand.

Robert Morgan had been waiting for this. He leapt into action. He was determined to win and he fought with strength and skill.

Neither man noticed Electra until they saw her fall. She had been standing near the control panel. When the fighting got close, she tried to move out of the way. Morgan caught the movement in the corner of his eye. He thought his opponent had summoned help. He thrust his fist sideways and it found it's mark. Electra fell, unconscious, to the floor.

"Electra!" he cried. "Oh, my God! What have I done?"

Hallenschlaef took advantage of the situation. He picked up a chair and threw it at Morgan as hard as he could. Morgan ducked and the chair crashed somewhere behind him.

Then the space ship jerked again and both men fell. There was a loud ripping noise and it felt like the craft was being torn apart. Then it slammed into something and Morgan blacked out.

It was awhile later when he blinked his eyes and forced them open. Was he really seeing a black-red ball of fur? He reached out to it. It was hurt. It's paws were crushed and it was sticky from the blood that covered it's body. He drew it near him and held it gently. It belonged to Electra, the one he loved. He pulled it closer and seemed to feel her heart on his chest. The little head fell against him. The body went limp. A red atmosphere enveloped him. He collapsed.





The balls of fire again plummeted from the pinnacles of the hills. They darted from side to side as the Neanders sought out their victim. Down, down they came to the valley floor, their weapons biting into the turf.

The little animal fixed his eyes on the light. His heart seeming to be just beneath his fur covering. He waited, hidden in the darkness for what was to come. The fire drew near him, all around him, surrounding and enclosing him.

The flints rose and fell hacking the turf and the fire lit up the cold heads of the spears. The animal stopped breathing. A warrior stood just two feet away from him.

"Yeeeeee! Aahhheeeeeeej!" sounded the warrior.

The fire raced towards him. A cold blade pierced his body. His eyes opened wide, then clamped tight. He winced and screeched in pain. He began to tremble. Then his head fell back and his body went limp.