Day Nineteen - The Keeper of the Keys

SpaceWizards
(Another SpaceWizards Action/Adventure Mystery)

Who is The Keeper of the Keys? Why did they send them each a different colored SpaceGem? And why did they want them to come to that spooky old residence on that almost deserted planet on that day at that time? That’s what the SpaceWizards want to know. It’s one of the reasons why they are there. It looked like a trap like when they got their invitations. Only this time they weren’t told to keep it a secret from the others. Jacci thought they had another situation like that one from their past. But she was wrong. This story is about what happened to them when they got to that residence.

“The Keeper of the Keys”

A Short Story

Remembered By

Jacci

     An alarm sounded, and a light blue color started flashing throughout Borrele's Sleeping Chamber. Borrele sat up in her Sleeper. “That’s not the usual color of our Horrald Alarm.” A few seconds later a small light blue eye surrounded by white SpaceGem appeared in front of her face.

     Pacill was walking down a corridor when it started glowing a light gold, and a loud alarm began. “What’s going on? Are we under attack from Horrald again?” a few seconds later a light gold eye surrounded by white SpaceGem appeared in front of him.

     Angoria sat behind the controls in the Control Chamber. She had just finished tapping for several seconds, then looked up at the viewscreen, it happened. An alarm echoed throughout that chamber, and a light yellow color started flashing. “What happened? It can’t be a spell gone bad. I didn’t do any. What did I do wrong now?” Angoria slowly turned around in her chair and saw a light yellow eye surrounded by white SpaceGem just floating there.

     Stavon was in the Practice Chamber when it had happened. He had just finished firing a Fire Ball at one of the dead when a loud alarm began, and a light red glowing appeared all around him. “That’s not our usual color of red when Horrald is nearby!” Just then. Light red eye surrounded by white SpaceGem appeared in front of him.

     Jacci sat behind on of the Data Monitors in the Communications Chamber tapping away when she suddenly stopped. A light silver glowing began. She looked all around her and saw that it was everywhere. An alarm also started. “That’s strange,” Jacci mumbled something, and the alarm and glowing stopped. She returned to her monitor when a light silver eye surrounded by white SpaceGem appeared between her and the monitor.

     Mairon was also in his Sleeping Chamber. But he wasn’t asleep. He was just leaving his Personal Care Center when his chamber started flashing a light green, and a loud alarm began. Is anyone else seeing what I’m seeing. A few seconds later a light green eye surrounded by white SpaceGem appeared in front of him.

     Yena was in the Secret Chamber corridor almost to the spaceship’s entrance when a light violet glow began flashing, and an echoing alarm started. She stopped in shock. if you are thinking about a light violet colored light, then I see it too. Suddenly, a light violet eye surrounded by white SpaceGem appeared in front of her.

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     My color wasn’t violet. It was green.

     Mine wasn’t violet either. And it wasn’t green. It was yellow.

     I had a gold color. Mine was also flashing.

     So was mine. But my color was blue.

     My color was a light red. I thought Horrald was nearby.

     I think we all got the same thing. But it was a different color. Mine was silver.

     Did any one get an alarm with their colors? Yena asked.

     I’m sure we all got one. That’s because of what we also got, thought Mairon. We always get an alarm if something appears here from an unknown location. You all got a SpaceGem too, didn’t you?

     What’s going on? Why did we all get a SpaceGem? And why are they all different colors? Angoria asked.

     I don’t know about the last two questions. But the first one is obvious, thought Pacill. it’s another trap, just like the invitation ones were a few months ago. Only this time they aren’t a secret from each other.

     Of course, it’s a trap. But what kind of a trap is it? Stavon asked.

     Just then a voice came out of each SpaceGem. The voice was the opposite gender of each SpaceWizard listening to it. “I am The Keeper of the Keys. Those SpaceGems I sent you are your keys to where I live. I need your help to escape from Horrald. That’s why I sent you those SpaceGems. You will need them to set me free.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Jacci was in her Sleeping Chamber. But she wasn’t asleep. She was sitting in front of her Data Monitor mumbling to herself as she stared at it. Jacci did that for another fifteen to twenty minutes in semi-silence. Then suddenly she stopped mumbling and looked at her entrance. Yes, you may come in.

     A few seconds later the entrance to her chamber slid open, and Borrele entered. “We are almost there.” Borrele walked over toward Jacci. “Is that your diary that You’re looking at, the one from thirty thousand years ago.”

     “Yes, it is. I’ve been looking at it twenty-five eight for the last week.”

     “So, that’s what you have been doing since we started this adventure. Why have you been doing it?”

     “I’m doing it because there is something about what’s going on that looks so familiar to me. I think we have encountered a situation like this before.”

     “Did you find it?” Asked Borrele.

     “No, I didn’t. And I have gone through my diary daily. If you asked me about a situation, I would probably be able to go right to it without doing any searching.”

     “I will challenge you on that later. Right now we have to be ready for anything. Are you ready? We are going to be to that planet in a few hours.”

     “I’m ready. But I think it’s a mistake going down there.”

     “So, do I. But you know Mairon. If there a chance we can help someone against Horrald, we need to take it.”

     “That’s not why we are going there, and you know it. We are going there because Mairon hopes this individual knows where the dead are being kept when they aren’t trying to kill us.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     A few hours later a Transport Tube on a desert looking planet. But instead of sand, it was just as dusty solid ground. One after another the SpaceWizards exited out of that tube. Once one of them appeared and stepped out of it another one appeared. After all seven of them got there, they just stared all around in shock for several minutes.

     This can’t be the right place. There’s nothing here, thought Stavon.

     “Maybe whoever The Keeper lives underground.” Angoria closed her eyes and mumbled something. She looked at the ground. No, The Keeper isn’t down there. It’s just solid ground for at least a mile. I could go further down. But I don’t think it would change any.

     It wouldn’t. I just went down ten. And there’s nothing but solid rock, thought Mairon.

     I told you this was a trap. We are all out in the open, and there’s nowhere to hide.

     We all figured it was a trap. Borrele is right. It sure does look like a trap.

     If it is a trap, it’s not a very good on. True, there’s no place for us to hide. But there place for them to hide.

     Yena looked up at the sky. Unless they attack us from above, Pacill.

     They have tried that before. And it didn’t kill us, thought Mairon. I think Pacill is right. This is a stupid trap. There’s no place for anyone to hide.

     That might be exactly true. While you were looking into the planet or the sky, I was looking on the surface of it. There is a structure about two miles from here. Angoria pointed in that direction.

     Mairon mumbled something, and the Transport Tube disappeared. It reappeared a few seconds later not too far from a spooky looking three level old residence. One after another they departed it as they did before. Only that time they were mumbling something as they did it.

     After they all had gotten out of the tube, it disappeared again, and they just stared at the residence in front of them for several minutes still mumbling. There’s no one in there either, thought Jacci.

     That includes The Keeper. Where is The Keeper?

     That’s a good question. But I’m sure The Keeper is in there somewhere, thought Mairon. We just need to find them.

     Maybe That’s where the SpaceGems come in. thought Jacci. We use them to find The Keeper.

     There’s only one way to find that out. We have to go in there, thought Yena.

     Without another thought, they headed for the spooky old residence. They constantly looked all around them as they did it. Does anyone here think it’s strange that this is the only thing on this planet? Borrele asked.

     Mairon walked up the steps to the front entrance. The others walked up in a line right behind him. When they all got up there, they just stared at the entrance. How do we get in there? Stavon asked. I thought we would use the SpaceGems to get in there too. But I don’t see any openings for them to go into.

     Just then the entrance disappeared. One after another they walk into that residence, being very couscous as they do it. After they are all inside the residence, the entrance reappeared. A few seconds later the whole residence disappeared.

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Everyone suddenly stopped and looked at the entrance. “Did anyone else feel that?” Angoria asked. “It felt like we just moved.”

     Angoria looked at each of the other SpaceWizards. And they all shook their heads 'no.' She shrugged. “Maybe I’m just a little jumpy because of this place.”

     The other SpaceWizards turned back toward a long hallway with moving steps on one side of it. And three opened entrances on the other. Angoria joined them a few seconds later after looking back at the front entrance twice.

     “So, Mairon how do you think we should do this?” Pacill asked.

     “I have thought about that since we saw this place. Since there are three levels, I think we should split up into twos or threes and take a look around.”

     Mairon continued a few seconds later. “The Keeper probably already knows we are in here. If The Keeper doesn’t, I’m sure they will soon and contact us.”

     “Stavon and Jacci, why don’t you take the top level. Pacill, why don’t you and Yena take the middle level. Angoria, Borrele, and I will remain on this one.”

     A few seconds later Mairon continued. “Be careful, we don’t know anything about The Keeper. The Keeper could be anywhere.”

     As Stavon, jacci, Pacill, and Yena headed for the moving steps, Mairon turned toward. “This first one looks like a Living Area. I’ll take that one. The other two are probably the Eating Area and Food Preparation. You two take them.”

     “Why did you decide it that way? Is it because we are females?” Borrele asked with a sheepish smile.

     “You must have forgotten who does all the Food Preparation on our spaceship.” A few seconds later Mairon continued. “Okay, so you too decide. I will take the Eating Area or Food Preparation. You decide who takes the other one I don’t get and the Living Area.”

     Angoria and Borrele stepped away from Mairon to discuss it softly. After a few minutes, Angoria headed into the Living Area while Borrele headed for the second opened entrance. That left the third one for Mairon. Angoria was in there only for a minute when she started screaming.

     Borrele and Mairon ran into the Living area a few seconds later. “What’s wrong? Why are you screaming like that?” Borrele asked.

     “Please tell me I’m wrong about where we are at now?” Angoria pointed out a window.

     Mairon walked up to the window, and his jaw dropped in shock. “If you think we are mow in the Space between Space, then you are right.”

     All three of them stared out the window in shock. They saw several SpaceFireBreathers circling around just outside that window. The SpaceFireBreathers didn’t appear to be threatening them. All they were doing is circling around each other.

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Several minutes later the other four SpaceWizards came running in. “What happened? Did Angoria or Borrele see a SpaceGhost?” Yena asked.

     “I wish it was a SpaceGhost.” Angoria pointed out the window. “It worse than that.”

     The other four SpaceWizards walked up to the window and looked out it. Their faces looked shocked now too. “Where are we?” Pacill asked.

     “We are in the Space Between Space.” Mairon kept staring out that window. “Remember the SpaceFireBreathers we save a couple of months back. That’s where I sent them to be safe from Horrald.”

     No one said anything for several minutes. They just continued staring out the window at the SpaceFireBreathers. It was Stavon who broke the silence. “So, we were right about this being a trap. Now that it has been sprung what are we going to do about it.”

     “I don’t know,” said Mairon. “I’m not sure if there is a way back to our reality.”

     “You sent the SpaceFireBreathers here,” said Jacci angrily. “Are you telling us you couldn’t get them back, us back if you wanted to do it.”

     “That was a one-time spell for the SpaceFireBreathers. It was never intended to bring them back.”

     “What you are not trying to tell us is that we are trapped here forever too,” Borrele said it. But everyone was looking at Mairon.

     Mairon looked at each one of them one at a time. “It’s very possible that Horrald has finally beaten us. We may indeed be trapped here forever.”

     Just then their SpaceGems started glowing. A few seconds later they started floating in front of them from wherever they were on their bodies. “There is a way for you to still get out of there.”

     At first, it was The keeper's voice. And it spoke in whatever gender it did before. “You can use the SpaceGems that I gave you to do it. All you have to do is figure out a way to use them.” There was only one voice now. And that voice belonged to Horrald.

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     “I think I know what Horrald is talking about,” said Stavon. “We weren’t up on the top level for very long. But we were up there long enough to notice that each entrance had a lock on it in the shape of the SpaceGems.”

     “We had similar entrances on our level too,” said Yena. “So, that’s what The Keeper, I mean Horrald, meant when he said that the SpaceGems were the keys to getting us out of here.”

     Pacill smiled. “Then all we have to do is pick an entrance and get out of here.”

     “I doubt that Horrald would make it that easy,” said Mairon. “But you are right about us using them. You’re just not right about picking any entrance. I think each SpaceGem only works on one specific entrance. That’s why we all got different colored one.”

     “So, how do we know which one goes with which entrance? And what happens, if anything, if we put it in the wrong one?” Angoria asked.

     Mairon looked at each of the other six SpaceWizards one at a time for several seconds. “Did any of you see any color on the entrance, around them, or near them.”

     Stavon looked at Jacci who nodded ‘no’ too. “We didn’t see any.”

     Yena and Pacill both nodded ‘no’ too. “All the entrances were the same color on our level.”

     No one said anything for several minutes. They just stared at their individual SpaceGems. It was Mairon who broke the silence. “There has got to be a way to do it without their colors. I think we should go up there and look at them.”

     “We can’t try them on any of the entrances until we know which one is which,” said Angoria. “Knowing Horrald as we do, he’s set them to explode or something if we put them in the wrong one.”

     “We’re not going to put them into any right now,” said Mairon. “All I want to do is look at them.”

     Mairon led the way as they headed to the next level. About halfway up it, Jacci stopped. “Maybe we can see into the rooms where the entrances are at, and see what color they are?”

     “That’s a good possibility,” said Mairon as he continued his walk upward. The others started walking again too. “But I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.”

     Borrele glanced back at Jacci. Is this what you couldn’t find in your diary.

     Sort of, but it wasn’t the SpaceGems. That was a diversion to through me off remembering. It was the residence that sent us here I couldn’t find. That residence is cursed to appear and disappear all over the universe. That’s why we had to be there at that time and on that day. It only stays in one location for a few hours.

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     A small opening separated the moving steps from the second level and the third. Each one of the SpaceWizards stepped through that opening into the second level when they reach each it. Once all of them were on that level they stopped and started looking up and down both sides of it.

     “My guess is that not all seven SpaceGems will work on this level or the top one,” said Mairon. “It will probably be three or four on this level and four or three on the top one.”

     Mairon continued a few seconds later. “So, let’s check out this level first. Then we will check out the top one.”

     Jacci stepped up in between two entrances and mumbled something. A jagged circle appeared on the wall in front of her to show a Sleeping Chamber, Room, etc. “It’s not the color of the rooms. It’s the same silver color as the entrances.”

     “That’s what I got too,” said Pacill. “And I have checked three of them. All have been the same, silver.”

     For about fifteen more minutes the seven SpaceWizards check out each entrance individually, then as groups of two or three, and then all seven. Suddenly it happened. Yena dropped her SpaceGem she was looking at. It fell to the floor color down. As she picked it up, she noticed some small spikes on the back side of it.

     Yena stared at those spikes for several seconds. Then she looked at the entrance in front of her. She went back and forth several times before she smiled. “I think I know how we can get back to our own reality. Look at the spikes on the back of your SpaceGems. Compare them to the openings on the entrances.”

     They all did what Yena suggested. And within a few minutes, three of the seven SpaceGems matched up with entrances on that level. Mairon stepped up to his entrance and was about to put his SpaceGem into the opening when Angoria grabbed his hand and pulled it back. “Stop, what if Yena is wrong. You put that in there, and we could lose our only chance of getting back to our reality.”

     “I know that,” said Mairon. “But sooner or later we are going to have to try something. And this idea of Yena’s does seem to work.”

     Mairon put his SpaceGem into the opening. A few seconds later the entrance disappeared and so did the SpaceGem. And a few seconds after that both returned. “What happened? Why didn’t that work?”

     “It looked like it did for a second or two.” Mairon looked over at Borrele and Jacci. “Try your SpaceGems and see what happens.” Both Borrele and Jacci tried theirs. And the same thing happened to them.

     No one said anything for several minutes before Borrele broke the silence. “I don’t know how to use them. But our SpaceGems are our way home. There wasn’t much time to see it, but I did see our spaceship beyond my entrance.”

     “I saw mine too,” said Jacci. “It led me back to where I was given my SpaceGem.”

     “So, did mine. We know how to get home,” said Mairon. “All we have to do is figure out how to do it.”

     No one said anything for several more minutes. They just stared at the three entrances with the SpaceGems still in them. Finally, Mairon broke the silence. “Let’s go up to the top level and find the other three entrances. We might figure out how we will get them to work by then.”

     Mairon led the way back to the moving steps and took them up to another side opening at the top of it. Once they were all there, they spread out to find the other four entrances. It only took them a few minutes to try them. The four SpaceWizards tried their SpaceGems too. And got the same results as the others.

     All of them just stared at the four entrances with the SpaceGems still in them. Then suddenly Angoria smiled. “I think I know what we are doing wrong. When we tried our SpaceGems, we did them at the same time. And the entrances stayed disappeared a little longer. I think we need to do all the SpaceGems at the same time.”

     “It’s worth a try,” said Mairon. “If it doesn’t work we haven’t lost anything except for a little bit of time.”

     Mairon, Jacci, Borrele returned to the middle level. Once there they took their SpaceGems out of the entrances and thought that to the others on the top level. A few seconds later they thought the same thing back. “When I say now we all put our SpaceGems into the openings at once.”

     A few seconds later he said, “now.” And they all put their SpaceGems into the opening. It worked. The entrances and the SpaceGems stayed gone that time. “We can go home anytime what we want,” said Mairon after everyone stopped shouting their joy.

     “I do have one question, though. Why did Horrald do this to us?” Jacci asked. “It wasn’t to kill us. he could have done that by trapping us here forever. So, why did he do it?”

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