Morning Train

The rims of the portal glowed hypnotically. Sage Brythan, dressed in a hooded cloak, gazed at the mechanical parts of the tunnel with wires and lights. The tube was visible from Brythan side of the portal that was made of stone and medieval a castle-like structure. A man in a blue T-shirt walked from the tunnel and into the inside of the castle.

Brythan shook hands with the man 20th century clothing.

“Greetings, Joseph,” said Brythan.

“Hello, Brythan. I’ll never get tired of seeing the world many centuries before me.”

“Indeed. Knowing the workings of my far-off future is indescribable.”

“Yet it is physically bothersome to migrate through the long conduit,” said Joseph.

“The tire of traversing therein is acceptable in regard to what is yielded.”

“Precisely the notion. The constituents of my coalition are endeavoring to fix it.”

“And how will this happen?”

“We intend to galvanize the properties of your necromancing and make a stronger bond with our scientific abilities.”

“In what measure will you need on my part? The portal that persists, stands at maximum magical propensity.”

“We plan to use cold fusion to generate power.”

Brythan turned and pointed to a large obelisk. “With your men, we are working on making a portal to another realm.”

“Another dimension!”

“The whole process evades us, though.”

Joseph approached the stone structure and scanned it with his eyes. “It appears we lack a sufficient amount of power.”

“My mind conceives an answer. There is a magical talisman that may bring forth the power needed.”

Brythan pulled at his chin. “Where is this item?”

“It was put into the royal treasury and lost in the numerous things,”

“What does it look like?”

“It holds the appearance of a smooth oval emerald with a gold encrusting in the shape in an eagle’s face.”

“In my time we have a device that can locate this object. As lead scientist, this interdimensional pathway holds priority.”

Joseph walked through the portal and into the tunnel and sped off in an ATV.

Brythan stared at the obelisk. “What a profound thing!”

Joseph returned with a large electronic apparatus.

“Take me to the treasury.”

Brythan led the man through an arched granite floored antechamber and to the treasury with the device. He used a CAD program to design the exact image of the talisman. After some further input, a radar indicated the location of the talisman by a red dot. He walked gingerly, being guided by the tracking screen. At last, he was led to a large pile of gold.

“It is four feet below there!”

Brythan rummaged through and pulled it out.

“Success!” said Joseph. “Now we will measure its power!”

Brythan gave it to Joseph and he placed it on top of the device. “My, word! It reads off the charts!”

“Let us return to the obelisk, at once!” said Brythan.

The two ran to the obelisk where the portal hummed.

“Where do I transmit the energy from the item to the obelisk!”

“Allow me,” Brythan said as he took it and placed it in a hollowed-out groove.

A sphere of light formed at the top. It expanded as lighting bolts flashed around it.

Everyone waited and nothing else happened.

“It may be a portal,” said Joseph. “We should send a drone into it.”

Joseph ordered a flying drone to enter the sphere. A glistening mountain registered on the video feed. Likewise, the atmosphere, moisture, air pressure and most importantly, an instrument that indicated life signs were there.

“How strange. The drone shows no present gases. Like space itself,” said Joseph.

Suddenly, one of the scientists ran up to Joseph. “Some unforeseen thing has happened.”

“What is it?”

“The Japanese we partner with on the project has fixed the problem of the long time it takes to travel between time periods.”

“Expound!”

“A hovering bullet train!”

“Splendid! When will it make its first run?”

“What is a bullet train?” said Brythan.

“You will see, good sage,” said Joseph. He addressed the scientist. “How long?”

“Within the hour, sir.”

A broad smile came over Joseph.

Bright headlights were seen by them all through the metal tunnel. The sound of a hum neared them along with the light. Finally, the nose of the shuttle stopped in front of them.

A Japanese operator walked out and went to Joseph. “Hello, Dr. Smith. I’m Dr. Sung.”

“Call me, Joseph.” An epiphany came upon Joseph. “Is the shuttle completely self-contained?”

“It is pressured and oxygenated and is airtight.”

Dr. Sung looked at the sphere of light and gasped. “What is that!”

“We have discovered an interdimensional vortex. Your shuttle could take us there. How high can it hover?”

“Twenty feet. But if something happens, we are liable.”

“You will be compensated twice its price if it does.”

“I am curious as well. You will have it!”

Brythan and Joseph boarded and it zoomed through the tunnel at up to the top of the obelisk and the train permeated the sphere!

They all found themselves over a surface of pure gold with trees with an odd fruit. Around them were what appeared to be angels. And afar there was a glorious man sitting on a throne.”

“I know where we are. My mother spoke about what heaven is like! It is exactly how she framed it!”

As far as the eye could see, in all directions, the glory of the sitting man illuminated the world. It was like a morning train ride in a place of perpetual splendor.

None cared about getting back. It was paradise.

The train stopped. An angel stood before them.

“You have been granted a glimpse of heaven itself. Now you must go. God be with you!”

In a flash of light, they were in the castle at the base of the obelisk. It began to crack and crumble. Everyone cleared the area, and the obelisk collapsed.

“Who would ever believe it was possible,” said Brythan.

“We will carry it to our graves,” said Joseph.