BalennChapter 2 "The Capture"

 

After slowly scanning the area with their telescopic vision, the Ehesti were pretty sure it was safe to begin. I count ten humans, said Beem. Same here, said Bo. Are you guys ready to depart? Anytime, replied Beem. Okay, let's all concentrate on the spot in the cave and transpose. In an instant, they were inside the net covered cave, surprising Orell who was also inside, searching the cave. Orell could not believe his eyes. There they were, all three Sasquatch that got away from him earlier. Frank, he yelled. We've got them. They are still in here. He dashed for the exit, forgetting all about the net on the doorway. Oomph, he grunted, as he bounced back from the tension on the net. Let me out, he yelled. Frank rushed over and released a corner of the net so Orell could get out. Did they hurt you, he asked Orell? No, but they sure startled we. It looks like your net works after all Frank, or they would not still be in there. It kind of looks that way Orell, but I could swear that I searched every square inch of that cave earlier. The question now is, will they come peacefully or do we have to bind them in the net? Frank rounded up all his men from their hiding spots. Okay, we have them, he said. At that point, all the hunters let out a "hurrah" of success. Don't cheer yet, said Frank, we still have to get our prisoners back to Vancouver.

Frank was not so sure they were captured. He had searched the cave himself earlier, and he was pretty sure, that there was no one there. Now suddenly they appear. Does that mean that they gave themselves up, thought Frank, or is there some other reason they are in the cave. It could be the cave had a secret place where they were hiding and I just didn't spot it. I could have been more thorough, he thought. Oh well, never kick a gift horse, thought Frank as he went about the task of preparing for the journey back to Vancouver with his prize possessions.

The Sasquatch hunters had with them a five ton van, similar to a moving van. It was modified to accommodate the Sasquatch, if they were ever able to catch one. There was a spill proof water trough at one end and sand on the floor. The walls were well padded so it was impossible to hurt them. There was even padding under the sandy floor. Gas jets were visible from the corners. These were for in emergency situations, where their capture got so wild they would have to gas them to tranquilize them. In one corner was a stack of Mountain Avers plants and roots for food. These hunters had learned what food the Ehesti liked years before, from their observations with telescopes. The van was air conditioned and there was two way communications with the cab just in case. The entire box of the van was lined with small inductors, similar to the one in the net. The walls and framework were made of very high tensile strength steel alloys designed to take the force of train crashes without breaking.

Frank was sure the van would be secure, but he was not so sure about, how to transfer his prisoners from the cave to the van. There was a long way to walk before they got down to where the van was waiting and anything could happen during that time. Frank decided to wrap the net around the Sasquatch and secure their hands with the end of it. That way, they could not jump out from under it, while they were walking down to the van. Frank suspected that they would come along peaceably though. Their plan was to shoot tear gas into the cave, forcing the Ehesti to exit through the cave door and into the awaiting net. Just as he was about to give the order to fire, the tear gas, the Ehesti came out on their own and walked into the waiting net.

They stood there patiently as the men secured their hands with the ends of the net. Beenan attempted to talk to each of them with his telepathic voice, but no one responded. He was disappointed that no one answered him back.

I heard you, said one of the hunters, My name is Allen. I am a professor at the University of British Columbia. My specialty is parapsychology and archaeology. I also have telepathic abilities as you have already noticed. Thank goodness, someone can communicate with us, sighed Beenan. We’re real glad to meet you Allen. I came on this journey hoping that maybe my telepathic powers of communication might be of some use. Why did you let yourselves get captured, he asked? We know of some of your problems in the twentieth century and we thought we could help.

 We are not really captured, said Beenan, but we want to give that impression for now. Will you go along with us and not tell the others? I sure will, said Allen and anything else I can do for you, just ask. Allen and Beenan were talking while not looking at one another or even showing any signs of being in conversation. How far can we be separated and still communicate this way, asked Allen? That depends on the restrictions you put on your own ability Allen, Beenan replied. The true maximum distance for telecommunication is unlimited, he stated. In our situation though, let's not push it. The closer we are; the better for communications. Perhaps you should try to stay close. I don't have much influence with these guys, said Allen, so maybe you had better not count on me to help you. That's okay, said Beenan; we can take care of ourselves. All we want you to do is gather up as many of your clairvoyant people as you can, to interpret for us with the rest of them. The more of you there are, and the more in agreement you are with your various translations, the more likely are the rest, to believe you and us. I understand, said Allen. I will do what I can. Where are you taking us anyway, asked Beenan? We are taking you to the special wing of the University of B.C., which we have prepared for you. I can't elaborate right now, said Allen, but you may not need your clairvoyants, if things work out the way we planned.

Frank signaled his men to begin hiking down the hill. Orell stayed back for a few minutes to check out the cave one last time. He wanted to find the secret place the Ehesti must have used to hide. He covered every possible angle, looking for sliding rocks or hidden chambers. There was nothing. Orell stepped back away from the cave for a moment, staring at it. Where could they have hidden, he asked himself?

At the same time as he was standing there, the Ehesti on Balenn were changing their landing time spacer co-ordinates for that area. This was in accord with Beenan's visit a few minutes earlier. The travel people on Region Six of Balenn were instructed to discontinue using the co-ordinates of the cave as a possible landing spot for travelers from Balenn. They shifted their focal point to a shrub area about fifty meters away. This change also returned the cave back to its original condition from before the Ehesti began to use it in the 19th century. Before Orell's eyes, the rocks began to move flowingly and particles came up from the ground to hold fast back on the rock walls and ceiling. The cave returned to its original condition from the 19th century. The color of the rock also changed to a lighter shade. Some cobwebs disappeared and others sprang up out of nowhere. Cracks sealed right up like invisible mending. Even the smells in the cave changed. It all took only about two minutes, but the restoration was perfect. Orell was awestruck. He had just witnessed the molecular change of rocks. He had seen them do that on television, but never thought it possible in real life. Plants were now growing, that were not there two minutes ago and all traces of foot prints were gone. It was as if no one had ever been there.

Orell rushed after the hunting party to tell them the news. He slowed down and thought for a minute. The changes he had witnessed were so subtle that the hunting party might not even remember what it originally looked like. It was also possible that his mind was playing tricks on him, being as he had slept so little in the past few days. He decided to keep it secret for a while instead. He caught up with the hunting party and walked with them the rest of the way to the van. He pretended he was "rear guard", like in the army. His job was to be alert and make sure the enemy didn't ambush them from behind. There could be hundreds of angry Sasquatch waiting out there, waiting to pounce on him and rescue their friends. That thought became too vivid for him, so he hurried into the group to walk with his dad and Frank.

Boy, this is sure uncomfortable, walking with our hands bound in this net, said Beem. It won't be for long, said Bo. By the way Beenan, we heard your chat with Allen. I hope we can find more like him. I'm glad you overheard, said Beenan. He is too frightened to be of much help right now, but what he had to say about our destination was encouraging. By the sound of things, we are not going to be thrown into a jail cell anyway. Beem mumbled under his breath, as they continued down the path. The weight of this net on our heads is more uncomfortable than the hands being bound, said Bo, attempting to ease the tension he knew Beem was feeling. Speak for yourself, said Beem. The clown who tied my hands thought he was tying down an elephant. I have a good notion to transpose right out of here. No don't, said Bo. It is only a short way from here and I am sure our hands will be untied. You had better be right, said Beem. I am not going to stay in these bonds much longer.

There is the van, said Beenan, straight ahead about one kilometer away. They all walked cautiously down the steep path for the next ten minutes. As they approached the van, the first thing Beem noticed was that there were no windows. "How are we going to focus on possible clairvoyants if we can't see them outside, asked Beem? I am learning to like your scheme less and less Beenan. Stop grumbling, said Bo, sternly. Allen popped into the conversation. I can hear you guys plain as day. It’s to meet you Beem. I heard Beenan call you that. Okay, Allen, nice to meet you too. Try to ignore "my grumpy attitude, he said. I am with Beenan and Bo all the way on this. I just like to grumble once in a while, it feels good. Good to meet you too, injected Bo. Hi Bo, said Allen. I hope you guys are comfortable in the van even without windows. It is well ventilated, said Allen and you can see out the vents when you stand up.

They arrived at the van. Frank signaled for one of his men to open the rear door. There was ten feet of head room in the van, so the Ehesti did not have to bend down. Frank signaled for them to climb inside. Vie have come this far guys, said Bo, as he started up the steps into the van, still covered over in the same net with Beem and Beenan following right behind.

They climbed into the van with Allen right behind them, helping to undo and remove the net. Every one was watching, so the three of them just slipped out of their bonds as though they had been tied far too loose. Neat trick, said Allen smiling. How do you like your new home for the next fifteen hours or so? Looks okay, said Bo. Even better, interrupted Beem, grinning as he held up an Avers plant. You people know more about our habits then we give you credit for. If I had known you were going to be so hospitable, I would have let myself get caught earlier, jested Beem. Everyone believes that this net is restraining you, so when we reach our destination in Vancouver and transfer you to your new home at the University, we will have to put the net back on, said Allen. This van is lined with the same inductors as the net, so everyone thinks you are secure. See you guys later, said Allen, as he descended from the van. I will be riding in another truck with Frank. I think I will tell him of our communications, but not about the ineffective net, just yet. They might do something stupid if they knew you weren't captured. We'll tell them when the time is right. Don't forget about getting other clairvoyants, said Beenan. I won't, replied Allen. I think Frank will help me with that also.

 Allen left the van. Two men closed the door and locked it from the outside. This is going better now, don't you think, said Beem, chomping on an Avers branch. So far so good, said Bo. This van is comfortable. We might even get some sleep.

The van and two other trucks pulled away from the campsite. The caravan included two crew cab trucks, two cars and the van. They had about forty kilometers of dirt and gravel road to cover before the highway. Let's take this time, to figure out what we are going to say to these people, when we finally do set up communications, said Bo. I am for letting Beenan do all the talking, said Beem. That might be a good idea, said Bo. If we all try to communicate, we might create more confusion then help. Okay with me, said Beenan, but we all should decide together how I am going to answer their questions. They will naturally want to know who we are and where we came from, said Bo. How do we handle that? Can they accept the truth? They will expect us to be from one of the planets in their star system, replied Beem. How do we explain the existence of Balenn with that kind of thinking? Some of those who will be hearing us will be astral travelers. The astral travelers should be able to verify the existence of Balenn, said Beenan. I think if we explain our existence as best we can in their terms, it will be okay. What if they ask us about being caught in their net? Should we tell them that we can escape whenever we wish? Maybe not until the end, as Allen suggested, so they will feel secure in our captivity, replied Bo.

The van was now traveling on hard top surface and the ride evened out considerably. Bo stood up to look out the vent. Nothing but trees and mountains, said Bo. No people in sight. Beenan and Beem stood up to take a look too. The highway was paralleling a creek for a while. They were in a valley with snow capped mountains to the east. There were lower mountains to the west.

In the lead crummy, Allen was riding with Frank. Orell was in the back seat all by himself. I guess you know I have been able to communicate with the Sasquatch, said Allen. No I didn't, said Frank, what did they have to say? Well first of all, you should know that they are coming along voluntarily to try to be of some help at U.B.C. You mean our induction net is not holding them in? I kind of suspected that, said Frank. I searched that cave thoroughly earlier, and there was definitely no one there. Then suddenly " poof " There they were. What else did they say, asked Frank anxiously? Then I wasn't seeing things shouted Orell from the back seat.

Both Frank and Allen turned to look in the back seat. Orell was sitting high up on his seat, ready to tell his story. What do you mean, asked Frank? I was the last one to leave the cave area, where we caught them and just before I left, I decided to take one last look in the cave. I saw the rocks change shape slightly and plants sprung up that were not there before. It was really strange and scary, said Orell. What do you think of that, Frank asked Allen? I have not had time to ask them about their abilities, said Allen, but when we get to the University, we will be able to ask them all kinds of questions. They did specifically ask for me to gather more clairvoyants to interpret them. I was hoping you could help me with that Frank. I can think of two clairvoyants, besides yourself that I have met. Sure I'll give them a call, said Frank. You obviously don't think they will learn our language fast enough with your teaching apparatus. I'm not sure, replied Allen. They have some obvious super powers, but I'm not sure of their ability to learn from our teaching methods.

Meanwhile, Bo was still looking out the vent. Boy, it is getting kind of warm in here, said Beenan. This ventilation is okay, but inadequate. These bodies we are in are made for cold weather. It sure is a hot, sunny day, exclaimed Beem, why don't we ride on the roof of this thing. It should be nice and cool up there. That's not a bad idea, said Bo. We will probably be cooped up in here for quite a while. We could sit up on the front edge of this box and rest our feet on the cab. Sounds like fun, said Beem. If they spot us, we can just transpose back here. They won't believe their own eyes. Okay, let's do it, said Bo, it's getting hotter all the time in here.

They stood together in the van, just below where they were going to project. In an instant, they were sitting on the van making sure they did not make noise with their feet on the cab. This is great, said Bo. Nice and cool and a beautiful view. A dragonfly hit Beem in the forehead. Bo laughed, but not too loud, Beem picked the bug from his hair. Beenan transposed himself up there too. Bo was sitting on the inside, between Beem and Beenan. They held on to a ridge beam and handles that were put there for jumping up to clear snow, etc. I guess a few bugs in the face won't hurt us, said Bo, shielding his face with his hands.

They turned southward onto Highway 5 which is only a two lane highway that follows the North Thompson River to Kamloops. They were about fifteen kilometers north of Blue River, B.C. The only other sign of life was an older blue Studebaker heading northward and approaching their van rapidly. Should we slip back inside, asked Beenan? No, we will be past them in a second and they probably won't even look up, said Bo.

Look at the top of that moving van Brian, said Emma, as she pointed upwards from her front passenger seat. Brian and Emma lived in Blue River. They were heading to Prince George to a Studebaker owners meeting. Weird, replied Brian. It must be some kind of publicity gimmick. Three Sasquatch riding on top of your van should attract all kinds of attention. That's odd, said Brian. There is no advertisement on the truck. They must be dummies, don't you think Emma? They look so alive, she proclaimed, they are moving around.

The van zipped by the Studebaker. Beem turned around and waved as the two vehicles passed. Emma waved back at them, but she knew they didn't see her because they were too far away. Too bad we never got a picture of that she mumbled.

There's a helicopter heading this way up the valley, pointed Bo. They leaned forward to see better. It was about ten miles ahead of them, but with their magnification vision, they could see it clearly. It was flying at about 500 meters above the valley floor and heading towards them at about 150 kilometers per hour. Beenan could see the pilot and two passengers. The passengers had suits and ties on.

Beenan and Bo did not realize it, but in their attempts to see better, they were bracing their feet on the cab. The driver hearing the noise on his cab was puzzled. Did you hear that Bill, he asked? Sounds like rocks hit the cab or maybe a bird, said Bill. I think I'll stop and take a look, said Mike the driver. The helicopter was now close enough that they could see the Ehesti riding on the top of the van. They could not believe their eyes, so they slowed down and dropped down 200 meters to get a better look.

The Ehesti realized instantly that it was time to duck back inside, which they did. Mike pulled the van over after he radioed to the rest of the caravan what he was doing. He stopped and climbed up on the side of his cab to see what caused the noise. There was nothing there. The helicopter was directly overhead and hovering. Seeing nothing, the helicopter resumed its journey, while Mike climbed back inside the van and proceeded down the highway. That helicopter probably spit up some rocks, said Mike. I wonder why he's hanging around like that, asked Bill? It looked like a regular commercial flight to me. The van is still secure from the outside, replied Mike, so everything is fine. Inside the box, the Ehesti were busy plucking the bugs out of each others hair. There were even bees entangled in the long Ehesti hair. That was close, said Beem. I am surprised that they didn't check inside the van. They wouldn't have noticed anything out of the ordinary, said Bo. I'm glad we went up there. It's still too warm in here. Some of these bugs are still alive.

Back inside the crummy, Orell was talking to Frank. What do you suppose Mike stopped for, he asked? Let's ask him, said Frank. Mike, do you copy, he said over the radio. Yes, we copy, said Mike. Orell here wants to know why you stopped back there? Allen was kind of interested too. We heard a noise on the roof of the cab, said Mike, so we stopped to investigate. There was nothing there though. There was a helicopter hovering overhead for a while, but it took off. You must have seen it Frank, he asked? Yes we did. It looked like a commercial Okanogan Helicopter. This is a favorite flight path for them. Did you check on our guests to see if they are okay? No, I didn't. The door is still locked from the outside, so they must be still in there. Okay, Frank replied. When we get to Kamloops, we will stop and let Allen take a look. Why Allen, asked Mike? Would you rather do it, he asked Mike? Oh no. Allen can go. I was just curious. Okay Mike, give us a shout if you hear any more strange noises or see anything strange. Will do, said Mike and he hung up his microphone.

Tell me more about your communications with the visitors, said Frank to Allen. What else did you talk about? We never really had enough time to talk, said Allen, but when we get to Kamloops, I will go back there and talk some more. Is there something I can say to them for you, he asked? Just tell them that I thank them very much for coming along with us and apologize for the charade with the net, etc. For the benefit of the others though, we must keep it up, don't you think Allen? I guess so. It does make things easier to explain.

 

They were now only about fifteen minutes out of Kamloops. They passed through a town called Hefley Greek. Beem and Bo were napping in the corner, while Beenan was in deep thought, preparing his answers for later at U.B.C.

Prior to their departure on this hunting trip, Allen had prepared a place to keep their captives. It was in a room directly under the cyclotron. They assumed that if the inductive net and the wired up box in the van would contain them, then the forces produced by the cyclotron, would also contain them. The room was solid concrete all around, with the cyclotron overhead and solid rock underneath. There were television cameras in the corners to monitor their every move. There were twenty television screens in the room, with a familiar object or action on each screen. When anyone pushed the red button below the screen, a voice spoke only the name of the object or action on the screen. This way, they hoped that their captives would learn the language, while being held captive. Many other recording devices were also prevalent, such as weight sensors, moisture and light sensors and sound spectrums sensors rising way above the twenty kilo-cycle that the humans could hear.

Beenan stopped for a moment to look outside. They were coming into civilization. The highway was still paralleling the North Thompson River. The river had swollen to seventy meters wide. It was dirty looking, compared to earlier, where it was fast flowing and dark blue in color. Beenan enjoyed watching the rushing water. The caravan began to slow as it approached the City of Kamloops.

Frank decided to stop at the McDonald's Restaurant on the highway, because it had lots of parking for the whole caravan. When they all finally came to a stop, Beem and Bo woke up. We are in Kamloops, said Beenan. Beem looked out the vent on his side. It was desert like country, with blowing sage brush on one side of the van and a populated McDonalds on the other side. Quite a contrast, said Beem. They heard someone outside the van opening the lock.

Allen slipped inside quickly, closing the door behind himself. How are you guys doing so far, he asked? Okay, replied Beenan. How much longer do we ride, asked Beem? About another seven hours. It will be dark by the time we get you to U.B.C. You'll get to see the famous Fraser River Canyon and a narrows called Hell's Gate. Things will get much greener and it won't be quite so hot. The road is less windy so if you want to, you can sleep. By the way, Mike, your driver, heard some noises on the cab roof a few kilometers back down the highway. Do you guys know what it was? It was just us, said Bo. We went up oh the roof of the box here for a while to cool off and I guess we made a little too much noise. You know it has to look like you are captured, if anyone is going to believe us about you, asked Allen? We know that, said Beenan. No one saw us except some people in a helicopter, but they didn't see us long enough to matter.

Sounds like you guys are having fun anyway, said Allen. By the way, if you are interested in learning our language, we have a teaching apparatus set up in your new home at U.B.C. Oh good, said Beenan. I would like to learn as quickly as possible. Good, I was hoping you would take that attitude, replied Allen. I think you should know that I told Frank that you are not really captured. He assumed that himself, after seeing you disappear last night. He says "thanks for coming along." He agreed to keep it a secret for now. He has two friends who are clairvoyants that he will call when we reach U.B.C. Once you see what we have set up for you to learn our language, you may be able to communicate with us all, sooner than you expect.

I am not sure that your language will allow us to express our thoughts properly, said Beenan. We can show you telepathic things that have not yet been made into words. By the time you make us new words for the symbols we show in our telepathic communication, years will have passed. I feel safer communicating telepathically said Beenan. There is much less chance of miss understanding. Okay, we will do it your way, said Allen. We will learn and use your language for the simple things of conversation, said Beenan. Thanks, Allen replied. Right now I am starved and I am going to grab a hamburger before we leave for the coast. I trust you have everything you need. It’s kind of hot, said Beem, under his breath. Okay, we will put another air conditioner in right away. That should bring down the temperature to twelve degrees Celsius for you. Great, Beem sighed. Thanks. You are okay.

 Allen waved as he left the van. We will talk again on arrival at U.B.C. See you later. The door was locked behind Allen. As soon as Allen had left, they heard two men on the roof installing the air conditioner. It only took about ten minutes. The workmen climbed 'down and turned on the power. It began to function almost immediately. The room temperature dropped to twelve degrees Celsius.

 Beenan was standing by the vent, watching the crew return to their vehicles with trays of food from the restaurant. The men laughed and joked while they ate. Frank radioed it was time to leave. There was a quick rush to get rid of the garbage and everyone fired up their engines. The caravan pulled out and continued on its way to U.B.C. The rest of the journey went along smoothly. They never had to stop at all, until they reached the freeway turn off in Vancouver. The, Ehesti slept most of the way. Allen and Orell went over the events of the day. Orell showed a feeling of uneasiness about it all. Allen assured him there was no need to fear the Ehesti.

As they entered the freeway off ramp, before traveling the final ten miles to U.B.C., Mike had to bring the van to an abrupt stop to avoid a pedestrian. This sudden jolt awakened the Ehesti. Beem sat up first and than stood up. He went over to look out the vent. This is it, he said, the big city. It sure is noisy, said Beenan and smelly, said Bo. Come and take a look out here, said Beem. Beenan got up to take a look. Boy, just like a beehive, he said. I can count about forty vehicles out this side. I suspect our journey will be soon over, said Bo. Should we plan any strategy before we get there, asked Beenan? Let's just go along with their wishes for now. Every thing seems to be well planned. Let’s just co-operate, said Bo. It should all prove quite interesting. They went through a lot of effort so far to make us comfortable. I think our new home will be quite comfortable too. Our new jail you mean, said Beem.

The gates were locked at the entrance to U.B.C. Frank got out to open them. He was glad they arrived after sunset. There would be less commotion to deal with. When the caravan had all entered the university grounds, the last vehicle stopped to close the gate. They still had two kilometers of winding road to navigate  

Click here for chapter 3