2.

Living on a property in a farming community that the three Pathfinder friends have been able to claim as their own, Robert spends quite a bit of time working by himself in a large barn area, using his engineering prowess in an attempt to improve or come up with a new more efficient mode of transport for a world so large as the one they have come to be on. For as it is and was when Humanity first arrived here, it essentially was as good as starting over.

Nothing existed here, no housing, no roads, no vehicles other than came from the many star-based vessels that arrived. So, to get from one part of the new world to another was no simple task. Some in-roads, so to speak, had been developed from first arrival up to the point Dan and his companions arrived and continued to develop in the time they have spent here. Still, transportation is far from what it once had been on Earth.

'So, are you going to tell me what this is that you are building?' asks Jeff as he arrives at the barn area where Robert has already been for more than a few hours at this point on this particular day.

'You really wanna know?'

'Yeah, of course I do. You have been so quiet about this and have been working on it for so long that I think it is about time that you let me in on what you are doing.'

'Alright, how about I show you rather than tell you what I have been doing?'

'Show me? Show me what?'

If Jeff wasn't already intrigued, then he was now. Robert took a bale of hay from right next to where Jeff was standing and walked slowly back to his main work area while looking back at Jeff to see as to how he may be reacting. Jeff was already more than a little confused but that would not be something new.

Robert placed the hay on a large black circular platform with a white Perspex like top. This platform stood one foot high and eight and half feet in diameter and was in an open area to one end and towards the right side of the barn, not far from the barn entrance itself. This podium could be thought of as something unique if it weren't for the fact that there is another one just like it resting easy at the other end of the barn.

With very little else surrounding the podium, there would be little or nothing to hinder the view Jeff would have of what was about to occur. Having placed the hay on the platform, Robert then walked about twenty-five feet to the left-hand side of that end of the barn to a console he had also been working on. He signalled Jeff towards that other similar platform which indeed stood in a clearing at the other end of the barn, just in case he didn't already know it was there.

'No way, you're not gonna try to do what I think you are gonna try to do' Jeff says.

'Just watch, will you?'

Robert worked his console. Five red lights lit up one by one around the side of the platform which held the bale of hay, each light being an inch in diameter and being in the center of the platform's side and each one being five inches apart from each other. When the lights came on, they did so one at a time from left to right with a one second interval between them.

One second after the fifth red light came on the first one went out and this would be followed one by one by the remaining four lights until all the red lights had gone out. A low-level hum sounded and a bright white light appeared under the bale of hay. The bale of hay began to fade, becoming transparent until it completely vanished, something which took no more than a couple of seconds to complete. The hum stopped and the white light dimmed. Five green lights appeared one by one where the red lights had been.

'No way.'

The look of shock on Jeff's face made Robert smile.

'Look', Robert pointed over at the second platform at the other end of the barn.

Just like with the first platform, five red lights lit up one by one around the side of the second platform then went out one by one. A low-level hum sounded and a bright light appeared on the top of the circular base. The bale of hay slowly appeared, the hum stopped and the white light went out. One by one, five green lights appeared and went out where the red lights had appeared.

'Right, how did you do that? It's a trick, right? You are just trying to catch me out, right?'

'No trick Jeff. I just sent that bale of hay from one platform to the other.'

'Holy bales of hay Batman, that is unreal.'

The two friends went over towards the second platform to find the bale of hay completely intact, just as it had been on the first platform.

'Need a live subject?' asked a deep and almost echoing voice.

'Dan' Jeff called out like a child who hasn't seen his best friend in a while though best friends was not something which would have always been said about any combination of this threesome not all so long ago, 'did you see what Robert has just done?'

'Yes, Jeff ... and it is very impressive. How likely is it to work with a living organism?' Dan asks, directly asking this of Robert.

'Well, this is why I created all this' responded Robert. 'This world is still developing as is its multiple transport systems. Even with all the shuttle crafts we have at our disposal, it is quite difficult to travel long distances in short periods of time. This here could change all that.'

'So, it should be able to transport something live, something like me?'

'Technically it should Dan, yes. I have encountered no problems in any of my tests though I have yet to send something living through.'

'Well, I wouldn't mind giving it a try. What do you think Robert?'

'I am not too comfortable with trying that just yet.'

Dan walked over to the first platform and stood right up in its centre and Jeff made sure that the second platform was completely clear of hay.

'Sorry Dan, I can't do this just yet. I cannot guarantee that you will go through unharmed.'

'I believe in you Robert, I trust you have something special here. You just need to believe in yourself, besides the bale of hay seems to be completely unharmed. Try not, succeed not ... right?'

Jeff, in all his continued immaturity, had been keeping quiet and was enjoying the moment, so much so that he could not contain himself or continue to remain quiet.

'Dan just made a funny, ha, ha.'

'Jeff this is serious, not a moment to be making fun, that goes for you too Dan.'

'C'mon Robert, try it, I am sure it will work. You will not find another test subject anywhere near as strong or as tough as me. We can do this; I will be fine.'

'It is not about how tough or strong you are, ah hell fine, right ... here goes. Don't blame me if you get scattered all across this barn.'

Dan moved into position. Robert worked his controls and the same process as before with the red lights appearing and disappearing one by one followed by the low-level hum sounding as if the platform was activating. The bright white light shone under Dan forcing him to cover his eyes and release a high-pitched shriek such was the pain it causes him.

Fairly soon he would fade into nothingness, as the shriek would too, and this was something that occurred a little more slowly than how quick the bale of hay had vanished. A living organism and a bale of hay are two very different things.

All this was cause for concern to not only Robert but also Jeff too especially when seconds were passing with nothing happening. Robert was about to tap once more on his console when activity from the second platform began to show.

The shriek returned from nothingness accentuating back right up to what it was. Dan had appeared, collapsing once the light faded into nothingness. A brief pause and a seemingly lengthy silence came once Dan indeed appeared on the second platform. And when he did collapse, both Robert and Jeff rushed to him.

'It's alright ... I'm fine,' Dan declared, immediately wanting to assure the other two that all is well.

'Are you sure?' asked Robert. 'Is everything where it is supposed to be?'

Now, such a question under regular circumstances would be more than enough to send Jeff into hysterics though in this moment, his concern for Dan prevented such a thing. After a momentary pause, Dan stepped off that platform, reaching for the other two as he did, and they aided him as best they could, before Dan began to bounce up and down a couple of times taking the other two along for the right.

It worked. It really worked. Dan seemed to be perfectly fine, and this celebratory moment was one all three friends really needed. The possible effects of teleportation on a living organism were one thing then to add to that the effect the light would have on Dan was cause for serious concern though now, in this moment, a miracle had been achieved.

'How do you feel?' Robert would ask once again, 'is everything where it should be?' and this time the question did tickle Jeff no end.

'Yes, my good friend ... I do believe so. I knew I had good reason to be confident. Thank you for allowing me to do that, and to take things just a little bit further I think that we should try doing this again only over somewhat of a longer distance.'

'Well, I would feel a little more confident if I could have a bit more time to tweak a few things and to make sure that everything is as well set up as it can be. And I'd also be happier knowing you had some time to rest.''

'Sure Robert, I am ready whenever you are ready, as long as it just happens to not be during daylight hours that is.'

'Of course ...'