Beyond the Stars: INEO by Kelly Beltz Read Free Book Online Page B

deep, circular canyon enclosing an enormous swirling dark pit that had to be over a thousand feet below. Never in my life would I expect to see this! It was as black as coal and churned like a whirlpool, spiraling itself down towards a depressed center. My fear of heights suddenly kicked into high gear, causing me to take a few giant steps backwards after I realized I was getting too close to the edge.
    I gasped. “What in the world?” The necklace on my neck lifted off my chest and levitated in front of me like a dowsing rod being drawn to water. I looked at Gaelan, unable to close my mouth.
    Gaelan gazed over at me. “Pretty cool, huh? I bet you didn’t expect to see this hidden inside.” He licked his lips with excitement.
    I grabbed my floating necklace and tucked it inside my shirt. “Is that—what is that, a black hole? It can’t be. Why aren’t we being sucked in?” I stammered at the unexplainable sight.
    “No. That’s a stationary travel portal called a Black Port. Naturally occurring vortexes are a rare find. It’s completely safe to stand here. Look,” Gaelan explained while he took a step forward and extended his arm. He pressed his hand flat against an invisible barrier surrounding the anomaly before knocking on it with his knuckles. “It will take you to a countless number of dimensions. Passing ships enter it from the open space above. A significant magnetic field emanates from it, but it has no gravitational pull. We think of it more as a membrane.”
    I followed his eyes and looked up at the clear night sky tunneling through an opening high above our heads. Tyden and the others came up beside us.
    “It’s the reason this place needs to stay on common ground,” Tyden said.
    Azil nodded at Tyden. “Fights break out all the time whenever a group of idiots try to monopolize its control, but it always ends the same. The uncivilized parties kill each other off, then a group of level-headed societies come in and reestablish the order for shared custody of the port,” she said like it was routine.
    Tyden pointed across the room. “Oh, good, they’re here,” his voice rose with delight. “Let’s check with the Farni. Maybe they could suggest a way to help us find the Dreons.” He eyed up a group of golden skinned, humanlike beings with long blonde hair covering their scantly dressed bodies.
    “Wonderful,” Urit said with his focus fully returned to finding Nia.
    Everyone immediately obeyed and started walking away, except me.
    I grabbed onto Gaelan’s arm and held my footing. “Wait. Really? Alternate dimensions? This is every physicists dream to see something like this in person. Do you know how many theories we have on the subject of alternate dimensions? Where does it lead?” I asked, still mesmerized.
    My friends paused and turned to give me an understanding look.
    Gaelan waved to them knowing I would demand a longer explanation. “Go. We’ll catch up.”
    They nodded and went on without us.
    “Did you ever go? Is this where we’re headed? To another dimension?” I got excited at the possibility.
    “Actually, we use the term dimension loosely. It’s difficult to define. For all practical purposes, we have successfully visited the closest parallel dimension, numerous times, but not any further than that. It’s a shady area. The destination appears to be dependent on how far you penetrate the anomaly. We also discovered the outlet shifts depending on when you enter, so you have to be careful to calculate it just right.”
    “When can we go?”
    Gaelan stepped closer to me and put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Us— no, forget you saw it,” he said, sounding overprotective. “Our Council has forbidden all access to the Black Port at this time.”
    “But a gateway into another dimension, I would think your people would be all over this, knowing how much you like to explore. Even I find myself desperately wanting to go and learn. Don’t you want to find out