The Translocator

  "Our object is to retrieve the Translocator," Trask continued. "I have withheld some of the specifics until now. We believe we understand how the artifact functions. If our intelligence is correct, the device can transport an individual to anyplace he or she has visited previously. "

  Elise raised a hand. "Can it take passengers?"

  Trask gave a nod. "Thanks to Vanessa and Coulter, we understand it can transport up to three people, along with their belongings. The device is a platinum cylinder, set with jewels, divided into three rotating sections. The user twists the sections to bring the jewels into alignment, activating the artifact. Whoever holds the center section controls the destination, and needs to focus mentally on that location as the other sections slide into place. Each intended traveler would grasp a different section. "

  "What if not all the passengers have been to the destination before?" Seth asked.

  Trask shrugged. "Based on the recovered information, Coulter thinks only the person gripping the center section needs to have been to the desired location. But we won't be sure until we test it out. "

  "What if you teleport into solid rock?" Seth asked. "Or a hundred feet into the air? Or in front of a speeding train?"

  The jet shuddered momentarily, and Trask raised a hand to brace himself until the turbulence passed. "The device carries unknowable risks, but given the sophistication of these artifacts, we can reasonably assume that the Translocator was designed to minimize those dangers. "

Chapter 2