THE RETURN FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION

The red stones accentuated the azure blue of the sky. The sun rendered jackets and vests unnecessary, leaving the perfect air temperature for shorts and cotton t-shirts.

The thrill of witnessing Weber and Albert emerge from the canyon wall brought the team together as if an invisible network bound them. Sarah embraced Weber, momentarily forgetting her professional demeanor. Andrews and Collin shook Weber's hand, welcoming him back "among the living," while Samantha watched with a broad smile.

Numerous questions arose about the manner in which Weber was freed and the nature of his rescue, but Albert and Weber deferred them for later, showing more interest in addressing Weber's immediate physical needs: warming up and filling his empty stomach.

Once everyone settled down around a small bonfire that Andrews had ignited from some dry branches, Weber began recounting his story, hands cupping warm coffee.

"All I can tell you," he began, his tone turning introspective, "is that I went for an innocent walk after our experience last night with the device. I just wanted to camp on top of the hill to see if I could spot the rock structure that Samantha had mentioned.

"When I reached the top and saw that thing," he pointed at the structure directly behind them, "I felt an irresistible urge to see it up close. I wasn't tired; in fact, I felt energized. So I walked for about fifteen minutes... always aware that I was doing something... something foolish, and yes, I knew it went against protocol. But in my defense," he addressed Albert, "I thought I was following orders."

Albert stood up and requested Collin's communicator. "I've heard this already, but forgive me, I need to update Jenkins," Albert said as he walked away, tapping buttons on the communicator.

"Whose orders?" Collin inquired.

"As strange as it may sound, from the artifact. I'm certain it implanted something in my head," Weber replied. "There's no other explanation."

No one, including Albert, questioned Weber's conclusions. His meticulous attention to detail regarding such observations was well-known in the ACIO. However, his statement puzzled Sara, Andrews, and Collin. Only Samantha seemed to concur with him.

"And what you're suggesting," Samantha tentatively proposed, "was an irresistible compulsion to find its base. Correct?"

"Yes, but it astounds me that anything could drive me to do this. It seems utterly implausible..."

Andrews stirred the fire to revive it, though there was no need for more heat. "How did you find that hole in the wall at midnight? And more importantly, why did you go in alone? I'd like to know."

"I knew where to go," Weber replied. "I knew exactly what to do once I approached the canyon wall. I had this image stored in my brain; it was... like seeing a split image, one in your head, the other in the external reality, and then watching these two images merge as I got closer."

"When I saw the opening, I peered inside with my lamp before entering. I saw at the opposite end of the cavern a dark hole that looked like a tunnel. It appeared... artificial... man-made. But all along, I thought it was the artifact's base.

"I climbed in," he continued, "and walked toward that tunnel as if my life depended on it."

"Weren't you afraid?" Sara asked.

"No. I was completely calm. I had a mission encoded inside my head, and everything else faded away."

"So you followed the tunnel and fell into the chamber?" Collin surmised.

"Do you recall the glyph on the tunnel wall?" Weber asked.

"Yes," Collin and Sara affirmed.

"The moment I saw it, I knew. The glyph clearly belonged to the same lineage, though with a different design. Excited, I pressed on. A few steps later, I slipped on something and fell... it must have been nearly seven meters, onto a concrete floor... in the same chamber where they found me this morning."

"Well, tell us how the hell you got out," Collin pressed.

"I managed to climb the wall enough to grab the rope. Albert pulled me to the top, and together we widened the ventilation hole enough for me to crawl through..."

"But it was solid rock, how did you enlarge the hole... I mean, what tools did you have?" Sara inquired.

"Albert had a knife long enough to fillet a whale. It wasn't too difficult to widen the hole. The rock is sandstone, the wall wasn't very thick, it breaks quite easily," he explained.

Albert rejoined the group and sat on a long rock across from Weber, his communicator in hand, his expression unreadable.

Andrews looked bewildered. "Am I the only idiot who doesn't understand what the hell is happening?"

"None of us do," Samantha replied, her voice laden with uncertainty.

"It's like we're in a room with sleeping wolves," Samantha remarked. "But one thing we can be certain of: the creators of this artifact brought us to this place, and if they didn't want us here, we wouldn't be here."

"You might be right, but we haven't truly discovered anything yet. We have an empty chamber and a glyph on a tunnel wall. It seems like a waste if this is the extent of our findings," Albert pointed out.

"Well, I'm more clueless than all of you," Andrews interjected, furrowing his brow. "But could someone clarify our hypothesis? Do we have a theory? A hypothesis?"

Albert remained silent, prompting Weber to turn to his team. He sensed they were looking for leadership in that moment, expecting his approval. "The artifact guided us to this site for a specific reason that we have yet to determine. But it's related to what lies beyond this canyon wall, and the sooner we start searching, the sooner we'll uncover why we're here."

"But the place is foolproof," Andrews exclaimed. "How are we supposed to find anything if we're trapped in chambers?"

Weber glanced at his watch, disregarding Andrews' question. "We have exactly seven hours and thirty minutes before the helicopters arrive."

Struggling to his feet, Weber swayed slightly as blood rushed back into his body like stones in a rain stick. Sara offered him a helping hand for a moment as he steadied himself.

"You didn't get much sleep last night, did you?" she asked.

"You know, the problem with a cold stone floor is that it makes the night feel endless," Weber replied with a weary smile. "But as long as my body gets its fix of coffee, I'm good, right?"

"Sorry, only brought coffee," Sara apologized.

"Darn it."

"We have aspirin in the first aid kit. Want me to grab some for you?" Sara offered.

"Thank you... make it three," Weber replied. He then turned to Andrews, who was packing his backpack. "The way to avoid getting stuck is to bring the artifact with us. It'll show us what to do."

"Oh, joy," Andrews muttered without looking up. "My arms are already dragging from carrying that little monster all morning, so if we bring it along, find someone else. Please."

Weber chuckled, imagining Andrews lugging the artifact through the rocky desert, cursing everything in sight.

"Maybe it implanted something in your head too," Weber joked. "I mean, if you've been hauling it around all morning, I'd bet your brain's been programmed with who knows what." He laughed again and picked up the container.

"I'll take it, Jamisson," Albert offered. "You didn't sleep at all, and that wound on your hip can't feel great either."

"You're injured?" Sara asked immediately. "I thought you said you were fine after the fall."

"I'm fine," Weber assured her. "Albert's just being kind."

"Then let's get going," Albert declared firmly.

With backpacks on, they walked silently toward the narrow opening of darkness in the canyon wall. Arriving at the entrance, they gathered around Albert.

"Listen up," Albert said, placing the box on the ground and tucking his sunglasses into his shirt. "Stay close and follow the footprints we leave behind. We'll take breaks every five minutes. Don't touch anything. If you see anything suspicious, shout out, otherwise, stay calm. We don't know what we're dealing with, so let's be cautious."

"And what do we hope to achieve in six hours?" Andrews asked.

"Stay alive," Albert replied, removing his backpack and feeding it into the opening as though feeding a hungry mouth.

Andrews chuckled nervously.