Her image started to flicker and then abruptly reappeared.
“There is one additional thing, Jason. The earthling woman you have affected, the one who calls herself Saya… What you have done has not sat well here. You know you were not supposed to accelerate human evolution. But since you have, she is your responsibility. Inform her that she must not disrupt the nature of things on Earth and warn her to be guarded. I can do little to protect her from here.”
“But it is not my fault she evolved; I have been trying to explain to her what has happened and how she must behave, but –”
“She is your responsibility,” repeated Allaceia.
Mark and Jason watched the likeness of their mother fade like an evening mist overcome by the dark. Quietly she vanished. “Do you think we will see her again?” Jason asked.
“Yes. Yes, of course, we will. She said we would. I believe her. She is sending us help.” Mark continued sternly, “You will survive. We can do this.”
The portal stirred, but this time no images appeared, no violence or tumult, only the eerie sound of Elgert’s voice: “Your task begins soon. Review the information and calculations we have shared with you. You will start in ten earth minutes.”
“So, Mark, it begins…”
“Don’t be frightened, Jason. Our mother said I am to save you. Trust me, I won’t let you down.”
“I know you will do all you can. I just hope it is enough.”
Chapter 46: The Asteroid
Mark looked into Jason’s eyes and then into his mind. He thinks he is going to die. The thought of his end has become an obsession. He must focus. I must remind him who he is.
“Jason. Think of nothing except what is before us and we will succeed. I am with you.”
“Of course. What else would I be thinking about?” Jason responded with false confidence.
“Okay, then,” answered Mark. “I’ll go find the asteroid and let you know when I am in position. Wait for my signal before you go down. We will make short work of all of this. The earth’s core is nothing compared to a rough night at The Dom.”
Jason looked at Mark, smiling sadly. “Go then. Go now. I can’t take the waiting any longer.” Mark felt Jason’s uncertainty.
Jason thought about the life he had been living on the earth, the sweetness of it all. Now it could all be lost, taken by beings he had only seen in an apparition. He thought about his music, the smoke, the sweat of the crowd, the lights, the noise, the madness. He thought of his friends and even of a few enemies, and he thought about Saya.
I wonder what the band is up to, and what Angela could be doing. Oh, Saya, I hope you are not in danger. He looked at the amulet hung about his neck. I’d better start reviewing these implanted calculations if I am going to have a chance. He began to look them over. Wow. This is very complicated, full of eventualities and recalculations for unforeseen events. It is obvious they were not sure what I would be meeting down there. They were right about one thing, though. My mind is faster than ever. I see it all in an instant.
“Mark, I am ready. Go now. Be careful, and I will wait for your word.”
“You too, Jason. Safe trip. I’ll be seeing you soon,” responded Mark, mustering as much a positive tone as he could manage.
Mark started to travel to the point in space just beyond Jupiter, the place the Elders had designated. He had never traveled beyond the earth’s atmosphere before. It was exciting. He had no need for oxygen to survive, nor the aid of gravity to maneuver within the emptiness, and without any earthly points of reference, he was able to find his position with ease.
Mark left the earth and looked back to glimpse the planet; saying to himself, why have I never traveled here before? It is so beautiful. Of course. We were programmed to remain on earth. They could not have us flying around the universe and getting into mischief, getting our priorities confused. They wanted us to stay put.
The most startling sensation in outer space was the absolute quiet. There was not a sound, not a hint of life. No chirping birds in the sky, or barking dogs, no honking cars or crying babies. Just silence, a great quiet. And within this overwhelming grandeur, he looked down upon a beautiful blue planet. His planet.
The coordinates had placed him some distance from the asteroid. Mark surmised that this was to have him acclimate himself to the surroundings. I wish Jason could be here with me. The limitlessness was overwhelming. This is not possible to fully convey telepathically; you have to be here. He focused his mind towards Earth. Jason, do you see this? Do you feel this?
Mark heard Jason’s words in his mind. “Yes, I see it. Mark, I wish I were with you.”
“When this is all over, we have to do this together, just come out here and drift around…just hang out.”
“That sounds great, but do you see the asteroid? Is it coming?”
“It’s some distance away.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes … I am just taking this all in. It is so wondrous here, and I want to get acclimated before I am forced to deal with that monster. The sensations within me are very different. I am just getting used to it, but it is so beautiful. I’ll start to move towards the asteroid in a minute. I can see a glimmer of it in the distance.”
“I’ll be with you, and I’ll wait for your signal before I head towards the core.”
As Mark started to move towards the asteroid, Gabriela’s eyes came to mind. She would love this. I can hear her quoting Whitman for hours… I miss her, especially in all this vast beautiful nothingness. It would be so cool to have her here with me. I would have to make some special arrangements, of course, some protective shield…
Just then he heard Jason’s voice in his mind. “And you should bring Helena along, as well,” he said in his characteristic teasing tone.
Mark was pleased to hear his brother being able to joke, even when such perils were at their doorstep. He will never understand how I feel about Gabriela. Not wanting to dampen his mood, Mark responded, “Yes, that would be interesting… I’m almost upon it now, Jason. Are you ready to start moving down to the core yet?”
“I’ll never be ready, but I’ll start to go down now. I will let you know when I am there. Before I go to this hell, I need to do something. I need to see Saya one last time. I hear her calling. I have to say goodbye; it will only take a few minutes.” Without waiting for an answer, he transported himself to Saya’s apartment.
* * *
When Jason materialized, he found Saya sitting in a chair facing her bed. She seemed as if she had not moved for hours. Before her on the bed were some jewels, stones, and some colored glass within what looked like twisted metal; a pile of ashes, the remnants of Angela.
Saya sat there muttering, “I don’t understand… I walked into the other room for a minute… and there was a rumble, a flash. I jumped, and when I came back… She was gone… I don’t…”
Jason immediately understood. His fear had come to pass. She had been attacked.
“I was afraid this might happen. Here, take this.” He removed the amulet from around his neck and placed it over her head. “Never take this off. It is more than an ornament. It was a gift from my mother. Learn its secrets. I do not fully understand why, but it has the power to shield. It will protect you from those who are able to move even faster than you. I believe it can even hide you. You can trust this symbol and anyone who bears it.”
Jason started to leave, knowing Mark was nearing the asteroid. He turned to Saya. “Wait for me.”
***
With that, Jason began his descent. Mark moved cautiously toward what he finally could see. What was at first a distant light now fully unveiled its magnificence. As he came closer, he saw a beast with its glistening tail shedding its skin of ice and gas as it tore through the nothing.
Suddenly he thought he could hear a sound. While he knew he could not, his mind imagined a roar even in the vacuum of space. Its overwhelming presence and speed made his mind throb and his fear rise. It was at leas
t two miles across, boasting majesty as it streaked through the darkness. Mark could almost hear a voice say: “Try me if you dare.”
He summoned all his courage and stood in its path, trying with all his strength to alter its course. But like a bothersome insect, he was swept aside as it continued along its fateful trajectory. Despite his fear, Mark was in awe of the beauty of his adversary, this juggernaut, this lonely dancer of the cosmos.
“What shall I call you? You deserve more than a number. How about Tempestes, the Roman storm goddess? Do you like that name, my dear? You don’t answer. Come now. Well then, how about a little push?”
Mark again sent forth all his energy toward the asteroid, and again, nothing. He could not sway her course.
In frustration, he called, “Jason. Jason, are you there yet? I need help up here; it’s too big and too strong. I cannot move it myself. Where are you?”
Jason focused his mind on the earth’s core and rested his hand upon the suicide belt the elders had given him. He thought of the gift he had given away. “I’m traveling now, Mark.”
He passed through the crust and into the liquid heat of the earth’s mantle, which seemed to be an indissoluble molten ocean. He continued down. The further he traveled, the faster he descended. The pull of the core had taken its hold. As Jason approached the core, he considered the calculations and systems he had learned. Instead of using his usual method of manipulating subatomic particles to pass through obstacles, he jumped into an alternate dimension, continuing his descent. He traveled until he reached the very center of the earth, the inner core; a solid state of almost pure iron. It was as hot as the surface of the sun, but within it was a cold indifference.
Jason knew that as long as he could move between dimensions, he could avoid the forces about him. However, he could not affect matter in this state. He would not be able to direct the energy of the magnetic field up to Mark. As he moved between dimensions, being here and there at the same time, he wondered if this plan could succeed.
His major concern was not to affect the earth’s rotation or reverse its polarities with any aggressive or sudden manipulation. An error could be monumental. He said to himself... I can do this.
“Okay, Mark. It comes now.”
Jason started to direct the power from the magnetic field up to Mark. First, slowly, just a pulse, and then gradually, as the beat of the energy increased and the bursts between moments grew closer, the power went forth. More and more rapidly, the momentum increased, and as the energy streamed forward, it seemed to take on its own life. Jason was spinning in a turmoil, oscillating frantically in and out of the different states, from one dimension to the next. He danced within the core’s forces, cheating its power with his dexterity, outwitting its purpose. Every millisecond he spent outside a hidden state, the forces would tear at him, pressure crushing him, the heat burning into his being. But only within those moments did he realize his charge.
“Are you getting it? I am sending it now.”
Mark felt the energy of the core upon him. He automatically channeled it towards the asteroid. The asteroid did not veer at first, but then, slowly, it moved a bit. Ever so slowly, it veered.
“It’s working, Jason. It’s working. But it’s slow. Very slow… I don’t think there’s enough metal within the asteroid.”
Jason heard Mark’s words. “It’s slow? Do your best; it’s vicious down here.”
Mark communicated to Jason again, “How are you holding up?”
Jason replied, “It’s a horror. I know it is not alive, but you would think it hated me.”
“How long can you take it, Jason?”
“I don’t know, Mark. I really don’t know.”
“Can you increase the power? If you increase the power, maybe…” Mark then saw nearby space debris. He grabbed some with the help of the core’s power and used it to create another gravitational force to affect the asteroid’s direction.
“I am doing all I can down here, Mark, but the core is crushing me.”
Mark knew that Jason was suffering; he would not last long. He will die. He might save the earth, but he will die. “Do what you can, my brother. I will try harder up here.”
Mark used all his energy in conjunction with the forces he was amassing. Slowly, the asteroid turned a little more. Mark, gaining confidence and pushing even harder, exclaimed, “It’s moving. It’s moving more.”
Still, they thought, “Where’s the help mother promised. Where is it?”
Then Mark heard a strange sound from behind him. He never heard such a sound before. He was baffled since he knew there was no sound in space. He could not understand how he was hearing anything at all. When he heard the sound again, he realized it was in his mind, something calling his name. Someone was communicating with him, and it wasn’t Jason.
“Cherba, cherba, cherba.”
Mark turned and saw a little furry being encased in a clear bubble. He was bouncing up and down in an animated manner, and he was wearing beautifully layered clothing of purple and orange. His fur was changing color as he waved his arms in greeting, and around his neck he wore the Purple Flower.
“Hello, Mark. You’ve been expecting me.”
Chapter 47: The Intercom Wakes Them
The morning had passed, and the day slipped quietly towards dusk.
Gabriela and Helena had spent the day asleep. Gabriela’s eyes opened first, her arms still around Helena. She only realized the body she was holding was not Mark’s when she was jarred by the earsplitting sound of the intercom buzzer.
“What is that noise? It’s driving a nail through my brain.”
Helena, blurry-eyed, barely conscious, replied, “It’s the intercom. It squeals like a dying pig.”
“Oh… it’s horrible,” responded Gabriela.
The buzzer gave another long screech.
Helena grimaced. “And that fucking doorman hates me. He uses any excuse to make me miserable…. Oh. What the fuck does he want now?” she muttered, looking at Gabriela. “Man… He has been such an asshole since I complained to the manager that he had been coming onto me.”
Helena pulled herself to her feet, stumbling off the mattress. She opened her closet and blindly grabbed a silk robe off the hook on the door. It was the thinnest of silk, ornately patterned with oriental designs and hand-stitched tassels. It looked very French and very expensive. Tripping over some books and clothing on the floor, she made her way into the living room, pressed the button on the intercom, and said, “Yes, what is it?”
The doorman responded, “There is a special delivery letter here from Denmark. The postman needs your signature.”
“Okay. Send him up, please.”
The doorman answered, “He says he’s not allowed to do that. You’ll have to come down to the lobby and sign for it.”
Helena knew the doorman was lying, and he was just trying to make her life miserable, but she saw no escape from the situation. Any special delivery letter from Denmark was more than likely from her mother, and that was too important to play around with. “Fuck,” she murmured under her breath, and into the intercom. “Okay, I’m coming down.”
The red high-heeled pumps she wore last night were on the floor near the sofa. She slipped them on and shouted to Gabriela in the other room, “I have to go down to the lobby for a minute. I’m leaving the door unlocked.” She heard no response. “I’m leaving the door unlocked,” she yelled louder. “Okay…?”
Helena heard a faint “okay” from Gabriela in the bedroom.
Gathering her strongest self, Helena walked into the hall to the end of the corridor. The fifty feet to the elevator felt like a mile. When she reached it, she pressed the call button. The elevator took forever to arrive. Again, her world slowed to a crawl until the doors opened. She was startled into consciousness by the sight of a passenger. As she got on, she looked upon an attractive young man in a gray pinstriped business suit. He carried a briefcase. “Are you going down?” she asked cryptically.
> “No, up. But just two floors up, and then you can have it. It’s been acting funny. I had to wait for it a long time. I advise you to grab it while you can.”
Helena got on the elevator. “Thanks.”
She gave him a tiny smile, just a slight rise of her lip, and then turned to face the elevator door. She pressed the button for the lobby. He returned a polite smile.
He’s quite nice-looking in a conservative way, she thought. Maybe he’s an advertising man or something. He was certainly not her type, but attractive, nonetheless.
He looked at her stealthily out of the corner of his eye, and with a smile said, “Are you going out for dinner?” His tone carried a hint of humor.
I guess I’m wrong: just another jerk. Helena said to herself without acknowledging him.
It came to her then that she was wearing nothing under that thin and revealing silk robe that she had purchased with the sole intent to excite. She pulled the sash of the robe tighter, realizing that her breasts could be seen, but pressing the thin cloth against her body only did more to reveal the rest of her nakedness.
She felt his eyes on her. Her awareness sent a bit of a tingle through her. His eyes surreptitiously explored her. He was trying not to be obvious, but it was clear he was turned on.
As she fidgeted, the silk of the robe slid gently against her nipples, which started to harden, showing slightly through the thin fabric. I am such an exhibitionist… she thought. A rush filled her. Looking back out of the corner of her eye, Helena wondered what he was thinking. She felt his desire and his struggle for control. She loved it.
The elevator door opened on the 24th floor, and the man started to exit. As he left the elevator, his mind obviously flush with fantasy, Helena answered his inquiry with a cocky tone.
Soteria- The Crisis Forge Page 29