Return to Earth

by Brad Stucki

  “I reached out to touch him as he, too was staring around. He grasped me back, feeling real to me. Hesitantly we both reached out to other items in the lab and found that we were ‘out of phase’ with what had once been our reality. We could partially touch things, but not completely. Being scientists, we quickly recognized that something in the Articles of Power had altered our physical structures such that we had been Moved to a different physical wavelength, a different phase from our previous harmonic of existence.

  “I won’t bore you with all the scientific details we studied and arrived upon,” Darzeen continued, shaking his head. “Let’s just say that the Articles of Power had blasted all of my people into a different plane of existence.

  "All matter and energy exists on certain wavelengths. Some wavelengths are visible to your physical eyes. Most are not. We realized we had been transferred by the power of the Articles into a wavelength that was no longer compatible with the physical universe in which we had been living.

  “We could no longer interact with all we had known and built. We were stranded as if on the other side of a glass looking at all the items which could easily sustain us, but we could no longer reach. Surrounded by plenty, we were destined to starve unless we quickly could figure out how to rectify our situation.

  “My people went into a panic. Many tried to eat or drink in desperation even before they needed to. The incompatibility of the physical and ethereal nature of their new existence didn’t mix. Many choked and died during the simple act of eating or drinking.

  “If they had just waited, they would have realized, as did my brother, that in this plane of existence, they no longer needed to eat, at least in the way they previously had. It was later we learned to draw sustenance from the inherent energy floating in the air, the space all around us. We had become different creatures, and we drew our sustenance from the ambient energy of the universe. In other words, we no longer needed to eat or drink.

  “Yes, we could still do so, if we could adjust our body harmonic to the right ‘frequency’ and then we could imbibe, but it was not necessary.

  “Of course, all of these things we learned with time and experimentation. Within days our population had been cut in half. When people realized they would not die, that indeed, it seemed they may live forever, it was a mixed blessing. We could no longer interact with the physical universe we had known, but the trade-off was that we would no longer die of natural causes.

  “This has seemingly been proved by how long we have all been alive.” Darzeen took a deep sighing breath. “Time has passed much differently for my people. We have been able to watch each of your races grow, evolve and prosper to where you are now. We have learned many things over that time.

  “We have learned to Move between worlds because we found we could no longer use the Portals. This came from our constant experimentation with how to get ourselves back to the natural plane of existence. Even though we no longer experience death, we also no longer experience the small physical pleasures we once took for granted. We cannot touch or feel simple inanimate objects. We cannot eat or drink without great effort. We do not require sleep, we no longer have disease.

  “Our pain has not ceased, though it has gone from a physical pain to a mental anguish of what we foolishly left behind. Turns out that many of the trials and travails you consider to be a bane to your existences, we now consider a blessing.

  “Oh, to feel pain, hunger, a breeze across my face, the rain falling on my lips, a scratch, a burn, even a blister. I would give anything to feel those again.”

  Chapter 32

  “Because of our folly, my people have been relegated to observing and of waiting for each of your races to arrive at a point where you might be able to help us.

  “You see, since we cannot interact with the physical world, we cannot do anything concrete except in rare, minor instances.

  “This is how we took on the role of Guardians to each of your races to a greater or lesser extent. My people, over the eons, have split even farther apart. One group in favor of observing, of watching and assisting lightly to foster the growth and development of your cultures and civilizations. We were waiting for the time when you were able to fulfill your part in the coming Time of Troubles, and to see what that meant. Hopefully it would mean you would all reach out, find the Articles of Power and find a way to restore us to the realm of the physical. We feared to interfere, knowing what our interference had already cost us.

  "We physically separated from our brethren, those on the opposite side from us, and we migrated to different realms where we could exist and have somewhat of a physical reality in which to live, while still watching and waiting. We found several places closest to our phase of existence and settled there to wait, to observe, and hopefully encourage and promote, but never to interfere.

  “The other faction whom you call Dark Guardians, represented by my brother, never gave up meddling. They continued trying to mold, to hasten the development of other races so they could, through them, find and control the 3 Articles of Power, which we still don’ t wholly understand; and figure out a way to return to the physical realm. They stayed on our home planet, struggling, searching, continuing to experiment, to find a way to reverse what had been done to us all.

  “They delved deeper into the oldest of our records, they delved into the artifacts left all over the galaxy by the Ancients and pieced together a bit of their Grand Plan, though we did not even scratch the surface of what the Ancients intended. Not until now.”

  Darzeen looked around at the workstations and screens. “This Archive is what the Ancients provided to unfold the Plan when they knew we would be ready to receive it. My brethren truly need to know of this. It may make a difference."

  “That’s what we’re thinking too,” Javin echoed from his distant connection. “We want your race - your whole race - to join us. We have to do this all together.”

  “Instead of being just one of the races,” Darzeen answered, “The Dark Guardians want to be the pre-eminent race leading the way through the Time of Trouble. It will be hard for them to admit they need each of you, and that they must accept you all as equals.

  “Now I know what the “Time of Trouble” actually is,” Darzeen shook his head, touching his fingers to his forehead as if trying to order his new memories and knowledge through that touch, “I know that we were both wrong. Both factions need to work together with all the races, being proactive and not passive, not controlling, but cooperating as one to save us all.

  “My brother’s faction embarked upon a program, sadly, led by my brother, of Cloning one whom they realized was the “Prime” Promised one."

  Javin was again startled as he realized through the bond, Darzeen was referring to Nemesis. He understood what the word clone meant, though his blocked memories wouldn’t supply any examples. Javin also realized it meant that Javin, himself, was the ‘Prime’ Promised One Darzeen was referring to.

  Chapter 33

  All could sense Javin’s tumbling thoughts. Darzeen continued, supplying information and context to all that was now surfacing in all their minds as they accessed and assimilated Darzeen’s memories and knowledge.

  “Through years of observation and study we had pieced together a small portion of the Plan the Ancients have more fully revealed through the Archive. Through the clone, who could reach the physical realms you all inhabit, and using my brother’s Gestalt Stone, which was embedded into the one you call Nemesis, they have sought to control the path of progression.

  “The problem is they are walking blind. They don’t have all the information. It would be so much simpler if they would just wait and learn from all of you - as I have done. In their haste and need to control, they may doom us all!”

  They were all silent as they were assimilating the history and context of what they were learning. It helped the volume of information slip into a matrix they could now draw upon in a more organized and understandable fashion in their Gestalt Stone r
epositories.

  It was then that Kokos spoke up, mentally as well as physically. “I have scoured the Archive. I have been searching for how the 3 Articles of Power fit into the overall plan. They are not mentioned specifically. However, there is a bit of an allusion to the 3 Articles of Power which I have pieced together from what I’ve learned.

  “In the last Sharing with Darzeen, you will have received a bit from me, which was just recent in my discoveries here at the Archive. It also fits into the vision which Sauros had at the time of his merging with the Gift - the Gestalt Stone.

  The mention of these specific instances allowed all of them to sort through their Shared memories and bring those items forward to be discussed and ‘remembered’ at the same time.

  “In the vision, Sauros sees his role as assisting Javin to make the ultimate sacrifice. We all have seen where Javin is put into a place within the largest pyramid where his body will be torn apart in a maelstrom of energy. This helps fuel and direct the great energy necessary to Move all our races in this galaxy to a place of safety from the coming Dark.”

  They all felt Javin’s resolve, and also felt Sauros’ revulsion of what he must do. Sauros must help his friend die, so that all within the galaxy have a chance at living.

  “Javin has to do this because he supplies the mental commands necessary to enact the Great Matrix to activate. But I’ve been asking myself, where does this tremendous surge of energy come from? There seems to be a bit of a blank spot there in the Archive. It feels like there is a critical piece of the Plan missing.

  “As I’ve thought about it,” Kokos continued, “it became clear that the Articles of Power are with Javin when he is pushed into the chamber by Sauros. Sauros uses his unique Gift to hold Javin within the chamber while Javin does what he must do. Within the chamber Javin joins the Articles of Power while at the same time, mentally provides the final commands to activate the Great Matrix.

  “Then each of us with a Gift needs to be on their respective worlds to channel the energy which will flow from the First Point of the Great Matrix, to all the other worlds, enacting our portions of the plan, creating the binding links between our worlds, and form the Gateway to where we can all be safe from the coming Dark.

  "That includes all of us here. However, we are missing two of the races. Of one of those races, Chahzuu, was killed on Sauros’ world.”

  It was then Sauros spoke up. “I believe Chahzuu is alive and is being held by the Dark Guardians. His disappearance was similar to that when Javin was taken. I know they have him.” Sauros’ certainty was felt by all the others. They also felt the underlying hope that his beloved was also similarly being held.

  “That is a reasonable assumption,” Darzeen put in. “My brother's people probably would do this thing, as they have been observing and meddling throughout the eons. We’ve been at this a very long time, and though we cannot completely touch the physical realm you all inhabit, we have gained certain powers we have learned to use in being able to manipulate and control some of the matter we cannot completely touch.”

  “So, we need to rescue Chahzuu.” Kokos left off an unspoken addition that it would also include the rescue of Sauros’ betrothed. “That still leaves us with two more issues: We need to bring the Guardian Race back into our realm so they can use their Gestalt Stone on their home world. And finally, we need to locate and recruit the final race mentioned in the Chronicles. We have accounted for every other race.”

  Kokos then turned to Darzeen. “In your searching through the Portals, did you ever encounter the final race?”

  Darzeen shook his head. “Never. It was always a mystery to my brother and me. We found all of your races many centuries ago, save the final one. However, we did find diagrams and writings of this final race on Javin’s world, as if it was a native to his world . . . or an honored visitor there.

  “Depictions of the final race were drawn on the insides of what Javin refers to as Pyramids.”

  “You are referring to the pictographs of the creature with a body similar to mine, but with the head of a bird?” Javin asked from his great distance. The mention of the final race had allowed all of them to access that Shared memory.

  “That is the one,” Darzeen said. “That is the only reference I encountered from the hundreds of trips through the Portals. Each time I ‘thought’ about the hidden race while going through a Portal, it would always take me to Earth.”

  “Then my world,” Javin said hesitantly. “If it really is my world, as you say, holds some sort of key to finding the final race.”

  “Again, we circle back to Javin being the key,” Kokos said. “It is on his world where we find reference to the final race. And I believe Javin has knowledge of this.

  “Yet Javin’s memories are blocked. The remaining pieces of the puzzle, the hidden part of the Plan, and the source to finding the final race of Promised Ones, all remain, I believe, within Javin.”

  Then Javin spoke up directing his thoughts to Darzeen. “I can see from your memories, you were startled at some of my earliest recollections. Those which I can’t seem to pull up, which flash to the forefront of my mind only at odd times. And I must admit, though I haven’t met you in person, you seem familiar to me. Why is that?”

  Sauros felt Darzeen start with surprise. And then felt his resignation to releasing what he’d been holding back earlier.

  “You are correct, Javin,” Darzeen began. Everyone was paying close attention. “I do know you. I have been watching you from the time you were just an infant. I have recognized you as the ‘Prime’ Promised One since you first appeared on your planet. It is through my intervention and hiding you that you avoided being kidnapped by my brother, who, when he couldn’t take you personally, created the clone you now know as Nemesis.

  “It was because of my interference and interventions, I was banished by my people. Only a couple of my associates joined in my banishment. So, not only do you need to recruit those whom you call the Dark Guardians, you also need to recruit my people as well.

  “So embittered were they at my brother, Fallon and his associates at what their interference and foolhardiness wrought upon the whole of my people, that the faction which wants to let things run their course have essentially gone into hiding and exiled themselves. When I sought to interfere and protect you they cast me out from among them.”

  Darzeen looked around at all of them. “I’m grateful for the Sharing, but we still have a long way to go in convincing my people to join your - our - cause.”

  “You are wrong there,” Javin said. “We only need to convince Fallon and Nemesis. They are the keys. If we convince them, we can enact the Plan because they hold the Gestalt Stone and the Articles of Power.”

  “That is still a hard obstacle to overcome,” Sauros said. It was then he realized Nemesis was only needed for the retrieval of the Articles of Power, and the returning of the Gestalt Stone. Then he could be killed. Sauros could finally gain retribution for the killing of his beloved. But was she really dead? She could well be alive, a captive of the Dark Guardians as was Chahzuu.

  “Hold on,” Javin broke into Sauros’ thoughts. "We still have a lot of ground to cover.” Sauros thoughts were jarred back on point, and he was a bit embarrassed at what he had broadcast.

  “No one wants her back more than I,” Javin soothed through their bond. “And I’m not sticking up for Nemesis in any fashion. But if he didn’t really kill Mouhra’ Lah, then we need to be careful in what we’re doing.” There was something in the back of Javin’s mind he was guarding that Sauros couldn’t reach. Something about Nemesis and a possibility . . .

  “Sticking?” Darzeen asked.

  Kokos laughed. “You will get used to Javin’s manner of speech. We have all learned to see the context and ignore the unusual words or phrase. Indeed, we find it quite colorful.”

  “Hey!” Javin said, though humor tinged his mental touch to them all. “Let’s get back to Darzeen and his knowing me.” Javin’s mind was
getting more intense and expectant. “You have been watching me for a long time, you say. So, you know who I am, where I come from, and you know what my history is? Do you know how my memories got blocked? Did you see who did this?”

  “Yes,” Darzeen said. His voice and his mind were very quiet. “I did.”

  Chapter 34

  “What?” Javin gasped in a mental jolt. “You?”

  “Yes, it was me,” Darzeen said. “But there is a problem. You see, I haven’t actually done it . . . Yet.”

  Everyone’s questions crowded in on each other. Darzeen held up the hand which was not firmly grasped by Rolla, allowing him to maintain a solid contact with Javin at his distant location.

  “Let me explain,” Darzeen said, mentally asking them to quiet their minds and let him think through his explanation himself. “This is a difficult quandary and I need to focus my mind in order to make sense of it myself.

  “Javin and Sauros, though they don’t realize it, have been traveling in time as well as traveling between worlds. Each time they have gone through a Portal, they have traveled a great distance, but they have also traveled back and forth through time.

  “The Portals work on passing through different dimensions, and one of those dimensions is time. I didn’t realize it until now, even though I passed through the Portals hundreds of times myself, but I undoubtedly passed through shifts in time as well, though I always ended up back in my own time and place, because that is what I was expecting.

  “When Javin and Sauros pass through the Portals, they simply allowed the Portals to take them where they needed to go. And the Portals brought them backwards in time for specific reasons to be at certain worlds at certain times, which looking quickly through their memories, had them coincide with when Nemesis was at a particular world. They needed to be there at that ‘time’ so that’s ‘when’ the Portals delivered them.”