They continued walking down the small tunnel until at last Lynol stopped before a large, sealed metal door to their right. Lynol checked the diary once more, satisfied this was the door they wanted. Reaching out cautiously with her mind, Lynol could sense a strange energy field surrounding the room.
Ever since they had entered this tunnel she had sensed that some type of spell or energy had been harnessed and still existed in this section of the complex. That feeling had been growing steadily as they descended deeper. The mysterious energy was even stronger here at this massive door. She wondered if this was somehow connected to the mysterious stasis field mentioned in the diary. It didn’t feel like a sorcery spell; this felt different, artificial.
“This is where we need to stop first,” said Lynol, nodding to Kalvin as they both stood and stared at the enormous door.
“How are we going to open that door?” Kalvin asked worriedly. The door was gigantic, and he could see no way the two of them could budge it! “That’s a big, heavy door, and it’s locked.”
“With my amulet,” replied Lynol, hoping that with her amulet, she could force the door to open. If she couldn’t, their quest would stop here.
“What about Gilmreth?” asked Kalvin, looking about apprehensively. “If you use your sorcery in here, won’t he sense it? Didn’t Malcon caution you about using your sorcery inside the mountain?”
“Perhaps,” Lynol replied with some concern creeping into her voice as she gazed at the massive door. “But there is no other way to open the door, and we’re quite safe from the dragon in this tunnel.”
Grasping her amulet in her right hand, she focused her thoughts and let her mind reach out to investigate. She could feel the strange locking mechanism that held the door securely shut. The unusual energy didn’t seem to have anything to do with the lock. Using her left hand, she wove a quick spell, which she cast at the locking mechanism. Lynol held her breath and a loud, resounding click echoed down the small tunnel.
Kalvin watched Lynol work her sorcery. Using it in the mountain made him nervous. Kalvin wasn’t worried about the other sorceress so much as he was with Gilmreth. What would the fearsome dragon do if he knew that someone had entered the mountain complex? What if Gilmreth was waiting for them when they tried to leave?
With a satisfied look, Lynol reached out her hand and after a gentle push the metal door swung inward.
“At least the door’s open,” she commented with a smile upon her face, glancing at Kalvin.
Kalvin was surprised at how easily the massive door had opened. He hoped everything else would be just as easy.
Stepping inside, they found they were in a large room, which stretched out fading into gloom where their lights failed to penetrate.
Lynol blinked in surprise as she looked about. The room was full of strange equipment and massive machines. Opening the diary again, Lynol walked over to a strange looking panel on the near wall, which was covered with mysterious dials, switches, and glass coverings.
“What is this place?” asked Kalvin, fighting to keep his curiosity and excitement from bubbling past his wall of self-control. “Why did we come in here?”
It was beyond comprehension just what this room contained. So much knowledge had been lost since the Worldfire! He would love to spend some time just exploring. These machines seemed remarkably well preserved. It was as if time itself had been frozen. He had never seen anything to compare to what was in this room. Nothing like this existed in the outside world.
“What are all these machines for?” Kalvin asked, his eyes wide gazing about. “Does the diary say?”
“If it’s correct, by flipping these two switches it will activate something called an emergency backup power supply. The batteries are supposed to activate something called a standby geo thermal generator.” Lynol said as she studied the diary intently. “It’s supposed to be a backup power source for the complex. Ramael had hoped to return to the complex someday after the Worldfire and felt this power source would remain intact almost indefinitely.”
“I can’t believe it would still work after so many years,” stated Kalvin, watching Lynol dubiously. “It’s been nearly three thousand years; surely it can’t still function! What’s it supposed to do?”
“I don’t know,” replied Lynol, feeling the strange energy field that surrounded everything. “Perhaps the ancients found some way to preserve the energy source.”
Lynol remembered that Malcon’s crypt had been so preserved. Reaching hesitantly out and holding her amulet just in case with her left hand, Lynol flipped the two indicated switches on the large control panel.
The room held a silence so profound it hurt the ears. For a long moment, Lynol feared that the ancient machines would no longer operate, that Kalvin was right, too much time had passed, but then a dim humming noise became discernible, and strange glowing lights began to blink enchantingly on the panel. Then, brilliant lights began to flicker on overhead in the ceiling of the room. In moments, they were standing in white light almost as bright as the afternoon sun. The distant humming settled down and became a steady, unrelenting hum.
“This is unbelievable!” Kalvin cried, astounded, staring around at the equipment filled room.
Equipment that looked strange and inexplicable was everywhere. Massive machines reached nearly to the tall ceiling, and several now seemed to have parts actually turning. It was remarkable that something this old could still work after so many years. How was this possible? It made Kalvin respect the science of the ancients and their sorcery even more. It was difficult for Kalvin to understand how their civilization could have been so thoroughly destroyed with all the power they controlled.
“In Ramael’s diary it mentions something called a stasis field, which supposedly could halt the deterioration from the effects of time,” Lynol explained. “I don’t understand how it works, but I can sense some type of energy present in this entire area of the mountain. Perhaps that’s what surrounds this place, why some of these machines still function.”
“We have lost so much,” Kalvin whispered sadly, gazing at the numerous, captivating machines, their obscure purposes lost centuries in the remote past.
It made Kalvin realize just how limited present day knowledge was. No type of complicated machine existed anymore in the outside world. Things were done the same today as they were a hundred or a thousand years ago. It almost seemed as if the human race had lost its will to learn, to explore new ideas. Perhaps the Worldfire had destroyed man’s desire to discover.
Lynol noticed with some surprise that over half the lights in the ceiling were not working; many had obviously failed with the passing of time. Perhaps the stasis field hadn’t worked quite as well as the ancients had hoped. She also noticed the air seemed fresher, as if it was being circulated somehow.
Lynol wondered what all had been activated when she flipped those switches. Were there lights on in Gilmreth’s lair? Had she woken the dragon by turning on the power to the complex? Reaching out with her mind she cautiously checked on the dragon, and with relief found that Gilmreth still slept. Perhaps what she had turned on only applied to the part of the complex they were in.
“Come on, Kalvin, what we want next is deeper in the complex,” spoke Lynol, turning and walking toward the door.
Kalvin would like to explore the room they were in a little bit more, but he realized the importance of continuing on; their time was severely limited. They had to be away from the mountain before nightfall. Gilmreth might be stirring with the setting of the sun. Nodding, he turned to follow Lynol. Perhaps sometime in the future, he and Lynol could return and explore this complex more thoroughly. If they could defeat Gilmreth and the other sorceress, then someday they could return to this mountain. It held too many secrets that needed to be discovered.
Leaving the strange machine filled room; they found the tunnel dimly lit by widely spaced lights. In some sections, the lights were completely dead, having failed with age. In other sections, all the li
ghts worked. As they walked, Lynol began to feel a bit strange. Looking down at her amulet, which lay on the outside of her shirt, she saw that it was beginning to glow dimly with a light blue radiance, almost pulsing. The blue sapphire stone seemed to have taken on a life of its own.
Seeing her glance, Kalvin saw the light coming from her amulet. “What’s causing that? Are you doing something?”
“I don’t know,” replied Lynol, feeling uneasy. It was almost as if the amulet was trying to tell her where to go. She felt a strange sensation urging her to take a smaller corridor that branched off to the left. “I’m not sure why, but I think we need to go this way,” she said hesitantly, coming to a stop and looking down the passageway.
According to the diary, this would take them away from the room that Malcon and she had decided held their best hope for finding information about Gilmreth. Their goal had been something called a computer operations center. The diary said the room contained all the knowledge of the ancients.
“I hope Gilmreth doesn’t feel your amulet,” Kalvin said worriedly, glancing back down the tunnel behind them.
He knew that Malcon had cautioned Lynol about using her sorcery inside the mountain. Kalvin was also concerned that there was something in the complex affecting Lynol’s amulet. If Gilmreth awoke, the two of them could be trapped in this tunnel!
“Let’s hurry, then,” Lynol responded, also feeling Kalvin’s concern.
The reaction of her amulet from something inside this complex made her apprehensive. What could possibly be affecting it down here? It had never done this before, not even in Malcon’s crypt, unless she was using her sorcery to cast a spell.
Entering the corridor, they walked at a brisk pace, with Lynol’s amulet constantly glowing brighter and brighter. Finally, they stood before another sealed door, and Lynol’s amulet glowed so brightly it could no longer be looked upon without hurting their eyes. Much to their surprise the door slid suddenly open, revealing an extremely small room just large enough for a few people. The mysterious energy field Lynol had been sensing was much stronger here.
“This is getting stranger all the time,” Kalvin muttered quietly, looking nervously about.
“I don’t sense any danger,” said Lynol, looking into the small room before them. “I think we need to continue.”
“Are you sure it’s safe?” asked Kalvin, noticing there wasn’t another exit inside the small room.
“There’s nothing in there,” Lynol pointed out, gesturing with one hand toward the small room. “It’s empty.”
Stepping inside, the two looked at each other questionably and both jumped as the door behind them slid securely and silently shut. The small room started moving downward, gradually falling faster and faster.
“I think this is what the ancients called an elevator,” stated Lynol, trying to sound calm as the small room continued to drop. One of Malcon’s books mentioned that elevators were used to move around in the ancients’ buildings.
She felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach. Just what had she gotten Kalvin and herself into? She had a sudden sinking feeling that they were not going to get out of the complex before nightfall. She tried to use her sorcery, but it was blocked! For some reason, she could sense nothing outside of the elevator.
“When is it going to stop?” Kalvin asked, concerned, his stomach feeling queasy as the small room dropped even more rapidly.
“I don’t know,” Lynol replied, confused and starting to get worried. “It is evidently taking us somewhere deep beneath the mountain; let’s see where it stops.”
“I just hope it does stop,” spoke Kalvin, looking down at his feet, hoping their stop wouldn’t be all too sudden. He had a gloomy picture of the two of them lying crushed at the bottom of this elevator when it came to a crashing halt.
Several moments later, Lynol relaxed as she felt the elevator start to slow and then come gradually to a stop. The door slid smoothly open, revealing a short brightly lit corridor that ended with another obviously large sealed metal door. In this corridor, all the lights were functioning. The corridor looked clean and polished as if it was new. No trace of the passage of the centuries was anywhere to be seen.
“There sure are a lot of sealed doors in this place,” Kalvin puffed, still feeling nervous from the ride they had just taken in the elevator.
The ancients sure had some innovative ways to get around. Kalvin wondered just how deep beneath the mountain they were. He had a feeling that he really didn’t want to know. It could be miles! He just hoped the elevator would take them back up when it was time for them to leave.
“I wonder why it brought us here?” spoke Lynol, her eyes looking down the small corridor. She suspected the reason was behind the sealed door.
Stepping out into the corridor the two approached the large metal door. Looking at the writing across the top of the door, Lynol slowly read it aloud.
“SUSPENDED ANIMATION STASIS FACILITY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.”
“What is it?” asked Kalvin, looking at the heavy metal door. “What’s a stasis facility?”
“I don’t know,” Lynol replied, confused. She reached out with her sorcery to see if she could sense anything behind the sealed door. “This isn’t in the diary, nor did Malcon mention it.”
Not detecting anything except the now very intense energy field, she once again reached out with her mind. Grasping her brightly glowing amulet, Lynol wove another spell, casting it at the entrance’s complex locking mechanism which responded with several loud clicks and the door swung slowly open. Another large door on the other side also swung back the opposite direction, enticing them to enter. She was relieved that her sorcery had worked.
“So said the spider to the fly,” Kalvin muttered, his eyes wide.
“We might as well go in,” spoke Lynol, taking Kalvin’s hand. “We’ve come this far, let’s see what’s inside.”
As they stepped inside, Lynol and Kalvin noticed they were in a large, dimly lit rectangular room with a soft radiance coming from the ceiling. Along the walls, hundreds of large glass cases stood, stretching from one end of the vast room to the other. Vague, indiscernible shapes could be seen within each. Softly blinking lights above the cases beckoned them as they slowly approached the nearest one.
“What have we gotten ourselves into?” asked Kalvin, walking over to one of the cases, closely followed by Lynol, curious to see what it contained.
Lynol touched the case and then jerked her hand back, surprised at its icy coldness. Holding her glow bulb up close to the strange case, she peered in and recoiled in shock when she saw a young man’s face staring silently back. She took a deep breath and then slowly let it out. Fortifying herself, Lynol took another look. The young man was a superb specimen in excellent physical condition.
“There are people in these!” exclaimed Kalvin, staring unbelievably at the case. Taking his light to the next one, Kalvin held it up to the case. A young nude woman, in what looked like perfect health, rested inside.
“They’re asleep,” Lynol murmured with dawning realization. “They’re asleep like Gilmreth was, only these strange machines are responsible.” Lynol looked around the room and the numerous glass cases with their blinking lights above them. They were all full of people.
Feeling a strange sensation, she looked down to see that her amulet was pulsing, pulling her in another direction once more. In moments, Lynol was standing before another mysterious machine, which covered part of one wall with several large cushioned chairs in front of it.
Lying upon the machine was a small book, similar to the diary she already had of Ramael’s, the ancient sorcerer. The blue radiance from her amulet reached out and touched the book, which instantly took on a spectral radiance of its own. With growing curiosity, Lynol reached down and picked it up. The radiance died from it and from her amulet simultaneously. This book was what she had been led to! Why? Lynol felt bewildered. Hesitantly, she opened the book to the front page and read the inscription?
DIARY OF CATHY LYNOL MATHESON, then in smaller letters beneath the name in the same flowing handwriting, was the name Kathryn Sylvar.
“Mother?” Lynol murmured mystified, a sudden feeling of incredulity sweeping over her.
She stood frozen, holding the precious diary in her hands, stunned disbelief holding her motionless. She looked slowly around the immense room, her eyes coming to a stop on Kalvin, who now stood next to her.
“What is it?” asked Kalvin, wondering what Lynol had found. She looked unusually pale. He noticed she was holding a book in her hand; was this what she had been led to?
“I’m not sure,” replied Lynol, staring down at her mother’s name. “But my mother’s name is in this. It says this is the diary of someone named Cathy Lynol Matheson.”
“Your mother!” Kalvin exclaimed, surprised. “How can that be? Cathy Lynol Matheson? Her middle name is the same as yours.”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t make any sense, but this is what my amulet was leading me to, this diary,” replied Lynol, looking down at the diary she held in her hand.
“What does it say?” asked Kalvin, feeling confused. How could Lynol’s mother have ever been inside this complex?
Feeling slightly faint, Lynol sat down in one of the softly cushioned chairs in front of the mysterious machine. Still staring at the name in confusion, she couldn’t understand why her mother’s name was in this person’s diary. Opening the next page, almost afraid to see what she might find, six folded sheets of fine paper lay between the pages, and upon the top sheet was Lynol’s name. Feeling an icy shiver run up and down her spine, Lynol took the sheets of paper and carefully opened them. With utter amazement, she read the astonishing words.
-
Dearest daughter:
I realize this must come as a tremendous shock to you, finding a letter from your mother inside this amazing complex. I can only guess at what you must be feeling at this moment, at the thoughts that must be running through your mind. This complex must seem so strange and mysterious to you. I still find it shocking all the knowledge that has been lost over the long centuries since the war. There is so much you need to know, so much to tell you, I only wish that I could be there! I wish that I was there to hold you and to tell you how much I love you!
Gilmreth the Awakening Page 30