Why didn’t you say something sooner? Get to the terra Locke and let me know when you and the medallion are securely in the craft. Aarik exclaimed in a rush.
You didn’t ask and, if you must know, I’m under extreme pressure at the moment. Audrei and I are moments away from finding out if that request is even possible. Stand by, Kiya laughed out loud when Aarik growled playfully in response then stayed quiet as he waited.
When Audrei looked at her with concern, Kiya sobered and said, “Sorry. Talking to our rescuer and his sense of humor cracks me up.” As Audrei’s look continued to morph into something one would describe as fear, Kiya added, “He’s funny and nice. I’m sure you’ll like him instantly.”
“How does he crack you up? That doesn’t seem very nice or funny to me. Is he part of the Watcher’s resistance?” whispered Audrei, as they climbed the stairs to the terra Locke, holding her finger over her mouth to emphasize their need for silence.
Instead of answering out loud, Kiya nodded yes enthusiastically before she quietly whispered in Audrei’s ear, “Crack me up means he makes me laugh, in my language. He’s a good guy. You can trust him with your life.” The distraction nearly caused her to run into Audrei when she stopped abruptly at the top of the steps, pointing to two guards posted inside.
“Shit. Any bright ideas on why we might be needed in there?” Kiya asked softly.
“Only one. If you remove the scarf, they will assume we are here to serve them,” replied Audrei, lowering her eyes with embarrassment.
“That doesn’t mean what I think it means, does it?” Kiya questioned and, when Audrei turned a shade of pink, Kiya added, “Are we talking full service or just an oil job? Never mind. Don’t answer that. We need to create a diversion. How’re your acting skills?”
“Acting?” Audrei stammered out, with a puzzled look across her face.
“Do you think you could lie to them and tell them there is an emergency or something to get them to leave the area?” Kiya asked quietly.
“Ahh. Acting is lying. I think I can do that,” responded Audrei, with a look of determination in her eye, before she messed up her hair and whispered, “Wait here, out of sight. If you don’t see them exit in the next thirty seconds then I am not good at acting and might need saving.”
Kiya gave Audrei the thumbs up and, scooting to the corner, she waited anxiously for the guards to pass by. Counting down the seconds, she reached out to Aarik and said, Two men are guarding the terracrafts. My new friend, Audrei, is headed in now. Not sure what she has planned, but if we get in, we might not have much time. Whatever you have cooked up will have to be quick. I’m surprised I haven’t heard some kind of an alarm. Diego couldn’t possibly still be down from my kick to his manhood. By the way...WHAT do you have planned?
I like to keep you guessing. Ensures you stay around because of my mysteriousness, replied Aarik, with an air of deviousness.
Ha! Funny. Ever hear of the saying, ‘communication is the key to a good relationship’? Should be any second now… If they aren’t out in the next few seconds then I believe our last hurrah will be over before we ever had a chance to get started, responded Kiya, before she quietly gasped in surprise when the two guards rushed past her with their swords drawn, heading toward the pyramid at a dead run.
Not wasting any time, Kiya entered the terra Locke and ran to Audrei who was smiling from ear to ear and said, “What did you say to them to get them running like that?”
“I said you had killed Th’ael and had some type of weapon you were about to set off that would destroy the bubble surrounding At’lantis; which doesn’t give us much time. So whatever you had planned better happen now,” explained Audrei, steering Kiya toward the closest terracraft.
The second Kiya and Audrei sat down in the craft, Kiya reached out to Aarik, “Whatever you’re going to do, Mister Mysterious, now would be the time to do it. I have a feeling we only have a few minutes before Th’ael shows up and drags me back to start my training. Silence followed Kiya’s statement and when men yelling in the distance could be heard approaching, Kiya panicked and tried again, Scratch minutes. By my calculations we have less than sixty seconds before a mob of angry aliens descends upon our location. Where are you? Please tell me you can hear me.
Goosebumps spread over her body like wildfire before she heard Aarik’s growl of a reply, I will gouge out Diego’s eyes for daring to stare at you in this outfit.
Whipping around in search of him, her forehead wrinkled when he was nowhere to be found and she said, “Now is not the time to discuss that! You can see me? How? Where are you?”
I’m here as an astral projection. Only way I could make it down here I’m afraid, but I believe it’ll do the trick. We are on our way back to Vos’rok and should be there in time to meet you. I plan on sending them on a goose chase, to buy me some more time to get back there. Which means you will be going on a world tour. Please don’t leave the vehicle until you see my bright shiny face, explained Aarik.
As the roaring of the crowd outside intensified, the podium sprang to life when they reached the bottom of the Terra Locke steps. Kiya thought they might have a chance as she jammed the glowing stolen medallion into the key slot; until she saw Th’ael appear at the entrance of the Terra Locke, with a mob of twenty men behind him. Remembering at the last second to block Th’ael from her mind, she started singing the song as quickly as she could. When Audrei tried to leave the craft, Kiya grabbed her arm, yanked her down and sat on top of her as the craft released from the clamps and was engulfed in the welcoming plasma waves of teleportation. She could hear Th’ael’s roar in the background, calling his men to action, as they disappeared. Praying they didn’t morph into some kind of conjoined monster when they emerged at their next location, Kiya struggled to keep Audrei in the craft as they terrajumped away from At’lantis.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
TH’AEL
Th’ael rose from his healing slumber with a smile on his face for the first time since awakening. He was looking forward to going home after he broke the annoying Thrall and obtained the origin crystal. Especially after finding out it was her ancestor who stole it in the first place. Throwing on a ceremonial cloak lined with emeralds, he strode out of his chambers, envisioning all of the ways he would crush Kiya’s will. He just had to make sure they worked out an exchange first, unless he wanted it to take longer. Gauging from the small resistance she exhibited before he knocked her unconscious, the longer he delayed the stronger she would become.
As Th’ael approached Kiya’s chamber he heard someone whimpering quietly behind the doors and smiled to himself once again. From the sounds of it, the pathetic Thrall was well on her way to being broken. Perhaps his prodigy would be useful after all, he thought, as he opened the door looking around the room for Diego and the woman. When his eyes found Diego, rocking back and forth in a ball on the floor, he could not hold his anger back and let loose a roar of frustration, shaking the room with its intensity.
Storming over to Diego, Th’ael lifted him up to eye level and said, “You had one job, you sniveling fool, and couldn’t even handle that.” Snarling with frustration at the lump of a man in front of him he added, “I simply refuse to believe my DNA runs through your veins...I would ask you where she is, but your child-like behavior and the absence of your medallion speaks wonders.”
Releasing Diego in disgust, Th’ael growled when he dropped to the floor and curled into a fetal position once again. Th’ael turned to leave, but before he left the room he entered Diego’s mind and said in his commanding voice, “I will deal with you when I return; until then, if you insist on acting like a baby, I insist you suck your thumb like one. In fact, if I don’t bring back the woman, I believe I will wipe all functions you take for granted and make you start over. Although, messing with your mind like that has its risks; you might just be stuck in that phase forever. You better hope I find her.”
Exiting the room on a mission, Th’ael cursed his luck as he hurried
towards the terra Locke, calling as many of his men as could hear him on the way. Th’ael was surprised to find the men he assigned to guard the terracrafts on their way, rushing down the pyramid steps. They came to a halt with their weapons held high and a look of confusion on their faces before one of them said, “You live? Did you eliminate the threat?”
“Do I live? Let me see...Does that question deem an answer? I’m standing here, you imbeciles, of course I’m alive and the only threat around here is me! It doesn’t matter. By sending the two of you away, she did me a favor. She’ll have no way of powering the terracrafts and will be stuck in the terra Locke. Hurry up. I don’t want to spend all day hunting her down. When we return, I expect you to pay a penance for your actions.” growled Th’ael, before he brushed past the guards in annoyance. He didn’t want to seem too nervous in front of the others, but something in the back of his mind was urging him to hurry. Picking up the pace, Th’ael started issuing commands as soon as he saw the steps, “Spread out and cover all of the entrances. Nothing is to pass by you. Have I made myself clear?”
When he reached the bottom of the stairs, the air around him gave off a familiar vibe. His mind wanted to reject what his body was telling him. Mounting the stairs two at a time, Th’ael flew into a rage when he reached the top and his eyes confirmed the bitch was somehow terrajumping away from him. “No! How can this be possible?!”
Everyone froze around him, infuriating Th’ael even more before he screamed, “Don’t just stand there. After them!” He walked over to the podium Kiya had somehow managed to turn on and, once he had the coordinates, he informed his men of their destination. Jumping into the last terracraft, he promised himself he would make her pay. He would personally ensure she never had a chance to fool him again.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
KIYA
After the tenth terrajump, Kiya was getting used to the sensation of the electrified plasma surrounding her. Audrei gave up trying to go to Th’ael the second they jumped away and sat passively by while she waited for the ride to stop. Kiya thought she might have been embarrassed by her actions and tried to assure her she had been in her shoes once, “Hard to resist when they enter your mind like that. I have a song I can teach you to block yourself from their kind, if you want.”
“I guess I should have asked you when I decided to help you escape. I always knew there was a way, but always thought it had something to do with finding your Kh’izmet. They’ve never used their voice against me before, probably because I never gave them a reason to do so in the past. I was naive, but I will not be so foolish next time. I would like to know how to protect myself for future encounters,” admitted Audrei, with a look of determination.
“It’s a stupid song my Grams taught me, but it works so I’ll never complain about it again. Plus, it will give us something to do, to pass the time until we stop,” replied Kiya, as she started to hum the tune for the protection song. Belting it out, Kiya only stopped when Audrei interrupted her with a soft hand on her arm and said, “Do you know when we will stop?”
“Your guess is as good as mine at this point in time, but I’ll ask,” responded Kiya, before she closed her eyes and reached out to Aarik. Hey there! How many pit stops do you plan on taking us on? Kiya expected Aarik’s response to be something witty, but when he didn’t respond she said, I can understand being in multiple dimensions is taxing but seriously, a simple answer should be doable….Aarik? You there?
One more should do it. Sorry, I wanted to time it so that we would be able to meet you there. Flying coast-to-coast in a couple of hours is nothing short of a miracle in my opinion, but I’m ready to have my feet on solid ground again. We just landed, so I’ll meet you inside. Aarik responded, exhaustion heavy in his voice.
Thanks, Aarik, for everything; but could you do me one more favor and grab a couple jackets or something? Audrei might be used to this attire, but I would die for something made of cotton, replied Kiya gratefully. Opening her eyes, she looked over at Audrei and said, “This should be the last jump. Earlier you said something about Kh’izmets? What did you mean?”
“When an Ah’naki finds their soulmate they become Kh’izmets. It is said to unlock new powers within the couple, making them all-powerful. The Ah’naki had lost faith in the stories, many calling it a fallacy since it had been thousands of years since a coupling. I think they were discouraged and didn’t want to keep waiting only to have their hopes thrown into the abyss. Of course, they were wrong and were reluctant to accept the coupling between an Ah’naki and a Thrall,” replied Audrei, with tears in her eyes.
The instantaneous jump prevented Kiya from questioning Audrei further on the matter and when they materialized at Vos’rok, the question was forgotten completely. Instead of finding Aarik waiting for them on the platform, Director Sorr and twenty Area T security guards, armed and ready to shoot, stood in his place. Kiya couldn’t help herself and tried to alleviate the tension in the air by saying something witty, “I was wondering how we were going to fight off the ancient being hot on our trail, but after seeing the manpower we have on our side….I feel much safer. Director Sorr, I’m so glad you finally took the threat of Th’ael seriously. Your assistance couldn’t have come at a better time.”
“You really are dumber than I thought, but your choice of attire is offensive. Those guns are pointed at you to ensure your cooperation and since you so aptly pointed out we don’t have much time, I’d appreciate it if you quit wasting my time and follow me.” responded Sorr, spinning on her heels, only pausing at the doorway to wait for Kiya and Audrei to catch up.
“Where are we following you to?” asked Kiya, trailing slightly behind the director, while trying to stay calm.
“You see, I did take the threat of an alien race annihilating my planet very seriously and did my homework. I started asking myself questions, like, ‘Why would an ancient being want to kidnap you, twice? Or better yet...what did you have that he wanted?’ Don’t take it personally, but I assumed it had nothing to do with your womanly charms,” explained Sorr. Stopping at the entrance to the crystal room, she added, “Do you know what I found out during my research? I was right. There was nothing special about you. Th’ael only wanted you for the crystal your ancestor stole thousands of years ago from this very room. He needs that crystal to open up a Portal to his home world, so he can bring back weapons of mass destruction and wipe out our way of life. Like his people have done many times over the last several million years. When I realized we had an opportunity to turn the tides around by bringing the fight to them, nothing was going to stop me from opening the portal and blowing up their way of life. Give me the crystal and I’ll reconsider federal charges against you.”
“I don’t have it and even if I did you have no way of opening the portal. Plus, you’d just be giving Th’ael a free pass to his world. He’ll be here any minute,” Kiya shot back, trying to peer into the poorly lit room.
“I have your lover and he will open it once I threaten you and all of the people close to him. Then I will deliver the unstable uranium I bought on the black market and laugh when he crosses into his land only to find a fireball as the welcoming party,” replied Sorr, with her white-gloved hand held out.
“What part of ‘I don’t have it’ did you not understand? It’s the only reason I’m still alive. I didn’t have it to give to Th’ael and I sure as hell don’t have it to give to you. Threatening my friends isn’t going to change that,” Kiya retorted, crossing her arms in anger to make a point.
Sorr moved into the Portal room and said over her shoulder, “Search her.”
“Where do you think I’m hiding it? It’s not like I have a lot of places to stash it in this outfit,” Kiya said in exasperation, pulling down on the silky fabric for emphasis as the guards nudged her into the room. She looked up at the giant amethyst obelisks as she passed through the archway and, when a guard pushed her again from behind, she stumbled to the floor and came face to face with the same spiral design as the c
rystal room under the Sphinx. The beautiful inlay would have been something to marvel over if she wasn’t under such duress.
“That part is obvious, but the woman next to you is carrying a bag and she could be hiding it for you, now couldn’t she?” Sorr spit out, as she stopped her agitated pacing, pointing toward Audrei nonchalantly.
Kiya raised her head, shoved her hair out of her eyes and glared at the guard who had pushed her, and was about to do the same to Audrei, and said, “Is that how your mother raised you to treat a lady? Does it make you feel superior to push around a woman half your size? If you ask Audrei nicely, I’m sure she’d hand over the bag without force. Although I think it’ll be a waste of your time. She’s not holding it for me.”
Even though Kiya was anxious to ensure her friends and family were unharmed, she purposefully avoided looking at them, not wanting to give anything away. The risk would not be worth the gain at this point in time. She had to trust that the director didn’t harm them physically. They couldn’t afford for Director Sorr to open the Portal and give Th’ael direct access to better technology and more resources. Looking over at Audrei she said, “It’s ok. Let them look. We don’t have anything to hide.”
Audrei handed over her knapsack reluctantly. She grabbed onto Kiya as the guards ransacked her personal belongings, tossing out her belongings in their search for the crystal. They upended her bag in a last ditch effort, shaking it vigorously before they tossed it to the ground, looking to the director for further instructions.
“I’m not opposed to having them do a cavity search,” threatened Sorr, as she stared at Kiya and contemplated her next move. Moaning and thrashing ensued behind the director at her last comment, drawing Kiya’s attention despite her reluctance to look at them. Her eyes glanced over each of them, and she was relieved to find them relatively unharmed. The four of them were tied together and appeared alert except for Aarik, who was slumped over and unresponsive to the others’ struggles. Sorr spun around and growled, “Keep that up and I’ll have one of the boys knock you out like they did with the super freak next to you!”
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