But more than the architectural beauty of the place it is the colours that dazzle the eye. Silver and orichalcum don several buildings, giving them a lustre enhanced by the sun’s rays. The temples themselves are covered in silver with gold at their crests.
But they have not come above to witness the beauty of the city, they have come to see something else.
The fire in the sky.
With the sun rising to its zenith in the sky, a plume of smoke can be seen trailing through the air, reaching from the heavens and plunging down towards Earth. But before it has hit Earth, the smoke trail had split apart and other plumes of smoke divert from the main.
Clearly something has separated whatever it was that has fallen.
Some plumes take other trajectories, away from the island, their spark disappearing over the horizon. But three plumes of fire land within the span of their eyesight, creating marvellous explosions as they collide with Earth.
On any other day, one would be marvelling at the city, but on this day, Fahwad and Smith are marvelling at the sky.
“Do you remember where you last saw this Smith?”
“Don’t know.”
“Well let me tell you … You were gazing from your seat in the Southern Lands. Sitting upon the giant red rock, as you do in the night. You gaze upon the stars, just as we gaze upwards now and you do it from your seat every night. And just like now, back then you saw a plume of smoke begin to appear out of the night sky. Seemingly from nowhere.”
“Soon the smoke becomes fire, a great big ball of it that hurtles towards Earth at great speed. And then it crashes to the ground, a giant plume of dust and sand erupts into the air, extinguishing the fire but covering the land in dirt and creating a massive dust cloud.”
“Curious as to what it was, you come down from your rock to investigate, and this is when you first met me.”
“Story …”
“Why old boy, it was you who told me this of course … you really don’t remember huh?”
“No. Blacksmith … see as seen … cut, sword.”
“Who is this blacksmith?”
“Man … murder.”
“I guess that’s how you came to be in my caravan then?”
“Yes.”
“Well apologies, I did not know you came in search of me.”
“Don’t know.”
“Well Smith, I have learnt something of you since we last met by the red rock. When I take the blacks, I don’t just take their life … I absorb their memory too.”
“See as seen.”
“See what as seen? You said the same thing to me back at the red rock when we first met.”
“See as seen.”
“Right … well anyway, as I was saying … it’s a rather strange occurrence, I don’t quite know how to explain it. It’s like I can sense you, more so the more lives I take.”
“See as seen.”
“Yes, when I take them, their energy … I see them too.”
“Fahwad bad man.”
“Fahwad need stay alive,” he replies, mimicking Smith’s tone.
Smith was no fool, he knew the stories about the human sacrifices and had witnessed it himself when first brought into the citadel. When he shook hands with Fahwad he understood more the true nature for the sacrifices, he could see into Fahwad’s memories and could see the people he devoured.
Fahwad was absorbing the life of black people to sustain his own, but still, neither of them knew what the true consequences of his actions were. But over a hundred years Fahwad was feeling the effects of it, the effects of Smith.
“Fahwad must go home … Fahwad bad man.”
“Yes, yes … I understand, more than you realise. Before I came here I created a great menace in my homeland.”
“See as seen Fahwad … understand.”
“What do you understand? That when I take a life here I somehow absorb their memory, where I can sense something, something about you?”
“Something about Smith … yes Fahwad.”
Fahwad nods his head, not really understanding the true nature of the man by his side, but intrigued enough to allow him to stay and to try and learn something from. He dismissed him as a native when they first met but now he knew there was something ancient to him, something mystical. When he absorbed lives to sustain his own, he saw Smith in the memories of the people he took.
Every time he absorbed a life, it came with memories and all those memories carried with it this same image. The image of a black man shimmering in a haze, atop a red rock … no details could be discerned but it was more the feeling, the presence of being that was apparent, as if he had been there since the start. As if he was a part of everything.
Fahwad didn’t fully understand the images and it was why he wanted to keep Smith around, to learn more about the ancient being he was. But also, the more he absorbed life the more he began to feel like he was already a part of him, so present Smith was in him now.
“Do you know what happens when I take the life?”
“Fahwad drink, Fahwad join.”
“Join is a good word, almost like I’m becoming part of the collective.”
“Infect collective,” Smith retorts.
“You know, I think today is going to be a good day,” Fahwad remarks, ignoring Smith and staring out at the plumes of smoke.
It was seldom in the past hundred years that he’s had a worthy challenge and now he licks his lips feverently as he gazes upon the fires burning in the distance. Smith has already presented him an opportunity to grow, but almost as if that isn’t enough, more gifts are being sent from the sky.
In a great voice he begins bellowing out orders to his soldiers below, orders to retrieve the wreckage from the fires in the sky, to bring what remains back to the city.
“Do you want to join me? I go to see what the sky has brought me.”
“No.”
“No?” Fahwad raises his eyebrows. “Not the least bit curious what is in the fire from the sky?”
“What fire from sky?”
Before Fahwad can answer though, a rumble shakes the very landscape. It’s a similar noise to what they’ve heard earlier when back down in the dungeon, but the vibrations are stronger, reverberating from the land.
Fahwad’s smart enough to steady himself on the high platform, but Smith isn’t and he finds himself falling to the floor like a ragdoll.
The vibrations only last a short moment, the rumble a little longer, but then it’s over.
“Are you ok down there?” Fahwad smiles at him, almost on the edge of laughter.
“Ok man.” he shakes his head as he rises back up. “Earth angry.”
“Aye, you are right for a change, the Earth is angry.” He turns and points to the mountains, “over there you will see a mountain range and a volcano nestled amongst it. Beyond those mountains is the ocean, in that ocean you will see another range of volcanoes, much more numerous than here. The volcano here is but a small vent for the other, much larger group out at sea. We have nothing to fear here except the occasional rumble. They have not spouted fire in a thousand years I’m told.”
“Danger.”
“I just told you no.”
“Can feel.”
“It has shaken thus for the past thirty years Smith, it will be fine.”
Smith stands himself back up properly and analyses the scene more carefully now, taking note of the sky, the mountains and the nearby ocean.
“Sit, think.”
“You want to stay here? Are you sure old boy? I do believe that was a ship just rocketed across the sky, are you sure you don’t want to see who it is?”
“Must think.” Smith grumbles, seemingly preoccupied by something else.
“Very well then, I shall leave you to ‘think’ on your own … I shall be back with my b
ounty soon.”
- -
Catlin
“CLEAR.” the voice on the defibrillator commanded.
Ursula removed her hands from the pads she’d just placed on Marion’s chest and watched as the machine automatically shocked Marion’s heart. Her body convulsed under the electrical impulse and her heart rate returned after a brief absence.
Catlin had gotten back just in time. When she’d returned with the defibrillator and first aid kit, Marion’s heart had stopped and Ursula was atop her doing compressions.
The two girls could only look on and watch as the machine did its work, automatically detecting heart rate and determining the appropriate response. Marion had lapsed into unconsciousness during proceedings, her breathing ceased.
“COMMENCE AIR RESUSITATION.”
Catlin had already knelt by Marion’s head and now leaned over and delivered two sharp breaths into her mouth.
“STAND CLEAR.”
Again, the pads shot an electrical current into Marion’s chest and much to the relief of Catlin and Ursula it stabilised her heart.
“PATIENT STABLE – SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY.”
Thank God, Catlin thought to herself. “What the hell are we going to do?”
“We have to get help, otherwise she’s going to die!” Ursula yelped, taking in her surroundings and looking for the best way out.
“Where are we anyway?”
“I don’t know, I’m going to say north of the facilities entrance. We’re high on the ridge, I can see the cliff right there. I’m guessing the main entrance is back down that way.”
Catlin racked her brain for ideas. They couldn’t take her back down the shaft, as that would be nigh on impossible considering the nature of the tunnel and Marion’s weight.
Instinct told her it was probably best to leave Marion to her own devices and get out while they still had the advantage on the government. As far as they were aware the three ladies were still holed up inside the facility.
If they were discovered out here, Marion would certainly be safe but they would also get arrested, solving nothing. Likewise, trying to find help anywhere nearby would only result in the same outcome.
The only other option was to try and drag her out of the bush, but considering Marion’s size it seemed an unlikely probability for the two girls.
“Children …” the croaked voice of Marion sounded.
“Mum!” Ursula exclaimed. “Mum, are you ok?”
“Listen to me dear, you need to leave here, both of you, it’s not safe to stay.”
Catlin’s head flicked to the side and she looked straight at Marion, wondering if she’d just read her thoughts.
“No way! I’m not leaving you here!” Ursula replied adamantly.
“You have to, please, dear Ursula … you don’t understand.”
“Understand what mum, you’re sick, you died, your freaking heart stopped!”
“Hmmm. Yes. And now it’s back and working fine, there’s nothing a hospital can do for me right now so listen very carefully.”
Ursula leaned in to her mother, Catlin was already looking off in the distance for the best route out off the mountain.
“Both of you,” Marion exclaimed. “I need to tell you something.” Catlin turned and leaned in to hear as well.
“Before, when you two were looking for a way out I discovered something that happened right before the event. I think I know what caused all this. I think I know what caused all of those millions of people to fall dead suddenly.”
Both girls leaned in intently.
Marion rolled uncomfortably onto her side, pushing away the helpful hands of the two girls as they listened to her.
“When we started this place, there were four of us. Lucinda and I, Samuel and another called Suni. We were joined later by a woman called Alison, she was a geologist but better known for her abilities to excavate unusual archaeological sites. She came in to oversee the excavation of this very site, here at Destiny, some thirty years ago.”
Marion’s breathing was laboured but she progressed speaking, albeit at a slower pace than usual.
“She came with a team of her own, the foreman who went by the name Smith, he led the excavation team that was building the tunnel. Their work led to the first tunnel into what you know now as Destiny.”
“The fella, Smith, he was a very quiet and peculiar man. I didn’t have a lot of contact with him back then but I always thought there was something off about him.”
Marion reached for her backpack but was stopped by the overprotective Ursula, who reached out and grabbed it for her instead. Marion relented and indicated the side pocket, which Ursula diligently opened for her. Marion reached in and pulled out the old newspaper with the picture of the black man, making his escape from a bank robbery.
“What? You know him?” Catlin said, wide eyed.
“Yes. He was the foreman.”
“Thirty years ago?”
“Yes.”
“And now he’s back robbing banks?”
“I don’t know what he’s doing now, I only know back then he was responsible for the excavation of the tunnel. He seemed normal, kept to himself most of the time and worked tirelessly.”
“What has this got to do with …”
“Shut up Catlin,” Ursula hissed.
“Easy, easy girls,” Marion calmed them both. “Just let me tell you the story, please.”
“Ok.”
“When we made our discovery, he made his real intentions known. He wanted us to destroy what was down there, he spoke of the evil it contained, the damage it was causing to Earth and of the powers it held.”
“He told us what was buried down there was not of the earth, it was like a virus, upsetting the collective balance. From what Alison told me, it was a virus infecting the inhabitants of Earth. The people it infected then went on to cause the destruction of the Earth, progressively until it would get beyond worse.”
“Sounds weird, some earthly virus?”
“No, he said one day a fire came from the sky and the fire brought with it a virus, a virus for Earth.”
“What?”
“The virus was man, and it was created by whatever we found in that hole.”
“Whoa.”
“Up until this stage we’d only just uncovered its existence and Samuel, still ecstatic from the initial find, said he wanted to sleep on the decision, we all agreed. We parted for the night, on good terms.”
“The next day was one I’ll never forget, I rose after a sleepless night and had my breakfast as always. Afterwards I went to seek out the man who called himself Smith, to ask him a little more on the subject, but alas, I could not find him.”
“I searched the mine at first, believing him to be at work but he was not there. So then I went to the tents to search for him. Again, I did not find him, so I searched other tents. It was there I found evidence, blood stains, alluding to false play.”
“I called an immediate stop to work on the site and requested everyone to a meeting at the mine entrance, but three people failed to show. Lucinda, Smith and Samuel.”
“I knew something was wrong, but there was nothing we could do. We didn’t know where the other three had disappeared to.”
“After three days, Lucinda returned to the site late at night. Suni, Alison and I immediately went to her tent when we heard her arrive and questioned her, but the look on her face was a strange one. It was as if she was blank and immune to our concerns, she was somewhere else. She didn’t answer any questions we asked, or offer an explanation to the whereabouts of the other two. All she said was that she was tired, she had work to do in the morning and could they get out.”
“The next morning she woke us early and beckoned for us to follow. She led us down the mine shaft and showed us the exposed li
ght that was the thread. It was only the second time I’d seen the thread and knew very little of it back then, but Lucinda ... she …”
“She acted like she knew exactly what to do when we got down in the shaft. She pulled a backpack from her shoulder and removed a small little black box and a small handheld device. We tried asking her what she was doing but she didn’t reply, only continued to set up what would become the first connection to the thread.”
“Of course we also had no idea what she possessed would in fact lead us to develop technology to create the facility upstairs.”
The two girls sat wrapped, completely absorbed by the story Marion was telling of the past.
“After only a short time Lucinda brought up a rudimentary image on her small little device. At the time we thought it was one of those handheld mini-televisions but it wasn’t, it was one of the first portable computer devices ever, way ahead of its time. Anyway, what it showed on the screen resembled what we would normally see on the computer threads down at Destiny.”
“The first thread,” Ursula exclaimed. “That was the first time you connected to it?”
Marion nodded. “Yes, and once we realised she was onto something we became instantly engaged in what it was and the possibilities it was opening to us. She showed us things that day that I will never forget, as they changed all our lives forever.”
“What did you see?”
“We saw the thread, lives … even our own fates. I was gobsmacked, as was Suni, it was almost unbelievable the things we saw.”
“Alison, she didn’t feel the same. I think once she realised Smith had disappeared because of Samuel and Lucinda, she decided to leave. To where she went I have no idea, I never heard of her again.”
“But what about Samuel?”
“The next time I saw him was about a year later when construction of the facility began. He didn’t bother to talk to anyone, only to Lucinda. We did query it constantly but the two of them had shrouded whatever they did with pact of secrecy, neither of them said another word about the night Smith disappeared.”
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