Tablet of Destinies

by Traci Harding

  Of course, thought Tory, remembering Marduk claiming that he would one day be born into the ranks of his Chosen human race as Maelgwn’s son. ‘You don’t know how pleased I am about your decision to step down.’ She wrapped her arms around her husband and held him close to perceive his unsaid counsel.

  The Pantheon unanimously voted that I should become the first human representative to enter the twelve, and you know as well as I, why I cannot open my mind to any of the Nefilim.

  Tory nodded without stirring from their comfortable embrace.

  ‘I have thus put forward Brian in my stead, and he has agreed to take up the office and the plight of the human tribes in the Senate.’

  ‘My brother shall do the position justice,’ Tory agreed with cheer, but her inner voice was one of curiosity. So how are you really planning to employ our time, once we are freed of the responsibilities of government?

  That we shall discuss when I return. Maelgwn pulled away to hold her at a distance. ‘I leave to address the Great Pantheon in a few days’ time, when Brian and his new Vice have been sworn into office. The trip was arranged right before you went into labour. I thought I had a few weeks’ leeway. I’m sorry about the timing, really I am.’

  ‘I’m sure I’ll manage,’ Tory conceded, withdrawing from her husband’s touch altogether. She coped with their first two children alone for much of the first year of their life, but she didn’t want Maelgwn to feel that she resented him for it. ‘Who has Brian elected as his Vice?’

  ‘Rhun,’ he was pleased to advise and Tory’s expression seemed to confirm that she was just as proud that her brother had selected their firstborn son.

  ‘The city council will support the nomination.’ She was confident of that. ‘And Rhun will get a few jaunts a year into his beloved deep space.’

  Tory went rather quiet after that, so Maelgwn felt he’d best reassure her. ‘I shall only be gone for the shortest time possible.’

  No one could estimate the exact length of any journey through deep space, as interstellar travel was still a variable and unpredictable science. This uncertainty was due to etheric matter sometimes leaking into the tunnels created by their wormhole stabilisers as they cut passages through the anti-matter superhighway that existed between star systems. When this leakage was encountered by a starship in transit, all aboard were treated to an indefinite stint of timelessness in realms otherworldly, and they could lose days, weeks and even months in transit.

  ‘I know your intentions are the best.’ Tory resolved to smile and gave a shrug. ‘All the more reason to make the most of the present, the way I see it.’ She closed the distance between Maelgwn and herself once more, moving to bequeath a kiss.

  ‘I wholeheartedly agree.’ Maelgwn encouraged her advance and as their lips met, a baby’s wail brought any thought of romance to a grinding halt.

  The morning Maelgwn was to depart for Nibiru, the home planet of Nergal and the Senate of the Great Pantheon, he was feeling particularly good. The previous day had seen him hand over the top position in government to Brian and Candace’s safekeeping. Once he’d settled Brian’s appointment with the Senate, Maelgwn, for the first time in his entire life, would be answerable only to himself and his family. This was a dream so desirable that Maelgwn could barely believe he’d finally managed to manifest the scenario for himself.

  Maelgwn, his wife, and the twins, had already moved out of the Governor’s chambers and into a quiet house that fronted onto Central Park. Apart from the fact that they still resided on the central island, to all the citizens of Chaliada they were retired from political life and remained present in an advisory capacity only.

  With a cup of herbal tea in hand, Maelgwn exited onto the sunny back verandah of his new abode. ‘What a lovely aspect,’ he decided, gazing out across the garden and pool area to the freshwater canal that encompassed the inner island of Chaliada.

  On the far side of the waterway stood the Institute of Science, a huge, disk-shaped white building that looked rather like a space station half embedded in the earth. All the dwellings in Chaliada were curved or circular, as sharp angles were known to be very unharmonious to the human spirit. Doorways and gateways were always arched, windows were always round or oval, and pathways always wound their way through the gardens.

  Beyond the canal that surrounded the central island, the seat of government, was a second, ringed island that entirely encompassed the first and granted access to the central island via a large bridge. This second island was host to all the mental and spiritual institutes of learning. Those institutes dedicated to the study of physical world doctrine like sport, law, nature studies and the healing of animals were to be found on the third island ring. This was separated from the second island by a slightly narrower canal and wider bridge than those of the inner islands. Beyond the third and narrowest waterway that had the widest bridge in the city, one found the markets, harbour, the main city dock and spaceport.

  Whatever island pertained to your line of work or study was usually the one you took up residence on. For there was no motorised mode of transport to be found within Chaliada; everybody walked or mentally projected themselves to their destination. The only transports to speak of in the city were those interstellar flights that brought people on and off the planet, and the reconnaissance vessels used by KEPA (Kila Environmental Protection Agency) for transporting injured wildlife for medical treatment, or bringing in game poachers for trial.

  Maelgwn sat on the back steps sipping his cuppa, enjoying to the fullest the first hours of his retirement in the sedating warmth of the early morning sunshine. The solitude was bliss. No one was demanding a decision from him; there was no backlog of transmissions or memos to respond to. The early morning chatter of advisors had been replaced by the morning song of birds and Maelgwn knew which he preferred.

  ‘If only this trip to Nibiru was over, I should be the happiest soul in the physical universe,’ he hypothesised with a smile. Life seemed to hold more promise than ever before — freedom to pursue his own interests and desires was nearly at hand.

  The sound of his wife’s scream shattered the moment, and sent shockwaves of fear resounding into the depths of Maelgwn’s soul — for Tory did not horrify easily. The cup dropped from his hand as Maelgwn willed himself to Tory’s side, and he was gone before the vessel hit the ground and shattered.

  Maelgwn joined his wife in the nursery. She had ceased her screaming, but was weeping uncontrollably as she backed away from the twins’ crib.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ He grabbed hold of Tory to pacify her, whereupon she directed his attention to their sleeping babes.

  Their tiny bodies were smothered in a rainbow flame and they were still sleeping, or unconscious or dead.

  Maelgwn’s first reaction was to retrieve his babes from the flame, but upon reaching into the brilliant spectacle of fire, he made contact with naught but the mattress upon which his children lay. ‘What on earth is it?’ He swiped his hands through the apparition of his children but their physical bodies were no longer there.

  Recovered from the shock, Tory’s mind took a stab at reasoning. ‘Perhaps it’s some sort of ethereal cocoon?’ she sniffled.

  ‘Does this bear any resemblance to your Deva?’ Maelgwn left the crib to quiz his wife.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Tory stressed. ‘I don’t remember anything! Only Candace saw it.’

  Without further ado Maelgwn went charging off to his study to beseech the new Governess of Kila to come to their aid.

  ‘That’s what I saw, alright,’ Candace confirmed for one and all, as Noah, Cadfan and Thais had also been summoned to advise on the strange celestial matter that was enshrouding the newborns.

  The past few hours had seen a new development in the condition of the twins, as the evasive image of the babies to be seen inside the fiery celestial haze had begun to change form. It appeared as if the human babes were being transformed into, or consumed by, some manner of alien creature. Tory was the first
to note the physical changes in her cocooned children and, having been thrown into hysteria by the discovery, had been sedated.

  Maelgwn, only moderately saner at this point, had been left to try and determine what was afflicting his children.

  ‘If it is some sort of ethereal cocoon, as your wife suggested, the laws of the universe guarantee that it can do the children no harm, being made of higher celestial matter than they are.’ Thais, who was employing his human embodiment for the consultation, spoke out.

  ‘And what if it isn’t devanic in origin at all? What if it is merely disguised to be mistaken as thus?’ Maelgwn voiced some of the scenarios that had been racing through his mind these past few hours. ‘How do we know this is not some sort of alien parasite using my children as a substance to feed itself? Or some sort of viral infection that even immortals are susceptible to? Genetic warfare even!’

  ‘If the latter were the case,’ Cadfan ventured an opinion, ‘then surely one of us would have been infected by now.’

  ‘Maybe only infants are susceptible as they are born mortal, whereas we have all assumed our immortal state already?’ Maelgwn argued. There were a million possibilities, what he needed was hard facts.

  Noah had never known Maelgwn to be irrational, but the man’s concern for his children threatened to drive him beyond reason before too long. ‘Perhaps I would be of better service in my library. I could —’

  ‘Your prediction.’ Maelgwn clicked his fingers as he recalled it and, turning to Noah, he startled the scholar with the sudden attention.

  ‘What prediction?’ Noah shank from the question, as he recalled mumbling something to Tory in his drunken stupor the night her pregnancy had been announced.

  ‘Our children would be unique in their purpose, you said.’ Maelgwn approached to tower over the prophet. ‘What did you mean?’

  ‘I wish I could tell you,’ he tried to explain, as Maelgwn took hold of his shirt in a threatening fashion. ‘I only remember it at all, because Tory told me I said it, I swear to you!’

  Thais, who was also tall like Maelgwn although not as muscle-bound in form, was about to intervene in the dispute but Maelgwn released the historian.

  ‘Damn it!’ the worried father barked, startling everyone present. ‘Can nobody tell me if they are suffering, at least!’ Tears of rage and frustration streamed down his face, but his jaw remained clenched in an attempt to withhold his emotions.

  ‘Dear Goddess!’ Candace gasped, her sights frozen on the crib.

  Maelgwn turned to discover the source of her horror, whereby he froze, as did all present, beholding the floating alien forms that had emerged from the flaming chrysalis wearing the clothes Avery and Lirathea had last been seen in. The creatures appeared to have assumed a fully physical form and all trace of the two angelic babes had vanished along with the colourful auric cocoon that had consumed them.

  Their skin of soft pink had turned a dark shade of green and was more reptilian in texture. The features of their faces were now more akin to the Nefilim or the faerie folk of the Otherworld. Their ears were larger, and pointed. Their enlarged eyes were almond shaped and had turned amber in colour. The babies’ hands and feet were claws and they had both sprouted tails at the base of their spines. These new appendages had ripped through the nappy and suit they wore and swished around behind them as they floated a couple of feet above the bedcovers.

  Maelgwn’s disgust and anger consumed him, but he had no intention of giving up his children without a fight. On the quiet, he was hoping this was either a case of possession or that these creatures were in fact Changelings.

  Back in his lifetime in ancient Britain, Maelgwn had heard the tales of changeling babies left in place of stolen human babes by the Tylwyth Teg, or the faerie folk as they were more widely known. These changeling babes were said to appear stupid, ugly and strange-looking — the revolting beasts before him certainly seemed to fit this general description.

  Close window. Maelgwn gave a mental instruction to the window, so as not to startle the creatures he meant to entrap.

  As the nursery window closed, both the aliens marked the movement and in no way alarmed by it, they returned their sights to Maelgwn.

  He focused on a small section of the floor. Items of equipment began to manifest — a couple of hand nets, and two incubation cages, like those used to quarantine sick wildlife. He took hold of one of the large nets and handed the other to Noah, who appeared concerned that he’d been chosen to assist. ‘You go left, I’ll go right,’ he instructed.

  ‘Don’t you want to try coaxing them into the incubators?’ Thais suggested. ‘Netting them will surely throw them into a state of panic.’

  Maelgwn shot a spiteful look at Thais. ‘Do you think I care?’

  ‘You asked me here to advise,’ Thais reminded him, appearing very concerned for the strange little beings. ‘And I think that you should take a moment to consider —’

  ‘With all due respect, Thais,’ hissed Maelgwn, short on patience. ‘I want these things quarantined, yesterday! Whatever works fastest … I’m all for that!’

  ‘Surely it is obvious that, no matter what breed of entity these beings belong to, they are but newborns.’ Thais persisted in pleading their case. ‘And will therefore be highly impressionable —’

  ‘Would you please leave!’ Maelgwn roared, whereby the pair of alien babes were startled and began, not to cry, but to shriek!

  All present covered their ears, shattered by the dreadful sound.

  ‘Damn it!’ Maelgwn shot an angry glance at Thais, as he proceeded to net one of the noisy creatures.

  The little female did not resist Maelgwn at all, although her squawks remained constant throughout the whole procedure. Once she was contained inside the incubator, she sat huddled and trembling, her eyes firmly fixed on the one who had imprisoned her.

  The look in the creature’s eyes was one of betrayal, but the thought of being sympathetic to the being that had just consumed his child angered Maelgwn and his heart closed off to her. He turned to find Noah still chasing the shrieking male all around the room. ‘Stop mucking about.’ Maelgwn netted the creature in the first attempt and then bundled it into the second incubator. As the little being squawked in protest, its face appeared all the uglier.

  ‘This is cruel.’ Thais stated his opinion for the record and took his leave, unable to watch any more.

  Maelgwn looked to Candace and Cadfan to see what they had to say about it, and it was clear neither of them knew how they felt.

  ‘Would you like for me to give them a physical examination?’ Cadfan offered, in an attempt to be constructive. ‘I’ll see what I can find out from a medical perspective.’

  Maelgwn calmed and nodded, thinking the suggestion a good one, until, glancing back to the creatures, he discovered that the male had joined the female in her incubator. The aliens were now huddled together and still making a frightful noise. ‘Shit, they can teleport at will. It might be best not to get near them for the moment.’ Maelgwn reneged on the physical checkup.

  ‘So why do you think they are staying in the incubator when it obviously disturbs them?’ Noah wondered aloud and struck a nerve in Maelgwn.

  ‘Because in order to teleport yourself anywhere one needs a clear picture of the person or destination one is seeking.’ He stated the obvious. ‘They have not been out of this room since —’ he was going to say birth, which brought the memory of birthing his children to mind and a deep empty feeling of loss consumed him. He turned to leave the room and was startled when Tory appeared in his path.

  ‘The twins are frightened.’ She struggled against Maelgwn, who was blocking her path to the crib.

  ‘She shouldn’t be awake.’ Cadfan came over to assist in escorting her from the room. ‘That sedative I gave her should have knocked her out for hours.’

  ‘What is that noise?’ Tory demanded to know, bursting into tears. ‘Let me see!’

  ‘No, Tory,’ Maelgwn pleaded, as his wife emp
loyed her martial arts skills to give both he and Cadfan the slip.

  She gasped upon sighting the creatures huddled in the incubator and then noting the vacated crib, Tory put two and two together. ‘Dear Goddess, no!’ Her knees gave way and she sank to the floor, weeping uncontrollably.

  As the creatures observed Tory their squawks subsided to whimpers and, reaching out towards her, their claw-like hands penetrated through the reinforced glass siding on the incubator.

  ‘Come away.’ Maelgwn raised his wife and aided her to walk out of the room. As the distraught parents exited the nursery, the horrid shrieking began again.

  Dazed and emotionally numbed, Tory felt somewhat distanced from her reality.

  Her husband had left her to go to the Governor’s offices and record an address for the Great Pantheon, which Brian would take with him to Nibiru. With his children in peril, Maelgwn was not about to leave Kila.

  Tory sat wide-eyed and motionless, wondering why she had created such a devastating event in her otherwise idyllic life. Where is the good in this situation?

  It was only as it began to vibrate that Tory realised that she was clutching the divining pendant that she’d worn around her neck for some fifty years.

  Up until now she’d been under the impression that she was required to hold the base of the Tablet against her forehead in order to utilise its divining function. Due to the advent of the PKA handheld orb, however, Tory had obviously become so adept at channelling her thoughts through her palms that holding the pendant in her hand was sufficient enough to activate it.

  The tool, which took the form of a pyramid, detached itself from the magnetic ball that bound it to the chain and began to spin before Tory’s eyes. The pyramid expanded and began exuding light through the golden hieroglyphs which were the central feature of each of the Tablet’s four surfaces. In a burst of brilliant light the Tablet of Destinies opened and the three upright sides of the pyramid fell flat to the base to form one large triangle. A different image could be viewed within each of the four smaller triangles within the Tablet, which was positioned pinnacle upright before Tory’s eyes.