by R. Brown
“Dammit, Keeper,” said Steven, more to himself than anyone.
“And then the guillotine fell,” said Ashlyn, rolling away from Steven so he could sit up.
Swallowing, amidst a heavy breath of anxiety, he asked, “What do you mean it was sent by me seven-thousand years ago? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I believe the message itself will answer your question.”
Without hesitation, a holo message of Steven with Ashlyn standing at his side, appeared before them. “Hello,” said the hologram of Steven.
“Cocky little shit. Like he expects me to answer him back,” said Steven leaning forward at the end of the bed.
“Cocky little shit. Like he expects me to answer him back,” parroted the Steven in the holo, following it with a broad smile. “Yes, I remember speaking those words. Like we’ve both said many times before—time paradoxes are a damned nasty thing to try and figure out.” The holo Steven gave a grin. “Believe me, I understand the frustration. At the Keeper’s request, I’m standing here recording a message to be given to my past self, and I still have no clue as to how all this damned stuff works. It’s all just theories at this point. I’d sooner get an answer to which came first, the chicken or the egg?”
“I wonder?” Steven slipped his hand inside Ashlyn’s loose, silk robe and grabbed her bare breast, squeezing it hard.
“Ouch,” Ashlyn screamed. “You pinched me.”
Right on cue, the holo Steven blurted through a wide grin, “That makes us even for when you bit me last night. Remember, Ash?”
“I’ll be damned,” said Steven. “What I did just now, changed the future for him. I could have fun with this.”
“You’re right, you are a cocky little shit,” said Ashlyn, jabbing Steven hard in the ribs with her elbow. “And I didn’t bite you that hard.”
“Says you,” the two Stevens said simultaneously.
The holo Steven smiled as if he had been listening to them speak. “If you look outside, you’ll see that the Keeper has already altered course for the gate. Like Enki told you, the two of you are on your way home.”
The eyes of Steven and Ashlyn turned outward to see that Destiny was beginning to turn away from the nebula and that she was increasing power to the main thrusters.
Ashlyn interjected, “Steven, bear with me a moment. I’m trying to follow this, but it doesn’t add up properly. He records a message. We watch the message. And because we watched it, he’s now responding to our physical and spoken reactions to it. Our responses are changing history for him.
“But isn’t it different for us? We won’t have a need to record the message like he did—ever. His past is different from our future. They’ve split. How is that possible?”
“I can’t fault your logic of the known facts, and yeah it’s damned confusing. It’s like a puzzle with a key piece missing,” said Steven.
Holo Steven chimed in, answering her question, “You’re correct, Ashlyn, that does seem to be the case. It appears that your actions are changing my past. I see no other explanation for why I’ve got memories of having spoken in the third person vernacular.” Giving a small chuckle, “Quite honestly, you’re giving me one hell of a headache.
“As you said, it implies that our futures are split along a different path. The thing is—I believe that too is an incorrect assumption. It does feel as if there is a missing piece to the puzzle. The human mind has a hard time comprehending concepts that it cannot quantify. And time is perhaps the most difficult concept of all.
“One of the few things I am sure of, is that everything Enki shared with you is correct. In two days, each of you will be at war for the survival of mankind. The picture is much, much bigger than you can possibly imagine. Once the Keeper has downloaded the knowledge of the upcoming events to you, you’ll understand what must be done and why your paths must separate.”
The Ashlyn in the holo then spoke, “It’s true. All of it. I will soon be heading to Earth. I have my own destiny to fulfill. I do not know if my path with Steven will cross again. Like you, those answers still lay in the future for us.”
Steven took the hand of the holo Ashlyn who stood at his side. “But we will do all we can to make it happen—or we will die trying.”
“Steven?” asked Ashlyn, turning to face him on the bed. “Are there two sets of us? One who exists now, and one who is a few thousand years ahead of us? If so, why are we needed? Why are we going back in time at all?”
Steven shook his head. It was all too much to fathom.
The Steven in the holo responded, “Good questions, Ash. Very good. I asked that question too, when the Keeper requested we make this recording.”
“The Keeper told us that it was to test a theory. He said that in a life or death crisis, even small nuanced bits of information can make a difference. For example, we’ve learned from Enki’s manipulation of time, that time is fluid like a river. Its direction can be changed and altered—yet, I believe, it remains one river.
“If so, then we have an amazing, even godlike opportunity. We can change the course of the future for everyone, everywhere—forever. Ask yourself, what if Enlil hadn’t destroyed Earth? What if you could stop him before he killed the billions of Earth’s people? In its simplest form, since we have access to time travel, it seems like an easy solution to fix a major problem—but then comes the morality of making such a decision.
“Ask yourself—would you sacrifice your own children to save Earth? Would you kill a thousand people, a million? Would you destroy a world with billions of men, woman, and children to save your own world? Enlil will not be easy to kill, and it is likely that many lives would be lost. At some point, we must ask ourselves—when does the cost become too high?
“They are tough questions, but after receiving the information from the Keeper, it is now obvious to us, that we must be prepared to act upon any such opportunity. We’ve also not forgotten Enki’s words that our sacrifices would be great.”
“They are hard words to forget.” Ashlyn’s anxiety was evident.
Seeing her concern, Steven in the holo spoke. “We too are concerned, but I am also heartened by the divergence of our futures. However small the changes, it proves that we are not ruled by fate. We have free will over each decision. The fate of Earth is in our hands.
“In fact, you have a unique perspective. One which, we may not have access to. It’s theoretically possible that you may be able to learn from our mistakes. Only you can see the results of our successes or failures. I suspect the Keeper will make adjustments as necessary to the information he can safely provide to you.
“Freewill puts you in charge of your own destiny. This is your chance to make the universe into what you want it to be.”
Steven looked at Ashlyn as he contemplated yet one more test.
“Don’t you dare squeeze my breast again. Once was enough to confirm his hypothesis,” said Ash, folding her arms over her breasts protectively.
Steven gave her a smirk. “It was worth a try. He’s right though. Changes we make to the timeline can change the entire course of the river,” said Steven. “We could fix everything.”
Ashlyn in the holo message interjected, “Admittedly, when I first heard all this, I didn’t know why this was our fight. I thought about running, turning my back on the whole thing and leaving this all behind.
“But I was reminded of our own words of support to Enki—that doing the right thing often comes at a price that is not easy to pay. And now that I know what’s at stake, I believe whole heartedly in what we are doing.
“As a last bit of advice, spend what time you can together. Each moment is precious.”
Holo Steven then said his goodbye, “The two of you will soon realize that it is pointless to grieve over who you were, for it will only get in the way of who you must become.” With a last comforting grin, their holo faded.
Steven and Ashlyn somberly looked at the vacated spot where the holo had been, in silence. They were at a
loss for words. Apparently, the two of them were going to willingly separate, just as Enki had said they would. Their destiny, while fluid, seemed written in stone, their future together, uncertain.
Chapter 4
“Lord Steven and Lady Ashlyn—we are approaching the gate. I request your presence on the bridge.”
“Never a dull moment,” quipped Ashlyn.
Dressing quickly, Ashlyn slipped into a black stretchy one piece and Steven donned a pair of khaki’s and a black polo shirt. They made their way to the bridge.
When they arrived, what they saw beyond the large dome took their breath away. The massive structure of the gate’s ring sat directly in front of them, just off Destiny’s bow. It held a magnificent ambience that spoke of a highly-advanced technology and yet, the hieroglyphs inset into the ring gave it an ancient, aesthetic appeal.
Ashlyn walked to the forward view window. “Some of the symbols are changing shape and color.” Seemingly random inactive symbols were coming to life, glowing light blue as they coalesced into their new shapes.
“Keeper, what’s happening?” asked Steven as he too saw that many of the symbols portrayed around the ring were randomly dissolving and changing into new and different ones.
“The wormhole is aligning itself to the inputted codes I’ve given it. The larger glowing symbols you see on the outer ring are juncture points that correlate to specific events, definitive moments in the timeline. The narrower, inner ring then refines that information, allowing the wormhole to give us an exact exit point in time.
“Lord Steven, the gate’s temporal vortex is almost ready. It is time for me to put Destiny into an offensive configuration. The change cannot be initiated within the wormhole, and we will not have time to do so once we exit. Do I have permission to make the structural changes?”
Ashlyn chirped in. “Like I said, never a dull moment.”
“Yes, Keeper. Permission given. It looks like you and I will have a lot to discuss,” said Steven.
“We do,” agreed the Keeper.
Ashlyn put her hand atop Steven’s forearm, who was seated in the command chair beside her. Outside, the Destiny began to morph, shifting her shape by rearranging her molecular structure. It was yet another impressive display of the vastly advanced Anunnaki technology. Rising from within Destiny’s hull, dozens of massive arms unfurled. At the end of each arm, a cylindrical cannon shaped array holding twenty-five missiles, swiveled into position—locking in a forward trajectory.
The Observation Deck and protruding portions of the hull began to melt back into Destiny, giving way to dozens of shorter turreted, laser cannons.
On the bridge, the large domed viewing window shrunk in size, forming into a conical shape. To an enemy Steven could only imagine the feeling of seeing one giant offensive weapon, heading toward them. It would be tantamount to looking down the barrel of a loaded shotgun—damned scary to try and face down.
“Lord Steven, the gate is ready, as is Destiny’s structural configuration complete. Do I have permission to open the wormhole?”
“Let’s do it.” Their view of space in the center of the ring disappeared, giving way to a roiling cloud of swirling colors. A narrow funnel formed in the middle and began to expand outwards until it reached the edge of the inner ring. The churning wormhole was open.
Hundreds of bolts of lightning began to arc outside of Destiny as the Keeper fortified the shields, bringing them up to full power. Slowly, Destiny began to move forward and into the funnel. Once inside, the ride was smooth—only the passing kaleidoscope of color and the roar of the engines gave indication to the immense speed at which they were traveling.
“How long until we arrive at Earth?” asked Ash.
“Two days. I would like to prepare both of you for what is ahead. If you are ready, please recline your command chairs.”
Ashlyn and Steven both toggled the buttons on the arm of their chairs, reclining them fully. Facing upwards, they stared into the depths of space, wondering about their future.
A moment passed. “I will now induce each of you into a state of semi-consciousness where I can safely download all the pertinent information you need.”
“I assume you’ve done this before, Keeper?” asked Ashlyn casually.
“At this time, I am forbidden to say,” said the Keeper in reply, surprising them both.
“Well, I guess we both knew he was holding something back,” said Steven silently in the meld to Ashlyn.
“You should also know that I have been given permission to awaken that which is still dormant within you. As you are aware, Enlil long ago ordered that many of the natural genetic attributes belonging to the Anunnaki, be turned off for the people of Tiamat. And when we were on Hadaesia, the gifts you received unlocked some of the hidden attributes. But there are others that are still dormant. I will be unlocking those genes, allowing you to reach your full potential.
“One of the changes will be to your molecular structure. All pure Anunnaki have it. It will make your bodies stronger. At the same time the healing abilities within you will be greatly improved.
“Ultimately, it is the reason why Enlil was able to heal himself and survive, while Ashlyn could not do so without help. It will also make you near impervious to things like fire and cold temperatures.”
Chapter 5
Steven and Ashlyn awakened to the sound of soft chimes and the Keeper’s words. “It is done.”
Steven reached out and took Ashlyn’s hand. “You all right?”
Ashlyn nodded. “You?”
Steven returned the nod. “Keeper, how long were we out?”
“Just over three hours.”
Feeling a small itch, Steven reached for his neck and found a small lump beneath the skin. “Keeper, did you implant something into us?”
“I did. It is a communication device. You need merely say my name to activate it. The itch will stop in a few hours.”
Steven rose from his chair and went to the forward window. Staring at the wormhole, “There is so much we never knew, Ash. So much.”
Ash came to Steven’s side and wrapped her arm around his. Resting her head on his shoulder, “And then some. The other Steven and Ashlyn were right. It all makes sense now.”
Each of them had received knowledge the Keeper knew they needed. To Steven, he’d imparted all the workings of Destiny’s physical capabilities—and the necessary data of the upcoming battle to develop a sound, tactical stratagem.
Ashlyn’s role was going to be more passive until such time as she reached Earth—Tiamat, as it was called in the distant past. To Ashlyn, the Keeper imparted a vast wealth of knowledge about Tiamat—its customs, peoples, cities, and long forgotten dialects—and a thousand other things that she would need to survive.
They also saw that Enki was right, they were going to separate. For the foreseeable future, they were to travel along different paths. The universe itself had taken on a new clarity; it shone with a vibrancy they had never known existed—and they were going to be a part of it in ways they could never have imagined.
They now had less than twenty hours until the world they knew crumbled beneath their feet. It wasn’t nearly enough.
***
The hours afforded them passed quickly. They’d found little time for one another, but what little they did have, they made the most of. The Keeper had been sympathetically apologetic in his interrupting them, as he requested their presence on the bridge. He seemed fully aware of the anxiety and emotional toll the anticipated separation was causing.
“This is it, Ash,” said Steven as they entered the bridge and he took his seat. He swiveled his chair around to look at Ashlyn who had come to a stop. She was staring into the wormhole, her thoughts distant, her eyes vacant. “Ash, what’s wrong?” Seeing how deeply shaken she was he rose from his chair and went to her, taking her arm.
“I’m sensing—darkness. I didn’t comprehend Enki’s words earlier. He’d said that only by entering into the darkness could I
rise into the light.” Steven saw that her admission had not come easily for her as she swallowed past a lump in her throat.
“Ash, what is this darkness you’re sensing? What is it that you aren’t telling me?”
“The darkness is waiting for me,” responded Ashlyn. Slowly, her eyes focused and she looked at Steven. Again, she swallowed. “It’s calling me.”
Steven led her to the command chair beside his. “Ash, what’s calling you? What is the darkness?”
“It’s my enemies. They’re waiting for me.”
“One minute until wormhole exit.”
“Dammit.” His concern for Ashlyn was tearing at him, but he had no choice but to focus on his own battle. “You know what to do, Keeper. If you see the slightest deviation from the information in your database, alert me immediately. If a single ship of Enlil’s is not where it is supposed to be, let me know.
“Also, I want to assign a new, temporary designation to our vessel—Destiny 2.”
“Yes, Lord Steven. Exiting.”
Ash sent Steven a questioning look, “Are you implying what I think you are?”
“You’ll see,” said Steven through an awkward smile that conveyed his inward struggle to fight off his concern for Ash.
The wormhole’s swirl of vibrant colors disappeared. Through the forward window, Tiamat came into view—its moon appearing as a small crescent popping out from just behind it.
Destiny 2 veered hard to port as she dodged a twisted pile of debris. The scene was chaotic. They’d exited the wormhole into the middle of an immense battle. Debris from dozens of destroyed ships pounded their shields as the Keeper brought the ship up to full impulse power.
On the forward view window, each target received a designation—friendlies in blue, enemies in red. As Steven expected, Enlil’s fleet was bearing down on Enki and his few remaining support ships.