by R. D. Brady
Laney was stunned by his transformation. His hair was neatly combed back into a ponytail, and his skin had regained its former healthy color.
“You look good,” Laney said.
“It seems the outdoors agrees with me.” He gestured to the table. “Would you care to sit?”
“Thanks.” Laney placed her bag on the table, unzipped it, and pulled out a few boxes. She slid one across the table to Cain. “For you.”
Cain opened it and smiled. “Sushi. Oh, I have missed it. Chopsticks?”
Laney shook her head. “Afraid not.”
“Ah, well, when in Rome.” He picked up the salmon roll, placed it in his mouth, and swallowed it quickly. “Now that is lovely.”
Laney let herself relax a little. Strange, spending time with Cain was the most relaxed she’d been in months. And that’s not worrisome.
“So, have you learned anything new about your killers?” Cain asked.
“They seem to be speeding up their timeline.” Laney shared with him what she knew. “You said they were descendants of Mu. Care to expand upon that?”
“I’d be delighted. But first, have you discovered where those descendants are?”
“Honu Keiki.”
Cain smiled broadly. “I knew you’d figure it out.”
“It wasn’t me. It was my uncle.”
Cain nodded. “Victoria mentioned him. She had a great deal of respect for him.”
“And him for her.”
“Well, your uncle is correct. Honu are the children.”
“How is that possible? I mean, it’s been thousands of years.”
“Well, as you know, Mu, like Atlantis, was destroyed in a cataclysm. But unlike Atlantis, Mu’s decline was more gradual. They knew their archipelago was going to go under. It gave them time to organize—to prepare. So their descendants scattered across the globe, setting up different communities.”
“Where?”
“All over the place. Easter Island, Japan—where they were called the Ainu by the way—Ecuador of course, India, China.”
“I thought it was the Atlanteans who went far and wide.”
“They did. But whenever you hear about beneficent people coming to the shores to teach people, you are most likely hearing of the Lemurians. The Lemurians and Atlanteans couldn’t have been more different. The Atlanteans were a materialistic group, with a strong military and a focus on technology. The Lemurians were pacifists, interested in inner strength and peace, not outer. They had no military, no real police. Atlanteans viewed them as odd, to say the least.”
“That’s what we figured.”
“Unfortunately, their pacifist ways marked them as targets. In most areas they were eventually killed, overrun by the baser elements of human nature.”
“Like on Easter Island.”
Cain nodded. “Yes.”
“So how did the Honu survive?”
“They isolated themselves on islands, surrounded by rock. No one was interested in them there.”
Laney frowned. “But they’re in Hawaii. It’s beautiful. Even the ugly little houses on some of the islands go for a million dollars.”
“Yes, but Hawaii is not where they first settled. After they left Mu, they settled across the islands of the Pacific: Pohnpei, the Philippines, Okinawa, Easter Island, Australia.”
“How did they end up at Hawaii?”
“They were forced there from different lands. Remember, they were pacifists; they wouldn’t raise a hand to protect themselves. They were an easy mark.” He shrugged. “But when they were pushed from their homeland, they learned their lesson. And one of their tenets fell by the wayside.”
“Which tenet?”
“Pacifism. They learned to defend themselves.”
“So… they’re dangerous?”
“I wouldn’t call them dangerous, exactly. My sources say violence is only used in defense, and even then extremely rarely. But you would be wise to be careful. From what I have heard, the current priestess is somewhat different from her forbears.”
“How?”
“I can’t say. I only know that she is not quite what she seems. Be careful, Laney.”
Laney looked up into Cain’s dark eyes. She saw concern there. But was it real? And why would he be concerned for her?
But she didn’t say any of that. Instead, she nodded. “I will.”
They lapsed into silence, each alone with their own thoughts while they ate. Laney finally spoke. “If this former pacifist group is committing these murders, what’s the end goal? Is it revenge?”
Cain shook his head and wiped his hands on a napkin. “No. In fact, from their perspective, they are engaging in these egregious acts for the most noble of reasons.”
Laney pictured the crime scenes she had been wading through since they all began. “There’s nothing noble in this.”
“Well, I suppose in this case, nobility is in the eye of the beholder.”
“Okay. If not revenge, then why are they doing this?”
He paused. “To save the world.”
“By sacrificing people?”
Cain nodded. “Yes.”
Laney shook her head. “Any idea why they would start accelerating the murders? They’ve broken the two-week pattern.”
Cain’s hand stilled. Laney would have missed it if she hadn’t been watching. “Hm.”
“What do you mean, ‘hm’?”
“Well, as I said, they think they’re saving the world.”
Laney didn’t understand. “What does that have to do with them speeding up?”
“I’m guessing they think they need to save it faster.”
CHAPTER 48
Taipei, Taiwan
Anger rolled through Maura as she read over her words. How could they not see what they were doing? Was it not obvious to all of them yet?
And yet, she knew it wasn’t. But each time she wrote, she grew more and more angry at their refusal to see what was coming. Had they learned nothing from the past?
The world is reaching ever faster toward a doom that we have created. There is still time to act, but it must come soon. A recent report by Loyola Marymount University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has found that large portions of the Persian Gulf will be completely uninhabitable by 2100. And this time it is not the encroaching sea that is to blame, but the heat itself.
The critical metric in the study is the wet bulb temperature. The wet bulb addresses how much water is in the hot air. Less humid areas allow human bodies to sweat and receive relief from the heat through that process. As humidity increases, that relief decreases. Therefore, the drier the air, the easier it is for humans to cool down. Currently, in areas around the Persian Gulf, the wet bulb temperature only reaches 88 degrees Fahrenheit on the hottest of days and never reaches 95 degrees, which would be lethal for humans.
By 2100, that will not be the case. On an average day, the temperature will break through the lethal threshold on a daily basis. Humans will not be able to survive living there at that time. Other locations will see an increase in heat as well, but without the increase in humidity, those locations will be survivable, if not comfortable. For example, Kuwait City is expected to reach temperatures of 140 degrees, but it will still be livable, because the air will remain sufficiently dry.
Regardless, the ever-increasing temperature of our planet is a recipe for disaster. We need to make changes, and we need to make them now—before it is too late.
Maura hit publish after one last read-through. It was already too late for them; Maura knew that. But she would do what she could to give humanity a fighting chance.
Even if they didn’t deserve it.
CHAPTER 49
Malama Island, Hawaii
Aaliyah walked through the garden tucked behind the temple. Red gingers, purple anthuriums, yellow hibiscuses, pink oleanders, white Tahitian gardenias, and dozens of other flowers bloomed around her. It was beautiful, and it usually brought her peace, but she couldn’t get
the priestess and Vanessa’s conversation out of her mind.
Murder? It must be a mistake. Our people could never do something like that, even those who were exiled. To kill in cold blood? She shook her head. No. It just wasn’t possible.
The gong rang out three times. Aaliyah went still, her breath catching. A banishment—the second one this month. What is happening? Aaliyah hustled down the garden path around the temple and toward the square.
Vanessa stood on the platform usually reserved for whoever led the meditation. Her dark eyes scanned the crowd impatiently. Over two hundred people had gathered. A low murmur rang throughout the open space.
“Attention,” Vanessa called. The crowd quieted at once. “Maia and her infant daughter have been banished as of this morning.”
Aaliyah gasped. Maia was only twenty years old. She had given birth just three months ago, and they’d had the naming ceremony for the child three days ago. Aaliyah knew Maia was having difficulty accepting the idea that someone else would raise her child; Aaliyah had even interceded with the Guard to allow her extra time. She had been hoping perhaps she could convince the priestess to make an exception in her case.
Around her, the crowd began to murmur loudly. A yell sounded to her right. A young man pushed through the crowd. “Where are they?” he yelled. It was Hanale, the father of the exiled child.
Oh, no. Aaliyah moved quickly to Hanale’s side.
Vanessa looked down at Hanale with a small smile. “That information will not be released. They will be well provided for. That is all.” Then she turned her back on the crowd and walked off.
Hanale started to follow, but Aaliyah grabbed his arm. “No. It will be worse for you, and them, if you cause trouble.”
Hanale looked up at her, his eyes wild. “I didn’t know. I would have gone with them. How can they have sent them away?”
Aaliyah noted two members of the Guard paying a little too much attention to them. She turned Hanale away and ushered him onto the path. “Do not do anything foolish. If you are exiled, it will not be to the same place.”
Hanale clutched her hand. “I have to find them.”
Aaliyah nodded, knowing he wouldn’t rest until he did. Hanale and Maia had been inseparable since they were young. No one was surprised when they declared for each other. “Leave it to me.”
Hope filled his face. “You can find them?”
She nodded. “But you must not cause any trouble. Let me find them first. Then we can decide what to do.”
“But—”
She squeezed his hand. “You must think of them first. Any time you think of saying or doing something that will draw attention to you, remember that it increases your chances of never seeing them again. I know you want to do something, but for right now, the best thing you can do for them is nothing.”
He looked away, a tremor in his chin. “Okay. But you will find them soon?”
“It is my only priority.”
“Thank you, Aaliyah.”
She watched as he walked off, his shoulders low, his walk slow. How had they come to this? This was not what Honu Keiki was supposed to be.
“Aaliyah?” a tear-filled voice called.
Aaliyah turned to see Noriko hurrying down the path, tears dripping down her cheeks. Aaliyah opened her arms and Noriko burrowed into them. Maia had been one of Noriko’s closest friends.
“How can they do this?” Noriko cried.
Aaliyah turned Noriko toward their home. “You need to calm down. People are watching.”
Noriko wiped her cheeks and ducked her head as they walked. A few minutes later, Aaliyah opened the door to their home and nudged Noriko inside. Noriko took a trembling breath. “It’s not right. Maia only wanted to be with her child. How can that be wrong?”
Aaliyah sighed, placing her arm around Noriko’s shoulders and leading her over to their couch. “It is not our way.”
“But separating a mother from her child, separating Maia from her people, how is that right?”
“It’s not. But you must keep these views to yourself, and you must hide your feelings even more. They are too close to the surface and will only cause you problems.”
“I know… but it is hard. How can we sit back and let them be alone?”
“They won’t be alone,” Aaliyah said quietly.
“What do you mean?”
“There are resources at play outside that will protect them, that will help them.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. But that doesn’t change the need for you to be careful.” Aaliyah bit her lip. “I cannot lose you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know. You have a good heart. Never lose that.”
Noriko leaned into Aaliyah. “Why does it have to be this way? This can’t be the way it’s supposed to be.”
“It’s not. Originally children were raised by the whole village. All took part in a child’s upbringing as an aid to the parents, and to make sure the child felt welcomed and loved. That is where the tradition comes from. But it was never meant to pull families apart.”
Noriko smiled. “The original children.”
Aaliyah nodded. “Yes. They were pure. They were enlightened. They were good. They were our ancestors. We have fallen from their straight path.”
“Can we get back on that path?”
“Of course. All it takes is a few brave souls to do the right thing. And then we will be the true children.” Aaliyah knew the words weren’t just for Noriko. She needed the reminder herself.
Noriko nodded. But Aaliyah still saw tears in her eyes. She pulled her in for another hug. She would find out where Maia had been sent, and she would learn more about the murders. Because as much as it pained her to admit it, Honu Keiki was changing, morphing into a place she didn’t recognize.
And it’s my duty to help get it back.
CHAPTER 50
The last time she flew home from seeing Cain, Laney had been too overwhelmed to do anything more than stare out the window. This time, she didn’t have that luxury.
She looked over her notes on the Children of the Law of One. She’d researched them before of course, but this time she was looking for a link with the Mu. According to the book of Enoch, the world had split into two groups: the Children of the Law of One and the Sons of Belial. The Children were interested in protecting this world, enriching the soul, and in general being good people. The Sons, on the other hand, were motivated by greed, selfishness, and power. They were violent and aggressive, while the Children sometimes wouldn’t even raise a hand to protect themselves. According to the War Scroll, the Children and the Sons would come to a final battle at the end of days. And from reading between the lines, Laney got the impression the Lemurians were the Children of the Law of One.
Of course, she couldn’t help but wonder how this could possibly be relevant. They were talking thousands and thousand of years ago. It couldn’t extend into modern day.
Then again, the Council existed until the modern day. The Council was a high-powered group that was searching for the remnants of Atlantis. Using haplotypes to determine their claims to being Atlanteans, they had amassed a fortune over the centuries. But even the Council hadn’t existed as a single group since the time of Atlantis, like the Honu Keiki allegedly did.
When they landed, Laney quickly ducked under the chopper blades and hopped into the golf cart Jen had driven to meet her.
“Okay, so what’s up?” Jen said as soon as the noise from the chopper died away.
“Cain still thinks the Children of the Law of One are behind the murders.”
Jen stared at her.
“There’s no punch line, if you’re waiting,” Laney said.
Jen shook her head. “I just don’t get that. Aren’t they supposed to be the good guys?”
Laney nodded as they headed to the main house. “Yup.”
“Did he tell you anything helpful?”
“He said they came from different islands in the Pacific
: the Philippines, Okinawa, Pohnpei—”
“Pohnpei? Really?”
Laney looked at her in surprise. There were over two hundred fifty islands in the Pacific; she wouldn’t have expected Jen to know them all. “You’ve heard of it?”
Jen nodded. “And so have you. Its nickname is the Venice of the Pacific.”
Laney stopped short. “It’s where Nan Madol is.”
Nan Madol was a mysterious ruin that had been built on a coral reef. No one knew exactly who had created it, but experts agreed it was an incredible undertaking. As far as they could tell, Nan Madol was the earliest artificial island ever created.
Jen nodded. “Yup—the island of Pohnpei is part of the United Federation of Micronesia. Nan Madol can be found on the eastern shore of Pohnpei. Its ninety-two islands created on top of a coral reef. All the buildings were made out of basalt logs, and each weighs somewhere between five and forty tons.”
Laney knew the logs had been placed on each other like Lincoln logs, with no ornamentation, but no one knew what the purpose of the ruins was. “And there are canals that were created to connect the buildings, and even underwater tunnels, right?”
Jen nodded. “The whole thing was encircled by a rock wall, over three thousand feet long. The site measures out at one and a half square miles. Some of the walls are twelve feet deep.”
“Deep, not high?”
“Deep,” Jen said. “The site is beginning to be swallowed by the land, but it’s believed that the walls once towered forty feet high.”
“And let me guess, the structure is beyond the capability of the island’s inhabitants.”
“That’s right. Some of the bases of the stone platform are buried in in the ground. There’s one stone platform that has a sixty-ton log balancing on it. By modern estimates, the entire structure would have required between twenty and fifty thousand workers to construct. The island could never have supported that type of a work force. I mean, today it only has about thirty-five thousand people living there. And the current population makes no claim to its creation anyway.”