The Great Talisman (Intersect Book 2)

by M C I Hinchliffe

  Ryan replied. “I may have a way.”

  The synthesised voice of Mac bellowed in the Neuro Centre. “Security breach alert!”

  **********

  The lone figure of Doctor Emmett Smith stood outside of a door that led into a small knoll in the American Airforce Base, Lakenheath, England. The brisk morning air caressed his wrinkled sagging face as he rubbed his hands together and stomped his feet to stay warm. His thick overcoat seemed to do little to shield his body from the cold.

  A stretch limousine moved quickly down the road towards where Smith stood and pulled up in front. Emmett opened the door to allow Herbert Conley to alight the long black vehicle. “Emmett, this better be worth me flying all the way from Washington.” Conley was wearing a similar black cloak, but the warm environment in the car was enough keep back the cold until he was under cover.

  “Believe me, it is.” Emmett replied with conviction as he brushed back the thinning grey hair on his head that had been blown over by the steady breeze.

  “Now can you tell me what it is? You know how I have no patients for this kind of thing.” Herbert said as they approached the door.

  “I think it would be best that you see it for yourself.” Emmett opened the door for Herbert as they entered the underground installation entrance. Inside was a small room with two guards stationed outside what looked like an elevator door. When they reached the elevator door, Emmett pulled out a security pass and pressed it against the small rectangular reader on the door frame. Immediately, the doors opened at they walked inside. The two turned around to watch the doors close behind them. The floor selection only had one other stop that was unmarked. Emmett pressed the button. Emmett began his debriefing as they descended. “We were on route back from a test site we set up near the North Pole, when we came across what we first thought was a life pod from an oil rig. On closer inspection it was nothing of the kind. We pulled in aboard and couldn’t make head nor tail of it. I called in a transport and had sent here. We did some x-rays of the egg shaped capsule and found there was an organism inside.”

  Conley cut him off. “What do you mean by an organism?”

  “Let me continue.” The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Before them was a single corridor extending out before them with guards stationed at every door. They proceeded down the corridor as Emmett carried on. “So we examined the capsule but found no means of opening it. We moved it into a containment centre and tried to cut it open but with no success.” He stopped at a door and opened it, then led them inside. The room was filled with test equipment and computers with a number of staff stationed performing various routine tasks. Emmett discarded his coat as did Conley. Beneath, he wore a lab coat similar to the other staff. “That was when it come out.”

  “What came out?”

  “It killed the examination crew and preceded to smash up the place. Luckily it was in the containment centre otherwise I may not have been here to tell you this at all.”

  “Is it in there?” Conley pointed at the shielded window on the far side of the room. Emmett nodded. “What does it look like?”

  “I’ll show you.” He pressed a button on the wall next to the window and slowly the shield raised to reveal the room beyond.

  What Conley saw made his jaw drop. Beyond was a room in disarray with several gore smeared bodies upon the floor. In the centre was a muscular green scaled giant that stood motionless. Its bright red eyes stared lifelessly at them. Upon its large head were two long pointed ears that continually scanned back and forth for the slightest sound. Below the sinister eyes was a long snout that possessed a mouth with long sharp teeth. It was adorned in a tightly wrapped cloth as black as night and over that a leather like strap that criss-crossed its chest. “Look at the size of it!”

  “So much for the term little green men. More like bloody great green bastards with attitude!” Added Emmett. “You should see it move, it makes Bruce Lee look like a pensioner.”

  “Does it have a weapon?”

  “There was a metal thing that it pulled from its belt but I think it was broken. I was hoping you would know what to do with it? Well, with Roswell and all.”

  “Roswell! Believe me we have no experience in this.” Conley said sharply. His expression changed to a softer tone. “Where did you say you found the capsule?”

  “The North Atlantic.”

  Emmett’s words seemed to drain away Herb’s strength. He grabbed the nearest chair and sat down. “It’s true. It’s all true!”

  “What’s true? What is going on?”

  “Who else knows about it?”

  “About it? Only us in the centre.”

  “Good, keep it that way.”

  Emmett’s sharp mind began to put two and two together. “Does it have something to do with that meteor shower hoax?”

  Emmett knew he was close to the truth as his question immediately brought strength back to Herb’s legs. Conley jumped out of his seat and grabbed Emmett’s coat collar. “Stop, stop right there!” Herbert’s expression was deadly serious. “Don’t ask any more questions. I cannot answer them anyway.”

  “What am I support to do with it? It can’t stay here for ever.”

  “I don’t know, have you tried communicating with it?”

  “Yes, but we have had no visible response. All it does is stand there and stare at us. Probably thinking of ways to do us in.”

  The explosion of movement from the Warrian startled the occupants of the room opposite as it impacted its fist against the lower edge of the window.

  **********

  “Warrian life form detected!” Mac announced as his words echoed throughout the Neuro Centre.

  “Identify.” Katie replied.

  “Security monitor on Herbert Conley has detected the life form in an American Airforce base in central England.”

  “I don't recall any security monitor on a Herbert Conley?” Katie said.

  “It was one of mine.” Ryan apologised. “Sorry, I forgot to tell you.”

  “Probably the pilot of that Warbird.” Concluded Adam.

  “We better extract him before he causes all sorts of havoc.” Ryan added.

  “Give us a visual.” Ordered Katie. Before them a live three dimensional image of the Containment centre appeared. “Looks like he already has.”

  “First things first. Adam, are you ready to meet a Warrian?”

  “Show me the way.”

  **********

  To Emmett’s surprise, a crack spread from the point of impact across the face of the window. “I don’t believe it, he managed to crack the bullet proof glass!”

  “If he can crack it then he could break it.” Conley replied. “You better lower the screen.”

  “I think you’re right.” Emmett pressed the button and they watched screen lower. The Warrian then stepped back from the window then threw his entire weight behind a side kick and shattered the glass spraying fragments everywhere. Before the screen could close, he jammed a thick green hand under the screen. The electric motor driving the screen closed began to wine as slipping gears emitted a loud grinding sound in protested of the Warrian’s disruption. Another set of green scaly fingers appeared in the narrow gap as the hand behind it slowly pushed underneath. With two hands pushing against the shield, the motor relinquished and slowly the shield began to raise.

  Conley shouted to the dumbfounded onlookers. “Everybody out!”

  Quickly the occupants of the containment centre evacuated shutting the fireproof door behind them. Emmett pulled a set of keys from his pocket and frantically flicked through them.

  “Hurry!” Conley shouted in desperation. He watched in attempt to will the correct key to be found in time. Moments passed when Emmett stopped at a key and pushed it into the lock. As he turned the key, some great force impacted the other side of the door leaving a fist size lump in it. They stepped back as the security guards pointed their guns at the door. Again and again a loud thud emitted from the door as lumps ap
peared all over the door face. Slowly with every impact, Smith, Conley and the others backed away from the battered door.

  The door was suddenly ripped from its hinges and sent crashing into the far side of the corridor. The guards opened fire at the open doorway spraying it with bullets. After a few seconds passed, the guards ceased fire to assess the damage; the Warrian was still in the containment centre. The great beast leapt into the corridor and grabbed the twisted door as a shield, and the guards reacted by opening fire again. The Warrian charged the nearest guard flattening him like a steam roller, then whipped the door around and sent the second crashing into the wall. It picked up the first guard’s M16 and made sure the two battered bodies did not regain consciousness.

  The staff of the containment centre ran for their lives down the corridor not heeding the warning of the guards in front of them to get down. Using the staff as a human shield, the Warrian charged after them. Its great speed closed the gap quickly and in moments it was close enough to grab the slowest of the centre staff. Still running, the Warrian dropped the door then picked up a short chubby man and threw him into the legs of the fleeing humans. The force of impact sent all the staff, including Smith and Conley, tumbling over like pins in a bowling alley. They skidded along the polished floor and crashed into the front row of guards scattering them as well across the floor.

  The Warrian halted his charge as an evil smile grew across his snout. He raised the M16 and swept the corridor with bullets. Two bright lights pierced the dull lighting in the corridor like sun rays on a shadowed valley making the Warrian momentarily cover his eyes. The Bullets suddenly impacted with solid objects within the lights, deflecting the bullets. The bright lights quickly faded leaving two humanoid figures covered in a shiny grey metal.

  The Warrian wasted no time and charged the two figures continuing his barrage. It was upon them within a heartbeat and swung the futile weapon at the two figures like a club. The one on the right was too quick for the Warrian’s reflexes and leapt up onto the wall and over the arc of the swinging gun. The second did not anticipate the rapid attack and was struck on the side of the helmet. Adam crashed into the wall as the energy sword in his hand was sent flying into the air. In one swift motion, the Warrian dropped the gun and plucked the sword from the air then activated it and blocked Ryan’s cut from behind. With a velocity that defied speed of human sight, the two beings fought a sword battle that left the other corridor occupants awe-struck. A blur of lights and limbs was all they could discern as Conley realised how lucky they were to not have to fight this alien beast.

  As impossibly quick the Warrian was, Ryan was quicker, and it took little time for him to have the Warrian in a retreat. The Warrian realising that he was out mastered, and grabbed the broken door then threw it headlong at Ryan. The combination of door and sword caught Ryan by surprise and the door struck him fair in the chest. He was knocked off balance and fell to the floor. The Warrian raised his sword to piece Ryan through the heart. As the energy sword began its downward journey, the wielder was hit by an energy blast that disintegrated its body to dust. The Energy sword fell harmlessly to ground.

  Ryan looked down the corridor to see Adam lowering his energy rifle. Ryan grabbed Adam’s energy sword and walked back to where his partner stood. He handed Adam the sword and he returned it to its scabbard on the back of his A.A.E.E.V. suit.

  “Thanks.” Ryan said.

  “No need, you saved my arse first!” He replied.

  Ryan looked at the others to see them standing and staring at them. To the onlookers he said, “That is why you must leave the fighting to us.” With that, they disappeared in a flash of light as quickly as they had appeared.

  **********

  Charlie stood before a door that he had never entered until now. Behind the door was a room that only Ryan has access too, and Charlie was apprehensive about entering. Ryan would spend hours upon hours alone in there and what he did Charlie could only guess? The door opened automatically revealing a large dimly lit room. Charlie entered as the door shut behind him. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but the opening of his pupils to full aperture still left areas of the room beyond his range of vision. Charlie was concerned about Ryan’s behaviour over the last two years. He had become a recluse. Even his long-time relationship with Katie had been virtually severed. Katie had approached Charlie a number of times voicing her concern over his change in behaviour, but Charlie never revealed the whole truth to her. He left that to Ryan for when he was ready.

  Charlie approached the lone figure seated in the centre of the room. As he neared, Charlie recognised the intense expression on his face. It was this look that Ryan was at his darkest. “I’ve always wondered what it was like in here. Now that I’m here, I wish I never came in.” He looked at Ryan. “Why is it so dark in here?”

  “It helps me concentrate.” Ryan answered.

  “On what?”

  “It is difficult to explain. There has been a lot for me to learn about the Rings of Karn and their powers. Focusing their power takes great concentration. The more pure the will, the more intense the concentration of power.”

  “You didn’t have much trouble using them before. You destroyed the entire Warrian battle fleet with a single thought. How better focused do you want to get?” “But Zardon had conquered me! It was sheer luck that he was struck by beam at the crucial moment. A second earlier or later he would have had his mental shield up and been invincible. He won’t make that mistake again. I must better him in every respect, by sword and by will, and to do that requires undivided devotion. That is the only way to succeed.”

  “More of Valour’s advice is it? Don’t forget that he failed as well.” Charlie distrusted the mystic spirit that presided within the Rings of Karn. As far as Charlie was concerned, Karn was turning Ryan against the people that cared for him most. Charlie had tried to reason with Ryan on a number of occasions but was never successful.

  “He won’t let me make the same mistakes.”

  “I hope to hell you’re right!”

  Ryan stood quickly from the Chair. “I’m not getting into another argument about Valour’s methods! I asked you here because I need your help.” Ryan replied sharply.

  Charlie’s mood lightened as this could mean he was opening up? He let Ryan continue. “Doctor Chen was one of the scientists back on Carillia and was the inventor of the new weapons we have come up against. We believe that he is still alive and a prisoner of the Warrians. If we can rescue him he may be able assist in countering his inventions. But we need to find him first.”

  “How can I help?”

  “Zardon is constantly trying to probe my thoughts, and if I reach out with my mind and search for him, my ability to block his probing will be too week and he would know what I’m doing. But if someone else were to search, he will be too busy monitoring me to notice someone else probing the ether.”

  “Ryan, you know that I think of you as a son and I’m glad that you asked me, but it sound like something that would take great concentration. I’m too old. You need someone with a fresh young mind and with great will power.” Charlie paused for a moment, as he studied Ryan’s reaction to his words. He could see Ryan knew where this was leading. “I think it is about time you told her the whole truth.”

  Ryan looked into the old man’s eyes as his emotional wall lowered to reveal his frailty within. “I’ve wanted to tell her many times but I always been afraid of how she would react. What if it pushes her further away? What if it puts her in danger?”

  “I might be an old fart that doesn’t know much about women, but I believe I’m right about this. Give her a chance, I think she will surprise you.”

  Ryan stared into Charlie’s eyes for a moment then bowed his head as in a gesture of defeat. Can you tell Katie that I would like to see her please?”

  Charlie smiled and placed his hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “Okay.”

  **********

  The doors slid aside revealin
g the strange dark room behind them. Katie slowly entered the gloom, curious but apprehensive. Her footsteps clicked on the hard floor breaking the deathly silence that surrounded her. Her pupils dilated to maximum aperture but the poor lighting still kept the limits of the room from view. A lone figure sat on a dais in the centre of the room as a single weak down light was all that made him visible. His head was bowed disabling Katie from seeing any recognition of her presence. She approached him. “Ryan?”

  His head remained lowered as the difficulty of his words made him stammer. “I have....I have something very important to tell you.”

  Katie’s mind flooded with emotions of love, anger, despair and curiosity. She could see the internal conflict within him. Katie had watched Ryan deteriorate, and it made her heart cry out in despair. She loved him, deeply and passionately, and despite his deliberate separation from her, her love for him did not waiver. They had four wondrous years together, passionate and exciting years. The last two that were filled with distance and silence could not numb her memories. Was this secret the reason for the ill of their relationship? The cause of Ryan’s depression? Katie wanted to smash this ill that took Ryan away from her. Whatever it was she would fight it with all her strength. Katie desperately wanted to grab him and hug him, but all she could manage was to fall to her knees before him, reach out and touch his still hand.

  Slowly Ryan raised his head to see a single tear falling down her left cheek. He reached out and caught the tear with his right index finger, while his stare wallowed in the deep blue of her eyes. “I’m so sorry that I hurt you.”

  “What is it that you needed to tell me?” She said softly.

  Ryan stood from the dais and turned his back on her. The following words were going to be hard. “I’ve lied to you. I’ve lied to everyone!”

  Katie stood and walked around to face him, but he turned away again. Ryan continued. “Please, this is hard for me.”