“Excuse me?” Bogle raised her eyebrows, tapping the crystal on her chest. “I think this device is frizzling out. Did you say, ‘thousands of years?’”
His lips tightened, turning down at the ends. “Yes, thousands of your Earth years.”
She tapped her crystal again. There was no doubt it was shorting out.
The Telu Ignis hovered above the paradise. Bogle leaned forward to get a better view, eyeing a tree fort. No, it wasn’t a tree fort. It was too big. It had to be a home. It was connected to another home by a wooden suspension bridge. That home was connected to another by the same means. Hundreds of homes were spread throughout the forest tops, all of them connected by these spindly, rickety bridges. Then the tree forts were gone, replaced by high-rise towers of shimmering crystal and an avalanche of lily-like umbrella houses, all jostling and tittering on the breeze. Each time Bogle thought her mind had been turned inside out, there was another marvel to take her breath away. She didn’t want to be charmed. She wanted to hang on to her rage. She closed her eyes and sat out the remainder of the flight.
Morning Star lowered the ship. Bogle’s seat bounced when the craft connected to the landing pad. Bogle opened her eyes. A parade of people in Greek garb were assembled all around the craft.
“This is for you, Captain Katherine Bogle. My people come to greet you. We have waited a long time.”
Katherine Bogle, former acting XO of the Star Warden, stepped out of the ship that had rescued her from certain death and into a sea of admirers.
Morning Star had to gently pry away admiring fingers and steer Bogle through the crowd.
The Master stood as Bogle approached, Morning Star by her side. The Master had on a long, white dress, a metallic four-petaled rose clasped on her shoulder. She had blond hair and piercing blue eyes, her body toned and powerful. There wasn’t a wrinkle on her, confirming Bogle’s suspicions that the crystallo fabrica on her chest had frizzled out and translated Morning Star incorrectly when he said the Master was thousands of years old.
Heck, if the crystallo fabrica had indeed fried out, then what else had it mistranslated?
The Master stood by a simple table, her face fixed in what Bogle believed was the most welcoming smile she’d ever seen.
Bogle remembered her Hamlet, “One may smile and smile and be a villain.”
Rosemary mixed with lavender fragranced the air. An ornate tea pot and cups were set on the table, steam rising from the fresh-brewed jasmine and ginger tea.
“Welcome,” the Master bowed. “My name is Salasha Libertanius. In your language, I’m Liberty Speidel.” She raised one brow and smiled anew. “Call me Liberty.”
Bogle, not knowing the correct protocol, followed Morning Star’s lead and bowed with him.
Morning Star spoke, “Thank you, Master. Would you like me to stay or leave?”
“Sit and take tea, Morning Star. Your service is appreciated.”
Morning Star pulled out a seat, gesturing for Bogle to take it. “Wow, a gentleman. You don’t see too many of those on Star Ward –” Her voice cracked. She had to turn her face from her rescuer and host to hide the tears. The lush surroundings had almost lulled her into a false sense of security. But she could not let her guard down with these people. Her entire bridge team, her crew, and her ship were gone – dead. And, it was because of these people. She was dealing with the enemy, the evil-ones who killed her people. They were devils.
Liberty took a seat, her eyes on Bogle. “We only attacked because we do not want to be used as chattel or our land as a bargaining chip. Our intent was not to kill. Our intent was to keep peace within our society.”
Bogle kept her eyes trained to the floor. Her words came out as a whisper, anger rising from her belly. “Then why did you kill if that wasn’t your intent?”
“We ceased fire the moment your Admiral decided to retreat. We re-opened fire when he wanted to end all life on our portion of Atlantis Alta, Flood of Dawn.” She spoke matter of factually, her face calm and serene, a hint of melancholy in her voice.
Morning Star took a sip of tea, but remained quiet.
Bogle wiped away a tear and spoke through gritted teeth. “I tried to stop the Admiral.”
Liberty pressed her cup to her lips, glancing over at Bogle, then pushed a cup of tea toward her. “We know. Our heart is with you.” She put her cup down, clasping her hands together. “You must understand that a nuclear explosion would lay waste not only to our people here in Flood of Dawn, but to the millions in other areas east, west, north, and south of us. We weren’t willing to suffer another people’s nuclear misdeed.”
Bogle stiffened. This wasn’t the only city on Callisto? There must be more pyramids, obelisks, farms, domes, biospheres, and coliseums all over the moon. How could the Secret Space Program have missed them for all these years?
Liberty straightened. “Because we wanted you to overlook our civilization. We wanted every Being to overlook our civilization. It wasn’t time to be seen yet. In fact, if we had it our way, we would have closed our doors forever and remained a closed society, happy in our solitude and glad of our own company. But, the soothsayer spoke.” Liberty looked out over the gardens. Her eyes had seen a thousand-thousand sunsets and for a moment, the weight of her duty swam into focus. She blinked it away, turning the full force of her benign presence towards Bogle. “We are here to fulfill our prophecies and wake up those in the Galaxy that have fallen into darkness.”
Bogle touched the crystallo fabrica on her chest. “Does this transmit my thoughts to you?”
Liberty tapped her head with her finger. “We are Atlantean, not Human. There is a difference. We can hear thoughts. I can turn my psychic dial down for you, if you’d like.”
Bogle combed her fingers through her hair. “Yeah, don’t just turn it down. Turn it off.” To Bogle, mind-reading, soothsayers, and prophesy were all part of the same demonic bundle: heresy. She couldn’t listen, but not head; hear, but not believe. They could talk all they liked, but she knew the word of the One True God and she planned to do right by Him.
For a moment, there was silence, and Bogle took a good look around. She was in a sanctuary of some type. Trees, much like blue atlas cedars, their needles hued differently with a tint of blue, pink and orange, reached toward the top of the dome, along with reddish, gold palm trees, bearing an orange fruit the size of watermelons.
A butterfly, about the size of an eagle, dropped from a branch and fluttered past her, its wings fanning Bogle’s face. She jerked back and stifled a soft yelp.
“We have many animals and insects here that are now extinct from where we came from.” Liberty reached inside her dress and pulled out a piece of what looked to be hard, white bread.
Liberty dropped the piece on the floor, then whistled. The bushes stirred and a cat – its body as big as a grizzly, fangs as long as her forearm – emerged. The creature padded up to Liberty and bumped its head against her outstretched hand, then gave her fingers a quick lick. A purr rose from the cat’s throat and it bent down, whisking the food into its mouth. It sat on its hind legs, sitting contently next to Liberty.
“Meet Dakin.”
Bogle leaned as far back in her chair as her spine would allow her to go, without snapping her in two. “I...uh...those are called saber tooth tigers.”
Liberty leaned forward, cupping her hands. “I see. I call her only ‘Dakin.’ You may pet her, if it pleases you.”
“It does not please me. In fact, it would please me if she were further from me.”
Liberty nodded and Dakin ambled around the back of her chair and stretched out, licking her paws. “Now, to why I summoned you and why Morning Star saved you.” She gave Bogle a long, hard stare. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
Bogle didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing.
“According to our prophecies, you are here to help us. A great wrong is with us and it’s bleak, and it’s here now. The prophecy states: ‘A pure and clear Being, a phantom of t
he deep, dark cosmos will fall from the stars and will bring the key to Atlantis Alta's survival. Three lords, three seeds, three contrary intentions will follow with thunder, lightning, and blood in the year 261,746. Much blood will be spilled.
“We are in the year 261,746.” Liberty gestured toward Bogle. “And here you arrive. And, here they arrive.”
“Who are they?” asked Bogle.
“To our east and west, our lands, cities, and people have been ravaged. The Kelhoon have already landed.” Liberty shook her head. “Then your race, the humans, send a forward guard in the form of their ‘Secret Space Program’ to grab our land. If these forces come down upon us, one after the other, we are doomed. Though, if you help us, Katherine Bogle, the prophesy indicates we have a chance.”
Bogle shook her head and scratched her jaw, wondering why Morning Star hadn’t spoken a word. She folded her arms across her chest. “We’re not in the year 261,746. We’re in 2018.” Even as she said it, she knew she sounded petulant and childish. Of course there were going to be different calendars in different planetary systems. It was just that this Liberty woman was off her rocker and she wanted to stop her talking. There were no modern prophets or invading forces or…Liberty’s words snagged in her brain. She was supposed to do something; save a people; make a difference. “Where is my name in that prophecy?”
“You are the pure and clear Being and you are the phantom, all which are meanings to your name; Katherine Bogle.
Bogle hung her head. It was almost too much to hope for: that she would be destined for greatness. Which was how the Devil did his work. Yep. Speaking to her vanity. She’d almost been caught up in the lie. He was as cunning and conniving as Liberty was sweet and gentle.
“And,” continued Liberty. “You had a thought when you first entered these Temple Gardens. Would you like me to confirm that your crystallo fabrica is indeed working?” She held a wry smile, one that a teacher would have for a new student.
“I don’t recall. And, I told you not to read my thoughts.” Demons never keep their promises. I should have known better.
“It was before you had asked me to turn off my telepathy.” Liberty took a sip of tea. “The human body and the Atlantean body were built to withstand the diseases of aging. I am indeed two thousand years old, give or take a year or two. Your people, as in the masses, will discover the truth of long living in the near future and aging will no longer be a detriment to your society.”
Bogle waved her hand in the air, doing her best to be polite. “Okay, let’s say I’m this person you’re seeking.” She rolled her eyes, then remembered to treat others as she would like to be treated herself. “What do I need to do?”
“Convince Kaden Jaxx, Rivkah Ravenwood, and Richard Fox to join our fight. You are their calm, you are their leader. Kaden Jaxx is the key to all of this. He is the reason we severed the holographic array around Atlantis Alta, or in your words, around Callisto, and let ourselves be known to the rest of the Galaxy. We are here to teach and in order for us to spread light throughout the Galaxy, Jaxx needs to protect us first and foremost.”
“No can do, Chief.” Bogle leaned back, crossing her arms over her stomach. “I haven’t seen Rivkah since I first enlisted. From what I’ve heard, she’s dead.”
Liberty smiled. “She’s on her way, child. And if you lean forward for me, I must fulfill a prophecy.”
Bogle shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be rude, but I’m not here to complete prophecies. I’m here for –” Bogle’s body moved against her will, leaning forward for Liberty.
Liberty pressed her index finger against Bogle’s skin, right between her eyebrows. A wave of light shot through Bogle’s mind, her vision blanketed with white. She closed her eyes, feeling the ecstasy running through her as if she’d just been shot up with some mind and body altering drug. Her extremities tingled, her cells danced, her brain flipped and twirled and swam in a tsunami of good chemicals. She soared above the treetops and snacked on stardust. She was free of cares, of pain, of all her former anguish. She was Katherine Bogle, Bringer of Light.
She drifted back to Liberty’s side. Her eyes closed and she took in a deep breath. “They are on their way, Liberty. I can feel them.”
“Who, my child?”
“The three.”
13
M-Quadrant, Solar System ~ Starship Atlantis
Rivkah pulled the trigger twice. Two guards hit the floor, their arms and legs twitching like maniacs.
“Fucking piece of shit IPR,” she said under her breath, wishing the rifles were automatically set to lethal, instead of constantly switching back to stun. No matter how many times she flipped the switch, it flipped back. She figured she got lucky with Cole. With him, it remained lethal. Not so lucky with these nitwits.
She pulled the trigger again. “Idiots. Never learn, eh?” She downed another guard that ran into the room, trying to be the lone hero of the group. If they kept this up, the guards would be piling up at the door and twitching out of commission, lying on top of each other and trapping her inside. She knew that would never happen, but the way these grunts were trained, you never knew.
A tracer ricocheted off a wall and to the floor, zinging past Rivkah. She ducked and rolled to another wall, getting on one knee, pointing her IPR at the doorway. A guard poked his gun through the entrance, not showing his face or his arm, though his fingers were exposed.
Rivkah spoke in a whisper. “There you go. You’re learning. You don’t just run into the scene of a battle.” She felt the trigger against her finger and pulled, aiming at the guard’s fingers.
“Agh!” the man dropped the gun and was most likely rolling on the hallway floor outside.
Before she heard him, a grunt’s heavy feet shook the floor at every pounding, thumping step. She turned. A soldier was in a full out run and mere feet away. She jumped as he dove at her. His head skimmed the bottom of her feet as she pulled her knees toward her chest and grasped the rafter above with one hand and pulled herself up onto the cold metal, holding the rifle in her other. He slammed against the wall and gazed up just as a shot of electric ion stun charges lit him up.
“Did I ever mention I’m also a good aim, you prick,” said Rivkah.
He sunk to the floor, eyes closed, slobber dribbling out of his mouth.
She hopped onto a beam parallel with the top of the door frame and aimed her rifle at the door, taking cautious, slow steps. Once she was directly above the door, she crouched, ready for more guards to burst through. If they were smart, they’d stand outside the door and out of harm’s way and wait her out. Rivkah smiled. That wasn’t true. If they were smart, they’d be as far away from Rivkah as possible. The best bet? Back on Earth, on their couches, eating ice-cream while watching Firefly reruns.
And, as if on cue, a few dumb-asses ran inside, rifles in steady position – their rifle’s hand guards resting on the “V” of their thumb and forefingers, the rifle butts firmly against their firing shoulders. Yes, they were trained to hold a weapon, but anyone could train a donkey to hold an apple in its mouth.
She jumped off the rafter, and elbowed a soldier in the chin. He fell into another guard and Rivkah pushed him forward, making sure he connected with his comrade. Shots rang out from inside the room and Rivkah bolted down the hall, their shots barely missing her, sticking to the hallway wall, ziiizzzzz ziiizzzzz.
Across the way stood an open elevator, probably from the nitwit she just elbowed.
Rivkah dashed into the elevator and pressed deck four’s button. In most starships, this is where the launch bay was. She leaned against the wall, staring up at the digitized deck numbers as the elevator ascended.
Deck 7.
Deck 6.
Deck 5.
The elevator shuddered and halted. Rivkah put her hand out to keep herself upright. She tapped deck four and “OUT OF SERVICE” blinked on the digitized display. They knew she was in this elevator. She had to get out.
She pushed the
butt of her rifle against the emergency exit hatch in the elevator’s ceiling. It was locked.
“Give it more elbow grease, Riv,” she told herself.
She twisted the rifle in her hand and smashed the butt against the emergency hatch a second time. The hatch loosened. She hit it again, gritting her teeth and grunting. The lock broke, the hatch opened.
A picture of Jaxx – his eyes closed, but not like he was asleep, more like he was meditating – flashed across her mind. Her hands were laid over his and the two of them were pressing hard, though she couldn’t see what it was they were touching.
A ding and the elevator doors opened. Rivkah’s eyes shot wide, seeing a man in military fatigues, gun pointed at her, yet still shocked to see her. He’d obviously never been in combat before. Rivkah leaped up, grabbing the hatch’s frame and lifted her legs, her rifle dropping out of her hands just as the grunt’s shots rang out.
14
M-Quadrant, Solar System ~ Starship Atlantis
Rivkah was near. Her anger and fear erupted through Jaxx’s veins. He had to find her, to connect, to join his power to hers and blast their way out of Starship Atlantis, but Slade and Fox stood in his way.
“You son of a bitch, Jaxx. I keep putting trust in you and you keep shitting all over it.” Slade crossed his arms, crowding in the doorway. Fox was behind him, smirking. “And look what you did to my quarters.” He motioned around the room with his hands, as if his dog had made a mess in his house while he was gone for the day.
The Lecturn was off its track, toppled over and spitting sparks. Paintings were off the wall, their frames broken, and in pieces on the floor.
“I saw it, Slade. I know what you’re up to.” Jaxx rested his palms on his knees, catching his breath.
Atlantis Quadrilogy - Box Set Page 33