Elizabeth interrupted him with, “A man with remarkable abilities.”
She did not think Timothy would understand artificial constructs, or cyborgs, or a man in a machine. The rest of his team were aware of Al’s peculiar attributes, but Timothy would have no concept of the technology that allowed Al to do the things he could.
“He can run and jump better than anyone you know,” she continued, “And he can see in the dark.”
Timothy stared at Al, unsure how to phrase his next question. “Are you of a superior race?”
“No—I am a man like you, here to help both your people and mine to the best of my abilities.”
Timothy looked down at the top of the table and then back up with an expression of understanding, “I suspected as much kind sir. The grace of your movements and the peculiar light in your eyes made me think you were more than ordinary. I am extremely glad you are here Master Clark.”
“I am no one’s master. I only want to help. That’s all. Please, call me Al.”
Al was not the kind of person that was comfortable speaking of himself, so he moved the conversation forward. From his jacket pocket, he pulled a small case with a one-inch transparent cube nestled inside. “This is how we will take over the temple. Timothy, meet Tiro, our little holographic friend.”
The ones that knew smiled and a few chuckled.
Edward, the scientist, said, “Now you have done it Al, you’re going to have to explain what a hologram is.”
“You can help with that Ed.”
Al turned back to Timothy and said, “There are so many things to tell you about your temple. You will need to keep an open mind, and trust what I tell you. Believe me; your lives will be so much better once you learn what is available to you inside.”
Timothy addressed Edward, “You are a scientist? One that seeks knowledge?”
When Edward nodded and replied, “Yes,” the middle-aged man looked around the table and said, “I too consider myself a scientist—not of your magnitude, of course, but also a seeker of knowledge. Tell me, Master Clark, what does this little block you hold in your hand have to do with anything?”
The modern education of the first citizen on Thera began. Now they only needed to school everyone else on the island.
****
Timothy was thrown thousands of years into the future in one night. They spoke of wonders he could scarcely imagine, much less understand.
Kira, the native girl from Avalon, told him of her world. How the colonists freed her kind from the monsters that forced generations to hide in caves after dark—at least they tried to help. She spoke of Camelot, and all the marvels she was introduced to while living with the beings her people called the Kuthra. Rain rooms for cleaning themselves with soft rocks that bubbled and smelled good when rubbed on your body. Invisible fences that kept the wildlife out, until the Riktors figured out how to open them.
She showed him her new legs, provided by Doctor Florida and Doctor Cody after the Riktors took hers. It was a lot to accept, and Timothy’s mind raced to keep up.
Elizabeth, with help from the others, told the tale of the Excalibur. The ship that brought them to the new world. The source of their supplies and machines that made life on a new world possible. As the electrical engineer on board, she knew the ship better than anyone and tears appeared when she spoke of the meteor storm that caused its downfall.
“How did you get to and from this spacecraft that floats out of sight?” he asked.
Shuttlecraft were Chris’ territory, so he described the versatile vehicles, and how they transported people and materials back and forth to the Excalibur. He had trouble keeping his voice down when he talked about the time an adult Riktor had tried to pull the captain from the sky. Then he remembered the shuttles would be one more luxury they would have to leave behind when they relocated, and his enthusiasm faded. The shuttles were too large for the Teleporter.
As the evening wore on, the traveler’s talk of all the things now lost left them feeling more and more depressed. Al tried a pep talk, thinking it might lighten the mood.
“We have to come to terms with the way things are. We came from Earth for a new start on what we thought was utopia. Well, it was not. The Riktors were there first and like being at the top of the food chain. It will take years to make the valley safe, and I, for one, do not want my grandson to grow up in an environment like that. We have to relocate here. On the other end of the island. There is plenty of room, and we’ll still have access to a Caretaker outpost.”
“You could settle here—in town,” suggested Timothy.
“We’ll have to wait and see. When we finish this, we can discuss it in more detail. My point is that we have to concentrate on getting to a safe place where we can live peaceful lives, which starts tomorrow night. Here is the plan that will give us the Caretaker outpost. Hopefully, it is a plan where no one gets hurt.
****
King Agenor reclined on his throne. He appeared comfortable and relaxed, but his face was red, and getting redder by the moment. It was plain to see he was concerned about his place at the top of the hierarchy. Darius was before him, and the interrogation was not going well.
“Who else is with you? How many traitors are there?” Agenor demanded for the third time, his impatience becoming evident.
“There are no others. There is no conspiracy. How many times do I have to tell you?”
Darius was on his knees before him, with the hand of a particularly hostile guard on his shoulder. He was hungry, tired, and worried about where this was going.
“Your friends have already revealed themselves and implicated you. I know who else is involved, and I don’t want to punish innocent subjects. I only wish to speak to them, and they will not be harmed.”
Darius found his statements hard to believe. He knew the other prisoners and did not believe they would betray the trust of the group. “I am aware of no conspiracy. Please, my son is alone, and I need to return to him.”
“You will be allowed to go back to your hovel when I have proof of your innocence.”
Whenever he received an audience, the king turned off the viewing screen. He did not want to advertise his ability to monitor his subjects through his window to the world. The three of them were alone in the lavish chamber. When they led Darius in, all the enlightened servants were dismissed. The king wanted a private conference.
Agenor stood up, repositioned his robe, and stepped down to the floor. Slowly, he walked up to Darius. At thirty years old and five foot two, he was not of regal stature. But he had an air of inherited command, a deep voice, and demanding green eyes.
“You will tell me what you were planning. Now.”
“I cannot say what I do not know.” Darius decided to use the king’s propaganda against him. “Why would we even want to plot against you? You give us everything we need, and fill our days with honest labor. There are a few things we could discuss further, but for the most part, it is a good life here.”
“You people do have it pretty easy,” the king agreed. Exasperated, he told the guard, “Take him away, but put him in the storage room, away from the others. Next time, I will be more insistent.”
The guard nodded and hauled Darius out. King Agenor returned to his throne deep in thought. He did not consider the conspiracy a serious threat yet, but these things needed to be handled promptly and decisively. In the past, his father was much too kind to his subjects and allowed them to become spoiled. Agenor was resolved to change that.
He knew he would have to deal with this, just not right away. Now he felt a need to relax with some entertainment and called for the servants and dancing girls. Tonight was a time to enjoy the spoils of royalty.
****
The plan was simple, and they discussed it in detail. First, they would take out the guards outside. Al was responsible for the two at the main door, Chris and Kira the two roving pairs, and Elizabeth the two at the back door. Edward, using Al’s access badge from the Overlook
facility, would get them in the door. Once the door was open, Timothy and the others would follow.
Al hoped to avoid injury to anyone, if at all possible, so they would primarily be using the tranquilizer guns with the pistols as a last resort. The locals would be unarmed for everyone’s safety.
Once inside, Al would go after Darius and the other prisoners while the rest of his team went to install Tiro into the computer. Once Tiro was loaded and active, he could change the security protocols and effectively lock down the outpost. From there it should be a simple matter of rounding everyone up.
“You are taking the spirit from the clear box and putting it into the Temple? I am sorry Master Clark, but that is magic to me,” said Timothy.
“We call it technology,” replied Al.
Chris added, “Tiro is a lot like a very wise person, only digital. You can see him, but he is not real. He is a digital ghost of one of the ancient researchers and has knowledge about many things.”
“…and he is a friend?”
For a moment, the stress drained from their faces, and the humans laughed.
“Tiro is on the side of justice, prosperity, and the spread of knowledge. King Agenor is providing none of that,” said Al.
“I cannot believe it could be so easy to make things right. It sounds too good to be true.”
Without being sarcastic, Al said, “Planning always sounds easy, Timothy. It is the implementation that is hard.”
Chapter Eight
The party from Avalon spent the day snacking, talking, and taking turns resting. Time seemed to stretch and slow down to make for an incredibly long day. Dusty and Timothy went to work so they would not draw suspicion from their absence. They returned after dark and brought with them the two recruits from the village.
Hours after the town fell asleep and became silent, Al uttered the phrase that put his cybernetic body into enhanced mode, and they slipped out to accomplish their mission. Falkor and Dusty were disappointed they could not go, but the risks were too high. They reluctantly remained behind.
Eight intruders against an estimated fifty, but they were ready and confident. Splitting up as planned, they melted into the shadows, each one intent on their part of the operation.
The fast acting darts did their job, and the two by the main door went down before they realized what was happening. Al heard a double thump as two more around the corner fell to the effects of the sleep drug. Soon they were gathered by the door as Edward activated the mechanism that opened the door. Things were starting well.
Past the exterior hatch, a corridor curved in both directions, with the chamber of the sacred box directly before them behind metal doors.
There were no lights visible from the outside, as a secret facility should be, but the inside was well lit, removing all chance of concealment. Al surprised even his friends when he winked at his wife, and in a blur of motion he disappeared; headed to perform his part in the plan and secure the prisoners before they could become hostages.
“He is fast.” said a startled Kira.
Twenty feet down the gently curving corridor to their left was a uniformed guard in the process of pulling his weapon. A fast moving body slammed into him, and with a grunt, the surprised guard was thrown against the wall. He bounced and lay unmoving—knocked cold by a man he never saw coming.
“Yes—very fast,” said Elizabeth proudly. “Come, we must hurry.”
****
Al was in the zone. His senses were supercharged as he made his way to the room where the rebels were being detained. His skin, loaded with tiny sensors, felt the wind rushing by as his feet tapped the floor, and so wrapped up in the sensation that before he could stop he bowled over a second guard. The unwitting man had entered the corridor at just the wrong time and after colliding with Al seemed to be unconscious. He shot him with a dart to be sure.
He made it to the room where the prisoners were and stopped. For a moment, he listened and heard only silence. They were either asleep or moved somewhere else.
He checked the hallway in both directions one more time and then tapped lightly on the door, “Darius, are you in there?”
A muffled reply asked, “Master Clark, is that you?”
The voice did not sound familiar.
“Is Darius Forman inside there?”
“No…my friend, he did not rejoin us after his audience with the king.”
“He’s not here?”
“Darius was called to the throne room yesterday. He did not return.”
“Are you friends of Darius?” asked Al.
“Yes. We were to join him in the rebellion. Can you get us out?” begged the voice.
“Stand back from the door, and get ready to move. We have to find Darius.”
They had equipped the door with a hasp and a crude lock; the original mechanism disabled decades ago. It was no match for Al. He planted his foot on the wall beside the handle and pulled, and the latch separated from the frame with little complaint.
Inside were two haggard men happy to be free. They were in their mid-thirties and now wide awake. The man that spoke through the door asked, “Are you The Traveler from another world that Darius told us about?”
“Simply put, yes I am. Do you know where Darius might be? We’re kind of on a schedule.”
“It is happening now? The revolt to return the temple to the people has begun?”
“If all goes well. But really, do you have any idea where he might be?”
The quiet man finally spoke, “They kept me for a while in a closet off the throne room. Maybe he is imprisoned there?”
Al thought for a second and replied, “It sounds like a good place to start. Follow me, and please—stay behind me and don’t try to be heroes.”
He used the memory of his journey through the ductwork of the temple to head in the direction of the king’s throne room. The mission was becoming increasingly dangerous as time passed. For this uprising to succeed, they would have to hurry.
****
Elizabeth knew their time was limited, and these first few minutes were critical to prevent a drawn-out, dug-in confrontation. Her son ran beside her with the rest of the party close behind. They followed the long hall leading to the library, where they could install the program that contained Tiro.
Behind them, people were shouting, and the sound of running boots echoed against their backs. The guards were piling out of their quarters at the other end of the hallway. While some were slowed by their attempt to get dressed as they ran, others disregarded their attire and sped to the rescue of their king.
They passed a large curtained opening on the inside wall and were headed for another when they heard the sound of laser pistols firing, and tiny holes began to appear on the walls beside them.
The plan had included a priority. If the party were to get pinned down, Chris was to continue to the library with Tiro while the rest provided cover.
“In here!” Elizabeth yelled.
Chris ran on. Nothing was to stop him.
The rest of the insurgents did not need to be told twice, and they ducked behind the ornate curtain to return fire, quickly forcing the defenders to retreat past the curve of the passageway. While the enemy scurried back, they turned to check the room they had invaded. Behind the curtain lay the throne room, and in a chair before the opulent throne was a bloody-faced Darius, secured by ropes. King Agenor and a guard stood over him; the king’s hand frozen over his head in a position to strike.
****
Chris pictured himself like Al Clark as he ran all out for the library at the end of the corridor. He ran like he had never run before, and no one tried to stop him. The curtain that covered the doorway grew quickly before him, and within minutes he was throwing the covering to the side and entering his objective.
Two old men in white robes huddled over a reader, deep in the mysteries of the technology, they were oblivious to the revolution. They turned and in unison said, “You are not allowed in here.”
Chris was half their age and armed. He was not concerned.
He stepped over to the reader, looked at them and smiled, “Watch this,” he said.
From his pocket, he took the cube that was Tiro and inserted it into the machine. At first, nothing happened, then the hologram formed on the platform behind the monitor and the little gray alien appeared.
Chris looked at the two so-called scholars and said, “Gentlemen, meet Tiro. He is your new guide to the temple. I think you will learn to like him a lot.”
Speechless, their mouths wide open, they alternated their stares between the stranger, and the even stranger being before them.
“I have control Mister Morris, would you like to close and lock the doors?” asked the hologram.
“Yes Tiro, let’s close the doors. That will be an excellent start.”
****
Al heard the guards hiding in the corridor long before they noticed him. They were lined up along the inner wall waiting for a chance to strike. He told the two revolutionaries behind him to go back and hide inside the first door they found. They would be safer there than where he was going. The two men turned and then glanced back, and Al was gone. A ghost in the wind.
He stayed to the outside of the corridor, and the guards felt the wind from his wake as he passed. The curtain seemed to move by itself, and Al entered the throne room. At the other curtained opening further down the corridor were Elizabeth and the rest of his party. They were motionless and staring towards the center of the room. His eyes followed their gaze, and he saw Darius secured to the chair, the King holding a gun to the dazed man’s head.
The guard was slowly backing up, with his empty hands above his head, making it clear he wanted no part of what was about to happen.
Thera Page 6