As concerned as Jane was, whatever was happening with her hand was troubling her even more in that moment. She glanced down at it, trying to direct Max’s attention to it. He followed her gaze. As she glanced back up at him, she saw that he had turned further and was now looking directly at her. He nodded, and she breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he recognized the problem and knew what she was referring to.
“Max, what’s going on?”
He paused for a moment, merely looking into her eyes. She thought them solemn now, and she knew somehow that he had endured a defeat. Still, she felt power flowing from his body in waves, and that gave her some hope. She was about to ask him again when he spoke.
“The tower is growing rapidly,” he said. He let go of her hand and looked up, facing east. “It won’t be long before it’s complete.”
“He’s using their power, isn’t he?” Mike asked.
“Yes. He’s drawn hundreds of Ethereals—anyone who was in the city—out to the base of the tower, and he’s using them to increase its growth. I wasn’t able to stop him from taking control of Daniel in San Francisco.” Max turned to Ciara. Jane glanced at her, seeing her eyes widen. She stood up as straight as she could, staggered closer to Mike, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Blinking, she stared at the ground, on the verge of tears.
“Is he going to be OK?” she asked in a low, exhausted voice.
“The entity has trapped his essence in a dimension that is quite distant from ours. He’s sealed him off from access to his own body.”
“You mean, what, his…soul?”
“If that’s what you want to call it. Using your language, though, we would refer to it as something more akin to an Etheric body—the higher-dimensional aspect of consciousness. It’s the core essence of Daniel’s being.”
“How do we get him back?”
Max paused and took a breath. He stole one more glance at Ciara, then looked downward and faced the ground, his hands still closed over his cloak in front of him. “It’s possible. But first, I have to find a way to remove Zatera’s influence over him.”
“And what about Trey?” Morris asked, interjecting. “I mean, I don’t know the guy, but he’s an innocent in this too, right?”
“Yes. Trey is trapped in the same place as Daniel.”
“Can you help them?” Jane asked, deep concern creeping into her voice.
“Yes,” he answered. “But…” As he hesitated, Jane could almost detect a wince forming in the usually stoic expression on his face. “Like I said, the tower is growing extremely fast, and as it does, so does Zatera’s power.” Max paused again, and they waited. He turned and looked at each of them, one by one. “I should have gone after Trey first. I thought that if I could protect Daniel, he would have less power, and I would have a better chance of defeating him. I thought we’d have a significant advantage that way. I think I acted out of fear…” He paused again, thinking, then continued. “And it’s highly likely that this may cost me in the end.” Max took a step forward. “Eventually, I’m going to have to fight Zatera—on the psychic plane. It’s the only way now. I thought I would have a better chance against two rather than three.”
“So, what now?” Morris asked.
“I have to see if I can somehow slow or stop the tower’s growth. The specific formulation of the matter of which it is composed amplifies psionic ability. Using Trey’s body as a conduit, Zatera has already erected a powerful shield around its perimeter. Once the structure is complete, the power he draws from it will make him stronger by enormous orders of magnitude, and it will be virtually impossible to break. If an aberrant stream of energy is accidentally released from the structure at that point, it could very well crack the planet in two.” Max squinted and turned back to face the road in front of them. Jane could still see the side of his face. She figured he was peering through the buildings ahead of them and out toward the sea, where the tower stood. “I don’t know if I can get through the barrier as it is, even at this point.”
“How big is the tower now?” Jane asked.
“At its peak, it’s quickly approaching twelve hundred feet in height, and its diameter is almost fourteen hundred feet at the base. He’s dug a trench beneath the surface of the water in the bay to support the structure.”
“And if he completes it, he can…” Morris said, then waited for Max to finish.
Max nodded. He slowly turned to face them once more. “Yes, Morris. What you’re thinking is correct. He’ll be able to open a portal to reach the Nexus.”
“I know you explained what that is already, but why do I get the feeling that opening this particular portal isn’t a wise thing to do?” Ciara asked, with an almost comic lilt in her voice.
“It’s not. A portal leading to the Nexus of all space and time, opened in this careless manner, would destabilize the psychic equilibrium of the entire area. Or, if he loses control of it, if something goes wrong, a catastrophic explosion could ensue on the physical plane. The shockwave that followed would likely result in the destruction of your entire solar system.”
Jane gaped at this new revelation, and as she glanced at her friends, she saw their faces betray the same shock. In particular, Morris seemed the most concerned, as he stared intently at Max. Jane could read him too easily now; she could tell that he was not only anxious, but angry.
“The governments of your world are already aware of the situation, and I believe they’re taking action to destroy the tower.”
“Can they?” Mike asked.
“No,” Max replied flatly. “They can’t.”
“Max, if you could get through to Daniel, he could help you,” Ciara said, struggling and speaking in a low, weakened voice. “He’s powerful.”
Max turned toward her. “Yes. The young man you know as Daniel is, and I hope we can retrieve him from the place to which he has been sent. Not only is he powerful, but his body and mind have been imbued with much greater power, by both Zatera and the tower itself.” Glancing back east, Max continued. “I should leave now, to see if I can breach the barrier he’s formed around the structure…before it’s too late.”
“You’re not going alone,” Jane said gruffly.
Max turned and met her gaze, for in her tone, she revealed the new concern she had for him. “You can’t come with me, Jane. You know he wants you.” Slowly, his eyes drifted down toward her palm.
Unwilling to pull her gaze away from his, Jane still found herself glancing down at her right hand. She flinched once more as she felt that same burning sensation; it had happened this time merely because Max had drawn her attention back to it. She looked up at her friends, then quickly turned back to Max. Focusing as hard as she could, she directed her telepathic dialogue at him, trying to shield her friends from the conversation.
Max, what is this thing in my hand? What is it meant for?
Max winced ever so slightly, but then he smiled, although to her, it appeared a little fake. Don’t worry, Jane, your friends won’t hear this. I’m still not entirely sure what the Rose gave you, but you’ll know when and if it comes to life.
She practically glared at him. That’s not an answer!
I know, but it’s all I can give you for now.
Max turned to Ciara. “Ciara, I’m going to draw the remainder of the tranquilizing agent from your system. Only a small amount made it in. You should find your strength returning momentarily.”
“Thanks, Max.”
“I know you’re tired, but can you keep that same river of energy wrapped around your friends for just for a little longer?”
“Yes, I think I can.”
“Good. You must protect them from Zatera’s influence. Whatever happens, he can’t get control of Jane.”
Ciara nodded her assurance.
Max turned to Jane and levitated off the ground, not taking his eyes off her. Jane watched as he left. When he reached the top of the buildings, his coat fluttered in the new breeze up the
re, and then the remaining sunlight struck his magnificent frame. His body turned to a lateral position and he rapidly disappeared over the top of a building, heading east toward the ocean.
When he was gone, the silence that remained was deafening.
CHAPTER 13
FIREWORKS
Max landed deftly on the bridge that was composed of the glinting, crystalline substance. He knew that, to humans, it appeared like nothing more than pure crystal; what else could they think it was? He was aware that some scientists around the world, especially those involved in the study of psionic power, had been able to discern that it was something else entirely. However, to most people, it was just a beautiful, glinting—though ominous—bridge. He knew differently; it was an incredibly dangerous composite, composed in part from substances unknown to this world, substances that Zatera—acting through Trey—had drawn from small pocket dimensions scattered throughout the universe. These elements were extremely powerful, and they had been channeled into the creation of the ever-growing tower and bridge.
As his feet touched the ground, there was a minor flash of light at the spot. Max glanced up and saw the magnificent structure directly ahead of him, a mere hundred and fifty feet away. As his gaze tilted further, he followed the rivulets that ran all around its exterior. They glinted in the remaining daylight, while on the near right, the sun beamed off one large, mirror-like section in an otherworldly glare that shone with hints of blue and gold. Some of the other larger, flat sections had reflective surfaces also, and once in a while, they beamed this golden light into the silent world around him. In appearance, it was as though they were translucent, as if they themselves were portals to—or from—other places.
As Max craned his neck further and looked up, his eyes crossed the very tip of the edifice. Using his psychic vision, he looked closer and scanned that part of the structure. From there, in his mind’s eye, looking down through the opening at the top, he saw that the interior was hollow, and that the structure’s exterior walls were more than ten feet wide. However, that was only at its greatest height. At the base, where it was larger, the walls were far thicker.
Max saw it growing from there; it was reaching farther up toward the sky, growing several feet a second. The crystal was no longer advancing in a confused, haphazard manner; Zatera seemed to have gained complete control over its growth, so that the substance appeared as though it was being spun from some invisible weave. It ascended steadily, molecule by molecule, and Max sighed deeply as he watched. He knew it would soon reach its apex, beyond which it would be almost impossible to destroy. At that point, Zatera would channel the energy of the tower to open the portal between dimensions. Max knew the exact destination he had in mind.
Max drew his attention away from the top and began his walk across the glinting surface toward the tower, knowing that Zatera would already be well aware of his approach. Never done this before, he thought. Nonetheless, here we are again. In advance of his reaching the tower, even when he was within fifty feet of it, Max could feel the barrier that had been erected around it. Still, he kept walking, even when in his mind’s eye he saw Trey’s gaze drift as he recognized Max’s presence.
Using his psychic vision, Max glanced through the shield, then went through the exterior wall. He saw that Daniel was standing next to Trey. Another young man, whose name was Guang, stood on his left. Guang was from the city of Hong Kong. Max had not gone after him because he had scanned this person at the same time he had found Daniel. Guang was easily the most powerful Ethereal on the Asian continent, but he was sensitive—innocent—and that had made him an easy target.
This reminded Max of what had happened with Zatera previously. None of his contemporaries, even when they were working together, had recognized the early signs, for he had hidden them well. Max had chastised himself for that oversight; in the early days, they had waited far too long to act, and it had resulted in a catastrophe he had no fond wish to remember. Whatever it took and no matter the cost, Max would not let the same thing happen to Earth.
Glancing up once more at the sheer height of the tower and the power it represented, Max winced just a little and stopped walking. A thought crossed his mind and was gone just as quickly as it had come: What if I can’t do this? What if I can’t stop him? Though Max rarely doubted himself, he had spent much more time living various mortal existences on different worlds, including Earth, and so he was far more affected by emotions than his contemporaries were. Perhaps that would prove to be his final gift.
He continued forward, noticing that the exterior wall, where the bridge connected to the tower, was opening. A gap appeared there, directly in front of him. Molecule by molecule, the opening expanded, as though the substance at the outer edges was literally disappearing. As it did, more light poured in. As it grew to a diameter of ten feet, and a height of fifteen, Max caught his first glimpse of the vast interior of what lay at the tower’s surface. He saw the hundreds of Ethereals lined around the back, as though they were props in a strange play. They were partially silhouetted in front of the stark wall there, as sparkling light glinted off the surface behind them. Though their eyes were now trained on Max and glowed with a familiar blue light, they wore blank, vacant expressions. Daniel and Guang were positioned in front of them, at the center of the flat surface. Max presumed that Zatera had taken position directly in front and between them, but now he saw that he was already walking straight toward him, and the bright blue light that shone from his eyes diminished as he approached.
When Max was thirty feet from the perimeter of the tower, he slowed down as he sensed the powerful barrier that had been summoned to protect it. First, he glanced at Trey as he walked over the threshold and onto the bridge, approaching him. Then Max stopped walking. Slowly, he reached up his palms and pushed them forward. He pressed against the barrier, feeling the tremendous force of it push back against his palms. Translucent ripples of energy spread out around his hands, forming circles that glowed with multicolored hues. Max pushed harder, absorbing every piece of information he could about the shield. It was strong, quite possibly too strong for him to crack an opening in it.
Max pressed his hands into it more forcefully, and now a piercing, ringing sound resounded as two spherical ripples—which had formed where his palms met the surface of the vast wall of energy—spread out even farther. They reached outward quickly, stretching halfway across the front of the tower’s diameter, where they diminished and disappeared. Then, when he had garnered all the information he could, he pulled back his hands. The wall of energy stopped fluttering, and as it settled, the view before him once again became clear. Max saw that Trey was now standing twenty feet from him, having left the tower itself and crossed out onto the bridge.
As he stared at Max, the light from Trey’s eyes faded. At any other time, this young man’s body could have been mistaken for someone completely innocent. The only odd thing about his appearance was his clothing, which Max knew Zatera had reconstituted into simple white garments that fluttered gently in the breeze.
“What do you want?” came the voice from Trey’s body. It was tinged with the undertones of someone much more ancient than the form with which Max was presented…and that voice was familiar.
“I came to stop you.”
“You can’t, Max. I have too many now.”
Max glanced behind him, first at Daniel and Guang, who stood behind him like sentries, and then at the hundreds of Ethereals who were spread out around the back of the tower’s interior. What would become of them if Zatera managed to complete his task? Max tried not to wince at the thought.
Max glanced at the sky. “I’ll call the others.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Trey’s body shift—a slight register of nervousness that he only barely managed to conceal.
Zatera followed Max’s gaze. “What makes you think they’ll come this time? I’m quite sure they washed their hands of interference a long time ago. You’re on your own…Max.”
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br /> Max looked back at him, then pursed his lips. Slowly, he turned and walked toward the left side of the bridge. “Oh, I have a feeling they may come for this. You see, they know of the existence of the Nexus now, thanks to Jane—and thanks to your disgusting, continued pursuit of her.” Max glanced back at him and enjoyed a momentary delight at the brief look of frustration that flashed across his face.
Faking a smile, Zatera replied, “Do you think they would give up eternity for a small world like this?”
“Perhaps not.” Max paused then and stared at him. His lips curled with the trace of a sardonic, mocking smile. “But for the Nexus…maybe. If you’re planning on using this as a dimensional apparatus of some kind, like the Machine, that could be far more dangerous. The potential destruction of an entire solar system—not to mention an unstable tear in the fabric of reality—may not just bring them forward, but also evoke their wrath. We both know exactly what happened to you the last time that happened.”
Slowly, Trey’s eyes widened. His mouth opened until his jaw was stretched into a disturbingly large O shape that was both unnatural and troubling. Max was sure he heard the young man’s jaw cracking. The only way he could subdue the pain he felt for Trey—whose essence was locked in the same place as Daniel’s—was through the knowledge that Zatera could heal the body easily, and would, with but a few seconds of concentration.
A low growl came from Trey’s mouth, the sound intersecting the physical and psychic planes. The bridge beneath Max trembled minutely; he felt the vibrations in his feet, and then they rose through his body, but he didn’t move an inch, just continued staring at Trey with concerned eyes. With a quick glance at the top of the enormous, glinting blue edifice, Max saw dark clouds swirling there. Suddenly, a streak of lightning reached out and struck the edge of the tower. Immediately, as though it had struck some nonexistent surface, the lightning bounced off it, flitted outward, and then streaked beneath the clouds in juddering arcs. It then disappeared almost instantly. Max looked back down to face Trey again.
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