Sage saw Skip emerge without Jennifer from behind the entrance of the pyramid. An eerie silence enveloped the scene where just a few short minutes before there had been chaos. As Skip approached, Sage searched for the captain in charge, who was one of the first to go down in the melee. He found him and rushed over to him, hoping that neither he nor any of his other subordinates had not alerted Dorange. Before he reached down to take the comlink out of the captain’s ear, Skip fired a plasma blast into a wounded Gnol. Skip then signaled that he was going to sweep the area for survivors and to make sure that the dead Gnols were in fact dead.
Sage nodded his approval and pulled the comlink out of the captain’s ear. He could hear Dorange on the other end as he placed the device into his own ear.
“What’s going on?” Dorange asked impatiently and with irritation.
Playing with the comlink to create more static so that his voice couldn’t be recognized, Sage replied.
*****
“What do you mean you can’t read his thoughts?” Dorange questioned with anger boiling to the surface as he turned and gave Adrian an incredulous expression.
Adrian returned his glare with a stoic gaze of his own as they walked down an ancient staircase that zigzagged its way down deep under the Aztec Pyramid of the Sun. Adrian, with his hands still secured tightly behind his back, followed Dorange as Major Washantu, carrying the satchel containing Gnolom’s gold plate, pushed him from behind. The ancient wood squeaked and screeched with each step, causing Adrian fear that they would give way at any moment, which would send them plummeting down the shaft.
Dorange stopped and grabbed Adrian by the collar. “Why can’t my men read Sage’s mind?”
Adrian remained silent as he stood his ground. Dorange, frustrated, nodded toward Major Washantu as he pulled Adrian’s head toward him by his hair. Adrian winced in pain. Major Washantu looked behind each of Adrian’s ear. “He doesn’t have any mind inhibitors inserted.”
Dorange tugged on Adrian’s hair, looking for himself. Cursing, he threw Adrian’s head back, letting go of his hair, and nearly causing Adrian to pass out from whiplash. Dorange replied to the Gnol on the other end of the comlink, “See if there is anyone else there with Sage. I will notify you once we have gained possession of Earth’s gold plate.”
He then stared at Adrian for a long moment. Adrian returned his stare with an unflappable one of his own.
“I can’t read his thoughts either,” Dorange said. “They have somehow figured out a way to block us.” He then turned and began walking down the staircase again, shining his flashlight down the never-ending staircase. “Never mind that for now. We have a more pressing matter to attend to.”
Adrian, grateful that the microscopic microchip inserted at the base of his skull was doing its job, followed Dorange with just as much curiosity to see if the elusive gold plate of Earth was indeed hidden under the ancient Aztec ruins.
After a few more flights of stairs, they finally reached the bottom. A musty smell permeated their senses as they stood within a solid stone room.
“General?” Major Washantu questioned as he held up the satchel. The gold plate within the bag was now glowing so bright, they no longer needed their flashlights to see. It was also emanating a small hum, loud enough to hear but not loud enough to annoy their sense of hearing. Dorange pulled the satchel away from his major, yanked out the plate, and then tossed the satchel to the side. Each man had to turn away from the brightness of the relic.
Adrian stood in awe as he began to realize the significance of an ancient relic from another planet thousands of light years from Earth making a connection with another artifact on his home world. Dorange examined the gold plate for a moment, tracing his fingers along the ancient symbols carved into the plate. He then walked slowly and in awe toward the large gold door with the plate impression carved into the gold. The symbols written within the impression began to flash and emit their own sounds. The sounds were high pitched and reminiscent of a two computers communicating with one another.
Dorange stepped up to the door and then held the plate up to the impression, matching the symbols on the plate with the symbols carved into the impression. Bright white beams of light exploded from each symbol on the plate and locked onto their corresponding symbols within the door. Each man squinted through the brightness in order to witness such a historical moment. Dorange let go of the plate, and it floated in the air for a few seconds, held in place by the beams of light attached to the symbols on the door.
The communicating hum between the door and the plate stopped as the plate moved forward, sliding perfectly into the impression. The fit was so perfect that it left no space between the edges of the plate and the impression. Dorange backed away as loud clicking sounds erupted between the doors, followed by an ear-piercing screech as the doors began to open slowly.
The doors opened toward the three men as they stood in awe. Darkness filled the void behind the door as they continued to slowly screech open. A blast of air, filled with thousands of years of dust and various smells, swooshed around them. Adrian held his head down, trying to avoid getting any debris in his eyes. Major Washantu and Dorange covered their eyes with their arms as well. Finally, after the doors opened and the air settled, all three stared into the blackness.
Dorange was the first to step forward hesitantly. Just as his foot crossed the threshold that had not been crossed by a being for millennia, soft blue lights flickered on. The lights emitted from the tops of four fifty-foot obelisks strategically placed in four corners of a gigantic room. The room was a perfect square and seemed to Adrian to be the size of about half of a football field. The obelisks angled with the stone walls that were built straight up about twenty-five feet before angling toward the center of the ceiling nearly thirty-five stories above their heads.
Dorange and Major Washantu, too astonished, failed to notice as Adrian walked past them and into the center of the room, where a ten-foot silver obelisk rested. He looked up in awe at the top of the room. “We’re in a pyramid under the Pyramid of the Sun.”
Dorange walked toward the center as well, his eyes darting back and forth, taking in the wonder before him. He looked up at the ceiling as well. “What’s powering those obelisks?” he asked, obviously stunned at the presence of electric energy.
Major Washantu, now standing beside his commanding officer, replied, “I suspect it is being powered by the plate. This place came alive once that place was inserted into the door.”
Dorange nodded his head as he looked around the room. “Earth’s gold plate must be in here somewhere.” He then turned and stared at the silver obelisk in the center of the room.
The obelisk still retained its silver metallic shine, a result of being sealed and protected in its current location for thousands of years. Adrian stepped forward, examining the obelisk. His heart skipped a beat after recognizing the symbols inscribed into its metallic surface, covering nearly every inch of it.
“What do those symbols mean?” Dorange asked curtly.
Adrian examined the symbols for a few more seconds before responding. “I can’t read them. Not without a translation device, such as a Urim and Thummim,” he said sarcastically, giving Dorange a knowing glare.
Dorange, catching his derision, glared at Adrian. “What language is that?”
“Reformed Egyptian.”
Dorange pushed Adrian aside and examined the writings for himself. He continued to examine them as he walked around the base of the obelisk. He stopped behind the obelisk, hidden from Adrian and Major Washantu. “There are steps here,” he said as he began his way up the ten-foot obelisk.
When he reached the top, a disappointed expression glossed over his face. “There is no plate here. Just a slot where a plate should be.”
Major Washantu spoke up. “Perhaps this obelisk is a safe for Earth’s plate. Maybe Gnolom’s plate opens the safe just as it opened this room.”
Before Dorange could respond, he raised his righ
t hand to his right ear where his comlink was inserted. “What’s going on, Captain?” he asked with urgency. He waited a few more seconds. “What’s going on?”
After getting a response, he listened intently for a few minutes. “Very well, Captain.” He then looked at Major Washantu. “Keep Adrian here and retrieve the plate from the door. Wait until I return. I’m going to the surface. Something is wrong.”
*****
Sage had done his best to disguise his voice with the static from the comlink, but deep down, he knew that Dorange wasn’t convinced. He quickly ran to Skip, who was still checking for Gnol survivors. He told Skip where Bantyr was hidden and to get Jennifer and go there.
The two then ran toward the Pyramid of the Sun and entered. Just behind the entrance, they found Jennifer sitting with a plasma rifle clutched in her hands. Her back rested against the stone wall as she stared ahead in shock. About five feet in front of her was a dead Gnol, one she had shot right between his eyes, his face blown apart from the blast.
Skip knelt down, touching her on the shoulder. Startled, she tried to point the rifle at him. “Shh,” Skip said as he grabbed the rifle before she could point and fire in her shock. After wrestling the rifle away, Skip comforted her and helped her to her feet.
“W-where are we going?” she asked, delirious.
“It’s okay,” Skip said softly. “We’re going somewhere safe. Somewhere where there aren’t any Gnols.” He then placed his hands over her shoulders and guided her out of the pyramid.
Sage watched for a few seconds after they left before turning his attention back to the inside of the pyramid. Slowly, he followed the corridor that Eli and his team had marked that led to the hidden staircase. The further into the corridor, the darker it became. Sage, however, wanted to avoid using a flashlight, so he walked slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness. As he neared the wall that was blown away to reveal the staircase, he raised the plasma rifle he had taken from a dead Gnol.
As he stepped onto the first platform, the ancient staircase squeaked and cracked. He froze, hoping Dorange and his major didn’t hear it. He listened in the darkness for a few seconds before proceeding. The air was still and the silence deafening, causing his stomach to churn. He had no idea how far below ground Dorange was. He had to ready himself for any surprises.
Now confident, he took a few more steps, trying to keep them light enough so the ancient wood wouldn’t squawk at him. He managed to make his way down another flight before stopping on another platform, when he saw a light coming up from below. He froze and backed into the corner of the staircase, his back resting against the cold stone of the shaft. The darkness enveloped him like a cocoon.
His senses were on high alert, knowing that he had to be at his best just in case the man behind the light approaching from below was Dorange Gar. As the light ascended up the staircase, the squeaks and creaks of the aged wood echoed up the stone shaft. Sage calmed his breathing and waited patiently. The light grew brighter as the man behind it finally stepped on the same platform. Sage just hoped that he was hidden enough in the darkness.
Unfortunately, the light flashed right over his head. Dorange immediately flashed the light back onto Sage’s face. Reacting quickly, Sage extended his free hand to grab Dorange in an invisible grip. He then raised the rifle and turned on its light, blinding Dorange momentarily and causing him to drop his own flashlight.
After Dorange’s eyes adjusted, he stared at Sage with a haughty smirk on his face. Sage could feel the invisible force holding Dorange in place with no interference from Dorange, indicating to Sage that Dorange wasn’t resisting.
Since Adrian was at the bottom of the stairwell with the only surviving Gnol besides Dorange, Sage knew what he had to do. It was time for Dorange Gar to die. Gritting his teeth, he began to squeeze the trigger on the plasma rifle pointed directly at Dorange’s head. But for some reason, his finger wouldn’t move. Sage’s eyes darted wildly back up to Dorange, who still had the same arrogant expression on his face. Sage tried again, but to no avail. Then, before one final try, Dorange leapt into action. In an instant, he withdrew his sword. The razor-sharp edge erupted from the hilt and the blue plasma energy snaked around the blade.
Sage tried frantically to parry the attack, but it was too late. With a loud scream, Dorange thrust his sword forward. The blade sliced through Sage’s chest and through his back, before finally ending pierced into the stone wall, impaling Sage onto it. Still conscious, Sage watched as Dorange leaned forward, still holding the sword in place. Dorange’s eyes were wild with pleasure. He then leaned in to Sage’s ear and said, “Traitor.”
Dorange backed away and pulled the sword free. Wet blood, covering the blade, cooked from the plasma energy. With his chest heaving up and down, he lowered the extended sword to his side and watched as Sage slid down the stone wall.
Sage’s last conscious memory was Dorange Gar standing over him in victory and a feeling of hopelessness as he thought, All is lost.
*****
Dorange rushed out of the pyramid, his sword still drawn and clutched in his hand. The heat and humidity of the jungle drowned him as he exited. The sun was bright and high in the sky, causing momentary blindness. He stopped short of the steps that led down to the Highway of the Dead. Once his eyes adjusted, he became enraged.
Sheathing his sword and clasping it on his belt around his waist, he rushed his way down the stone steps, infuriated. He walked past his dead soldiers, cursing them with each step. These were the Gnols he had handpicked, the best of the best. And now, here they lay, mutilated by one rogue Gnol. There has to be someone else or more, he thought as he walked past the bodies of his dead captain and Lieutenant Dresden.
He walked to where the communications tent had been set up. Once inside, he walked over to the communications hub. The station was a small three-foot-by-three-foot table with a glass surface. It was waist high. He waved his hand over the table. The glossy surface flickered on and a virtual keypad appeared. After typing in his access code, the faces of the Gnol military command in the coordinated attack against Earth appeared, twenty in all. He touched the first image of Koroan Chast.
He waited for a few seconds, but nothing happened. Frustrated, he cursed, punching his finger down angrily on his superior’s image. After a few more seconds, the table came alive again, sprouting the 3D holographic image of Koroan Chast.
CHAPTER 14: DESPERATION
Onboard the Raqel II in orbit over Earth . . .
Ariauna Tomwon cradled Calum in her arms, trying to calm him down. Ever since she had taken Calum from Jake and Celeste, he was fussy. Again, guilt flooded her like a dam breaking and drowning an entire community. Had she done the right thing? When this plan was first conceived, Dorange Gar was very convincing. She knew better than to trust Dorange, but her hatred for the Gnols trumped everything she knew and now, recently, even her sensibility between right and wrong.
She looked around the small cell she was being held in. She sat on the bed. Directly ahead of her was another door to a private bathroom. Well, at least they respect their prisoner’s privacy, she thought. There were no other items in the cell besides a monitor on the wall to her left, obviously not for entertainment purposes. To her right was a plasma energy shield that faced into the brig corridor. Directly across the hallway was another prison cell. A dim light emitted from the other cell, and she could see someone lying on a bed. It was Nichelle. This caused the guilt to well even more within her.
Calum squealed again. Ariauna grabbed the bottle she had been using to try and feed the baby. But it was no use. Calum turned his head away from the bottle. It was almost as if he knew what was going on and was reacting angrily toward Ariauna for her treachery.
Frustrated, Ariauna threw the bottle on the cold metal floor and laid Calum with his fit on the bed. She headed for the bathroom. The privacy door slid open and the lights turned on automatically. After entering, the door slid shut behind her, insulating her from Calum�
�s cries, which gave her some relief. She placed her hands under the sink faucet and the cool water began to flow over her hands. She then washed her face. After finishing, she looked into the mirror. She looked tired and old, the stress from years of slavery and the guilt from what she had just done were beginning to take their toll. Her once bright green eyes were now dull and gray. And her red hair, once thick and lustrous, now looked like strings of spaghetti draped over her skull. To make matters worse, she was beginning to feel the side effects of not having the serum, which gave her Gnol abilities, her body obviously experiencing withdrawal.
After leaving the bathroom, her heart skipped a beat, startled. In front of the plasma shield stood a Gnol guard. He was a large, intimidating Gnol. “Take the child,” he demanded as he pressed a button on the control panel on the wall next to him. The plasma shield disengaged, making a humming sound as it did so.
Ariauna quickly swept Calum into her arms. She was grateful because now Calum was asleep, the first time he had slept since leaving Kwajalein. The Gnol grabbed Ariauna by the bicep firmly and guided her down the long brig corridor. As they walked, Ariauna examined her surroundings. She had no idea where she was. Ever since her encounter with Nichelle on Kwajalein, she had not seen or talked with Dorange. When the Gnol ship picked her up, she was taken by one of the pilots into a private cell. With no windows, she couldn’t get her bearings. She only felt the movements of the ship. Her best guess was that the first shuttle she traveled by had docked with a larger ship, a mother ship, and she and Calum were then taken directly to her current prison cell. The entire ordeal caused the guilt to flow thicker like molasses through her body. Something wasn’t right. Was she a prisoner now? And what about Calum? Would Dorange truly use the child to destroy the Gnols and free her people?
Worlds Without End: The Prophecy (Book 3) Page 28