The Crystal's Curse

by Vicky de Leo

  “The other side argued that many Qashurians lives had been saved by first studying the effects on earthlings. No other race had proved to be so closely linked. They weren’t willing to give up the possible advances in medicine that could yet be made. As a compromise, the government set up a commission called the Watchers, who would monitor earth and make recommendations for balancing the humane treatment of earthlings, and the requirements of the scientific community of Qashur. The EA did not feel this was sufficient, but with no public backing, they had no choice but to agree. However, they continued to work behind the scenes.

  “In the early 1900s I was stationed on the Skylight space station as a field agent for the Watcher Commission. I made several trips to earth, where I learned to love, and respect earthlings as an intelligent species. When I realized that the recommendations we were making were not being put into practice, I quietly became a member of the EA.

  “In the 1960s, when it became apparent that earth was well on their way to developing their own space travel, the EA learned that the government of Qashur had decided it was time to take over earth. They didn't put it to a vote, and only a handful of people knew their intent. We in the EA knew we had to take action. I was put in charge of a small group. Kafra, a doctor who had seen the devastation Qashur had inflicted on earthlings first hand, was the first to join my team of insurgents. Next, I recruited Remnr and Demitri, who were engineers. They oversaw the construction of portals and hated how their work was being used. I knew I needed a specialist in computer technology. The EA provided Cnoc’s name. Kubal, who had been a member of the EA for a long time, was in charge of security. I was the history expert with actual experience living with earthlings.

  “After months of planning, the six of us stole all eighteen of the power crystals then in existence. We beamed down to earth. Each of us took three crystals and surged to a different advanced civilization in earth’s past. I went to Mesoamerica, Kafra went to Egypt, Cnoc to China, Demitri to Greece, Remnr to Rome, and Kubal went to Assyria. We left a note saying that if the Qashurian government made any moves to take over the earth, we would share Qashurian technology with past earth civilizations. We would make sure the people of Earth would be prepared to defend themselves from any aggression.

  “After we used the portals, we destroyed them, in the same way that I destroyed the one you used, so no one could follow us or know exactly where we were.”

  Maria’s said, “You left your home, your friends, your way of life, just to protect us?”

  Lrence shrugged. “I and the others felt strongly that what my people were doing was wrong. It was the only way to make it stop.”

  Sam said, “It must have been hard to blend in or be accepted in those primitive societies.”

  “We had no choice but to live among the people we selected until we could build new portals. You can imagine that as a tall blond man among a dark skinned race, I stood out. I picked Mesoamerica because it was the civilization with which I was the most familiar. However, it was impossible simply to blend in, as you say. I had expected to face some hostility as an outsider. What I didn’t expect to be hailed as a God. These primitive people were kind, loving, and generous. I came from a race of monsters and they worshipped me.” Lrence shook his head in disgust.

  “The hard part was not doing everything I could to make their lives easier. I tried to be a good influence without changing their basic way of life. They helped me construct the portal that you discovered. Once the portal was finished, I surged to real time and settled in Boston. I began teaching Mesoamerican History at the college.”

  Sam interrupted, “I took every history class there I could find. I don’t remember you.”

  “I was probably in retirement. A longer life span requires that I reinvent myself periodically. I took a few years off to travel. After an appropriate time, I came back as a relative who had inherited the house. Continuing with my story, Erik and the men who threatened you have been trying to track us down and take back the power crystals for the last forty years. Once they have all the crystals, then their plans for an invasion can proceed. We surge periodically just to let them know we’re still here, and the threat is still a valid one.”

  “How do they track you?” asked Sam

  “They can’t track us or the crystals directly. However, each time a portal is used, the power surge registers on instruments at the station. They can tell that a portal exists within a five-mile radius. Then they send agents down to find the exact location of the portal. If they can locate it, they can read the coordinates that will tell them exactly where and when the person transported, or they can just wait and see if the person surges back to the same portal to apprehend them.

  “Because we destroyed the original portals, they didn’t know where or when any of us were. When we surged from portals we created in the past, even if they could locate the portal in real time, they couldn’t tell where in the past we were. You may have noticed that the crystal surges with you. It doesn’t remain in the machine. They must find the person who is surging to get their hands on the crystal.”

  Lrence got up and stretched, walking around the room

  “Why are you telling us all this?” Sam asked, still somewhat skeptical.

  Lrence turned to face him. “Because I want you to know what you’re up against. These men have no regard for your lives. They won’t quit looking. You must understand that in order to survive,” he said emphasizing each word.

  “You appeared in the room behind the guard. You didn’t appear inside the portal. How did you do that?” asked Maria.

  Lrence sat back down. “You can set a portal to transport you to any time or place. You don’t need to surge into a portal, but once you reach a destination that doesn’t have a portal, the crystal can only return you to the portal you just left. You must have a portal to set new coordinates. This is why the agents often just wait for you to reappear.”

  “To cover your tracks, you have to destroy the portal?”

  “Unless you are surging into the past, then you have time to change the coordinates before they can locate the portal in real time, or someone else helps you and changes the coordinates. We’ve also tried really hard to build portals in areas where they are difficult to find.”

  “Have they ever recovered any of the stolen crystals?” asked Maria

  “Unfortunately, yes. As I said, in the beginning there were six of us. We don’t know what happened to Kubal. Before we left, we agreed to meet periodically. Kubal never showed up. We have no idea if the Watchers found him. We do know that they recovered at least three of the crystals from Cnoc,” he answered.

  “You talk about surging into the past, can you also surge into the future?” asked Maria.

  “Yes, it is possible to surge to the future, but we found it was of no real value. The future is fluid, ever changing depending on the decisions and actions that are being made in real time. Since it takes a great deal more energy to surge to the future, it was considered a waste of energy and eventually discontinued.”

  “You’ve explained who you are, how you got there, and why those guys want the crystal so badly, but I still don’t understand how you knew we were in trouble,” persisted Sam.

  “I still have EA contacts on the station. One of them notified me of Erik’s plans. She also provided the distraction I needed to be able to rescue you,” he replied.

  Sam got up and began pacing, trying to digest all that Lrence had told them. After a bit, he turned back to Lrence and asked, “Joshua said that he found a rock and inserted it into the portal before he was transported. I’m assuming it was a crystal like the one you handed us. However, if the crystals are not natural to this planet, where did he get one?”

  “I think I know, but I would prefer to wait to answer that until we can talk with your son. It’s been a long day and I’ve given you a lot to think about. You must be tired. Let me show you to the guest room. In the morning, after you are rested, we’ll go get your s
on and then we can decide how to keep you all safe.”

  Lrence stood. They followed him upstairs to a spacious room with a king sized canopy bed. Heavy red damask curtains, matching the bedspread, covered the windows. Reading lamps stood on side tables flanking the bed. Lrence went into the room and indicated a second door to the private bathroom. “I’ll bring you some of my pajamas for now,” he offered.

  After Lrence had gone, Sam took a long hot shower, put on a pair of the pajamas, and lay down on the bed thinking while Maria took a hot bath. She emerged wearing only the tops of the pajamas with the sleeves rolled up and climbed into bed next to him. “He was very convincing. Do you believe him?” she asked.

  “Actually I do, but I’m still not prepared to trust him completely. I have been lying here thinking. What if it is just a ruse to get us to trust him, lure Josh here, and get the crystal?”

  “And I was thinking, what if all that he said was true? If we give the crystal to Lrence, how does that protect us, or Joshua? We know too much for Erik‘s group to leave us alive. I wonder what Lrence’s plan is.”

  “Well, we’re not just going to hand over Joshua or the crystal and hope. We’re going to need some guarantees.”

  Maria sat up. “Sam, I just realized Lrence already knows where Joshua is. I let it slip when I tried to go get him to come with us.” Her eyes were wide with fear.

  He sat up as well and turned her to face him. “You’re right, but that’s good news because it means that we can trust Lrence to some extent. If all he wanted was Joshua and the crystal, he could have killed us by now and gotten it. The fact that we’re still alive means that at least some of what Lrence said is true. The first thing we do tomorrow is talk to Joshua. Once we know he’s safe, then we’ll listen to what Lrence has planned. I feel sure that Joshua is safe for now, so let’s get some sleep. We will need it in order to think clearly tomorrow.”

  It wasn’t easy getting to sleep. They both had too much on their minds, but finally exhaustion took over.

  Downstairs Lrence was communicating with his contact. “What does Erik think happened?” he asked.

  “Well, he knows that they didn’t have a power crystal, and he knows that there were two surges from that portal. He’s confident an insurgent helped them. No one else could have overpowered the guard and he doesn‘t think the son could figure out how to work the crystal to return.”

  “That’s good. I was afraid that they would think the son came back for them. What did you do to distract them? Are you in any danger?”

  “No, I called Kafra and had her do an unprotected surge seconds before you. The agent on watch called Erik to report it. Since they’ve already looked for her portal before, they probably won’t go running to investigate, but it creates doubt about who is helping.”

  “Excellent, maybe we can still cast the son as an innocent.”

  “How? Once they scan him, they’ll know he surged.”

  “I’m hoping to perfect the antidote now that we have someone to test it on.”

  “Is that wise? Why not just relocate the son and his parents?”

  “What kind of a life will he have on the run?”

  “The more people you involve, the more dangerous it becomes for you.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “You almost died last time. Please be careful.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  When Sam and Maria woke, they went downstairs to find Lrence making breakfast of ham, scrambled eggs, and toast.

  “Please sit down and eat, we don’t have much time. I’ve been thinking about how to save Joshua. Here’s my plan for this morning. Sam, I‘d like you to come with me. We’re going to buy one of those untraceable cell phones. I’d like you to call your father and Joshua. Arrange for them to meet us in some place out of the way. Then I’ll bring them here in my car. I’ve tried to think of some place we could meet other than here, but as you know, it will take some time to explain and we can’t be seen together. I don’t want there to be any connection between them and me, or this house that can be traced.”

  Sam and Maria filled their plates and sat down at the table. “Why are we involving my father?” asked Sam.

  Lrence filled his own plate and sat down. “Because in the next day or two he’ll be visited by Erik and he needs to know how to respond. I wish we could keep him out of it, but I don’t see how we can. If my plan succeeds, Joshua may be able to stay here and keep on going to school. Your father will need to be aware of the situation so he can protect him.”

  Sam pushed the food around on his plate. “How can I be sure you aren’t just using me to get Joshua and the crystal?”

  “If that’s all I wanted, I would have let you lead me to him last night. Look, if it will make you feel any better, have Joshua hide the crystal some place other than the house or grounds. He doesn’t have to bring it with him.”

  Under those conditions, Sam was prepared to trust him for the moment. However, he was still uneasy about leaving Maria in the house on her own. “Are you sure Maria will be safe while we’re gone?”

  “Yes, they won’t be able to trace her here. I’ll leave the car phone number with her so she can keep in touch with us.”

  Sam nodded. What choice did he have? He wanted to see Joshua and make sure he was okay. While he was hesitant to leave Maria alone, it made sense that being together was even more dangerous. After breakfast, Sam kissed Maria goodbye and followed Lrence to the garage.

  She understood their logic, but wasn’t happy about being left behind.

  Sam sat in the front seat. He slid down where no one could see him while Lrence drove down the driveway and out the gate. A few blocks away, Lrence stopped at a convenience store where he purchased the phone.

  He handed it to Sam. “Wait until we get away from the area to make the call.”

  “Where should I tell them to meet us?” asked Sam

  “Have them go to Harvard. We’ll meet them in the student parking lot.” He pulled over and parked. “I’ll step out of the car so you can give Joshua instructions about hiding the crystal.”

  Sam sat up and dialed the phone. “Hi, Dad. Yes, we just got in. Say, I have a problem. Can you and Joshua meet me at the student parking lot at Harvard in about twenty minutes? I’m sorry to sound so mysterious, but it’s important. I’ll be in a dark blue Lexus. Park and wait by your car. I’ll pick you up. We need to talk some place private . . . No, coming there is probably not a good idea. I’d rather no one knew we were back just yet. I’m going to ask Joshua to give you a crystal rock. Before you go to Harvard, stop by the bank and put it in a safety deposit box that can’t be traced to you . . . No, Dad, I promise it’s nothing illegal. Can I speak to Joshua for a moment? Hi son. Don’t say anything. Just listen. Your mother and I got here the same way you did. The rock that you put into the recess, does it look like a crystal? . . . Okay I want you to give it to Grandpa. He’s going to make sure it’s secure. Then I am going to pick you and Grandpa up. Answer any of his questions truthfully. He needs to know the whole story, and Joshua, some very bad people are looking for you and that crystal, so make sure you aren’t followed. See you soon.” Sam hung up. He opened the door and motioned for Lrence to get back in the car. “They’ll be there in 20 minutes.”

  When the Lexus pulled into the student parking lot, Sam rolled down the window so they could see him. He motioned for Joseph and Joshua to get in back. He reached back to shake his dad’s hand and clapped Joshua on the shoulder. “I’m so glad to see you both. Dad this is Lrence. He’s been helping us. Lrence this is my father, Joseph Carson, and my son, Joshua.”

  From the frown on his face, it was obvious that Joseph was uncomfortable. “What is this all about? Joshua has been telling me that you all transported here from Guatemala?” He emphasized the word ‘transported’ with a sneer.

  Sam turned so he could look Joseph in the eyes. “That’s right. The short story is that we uncovered an ancient transporter during our dig in Gua
temala. Joshua found the power stone that triggered it and found himself in Boston. In the meantime, the people who have been looking for the power stone confronted Maria and I and threatened to shoot us if we didn’t tell them where Joshua and the stone were. Lrence came to our rescue last night and transported us here. Now, we’re in hiding, trying to figure out what to do. If you can accept that much as the truth, Lrence will tell you his story which is much longer and even more unbelievable.”

  Joseph frowned. Sam could see him struggling to accept the explanation. He looked from his son to his grandson. Finally, he sighed and shook his head. “I’ll admit, it all sounds pretty fantastic, but I’ve never known you to lie. Are you sure you can trust this guy?”

  Sam looked at Lrence. “No. But at the moment he’s all we’ve got.”

  Lrence laughed.

  Joseph nodded. “I did as you asked with the stone. Funny thing is I’m pretty sure I’ve seen one just like it. My brother Harry used to carry a similar stone.”

  Lrence met Joseph’s eyes in the rear view mirror. “Not merely similar, probably the exact same stone. You see I knew your brother.” He refused to say anymore until they reached the house.

  Maria threw herself at Joshua, hugging him tightly. “Oh son, let me look at you. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, Mom.”

  She held on to his hand as Lrence led them all back into the living room. Lrence told his story again to Joshua and Joseph. When he got to the end, he asked, “Joshua where did you find the crystal?

  “Buried under a rock near my tent.”

  Joseph turned to Sam. “You believe this?”

  Sam shrugged. “All I know we watched Joshua disappear. Last night we were in Guatemala being held at gunpoint when this guy shows up out of nowhere, hands us a crystal and in a matter of minutes, we arrived here. The transporter is real. His explanation for how it got there makes as much sense as any I can come up with.”