“Zim is going to kill us all. Even you, Stan. Order them to stand down.”
“I can't. His orders outrank mine. And Zim won't kill all of us, James. I have my own plan in place. By the time they release the poison, I and my people will already be gone.”
Admiral Byrd chortled. “So, you knew it was going to happen all along?”
“I did, and long before the attack. You weren't supposed to survive, but you did and I'm sincerely glad of it. My plan now is to take you and,” he gestured toward Brigger, “Com Expert Brigger onto my ship. We’ll leave for another star system in a day or two, away from all of this. I can save some of our race, James, enabling our species to survive.”
“Really?” replied Admiral Byrd. “We would leave Starbase Matrona just like that? Just fly on out of here and say, 'we have a noble cause, so long, kids'? Is that how we serve and protect?”
“You've always been inflexible, James.”
“I may be inflexible, but I don't sell out my own people!”
“The entire human race rests upon your shoulders and you're going to let us fall into extinction because you have some stupid oath to follow? You'll be the downfall of our race, James.” Jenkyns lowered his arms, but kept his palms up to demonstrate compliance. “Just think about what you're doing.”
Admiral Byrd glanced at Brigger. “Do what you can to get the com link working, and get Captain Stripe—”
Jenkyns went for his gun, but before he could pull the trigger a phaser blast sank into his chest. He fell back with disbelief and gazed into Admiral Byrd's eyes, then looked down to see the Fleet Admiral's pistol still pointing at him, a thread of smoke rising from the barrel. He smelled burning flesh and looked d0wn at his chest, oozing blood. His gun dropped to the floor with a clatter and he went limp, falling to the floor, his blank eyes staring. His lungs deflated with one long exhalation before death took him.
Admiral Byrd slowly knelt on one knee, bowing his head and saying under his breath, “You idiot, Stan. Why did you have to pull your gun?” Sorrow filled him as he felt the same emptiness he had experienced while losing Eden. He had just killed someone he had once trusted and considered a brother-at-arms. He checked his old friend's pulse, hoping he was still alive, but there was none.
Abruptly, a clang rang against the door and Admiral Byrd jerked his head up. He slowly stood, then backed behind the ebb desk, knelt, and aimed his phaser at the door.
Another clang caused Brigger to jump and the admiral to crouch with his gun still ready. The admiral glanced around and saw Jenkyns' phaser on the floor near him. He reached over and slid it across the room to Brigger. Admiral Byrd pointed to the wall framing the door and said, “Go over there and stand next to the door. I'll stay here. The door is narrow and they'll have to enter one by one, so they won't see you until its too late.”
Brigger nodded. “Aye, sir.”
Something smashed against the door, budging it. One more hit and the admiral expected it to give. “Get ready, Brigger.”
“Yes, sir.”
Then the door blew apart, flinging chunks of ebb and dust in all directions as voices shouted.
“Fire, Brigger!” yelled the admiral as he pulled the trigger, firing at the doorway.
“I can't see anything!” responded Brigger.
“I don't care! Fire!”
Brigger fired, singeing the hip of a Guard trying to sneak into the room through a dust cloud from the door explosion. The man fell, curling into a ball and shouting profanities, screaming for them to hold their fire.
Admiral Byrd continued to shoot as the dust expanded into the room, thinning enough to allow him to see the outlines of Guardsmen backing away from the door in the hallway and it didn't matter if he hit them or not. Keeping them away from the door right now was the goal.
“Hold your fire, hold your fire!” shouted a woman.
Admiral Byrd ignored the pleas and pulled his trigger, hitting the wall beyond the doorway and stopping any sane person from entering the room. He didn't care how long he had to fire and it didn't matter how cramped his trigger finger would get. He'd shoot until his last breath.
Then the admiral felt a grip on his shoulder that shoved his shooting arm to the ground. The admiral lost his gun, but flipped the assailant over to punch him unconscious when Brigger screamed, “Admiral! Stop!”
Admiral Byrd's eyebrows raised in disbelief. “Brigger?!”
But, before he could hear a response, the admiral felt someone else touching his back. He turned and swung hard, just to be pulled and flipped into a submission hold on his back with legs wrapping around his neck and trapping his arms in a raised position.
“James! Calm down! It's me, Captain Stripe! We have to get you to safety—now!”
∞
Naveya was settled next to a dumpster with her black and white chihuahua snuggled against her bosom, wrapped comfortably within her arms. But suddenly, MiMi's feathery ears stood erect. Something was wrong. She could hear the sounds of a commotion in the distance and poked her head through Naveya's arms, then struggled to break free, wanting to protect Naveya. But because she couldn't free herself, through frustration, she let out a high pitched bark.
“Shh, MiMi,” Naveya whispered. “There's a disturbance in the starbase. You must be calm for me.” MiMi hesitated, but reluctantly stopped struggling, with Naveya tenderly massaging the area between her eyes. “Good girl.”
The Matrona Guards had been running up and down the side streets for days, screaming orders and exchanging fire with the Brigantia and Taranis Guards.
The cycle is ending, Naveya thought, surprised by how quickly it seemed to have come and gone. But, she was hungry, so she lifted a green bag from the ground next to her and rummaged through it on her lap, pulling out some edibles—basil and oregano mixed with sprouted wheat berries. She munched the potpourri of delicious flavors and textures and reflected upon how the life giving nutrients of each kernel of grain had been activated during the germination process. She prepared her food by soaking all of her grains and seeds this way to maximize the food value. Eating this way satiated her appetite longer and made her stomach feel fuller, which was important because she had never participated within the Star Guild system. She had never held a job or owned a home, and was an unmarried woman surviving on her own. Consequently, she was denied access to any benefits while living in Star Guild, especially the Suficells that regenerated their bodies four or five times during a lifetime, depending upon their status. It was a privilege taken for granted by all except the homeless people, who usually starved to death in the streets and alleyways. Hence, she had to eat well, and was looked down upon by society.
And so it was for all in Star Guild, except for Naveya, who did just fine and never seemed to age. She spent most of her time spreading knowledge to the people, whether they knew it or not. She'd do things like anonymously leave a life extending recipe on a counter top to be discovered by a chef. The delicious recipe would be a hit and start a whole new trend, and variations of it would eventually spread throughout Star Guild and be enjoyed by the masses. Sometimes she'd occasionally choose a scientist working on a worthy cause and communicate 'the next step' though various means. Soon after, the latest breakthrough would be announced. But, her favorite activity was to plant knowledge by providing explanations to the mysteries of the Universe and human origins within writing groups on the Uninet, inspiring many books, screenplays, and vid shows. She did this to seed the truth of what was really transpiring with the human race, to help them see through 'the Grand Illusion' being perpetrated upon them without their knowledge or consent.
But, no one knew it was her and she preferred it that way.
MiMi's stomach growled, distracting Naveya from her thoughts, so she affectionately rubbed her companion's soft tummy and said, “I know, I know, I'm sorry, my little reflection of me...we'll get you some food, soon enough.”
It had been a couple of days since she'd been inside of the biosphere to collect
the healing herbs and foods she needed. Her friend, Devon Gray, was nowhere to be found, which worried her. He'd been letting her into the biosphere and she wondered if he was okay, or if he had gotten hurt during what now seemed to be a civil war breaking out.
She shook her head no. She and Devon had developed a bond, so if he had gotten seriously injured or killed, she would feel it. He had always helped her, never asking for anything in return. But, if he did ask, she would open the universe to him.
If he would just ask...she thought.
She looked at the greens and sprouted wheat berries in her hand, which made her smile. “Thank you for your life giving sustenance.” She closed her eyes and blew into her hand, imagining beautiful white light from the universe coming through her and into the food she held. Opening her eyes, she lifted the food into her mouth, chewing each mouthful thoroughly before swallowing.
When she finished, she said, “MiMi, be my eyes, dear.”
MiMi's silky long-haired tail waved erect like a flag in the air. Eagerly, she jumped to the ground, dashed off and scampered around a corner. Meanwhile, Naveya closed her eyes and concentrated until she could see what MiMi was seeing, which consisted of Matrona Guards racing everywhere with phaser guns ready to fire at any given moment. Beyond them, a couple of blocks away and near a park, stood Zim in front of a military hovertank, pointing here and there, dictating orders to a sergeant. And he looked angry—really angry.
Suddenly, he stopped as if something was puzzling him. Then he looked across the way, directly at MiMi. He hesitated, but then looked away, pointing at some buildings and barking orders at his Guard.
Come back, MiMi, said Naveya.
Naveya opened her eyes, thinking she would stay out of Zim's sight, then waited for MiMi and thought about the biosphere. She wanted to get inside of it, not only for food and water, but because her well developed intuition was indicating that she should do so. And she couldn't quite pinpoint the reason why her intuition was being so insistent about it. Her needs weren't immediate, but she knew she had to get in there, and soon.
Where's Devon? She closed her eyes, searching for Devon and wondering if something was wrong, but seemed to be blocked for some reason. She could usually locate him in her mind, but perhaps his energy was low or chaotic, or maybe he had sustained an injury. She pushed the thoughts away, not wanting to imagine her friend experiencing any pain or sorrow.
Instead, she chose to think about her intuitive abilities that were always revealing things to her, although it overwhelmed her from time to time. She took a couple of deep breaths to calm her mind. After the attack, the Sight had warned her, through visions and dreams, that even more terror was on its way. But, nothing was exact, except that it all centered around many deaths. Was it an impending disease?
Her dreams had shown thousands upon thousands of people lying in their beds dying a terrible death, and all along waiting for a cure that never came.
In a few of her dreams, she had asked for the cure. She would dream about a flower overlaid by a leaf, overlaid by roots. This was the cure, but she couldn't pinpoint the exact plant because the images would fade too quickly when she woke up. What color was the flower? What type of leaf? Were the roots fibrous, branched, or an elongated taproot?
She rubbed her stomach, determined to change things. She was here to help. Humans, in her mind and heart, were going to survive the ending of this cycle.
Where's MiMi?
The moment she thought of her, MiMi jumped into her lap and stood on her hind legs and stretched to lick her chin. Naveya scratched her ribs and smiled. “Good girl!”
MiMi excitedly yapped, then gave a low toned bark.
“Not now, girl,” she replied. “Hopefully, we'll see him when we get to the biosphere.” She leaned over and set MiMi on the ground, then stood up. “Let's find a way in, shall we?”
As they walked toward an alley, by habit, Naveya touched a pendant hanging around her neck, rubbing it between her fingers. Then she thought to pull it out of her clothing to look at the carving of two knights mounted on one horse, shields in hand. It was the symbol of poverty for the Knights Templar, a constant reminder that she had sworn an oath to forego all luxuries and to be In Service to Others. She pressed the pendant against her heart, gently squeezing it in her hand. The Knights Templar, an Order of the Melchizedek, meant everything to her.
Coming to the end of the alleyway, she stopped and peered around the corner of a building to see Zim rounding up a dozen Guardsmen near the park. They were chained, so she thought they must be prisoners. He spoke to them, his face animated, although she couldn't hear what he was saying through the noise of explosions in the background.
MiMi released a whine and Naveya snapped her fingers. Instantly, MiMi quit and sat by her foot. “Be my eyes, girl.” Naveya pointed to the alley directly across the street.
MiMi followed her instructions with Naveya watching through her eyes. MiMi sniffed garbage littered around a trash can, then moved on. The alley was shadowy, with only one working light that dimly lit the way. After MiMi took a few more steps, Naveya sensed something wrong. MiMi lifted her nose in the air, detecting something mildly putrid, and cautiously walked along the edge of the alleyway wall, toward the source of the odor.
The sound of phaser fire erupted a few blocks away and Naveya instantly felt a pain in her heart. Death had come. She opened her eyes and looked over at Zim to see his Guardsmen lowering their phasers. The chained prisoners she'd seen earlier were lying dead on the ground. They had been lined up and killed.
Sorrow filled Naveya as she bowed her head, placed both hands over her heart, and prayed for their souls, sending them love. No one had the right to take the life of another–it was Universal Law. These deaths were unjust, cruel, and dark.
Suddenly, anger riveted through her, but it was not her own. Zim was pointing at her while ordering several of the guards to capture her. She didn't understand why he'd single out what looked like an inconsequential homeless woman, until she looked down at her chest. The Knight's Templar pendant was still hanging from her neck for all to see, and even though the inhabitants on Starbase Matrona didn't know what it meant, Zim did.
Cursing her carelessness, she hurried across the street to the alleyway MiMi was investigating. Halfway there, she stopped and visualized the posse of guardsmen wearing heavy weights about their ankles. When she turned around to look at them, she saw them coming to a halt, as though their feet were suddenly mired in mud.
Naveya proceeded into the shadows of the alley and leaned against a wall, pulling her hood over her head as she called to MiMi. In a few seconds, MiMi jumped into her arms and wiggled back to her warm spot between Naveya's breasts. Naveya kissed her, then visualized blending into the darkness to become just another shadow.
“Release,” she whispered, removing the weight from the guards’ ankles.
“This way!” yelled one of them. The Matrona Guard, six in all, ran straight past Naveya. They crossed the street at the other end of the alley, and when Naveya couldn't see them anymore, she emerged from the shadows and set MiMi on the ground.
“Show me,” said Naveya.
MiMi trotted ahead with Naveya following her, the smell becoming very apparent. Naveya knew what it was and loathed what she was about to see, and sure enough, several yards ahead, was the dead body of a woman. It was lying face down in a halo of dried blood and dark body fluids released at the time of death, and there was no way the Guards couldn't have seen the body as they ran past, either by sight or stench. But, they had passed on by anyway, most likely thinking it was the corpse of a homeless person. They had been conditioned not to care or show compassion to anyone but their own superiors and brothers-at-arms.
Naveya determined that the corpse had been laying there for two or three days, then noticed the edges of some papers nearly hidden by the body that was lying on top of them. Gingerly, she pulled them free and read, “The Kill Off”, especially noting the word batrachotoxin,
and that it would be unleashed into the population within the next two weeks.
When she had finished, she muttered, “Alkaloid poison.” There was no known antidote for this, although she maintained the mindset that all illness, disease, and poison had a cure. She decided she'd consult the plant spirits in the biosphere, and quickly patted down the body searching for identification, until she found an I.D. card clipped into the pocket of the woman's pants. She unclipped it and stepped back from the corpse to read the owner's name.
“Savanna Levens,” she read out loud. Her heart sank as she dropped to her knees, not wanting to accept what she had just read. Shaking her head back and forth, she whispered, “No...not Savanna.” After a moment, she extended her hand to touch her, but pulled it back. Offering comfort would do no good now.
Tears welled up in Naveya's eyes. “You were such a brave human being, my friend.”
Savanna had been a dear friend and ally, always keeping it a secret that Naveya was a Templar Knight, as had her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother before her. All had been like family to her, always making sure all of her needs were met and that she had access to the biosphere. With complete trust, they had allowed Naveya a free hand to do whatever she needed, knowing that it was being done for the good of Star Guild.
It had been only two years prior that Savanna had introduced her to Devon, ending the long tradition of assistance from Savanna's line. And it had not been because Savanna had wanted to, but because it had to be that way. Subtle internal struggles were creating changes in the governance and Savanna didn't want to accidentally involve Naveya in any unwanted political conspiracies or crackdowns that had come into play.
Now, able to see the larger picture, Naveya understood that Savanna's decision to send her Devon, in part, must have involved divine guidance. In her mind, there could be no other explanation other than God's quiet way of setting Naveya and Devon's friendship into motion. It had allowed Naveya to continue her work, although, all Devon really knew was to allow her into the biosphere. Who she was, a Templar Knight, wasn't made known to him, but he wasn't one to care. As long as Naveya was safe, healthy, and active, then Devon was happy. Helping others, especially someone as kind and intelligent as Naveya, was right up his alley.
The Veil Rising Page 21