Jhahnahkan complied and stepped over to Kate and kissed her on the forehead, squeezed her hand, and reassured her that he would be back shortly. Kate lifted her head slightly off the pillow and faked a smile back at him, and as she gave him a wink, she rested her head back down and closed her eyes. Jhahnahkan couldn’t hold back the tears any longer; as he turned to leave the room, he wept openly.
Jhahnahkan paced the floor for a time, and then he sat in one of the chairs and placed his hands on his head. He waited for what seemed like hours, but was in reality only forty minutes, before the doctor came back out. The doctor pulled up a chair and sat next to him holding a clipboard.
“I’m afraid Kate will need surgery. We will have to transport her to the main hospital at Rosemont. I just don’t have the qualifications to perform the surgery here.”
“Where was the bullet lodged?” Jhahnahkan choked back as he wiped the tears from his eyes.
“The bullet grazed her uterus, but we can’t find the bullet. We can see the path of entry, but there is no exit wound.”
“Are you certain, Doctor? No bullet?”
“Yes, there is no bullet. Strangest thing too. Never seen anything like it,” the doctor said while stroking his chin. “At this point, we’re going to have the surgeon open her up and repair any damaged organs and make sure there isn’t any internal bleeding.”
“Can I go with her?”
“I am afraid not. There just isn’t enough room in the ambulance. You’re going to have to make your own way there.”
“I want to see her,” Jhahnahkan said sternly.
“Of course,” the doctor said as he motioned the way. “Follow me.”
The two entered the room where Kate was resting. Jhahnahkan looked at her lifeless-looking body lying on the table. He looked up at the doctor with a worried look on his face. “What is wrong with her? Why is she not awake?”
“We had to sedate her to make her more comfortable. Don’t worry, she’s going to be fine. We’ll take good care of her.”
The ambulance technicians came into the room and transferred Kate to their gurney, strapped her down securely, and wheeled her off to the emergency exit where the ambulance was waiting to take her to the Rosemont Hospital across the county.
Jhahnahkan stood outside the Phillmore Hospital and watched as the ambulance began to drive off with full lights flashing and its sirens blaring. As the sounds of the sirens faded with each passing moment, he turned and began to walk in the opposite direction where he could find a secluded place to open up the vortex. He needed to be with Kate, but he also needed to return to his friends and let them know what was happening. He turned down a dark alley and walked partway down and out of sight of the street. He looked around to ensure he was alone as he reached into his cloak and pulled out the crystal from within.
As he closed his eyes to concentrate on the crystal, he couldn’t keep his mind off Kate. His inability to focus prohibited him from opening up the vortex. He started to see images of his experiences at the council chamber just before he left for the Crystal Caverns. He saw the images of the old woman and smiled as he now understood who she was. Then he remembered unrolling the scroll and saw the printed words that were written. Jhahnahkan concentrated even harder to open the vortex, but his mind was still occupied not only with Kate and his concern for her health but also of images that continued to pour into this mind. He again saw his father as he began stepping out of the vortex when he was returning to the council chamber and then watching his father being murdered by his brother as he was pulled back into the vortex.
Then he began to hear a voice in his head, a voice that was so very familiar to him.
* * *
Earth
Helen’s Place
Year: 1983
Helen and her two new companions sat around the fire pit as they watched the fire dwindle down to coals. All that was left were the hot embers that gave off a red glow under the night sky. Dawn was only a few minutes away as they had been awake for hours waiting for any news from Jhahnahkan. Helen continued to hold the small green crystal fragment in her hands. She held her eyes closed and concentrated on trying to understand the infection that had overtaken the crystal.
Glenda and Rex sat close together with a blanket wrapped around them to keep them warm. Rex had a new look on his face. He had a new sense of purpose and felt, for the first time in a very long time, good about himself. Glenda, also feeling a sense of well-being, sat quiet with her eyes closed. She was concentrating with the old woman and on the crystal as if she was trying to help Helen gain the knowledge that she sought.
“Glenda,” Helen spoke, “what is it you seek?”
“I only wish to be of help, ma’am.”
“We all can help,” Helen replied. “You must understand that you and I have more in common than you may think.”
“I can sense a connection,” Glenda said with her eyes still closed.
“Good, feel the presence of the crystal. Concentrate on the fragment. Convey to it that you want to help,” the old woman instructed.
“Yes,” Glenda said, “yes, I feel the connection.”
“Rex, you too can help. Just open your mind. Feel the connection like Glenda has.”
Rex began to concentrate with his eyes closed. Tears started to well up under his eyelids, and then a tear fell down his left cheek. He held Glenda closer to him as he continued to weep softly.
“I’ve never felt this way before. I don’t know what’s coming over me,” he said softly.
“Just let the emotions loose, Rex. You are ready to make the connection. Keep focused on the crystal and what the ailment is deep inside.”
As the sun rose over the horizon, the three became even more connected. The sun shone down on the crystal, and all at once, they were enveloped by a shimmering green-and-white light that sparkled all around them. They were all transported, within their minds, to a brilliantly lit place of dazzling luster. The place was so real-looking to the three that they all let out a gasp as they stood together in the center of what appeared to be a sphere. They each stood in the sphere facing the center. In the center of the place they were standing was a green iridescent shape that formed before them. Helen reached out and touched the shape and then withdrew her hand.
“You must understand,” the crystal said in a deep-sounding voice, “we mean no one harm. It is only good we wish.”
“We know,” Helen answered. “We know the crystals have been infected. We wish to understand what it was that happened so we can help you.”
“You must know that it has been a very long time. I do not understand how you are able to reach me. The corruption that had taken over this shard has now begun to leave, but there is so much you do not understand about us.”
Glenda and Rex gazed in awe at the experience that was happening. They both couldn’t quite understand what it was they were really seeing.
“It is the pure minds of the Terrens that has begun to cleanse this fragment, and the center of this crystal is where my essences resides. I am now being released from the imprisonment of the infection,” the entity projected with its mind.
“Of course,” Helen exclaimed, “that is why the pure crystal chose this place to bring us—to discover the pure power of the untrained mind of our ancestors.”
“Your ancestors?” Glenda said with confusion.
“Listen closely, my friends,” the fragment said.
Glenda, Rex, and Helen all continued to concentrate on the small crystal.
“Let me tell you the secret of the crystal,” the entity said.
“Go on then,” Helen answered with curiosity. “Tell us what it is you would have us know.”
The entity continued, “We are many, but we are one. We are all connected, yet separate.”
“What do you mean?” Helen asked.
“There is one intelligence. We reside in many crystals, all interconnected.”
“Yes,” Helen said, “I am beginning to
understand.”
The voice of the entity began to sound weakened and diminished as the infection inside the crystal left.
“I am dying,” the crystal tried to convey. “The infection kept me alive. Without that, we will die. My essence will leave this fragment. You must find a way to remove the infection without harming us. It has been so long. I do not know how to remain here without it.”
Helen jumped back and opened her eyes and saw the green glow of the crystal slowly fade. “No,” she exclaimed, “you must not die. We need more information.”
Glenda and Rex both opened their eyes and gazed upon the diminishing crystal and began to cry with sorrow.
“No,” Glenda and Rex both said. They came over to Helen and touched the crystal and helped cup the crystal fragment. The fragment was not completely dim; there remained a slight glow, but it was very faint.
“It is still alive,” Helen said. “It is very weak. We must find a way to keep it alive and to restore its health.”
“Heat!” Rex suddenly exclaimed. “It needs to be heated!”
Rex took a log out of the fire, which still had glowing embers. He picked up a pointed stone from the ground and carved out a place just large enough to place the fragment in. Helen, now understanding what Rex was doing, placed the fragment on the carved log and covered the top with more glowing embers from the fire. The glow of the fragment slightly increased but was still not the full brilliance that it once was.
Helen began to concentrate once again on the fragment but was not able to make complete contact with the entity. “I know it is not well, but I think the heat is helping, Rex.”
Glenda leaned over the glowing log and let some of her tears drop down into the glowing embers. The tears made a sound of liquid being dribbled on a hot frying pan as steam rose up. The three of them could smell the steam as it rose into the air.
“I wanted to let the entity know that we cared for it,” Glenda said as she continued to sob.
“Yes,” Helen said, “it knows. It is fighting to remain alive.”
“That’s about all we can do for now,” Rex said.
“We need to keep close to it so it knows we are still here,” Helen said.
“Somehow I think it will be all right,” Glenda said.
“You are learning to reach into your feelings, both of you,” Helen said, looking at the two.
Glenda and Rex looked into each other’s eyes and saw the tears. They embraced and wept on each other’s shoulders for the injured entity. Helen joined them and hugged both of them as they continued to concentrate on helping the fragment return to full health.
They returned to the fire pit and fed the fire just enough to keep the glowing embers burning.
Glenda turned to Helen and asked, “What did you mean when you said ‘Your ancestors’?”
“Well,” Helen answered, “I think it is time you knew.”
Rex sat by the fire and stirred the embers with a stick. “I think I know what you’re about to say. It’s something Jhahnahkan said to me when I first picked him up.”
“We are related, my dear,” The old woman said. “We all come from the same place. Long ago, our descendants came from the fourth planet. They fled to this planet after they destroyed their world. The wars never really quite finished, and it was decided that the two factions would separate so they would never destroy another world again. We left here and eventually made our new home on Ackturra. Have not you wondered why we look so much alike?”
“The thought did cross my mind,” Glenda said.
“We kept the knowledge of the ancients while this tribe chose to leave those teachings behind. Afraid that they would not be able to use them wisely, they abandoned the knowledge forever. When we found the crystals and started to use them, we advanced our technology, and that is who we are today—until the Zelinites came and tried to take the crystals away and use them for evil. They decided that if they could not have them, then we could not either. In their evil, they thought that if they infected the crystals, we would freely give them up and would not want them any longer, but their plan backfired. We wanted them even more. The infection within the crystal would also infect us, but I was never infected. My crystal was not infected. I still do not understand how that came to be, but we must try to repair the damage our enemy has done, to restore the crystal to its natural state and correct this wrong.”
* * *
Ackturra: Year 2983
High Council Camber
“Brother, oh, brother,” Jhovahkan said as he sat on the floor of the council chamber, “brother, I know you are out there. I know you can hear me, my brother. I will find you. I murdered our father. You saw that. I know you did. Come back my, brother. Return to the council chamber, and we will make it right.”
The familiar echoes of Jhovahkan’s voice pierced the mind of Jhahnahkan as he tried to focus on creating the vortex. Jhahnahkan’s mind continued to drift on thoughts of Kate, but they were overtaken by the sound of his brother’s voice. He is trying to find me, Jhahnahkan thought. I must limit my use of the crystal or he will find out where I am.
Jhahnahkan put the crystal back inside his cloak and went back out to the street to try and find a ride to Rosemont Hospital. He couldn’t stay away from Kate any longer.
* * *
Chapter 9 – The Zelinite
Crytore Brige
Year: 2983
Tamika called down to the engineering room once again, “I need a status on your situation.”
“We are still venting atmosphere,” the engineer shouted. “We have begun emergency protocols. All team members have put on life suits. We are trying to stop the plasma flow into the engines.”
“Evacuate Engineering and close the forward and rear bulkheads. Isolate that compartment so we can stop the air leak,” Tamika said anxiously.
“Captain,” Lanatek said, “the ship’s hull will not withstand these speeds without shields. We must jettison the core before it is too late.”
“Lanatek,” Tamika said, “take the con. I am going down to Engineering to lend a hand. I suggest we all get into our life suits just in case.”
Tamika left the bridge and began to make her way to Engineering. She knew how the ship was constructed. She understood the urgency of getting back to safe speeds.
Tamika had lost a close friend several years ago in a similar accident where the ship’s engines ran away. Her best friend was on board in the training ground when she heard the cries of that crew as the ship burst apart, causing the plasma core to rupture.
The devastating explosion was seen by many, and the shock wave was felt across many sectors before the wave finally diminished in power. She fully knew what had to be done: eject the core and use braking thrusters to bring the Crytore to a full stop. Only then could the hull breach be repaired. She would have to rely on the crew of the Telenian to circle back for a full rescue. After the core was jettisoned, they would have only backup power that would only sustain them for a few hours and only for critical systems. Tamika reached over to a control panel and pressed a few buttons, causing the gravity units at her current deck to turn off. She could make better time without the constraints of the artificial gravity. She began to float up, turning horizontal to the deck, and pushed off the bulkhead, causing her to fly down the long passage, making her way to the end of the ship where the core was located. She came to the end of the corridor and pressed the button to activate the entrance. The door made a swooshing sound as it slowly rolled open. Tamika stepped over the threshold and into the engineering room. Returning to artificial gravity, she planted her feet firmly on the deck.
“Here,” Engineering Officer Lemus said as he handed Tamika a life suit, “put this on in case these bulkheads collapse under the stress.”
Tamika took the suit and began to put it on. “We will have to go inside the core room to unlock the clamps in order to eject the reactor core.”
“We better make it fast. I do not know how much more stre
ss this hull will take with that breach and no shields,” Lemus said with obvious concern in his voice.
The two helped each other with the technical aspects of the life suits. They were bulky looking with the air packs on the front that were integrated into the suit. This prevented the need for air hoses that could get caught on objects. Each arm had a control panel fully equipped with a small view screen for communication as well as various other buttons that controlled the other functions of the suit. The helmet was equipped with a heads-up display that could be used to tie into the main ship’s computer systems. Once they were properly outfitted, they entered the air lock and sealed the door behind. The engineering crew that remained outside the air lock controlled the air pressure needed to equalize the air lock to the leaking atmosphere in the main core room. The door made no sound as it began to roll open, allowing them access. Lemus exited first followed by Tamika, who turned and faced the crew that was looking on through the special glass that isolated the core room from the engineering control room. She gave them a thumbs-up, which signaled them to seal off the air lock behind them.
“Lemus,” Tamika ordered, “you know what we have to do.”
Lemus gave her a nod and headed to the first locking clamp on the left side of the core while Tamika made her way over to the right side of the core to the second clamp. As she traversed her way, she looked up at the gaping hole in the ship’s hull.
“Well, I see the problem,” Tamika said, pointing up. “That must have been when we rammed the Zelinite destroyer. Guess our shield generator needs a little adjustment to prevent that from happening again.”
They both arrived at their target clamp and opened the control access panel, which revealed a set of indicator lights that glowed green and had a silver ring positioned on the end of a cylinder that was slightly recessed below the indicators. They each began to manually release the core locking clamps by first grabbing the ring and pulling up until the first green indicator changed to yellow. Then by turning the ring counterclockwise ninety degrees, the indicator would then change to red. The final step was to push the ring back down flush with the cylinder, finally turning the second indicator light to red.
Secret of the Crystal - Omnibus Edition Books 1-3 (Time Travel Adventure) Page 14