Secret of the Crystal - Omnibus Edition Books 1-3 (Time Travel Adventure)

by Larson, Brian K.

  “Very well… but I take no responsibility for any…”

  “…If I wish your opinion, we will ask for it… until then, you will carry out your orders… do I make myself perfectly clear doctor?” Torbik said sternly.

  “Yes, sir.”

  The doctor walked back to his patient to check her progress. He stood at the side console and programed the computer to inject the medicine to bring her back from her artificial coma and turned to his commander, “She is all yours sir… she is fully restrained, but I am sure she will not be going anywhere until her shoulder muscles relax some.”

  Torbik towered over R’ihia as she regained consciousness. Her eyes slowly opened and she focused on several eyes peering back at her. She pressed backward on the table now understanding her predicament and then winced as she put pressure on her shoulder, still sore from being knocked back into place.

  “Are you R’ihia? The first officer of the Kalentun?” Torbik quizzed as he lowered into her face.

  “Yes” she replied still groggy from the drugs.

  “What is your mission?”

  “My mission was to infiltrate the southern fleet and transmit your battle planes back to Jhovahkan…” she said with disdain. “… But now I seek asylum. If Jhovahkan finds out that I have been compromised, he will have me killed anyway… so I seek asylum.”

  The security chief and first officer both looked at each other with skepticism.

  * * *

  The Crystal Forge

  Year: 2983

  Jhahnahkan continued to hold his crystal sphere with both hands over his head. Electricity crackled around his hands and down all the way to his forearm, circulating little sparks that dissipated into the air. His eyes were closed and all of his tears he mourned for the loss of his friend had all but dried on his cheeks. He didn’t want to wipe them away in fear that he would forget what Rex had done here today. He wanted

  to remember the sacrifice, the heavy price that had to be paid in order to save the timeline.

  The Entity still showed his presence and had lowered to their level as he raised his finger in the air to speak, “Jhahnahkan…” he said softly. “Jhahnahkan…” he said once more only with a slightly louder tone, “you cannot rid yourself of the draw the Rune has over your essences…”

  Jhahnahkan lowered his arms slightly and the brilliance that shown from the crystal sphere reduced. The sparking across his hands and arms nearly gone now, he opened his eyes and faced the entity.

  “I needed to try,” Jhahnahkan said. “Plus I needed to draw some power from the crystal… Tamika’s crystal does continue to draw me further and further from this place.”

  Sam jumped up and tended the settings on Jhahnahkan’s headgear. “I was afraid of that.” He exclaimed.

  “I hate it when you begin sentences that way,” Jhahnahkan said, giving him a smirk.

  “The power level on the collar is wearing down. It was built to last days before recharging, but being this close to the Rune has caused the device to work harder…”

  “How long before it goes completely out?” he said looking over his shoulder trying to get a look at Sam’s face.

  “I’d say about two or three hours at best.”

  “Then we had better get moving.”

  The group all tried to suppress their feelings and gathered all of their supplies while Jhahnahkan addressed the entity one last time. “Where will I find the Rune?” he asked with sincerity. “We must go now and face it…”

  “Are you sure you are ready Jhahnahkan?”

  “I have to be ready… I have what I came for,” he said coldly. “…I now must avenge the death of my friend and restore order as leader of Ackturra!”

  “You haven’t trained your crystal sphere… you must understand what it is capable of doing…”

  “… I will learn as I go…” he assured the entity, “I have enough emotion and adrenaline to work this new powerful crystal…”

  “We are all entreating you do Jhahnahkan…” the entity said as he began to fade down into the silver pool from where it originated. “By the way… Rex’s essence is with us… his mind is not as fully developed as yet, so he will not be able to communicate directly with you… but we understand him… he knows where he is… and he is happy.”

  Jhahnahkan bowed down on his one knee and thanked the ancient one for his assistance as the fountains all stopped, returning the pool to stillness as they had seen when they first had arrived.

  “Gather around everyone…” he motioned. “We’re going to the Rune…”

  * * *

  The Kalentun

  Year: 2983

  Kate, Luanren, and Qiaoshan were all restrained on tables by an energy field in the Kalentun’s medical bay, while Jhovahkan stood nearby with an assistant. They all tried to peer over at who was standing with him but neither of them could lift their heads up high enough to fully see.

  “What’s he doing?” Kate asked quietly.

  Shhhh my dear, Luanren thought directly to Kate. Do not talk… Qiaoshan and I are in communication telepathically… Just follow our lead… we have blocked his mind from us, so far… as you know, I am immune to the Rune effect… I believe you will be too… she thought continuing to look over at her step son, It is something that Sam was trying to tell me when he was testing my blood and my DNA strain… he believes that I carry a rare gene that is preventing the Rune from affecting me… Milanaka carries the same gene but Jhahnahkan does not… the doctor feels that the gene skipped a generation and your child may have it… if he does, it has passed into your blood stream and you should be safe.

  Not being able to stay quite any longer. “That’s a relief… what about Qiaoshan?” she blurted out. “Wait… you said he?”

  “What is that my dear?” Jhovahkan said turning toward his guests. “Excuse me, did you say something?” he said displaying an insane smile.

  She cleared her throat a couple of times, “My mouth is dry Jhovahkan, mind if you give us all a little water?” trying her best to cover up her mistake.

  “Not at all my dear…” he said turning to his assistant giving her instructions, “Do please attend to our guests,” he said stepping aside revealing Ghaia standing with him, “Won’t you mother dear?”

  Luanren gasped at the site of this wicked woman. She could hardly stand being in the same room with her before and now being her captive was all too much.

  “What are you doing alive you withered old piece of leather.” She spat at her.

  “My dear Luanren…” she replied cynically. “So good to see you again as well… what’s that you say? Oh right… I am very much alive thanks to your daughter… she pulled me from the falls… I guess I owe you some gratitude for birthing her after all.”

  “Son…” Qiaoshan said, “there is still time to change your mind… do you not see the evil this Rune is? Stand with us and fight it son… that is the only way to restore the timeline.”

  “You fool…” Jhovahkan said with passion,

  “Do you not see the benefit of working with the Rune… its very powerful… once you are infected, you will all understand why we are unable to resist its power.” He handed Ghaia a syringe full of the yellow thick Rune matter. “Won’t you do the honors my mother?”

  “Why certainly, my son.” She said taking the syringe from his cold hand. “Now the question is begged…” she said smiling at each one. “Who shall be first?”

  “I shall!” Luanren said bravely.

  “Oh no, no… I think not madam… you should be the last one… wouldn’t it be much more fun to watch as the others were infected so you could see what you have to look forward too?” She laughed.

  “Then pick me,” Kate chimed in.

  “Why, aren’t you the brave one today?” she sneered at Kate.

  She walked over quickly to her side and held the syringe before Kate, “here…” she said shoving the needle up to her eyes, “Take a close look… this is your destiny…” she said waving
the syringe back and forth taunting Kate trying to get a reaction.

  “You will not intimidate me Ghaia.” Kate returned sharply. “Go ahead… infect me… do it!” she yelled as she shut her eyes tight.

  Ghaia waited for a moment letting the anticipation rise within Kate. Then she withdrew and stepped back. “No… you will also see the effect of the Rune… Qiaoshan will be first.”

  She walked up to Qiaoshan and stabbed him in the neck with the needle piercing the force shield that held him in place. He let out a shout of pain as the needle penetrated his skin and into his jugular vein. Ghaia pressed the plunger and injected some of the Rune substance directly into his blood stream.

  “No, my dear Qiaoshan will be first.” She said as she removed the syringe from him. As she removed the needled the shield served as a sterilization barrier making it ready for its next subject.

  “There now my dear… you will begin to feel much better about this in just a few moments.” She said leaning close to his face.

  Qiaoshan’s eyes began to turn the familiar yellow red color, his skin changed and turned grey and his hair transformed to silvery white. He smiled back at the mother of Jhovahkan and began to speak with a slight chuckle, “Well, I can certainly understand your desire to be with the Rune. It is wonderful, I fully understand now.”

  Kate, Luanren thought, Qiaoshan has the infection, he is not resistant. But we have a bigger problem. They will know we are immune when we do not display the same physical attributes.

  Kate attempted to convey an idea back to Luanren, I don’t know if you can understand me

  Luanren, but try to confuse their minds. Plant the thought that they see our appearance change.

  I hear you my dear, Luanren thought back, That is a good plan… we shall try together. She said shutting her eyes. I will lose our connection when I transfer my thoughts over to them. I cannot hold that concentration and convey my thoughts at the same time. It will take too much power. If I had a crystal, I could do both. I will try to reach you again soon enough, just follow along.

  “Come now mother dear,” Jhovahkan said becoming impatient, “Get on with the rest… after all, we have an important appointment to keep.”

  Ghaia stood up and walked over to Kate as she prepared to inject her, “Settle down Jhovahkan… all in due time… We will be with your sister soon enough… allow me to have my fun, will you?” She said plunging the syringe into Kate’s neck and then injected the same amount of Rune matter into her blood and quickly withdrew the needle.

  She watched her eyes and skin turn color and Kate began to laugh whimsically. Satisfied Kate was infected, she turned to her old foe Luanren. She raised the syringe up in the air and thrust it into her neck.

  “There!” she exclaimed. “I have waited a very long time for this… welcome to the fold madam.”

  Jhovahkan and Ghaia watched as they each transformed and displayed the Rune infection symptoms. He pressed the buttons on his control panel releasing the three from their energy restraint.

  The three all sat upright and smiled back at their hosts as Qiaoshan turned to his son and asked, “Are you certain that my dear Ghaia has substantively infected the others?”

  “Of course… you just have to look at them… we are safe to release them… rest assured that I will have no problem killing anyone of them if they become an issue.”

  “Myself included?” Qiaoshan said with an uncontrollable giggle.

  “Why of course my father,” Jhovahkan answered back, “I would not have it any other way.” He smiled. “Come now… let us make ready to teleport… we will be late if we do not get there soon.” He finished reaching into his cloak for his precious power crystal.

  * * *

  The Rune Crash Site

  Year: 2983

  Jhahnahkan’s team exited the vortex a slight distance from the Rune itself. He held his power sphere before him aiming it toward the Rune. The cavern was illuminated by the Rune’s yellow pulsating glow. Lying on the ground close to the Rune structure was an old looking woman with white hair in deep sleep. He looked all around the cavern as they all crouched low in an attempt to conceal themselves.

  “Sam, take your device and set it up just behind those rocks,” Jhahnahkan said pointing at a cluster of large pillars. “Take Glenda with you too… keep her safe. Drakes and Diyra, take positions on each of my flank…Milanaka, you’re with me,” he instructed. “Is anyone feeling strange at all?”

  “It’s the Rune effect,” Milanaka answered, “we all will succumb to its effect very soon… except me of course… I am immune you know.”

  “Yes… we know… that’s why you’re here, remember?” Jhahnahkan said with a cynical tone.

  “I’ll wait for your signal to engage the beam.” Sam said. “But we are running out of time… at the three hour mark, I turn this thing on regardless of what is happening.”

  “How much time is left?”

  “Fifty two minutes,” Sam said checking his chronometer. He took Glenda with him and headed to his assigned location.

  “Noted,” Jhahnahkan said with a nod.

  Drakes and Diyra headed to Jhahnahkan’s flanks to provide crossfire protection in case trouble finds them.

  “Milanaka,” he said placing his free hand on his shoulder, “you’re up… head to the Rune and access that control panel… let’s see if you can reactivate the force shield around that thing.”

  Milanaka looked toward the Rune and then back at Jhahnahkan with a worried look on his face.

  “Don’t worry… I have your back… I will be engaging the Rune… I am sensing intelligence within…”

  Jhahnahkan almost didn’t finish his sentence when he found himself in a brightly silver colored sphere. He looked around at the familiar surroundings and called out to his old friend, “Roth’stavous… are you here?”

  A silver colored figure showed himself to Jhahnahkan. He looked very similar to his grandfather. “Yes… I am here… I must caution you… do not engage with it… Once it knows… it will not stop until it gets what it wants…”

  “My Grandfather,” Jhahnahkan said in the most reverent voice he could muster, “You know what I must do…”

  Roth’stavous stepped back into the brightness of the sphere, “I know… I know you must… Do not fail, Jhahnahkan…” he stepped back further and blended in with the brilliance of the silver sphere, “I must go…”

  Jhahnahkan once again found himself standing with Milanaka.

  “What happened to you?”

  “How long?”

  “How long… what?” Milanaka asked scratching his head.

  “How long was I gone?”

  “If you are referring to the distant stare, about ten minutes,” Milanaka answered.

  “Ok,” Jhahnahkan said, “I think we’re ready now… let’s go.”

  The two cautiously began to approach the Rune.

  * * *

  The Remedy

  Year: 2983

  “Why should we trust you?” Totidaar said. The security chief leaned in close to R’ihia as he asked his question to get a better look in her eyes.

  “I have the frequency cryptographs for finding the northern fleet.” R’ihia said coldly.

  “We are listening…” The first officer said.

  “I get asylum…” she said returning the stare, “You get the codes… very simple.”

  “Done,” Torbik said in haste.

  “Now wait a minute,” Totidaar asked, “A word, sir?”

  The two stepped away from the table from the ears of their captive. “Do you know what you are doing?” Totidaar asked.

  “If what she is saying is true, we could turn the tables on this war right here and right now.” Torbik whispered back.

  “But if she’s lying…”

  “… If she’s lying,” Torbik said, “we just take the information by force.”

  “I like the way you think.” The security chief grinned back. “Doctor, release the prisoner.”<
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  The doctor hesitantly stepped to the medical table’s console, “Are you sure about this?”

  “Do it!” Torbik ordered.

  The field surrounding R’ihia glistened and then disappeared. R’ihia slowly rose to an upright position and swung her legs over and jumped off the table. The Doctor stepped back giving her a wide birth as Torbik and Totidaar approached her.

  They continued to keep eye contact when the countenance suddenly changed on her face. She reared back with a warrior cry and lashed out giving Torbik a side kick in the knee which caused him to fall to the ground. Totidaar swung as she kicked the first officer. She successfully blocked his swing, but with her bad arm causing her to wince in pain. She dove over the table, rolling on the floor she quickly scuttled off the floor and ran to the exit as fast as she could with Totidaar and Torbik hot on her trail. By the time they exited the medical bay behind her, she was nowhere to be seen in either direction down the corridor.

  “Split up!” Torbik ordered.

  Alarms began to ring out alerting the crew of an escaped prisoner. “What in blazes is going on down there?!” the captain shouted over ships com system.

  Half of the security detail followed Totidaar, while the rest followed Torbik down the corridors as they began to search for their prisoner.

  “Sorry sir!” Torbik shouted as he ran down the corridor, “R’ihia surprised us and got away!”

  “Find her at once!” Rivynon commanded.

  “We have this entire deck on lock down sir, she will not get far!”

  “She knows this ship like the back of her hand… do not let her get away!” Rivynon said.

  “Aye Sir…” Torbik panted.

  They continued to search the decks to no avail. R’ihia really did know the ship and was able to elude her pursuers.

  Torbik gave the order to continue searching the entire ship putting everyone on alert.

  As the security teams with the assistance of the entire crew began on all decks, Torbik and the security chief returned to the medical bay where they were called over by Ral.

  “What is it Doctor?” Torbik asked.

  He pointed to a screen on his console of a red flashing beacon. “There,” he said, “there is your prisoner.”