Lost Son

by Marcus Abshire

  Once we were free and no longer bound by the earth I sent to Neal,

  Sentinels were originally just personalized programs. Technology based interaction systems that were used as teachers, mentors and trainers. We were designed to be accessible through certain interfaces, almost like the internet. We were available wherever a young Atlantean had access to an interface module.

  My particular programming was designed around your genetic profile, based on your parent’s personalities.

 

  The particular circumstances surrounding your life and where and when you have grown into adulthood were unforeseen and perhaps led to the, at times, discontent between us. Yet, my purpose is to be a buffer against your natural tendencies to make mistakes. That is rarely easily accepted. It is almost a natural phenomenon for sentinels to rub their charges the wrong way.

  I thought.

  So my existence in a physical form is a unique situation. I was created as a hybrid of technology and a merging of the forces your parents, and now you, wield. That is why I am able to utilize the energy you control. But I was designed with a block on the ability to take a bipedal form. My makers knew the potential for my being used for ill intentions and felt limiting the form I can take would help minimize that risk.

  I asked.

  I trust my maker’s decision. There is no doubt that they had good reasons for my limitations. It was hard to tell, but I swore that I could sense a slight amount of resentment.

  Hopefully I have satisfied your curiosity as to my design, now if you would be so kind as to input the coordinates I give you we can begin on our way.

  I hoped we didn’t have far to go, there was no telling what Kim and Arendiol were dealing with at the hands of the Warlord.

  The controls looked complicated but Neal made it easy. There were dozens of buttons and knobs, all of a strange design that I was unfamiliar with. They had symbols next to them in Atlantean, a language I could speak, but not read. Neal translated and soon we were sluicing through the water, heading towards the place of my ancestors and the home I never had.

  According to Neal we had about three hours before we arrived at the coordinates he gave me. So we had some time to kill. I left him at the helm, going to the back of the craft for a small amount of privacy. We still had our mind link, so I was never truly alone, but it was something.

  I sat down and crossed my legs and began breathing in a slow rhythm, in through my nose, out through my mouth. It quickly had a calming effect that I needed. There was so much that had happened in the last few days that was threatening to overwhelm me and I needed to focus my thoughts for what I was going to do.

  After a while I was able to push the worry over Kim and Arendiol, the fear of what we were heading towards, the uncertainty of all the unanswered questions and the curiosity of who my true family was and what it all meant into a place where I could concentrate fully on exploring my newfound powers.

  Finally, my mind was clear of all the worries, fear and concerns, I was ready to begin.

  It appears that the mechanism for your gathering of energy is similar to the one I utilize in pulling electricity from the air. Neal’s voice was so familiar that its presence within my head didn’t break my concentration.

  Sometimes it helps to use something to focus your thoughts on, something that is familiar and comfortable to allow you a way to ground your mind.

  Without really thinking about it, I reached back and instinctively pulled my sword from its sheath, holding it in one hand as it lay across my lap. Its weight was something I had become so comfortable with over the years it felt like an extension of my hand, as if it were a part of me.

  I took a few more moments of tranquility and then slowly, ever so slowly reached inside myself, finding the newfound ability I possessed. It was still very weak, but I realized that it wasn’t weak in reference to power, it was about control. I knew I could draw untold amounts of power to myself, but it would be wild and dangerous. It was like a large faucet that I could turn on, but it wasn’t useful. I had to find a way to control it, to mold it, that is where its strength really lied.

  I tentatively began to draw power, and felt it flow into me. I felt a growth of energy, as though I could easily lift a car and throw it.

  Neal’s link with me allowed him to feel what I felt, or at least to perceive what was happening.

  You must be careful with the power, it can enhance your strength and speed, but your physiology is still the same. You could lift a truck, but your bones would not be able to hold it.

  I heard him, and filed the information away. I felt the energy grow and a small spike of fear shot through me, afraid I was going to lose control of it. I gripped my sword tighter, using it to focus my thoughts. I concentrated on the sword, its design was simple, but the metal was strong and it shined with a mirror’s finish, although it had a blue tinge to it. It started to glow and for a second I didn’t know what was happening when I realized my focus had channeled the energy into the blade, giving it an unknown power.

  I felt the release of my pent up energy, it flowed out of me into the sword in a constant rate. I soon held no power but could sense the energy radiating off my sword. I held it up, amazed at what I had done.

  Careful, that sword is now infused with your power, I am not sure what it would do if you were to strike it on something, I do not want to lose our mode of transportation.

  I heard him, but didn’t answer. I just stared at the metal as its radiance filled the small area where I sat with a deep blue glow. After what seemed like five minutes it began to dim, as the energy eventually left I lost my deep focus and all the minutiae of my surroundings flooded back into my awareness.

  I realized I was drenched in sweat and panting heavily. I felt exhausted and thin, like a shirt that had been worn too long and washed too many times.

  “Well, that was interesting.” I said aloud, my voice filling the vessel, fully breaking the spell.

  Yes, as you train more, your control and endurance will increase. Neal added.

  I was beat, hungry and tired.

  I sent.

  Our E.T.A. is ninety-three minutes.

  Wow, that took an hour and a half. That wouldn’t do. If I needed to use my gifts I may need to do it in a hurry.

  I said sleepily, my eyes were already closed, my mind beginning to wander.

  Of course, my lord.

  I didn’t have the energy to respond, sleep took me.

  Neal’s voice cut through the dark landscape of my dreams.

  We will arrive in approximately thirty minutes. He said.

  I opened my eyes and shook off the last vestiges of sleep. My nap was only an hour but I felt revived, fresh and new. I was still hungry, but I felt great. I got up and went to the controls, sitting down. The screen before me was the same lay out as the one earlier with Sigmund and Julake. The ocean floor was as bland as ever and I looked up to see symbols on the screen, reminding me of my motorcycle’s speedometer.

  I sent, pointing to the symbols.

  That is correct, my lord. We are currently travelling at 110 miles per hour.

  That was fast, especially given the fact that we were under water.

  I let out a long low whistle, amazed at our speed. Neal had informed me long ago, when I first realized where I had come from, the real location of Atlantis. Most modern theorists believed Atlantis rested somewhere in the Mediterranean, they were wrong.

  The actual location of Atlantis is much closer to home. The effects of the Fall and the release of energy has left its mark, even to this day. The Bermuda Triangle has been a place of infamy for
centuries, holding an aura of mystery and danger, a place where ships go and never return, a legend that has some basis in fact. The energies that swirl around Atlantis and still linger have caused many ships to get lost or sink due to a myriad of technical issues. Neal has even mentioned long dead defense measures that have sunk ships that have come too close.

 

  I cannot be entirely sure. There may have been many changes since last I was connected to the city’s main computer system. We could be walking into a chaotic place, one that has broken down due to the degeneration of the clones genes. Or it may be a place of quiet compliance, where the programming of the citizens is still intact and all seems well. I tend to think with the current predicament we are in and the testimony from Arendiol that it is a good chance of the former being the case. The city most likely is under the rule of the Warlord and we must approach our goals with that mindset.

  I sent.

  We will enter the city from an old access tunnel, from there we will make our way towards an interface module where I can then uplink with the city’s mainframe. It should hold the key to finding Arendiol and Kim. At that point we will split up; my inability to take an Atlantean form would bring undo attention upon us, making it necessary for you to continue alone. I will guide you where you need to go and provide assistance should you run into any trouble.

 

  Of course not, my lord, but I see no other alternative. Do you?

  I thought about it for a minute, trying to think of any other options we may have. Having someone on the inside would have been nice, but that wasn’t available here. I was an outcast and Neal would stick out like a sore thumb, our best bet was to move in secret and not garner any attention until we were long gone, or at least until I had Kim and Arendiol with me. Then I could unleash all kinds of holy hell getting them out.

 

  We still had about twenty minutes until we arrived, it never hurt to do your homework.

  My current records are not fully up to date. I have almost nothing on Julake and the Warlord Karakatos, but I do have information on their ancestors. Clones are bred for specific purposes and both Julake and Karakatos come from long lines of warrior protectors. My records also indicate that for generations both bloodlines were compliant and had excellent reports, but the last few cycles have produced increasingly defiant clones, incidences of disciplinary action against both families has increased with each new generation. The last record I have for Julake’s “father” shows he was decommissioned after being convicted of murder and Karakatos’s previous clone was reported as having gone absent.

  It seemed as though we were dealing with very damaged individuals.

  Precisely. Neal answered.

  I mused.

  Yes, it would be advisable to trust no one, and to avoid contact at all costs. Neal added.

  I sat quite for a while, thinking about what I may encounter. I needed to be focused for what was coming, rescuing a child from the basement of some human monster was one thing, but sneaking into Atlantis to rescue my friends while not being caught was quite another.

  I was shaken from my thoughts by the sound of our engine’s quieting and the soft shift of deceleration. I looked at the view screen, trying to see where Neal was taking us. The ocean floor looked the same as before, except for a small dome that rose from the ground. I would have passed it by, thinking it a natural part of the landscape, if I hadn’t seen a small opening, about five feet in diameter, covered by a grate, on the side of it.

  I asked Neal.

  The ship’s automated landing programming took over and we gently came to rest, soft, fine clouds of mud drifted up into view as our settling disturbed the ground.

  That is an old hunting tunnel. After the initial Fall, fish and other sea creatures avoided coming near the city, the energies swirling around it confused and disorientated them. So until we built sufficient hunting vessels and skin suits to allow for underwater travel, these tunnels were built, where hunters could exit away from the city’s energy field and gather much needed food.

  There used to be hundreds of them, allowing for the hunters to gather the large numbers of fish needed to sustain the city, but as our farming techniques and transport technology aided in providing food, the tunnels eventually collapsed or filled in from disuse. This is the only one left. Neal finished.

  I looked at the crate intently, its metal covered in years of growth, making it almost completely blend in with its surroundings.

  I asked.

  Once we get close I will access the control panel and unlock it.

  I asked, nothing was ever as easy as it should be.

  Then we will deal with that when and or if it occurs.

 

  Indeed.

  Neal was still in his canine form, if he thought he needed to change shape, I trusted him to either do it or ask for my help. We made our way to the back of the vessel, I checked to make sure my sword was still in its sheath, out of habit I reached down only to find my gun holster empty. I had lost it somewhere between being kidnapped and escaping with Neal. I felt exposed without it, like when you forget to put on your watch and it makes you feel naked.

  I hit the button that sealed the cockpit and held my breath as the back panel opened and the space we were in flooded with water. I knew I could breathe with my skin suit, but I just couldn’t help holding my breath until the entire space was filled. I quickly adjusted to being underwater and with a few kicks swam out of the small confines of the Atlantean sub and into the open waters of the Bermuda Triangle.

  The water was cold this far down and the pressure of being so deep pressed on me, but my Atlantean physiology was made to withstand it. I looked back and saw Neal dog paddling after me. I couldn’t help but find it funny, seeing him swimming underwater in his canine form brought a large smile to my face.

  This time it was my turn to pull him as I reached out and grabbed him around his body and began swimming towards the opening. A few moments later I let him go as he began to access the control panel.

  This may take a few moments. He sent to me.

  I wasn’t sure how difficult it was to navigate a computer with your mind, but I had the impression it wasn’t easy, so I kept my thoughts to myself and turned away from him to keep an eye on our backs.

  Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw a slight movement, it looked as if something had quickly darted behind a rock that sat on the bottom of the ocean. It was odd, because most sea creatures wouldn’t feel the need to hide like that, unless they felt they were being hunted. Neal and I were just sitting here, being completely non-threatening.

  There! Again I saw something move, just outside my peripheral vision, it darted behind cover. I began getting a bad feeling in my stomach, I don’t know why but I didn’t like what I saw. I thought about telling Neal, but didn’t want to break his concentration, so instead I opened myself up to my surroundings. I let my senses drift out from me, into the ocean. At the same time I tried to channel the smallest bit of energy my new abilities allowed me to gather. It was hard at first, but I quickly felt my awareness expand beyond its normal boundaries and instantly felt something nearby.

  I couldn’t make out if it was a normal animal or something else, I began to look closer when Neal’s voice inside
my head startled me and I lost concentration.

  There, it is open.

  The grate began to groan as the mechanism that opened it began forcing it to break free from the natural concrete that had grown around it. It rose a few inches, and then stopped. I heard a loud screeching noise as the gate’s motor fought to keep it moving, but lost. It quit moving after only six inches. There wasn’t enough room for Neal and myself to enter.

  I complained.

  Perhaps we can force it open. Neal said as he went over and tried to pry it open with his mouth.

  I said, pushing past him.

  I reached down and grabbed the grate with both hands, straining to open it. I felt it give another inch and then stop again.

  Alright, you wanna play dirty?

  I grabbed the grate again and this time concentrated on gathering energy and channeling it to my muscles for strength. I had to be careful not to push so much that I could rip my arms from my sockets, but enough to force the gate open. I felt the energy flow into me and was astounded at the power it provided. Soon the gate began to groan and slowly open as I strained. After getting another foot of movement I let go and just waited for the energy to dissipate. I shook from the power of it until it eventually was gone and I felt exhausted.

  Neal just stared at me, without saying a word.

  Well done. He sent to me after a while.

  I was just about to say thank you when I felt something coming for us. Neal whipped his head around at the same time and before he could warn me I sent to him.

  I pulled my sword free and it sluiced through the water as I held it in front of me.

  Whatever it is has us at a disadvantage, we should retreat into the tunnel, we should find dry ground not far from this opening. Neal counseled.

  My first instinct was to stand my ground, but I realized he had a point, whatever it was sent shivers down my spine and I knew it was dangerous indeed.