EARTH'S LAST WAR (CHILDREN OF DESTINY Book 1)

by Glenn Van Dyke

  “Yes, Lord Enlil still lives and his hatred for your people has never been greater.”

  “But how? It’s been millions of years.”

  “How is it not? He is Anunnaki. He has the Gift!”

  “Get ready!” said Ash to Steven, “Here it comes.”

  “As do the two of you!”

  “Us?” said Steven. Not comprehending the full import of his meaning.

  “Yes! You have received the Gift!”

  “I don’t understand?” replied Steven.

  “The water,” said Ashlyn.

  “Yes. The Water of Life calls to those who are Anunnaki. It is Enki’s gift to you. Your bodies will no longer grow old and frail. You are immortal, like your creators.

  Enlil kept the Water of Life from you, limiting your lifespan. Enki has returned it.”

  “We will live forever?”

  “Yes, my children. It has always been your destiny.”

  “Hello Pinocchio,” said Ashlyn teasingly into Steven’s mind. “You’re a real boy now!”

  Steven stuck his tongue out at Ashlyn, making her laugh.

  “Promise?” she sent back.

  Steven suddenly felt very small. There was so much that humanity didn’t know. The revelations were astounding. They had been given the answers to humanity’s origins, answers humankind had been seeking since the dawn of civilization.

  However, it also made him realize just how primitive humanity still was. “Keeper, you have served your creators, the Anunnaki, well. You have brought honor to them and I am proud to know you.

  I am grateful for what Enki has done and to all the Anunnaki who sacrificed their lives in order to save my people. Perhaps someday, we will find a way to thank them and you.”

  Ashlyn added, “And I too wish to say thank you for the Gifts, and for enlightening us. You are wise and I look forward to learning from you.”

  “And you now have eternity in which to do so, my children.”

  Steven looked over at Ashlyn, trepidation on his face. “Keeper, the various cultures on my world speak of an evil entity. Has Enlil also been known as, Satan?” Steven’s heart sped in anticipation of the answer.

  “Yes, he is the one known as Satan and by a myriad of other names with similar meanings, but the name given him at the time of his birth by his father Anu, was Enlil.”

  Steven swallowed. Contemplatively, “Keeper, the writing on the Guardians’ pedestals also spoke of our coming to have knowledge of knowing good from bad. To what does that refer?”

  “My little ones, since my creation I have waited for this to be asked of me. It speaks well of your readiness to take the test Enki has prepared for you.”

  “Test?” asked Ashlyn.

  “I can only give you a warning. You must exercise caution before accepting the test—should you not be found worthy; the Gift that you have already received will be removed from you. You will be escorted out of the garden, never to return.”

  “If we choose to accept—can you help us in this test?” asked Ashlyn.

  “I am sorry my children, but before I can answer, I must have your decision.”

  Steven and Ashlyn looked at each other, nodding in unison.

  “We are! We wish to take the test!” said Steven.

  “Does Lord Steven speak for you as well, Lady Ashlyn?”

  “He does.”

  “The test has been accepted! My children, only this may I give to you.

  Walk the garden, and when the words hidden in your hearts have been revealed, may the light of truth guide you!

  I wish you well, my children.” The tree dimmed.

  “Ashlyn?” “Steven?” They said simultaneously.

  “It looks like we need to talk,” said Steven, uneasy concern framing his face.

  Ashlyn nodded, giving a sigh.

  Rising from the ground, “Come on, let’s go for a walk,” said Steven.

  Walking in silence, each of them turned inwardly as they came to grips with the words they both knew they must speak.

  They came to a stop, atop a soft, flowery knoll beneath a large, lush tree with pink and yellow tipped leaves at the far end of the valley. The beauty of the tree opened the door of conversation. With a deeply exhaled breath, “Ash, I have something to tell you.”

  Chapter 16

  After the last attack, Novacek decided to send the crew down the river. The sheer size of the enemy forces that were gathering just outside of targeting range, made it apparent that staying meant certain death.

  With the crew prepping for the journey, an excited sentry came into the cavern reporting that a lone human had been spotted walking toward the mountain from out of the alien encampment.

  Novacek gave the order to hide all the bundled rafts in the cavern, taking them across the river into the alcove where they had found the map. He thought it wise to take precautions should the stranger come back with him.

  He then began a descent down the mountain to meet him.

  Nearing one-another, they each took measure of the other. Novacek saw the set of the stranger’s eyes deepen as he noted Novacek’s limp and that the flap on his holstered sidearm was unsnapped.

  As for the stranger himself, he was of striking appearance. Tall in stature with long, flowing, white hair and striking silver-blue eyes, that blended perfectly with his ankle-length, white robe and sandals. He appeared to be in his early twenties, his hands soft and groomed—his skin light, un-weathered. He looked angelic.

  Novacek suddenly felt wary and simultaneously vulnerable. Something just didn’t feel right, but he did take comfort, knowing that at five paces, he could blast a hole through the stranger’s heart before he could think to blink.

  Novacek’s eyes narrowed as they came to a stop. The stranger stooped and picked up a handful of dirt. As he let it sift back to the ground, “You could almost believe this was home.”

  “You speak English!” stated Novacek, surprised.

  “Not much. Not anymore, but, it was my native tongue as a boy.”

  “As a boy? On Earth?”

  The stranger squinted, then smirked, seemingly amused. “Yes. I was taken. From their point of view though, my life now has meaning, purpose.

  In honor of my position within their ranks, I have been sent to ask for your surrender. You have my word that no harm will come to your people.”

  Novacek couldn’t help but belt out a loud, spontaneous laugh that made the stranger take a half step back. “They can’t really think that I’d believe that?”

  “You have good cause to distrust us but I beg that you believe the words of my Anunnaki master. Even now, they are on the verge of a civil war for having attacked Earth. The price has been too heavy and many who had once supported the attack now regret their decision and are seeking an end to the war.”

  “So you now want to throw us a party? We’re going to become the best of friends,” said Novacek, “All right—let’s say they do regret their earlier decision.

  They should—because with just one of our ships we wiped their alien ass of a fleet, both at Earth and here. So let me tell you what’s going to happen.” Novacek stepped up to him, putting his face right up to the stranger’s. “Your Anunnaki masters are going to surrender to us, unconditionally.

  If they do not, when our other ships arrive in a few weeks, I will order them to destroy your masters. Is that clear enough for you? Convey that message to them!” said Novacek, with all the bravado the words called for. “After what they did to my world, they deserve to die. They should accept my offer and pray that I don’t change my mind.”

  Novacek noticed the stranger’s jaw tense as he clenched his teeth. “Our surrender? My masters offer you freedom to live—and you want them to surrender?”

  “Do I need to repeat myself? Or have you just been kissing their Anunnaki asses for so long that you’ve forgotten what it means to be human?”

  Novacek looked down and kicked at the sand. “If you want my trust, tell me. How many other
people, human people, are on this world?”

  “Many, but they do not keep records of such things. I am sorry.”

  Novacek had taken an instant dislike to the man, and yet, the stranger’s voice denoted conviction and belief in the words he spoke.

  “Perhaps, in exchange for your help, when our ships arrive in a few weeks—you’d like to travel back to Earth with us?

  That—or you can hold their hand while we destroy them.”

  “I have often dreamt of home.” The stranger’s words were slow, deliberate. He seemed to be reminiscing. “It seems so long ago.”

  “Let’s try a simpler question. How many Anunnaki are on this world? Do you know that?”

  “I do—it is one. He is of the Elite, royal bloodline—a Prince. He is the highest and purest form of Anunnaki.”

  “One? Then who is attacking us? Are they not all Anunnaki?”

  “They are not Anunnaki; they are creations of my master. They are workers. They are impure, an abomination—though they serve a functional purpose.

  Your people call them, Grays. You know so little about my master and this world. Perhaps this is why you should not be so quick to judge our intentions.”

  “And perhaps, your heart is not so much human, as it is Anunnaki? You seem to think of yourself as different from the rest of us. Why?” asked Novacek.

  The stranger squinted. “Is it so hard to understand that we desire to fit in, to be accepted by those who are superior to us?”

  Novacek’s brow furrowed with anger, “Superior? If you ever say that again—I’ll cut you down where you stand!”

  The stranger’s eyes almost seemed to turn red, as he struggled for restraint. Bowing slightly, “Perhaps, you are right. Perhaps, we have forgotten,” said the stranger, seeking to smooth the tension created. “I offer myself as security. As long as I am here, no attack will come. Is it possible that I could meet your people? I would be happy to answer questions. Perhaps it will lower the tension between us?”

  Novacek considered the offer long and hard, then consented. As they walked back towards the encampment, the stranger spoke, “I have been told that your people fight valiantly. Many have come to honor you.”

  “As they should,” said Novacek, keeping up the strong facade. Novacek’s gut told him that the stranger could be broken, that the real motivation could be discovered.

  “I do not remember humans being so arrogant! Have things changed so much on Tiamat?”

  “Tiamat?”

  “Excuse me, that is what the Anunnaki call your planet.”

  Novacek noticed a nervousness growing within the stranger as they neared the scorched area where the forest had been. “Are you afraid of a few spiders?”

  “Not afraid. Cautious. The bite of the Uttu children kills.”

  “Uttu? The spiders?” asked Novacek.

  “Yes, if my caution offends you, I beg your forgiveness. Please, my friend, let us go to your people. Let me see with my own eyes those of my home world. Tomorrow, I will do as you say. I will deliver your message to my master.”

  Inside the cave, the stranger marveled at the number of people coming to greet him. “I did not realize there were so many of you. I was told that you were few in number.”

  “Perhaps your Anunnaki master is not as knowledgeable as he believes himself to be?” goaded Novacek.

  The biggest surprise came when the stranger spotted the river. “There is so much water!” Without waiting, he waded out into the river up to his knees. “It has been long since I have seen water such as this.” The crew chuckled as the stranger, fully clothed, sat down in the river, his child-like exuberance painting smiles on their faces. “I had forgotten how cool it can feel.” Lifting a handful of water to his mouth to drink, he instantly spat it out. “I cannot drink this, it is bad! It has no taste!”

  Novacek observed, watching him intently.

  “I had not thought it would taste so bad.” As the stranger started to rise, he suddenly shrieked, his terror evident, “Something touched my leg!” Jumping from the river, he screamed, “Something is in there!”

  The crew laughed hysterically. Only Novacek seemed to think it was strange.

  “It’s just a fish!” came the quick reply of several onlookers.

  “Yes, just a fish. How foolish of me,” he said, continuing to stare fearfully at the water.

  “Come, sit by the fire,” Novacek urged.

  “Sit by the fire, yes.” Having taken a seat, “I should mention that I have word of other members of your crew. My master had hoped it would build trust between us.”

  Novacek cocked his head in anticipation.

  “We found one person, dead—two days ago. By the look of your clothes, he was from your party. Now that I see this place, I assume he must have gone down the river from here. He was found at a place where the water exits from the ground in the desert—just before the sand again swallows it. We found little of importance. I was told that his body was badly torn, like the scraps that they found.” Reaching into a hidden pocket in his robe, he pulled out two small items, handing them to Novacek. The first a set of dog tags, the second, Ashlyn’s locket. “Do these help you?”

  Novacek took the items. Looking at the locket first—then the tags, “Jefferson. Yes, it does.” He looked down at Phillip who was sitting beside him. The tears in the boy’s eyes broke his heart.

  A whispering echo could be heard sifting round the room as the news spread. The stranger noticed Phillip’s tears and the whispers of the crew. “Are there others that we should be looking for? Others which may have survived?”

  “No, he was alone. These belonged to Jefferson, one of our crew.” Novacek said the words loud enough so that the crew took notice, so that it would silence them. “He took a boat and ran when you surrounded the mountain. He was a coward.”

  Novacek wasn’t about to reveal the truth.

  The crew spent the next hour asking questions of the stranger. To Novacek, while the stranger’s words were eloquent and full of hope, he just couldn’t bring himself to believe them. With apprehension, he headed outside to check on the watches, taking Phillip with him.

  “It’s pretty peaceful out there, sir. No movement,” said the sentry as Novacek and Phillip stepped up beside him.

  “Gordon, do you think my Dad and Ashlyn are dead?” asked Phillip, his voice shaky.

  “No, they are okay. I’m sure of it. I have a small gift, and sometimes I can see things before they happen. I promise you, right now, they are doing great. Don’t tell our guest though, okay. I don’t trust him.”

  Novacek got the tightest hug he’d ever had. The moment flooded his mind with memories, back to when his wife had been pregnant, and back to her death, when the doctors had informed him that she’d been carrying his son.

  Phillip’s hug melted his heart and made him miss the dream he had once held.

  ***

  “What is it?” asked Ashlyn as she turned to face Steven.

  The time had arrived for him to reveal his dark revelation, “On the way here, aboard Avenger, I discovered a secret file that President Tomlinson had sent to my computer.

  Ash, it was about the Children of Destiny Foundation. The things I read and saw were—all the atrocities that had been done. I didn’t know how to tell you, but there was a file titled, D’na. It was about you. It showed pictures of you at various ages. The final picture of you was as you appear now.”

  Ash swallowed, nervously.

  “Ash, I don’t know how to tell you this, but—from what I read—Tynabo killed far more than your friends in stasis. He killed thousands of other people, children, to create us. He had volumes of books on his failed experiments. There were babies that were deformed. Monstrosities. Many weren’t very human looking. They were some sort of twisted, part human, part alien creature. He let them suffer, dying slowly. Many of them were screaming in unimaginable pain, living in cages. It was nightmarish.

  I don’t know how many children suffe
red so that we could be here. I don’t know what part of us is human or Anunnaki.”

  A tear escaped from Ashlyn’s eyes as she felt Steven’s pain. “Tynabo was wrong, but it was his doing, not yours, not ours. We can’t change the past but we can change the future.

  Our greatest strength is that we are one. Don’t you see, by not having told me earlier, not only were you denying my help and support, but you were also weakening us. I understand that you were trying to protect me, and I love you all the more for it,” said Ashlyn, her eyes soft. “But you should not have had to bear that alone. We are one!”

  “Women are so damn confusing!”

  “And Anunnaki women are even more so!” said Ashlyn. Ash shivered and then snuggled deeply into his arms.

  “How do you make everything seem so simple? I’ve been upset about this for weeks,” said Steven.

  “You should have talked to me about it.

  If I ever have to remind you of that again, I’m going to spank you!” quipped Ash.

  “Is that a punishment or a reward?” said Steven.

  “Maybe it’s both. Your punishment and my reward.” Shifting so that she could look into Steven’s eyes, “Steven, I have a couple of things to tell you too.”

  “I should’ve known it wasn’t going to be that easy.”

  “One is actually good news. It’s Novacek. He’s one of us,” said Ash.

  “Novacek? How—how’s that possible? How did you find that out?”

  “When I entered the bridge, just before you set Avenger’s auto-destruct, he shook my hand, congratulating me for making it safely back aboard.”

  “And—you got the tingle with him?”

  “That is so cute! And, no, I didn’t. His aura isn’t matched to mine like yours is but we’re apparently sharing enough of his genetics that I sensed the kinship between us. I’m probably more accustomed to sensing it than you are. We had hundreds of doctors and support staff around us constantly, but they all felt different from those that were like us at the Foundation. Our senses grew acutely sharp. We learned how to detect the subtlety between those who were like us and those who weren’t. We made a game of it sometimes.”