Kahnu (The Guardians of Tomorrow Book 1)

by Yves LF Giraud

  “This one is solid. Like metal.”

  He hit it once with his wrist and quickly stepped back, as if expecting a reaction, but nothing happened.

  “What did you do that for?” asked Dedrick.

  “I don’t know. I just wanted to see how strong it was.”

  “Please don’t do that again. We don’t know what we’re dealing with here. I keep worrying we’re gonna wake up something.”

  “Come on, it was just a little tap. This place is dead, anyway. And if you want my opinion, I think it’s been like that for quite some time.”

  “Yeah, well let’s try to keep it that way, shall we?”

  François simply shrugged his shoulders again.

  Continuing on, they finally arrived in front of a portion of the cave that had obviously collapsed. Large boulders, some as big as a small car, were blocking what the two soon realized was probably the main entrance of the cave.

  “Well, I guess now we know how Chasma’s Big Cloud got in here. Looks like they got trapped.”

  “Who, they?”

  “Who ever built all this,” replied Dedrick with a large gesture.

  “Well, so far we haven’t found anyone, dead or alive. So, hard to say, either way.”

  “We’re gonna have to come back with more equipment; definitely more lights. The others must be wondering what we’re doing. We should start heading back.”

  Turning around, they began walking back towards the tower when François noticed something at the far end of his beam.

  “Hold on! I think you may want to see this.”

  Dedrick turned to see him pointing at a geometric and lengthy object. As both searchlights met and lit up the massive artifact, both men quickly realized they were looking at some sort of machine. It was a good fifteen meters long. In the very center of it, a huge portion of ceiling had collapsed on top of the machine and crushed a significant portion of it. Contrary to the large egg-shaped structure they now referred to as the Big Cloud, this new lengthy object had very sharp angles, and was apparently made of a much darker metallic material.

  “That doesn’t look good,” said François pointing at the big boulder resting right on top.

  “Nope. But we really should head back. We’ll come back with better equipment. And we're definitely gonna need more lights... What time is it, anyway? Wow! OK, we need to go.”

  “Lead the way, mon capitaine!”

  Slowly moving back towards the tunnel they had come from, the two men walked up the slope and soon disappeared down the passage.

  “Wait until we tell the others what we’ve found!”

  Dedrick did not comment back. He was absorbed by a recurring thought. “What did Chasma mean when she said the big cloud was talking to her?”

  #

  “What are they doing? They’ve been gone for almost an hour, now!” said Sabrina, obviously worried.

  “They’re OK, Mommy. The big cloud told me so,” said Chasma to her mother.

  All five of them turned to look at the child.

  “What is this big cloud you keep talking about, Chasma? I don’t understand,” finally asked Liu.

  “The big cloud in the mountain! I already told you. He told me he needs to talk to Daddy,” replied the little girl.

  Now they were all staring at her as if she was speaking a foreign language.

  A few moments later, Tendai finally agreeing to go find the two missing astronauts, was struggling to get himself over to the other side of the terrace, when he saw François come out from around the corner.

  “They’re back!” he announced to the rest of the team.

  Sliding back onto firmer ground, he waved at the two men. François and Dedrick soon reached the Zimbabwean, who proceeded to help both men climb back to his side.

  “We were worried. You were gone so long. Are you OK?” asked Vera right away to Dedrick.

  “Yes, we’re fine. We’ve found a passage into the mountain. Chasma was right. There’s something down there. It’s hard to explain. I think you all gonna want to see it for yourselves.”

  “I’m not going over this precipice, if that’s what you mean,” immediately responded Liu, staring at the treacherous corner.

  “Don’t worry, Liu, I didn’t mean now. But you need to see the footage we took in there. It was quite dark, but I’m sure you’ll find it interesting, regardless. I’m also thinking we’re gonna need to build a ledge, and set up some kind of safe anchoring, to cross to the other side of that wall. We can get some supplies at the station and come back tomorrow. We should be able to anchor a small bridge across the missing floor between the terraces. Trust me, you’re gonna want to go. It’s worth it.”

  Dedrick was still marveling at what François and he had found down the tunnel. All he wanted was to go back and explore even further. What many more secrets did the place hold? He wondered.

  “Good! Because, I’m not going over that hole either,” added Sabrina.

  “So, what did you find?” asked Tendai.

  “Man, wait until you see this! The tunnel goes down for quite a distance. We found another sphere, just like the other one, in a room full of the same kind of carvings on the Gate. But the most amazing part is a much larger cave, full of alien artifacts and structures. There was some intelligent life on Mars at some point, for sure. And they had these machines, and…oh yeah, we found the big cloud Chasma was talking about. Not sure what it is, but it looks pretty wild. I’ve never seen anything like it,” answered François.

  “Machines? To do what?” asked Sabrina

  “I have no idea, but there’s a pretty good layer of dust and dirt on almost everything; so, I doubt anyone has been down there for quite some time. The place could be thousands of years old, for all we know. Either way, I’m pretty confident the aliens who built all that stuff are long gone by now.”

  “I hope so,” said Liu, sounding quite worried.

  Dedrick wasn’t so sure he shared his French friend’s confidence on that last point.

  “Ok, let's wrap it up for today. Tomorrow, those who want to can come back with me and François. We'll begin by rigging a safer access to the cave, then, if we have time, we'll do some exploring. Should be interesting...”

  After putting all of their gear back into the rovers, the eight passengers climbed aboard and began heading home. Leaving a high cloud of dust behind them, the two rovers were soon zooming along the flank of the tall plateau, on their way back to base.

  PART III

  Chapter VIII

  The big cloud

  Vera was the first one to reach the cave, holding Chasma by the hand. Dedrick, François, and Tendai were right behind her, carrying lights and a small generator. Ladli and Liu were the last ones out of the tunnel. Sabrina had opted to stay at the station, since Ladli had done so the day before. They began setting up the equipment in the center of the giant space, and a few minutes later, the cave came to life in the brightness of several powerful projectors.

  “Look, Mommy! The big cloud. See?” said Chasma, pointing at the giant white structure.

  Vera did not respond. She was slowly taking it all in. They were all mesmerized by the grandeur of everything around them. The chamber was truly gargantuan. Spanning several city blocks, the cave was so large, even their powerful search lights were unable to show it all. They would have to bring more, if they had any left, or move by sections. The videos Dedrick and François had brought back from their initial excursion had not even come close to showing the true magnitude of everything in the chamber. But they now had no more doubt. What they were looking at was definitely ancient and alien.

  “So, there was intelligent life on Mars at some point, after all. This is incredible,” thought Vera.

  The “big cloud” was like nothing any of them had ever seen. Now bathed in the powerful flood lights, it looked even bigger than the two men had first thought. Beyond it, the large tower they had discovered the previous day, was in fact only one of six identical structure
s lined up along the cave wall. Dedrick and François were only now realizing the true magnitude of the site. Vera was about to follow the rest of the group heading for the closest tower when Chasma held her back.

  “No, Mommy, this way,” she said, pulling her in the direction of the curvy white structure.

  “Where are you taking me, Chasma?”

  “You’ll see.”

  A few minutes later, the two were standing in front of what Dedrick and François had guessed was the back of the big cloud.

  “Help me, Mommy! We need to clean the dirt off.”

  “Chasma! Don’t touch that!” she said as she leaned forward to grab her arm, just in time.

  “Don’t you want to go inside, Mommy?”

  “No and neither do you! I don’t want you near that thing, you hear me young lady?”

  Vera, taking a step back with Chasma in her grip, was visibly upset and didn’t see Dedrick right behind her. She jumped.

  “Ah! You scared me!”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you OK?”

  “Yes, I’m fine, just a bit on edge. This whole thing with Chasma, and those voices she says she hears…”

  “There’s only one, Mommy. His name is Jorh.”

  “Jo…John? He told you his name?” Vera was still unable to truly believe her daughter. Maybe she did not want to.

  “No, Jorh, Mommy. He says not to worry. Everything is going to be alright,” she replied with a smile. Dedrick kneeled down in front of his daughter.

  “I’m sure he’s very nice, but we need to stay together as a group. It’s for your own safety, Chasma. OK?”

  “Yes, I know…” she replied pouting.

  Standing back up, he put his hand on Vera’s arm.

  “Come on, let’s rejoin the oth—”

  He stopped in mid-sentence. Looking past his wife, he noticed his daughter venturing closer to the white mass next to them.

  “Chasma! Come back here, baby.”

  Vera turned her attention back on the young girl, only in time to see the child reach for the white structure.

  “No! Chasma! Don’t touch—”

  But before she could finish her sentence, Chasma put her hand on the dusty mass, and a purple light appeared under her fingers. It began to grow brighter rapidly.

  Vera reached to grab Chasma’s arm but realized she could not move. Dedrick tried to say something, but no sound came out of his mouth. He felt just as paralyzed. A few seconds later, the purple glow was too obvious to ignore in the dark cave, and François was the first one to notice it.

  “Guys, look!”

  The rest of the group turned in the direction of the light and froze. The entire structure was now glowing purple, and the sight was mesmerizing.

  “Dedrick, Vera? Are you OK?” François quickly realized they were not. Neither one was moving or answering him. They couldn't.

  “What are they doing?” asked Tendai.

  “Something’s wrong,” said Liu.

  “Tendai, come on!” called out François as he rushed towards the glowing structure.

  Chasma was still standing in front of the large object when François grabbed her in his arms. The glow the structure was projecting suddenly went dark, even quicker than it had appeared, leaving only the small pulsing area where Chasma had laid her hand. An instant later, Dedrick and Vera were coming out of their strange trance. They were all quickly backing off when a loud sound, with a rich deep tone reminiscent of a cruise ship’s horn, blasted out of the white structure, and echoed across the entire cave, sending chills down everyone’s spine. Ladli and Liu, who had already reached the lower section of the slope, tripped backwards and fell to the ground. Rising up, they all watched in absolute disbelief, as a large oval opening started to take shape at the back of the structure. Now seemingly glowing from within, the purple lit corridor appeared to be inviting them inside.

  “What did you guys do?” asked François.

  “Nothing!” replied Dedrick. “Chasma just touched the outside of that thing, and then this,” he replied, pointing at the new feature.

  “We’re not staying here another second. Come on Chasma, let’s go,” said Vera visibly shaken.

  The young girl was resisting her mother, pulling in the opposite direction.

  “No. Mommy, I want to stay. Let me go!”

  “Vera, wait!” Dedrick approached them. “Look, I know this is a bit scary and unnerving, but something tells me it’s safe.”

  “Really? You call what just happened back there safe? I couldn’t even move, Dedrick. What is that thing, anyway? I thought you said this place was abandoned. We can’t stay here. None of us should; it’s not safe.”

  “I promise, we’ll keep our distances. But we have to find out what’s in that structure.”

  “Are you crazy? Tell me you’re not seriously thinking of going inside that…that thing!”

  “I’m telling you, honey, I don’t think it’s going to harm us. Isn’t it why we came down here, in the first place?”

  “That was before that thing came to life!”

  “Vera, if we don’t explore this thing, we’ll always wonder. We have to go in.”

  “I’m with you on that one. We got this far...” added François.

  “François, please stay out of this. Regardless, I don’t care what either of you think. I’m not letting Chasma near that thing again.”

  “But Mommy-”

  “I’m not going in there either,” interjected Liu as she approached cautiously.

  “I second that,” said Tendai, already grabbing the containers of analyzing equipment he had brought with him, ready to go.

  “None of you need to go inside,” said Dedrick. “Until we know what we’re dealing with, there’s no need to take unnecessary risks. You all stay here, I’ll go.”

  He looked at François, knowing he would not resist coming along. A nod from the Frenchman confirmed he was right, much to his relief.

  “It’s OK, Daddy. He says we can all go inside,” calmly offered Chasma.

  Again, taken by surprise, Vera turned to her daughter and kneeled next to her.

  “Chasma, who said we can go inside?”

  “Jorh! I told you! He said it’s OK. He wants to talk to all of you.”

  Everyone was looking at Chasma, dumbfounded.

  “I don’t understand, baby. Are you saying this white structure here is talking to you?” asked Vera pointing at the alien object. She was still unable to accept the possibility that Chasma was hearing voices. Yet, deep down, she feared the girl was telling the truth.

  “No, Mommy. He’s inside. He knows you can’t hear him, but I can.”

  “Can…can you talk to…him too?” asked Liu.

  “Uh huh,” replied the young girl, nodding her head in positive reinforcement.

  “What else did the voice say to you, baby?”

  “He says you don’t need to worry, Daddy. Nothing bad will happen. He just wants us to go inside.”

  “Why? Why does he want us to go inside, Chasma?”

  “He says he’s trapped and he needs our help.”

  “He’s trapped?”

  Dedrick looked at François, completely puzzled.

  “What do you think?”

  “I think we got this far. We might as well see what this is all abou-”

  “Wait! What if that…being…what if that thing is trapped in there for a good reason?” interrupted Ladli.

  “Like what? Some kinda criminal or monster? Love, we’ll never know unless we check,” replied François calmly.

  “Come on, seriously? Either way, there’s only one way to find out.”

  “Look guys, I don’t want anyone to take unnecessary risks, any more than you do. François and I are going to enter that thing. We will do our best to stay in communication, but if you prefer to go back and wait for us by the rovers, I totally understand. I promise, we won’t stay gone more than necessary. Ladli, Liu, before you leave, do you mi
nd making sure the generator is on auto? I want to make sure we don’t run out of backup power.”

  “Sure can. But I’m not leaving,” replied Ladli.

  The two women started walking back to the equipment.

  “You’re really sure you want to do this?” asked Vera, knowing too well he did.

  “I promise, love. We’ll be extra cautious,” replied her husband.

  She let out a heavy sigh and began heading back to the others, her daughter in tow. Any reason to put some distance between them and the white structure was welcome. Dedrick looked at Tendai and gave him a gesture to come closer. Switching to a direct audio on his suit for the Zimbabwean only to hear, “I need you to stay with them. If something happens to us, you will be the only man left. They will need you, for more than one reason. We don’t know what we’re getting into here. François and I will be extremely cautious but... Anyway, if we’re not back within the hour, take everyone back to the station. Don’t try to come after us. The safety of the team may depend on it. Promise me, Tendai.”

  Tendai knew Dedrick was right. Plus, he was not too keen on venturing in that alien structure anyway.

  “You can count on me, my friend. Just don’t take any unnecessary risks, and I promise to keep everyone safe, here. We’ll follow you on the monitor. Good luck!”

  “Dedrick!” called out Vera scared.

  “We’ll be careful, baby, I promise!” he answered.

  He and François then started walking toward the entrance of the “big cloud.”

  “Wait!” shouted Ladli. “What if it’s a trap?”

  “There’s only one way to find out, love,” replied the Frenchman.

  As the two men got to the purple opening, they stopped in front of the corridor and tried to peer into the foggy passage. The purple haze wasn’t revealing anything. Dedrick turned to look back at the rest of the group at the top of the slope. Tendai had put down his small communication pad on a flat boulder nearby and was checking Dedrick’s video feed. The picture was a bit dark, as usual, but of decent quality. He gave the men two thumbs up, while the rest of the team gathered around him to watch their companions enter the opening on the screen. François walked slowly to the edge of the entrance and put one foot on the floor of the structure. He felt a light tug, as if a vacuum was trying to pull him in. Leaning carefully forward, he felt his body becoming lighter. Gradually pulled by an invisible force, he was slowly levitated and floated inward.