Exit Darkness, Enter Light: Book One of the Earth Cycle

by Ahadi, Kion

  Regardless of the failure of both groups to capture Cyrus or his companions, ironically the outcome had been the same. Nergal’s plan was still alive: Cyrus was heading underground. Cyrus was going to the Mojave National Preserve to rescue the civilians caught in the net cast for him. He evidently cared for these worthless humans, people who should mean nothing to him.

  “We go to the tunnel entrance at Mojave National Preserve,” Nergal announced.

  “What for, what game are you playing now?” Wren replied intrigued.

  “We have a mouse we need to trap,” Nergal replied.

  ***

  Mr Aleintchev entered the cabin near the construction site unannounced. Paymon was scratching his head looking over some blueprints, and was startled when he realised who it was that had barged in.

  “Gregori! I was not expecting you, please take a seat,” Paymon said standing quickly while trying to tidy his cluttered desk. Mr Aleintchev was immaculately dressed in a designer suit, his blond hair stylishly trimmed, while his cold blue eyes regarded Paymon with well-hidden contempt.

  “I will stand. I understand you are ahead of schedule by a week?”

  “Yes we have worked day and night, the facility is exactly as you instructed. We have connected it to the tunnel system leading to your house on the other side of the land,” Paymon replied proudly. He was keen to show his dedication and felt this would prove he had meant no offence by refusing the gift, he had been sent a few nights earlier. It had not been mentioned overtly, but Paymon was sure Mr Aleintchev knew what had transpired.

  “Good,” Mr Aleintchev said then he glanced at the family photo on Paymon’s desk, “I would like to invite your wife and daughter along with yourself to my house for dinner. Tomorrow night would be ideal.”

  “We would be honoured,” Paymon said, overjoyed by the surprise request. It was an offer he was glad to accept. Paymon was delighted that Mr Aleintchev was placing some trust in him. Having an acquaintance as rich and powerful as Mr Aleintchev would be very beneficial. He was also relieved there was no lingering animosity over the gift he had turned down.

  “You can all stay at my house for the weekend if you like?” Aleintchev suggested. Paymon smiled, Vlad had been right; he had gained respect for his actions.

  “That would be great thank you, I will let my wife know,” satisfied with Paymon’s response Mr Aleintchev nodded curtly and left the cabin as suddenly as he had arrived.

  Paymon picked up his mobile phone and called Megan. He told her the news and she seemed pleased. Paymon gave detailed instructions so Megan and Aiyana could locate Mr Aleintchev’s mansion near the outskirts of Telford. He told her they would need to set off early in the morning from Godalming as it was around a three-hour journey. Megan reassured her husband they would be there by late afternoon the next day without fail.

  Chapter 9

  “Battle Begins”

  In the deepest recesses of my soul

  It has been written

  On this mortal incarnation

  It has been imprinted

  In humanity’s unconscious mind

  It has been transmitted

  That I am the sword of the originator

  Nothing can resist me

  When I strike down with deadly force

  On every mountain peak where volcanoes explode

  It has been celebrated

  In the very core of the Earth that trembles

  It has been warned

  On the eyes of billions of beings

  It has been reflected

  That I am the sword of the originator

  Nothing can resist me

  When I strike down with deadly force

  That I am the sword of the originator

  Nothing can resist me…

  Nergal waited inside the underground cavern at the foot of the Kelso Mountains. The 1.6 million acres of wilderness that made up the Mojave National Preserve included many other natural features like the Kelso Dunes, Marl Mountains and the Cima Dome, as well as volcanic formations such as Hole-in-the-Wall and Cinder Cone Lava Beds. Only Kelbaker Road went past the Kelso mountain range. The Ari-an concealed the doorway to the cavern with a holographic projection, so even if you knew there was an entrance at the mountain base you would still never find it. To anyone travelling on the road outside, all they would see was unbroken mountain range.

  Using his powerful vision Wren scoured the road for signs of the truck that had escaped Cyrus.

  “I see it,” Wren transmitted his thought to Nergal. The androids could communicate with each other over long distances using frequency waves. However, this method was not as sophisticated as genuine telepathy due to its limits in range and speed.

  “Start emitting the signal. Guide the truck here,” Nergal commanded a soldier, who quickly made busy with the order. Half an hour later the truck was driving into the mouth of the cavern. Two soldiers exited the cabin and walked gingerly towards Nergal and Wren.

  “We were attacked and had to escape, we left the others behind,” the braver soldier admitted.

  Normally Nergal would execute those that had failed him, especially average humans whom he detested. This occasion was different however, these cowards standing before him had unwittingly succeeded in fulfilling his plan, albeit in a somewhat modified form.

  “Take the captives to the holding cell one level down,” Nergal said.

  The soldiers moved quickly, unsure why they had not been reprimanded but thankful nonetheless. The soldiers were part of the US army and believed they were assisting aliens in a secret mission to carry out genetic research. In return, their superiors received access to advanced technology. The Ari-an had many such agreements in place with governments around the world. Only very few humans knew the real purpose behind the Ari-an presence. If the soldiers had known the truth about what they were party to they would have fled for their lives.

  “It seems even morons can be useful sometimes,” Nergal said mockingly.

  “What now?” Wren asked.

  “Once the female captives have been secured below, get the two imbeciles back up here. Lock them in this section and let them face Cyrus’s wrath when he arrives. There will be nowhere for them to run this time. Also summon three of the most powerful Shetie horde to guard the prison cell below. If Cyrus manages to defeat them without being killed he will deserve a reward. We will let him free the humans that will make him think he is a hero and lure him deeper underground,” Nergal said with a twisted smirk on his face.

  “As you wish, but playing around with Cyrus like this is extremely dangerous,” Wren observed.

  “Yes it is, but that is precisely why it is such fun. See to my commands and then join me in the central chamber on Level 6,” Nergal replied, before leaving Wren.

  ***

  Dajjal marched across the central chamber on Level 6 with menace in his every step. Ofriz had to move quickly to keep pace with Dajjal’s long and heavy stride.

  “I loathe leaving the remainder of the ground assault preparations,” Dajjal snarled.

  “Sire, Nergal and Wren will see all your instructions are fulfilled correctly. The Dark Gods have requested your personal presence at the balancing ceremony,” Ofriz responded coolly.

  “Silence! I was not seeking assurances from you automaton,” Dajjal snapped.

  Ofriz was beginning to share the disdain Nergal felt for Dajjal. For one so inexperienced and unproven he was overly bombastic. Teerzad had conquered countless worlds, his boasts had been verified. He had demonstrated his cunning numerous times. The acolytes, even with their intelligence combined, had never been able to better him in their frequent games of subterfuge. Even in Teerzad’s human incarnation as Cyrus they had been outwitted. Nergal was still aggrieved by that fact, they all were.

  “I am coming to the central chamber. Has that aberration gone yet?” Nergal’s message popped into Ofriz’s artificial mind.

  “We are walking towards the transport capsule now,” Ofriz re
plied.

  “Accompany Dajjal to the Chamber of the Black Void and keep him close at all times.”

  Dajjal had been summoned to Valletta for an audience with the Dark Gods. With Ofriz’s assistance Nergal planned to keep him there as long as possible. He needed Dajjal out of the picture for the time being, at least until the first stage of his game plan with Cyrus had been accomplished.

  Ofriz and Dajjal arrived at the capsule network. The Ari-an had built a complex underground transport system linking various bases across the planet together. These were for the sole use of the Ari-an elite. The technology they were based on was thousands of years more advanced than anything humans had at their disposal. The 7,000 mile journey from the base in California to Valletta would take an hour in the capsule, which was able to reach speeds ten times that of sound. Most Ari-an spaceships were capable of travelling faster than the speed of light and could create wormholes in space to reach any part of the galaxy instantly. It had taken millions of years for the Dark Gods to decipher and conquer the many laws of physics, but even then there were limits to their power. The structure and balance of the galaxy and the universe itself was governed by an unknown energy source. This energy source was found at the centre of each galaxy and was connected to the heart of the universe. There was an ancient Ari-an fable that told how millennia ago the most powerful of the seven Dark Gods of the Black Circle had approached the centre of the galaxy in a direct challenge to the unknown energy source. The Dark God had never returned. Legend said it had been annihilated, its negative energy transmuted and used to create a new dwarf galaxy.

  Ofriz pressed a button on the key panel. Within seconds an empty transport capsule appeared and the doors slid open.

  “After you, sire,” Ofriz said to Dajjal.

  Dajjal entered. He rested his massive frame on a comfortable wide seat at the rear of the capsule. Ofriz took the chair at the front control deck. He entered a specific sequence of co-ordinates and leaned back in his seat as the capsule accelerated towards Valletta.

  ***

  I was driving at high speed on Interstate 40. I took the exit towards the Mojave National Preserve, emerging onto Kelbaker Road.

  “Follow this road until we see the Kelso mountain range, it will be on our left,” Eric, the captured soldier, told me. I nodded but remained silent. I estimated the truck that had escaped at the roadblock must have had a forty-five minute to an hour head start on us. They had probably already made it to the base. The atmosphere in the van was sombre and the men were all tense. I was uncertain what we would face, but I knew after this night none of these men would ever be the same again.

  The sky was dark as we raced past the Kelso Dunes. Very soon afterwards we could make out the mountain range in the gloom. I swerved off the road onto the dirt track leading towards the mountains.

  “Ok what now?” I asked Eric.

  “There is normally a signal light that guides us to the entrance at the base of the mountain.”

  “Well obviously that is not going to happen now so how do we find this damn base?” I said feeling irritable.

  “The entrance is undetectable. They use some sort of technology to keep it hidden,” Eric replied.

  I stopped the car suddenly. I got out the van and walked around to the other door.

  “I have helped you, what are you going to do?” Eric pleaded as I opened the passenger door. Quickly and calmly I yanked him out of the van and threw him onto the dusty road.

  “Crawl back to your superiors,” I said coldly as I left him on the ground and got back into the vehicle.

  “Was that really necessary? He will probably die out there,” said Henry, the man in his fifties who had lost his wife and two daughters.

  “He served his purpose, besides we will need the space for the others,” I replied grimly. The harsh tone of my voice was enough of a deterrent for him to continue the conversation. I put my foot down hard on the accelerator and sped towards the mountain range.

  “How are we going to find this entrance?” a young man called Jermaine asked. His sister had been taken. He had asked a fair question. I knew what I was going to do, but didn’t have the inclination to explain it to him.

  “Just trust me,” I demanded with agitation. We drove for another ten minutes till we were very near the foot of the mountain range. I stopped the car.

  “I need to think for a time so please stay quiet,” I turned and said to the men. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I knew the Ari-an had used a projection to disguise the entrance, I just needed to convince my brain to see past the illusion. I visualised the opening to a cavern. After I felt confident I opened my eyes. I searched the base of the mountain. I saw lights in the distance not very far from where we had stopped.

  “Ok, I know where to go. One of you will stay behind with the car. Decide now amongst you who it will be,” I said to the men.

  “Why can’t we all go?” Henry asked.

  “Because we will need an escape vehicle ready waiting for us… when we come back,” I answered in a somewhat dishonest manner.

  I knew ‘if we come back’ was more truthful. The men deliberated and it was decided Cesar would stay behind since he owned the car. I left him a gun, some water and a handheld transceiver, so we could stay in touch. The rest of the men got out of the car.

  “If we lose contact and are not back in four hours presume we are dead and leave,” I said to Cesar before joining the others.

  “I will alert the authorities, they will have to investigate. You will all be missing and my Theresa has been taken, people will have to search and give me answers,” Cesar said looking me in the eye. I had already quelled the men’s initial demands to contact the police. I knew they would and could do nothing.

  “The police will not help. Thousands of people vanish every year in this country, it is nothing new. Try if it makes you feel better, but I promise you they will do nothing. If anything you will be blamed for her disappearance and they will deny any knowledge of us. The army is involved in this.” I hated being so negative, but what I was telling him was the truth. The Ari-an would not be so sloppy as to leave anything to chance. Even as we spoke I knew the roadblock, dead and injured agents had been removed. I tried to re-inject Cesar with some hope, “Look it won’t come to that, we’ll return.”

  “I pray you do Cyrus. I want to see my Theresa again,” Cesar whispered as I exited the car. I joined the group in the cool early morning air. The stars still beamed bright in the sky out here in the wilderness. I could see the lights at the base of the mountain. I knew the others would not perceive anything apart from rock.

  “Let’s move,” the men fell in behind me. It was nearly 5 a.m. as we swiftly crossed the rugged terrain towards the mountain base. We reached the lights. They were above a large metallic doorway. As we crossed the field of the holographic projection, Jermaine saw the doorway for the first time and gasped.

  “Where the hell did that come from?”

  “Keep your voice down. They may be expecting us. It is just technology they use to cloak the entrance. We have gone past the barrier where it is effective. All of you stay here and hide. I will find a way in and contact you when it’s safe.” I directed them towards a huge boulder and waited till they were concealed from view. I was not certain what to expect beyond the entrance. I knew now this was not a major base. They tended to be found at military sites. I suspected all this was an elaborate game. It was unlikely to be Dajjal’s doing, he would be more concerned with the end of the cycle and conquest over earth. No, this was Nergal’s style. He knew I was alive, it was his agents I had killed at the roadblock, but what did the cunning acolyte want with me? Revenge probably, but I would give the android more than he bargained for.

  I studied the rock face and noticed a small ventilation hole above and to the right of the entrance. It was about thirty meters high. I crouched, focused my energy, and then jumped. I flew through the air and caught a protruding rock just above the airway. In the dark
it was unlikely the men had seen the superhuman leap, which was for the best; I did not want them viewing me as some sort of freak. I hung from the rock, and then swung back and forth building up momentum. Gaining enough force I released my grip and landed in the opening. It was just large enough for me to crouch within. I could see light at the end of the ventilation channel. I lay on my stomach and crawled towards the end. There was a big fan blocking the way out of the channel. Beyond the fan was a large room within which the only thing I could see clearly was the truck that had escaped at the roadblock. It was parked against the wall. The trailer end was near my vantage point. The fan was not turned on, so with some subtle positioning I was able to crawl past it and hang off the end of the passageway. I glanced down and calculated that it was over a thirty metre drop to the floor. I let go and focused my energy to cushion my fall. I glided down to the dirt floor and landed soundlessly. The cavern I was in was very faintly lit. I had landed behind the truck. The trailer door was ajar, the captives were gone. I heard voices approach and slid under the trailer.

  “I still don’t get why that weird cyborg didn’t punish us,” I overheard a solider say to his comrade.

  “Well being stuck up here with you is bad enough for me,” his friend jested.

  My suspicions were confirmed; Nergal was behind all this. The soldiers stood a few feet away from the truck. They both had their backs to the trailer. I slid out from my hiding place and like a silent assassin I was upon them. “The cyborg left you as prey for me,” I whispered as I struck the first solider with a blow to the back of his head. He went down like a sack of potatoes. I grabbed the second solider before he could react and with a forceful twist broke his neck. I dragged their bodies to the back of the truck and lifted them into the trailer and sealed the door. Looking around, I found a route leading deeper into the mountain. I followed the route through a tunnel and came to a closed steel door. It was locked and I could not push it open. I paused considering what to do next. The transceiver in my back pocket suddenly beeped into life, “Cyrus come in,” it was Henry. I had completely forgotten about the men. I answered the unwanted call trying to disguise my irritation.