Petrichor

by R J Johnson

  It was then, after rounding a particularly large stalagmite that she saw it. Out of place and incredibly beautiful, a crystal door, the perfect size for a human to step through stood in front of her.

  “Fascinating…” Lorelei said in wonder. She approached the strange crystal door, examining it closely.

  This might be what the locals were talking about, she thought to herself. Excited, she took out her camera from the pack and began taking pictures of the otherworldly crystal.

  She reached out tentatively to the crystal and was surprised to see her hand shimmer and disappear within. Lorelei cried out in surprise and quickly withdrew her hand looking closely at it for any signs of injury. Seeing nothing, her eyes widened and she glanced back to the entrance of the cave. The sound of the rushing water was distant from here. She shouldn’t keep going without letting Pétur know what she was doing, but the urge to explore this strange crystal was too strong.

  She stepped forward into the crystal confidently, stepping into it, feeling as if she were walking through thick brush.

  Just as she was about to give up, she found herself within a beautiful crystal chamber. Her eyes widened as she moved her flashlight all around, lighting up the entire chamber.

  Inside was a sight more beautiful than anything else she’d seen in her life. She was inside a diamond – or at least something that looked like one. Brilliant flashes of light reflected from his flashlight as he explored the incredibly spacious chamber.

  “Good God, what have I stumbled into?” Lorelei whispered. There had to be Þrasi’s treasure. She was sure of it.

  Suddenly, lights flashed and a voice began thundering around him.

  “Twelve stones! Twelve stones were laid upon this earth for Humanity…”

  “Jesus Christ!” Lorelei swore, clapping her hands over her ears. Whatever this voice was, it was LOUD.

  “The seventh beacon has been activated!” the chamber cried out. “The seventh stone is revealed.”

  A podium slide up in the middle of the chamber as a light illuminated it. Lorelei glanced around, her eyes wide, not really sure if she believed what was happening to her or if it was all some sort of massive delusion brought on by a concussion suffered after her fall.

  “Umm, sorry. Who might I be speaking with?”

  If I’m having a psychotic break, I may as well stay polite, Lorelei thought.

  The chamber flashed, “We are the Patrons. We cast a watchful eye over humanity as they develop. The stones are our gift to you.”

  “The stones?” Lorelei asked, an eyebrow raised.

  “Correct.”

  Lorelei moved closer to the stone floating in mid-air above the podium and studied it closely. It was long, thin and had a curve that reminded her of a claw.

  “What does it do?”

  “Whatever you choose it to do,” the chamber replied.

  Lorelei wasn’t encouraged by this response. She hadn’t been sure of what to expect when she entered the chamber, but it certainly wasn’t this.

  “What’s the catch?” Lorelei queried the formless voice. There was no response. Apparently the chamber either didn’t understand her question or was refusing to answer.

  The problem was that she felt herself drawn to the stone. It was as if someone else’s arm was reaching out to grasp it.

  The second she touched the stone, the entire chamber went dark, her flashlight popped and she was left in darkness once again.

  Cursing, she gently placed the stone into her pack and shouldered it. She’d take another look when she had more light. She pulled on the rope still attached to her harness as a guide back to the cavern behind the waterfall.

  Moving slowly, she made her way out of the crystal chamber and back into the hidden cavern behind the waterfall.

  She burst out into the damp air of the cavern. Grateful for the light still blazing from the LED lantern she left behind, she used a shivering hand to take out the clear crystal stone she’d retrieved from inside the chamber hoping to get a better look at it in the light.

  The stone felt as if she were holding a live wire in her hands. Whatever this stone was, it dwarfed any treasure Þrasi Þórólfsson might’ve left behind. Diamonds, jewels, or gold couldn’t hold up to the pure sense of power she felt while holding the stone in her hands.

  The energy flowed through the crystal and up through her arm. She’d never been one for the mysterious power of crystals or anything like what other hippy dippies out there liked to say cured their rheumatism, but this was different.

  She wasn’t sure if she liked it or not.

  But first things first. If she wanted to find out what the hell this thing was, she needed to get out of there.

  She frowned and looked around, hoping to find an exit.

  How did you get in here Prosi?

  Lorelei began feeling the wall of the cave, touching the cool rockface surrounding her, hoping to find some crack, she’d missed. She was concentrating so hard, she hadn’t noticed the flash of light coming from her pocket, and the energy spreading throughout her body. A subtle purple light played down the lengths of her arms, tracing her veins as she searched for an exit.

  Suddenly, Lorelei felt the earth around her move, and she fell back, disoriented by the sudden earthquake. Catching her footing, she looked back up to see a previously hidden passageway, revealed to her. Tiny shafts of light filtered in, and she peered up, seeing the patchy white clouds, dotting the crystal blue sky above. She began pulling herself up the steep passage, finding her way back to the surface. It was strange, Lorelei hadn’t seen anything like the path on any maps in her research.

  After a few minutes of climbing, she burst back out in the middle of a field, a few hundred yards away from a panicky looking Pétur. She chuckled at his pacing and began pulling herself out into the field. She waved over to him and signaled.

  She could see Pétur’s sigh of relief from half a mile away and he began jogging to meet her. Out of breath, he approached her, his face looking wild with excitement.

  “Ms. Decklund, I’m so happy to see you’re alive!” He shook his head. “I saw you were dead, I thought for sure.”

  “Thankfully, the reports of my death are…” she trailed off, trying to remember the rest.

  “Twain!” Petur said nodding. “If this means you are one day as famous as he, then I shall take the heart attack you gave me as a small price.”

  “Thanks Pétur,” Lorelei replied, allowing a wan smile at the compliment.

  “Did you find anything interesting?”

  Lorelei wasn’t sure what to say to her guide. A mysterious crystal chamber? A rock that was some sort of gift from persons unknown? What could she tell her guide that wouldn’t sound absolutely insane?

  “Interesting enough…” Lorelei said. She decided that she was going to keep this to herself for now. This stone might not be the promised treasure written about in local legends, but it was probably one of the most valuable things she’d ever held in her life.

  And that made her incredibly uncomfortable.

  Chapter Eleven

  By the time they reached the border, Johan and his people already had an incredibly long day. Fortunately, they managed to grab a little downtime as there wasn’t much left for them to do other than wait for Al Juhani’s people. Then, they could get started connecting their respective pipelines together, linking the two countries together for the first time. The rest was nice, but that didn’t make it any less boring.

  He’d worked his people hard, and they’d earned every dollar of their bonus. He was looking forward to spending some of it on Lorelei himself. They’d been away from each other for a long time, so he’d have to find something extra special for her.

  Ari approached him after conversing wildly with the border guards. He’d given them their beer, but apparently, they were more interested in the khat that Al Juhani had promised them. Unfortunately, their Iranian counterpart was still nowhere to be found.

  “You get w
ord from Al Juhani yet?” Johan asked his guard who approached him.

  “Not yet,” Ari said, slinging his rifle back up and around his shoulder. “Rumors have it that a few tribal fighters were hassling them yesterday which might have slowed the work down some.”

  Johan nodded, not really listening. “That’s why they pay us the big bucks.”

  Ari snorted, “Something like that anyway.”

  “Plenty of money coming after our bonus my friend,” Johan said confidently. He looked up at the mountains around them and nodded to Ari. “Let’s get Al Juhani on the sat phone and get an update.”

  Ari nodded and withdrew the sat phone from his white messenger bag. Extending the antenna, he punched a few number and frowned, his brow furrowed.

  “What’s the problem?” Johan wanted to know.

  “There’s no answer…” Ari replied, sounding strange.

  “Try him again,” Johan instructed.

  “No, you don’t understand, it’s saying the phone doesn’t exist.”

  Johan frowned. Where could it…?

  Then he understood and his eyes went wide in panic.

  “Get our people to shelter!” he shouted. “Now! Don’t dawdle!”

  He turned, reaching for the radio to warn his people, but it too late.

  The small trailer where most of his company’s people were relaxing, exploded in a wicked burst of heat, flame and shrapnel. Gunfire ricocheted around the campground, as one of the large tractors exploded. Debris flew everywhere scattering his men, while several dozen gunman began charging down into the valley all firing their weapons down at the camp.

  “Get out!” Johan shouted to his men. It seemed unnecessary because as soon as the shots started, people dropped what they were doing and fled for their lives.

  Johan drew his weapon, his eyes darting back and forth as he searched for cover.

  Ari was lying on the ground, his glasses askew, bleeding from the head. Johan grabbed Ari and threw him over his shoulder, hustling over to a nearby jeep. Crouching down for cover, he looked down at the right front tire in dismay. It was flat. Not what you wanted to see in your getaway vehicle.

  He pulled Ari’s head back, examining the guard’s wound. It wasn’t deep, so, barring a concussion, he would survive. He slapped his friend gently on his face, hoping to keep him awake.

  “Stay with me buddy,” Johan said. He reached into the jeep’s interior and pulled out the medkit stored inside. Ripping open a large bandage, he held it against the bleeding wound. He pulled Ari’s hand up to the wound.

  “Keep pressure on this. Tight!”

  Ari woozily pressed the bandage that was quickly becoming soaked with his blood. Johan frowned, but it was the best he could do for now.

  What he really needed was a way to get them the hell out of there.

  Glancing around the campground, he spotted one of their larger dump trucks that they used to haul various materials around. Unfortunately, it also located on the other side of the campground far from his position.

  There was a lull in the shots, and Johan decided to take his chance.

  Dashing across the road, Johan nearly slipped as he made a mad dash for the dump truck that would take him out of there. The shooting began again in earnest as he made his hundred yard dash across the rough terrain.

  Diving into a ditch, he heard more explosions as the gunman began attacking the pipeline itself, hoping to destroy the substation they’d painstakingly built. If they did, it would take months, if not years to rebuild everything. His company would likely just take the insurance payout and run. No need to risk personnel and lives on a project that had become too dangerous.

  Which was why he was going make sure his project didn’t go up in a burst of flames. He’d worked too long and too hard for it to be destroyed so close to completion.

  Rising out of the ditch, he made the last few dozen feet, zig-zagging his way through the attacking gunmen.

  Johan redoubled his efforts, reaching the dump truck, trying to force the thoughts of what happened when a 7.62 bullet entered a body from his mind. Fumbling with the door handle, another shot ricocheted off dangerously close to his head.

  “Shit, shit, shit!” Johan cried out. He pulled the handle and got into the truck as another set of shots raked the side of the behemoth vehicle.

  Shutting the door behind him, Johan sat up, and grabbed for the keys that were resting on the dashboard. He urged the dump truck to life, hoping that the old engine wouldn’t betray him in this crucial moment.

  The windshield cracked as another shot went through the cab of the truck. Johan felt the bullet ping across the cab, the rear glass fracturing. He ducked as another row of shots raked through the cab. He leaned forward and again turned the key in the ignition, awkwardly pushing the clutch down.

  A few gunmen, seeing Johan ran toward the truck, hoping to stop him. Fortunately for him, that was when the engine finally decided to corporate.

  Johan jammed it into gear, the transmission protesting its treatment. He floored the pedal and the engine kicked into high gear, the tires throwing up trails up dirt behind them. He yanked the wheel to the left and collided with two of the gunmen who was firing at him.

  He swung the wheel around, hoping to see where Ari had ended up, but he was nowhere to be found. Another burst of fire ran through the door of his truck and Johan cursed, making a decision.

  He turned the wheel, aiming the heavy vehicle toward the Iranian border. There, the local guard would be able to push off whatever gunmen who decided to give chase.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t get a chance to even get out of the camp as the road underneath the truck exploded, flipping his truck up and on its side. He flew up and out of his seat, the truck, tumbling end over end. Johan knocked his head against the roof of the truck, and he saw stars. He helplessly lashed out with his arms, hoping to grab hold of anything near to help stabilize himself until the truck came to a rest.

  Finally, after for what seemed like ages (but was probably only a few seconds), the truck skidded to a halt. Woozy, he tried to hold up his hands to show the three thugs approaching the truck he was unarmed. If anything, the company would pay for whatever ransom they demanded. If they didn’t want ransom…

  Well, he preferred to think about other things at the moment.

  Like his wife, Lorelei, and what she was doing right now in that moment.

  He hoped she was happy.

  The gunmen shouted at him, dragging his body out of the cabin. He looked back at Ari who was tucked behind the seats. Hopefully they wouldn’t see him.

  He looked up at the gunman holding the pistol at his head and he spit in the man’s face. The gunman didn’t hesitate to knock him on the side of the head with his pistol.

  Mercifully, Johan passed out before he learned what they were going to do to him next.

  Chapter Twelve

  Emily, Christina, and Alex all stood outside the pawn shop they’d just exited with their new documents. True to his word, Alex had made contact with someone in his network who had the ability to cook up a new set of ID papers they could use to get around without raising any red flags.

  “Passport, credit cards, and a driver’s license, all for the low, low price of ten grand per fugitive…” Christina shook her head. “Should I be disturbed or impressed that it only took you thirty minutes to set that up?”

  “I’d go with grateful considering I didn’t see you cough up thirty k,” Alex said wryly. He was hoping a little levity would help alleviate the palpable tension that had been ever-present between Emily and him since this morning.

  It didn’t work.

  Not that he expected it to. Their history was crazy enough without injecting a possible alien invasion. It was bad enough that his own life had turned into a something out of a

  “What’s your plan?” Alex finally asked. He’d given her enough space. Whether she liked it or not, they lived in this reality now and it was up to him to keep them safe.


  Emily hesitated and bit her lip. Then, as if deciding something, she swallowed and her face changed to one of emotional detachment.

  “I was really struck by what you told me about Siobhan’s story,” she began, “I’m pretty sure what she was describing was a strike by a gamma ray burst…”

  “Right,” Alex said, remembering his science lesson from his friends the other day. “The exploding star thing.”

  “Not just any star, something enormous. Something on the scale our tiny little brains can hardly comprehend,” she warned.

  “So what are you thinking?” Alex asked. He was encouraged by her energy. It was the first thing she’d been interested in talking about all day.

  “If there was something that big out there, our telescopes should have picked it up by now,” Christina added. “But, that’d not definitive. Just strange…”

  Emily nodded, agreeing with her friend. “I’m thinking we just weren’t looking at the right place at the right time.”

  “And you think you know where to look?”

  “There’s a survey going on in Hawaii…”

  Christina over at Emily, a smile spreading across her face, “Now that’s smart…”

  “It is?” Alex asked, sounding confused.

  “Pan-STARRS,” Christina added quickly, “It’s a NASA project that’s being run in tandem with the University of Hawaii. They’re up there searching for exactly this kind of thing. They’d be perfect for seeing if a Dyson’s sphere is somehow surrounding a sun that’s gonna go nova and cook us.”

  “Makes sense,” Alex mused. But would they remain safe?

  “I know people there,” Emily continued, as if reading his thoughts. “We can trust them to keep us off the radar.”

  “What about food? Shelter?”

  “All that stuff is handled up on the mountain,” Christina said. “And with our new paperwork, who’s gonna spot us?”

  Emily stepped forward, and placed a hand on Alex’s arm. She looked up into his eyes and her voice was small. “I know it’s not ideal, but I really think we can help if we find this world.”