She looked forward to seeing his genetic chart; she suspected that he had a healthy quota of what some called the Blood of Kings. Those who had a reinforced genetic heritage from either set of survivors tended to go though the cycle with a lot less trouble.
“At least our losses have decreased over the years” she mused, “but the adversary is still leaving the new recruits to suffer and die or not by themselves.
Fortunately we manage to save quite a few now that we have the hospital network in place. The best part of this discovery was that we managed to prevent them from obtaining the godstone or the victims.
I believe Dianna is correct about the potential of this group.”
Dianna entered the field hospital. “Hi Tina.”
“Hi Dianna, did you have a good night?”
“Very good thanks and you?”
“Excellent! Your friends are reaching the crisis phase, so I hope to have good news for you soon.”
“That is already good news to me.
I think the waiting is almost worse than anything that could happen. Have you got any indication what the outcome is going to be?”
“Not yet, I’m afraid. At least we know that if they live past the second day, death is no longer a major consideration.
I suspect Michael will be the first out, and I have two telepaths listening in at all times. As you know, one of the major problems we have had, has been the shock of waking into your powers and not knowing what is going on.”
“I know that since we have had a sensitive on guard, very few have lost their minds.
The biggest problem now is whether they are going to have any special endowment, and whether or not they are going to be amongst the immortals.”
“That unfortunately, we can only tell once the metamorphosis is complete.
Only then can we identify the genome for immortality. As for the powers, the moment they start reviving, our sensitives will start identifying their armorium.”
“Did you say armorium? You DO know something!”
“You’re right, we have had a premonition about at least three of your friends.
That is why you and I will be alternating as senior sensitives from tomorrow morning until they are strong enough to identify.
I sure wish your father was here – he was the best at identifying and activating powers in a new recruit I have ever met – especially when it comes to Warriors.”
“I think so too, but I think you want him back because you just miss him anyway.”
“It is true. We keep on drifting together. If I didn’t know that there were other couples amongst us have the same tendency, I would be worried.
But I will be glad to have him helping us, especially if the prophecy proves true.”
“So when is he arriving?”
“I never could put anything over on you, could I?”
“Uh, Huh!”
“Well you’re right again. We believe he is on the capsule that should be arriving in about three months.”
“Haven’t you contacted him yet? I swear, if you really want to, you could contact him on Isis.”
“Thanks Love, I know you’re exaggerating, but I’ve sometimes thought the same.”
“We must try it sometime.”
“I think we will probably have to, in case of an emergency. The big problem is the relative times.
Perhaps we should set up an experiment, setting fixed times when the next ship goes out, so that we can calibrate range and power.
However sometimes it’s difficult to coordinating projects like this, because of the time contraction at near C velocities. And of course, the respondent on the ship might be in coldsleep at the time.”
“Have you heard anything new about the FTL ship? I have been concentrating on archeology for the last couple of years.”
“And on David?” Tina shot a thought at Dianna on her private band.
“You’re soo right, Mom”
“Nothing major has been reported yet, although there have been a couple of precogs from the prophets - but that is typical oracle stuff – so vague no one can make head or tail of it.
We are hoping that Awaki will have something new with him when he returns”
“It would sure shorten the journey if we could use the wormhole. And it would decrease the losses from cold sleep.
Just then the new shift arrived, and after handing over, Tina and Dianna leave the hut.
“Well, I’m off to sleep.”
“Sleep tight Tina, see you this evening.”
“I will. I know everything is in good hands!”
Dianna wandered over to the temple. All was a bustle, with the last of the godstone being packed, and everything which might give more information than was wise to disseminate being removed.
“Hi Dianna.” Greeted the tall red headed girl who was supervising the work. “We are just finishing off here. All the godstone fragments and the intrusive artifacts have been packed, and we have cleaned up everything that is too revealing. These old priests never thought about what their writings could mean to anybody who discovered this site in the future.”
“Hi Freya, Have the seekers done their final sweep yet?”
“Just busy, as we speak. The enforcers have set up a double cordon; they picked up a curious tourist, who wandered away from one of the tours.”
“So our old friend has noticed us at last. I think in that case we should get the teleports in to do their stuff.”
“I for one would feel a lot more secure, when this lot is gone. Go for it girl.”
“Uncle L’ki!” The blonde girl’s eyes glazed as she projected that call halfway across the world.
In his office in Orange County, Los Angeles, Harold J. Fox, managing director of Universal Transport Inc. had just walked into his office. He walked through into his private bathroom and closed the door behind him.
“Hi Dianna, how’s tricks?”
Dianna relaxed, once the contact was established, it took very little effort to maintain. “I’m fine thanks, and you?”
“You know me my dear; I’m a creature of habits. How can I help?”
“So you’re still driving all of LA crazy with your little Jokes? As a matter of fact I’ve been having a little holiday in the sun. However, I’ve got some extra luggage to get home.”
“Valuables?”
“Definitely!”
“I’ll be right over!”
Harold walked out to his secretary’s office. “Hi Maggie, hold the fort, will you? I’ve got a quick couple of errands downtown.” He stepped into the elevator and after a warning message to Dianna, teleported himself to Great Zimbabwe.
“Hi Di!” he greeted Dianna.
“Hi Uncle Fox, welcome to our little Mall!”
“Hi Uncle Fox!”
“Hi you guys and girls, what do you have for me today?”
“Secure shipment for Headquarters vaults Harold.” Explained Dianna, pointing out the packing cases stacked against the wall. “Do you think you need more muscle?”
“Nope, if you’ll lend a small push I think we can do it without a problem. Will you let them know to expect it?”
Dianna paused for a moment. “Done. Let’s deliver this Baby!”
Someone had brought up two comfortable chairs. Dianna and Harold sat down and settled into a meditation state, sensing the objects to move.
Then L’ki looked up: “Ready when you are my dear.”
“Let’s go!”
The next minute, the boxes disappeared.
“Well, that’s it Di. It’s been a pleasure working with you.”
“Thanks Harold, it’s been good. Catch You!”
Harold used the Sight to check that his private elevator was clear, then teleported himself back. He rode back up to his office. “Anything important while I was out Maggie?”
“No Mr. Fox. Mr. Panapopulos called, but when I told him you had stepped out for a moment, he said he would call back later. O, and your wife called, you
are having dinner with the ambassador, please remember to be early.”
“Thanks Maggie, I’ll give her a call. If Mr. Panapopulos calls again, please put him through.”
He walked into his office, sat down, and started on his day’s work.
New York – USA, 11th August 2035
The offices of Erickson, Panapopulos and Sprout Lawyers were in an old brownstone with a black slate roof in downtown New Jersey. Few people passing the old house knew the web of power that emanated from it.
Joseph Sprout had known the tall dark well proportioned man with the beak nose for almost two hundred years, but Peter Panapopulos still made him nervous when he was in this restless mood.
Peter was striding up and down Joseph’s office.
“I just know they are up to something. First Dianna is down on one of her ridiculous archeological digs with that mortal, David something or the other. Then suddenly Tina leaves New York, and the site closes up like a safe door shutting in my face. Now I trace L’ki jumping there, and a massive boost, that can only be to their headquarters.”
“They’re on a bloody archeological dig man; they probably found some valuable artifact, which they don’t want the natives to get their greasy little hands on. So they spirited it away – you would do the same thing.”
“I don’t know – why would Tina fly down there herself, and seal the place with a bunch of enforcers?
You know that our agent in South Africa tried to get in there in the guise of a tourist who got lost. He suddenly collapsed, as did two ‘American’ tourists we tried to sneak in. Heat prostration, complete with the memory of feeling dizzy and weak – that’s much too pat.
Anyway, you know little goody two shoes would never get involved in something illegal like robbing the poor ignorant natives. I’m sure this has something to do with the godstone.”
“Well, what can we do about it? Uncle Fox won’t tell you anything he doesn’t want you to know. And if he does tell you, half the time he’s putting one over on you.”
“He was born a con man – I don’t know why he still sticks with that spineless lot. I’m sure he would fit in with us like a glove.”
“You’re wrong you know. Under the fascia of the trickster, he’s just another softhearted fool.
We’ve been bumping heads for years – quite a hew of his little ‘jokes’ has been at my expense, and have spoilt my plans. He is a cousin to the Wanderer you know?
They’ve been knocking about together since the beginning.”
“Ok, so he’s a real pain in the tochis. Why don’t we just knock him off? You’re just as old as them, and you are definitely more powerful than most.”
“Actually they sometimes make me feel like a baby – I was born in the years when the Greek tribes started moving down into the Greek peninsula. My mother was a Pathan tribeswoman; I believe she was a real beauty.
My father was a man called Auf, at that time known as Zeus. When his wife Hera discovered that my mother was with child with me, she made my mother think she was a cow.
For three months all she could eat was grass, and she would drink nothing but water. Then Auf found out what was going on, and he made Hera take her spell off.”
“So how old are they then?”
“It’s a recorded fact that the original infection of the godstone symbiote occurred about twenty three thousand years before Christ.
Except for a couple who got killed in various wars, including a couple fought solely between immortals, most of the original twenty two odd powered immortals as well as twenty seven of the original non powered immortals are still around.”
“When I was eight, my father came to our village and took me back to Olympus.
I was raised with the ‘gods’ brats – Dianna, Minerva and that lot. Hera never liked me, but Athena was always kind.
The one thing I learned early on was to take care of myself. All this nonsense about civilized behavior will be the end of mankind yet. All of nature is geared at survival of the fittest.
That’s why I can’t handle these softhearted idiots – if they had their way, every philosopher and artist would be an immortal.
Which is why I joined with Hades in opposing them.”
“Did I just hear my name used in vain?” Frank Eriksson walked in and perched on the side of the desk. He was a tall blonde man, with strong well formed features, somewhat marred by a broken nose. He appeared to be in his early forties.
“Hi Peter. Joe. I see you’ve got him started on his pet hate again – what has our lily livered friends been up to this time?”
“That’s exactly what I want to know – they’ve been swarming down in Zimbabwe – ostensibly an archeological dig – but Dianna was involved.
The next thing Tina drops everything and rushes off down there with a planeload full of enforcers, healers and seekers.
By the time I realized something was up, they had the whole place buttoned up like a Victorian spinster.”
“That must have been like waving a red flag at you!”
“Are you telling me! I tried everything we have to break through. I even sent a couple of spies, but they were disabled without finding out anything.
What really worries me is that L’ki was in and out of there this morning, and our sensitives felt a very large teleport – I suspect to Antarctica.”
”Have you tried to contact our old friend, Uncle Fox?”
“I left a message for him, but he has not called back. It’s highly unlikely that he will give us anything anyway, especially if this thing is as important as I think it must be.”
“If he hasn’t called back he won’t talk. He only boasts to goad us into action, or when he’s got something to rub our faces in. I assume you have someone watching them?”
“I have three Seers on them at all times, looking for an opening. I also have a task force in place in case we find something to strike at when they decide to move.”
“Very good. Let me know if there’s anything new.
I have had a low level precog – there something about a shield, and the number three.”
After Eriksson walked out, Sprout wiped his forehead. “He scares me spitless when he’s like that. He sure is cold blooded.”
“You should see him in battle, or even worse when someone disobeys him! That’s when you know why the ancient Greeks called him the ruler of hell.”
“So why have you stayed with him so long?”
“For the same reason you will, we believe in survival of the fittest, and that implies that mankind should be ruled by the fittest.”
“You’re too right there, Brother.”
Chapter 5
Greater Zimbabwe – Southern Africa, 14th August 2035
Michael and Marianne came out of the coma twenty minutes apart. Dianna, who was on duty, called Tina the moment Michael’s mental activity showed that he was waking up.
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