Home of the Forgotten

by Rayne W Grath

  Taylor watched the video in disbelief, hearing about it was one thing, but seeing it in person was another. He scrolled through the related videos from around the world before he passed the phone back and said, “Damn I always miss the good stuff. Thanks dude.”

  “Cool. Catch you later,” responded the guy and then with a click of his metro shoes he turned around and sauntered over to the couch to join the rest of the crew.

  Taylor lengthened his stride to catch up to Anna who hadn’t bothered to stop and see what the commotion was all about. He hooked his arm with hers when he reached her and said, “Weren’t you just a little bit curious why everyone was gathered together tonight? This place is usually a ghost town unless Doris is cooking.”

  “I saw enough to know that we have less than a minute to get to the conference room,” answered Anna, as she speed-walked through the white hallways. The locked outer doors were wide open as they crested the corner giving them a full view of the secure elevators. Ailla had the doors open to the elevator and Captain Bolten was leaning in the corner while he waited impatiently inside.

  “You said we were meeting your dad in the conference room. How does a white house announcement play into us getting to the conference room? I’m confused?” whispered Taylor from behind his hand.

  “My dad is the one making the white house announcement. I guess I kinda left that part out, huh?” replied Anna with pain in her eyes.

  “Yeah, you left that important bit out, but that’s ok. I should have put two and two together when he mentioned he had a press release with his position and all. I get that you were just dropped a bomb of information and you’ve got a lot going on in that beautiful head of yours. I’ll even give you a pass this time, but you can’t claim that card forever. Because the longer you wait to face it the worse it will get,” answered Taylor pulling Anna into his arms when they entered the elevator. He expected her to be stiff after his harsh, but honest, comment and when she melted against him instead, he sighed in contentment.

  Bolten straightened up and looked at Anna under Taylor’s arm, before he focused on Taylor and said, “Hurt her and I’ll hurt you. Understand?”

  “Perfectly,” Taylor responded with commitment at the same time Anna screeched, “Oh My God! Does everyone around here think they have a say in my love life. Not that I don’t appreciate the sentiment, but I’ve been guarded all my life and I deserve to be happy.”

  “I never said you couldn’t be happy. In fact I was trying to make sure you stay happy. How is that a bad thing?” Bolten stammered out in confusion.

  “Threatening bodily harm and possibly scaring off a potential suitor is bad, Keenan. Gah! I feel sorry for any daughter you might have in the future!” Anna screamed in frustration.

  “That would require a miracle seeing as I never have time for sexual relations, but regardless, if Taylor can’t handle a simple man-to-man talk than he doesn’t deserve you,” argued Bolten.

  “Ew! Too much information, Keenan! Ailla is my dad on the air yet?” Anna said with a blush, as she tried to change the subject when the elevators doors opened to the second floor.

  “Not yet, Dr. Rais. You still have time. If you hurry, you won’t miss anything,” replied Ailla from the overhead speakers as the elevator doors closed promptly behind them.

  Taylor followed after Keenan and Anna in silence as they entered a large conference room. His eyes were drawn to a big screen filling the back wall as it displayed the white house press announcement from a projector on the ceiling. Six guards, seated around a large rectangular table with enough chairs to seat a total of twenty four, stood to attention when the captain entered the room and remained that way until he said, “At ease, men. Commander Rais will join us as soon as the press conference is over.”

  “Not to be disrespectful sir, but I don’t really care about some news conference. I have shit to do in order to get ready for my vacation next week,” said the guard closest to the door, who was leaning back precariously in his chair.

  Keenan wasted no time knocking the chair out from under the guard before he said, “Saying you “meant no harm” doesn’t make your statement any more respectful. Commander Rais has an assignment for us and, seeing as he rescued you from a prisoner of war camp...that just so happened to be behind enemy lines...you’ll sit your sorry ass in that chair properly and wait until you’re excused. Oh and by the way...Everyone’s leave has been canceled indefinitely. Because if we don’t succeed on our next mission there will be nothing left to vacation to.”

  With a quick nod and a look of embarrassment, the guard picked up his chair and plopped down like he had a stick up his ass before he replied, “My actions were uncalled for, sir. It won’t happen again.”

  “See that it doesn’t. I know of several cadets vying for a spot on this team. In fact I’d be willing to bet they’d probably show more appreciation if given the opportunity. I believe everyone on this planet will want to hear what the Commander is about to say,” Bolten replied, as he motioned Taylor and Anna further into the room, to the seats on either side of him. He then proceeded to cross his arms like he was daring Taylor to sit somewhere else.

  Taylor stared Bolten down as he grabbed ahold of Anna’s hand and led her to the other side of the table. He pulled out her chair and pushed it in, after she sat down gracefully, he said, “Sorry, I had a few questions for you and didn’t want a kink in my neck, especially when we can sit across from each other and avoid the hassle.” Bolten smiled and Taylor couldn’t tell if it meant he approved of Taylor’s move or if he was planning on assassinating him the next time they were alone together.

  Bolten cupped his ear with one hand and held up a finger with the other. Taylor assumed he had an earpiece and was listening to someone report on the Commander’s movement. When Bolten finished, he leaned forward and placed both elbows on the table and said, “I’m afraid your questions will have to wait. The Commander will be on the air in five seconds.”

  “He’s in DC? I thought he was meeting us here in a few minutes? Which brings me to my next question; why aren’t you guys there watching his back? None of the secret service will be able to protect him like you can!” Anna stated, with honest concern for her father. At least Taylor hoped it was concern for her dad and not blatant flirting as she buttered them up with her praise.

  “He’ll be on time. He should be down shortly after his briefing which, I might add, is being televised upstairs in our replica of the White House briefing room. Ahh, there he is,” Bolten exclaimed, with a nod to the screen as Rh’ael entered the room and made his way to the podium.

  With a commanding pose, Rh’ael faced the cameras and said, “Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I have an announcement to make. As many of you witnessed, either firsthand or through the internet, a world energy grid sparked to life today on two separate occasions. Scientists around the world are saying the amount of energy generated in those two brief moments was enough juice to power every household in the world for a week. The long dormant obelisks were activated by a madman when he opened a portal to another world and turned off just as fast to prevent his early return. You might be asking yourself why aren’t they on now? We could solve global warming and bring electricity to third world countries. And you would be right...except you would be missing one vital piece of information.”

  Rh’ael raised his hands slowly and all of the furniture in the room except the podium followed suit. He stopped when the chairs and media equipment hovered high above his head and said, “The obelisks are partially powered by a wormhole, called the Origin Passage, which was designed and built by an amalgamation of peaceful aliens who installed it across the universe on inhabitable planets. If we turn it back on, a powerful alien race who, I might add, have declared war on the human species, will use it to bring forces and weapons unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Their sole purpose being to eliminate life on earth, post haste. They are still coming, even with the portal off, but space travel is not nearly as fast as
a wormhole. We’ve only bought ourselves a couple weeks at the most. The only way to survive this inevitable attack is to come together as a united human force and use every resource available, including the aliens that live among you.” finished Rh’ael, bringing his hands down in a sweeping motion.

  The furniture followed Rh’ael’s hand movements and parted mid-air like the Red Sea. They crashed against the walls of the room and landed in a heap on the floor. “What you just saw was not a parlor trick and is just a fraction of what to expect from our foes. I didn’t show myself to you to induce fear or confusion, but to prove my loyalty and publicly confirm that aliens ARE real and we live among you. But just like there are good and bad humans, there are also good and bad aliens. If we turn the power grid back on, we risk some of the evil aliens coming through the portal to take revenge for a rebellion humans started twelve thousand years ago. Your ancestors stole the origin crystal, shutting down the gateway between the different alien worlds after they realized their gods were not benevolent beings, but actually just advanced humanoids from space. Thus sealing the fate of humankind to one of darkness for centuries, but free of oppression for many years. That is until humans started to forget where they came from and began warring and enslaving each other instead of working toward the greater good. But that is another discussion altogether, and not one we have time to hash out at the moment with our impending galactic war.”

  “You have two choices to make at every crossroad, either accept your fate or ignore it. If you accept it, you again have two options left to you. Do you fight for what you hold dear or ignore it and pretend it’s not happening? If you decide to go with the latter choice and choose to live in ignorance, again you will be faced with another fork in the road. Do you go about your life, like nothing has changed, or hide in your home hoping it won’t affect you? Either way, the choice is yours and I hope the threat of decimation is a powerful enough reason to unite humankind once and for all. It is time to put aside your differences or face the possibility of genocide. Over the next week, as pandemonium erupts around you, remember we can survive and prosper if we work together. Chaos will be our own nemesis if we are not careful. Contact your local government for more information on how you can help. I wish you the best of luck and advise you to hold your loved ones closer tonight. I know I will be doing the same as I prepare to fight alongside you,” Rh’ael said with a brief nod, before he saluted the screen and left the podium without another word.

  Taylor realized his mouth was hanging open in complete disbelief when Anna reached over and closed it for him before she whispered, “Nothing he had to say is something we can’t handle.”

  “I know. I’m just a little shocked to say the least. In my field of work I’ve always known the earth and its inhabitants held many secrets, I just didn’t know how far down the rabbit hole it went until today. I hope the library holds the answers to those secrets, because frankly I’m tired of not knowing,” Taylor said in bewilderment.

  “Once my father is done speaking with us, we’ll head back to my lab and I’ll load us up with every gadget in my arsenal,” Anna said in a soothing tone, as she leaned her head against his shoulder and stroked his arm tenderly.

  “Every gadget might not be necessary, but you could be closer to the truth than you realize. Seeing as I need you two to find the location of the Nae’derium weapons used in the last rebellion, we really have no idea what you’ll be up against. You have less than a fortnight to do the impossible, but I have every faith you’ll succeed,” Rh’ael said in a booming voice from the doorway.

  Chapter Seven

  Kiya

  Kiya squeezed Aarik’s hand before she pulled herself free, stepped forward and said, “The past few weeks has been a rollercoaster of a ride, but we’re on a time crunch so if you could make a decision now we would genuinely appreciate it.”

  A commotion from within the gathered Ah’naki caught her eye as a tanned blond god pushed his way to the front and demanded in a raised voice, “What is the name of your ancestor, who stole the origin crystal?”

  Confused by his odd request Kiya answered hesitantly, “I’m not sure what precedence that has in our discussions, but her name...was...Zoya. I have no idea what her surname was.”

  The man’s expressions turned to sorrow before he announced, “Claiming to be a descendant of my Kh’izmet is punishable by death if found to be false. Are you prepared to prove it?”

  “Seeing as my claim is true and I have nothing to hide, I’m ready to prove it. Assuming that is...if you have an idea on how I might possibly accomplish that,” replied Kiya proudly.

  The man strode forward, slowing as he approached and said, “What is your name? If you are a descendant of Zoya’s show me your left inner thigh. Every descendant of her line will have the marking of a raven. Your death will be imminent if you are lying!”

  Kiya knew she and her grandmother shared a similar marking on their inner thigh, but her splotch could hardly be considered a bird. Especially with her childhood scar covering part of the birthmark, it resembled more of a broken Ms. Pacman than a raven, unless maybe it was drawn by a child. Uncertain if the man would allow her to explain herself she closed her eyes tight and put up a small prayer to the gods. She opened her eyes, moved the lingerie to the side and flashed her inner thigh as her heart raced rapidly and said in a shaky voice, “My name is Kiya Brown. I come from a long line of women shaman and I am a descendant of Zoya.” For once, she was thankful for the smock she was wearing because having to drop her drawers seemed more demeaning than showing a little more skin. As she opened her mouth to explain how she got the scar the man crossed the final two steps and pulled her into his arms as he proceeded to give her the largest bear hug she had ever received.

  Kiya tapped his back and said in a gasp, “Hard to breathe. Need air…”

  Kiya! Aarik screamed before he grunted in frustration as he struggled to move and exclaimed in a threatening voice, “I swear on my life if you harm her, I will kill you. In this life or the next, I will make it happen.”

  Kiya laughed in her head and quickly sent out an answer before Aarik ended up injuring himself, Don’t kill anybody just yet. I just need this big guy to dial down his hug a notch. He’s cutting off my air supply slightly. Kind of feels like a baby elephant is sitting on my chest, but I can still breathe.

  “That vow will not be necessary. Forgive me, Kiya. My name is Thad'gar and I would never harm someone related to me,” Thad'gar uttered, as he loosened his grip and pulled back to look her in the eyes before he added, “I just forget my own strength sometimes when I’m emotionally overwhelmed. It’s been thousands of years since Zoya sent me through the portal, gravely injured, to be healed. I died a little upon waking from a deep healing sleep to find I couldn’t get back to her and assumed the worst. I grieved her loss and accepted years ago that I would never have children of my own. Seeing you standing here brings me peace, and a joy I’ve been missing for too long. So, come my friends, today is a day for celebration, not an execution, as I get to know my granddaughter many times removed with a feast.”

  Speechless, she repeated his words over and over until it hit her; this guy thought she was his long lost granddaughter many times removed. Kiya looked at Thad'gar with new eyes as her body shook in shock. He squeezed her arms gently in response as if he knew she was coming to the realization they were related.

  “What about her companion? We haven’t established his true identity. You’re not just going to let him go too, based on a woman’s word at that,” complained Thor, as he stared at Aarik with daggers in his eyes.

  Tucking Kiya under his arm, Thad'gar turned his head toward Thor and said over his shoulder, “I believe them, but if my word is not good enough for you, I’m sure Aarik will agree to a mind parse to satisfy the conglomerate.”

  Dismissing Thor with a nod he looked to Aarik and said, “To prove yourself, you only need to open your mind to all of us, so that we can see for ourselves where your lo
yalty lies. I’ll release you from your invisible prison as soon as you agree to the ritual.”

  “I’m not saying no, but what exactly is a mind parse ritual? It sounds like I let you in and you poke around in my brain. Is that even safe? If it is how much do you see? I mean I have some rather embarrassing adolescent and childhood memories I’d rather no one have as evidence to use against me later. Lastly, does it hurt? Oh, and I guess I need to know, how do I do it?” Aarik answered, as he looked around the room at each of the races present.

  He stopped when he met Kiya’s eyes and said, In case for some unforeseen reason they decide I’m not who I say I am, I want you to know I love you, Kiya Brown. I feel better knowing you’ll be safe here with your...I guess we’ll call him grandpa. Funny how we both seem to have some Ah’naki blood running through our veins. Maybe that’s why we were so drawn to one another from the beginning.

  Kiya shook her head with tears in her eyes and said, Don’t talk like that, nothing negative is going to happen to you. I don’t think I’m part Ah’naki, but that doesn’t mean I’m denying my instant attraction to you. I mean think about it. I don’t have access to the AZOK like you do or any of your gifts for that matter. I don’t want to hurt Thad'gar’s feelings, but there is no way Zoya’s descendants were from him. Maybe she got married after he was gone to another guy and had his kids? Anyway if it gets us an in by having him connected to my ancient grandmother than I won’t say anything to make him change his mind.

  “I’ll get to your pertinent questions, Aarik, as soon as I say this. I know of two things that will contradict your train of thought. Zoya was my Kh'izmet. That means our souls are bound for eternity. Through death and rebirth we will always find each other. I was beginning to think she is still alive since I haven’t seen her soul resurface yet. Normally, we don’t have to wait long, but there have been some rare cases of people waiting thousands of years for their mates to return. The point I am trying to make is; she would not have been able to conceive with someone else’s semen. It’s literally impossible. And the mark on your inner thigh is not your grandmother’s family sigil, it is mine. You are my granddaughter,” Thad'gar exclaimed passionately looking down at her with compassion.