“Ow. What do you mean?” Taylor said, rubbing his shoulder playfully before rolling it around to stretch it out.
“What if we step back and look at the last known locations of the weapons, like Vos’rok and At’lantis for example. Twelve thousand years ago, there couldn’t have been more than a dozen or so major cities around the globe where the uprising occurred. So if we find a map of those locations it could narrow our search radius immensely,” offered Anna with a twinkle in her eye.
Grabbing Anna Taylor kissed her deeply and said, “You’re a genius!”
Anna looked up at him with dreamy eyes and said with a breathless sigh, “I think my ingenious idea deserves another one of those kisses before you bury yourself in the next stack of books.”
Taylor caressed her cheeks tenderly with both hands and gave in to his desire for a brief moment. Building on a chaste kiss, he immersed himself in her taste and smell. Exploring every crevice, he tried to memorize the feeling she stirred in him as he pulled away and smiled at her whimsical expression. Her eyes were still closed and made her look like an angel with a golden halo, having gone back to her natural blond hair color. Grinning down at her, he kissed her nose and said, “You will always deserve my kisses and my promise moving forward is to ensure you don’t have to ask for them.”
Anna opened her eyes with a flutter. Taylor was surprised to find them sparkling with tears and was about to ask why when she placed a finger on his lips and said, “Before you ask, these are happy tears. Your words touched my heart, but expecting me not to express my need for you is asking the impossible.”
“I simply don’t want you to feel neglected,” Taylor assured Anna, with a kiss to her glistening cheek. Women would always be a mystery, but he was thankful his at least spoke her mind and wouldn’t have a problem telling him when he fucked up.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling just slightly neglected...sexually, that is,” admitted Anna, with a devilish smirk before adding, “But those kisses are a great way to start making up for it. I know we’re under pressure to save the world and all, but we sleep...and I guess I’m saying I’d be willing to give up some of my shut eye if you want to share my cot.”
Without admitting his unmanly secret, Taylor tried to play on her heart strings even more by playing the romantic card, “I would love to share your cot tonight and I’ll hold you all night long in my arms if you’ll let me, but I want our first time to be special. Not on a cot too small to fully enjoy ourselves. How would you let your tigress out of its cage in such a confined spot?”
Anna grinned up at him like she had won the argument and said, “I couldn’t agree more. Let’s look for that map so we can find ourselves a proper bed. Which way to the map section?”
Taylor, confused by her victorious grin, replayed his comment and, when he couldn’t find anything that would lead her to feel that way, he shook his head and said, “They were toward the middle, near the metal Milky Way galaxy replica we stumbled upon yesterday.”
“Oh yeah. I remember where that was. Beat you to it,” Anna yelled out as she ran forward in her heels, faster than Taylor would have thought possible. Staying slightly behind on purpose, he let her win so he could have the benefit of watching her run without seeming like a pervert. When she stopped and claimed her victory with a sexy dance, he rejoiced in her infectious attitude and stopped to admire how happy she looked.
“You cheated as well,” accused Taylor with a smile, knowing full well his comment would cause Anna to wrinkle her nose in disagreement; which just so happened to be one of his favorite expressions because her faint freckles stood out more prominently.
She didn’t disappoint him when she froze mid hip swing to give him the “now wait just a minute” face before she said, “We both know you could have surpassed me if you tried. So unless you want to admit the real reason you lollygagged behind me, I think I’ll just ignore that comment.”
Feeling his face turn a shade of pink he despised, Taylor changed the subject quickly by pointing out the shelves where they would mostly like find the maps they were looking for. “This whole row is dedicated to maps. I think it’d be best if we divide and conquer. Which end would you like to work from?”
“I’ll start here. I have a good feeling about this spot,” announced Anna, as she stepped forward and played eenie-meenie-miney-moe with several rolled up parchments before she picked out two and flounced back to their work table, like she had won the lottery.
Taylor, not as confident they would find anything any time soon, grabbed an arm load full of miscellaneous maps and joined her with less enthusiasm. Anna had moved everything off the table so she could lay the maps out flat and was studying a map of a large continent like Australia, or something equally as large, when he unloaded his stack carefully and joined her. Looking over her shoulder, he said, “What you got there?”
“I’m not sure. It’s labeled Terra Australis, but it’s too big to be Australia. It looks more like an ancient map of Antarctica without ice to me,” replied Anna in contemplation.
“I think you’re right. If I recall correctly Terra Australis was Antarctica’s original name before Australia stole it as their own in the fifteen hundreds. From the looks of this map it had major cities on every side. Do you suppose those lines leading to and from them are trade routes of some sort? If they were only on land I would think they were roads, but they continue into the sea,” Taylor asked as he leaned forward and followed the lines with his finger without touching the delicate parchment.
“Good guess,” Anna replied, as she moved to inspect the lines in more detail, at the same time Taylor moved to pick up a pair of gloves. Running into Taylor caused Anna to inadvertently place her hand onto the dry surface of the map as she caught herself from falling. In an instant, the map projected a holographic 3D image of the major city Anna’s hand fell on. The motion picture playing out in front of them showed a bustling city, filled with terracrafts and humanoids of all shapes, colors and sizes. Surprised by the display, Anna gasped and pulled her hand back in response. The magical scene disappeared at once and as Taylor looked around in wonder he said, “That was spectacular! How did you do that?”
Going against everything he’d ever been taught, Taylor reached out and placed his hand on the ancient map, only to be disappointed when nothing happened. He pulled his hand back gently and hoped his touch hadn’t damaged the precious document. He breathed a small sigh of relief when no apparent damage could be seen and said, “You should try it again, but maybe this time on a different city?”
Anna’s hand shook like she had Parkinson’s disease as she reached toward the map. She hovered for a second too long, making Taylor think she was either frozen from fear or trying to come to terms with her newfound powers. Taylor stepped up behind her and enfolded her in his arms, hoping she would find strength in his presence. When he felt her relax against him, he traced his hand down her arm, interlocked their fingers and whispered in her ear, “I’m right here with you, Tigress.”
Anna squeezed his hand in response and said, “Thanks, I needed that...and just for future references flattery will get you everywhere in my book.” Extracting her hand from his, she wasted no time in selecting another area of the map and placing her palm flat on the surface. Taylor felt a slight hum spread through her body as the map worked its magic again, displaying a re-enactment of what looked like a royal Egyptian funeral procession. If Taylor hadn’t been aware they were watching something that occurred in Antarctica, he would have assumed they were in Africa, as the crowd entered a large pyramid carrying a golden sarcophagus.
“Not that I don’t mind watching a good history and all, but we could literally do this all day and still not be any closer to finding the Nae’dere weapons. I mean we could add Antarctica to our list of places to explore, but I have a feeling we’d find it nearly impossible to make any discoveries; what with them being buried under a mile or two of ice, depending on which city we try first. Should we try a
nother map?” Anna asked, before she moved to pull her hand back.
Taylor, fascinated by the movie playing out in front of them, felt Anna’s movement and held her hand in place. He couldn’t explain why, but the need to finish the exhibition was overwhelming; almost like an outside force commanded his attention. Taylor could see Anna turn toward him, as she studied his face for an explanation on his actions. He ignored her so he could put his finger on what he was supposed to get from the scene.
Anna lifted an eyebrow in question and said, “Am I missing something? Why do you care about a funeral that happened over twelve thousand years ago? I mean, I get how significant and incredible a finding like this could be to today’s society and I think we should set it aside for later, but in the interest of time I think we should keep looking. For what, I’m not sure, but maybe something more along the lines of storage facilities or old armories would be a good place to focus our attention.”
Half listening, Taylor was about to ask for a couple more minutes, but forgot what he was going to say when the sarcophagus arrived at its final resting place. The dark granite walls of the room were adorned with elaborate parietal artwork depicting some kind of battle that looked to take place over land, sea, and air. The last wall to be shown, as the closing scene faded out, was covered in hieroglyphs that indicated the tomb was the final resting place of the world’s greatest weapon. Frustrated that he could no longer see it he bellowed, “Go back!”
“Excuse me! Where are your manners?” Anna barked out in disbelief.
“Sorry. I saw something that I think is what we are looking for. Can you go back to the last scene and freeze it?” Taylor asked, looking at her for the first time apologetically.
“Apology accepted. I have no idea if I can rewind and pause, but I’ll give it a whirl. What did you see?” questioned Anna, as she furrowed her brow in concentration.
Taylor waited with bated breath and breathed out a huge sigh of relief when the picture sprang to life and froze so he could study it more closely. He kissed her cheek and said, “Call your dad. I think we’ve found the weapons.”
“Where? In Antarctica? How are we supposed to obtain them? A giant heat gun?” Anna gasped out jokingly.
“Well, I’m hoping your dad will have something up his sleeve, to be honest, but I’m positive this is the best lead we will get.”
“Alright, I’ll call him and Ailla,” replied Anna, picking up her satellite cell phone.
“Why Ailla?” Taylor asked, stepping back to give her some space.
“Because she’ll be able to procure snowsuits for everyone crazy enough to go along with us,” Anna responded before she hit the send button.
Chapter Thirteen
Aarik
The moment Aarik’s feet hit the tarmac he froze as he took in the view around him. The skyline, littered with shining white pyramids that stood in the midst of a dense jungle surrounded by sand, had Aarik second guessing if they had really left Earth. The view was exactly how he imagined ancient Egypt had looked, when the lands around the Nile were lush and green, before the desert buried everything in its path. If it wasn’t for the three colorful moons still visible in the sky he would have seriously considered the possibility that they traveled back in time instead of to another galaxy. He didn’t have long to contemplate their place in the universe before Morri gave him a light push as she crawled out of the hole behind him and he stumbled forward on auto pilot.
The fleet of warships lining the tarmac were daunting as their misfit group filed past one after another in silence. The sheer size and number of crafts made Aarik realize how primitive his tiny blue planet was in comparison. Without the assistance of those around him, humankind would be no match against Th’ael and his army. Being at the mercy of the conglomerate’s decision was both humbling and terrifying at the same time, but if he had any hope of surviving, he needed to convince them they were worth saving. His mind started to wander towards his unwanted spiritual guest, which was the invitation Enki must have needed to make his presence known as his voice rang out in Aarik’s mind, I can be of assistance. My knowledge and power were unprecedented in my time.
If that were true...why did you let yourself be killed in the first place? Seems to me if you were all powerful you could have stopped your assassination before it ever occurred, responded Aarik pettily.
I could have if I wanted to but, as many guessed; I grew tired of waiting for my mate to be born. Besides that, my people were complacent and took things for granted. They needed to stand on their own instead of always depending on my input for every decision they made. They never would have done that if I stayed and hand fed them every bit of knowledge I saw. Perhaps it was selfish of me, but independent thought drives innovation and I wanted a break from the responsibility. I think it all worked out in the end. Enki answered with a chuckle.
How so? Aarik asked sarcastically as he tried to imagine living vicariously through someone else’s eyes and was positive if the roles were reversed, he wouldn’t stay in the background for long.
My people learned to be self sufficient while I got to sleep through the boring parts of what would have been a long, arduous, twelve thousand year wait. By the way, my visions didn’t do Kiya’s beauty the justice it deserves. Seeing her through your perspective has been eye opening, Enki announced as an afterthought.
Aarik wished he could cut off Enki’s line of thinking as they watched Kiya climb a ladder into the warship because the thought of sharing her made his blood boil; more so than the thought of losing himself to an ancient sight seer as he took over his body, mind, and soul.
Don’t be so melodramatic. I’m not taking over anything, Enki retorted in annoyance before adding, Don’t you know anything about reincarnation? I was reborn as you, so in essence you are me and I am you. Just think of my presence as an added bonus to your complicated life, one that lets you skip all the infant stages of your powers and allows you to go straight to kicking ass.
Apparently I don’t know as much as I should, but your presence in my mind is exactly why I think we are separate. How long do you think you’ll be able to sit idly back and watch me with your mate? Because I can tell you from my limited experience it is driving me mad listening to you talk about her like that. How come you’ve never made yourself known until now? Or better yet, how do I make you go away? Aarik asked in frustration as he ascended the ladder behind Kiya as quick as possible. He looked about the cargo bay of the ship, while he waited for Enki to answer, as the rest of the team filed in and waited for the doors to close.
You called me forward with the ancient key, not the other way around. This apparition is a piece of my soul I left behind in the reincarnation process that could be used as a guide in our next life. Most just aren’t lucky enough to know of the existence of their past selves, let alone have access to use the knowledge they hold. I’m more like a hologram than anything else, just far more intelligent, Enki answered.
Huh, for real? Or are you just telling me that so I become complacent while you gather other pieces of your soul like Voldemort and take me out before I have the chance to learn about your nefarious plan? Enki’s response was drowned out as the door to the warship closed and Thad addressed the group as a whole.
“Before anyone says something they can’t take back,” Thad growled authoritatively, as he stared Isis down in particular, before he continued, “Everyone present at this meeting will be accompanying me on this mission and I don’t want to hear another word about it. Not much has to change from our original plan, except of course, I expect the sight seer to be brought in alive.”
Aarik looked at Thad in confusion, having expected him to state Kiya would be left behind. He didn’t want to be the one to stand in her way, but wasn’t sure he could stand back and let her go into the fray when there were so many others with more experience that could take her place. Not like he had any more experience in espionage or fighting, but he felt like he had the guns and power behind it to stumble
through and come out on the other side. He was just about to voice his concerns when Enki spoke I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Let her come and think she is contributing and throw a shield around her the moment she turns her back.
“You can’t honestly believe these two will be able to help us on this mission? They were caught by an Appus of all things,” Prometheus snarled as he crossed his arms in anger.
“Need I remind you the seer is only useful to our cause if she is alive and willing to help? We’ll have a better chance convincing her to join our side if we have her granddaughter to vouch for us,” Thad looked at Prometheus like he was a child as he addressed him in a stern voice.
Aarik was glad he held his tongue as he watched Kiya stew to a boiling point over Prometheus’ comment before she exploded in glorious fashion, “Wow! Has anyone ever called you an asshole before? Because I can’t believe I’d be your first. You know we’re standing right here...AND...can hear you when you sling insulting comments or whatnot. Besides, it’s not like we’re completely useless. Before we left, Aarik and I were equipped with some gadgets even you might find useful... and...and...Aarik can access the AZOK too.”
In an effort to invoke the shock and awe aspect of her speech, Aarik remembered the snakes on his arm and decided it was time for them to make an appearance. Making no effort to conceal his conversation he said, “Zander and Ira, your assistance is required. Are you two up for a reconnaissance mission?”
He felt them stir on his arm as they slithered out from under the sleeves of his robe and made their way to his shoulders. Aarik relished the look of vindication on Kiya’s face as Prometheus backed up a couple steps with his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water before he found his resolve and said through gritted teeth, “I hate snakes! Such vile creatures. Never could understand how some people kept them as pets.” Swinging his gaze to those gathered around he cleared his throat and added, “No one thought to search them for weapons before we let them traipse around our compound armed and dangerous? What were you thinking, Morri!”
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