“Most in the matter of a couple hours. I’ll hail them now. Are we clear to assist?” Thad asked with an eyebrow raised in question.
“They will be. Morri…what do you got for me?” Aarik probed impatiently.
“Everyone has been notified. Not sure if the space can handle so many dimensional transports at once to be honest, but we’ll try. Regarding your chariot...I’m working on it. My kind does tire out, you know. Should be coming through any moment now,” Morri offered with a frown when the air seemed to shimmer but remained free of a mist transport.
“Morri can you open a transport within a transport?” Aarik asked inquisitively, while she continued to open a portal. Looking at Aarik like he’d lost it, she replied, “Don’t think I’ve ever tried, having a hard enough time just doing a normal one at the moment!”
Squinting in concentration she exclaimed, “Aha!”, as the familiar blue mist spread over the wall behind them. Looking exhausted but proud she said, “Why, what do you have in mind?”
“Trust me, you don’t want to know.” Aarik answered with a devilish smile. Without waiting another second, he jumped into the portal. Poking holes into the fabric of the transport on his way through to the other side, he called their transports his direction and watched in awe as they connected almost magnetically one by one. Positive that the emissaries from every faction would follow him through; he exited to the other side. Standing up to his full height he looked about the room for his other half. He could feel her anger like a heat seeking missile but was thankful when she made her way to him and stood at his side. Taking her hand in his, he kissed it tenderly and said, I know I’m in trouble and truly I am sorry, but in my defense I’m not very good at holding multiple conversations at once. I promise I’ll spend the rest of our lives making it up to you, but in order to do that, we need to get through this first. Oh and heads up, the room is about to get fuller.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to the emissaries you will be working with during the coming invasion,” Aarik announced with authority, seconds before Isis stalked into the room commanding everyone’s attention dressed in full Egyptian regalia. Thor in Viking attire sporting his hammer was next, followed closely by Prometheus in a toga, wielding an electrified lightning bolt. By the time Radha levitated into the room in the lotus position, the majority of the leaders gathered were on the floor in worship. Not even paying attention to the growing number of Tuatha de Danann present in the room.
Shaking his head at their theatrics, he telepathically thanked them for making his job easier before turning his attention back to the quivering humans in front of him. “I know governments through the ages have hidden the truth from humans that we are not alone. I know the religious texts detailing alien involvement in our creation were stricken from the public records or portrayed as fictional stories people made up to explain their origins. I also know not many of you were believers of those myths until you stared your makers in the face.”
“Blasphemy!” someone called out. “There is only one maker, our God!”
“Silence!” Rh’ael roared out in his multi-layered voice. When the room quieted on Aarik’s next breath he nodded at Rh’ael in appreciation.
“I did not come here to lecture you on what you’ve done wrong in the past or to argue about whose god the true god is. I came here to introduce you to who you’d be working with and to let you know anyone still above ground by sunrise tomorrow will be lucky to survive the coming attack unless we act soon. Our allies’ ships will be entering Earth’s airspace over the next two hours and will setup a defensive perimeter. Their purpose will be to stop as many of our enemies as possible. As you’ve already detected, an aerial attack will be arriving early tomorrow morning in the form of asteroids,” Aarik started and then added, “Just a disguise I assure you.”, when the NASA engineer blurted out, “Told you!”
“The asteroids that make it to the surface will wreak havoc on land, but they conceal a completely different nightmare. Ships filled with intelligent insects known as the Exos, for their exoskeletal structure, are buried beneath the rubble. The bugs will destroy all living things in their path, including all plant and wildlife they encounter and what they don’t destroy, they convert. Using a fungus similar to the Cordycep Fungi that causes zombie ants, they will infect and seek out shelters using the infected citizens as spies. Like cockroaches, not much can kill them, and usually what does is toxic to humans.” Adding a tone to his voice he influenced the leaders gathered with a final call to action, “We have very little time, but if we expect the Earth and its inhabitants to survive this first wave, then we need to dust the perimeter of all major cities around the world with diatomite. Call every distributor and crop duster in the nation. It’s the only thing that will ensure our planet isn’t devoured by the bugs or poisoned in the process.”
The room had a low buzz of acceptance which was not Aarik’s desired response. Deciding to ratch it up a notch he added another command, “Move it, now, or the Earth will end up looking like our neighbor, Mars!” Turning to Rh’ael he said, “I’m leaving it to you to coordinate who goes where. Kiya and I are needed back at Area T.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kiya
Rh’ael had been busy in Kiya and Aarik’s absence, preparing the inhabitants of Earth for an imminent attack. Besides mobilizing a world army, he was able to convince most of the public to take shelter underground. Humans, for the most part, put aside their differences in the face of extinction. Those that didn’t would be in for a rude awakening and wouldn’t be around to have a say when it was time to put the pieces back together again. Rh’ael might have resorted to using his power to move things along faster than would have been possible if they were left to come to a consensus on their own, but Kiya was sure he would never admit it.
Furious with Aarik for telepathically hanging up on her, she stewed as she watched Rh’ael try and calm the room. How dare he drop a bomb like that and not let her respond and ask questions. The room was now in chaos with reports rolling in from every country concerning the alarming number of bogies headed Earth’s way. All of the work she had made toward the world leaders’ cooperation flew out the window the moment they heard of a possible attack. She had been fairly confident they were no longer going to deploy the LOTA system, but talk of it was turning up again, as multiple sideline conversations could be heard throughout the room. Several countries were adamant that there was no other choice and that we should never trust the aliens.
Through it all, her grandmother sat on the sidelines observing the pandemonium like she was taking in a movie and it just got to the exciting part. The only thing she was missing was the popcorn. Scooting to the edge of her seat, she motioned for Kiya’s attention and, blocking her words with her hand, said, “Don’t be too harsh on the guy, he’s got a lot on his plate.”
Confused by Grams’ remark, it was made clearer when blue mist spread over the wall behind Dag and, seconds later, Aarik emerged looking taller than she remembered. Her soul rejoiced at seeing her other half, but her brain reminded her that she was supposed to be mad at him. In the end, her heart won out as she crossed the room to be by his side. Grabbing his hand she waved at their friends as one by one they entered the room dressed like the days of old. She figured it was so the people gathered would have no reason to doubt their authenticity.
Aarik commanded the room with his powerful voice, which always brought a delicious warmth to her core, causing her to shiver. As he detailed what to expect in the coming invasion, she shivered for a completely different reason. Kiya was never one to be skittish when dealing with bugs or snakes, but the thought of a smart bug that was as big or bigger than her, was pushing what any normal person could handle in the bug category, and that was before he started describing how they turn people into zombies. His last statement was a bleak reminder of what losing the battle could mean to the planet and all that depended on it.
Grams was the only one to clap wh
en Aarik finished and, getting up slower than normal, made her way over to them with a smile on her face. Beaming at the two of them she said, “Impressive speech, grandson, and might I point out, you added an excellent touch by bringing the others in that way. What’s that saying? Oh yeah, it was the pièce de résistance. I just needed some popcorn.” With that, she winked at Kiya and moseyed over to Dag. Hooking her arm with his she said, “Help an old lady over the threshold?”
“Would be my pleasure, young lady,” Dag replied with a wink before adding, “My grandchildren are older than you, my dear.”
Grams scoffed at his tactics, but smiled and replied, “That may well be, but I highly doubt they look it!” Just before they crossed over, Kiya heard her grandmother whisper to Dag, “Doesn’t the monotony of living forever wear on you?” Unable to hear Dag’s response she made a mental note to question her Grams about it later.
Kiya followed Aarik into the mist after he delegated the logistical coordination to Rh’ael. Anna, Taylor, Doris, Thad, and a woman Kiya had only seen in her dreams were waiting for them in the commons. Her Grams was already locked in a hug with the woman exclaiming, “You are even more beautiful in person. So tickled I got to meet you before the shit hits the fan.”
Kiya raising an eyebrow in question at Aarik asked, She the reason why we needed to split up?
Aarik smiled in response before he replied, One of them. The other awaits us downstairs. Which is where we are headed next, so if you want to meet your ancient grandmother Zoya, now is the time.
With a nod, Kiya crossed the room hesitantly and assessed the woman responsible for her involvement in the prophecy openly. Her grandfather Thad looked over the moon as he gazed lovingly down at his long lost Kh’izmet. Zoya watched Kiya approach and, with a gleam in her eye, whispered something into her grandmother’s ear. Grams giggled in response before she stepped to the side with a smile on her face and said, “That she does!”
“I do what, Grams?” Kiya questioned with a frown, looking between the two women while trying to guess what Zoya might have said to elicit such a response.
Zoya looked at Kiya with unconditional love as she took pity on her and said, “We both think you look like a mighty warrior princess on the warpath; which is fitting, considering what we are facing. That attitude will pull you through when you think you can’t possibly handle anything else. I truly am sorry this fell to you, but know Thad and I are extremely proud of what you and Aarik will accomplish when you fulfill the prophecy.”
Kiya nodded slowly as she listened to the woman’s heartfelt apology. She was half tempted to tell her she didn’t want the job, or that Zoya had made a mistake when she chose her, but when she looked back at Aarik she knew there was no avoiding her fate. In her soul she knew this was where she was supposed to be. Feeling uncomfortable with the praise, she jokingly said, “While I appreciate your accolades, I would feel better if you didn’t jinx the whole operation. Knock on wood…” Looking around for wood and finding nothing she knocked on her head and said, “When this is over and we’ve won thanks to something I’ve done, then you can thank us for a job well done. For now we’re needed in the lab to work on our next plan of attack. Right, Aarik?”
Hearing his name, Aarik looked up from his side conversation with Taylor and Anna and without missing a beat said, “Yep, we’re headed there next. I need to see if we have everything we need for our next plan to come to fruition. If it works, we’ll stop the war before it’s barely had a chance to start, with minimal loss of life on both sides. If it doesn’t, we need to discuss Plan B.”
“What’s Plan B?” Taylor asked with concern, at the same time Anna blurted out, “What’s considered minimal when it comes to loss of life?”
“To answer your question bluntly, Anna...there is nothing we can do about the people that don’t want to be saved. If we are able to pull off Plan A, the only loss of life will be those who refused shelter and are lost during the bug raid. Our allies will take out a large majority of the asteroids before they are able to enter our atmosphere, but not all of them,” Aarik answered seriously before turning to address Taylor and adding, “Plan B, unfortunately, means relocation. If we’re not successful, we’ll need to escape planet Earth and head for the next planet on the king’s list for execution. Our only chance at that point will be to run with our tails between our legs and join forces with the next half-breed race slated for annihilation. Somewhere between here and Sirias we’ll have to make our final stand and if we don’t win at that point, we might as well kiss our asses goodbye.”
“How are we supposed to relocate a whole planet of people and animals to another world in the next couple of days? It’s not like we received a message from God like Noah did before the flood when he built the ark. We don’t have a way of preserving our species and everything we’ve ever known,” Taylor answered with desperation like he just realized how dire their situation really was.
“Logistically speaking, we won’t move the whole planet. So if you’d rather skip a lottery type system where we randomly select who gets to live or die...let’s get to Anna’s lab and make Plan A a reality,” Aarik returned forlornly.
“I see,” replied Taylor in deep thought, before taking a deep breath and adding, “Sign me up for Plan A. I mean if it comes to it, of course we’ll want in on Plan B but I’d rather not be witness to so much death.”
“There was death in Noah’s tale as well, if you think about it. It’s just as a society we tend to gloss over that part and focus on the survivors; immediately casting stones at those that were killed, like they were unworthy of saving. Personally, I find it hard to believe innocent babies from nearby tribes weren’t just as deserving, and thankfully others felt the same. The others I speak of are members of our current alliance. Each took it upon themselves to warn their people to hide underground during the flood guaranteeing their future survival. I would rather not play God and pick and choose who lives or dies like we’re doing a playground pick. Let’s go make sure Plan A doesn’t fail so we aren’t forced to institute Plan B,” Aarik said flatly, as he headed to the elevators and called for Ailla.
“Where do you want us?” Thad asked as the elevator doors opened.
“Back to your ships and as far away from this location as possible. In fact, I need you to take Doris and Tashina with you. One of the first asteroids to hit will take out the building above us and block any normal means of escape. Ailla should begin the emergency evacuation protocol for those still here so they have a fighting chance to relocate somewhere else. I kn-,” Aarik advised, only to be interrupted by Ailla overhead, “You are not authorized to make that call here, Dr. Landon.”
“I know you are a machine built to follow the rules, but I also know you are an enigma and can make decisions on your own if you so choose. Lives are at stake. Do the right thing or don’t. I did my part by warning you,” Aarik answered in frustration, running a hand through his hair he continued, “With the looming war, Morri and Dag need to conserve their energy, so we’ll hail someone else for a pickup when we’re done,” Aarik finished, holding the door open as Kiya joined Anna and Taylor on the waiting elevator.
“I barely opened the last one. Dag you got another one in you?” Morri said, exhausted.
“It’s no wonder you’ve got nothing left in the tank...calling a bunch of dimensional transports into your transport would have wiped me out too. I can get us out of here,” Dag replied with a look of awe on his face at his partner.
Morri shook her head and replied, “I didn’t do that.”
“Who did? That was some impressive work,” Dag inquired with a brow raise.
Pointing at Aarik, Morri answered, “You’re looking at him.”
“The only way that would be possible was if he had some Tuatha de Danann somewhere in his bloodline,” Dag answered with giddy excitement. Looking at Aarik with respect he asked, “Can you start one on your own?”
“Haven’t tried, been kind of busy as of late. Speaking o
f which, we need to get moving unless you think you need a hand,” Aarik replied with a grin.
“Don’t let us keep you. We’ll be out of here as soon as Doris here is ready to go,” Dag replied with a smirk.
“Don’t be blaming me for a delay. I was ready to go as soon as someone said spaceship. That’s a bucket list item I’m not going to miss marking off my list. You never know when your time is up,” Doris replied from behind them, cradling an
Instapot in one arm and her large handbag in the other.
“My apologies, we’ll be on our way since everyone is ready. See you later, brother,” Dag answered over his shoulder as he moved to open another transport.
“See you up there, Grams, we’ll be right behind you,” Kiya called out as Aarik stepped back into the elevator.
After the doors closed he let out a large sigh and said, “I’m barely coming to grips with the fact that one of my ancestors had relations with an alien, now I need to add a fae into the mix? What else could I possibly be made of? Wait! Just kidding universe, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” Aarik said to the ceiling.
“Who cares what you’re made of? I mean the only full human on this elevator is Taylor and I doubt your best friend is suddenly going to turn against you. I mean look what you are capable of doing,” Kiya said adamantly, as they exited the elevator.
Aarik pulled Kiya to a stop and told Anna and Taylor they’d catch up. Catching her chin, he brought her gaze to his before he said, “Thank you, but I think you meant to say what WE are capable of doing.”
Kiya scoffed at his remark and said, “Not like I’m keeping score, but I’ve barely learned to access the AZOK.”
“Since our vinculum, has it been easier to access?” Aarik inquired interlocking their fingers.
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