“Allen, we have been waiting for you. Ah, Taiyah, thank you for accompanying him here, and it looks like he has already begun to transform like them,” the village elder thought as he pointed to Allen’s arm.
“He was suffering from a massive infection, and we had to replace his arm to keep it from spreading. Allen, this is our village elder, Barogn.”
“I see. Well, I am glad you made it here in one piece. We have much to discuss. Please join us in our meditation.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
The elder beckoned for both of them to sit on the warm grass and join in the communication ritual. His skin was wrinkled in many places with several battle scars and cuts. Allen hesitated, feeling intimidated by the large group of Teracians. For a moment, all he wanted to do was flee and find his friends.
“It is alright. I will be with you the whole time.”
He nodded his head and sat down next to her at the edge of the circle.
Barogn sat to the right of him and sent commanding words into his ears, “Close off your mind, and concentrate on your breathing. Let the universe expand within you and release the latent energy that you contain in your core, and don’t forget to breathe.”
Allen did as the elder said and closed his eyes. Every attempt to concentrate on his breathing left his heart pounding faster and faster. As if she sensed his struggle, Taiyah grabbed ahold of his hand and squeeze gently. Her skin felt warm and comforting on his hand, and it calmed his heart. After a few minutes of concentration, Allen began to hear voices and he was suddenly locked in a trance where everything around him was black. Each voice created a small pulse of energy in his mind’s eye. He let the words in like a breath into his lungs.
“I can feel his link. He is here with us now.”
“Yes, he is. Now let’s get down to our discussion.”
Allen could recognize the voice of the village elder, but the rest sounded foreign and unhappy to be speaking with him.
“Dazshra is a threat once again, and we must not assign blame, for this is not what’s important,” thought Barogn.
“But how do we know we can trust this human and his friends? Is he not the one that caused his?”
“Palpon, let him speak for himself regarding this matter. Please excuse Palpon, Allen. He, like all of us, is concerned about the events at the Temple. You need not speak out loud. Let your mind speak for you.”
Wait, let my mind speak for me? Is he talking about just thinking?
“That is correct. We can hear your thoughts during this process. Do not be afraid.”
His concentration began to decline and felt the gentle squeeze of Taiyah’s hand once more.
I don’t claim to fully comprehend what occurred there, but I can give you my side of the story. We had arrived on this planet against our will and came across two silver Teracians.
“The Windenfall Elites!”
“Let him finish please,” thought the elder.
Allen felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness as he spoke with everyone through his thoughts. It was as if he were on another plane of existence and not tethered to the planet. His thoughts suddenly diverted to his friends, and he wondered when he could see them again. A flash of white light erupted in his mind as the voice of the elder commenced.
“Gather your thoughts and continue.”
After we had met with the other Teracians, they motioned for us to follow. We came to a temple where this dark figure had intercepted us.
“This is correct. The two Elites were sent to track down an unknown entity that was previously sighted near the temple. What did this human look like?”
Allen suddenly started to panic as he remembered what the cybernetic man had said to him: that he would kill him if he told his identity to anyone. His vision started to blur and bits and pieces of the village leaked into his mind. Allen felt like he was losing control of the meditation. Taiyah squeezed hard, and he realized he had stopped breathing.
“Allen, concentrate. Please speak the truth. No one here is going to harm you,” thought Taiyah.
He breathed deeply, and everything turned to black once more as he continued the story. It was a cybernetic man with a robotic voice. I didn’t hear his name, but he was the one that went into the temple. He was about to be killed by the two Elites but moved at the last second. They blasted a hole in the temple chamber with their gauntlets, and both of them and William fell through it. I don’t know anything after that because I passed out. That’s the truth. We had nothing to do with this.
“But you did, Allen. Your friend was confronted with Dazshra, and he accepted him. Dazshra now dwells within him and is a danger to this entire planet and all of its inhabitants. You humans must set things straight and fix all of this.”
A sudden eruption of energy blasted into his mind, causing him to almost lose his control. He breathed deeply and remained as calm as he could. Thousands of angry voices suddenly forced themselves into his head with screams and laughter.
“One by one you will all fall, and one by one we will all rise for this is the will of Dazshra, the Cursed One.”
“What is this? They were exiled from our circles!” thought Palpon.
“You cannot exile those who willingly departed. We saw the true light and flooded it with darkness.”
Taiyah, whose thoughts are those. What’s happening?
“Those are the voices of the Therak’tow. The corrupted ones. He has to be close.”
“Is that a human I hear? You must be one of the new arrivals. Know this boy, you will die with the rest of the people in that space station of yours.”
“Do not poison his mind with your corruption, Ajhara. When your time comes, you will face the One Mind and be cleansed,” thought Palpon.
“None of you will ever witness the One Mind if you interfere with our plans. Know this all who listen and all who might oppose our will. Dazshra has returned. We are coming.”
Nine
Static Inquietude
Anya stared aimlessly out her window in the quiet blue room. She stood and listened to her stomach growl, feeling nauseous thinking about her time on the planet below. Sleep didn’t visit her the entire night, except for only a few hours. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked at the clock on the wall. One in the afternoon and not an ounce of sleep all morning. From way up in the outer reaches of the planet’s orbit, it appeared to be a peaceful world filled with peaceful people, but she knew that somewhere down below was her other half. The uncertainty of what was transpiring burned away at her heart. With little thought, she turned away from the frosted glass and laid down on the gel mattress. Its surface catered to her every curve, making her relax, if only for a moment.
A sudden knock sounded on her door, and she pressed the button near the table lamp. “Hello?”
The speaker above the metal heater in front of her crackled to life. “Hey, Anya, it’s me, Brenda. Just wanted to see how you were doing? Trevor and I brought you up some food.”
“Not really feeling up to eating right now guys,” she said in a lifeless voice that barely broke the silence around her.
With a swift motion, the door slid open, revealing the Harrison twins, both of whom were wearing blue and brown uniforms with their names embroidered on the right side of their chests. Trevor looked exhausted, and his chin was now coated with blonde stubble. Brenda, on the other hand, looked like she had slept well; the look in her eyes bared little resemblance to her usual mood, however. Anya stirred from the bed with a lag in her movement. Sitting on the edge, she rubbed her eyes. Her stomach ached with a mixture of hunger and strong apprehension.
“You guys didn’t have to do this.”
Brenda placed the tray on the table and sat down next to her. Trevor took a seat in a squishy black chair near the door and cracked his knuckles. “You haven’t eaten a thing since we got here, Anya. We had to do something,” he said with drooping eyebrows.
Anya looked at both of them and picked up the fork. Th
e plate had a large piece of ham and a side of green beans and cauliflower. With a scrape, she took a bite and marveled at how good it tasted. In a matter of minutes, the plate was empty, and a faint smile appeared on her face.
With a smirk, “See! Ha, this food is good, isn’t it? I guess recipes haven’t changed in a thousand years, have they?” said Trevor.
“I feel like this is the first thing I’ve eaten in a month.”
A sudden pound on the table started her, causing her to shriek. “This is the first thing you’ve eaten in three damn days, Anya. You had us worried. Haven’t heard from you since yesterday evening,” said Brenda with a frown.
“I’m sorry, it’s just,” Anya paused, choosing her words, “it’s just this is a lot to handle. I mean, we were doing just fine Wednesday, and now we're here. For God’s sake, the humans don’t even look like people,” she said as her voice got louder.
“I know how you feel dear- “
Anya stood up and looked Brenda dead in the eyes, “How the hell can you know what I’m going through right now? Do either of you have any idea how it feels to not know if a loved one is safe or if you will ever see them again?”
“How long has it been since you took some medicine?” said Trevor.
To avoid ripping his head in two, she took a deep breath and steadied herself, “I don’t have any. I left it in the forest.”
“Well shoot, we won’t find it now. I’m sure they have some here somewhere. This station is basically the size of a small planet,” said Trevor as held his hands in the air in the shape of a circle.
The room grew quiet for a few minutes as Anya sat on her bed trying to calm herself by taking deep breaths. Her peace was interrupted by a flash of light on the screen in the corner of the room. She began to feel goosebumps as the temperature automatically adjusted itself with a click and the smell of crisp air dispersed around the room. Instantly, the screen produced a clear image of Dr. Janice Geier. Her hair was now down, and it covered her shoulders with an amber glow. The bags under her eyes were mostly hidden with makeup.
“I hope you guys are enjoying your stay here as much as you can. I know this can’t be an easy acclimation to this type of situation, but we’re here to make it comfortable for you. How about you guys get ready and come down to the infirmary. It’s just down the hall from your rooms. I’ll see you there.”
The screen turned off and was replaced with a rotating S inside of a prism. Trevor let out a sigh and moved towards the door. “I have to get a few things from my room, and I’ll meet you guys there.”
“Don’t get lost,” said Brenda with a ghostly tone.
“I’ll try not to run into any killer robots on the way there,” he said as the door closed behind him.
“Have you taken a shower yet?” Brenda said lifting up a lock of Anya’s hair.
“Yea yea, mom, I’ll get right on it.”
“Ha, love you! I’ll meet you there.”
The door swished open and closed, letting Anya undress in peace. The walk-in shower was similar to the one she had a home, and it made her chuckle.
Some things just don’t change with time I suppose.
The warm water helped relax her and ease her anxiety. She closed her eyes and let her hair flow behind her as it waved back and forth. Without being able to see, she fumbled her hands and felt around the wall. Eventually, the shower light turned on, as well as a touchscreen display.
Bingo. Now let’s see if there is Internet access.
Maneuvering her hands around the screen proved useless as everything seemed to be locked. She cursed under her breath and lathered up her hair. The soft water suddenly felt like a waterfall as the pressure adjusted, causing her to choke.
“What the hell is wrong with this thing?”
In an instant, the water ceased to flow, and the darkness returned. Anya paused, listening to her heartbeat through her throat. She tried pressing the touch screen again, but nothing turned on. Panic set in and she found that the door was locked. A loud voice sunk like a freight train, causing her to close her hands around them. With a flicker, the screen came alive, and she saw a set of orange pupils and a faint dark blue outline.
“Please, don’t be alarmed. I am here to help.”
Anya screamed and covered herself up, “Excuse me! What is happening?”
“If you are concerned that I can see you, I promise that I cannot. Now, listen carefully, Anya Rose. You cannot trust the humans. Their leader, Actavian, is insane and manipulative and will stop at nothing to use you and your friends.”
She let her arms fall to her side as she pressed her back against the outer rim of the shower wall. The metal was cold to the touch, causing her to sneeze. The coconut scented soap on her forehead started to cloud her vision. “Who-who are you?”
“My name is Azek’zander. I’m a Teracian, and I promise you that what I say is true. I’ve seen what these humans do, and what they plan first hand. There is a man known as Stevson who has committed heinous crimes and will continue unless intervention is utilized; he is but the beginning. I must leave you now before they find out I hacked into their systems,” the dark figure said as the screen began to emit static. “They are after what they call the Quantum Infinity.”
All of the systems suddenly came to life, and a torrent of water splashed Anya in the face. She quickly turned the water off, gasping for relief. As she opened the door; cool air assaulted her body, causing her to quickly wrap the towel around herself.
“I have just about had it with this place. Can’t trust anyone anymore, can I? How do I know that wasn’t just some interactive TV show?” she said flinging her hands in the air as she grabbed her purple uniform and dried off.
**********
As Anya rounded the corner of the hallway, a large medical room appeared in front of her. Rows of glass pods lined the walls, and several medical personnel rushed in every direction. Each had a holographic image projecting from the band on their wrist, and everyone was pressing on the floating screens that appeared in every corner of their vision. Anya looked around and saw her friends talking with a large man near one of the pods. Brenda turned around and waved for her to come over. As she approached, the man turned around and smiled cheerfully.
“Ah, Anya, so nice to see you again. We were just talking about the procedure.”
“Major Sorehn, I never got to thank you for helping us back on the planet.”
“Someone had to protect you guys from all those nasty Teracians,” he said, chuckling softly. He looked to be a little older than they were and already he was a major. The polished emblems on his shoulders stood out among the other badges and leather straps.
“But I was told they were peaceful?”
“I was only kidding. Here, have a seat. I’m sure you’ve met the Commander and Dr. Geier?”
Upon hearing their names, they both turned around and started walking over to her and her friends. She felt like soon everyone in the room would be crowding against them.
“Glad to see you guys again,” said the commander as his deep voice bounced off the wall.
Anya saw the doctor take a deep breath and smile. “I see you used that coconut shampoo. That-that is my favorite as well. But I’m sure you all have more on your mind than hair cleansing products, right?”
She looked at the doctor with her right eyebrow above the other, remembering the Teracian who spoke with her. “I-yea it was nice. The shower was nice.”
“Did something happen, dear?” said Brenda.
Anya felt her eyes glance back and forth to everyone in the room. “No, Brenda, everything went well. The water was a lot hotter than I’m used to.”
“You’ll find our way of life isn’t too different. We still require the basic necessities. Do you have any-” the doctor said before interrupted.
Anya said suddenly, “Who is Stevson?”
Doctor Geier cocked her head and frowned. “Stevson? That name doesn’t sound familiar. What brought that up?”
<
br /> “Just heard someone talking about him.”
The major adjusted his visor on his face. “I hate to rush you guys, but we need your cooperation on this. I’ll let Dr. Geier take over.”
“Sorry. Thank you, Major. You three, including your other friends, have not completed a medical examination. There is nothing to worry about as it is a quick procedure and virtually painless. If you three would please step into the medical pods in front of you, and we can begin.”
Anya felt a strong force push against her neck as it started to tighten. Fear settled into her stomach and started growing like a parasite. “Uhh, are you sure this is necessary?”
“Yes, of course. You can trust us, Anya. The medical field is nothing like it was in the 2000s. Surgery, medicine, and our understanding of the human body have almost been perfected. For example, the major here, as you may be aware of, was born without his eyesight. We attached an optical enhancer onto his skull and connected it to his visual cortex, allowing his vision to return and become enhanced.”
“And it works like a charm. It even gives me night and heat vision. Great for when we go on hunting parties,” said the major.
“Now is everyone ready to begin?”
Everyone turned their gaze to Anya as she stared at her shoes. “Yea, I’m ready.”
With the press of a button, the three pods opened with a small squeak as the pressure released. Anya stepped inside and watched as her friends followed; all three doors closed slowly, and she felt her ears pop.
“We will begin with a comprehensive medical examination and vital systems analysis. Any and all problems will be dealt with now to prepare you all for what Actavian has planned.”
Anya held her breath as a red light blinked on and began to revolve around her body. The scanner sounded like the MRI machine she used two months prior, and the sounds made her forehead start to sweat. Once the scanner halted, the doctor spoke again. Anya’s head boomed as the possible results ricocheted around her mind like a brass bullet.
“Krysanthe, please generate the results for Anya, Trevor, and Brenda in that order.”
The Gauntlet of Possession (The Teracian Chronicles Book 1) Page 10