The Relics- The Keystone Trilogy - Part 1

by Michael K. Damron

  “Wow, that’s . . . I mean, some of what I’ve read made it seem like he questioned some things about the division, but nothing like you just told me.”

  “It’s crazy, I know. We have to keep this to ourselves and investigate more. I, myself, want to know if I’m working for some kind of evil government agency. And this Archon person sounds like somebody I wouldn’t want to cross.”

  “I came across that name too when I first read through all of my father’s notebooks,” said Jack, letting out a deep sigh. “I originally wondered if the name referred to the founder of the Searchers. It was hard to interpret at the time. Regardless, I’ll be sure to read through all the new, hidden content you’ve brought to my attention. I hope we can meet again so I can share what I learned in the other notebooks. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon after our talk.”

  “Look, I’m still trying to figure us out. But on the bright side, we share a secret now, which is certainly one way to build trust,” she said, displaying a hopeful smile.

  “I suppose that’s true,” said Jack, echoing her expression.

  Alexie let herself out of the room and Jack began to riffle through the notebook in hand to see what hidden messages it held. Little by little, he started to realize that the real purpose of the Searcher division was lurking somewhere behind the veneer of what he had originally been presented with.

  There were no sparring sessions the next morning. John wanted to begin sending teams out to investigate the new sites Richard and his research team detected with their new algorithm. Some of the Searchers were tasked with opening storage cabinets in the common room and pulling out the digging supplies and gear to be used on the excursions.

  “Everyone gather round,” said John. “I’ve conferred with Richard as to the best sites to start with and we’ve pulled the necessary warp crystals you’ll need to travel to the locations in question. As usual, patrol drones will be in the area when you arrive to help monitor the region. They’ve already been scanning the area as part of the usual reconnaissance to make sure the location is secure. A combination of satellite imagery data and ground radar has been collated and added to the screens you’ll have attached to your wrists, which will help guide you to the best places to begin hunting for artifacts. Any questions?”

  “What if we do happen to run into trouble when we get there?” said Butch.

  “We’ve been lucky so far,” said John, “but, if possible, immediately warp back here. Don’t fight any suspicious people if you can avoid it, especially if it’s Mark, Freya, or Sebastian. I don’t want any of you getting hurt or killed.”

  “So who’s paired together this time?” said Bridgett.

  “For Marcel’s group, it’s Garnet and Ferra. Alexie’s group will be composed of Butch, Bridgett, and Richard.”

  “Wait, what about me?” said Jack.

  “You’re still too new to the team to go out with them right now,” said John.

  “Why am I just hearing about this now? I’ve been proving myself in training, haven’t I?”

  “Yes, but there’s other training you still need to do before you’re qualified to go.”

  “But Marcel’s group is short one person. I could tag along and help.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” said Marcel. “It’ll be fine with just me and the twins. We don’t need someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing to get in our way.”

  Jack glared at Marcel for the snide comment.

  “I’ll point you in the right direction on what else you need to do and you’ll be authorized to go out with your fellow teammates before you know it,” said John. “Just be patient.”

  Jack crossed his arms and relinquished the idea of joining them on what would have been his first relic hunt. The Searchers gathered the equipment they grabbed for the mission and stood with their respective group leader. Both Alexie and Marcel had a collection of warp crystals holstered in a roll-up leather case they each carried across their back. Jack recognized it as the same case Alexie had when he first traveled through the portal from the woodland cabin to the Searcher facility. The group leaders lifted their warp crystals and each formed a rift for their team to enter. Jack watched as each Searcher passed through and disappeared from the room. He longed for the rush of adventure and the feeling of camaraderie, instead of being left behind to complete additional training. His spirits lifted somewhat when Alexie, last to cross through her portal, gave him a quick wave goodbye. Both portals emitted a loud snap as they collapsed on themselves and vaporized.

  “So what exactly do I need to do before I can go out on one of these expeditions?” said Jack.

  “Ah, yes, it’s not too bad,” said John. “You’ll need to study a collection of learning modules on the principles of digging archaeological test pits, how to get a good idea of where to start excavating, the kinds of buildings we have found relics in, and other information we’ve gathered since the division began—those kind of things.”

  “Sounds thrilling,” said Jack, with every bit of sarcasm he could muster.

  “Everyone had to learn the same material, which is to say that they had to suffer through it too.”

  “Would it be all right if I get started with it right now?”

  “Sure, let me grab it for you.”

  John walked over to a cabinet and took one of several large identical binders.

  “Geez, this thing is heavy!” said Jack, taking the monolithic text in his hands.

  “True, but it has all the information you need to know when you head out on the missions. You don’t have to know every detail, but I’ll be giving you a simple oral test on the material later to make sure you got the gist.”

  “Can’t this be available on a computer program or something?”

  “We chose to keep it in physical form so the information couldn’t be hacked into and obtained by unsavory parties. You’ll be fine with learning from a paper-filled binder, won’t you?” said John.

  “Yes, I’ll do what has to be done,” said Jack, finding a table to sit at and begin studying.

  The material was dense, but he was determined to get through it. The main text in the binder focused on how to excavate and record archaeological sites with an emphasis on how to find a site that’s a good candidate. The preface described how ground radar and advanced satellite imaging technology is used to help map out the dimensions and best places around the site to excavate that could yield decent findings. The first lesson in the binder began with how to dig test pits, layer by layer, and how to properly record the findings in a notebook. The learning modules continued with the topics of safe digging practices, first aid, and the equipment for digging and recording. Jack recognized a few of the items in the hands of his fellow Searchers before they went on their missions: small and large shovels, mesh sieves, string, tape measures, and clipboards. The binder continued to have sections on archaeological methodology, marking the dig area, and recording the area data with both pictures and physical drawings on paper. There were further subsections on proper digging techniques, sieving, washing, context recording, and filling the excavated hole back in. The final and rather lengthy section of the hefty binder included some special information regarding previous Searcher site pictures, findings, and what to learn from them. After Jack labored for hours to try and consume all the information, he went to find John.

  “I’m ready for my oral exam.”

  “Goodness, Jack, did you already go through that entire binder? I thought it would at least take you a few days.”

  “Yes, I read straight through and I’m ready to answer your questions and show you I learned everything I need to know.”

  “Look,” John began, “I’m sure you’d do a good job if I were to give you the exam right now, but let’s just wait until next week or so to make sure you’ve retained the information. I’m too busy to give you the test at the moment.”

  “Another week!”

  “Yes. Keep training. Hone your skill
s more. I’ll let you know when I’m free to test you and decide if you’re ready to go out on upcoming relic searches with the rest of the team,” said John, more stern than normal.

  Not to be dismayed by John’s steely demeanor, Jack went to his room to meditate and do some morphacite training. He was determined to be the most adept Searcher of the bunch so John wouldn’t have any apprehensions about sending him out on missions. If I have to be isolated here, I’ll at least take advantage of the lack of distractions, he thought.

  Jack passed his oral exam without issue by the next week, when John finally decided to administer it. The focus he gave throughout the week to having a stronger connection with his exo paid off more than he expected. He could tell his skill with morphacite and cognitive linking grew by leaps and bounds. Even his vision, strength, and reflexes improved in the short time frame. Even so, John still forced him to sit out the missions until he was approved. Each evening, the Searchers who left in the morning returned with dirt on their uniforms from the excavation work they did and the spoils of what they found that day. Alexis’s group was the first to bring back new morphacite, which gave them high hopes of finding other kinds of relics or a container with an exo inside. Marcel’s group, on the other hand, was coming back empty-handed each evening. It may have been an uncivil feeling to have, but Jack relished the fact that Marcel was so put off by not finding anything. Luck seemed to be on the Searchers’ side, considering there was no activity from Mark or his rogues during their excavation. The drones patrolling the area didn’t come up with any sightings either.

  The same scene unfolded every day: his teammates leave, several hours pass, they come back after nightfall. He used every bit of his free time to train harder, meditate more, and harness so much of his exo’s power that it would be impossible for John to not want to send him out on missions. The breaks he took were utilized to have a quick bite to eat and go over the secret pages dispersed throughout his father’s notebooks. Each night he and Alexie started to rendezvous in his room so he could tell her everything he learned from the hidden material. While they would look at a notebook together, the physical distance she kept between them started decreasing with each passing day. It wasn’t long before they began sitting shoulder to shoulder beside each other. Jack felt the two of them starting to grow close again, which made him happier than he had been in quite some time.

  More days passed as feelings of isolation swam around Jack’s mind. He felt trapped inside the Searcher facility. Even after accessing the facility’s screens to get online again, it was still impossible for him to get in contact with his mom on any of her devices or accounts for weeks. Each new failure to reach her only added to the worry he already had. With none of his friends available to talk online, he logged off the computer feeling worse than before. Wanting a change of scenery, Jack decided to take a walk around the facility and try to calm his nerves. A couple hundred meters away from the facility, he noticed drones in the distance patrolling the area. Of course the facility would have airborne security, though it’s funny I haven’t noticed them before, he thought. Making his way to a rock outcrop a little farther away, he sat down to relax and take in the natural world around him. He was staring off into the distance when his periphery detected a small lizard scurrying onto a large rock beside him. For fun, and because he hadn’t had the chance to practice the skill as much as he would have liked, he tried to read the little creature’s thoughts. Images of tasty insects, the warmth of the Sun’s heat, and the lush feel of moss began to fill Jack’s mind. There were other indistinct images that came to him in the guise of abstract shapes and colors. To Jack, the cognitive link with the reptile seemed complete and strong. On a whim, he started to control the lizard’s movement—first zigging left, then zagging right, standing it on its hind legs, and making it turn onto its back. Jack ceased his dominion over the animal and allowed it to make its escape, no doubt leaving it to wonder what just happened. I can’t believe it, Jack thought, I just took control of that lizard’s mind. Some of his first thoughts on how to use his newfound ability, especially if it increased in power, involved the hilarious things he wanted to do to Marcel and exact some much-desired revenge. Although tempting, he began pushing the thought from his mind, knowing it’s much easier to be selfish with power than to be restrained with it.

  When Jack returned to the facility, he saw that Alexie’s group was back from their daily relic hunt.

  “You didn’t have to stay out very long today,” said Jack.

  “One of the patrol drones sensed something strange in the area and alarmed us to leave,” said Alexie. “So here we are, waiting to be told that the threat was nothing and we can go back to the site.”

  “How often does that happen?”

  “Some weeks are better than others. But nothing bad has ever come from a drone’s alarm going off. I guess we’re lucky in that regard, even if it gets aggravating sometimes when we have to leave a site.”

  “Well, you’re back in time for some lunch. What do you say?” said Jack.

  “Yeah, I’m pretty starved. Hey Butch, Bridgett, Richard, let’s grab some grub.”

  While they all sat together, Jack’s interest was piqued when Butch mentioned it was payday.

  “Wait, we got paid today?” said Jack.

  “Of course,” said Butch. “It’s been a month since our last one, so we better have gotten paid!”

  “We got paid a month ago too?”

  “Geez, Jack, have you not even looked at your bank account since you got here?” said Alexie.

  “Well . . . no, actually.”

  “Did you think you wouldn’t get paid when you became a Searcher?” said Richard, laughing.

  “I mean, John and I didn’t even discuss wages. I just know my basic needs are taken care of here. Besides, it’s not like I can go out shopping or have anything delivered here. I’ve been more distracted by other things.”

  “Still, next time you get a chance, access your bank account and make sure you’re not getting stiffed by the AEB,” said Alexie, nudging Jack’s side with her elbow.

  Soon after eating, the team received word that the drone patrols did a meticulous scan of the area and didn’t detect anything threatening. After the group warped back to their excavation site, Jack’s curiosity got the better of him and he logged into his bank account. Before joining the Searchers, his account had enough of a balance to support him for a couple months, at most. He was astonished by how much money had been deposited since then. The sum was greater than any amount he had ever accumulated before. I don’t know if the job I do merits this much, he thought. But I’m sure it beats whatever I would have made as a base-level technologist.

  The next morning went the same for Jack as many recent ones: he woke up, tried to get to the kitchen in time to eat with fellow Searchers, watched them warp to their excavation sites, then he began some sort of training. While passing the time by playing darts, he noticed his throwing skill was also improving. For fun, he would practice forming morphacite into small daggers and throw them at targets. Because few Searchers were around with enough time to spar with him, Jack felt like the training he was doing wasn’t being applied in any practical way. He also wasn’t sure when he should tell Alexie about his fledgling ability to go from a simple cognitive link into full mind control, even if it was only used once on a small reptile. The last thing he wanted to do was jeopardize the growth of their developing relationship.

  “How’s it going, Jack?” said John, catching him mid-thought.

  “Um, it’s okay. Been training and studying so I can be ready to go relic hunting with everyone and . . . feel like a member of the team again.”

  “Well, I’ve already given you your oral exam and it seems like you remembered the material. I’ll ask you a few more random questions to test your retention, if that sounds good.”

  “That’d be fine. Go ahead.”

  Jack, again, gave the correct answers to all of John’s questions.
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  “Okay, hot shot, I’ve been so busy I haven’t seen you train lately. Why don’t you show me something new you’ve learned?”

  There was a large block of morphacite on a nearby table Jack had been practicing with, which he levitated over to his location. Transitioning into a deep state of focus, he made the morphacite continuously divide until there seemed to be at least one thousand tiny pieces. Jack transformed each one into the shape of a bird and began to fly them all in unison, performing an aerial dance that mimicked the pattern of a starling murmuration. John was impressed with Jack’s ability to control morphacite. His previous experience with other Searchers gave him the knowledge to know how difficult it was for some of them to keep track of anything beyond twenty or thirty pieces of the substance at a time, much less hundreds or more.

  “I don’t even know if James had this much control over morphacite,” said John.

  Jack made a swift motion with his hand, at which point a tenth of the population of small morphacite birds separated from the aerial display and shot across the room toward the dartboard. They plunged themselves as spikes across the entire surface, obstructing the view of the board’s different rings, patterns, and colors.

  “Jack, I had no idea you could control morphacite this well!” said John. “You know, I think it’s time to let you go out on one of the excavations tomorrow to observe and help out.”

  “Really!” said Jack.