Descent: Into the Darkness (Forgotten Origins Trilogy)

by Tara Ellis

  “Because you were right about RA,” I reply simply. “The Nephilim are dying, Nator. Several of the elders and a majority of the people believe it’s RA’s fault and that you are the only one who can save them.”

  Stunned, Nator sits back down at the table, still refusing to touch the scrolls. He looks solemnly at me, and I take it as an invitation to continue.

  “They haven’t been able to conceive for over a thousand years.” I turn to include the other Nephilim in the conversation, and they’re clearly disturbed by this revelation.

  “But we’re having more children than ever before,” a woman holding a baby tells me.

  “Exactly,” I reply, turning back to Nator. “Which is why I think the elders are right about RA. He’s come back to destroy our planet, but also to take some of us as slaves onto Nibiru. RA has made promises to the people that he’ll prove he’s a god by controlling me and then using my DNA to cure their infertility.”

  “But that makes no sense,” Nator objects.

  “It does if they believe Alex is the leader from the prophecy,” Benuk explains.

  “What?” Nator turns to me in disbelief, looking at my strange physical traits in a new light. “Why would they believe that?”

  “Because my DNA has the extra marker, Nator,” I tell him.

  This brings on a fresh round of exclamations from the gathered Nephilim. However, Nator simply hangs his head, and a suspicion I have is confirmed.

  “Except that the people are wrong, aren’t they Nator?” I ask, and Benuk looks at me questioningly. This was not the plan.

  “Oh, I’m part of the prophecy,” I continue. “I don’t doubt that anymore. But the leader of the Nephilim? No. Although I’m a descendant of the last prophesized leader from twenty thousand years ago, which is why I have the same mutation, I’m not the one meant to overthrow RA and lead your people. You are the only one who can do that, Nator,” I tell my great-great-grandfather. “I think you’ve known it all along, but have tried to deny it, or hide down here from it. But you can’t hide anymore! Your people are calling out to you for help. They’re dying!”

  Nator flinches at my words, but I don’t back down. Picking up the scrolls, I hold them out to him.

  “These belong to the true leader of the Nephilim, which is why the elders sent them to you. I don’t know what’s in them, but they seem to think that if it’s revealed to you, then you’ll be armed with the knowledge to take your rightful place. This isn’t my destiny,” I say, waving the papers in front of his face, “it’s yours!”

  I jump back in surprise when Nator snatches the sacred documents out of my hands. “Enough!” he bellows, and there is such an absolute silence that I’m afraid to breathe.

  Without another word, he turns from me and walks away, leaving us all behind to wonder. Slowly, whispered conversations start back up, and Benuk and I look at each other uncertainly. I raise my eyebrows questioningly at him, and he shrugs, as unsure of the reaction as I am.

  Turning back, I watch as Nator reaches a point several hundred feet away and then sits down, spreading the scrolls out in the grass in front of him. My hopes rising, I wait beside Benuk as patiently as I can.

  It doesn’t take long.

  Less than an hour later, Nator suddenly stands and walks back with renewed strength and determination. Not stopping at the table, he goes straight to the crystal and finally turns to address us.

  “You and Benuk should go first,” he says simply. “I fear the level of energy while traveling with me may harm you, and we still have a fight ahead of us.”

  FORTY THREE

  There’s silence on the way back to the base. I feel bad for Nator because our vehicles are definitely not made for nine-foot-tall men. He has to ride in the back of the transport truck with us, but on the floor, because he’s too big for the bench seat. He’s not one for small talk, and most of the time he sits holding the scrolls securely in his lap, eyes closed in a state of meditation or something.

  Fortunately, it’s only about a seven-hour drive and most of us manage to catch a couple hours of sleep. Nator hasn’t shared what’s in the scrolls with us, and I don’t know if he will. I suppose it doesn’t matter as long as it’s compelled him to come back and help. I’ve decided to wait until we have the professor and Zane present to explain what’s going on with the virus, and before asking him for his blood.

  As we near the outer gates, the sun starts to break over the mountaintops, casting rich-colored streaks across the sky. We pull the tarps on the back of the truck aside and reveal the mesmerizing display. I hear Nator gasp behind me, and turn to see the awe on his face, the light reflected in his wide eyes.

  I don’t know why I didn’t think about it before, but it was nearly midnight when we were in the biodome. Do they always have their lights on down there? Or were they just turned up because of our arrival? Or maybe they’re on a totally different time schedule than us. Either way, it’s been around five thousand years since Nator saw a real sunrise.

  Scooting forward, Nator reaches the back of the truck just as we come to a stop at the outer gates to the base. Without hesitation, he jumps down to the ground and I scramble to follow him. Seth knocks on the back of the cab and hollers to the driver to wait.

  In two long strides, he reaches the surrounding scrubland and kneels down in the dirt, his plain white robes a stark contrast to the reddish-brown soil. Scooping some of the earth up in his hands, he turns his face to the east and closes his eyes. The light falls upon him, highlighting the dust billowing around him, carried away on a light, fragrant breeze.

  “I’ve missed this land,” he says simply when I come to stand beside him.

  “I know,” I answer, remembering the emotions we shared of when he first came to Earth. “But it isn’t safe here for you, Nator. We’re out in the open and you’re too valuable to take this sort of risk. Please, we need to go inside the base.”

  Looking quickly around him, he seems to realize for the first time that we are in a dangerous position. Standing, he brushes his hands on his legs, leaving dark streaks, and looks embarrassed. “Of course,” he says, walking back to the truck.

  “You will have to forgive me,” he apologizes to the rest of the guys as they lower their rifles and fall back from the defensive positions they’ve taken around him. “I am not used to the thought of war.”

  “Well, it’s something you’re going to have to work on then,” Seth says in his typical un-filtered nature. “If RA or the Mudameere knew you were here, they would focus all of their firepower on us. Up until now, it really hasn’t mattered what we’ve accomplished, because they’ve still managed to achieve their goals with the pyramids. They’ve just thrown enough at us to keep us distracted. We weren’t seen as a real threat. But you-,” he continues, pointing at Nator, “RA will want you destroyed.”

  “We shall see.” His simple response is said with such confidence that my hopes rise immensely.

  Within minutes, we’re deep inside the compound and it isn’t long before we stop again. Only this time, when we climb out of the truck, we’re greeted by Zane and a whole squad of armed guards. We’re all rapidly ushered inside and then led through cleared hallways until we reach the meeting room. There, the guards are stationed out in the hallway.

  Already waiting for us are Dr. Paul, Generals James and Costas, Mom, Jacob, Jim, and Professor Hassan. Zane directs Nator to the front of the room and then finally turns to great him.

  “Nator, I am Senator Zane Adel. It is a privilege and an honor to meet you.”

  I’ve always considered Zane to be an imposing figure. Having been a rancher all of his life, in addition to a great leader, he carries his large frame with a strength that demands respect. But standing next to Nator, he seems small in comparison. Not just in stature, either. Yeah, Nator is nearly three feet taller than Zane, but there is also an air of regality to the Nephilim that leaves no doubt about both his intelligence and leadership.

  Reaching out,
Nator envelopes Zane’s hand with his own in a monumental handshake. Looking over at Seth, our eyes meet and we both nod in understanding of what this means. We’re united now, the Nephilim and the human race. Through months of fighting and loss, we’ve finally come full circle and stand on the brink of tipping the scale in our favor.

  The next couple of hours are spent getting Nator caught up on what’s been happening. Both Dr. Paul and Professor Hassan describe the Nephi2 virus and its effects in great detail. Nator asks some very pointed questions, clearly showing his understanding of the process. He, of course, was the one who originally commissioned the creation of the antivirus for the Holocene infection. Being a scientist himself, he could be the closest thing to a colleague the professor has.

  Then the generals go over our deployment and positions around the world, as well as the losses. Zane finishes by explaining the progress that the Mudameere have achieved with the pyramids and how the comments RA made to me while on Nibiru confirm our greatest fear: we’re close to losing the war.

  Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Nator stands from the chair that barely fits him and paces slowly, his long legs taking him the width of the room in only three steps.

  “The elders were right to send the Scrolls of Life to me,” he finally states, stopping and turning to face us. “I believed my people had turned their backs on me. That was why I made the decision to start a new and peaceful life. Alex has reminded me, however, that we cannot deny who we are, or more importantly, who our family is. The scrolls have also reminded me that try as I might, my destiny is already written and we were wrong to let RA lead us astray.” He turns to Dr. Paul. “So, take my blood and use it to free your people of RA’s poison. And, Alex,” he says as he turns to me. “Come with me back to Nibiru and we will fulfill our fate together.”

  All eyes turn to me and I squirm in my seat. As relieved as I am that Nator is helping us, there’s a part of me that wants to tell him not to give his blood to the professor. I know that it’s necessary to cure the virus, but…trying to shake off my unease, I focus instead on what I am certain of.

  “I wouldn’t miss that reunion for anything,” I answer, smiling broadly. It won’t be without a huge amount of risk, of course. The majority of the council will be on RA’s side and who knows what he’ll be pushed to do when his position as their leader is threatened.

  Then there’s the problem of getting there. “The transporter on Nibiru was locked,” I remind Nator. “How can we get back inside?”

  “No,” Nator replies, shaking his head. “That protocol was only implemented to keep anyone with human DNA out. It would be impossible to restrict a Nephilim from using it. It will automatically unlock when I activate it. But the only option is for all of us to travel together.”

  “But I thought you said it could harm Alex,” Benuk says.

  “Yes,” Nator confirms. “However, the greater the number of travelers, the more evenly the energy is spread. Who will be going besides you and Alex? Is there anyone else with Nephilim DNA besides Seth?”

  “I can go,” Chris answers. “I had an advanced infection with the Nephi2 virus, so some trace DNA still remains in me.”

  “It may be enough,” Nator confirms. “With the five of us, the risk of injury should be small.”

  “But you can’t just ‘beam’ up there and yell ‘surprise!’” Kyle points out. “I mean, seriously.”

  “Whatever it takes,” Chris retorts, clearly eager for a fight.

  “You’d have a much better chance of success if you had a way of gathering an audience before your arrival,” Nate suggests logically. “This all rests on the council being persuaded that Nator is the better ruler, right? So you need to find a way to go before the council. The more people there, the better.”

  “I might still be able to contact Zurtish,” Benuk proposes.

  “Negative,” Lt. General James says loudly. “The location of your … err … transporter in the woods was bombed at 0400 hrs this AM. Intel suggests your last correspondence was discovered. Chatter on the air is that there’s massive movement among the Mudameere and a missile strike has been ordered on our base. It stands to reason that your contact has been compromised.”

  “Wait!” Mom exclaims, jumping up from her chair. “A missile strike? What are you going to do?” she asks Zane while putting a protective arm around Jacob. Baxter, who had been lying at Jake’s feet, stands up and looks in my direction, whining.

  “I thought there were only three bases in the states with the capability to launch those types of missiles, and we’re in one of them,” Nate asks the general.

  “Affirmative,” James replies. “The base in Wyoming was attacked this morning. It isn’t nearly as fortified as ours, with half the population. However, it houses Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. If they fall to the Mudameere, they could then initiate a launch against us. With our computer-controlled launch codes off-line, not only are the safeguards inoperable, but we’re all capable of launching manual, independent strikes.”

  “We have to do something!” Mom cries, taking hold of Zane’s arm. For the first time, I notice the large engagement ring she’s wearing, and I’m reminded that she isn’t just talking to our commanding officer, but her future husband.

  “Katie,” Zane says softly, taking her hand, but turning to speak to all of us. “The assault was too swift and too massive for us to intercede. We have two teams close enough in the field to slow it down and report back to us, but their base will likely fall by the end of the day.”

  Everyone starts talking at once, and Zane has to bark out orders to silence us a couple of times before he has our full attention again. “I’ve already issued evacuation orders for our civilians,” he continues. “We will have everyone moved below ground well in advance of any bombing.”

  “Those are nuclear missiles,” Nate says flatly. “We can go several stories below ground, but we all know if those fall on us…”

  “We should run, then,” Mom suggests.

  “You can’t outrun fallout,” Nate explains.

  “Then we have to drop our bomb on them first.” I look at Kyle, and it’s clear by his expression that he knows how desperate he sounds.

  “Either way, this part of the country will be wiped out,” I tell everyone evenly. “Checkmate.”

  For the first time, Seth steps out from his perch in the corner of the room and walks up to Nator’s side. “So we get up to Nibiru and stop this!” he says with conviction. His eyes are dangerous and I can see his Nephilim heritage in his strong features.

  “There is another way there, not far from here,” Nator confirms. “RA would not have known of it because it was a transport I created myself, a special place for my wife and me.”

  A memory so vague I can barely see the fringes of it plays at the corners of my mind. “On a lake,” I say absently. Nodding, Nator confirms the memory is his.

  “I chose the location of the entrance to the biodome, in part because of its closeness to where we first made our home,” he explains. “If Zurtish has not been removed from the council and we can still reach them, then it’s possible to end this in time.”

  “They could not have known Zurtish was in contact with me,” Benuk insists, joining his uncle and Seth at the front of the room. “My messages were sent over the normal frequency, through regular channels, but were encoded in a method we devised years ago that no one else knows. They will simply think that I was an imposter, using my old position to sneak Alex onboard for our own purposes. It is unlikely that RA knows of our meeting with the elders or that Zurtish has any involvement. I can still reach him.”

  “I can help,” Jake calls out. Shrinking back from the resulting stares, he looks over at Jim sitting beside him. “Well, I can,” he implores the older man. “When I found out you’d lied to me, Benuk, I started playing around with the frequencies you gave me. The one we used went silent in the past day, so I guess they figured it out. But a new one started up
at the same time. I can’t understand what they’re saying, but it’s in the same weird language you used, Benuk.”

  “The boy’s right,” Jim confirms. “I don’t know how he does it, but he’s got a real knack for finding these frequencies. I think we can rig a way to transmit on it. They’ll catch on pretty fast of course, but if you have your people listening to all of the incoming stuff, Benuk, and can get enough of a message in there in a fairly short burst, then yeah, I think it’s possible.”

  “Well then,” Zane says. He stands and claps his hands with authority. “It sounds like we have a plan. Let’s get to work. Because if you aren’t successful, in less than twelve hours we’re going to have nuclear warfare.”

  FORTY FOUR

  We’re back on the road in just over three hours. That’s how long it takes Benuk, Jake, and Jim to come up with an encoded message and get it transmitted. We have no way of knowing if it was received and deciphered by Zurtish, but it’s the best chance we have.

  I’m trying hard not to think about the goodbyes and the very real chance I may never see my mom or Jake again. Not to mention Baxter and Missy. I decided to leave my furry friend behind with Jacob, since he wouldn’t be able to go with us to the ship, anyway. And if anything happens to me up there, the best place for Baxter is to be deep underground with people who love him.

  My little brother tried to be brave, but as he clung to my neck I felt his breath catch and he held on tighter. “Do it for Dad,” he whispered before breaking away and running from the room.

  Those words weigh heavy on me now as we drive deeper into the wooded mountains. Dad dedicated his life to trying to prevent all of this from happening. He died for it. Lifting the wooden medallion out from under my shirt, I trace the ancient carving with my finger. The Khufu Bast chose these symbols, the pyramid and the skull, as a testimony of life and righteousness prevailing in the face of evil. Dad believed in this, and so do I. Resting the relic against my chest, close to my heart, I decide to wear it on the outside of my clothing for everyone to see. Especially RA. I want him to know that we’re still here, the Khufu Bast, and that we’ll never go away.