by David Walker
“I know. I've considered this. But look,“ she pointed to the top edge of the artifact. “I've already deciphered this section, it's a population census. Why would anyone in ancient Orion conduct a census in Dhahab? There must have been a settlement here prior to the arrival of the Malkian speakers in 2000 BE.”
“Maybe an explorer brought a census with him,” he returned.
“The census specifically made reference to Chimera Oasis,” Rachel replied. Professor Lancaster stood silent for a moment. They both knew that Chimera Oasis was one of Dhahab's ancient landmarks. Rachel felt as if he were hiding something.
“Maybe it's translated as Beast Oasis. There were plenty of oases in the Orion Empire,” Professor Lancaster offered as an explanation.
“Isn't that a stretch?” she asked, biting her lip in frustration.
“Perhaps, but it's even more of a stretch that a settlement existed during this period when this is the only artifact that we've recovered in the zone. You and I both know how cluttered settlement zones usually are.”
“Maybe the aridification event of 2200 BE messed with the layers.”
“That event is theoretical.”
“All of our work is theoretical, technically. A Dhahabian settlement contemporary with the Orion Empire would actually line up with the Triple Vine Theory,” Rachel shot back.
“You mean the theory that posits that humanity spawned from three progenitors, based on the mythological Annals of Heaven? I know you have a promising career Rachel, but nobody in academia takes that theory seriously,” Professor Lancaster said, as a condescending smirk formed on his face. Rachel held back her anger. She had grown up listening to stories from the Annals of Heaven since her youth. Rachel believed that there were truths hidden in all mythology. Her childhood fascination with mythology was one of the reasons that she wanted to become an archaeologist in the first place.
“Time and time again, things found in the Annals of Heaven have been corroborated by multiple historic and archaeological witnesses, yet nobody in academia takes it seriously? How exactly am I supposed to take the academic community seriously?” Rachel snapped. Professor Lancaster looked at her with sympathetic eyes; the way a parent would look at a misguided child.
“Rachel, we wouldn't be able to do our jobs without the contributions of the academic community,” Professor Lancaster said. As someone who was renowned in the academic community himself, he spoke like a representative of the group.
“Right, and yet entire centuries of Barilian records just happen to be missing prior to the Expansion, while the records of its neighboring countries were kept intact.” Rachel said as she glared at him, hoping he would try to underestimate her again. There were a number of inconsistencies in the commonly accepted archaeological paradigms, and Rachel was aware of nearly all of them. The atmosphere was tense as they locked eyes.
“I'll tell you what. Let's have the lab analyze this and we can continue this conversation after we've received the results of the analysis.” Professor Lancaster said, almost as if to give a peace offering. Rachel deflated.
“I suppose that's reasonable...Sorry if I got out of line.”
“That's quite alright, Rachel. I admire your passion and intellectual rigor,” Professor Lancaster said with an encouraging smile.
Rachel left the site early that day. She focused her research on the Triple Vine Theory. She discovered that the second vine had multiple branches; the first of its branches established the Empire of Orion. When the Orion empire started to lose power, the first branch split apart, resulting in a southern migration, and the establishment of the legendary kingdom of Nubi. Nubi was supposedly located in a modern-day Dhahab. Rachel examined the photo that she took of the artifact, and sure enough, she saw a reference to Nubi on it.
* * *
Matthew noticed that his spirit body grew faster and stronger the longer he trained near Amezarak's cottage. He found that he was able to stay there long before his spirit body ran out of energy and forced him to exit. The longer he operated in the realm of timelessness, the more his mind seemed to stretch. At first, he found himself getting sleepier in the physical world. Eventually, he adjusted to living a double life. Even so, he started to consider the spirit world as being more real than the physical world.
Matthew remained effective at his job, but his personal life nearly dropped off completely. He still talked to Leila, mostly through work chat. She never mentioned Callisto, almost acting as if their night there together had never happened. Matthew wanted to talk to her about his experiences there, but he held his peace while she remained silent about it. Sometimes, he wondered if their experience together in Callisto had been just a dream. Kylie and Garret sent Matthew a group text.
“What have you been up to Matt?” Kylie sent. It had been weeks since Kylie or Garret had heard from Matthew.
“Sup guys. I've had my head buried in code. Working on a project,” Matthew lied.
“The Celestial Warrior's movie came out today. We should go see it,” Garret suggested. Matthew had introduced both Garret and Kylie to the Celestial Warriors game months ago. Garret was into it and was starting to become as good as Matthew at it. Kylie only played casually, but she had fun playing when Matthew and Garret were online. She played the role of group healer.
“Movie night!” Kylie exclaimed. She was not a fan of the fantasy movie genre, comedies were her preference, but she enjoyed watching movies with Matthew and Garret. Going to the movies together was a pastime that the group had shared since high school. Matthew picked up Kylie and Garret in his black convertible and drove them to the movies. When the movie was over, the group had mixed opinions about its quality. As usual, Matthew caught a couple of inconsistencies in the movie's plot-line. They drove to Secov Coffee Factory and enjoyed a round of warm drinks together.
“I can't put my finger on it, but there is something different about you, Matt,” Kylie said, squinting her eyes at Matthew.
“Maybe you're just a crazy person,” Matthew teased. Garret laughed.
“What have you really been up to?” Kylie asked. Matthew raised an eyebrow. He was always surprised by how easily she was able to read him at times.
“Well...if I told you guys, you wouldn't believe me. Especially you, Garret,” Matthew said with a chuckle. “I'd have to actually show you.” Garret eyed Matthew curiously.
“Okay, then show us what you're talking about,” Kylie demanded.
“Alright, fine. Let's go to my place,” Matthew said. They arrived at Matthew's humble apartment. His living room wall was decorated with a large painting of a mountain lion. A flat-screen television was there, in between a set of speakers and neat stacks of digital movie cases. They each sank comfortably on Matthew's taupe, microfiber couch.
“Okay, try not to freak out,” Matthew said, as he stood up and closed his eyes for a moment. He focused on Callisto and created a rift to it. Garret flinched and jerked backward, while Kylie's hands clasped over her mouth in unbelief.
“What is that?” Kylie asked, still in shock.
“This is a portal to a place called Callisto,” Matthew answered.
“As in Jupiter's moon, Callisto?” Garret inquired. Matthew could almost see the wheels churning in his head. He knew that Garret was trying to rationalize what was going on.
“Yes. But it's highly unlikely that this is one of Jupiter's moons. Although, I have no idea why they call this place Callisto,” Matthew answered.
“They?” Kylie asked.
“The people that hang out there. If you want, you guys can see it for yourself and I can show you around. You'll have to go through this portal though,” Matthew offered.
“So...you've confirmed it's safe?” Garret asked as he examined the portal, seemingly hesitant about Matthew's proposal.
“That's a loaded question,” Matthew answered, thinking back to his experience at Pirate's Temple. “It's safe to travel through these portals, as far as I know, but there are dangers there. Alth
ough, I haven't encountered any danger in the city itself. It's most likely I'd be able to protect you guys from any potential threats.” Matthew glanced at Kylie, who seemed less apprehensive after hearing what he said.
“Alright, I'll go,” Kylie said.
“I wish I could bring some of my lab equipment with me,” Garrett said.
“I don't think you'd be able to bring it to the other side,” Matthew chuckled. “Keep in mind that your vision will be blurry at first and your body will be...different. It takes some getting used to,” Matthew advised, before walking through the rift. Kylie and Garret followed his lead. Matthew waited patiently for Kylie and Garret to adjust to their spirit bodies' senses. He answered their questions as best he could. They were in a state of wonder as they soaked in the new experience.
Kylie's hair seemed as if it were set ablaze. Matthew looked at her, taken aback by her beauty. For a moment, he remembered when they first met, shortly after she moved to Secov from the Republic of Flux. He asked her to be his girlfriend and she rejected him. In a way, he was glad that she had rejected him because she had become one of his best friends afterward.
Matthew walked them through multiple districts in Callisto. Kylie was enthusiastic about seeing as many districts as she could. She was particularly drawn to the Gambling District, which buzzed with excitement. Garret silently strolled through the districts, seemingly deep in thought. He was drawn to the Observatory District, which had huge holographic renderings of planets. Matthew drove Kylie and Garret home after instructing them on how to enter and exit Callisto. He wound down for the night but created a rift to Amezarak's cottage before going to sleep.
Running low on spirit energy, Matthew wasted no time in attacking Amezarak. He no longer got shut down by Amezarak; they nearly fought on equal terms. Matthew had come to learn that Amezarak used a balance-focused, close-ranged attack style. Amezarak threw fluid, uncommitted attacks that allowed him to retain his balance when one of them failed. Matthew was now able to match Amezarak's speed, but he had yet been able to land a successful blow during an attack on him.
They went back and forth, as their arms whirled around each other with dizzying speed. Matthew risked losing his balance as he spun into a reverse-roundhouse kick after releasing a wristlock that he had on Amezarak. The kick nailed Amezarak square in the face. Amezarak quickly recovered and followed up with a sweep kick that knocked Matthew to the floor. Matthew disengaged from their sparring session with a smile. He did not think that he would ever be able to beat Amezarak, but scoring a single hit on him was good enough. It was time to take out Pirate's Temple.
* * *
The next day, Matthew stood near Amezarak's cottage and worked on the final preparations for his assault on Pirate's Temple. He occasionally glanced at Amezarak to see if any new moves would emerge out of his shadow boxing session. Amezarak was almost always shadow boxing. If he was not shadow boxing, he was meditating. No matter when Matthew went to the cottage, Amezarak was always there. It almost seemed as if he were bound to the area.
Since getting shot down by bandits at Pirate's Temple, Matthew had thought about the best way to counter their firearms. He had considered creating a shield with his thoughts, but ultimately felt that it would be too cumbersome to use; he preferred a swift fighting style. There were multiple weapons that he could have purchased in Callisto's Merchant District, including rapid-fire rifles. However, he did not like the idea of his coins being in circulation. It seemed as if a piece of him went into every coin that he created, and he did not want anyone to have access to them. He wondered if Leila still held on to the coin that he gave to her on his first trip to Callisto.
Matthew had created a couple of short-ranged weapons with his thoughts, but they turned out to be dull and easily broken. The consistency of metallic objects in the spirit world was different than in the physical world. This made it impossible for Matthew to create effective weapons based on his limited knowledge of metallurgy. He created a pair of gauntlets with thin metallic plates attached to the back of their palms and forearms. He expected the plates to shatter if they blocked an enemy projectile, but he hoped that they would be able to at least absorb the impact of a shot first. Matthew also created a thick vest that was reinforced with thin metallic plates for additional protection.
Matthew wanted to stalk any thugs that might have been near Pirate's Temple, so he decided against creating a rift to it. He instead re-entered the rift that had led him to the region in the first place. He moved quickly, yet stealthily, through tropical foliage on his way toward the ziggurat. A pair of vines whipped out from underneath a tree and wrapped around Matthew's shoulders. The vines slowly pulled Matthew upward. His spirit body weakened when he struggled against them, as he suspended in mid-air.
Shortly afterward, a troll accompanied by two goblins approached Matthew. The troll had white face paint sloppily pasted on his pale-blue, ugly face. He was skinny with a disproportionately large head and long, pointy ears. The goblins were short and wore fiendish grins on their green, slimy faces. The goblins closed in on Matthew and pointed their spears at him. The troll fired off a flare into the sky. Eventually, a grungy pirate approached them.
“Your cursed vines never cease to amaze me, Jotnar,” the pirate said to the troll, as he eyeballed Matthew.
“Aye. That'll be a thousand coins, Wagner,” Jotnar said.
“A thousand? What are ye trying to pull? I'll give ye five hundred, swindler,” Wagner scoffed.
“This is a rare, strong catch. No tellin' what treasures his mind holds. No less than eight hundred, I'm afraid,” Jotnar replied. Wagner approached Matthew and examined him.
“Seven hundred. That's me final offer,” Wagner countered.
“Ye drive a hard bargain me friend...I accept,” Jotnar said with a cunning smile.
Wagner walked towards Jotnar and began counting coins from his pouch. The idea of being sold to a data thief rubbed Matthew the wrong way. Nearly four hundred years ago, his ancestors were captured from the land of Ophren and sold as slaves on the northwestern continent. Something inside of Matthew snapped. His eyes flamed with anger and he felt heat envelop his palms. He grabbed hold of the vines above his shoulders and ripped them apart; they melted in his hands.
Matthew torqued his body before landing, spinning into a heel kick that cracked one of the goblins in the skull. He dodged the other goblin's spear thrust while striking it with three successive fists to its midsection, chest, and face. Matthew snatched the goblin's spear from its hand, spun it around, and drove it into the goblin's chest. Wagner fired his pistol at Matthew, who rapidly spun the spear around and deflected the incoming projectiles with it.
Matthew used the tip of the spear to pole-vault himself high into the air. He caught the vibration of a downwind and used it to drill himself spear-first into Wagner. Matthew grabbed Wagner's pistol and dagger and emptied the pistol's ammunition clip out into Jotnar's chest. Matthew threw the dagger into Jotnar's left eye, depleting the remainder of his spirit vitality. Jotnar's spirit body slowly dissipated alongside his goblin allies and Wagner.
Matthew noticed a ring attached to the bottom of the dagger's handle, which was stuck in the ground. He created a thin rope that tied around the ring on one end and wrapped around his right gauntlet on the other end. He yanked the rope, bringing the dagger into his hand while coiling the rope's slack around his gauntlet. Matthew flailed the roped dagger around for a bit, getting a feel for his new weapon. Afterward, he sheathed the dagger on the side of his gauntlet.
Matthew looked at the area where Wagner had exited and saw a couple of equipment pouches and ammunition clips left behind. He took one of the clips in one hand and was able to duplicate it in his other hand. He used this method to create seven ammunition clips that he stored in equipment pouches on his vest. He reloaded the pistol and placed it in the shoulder-mounted holster that he created. Matthew considered bringing the spear with him, but it emanated a dark energy that made him feel unea
sy, so he left it behind. He cautiously made his way toward the ziggurat.
Matthew saw a couple of sleek jungle cats on his way toward the ziggurat. Their emerald eyes pressed him with challenging stares, but they did not attack him. His eyes locked with theirs as he slowly moved past them, dagger in hand. The beasts inspired Matthew to adopt panther-like movements on his way through the jungle. He crouched low to conceal himself within a cluster of shrubs near the ziggurat. He scouted the area and saw nobody near Pirate's Temple.
Matthew rushed up the ziggurat's large stairway and dashed into its entrance. There were multiple data thieves carousing in the halls, wine goblets in their hands. Matthew's body swirled with a cyclonic force as he battered some of them with spinning, butterfly kicks. He devastated others with a flurry of roundhouse, crescent, and ax kicks. Matthew's favorite combat style was a kicking style that he had learned from the Brawler's Society. His modified version of the style was both heavy impact and high risk. However, his quickness mitigated much of the style's risk.
A half dozen miscreants fell victim to Matthew's kicks before a couple of them shot their pistols at him from a distance. Matthew grabbed one of the fallen culprits and used his spirit body as a shield to absorb the incoming gunfire. Matthew nailed both of the gunmen with precise head-shots from his pistol, dropping them. His eyes flared as fallen spirit bodies dissipated all around him.
Matthew barged into every room that he saw, catching a couple of thieves off guard with jaw-breaking jump kicks. He smashed all of the mind scanning equipment that he could find with his bare hands. Sparks flew wildly into the air as Matthew's frenzy ravaged the area. Some of the broken electrical equipment caught fire. Paying no attention to the flames, Matthew reached the temple's data center, which was guarded by a hulking, dun-colored ogre with a giant hammer in its hands.
