There they came upon the captain of the guard and Landaus spoke to him. "Captain The lord mayor on my authority has been briefed and is subject to the same security protocols as any other member of the team. Do you understand captain?" "Yes Sir." The captain saluted and left them. Together they walked among the artifacts recovered from the wreckage displayed there. There were many things there. He quietly examined them all visually. Some among this strange variety of items he examined more closely by running his hands over them. Some looked familiar while others did not. He was forced to admit he had no idea what he was looking at. "These objects, they appear superficially to be of forerunner technology. However they appear to be brand new. Where did these come from? What does it all mean Landaus?"
"I don't know exactly, but I'll tell you what I think it means. Are you aware of the recent meetings of the scientific societies? There has been much talk of a rare planetary alignment that as some have theorized is the cause of much the climactic upheaval we have of late experienced. I have heard that among the planets observed in the sky there is one that was until now unknown. I think that all of this, the alignments, the artifacts and Ananda's arrival in total is too much to be merely random coincidence."
It was difficult for him to make any kind of jumbled sense of it all. There were too many so called coincidences to be ignored. On this Landaus and Grunhuf were now of one mind. Grunhuf picked up one of the objects and held it up to the light. After a long moment of thought, he finally spoke. "There is something here, I sense. Perhaps it is a pattern not unlike the ticking of a clock or the changing of the seasons. There is, I suspect a malevolent consciousness at work here. And I fear that the arrival of our guest Ananda, may be a lynch pin event of a greater conspiracy." Landaus shook his head in determined agreement, and said "We will give this traveler an opportunity to come clean when he appears here today for questioning. All of this arrayed here is for his benefit he will relay to us what he knows one way or another, that much I am sure of."
Chapter 5
Though it may not be a law of nature there is sufficient evidence to support the notion that, where ever man has touched, he tends to leave his indelible mark. Here among the shifting sands of Baldur this stigmata however enduring is not immediately evident. Often to read these subtle marks among those that are incidental to nature, one must look backward. Ananda through this misty lens could see shadows form in the darkness of what once was. Staring blankly his mind’s eye could even imagine the scene as far back to where the craggy tops of these sea mounts crested the surface of a primordial sea.
These islands over a great stretch of geologic time had risen up through the shifting mantle and swirling sea in wave upon wave of violent upheaval. To this bare and naked rock would later be given the name of Baldur by its first inhabitants. They had been a seafaring folk who by chance had been blown here by an errant wind. It was these ancient warriors, as the story goes who had named Baldur after one of their chief gods. This formidable place as the early explorers would eventually discover was just the leading edge of a long chain of islands. In time its name would become synonymous to all the islands of this far cast nation as both a home and an empire. Ananda sensed that there however may be strata that preceded even these. He wondered if it would be to these that he would need to look.
Since the earliest of times, these long weathered highlands had served as a haven alternately to both man and beast. To this long habitation there was much that was known. There was far more however that had been forgotten, lost to its inhabitant's fragile memories. What were left were merely tattered myths. There would be little of the hard inscrutable evidence that Ananda wanted to find. Despite this truth it was there none the less, hiding in plain sight. On these plains and beaches and within these shifting sands and stone were hidden the tangible clues that told the story of a deep and frightening past. To an astute observer these remnants stood as mute witnesses to a lost age. With the help of such artifacts one could begin to visualize from these dark fringes of memory a semblance of what once was.
Ananda since his arrival to this island had unconsciously been gathering these fragments together as images in his mind. From these initial assumptions there he had drawn some rather hasty conclusions. From this mix of fact and fiction he had rightly thought that around the world there are many such places as this that held striking similarities one to another. It is also true that in such places people living there may share many cultural and practical similarities due to the nature of life by the sea. It was for these reasons in particular that Ananda had surmised why this place for him possessed such an uncanny familiarity.
Since his awakening in the crystal room he had begun the process of filling the gaps in his memory. One fact had become blatantly obvious. He now knew that this logic had been faulty. His intention then in exploring these places was to shake away the last of the cobwebs that clouded his vision. So together, he and Xora would set out on a journey. What Ananda to his shock and surprise would soon find, was that he was rediscovering the lost landmarks of his youth. The difficult truth that could not easily be reconciled lay in the fact that upon close examination, the islands of Baldur and Atlantia appeared now to be one and the same.
Since Ananda's time though the general shape of the island had changed little, there was much however that was different. So much so in fact that if it were not for the existence of a peculiar anomaly held safe within the citadel, this knowledge may have remained undiscovered. As he peered out from the high overlooks he tried to see with his mind's eye that what had once been. Here had been the emplacements for the massive field generators. There a battery of rockets had once stood. Now being a mere ghost of its previous glory, only the distant tower of Breideblic still stands as a testament to its antiquity. There in those places about the island were the remnants of an ancient Stone Age culture that somehow came into being after the destruction of his society. It was to this anomaly then that that primitive culture had looked to as an inspiration to their coming renaissance. It was as they would discover no mere curiosity, for its effects were potent and far reaching. Though the workings of this mysterious anomaly were little understood it was believed to be artificial in nature, the product of yet another long lost civilization. Though he knew the builders of these technologies, these forerunners must be his own people; he could not wholly comprehend by what means they had met their own end.
At his side Xora with mixed emotion moved forward as they came upon a place that held a special significance in the mythos of her people. She would for the moment keep this fact to herself. Upon arrival there she began to conjure in her head fearful images instilled from stories told around the campfires of her childhood. Despite these long suppressed fears she would choose to ignore her natural inclinations to avoid them and instead stay by his side. She was not alone in her sense of trepidation, for with each step that they made Ananda's mind seemed to conjure there some new powerful yet fragmented recognition.
Eventually their wanderings brought them to a place where Ananda would have a moment of clarity. They had arrived then upon the high plateau where mighty airships had once sat at anchorage. There in its place was the remains of an enormous crater from which radiated a vast dead zone. For miles inall directions, this bleak landscape weathered by the winds of time could support little more than a few blades of withered grass. This expanse was so lifeless that even the birds would not dare to violate the airspace above. Kicking up as he strode the glass impregnated dust; Ananda glanced out upon the desiccated landscape. He asked of his companion. "What has happened in this place?" Xora could see the raw emotion roiling within him despite his best efforts to subdue it. She chose her words carefully as she responded. "To this place there is an ancient taboo that exists even into our modern times. No one knows for sure. It is said however in the ancient texts that it is here that in a great battle Hector delivered his final defeat onto their eternal enemies. It is said that the blood of his enemies has forever tainted this
place and it is why nothing has since grown here. However we now know that the lifeless nature of this place is due to high levels of both toxic chemicals and radiation. That is why life does not and cannot exist here." He turned toward her, and as he did another stream of partial memories flooded his mind. In one stark and horrifying vision he could see himself as plain as daylight there upon the field of battle. He could see himself there, engaged in a desperate fight eyes full with anger, roving through their masses like a scythe. His gleaming battle armor was stained, wet with the colors of earth and gore, as his slashing weapon found again and again its mark in the hearts of his enemies. His body shuttered as he then recalled a blinding flash and a thunderous crash. The sky was ablaze. A pyroclastic shock of super-heated gas and dust rolled from the epicenter at tremendous speed. The massive wave rolled outward over the hills and valleys to a circumference greater than all of Baldur. Then there as all was settled there was darkness.
This visceral experience of this memory was as fresh to his mind as that long ago day. It had left him breathless and shaken. Xora who had been closely observing him sensed intuitively that something was wrong. She moved toward him in time to catch him as the emotional weight of the memory forced him to collapse. He lay there staring as if to some distant place with an expression tinted by both rage and agony. She looked down on him unable to fathom the depths to which he had fallen. She observed for the first time the deep lines that timehad worn into the features of his face. She observed there in his pale expression a look of utter exhaustion. It was a weakness within his strength, one she had not before imagined. Moments later, from the fog he awoke to see Xora's face smiling down on him. A tear welled in her eyes then rolled along her cheek onto the lifeless ground below them. She looked into his eyes soulfully and said, "Hector, you've returned to me."
He had seen his world destroyed and somehow he had blocked this fact from his conscious mind. There threads that filled this tapestry though brilliant in their clarity had long moldered and were worn bear. Though he recognized himself there he could not help to think that himself as an actor in some epic play. He knew better. As he lay there in her arms he began to retell his tale so as to bring it once again into the light of day. "It was here in this place, where the tide had turned. We had for months as our nemesis drew nearer been burdened by the onslaught of our enemies. There ships would appear from the sky like ravenous birds. There we would meet them as best we could on the field of battle. These attacks were often swift and brutal. Though we fought on we incurred heavy losses. Eventually our willingness to resist them paid off as it bought us enough time to understand an emerging pattern to their attacks. This as it turned was part of the plan. With each raid they tested our resolve and our capacity to fight back. With each raid they would learn more of our weaknesses. You see they are not like you and I. They would not risk that which they could not win easily for they are cunning exploiters. They revel in the slaughter of innocence and avoid anything that requires any real courage. We my generals and I, began then to formulate a plan to which we could exploit this lust they held for our wanton destruction. With the promise of our complete destruction we hoped to draw them from their comfort zones into a trap of our own making. In secret we had developed weapons of devastating power. It was here where the first of these weapons was deployed."
She helped him to his feet, and then they walked with him leaning heavily on her, leaving the great scar in the earth behind them. They made their way then back toward the beach as the intensity of the mid-day sun relented. The sky now painted in tones of orange and muted silver shown like a great curtain. As they roved the gleaming ribbon of beach, their silhouettes were followed closely by long shadows. Periodically they would come upon the scattered remains of fortifications cast about like random stones. Ananda had come to realize that he had truly crossed a great gulf of time. He was now and forever separated from the home of his birth. Upon this realization he allowed himself only a moment of self-pity, for there would be much work to be done.
After several moments his equilibrium improved. He wished now to visit the sites about the island where he could examine first hand, the remnants of the ancient redoubts. Xora having come along for the journey had agreed to act then as his chaperon. Though she did this firstly out of courtesy, as the day had grown into evening she would begin to discover more selfish reasons to stay. Together they spent the greater part of the afternoon walking the breadth and width of the island. There was much to see, to the trained eye. However Xora's mind was left to wander as the subtleties of the defensive arts were lost on her. She feared she was becoming enamored with Ananda. Try as she might to stay on the task at hand, her mind instead focused more and more on how pleasing an image Ananda made in her eyes. His voice too, struck a chord on whose music she was mesmerized. Xora, long ago had decided that such things were below her calling and so had never married. She there to fore would find meaning to her life, in the worlds of words and ideas. In the course of these short hours she had discovered that she had been missing something she had before never known to exist. Ananda was the first man in some time to arouse such feelings within her. She had for a long time suppressed such emotions. She had believed those to be a thing of youth. So she was not prepared for it. Though she imagined she had hidden well these emotions Ananda read them easily.
Across the lonely centuries he had lain unconscious beneath the wide sea. Though this ordeal had hardened his heart, he found that he was in no way immune to the influences of love. There had been a desire he had long denied. This he saw as vulnerability that he could not allow himself. Despite this his eyes were drawn toward her. Among the dunes Xora's white silhouette shimmered against the backdrop of gleaming sand. Beneath the folds of cloth that held tight against her alabaster skin he imagined there revealed her soft and delicate features.He found himself suddenly in the throes of a most visceral attraction. To this he would try to resist.
The sea breeze coming off the ocean filled Ananda's lungs. He breathed the salted air in deeply and it brought him comfort. There before them a great host of sea birds circled above. One by one they dove into the raging surf to pluck from its bounty the fish that swam there. As the sea wind blew caressing his face, he contemplated this and all else that he had for so long missed. He had long forgotten the simple pleasure derived from the feel of wet sand between his toes and how the afternoon sun hung lazily in the evening sky. His long sleep had hardened him. Knowing now his purpose here he questioned the logic in allowing himself this respite from his hard business. Then there was Xora, He could see in her bright eyes the same fire that reverberated in nature all around them. There he could see all the reasons he would ever need. In a moment of weakness he broke the promise he made with himself not to trifle with her emotions. He found himself lost in her gaze and asked her if she would mind letting down her hair. She as if lost in a fog of her own, without hesitation undid the comb that held tight her long auburn locks. Her hair fell and the sun's light dancing there made a most splendid frame to her face. He had to admit to himself that despite the ice water that flowed through his veins this longing was powerful, and could not be long denied. Without realizing it the pair found each other in a lovers embrace. A long sweet kiss followed during which time seemed to stand still.
Ananda had in sleep, traveled the empty corridor of time. During which the echo of this long stifled passion within his heart had sustained him. Between them now this blush of emotion though sudden, burned brightly. For the moment then he would forget what had happened and what was about to again happen. Back lit by the glowing halo of the sun for several moments they stood there holding tightly onto each other. In this most human of moments they had shared the same space. However this cathartic expression of affection would by necessity be short lived. For they knew the time for such things would soon end and they must begin to prepare for the coming battle. He pulled back from the kiss and looked longingly into her hazel eyes. Holding her now at an arms distance he
said, "My dear Xora, you seem to intuitively know who I am, and what I must do perhaps more than myself. Do you not?" She cast her gaze downward and nodded her head knowingly. A set of tears rolled down her cheek onto the sand below. Trying to maintain her dignity as well as she could, she gathered her hair together and carefully folded and pinned it back into a style befitting her station. With hands entwined and the gray light of dusk upon them they made their way back to the citadel.
After a restless sleep burdened heavily by dream, Ananda had again awoken in Xora's guest room. He walked out onto the sun lit balcony there to find a meal had been prepared for him. Xora upon finding him awake came to join him there. "Good morning Ananda. I hope you slept well. As for myself I could not keep from tossing and turning." She had in fact worried ceaselessly about this pact of silence to which she had agreed. She felt now compelled to break the small talk and probe him for the reason that required such secrecy. "Ananda, what do you think Landaus has in store for us this morning? It would sure be helpful for me to understand your need to withhold the truth." Ananda looked up to her from his plate and thought for a moment. Then he stood up and spoke. "My dear Xora, I have asked you to keep this secret of my Identity because when the time comes for me to act, there can be no doubt as this story's validity. To imagine such horrors is not within the capacity of the human animal. It is not until they are upon him that they become real. I ask you, why is it that the coming our eternal enemies from ages past has been so long forgotten? To forget is at once its folly, and salvation. To relive over and over again these endless cycles would be unbearable. So it is forgotten. Soon they will confronted by their enemy. Then they must stand and fight. Until that point I must be able to complete my preparations."
A Paradox in Retrograde Page 10
