by David Kernot
"Thanks." Emerson walked in the indicated direction. The M60's strap cut into his shoulder, making it awkward for him. Andrew Stone strode forward into the jungle, SLR level with the ground ahead of him, Geiger-counter earpiece in his ear. He seemed to know where to go to find the tunnel and headed to an opening in the canopy.
A small troop of soldiers melted from the canopy. The closest man held up a finger to his lips.
Andrew Stone stopped rigid, and Emerson stood like a statue.
Two slight pops, then several others in quick succession and shaped up in the trees fell to the ground. The closest man nodded to them and showed that they could continue.
Emerson nodded, he faced Andrew. "That was close," he whispered and turned to look back to the Australian Special Air Service Regiment team, but they had vanished into the dense green foliage. It was as if they had never been there, except that the floor was littered with bodies.
"Hey, look." Andrew Stone picked up a gun. A flame thrower. He tested it, and it bellowed fire. I think I have a use for this. He put his earpiece back in and scanned the area with his Geiger-counter. "It's close. That way."
The tunnel ahead had fresh dirt outside of it.
Wira, their tanned old guide, stood at the entrance of a tunnel, arms wide open with a smug smile. He waved the long silvery device around with one hand. Beside him was the crate that Emerson recognised from the cavern in Thailand. He had a crate. He wanted to shoot it into the next world, but restrained himself.
They find the man with the uranium, and he holds the device and twists it. He laughs. "But not before I keep sending you the gateways of time until you die."
They ran into the heavily forested jungle and everything changed…
◆◆◆
Andrew rubbed his military boot against a damp cobblestone. Nearby, fresh horse manure lay in a long line, partially squashed. "What's up, Emerson?"
"I feel cheated."
"Vietnam?"
He nodded. "I wanted to do more. All we did was grab an M60, an SLR and a flamethrower. Ancient weapons compared with what we had. Wira was all but gloating."
Andrew glanced about them. "I don't think it matters. Wira will get what's coming to him. That much I know for sure." He rubbed the stitches on the back of his head.
"Where do you think we are?"
"Oh, I know where we are, We're at the base of Silbury Hill. We're in England. It's the when I'm worried about and where Wira is. If we can find him, maybe we can wrestle the device from him before he realizes. We can use it to get back to our time and leave him here."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Where do you think he is?"
"Unsure, but the Geiger-counter should help. If he's nearby, we should know."
He plugged the earpiece back in and turned it back on. He glanced at Emerson. "Batteries are low. I'll turn it on and off as required."
"Let's not have them go flat, now of all times," said Emerson.
"Stand guard." He swept the area with it and grinned. "It's faint It's as if he's left the crate of uranium behind or something. I'm not sure."
"Which way then?"
"That way. Out onto the street."
They stepped onto the cobbled street and headed along the path past stone buildings until they reached a building at the edge of the village.
In the distance a troupe of soldiers approached, led by a man in a horse-drawn carriage.
Emerson and he took shelter on the corner of the building out of site while Andrew turned the Geiger-counter on again and measured the signal strength. It was much stronger now. He faced Emerson and pointed to the house. "Wira is in there," he mouthed.
Emerson levelled his M60 machine gun and showed they should go in. He stepped closer. "We should go in, but wait until after the soldiers pass. Sweep each room and take him out."
"Roger."
He pulled out his pistol and opened the door slowly, and they stepped in, closing it carefully behind them, letting their eyes become accustomed to the dim light. Inside the house, there was a noise in the back corner
You could hear the procession easily from where they were. The ring of the undercarriage metal wheel rims hitting the cobblestones, horses' hooves striking the stone, and ten or more men marching in step.
The sounds fade and Emerson stepped forward to the first room on their left. He puts his hand on Emerson's shoulder and shakes it. Emerson faces him. Andrew shakes his head and points his pistol down the corridor to the room at the end where he had heard movement.
Emerson. "I'll kick open the door for and you follow you me in?" he mouthed.
Andrew agreed.
They crept down the corridor.
Emerson "Ready?"
Andrew nodded. The door was slightly ajar.
"On three," mouthed Emerson. "One… two… three." Emerson pushed open the door and a man and a woman stood away from the far wall, swords in hand, ready to strike.
"Andrew?" said Emerson, and he turned and faced him.
Andrew frowned in disbelief as he stared at himself and Giselle.
"It's a trick," said Emerson.
"It's a trick," said the version of Andrew holding a sword to Giselle.
Andrew stared at the sword the other version was him held his breath.
The sword had to be five feet. At least four inches wide, and glistening silver. Red and blue jewels embellished the hilt. "I know that sword. From a long time ago. Caliburn. Twinned to Excalibur. But it is not why the Geiger-counter is showing Einsteinium."
"Lower your weapons," Andrew said the version holding the sword.
"You should lower your swords."
"No."
"This could be Wira in disguise, Andrew?"
"I know. There is a device here. That would explain it."
"Giselle, pull the device from behind my back."
"Slowly," said Emerson, shifting his aim towards Giselle.
She pulls it out and holds it up.
"This was why the Geiger-counter showed Einsteinium 263."
"Tell me something only I would know."
"I held a mop while we lived in Ottawa and I believed it was Excalibur."
Andrew smiled.
"Your turn?"
He stared back at himself. "I assassinated Philby at Trafalgar Square."
The other version nodded and lowered the sword. Andrew put away his pistol.
Emerson stepped forward. "You killed Philby?"
"He was the one responsible for the deaths of my team in Iraq."
"How are we both here?" he said to the other version of himself.
"I dare not say, but we seem to have caught the same time and place. We should not step any closer."
"Have you seen Wira?" asked Emerson.
The other Andrew Stone shook his head.
"What do we do now?"
"Well, Giselle and I are staying here. No further discussions. Emerson, I will give you the device so you can both return to the cavern and finish what you started, but don't come too close. Giselle?"
She handed him the device, and Andrew placed it on the ground. He pushed it away with Caliburn. "Take it," he said.
Emerson stepped over and bent and picked it up. As he touched it energy runs between them.
The room lit with bright light. Emerson cried out and fell to the ground, clutching the device tight. The air around glowed vivid white.
"What did you do?"
"There is a powerful magic in these swords that I can't explain, but he will thank you."
"Me? I didn't do this."
"We are one. We, you did this. When he wakes, use the device to return and take out Wira. One thing." He held up a finger. "When you sense danger, warn Emerson to lay flat on the ground."
"What do you mean? When?"
"You will know."
"We must go. When Emerson wakes remind him to thank you."
"Right." He stepped away from the door and watched his beautiful Giselle walk out the room with himself.
Emerson woke, groggy a few minutes later. He sat up and handed Andrew the device.
Andrew laughed. Now I know what he meant. Look. Andrew pointed to Emerson's prosthetic arm. It had gone, and a normal human arm had replaced it. Emerson held his arm up in front of his face and opened and closed his hand, twisted his wrist. "Thank you. How did you know?"
"I don't know." He offered his hand and helped Emerson up.
"Ready?" Emerson unwound the rolls of ammunition from his shoulder and clipped them into a continuous line. He readied the M60 and rolled the belt of ammunition ready in his left hand.
Here goes. Andrew held the device in both hands and raised his arms. He twisted both ends, and everything shifted. The compact room faded from view and an image of the cavern, deep underground at Chiang Dao returned. Wira, their guide, stood there with one device between his raised arms across from them.
◆◆◆
Chapter VII
Chiang Dao, Thailand.
It took less than a second for Andrew to comprehend that they were back in the cavern. It felt good. Wira stood there, his face contorted with surprise. Andrew raised the SLR, pointed it directly at Wira and squeezed the trigger.
Emerson fired the M60 machine gun.
The sounds were deafening. A dozen 7.62 mm rounds stopped midway near the serpent creature.
Andrew cursed. He let go of the SLR and raised the flamethrower, pointed it at the serpent's right arm. He pulled the trigger. Flames were unaffected because the thing caught alight and its screams echoed around the cavern in one hellish rancour. One of its limbs peeled off and the Old Ones' device rolled towards them, partially covered by a tentacled burning limb.
Two men entered the cavern from a far tunnel. Both carried AK-47's and pointed them at he and Andrew Stone. Emerson let off another volley, hoping to hit the closest man, but again the rounds stopped midway. Another man followed. A priest from their cult. He wore a strange gold sarong with Cthulhu insignia across the shoulders and a giant serpent embroidered in the middle of his chest. Wira bowed respectfully to him and stepped aside. The man opened his arms wide and snakes slithered from his sleeves. They slithered across and in to the pool in the middle of the room. The water churned. It bubbled and two more of the giant snake-like creatures appeared.
"Emerson, look. Your rounds," yelled Andrew Stone. They vibrated and slowly turned towards them.
Wira grinned from across on the other side of the invisible barrier. He rubbed his hands together. "Now you will die." But Wira's grin faded, and he frowned.
Andrew glanced behind as General John Cobb appeared with his driver. The driver had a snub-nosed machine gun. Cobb held a gun twice as large as Emerson's M60, and he carried it with ease. A Rail Gun. Modern tech beyond anything conventional. He raised it to his hip to fire. The air hummed and rose in pitch.
"Emerson, lay flat on the ground. Quickly," he shouted and dived for the Old Ones' device. He shook the burning tentacle away and covered his head with his hands, holding the device tight.
Cobb fired the Rail Gun, and there were a series of explosions. Emerson's rounds smacked into the far wall and Andrew waited for any ricochets. A momentary burst of machine gun fire from Cobb's driver was the only other sound.
Andrew sat up and grinned at Emerson. Across from them all that remained of the serpent creatures were a few lumps of burning meat. Wira, his priest and the two men lay on the floor unmoving, part shredded but each with a bullet to the head.
Cobb's driver was likely a highly decorated former Special Forces soldier.
It made sense.
Cobb put the weapon down. "Always wanted to fire a series of RDX rounds into the enemy," he said. "But Rail Gun technology, that's something else." He rubbed his hands together. "Now, where's my Major?"
"Major?"
"I promoted her on account of the crap we've put her through, Colonel."
"In here, General." Andrew held up the Old One's device.
He twisted it so that familiar symbols aligned. The air shimmered, and Denna appeared, laying on the ground.
She looked peaceful, considering everything that had happened.
General Cobb stepped forward. "Major Reed, welcome back."
"Major?" She grinned. "Thank you, sir."
He stepped close and helped her up from the ground. "How are you, Denna?"
"I'm well, sir. I don't know how or why I know this, but they are planning a final global attack."
"Cthulhu? The Old Ones?"
"Sir."
"Where," he said.
"Antarctica Base Camp and England's Silbury Hill."
"Silbury Hill?" Images of the Shoggoth and the device at the Kennet Long Barrow returned. It makes sense.
"Who goes where?" said Andrew.
"Toss a coin and see?" said Emerson.
"Sure."
"Heads I go to Antarctica. Tails it is beautiful England."
The coin flies high into the air, and it clatters to the floor of the cavern. Andrew walks over and shines his torch on it and smiles. "I hope you've got a lot of cold-weather gear, Emerson."
Emerson joins him and stares at the coin on the ground. He shrugs.
"I'll come with you," says Denna.
He grins. "Well, maybe it won't be too bad."
"For the end of the world?"
He nods. "For the end of the world."
Cobb clears his throat. "I'll go too, Sergeant." He faced Andrew. "I'll arrange for the Knight Commander to join you."
"When?"
"I'm not sure. An expedition to Antarctica will take some effort. I suggest that everyone uses the time to get some rest."
"How did you each get one of the Old Ones devices?" asked General Cobb.
"I'm not sure General, but I know that they meant it to be that way for a reason we are yet to understand."
◆◆◆
Chapter VIII
Silbury Hill, England.
Colonel Andrew Stone clambered from the rental car in the middle of the car park entrance to the Kennet Long Barrows. Ahead of him was the giant man-made earthen mound known as Silbury Hill. He'd been here—a lifetime ago—in search of Giselle. And she was beside him at last, where Denna had mentioned the attack would occur. Here and Antarctica. No one had mentioned the Old Ones were planning to release a parasitic virus and use the Shoggoths to spread it.
Andrew stepped from the car and rubbed his hands together. It was about to rain. Patchy clouds raced across the horizon and mottled the landscape. He zipped up his jacket. With the stiff northerly, it could have been Antarctica, and after all his years in Canada, he still couldn't really cope with the cold.
Giselle stepped from the car and looked over his shoulder at Silbury Hill. "Tomb of the dead," she said and shuddered. "It is a sacred place."
He had to agree. Swallow Head Spring at the head of the Kennet river was a short from the monument, across the road south-east. Sarsen stones inside Silbury Hill had found all over Wiltshire and the stone used at Avebury behind him, and further south at Stonehenge, twenty or more miles away. He stared at the giant mound, turned to his right, a little way further to the south-east, and stared at the Kennet Long Barrow over on the next hilltop. This is where it had begun. A car arriving made him jump.
"Is that him, my Lord?"
Andrew watched the rental car pull up nearby. He recognized the Knight Templar Commander. "That's him."
The Commander stepped from his car and ignored them. He pulled open the rear door, reached in and pulled out a long case.
Machine gun or sniper rifle, perhaps. Andrew checked the holster on his right hip, and the alien device on his left. A proper gun would help right now.
The Templar Knight strode across the carpark and bowed his head. "My Lord." He faced Giselle. "Lady."
"Call me Andrew," he said. "Colonel Stone, if you must."
"Yes, my Lord. I have a gift from the crusades."
"During the crusades?" Andrew stepped closer. Not a machine gun or pi
stol then.
The Knight Commander unlocked the high-impact military-grade box. He opened the lid. Inside were several thickly woven cloth bags in regal blue. Silver threads adorned them. The Commander grabbed one and pulled at some silver-coloured rope at the top. He bent down on one knee and pulled the bag away. He bowed his head. "My Lord. For you."
Andrew's breath caught. The sword had to be five feet. At least four inches wide, and glistening silver. Red and blue jewels embellished the hilt. "She is beautiful." It pulled at memory strings that weren't his, and he frowned. "The resemblance is striking, Commander."
Giselle stepped over to his side. She placed her hand on his arm. "Can it be so?"
Andrew ran his hand along the flat steel, and he trembled from the magic emanating from the weapon. He fixed his gaze at the Commander. "How is this possible?"
The Knight Commander "We serve, my Lord. I believe that Excalibur's twin, Caliburn, is happy to reunite with you after all this time."
Andrew kissed the heavy sword and then lifted it with both hands high into the sky. Energy flowed through him. Magic forces. He breathed deep of it and smiled. "Thank you, Commander. This is an honour far greater than I could have imagined."
"It is all mine, Lord. This is what generations have spent protecting."
"And the other sword?"
"Something for me. Hardly an Heirloom. A 17th century alien version. But my Lady…" he reached in and pulled out a long dagger from the third cloth bag. "I believe you are both well acquainted."
Giselle held the small rounded blade in her hand. "Thank you, Commander. I am gladdened to have her back." She tucked the long blade into the folds of her dress and bowed.
"Commander, I would like to—"
A phone rang. Andrew paused and pulled the military phone from his pocket. "Colonel Andrew Stone."
"Sir. We're—" said a voice over heavy static. "—reached South—"
Andrew covered one ear because of the wind. "Emerson, is that you? You're breaking up."
"—You."
"Hello? What about the virus?"
