by Rick Kueber
The Pale Titan
The Convergence Saga
Book 1
by
Rick Kueber
Contributing Photographer and
Model Photography- Tabitha Linton
Cover Model - Alyssa Evelyn Hutchison
Book Cover Design - Annette Munnich
Copyright 2015
Stellium Books
www.stelliumbooks.com
Grant Park Illinois 60940
All Rights Reserved
ISBN: 978-0692611005
Manufactured in the USA
The Convergence Saga is a work of complete fiction. All characters, organizations and events portrayed in this series are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
Dedication
As always this book is dedicated to my son Daniel,
but also to Annette for all of her hard work and dedication and Tabitha whose creative soul inspired me to create something unique and beautiful.
Chapter Index
1. Field Mouse 3
2. The Taker 15
3. Crash of the Titans 27
4. The Gathering 43
5. Unintended Evolution 55
6. Familiar Stranger 71
7. Moving Day 85
8. Caught in the Storm 101
9. The Decision 115
10. Paradise Found 129
11. Blinding Passion 143
12. Into the Titan 165
13. Homeless 173
Chapter 1
Field Mouse
The night winds whipped cool around my bare back and neck as I stared out across the vast desert wastelands and the star filled sky. Being from Indiana, and never traveling any farther west than St. Louis, the confusion set in. Had it not been for a nearby cactus, I could have been on the surface of a distant planet for all I knew. Peering over my shoulder at the desolate mountains rising behind me, I wondered how I came to be here. Where was I? Had I come down from the mountains, or over them? Had I turned to face the daunting desert hell behind me, before turning back to face the mountainous terrain ahead? The only thing I was certain of was that I did not like the place where I found myself. My body ached, and my bare feet stung in the gritty sand and stones. I spun around and around hoping for some familiar landmark that would jar my memory, but there was nothing. Fear and solitude were gaining control of my mind and my attitude.
“Why am I here?” My shout echoed in the emptiness that surrounded me. A distant lone ‘yip’ of a coyote was the only response to my question. Could this be a dream? No, you can’t feel in a dream, can you? Thoughts and questions bombarded my consciousness. A fleeting idea hit me and my hands slammed into my front pockets with earnest speed and force. I had hoped to find something, a receipt, note, ticket stub, some shred of evidence to explain why I found myself in this abyss. Nothing. Empty…like my stomach and my heart. I was living the metaphor of my own existence. I had nothing. I had no one. I was alone.
Looking in every direction, I tried to find proof of which way I had come, but the gusting winds had erased any trace of my path through the desert sands. I pulled at my hair, racking my brain to decide which way I should go. I let reason take over though there was nothing rational about this situation which I was now a part of. When I came to the realization of where I was, I had been facing the barren mountains with my back to the desert. I decided that was the direction I would go. Surely there would be some place civilized on the other side of the mountains if my path did not cross one as I traversed through them.
I was not particularly thirsty, but I was quite hungry, which was a conundrum, finding myself in a desert. I trudged ahead toward the looming giants, contemplating this enigma. What could this all mean? I may never know though I hoped I would live long enough to try to find the answers. Something unexpectedly caught my attention. A bright light swept across the sky above the mountaintop closest to me.
“Yes!” I screamed with excitement, “DOWN HERE!!” I waved my heavy arms over my head though I was nearly positive no one would be able to see me. The brightness of this light and its movement led me to a few possible conclusions. Perhaps it was from some sort of airport runway, or helicopter pad. Maybe it was a searchlight, being used as a signal by someone who knew I was lost.
I found my energy renewed as the adrenaline pulsed through my veins. My steps quickened as I approached the rocky terrain ahead. I lost my footing as the sand became more rocky and unstable. I slipped on the loose rocks and landed hard on my right side, scraping my palm, raising a goose egg on my shin and opening a sizable gash through my khakis and on the side of my calf. Whoever was operating this light may not have any answers for me. They may not know who I was, or why I was lost in this desert so far from my home, but there was one thing I felt sure of. Whoever this was, they could most certainly help me, and at least, offer me some food, water, first aid, and maybe get me in touch with the local authorities.
The occasional accelerated wind caused a chill as the blood ran down my leg. The stinging of the open wound gave me a new fear to think about... what if I couldn't make the climb to the top? Would I become fodder for a pack of coyotes? I stuck my fingers into the ripped opening in my pant leg and pulled with all of the strength I could muster. A few grunts, groans, and rips later and I had a makeshift khaki bandage wrapped tight around my calf.
I struggled to my feet and made a poor attempt to walk. The pain was quite intense and caused my body to tremble. I had been so stupid and careless to have let this happen. I hobbled forward step by step, assured that if someone saw me their first impression would be that they were experiencing the inception of the zombie apocalypse. I laughed at myself through the pain.
Pushing forward, the foot of the mountain was less steep than it appeared from only a few hundred yards away. Much to my surprise, I found the foothills to actually harbor some sparse vegetation and brush, which now seemed to become denser in places as I began my ascent. Finding a flat rock, some seven or eight foot across, I laid down to rest and stared up at the cruel night sky.
The silence was deafening, save for the occasional sound of the wind. I was unsure how long I had rested there, ten minutes or two hours, listening to the wind and what may have been the quick and quiet movement of a desert lizard or kangaroo rat scurrying in the underbrush and tumbleweeds. I listened more intently as the sounds became more frequent. The scuttling sounds grew closer, and the wind began to whisper to me... or perhaps to itself. I rolled onto my side away from my damaged leg.
“Don't move.” A quiet, slow voice whispered to me from the darkness. Though I could not see where the voice came from, I dared not move.
A zzzzzzipping-hissssing sound and a sudden thud... I flinched and jerked, despite my warning not to move, when sand sprayed in my face from the swinging of the large stick, like a golf club in a sand trap, when it made contact with the sand, stones, and the sidewinder rattlesnake that was poised just a few short feet from where I rested.
“Stay still, or I will shoot you.” Said the whispery voice. “Who are you?”
“I'm.... I'm Tanner. Tanner Astin.” I surprised myself. I thought hard and realized that I knew my name, somehow I knew I was from Indiana, not far from the Illinois state line, and then things became very blurred. Just a few hours earlier, my questions were 'Where am I and why am I here?' now I found myself wondering 'Who am I?'. I was coming to the realization that I knew nothing about my past or present, and that was a disturbing feeling.
“Well, Tanner Astin, if that is who you really are, you need to come with me before they locate you.” The voice whispered as I felt the cold metal of a gun bar
rel push against my shoulder as a gesture for me to move. I slowly stood up, hopping a bit to one side to avoid putting direct pressure on my lame, damaged leg.
“Aw, Hell! Half naked was bad enough, but you're hurt too?” The voice growled. “I should have just left you there with the rattlers.”
“Yeah, you can still leave me here if you want, but I would really appreciate it if you didn't.” I felt like I was respectfully begging for my life with as much dignity as I could muster. “Is it wrong to ask your name?”
“Yes, it is wrong.” The voice was softer now, and less frustrated than before. “Elle.”
“Huh, I'm sorry, I missed that last part,” I whispered.
“Elle, my name is Elle.” She said, and for the first time through the darkness, I could see that my captor, or my savior, dressed in tight black clothing that covered every inch of her body right up to the jaw line, was a woman. Her hair fell just past her shoulders, mostly one length as far as I could tell, and the ratted, tangled blackness of it told me that she had not seen a shower in days, probably longer. Bushy frizz and fringe covered most of her face giving her the appearance of near invisibility in the moonless desert night.
“My apologies Elle, but where are we going, or maybe I should ask, where are you taking me?” The puzzling amnesia had, at least, left my manners.
“Quiet!” She whispered forcefully and pointed ahead towards the rising cliff wall of the plateau before us.
I trudged along as best as I could and though no words were spoken, I could sense her frustration and something else... fear. Thirty minutes into the hike, we had climbed a fairly easy eighty feet in altitude when she suddenly stopped holding one hand up to silently signal me. I stopped dead in my tracks and tried to hide my labored breathing. Standing still for a few moments while she scanned the area using some type of large binoculars, the pain in my leg began to take effect. The hiking, climbing and trying to keep up with Elle had not been ideal for mending the puncture to my calf, in fact, I was certain I had done much more damage than good.
Elle motioned me to move in front of her and I, once again, felt the cold steel of the rifle barrel on my skin. The prodding pressure on my back coerced me to take the lead. I took a few slow steps holding my hands out in front of me, not raised in surrender, but to help avoid running into anything in what had become a near pitch black night. I could feel her body occasionally brushing up against me from behind. Her pointed finger would jut past my shoulder every few steps pointing me in the direction of her desire. She laid her hand on my shoulder and I felt compelled to stop. She pressed herself against me from behind and I could feel the length of the rifle against my back and her breath in my ear as she softly whispered, “In.”
I glanced around as my eyes adjusted to the lack of light and noticed we had stopped against the cliff wall I had seen from the distance. A few tumbleweeds had blown against a rugged banzai looking shrub that grew out of the sharp corner where the cliff wall met our path. Looking over my shoulder, I questioned what she meant by 'in' without uttering a sound. She kicked at one of the tumbleweeds and pushed down forcibly on my shoulder and I clumsily made my way to the ground. On my hands and knees, I crawled into a mysterious foxhole. The hole and tunnel that followed were not much bigger than I was. I had to pull myself along with my elbows and hands. There was a pain as I felt her boot slide hard against my bare feet. She had slid in feet first and the only sense I could make of it was that she was pulling the tumbleweeds back into their place to disguise the entrance to the wormhole we were crawling through. After a series of turns and a raising and lowering of the tunnel floor, I could see the hint of a light ahead. It was very dim, but I found it comforting. I reached a cloth of some sort which was covering the tunnel and allowed only a small amount of light to pass through. I paused only for a moment when I felt an abrupt boot tread kick to my heel. I scurried forward on my belly past the cloth into a bright opening. I could hear shuffling as someone, or maybe more than one someone, scattered. Once I was clear of the tunnel I rolled onto my back and got my first glimpse of my surroundings.
The tiny tunnel had opened into a cave of some size. Nearly twenty foot in diameter and a ceiling of probably ten foot at its highest point, the entirety of the cave was lit by one lantern. Though compared to daylight, it was dim and dank, it seemed rather luminous compared to the only reality I could remember. Splashed against the stone walls were three young children and another young woman.
Elle popped through the tunnel opening and with the snap of a gymnast was on her feet next to me. I lay there on my back looking up at my captor/ savior and attempted a pained smile.
“So. Tanner...who are you, and just what the hell were you doing out there screaming? You have some sort of death wish?” Elle's voice was just above a whisper now and sounded more female than it had since we had met just a short time ago. The ground beneath me trembled like a small aftershock of an earthquake. My eyes darted around nervously, but not even the children seemed to notice or pay attention to the tremor.
Her words confused me and I replied in the only way I knew how. “I..I don't know who I am really. I think I'm from Indiana. I have no idea how I got to this desert, or why I have no shirt or shoes. I just sort of woke up standing there in the sand and wind.” I could tell my words felt empty and hollow to her, and I could sense there was a hesitation to believe me. “Not sure why you think I have a death wish, just the opposite really. I just wanted to be found.”
The tremor buzzed the earth beneath me once again, and I blurted out, “Didn't you all feel that?”
“SHHHHH!” the children hushed me.
“You do have a death wish, don'tcha?” muttered the other woman under her breath.
Elle leaned into me and whispered sternly. “I'm not sold on your story...yet...but as much as you wanted to be found, you're damn lucky I found you and not them.”
My eyes grew open wide and met Elle's. They were hardened, but deep inside their muddy brownness, I could see there was a kindness she kept hidden from the harsh world outside. Who were 'they' and why shouldn't I want them to find me. Why were we all hiding in this rat hole in the ground? Whether I wanted them or not, I needed these questions answered. These answers might not tell me who I am, or why I am here, but they might help me understand my current situation, and why these five women and children harbored the need to hide beneath the ground, cowering like field mice always in fear of the barn cats poised to make a quick and bloody meal of them, or tear their heads off and bring them back as trophies to their master.
I slowly raised my hand and touched Elle on the arm gently. “Please, tell me.”
“Tell you what?” there was a slight squeak in her voice as she spoke this time, like a deeply buried emotion was trying to escape through the callous shell formed by the difficult life she had.
I wrapped my hand around her forearm and gave a gentle squeeze as I spoke. “Everything.... I want to know everything.” I lowered my eyes to the dimly lit earth below us as the faintest of tremors buzzed once again. “Please? Who are we hiding from?”
“Tomorrow,” she whispered softly. Her hand reached up longingly and her fingers brushed my cheek. “You need rest. We all do. Sleep now, before the sun rises, and we will talk again when we wake.” Subtlety was something Elle had mastered, but I could read her emotions already. She cared, and that calmed my nerves. I began to believe I could sleep.
Elle motioned to the other woman. “This is Tory,” She said as the other woman handed a bundle of heavy fabric to me.
“Hi.” was all she whispered to me and then jerkily turned her head and returned to the children on the other side of the cave.
“There is a piece of thick fleece that will make a good blanket for you. It gets pretty cool in here, even during the day. And there is another piece tied up that you can rest your head on. That's enough for the time being. If you can't sleep, or you find you are the only one awake, whatever you do, do not go outside....” She rustled her
fingers through my hair, and I wondered if she thought of me like one of the feral children she was protecting. “...now sleep.”
“I will try to rest. Thanks.” I said, and I meant it wholeheartedly, even though I had no idea how thankful I should be. I spread the fleece out on the ground and placed the makeshift pillow at one end. I stretched out on one side of the blanket and placed my head on the pillow, pulling the covers over me. I relaxed easily and the hard dirt somehow made a comfortable resting place. Though my mind raced, it wasn't long before I fell asleep.
Chapter 2
THE TAKER
I awoke with a start, rolling over and swiftly jerking my head side to side. A lone candle painted a pale glow on the cavern walls in places and caused shadows to dance in the recesses. My leg ached. It was not the sharp shooting pain of yesterday, but a duller aching that radiated more evenly from the point of my puncture wound. Looking around, I slowly sat up as silently as I could manage. I saw one of the women curled up against the opposite wall, and the three children sprawled out in various states of disarray. I had a flash from my past. It felt very distant as I recalled seeing several youngsters sleeping on a carpeted floor in disorder as a television played cartoons quietly in the background. The memory was gone, but I had a comforting and saddening feeling that I had a life somewhere far from here.
I sat there contemplating my life with no real memories, and what the world had become. What was there to learn from Elle, that she didn't want to tell me last night? Day and night had become confusing to me. Hidden in this sandstone grave, I was unsure if it was light or dark outside or what time it was. There was one thing that was most prevalent on my mind. Where was Elle?
One of the children began to stir and soon all three were awake. Their first task after waking was to wake up the slumbering woman. She awoke surprisingly happy and I noticed the volume of their conversations were notably louder than they had been before we slept.
