by Gary Urey
Jag motioned them to come inside his chamber. Unlike the ornately decorated hallways, his room was plain. The only item of note besides a cot, dresser, and nightstand was a small altar with statues of various deities.
They sat on pillows in a semicircle while Jag carefully studied the palm leaf.
“A beam of light will pierce the Valley of the Moon and bring about a new day,” Jag said, translating the Sanskrit to English. “There, the boy with hair the muddy color of the Narmada River and the girl, shadowy and beautiful like the goddess Parvati, will defeat the mother of daughters with two gems more powerful than the Syamantaka Jewels.”
Axel’s face lit up. “I’m the boy and Daisha is the girl!” he exclaimed. “If the prophecy says we have to go to this Valley of the Moon and defeat this mother of daughters, whoever that is, then Daisha must still be alive!”
“What are the two gems more powerful than the Syamantaka Jewels?” Charu asked.
“What are Syaman…taka Jewels, anyway?” Axel asked.
“The Syamantaka Jewels are said to have magical powers,” Jag explained. “They belonged to Surya, the Sun God. Whoever possessed them was divinely protected from natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, or droughts.”
“The two gems from the prophecy have to mean the two GeoPorts,” Axel said. “What else could it be? We’ll need both of them to defeat this so-called mother lady.”
Megan nodded in agreement. “You’re right about needing both GeoPorts and the fact that Daisha may still be alive. After what I’ve seen, I can’t question the palm leaves.”
Axel stood up. “Come on. We have to get out of these caves. I need to find Daisha.”
“Let’s go,” Jag said, and he led them to another large room. Dappled bars of sunlight shined down on them through a partially concealed opening in the ceiling. A tall wooden ladder pointed toward the exit.
“Is your leg okay to climb?” Charu asked Axel.
Axel nodded. “It should be fine as long as I take it easy.”
Jag was the first up followed by Charu, Axel, and Megan.
A warm, humid breeze greeted them as soon as they were outside. Jag quickly covered the opening with branches and stones to conceal the cave’s location. Axel took a deep breath. Fresh air mixed with flowery scents wafted in his nostrils. He had been in the caves for nearly a week and forgotten how much he missed the sunshine.
“I never want to go back down there again,” Axel said.
“We shouldn’t have to anymore,” Jag offered, “unless it’s by choice. From what I’ve heard, the Doctor and most of his men are now in Bhopal telling their side of the story to some very important state officials.”
Axel scratched gently at his wound. “Where’s
Bhopal?”
“A city about forty-five kilometers from here,” Charu answered.
“That means his men are probably too busy saving their own hides to look for us anymore,” Megan said.
A group of Australian tourists strolled past, examining the ancient Stone Age art of the rock shelters. Axel had been underground so long he forgot this whole place was a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“We need to find the location of this Valley of the Moon,” Axel said.
Megan pulled out her iPhone and typed into Safari. “Ugh!” she groaned after reading the search results.
“What’s wrong?” Charu asked.
“There are a ton of places known as the Valley of the Moon. Sonoma Valley in California, Ischigualasto Provincial Park in Argentina, Wadi Rum desert in Jordan, and even a Children’s Fantasy Park in Tucson, Arizona. All of them are called the Valley of the Moon.”
“Wow,” Axel said a hint of amazement in his voice. “Daisha and I’ve been there.”
“What do you mean been there?” Megan asked.
“The Children’s Fantasy Park in Tucson. Our parents took us there the summer going into fifth grade. We also went to the Grand Canyon and the Four Corners Monument where Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona meet.”
“It could be a sign,” Jag said. “Daisha may be in Arizona. I say that’s where we look first.”
“How do you propose we do that?” Axel asked. “We’re in the middle of India, and my GeoPort won’t take us there.”
Axel’s simple observation about their geographical location took the air out of everyone’s enthusiasm. More tourists came and went as they meandered around the rock shelter, trying to figure how to get to Arizona. The only way to the United States was via a commercial airliner, which would be an extremely long flight plus layovers and long lines.
“How much is a one-way plane ticket from India to Arizona anyway?” Axel wondered.
“Could cost as much as two thousand dollars oneway,” Megan answered.
“Two thousand dollars! Who has that kind of money?”
“Not me, I’m afraid,” Charu said.
“That’s just slightly higher than India’s average per capita income,” Jag added.
Axel slammed his flattened palm against a rock. “We have to figure out how to get there before something happens to her!”
An excited expression flashed on Megan’s face. She reached into her satchel, rummaged around, and pulled out what looked like a credit card. She playfully waved the plastic under Axel’s nose.
“Maybe we can use this,” Megan said with a mischievous smile.
“Awesome!” Axel exclaimed. “Do you have enough credit to pay for all of us?”
“Yeah, right. My cards have been maxed out since I graduated from Stanford. But a young lady named Stiv might have a very large credit line.”
Axel tilted his head, puzzled. “What in the world are you talking about? And who is Stiv?”
Megan handed Axel the card. It was a Visa for a person named Stiv Smith. Underneath the name were the words Hatch Enterprises, LLC. She then explained her whole undercover operation with the Doctor. How she had infiltrated his organization under a pseudonym and gained his trust, so much so that he had ordered his accountant to issue her a company credit card.
“But it can’t be still active after all that happened at the Sun Temple,” Axel said.
“He’s right,” Jag said. “Surely your card would have been canceled.”
“There’s only one way to find out,” Megan said. She started tapping away on her phone. Five minutes later, they had their answer.
“Yes!” Megan squealed, pumping her fists. “The card still works! I’ve booked us four one-way tickets from Bhopal, India, to Tucson, Arizona.”
Axel beamed. “Get ready, Daisha,” he said. “I’m coming for you.”
Chapter Thirteen
DAISHA
A piercing squawk from a soaring golden eagle jostled Daisha from her sleep. She opened her eyes to the brilliant crimson and orange of sunrise. All around her, giant red rocks jutted up into the sky. The scent of moist dirt and wild sage wafted in the air, and the sound of rushing water blasted in her ears.
Scenes from the previous day replayed in her mind. She remembered Warping with Loosha, landing at Red Rock State Park, the old couple, three college kids, park rangers riding horses, and hiding among the boulders near the stream.
21.52, 75.3, 78.14, 0.9786
The random numbers flashed in her mind. She took the GeoPort from her pocket and stared at the screen.
“What’s going on with this thing?” Daisha wondered aloud. She looked at Loosha.
He was slumped against a boulder, eyes closed, head bobbing, a thin line of drool dripping out of his mouth.
Loosha opened his eyes. “Hun…a…whatta,” he mumbled incoherently.
“You’re dreaming,” Daisha whispered. “Go back to sleep.”
“What did you say, dziewczyna?” Loosha asked.
“You sure like that word.”
“What word?”
“Dziewczyna. What does it mean anyway?”
Loosha yawned, stretched, and reoriented himself to the surroundings. He plucked out the
pistol, checked to make sure it was loaded, and shoved it back into the holster. He then climbed a mound of rocks to look around.
“Girl,” he said, peering down at her. “Dziewczyna means ‘girl’ in Polish.”
Daisha sneered at him. “Coming from you, I assumed it meant something much more offensive. What’s boy in Polish?”
“Chłopak.”
“Then that’s my new name for you.”
Loud thumping sounds echoed on the trail above. Daisha recognized them instantly as horse hooves. Loosha scooted off the rocks and ordered Daisha back between the two boulders. Clouds of dust and dirt rained down on them as two park rangers galloped past.
“They’re either on a random patrol or are looking for us,” Daisha said.
Loosha climbed back on the rocks and peered down the trail. “Whatever the reason, they’re gone,” he said. “But I don’t want to take any chances. We’ll stay hidden for a while longer.”
Pangs of hunger shot through Daisha’s stomach. Her mouth was dry. She hadn’t eaten or drank anything since yesterday afternoon. Every ounce of her being wanted to creep down to the stream and take a slurp, but she decided it wasn’t a good idea. She had read a book back in sixth grade about a boy who was lost in the woods. The boy drank from a stream, caught a bug called beaver fever, and puked and pooped non-stop for a whole day.
“How long before we can Warp back to Palo Alto?” Loosha asked.
Daisha shrugged. “Not until the GeoPort starts beeping. What happens then is anyone’s guess.”
“I have money. Maybe we can wander out of this park and get some food.”
They hiked down Apache Fire Trail, passing two groups of hikers. The park rangers on horseback were nowhere in sight. After resting at a scenic lookout, they hooked up with Coyote Ridge Trail. Forty-five minutes later, they came to Eagle’s Nest, Smoke Trail, and finally to the Red Rock State Park’s Miller Visitor Center. The parking lot was full of cars and RVs. Dozens of people meandered in and out of the stone buildings.
“There’s a sign for the gift shop,” Daisha said, pointing. “Maybe we can get something to drink and eat.”
“Stick close to me,” Loosha said, stuffing the pistol down his pants so not to draw attention. “If you see a park ranger looking at us suspiciously, prepare to run.”
Daisha nodded and followed behind. Typical tourist items filled the gift shop. T-shirts, stuffed animals, magnets, key chains, hats, bumper stickers, books, maps, and a collection of high-end, handcrafted leather and woodcraft from local artisans. Loosha grabbed two matching Red Rock State Park baseball caps and backpacks. Daisha went straight for the snacks. She grabbed six bottles of water, several bags of chips, a couple handfuls of chocolate bars, and a bag of granola called Sagebrush Crunch.
The grand total was seventy-seven dollars and fifty-eight cents. Loosha pulled out a one-hundred-dollar bill from his wallet and handed it to the clerk, an older woman with thick gray hair piled high in a bun.
“Sorry, we can’t accept bills over fifty dollars,” the clerk said.
“But that’s all I have,” Loosha grumbled.
“Sorry, but it’s policy.”
Rage washed over Loosha’s face. Daisha’s heart dropped into her stomach as Loosha reached toward the pistol hiding in his waistband.
The deep voice of a man bellowed from behind them. “It’s your lucky day, partner.”
Daisha and Loosha turned and saw a park ranger, Smoky the Bear get-up and all, walking toward them.
“I can break your hundred with a fifty, two twenties, and a ten,” the park ranger said.
Loosha stared at him blankly. Daisha took it upon herself to break the uncomfortable silence.
“Thank you,” she said, yanking the one-hundred-dollar bill form Loosha’s fingers and handing it the man. “I told my uncle to break it before we got here, but he was too excited to see the Red Rocks.”
“Enjoy the park,” the ranger said and left the gift shop.
Daisha finished paying for their items. The other customers looked on as both of them guzzled two bottles of water each and wolfed down a candy bar right on the spot. The water and sugar rush gave Daisha a needed boost of energy. They slipped on their caps, stuffed the backpacks with the rest of their stuff, and headed to the restroom.
From outside came a series of loud and astonished oohs and ahhs.
“What’s that?” a woman’s voice called out.
“The strangest rainbow I’ve ever seen,” said a man.
“Alien invasion!” cried a boy.
Daisha and Loosha ran outside to see what the commotion was all about. What they saw nearly made their eyes pop out. Brilliant streaks of green, pink, yellow, red, and violet flashed across the blue morning sky. The colors danced and twirled like giant points of light pirouetting across the upper atmosphere.
“This is crazy,” Loosha said, staring into the sky.
A man wearing a long-billed hat with a neck shield dropped to his knees in prayer, tears streaming down his cheeks. Several more people joined him as the heavenly light show became brighter and more fantastical.
“Mommy,” a little brown-haired girl whimpered. “That thing’s trying to eat the sun.”
That was the exact moment when Daisha remembered what Megan had told her back at the Konanavlah Sun Temple in India.
“Scientists measure the sun in angles not latitude and longitude,” she said to herself, nearly reciting word for word Megan’s mini-lecture back at the palm leaf library. “As in which direction and how high is the sun at any time of day. Solar declination, solar azimuth, solar elevation, and zenith angle. The only way to destroy the X-Point is to set the GeoPort directly toward the sun and meet the solar wind head on.”
21.52, 75.3, 78.14, 0.9786
Daisha’s knees buckled slightly as the source of the numbers came to her. “They’re the ones Megan set on Axel’s GeoPort!” she exclaimed. “This thing is still trying to send me to the sun! That’s probably why the twenty-four-hour reset is out of whack and the time between Warps is getting shorter.”
The GeoPort in Daisha’s pocket vibrated to life. Loud beeping sounds rang in her ears. She plucked the unit from her pocket and saw the blue starbursts and same flashing numbers. Her excitement of a moment ago melted into fear. She felt her stomach clench as thoughts of why this was happening tumbled in her mind.
“The GeoPort’s sending me to the sun, just like Megan said, but every time it does, a new X-Point opens up and it plops me back down to Earth,” she said to herself. “What if next time it doesn’t stop and I melt away like a modern day Icarus? The next time I Warp could be the last time.”
Axel flashed in her mind—his kind, loving face draped in long brown locks. What if he was calling to her with his own GeoPort like some kind of solar wind walkie-talkie? He was out there somewhere, and she had to find him even if it meant risking her own life.
“Time to Warp, chłopak,” Daisha said.
Loosha looked at the GeoPort. “Do those numbers mean Palo Alto?”
“No,” Daisha said. “They’re the way to Axel and Megan. I just know it. And you’re going to help me find them.”
Daisha grabbed Loosha’s arm, pressed the SW button, and they both disappeared into the Warp.
Chapter Fourteen
MUNI
Muni sat in lotus position, eyes closed, head bobbing as the Voices swirled inside her brain.
“Guide me,” she hushed softly. “Take us all to New Earth.”
The Voices grew louder inside her skull. Chanting and humming like a symphony of angels. There were no commands or words of wisdom, only powerful images choreographed perfectly to match the spirit song. A vast, scorching desert flashed in her mind’s eye. Thousands of swirling sand devils twisted and twirled among the barren dunes. Camels appeared carrying men in long white robes and keffiyeh headdresses. Her heart pumped wildly as two children entered the vision. Muni felt a sudden sense of dread. One was a black girl, the other a white bo
y. She saw their young faces clearly. They looked no older than thirteen or fourteen, but something about their essence was very ancient, powerful, and potentially dangerous to the Antakaale.
Muni followed them to a place of seven pillars of stone. This was the entranceway to New Earth. Muni reached out to the children, desperately trying to make them hear the Voices. Just as she was about to touch them, a scorching hot wind blew across her face. Pinpricks from the violently whipping sand stung her cheeks.
Her eyes snapped open. Sweat poured down her temples. Her breath came in quick huffs. She was no longer in the sizzling desert, but sitting in the breezy comfort of her open-air office. A tear rolled down her cheek. The Voices had given her many visions before, but none like this.
Verse seventy-two of the teachings burst from her throat.
“The final test will be with fire and heat,” she uttered. “The dry Old Earth will give way to a moist New Earth. Do not fear the everlasting inferno, for it is only an illusion.”
There was no mistaking what she had seen. Heat and fire directly relate to a hot desert. But where was this desolate place? Camels lived in North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. And who were these very strong children?
A knock came at her door.
Muni sat up from her pillows. “Yes,” she said, her voice a little shaky from the vision.
“Gita’s at the Command Center,” Pavana’s said through the door in her cheery British accent. “Re-indoctrination was a smashing success.”
“Perfect. Give me a moment.”
After composing herself, Muni put on a clean robe, slipped a lotus flower behind her ear, and walked down the dirt path toward the Command Center.
Gita was sitting at a computer terminal, a large bandage plastered across her forehead. She rubbed a hand across her newly cropped head. Pavana had shaved off her hair with a razor as a part of the cleansing and re-indoctrination ritual.
“I’m so happy you’re back,” Muni said. “The Soul Worms tried to get you, but the Voices vanquished them in glorious victory. Tell me verse twenty-seven of the teachings.”
