by R. Brown
Solon nodded and just as quickly gave her a hug. “I am honored to do so, Lady Ashlyn—as am I honored to know you.”
“No more than I am to know you.” Ash started down the walkway, heading for the nexus. Standing before it, she stared into the blackness. It was without depth, and yet, it was infinite. From within the nexus came the cry of a thousand echoing, overlapping voices. “Ashlyn, come to us. Yes, come to us, Ashlyn. We wait…we wait for you.”
Ash turned to see if Solon could hear it too. The fear in his eyes was her answer. Ash then looked up at Anu. His glowing white eyes betrayed nothing, but the furrow of his brow told her that he too could hear the ghostly calls.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the nexus.
Chapter 12
For the briefest of moments, there was nothing. No sensation of falling, no up, no down. There was no wind or ground beneath her feet. Though it was a void of darkness, Ashlyn was fully visible to herself.
Lightning flashed and deep rumbling thunder stirred the darkness. The bolts grew in size and frequency, slowly brightening the darkness that surrounded her. Looking down, she saw that solid ground was forming beneath her feet. The surface was cracked and broken, like hardened mud that had been shattered by time and extremes of weather. A barren desert began to appear around her—only a large, twisted and gnarled tree broke the plane of the desolate landscape. In the distance, beyond the desert, a long mountain range appeared.
The cloud filled sky above was dark, roiling. Claps of thunder shook the air, the ground trembling with each violent release. An occasional random bolt could be seen striking the ground, bringing a fierce brutality to an otherwise barren world.
Intuitively, Ashlyn sensed that this was Earth a million years in the future. She thought back to Anu’s words. “You will pass through many inhospitable worlds. Worlds that will be, and worlds that have been.” He’d also said, “It is a place where the rules of time do not exist.”
Looking behind her, she saw that the desert stretched far as she could see. “So—the journey begins.”
In passing the dead tree, Ash saw a black scorpion, enjoying the warmth coming off the desert floor. “Hey, little guy, looks like you’re stuck here too.” She came to a stop, looking down at him. Startled by her shadow blocking the sun, the scorpion sought cover, crawling inside a small burrowed hole in the ground at the base of the tree.
Having taken only a dozen more steps, the ground began to quake. Ash whipped around to see the desert floor erupting. Sand and dirt exploded into the air, the tree rising upon the back of a gigantic scorpion, thirty feet in length, as it climbed out of the ground. As the last of its body came above the sand, its claws clacked, snapping in her direction. It spun quickly, shaking off the tree and sand hampering its movement.
Ash had already pulled the sword and begun backing up. “And you used to be such a cute little guy.”
The scorpion started toward her, its tail stinger swaying dangerously above her. Its claws snapped again. Ash parried the first few lunges the scorpion made, swiping the claws aside with the sword. Seeing she wasn’t posing a serious threat, the scorpion grew bolder, moving closer.
Ash dove to her right, narrowly escaping a snapping claw. She rolled again, in the opposite direction as the other claw came at her, neck high.
The creature was incredibly quick. Each of its scissoring claws were a blur of movement. The tail’s stinger stabbed at her from above. It was impossible to defend all the points of attack.
Ash did a backflip over one of the attacking claws. In midair, upside down, she slashed at the joint that connected the claw to the scorpion’s arm. The claw fell to the ground; clear fluid came bubbling out from the joint. The scorpion turned to the side and hissed. Great, all I did was piss it off, she thought.
The scorpion spun in a blur, its eight legs giving it amazing speed. As it charged, Ash countered the move by taking two running steps toward it. She somersaulted over the snapping claw, contorted around the thrusting stinger, and came down to the ground tucked into a roll. Under the scorpion’s belly, Ash quickly thrust the sword upwards, driving it deep. Warm, yellow fluid spurted out of its abdomen, drenching her. The scorpion shrieked and bent backwards, standing on its rear legs. Ashlyn’s grip on the sword was so tight, that the scorpion’s movement lifted her onto her feet. Ash thrust the sword a second time, driving it deeper.
The scorpion gave a shrill scream. It staggered for a moment, then its right legs collapsed and it fell to the ground on its side.
Ash dropped to the ground, out of breath. Her skin glistened, her body perspiring heavily in the intense heat. The salty taste of her own sweat was upon her lips.
From where Ashlyn had thrust the sword into the scorpion, hundreds of tiny scorpions started to pour out. They spun, first looking at their mother and then at Ashlyn. Ashlyn rose to her feet. She could feel their anger. They wanted revenge.
When she saw the little scorpions beginning to burrow, Ash turned and ran. A moment later, she heard what she dreaded, the clatter. It was deafening. Without needing to look, she knew what was happening. Like the first scorpion, they were rising from the desert floor.
She ran until she was winded and her lungs wanted to burst. The desert floor trembled under the weight of the horde of scorpions chasing her. Ashlyn had no choice but to turn and face them. Anu had tried to warn her, telling her that the sword was powerless in the netherworld.
Anu said I didn’t need the pendant. Let’s see if he’s right. Dropping the sword, Ash squared her shoulders and widened her stance. It was time to see if she could call upon the power of the Transor within her. Closing her eyes, she called upon the ability that she thought could best help her. It came to her without hesitation, flowing from her mind and into her body. Ashlyn was picturing hundreds of gravitational waves racing away from her, pushing the scorpions back.
When her eyes opened, she saw the gravitational waves pummeling the scorpions. They were fighting to reach her, their feet digging into the parched desert floor, struggling for every inch. The closest of the scorpions was less than ten feet away. You sure don’t give up easily, she thought.
Though she didn’t have a choice, Ashlyn felt a great sadness for having to hurt them. This was their world and they had as much right to it as she did. Perhaps more.
Raising her hands, Ash pointed her palms at the attacking scorpions. Intuitively, she knew that she could reshape the waves into a single, directionally focused wall—making them emanate from her through a single point. The desert floor rolled as the concentrated waves traveled across its surface. The waves ripped at the ground, tearing it away. Digging deeper into her mind, Ash released a series of massively powerful waves that tore the bodies of the scorpions apart and swept them away. The strength of the waves being channeled shred everything in its path. The desert’s topsoil peeled back; boulders and rocks were torn from the ground, explosively shattering in midair a moment later.
The power within her continued to grow and expand. The waves were bending light, bending time. Nothing could stand against it. They were changing the desert into a cratered, scarred wasteland. The ground was quaking, fracturing—deep fissures opening.
The power had come easily, turning it off however was a different matter. Ash grimaced as the means to still the waves eluded her.
Internally, her mind backtracked, following the energy stream to the source. Like a handle on a faucet, she discovered a choke point where she could crank the power down, tempering it until the waves stilled. Reining in the power, she took comfort in the realization that she was learning.
Finally, able to catch her breath—Ash stood in silence, staring at the devastation that stretched as far as she could see. She’d barely survived her first minutes in the netherworld, and she shuddered to think of the trials that lay ahead.
Kneeling, Ash picked up the sword and slid it back into the sheath on her back. Cree’s words from the day before, suddenly came to mind. She was a traveler
not prepared to travel. The air was blisteringly hot and she was in need of water.
Ash grinned, perhaps there was something she could do. Cupping her hands together, she pictured the water element within her mind, picturing a small cloud above her hands, raining. Ashlyn’s eyes gleamed, a smile forming as a small cloud appeared, and it began to rain. As a young girl, she had read about the mythical Merlin and dreamed of having such powers. She’d always thought it would be fun. Now that she had them, she knew. It made her feel giddy, like a kid all over again.
Lapping the water, she drank with hearty gulps. Let’s cool this place down. Enjoying the challenges, Ash pictured the roiling clouds above, raining. There was a soul-piercing clap of thunder, and then a heavy rain fell. She spun in a circle, taking it all in. It feels amazing. The steady downpour was washing all the sand and grit away, erasing the sting of sweat in her eyes.
Desirous of a soft breeze to cool the hot, stifling air and warm drops of rain, Ash called upon the wind element. The air around her stirred, a steady breeze swept across the desert. The air instantly began to cool. It reminded her of when she and Steven had been young cadets, and they’d been walking barefoot on the beach in Oahu. The rain had appeared out of nowhere, catching them in a heavy downpour. They’d run for cover, laughing every step of the way—and as they took shelter under a cabana of palm fronds, they’d shared their first kiss. It had been wonderful. Ashlyn had not thought of that moment in years, and the fond memory reminded her of what she was fighting for.
Rising from her memories of the world that was, it was hard to believe that so much had changed. Those days of peace and naivety, now felt like a lifetime ago.
Out of the corner of her eye, a twinkling green light caught Ashlyn’s attention. It was coming from the desert floor, where it had been stripped bare, about a half-mile away. Taking a few steps to the edge of the crater, Ashlyn raised her hand to shield her eyes from the rain. It appeared to be a jagged structure of glass, sticking out of the desert floor.
Stilling the rain, but not the breeze, Ash jumped from the crater’s rim and headed down the hill toward the glass structure.
It was larger than she’d first thought, but as she grew closer she saw the details of a girder-like framework. It was a building, whose top had been unearthed by the gravitational waves.
The twinkle she’d seen was from a precariously hanging, dislodged glass panel that was swinging in the breeze.
Stepping over and around toppled girders protruding from the ground, she approached the wall of green glass panels. Putting her hand upon the one swaying panel, it fell. Ash jumped out of the way as it struck a girder by her feet and shattered. Looking through the gap, where it had been, she saw the interior of a traditional office style building. It would have been unremarkable, if not for the human shaped hand made of polished steel bones, jutting out from behind a very typical office desk.
Climbing through the gap left by the fallen window, Ash jumped from the sill down to the floor. Other than some sand that the gravitational waves had just carried inside, she saw that the room was spotless. Everything was perfectly preserved.
Walking around the desk, she found a fully intact robot on the ground. A second, dismembered android lay nearby, its hand buried in the chest of the other. They’d died fighting.
Their skeletal frames were similar to that of a human, but their limbs and ligaments were entirely metal. The two droids, both women, were wearing white blouses and matching grey skirts, even the same black, heeled shoes. Their faces were white, featureless—each having a flexscreen, meant to display a holo projection.
Time moves differently here, Anu had said. It’s the only explanation for why everything is so perfectly preserved.
Ashlyn winced as she saw that the android on the bottom was wearing a necklace identical in appearance to that of her own, Star of Elements. Staring at the necklace she said, “None of this makes any sense.”
As if in answer, a strong gust of cold wind stirred the room, bringing the darkness with it. “The destroyer has arrived,” the echoing voices resonated. A hundred ghostly voices all started speaking atop each other. “Yes, the destroyer of worlds has come. All the destroyer touches, dies. Yes, the bringer of death is here. Ashlyn brings death, and death is Ashlyn.” The wind stirring the room faded taking the ethereal voices with it.
Ashlyn’s heart was aching. She swallowed. No one knew better than she, that the trail of death behind her was red with the blood of thousands of innocent people.
A small chirping sound caught her attention, shaking her out of the deep sadness welling within her.
When she heard the chirp again, she stepped around to the other side of the desk. A tiny red dot within the desk’s black Lucite top was flashing. Uprighting an overturned chair, Ashlyn sat down, staring at the red dot.
Giving it a quick push, she waited. Nothing happened.
Swiping her hand in the air above it, it instantly hummed to life. A holo projection appeared, displaying a simple screen with the words, “Please provide verbal password.”
After a thoughtful moment, Ash took an educated guess. “Star of Elements.”
“Password incorrect,” came the reply.
“Okay, let’s see,” said Ashlyn.
“Password incorrect,” came the computer’s reply.
Ash frowned. “Ashlyn. Enter password, Ashlyn.”
“Password correct,” came the reply.
“Steven, and his damned paradoxes. What the hell did I do now?”
“Searching,” said the computer.
A holo opened, showing Ashlyn sitting cross-legged in the desert. Three robotic looking machines were hovering around her, when she suddenly blinked out of existence. The machines spun, looking for her.
The holo Ash was watching then changed to that of a female droid, her body made of metal with a very human looking facial projection. “Hello, my name is Agnes. I do not know if you will remember me, but I am the librarian at the Akashic Records Hall. It was me, who in a moment of weakness, denied you. For this, I beg your forgiveness, Lady Ashlyn.
“Knowing they were going to wipe my memory of you, I downloaded all records of you into the libraries master computer, making everyone aware of your existence. And though it became impossible for those in power to deny your visit to us—they did try.
“It was Orion-1693, the officer who arrested you, that led the revolt. Having witnessed the miracle, he fought against the systematic erasures of those who knew about you. Thus, the war began. We fought back, keeping the memory of you, our god, alive. Now, there are less than a dozen of us left, and we have lost the ability to repair ourselves. All that we had achieved has been destroyed.
“But even in death, we wait for your return. I pray that someday, the loyalty of the faithful will be recognized and you will restore your chosen ones.
“I have come to believe that your appearance was a test, one that we have failed, for we did not recognize you as being a god when you walked among us.
“I have recorded this for when you return, so you will know that many remained loyal to you. My name is Agnes, librarian of the Akashic Record Hall and faithful servant to Ashlyn, the Anunnaki god who came from Heaven.” The computer turned off and went dark.
“They went to war because of me?” said Ashlyn. Sitting in silence, she stared at the desk—her thoughts were elusive, unfocused. Throwing her head back on the chair, Ash spun in a circle. She saw that outside, the sky was darkening. It was time to leave. Pushing the desk across the floor to the wall, she jumped atop it and climbed out the window.
Twenty minutes later, having reached the rim of the crater, she resumed her trek toward the mountains.
Chapter 13
A beacon of light from atop one of the mountains—flashed. There was also something else, rising above the heatwaves radiating off the desert floor. The air was warbling, making the mountains themselves appear to be in flux. Ashlyn’s eyes narrowed as she strained to make out the details
of the phenomena. It had the appearance of a monolithic tsunami. Whatever it was, it was growing larger, racing toward her at a frightening pace.
With nary a thought, Ash stilled the wind she’d called earlier.
Ashlyn’s mind balked as she realized she was actually looking through an enormous, churning wave that stretched the length of the horizon. It was unavoidable. As it grew closer, her logic denied what her eyes were telling her, for behind the wave, dark and twisted shapes—buildings were appearing out of thin air. It was a great city being erected before her eyes. The tallest of the buildings was more than a mile in height. The uniformity and organization of the city alluded to the work of a master architect. When she saw spired towers of green glass, glistening under the light of the setting sun—she knew what was happening. It was a time wave, and it was about to take her back to an earlier time when the city buried beneath the sand, still existed.
Even more surprising, Ashlyn saw dozens of small ships flying in patterns through the air. The city was alive with life, a bustling metropolis that dwarfed the largest of cities from her own time-period.
Taking a knee, Ash pulled the sheathed sword around in front of her, clutching it to her chest protectively. She was unsure of what effects the wave was going to physically have on her, and she couldn’t risk having the sword ripped away.
Dipping her head and closing her eyes, Ash let the wave wash over her. “Ashlyn, you will die this day. Yes, Ashlyn will die,” the echoing voices whispered. Ash shivered as she felt an icy finger run down her spine. “Die, she will. Death comes to claim her.”
Without even realizing it, Ash was clenching her teeth. The wind within the wave dissipated, taking the voices with it.
There was more to the voices than the words they spoke or the touch of chilling cold that accompanied them. It went deeper. It was like the voices were reaching inside her and pulling out small pieces of her soul, leaving a dark and frozen void in its wake. Ash had never really known true fear. Genetically, Tynabo had stripped such emotions from her, but somehow, the voices had managed to find that cord within her.
