Chess Players: Atlantis and the Mockingbird

by DeVaughn, A. P.

  Moments later, Rokie leads Ron into the belly of the ship through the kitchens and service hallways to a room where three men sit at a table with their backs to the door. There are two large television screens and communications equipment anchored to the wall.

  “Morning, gentlemen.” Rokie addresses the men at the tables. “You’ve met these two already. This is Ku’ulu, third in command, and this is my uncle Durro, weapons and explosives technician. You two should get along nicely. The man you haven’t met is our concierge, Van Hugo Miles. He takes care of all of our arrangements on and off of the ship. If you need anything, let him know.”

  Rokie and Ron take their seats just as Rotiart enters the room.

  “Now that your base has been compromised,” Durro says in his heavy Russian accent, “has your sleeper cell’s agenda changed?”

  “No,” says Rotiart. “We are still operating to stop the Trident. This has been our main priority, even after we lost the Lamb. Right before my father took his last breath, he told me to carry on and get the mission done, even if I had to sacrifice my own life. He said that Enoch should be trusted as an ally and will aid us and give us insight where we need it most–the Cabal.”

  “The Cabal?” Ku’ulu gripes. “No one can ever know what the Cabal is doing. They can’t be trusted by nature. Their fealty only coincides with who they think the winning side is. This Enoch may be nothing more than a charlatan.”

  “Are you calling my father a liar?” Rotiart angrily says as he slaps the table.

  “Gentlemen, gentlemen,” Durro interrupts. “We have our first in command and this Enoch calling in any moment now. Let’s see what he has to say and then make judgment on him to see if he is a valid ally, or not.”

  Meanwhile, back at the Chariots’ headquarters, their insider has arrived to their delight, and Black Horse and Pale Horse bring him in for debriefing.

  “Well done, well done indeed,” Black Horse says as he walks into the room. “You shall be greatly rewarded for your services, Kim. And where is Viper and Lara?”

  “She’s right here,” Viper says as he walks through a portal with Lara, who’s gagged at the mouth by a rag, with her hands bound behind her back. “She resisted, but I managed to bring her here in one piece.”

  “Unbind her!” Pale Horse says. He’s sitting in a large decorative leather chair, petting two huge predatory cat creatures that are licking themselves. Kim quickly unties Lara’s hands and releases her mouth while Black Horse looks on. “He does not want her harmed at all,” says Pale Horse.

  “Kim, you traitor!” Lara shouts, slapping Kim across the face.

  Kim smiles. “You always were a bitch,” he says as he rears back his hand.

  “Touch her and that hand will be a snack for my pet ligers,” Pale Horse says, sitting and petting his two cats as they snarl and roar. “There, there now, my pretties. He didn’t mean to threaten her.” Pale Horse stands and walks over to Lara as she looks away from him, cowering in fear. He gently brushes the back of his hand over her face, whisking away her tears with his thumb. “Don’t be afraid, Lara. You’re home now, right back where you belong. We missed you here. It’s been a long time. He wants you back. The time you spent away was only a dream and nothing more. You’ll always be one of us again.” Pale Horse turns in Kim’s direction. “Kim, it’s funny that you mention traitor. Bring him in,” he says to the men guarding the door.

  Two men push a man in a wheelchair. He has a black bag over his head and his hands and feet are bound to the wheelchair’s frame with wire.

  “Do you see?” Pale Horse says as he slowly walks around the man in the wheelchair as mumbles are heard beneath the black bag. “Now here is a true traitor. He was once one of our brothers. He knew our secrets, and he helped with our plans. He ate, laughed, and killed with us. He basked in the light of our victories throughout the years, until one day, his weakness permitted him to leave us.” Pale Horse stops in front of the man in the wheelchair and pulls off the black bag. A beaten man with swollen eyes and with tape over his mouth looks up at Pale Horse.

  “Why did you try to hide?” Pale Horse asks the man in a slow and angry voice. “You’ve changed your name, personality, habits, and you’ve even changed your face, but I can still see the coward beneath that mask. You know we would have found you eventually, Mr. Kohl.” Pale Horse then rips off the tape.

  “Yes, I know,” Kohl says, coughing and out of breath. “But I was waiting for something. I stayed alive, hiding and blending in long enough so that I could see something. That something that I saw is what will doom you all forever. Your evil shall be wiped from this world and never seen again. My death is not the beginning or the end, old friend. There it is, the look on your face. Is that fear that I see, old friend?”

  Pale Horse punches Kohl repeatedly in the face until blood pours from Kohl’s mouth and his head droops onto his chest. Picking Kohl’s head up, Pale Horse asks, “What’s that look on your face? Is that fear that I see?”

  “No, old friend. It’s joy,” Kohl says as he spits a gob of blood into Pale Horse’s face. Kohl then smiles a bloody grin and laughs, still writhing in pain.

  Pale Horse wipes the blood from his face, then walks over to Lara.

  “Free him from his chair,” he says. The two men who wheeled him into the room untie him and flip him out of the chair and onto the floor in a broken heap.

  “Now, Lara,” Pale Horse says, “even though you betrayed us, your intrusions are forgiven because you are one of us. But him, on the other hand. My pets have been very hungry lately. Dragon! Kara!” He calls to the beasts as they roar and stand. “Feeding time!”

  The two huge cats run from beside the chair and leap onto Kohl as he screams in agony. The cats rip him apart with their teeth and claws. “You see, Lara,” Pale Horse whispers in her ear, holding her face in his hands and turning it toward the animals mauling the man, “this is what happens to a traitor.” The screams soon stop as the huge cats devour the dead man’s corpse.

  Back at the cruise liner, the television screens burp with static and a man’s face appears on one.

  “Sir, it is good to see you,” says Ku’ulu. “We have the survivors from the eastern base here with us.”

  “Good,” the man on the screen says. “Our goal is to obtain the rest of the codes that we could not get with the Lamb.”

  Just then, the second screen reveals another man’s face in silhouette, with his voice distorted into a deep baritone tuba-like sound.

  “Men of the Tempest,” the voice says. “This is Enoch. I cannot speak long, or my location will be compromised. I originally spoke in Siberia. What an unfortunate turn of events. I am an ally that went dark years ago, and now my aim is to infiltrate the Cabal.”

  “The Cabal?” Ron whispers to Rokie.

  “It’s a select group of humans that hold power and give their allegiance to either side. Their fealty has changed numerous times,” replies Rokie.

  “My message to you is to maintain priority on stopping the Trident and to keep a low profile. The Chariot has developed another weapon, more powerful than the Trident, and once I have sufficient information, I will notify you of their advancements. It may take months to gather this information, but it will be done. Until then, you must survive.”

  The screen then goes black, and the man on the adjacent screen speaks. “How can we trust this person?” says the man on the screen. “He says he used to be one of us. Men, get on this right away. Find out who he is and where he is, immediately! Until then, gentlemen.” His screen goes black, and they are left with their commands.

  As they leave the room, Ron pulls Rotiart by the shoulder. “So about this Lamb business, and his brother.”

  “This may be hard for you to fathom, but please, I need you to understand. Your friend Dwight was a lab experiment. There were multiple DNA enhancements done to him while he was in the womb. He was born and raised to do one thing, and that was to die for the cause. He died sooner than we thought, bu
t it was his destiny. His job was to stop the destruction of the world and put the balance back into our hands. He did his job, and his troubles are over. I’m sorry, but this is just the way that it is. As for that person who calls himself Viper, we’ve never known of this, but we doubt that it’s his brother. The Chariot are deceitful. You can’t believe a word they say.”

  “And what about me and my friends, are we expendable too?” Ron asks.

  “They know who you are now. You won’t make it a day out there on your own. You’re a part of this, whether you like it or not. Destiny is unavoidable. Your friends are now in the places where my father commanded them to go. I received word that they are safe. You will also go to your assignment within a week. I hear South Africa is beautiful this time of year.”

  Chapter 32: The Awakening of Brothers

  Pale Horse pushes in a code on a control panel and a large door opens that is several feet thick and made of steel. He and Black Horse enter the door and lights come on as they enter the room. A large vertical tube with two smaller tubes on each side is illuminated, and bubbles float from the bottom of the liquid inside of the tubes. The large tube reveals an elderly man with wires, tubes, and a breathing apparatus hooked up to him. He’s suspended in the liquid.

  “How is he faring?” Black Horse asks.

  “His vital signs are weakening. We cannot keep him in stasis much longer. We must hurry if we are to save him. Cerberus has to be started now.”

  “But, my friend, we don’t have the Ferret, and the child won’t be born for months. If we do not have both bodies, wouldn’t Cerberus fail?”

  “We can reanimate him, but he would not be at full strength. No matter, our Lord at two-thirds strength is all that we need.

  “Atlantis is almost completed, my brother. I hope that you’ve rested well. It won’t be long,” Pale Horse says, touching the glass of the vertical tube. “We will reinstate Viper and revive him. It doesn’t matter that the Ferret’s body can’t be found, and it doesn’t matter that the whore hasn’t delivered that abomination yet. Once one of the Missing is brought to us, we won’t need the Viper, Ferret, or the child.”

  They leave the room and are met by a young man holding an envelope. “Sir, an urgent message for you,” he says, walking up to Pale Horse and handing him the envelope.

  “What is this?” Pale Horse says, taking the envelope.

  “I don’t know, sir. But the base in the east says they are transporting the Missing.”

  “Start the awakening sequence immediately. And where is Viper? Summon him immediately!” Pale Horse demands.

  Just then a crescent of light appears against the wall. “I’m right here, master,” Viper says, stepping out of the crescent of light as it closes behind him.

  “No time for your shenanigans,” Pale Horse says. “Time for you to dock. We’re waking your father.”

  “As you please,” Viper says with a courtesy bow.

  Viper walks into the holding room, disrobes, and steps into the smaller tube as the workers inside of the room begin to connect many tethers to him. They lock the tube and the tube fills with liquid. “Vital signs are good, sir. All awakening systems are active,” the cadet says.

  “Excellent. Initiate,” commands Pale Horse, looking on.

  Viper then closes his eyes and fades into stasis. The larger tube’s liquid begins to fizzle, and lights and sounds coming from the control panel get stronger. “He’s critical!” shouts the cadet. “We may need to shut down!”

  “Step away!” shouts Pale Horse as he takes the controls.

  “His vitals are spiking, sir!” says the cadet. “The integrity of the tube won’t hold. Shut the power down, sir!”

  The eyes of the elderly man inside the tube open, and the tube begins to crack. Then the front of it blows open, sending large pieces of glass flying, which hit the cadet, cutting through him. He falls, bloodied and dead. The elderly man falls to the floor as the tethers rip away from his body.

  “My lord,” Pale Horse says, running over to the elderly man’s naked body and placing a blanket over him. “My lord, can you hear me?”

  Coughing up fluid, the old man speaks. “Yes, when is it?” he labors to say.

  “It has been thirty years, Lo-Lord Lucrea’us,” Black Horse stutters.

  “Our kingdom?” Lucrea’us asks.

  “It is nearly within our grasp,” Pale Horse answers, helping Lucrea’us to his feet. “But there is better news. One of the Missing has been found. Your ultimate form is within reach.”

  Pale Horse walks Lucrea’us over to a gurney the cadets have wheeled in and helps him lie down. “The visions that I’ve seen coming from my surrogates—the codes have been retrieved, but we still need the other surrogate. Where is the Ferret?” Lucrea’us wheezes.

  “He is dead, my lord,” Black Horse hesitantly says.

  “What?” Lucrea’us shouts, followed by coughing.

  “Please, old friend, save your strength,” says Pale Horse.

  “I haven’t had any visions of his death while in my slumber. The string has not been cut,” says Lucrea’us.

  Pausing and backing away from Lucrea’us in confusion, Pale Horse opens the envelope. He pulls out a letter. Pale Horse looks at his ailing, elderly friend with more confusion and then opens the letter and reads it aloud.

  “Bishop takes rook at B-4. Checkmate.”

  He then holds the envelope upside down, and out falls a rook chess piece. Holding the chess piece in his hand, he examines it and begins to grin.

  “What is it, my friend?” Black Horse asks, curious of Pale Horse’s smile. “What does it mean?”

  Just then, three beeps are heard from the control panel where Lord Lucrea’us was kept. The attention of the men sways toward the wall as it rotates and attached on the opposite side are two tubes with an embryo suspended in each tube.

  “Cerberus.” Lucrea’us utters, extending his hand towards the wall.

  Pale Horse’s smile straightens. The jewel on his wrist glows red, and he grits his teeth. Veins bulge in his neck, and he punches on the intercom. “Everyone report to deck three immediately!” he shouts.

  “Is it from the Cabal?” a concerned Black Horse asks.

  “A glorious day, a glorious day indeed, my friend,” Pale Horse says smiling. He places his hand on the shoulder of Black Horse as his amulet glows a raging red. The smile quickly disappears and the rage comes back as he slaps Black Horse with a viscous backhand to the face, knocking him off of his feet and against the wall with a pulse of energy that followed the blow, sounding of thunder. “I want him found!”

  Thirty years earlier.

  A brown-haired boy and his father are sitting in a waiting room in a hospital. The father sits with his ankle on his knee, biting his nails and tapping his foot on the floor, while his son plays with the toys set aside for anxious children.

  “Hey, Dad,” the boy says, “are you scared?”

  “No, Son,” the father says, “just a bit nervous.”

  “What’s nervous?” the boy asks.

  “Well, Son, it’s when you don’t know what’s going to happen and you start to feel a bit weird.”

  “Well, I’m not nervous,” the boy says.

  The father laughs. “And how do you know that, Son?”

  “Well, because I don’t feel weird,” the boy says.

  “You always were braver than me, Son,” the father says, patting him on the head.

  Just then, another boy with black hair walks into the waiting room with his parents, who each have stern looks on their faces. They sit quietly while the boy, who just walked in, sees the other boy playing and gives his parents a look of affirmation to go and play. The man and the newly arrived parents look at each other with familiarity.

  “Hi,” the dark-haired boy says.

  “Hello,” replies the brown-haired boy playing with the toys.

  “Can I play with you?” asks the dark-haired boy.

  “Yeah, I’m playing tr
ain wreck. You can be the police to help clean up. What’s your name? I’m Dwight.”

  “My name is Viktohr. I’m here to get a special thing done to my head. My parents say that it will help me not go to heaven yet,” says Viktohr, grabbing the toy police car.

  “Hey, me too!” smiles Dwight. “My dad is the best. He had the doctors save me from going to sleep for a long time. I like to sleep, but not forever. He says there’s something in my head that the doctors have to fix, and I’ll be all right.”

  “You’re cool,” says Viktohr, “and your eyes are cool too. I wish my eyes were like that. We should be friends.”

  “Magnus and Dwight Jones?” the nurse says, entering the room. “The doctor will see you now for prep.”

  “Time to go, Son,” says Magnus.

  “Hey Viktohr, I have to go. You’ll have to finish saving the world without me, okay,” says Dwight.

  “Okay, Dwight. When I see you again, we can save the world together, okay? Friends?” Viktor says.

  “Yeah, friends,” Dwight replies with a high-five to Viktohr, and he and his father follow the nurse through the door.

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