Falon and Jaz followed them.
“Pull the string!” Athen yelled over the rush of loud air that surrounded them in the free fall.
She obeyed and her parachute opened.
Athen released her hand as he pulled his own string.
Above them, the spaceship exploded. She winced as bits of flaming steel flew past her. She fully expected one of those pieces to hit her, but the parachute acted as a covering so she was safe from them.
Looking down, she cringed at the sight of the trees rapidly approaching them. This was going to hurt. She closed her eyes and tightened her grip on the straps of her parachute. She braced herself for the impact. But as it turned out, it was unnecessary. The parachute wrapped itself around her, forming a protective cocoon. When she hit the trees, she didn’t feel a thing. She simply got bumped harmlessly around by the trees until she landed on the ground.
She dared to open her eyes. The white parachute deflated, allowing her to push it aside so that she could get out of her cocoon. She stood up. Looking at the sharp tree branches around her, she shivered at the realization that had it not been for the parachute, she would have easily died if one of those branches pierced her in the right place.
“Are you alright?” Athen asked as he ran over to her.
How did he manage to act so fast? Perhaps it was his training. Though Hathor had been more thoroughly trained in these situations, Athen had received his own training in case Hathor needed someone to replace him.
Athen helped her remove the rest of the parachute from her legs. Jaz and Falon, who had already removed their parachutes, raced over to them.
“The Nicals must know we’re here,” Falon said. “They undoubtedly know this forest very well, so we better get moving if we hope to avoid capture.”
Ann didn’t like the idea of being pursued by the Nicals, but she knew moving away from this spot was better than waiting for them like sitting ducks. As she followed the Palers, Athen stayed behind her. She took care to not step on the many pieces of the Paler spaceship that had fallen to the ground, doing her best to not feel like such a wimp.
***
The mysterious man in white smiled triumphantly as he lowered his arms. He had used his white cane to send a hot blast to the Paler spaceship. He held his cane casually by his side, as if he hadn’t just used it as a gun. He turned to the stunned Nicals who had witnessed his action.
“And that, my friends, is one example of how I will protect you,” he said, turning to the Nicals.
They remained silent. They had never witnessed such a display of violence, so their minds were desperately trying to accept what he had done.
He refrained from reminding them that in wartime, bloodshed was a necessary evil. Instead, he tapped his cane on the ground, which succeeded in getting their attention.
“Your enemy is now weak. It is time to capture them,” he said.
“But if they are weak, won’t they leave?” Dour asked, slowly coming out of his shock.
“For a species that prides itself on knowledge, you missed how insistent Palers can be when properly motivated to action. I assure you they will not let the destruction of their ship go unnoticed. They will want their revenge.”
“We should have talked to them,” Dour said. “Maybe they would have understood. Maybe we-”
“Could have peacefully resolved this conflict?” the man asked. He shook his head. “As amusing as I find your faith in others, it is unfortunate you easily dismiss the fact that they came with weapons which they would have used to destroy all of you.”
Dour shifted from one foot to the other.
The man placed his hand on Dour’s shoulder. “You have a childlike faith that only sees the good in everything. Reality is a cruel monster you must confront.”
“You don’t know the ugliness I have experienced. All of us have lived through hell.”
“I’m sure you think watching your loved ones suffer and die was a horrible thing. I am not dismissing your pain. I am only telling you there are more things to fear than a virus.”
Dour glanced at his companions, who nodded their consent for him to listen to the man who, until recently, had been a stranger to them. “Very well. We will follow your advice.”
The man hid his satisfaction over their decision. Instead, he turned his attention to the most expedient way to render the Palers and Razians helpless.
“There are four of them,” he considered as he paced back and forth. “They will have weapons on them. Raz’s queen has magic to protect herself. If she is competent in her abilities, she will know how to access that magic. She is the first one you will want to render inoperative. Fortunately, I have just the device to do that.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a crystal. It was no bigger than an inch and was circular. “Place this on her forehead and it will perform the task for you.
He threw it over to Dour, who caught it.
“Next, you will take the guns from the Palers,” he continued. “That shouldn’t be too hard to do with this.” Pulling out a sticky net, he handed it to Xan. “If it reminds you of a spider’s web, then you are very perceptive because that is how I made it. This is an easy tool. Throw it at their guns and it will reach out and snatch them.” He paused. “Are any of you familiar with guns?”
They shook their heads.
He groaned. “What weapons are you familiar with?”
“We are not knowledgeable in the art of warfare,” Dour admitted. “This is the first time we have had visitors on our world.”
The man forced aside his annoyance. “How did you develop the technology to go to Olympia?”
“We have had a spaceship for a thousand years. We used it a few times, but we used it in pursuit of learning about other species.”
“Since you created a spaceship you didn’t need at the time, why didn’t you create any weapons?”
“We have a peaceful existence among ourselves. We do not require weapons.”
Amazing, the man thought. “That is all fine until you are attacked. You don’t realize how much of a disadvantage you have. You have no training for the predicament you are now in. Without me, you will die for sure.”
“We are well aware of that.”
“Yes. So you can appreciate my concern. You must obey me. Your lives depend on it.”
They nodded their agreement.
Pleased by their admission, he continued. “The Razians, as you know, have the Book of Spells. Although the queen does not need it, she may have a traveling companion who will use it. You must take that book. Once you do that, the Palers and Razians will be powerless. That is when you bring them to me. Do you have anything that can bind them?”
Dour glanced at Xan. “Do you have the chains?”
“I collected them the other day,” Xan replied. “They are in my living quarters.”
“We use the chains to bring our food to the Austere Complex,” Dour told the man.
“You are referring to the animals you capture to kill?” the man asked.
“That is correct. The chains are strong and durable. They should be adequate to put on our enemies.”
“There you go. You have something useful after all. Very good. Chain them and we will bring them to the Austere Complex. Believe me, I will not let your enemies prevail against you.”
“Excuse me,” Dour said. “Who should go and get them?”
He was ready to tell them to figure it out for themselves, but then he realized what a golden opportunity he had. They were totally reliant on him, and if he allowed them to make any decision on their own, it might weaken their dependence on him. He could use this to his advantage.
“That is an excellent question,” the man said. “Whoever is skilled in combat, or at least is most educated about the Razians and Palers, is your best choice.”
“Xan, Optima, Tan, Mical, and Lonlio will go,” Dour replied.
Although the Nicals lived at the Austere Complex, the man led them to it, as if the place belo
nged to him. They didn’t object to his boldness. If anything, they probably welcomed it. Most likely, they were overwhelmed by their enemies’ presence.
Once they reached the complex, Xan rushed to his living quarters to gather the chains. The rest of the Nicals went to the main room.
The man left them to go to the library in search for a book he needed. Now for his next plan.
***
When Xan came into the meeting room with the chains, Dour turned to Optima. “Will you go to the man wearing white and tell him you and the others will depart now?”
“Yes, Ruler,” she replied.
She left the main building and walked over to the library, which was taller than the other buildings. The library was the best kept building they had left. At one time, it had been the center of their world. In some ways, it still was, but when the virus swept through their world, their emphasis turned from the pursuit of knowledge to the fact that they must do everything possible to preserve their lives.
The wasted hours studying the books were a cold reminder Optima should have spent more time with her family and friends while they lived. She was grateful her brother was still alive, although he lost far more than she did. He lost his wife and unborn child to the virus.
Don’t think about it, she told herself. They couldn’t change the past. The only thing they could do was secure their future.
The halls of the library were oddly quiet. Her footsteps were quiet on the hard floor because of her soft padded shoes. She was ready to call out to the man in white among the rows and rows of books to find out exactly where he was when she heard his voice. He was talking to someone. She frowned. All of her companions were in the main building. Who could he possibly be talking to?
She silently followed the direction of his voice. He wasn’t far from her. She crept down four rows of books until she saw him. He had his back turned to her. She couldn’t see what he was talking into, but that was of little consequence. She hid behind another row so he wouldn’t notice her.
“Everything is in place,” he said.
“Good,” the other voice replied. “You will bring the Queen of Raz with you?”
“Yes. She is traveling with others, though. Do you want them, too?”
“No. I’m only interested in her. I must make it so she cannot conceive the next queen.”
Optima held her breath at the threat. She leaned closer so she could hear their conversation better. She couldn’t tell if he was talking to a man or a woman.
“What if she is already pregnant?” the man in white asked. “It is around this time period that she is expected to conceive.”
“We will run the tests when she arrives here. If she is pregnant, then we will eliminate her. Otherwise, we can perform a simple sterilization procedure. That child must never be born.”
A shiver crawled up Optima’s spine.
“Don’t let the Nicals know our plans. It is better for their consciences if they think they are defending themselves,” the person reminded him.
“I won’t. They are expecting me. If I am gone too long, they may come searching for me,” he said.
That was Optima’s cue to leave. She quickly and quietly hurried out of the library. By the time she reached the main building, she was out of breath. Her companions faced her when she ran into the room.
Ruler Dour hurried over to her. “What’s wrong?”
Before she could respond, she heard the strange man’s footsteps echo down the hall from where they stood. She knew it wasn’t the time to speak, so she shook her head. “No. Not now.”
Dour raised his eyebrow but didn’t say anything.
“Are you prepared to go?” the man asked as he entered the room.
Dour glanced at Optima, who nodded. “Yes,” he replied. “The group is ready to depart.”
The man smiled. “Good. You move fast when you have to. That’s an admirable quality.”
Optima’s heart plummeted. When would she get a chance to tell the other Nicals what she overheard?
“I will do everything I can to protect you,” the man assured the group. “You don’t have to worry about a thing. All of your troubles will be over soon.”
Or they might have just begun, Optima thought as she and the other four Nicals followed him out of the building.
Chapter Six
At the Bottom of the Ocean
Planet: Earth
Stacey held the map she had drawn. It was her hypothesis of where the island of Atlantis had fallen into the ocean. She glanced at the captain as he proceeded to steer the submarine to the location she had chosen. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. This was it. The moment of truth. She was about to find out if she was right or not.
Kent, Stephen, and Mark stood by her, as anxious as she was but not saying a word. Kent held up his hands, showing his crossed fingers. She was fortunate to have his support. If it hadn’t been for him, she might never have developed her thesis. She recalled how he’d encouraged her to pursue her dream. She smiled her appreciation.
“I see something,” Captain Aaron Reed announced excitedly.
The four rushed to the windows.
Stacey gasped in surprise at what appeared to be a city in the distance. She noted the large arc, which reminded her of the one in St. Louis, Missouri. It must be the center of the city, she thought as her eyes scanned the smaller buildings surrounding it. They were quickly approaching the city, and the closer they got, the more it captivated her.
She couldn’t believe it. She had dreamed and hoped for this moment, but now that it was here, she was overwhelmed with a deep sense of awe and appreciation for the people who built the infamous city long ago. The structures held up remarkably well over the centuries, and the ocean water didn’t even seem to have destroyed the city, for it looked as if it had been built that very day. She wondered what materials they had used to build their city. Anyone who could produce such long lasting buildings had to be highly intelligent.
“You did it,” Kent whispered in her ear, his eyes twinkling. “Atlantis is your discovery.”
“It’s more beautiful than I ever imagined,” she replied. “Look at the exquisite detail in their artwork. The geometric patterns they carved into their buildings must have taken years to perfect. Even more impressive was the fact that the buildings seemed to change color as the lights from the submarine hit them. At one time, a building would look blue then turn red then turn yellow then turn some other color. It was almost like looking at a rainbow.
Mark finally broke out of his trance. “We need to put on our scuba gear and grab our instruments so we can learn about this amazing place.”
His words broke her out of her thoughts. “Yes! We have to go out there and explore. Oh, this is the most thrilling moment of my life.” She looked at Kent and quickly added, “Besides marrying you, of course.”
He grinned good-naturedly. “It is exciting. I can’t wait to go out there.”
Mark led them to the scuba gear. The task of putting it on was tedious, but Stacey knew they had to do it. Atlantis was real, and soon…very soon, she would get to walk around it. This was going to be the greatest adventure of her life.
***
Grand Oak Room
Planet: Raz
Hathor rubbed his eyes. He was starting to get a headache. The suns would be setting soon, and he was exhausted after spending the whole day going through the Augurs’ rule book. He sighed with irritation. He was only on page 586. He was reading through it as fast as he could, and he would have been done already if it hadn’t been for Gaius’ insistence on explaining most of the rules to him.
“Between sunrise and sunset, you may contact us at any time and expect us to respond to you immediately,” Hathor read aloud. “Between sunset to sunrise, we require an hour’s notice before talking with you.”
“We must have adequate time to wake up and dress in proper attire, for we expect to be at our best when talking to others,” Gaius explained. “We believe
in showing our allies they are important to us.”
“Alright,” Hathor replied. He read the next rule. “When you visit our planet, we will give you three meals during the course of the day. The meals will be exactly six hours apart.”
“Food is the energy all beings need in order to properly function,” Gaius interrupted. “If we fail to feed you at regular intervals, then your mind cannot attend to the pressing issues we will have to discuss.”
Turning back to the book, Hathor read, “We will serve you meals which are suited to your eating habits. You will have the foods you are accustomed to so you will enjoy your meals.” Hathor sighed. Was all of this really necessary?
“The hour is getting late,” Gaius said. “We will quit for tonight and continue tomorrow morning.”
The Augurs stood up.
“Can’t we finish this tonight?” Hathor asked. “I don’t mind staying up.”
“No,” Gaius replied, smiling kindly. “We do not negotiate past sunset unless there is an emergency.”
“There is an emergency. My wife, the queen of this planet, could be in trouble right now.”
“She is safe for the moment. We will adjourn to our rooms and meet with you tomorrow.”
Hathor clenched his jaw. His grip tightened on the book.
“You have to trust us. We know what we’re doing,” Gaius assured him, as if he could read his mind.
He didn’t like the way Gaius seemed to know everything, but he refrained from speaking. He had to fulfill the wishes of the queen, and it was important that he attend the meeting with the Augurs until they were done.
“Good.” Gaius nodded, taking Hathor’s silence as acceptance. “You won’t be sorry.”
Hathor resigned himself to dragging this meeting out for at least another day and showed them to their rooms. Then he said good-night to his children and retired to his bedroom. He sat on the bed, which seemed so empty without Ann in it. He took off the emerald she had given him and stared at it. He should be with her right now.
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