Kingdom of Gods

by F Stone

  Three men in dark clothes waited in the shadows near the stage exit. Standing behind the curtain, Danik observed them. One of the men indicated with his hands that he wanted to meet with him and Sidney. Danik motioned back that in five minutes the show would be over.

  For the year they’d been performing in small theatres, at every performance, there had been someone trying to get into the theater with a weapon. Danik’s trademark sense of humor became non-existent the first time someone fired a gun in Sidney’s direction. The bullet had narrowly missed her but did wound one of the musicians. There had been several more attempts to silence the singer.

  Sidney’s audiences were moved by her messages about a grand power all of them possessed. She dared to tell them they no longer needed to follow the harsh and self-serving government restrictions, but could instead follow some “damned inner guidance,” as many U.S. Senators had phrased it while protesting her messages. People were listening to her lyrics, it appeared. Now that the crisis of the Great Quake was more a memory than a part of current daily life, the government’s hold on the masses was failing, even while it was still enforcing portions of martial law.

  Once the curtain was lowered, Danik and a security officer quickly ushered Sidney off the stage. “We got company, Sid. They want to talk to us. Don’t like the way they part their hair, if you know what I mean.”

  Sidney gave him a playful hip check. “Come along. There’s a comb in my room, and you can fix them up real nice.”

  “Sid!” retorted Danik.

  “Andy,” he said, turning to the security officer outside her dressing room, “three men will be arriving shortly to meet with us. Give us five minutes before you let them in.”

  Danik slammed the door shut. “Sid, you’re way too lax about this business. You go milling about in the crowd during your performances, hugging anyone who greets you … ”

  Sidney collapsed into a chair, exhausted from the evening’s four-hour performance. “We’re Lanterns, Dan. This is our path.”

  Danik grabbed another chair and sat in front of her. “Look, we’ve just been accepted back into the community on the island. Maybe we should take a break. There’s tension building up across this country. I can feel it. Then we come along and stir up the pot. One of these days, someone will pull a knife and — ”

  “Remember, only fear can harm. And I do see if a person has hostile intentions. I’m not blind.”

  Irritated, Danik sprung from his chair. “Damn it, you take way too many chances. You’re not playing by the rules again.” He pounded his fist onto a table.

  “I know, I know. So what else is new? I’m tired. Let’s see what these guys want.”

  The door to her room swung open, and three men pushed their way past the security guard and quickly shut the door.

  Danik stood like a wall between the men and Sidney. “I don’t appreciate your lack of manners, gentlemen!”

  The men showed no emotion. Their confidence was unnerving. The older man stepped forward. “Relax. We’re not here to cause trouble. Your friend, Ryan, said you two might help.”

  Sidney gasped. Though she’d never let on, Ryan had been the only man who might have won her heart. He was also a waking Guardian. He joked that he still had his training wheels on. Danik had been looking for a flight instructor in Vancouver and, as the universe does, like attracted like. Meeting him at the Hawk’s Flight Training and Rescue Service, Ryan was a match for Danik’s easy going manner and daring bravado. Ryan had trained Danik how to fly a helicopter, and in exchange, the Davenports had helped him spy on Admiral Garland.

  “Ryan? How do you know him?” Sidney asked.

  “Not important. You helped him plant some listening devices a year ago. Yes?”

  Sidney paused. “There’s no denying that, Mister … ”

  “Call me Badger. Sit down, shall we?” Badger placed a chair near a table and motioned for Sidney to sit.

  Sidney glanced at Danik, standing with his fists clenched. She smiled. “Relax. Let’s see how many more rules I can break today.”

  Danik escorted her to the chair but remained standing while Badger sat down across the table from Sidney and folded his arms across his chest. The other two men remained at the door.

  “Well, let’s hear it,” Danik demanded.

  Badger carefully chose his words, revealing nothing of where he was from or whom he represented. “Like I said, we need your help. It concerns a file known as Thy Kingdom Come.”

  Sidney frowned. “Yes, Ryan said that file had to do with Admiral Garland discovering a new source of energy. Sounded routine except that he was hoping to have full control.”

  “Do you know what that energy source is?”

  “No. I figured it was some new technology.”

  The man shook his head. “Ryan never told you?”

  “No, and actually, I wanted nothing more to do with his underground activity.” She leaned toward Badger. “And I still don’t.”

  Badger was unmoved by Sidney’s defiance. “You must! If we don’t stop Admiral Garland, we can all forget about singing, or dancing, or, or breathing. You see, this new energy source is sun crystals.”

  Sidney looked up a Danik. “How could he … that is, how would the admiral know?”

  Danik turned to Badger. “Just what do you know about sun crystals?”

  “I know that most people can’t make them work. People have said they’re evil and will cause ruin. Ryan says certain people called Guardians use the crystals to create whatever they wish. That means if the admiral has just one Guardian in his back pocket, the consequences could be devastating globally.” Badger shook his head. “Would you agree with that assessment, Danik?”

  Danik took a deep breath and sat down beside Sidney. “The power of a sun crystal, well, it doesn’t differentiate between good and evil. It only does the bidding of the one who’s able to connect with its energy source. Its power is limited only by the clarity of the user’s communication. Even Guardians seldom use them without the Elders’ approval.” Danik looked back at Sidney. “Badger’s right. This admiral has to be persuaded to give up the project.”

  Badger snorted. “The admiral is only one player, and we suspect he is not the one pulling the strings. Listen, most of what we know is from the evening you and Ryan bugged the meeting between Admiral Garland and his scientists. And a few weeks later, a woman who worked with the admiral presented us with some coded information. She was killed shortly afterward. We’ve sent three men in and, well, they’ve all disappeared. We suspect they’ve been executed.”

  Sidney stood up and backed away from the table. “Okay, Badger, out with it.” She was more angry than frightened. “Why have you come to us?”

  Badger stood up and hesitated momentarily to respond. “Ryan says you and your brother have special abilities and that you’re in with this so-called Guardian cult. You, in particular, can get into places and do stuff that normal people can’t do. Is this so?”

  Sidney considered denying the truth of her Guardian skills. However, it would mean that Ryan’s testimony would be considered a lie and that might cause him trouble with Badger and his men.

  “I have some telepathic abilities and a sensitivity to energy. If conditions are right, I can manipulate energy a little, unlock doors. That’s about it,” she said, downplaying her powers. “Just exactly what is it you’re hoping I’ll do for you?”

  Badger approached and stared into her eyes. “You can get the complete Thy Kingdom Come file from Admiral Garland’s office.”

  Sidney laughed, backing away. “You’re crazy if you think I’ll — ”

  “I’m not crazy! Just desperate enough to risk revealing our plan to someone not in our ranks,” Badger barked.

  Unmoved by Badger’s belligerence, she asked, “Just how desperate?”

  “We’ve learned that Admiral Garland is planning a demonstration next month, probably something dramatic to prove the authentic power of these crystals. Global authoritie
s will be suspicious of the admiral’s intent, and I doubt he’s prepared for the chaos and paranoia that’ll follow. Then mass hysteria, and then, dear Sidney, what do you think happens when a planet goes insane?”

  The image shook Sidney. She brought her hand up to her chest, a habit she had when seeking a connection with her spirit guide, Seamus.

  Badger went on. “Much of what we know is only fragments of information. We need to see that file. If you can get it for us, we can find out who all the players are. We can put the right roadblocks up in the right places. We believe Garland is a small fry in this project. Someone bigger is at the head of this insanity.”

  Sidney nodded. “I understand that. You want me to get into the admiral’s computer and send the file to you.”

  “No, no. You’ll have to download it onto a memory rod. We can’t risk any electronic files being traced to us. He can’t know we’re on to him. He needs to continue on as though nothing is wrong.”

  “That’s the real problem, isn’t it? Getting in the base is probably easy enough, and making a copy of the file will tax my knowledge of computers, but getting out with a memory rod through the security scans? It’s impossible.”

  “You’ll hide the memory rod on the base. Someone will then enter the base with special equipment and retrieve it. If you’re arrested, you’ll telepathically tell Danik where you hid the rod. The admiral must not discover that you got his file, and we can’t help you escape. Is that clear?”

  Sidney only nodded.

  Badger continued on as though he was merely communicating a grocery list. “You’ll perform another task. In case you’re arrested trying to leave the base, the admiral must believe your target was something relatively benign. But it must be enough to keep him from digging deeper.”

  “A diversion? Just what kind of diversion?”

  “He’s got a small warehouse of old nuclear missiles on his base. You’ll get into the warehouse and defuse them.”

  Sidney threw up her hands. “Oh, sure, no problem. Aside from the fact that I know nothing about weapons, it should be a breeze.” She mockingly slapped Danik’s shoulder. “What do you say, Danik? Piece of cake, right?”

  Danik wasn’t amused and stood up. “Sidney, he’s serious.”

  “I know he’s serious. Seriously deluded if he thinks I’m going to touch one of those things!” She turned back to Badger. “Look, this is getting way beyond something I can do. The person you should be talking to is my father. He’s far more experienced at this cloak and dagger stuff.”

  “Already tried him, or should I say, looked for him. He’s apparently unavailable. People with your … talents are extremely rare. Ryan says you’re the best of the Guardians at manipulating electrical currents and telekinesis.”

  Sidney shrugged her shoulders. “There are occasions when I fail, you know. I’m just as human as you.”

  “It’s your choice. It’s down to the last strokes. If you refuse, well, I hope you have a nice place to hide. Most of humanity doesn’t. I’ll contact you tomorrow for your answer. Good evening.”

  Sitting on the mountain ledge, Sidney tried to hang on to her connection with what had been her world — one she knew had its dark side, but not the insanity that Badger had spoken of. His prediction of a world gone mad was real. Birthstone had foretold that humanity would suffer a cataclysmic event that was of their own doing. She had taken Sidney forward in time to when Earth had become a lifeless planet. Sidney had assumed it would be due to greed and hatred. Now it was clearer — the Earth’s demise would be caused by an all-consuming fear.

  She had believed that price would be paid by a future generation — not that it would be now, and not for a novice Guardian to quell.

  Just when her vision of the planet’s fate was at its darkest, she felt the presence of her spirit guide, Seamus. Light surrounded her as his gentle energy permeated her physical space. She felt his ethereal hands resting on her shoulders, providing her with a depth of love that physical hands couldn’t.

  Most often it was Sidney who’d initiate the connection with her spiritual guide. It was almost a golden rule among spiritual entities to touch the three-dimensional world only upon receiving a beckoning call from their charges. Seamus occasionally broke that rule. Continuously aware of Sidney’s energy, he was drawn to heal her troubled heart. Understanding her need before it was spoken, Seamus spoke.

  “My sweet child, fear clouds your wisdom. Fear draws Darkness to you.”

  “Seamus, I’m concerned for humanity and the Earth. And yet it may be wrong for me to interfere with the admiral’s business.”

  “Sidney, there’s no action which is wrong when done with the higher good in your heart. The truth of your intention is the key. Know too, there’s a natural rhythm to all life as there is to the oceans and the seasons. When the winter comes to your land, you discover unique beauty and purpose in the snow and ice. The winter presents special challenges. You grow. In life, you need to explore both summer and winter experiences. Move forward, Sidney, in the Light of the Creator. Know that I’m with you always, even if you fail. I’ll be there when you return to me. There’s nothing to fear.”

  Then he was gone.

  5. Stepping Into the Darkness

  Tuesday, July 2, 2041: After two weeks and several debriefings from Badger’s staff, Sidney and Danik arrived at the New Seattle Naval Base on Tuesday morning. Security checks at the first gate took only minutes. Badger’s attention to the details of their alias identification proved authentic enough to satisfy the armed guards. At the administration building, Danik grabbed Sidney’s arm. He looked into her pale green eyes, which revealed determination to see the mission succeed.

  “It’s not too late, Sid. We can turn around and head back home.” He held her hand firmly in both of his. She looked beautiful in the pale blue business suit. The sun shone in the curls of her warm brown hair resting on her shoulders. Her lips were painted a pale tangerine, something she normally did only for her singing performances.

  “Come on, Dan. Walk me up the steps to the door.” She grinned and patted his hand.

  The heat of the sun encouraged Sidney to remove her blazer. The gentle breeze tugged at her revealing, white silk blouse.

  “Maybe you should keep the blazer on, Sid.”

  “I’m going to be fine, Danik. I’ll be out by the deadline, tomorrow noon, and meet you at the café. I’m ready.”

  “Yeah, so why are you shaking?”

  “Hey, wouldn’t you be nervous if you were applying for a job here?” She grabbed the flight bag he held. “You’d better have a few dollars when I get to the café tomorrow morning. I’ll be quite hungry. See you later.” She kissed his cheek and pushed her way through the doors.

  On Wednesday morning, Danik arrived at the café long before the morning customers arrived. He’d resisted the temptation to telepathically connect with Sidney. She didn’t need the distraction. As the morning sun inched closer to its noon place in the sky, Danik finally had enough of waiting. Sitting up straight in his patio chair, he breathed deeply and visualized his chest open wide to release his energy to the universe and to Sidney. On the waves of this energy, he could sense the physical presence of whatever he focused his mind on. He brought Sidney into his consciousness as gently as the mist envelops the sails of a ship.

  He recognized her physical signature. But her Guardian energy was evaporating. He was losing her to a Dark force. She was mute, unable to telepathically communicate with him until the very last moment of his contact. Her message was brief and frightening.

  Seated on the cold cement floor of her small cell, Sidney tried to meditate. Her mind’s chatter refused to be silenced. Never before had she failed at such an easy Guardian gift. Her Guardian powers were evaporating. Her entire body was trembling, not from the cold, but from fear. And it wasn’t fear of punishment; it was the gradual loss of her Guardian nature that was beginning to paralyze her mind.

  She’d completed her mission. The
memory rod with the file was safely hidden, and the missiles had been disabled. So far, the security personnel were only concerned that she’d been trespassing. If she could convince them that she was simply there because of a dare, she’d be set free — if no one checked the missiles. With each passing minute, she was certain someone would discover the missiles had been sabotaged. It was nearly eleven. She’d considered escaping from her cell using telekinesis, but that option was no longer possible. Her mind wouldn’t be silenced enough to focus, and she couldn’t understand how she’d lost control.

  Suddenly, a guard shouted. “Move to the back wall and put your hands on your head!”

  She was handcuffed and escorted to a room where an officer sat rigid in his chair behind a table. The officer’s snug navy blue uniform was covered with gold braid and badges. Sidney guessed he was forty, though it was hard to tell. His head was shaved clean, as was his face. His most remarkable features were his large, blue eyes and long, dark eyelashes. The man could have been considered handsome if he smiled.

  Something stirred within Sidney. Her most basic gift of seeing into a person’s aura was intact. Most times she had to switch that ability off because it was distracting. But even just glancing at this man, she saw it — his body’s battle with an imbalance.

  She took another step closer to the officer’s table and cleared her throat. “I … I’m really sorry, truly sorry about all this trouble.” Her voice trembled. “I meant no harm. Just wanted to — ”

  The officer interrupted her. “Miss, you’ll speak only when asked a question. Understood?”

  Sidney quickly and obediently responded. “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m Captain Frank Butchart, Chief of Internal Affairs and Security.”

  Butchart continued to instruct her on the rules of the interrogation. She didn’t hear a word. When he’d said his name, Sidney felt like she’d been struck on the back of her head. Butchart was the name of two Guardian brothers who’d lived on the island, brothers who’d left on a mission twenty years ago and never returned. Greystone had told her Giles Butchart had been murdered, but whenever she asked him about Frank, he’d become silent. It was understood but not discussed. Frank was now a fallen Guardian using his powers for his own purposes, regardless of the Dark consequences.