Transcendent

by Lisa Beeson

  “I don’t need Cam,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “I’m not going anywhere without Cam. It’s my fault the Suits are after him in the first place. I’m not leaving him behind to get snatched.”

  Kael sat there unfazed.

  Grasping for straws, she threw out, “He’s a Progeny. His eyes can see things a mile away, and zoom in on them. And when I amp him, he can see through walls. That’s got to be useful.” …for a thief like yourself.

  Kael mulled it over. “So he’s a descendant…”

  “Can’t you tell? His energy is brighter than a normal person’s.”

  “They all look the same to me.”

  “That’s racist, man…or at least species-ist,” Cam said from the floor. He sat up, tucking his hair behind his ears.

  Ari looked over in surprise. “Cam, how long have you been awake?”

  He stood up and stretched, then plopped down on the couch beside her. “Long enough to hear you fighting for my spot on the plane…thanks for that by the way,” he said, and patted her on the leg. “Well, you don’t look like death anymore. How’re you feeling?” He was trying to play it off like it was no big thing, but Ari could see the relief in his eyes.

  “So much better; that rune was no joke. It feels like nothing even happened to me last night.”

  Cam poked her back experimentally, wondering if she was being serious. When she didn’t wince, he sat up and pulled down the back of her shirt collar, trying to get a look at her back. “Shooot… it’s not even red, or swollen, or… anything! I don’t even see the stitches!”

  “I told you,” Ari said, pushing him away and readjusting her shirt. “How’s your eye by the way?” she asked, noticing the black crescent that had formed under his left eye.

  “Sucks,” he said, poking at it and wincing. Then, he turned to Kael, “Did you really have to hit me so hard?”

  “Yes,” Kael answered, unrepentant.

  “Nice,” Cam said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He turned back to Ari. “With that tattoo and scar you’re sportin’, you’re starting to look pretty bad ass. You got major street cred now, Pipes,” he said with a grin. “Just promise me you won’t go overboard with the tats and end up looking like this guy.” He motioned his head over at Kael.

  “Watch it, boy,” Kael warned. “Don’t joke about things you don’t understand. You’re only showing off your ignorance.”

  Thinking about the runes reminded Ari that the only reason they had worked on her was because she wasn’t human. What was she then? And what did the ones on her head mean? She looked at the runes on Kael’s arms. Something about them seemed familiar. Then, she remembered that Cam had said that they looked blue to him.

  “Your runes almost look almost Pictish…” Ari thought out loud. She looked over at Cam, who was staring at her blankly. “The Pict people lived in ancient Scotland and Ireland, and were known for the blue tattoos that covered their bodies…” she explained, then turned back to Kael.

  “The Picts came long after my people first came here. They tried to copy our runes because of stories they passed down that said that they made us powerful. But they were missing the key ingredient, which, as it turns out, was lucky for them, since it would have killed them anyway,” Kael explained.

  “Ok…hold up. Let’s get back to this whole thing about you and Ari not being human. I mean, what the hell are you then, man?”

  Ari looked at Kael expectantly. This was the answer that she had been waiting for ever since she’d had to leave Savannah.

  “I don’t have time for this,” Kael said, avoiding the question and staring at Cam as though he was an annoying pebble in his shoe.

  THAT’S IT!

  It was like a switch went off in her brain; Ari’s patience was shattered. All the pain and frustration she kept in check behind her calm demeanor came flooding to the surface. She was so tired of getting jerked around. After everything she’d been through, all the loss she had suffered, she was going to get some answers.

  “NO! You can’t just say that I’m not human and then leave it at that!” she burst out, standing up and facing Kael as he sat in his chair, coolly assessing her. “My whole life, no one has been able to tell me who I am or where I came from. Or why I am able to do things no one else can do. The only clue I have to my past is that when I was found, I had bruises and sores that looked like I had been in shackles. Do you even understand how horrible that is? The only thing I know about where I came from was that I was abused!

  “Then, you come along, with eyes like mine, the ability to sift, and runes all over you that are apparently like the ones that have been on my head for longer than I can remember, and you ‘don’t have time for this?’” she screamed. The more angry and indignant she became, the brighter Cam and Kael’s radiant light became as well. She could feel her own energy growing and pulsing inside her, but once she got started, she couldn’t stop. “You steal from me, keep information from me, disrespect my brother and threaten to leave him behind for the Suits, and then you expect me to help you! Who the hell do you think you are?” Ari stood there, panting, preparing for the next wave of her tirade, when she noticed Cam in her periphery. His eyes were wide as he looked around the loft in amazement. He was brighter than she had ever made him before.

  “Whoa…,” he breathed.

  Kael, who was already the brightest person she had ever seen, had been getting brighter by the second. It was starting to get hard to even look at him. His breathing had quickened and his hands were grasping the arms of his chair. “Get control of yourself, girl,” he cautioned through clenched teeth.

  Just as she was about to unleash more of her fury on him, Cam called out, pointing at Kael, “Dude! Your tattoos! They’re all shiny and stuff! Is that what you were talking about, Ari?”

  Kael and Ari’s heads both snapped around to look at Cam. “You can see that?” they both asked at once.

  Cam gasped and shoved himself further back into the couch. “Whoa! Your guys’ eyes!” he said looking back and forth between them. “They have all kinds of crazy colors swirling around in them!”

  Holy crap! I’ve amped him so much he can see the true colors of our eyes!

  Ari closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try to calm down. Even though she absolutely hated to admit it, Kael was right. She had to get control of her emotions. It would do her no good to make the person she was angry at even more powerful than he already was.

  When she felt like she had a handle on herself, she looked back at Kael. His light was starting to fade back to its normal brightness.

  “Oop, now they’re back to being blue again,” Cam said, sounding disappointed. “Man…that was a trip.”

  Ignoring Cam, Ari looked Kael in the eyes, waiting for his response to everything she had said.

  “I don’t have all the answers you want,” Kael said, keeping eye contact and letting her see he was telling the truth.

  “I know, but you can tell me more than anyone else can.” Her anger had deflated like a balloon in her chest, leaving her with only a sad resolution. “Tell you what, if you promise to answer my questions honestly, then I’ll promise to do whatever you need me to do to get the rest of the stones.”

  Kael looked intrigued. “Obedience for answers?” he asked.

  Ari nodded her head, and Kael held out his hand to shake on it and seal the deal.

  Cam stood up. “Ari, don’t you dare make a deal like that with him! That man is the devil!”

  Ari knew it, but she was so close to finally getting some answers. Taking a bracing breath, she grasped Kael’s hand.

  “Nope. Don’t you do it. Don’t you shake his hand,” Cam cautioned, trying to keep her from making a big mistake. But it was too late; Kael and Ari already made the deal.

  When Ari sat back down on the couch, Cam shook his head disappointedly at her. “You know you just made a deal with the devil, right?” he asked, plopping back down on the couch.

  “I know,” she s
aid with a defeated sigh, and looked over at Kael. “Why do you need the stones?” she asked, knowing he had to give her an honest answer now.

  “They are the keys that will help me to return back to my home.”

  “Alright then,” she said, anticipation rising in her chest. “What are you, and where is your home?”

  With a sincerity and confidence that left no room for doubt, he said, “I am Ayan, and my home is on Atalon, in the Anu galaxy.”

  Cam and Ari stared back at him, mouths open and eyes wide with shock. If someone had said that to Ari six months ago, she would have laughed in their face, but now, pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together. “The Ayans are the god-like race that made the Progeny…aren’t they?”

  “The humans saw the Anasaru as gods, but they were warriors sent as scouts for the Anu‘Kainat to survey and colonize the planet.”

  “Wait, who are the Anasaru and the Anu’Kainat?” Ari asked, confused.

  “The Anu’Kainat could be compared to Earth’s United Nations, except on a much grander scale. The Anu galaxy has four life-sustaining planets: Atalon, Berym, Emuria, and Nibiru. After countless wars over dominance and resources, the leaders from the seven Higher Races agreed to assemble on the neutral ground of Nibiru to promote peace and interplanetary cooperation. They created a consolidated government made up of twelve delegates from each race. From amongst the delegates, they elect a Consul. The seven Consuls preside over the Anu’Kainat assembly. Each planet still has their own governments, but they all answer to the Anu’Kainat hegemony. They created their own military force of warriors from each race, called the Anasaru, and annexed territory on Nibiru to establish the galactic capital city-state of Esharet.”

  “Why colonize Earth?” Ari asked, trying to digest all the information Kael was giving them.

  “Once the Higher Race’s greatest minds were able to collaborate, technological advances grew exponentially, and Esharet became the center of commerce and industry. Intergalactic travel was made fiscally accessible, and they needed outposts for trading routes. Earth was one of those outposts.”

  “So the humans were just cool with letting you guys come and take over their world?” Cam asked.

  “What were they going to do about it? They were barely coming out of the Stone Age. The beings of Anu were a blessing to humanity; they gave them education and civilization.”

  “If they were such a blessing, why aren’t they here anymore? Why did they leave?” Cam countered.

  “Once the outpost was established and stable, the Anasaru presence was drawn back. Some of the colonists who were granted land to utilize for resources soon became corrupted with the power they were given over the humans. They started warring with each other over perceived slights and border disputes. After much destruction and many casualties, the humans had had enough and revolted against their so-called “gods”. The fighting got so bad that the Anu’Kainat had to intervene. Earth was becoming more trouble than it was worth, so they abandoned the outpost. Without the backing from the Anu’Kainat, most of the colonists moved on to other, more lucrative ventures. But, there were a few who stayed behind because they didn’t want give up the power trip of being a deity to the humans. Eventually they died out, leaving only their relics and crossbred descendants behind.”

  Ari didn’t like the condescension she heard in his voice when he said ‘crossbred descendants,’ but she chose to ignore it for now. “If they all left or died out, what are you doing here?”

  A shadow crossed behind his eyes before he answered. “I crossed the wrong people, and as punishment I was banished to this bloody primitive planet in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Whoa, does that mean you’re like an alien criminal or something?” Cam asked, intrigued.

  “No,” Kael answered flatly.

  “So how did you get here?” Ari asked.

  “The people I crossed needed me to disappear, so they bribed a Karno ship to dump me off here on one of their pickups.”

  “What’s a Karno ship?” Cam and Ari asked together.

  “It’s an illegal slaver ship. They make passes by here every once in a while,” he said a bit uncomfortably.

  Ari sat up. “You said ‘on one of their pickups,’ does that mean what I think it means?”

  “I said it was illegal, but yes. Human slaves are a high commodity on the black market. Their short life span has always made them a bit of a fascination to the rich and depraved.”

  “Bull. We would have heard if space ships were coming and abducting people,” Cam said skeptically.

  “Haven’t you?” Kael countered. “You haven’t heard of planes and ships disappearing without a trace? Just because humans refuse to believe something, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.”

  “But how? A space ship big enough to make whole ships and airplanes disappear would’ve been picked up on our satellites and radars and stuff,” Cam argued.

  “To simplify it for you, they use wormholes that put them in strategic places around Earth that are known for strange occurrences.”

  “Like the Bermuda Triangle?” Cam said excitedly.

  Kael nodded. “That’s one of them, yes. Their ships emit energy fields that essentially make them invisible to Earth technology.”

  “So when did you get here?” Ari asked, curious if it was around the same time she was found.

  “In the summer of 1948,” he answered.

  “How is that possible?” Ari asked. “That was almost seventy years ago, and you don’t look older than forty. Are you… immortal?”

  Kael smirked. “To humans we might seem immortal, with our ability to heal quickly and the fact that we only age about one year for every ten human years.”

  Ari was confused. “Is that just an Ayan trait?” Her skin was able to take the levethium, so she had healed quickly… did that make her Ayan? But she aged the same rate as humans…

  “Most of Anu’s Higher Races age relatively the same. We count age by cycles instead of years,” he answered.

  “What about the children? Do they age slowly too?”Ari asked.

  “The children age similarly to humans until they reach Maturity. Then, a metabolic change occurs that affects the rate of cellular breakdown and regeneration.”

  “Is that why I suddenly have the appetite of a family of sumo wrestlers? My body is getting ready for the metabolic change?”she asked.

  Kael narrowed his eyes as he considered her; he always seemed to do that when he was trying to figure her out. “In your case, I can only speculate, but yes, it sounds about right,” he answered cautiously.

  “You said that we were similar, but not the same.” She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the next question. “What am I?”

  He looked her in the eyes. “You’re an anomaly. You shouldn’t exist.”

  Ari felt like she had been punched in the gut; it was hard to breathe.

  “Holy hell, man… that was harsh,” Cam said as he grabbed Ari’s hand to comfort her. “What do you mean she shouldn’t exist? Who says that about a person?”

  “Only certain races can breed together; their energies and genetic make-up are compatible. For example, humans were found to be genetically neutral; any of the Higher Races could mate with them and have thriving offspring. But some of the races are not compatible, like Ayans and the Daizan from Emuria. Their energies are too strong and they oppose each other. If they conceived a child, once it reached a certain gestation, the opposing energies would be too much, causing the mother and child to die,” Kael explained. “In fact, during the wars before the Anu’Kainat was formed, raping women was sanctioned by both armies for just that purpose.” Kael had enough grace to look ashamed. “But that practice was abolished once the peace accords were signed, and intimate relations between the Ayans and the Daizan were made illegal.”

  “So what does that have to with Ari?” Cam asked, confused, while Ari played with the strings on her shorts again, trying to wrap her mind around the fact
that her existence was impossible.

  “She shows both Ayan and Daizan characteristics. She looks Daizan, but she has Ayan eyes. She can sift and her skin can take levethium like Ayans, but she’s able to see radiant energy, which is a rare Daizan ability.”

  Ari looked up. “Wait, you don’t see radiant energy?”

  He shook his head. “I only see the paths of their signatures, and that’s only because I have this…” He unbuttoned the top of his shirt to show them a strange rune right under his clavicle. “You also have abilities all your own. Like the fact that you can amplify energy, and that you can sift so young. Ayans aren’t able to sift until they reach Maturity. Is there anything else you’re able to do?”

  She decided to keep the dream walking to herself; she wasn’t a hundred percent sure if that was really happening, anyway. “Sometimes, when I amp people’s abilities, I can learn how to use those abilities myself,” she said reluctantly.

  “Explain,” Kael demanded, his eyes narrowing.

  “It’s happened twice. The first time was a guy who could see an object’s trajectory projected physically in front of him. And the second one was…you. I can see the paths of energy signatures now.” Ari tried to sound confident, but she was nervous of his reaction. She knew it was stupid, but it kind of gave her the feeling like she was stealing.

  “That’s…,” Kael said trailing off, shaking his head.

  Ari could tell that he wanted to say ‘impossible,’ but that would have been redundant, since apparently everything about her was impossible. “So, if it’s not possible for the Ayans and the Daizan to produce a child that can survive gestation, how am I alive? Am I some sort of genetic experiment?”

  “If you are, then it wasn’t sanctioned by the Anu’Kainat,” Kael said pensively. “Species Eugenics Experimentation was deemed unethical and subsequently illegal. However you got here to Earth, it was probably for the best. The middle of nowhere is the safest place for you. If they knew you existed they wouldn’t let you to grow to Maturity.”

  “What would it matter if they killed me now or when I reached maturity?” Ari asked.