He was about to begin the next sequence when the voices of the search party began to grow noticeably louder. “Shit, just once I’d like to get a break.” He quickly spoke the next sequence of numbers. His wrist-comp answered with a negative signal. He looked down the passageway and could see the flash of a dim light in the distance. He raised the pistol, and whispered to Sharné, “Plug your ears, going to give our pursuers something to think about.”
He aimed for the general direction of the bobbing light. He pulled the trigger. The gun bucked in his hand with a loud bang and he was momentarily deafened. The distant light was instantly extinguished. He had no indication that he had hit anyone. He quickly recited the next sequence. It too was wrong. With his luck, it would be the last one, he thought darkly.
“Sharné,” he whispered. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes, I plugged my ears when you fired.”
“Good, I still have some ringing in my ears. Switch off the light; I have the numbers memorized now.” The light she had shielded with her cupped hand vanished. . “Okay, listen for any noises. Now that they know we’re here and have us cornered, they may take their time... maybe even send someone back for a set of no-light goggles, gas grenades or something.”
He recited the next sequence and received the twin flashes. He had just begun another string of numbers when a sudden loud explosive sound and blinding strobe of light from a flash-bang grenade went off two meters in front of them. Suddenly deaf and blind, Owens fired the pistol at the ceiling and doggedly finished the numbers. He couldn’t see the indicators on the wrist-comp, but since nothing happened, he knew that it was one more wrong sequence.
Before he could open his mouth for the next series of numbers, he was hit by multiple bodies and brought down heavily to the hard stone floor. He gasped as the air was forced from his lungs. He struggled to breathe and managed to gain a few shallow breaths. All the while, he fought with his attackers as they grappled to attach heavy-metal restraints to his wrists and ankles. His thoughts turned to Sharné and a shot of adrenalin fueled his muscles. He redoubled his efforts and managed to bring up a knee into someone’s groin and felt the man fall away. But before he could do any more damage, he received a stunning blow to the back of his head.
With his struggles momentarily halted, restraints were successfully attached. Blearily, he felt the weight of his attackers diminish as they disentangled themselves and stood away from him. His head cleared and his sight slowly returned. The light from a number of hand-held lamps dimly illuminated the passageway. He took a ragged breath and began to speak the next sequence.
He could hear muffled voices. His hearing was also coming back. He heard a rough voice, seeming to come from a distance, ask, “What is he saying?”
An answering voice chuckled, “He seems to be babbling numbers. It appears his skull is no harder than yours, Spence. That little knock on the head must have addled his brain.”
Someone else asked, “What about the Keeper of the Way? Is she alright?”
The man with the rough voice said, “Unfortunately, she remains unconscious.”
“Well, you had better hope she is not seriously injured. The Guardian will certainly have your head otherwise.”
“It appears she struck her head against the wall when we rushed the Outsider. We had no way to know she was here with him. The cowardly son of darkness must have taken her as a hostage. If our orders had not specified he would come to no harm…”
Another voice said, “Enough talk, the objective has been met. It is time to take him back. He looks heavy. James, I want you, Brinton and Spence to get a stretcher. I will carry the Keeper.”
The rough voice asked, “What about Christen? He is still doubled up from the Outsider’s knee.”
“After you have taken care of the Outsider, come back for Christen and take him to the infirmary.”
Owens just finished the last number in the latest sequence when he felt the harsh tingle of a shocker, then nothing.
CHAPTER 55
It was morning. The palace was beginning to wake. The hustle and bustle of everyday activities provided a comforting background to the acting Grand Patriarch, as he and Minister Joselé strode down the corridors with two guards trailing behind them at a discrete distance. He looked toward the Minister, “So, it is finally time to meet the Outsider. Are you ready to meet the nexus of our ex-leader’s plan?”
She looked at Talin, now the most powerful man in Golstar, “Yes, very much so. And I admit to some degree of curiosity in regard to this man, beyond that of his value to Golstar. I have to say that his repeated success at escaping death is most intriguing, if not outright incredible. That he managed to escape his confinement within these hallowed halls is difficult to believe as well.”
“I must agree,” Talin replied. “His heritage notwithstanding, he has exhibited some rather unique talents and I find myself interested as well. His most-recent success in escaping his confinement has me seriously reconsidering some aspects of our military training disciplines. His ingenuity, coupled with his strength, overcame resources that should have been more than sufficient for our first attempt at his retrieval.”
“I must admit that for one man, he has proven to be a rather formidable opponent,” she conceded.
“Well I suppose, but some of his success must be attributed to an incredible streak of luck.”
Minister Joselé said with some satisfaction, “Yet his good fortune did not last and his loss was our gain. With his recapture, we can now take advantage of the fortuitous opportunity presented us. Through his presence, access to the Primes will soon be reacquired. He provides us with one-half of the critical key.” She paused, and then said, “How goes the search for the other half, the numerical code sequence?”
“Not very well I am afraid. I was confident it would be in our possession by now, but the Grand Patriarch was clever. He hid it well. Though his residence and offices have been thoroughly searched, nothing has been found. In the hope of finding it elsewhere, I have expanded the search into the historical archives and now have people searching other rooms within the palace that he often frequented.”
The Minister looked pained, “Please, do not refer to that man as the Grand Patriarch. You have lawfully assumed that title. You are now the true Grand Patriarch..."
“It is an old and well polished habit. I find it difficult to think of him simply as Geoffrey. However, I will endeavor to correct my references to him in the future. But as to my assumption of the title, as you very well know, the full Assembly has yet to confirm me.”
“As I now hold the Lead Chair, it is only a formality. It will take a little more time to consolidate your support within the Assembly. The last of our ex-ruler’s supporters have either changed their allegiance or quietly resigned.”
“Yes,” he nodded. “Those who have resigned will be restricted from attending Service. Within time, deprived of… Geoffrey’s altered messages from the Orbs of Light, they too may eventually repudiate their former allegiance.”
She said, “While that may be so, we are moving forward. With or without their allegiance, we will soon be ready to compose the final ruling, issue it and make the public proclamation on your confirmation as the interim Grand Patriarch.”
“I will defer to your expertise in this matter.”
She smiled, “Thank you, Grand Patriarch. Of course, it remains vital we reprogram the spheres as soon as possible. Even those of us with natural resistance are beginning to show the strain. The coding of the spheres must be corrected along with the reactivation of the filtering gems. How are the efforts going on that front?”
“My right of entry into the Sanctum has allowed our technicians to access the programming code. I am confident they are making excellent progress. I fully expect the replacement programming to be in-place within a few days. A full complement of new filters should soon be available as well.”
“Finally, some favorable news,” she sounded pleased.
&n
bsp; “Speaking of news, I have been so inundated with my new responsibilities I have not thought to ask after Sharné. What of her condition? How is her recovery proceeding? She is feeling better, I hope?”
“I looked in on her earlier and physically she seems to be recovering quite nicely. However…” she paused. A look of worry creased her brow. “She still seems to be suffering somewhat from psychologically-induced shock.”
He looked troubled, “That is worrisome, but I suppose it is to be expected. First, she was taken hostage by the Outsider, only to be injured later during his recapture. If that was not enough, once she regained consciousness, she realized her father’s absence. We had no choice but to tell that her father had suffered a mental breakdown, was not able to see her and could no longer perform the duties of his office.”
“Yes, but when told of her father, I was informed she did not react in any meaningful way. In fact, I was led to believe she was almost seemed pleased by the news.” Minister Joselé shook her head, “Whether it is due to her ordeal with the Outsider or the blow to her head, Sharné is not acting as I think she would normally.”
He asked, “What does her physician say?”
She sighed, “Only that she is fine physically, but mentally, her full recovery could still take a little longer. The prognosis is optimistic.”
“Good, we can only hope her doctor is correct in her diagnosis and she will recover soon.” He added, “And as soon as she does recover, she will begin the first phase of the training she will require before assuming the reins of power that are rightfully hers.”
Still,” the minister said, “it will be some time before she can do so. For unknown reasons of his own, her father neglected a crucial part of her education and indoctrination.”
The sooner, the better, Talin thought. He had never harbored the desire to be the Grand Patriarch. His role as Guardian of the Way had been more than enough to satisfy his ambitions. In answering only to the Grand Patriarch, Talin could avoid much of the political bickering and infighting that often went on within the Assembly. He both enjoyed and excelled in military and security matters and would be quite content when he could resume his duties as the Guardian of the Way.
They walked in silence for a few moments, and then she asked, “From your earlier reference, I assume that… Geoffrey has been uncooperative in disclosing the location of code.”
“He has proven quite obstinate and unless we can discover where it is kept on our own, other more drastic measures must soon be considered.”
“Frankly, I am not at all surprised. We have always known drastic measures might be necessary,” she said, stopping before a door. “Our problems are significant and their resolution must not be delayed by the whim of a single, stubborn old man.”
He stopped beside her. “You are right, of course, but I am sorry it may indeed come to that. He was my childhood companion and over the long years, my closest friend. It will be difficult for me to sign the order, but as you say, the People must come first.” He stood by and waited for the guards to open the door.
● ● ●
Owen heard voices through the door. He wondered who was on the other side and what their arrival might portend. He had only awakened a few minutes earlier and found he was securely strapped in a hard, straight-backed chair. He had immediately tested his bonds and found them resistant to any of his attempts to loosen them. Secured as he was, he could not gain sufficient leverage to test his Loder muscles against the straps. It looked like they were taking no chances.
In spite of a dull headache, he had immediately taken in his surroundings and saw he was in a room with no windows and few furnishings. The floor was bare of any covering. Its dull, scuffed wood seemed well worn from years of foot traffic. The furnishings consisted of a single large chest positioned against one wall and a round wooden table with four chairs, one to which he was currently strapped. Lighting was provided by the ubiquitous glowing globes, mounted on wrought-iron metal sconces attached to pale yellow rough plastered walls. It looked like it could have been used as a storeroom at one time.
As his thoughts cleared, Sharné immediately came to his mind and he felt a sharp stab of apprehension. He could vaguely recall the conversation between their attackers. He remembered them talking about her, that she had struck her head against the corridor’s stone wall. He fervently hoped her injury had been minor and she was alright. He also hoped her association with him had remained undiscovered. He didn’t want to think of what his captors might do if they found out. So far, Owens had heard of one only type of punishment practiced within the borders of Golstar and that was the last thing that he wanted to consider where she was concerned.
He believed she would not knowingly betray him and hoped her involvement with his escape would remain unknown. At this thought, a tiny shred of optimism inserted itself. Provided she was well and continued to remain free, there was a possibility, however slight, she still might be able help him.
His mind continued to sharpen as the pain in his head began to recede. His thoughts returned to his captors and who they might represent. Were they a part of the original attempt to remove him from the Grand Patriarch’s custody? Or had it been the agents of Grand Patriarch who had engineered the assault? At the time of his recapture, the flash-bang grenade effectively blinded and deafened him. Even though he had started to recover, his senses were still impaired enough to prevent confirmation that the latter assailants were the same as those who had tried to kidnap him earlier. And what was behind the attempted kidnapping? Was it a competing faction trying to gain control of the alien technology or something more convoluted? It was one more question to add to an incredibly long list of questions.
His mind turned to what he had been doing right before his capture. He had been trying to trigger the numerical part of the key. He had to have been getting close to the combination right before the attack. For all he knew, it could have been the very next sequence. He looked down toward his hands, hoping to see the wrist-comp. It was not unexpected, but he was still dismayed to find that they had taken it. Damn it! His only link with Hec and the Controllers had been removed.
The door then opened and Owens was immediately brought back into the present. He watched warily as two people walked into the room, a man and a woman. They were both relatively tall and slender. They stopped halfway to the table and stared at him. With as much insolence as he could muster, he stared right back. He was surprised to note the man was dressed in robes similar to those of the Grand Patriarch. His short-cropped gray hair and stiff military bearing seemed at odds with his trappings of royalty. In contrast, the woman was dressed in a plain, floor length dress of dull burgundy. A heavy gold chain hung around her neck, supporting a large jeweled pedant that was her only adornment. They stood motionlessly gazing at him as one might a rare caged animal.
He decided to break the silence and said with false good humor, “You don’t need to stand on ceremony. Come right on in and take a seat. I’d get up, but…” He looked down at his bonds and his voice hardened. “I’m tied up at the moment. You people do know how to make a man feel wanted… dead or alive.”
At Owens’ provocative words, the man’s head turned and he looked at the woman. She didn’t seem to notice. Her attention remained focused on Owens. Owens could almost feel a physical pressure from the intensity of her gaze. As she continued to stare at him, he noted her face was a little pale. Her eyes were wide in what looked to be mild awe. Finally, she reluctantly turned to the man and said, “Grand Patriarch, please accept an apology for my momentary preoccupation. I was simply unprepared for the striking resemblance of…” She paused, as if trying to remember, “…Janus Owens to the Founder.”
Owens wasn’t particularly surprised by her declaration of his resemblance to their venerated Founder. Instead, he was surprised by the new Grand Patriarch. Another small piece to the growing puzzle clicked into place. His attempted abduction was part of a coup. What effect would this have on Sharné�
��s standing? Was she, he wondered, at this moment occupying another room similar to his?”
She turned to look back at Owens while still speaking to the new ruler, “As you know, Grand Patriarch, I am a student of our history, particularly the Founder’s history. I can say with some certainty that the young man sitting on that chair could easily pass for the younger Founder, long before he experienced his first revelation while on old Earth.”
The new Grand Patriarch rubbed his chin, now looking at Owens with a speculative expression. “Interesting, even knowing that his DNA was virtually identical to that of the Founder, their physical similarities had not struck me. However, as I look at him now, I do see some resemblance to the Founder as he appeared in some of Golstar’s older historical archives. However, as I have not studied the Founder’s pre-Golstar history as closely as you have, I had no conception of his true likeness to our great leader during his pre-colony days. In this, I must bow to your expertise.”
Owens spoke up, “What’s the big deal? It shouldn’t be any great surprise to you that I would bear a resemblance to your Founder. After all, you chose me for my genetic similarity to him.”
“We did not choose you, Janus Owens. That was dictated by another,” the woman said stiffly. “It was the previous Grand Patriarch who plotted to bring you to Golstar, quite against the wishes of myself and others. As a result of his misguided deed, he has placed Golstar in great peril. Accordingly, he has been removed from office.”
“Well then, that must mean you’re here to release me.”
She shook her head. “Truthfully, I had expected something a little cleverer from a man who has, in spite of the odds, managed to cheat death time and again.” She stared intently at him, and her lips slowly drew into a mocking smile. “Perhaps instead you relied solely on chance for your survival.”
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