The Last Thirteen - 1

by James Phelan

“No,” Solaris said, marching over and pulling out spades from his men’s packs. He pointed to a mound in the centre of the riverbed. The river had forked into three streams, leaving a small island of dry dirt and rock. “You don’t wait—you dig.”

  29

  THE LAST THIRTEEN

  Sam took a spade from Rapha to carry on digging, the others handing their spades over to the next shift. The first six now sat at the end of the island, spent from half an hour’s back-breaking work. The Professor looked pale as he dug next to him. Lora looked furious. Piles of sand and rubble had been excavated, and they were nearly a metre down across a six-metre diameter hole. Solaris watched over them as though he was running a team of slaves.

  Is this how Ramses built his city?

  “You see a way out of this yet?” Sam whispered to Lora, next to him.

  “Not yet …” she said through a heavy breath.

  “We could rush them with the shovels,” Cody muttered.

  “Uh-uh,” Lora said. “I don’t think so.”

  “It’s too dangerous,” Sam whispered. “We’ll get a chance. Right, Lora?”

  Lora nodded.

  “Quiet!” Solaris boomed. “Keep digging!”

  They continued to dig, the cool night air giving faint relief as they sweated and strained in the ever-widening hole. At Solaris’ command, they swapped once more, fresher hands taking over the digging.

  “Hey!” Xavier called out suddenly. “I found something!”

  Sam scrambled out to stand next to the Professor, looking down at the excavated site lit by the beams of their flashlights. He had to admit, the sight was underwhelming.

  All this effort for that? The Dream Gate is something the size of a large wheel?

  “Clean it off!” Solaris commanded. “Clear it, quickly!”

  Those in the pit dug and scraped with the shovels until they had uncovered the object down to the stone ground beneath it.

  It’s definitely man-made and looks like it was a part of something … but what?

  “That’s it?” Xavier said, standing back. “That’s the Dream Gate?”

  “Maybe it turns,” Alex said, and he heaved and twisted with all his weight. “Impossible.”

  “Help him!” Solaris commanded.

  Alex, Poh, Cody, Maria, Rapha and Issey crowded around, their hands wrapped around the tube-like shaft that formed a ring. They twisted, trying each way. Nothing—there was no movement at all.

  “OK,” Issey said. “Maybe this isn’t something that turns, but some kind of ornament.”

  Clean from most of the dirt now, it was clearly a bronze wheel, sitting flat, like a tabletop. It was connected by a metal shaft to a waist-height pedestal, which in turn was on top of a stone platform.

  “This looks like a bigger version of the Schist Disc,” Alex said, shining his flashlight closer.

  “The what?” Eva asked.

  “A thing that Ahmed showed me,” Alex said, using his hands to brush out as much sand as he could from where the connecting shaft met the stone. “That one’s much smaller. It’s made from a type of stone called schist. It was found in a dig somewhere in southern Egypt. Weird thing is, it’s dated to thousands of years before Egypt had the wheel.”

  “Sam,” Solaris said. “Get back down there. Tell me what you see.”

  Sam didn’t say anything, he just slid down the lip of the sand wall they had created and landed with a thud. He went over to the wheel. It was bigger than a car’s steering wheel—more like the one on his school bus. He rubbed the surface at the middle and it shone with a dull glow. Sam crouched down. The wheel was attached to a bronze pedestal.

  “It seems like it should turn,” Sam said, standing up. “There are marks on the shaft, as though it spins down.” Sam gripped the rim and twisted. It wouldn’t budge for him either.

  He tried the other way—nothing.

  He pushed and pulled with all his strength and weight. Still nothing.

  “All of you,” Solaris said. “Get down there and open it!”

  As the others began to climb down onto the platform, Lora stepped forward for a better look. “Ah, Sam …” she said, looking over his shoulder. She pointed at the top of the wheel with her flashlight.

  “What?” Sam said. “I don’t see anything.”

  “Look,” she said, using her sleeve to rub the wheel. There was an odd collection of holes in the centre of the disc.

  The pattern of the holes looked familiar somehow.

  I’ve seen those before, but where?

  And then it came to him in a flash. The crank—Zara’s Gear had four spikes to it, just like the four holes now in front of them.

  Sam climbed back up and knelt down where he’d left his backpack. Opening it up and hefting out the machine, he removed the crank and returned to the wheel below. The crank would not fit—the holes were just a pattern, made with some kind of inlaid blue metal or jewel.

  “It’s solid,” Sam said.

  “It’s a lid!” Eva said. “Look.”

  There was a tiny dot of silver at one end and she pushed against it—a small hinge threw back the lid. Underneath, the same alignment of holes were cut out.

  Sam inserted the crank and turned it. It spun around once and then stopped.

  CLINK!

  “It unlocked the wheel!” Alex said.

  “OK, all of us, on three,” Sam said, getting into position, the wheel just big enough for all the hands gathered around it.

  “One,” Eva said.

  “Two,” Alex said.

  “Three!” Sam said.

  They moved as one and the wheel grudgingly shuddered and nudged around. As a group they took a step to their right, and then another, keeping their hands wrapped tight around the wheel as they shifted around. When the wheel had spun around once, it stopped dead with a loud bang.

  “Is it stuck?” Alex asked.

  “No,” Sam replied, crouching down and looking under the wheel. It seemed to drop down a tiny bit, as though it was supposed to reach that point and then halt. “That was it. That’s all it does.”

  “What’s going on?” Solaris called out. “What’s happening down there?”

  “Why don’t you come down and take a look for yourself?” Alex shouted at him.

  PFFT!

  A dart shot close by Alex’s head.

  “The next one won’t miss, boy,” Solaris said. “Now, all of you, keep turning that—”

  Solaris stopped talking, because at the moment, a rumbling noise emanated from all around the island. It grew louder and louder.

  WHOOSH!

  30

  Sam scrambled up the wall of excavated sand to stand next to Solaris and the Professor. He got there in time to see water spouting out from thirteen points around the island. It gushed straight out, horizontally, under enormous pressure. It blasted out onto the dry riverbeds around them where it was instantly soaked up into the dusty riverbed.

  “Professor?” Sam asked. “What do you think …?”

  “I’m not sure,” the Professor said. “But I think this is just the beginning of something.”

  “Great,” Alex said, now next to Sam. “It’s a fountain. Solaris has led us to a long lost—”

  Then he fell over. Everyone on the island did, Even Solaris, spilling down into the excavated pit. They were rolling around in the large hole, everyone moving, no one still.

  But it wasn’t just them—the whole pit was moving.

  Up.

  The round area they had excavated rose up into the air, with them on it. Within a second the wheel was level with the ridge of the river bank, and in another it was two metres above it, rising rapidly. It was as though they were now standing on top of a tall tower in the middle of a desert.

  In the momentary confusion, Lora saw her opportunity and pounced.

  She rolled toward Solaris’ henchman, Pike, and landed two punches before she was shoved away. But she threw out a leg as she fell, catching him off balance and tipping
him off the rising platform. He landed in the rushing water below.

  BANG!

  Phoebe smacked a heavy shovel into the back of Solaris’ head, but he barely registered the impact.

  The suit, it’s acting like armour!

  Solaris spun around, steadying himself on the moving earth and kicked Phoebe clear off the platform and she fell from the edge with a scream.

  “Mom!” Alex lunged for her but she was gone. Searching for her, he spotted her waving from the water down below.

  “I’m OK,” she yelled out. “Fight, Alex, fight!”

  Alex stood up and turned on Solaris but he had grabbed the person closest to him—Eva. He held his flame weapon up to her neck as she fought against him. Everyone else moved closer in, circling Solaris and his one remaining guard. But they were thrown here and there as the platform kept rising until it finally stopped with a shudder.

  Sam moved slowly to the edge to look down, discovering that there was another platform underneath them, columns all around—holding up the platform they stood on.

  “It is a temple,” Maria said, looking down. “A temple, hidden in the desert.”

  “A sacred place …” Alex said.

  “This is no ordinary temple,” Solaris murmured. “This is it. This is the Dream Gate.”

  At that, another noise started up—a harsh, whirring sound.

  “Look out!” Poh said, moving back from the wheel, which was now turning, fast. But now it was turning the opposite way from before.

  As they watched, the thirteen water spouts died down to a steady cascade, and the centre of their platform, with the bronze wheel on top, started to twist upward, further into the sky, five, ten, twenty metres tall, at least, until it stopped with a mechanical clank. It now looked like a tall antenna.

  “There are stairs in here …” Xavier said, walking around the tall bronze tower. “They don’t lead up, but they go down—we can get to the level below.”

  “Do it!” Solaris said, keeping a tight grip on Eva. “Anyone tries to get clever, I roast you, one by one, starting with her. And then I’ll drag your carcasses down there. I’m not sure the prophecy needs all of the last 13 to be alive.” He signalled to his remaining man. “Holt, make sure all the children behave themselves, won’t you?”

  Holt nodded and began pushing everyone toward the stairs. Eva started down first, desperately trying to catch Sam’s eye, Solaris close behind her. The others followed, the Professor and Sam last. The stairs were tiny and wrapped in a tight spiral.

  By the lights of their flashlights, they could see ornate statues in between the columns and some large rectangular stones set around the edges of the chamber. Sam caught a glimpse of Roman numerals carved into the floor in front of each stone. What was odd was that it seemed as though his flashlight shone into the floor, like it was made out of some kind of black glass.

  Crystal. The same kind that surrounded the Star of Egypt.

  “Get onto your numbers,” Solaris said, sweeping his light around and picking out the numbers.

  “What?” Alex said.

  “Your order in the last 13,” Sam said, the realization hitting him also, “so Solaris is one, Alex two, Eva three, all the way back to me.” The numbers were fanned out like the face of a clock.

  They moved around each other, searching out their numbers—Gabriella found twelve quickly, Arianna opposite her, Eva on the other side to Rapha. The others slotted between them, standing in front of each slab, made from the same crystal.

  “But what about you?” Alex said to Sam, looking twitchy next to Solaris.

  “I know where I have to stand,” Sam said, shining his light to the middle of the platform, next to the staircase. There was the number that had been haunting him for so long now—XIII.

  Feeling everyone’s eyes on him, Sam slowly walked toward the centre. He looked around at his friends. They all looked scared, apprehensive. He felt sick.

  Here goes nothing … or everything.

  He stepped gently onto the carved numeral—and waited.

  At first, there was nothing. Only the sound of anxious breathing in the chill night air. Flashlight beams flitted around the circle as they looked at each other, afraid, excited, curious.

  And then … their world lit up. Not around them but under them.

  The whole crystal disc under their feet started to glow. It was dull at first, then brighter and brighter, until a light flashed as bright as the sun. Sam reeled back and shielded his eyes.

  The last 13 was complete.

  Sam jumped aside as the ground beneath his feet shifted. The Roman numeral was twisting and turning, a small disc in the floor rising up until it was almost level with his waist. Squinting in the light from the floor, Sam looked closer. Right there within the XIII, a star-shaped hole was now visible. The ultimate keyhole for Sam’s key.

  This is it, this is how you open the Dream Gate!

  Sam looked at the key in his hand, reaching over to insert it.

  “Stop!”

  Sam spun around. Solaris had Alex by the throat, his weapon pointed at him. “Give me the key and your friends live.” Holt had his gun aimed at Eva. Sam could see Jedi flinching from the corner of his eye.

  “Don’t do it, Sam!” Eva yelled out.

  “You can’t let him open the Gate …” Alex began, faltering as Solaris smacked his armoured fist into the side of Alex’s head.

  Sam hesitated, the conflict within him clearly etched on his face. He turned to glance at the Professor and Lora but he couldn’t read their faces. Jedi and Shiva looked on helplessly.

  What do I do?

  Unbidden, memories of Bill flashed through Sam’s mind. A friend lost, someone he couldn’t save.

  But I can save them.

  Sam came forward with his arm outstretched, the key dangling from its strap. Solaris reached over and snatched it from him, shoving Alex to the floor.

  In three quick strides, Solaris was at the pedestal, his black mask taking on even greater menace in the glow from the floor.

  “No!”

  “Don’t do it!”

  “Wait!”

  But Solaris wasn’t listening. He forced the key into the lock, turning it with a triumphant flourish.

  Everyone fell to the floor, screaming.

  31

  “Make it stop!”

  “Help me!”

  “Argh!”

  “No, please!”

  The fire was everywhere, overwhelming Sam as the cries of the others mingled with his own and the cries of millions all over the world.

  The heat, the frightening flames, the loss of Bill, Solaris chasing him at every turn, fire always a heartbeat away—the memories and images came crashing over him. His worst nightmare repeating over and over before his eyes.

  My worst nightmare.

  I have to stop it, stop the nightmares for everyone.

  Sam forced his eyes open and took in the shocking scene. Everyone was crying out, doubled over, plagued by their own personal nightmares—the dark, heights, being alone, drowning—everyone trapped in a mental prison of their worst fears.

  Sam forced himself to see past the images of Bill, standing up slowly as he saw Lora lurching in terror and Cody grab hold of Maria, each trying to steady the other. Sam spun around, seeing them all panicked—Rapha, Eva and Alex huddled together, Gabriella and Zara, Arianna, Xavier and Poh, Issey—all trying to beat back the horror, to regain control. Even the Professor was fighting to stay in the moment, pushing against the fears in his nightmares.

  Sam turned finally to face Solaris, the cold mask betraying nothing within.

  Does he not feel it?

  “What have you done?” Sam gasped. He glimpsed the horizon in the distance. It looked as though it was on fire, a wall of red. As Sam struggled to stay upright, he saw the sky turn the red-orange of the sun, spreading out through the atmosphere.

  Sam began to move toward Solaris, nothing but sheer force of will propelling him forward as he
swung high to take Solaris down.

  He crashed into Solaris, seeming to have the upper hand for a moment. They landed heavily, skidding across the crystal floor to slam into a statue that lurched dangerously above them. Sam pulled away quickly, the falling statue missing him and Solaris by a hair’s breadth.

  “It’s too late,” Solaris growled, spinning to his feet. “This won’t help you now,” he taunted, swinging the key in front of Sam. Sam bolted to grab it but Solaris pulled it away, viciously kicking Sam in the leg, making him double over in agony.

  “This is madness!” Sam gasped, clutching at one of the standing stones to haul himself upright.

  “Welcome to the new world,” Solaris said, grabbing Sam by the neck and slamming him into the crystal stone.

  Sam felt his back scream in pain as the stone cracked, shearing off to smash onto the floor, which was now glowing fiery red.

  Solaris stepped back, pulling back his arm as his flame weapon clicked into life. He pointed it at Sam, but Sam was already moving—toward Solaris. Sam threw himself onto his enemy, grabbing his shoulders and bringing up his knee to slam it into his stomach as he spun him around. Taken by surprise, Solaris stumbled back, flailing as he tripped over the crumbled crystal. Sam grasped hold of Solaris’ suit and pushed him away with a mighty heave.

  Solaris fell back and then stopped.

  The cracked stone had left a broken edge, razor sharp—and deadly.

  Solaris let out a blood-curdling scream as he slid down the crystal, the point piercing his body armour as he fell backwards. He hung there for a terrible moment before the shard broke off in his body, letting him fall to the floor in agony.

  Through the images of his nightmares, Sam saw that his enemy—the world’s enemy—was fatally injured.

  He’d finally done it.

  Sam had defeated Solaris.

  32

  “Give me the key!” Sam said, leaning over Solaris, pulling away the tubes in his suit so the flames could not hurt him anymore. Solaris’ moans filled the air.

  “Get away from him, Sam!”

  Sam spun around, searching the faces swimming before him through his nightmare haze.