by Kip Hartzell
Pandor-A retuned to disarray. The computer systems that controlled the facility were still working independently. She began building a staff to conserve, and combine, all the systems into a more centralized unit. She wasn’t detoured; it was getting to be a lot like building a ship underground. She set about her task with determination, but not much enthusiasm.
Athene-A went right into her design and construction mode. She marched around, much like Pandor-A, giving orders, and redesigning components all over again, depending on the current problem. They were all acting as though they had just been released from prison, maybe they had been. John was beginning to wonder if he was going to be able to force himself back into to the TSD, if they couldn’t find the key. Concealment was the order of the day, and everyone was working toward that goal.
John was going to hold a forum on how long they should stay out of the TSD. He was now beginning to realize why the other Atlanteans wanted to live out their lives naturally. He didn’t understand it before, but now things were different. Being mortal again had a way of changing your mind. Maybe the Atlanteans who stayed behind knew what they wanted out of life, to feel as though they were apart of nature again; perhaps they just wanted to live the way humans were supposed to live. John understood, but he still had an obligation to his people to do whatever necessary to insure their survival. He may never accomplish this task, but he felt it was the one thing he was born to do.
Jay felt time pass, again. The forum was held the following day. The reports showed plenty of raw materials, except Agoam crystals, they were in short supply. Systems that could run on lower technical energy sources were going to be constructed. The planet’s core was already being tapped so it only made sense to expand that energy source. The overall plan was simple: make life as comfortable as possible, not draw attention to themselves, while they waited, searched for, and recovered the key. Recover any Atlantean technology left behind, thus, preventing its use by their Cousins.
Drof suggested more shuttles, or at least a spare, in case of an emergency. Construction on several different things began at once. The Council, for the most part, would allow anyone out of the TSD, as long as they had relatively the same number that went back in. The population, for now, had to be kept at a minimum. The more area they excavated would eventually allow for more people. Those not dealing with critical items were asked to rotate more frequently.
After the plans were made and agreed upon, John could’ve returned back into the TSD, but he found that he liked living in the real world, as it was becoming to be called. He constantly volunteered to go out on search missions. It wasn’t long before a map of people migration was laid out. The segregation was almost complete. The Medusans were found, and seem to be territorially surrounded by many other factions. Each species had its own border skirmishes with one another, either for territory, resources, or just plain hatred. The technological level of the warring factions had remained at the point of sticks and stones. The Minotaur’s had the size and brute force advantage. They seemed to be thriving the best of all the groups.
Jay wasn’t sure if it was he, or John, sitting in the shuttle cabin going over some topographical 3-D mapping. He was trying to come up with a solution to the Medusan situation. The group’s population was reaching critical levels for sustained existence. Their Medusan counterparts were asking him to help them. John continued to study the situation as the shuttle flew its automated search pattern with only a few volunteers that wanted to ride along. The invisible ship slid across the area about a thousand miles north of their base’s position. While the other shuttle was still being constructed, so the search was long and tedious. John thought he had a temporary solution for the Medusan problem. There was fertile ground, ripe for colonization several hundred miles northwest of their present location. If the Medusans could be convinced to move, they might have a better chance at survival. The computer estimated it would take centuries for any other species to reach that position. Hopefully, by then they could defend themselves.
John was deep in thought when he heard a beeping noise from the flight deck. He looked at his companions in surprise; he then quickly climbed into the flight deck seat. He pushed a few buttons, bringing up the information the sensors had detected. The energy detection was not consistent with the key, but was detecting Atlantean technology. He programmed the shuttle to circle the area, but before he could implement the command, the signal was gone. He worked to get it back, but it had vanished as if it had been turned off. He reduced altitude, and started circling the area of the detection, hoping it wasn’t some false alarm, or some Earth anomaly. He took over manual control and decided to look for himself. The invisible shuttle slowed and passed over a mountaintop. What John saw surprised him, again.
Chapter Seven: We have a problem
Way down in a heavily wooded valley next to a river was a large wooden pyramid. A large section of woods had been decimated to build it. A large village of Cousins, and a mix of other races, were also detected. He circled, taking close up recordings to take back to the Council, in order to decide what to do with the new-found information. He banked the shuttle around and headed back to their base in a roundabout way, as to throw off any would-be followers.
As John and crew raced back to the base, he called ahead for an emergency Council meeting, and a plan to recover the Atlantean technology he was sure was there. Athene-A wanted to go, but John thought it not wise to have so much leadership in possible harm’s way. Pandor-A was still hip deep in the computer system, and Drof wanted to finish the new shuttle, which was supposed to have upgraded sensors, and some weaponry.
John’s plan was simple, just as he liked it. They were going to land close, locate the technology, remove it, and get out. He knew he wouldn’t have to disguise the other species, because they still looked the same as their primitive counterparts. Atlanteans were another story; their sheer height alone would give them away. Ideas were passed around until two were viable: one was to change their own genetics to match their Cousins’ height; the other was to develop a more centralized cloaking field. John didn’t care much for the first. He wasn’t quite ready to give up the height, and strength advantage.
It wasn’t long before the combined efforts of a lot of people produced the first working model of the Individual Cloaking System. It was small, and could be easily attached to the equipment belt most everyone wore. The system worked the same way as Atlantis’ and the shuttle’s cloak. It would bend, reflect, or deflect light patterns around a specific area. Each system had its own individual beacon code that it sent out just in case an individual was incapacitated, so another person could find them. The one drawback was that the system required Agoam crystals, and they were in short supply.
John was happy with the system and had it put into production, while he studied the area they were going to invade. It was a very defensible area surrounded on three sides with mountain ranges. An invading ground army would have to come through one area, thus creating a choke point. Going over the mountain range would be extremely difficult. An army of any size would be seen well in advance eliminating the purpose of element of surprise. John wondered if this was planned, or just a coincidence.
One of the satellites had been focused in the area in question, and revealed Minotaur’s to be the taskmasters. They wiped and beat large groups of humans and smaller groups of Medusans. There was no sign of Centaurs or Cyclops. John wanted to quietly get in and identify the Atlantean technology, and either remove it, if possible, or destroy it. He wanted to leave as little trace of Atlantis as possible, hoping the Destroyers would lose interest, and perhaps stay away. He knew this was wishful thinking, but something had to be done to discourage their enemy.
A few days passed, John and his insurgent team were ready to go. He had three Minotaur’s dressed in the same primitive armor so they could blend in, and get up close to the complex easier. Besides, this saved on personal cloaking devices. Several ambitious Medusans, a Centaur, and Cyc
lops volunteered to go along. Drof’s new shuttle was still in work and he chose to stay behind again, Athene-A stayed, but continued to argue her case right up until the end. Jeraid-Agathon, in his grief of being separated from his wife for so long, chose to live with her memory in the Temporal Storage Device. Rhe-A, and Xen-Acrates volunteered to go along. Having only one shuttle would make things cramped, but at least the trip would be short.
Pandor-A approached John about the technology signature they had picked up earlier. “Captain,” she said, as he turned to face her.
“Yes Pan. What do you have for me? And you don’t have to call me Captain anymore.”
“Well, you’ll always be ‘Captain’ to me.”
“Thank you.”
“I studied the energy signature in the area you discovered. I spent so much time on that single signature, I didn’t expand my research, until recently. We have a defense grid power point within a half mile of that location.”
“Interesting. It appears our signature cloak is working very well. All the more reason to investigate,” John said, as he downloaded the power point coordinates.
“I still have work to do here, so keep your comm open, and your head down,” she said, with mock authority.
“Understood,” John said, returning the mock authority. He then put his hand on her shoulder, smiled and made his way to the shuttle.
They were all buckled in, got the shuttle cloaked, and were airborne in minutes. The shuttle quickly zipped across the top of the trees and made short work of the distance to the target area. His team consisted of three uncloaked Minotaur’s, Manatock, Aidan and Sorlak. Rhe-A, Xen, and himself, rounded out the original Atlanteans. Two Medusans; V’Rella and V’Rassa, a lone Centaur, Subriasa, and a Cyclops, Allerisu, all of which checked, and rechecked their equipment trying not to look nervous.
John set the ship down in a deserted clearing near the large wooden structures. Xen was to stay with the shuttle in case of an emergency extraction, while the others filed out and began marching through the woods. It wasn’t long before they reached the edge of the woods that had been cleared away to build the massive structure that lay before them. Hundreds, maybe thousands of workers, or a better description would be, slaves, were beaten as they labored to drag large logs up scaffolding to build what John knew was a pyramid. The massive building was much more impressive in person than from the satellite observation. One corner of the wooden pyramid was built right to the edge of a cliff. A river wound its way around hundreds of feet below.
John signaled for the ICS units to be engaged. The Minotaurs took the lead as people began to disappear around them. They made their way down a hill and into the compound of smaller wood buildings. Manatock and his companions looked confident as they walked through the stench and misery. The Atlantean Minotaurs were slightly bigger and taller than their uncivilized counterparts, who beat the humans and Medusans with large sticks, often driving them to the ground. John, and his group, struggled to hold their emotions in check.
John whispered to Manatock. “Behind that building to your right.”
Manatock nodded, and they went behind the building where there was relative privacy.
“Manatock,” John said, as Manatock turned toward the voice. “The sight of this is disturbing.”
“Yes,” he said, trying to keep his boisterous voice low. “Distasteful. This way of life was our destructive past, it is not who we are now. To take advantage of a weaker species is disgraceful. We have for a very long time taken pride in countering this sort of uncivilized actions. I am dishonored by this sight.”
John felt his pain. “Everyone…we are not here to change the way of things. Our mission is to recover Atlantean technology, and look for clues to the whereabouts of the key. Is that clear?” John could hear low mummers of agreement. He was also relieved to hear Manatock declare his allegiance to his comrades.
Subriasa’s tracks made their way toward them through the smelly sludge. “My handheld is malfunctioning. I’m unable to get a fix on anything,” she whispered.
Rhe-A broke in, “I don’t think it’s malfunctioning. Mine isn’t operating normally either. I think it’s being jammed.”
“Great. Any idea where the entrance is?” John asked.
Manatock spoke up. I’ve noticed a large cave entrance with a lot of activity. Maybe we should start there.”
“Lead on,” John’s disembodied voice said.
The group moved out. The Minotaurs spread out into the single file as to cover the other’s tracks. They weaved in and out of the mass of people, and logs that littered the ground waiting to be cut to fit the massive pyramid that rose in the distance. Manatock could be seen splashing dirt and mud on himself to further the illusion of blending in. His comrades did the same as inconspicuously as possible.
They marched through the filth toward the cave mouth without incident. The Humans and Medusans did not make eye contact and kept their heads down. The slave masters seemed preoccupied with beating and snorting. The translators quickly picked up the guttural language and to no surprise it was threats and yelling. The slave masters’ single mindedness allowed the other Minotaurs to proceed unchallenged to the cave entrance.
Manatock started up the wood and sod steps, to approach the ten Minotaurian guards that blocked the entrance. They all carried very large sticks, some ornate with brightly covered stones at one end and a sharp point at the other. John had memories of the Cyclopean, General Harpooner, who cherished a staff similar to the ones the guards carried. His was much bigger, and more deadly.
One of the guards stepped in front of Manatock and challenged him. “Why are you here?” The guttural voice of the guard blurted out.
“We are new. We were told to report to the headmaster for duties,” Manatock said with confidence.
The guard looked him up and down, then at his companions. “Come with me,” was all he said, as he turned to the cave mouth.
The group filed into the cave making sure not to bump into anyone, or anything else, as they made their way into the darkness. John could see his handheld had now become totally useless, so he put it away, and followed Manatock into the dimly lit cavern. They walked down the winding tunnels that turned left, and then right. The corridors began breaking off into different directions. The Minotaur guard plucked a lit torch from a hole that held it, and proceeded on his way.
The guard didn’t talk as he led the way down. They passed laboring slaves, who flinched and moved faster in order to get by the guard without being noticed. Soon, the traffic lightened, and they came to a deserted section. Manatock without warning grabbed the guard and flung him into a dark alcove. The guard dropped the torch when he hit the ground, but just as quickly jumped back up before Manatock could take advantage. The guard’s crazy wild eyes fared as he rushed Manatock. He was ready as he kicked the guard’s staff to the side, and head butted the guard with shattering effect. The guard’s knees buckled, and eyes closed as he fell to the ground unconscious.
Manatock’s comrades, Aidan and Sorlak, quickly moved to a nearby wooden wall and took out their utility tools hidden in their clothing and cut rope from it. They tied the guard’s hands and feet, and then used the rope to muzzle him. They then unceremoniously picked him up and threw him behind a stack of logs.
“Won’t they miss him?” John asked.
“I doubt they are that organized, besides, it felt good,” Manatock responded.
John smiled even though he knew he couldn’t be seen. “Where to, now?”
Rhe-A stepped forward and bumped into Subriasa. “Oh sorry. Captain, I was trying to use my handheld, but the interference was too bad, so I narrowed the bandwidth to only register the interference. It’s clear now that it’s being generated, and its location is registering a general location.”
“Very well then,” John said, “we follow the disturbance. Rhe-A lead Manatock to the disturbance.”
“Understood,” they said in unison.
Manatock ben
t down and picked up the staff, and they made their way out of the alcove. Rhe-A had her hand on Manatock’s arm and would pull, or push depending on the direction she wanted him to go. They hiked for some time before they came to a clearing that was well lit by torches, and the sound of loud cheers and yelling. They curiously looked down on the spectacle. Mostly Minotaurs, and a group of human servants, circled a large sand pit surrounded by a wooden fence that was spotted with bloody assorted wooden weapons.
As they watched, a male Centaur was herded into the primitive arena. He ran in a panic from one end of the fence to the other, desperately searching for a way out. Then a horn sounded, a Minotaur leaped into the arena with his staff and a sharpened stone knife. The two circled each other once, and the Minotaur charged. The Centaur was spooked, and turned just as the Minotaur approached. The Centaur’s hind leg came up and kicked the Minotaur in the chest, sending him backward onto the ground. He rolled and got up, and with a furious howl, began to charge again. This time he leaped into the air high enough to be missed by the next kick. He landed on the Centaur’s back sending the man-horse running frantically along the wood picket-spiked fence.
The Minotaur howled, and with one hand grabbed the Centaur by the hair pulling his head back, and with the other hand, drove the stone knife into his neck. The Centaur screamed in pain, and crashed into the fence causing them both to fall to the ground. The Centaur struggled to get up, but the blood loss was too great. His shaking and shivering soon stopped as the Minotaur sawed at its neck.
