by Kip Hartzell
“If you want more, we can get it.”
“No, child, that will be enough for now. You and your people have earned the right of passage. Now go.” The Dragon tried to smile.
“He’s right my little friend,” Rhe-A said, walking up, startling her. “You’re only going to be in the way.”
She suspiciously backed away, and then ran to her people.
“Alright, you understand, you chose the hard way. I’m going to give you as much pain killer as I dare. This is still going to hurt,” Rhe-A told the giant.
“You sound concerned,” the Dragon replied.
“I’m concerned about all my patients.”
“I vaguely remembering another Atlantean.” He thought for a second, “Maya, used to say.”
Rhe-A looked shocked, then mad. “I’m not Maya.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
“How did you survive for so long? The others we found had no ability to procreate, and a built-in expiration time frame.”
“Some of our kind have adapted over time. We still can’t procreate, but if we consume large amounts of protein, and the element, gold, which can allow us to hibernate for very long periods of time.”
“We have something in common after all.” Rhe-A looked up at Drof, and nodded an affirmation of being ready. “That explains a lot. Are you a clone, or hybrid?”
“I don’t know. Let’s get on with it.”
“Alright, here we go,” she said, and injected his tongue with a very large injector. She counted down in her head as she walked to Drof, who was examining his handheld. She looked at John on the Dragon’s back near the collar, while Drof and Pandor-A stood on each side. “Initiate, now.”
Drof tapped the membrane screen and the collar split apart, peeling away like the skin off of a banana. Red blood oozed from the sunken band around its neck. The Dragon’s eyes widened as he raised his head and screamed, at the same time, belching out a column of fire high into the sky. The three stationed around the creature began using their pistols to cauterize the open wound. The Dragon expelled all its energy and collapsed again on the sandy river bank.
The smell was almost unbearable. The cauterizing only took a few minutes and the billions of nanits quickly started their jobs.
Apollo hopped down and met with the group, listening to the exchange. “Will he live?” John asked Rhe-A.
“To early to tell, but his chances are good. Now, can I get my portable lab set up. Or do I have to do that, too.” She made her way to the shuttle.
Later that evening, all the tents were set, John walked into Rhe-A’s tent that doubled as a laboratory. She was sitting with her back to him looking into an instrument and tapping on a computer.
“How goes the research?” he asked before getting to close.
“You would not believe it, if I told you,” she said without looking up.
“Do you need some help?”
“No.”
“Have you eaten?”
“No.”
John brought a plate out from behind him. “I’ve got some nice, fresh native fruits.”
She hesitated, and then said, “Damn it, sit, join me.” John set the plate down next to her and pulled up a stool. “Hmmm, these are good.”
“So, what am I not going to believe?”
“Well, aren’t you the sly one. You know, not just anyone can get me to speculate before I have all the facts.” She took another bit, while John waited anxiously. Looking up, she saw the torture in his eyes and relented. “First, from our passed research, we know the creatures were cloned from mostly Atlantean DNA mixed with certain animal DNA, very barbaric, and crude. Maya, must’ve been in a hurry, or Aztek-Alon was pushing her. Regardless, this creature doesn’t have the signature of a clone, I’m trying to confirm it now, but he may be an Atlantean.” Rhe-A let that sink in. “My speculation is, he either volunteered for the transformation, or Alon found a way to punish, and use, his dissenters at the same time.”
“An Atlantean,” John said to himself, disbelieving how far Alon would go.
Beep, beep, beep, the computer called for attention. She picked it up. “It’s confirmed, all these millennia, we have managed to reconstruct a sizeable amount of data, from abandoned computers, to memories. His name is Thestor-Hermes, or was.”
“Can we change him back?”
“His situation is much like Xen’s, I would have to wipe the DNA, and sub-DNA, plus, I don’t have a pure sample, the person would not be the same, all things that make them who they are, their essence, would be lost, and still no guarantees of survival from the shock.” John studied her information carefully. “I’ve also discovered memory inhibitors,” she continued. “He probably doesn’t even know who he is. Just pre-programmed knowledge to destroy Atlanteans. I’m surprised you were able to capture him alive.”
“How is he, now?”
Rhe-A glanced at a phantom display near her desk, that had all manner of readings on it. “Right now, he’s stable. A few more hours should make the difference.”
“Just think, we could have a whole planet full of creatures.”
“When I get back, I’ll put together more teams to investigate.”
“What about our Cousins?”
“This hemisphere’s level of advancement is much slower, but consistent with an abundant food and water source. Although, they are still behind the rest of the world, which is already well into the Stone Age.”
“What’s the time estimate for them to reach spaceflight?”
“My Cousin Intelligence and Advancement Program, Pandor-A helped me developed, is constantly being updated with the most recent data.” She glanced, and mentally manipulated the membrane computer. “Another fifteen to twenty thousand years, given the level of our interference.”
“I hope that much time won’t be needed. We’ve got to find that key and end this.”
“Why don’t you ask what you really want to know.”
“You suspect something about Anataka, and her correlation to Athene-A.”
John couldn’t hide his emotions.
Rhe-A read his facial expression. “I thought so. At first I, didn’t find anything, until I looked closer at the DNA and RNA sequencing. It was uncannily close, but still not enough. Then I looked into the sub-DNA and I found this-” She flicked a hand, and a 3-D motion picture with a double helix, rotated softly in the air. “-I compared it with Athene-A’s DNA. It matches by ninety-nine point nine-nine-seven percent-like her inner self is part of this girl. I’m running more tests, but I believe this girl is the embodiment of Athene-A. This is a rare opportunity to study an Extra-Temporal-Dissociation. There have been a few reports on the subject, and it seems to originate from the original children we manipulated. Athene-A was part of that experiment, along with hundreds of other Atlanteans. I can’t wait to study this phenomenon closer.”
“As long as it’s done from Chrysalis. I think we have enough Gods hanging around. They are scared and confused. I think less is better. I’ll continue to monitor them, while I search for the key. Tomorrow, all should report back to base.”
“But-”
“I’ll report everything.” John got up. “Thank you.” He left with barely a goodbye.
John sat next to the beast, monitoring his vitals. The creature’s huge eye opened and focused on him.
“How long was I unconscious?”
“Just overnight. How do you feel?”
“Like I flew into a mountain, head first.”
John smiled. “It’ll get better.” The handheld beeped loudly for attention. He only had time to glance at the intruder alert.
The sky darkened and a heavy breeze blew up sand and dirt, bringing everyone out of their tents. A loud scream came from a second Dragon as it hovered overhead. John could have sworn the words were more telepathic than spoken. The feminine voice called out his name in panic. She landed heavily on the riverbank and charged. “Quetzalcoatl!”
He raised his head up off the san
d, only to become nauseated. “Draga, it’s alright,” he said.
She did not, or would not hear him. The Atlanteans had armed themselves and made a defensive line behind John. The angry Dragon approached rapidly, causing John to back up. She stopped short, her eyes grew, and her head tilted back. “Atlanteans, what have you done? I will kill all of you.”
“Draga!” Quetzalcoatl barked, squinting at the streak of pain in his head.
She stopped and stared at him, relenting. She put her nose against his.
“Listen to me, you must fight your instincts, not them. They fought Aztek-Alon, they helped me.”
“But...look at you.”
“I’m recovering from the collar removal. I’ll be alright in a few hours.” Her anger began dying down, as she looked at his neck. John, and the others, began to relax, but stayed alert. The tribes people were nowhere to be seen.
Rhe-A stepped up next to John, when he said to the newest guest, “Hello, Draga, I’m John, and this is Rhe-A, my Chief Medical Officer. We want to help.”
“The only thing Atlanteans do, is destroy,” she hissed back.
That cut John to the bone, by being compared to the enemy of the Galaxy.
“Despin-A, please listen to them.”
The female Dragon turned. “Who? What’s the matter with you? What have they done to you?” She sounded distressed.
John knew he had to talk fast in order to keep this situation from getting out of control. “Your name is really Despin-A, and his is Thestor-Hermes, you are both Atlanteans.”
“Impossible, what kind of trick are you trying, Atlantean?”
“He’s right Despin-A, I remember.”
“I’m sorry Thestor,” John said, as he gracefully moved closer, “I thought things would be easier between us if I had the memory inhibitors removed. It will still take time to recover them.”
The big Dragon sat up on its haunches. “I’m glad you did.” Thestor took Despin-A’s clawed hand. “If you take their treatment, you will be enlightened, and that slave collar can be removed.”
“Deep down, I feel you’re right, but it’s so hard to trust.”
“I know, so trust me.”
“Understood.”
John sat by the two beasts as the sun came up the following day. He stayed up to monitor both their vital signs. Most of the tribe’s people overcame their fear, and were camped on the river bank again. Anataka lay sleeping next to John, after a long evening of supplying food to the behemoths.
“Any change?” Rhe-A said, as she walked by him, and put her hand on Despin-A’s snout. Her eye popped open. “How do you feel?”
“Her head popped up in surprise. “Ow, ow, I remember. Like I drank too much.”
“Try to take it slow for a couple of hours.” She took out her handheld and read it. “Oh, and I have another surprise, I took the liberty of modifying your DNA sub structure. You can have children now.”
“What?” She raised her head again. “Ow, ow.”
“Don’t thank me yet, highly experimental, and since so much of your DNA has been manipulated from reptilian, you’ll have them the way most reptilians do. That means eggs outside the body, and constant incubation.”
Thestor looked at her seriously. “How do we have children?”
“I can’t do everything. You two figure it out.”
“John,” Thestor said, “can we be changed back?”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t ask me that. The transformation is so complicated that if we tried...you might not be you, when it was done. Memories lost, personality might not be the same, you could very well lose the love you have for each other. We cannot guarantee anything, but it will be your choices.” If a dragon had facial expressions, John saw disappointment in his. “You don’t have to decide now, the nanite micro-bots have a built-in comm system. If you need to contact us, just say, Chrysalis, come in. You are one of us. We will help you in any way we can.”
“What’s a Chrysalis?”
“Our secret home base.”
“Oh, yes, Destroyers, Atlantis leaving-power points-the skull key.”
John perked up. “Have you seen it?”
“I have seen ones like it.” He looked in the direction across the river. “Beyond that mountain range, where your...our Cousins migrate. I have seen one similar to it in a cave where the tainted live.”
“Tainted?”
“Cousins, that aren’t really Cousins. Humans taste bad enough, but these humanoids taste like, tainted beedo root, very smart, fast, and dangerous. They have perfected crude projectile weapons, so we leave them alone, and vice-versa.”
“Interesting,” is all John said. “Can you take me there?”
“No, besides, the tribes people migrate through their territory on their way to their own destination. Why they migrate, I don’t know. Never cared. I’m sure if you ask them, they’ll tell. It’s about half way up the side of the mountain that cuts through a pass. you’ll see the battlements. Good luck.”
“One other thing; you are contagious.”
The Dragon looked at him suspiciously.
“If you inject your blood into another mutated entity like yourself, they will become as free as you. We figured that might be easier than tracking each one of them down. Choose wisely, and good luck to you both.”
The following day brought clouds and the threat of rain. Anataka was becoming quite the influence in the tribe. She relayed messages from the Gods to alleviated most of her tribe’s fears. Her turquoise, and emerald dress made light clacking noises as she paced back and forth, looking up at the sky.
“We’re all packed up,” Rhe-A said to John, after she had bid her new friends goodbye. “Sure, you don’t want to go back to the safety of the base?”
“Not just yet,” John said, glancing across the way to Anataka. “I’ve got a few more things to investigate.”
“We’ll see you soon.”
John had already said his goodbyes to the others, so he just watched the shuttle rise above the trees and disappear into the distance.
“Huehueteotl,” Anataka said, kneeling on one knee in the sand, “we cannot fly, we must cross the river, soon.”
The clouds darkened and moved fast. The log rafts the tribe had been building were being loaded with people and supplies. John was confused for a few seconds until he figured it out. Monsoons and flash flooding would make this river impassable for months, and with their backs to the river, they would be easy prey. “Alright, let’s get everyone across the river.”
Some had already made it across, and the rowers were starting back. John explained the situation to Thestor and Despin-A, about how time was a factor. Fear of being left behind overrode their fear of Gods, as they began piling on the Dragon’s backs. Anataka and John were the last to climb aboard Thestor, giving them the height to see Despin-A and her bunch more than half way across. A quarter of the way into Thestor’s trip, John heard it, a distant roar. A wall of water came crashing around a distant bend.
“Fly Thestor,” John called out.
“I can’t, too much drag, and they will fall off.” He charged forward, shaking everyone down, causing them grab his scales for security.
He was more than half way across, when he lifted his wing to block the impact of the water that now took them downstream. He fought for balance as natives spit out water.
Despin-A shook water out of her ears, while clawing her way up the washed-out riverbank, and to safety. Looking back, she didn’t see Thestor. “Off, off, everyone off.” They understood, and quickly began jumping off.
Thestor, finally regained his balance, as he clawed at floating trees. He was almost to the other side when a particularly large uprooted tree smashed into his backside. The jolt jarred Anataka loose, and she flew backward into the air. John saw the fear in her eyes, as he concentrated on bringing her back. He was too late. He knew that he had little to no time to react. Negating technology and wisdom, he leaped into the air after she went under.
John hit the water a little awkward letting it roll him around. He couldn’t find her. Choking back the panic and fear, he concentrated. Where are you? he thought. He swam and searched-there-he pushed forward and down. The stone filled dress was pulling her down. Jay unconsciously held his breath from the sight of the murky water, and when he thought he was going to drown, he felt a cold hand, and latched on. He felt some relief, while his Grandfather raced to the surface with Anataka firmly in one arm. It was John that hit the surface, allowing Jay to take an imaginary breath. He proceeded into the air until he landed roughly on the bank.
Thestor dug deep into the washed-out riverbank, trying to gain footing as natives clung on for life. He was losing, as dirt fell away more quickly than he could grab. He felt a gust of air. Despin-A landed in front of him, holding out a claw. He smiled a toothy smile, and grabbed it. She fluttered her wings and dug in, giving him the leverage he needed.
John laid her cold lifeless body down, and reached for his med-kit, but discovered his whole belt was gone. He raised her up and gently squeezed the water out of her lungs. He then breathed life into her. He continued with his task, while Thestor crashed through the jungle some fifty yards away. Booming into the open. He saw John trying to resuscitate Anataka. Twenty natives slowly gathered around, watching, and not understanding. She was not responding, as panic again, began to creep back into his mind. He continued without pause.
The longer it took the more despair took over. He raised her up and slapped her across the face. “Athene-A!” Her eyes flicked open, and as if recognizing him, said, “John?” Then her eyes closed and she passed out. John smiled, picked her up, and walked toward the gathering crowd.
The tribes people knelt and bowed as he approached. “Thestor, Despin-A, thank you for your help.”
Thestor just grunted, and then Despin-A said, “Just over that ridge, a couple of hundred yards, is where they usually make camp.”
Anataka woke just before they arrived at the camp site. She was obviously uncomfortable being carried. The camp was being set up when they came out of the jungle. Anataka squirmed to be let down. The tribe had already gotten word on what happened at the river, and now saw Anataka as a Demi-God, one who was brought back to life by a God.
