Anderle glanced at Drew then at the man next to him. “Yeah, yeah. This is Timothy Johnson, or who I like to call, Spank-a-lot. He’s not a hologram.”
The guy shot Anderle a look.
Anderle laughed. “I’m just fuckin’ with ya, bro. This is General Lin Yu. He’s here to help.”
Drew had read that name before, but the titles, rank, and accomplishments quickly flashed to the forefront of his mind. “That’s the Senior General for the People’s Republic of China. What’s he going to help with?”
“Oh, don’t be scared. He’s harmless.” He pinched the General’s arm.
The General gave him a sick stare, this time his lips were in a frown. “Tíngzhǐ tā, nǐ bù chéngshú de xiǎohái.”
“Sorry, man. I don’t know what you’re saying. We’re in America, speak English.” Anderle rolled his eyes, then walked toward the shadowy opening between the rocks. “It’s beautiful in here. Come join us. We’re the head of the Resistance, the all-seeing eye that’s ordering all United States military units.” He stopped, turning, blending into the shadow between the two giant rocks. “We also have full on dialogue with Senator Ken Furr on Starship Atlantis whenever we want. We have something up our sleeves, if you know what I mean.” He turned, then hesitated. “Oh, I almost forgot. You’ll be safe here during the earth changes. We’re high enough for the flood to just miss us and we’re on top of and inside thick stone that won’t be harmed by the massive earthquakes heading our way.” He stepped inside, his voice echoing through the opening. “And, I ain’t shittin’ you about that, bro.”
35
J-Quadrant, Solar System
Flood of Dawn, Callisto
Jaxx had a hand on his hip and held the large book against his chest. He was panting, perspiring, and perplexed. He had just run a great distance uphill, following the slate rock path that led him past forests, empty adobes, and a myriad of glass temples that were filled to the brim with scrolls and books, until finally making it to the top temple and inside where Liberty stood. She was studying coordinates and troop movements displayed in a hologram just above a large, round table. High officials surrounded her, studying the hologram as well.
Morning Star, Bogle, and Rivkah were nowhere to be seen.
Liberty ran her finger over a mass of Kelhoon troops and dragged an arrow near a hill. “Our transport crafts will drop Din Team here. Din Team will flank the Kelhoons at this spot, more or less to distract the Kelhoons.” She looked up, eyeing her commanders. “We have found that the Kelhoons learn quickly and adjust appropriately, so this will need to be a fast hit.” She drew a line across the hologram and circled one of the pyramids. “Sey Team teleports and exits East Rise’s Akmon Pyramid. Once Sey Team is in position, we search for as many survivors as we can. We’ll have Ehep Starfighter Squadron inbound the moment Sey Team teleports in. Ehep will strike the Kelhoons from the rear and trap them in front of Din Team.” She glanced at Jaxx. “You’re Dut Team, if you so wish to join us in the fight. If you do wish to join us, then you are on standby.”
“Too many names. Too much strategy. I’m not a warrior. I’m an archeologist…”
Liberty smiled. “You’re the key, Kaden Jaxx. You’ve always been the key.”
He didn’t want to join a war, a battle where his fate – his death – decided the outcome. “I have somewhat of a problem.” He then realized his loophole, his eyes brightening. “Fox isn’t here anymore and Dut Team – Second Team...” he wanted to remind her that he knew Atlantean, “can only work with Rivkah, Bogle, Fox, and me.” He tapped the book, telling her he’d read it. Well, a few pages of it, and with Fox out of the picture, his destiny – the shitty plan he wasn’t at all thrilled with – would no longer be an option.
Liberty dipped her head. “He’s on his way back.”
Jaxx’s heart dropped. This wasn’t good. “Oh, I see.” Yet, it couldn’t be. Why would Fox exit the exosphere and come right back? He wouldn’t defy any higher ranked officer in the Secret Space Program. He was soldier through and through. He took orders from the SSP higher ranks as if they were straight from God.
All eyes turned to Jaxx, as if the commanders had also read what Liberty read – his mind. She spoke, her eyes calm and steady. “You do not wish to proceed with the prophecy?”
Jaxx shook his head like a wet dog. Hell no, he didn’t want to. Who would? “I wish to help in another way.”
Liberty snapped her fingers and the hologram disappeared. She took an elegant stride forward. “Perhaps if we showed you first hand the terror these Kelhoon have wrought upon our people, then you will change your mind and enter the pyramid coffer?”
“I understand your plight.” He didn’t. “But I just want to live a wee bit longer.” He put his thumb and finger up, showing her a small space in between them.
“You will live.” She touched her chest. “You will live in our hearts for eternity. Statues, bridges, and temples will be built in your honor. People will sing songs about you. Oh, you will live forever, my child.”
“I understand and thank you. That’s flattering. I just have a few hang ups about it.” Jaxx went to run, but was held in place by some force of nature he couldn’t break. He winced, doing his best to trudge forward, but a paralysis set in, anchoring him to the floor. “Let me go!”
“I can’t, Jaxx,” responded Liberty. “Your DNA forbids it. It’s not only us who wants you to live your destiny. It’s your DNA. You’ve been programmed since you were a child.”
“Well, turn the program off.”
“We didn’t program it in you, Jaxx. The Law of One did.” She touched his back, her expression lack, her chin trembling. “You are truly amazing. You are the seat of our souls.”
“The seat of...what the hell does that mean?”
He tried to break free, he tried to kick out of this fucked-up, gripping force that rooted him in one spot. Nothing worked, nothing gave way.
A door opened and in came four people carrying an ornate chair on a platform, long wood rods were on each side and resting on their shoulders. Their shoes clacked on the tile flooring, getting louder the closer they came. They rested the chair on the ground and stepped to the side, smiling. The two men who Liberty had ordered to take Jaxx to the coffers lifted him off the ground and gently placed him on the chair.
“Please don’t do this, Liberty. I can help in another way.”
Liberty gave him an odd look. “Yes, this is the way you can help us. You’ve chosen.”
“I did not choose to die.”
“I know,” replied Liberty.
“Then what are you doing? Let me live.”
She clapped her hands together. “Excellent.” The chair lifted in the air, this time hovering on its own. It turned, heading for the light seeping through the open doors. To Jaxx, living in infamy wasn’t by dying for people he barely knew.
“Don’t worry, Jaxx,” said Liberty, “I’ll be watching when you transfer over.”
“Transfer over?” The chair hovered through the doorway and out into an open meadow where an SF-13 Air Wing sat, tall grass hiding the landing gear and touching the starfighter’s belly. The chair descended to the ground.
Jaxx stood and turned, facing the temple.
Liberty walked out. “Get into your Air Wing and you’ll be shown what to do next.” She bowed. “Thank you for being in service to us.”
He walked over to his Air Wing, pulled himself on top of the wing, and climbed into the cockpit. To his surprise, a helmet was on the dashboard. He put the helmet on, started the ion boosters, and gave Liberty and the few commanders standing around her a thumbs up.
“The helmet is connected to my mind,” came Liberty’s voice. “Fly to the coordinates on your holographic control display.”
A map popped up. Jaxx narrowed his eyes. “The coordinates are on Callisto. I thought I was going to the stars?”
“We don’t have time for that. The coordinates are to the apex of our great pyramid.”
&
nbsp; Jaxx’s shoulder’s drooped. “So, I am giving away my life?”
“You are being in service.”
Shit. “What if I decline?”
“Your ship is already set to the coordinates. You have given us your choice and we are setting that choice into motion.”
The Air Wing lifted off of the ground. “No, wait! I decided against it. You know I did. Stop this thing!” He pounded against the cockpit window.
“There is no stopping, there is only doing. Now, Jaxx, you have decided against the transmutation of your DNA to end the darkness in the Beings who are currently attacking us. That we understand and we applaud your choice.”
The starfighter blasted forward, heading through an opening in the glass dome’s wall. “Then where am I going?”
“You’re going on the second route, the second idea to end the war and bring peace to our civilization once again.”
His Air Wing exited the domed city and zipped forward, heading right for the great pyramid where a mess of beings were amassing, entering through a large opening at the pyramid’s base.
He covered his eyes and braced for impact. A golden light enveloped the cockpit and Jaxx’s eyelids shot open. A white flash and then darkness.
He gasped, looking around, seeing stars and Jupiter in front of him.
“I didn’t go far.” He patted himself. “And I am alive?”
“Very much so,” responded Liberty. “In two minutes, you’ll be catapulted to another star system in our galaxy. From there, follow the coordinates, Jaxx.”
36
J-Quadrant, Solar System
Flood of Dawn, Callisto
Rivkah wrung her hands together and glanced at Bogle. “Are you fine with this?”
They were in a small structure just outside Flood of Dawn’s great pyramid. Bogle stood over a table with a holographic display illuminated in front of her. It was a view of the battlefield. None of the teams had deployed yet, but in a matter of minutes, the assault and survivor retrieval would commence. She had on a device similar to the device around the Princess Leia statue’s head, looking like futuristic headphones – ear cups around the ears cushioned with soft ear pads that illuminated in an inner glow the moment they were placed on Bogle’s head. The head band was positioned toward the back of the head instead of on top. Blue, glowing lights projected a few inches outward from the band, forming hieroglyphs that zoomed by quickly, similar to stats running across the board at the New York Stock Exchange. A few Atlanteans, wearing similar devices, stood around tables in the large, crystalline room, in charge of specialized teams and leaders in the coming assault.
Bogle nodded her head. “I’ll be fine. That question should be asked to you, but you wouldn’t give me an honest answer, because your life has been embroiled in lies and deceit perpetrated by you, your family, and the people you worked for, so your habit to shrug everything off and call it normal would be catalyzed by your past loop. You’d tell me you’re good, but deep inside, you’re crying and craving for peace, for acceptance, and for your family – most notably your father – to applaud you as a human being, rather than look at you as in the way and the scum of the Universe. Also – ”
Bogle pulled the head phones off and touched her throat. “I’m so sorry. I could see everything in you and I couldn’t shut myself up.”
Rivkah looked away and placed her hand on Morning Star’s shoulder. “Do we have to do this? I’m all good with helping, but having someone in my mind the entire time is going to distract the shit out of me.”
Morning Star’s eyebrows pulled down in concentration. He gestured for Bogle to hand him the head phones, which she promptly did. He started pressing buttons on the head band. “This is connected to Lady of Atlantis statue and thus is connected to every individual on this planet. With this on, she will be able to telepathically communicate with you or whoever’s energy signature she wishes by pressing on any warrior’s signature on the holographic screen.” He pursed his lips, continually pressing more buttons. “There we go,” he said, his face relaxing. “We had it on a different mode. Now she will be able to communicate as she wishes, no longer getting into your issues to bring them to the forefront. She’ll be able to lead you from place to place, so you can complete your mission.” He gave the device back to Bogle.
Rivkah looked over Morning Star’s shoulder, grabbing a view of her team. They were outside the domes of the beautiful cities and a gang of female and male warriors stood behind him and out the door on the barren, cold moon, all battle-ready and prepared to enter the Great Pyramid to teleport to East Rise. The majority of them were part of Sey team, there to extract as many surviving Atlanteans in East Rise as possible. Twelve, including Morning Star, were part of Tos team – her team – there to assassinate the Kelhoon leader and change the tide of this war. They had the leader’s location and Bogle would be Rivkah’s eyes, leading the team there.
“You hear me, Rivkah?” asked Bogle.
Rivkah rubbed her ears. “I’m going to have to get used to hearing your voice in my head. This is disorienting.”
“During combat,” responded Morning Star. “It won’t be an intrusion into your mind. You get used to it fast.” He turned, putting a fist in the air. “Sey Team, are you ready?”
A hefty cheer engulfed the area and Morning Star dropped his hand. “Proceed to the coffer and when in East Rise, may the Law of One be with you. Defend yourselves and defend those of our friends in need and bring them all to safety.”
The soldiers spun on their heels and marched to an opening at the base of the pyramid, their gold clad armor shimmering brilliantly from Jupiter’s light and the light of Jupiter’s innermost moons. The troops held energy spears and tridents, which moved up and down as they traversed across the gray, white land.
Twelve stayed put and Morning Star motioned to them. “Do you wish to proceed, Rivkah?”
“Where is Jaxx?” she asked.
Bogle looked down, gathering information through her head phones. She shook her head, bringing her eyes to Rivkah’s. “He chose another route.”
For a moment, Rivkah wanted to pick up something and throw it across the room. She should have known he’d chicken out and ditch them. It was nothing new with Jaxx, especially in her life. The asshole always had a way of throwing her to the wolves.
Morning Star placed his hand on her back. “He would have given his life, had there not been another option.”
Rivkah shot him a look. “I’m giving my life right now. Where is my other option? Mine is to run, but I decided against. Obviously Jaxx hasn’t changed.”
“Either option he chooses has the slightest chance to save us all. He has chosen wisely, my friend.”
“Says you,” replied Rivkah, calming herself down, something a captain that has been in charge of many people learn to do over time, especially in the Secret Space Program where people were dying left and right and the only thing keeping the survivors alive was a calm, cool, and collected leader.
And, truth be told, Rivkah was happy to take her anger out on the Kelhoon rather than Jaxx. She’d be calm until those pricks were in her crosshairs. “So be it.” She made her way past Morning Star, picked up a helmet attached to the wall, and walked out into the cold air. They were in a crater, three pyramids on hills stood before her, an obelisk to her right and Lady of Atlantis to her left. She hesitated for a moment, then trudged toward those heading into the biggest of the pyramids.
A cold wind blew against her, but her suit of armor somehow keeping her warm. Her ears and face felt the touch of the arctic frost pervading the air.
She put her helmet on, her head and face instantly warming.
Morning Star caught up and handed her a rifle. “Here you go, Captain Rivkah Ravenwood.”
She looked down at the rifle in her hands, studying it. “An IPR-8. Where did you get one of these?”
“We have several we recovered that were floating undamaged in space from Star Warden’s demise.”
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sp; She patted the rifle. “At least you found something good out of it.” She looked through the scope. It still worked. She glanced behind her. “What are they waiting for?” Tos Team, her team, were huddled together, almost as if they were on an American Football team.
“A pep talk, of sorts. Usually the team leader does that.” He gave her a wink.
“Nah, not me. No more. Let’s get this shit done and over with.” She stopped and turned. “Hey, Tos Team. Get over here. We have Kelhoon brains to smash.”
Tos Team looked at each other, obviously not expecting their leader to be so harsh. They dipped their heads and hurried to her.
“Let’s go,” Rivkah waved them forward.
They tread to the foot of the Great Pyramid. Rivkah stopped at the entrance, gazing up at the top of the pyramid. Its golden apex glowed, lighting up the sky, electricity flamed outward like lightening at the pyramid’s uppermost point. What was she getting herself into? She was going to teleport? Literally?
Vzzzoooom!
Rivkah fell back as the pyramid’s apex let out a beam of golden light and a craft, approaching at a ridiculous speed, plummeted straight into that beam, a white flash enveloped the sky, then the electricity died down and the craft vanished.
She pushed herself back up. “What was that?”
“Jaxx,” said Morning Star. “Pray that he completes his mission successfully.”
She waved a dismissive hand. She didn’t care. She had other things to worry about.
She stepped inside the pyramid, ducking her head when she entered a narrow and shallow tunnel, the walls emanating an inner glow, much like most of the walls she’d seen on this moon. Several soldiers were in front of her, waiting their turn to enter the coffers and teleport to East Rise’s Akmon Pyramid. By now, Din Team were in combat with the Kelhoon. And, as if on cue, a dozen almond shaped starfighters zoomed on by, zipping toward East Rise, ready to pin the Kelhoon – if everything went right.
Destination Atlantis (Ascendant Chronicles Book 2) Page 17
