Diyra looked at the map and guided them toward the crystal caverns once they reached the bottom taking over an hour to traverse.
* * *
Kalentun Brig – Ackturra Sector
Year: 2983
Kate sat on the bench of their cell rubbing her stomach. She was showing fully that she was with child. Luanren comforted her while
Qiaoshan paced the cell floor thinking of what they were going to do next when Jhovahkan entered the room causing the lights to come up fully.
“My good friends…” he said posing as diplomatically as he could, “would you like to din with me tonight? We have a lot to talk about.” He finished with a smile. His eyes glared at Kate. “So… you are carrying his child… excellent… very excellent.”
“I have no appetite,” Luanren said with a sneer, “I will not sit at your table.”
“No matter… really,” he replied, “you don’t have to come along…” then looking over at Kate, “How about you missy?” he said stroking his goatee, “We’re family now you know…” he mocked by extending his hand to her, “We need to get to ‘know’ one another.”
“Not on your life.” Kate stared coldly back. “I am the high priestess of Ackturra now… I command you release us immediately!”
“Oh come now madam,” he laughed back, “I do not recognize you as the high priestess, any more than I accept the notion that my brother is leader of the high council.”
“You didn’t come here to ask us to dinner,” Qiaoshan said turning to his son with his arms folded as this chest. “What do you want?”
“What are you going to do to us?” Kate asked now standing by Qiaoshan.
“Why… I am going to infect you with the Rune of course.” He laughed uncontrollably.
* * *
Crystal Caverns – Lower Levels
Year: 2983
Jhahnahkan and his band navigated the crystal cavern passages for hours being led by Diyra and Drakes as guides from the ancient map. They crossed many ravines and crevasses riddled throughout the cavern. The crystals illuminated the interior of the cavern as there brilliance bounced off of the walls providing a shimmering light show. Broken shards of crystals crunched beneath each of their feet with each step and then echoed through the cave.
“The Forge should be just beyond this wall,” Diyra said finally stopping at a rock face at the side of the cavern.
Jhahnahkan placed his hands on the wall and began to concentrate, “Yes,” he spoke under his breath, “This is it… I feel a presence beyond this wall… a very old presence…” he placed the side of his face against the wall and focused intently. “He welcomes us…”
Jhahnahkan jumped back suddenly breaking his concentration. He placed his hands on this head and cried out in pain and slowly fell to his knees.
“What’s wrong?” Sam asked rushing to his side to examine him.
“Something terrible has happened!” He could barely speak. “It’s Katie… something is wrong…” he said in desperation.
Sweat began to drip down his forehead and down the sides of his face. His expression was of severe pain and agony. His face turned red with anger and frustration that he couldn’t be with his love. The veins on his neck protruded and pulsated with every beat of his heart. His mouth gaped open and he cried out with a mighty voice, which rocked the entire cave where they were. The ground beneath their feet shook and quaked for a few moments and then ceased.
The wall of the cave began to look hot and glowed red and orange and then exposed a doorway into a small narrow corridor. Rex and Sam helped Jhahnahkan back to his feet, “It’s going to be alright Jhahnahkan.” Rex assured him.
“Come on now,” Drakes said pulling on his arm, “the quicker we find the Forge, the quicker we can reverse all of this.”
Jhahnahkan regained his composure and stood on his own, bracing himself against the corridor entrance with one hand.
“I know… I know…” he said somberly, “we must move on… can’t stop now…” he said as he made his way down the corridor, now feeling more weakened by the Rune that was pulling his essence from him.
The wall sealed behind them and turned back to the normal rock face it had once been.
They walked down the short corridor to its end and waited for a moment. The corridor collapsed into a round surface, which began to turn around them and then stopped, exposing an exit.
The group entered into a huge cathedral. Its ceilings towered over a hundred feet with arches forming at the top. The entire cathedral appeared to be man made from shiny yellowish tan bricks. These bricks encompassed a two hundred foot radius and every surface from the floor to its ceiling. There were bricked pathways leading all the way around the outer walls and for the entire circumference. There were four pathways, also made of brick, leading to the center of the chamber. At the center was a smaller bricked circular pathway twenty feet in diameter. At the very center was a pool of silver colored thick looking water, which stood still and undisturbed for centuries. There were archways leading up at each side and formed shorter archways. Water surrounded the entire cathedral making the only access to the center via one of the four bricked pathways.
The silver pool at the center of the structure began to undulate with movement as the group slowly and cautiously moved down the walkway that was before them.
“It’s ok,” Jhahnahkan said to the group, “it’s the ancient one… I am in communication with him. I will ask him to show his presence in a form we all can understand.”
As they arrived at the center circular pathway, the silver pool began to rise up five fountains. As the silver water flowed up and drained back into the pool a humanoid form appeared. His form rose up waist high out of the water, his arms slightly bent and extended upward in a non-threatening manner. The silver water continued to flow like a fountain making trickling sounds that were pleasant to the ear.
“I have been expecting you Jhahnahkan…” the entity said.
“How do you know me?”
“That does not matter now…” the entity continued. “It has been many hundreds of years since my last contact with another being.”
“Man, that’s a long time to be in solitude,” Glenda whispered in Rex’s ear.
“I assure you madam,” the entity replied, “that time is nothing compared to the entire time I have been.” He said with a foreboding voice.
“Who are you?” Jhahnahkan asked.
“I am the ancient one…” he said gesturing with his hands as the silver liquid poured all around him maintaining his form, “I am the only one that remains of the place you have named
Ackturra… Our people were a benevolent race… we were thinkers and have been here for millions of years…”
“What happened to everyone and why didn’t we find evidence of life here when we first came?”
“The answers to your questions are not necessary at this time… there are far too many questions… far too many…”
“We desire to know… tell us…” Jhahnahkan employed.
“Very well…” he said with a shrug, “There is not enough time to tell all… so I will only tell a few…”
“Please… continue.”
“We lived here… in peace… we began to advance beyond the physical limitations of our bodies… That’s when we decided to build this crystal forge… It took us a thousand years to construct… and then we were ready… we were all going to leave our physical constructs… I was selected to operate the forge… I was going to be the only one left.” The entity paused a moment and then continued, “I knew my fate… I was honored to be of service to my people… over the centuries, one cannot imagine the loneliness one can experience.” He said slightly shaking his head, and then as if changing the subject away from him, “Each one entered the silver pool… I was the first to enter the pool but I would never leave the pool, I was the operator.
As they entered one by one, our bodies would be absorbed and disintegrate into emptiness. Howev
er, our being… our consciousness, our very essence would then be injected into every crystal within this cavern one at a time… I operated the forge nonstop for centuries until the very last one entered. No other crystals would be formed from that time on. We knew that at some point in our existence, a life form would find us… take possession of one of the power crystal… thus we would have the benefit of helping others achieve some of the things we had learned… this was a great comfort to our people, that some of our knowledge that our people discovered would be passed on to another age… our knowledge would ultimately live on.”
“And then the Rune fell to Ackturra,” Jhahnahkan added.
“Yes…” the entity said with sadness, “a thousand years have passed since the Rune crashed, infecting the Power Crystals… there was only one pure crystal left… Helen had possession of it… it would be the only tool left to fight the Rune… our only hope… and it was now infected by your sister Tamika.”
“I have come here to seek your wisdom, oh ancient one,” Jhahnahkan said, bending down on one knee.
“Be careful for the knowledge you seek
Jhahnahkan… for where there is great reward…
there also must be equal price.”
“He’s right, Jhahnahkan,” Rex said, stepping forward.
Jhahnahkan looked at Rex. “What do you know of this?”
“He is right, Jhahnahkan,” the Entity said, “I know what you seek… You seek the use of the Crystal Forge… forge one more pure crystal you will ask…” he said as if quoting a prophecy.
“Yes…” Jhahnahkan begged, “I humble myself and ask you to forge a pure power crystal so I can be equipped to combat the Rune.”
“There is none left to enter the silver pool for me to forge into a crystal…” he said shaking his head once again.
“Does it have ta be one of your kind?” Rex asked as he began to take off his shoes and socks.
“I do not know…” the Entity said, “that has never been tried.”
“Rex! No!” Jhahnahkan said standing as he grabbed his arm, “what are you thinking?”
Rex stopped and turned to Jhahnahkan and stared at him eye to eye. “Guess we’ll find have to find out then.”
“No!” Glenda shouted as she came to Rex’s side.
“He knows I have to do this…” Rex said placing his hand on his Jhahnahkan’s shoulder.
Tears began to fall down both of their faces as they returned each other’s gave as if saying goodbye.
“It will be alright…” the Entity said reassuringly. “Come… step down into the pool… down the steps… submerse yourself into the silver liquid.”
“This is the sacrifice that needs to be made my friend,” Rex said choking back his emotion, “Jhahnahkan… this is my Destiny.” Turning he said goodbye to each one privately leaving Glenda for last.
Tears were pouring down her cheeks as she was unable to contain her composure. “Oh Rex,” she sobbed, “Why Rex?”
He held her close to his heart and placed her head down on his shoulder and comforted Glenda stroking the back of her hair, “I’ve known for some time now… really… way back in the Palace gardens… I knew this moment was my destiny…”
He kissed her on the lips passionately and then pulled away slowly from her grip. Glenda collapsed to her knees while Sam and the two Scorpii tried to comfort her.
Rex stood barefoot before the pool and looked down at the steps that he could see leading down into the silver liquid.
“Will it hurt much?” he said looking up at the flowing entity.
“No… you will feel no pain… your body will cease to exist as you know it… your consciousness will be carried through the liquid and I will forge Jhahnahkan his master power crystal… pure… solid… and powerful.”
The entity lowered himself back into the pool while the fountains remained flowing upward, only now at different heights. The fountains began to change in height as if rotating in a pattern. A voice came from the pool instructing Rex to enter the pool.
“Well,” he said with his joking manner everyone loved about him, “here goes nothing.”
He dipped his toe into the silver liquid and felt a slight tingling sensation. “Humph… kinda tickles.” He chuckled.
He removed his foot to inspect his toe and to his amazement, it was no longer there.
Sam looked in awe as his foot. “Fascinating… no blood, no wound… just… gone.”
“… and he’s right,” Rex smiled, “No pain!”
Rex gave one last wave to his friends telling them he was looking forward to a higher awareness… “You haven’t seen the last of me… this I know for sure.”
Rex slowly lowered himself down each step until he fully submersed beneath the surface.
The fountains began to make the sound of harmonics that sounded at different pitches. The height of each fountain also stabilized and converged together about ten feet in the air over the pool, right below the lowest archway.
They watched the fountains as they flowed stronger and more powerful making the sound of a waterfall. The five fountains now formed one massive fountain in the center of the silver pool.
At the top of the fountain a silvery metallic substance formed at its apex and began to grow in size and shape. They could almost hear Rex shouting out a great big “Whaaa Whooo” and perhaps they did in their own minds.
The substance formed a silver colored crystal sphere that was about five inches in diameter, just large enough to be able to hold it in the palm of your hand.
Rex was now gone, but his substance was now a part of the crystals… he was now a part of their heritage.
Jhahnahkan reached out as the fountain lowered just enough for him to pluck it from its suspension. He was surprised at the weight of the object. He held it out before everyone and claimed his new Power Crystal Sphere. Sparks were flowing all about it as he held it like lightning surrounding his entire hand.
He held it up and gave Rex a salute, “Thank you my old friend… without you, this would never have been possible.” He said with tears still running down his face.
“Quite correct,” the Entity said as he returned in human form. “It had to be a willing mind… a pure mind… never corrupted to evil deeds… Rex was the perfect candidate… his mind is now part of ours… you now have filled his destiny and have allowed me to forge you a power crystal… The price was paid and the Crystal Sphere is what you sought.”
* * *
Chapter 14
The Rune Divulgation
Southern Fleet – Ackturra
Year: 2983
With the Northern fleet under the guise of the crystal net, the Southern fleet knew they had time to regroup and form a blockade to the planet allowing the Hawk and the Telenian to complete their mission on the surface.
The Griffin and its accompanying fighter squadrons closed the gap between Minos and the Ziton base and set up a parameter sensing grid that would hopefully alert the southern fleet if any ships entered the area, cloaked or not.
The Eastern flew at the Remedy’s flank with the remaining fighter squadrons providing protective cover, as they met up with the Griffin. The squadron leaders split each of their fighters into rotating schedules in order to keep them in optimal performance and provided much needed rest for each pilot.
The intercom of the Remedy sounded off with the voice of the security chief, “Security detail to the medical bay at once.”
“What is going on down there?!” Rivynon, the Remedy’s captain shouted to Itafar, the com station officer.
“Sir, our chief has reported an intruder on board…” she said continuing to listen to the internal channel.
“Totidaar… report,” Rivynon ordered his security chief over the channel.
“Sir,” he began, “we have apprehended a crewman believed to be the first officer of the Kalentun.”
“Explain.” He ordered and then turned to his first officer, “get down there… now.”
; “Aye, sir,” Torbik said as he left the bridge for the medical bay.
The channel broke open once more with the security chief, “Sir, we believe she infiltrated the fighters without begin detected, landed in the bay and blended in with the crew.”
“Excellent work!” he commended. “We need to confirm she is R’ihia and quickly… how did you find her?”
“She visited the medical bay with a dislocated shoulder that was sustained in the attack by the North…”
“… Go on…” Rivynon said listening intently.
“Apparently, she was in so much pain that she had no choice but to seek medical help… an alert medical attendant recognized her and quietly reported her to security.”
“Be sure to put that crewman in for a promotion… nice work Totidaar … Torbik is on his way down now… as soon as she is fit, I want an interrogation.”
“Aye sir.” His security chief acknowledged.
Rivynon’s first officer joined the security detail in the sick bay. He entered the bay only to see a knocked out woman on one of the medical tables with several attendants working over her.
The chief medical officer, Ral accompanied by Totidaar approached Torbik, “Status report.”
Ral began to explain R’ihia’s injuries, “Her shoulder is being set now… she also has a concussion… but the pain from a dislocated shoulder was too great for her to bear. She has almost all but come out and said she is R’ihia.”
“How long will she be sedated? The captain wishes to interrogate as soon as possible.” Torbik said.
“She will need a few hours to wake up on her own… which is the best…”
Torbik interrupted the doctor. “… How soon can you revive her without causing more damage?”
“I can reverse the paralytics in her system as soon as they confirm her shoulder is back in place… but I do not recommend…”
“Do it…” Torbik ordered interrupting the doctor again.
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