Dr. Sam Collins stepped out of a room down the hall and approached the angry Sheriff, “What’s all this commotion about?”
“You are holding two of my suspects,” Sheriff Matson barked, “Tell me where they are!”
“You’ll have to quiet down Sheriff, this is a hospital. There are sick people here,” Sam said pointing a finger in his face.
“You know where they are! Don’t you!”
“I don’t know what you are talking about…”
“They’re in that room you just came out of aren’t they!” the sheriff said as he started to approach the door.
“You can’t go in there. She’s under my care,” Dr. Collins shouted as he tried to hold the Sheriff back.
“Move out of my way. I’m going in, and if you stop me, I’ll take you in for obstructing justice,” Matson argued.
The Sheriff shoved the doctor out of his way and burst through the door only to see his two fugitives exiting another strange looking vortex. Convinced he was going to find out what this thing was; he dove at the two and fell to the floor of the room missing his target by mere inches as the vortex closed.
“Ah! Not again!” the sheriff shouted in disgust. He looked up at Sam and saw his slight grin.
He picked himself up from the floor and dusted off his uniform as if the hospital floor was infected. “You’re going to answer for this! I’m taking you in for questioning!”
“I don’t know what you mean, Sheriff. I didn’t see anyone in here,” the doctor said as he looked at his staff of nurses. “Did anyone else see anything?” He winked.
The other nurses said they didn’t see anything either shaking their heads.
Matson stormed out, pushing his way past Sam and the nurses in the room. He paused for a moment and turned halfway out the door, “You haven’t seen the last of me!”
Matson stomped down the hallway, making as much noise as he could as he left the hospital. His face had turned beet red as he listened to the laughing of all the doctors and nurses.
* * *
Earth
Sheriff Matson’s Office
Year: 1983
Jhahnahkan moved through the time-helix looking for the next strand. He was hot on the trail of Uttarak when he came in contact with another colored strand that wrapped around him and deposited him behind the Sheriff’s office.
He heard the pealing out of the Sheriff’s patrol car. Matson had one more tip provided by his mysterious guest. This time he was certain he would catch them out in the desert.
Jhahnahkan ran around to the front seeing Uttarak leave the office and began walking down the sidewalk.
“Uttarak!” Jhahnahkan shouted.
Uttarak looked back and saw his father in pursuit and he took off running through the town streets.
Jhahnahkan took off after and followed every move his son made as he tried to catch him. Uttarak leaped over the hoods of cars and darted in and out of what little traffic there was down the main street.
Uttarak ran as fast as he possibly could while he tried to reach for his corrupted power crystal, but couldn’t take a good hold of it as the crystal jiggled in his pocket. He darted down an ally and began climbing a chain link fence. He was part way up when Jhahnahkan reached his pant leg and began trying to pull him down.
Uttarak was strong and was able to free his leg from his father’s grip and leaped over the fence. He landed on the other side with a thud and rolled on the ground.
By the time he regained his senses, Jhahnahkan was already on him again. But before Uttarak could touch his crystal, he had to take off running again to keep his father from catching him.
Jhahnahkan dodged trash cans and other objects that Uttarak grabbed and tossed in his way in hopes to slow his father down. Uttarak exited to the ally and began crossing the street when a car nearly struck him. He leaped up into the air and landed on the top of the car and then began jumping from car to car with his father mimicking his every move. He figured as long as he was behind him, he wasn’t stopping the Sheriff from catching his criminals in the desert.
People began honking their horns and shouting profanities as the two chased down the small city streets. Another looked away from the road at the spectacle and crashed into the car in front of them. The car’s hood lifted up and shot out steam as the radiator spewed from being punctured.
Others tried to grab them as they went by causing Uttarak to stumble down to the ground. He rolled and jumped up to his feet again and darted down another alley.
Jhahnahkan was gaining ground when the two entered an open field. Uttarak jumped up and grabbed his crystal, held it out and formed an energy bubble to which he used to support his landing on the ground behind Jhahnahkan.
Jhahnahkan was taken off guard and tripped as he tried to slow his pace and turn to face his now pursuing son.
Uttarak’s crystal shot out a bolt of yellow reddish light that enveloped the turning Jhahnahkan. He looked at his son as he was held in place by the force of energy.
“What’s the matter my Father?” Uttarak said as he continued to freeze him from any movement.
Jhahnahkan held his arms out before him and struggled to hold back the force beam, but Uttarak was very powerful, “Why are you doing this my son?” he finally choked.
“Simple questions get simple answers, Father.” Uttarak spat.
“Do you not understand my Son?” Jhahnahkan forced, “There are catastrophic reasons you must stop this.”
“You do not seem to love me anymore Father,” Uttarak said sarcastically.
“There is more at stake…” he struggled to say.
“Oh come now Father,” Uttarak interrupted, “Did you think that I don’t know I will cease to exist?”
“Yes, I know you understand!” Jhahnahkan said trying to reach the depths of Uttarak’s mind.
Uttarak stepped back for a moment, “Now, now my Father, I’ll have none of your mind probes.”
“What are you afraid of?” Jhahnahkan said as he continued to try and penetrate his son’s mind.
“The Runic must join, my Father; I have no choice but to do their will,” Uttarak said shaking his head in sadness.
“What are you going to do?”
“Simple questions? Again?” Uttarak said.
“Release me and come with me to stop them,” Jhahnahkan offered.
“No, I do not think so,” Uttarak answered.
Uttarak gathered more power from the crystal he was holding. Colors began to oscillate and fluctuate, growing in size around Uttarak’s hands.
He closed his eyes and concentrated on the power growing and then gave the thought to send the bolt down the beam and into his father.
“Goodbye Father,” Uttarak said as the power ball was sent flying toward Jhahnahkan, “I wish I didn’t have to do this, but as you well know… I must prevail.”
The bolt of energy contacted Jhahnahkan and he gritted his teeth with pain and yelled out as he fell to his knees. The power radiated around his body, his eyes rolled up in his head and he fell face down on the ground.
Uttarak heard the sounds of sirens approaching and knew he had to make his escape. The local law enforcement had tracked them to the field during the scuffle. He turned and quickly opened a vortex and stepped through.
The police arrived at Jhahnahkan’s body, turned him over and felt for a pulse. The officer looked up at his comrades and sadly shook his head.
* * *
Chapter 13
The Runic Incursion
Ackturra
Crystal Mountains
Year: 2984
It was another long and laborious climb with the Rune Chamber, but Jhovahkan, Tamika and her team made it to the surface of the mountains. They exited on a ledge where the surface team set up the pulley and rigging to hoist the Rune.
The peak was nearly ten thousand feet and was surrounded by other peaks towering eleven and twelve thousand feet. The crew managed to secure the Rune Chamber to the ledge in spit
e of the thin air at this elevation. They proceeded to secure the chamber so they could survey the damage from the fall.
Tamika and her team nervously inspected the Rune chamber for structural damage while Jhovahkan checked the control panel, this time ensuring he didn’t touch any buttons.
He glanced over at his sister and then continued to study the control panel, “Do not worry my sister, I will not touch anything!”
Tamika made her way all the way around the Rune taking readings and then met up with her brother at the panel. She leaned over to get a closer look and returned her brother’s glance, “The panel looks pretty bad.”
“It took more of a beating on the way down than it did coming up,” Jhovahkan commented. “At least it appears the shielding is still activated and stable… for the moment anyway.”
“Quite right my brother,” Tamika added, “this side of the panel is completely smashed and only these five buttons on this side work.”
“But this one sticks,” Jhovahkan said pointing at the far lower right section.
“We can’t even close the panel door,” Tamika said touching the lower left button that was smashed, “Moving this structure will be risky without securing this panel. One slip and it could release the Rune matter inside.”
“Agreed,” Jhovahkan nodded. “Get some of your men together and have them try and weld a plate over the panel.”
“We are not out of the woods yet my brother,” Tamika said looking at her handheld scanner, “My readings indicate that the shielding is not exactly stable.”
“Explain,” Jhovahkan asked.
“I am picking up slight fluctuations in the field regulator circuits.” Tamika said as she continued to check her readings, “Just relocating this ancient Rune chamber could cause the whole system to destabilize.”
“Looks like it already has,” Jhovahkan said.
“We should not waste any time getting this thing off the planet,” Tamika said with urgency. She closed the scanner and slid it down into the pouch strapped to her thigh and assembled a team of three to take care of sealing up the panel.
Jhovahkan stood off to the side and a few feet away and spoke into a headset inquiring when his special modified transport would arrive to extricate the Rune Chamber.
Tamika followed her brother so she could listen to his conversation. She was still not completely satisfied that he wouldn’t turn on them, even after all they had gone through. She knew that if any of the cerebellum quasiinducer pellets, the doctor had injected, were to fail; they would become a slave to the Runic.
“Just get that transport here!” Tamika heard her brother shout as she walked over and stood by his side.
Jhovahkan looked cross at his sister. He was irritated at the lack of trust Tamika was displaying and removed his head set and offered it to her, “Here, would you like to confirm that I am speaking to dispatch?”
“No need to be snippy my brother.” Tamika said placing her hands on her hips.
Tamika was slightly shorter that her brother and she stood on her tip toes in order to squarely return his glare, “Carry on... What do they say?”
“Dispatch is routing me to the transport pilot now,” he said as he returned his headset and listened intently to the pilot on the other end, “Forty minutes! You listen here mister! You get that transport here in fifteen. Do I make myself clear!?”
He paused another moment. Tamika struggled to hear what the pilot was telling him that was causing Jhovahkan’s face to turn red; it was clear that he was fuming. He pressed a button on the side of the unit and turned to his sister. “They have not left the base yet… they are forty minutes away.”
“Did they say what the holdup was?”
“They had a mechanical problem with the retractor arm.” Jhovahkan said, “They are nearly ready to depart but I gave him fifteen minutes.”
“What did he say to you?”
Jhovahkan simply glared at his sister, “He told me the transport was not safe to fly and that it was his decision when they would leave.”
“He’s right you know-”
Jhovahkan snapped at his sister, “I fully understand the pilot’s decision but we need…”
“… We need to ensure this thing doesn’t fall off the transport!” Tamika argued back, “Devastating consequences will occur if we do not get this into space.”
Jhovahkan took in a deep breath and exhaled trying to decompress, “I am trying to remain calm my sister.”
The ground under their feet began to vibrate and quiver. Tamika and Jhovahkan both looked at each other and then ran back to the Rune. They pulled their scanners out and began taking more readings.
“I do not believe this,” Tamika said with fear in her voice.
“I am picking up the same readings,” Jhovahkan said, “The Rune material is expanding inside the chamber causing the pressure to increase.”
“The Runic are trying to find ways to absorb the shield energy.”
“That would account for the instability in the field strength,” Tamika added.
The ground again vibrated, followed by a small quake. Rocks broke loose and tumbled down the side of the mountain, crashing into other rocks and trees on the way down.
The team held on to whatever they could while they watched the Rune chamber tip back and forth. The sound of dirt falling down the sides of the banks could be heard, while tree branches snapped.
The ground finally stopped after about twenty seconds and the chamber steadied again as they rushed to the side of the Rune to check on the shield.
“It will not be long for the Runic to break through now!” Tamika shouted in fear.
She grabbed the headset off of Jhovahkan’s head and placed it on hers and made the call to the pilot, “You had better get that transport here, we are losing containment!”
The pilot answered and explained that the special arm was still not secured well enough to support the Rune chamber’s weight through the atmosphere.
“Figure it out or it will not matter any longer!” Tamika ordered.
Jhovahkan smiled at his sister feeling pretty good that he was right, “We need to get the Rune on its side and into position for the transport to latch on.”
“Agreed!” she nervously said waving her arms at the rest of her team.
The team began to rest the chamber down on its side. It took all of them using special iconic levers to lower the chamber. Jhovahkan’s muscle quivered with strain as they struggled to rest it gently over, while Tamika used her power crystal and created a force shield under the chamber to ensure a soft landing. The team had just sealed the panel before attempting to lay it over and they positioned the top out of the way of the giant claw arm that had been fitted to the transport. The transport would hover over the site and could easily grab the Rune; they just needed to wait for the pilot to arrive.
“Field strength is down fifteen percent!” Tamika reported, “I estimate another surge in mass in twenty more minutes.”
Jhovahkan grabbed his headset back and listened to the chatter on the channel, “The pilot just took off… he is en route… his ETA is now in eighteen minutes.”
“I thought it would take forty?” Tamika asked.
“It would take forty if they observed all safety protocols, but he’s going to sacrifice protocol now that this Rune is expanding.”
“It is going to be close.” Tamika noted.
“He will have to get into position and wait for the surge to end before latching on.”
“Right, I will run some calculation to try and estimate how long of a flight time he will need,” Tamika said as she programmed her hand scanner.
“The window is shrinking!” Jhovahkan shouted as the ground began to quake, breaking more rocks and causing more dirt to slide.
The two looked at each other in fear of what would happen if the fissure opened again.
Jhovahkan ordered their team to anchor the tether to the Rune while they waited for the transport to arrive.
<
br /> * * *
Earth
Year: 1983
A crowd gathered around the fallen Jhahnahkan as officers tried to keep the spectators at bay. The medical team arrived and checked over the body that lay on the cold grassy field. They hooked up heart meters and began administering CPR to him when a shout was heard at the back of the crowd.
“Move aside… pardon me… let me through now…”
The shouts continued and grew in loudness as a man pushed his way through the crowd.
An officer pressed his hand in the man’s chest holding him from getting any closer, “Not so fast mister. There’s nothing to see here, go on home,” The officer said. Then he raised his voice to the rest, “Everyone, go home now! That’s right; there isn’t anything to see here. Move along now!”
The man touched his hand to the officer’s forehead and insisted he let him in to see the body.
The officer stood aside and continued with his crowd control, ignoring the man.
He knelt down beside the body and took his hand in his. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the lifeless body on the ground, the paramedics now stood aside to let this stranger continue with what he was doing.
His hands began to glow and energy transferred to Jhahnahkan, “It’s ok Father, you’ll be ok now. I found you in time,” Uttarak smiled down on him.
The monitors began recording a normal heart rate and the medic team gave a sigh of relief.
Jhahnahkan slowly opened his eyes and focused on who was staring down at him and he tried to jump back in fear, “Uttarak?! What?? How!”
“Shhh, Father,” Uttarak said in a soft whisper, “Say nothing.”
Jhahnahkan nodded with hesitation not fully awake and not understanding why the man, who only moments ago, had killed him and now had returned to bring him back to life.
Uttarak continued to concentrate on the internal wounds that the power surge had caused and began healing them through the pure crystal he was carrying.
Jhahnahkan reached up and began pulling the electrodes the paramedics had placed to monitor his heart. Alarms sounded as he pulled them off, making the attendants jump. They thought he was in arrest again as the monitor tone droned the sound of death. They smiled as Uttarak helped his father off the ground and saw him stand on his own.
Secret of the Crystal - Omnibus Edition Books 1-3 (Time Travel Adventure) Page 71
