Copula Chronicles: The Complete Collection: Origin, Descend, Ascend, Legacy

by Venessa Kimball

  “What about our bags? How are we going to get them?” asks Elicia.

  Nick shakes his head, “Sorry, hun, but I’m not going out there to get our bags.”

  Briggs replies, “Don’t worry about your bags. What you need is right here.”

  Everyone starts to shuffle around, grabbing a duffle and pulling from the supplies. As I take hold of a bag, I think about what I had in mine on the plane.

  “Sorry about the farm,” says Ezra from behind me.

  His comment doesn’t register right away. “What?”

  Ezra stops pulling from the supplies and peers at me. “The ant farm.”

  I look down at the empty bag in my hands and remember letting them go back in Kyoto. “I let them go.”

  Ezra stops pulling supplies and looks at me. “What?”

  I look up at Ezra and see the concern in his eyes.

  “I let them go. I figured they had a better chance at surviving if they had a choice. I shouldn’t make that choice for them.”

  Ezra is about to say something, but he stops himself and simply nods, letting my choice be without judgment. He makes his way to another set of bins to rummage through. I follow behind him. Ezra takes three canisters of water from the bin and places them in his bag.

  Briggs slides in between us, watching what we take. “You’ll need more than that. Water is in high demand around here,” he says.

  Xander is just ahead of Ezra in the line we have formed to collect goods. “How’d you get all of these supplies?” he asks.

  “Story time after you pack,” Briggs says in return.

  I watch Xander as he grinds his jaw back and forth, frustrated by Briggs’ comment. He looks like he’s ready to rip off Briggs’ head and I can’t blame him for wanting to. It doesn’t take much to set Xander’s mouth off and Briggs is being confrontational with all of us. I look him over; he’s a big guy and he’s on high alert. Something tells me Briggs would not lay down if attacked, even if it was by a guardian. I move around Ezra and slip in between him and Xander. I tug on Xander’s sleeve to get his attention. “Our fight isn’t with them. Save it,” I whisper.

  Xander breathes in deeply through his nose, and then turns away from Briggs and steps toward me. I step back to make space between us, but Xander immediately closes the space again. I try to back up, but space is limited as all of us are shuffling to pack our bags. He holds me captive in his intense gaze as his deep voice resonates, “You’re right.”

  Glad that he sees my logic, I nod and start to turn away; somewhat uncomfortable by how close we are but Xander catches my arm in a strong hold, keeping me from turning. The touch stirs the familiar warmth he radiates along with a tension that has me on guard.

  His voice is deep and low as he speaks, his eyes focused on mine, “No, I meant you’re right about not choosing. I don’t think I could ever be—strong enough, selfless enough—to let someone I love go.”

  I’m taken back by what he’s saying. It’s completely out of left field for him to bring this up. The glint in his eyes is the jealousy I’ve seen too often. Something I’m not expecting now, that’s for damn sure. I pull my arm from his grip and back away from him as he stares at me. “I know for a fact that I could never let go of the one I love.”

  Slowly, he backs away, slinging his duffle over his shoulder before turning away from me. Xander calling me out tests my resolve as his strong words and even stronger meaning soak in. Xander doesn’t get far before Nate steps in front of him, keeping him from escape. “What’s going on?” he asks Xander accusingly.

  The last thing we need is Nate and Xander getting into it right now. I move in on them, stepping between them. “It’s fine. Nothing is going on,” I tell Nate, looking up at him. That’s when I notice his eyes. Their crystal-clear blue has turned murky and the eyes that have always been home to me appear foreign and dark. The hard stare he holds Xander in is unbroken by my words. I take hold of his arm to try to break the spell he seems to be under. “Hey Nate. Are you all right?”

  Nate pulls his arms away from my grasp, like I’ve electrocuted him. He backs away slightly and bumps into Luke before rolling away from him and back into me. His delirium has Xander anxious as much as it has me, as he calls his name trying to bring sense to him.“ Nate.”

  Xander takes hold of Nate and moves him to a muted corner of the barracks. I stay close to both of them, looking around us to make sure no one has seen Nate’s reaction. Sam has stopped packing his duffle so I know he’s seen what’s transpiring. Xander lowers his voice just barely above a whisper, “Nate, man, what is going on?”

  Nate’s blinks and mumbles, “I um—I don’t—”

  He continues to stammer, looking between us. His eyes! They are back to normal, no longer murky. What the hell is going on?

  Nate clears his throat, “I just spaced out for a minute.”

  I look at Xander sideways and see the reflection of worry in his eyes. Keeping my voice low, I tell Nate, “Your eyes, they looked—”

  “Uh, excuse me, but you can talk later. Boots are over here. Grab one pair of socks. Don’t be choosy up in here.This isn’t some kind of fucking fashion show.”

  Nate glances at Xander then me, seeing the concern on our faces. He rakes his hand through his hair and rests it at the base of his neck before he utters, “I’m okay. Just—tired.”

  Nate looks down at Xander’s hand still grasping his arm, then up at him. “Xander, I’m fine,” Nate whispers sincerely.

  Reluctantly, Xander releases his arm, letting him move past us toward the supply line.

  Xander watches him slip back into line behind Nick. The way he is studying him, I know he saw Nate’s eyes and he’s just as concerned as I am right now. A flame of fear sparks within me, the steady burn of worry about what just happened.

  CHAPTER 9: LIKE OLD TIMES

  Jesca

  I keep telling myself the faster we pack, the sooner we can talk as I open my duffle and start filling it haphazardly––pants, a top, socks, boots, food, and a few bottles of water. I wasn’t hallucinating, Nate’s eyes did change. I zip up the bag and take it to Briggs. “Where do I put this?”

  Briggs drags his eyes from me to the rest of the guardians, “When you are packed follow me. We need to load our bags, and then we can have our little pow-wow.”

  We zigzagged down what could easily be about fifty yards of trail, much like the trails in the Nevada facility. I walk behind Nate, my eyes peeled for anything off. Xander is walking right behind me, doing the same I’m sure. I watch Nate’s stride, see if it is different, sluggish, something, anything. Suddenly, his pace slows, and I’m on him, walking alongside, just as a precaution if he zones out again. Unexpectedly, Nate takes a hold of my hand and intertwines our fingers firmly. Taken off guard, I look behind Nate and me out of the corner of my eye, and see Xander’s eyes focused on our joined hands. He meets my eyes just for a moment before sending his gaze straight ahead––an attempt to ignore what he saw. He won’t ignore it though, I know him too well. Shit, I can’t ignore it and I can’t ignore the memories Nate’s touch is bringing back. Needing to break the connection not only for the sake of Xander, but for Nate and myself, I try to loosen my hand from his, but he runs his thumb over the top of my hand and tightens his grip. “Remember when we first met, walking down that hall in the facility before our debriefing?”

  Feeling captured in his hold and his memory, I’m catapulted back to the moment I met him, Flashes of our time in the facility rolodex through my mind. Instinctually, my lips stretch into a half smile, somewhat out of nervousness. “It feels like forever ago,” I say softly.

  Nate’s laughs a little as he lowers his head to look at the ground as we walk. “Yeah, it does.”

  He squeezes my hand firmly once more before releasing it. And just that quickly, I’m pulled out of the memory. I shouldn’t wonder why he let
go. Shouldn’t be missing his hand in mine, but I do. Nate tucks his hands in the pockets of his pants and continues walking by my side. I watch his smile slowly fade as we walk on. With my hand free now, I look back at Xander to see if he caught Nate releasing it, but he’s talking with Jake.

  Returning to Nate, I ask, “What are you thinking?”

  He looks over at me, his bright eyes having returned. “What, you can’t get in my head?”

  The familiar teasing grin Nate coins is relieving to see. I grin back as I look ahead. “Ha, ha, ha. Funny. You know I can’t.”

  Glancing at him, I suddenly see his charming smile release and settle into a grimace. The sudden shift in his expression makes my chest tighten. “What?” I ask.

  He chooses his words carefully as he speaks to me. “No matter what we will always have those memories. Even if it is for only a short time, right?”

  Why does he sound like he’s saying goodbye? My questioning gaze is stuck on him for a moment, until I drag my burning eyes down to the ground. I breathe in deep, needing the air to respond. “Yeah, why wouldn’t we?”

  Still looking straight ahead he shrugs, “I don’t know. Just—thank you,” he whispers shakily. The quiver in his voice is not Nate at all and I’m left speechless as he walks ahead of me. I think about catching up to ask him to ask him why he’s thanking me, but I stay behind. Too fucking scared of the answer I might get I guess.

  ***

  The rest of the trek is quick with Nate ahead of me and Xander behind. The flat black, extended cargo trucks are at the lowest level of the compound. This must be what is going to take us out of here.

  “How do we get out of the compound?” asks Sebastian.

  Briggs answers, “From a cutout in the back side of this mountain. We have trailed down to a level in the mountain where it plateaus onto flat land.”

  I’m fascinated with how much Briggs knows about this mountain and how it sets on the land in regards to the flat lands behind it.

  “You really know this compound inside and out,” Ezra acknowledges.

  With his arms crossed, Briggs answers, “When you and your team have a year with nothing else to do except stay alive and dig, you learn more than you want to know about your circumstances and surroundings.”

  After loading the trucks, Briggs leads us into a small cavity off to the right. The cavernous room is lined with crated cargo, more than likely supplies. I glance between Sebastian and Ezra then straight at Daniel and say, “Tell us everything about the Legacy. I know you kept it from us for our own safety, but now it is our only salvation and I need to know how to fulfill it. Each of us here is directly involved. The legacy has spread further than the Onoch bloodline.”

  I turn to include Xander. “You did it to save us in the forest.”

  My eyes move to Nate, then back to Ezra. “You sacrificed yourselves to save me and seal the wormhole.”

  I peer at Sam and Corinna standing off to the side. “And Sam helped bring us back from beyond the veil.”

  I seek out Siobhan leaning on a cargo trunk off to the side with Jake. “Angela did it to save us all. Why? Because we each have a connection to each other and this legacy. Some connections are unbreakable no matter what.”

  My eyes seek out Xander and Nate again. “Even when a link is broken.”

  Realizing I just said that aloud, and looked at both of the men I love when I said it, I quickly turn to face Sebastian, Ezra and Daniel. “Forget about the manufactured links of the old Copulas for a second. We don’t have them any more with the new Copulas, but what if a cosmic link happened long before any manufactured link? What if it started with our families, our ancestors? I’ve been seeing things from the past in my sleep. Roan and Delilah taking me to the mounds as a child, then the vision shifts. I’m lying on the dirt of a domed cave. There is a fire pit and an old man with tattoos on his face. He’s chanting.”

  I look at Monica off in the corner. “Monica has seen things also.”

  Monica tightens her lips, but doesn’t deny her experience.

  Siobhan pushes off the trunk. “I haven’t seen anything, just heard things in my sleep on the plane. Chanting.”

  “I heard the same thing in my mind when we got off the plane,” adds Elicia.

  Sam acknowledges, “Before I woke in the facility, after we made it back to our world, I was lying in a small, dark place, the only light coming from a flaming fire pit.” He somberly looks at Corinna as she takes his hand in hers and squeezes.

  Luke adds, “I saw the same image while on the plane.”

  Xander clears his throat and puts his hands in his pockets before he speaks. “When Jes, Nate and I came back through the wormhole, I remember holding their hands, waiting for someone to save us. When I lost consciousness, I saw a cave entrance, then a tunnel. I was walking through it, going down into a small room. I came eye to eye with a woman. She was dressed in some kind of hide and her eyes, they were green like Jes’.”

  Xander glances at me. “Even though my mind was telling me to go back through the tunnel, go back to Jes and Nate, I couldn’t. I felt stuck, immoveable in her presence. I felt like I never wanted to leave her.”

  Suddenly, Xander clears his throat and turns away from me as he refocuses on Sebastian. “This is what we are experiencing. Yes, you told us how the mounds fascinated you as a child, how you wanted to learn more and discovered too much about the Sanderson family and how they were involved with our ancient Indian ancestors. You told us your theory of how our ancestors had trusted beings beyond our world to bring salvation when we needed it. Something you haven’t told us is how to use this legacy to save ourselves.”

  “We don’t know how to use it,” Sebastian shoots back.

  I can’t believe that we know nothing. “Maybe our dreams, our visions, will give us clues. So far we have a princess, an old Indian chanting, a cave with a fire pit.”

  Daniel chimes in, “A kiva.”

  “What?”

  “The cave with the fire pit is called a kiva,” Daniel says plainly.

  I make note as I continue, “Okay, kiva. Maybe these are clues, puzzle pieces. Not all of us have had these visions, but those that have need to tell us what they have seen.”

  I look at Sebastian pointedly and ask directly, “You said that you were fascinated with the Etowah Mounds. How did that start? What have you seen that you’re not telling us Sebastian?”

  CHAPTER 10: VISIONS

  Sebastian

  Jesca surveys my face, looking for an explanation, a shift in my expression, anything that could give her a clue as to how to save us from our end of days. Her question, “What have you seen, Sebastian?” is absolute and demands the truth that I’ve been withholding.

  “When I was a child, it did not mean the same as it does now. The meaning evolved as I matured.”

  I look at each of the guardians watching me, waiting for any bit of hope from what I’ve seen. I close my eyes and tell them. “I watch two strong, tan hands striking a rawhide drum in turn. Native American Indians dressed in deerskin move quickly among their huts. The looks in their eyes is that of fear. They are expecting something, a change.

  With bows, arrows, tomahawks and battling clubs in hand, the tribal warriors gather in the village center.

  I feel my body and mind carried away to a hilltop suddenly. I still hear the sound of the even drum beat, but it is farther away now. I notice a young boy, about five or six years old. He is perched on a rock palisade surrounding the tribe’s village. He has paint, markings on his face, just like his warrior forefathers. The boy looks out into the distance covering the vast amount of land with his keen eyes.

  Watching his eye movement, they dart to one spot in the distance all of a sudden. His brows knit together, concentrating on what he is seeing. I begin to track his gaze just as I hear a splash in the nearby river. Horses and
men dressed in uniform, weapons held high as they approach the village. The boy turns toward his village, crying out a warning to his people.”

  I take a sip of water to quench my dry throat before I continue my retelling. “They were being attacked by men from a foreign land. The emotions of this boy, these people, I feel them all just as if I was there at that ancient time among them experiencing their anxiety. The warriors, they are forming a blockade with their bodies to try and stop the invasion. Each of them shares similar markings on their faces and arms; Creek Indian symbols.”

  Remembering the soldiers who had chosen to fight by the natives’ side, I continue my recollection for the guardians. “There were white men among them, like those that were invading. They wore the marks and symbols like the Creeks and stood with them against their own people.

  There is one man, a white man, marked with the symbols of the Creek exiting a thatched hut with a native woman and young girl. The girl, she resembles the woman, her mother maybe. The painted white man runs alongside of the woman and young girl behind the barricade of warriors, toward the largest of the ancient mounds. Once they are there, the man tells the woman and girl to hurry into the depth of the mound through a tunnel.”

  My eyes meet Xander’s, remembering that he was the one who experienced the girl. I speak to him, “As I watch the mother and daughter walk through the tunnel, I see them climb down a laddered shaft and into a kiva. As a child, I did not know this word and what it meant to their people. It took me time to learn about the meaning of the kiva, how it is a sacred place of rituals. The mother and daughter enter the sacred room. This is what you saw, Xander.”

  Peering at me with extreme intensity, Xander nods as he reflects on seeing the girl in his own vision.

  Siobhan interrupts, “What about the man? Why didn’t he go with them?”

  “Those that are not native to the tribe may not enter a kiva. It is tribal law.”

  Luke adds, “It is also tribal law of the mound builders to only allow men in the kivas for ceremonies unless the women must witness a specific ceremony. The kivas are used for calling forth spirits in the evocation of a prayer. Kivas are symbolic of our world, the present world, connecting with the other worlds through the hatchway above the fire in this case.”