“Thank you Abby. I will take everything you’ve said under advisement.”
“I am sorry that there is not more that I can do to be more positive about this mission. The situation you face is both hard and complex. It is honestly hard to see a path by which success may be achieved.”
“I would agree with you, if we had but your intelligence and my strength to go on, but with the Creator all things are possible.”
Abby smiled wistfully, “Against all of my probability analysis alerts saying otherwise I believe you. Often I have thought it would be a great joy to be human and experience for myself the love your Creator has for you, but as a created system I must content myself with serving those who serve the Creator the best that I can.”
Roric left and Abby starred after him for a moment before deresoluting back into the invisible framework of her network to make preparations for the training of a crew of the last ship of the ancestors.
Roric found Krista in the hot houses tending her flowers.
She saw him coming and a frown appeared across her brow, “Does this grave look of burden I see have anything to do with where you’ve buried yourself all this week my love?”
“Yes.” Was all Roric said as he came to stand beside her and lean his forehead down against hers.
“Can you tell me anything about it? Is there anything I can do to help you?”
“How did I come to be the bearer of the burden of an entire world’s fate?” Roric asked instead sounding weary.
“I guess because God thought you were a big enough man for the job. I certainly think so anyway!”
“You’re sure of that?”
“Absolutely!”
“Well then I need to talk to you about some things that are going to blow your mind. They have mine anyway.” Roric told her everything.
There was little to be gained in the desperate times that they lived in by maintaining the abject secrecy of the ancestor’s still existent technology. In fact if the word leaked out a little it may make their enemies hold back some out of concern for what secrets that could be brought to bear that they did not know of. They walked as he told her all he knew. She seemed to take it all well enough.
Looking up at him she spoke for the first time, “I agree with this Abby. It would be unwise of you to go on the mission, even though I know your heart is set on it. Your people need you to much here and I need you! I honestly don’t know how many more times I can bear to see you go off on missions and not know if you will return with any certainty or not.”
“I know honey. I grow weary of it too. If I don’t go, who do I send in my place?”
“You could send Rolf. He would do everything you asked of him faithfully to the letter.”
Roric sighed, “I know, but I can’t send him. His unyielding personality and appearance would draw to much attention to a mission that will rely on stealth and not being noticed more than anything else. I was thinking about Larc. He’s a fast talker, as well as a charmer. He always manages to get himself out of a tight spot one way or the other and I trust him to do what’s right.”
Krista nodded her agreement with his selection. They walked for a while in silence, “It would probably be best to send Talaric as well. There is the added benefit of him getting along with Larc better than about anyone else. The mission would give him the chance to redeem himself in your eyes and hopefully grow up a little.”
Roric bit his lip not wanting to respond, but he had to, “Honey I can’t trust Talaric on a mission as sensitive as this. He could compromise everything with the way he’s been acting lately.”
Krista responded in a steady tone, “I know and that is why you will have to send Zevin too. So that if or when Talaric makes a mistake, Zevin will be there to do what needs done.”
Roric looked on down the path. Two of his sons sent on a mission that according to Abby had virtually no chance of success. Would he be able to live with himself if even one of his sons was lost?
What if they were both lost?
Who would carry on after him? Gavin would be a fine enough leader during times of peace, but what about a time of war? Sansa wanted nothing more than to be a healer and herbalist. That left his youngest, Ella’nara.
She of the three was most suited for command, being well rounded across a number of dimensions needed for leadership. She was also brilliant intellectually and she better than all her siblings might be able to grasp the complexities of the ancestor’s technology that was likely going to be a part of their lives from here on out.
Worst case scenario she would give the people the best chance for success, but she was yet so young, at but twelve years of age. He really had no choice though.
“It’s settled then.” Roric intoned softly. They continued on their walk, but their tightly gripped together hands held between them gave testament to the tension and unrest of spirit that they both felt at the thought of sending two of their sons away on a mission that they likely wouldn’t return from.
Chapter Seven
Unwanted Journey
I walked toward the structure of the shrine staying behind father, Larc and Talaric. Nine handpicked men by my father followed after me.
The Shrine of Remembrance was a simple structure. It consisted of an elevated platform of stone that was void inside with a floor above. The floor above was an open viewing platform faced out towards the bay. Along the back wall was a giant elongated mural that depicted the arrival of the first settlers to this world. It didn’t show any of the detail that hinted at what we had been briefed on.
The depiction of settlers moving up the beach with the vague outline of a ship in the background and a view of the great mountains in the distance didn’t seem to be hinting at anything greater that need be bothered with. We walked up the broad stairs on the shore side of the shrine. Father went to stand in front of the mural wall and did something with the signet ring on his hand. There was a snapping sound and the center two massive stone pieces of the four that made up the wall the mural was depicted upon began to shift and pivot out toward us and to the side.
Everybody looked at each other as if to say, ‘What just happened?’ A void in the wall had been revealed behind the stones and father stepped into it and motioned for the rest of us to follow.
It was somewhat packed, but once we were in it with him he touched the signet ring and the massive stone pieces slid back into place locking us within the void in the wall.
I was sweating heavily and it was not a good feeling to be enclosed in a small dark space inside a wall that looked very solid and hard to get out of. The space was only dark for a few moments and then the floor we stood on lit up.
How did someone encase what must be the light of a thousand candles beneath a crystal floor?
Slightly after the light came on we started to move downward, rapidly!
It was an odd sensation that I liked even less then the feeling of being enclosed in a small tight space. The platform beneath us came to an abrupt halt and I breathed again.
What had father gotten me into this time?
There was no wall on the one end of the platform we stood on any more. Lights flickered alive everywhere in an ever widening circle of color that illuminated the space all around us. It was a massive cavern like room. Stepping off the platform I came up to the railing of what was essentially a dock slip that was full of water.
There were ten such dock slips and two of them were filled at the far end of the room. Father started out toward the dock slips at the far end of the room. So these were the ships that the Zoarinians had invaded the Valley Lands for.
They were like no ships I had ever seen. How did they sail with no masts or sails? For that matter why didn’t they just sink, as it appeared that they were constructed entirely out of metal?
They had sat in this salt water for who knew how long and the metal didn’t even appear to show any signs of rusting!
The ships were like big metal tubes. As we drew closer to the fir
st one of the strange ships it was to see that it looked as if it had been in a fight with a giant squid and had come out the loser.
Its hull was scratched and dented all over with several gouges that looked rather deep. I hoped we weren’t taking that one anywhere.
The next ship was spotless of any visible defect. Colored lights showed in strips along the sides of the last ship illuminating its outer hull. Father walked down the dock slip alongside of the strange metal beast and grabbed a hold of a smoothly molded railing to start pulling himself up a series of stairs that led up to what appeared to be an opening at the top of the vessel to what lay within its mysterious hull.
There was a platform at the top of the stairs and I arrived at it only to see father already descending through an opening into the vessel itself. Light streamed up at us from the absence of his form passing through it.
Larc, Talaric and I shared a look that stated volumes, as to our unease about what we were experiencing, before following father down through the small opening. I started down and the rest of the men followed behind me. If we had thought our environment strange before, the inside of the vessel took it to a new level of strangeness. Lights illuminated the space in a vast array of colors.
Liquid crystal displays were everywhere glowing with information that astounded the eye and imagination. How had all of this been kept secret from the people for so long?
Father had stopped and appeared to be waiting for something. Suddenly a figure appeared before us out of nowhere! Was it an angel like the one that had visited my father?
The vision of a woman spoke, “It is good to see you once again Roric. Everything is in readiness for your men’s training. The ship appears to be in perfect condition, a testament to the skill of your ancestors to be sure.”
Father turned to us, “Men this is Abby. Abby is ….. It’s complicated to describe but she’s a manifestation of the technology that you see all around you. She is going to teach you how to operate this vessel in preparation for your upcoming mission off world.”
Off world!
What did that mean other than the obvious, but that was impossible!
Larc usually never at a loss for worlds stammered slightly as he asked, “Roric did you say off world?”
Father looked at him gravely, “I did. You are all about to embark on a journey that hasn’t been made in over seven hundred years. You and your men are going back to the original homeworld, Earth. Your mission is to acquire a complete manuscript of the Holy Scriptures and bring it back safely without alerting anyone to your presence or the location of our world. Does that answer your question Larc?”
“Yes I’d say so Sir, but why the Holy Scriptures. What is to be gained other than a greater understanding of our faith by acquiring a full work of the Creator’s words? Is it worth the risk to our people by exposing the location of our world potentially to enemies?”
“You underestimate the impact that the Holy Scriptures will have on our world Larc and yes I think that the words of the Creator are worth the risk. I have for some time now feared that we have become involved in a war that we cannot win by force of arms alone, but by only the strength of faith to aid us will we triumph over this darkness. This new cult is spreading across our land like a plague and the people do not know how to withstand the dark power that it employs to captivate and subjugate them to its evil purposes. In the first world where man was created, the Holy Words were given by the Spirit of the Creator to man to instruct him how to walk by faith and to live righteously. We have some of those words, but only a very few. What we have left is jumbled and unclear in its meaning at times. We few have continued on through the years believing in our Creator by faith, but without the full understanding of why we believe as we do. Inerrant thoughts and faiths such as this new cult have arisen to take advantage of our lack of knowing and without the complete word we cannot refute the lies that they spew in ever increasing volume. We know that the Creator is the Almighty God and the master of everything, but now it is time that we gave our people and the people of this world a chance to know our Creator more fully. If they embrace the new found knowledge, then the few of us who still truly do believe by faith will become many and armed by the power of the entire compilation of the Holy Words. We will be able to overcome any force of darkness and win this entire world for our Creator, not by the sword, but within the very soul of man itself will we conquer.”
We all stared at father spellbound. Was I really supposed to play a pivotal role in something of such importance?
“We do not know what has transpired on Earth since our ancestors were last there, but it could well be a hostile environment that you will be stepping into. Under no circumstances are you to reveal your identity or the location of our world to anyone. If you’re caught, there will be no way that a rescue can even be attempted, because this is the last workable ship left to us. Do not allow this vessel to fall into their hands even at the cost of your own lives. I do not understate it when I say that the fate of our world now rests in your hands. I cannot accompany you on the mission. I am placing Larc in full control of the mission. Abby is going to instruct you individually, as to how to operate this vessel. Does anyone have any questions?”
No one spoke.
“All of you are to stay here for the duration of your training until Abby believes you are able to operate the vessel sufficiently enough. Once your training is complete you will embark on the mission. I will leave you now in Abby’s capable hands so to speak.”
Abby smiled softly.
Roric continued on, “May the Creator bless you all and bring you safely back home with your mission a success. Talaric I need to speak with you a moment up on top alone.”
Father headed for the ladder and brushed by me in the process. He stopped and tapped me on the chest meaningfully and I knew what he meant. He gave me a brief hug and then he was going up the stairs, with Talaric following after him.
Once they were gone Abby stepped out toward us drawing our attention, she smiled charmingly, “If you don’t mind I’d like to know your names. Let’s start with you Sir. What’s your name?” One by one the men gave their names to the beautiful image of technology before them that any of them would have sworn was a real person. Larc, Tenallen, Torren, Sassten, Ronice, Corrigan, Thanic, Ileyano, Janic, Orhanin, Talaric and myself. The men only gave their first names as was the custom of Thunder Ridge.
It didn’t matter what their last names were because anybody in the castle or the village of Ta’arny was considered part of the Ta’lont family and cared for as such.
Abby was speaking, “I won’t add anything to the mission, as you know it. I am going to focus on instructing you all individually on the running of this vessel. When I’m done you’ll be able to operate it and if need be make some minor repairs. There are quarters for you to rest in when the time comes for that. There is also food and drink when you require it. I apologize in that both are quite old, but my scans show that it is still nutritious and unspoiled. How it tastes I leave up to you to determine. I’m sure that it will be an experience one way or the other. Now for the big question that I’m sure you’ve all been wondering about. How does a ship that floats and submerges under water make it from one world to another? Well it’s quite simple to state actually, but far more complex in the actual mechanics of it.”
I had been wondering about that. Something she had said suddenly came to a level of alert panic within my mind.
Submerges!
Oh good Lord give me strength. I looked around at the cramped space and imagined us all sinking beneath the water never to rise again.
Focus Zevin!
I fought back through my panic of thought to hear what Abby was saying.
“Gather around gentlemen.”
She had moved over to a table in the center of the narrow space. We gathered around the table and she began our education.
The forms of two bubbles appeared up out of the table to float upwards and hold station
ary above the table in midair glowing brightly in a 3D matrix of green light. The bubbles were close to each other but not touching. A pointer materialized in Abby’s hand that had a round end on one side. She gently touched one bubble’s surface with the round end of the pointer careful not to break it. Slowly the head of the pointer made its way past the bubble’s surface into the interior space of the bubble and then out its other side as the bubble remained intact.
“Now consider this gentlemen. The two bubbles represent two worlds that are relatively close to each other. Planets that are habitable have to have water to sustain life. If the planet has readily available water in its liquid form on the surface, then it also has water in its atmosphere. Hence the two planets resemble these two bubbles before you, in that the bubbles also have the outer layer of moisture, as can be expected on a planet with an adequate supply of water on its surface. Water along with electricity are the essential ingredients that make up the process known as water vortex travel. If there is not enough water on the surface or in the atmosphere of a planet, water vortex travel can not work. If the bubble I pushed my pointer through first had not had enough moister it would have burst on impact with my pointer. There has to be enough excess moisture to spare that some moisture can be lost from the bubble and yet the integrity of the bubble remain secure in order for this form of travel to work. Now imagine that the end of my pointer is this vessel on this world, which is the bubble you see my pointer inside of. This vessel has to get to this second world or bubble, which in our case is earth. Both worlds have adequate water to make the exchange needed. The next vital ingredient is electric charged power.”
Torren raised a hand and Abby stopped, “Yes Torren?”
“You mentioned electricity earlier and now you mentioned it again. What is it?”
Abby smiled sheepishly, “My apologies I forgot to explain that, thank you for asking Torren. Electricity is what you know as lightening or that shock you get when you rub dry clothes together against each other fast.”
A Warrior's Journey Page 10
