Dark Rain: Book 1 of The Aetherium Saga

by Jilly MacKenzie

  A heart-wrenching scream seared through her mind, a scream so painful that it almost seemed like it was from a stranger, until she saw herself. It was the night of her nightmares. She was kneeled beside Leo’s pulverised remains, singing a shaky lullaby.

  I saw you that night. She was bashing Deryks face with her fists. He was already unconscious. I was there, and she watched as a blinding white light fired into her from above, like a windy spotlight.

  I tried to show myself to you, many times, she was watching herself sleep at Drakestoke, and she remembered the fragmented dreams of him. Then she was crying against the silhouette of him during lightning storms. She saw electric energy being pulled from her body during her electrotherapy. Unknown to you at the time, I had been sparing you from suffering, while also powering myself, he admitted.

  She then saw the masquerade, and with that energy… I was finally able to feel your skin on mine. Her fingers were tracing over his arms. Static sparks. His masked blue eyes. Dancing, touching, moving in unison. You’ve known the same pain I have, she saw Deryk being held still as she disembowelled him. And you’re ruled by the same fire I am. Suddenly her mask was being carved from her face, and her viewpoint flicked between that image of torture, and a battle in Eden. Winged clashes in the sky, to a knife prying a mask from flesh. Raining feathers, and her own screams. I was unable to save you from suffering that once. She felt his anger and regret, and she mentally forgave him tenfold than she already had. Never again will I let you down, he vowed.

  He pulled his consciousness away from her, and her vision was brought back to a dim cave entrance, and Marduk stood like a forlorn marble statue before her. Eyeing her cautiously, unsure of how she viewed him now.

  She had seen herself through his eyes. Felt her own pain with his heart. And to him, she was beautiful, and important, and worth saving time and time again. Worth loving. Panting heavily and teary eyed from the revelations, Anubis reached forward and held his cheek, smiling through her tears.

  ‘Marduk...’ she breathed, snaking her fingers into the wet hair behind his head, ‘I see now. I see you now.’ And with a huff of relief, he stepped forward and clamped his lips onto hers in a relieved and gladsome kiss.

  Chapter 34

  A New Hope

  The IGS prisoners from Nordvik, staff and splices alike, had undergone thorough personality and psychological analysis, and those that failed were subsequently sentenced to work in the Saboteur base, or imprisonment at another facility, jointly owned by ECIT. All twenty-one splices had passed the tests, and jumped at the opportunity to serve in the Saboteur ranks. And they had begun their training with determination and vigour.

  Out of the nine IGS staff captured, five had passed. Lie detectors had confirmed that they were genuinely regretful of their involvement in the eugenics program. The female scientist that Wyatt had captured, Marina Rozanov, was one such repenter.

  She had proved useful in divulging her company secrets, and revealing more global eugenics centre locations.

  ‘Super soldiers,’ she stated, leaning back in her seat. ‘Taking the very best from other species and merging those traits into our own genetic code. Voila, new, better, stronger creations.’

  ‘It wasn’t so simple,’ Axel growled, ‘Decades of failed attempts. I’ve seen broken forms struggling for only fleeting moments. Some lingered for much longer. Not meaning to belong. Wishing for death.’

  ‘Well… damn, Axel…’ Wyatt groaned in both disbelief and disgust.

  ‘Yes... Well, you definitely seem...’ she paused and looked Axel up and down, ‘As perfect as eugenically possible.’

  Axel leapt forward and grabbed her throat, ‘I am not perfect!’ he roared, ‘I almost killed somebody I love!’ Wyatt intervened, smirking with amusement at Rozanov’s fearful face as she was being choked.

  ‘Axel...’ he cautioned as he guided his furious friend’s arm away. Rozanov coughed and rubbed her neck, eyeing Axel’s retreat warily.

  ‘I can believe that,’ she croaked. ‘We never should have used wolves… The animalistic aggression has definitely carried in you.’

  Saving his friend the menial task, Wyatt clipped her over the head with his palm, causing her to hiss in shock.

  ‘And full blood humans aren’t capable of compulsive aggression?’ he mused, ‘For a scientist, you’re quite the dumbass.’

  ‘Tampering with our code...’ Matthews muttered under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief. She nodded thoughtfully with a defiant smile.

  ‘If you want to argue ethics, Director, aren’t medical treatments also tampering? Operations, vaccines? IGS began as a means to righting the wrong in our species. Ensuring that the fittest, are worthy of survival.’

  ‘You going against us now, Rozanov?’ Wyatt probed, narrowing his eyes.

  ‘No,’ she insisted. ‘But don’t be so blind that you cannot acknowledge the innocent beginnings of such things.’

  Matthews and Wyatt nodded, ‘Playing god is not the answer though,’ Matthews cautioned, ‘Our friends over at ECIT know that all too well.’

  ‘Oh yes, the Anunnaki...’ she mocked, rolling her eyes, ‘You honestly believed those leaked ramblings of those nerdy stargazers. Our creators are aliens?’ she laughed.

  ‘Yes, I do,’ Matthews glared with seriousness, ‘I’ve heard the signals. I’m privy to information you cannot even fathom.’

  ‘False, and fake,’ she emphasised slowly, with a grin which irritated Matthews, causing him too to clip her over the head.

  ‘It’s liberating isn’t it?’ Wyatt chuckled victoriously, until he too was issued with a swift strike from Matthews. Axel snorted with a laugh, rolling his eyes, ‘What is all this, about aliens?’ he puzzled. ‘You guys are joking right?’

  Matthews shook his head slowly, ‘It’s about time you both know,’ he began. ‘Wyatt. As my second, you must know the truth of the current situation.’

  ‘Know what? That we were created by Martians?’ Wyatt jibed. Matthews frowned with amusement, then muttered softly into the OBdevice on his arm.

  ‘Let him in.’

  A middle-aged informant for ECIT entered, and reached to receive a firm handshake from Matthews, ‘Good to see you again, Matthews,’ the informant greeted with an American accent, and Matthews nodded an acknowledgment.

  ‘Lopez,’ he affirmed. ‘Kindly fill my colleagues in on the current situation.’

  ‘My pleasure,’ Lopez agreed, and took a seat beside Matthews, but he stood again in surprise when he noticed Rozanov’s IGS insignia on her lab coat sleeve.

  ‘She’s here as a prisoner, right? Where’s her cuffs?’ He puzzled.

  Axel huffed, ‘If only...’

  Rozanov rolled her eyes, avoiding the informer’s fierce gaze.

  ‘She and her colleagues are working for us now,’ Wyatt explained.

  ‘Kind of...’ Matthews corrected, ‘They’re on probation.’

  Lopez narrowed his eyes accusingly at Rozanov, as he settled once more into his seat, ‘They are the reason we’re in this mess.’

  ‘How?’ Wyatt quizzed, ‘What mess?’

  ‘Divine wrath,’ he replied pointedly, and Matthews nodded slowly beside him in agreement.

  ‘The Anunnaki?’ Axel puzzled, not wanting to believe that he could potentially be the creation of a creation. A double freak...

  ‘Oh come on!’ scoffed Wyatt, throwing his arms out as if to physically repel their outrageous claims.

  ‘It’s true. The gods and kings of our ancient past... they’re all as real as you and me. Flesh and blood. Living beings, of exceptional abilities,’ Lopez explained coolly, and pointed with contempt at Rozanov, ‘And you can thank her and her infernal IGS for the impending apocalypse.’

  Wyatt frowned, ‘You really believe this crap, Matthews?’

  ‘Yes, you pillock! You think this is a mick take, do you? Am I having you on?’ Matthews snapped, his English accent coming out in full force in his anger.

  Wyatt raised a
n eyebrow and settled back in his seat, ready to hear more of the absurd tales.

  ‘I’ve heard the signals, Wyatt,’ Matthews continued in a softer tone, ‘I’ve heard the fragments of their old as fuck language. A language that ain’t ever been used on Earth. Warnings. Telling us of future plans to destroy us. All of us.’

  ‘Because of her...?’ Wyatt gestured mockingly to Rozanov, and Lopez rolled his eyes.

  ‘Because of the IGS and what they’ve been doing for the past 70 years,’ Lopez began. ‘Because of their genetic games. Toying with creation, and controlling human evolution. Culling weaknesses and undesirables from the breeding population. Creating new beings,’ he looked warily at Axel.

  ‘The IGS have built this new age of human optimisation, and crowned themselves as gods of Earth,’ he continued in a low tone, ‘And the original cosmic creators... the real gods... they’re not impressed.’

  There was a long pause as they all digested the revelations, and allowed the weight of the current crisis to sink in. Rozanov shifted uncomfortably as all eyes moved to her.

  ‘What!’ she snapped, ‘I didn’t know any of that!’ she exclaimed, crossing her arms and positioning herself away from their accusing gazes. Sulking, but also just as inexplicably frightened of the unforeseen doom as everyone else.

  ‘So… out of ten, how fucked are we, Lopez?’ Wyatt probed, trying to diffuse the tension with humour. The group silently braced themselves for an equally hopeless answer, but were surprised by the informer’s light response.

  ‘Hm… maybe a six?’ He shrugged.

  ‘Six!’ Matthews spat, voicing everybody’s collective thoughts, ‘That good of a chance yeah?’

  ‘Right now... yeah,’ Lopez nodded with a smile, ‘It’s why I’ve come today actually, Matthews. ECIT has recently discovered that we have allies in high places. Literally,’ he emphasised with a finger pointing upwards.

  ‘Really?’ Matthews raised his brows in surprise, ‘How did that happen?’

  ‘Not sure, but our new ambassador has established an alliance of some form with one of their princes.’ Axel and Wyatt shared exaggerated looks of bemusement, mouthing the word ‘prince’ to one another.

  ‘I’d like to meet with your ambassador,’ Matthews rubbed his beard thoughtfully, ‘Quite an achievement they’ve accomplished.’

  ‘Ambassador Falkirk is currently in hiding with her companions, while we work on their notoriety rating,’ Lopez explained, ‘They had a… couple of run-ins with the IGS a few weeks back.’

  Wyatt laughed, ‘Sounds like my kind of gig. Matthews, I’d like to volunteer as the Saboteur representative for this ECIT Ambassador,’ he declared with pride.

  ‘I would like to go myself,’ Matthews countered in a low tone.

  ‘The Saboteurs need you here, Matthews, with this new influx of recruits. But you can spare me and Axel for such a mission.’ Matthews nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Lopez.

  ‘Would ECIT allow such a visit with the ambassador at her secure location?’

  ‘I believe so,’ Lopez nodded, ‘You are our allies, and therefore you are also the Anunnaki prince’s allies. It makes sense you would request a meeting, for the interests of your organisation. I’ll make the necessary arrangements, and disclose the location to you shortly.’

  Wyatt nudged Axel, ‘A top secret quest, a shady ambassador, and an alien price,’ he laughed.

  ‘Should be interesting,’ Axel grinned, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

  ***

  ‘I know of her organisation. ECIT,’ Horus revealed, after Marduk proposed to the Watchers that Lenore and Deacon join the fight against the Tiamatians.

  ‘The Rogues have interacted with them occasionally,’ Horus continued, ‘Dropping them pieces of information and guidance.’

  ‘As well as many random humans...’ Isimud muttered with disdain.

  ‘You can blame the Zetans for most of it,’ Horus defended, ‘Rogues specialise in guidance. We help and protect. Those grey vermin are responsible for all the barbaric occurrences. We cannot defend every inch of Earth at all times. Zetans are exhaustingly curious and persistent. They’ll never tire of hounding and experimenting on our creations.’

  ‘I found a group stranded on Earth once,’ Marduk recalled, ‘They had burnt some of a farming family, removed the skin on some, and cut open their animals… They cowered in fear in the empty house, and I took pleasure in killing them. Barbaric creatures… they hold nothing but ill-will to all life.’

  ‘After your Fall?’ Horus probed.

  ‘Yes,’ Marduk nodded, smiling, ‘they are no match for even a powerless Anuna.’

  ‘I’ve never fought them off-ship,’ Horus admitted, ‘It’s always their spacecrafts against our spacecrafts, which is, I must admit, an uncomfortably even fight.’

  ‘Wait, your encounter with them may be useful in the fight ahead, Marduk,’ Isimud assessed, ‘How were they defeated?’

  Marduk breathed, remembering the event in as much detail as he could.

  ‘There were four of them, and the mere sight of me played to my advantage at first, because they scattered around the house. Making it easier for me to take them down one by one. They were still communicating with each other, both by telepathy and their sonar clicks.’ Marduk smiled, ‘Their plasma pulses cause minor burns to my skin, and vaporise clothing quickly. But the plasma kills them instantly.’

  ‘You got a weapon from one of them?’ Horus quizzed with amusement, and Marduk nodded.

  ‘Interesting,’ Isimud began, ‘They must make their weapons to their own testing standards. If they are able to kill their own with them instantly, they deem them powerful enough.’

  ‘How wrong they were,’ Horus laughed.

  ‘Seemed like they kill humans with a few bursts, the human corpses showed burns of varying degrees,’ Marduk revealed.

  ‘But they did not have the same effect on you? Even in, forgive me my lord… your condition?’ Isimud queried warily.

  ‘No, just minor burns. Stings more like. I was able to approach and capture them before they even began to do more major damage.’

  ‘And when you caught them?’ Horus probed, and Marduk grinned widely.

  ‘Their slender bones break easily,’ Marduk chuckled, ‘And their flesh fell away like rain-soaked tree bark under my fingers. They are weak in close combat. Like tender infants.’

  Isimud nodded thoughtfully, ‘But we cannot base our knowledge of their warfare on the abandoned group of four you encountered.’

  ‘We know the full capability of their spacecrafts though,’ Horus added, ‘Long range electromagnetic pulses, and focused lasers. They do as much damage as our own give.’

  ‘We can expect that they will utilise that in the coming war then,’ Isimud assumed, and Horus and Marduk nodded in agreement.

  ‘Can Lenore Falkirk, and Deacon Raynes be trusted?’ Isimud continued.

  ‘Yes,’ Marduk stated confidently, ‘She is a trusted friend of my Chosen. Or are you now going ask if my Chosen can be trusted?’

  Isimud sighed in resignation at Marduk’s quick defensiveness, as Nanaya entered the cavernous assembly chambers, her swaying hips and flowing black hair catching Horus’ eyes.

  Isimud rose to his feet, exhausted with the numerous assemblies he had held over the past couple weeks, ‘Lenore Falkirk, and her superior, Deacon Raynes, can speak at our council.’

  ‘My thanks,’ Marduk smirked as Isimud left the assembly hall, acknowledging Nanaya with a nod on his way out.

  ‘Are you going to need help to bring them here, my lord?’ Nanaya asked warily, knowing that Marduk’s current post-Fall state could not support the aetheration of himself, and two others. He nodded appreciatively, ‘Thank you, Nanaya’ and then he rose to his feet, and clapped a farewell on his son’s armoured shoulder before aetherating.

  He appeared outside in the main plaza, and was momentarily fixated on the brightness of the aether in the midday sun. The bright Eden afternoon
bounced off the polished granite and pale alabaster of the countless pillars, temples and ziggurats. The waterfalls, which poured down the sides of buildings and bridges, shone iridescent blue with aether.

  Nanaya approached him, and he looked down, recalling all of the times she and the other Watchers had commented on his disconnected state.

  ‘My lack of connection to the universal aether is beginning to make me feel rather... inadequate,’ he complained as he walked slowly across the plaza and settled down on a stone bench.

  ‘No, Marduk,’ she cooed, ‘You are not. You will be your true self once again. Just have patience.’

  ‘You keep saying that, but I don’t see my grandfather here to restore me. If he can restore me...’

  Nanaya seemed momentarily far away, as if deep in thought.

  He sighed, ‘It probably can never be reversed. I’ll never wield Imhullu again,’ he lamented. ‘I would bestow my weapons to you if you were adept at the sword and bow. But you always settle for that little claw of yours,’ he chuckled.

  Her eyes flashed with feigned fury, ‘Emesa, has drank many an enemy’s blood,’ she hissed, shifting a bare leg to reveal her curved silver dagger holstered to her calf. He laughed, but his face quickly became downcast once more.

  Nanaya sighed, ‘I have seen your power. I can feel it. Your will is your power. You drove away Sin and his followers from this place, and you were only on borrowed aether. You are blind to your own glory, Marduk. You will be restored. Have faith.’

  Those last words echoed a memory within his thoughts, and the image of a long dead friend sprang to Marduk’s mind. Godric. I have learned so much from you, old friend. Embraced your ways. Your compassion. Your will. Your faith. However small they are in me, they are there. Rooted. Now I must allow them to flourish.

  A large yellow-eyed owl landed on the wall beside Nanaya. Regarding the pair with an unmoving gaze.

  ‘One of yours?’ Marduk assumed.

  Nanaya smiled and stroked the owls soft, feathered breast, ‘Yes, my favourite, Lilith. Queen of the Night.’

  Marduk leaned back against the stone bench, and looked up to the drifting clouds above. Listening to the soft murmurings of Nanaya addressing Lilith.