45
J-Quadrant, Solar System - Flood of Dawn, Callisto
Jaxx had a hand on his hip and held the large book against his chest. He’d just run a great distance uphill, following the slate rock path that led him past forests, empty adobes, and a myriad of glass temples that were filled to the brim with scrolls and books, until finally making it to the top temple and inside where Liberty stood. She studied coordinates and troop movements displayed in a hologram just above a large, round table. High officials surrounded her, studying the hologram as well.
Grenik, Bogle, and Rivkah were nowhere to be seen.
Liberty ran her finger over a mass of Kelhoon troops and dragged an arrow near a hill. “Our transport crafts will drop Din Team here. Din Team will flank the Kelhoons at this spot, more or less to distract the Kelhoons.” She looked up. “We’ve found that the Kelhoons learn quickly and adjust appropriately, so this will need to be a fast hit.” She drew a line across the hologram and circled one of the pyramids. “Sey Team teleports and exits East Rise’s Akmon Pyramid. Once Sey Team is in position, we search for as many survivors as we can. We’ll have Ehep Starfighter Squadron inbound the moment Sey Team teleports in. Ehep will strike the Kelhoon from the rear and trap them in front of Din Team.” She glanced at Jaxx. “You’re Dut Team, if you so wish to join us in the fight. If you do wish to join us, then you’re on standby.”
“Too many names. Too much strategy. I’m not a warrior. I’m an archeologist…”
Liberty smiled. “You’re the key, Kaden Jaxx. You’ve always been the key.”
He didn’t want to join a war, a battle where his fate—his death—decided the outcome. “Why am I the key?”
“A half-human, half-Atlantean’s DNA. That’s the key.”
“You mentioned Fox.”
“There’s only two of you and Fox isn’t as stable as you. He’d create chaos. You’d create stability and peace.”
“What is it that I’d do?” He cut himself off, his eyes brightening. He remembered the loophole. “Fox isn’t here anymore and Dut Team—Second Team...” he wanted to remind her that he knew Atlantean, “can only work with Rivkah, Bogle, Fox, and me.” He tapped the book, telling her he’d read it. Well, a few pages, and with Fox out of the picture, his destiny to give his life to save theirs—the shitty plan he wasn’t at all thrilled with—would no longer be an option. He could go ahead with the other plan to follow the star coordinates and figure out his next steps after that. Perhaps they led him somewhere that had the alternate method spread out before him.
Liberty dipped her head. “He’s on his way back.”
Jaxx’s heart dropped. This wasn’t good. “Oh, I see.” Yet, it couldn’t be. Why would Fox exit the exosphere and come right back? He wouldn’t defy any higher ranked officer in the Secret Space Program. He was soldier through and through. He took orders from the SSP higher ranks as if they were straight from God.
All eyes turned to Jaxx, as if the commanders had also read what Liberty read—his mind. She spoke, her eyes calm and steady. “You do not wish to proceed with the prophecy?”
Jaxx shook his head like a wet dog. Hell no. Who would? “I wish to help in another way.”
Liberty snapped her fingers and the hologram disappeared. She took an elegant stride forward. “Perhaps if we showed you first hand the terror these Kelhoon have wrought upon our people, then you would change your mind and enter the pyramid coffer?”
“I understand your plight.” He didn’t. “But I just want to live a wee bit longer.” He put his thumb and finger up, showing her a small space in between them.
“You’ll live.” She touched her chest. “You’ll live in our hearts for eternity. Statues, bridges, and temples will be built in your honor. People will sing songs about you. Oh, you will live forever.”
“I understand and thank you. That’s flattering. I just have a few hang ups about it.” Jaxx went to walk away, but was held in place by some force of nature he couldn’t break. He winced, doing his best to trudge forward, but a paralysis set in, anchoring him to the floor. “Let me go.”
“I can’t, Jaxx,” responded Liberty. “Your DNA forbids it. It’s not only us who wants you to live your destiny. It’s your DNA. You’ve been programmed since you were a child.”
“Well, turn the program off. This book I’m holding says there’s another way.”
“We didn’t program it in you, Jaxx. The Law of One did. Your body knows there’s not enough time to go on a trip to the stars, flying from coordinate to coordinate and sector to sector.” She touched his back, her expression lack, her chin trembling. “You’re truly amazing. You’re the seat of our souls.”
“The seat of...what the hell does that mean?”
He tried to break free, he tried to kick out of this gripping force that rooted him in one spot. Nothing worked, nothing gave way.
A door opened and in came four people carrying an ornate chair on a platform, long wood rods were on each side and resting on their shoulders. Their shoes clacked on the tile flooring, getting louder the closer they came. They rested the chair on the ground and stepped to the side, smiling. The two men who Liberty had ordered to take Jaxx to the coffers lifted him off the ground and gently placed him on the chair.
“Please don’t do this, Liberty. I can help in another way.”
Liberty gave him an odd look. “Yes, this is the way you can help us. You’ve chosen.”
“I did not choose to die.”
“I know,” replied Liberty.
“Then what’re you doing? Let me live.”
She clapped her hands together. “Excellent.” The chair lifted in the air, this time hovering on its own. It turned, heading for the light seeping through the open doors. To Jaxx, living in infamy wasn’t by dying for people he barely knew.
“Don’t worry, Jaxx,” said Liberty, “I’ll be watching when you transfer over.”
“Transfer over?” The chair hovered through the doorway and out into an open meadow where an SF-13 Air Wing sat. Tall grass hid the landing gear and touched the starfighter’s belly. The chair descended to the ground.
Jaxx stood and turned, facing the temple. His body relaxed. He had read Liberty wrong. He was indeed going to the coordinates, and apparently in an Air Wing.
Liberty walked out. “Get into your Air Wing and you’ll be shown what to do next.” She bowed. “Thank you for being in service to us.”
He walked to his Air Wing, pulled himself on top of the wing, and climbed into the cockpit. A helmet on his seat and he placed it over his head. Starting the boosters, Jaxx gave Liberty and the few commanders a thumbs up.
“The helmet is connected to my mind,” came Liberty’s voice. “Fly to the coordinates on your holographic control display.”
A map materialized on the corner of the flight console. Jaxx narrowed his eyes. Never mind. This wasn’t good. “The coordinates are on Callisto. I thought I was going to the stars?”
“We don’t have time for that. The coordinates are to our great pyramid’s apex.”
Jaxx’s shoulder’s drooped. “So, I’m giving away my life?”
“You’re being in service.”
Shit. “What if I decline?”
“Your ship is already set to the coordinates. You have given us your choice and we’re setting that choice into motion.”
The Air Wing rose. “No, wait! I decided against it. You know I did. Stop this thing!” He pounded against the cockpit window.
“There’s no stopping, there’s only doing. Now, Jaxx, you’ve decided against the transmutation of your DNA to end the darkness in the Beings who are currently attacking us. That we understand and we applaud your choice.”
The starfighter blasted forward, heading through an opening in the glass dome’s wall. “Then where am I going?”
“You’re going on the second route, the second idea to end the war and bring peace to our civilization once again.”
“You just said I was—” Jaxx paused,
more confused than ever, but if he was taking a second route, then he wasn’t going to question anymore.
His Air Wing exited the domed city and zipped forward, heading for the great pyramid where a mess of beings amassed, entering through a large opening at the pyramid’s base.
A golden light enveloped the cockpit. A white flash and then darkness.
He gasped, looking around, seeing stars and Jupiter in front of him.
“I didn’t go far.” He patted himself. “And I’m alive?”
“Very much so,” responded Liberty. “In two minutes, you’ll be catapulted to another star system in our galaxy. From there, follow the coordinates, Jaxx.”
46
J-Quadrant, Solar System - Flood of Dawn, Callisto
Rivkah wrung her hands together and glanced at Bogle. “Are you fine with this?”
They were in a small structure just outside Flood of Dawn’s great pyramid. Bogle stood over a table with a holographic display illuminated in front of her. It was a view of the battlefield. None of the teams had deployed yet, but in a matter of minutes, the assault and survivor retrieval would commence.
Bogle wore a device similar to the device around the Princess Leia statue’s head, looking like futuristic headphones—ear cups around the ears cushioned with soft ear pads that illuminated in an inner glow the moment they were placed on Bogle’s head.
The head band was positioned toward the back of the head instead of on top. Blue, glowing lights projected a few inches outward from the band, forming hieroglyphs that zoomed by quickly, similar to stats running across the board at the New York Stock Exchange. A few Atlanteans, wearing similar devices, stood around tables in the large, crystalline room, in charge of specialized teams and leaders in the coming assault.
Bogle nodded her head. “I’ll be fine. That question should be asked to you, but you wouldn’t give me an honest answer, because your life has been embroiled in lies and deceit perpetrated by you, your family, and the people you worked for, so your habit to shrug everything off and call it normal would be catalyzed by your past loop. You’d tell me you’re good, but deep inside, you’re crying and craving for peace, for acceptance, and for your family—most notably your father—to applaud you as a human being, rather than look at you as if you were in the way and the scum of the Universe. Also—” Bogle pulled the head phones off and touched her throat. “I’m so sorry. I could see everything in you and I couldn’t shut myself up.”
“Well, bullseye. But don’t need a therapist at the moment.” Rivkah placed her hand on Grenik’s shoulder. “Do we have to do this? I’m all good with helping, but having someone in my mind the entire time is going to distract the shit out of me.”
Grenik’s eyebrows pulled down in concentration. He gestured for Bogle to hand him the head phones. She promptly did. He pressed buttons on the head band. “This is connected to the Lady of Atlantis statue and thus is connected to every individual on this planet. With this on, she will be able to telepathically communicate with you or whoever’s energy signature she wishes by pressing on any warrior’s signature on the holographic screen.” He pursed his lips, continually pressing more buttons. “There we go,” he said, his face relaxing. “We had it on a different mode. Now she’ll be able to communicate as she wishes, no longer getting into your issues to bring them to the forefront. She’ll be able to lead you from place to place, so you can complete your mission.” He gave the device back to Bogle.
Rivkah looked over Grenik’s shoulder, grabbing a view of her team. They were outside the beautiful city. A gang of female and male warriors. They stood outside and passed the door on the barren, dry land, battle-ready and prepared to enter the Great Pyramid to teleport to East Rise. The majority of them were part of Sey team, there to extract as many surviving Atlanteans in East Rise as possible. Twelve, including Grenik, were part of Tos team—her team—there to assassinate the Kelhoons leader and change the tide of this war. They had the leader’s location and Bogle would be Rivkah’s eyes, leading the team there.
“You hear me, Rivkah?” asked Bogle.
Rivkah rubbed her ears. “I’m going to have to get used to hearing your voice in my head. This is disorienting.”
“During combat,” responded Grenik. “It won’t be an intrusion. You get used to it fast.” He turned, putting a fist in the air. “Sey Team, are you ready?”
A hefty cheer engulfed the area and Grenik dropped his hand. “Proceed to the coffer and when in East Rise, may the Law of One be with you. Defend yourselves and defend those of our friends in need, and bring them all to safety.”
The soldiers spun on their heels and marched to an opening at the base of the pyramid, their gold clad armor shimmering brilliantly from Jupiter’s light and the light of Jupiter’s innermost moons. The troops held energy spears and tridents as they traversed across the gray, white land.
Twelve stayed put and Grenik Star motioned to them. “Do you wish to proceed, Rivkah?”
“Where’s Jaxx?” she asked.
Bogle looked down, gathering information through her head phones. She shook her head. “He chose another route.”
For a moment, Rivkah wanted to pick up something and throw it across the room. She should have known he’d chicken out and ditch them. It was nothing new with Jaxx, especially in her life. The asshole always had a way of throwing her to the wolves.
Grenik rested his hand on her back. “He would have given his life, had there not been another option.”
Rivkah shot him a look. “I’m giving my life right now. My other option was to run, but I decided against. Obviously Jaxx hasn’t changed.”
“Either option he chooses has the slightest chance to save us all. He has chosen wisely, my friend.”
“Says you,” replied Rivkah, calming herself, something a captain that has been in charge of many people learned to do over time, especially in the Secret Space Program where people died left and right and the only thing keeping the survivors alive was a calm, cool, and collected leader.
And, truth be told, Rivkah was happy to take her anger out on the Kelhoons rather than Jaxx. She’d be calm until those pricks were in her crosshairs. “So be it.” She made her way past Grenik, picked up a helmet attached to the wall, and walked out into the cold air. They were in a crater, three pyramids on hills stood before her, an obelisk to her right and Lady of Atlantis to her left. She trudged toward the warriors that headed to the biggest of the pyramids.
A cold wind blew against her, but her suit of armor somehow kept her warm. Her ears and face, on the other hand, felt the touch of the arctic-like frost.
She put her helmet on, her head and face instantly warming.
Grenik caught up and handed her a rifle. “Here you go, Captain Rivkah Ravenwood.”
She looked down at the rifle in her hands, studying it. “A PR-8. Where did you get one of these?”
“We have several we recovered that were floating undamaged in space from Star Warden’s demise.”
She patted the rifle. “At least you found something good out of it.” She looked through the scope. It still worked. She glanced behind her. “What are they waiting for?” Tos Team, her team, was huddled together.
“A pep talk, of sorts. Usually the team leader does that.” He gave her a wink.
“Nah, not me. No more. Let’s get this shit done and over with.” She faced her team. “Hey, Tos Team. Get over here. We have Kelhoons’ brains to smash.”
Tos Team looked at each other, obviously not expecting their leader to be so harsh. They dipped their heads and began their walk.
“Let’s go,” Rivkah waved them forward.
They tread to the foot of the Great Pyramid. Rivkah stopped at the entrance, gazing at the top of the pyramid. Its golden apex glowed, lighting up the sky, electricity flamed outward like lightening at the pyramid’s uppermost point. What was she getting herself into? She was going to teleport? Literally?
Vzzzoooom!
Rivkah fell back as the pyramid�
��s apex let out a beam of golden light and a craft, approaching at a ridiculous speed, plummeted straight into that beam, a white flash enveloped the sky, then the electricity died down and the craft vanished.
She pushed herself to a standing position. “What was that?”
“Jaxx,” said Grenik. “Pray that he completes his mission successfully.”
She waved a dismissive hand. She didn’t care. She had other things to worry about. “Jaxx, you coward.”
She stepped inside the pyramid, ducking her head when she entered a narrow and shallow tunnel. Several soldiers were in front, waiting their turn to enter the coffers and teleport to East Rise’s Akmon Pyramid. By now, Din Team were in combat with the Kelhoons. And, as if on cue, a dozen almond shaped starfighters zoomed by, zipping toward East Rise, ready to pin the Kelhoons to the ground, if everything went right.
In war, nothing goes right.
“It’s our turn,” said Grenik. He gave Rivkah a slight nudge.
“What?” The long tunnel was empty. “Scotty beamed them up that quickly?”
“Who beamed them up?”
“Never mind.”
Rivkah walked up a long ramp, almost crawling she had to bend down so low. “Who designed this piece of shit? You could have made it a little easier to walk through.”
“It’s designed by our master engineers. This isn’t just a passageway for people. It’s for energy, water, and orb clusters to enter and exit. It’s made perfectly to create conductivity—”
“Okay, got it,” interrupted Rivkah. “Let’s skip the quantum physics.” An opening came into view and Rivkah entered a wide, deep room, surrounded by black granite walls. An empty, stone sarcophagus, otherwise known as a coffer, sat in the middle.
Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller Page 47
