Star Child Page 5

  Unfortunately for the second attacker, he had landed in the growing flames, setting aflame his loincloth. In a crazed panic, the frantic Humanoid wildly ran across the moor, causing the fire to wick up his oily body. Burning flesh and screams filled the night air. All stood amazed watching the Humanoid torch burn alive.

  Dazed, Tiberius staggered trying to grab on to his composure; he knew the fight was far from over. He then turned around and looked into the tall grass for the Clan Leader to emerge. Suddenly his legs gave out from underneath. Tiberius collapsed face down into the soft soil. He tried recovering but could not, for his legs did not work anymore. There was warm sensation coming from his lower abdomen. On investigation he sliced open his hand on the sharp spear tip protruding from his flesh. The dominant female had thrust it in to his back. Strangely, Tiberius felt no pain. Before passing out, he witnessed several blue flashes streak out from the darkness.

  Tiberius laid face down when Lexis cut the long spear near his skin with her laser tool. She was surprised to see the Clan had created a metal spear tip, surmising the metal must have come from the crash.

  “Tiberius!” Lexis desperately tried waking him.

  She analyzed his wound and could see he was still alive but was in a desperate state. The sharp edge had nicked his inferior vena cava and he was bleeding out internally.

  “C 34, get the medical bag!” Lexis ordered.

  “I’m off!” Centurion 34 ran back to the Chameleon.

  Smoke filled the air as the gentle breeze blew the grass fire in the opposite direction. Several Centurions trained their weapons at the longhouse’s entrance. Covered in purple blood, fragments of Humanoid corpses splayed out on the ground in a nightmarish scene. Realizing the plan had slid sideways, Lexis had opened fire, killing the attackers where they stood, the rest of the Clan fled for the safety of the longhouse.

  After turning Tiberius’s body over, Lexis’s eyes caught the flickering torchlight glinting off the metal spear tip that protruded from his abdomen. Glistening blood oozed from his wound. Her scanners indicated a drop in blood pressure; he was bleeding to death. To save his life, she would have to act quickly. Perpendicular to the spear point, Lexis made a three-inch incision with the laser. The abdominal skin flailed open under pressure causing the new incision to spread nearly six inches.

  Lexis pushed aside the stomach, and reached deep into his abdominal cavity. Warm blood pulsated out of the large vein. She placed her hand between the blade and the inferior vena cavity and pinched off the laceration, effectively stopping the hemorrhage.

  “How is Tiberius?” Centurion 34 asked while setting the medical bag down. Lexis had the medical hover cart follow behind him to transport Tiberius.

  “He’s alive, C 34. I need you to pull the surgical tape from the bag and cut off a two inch piece.”

  “Is this surgical tape?” Centurion 34 held up a roll of yellow tape.

  “Yes,” Lexis answered with relief.

  She then reached inside Tiberius and placed the surgical tape over the damaged inferior vena cava.

  “Will he be OK?” C 34 inquisitively asked.

  “I cannot calculate, the major bleeding has stopped but it is important we get him back to 28 as fast as we can. I need to surgically repair his wound,” she answered before slowly pulling the spear’s blade out of his abdomen.

  They then rushed Tiberius aboard the Chameleon, and with the help of Centurion 34, Lexis stuffed his large unconscious body inside the medical healing bag, he barely fit.

  Throwing all caution to the wind, Lexis literally blazed a path back to the vault. Traveling over four hundred miles an hour, the Chameleon’s hover pads set several large fires across the savanna. These fires were so large they could be seen from space.

  PART 3 REVENGE

  O RION’S NEBULA

  “Hello, Jason.” Jason heard a soft voice in his head.

  Jason mumbled incoherently. “The sky?” His mind was foggy, and the last thing he remembered was passing out on top of a weird structure.

  “The sky you saw was a duplication of what we Anannaki see from the surface of our home world.” The small being spoke telepathically when entering the room.

  “Near the Orion Nebula?” Jason’s question was more rhetorical in nature, because it was common sense, and most people knew where the Anannaki lived.

  “Of course but you already knew that, Jason.”

  Jason stared intently at the little being through the Medical Chamber’s translucent door, and asked, “Who are you, and why are you on Level 9? Better yet, what’s your kind doing here on Earth?”

  “My name is Zeruiah. I am the director of Human Relations on Level 9.”

  Floating in a state of bewilderment, Jason’s brow furled. He rubbed his hands through his hair, and said, “I really don’t understand what’s going on here.”

  “Jason, we Anannaki have been here the whole time. We are the Guardians of all things. Our hands have been guiding Mankind since the dawn of your planet.”

  Jason could hear Zeruiah but not see his small lips move. A wave of trepidation flowed over him. He asked, “What’s going to happen to me?”

  “Your appearance has surprised us all but in saying that, we are glad that you came.”

  “I’m shocked to see Anannaki living here in Polari.”

  “I know the implication of our presence to you is one of bewilderment, and I want to reassure your sensibility that you are extremely safe here.”

  “Yeah, but what are the Anannaki doing in Polari?”

  “I wish I could explain everything but I will try to make you understand in the short amount of time we will have together.” Zeruiah paused, and waved his hand in front of his face and like some theatrical production, a vivid story played out in Jason’s mind. Zeruiah spoke telepathically. “When the Earth’s surface started dying we encouraged humanity to take refuge in our underworld domain, and in some small part our encouragement has led you to us. For millions of Earth years, what you now call Polari was at one time solely the Anannaki’s base.”

  “I never read that in any history books.” Jason sarcastically replied while watching a new version of history play out in his head.

  “Humanity would have gone extinct without us opening our world to you. It has been our intention from the beginning to let Mankind find its own way in the universe but we couldn’t allow you to go extinct.”

  “The Polaris Corporation conquered you.” Jason could not let go of his disbelief.

  “This is what we Anannaki have allowed your kind to believe.”

  Perplexed, Jason asked, “Why would you do such a thing?”

  “Mankind is such a young race, with certain primal desires. We could not allow the Polaris Corporation to believe they failed. They would have destroyed all of humanity trying to defeat us. So we helped humanity find peace by relenting in your dimension.”

  “Dimension? What?” Jason was even more puzzled now.

  “I know this is hard to comprehend but there are many dimensions we travel or even coexist within. We are architects of many Earths, and this reality is just one of them.”

  “So, are there copies of me in other dimensions?” Jason now saw different versions of himself flash in his head.

  “Yes, and they all live different, and colorful lives. However, our main concern is with you in this dimension. Jason, your mind has enlightened us of unfolding plots. We know you traveled through the Teserak, and how active the subversive Vril have become. We see schemes from men like Aldiss Spine, and Learner Rotterdam growing; the death of your friend Corkian Plaskett, and how sad you feel over the love of Lexis.”

  “Yes, Lexis was killed.” Jason almost asked how they got that information but he knew how powerful the Grey’s mind-scan ability was, they could reach in the very depths of the brain.

  “No, she is not dead. You have distorted the Space-Time Continuum; you’ve altered the future by changing the past. You traveled back in time before Lexis was kill
ed, and prevented her death.”

  He saw flashes of Learner Rotterdam’s death at Chasm Fat boy, and asked, “Are you saying Lexis is alive?” Images of Lexis searching for him entered his mind.

  “Yes, she is alive, and thriving on Mars.”

  “Thriving? What do you mean thriving?” Jason’s confusion grew deeper every time Zeruiah spoke.

  “To save your life, we had to bring you into our home, and once you crossed the membrane, you spanned the space-time gap between our home world and Earth.”

  “Are you saying I now exist in two places?” An imagistic depiction of dark reflecting star formations liquidly expanded across his mind’s eye. And just like when he stepped through the Teserak’s time bubble, the Galaxy’s blackness poured around him like glass.

  “It is our home that exists in more than one place, and you now exist between Earth and our home world. Your reality was altered when you crossed our time barrier.”

  Jason knew enough about the physics of Space and Time to understand the significance of what the little creature was saying. He asked, “Time barrier? How much time has been displaced when you brought me across your home’s time barrier?

  “It has been nearly five Earth years.”

  It took a moment for Zeruiah’s words to sink in before Jason thundered, “Five years! I need to get the hell out of here! I need to get back to the tunnel immediately!” Jason hysterically searched for a handle. He continued, “I need to get back to Mars! I need to get back to Lexis, now!”

  Jason’s mind eroded in a complete state of desperation, driving his emotions to explode in chaotic panic. All his muscles tightened as he frantically pushed on the chamber’s door, but to no avail, it would not budge; he was intent on breaking the door down and pushing his way out of the home’s membrane. Though, he would still have to run for the tunnel in the alien atmosphere, which was quite toxic to humans.

  “You will never make it to the tunnel alive. You barely survived our atmosphere coming here.”

  Without out reason, he frenziedly yelled, “Fuck you, Zeruiah! Get me out of here!”

  Zeruiah’s face brightened when he spoke. “Sleep now, Jason, all will be taken care of.” The little being waved his hand, and a calming effect pulled Jason into a relaxed state of mind; he drifted off into an induced but relaxed slumber.

  S ETTLING OLD SCORES

  Dividing the early evening’s fog, the auto’s high beams played hide-n-seek with every twist and turn in the road. The car’s electrical engine silently turned the wheels that gripped the pavement as it weaved through the large redwood forest.

  At the road’s edge, fingering fern tops stretched up through a most convincing vaporous mist that seeped out under the woodland’s undergrowth. The artificial weather presented patterns similar to ancient Earth’s Pacific Northwest on Level 7. Its flawless design offered a carefree living environment, allowing residents to exist in a state of oblivion of their underworld’s confinement.

  The car interior’s skin sizzled to life, and a woman’s image appeared. Thomas lovingly asked, “Hey, Boo, how was your day?”

  “I was shopping on Level 5.”

  “You went slumming, huh?”

  “Well, I can always find some real bargains down there.”

  “Did you buy me something on your excursion?”

  With a mischievous smile on her face, she said, “I bought you this.” Felicia held up a red-laced lingerie.

  Though the two were showing signs of middle age, she was still a very attractive woman. Three hundred and sixty-five years is a long time on any planet but they would live another three hundred years according to their DNA upgrade.

  “Is that my dessert?”

  “You know it, stud.”

  “You’re so insatiable, Felicia, and that’s why I love you.”

  “Thomas, you’re in for the ride of your life tonight…I’m gonna make your toes curl.”

  The two fell madly in love during their college days at Oveam Park University. If Thomas could not find Felicia at home, she was usually shopping on Level 5.

  “I think I’m going to need to recharge my reserves to satisfy your needs. What’s on the dinner menu?”

  “I was thinking surf and turf would supply you the energy, Thomas.” Felicia’s image blinked from interference on the car’s monitor.

  “Good one, honey,” he replied.

  “Thank you, sweetheart…you know how much I love ancient idioms.”

  “Yes, and you know how much I love steak, and lobster,” sarcastically Thomas replied. Synthetic seafood was not his favorite.

  “Also, there’s a dozen oysters with your name on it…lead in your pencil.”

  “OH, I especially love the artificial flavor of those,” Thomas said with a grin.

  “What’s your ETA?” Felicia impatiently asked.

  “I just left the office, and should be home in fifteen.”

  “OK, see you then. Love you!” Felicia leaned forward and blew him a kiss before the screen went black.

  Thomas dialed up the volume, and imagined sitting front row in the New York Metropolitan Opera House of the late twentieth century. Renee Fleming and Susan Gram’s angelical voices flared beautifully over the car’s sound system. He loved the song, “Flower Duet,” by the nineteenth century French composer, Leo Delibes. Although French was a dead language, he so much admired its philological beauty.

  “Son-of-a-bitch!” Thomas yelled when the car’s automatic brake system caused him to violently lurch forward.

  A branch hid around a turn at the beginning of his long driveway. “That’s weird, there was no wind in today’s forecast,” Thomas thought while walking up to the natural barrier.

  On closer inspection, he realized, “It’s just a fallen sapling.” Thomas grabbed the small trunk and dragged it into the woods.

  “CRACK!” A loud noise emanating from the dark forest, startled him. He now stood peering between two large trees.

  “Who’s there?” asked Thomas. Loud mechanical clunks then rushed from the dark undergrowth. Frozen in a state of panic, Thomas bafflingly watched as the vegetation separated to his front. Running was a moot point.

  “Sam, could you please find out the location of my husband’s car?” Felicia asked while sitting at the dinner table waiting for Thomas’s arrival; he was now twenty minutes late.

  The fancy table setting and white candle’s twinkling flames, set the mood for a very special weekend. Tomorrow marked their wedding anniversary. Felicia loved Thomas as much now as she did the day the two married.

  “The car’s PPL indicates he is stopped at the end of the driveway,” informed Sam using the Polaris Position Locator.

  “Stopped, for how long?” Felicia asked.

  “Twenty-three minutes.”

  “Call him and find out if the auto’s having some mechanical malfunction.”

  “There is no answer,” said Sam after dialing Thomas up on the scroll-pad.

  “Go and find out what’s the problem. And Sam, bring the tool kit and large flashlight; he’ll be out there all night if you don’t go help him fix the car.”

  “Yes, Felicia,” Sam responded and headed out the door.

  “Looks good on me, doesn’t’ it?”

  “Bjorn, I thought you were dead,” he answered grimly.

  Earlier, Jason had woken up inside the Ersatz Power Suit on Level 7. He surmised Zeruiah had placed him there to carry out his vengeance. “Minus one rail gun that must not have been recoverable,” he thought.

  Lights from the Ersatz exoskeleton illuminated the two. Jason continued, “I would’ve preferred a forty-six, but this size will do.” Jason opened the stylish coat he had stripped off Thomas Hornsby, and strutted in the front of the Ersatz Suit’s floodlights.

  Thomas Hornsby’s head hurt from the blow Jason had delivered. He knew he was in trouble but coquettishly asked, “What do you want with me?”

  “Secretary Thomas Hornsby…” Jason spoke with an evil inflection w
hile inspecting the lump on the man’s head. “…I hope I didn’t hit you too hard.” Jason pulled down on Thomas Hornsby’s arms that were tied up over his head, and asked, “How’s the circulation?” He groaned from the pain hanging from the branch. Jason continued, “Wasn’t that long ago, and just like you, Learner had me in such a position, naked and bleeding.” Jason paused, and stepped closer before grabbing Thomas’s face. “Did you know I killed Learner, and destroyed your little time displacement machine?”

  Blood trickled down Thomas’s face when he surprisingly asked, “That was you?”

  “Yes, it was I who stopped your little war…I also visited our little overlords on Level 9. Secretary Zeruiah took a deep interest in you, and the Vril’s Operation.”

  Grimacing from the pain burning up his arms, Thomas pleaded. “Please, Bjorn, then you know who really runs Polaris…our goal is to put humanity back in control of the Corporation. You must join us in…”

  “You ordered my death in transit to Mars, Hornsby,” Jason interrupted.

  “That was not me!”

  “You or Aldiss Spline…makes no difference,” Jason malevolently replied.

  “What do you want? Revenge. I had nothing to do with Learner’s or Spline’s actions. They acted alone,” again Thomas declared.

  “I am way beyond revenge now,” Jason concluded.

  “Then what do you want?”

  “Information of Spline’s whereabouts.”

  “Good luck with that,” Thomas defiantly replied.