Ashlyn Chronicles 2: 2288 A.D.: A Time Travel Sci-Fi Fantasy (20 page)

“What question?” Ashlyn could feel a wall pushing back at her, not wanting to be breached.

“You journeyed to Olympus seeking permission to enter the arena. You wanted to save your world from your enemies, and yet, even after learning that I am Anu, you have not—”

Ashlyn gasped, her face turned ashen as the blood drained from her.

“Yes,” said Steven. “You asked to face Enlil in the arena. He’s your son, Ashlyn. He’s our son.”

Ashlyn’s gut churned. Her hands went to her belly, her eyes daring to look down. “Is this?” asked Ashlyn, unable to speak the words.

“Yes, he is Enlil,” acknowledged Steven.

Tears streamed down Ashlyn’s face. “I can’t kill him, Steven. I can’t. You can’t ask such a thing of me.”

“He’s my son too, Ash. I wish there were another choice, but we both know what he’ll become and the things he’ll do. Enki told us that our sacrifices would be great. We knew the cost would be heavy.”

“We’re speaking of our son, Steven! We made him. He’s part of us. I can’t. I won’t. I refuse to enter the arena,” said Ash—the weight of his words crushing her. Beneath it all, enforced by a surge of anger, “I’ll not raise my hand against him.”

From a distant place, Steven’s fading voice echoed. “I know how difficult it is, but all things being equal, why should it be easier to take the life of another woman’s son than your own? You know what must be done. I love you, Ashlyn. My heart is bound to yours. Someday, we will cry together.”

Steven’s enduring love had pulled her out of the darkness, giving her the strength to rise above it, but the task ahead was splintering Ashlyn’s mind. Thoughts and conflicting emotions were inundating her—each important, each having its own weighty implication.

Steven’s appearance was bittersweet, his words no more comforting than they were distressing. He’d given her a dozen reasons for why she should be happy, and one for why she never could be.

Learning that Steven was Anu, meant that he had found his legendary future. He’d become a god to the people of Earth, and the revered leader of the Anunnaki people. It alluded to a destiny neither of them had ever dreamed of, a future to be shared together.

Ashlyn had also learned that it was her own son that would become the symbol of evil incarnate in the world—a monster beyond imagination, whose horrendous atrocities would someday lead to the destruction of mankind.

Looking at the thousands of dead mutants lying around her, Ashlyn was reminded of the words the darkness had spoken, saying the
destroyer of worlds
had come.

Ashlyn’s breath caught in her chest as she experienced a profound moment of clarity, a revelation. Her hands trembled, her stomach twisting as she realized she’d been tricked.

The voices had called her to the nexus as a guise to hide their true intentions. Only now did she see that the darkness had never been interested in her. From the start, Enlil had been the target. He was the destroyer of worlds.

The darkness had sought to take possession of him while he was young and unable to resist.
I played right into their hand.

Ashlyn was wrong in thinking she’d conquered the darkness. It had simply left her—and moved into Enlil. It now had control of what would someday be a mind of limitless power—the son of a Magori and a Transor.

“You can’t have him. I’ll fight you,” said Ashlyn aloud. She gasped as an intense pain swept through her abdomen, doubling her over. “No,” screamed Ashlyn as tears streamed down her face.

As the intense pang of pain subsided, Ashlyn coddled her belly, lovingly caressing her unborn son. Her heart was filled with her love for him. He was innocent, a victim of some incomprehensible darkness.

“I make a vow to you, my son. You will not become the destroyer of worlds. The darkness will not lay claim to you—I swear it on my life.”

When she felt her belly flutter, a small smile crossed Ashlyn’s face. It was almost as though he’d understood.

“I wonder what demons drove Ja’kal to seek out the nexus?” Again, her stomach fluttered. Her motherly instinct sensing a connection, Ash repeated the name, “Ja’kal.” This time as her stomach fluttered, there was a twinge of pain beneath it. Ash said the name again, and in response the pain grew stronger. “The darkness—why would the darkness be afraid of—”

Deep in thought as the pieces began to fall into place, Ashlyn spoke the question forming in her mind aloud. “Is it possible—could Enlil also be Ja’kal?” Ash winced as a sharp pain affirmed her belief.

Trying to correlate what she knew of Enlil and Ja’kal, Ash ran through the known events of the two conflicting timelines. In her original timeline, Enlil’s had come to hate mankind and all that they stood for. He hungered for power and dominance. He enjoyed seeing others suffer.

In the timeline she was now creating—her son would bear a different name. “But such a thing is only possible if—if I’ve done all this before.” Ash recalled Gorok’s story about Ja’kal slaying the monsters that had invaded his world. “It’s the darkness that Ja’kal faced in the nexus! They were the monsters. He came back here to banish the darkness from the world of the living. He beat you.” The pain grew stronger. “My son killed you once, and he’ll do it again. Steven and I will teach him how to defeat you.”

The darkness responded to Ashlyn’s outburst by sending a sharp stabbing pain into her chest. Gasping for air, a wind began to stir, the voices swirling around her speaking. “You cannot defeat us. We already control him.”

Fighting through the pain, Ash angrily fought back. “No you don’t. You can’t lie to me anymore. I can sense your deception.”

The whispering voices answered. “We are patient. Time is on our side. Like you, a time will come when he has no other choice but to offer himself to us. It is his destiny. It is our destiny.” The wind slowly stilled.

Ashlyn could feel the truthfulness of the words. They were right. He would someday be tempted to use the powers of darkness—and he would give himself over.

“Time is on my side too. I’ll find a way to stop you,” said Ashlyn softly. The war for Ashlyn had just become personal.

***

Though tired and worn from the day’s events, Ash set her focus upon the tasks at hand. Choosing her path carefully, she stepped around the mutant bodies littering the ground, heading toward the captive humans.

The air was heavy with a dozen different scents, each competing for attention. The distinct smell of ozone from the electrical storm permeated the air. Equally strong were the sweet perfume smells of cerebrospinal fluids and those of cooked fat and muscle tissue. It was a collage of strangely pleasing odors. And though Ash would never admit it, it made her hungry.

Coming to a maintenance building disguised as a small, terraced pyramid, Ash knelt to pull a burned body aside that had fallen against the door. Dragging the body by the foot, the charred fleshy muscle tissue suddenly pulled away in her hands, revealing the bone beneath. Ash shuddered as she dropped the foot, grimacing as she turned aside to collect herself. Wiping her hands upon the rock surface of the pyramid, she turned the sandstone handle within the door’s stone facade and pushed it open. Inside, bright lights in the ceiling came to life.

A stirring breeze drew her gaze upwards to the large, vented, air circulation pipes that hung from the ceiling. They were twelve feet above her, splattering’s of old blood covering them.

The paint on the floor and walls was hidden, lost somewhere beneath hundreds of layers of dirt, mold, clumps of human flesh, splintered bone fragments and blood. Ash shook her head, not wanting to give thought as to what was crunching beneath her bare feet. She’d found another good reason for wanting that pair of Nike’s.

On the wall to her right, were two lighted buttons. The green button read, OPEN—the red one, CLOSE. The label above both of them read MAIN LOADING DOOR. Surprised that they were lit, and curious as to what would happen, Ash pushed the green button. A forty-foot section of the pyramid’s outside wall to her left silently slid into the floor, giving access to sunlight and fresh air.

At the same time, the door to a large cargo elevator across from her opened. It too was covered in the ghastly remnants of thousands of years of inhumane horrors. The panel on the wall by the elevator showed there was just a single level below her. Not wanting to go inside the lift, Ash decided to take the stairs. “Into the valley of death rode the six hundred,” said Ash as she opened the stair access door and stepped into the stairwell. Leaving the door open behind her, she was pleased to see that other than normal dust and dirt, the stairwell was without blood or tissue. It hadn’t been used at all.

Two long flights of stairs later, she reached the first floor. Ash saw that the door’s deadbolt was latched on her side. Time and neglect had taken its toll on the old lock. After trying and failing to loosen it, she decided to use the sword to pry the door. As the door cracked open, her chest seized, forcing her to reach for the wall to steady herself. A sudden overwhelming sense of sadness and sorrow inundated her mind. The people on the other side of the door were without hope, living a life of hellish despair. The emotions Ashlyn felt emanating from them were much like her own feelings of hopelessness back in the void.

With a hard push, Ashlyn broke the gritty hold of the old hinges and the door opened. The stench that hit her was gagging, suffocating. Ashlyn cupped her hand over her nose and mouth.

Though only dimly lit, Ash guessed that the room was miles in length—and likely ran beneath the entire park. Moving in the shadows of the makeshift city were cowering humans—families, all living in squalor. They were deathly thin, sickly, dirty. Ashlyn’s empathy for them was boundless.

She now knew the reason behind the despair she’d felt and why they were without hope. They were cattle, allowed to live so they could breed and provide the mutants with an endless source of food. Just the thought of such a horror twisted Ashlyn’s stomach.

Seeing Ashlyn, the people slowly crept out of the shadows. They had never seen anyone come through the door, and certainly not an unescorted human. When Ashlyn smiled, her kind eyes crinkling with warmth and compassion— feelings and emotions they’d long forgotten were rekindled. Without having spoken a single word, Ashlyn lit the spark of humanity within them. Ash knew that given time, their fears would evaporate, making room for hope to grow.

Not wanting to scare them, Ash showed them her open hands—conveying that she wasn’t a threat. “Lima,” said Ashlyn, pointing first to herself—then to them. “Lima.”

She then put her hand out in invitation. “No Urquay. Urquay dead. You are free.” She again held out her hand.

“Free,” one of them repeated.

“Yes, lima free,” said Ashlyn looking at the man who had spoken. He looked frail, old and like the others, his hair was thin—but the vibrancy in his eyes told a different story. Ash believed he was likely in his late twenties, no older.

“Free. Lima free,” Ash repeated to him, her broad smile encouraging him to step forward. Albeit slowly, his walk unsteady and weak, he stepped forward from the back of the growing crowd. Others began to follow, some holding the hands of small children.

A man off to Ashlyn’s right stood and took the elbow of a woman who sat on the cold cement floor, suckling a baby. He helped her to her feet and together, they took a few steps toward her, anxious to leave.

It was all Ash could do to contain herself. Her happiness for being able to help them, completely overshadowed the despair she’d first sensed in them. In a manner of minutes, the sadness of their plight had been washed away. She was witnessing their evolution into a brave new world—a world where their children would see the stars for the first time.

Gently, she held the hand of the young man who had come to her, leading him up the stairs. The others followed.

***

Ashlyn stayed with them throughout the night, welcoming them, and alleviating their fears as the endless procession of people trickled out from below.

They had much to learn, and generations of instilled demons to conquer. First and foremost, though the Urquay lay dead all around them, was their need to believe that they were safe. Ashlyn couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been to accept that the Urquay were really gone. It was a concept they’d not thought possible.

Cautiously, they spread out, leaving the safety of the others behind. Ash casually walked amongst them, her touch and encouragement alleviating their fears.

Most of the humans were subdued and unsure of what to do, but there were others who stood-out. They would be the leaders of the new society that was forming. They were talking, taking charge, and helping those that were crying and insecure. Many appeared overwhelmed by experiencing hope for the first time, realizing that their lifetime of torment was truly over. Every tear shed that night was a tear of joy.

Near everything was a new experience for the humans. Most had never seen the sun before. Their fear of the heat upon their skin forced them into the shadows. Ash knew that for many, it would take years to adjust. For the first time in their lives, they’d have to hunt for food and sustenance. Given time, Ash was confident that the world would someday be theirs again. Mankind had been given a second chance.

The hours slipped away as Ashlyn did what she could to aid those who were sick and needing help to come above. There were some that Ash knew weren’t going to survive more than a few hours, but she took comfort in knowing that they had tasted freedom. They would die seeing the stars. She’d given thought to healing them, but she could feel the nexus telling her not to. She had done what was needed.

Morning came quickly. With the sun rising above the horizon, it was time for Ashlyn to say her goodbyes. As she was doing so, the three people she’d rescued atop the mountain found her. Heartfelt embraces thanked her for all she’d done. As Ashlyn walked away, though she couldn’t understand the words, she knew that they were retelling the miracle they had seen her perform in the cavern. The freed humans would forever come to believe that Ashlyn was a god. The dead Urquay was their proof.

Before leaving, Ash stopped to see the Sphinx. With each step down the grand walkway toward it, her awe of it grew. Though it was only a replica, her heart sped, its magnificence astounding her. Unable to resist touching the paw, Ashlyn laughed at herself. “I’m such a tourist.”

Ash moved toward a small stand with a bronze plaque atop it a few feet away. Next to a missing button were the words, “Press here to upload a holo to your Facebook’s, Favorite Memories Page. Proudly partnered with Disney Theme Parks.”

Ash grinned. “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

Heading out of the park, she passed by the Colosseum. Walking through its archways, Ash felt deep respect for all it signified. It was a symbol of human innovation and heritage. It represented mankind at its best and its worst. Looking down onto the arena, she could almost hear the roar of caged animals, cheering crowds and gladiators battling. It was mesmerizing. “I hope you can see this, Steven.” Ashlyn laughed, “For all I know, you probably built the original.”

It was almost noon when she came to the large gate that exited the park. As she passed under the ancient arch, a fallen wrought iron looking sign beneath a broken stone column caught her attention. The only portion of the sign that was visible, had but three letters. “Dis.” Ashlyn laughed. “So that’s where Siri got the name of the city.”

The pieces of the puzzle came together. “I guess we now know why the mutants in the city of Dis disappeared?”

Sensing the time wave approaching, Ash took a seat on the fallen, white marble column and made herself comfortable. The sun’s rays were casting beautiful golden beams of light through the tree branches. It was entrancing.

As the wave approached, a stirring breeze swept through Ashlyn’s hair. Its touch was soothing and lightened the burden upon her shoulders. Appreciative for the brief respite, Ash closed her eyes and opened herself to a moment of peaceful calm and quiet serenity. She knew it might be her last for a long time.

When her eyes opened and Ashlyn saw that she was back in the void, surrounded by gray nothingness, her mind balked. She panicked as a surge of adrenaline raced through her. All the memories of despair, sorrow and loneliness came flooding back.
I can’t endure it again, I can’t.