Chronicle of Ages (27 page)

‘Well, that being the case …' she dragged out her confession in a coy manner, ‘I'd just like you to know, for the record, that I have been medically deemed infertile. Check my files if you don't believe me.' She placed the memory modification device on her head and closed her eyes, sedated by the procedure she was undergoing.

Maelgwn was stunned by the announcement, as it seemed too good to be true. Was this the sign from the Goddess he had requested only a short time ago?

He rushed to Gibal's control chair which was just hovering at present, and planted himself in the hot seat. Maelgwn placed his hands on the psychokinetic control plates and called up Aquilla's medical records.

Although medical records were private and
confidential, they were not top security and therefore accessible to anyone with security clearance.

‘I can't believe I'm doing this.' As the requested information filled an invisible screen that was positioned a few feet in front of him, Maelgwn's days of defiance and disobedience as a youth came flooding back. His mischief felt good as he perused Aquilla's personal medical files for the applicable entry. ‘Divine Goddess,' he uttered as he found the confirmation he sought.

Maelgwn abandoned the control chair before Aquilla's memory modification was complete. By the time she opened her eyes and removed the headset, he was back by her side.

‘All done.' She raised herself from her seat to confront Maelgwn in a playful manner. ‘Would you care to question the witness?'

After a thought, he concocted a suitable test query. ‘Why is it that we never made it to the Stargaze temple the other night?'

Aquilla frowned, thinking him a fraction callous for bringing the topic up. ‘Because we got sidetracked by my uncle's murder. Remember that?'

‘Oh yes,' Maelgwn corroborated, relieved to have one of his problems solved.

‘So.' Aquilla glanced at the control systems panel that advised of the time until contact with the
Aten
. ‘What shall we do … all alone on this huge ship with so much time to kill?'

As Aquilla approached and held him, Maelgwn wondered about Durak's whereabouts. Why would he leave his lover lonely and believing him dead? Her kiss
convinced him that if it was within Durak's power to be with this woman, he would be. Thus Maelgwn had to conclude that something, or someone, must have been detaining the missing archaeologist. Maelgwn had always been perfectly honest with Tory and, therefore, felt he should award Aquilla the same courtesy. He gently put a stop to their passionate encounter before it got beyond his control.

‘Something else has come to light that I think you should know about.' Maelgwn removed Aquilla's arms from around his body and held her hands in his instead.

‘I am listening,' she confirmed, in a mildly anxious fashion.

‘I have reason to believe that Durak may still be alive.' Upon seeing Aquilla's bemused expression, Maelgwn considered that he might have been a little subtler in his delivery.

‘You are unbelievable.' Aquilla backed up and folded her arms, annoyed. ‘If you're not interested, Dragon, just say so. I shall not be offended. But to concoct —'

‘I am not making this up!' Maelgwn stressed, insulted, but with his next thought came the conundrum of how to explain. ‘You were right when you said Durak's spirit was akin to mine —'

‘When did I say so?' Aquilla challenged, whereby Maelgwn recalled that the statement had been deleted from her memory along with the instance that had brought it into being.

‘Oh damn,' he uttered, scratching his head, whilst Aquilla sank further into a state of rejection.

‘I was in communication with my husband from
on board the support vessel when the site collapsed,' she informed Maelgwn, tears spurting from her eyes. ‘There was no time to escape! There were no survivors! Understand?'

As Aquilla made for the control deck exit door, Maelgwn went after her. ‘Aquilla, I didn't know that.' He pulled her up and spun her around to face him. ‘Obviously my psychic informants are not to be trusted. Please believe, I am so very sorry to have brought it up.'

With a deep breath, Aquilla calmed and gave a sigh. ‘Well, at least it's all out in the open now.'

She raised her pale blue eyes to stare into Maelgwn's own, as she awaited his resolve.

‘He still loves you, Aquilla,' Maelgwn confessed, moved to the point of tears himself as all his repressed feelings began to surface.

‘Then, what is he afraid of?' Aquilla reasoned, with a look of complete empathy on her face.

For the first time since they'd met, Maelgwn initiated the seduction, and Aquilla submitted herself completely to their forbidden love. She was no longer even aware of why this affair was unlawful — they were both beyond caring any more.

Z
errah and Uriah were the only other residents of Mazua who were revived before the city reached their rendezvous with the
Aten
.

Maelgwn had gone to await Uriah's return to consciousness. Zerrah was greeted upon awakening by his sister.

‘Hi there.' Aquilla smiled broadly at Zerrah, as he raised his stiff carcass off the stasis bed. ‘How are you feeling?'

‘Like one of the living dead,' Zerrah grumbled, releasing a moan as he rubbed his stiff neck. He looked to Aquilla, noticing that she appeared particularly radiant after her time in hibernation. ‘Stasis certainly appears to agree with you.' His observation had a tinge of suspicion about it.

Aquilla nodded. ‘It's the first time in ages that I recall having had pleasant dreams.'

Zerrah's expression turned dark as he moved to put on his outer layer of clothes. ‘It doesn't take a genius to figure out who you were dreaming about.' Zerrah was so disgruntled as he pulled on his attire that he tore through the organic fibre in a couple of places. His little fit of pique was no matter in the end, as the suit quickly repaired itself and Aquilla wasn't paying his foul mood any heed.

‘Oh Zerrah, it was just a harmless dream,' she put forward.

‘Maybe.' Zerrah strapped on his weapons belt. ‘But if you ever attempt to fulfil any of your little fantasies about the Dragon, I shall personally see him dead first.'

Aquilla lost a little of her cheer at this point. ‘Over my dead body.'

Her expression turned just as stormy, and Zerrah stared her back in silent challenge for some time. ‘Don't place me in that position, Aquilla.' He calmed a little, as his sister appeared to get the message. ‘Meantime, I think it's time I got on with my investigation.' Zerrah noted Aquilla still wore her thought wave neutraliser. ‘And it is going to prove a little difficult to question you with that on.'

‘The Dragon has already fully interrogated me and cleared me of suspicion,' Aquilla informed, sounding deeply hurt that her brother would even consider her a suspect.

‘That is unacceptable,' Zerrah advised, harshly. ‘You and the Dragon are the only ones with lab clearance. How do I know this is not a conspiracy?'

Actually, he suspected his sister may have been intimate with her dream lover already, which could explain why the Dragon insisted she wear the thought neutraliser.

‘Zerrah.' Aquilla was shocked. ‘Listen to what you are saying? You seriously think I could kill someone? Let alone someone I was as close to as Cornelin?'

‘No,' Zerrah said surely. ‘But the Dragon certainly could have done it.'

‘To what end?' Aquilla challenged.

‘To protect his mission, as you yourself suggested at the time we found Cornelin.'

Aquilla gasped, shaking her head to express the extent of her mistake.

‘Yes.' Zerrah pressed on with his speculation. ‘I know whatever it is that was stolen was taken from the lab, and you left after Gibal on the day in question. If this theft is connected with Cornelin's death, that doesn't leave a whole load of suspects to question, now does it?'

Aquilla shook her head again, seeing his point.

‘Where is the Dragon now?'

‘On his way here with Uriah, I suspect,' she replied.

‘Good.' Zerrah slapped his hands together. ‘With any luck, we shall have this mystery solved before we even reach our destination.'

 

As soon as Maelgwn walked in the door he was confronted by Zerrah protesting at the Dragon's prior questioning and acquittal of his sister.

Maelgwn had not excused Aquilla from Zerrah's investigation as she claimed, and so frowned as he
looked to Aquilla for some explanation. The plea on her face urged him to trust her and back her up.

‘Could I just have a quiet word.' Maelgwn motioned Aquilla to follow him, but Zerrah protested.

‘A simple yes or no answer would suffice.' Zerrah folded his arms. ‘Or do you need more time to plot around me?'

‘Hey,' Maelgwn barked, ‘I am above suspicion in this matter, as your Lord has already advised you.'

‘No one is above suspicion, Dragon,' Zerrah was quick to retort.

‘Correct me if I am wrong, Captain,' Maelgwn challenged the young warrior again, ‘but I still have authority over you in this affair and will therefore do exactly as I see fit, is that understood?'

Zerrah backed down and with a reluctant wave of his hand, gave them leave to converse in private. ‘Sure thing, Commander. Feel free to plot away.'

 

Once they were out of Zerrah's quarters and earshot, Maelgwn asked Aquilla to explain herself.

‘The thought should have occurred to me before now,' she cursed herself under her breath, before continuing, ‘but if Zerrah does a telepathic investigation on me, he will find out about us and he has threatened to kill you.'

Maelgwn smiled, knowing this posed no real threat, even though Aquilla was no longer aware of that fact. Still, before he could open his mouth to reassure her, she went on to advise that Zerrah had also threatened to make public their love affair if he discovered any
evidence that confirmed it. This was more of a worry, and Maelgwn frowned, feeling himself being snared in a trap that he was helpless to escape.

‘Deep down you know I had nothing to do with the foul play that has taken place here in recent days,' Aquilla appealed. ‘But if you feel I am suspect, then please feel free to telepathically examine me yourself.'

To telepathically examine her, however, meant that Maelgwn's mind would be exposed to her scrutiny also. ‘You must realise I can't do that, Aquilla.'

‘Then let us find a third party who is not my brother, who might not suspect our secret, and would not expose it if he did uncover it.'

Aquilla was referring to Uriah, and Maelgwn conceded this solution to be a good one. With a decisive nod, he breathed a sigh of relief.

‘You're starting to regret us already, aren't you?' Aquilla could see the remorse on his face.

‘No,' he was quick to assure her. ‘If I were quartered and sent to the four farthest corners of the universe because of us, I would still not regret it.'

The reassurance brought her beaming smile back. ‘I have missed you.'

‘Dear Goddess, haven't you two found the plot yet?' Zerrah leaned out of his quarters to yell down the deserted corridor at them.

‘Leave Uriah here to question your sister,' Maelgwn instructed.

‘Why on earth would I want to do that?' Zerrah was almost forced to laugh.

‘Because I need you to assist me with an autopsy. I think it's about time we found out exactly how Cornelin died, don't you?'

Zerrah didn't want to be seen to agree, although it was obvious that he did. ‘Such a tempting invitation.' His tone indicated a distinct lack of enthusiasm for the idea. ‘How could I possibly refuse?'

 

No surgery was required to complete an autopsy here in Mazua. The corpse was scanned, the data analysed and the cause of death determined by the one amazing machine.

‘Jumping jellyfish!' Zerrah's jaw began to fall as he read the report the machine spat out at him.

‘What does it say?' Maelgwn urged him to impart the news.

Zerrah looked to him, still stunned by the conclusion reached. ‘Asphyxiation, caused by exposure to massive amounts of concentrated microwave radiation,' he informed, passing the print-out to Maelgwn so that he might read it himself. ‘Someone fried Cornelin from the inside out.'

What was perplexing about this news was that Maelgwn's memory did not deliver up any additional information. ‘I have no knowledge of a weapon with this kind of capability.'

‘That's because there is none.' Zerrah appeared very perturbed about the fact. ‘Such a weapon would never get Pantheon clearance.'

This seemed to implicate Inanna and Shamash all the more, in Maelgwn's view, knowing that they had the resources and cause to create such a weapon.

‘Where are the quarters Inanna's representatives are occupying at present?' Maelgwn queried.

‘Why?' Zerrah couldn't keep the smile from his face, having guessed what the Dragon was going to suggest.

‘So we can search them, of course.'

Their unique situation did seem to be begging to be taken advantage of. ‘That is highly illegal, you realise.' Zerrah felt it his duty to point this out.

‘So is roasting your uncle,' Maelgwn justified.

‘You twisted my arm. Follow me.'

 

Because Zerrah was head of security, his palm print gained him access to everywhere in Mazua, bar the lab. As the Delphinus warrior placed his hand on the security plate that unlocked the door of Inanna's representatives' room, he commented sideways to Maelgwn, ‘This doesn't mean to say that I don't still suspect your involvement in this affair.'

‘Same here,' Maelgwn concurred, as the door departed to grant them entry.

‘How could I have possibly stolen an item that I know nothing about?' Zerrah challenged as they moved inside the luxurious guest quarters.

‘You may have had an accomplice,' suggested Maelgwn, as he began to search through the luggage laying about. ‘After all, you were the guard on duty at the time of the robbery. Whoever stole the item would have had to get past you first.' He didn't really suspect Zerrah, he just thought he'd give him a taste of his own medicine.

‘No one entered,' Zerrah defended. ‘And only
Aquilla exited after Gibal's departure, and she was empty-handed.'

‘So you say,' Maelgwn vexed him further.

‘Aw!' Zerrah dismissed his view with a wave. ‘Think what you like, Dragon, but you're skirting around the wrong reef.' The young warrior got to sifting through the personal effects of the occupants, whereby he uncovered a wrist brace with an unusual metal tube attached. ‘Hey-ho, what have we here?' Zerrah pulled a set of large tweezers from his weapons belt to lift the unusual device up so that he and Maelgwn could view it more clearly.

‘I'd say you may have found the murder weapon,' Maelgwn commented, as they both observed it.

A disturbance behind them distracted Maelgwn and Zerrah from their speculation. They both turned to view the only point of entry to the quarters, but were not fast enough to spy the cause of the noise. The sound of someone running down the interior corridor beyond the guest chamber spurred both warriors into a chase.

They found the transporter plate, not too far down the interior walkway, alight.

‘Damn it!' Maelgwn grumbled, coming to a standstill, as their mysterious suspect was spirited to another part of the city.

‘I can trace the destination from the central security quarters,' Zerrah offered, also annoyed to have lost the displaced person.'

‘They'll be long gone by the time we get the information.'

‘If we're real lucky, one of the surveillance cameras might be in this sector,' suggested Zerrah.

‘Check it out when you get the chance.' Maelgwn headed towards the now inactive transporter plate. ‘It could only have been one of three people … unless?'

‘Unless what?' Zerrah had to wonder what he was implying. Only an immortal could have survived the wormhole out of stasis, and Gibal was the only Nefilim on Mazua at present. Maelgwn knew, that to the best of Zerrah's knowledge, he was telling the truth, but that didn't mean to say that one of Gibal's kin hadn't snuck into the city somehow. ‘Finish your search.' Maelgwn stepped onto the transporter. ‘I'm just going to check on Aquilla and Uriah.'

 

Maelgwn found the pair still interrogating each other in Zerrah's quarters, where they'd been left. Both vouched for the other's presence the entire time the Dragon had been gone.

‘Why do you ask?' Aquilla frowned curiously, but Maelgwn declined to comment.

‘Well, it is my conclusion,' Uriah rose from his seat to explain, his eyebrows raised in suggestion, ‘that Aquilla is blameless in regard to her uncle's death and your mysterious theft.'

Maelgwn was most pleased to learn this, although he'd never truly suspected her.

‘I can confirm that Uriah was not involved either.' Aquilla sat back in her chair. ‘So where does that leave us?'

‘In the dark, as per usual,' Maelgwn commented dryly. ‘Remain here,' he instructed. ‘I shall be back with
Zerrah, presently. I'll need you,' he looked to Uriah, ‘to interrogate Zerrah and clear him.'

Aquilla seemed really surprised by his suspicion. ‘Surely you don't think —'

‘It's just a precaution,' Maelgwn cut in. ‘As Zerrah said, no one is above suspicion.'

‘But I have already checked with surveillance, who have assured me that Zerrah was at his post the entire time.' Uriah spoke up for the captain of the guard. ‘And as Zerrah wears no thought wave neutraliser,' Uriah's eyes skipped to the one Maelgwn wore, ‘his thoughts are open to all. I would have detected his involvement long before this … he is clean, I assure you.'

‘Surveillance, hey?' The notion reminded Maelgwn that although the mobile microscopic surveillance cameras that were used to patrol the city did not enter the lab, there was a surveillance camera that was part of the NERGUZ security system. Maelgwn felt sure Gibal would have checked this footage immediately upon discovering the device missing and reported any findings, but just in case it had been overlooked, he decided to check it en route back to Zerrah.

 

When Maelgwn called up and viewed the footage of the day in question, the theft of the NERGUZ was shielded by a great flash of light — one minute the device was under its protective force field, then a flare of light and it was gone. As the exterior security of the lab was so tight, there had been no need for massive amounts of surveillance, so this footage was all Maelgwn had to work with.

‘Very helpful,' Maelgwn commented sarcastically — although the footage did indicate that some sort of technology had been used to retrieve the band from its housing. The security systems appeared to have remained in place and active the entire time — a fact that Maelgwn double-checked with the city's central intelligence computer.