The Return of the Watchers (Armageddon Rising Book 1) (31 page)

              “My mother was a professional pianist and instructor, so naturally I learned from the best,” he replied, pausing to remember her passing.               “That was breathtaking my dear, simply breathtaking. Thank you for a wonderful evening, Urieth. It was so nice to have met you, Dorian. I think we will become fast friends,” Jasmine said as she stood up to leave. The rest of the group followed suit and said their goodbyes, leaving Urieth with Dorian to finish up their conversation.                                                                      “So now you have met my inner circle of friends here, although I have many others that I value. Unfortunately, it seems that-”                             “Wait, Urieth, we should be careful here. Is there somewhere private we can talk?” Dorian asked.                                                                                    Urieth looked concerned. “Of course, my son. One moment.”               He put the room back to its natural state and gestured for Dorian to follow. The two left the Whispering Wind and got aboard Urieth's flying transport, traveling to the enormous floating crystal sphere Dorian had seen some time ago. As they approached the structure Dorian realized that it was not a crystal at all, but rather an enormous diamond. As they approached, the colors and lights shimmering from it were mesmerizing. Its surface was cut with many facets to reflect the light with the greatest luminosity. At the bottom of the sphere there was a large opening through which many dozens of beings were coming and going from it.                             “This is where we control the central government of Anidon. There are secure rooms in here where we can talk freely,” Urieth said as they disembarked their platform and walked into the stone. The ground was an unusual type of stone that appeared to flow like a slow moving river, displaying information for visitors to find their way. Officials in uniform were coming and going, several of which nodded to Urieth
as they passed
.              
They rode a platform up to the twenty-first floor, where Urieth gave his credentials to the security forces there. A temporary pass was given to Dorian and the two of them travelled forwards on their platform for a bit until it stopped in front of a set of double doors that also appeared to be made of diamond. A sign upon them read “Commanding Offices For Offensive And Defensive Operations Of Greater Anidon. Security clearance required for entrance.”                                                                                    There were no guards outside, only a floating device was outside, much like the one Yelnisha had used to get into the mountain. Urieth waved his hand over it and mouthed some words. The doors lit up brightly and announced the two of them as they passed through the entranceway.               “My office is back here; follow me,” Urieth said as Dorian was looking around at the see-through floors.                                                                      “I've heard of transparency, but don't you think this is a little overboard?” Dorian asked. Urieth chuckled.                                                                      “We can alter the floors' colors to give privacy, but after hours we keep them off for security purposes. Most of my more sensitive discussions take place on Verdes Eta. What you see around you is where our basic day to day operations take place. Come inside, have a seat,” he said, waving his hand, causing the transparent door to open. There were several chairs in the office, and Urieth gestured to Dorian to take a seat. When
Dorian
sat in one of the chairs, it conformed to his body, reclining him into an almost prone position. A floating screen appeared in front of him.                                                                                                                                            “Do not touch anything, I'll set it up,” Urieth said. After making adjustments, Urieth sat in his chair, which moved into alignment next to Dorian's.                                                                                                                               “Just relax and take a few deep breaths. You might find the experience to be a bit disorienting at first,” Urieth said as he finalized the adjustments.                                                                                                                              A moment later Dorian felt the tremendous rush of force pulling him through the now familiar tunnel. A thunderclap later, they were both on the breece.
Verdes Eta was unique in that it was Ureith’s own secure space that only he and those whom he chose could access.

              The two of them travelled in spirit form to the one and only building on the breeceway, which had the outward appearance of an ancient stone structure crafted by an advanced civilization from long ago.               “We are free from prying eyes and ears here. Was there something important you needed to discuss with me?”                                                                       “Yes. At the Whispering Wind I heard a voice in my head. It told me we were being watched and that a Councilman Ashmus was not to be trusted. I was trying to communicate with it when Sonra'el showed up. I don’t know what that's all about, but I thought you should know,” Dorian said.                                                                                                                                             Urieth frowned. “I see. I’m not quite sure what to make of it myself. We've had our disagreements over the years, but I do not consider Ashmus my enemy. Ashmus is the Chancellor of Research here, in addition to his position on the council. I, along with several others, have called for closer scrutiny of his research activities, which he has vehemently opposed every time the subject has been broached during the council sessions. I do not fully trust him myself, so I am thankful you have brought this to my attention. It would be foolish for me to dismiss it casually, so I will carefully investigate.

              “I trust your dinner was satisfactory?”                                                         “Yes, everything was great,” Dorian replied.                                                        “It was nice for us to share a meal together, and I am happy that you have met some of my closest friends.”                                                                       “There is one more thing I forgot to mention to you before I came to Anidon,” Dorian said.                                                                                                     “Oh? What’s that?”                                                                                                   “I discovered what I believe to be an encrypted message within my genetic code. As far as I can tell it was left for me to discover by Esme. About a week ago, my mother gave me this alien-looking metallic disc; well, more of a heptagon in shape. Anyway, it had these unusual pairings of dots and words on it. She told me Esme gave it to her when I was a baby and mentioned something along the lines of for her to give it to me when the time was right. Apparently the right time was just a few days ago, since she had forgotten about it entirely for years.             

“When I looked at it at first I couldn't read it. After they turned on my Shi or it was activated, whatever you call it, somehow I was able to read it. What we've come up with is that the dots on the object correlate to specific codons, genetic sequences of DNA base pairs that are also linked to these angelic words.”                                                                                     Urieth’s eyes widened. “We? Where is the device now?” he asked.                “I left it with a friend of mine, Yuki, who also runs my lab. She’s working on decrypting the code for me,” Dorian replied.                                           Urieth looked quite shocked. “I was unaware that Esme'el had placed any message in your genetic code so I am at a loss for words right now. We need to keep this information between ourselves for the time being, as there are too many variables to consider. I will have Sonra'el place a protective spell over Yuki's home. Whatever this message may contain, it could be information that the enemy might somehow benefit from, so we should assume it does and act accordingly until we know for certain otherwise. It may be best for her safety and our security that she go into hiding.

“With Anidon’s technology I am quite confident the message could be deciphered in no time, but I dare not risk prying eyes or questions, so for now we will allow your friend to make an attempt at deciphering the message for us,” Urieth said, looking weary.                              “I left her in charge of my lab, with the priority of finishing her education. Are you sure you want me to go back there now? I just got here.”                                                                                                                                             “I should like to inspect this object myself, so I will go in your stead. It's best that you continue your studies here for the time being. Given the rapid development of events we need to get you up to speed as quickly as possible.”                                                                                                                “More than likely she can complete her education over the next three months, so in that time could you have someone watch over her?”

              “I will place several operatives around the University as well as your home. If finishing her education is important to you then I will comply with your request. We will use the time to prepare you,” Urieth replied.

              “I can record a video message with the two of us so that Yuki will know that she can trust you,” Dorian replied.                                                          “That is a wise decision. Do not share this information with anyone, including Matthias. Be sure that your mind blocking skills are mastered and you do not think upon it unless we are in a secure location. For now just continue your studies here. Is this acceptable?”                               “Yeah, no problem. Let me know how things go.”                                            The two left Verdes Eta together and said their goodbyes. Dorian headed back to his new home and contemplated the events of the day until he fell fast asleep.             

Sixteen

The following morning Dorian found it difficult to wake up; the recent passing of his mother, along with his concerns for Yuki and what the future held, made it seem as if the weight of the world was pressing down upon him. It was early morning Thursday, four days away from the new year, and a soft bell was ringing in his bedchamber. A photograph from the outside of his house showed Yelnisha’s face plastered right up against the imager, distorting her face in a cartoonish fashion. He pressed the option to ignore and closed his eyes. She buzzed several more times, each time giving a different contorted face.

              “Ok, ok, jeez.” He pressed the communication button on the floating screen.                                                                                                                 “Mornin' to ya. Just wanted to see how the new resident is faring on this fine day,” she said in a pleasant tone.              

              He rubbed his right eye with his hand and yawned, showing obvious signs of fatigue and stress. “Good morning,” he said politely. “I suppose I should be a proper neighbor and invite you in. But I’ll need the code first.”

             
She cheerfully obliged.                                                                                     “You passed. House, let her in. Please, Yelnisha, no drama today. I’m really not feeling up to it,” he said, exiting the chamber.                            “Look at you, it’s nine o’clock. How can you be a professor at a university if you’re getting up this late?”                                                                       He yawned again, his slitted eyes barely letting light in as his mind was fighting hard to stay awake.                                                                                     “Coffee?” he asked.                                                                                                  “No thanks, I’ve got a tiny bladder. Besides, if I drank that stuff I’m pretty certain that I would explode. I’ve got too much energy as it is. Anyway, not here to chit chat, we’ve got a busy day ahead of us. Lots to do. In one hour I’ll need you to hop on your platform and meet me at the training field. I’ve sent the instructions on how to get there to your house unit already. Be seeing ya,” she said, with a wink and a smile.                             Dorian stood in his robe sipping his beverage, nibbling on some toast. “Thought she was
going to attack me again. That wasn’t so bad. Maybe Matthias was exaggerating.”                                                                                     Finishing his breakfast, he cleaned up and proceeded to make his way over to the training field, the same one he  had visited yesterday.               The platform took him to the field entrance where a security checkpoint was set up, much like one found at an airport. Several small lines formed as the warrior-athletes waited their turn to get in.                             “Spectator lines to the far left,” the security guard said to Dorian as he approached his turn in line. Everyone around him was wearing some type of form-fitting uniform and doing various stretches and warm ups as they waited to get through. Dorian was wearing a flannel shirt with a t-shirt underneath along with loose-fitting blue jeans and Converse tennis shoes; hardly the specimen of athleticism, which is precisely why the guard pointed him to the other line.                                                                                     Just as he began to leave he heard Yelnisha’s voice from beyond the gate.                                                                                                                               “Oh, no, you don’t. Get back there. He’s with me. Let him through, please,” she said to the attendants manning the gate. They looked at each other with raised eyebrows and waved him through. A scanner went over him as he passed through the entrance. Yelnisha was stretching out in a charcoal-colored form-fitting workout uniform similar to the kind everyone else wore.                                                                                                                “I feel a bit out of place here. Shouldn’t I be in jogging shorts or something? If I'd known this is what you had in mind I would have stayed in bed, because I don’t have an athletic bone in my body,” he complained.              Yelnisha to looked at him as if he had two heads. “Right, you’re not in shape? How’d you get that body then? Lifting books and test tubes and whatnot?” she asked, looking over his built physique.                                           “Seriously, Yelnisha, I’m in terrible shape. I’ve been so busy with work that I haven’t been to the gym in years. This is going to be embarrassing. Shouldn’t I just watch or something?”                                          “Did you forget to change your diapers this morning? Get over it. If getting you in shape is what we need to do then you’ve come to the right place,” she said, grabbing him by the arm and leading him along. The two  went down the corridor, stopping near the dressing rooms for the combatants. “Follow me please,” she said smiling.                                                        They stepped into a sophisticated locker room where dozens of people were milling about; some were stretching and some were in groups going over maneuvers the way a sports team would before a game. She stopped in front of a group of ten people that were huddled together, listening to a female who resembled a cat-human hybrid. Her fur was a very fine grey, and she had hands much like a human's, but with with the exception of claws. She also had greenish-yellow eyes with black slits, with facial features that were closer to human than cat. She was dressed in one of the form fitting outfits that everyone seemed to be wearing with some type of device around her neck. It appeared that she was of a similar species to Zeracon, the head of security.                                                                       “Sorry to interrupt, but I’ve brought along a new recruit that we’re going to be adding to our ranks starting today,” Yelnisha said with a grin. The group turned their attention to Dorian, who was feeling rather embarrassed over his attire and lack of athletic prowess. He recognized a few of them from his class with Matthias: Xui Mei, the fourteen year old prodigy from Changsha in the Hunan province of China; Josiah, the soft spoken, lean and lanky man from Namibia; Sasha, the strikingly beautiful young woman from Domzale, Slovenia; Simon, the funny young Welshman from Aberystwyth in the United Kingdom; Emmerelda, the young woman who had been rude to him; and Juan Velazquez of Cartagena, Spain, who at forty-four was the oldest. Tiddi and Osokas were present and flanked Yelnisha as she arrived.                                                                      “Excellent, Commander Yelnisha. Greetings, Dorian. I am Second Commander Lykoi,” the woman said in a soft voice. “I bel
ieve you are acquainted with most everyone here so you may want to get changed into something that will allow you to move more freely, in order to withstand the punishment of our exercises. You’ll find the skins over there,” she said, nodding in the direction of the machine that looked like a body scanner found at airports. Yelnisha walked over to where Dorian was to assist him.                                                                                                                “Here,” she said, moving him into place. “You stand inside of it like this with your arms out and say 'measure'.”                                                         Dorian did as instructed and the device whirred as lasers measured every inch of his body.                                                                                                   “Now come over here. It only takes a minute,” Yelnisha said, as she stood in front of the apparatus that was creating the outfit for him. A moment later it was completed. The material was unique; stretchy but extremely strong. Given its delicate nature and thickness it was rather heavy, an attribute owed to the advanced technology employed in its construction.                                                                                                                                 “You can change over there,” she said, pointing to the area adjacent to the group where other visitors were getting dressed behind the solid barrier. She waved her hand over the sensor and the barrier dissipated, allowing Dorian to step inside. He motioned for it to go up and he began to disrobe. As he put the form fitting outfit over his nude body, he noticed the group paying close attention to what he was doing.                             Josiah placed his hand over Xui Mei’s eyes and Yelnisha laughing hysterically. Dorian quickly put on the suit and noticed the backside felt rather drafty, mainly due to the fact it was missing material there. Wrapping his shirt around himself, he waved his hand over the barrier and smiled at Yelnisha.                                                                                                                 “Okay, you’ve had your fun. Can I get a normal suit now?” he asked.  Tiddi, who was looking a bit red in the face, walked over and handed him a new one.                                                                                     “Thanks. How about a little privacy this time?”                                           “Um, yeah, that was Yelnisha’s doing. If you step in again it should work like the others,” she said, avoiding eye contact with him.