Thera (6 page)

“This facility is different; I guess to fit the need. No time to talk, Liz, we have to move,” replied Al.

They jogged up the steps, two at a time to find their exit locked—from the inside. Al twisted the key still in the lock, and they crossed the hall to the exterior door. It was in the dark, early morning hours when they made their entrance onto the island.

They wore dark clothing and picked a time that would put most of the citizens in bed and sound asleep. The town was a working community, and the citizens slept soundly after a hard day’s work. It was a short trip to the Forman house, and as previously planned, they walked directly into the home.

Dusty was sitting at the table, apparently talking to himself. He stopped abruptly when the four travelers came in, and for a moment sat frozen. A tear trickled down his cheek, and the twelve-year-old exclaimed, “You have returned! I knew you would, and I have been waiting.”

Al was confused. “Dusty, I have only been gone for a few hours, just like we planned. I gathered my team, and we packed up and left as fast as we could.”

Now Dusty was confused, he thought for a second and replied, “Master Clark, there has been almost twenty-two sunsets since you left. I was beginning to think you might not return. Last week they came for my father, and he has not returned. Timothy has been staying here with me.”

“The temple guards took him?”

“Yes, and they would not talk to me. I asked over and over what he did, and finally, one of them said he was guilty of heresy—what is heresy?”

“Never mind that, where is Timothy? Is he okay?”

“He went to get water from the well. I kept forgetting and let us run out. He should return soon.”

“How about Falkor, where is he.”

“He was here—I was just talking to him.”

Al glanced around the room but saw no sign of the little dragon. His camouflage was very effective. Thinking maybe he was unsure of the people accompanying him, he called out, “It’s all right Falkor, we’re among friends.”

That was all he had to say for the lizard to appear. A section of the floor by his feet turned green, and a happy dragon jumped into his arms, squealing and licking his face like a dog welcoming his master home.

Timothy returned ten minutes later lugging two sloshing five-gallon buckets of water on a stick across his shoulders. At first, he did not notice their presence. He came through the door, calmly laid the buckets down, closed the door, and turned to see they had visitors. His tired manner disappeared, and he stood taller, a broad smile growing on his face. “You have returned! I cannot say how happy I am to see you. Much has happened in your absence.”

“I am sorry about that Timothy; I did not realize there would be such a large time difference.”

He introduced the other members of his team, and they crowded around the worn table to exchange information. Dusty went to find more chairs, but Al was not waiting to become comfortable. He turned to Timothy and asked, “Why did they take Darius?”

“I am afraid the king has become suspicious of our little insurrection. They took two others when they took Darius; people we recruited to our cause. It appears there are more spies than we thought.”

Al was thinking,
This could be bad
. “Do you know where they are keeping them?”

Timothy’s answer was uncertain. “There is a man that cleans in the temple, picking up the mess they leave from their feasts. He told me they were locked in a small room off the main hall. He took them food once.”

“Is this man one of your converts?”

“No, he is too afraid, but he was willing to talk to me.”

“Good. His information will come in handy. How about the others? The ones you did recruit?”

“We have only two that are still free, but they are ready to do whatever is required.”

Al needed to know how serious the situation was. “Do you think Darius and your friends are in danger?”

“King Agenor is well known for his temper, and of late has become increasingly so. I do not believe he will take kindly to plots against him.”

“Do you think one of the prisoners talked?”

“No. I do not, but Agenor knows that something is not right in Thera. If he suspects our true intention, the king will not be kind.”

“So…we probably should hurry this up?”

“I think it would be prudent,” acknowledged Timothy.

They closed the curtains and locked the doors. Kira was fast becoming friends with Falkor and Dusty and took them aside so the others could make plans, but not so far where she couldn’t hear.

“Can we use the same door we used before to get in?” asked Al.

Timothy replied, “The king has a pin or badge that he uses to open and close doors. He has taken to locking the metal doors after dark. We will be locked out.”

Only one option was available. The vent halfway up the mountain; which meant the people accompanying him would be witness to his capabilities. A debate had been going back and forth in his head, and now the decision was made for him. He had to prepare them for what was about to happen.

“There is a vent, halfway up the mountain that I used to get in on my first visit. It is very high and difficult to reach, but it’s an option because I am a—.”

Elizabeth interrupted him with, “A man with remarkable abilities.”

She did not think Timothy would understand artificial constructs, or cyborgs, or a man in a machine. The rest of his team were aware of Al’s peculiar attributes, but Timothy would have no concept of the technology that allowed Al to do the things he could.

“He can run and jump better than anyone you know,” she continued, “And he can see in the dark.”

Timothy stared at Al, unsure how to phrase his next question. “Are you of a superior race?”

“No—I am a man like you, here to help both your people and mine to the best of my abilities.”

Timothy looked down at the top of the table and then back up with an expression of understanding, “I suspected as much kind sir. The grace of your movements and the peculiar light in your eyes made me think you were more than ordinary. I am extremely glad you are here Master Clark.”

“I am no one’s master. I only want to help. That’s all. Please, call me Al.”

Al was not the kind of person that was comfortable speaking of himself, so he moved the conversation forward. From his jacket pocket, he pulled a small case with a one-inch transparent cube nestled inside. “This is how we will take over the temple. Timothy, meet Tiro, our little holographic friend.”

The ones that knew smiled and a few chuckled.

Edward, the scientist, said, “Now you have done it Al, you’re going to have to explain what a hologram is.”

“You can help with that Ed.”

Al turned back to Timothy and said, “There are so many things to tell you about your temple. You will need to keep an open mind, and trust what I tell you. Believe me; your lives will be so much better once you learn what is available to you inside.”

Timothy addressed Edward, “You are a scientist? One that seeks knowledge?”

When Edward nodded and replied, “Yes,” the middle-aged man looked around the table and said, “I too consider myself a scientist—not of your magnitude, of course, but also a seeker of knowledge. Tell me, Master Clark, what does this little block you hold in your hand have to do with anything?”

The modern education of the first citizen on Thera began. Now they only needed to school everyone else on the island.

Timothy was thrown thousands of years into the future in one night. They spoke of wonders he could scarcely imagine, much less understand.

Kira, the native girl from Avalon, told him of her world. How the colonists freed her kind from the monsters that forced generations to hide in caves after dark—at least they tried to help. She spoke of Camelot, and all the marvels she was introduced to while living with the beings her people called the
Kuthra
. Rain rooms for cleaning themselves with soft rocks that bubbled and smelled good when rubbed on your body. Invisible fences that kept the wildlife out, until the Riktors figured out how to open them.

She showed him her new legs, provided by Doctor Florida and Doctor Cody after the Riktors took hers. It was a lot to accept, and Timothy’s mind raced to keep up.

Elizabeth, with help from the others, told the tale of the Excalibur. The ship that brought them to the new world. The source of their supplies and machines that made life on a new world possible. As the electrical engineer on board, she knew the ship better than anyone and tears appeared when she spoke of the meteor storm that caused its downfall.

“How did you get to and from this spacecraft that floats out of sight?” he asked.

Shuttlecraft were Chris’ territory, so he described the versatile vehicles, and how they transported people and materials back and forth to the Excalibur. He had trouble keeping his voice down when he talked about the time an adult Riktor had tried to pull the captain from the sky. Then he remembered the shuttles would be one more luxury they would have to leave behind when they relocated, and his enthusiasm faded. The shuttles were too large for the Teleporter.

As the evening wore on, the traveler’s talk of all the things now lost left them feeling more and more depressed. Al tried a pep talk, thinking it might lighten the mood.

“We have to come to terms with the way things are. We came from Earth for a new start on what we thought was utopia. Well, it was not. The Riktors were there first and like being at the top of the food chain. It will take years to make the valley safe, and I, for one, do not want my grandson to grow up in an environment like that. We have to relocate here. On the other end of the island. There is plenty of room, and we’ll still have access to a Caretaker outpost.”

“You could settle here—in town,” suggested Timothy.

“We’ll have to wait and see. When we finish this, we can discuss it in more detail. My point is that we have to concentrate on getting to a safe place where we can live peaceful lives, which starts tomorrow night. Here is the plan that will give us the Caretaker outpost. Hopefully, it is a plan where no one gets hurt.

King Agenor reclined on his throne. He appeared comfortable and relaxed, but his face was red, and getting redder by the moment. It was plain to see he was concerned about his place at the top of the hierarchy. Darius was before him, and the interrogation was not going well.

“Who else is with you? How many traitors are there?” Agenor demanded for the third time, his impatience becoming evident.

“There are no others. There is no conspiracy. How many times do I have to tell you?”

Darius was on his knees before him, with the hand of a particularly hostile guard on his shoulder. He was hungry, tired, and worried about where this was going.

“Your friends have already revealed themselves and implicated you. I know who else is involved, and I don’t want to punish innocent subjects. I only wish to speak to them, and they will not be harmed.”

Darius found his statements hard to believe. He knew the other prisoners and did not believe they would betray the trust of the group. “I am aware of no conspiracy. Please, my son is alone, and I need to return to him.”

“You will be allowed to go back to your hovel when I have proof of your innocence.”

Whenever he received an audience, the king turned off the viewing screen. He did not want to advertise his ability to monitor his subjects through his window to the world. The three of them were alone in the lavish chamber. When they led Darius in, all the enlightened servants were dismissed. The king wanted a private conference.

Agenor stood up, repositioned his robe, and stepped down to the floor. Slowly, he walked up to Darius. At thirty years old and five foot two, he was not of regal stature. But he had an air of inherited command, a deep voice, and demanding green eyes.

“You will tell me what you were planning. Now.”

“I cannot say what I do not know.” Darius decided to use the king’s propaganda against him. “Why would we even want to plot against you? You give us everything we need, and fill our days with honest labor. There are a few things we could discuss further, but for the most part, it is a good life here.”

“You people do have it pretty easy,” the king agreed. Exasperated, he told the guard, “Take him away, but put him in the storage room, away from the others. Next time, I will be more insistent.”

The guard nodded and hauled Darius out. King Agenor returned to his throne deep in thought. He did not consider the conspiracy a serious threat yet, but these things needed to be handled promptly and decisively. In the past, his father was much too kind to his subjects and allowed them to become spoiled. Agenor was resolved to change that.

He knew he would have to deal with this, just not right away. Now he felt a need to relax with some entertainment and called for the servants and dancing girls. Tonight was a time to enjoy the spoils of royalty.

The plan was simple, and they discussed it in detail. First, they would take out the guards outside. Al was responsible for the two at the main door, Chris and Kira the two roving pairs, and Elizabeth the two at the back door. Edward, using Al’s access badge from the Overlook facility, would get them in the door. Once the door was open, Timothy and the others would follow.

Al hoped to avoid injury to anyone, if at all possible, so they would primarily be using the tranquilizer guns with the pistols as a last resort. The locals would be unarmed for everyone’s safety.

Once inside, Al would go after Darius and the other prisoners while the rest of his team went to install Tiro into the computer. Once Tiro was loaded and active, he could change the security protocols and effectively lock down the outpost. From there it should be a simple matter of rounding everyone up.

“You are taking the spirit from the clear box and putting it into the Temple? I am sorry Master Clark, but that is magic to me,” said Timothy.

“We call it technology,” replied Al.

Chris added, “Tiro is a lot like a very wise person, only digital. You can see him, but he is not real. He is a digital ghost of one of the ancient researchers and has knowledge about many things.”

“…and he is a friend?”

For a moment, the stress drained from their faces, and the humans laughed.

“Tiro is on the side of justice, prosperity, and the spread of knowledge. King Agenor is providing none of that,” said Al.

“I cannot believe it could be so easy to make things right. It sounds too good to be true.”

Without being sarcastic, Al said, “Planning always sounds easy, Timothy. It is the implementation that is hard.”