 Visit www.wraithsandworlds.com © 2007/2008 Darrin Wilson. All Rights Reserved. Episode Nine: The Human KeyGRACE’S CHEST started thumping as if there still were a human heart hammering at her ribs. “Don’t make eye contact!” Deacon yelled. Grace immediately lowered her head. “Grace!” he barked. “How are you coming with those vines?” She struggled feverishly with her bindings. “Almost there!” Quickly she worked on her feet, loosening the knots. “The Baku must see your eyes to target you,” Deacon said. “But that only lasts a few seconds. It won’t need to look at us to bear down. Hurry, Grace.” The Baku hesitated briefly, trying to make eye contact with one of them. “Got it!” Grace scrambled over to Deacon. “Hurry, Grace...” The Baku stared at the group, darting its massive head from Grace to Deacon and back again. “Grace...” “Okay, okay...” “Grace...” Beside Deacon, one of the monks stirred and opened his eyes. The Baku, drool falling from its maw in anticipation, locked eyes with the monk. “Oh God...” Deacon yelled at him. “Don’t look at its eyes!” The monk was terrified. He just sat there, frozen in absolute fear at the creature before him. The Baku charged. Shanks of layered muscle shaking at the impact of its huge feet on the stone ground. “Grace!” “Got it! You’re free!” “Go! Go! Go!” Grace immediately started to work on the monk’s bindings. Deacon quickly pulled her away. “No time!” The Baku, at full gallop, raised its head and opened its jaw. It was heading straight for the monk. The beast’s flank bashed against Grace and Deacon, knocking them out of the way as it completely engulfed the poor monk with its mouth. The Baku bit down and severed the man in half, craned its neck upward and shook the torso down its throat. Grace and Deacon scrambled away into the corner of the chamber. The other monk desperately struggled to free himself. The Baku turned to him, clamped its jaw around his arm and bit it off. The monk’s screams penetrated Grace’s head. She cried, “We should have saved them...” “No,” Deacon panted. “There was no time. There was no way.” He spotted a far tunnel on the opposite side of the room. “There! If we can make it over there, the Baku won’t be able to follow us.” Grace couldn’t look at the grisly scene being played out before them. “There’s no way we could make it,” she said. “We can’t stay here,” he said. “We’re wide open.” He studied the distance. “It would be close but I think we can make it. On the count of three.” “Wait, wait.” She took a couple of deep breaths. The Baku was grotesque. It was ripping at the flesh of the both monks. As no other animal was around to threaten its meal, the Baku collapsed its legs and rested on its belly as it ate. “Now! Now!” Deacon shouted. “Run!” Grace and Deacon scurried to the tunnel. The Baku immediately saw them. Grace caught herself staring straight at the creature. It stared back. Then struggled to its feet and gave chase. Once it was up, the animal’s gait gave it speed. It was quicker than both Deacon and Grace anticipated. It gained on them within seconds. Grace didn’t look back. She felt the hot breath of the creature on her neck. Its scream was excruciating: somewhere between a hyena’s yowl and a lion’s roar. Deacon and Grace dove into the tunnel entrance as the Baku slammed into the opening after them. Blood and spittle from the creature sprayed the pair. The Baku backed up and took another running charge at the tunnel entrance. The impact shook the ground and shattered the surrounding stone. The entrance was getting bigger. “C’mon,” Deacon yelled. “It’ll tear its body apart trying to get at us. Let’s move!” The exhausted duo ran down the stone tunnel and out of sight of the struggling beast. Its howls echoing through the chamber. They were going to make it. But to where? Sand sauntered around the tent observing the workers cleaning the artefacts. Abigail sat in her wheelchair silently calculating her odds of survival. If she could somehow communicate to Kapen her situation, she would have a chance. But she needed to do it without Sand noticing. More thought was clearly needed. Sand hovered over one table and carefully regarded an artefact a worker was brushing. Sand leaned in closer; close enough to distract the worker and make the work stop. “Sorry,” he said to the worker. “It’s just that you should be careful with the belly of that figure.” “Why?” “Because it’s hollow.” “No it isn’t,” the worker said, tapping the figure. “Solid. It’s clay. Quite sturdy.” “It’s Resa. The female mate of Chopefauru. A Babylonian demi-God. You’ll find a small indentation in the crook of its right inner thigh. Take a pin and pry it in there.” The worker scowled at Sand but scrutinized the statue anyway. He turned it over and sure enough, there was a slight depression in the surface. The worker brushed more of the dirt away to reveal a distinct indentation. The worker grunted, picked up a small awl and pried at the opening. The pressure broke the seal and off came a perfectly square section of the statue. “My God,” said the worker. Underneath the section was a small cavity. Inside which was an exquisitely carved rendition of a smaller version of the figure. “It’s the offspring,” Sand said. “Resa is never without child.” “Incredible,” said the worker. “Sir,” he said to his boss, Kapen. “I think you should take a look at this.” Kapen crossed the room and leaned into the table. “What is it?” The worker showed Kapen the open belly and the small figure. “He knew the statue would be hollow. He told me there would be a secret compartment and there was.” Kapen examined the statue. “This is Chopefauru,” he said. “The pregnant demi-God.” Kapen looked at Sand. “You knew how to open it?” Sand nodded. Kapen regarded him. Then nodded back. “Okay,” he said. “That’s impressive. I can count the number of American scholars who know about Chopefauru on one hand. You can come along. We could probably use your expertise with whatever we find in there.” Sand smiled. “I think that would be wise.” “Okay, wait, wait!” Deacon yelled. “Stop.” He was shaken and panting. “My God,” Grace said. “What have we done?” “I told you... we couldn’t have done anything. Nothing can stop the Baku.” “Then how do you kill them for these furs? They’re so aggressive.” “They have a soft spot... right behind the ears. You have to approach them from behind.” Grace scowled. She put her hand to her chest. “I can feel my heart. It’s pounding so hard.” “It’s not your heart,” he said. “It’s more like electrical pulses pounding at your chest as we generate more energy from all this excitement.” “Really,” Grace looked ahead. “I see a light up there.” “Yep. C’mon, we’ll see where it goes.” Abigail sat quietly. She was cognizant of Sand and his henchman discussing their strategy of how to babysit her while their boss went on his excursion with Kapen. She suddenly became aware of an unusual vibration in the air. She wheeled herself over to a nearby table upon which rested several objects of interest. Abigail lifted her head and tried to pick up on any resonances. She lifted her hand and suspended it above the closest artefact; a small clay pot. It shook. Her nose twitched. A breeze shot up and stirred the sandy ground inside the tent. Within seconds, the tent started flapping and a loud roar was heard overhead. Kapen and several men burst out of the tent and looked skyward. Two helicopters shot across the bright desert sky. From the east, at the mouth of the canyon, two beige Hummers skidded to a halt. Several men in army fatigues jumped out and marched toward the main tent. Kapen stood his ground and stared directly at the man who seemed to be leading. Kapen watched as the soldiers approached one of the workers. After a brief exchange, the worker pointed right at Kapen. The soldier marched directly toward the main tent followed by several other soldiers. The soldier extended his hand to Kapen, who took it reluctantly. “I’m Commander Bill Grissom, Joint Force Land Component Commander in charge of United States Operational Land Forces Coordination in Iraq.” Kapen was stunned. “Iraq? You’re in Syria, Commander.” “I know. I’ve been sent here to secure your site until a special task force can be assembled to take over.” “Take over? Hold on. What’s going on here?” Another chopper roared overhead. “Listen to me very carefully, Mister?” “Kapen.” “Mister Kapen. You have now surrendered operation of your site to the United States Government.” Kapen scoffed. “Like hell.” “Mister Kapen you’re not understanding me. You’re in direct violation of the International Preservation Accord of 1993.” Kapen almost let out a belly laugh. “What? Are you kidding me? Listen General...” “Commander.” “Whatever. There is no International Preservation Accord of 1993. That’s bullshit and you know it. This dig is backed up by more permits and regional sanctions than Trump Tower and has the support of the reigning Syrian historic archaeological coalition so you either tell me the real reason you’re here... or get the fuck off my dig.” Grissom turned and spoke quickly with a soldier standing to his right. Kapen did the same to an Arabic associate standing at his side. “This is bullshit,” Kapen said to him. “Total American hardnose bullshit.” The Arab laughed. Kapen spotted two soldiers questioning a few workers around the site and it annoyed him. “Hey! Hey you! Leave my men alone. Understand?” “Look,” Grissom said. “Let’s go inside, okay?” “Fine.” The men walked into the tent. Kapen was so angry and distracted by the commotion that he failed to notice Abigail’s wheelchair shoved into a corner; it was empty. Sand and his henchman were gone. At the rear of the tent, Sand stood with his men. Roger was carrying Abigail. Hinel was close by. Sand looked around. “We’ll follow the rock face around to the end of the canyon,” Sand said. “If we’re confronted, Abigail and I were hired as consultants. You will be additional protection for the dig. We’ll make our way to the fissure and try to get inside.” “And what about her?” Hinel said. “How are you going to explain why she’s being carried?” “She injured her foot on the rocks out here. We’re carrying her to a place where she can rest.” “It’s a mistake,” Abigail said. “You’re not prepared. You need Kapen’s help. Not to mention his permission.” “I need no one’s help. And right now we can’t afford to be detained by the military.” Back inside the tent, Kapen and Grissom were engaged in a heated conversation. “You’re not taking over this dig,” Kapen said. “Unless you can prove to me this site is a danger to the United States, I am in charge. You have no jurisdiction here.” “Not a danger to the United States,” Grissom said. “To the world. And you have no choice.” “Listen, my father was in the military for 40 years. I know all of your tactics. You see something you don’t understand or something you want and you think you can bully your way in. Well, I’m from Chicago. You can’t bully a bully.” “You will surrender this site.” “And what if I don’t?” “Then every government in the world will start fighting to be the first to nuke this canyon when they find out what you’ve found!” Kapen went silent. He said finally, “How do you know what we found?” Grissom pulled back the entrance flap to the tent and in walked a white, middle-aged man with ill-fitting fatigues and a helmet two sizes too big. “This is Dr. David Hood,” Grissom said. “Who the hell is Dr. David Hood?” Grissom looked at Kapen in surprise. “Haven’t you been watching the news?” “There are no TVs here.” “We’ll save you the trouble,” Grissom said. “We have—” Hood stepped forward and interrupted. “Mr. Kapen. I’m very pleased to meet you. I’m a particle physicist. We have made a remarkable discovery. I mean, my colleagues and I... I mean back in Geneva. Something that is going to change the world as we know it. That is changing the world right now! The repercussions are already starting to be felt so we’ve got to act fast.” “Hold it, hold it,” Kapen said. “Slow down. Start from the beginning, please. If you don’t mind.” “Well, in a nutshell... we found out what happens when we die.” Kapen frowned. “What?” “Your discovery is just one of a thousand pieces of evidence that are surfacing now because of this new direction.” “What new direction?” “You found a gateway to the other side,” Hood said. “A true-to-life energy transfer that leads... to the other side. One of over 12 billion portals all over the world. To Heaven. Or at least, the place where humans go after they pass on. The mechanics of the entire process is starting to come to light. And it’s all so simple. And wonderful!” Kapen was dumbfounded. He couldn’t think of a response. “Actually,” Hood said. “Your discovery is much more than that. It’s the stabilizing mechanism that keeps the gate membranes from folding. We suspect it runs on anti-matter.” “Woe, woe, woe,” Kapen said. “Gate membranes? Okay. I think you should all leave now. Except for Hood.” Grace and Deacon continued their hike through the narrow tunnel. Grace took a misstep and extended her hand out to the stone wall to stabilize herself. “I don’t like any of this,” she said. “This is all some bad dream.” “I wish that were true,” Deacon said. Grace scanned the tunnel. It was cold, dark and damp. Faintly illuminated by the ghost light somewhere in the distance. “You know,” she said. “I’m still not sure I believe any of this or what you say.” Deacon kept his eyes on the path ahead. “I understand. But consider your injury.” “I have considered that. It could all be part of some grand delusion I’m having in a hospital somewhere or in a holding cell...” “Grace. I can appreciate your disbelief. And I do understand your need to regain a grip of some aspect of reality where there seems to be none here. But we really don’t have time for this. Maru is right now at this moment on his way to find God. And if, in some fluke of fate, he finds Him first, despite what he says about me, Maru will kill God... or whatever is out there.” “How do you know that?” “Because Maru finally did it. As I knew he would. He’s crossed the boundary that divides logical thought and fanaticism. And if God, in whatever form He has taken here, doesn’t meet Maru’s expectations, Maru will destroy Him. And considering there’s a possibility God is mortal on this plane, everything about humanity will be lost with Him. And we could be condemning our own fates even worse than what we see here. Understand? No offense but you can stay here and contemplate your situation... or you can help me.” “I’m going to find my father,” Grace said, “You’re still the best bet I have of doing that.” “Good. Then let’s get moving.” “You know,” she said. “I want to believe the Bible.” Deacon turned to her. “And you can. I grew up with the Bible too. It gave me a great sense of pride to know that I was closer to God by reading it. Just keep it close, Grace. Don’t let go of it if it gives you security. We may need it in ways we can’t even imagine yet.” Grissom, his soldiers, and Kapen’s contingent of workers left the tent and went to stand outside. All of them were talking at once. Finally, Kapen and Hood were alone. “Gate membranes?” Kapen said. “Tell me what the fuck is going on. Really. No bullshit.” Hood put an arm around Kapen and walked him around the tables slowly. “I’m a member of CERN. You know, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva.” “Okay.” “Are you familiar with the Hadron Collider?” “No.” Hood collected his thoughts. “It’s the world’s largest particle accelerator and it became operational exactly one week ago.” “Look, Dr. Hood,” Kapen said. “I’m an archaeologist who dabbles in demonology. I’m not into particle physics.” Hood smiled. “Okay, okay. Listen. The Collider accelerates beams of sub-atomic particles; protons specifically, around a 27 kilometer circumference at the speed of light then smashes them into one another.” “Why would you do that?” Hood laughed. “It’s complicated. Anyway, we’ve been building this thing for the past 15 years and finally got it fully operational with the first successful sequence concluding at 2:17am last Tuesday morning.” “That’s interesting,” Kapen said. “Last Wednesday morning is when we found that our cave full of artefacts started spewing snow.” Hood nodded. “Yeah. Of course.” “Look, Dr. Hood,” Kapen said. “Just tell me what you think we found?” “Many religions believe we pass on to a higher consciousness after we die but of course, no one really knows. Well, it turns out, we’re all wrong. But in a wonderful way. In an incredible way. What I mean is the Hadron Collider created an unexpected side effect. The collisions split several proton particles into several groups of even smaller highly magnetized micro-sub-atomic particles. This, in turn, allowed stray ribbons of dark matter—from outer space—to be attracted to the Collider. That specific vibration, which has never before been created on earth, knocked the second dimension into the visual range of human beings. We could see the energy vortexes where souls go when they die. Actually see through the doorway. Literally billions of vortexes all over the world all at the same time. Appearing everywhere. In people’s homes, in parks, in the middle of roads, on top of mountains, on board airplanes, everywhere. One actually in the middle of a bank in Holland. Can you imagine? A temporal transit system that is changing everything about life on earth from this point on. History is being rewritten on a gigantic scale. Right now as we speak. And there’s nothing we can do about it. Stock markets are going nuts. Religious leaders are convening all over the world. From a scientific point of view it’s the most incredible thing. Ever.” “Are you crazy?” “The human equation can finally be solved. We know what lies on the other side. We can see through. We can see souls. We just have to choose someone we can hold onto, to step through the membrane in front of the whole world.” Kapen swept back his hair from his face. “You look angry,” Hood said. “This is a time for celebration, my friend.” “How well do you know the human race, Dr. Hood?” Hood shook his head in confusion. “You must be all so proud of yourselves,” Kapen said. “You’ve solved the greatest mystery mankind has ever known. Has anyone considered, just for a moment, that there may be a price to pay for such conceit?” EPISODE TEN: PATH OF RESISTANCE |