Return to Earth Read online

  Return to Earth

  Guardian War #4

  By Brad Stucki

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright August 2018 by Buckaroo Press

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  Chapter 1

  Javin came back from Sharing with Sauros as if rising from a dark depth. His mind was tingling, body stiff and sore. His eyes flickered open and squinted against the light until they adjusted. He was still sitting on the bed with Sauros beside him, doing much the same thing, allowing his body to adjust after being stark still for who knew how long.

  Javin rubbed his neck while swiveling his head back and forth to work out the stiffness. He instinctively sought out the memory Sauros had warned him of. He had to. During the Sharing, images, memories and knowledge moved so fast he couldn’t identify them individually. Now the transfer was over . . .

  There was a quick, unfiltered flash of images, and a fleeting memory to go with it, then it narrowed to a particular one.

  Javin saw himself laying on a solid slab of stone. Something glowing was sitting on his chest, but he couldn't make out what it was. Javin thought he should know, but he didn't. Sauros was at the foot of the slab, and Javin was telling him he was ready. Then Sauros, unabashed tears streaming down his face nodded, and pushed the slab into a slot in a large cavern wall. There was a blinding flash! A scream of agony and surprise echoed from inside the wall then all was silent.

  Javin was stunned. He saw this from Sauros' point of view. It was his memory, but it hadn’t happened yet. This was so new it was hard to put into any context. That would hopefully come later but for now, what Javin had seen shocked him. He tensed, opened his eyes and stared directly at Sauros, who was staring back, expectant.

  Javin started to speak, but croaked as his voice wouldn’t work. He forced moisture back through his mouth and throat and tried again, still staring at Sauros.

  “I have to die! And you have to help me!"

  “You have seen,” Sauros said. “I know the images are still a jumble. Let them settle then we can discuss what you have seen. All three of us should discuss it, as Kokos also has the memories and knowledge. Perhaps the three of us can find a way to circumvent this.”

  Javin sat motionless, still staring at Sauros. He didn’t know what to say. What could he say? The fleeting image had flashed before his mind's eye, called up by his seeking for it.

  From that snippet of memory, Javin knew Sauros and Javin both had felt this was necessary. Sauros was feeling great sorrow at what he was doing, yet felt resolve it had to be done, to accomplish a higher purpose.

  There was a fleeing knowledge of what that higher purpose was -- to save all the sentient beings in the galaxy. That purpose was why. And Javin, feeling that, had agreed with it, though complete understanding now was just out of reach of his conscious mind. It was at that point Sauros' vision of the future went dark. It was a shock to Javin's mind. Nothing more had been given. That was it. Though it was enough. Sauros had assisted Javin in his own sacrifice.

  "At least it was for a good cause." Javin's wry humor surfaced to rescue him from the trauma of what he'd seen. He tried reaching for that ethereal 'why' but just couldn't grasp it. His mind and body were too tired to make the effort.

  “Let us both rest,” Sauros said. “We both, need it after this Sharing,” Sauros said.

  Javin nodded. He was tired. So very tired, especially after what he’d seen.

  Sauros rose stiffly from the couch and Javin lay down and closed his eyes. It was a relief when the blackness mercifully took him.

  Chapter 2

  Nemesis rose from his sleep. Immediately upon arriving at his safe place, he had sought out his bed. The fight and confrontation with Javin and Sauros had been utterly exhausting, as had the final decision he'd made to break with his Masters. The portent of that decision alone was enough to unnerve him. What else could he have done? He wouldn't allow himself to be punished ever again. It was time he took his life and destiny into his own hands.

  He was refreshed now, and it was time he started to think through what he needed to do. His former Masters were surely searching for him. It would take them quite a while to find him -- if they ever did. He had Moved in time to shake them. He had Moved to Earth in a far ancient time, and holed up in the oldest and largest of earth’s pyramids. Nemesis had long ago discovered this secret chamber and had kept it to himself for just such an occurrence.

  Moving through time was something he'd learned by accident when his Masters were teaching him to Move. He'd accidentally taken himself back in time to a particular childhood memory. It was the memory of the first time his Masters had punished him. It was on earth at that time too. Nemesis had been young, a child of maybe 3 years old -- too young to remember much of anything, but the punishment was something he remembered.

  At the time, he'd been scared. One of his Masters was trying to teach him how to use the Crystal he'd just been given. They had just embedded it in his breast, and he'd been terrified at what had happened – the Crystal melding itself into his breast with no explanation from his Masters as to what was happening and why. The Crystal had felt warm and spread peace throughout his body, but this particular Master hadn't told him anything of what to expect. He'd wondered if he were dying. And he had cried.

  He'd been punished for crying!

  The now 17-year-old Nemesis was being taught how to Move by yet another of his Masters. They wanted him to Move to the remote earth compound where he was initially trained.

  Nemesis had carefully stilled his mind and sought for his memory of the ‘resonance’ of the place. Then he focused on tuning his body harmonic to that specific resonance, making his body match that same harmonic wavelength.

  Striving to be particularly accurate, he drew upon that childhood memory when he'd been left alone after being punished.

  He'd Moved . . . and found he was standing beside his younger self, who was crying in the dirt where his Master had left him!

  The 17-year-old Nemesis had been shocked and disoriented. Clearly he'd Moved in a wrong fashion! Then he realized he'd Moved to the right place, just the wrong time. He'd knelt by his younger self and touched his arm, unconsciously comforting him. His younger self had looked up, tears running down his cheeks.

  Then the older Nemesis realized his Masters would know something was wrong when he didn't appear where -- when he was supposed to. They would come looking, and he risked punishment! His Masters rarely brooked mistakes without 'correction' as they called it. So his older self had caught hold of himself, squeezed the arm of his younger self, nodded and stood.

  He concentrated on being in the present time, the time he ‘should’ be at, and Moved to the correct time and place.

  There hadn’t been enough time passing for his Masters to suspect anything, and Nemesis had never told them. After considerable thought on the matter, Nemesis had decided to keep the little side trip to himself, to use the ability at a later date if ever necessary.

  As Nemesis sat on his bed in the pyramid chamber, remembering that event so long ago, a realization struck him. That time, when he was but 3 years old, was the first time he'd ever thought about freeing himself from his Masters. It was at that time he'd m
ade up his mind to learn all he could, and eventually find a way to gain his freedom.

  Nemesis shook his head. 'He' was the one who'd put that thought into his mind at that time. He'd come back and had comforted himself, and put the notion of gaining his freedom into his young mind. Somehow his younger self had sensed who the older boy had been, and had sensed what had been growing since that very day. That feeling of secret rebellion had continued to grow – and his younger self had sensed it!

  "All that aside," the current Nemesis said to himself. "I'm still not completely free."

  He searched through the new memories and knowledge he'd stripped from Sauros, looking for anything he could use . . . and then it came: The Archive!

  Nemesis' breath quickened. This is exactly what he was looking for! He had to get there and secure it for himself!

  Immediately, he started to pull up the memory from Sauros, paying particular attention to the resonance of the place. He would Move there right now and take it!

  It didn't take long. Nemesis had become very practiced at Moving through space to anyplace he could discern the resonance. In order to Move you had to know where you were going. Being just a slight bit out of resonance and you would end up in an entirely wrong place. He'd found there was no place that didn't have a particular resonance, and every available resonance was filled with something. That is how everything existed . . . on a particular wavelength or resonance. At least that's what one of his more intellectually-bent Masters had taught.

  Now, to go to the Archive and take what he needed. It surely held the answers he was seeking. But wait! He would be walking into a trap. They would have it guarded. Maybe even Javin and Sauros would be there. Now that they had the 3rd Article of Power they would be difficult to overpower.

  Nemesis hesitated, thinking. There was a way! He had traveled back in time to reach this place on earth. He could stay in this time and go to the Archive. The place was ancient. He could go there now, before it was discovered in the present, and there would be no one to disturb him. The Archive would be his for the taking. Then he would do something to prevent anyone in the future from gaining the knowledge it contained.

  Nemesis caught himself. If he changed the past, what changes would it cause in the future? It would affect only recent events. Maybe it would change events enough that Nemesis could retrieve the 3rd Article of Power rather than Javin!

  Smiling, Nemesis strode into the main pyramid chamber and stepped down those three levels to stand next to the Archway. Nemesis could use the Archways easily, perhaps more easily than using his energy to Move. But if he used the Archways there was the possibility he could be tracked in some fashion. After all, Javin and his maudlin friend, Sauros had used the Archway to find him earlier. That had worked to his advantage then, but if he used the Archway, it might aid others in locating him, especially his Masters. That wouldn't do.

  Instead he stood beside the Archway and closed his eyes, carefully tuning first his mind, then the rest of his body to the resonance he had pulled from Sauros' memories, while concentrating on remaining in this current past.

  Chapter 3

  Nemesis could feel his body making the transition. He opened his eyes and saw the main room of the Archive start to resolve itself. It was dark, but as soon as he'd fully arrived, the lights flickered into a brilliance that blinded Nemesis for a brief moment. This caused him a bit of panic. If anyone were there, he would be easily detected.

  Looking around, he noted no one else there. He was alone! Best to make sure. It didn't take long for him to stride through the whole facility, from the main room to the other end of the facility where the Archway sat. Lights came on each time he stepped into a room. No one. The place was empty. And a good chance no one would be coming to this room for centuries yet. Nemesis smiled.

  Returning to the main room, he quickly seated himself at the desk where the interface was. Recalling how Kokos had accessed the Archive, he rested his hand on the half Crystal embedded in the desk. It glowed warm and he concentrated, seeking information . . . And nothing happened.

  He tried again, striving to focus specifically on having access to information surrounding the Crystals. Maybe he needed to be very specific.

  Still nothing.

  He searched Sauros' memories and the answer came. Javin hadn't been able to access the information either. He wondered why he hadn't noticed that earlier. Perhaps it had happened too briefly, and they hadn't understood it either so it didn't stick out much in Sauros' memory.

  Clearly, Kokos had been able to access the Archive. But not Javin. Neither could he, apparently. So now what? He needed that information!

  Then the answer came. He would have to abduct Kokos and strip her of the information she'd retrieved. That, however, was more easy to contemplate than actually do. Surely now she would be on her guard. She would also have the protection of Javin and Sauros – armed with the 3rd Article of Power.

  Was there another way? Nemesis sat, sorting through the recent memories and knowledge. Nothing came from that source. He tried to access the Archive again, trying various ways in which he might be able to match his Crystal's harmonics and see if he could find a way to sync it to the Crystal embedded in the desk. Nothing worked.

  He couldn't just give up. He needed that knowledge! He had two of the Articles of Power. But without the knowledge of what was going on, and why, that power alone wouldn't be sufficient. He couldn't operate blindly and hope to defeat his Masters and find true freedom.

  Nemesis considered kidnapping one of his Masters. Perhaps he could drain one of them? But he doubted he'd be able to do it. They didn't exist on the same plane as he and the rest of this universe. He knew from recent experience he could sense things, but if he got close enough to actually try and take knowledge and memories, the attempt would be turned against him. His Masters had great power, and he wasn't sure he'd be a match for one of them, even with the backing of two Articles of Power. It wasn't worth the risk of testing it. At least without more knowledge. It always came back to that.

  The only reasonable avenue, though fraught with risk, was to somehow take Kokos and drain her. The problem would be where to find her? She was surely shielding herself now. And she was also surely to be with Javin and Sauros. He had to arrive unexpectedly, holding onto one of the Articles of Power, and take them captive before they could react.

  But Nemesis wouldn't know where Kokos would be at any given time. There was a good chance she would be at the Archive room in the present, or someone would be there whom he could interrogate and find out where she was. The key was to Move to a place in the Archive where he wouldn't be seen right off, then he could enact his plan.

  Nemesis got up from the desk and strode into the hallway towards the Archway room. He would pick one of the unused rooms and Move to the present, appearing in one of those rooms. From there he could come out and be prepared to take anyone in the facility captive.

  Using Sauros' memories he knew which rooms had been occupied by Javin, Sauros, Kokos and Manos. He picked one which wasn't going to be occupied and sat on the bed. He reached into his pouch and pulled out the 1st Article of Power, the Power of Creation. With it he could create a barrier shield as he'd done before and quickly surround and bind whomever he saw. It would happen fast enough they wouldn't have time to react . . . He hoped.

  Nemesis strengthened the shielding around his own body, then tuned his body's resonance to the Archive in the future - present, and Moved.

  Chapter 4

  Nemesis felt the transition and saw the room start to resolve around him. It was dark, but as soon as his body made the transition completely, lights came up and he was bathed in illumination. He quickly turned all around. He was alone. Excellent. He drew on the power of the 1st Article, preparing himself to use it immediately, then strode from the room, down the empty hall, and into the main Archive room. He immediately saw the empty Archive interfaces along the wall as he moved into the center of the surprisingly empty room. Som
ething was amiss here!

  "I was wondering when you would turn up."

  Nemesis spun at the voice and saw Manos striding into the room from the hallway. He must have been standing guard in the Archway room and the raising of the lights must have alerted him. No matter. Nemesis, using the power of the 1st Article, reached out and encircled Manos with a barrier. He’d never met Manos, but from Sauros' memories knew exactly who and what he was. The barrier wasn't tight. Just enough to hold him in place so he could be interrogated. He needed to find out where the others were. He needed to know where Kokos was.

  "You won't be able to use the Archive. You have to be one of my people. It was made for only us to gain access."

  Nemesis smiled. "That I already know." He moved to stand closer to Manos, studying him. How should he get the information he needed from this being? Should he try to strip it from his mind? Or start by simply asking? Asking first would bring the required information to the forefront of Manos' mind prior to the stripping. He had learned on previous worlds he could strip minds of their memories even if they didn't have a Crystal. It just took a bit more effort is all. It was made easier by having the target's mind focused on what he was looking for. There were varying degrees of finesse he could employ. Nemesis had learned he could be subtle and careful, not damaging the host, or he could be rough and incisive, stripping the memories, leaving little in the end. The target in those cases was left as no more than a shell of memory . . . And life.

  "How did you. . ." Manos said. Then he was silent a moment, thinking. "Ah yes. I was told you had taken the memories from Sauros. I see that you have assimilated them. I truly am amazed by those with the Gift. I was left here to stand guard. At first I wondered how I could protect the Archive from one such as you. Javin and Sauros spoke of what you are able to do. I didn't have the Gift and realized I'd be no match for you. Then it dawned on me. I didn't need to protect the Archive from you. It was already protected. I volunteered to stay here and watch so I could be a source of contact for you."