Reflection Read online

  After a while, Takoda says, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. What do you remember about the last couple of days?”

  “There are a few dark spots, but I remember most of it. I do not know how I got back here, but I remember you coming to me in the water—and our joining and becoming one.”

  The way he talks, it’s almost as though he’s feeling guilty.

  “Are you feeling bad about what we experienced?” I ask. “Because that was the most amazing and wonderful thing I’ve ever had with anyone.”

  “I didn’t realize it would be that strong.”

  “Are you sorry I partnered with you?” I ask.

  He looks into my eyes and replies, “Never. I love you and want to be with you forever. And somehow we will find a way. I’m never going to lose you.”

  As I lay in his arms, I consider telling Takoda about the creatures and my hip. But I’m afraid he’ll be concerned about our safety and suggest moving our camp. No. I’ll wait until he is stronger before I say anything. They mean us no harm.

  Later that day, Takoda’s feeling much better and wants to fix dinner. Since he’s looking more like himself, I don’t object. As he works preparing the vegetables, I sit by the fountain and start talking.

  “Takoda, what have you been told about the creatures who live here—the Nomaddas?”

  He doesn’t look up to answer, but replies, “We were told they are an ancient race and are dangerous. Why?”

  “But look at this city. I mean it’s huge and millions used to live here. Doesn’t it pique your interest wondering what happened? Why they left, if they left?”

  “We should be able to start our search again tomorrow. Maybe we’ll find a library or someplace where records are kept. But I wouldn’t get your hopes up. We haven’t found much of anything that was left behind.”

  His renewed interest makes me feel a little better. As we eat our dinner, I work out how I will explain the last couple of days to him.

  • • •

  The next morning after breakfast, we pull out the packet that was handed to us by the officers. We thought it best to get our bearings prior to starting our challenge. The packet’s a booklet describing what is known about the Nomaddas. Drawings of what the creatures are supposed to look like are labeled with directions on what to do if we come face-to-face with one. I laugh, because the real Nomaddas don’t look anything like the renditions. Also inside is our challenge. We’re to find the central depository and look for records and bring them back with us. The thought of stealing from these people doesn’t feel right. But until the time comes, I think it best to keep it to myself. I don’t know why, but it just feels better to keep my meeting with the Nomaddas a secret for now.

  We clean our camp and head away from the city. Takoda uses his electronic notepad to make a map as we search the ancient ruins that spread out before us. Each turn, each stairwell, he meticulously notes on his mini computer screen. Before our challenge is over, we should have a fairly decent map.

  We stop for lunch under a huge arch with halls leading off in different directions. I’m tired and my hip aches a little. As I take a bite from a fruit similar to an apple, a red light flickers in the darkness. It’s faint, but there. I try to see if I can see it again, but nothing.

  “Are you finished?” I ask, standing and shaking out my legs. “I would like to go this way, if you don’t mind.”

  Takoda gives me a weird look but doesn’t object. “That’s fine.”

  He grabs our bags and together we walk down the dark hallway. The lights are not on down here, so we have to use our headlamps again.

  “This may not be a good idea,” he says. “The creatures may be down this way.”

  I know I must explain, but I’m not sure how to start. There’s really no good way to say what I need to say, so I just start talking.

  “I met them already, and before you say anything, just hear me out.”

  “You…met…what?” Takoda’s voice is filled with concern.

  I explain how they came to the pool and carried us back to the camp. How they fixed my feet and how they left us food and water to eat. But when I get to the part about my hip and how the creature touched me, Takoda interrupts.

  “Wait, are you telling me these things helped us…healed you?” he asks. His voice is more of amusement than concern.

  “Well, yes,” I reply. “If they were going to hurt us, they would have done so by now. I mean they’ve had plenty of opportunities. But I don’t believe they want to.”

  “Do you know what they want?”

  “I don’t think they want anything. We are the intruders, not them,” I add.

  “You’re right. We are the ones who barged into their home.”

  “And I think I saw something down here. I think they want us to come this way.”

  Our long walk challenges my hip, but I’m not going to stop. I have to know what’s at the end of this hall. We come to some stairs. When we reach the landing, I can’t see very far but I can tell we’re in a small room. It’s dark, but I notice something out of the corner of my eye.

  “They’re here,” I whisper, tugging on his sleeve.

  “Where?” he asks, with alarm.

  “To my left, don’t move.” I turn my head slowly and the light shines on several creatures in long black robes quietly waiting for us.

  “Now what?” Takoda asks.

  “Not sure.” As soon as I speak, I hear the creature beckon to me from inside my head.

  “This way.”

  I take Takoda’s hand. Just before we reach them, they turn and walk away.

  “I believe we’re to follow,” I whisper.

  They lead us through the halls until we come to a large circular dimly lit room. A round table’s in the center, and the walls are lined with shelves with thousands of gold disc-shaped objects.

  “What is this place?” I ask.

  “I think I know what this is,” Takoda replies walking up to the circular table. He studies it for a moment before he takes a gold disk from one of the shelves. “If I am not mistaken, this is a parallaxal viewer. I thought they were only a myth.”

  “A what?”

  “Parallaxal viewer,” he answers. “Let’s see if this works.”

  The gold disk slides easily into the opening of the circular table and instantly we’re surrounded by a colorful three-dimensional video. The technology’s far more advanced than anything either of our people have. I stand in amazement as I watch a living documentary, of a past civilization recorded for all time, revolve around us.

  “Takoda, I believe we found the archives.” I know the creatures are standing along the wall and I turn to them. I nod toward my right and say, “Thank you.”

  Takoda gets down on one knee and bows his head. He remains in this position. It isn’t until one creatures comes over to Takoda and touches him on the shoulder that Takoda finally stands. Takoda towers above the Nomadda who is barely five feet.

  “Your secret is safe with us, ancient one,” Takoda states. “We are only here to learn and understand. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.”

  The creature nods and backs away. They leave us alone with a plate of fruit and a jug of water. I smile and turn my attention back to the video. People who look like me are talking, but unfortunately, they’re speaking a language I don’t understand.

  “It’s an ancient dialect,” Takoda says. “But I think I can get enough to understand the idea. I may have to play some of these over a few times.”

  “Better get started, ’cause there’s a lot of material here.”

  After ejecting the disk from the reader and placing it back on the shelf, Takoda studies the other labels. I watch as his fingers brush over the various symbols, his eyes concentrating on deciphering the ancient writings.

  “Here it is,” he exclaims.

  “Here’s what?”

  Without answering, Takoda inserts a disk into the reader. A three-dimensional man with bri
ght blue skin stands motionless on top of the round platform. His hair’s long and braided with ornamental gold and silver beads. He’s wearing a long white robe with black embroidered symbols. If I had to guess, I would say his age is about fiftyish. But his expression announces his wisdom and knowledge.

  After a couple of moments, the three-dimensional man asks, “What information may I pass, Questioners?”

  This video is interactive. Before I can mutter a word, Takoda states with strong conviction, “We question the start and end of this city, and the whereabouts of its citizens.”

  Takoda stares up at the man and waits for him to reply. It’s obvious the computer’s searching for answers, and as it searches the man remains motionless.

  “I have the information you seek,” the man says.

  At the same time the man fades, I find myself gazing into the deep crevice that runs down the length of a large mountain ridge. The man’s voice starts its dissertation.

  “In the year of Our Lady, our people searched for a suitable place to settle. After the Draconian war, our planet, Qapadhue, could no longer sustain life. We left by twos and searched the stars for a suitable home. Many star systems would not sustain life. After four generations, we discovered the twin planets orbiting this binary star. Our Elders named the twins, Journey and Traveler. Journey, to remind us of the long distance we endured, and Traveler to remind us we came as visitors, not conquerors.

  “Twenty-two thousand we were, and we ranged from newborn to elderly. Our hopes were high and expectations great. There were large carnivores in those early years. Living in the valley was not an option. Our Elders chose these cliffs, as they were not accessible to the great flesh-eating beasts.”

  As we listen, we discover the people built their city in this vast cavern believing they were safe from the wild animals that roamed the valleys. It took over two hundred rotations around the sun before the city was complete.

  We learned that the great city was named after their leader. The city was built purposely on top of a major volcanic river that runs inside the large mountain. As Takoda surmised, this is where their power source originates. The people lived a normal life, fell in love, married and raised children who attended school for the first two generations of their life and were expected to choose a career. Government was socialistic.

  After the completion of the city, the people were happy and a hundred generations passed before the population exceeded one hundred million. Time was labeled by generations and their accomplishments, not from circling their new sun. The twin planet, Journey, was settled during the twentieth generation.

  It was during the one hundredth generation that things changed. A plague killed many and the population dwindled to a few thousand. Both planets were stricken and people were frightened. Many believed it was the extinction of their kind. After many years, one scientist on Journey discovered it was their own Elders who created the Death Plague and accidently released it to the populations on both planets. The scientist didn’t know what to do with this information. When she told the Elders, she was put to death. Unbeknownst to the Elders, she sent this information to her colleagues as insurance her findings would not be lost. When the news of her death was released, her colleagues released her research to the population.

  The people were angry and turned on the Elders. They struggled to repopulate the city, but the plague rendered many women sterile. The population dwindled on both planets. Each planet blamed the other for their plight and the relationship was eventually severed. Many generations passed. Each world lived within their secluded environments. The vaccine extended the Elders’ lives. They lived well beyond a thousand generations. To me, it seems that the Elders were evil and enjoyed torturing and conducting bizarre experiments. The children were changed into what we see today, the Nomaddas. Overtime, the people became hostile, and the city earned the name, The Wicked Lady.

  The Elders, however, lived on. Eventually they left the city. Their power extends around the twin worlds today. The two planets became allies again. On Journey, people are blue-skinned, their eyes amber. Those on Traveler kept their original brownish coloring, only lighter than their cousins.

  • • •

  Takoda and I remain a long time in that room, listening. What we’re hearing means our Council lied to us. Our Council’s corrupt, and I’m a part of that Council.

  “This information is very dangerous,” Takoda says, as we sit dumbstruck on the floor.

  “So how does my royalty fit in?”

  “I will ask.” Takoda stands. “Explain the royal family. Where did they originate, what kind of power do they still have?”

  The man disappears and the video surrounds us again. We’re told the original two captains were married. Two children were born to this union. Those two children each had six and it was those original six children’s grandchildren, and their spouses, who became the royal family. After the royal family was established, unions between the two planets were forbidden.

  It was difficult to believe I share the blood of these cowards that murdered millions. Because of my ancestors, Takoda and I cannot union. I stand and approach the three-dimensional man.

  “If a person born on Traveler unions with a person on Journey, will their child be born damaged?”

  The man looks at me when I speak. It’s the first time he’s moved or acknowledged I’m here. A light hits my body. I can feel a slight electrical charge. The computerized man clasps his hands together and bows his head lowering onto one knee.

  “You are an Elder. I submit to you, my lord,” the man says. “Royal blood runs through your veins.”

  “Then answer my question,” I demand.

  “Yes, my lord. The union between one from Traveler and one from Journey will not result in a damaged child.”

  “Then why are the people told this?”

  “The Elders wish to keep their blood line pure. When the two planets separated, the Elders wished to keep their race separate from the Swetaachata.”

  “Why?”

  “The changed DNA would be altered with the addition of Journey’s people.”

  “You mean they would revert back to being mortal,” I state, understanding now.

  “Not exactly,” he replies.

  “Then explain it to me.”

  “Their powers would be lost,” he says.

  “What powers?”

  “When the vaccine altered the DNA of the Elders, their inner powers were activated.”

  “What exactly can they do with these powers?” I ask.

  “Read and control other’s minds,” he answers.

  “I can’t listen to any more of this!” I yell. “I won’t believe it.”

  “My lord,” the man adds. “You have the power to make the change. You are the one who was foretold.”

  “What?” I ask, not believing what he is telling me.

  One of the creatures hands us a reddish disk. He motions for Takoda to put it into the reader. When Takoda drops it into the machine, a Swetaachata woman appears in front of us. She’s sitting on a fallen log in a bright green forest. Her long hair is partly braided and she’s slender with golden eyes. As she talks, her voice is soothing.

  “During the year of The Great Change, a female child will come from the royal lineage mixed with the royal blood of ancient cousins. Her powers will be great. She will be wise and accomplish astounding feats of courage. From her comes a new bloodline to establish the ancient laws. She will bring peace and prosperity. Her mother will be of our world, but her father will be of the ancient. Her convictions will be strong and her heart will be good. I bless her with Rhea at her feet and Hera at her head. I pray the enlightened ones bless her with long life. That her travels are safe and peaceful.”

  The woman bows and fades away. When I turn to Takoda, I see he’s staring at me.

  “What?” I ask. “And don’t start bowing or anything stupid.”

  Takoda still doesn’t say a word. Many of the creatures have
entered the room and are now kneeling at my feet.

  “Oh no you don’t!” I yell. “Get up. Get up now.”

  No one moves.

  “Hello?” I scream. “Isn’t anyone listening to me? Get up now!”

  Everyone stands but they keep their heads lowered.

  “Okay, this is totally not happening. Takoda, tell them I’m a nobody, please!”

  Takoda’s still staring at me and this has to stop.

  “Takoda, what is wrong with you?” I grab his arm and shake him.

  Finally, he says, “I bonded with an ancient?”

  “This is not happening. I am nobody special. I’ve had enough.” I turn and stamp my feet as I run from the room.

  I’m heading back to camp. I need sleep and some food, and I’m not going to put up with any more of this ancient royalty stuff. As I run down the different hallways, I realize I have no idea where I am going. Drats…I’m lost.

  14

  QUEENIE

  I’M TIRED and cold and hungry, and I’m lost, absolutely and completely lost. With no other option available, I cry. You would think after all those temper tantrums I had as a child and my mother ignoring me, I would have learned something. But no, as always I have to be stubborn and pay the price. The hallways before me are long and dark. After what seems like forever, I come to a flight of stairs leading down. I shrug my shoulders and decide to descend to my ultimate demise. But nearing the bottom, I can hear familiar sounds. I enter into what can only be described as a marketplace. Hundreds of Nomaddas are walking about and doing their daily business. Mothers are holding their babies in their arms as older children sit around enjoying each other’s company. With my mind in complete denial and my body in shock, several children run past screaming and yelling as they play their games. It’s then they realize I’m standing there staring at them. All of their eyes are planted upon me, a tall skinny white girl with long curly dark hair and bright amber eyes. No one looks happy to have me standing there.

  “Ah…hi?” I whisper, not knowing anything else to say, and give them a short wave with my hand, and of course, I smile as big a smile as I can.