Ashlyn Chronicles 1: 2287 A.D. (5 page)

“In Greek mythology, Pandora was a woman created by the gods. At the command of Zeus, each god gave her a seductive gift. The meaning of these gifts is open to varied interpretations, but I base my story upon the most recent find, the Thermopylae texts discovered in 2242 by James Carstairs. He believed that rather than Pandora being the embodiment of evil, as was widely accepted, she was the embodiment of perfection, goodness, and hope. Physically, the gods endowed her to be supremely feminine and sensually seductive. They enhanced her mental perfection by stripping her of human frailties such as greed, vanity, and jealousy—replacing them with a spirited and uninhibited boldness. That boldness often leaves little room for what we consider simple concepts. Concepts like modesty as example.” Tynabo gave a mischievous smile. “She was the Great Goddess, who took the form of a mortal woman—a woman of such great beauty that when she first appeared to both gods and men, they were seized in wonderment.”

Steven swallowed and noticed that he had a lump in his throat.

“According to the texts, when Pandora returns, she will rise from the earth, her hands raised above her head in epiphany, and that she would be the giver of gifts unto men.”

The doctor stopped briefly, looking deep in thought. “As for the box itself? It represents both a prison and a salvation. So, call it what you will—legend, prophecy, fanciful story telling. In the end, the results of seeing fulfillment realized are the same.”

“Is he saying what I think he is?” said Cole.

Steven’s adrenaline surged. His excitement was uncontainable. The sea of emotions again welled up inside him. The doctor’s words had inspired a teenage angst that wrested control from him.

“In the room below, in stasis, is your genetically engineered mate, D’na—as I fondly call her. Her given name is Ashlyn Parker. She is quite literally in every respect like Pandora. She is superlatively perfect.” The doctor hesitated, giving Steven a moment for all of it to sink in.

“I’ll be damned. They did! They built you your own goddess,” quipped Cole.

Steven swallowed. His mouth was dry, his stomach in knots.

The doctor shifted his weight. “As pertains to you—while your heart may have already led you to this conclusion—yes, you, like Ashlyn, were created here in this facility. Both of you were created from bits and pieces of the most unique genes that humanity had to offer.”

“Jesus Christ!” said Tomlinson. “You’re a beaker-baby!” Tomlinson’s remark carried the weight of Tynabo’s shocking revelation.

Steven’s knees felt weak. His mind went numb.

“Steven, I want you to know that the new sensations you are experiencing are normal and expected. Because of your close proximity to Ashlyn, the first of our sequenced genetic changes have already begun to take place inside you. It is what we call the
fugue
. Essentially, the fugue is a tool. It is similar to a tuning fork, insomuch as it is synchronizing both of your auras—your electrical fields—into one. Understand that together, the two of you are going to become much, much stronger than you are now. In essence, from this moment on you will be able to feed off the resonant energy field—the life force—of the other. But, it goes far beyond a mere doubling of the power from which you can draw your strength. It is actually altering you on a molecular level. While the quantum physics of our work is extremely complicated, the results of the effects are equally simple. What all that means is that you have a near limitless potential. It should also be noted that distance has no diminishing effect on this drawing of power. As far as we can tell, once connected, you are always connected.”

The doctor’s face grew serious. “You do have an Achilles’ heel, and it’s a big one. Now that your auras have connected, should one of you die, so does the other. It might not be immediate, but it would certainly happen within a matter of weeks.”

“Are you okay, sir?” Paris asked, seeing Steven’s trembling hand as she steadied his arm in support.

“I don’t know. I feel like I’m suffocating.” Steven unclasped his helmet and dropped it to the floor. It rocked back and forth, its spotlight swishing up and down on the wall until it stilled. He took a deep breath, the coldness in the air bracing him for the words to come.

“As for the completion of the fugue, that will occur the moment the two of you have intimate contact. The full depth of your powers cannot be achieved until that final melding takes place. There are circuits within the human brain that are only accessed during that higher state of consciousness and awareness. Hence, my ‘happy ending
’
. Again, I must state that this is a mandatory step. Additionally, it is also the only way to preserve your sanity. For now, psychologically, the changes are manageable. But, I must caution you: if left unchecked, in the weeks ahead, your biological need to join with her will grow far beyond your ability to resist. Even as we speak, hundreds of neural pathways are opening. Your thought patterns are deepening, and soon the two of you will be entertaining theories and ideas that mankind has never dreamed of,” said Tynabo.

“That may explain how you understood the web-song. You’re already changing,” said Stratton.

The doctor then added, “You will, and may have already experienced, what we call bleeding. If so, know that it is a natural part of the fugue. Bleeding can give you glimpses into Ashlyn’s mind and she into yours. You will begin to learn and understand things that may be foreign to you, but not to Ashlyn, and vice versa. The two of you are becoming, in many respects, one person. You were bred to have an inherent need and attraction to one another. It is who you are and who you are meant to be. The two of you must, and will, become one. Neither of you have a choice in the situation. Even now, you are being drawn to her. The inherent pheromone attraction will give you an unbreakable and deep love for her. It was by design.”

Steven now had his explanation for the things he had seen aboard the transport. Tynabo’s words were enlightening. They provided the reason for his panic attack.

Tynabo continued, “Within a few weeks, though, you will develop the ability to open and close the door at will. Privacy is a basic human need. It would be too intrusive if the door could not be closed. Just as the mind needs time to rest and dream, so does the mind need time to be alone and contemplate. By design, the connection is only open if both parties are willing. That being said, it does not mean that you can choose to resist the fugue. Quite the opposite—to resist the fugue would mean being driven into a pit of desire and despair from which you cannot escape. You would be broken, insane. Following that, you would lapse into a coma and die. I say that as a warning only.

“It is your right to know what lies before you, the bad—and the good. As for the physical changes, well, you will discover those in the months and years ahead, but in short, they are herculean. The fugue is making you immensely strong. Even now, your increasing adrenaline levels will enable you to perform great feats—feats that no human would believe possible. I also gave you the mental capacity to gauge such efforts, to control them. You have the wisdom to use your abilities for the betterment of humanity. I will not lecture you. I will only say—be a
good
king. Before I send you off on your journey of self-discovery, though, I must give you one last order. I know that I am powerless to enforce it, but it is imperative that you understand the strength behind my conviction. It pertains to the vial in the case. It contains a critically needed
dampener
that must be taken several hours in advance of your first physical contact with Ashlyn. The dampener will slow the changes taking place inside you. As each change occurs, you will become stronger both physically and mentally. For your protection, you will lose consciousness for hours or even days at a time. That is why you must put yourself under the watchful eye of a doctor for the next eight weeks.”

Victor Gregor, Steven’s friend and requested medic, sitting safely in the transport high above, was watching and listening to every word. “Hear that, Steven? Looks like you’re my new guinea pig.”

Tynabo continued, “Be warned that if for any reason you don’t take the dampener before your first physical contact with Ashlyn, the result will be instant insanity. That first of the many stages is critically important. Should you not take it, all of our centuries of work here will have been for nothing.

“It should also be told that Ashlyn took the dampener at the same time she received the K9 extender on her 24
th
birthday. As for you, due to your personal state of affairs, you didn’t receive the dampener when you took the K9 extender. President Tomlinson said he would discuss the situation with you privately, when next he saw you. But of course, then the attack came. I am truly sorry that things did not work out as smoothly as we had planned for you. I know that Ashlyn’s existence will challenge your loyalty, and make you question your heart. It is unavoidable. Like myself, President Tomlinson was aware of your relationship with Renee. But, we also trust that you will find a solution. Wisdom is one of the things with which you have been endowed.

“When you take the elevator to the room below, you will find thousands of occupied stasis chambers.” The doctor again paused as emotions overtook him. “Out of them, only Ashlyn still lives. The two of you were the last of our children—as we had finally achieved perfection.”

The doctor’s head bowed and it was near a minute before he looked up, his tearful eyes full of conviction. “By our choice, we have terminated the life support of our children—our earlier creations. Compared to you and Ashlyn—they were unimportant. As are my wife and I now—unimportant.”

“He murdered them? The bastard murdered them all?” said Paris, stunned.

“I don’t expect you to understand our decision, and neither do I ask for your forgiveness. Perhaps someday you will understand that our actions were mandatory, without prejudice. It is imperative that you and Ashlyn survive. It is also why on this day we will join our children in death. We have spent these last months reprogramming the computer. The system no longer requires human interaction. Every ounce of this facility’s power, reserves, and oversight is now devoted to Ashlyn’s preservation, which is also your preservation. It is all we have left to give. We have completed what we set out to do. Few people can make such a claim.”

Tynabo took a moment to himself, before he again continued, “To conclude, the patch in this box is a symbol, Steven—a symbol of humanity’s need to dream, adapt, and reach for the stars. You are our ‘one small step for man’, but together, you and Ashlyn are our ‘one giant leap for mankind’. Lastly, to open the stasis chamber holding Ashlyn, you need merely find it. You are the key. The electrical field your mind is emitting is keyed to open it. You might say that it is ‘mind over matter’.

The security system is set to give you 20 minutes from the conclusion of this recording to find Ashlyn. It is more than sufficient. Steven, you and Ashlyn are more than my creations. You are my children. To know that you are alive and that you have a glorious future ahead is all that a parent can ask for. The universe is yours, my son, and I wish you well on your journey. The game is afoot.”

The doctor smiled and bowed goodbye.

Steven noted that even as Tynabo ordered the recorder to
save
file
, and
turn
off
, he picked up two pills sitting on the desk beside him.

“What did he mean, the game is afoot?” said Hitch.

“Sherlock Holmes,” said Steven. “It means the clock is ticking.”

Perfectly timed, the facility’s computer announced, “Self-destruct countdown has begun. T-minus 20 minutes and counting. A verbal update will be given every 5 minutes.”

“And who is Sherlock Holmes?” said Hitch.

“Screw Sherlock Holmes, what in the hell are you going to tell your wife?” said Moore. “Hi sweetheart, there is someone here I want you to meet. She’s my personal goddess and the doctor ordered me to sleep with her or I’ll die.”

“Dammit, Moore,” said Stratton. “I’m going kick you in the balls so hard that the next time you open your mouth, you’ll be spitting out sperm. Sorry, Admiral. It’s my fault for picking his sorry ass for this mission.”

“It’s okay, Stratt,” said Steven. “He’s just saying aloud what all of us are thinking. But, you’re right. It will be a problem. Therefore, I am ordering all of you to keep this quiet. If any one of you whispers a word of this, I will have you flushed out the nearest air lock. Is that clear? And I warn you not to put me to the test.”

Everyone gave a verbal acknowledgment that they understood. Steven’s unusually sharp tone requested it.

“Besides, I’m not quite buying into all of this yet. I had parents. They died in the attack same as all of yours did. But, if somehow it is true, I have no memory of it,” said Steven, wondering if he was only trying to convince himself.

Two quick chirps sounded, signaling an urgent incoming message.

“This is Sherrah. Go ahead, Sea Base.”

“Admiral, this is Ensign Aaron Williams at Challenger Deep. Commander Brooks asked me to inform you that we just received an emergency update from our Sirius satellite. It shows a fleet of eighteen ships gathering in preparation to open a jump gate. The time stamp shows the data is thirty-two days old.”

Out of the frying pan and into the fire!

The team, listening in, all spoke over the open comm, commenting on the terrible timing. Avenger was planetside rather than at battle stations. They all knew that if the invasion fleet arrived now, the last surviving humans on Earth would be defenseless.

“Thank you for the update, Ensign. Tell Brooks to do a status check on Project Terminus. Let him know that we are at the signal’s target location and expect to be headed back shortly.”

“Time till self-destruct is T-minus fifteen minutes,” announced the computer.

“Robbie,” said Steven over his comm. “If that door isn’t open in ten minutes, pick up Stratton’s team and clear the area.”

“Aye, aye, sir. Ten minutes,” answered Robertson.

“Tomlinson, Hitch, Paris, wait here. If the countdown gets close, increase your dampeners to maximum. There’s a chance it might be enough to protect you.”

“You might need us down there,” said Hitch.

“It’s safer for you to wait here. Tynabo said it had to be me.”

Not wanting to worry the team, Steven hid the fact that their armor had one major weakness. Its nearly inexhaustible energy
core would quickly freeze in subzero temperatures, rendering it useless.

Steven locked his helmet into position. “Stratt, you’re in charge up here.” A clap of thunder shook the small building. “And keep me updated on the storm.”

“Sir, the vial,” reminded Tomlinson.

“He’s right, sir. The doctor killed a lot of people to protect the two of you,” asserted Stratton. “It’s important!”

“Understood, but I can’t afford to risk losing consciousness—not now. Not with the enemy fleet inbound. Besides, the doc said that I needed to take it before I had physical contact with Ashlyn.” Just saying her name made his heart race. “If we’re taking him literally, I’ll be fine, long as I don’t touch her. I do appreciate all the love though.”

Steven put his armored glove back on and headed to the elevator. He pushed the button. Nothing happened. To his left was a door. Its sign read, STAIRS. “All right, we’ll do this the hard way.”

Like the entry door, Steven had to ram it hard to free it from the ice. Before him lay a long flight of ice-covered stairs that disappeared into the darkness. “Gena, switch to night vision.”

A blast of colder air from the room below hit him. “External temperature is minus 114.2 degrees and falling,” announced Gena into Steven’s comm.

When Stratton heard the number he said, “That’s cold, Admiral—take it slow on the stairs. They’ll be as slippery as a two-bit hooker on prom night. Godspeed, sir.”

Steven gave his team a thumbs up before he disappeared down the stairwell.