Babel Found (20 page)

The Kur

Enki laughed. Releasing the
mitutu—
the dead ones--would be an interesting ordeal for those just entering his domain. He could sense them landing above and thought it a nice gift to give to those who still worshiped him as their god. Providing an entry took a mere thought.

Soon…
He thought, looking up.
Soon everyone will know my name again. Not just these cursed souls
here. The entire world will bow to my name, or…they will perish.

Like when he arrived and became the god of the simpletons surrounding the great rivers of Mesopotamia. Everything they knew. Everything they would learn. It was all based on his knowledge. He reveled in the fact that everything this planet had from that day forward was because of his influence.

Finally
, he thought as he made his way back to the Citadel,
after 5,000 years of waiting… Finally, I will be able to reveal myself to this planet and take my place.

He knew the Citadel also gave him another option. If the world didn’t accept him as their one true god, it would burn from the inside out.

Like those before…

While 5,000 years would seem like a literal eternity to most, for Enki it was but a blip on his lifespan’s radar—a notch on his existence’s ruler. Impatience had most definitely taken over, but it was nothing he hadn’t dealt with before. He could still work from the shadows like he did with Thoth and countless others.

It started here in Eridu, spreading to the Canaanites which would eventually become the land of Israel and its surrounding area. Enki’s power also swayed those in parts of this region, including the Hittites and the Hurrians.

While his name, indeed, meant “Lord of the Earth” on this world, it was misconstrued by the local people millennia ago.
En
was, in fact,
lord
.
Ki
, however, did not properly translate to
Earth
like the people of the time inscribed.
Ki
actually meant
Earths—
plural
.

I am the Lord of Worlds…

He again laughed at their absurd motives for constructing the tower. It was supposedly a beacon to God above, but what they failed to understand is that the tower was actually a shrine to the god
from
above. There was no metaphor needed. It was the accurate truth behind the massive tower’s erection.

They believed only what their minds could grasp.

Mankind was not ready for his arrival. They would never fully understand what he was. It actually made him angry thinking of how easy it would have been to emerge then. The humans would have cowered in fear and bowed at his feet. All he’d have to do was stand there and bask in their bewilderment. They would have professed him a living god and made him their worldly king without so much as a fight.

My REAL influence would have taken root shortly after and not just my concepts. I would have been able to call upon those that fled An’tala. Those that carried a small portion of my own genome.

Enki was a warrior by nature and he loved conflict. The early settlers used to war in the name of God, believing themselves to be in the right. Modern man would do the same too, but have their own underlying wants and needs mixed in.

Like the Crusades.

Some of Pope Urban II’s military might was a just cause, but some of the men under his rule became pirates, pillaging and murdering. They stole from and then destroyed countless villages and cities as they passed, breaking a vow given to their leaders not to partake in such activities. They even went as far as sacking Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. This act all but made the infusion of Christianity—their ultimate goal—all but impossible.

Enki remembered the mass hysteria of religious extremists in Salem, Massachusetts too. The supernatural fear of Satan ran so rampant in the 1600’s that the most paranoid of men began executing those that showed any signs of
witchcraft.
Any behavior out of the ordinary was deemed that of evil.

Simple minded… Another representation of what fear of the unknown could do to the minds of men.

His prodigious cheekbones raised in an attempted smile. Now the world was at odds over other things, but all having started with him. Singlehandedly, he had brought mankind to war against itself over the superstitious concepts of right and wrong, fighting in the name of God at times.

They should be doing it in the name of Enki, The Lord of Worlds.

His shoulders sagged as he thought of those who fought against his will. It was the other side of his influence over the Earth. Not all of those that believed these things were fooled by his smoke-and-mirrors. Some broke free of this power and became the heroes of humanity.

Like Thoth.

Enki first encountered resistance when a simple shepherd boy named David, defeated the giant Philistine from Gath, Goliath. He rose up and slew the massive bear of a man with a simple sling and stone. Mankind wasn’t as feeble as Enki had first thought.

Later came similar men, including William Wallace and Leonidas, King of Sparta. Each defied an enemy in their own way, inspiring even more men to do the same.

Even others became mankind’s gold standard of excellence. Jesus Christ, Moses, and Buddha, they all influenced many men over the millennia. Some had extraordinary abilities that not even Enki could dispute. They preached peace and civility, combining it with love and understanding.

They still influence men now,
he thought, sneering. He’d have to undo it all once Boyd arrived in the Citadel. He would erase all that man had built and start anew. Eridu would be the world’s greatest beacon to himself—to God.

He continued forward, barely clearing the ten-foot ceilings. If he’d grown any taller after his…awakening…he would have had to stoop down.

It was the only thing in his long life that he couldn’t recall. It was a necessary event, though. The first of many. He needed a human host in order to connect their species, meshing his mind with that of a man. He was actually impressed when he first connected to the collective that
could be
the hive mind of humanity.

All they’d have to do is unlock the pieces of their minds.

It’s how he spoke to his followers and Thoth before them. Once they allowed him access to their minds, he could unlock what was missing in order for them to use them properly. They had originally been taught their abilities by their father, but Enki truly gave them the gift of controlling it to the fullest.

Boyd will be next.

The human’s power was most definitely impressive. Based on how he just defeated Susanoo and before that Nannot and Coaxoch, Enki believed that Boyd may be his strongest competition yet. What makes the man so intriguing is his selflessness. Even as Enki made his way back to meet him, Boyd did the same, knowingly marching to his death. Enki could feel Boyd’s will pushing on the earth around them. It was this feeling of hope that Enki needed to erase before it set root.

Boyd cannot be allowed to believe he has a chance.

A scream enveloped Enki’s mind as he leaned on the wall nearest to him. It wasn’t from anywhere close by, but that of one of his
mitutu.
They’d apparently met conflict in the tunnels above. This one died, struck in the chest by something small, but effective.

He laughed again.

They’d also found their first real meal in centuries.

The Kur

“Fire!” Kane yelled, opening up into the first wave of whatever the hell was down there. All he knew was that if it wasn’t Hank, you shoot it. And these weren’t his friends. He didn’t know what the hell they were actually.

He put two rounds in the chest of the closest one and watched it fall dead. They were kind of human looking but looked almost zombie-like in appearance.

Sure as hell don’t move like zombies.

Some ran on all fours like primates, others ran like Olympic sprinters. He unloaded into one as it scurried across the right-hand wall. Some others did that too.

What Kane did know was they were obviously some sort of security measure. That was plain to see. But how did the master know they were here? It didn’t matter regardless. The answer to that riddle could wait. They were here and that was that. Now, they just needed to survive and push forward.

More clicking and popping erupted around him as the group continued firing off round after round of whispered gunfire. It was a standard setup for Special Forces teams like this. It was also a blessing considering they were in the tight confines of the stone corridors. If their weapons weren’t rigged with
silencers
, they’d all be deaf.

Silencers…stupid movies.
There wasn’t any such thing. You could only
suppress
the sound of gunfire. You couldn’t completely silence it.

He yelled a command to stop after the last body hit the floor, standing from his crouched position as he did. At least a dozen bodies covered a stretch of stone in front of them, but something about it made no sense.

“No blood,” one of the men said.

“Nope,” Kane added. “None at all.”

“What are they?” Nicole asked, stepping up next to him.

He shook his head, peering further down the tunnel. “Don’t know and don’t care. The history stuff can wait. We have a job to do.”

He didn’t mean to be harsh with Nicole, but he knew she’d agree. Archaeology officially took a backseat to what they were doing now. There weren’t history majors here. This group of ten, Nicole included, was a lethal killing machine until further notice.

“Kill them all,” Kane said, stepping forward.

The corridor was ten-by-ten, making it easy to move side-by-side. He and Nicole were up front with another on Nicole’s left, weapons forward and ready to go again if needed. Kane knew they’d be needed. That was just too damn easy.

Then again,
he thought,
they didn’t have this kind of firepower back in the day.

Unfortunately for Kane, he also knew how people thought back then, seeing some of it firsthand in Algeria and later in Mexico, and Florida. These people didn’t like to fight fair. They would use whatever means they could.

Which could literally be anything.

“Where are we going?” the man next to Nicole asked. His concerned tone was evident. “There are tunnels everywhere.”

Kane felt the same way. They could easily be lost down here forever. On the other hand, they needed to have a set path
first
in order to actually become lost. They had neither. Right now they were in a hellish limbo. No direction. No set goal.

“Worry about that later,” Kane replied. “Right now just keep moving and keep your eyes peeled for anything that might be a door.”

They moved further down the corridor as quietly as possible. More movement echoed off the stone around them, but nothing came for them. With the dizzying amount of side tunnels and the unknown pathways, the enemy could be only a few feet away and they wouldn’t be able to tell.

“What’s that?” said one of the rearmost soldiers.

Or they could be right behind us.

“Damnit, Kane,” he said. “I think there’s another group coming up fast—right on our six.”

“Prepare to engage,” Kane said, still facing forward. It could still be a trap and they needed to keep their butts guarded.

“Roger that.”

They got into position, three men kneeling, three men standing. Six of the best men, using six of the best weapons. Once they were ready, everything went silent. The underground atmosphere gave it a stillness that could drive a man insane over time. It’s amazing what something as simple as the quiet-calm could do to someone’s mentality.

“Davey,” Kane whispered, never looking back, “You stay with us and guard our new rears. I don’t want to get one of these things sneaking up our butts.

“Got it,” Davey replied, swinging his rifle back around.

“Contact,” someone said, “coming in hot.”

Kane chanced his first look, immediately wishing he hadn’t. The stone corridor was alive with these things. There were more heads and limbs—more than he could count. Every single one of them looked to be emaciated and vying for position at the front of the pack, glowing green in his night vision.

“Shit,” another man said.

Kane waited another breath and then gave the order. All six men let loose with controlled bursts until their mags ran dry. Each one of them was replaced by another soldier with a fresh one. Dozens of rounds were sent flying into the wall of incoming bodies, but when one was killed—like how the soldiers replaced their own with another—the
mitutu
also replaced
their
own.

“There’s too many.”

Kane agreed. “Fall back, but keep firing.”

Like a well-oiled machine, the soldiers moved. They piggy-backed each other, carefully walking backwards. Like before, they’d replace one of their ranks while the other reloaded, but now only three were firing at a time instead of six.

Half the firepower
, Kane thought.

“Eh, screw this,” Kane said. “Run!”

On cue, everyone turned and followed Kane as he zigged and zagged into whatever random tunnel he could find. The only constant was that he tried to keep moving in one general direction, hoping to run into the central portion of this place.

If there was one.

They’d lost contact with Hank and could have really used his intel right about now. That is…if he was alive. Kane and Nicole still held out hope, though. They knew, without a shadow of a doubt, it would take a hell of a lot more to take Hank down than just a fall. Even if he was in the hands of this master joker… They had confidence in his ability to come out on top.

“Holy hell!” someone yelled from the back. “We just lost two men!”

“Keep moving!” Kane shouted back. If they could get far enough away, they’d be able to regroup.

He ducked down another corridor to the right, following it for thirty feet, going left shortly after. He heard several sets of booted feet trail him and trusted them to not get lost in a place twice as bad as the Atlantean necropolis. At least you had room to maneuver there. The tight confines and what seemed like an unlimited number of enemies made their current situation all but hopeless.

“I’ve got an idea,” Davey said, stopping. He pulled twin canisters from his combat vest and pulled their pins. As the last of their team ran past him he tossed both cylinders back the way they came and turned and ran. “Flash out!”

“Find a side tunnel!” Kane yelled and dove left, Nicole right on his heels.

As he landed he covered his ears and opened his mouth, doing what he could to negate the punch of the flashbang grenades. It didn’t help much as the twin canisters exploded into two balls of light. Immediately following each quick burst, he heard screeching and next…gunfire.

He peeked around the corner and watched as one after the other, each soldier came out of hiding and started their assaults back up anew. But this time, the enemy wasn’t so ferocious.

They were sprawled all over the floor, making headshots easy, and ammo easy to conserve. Kane and Nicole joined in and soon everyone of the things was down and very much dead.

“Still no blood,” Davey said again. “Not even from headshots.”

Kane just turned and walked away, flopping to the ground. He sat back against the wall and closed his eyes, breathing deep. Through his heavy breaths, he heard a body hit the ground next to him.

“What are you thinking?” Nicole asked.

“I’m thinking…that this may be…a lost cause.”

She was about to say something, but he cut her off.

“But,” he held up a hand, “that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up.”

She nodded and sat back with him, checking her ammo supply.

“Thank God we brought those extra mags, Kane.”

Davey sat across from him, reloading another fresh one.

“Told you so,” Kane said. “I won’t make that mistake again.”

Nicole nodded, agreeing.

“What’s that?” Davey asked.

“Nothing,” Kane said quickly, “never mind.”

“Company stuff…right.”

Thankfully for Kane, Davey was a world-class shooter and a highly recommended soldier. He also had experience dealing with people like Kane before. Need-to-know information was exactly that and Davey didn’t need to know anything to fire a gun.

“Maybe someday I’ll be able to tell you,” Kane said, leaning his head against the wall.

“Just not now,” the man said, finishing Kane’s statement.

Kane just nodded and closed his eyes again.

“You feel that?” Nicole asked.

“Feel what?”

“I think it’s the wall.”

Kane held his breath and felt it. It was slight, but the stone behind him was definitely shaking. A small tremor—a vibration, but it was something. He stood, never taking his hand off the stone. He began to walk further down this particular corridor, but the sensation faded. He quickly pivoted and headed back in the same direction, stopping at one of many cross tunnels. Stepping in, he instantly felt a soft shaking under his feet.

“This way,” he said, cautiously stepping forward.

Everyone fell in line behind him, minus the two men they lost earlier. Single-file, they each walked softly, heel-to-toe, making their way forward as quietly as they could. With each successive foot covered, the ground began to shake and twitch a little more.

“Where do you think—” Nicole began to ask.

“No idea,” he quickly answered, “but we haven’t had any friends since coming this way.”

“Could be the tremors,” Davey said.

“Might be,” Kane said shrugging. “Either way, we need to be on guard and ready to roll.”

“No issues here,” Davey said, “this is what we do.”

Kane just nodded his understanding and kept moving.

They continued another hundred feet, barely being able to walk straight. It wasn’t enough to shake loose the stone around them, but it was enough to make Kane’s feet fall asleep. Eventually, they came to what looked like an opening of some sort. He held up a closed fist, telling everyone to stop. After a minute of silence, he motioned for Nicole and Davey to join him.

The three of them crept closer, holding themselves up while they moved. Each one held on to the wall nearest to them as they came upon a perfectly cut opening. They each peered inside, having to shield their night-visioned eyes from a low glow emanating within the large space ahead.

“Take off the headgear,” Kane said, switching his off, while Davey lifted his off his eyes.

“Is that?” Nicole asked, shocked.

“I think it is,” Kane replied. He looked off into the distance of the arena-sized room and saw a massive piece of Atlantean orichalcum hanging from the ceiling. It was beautiful as well as foreboding. Wherever this stuff existed, so did death.

Davey stepped up next and looked back-and-forth. “Is it just me, or is it a jungle in here?”