The Time Stone (16 page)

“
The story we tell. It is
forbidden for outsiders to know but you are different. Our Chief
wants you to know.”

“
Why?” Asked
James.

“
He sees you as one who
can help us, as one who … is the one we wait for.”

“
James, check this out.”
Tina said. “These are cave drawings, ancient cave drawings. I
studied cryptography and ancient studies, a little bit,
specifically interpretation. This looks like a very old form of
writing, maybe something before cuneiform, which people believe is
the oldest known form of writing.”

“
Wow, you’re amazing,
Tina.” Said James. “What does it say?”

“
Well, I don’t know
exactly as I never finished my studies remember? And also this,
like the spoken dialect of the tribe, seems to be deviated so much
but I think I can take a crack at and guesstimate at the verbal
translation of the writing anyway. Hmm.”

“
Well…” asked
James.

“
No clue” said Tina. She
saw the disappointment on James face and laughed. “Just kidding. I
couldn’t resist teasing you.”

“
That’s cute” he
smirked.

“
OK, I think it’s a story.
It roughly says that ‘There once was a group of beings, sky
wanderers, from a distant star who travelled far and brought gifts
of great power. They could vanish without a trace, bring fire and
matter from nothing, raise the dead, and communicate with
spirits.”

“
Like aliens, ET or ghost
busters type stuff?” Asked James.

“
That is a good
guestimate.” Replied Alexa. “The ancestors tell of the Pregivers
who came from heaven to save us.” Stated Alexa.

“
Wow” gasped
James.

“
Indeed” replied Tina. She
pointed to the diagram on the wall. There were detailed drawings
and images of figurines descending to a ball of water, bursts
coming from them, and lines depicting energy waves in various
directions. “They were searching for … something… the key to
immortality I think. It says ‘time’s door’.”

“’
Time’s door’?” James
asked.

“
I am trying hard,
James.”

“
Sorry, go on.”

“
Uh, there was an
experiment of some kind and then a … war maybe or struggle as a
dark … individual tried to take it, the source of the experiment, a
dark foe who was once an ally, there is say of a great fall and
destruction …” said Tina breaking up in her words.

“
What kind of fall?” Asked
James.

“
I don’t know but there
have been many fallen empires and lands of ancient cultures in our
history and myth, like the lost continent of Atlantis for one.”
Said Tina.

“
You are making a very
good guesstimate,” added Alexa.

“
Thanks.” Said
Tina.

“
The tribal story has been
passed down from generation to generation for countless times and
we have always maintained its secrets.” Alexa added. “The relics of
the past were in a remote land… a large island of great size and
strength.”

“
A continent?” Asked
Tina.

“
Con-tin-ent…” said Alexa.
“There was a great ground quake, wind storms, and light flashes and
everything crumbled to dust. Only a few survivors left in boat. The
relic was vanished …some believe causing its greater empire that
preceded the old worlds to vanish. This story was passed down from
generation to generation. The legend of the drowning…
con-tin-ent.”

“
That’s the legend of the
lost continent of Atlantis, James.” Said Tina. “No one knows what
really happened to it.”

“
The relics journeyed
across cultures to rest in cave here.” Continued Alexa. “This
ancient legend is real and focused on the Pregivers and their
treasure they sought to protect and perfect above all costs to
ensure the continuance of their great power society. The item is a
key for one who has knowledge within of the greatness of their
treasure and who can unleash it. We have held it for generations
until that day. Our Chief saw you and believes wholeheartedly that
you are the one.” Alexa looks at James.

“
Why me?” James
Asked.

“
Yeah, why him? No offense
James,” Tina whispered.

“
None took buddy.” Said
‘James. “Though that fortune teller Ezelzaba implied I was special
and that Native American woman I saw in the street.”

“
What woman?” asked
Tina.

“
I will show you something
very important now.” Said Alexa. “Come with me.”

Alexa took them back to the large hut
to face the Chief again. James and Tina thought about the story of
the tribe written on the walls and wondered how many generations
ago were they drawn and how this tribe had sacrificed so much,
being here isolated from the rest of the world never progressing.
And but for Alexa being the liaison to the local markets they would
have no contact to the outside world whatsoever. They wondered what
could make a people so devoted to await one who may never come and
how the story of the great fall or destruction depicted on the
walls was something that really happened.

“
Could it be myth,
reality, history, destiny, or all of the above?
” Tina wondered to herself.

The Chief spoke in his native tongue,
as they knelt before him and Alexa translated. “He shows you the
relic of the Pregivers, the artifact of great treasure and immense
power they kept here for generations upon generations.” She spoke
as the Chief uncovered an item in front of him covered in cloth. He
removed the cloth revealing a five inches long object, tubular with
a small pentagonal shaped item connecting to it and surrounded by
clay molded into its shape hardened over a very long time. The
article had strings of colorful cloth straggled around it. It was
unlike anything Tina or James had ever seen and was the obvious
work of some group far more advanced than the tribe, as strange
markings seemed to be layered onto the tube or engraved with some
machinery. The clay surroundings and straggling cloth, James
figured, were done by the tribe to decorate the sacred object but
the true core and origins remained mysterious to James, only as
Alexa put it, he figured it had to be the work of a higher or
supreme intelligence, a God. He noticed the shape and design were
similar to that held by the Native American woman he saw on the
streets of Chronix Bay and who quickly vanished
thereafter.

“
May the spirituals be
with you… what could that mean.
”

And in the middle of the awe inspiring
object and glistening in the bright lights of the hut from the dome
above, James saw the symbol of five orbs in harmonious
unity.

“
That is amazing,” James
said, “but what does it have to do with me.”

The Chief looked at him and beckoned
to him to come closer and as James did slowly, with the Chief’s
free hand he lowered James’ shirt collar and revealed a birth mark
even James forgot he had, a birth mark of five orbs in circular
unity. Tina looked at it and dropped her jaw in shock and that the
Chief recognized it when he first saw James and neither of them saw
it before.

“
That is one hell of a
coincidence.” Tina yelled.

“
It is not a coincidence,”
beckoned Alexa. “We have been waiting for the Holder of Stones, the
cornerstone of the Pregivers’ mighty heavenly empire, to arrive for
quite some time, all our lives and that of our forefathers and
their forefathers for countless generations. Now you are here to
claim your treasure and fulfill your destiny which is also the
destiny of the entire world.” They all looked at him making him
feel like he was caught cheating on a school exam again.

CHAPTER 36

Outside in the clearing by the bushes,
James and Tina sat, as James held the device he was given by the
Chief. He felt bad taking it but as he was told, they possessed it
for generations waiting for his arrival.

“
You know what this means,
don’t you?” Tina uttered with her arms crossed over her
legs.

“
What?” Asked
James.

“
You have powers and you
used them during our escape from the wolf creature beast things.
Alexa must have saw that and fingered you as the one they call the
holder because it jives with their religion. It also means it was
no accident or random fluke that made us travel to this part of the
world. All our lives and experiences could have been preordained
just to get us here or you anyway. I don’t know what I’m doing
here.” She sunk down to the ground feeling depressed.

“
To watch my back. I
wouldn’t have been able to do half the things you did since we
reconnected, including read those wall paintings. You got a lot of
talent, brains … and beauty.”

“
Thanks.” She blushed. “I
think you are going to be great, James. I see good things ahead for
us. I know we already made a great team so far and will be a great
team for a long time.” Tina said and the duo smiled at one
another.

CHAPTER 37

Not so far away, but by only a few
miles, Broad Staffnight led his entourage through the jungle guided
by a skinny four foot tall balding dwarfed local named Pablo. Pablo
spoke a few English words and guided them through the dusking
evening skies with his Maglite flashlight and backpack almost as
big as he was. He spoke in Spanish as they understood as if in
English. He was frightened. “Come this way, this way sirs and
madam,” he smiled at Elizabeth implying a romantic interest, “this
is the market of the town isolated.” He pointed to a shanty town of
scattered wooden homes, old clay huts, and fruit stands surrounding
a clearing, the vegetation and trees form the woods offering a
quaint backdrop to the rustic commerce and exchanges of everyday
life.

“
Wow, this is totally
different from the capital where we landed into!” Spoke
Elizabeth.

“
Come on. That’s the idea.
He told us this is the old market place. We should find the answers
we seek there.” Broad said loosely interpreting for
Pablo.

“
Are you going to tell me
what is really going on, Broad?” Asked Elizabeth.

“
OK.” Said Broad grabbing
her by the arms and looking at her in the eyes sincerely as he
beckoned with his eyes for the rest to go on into town. They
followed the trail leaving Broad and Liz behind talking. “I know we
have seen some crazy stuff” said the former Army ranger turned
tycoon business man, choosing his words carefully.

“
Broad, you have always
been upfront with me in the past. Please tell me what the heck is
going on.”

“
They’re from another
universe, a parallel dimension along our space time continuum.” He
blurted it out and then realized the absurdity in what he was
saying. He spoke with a high level of excitement.

“
Who?” She
asked.

“
The beasts are sky gods
and legendary as referred to by the locals. It’s unlike anything
we’ve ever experienced” he uttered as if waiting for the right
opportunity after seeing the fright in her eyes. “There was an
experiment gone wrong and they wound up here on our Earth. That’s
all I can say but trust me Liz when I tell you the stories of the
beast warriors are all true. They have been adjusting to life in
our universe, on our planet, but in different time periods all over
our history. This could be the origin of myth, legends, religious
folklore, some have theorized. But the possibilities are endless
and stakes are heavy as our world isn’t big enough, it is dying and
hungering for energy, new technology, relief from overpopulation
and this concept opens up the universe. We can find new sustainable
renewable sources of energy. We will find the stone of legend at
least and unite the world in a grand orchestration under our
regime.” He spoke with jubilance in his voice.

She smiled in return, “this sounds
kind of crazy but if I didn’t see what I saw in Mr. Cumberberry’s
office… this whole thing now seems to fit perspective.” Liz
wondered.

“
Come on. Let’s settle in
before it gets too dark to travel.” Said Broad.

They wandered into the little
town.

CHAPTER 38

James and Tina met with Alexa and a
few of her friends from the dome, Romo and Bertza, a young couple
who was expecting their first child. Alexa translated during the
conversation around an evening camp fire drinking their favorite
beverage, a special tea made of naturally sweet leaves from the
forest and warm bread from their small round fire oven. They talked
and enjoyed one another’s company as they conversed about the usual
life apart from the mainstream of society, untouched by the
so-called civilized world, and how peaceful yet tedious it was.
They also spoke of their excitement of the legend of the tribe, its
story, its purpose now being fulfilled, and its future being placed
in the hands of the Holder of Stones, which James was reluctant to
accept as his destiny.

“
Well, then what you are
saying is that I am some type of messiah?” James asked
rhetorically.

“
Well, James, you do have
some powers,” said Tina, “and there have been many talks of the
coming of figures that have great power in virtually every known
religion on the planet. It is possible some combo of those myths
could be true as presented into the story of the tribe.”