The Sands of Time Chapter 41

       

 

The speeders raced across the landscape. Joon could feel the wind in his hair and couldn't help but be exhilarated. These speeders- what were they?- hover bikes, he didn't know. Rachel's people called them speeders and that worked. He couldn't believe they had this tech though. Like many things, he was learning. The closest thing he could equate them to was a jet ski. They had the same kind of jump, only air currents instead of waves. He glanced over at Maia, who seemed to be having fun as well. Poor Howie, though. 

He had been agitated when they tried to leave, so Rachel had juryrigged a container- they used them for crystal transport, actually- and the Gaxian was now riding in it. Kind of a tight fit, and comical to look at- was he getting motion sickness?- but he was less and less inclined to be separated from Maia as time went on. 

That could be a problem. 

At any rate they were in this moment. It was hot but their velocity cooled them down. Rachel led the way, skirting craters and dry creekbeds, rocks and other debris. It was a stark, beautiful landscape, if desolate. They were accompanied by a few guards, just to be safe. There were no humanoid life forms here that they knew of, lots of animals, but safety was important. 

They stopped that night close to the mountains and set up camp. Quick tents and a fire. The guards were alert and set up a perimeter while the others ate. 

"We should be there around noon or so tomorrow," said Rachel. 

"It's beautiful here," replied Joon. "Like the American southwest."

"Yes," she agreed. "How's he doing?" she asked, referring to Howie. 

Howie was happy to be free, and was very active. He gave the guards a wide berth, and they reciprocated, being very unsure of this creature. All eyes and tentacles. 

"I was reading through Valerus' notes last night," Joon mentioned as he finished a can of ready food. 

"And?" Rachel raised an eyebrow. 

"Did you know," Joon paused, "that the crystals... facilitate time travel? To use Leo's words."

"I do. That's one of the reasons they're so sought after. We have a team onsite studying them, trying to excavate them. The Directors, once they found out about them, wanted samples, of course. Some have been used. Val was our expert, but they have others who know things."

Joon nodded, stretching his legs out. Maia came over to sit nearby. 

"Can you trust everyone you have?" he asked quietly. He didn't look at the guards but she understood. 

"I think so. But I worry. This is so high stakes that I'd be surprised if there wasn't a mole in my group. Val and I hand picked everyone though."

"Do you know about the... teams that have been going...back?"

"Some," she sighed. "Leo knew the most. That's why his loss is so serious. And he was a good man."

Joon thought about the notes he'd read, about terminating Intruders. He said nothing. 

"Now we're almost flying blind. We have to go back to Stella and try to solve this without our top expert, our most knowledgeable resource." 

Joon wondered if she resented him for bringing Hillier. Again, he said nothing. 

"What can we expect tomorrow?"

"Well, hard to describe. The Mound is huge, and one of the few places where the crystals grow. That we are aware of, anyways. Leo's been there. Other than Poseidon it was one of his favorite places to be. He could hear the crystals singing, he'd say. It's apparently a pilgrimage site, as well. He said beings are drawn to it, almost like a nexus. Like Sanctuary, back home."

"Beings?"

"Yeah. From other... places. Is that so odd?" she referred to the floating orb that was floating near Maia. 

Joon grinned. 

"Have you seen them?" asked Maia. 

"I haven't, but Leo did. And my people report on them." 

"What are they?"

"Humanoid, like us. We keep our distance."

"This is all so much," Joon said. "I knew we were working on things, but all this... these places, all the secret knowledge."

"I know," said Maia. 

"The teams in the past," interjected Rachel. "There were concerns that they would... destabilize things. Leo had concerns. You can't just make changes and not expect consequences. It's like the old saying if you step on a butterfly and change the future."

"Do you thnk... they're making changes?"

"Aren't they, just by being there?"

"Mallory said a team hadn't reported in yet." 

"Great." 

"They were back in the Triassic, or somewhere?" 

"Doing what?"

"Lord only knows."

"See, that's the problem. We don't know what we're doing, but we're doing it anyway."

They reached the Mound the next evening. One of the speeders had an issue and it took hours to resolve. The sight was awesome. They could see it from miles away. After crossing a ridge of hills they descended into what was called the Dunes. Long undulating sand dunes stretching as far as the eye could see. After several hours of traveling the land grew rockier, and they could see the glow of the ithyri. Dim at first, then it brightened as they approached. Soon the great crystals dominated the sky, rising in haphazard profusion from a great rise. 

The Mound. 

Joon wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but not this. The stars were out and their light was refracted and intensified by the crystals. They were all over the ground, in clumps as they got closer, but atop the Mound they were huge. 

There were people around them, part of the team Rachel had mentioned, and they had a camp nearby. A roaring fire, pavilions. Speeders and ungainly sleds, presumably for transport. 

And something else. 

A line of people, or humanoids anyway, on a nearby dune. A procession of them, each holding a torch. Heading for the Mound.