Hey everyone, thanks for being patient! I tried to make this update a little longer to make up for being a little late. If you're just now coming across my story, you'll want to start back at the beginning. Yes, it's a long read, but there isn't any other way I could have explained all of this without sounding crazy.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16
After a moment of contemplation, I lifted both my head and heart and asked, “So, when do we start?”
Haesteus’ face lit up with excitement, “I like you boys. You’ve got guts! We can leave whenever you’re ready. Please, make yourselves at home until then.” He sat back down in his chair and gestured toward Ger to escort us out.
After a brief bow, we left Meeting Room D and began walking to Ger’s house. We had to backtrack to the elevator building to travel to the other side of level two; I was surprised with the lack of transportation in Telos. People either walked or took the elevators.
As we walked, we spoke of his peoples’ culture and that of the Dwellers. From my understanding, the main reason that they don’t get along is because of human interaction; the Dwellers don’t mind using us for experiments, slaves and God knows what else, while the Lemurians prefer to not mingle in our affairs, allowing us to move at our own evolutional pace. Way back before Ger was born, this debate sparked a war between the two leading civilizations at the time – his, and the Atlanteans. Yeah… Apparently they’re real too. And apparently, they were dicks.
Ger’s side was technically victorious, but they lost their homeland in the process; retreating to the mountains here in Northern California. The Dwellers, originating as a band of Lemurian rebels and Atlantean refugees, soon separated from Ger’s people and started playing by their own rules. Put simply, the Dwellers are the equivalent to the Nazis, while the Lemurians represent the Allies. They’re just bad people. Well, if you can even call them people, that is.
We eventually reached his house, or rather, his mansion. It was an old Victorian style building that was built of the same white material as the temple, but also featured marble zig-zag designs all along it. It was three stories tall and seemed to balance itself perfectly on top of a small but steep hill; with a lake to the left of it and open countryside to the right. It was amazing that they could fit all this underground.
The interior of Ger’s house was modest, but elegant. Clouded glass furniture that was somehow soft made up the majority of the house, along with one large golden chandelier in the entry way. Compared to the rest of the city, he seemed as if he would be considered “upper middle class”. The most expensive decorations in the house were the multiple murals and sculptures of landscapes and animals, respectively. He motioned for us to go upstairs and showed us to our rooms.
The first thing I looked toward was the bed, and my heart leapt with joy – they were of the same material as the one’s in Ger’s workshop, except larger! We even had our own rooms, though they were connected by a bathroom (fully equipped with a shower and tub that had too many jets to count).
After showing us to our rooms, Ger went back downstairs to cook dinner – I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of delicacies his people ate; furthermore, I wondered how they cultivate their crops and livestock. It must be quite a complex system.
I laid down on the cloud-like bed as I heard Chris’ voice come from the bathroom, “Dibs on the shower first. Have you seen all these jets? I’m beginning to like this place!”
I laughed, “Damn, a nice, hot shower does sound pretty great right now. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to leave this bed again, though. Fuck Ryan and Kyle, I might just chill here instead!”
“Wouldn’t that be nice?” He shut the door and I could hear him gasp in awe and chuckle to himself like a little kid as he turned the shower on.
I don’t think I lasted another five minutes before drifting into slumber – the bed was just too comfortable, and I was both mentally and physically exhausted.
I’m not sure how long I slept, but I awoke to Ger telling me that the food is ready. I sluggishly pulled myself out of bed and made my way to his kitchen; gaining motivation half-way down the stairs when I began to smell the heavenly odor coming from the dining room. I sat down at the glass table where Chris was already seated, drinking a glass of red wine.
As I sat down, Ger handed me a glass and began pouring some as well. Normally, I’m not a huge fan of wine, but god damn, it was so good – it tasted like apple juice, grapes and a hint of citrus. I don’t know, I’m no connoisseur. It was good, and got me drunk as hell.
The food was similar to our own, with sides like bread and mashed potatoes and “all the fixin’s”, it was just so much more flavorful. I could distinctly taste each ingredient and nothing was too over- or underwhelming; every herb and spice blended together in perfect synergy. The meal was a blend of cultures but seemed to be heavily influenced by French cuisines. Maybe Ger was just an exceptional cook, or maybe I was just really drunk, but man, it was one of the best meals I’ve had in a while.
We talked and laughed about various aspects of each other’s culture; namely media and government. Most of our laughs came from topics involving a particular president; Ger was quite amused at how we handle politics these days.
Eventually, once we had just finished up our dessert, Ger put on a more serious face and began giving us the run down of what would happen tomorrow.
“Firstly, I have more good news! Well, possible good news. Our top scientist, Dr. Lipton, has been studying the elixir that Elias gave you boys for the past couple days and believes he’s come up with a ‘less temporary’ solution. In the morning, you should stop by his laboratory and speak with him. With the acquisition of this recent Tome and your crystal, he believes that he should have the medicine ready before you return, if all is successful.”
We nodded.
“Right, once you check in with him, make your way to the Council building and ask the person at the front desk for my father – they should be able to help you. You may have to remind him or her to use their words; it’s been a while since we’ve had a human down here.”
I cleared my throat, “Alright, sounds good. Where will you be?”
“My work is required elsewhere, but rest assured, child, you can still use the crystal to contact me. I'll be there to send you off, as well.”
“What exactly do you do for work, Ger?”
He smiled humbly, “I’m the overseer of our military.”
“Like, the entire military? Damn Ger, here I was thinking you were Jesus, but instead you’re a military commander!”
He got a good laugh out of that, “It sounds more important than it is. A lot of the time I’m sitting behind a desk – not this time though.” His tone grew more confident, “Once you get us in, expect to see me up there in the front lines.”
Chris looked up to Ger, “Damn, look at big tough guy Ger! I’m liking the enthusiasm, man. What’s up with it though, is this personal for you or something?”
He looked down and clenched his fists lightly, “Yes… It is, child. For many reasons. Not only have the Dwellers murdered several of my people, but they have seduced both my uncle and my childhood best friend, Fier. Greed and power has overwhelmed them, and the only way I see them acknowledging their misdoings is by taking down the organization as a whole. I also do it to avenge Elias and the hardships that they have caused him.”
I could tell that Chris felt bad for bringing it up, “I understand, Ger. We’re in this with you.”
“Thanks, child. Now, you two go and get some rest. I must leave for the night, but I will meet you tomorrow at the Council building before you leave.” He put his hands on both of our shoulders, “Thank you, again.”
As we started walked up the stairs, Ger stopped us and yelled out, “Oh, I almost forgot. Check the cabinet in Chris’ room. Fresh from the garden!” He laughed and receded back to the kitchen.
I looked over at Chris and smiled, now we knew who grows for Elias. I made a note to myself to not leave this place without learning Ger’s ‘gardening’ secrets. I’d come back a rich man if I had access to that information.
We smoked, talked and laughed for a while before going to bed. Within minutes I was fast asleep, dreaming of whatever weird shit my mind had in store for that night.
I was awoken by a loud, but soothing humming noise that seemed to come from every direction. Immediately my mind thought of either the bell maidens or the Ladies, so I jumped out of bed and prepared myself. As I did so, though, the noise stopped.
I walked over and knocked on Chris’ door to the bathroom, “Hey, did you hear that?”
After a minute he emerged from his room, “I think it was some type of alarm. It stopped when I got out of bed.”
“Yeah, me too. But how did it know…?”
“Fuck if I know, man. This place is crazy.”
I nodded, “Yeah it is.” A pungent odor filled my nostrils as I began to get dressed, “Shit, I still haven’t showered. I’m gonna do that, you should see if Ger left us anything to eat.”
He bowed like a maid, “Yes, sir, would you like anything else while I’m down there? A warm towel, perhaps? Maybe a cup of tea?”
I laughed and flipped him off as I shut his door to the bathroom. I now understand why Chris gasped the night before when he showered. These people know their shit. All of the buttons on the glass touch pad were in Ger’s language, but I eventually figured it out after a bit of trial and error. The jets were completely programmable, in that you could set them up to alternate in pressure or temperature; it was... well, amazing. I could feel the stress being washed off my skin.
Once my hands and feet started to prune up, I realized it was probably time to get ready for the day. I got dressed and went downstairs to see if Chris found anything to cook.
“How goes it, fellow fighter-of-ancient-beings?”
He laughed, “Not well, reader-of-minds, not well.”
I walked over to the kitchen to see that him standing by a pile of crystal cookware and several metal bowls and bottles.
“Dude. I can’t find the stove. I don’t know how any of this works. I feel helpless." He laughed, "I think I found eggs and some bread. And I’m pretty sure that this is milk.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his confusion, he looked like a lost puppy. However, upon inspecting the cooking station myself, I realized that I was just as lost of a puppy. There was a clear glass counter that had 4 squares of clouded glass in it; that was the closest thing I could see that was a stovetop, but there was nothing nearby it to turn it on.
“Fuck it, bread it is.”
We found some deli meat – I think it was roast beef - in his refrigerator and made ourselves some damn fine sandwiches. I made another mental note to ask Ger about their meat selection down here - I'm a carnivore at heart. I'll take a steak over salad any day.
After devouring my sandwich, I turned to Chris and asked if he was ready to visit the scientist. He nodded, and we began walking to where Ger had described.
It wasn’t a long walk until we reached the large glass building. Squared sections, presumably windows, of it were clouded, while the majority was transparent. It stood several stories tall and was host to a multitude of people in suits and lab coats running around and looking important. We entered and walked toward the receptionist, who just stared at us and smiled.
“Uh... We’re here to see Dr. Lipton.”
The lady behind the desk giggled, “Oh, right, you’re the humans! I’ve heard about you. I think he’s currently on the second floor in the genetics lab. One second.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, “Yep, he’s up there. You can go see him now. Up the stairs, and to the right. Take care now, boys!” She smiled and waved goodbye.
We walked up to the room and knocked on the door, “Uh, Dr. Lipton? Ger sent us.”
A regular-sized man with pointy ears opened the door and greeted us, “Why, yes! You are the boys that Ger has spoken so highly of. Please, please, have a seat.”
Dr. Lipton was different from the rest of Ger’s people; as I mentioned, he was the same height as me and had ears that pointed upward, but he also didn’t have the same British accent as the rest of them (aside from Haesteus). He spoke like a modern American would, albeit a little too cheery for my liking. Was he some hybrid of Elias' elf friends and Ger's people?
“So, boys, tell me. Have you got the crystal?”
I removed it from my leg holster and handed it to the doctor.
After studying it intently under a large microscope, he let out a small cry of glee and turned to us, “You boys! Why, I don’t know what God you have in your favor, but this crystal here was your blessing.”
Chris asked, “It’s really that big of a deal?”
“Yes, yes, my dear boy! You two may have helped us solve a lot of problems.”
I motioned for him to hand my precious crystal back, “So how does this work? Ger said you might have a more permanent solution for the elixir that my friend and I took?”
He tightened his grip, “Yes, I do. I need a piece of it first, just a small chip will do.”
My face turned red at the though of breaking my rock, “Like hell you are, how do I know you won’t break it?”
He looked me sternly in the eyes, “I am the best at what I do, my friend. You are welcome to wait and watch, it will only take a second.” He set the crystal down on a table and began rummaging through some cabinets. He pulled out some form of electric chisel and placed the rock in a clamp. I began sweating and felt my heart sink as he powered on the chisel and sliced a little piece off the end.
“There, that’ll do it! See, you can trust me, boys! Dr. Lipton is the best there is.”
Why is it that scientists always talk so crazily?
We shrugged, grabbed the crystal and thanked him for his help. The walk to the Council building was long, but we eventually made it without much hassle. There were one or two homeless-looking men on the street that tried to get us to speak with them, but we just continued walking and were left alone.
Chris and I arrived at the Council building and asked the receptionist for Haesteus, who was apparently at the very top level in the “briefing room”. After a minute-or-two long elevator ride, we reached the top floor and entered the room.
“Children, welcome.” Ger was standing with his father and an older woman, studying a map of some sort, “This is Veira, one of our highest-ranking Generals. She is the one coordinating the attack on the Dweller compound.”
She spoke in a deep, masculine voice, “Hey, boys. Nice to meet ya. You ready to go over the plan?”
“Hell yeah, we are.” Chris and I began walking toward them and the map.
Haesteus turned to Veira, “See, I told you these guys had balls! Ha! Wait till you see the look on Juta’s face when he finds out that he was thwarted by two humans!” He looked at us and laughed, “No offense, of course.”
Chris chuckled, “None taken. So, what’s the plan?”
Veira cleared her throat, “Right, so, you boys are going to pose as recruits again, as you did before. Haesteus is going to show you some new meditation techniques to practice, so you can hopefully be more prepared for what is to come. You’re main priority while in there is to locate and open the network of tunnels that leads into the compound. There is a main entrance, in which you will be entering in, but there is also a back entrance that we do not have access too. If you can lower the barriers, then our militia can strike.”
“What about our friends?”
“Yes, of course. Your friends were spotted by one of our scouts in the town that you all stayed in. Ger had given their descriptions to all our scouts, so once the boys were spotted, our man followed them back to the compound and reported back to us. We are not sure what their role is there, but you must be ready for anything. My guess is that they are dealing with narcotics, hence them being found in the city. But we can’t know for sure.”
Chris muttered, “Will they… Will they recognize us? What do we do if we see them?”
Haesteus replied this time, “I believe so. But I am not sure how they will react. Ger says that you rescued one of these recruits, yes? That he seemingly showed remorse for his actions?”
We both nodded.
“Right, that leads me to believe that they still do feel emotions, just not as strongly, and do have some recollection of their past selves. So, my suggestion is to play it safe and steer clear from them as long as possible. If you do confront each other, hope that they are still on your side.”
“Alright, so when are we doing this? And how are we getting there?”
“You’ll take the Transit to a stop that is just a mile or two away from the compound. Once you get off, climb to the surface and contact Ger. He should be able to direct you from there.”
I asked, “Transit? What’s that?”
Ger responded and motioned for us to come with him, “It’s our form of subway system. Come, let’s go there now.”
We followed him back to the golden elevator building, but this time we walked down a flight of stairs instead of waiting in line. The stairs eventually led into what looked like a subway tunnel, except instead of one train, there were hundreds of small pods moving on multiple tracks, stopping and going as people stepped up to the loading dock.
Ger looked at us with hopeful eyes, “Alright, boys. Are you ready? This is going to be a step-up from the Ladies’ compound. I want you to be aware of that.”
Chris sarcastically nodded, “Okay, dad, we get it! We’ll be safe, promise!”
He laughed as he sent us toward the pods. I looked at Chris, who glanced back at me with the same “fuck it” expression. We waved back at Ger one last time and entered the personal train cart.
TBC
All parts:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18
Submitted July 04, 2017 at 09:27AM by shmica http://ift.tt/2tGnhO6 nosleep
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