Maelwyn was shocked that the Deva could read him so easily, even with the thought-wave neutraliser he wore.
While you remain on Kila you are a crutch to those around you, Sacha lectured. You must leave your fellow Chosen to their own devices in order for them to realise their own divine potential.
‘So what am I to do for the next four days?’ Maelgwn whined, unsatisfied with his lot.
Sacha shrugged. I guess you’ll just have to put up with our boring conversation.
The thought brought a smile to Maelgwn’s face — the acquisition of knowledge was always pleasing to him.
Noah located his wife in the midst of evacuating her staff and supervising the removal of all their field equipment. He followed Rebecca as she stalked around the large campsite shouting orders, and informed her of the quest the Governor and the Dragon had asked Noah to undertake.
‘As much as I love you, Noah, I’m not going anywhere with you right now.’ She rolled her eyes and continued with her duties, unable to believe he was serious.
‘These are the Governor’s orders, Becky,’ he pointed out. ‘And you’ll only be sitting around back at HQ anyway, so —’
‘I’m not going back to HQ,’ she insisted.
‘But the Governor has ordered all of KEPA to withdraw,’ Noah argued.
‘Rhiannon, Robin, Jenny, and a few of the other KEPA department heads are going to head to our main base inside Shutura Crevice. I’m going too.’
Shutura was the well-concealed headquarters of KEPA, built inside a large mountain crevice. The crevice was halfway down a sheer cliff face and opened into a large body of water. The pool had eroded and deepened the crevice over the aeons into an underwater cave. Upon discovery, it was deemed the perfect place for a submerged operations base for wildlife protection. The base was located in the wilderness close to the action, but it did not intrude on the pristine landscape. Hence the name SHU-TURA, which in the old Nefilim and Atlantean tongue meant ‘most supreme mountain base’. The Shutura Crevice was located more or less on the opposite side of the planet to Chaliada.
‘All our main wildlife monitoring systems are there, along with the equipment we’ll need to launch a counter-defence,’ Rebecca added as she finished packing her equipment and possessions. She began loading it all into a mini-shuttle which would deliver the gear to a larger shuttle that was transporting everything to Shutura. ‘You’ve proven you have a good aptitude for wildlife defence. Why don’t you join us?’
‘Now hold on just a minute.’ Noah took hold of the bag containing her personal possessions to prevent it being taken elsewhere. ‘Haven’t you been listening to a word I have said? These are the Governor’s orders.’ She appeared unmoved by his insistence. ‘You were the one who told me that you would accompany me on this quest, remember?’
‘We were at leisure then. At peace! The Governor’s stand has changed everything!’ Rebecca was infuriated by his persistence. ‘Any second now the Pantheon are going to declare open season on all the animals inhabiting this planet … they are my responsibility, Noah. For Goddess sakes! Don’t you care?’
‘And what of the human inhabitants of this entire galaxy? Where do they figure in your equation?’ he retorted sarcastically.
‘They are not about to be slaughtered.’ Rebecca appealed to reason, wanting to avoid an unpleasant argument.
‘No!’ he barked, annoyed that she would not budge on the issue and refused to see the big picture. ‘They are being slaughtered!’
One of the members of Rebecca’s force rushed towards the couple, but came to a standstill a short distance away, sensing the tension in the air.
‘It has begun, Commander,’ he informed, once Rebecca gave him the nod to speak. ‘In the great northern forest, north-east of Kila … they’re killing everything with gas.’
Rebecca’s tolerance level reached zero. ‘Then we have to find out where the hell they’re storing the toxins and figure out a way to dispose of it.’ The soldier nodded and ran off to collect his team. Rebecca looked at her husband and reclaimed her bag from him. ‘I’m sorry, Noah, but I’ve got to go.’ She leant forward and kissed him, but he did not kiss her back. Rebecca stepped away to look Noah in the face, disappointed in him. ‘I really thought you of all people would understand.’
‘So did I,’ he replied, feeling just as thwarted as she.
‘I guess we were both mistaken.’ Rebecca turned and walked away from the quarrel.
‘Looks that way,’ Noah muttered to himself, and disillusioned with the universe, he decided not to pursue her. ‘I go it alone, then.’
The molecules of her subtle body calmed to a synchronised vibration as the being’s embrace enveloped her. His wings enclosed her inside a celestial cocoon where only the Sacred Triad held sway: the Logos that was her soul-source, the Silent Watcher, who was her higher self, and the sacred spirit, Fohat, that formed the thread that spanned the vast expanse of evolution between the parent soul and its infant, maintaining the lines of communication between them.
Inside the cosmic womb, her unborn soul was sedated against the uncomfortable process of drawing forth her spiritual triad of life atoms that had retreated via her heart centre into the permanent atoms of her causal body at the time of death. Her lower material triad of atoms had dissolved along with her lower etheric bodies, as she’d transcended beyond their threshold on her inward spiral, and this ethereal matter would be gathered unto herself as fresh life atoms were created during her outward spiral back into the physical. So although her earthly memories were lost, any information pertaining to her higher consciousness would survive inside her higher triad of permanent atoms for reference in the next life.
Tory lost all sense of herself inside the haven the Deva provided. She was aware only of a wave-like sensation rushing over her being, gently at first and then, in a great rush of awareness, her consciousness began expanding, rippling and swaying in a sea of tranquillity and joy. Here she had no questions, no worries, no fear; there was no past, there was no future, no cause and effect, no destiny or fate, only the complete bliss and oneness of an eternal moment in the presence of the divine.
This cleansing rapture ended abruptly as she was wrenched from the beautiful life force and spat forth into existence in a flaming ball of fire. Every fibre of her being cried out in agony upon separation. The large swirling celestial body, around which she was now in a spiral orbit, was her soul-source. She was but one of zillions of stars taking the outward journey into the realms of matter in order that her unrealised potential might evolve through interactive experience of cause and effect, which could only be experienced on the physical plan. Upon leaving her soul-source, her ego had been cast into the only true Hell in existence — the physical plane, a region of sinners, trial and pain, where every bad thought and act was subject to Karmic Law and would be atoned for. She, like all of the Star Born, was paying the ultimate price for the ultimate prize. Her separation from her soul-source would be long and arduous, and this inner knowing induced the ultimate sadness. And yet, her will to succeed for the glory of the divine was absolute; her will to live and participate in the great scheme of creation was all-consuming.
You were not alone, as you are not alone now or ever. I have been with you for all time.
Her spirit awoke to find she had been dreaming, or rather remembering her original outpouring into creation. She was afloat inside the devanic cocoon and it was this entity that had spoken to comfort her and awaken her from the sad, but poignant recollection. If you were with me, Tory reasoned to the best of her ability, at the time of my first outpouring … we are a twin soul. Reflected in the inner walls of her etheric shell was a vague image of herself, little more than a shadow. But the energy centre in her chest was ablaze with activity. Behind her, in the relective surface, the radiant Deva nodded.
Beyond earthly love and time, there is a unity of spirit that we share for all existence, and nothing in creation or beyond can ever break the bond that we have.
The Deva passed a hand over his own brilliant heart chakra, whereupon a long golden thread sprang from Tory’s heart centre and rose all the way to the crown of her head where it attached itself firmly. A bright, whirling helix of white energy passed up the golden thread and came to settle on her crown. This was the first and highest energy centre, or chakra, of her etheric nervous system.
The seven planes of existence (physical, astral, mental, causal, spiritual, monadic and God consciousness) are divided into two triads, higher and lower, with an intermediary plane dividing them. So, too, are the chakras of a human’s etheric body divided into a higher and lower triad, connected via an intermediary energy centre, located where the heart would be found in the physical body.
The bright, whirling helix of white energy that now whirled over Tory’s crown was the spirit atom or will aspect of the higher triad, known as the crown chakra. At the Deva’s leave, a second helix, purple in colour, shot up the golden thread to settle on Tory’s brow. This was the intuition atom, or wisdom aspect, known as the third-eye chakra. The blue helix that followed attached itself to her throat chakra and was the mental atom or pure reason aspect of the soul-mind.
The lower triad was activated from the heart centre once the higher triad was in place. From the vortex of green energy whirling over her heart, another gold thread shot down to attach itself to where Tory’s base chakra would soon be located.
A yellow helix positioned itself over her solar plexus. This was the mental molecule that was the seat of the intellect in the subtle body. This energy centre acted as a magnet for mental substance, and performed the huge task of preparing the blueprint for the mental, astral and etheric bodies that would be inhabited by the soul-mind. The second aspect of the lower triad was that of emotion and accompanied the astral atom’s placement; this chakra centre was orange and was located near the spleen in the physical body. The physical atom or activity aspect manifested in the soul-mind last of all to complete the etheric nervous system. This chakra centre was deep red in colour and was akin to the root or base chakra located at the base of the spine.
Tory observed the changes taking place within her without fear or apprehension, for she trusted the celestial being implicitly.
Her complete chakra system was now in place and with energy centres whirling vigorously, her mental unit began to vibrate, drawing mental essence around herself with vibratory powers akin to her own.
The higher triad of atoms had no bodies attached to them, for they corresponded to realms of existence beyond individualisation. The fourth or causal plane of existence was where the soul-mind emerged into individuality and this entity was called the causal body, although it consisted of spiritual essence only and lacked any real form.
Only the mental, astral and physical atoms attracted to them the substance of the planes to which they were akin, and created bodies to house the human soul-mind during its incarnation into the material world. These subtle bodies shaped the personality, intellect and ego of the physical being and kept it constantly connected to the higher realms of existence of which it was no longer aware.
There were three spiritual bodies that needed to be formed before a soul-mind could take on a physical persona: the mental body, the astral body and the etheric double. Tory’s first undergarment of spiritual matter took the form of a web-like cloud, slightly less dense than the body of astral mist that followed. The essence that she attracted in these two instances was capable of reproducing a mental and astral body of exactly the same characteristics as those Tory had possessed before her misadventure.
Once the mental and astral substance moulded itself to suit her causal shadow, a network of shimmering thread sprang forth from all her chakras to spin a web around her subtle form. This intricate network, of delicate beauty, gave her an almost solid, glowing silver spiritual form. Tory’s etheric double had returned.
As she admired her beauteous form in her reflection, her affectionate gaze drifted over to the Deva behind her.
His face suddenly inspired the memory of a different kind of love to the all-consuming dedication she felt for soul-source. This feeling had nothing to do with the greater scheme of things; it was an entirely selfish need to be desired by him, to be involved with him on a physical basis. Tory’s ego had come into play and her will to be close to this soul her being craved so desperately, was sufficient to commence her change back into the physical world.
12
A PIRATE’S LIFE
Crow was in a foul mood by the time he made it back to the pirate ship ‘BIL-ME’, which, contrary to the pun, simply meant ‘flying ship that burns rocks’. The vessel was a meteor cruncher, specifically designed for negotiating areas where there were concentrations of space debris. This was why Crow’s brother, Hawk, had chosen to acquire this particular vessel, as systems full of space junk were about the best place for outlaws to hide out.
‘What the stuff are you doing back here?’ The systems engineer removed his protective earmuffs, stunned to see their renegade munitions expert wandering through the engine room.
‘Things didn’t quite go as planned,’ Crow grumbled as he passed his younger crewmate.
‘Hawk is going to be so pissed that you came back,’ the lad informed, with a hint of delight. ‘You might have been better off to stay where you were.’
‘Can it, Chook. Blood is thicker than politics,’ Crow assured him confidently, as he approached the open hatch door that led to the crew quarters.
Chook’s smile only broadened and with a shake of his head, he replaced his earmuffs and fired up his grinder.
As Chook was rarely so confident about anything, Crow had to figure his situation was precarious. His pace slowed and he decided to sidetrack to the kitchen to see if he couldn’t get a bite to eat before his brother did a dance on his face. Crow felt he could defend himself against his younger, although larger brother, but he’d eat as a precaution, just in case things got out of hand at their happy family reunion.
‘Well, holy calamari, Crow, you have got balls of solid charichalum.’ Seagull, the ship’s aged and rather huge cook, chuckled to himself as Crow entered his domain.
Seagull wasn’t a Falcon. He was a Delphinus, whom they’d found adrift in open space, so his name was a bit of a joke. As he claimed not to remember his own name, the nickname had stuck.
‘Anything to drink on this hunk of junk?’ Crow ignored Seagull’s taunt, as he checked the supply hatches.
‘Sure.’ Seagull produced a flask from his stores. ‘I couldn’t deny a dying man his last request.’ The old cook held his sides, laughing, whereupon Crow snatched the alcohol from him.
‘Try not to give yourself a heart attack there, Pops,’ Crow advised, taking a swig from the flask and quickly spitting it out again. ‘This tastes like piss!’
‘Oh, sorry.’ Seagull reached into his stores and pulled out another flask, identical to the first. ‘Here, try this.’
‘What was in that?’ Crow asked as he exchanged his flask.
‘Piss,’ advised Seagull, with a shrug. ‘That’s the trouble with being the cook and the medical officer.’
‘Ugh!’ Crow spat several times in disgust. ‘Whose piss? Don’t answer that, I don’t want to know.’ He took a whiff of the contents of the flask that he now held in his hand to ensure it was alcohol, and then swallowed the entire contents. ‘Ahhh!’ he sighed, feeling satisfied. He wiped his mouth clean with the back of his wrist.
‘If it isn’t the prodigal prick.’
Crow was spun round one-eighty degrees to come face to face with his brother.
‘Welcome home,’ Hawk leered, headbutting his brother in the nose and letting him slide to a seat where he could tower over him. ‘Where do you get off coming back here after you’ve given yourself up to the Pantheon, huh? Come to fetch us in for the Lord Nergal, have we?’
‘Hardly.’ Crow struggled to recover from the blow and think. ‘Nergal tried to kill me … the scumsucker sent me on a suicide mission.’ r />
‘Then how is it that you are still living and breathing?’ Hawk grabbed his brother’s throat, threatening to kill him, depending on the answer.
‘There was an escape pod on the ship he provided. I managed to get out before Nergal could detonate his explosive device.’
‘I’m sure the Lord didn’t go to all that trouble just to get rid of you.’ Hawk slammed his brother’s head back into the metal headrest of the chair. ‘Who else was on board?’
Before Hawk got his answer, Crow managed to raised a leg and cast his brother off.
‘She was one of those immortal mutants,’ Crow confessed before his brother recovered and took him back in hand. ‘The ex-Governess of Kila.’
‘You’ve been on Kila?’ Seagull was interested to know, but Crow was not given a chance to respond as Hawk grabbed him up by his jacket.
‘You idiot! Her brother, the reigning Governor of Kila, has just declared war on the Pantheon.’ He smacked Crow in the head in an attempt to knock some sense into him.
‘I know already!’ Crow broke free once again. ‘That’s where my pod landed, so I was on Kila when the Pantheon invaded, but by the time Nergal got there all the Chosen had fled. They abandoned their city in fear.’ He emphasised his words, to get his point across.
Hawk smiled, and heartened by the news, he forgot all about beating up his brother. ‘Lahmu is very smart.’
‘Lahmu?’ Crow was shocked to hear the name of the legend mentioned.
‘How do you figure that?’ Seagull asked Hawk, ignoring their uninformed crewmate. ‘Looks like a clear-cut case of chickened out to me.’
‘That the Governor of Kila would put the plight of our kind, and that of all men, ahead of his own capital city and kindred, seems to me to confirm his true commitment to the cause. He didn’t even waste time or resources defending his city. He just went straight underground to concentrate on his attack.’