On the morning in question, Taren awoke in her MSS-assigned apartment within the homeland security complex on Esponisa, beneath which MSS headquarters could be found by those with top security clearance codes to access the underground levels of the establishment. The apartment communications system was chiming to alert her to a personal incoming communiqué.
It was an MSS medical officer who came on-screen to advise Taren that Yasper Ronan had been killed in action — his body had been identified by Chief Ronan this morning.
‘That is regrettable,’ Taren replied flatly, in vast contrast to how she had reacted the last time she’d been here.
‘If you need —’
‘I’m fine, thank you.’ Taren ended the transmission.
She had three hours to prepare for the meeting, two hours until she met Starman and Jazmay at their rendezvous point and one hour to get to Oceane and back. As she had returned from a mission late the previous evening and been too exhausted to change or wash, a shower would normally have been in order, but as she was headed for Oceane, just a change of clothes would suffice for now.
As she wandered towards her dressing room, the thought occurred that Professor Lucian Gervaise was walking around alive and unattached today, and Taren’s sombre mood lifted completely.
When Taren entered the dressing room, she was startled by the sight of herself in the full-length mirror, and she gasped. ‘I’d forgotten,’ she mumbled. She’d dyed her hair blonde for the mission, and Taren barely recognised her own taut, athletic body.
You all see me as Tory Alexander, but I am not her any more … yet? she’d told En Noah and the thought made Taren smile as she looked so much like the heroine in this instance. I wish I had some of her warrior skills. I’d bring the MSS and the entire US council to justice for what they have done to psychics out of fear over the years.
Taren had made this wish before she had regained her memory, and now she had the assets, knowledge and skills to make that happen.
It was a cosy return to the past for Zeven at first; there was a shapely female form draped over him and he struggled to recall who it might belong to.
The night before the day in the past he was aiming to return to, Zeven had graduated flight school, ace of the class, and was now a fully qualified pilot. The ceremony had been followed by a long evening of drinking with his fellow graduates and ended with him in bed with this very beautiful brunette who was quite a bit older than himself.
Who was she again? Zeven racked his brain to recall.
‘At ease, Airman,’ she whispered in his ear, ‘you’ve already impressed me.’
I slept with my Flight Assessor!
It was all coming back to Zeven now, but what he had failed to recall about this particular morning was how completely written off he was! The room was spinning in several directions at once, his mouth was as dry as Sermetica, and his stomach began churning when he could not find his equilibrium. Somewhere in his mind the boy he’d been at this time panicked, knowing that if anyone caught him in bed with his assessor his sterling assessment from yesterday might be queried, and if he was disqualified he’d have to wait and take the exam again next semester!
His gut heaved at the thought, and he found himself on his feet and in his bathroom being sick. As Zeven caught his breath and stood upright he muttered, ‘Why did Taren have to pick today?’ The thought of her brought his present situation into perspective.
He didn’t have to worry about being caught out with his assessor — he already was a fully qualified pilot and time-hopping secret agent, who had an hour up his sleeve before he had to rendezvous with his team.
‘Thank the universe for that!’ Zeven moved to the wash basin and rinsed out his mouth, before being startled by his own reflection. ‘Ah!’
His dark hair was cut short and neat and he was clean-shaven.
‘Fuck off!’ he objected. ‘I look like I’m about twelve!’ He gaped in horror, knowing Taren and Jazmay were going to have a field day teasing him about how young he looked.
‘You may have the face of a boy,’ his lady friend commented as she sidled up to him, ‘but the rest of you is all man.’ She kissed his neck and with an inviting smile she slipped into his shower recess.
His nausea had eased, but his head was splitting and the room had yet to stabilise. However, his eyes found their focus to watch the shapely beauty wetting herself down in his shower. On second thought, this morning is turning out to be a rather finer destination than previously recollected.
When Jazmay first left Kila and returned to ten years past, she’d gone back to a few months before the morning she was aiming for this second time around.
In that first instance, Jazmay had awoken as a Valourean, in a barracks on Phemoria. She had resigned her royal post in favour of studying quantum electro-dynamics under Professor Kestler on Maladaan. As her superiors had considered this a worthy pursuit, Jazmay had been permitted to pursue her ambition; with Taren’s knowledge of science, Jazmay had no problem passing the entry exam. Had her Phemorian superiors not agreed to support her aspirations, Jazmay had considered buying her freedom with her information about the lost Princess of Phemoria. Still, back in those early days, when strapped for cash on Maladaan, she had been known to sell information she found stored in Chief Ronan’s memory.
Upon waking several months later in her university accommodation in Esponisa, Jazmay was so grateful she had not sold Taren out to the Phemorians. Jazmay had spent ten years convincing herself Taren was her enemy to avoid confronting her own guilt over stealing from her sovereign to further her own ends. Thankfully her unacknowledged culpability had prevented Jazmay from attempting to destroy Taren before she ever became famous for her scientific endeavours. Jazmay had read the theories of Dr Taren Lennox during her academic career and where her fellow students had scoffed at the body of work, Jazmay knew it was utter genius. Deep inside she had always known that Taren was extraordinary, with an immense destiny to follow. Now instead of hindering that great destiny, Jazmay could assist to help bring it into being. It finally felt like she was channelling her energy in the right direction — just as it had during her brief involvements with the AMIE crew.
Jazmay knew her connection to these people had something to do with the gaseous being on Oceane. The Juju stone, and the sample she’d stolen from AMIE, had both worked upon her psyche like a truth serum when in close proximity — exposing the inner lies that hid her true heart. It had been Jazmay’s close contact with the stolen sample that had initially urged her to seek Taren Lennox out and ask for forgiveness — a desire that had now been fulfilled. Whatever happened from here on in, Jazmay’s conscience would be clear and if she found her love again in this universe or the next then that would be a bonus.
The last time Jazmay awoke on this day, she’d been filled with hate-fuelled resentment towards everyone, Taren most of all! Hence it felt mighty liberating to awake filled with hope, purpose and goodwill towards others — there was no doubt in Jazmay’s heart that she was doing the right thing. Until now she had struggled to get situations to bend to her bitter will, but now she felt that the good outcomes she desired, she need not chase, as by her right action she would attract her authentic destiny and all that went along with that.
For Jazmay the sight of her younger self was not such a shock; it had been less than a season since she’d left the Valoureans and she still sported a fine warrior form. Her physique had been hard to conceal for university life, but this time around there would be no need to hide any facet of herself away; she was powerful beyond measure and feared no one. For the first time in her life, her place in the universal scheme of things seemed perfectly clear and now Jazmay was truly free to embrace her kismet with open mind and open heart.
How odd that choosing the selfless option had finally made her feel good about herself.
When Taren thought of Oceane she recalled the rock she had crawled upon during her last visit, to be out of the marshland of tundrells th
at dwarfed her to the size of an insect, and fortunately the shale crag was in existence and well above water. Taren knew this only because she felt no warm puddle to her knees or mud at her feet when she became present on Oceane; the teeming hot rain was pouring all the way down her body. She’d not considered the time differences between Maladaan and here, and had landed in her target area in the middle of the night.
‘Great.’ Taren had considered herself fairly brave until this moment, but upon realising she was the only human being in this entire solar system at this time, she suddenly missed Starman’s company. The lightning of the colourful storm above shed light upon her periodically, which after a few bursts in close succession made Taren feel more at ease and she crouched down to collect what she had come for. A stiff, wide-brimmed plastic hat was keeping the rain out of her face and Taren had brought tools with which to chip a piece of stone away from the rock.
She separated but one piece of the mineral in this instance. This amulet was for Zeven, who was not venturing any further back in time. Only Jazmay and she would be going back another two days into the past, to save Yasper’s life. After they had made that final leap backwards, Taren would return to Oceane to fashion a Juju stone for Jazmay and herself.
Once Taren held the stone in her hand she appealed to her guardian to grant her protection so that she might keep the whole, whole, until the time of its departure from this universe.
At once the rain ceased to pound down upon her and there was light all around, but unlike the last time Taren had made this appeal, she did not leave her physical form. She stood to watch the light beaming down from the dramatic, colour-filled sky, whereupon the illumination took the form of a being that she had met once before in another timeline. ‘Azazèl,’ she acknowledged him, bemused; did his presence mean Azazèl-mindos-coomra-dorchi would not meet with her or grant her request?
You always have our protection, whenever you ask, he answered her unspoken worry.
‘I am so grateful,’ she said, mesmerised by the sight of her guardian, who appeared as the perfect manifestation of her love, and her heart gave a pang with missing him.
We are so inspired by your courage and vision, Taren-lennox, you make our vocation a delight, he said and brought tears to her eyes. You never fail to utilise an opportunity, no matter how daunting, which is to the great benefit of us all.
From within the light behind her guardian another two spirits, who were akin to Zeven and Ringbalin, emerged to stand beside Azazèl. Then another six spirits emerged from the light to stand apart from the triad of beings she had known before now. These additional six Grigori were akin to other men she’d met in the course of her life: Telmo Dacre, Leal Polson, Yasper Ronan, her father Anselm and even Swithin and the Governor of Kila, Rhun of Gwynedd, were among them.
We support your aspirations completely, Azazèl assured her, but to achieve all you will, you need to awaken us all.
As Azazèl said this, all the male spirits around him split into male and female pairs, and Taren gasped as she recognised the women, from this universe and the next. The real surprise for Taren was to see the soul she’d known as Kalayna standing next to Telmo Dacre.
The Grigori can work through these souls to aid you, but only once they are in touch with their psyche can they benefit from our guidance.
‘Some of you do not wish to have the Powers.’ Taren looked to the spirit who appeared as Aurora.
I will overcome my fear, the spirit told her and looked fondly to her male counterpart, or lose my love. Her sights turned back to Taren. I will be thankful to avoid that.
Was this spirit telling Taren that Zeven’s life depended on Aurora getting over her fear and stepping onto the psychic playing field?
That is exactly what I am saying, the spirit replied to Taren’s unspoken query. But times are changing for the better, the difficult challenges and decisions that you have faced selflessly have not been without benefit to your cause.
‘But I made all those decisions in the future, how can they benefit me here in the past — unless …’ Taren realised she was overlooking her own theory, ‘… our intentions affect our past as well as our future.’
An argument in the future can affect a resolve in the past and spawn an entirely new reality, the spirit confirmed.
‘But.’ Taren’s sights turned to the beings who appeared as Swithin and Amie, who seemed so at peace and full of goodwill towards her, she felt awkward mentioning her concerns about them; as it turned out, there was no need.
I have been a victim, just like you, Amie told her, and the same man is at the root of our betrayal.
‘Khalid Mansur.’ Taren nodded in understanding; if Amie was meant to be with Swithin then they had both been sorely cheated of a happy life as well.
Taren found herself shedding tears for her long-perceived enemies; this knowledge altered her attack strategy completely! She had wanted to expose these two and make them pay for the suffering they had caused Lucian, but now she could see they had already suffered. ‘There is only one bad guy in this entire affair,’ Taren said.
His soul-mind is being coveted by an entity that should never have held sway in the physical realm.
Taren’s esoteric knowledge had improved since viewing En Noah’s chronicles. She had learnt that there were lower spiritual realms as well as higher spiritual realms and that mankind could appeal to either, to gain supernatural power and protection in the physical world. ‘This entity was invited into the physical realm then?’ Taren assumed.
It would be more true to say that it was created in the physical realm and can remain here until its host banishes it or dies.
‘Khalid is the host?’ Taren assumed.
At the time you first met him, yes, Khalid was the host, but not at present.
‘Then who is the host now?’ Taren realised she had another nemesis.
There was one survivor at Dead Man Downs —
‘But how can he still be alive, that event took places thousands of years ago?’
He is being kept alive by the negative thought form he hosts and together they created Khalid, to seek vengeance on the Phemorians for Dead Man Downs.
Taren had so many questions. ‘But how did Khalid become my uncle? Surely he cannot be Zeven’s father?’
No, he is not Zeven’s father, Azazèl was happy to advise.
‘So he isn’t my cousin?’ Taren was alarmed.
Yes, he is. Azazèl confused the issue and with a smile began to fade. The answers to your many other questions, you will find yourself.
All the beings began to retract into the light beam from above and Taren panicked. ‘But what about —’ She raised her stone to appeal for its enchantment, only to note her request had already been fulfilled. ‘Oh —’
Peace to you, Taren-lennox. Azazèl withdrew into the ray of light, which retracted into the turbulent storm clouds above, and once again the rain began to bucket down upon her.
‘Thank you,’ Taren called as the shock of the encounter seized hold of her being. She had been enlightened to a few family secrets that really only served to verify that there were still a great many skeletons in her family closet. No longer able to support her, Taren’s shaky legs gave way and she collapsed onto her behind. ‘I have so much work to do.’ The enormity of what lay ahead consumed her, and not even the warm rain of the Oceane night could prevent a chill of trepidation from creeping up her spine.
It was another vivid flashback — walking down the huge glassed-over entranceway to the University of Esponisa. This had once been a street open to the sky, long ago when the air beyond was not damaging to breathe. To one side of the street were tall sandstone terraces, built hundreds of years ago, and these were in vast contrast to the modern high-rise building opposite them. The road in between was now beautifully paved in black-and-white muted marble tiles. The large metal construct that supported the long glass ceiling above extended from the top of the four-storey terraces to Taren’s left, and arced across to
the fourth floor of the high-rise to her right, creating a very grand sunlit entrance to the university by day.
At the end of the entrance walkway Taren entered the huge enclosed circular plaza containing all the eateries, supply stores, and university common areas. From here, long corridors connected to the university’s various buildings for learning, development, business and accommodation. The university was the one place that Taren, Jazmay and Zeven all knew well. There was a café located on the corner of Library Parade and the thoroughfare to Science R&D — where AMIE would someday soon have offices — and this was where they had nominated to meet.
As Taren approached the café through the throng of students, all rushing to make their next class, she saw Jazmay waving to her from a table for four she had managed to secure for them. Taren waved back and was blindsided by a collision that near bowled her over.
‘I’m so sorry.’ Her assailant grabbed her arm to steady her, and Taren’s heart skipped a beat as she looked to him.
‘Lucian,’ she uttered, shocked, and then corrected herself. ‘Professor Gervaise.’
‘I really shouldn’t read and walk at the same time.’ He held out the palm-held database that had distracted him, and the screen displayed the floor plan for the astro-marine institute.
‘Well, that’s quite a vision you have there,’ Taren commented on the material, one eye straying over to Jazmay, who stood with her mouth hanging open at this unexpected turn of events.
Lucian noted Taren’s distraction and also looked to Jazmay, who then closed her gaping jaw and smiled sweetly. ‘Yes, it is,’ he said proudly, closing the device and placing it in his pocket. ‘I’ll look where I am going from now on,’ he assured her awkwardly, although he now seemed to be stalling his departure. ‘Are you a student here?’
‘Yes, physics, biology and associated studies.’ Taren was very aware of carrying a Juju stone at present, and she couldn’t help but grin at the fact that Lucian was surely feeling an inexplicable attraction to her. He didn’t need any extra allure to arouse her interest; he appeared so alive and fired up, it was thrilling just to stand in his presence.