Titan Encounter (17 page)

Naomi shook her
head. “That must be a lie.”

“Not all of it.
Being on a ship under attack and left in an escape pod….”

“My earliest
memory,” Mara said as surprise spread across her face. “Were we all on that
ship?”

“Yes,” Justin said.
“They must have tried to save the children.”

“Do you know how old
you are?” Mara asked.

“They told me
twenty-two.”

“I’m twenty-four—little
sister.”

The two women stared
at each other for several moments as tears welled in their eyes.  Then
Naomi bent down and they hugged each other.

“I need to get Mara
to treatment.”
Becca
breathed deeply and wiped her
eye. “I’ll see you both at dinner tonight.”

Justin nodded, took
Naomi by the hand, and left the room.

They walked in
silence to the docking station where she had first arrived, but instead of
taking a shuttle headed for another ship, he took her down one level to a
subway system that ran the length and circumference of Exodus.  Fifteen
minutes after boarding, they disembarked at a small station surrounded by
orchard trees. A dirt path took them away from the station, through the
grove. 

“
Becca
took me here a couple of days ago.” As they walked along the path, shaded by
fruit trees, he said, “She told me she comes here to figure things out.”

“Figure things out,”
she mumbled.

Several minutes
later, they came out of the trees. Now, on one side of the path, corn grew head
high, on the other side wheat stood nearly as tall.

Up
ahead
men worked on machinery in the mud of a fallow field.
Naomi stopped and stared. “Titan soldiers obeying the commands of a pregnant
norm and working as farmers in the mud.” Her expression turned angry. “Is all
of our history a lie?”

Justin shrugged. “I
don’t know that I can answer that,
yet
, but I’m convinced the truth is
more complex than the stories we’ve been taught. This fleet easily could have destroyed
the Acheron and the imperial recon vessel, but they didn’t. Why would rogue
killers show restraint?”

Naomi appeared deep
in thought as she shook her head.

“The only conclusion
that makes sense is that the Titans aren’t crazed killers.”

She nodded. “They
are more normal than I expected…more normal than the
Nephilim
and far less creepy.” Her expression changed from thoughtful to serious. “We
need answers. Do you believe
Becca
will tell us the
truth?”

“As
she knows it, yes.”

“Then tonight should
be most revealing.”

He smiled. “Until
then let’s try and enjoy the day.”

They continued past
orchards and fields.  Hand-in-hand they turned onto one intersecting path
and then another.  Only occasionally did they meet a worker operating some
sort of farm equipment.  Justin felt refreshed to be outside and in the
country, even if it wasn’t actually outside.  As they walked they
discussed the unlikely events that had brought them to this place and talked of
nothing as they strolled casually to nowhere.

After turning down
another path, Naomi said, “Let’s head back to the rail station and go somewhere
else.”

Justin didn’t
recognize any of the fields or building that
were
now
in view, but he didn’t want to admit it to her.  “I think the station is
this way.”

Naomi gave him a
skeptical look.

After walking half a
kilometer, they came to a road.  Justin stopped on the edge and tried to
get his bearings.  A line of twenty people, adults, teens and a few
younger children, approached in single file.  Each wore a white robe.

Where have I seen
robes like that?
Finally, he recalled that monks in ancient times had worn similar outfits.

“Why are they
dressed so funny?” Naomi whispered.

Justin explained
what he knew and together they watched the strange parade. Suddenly he squeezed
Naomi’s hand. “That’s him—Mr. Blue, from the interrogation I told you about
that first day here. Let’s follow him.”

“Sure,” Naomi
smiled. “He probably knows where he is going.”

Justin ignored her
and fell in behind as the last monk passed by.

After about an hour
of moving slowly and silently, they reached the edge of a community. Mothers
pulled children out of the way, others stepped aside, trolleys and equipment
stopped so the monks could
proceed
straight down the
street.

Near the center of
the community, they came to a one-story circular building with no
windows.  As they approached, a young boy and girl held two large doors
open and the line of monks moved silently in.

Justin pointed above
the doors. “The same fish like symbol that is on your medallion.”

Naomi clutched her
breast and nodded.

The two children
followed into the building and the doors closed behind them.

Justin stepped
forward.

“You are not going
in. Are you?”

“Sure, why not?”

Words stumbled from
her. “It is not a public building.”

“It doesn’t say
private.” He marched forward.

“They will probably
kill us both.”

“You don’t believe
that,” Justin said over his shoulder.

Gently pulling heavy
doors, Justin peeked within. The hallway followed the curve of the building disappearing
in both directions. As they stepped inside, a long stand stood immediately in
front, holding an open book.  He examined it.

“The
Prophecies of Justin.”
He pulled a copy from his pocket. “It’s some sort of
holy book to the Titans.”

Naomi sneered.

Looking for where
the monks might have gone, Justin stepped to the right. Instantly, six young
men blocked his way.

He stepped back.
Where
did they come from?

Naomi stepped close
to him, fists at the ready.

The men, each in
gis
with black belts, stood in a
semi-circle about them. Justin wondered if they had somehow blinded him for a
moment. They stood like statues, providing only one option, to retreat through
the doors they had entered.

“Welcome to our
school.” Mr. Green walked up clad in a white robe.  Pulling the hood from
his head, he looked at them,
then
hinted a smile. “We
don’t normally do tours.”

Naomi, tense like a
lioness ready to pounce, said, “Sorry. We will leave.”

“That will not be
necessary, if you have come to learn.” He casually flipped the pages of the
book. “Have you read it?”

“No,” Justin
replied.  “I’d like to, but I’ve been busy.”

Green shook his head
in obvious disappointment. Flipping to the back he said, “The last page is
particularly instructive.” He walked away.  As he was about to disappear
around the bend of the hall he said, “If you are interested in truth, come with
me.”

The
gi
-clad silent sentinels stepped aside allowing Justin to
follow and, with a shake of her head, Naomi did
trailed
behind.  Together they passed classrooms and labs filled with
students.  Moments later, they came to a young woman holding open an
elevator door.

 Once inside
Green said, “I don’t believe we have been properly introduced. I am General
Olham
.”

“No,” Justin
replied.  “I’ve always just thought of you as Mr. Green.”

Olham
laughed. “And did
you call your other interrogator, Mr. Blue?”

Justin nodded. “And
I suspect you know our names.” 

“Yes, I do,” he said
with a big smile.
“Observation balcony.”
    

“What do you do
here?” Justin asked as the elevator dropped beneath his feet. 
Worse
than an FTL jump.   

“As I said, this is
a school. We teach psychic skills here.  I am Dean of the Adepts.”

“Adepts?”

“You call them
shadow warriors…”

Justin struggled to
hide the fear that spiked within him.

“…but that is only
part of what we teach.  Like any human ability, Titan psychic powers exist
in a range.  Most people are average, some are above and a few are truly
adept. Student that earn the white robe are called Adepts. Think of what I do
as advanced level training for the gifted.  Some of those talented people
become shadow warriors.”

The elevator slowed
and then stopped. Stepping from it, they entered a tiny room.
Olham
opened one of two doors and walked onto a balcony.

With Naomi close
behind, Justin followed. He looked down a deep shaft.  At the bottom was a
circle of white-robed monks.

“What is this place
and what are they doing?”

“Originally this
facility was part of a science academy.  The designers planned the shaft
and the observation bubble at the bottom, as a means to access experiments
outside the protective hull of the ship.”

Looking down the
shaft Naomi asked, “Outside the hull? Unshielded?”

“The room is still
protected from solar radiation, but for a telepath it is the quietest place on
the ship. Your other interrogator that day, Major
Rasnic
,
is one of our finest instructors. He’s down there now with some of our best
students searching for the two intruder ships.”

“They’re still out
there?”

Olham
turned to Justin and
with sadness in his voice said, “They’re out there, afraid and desperately
trying to contact help.”

“Do you feel sorry
for them?” Naomi asked.

“No.” He shook his
head. “Being an
empath
is one of the talents of a
true Adept.  The two ships are hiding out there, at the edge of the solar
system, but I can still feel their fear.”

Naomi’s eyes
widened.
“At that distance?”

“Yes. As they
approached I established a link with them and have kept it active since,
reading their thoughts when they were closer, now just their emotions.”

Justin looked down
at the Adepts and shook his head.  “I wouldn’t want such ability. It would
be a burden.”

“Talent often comes
with burdens, but Adepts often achieve one great benefit.”

“Oh?” Justin looked
at the older man.

“Once in a while
when we meditate or pray, we sense the presence of God and for those moments we
are willing to endure the fear, pain, and suffering, we often feel from those
around us.”
Olham
looked at both of them and
grinned.  “I don’t need to be an Adept to see your disbelief. If you are
willing to train with us you might glimpse what I mean.”

“No thank you.”
Naomi quickly interjected. “I have already experienced too much religious
silliness while in the empire.” She backed away. “I am leaving.”

“I’ll be with you in
a moment.” Justin watched her leave and then turned to
Olham
.
“I should go with her, but I want to know the truth. When could I come back and
start training?”

“Tomorrow
at dawn.”

“Dawn?” He took a
deep breath. “Okay.”

Minutes later, back
at the entrance, he walked up to the book. Still open to the end page he read
the last line.

Titan history begins
when we meet at Lepanto. Come quickly. Amen.

He shook his head
and walked away.

*              
*              
*

Justin caught up
with Naomi at the rail station. They rode back together, but mainly in silence.
He decided not to tell her about his plan to return to the school.

Arriving at
Becca’s
quarters, they were greeted by Mara, standing at
the door. “Hi. 
Becca
and Jon are in the kitchen.”
She walked a few steps and sat down.

Justin turned to
Mara about to say how well she looked when
Becca
appeared in a doorway.

“Welcome, both of
you. We’ll be out in a moment.”   Seconds later,
Becca
and Jon brought several bowls of food, a large loaf of bread and pitcher of
water to the dining room.  After introductions, they all sat around the
table dishing up food and talking.  Jon, like every Titan Justin had seen,
was tall,
trim
and well proportioned. His
close-cropped hazel hair had a slight wave to it.  Jon, a full head higher
than
Becca
, moved to the table with others. 
Taking the seat beside his wife, he passed one food bowl to his wife and
another to Mara.

Waiting for one of
the bowls to get to him Justin turned to Jon. “I know that
Becca
is a doctor and a good one judging from the progress Mara has made, but what do
you do?”