Titan Encounter (5 page)

I am a killer.
“Killing
someone…isn’t that what I was doing?”
Justin rubbed his throbbing head.

“Remember all those
history books you made me read while we were growing up?”

Justin grinned. “I
read them, too.”

“Well, according to
those books, the
Nephilim
led the humans to victory
over the Titans during The
Titanomachy
War.” She
waved her hand dismissively. “The Titans were all killed.”

He looked about
searching for something. “So, what am I? What other choices are there?”

“I don’t know, but
right now we have a bigger problem.”

He frowned, “What?”

She looked around a
bay strewn with bodies and blood. “
Ferren
will report
this to the authorities.”

He nodded.  “
Ferren’s
alive and no one will care that these thugs were
killed.”

“But they will care about
what you did, that mental power you apparently have, and since I’m pretty sure
you’re not
Nephilim
, they’ll burn you at the stake in
front of the Hall of Justice as a Titan.”

There hadn’t been
such an execution in Justin’s lifetime, but he had seen the historical vids
from centuries past and the laws were still on the books.  He came up on
one knee.  Mara helped him to his feet.

Reluctantly the
realization formed. Moments ago, using some sort of psychic ability, he had
held
Ferren
in the air and just yesterday he had
known that
Ferren
stood outside his office. Later, he
had known the young woman in the hall was pregnant, and that night he knew
Naomi lied during the dinner.

Justin feared what
the authorities might find if they performed a detailed analysis of his DNA. He
didn’t believe the stories from the Empire about the
Nephilim
,
god-like spirit warriors guiding and assisting mortals, and didn’t for a moment
believe he could be one.  That left one option. The Titan soldiers had
used their psychic abilities to slaughter millions but, unlike the
Nephilim
, the Titans claimed to be human.
My parents may
have been Titans.

“I’m not channeling
some ancient warrior god.” He shuddered and turned toward Mara. “I’ve got to
hide…” He froze for a moment then added softly, “Somewhere.” He stepped
forward, gave her a hug,
then
kissed her forehead.
“Goodbye.”

“Oh,
no.”
She shook her head and stepped back, but held his hands tight “We may not be
brother and sister, but…well…my earliest memory is in that escape pod with you
and seeing your mother….” Her voice trailed off, her eyes fell to the floor.
“I’ve always felt that wherever we were from, our families had been close.” She
paused and when she spoke again her voice was a whisper. “You’ve cared for me
and,” she looked up, tears welling in her eyes, “I’ve always cared for you.”
Jaw set and eyes intense she declared, “Where you go, I go.”

“In minutes I’m
going to be a wanted man.” He was closer to tears than he wanted her to know.
“I don’t know where I’m going. I….”

“I’m going with
you.”

He knew it wasn’t
smart for her to come. He knew he should forbid it. But she had always been
there, his sister in every way but blood. He could not imagine living without
her. At some level it shamed him, but if life was going to get tough, he wanted
her by his side. He squeezed her hand.  “Okay.” Turning he looked at the
ship in the bay.  “This is just a
sublight
hopper. What’s the fastest FTL ship we have?”

“Galt’s
yacht, the Surfeit, in bay Three.
We just finished the refit.”

The ship
specifications ran through his mind: medium range FTL drive; back up fission
reactor; small auxiliary skiff. “Great. Get everything you’ll need and meet me
there in five minutes.”

Minutes later Justin
came down the passageway toward the yacht with two duffle bags full of
clothing, food, guns, and ammo. Under one arm he carried sketch books. Too
weary to lift the bags he dragged them.

Naomi stepped from a
side passage three meters ahead with a gun pointed at his chest. “Only a
Nephilim
or Titan could do what you did. Which are you?”

Fear and
determination flowed from her like waves into Justin’s consciousness. He looked
her in the eye. “I’m not
Nephilim
.”

The gun remained
pointed at his chest. “I believe you. I’ve never seen a
Nephilim
show mercy or kindness, but,” she pressed the targeting button and a red dot
appeared on Justin’s chest, “neither did the Titans.”

“All the Titans were
killed,” he said.

“How can you be
certain?”

Frustration brewed
within him. “Look, I don’t have time for a debate right now.”

She ignored him.
“The
Nephilim
still fear the Titans.”

Justin sensed that
she was telling the truth and wondered how she would know what the
Nephilim
feared. He tugged the bags. “I really need to be
leaving.”

Her aim remained
fixed on his chest.

Tentatively he
stepped forward. “I don’t know what I am.”

She bit her lip and
seemed to mull his answer. “Are you some new kind of messenger or prophet?”

“Okay.
Great.
I’m some kind of
new
Nephilim
.
A prophet.
Lower the gun.”

“You are being sarcastic.” Naomi stared at him intently.
“If you are deity then, forgive me Lord.” She took a step forward, stared
intently at him,
then
squinted. A dagger seemed to
stab from inside his skull. The sketchpads slipped from under his arm.

Memories flew
through his mind like a torrent, but backwards from the present. Suddenly he
was strangling
Ferren
. Then he was imagining Naomi in
Mara’s blue dress mere hours before. In a flash, he was staring down at Naomi
as she lay unconscious with her hair flowing over the side of the cot that
first day. The desires of that moment stirred again. Then he was bargaining
with
Ferren
, and Naomi was part of the price. 
Those events faded as earlier events flowed to life.  He was negotiating
to free a family, even earlier giving the father a job.  Next, he was
freeing the man moments after he had been given in payment. In flashes he saw
himself doing the mundane tasks of life, but also giving money and assistance
to others. But he also saw Garrett, who had treated him like a son. The man he
had murdered.

Days of floating in
an escape pod with Mara flowed backward through his mind until the moment of
his mother’s death rushed into his consciousness. He saw her as if for the
first time dying on the wrong side of the portal. Mara cried beside him. He
shook his head violently. “No!”
The sketchpads hit the ground. Pages
floated in the air and spilled across the deck.

The gun flew from
Naomi’s hand and crumpled like a toy in midair. She stumbled backward, barely
maintaining her footing.

“I’ve got to go.
Out of my way.”
He flung his hand to the side as if to sweep her away.

Naomi flew against the wall.

He felt her struggle. Somehow his mind held her to the
bulkhead.

They glanced at the crushed weapon at her feet.
Frantically she resisted his mental grasp.

Weariness gave way
to exhaustion.
“Stop.
Stop. Whatever I am, I won’t
hurt you.” His tired arm collapsed to his side.

She collapsed to her
knees. “You are a Titan?” It was both a statement and a question.

No.
Don’t think so,
but how then did I disarm you, hold you against the bulkhead and nearly
strangle
Ferren
?
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
He stared at Naomi’s pleading eyes. He sat on one duffle bag with his head
in hands.
What am I?

“It is indeed confusing.  You have powers only the
Nephilim
or Titans possess…

Did I ask that out loud?

“…but you show mercy and kindness.”

Mercy?
Kindness?

“You set me free and have treated me with kindness. I
had a gun pointed at you, but you did not kill me when you could have.”

A myriad of thoughts bubbled in the back of his mind.
Am
I crazy? How many god-like beings does Naomi know, or think she knows? Is she
crazy?
But one idea pushed to the front of his mind.
Can she hear my
thoughts?

Yes, if you wish it.

No!
He shook his head, then grabbed it with both hand.
No!

He felt her mind shut to him like a door slamming
closed.

I’m crazy.
Justin stood.
I’m hearing voices.
“I need to get to the cargo bay.” The duffle bags hardly moved under the pull
of his tired arms.

Standing, she said, “I must flee this place also. Please
allow me to accompany you.”

“Why would you want
to come with us?”

Frantic words poured
forth. “I am sure
Ferren
will attempt to kidnap me
again. It is best that I leave before his next attempt.” She looked about. “If
you and Mara are gone, there is no one to hold me to this place. You and Mara
are the only friends I have.”

It was
true,
there was nothing for her here. She would surely be
snatched and sold to
Ferren’s
mystery buyer. Even
without that threat, her youth, beauty, and innocence would lead to her quick
victimization. He looked into her eyes and knew that he did not want to leave
her behind. “Perhaps we can find a safe place for you. Come on,” he said and
moved slowly forward with bags in tow.

She nodded as he
passed. “Do you need help with that?”

Exhausted from the
fights, Justin offered her the lighter of the two bags.

He dragged his bag
into the bay.  Mara had arrived first and, still in her torn and blood
stained dress, wrestled with docking cables.

Pulling hard on a
cable tie down, she turned and smiled, “You found Naomi!” Looking at the other
woman she asked, “Have you decided he’s not a demigod?”

“No.”

Justin frowned at
Naomi then shrugged as he turned back to Mara.

She yanked the cable
with renewed vigor and it fell to the ground.

“What is that?”
Naomi tilted her head up with her eyes half closed.

Justin and Mara
stopped.  Only the sound of the air handler was audible at first. Then
came the distant wail of an alarm and muffled shouts.

“Naomi, get those
bags on the Ship. Mara, spin up the engines. We’ve got to leave.”

“Where are we
going?”

I have no
idea.  

Justin grabbed a
long-handled wrench and ran back down the passageway where he had met Naomi
moments before. At the far end he slammed the hatch closed, locked it, and then
jammed the door with the tool. It wouldn’t stop whoever was coming, but it
would slow them down. 

He dashed back up a
flight of stairs, and into the control room. Quickly he surveyed the bays
below. Police were already in the first one looking at the bodies. Glancing to
his right he noted the glow from the ship engines in bay three. Mara would soon
be ready to launch. His fingers flashed over the controls as he entered the
code to open the external doors. 

Alarms
sounded. 

Red lights
flashed. 

The police looked up
and fired at Justin.

Glass shattered.

He dropped to his
knees.

A computer voice
advised, “Warning! The external doors of bay three will open in 30 seconds.”
Pumps sucked air from the dock.

Still crouching, a
thought came to him and he entered the codes to open the other external doors.
He smiled.
That’ll keep them busy for a while.

Red lights flashed
as the computer repeated the warning for the other docking bays, Justin ran
from the room.  Grabbing the railings at the top of the stairs, he flew
down them hardly touching a step.  The entrance to bay three had
automatically sealed, but he entered via the airlock.  As he dashed across
the hold he gasped for air and his ears popped painfully. Running up the ramp,
he stumbled,
then
lunged into the open airlock of the
ship.   

*              
*              
*

Justin’s head
throbbed with each beat of his heart.  He pushed the nightmare of red
lights and suffocation from his mind and forced open his eyes only to wince in
pain as subdued light hit his pupils.  It was several minutes before he
tried again to gradually open them.  Even the dim light was painful, and
he had trouble focusing the image. He lay on a bed in an unfamiliar
compartment.  The walls were an ivory white, the furnishings simple but
stylish.  The blanket over him was woven in shades of blue.  He
sighed.
I’m not in jail.
He tried to stand, but nausea swept over him
and he collapsed back on the bed. 
I’ll stay here for
awhile
.