Ancient Hunter

We arrived on the dais in a flash of light. I blinked the glare out of my eyes and I heard gasps of amazement around me. The others looking around and pointing excitedly. Joyce interrupted their chatter.

“This way please,” she announced.

I followed my mouth a tight line, barely suppressed anger burning in my chest. They had no right to be here. This was a sacred sight for the Keepers. I felt as if I was violating their trust. Somewhere in my heart I knew they would not have minded. Some jabbed me in the back. I whirled around to face my attacker my fists clenched ready to strike out. Kelli waved her gauntlet at me.

“Your stress levels are spiking, take a deep breath and calm down.”

“I just feel so angry.” I found it difficult to put into words what I was really feeling.

“Don’t be,” Xenai said to me. “Joyce had to show this place and the Stepping Stones too many already know about it.”

I hated it but Xenai was right I was just being irrational.

Xenai continued. “They also know you can use it. She’s trying as much as she can to keep the rest a secret. She has been forced to take this action to protect you.”

The logical part of my mind agreed. I had brought her and her team and those from the Axon through here. Then Joyce had a team clear up the remains.

“Sorry,” I apologised. “I was overreacting.”

“Just remember Joyce is protecting your secrets so don’t go so hard on her.”

Xenai was driving home her point. I was being stupid and acting too much like a Valkyrie. I’d have to reign it in.

“Sorry,” I repeated.

“Forgiven,” Xenai said.

We headed out through the passage following Joyce’s group. We exited under the waterfall Joyce was talking about the pool. I noted she never mentioned the gateway opposite the waterfall. I felt grateful she was. Joyce finished her talk frankly I was glad I’d left to her despite my earlier worries. Xenai was right as usual I was panicking over nothing. We went back into the passage and right up to the dais.

“Gwen will you do the honours?” Joyce asked me.

I stood in the centre and raised my hand a panel appeared under it and pressed down. There was a flash of light and we were back in the town.

I waited for my eyes to adjust to the harsh sunlight. The trip back to the Admin Building was quick and once inside coffee and aravi rolls were handed out. I felt a little annoyed when the Confeds surrounded me.

“How are you able to do that?” Unagi asked me.

“I don’t know.” Which was the truth I wasn’t certain if it was my Keeper blood or the nanobots. “It just happens,” I added lamely.

“Fascinating,” Rita enthused.

I didn’t feel so.

“I wonder how many more of these Stepping Stones are out there?” Prince Bertand mused out loud.

I really didn’t want to find out.

“Looks like we’ll have to get our boffins to find out,” Rita said.

I gave Joyce a confused look she just shrugged. “Later,” she mouthed then louder. “If we are finished, so can all be seated then we can continue?”

When everyone was seated Joyce spoke her face serious. “This doesn’t go beyond this room about the Stepping Stones.” She looked directly at Rita when she said that. “We only have one person that can operate the stones and she is too valuable to waste on chasing maybes.”

I agreed with that I still had to find my Keepers and I was no nearer to that.

“All this doesn’t solve the reason for the attacks. The fact that this Stepping Stone is here may or may not be the cause. I feel that we are missing vital information?” Colonel Myers said.

“Yes,” Joyce answered.

“Pity we don’t have those crystals. I think it was why the Axon was targeted because it had one,” Kyrikia said.

What she was saying was calling to me and I couldn’t think what it was.

“Why attack here?” Unagi said. “The Orsini like to attack populated areas. No, they had a purpose here?”

“Whatever these creatures are they aren’t Orsini. They may have looked like them from the outside but these were constructs?” Kyrikia looked at Xenai. “Captain is it possible this is something to do with the Rhosani? We do know there are some of them there in the Commonwealth?”

Xenai looked thoughtful. “That is possible. We’ve encounter those they took over, but those bodies turned to dust and were not goo.”

I knew full well about that. I had encountered one on Davenport part of the poisoned beer conspiracy. It was more that possible.

Joyce sighed. “If only we got to examine one of those crystals thoroughly?”

Suddenly the pieces fell into place. I had the solution all this time. With what had happened I’d totally forgotten about the crystal I had.

“Excuse me I’ve just remembered something.”

I hurried back to my room and upended my pack on my bed. I searched through my clothes concern rising. Perhaps the crystal had been taken as well? Pulled my pile of things to the side I searched through the pockets in my pack. It was in the last pocket. “Always in the last place you look!” I grouched. With the crystal pinched between in thumb and finger I rushed back to the main hall.

“I just remembered I had one I picked up when I first came here,” I announced.

With a coldness I realised I was at the centre of a widening circle. “It’s a dud!” I said to them.

“Gwen it isn’t!” A visibly shaken and white-faced Kelli said. She was waving her gauntlet in my direction.

There were a lot of red symbols on the holo above it.

“Put that in this,” Joyce said in a calm voice but her face was saying something different. She dropped a plastic container on the table in front of me.

I did as was told the slow realisation washing over me. I’d done something incredibly stupid. Probably the worst thing I’d ever done.

“Now wash those hands,” Joyce said. She paused. “Scratch that, strip off!”

“Strip off?” I as appalled.

“Do it in the shower room we’ll find you something.”

Reluctantly I hurried into the shower room and stripped off. I scrubbed my hands and until they were red raw then took a shower. I felt sick with worry I should have learned my lesson with the crystal in the passage. The door to the shower room opened a package and a plastic box were thrown in.

“Wear the clothing and place your clothes in the box,” Joyce instructed. “And don’t forget your boots.”

I felt a blush spread through my body as I dressed in a white paper suit and booties. This was so humiliating. Stepping out of the shower room I noticed there were fewer people about. Joyce was there along with Kelli, Frialmold and Rodrifa.

“I really screwed up this time didn’t I?”

“That you did,” Joyce stated.

I winced at that.

“Oh Gwen what am I going to do with you?” Joyce said looking directly at me.

“I can say anymore how sorry I am?”

“That was dangerous,” Kelli said.

“I know but that crystal was a dud?”

“To anyone that doesn’t have T’Arni DNA. Which is one of the ones you don’t carry.”

I stared at her. “What do you mean?”

“The toxin is dangerous to T’Arni. Any T’Arni that comes in contact with the toxin has a high possibility of death.”

“What was that doing in a Valkyrie colony?”

“That is a question for another day,” Joyce interrupted. “You see how dangerous it is.”

I felt heartsick I’d put Xenai, Kelli and to a lesser extent Jervic in danger.” Unbidden my eyes watered and a tear trickled down my cheek. “Sorry, I stammered I wasn’t acting like I should have. Something was definitely wrong with me and I couldn’t understand why?

“Kelli is Gwen clean now?” Joyce asked Kelli.

“Yes Professor Neilson.”

“Gwen’s gear?”

“Some of it is contaminated.”

I sensed Kelli wasn’t giving me the full story. I began to think it was something they had agreed on while I was showering.

“It will have to be sanitised,” Kelli said.

“We don’t have the facilities here?” Joyce said thoughtfully, too thoughtfully.

“We do have on the Valorous Star.”

“I’ll take it as a favour if you could.” Joyce looked at me.

“Of course Professor.”

“Call me Joyce.” I was sure she winked at Kelli.

“Joyce then.”

“Gwen, you will have to go into quarantine. Captain Xenai has offered you a place on her ship.”

It was a set up we all knew it. “I’m a Landottir,” I protested. “This is my Clan’s land.”

“And it will still be,” Joyce told me. “This only temporary.”

“Do I have a choice?” I bemoaned my fate.

“Not this time,” Joyce answered.

I guess I had no say my only stumbling block would be Jennifer, The First One would coming looking for me and we were no nearer the truth.