Voices from a Lost Time - Chapter 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate: SG-1, Atlantis or Universe, I am only playing in the world.
Previously: Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7
Voices from a Lost Time - Chapter 8
Herian's moon, P6C-211, October 2008
"Colonel, are you sure you want to go in there alone?" asked Colonel Al Reynolds of SG-3 who would be in charge of all the SG teams on this side of the enclosure while Colonel David Dixon of SG-2 was in charge of the contingent at the gate house they'd found at the opposite end. Reynolds was a good man. They'd been friends for years now, but she wasn't sure she could make him understand her need to do this.
"Yes, Colonel. I stand the best chance of getting to the device and deactivating it." she replied. It wasn't strictly a lie either. She was certainly more likely than Daniel to actually get to the device, and although her ability to deactivate it without taking out the crystals was questionable, at least she hadn't shot at the inner workings of one with a Beretta to deactivate it. She couldn't help a quick glance at the archaeologist who was still looking at her in concern.
"Very well, Colonel Carter, good luck and godspeed, we'll have your back as soon as you get the field down." He gave her a quick salute which she returned. Then gave his radio a double tap to indicate to her they would be in stealth comms mode when the field came down. She sighed and turned to her teammates, current and former, she also included Kianna in that, now that she and Jonas were practically inseparable since they'd worked with her to save Kelowna all those years ago. Vala bounded over first and hugged her fiercely.
"We'll be waiting, Samantha. Be safe!" she whispered and Sam smiled, embracing her friend gratefully. Teal'c bowed to her, he hadn't been happy when she mentioned her plan, but had accepted he wasn't as good a choice as she was for the mission. Daniel nodded, never letting his blue eyes leave her face. Jonas and Kianna both came and held her hands in theirs, wishing her luck. She nodded to them all again and sighed deeply. She lifted her arm with the device strapped to it and pressed the crystal after a moment, the world faded into a slightly red tinge, her teammates definitely could still see her outline as their eyes followed her all the way to the archway.
She held out her hand and could feel the field, it wasn't springy now, it was soft, molten. She pushed against it and felt her hand forcing itself in, she stepped forward and pressed harder against the field with both hands until her whole body was pressing against it, she forced her head into it and after that each step took considerably more strength than the last, she found she couldn't breathe, but suppressed the momentary flash of panic at the realisation, she just had to get through the barrier. She forced her arms forward and clenched her fingers as if she could pull herself through the field. Another step followed by another, her lungs were burning by the time she couldn't feel any forward progress in her movement, she tried screaming, but didn't know if anything came out, the only thing she could hear was the rush of blood in her ears. She forced her head down and pushed with her neck until she found herself on the ground, her face pressed into the dirt of the path, she turned over onto her back and saw she was in the tunnel, inside the field. She laughed nervously and lay there for a moment just getting her breath back before she deactivated the cloaking device and felt a sudden rushing spasm through her body as the time dilation field took her in its grip.
She quickly climbed up to one knee and readied her P90. The effort to push through the field may have been a bridge too far, she hadn't slept for over twenty-eight hours, she was running on caffeine and adrenalin. At least she was experiencing time at the same rate as Cam now. She forced herself to stand and move through the tunnel to the other side of the building, glancing out to see if anyone was guarding it. There was no one, obviously they considered themselves completely safe within the barrier. She quickly stepped out and into the forest off the path, moving swiftly through the trees to the edge of the grasslands. She stopped at the last line of trees and took her binoculars out of her tac vest's pocket, scanning the terrain for a possible route towards the pyramid which would keep her out of sight. The tall grass would sway, and there was very little moving air inside the field so it couldn't be disguised as the wind. She needed to follow a line of rocks if possible. She began moving around the treeline trying to find something that would give her cover.
About a quarter of the way around she found what she needed, a low ridgeline with several protective outcroppings of rock running along its length. Wherever she couldn't find cover in the ridge she'd find it behind the rocks. She crouched down in the treeline and quickly forced herself to eat an energy bar before setting off. She needed to stay alert. Twenty minutes later she was approaching the flat spread of land around the pyramid itself. She'd seen no-one in her dash so far. She looked around the perimeter through her binoculars and still found nobody. She sighed in confusion. Were they all inside? She'd be in trouble if they were. She decided to go for it. Running out and dashing for the pyramid under the massive Ha'tak.
She quickly moved around the grey stone walls of the landing site and found a low shaft which angled upwards through the wall of the pyramid. She wracked her brain for everything Daniel had ever told her about the structures. She knew that shafts often led inside to provide air and light. This could well be her way in. She pushed her P90 to the side and hunkered down into the shaft. It was built at a shallow angle, enough for her boots to get a grip against the rough stone and let her scrabble up with the help of her hands. It was tough going, at least two hundred meters hunched over as the shaft corkscrewed up the face of the pyramid, the last fifty meters she made on her hands and knees as her lungs shuddered with each breath. When she got to the end of the shaft she found herself in a windowed gallery above the main chamber at the heart of the pyramid. She looked to either side and collapsed on the floor for several minutes when she found no-one in sight. After a while she forced herself up again and looked through the window into the main chamber. She could see nothing through the gloom except that the ruins in the center seemed to be lit up. She looked through her binoculars, but could see nobody amid the fallen stone columns and ruined walls. She sighed and began moving again, she needed to get down there.
Moving down the gallery she saw a torchlit hallway leading into the pyramid's structure and followed it cautiously, her P90 raised before her. It led to several chambers which she could see were used as store rooms, filled with barrels and crates which she ignored. She was looking for something else, something had to get all that stuff in here and she looked around until she found it, a ring platform, she hoped she could use it to send her down to the base of the pyramid. She started keying in a sequence and stepped onto the pad and cursed when the rings disappeared back into their recesses in the floor, she was definitely on the Ha'tak. She moved to the control panel and tried to identify the sequence which would send her to the base of the pyramid, except she saw the indicators flash up to show that it was being activated. She quickly ran for the door and into the corridor, hiding in one of the alcoves near the ring room.
The sound of the ring activation kept her hidden until she could hear the shuffling of soft soled boots. Not the typical garb of Jaffa. She took a mirror from a pocket of her tac vest and angled it to get a look at the door. She was stunned by what she saw. Several men, and they were human, not Jaffa, wearing leathers and furs, carrying mêlée weapons and ancient looking missile weapons attached to their backs. They were laughing and taunting someone in their midst and when they separated enough for her to see who it was she couldn't believe her eyes. Two of their number were holding another man up by the arms. His upper body covered by a grimy shirt which was slit open in several places revealing long cuts and gouges which bled into the cloth, the rest of him was slick with sweat and grime and mud, which made his clothes completely unrecognisable. His shaggy haired head hung loosely against his chest so she couldn't see his face. When the men began moving to the door one of their number stopped his companions and pulled the man's head up by his hair and lifted a skein of brown liquid to splash over his lips and bearded cheeks and chin, laughing at him as he flinched away when the liquid touched the cuts and grazes all over his face. They dragged him on through the corridors and away from her position. She cursed. It was Cam, however much she didn't want to believe it. She couldn't go back for the device. They might kill him. Just how long had he been in here? He had a full beard, it was thick and tangled, his hair was longer and mussed against his head. Her eyes welled up with tears as she realised it must have been months at least.
She forced it down, took her P90 in hand and proceeded after them down the corridor as quietly as possible. She glanced around the corner as she saw them enter a room which the typical schematics for a Ha'tak indicated was some kind of large open chamber, typically it was where the Jaffa soldiers ate their meals. It had multiple entrances too, she turned back and headed for another one of them, quickly arriving at her destination to the sounds of raucous laughter and singing. She already knew these guys weren't Jaffa so who were they? Then she froze, her eyes widening. There was a Goa'uld in that chamber. A Goa'uld raucously partying with a group of humans... leathers and furs... Herian. He was still alive. She cursed silently and tried to get a look inside the room. Thick cloths, banners and furs hung from the ceiling and the walls, thick rugs lined the floors throughout the space, she slipped in behind a wall hanging which separated two parts of the room and hunkered down to look through a gap. She saw two men throwing Cam down onto the ground and a large man bedecked in thick furs stood from his seat, next to which sat a large helm with huge antlers rising and sweeping back from the temples. Herian. He walked over to Cam as he tried to force himself up. Cam was such a stupidly determined fighter. He never knew when to just stop and conserve his strength.
"And how did Colonel Mitchell perform today, Lamaru?" asked the Goa'uld in his booming voice, it was touched with amusement. The man who had poured the brown liquid into Cam's mouth earlier stepped forward grinning.
"He did magnificently, my Lord Herian. We pursued him for eighteen hours through the rocky crags to the west." The others in the room cheered raucously and Herian nodded with a grin. "He even bested Yirwen and took his spear!" He aimed a kick at a hapless hunter beside him and everyone laughed. Herian didn't seem upset by this, in fact he grinned more broadly. Lamaru then pulled at the furs covering his shoulder and showed a bloody red line running down his arm. "He even managed to wound me!" He laughed. Herian stood over him and poked the jagged cut with a finger and laughed at the wince it elicited in his lieutenant as did everyone else. Lamaru then raised a hand and looked all around the room at each of them. "Then he killed Dera and Lojni, it was an incredible fight, my Lord, he ambushed us, caught us in our own trap." Herian nodded in understanding with an appraising look to Cam. He walked over to stand in front of him and motioned for the two men to pick him up again.
"I must congratulate you once more, Colonel Mitchell. You are easily the best sport we have enjoyed in long decades! None have managed to best more than one of my men, let alone eight as you have." He stood straight and put a hand over his chest. "To be sent on to the Next Land in such a manner is a glorious end! I thank you on behalf of Dera and Lojni. THEY HUNT BEYOND!" he cried at the end and all the men cheered and began chanting the same until Herian waved them down to quiet. "So how will I reward you for such a splendid effort today?" He pulled a long blade from a sheathe at his hip, it didn't look like much, but Sam could see the light glinting off the edge. It looked incredibly sharp. "Somewhere not so painful today I think, we want you to try just as hard next time, is that not so?" The men cried out and stamped their feet, howling. Sam grimaced. Cam got his feet under him and shook his shoulders against his captors and Herian motioned them off. They did so, allowing Cam to stand on his own, but still holding on to his forearms. "You have something to say, Colonel Mitchell?" He stood up tall and spun slowly on the spot, holding his arms out wide and motioning the men to silence. As he did this, Sam saw Cam's eyes flick to look exactly at where she was hiding and she gasped. Did he know? How could he know? She raised her P90. "What is it that you want to say, Colonel?" asked Herian, leaning in closer towards Cam.
"I'm going to kill you in the next sixty seconds." Cam said weakly. Sam opened fire, hitting Herian in the chest and shoulder then switching targets to the men who had already released Cam in surprise as he lunged forward and grabbed the hand Herian used to hold his sword, swivelling and slashing it across the throats of two men behind the Goa'uld. After shooting the two guards Sam ran forward, further into the space, sweeping her fire to take down several of the men on the opposite side of the room, and got herself behind the cover of a column so she could reload. She looked to Cam and her eyes widened in alarm when she noticed Herian was still alive, fighting against Cam's hold on his arm, but she could do nothing with them in such close quarters. Instead she concentrated on the other hunters, slapping her new magazine into place as they came charging at her with their mêlée weapons. Idiots. She shot them as they came, using the tables and columns in the room as obstacles. The eight or so hunters were soon reduced to just Lamaru who actually used his brain and threw his spear in her direction, despite his injured arm. She had to roll out of the way and when she got her feet under herself again she found Lamaru almost on top of her. She dropped her shoulder and rolled against his charge, flipping him over her hip to land on a table which collapsed under him, she pulled her knife from the back of her tac vest and threw it to find its mark in Lamaru's exposed throat as he got to his knees.
When she turned back to Cam and Herian she found Cam standing behind the Goa'uld whose chin and neck were covered in the blood he'd coughed up after she'd shot him. Cam had a knee against Herian's leg forcing him down, and held his wrist in a lock which kept the blade an inch under Herian's throat. Cam was leaning over him and pushing down. Sam pulled up her P90 and switched it to single fire mode. Chest was out, head was out, Cam was too close, she shifted her aim to the foot on the opposite side of Cam which the Goa'uld was using to hold up his weight, she glanced up at Cam to find him looking at her, he nodded and looked back down at Herian, pushing harder.
"There can be only one, you son of a bitch." he roared. Sam took aim and fired, destroying the Goa'uld's ankle. He cried out in pain for an instant before it was cut off suddenly, along with his head as the blade passed easily through his neck, spilling his blood over the furred rug in front of him. Cam fell onto his hands and knees and she rushed to his side, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to keep him from falling down on the blade, pulling him away and collapsing on the floor along with him. "'Cause the sequels sucked!" he cried out in a harsh voice and began laughing hysterically. She clutched at him, pulling him to her frantically and he buried his face against her. "I knew you'd come, Sam, I knew you'd come."
Skies east of Washington D.C., August 2009 (alternate timeline)
"What city is that?" Daniel asked in horror as lances of plasma rained down from orbit to the northwest of them. Cam looked over his shoulder as he followed the line of the Potomac northwards as it divided Virginia from Maryland and ran in to the nation's capital, he turned back swiftly to look forward once more.
"Washington." he replied in a controlled voice. He clutched at the yoke and clenched his jaw, but it was no use. Looking over again involuntarily, he grimaced and blinked rapidly. His fingers flew over the switches on the control board ahead of him and he flipped off the radio links between himself and the ground and the rest of Sierra Golf flight, leaving just the link to Sam's plane. He reached up with a hand and unzipped the top of his flightsuit, reaching in and grabbing at Sam's phone which he'd pocketed earlier at the airfield. He pulled it out and flipped it open, navigating for the camera functions and cursed to find the little indicator which told him her memory card was full and he couldn't record a video. He stuffed it back in his pocket and looked back over his shoulder. Slamming a fist against the top of his flight console, then against the lip of the canopy beside him.
"Cam?" came Sam's worried voice over her radio link to their plane as Daniel leaned forward in his seat in alarm.
"Mitchell! What are you doing?" cried the archaeologist. Cam unlatched his facemask, ripping it away from over his mouth and spun his head, looking over his shoulder.
"Jackson, give me your phone." He held his hand up over his shoulder and beckoned with his fingers.
"What? What are you talking about?" Daniel clutched at the top of the console in front of him.
"Daniel! I know you have it! Everything you've done while we've been here is on that phone, so I know you have it! Give it to me!" He shook his hand viciously, flexing and closing his fingers.
"Alright, I was going to give it to you, I just want to know why." He heard rustling and zippers being opened and felt the wedge of plastic being placed in his hand and he whipped it forward, navigating through to the camera and having it flick into widescreen mode so that the screen of the phone rotated ninety degrees as he held it up, he pushed the yoke to the left and had the plane flying at a slight roll as he curved back northwards and got ready to start the video.
"Cam, what are you doing?" asked Sam again over the radio.
"I'm going to prove to the universe that sometimes arrogance is a damned virtue!" he replied and started recording.
Skies north of Kilp-Yavr, Russia, August 2009 (alternate timeline)
They flew on past the squadron of Sukhoi Su-27 Flankers from the 9th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Russian Air Force as they bravely took on the 'gliders coming in behind Sierra Golf 1 and 2. They were minutes away from Kilp-Yavr air base after their mad dash over the north Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. This was the home of the 9th IAP, and of the Alpha 'gate the Russians had raised from the wreck of the Achilles. As they came in to land they could see the towering beams of plasma descending upon Murmansk to the southeast, a sight which Sam did her best to ignore. She taxied her F-15 onto the apron and opened the canopy as ground staff came by with a ladder gantry for her to get out of the fighter. She thanked them with the 'spasibo bolshoe' Daniel had taught her, but they only nodded as they took her helmet. Then she got her boots on Russian soil again for the first time since she and the rest of SG-1 had helped Dr. Svetlana Markova investigate why they'd lost contact with their Stargate Program being run out of Kuybyshev Air Base eight years before. She was quickly met by a petite Russian Army Major who gave her a quick salute.
"Dr. Carter, I am Major-" she began, but Sam interrupted her, they didn't have time for the whole introduction merry-go-round.
"Daria Voronkova, adjutant to Colonel Chekhov. Yes, I know, believe it or not, we've met before." She smiled at the woman's wide eyes and she stepped around her heading for Cam's F-15 as he killed the engines after parking it beside hers. "Congratulations on the promotion. You were a Captain last time I saw you." She waited for the gantry to be wheeled towards Cam's plane and crossed her arms. She watched as Cam climbed out and helped Daniel out of the second seat, Sam helped get him down the gantry and he blinked as he saw the Russian officer.
"Daria, it's really good to see you again." He smiled and the Major looked between them as if they were crazy. "I still haven't developed a taste for salo by the way." He chuckled.
"We have never met I assure you, I would remember such a thing." She seemed to blush softly and Cam chuckled and stuck out his hand.
"I know we've never met, Cameron Mitchell, kinda sorta Colonel, USAF." He smiled as she shook his hand and then kinda sorta gave him a salute.
"Please come with me, I have arranged transportation for you to the site of the Anchor," she glanced at them in their thin flightsuits as they stood in the light snowfall, "and some more clothes." She turned on her heels and they looked at each other in confusion at what she'd said. Still, they followed, and Sam slipped her hand into Cam's as they walked. She wanted as much contact with him as she could get from now on. He seemed to feel the same as he squeezed her hand and brushed his thumb over the back of it.
"Oh, Jackson, here's your phone, sorry I blew up at you in the plane." He reached into his flightsuit and pulled it out, holding it out to the archaeologist. Daniel didn't take it, instead pursing his lips together and glancing at Sam. She tilted her head questioningly.
"You made her a promise, didn't you?" he asked Cam. "That you'd make sure you both get together after we reverse things, right?" His eyes glittered as he looked between them and then fixed on Cam's until he nodded in reply. "Then promise me you'll get what's on that to me through the paradox." Cam looked at Daniel for a long moment then clutched the phone in his hand and slipped it back in his flightsuit.
"Consider it done, Jackson." he promised. Daniel nodded and sped up to catch up with Major Voronkova, leaving Cam walking hand-in-hand with Sam.
Urdijina, M3R-921, September 2010
Sam stepped through the Stargate to be bathed in the faintly pink light of Urdijina's sky. The scents of the windblown grass immediately brought to mind her memories of their last visit. She closed her eyes and smiled, opening them when she felt him at her side, even before his hand found it's way to rest on her lower back. She turned her head to look in his eyes, letting herself lean back against his chest for a moment before turning to face their welcoming committee. Magistrate Urisca stepped forward with barely repressed delight at seeing them once again. Jinaiya and Ildona shared knowing glances behind him while Orbaro and Yeva conversed amicably until the rites of welcome began.
"Colonel Carter, Colonel Mitchell, it is a great joy for us to see you both once more! You and your people are always welcome on Urdijina." He bowed gracefully to the level of a friend and Sam smiled at him warmly.
"Magistrate Urisca, on behalf of myself and Colonel Mitchell, I thank you for your continued welcome and hospitality. We are greatly honoured to visit your world and your people." Both she and Cam bowed to match Urisca who beamed in response. "However, I retired my military commission recently, from now on you need only address me by my salutation of 'Doctor', it marks me as a scientist among my people." Urisca's eyebrows rose at hearing this, but he soon put this new found knowledge to use.
"Ah, of course, Dr. Carter. Yeva mentioned something about this. We have met several scientists among those who live in Atlantis. Learned men and women all. They have taught us much in a short time as you can see." He motioned to the village behind him with his arm outstretched. Sam indeed saw a great difference, there were several larger buildings, in keeping with the Urdijine's style, which she knew would house their new hospital and scribe home, their term for a school. The smithing yards had expanded, which was likely the main source of Orbaro's much mellowed mien. The main attraction however was the large covered bazaar which took up much of the center of the village now, sheltered under a canopy of rose coloured cloth which billowed in the breeze. It was a gathering place for all the new cultures which had come to sow their seeds in the soil of Urdijina.
"It is indeed quite a sight, Urisca. Your people must be very proud." Cam nodded his approval and the administrator smiled broadly.
"Very much so, Colonel Mitchell. Come, come." He motioned them towards the village and they fell into step behind Urisca and Orbaro who took to discussing a new project amongst themselves. Yeva hung back a bit and followed on behind when a young man came to hand her a missive which she dealt with promptly. Jinaiya and Ildona joined Sam and Cameron, forming a tight little cluster in the center. Ildona glanced between them both and smiled knowingly.
"You both are promised to each other now?" He raised an eyebrow enquiringly. Jinaiya giggled beside Cam, as she walked behind Sam and the Farmer's Herta. Sam flushed a dusky rose which was enhanced by the already faint blush of the natural light and turned to look at Cam, seeing him watching her intently, his eyes transfixed. "Yes, they way you look at each other says as much as ten scrolls of parchment." The old man chuckled gruffly and ran a rough hand through the white hair over his tanned brow.
"Yes, Ildona, we are engaged to be wed." Sam replied anyway. "I suppose the both of you had some idea of our feelings on our previous visit?" Both the Urdijine nodded happily and Sam rolled her eyes at Cam's chuckle. "You are not the first to have noticed as much." She smiled faintly in amusement. "It is quite possible everyone knew before we did."
"Speak for yourself, darlin', I've known for a long time how I felt about you." Cam smiled ruefully and Jinaiya covered her mouth as she laughed. Sam reached back and flicked his forehead playfully.
"Okay, it is quite possible everyone knew before I did." she reiterated and Ildona bobbed his head in understanding. "Truth be told, I knew I had feelings for him, I just couldn't believe they would be as deep as they actually were."
"Ah, sometimes the deepest loves are the hardest to understand, dear." Jinaiya piped up from behind her. "They are so much a part of you it is hard to separate the cause from the effect." Sam nodded at that.
"I'll point out that our last visit probably helped a great deal." Cam stated. "Especially the time we spent at the Caverns of Aleminu." Sam turned to walk backwards for a few steps as she looked into his eyes. She held out her hand and showed him the bracelet on her wrist. He grinned. She spun back around with a flick of her ponytail, her hair once more the sandy blonde shade it had been eighteen months previously.
"Well, then your visit to the Caverns this evening, before the conclusion of our renewed accords will be doubly special." Jinaiya smiled happily at them both.
"We're greatly looking forward to it, Jinaiya." Sam grinned as they walked under the shade of the bazaar's canopy and the scents of the market greeted them. They spent the next couple of hours hashing out a few more details, resolving oversights in the original accord which had become clear over the two Urdijina years it had been in effect. They did all this while wandering through the market, greeting and conversing with merchants and villagers, taking advice from all who wished to offer it as was the Urdijine way. Several members of the refugee communities offered their own suggestions as they stopped to converse with them, these were well considered by the Council members also. A while later they found themselves inside the Council Tower, standing around the open fire and enjoying the roasted sweet meats which were traditionally served before the commencement of Council deliberations, which were very swiftly concluded with so much of the hard work having been done outside. They agreed upon changes, and agreed more on things which would remain the same. Finally Urisca stood and was joined by them all and the Council members bowed deeply to Sam and Cameron in the same motion of great respect as when they'd agreed the original treaty. Jinaiya led them out to the same line of four youthful Aleri who escorted them to the Caverns. Sam held on to Cameron's hand as they walked through the fields and small copses of trees on the way towards the ridgeline which held the caves. They talked long of not much at all, something they'd always been able to do since their Academy days, no, since the barbecue in McLean. Even back then she'd known Cam was the sort of person she could easily spend countless hours with.
The Aleri parted ways with them at the cave entrance with a bow, which they returned. Cam held her hand until they'd walked inside then lifted it to his lips and kissed her fingers gently before releasing it.
"See you on the flipside." He waved lightly as he disappeared from her view, and she sauntered in to where she would change and wash as per the ritual. Several minutes later she was wrapped in the familiar white robes, passing a hand over the sheer fabric which hugged her figure. She walked into the main chamber and walked past the line of torches to immerse herself in the warm, turbid water of the pool. She felt Cam behind her even before she saw his shadow cast by the torchlight. She leant her head back as his fingers closed on her shoulders and rubbed them for a moment. Then he leaned down over her and captured her lips with his. He climbed over the lip of rock and sat next to her, but she had other ideas, moving to sit between his legs and leaning back against his chest, resting her head against his cheek. He took a hold of her hands in his, interlacing their fingers, and wrapped her up in a double embrace. She closed her eyes, letting the floral scent of the milky water suffuse throughout her body, his warmth as overpowering to her, in its own way, as the water itself. They reclined together in silence for many minutes, simply basking in the otherworldliness of the hot spring. She sighed, deeply contented. He lifted a hand from around her and brushed the tip of a finger along her nose and across her cheek. She purred happily at his caress, his finger leaving a trail of tingling nerves in its wake as it ran along her jaw and down her neck. "I've got you, Sam." he whispered gently and she smiled, nodding slightly against his cheek.
"Mmm, yes you do." she replied. Her feeling of bliss was short lived however, a flash of bright light against her closed eyelids startled her into screwing her eyes shut tighter while Cam shifted behind her with a grunt of discomfort. "What was that, Cam?" she called while blinking her eyes open then closing them tight again as her mind was assaulted with a quick succession of visions, of a wall of Alteran text floating in front of her, flashing and disappearing. She gasped and her eyes flew open as she leaned forward in the water and Cam grabbed on to her shoulder. "Cam?"
"Yeah, Sam, I remembered it too. Look!" He pointed ahead of them and there it was. The hologram of Alteran glyphs, hovering over the water. She could read it now, understand it. And it shocked the Hell out of her when she read it all. "Joseph and Mary." Cam said breathlessly, he obviously agreed. Sam blinked in disbelief at the sight before her. She leant forward in the milky water with one arm planted between her legs as she made a move to get up on one knee. Cam's hand on her shoulder held her still for the moment as he shifted behind her.
"~Travellers from the Infinite, step forward and take a hold of the key. Inheritors of Eternity, step forward to safeguard the future. Children of Atlantus, step forward and find the home from home. Guardians of Selenis, step forward and find the name of the builder.~" she recited. They both stood up slowly. Not taking their eyes off the text. She looked at Cam in warning and he held up his hands.
"I learn from my mistakes, no more touching floating glyphs until I know what to touch." he said with a smile. She returned it. "How come the Deep Core didn't restore these memories after all this time?" he asked irritably. Sam chewed her bottom lip in thought.
"Maybe because they were actively stripped from us last time. Which was faithfully recorded by the Core." she replied finally. He quirked his head in acknowledgement that it was a good theory. She rounded on him with a fierce look. "And aren't you glad it did! Since otherwise I would have kicked your ass for blatantly being able to read Ancient back then!" She poked him in the ribs.
"Hey! I could read the glyphs, recognised a few words, but since I knew I wasn't supposed to be able to I guess I blanked it out." he explained remorsefully. He motioned back to the glyphs, attempting to change the subject. "It's obviously some sort of puzzle." She nodded with a slight smile of amusement.
"Yes, I think we need to find two keywords to unlock whatever this is protecting." She read the words in Ancient once more, "Liherri Atlantas." She plucked at her lip in thought.
"~Home from home,~ other than Atlantis, wouldn't that be Earth?" Cam asked from beside her and she smiled. Smarter than he looked.
"Not 'Earth', but 'Terra'. It's Alteran after all. Your gene expression is the strongest, tap in the word using the glyphs in 'Liherri Atlantas'." She watched him as he stepped forward and gingerly moved a hand to touch the hologram, she stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Cam, remember, Alteran tech has a large mental component, which responds to confidence among other things. Be yourself. Be sure." He looked at her for a long moment and set his features before nodding and straightening purposefully. He tapped on the Alteran glyphs to spell 'Terra' which flashed, but stayed lit, turning the entire sentence a deep blue before solidifying again. He sighed in relief and she rubbed his back, turning to the next part. "Praesimus Selenitas" She took his hand in hers momentarily. "That's definitely you, love." He smiled sheepishly. "The builder is obvious though. 'Ilemus'" He was already tapping out the glyphs for the letters before she'd finished. They flashed and turned blue in turn, a series of distorted twangs reverberated in the cavern as squares of crystal lit up and shone diffusely through the cloudy water of the pool, marking a path into the darkness beyond the torchlight.
"Okay, that was pretty cool." he breathed as he looked along the glowing path in the milky water.
On to the Epilogue