Iron Rain Pt. 09

"That's great news Surfer," I said smiling. "What's so strange?"

'The plants were paid for by known bank accounts belonging to the Silver Twilight lodge.'

"So the presentation that was conducted here was seen by at least one high standing member of the lodge?"

'That would be my assessment. But there are other plants elsewhere being built.' Dozens of dots appeared all over the globe and according to Surfer they were all in equal stages of construction. 'This does not include the large scale power plants also under construction in many major population centers.' Gold dots sprung up all over the map as well.

"How much money are we talking about Surfer?"

'Tens of billions Sir and all being sent to Numenor Technology's bank accounts,' he said puzzled. 'The level of organization and the amount of capital being spent is staggering.'

"The only person with that kind of clout is the Eternal Master. But why is he doing this? What kind of profit can he hope to make?"

'He stands to make a considerable amount if you look at the restructuring of the power grids and the undercutting of existing power providers. People will flock to purchase their electricity from a plant that can provide it for easily a third of the cost.'

"Wow, it looks like our company is a huge success and when those desalinization plants come online think of the suffering they'll relieve."

'That and the military security we are providing for them.'

"Say that again? What military security?"

'The countries involved want to make sure the pipelines remain secure and only agreed to their construction if 'we' Numenor Technology provided adequate security measures.'

"But we don't provide military grade security or hell any kind of security."

'Apparently we do,' Surfer said and displayed over one hundred patents filed under Numenor Technology's name that appeared to be military vehicles and weapons ranging from pistols to tanks.

"What the FUCK!" I tried to get to my feet and the floor rushed up and I was thankful for the thick plush carpeting.

Surfer alerted two of the new crew who helped me back into bed and then called for Akira. She arrived within minutes and saw the grim look on my face and stared at the hologram not understanding its significance.

"Master," she asked eyes downcast.

"My friends and I created Numenor to be a peaceful benefit for the world. We saw that the silicon computer was going to become obsolete so we created the next generation to maintain the global economy. We solved the cost effectiveness of desalinization plants so that people everywhere could have clean fresh drinking water. And we found a cheap and clean way of providing power to millions of people. What we did not do was create a fucking war machine!" "Master I understand you are upset but..."

"No I am way passed upset at this point. Surfer I want you to take over the project I gave to Lilith okay?" I tried and failed to calm my breathing or heart rate but once I ranted and cursed for a while I would feel better. "LILITH!"

She appeared instantly and her look of concern was clearly evident.

"Master, your blood pressure and heart rate are dangerously high you need to calm down now!" Lilith said afraid for me.

"Lilith," I said pointing to the image of the weapon patents. "I want to know who did this. I want to know today. I want your full stealth mode on this. No one but me sees the information, not daddy, not Terry and not William. My eyes only on it, do you understand?"

"Yes Master, your eyes only," and she was simply gone no Cheshire cat fade, poof ninja vanish.

"Now Kouryou you need to rest and calm yourself," Akira said softly. "In your weakened state I fear something might happen."

I nodded but I wanted to do something, anything but she was absolutely right. I needed to attack this thing from a clear mind and not while angry. Angry made you stupid and that meant mistakes. I closed my eyes and willed my body to calm and after a minute or so I felt better. I dove into that silent darkness and drove away the thoughts, the pain and the anger. There was nothing, I became nothing and in that place that was no place I found solace and healing.

I opened my eyes and saw that it was dark out and a deep fog was all about us. I tried to sit up and found the dizziness gone. Carefully I got to my feet and discovered my full strength restored. I dressed and stepped out onto the observation deck. I might as well have been in London the mist was so deep and complete. Then out of the darkness and obscuring cloud came another ship, she was at least as large as the Numenor. I moved to the edge of the deck to see it better. It was a freighter of some sort and as we got closer I caught her name as she silently slipped past us, it was the U.S.S. Cyclops. They had no running lights on and there was no sign of movement either on the deck or the wheel house. Strange. I started to call out to them but the fog rolled in again and she simply faded silently away. I carefully made my way up to the larger of the two helipads and stared out into the fog. I never heard him or sensed his presence until he spoke.

"Am I a man dreaming I am a dragon, or a dragon dreaming I am a man?"

"Oswald Sebastian Kane," I said turning to face him. "I thought the crew roster had changed, didn't expect you'd still be on the ship."

"As you can see I shed the garb of the ship's livery for a more mundane costume."

"This fog must make you feel at home," I said and he nodded and smiled.

"Yeah actually it does, I miss London I haven't been there in years," he said and it was the heavy emphasis on the word years that rang wrong in my ear.

He looked about the same age as me but then I saw his eyes and that haunted ancientness that dwelt there. Oswald had been through a lot in his short life and only a fool disparages wisdom no matter the source.

"So Jesse tells me you opened his eyes to a much larger world, is that so?"

"Yes," he said nodding sadly. "I hated to do it really. He was so innocent but he was my only chance to speak with you."

"Why me Kane, what is so special about me?"

"This could be a bit of a shocker so we will take this journey together and slowly. First of all Jesse told me you haven't activated the special feature on your lenses yet. There is a drop down selection called Securitas." More curious than wary at this point I brought the drop down menu up and lo and behold there was a darkened option called Securitas. I selected it and bright red letters on a darkened background filled my vision.

'Securitas Protocol Initiated... Your Identity Will Be Confirmed...' there was a bright light and when I had finished blinking and could see again there was more. 'Identity Confirmed Retinal Pattern Match... Welcome Nicholas Shaw would you like to activate Securitas Protocal?' "What is it," I asked.

'Securitas allows you and your avatars the ability to detect and tap into any and all Numenor Technology property within line of sight or remote access certain key systems as designated by the user.'

"The user being me," I asked.

'That is correct.'

"Can I keep my avatars from being accessed?"

'That is possible yes; do you wish to activate Securitas?'

"Absolutely," I said feeling a sense of control again after this heinous military security issue.

'One final notification for the user, with great power comes great responsibility. Securitas Protocol initiated.'

With that the Securitas option on the drop down disappeared. This was a one way door and there was no going back now. I looked at Oswald and saw that his eyes had a faint violet glow about them; he was wearing a pair of Jesse's contact lenses! Jesse must trust him a lot indeed!

"Whoa," I muttered.

"Yeah, he trusts you utterly Nick and he knows what you need to survive what is coming."

"How can Jesse know what's coming? Hell even I don't know what's going on."

"Jesse knows because I told him," Oswald said sadly.

"What exactly did you tell him?"

"The truth, the clear untainted and untempered truth," he said.

"I can't see how the truth can be a bad thing," I told him and then I saw the weight of an enormous burden in his eyes.

"I wish that were true," he began. "I am going to do a little rant but listen carefully and maybe you'll get a glimpse of what I have to offer you. If after my erratic path around emotional pitfalls you still want more I will tell you my story in full."

"Agreed," I said. "Just not here, how about a cup of coffee and a nice comfy seat?"

"I will take you up on your kind offer," he said and we headed back to my cabin and there one of the new crew arrived with a pot of coffee and all the amenities.

I couldn't help but notice how cute she was and remembered Petra's words. I was an immature teenage man whore and that was a truth I could live with! I looked over at Oswald and gave him the nod, I was ready.

"I have put much thought into what to say and what to leave out, well here we go," he said as he began his rant. "History is a document meant to give comfort to those who write it and allow it to be read. Do you ever wonder why humanity in its bulk lives in cities? When we lived in small settlements for thousands of years or wandered the land then we suddenly not only built cities but fashioned them so very similarly by cultures that 'apparently' had no contact with one another? What purpose did they serve and do they serve today? Are we really happier with these great concrete and steel edifices? How is it that these great stone structures that lay in the deserts and high up in the mountains Stone Age people constructed but we cannot duplicate to this day? Life, its sole purpose is to survive, reproduce and evolve. There have been multiple extinction level events on this planet and life as we know it was wiped out or so we thought. But there are microbes that can be traced back billions of years; the very first life didn't perish. Makes you wonder what else might have survived. Something clever, something evolved... something sentient? This amazing crystal technology 'you' have developed is cutting edge and new and will no doubt alter the very nature of our society. Is it and will it? And the last, what is the role of the child with the triple helix DNA?"

His voice faded into silence and I sat there and let the images his words had painted take form in my mind. Like walking through a museum I saw each question or subject he had brought up as an exhibition piece. There were scrolls and stone tablets and bound books that represented history. Then there was a mock up of Arkham in all its simple complexity as a small city. Beyond stand the pyramids of Egypt, South America and South East Asia in all their simple and complex glory. Then there was a hologram showing the evolutionary path of man from microbe to Homo Sapiens. At the very last a gleaming image of my DNA strand composed of multi-hued crystals representing the most basic components of my cells. This strange young man with the London accent posed some interesting questions. Now I had to ask myself did I want to know the answers.

Since Lilith and I had gone over William Bell's library and I had learned the long and winding history of the Order and its viral nature in the young civilization of humanity. There wasn't a corner of the world they didn't touch or know about. I knew the hidden ties between Egypt and Central and South America. I was aware of the magician priests who crossed the ocean and sought out their brothers who followed the Jaguar God and how they were swayed and lulled with the promise of power and wealth. There were the slave ships that had carried the captured enemies of Egypt to be harvested on the blood altars of Tezcatlipoca and the ships that carried gold back to help swell the power and might of the Eternal Master. All the hidden treaties with expanding nations in secret and openly for those eager to join something that offered power and station and wealth. How the Eternal Master managed through might of arms to unite a divided China. But not all lands welcomed him; some chose to remain as they were and thrived anyway. Then there were the blank spots that glared out of the pages where entire cities vanished literally overnight. Thriving communities that for reasons no historian, even the Hidden Master could put down for posterity, or would not? Were there reasons he chose not to record what had happened? Was there a secret so terrible that even the Order feared to pass it on? Life grows, evolves and survives.

"I will admit that my curiosity is peaked Oswald," I said breaking the silence. "I know things that perhaps you do not, things about the history of the Order that answer some of those questions but raise some other more disturbing ones."

"I imagine you do Nick, before I tell you anything else I will give you a teaser truth as it were and after you verify or in your case rediscover this thing if you still want to know more you know how to contact me." He said tapping the side of his head indicating the contact lenses.

"Okay, what is your teaser?" I asked.

"Find out what you can about the Bloodstone Ring," he said smiling.

"That's it?" I said.

"Yep, but trust me it's more than enough. If you actually manage to find out something I will pay you for the information."

"I'd like to think we are friends Oswald, and friends don't charge for information."

"I would like that too, but you may not feel the same when all is said and done. Goodbye Nick Shaw we will see each other again."

He rose to his feet turned, opened the door and stepped out into the fog. I followed and when I looked for him he could not be found no matter what spectrum I sought him in. What the fuck? I returned to my pot of coffee and poured another cup before summoning Surfer and Lilith.

'Milord,' Surfer said.

"Master," Lilith greeted me.

"Hold still this might tingle a bit," I said and activated Securitas and indicated my two avatars and like that they were free from access save by me.

'That was strange Sir,' Surfer commented.

"MMMMMM daddy is not going to like that," Lilith purred.

'Like what,' Surfer asked.

"Master has severed our access with daddy, only Master Nick may command us from now on." Lilith explained.

'Why would you do that Milord? Do you not trust father anymore?'

"I trust Jesse with my life and he trusted me with this new protocol. I have to believe it was for a very good reason. You must trust me that I know what I am doing."

"MMMMMMMMM Master I trust you completely," Lilith purred.

'And I Sir, you will always have my unwavering loyalty.'

"So, tell me about the military security files Lilith."

"Not much to say, they were filed physically and there is no electronic trail to follow."

"Someone just walked in to file these documents," I asked.

"Yep, someone who knew we could track any electronic transfer of data."

'Have you recovered any security footage, it is a government building after all,' Surfer asked.

"Already ahead of you Surfer dude," Lilith said with a smile. "You are not going to be pleased on two fronts Master."

She projected the stolen video of the person who filed the patents and it was none other than Morrigan. Then Lilith displayed a copy of the signature on the paperwork.

"That's my signature, mother fucker!" I cursed and as I left the room and headed for the wheel house to speak with the captain or whoever was piloting this thing, another long string of harsh syllables fell from my lips echoing all the way down the hallway.

Akira and I sparred and as expected I was getting my ass handed to me but on the plus side I was getting a little better each night. After our warm up sparring match and my chance to vent some steam we worked on my mirror technique. Unlike my last attempt with Lilith I drew on the weaker form of Ki to help me attempt and sense Akira's intent. This form could be maintained longer with much less chance of injury. The energy flowed to my hands with barely a thought and I listened as Akira projected her next move and much to my surprise I felt that little tug but it was a bit stronger this time. I managed to get half way through the form before my Ki began to fail and I faltered. So I sat down on the floor of the helipad and caught my breath as Akira pondered my success and how to progress from here. Since the founding of the Black Lotus School there had never been a male student and she was beginning to think there was a reason for that. But the fact that I was having any success at all was changing her opinion on my chance for eventual mastery of the 'many forms that are one'. So as I sipped from my water bottle and caught my breath I decided to broach the subject of the Bloodstone Ring with Akira.

"Since your family has a long standing with the Sisterhood and therefore the Order I have a question for you."

"If I can be of help I will tell you whatever I know," she said smiling down at me.

"Have you ever heard of an artifact or relic of the Order called the Bloodstone Ring?" Her face darkened and her body language changed immediately to a cautious stance.

"Where did you hear about that?" she said looking around like the night might explode with enemies any second.

"From someone who knows things and feels if I learn about the ring I will have a better understanding of the world at large." I told her honestly.

"Master," she kneeled next to me and I could see the fear in her eyes. "It is dangerous to speak of such things. But I see that if you do not hear it from me you will continue your search and that way lies folly and death."

"Really, I mean it's just a ring isn't it?"

She shook her head and took my hand that had the signet ring on it.

"That is like saying that 'this' is just a ring," she patted the back of my hand and continued. "When the Order was young there were four masters not just three that maintained the status quo. The Lost Master as he is known now was known then as the Master of Blood and was tied to the deeper and darker rituals the Order performed in those bygone days. To maintain control and order among the tribes who carried out ritual sacrifices the Eternal Master added the fourth master to appease them. It is said that the material for that ring was brought over from Central America and forged in the Black Pyramid. The Bloodstone Ring is also called the Star Fall Ring because both the metal and the stone set into it fell from the sky. It was rumored to give the bearer supernatural powers but that is only legend. What is fact is that the last Master of the Blood tried and failed to challenge the Eternal Master for his title and fell during the battle. Neither the body nor the ring were ever recovered."

"How did you learn about it," I asked.

"I am a direct descendant of the man who forged the Star Fall Ring."

"If the ring survived, what would happen if it were recovered?"

"I don't know you would have to bring it up before the Eternal Master. But I doubt he would want to return to the days where people were sacrificed to heathen gods."

"Do you know where this Black Pyramid can be located?"

She shook her head and took her feet.

"Q&A is over its time to try something unusual," she said seriously. "I think we need to try a different tack on your mirror training. We are going to attempt a synergetic cleansing." Akira said as I took my feet.

"Never heard of it, what does it involve?"

"As you know when the meridians that carry your Ki are blocked you get ill and after all that you have been through I never thought about it but it may be hindering your ability to sense my intentions," Akira said.

"So I may still be able to project it but the flow may still be hampered in the traditional sense... hmm makes sense to me. How do we do this thing?"

"We clasp hands so," Akira said taking my left hand in her right and my right hand in her left. "Now relax and listen to my voice Kouryou. Close your eyes and don't fight me. When you feel my Ki enter through your left hand let it flow through you and back into me from your right hand. Once the circuit is established we can send more energy until we are certain your meridians are completely open and flowing normally."