Always Comes Back to Haunt Us

Dragonlots aka Dana Bell

Chapter 2

Of course, Galen secured his passengers in an area where they weren't free to look around. Matthew fumed because he really had wanted to get a good look around the techno mage's ship. He glanced up as Eilerson paced back and forth, muttering under his breath.

"You might as well sit down and relax," Doreena told the linguist. "Galen knows what he's doing."

"I wanted to watch as we approached," Max fumed. "First observations alone are invaluable."

"I did say I'd be recording," the mage's voice broke in.

"It's not the same!"

"Sorry. Best I can do."

Gideon spoke up. "Maybe you work too hard to keep your secrets."

"And maybe you're not ready." Galen's tone changed to puzzled. "Now what is this?"

"You know maybe," Eilerson said, "if I could take a look, I might be able to tell you."

Suddenly the small area they were in was filled with a three dimensional picture. Red and black hazed around the irregular object. Matthew leaned forward. Somewhere in the back of his mind it seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he'd seen it before.

Doreena frowned. "It looks like a city."

"A city can't travel in space." Max peered at the image.

"That you know of," Galen's disembodied voice corrected.

"Look at those towers."

Matthew saw something else, a slight haze around those gleaming spires. "Galen, are you getting any kind of power reading?"

"If you're asking is there a shield around the city, there is. I'm also picking up faint life readings in the lower levels."

"It's inhabited?" The Xenoarcheologist looked disappointed.

"I said faint life readings. Could be just rats or some other type of rodent."

"Pleasant thought."

"We're going in."

There wasn't really any sense of movement. The techno mage didn't bother to turn off the projected image, so the trio watched as the bottom jagged end passed by. There was an open door and the ship slipped in, landing silently on the gleaming white floor.

"And us without suits," Gideon mumbled.

"Not to worry." Galen suddenly joined them. "The door closed behind us and I'm sure in a few moments the area will be filled with breathable air. Of course, whether or not it will be friendly to us," he grinned, "is yet to be seen."

"Great," Eilerson complained. "Make the find of a lifetime and suffocate because the natives preferred CO2."

"Let's find out, shall we?" The mage raised a clear glass ball. "It's safe. They breathed oxygen." He waved his hand and the three D image vanished. "Shall we go be greeted by the rats?"

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"Mr. President," Captain Lochley's voice came over the Babcom.

"Why is there always an interruption during dinner," Sheridan complained. He pushed back his chair and got up from the table. Garibaldi did the same. "Yes?" Lochley's face filled the screen.

"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but I have a message from the Excalibur. They found something in hyperspace and stopped to investigate. They're arrival will be delayed by a few hours."

"Any idea what they found?"

"No, sir."

"Thank you, Captain." The screen went blank. "Well, shall we finish dinner?"

"Abso fragging lutely." Garibaldi grinned as he sat down. He went to pick up his fork then snapped his fingers. "Almost forgot to tell you. Lise and I are having a baby."

"Michael, that's wonderful! Congratulations!"

"Thanks. Never thought of myself as a father, but I couldn't be happier."

"I remember how I felt when I found out Deleen was pregnant."

"Yeah, I remember."

"You'll be good father, Michael."

"I sure hope so." He lifted his water glass. "A toast to fatherhood."

John lifted his glass as well. "Here, here."

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"Whoever the people were, they had a sense of beauty." Doreena looked around at the stain glass windows, her eyes noting the high ceilings and marbled floors.

"The city looks like it's in pristine shape." Eilerson was thrilled as well.

"Not completely," Galen interjected. "I could see some damage as we came in. A couple of the towers looked like they'd taken hits."

"Weapons fire or meteors?" Gideon asked.

"Could have been either."

"Do you think the people here just walked away?" Doreena looked at the three men.

"Seems like it doesn't it," Galen responded. "You know, there's something very familiar about this place."

"That was my thought," Matthew agreed. "Like I'd seen it before."

"Don't be ridiculous," Max mocked.

Doreena suddenly pivoted her dagger in hand.

"What is it?" Automatically, Gideon's hand fell to the pistol he was wearing.

"Thought I heard something."

"Probably just a scurrying rat." Amusement tickled the mage's voice.

"We're not alone here."

Max scratched his jaw. "Think it was a ghost?"

"I wouldn't laugh and we've seen stranger things."

"Oh, yes, like the organ gathering robot ships," Galen reminded them all, "or mystical beings in enclosed bubbles."

"Don't remind me," Max groused.

"How about we go this way," Gideon suggested. He pointed up a flight of stairs.

Single file they climbed the stairs. At the top was a landing and they paused at a large window to gaze out over the city. Sleek, graceful and almost artistic towers rose all around. Some were draped in shadows. Overhead a hazy cloud seemed to enshrine the monument.

"Now what is that?" Max had turned the other direction before the rest of the group.

"What's what?" Gideon looked in the same direction. "What the hell?"

"Oh, dear." Galen gazed out over the room.

Before them was a large room with several flights of stairs leading downward. Control panels were covered in plastic. Yet, it was the round object at the far end that drew their attention.

"A ring of the gods," Doreena whispered in total awe.

"A what?" Eilerson turned to face her. "What did you call it?"

"It's a ring of the gods," she repeated. "The legends of my people say that the ancient gods used it to travel to our world. Then one day, they stopped coming."

"What happened to the ring?"

"It's assumed the ring was put in the temple and left for the priests to attend." She shrugged. "I don't know because I never there."

"Now where have I seen this before," Matthew said to himself.

"If you've seen this before," Galen replied, an uneasy look on his round face, "then you are fortunate man."

"You know what this is?"

"Part of a fairy tale told to children."

"So share."

"I think not."

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"Excuse me, senator," a door opened to an office on the upper level of Earthdome.

"Yes?" The dark browned haired man looked up from the paperwork he'd been reading. "What is it?"

"Sir," the aid swallowed, entered the carpeted room and shut the door. "I've been instructed to inform you that we're getting a signal from, well, "

"Yes?"

Lowering his voice the aid continued, "The matter President Clark tried to hide." Nervously he licked his lips. "It's been found."