Chapter 36: Missing Pieces
The Keltech base was in an absolute uproar and nerves were frayed wire-thin by the last intrusion twofold. Firstly on the knowledge that someone had breached their security and was able to access their facility at their leisure. Secondly, it had been impossible to identify the intruder due to their unnaturally quick movements and ability to simply vanish on command. Two factors that made every occupant anxious and twitchy to the tiniest of abnormalities. The base was on high alert and Schneider had doubled the patrols in all sectors. He was still livid that nothing had been collected from the intruder let alone someone being detained. The intruder was a ghost and left no trace of its presence besides the scorched memories of the guards who had given chase. Much to his relief, Tyronne wasn't involved in the pursuit but he was just as edgy as everyone else. There was no telling where this lunatic could be hiding, or when he might strike next.
With his newly granted clearance, Tyronne was able to freely roam the restricted laboratory area of the base. Rifle looped over his shoulder, he slowly clopped his way up and down the sterile halls, his eyes keen for anything out of the ordinary. Being new to the area, and with the panic of the intruder still keeping tensions high, Tyronne hadn't been allocated a partner to work with yet and he couldn't see it happening for a while. Not with the colonel so wound up about the last encounter with their mysterious entity.
Suddenly, as Tyronne rounded a corner, he heard something clank to the floor. Snapping his head up, Tyronne flinched as he saw something scurry away at the opposite end of the corridor. Swinging his rifle around and into his hand, Tyronne made a run for the fleeing person. Pressing his back against the wall, Tyronne took a peek around the corner. He just saw something turn into one of the rooms and a door slide close behind him. Without thinking, Tyronne hurried up to the door and stood beside it. It was a chemical storage room, one way in and one way out; no escape. Tyronne's brow beaded with nervous sweat as he silently counted to himself. His fingers hot and itchy as they hovered over the trigger.
On a mental screaming of three, the door flew open and Tyronne spun into the room. Rifle raised, he stood firm in the doorway as a silent audience of shelves stood frozen to the spot. With a quick scanning flick to and fro, he then lowered his gun when he found nothing there. Breathing a sigh, Tyronne was about to turn back, thinking he was jumping at shadows, when something caught his eye. Over in the corner of the room was a peculiar looking puddle. Stepping closer, allowing the door to slide shut, Tyronne duck down to get a better look. At first he thought maybe one of the chemicals had leaked onto the floor but there was no sign of disturbance to any of the shelves. Leaning closer, the puddle shimmered an odd shade of purple that was so deep it could have been mistaken for black.
Tyronne reached forward to touch the strange liquid when he froze on the spot. A gasp escaped his throat as he heard a high-pitched ring whistle dangerously close to his right ear.
"Don't…move…" a long drawing voice said slowly from behind him. "Stay…exactly… where you are." Something was pressed flat atop his right shoulder and Tyronne's eyes grew wide with fright as a long blade slid into his line of sight; its silvery edge aimed and angled to slice through his neck. Tyronne swallowed hard and remained as still as his shivering body would allow.
"Now, you will do exactly as I say," the voice said calmly. "Stand up slowly… but do not turn around." Tyronne did as he was told. Instinctively, held his hands parallel to his head, his palms spread wide in compliant surrender. Tyronne tensed when he felt the blade on his shoulder move. The next thing he saw was his rifle clattering harmlessly to the floor; its strap slit in two.
"Now then. Call for backup. Tell your superior you've found the intruder." Tyronne's mind blurred. Did he hear him right? He wants him to call for reinforcements?
"Do it now… tell them to meet you here…" the voice said steadily. Tyronne slowly inched his left hand down to this radio and tapped in Schneider's frequency. It was almost impossible with his hand trembling so much.
"Schneider here, vot is it?" the colonel's voice erupted in his ear.
"T-this is Taylor s-sir…" Tyronne said quaveringly, "I-I've found the intruder. I've got him down in the… chemical stores in the labs… Requesting… immediate support sir…"
"Vot! Hold fast Taylor! Vee are on our vay! Do not approach him on your own Taylor but stay vit him, understood?"
"T-that won't be a problem sir. I-I'll be waiting for you…" Tyronne whimpered. "Over and… out."
As the static fizzled out, Tyronne slowly lifted his left hand back up beside his head awaiting his next instruction.
"Good… now let's go and greet them shall we?" the voice said. This time, his voice was more cocky; almost overconfident. Tyronne felt a hand grip his arm and spun him around so he was facing his captor.
"YOU!" Tyronne gasped in horror. Just as he had registered who it was, the figure darted behind him and gripped his arms low behind his back.
"Yes, me," the voice said smugly. He pressed the sword against Tyronne's throat as he attempted to struggle with his restraint. "After you…" he said kicking Tyronne in the back of the legs to get him to move forwards. The door slid open and they both waddled out into the brightly lit corridors.
Meanwhile, back in the Great Valley, Littlefoot and his friends were still lingering around their little hideout in the dense patch of forest deep in conversation with Kairyn and Melissa. News of the Keltech base's second breaching had not yet reached them so they were all blissfully unaware of the danger the complex was in. With the excitement of the previous night still very much at the forefront of their minds, particularly for Kairyn and Littlefoot, their discussions had moved onto thoughts and theories of how this all pieced together.
"You mean to say that humans have been here before?" Melissa asked in astonishment.
"Oh yes, yes, yes! Humans came to the Great Valley some time ago," Ducky chimed in.
"Yeah… they caused plenty of trouble back then too," Cera snorted but no one paid her any attention.
"That how we meet Jason and the other humans, Jill and Mr Stone," Petrie added with a merry chirp.
"Jason… You've mentioned that name before. Who is he exactly?" Kairyn asked turning to Littlefoot who shied a little at first.
"Well… he's a friend of ours who came to the Valley. I found him in the Forest of Fear. He… sorta saved me from a pack of egg stealers," Littlefoot explained grinning slightly as the mental flashback replayed in vivid detail. A strange blue portal had appeared from nowhere allowing a wailing boy to come shooting out and crash tackled the stalking egg stealers thus repelling them. "I brought him back to the Great Valley and he lived with us for a while."
"You kinda remind me of him Kairyn," Petrie then said openly. Kairyn gawked for a second but promptly shut his mouth before more than a guttering choke could come from it. He was doubly shocked when he heard Spike hum and nod in agreement.
"So err… what about this guy was so special then?" Kairyn managed to spit out after clearing his throat.
"Well, he was the first human we had ever seen before and he had that magic stone," Ducky said.
"Magic stone?" Melissa hummed curiously.
"Yeah, Littlefoot has one too," she added glancing over at him.
"Well, I did have one, but I lost it," Littlefoot admitted shamefully. Every time he had to say that, it stung him.
"How did you lose it?" Melissa asked and Kairyn cut in saving Littlefoot the pain of retelling it again.
"Remember that big commotion going on in the labs that night we went to Keltech? The big catch? That was Littlefoot. They snagged him from his time and brought him to ours. The last time he remembered having it was before then." Melissa eyes went wide with shock.
"They kidnapped you?! But why?" Melissa gasped. There was a pause for a moment and they all looked at each other.
"That's a very good point. Why did they kidnap you Littlefoot?" Kairyn asked perplexed.
"How should I know! I just saw a group of humans roaming around the Valley and I was following them. I had no idea that they were gonna take me away!" Littlefoot protested.
"Wait a minute. Didn't you say you saw those humans over in the Forest of Fear?" Cera then said.
"Yeah…" Littlefoot said dismissively.
"And then again, here, in our hideout?" she continued.
"Yeah. That was before they chased me right before I bumped into you guys. They looked like they were searching for something, but I didn't recognise any of them."
"Scouts from Keltech's private military maybe? But what could they have been searching for?" Kairyn pondered.
"They were looking at the old humans' home in the Forest of Fear; remember the one you went into Kairyn? Then they came here to look at our Friendship Stone," Littlefoot said flatly.
"Two things made by humans… and for some reason they wanted Littlefoot too. Do you think there is a connection?" Cera asked suddenly very into the conversation.
"Hang on, back up a sec. Going a bit fast. What's this Friendship Stone?" Kairyn asked feeling worried he might have missed something.
The gang all got to their feet and slowly trudged past Kairyn. Each one of them took it in turns to perch next to a large oblong stone, almost as if to frame it. Kairyn turned and gazed in amazement at the markings that were on the rock's flat face.
"It's a carving," Melissa said breathlessly, "and… all of you are on it."
"Yep, yep, yep. Jason did it for us before he went back to his world. Like a special goodbye," Ducky said. Her tone was a mix of joy hinted with a solemn sadness.
"Yeah. It so we 'member the amazing adventure we all have together," Petrie piped in sounding proud to be showing it off. Kairyn ducked down and scanned the carving intently from left to right, gazing at the line-up. At the back was Spike with Ducky stood atop his back. Next was Cera with a wide grin followed by another longneck that he didn't recognise.
"That's Ali. She's a friend of ours but she doesn't live here. She's part of a travelling herd; she was with us too," Cera explained. Kairyn nodded as he turned back to the carving. In front of Ali, was the figure of a human boy and Petrie was just airborne above him. And at the very front was Littlefoot, leading the way but glancing back over his shoulder at his long line of friends. The poses were so deliberate, it was almost like looking at a prehistoric movie poster.
"Is that him? The boy in the middle?" Kairyn said pointing to the only non-dinosaur in the assembly. The gang all hummed.
"I can't believe I didn't notice this until now," Kairyn said unable to take his eyes off the artwork.
"Hey. What's this little triangle thingy up here?" Melissa then asked. She gingerly pressed her finger underneath a floating trio of triangles hovering over the group. They were arranged like a pyramid, stacked one on top of the other; the top triangle resting on the points of the other two below it.
"They are called the Stones of Essence. Three magic stones of three different colours and each with its own special power. When they came together, it made a super powerful stone called the Heaven's Eternity Crystal," Littlefoot explained. The adventure and events involving the stones were permanently burned into his mind. He could never forget even the smallest of details. "Only those who have and can use the stones can use the power of the crystal however they wish."
"No way… so that's what this yellow stone thing is?" Kairyn breathed in awe. He gently pulled the yellow triangular stone from his pocket, unfurled his fingers from around it and simply stared at it.
"You have one too Kairyn?" Petrie stammered.
"Yeah, but… I had no idea what it was or what it was capable of. My dad gave it to me when…" he trailed off. He suddenly felt an overwhelming rush tumble over him as he remembered the promise he had made to his father as he lay mortally wounded. Finally, he was beginning to unravel the mystery of the stone and the answers were here.
"But… that makes four stones? That big shiny one was made with just three stones?" Ducky said which suddenly jolted Littlefoot's memory.
"Wait! The Black Ghost said something about another stone," he said urgently. All eyes turned to him as he moved around to the front of the stone carving.
"He said that the fourth stone fits here, in the middle. It's supposed to control the power from the other three stones so that anyone can use it; not just those who held the stones," Littlefoot said excitedly.
"Could that be what Keltech were after? Were they after the stones to try and make the Heaven's Eternity Crystal again?" Kairyn thought out loud.
"But how did they know about it in the first place? What were they planning on using it for?" Melissa asked sounding a bit nervous.
"I don't know. We might have to find out one way or another," Kairyn then said rather darkly. He turned to the gang, "So who were the other stone holders?"
"Well, there Littlefoot. His stone was blue," Petrie started.
"That girl human, Jill, her stone was…" Cera slurred which prompted Spike to start grunting and bobbing up and down.
"Green… her stone was green. It was, it was," Ducky piped in, interpreting for Spike.
"And Jason's stone was red. He had it on a shiny vine that he gave to me. We swapped our stones before he left," Littlefoot finished.
"And I've got the yellow one. But… I don't have any magic powers. How do I get it to work?" Kairyn asked but the gang all shook their heads.
"Dammit. There's something we are still missing. What were the stones used for last time they all came together?" he then asked. Uncovering the pieces of this mystery was starting to get exciting.
For the rest of the morning, Littlefoot and his friends spent the time retelling their adventure and first encounter with the humans. They spoke of every action, success and tragedy, that they experienced whilst the humans were in the Great Valley and their audience were spellbound. Every so often, Kairyn and Melissa could simply stare at them aghast and amazed at what the young group of dinosaurs had been through as they revealed the conspiracy behind the Red Phoenix Corporation and their leader's fiendish plot to claim dominion over all. Surviving assaults from undead and freakish experimentations, fierce battles using sheer force of might, cunning and powerful magicks against supernatural foes, travelling across time, dangerous escapes barely a hair's breadth from death's cold embrace and even suffering the loss of close friends. Their story was nothing short of legendary.
"Whoa! So the Red Phoenix turned on her creators and was going to wipe out everything? And you stopped her?" Kairyn breathed in amazed reverence. He hadn't been able to close his mouth throughout the entirety of the tale. The gang all nodded and smiled clearly proud of their achievement.
"And she was Jason's mother? And together you defeated her and save the world? That must have been tough for you all," Melissa said in similar awe.
"It was nothing," Cera boasted smugly; her head held high.
"But that wasn't the hardest part…" Littlefoot then said, his head dipped slightly.
"Oh no. The hardest part was when Jason, Jill and Mr Stone had to leave," Ducky said solemnly which made Spike whimper, equally downcast.
"Yeah. After all we go through, me never forget the morning they go through big shiny ring and go back," Petrie said slowly.
"To right the final wrong…" Littlefoot whispered to himself just barely audible to the others.
"So that's what that Chronos Doorway contraption up in the mountains is for?" Kairyn said as a thought sprung to mind. He quickly pulled out his Minicom and, once activated, started flicking through the datastreams he had collected from the Chronos Doorway's operating console. Everyone leaned in as Kairyn set the device down on a flat rock and activated the holographic display for everyone to see.
"I guess that explains the usage log here," he said poking at a file. "The console itself is fairly old tech going by its security programs but it still baffles me that nearly three hundred years have passed between the time your friends left and when Littlefoot was kidnapped."
"Three hundred years?" Melissa yelped embarrassingly loudly. She quickly shrunk down to try and minimise the glares now aimed at her.
"Yep. But there is obviously some sort of link between all these goings-on. All we know so far is that Keltech has been using this old Red Phoenix machinery and investigating leads tied to them. Then there's these Stones of Essence and Littlefoot. But the big question is what Keltech is researching all this for. What are they hoping to achieve?" Kairyn pondered.
"And there is all this stuff with the Shadow Spawn and dark matter. How does all that fit into all this?" Littlefoot added.
"Good point. Could Keltech be looking for the stones and their holders?" Kairyn theorised.
"I suppose that makes sense seeing as Professor Taylor already had the yellow stone," Melissa chimed in. "Maybe he and his team were hoping to find the others. That'll explain why them finding and bringing Littlefoot to our time was such a big deal."
"But if that were true, how would they find Jason and Jill?" Cera asked. The group went silent for a moment.
"Dunno, but it seems like all this stuff is linked to the Red Phoenix Corporation and their work in one way or another. Maybe that's what Keltech have been basing their work on. But it still doesn't tell us what they are after. If it is the Stones of Essence, what do they hope to gain by having them?" Kairyn said waving his hand over the holographic screen to pan through the information he'd gathered.
"I just hope they don't make a mess of things like the last lot of humans did," Cera grumbled.
"So how we gonna find out?" Petrie asked as Kairyn deactivated the screen and picked up his Minicom.
"Well, there is only one place with all the answers but it's all locked up tighter than a digi-creds virtual safe. If we could only get some info from them then we might be able to figure this out before they do," Kairyn said.
"You gonna help them get what they want?" Petrie asked uncertainly.
"Not help them outright. But in order to get some leaks, we'd have to play along. I'll have to continue being their 'field agent' and who knows. They might just let loose a secret or two."
"You're gonna double cross them? That sounds like a really bad idea Kairyn. Keltech is one of the biggest and most powerful corporations in the modern world! How are you going to compete with them?" Melissa said sounding very concerned.
"I dunno. I'll think of something," Kairyn said assertively. At that moment, his left collarbone twinged again and he scratched at it.
"So what now then?" Cera asked stretching her now tired legs. Suddenly, a great grumbling roar echoed out of the silence. All eyes turned to Spike who sheepishly craned his head under his lifted front foot and gazed at his belly. The grumbling rang out again.
"Sounds like someone's hungry," Melissa giggled as he stroked the top of Spike's head.
"Guess we have been here a long time. Maybe we should head somewhere for something to eat," Littlefoot suggested feeling his own stomach churning and rumbling.
"I've already given my report for the day so there's no point us heading to the base now. They might think something's up if we keep going back and forth. I guess something to eat would be good," Kairyn said smiling. "I doubt there's anything exciting going on up there now anyway."
With that, the group all trudged out of the little clearing and into the surrounding fields where the gang began leading them towards a great eating spot they knew by the Thundering Falls.
Meanwhile, at the Keltech base, another wave of pandemonium had broken out. A standoff was in play as Schneider and his team were poised, weapons raised and aimed, opposite a nervous Tyronne who stood, back painfully arched, with a glinting blade to his throat and his hands clamped behind him by his captor. Tyronne wasn't quite sure which party to be more afraid of. He didn't fancy having his windpipe slit by his restraint but by the same token, he couldn't imagine being shredded by friendly fire to be a particularly good way to go out either. By the look on Schneider's face he could see his commanding officer processing a million thoughts a second as the barrel of his gun hovered in the dangerous space somewhere between Tyronne's forehead and the man behind him.
"You've got no vay out monster! I suggest you surrender now!" Schneider bellowed in the narrow corridor.
"Or what? You'll shoot me? Does the life of this dedicated solider mean nothing to you, a pawn as he may be?" the captor hissed. It almost sounded like he was enjoying the tension of the whole situation. "Despite how this looks, I'm not here to needlessly shed blood. I've come to converse with your… leader let's say."
"Vee don't negotiate vit' terrorists! You are in un impossible position to ask vor any-zing! Zere is no vay out!" Schneider barked furiously.
"Way out? If I wanted out, why'd you think I'd be letting myself in?" the captor drooled gleaming from over Tyronne's shoulder. "Besides, a grunt like you couldn't possibly comprehend the wealth of the intel I possess for your… little science fair projects you've got running here. It'll bring you closer to getting what you want but I require an audience with the heads of your research department. That is, before this kid ends up losing his. Believe me, I could do it and be gone before you've been able to blink." Tyronne tried his damnedest not to scream as he felt the blade angle along the side of his neck and felt it slip into his flesh. A trickle of warm liquid ran down his neck and soaked into the collar of his uniform that was already saturated with panicked sweat. Tyronne watched as the colonel muttered something through gritted teeth. He prayed that he wouldn't sacrifice him just to get to the target since he'd imagined he could have seen him as expendable. His eyes were burning with murderous intent and hollow pit of his gun had not wavered from its mark between Tyronne's eyebrows. He swallowed hard; he really was going to go through him!
To his amazement, he then saw Schneider raise his left hand to his ear and began muttering into the air. A radio call. After a few tense minutes, Schneider lowered his hand and it clasped gently under his gun again.
"You vill be escorted under supervision to zee meeting room vere you vill be under constant surveillance. Make just vun false move and vee vill gun you down like zee beast you are. Is zat clear?"
"I'm not one to play by someone else's rules but I think I can accommodate you. However, I'll keep hold of my friend here. We've gotten quite close I'd like to think." Schneider narrowed his eyes dangerously before lowering his weapon. He quickly tapped the shoulders of his surrounding team and they backed up, their weapons still aimed. Tyronne heard his captor give a smug chuckle before feeling a kick in the back of his knee. Regaining control of his collapsed leg, Tyronne marched forward with the blade still pressed against his Adam's apple. He could see the anxious looks on his squadmates' faces and their fingers twitched over their triggers as they trailed after Schneider who led the way.
It was the slowest and longest walk of Tyronne's life and they had hardly thirty metres to go to the executive end of the base. The coldness of the blade was stinging against the angry sore of the slit in his neck which was still weeping a steady trickle of blood. When they finally arrived, the door automatically slid open to a long, rectangular room whose walls did not house a single window and was lit with a sterile beam of artificial light. The décor was slightly more luxurious than the rest of the base but even that was a stretch of the imagination since all it included was a long silvery table with a matching set of icy chrome chairs. The glare from the light off the metallic furnishings was almost blinding. At the top end of the table, furthest from the door, sat Director Thorne with Professor Clements hovering precariously over his shoulder. Tyronne was shuffled awkwardly into the room after the escort party as Schneider presented a chair to his captor. Tyronne heard him snort just before he felt something strike him in the back of the head and he fell to his knees. There was a clunking of guns being raised as if to praise the opportunity to finally be used but the chance never came.
A high-pitched resonating ring sung out and the guards that had stood by the doorway as they entered all yelped like frightened puppies as they saw the front half of their guns shatter and tumble to the floor. A smooth crescent curve cut right through their barrels.
"Don't even think about it," the hostage taker said edgily. Tyronne, having just about recovered from being clouted in the back of the skull, turned to look up at that moment to see his tormentor's blade pointing at the bridge of his nose and barely an inch away.
"And you… stay right where you are. Need to make sure your superior behaves himself." Tyronne looked up over the table at Schneider who was just holstering his gun. Tyronne turned back to his captor as he took his seat and Schneider took his across the table from the intruder.
"Quite the display," Director Thorne said clapping his hands together. "Normally a simple email is all that's required to arrange a meeting."
"Well, I like to go for a dramatic entrance. That and I needed to get your attention without your handymen redecorating the place with polka dots," Tyronne's captor said haughtily nodding over towards Schneider. A cringing sound of grinding teeth suddenly became audible.
"So, I understand you are here to discuss something with us mister… what was it again?" the director asked.
"Forgotten me already? And here I thought I'd made a lasting impression the last time. The name's Zeiger. And I've got some info for you that's pure gold."