Chapter 18
Eric sat up in quickly, his heart thundering in his chest as though he had woken from a terrible dream.
Perhaps all of this was, him falling down a hole that was a part of the underground laboratory that kept the island of Griffin Rock afloat with two members of the Rescue Team, one being an alien from a distant planet.
Maybe, just maybe, he was in the guest room in Jasper, Nevada, resting as his aunt and cousin went about their daily business. His sister…..she wasn't dead. She was in the bed next to him, still sound asleep.
All of that was dashed when, somewhere high above him, lights flickered on. High above him, Eric saw the hole that they had fallen through. It looked to have some remnants of stairs, though not much was left. The fact that it was so high up had Eric wondering just how he survived the fall.
It was only when he glanced downward did he get his answer.
An unconsciousness Heatwave held him and Kade in his hand. Kade was out too, but both of the firefighters were breathing. At least, he was sure that Heatwave was out.
Slowly, as not to aggravate his new wounds, Eric stood. His eyes went around the high ceiling, dropping his vision into the Eagle Sight to see the carvings. They were bizarre but not unlike the ones that the Isu were known for.
They depicted scenes straight out of lore: the Isu coming down from the stars, building an empire with the forced labor of humans, controlled by Apples of Eden. The Isu creating buildings out of mountains and glass, meddling with genetics as though they were gods, not knowing the catastrophe that would destroy them in one fell swoop.
"Urgh…." Eric glanced down to see Kade's eyes fluttering open. "What happened?"
"We fell. Again." Eric leaned down, offering the firefighter a hand. Almost as soon as the two of them had stepped off Heatwave's hand, the Cybertronian's optics flickered on, letting loose a groan of his own. "The only problem is, I don't remember this being in Cordelia's diagrams."
"That's because I didn't return to add it."
The unknown voice had the three of them freezing, before Eric and Heatwave fell into defensive stances.
"Who's there?" Eric demanded, his voice carrying throughout the place.
Movement on the upper levels, held up by stone walkways that were honeycombed with what he suspected were spare rooms, caught his eye. It was quick, and barely perceptible, but he saw it. He caught the barest hint of blue fabric.
He deepened his Eagle Vision, trying to catch movement in the shadow of the rooms.
"Come on out!" Heatwave shouted, pounding his fists together. "Come out and fight!"
"Or you know, so we can talk. If that's cool with you." Kade meekly added from where he hid behind Heatwave's leg.
More movement happened, this time on the same level as they. Eric peered into the darkness, his body tensing as two silver eyes peered back at him.
He stepped back, but not in fear. No, never in fear.
Eric shifted on his feet, his wrists flicking so that his Blade slid out. All the muscles in his body tightened, coiling up as though as snake ready to pounce on an unawares bird.
That is, until the figure stepped out of the shadow.
Eric seemed to have a moment of complete and utter shock, one that nearly had him tumbling down into his own mind.
Everything fell away, except for him and the person that stood just several feet away from him.
The woman stood in front of him, clothed in a familiar Easter egg blue Assassins robe that flowed as though moved by a phantom wind, and all though her face was hidden, Eric knew the features that were hidden by the shadow of the cowl.
"Who's that?" Kade asked.
Eric managed to shake off most of the shock when the question finally clicked, though his eyes never left the translucent figure that stood motionless in front of them, just staring at them.
There was a moment of silence, tense and thick, as the four beings stared at each other.
You finally came.
The voice that echoed within his mind and throughout the room simultaneously snaked a course down Eric's spine in a slithering smoothness that he simultaneously clung to and repelled. It was a voice that Eric believed that he had heard at one point, but more likely in a dream and forgetting it the moment his eyes opened.
"You were expecting me?" His voice was dry in comparison, but it was strong despite the worry that ate away at his being.
There was the barest hint of a nod, and the woman tilted her head slightly. I've left clues and instructions for you, hoping for someone smart enough to figure it out. Thankfully, it seems that the hope was not misplaced.
The specter of the woman floated forward. Eric heard Kade whimpering as the woman got closer and closer. When the woman was right there, when some of her face could be seen, Eric couldn't help but have his breath catch in his throat when the woman's pupilless silver eyes stared him down.
But he didn't back down.
How much time has passed since I came here?
"About two-hundred-and-sixteen years." Eric answered. His tongue still felt heavy in his mouth.
"I'm sorry!" Kade interrupted, waving his hand in the air and shaking his head. "I'm completely lost. Do you know each other?"
"Not really, but I know of her." Eric stated.
How rude of me to not have introduced myself, the woman muttered. Eric heard the thickness of her English accent, the lilt old and out of date. She placed a see-through hand on her chest, bowing a little at the waist as she spoke, I am Cordelia Abigail Williams Everts, of the London Brotherhood of Assassins and ally of Connor Kenway, Mentor of the North American Assassins. Tis an absolute pleasure to make your acquaintances Misters…...?
"Burns. Kade Burns." The firefighter said, drawing up a bit.
"Heatwave."
Cordelia tilted her head as she stared up at the giant robot. I know of your kind. The Isu documented all of their encounters with other species of extraterrestrials. She shrugged when Eric gave her a look. Those were the first files that I was able to access after….
She trailed off. Eric glanced around the temple, his eyes trailing the images.
That is when he managed to voice the question that bubbled up suddenly. "How'd you get here? You don't act like a ghost."
His ancestor gave a laugh, a little sound that echoed like little bells in a grand cathedral. I am certainly not a specter, that much is true. No, but sometimes I feel it would've been better if I had perished completely. I had come here to investigate the strange instances of occurrences that was happening around the island.
"So, this did happen before?" Heatwave asked.
Yes. I had come to the island to find peace from the Assassin life. But instead I found that the island was once a cover for an Isu laboratory, whose main computer was slowly failing. If it failed completely, the entire island would fall into the ocean, leaving hundreds to perish. So, I did what I had to do.
Eric, Heatwave and Kade watched the woman's image flicker off before appearing on a pedestal that held an orb.
Though, there was something different about the image.
It was more solid, more corporeal. Also, she was taller, her shoulders hunched slightly
It then hit Eric that he was staring at a playback of the past.
His ancestor stared down at the orb, her shoulders hunched as though carrying the weight of the world. Her shaky hand hovered over the orb that stood on top of the pedestal. There was hesitance in her movement. The three of them watched as she casted her eyes upward to the ceiling, before she quickly removed the cowl. Silvery grey hair tumbled down, loose and flowy.
"I do this for the people, for the Assassins." She whispered, as though she was trying to keep herself from backing out.
And her movements showed it, as she quickly slammed her hand down on the orb and there was a blinding flash of light and scream.
The three of them had to slam their eyes down shut as the light filled the room, but when it died down and they hesitantly opened their, the image of Cordelia with her glowing silver eyes, looking sad, her eyebrows drawn together.
When I regained my wits, I was tied to this place, she gestured to the ceiling. Never able to leave. But I was able to access and understand the files stored in the laboratory's archives. However, I was never able to leave this place and inform my family what I found.
Eric took a moment to process Cordelia's story. Heatwave was the one to speak up, however.
"If you fixed it, then why is it happening again?"
The laboratory is failing once more. And the only way to fix it-
"-Is for someone else to upload their consciousness into the laboratory's mainframe." Eric interrupted. Dread settled into his stomach like cement.
Someone would have to give up their life to keep the island of Griffin Rock from falling into the ocean.
The cycle continues.
As Eric mulled over his choices, a rumbling sound caught their ear. At first, Eric thought that another tremor was happening, until a hole on the other side of the room appeared, punched by a giant green Cybertronian. His breath caught his throat as three Cybertonians, the Rescue Bots and the rest of the Burns family entered.
They all rushed in, shouting "KADE!" in happiness as they slammed in and embraced him. Eric watched with a more than slight jealous twinge as he watched the Rescue Family, Autobots included, embraced, checking each other for injuries and asking questions.
"Are you okay?"
"What happened?"
"How did you find us?"
"What is this place?"
Cordelia floated wordlessly to stand beside him, watching the group silently but with a look of longing.
That is something that I miss, she whispered softly, being able to touch and hold my children. She paused before quietly asking, Whatever happened to them, by the way? My children?
Eric thought back to his family history. "They left Griffin Rock. Some of your grandkids fought in the Civil War. Married and had kids of their own, continued the lineage."
Her smile was soft, sad. I miss them so much.
Eric's heart strained at that. He didn't want to think about the fact that he would be leaving Evangeline alone, a true orphan, if he put his hand on the orb.
"Kade…. who's that?"
The man glanced up at the question. The rescuers were all looking at him, tense and on guard.
"Guys," Kade said slowly, as if trying to keep the others from freaking out, "This is Brother. The guy the Boss Bot talked about."
There was silence as the group of Rescuers watched him closely, eyeing him with caution and suspicion.
Another rumble moved through the room, but this time it wasn't caused by a Rescue Bot. Everyone braced themselves on something.
Argh!
Eric glanced over at Cordelia, her image flickering as she bent over as if injured. The room continued to shake; cracks appeared in the ceiling.
"AH!" the helicopter screamed in fear. "IT'S ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE!"
"Cordelia…." Eric knew that he couldn't reach over and help her, so all he could do was watch with worry. Her image flickered for another few moments before it solidified and the quake stopped. She stayed bent over, taking shuddering breaths before straightening. The other rescuers all gasped in shock at seeing the floating, see-through woman.
Especially the Rescue Bots, or the other three.
"Is…. that…...a ghost?!" The helicopter stuttered in fear.
"I do not believe that it is a specter." The police bot said in a monotone voice. They all glanced at each other.
"She's Cordelia Everts." The bulldozer whispered in shock after another beat of silence. He shrugged at the curious looks of the others. "I read up on the history of the island."
I am Cordelia Everts, Eric's ancestor confirmed, bowing a little bit at the waist. We were just about to discuss fixing the problem that plagues my home.
"So…. this place is….uck, what is it?" the woman, her short brown hair dusted a little bit with dust.
No one answered.
Cordelia turned towards Eric, her silver eyes glowing beneath the darkness of her cowl.
Are you ready?
"Ready? Ready for what?" Graham asked.
Eric didn't answer him, instead he just started to walk forward.
"DON'T DO IT!"
Everyone swiveled around at the new voice, and Eric couldn't help but gape at the new person that ran into the room.