-Provost Prokhor Zakharov,
"The Mind of the University."
Nathanial couldn't sleep.
Something on his mind was bugging him…and for once, it didn't involve the torment he received daily at school. Something else was bothering him, and he was fairly sure what it was. However, he almost didn't want to think about it.
Why, he thought, was there an encrypted file within already extremely tight security? What could they possibly be hiding that required even higher access than high Gaian council?
He sat up. "What time is it?"
"Current time - 0105."
Mille's sleeping by now, he thought, I'll let her rest. Nathanial got up from his bed and walked over to his monitor, still slightly groggy from his lack of rest. Turning it on, he accessed the device's dictionary. He typed in the word "Armageddon", and then read the display aloud.
"Armageddon…derived from Greek, scene of the battle foretold in Revelations 16: 14-16 of the Christian bible. 'The site or time of a final and conclusive battle between the forces of good and evil.'" He raised an eyebrow while looking down at the next entry. "A usually vast decisive conflict or confrontation.'" He nodded to himself...that sounded more like it. Now what is it supposed to mean?, he thought.
He sat down at his desk and turned on his side computer. He laid his head down on the desk and rested his eyes. He was finally starting to get exhausted just as he was beginning to get interested in his new discovery. Figures. The main screen beeped at him, so he sat up and accessed the Gaian Public Library files. The search function called out to him. He typed in various words…"Armageddon", "Battles", "Confrontation"…he suddenly realized what the results had in common:
TREIBEK, MESKHA
REMNANT'S OF EARTH
BATTLES OF PLANETWIDE WAR
REVELATION
TREIBEK, MESCA
CHRISTIANITY
He stopped the search and blinked slowly. Armageddon…Meskha…of course. How stupid of me…The criminal tab contains information about Meskha Treibek! But what information could it possibly contain about her? And even more importantly, what could the password be?
He stifled a yawn. "What time is it?"
"Current time: 0243."
He blinked and realized just how long he'd been pondering the questions. However, the adrenaline was beginning to pump through his veins. He was definitely on to something. He accessed the GDM and pulled up the criminal tab. Accessing the Armageddon password slot, he stopped and realized he had no absolutely no idea what the password might be. He began testing obscure codes.
He typed in Zakharov. The screen quickly flashed back a message: INCORRECT PASSWORD. He tried vorahkaZ, as the Gaian tech guys had a tendency to use backwards passwords. INCORRECT PASSWORD appeared on the screen. University. INCORRECT PASSWORD. ytisrevinU. INCORRECT PASSWORD. Maybe Zakharov's wife, Shila? INCORRECT PASSWORD. alihS. INCORRECT PASSWORD. Prokhor. INCORRECT PASSWORD. rohkorP. INCORRECT PASSWORD. Deirdre. INCORRECT PASSWORD. erdrieD. INCORRECT PASSWORD. Gaia. INCORRECT PASSWORD. aiaG. INCORRECT PASSWORD. Meskha. INCORRECT PASSWORD. ahkseM. INCORRECT PASSWORD. Treibek. INCORRECT PASSWORD. kebierT. INCORRECT PASSWORD.
Fearing that he would be caught, he logged off the GDM, frustrated. Armageddon…Armageddon…then it hit him. He turned back to his side computer and pulled up files for the Christian Bible. He typed in "Revelations 16: 14-16". It asked him for a version, and then it listed some abbreviations that Nathanial didn't know. He picked the first one, KJV. The screen read: "For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. "Lo, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is he who is awake, (keeping his garments that he may not go naked and be seen exposed!") And they assembled them at the place which is called in Hebrew Armaged'don."
Nathanial blinked, visibly confused. He pressed it to return to the option menu and selected the abbreviations one by one, each one making slightly more sense than the last. He finally reached the last, and it read: "These miracle-working demons caused all the rulers of the world to gather for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God Almighty. "Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their robes ready so they will not need to walk naked and ashamed." And they gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place called Armageddon in Hebrew."
He read the following sentences, which went on about some angels or something of the like. Nathanial didn't really know what it was talking about, nor did he really care what it was talking about. He logged back into the GDM and into the criminal tab, accessed the Armageddon file, and typed in "Judgment Day". The screen seemed to explode into eight different views, which seemed to be focused on a direct point. It seemed to be a dark and gloomy room, totally unfurnished save for a large machine in the center of the room. Lightning licked out from the machine then back into it, but it all seemed to be attached to…something.
He noticed what seemed to be a woman was restrained against the machine. The bolts entered the body end exited the body in a scene that was almost painful to watch. Her eyes were closed and she didn't seem to recognize the pain, which was an unusual site, seeing as how Nathanial was disturbed just watching the torture. The realization of the event finally hit him…he was staring at Meskha Treibek…he was staring at a relic of history, a legend! The feeling was almost too much for him.
The bottom right window on his screen seemed to be a place to type a message. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he felt compelled to say something.
Umm…hello?
He watched as the girl's eyes flickered open with a start, and she seemed to experience unimaginable pain that she hadn't before.
WHO ARE YOU?
He blinked at the sudden intensity.
I'm sorry…my name is Nathanial.
ARE YOU WITH THEM?
Who?
ARE YOU ONE OF THE LEADERS, COMING ONCE AGAIN TO INTERROGATE ME? YOU'RE A LITTLE LATE…IT'S BEEN OVER TEN YEARS NOW.
He wondered to himself if he was dreaming…but then shook it off. It was too real.
I'm not here to interrogate you. I found the Armaggedon file, and I felt compelled to say something.
The girl's eyes turned from fear to rage.
WHY HAVE YOU AWOKEN ME FROM MY SLEEP?
Sleep?
I AM IN PAIN. CAN YOU NOT TELL?? AT LEAST WHEN I SLEEP I CAN FEEL SLIGHTLY BETTER.
I'm sorry…
The expression of the girls face, though still contorted with pain, lightened a bit.
I apol…-logize. I'm sorry, what… was your name again?
Nathanial.
It's…nice to meet…you. It's been a long time since…I've talked to anybody new. My name…
The face on the screen dropped, and she trembled with what seemed like pain.
I know. Meskha.
The face nodded.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
As…you, Nathanial…I'm sorry…the pain…
I'll leave you for now. Do you mind if I talk with you in the future?
The face nodded and attempted a smile. Nathanial took the cue and logged off from the GDM. "What time is it?"
"Current time: 0326."
He rubbed his temples, staring at the blank screen in front of him for just a second more, and then he crawled into his bed, praying to whatever god was listening that he'd not be subjected to such pain in his own life.