The Forever Burn:

Part III

Michael lay there on the ground. After being hit by the old man, he had been knocked out as well. Things seemed to be getting weirder at every moment.

When Michael came to, the scientist that had told him of the hidden Stargate was working at a panel next to the door, trying hard to get it open. "What's the deal?' Michael said, while rubbing his head. Michael looked for Franks, not seeing him he asked the scientist where he was. "I don't know, He was gone when I woke up." "You don't think that he would have taken him? Do You?" "I, I, have no idea, like I said, he was gone when I woke up." Michael got to his feet, showing his aggravation while standing up. His shoulders hurt, harder to breathe with each breath. The air tasted hard and old. He reached for his canteen on the side of his pack. Opened the lid and took a few drinks of the cold water inside.

As he walked toward the door the scientist proclaims; "I got it" and the door slid open. Michael stood in the walkway of the once closed door, amazed by what he saw. A massive ring, at least twice the size of the Stargate on any other planet, It was made out of a type of crystal. Michael felt a feeling of awe come over him as the room began to light up and reveal what seemed to be another massive chamber that was filled with the oversized Stargates. The chamber reminded Michael of the puddle jumper bays on Atlantis, only instead of ships, there were hundreds of Stargates. As he looked up, he saw something jump from one side of the chamber to the other. Michael raised his gun, and took aim. Before he could even get a shot off, the creature was right in front of him. Michael was stunned to see what appeared to be a young woman, a very beautiful one on top of that.

"Please do not fire, I mean You no harm." The young woman said. "My name is Akana, and I am the caretaker, or should I say I was the caretaker of this place before I was locked in here by Stephen." Stephen was the name of the old scientist whom had went missing from the camp the night before Michael had came to this place. "How long have you been here?" Michael asked her. Michael could not help but look into her eyes, the cold deep blue of them were like paradise to him. Her hair hung in front of her face and looked so perfectly groomed. Surely Michael though, it could not have been long. "I have been here for approximately: 207 years, 3 months, 27 days, 13 hours, and 27 minutes. In your time of course." Michael couldn't believe it. She had been in there for over two hundred years. How could this have been, she had not a scratch on her nor were the clothes that she was wearing even dirty.

Michael wanted some sort of explanation, and since he couldn't trust a word that Stephen had said, and wasn't quite sure if he could trust Akana, he figured what the hell, go ahead and try the version he had yet to hear.

As Akana began explaining to Michael what exactly she was, he still could help himself to become submersed into her every word. He had never felt anything like this.

Akana was an android, programmed to make sure the facility was running correctly, and all the maintenance was preformed for the term of the seeding facilities operations period. But she was put into a hibernation mode before the facility could be brought online. Stephen had activated her when he first arrived there. She also explained that Stephen had been taking the regeneration therapy that was integrated into the facility for workers that were working on the construction. With the therapy, he was able to live longer, become stronger and faster. She also explained that the facility was not for seeding life, but for seeding every universe with a dimensional gate providing safe and efficient travel from one dimension to the other. The creators of the gates had planned on using the gates in the hopes that all dimensions would be aware of the other. Due to leadership changes in the "Mother" Race's governing bodies, the plan was scrapped and the facility was shut down before it could be started up.

Most of the things that Akana spoke of, Michael had no idea, but the scientist that had opened the door, he was taking everything in. He knew or understood almost everything that she was talking about. Michael felt a little jealous, so he just sat there listening to whatever came out of her mouth, and chiming in only when necessary. Akana warned Michael that if Stephen was allowed to continue the therapy, that he would become an unstable form of energy, and after that, it was anyone's guess. Michael told Akana of Stephen's current condition, and how old he looked. "Interesting" She replied, as if surprised by the fact that he was ageing. Akana walked over to a access panel in the hallway and put her hand out. Long fiber optic cable began to come from the face of the panel, and wrapped around her arm, soon her arm became one with the machine. "Good news" she began. "The regeneration chamber has malfunctioned, and Stephen has not interacted with the healing factor for over twenty years." Michael had guessed that Stephen had been working on the chamber when he first got to the facility. "What happened when he locked you up Akana?" "When I awoke from my hibernation mode, Stephen had already been here for what he said was 2 years, and he couldn't have been happier to see another person. Being that my original design was as a maintenance android, I was awaiting my program input for this specific facility. My knowledge matrix was intact, along with my living species interface. You see, first and foremost, I am to aid any living creature that is in this facility. Stephen needed my help, his mental condition was not safe." The scientist interrupted her; " Ok ok we get the point, Stephen was crazy, I think we all came to that conclusion when he attacked us!" Akara started to talk once more; " I am sorry for my delay, at the time when I was locked in her, Stephen was trying to access the inter-dimensional data base, which requires a level seven or higher clearance pass, that which Stephen does not have. It is a genetic read that I must do to verify. Stephen became upset at my unwillingness to let him have access. Not much time after that, Stephen had activated two of the security droids, he somehow reprogrammed them, and they attacked me. I was unable to prevent damage to myself, and retreated back to the dimensional gate storage room, as I entered the room, Stephen shut the doors behind me. I used the time I had to rebuild my vital circuits and hardware, and interfaced into what control systems I could. Which were not many, mainly security surveillance and the communications systems. I was able to keeps him out of the room, in turn he was able to keep me in. I allowed you to open the door, because I monitored your actions in the hallway when you shot him." Akara had been waiting for the right moment to exit her prison. As she continued her interfacing with the panel, she told Michael where Stephen was. "He is in the security storage room, he has activated over two dozen of the security droids." Stephen was getting ready for something, and Michael knew it wasn't good.