Past and Future Tense

Chapter 1: Digging

Captain's log, star date 47683.4:

The Enterprise has been invited to the Toprak system to help the Toprakin with an archaeological excavation on their south-most continent. The Toprakin are a peaceful people, steeped in ancient traditions and mysticism, but not unwilling to accept technology. Their major world religion is analogous to Earth's wicca religion, worshiping a four-faced goddess, Child, Warrior, Mother and Wise One, and a male god, the Sun. Their religion also includes the fear of many demons, creatures which are said to have escaped from many different hells, or been left here when the greater demons were expunged many millennia ago by a group of warrior women who were blessed by the Warrior face of the goddess.

Theirs is a matriarchal society, and as such, they are surprised by me and my position, but I seem to amuse them, and they are willing to deal with me as the captain of the Enterprise. The excavation, I have been told, is of great importance, as the Topraki believe it is the birthplace of their culture. Entombed there, as the evidence seems to indicate, is the first Warrior's Hand. The Warrior's Hand, also known as the Slayer, is one of four women and a man who make up the ruling Council of Five, all traditionally chosen by the god or goddess they represent to the people. This find, if it is confirmed, would have great significance to the Toprakin.

Toprak was a beautiful, Earth-like world. It had twelve continents, abundant and diverse plant and animal life, and a global preindustrial civilization that, while having a large group of religious warriors, was a peaceful society and was willing to accept people from different worlds with equanimity. The planet was yet unspoiled by heavy industry, but not untamed, and Picard privately thought that it would make a hell of a vacation spot.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard stood at the edge of the excavation site and covertly scrutinized the young woman beside him. The Toprakin were humanoid beings, and had very few dissimilarities from humans, the chief of which was a prehensile tail. The rulers of the planet had their tails surgically removed, because neither the Goddess nor the Sun God had tails. The Warrior's Hand, whose name was Irina, had dark blond hair and green eyes. She was nearly as tall as he was, but that was a lower-than-average height for women of this race, who tended toward the very tall. Her skin was a dark bronze, and there were weapons calluses on her hands, probably from the beautiful sword she wore in a sheath across her back. It and six knives, arranged in a baldric which ran cross-ways to the strap of the sheath, were all decorated with the symbol of their religion, five circles arranged in a cross which were the four phases of the Moon Goddess in orbit around the Sun God, a symbol known as the Cross of Hands. Also in the baldric were wooden weapons and vials of blessed water which were said to be an aid to the Slayer when she was hunting demons at night.

When the away team from the Enterprise had first transported to the planet, Worf had almost caused an incident, not through his normal gruff manner, but because of his looks. The Slayer had thought he was some form of demon called a Fahm, which was apparently something like what Earth had once called a vampire. She insisted that he prove he was not one of these demons by stepping into the sunlight (they had materialized inside the Palace of the Hands, the seat of the planetary government), and when he survived the experience, she was both relieved and curious. Eventually, this curiosity had opened the lines of communication with both peoples, and Irina had actually befriended Worf. After all, both were warriors, and it helped that she could beat him in a fair fight, her strength belied by her slender form.

Irina looked up at Picard and grinned. "Is it common practice among your people to stare so?"

He looked away, an embarrassed smile on his lips. "No, not really. I was just remembering when we first arrived. Few people so quickly earn the respect of my tactical officer."

"I imagine. I think we've truly mystified your mechanical man, as well. I suppose it's normal for a being which was created purely through science to question the existence of more magical forces."

"As well as for a man trained in science. But I've seen far too much in my time to discount it out of hand. I'm well aware that science doesn't know everything yet." He snorted at his own whimsy and looked out over the excavation. "Besides, I'm not sure I'd want to live in a world where we knew everything. The joy of science is in the discovery."

Irina laughed. "Then may you never be disappointed. Shall we explore?" He nodded, and they walked together into the main of the dig site.

It was a ziggurat, albeit a small one. The red stone structure had been discovered only recently by a group of farmers who were clearing land for agricultural purposes, and it was the fifth one to be found within that year. The Hand of the Wise One had said that a prophesy was being fulfilled and that the time for the Awakening was at hand, the time when the first Hands would return, as would the First Evil. It had all but Irina worried, but she quoted from the writings of the First Slayer, "Prophesies only come true if you let them."

The other four Hands were already down in the site with their excavators and archaeologists, as well as the helpers from the Enterprise, which included Data, Worf, and Riker. Troy and Dr. Crusher were in another part of the site, helping with the small cuts and bruises which often came with the territory when one was moving a great deal of stone and earth. Data called out from the portion of the tomb which he was helping to uncover. "Captain!"

Picard turned toward him and walked down the stairs which had been cut into the red, earthen walls of the dig. "What is it, Data?"

"I believe I have found an entrance into the tomb."

That got everyone's attention, but Irina and Picard beat everyone else to the spot where Data was working. "What've you got, Commander?"

He indicated a straight seam which ran from five feet out of the ground to well beneath it. It was one edge of a rectangular slab, and this slab was decorated with an ornate Cross of Hands. One of the peculiar features of the religious symbol was that it was changeable, emphasizing which of the Hands in particular was being honored, or giving all five equal weight. In this instance, the face of the Warrior, carved into the rock rather than in relief as the face of the Mother would have been, was larger than the other faces and than the face of the sun, and the shape of a hand was carved even further into that. Data said, "This stone slab appears to be a doorway. The readings of my tricorder indicate that it is on a pulley mechanism." He looked at the slab, and then at his tricorder again, before continuing. "The hand would normally be too heavy to move, but moving it will trigger the mechanism." He reached up to open the door.

Irina grasped his arm to stay his hand. "It's not for you, my friend. It's heavy because the builders didn't want anyone but the Slayer to open it, and there might be magical protections on it. The Hands of the Wise One have always been capable of installing very lethal traps, which you might trigger if you don't know what to look for."

The Hands worked their way through the crowd to stand with Irina. Loris, the Hand of the Child Moon, said, "Has the entrance been uncovered?"

"Yes. If the First Hand of the Warrior Moon lies within, will we awaken her?"

Arik, the Hand of the Sun, said, "I'm not sure it's the best course of action. All we have of the First Hands is their legacy and their legend. We don't know what kind of people they really were, and the prophesy says that reviving all five of the First Hands will awaken the First Evil."

Nomei, the Hand of the Wise Moon, answered him. "Dana wrote that prophesy. I don't think I would trust it if I were you."

Data asked, "Was Dana not the woman who, according to your mythology, entombed the First Five Hands at the beginning of your history?"

Shoal, the Hand of the Mother Moon, nodded. "She was. But do not assume that she or her powers were not real. The Goddess blesses whom she will with the talent to use magic, but we all still have free will, and it is possible for such a one to use their gift for evil purposes. Dana was such a one, and a terrible disappointment to the First Hand of the Wise One, Wello, who was training her as her successor. Dana was defeated by Tara, the second Wise Hand, but Tara was unable to free the other Hands. It has been one of the primary functions of the Wise Hands to find a way to break Dana's spells, but by the time it was found, the tombs had been lost. I agree that we should not trust Dana's prophesy. Wello warned against heeding her words."

Loris, nodded. "I, too, agree that the Dark One's words are full of lies. But the best lies contain a grain of truth. We should still be cautious as we move forward."

Arik thought about it. "Alright. We should open the tomb. Then the First Slayer may tell us what else we should do."

Irina said, "Agreed." Then she walked back to the door of the tomb and put her hand on the hand of the seal, then pushed it in as far as it could go. The hollow sound of stone on stone leant weight to the sense of history being uncovered, and Picard felt his anticipation start to rise. What would they find within the ancient tomb?

He heard a click within the door. The heavy slab of stone began to raise up, and the ancient air from within began to spill out as fresh air rushed in. Everyone backed up at the stench. Nomei held her hand up and whispered a word that the universal translators didn't catch, "Inflare." The palm of her hand glowed and a strong wind blew into the passage way, dispelling the noxious dead air.

Picard was surprised at the flagrant use of magic, but he didn't let it show on his face for more than a fraction of a second, though he itched to ask how she had done it. "Data, get the hand lamps together. We don't want to trip over anything."

"Yes sir."

The tomb was simple, but since it was created by the enemy of the one who had been entombed, no one expected a lot of fancy decoration. In fact, what they all expected were traps, and soon enough, that fear was proved out. Worf, Data and Irina all sensed it as Arik stepped on the wrong stone and a great pendulum came out of the ceiling, a pendulum with a razor sharp blade. Data pulled Arik out of its path. Everyone else had enough time to get out of the way on their own. Irina caught the shaft of the pendulum on its second swing and halted its movement, allowing the explorers to move forward without the fear of getting sliced in half length wise.

Further along the same corridor, a cleverly camouflaged pit was found by Geordie, as was the thin stone bridge that extended across it.

Nomei found a flaming fountain with the edge of her foot, but pulled it back before she was more than singed. Worf fired his phaser at the mouth of the fountain, melting the stone around the spout and blocking the flow of fuel.

Finally, they found the center of the tomb. The room was pyramidal in shape, matching the outer surface of the ziggurat in all but scale, being only thirty feet high at the apex. At its center was a hexagonal crystalline structure transparent and the color of topaz. Included within the crystal, like an insect trapped in amber, was a tiny middle-aged woman with blond hair braided down her back, a red leather jacket and pants over a white shirt, and a two-sided weapon in her right hand. One side was an axe or scythe. The other was a hardwood shaft, pointed at the end. And the grip was red lacquer.

Irina looked with awe at the tiny woman. "It's her," she whispered.

Data asked quietly, "Who?"

"Buffiea, the Fahmyr Slayer."

Okay, here's my next work. I love this idea, but beware, I am a slow writer. I'm not likely to make regular updates.

The background for this story will be explained as it moves forward.