 
# Conspiracy: Earth

#

#

## By N.T. Bergeron

## Copyright 2012 NT Bergeron

## Smashwords Edition

Cover Art by Jacob Zerby

Thanks for taking the time.

# Chapter 1

"Thanks Nick, you really bailed me out" said Steve.

Nick studied Steve momentarily. A friend since elementary school, he and Steve had drifted apart in recent years. Steve's job as a fireman kept his shifts erratic and his ever increasing family commitments consumed much of his remaining free time. Still though, when Steve needed his help, Nick was glad to give it and it provided them a chance to catch up. In this case it was the usual; Steve's computer had been acting up. It wasn't too hard for Nick to sort out. Some spy ware issues and a few programs were loading that didn't need to be and his computer had slowed to a crawl. Grinning Nick replied "No problem Steve. You want a beer?" Steve's reply of 'sure' was not unexpected and Nick was already up and crossing the floor of his apartment when it came. An athlete through his school years, Nick had managed to stay in good shape after graduating high school and college. Nearing thirty years old, Nick had never married or had children and that afforded him the time he needed to stay in shape. He kept his brown hair cropped quite short; his face cleanly shaven and preferred to wear jeans and t shirts as much as possible. Nick opened his fridge and grabbed two pale ales and returned to the computer table where Steve was waiting. Passing one of the beers to Steve, Nick sat down and twisted his beer open in one smooth motion and tossed the cap in the garbage can by his feet. Throwing a quick glance at his computer's monitor Nick read "UFO Sightings on the Rise" was splashed across the screen in bold black lettering with a long pointed article underneath. Hmmm, I will have to finish reading this later was all he had time to think. Turning to his guest he noticed Steve was also reading the headline on the monitor.

"So you're still into the whole alien thing then?" Steve inquired, one of his eyebrows raised questioningly. A simple scan of the surroundings would have revealed the answer. From the UFO posters on the wall, the bookshelves loaded to sagging with books that had titles like Atlantis: Is it still there? and Earth Chronicles. There were newspaper and magazine clippings of UFO sightings and crop circles littering his coffee table. On a short table, tucked neatly in the corner was a Stonehenge replica. Everything betraying Nicks love of ufology with gaudy audacity. Nick acknowledged Steve's question with a slow nod as he was sipping his drink. Lowering his beverage, Nick readied his response. Years of raised eyebrows and sarcastic, eye rolling 'uh huh's' had forced him to be ready to defend his passion.

"Well, you know we can't be alone in this big universe." He blurted out, "Seems like an awful waste of space if we are the only life in it don't you think?" not bothering to hide his irritation at having to answer this question yet again.

"Take it easy Nick; you don't need to get your back up with me" Steve said, his hands raised, palms out in an apologetic fashion "Personally I find it all pretty interesting; I just don't have the time to research it"

Nick sighed and shook his head, "Sorry Steve, it's just instinct, don't take it personally. It's just that I get so many people that blow it off as a bunch of conspiricist crap or think I am a total nut. It really gets me going" he said and took another long sip of his beer and looked away. Steve eyed him warily before he spoke, his voice calm. "I don't think either of those things buddy. I really do find it all pretty interesting"

Nick looked back and before he could stop himself he was telling Steve about his current interest.

"Right now I am reading some really cool stuff about a supposed twelfth planet called Nibiru."

Steve's eyes narrowed the tiniest bit; his look slightly skeptical yet interested all the same so Nick continued "Yeah, it's this planet that has a long elliptical orbit that brings it in close proximity to Earth every thirty six hundred years. There are theories that it is because of Nibiru that there is even a planet Earth in the first place."

Steve's raised eyebrows told Nick that there was more explanation needed so he pressed on.

"It's theorized that eons ago, when Nibiru was coming through this quadrant of space, it collided with what is now Mars. From that collision a piece broke off and assumed the orbit that became our beloved planet Earth and also formed the asteroid belt."

"Wow, that's quite a theory" Steve offered.

"Its inhabitants, the Annunaki, are supposed to be way more advanced than we are. There are some theories around that when ancient man spoke and wrote of gods, it is the Annunaki they were referring to. It's really interesting stuff and goes in depth and shows early pictograms displaying men in flying machines and stuff like that" said Nick, his voice alive with excitement.

Silence followed for moment while Steve digested what he had heard.

"Who came up with this theory? I have never heard anything like it before" Steve questioned

"It's all in these books written by a guy named Zecharia Sitchin. He translates ancient Sumerian texts and this is what he gleans from them." Nick said pointing a finger at his groaning bookshelves to punctuate his point.

Steve nodded his head again but remained silent so Nick pressed on.

"It gets complicated and difficult to follow at some points, but Sitchin ties everything together with the Mayan calendar, which is amazingly accurate to this day. Only it stops at December 21, 2012 and nobody can figure out why. According to his calculations that's around the next time that Nibiru will be approaching Earth" and then took another sip of his drink as he eyed Steve closely, trying to gauge his reaction to what he just heard.

Steve screwed up his face as he thought.

"I have heard of the Mayan calendar before. So if his theory is right then this twelfth planet will be back in our neck of the woods soon" Steve said, almost robot like as he performed the calculation in his head

"That would be about right" Nick agreed "Many people think the whole thing is the prelude to some sort of apocalypse, either by war or alien invasion or something equally sinister. Others still think that the planet's close proximity to Earth will cause a pole shift due to the gravitational effect of such a large body being so close to Earth" he finished.

"And what do you think?"

Nick reflected momentarily. "I can't deny it's a way out there idea and without actually seeing it, it's hard to imagine another planet such as this but at the same time I think there are many mysteries in the universe. Mankind is just scratching the surface of what could be out there."

"Good point" said Steve and after a brief pause offered "If it does exist though, wouldn't the government have told us?"

Nick gaped at Steve for a moment in disbelief "Well, government transparency issues aside, I think it was in 1992 NASA issued a press release that talked about mysterious deviations in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune which would be explainable by the gravitational effect of an unknown large planet."

"Huh" Steve said and started as he glanced at his watch

"Wow, I got to get going Nick. Cindy and the kids are waiting for this computer to come back and I still have to stop at my dad's before I go home." And with that he drained the rest of his beer in one long slow drink and put the bottle on the table. "Thanks again for fixing up my rig."

"No problem" Nick replied.

"I should really just get a new one eh?"

"Yeah it's about time you get a new system. That one is getting a little uh long in the tooth shall we say" Nick chortled

"Ha ha." Steve said mockingly "We should go for coffee one day and you can tell me some more about that twelfth planet."

"Sure. I'll take you up on that after I get back from holidays. It can be payment for the computer work." Nick said, half-jokingly.

"Vacation? Where are you off too?" queried Steve

"I'm finally going down to check out Area 51. It's going to be a cool trip. I'll be gone a couple of weeks."

"Wow, I hope you have good trip buddy. Take lots of pictures and stuff, try not to get abducted eh" he added, jabbing Nick in the arm playfully.

Steve got up and, after putting on his jacket, tucked the repaired computer under his arm and made his way toward the door. Nick rose as well and escorted Steve to the door and opened it for him. A quick 'see you soon' was all Steve could say as he headed out into the hallway and turned toward the elevator. Muttering the same as a reply, Nick closed the door and turned around. He briefly wondered to himself if all the Nibiru talk had been a bit too much for Steve and scared him off. Oh well he shrugged, it was still interesting reading. Finishing his beer he looked around his apartment. It was sparsely decorated with a couch and chair facing his big screen television, coffee table covered with more conspiracy theory literature. The kitchen was clean and tidy and down the hall, beyond the bedroom door, he could see his bed, still messy from the previous night's sleep. He picked up Steve's empty bottle and walked into the kitchen and put it with his back in the case with other bottles. Turning to go use the bathroom, his cell phone rang. He picked it up from the kitchen counter and answered "Hello?"

"Hey man, its Joel, you coming or what?" barked a voice on the other end of the line.

The sound of Joel's voice crystallized his memory and like a flash of lightning Nick remembered his Linux user group meeting. How could he could he have forgotten that?

"Ya, ya. I'm just running a bit behind" he said as he moved toward his computer desk, the urge to use the bathroom having vanished.

"I'll just grab my laptop and be right there."

He snapped his phone shut without waiting for a reply and shoved it back into its belt clip. Hastily he grabbed his laptop and a bunch of papers related to the new operating system he was currently playing with and stuffed it all into his laptop bag. Pulling on his jacket and lacing up his shoes, he paced quickly to the door and slung his laptop bag over his shoulder and then exited, making sure to lock it behind him. He opted for the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. Taking the stairs two at a time his descent from the third floor was rather quick, and he exited the stairwell and proceeded across the lobby and out the front door. It was a pleasant evening, the transition from winter to spring nearing its completion. Inhaling deeply through his nose, Nick enjoyed the fresh air and noticed there were no clouds to speak of, the sky awash with the colors of sunset and smiled. How lucky to have beautiful days like this he thought and headed off in the direction of his meeting.

Had he not been in such a hurry, he may have noticed the lanky figure detach itself from the shadows along the side of the building and follow stealthily in the same direction.

Nick was moving with purpose up the sidewalk and the figure hung back a little, working hard to maintain visual contact without giving himself away. He was content with meandering along slowly but with purpose, weaving in and out of the fellow pedestrians that populated the sidewalk, some of them glancing sideways at him as he passed. It didn't affect him anymore; he was used to it now. Recruited into this job as a young man right out of military college, it was now thirty plus years on and he was exceedingly good at his craft and had seen it all. Nothing bothered him anymore. What did he care if some of the sheep, as he referred to them, wanted to gawk at him as he passed? He didn't care. None of it would matter if he could pull this off, and it was this plan that had him out here among the herd he so despised, following Nick instead of scheming in his preferred place of refuge, his office.

His graying hair was mostly hidden underneath a black fedora, dark penetrating eyes looking out from below its brim, taking in every detail, no matter how minute. A sharply pressed charcoal grey suit finished off nicely with highly polished shoes adorned the rest of his body. Yes, Bill McGraw knew his role and he knew it well. He gave the impression of a predator, pursuing his prey. Lifting his radio to his mouth he spoke "Target is on the move. Steve left and now he is rushing out to make his monthly geek meeting" A smile played at the corners of his mouth as he said this. Not that he felt any animosity toward Nick; he had never even met him. It's just that the surveillance portion of this operation was grating on him and he was anxious to move on to the next stage.

What were they waiting for? This guy was perfect. No family, as his parents were killed in a car crash shortly after he moved out on his own. No wife or kids or girlfriends, and the few friends that he did have could be 'convinced' not to ask any questions.

"Roger that" the reply rattled in his earpiece. "Maintain a safe distance and keep us briefed"

"Affirmative" Bill replied with a sigh. "Is it a go tonight?" he queried hopefully. A long pause followed and the answer came, "Negative. The time is not quite right yet. Patience old friend, our time is near and it won't be long before we initiate the next stage"

Not even bothering to acknowledge the news Bill stuffed his hands in his pockets and strolled casually after Nick, still thinking about how perfect he would be for the role. He shook his head. If only Nick knew how much his life was about to change. All the revelations, the discoveries and in the end, his natural abilities and a starring role in the biggest conspiracy man would ever be involved in. Bill was all too familiar with what he was getting out of it. He had readily supported the plan from his first day when it had all been laid out for him. A big payday and his life extended several hundred years seemed like a fair trade for his services. It was going to happen anyway so why not cash in on it if he could Bill justified to himself. Ahead, Nick was disappearing around a corner and Bill sped up in response.

Nick took a quick turn down Second Avenue and continued on. Still chuckling slightly to himself for forgetting about the meeting in the first place he spied his destination. He was really looking forward to it too. As he had been using OpenSuse twelve for about a month now and was really digging it he wanted to see what other people's impressions were. Arriving at the front door to Joel's apartment he trotted up the steps and pushed the buzzer for apartment number five hundred and seven.

"Hello?" said a crackly voice

"Hey, it's me, buzz me in." Nick replied

"Damn, we were hoping you were the pizza guy. OK, c'mon up" the voice crackled, raucous laughter ringing out in the background.

The buzzer sounded and Nick, his hand already on the door handle, started to pull the door open. In that same moment, a tingly feeling started to form in his head. He likened the sensation to the pins and needles feeling he would get in his hand if he fell asleep with his arm in a weird position. It felt as if some dormant part of his brain had been awoken and was functioning for the first time. He stopped cold in the doorway and with his free hand he reached up and clutched his forehead. He felt compelled to look back over his shoulder. There he saw a lanky man in a grey suit and hat pass by, casting the slightest of glances in his direction. The feeling intensified in sharp waves to an ice cream headache like crescendo as the stranger drew nearer to him. Closing his eyes against the pain, a blurry vision popped into his head, like a picture way out of focus. It was so blurred he couldn't make anything out, but Nick just wanted it to go away and take the pain it was creating with it. Pain was radiating out from the center of his brain, so intense he was actually gritting his teeth against it. Just as fast as it had appeared, the picture was gone, like some sort of weird mental flashcard. The pain was now dissipating and Nick gingerly opened his eyes and looked around. The stranger was now several yards past the stairs to the apartment building and still striding purposefully away. Nick stood and rubbed his forehead a little longer and watched the man walk away and then took a few long, stabilizing breaths and entered the building. "I must be stressed out about the vacation or something" he thought to himself. Moving over to the elevator and pressing the up arrow he glanced outside quickly but no one was there. With one last reassuring look outside he climbed into the elevator, content to put the whole event out of his mind as a stress induced hallucination. In fact, by the time he arrived at the fifth floor the feeling of fear had faded altogether and he was again looking forward to seeing his friends and having a good time talking about Linux. Nick didn't even bother knocking at Joel's door, he just walked in. A chorus of 'hey's' and 'it's about time's' met his ears; some good natured ribbing for forgetting about the meeting.

"Ya ya you guys, I got a lot of stuff on my mind you know. I am leaving on for vacation in two days" Nick responded.

"Oh, how could we forget" everybody chorused, with more than one pair of eyes rolling.

"You only remind us every time you talk to one of us" Fred chimed in.

The laughter died and they got down to business. Frank was busy showcasing his new laptop.

With a shudder Nick remembered the feeling he experienced at the front door and he threw a cautionary look out the window behind him. Maybe it was a shadow, Nick didn't know, but he thought he saw the same man in the gray suit looking up at the building. "Naw, it couldn't be" he consoled himself and turned away.

Outside a solitary figure paused briefly at the corner and looked back at the light of room number five hundred and seven. With a sigh he reported "Subject is inside and secure" "Roger that Bill, good work. You'll be glad to know, the decision has come down, were taking him at the site"

"That's good news sir" With a dangerous smile he retreated into the darkness of an alley and started another vigil. He could barely contain his happiness; it was shooting through him like fireworks. Finally, things were in motion, the last phase of the plan was about to commence. Now the real fun would begin.

# Chapter 2

Nick's jaw splitting yawn punctured the library like quiet of the airport terminal like a gust of wind rattling a window. Some fellow travelers looked sleepily in his direction; others were too fully engulfed in their own grogginess, they didn't even bother to look up.

His legs crossed and pushed way out in front of him, slouching so badly in his chair he was almost falling off, Nick realized, he was dead tired. Yesterday, his last day at work, was insane to say the least. Finalizing all the incoming shipments and organizing times for them to arrive as well as getting all the outgoing shipments organized so that he could afford to be away from work for two weeks was agonizing. Every little detail from staffing to supplies required his attention to make sure there was a solution in place. The day didn't end there though. After putting in twelve hours at work he rushed home, arriving sometime after nine o'clock in the evening, and had to make sure all his packing was finalized. His flight left early the next morning and that meant getting up even earlier so he had time to clear customs and security before boarding his flight. He had managed to finally get in bed shortly before midnight.

With nothing else to do but wait, Nick ran over everything in his mind again. A suitcase packed with clothing for mostly a hot environment, and his hiking gear was in there as well. A trunk with his telescope meticulously packed and his digital camera and camcorder also inside with plenty of SD cards and recordable discs for recording lots of pictures and movies. The one and a half hour hike up Tikaboo peak was the pinnacle of his trip. From there he could use his hi powered telescope to peer into Area 51 itself and hopefully see something from out of this world with his own two eyes. Hence all the recording media and materials; Nick had no idea when or if he would be able to return and didn't want to forget a single moment. Finally, his carry-on bag, which contained his tickets, iPod, laptop and some books for reading on the plane, although at this point sleeping during the flight seemed much more inviting.

The public address system beeped loudly as it came to life and the small amount of chatter there was ceased immediately as everybody strained to hear what was being said.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Flight number four thirty eight, flying direct to Las Vegas, is now boarding. We ask passengers to please line up to the right of the gate ten and please have your boarding pass and identification ready to help expedite loading of the plane. Thank you".

Finally, Nick thought to himself. Getting up he stretched and yawned again then picked up his carry-on bag and rummaged inside for his boarding pass. With that in hand, he joined the other passengers now queuing up in line. Glancing around the lineup he stopped at a man in a black suit with his nose buried in a magazine. He looked familiar for some reason but Nick couldn't quite put a finger on and gave up trying as the line shuffled ahead.

He was finally going, he couldn't believe it. He was excited like a kid on Christmas Day. He gave his boarding pass and identification to the attendant and flashed her a quick smile. Taking the documents and scanning them through the computer she handed them back to Nick and with a smile of her own said "Thank you sir. Please enjoy your flight" and indicated that he continue down the ramp to the airplane. Turning, he went down the ramp and passed his boarding pass to the stewardess and she directed him to his seat. Squeezing into his window seat he was too busy gawking out the window to see the man in the suit gaze intently at him as he passed and quietly take a seat several rows back.

The heat hit him like a punch, burning at his eyes and nostrils. It was like walking into a wall. Stepping of the shuttle bus from the airport he squinted as he looked around. Las Vegas was nothing like he expected. For some reason Nick thought it would be more desert like, but besides the heat, this was a jungle of huge hotels and lavishness that he would never have thought possible in this kind of environment. He checked into the hotel and made his way wearily to his room. It was a standard room with two twin size beds separated by a nightstand facing a long and flat dresser with a television on it and several brochures outlining the amenities the hotel offered. To his right was a bathroom which consisted of a tub/shower, toilet and sink. Tucked in the far corner was a chair seated at a small glass top table which contained more brochures and looked through a sliding glass window onto a small balcony which itself overlooked the pool area below. Nothing to write home about but it would serve his purpose for the next two weeks. He quickly set about unpacking and had all the dresser drawers full in short order. Placing the trunk on the bed closest to the balcony he gingerly opened it and did a quick inspection of its contents. Everything seemed in order so he closed the trunk and placed it on the floor beside the bed. After a quick shower he went out on the patio and observed the goings on at the pool for a few minutes. Realizing how tired he was he went back in, closed the curtains to the deck area and got out his laptop and sat at the small glass table.

Nothing notable in his email so he made sure his rental car was confirmed for tomorrow turned off his laptop and then made his way to one of the twin beds. Turning off the bedside light he rolled himself into the soft blankets and smiled to himself. This was it. Tomorrow he would be heading up to Rachel, Nevada and seeing the Lil Ale E In and the infamous black (now white) mailbox and everything else that made Area 51 famous. With visions of spotting experimental aircraft or strange colorful lights in his head, he drifted off to sleep.

At the pool level, tucked back in the shade of some trees, Bill sat a table and silently toasted to himself with a glass of ice filled water. As he watched the curtains draw on Nick's room, he too was having visions of tomorrow. His dreams, however, were quite different from Nicks.

Nick slept all that night and woke only when the courtesy call came up the next morning. A dark halo around the curtain indicated that the sun had not yet risen. He felt surprisingly refreshed and rolled out of bed with a sense of anticipation. Phoning room service, he ordered himself a nice big breakfast and then he showered and hastily packed a day bag with his digital camera, some extra SD cards, his laptop and jacket. In his suitcase he placed his sleeping bag and used it as cushioning for his telescope. By this time his breakfast had arrived. He put the tray on his little table and devoured all the food on it. Making sure his remaining valuables were tucked away in the closet, he left a tip on the table for the maid and went out the door into the hallway. He made his way to the elevator and pressed the call button. The elevator arrived fairly quickly and he clambered in and jabbed at the button for the main floor. The doors opened and he exited and went down the short hallway into the main casino area. "What a town" he thought.

The scene was chaotic, lights flashing, slot machines dinging and beeping and people moving about everywhere. It felt like a Friday night party, yet it was first thing in the morning. He strolled through the casino noting the bleary eyed gamblers dumping money in to slot machines, hoping this pull will be the winner; cleaning staff and security working in and around everybody, trying to be invisible. He made a quick stop in the store and grabbed some bottled water, protein bars and other snacks to stuff in his day pack then he left the casino by the front doors and hailed a taxi

"Where to sir?"

"Dobbin car rental please"

The driver put the car in gear, turned on the fare meter, and eased out into the roadway. It was a short drive to the car rental site and he paid his fare and walked purposefully into the building. He received his rental; he had opted for a Nissan frontier as the four wheel drive would come in handy for where he was planning to go, and after a quick inspection with the lot attendant, loaded his bags in the back and climbed in to the driver's seat and acquainted himself with the interior of the truck. Pulling out the map he had printed from the internet, he reviewed where he was going. It was a two and a half hour drive to Rachel, probably a little longer for him as he was a tourist. He wasn't really worried about the time; he was in no hurry and wanted to be able to stop at anything that interested him along the way. With everything seemingly at the ready he put on his seat-belt and left the parking lot and turned onto the main street and drove away. Slowly, a non-descript four door sedan pulled away from another lot and settled in a few cars back.

There it was, Route 375, better known as the Extra Terrestrial Highway. Nick clicked on his left hand turn signal, slowed down a bit and completed the turn. The drive so far had been uneventful. A few stops to take some pictures, a few more to go to the bathroom and stretch his legs and now here he was. The traffic had been sparse. He thought he had seen a sedan a few times in his rear view mirror and wondered if it was a UFO lover like himself, on his way to the motherland, but it appeared that the sedan had turned off somewhere else as he hadn't seen if for a few miles. Another thirty minutes or so and he would be there. The landscape here was in stark contrast to the city. Bleak and unpopulated, the emptiness of it all seemed to push in on him and suddenly he felt alone in the world. He quickly checked his gas and was reassured that he had plenty and turned on the radio for company. His excitement was starting to rise when he spotted the Little Ale'inn in the distance. Like an oasis for a lost traveler, it beckoned to him. He pulled up and turned off the car. Getting out he pulled out his digital camera and snapped some pictures.

It was a single level building that housed a restaurant and gift shop. Out back there was some RV parking. He went in and found a seat and sat down. There was a small group of people inside and they were all discussing the recent sightings. He listened with great delight and digested every word. Finishing his lunch he left his money on the table and strolled around the gift shop. He picked up a few souvenirs and engaged in some chit chat with other patrons. Apparently the night skies were really active last night and the general consensus was, tonight would bring a repeat performance. In his mind's eye he tried to visualize what that would be like. The thought lingered in his brain like a vision from another dimension and excited him even more. This is exactly what he came here for. Noticing that it now late afternoon he headed back to his vehicle. It was a little farther to Campfire hill. He would be spending the night there and sleep, if he could, in the back of the truck. Although he anticipated that he would be spending the night sky watching and very little of it sleeping.

The road in to Campfire hill was rough and Nick was glad he had four wheel drive at his command. In several parts of the road it was needed. As he arrived at his destination the sunlight was waning and he quickly set up his telescope in the back of the truck, got out his sleeping bag, sat back and waited for the show to begin.

Night descended slowly on his solitary vigil, the darkness enveloping him in tiny increments, like he was slowly being swallowed by some huge beast. The evening was cold and clear, the silence, eerie and unnerving. He shifted where he sat and arranged his blanket around him. It was colder than he had expected, otherwise the conditions couldn't have been more perfect for a little night sky watching.

The lights appeared out of nowhere shortly before midnight, almost like someone was behind the scenes, pulling strings and flicking switches. It started with one bright orb high up in the sky circling slowly at first then picking up tempo and making all sorts of short bursts in zigzag directions, then blinking out and reappearing in a different section of sky miles away. A few more joined the show, doing some formations. Nick was glued to his telescope, oblivious to everything else around him. The world tuned out as he watched the unbelievable things that were taking place in the sky above him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw some more lights which struck him as strange since they were so low. Reluctantly he pulled his eyes away from his telescope and looked around for their source. A white jeep Cherokee was pulling up. How he had not heard anything was a mystery, but there it was none the less. He climbed up and over the side of the truck and started to approach the vehicle. As far as he knew he was on public ground and quite within his rights to be there sky watching so he was confused as to what the problem could be. No doubt some of the so called 'Cammo dudes' were bored and coming to roust him for something to do. He stopped about ten feet from the front of the jeep and waited squinting into the glare of its headlights.

He didn't have to wait long as the passenger door opened a man in a dark suit emerged and started towards him. As the man got closer Nick started to get a strange feeling, a feeling of fear like he should run, but he was rooted to the spot and couldn't move, his limbs felt like led. The stranger got right up to him, the feeling of fear now subsided a little, enough so that Nick could relax slightly.

"Nick Kershaw" the stranger questioned

"Yes"

"I need you to come with me" The words had barely registered in Nick's brain when he saw the movement. Lightning fast and with a precision borne from years of experience, the strangers hand appeared from his coat pocket with a tiny device no bigger than a cell phone. Suddenly everything was like a movie, time slowed down and events were happening in slow motion. As he brought up his hands to protect himself, the device emitted a near blinding flash.

Nick crumpled on the spot and rolled limply onto one side.

# Chapter 3

Nick awoke with a start, eyes snapping open, fully expecting to be standing in front of a white jeep Cherokee. Slowly the truth of his surroundings sank in. Looking around he realized that he was no longer on the mountain top watching the skies.

Instead he was in a room of medium size containing the bed he was currently lying in, a small bathroom tucked in the corner and in the middle of the room was a table with a plain wooden chair on either side. Rolling into a sitting position on the edge of the bed, Nick put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes, trying to dispel the disbelief that was permeating his brain. Dozens of questions bubbled to the surface of his thinking.

"Where am I?" and "How did I get here" being the main ones. Try as he might he could not remember anything after seeing the white jeep.

Feeling the need to do something, he got up and walked around the room looking for any clue as to his whereabouts. There was nothing of interest to be found. No phone, no television, no clock, the door had no doorknob or other visible means of opening it. The whole room had a sterile feel to it, like he was a specimen being held in some sort of container for observation.

Nick looked up at the ceiling, half expecting to see people looking down at him writing things on clip boards as they whispered excitedly at his every move. Swallowing hard he tried to quell the rising sense of panic that was creeping up from the pit of his stomach.

Crossing the room Nick lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes and took some long slow deep breaths to steady himself. Using the same breathing techniques he used when he meditated Nick drifted into a deep state of relaxation and the stress of his situation faded away with each long, refreshing breath. He lay quite still for some time, just focusing on relaxing.

From the depths of his brain the feeling came. That strange feeling that some part of his brain that he didn't normally use had suddenly sprung to life. His forehead started to tingle just above his brow between his eyes. He thought he could hear voices. Not just one but a jumble of voices, like hundreds of conversations all taking place at the same time and he was only allowed to hear brief snatches of each one in hushed whispers.

Nick's eyes shot open and he clenched the sides of the bed in panic.

"What the hell was that?" he thought. "Am I going crazy?" He lay his head back down but made sure to keep his eyes wide open and his focus on the situation at hand paying close attention to any voices trying to surface in his brain. The tingling feeling in his head faded however and he didn't hear anything else.

Nick must have fallen asleep again, as he was awoken by the distinct sound of footsteps coming into his room. He turned to look and he saw a man in dark clothes gliding into the room carrying a tray laden with food. The man appeared to have come right through the wall because the door was neither open nor closing as a proper door should be if someone had just used it.

Nick spun around to sit on the side of the bed and that feeling of being connected to something larger than himself was on him again, crashing over him in ever increasing waves. Not as strong as it had been the last time, as though he was gaining some amount of control over it. Now with a closer look at the man the memories came back to him.

"You're the guy from the jeep at Campfire hill, and, I think, the guy I saw outside Andrew's apartment" said Nick, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Your right on both count's Nick. My name is Bill McGraw. Come, sit down. I brought some food. You must be hungry, you haven't eaten in two days" said Bill, smiling in a friendly way.

"Why am I here?" Nick demanded, ignoring the sudden rumbling in his stomach "I was allowed to be at campfire hill. You have no right to detain me" he blurted out.

The friendly smile disappeared and Bill gave Nick a scathing look that was unmistakably designed to show who had all the power. When Bill spoke however it was in a measured tone, like he was really holding back a verbal tirade "As I said, Nick, come and have a seat and eat some food. Everything will be explained to you in due time" and he set down the tray of food he was carrying and stood by the table waiting.

Reluctantly Nick pulled up a seat to the plate of food Bill had placed on the table. With everything that was happening Nick didn't realize how hungry he was and he attacked the food on the plate like he had never eaten before.

As he ate Bill sat down at the table across from him and silently studied him. Not intensely but with an attention to detail that made Nick feel that if he had to, Bill could recite word for word their entire conversation, perhaps even know what he was thinking. Finishing the food, he pushed the plate away and reached for the bottle of water.

"I suppose I should say thank you" Nick said, his words sharp and purposely devoid of any thankfulness.

"No need. I understand how you must be feeling. Waking up here, not knowing where you are, how you got here. Must be unnerving" Bill said with an air of indifference.

"Unnerving is one way to put it. Terrifying would be more accurate. You said everything would be explained to me" Nick said, deciding to forgo any pleasantries and get to the heart of the matter.

"I wasn't lying to you Nick. I am going to tell you why you're here." Bill replied "Before we get started though I think we should relocate to a more comfortable environment"

Without another word he stood up and went toward the door. As Bill neared the door, it didn't swing open or slide open. Instead it seemed to just disappear, dissolve into nothing. Standing beside the open doorway he motioned for Nick to come with him.

Apprehensive at first, Nick decided that if Bill was going to harm him in some way he could do it here just as well as anywhere. So he got up and walked through the doorway and out into the hall as Bill indicated, stopping momentarily on its threshold to see if he could figure out what had become of the door.

Bill stepped through the doorway right behind Nick and as he did the door popped back into place.

"Follow me" Bill said, taking no notice of the baffled look on Nick's face, and set off at a brisk pace down a short hallway.

The hallway was deserted with no pictures on the walls or decorations of any other type save for a few more doors similar to the one on Nick's room. Nick's thoughts strayed to who might inhabit the spaces beyond those doors.

The hallway ended at an elevator, the door disappearing as Bill approached, just as the one back in his room had. Stepping in Bill waited patiently for Nick to get in. There were no buttons on the elevator, just a display screen that showed that they were currently on level D1. Once Nick was inside Bill said "My office" to no one in particular. In response the elevator started to move. Not like an ordinary elevator but in a smooth and fluid way, like there were no mechanical parts moving it.

It was an odd feeling, almost like floating through the air. Nick had barely gotten his legs under him when he sensed the elevator stop and the door disappeared revealing an antechamber of medium size.

There was a desk, unoccupied at the moment, to their right and on the left a bank of tall cabinets with long, broad drawers.

Bill stepped of the lift and took a path straight through the antechamber to a pair of double doors.

Striding up to the doors, Bill placed his hand on a black panel adjacent to the right of the two doors. It lit up in response and yellow light eclipsed Bill's hand for a few brief seconds and then went dark again and then the doors slid quietly aside and granted them access to the room beyond.

It was homier than an office though, with a three piece living room set on a nice rug with a coffee table holding court between them all tucked into the far right corner. To the left an elegant glass topped desk, tidy and neat with a phone and small table lamp placed on it with a large comfortable looking chair behind and a pair of chairs in the front. A bookcase stood behind the chair, filled with books and what looked like DVD cases and a few ornaments. To his immediate right a full bathroom and a counter area containing a heating pad and a coffee maker.

Overall one would get the impression that the owner of this office was someone very neat and tidy, the high level of cleanliness giving the impression that maybe they didn't spend a lot of time here. Even though it was nicely made, the cot the in the corner dispelled that notion immediately.

Bill slipped past Nick and walked over to his desk, opened a drawer and took some items out of his pockets and placed them into it and closed the drawer. He walked past Nick again and went to the cupboard above the counter and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of some sort. Pouring two large measures he put the bottle back in the cupboard and turned back to Nick and passed him one of the glasses. "Let's have a seat over here" Bill motioned as he walked over to the couch area and sat down in the chair. Nick hesitated for a moment and followed suit, sitting on the couch facing what looked like a large glass window that stretched wall to wall but was opaque and dark, leaving him to wonder if it was glass at all. He took sip of his drink and looked at Bill who was once again watching him in a casual way.

Nick smiled enquiringly and waited. The little he knew about Bill, he knew he would not have to wait long to hear what he had to say. He struck Nick as 'a get right to the heart of the matter' kind of guy, powerful and poignant; he wouldn't make Nick wait much longer.

Bill looked away and took a long sip of his drink and grimaced as he swallowed it. Sitting forward he placed his glass on the table with a tiny clink and clasped his hands together and looked hard at Nick. This time it was as though he was sizing Nick up to see if could handle what he was about to say.

"Well Nick, there's no point beating around the bush on this. What I am about to tell you will change the world as you know it and forever change your life in the process"

Nick stared blankly at Bill, his mind teeming with a number of different possibilities that Bill could be referring to.

In an instant the feeling in the room changed from casual and airy to an intensity that was palpable.

Based on what he had seen since he woke up here, he knew that whatever it was, Bill was probably not exaggerating. So Nick steeled himself for what he was about to hear, good or bad, his breathing tight in anticipation.

"You're into UFO's Nick and all the conspiracy theories that come along with them" Bill started.

Nick frowned, trying to gather his thoughts together and get a sense of where this was going. Yes he was into all that, but that didn't start to explain why he was here and even further, how did Bill know what he was into? He thought that maybe he had crossed the line while he was researching and ended up on some department of defense or FBI network and now they were going to bust him for it.

Bill continued "What if I were to tell you that there is some truth to those theories, a lot of truth in fact. Or what if I were to share with you that we have been visited here on Earth by alien life forms and they live and work among us here in this facility?"

Bill let the statement settle over the room which was now dead quiet.

Nick was absolutely astounded. He was sure that he could hear his heart pounding against his ribs. This had to be the farthest thing from what he expected. He just sat there blinking stupidly, his brain working furiously to try and put what he had just heard into some sort of context that would make it easier to comprehend. His response was shaped by the years of research that led to his distrust of the official line.

"Is this some sort of joke?" Nick asked

"Not at all" Bill replied matter-of-factly, waving one of his hands in the air.

"You want me to believe that after all the years of denial and establishment rhetoric you're just going to come out and admit it to me, just like that?" Nick said, shrugging his shoulders in disbelief.

"It's imperative to me that you do believe" is all Bill said.

"Well, since I woke up here all I have seen is you" Nick said, conveniently leaving out the whispered voices he had heard earlier. "Where are these aliens then?" he continued, looking around in a mocking manner.

Bill smiled slightly and took a device out of his inside pocket and pointed it at the window they were sitting in front of.

"I thought you might feel that way so I have arranged to have a little demonstration for your benefit" he said. Pushing gently on one of the buttons on the strange device, the window changed from an opaque darkness into a large panoramic picture window, revealing what looked like a large hangar beyond it.

"Go ahead, take a look" Bill said casually, picking up his glass and leaning back into the chair, a smug look on his face.

Nick looked toward the window, then back to Bill and back to the hangar again. Filled with doubt and an overwhelming curiosity, he pushed himself up from the couch and with one last look at Bill walked towards the window.

With each step more and more of the hangar came into view. He was right up to the window looking down three or four stories when his eyes fell upon it. Nick froze in place, eyes wide open and his heart skipped a beat before starting to pound like he was running a hundred meter dash. He took a shaky step back from the window. His brain was having trouble processing what he was seeing and he stood there silent for many minutes just staring, hardly daring to move lest it all be a dream and he wake up.

The UFO was exactly as he thought they would look. Identical to the descriptions that abductees and people who were lucky enough to see one would give.

Small and saucer like in appearance, it looked like it would hold three maybe four people in it. It was sleek and smooth, the hangar reflected clearly in its polished silvery surface.

Around the hangar were other saucers of various sizes. Some were damaged from crashes and others still in varying stages of disassembly while they were being reverse engineered. Several men in white lab coats were milling around computer consoles, making notes on clipboards.

It was almost too unbelievable. All the wondering, all the arguments and discussions, everything put to rest in a matter of seconds.

"Well Nick, what do you think?" Bill asked.

Nick stood rooted to the spot and didn't want to stop looking. He feared he was dreaming and that if he looked away when he looked back everything would be gone. His heart was racing but his brain racing even faster. He wanted to do run down there and get a close up look at them. Touch them. Go onboard and see what the inside looked like.

Bill's droning voice seeped into his consciousness, like he was a mile away "You're in what you would refer to as Area 51 Nick. The spaceship you're looking at is one of several that we have recovered from various crash sites in the United States and other locations around the world."

There was that strange feeling in Nick's head again. It was like a bunch of bees were buzzing around in there. Turning slowly away from the window and looking closely at Bill, Nick could see that his mouth was not moving, yet Nick could hear his voice distinctly.

"I see you can hear me, and, no, you're not going crazy. How to use telepathy is a skill we have learned from our alien friends or I should say, have rediscovered. Human brains are designed to use it but, for reasons I'll get to, we don't use it anymore. Our friends have helped us to awaken this part of our brain. You will learn to do it too. Like anything it just takes time and effort."

Nick was beyond overwhelmed and heading quickly toward an anxiety attack.

"Come, sit down, I have more I want to tell you." Bill suggested, seeing Nick's obvious distress.

Like a robot, Nick obeyed, his head still swimming. Somehow he managed to find his way back to the couch where, more so than sitting, he slumped heavily into it.

Bill pushed a button on the device again and the window changed to display a beautiful scene of an alpine meadow. Sitting back in his chair Bill let the enormity of it all sink into Nick's brain. He didn't want to rush things, he needed Nick to be on board and freaking him out too much at this point would not help his cause. After observing Nick for a short while he said "Maybe we should pick this up again tomorrow Nick. Give you some time to digest what you have seen and heard today"

A vacant nod was all Nick could muster to acknowledge Bill. Bill walked him all the way back to his room, right up to his bed and even helped him get into it. As he left the room, Bill wasn't worried. He had seen it before. The sheer magnitude of realizing that we are not alone in the universe, that there is other life out there, does that to people, even those who were so certain that we are not the only life in the universe have difficulty accepting it as truth when confronted with it. It was as if the human brain could not pigeonhole it into a nice acceptable package so it just tried to ignore it. At first he had tried to figure out why it was that way but the answer proved to be elusive. To him it was plain logic that there would be other life. He supposed that maybe others just weren't as logical as he was and left it at that.

How long Nick lay awake in his bed pondering what he had seen he did not know. Even though he always felt certain there was extraterrestrial life, to have it suddenly affirmed, it was as Earth shattering as Bill had alluded to. Finally he dozed off and had a fitful sleep with visions of alien ships and their occupants permeating his dreams.

When Nick awoke, he didn't get up right away, choosing instead to lay there in comfort and think some more. He had managed to come to terms with what he had seen yesterday. Now the big hurdle was why did they bring me here and show me everything? What does all this have to do with me? No sooner had he thought that when the door to his room opened and someone he hadn't seen before walked in bearing a tray with breakfast. He was very tall, probably nearing seven feet, a powerful muscular body combined with a commanding presence and an aura of intensity and power that made Nick want to pull the blankets up over his head and hide there until he left.

The strangers blond hair was cut at shoulder length and hung in a loose fashion like curtains around the chiseled features of his face.

"Good morning Nick, I am Grolen. I have brought you some breakfast. I wanted to meet you before we get down to business."

Pain cleaved through Nick's skull. His hands instinctively flew to head and he clutched it, as if he was trying to stop it from exploding. If he had been standing he certainly would have collapsed from the hot, searing pain flashing through his brain.

This time with his mouth Grolen spoke "I apologize; I forgot that you have had little exposure to this method of conversing. Where I come from our telepathic powers can be overwhelming for the human brain at first."

The pain passed and Nick rolled on to the edge of his bed and arose, his legs wobbly from the exposure to Grolen's communication. Eying the newcomer nervously he made his way to the table and opened the water bottle that was with his food and took a long slow drink.

"Bill asked me to bring this to you and inform you that when you are done I will accompany you to his office"

"You are not human then?" Nick replied as he busied himself with the food on the plate.

"No, I am not" Grolen replied nonchalantly.

Nick pondered this new piece of information as he ate. Grolen certainly looked human enough, maybe even superhuman if he really thought about it, with his physique so obviously non-human.

"Can you tell me why I am here?" Nick blurted out.

"Bill would prefer to lay it all out for you." Grolen replied.

After a long insightful look at Nick, Grolen turned and made to leave the room. He stopped on the threshold as Nick asked "What planet are you from?"

The corners of Grolen's mouth twitched in a slight smile but only responded "Everything in due time Nick, everything in due time"

Casually Nick finished his breakfast and found his way into the bathroom and showered and changed into some clothes he found in the cupboard. When he exited the bathroom he sat down again at the table and took another drink of water. He unconsciously played with his water bottle as he looked around at his room, wondering when Grolen would be back for him.

That thought had barely left his synapses when the door opened and Grolen strolled in. Nick wondered if he was merely waiting on the other side of the door spying on him.

"I hope you found everything acceptable." Grolen said jovially. "If you will follow me, I will take you to see Bill and hopefully we can help you find some of the answers you seek" and he stood politely waiting for Nick.

Nick nodded his consent and followed Grolen out the door and down the hallway to the elevator. Once again the door opened as they got to it, unlike Bill however, Grolen must have communicated his destination telepathically to the elevator because Nick felt it start moving without a word being said. They rode in silence, Nick still wondering how Grolen knew he was ready to accompany him to see Bill and he thought in his mind 'Can he read my mind?'

Grolen turned and a smile formed on his lips and Nick winced as Grolen's thoughts jabbed painfully into his brain

'No I can't read your mind Nick. When you are really focusing on a thought it gets projected out into the world. I am able to pick up these thoughts.'

Grolen's communication was painful, but this time Nick didn't' feel like his brain was being squished and he managed to keep his hands at his side.

As before, the elevator came to a stop with no real telltale signs and opened onto the antechamber outside Bill's office. Walking through the room and into Bill's office, Nick noticed that the bed was unkempt: obviously Bill had spent the night. He wondered how often he did that. Bill seemed as if work was his life so it wouldn't surprise Nick if he learned that he spent the majority of his days and nights here.

Bill was sitting at his desk with numerous papers spread out in front of him, examining them closely. As they approached his desk he looked up. Bill seemed surprised as he hastily gathered the papers into a neat pile, secured them with a paperclip and turned and put them into a drawer behind him. Bill turned back to greet them and seemed to be at ease once more.

"Ah Nick, I have been expecting you. I see you have met our friend Grolen" Bill said, gesturing with his hand toward Grolen who inclined his head in return.

"Good morning" Nick said

"Did you sleep well?" Bill inquired

A shiver ran up and down Nick's spine as he reluctantly remembered his fitful sleep from the night before. Choosing his words carefully he replied "I suppose under the circumstances, the sleep could have been worse"

"Well let's hope after what we talk about today you can get some rest tonight "Please, come sit down" he said, motioning to the chairs on the other side of his desk. Grolen sat down right away but Nick, an uneasy feeling forming in his stomach, caused him to hesitate. When he did take a seat he sat rigid and stiff as if he were expecting bad news to be delivered.

Bill had his elbows on the desktop and his hands joined at the fingertips as he surveyed them both momentarily, marshaling his thoughts. Seeing no other way to approach the matter besides straight on he drew a deep breath and said "Planet Earth is under attack Nick, and you can save her".

# Chapter 4

It took a moment for the full impact of the statement to hit him. Yesterday's revelations were a walk in the park compared to what he had just heard. For a moment he just sat there staring back at Bill, blinking in disbelief. He tried to respond, to say something, anything, but found that no words were coming; instead he just sat there opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. Nick closed his mouth and looked at Bill then at Grolen then back at Bill.

They were both staring at him apprehensively, each trying to gauge Nick's reaction.

Through the cloud of confusion Nick finally managed to force out a response in a meek voice.

"What do you mean, under attack?" said Nick, his mouth dry like a desert "You mean under alien attack" he continued. It was part question and part statement as the memories of the UFO he had seen yesterday were still fresh in his mind.

"That's a very astute observation Nick and partly correct. I think you are familiar with the Planet X theory" Bill questioned.

"You mean Nibiru?" Nick said disbelievingly.

Bill nodded in affirmation.

"Well" he started slowly "I have done some reading about it and it is a very interesting theory, but that's all it is right, just a theory" Even as he said it something in his mind had already concluded that it was more than just a theory. That it was in fact, very real and that was part of why he had been abducted and brought here.

Bill and Grolen shared a quick glance and Bill replied "No, the planet itself is quite real. What you have read on the internet may not be entirely accurate but I can assure you that the planet itself is very real"

Leaning forward slightly Grolen quietly interjected "Since that's where I am from Nick, I can vouch for its authenticity"

Nick jumped out of his chair and backed away a few steps, trying to put some distance between himself and the source of his imploding world. First the alien ship, then the telepathy, now a real live alien and to top it all off, an attack on his planet, this was way beyond getting out of hand. Nick felt like he was on a sinking ship and he was clinging to the mast for dear life.

"Take a minute and collect your thoughts Nick" Bill said. From somewhere in his desk Bill produced a bottle of water and offered it to Nick. Slowly Nick walked over and took the bottle of water and resumed his seat. With slightly shaking hands he managed to open the bottle of water and took a quick sip. His throat was so tight he had to force it down with a hard swallow.

I have got to calm down he thought to himself and in response closed his eyes and took a couple of slow deep breaths. Feeling infinitely more relaxed, he opened his eyes to see that Bill and Grolen were staring at him, their eyebrows knitted in concern.

"I'm sorry" he said "I guess I wasn't as ready for the truth as I thought"

"That's quite all right Nick. Your reaction is not unexpected. Your world has been turned upside down. Everything you thought you knew has been forever and irrevocably changed" Bill said.

Nick appreciated Bill's understanding and reflected momentarily about everything that had happened and where it was all going. What Bill had said about the Earth being under attack and the fact that he could save it really resonated within him so he decided to start searching there for answers.

"Bill, maybe you can elaborate on what you just said. Especially the part about how I can save the Earth. I honestly don't see how. I am ready to pass out from fear just thinking about everything up to this point. How am I supposed to be save the planet?"

Bill leaned back in his chair as if he was getting set to deliver quite a lengthy speech "I'll start at the beginning I suppose. As you know, theories of Planet X maintain that there is a twelfth planet that has a long elliptical orbit that brings it through this solar system about every thirty six hundred years. Without getting into all the math, she will make her closest approach to Earth in a short time, December two thousand and twelve to be exact."

Nick was following along closely; nodding his assent at items he had already read and couldn't help but cut Bill off. "Wouldn't it be visible to our telescopes by now though?"

"Not yet, but it won't be long now. " Bill answered.

"But I don't see the under attack part. Maybe they are friendly and the people of Earth would embrace their arrival." Nick said, fumbling for a rational argument.

"Remember how you reacted, Nick. Can you imagine how the general public would react if this information gets out. It would total pandemonium." Bill said and then sat silently for a moment as everybody reflected on the chaos such an event would cause on Earth. Bill was first to break the silence.

"I think perhaps this would be a good time for you to tell your part of the story my friend" he said to Grolen.

Nick looked over at Grolen who was sitting upright in his chair, hands folded quietly in his lap, observing the proceedings with an air of intense interest. At the mention of his name he started talking without hesitation or any forethought and picked up the thread of the story Bill had begun.

"You see Nick, the last time Nibiru came through this solar system they took an interest in Earth. They discovered that Earth was abundant in natural resources that they greatly desired, gold being chief among them. What happened next is nothing short of heinous for there was another resource they discovered that they coveted almost as much as gold."

Nick fidgeted in his seat, unsure of what was coming.

"It was primitive man Nick. The scientists on Nibiru decided that the human race could be 'upgraded' so to speak and use them to mine for the other resources they coveted."

Nick furrowed his brow in thought "Upgraded? You're talking about genetic engineering" Nick said in sudden comprehension.

"Yes that's exactly what I am talking about here. The scientists took the DNA of primitive man and infused it with some of our DNA to create man as you know him today. That's why you and I look so alike; you were made in their image."

Nick shook his head and let out a low whistle.

"Now while this was all happening, there was a group of us, myself included, that were against what the others were doing and we tried to stop them. We descended to Earth and tried to rally the humans of that time against these would be gods. As often happens in these situations, we were betrayed by someone we trusted. It was decreed that we were going to be rounded up and jailed, maybe even worse, for our interference with the master plan." Grolen said and then paused.

"What happened then?" Nick said, the rest of the story hanging out there tantalizing just beyond his reach.

"We scattered and went into hiding before they could find us and have been hiding here on Earth in extreme secrecy ever since, working with the governments of the world trying to prepare them for the time of Nibiru's return. Others that were sympathetic to our cause did remain on Nibiru but for obvious reasons seldom risk contact with us."

"Why in secret?" Nick questioned "With planet X leaving our solar system wouldn't that have been a prime opportunity to free humans of their captivity?"

"I agree with your thinking Nick and yes that would have been the best chance but the powers that be thought of that as well. They left sentient robots in their stead to watch over humanity and send reports back to Nibiru on mankind's continued development. You have seen them in your research probably; they are quite often referred to as grays when they are seen by people. As you know they abduct humans and conduct experiments on them and send coded subspace reports back to Nibiru with their findings. If you were paying attention you would have noticed that their activity has picked up in recent years as the planet gets closer to Earth. Unfortunately they have been programmed to keep a close watch out for us as well which makes open help from us highly difficult, and now they are on their way back looking to pick up where they left off. That means continued enslavement of the human race in accordance with their goals"

With that, Grolen stopped talking and sat back in his chair seemingly with nothing else to say.

"Wow" was all that Nick could think to say. "That is off the charts incredible but I still don't see how I can save mankind. I mean against their advanced technology what can one person do? Haven't you guys developed the means to fight them in their absence?"

"The spacecraft that we have been able to salvage and repair from this planet, are neither suitable enough nor numerous enough to mount an attack of any magnitude." Grolen answered. "Further complicating that idea is that each Annunaki has a distinct signature, like a soul fingerprint, used as a means of recognition and communication. It's supposed to create openness or a feeling of being one, and if we were to try to go back ourselves and fight them we would be discovered by that fingerprint and destroyed before we even got close to the planet. An open attack would easily be quelled and is out of the question. It took many of your centuries for us to develop a proper plan that has a chance at succeeding. We knew that whatever plan we came up with, it had to be one that would employ a method that they would never think to create a defense for." Grolen said, his eyes hinting that they had done just that.

"And this is where I come in as Earth's savior" Nick interjected, skeptically.

"If you can't pull this off Nick, then our only other option is to go to open war. A war which would only cease with the obliteration of all human beings and believe me, as much as they covet their slaves, they won't hesitate to stamp humanity out of existence, like cockroaches." Grolen replied plainly, and devoid of any emotion.

"So what can we do then?"

"I told you that modern man was created by them in their image, using their own DNA. Indeed that was a monumental achievement. They don't know it, but it will also be the source of their downfall" and a wicked smile crept across Grolen's face, that played on the corners of his mouth.

Nick just sat there, staring, inwardly still unable to see how he fit into everything.

Grolen continued "As I said, they can detect other Annunaki by the distinct signature we each have and no matter what we do with our telepathic abilities, we can't hide that signature but the human soul does not have that quality. The creators didn't feel that humans were worthy of possessing such a power and being on the same level as them, so they didn't imbue man with it. Therefore if you were to go to Nibiru nobody would sense you, for lack of a better term. They would have to have a visual contact before they realized that you were even there."

"So you want me to deliver a bomb or something like that? Blow them up? It doesn't sound like that would be enough." Nick said, puzzled.

"No, you're right; any bomb designed here on Earth would not cause enough damage to be able to deter them from their course of action. What we need here is something more simplified so that it could happen right under their noses and by the time they figured it out it would be too late." Grolen sat back again savoring the effect, relishing how ingenious the idea really was. "In a few months' time, give or take, Nibiru will be within range of the small spaceships you saw just outside this window" he said, gesturing with one of his muscular arms to the window that spanned the length of Bills office. "Our plan is to awaken your natural telepathic abilities, specifically how to shield your body from their computer sensors and send you back to Nibiru on one of those ships. Once there you will be met by people who share our views but were never discovered to be sympathetic to our cause by those in power. They will give you safe harbor and arrange for passage to the device". An ominous tone settled in the room.

"The device?" Nick said out loud.

Grolen continued on, either unaware of the interruption or unbothered by it "It is an atmospheric device that controls weather and oxygen levels and also keeps the air clean of contaminants and such for the whole planet. We want to alter the machine and use it to disperse a poison that will temporarily disable the native Annunaki telepathic abilities and we can then come in and seize control of the planet and imprison those who are leading the effort to enslave mankind. A pre-emptive strike if you prefer." Grolen spoke the final part of his statement with such emotion and passion, the words hung there like a cloud full of fury and a profound silence settled on the room. Nick thought about the idea and it was so out there he was having great difficulty comprehending everything. What had happened to his life? Three days ago he was normal guy enjoying the vacation of his life and now here he was being asked to abandon everything he knew, everything he thought he knew, to fly in a spaceship to another planet light years away and become mankind's savior. He didn't know what to believe anymore. As much as he wanted to believe the story outright something gave him pause. He couldn't put his finger on it, he didn't know if it was fear or just the suddenness of the world as he knew it coming to an end but there was a feeling that was playing on a part of his mind. Putting the feeling aside to think through another time he turned his attention to the matter at hand.

Bill broke the silence "So Nick, what are your thoughts? A lot to take in and digest I know but we need to get rolling on things as soon as possible."

"I'm sorry Bill, Grolen, but this is all so mind blowing. I mean a few days ago, sure I believed in all this stuff, but did I? I mean it made sense that there would be other life out there but when it gets thrown in your face you feel way different about it than you thought you would. To be quite honest with you it freaks me right out and I want to run and hide until it is all over."

"We know Nick, we've seen it before but to be honest in return, of all the people that we have exposed this to, you seem to be handling it the best." Bill said in a very fatherly tone. "Why don't you go back to your room and get some rest and mull it all over and we can talk about it some more tomorrow"

"I think that's a good idea" Nick agreed.

Bill stood up and the door opened and in walked one of the grays. Nick was so numb from everything else he didn't even start at the sight of him. "He will take you to your room Nick." Bill extended his hand for a handshake and as Nick took it, that sliver of doubt returned. The feeling he wasn't getting the whole story. He supposed that he wasn't for good reason; everything up until this point had only served to destroy his world. If he knew everything there was to know he might try to hide in his room and never come out. He turned and followed the gray pausing as he reached the door; he looked back and asked "What if I decide that I can't do this?"

In his same fatherly tone Bill replied "There are ways that we can modify your memory and return you back to your life. We wouldn't want to, but I think once you have had a chance to think things through properly, you'll see the importance of this mission."

Nick left the room and followed the gray back to the elevator and got in. He felt like he was already in space. The whole trip back to his room was one blur. As they arrived the door opened and the gray shifted to the side so Nick could enter and as he did the door shut swiftly behind him. Nick barely noticed. He noticed as he made his way to the bed that there was some food on the table for him. Pausing to take a drink of water, Nick continued on to his bed and flopped in it and lay there for a long while staring at the ceiling, his thoughts racing around like a swarm of ants. He tried to take everything he had been told and shown and put it all into some sort of neat little package or a frame of reference that he could wrap his brain around but it was exceedingly difficult. It was only after the answer finally came to him like a bolt of lightning, like someone flipped a switch that he was able to fall asleep. He would go along with their plan, for now, but keep his eyes and ears open and plan for his escape.

# Chapter 5

Bill and Grolen sat in Bill's office for quite some time afterward, each of them viewing Nick's quarters on close circuit television. When they saw him finally drift off to sleep they both relaxed a little.

Bill closed for a second and cleared his mind. Taking a deep breath he opened his eyes and asked "Do you think he buys it?"

Grolen was alert and calm as usual, unaffected by the stresses of mankind. Pursing his lips thoughtfully for a moment he replied "I think that, like most humans, Nick is struggling with what we have revealed to him. I think it's only his predisposition to believing in life on other planets that is helping him cope with it all instead of having a complete nervous breakdown."

"Now for the big question, will he do it?"

"We could force him as you know, but it would make everything a lot simpler if he did it willingly. We do have backups but as we both know he is the best one suited for the job" Grolen said with a grimace. "I think in the end he will come around and see it our way. I mean who could pass up an opportunity to be the hero and save the human race" They shared a knowing look and Grolen got up and left the office, the door closing softly behind him.

Bill leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his head. Yes who could pass up that opportunity?

The next morning Nick awoke and for the first time in a few days actually felt better. Having his decision made and his path clear had given him something to focus on and the determination and resolve to pull it off. How he would pull it off he did not know, but he knew that given time the opportunity to escape would present itself. The information he had been given was incredible but he could not envision himself being able to do all the things that Bill and Grolen had told him yesterday. He had to get away and spread the word, get a message out to his fellow human beings about what was happening. Also he had to not think about his plan, to try and put it out of his mind until the exact time the opportunity presented itself. Nick didn't know if Grolen or even Bill for that matter could really read his mind but he couldn't take the chance of his plan being foiled before it even got off the ground. He arose as usual and cleaned himself up. He decided to look through his stuff that was hastily put in one corner. A quick inventory revealed what he expected, any communication type of electronics was removed and all that remained were changes of clothes. As he stood and surveyed the room the door silently opened and another gray appeared bearing a tray laden with breakfast items. Nick didn't know what to call him, nobody had told him if they had a name or not. He wasn't even sure if he was friendly, as Grolen had pointed out; they were supposed to be in place to spy on humanity. The gray placed the tray on the table and moved to stand by the door. Nick sat down and noticed a note on the tray. It was from Bill and said plainly; after you have finished eating please follow Javon and he will bring you to my office so we can talk.

So he did have a name Nick thought as he surveyed him over the top of the note.

Nick ate and stood up and said "Ok, Javon, I am ready. Let's go"

Without a reply of any sort the gray turned and the door opened and he went out and waited for Nick. After the door to the room closed they went silently to the elevator and rode up to where Bill's office was located. The gray stood obediently beside the door as Nick entered.

A Jovial "Good morning Nick" greeted his ears as Bill looked up from his desk "How are you feeling today?"

Nick wasn't sure but he figured that Bill could tell that he was feeling a lot less anxious. "I am feeling better today, thank you for asking"

"Let's sit over here" Bill said as he got up and wandered over to the chair and sat down.

Following suit, Nick joined him and sat down squarely in the middle of the couch.

Not waiting to be addressed, Nick asked the one question that was burning in his mind at the moment "What's with the Grey's? I thought they were working for the Annunaki?"

"Well" Bill began "As with the spaceship you saw, we have recovered some of their technology, and the grays are a part of that recovery process. The ones you see here were found on board crashed ships and we have since reprogrammed them to work for us" The answer was quick and succinct explaining their purpose in one brief summation and Bill, sensing Nick's hesitation, pressed on "but what of our we discussion from yesterday? I am interested in hearing your thoughts on that matter"

Nick paused for a moment while he replayed portions of yesterday's conversation over in his mind and asked "What if I don't want to do it?" more as a way to buy some time for him to think than anything else.

"That could complicate things Nick. We have chosen you for a reason. A lot of research time and money has been put into finding just the right person for the task. To just throw all that away isn't something we want to do. The Annunaki are coming here Nick, and they want to complete what they started the last time around; there's no way around that. Isn't saving mankind a big enough motivator?"

"Yes but I need to know, what if I refused?" Nick pressed on, undeterred at the attempted sidestep of his question.

"If we had to we could modify your memory and return you to your life. Any memories of this place, what you have seen, what you have been told would all be gone and you would wake up in your nice little life and continue on as if none of this had ever happened"

For some reason Nick had a feeling that while this may be true, he felt they would do anything possible to avoid that route. Nick stared at the table for a second and slowly formulated what he wanted to say next. He thought of his friends and their children and the responsibility he felt he had to help them if he could. With a deep bracing breath he said "I'll do it"

If Bill was excited he hid it very well. An almost unnoticeable smile played on his lips as he leaned forward and extended his hand to Nick. As Nick was shaking it Bill said "You have made a difficult decision Nick. To have the world as you know it so tumultuously turned upside down and be able to find a way to see through that and put it aside for the greater good shows a man of great compassion, wisdom and most importantly a man of immense bravery. You can't begin to comprehend what this means to the human race."

Bill beamed at Nick for a moment and quickly stood up and crossed the office to his desk and sat down behind it. "Time is a precious commodity Nick and no more precious than in all this mess. We have to get you into training as soon as possible."

"Does that take place here as well?" Nick probed.

"No, we'll be sending you to Dulce base for most of your training and after that... well, you'll see when the time comes, but for now you're off to Dulce. Don't worry about anything; we have had everything in place and ready to go awaiting your final decision. We can leave straight from here."

With that Bill stood up and marched over to the door and exited beckoning Nick to follow. Nick left the office and got in step beside Bill down the hallway and into the elevator.

Nick racked his brain for any information he had read about Dulce Base. All he could remember at the moment was that it was a supposed secret underground base that went several floors underground and was a joint operation between humans and extra-terrestrials where technology was traded for the continued research on mankind. Still other reports listed horrific genetic experiments being conducted on animals and human abductees; as well as research into the human aura, ESP and mind control were the main functions of the base. "Train level please" Bill commanded.

The elevator started moving and if Nick didn't know better he would have said it was moving horizontally instead of vertically and just as he finished that thought he felt a faint downward motion and sensed that they were going down. It seemed to take hardly any time at all and they came to a stop and the door opened onto a railway station platform. It was small to medium sized at best with a high ceiling, well lit and clean and what looked like a command center or control room at the far end overlooking the whole area.

To the right a series of bay doors that, at present, were closed. On the left is where the track should have been, only there were openings in the rock at either end of the platform, the ground below was flat and it looked like the rock had been polished to a shiny black and was smooth as glass. It was big enough to drive a tractor trailer through there if need be.

They walked across the platform to the control room at the other end, their footsteps echoing ominously in the emptiness, and ascended a small flight of stairs. The door to the control room silently slid out the way for them to enter.

Inside the room, large displays and touch-pad controls bearing a mix of English and some strange glyph type symbols were all dormant at the moment and emitting a purplish glow that filled the room.

Bill walked over and touched a series of buttons and the displays changed color into a brilliant blue white and sprang into life displaying all sorts of graphs and images. One of the displays was sectioned into small surveillance type squares, each showing another dock similar to the one he was on, several of them having activity.

Looking closer Nick could see names at the bottom like Dulce, Toronto, New York, Colorado and several other major North American cities.

Nick had barely enough time for all this to register when Bill said "There, the shuttle is on the way, let's go down to the platform" He got up and gestured toward the door and Nick turned away from the control panel and walked toward the door. It opened as he got there and he and Bill climbed down the stairs and walked toward the edge of the platform. "These are some pretty big tunnels" Nick observed, wildly looking for something to talk about.

"Sometimes we need to transport large items and for obvious reasons, we can't do it above ground" Bill curtly replied.

Without any noise to announce its arrival a small shuttle shot into view and stopped abruptly right in front of them, the door opening slowly. Bill walked in and sat down in one of the pair of chairs nearest the front. Cautiously Nick followed him and took the chair opposite Bill, across the aisle. Noticing Bill put on a seat belt Nick did the same. The shuttle was about the size of a private jet with four rows of single chairs separated by an aisle. In the front was a small control panel that Bill was leaning over and entering information in a rapid fashion. Leaning back he gave Nick a quick smile and said "I hope you're ready for this".

If it wasn't for the fact that the dock they were at had disappeared Nick would never have noticed that they were even moving. The ride was so quiet and smooth it felt like they were floating on the air itself.

"How fast are we going?"

"Just a little faster that the speed of sound" Bill replied as he peered ahead out of the front window.

"So this shuttle isn't mechanical then"

"Its propulsion system uses magnetic energy. That's why the ride is so smooth."

"How long will it take to get to Dulce from here?"

"It's only a few minutes"

"I noticed in the control room there were monitors for other cities in North America"

"Yes, there are other bases. The Annunaki went into hiding and made these tunnels and the other bases so they could have a few escape points if the need ever arose. If they ever came under attack they could escape to another base and collapse the ones that were under attack. Looks like we're here"

The shuttle came to a stop abruptly yet smoothly at another dock that was an exact replica of the one they just left; this one too was empty which Nick found strange and unnerving.

He and Bill exited the shuttle and made their way to the right side of the platform where an elevator was waiting for them.

"Fourth floor" Bill barked out and the elevator started moving in that strange unnerving way Nick had come to associate with these elevators.

Bill seemed a little on edge to Nick, like something was bothering him.

As the elevator ascended, a strange feeling began to build in the back of Nick's mind. Not necessarily fear, more like an anxious or nervous feeling, like he was going to see the dentist or it was his first day of school or something.

Bill turned toward him and forced a weak smile that was meant to reassure him.

Nick focused his attention away from what he was feeling in an effort to remain calm.

The lift stopped moving and the doors opened slowly onto a long hallway with many doors and interconnecting hallways. Standing immediately outside the door was the most beautiful woman Nick had ever seen.

She was around the same height as Nick maybe one hundred and fifty pounds, long blonde hair falling in loose curls around her thin face. Her eyes were a piercing, azure blue that reminded him of pools of water in the tropics and when she spoke, her voice was soft, soothing and motherly and made Nick feel all at once like everything was alright in the world and his cares all washed away.

"Well, here he is. I have been waiting to meet you" she said extending her hand. "My name is Thralesh. I will be your guide for the next little while. I am looking forward to working with you."

In a trance like state Nick followed Bill off of the elevator not taking his eyes off Thralesh. Slowly he extended his hand and shook hers. Her skin was nothing like he expected. Soft and warm, even her hands radiated a sense of peace,

"Hello" is all he could say in return.

She flashed him a bright smile and turned to Bill and they walked a short way down the hall leaving Nick by himself.

"Everything is arranged as you specified. Nick will stay right here on the fourth floor. Quarters are all set up and the program has been modified to accelerate his adaptation in accordance with the time pressures we face."

Seemingly impressed Bill nodded and motioned for her to take a few more steps with him down the hall. As they did a few whispered words drifted back to Nick "...he doesn't leave this floor"

# Chapter 6

Bill turned away from Thralesh and came back to where Nick was standing.

"Well Nick, this is where we part company for now. I am leaving you in Thralesh's capable hands; she will take good care of you. I'll still be keeping tabs on you of course, if I have time I will drop by and visit you." He extended his hand to Nick and Nick shook it. "You don't know the magnitude of the service you are performing for mankind Nick. Maybe one day you will appreciate just how huge it really is." With that he brushed past Nick and went back to the waiting elevator and got in. As the doors closed he gave Nick a final smile and the doors came together noiselessly. Suddenly Nick felt all alone, like he had been abandoned here, at, he didn't even really know where at. His one source of normality in all that he had seen and heard, as much as he felt Bill was withholding some information, he felt connected to him. Maybe it was a prisoner/jailer type bond or a master/servant bond but he didn't think so. Nick felt it was because they were both human. Everything else was so extra terrestrial, so alien; it confused his logic, threatening to overwhelm him if he gave it a chance. Like a boa constrictor waiting for his prey to exhale before he could get in that fatal squeeze. Bill was his link to humanity and with him gone, Nick felt abandoned.

A soft reassuring voice spoke to him through the turmoil and, turning, Nick was once again doused in Thralesh's charming aura, his cares sliding away like they never existed in the first place.

"Come; walk with me Nick and I will take you to your new quarters."

They fell in step beside each other and walked in silence for a bit, Nick content to bask in Thralesh's presence.

She walked beside him quietly for a time before asking "How are you adjusting to everything Nick? I can only imagine how overwhelming this all must be for you and I can sense that your anxiety levels are higher than the normal range for human beings."

Nick was taken aback for a second; it seemed this power went beyond simple telepathy. How much more could she 'sense' he wondered? Perhaps his instincts to suppress his plans for escape had been right.

"It is difficult to put into words" he replied, choosing his words carefully. "I have always believed in life forms on other planets but when you're thrown into the thick of things your first reaction is to not believe it. I know that Bill has said a lot of effort has gone into finding someone who they can use for this mission, but I can't help but feel that someone else is better suited. I feel like I don't know anything. You guys are the ones with the technology and the abilities; my brain keeps asking me 'why aren't they able to pull it off?' How will I succeed where these powerful beings cannot? This may sound naive but I guess I always thought that other life forms would share our sense of adventure, our thirst for knowledge and want to share with humanity as we would with them, not come to this planet to enslave us all to do their bidding. It all sounds like some sort of galactic soap opera.

Thralesh was looking at him with her deep blue eyes, at once inquisitive and powerful and he had an odd feeling, like he was being scanned, not just bodily, but his soul as well. Everything was there like an open book for her to read. She broke off her stare and looking ahead again she responded "I read a lot of things from you right now Nick, confusion, fear, anxiety but above all, great courage and ability. You don't see it yourself because what you're going to learn is something you never thought possible so it's normal for your brain to not accept it. Well were here" she said indicating an open door and they both entered.

"This will be your new home for the next few weeks. If you need anything just use the panel and it will be brought to you. Try and get some rest, we start bright and early tomorrow morning and because of the time concerns, we will be putting in long days to have you ready to go." With a dazzling smile she turned and walked out the door and it shut quickly and silently behind her.

Nick turned to look at his new quarters, only to find they were not unlike his last; a simple square room with a bed in one corner, a full bathroom through a door across from the bed and a table in the middle with 2 chairs but added was a comfy lounge type chair tucked into another corner with a floor lamp beside it, all lit by a strange light. It looked like daylight but it was coming from several tiny little lights set into the ceiling, with no flicker that you would associate with regular lighting. The overall effect was very calming on his eyes. His growling stomach indicated that he hadn't eaten in a while so he went over to the panel that Thralesh had indicated and discovered it was all computerized with a touch screen keyboard. After a few moments of working with it, he was able to figure out how to order food, then sauntered over to the recliner chair and sat down, sinking into its inviting comfort. Rubbing his eyes with his palms he leaned back and let the feeling of relaxation wash over him. He must have fallen asleep as the next thing he knew the door was opening and a gray was coming in with the food that he had ordered through the console. Silently the gray placed the food on the table and left the room. Nick made short work of the chicken dinner and made his way to the bed and lay back wondering about the next day's training and what it would bring.

Nick was awakened by the melodious tones of Thralesh's voice, bent over his bedside gently urging him to wake up. Slowly he opened his eyes and focused on her lovely face taking in every hypnotizing detail. "Oh good, you're awake. I've been trying to rouse you for about five minutes now" She said straightening up and walking over to sit down at one of the chairs placed at the table. Nick closed his eyes, stretched and yawned then rolled out of bed and joined Thralesh at the table where there was a simple breakfast waiting for him. She watched him as he ate, her piercing blue eyes taking in every detail. When he was done she said "Well, if you're ready, it's time to start training" and made her way to the door.

"I am as ready as I'll ever be I suppose" said Nick as he followed her out the door. They walked for a while twisting and turning down different hallways that all looked strangely identical so that soon Nick was completely lost and directionless. After some time they arrived at a set of double doors that opened silently as he and Thralesh approached and they entered. It took a moment for Nick's eyes to adjust to the lighting in the room. It was still a natural looking light but much dimmer than the hallway lighting. It was a wide room with an office at one end and a door beside it that opened onto a stairway; a large window that ran almost the whole length of the room and was angled so individuals seated at the chairs and tables appointed in front of it could observe the goings on in the lab below. It was empty at the moment and the lab down below was dark and foreboding.

"Let's go into my office for a minute" she said and walked toward the office at the end of the room. The office was nicely appointed and decorated with art that he assumed was from Nibiru as its design was unrecognizable as something made my man; even the desk and chairs were of a futuristic design. Thralesh motioned for him to sit down and he did so as she assumed the seat behind the desk. She touched something on the desk and what looked like a monitor appeared and hovered in thin air over the top of the table. Unreadable from his side Nick admired the technology none-the-less noting that instead of a mouse and keyboard she would touch the holographic image itself and as she did so lights came on in the lab below and noiselessly, devices came to life. She took a few more moments to manipulate the screen then she sat back and the holograph disappeared. Collecting her thoughts for a moment Thralesh regarded Nick and wondered how would he fare with what he was about to undergo. She had done this before, many times in fact, awakening the dormant telepathic abilities of humans. Some would only handle small amounts of ability, perhaps telepathy to others but not to themselves, some would resist the ability altogether and would inevitably go crazy, others still would seemingly be coping well with it, then in their quest to get more proficient their brains would succumb to the stresses being placed on them and they would go into a coma and eventually death or plain old die outright, their brains imploding from the strain. Knowing this she was hesitant to set the pace that Bill said they needed. What good would it be if Nick went crazy or worse, died, halfway to Nibiru, halfway to his objective? Unfortunately there was no time to worry about such matters, Bill had assured her that the program had been augmented and this would not happen. Besides, to accomplish this mission he only needed to master some of the more basic skills, and not the advanced ones.

"Let's head down to the lab then" She said and Nick rose and they both went out the door and to the left and down a short flight of stairs to the lab below. It was a large room with a couple of chairs surrounded by what looked like medical monitoring equipment at the nearest end with a row of cupboards on the far wall. The opposite end looked very comfortable with more subdued lighting, inviting chairs set facing each other, the walls lined with oddly shaped objects ranging in size from small to large.

"Please have a seat" Thralesh said motioning to the closest of the chairs and then busying herself at a counter. She turned back carrying what looked like an elongated mp3 player, which, as with all the electronic equipment Nick had seen, emitted a purplish glow making him think that they were somehow sentient or organically based. She pressed the device to his neck and he felt a small amount of pressure for a moment and then she pulled it away.

"I just infused you with nanobots" she said rather nonchalantly, as if this were something that humans had done to them every day.

"They are designed to seek out the part of your brain that controls telepathic abilities and repair it at the genetic level, allowing you access to those abilities." She continued on as Nick stared at her like she was speaking a different language. "The human brain is not unlike a computer and can be repaired or reprogrammed in much the same fashion. We have to do a series of infusions, maybe five at the most."

Nick was feeling something in his brain, a feeling he couldn't really put his finger on. It felt at once tingly and euphoric, as though this was the best thing in the world, like he was invincible and could conquer anything. "Why a series of infusions?" he asked.

"It's been our experience that if we try to do too much at once, it can have catastrophic effects on the human brain. That part of the brain was purposely left inactive when the Annunaki carried out their genetic engineering on early human beings all those years ago. So now the brain may try to rebel because it doesn't understand, almost like when the human body rejects a transplanted organ, because it sees it as something foreign to the body and tries to rid itself of it. In this case it's the brain so that can cause....problems. So we have to do a little at a time to make sure that everything is going smoothly as we progress"

"What do you mean problems?"

"Honestly, it ranges from person to person. Some people get severe headaches and some, well, let's just say it can get worse from there" Nick didn't like how that sounded but decided that he would probably be better served not knowing exactly what these problems could be-especially if they included death.

"You can't do another infusion to reverse the effect?"

"Once the ability is awakened you can't turn it off per se, what we can do is some memory modification. Unfortunately like a computer hard drive, even when something is deleted, it's not really deleted but sitting there flagged as hidden and that can cause interference with their perception of reality and they are never usually the same person afterward."

"How many people have you put through this procedure?"

"A few" She answered, purposely evasive "As you know we have been searching for a candidate for this mission for a while now and we had some potentials come in and we started working with them only to find that their brain wouldn't accept what was happening. Once we found that out we did what we could to return them to their normal lives"

Nick remembered his first contact with Grolen and it felt like his brain was being ripped apart when he tried to communicate telepathically with him.

"Are some humans born with this ability functioning?"

"Some are, but not fully functional, only in a small way. They usually end up working as a psychic of some type because they have some limited ability but not the means to control it or direct it, but they can use it to sense things about people and their futures." She answered thoughtfully. "How are you feeling Nick?"

"I feel really good, like I could do anything; take on the world you know"

"That's a normal reaction to the nanobots. We start off by doing some light telepathy exercises. If you can handle that then we move on to more difficult tasks"

"What is the limit of my potential?"

"Elders on Nibiru can do many things with their mind. Crush objects, command objects to come to them, shield themselves from physical attacks, make objects become animated and do things for them, but they are very practiced and disciplined, taking many of your Earth years to achieve such a level. I really don't know what the limit for human potential would be. Although it can be very fragile the human mind can also be very powerful and adaptable when it needs to be." Thralesh turned and went back to the counter behind the chairs and put the device she used to infuse the nanobots away and returned to where Nick was. "Stay here for a few moments so we can continue to monitor you" she said, smiling broadly "I just have to go up to my office for a moment. When I return we can start training and see how you're reacting."

Nick watched her go up the stairs, equal parts lust and awe in his mind then sat back and closed his eyes and tried to assess what he was feeling. Still aware how euphoric he felt he tried to look beyond that. It felt like all the blood was rushing to his brain, not making him groggy, more like something was coming to life, as if a repair was underway. Different thoughts would suddenly enter his mind, disembodied voices with no clear words just parts of words, like a faint echo. Nick wasn't sure where they were coming from but the sensation was scary and exhilarating all at once. Soft footsteps on the stairs announced Thralesh's return. Opening his eyes to look Nick noticed that she was not alone. "Let's get more comfortable over here and we can start trying out a few things." And she moved off to where the lab was more inviting and sat down in one of the chairs. Nick got slowly out of the chair he was in, his head still swimming from the infusion, and made his way shakily over to where Thralesh was sitting. The protégé that had come with Thralesh followed Nick closely making sure he didn't fall and guided him to a chair across from Thralesh and then padded softly to her own chair and sat looking inquisitively at Nick.

"How are you feeling Nick? Any notable change?" Thralesh inquired

"Still feeling good, and I can hear or sense voices or thoughts, I am not sure which, not complete thoughts though, only fragments. It is a very strange feeling"

"That sounds like a normal reaction to the infusion. I would like to introduce my assistant" Thralesh indicated the woman now sitting beside her "Her name is Zalath; she will be assisting us in our practice sessions."

Nick faced Zalath and took a long look. She was as tall as Thralesh, but her frame was more demure and slight. Every bit as stunningly beautiful as Thralesh but in a different way, with her dark hair hanging in wavy curls at shoulder length, her eyes a smoldering black like lumps of coal, high cheekbones and a sharp pointed nose gave her an almost elf like look. Nick wondered if all the women on Nibiru were this attractive. He managed a perfunctory greeting to which she replied in a soft reassuring voice "Hello. It's nice to meet you Nick" and looked at him, her eyes, not piercing but alive with an infectious fervor that intensified Nick's feeling of invincibility but also seemed to house something secret. He returned his gaze to Thralesh and waited expectantly for whatever was going to come next.

"As I was saying Nick, we start small and keep expanding your knowledge little by little. You say you can already hear something, something you can't quite put your finger on. I am not surprised you call it hearing, as the only frame of reference you have is auditory hearing with your ears. Really they are thoughts that people are projecting to others. After a while you learn to tune out all the fragments and only receive messages intended for you. Where I want to start is getting you to reach out with your mind, really focus on whom you want to communicate with. Close your eyes and visualize that person clearly in your mind. Imagine a solid link between your mind and theirs and see what comes through the connection. To start with I will think of one word only, something simple that you would be familiar with. So go ahead when you are ready and Zalath will monitor your brain to make sure you're OK."

With that Zalath got out of her chair and made her way to a closet and got out a device and returned and stood behind Nick's chair, her scent was intoxicating. He leaned his chair way back and could see up into her face and she gave him a reassuring smile. He closed his eyes and formed a picture of Thralesh in his mind, then he tried to visualize a connection between them and the only hard link that came to his mind was a network cable connection. So he added that to the picture and imagined it linking their minds, he could feel the connector as it clipped into his brain. Thoughts and images burst into his mind like fireworks, but none really clear. They were all blurry or fragmented and he pushed those out of his mind and really concentrated, searching and seeking for the one thing Thralesh was thinking of and slowly an image formed in his mind. It started out as a blurry smudge but as he focused on it, intensified the connection to Thralesh and refined the image it slowly morphed into the word Nick.

As the word formed in his mind so did the pain. A twinge at first, but as the bond strengthened and the word became clearer the pain intensified, he tried to sever the tie, cut the bond connecting them but he couldn't figure out how, the pain rising in a steady crescendo, his head felt like it was caught in a vice that was slowly tightening, crushing his skull. He screamed out and everything went black.

# Chapter 7

Nick awoke with a start, his hands moving instinctively to his head. The intense pain was now gone and had been replaced with a dull ache that consumed his whole skull. Looking around he found that he was lying in a medical room and on his head was some type of medical monitor firmly affixed just above his brow, covering his entire forehead. There was a rustle to one side and he found that he was not alone; Zalath was in the room busying herself at a table with her back to him.

"How long have I been here?" he struggled to ask, his throat raw and sore, his voice croaky.

"It's been two of your Earth days" She said over her shoulder in a soothing voice that he was learning to adore.

"What happened?"

Turning to face him Zalath explained "You experienced a telepathic induced hemorrhage. Basically your brain was having difficulty accepting what was happening and was fighting the connection you were sharing with Thralesh. As her thoughts were forming in your mind your brain was trying to deny them, in the end it couldn't and forced you to shut down to stop experiencing them."

Nick laid back, the effort of talking and thinking was almost too much for him.

"Am I going to be OK?" he said in a low, scared voice.

Zalath was beside him now and she leaned in a little closer, her dark eyes filled with concern "Yes you will be fine. This device here is helping to heal your brain" she said indicating the device attached to his forehead. "We just have to take it a bit slower in training." She seemed on the verge of saying something else when the door opened and Thralesh came in and marched right up to Nick's bed. "Ah Nick, your awake. You gave us quite a scare there, but Zalath has been here ensuring your speedy recovery"

Nick gave her a feeble smile and she moved off with Zalath and they both went silent, exchanging thoughts telepathically about his status.

Nick thought about trying to intercept their thoughts but the minimal effort he put forth trying to connect to their thoughts caused his head to hurt more so he abandoned the idea.

Thralesh returned to his bed and informed him "Zalath thinks that you should be able to return to your quarters tomorrow and maybe some light training. We don't want to rush you but at the same time we are working on a timeline here"

"It's OK" he replied. "I didn't think this would be a walk in the park"

Thralesh regarded him with a critical eye for a moment and said "All right, until tomorrow then" and turned sharply and left the room.

Nick was returned to his room the following day, the dull ache in his skull had faded even more until it was almost completely gone. Zalath had removed the device from his head that morning and he was able to walk back to his room under his own power, with a guide of course.

The more Nick was around Zalath, the more his feelings for her were growing. It was easy to figure out why. She was nice to a fault, attractive was an understatement and she was genuinely concerned for his well-being. He wondered for a moment if she shared the same feelings for him. Almost as quickly he put those thoughts out of his mind as wishful thinking and hoped that he wasn't falling under some Stockholm syndrome spell and that all his feelings were just because she was his master. He vowed to make sure she never found out how he was feeling.

For the next several days and weeks the training continued and so did the pain. Nick didn't black out again but he was sure on several occasions that he had come perilously close. Most days he returned to his quarters with a huge, vice like headache, a gushing nosebleed or both caused by the effort he was putting forth in mastering this new skill. He was diligent every day to hide his feelings from Thralesh but more importantly, to look for a way to escape. Nothing presented itself however and he was starting to get discouraged. He hadn't met anyone new and he was always escorted to and from his room to the training lab. There seemed to be a never-ending maze of hallways and corridors, even if he were to get away he would have no clue where to go.

There had been a few more infusions but even those had been stopped with the explanation that the nanobots work was done as far as activating the part of his brain that was necessary for this mission: which only made Nick wonder more about the extent of the human ability to use these powers and how much he was really being told.

Nick's proficiency was increasing on a daily basis. He was now able to hold small conversations with Thralesh and Zalath without his head feeling like it was going to explode.

In the last few days they had introduced a new concept to him which was how to shield his life force or aura from their perception. Nick was excited about this as he thought that he might be able to use it to his advantage to engineer an escape plan.

This was where they seemed to focus their attention of late, and as it was explained to him, it was crucial to the mission.

There it was again, the mission. This mysterious mission that nobody had expanded upon, nobody would answer the many questions he had. He still didn't know exactly how this mission was supposed to be carried out. Besides the obvious go to this planet and introduce some sort of toxin that will cause them to lose their telepathic abilities long enough for an invading force to land and seize control of the planet. The whole idea seemed ludicrous to him. He would have thought that Bill or Grolen would have been around to help him develop a plan of some sort but he hadn't seen or heard from either of them which only deepened his sense of helplessness.

It was after a particularly strenuous training session that Nick found himself on his bed, his headache now subsiding when his door opened and in came a gray. The gray didn't have anything that he could see. No food or other supplies that they routinely brought to him. He observed the gray for a moment, trying to figure out why he was there. Was it a mistake? Did he think that there was a training session? The gray stood obediently by the door and stared at him with those almond shaped, lifeless black eyes, which usually indicated that he was supposed to follow. Curious now, Nick got up off the bed and walked toward it and as he got close the gray went out the door. Nick frowned, but his curiosity got the better of him and he also exited through the door and followed as the gray wound his way through halls and corridors that Nick didn't recognize. They walked on for many minutes in complete silence, anxiety building with every step. Nick knew for sure that they were not anywhere that he had been taken before and was left to follow obediently and wonder where the gray was taking him. Perhaps Bill or Grolen had arranged a meeting. No, if that was the case they surely would have sent a message with the gray No this was something entirely different, so he calmed himself and stayed in step behind the gray After some time the gray came to a halt and indicated for Nick to continue on down the hallway, which appeared to come to an end a hundred yards or so down with only one doorway very close to the end on the right hand side. With a sidelong glance at the gray Nick slowly continued on down the hall. He stopped right in front of the door and looked back at the gray. It was still standing where he left it, looking solemnly back down the hall at him, uncaring. Turning his attention back to the door in front of him, Nick waited and wondered. He hardly had time to gather his thoughts when the door opened to a pitch black room and a pair of hands came out of the gloom and dragged him into the room, the door sliding shut behind them.

His first instinct was to lash out at his assailant but he found that the hands, though soft, held his firmly in place and were directing him through the inky black. His mind racing as they came to a halt and a doorway opened beside him into a large elevator. The light from the elevator filled the room to reveal Zalath standing in front of him, still holding his hands in place. She let them go now and her thoughts entered his mind 'Nick, this elevator will take you to the surface. You have to get out and spread the word about this place and what is happening here.'

He stood stock still as the shock of what was happening settled upon him. He had all but given up hope of escape and now here was his chance, falling right in his lap. Questions were going off in his head like fireworks. Zalath was pushing him onto the elevator now. He returned the thought to her 'What is going on here? What am I supposed to tell? I have seen so little?' A noise in the hallway cut short any response Zalath was formulating.

'No time to explain.' She said 'Go!'

She was staring at him intently, her beautiful eyes and delicate features betraying her feelings for him. It seemed as if she was trying to send a thought to him but nothing was forming in his mind. What was the problem? She reached into her coat and pulled out a small package which she shoved into his hands and pressed a button beside the doorway and the door slid shut, the elevator starting its ascent. To where, Nick had no idea.

The elevator stopped and its doors opened onto a dimly lit passageway that extended ahead into the darkness. The passage was as cold as the rock it was carved from. Cautiously Nick stepped out of the elevator and looked around, half expecting to have walked into a trap, surrounded by security. Nothing moved so he assumed he was alone for the time being. His thoughts drifted to Zalath and hoped she was OK The look on her face as the elevator doors closed was still etched vividly in his mind and he felt ashamed that he had never confided in her how he felt about her. Zalath had risked herself to get him out and clearly felt the same about him. Now she was still down there and Nick vowed that he would find a way to return the favor and get her out of the facility.

Carefully Nick unwrapped the package that Zalath had given him; it contained a map of Dulce, some cash, a hat and sunglasses, a computer disk that glinted colorfully in the dim light, a large round magnet and most importantly his passport. He stowed the items back in their wrapping and made his way down the passage. The sides were smooth as glass and Nick couldn't feel any cracks or fissures as he made his way down its length. It was as though the tunnel was shaped when the rock was still molten and it dried with the passage fully formed. It ended up being longer than he thought and made a few twists and turns along the way but there were never any tunnels or rooms branching off from it, just one long passageway. The tunnel ended abruptly at a wall, as though its makers became bored and stopped tunneling. Nick ran his hand along the surface that the tunnel ended at, searching for something that might open. He could find no hinges or doorknobs or locks of any kind. He pushed on it and it wouldn't budge. Kicking it had no effect either he discovered.

After several tense minutes of feeling around, he sank to the ground with his back on the passage wall in despair. What now? This couldn't be what Zalath had intended. Perhaps he had to use his telepathic abilities to open the door. He stood up again and faced the wall and strained his thoughts with every fiber of his being, reaching out to the wall, willing it to break or crumble or move, but still nothing happened. He resigned himself to being trapped here and sank to the floor once more. As he did he felt the arm of the sunglasses jab into his side. He pulled the package out of from his jump suit and looked at the items inside with a fresh eye. The magnet seemed to capture his eye and he kept looking at it. Then he remembered what Bill had told him how most things around the base were run with magnetic energy. An idea was forming in his mind and he stood up and placed the magnet on the wall and for a moment nothing happened. Nick sighed heavily, his spirits sinking, body physically sagging. Then the lights in the passage went out and Nick was plunged into complete darkness. His hands shaking, he pocketed the magnet and reached out to where the wall was. His hands touched the cold rock face and he pushed.

Nothing.

He pushed harder and still the wall didn't budge. Nothing happened as he pushed to the right either, but as he pushed to the left, the wall complied and slid slowly sideways without a sound. Not wanting to waste a single second, Nick didn't wait for the door to open all the way. As soon as it was open enough for him to fit through, he scrambled out into a moonlight night. Taking a moment for his eyes to adjust, he looked at his surroundings. He had come out the side of a little hill, the surrounding countryside pockmarked here and there with similar hills but devoid of any visible life. Far off in the distance he could see lights twinkling against the dark backdrop of night. That must be Dulce he thought. Looking back into the passage he noticed the lights were coming on and then the door shut and disappeared into the hillside as if it had never been there at all. Taking a deep breath, Nick secured his items and started making his way toward the lights.

Bill was at his desk poring over some paperwork when Grolen entered. He walked with purpose across the floor as he approached. Sitting down in one of the chairs across the desk from Bill he stated flatly "He got out" forgoing an exchange of pleasantries.

Bill knew who he was talking about without even having to ask. With an incredulous look, Bill leaned back into his chair. "And how did he do that?"

"He had help from the assistant. She reprogrammed a gray to lead him to a defunct exit point and she sent him on his way."

"She stayed behind though?"

"Yes. It would seem she was only interested in freeing him"

"Why didn't security go after him?"

"They didn't know what was happening. They only knew she was in an area that she shouldn't be and escorted back to her quarters."

"How did you find out Nick was gone?" Bill asked

"It was Thralesh. When she was told what happened she had a feeling there was more to the story and checked on Nick. Sure enough, he was gone."

Bill sighed heavily and thought for a moment. Being as thorough as he liked to be, Bill had prepared for this type of contingency but didn't like the extra work it was going to cause him. "Is she being dealt with?" he asked after a long silence.

"In the usual fashion" Grolen said with a wicked smile.

"So where is he now?"

"We know where he came out. Unfortunately he is applying the skills he learned and we are having a tough time tracking where he has gone from there. I am sure a sweep of the area would round him up. Shall I order it then?"

Bill sighed heavily and thought. "No, I think that this could work in our favor. I have a good idea where he is headed. We can get there before he does and reacquire him there. Did he see anything that he shouldn't have?" he finished sharply.

"Thralesh followed your wishes to the letter and made sure that he was appropriately sequestered. Nobody in the hallways during transport to and from the lab, very tight protocols as you requested." and he paused momentarily, surveying Bill.

"Where do you think he is headed?" he asked after a moment.

Bill grinned broadly "Grolen my friend, sometimes you need to think more like a human." Noting Grolen's confusion Bill expanded upon what he meant "Nick needs to go where he feels safe and can think things through and figure out what his next move is."

Grolen sat, staring at him.

"It's simple. He's going home"

# Chapter 8

Sitting at the back of the bus Nick watched his fellow passengers warily through his sunglasses for any sign of acknowledgement that they knew who he was. He kept picturing the bus stopping and Bill climbing on board with an armed escort and dragging him back to Dulce base. The bus ride at least afforded him time to reflect on his passage so far. On the outskirts of the small town of Dulce he found some shelter in an old barn and when it was light out he made his way to the road and was able to hitchhike a ride out of the area and back to Las Vegas. His first thought was to return to his hotel room but as he had no room key or anything that idea was sunk. Plus his reservation was already over, who knows how long ago. So he made his way to the bus station and bought his way onto a charter bus to Vancouver. He was still surprised that he had met no resistance along the way. No vehicle checks or television ads showing he was wanted. No nothing. Perhaps they hadn't noticed yet? No, that couldn't be possible. He should have been having more training, they surely would have found out when they went to fetch him. No, they knew he was missing, but why weren't they doing anything about it? Maybe they decided he was a lost cause and that they could get somebody else to do the job. The base was bigger than what Nick saw; perhaps they had other people also training so that in the event of a failure like this they could go to one of the backups. Whatever the reason, he knew better than to let his guard down.

Thinking ahead to when he arrived home, Nick tried to figure out what his best move would be. Since the bus terminal was near his work, should he go there first to inform his friends what had happened to him? Should he just go to his apartment and lay low until he could figure out what to do next?

Nick had fallen asleep trying to reason what he should do and awoke as they approached the border. His anxiety ratcheted up accordingly. This was a major breaking point. Either he would make it through the border without any problems or else, well he didn't really want to think of the or else right now. The bus pulled over just after the Canadian border and all the riders had to get out and go in to the customs office and present identification. His passport gripped tightly in his hand, he made his way off the bus and joined the throng of passengers queuing up at customs. Trying to keep his heartbeat and breathing in check, he reached the counter and presented his documentation. Time seemed to stand still as the clerk looked at him, finally asking bluntly "Citizenship?"

"Canadian" he replied

"Anything to declare?" the clerk asked wearily.

"No sir"

"How long have you been out of the country?"

This was the question that Nick had been dreading. He had been away from home for weeks and now he was coming home with no luggage, no souvenirs, nothing. It seemed so ludicrous. He gulped as he said "about five weeks" and prayed to himself that they wouldn't ask him where he had been.

"Passport please" the clerk said, unfazed, putting out his hand.

Nick passed his passport over and waited on pins and needles. The clerk swiped it and stared at his monitor. After what seemed like an eternity the clerk passed him back his passport and said "Welcome home sir"

Breathing a sigh of relief Nick boarded the bus once more and relaxed, his heart returning to its normal rhythm.

The bus arrived at the station and he disembarked with the other passengers. He looked around, to make sure he wasn't being watched or followed and then left the building and headed down the street in the direction of his workplace. Without his luggage available to him, Nick knew he needed to stop by his work as he had a spare key to his apartment there in his desk.

Even though Nick was back in Canada, he felt strange, like he was tainted in some way that would never allow him to be like everyone else. He could sense their anxieties, their fears; snatches of their thoughts would flit in and out of his brain if he let them. Nick had to work hard to keep it from affecting him, from making him want to run and hide. On the other side of that equation however, he was getting a real sense of attachment to people, complete strangers and they were all walking around like zombies, trapped in their own mind. They felt helpless to him. So alone and deserted and yet they soldiered on through their lives, always working and striving to better themselves and those they loved.

Half expecting to see a fleet of police cars waiting for him, Nick turned the corner to his workplace, his stomach doing flip flops with anxiety as the building came into view. He suddenly felt dumb. If he were Bill, this is definitely one place that would be watched. He decided to go around the back way by the bay doors and enter where he would be among the people who he worked with on a daily basis and would draw the least attention.

The bay doors were wide open allowing the fresh air and sunshine to penetrate deep into the warehouse. Feeling that this would be a prime place for Bill to get a hold of him again, he paused for a moment and observed; reaching out with his mind to see if could sense if there was any danger present. He couldn't sense anything and everything was seemingly in order and Nick continued on, his senses bristling. Up the steps and through the back door, the first person he saw was Dean, busy packing an order. He nodded to him and said hello, Dean replied "Hey Nick, your back. How was the holiday?"

"It was great" he replied as he swept past him and continued on. He needed to get to his office so he could get his spare keys from his desk and then he would be on his way. He didn't like creeping into his workplace like this; he didn't feel welcome for some reason. Maybe because he was scheduled to be off for two weeks and had really been gone for several; strangely Dean didn't seem to react to that. Nick shrugged and put it aside as he wove his way through the shelving and encountered some more of his co-workers and greeted them in a jovial fashion as though he had never been away but he never stopped moving toward his objective.

Just ahead was his office, door open and the lights on. 'Good' thought. The fewer things to slow him down the better. He went in and quickly moved to his desk, rifled through the top drawer and found his extra keys. Moving to exit again found his way was blocked by Henry. "Hey dude, you're back"

"Uhhh, ya, just briefly. I needed to get something out of my desk" Nick replied trying to skirt his way around Henry. "I really need to be on my way"

"No problem." Henry replied as he stepped out-of-the-way. "Nice seeing you again. Are you coming back to work soon or what?"

"Soon buddy" Nick said looking over his shoulder as he strode away.

Nick was feeling something wasn't quite right but he continued out the door and made his way back to the exit and left without a backward glance. With his keys in hand he made his way back to his apartment. Every car that passed, every pedestrian in sunglasses gave new heights to the sense of foreboding that was building in his mind. He needed to be alone, to clear his head and think. Try to figure a way out of this whole mess. He was at his building now, going up the front steps, maintaining control over himself so he didn't go sprinting up the stairs and call attention to himself. He took the fire exit up to the third floor. Nothing seemed out of place, why was he feeling this way? Fumbling with the keys he managed to get the door open and burst inside, shutting the door quickly behind him.

'Home sweet home' he thought, punctuated with a deep sigh. He dropped his bag and sagged against the door in relief when a voice echoed in his head "Hello Nick, nice to see you again".

For some reason Nick wasn't surprised. Like he knew all along this was going to happen.

"I was wondering when you would catch up with me" Nick said. "Why did you let me get all the way back here? I am sure you could have caught up with me before I made it across the border."

"I was in no real hurry Nick. Besides I felt that being among your fellow humans would really help you to see our point of view. You've felt it since you left the base haven't you? The worry they feel about everything from the mundane to that which is truly worth worrying about. And even when they are mired in some of the most horrible things anyone can imagine, people still believe there is something good out there and cling relentlessly to that hope. You're that hope" he finished.

Nick reflected back on the people he had encountered on his trip home and realized that Bill was right. The feeling he could sense from other people, struggling to keep it all going and defiant in their belief of something bigger than themselves. That described them perfectly.

What did he mean them? He was a part of them and he had a duty to help where he could, to help deliver humanity from enslavement at the hands of a master race, to help save everybody, man, woman and child from a fate worse than death. His resolve steeled, his confidence soaring he squared his shoulders and looking Bill straight in the eye, replied "Yes I have been feeling it, and it has made me realize that this is something I have to do"

"That's excellent" said Bill, clearly delighted and relieved.

"But you need to answer some of my questions"

"I can do that for you Nick. I agree it's time that you were everything that's behind the curtain. "

Nick moved over to the couch and sat down, Bill joined him and they sat in a strained silence for some time while Nick marshaled his thoughts.

"First off, what happened to Zalath?"

"Even with the advanced knowledge you saw on display Nick, there are times when a militant Annunaki surfaces and tries to work against us. There used to be more of them but over time they have slowly been revealed and are now far and few between. Zalath was especially good in her deceit. Changed her name, used her abilities to mask her true intentions. Unfortunately she was so good at it we didn't figure her out until she acted. She is being held in a facility and won't interfere with our operation again."

"She's OK then"

"At the present time, yes, and she will stay that way if she cooperates"

Nick pondered this news for a moment then asked "You keep telling me that I was chosen for this for a reason. How was I chosen? What separated me from other people?"

"The focal point of the plan relies on the candidate's ability to use the telepathic abilities that we have awoken. There are certain DNA markers we can look for that indicates a person's capacity for their use. Although the capability may be there, we don't know how the person will react when the ability is awakened. Your DNA indicated a high potential."

Nick wrinkled his brow in curiosity. His DNA, how did they know that? "How do you know about my DNA? How did you get it?"

"The Annunaki have been around for a long time and the ones that are here are trying hard to help save humanity. Look at the bases you have been in. They are miles ahead of humans in technology. They have been keeping a database of human DNA since the early nineteen hundreds. They knew this day was coming and they wanted to have the right person in place when the time was right."

The whole idea boggled Nick's mind.

"But how" he spluttered

"There are a number of ways. When they are born every baby has a heel prick to test for certain diseases. We get a sample then, or through the vaccination program we run in many countries. In some remote places where they don't have those kinds of things we have to go out and secure the samples ourselves."

"That's unbelievable" said Nick. "All those years and all that data and there was never anyone else better suited to do this thing?"

"There have been other candidates but none with such a high potential. They were started on the training and couldn't handle the reawakening of their abilities. Every single other candidate to this point that has lived, has had to have their memories modified and returned to their lives. So far you're the only one who did the training and kept it all together. Quite an accomplishment"

Nick looked down at the ground and rolled over the thoughts in his mind. It was almost too astounding to grasp. DNA of every single human being on file somewhere, it was amazing. Then he thought of all those humans and what would become of them if the Annunaki managed to enslave them all, and here he has the power to try and stop it. He had to do it. There was no other way around it.

Bill interjected quietly "What's it going to be Nick? Our window of opportunity is quickly closing. If we can't pull this off the next step will be open warfare with them when they arrive in our space. I don't think I need to tell you the ramifications of that approach. Who knows, we may even need to go that route anyway if this plan doesn't succeed."

"I don't see much of a choice here Bill. I want to help my fellow humans. I'll return with you to Dulce and continue preparations for this mission" Nick said, his voice wavering slightly under the enormity of his decision. He knew he may never come back, knew that he may never get to enjoy the Earth he was trying to help save but he also knew that he could not live with himself if he didn't at least try to do it.

"Fantastic" said Bill sounding genuinely relieved "only I don't think we will be returning to Dulce. You need to continue training, but I think a new locations is in order"

"Where would that be?" queried Nick, more than curious.

"The moon"

# Chapter 9

The trip out of Canada was pulled off with amazing precision. Bill had them through airport security in a flash and they were on a private jet winging their way back to Las Vegas. Nick sat silently in his chair looking out the window, the tiny lights of towns and cities passing slowly underneath him. The magnitude of what he was about to undertake was threatening to drown him, pull him under and suffocate him in his own fear and anxiety.

According to Bill there was a base on the dark side of the moon where the majority of the fallouts from the Annunaki civil war were stationed. It was from here that the attack force would make its approach to Nibiru. It made sense really, as it was on the dark side of the moon there would be little chance of being detected as they made their way out into space. Nick had always dreamed of going into space but to actually be doing it was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

Their plane was descending now, the lights of the city below getting bigger and brighter outside his window. They made their way through customs, once again at an accelerated pace and out into the Nevada night air where a car was waiting for them. Bill and Nick both climbed into the back seat and settled in. The car took them on a highway straight out of town, heading into the desert.

Nick broke the silence first "How am I getting into space?"

"The easiest way for us is to send you out of our Groom Lake facility. People are always seeing strange ships and lights there so it won't attract that much attention" Bill replied, his gaze unwavering from the side window he was looking out of.

"You mean Area 51?"

"Yes, back where we started. There is a ship going up tomorrow night and the weatherman is calling for a low cloud cover so that will make it a little easier to keep everything under wraps. We will start running some other drills to distract all the watchers out there and send you up. If everything goes according to plan you will be on the moon a few minutes after takeoff"

"A few minutes" Nick blurted out the incredulity evident in his voice.

"Remember were not talking about something Earth built here. The ship you will be on can go near the speed of light."

"Won't we be picked up by satellite?"

"We have some jamming technologies at our disposal for that"

Nick shook his head slowly. "I guess these things shouldn't surprise me anymore."

Bill looked over casually and smiled "No I suppose you should be getting used to them by now"

The car rolled on through the desert and soon came to a high gate with a guardhouse on the left hand side. As they approached two armed guards came out of the building, one came to the driver's window, the other taking up position at the rear quarter panel of the car with his gun drawn. The driver and the guard briefly exchanged words and then the guard took a quick look into the back of the car and said "OK", turned and went back into the guardhouse and opened the gate. They passed through the gate and continued on up the darkened road. A building came into view and the car approached it and drove down the side and around the back and pulled into an open bay door and came to a stop near a short flight of steps that ended at a single, windowless door.

Nick followed Bill out of the car and up the steps. As they approached Nick heard a low beep and the door popped open about an inch. Bill grabbed the handle and opened it all the way, indicated for Nick to enter and then followed, shutting the door securely behind them. They were in a short, brightly lit hallway that ended at an elevator and made their way toward it. As usual the elevator was silent and fluid in its motion. They came out of the elevator at another floor that looked deserted as no one was about. Bill stopped at a silently opening door and entered with Nick following. It was a small room containing only a bed and a bathroom and small table pushed up against the wall with a single chair keeping it company.

"Try and get some rest tonight. You're going to need it for tomorrow" Bill intoned and with a curt smile left the room, the door sliding silently shut behind him.

Nick was exhausted. All the traveling in the last few days and all the new revelations he had been exposed to were starting to take their toll on him. He crawled into the tiny bed, wrapped the blankets tightly around himself and fell into a deep, uneasy sleep.

After he had eaten the breakfast that had been brought to him Nick tried to rest some more but found sleep was elusive, the butterflies building in his stomach at the thoughts of his impending flight into space.

It must have been after midday when his door opened and a gray entered and signaled to him to follow. Nick did so hoping that being active would improve his mood, but couldn't shake the feelings of fear he was having. They made their way to the elevator and after a brief trip ended up in a small medical lab with some more grays and a few Annunaki milling around. Bill emerged from a small group that was meeting off to one side and came over and shook Nick's hand with a jovial "Good morning Nick. I trust you're ready to go?"

"Not really"

Bill barked out a laugh.

"Where are we?"

"This is the preparation area. We have to get you into a space suit and there are a few medical preparations before launch. C'mon over here and we can get you started." Bill made his way over to a table and motioned for one of the doctors to join them. A tall, lanky Annunaki detached himself from the group he was with and came over as well. "Nick, I want you to meet Leskal, he will be preparing you for your flight and he will also be piloting the ship you will be taking." Bill said by way of introduction.

"So this is our boy" Leskal said telepathically to Nick and Bill causing Nick to wince slightly.

"Nice to meet you Nick" Leskal continued clapping his back "How has your training been going?"

Nick readied himself and really focused on his reply. Furrowing his brow a little, the familiar tingly feeling forming in his brain, he concentrated on Leskal and replied "Nice to meet you as well. The training went well. Now I need to keep practicing"

Leskal smiled and replied "Impressive. You are only the second human I have encountered that is able to do that, Bill here being the first."

"My skills pale in comparison to Nick's though" Bill offered.

With that Leskal moved off a ways with Bill and conversed. Nick tried to eavesdrop but found that he was blocked from hearing what was going on so he sat down on the table and waited.

Bill came over to where he was sitting "OK Nick, I'm going to leave you with Leskal so he can get you ready for your flight. He will be your contact until you leave for Nibiru" He paused and looked at Nick for a moment, Nick tried to get a sense of what he was thinking and it seemed for a moment that Bill was reticent but then immediately went back to his usual intense self and spoke again "It has been an honor working with you. I know you can pull this off Nick and when you do, you will be a hero here on Earth for millennia to come. I look forward to shaking your hand when you return." Then he turned and walked out of the room.

Leskal watched Bill go and when the door shut behind him turned to Nick "Time to get started Nick. If you could lay back on the bed here there are a few medical tests we want to run and then we will get you a suit." Nick lay back on the table and relaxed as best as he could as the doctors and Leskal used some medical devices to test him. They never explained what the tests were for or what the results were. They just went efficiently about their work and when it was over Leskal told Nick to follow him and they walked out of a door at the end of the medical room.

The room beyond was well lit with tables and chairs here and there and along one wall, cupboards ran from floor to ceiling. Leskal walked smartly over to the cupboards and opened one, rummaged around inside for a bit and emerged with a strange looking suit. It was nothing like the big and bulky man made space suits he was accustomed to seeing on television and movies. This one was sleek and sharp and looked more like a tailored superhero outfit than a space suit. That was until he put it on.

It immediately conformed to his body and felt loose and comfortable, but at the same time it felt like it could stop bullets if it had to. Leskal explained that it was designed to maintain the bodies 'systems' at the high speeds they would be traveling at. Still marveling at the suits design they left this room for another that would be best described as the control room. There were two rows of computers with several Annunaki manning the controls all facing a window that overlooked a disc shaped craft. The feeling in the room was lightly tense with everybody facing their terminals in deep concentration, their faces reflecting the strange purple glow Nick associated with their higher technology.

Leskal was hurrying along the back wall toward an exit at the far left end with Nick rushing to keep up. Leaving the control area they walked down some steps to ground level and strode quickly across the cemented launch area and approached the ship. It seemed much larger up close than Nick had imagined it would be. There was a small ramp that led them into the ship itself and once inside the ramp retracted and the door shut so that they were in a small vestibule. A green light came on and scanned them three hundred and sixty degrees. After a moment the green light went out and the inside door opened, giving them entrance to the ship.

"What was that green light?" Nick questioned.

"It was a scan for biological agents. It's just a precaution really. The tests I gave you already confirmed that you were clean." Leskal replied.

Once inside Leskal sat at one of the chairs in front of a bank of controls and gestured for Nick to take another. Leskal started pushing all kinds of buttons, checking information and was lost in concentration as he went through the controls and Nick took the time to look around the ship. Big enough for three maybe four Annunaki-sized beings; everything was sleek and well designed with a window that went around the entire cockpit area giving the occupants a clear view all around them, through which Nick could see that it was that hazy time between dusk and nightfall.

"Pre-launch check is OK" Leskal said "we will be off the ground momentarily."

The reality of the situation settled fully on Nick and the butterflies in his stomach intensified to the point where he thought he might be sick. He jokingly wondered if this ship was equipped with air sick bags. Nick saw two airplanes take off in succession and one flew left and one right, the decoy planes, they would get closer to where it was known people were watching and perform maneuvers to provide them with the distraction they needed to get out of Earth's atmosphere unseen. Leskal was working the controls again and the supports holding the ship up retracted the craft lurching in its new freedom and then regaining a stable position, only now it felt like they were floating on air. Darkness was really coming on now and in the distance Nick could see the decoys doing their job, performing zigzag patterns and slow flyovers followed up with quick bursts of speed, colors flashing brilliantly from their undersides. Outside the window Nick could see the body of the ship begin to spin, slowly at first and then picking up speed until it was a metallic blur. Leskal had both hands on the control panel and was pressing it in places in a nonchalant manner, the technique of liftoff so familiar to him he wasn't even interested. Nick suddenly thought they were on one of the elevators at Dulce base; the craft rose silently but steadily until they were about one hundred feet off the ground, hovering quietly. If he wasn't so scared Nick would have enjoyed the view he now had of the whole base.

"We're in position and ready for flight" Leskal was speaking over the radio. The ship was totally silent; the only visible light was the glow emanating from the control console that Leskal was operating. Leskal looked over and smiled "Hold on, it's time for us to go"

The lights in the cockpit blinked out and Nick felt like he was falling right out the bottom of the ship as they took off away from the planet at incredible speed.

They shot out of Earth's atmosphere in the blink of an eye, the change outside the window from the lights of the base to the blackness of space instantaneous. The suit Nick was wearing must have been doing its job as he couldn't feel any ill effect from the speed they were traveling at. The view outside was staggering, millions and millions of the brightest stars in every direction and dead ahead the moon, glowing brightly as they streaked towards it. Nick didn't feel any lighter and asked Leskal "so these ships have a gravity generator?"

"Yes they do, it makes space travel more tolerable, especially at light speeds"

"You can travel at light speed?"

"Some of the crafts we have are capable of traveling at speeds faster than light"

As the moon grew larger in the window the ship slowed down, gently slipping into its gravitational pull and assuming orbit. Leskal was busy at the controls and they dropped lower and below them the base came into view. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly, it looked as if it was dug right into the moon's surface with some lights visible on the surface. As they sank lower toward the moon, Nick saw a sliver of light appear, and it grew larger and larger and then stopped. They came to a stop over the gaping chasm and gently drifted down into a huge hanger that had hundreds of ships of various sizes. Many were of the same design as the one he was in but others were far larger and looked like they were designed for battle and still more that were enormous and were most likely for long interstellar travel. They drifted down, almost to the bottom and then started to glide sideways toward a side of the hangar that was lined with doors and windows and finally came to stop, the ship lurching as the docking tractor beam locked on. The ships control panel went dark and Leskal got up and made his way to where a door was slowly opening and the landing ramp extracting out and touching down on the hangar floor. Nick followed Leskal out the door and down the ramp. From the floor the hangar looked even more immense, the far wall not even visible past the rows and rows of ships docked.

"Is this the force that will be invading Nibiru?" he asked.

"Part of it, but there are other hangars on this base that are housing more ships." He replied looking around quite impressed with the amassed collection of ships.

Nick followed him as they made their way to the closest door and went through it into a small landing area with an elevator at the far end. They made their way onto the elevator and took a long ride that opened into a large room that looked like it was a spacecraft training center. There were cockpits and ship skeletons and also a ship the same size as the one they just shot to the moon on, all surrounded by monitoring equipment that at the moment were still and silent. Leskal walked briskly to the left side with Nick in tow, still staring at the spacecraft assembled in the room. They barely even slowed as they approached a door and it silently slid out of their way to reveal a sleeping quarters, presumably Nick's new home for the time being. Nick was happy to see that his present room had a window out into space; he could already see more stars burning more intensely than he ever had on Earth. Leskal broke the silence "We need to firm up your training a bit more and the real mission gets underway in seven of your Earth days."

"How long has this base been here?" Nick asked, unable to gloss over the many questions he had.

"We have been operating this base since the Annunaki civil war the last time we were in this area. The base has actually been here longer but after the civil war fallout we couldn't go back to Nibiru and we needed a place to house those that were still here. The bases on Earth held quite a few but we knew we needed more space and the moon was a viable place to live and stay out of humanity's way. Our explorations uncovered this base that had been abandoned. We just moved in and adjusted it to suit our needs. To answer your question though, our dating methods put this base at about fifteen thousand years old."

Nick's eyebrows raised in disbelief "Fifteen thousand years? That would put whoever built it in this area before you guys were. How many other being are out there?"

"There are many other life forms out there Nick. Some are more advanced than human being and others less advanced and still others that are far beyond human and Annunaki intelligence." Leskal replied

"Are there other races targeting Earth?" Nick asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"None that I know of. Most races are caught up in the goings on of their own planet I would think, and very few have the technology available that would enable them to travel the distance necessary to wage and maintain a war on Earth. That being said, it's a big universe out there with many races and not all of them are friendly but perhaps feel that Earth isn't worthy of attacking"

Nick could feel from Leskal that he was holding something back. What that something might be Nick didn't have a clue and changed his tack "You mentioned more training"

"Not more as much as honing and building on what you already know. It's crucial to the mission that your skills are at their best when you get sent out."

"When do we get started?"

"Thralesh will be working with you once more starting tomorrow morning. Try to get some sleep Nick" and with that he turned and left the room.

Nick sat in a chair and stared out the window for what must have been hours. He couldn't get enough stargazing. It was so beautiful but that didn't do it justice. Nick couldn't find the words to describe what he was seeing. The amount of stars and their brilliance was hypnotic and after what Leskal had said about other being he couldn't help but feel small and insignificant and at the same time he wondered if there was a being like himself out there somewhere in the cosmos that was looking out at the stars and wondering what other life was out there. He finally found his way to bed and pondered that very question until he fell asleep.

Nick spent the next seven days going through more practice and training with Thralesh. At times Leskal would stop in and watch for a bit but for the most part it was he and Thralesh alone in the lab. He had tried to get information from her about the fate of Zalath but she would only tell him that she was being held and his attempts at probing her mind were rebuffed. Nick was now very adept at conversing using his telepathic abilities; he didn't even get headaches or nosebleeds anymore. The bulk of his training centered on the ship he would be in and the operation of its controls. Although many were operated by hand, it also required a telepathic connection with the control panel itself. He needed to know about the state of the ship in general, like gravity controls, guidance, engines and thrusters and weapons status (if necessary, which it wouldn't be he was assured). He would be traveling at near light speed and was comforted to know that the ship would continuously monitor and recalculate his telemetry to account for objects that would cross his path.

On the final day of training Thralesh was very impressed "Nick you have come so far with your abilities, it's simply amazing. You are ready to conquer this mission I think."

"Thank you" he said "Do I leave tomorrow then?"

"Your ship is being readied as we speak. Leskal will be joining you in the morning and giving you your final briefing and then you're off." They moved to the entrance of his quarters and Nick went in with Thralesh stopping in the doorway. "You will be a hero Nick. Not only among your fellow humans but also in the minds of the Annunaki who are outcasts due to the civil war" She eyed him appraisingly for a moment, then turned and left.

# Chapter 10

Leskal appeared in Nick's room the next day as Thralesh had said. With him he brought some food and a space suit Nick recognized as the one he had worn on their trip to the moon from Earth. Nick went into the bathroom and put on the suit and returned and sat and ate the food. Leskal didn't communicate at all with Nick as he ate, he just watched him, outwardly showing all the patience in the world but Nick could tell that he was agitated and anxious. Nick was so nervous about today that he could think of nothing to say either and worried that even if he tried the food he was eating would come back up. He pushed his plate away and sat back, Leskal watched him, his eyes glinting in excitement. After a brief moment he said "Let's go to my office Nick. We'll be more comfortable and I can explain to you the final details of the plan that you are courageously undertaking" and he rose and went out the door into the lab area with Nick following closely. They used the elevator at the side of the lab and Nick couldn't tell which direction they were moving and came to a stop with the doors opening onto a lavishly decorated room, with soft lighting and lots of strange looking art decorating the walls and tables. There was no indication that this was an office at all, no desk, no filing cabinets or anything that would make it look like an office. Leskal went over to where there were some chairs set in front of a table that faced a large window and motioned for Nick to join him. The window was opaque and through it Nick could see the fringes of the sun burning brightly but there must have been some sort of protection that muted the intense brightness of the sun. It was beautiful and tranquil and no words came to mind that could do it justice if he had to relate what it looked like to someone else. They sat down and Leskal poured them each a drink from a container that was on the table. He offered one to Nick "I understand it is an Earth tradition to toast before a trip of this significance" He held his glass up and said "To you Nick, for making all this possible, for putting yourself on the line for your fellow man. May your trip be quick and successful" and he drank his glass down in one. Nick raised his glass and sipped the liquid inside. It was warm and slightly on the bitter side, and as he drank it a calming feeling spread quickly throughout his body like a wave of deep relaxation steeling over his body. "That's pretty tasty. What is it?"

"It's an old Annunaki recipe, a calming draught. I thought it might help your nerves. I am glad you like it. How about we get down to business, your ship is leaving in a few hours' time and I think you only know the basic framework of the plan." Nick nodded in assent and Leskal continued "As you know the plan is to send you to Nibiru on one of the ships we have. When you get close enough the homing system of the computer will take over and direct the ship to one of the decontamination facilities."

"Decontamination facility?" Nick questioned.

"Because the ship has not been seen on Nibiru for so long the computer on the planet that controls perimeter defenses will direct the shipboard computer to land at a decontamination facility so that it can be assessed and possibly wrecked or upgraded whichever the case may be."

"Won't a stray ship approaching the planet arouse suspicion?"

"The Annunaki are well traveled and ships have been left behind or gone adrift at various times before. The recovery system actually sends out a signal as the planet moves through its orbit to try and find ships like that and signal them to return to the planet. This will work to our advantage in a few ways. First, you won't need to man the ship for landing, the guidance system will take care of that and second, once the ship is down, it's put in quarantine for some time to be scanned for bio-hazards"

"Why not just send a ship back loaded with a bomb or set it to self-destruct after it lands?"

"Unfortunately a bomb would not do the damage required and would also be detected aboard the ship before it landed and the guidance system would fly it out of harm's way and detonate it. As for the self-destruct, as soon as the ships on board computers linked with the main ones on the planet, the computers on the planet would detect that self-destruct has been activated and override it."

"Can I be detected aboard the ship before it lands? What happens then?"

Leskal smiled broadly "This is where your training comes in. When the link with the planet systems occurs there is a quick scan done to see if the ship is manned or unmanned. That is when you need to use your telepathic training to make it seem that you aren't even there, conceal yourself so you are invisible to the scanning system as it were. Once the ship is on the ground we have someone in place that is sympathetic to our cause, they will make contact with you and get you off the ship to somewhere safe and prepare for the next phase of the plan."

Nick was processing the information quickly in his head and while it seemed plausible it also screamed with impossibility. His training had progressed to where he could use his abilities to hide his human signature so that didn't seem so daunting of a task to pull off.

"What happens after that?" was all he could think to ask at this point.

"Our contact will take you to your main objective which is the atmospheric processor that controls the environment for the whole planet"

"What am I supposed to do there?"

"You remember those nanobots you were infused with?"

"Yes"

"They are still in your system, dormant at the moment, and quite harmless" he added as he watched Nick frantically look at his limbs, aghast. "Our contact, Zhengil is his name, will re-purpose them to exit your body and attack and reprogram the computer control of the atmospheric processor. At that point a toxin will be released that will temporarily disable the telepathic ability of the entire planets inhabitants and allow us to attack and seize control of the whole planet before anyone knows what is happening."

"What do you mean, exit my body?" asked Nick

"When the time comes and you are near the processor, the nanobots will cluster at a pre-designated spot on your body for release. At that time you need to make a small incision in your skin to allow them to get out."

"I have to cut myself?" Nick said, his disbelief dripping from every word "Nobody told me about that"

"You don't have to cut deeply Nick. There will be hardly any blood lost and once they are set free to do their job, Zhengil will patch you up good as new."

The thought still resonated deeply with Nick. He knew there would be sacrifices to be made he just didn't think that they would involve self-mutilation. He shuddered and took another sip of the draught that Leskal had given him. Relaxing a little from it he asked "Is the attack force going to be following me?"

"The timing on this whole thing has to be precise. As you can understand our attack force has to stay out of sight until the toxin has been released and there is total confusion on the planet's surface."

"Can you tell me more about the trip there?"

"Basically we will simulate the homing beacon signal from the home planet and the computer on the ship will be tricked into thinking that it has received the call to come home and will set a course accordingly. Since Nibiru is still quite a ways away it will most likely involve the use of a wormhole to get back to the home planet"

Nick thought for what seemed like an eternity. So many questions, the most pressing of which was "Will I get home?"

"If all goes well Nick, you will come back to a hero's welcome"

Nick didn't feel like that at all. He was scared to the point of wishing he had never agreed to go. He thought again of his friends on Earth, the children on Earth that would grow up in slavery or not get to grow up at all, the six billion or so people that would be in bondage and the thoughts seemed to strengthen his resolve. He finished his drink and put the glass down on the table. "Is there anything else I need to know?" he asked

Leskal stood and said "That all. Your ship is leaving quite soon. I think we should get down there and get you on board" and he turned and made his way back to the elevator. Nick followed and once they climbed aboard the elevator and its doors closed, Nick could tell they were descending. He swallowed hard and set his jaw. At the bottom they exited and went down the small hallway and into the hangar that Nick had first arrived here in. There was the ship they used to come here and a little beyond that was Nick's ship for the mission. It was basically the same as the one he had been in with Leskal, it just looked a little older and more travel worn. The landing ramp was down and Nick could see a faint purplish light emanating from within. He followed Leskal into the ship and after the bio scan they moved into the cockpit area. Leskal watched as Nick climbed into one of the chairs and placed the headband on that would allow him to interact with the computer.

"I'll be in the control room monitoring your departure" Leskal said "For the record Nick; I think that you are the bravest human being I have ever met. I wish you nothing but success" and shook Nick's hand firmly, smiled, then quickly turned and exited the ship. After Leskal was gone Nick found that he was in tune with the computer as it retracted the landing ramp. Moments later he was free of the tractor beam that was holding him in place. Above him the blackness of space revealed itself slowly as the huge hangar doors opened. Once they stopped Leskal's voice buzzed in his head "OK, Nick, we are initiating the homing signal, after that the computer should take over. There will be no more communication from us here. Good luck with everything"

Nick tried to respond with but found his thoughts were too muddled to form something coherent. There was a quick flash of light outside the window and in response the computer on the ship activated its guidance and thrusters and started to rise slowly out of the hangar. This was it. No turning back now, the next stop presumably was Nibiru. As they drifted slowly out of the hangar the doors below started to slip together closing the hangar out of view. The ship continued to rise slowly up and away from the moon and abruptly stopped. All around the windows Nick could see the deep black of space filled with hundreds of thousands of stars, twinkling and shining brightly and to one side, the sun, huge and fiery and awe inspiring. Directly behind him lay home, planet Earth. Floating in space like a blue and white marble, glowing magnificently, Nick's eyes began to tear up at the site. The beauty and the majesty of seeing his planet in this setting sealed his resolve once and for all. He would succeed or die trying. Around him the ship started to vibrate slightly and looking ahead the star field was starting to get blurry in a spot directly ahead, like it was melting. The ship drifted slowly toward the distortion. Nick took one last, longing glance at Earth, the ship eased into the wormhole and in an instant everything was gone.

# Chapter 11

Nick didn't know what he was expecting but this wasn't it. It wasn't like in the movies or on television where the ship dips and dives through all these curvy worm-like tubes, finally arriving at their destination. No it wasn't like that all. The image of Earth was still fresh in his mind when he appeared in a different part of space. It was like he blinked and in that time someone changed the backdrop. All around there were stars, but not in the same patterns that he saw from Earth. They were closer and, if possible, more brilliant. Astounded he stared around at them, struggling to comprehend what had just happened to him. As he scanned the horizon he saw it, his destination, Nibiru. There could be no mistaking it. It was a big planet he supposed, his only frame of reference being Earth, and it was about ten times its size. What really stuck out for him was the color difference. Where Earth was a dazzling blue and white, Nibiru looked dark and desolate. There were three visible moons in orbit around the planet and on the planet's surface Nick thought he could see faint traces of light. He wondered how far he was from the planet. He went back to admiring the vast reaches of this area of space while the ship cruised along, Nibiru steadily getting bigger in the window. "Incoming surface connection" echoed in his brain. Nick's heart lurched in his chest. Here we go he thought. He quickly removed the headband that was connecting him to the computer, closed his eyes and really focused on shielding his being from the forthcoming scan. Through the lids of his closed eyes he could see a green light flare up at one side of the ship and move the other side, pausing momentarily as it passed over him. He concentrated harder than ever on not being there, not even daring to breathe, imagining that he was like smoke. The light continued on and then ceased. A moment after it stopped the ship changed its trajectory and speed and was now targeting the lower half of the planet. Nick was watching intently as the ship emerged from the atmosphere and descended rapidly toward the ground. As the ship drifted lower Nick could spy native architecture but he could not find words to describe it. It was beauty and function put into form. The houses were clean and shallow with rounded tops that draped down right into the soil and rock they were made from. Everything was laid out and designed with a precision that had to be borne of a higher intelligence. Nick's ship drifted lower still and he could see magnificent cities spread out below him, spreading hundreds of miles. Like the housing they seemed to be designed to balance with and blend right into the native ecosphere. His shipped dropped even lower so he was about fifty feet above the planet's surface. He could see people now. Annunaki going about their lives, walking down streets that looked as if they were made with the same technology as the buildings and ships of all different sizes zipping along here and there. His ship suddenly slowed to a stop and hovered above what looked like a large warehousing facility. Hundreds of ships were parked on the ground, close together like they were parked at the mall. His ship then descended right down to the ground amongst several other ships of the same design and then the control panel went dark along with the windows.

Nick sat for second in the silence, wondering, what now? Leskal said that their contact would come and collect him so Nick thought it best to sit tight right where he was, afraid to even peep out the window. How much time passed as he waited, Nick did not know. He did know that it was now dark outside and he could see the lights of the city coming up and still no one had shown up. He was starting to feel nervous. Something had to have gone wrong. He picked up the headband control to the ship in the hopes that he could glean some information from it. In response to his thoughts a part of the console briefly lit and he was able to find out that this ship was slated to be decontaminated. That in and of itself wasn't a bad thing except he didn't know how or when this procedure was supposed to take place. He took the headband off again and sat back trying to reason out what he should do. Where was his contact? How much longer would he have to wait? His next thought was interrupted as the ships console came on again and he could see through the window an oddly shaped ship coming down a long aisle of parked ships straight toward his. It must be something to do with the decontamination he thought. Quickly he put the headband back on and ordered the ship to open the door but not put out the landing ramp. Out the window he could see the other ship drifting slowly closer and he ripped off the headband and dived out the open door and rolled under the nearest next ship. Suddenly he felt lighter and he didn't hit the ground as hard as he was expecting. As he regained his senses in his hiding spot he realized that the gravity here must be close to that of Earth but not quite the same. He watched as the ship neared and came to a stop close to his and a door opened. Nick held his breath, hoping against hope that he hadn't been seen, focusing on using his abilities to become a part of the ship he was hiding under to avoid detection. Out of the ship's open door came two small robots with many arms. They looked like metal octopi, and they swooped around the ship, each arm emitting a different color beam of light onto the ships surface, and one of the arms physically scrubbing the ship. With that task done they entered the ship through the open door and Nick could see the same color lights flashing on and off through the opening. Moments later they re-emerged and went back to the ship they came from and it drifted away toward a different ship. As the decontamination ship drifted off to work in another area, Nick was transfixed and stared in horror as the door to his own transport closed. He didn't have anywhere to go now, no safe haven, no idea what to do next. He lay in his hiding spot for what seemed like eternity racking his brain to formulate a plan of some sort. This wasn't even something that he had thought to ask Leskal about. Realizing it would probably be best if he moved from where he was hiding while it was still dark out, he crawled slowly out from under the craft and looked around. He couldn't see any other activity or movement so he made his way slowly toward the large building occupying one end of the maintenance yard he was in. It felt strange. He wasn't bounding like he would have in the moon's low gravity but it felt like he had springs in the bottom of his shoes, each step accompanied with a little bounce, his strides longer. Making sure to keep his presence concealed he approached the main building and took refuge behind a derelict craft that allowed him to survey the building and figure out a way to get inside. He could see the door open and close, machines of varying design going in and out, but he knew that would be a bad choice of entry point. Scanning the building wall slowly he saw what he was looking for, an exhaust vent and it looked big enough for him to squeeze into. He didn't really have a plan but he knew that he needed to get inside the building and find a good place to hide until he could formulate a proper plan. He slipped quietly from his hiding spot and made his way to the vent. It took some work but he managed to get the cover off and climbed inside and placed the cover back in its spot. It was big enough for him to crawl through quite easily and wasn't dirty or soaking wet as he had feared. Just as he started to crawl farther in he heard a voice coming from outside and he went still and looked back in time to see a pair of legs go by his hiding spot, their owner, Nick could sense, was tense and walked with purpose. That was close he thought. Was he seen in some way? Nothing he could do about it now but continue forward. He worked his way farther down the corridor, passing by many branches but opting to continue in a straight line. Finally he came to another grate and looking out he could see it opened into a room that housed several large machines. Nick could not even guess what their function might be, he was just happy that the room appeared to be deserted. Slowly he pried the grate open and slipped into the room. He breathed a sigh of relief that no alarms went off and went about putting the cover back in place. Once it was in place he looked around the room. It was a large room with two machines and a complicated network of tubes that went right up to the ceiling. Nick made his way around the room and found a single door leading out. The door didn't have any method for opening it that was visible. Stumped he stared at the door momentarily, pondering how to open it. Then it hit him, he needed to use his new mind powers. Bracing himself, he closed his eyes and opened his mind and visualized that he was connecting with the door, straining his mind, he was about to give up when it happened. "Please enter function" entered his mind. 'Open' he thought quickly in return, afraid that if hesitated he would miss his chance. In response the door slid open with a whisper. Leaning out, Nick looked tentatively up and down the hallway the door opened into. His luck held, and there was nobody around. Stepping out into the hallway, he could see that it ended to his left and on the right continued to where it came to a tee ending. As stealthily as he could he made his way toward the tee junction. Once at the junction he leaned up against one wall and slowly peered out in both directions. Both hallways seemed to continue on for quite a ways, with each having several doors and more branches coming off of them. Nick opted to continue down the left hallway. It seemed more inviting to him for some reason. Around the corner he went, his nerves on tenterhooks, his skin tingling in excitement. He kept swiveling his head back and forth, almost not daring to breathe, expecting a door to open or an Annunaki come around a corner but nothing of that sort happened. He got the end of the hallway at another junction. There appeared to be an elevator to his right so he made for it. He didn't know where he was going, but knew he had to get out of this building. Standing in front of the elevator, he closed his eyes again and visualized connecting with the elevator. This time the elevator responded immediately and he discovered that the car was actually on this floor. That unnerved him as it meant that someone brought it down here. He ordered the doors to open and just as he was stepping into it, the small door beside him flew open and from the darkness a pair of hands reached out and grabbed him and dragged him into the darkness.

Nick struggled against their grip; his fists flying in defense, but the hands were stronger than him and held him firmly. "Nick, it's me Zhengil." Cut through the fear and struggle going on in his brain and Nick stopped fighting.

"What happened?" he replied as forceful as he could.

"When your ship was scanned it detected something. The computer didn't know what it was but classified it as an organic agent that needed to be cleaned. As a result your ship was routed to a facility different from the one I work at. It took me some time to find out where exactly you had landed and get over here"

"But I used my telepathic powers just like I was trained"

"Your attention and focus must have slipped for that one brief moment and there was a faint residue of you that was detected. That's why it didn't classify you properly, not enough information to go on so it assumed you were some sort of organic material that could be cleansed. A sign of how the Annunaki feel about your kind."

Zhengil let Nick's hands go and Nick slumped to the floor, physically and emotionally exhausted. The lights came up a little and Zenghil crouched down beside him. "I am impressed with your skills Nick. To have made it this far is quite an achievement" Nick glanced up at him. He was close to what he expected: handsome to a fault, with dark eyes and hair to match. He was taller though. Taller than Leskal and taller than Grolen, Nick wondered if it had something to do with Nibiru's gravity compared to Earths. "Where are we?" he asked

"This is a sub-basement of one of our ship storage facilities. Fortunately for you, it isn't widely used so there is minimal staff."

"So where do we go from here?"

"We need to get you out of the building. Wait here and I will go get something to help us."

Zhengil stood up and left Nick alone in the room. It seemed that he was gone for quite a while which gave Nick time to relax and analyze the situation. He had gotten this far, which was incredible, but really he wanted to finish this job and return to Earth. The glamor and intrigue of everything was starting to wane. The door opened again and this time Zhengil came in pushing a cart. "OK, the plan is straight forward. We load you in here and get you up to the parking area. From there we make our way to my ship and we fly out of here."

Hesitantly, Nick climbed into the cart and Zhengil pulled the cover over the top and wheeled it out of the room.

Nick could tell that they were on the elevator by the slight movement he could feel. How far they went up he didn't know. The cart started moving again which told Nick that they were on the move. Nick could sense people passing by them, sometimes faintly picking up conversation with Zhengil. The cart stopped and the top opened and Zhengil helped Nick out of the cart. "Don't stop using your telepathic abilities yet" he warned as Nick clambered out stiffly.

Nick focused on concealing himself from any sensory detection as Zhengil directed him stiffly by the arm to where his ship was. As they approached it a door opened and they went inside without stopping. Zhengil pushed Nick into a chair and sat in the one next to it and started frantically working at the controls, obviously in a hurry to get out of here. In short order the ship lifted off and drifted out from the parking area. Once free of obstruction, it took off and merged easily with a line of ships all moving in the same direction.

"Where are we going?" Nick asked

"I am going to take you to where I live for the time being. It's the safest place for you to be."

Nick sat contentedly and watched everything he could lay eyes on. From the ships around him flying in unison; to the buildings passing by below him; to the moons in the sky; everything was surreal. He couldn't believe that he was on another planet, and to see the technology that was in place was just incredible. He wondered how long the Annunaki had been a species. If they had started the same way as human beings and kept working and striving until they achieved the place they were at now. The buildings slowly thinned out and became farther and fewer in-between as they flew on. Without warning the ship dropped out of the line they were traveling in and flew toward ground level, leveling out and stopping about one hundred feet off the ground. Below was a solitary three story structure and they descended right to the top of it and landed. Zhengil took his hands off the controls and leaned back, the relief of getting to safety without getting caught etched on his face. "You will be safe here Nick. This is a building that I own. You will have all the comforts you could need as far as food and drink". Nick was grateful. At the mention of food he realized it had been some time since he actually ate last. They left the ship and walked across the landing area to a flight of stairs and descending them, brought them to a door. They had to stop momentarily for Zhengil to access the door, which opened into a large, cluttered room, a makeshift sleeping area in one corner. "It's pretty cluttered I know" Zhengil offered "but we needed somewhere more secluded to house you until it is time to initiate the plan." And he went into another room and returned with some food. Sitting down at a small table Nick and Zhengil both started eating. Nick paused "What happens now? How do we attack the plant?"

Zhengil smiled a broad, smug smile "We are just going to walk in, right past security, right under their noses and make our way to the machine we need to compromise and before they know what happened, the planet will be under our control."

This startled Nick. He was hoping that the plan would be grander and more intricate. Looking at Zhengil he continued eating his food but he couldn't help but feel that on some of the finer points of the plan, he was being left in the dark.

# Chapter 12

Nick was unsure how many days he actually trained. All he could go by was that he had slept eight times. Zhengil worked him hard and Nick felt like his skills were getting sharper all the time. Surreptitiously he tried to gather information from Zhengil's mind but his efforts never were fruitful and he abandoned them altogether for fear of Zhengil catching on to what he was trying to do. They didn't work on his ability to conceal himself from detection as he had thought; rather Zhengil introduced a new concept whereby Nick could make himself appear to be someone else in the mind of the person looking at him. He found this skill really interesting. Zhengil explained that it was in this way they were going to gain access to the facility and avoid being detected. Zhengil had procured a picture of someone at the plant that had high security and that was who Nick had to study, trying to perfect every nuance of the image. It was after a particularly strenuous practice session that Zhengil told him that he felt that Nick was ready and they would be proceeding shortly. Nick nodded that he had heard him but his head was still swimming from the practice session. Taking a drink and eating some food, he could really sense that Zhengil was excited to put the plan in motion. He was up pacing the ground, not saying anything, but presumably running over things in his mind, a gleam in his eye.

"What about this guy I am going to be pretending to be? You're sure he won't be there?" Nick asked

"We made sure that he won't be interfering with our operation if that's what you mean"

"I still don't see why you needed me to do this. You guys keep teaching me skills to get around your security. Don't you have the same skills? Why couldn't someone here perform this?"

Zhengil joined him at the table "The skills are one thing. It's the other part of the plan that required a human"

"How so?" asked Nick, intrigued

"It's the nanobots you carry in your bloodstream. Even though human beings, as you know them, were genetically engineered in the Annunaki image, there is a huge difference in how our brains function and our basic physiology. When you were first injected with the nanobots and they activated the part of your brain that was Annunaki based, but lay dormant, there was a byproduct of that chemical reaction that was created. It's harmless to humans, but to the Annunaki, it causes the reverse effect and that would be the loss of their powers. Without their powers available, nobody will be able to function and chaos and confusion will follow"

"And the creators never discovered this?"

"It was stumbled upon accidentally when our counterparts back on Earth were researching a way to stop the impending enslavement of your race. It would appear in this capacity human beings are more resilient than the creators intended" It seemed to cost Zhengil something to admit this but he brushed it off and sat silently.

"What are these nanobots supposed to do to the atmospheric controller? Nick asked, shuddering still at the thought of how he was supposed to get them out of his body.

"The machine filters the air of our atmosphere continuously. While it is doing this, it searches out and neutralizes foreign pathogens, but before it destroys them, it takes a sample so that chemists at the labs can try to identify where it originated from to see if there is a cause for larger concern. Was it from this planet, was it of extra-terrestrial origin, that kind of thing. So it is constantly taking in air and putting out fresh pathogen free air. We need to get to the area where the samples are drawn and housed. Once there we introduce the nanobots into the system after the filtering area. They will attack the filter system itself and program it to think that the chemicals that resulted when we enabled your telepathic abilities are harmless, and then release those chemicals into the air that is being exhausted to the planet's surface. Once it is released it is only a matter of minutes before the effects."

"And that is when the other ships from Earth come in and take control of governing bodies" Nick interjected.

"That's exactly right. They won't even know what hit them. Once their powers are taken away, nobody will know what to do. It should be quick and painless."

It did sound feasible. Horribly, Nick realized, the whole plan hinged upon his ability to assume the identity of this other person, at least in the eyes of his attackers. With that thought still resonating in his mind he finished his food and then he and Zhengil resumed practice.

Zhengil left Nick alone after practice, only the second time he had done so, but not before pronouncing Nick ready to go and advising him to get as much rest as he could. Nick didn't need much convincing of this fact. His brain was sore, if that was possible, and sleep overtook him much easier than he thought it would. Next thing he knew Zhengil was over top of him gently shaking him, urging him to wake up. Nick wearily opened his eyes and Zhengil backed off and gestured to the table where breakfast was now waiting for him. As he ate Zhengil told him that he had been in touch with Leskal and that his army was fully mobilized and ready to go and only needed the signal from him to come through the wormhole and attack. Things were really ramping up now. After breakfast Zhengil took Nick to a different part of the building they were in. This was more like a lab and he got Nick to sit in a chair while he attached some electrode looking things to his forehead and then sat down at a control panel and started to work the controls. "What I am doing Nick is reprogramming the nanobots in your system. You may feel a slight tingling sensation as this happens, but you should be otherwise unaffected."

As he said this, Nick did feel a small sensation in the base of his skull and it radiated out from there to encompass his whole brain. The sensation rose to a slightly painful crescendo and just as if someone flicked a switch, it stopped. Nick looked down at his arms and torso, thinking he might see some sort of change but everything looked the same. Zhengil stared at the control panel screen for a little longer. Nick looked at the screen as well but its output was in a language he didn't understand so he looked away again. Satisfied with the results, Zhengil tapped the controls a few more times and the screen went dark. He turned around and removed the electrodes from Nick and asked him how he felt.

"I don't really feel all that different" Nick replied.

"That's a good sign. If there was a problem it would have manifested itself right after I reprogrammed the nanobots." Zhengil said.

They left the room and went back to the practice area. Zhengil took a seat at the table and Nick joined him.

"We're going to be leaving shortly and I just want to go over what you can expect once we get there" he said noting Nick's surprise at the announcement.

"We are going to take my ship and fly there. Not directly, just in case we are being watched. We will land in the parking area, which is on the roof of the building, and make our way through the building; the key here being we don't want anything to seem out of the ordinary."

Nick nodded solemnly.

"Now, the machine we are going to be manipulating is down in the basement, a few floors below ground level. Fortunately for us, this is a slow staffing day so we shouldn't encounter too many people on our way down there. Regardless I have mapped a route that will take us through the less inhabited areas of the plant."

"I still don't understand this machine" Nick said "How is it going to affect the whole planet?"

"The reason that it is below ground level is because there are inlet and output vents all over the planet all tied into substations that get their directives from the main plant. There are several filtering substations, but they get their filtering directives from the main machine. Once the nanobots have changed the filtering parameters, the main filtering area will upload the new parameters to all the substations so that they will not try to filter out the pathogen we will be introducing. They tried in the early days to have several plants running independently for atmosphere control but found that they ran into too many problems with atmosphere being well maintained here and not so well there. So everything is controlled by one main plant that can monitor and control the entire substation and ultimately the atmosphere of the whole planet. Does that answer your question?"

"It certainly helps me to understand why this plan was adopted. I am used to Earth systems and the thought of a single computer or machine being used to control something on the whole planet just seems, well, incredibly difficult"

"I can understand that. It must be clear to you by now that we are more advanced than humans?" Zhengil said, his body language emphasizing the point.

"It is abundantly clear" Nick replied, noting the feeling of superiority emanating from Zhengil.

Zhengil looked at a device on his wrist and got up. "It's time for us to leave Nick." And he headed to the door that led up to the roof area of the building.

Nick took a deep breath and followed him up the stairs, across the roof and into Zhengil's ship.

They took off and flew towards the main city area for a bit and then veered to the right and continued on. The ground below them flew by and soon any signs of life disappeared and there was only dark Earth below them. Just when it seemed to Nick that they would never see any life, lights appeared on the horizon. The lights grew brighter as they continued on their trajectory, and then a huge building loomed quietly out of the darkness.

The building itself looked like it could hold two or three airplane hangars with ease, probably more. It stretched from side to side for maybe a mile and was almost as tall, out front and around the sides were many holding tanks and a complicated network of piping that made it look like the building was surround by an army of octopi. Once they were above the main building they stopped and hovered for a second and then drifted down and touched down on the building rooftop.

Zhengil turned to Nick "This is where you need to start projecting the image that we have been practicing"

Nick closed his eyes and focused on the picture that Zhengil had given him. He focused and the picture and imagined that it surrounded him in a living and breathing replication. He looked at Zhengil and he was smiling. Patting him on the shoulder he said "very good Nick, your practice has gone extremely well. Let's go and finish this"

They clambered out of the ship and cautiously, but with purpose, crossed the roof to the building entrance, constantly scanning for any sign of danger. Through the entrance door they went and then down a small spiral staircase that came out onto a large open area with several elevator doors lining each wall. Zhengil seemed to lose his composure for a moment as he looked at all the elevator doors, like he wasn't expecting this. He looked at them all for a time and then, smiling, found the one he was looking for and made his way to one in the middle of a row of elevators on the bank to their left. The door opened almost as soon as he had depressed the button next to it. It was empty and they got on board. When the doors closed and they were alone he said "Sorry for the confusion. I am working from plans that were drawn up some time ago. They must have added some elevators since then." He paused before continuing "All these elevators go to somewhere different. There isn't one that goes all the way down to the floor we need so I had to find the one that went down the farthest. From there we have to do some walking to get to a flight of stairs that will take us to the machine level." As with the other elevators he had been on, Nick couldn't feel any movement on this one. As a result he was just as surprised as Zhengil when the doors suddenly opened and someone was standing outside waiting to join them.

# Chapter 13

Nick's heart almost stopped. He wanted desperately to look to Zhengil for guidance but didn't dare move in case his concentration slipped and he revealed who he really was. So he stared, wide eyed and straight ahead, not even wanting to make eye contact as the person eyed them momentarily and then climbed on the elevator. As the doors slid shut, Nick concentrated with everything he could muster on maintaining his disguise. It seemed like an eternity as the elevator descended in a stony silence.

Either the new person wasn't familiar with them or didn't want to talk as he didn't try to strike up any sort of conversation. They stopped again and the doors opened and the stranger walked briskly off of the elevator. As the doors started to close Nick silently breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.

The doors were almost shut when the stranger turned and looked back at them and cocked his head slightly in confusion. With the doors firmly shut and their downward journey continuing they looked at each other. Zhengil was first to speak "Why did he look back" he demanded "did you maintain your disguise?"

"Yes. I was using all the effort I could find to keep it intact. Maybe he found it odd that neither of us spoke to him or something"

"Yes, yes. It must have been a coincidence or something" Zhengil said, but the look on his face betrayed the fact that he was beyond concerned. They reached the bottom of the elevators path and disembarked when the elevator doors opened. "Stay close to me" Zhengil hissed, "And keep your thoughts focused on who you are pretending to be." The floor they were on was long and lavish with lots of art decorating the walls and painted in a color he couldn't quite describe. It seemed to shimmer and change hues ever so slightly as you passed by different works of art. They did see some more people but not many and not closely either as people went about their work. Some looked in their direction and others just plodded along happily going about their business. Nick felt a pang of remorse for what he was about to do. Then he wondered if they would feel the same pity for him when they were taking control of Earth. He followed Zhengil as they twisted and turned through hallway after hallway, corridor after corridor. Just when Nick was starting to wonder if they were lost Zhengil stopped suddenly near a door and excitedly reported to Nick "This is it. This is where we go down" He paused for a second and then the door slid open and revealed a long catwalk. As they entered the room Nick could feel a strange sensation in his arm and looking down at it, he could see that it looked almost like there were small lumps under his skin moving in slow lines and up and down his arm. They followed the catwalk exclusively, bypassing several sets of stairs that led downwards to other catwalk levels. Far below, Nick could see the machine they were targeting. It was massive and glowed with the same organic purplish glow that led him to believe it was more alive than machine. They went almost to the end of the catwalk to one of the last sets of stairs that branched off from the catwalk and led down. There didn't appear to be anybody around but Nick couldn't shake the fear he was feeling. Like something was following him, haunting his thoughts. They made it down to the next level and stayed on it as the followed the walkway along the wall to yet another set of steps that led down to a third level. This time they immediately took the next flight of steps that took then down to the bottom level. This close the machine was so immense; Nick couldn't even comprehend such a large device on Earth. For the first time Nick felt some real trepidation for what he was about to do. The responsibility of causing the downfall of an entire civilization is just not something that is easy to deal with, on any level. Zhengil looked back and noticed that Nick had stopped walking and urged him to follow. They circled around to the side of the machine, Zhengil scanning the machine intently. Nick didn't see how he could find what he was looking for as there were hundreds of pipes branching away from it and going in all directions. As they continued around the monstrous device the pipes cleared away and there was the control panel. It was standing alone at the end of a long walkway and surrounded by strange liquid, separate from the main machine, but connected to it by a beam of light that was pulsating and throbbing as if it had a life of its own.

"Good, good. This is it." Zhengil's excitement filling Nick's head. Licking his lips expectantly Zhengil told Nick to stay put and went out on the walkway to the control panel. He stroked the console in an almost loving way then began using it with a complex process of keystrokes. Nick watched as his hands moved gingerly across the panel and then he abruptly turned and came back to Nick. "OK I have ordered the machine to open access to the filtration system. It should be coming up right about there" and he pointed to a spot in the liquid in between the command console and the machine itself. Slow circles formed in the strange liquid, like someone had dropped a rock in there. The circles grew in frequency until, inch by inch, the filtration system protruded from the pool. The strange liquid was falling off the device in thick, oozing sheets. The device itself looked to Nick like a large set of solar panels, with rows of dark, quivering, organic looking substances arranged in neat squares on a large flat base.

Zhengil produced a small knife from his body suit and passed it swiftly to Nick and then took a few steps back.

Nick took the knife and turned, holding his arm out over the strange liquid. From his position it looked like mercury. Thick and opaque, it moved in slow, undulating waves as drips landed bluntly from the device that was now sitting mere inches from the surface of the pool. The liquid was silvery and thick and its surface seemed so solid that Nick felt like he could walk across it. Time seemed to slow down, like he was in slow motion, everything surreal. He watched, as if from another body, as his hand holding the knife came across his plane of vision and with agonizing slowness made its way toward his other arm where the nanobots could sense they were close to their target and were swarming under the skin of his arm. Closer the knife drifted and as it touched his arm he closed his eyes, unable to watch what he was about to do. He could feel the knife bite into his skin and tug slightly as it dragged through his flesh. Strangely he didn't feel any pain. Maybe the nanobots were providing some sort of anesthetic effect that dulled the pain. He opened his eyes to make sure that he had actually performed the deed and yes, he could see his blood inching out the cut with agonizing slowness, like molasses oozing out of a jar. Blood didn't flow like that he thought to himself and as he watched blood slowly ooze out of his veins he heard a noise behind him. Whipping around he saw Zhengil standing behind him, his arm raised and in his hand, a strange looking weapon. No bigger than a cell phone, he held it rigidly in his hand, pointed right at the middle of Nick's back.

"What are you doing?" Nick screamed out and as he looked at Zhengil's face he could see the confusion in his eyes. A noise on the catwalk above attracted his attention and looking up he could see dozens of people running down the stairs toward them.

Zhengil could only stand there, a horrified look on his face, staring at Nick's arm, where his blood hadn't even moved an inch out of his open wound. His attention diverted, it was in that moment that Nick was able to see into his mind. To see right through all the lies and cover-ups and realize that he was a pawn in this plan, an expendable pawn. And as soon as his blood had hit the surface of the liquid Zhengil was going to blast him. Obliterate him all together and leave no trace that he even existed.

Nick knew that what he was about to do was wrong and in response he threw the knife down onto the floor and pulled his arm away from above the mysterious pool of liquid covering the open wound with his other hand.

"Nooooooooo" Zhengil screamed, his full attention drawn back to the here and now as soon as Nick pulled his arm away from the surface. He stared for a moment, anger and rage etched in his face.

"You are going to die useless human. You and all of your pitiful race" he spat, the words forced his way into Nick's mind with stabbing brute force, making Nick fall to the ground, clutching his head in agony and hold it tightly as if it were going to split apart. He looked up helplessly at Zhengil, feelings of despair and betrayal slashing through his mind with crushing intensity. Zhengil raised his arm once more and with one final glare at Nick made to push the button that would put an end to him.

Nick winced as it happened, waiting for everything to disappear, for his life to be taken away but nothing seemed to happen. Is this what death is like? He thought to himself. He opened one eye just a crack and through it he could see dozens of pairs of feet surrounding him and Zhengil on his stomach flat on the floor a few feet away, his face contorted in the same rage filled glare he had just given Nick, grunting as his one hand struggled toward the device on the wrist of his other arm. A violet flash went off and suddenly Zhengil was as still as a statue, like he was stuck in time and then he was gone, like someone erased him from the scene. Nick opened his eyes fully and looked around him. He was surrounded by dozens of Annunaki and at their head was the one they had seen on the elevator. Nick couldn't think of what to say or do so he just lay there, wondering what would happen to him. The one in the lead took aim with a device similar to the one that Zhengil had and pointed it at Nick and less than a second later everything disappeared.

Nick awoke and slowly opened his eyes. His head was pounding and it took a moment for his eyes to focus properly. When they did, he found that he was on a bed in what seemed to be a medical room. There were a few machines at the head of his bed soundlessly monitoring him. A shimmering glow surrounded his immediate bed area, like an iridescent igloo covering his bed. At the moment he was alone and looking out the window he could see two of the moons of Nibiru, yet it wasn't dark outside. Looking at the rest of the room he noted a table and chairs in one corner and two closed doors, one likely to lead outside and the other hopefully to a bathroom. He remembered his arm and looked down to where there should surely be a cut, but found that there was no mark whatsoever there. Puzzled, he almost wondered if he was in the afterlife and dreaming everything. Nick's eyes started to feel heavy again. Blinking against the wave of fatigue now washing over him, Nick couldn't resist and he closed his eyes and put his head back down and was asleep in seconds. He awoke again to find someone standing at his bedside looking at the machines above him. Startled momentarily he fumbled about for something to say.

"Where am I?" he asked

"You are our guest." She replied

"Do you treat all your guests like this?" Nick asked as he eyed the force field around his bed

"We have to quarantine you until we can determine that you are not carrying anything else that could be dangerous to us" the stranger replied flashing Nick a smile

"I'm sorry, I am being rude. My name is Nick, what is your name?"

She took a moment to tap a hand held device she was using then looked at him, her green eyes piercing and brilliant "I am Sekjol" and she went back to her work.

Not very forthcoming with the details Nick thought to himself. "What happened to me? The last thing I remember is being surrounded by people and a weapon aimed at me"

"You were lucky that the weapon had been dialed down. Even at the setting it was on you were more damaged than anticipated. You were moved here and have been under my care ever since"

"Am I going to be OK?" he asked, finding it hard to mask the rising panic he was feeling.

"I have never treated a human being before, but I think that you should be fine. Your system is not that unlike ours"

Feeling significantly relieved to hear that he next wondered "What is going to happen to me?"

Sekjol was now looking in examining him physically but answered his question in the same detached manner "Our high chancellor wants to speak with you. He has many questions as you can imagine."

"What about Zhengil?"

She pursed her lips and stopped examining him for a second "He didn't make it. He fought hard to escape and was killed at the scene"

Nick didn't know what to feel. He had trusted Zhengil, trusted all of them, only to be betrayed at the end. He had many questions as well but mostly he wondered how he was going to get home. Sekjol finished her exam and told Nick to try and rest, then left, walking right through the force field. Left alone with his thoughts he assessed his situation. He was on a planet, how far from home he didn't even know, in a medical facility. What were his options? He thought about trying to escape but quickly realized that even if he could get out of the building, where would he go? What would he do? He was alone. There was nobody to help him. He sighed, resigned to the fact that his fate hinged on what this high chancellor decided. With that thought still swirling around his brain, he went back to sleep.

He was already awake when Sekjol next returned to his room. She asked him a few perfunctory questions about how he was feeling, made some checks on the equipment monitoring him and then left him with some food and drink, but not before informing him that some guards would be escorting him to see the chancellor later. Nick relished his food. He didn't know how long it had been since he had last eaten but he was famished and he savored every piece of food he ate. It wasn't long after that, that two men turned up in his room and explained that they were taking him to see the high chancellor. They were big, even by the standard of other Annunaki he had encountered, probably eight feet tall or more with broad shoulders and arms and legs knotted with muscle, visible even through their form fitting uniforms. They didn't appear to be armed but Nick supposed that they probably didn't need any arming to deal with him. They waited patiently, flanking the door while he climbed out of bed and used the bathroom. Upon informing them that he was ready to go, one of them went out the door and the other motioned for Nick to follow and fell in step behind him. They walked down a long hallway with several doors on either side and made their way to the very end where there was what Nick thought were elevator doors, but they opened into an empty round room with identical large circular pads on the floor and the ceiling. Following the guards onto the pad, Nick stood and waited; the hair on his neck and arms prickly with fear. The guard on his left punched some keys on a device attached to his wrist and then relaxed. Nick didn't think anything had happened because they seemed to be in the same room. Looking at the guards they stopped standing at attention and motioned for him to leave the room via the door. Hesitantly he walked toward the door, wondering what, if anything had just happened. Was it a scan of some sort? He didn't know but he left the room anyway as indicated and then he stopped, shocked and in awe. This wasn't the hallway at the hospital. He was in a medium sized ante-chamber, moderately decorated with a few chairs here and there and a pair of doors on one side and a large pair of double doors directly across the room from him. The guards shoved him aside roughly as they came out of the room behind him. One of them directed him to a chair and told him gruffly to "Wait here" and then they took up posts on either side of the double door. Nick waited, trying to act casually, which was nearly impossible in the situation that he was in. The doors opened and the guards snapped to attention as a tall handsome man came from the room on the other side. To say he was a politician would be an understatement. Everything about him screamed politician; from his impeccable clothes to his perfectly trimmed brown hair to his swagger as he walked. As he approached, Nick stood up.

"I am Maknil" he said, looking Nick up and down, taking his measure "I am the high chancellor of Nibiru"

"I am Nick" he said, his response sounding like he had a mouthful of marbles.

"Well Nick, if you could follow me into my office, I have some questions that I would like answered" and he turned sharply on his heel and entered his office without even looking to see if Nick was following. Not that Nick had any choice in the matter, the guards were looking at him menacingly and he wanted to get away from them. Once inside Maknil's office he took a seat opposite him across the width of the desk. A rather small one Nick thought considering the power he seemed to command. They sat through a few strained minutes of silence, Maknil looking at him, gathering his thoughts. Then he smiled. "Are you feeling better? The blaster used on you was at a low setting" he said with a soft and reassuring tone in his voice that Nick knew he was using as a means of getting him to drop his guard.

"Much better, thank you"

"Would you care for a beverage? You must be thirsty"

"Yes a drink would be fine"

With that Maknil went to a side counter and returned with two glasses of a pale green liquid that shimmered ever so slightly in the light, handed one to Nick then sat down in the chair beside him.

"Thank you" Nick said as he accepted the drink and took a small sip. It was delicious. If Nick could describe the taste he would have to say it tasted like spring. It was virtually flavorless but so refreshing. He felt revived and like he was on cloud nine. He looked at the glass suspiciously, wondering if it was some sort of truth serum or something. Maknil either read his mind or he figured out from the look on Nick's face because he suddenly said "Don't worry Nick, it is not poisoned"

"I'm sorry, I just. You must understand the position I am in"

"I understand why you think that the drink may be poisoned yes." And his tone changed slightly before he added "What I don't understand is how it is that I have come to find a human being on my planet just seconds away from unleashing a toxin that would render my planet helpless to attackers. Maybe you could explain that for me Nick" Nick faltered, his brain scrabbling around for details. Everything that had happened to him had been so unbelievable he found it hard to believe himself. Maknil remained silent, watching Nick squirm. Finally Nick found the words he was looking for and he recounted the whole story to Maknil. Everything, from his abduction in Nevada and his subsequent escape, to his training with unknown telepathic powers, both in Dulce base and on the moon base, and finally to his trip here by himself, his narrow escape from capture at the ship docking facility and his continued training with Zhengil. He continued on right up to where Zhengil's full intention was revealed and they were captured. Maknil was a good audience. He listened attentively, nodding in places and revealing his shock in other places but mostly made sure to let Nick get through it all without getting sidetracked with questions. Strangely, as he was recalling his adventure, Nick could feel a slight tingle in his brain where he had become used to receiving messages telepathically. When he was done Nick felt so relieved, like the weight of the world was off his chest. He sat back in his chair and sipped his drink. Maknil took his time before he responded.

"There is some truth to what you have been told Nick, but it has been skewed to benefit the people that sent you here." And he got up and paced back and forth a bit, his face lined with concern and sat back down again on the other side of his desk.

"We came across your planet many, many years ago. Man was very primitive then and it was decided that it was worth keeping our eye on. We set up some space ports on your planet in places that we thought were out of the way where we wouldn't interfere with your species" development. As we explored your planet we found abundant resources that our planet had either consumed or were on the verge of consuming. So we started to take some. We were responsible at first but as with most things, greed started to overcome some people on our council and they wanted to take more and more and were not concerned with how it would affect your planet. It was at that point a rift started to develop among our council. One side didn't care about what was happening to your planet and the other was very concerned." Maknil paused, the pain written plainly on his face.

Nick was still confused. Even though he knew he had been betrayed by Zhengil, Nick had difficulty letting go of what he had learned. Most of all his trust level was extremely low. How did he know that what Maknil was telling him was the truth? "So the people who were onside with Earth were left behind?" Nick questioned.

"If only it were that simple" Maknil said "The faction that was for taking what they wanted developed a friendship with another species on Earth that was intent on bringing about the end of mankind and they aligned themselves with them."

"Another species on Earth" Nick said, racking his mind for anything he could think of that corroborated what Maknil said but nothing came to mind.

"They are called Draconians. They were on Earth long before mankind only they didn't live above ground"

"You mean they lived underground?" Nick said, incredulously

"That's right. They are a vicious race of beings that is out to rape the Earth of all they can and move on. They were all for the destruction of mankind and with the addition of our technology they seemed all but unstoppable."

"How come we weren't wiped out then?"

"Somebody realized that if they were to wipe you out they would have to do the work at getting the resources they wanted. Why not get someone else to do it for them"

"You mean slaves"

"Yes. It was then that the first bio engineering experiments were carried out. They took the existing primitive man on Earth and combined their DNA with that of the Annunaki and modern man as you know it was born. Primitive man went extinct and the Draconians and renegades from this planet had all the help they needed."

"Nobody tried to stop them?" Nick wondered aloud

Maknil sighed heavily "There were attempts. Wars were fought, both on planet Earth and here on our own soil. It looked like we were going to regain control and then the tide turned. More and more Annunaki started to be on the side of taking what we needed from your planet. It all culminated as our planet was leaving your solar system. The wars on our planet were devastating. Those of us in control used a last resort tactic and issued a self-destruct signal to as any ships in the signal range so that no more support could come for the bad side and we focused on our planet."

"You left us to our fate then" said Nick

"You don't understand the state our planet was in Nick. The war here raged on and on. When we were finally able to quell the radicals and regain control, our planet was devastated, the government in tatters, people were scattered all over the planet. There were barely enough of us left to rebuild. We thought of planet Earth but in all honesty we thought that given how destructive the war was on our planet there was no way that mankind could have survived. As I can see, since you are here, man is alive and well. It will intrigue me to learn more about your planet, but I think we should end on that note for the time being. I need time to reflect on what you've told me and to decide your fate." As he said the last word a chill settled in Nick's heart and he swallowed hard. Hopefully he had made a friend and not an enemy.

# Chapter 14

Nick found himself standing at the center of a large circle surrounded by several tiers of chairs, their occupants staring down at him wide eyed and intrigued. Their mouths weren't moving but Nick could tell from the mountains of chatter echoing in his head that they were all talking about him. Whether it was good or bad, he could not tell.

Maknil detached himself from the crowd of dignitaries on one side and approached him flanked by his security detail. The voices in Nick's head died down to a whisper. The entourage stopped in front of Nick and the crowd went suddenly quiet. So quiet Nick could hear them shifting in their seats to get a better view of the proceedings.

Maknil read loudly and clearly from the device in his hand "For attempting to facilitate the hostile takeover of our planet, we have decided that it be your fate to be destroyed in the manner of all those who do wrong on our planet". The crowd erupted again, screaming and yelling to show their support, the noise deafening. Nick tried to beg, to plead his ignorance in the matter but was drowned out by the cries coming from the crowd. With a wave of his hand Maknil brought silence once again to the proceedings and turning to Nick and asked "Do you have anything to say to the assembled guests?"

His voice barely an audible squeak all Nick could say was "I am sorry" and hung his head. Almost on cue the security team stepped forward and obliterated him with that strange weapon they carried.

Nick gasped and sat bolt upright in his bed, covered in sweat and shaking from head to foot. Recognizing where he was he slumped back on the bed and closed his eyes. It was only a dream he thought, similar to the others he'd had; all ending with his death at the hands of the security officers on Maknil's command. How long he had been left to stew in his thoughts was unclear. He was left alone for the most part. Sehkjol had pronounced him healthy shortly after he had returned to his room and only checked on him once a day. He was still brought food and drinks by a burly security person who didn't even talk to him, let alone share information with him, and he would leave the room as fast as he could. Almost as though he was afraid he would be infected if he stuck around too long in Nick's presence. He couldn't even use his sleeping as a guide. It seemed every time he closed his eyes his execution would always be waiting for him, like some grim movie that would pause while he was awake and wait for him to close his eyes and then restart the torment. He shook his head to himself, not for the last time. How could he have gotten involved in all this? He sighed, resigned to accept whatever punishment was to be meted out against him. All he could hope for was that it wasn't a painful way to die. Deciding sleep was working against him anyway he opted to stare out the window.

At the other end of the building there was no sleep for Maknil either. Shortly after Nick had left his office, Maknil had gathered the council to convene on the matter and the debate was nothing short of spectacular. He had told them everything as Nick had related it, word for word. He didn't hide any details; he told everyone assembled exactly what he had been told. At first there was quiet. For many people the pain of reliving the civil war was too much and then the reactions ranged from somber tears to outright rage. Some called for Nick's termination in a large and public display to quell any more unknown insurgents who had similar plots against Nibiru. Others could see the reality that Nick was nothing more than a pawn in something bigger than he was and couldn't really offer any ideas on what should be done with him. The debate was thorough and lengthy and every idea was gone over at least twice. Several times they had to break and come back. In the end a decision was reached and it was this decision that was keeping Maknil in his office missing his family, missing his friends. He had been over the idea many times. Had attacked it from every angle he could think of and it seemed sound. More importantly it seemed like the only logical choice that they had. On this night he was going over everything one last time, the papers and electronic media becoming one big blur when he decided that everything had been thought of and it was time to bring Nick back and give him the news. With those thoughts still whirling in his head he put everything away in his desk and locked it. Then he left his office, the lights out and the doors closed behind him. He wondered, not for the last time, what would happen when he told Nick of their plans.

It was with a certain amount of apprehension and concern that Nick found himself once again waiting outside Maknil's office. Physically he was one hundred percent healed but could not say the same for his mental state. He pined to be back on Earth. To see his friends, maybe take a walk in the park. The effects of being on a different planet were far worse that he could have ever imagined. Although the Annunaki were very similar to humans it was readily apparent that he was different and it was starting to wear on him. It probably didn't help that he was confined to his hospital room; the few people he interacted with were doctors and security. The hardest part was the time. He had no idea how long he had been on this planet. Didn't know if he was sleeping at night or during the day, his circadian rhythms were all out of sync. He couldn't complain about his treatment, he was kept well fed and allowed to rest as much as he liked. He had even tried to exercise a little bit but found it difficult in the different gravity. Since he hadn't been sentenced to anything yet Nick theorized that the decision of what to do with him was proving to be a difficult one. Nick was hoping that this would work in his favor. All he wanted to do was go home. They could modify his memory if they liked, erase it altogether if they had to, he didn't care, he just wanted to set foot back on Earth. With visions of Earth lingering in his mind the door to the office opened and Maknil was there gesturing for Nick to join him inside. They took seats on opposite sides of Maknil's desk and for a moment sat silently observing one another, Nick's heart pounding in his chest like a drum.

"Your attendant tells me you are well" Maknil started, using Nick's health as an ice breaker.

"I am feeling OK. I really miss home though" Nick replied, flatly and to the point. Pressing on he asked "Will I be going home any time soon?"

This caught Maknil off guard as he was expecting to exchange more pleasantries before diving straight into Nick's future. He wanted more time to formulate what he was going to say. "Join me in a drink won't you?" Maknil said producing a tray with two tall glasses filled with the same green drink Maknil had offered him before.

"Well Nick, the decision was not easily reached. I can tell you that there were some among the council that wanted revenge for your act. Mete out your punishment swift and severe." He paused here, letting the words settle slowly in the room. The widening of Nick's eyes and following gulp of his drink told Maknil that they had the desired effect and he continued "Fortunately there are those among us that saw through the emotion to the bigger picture"

This relaxed Nick a little so he asked "and what is the bigger picture?"

"We know that we are fast approaching planet Earth. We don't know how advanced mankind has become but we assume that we will be visible with man-made technology soon. We had hoped that man had seen through the draconian created lies and were united in building a better future for themselves. Our plan was to reveal ourselves to your leaders and offer to be your guides in realizing the next step in your evolution."

Nick sat there puzzled and blinked stupidly as Maknil carried on.

"We assume that man has initiated space travel, but there is a whole universe out there to be explored and to do that you need to be able to travel vast distances and guidance is needed here."

"Like how I got here, through a wormhole" Nick said

Smiling Maknil replied "That's a start. There are races that are inferior to man as well as those that are highly advanced. Most species are peaceful, there are some however that would look at man with the same eyes as the Draconians and look to coerce or subjugate them. When human kind gets out in the universe you will find that there is more to it than that."

"Like what?" he asked, taking a long drought of his drink. Its calming effects were starting to radiate throughout his body.

He smiled broadly before saying "Let's just say, spiritually it's a whole different universe out there. To go stomping out there without proper guidance can have dire consequences. Our goal was to assess mankind's development and provide guidance where we can. As you now know, you are not alone in this universe."

"I still don't see what this has to do with me. I just want to go home."

Maknil got up and came around the desk to sit in the chair beside Nick. "Don't you see what our arrival at your planet would do? It would open up the eyes of all the people on your planet. That would be bad for mankind in that the Draconians and renegade Annunaki don't want to give up what they have. Unfortunately that might mean the destruction of man. People who have that kind of power are reluctant to give it up, even if it means destroying the very source of their power."

Nick flashed back to that moment in the atmospheric control plant, standing there with his arm cut open, his blood crawling slowly from the open wound. Looking around he could see Zhengil so vividly, it was like it was happening all over again, snarling rage clear upon his face and suddenly it was clear to Nick what Maknil meant. He could see that man wasn't free and it was the Draconians and Annunaki that were holding them hostage in the most ingenious way, by creating the illusion of freedom. Making them feel as if they have choice in what happens. He couldn't believe what he was thinking, his thoughts scrambling from one example to another; his whole belief system crashing down around him. It all seemed so obvious sitting here on another planet; the differing religions, the way they were divided into countries, even the languages. It was all designed to keep man at odds, battling one another over mere pittances instead of focusing all their united energies on furthering the development of mankind. He could see now how television and radio and computers were all part of the control mechanism, filling people with fear and hate. Everybody was so focused on being better than the Jones' that they couldn't or chose not to see the endless possibilities of man and behind it all, the Draconians, secretly running the show, fanning the flames of hate. Letting man fight wars and blindly work their lives away, never questioning their struggle, never attaining their true purpose, and all the while reaping the benefits. Just knowing that he was one of the sheep made him sick to his stomach and steeled him for what he knew must happen. If man is to become all that we are destined for, there needs to be one more war. One last fight to wipe the slate clean and re-focus mankind's attention, and that meant one thing: open war with the same group that sent Nick here to cause the collapse of the Annunaki.

"You can see what I mean Nick" said Maknil, clearly excited with Nick's epiphany.

"How could we have let this happen? Why don't we clue in to what's going on?" Nick asked

"This isn't something that happened overnight Nick. No, this plan has been deviously thought out and slowly implemented over generations. If they moved to fast man would have caught on and revolted."

"So how do we stop it? We need to make things right" Nick said, sounding way more courageous than he felt.

Maknil got up and went back around his desk to sit opposite Nick. "That is what the council has been pondering as well Nick. We had to develop a plan that takes advantage of the element of surprise."

Nick racked his brain but couldn't see where this was going and sat there, staring expectantly.

"I think if our ships were to appear in your space and engage in battle it would really undermine the trust of the people of Earth. For the same reason we can't just send a bunch of bombs at the planet to destroy them. No, we need something that relies on stealth, so we can infiltrate and destroy from within and prove to the people of Earth that we are on your side and that freedom as they know it is not freedom at all."

"This is starting to sound a lot like the same plan that landed me here" Nick said, his skepticism mounting.

"Similar, yes, but we are not going to get you to do our dirty work. We want to be there to bring about their downfall."

"You still haven't really said what this plan is" Nick observed.

Concern spread across Maknil's face as he leaned forward "Please forgive me for this".

Maknil's face hardened, his eyes ablaze with energy so intense Nick half expected laser beams to come shooting out of them and burn holes right through his skull. Nick tried to talk and found he couldn't make his mouth form words. It wasn't just his head, his entire body wouldn't respond as if he was bound by some invisible force. All he could do was stare deep into those eyes. Nick noticed now that his field of vision was narrowing and his head started to swim. A final gasp and Nick slumped in his chair, released from his bonds, the half empty glass in his hand smashing on the floor.

# Chapter 15

The rich colored liquid poured slowly from the bottle into a tall, slender glass. He replaced the stopper in the bottle and set it down and took the glass in his hand. Turning back to his office, Leskal took a deep smell of his drink and followed that with a sip. Sighing he made his way to one of the comfy chairs facing the window that ran along the length of his office and sat down heavily. Staring out into space, he couldn't hide that fact anymore that he was worried. His ships were all ready to go. In fact he had to call several of them back as they were wasting energy waiting in their holding pattern. Zenghil's signal should have been received some time ago and he had not sent any sort of contact since they had received word that he had recovered Nick and everything was on schedule. That schedule meant that by now they should have overthrown the council and been in command of the planet. Angrily he took another sip of his drink and wondered how to proceed. Should they send another spy? Should they wait longer? Perhaps they should proceed with their other plan to start a campaign on Earth against the Annunaki so that when they showed up in Earth's space they would already be hated. The decision was a huge one and proving to be hard to sort out. The people of Earth would be best kept in the dark to the fact of other life out in the universe. He couldn't gauge how they would react if they found out they weren't alone in the universe. It could easily backfire on him and his plans, and besides, they liked to live with their heads in the sand and Leskal preferred to keep them that way as long as he could. As he was about to take a third sip of his drink the communicator on his desk sounded off. His heart skipped a beat, was this it? Did Zhengil manage to send out the signal? He sprinted over to his desk and pressed the receive button on his communicator "What is it?"

"Sir, this is Captain Nelvar. There has been a development" was the answer

"What sort of development?" Leskal questioned, his throat tight, the pounding of his heart ringing in his ears.

"A ship has appeared."

This puzzled Leskal for a moment before asking "A ship? What's it doing?"

"It came out of a wormhole and it's just sitting there. There is a life form on board but there has been no response to our communications. It's one of ours by the looks of it"

"I want to see it" Leskal demanded.

"Uploading visual now sir" Nelvar responded

Leskal sat down in his desk chair and waited for the incoming picture to visualize.

"Just one ship?"

As he tried to decipher exactly what it could mean, the picture materialized and he recognized it at once as the ship they had used to send Nick back to Nibiru.

"I want you to secure the ship using the tractor beam and bring it into the hangar. I don't want anyone but me to go inside. Is that clear? And keep the ships ready for an attack"

"Yes sir." Nelvar replied "I will let you know when the ship is secured in the dock" and the communicator went silent with an audible click.

Leskal turned off his communicator and sat back in disbelief. What had happened to Zhengil? How did Nick's ship reappear? Whoever was on board had better have some answers for him.

Nick awoke to a pair of gruff hands shaking him. Opening his eyes there was Leskal kneeling on one knee beside him still shaking him. "OK, OK, I'm awake" said Nick groggily and the shaking stopped.

"What are you doing here?" Leskal questioned in a menacing tone "How did you get here? Was the mission a success? Answer me!" he finished angrily.

Confused and disoriented, Nick didn't know what he was talking about. Looking around he could see that he was back in the ship he had used to go to Nibiru. Was this all just a dream? He wondered.

Leskal grabbed his head and forced Nick to stare into his eyes. Leskal was probing his mind, looking for memories of what had happened. Nick's brain began to ache with Leskal's probing. He was starting to black out when Leskal broke off the probe.

Leskal leaned back against the wall of the ship touched the communicator on his wrist and spoke "Captain Nelvar, the objective has been completed. Please commence the attack as planned"

"Very well sir" was the response.

"You have done very well Nick" Leskal said, relief displayed in the smile slowly spreading across his face.

Nick remained conscious long enough to hear the words of praise and then blacked out.

When he awoke, Nick found himself in a cell. It was nondescript, bleak and dark with no windows, the dim overhead light revealing the solitary bed he was now occupying along the one side and a toilet on the other. No bars to hold him in, rather a force field of some sort, that quietly hissed and crackled with menacing power. Normally, he would found this unnerving if he hadn't experienced the things that he had in the past while. Now that he thought of it, Nick didn't know how much time had passed since this adventure began. He lay on the bed pondering that very question, remembering all that he'd been through and the unbelievable things he had seen.

"You have done well Nick" he remembered Leskal saying but for some reason he didn't feel right about what Leskal had seen inside his memories. He could envision himself in them performing the actions and tasks that they reported but it didn't' feel right. It was almost like he was watching a movie with himself in the starring role. He shook his head and sat up on the side of the bed. Looking through the force field he could see other cells but they appeared unoccupied. Nick was standing up and stretching out his aching muscles when a gray appeared. Silent as a predator, it came from the corridor that ended somewhere out of site to his right. It came to a stop in front of his cell and the force field shut down. Entering the cell it approached Nick bearing a note which Nick took and quickly read. It was from Leskal, requesting Nick's presence in his office. Nick was used to this routine now and knew that he was supposed to follow the gray to Leskal's office. For a fleeting moment Nick thought of making a break for it, but where would he go? He was on the moon after all and escape would be all but impossible. He also didn't know what the gray would do. He had to assume that it had some powers or a weapon to thwart any attempt of escape. No, it would be best to meet up with Leskal and assess the situation at that point, but he vowed to himself to keep his eyes and ears open just in case an opportunity presented itself. He handed the note back to the gray and it turned and made its way out of the cell, down the hallway. Obligingly Nick followed. As he walked down the hall he peered in the cells that lined it. They were all empty and in varying degrees of cleanliness. Some were messy as if they had been recently occupied and others were dark and barren, unused for a long period of time. Nick wasn't sure, but he thought that he could see bloodstains in more than one cell and it made him involuntarily shiver as his imagination filled his thoughts with nasty and terrible images of what could have transpired to make those bloodstains. The hallway ended sharply at an elevator door which slid open with a low grating noise, like rock sliding on rock. Nick found this odd as every other door in the facility that he had encountered operated with much more quiet precision. It cemented his thoughts that this area was used as more than a detention area for unwanted guests. They entered the elevator and the door grated closed and then Nick could feel the upward motion of the lift and knew they were moving. It came to a stop in a short time and this time when the door opened, it was smooth and silent as Nick had come to expect. Nick supposed that the nearby personnel didn't want to be bothered with the grating sound of the door and it was reserved to add to the fear and intimidation of the guests far below. The gray exited with Nick trailing behind him and took him on a route through a maze of corridors that left him confused and having no idea which direction was which. At last they came to a stop outside of a door and the gray motioned for Nick to enter. The door opened as he stepped up to it and with a quick glance at the gray sentinel, he entered a small antechamber, the door shutting quickly behind him.

The antechamber was no bigger than a few telephone booths and there were no comforts like chairs or windows. All Nick could do was stand and wait. He didn't have to wait long as the doors opened and Leskal was standing immediately on the other side beckoning Nick to come in. Nick walked in and noticed that he was now on the other side of the room from when he had last entered it. Glancing around he noticed that the room seemed untidy, as though its occupant was more focused on attending to other matters and didn't put any effort into maintaining the area. Papers were scattered all over Leskal's desk as well as the table by the window that faced out into space. Leskal himself looked agitated and disheveled as he asked Nick to take a seat on the opposite side of the desk. Sitting down, Leskal didn't waste any time in getting to what was on his mind.

"So here we are again Nick" he started "From your memories it would seem that your mission was a success" and he paused here and surveyed Nick warily.

"From what I remember it went off like you wanted it to. I delivered the nanobots to their target. Things get a little fuzzy after that though, and I still can't remember how I got here" Nick said plainly with a shrug of his shoulders, even though he was unsure of any of his memories at the moment.

"Your memories seem to corroborate that Nick. So much so that when we recovered your ship and I was able to read your memories I ordered the final phase of the plan into action."

"You sent your attack force to Nibiru then?" Nick questioned, his curiosity piqued.

"Yes I did" Leskal responded

"Did it all work out then?" Nick said, unsure if he should feel happy or sad

"Well Nick. It's that, fuzziness as you put it, in your memory that has me concerned at the moment. I ordered the strike five days ago and we have not had any contact from the fleet and we can't try to contact them as we don't want any of our messages to be intercepted" Leskal said and then stared at Nick searchingly "So as you can see, I am in a bit of a quandary here. The takeover should have only taken a day, two at the most. Nick struggled for something to say, anything to buy himself some time but he really didn't have anything to offer except what his memories had already revealed.

"You have looked into my memories and you know everything I know" he said.

Leskal's face was like stone, hard and impassive at first then his eyes flooded and revealed his anger. He stood up and leaned forward on his desk toward Nick and said "Let's just see if we can clear up that fuzziness then Nick" his voice quivering with pent up rage. Nick made to get up but it was if he was glued to his chair. Nothing was binding him but he could not move no matter how much he struggled. Leskal was storming around his desk towards him, all pretenses now dropped, his rage fueling his actions and Nick was the target of that anger. Leskal grabbed his chair and spun him around, his face inches from Nick's and red with anger. When he spoke it was if he was spitting the words at him, each one filled with venom and hate. "As you can see there are a few tricks I have picked up." he gloated, relishing the domination he had over Nick.

"So how about it Nick, let's have a look at those memories and see what's really going on" he continued sarcastically. Grabbing a handful of Nick's hair he turned and pulled Nick and the chair along with him to an open area in front of the long window that ran the length of his office. Turning his back on the window to face Nick again he leaned down and with his face close to Nick's again, squinting with determination as he forced his way into Nick's mind, his hands on either side of Nick's head so he couldn't look away. Nick wanted to scream in agony but his voice wasn't working at the moment and he had to sit and take the pain building in his skull. Sweat started rolling down Nick's forehead, his breath coming in haggard gasps as he tried to look away; lash out with his foot. Anything to make the pain stop.

In moments his memories started surfacing one after another, like bubbles in a madly boiling pot. He could see himself on the ship going through the wormhole. Now he could see the planet and he was landing in a depot. Now Zhengil was there taking him back to his house to complete Nick's training. Nick was almost blacking out now, the pain so intense, but the memories kept coming.

They were in the air purification facility. He was standing there, his arm outstretched, and then suddenly everything was blurry. It was as if someone was jamming the signal in his brain. The image of him with his arm outstretched, his blood dripping into the pool below fizzled and distorted and then changed altogether. It was the same scene again, only this time he pulled his arm away and turned to see Zhengil ready to fire on him, then they were wrestled to the ground and surrounded and Zhengil was struggling to reach his arm and then blasted from existence.

Nick was sure his head was going to explode. It felt like there were a thousand hot knives piercing his skull and brain. In a way he wished it would explode so he wouldn't have to feel any more pain. Everything would just go away and he wouldn't be involved in all this.

Then the rest of his real memories rushed back into his head in a torrent, like water rushing into a canyon when the dam that was holding it back had burst. All his meetings with Maknil, right up to Maknil attacking him back in his office. Everything he had seen and heard was all there, laid bare for Leskal to see. Leskal's hands started to tremble, his eyes narrow and filled with malice. He let go of Nick's head and the connection between them was broken. Nick's head slumped down to his chest, the pain in his skull slowly receding. Lifting his head slightly he could see Leskal kneeling in front of him, himself exhausted from the effort it took to extract Nick's memories. Slowly Leskal rose and after a few dizzy moments began pacing up and down in front of the long window, the rage gone from his face and replaced with a hard, determined look. He came to a stop right in front of Nick and pulled out his weapon. He pointed it right at Nick's heart and said "Sorry Nick but this story ends for you here."

Nick's head was still swimming. The pain was fading but he was having trouble holding his head up and focusing, it felt like all the muscles in his neck had lost their strength and his head was lolling around like a boat being tossed around in heavy waves. He was trying hard to look at Leskal and meet his fate head on but the best he could manage was a vacant, sidelong stare out the window behind him. Nick was looking at the star field out the window thinking that his dying moments would be spent beholding the beauty of the universe. There were worse ways to die he supposed. As he stared and waited for the end to come the stars started to get blurry and distorted, like someone was stretching space and he closed his eyes thinking they were playing tricks on him. When he opened them again he could see the distortion get bigger and bigger and then, as if someone flicked a switch, a ship appeared. Leskal must have sensed something was awry because he turned to look and his eyes shot open wide in shock and dismay. At that same moment the room filled with a brilliant magenta colored light and then faded, revealing Maknil standing there with an armed escort. Leskal took a step back in obvious disbelief, his eyes wide and popping.

"You" he whispered, hatred permeating the single word like a cloud. And he snarled as he aimed his weapon at Maknil but Maknil's guards were too quick, firing on him first and he crashed to floor in an unconscious heap. With a word from Maknil they stood him up and the magenta light filled the room once more and they were gone.

# Chapter 16

Once Leskal was gone Nick found that he could move the rest of his body again, although he knew if he tried he would only collapse. It took a tremendous effort to lift his head to face Maknil, who was walking toward him with a look of concern on his face, yet he was smiling as he helped Nick up and walked him over to the more comfortable couches that were in the room and placed him on one facing the window. As he slumped painfully onto the couch, he looked out the window again and noticed more ships had appeared. They showed no signs of attack but were all easing gently into formation above the moon's surface, back dropped beautifully by a dense field of twinkling stars. Nick would have found the scene grandly magnificent if he wasn't using all his energy and focus to remain conscious. Maknil raised his hands and spoke some orders into an unseen device and turned to Nick again.

"We meet again Nick" he said smiling

Images of their last meeting swirled in Nick's head, manufacturing hatred that he could not avenge in his current physical state. With as much contempt as he could muster he hissed "You used me, just like Leskal was using me."

If Maknil was caught off guard, he certainly didn't show it. He merely responded in a casual voice "Nick, I don't blame you for being angry, but we couldn't send you back here, knowing all you had seen. We wanted to have the element of surprise on our side, therefore limiting the amount of fighting needed to subdue Leskal and his troops so we couldn't come back with you. Believe me it was a hard decision to make. I deeply regret that you were caught in the middle of it all."

He stopped talking here and watched mournfully as Nick struggled just to remain sitting upright. He got up and joined Nick on the couch. Nick looked at him with a pained look in his eyes. Leskal returned his look but his eyes were filled with concern. He took one of his hands and put his fingertips gently along Nick's forehead and closed his own eyes and bowed his head. Nick felt a powerful urge to sleep starting to overwhelm him. It started where Leskal's fingertips were in contact with his forehead and flowed like a wave through his brain and then down his body. Pulsating like a heartbeat, the feeling made its way down his neck, through his shoulders and continued through his arms and torso and finally down into his legs. Every muscle the feeling came into contact with instantly relaxed and the pain of his ordeal faded away like shadows being chased away by the sun. Nick thought that this is what it would feel like in heaven. No more pain, no more struggles or fears. Only a feeling like he was floating on a cloud, protected from everything. His eyes became watery and his eyelids felt like there was an invisible line on them and it was gently pulling them down. Even though he had so many more questions, Nick didn't even try to resist. He welcomed the feeling openly as the lids of his eyes closed completely and his head fell back, totally oblivious to everything.

Nick stirred slowly, his consciousness rising in noticeable levels until he was totally awake with his eyes open. He stretched and grinned to himself. He felt so calm and relaxed; he didn't have a frame of reference to fit it into. If he was really pressed he would have to say that he felt euphoric, which is a word he had never used to describe himself before. He looked casually around at his surroundings to find that he was in a large comfy bed up against one wall of a sparsely decorated room. There was a door that was closed on the wall to his left and nothing else of note save for the small table beside his bed that he noticed had a tray with a glass and a stoppered bottle.

As he got out of the bed he became aware of other people. Not physically, but in his head he could sense the presence of hundreds, if not more, other people. It wasn't an overpowering sensation but they were there, on the periphery of his consciousness. It was eerie and wondrous at the same time. As he sat on the edge of his bed and contemplated this new feeling, a solitary consciousness grew stronger in his head. It rose up from the pool of people like a thread and as it grew in intensity, the others seemed to fade a little. The singularity continued to swell in intensity until finally he knew who it was. Maknil's gentle voice sounded in his mind. "Your awake my friend. Good. Get yourself dressed and join me won't you.'

"Uh, OK" Nick thought in return "How will I find you?"

"Use your mind to contact me and I will guide you" Maknil replied and his presence in Nicks mind dissipated back into the group of others swirling around the edges of his brain. Astounded, Nick shook his head and made to stand up. As he arose the light level in the room also went up. When he first woke it was dark in his room. Not pitch black but he couldn't make out anything beyond his bed. Now the room was fully lit. He stretched again and helped himself to a drink from the bottle at his bedside. It tasted like water but he perked up instantly as soon as he had a sip and Nick new that whatever it was, it was nothing like water from Earth. He put the glass back down on the tray and made his way to the door. As he approached it, it disappeared and granted him access to the room beyond. He entered the room, the door reappearing in its place behind him. It seemed he was in living quarters. This room had the definite appearance of a place to sit and relax. There was a comfy couch facing a long window to one side and prominently in the middle of the room was a round table surrounded by several chairs. Beside another door directly across from him was a short counter that had cupboards above and below it and an open door to his right revealed a small bathroom. Deciding that he needed to clean himself up, Nick took a quick visit to the bathroom, cleaned himself accordingly and then exited the room altogether. Outside of the room Nick found himself in a long hallway that stretched away to the left and the right and had numerous doorways along its length. He scrunched his brow in thought and looked both ways trying to figure out which way to go. Then he remembered what Maknil had told him to do. Without proper instruction Nick wasn't sure if what he was doing was right but he tried to reach out to Maknil with his thoughts. He closed his eyes and pushed his way into the cloud of consciousness that he now had access too. Images appeared in his mind as he did so. There were images of people he had never met and places he did not recognize. He cycled through the images and automatically bypassed the people he didn't recognize, focusing intently on Maknil. After mere moments Maknil's image appeared in his head and he said "Well done Nick."

"Where am I?" Nick replied

"You are on board my ship and presently we are in a holding pattern on the other side of the moon from Earth. I would like you to join us Nick. There are things to discuss"

"How can I find you?" Nick asked, shrugging his shoulders

"Just focus your thoughts on me and start walking. Your connection will guide you"

"OK" Nick said as he opened his eyes. He felt Maknil's presence fade a little in his mind, but it did not recede completely into the cloud, like a push pin stuck to a map. Nick was aware that there was a minute connection formed between them and started to walk toward it. He started walking to his left and with each step he took he could feel the connection getting stronger. Almost like he was an antenna and every time he took a step the signal he was seeking became sharper and more focused. His trek followed a path that took him down the hallway he was in and wound its way through a few other hallways that branched off from it and brought him to halt in front of a door that opened into an elevator. He climbed into the elevator, knowing what to expect now having been on several elevators like this in recent times. Once he was fully inside the door popped back into place. Nick smiled, chuckling to himself. It still managed to boggle his mind how the doors and elevators worked in this environment. He noticed that the elevator appeared not to be doing anything, like it was waiting for him to do something. In response Nick focused even harder on Maknil. Subtle vibrations told Nick that the elevator had started to move, although in which direction, it was hard to tell. Seconds later the door opened and Nick found himself looking into a large meeting room. In the middle of the room was a raised platform. It was flat topped and round and shimmered slightly, as though it was made from light itself. On top of the platform was a three dimensional projection that looked like tunnels. As he entered the room the projection stopped moving and the inhabitants of the dozen or so chairs all turned to look at him with stern faces. He stopped just inside the room feeling suddenly self-conscious, as if he was in the wrong place. Maknil spotted him and came striding purposefully over.

"Well done Nick. We have been expecting you" he said, excitedly shaking Nick's hand.

"This is the Nibirian council Nick" he offered ahead of Nick's question. "We have been discussing your situation while we waited for you to arrive"

He then proceeded to show Nick around the room and introduced him to everyone that was assembled. They all seemed to be happy to meet him, each of them reaching out to touch his mind in a friendly way as they bowed their heads slightly toward him. Nick quickly realized that this must be their customary way to greet others so he tried his best to replicate their welcome.

His attempts were clumsy compared to theirs but they seemed to appreciate the effort all the same.

Maknil directed Nick to an unoccupied chair next to his and everybody assembled took their seats.

"Your timing is impeccable Nick. We were just reviewing some of the information we have been gathering about Earth." Maknil said gesturing to the three dimensional display.

Nick looked at the visage above the strange platform and nodded so Maknil continued. "Many things have changed since we were last among you, some for the better and others not so good." here he paused.

One of the other attendees picked up the thread that Maknil had started. His voice inside Nick's head was so powerful that Nick shuddered when he started speaking.

"Draconian fingerprints are all over human history, guiding them gently but firmly away from the path of freedom and exploration. Not just space exploration, but a complete exploration of the human being, what it is capable of, how far down the evolutionary path they can go."

There were nods of assent from those present at the meeting and many eyes fell to Nick.

Nick didn't know what to say and decided that not saying anything was best and nodded in agreement like many others. A third member of the council took up the conversation.

"We have been able to gain access to the primitive computer framework currently in use on your planet"

"The internet" Nick said out loud, part question, part statement.

"Yes." the councilperson continued, not bothered by the interruption. "And the history of mankind is replete with being dominated and controlled by an elite few. Using fear as a weapon to coerce the masses into handing over control so that they can keep them safe, when in reality the people should have feared the few in control. Our mandate is to wrest control and power from those elite and put it back in the hands of the people, the humans of Earth will live under tyranny no longer" he finished. The last few words were so powerful the deck beneath Nick's feet felt like it shuddered. A chorus of somber cheers sounded from around the room. All Nick could do was gulp as the mood of the entire ship shifted.

# Chapter 17

Nick bounced from foot to foot nervously, his stomach clenched in tight knots. He would've liked to have room to pace around and relieve some of the anxiety and tension he was feeling but there was no space for it. Glancing around, he tried to get a read on the small group of persons involved in the attack. Most people's faces were stoic and impassive as they stood and waited to be transported to the surface. Some were obviously engrossed in conversation with others. Some had their eyes closed as they stood solemnly still, perhaps trying to quell their fears as he was, or just getting focused on the task at hand. Whether they were praying or meditating Nick didn't know. Maybe they were just trying to catch some sleep before the assault he thought. He wished he could sleep right now. In fact, he wished he could do something to distract himself, however momentarily, from what was about to happen. It seemed that all he could do was feel intense and unabating fear. Most of the time he was trying to keep his outward appearance from betraying the fact that all he wanted to so was run screaming from the room and hide until it was all over. He was given the option to stay behind, but Nick felt his place was on Earth helping out in whatever way he could. Subconsciously he ran his hands over the only physical weapon he had. It was a strange device that reminded him of a cell phone that was now clipped securely onto his belt. His thoughts drifted back to his training with it and he shuddered as he remembered how devastating it could be. It could be used in a variety of settings, ranging from a non-lethal stun right up to the terrifying obliteration of its victim and a range of equally horrifying settings in between. Deep down he promised himself to try and not resort to using it unless it was to save his own life. His only other weapon was his mind. He had been feverishly training and honing his telepathic skills. They would form the main method of defense and attack. He had trained hard and learned things he never thought a human brain would be capable of. He could bend light around himself to make himself invisible. He could choke and render attackers unconscious with just his thoughts. The thing he thought would be most useful was the ability to distort a person's reality. It was like starting a movie in someone else's mind so they would see what he wanted them to see, while a different reality would unfold right in front of them and they were left completely unaware of what had really happened.

He took a deep breath and tried to shift his focus away from what he was feeling and instead thought about the mission itself. As it was explained to him, attacking Dulce base would only be the starting point for mankind to remove the blindfold that had been pulled over their eyes. He asked but no one could, or perhaps, would, give him an answer as to what else would be required or how long it would take to achieve. Everybody's focus was bent upon the beginning thrust that was mere moments away from beginning. The limited intelligence they were able to gather revealed that it appeared to be business as usual on the base. Perhaps they were used to there being long intervals without communication from the moon base and its leaders. Nobody really knew. It was hoped that this was the case and the planned assault would be unexpected. From out of the small crowd his trainer, Talarc approached him. Tall, handsome and athletically built, Nick was sure if Talarc was Earthborn he would be a movie star or a sports star or maybe even both. Come to think of it, all the Annunaki he had encountered shared the same powerful aura and striking physical attributes. He could see how primitive man would think them gods.

Nick suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. He clutched at his throat gasping for breath as an invisible hand seemed to tighten around his neck. He closed his eyes to relax and slowly fought back the feeling, pushing it away with everything he had. He pictured the hand loosening and the fingers letting go of their vice like grip. Just as suddenly he could breathe again. As he sucked in refreshing lungful's of air, he smiled at Telarc.

"Good try my friend" he said

Telarc returned the smile and replied "I see my training efforts were not wasted. You have come long way since we first met. I am duly impressed" and he nodded his head in salute.

"Do you think you are ready for this young Nick?" he asked eying him appraisingly.

Nick bristled a little at the use of his nickname. He had been ordained with it in training by Telarc and because of the fashion in which the Annunaki shared their thoughts it didn't take long for the use of it to spread to the rest of the ship. Telarc knew he wasn't fond of it and Nick was sure that was why he had used it. Ignoring Telarc's playful jab Nick replied "I'm nervous Telarc"

"You wouldn't be normal if you weren't nervous. Everybody in this room knows that there is a chance they may never return here. All you can do is put it out of your mind as best you can and not let it interfere with your thoughts. Trust in your training Nick, you did well." Telarc replied sagely, nodding his head. "Thank you Telarc, you flatter me" said Nick "but I am concerned that when I was training the circumstances were more in my favor. You know, perhaps people took it easy on me because I was in training. In the heat of battle things will be decidedly different."

Telarc gazed Nick up and down fully as he reflected momentarily before answering. "It's understandable that you would feel that way Nick but you forget that I worked with you and I know the depths of your potential. What you will find is that during battle your abilities will be greatly enhanced because your adrenaline will be flowing, thereby sharpening your focus."

Nick had never been in a battle before so all he could do was hope that Telarc was right. He swallowed hard and nodded solemnly at Telarc to show his appreciation of the attempt to assuage Nick's feelings of fear. Telarc patted him on the shoulder and then moved off to converse with others gathered around. Nick took another deep breath and reached again to his weapon and shook his head. This was the last possible place he imagined himself when all this began.

Nick could feel in his head that someone was addressing him and everybody stiffened as the commanders voice sounded in their heads.

"The time is at hand everybody. Assume your positions as we will be transported to the surface momentarily." There was a drawn out pause and then he continued. "My friends, this is not a training run; our enemies will be using lethal force against us. Bear that in mind as you defend yourselves. Remember what our mission is and why we choose to fight. May you all have the best of luck and return to the ship victorious!"

As his voice trailed off and his presence in Nick's mind faded into the background, Nick took note of where he was supposed to be and joined the others in scurrying to get back to their spot in the formation. The lights in the cargo bay switched from their normal hue to a faded purple color that made everyone look creepy. Nick steadied himself and prepared for transportation. Using ships was out of the question so they were to be transported to the Earth's surface by matter energy transmission. Nick most likened the procedure to the beaming he fondly remembered from watching Star Trek. As with his travel through the wormhole, being transported in this way was nothing like what you would see on television. There were no cool lights that flashed and twinkled as you disappeared or when you were reformed at your destination. Nick had done it a few times now for training and found the sensation to be somewhat alarming, although the Annunaki didn't seem to mind.

A prickling sensation started to form on his skin and Nick, knowing this was it, concentrated on remaining calm. The prickling intensified and enveloped every last millimeter of his skin and then started to work its way inward, spreading through every part of his being. Bones, blood, hair teeth, flesh and organs were all sharing the same sensation. If felt like every last cell of his body was vibrating, ready to explode, and then in a fraction of a second it went dark and then light again and he was standing in the New Mexico desert. For a moment nobody moved and as the prickling subsided, Nick took a deep, reassuring breath of cold desert air. Memories surfaced for Nick as he looked around. Memories from months ago that showed him scrambling out of a door in the side of a hill that slid quietly shut and melted back into the hill, all but invisible to the outside world. This had been the idea from the start. Based on Nick's memories it was deduced that the best entry point would be where he had come out when he had escaped with Thralesh's help those many moons ago. It was quiet and it also provided plenty of room to house the landing party until they could descend to the lower levels of the base. It would have been ideal of course to beam right into the facility itself. They had the technology to beam large groups of people. Unfortunately, there was some sort of a force field or jamming signal that was preventing them from doing just that. That was where the mission was to start. Find the source of the signal and destroy it. From there they could beam in the main thrust of the attack party and secure the access in and out of the base and gain total control. The existing infrastructure would be perfect to conceal them as they carried out the other missions necessary to reclaim control of Earth and free its people from their enslavement. To help man find the path they were destined for, embrace one another in unity and work together to achieve things they never thought possible.

Minimal noise made as the twenty in Nick's group readied themselves to enter the facility. Nick looked around, noticing the lights twinkling far off in the distance. He smiled to himself as he remembered his brief escape. He pondered for a moment what would have happened if he had chosen to run somewhere else instead of going home, what would have become of Bill's and Leskal's plan then. Perhaps they would have succeeded and mankind would have been doomed to a long enslavement at the hands of the Annunaki.

Looking up he could see a few stars weakly puncturing the deep black night sky. Standing there looking up, Nick felt small all of a sudden because he knew what the stars looked like from space and he knew how much more was out there. He had been to another planet and encountered other intelligent life. What else is waiting out there for us he thought to himself? What heights is man capable of reaching. He didn't have the answer; he just knew he wanted to be a part of it all. "I located the door" cut across his thoughts. Nick snapped his attention back to the hillside to see Telarc concentrating deeply on the side of the small hill, in which the door to the inside of the base was hidden.

"A few moments and we should be in" Telarc's voice once again.

Without warning a long vertical crack formed in the hill, and grew silently larger until the whole door was open, revealing a long corridor behind it.

"OK everybody ready. Here we go. Step lively, I don't know how long I can override this magnetic seal" Telarc advised.

Everybody formed into a column, two persons wide and marched straight in, the last person stopping just inside the door as Telarc stepped in and the door started its quiet closure.

Not knowing how long it would be before all this was over, Nick chanced one last glance at the sky outside the closing door and tried to take a mental picture of the starry night sky. There was one star that was larger and brighter than the others that seemed draw his attention. He didn't get to truly have a good look at it as the door shut completely and they were on their own. They all stood still for a moment, concentrating deeply on their surroundings. Nick couldn't sense anyone else in the tunnel besides them. Telarc must have come to the same conclusion.

"Our path seems clear everyone. Let's get to the elevator but keep your senses sharp. Since Nick escaped this way before they might be watching it more closely."

They moved swiftly and quietly along the corridor. It was as dimly lit as Nick remembered but he had little time to reflect on that now. He was straining to search out any ambush or other signs of danger but nothing presented itself and they reached the elevator without incidence.

Telarc strode from the back of the column right up to the elevator door and reached out, gently placed his hand on it, closing his eyes and lowering his head in communication with the machine itself.

"Be at the ready, this could be a trap" Telarc conveyed to everyone assembled. After a few quiet moments the elevator door slid open to revealing an empty interior. The tension in the hallway dissipated like a big sigh as they could all see there was nobody in the elevator. Everyone refocused and embarked into the elevator. It was as Nick remembered and there was enough room for the small attack force now gathered inside of it. Telarc was the last one in, pausing briefly to convey their progress to the mother ship. As he entered the elevator he flashed everyone a big smile, his eyes wide with enthusiasm. As the elevator doors slid back into place Telarc addressed everyone.

"This is it people. This is where your training will pay off. You need to be aware at all times and remember that they will not show you any mercy so you have to attack and defend yourself accordingly. If you get separated from the group you need to find a place to sit tight. We will find you. Don't try and fight your way out by yourself. Good luck everyone."

Everybody acknowledged his thoughts and Nick shifted nervously where he stood. Yes, he was scared, but more than anything he didn't want to let everyone down and be the cause of someone's death. Let alone the job they were trying to pull off had huge repercussions for the whole planet. He wondered if he had bitten off more than he could chew.

He took a deep breath, turning his thoughts to when the elevator would stop. As there was only one floor that Nick had been exposed too, that was to be their starting point. He thought hard about when he was here last and was not relieved to remember how the room had been pitch black when he went through there. He didn't know if he wanted it to be the same way or not when the elevator doors opened.

Nick sensed the elevator stop. Everyone else must have as well because the tension in the room ratcheted up fast. The door opened and Nick breathed out a small sigh of relief to see the room beyond was lit, not brightly, but with a dim glow cast by recessed lights in the ceiling. Even more importantly, there was nobody in it. Nick couldn't explain it but he had this haunted feeling he couldn't explain. It was like when you watch a horror movie and expect the bad guy to be around every turn. He tried to shrug it off, to put it down to the fact that he had never been in this kind of situation before but it was there nonetheless, flitting along the edges of his sanity, looking for a niche where it could take control. On the plus side it kept his senses sharp to what was happening.

"Gather around everyone".

Nick took a place in the tight circle forming around Telarc and actually had to lean in to see what he was doing. Telarc took a small, flat circular object from inside his jacket, laid it in the palm of his hand and extended his arm out into the middle of assembled group. He touched the object with his thumb and a holographic image appeared. It depicted what Nick would describe as a vertical cylinder with seven layers that formed what looked wheels surrounding it. Each of the wheels was distinct and separate from the rest. Nick took a moment to think how cool it looked and then snapped to as Telarc addressed them.

"From intelligence that we have been able to gather, this is the layout of the base. There appear to be seven levels with layers of rock in between each one. At the heart of each level is this cylinder." he said, indicating the long cylindrical core that extended through all seven levels.

"We believe it is the central source of power and communications for the entire base. We need to find our way to the central core and then we can disable the shields that are preventing us from transporting the rest of our troops in." he said.

"Do we know where we are?" the burly Rinalx asked.

"We do not have an exact location. Nick's memories were very incomplete in this area as he was quarantined to his room or the lab. It's not important anyway, as the central core runs through all of the levels. Provided we can get to it, we can disable the shields" Telarc replied.

"Are we going as one team then?" Linaad threw in.

"No, we will divide into two teams" Telarc replied.

"Each team leader will have one of these" he said, as he brandished a small square device with his free hand.

"What are they?" Dreknel asked

"These devices need to be attached at the main core where there is a convergence of power and communications. Once activated it has a dual purpose. First it will send out a powerful electro-magnetic pulse that will disable all the electrical services to the different levels. This will, in effect, cut off each level from the other and make it easier to take over. Its second function is to send out a homing beacon to the orbiting ships and they will have the coordinates they need to transport down the bulk of the invading force." was Telarc's reply.

Telarc glanced around at everyone and stood up. "That's everything." he said and the hologram disappeared as he pocketed the device.

Telarc efficiently organized them into two teams and handed Dreknel, the other team leader, one of the square devices that Nick referred to as bombs as he had no other frame of reference. Dreknel's squad consisted of himself, Linaad, Querok, Vindal and the brooding Kreand. They were huddled together in a small circle, silently nodding as they undoubtedly went over finite details of the mission with one another. Nick turned his attention back to his group, which consisted of himself, Telarc, Rinalx, Frinvl and Kefrun. Nick marveled at how at ease everybody was. All the Annunaki were tall and strong, exuding an unwavering sense of purpose and ability, as if they all knew that this mission would be completed as planned, without complications. No sweat. Nick, however, felt nervous, very nervous. He thought perhaps it would have been better if he had stayed back on board the ship until the facility had been secured. There was nothing he could do about it now. He had to suck it up and do the best job he could no matter what he was feeling.

Telarc signaled that it was time to move out and they made their way to the door. Opening the door they made their way out into the hallway with quiet precision. It was long and deserted, just as it had been when Nick had last walked down it. They crept along slowly and surely, senses alert, attentive for anything out of the ordinary. It was a tense yet uneventful walk down the hall to the point that Nick recognized as being where the gray left him when he had escaped. They pressed on, encountering no one. At the first branch of hallways Telarc ordered a halt.

"This is where we split up. Remember to use your senses to guide you to the core" he advised.

"Good luck to us all"

They nodded at each other in salute and Dreknel's team turned to make their way down the left hallway. Nick's group watched for a moment as they slipped slowly down the hall and then turned and made their way down the hallway on the right.

Leaning back in his chair, Bill rubbed his eyes. What time was it? He didn't have a clue. Bill had been in his office even more than he liked as of late. They hadn't had any contact with the moon base in five days now but he was still forging ahead with their plans. It wasn't the first time that they had not had contact from the moon. There were other occasions: such as when the com system was being worked on, or when they wanted to observe radio silence because they thought perhaps the system had been compromised. Then there were the solar flares that would knock communications out for days at a time as well, so on the whole of it Bill wasn't overly concerned about it and was sticking to the schedule as planned. A soft knock at the door broke his brief reverie.

"Come in" he barked, irritated at the interruption.

The door opened and Fred Schopf, his chief security adviser, came walking into his office, his gait slow and measured, his face inscrutable as he neared Bill's desk. Fred had been with Bill for so long now that he couldn't count the years but father time was starting to show on Fred. His face weathered and unreadable, gray tinges tainting the edges of his hair. Fred had been a perfect recruit. No living relatives, never married or had children, kept to himself when not at work. Reliable and trustworthy to the end. Bill motioned for Fred to take a seat. Fred groaned under his breath from some unseen ache as he sat down. Bill looked to Fred, slightly confused, as he didn't know what to expect. Fred had been at his job for many years and needed little direction from Bill so he could only conclude that something serious must be happening.

"To what do I owe this honor at such a late hour my friend?" Bill questioned.

"Well sir, there has been a breach at Dulce base" Fred replied, his monotone voice even and unrevealing.

"I thought as much. More of those conspiracy theorist web site operators looking for another story?" Bill said jokingly.

"If only it were sir."

Bill's interest piqued a little. "What exactly do you mean Fred?" he asked his tone more serious.

"You remember when Nick escaped from Dulce?"

"Yes"

"Well after you brought him back we set up some extra security in that exit. It was an old and seldom used point but we thought it best to beef up the security, so we added some extra measures to it. Well, one of the alarms was just triggered."

Bill was sitting bolt upright in his chair now, all signs of weariness drained away.

"Are there any more details available" he asked

"All the extra systems that were put in place were bypassed, except one. It was an old human made RFID scanner. It picked up just one person" Fred said "Nick"

Bill sighed heavily, his train of thought derailed. Yes, after he had escaped and they brought him back, they put an RFID locator in him just in case he managed to get out again.

"But, how?" a flummoxed Bill asked "Was it only him?"

"We only picked up his device but he had to have had help sir. The extra systems were designed and put in place by your friends from Dulce, except for the RFID transponder, that was a little inspiration of my own. So it had to be someone from the inside." Fred deduced.

Yes, help, but from whom Bill thought? After the incident with Thralesh they had done a surprise sweep, alien and human alike, to try and weed out any more infidels. The sweep had turned up a few more and everyone else had checked out. This is what had him confused about help coming from the inside. And what would make him want to come back here, unless, and a suspicion occurred to Bill that crystallized his thoughts and made his stomach tie in a knot. What if everything didn't go as planned and Nibiru was still en route to Earth, fully under native control?

"Has Dulce been alerted?" he asked tersely, his thoughts racing ahead and forming a plan.

"I notified them sir, but told them to wait for your direction before taking any action" Fred informed him.

"Excellent work Fred. Thank you. Can you meet me at the train level in fifteen minutes; I want to get over to Dulce as soon as possible. Nobody is to do anything other than monitor the situation until we get there. Have a security detail meet us when we get there and make sure they are all humans, no aliens. If my hunch is correct any alien presence will give us away." Bill ordered.

Fred stood up and with a "Yes sir", turned smartly, and made his way to the door and left Bill alone in his office.

Bill watched the door shut, exhaling deeply once it was fully closed. He was exhilarated and confused all at once. There was always the intangible that you could never account for in a mission, and if Nick was back on Earth either the mission was partially successful or Nick had escaped before the mission was completed and now he was trying to exact some measure of revenge. So many questions and Nick had the answers he needed. He hastily shoved all the papers on his desk back in their folder and filed it away in his desk drawer. From his other desk drawer he pulled out a hand held tracking device and his weapon then hurriedly made his way out of his office, down to the train level. Bill didn't know exactly what was going on but the feeling in his gut was that Nick's reappearance at Dulce had something to do with the silence now coming from the moon base.

# Chapter 18

The mag lev train eased to a noiseless stop and Bill and Fred stepped out of the car they were traveling in and onto the wide expanse of the Dulce base landing platform. There was a group of eight men loitering near some cargo containers directly across from them and they snapped to attention as Bill and Fred approached them.

"Who is in charge here?" Bill questioned Fred.

"Jack Zimmich" indicated Fred, pointing to the closest of the men, standing straight as a rod, shoulders back and chest out.

Probably in his late forties, Jack was tall and slender, his hair cut short, in a buzz cut style, like they would have had in the army. You could tell from first glance that Jack took his job very seriously. His black uniform was crisp and unwrinkled, security badge worn square and prominently with pride clipped to his left breast pocket and his shoes so polished you could see the landing platform reflected in them. Yet for all his attention to detail, looking in his dark brown eyes you could tell that he had seen things that many people would have had to undergo years of intense psychotherapy to undo. Horrific and savage things that cut through the exterior bravado he projected and reached down and touched his very soul. Bill felt a measure of pity for him for he knew the horrors that he had seen.

"Jack" Bill addressed him directly, "What are the updates on the status of our infiltrators?"

"Sir" Jack began formally "We have been tracking them by the lone signal that is available. It is on the fourth floor and moving slowly but steadily toward the core of the facility. I estimate that at the present rate it will take them another hour to get to the core."

"Has any other action been taken?" Bill queried

"Negative sir, we were waiting for your orders before moving to intercept."

"I'll need to see a schematic of the fourth floor." Bill commanded.

Ordering the rest of the men to stand fast Jack said "This way sir" and broke ranks and walked toward the side of the loading dock where there was an outline of a door etched into the stone wall. Arriving at the door he placed his hand on the biometric reader and the door slid aside to grant them access. Once inside Jack took a seat in front of a terminal and directed it to display a floor plan of the fourth floor. The screen on the wall changed from the static image of the Dulce logo to display a three dimensional picture of all the hallways and rooms that made up the floor. Jack stood and pointed to the screen where there was a yellow square "This is where the signal is at the moment." He slid his hand to the right "and it looks like it is headed in this direction, toward the core" indicating a vertically aligned cylinder right at the heart of the floor.

Bill stared at the screen, unblinking and intense, analyzing Nick's present course and searching for the best place to capture him. It looked uncannily like he was looking down at a bicycle wheel that was lying on its side. The hallways like spokes, originating from the center, and other hallways forming concentric circles at precise intervals away from the core. After a few moments of scrutinizing Bill found what he was looking for. A few hundred yards ahead of the present course there was a spot where one of the hallways seemed to end abruptly.

"What's going on here?" he asked, pointing at the map.

"They are actually sealing off that part of the hall to put in a new server room" Jack replied

Bill couldn't help but smile. It was perfect. The hall came to a dead end some fifty or so feet beyond the last spot where there were connecting corridors branching off it, trapping Nick there with no escape.

"We will take him there Jack. There is nowhere to run" said Bill

"That makes sense" said Jack admiring the idea. "How do you want us deployed?"

"I will take Frank with me and proceed this way" he said gesturing at the screen along a path that would bring them out at one of the corridors that connected to the hallway that Nick was on.

"I want you to divide your men into two groups; one group to come around this way, the other group to get in behind them and hold position here so if there is a deviation from the current path there is nowhere for them to go." Bill added, nodding his head in approval.

Bill spent a few more precious minutes planning with Fred and Jack, during which he reiterated that nobody was to mount any sort of attack or contact without his approval and that radio communication was to be kept to a minimum. Fred and Jack nodded their agreement and they all left the small room to rejoin the rest of the group. Jack ordered his men into two groups and briefed them on the plan. Anxious to get underway, they were ready to go as soon as they had been briefed.

Everybody checked their weapons, their communication gear and set off toward the far end of the loading bay. Leaving the loading bay they entered the labyrinth of passages and hallways, coming to a stop at an intersection of several different paths. Here they split up, Jack's two teams heading off in different directions; double timing it to get in position while Bill and Fred carried on straight ahead at a fast, but not too strenuous pace. They walked in silence, each of them reflecting on what might be happening. Bill was still struggling with how and why Nick had returned to Dulce, more so the how. Who was with him that could bypass the security measures that had been put in place after his last escape? Was there someone from the moon base that was a sympathizer? It seemed the most likely scenario. Bill glanced down at the hand held tracking unit that Fred had synchronized to the local security system and he could see that Nick was still moving steadily in the same direction. He scowled and clenched his hand around the tracking unit, one simple question echoing in his mind. How?

Telarc walked stealthily in front, stopping from time to time to touch his hand to the wall and close his eyes. He explained to them that he was making sure that they were still following the correct path. He could feel the energy flow that was emanating from the core in the walls and he was using this to track their way. Any time they encountered an intersection of hallways he would stop as well, using his telepathic abilities to reach out and see if there was anyone approaching from another other direction. At one of these stoppages, his knees buckled and he clutched his head in his hands, grimacing in agony.

"I sense great pain and suffering in this facility, from what source I do not know.' he said after he had regained his composure and signaled that it was safe for them to move ahead. Nick tried touching his hand to the wall to see what he could sense and was somewhat let down that all he could feel was smooth, cold stone. He looked around as he went, trying to see if he recognized anything from his previous time through here but everything looked the same no matter which way he looked. Doors, hallways and passages were in every direction. He was thankful that Telarc knew where he was going because he would have been lost in about five minutes had he been alone. He wondered how the other team was progressing. Telarc had told them they would know if the other team was successful in reaching the target because the lights would go out. If that happened they were to find a safe place to lay low until they were contacted by incoming forces. They were at another intersection now and Telarc, once again, had come to a stop and was standing still, eyes closed, his hands extended with palms facing away. Nick wasn't sure but Telarc seemed to be taking a bit longer at this intersection any of the others they had encountered. He looked to the others on his team but they seemed unconcerned and were focusing on the path ahead. Telarc finally issued his okay and they cantered quickly through the intersection to the other side and resumed their measured pace down the hall.

Bill and Fred watched the intersection with unwavering attention. They had been in position for the last fifteen minutes and had taken refuge in a small closet that afforded them a view of the intersection. He had been watching Nick's progress on his hand held device and they were so close now, the anticipation was almost painful. Bill had touched base with the other teams and while Jack's team was in position and ready, the last team was lagging behind their prey but closing ground fast. Any minute now Bill would have the answers he so desperately desired. They waited in hushed silence, the quiet so dense it was deafening. Bill looked at his hand-held again. Any second now, they should pass across the hall. If he hadn't been watching so intensely he might have missed it. Five distinct figures whipped across the hall to the other side and then slowed. He recognized Nick instantly, as he was about a foot shorter than the rest. The rest it would appear were Annunaki sympathizers. He gritted his teeth. He had had a feeling that there were more insurgents. Well, he would make them pay now. He sent the agreed upon radio signal to the other two teams, received a confirmation from each in return, and reached for the door. It was time.

As they were passing through the intersection Nick was sure he could feel a presence; a presence that he was familiar with but could not place. He conveyed his concerns to Telarc telepathically but Telarc dismissed them at once saying "That is not possible Nick, I would have felt the same presence if it had been there". So they continued on but Nick couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone there and he checked over his shoulder but didn't see anything. With each step forward Nick felt surer that they were no longer alone. Telarc came to a stop. Nick, who had been looking behind again, walked right into him.

"What's going on?" he asked and then noticed the wall that had ended their progress rather abruptly.

"Telarc, this doesn't feel right" Nick said, panic starting to rise.

"It's a minor setback at best, Nick" Telarc replied nonchalantly "We'll just have to double back and take another route" he added

The presence Nick could feel was still growing. It was no longer singular but many and it was closing in.

"There's someone out there Telarc, I am telling you. I can feel it" Nick hissed, his eyes scanning the corridor wildly.

"Nick, we have been over this. I can sense the same beings you can" Telarc replied, still looking at the wall.

"But what about humans that haven't been fully awakened to this power yet?" Nick threw out, grasping at anything that would explain the suffocating feeling he was experiencing.

The air seemed to be sucked out of the hall they were in. Telarc instantly snapped to attention and looked to Nick, replying but one word "No".

They all spun around just as the trap was sprung, men charging from all three directions behind them. There was no time to organize any plans, it was every man for them self and they scattered, diving, this way and that for any available cover, Nick rolling to the ground behind a storage box and fumbling for his weapon. The charging men aimed their weapons and fired. Nick watched in horror as two of his team were vaporized instantly, a third, wounded and down unconscious. Telarc reached for his weapon to return fire but it wasn't there. It must have fallen out as he rolled for cover. He stood and used his telepathic powers, blasting half of the men back and they fell dead. The rest kept coming; Telarc fell to one knee, weary from the energy he spent with his attack. Nick couldn't just lay there and let him die. He jumped out from behind the storage box and started to aim but stopped short, his rage at the sight of seeing Bill walking toward him short circuiting his thought process. Bill was glowering at Nick smugly. His men surrounded Telarc who was still on knee as he walked forwards. Nick cleared his head and communicated with Telarc. Hold on my friend and he summoned all the energy he could. Suddenly he disappeared and that threw everything into chaos. Bill stopped walking, looking around frantically as his men started yelling, startled their prey had gotten away. It was all the distraction he needed. Nick quickly attacked the men surrounding Telarc planting an image that showed him running away behind them and as they turned to look he took out his weapon and aimed it at the ceiling and fired. He dived aside just in time as a large section of ceiling collapsed right where he was standing sending dust and debris flying in all directions and the lights went out plunging everything into total darkness. He got to his feet quickly, adrenaline urging him on. He could sense where Telarc was, the men surrounding him abandoning him as they tried to take cover. He scurried over and picked him up gently. Telarc swayed on his feet but assured Nick telepathically that he would be all right and they slipped past Bill and his men, as quietly as they could, the screams and yells of the chaotic scene fading into the back ground as they ran one behind the other their hands lightly skimming the walls of the darkened passageway they were traversing. They made a few turns blindly in the dark, hoping that their path was leading them away from Bill. When they could no longer hear the screams and yells behind them they both stopped and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.

# Chapter 19

Bill's powerful voice cut through the cacophony that Nick's escape had caused, forcing a decisive end to the din. Calmly he produced his hand held tracking unit and noted that Nick was still on this floor, though he had covered quite a bit of ground. He had a multitude of new questions to add to his list but had no time to address them now. His first priority was capturing the two people loose in the base. They all pulled out the standard issue emergency lights they were carrying and ignited them casting the hallway into an eerie greenish relief. Bill surveyed the scene in disbelief and then looked over to the lone body on the floor. From his size and build, he could tell at once that he was Annunaki. The man stirred feebly and was immediately surrounded by his men, their weapons trained on him. Bill made his way over to the injured man and knelt beside him, looking him over for a moment before questioning him.

'What is going on at the moon base?" he barked, the most pressing of all his questions.

The man looked up at him, a combination of pain and defiance in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Bill further demanded.

"It's our time" was the telepathic reply, forcing Bill to wince under its power. The man rolled his head away from Bill so that he was looking up at the ceiling and then closed his eyes and drew in slow, laboring breaths.

Bill knew what was coming. He was performing Xerhalk, the Annunaki death ritual. It was a technique they used to separate their soul or essence from the physical body when it was close to death. They didn't refer to it as death though they called it a progression as the spirit doesn't die with the body but goes back to source energy and continues to experience things necessary for its continued growth. Bill had only heard about it before and watched in awe as the man's breathing continued to slow and then ceased all together, his body going slack and limp, yet looking blissfully at peace. Bill stood up and said "We won't get any information out of him now, he's gone". He surveyed the body again, more to buy himself time to think about his next step than to reflect on what he had just witnessed.

"OK first things first" he said, "Search the body and see what you can find." Bill commanded.

Jack nodded quickly to one of his men and the man stowed his weapon and then started to search the body. Bill turned away and consulted his hand held tracking device, noting that Nick didn't seem to have moved since he last checked.

"Jack"

"Yes sir,"

"I want security alerted to what's going on and all exit points to have a guard stationed there. Nobody is to try and apprehend them." Bill said.

"Yes sir" Jack again intoned and then relayed the orders into his radio.

"Is there anything we can do about these lights?" Bill asked no one in particular.

His transmission finished, Jack replied "The lighting system is computer controlled. I am sure once it senses an outage it will reroute the power around the damaged section and the lights should come back up on their own"

"We can't waste time waiting for the lights to come on so we move forward as is. Everyone fall in. We're moving out" Bill ordered. Everybody scrambled into two short lines. This time they would move as one unit. Bill straightened his clothes and set his resolve; he would get the answers he wanted or die trying.

'That was some quick thinking Nick. Well done' Telarc said, patting Nick on the shoulder. They had stopped panting, trying to catch their breath.

'How do you think they found us?' asked Nick

'That is puzzling. I didn't sense any security measures' said Telarc, visibly troubled.

'Perhaps there is some form of human made security that I failed to sense' he pondered.

Nick remained silent for he was just as puzzled over the whole matter. Pushing those thoughts aside for now he asked Telarc if he was OK.

'I was hit with one of their weapons but it must have been on a lower setting because it only stunned me' he replied. 'By the way, who was that?'

Nick's blood went cold at the thought, even as the rage welled up inside him. 'That was Bill, the guy who got me into all this in the first place' Nick responded

Telarc suddenly went quiet and Nick wondered what was happening. Were his injuries catching up to him? Nick tried to contact him but there was no reply. Then he could feel something in his head. It started out as pain. Not excruciating but enough so that he could feel it. It was there but a moment and then he was filled with an overwhelming euphoria so blissful and pure that he forgot all about his present situation. He fell to his knees, his eyes filling with tears. It was so pleasant he didn't feel anything and just wanted to stay in that feeling forever. It was pure unadulterated love. Like a million hugs and kisses from your mother all rolled into one beautiful moment. It seemed to last an eternity but in reality it was over in mere seconds.

'What was that?' he asked of Telarc, quivering as the feeling left his body.

'Rinalx has progressed' Telarc replied, although he didn't seem sad about it. "Died, in your language" he added as he saw Nick's confusion.

'I'm sorry' Nick offered sadly

'It's not a time for sadness Nick. The next part of his journey has begun.'

'Do all Annunaki feel his progression' Nick asked

'Normally when someone goes on, he or she will share the experience with those that were important to them'

Nick felt honored and humbled at the same time that Rinalx regarded him in this way.

'Why did I feel so good? It was like I was suddenly plugged into to pure happiness.' Nick asked

'Everything in the universe is created from the same source, but everything resonates at a different frequency. That is how we recognize differences, by the frequency they are vibrating at. When someone moves on and they contact you they have returned to the source so they are bridging the gap between this world and the source. As you found out, the source is love.' Telarc answered wistfully.

'It was a wonderful feeling' said Nick 'I didn't want it to end'

Telarc started to answer when the lights overhead flickered once, then again, and finally returned to full functionality. Nick and Telarc looked at each other. Nick could see that Telarc was more injured than he let on as there was a large hole burnt through his jacket in the stomach area and Nick could see the skin underneath was raw and bloody.

"I'll make it Nick" Telarc said reassuringly as he noticed Nick's eyes wide with shock at the sight of his wound. Telarc gestured to the lights 'I think the time has come for us to move on'

Nick agreed and they both stood up from the kneeling position they were in and Telarc touched the closest wall with his eyes closed, concentrating deeply. He then announced they had gotten farther away from the core in their flight but he could still get them there to complete their objective and they set off down the passage. Nick knew what to feel for this time so he kept his senses open to the feeling of any human beings in the vicinity.

Bill stopped cold as the lights flicked on, startled by the sudden brightness. He discarded his emergency light and looked at his hand held tracking device. He could see that the lights coming on had pressured Nick into action as his device was showing that Nick was on the move again. Bill watched for a moment, quickly plotting an intercept course.

"Double time" he urged over his shoulder to the men and they all noticeably picked up the pace in response.

Nick and Telarc were moving at a deliberate pace, feeling the pressure that Bill's presence had generated. They could only suspect that Bill was still in pursuit and they wanted to reach their target as soon as possible. Nick kept his senses keen, searching for any sign that Bill and his squad was nearby. For now it seemed that they were alone. Nick wondered what time it was as they were passing many more doors now and sometimes a window or two. He kept wondering if they were going to be discovered at any moment but either they were lucky or there just weren't a lot of people on this level at the moment because they didn't see anybody. Telarc stopped again and touched the wall. 'We're getting close Nick" he said excitedly and then continued on, taking a left hand turn at the next opportunity. The turn led them to yet another long hallway with a series of doors evenly spaced along its length, as well as connecting hallways and elevators and ended at a curved wall that Nick could only assume was the core. Wow, he thought, if ever there was a spot they would be found out, this sure looked like it was the place. They started off again, keeping low, and moving with purpose. They had barely gone more than a few steps when Nick sensed that Bill was not as far away as he would like.

'I think Bill has caught up with us' he related to Telarc

'No matter Nick, we are at our objective now. Just a little bit farther' was the response and they started to run. And they ran headlong into Bill as he rounded a corner just in front of them. For a moment everybody froze, like a scene out of a movie. Nick and Telarc started to backpedal, frantic to get away. Bill, weapon in hand, trained it on Telarc and fired and Telarc fell in a heap. He was laboring to get up and Nick stopped and came back to him, firing his own flash gun indiscriminately in response causing Bill and his men to flee back down the hall they had come from seeking cover. Nick reached Telarc and helped him up, noticing that he had a grisly wound on his back now to match the one on his stomach. He was grimacing in obvious agony and Nick put his arm around his shoulder and moved as quickly as he could away from Bill.

"Security all over the base has been alerted Nick" Bill bellowed from safety.

"You will never get out of here alive Nick, surrender now and things will be a lot easier for you"

Nick was struggling under Telarc's added weight and couldn't muster a response. He was trying door after door and none would budge. Then he saw a button on the wall and he mashed it with his free hand.

"We can talk all this out Nick" Bill was continuing.

Nick was sure he was buying time for some of his men to get around to the other side of the hall and cut off his escape. Bill came out from the corner and started walking toward Nick, his hands out in an apparent gesture of peace. 'I don't want to see you get hurt Nick. The other security personnel won't be as forgiving as me' he said.

Nick couldn't restrain himself any longer

"Forgiving" he said "your whole plan was for me to die on Nibiru, and now I am supposed to trust you.' Nick shrieked

Bill stopped in his tracks stunned, so he had been to Nibiru and now was back.

The door to the elevator opened and Nick turned to go in and was hit from behind with a blast and he let go of Telarc who fell to the ground and didn't move. Nick rolled into the elevator and used his telepathy to reach out to the elevator, telling it to close the door. The door started to close and Nick scrambled to his knees and was reaching to drag Telarc into the elevator car when Telarc's voice reached his brain, faint and strangled.

'It's OK Nick, my time has come. Take this and fare well my human friend. You give me hope for your kind.' and his hand flopped to the edge of the closing door. Nick didn't have time to think about it so he reached out and grabbed what was in Telarc's hand and had just enough time to get his hand back in the car before it was crushed by the closing door. He looked down at his hand and in it was the EMP device that they were going to use on the core. He tried to get the elevator to go up but its only direction was down so he went with it. He slumped back against the wall of the elevator and looked down again at the EMP device he had in his hand. As he was looking he felt a dull pain and then again the euphoria of being connected to the source. It was just as beautiful this time as it was the first time, tainted slightly because now he knew what was happening and why. As the glorious feeling drained from his body his eyes filled with tears and he said a silent goodbye to Telarc. He had learned so much from him and he realized that now he was on his own and it was the time to put that knowledge to use. He stood up, stowed the EMP in his pocket and readied himself for what would happen when the elevator opened. Nick had to assume that Bill was telling the truth when he said that security had been notified. His thoughts raced as he tried to formulate some sort of plan for when he had to get off the elevator. What could he do? He suddenly realized how vulnerable he really was now that he was all alone and longed for someone more experienced to give him guidance but none would be coming. It was all on him now, no more free rides. And then it came to him, his only hope really. He drew himself up to full height and squared his shoulders. He could tell the elevator's ride was almost complete and he took a few deep reassuring breaths to steady his nerves and focused hard on the image forming in his mind.

# Chapter 20

Intense blue-white light forced its way through the opening elevator door, expanding as the opening widened like some sort of electrical sunrise. Bill stood for a moment squinting into the light as his eyes adjusted to the brightness. He surveyed the scene, taking in every minute detail, and then strode onto the platform of the elevator, its doors sliding quietly shut behind him. Less than twelve feet from the elevator doors was a security checkpoint manned by six people, two of the diminutive grays and four fierce looking reptilian creatures. Bill marched with purpose straight up to them.

"Report" he demanded.

They all scrambled to attention, clearly startled.

"Sir, we were not expecting you down here" replied one of the reptoids, in an attempt to explain their lack of attentiveness. "All security patrols on this level have checked in, there have been no sightings of the human" he finished, bowing his head slightly in Bill's direction.

"Good, good. I'm here to inspect this floor. I have reason to believe he will try to make his way down here."

The reptoids looked at each other nervously.

"As you wish sir, please step over here" said the closest of the reptoids indicating Bill to step onto what looked like a scale. With an air of indifference Bill stepped onto the scale staring nonchalantly at the panel in front of it as the grays scrambled around the computer system pushing buttons. The lights on the panel changed to a dull orange and the reptoid said "OK, you may pass, but you need to wear this" he said, shoving a color coded badge toward Bill. The badge was embossed with his picture, height, weight and security clearance, in this case Omega nine. Bill clipped it onto his breast pocket and walked to where the reptoid was indicating, the others standing aside to let him pass.

Bill made to walk away and noticed one of the grays queuing up beside him.

He pointed at the gray "What is this?" he asked of the reptoid that had been helping him.

"Standard procedure sir, all visitors to this level are required to have an escort" the reptoid replied.

"I am aware of the policy" Bill said, getting short with the reptoid. "I can assure you that I do not need an escort, especially since my purpose here is of the utmost secrecy "

"I am sorry sir, it is policy'

"Do I need to have your superior come down here and help us straighten this out?" snarled Bill.

The threat had the desired effect as the reptoids eyes widened in fear.

"No sir, that won't be necessary. Please proceed" he said quickly

"Thank you" he replied curtly, then turned and walked down the short hallway, away from the security checkpoint and did not look back. He turned sharply to the right at the end of the hall, walked several yards and stopped, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder. Nick couldn't believe he had pulled it off. He was shaking all over, adrenaline coursing through his veins with each pounding heartbeat. He thanked the stars for his good fortune and for the first time got a good look at where he was. This level was circular, and so vast he could barely make out the other side. To his left was what looked like housing, cut right out of the face of the rock wall in a long semicircle were thousands of square holes. They were very rudimentary and basic; connected with series of ladders platforms. Each hole was big enough to house one, maybe two, of the reptilian creatures with just enough space to sleep and that would be it. On the floor directly in front of the housing were rows and rows of tables and gathering places with many reptoids and grays milling about. To his right was where the light was coming from. The bright blue light source encompassed more than a third of the entire level in a column from the ceiling and, it appeared, right through the floor to unseen depths below. Vivid and intense it swirled in an undulating manner seemingly in mid air, with nothing restraining it. Nick stared, hypnotized by the ebb and flow of the blue and white light as if they were performing a beautiful celestial rhythmic dance. Swirling, rolling and twisting up and down, like someone had managed to capture the raw essence and power of a star, harnessed it and placed it here. Besides the light, an enveloping warmth, which penetrated through the body, right down to the cellular level was emanating from it. It made Nick feel like he was being cuddled by his mother and wanted to curl up on the floor and bask in its glow, but that was not an option. With a start he remembered why he was here and snapped out of his daze with a jolt. This had to be the source for all the power in the base he deduced. With great difficulty he wrenched his gaze from the light itself and scanned for its source. There had to be some sort of containment field or something that was generating the light. If he could find its source he could disable it. He noted that on the ceiling as well as the floor there were large panels, perhaps thirty or forty feet high and one to two feet thick, encircling the entire column. There were all a smooth, dark metallic black and didn't give off nor emit any light. They were just there, solid and unyielding. At ground level there were several rows of computer panels and terminals all blinking and flashing as the reptoids that manned them pushed buttons and observed their output on large monitors. Time to get moving Nick thought; the real Bill would most certainly be on his way down and then his cover would be blown. It shouldn't take him very long to get at the core, set the EMP and, well, wait for the cavalry to arrive. Nick set off at a crisp pace, picking a circuitous path as he went that would get him where he needed to be while minimizing his contact with the inhabitants of this area. As he went he fingered the EMP device in his inside pocket, recalling Telarc's instructions on how to set it. Each device could only be set by a member of the team as it scanned the thumbprint and would only activate or deactivate when a team member pressed their thumb to the reader.

The elevator door opened and Bill stepped out into the bright light followed by Jack and two of his security team. He had been at this level before and the light didn't bother him anymore as his eyes were quick to adjust. The guards at the checkpoint were alert and wary as they came off the elevator. He smiled to himself. Bill liked that they were so keen on their job. As they neared the reptilian guards they looked at him, clearly puzzled and they fired their questions off simultaneously.

"Your back again sir?" said one "Where is the prisoner?" said the other.

"What?" they both replied simultaneously, confused by the other

Bill took charge of the conversation "Where is the prisoner?"

"What prisoner? You were the only person that came out of that elevator"

"Just now?"

"Yes, just now but also a few moments ago"

This was starting to take on the form of some bad comedy skit; grating on Bill's nerves.

"Explain what you mean" he screamed.

"Well sir, several minutes ago you came out that elevator and said that you were inspecting the floor and wanted access. You were weighed and sent on your way according to policy. Here see for yourself" and Bill followed the reptilian as he went over to the computer console and pushed a series of buttons and then stepped back. Sure enough, Bill saw himself exit the elevator alone and approach the guards, gain entry and walk off into the inner area of the level alone. There was something about the scene though that didn't seem right. As it replayed he leaned in and looked closer at his image and he could see it was sort of blurry around the edges, like it was put there by computer animation. Damn, he swore to himself. It was Nick outwardly projecting Bill's appearance.

"That was him!" he screamed pointing at the monitor.

Bill wanted to charge in there and tear the place apart looking for him but he forced himself to calm down and to think things through rationally. Nick was on this floor, OK All the exits were guarded. So what he needed to do was alert the security at each post that there was an impostor posing as him on this level and all humanoids were to be detained until he personally authorized their release. He instructed Jack what he wanted done and while Jack was coordinating communications with one guard he had the other weigh and scan everyone and issue them passes. Jack joined them and they went down the hallway into the main area.

Nick was getting closer to his planned point of attack. He had passed several armed guard patrols and his disguise was still holding. Nick was, however, becoming acutely aware that something was going to give soon. It took a lot of concentration to maintain his ruse and he was starting to run out of energy. He shuddered to think what would happen then. The reptilians looked fierce enough that they might just make a meal out of him. Nick rounded a small bend smack into another patrol. There were five of them, all reptilian. They demanded he stop as they inspected him and his badge, focusing harder than ever on Bill's image. It took several moments but they appeared to be satisfied and let him pass with a quick apology, muttering that they were only following procedure. Nick continued on his way trying to appear that he was here in an official capacity. The bank of computers he had identified as his target was getting closer. He reached into his inside pocket and fingered the EMP device. He looked around to get his bearings and came to a stop. The patrol he had just passed were still standing where he had left them, the leader looking in Nick's direction and nodding as though someone was talking to him. Nick gulped but turned and kept walking toward his destination, he was so close now. He pulled out the EMP and pressed his thumb into the activator and felt it come to his life in his palm. From what Telarc had told him it would detonate twenty seconds after it was planted. There was a commotion forming now behind him and he yearned to look but was intent on achieving his goal. For all of mankind, he needed to get this done and then he would attend to whatever came after that. Nick got to the station and slammed the device onto the panel then turned to look. The patrol was running toward him, knocking people out of their way as they ran, yelling in some unknown guttural language and pointing at Nick. Farther back in the cavern he could see the real Bill standing at the end of the same hallway he had come from. There was nothing else to do so he ran for it, the security patrol hot on his heels. He dropped the facade of being Bill and just ran in no particular direction, turning here and there as he felt like it. Any second now he thought. There was a harsh buzzing crackle and a flash that Nick could see reflected on the walls in front of him as he ran. It went dark a fraction of a second later. The light and heat gone in the blink of an eye, like a light bulb popping out of life. Nick tripped over something in the dark and tumbled. As he lay there trying to untangle himself from what had tripped him he heard screaming. Not the sort of screaming associated with the general chaos that would follow a power outage but more of a panicked, terrified wall of noise, as if it was a life and death situation. The light, Nick thought. It's the light. Not only did the light provide a means to see but it was also nourishing comfort for the reptilians and now the source had been cut off and they were mewing like puppies when the mother gets up and they can no longer suckle. The screaming was growing in intensity. So much so that Nick actually put his hands up to his ears. Bodies started flying everywhere, running wildly in the dark. Nick started crawling on his hands and knees, trying to stay out of harm's way. Several times people tripped over him, battering his prone form. Still he crawled, even after reaching an unseen obstruction; Nick groped his way blindly along. The sounds of chaos seemed to be fading behind him and he stopped and sat down, gingerly feeling his aching ribs. One of the people that collided with him really crunched him good. Although it hurt to breath, Nick didn't think anything was broken. He heard what sounded like a door being opened and forms were bounding out of the floor wearing greenish hued emergency lights, and disappearing in the inky blackness. It made for an interesting effect. All these green lights were streaking through the darkness, reminiscent of the Aurora Bourealis. Nick made up his mind in a heartbeat and duck walked toward the opening. Nervously he approached it, as forms kept issuing from it and running and joining the ongoing tumult. Nick positioned himself a little ways away and then a person came out of the hole and came running toward him. Nick threw a tackle that an NFL'er would be proud of and started swinging at whatever he could hit as his prey flailed wildly trying to return the favor. One vicious elbow and Nick heard a crunch and the leathery skinned person he was fighting went limp. Nick relieved him of his emergency light and crawled back in the direction of the hole. He arrived at the trapdoor and chanced a quick look over the side. There were no more people coming up so he spun around and went feet first into the hole, his feet finding the ladder and he climbed in, pausing after a few steps to pull the door shut and closing out the melee above him.

# Chapter 21

Bill stopped and scanned the floor area like an eagle looking for a rabbit amongst the grass. He looked to his hand held scanner for assistance but it was going haywire. The electromagnetic energy was causing too much interference. He shoved it forcefully back in his pocket and continued his vigil. One of the guards from the checkpoint he had just passed came running up to him.

"Sir, one of our patrols just reported that they have seen him" he said

"Where?" questioned Bill excitedly

"They are over there" he said, pointing a long scaly arm toward a mass of computer banks.

Bill squinted to see and he spied the patrol standing still, the leader still on the radio and looking toward the column of light. Scanning farther ahead Bill was startled to see himself walking toward the core, hand reaching inside his jacket. He couldn't help but feel impressed at Nick's skill.

"Order them to stop him!" he barked at the reptilian. At once the guard started jabbering away in a strange language into his headset. Bill watched as the patrol group moved in Nick's direction and Nick took off running. The chase wound its way through people and banks of machinery and Bill could see Nick's hand as it came out and slammed something onto one of the terminals as he ran past. The patrol ran right past it and just as it looked like they were going to catch him, poof, the lights went out. Bill was just as startled as everybody else and then pandemonium reigned. Bill ordered Jack to assist the reptilians and Jack and his security team ran off. Bill pulled out his hand held unit again. This time he could see the blip that was Nick making its way slowly across the floor and watched helplessly as the blip disappeared off the screen. Bill was somewhat relieved as he had a notion where Nick had gone. Perhaps now he could close out two loose ends at once.

# Chapter 22

The ladder seemed to go on forever and all Nick could see far below was a dull glow that grew in luminescence as he descended. Nick finally hit solid ground and stepped off the ladder, his arms and legs burning in pain, and looked around. There were see through tanks of all sizes neatly arranged in makeshift rows by the color of glowing liquid contained inside them. Several colors were represented, red, blue, green and amber being chief among them. Approaching the nearest amber colored tank he could see indiscernible bits and pieces, not floating, but rather suspended in the odd liquid. A quick scan around and Nick could see that most of the other tanks he could see were the same. An ominous feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. What the bits and pieces were he didn't want to know. Remembering the scene up above Nick decided that it would be prudent if he kept moving. A brief reconnaissance of the room revealed it was quite large and Nick tried not to look too closely at the tanks as he passed them after he had seen what looked like body part inside one. Along one wall he found a door standing ajar, undoubtedly left open by whomever it was that had used the ladder. Nick leaned up against the wall right beside the door and peeked out into the room beyond, leaning out far enough to expose just one eye. Giant vats containing the same liquids as in the room behind him met his gaze. They were massive, easily ten feet across and another twenty five feet or so high. On the outside of each one was a panel that amazingly was still in operation. There had to be a redundant power source for them Nick thought. Not seeing or hearing any movement, Nick felt safe to approach the closest of the vats, only to find the display panel in some unknown language. Nick looked up to investigate its contents and was horrified to see a human male body, grotesquely disfigured, suspended in the fluid inside. Backing away from the vat, Nick fought the urge to scream out but he couldn't draw his eyes away from the gruesome visage in front of him. Only when he bumped into another vat did he look away, spinning around to look into this vat. Another human form, if you could call it that, was revolving lazily inside. No sex that he could discern and extra arms protruding out of its torso. Nick had never seen anything so disturbing. His mind was reeling and he was sure the forms would haunt his nightmares for years to come, if he survived. He walked briskly down the middle of the aisle trying hard to keep his wits about him and, most importantly, avoid looking into any more vats. It was next to impossible not to look though and Nick caught himself sneaking peeks as he went, like those people that drove him crazy when they slowed down to look at car accidents. He saw another form with three legs; some with long tails and scrabbly long fingers on shortened arms; others with skulls that were half human/half reptilian. It wasn't until he reached vats that had child sized forms floating in them that he abandoned all pretense and started to run. He couldn't bear to see anymore and the ones he had seen kept popping up in his mind every time he blinked in weird ghostly afterimages that were just as horrific as the real thing.

The vats ceased to be in his peripheral vision and he stopped running and doubled over with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. Looking about he could see that now he was in the area that housed the labs and machines that filled those vats. Strange, menacing machines, some of which rose high out of view, were everywhere. The lab areas were wide, open, arrayed with macabre instruments and metal beds that had thick metal arm, leg and torso restraints. Nick wished he could wake up and be safely in his bed in his apartment, and that this whole mess was just some nightmare that had been induced by eating too much spicy food and watching horror movies. I won't get such relief he thought. I just have to find my way out of here. Reflecting for a moment he realized that if everything had gone according to plan, Annunaki forces were now in the base in large numbers and battling for control. That thought cheered him up, and he resolved to find his way to them and help in whatever capacity that he could.

Buoyed with thoughts of finding and helping the Annunaki Nick proceeded through the lab area on the lookout for some way to get out. The labs suddenly roared to life; rows of monitors, computers and machines surging into a powered on state creating a clatter of noise. Light's came on as well flooding the area with natural, sunshine type light. He blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted and threw aside the emergency light he had been carrying. Straining his ears Nick didn't hear any sounds above that of the machines. Now it was light out he could see that the lab was way bigger than he thought. He spied an elevator some distance away and started to make for it. On an adjacent wall he could see large double doors. Walking toward the elevator, he could not take his eyes from the other set of doors, from which a low noise was coming. Like a murmur or a whisper the noise reached his ears and he slowed his approach to the elevator. He couldn't put his finger on it but he could feel an irresistible urge to go over to the double doors and see what lay beyond. Nick's feet turned toward the doors even before he was cognizant of the fact that his path had changed. Reaching the doors, he put his hands gently on them and listened closely. The murmur was louder now. Closer to, it sounded more like whimpers and moans. With a gulp he pushed open the doors and stepped over the threshold.

The smell of human waste hit him first. Urine and excrement stench so powerful, Nick actually gagged and quickly covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve. Able to breathe easier Nick took in his surroundings. There were rows and rows of cages of humanoid creatures. If Nick thought what was in the tanks was bad, this was beyond anything imaginable. Human beings in every state of bio engineering you could think of. Extra eyes or eyes that glowed in different colors. Some with no eyes, or mouths and long lanky arms and legs that ended in rapier like claws; more still with extra arms and legs and all clad in grimy gray toga like cloths. It was like walking through some house of horrors at the amusement park, where you wanted to scream and run or wake up, but it just kept going on and on as Nick walked the aisles. There was still something that was luring him here and he was getting closer. The cells inhabitants were starting to notice him and were reaching through the cages to grab him, crying out for help or just screaming insanely in short sharp bursts. Nick hurried on and down the third aisle, his feeling intensified until he was standing in front of a cage, its inhabitant curled up in the corner, hugging their knees to their chest, face hidden by dark, wavy hair.

"Hello" Nick called gently, to no response.

"Hello" he said again louder. And again, there was no response. Nick was certain that this person was what was luring him here. Switching to a different tack, Nick tried to reach out to the person telepathically, to no avail. Stumped, he stared at the person and out of desperation yelled at the form. The figure started and slowly raised its head.

"Zalath?" Nick whispered to himself in disbelief. It couldn't be. The fervor was gone from her eyes and her face was pale and gaunt, but it was her he was sure of it.

"Is that you Zalath?" Nick called to her. Slowly she rose, staring in obvious confusion over Nick's appearance. Like a zombie she approached the cage and put her slender arm through and touched Nick's cheek, like she was in the desert dying of thirst and was afraid that this oasis was a figment of her imagination. She started to cry. Hot tears streaming down her dirty face leaving clean streaks behinds as they fell from her chin, splashing noiselessly on the floor at her feet. Nick wrenched at the bars of the cell, fury rising in his blood. He noticed a pad on the door of the cell and without thinking pulled off his badge and swiped it on the pad. The door slid aside and he rushed in, Zalath collapsing into his arms, her chest heaving as she continued to cry uncontrollably. Cradling her gently, Nick just let her cry for a time. When the sobs slowed and stopped altogether, he tried to contact her telepathically but couldn't connect to her. He could sense her in his mind, but could not make the connection. Lifting her head gently up so he could see her face he asked "What happened Thralesh, why are you here?"

"When you escaped" she started her voice rough and barely audible "Security came into the elevator room and demanded to know what I was doing. I told them that I was searching for a storage room and became lost. I didn't think they believed me but they radioed in for assistance and the next thing I knew they took me out of the room and put me in a temporary security holding area. I was there for maybe a day when Leskal came for me and brought me down here"

"How come I can sense you but can't seem to connect with you"

With that Zalath started sobbing again.

"They did to me what we fear most" she forced through the tears.

"What did they do?" Nick asked, trying not to sound frantic.

"They took away my abilities" she said, each word punctuated with a great wracking sob.

"Took away your abilities? They can do that?"

"As surely as they can awaken them in humans, they can take it away from Annunaki. It is worse than death for us. To be isolated and alone and not feel another's presence, to not be able to share thoughts and experiences; it is terrifying to us. I understand you now Nick. I don't know how the human race has gotten along so well when everybody feels so alone and isolated." She stopped here and took some deep steadying breaths and then continued. "So they took my ability and have left me here to endure the endless screams of pain and suffering from those around me" and then she fell silent once more, sobbing lightly. Nick wished he could hold her like that forever.

"Can it be fixed?" Nick asked

"No, it cannot" she replied sadly.

Zalath suddenly lifted her head and stared at him, her eyes wide.

"What happened to you Nick? How do you come to be here?"

Nick quickly recounted his recapture and return to the program. How he had been sent to the moon base and on to Nibiru; the exposure of the double-cross on the planet and how he had been returned to Earth as a Trojan horse of sorts, enabling the Annunaki to conquer the moon base and create a plan to oust the reptilians and Annunaki sympathizers on Earth.

She listened intently and her face softened as he spoke of Nibiru and his experiences there.

"You have been to my planet?" she asked, in rapt joy

"Yes I have, and if everything has gone as planned then there are forces inside the base fighting for control. Her expression was over the moon and she pulled herself away from him and led him out of the cell. They made their way back through all the cells and into the lab area. Zalath stopped once they were in the labs and fumbled through a closet and emerged with an orange jumpsuit and a pair of black running type shoes. Putting it aside she pulled off the filthy clothes she was wearing and climbed into the jumpsuit. Nick couldn't help but see how emaciated her entire body was. She put on the shoes and smiled at him brightly through the grime, the fire returning to her eyes.

"I will go and find my people and help them fight" she pronounced, and marched off toward the elevator with Nick in close pursuit. The car arrived and they climbed in and waited in silence as it ascended. The doors opened onto a short hallway that had a number of other elevator doors. The sound of fighting was close. Yells and grunts and the sound of Annunaki weapons combined with Earthen gunfire. They peeled out of the elevator toward the fighting, not knowing if they would run into friend or foe. They twisted and turned through corridors and hallways with the sound of war getting closer with each step. They rounded a corner and stopped. Looking out into a vast hangar they could see the fighting now. Men and reptilians fighting side by side with the taller and more composed Annunaki. They had arrived on the side of the Nibirians and there were groups of them huddled around tables issuing orders to those in battle. Zalath took off at once toward them. Nick made to do the same but after only one step he saw stars and everything went black.

# Chapter 23

Nick came to, his head still spinning. He was acutely aware of a throbbing pain on the back of his head. He made to touch it but his arms could not move. Forcing his eyes to focus, Nick looked down and found that he was in a wheel chair being wheeled down a long corridor. His arms and legs were unsecured yet he could not move anything below his neck. He struggled against his unseen bonds but could not move a muscle. Nick tried in vain to turn his head and see who was pushing the chair but could only glimpse a pair of arms.

"It's OK Nick. It's me, your old pal from Groom Lake" came by telepathy to his brain and only served to amplify the pain in his skull.

Bill.

Anger made Nick try and move, his brain screaming at his muscles and limbs to move in any way. Flinch, twitch, anything.

"Why don't you let me out of here old friend, we have a score to settle" Nick said acidly.

'All in due time Nick, all in due time. For now we have to get out of here to somewhere more comfortable where we can talk. We have a lot of catching up to do.'

Nick's head was aching more than ever and he chose not to respond but rolled on in silent fury. He strained against his paralysis again with all his might. This time the effort was too much and he passed out, head slumping forward, chin resting on his chest.

Zalath approached the nearest of the groups that were issuing orders. As she closed the gap, a pair of guards sprang out and stopped her progress. She could tell that they were trying to communicate with her telepathically but were confused at her lack of response. Once she was over the shock of seeing native Nibirian's she used her voice to speak with them, informing them who they were and requesting to see the person in charge. The guards looked confused, glancing about as if they were looking for something. It was only then that she realized that Nick was no longer with her and she turned to run and go find him but the security grabbed her with a firm grip and marched her to the field commander.

He turned as they approached, no doubt already aware that they were bringing her to them. He was tall and handsome as all Annunaki men seemed to be with dazzling green eyes and auburn hair hanging tidily at shoulder length.

"I am Plonxell" he said, bowing his head. "And who are you?" His voice was deep and soothing, yet commanded respect.

"My name is Zalath." She said, surprised that he had addressed her using his voice.

"Zalath. I understand that you wished to see me. As you can see there are many things that demand my attention at the moment. Please tell me briefly how I may help you"

"I have been here at this base for many, many years and I have intimate knowledge of its layout"

Plonxell nodded at this news, his face impassive. "How am to know that I can trust you? You may be a spy."

Zalath wasn't expecting this sort of hostile homecoming and she faltered her words as she answered.

"I, I, I don't know. I was imprisoned here after helping Nick escape. He returned and freed me and we came here to help fight. He was just with me and I don't know where he went."

Plonxell stiffened at the mention of Nick and asked tersely. "He was with you? What happened to him?"

"I said, I don't know. I was so happy to be near my own people I ran off when we got near the fighting. I thought he was right behind me." Zalath said, her voice trailing off in confused angst.

Plonxell nodded to the guards and they ran off back toward the elevator landing, leaving Zalath where she stood, swaying a little. Plonxell swooped to her side an put his arm around her. "It's obvious that you have been through quite an ordeal and I think at this point you require medical attention" and he led her gently but firmly in the direction of a makeshift tent where there were wounded people massing outside waiting for medical help. He sat her down on one of the chairs, addressed a doctor briefly, pointing at Zalath, and then returned to the table he was commanding from. Zalath had never felt so alone. So close to her people and she couldn't feel them, couldn't contact them. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

"Hello Zalath, my name is Ardun. I am a healer." Zalath looked up at him. He was dressed in magenta pants and vest. The front of the vest contained many pockets each of which held medical instruments.

"Plonxell requested that I attend to you if that is OK with you. " Ardun said, his azure eyes filled with concern. Zalath nodded absentmindedly. Ardun pulled a small device from his vest and passed it over her sitting body, a few inches from touching her.

"I can detect that you have been isolated" he said sadly. "As you know, there is nothing that we can do for you. That part of your brain has been permanently destroyed."

Zalath acknowledged him with a somber stare accompanied by more tears and nod so slight he almost didn't see it.

"Other than that I can find nothing wrong with you" he added brightly "Slightly malnourished perhaps, but nothing that won't heal with time. I can have you beamed to one of our ships if you like and they will take care of you there"

Zalath's heart leapt at the thought of going back to one of the ships and being among her people. No more charades, no more careful concealment of her true identity and mission. Just as fast though she remembered Nick and longed to help him.

"I would like to stay here" she said calmly

"OK, I will send someone over with some food and drink."

Before he left he pulled another device from his vest and touched it to her shoulder stating it would help her relax. Instantly the weariness and anxiety drained from her body and she almost felt happy. Ardun left with a smile and began tending to some of the men nearby that were injured.

As Zalath watched Ardun work, a young Annunaki came over and handed her a cylinder shaped object along with a packet and then moved on to others. She opened the cylinder and took a long drink. It warmed her stomach as she drank it and then radiated out to her limbs. The packet contained some emergency rations that filled her up and energized her. She was watching Plonxell now. The guards he had issued to find Nick had returned and they were deep in conversation. Zalath got up and edged her way toward them getting as close as she dared, watching intently, trying to ascertain what was going on from body language alone.

"What did you find?" Plonxell questioned

"He was there. I could sense his presence, but the signature was very weak and there is no sign of him now"

Plonxell dismissed the security and sighed, deep in thought. Although his mandate had been to coordinate the efforts of the takeover, he had personally charged himself with finding out what had become of the reconnaissance team that shut down the shields to the facility. One half of the group had been found. The group had been discovered by a random security patrol and was fending off attack when the shields had gone down. They used the outage to their advantage and escaped and managed to find their way back to where the main troops had beamed in. What happened to the other group though, including Nick, was more problematic and Plonxell had all but lost hope. He was certain that they were all dead. Indeed he had known that at least four of them were, including his close friend Telarc because he had felt their presence after their death. Plonxell had been unclear however when it came to Nick. He had assumed that since Nick was human, if he had been killed, he, well... he didn't know what happened when humans died so he assumed the worst. But now Nick was alive, and Plonxell vowed silently to himself that he would get him back.

# Chapter 24

Bill wheeled the still unconscious Nick into his office, slammed the door shut behind him and locked it. Easy he reminded himself, going off in a rage wasn't going to help matters any. He pushed Nick over to a spot near the couch and left him there as he took up a seat at his desk. It had been tricky getting out of Dulce with his prize. He found his way down to the train level and took a maintenance car back to his base of operations at Groom Lake. He pulled a radio out of his pocket and pushed the button. Fred's disembodied voice crackled through the receiver

"Yes sir"

"Update your status"

"The facility is lost sir. There are pockets of resistance, but we are overrun"

"The power came back on, didn't that restart the shields?" said Bill grasping for a ray of hope.

"Yes, but by that time they had already beamed in thousands of troops. Once inside they have set some sort of a transponder and they can beam in at will now." A long pause followed "They were waiting for it sir. The precision they displayed in getting those troops in here was meticulous. No way was this a chance opportunity."

"What about our allies?"

"They were badly spooked when the power went down. When it came back on they fled down past the seventh level. We are on our own now"

Bill scowled and shook his head.

"What is your position?" he asked

"I am in an escape tunnel with a few dozen others. What are your orders?"

"Return to this base as fast as you can. I have a feeling that we will be next"

"Yes sir" and the radio went silent.

Bill sat back and rubbed his eyes while gritting his teeth. What the hell was going on? Everything was falling apart. All their well laid plans were in ruins. Dulce base was gone so Bill could only assume the moon base was as well. All he could do was sit there and shake his head in silent disbelief. Nick stirred and caused Bill to look up. At least he would get some answers before everything was ruined completely. He spun around in his chair to the cupboard behind him and pulled out two injectors and walked around his desk to where Nick was. He pulled down Nick's collar and injected the adrenaline straight into Nick's bare neck.

Nick had been awake for quite some time and he listened intently as Bill conversed with someone at Dulce. The news that Dulce base was now under Annunaki control exhilarated him. He was thankful that Telarc's death, and the deaths of the others, was not in vain. All the pain he had endured and things he had gone through were washed away as if by some magical cleansing. Nick recalled fondly now his effort in everything and he was proud. He had seen and done things that he had never even fathomed were possible for a human being to achieve and he was still alive, still here and committed to the very end, no matter what the outcome was. He chose to pretend he was still unconscious to buy himself some time to think. Nick still couldn't move but he had time to analyze his situation and realized that Bill must have paralyzed him in some way. With either an agent of some sort or with an Annunaki flash weapon. If Bill had used the weapon, Nick knew from his training, that the effects would wear off eventually. He had to keep Bill distracted as long as he could and when he was able to move he could fashion some sort of escape idea. Bill's chair squeaked slightly as he got out of it. Nick heard a door open and then close a few seconds later. Bill's heavy steps came in Nick's direction and Nick let his muscles go slack as he continued to feign unconsciousness. Bill roughly pulled his collar down and pressed something to his neck. Nick continued to play his part well and slowly stirred; giving the impression it took some effort to become reanimated. He raised his head and blinked a few times, disoriented. Bill's impassive face came into focus. He was sitting on a comfy chair a few feet from Nick, hands folded neatly in his lap. Even though Bill displayed an air of indifference Nick knew that he was supremely agitated, that below the stoic exterior, Bill was seething. It satisfied Nick immensely to know that he was the source of Bill's frustration. Behind Bill, Nick could see out his office window and into the large hangar outside. The doors were open, which struck Nick as odd, and beyond he could see the darkness of night. They sat there, silent for a time, sizing each other up. Bill broke the silence first.

"You have done well Nick. I am impressed" Bill said, and surprisingly Nick did not detect any sarcasm.

"People have been trying for centuries to do what has taken you a mere few hours to accomplish. You should be proud." Bill continued "Of course, you had some help that was, shall we say, out of this world"

Nick didn't respond and he could see a spasm of anger contort Bill's face for the briefest of moments.

"It's this help that I want to talk about Nick. As you know, you were meant to die on Nibiru, yet here you are. Astonishing isn't it? Perhaps you can enlighten me as to how you engineered such a feat"

Nick didn't see the harm in telling Bill what happened now and in doing so could buy himself some valuable time. So he related everything, leaving nothing out, still trying to buy himself time to regain functionality.

He told how he had arrived at Nibiru and after some tense moments was found and taken to Zhengil's residence where he was briefed on more of the mission particulars and continued training until Zhengil took him to the atmosphere monitoring plant, their harrowing trek to the machine where Nick was to release the nanobots. He relished the effect he had on Bill as he told him how he figured out the double cross and how Zhengil had died as he struggled to end Nick's life.

Nick could feel life coming back to his limbs. A tingly feeling swept up and down his torso and legs and arms. With great difficulty he fought down the urge to try and move and continued with his story.

Bill was especially rapt as Nick imparted how he was captured and brought before the Nibirian council. How he awoke to Leskal's vigorous shaking and Leskal viewed the implanted memory and ordered the strike.

"And he just ordered the strike right there?" Bill interjected incredulously, shaking his head.

"It was very convincing. Until Leskal forced the real memory out of me, I was positive it was what really happened." Nick said. He was getting closer to full movement.

"Ironic isn't it, the very weapon you create to destroy your enemies coming back to blow up in your face" Nick threw out mockingly. His comment had the desired effect as the blood drained from Bill's face and he sat forward to the edge of his chair, his rage barely contained.

"Yes, it is ironic" he said through gritted teeth "So what happened then?"

Nick obligingly continued.

"Well, he realized after there were no reports of any kind coming back from Nibiru that something had gone wrong. That's when he forced the real memory out of me. Fortunately for me that's when the Annunaki turned up and attacked the lunar base."

Nick was almost at full ability to move now so he tried his telepathic power and was dismayed that he couldn't bring them to bear. Must be something to do with the paralyzing agent he thought. No matter and he continued with his story.

"They took me aboard their ship and the plan was hatched to attack Dulce and show the people of Earth the lie they have been living under. The rest you know."

Bill stared at him lost in thought. Nick knew he was moments away from springing into action and he decided to needle Bill some more to throw him off.

"Your plan is in shambles Bill. You're not going to succeed now. Earth will be given back to its people and we will grow beyond anything you could imagine."

Bill sprang to his feet and turned his back to Nick, strolling toward the window. This was it Nick thought, the moment he was waiting for. He quickly flexed his arms and legs and everything was functional. He stood up noiselessly and readied himself, summoning his anger at Bill for motivation. He sprang over the chair that Bill had been sitting at, like an Olympic hurdler. Bill spun around, his mouth open like he was about to say something and his eyes widened in shock as Nick, soaring threw the air, threw a punch. Bill's training kicked in and he ducked the punch and tackled Nick in midair and drove him to the ground. They landed and both started throwing wild punches with little effectiveness. Bill drove his fist into Nick's stomach, winding him. As Nick clutched at his chest, gasping for a breath, Bill reached into his inside pocket and was pulling out his weapon. Nick squeezed in a small breath and flipped sideways, throwing Bill off, knocking the flash gun out of his hand and it went skittering across the floor. Bill started crawling toward his weapon. Nick dove on top of Bill and rained down punches. Bill was a wily opponent though and managed to block more than got through. Nick drove his knee hard into his Bill's ribs and he heard an audible crack followed by Bill's groan of pain. He drove his elbow down into Bill's face and his nose broke with a sickening crunch. Bill's body went slack and Nick, adrenaline still coursing through his veins, threw a few more punches at Bill's face. It took a few seconds for Nick to realize what had happened and he pulled himself off Bill and sat, breathing heavily, looking at Bill's unmoving form. In a daze he stood up and staggered toward the door, wanting to get away. He was almost at the door.

"Not so fast" said Bill.

Nick spun around. Bill was standing there, his weapon retrieved and now pointing at Nick's chest with a quivering hand. Blood was flowing freely from his smashed nose, over and around his mouth and dripping off his chin.

"I agree Nick it is ironic how everything has come down. Sadly though, you won't get to see the fruits of your labor, I am going to relieve you of that honor" and as he said it, Bill dragged his sleeve across his mouth and looked down at his bloodstained sleeve, then started lurching toward Nick, a savage look in eyes.

"I won't get to fulfill my dreams Nick, but then neither will you." and Bill came even closer.

Nick didn't want to die, but if he was going die forfeiting his life for the sake of mankind, well there could not be a more honorable way to die. He stood tall, squared his jaw and took a deep breath, readying himself to meet his fate, wondering how it would feel. Bill stopped about ten feet from him, his visage crazed and terrifying.

"Farewell Nick" and he raised his arm, finger on the trigger.

A flash of light and Bill and Nick both looked around in surprise. In an instant a half dozen men appeared in Bill's office, and one woman. Bill realized that the Annunaki had tracked down Nick and were coming to save him and quickly trained his weapon on Nick. The female detached herself from the shocked man whose neck her arms were around and ran to Nick, arriving just as Bill fired.

# Chapter 25

Everywhere was light. A breathtaking mosaic of colored lights, flitting here there and everywhere, all back-dropped by a light so intensely white, it seemed to be an entity all its own. He looked around, his mouth agape at the majesty of the scene and realized that he wasn't alone, Zalath was with him. She wasn't embodied though; she was yet another source of light. An amazing shade of amber, pulsating to an unseen harmonic beat. Looking down, Nick realized that he didn't have a body either. His being was represented by a bold color of blue, also pulsating.

Was he dead? He didn't understand what was happening. The last thing he remembered was Bill's office, a weapon trained on him and then flashes of light as Annunaki beamed into the office. Thinking hard about what happened, a scene replayed in Nick's head, if he had one. It showed Zalath appearing with the rest of the Annunaki and running to him and then Bill pressing the button on his weapon. It wasn't set to its highest setting because his body wasn't obliterated.

Nick watched as he died. Watched as his soul separated from the flesh and his body crumpled to the ground, its limbs splayed and askew like a marionette whose strings had been cut. On top of his body was Zalath's. Her arms wrapped around him like a mother trying to shield one of her children from something horrific. He could see the Annunaki take Bill down as he pointed his weapon at himself and struggled feverishly to press the button and end his own tortured existence. They wrestled the weapon away from him, stood him up and then they beamed him away. Four of the Annunaki remained and after a moment they went to Nick and Zalath's bodies, stopping just short. One of them continued forward, then crouched and touched the bodies. When nothing happened his head lowered and remained that way for several moments, the men around him copying his moves verbatim. Nick looked to Zalath's amber presence and asked.

What is happening? Where are we?

He didn't have to speak, his thoughts traveled to her unimpeded and instantaneously.

We have progressed Nick. Isn't it amazing? Isn't it beautiful?

Indeed, Nick was far beyond amazed. There were no words to describe what he was seeing and feeling. It was like he was adrift in pure bliss. There were no hurts, no wants, no feelings, just a shroud of warmth, love, acceptance and peaceful tranquility. Like nothing would ever be able to hurt him here and he was plugged in to the source of all that was good in the world. Yet he was still connected to Earth in some way. There was something left he had yet to accomplish, a task not fulfilled. He could see everything here. The small part human beings played in the tapestry that made up the universe and at the same time the ant-like futility of what Bill and his men had led mankind to believe was important in this world. The whole history of man's enslavement was laid bare and Nick knew then what his last task was. Much in the same way as when Annunaki died and they chose to touch friend's lives as they passed, Nick knew that he had to connect to his fellow humans. It was a tall order to say the least. To relay a message to the billions of men, women and children of Earth was over the top daunting. Somehow Nick knew that he didn't need to know the how, he just had to deliver his message. As Nick had a foot in both worlds, he knew instinctively that he could pull it off and he focused on solely on his message. For this amount of people, it couldn't be a long one, maybe a word or two, possibly an image.

Out the window of Bill's office and through the hangar doors, dawn was breaking, painting its brilliant orange hue over the visible mountains and plains. As the sun crested the hills, Nick could see Nibiru hidden in its corona where most people would not be able to see it yet. Another day or two, maybe more and it would be visible to the naked eye of human beings. He focused on that image and held it tightly in his mind, like he was holding on to his last breath. As he held it in his mind's eye he could feel the enormity of connecting to humanities expanse. It threatened to crush him and he couldn't do it alone and as he struggled find a way to send the message, more light joined him. Zalath first, followed by Telarc then more and even more that he didn't know, zooming to him like moths to a flame. They didn't know him either but knew that what he was attempting to do was vital and they wanted him to succeed.

Still more joined them and they were all tied to the white light source, their very being, if you could call it that, focused in a way that Nick could not describe, the message growing in intensity.

Just when Nick thought that the mass of light would surely blow apart from the strain, their collective consciousness glittering and flashing like a lightning storm that was starting to form, they were connected to the whole mass of human spirituality. It was amazing and brilliant. It was love borne and let loose to seed and spread its message. With a final atomic flash their message was issued and the consortium of light broke apart, their job done; a breathtaking mosaic of every color imaginable as they drifted back to where they came from.

The message was as simple as they could make it; there was no need to make it difficult to comprehend.

A new December day breached the mountain range, stopping as it hit the apex of its winter solstice. The people of Earth were stirring and awaking to a new reality, one that would include the shattering of the world that they were experiencing and rethinking the paradigm they lived under. The world was no longer a peaceful existence lived out on a pretty blue planet. There was a whole universe out there, filled with beings that were willing and able to drive mankind with the whips of slavery but even more that wanted to share nothing but love and a shared desire for knowledge and exploration. Nick's message was a single concept.

Unity.
