Pursuit of the Zodiacs (14 page)

But disaster struck. The Super Computer within the robot went into safe mode and rebooted. Immune to his End of Time gift, it spoke directly to Simeon. “That doesn’t work here.”

The Robot moved towards the stunned artist, but stopped. It turned to Levi and Zodeen, both motionless and frozen in time. Simeon underestimated the Robot’s mass and height. It ranged to about thirty feet.

The Robot spoke, “You interrupted our game. Let’s play another, shall we? You’re going to have to make a sacrifice.”

One-and-a-half minutes left into Simeon’s gift. The Robot pointed towards Levi and Zodeen. With its free hand, it pressed a few buttons on its wrist, and a huge laser canon emerged from its mechanical palm. “Simeon, you have your own decision to make. Which one of your comrades is more imperative for the remainder of your worthless mission? Make a choice, or they both will die.”

With one-minute left, in an attempt to stall the Robot just long enough for the time limit on his gift to expire, Simeon asked, “From whom do you take your orders? Who is your Master?”

The Robot responded, “That is the least of your worries. Make a decis…”

Simeon jumped into flight towards the Robot’s head. He diverted the Robot’s attention away from Zodeen and Levi and punished it with his engineered guns. The robot began to spark. The robot covered up with both arms while advancing towards Simeon. It unleashed laser fire towards him. Simeon readied his shield; but the impact was too much, even when gripping his boots to the ground. Lost in its paralyzed state, his Angelic horse erupted with laser fire. Chunks of its burnt body
scattered on the field. The Robot moved in and Simeon took flight. His wings desperately climbed air.

Forty-five seconds.

The Robot swiped its fist at Simeon. “Come here you little gnat!”

Simeon is knocked out of the sky. He crashed into the force field and ricocheted to the ground, stunned.

The Robot gloated, “You have failed! All of you will die, and a Planet will be destroyed because of your stupidity.”

Fifteen Seconds.

The Robot’s booming caused a wave of turbulence as it reached its grounded opponent. The noise awoke the stunned Guardian Archangel, but he lost his battle with time. The Robot’s big metal hand grabbed him. Simeon struggled to move as the inescapable grip tightened around him. The Robot pressed a combination of buttons on another unit strapped to its arm.

The Robot spoke, but more to himself than Simeon. “Hmmm, let’s see, I’ve always wanted to try this feature.”

The Robot had a counterpart. It was reptilian mixed with some other kind of species in the chamber of its core, behind a fine thick indestructible glass. Wires connected the Super Computer to its brain. “Release me you bastard!” Simeon demanded.

The fist entrapping Simeon shot out, and he had seconds to escape. After hearing beeping noises, he didn’t need help in figuring out what it was.

The Robot laughed, “Ha-ha! Goodbye. We will continue this riddle without the likes of you.”

At ever-increasing speed and moments away from detonating, the mechanical fist took Simeon through the clouds at high altitudes. With the last bit of strength in him, he pushed each metal finger apart and dropped from its clutch. Thinking he had bested the Robot, the giant fist changed course in midair. Back en route and in pursuit, the fist picked up speed.

Simeon responded, “You can’t be serious?”

Simeon’s End of Time gift expired. Levi and Zodeen capitalized on a distracted Robot as it stared into the clouds, enjoying Simeon’s aerial torment.

With his gift of Earthly matter, Levi went to work. The Robot felt the ground shake beneath it. “What’s this?”

Strong roots broke through the Earth where the Robot stood. They looped and latched around its limbs. It struggled against them, but failed. Levi’s eyes glowed, and so did the roots as they strengthened, tightening their grip and denting the Robots infrastructure. The Robot stood motionless while Zodeen moved in.

“We’ve had enough of your childish antics, Demon.”

He maneuvered past the Robot’s laser beam blasts coming from its eyes, the only defense it had left. Completely covered in roots, the Robot was unable to turn its head and aim with precision.

Zodeen carved his Mark of Death onto its chest, and it shook sadistically.

Levi removed the roots and kept a good distance from the Robot as it plummeted to the ground. Meanwhile, the reptilian detached itself from the wires connected to its brain and escaped out the back of its failing workstation. A cloud of dirt, dust and smoke hit the air upon the Robot’s fall.

“May God be praised!” Simeon rejoiced as the giant mechanical fist spun off course and exploded a safe distance away. He headed for land to rest his wearied wings.

Zodeen said, “The force field has departed.”

Levi spoke to Simeon, half in jest. “Please, Simeon, for the sake of us all, warn us ahead of time before using that mysterious gift of yours.”

Simeon replied, “I concur.”

They laughed. “We have yet to hear another chuckle from you, Devil. What last words do you wish to share?” Levi asked of the injured reptilian. It lay there, stuck and in agony. One of its legs was shattered beneath the Robot.

Levi continued, “Well, Demon! Speak! Who sent you?”

The Reptilian held its throat. Blood poured from its body’s many orifices. It quivered in front of them.

“Poison,” Simeon said, while pointing at the small capsule rolling out of the reptilian half-breed’s hand.

Chapter 13

NO TIME FOR DRAGONS

“W
here the Hell is it!” a Gemini Twin shouted while searching through his belongings.

“Where is what?” asked his other half.

The first Twin threw things about as he searched. “Do you have it?”

“Have what?” came the inquiring response.

“The Scroll! The Scroll!”

“Please confirm that this is a joke?” the calmer Twin pressed.

“No. Unfortunately, I’m serious.”

They both redoubled their efforts and searched their hotel room. They combed through their clothing and belongings a third, even a fourth, time. The Scroll remained absent.

“Damn!” blared the first, becoming fast exasperated.

His Brother questioned, “You fool! How could you lose it?”

“I’m quite certain it’s not far.”

“How certain? Could it be in the Dimension?”

“Let me reflect for a minute,” paused the first.

He walked towards the window of their hotel room. Thirteen stories high, he could see most of the city. “Japan is an interesting place indeed.”

In a far-off desert, undiscovered by man, three Arab Kings shared wine in celebration of seizing the Gemini’s Scroll from the Italian Mob. Asad, the frontrunner of this mission, lodged it in his armor. Accompanying him on this expedition to destroy the Scroll were two other warrior kings, Farooq and Rashad.

Instead of sending thousands of men to protect the Scroll, these Three Kings took it upon themselves to assure its extermination.

As a precaution, the respective heirs to their thrones waited on their return, uncertain if that day would ever come.

Under the cover of Aries’ Super Moon, the Three Kings set up camp. One started a fire and prepared meals. One sharpened his sword and knives, and the other combed through his inventory of super-powered laser weapons. Their hybrid camels stationed themselves at a nearby watering hole. Able to travel miles at high speeds, these alien-bred mammals were perfect for excursions across these foreign deserts. Only a few in the World knew the coordinates here. Due to the Gateways throughout this desert, Super Satellites failed to detect its mysteries. Additionally, no automobiles or aircraft possessed the capabilities of navigating these routes.

As they sat around the campfire, Asad drew a map of their destination in the sand. Although the rest knew of its existence, only Asad knew its exact location. “The Scroll must be destroyed South of here at the Secret Mountain of the Seven Moons. A river runs through a cavern in the mountain, The Waters of Ruin. It is here that the Scroll must be destroyed.”

Rashad said, “I knew the Gemini would get careless and lose it soon enough.”

Asad added, “Yes, it’s a shame they’ve chosen a dark path. If their Father were still alive, he would be highly disappointed.”

Rashad believed, “Yes those were good years. Worth the retrospect.”

Once they reached the top of the Secret Mountain of the Seven Moons, they could see seven Moons from diverse Worlds and Galaxies. They consisted of three Blood Moons; and the rest, Super Moons. If one wished to rid themselves of their power or gifts, they must be baptized in the mountain’s River of Ruin. The same ordinance goes for material things in their possession that hold power or supernatural influence. For the Rivers of Ruins to work, they will have to climb the mountain
without supernatural aid. Blood, sweat and tears will be invested. These are the laws of the Secret Mountain of the Seven Moons.

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE

As Ruler of the Second House, don’t waste any time trying to retrieve what you have lost; you will gain more. Be mindful of criticism, constructive or destructive. Don’t make sudden judgments, and May Venus keep you stable
.

An infuriated Mayor arrived in his office. He was unable to hide his frustrations from Nancy, his secretary. “Daaamnn!”

“Is there anything I can do for you, Mayor?”

Taurus said, “No, take the rest of the day off. But in the morning let the public know I will be taking a leave of absence for the remainder of the week. If any more questions arise, just say it’s due to a family emergency.”

Nancy answered, “Yes, Sir.”

She wrote the instructions in her notes and left for the day.

Word traveled back to Timius’s group that Pharisees had been killed and captured in the Judgment Realm, which had been under siege by Lucifer’s minions. Everyone was aware of the risks involved in joining this campaign. Every Immortal knew that, upon entering the Mortal Realm, they would sacrifice their Immortality. Therefore, by relinquishing a few of their supernatural abilities, only certain gifts would remain. But, ultimately, death was guaranteed. The Pursuers knew that death was only a passage to another form … a form in which one can still experience anger, sadness and pain, until it was time to be judged upon entering the Judgment Realm. But the Dimension leading up to the Judgment Realm is under siege by Lucifer’s subordinates.

Not everyone in the group was in favor of postponing their current campaign to liberate Pharisees.

Irisan said, “Our orders were to pursue the Zodiacs! The time forfeited retrieving Pharisees will be too great. I’m sorry, but he is lost.”

“How can you speak with such disregard? He is our Brother!” Justus retorted.

Ithiel responded, “If it were you who had been captured instead, you would hope a rescue team had been formed immediately. There’s no telling what our Brother is going through while we spend time arguing amongst ourselves.”

Timius sought to diffuse the situation. “Justus and Ithiel are right. But in Irisan’s defense, we knew of the consequences prior to the genesis of this mission. Each one of us took an oath and accepted our gifts from God, including Pharisees.”