The Time Stone (26 page)

Inside the headquarters of Temporo
Inc.’s illustrious and elite Research and Development Unit, the
corridors were lined with bright alloys, silvery and polished of
titanium. The doors slid open parting upon approach and the lights
fixtures were partially golden, emitting a rainbow of colors
lighting up the walkways and corridors. The main hangar, thousands
of miles beneath the surface was laced with narrow
tubing.

“
How fast does this go?”
Elizabeth Peters said on the elevator heading downward at superior
speeds.

“
Normally, 90 KPH but can
go up to 600 max on a good day.” Said Dr. Malcolm Weeble, Broad
Staffnight’s scientific attaché on staff. “We aim to follow the
most stringent efficiency protocols when generating any new
innovation, madam. We certainly welcome all inquiries as
well.”

“
Thank you.” Said Broad
interrupting impatiently sensing Dr. Weeble’s obvious display
attraction for his secretary Elizabeth and wanting to stop him from
embarrassing either of them. Dr. Weeble, a short and balding
individual waddled across the floor like a little penguin as they
exited the elevator on the ground basement level.

“
Come this way.” He
escorted them around a narrow bend of work benches and hardworking
scientific geniuses in lab coats toddling over various inventions
before them.

Elizabeth was in awe at the amazing
technology before her, some looked like everyday objects, a pair of
boots, a hammer, a cape, but each one Dr. Weeble assured her was a
high tech top secret piece of equipment with a special purpose in
mind.

“
We tend to create a lot
of sabotage in our line of work and that is why we aim to disguise
our products so the real world out there doesn’t become privy to
this advancement as it is not part of mainstream development as of
yet. We have a lot of high tech clients like the Department of
Defense, US military, major computer software corporations…” The
doctor started.

“
Enough doctor, just show
us the prototypes.” Broad interrupted again. “Tell us.”

“
OK, come here and see” he
leads them to a table nearby and shows them some items on the
table, a small device that fits in the palm of one’s hand that has
dials and a screen like a cellphone, a set of keys with a joystick
pad attached, a vest with spikes and plating of metal, and a long
tube with muscular arm plating.

“
This is a lab of wonder”
Elizabeth said picking up the hand held unit.

Milton Drax walked over with CEO Mark
Cumberberry. Drax walked over to the table where the gadgets were
laid out. “I see this party started without us.” Drax
said.

“
Thanks for joining us
Milton.” Said Broad as he nodded to Mr. Cumberberry
also.

“The first item on the agenda is the
multiplication piercer body armor capable of deflecting weapons of
any source including withstanding its wearer through any known
natural phenomenon.” Dr. Weeble holds up the metal plated vest and
demonstrates how a knife won’t penetrate it. “It covers the body
and face from harm in a crisis.” He presses the chest plate inward
and it retracts a hood, long sleeves, and armored pants and feet
coverings for the wearer made of the same material. With a second
click, the clothes retract to the single plate for the chest area
only.

“
Fascinating” said Drax.
“What else you got?”

“
This is an arm gun.” Dr.
Weeble holds up the long device. “It’s an offensive brand to go
along with the defensive as one is not as good without the other.
The device is worn on the arm and fired like a cannon. It generates
electronic projectiles.” He put the device on his arm and grabbed
the end of it. It started to charge up by lighting all around
it.

“
Uh Doctor, let’s move on.
Save the demonstration.” Broad uttered.

“
Uh right there is one of
each for each of you, next is the crème de la crème, a super ride…
here.” He picks up and hands the car keys to Broad. “I know how
much it is important for the man to do the driving in the
family.”

“
Thanks.”

“
The keys are for what’s
in the garage, a super charged up and hyped up luxury vehicle
equipped with the latest technology in electro kinetic
trans-metamorphosis and multi-phase generator invisibility
technology. Upon pressing the red button on the keychain, the car
changes to a… well it’s a surprise but you needn’t take the car
with you because when the time is right, it can come to you. It is
called the XL Zoom Scorpion,” he hit a button on the keys and a
small stop sign emerged from the side of the key box attached. Dr.
Weeble clipped it back in. “That was my mistake.”

“
Moving on Doctor” said
Broad growing tired.

“
Yes, lastly, all the
technological wonders before you and more along with a full
database of our super computers back at base can be accessed by
holding this even from half way across the globe or beyond. This
one is about as powerful as a cold fusion reactor or a rocket.” Dr.
Weeble picked up the small cell-phone-like device and held it out
pressing the sides with his hand and it began to blink in a variety
of colors like the room, controlling it and all around it. The
lights blinked off and back on. “If there was enough energy, the
power issue wouldn't be a cause for concern.”

“
How does that work?” Drax
said.

“
Well…” began the
doctor.

“
Never mind now” scorned
Broad.

“
Wow, amazing” said
Elizabeth.

“
Come on,” said Broad “we
got our equipment and we got our mission. Let’s get our
luggage.”

“
Already packed, Sir” said
Elizabeth.

“
We’re just an ordinary
group of brave quest seekers, aren’t we?” Drax said.

“
Where are we embarking
to?” Elizabeth asked.

“
According to our
calculations the next attack that we are seeking will be in
Turkey.” Mr. Cumberberry said.

Broad looked at him seriously and with
a curious smirk.

“
Yes” said the doctor as
he moved about to the desk “we calculated it using the sunstone
device and figuring the proximity of the next landing based on the
triangulation of the last two and the projected origination points
where the beams of light emitted from the sunstone landed. That
device is amazing, it was built by the ancient Aztecs, amazing how
a primitive culture developed it but we know they must have had
help, even then it must of taken decades….” He spoke very fast and
Broad began to lose patience.

“
Enough
doctor.”

“
Oh OK… thanks and good
luck” yelled the doctor as the four walked away with the bag of new
equipment in check and Broad led his entourage down the brightly
colored halls.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The four coworkers led by their
fearless leader Broad were on the relatively uneventful flight to
Turkey, with a layover in Prague.

“
Why couldn’t we get
direct?” Broad said.

“
I’m sorry. It was hit or
miss on the early bird schedule.” Elizabeth shrugged.

“
Well, you know this trek
of Milton’s, it’s a farce. This is a pointless escapade to quest
the hell out of the object and beasts. He is out of his mind but we
have been obliged to follow through but we are going to carry on
our own quest.”

“
I read the report, boss.”
She nodded giving him the cute schoolgirl smile she gave him before
with a wink. “I will stand by you.”

“
Good!”

CHAPTER 61

At the airport in Prague, Broad,
Elizabeth, and Drax sat waiting for the connecting flight while Mr.
Cumberberry was out.

“
Where is Mark?” Elizabeth
asked.

“
He had to go handle his
business, I guess.” Broad said shrugging his shoulders and then
looking around.

Within seconds, a loud scream was
heard emanating from the back. Broad and Elizabeth rose to their
feet and looked around. They saw a commotion unfolding in the
distance and blood splattering. Broad saw a dark furry wing
flapping in the hot air. “Oh no” he said. They ran over and saw in
the far corner of the airport lounge, a six foot tall furry
bat-winged creature with a long snout, wide eyes, pointed crooked
horns, and hooves cross legged chewing on a human arm and having
collected an assortment of other body parts surrounding him. People
were running around fearfully screaming and panicking like it was
the end of days. Broad looked at the creature with his eyes
wide.

“
Satyr, you are
incorrigible! In public, you animal, you couldn’t control your
desire?” Broad held his arms at his sides with his fists clenched
before him.

“
I can’t help myself.” He
replied sitting there looking up while still chewing the flesh and
dripping blood before him, his mouth slobbering inside and out with
gore and blood. “I haven’t fed in over nine months.”

Broad shook his head and lifted his
right wrist to his mouth and spoke into a small box attached to his
wrist like a watch with a blank screen, “we need a cover, situation
critical, sector 333.2… I hope you know you are going to help clean
this mess.”

“
I won’t shed a tear for
some pathetic humans who wanted to see the Bering Strait.” Satyr
joked sarcastically.

“
Let’s get this over with”
said Elizabeth “this is grossing me out.”

“
Come on.” Broad looked
around at the gathering people screaming and running at the sight
of the beast feasting on corpses. “Hmm.”

Minutes later the scene was clean and
organized as dozens of men in dark suits had gathered throughout
the area marching back and forth in specifically assigned tasks to
make sure the news of the beast did not spread far or at all. They
turned the airport lounge as if the event never occurred and the
fearful public would never speak a word. Satyr had transformed back
into Mr. Cumberberry and stood next to his trio of work colleagues
ready to board the flight to Turkey.

“
No more surprises, OK”
said Broad.

“
Yes Sir” Mark Cumberberry
replied with a curious grin.

In Turkey, the skies were smog-ridden
and thick, scented like honey suckle, and burning of incense as the
foursome made their way passed the crowds in the national airport.
Loud noises were heard in the distance, over the yelling and
screaming of passersby and honking horns of the vehicles in the
intense heat of the humid laced sweltering weather.

“
It is unbelievably hot
here!” Elizabeth wiped her brow.

“
I know. Let’s get to a
cab fast.” Said Broad. Broad walked forward down the streets as
they hopped into a waiting car with one thing in mind, his pursuit
of the objective he began long ago, power, control, hopeless
conquest. His followers, Elizabeth and Satyr in his human guise as
Mark Cumberberry, followed him with their eyes and hopes on him as
they trusted him and felt pulled to follow him to whatever ends he
desired, partly out of fear and partly out of envy. Milton Drax was
more energetic and carefree almost sticking his head out of the cab
window as they drove by rustic and historical scenery of beauty and
splendor. He took the time, like a flavescent bloodhound, to track
down the most interesting and savor each moment and enhance his
experience in this new land as he walked eagerly looking about at
the cobble stone roads, the gorgeous marketplaces, the fruits and
vegetables sold eagerly by happy vendors, the sounds of children
playing in the streets, and the smell of fresh baked bread and
pastries filling the air as each in and of itself was enough to
fill one’s heart with joy and bliss. He smiled as they rode to
their destination, the Hilton Hotel at the far end of town. He
looked out the window thrilled at the sights, the smells, the
sounds, and the world around him. The communities they drove by
were rural but full of lively markets, cobblestone pathways, and
foods of various blends permeating the air in scents of fresh
bread, dairy, and meats.

“
I wish we had time to
explore all of this.” He thought to himself but remembered that
they were on a quest and time was of the essence. Drax looked at
Broad with a somber look as if expecting that what Broad was up to
was not what he himself was anticipating.

After having checked into the hotel,
Drax sat in his room holding a cup of scotch on the rocks and
sipping it as he looked into the picture framed photo of a young
woman with brunette curls and a tanned complexion, she wore gold
earrings and pearls, and a naval uniform. He sighed as he shed a
tear drinking his alcoholic beverage, “damn, Christina. Why did I
let you go?” He dropped the frame face down and finished his drink.
He rose and walked into the bathroom to freshen up.

Later that evening, Drax walked out of
the hotel smiling and dressed in a colorful tropical shirt with
trees and skies, a mountain top, and he walked about in the
wilderness of this new town, below the yellow sun and dark blue
sky, a warm summer breeze and white clouds streaked across the
endless sky. He stepped into another cab and rode to the far end of
the other side of town as he held his golden compass. At the far
end of the other side of town, they arrived at their destination
and Drax looked up at a tall stone structure with turrets and long
towers, resembling a castle, tall and dark even in the midst of day
with tall clouds gathering around it. The cab stopped and Drax
popped up happily as he paid the driver and grabbed his supplies,
his compass in one hand and camera in another.