The Children of Time (The Children of Time Trilogy Book 1) (4 page)

“Okay, let’s execute the mission.” Yurich replied.

“Understood.” Said the American space control mission.

***

Drako, watching the conversation kept his attention on the ship’s
holograms.

“Commander Sivoc, we were identified by radars of the Multinational
Space Station. Four fighters are coming our way. We need to get away as quickly
as possible. Two of them are coming from the East and more two are moving west.”

“Take us to the orbit of Jupiter. There we’ll be invisible to the radars.”
Ordered Sivoc.

In a spectacular speed, they left the Earth’s orbit and reached
Jupiter, crossing the belt of meteors and entered the orbit of the satellite
Ganymede.

***

“Orbital Station, Yurich speaking from Russian Space Command on Earth.”

“I hear loud and clear.” Raonut replied.

“The UFO just disappeared from our radars. Can you see it?”

“Negative, Yurich. I will ask the European and American commands to
try to locate them.”

“Smith in listening. I also missed the target on the radar. Abort
the mission.”

Meanwhile, the ship Challenge I was ready to leave. The coordinates
were already set on the wormhole formed near Jupiter’s moon, Calisto, where the
gravitational curvatures between Andromeda and the Milky Way galaxy could be
found. There was located the other bridge of space-time. Merko was anxious because
of the delay and Mirov gave the final instructions:

“Commander Merko, don’t forget to keep me updated through my
particular communication channel. I want you to report the information about
the mission directly to me. The other ship is unable to perform this kind of
mission. If the people from Earth attack them, they will be captured; they are
not prepared for the fight. Tibor can’t protect them alone.”

“Lord Counselor, me and my team will do our best to get to the Earth
with safety. No one will stop me from achieving my purposes.”

“I want you to bring him dead or alive. If he dies, separate the
bone marrow in the ship cryogenic laboratory, because what matters is the blood
and his special defense cells.”

Radof, Mirov’s assistant, got surprised with the order of his master;
he knew that saving the princess’s life was not in his plans. When Mirov left
to his chambers he talked to him after reading his thoughts:

“I need the commander to bring me the earthling anyway. I need him
to complete my plan to dominate the kingdom. Merko has to trust my noble intentions.
Although everyone fears him for his strength and force, he is a man of
principles. I’ll change the boy’s marrow bone and by the time the girl needs it
the most it will be too late.”

“Very insightful, sir. No one will suspect your plan and choosing
Merko was a masterpiece.”

“The commander has never failed. The conviction that he’ll conduct
an honorable mission will help him achieve success. Now be quiet and prepare
the communication room in my chamber so we can monitor everything.”

Challenge I descended into the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed. They
arrived in Alaska, where there was an extraterrestrial base inside a mountain.
A huge door opened among the snow castles, allowing the ship to enter without
any problems. Captain Crom reported to his commander:

“Sir, having one of our bases here is highly strategic. We became immune
to the Earth radars and we still have a place to hide ourselves and prepare our
military tactics. We need to worry only in finding the earthling, without fearing
for our safety.”

“Previous missions were performed in order to build this. We visited
Earth several times, that’s why we know the place very well. It is extremely
important that we focus only on our mission. We’ll leave in a few moments.”

The crew of Challenge I didn’t know the whereabouts of Sivoc’s team,
but they believed that they had arrived on Earth before. However, it was
necessary to seek information about the target. Merko and his team, all in
human form, teleported themselves to the city of Los Angeles. They synchronized
the coordinates and pressed some kind of watch they were wearing on their
wrists.

The technologies used on the sunglasses and watches teleportation
were similar. When they entered the gravitational field of a planet, a
satellite robot was able to absorb the cosmic radiation of the stars and use it
as an energy source.

A chip located in the sunglasses scanned and read the DNA of the
cell or tissue of the human whose identity they desired to copy the robot
processed the information. The information about the current latitude and
longitude had to be transferred to the satellite in order to materialize the
DNA anywhere in that area.

Crom had the files with all the information about the mission:

“Commander Merko, I’ve got some information with names, photographs
and addresses of students who study with the human. We can try to get some
information from them.”

Merko raised a pen and an icon signal holography with the
information they were discussing showed up on the screen. He touched one side
of the picture and accessed the conversations between Nicolas and his friends
on social networks, looking for something that would reveal the whereabouts of
the earthling.

The two of them leaned from the files and study the best strategy
after and, after a lot of much deliberation, they reached a consensus.

“Let’s find some information on the boy’s residence. His mother probably
knows where he is.” Merko said.

They went toward Nicolas’ house, in the suburbs of the city. Lorena
was at home, and Sophia was at school.

While the others members of the search group were watching the
surroundings, Merko and Crom veiled themselves as police investigators and
knocked on the door. They were dressed in black suit and tie, wearing polished
black shoes, had their hair neatly combed and had identification badges with
fake names.

The mother answered the door, worried about the presence of investigators
in her house. Thinking the worst, her eyes were filled by tears.

For a moment, Merko looked at Lorena and felt something different,
as if he already knew her from somewhere. But he decided to ignore the feeling
and turn his attention to the search.

Lorena also felt something different about the tall, strong man. His
smell wasn’t strange to her, who was watching her closely, and she was trying
to remember from where. Since they were police detectives, she thought she
probably knew him from somewhere on the streets of Los Angeles.

“Did anything happen to my son? He disappeared a few days ago and we
don’t know anything about it.”

“Madam, we came here exactly to seek information about your son.
There was a report about his disappearance made by a friend from college, and
our chief requested that our personal investigation. Do you know where he is?”

“But... I thought you knew something about Nicolas. He disappeared
and we’re waiting for some news that can give us some hope.”

Crom looked at Merko raising his eyebrows. The commander
telepathically read Lorena’s mind and found out that she really knew nothing
that could help them. So they quickly said goodbye and left her alone. It was
difficult to get any clue about the boy, and they needed to find him and
complete the mission before the princess’s life faded. Crom was also concerned
with their discretion while searching for their target on Earth:

“Commander, it’s important not to leave traces of our presence here.
We know that there is a special team investigating ETs, the Alpha-Omega, which
could cause us problems. I still remember that story about the issues you had
with them, when your best friend died in a mission here on this planet. We must
be brief and objective.”

Alpha-Omega was a secret team of the American government responsible
for investigating any trace of alien presence around the Earth. Because they were
directly linked to the Pentagon, they could request support from national
security forces. When they imprisoned some specimen they used the secret military
basis of Arizona, in the area 51 for seclusion and studies.

“Dear Crom, you’re right. I’m a bit over the top with my actions and
you are right, we will end up leaving traces. Let’s be subtler and try to go unnoticed.

Then, Crom had an idea and spoke to the commander:

“Why don’t you ask your contact in our planet about Sivocs’ coordinates?
There is no greater advantage than information. He told you that they are here
already.”

“You are right. It’s a good idea.” He replied.

Then Merko made contact with the counselor and said:

“Mr. Mirov, I need help. I would like to find a way to penetrate the
information system of the Council and discover where the ship Science II is.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” The counselor confirmed.

As they found no signs of the boy at the University, or around Los
Angeles, they all agree that there was no other way to find him without further
information. They decided to wait and monitor possible communications between Nicolas
and his mother, or some info about Science II.

.

Nicolas looked everything around him and stared at Zara. She was a
beautiful and intelligent woman that had messed with his deepest feelings.

Afraid that Merko might want to capture the young man, Zara decided
to create an alternative plan. She would conceive a child and carry the secret
of Nicolas defenses in her own body.

She was also attracted by his beauty and kindness, and was
determined to keep him safe. Following the orders of the King and his advisor,
Kenan, was her desire. He had walked and dressed strangely, but it didn’t
matter. Deep in her heart, she was touched, but she felt upset because the laws
of the planet Vida didn’t allow a romantic involvement with a human being from
the past. She always kept her focus on the missions, but this time the feeling
was very strong.

Nicolas had never been able to have a girlfriend. When he met a girl
he liked, he started to talk about the stars and always included some scientific
explanation in his conversations. They ended up leaving him alone.

Zara also had problems in finding a good man from her planet. When she
saw someone new, she kept scanning their minds and hearts, to see if something
attracted her, and, in most cases, she felt that they were superficial in their
ideas romantic goals.

***

Drako contacted the advisor Kenan, that warned him that commander
Merko was already in Los Angeles. Then he approached the other crew members and
reported:

“Commander Sivoc, the Challenge I is already on Earth and Merko and
his team are searching the city of Los Angeles. What should we do?”

“Sooner or later, he’ll discover where you are. We need a strategy.
We cannot hide the ship from Merko.” Sivoc replied.

Listening to the information about the imminent danger, Zara began
to feel palpitations on her heart. Fear rose through her spine and she began to
sweat cold, her forehead becoming wet. The others looked at each other for a
moment, worried.

Even the tips of her fingers were pulsing, and she felt so many
sensations that she could hardly think of anything. Suddenly she couldn’t
swallow and thought that something terrible would happen. Nicolas looked at
her, she was pale and her body was under severe stress. After a few minutes she
began to demonstrate control of the situation and even seemed to enjoy the
adrenaline circulating in her body. Gradually, she was getting back to normal.

Nicolas was impressed with the changes in the doctor’s behavior:

“What happened to you?”

“Never mind, Nick. This happens to me once in a while. In the
beginning, I got scared and panicked, but now I know that nothing will happen
and I actually enjoy the temporary sensation of energy that provides me. It’s
an anxiety crisis. I got nervous knowing that Merko is so close. Everyone knows
he’s very successful in his missions.”

“The humans from Earth also experience these kinds of reactions,
especially in stressful situations.” The boy replied.

“This is a reaction to the release of neurotransmitters into the
bloodstream, just like the attack and defense against the dangers of our ancestors
who hunted and lived in caves. These are our psychic and animal identities
mixed with the evolution. This reaction, which could even paralyze many humans,
is just another obstacle, even for the most evolved beings, to be overcome with
our emotional growth.” Zara added.

“I thought these psychological problems, such as anxiety crisis and
depression, didn’t exist in the future.” Nick said.

“The human mind is a great source of learning. Individuals have to
live their own emotions. Of course we have problems in the future that are the results
of our choices and decisions in life. In our ship, we have medications for all
kinds of physical and psychological disorders, however, in this case the best
remedy is to learn to use our own thoughts to deal with the conflicts and try
to solve them.” Zara concluded.

“How can I be close to a woman so beautiful from such a different
land? She’s the most beautiful woman I ever saw. How can she be from another
planet but still being a human being? And besides it all she’s so smart!”
Reflected Nicolas.

He was confused, but he was completely charmed and bewitched by her;
the scent of jasmine made him curious, because he liked the fragrance and
always felt it when she was.

The two of them talked quietly while the other members of the crew
moved away to the other side of the room.

“I approached you first, with the purpose of having a child, but our
meeting was so exciting that and after all I could not stop thinking about you.
With you by my side, despite our age difference, I am 32 years old, I feel like
a young woman full of dreams and hopes. The feelings that we have in our hearts
remain the same, in the past and also in the future.”

With these words, Nicolas felt a chill and asked:

“But why having my child?”

“I came to you because I needed to take your genetic code with me.
If you didn’t come with me, there would be a second chance for Princess Isadora.”

“Everything seemed so real, but now... I feel I was nothing but a
mission!” he said.

“Please, don’t you ever think that! When I met you, I felt something
very deep in my soul. What I did was for love, first for you, then for the
princess of my world. But if something serious happened, I needed to have
another plan to save little Isadora’s and that’s why I decided to get pregnant.”

“Are... you pregnant?”

“Yes! I already can feel it inside of me. Deep in my gut. And... I
feel happy for the opportunity to be a mother.”

Her words radiated, like something he never felt before. She had
fallen in love with him. And he didn’t know if he wanted to protect himself from
something so beautiful. But how could he feel in love with someone from another
planet, whose appearance weren’t real? Many secrets about Nicola’s past would
be revealed and he would understand why he fell in love with Zara. She
continued to speak:

“Although I’m taking the stem cells from our son, we’d also like you
to go with us to guarantee the solution of our problem. We think that making a
transplant of your bone marrow is the best way to save princess Isadora.”

Now Nicolas was afraid to be separated from this beautiful and
unique woman. He wanted to help in whatever they needed, but he couldn’t lose
her, once he had found her, just like as a grain of gold in the desert.

He placed his right hand over hers. Zara looked at Sivoc and saw
that he was talking to Tibor and Drako. She gently pulled her hand.

“Will you come with me? If you do, I’ll do anything for you.” He
said.

“My dear Nick, I have my life on my planet, my job, my mission, my
parents and my brothers. I don’t know if I would able to live away from them,
and there’s another problem. The laws of my planet forbid a person to have a
relationship with humans from the past in the missions we perform.”

“Please, just think about it. You’re not on your planet and we are
thousands of light-years away from it. Look at what I’m doing! I’m also leaving
my family to go to a place that I don’t know, putting my trust on you.”

Zara didn’t expect that this short time relationship messed so much
with her mind. Nicolas didn’t understand where he found so many words and feelings
when he spoke to her. He soon realized that he was in love with an alien woman.

Sivoc decided to interrupt their conversation and requested:

“Zara, come with me to the clinic. We need to talk.”

Once there, he began to say:

“I know that at first you planned to take a child with the genetic
code with you, however, you know that we’re not allowed to have any kid of
romantic relationships with our ancestors. This is against the ethics of our
mission.”

“Commander, I don’t really know what’s happening, or even what will
be the consequences. However, I got pregnant from because the counselor Kenan requested.
His friendship with King Zadora II is so great that he put the life of Princess
Isadora above all. I’m a little confused about what I feel for Nicolas. But I’ll
try to solve this situation.” Zara said with an aching heart.

“We can’t allow a loving union between people of different eras.
This could change the future and create temporal paradoxes, and the consequences
are unpredictable. I’ve seen some emotional involvement in your acts. Why using
an alternative plan when taking him would already solve the problem?” Asked the
commander.

“Commander, if we have any problem and we can’t transplant the bone marrow,
the cells will be taken from the umbilical cord of the child that I carry.
Thus, this plan is another guarantee for the success of the mission. This idea
came from the counselor Kenan and it was in secret between us, so no one knew
until I could achieve it. We have to keep it as a secret.”

Sivoc was satisfied because the alternative plan was auspicious and,
besides, was made by chief of the mission.

***

Back in the control room, Sivoc talks with his fellows about the
future:

“In a few weeks there will be a gap in space-time, with a new
gravitational cycle, and it will be positioned precisely between the planets
Jupiter and Vida. We can make a perfect trip back to our planet.”

The waiting time made Tibor concerned about the training of the earthling
for a possible fight against Merko’s team, so he said:

“We need to be alert and prepared for Merko’s arrival. He will save
no efforts to take Nicolas with him. I’m thinking of training the earthling so
that he can defend himself against a possible attack. Do you agree, Nick?” He
asked.

“Certainly, especially because I don’t see any other way.” He laughed.

“I’ll always be by your side.” Zara told him.

“We have many ways to defend ourselves, but the crew Challenge is very
well trained.”

Then, they understood that it was necessary to prepare Nicolas for Merko’s
arrival because the waiting time until the gap was open would be long.

***

The Counselor Mirov was monitoring the communications of Science II
with Vida and had intercepted the message from the advisor Kenan. Mirov
contacted Merko and said:

“Commander Merko, the girl won’t survive for too long without proper
treatment. King Zador is very affected by the situation. We need to help him
because the Council has yet to decide what will be done in case the king become
unable to govern, because of his daughter’s illness. Everyone knows how much he
cares for her.”

“
Certainly, with another loss, the King will fall into a deep
depression. My chances of governing will be big if we execute this mission. I
need my plan to work so I can stand out among the members of the Royal Council.”
The counselor thought.

“We managed to intercept a communication from the ship and Sivoc.”

“Please, give me the coordinates.” Merko asked.

“Radof still didn’t manage to establish precisely where the signal
came from. But, according to him, in a few hours it will be possible to get
this information. Wait for my contact.”

“Yes, Mr. Advisor! We’re anxiously waiting.” Answered the commander.

***

In a meeting, the crew of the ship Science II agreed that some other
measures would be necessary for the survival of the human.

“We could put a chip in Nicolas and he can turn into one of us, including
voice, movements and knowledge about space technology, self-defense and fly our
ships!” Drako said. “So, he would have the information about interplanetary
travel acquired during these thousands years.”

Tibor came walking toward them and said:

“We’d add all the theories of combat in this cybernetic implantation.
Then we’ll proceed with your training. Someone needs to teach this kid how to
defend himself from the dangers that are about to come. I’d love to do it!”

“What you think about it, Nicholas?” Zara asked.

“Will I learn to read minds like you do?”

“Yes, but you’ll have to make some adjustments on your mind, and you’ll
also know the main techniques of fight. Tibor will train you.”

“I’m a little scared. Do you believe things can go wrong?”

“My dear Nick, I’ll take care of you personally. I’m an specialist
in this type of surgery.” Zara replied smiling carefully.

Nicolas smiled in return. He was curious to use the technology of
his new friends, and learning how to fight was a privilege for a young man.

And they began to make the preparations for the procedure to implant
the chips in Nicolas. Zara used a pistol with a sedative in his arm in order to
him relax. Then gave him an anesthetic and put him on the operating table.