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By Paul Michael Janousek, 03/03/2001
MacKay leaned against the railing of the guest quarters and stared out at the tan rocks that surrounded the Terra Nova base camp. The metal railing bowed slightly as he leaned his bulk against it. He exhaled a lung-full of smoke and rubbed his eyes for the hundredth time.
The cold wasn't bad but the ever-present sun was messing up his system. He had only been here a day but he could not shed the jet leg of the hellish trip getting here.
His mind wandered back to the last few days. The signs seemed to be erupting all around him. The shock of the call that had summoned him to this place was something he never expected. Hell he never expected it to ever come to this point.
The voice on the phone was that of a shattered man. Never in the last twenty years had he ever heard the Cardinals voice break. After he was told of the statues that had come 'alive' at Cathedrals around the world he knew why the old man was scared. Mouths appeared and began silently spewing words. No one could understand. Who would want to know what secrets they told. There were other signs. Those that so many had missed. Droughts, Famine, Wars, all combined to provide the keys of understanding. The Cardinal imparted the truth in a matter of minutes. The truth brought him here to the bottom of the world. Antarctica
He looked at his watch. Ten minutes to go.
The truth? He always thought he knew what the truth was until now. Now came questions. Questions he did not have the time to answer.
.
To live your life for one moment and then have that moment come
upon you Is usually considered a wonderful event. Not this time. No
this time it was something he could not even begin to describe to
himself. He had trained for this moment. He had envisioned this
moment. All his years serving the Church had prepared him for this
time. However now that it was here he felt helpless.
The most
shocking was Cardinals mention of the book. He had seen it once in
Rome. When he took on leadership of the Order he was told about it.
It shook his faith. Never again did he want to ever have anything to
do with it again. Now he was forced to put his trust in the book. How
does one handle being able to read the future in a book that looks to
be hundreds of years old? How can it be that the book describes
itself not as a prophecy but as a history of what has already
occurred? How can a man handle that without realizing that the truth
of things if far more then he alone can handle. And what if the book
proves to be true what then? What happens then? That's why he is
here. To deal with the truth and insure the books outcome never has a
chance to play itself out.
He took one last drag on his camel and threw the butt to the ground. A wiry grin spread across his scarred face at the thought of the scientists here at Terra Nova screaming about him littering. If they only knew in a matter of days there might not be an environment to worry about.
Again glancing down to his watch. Seven and a half minutes to go.
Pulling a pair of sunglasses from his parka he made his way across
the crowded base camp to one of the larger structures that served as
the bases hanger. Halfway there he saw one of his team coming in the
opposite direction.
Covered nearly completely in winter clothing,
Lucas looked like a giant blue snowman. While he loved the cold he
doubted Lucas and the rest of the team coped as well as he did. As
John neared the other man stopped and then began walking alongside
the much larger man.
"John! We are nearly ready for you."
Said Lucas
"Everything is set then?" asked John
"It
is all set but some of the others are uncomfortable with what we are
being asked to do."
"I understand my friend. I never
thought we would live to see this day." "Please do not
think I am shirking my duty but this 'MAGIC' is what we have spent
our lives fighting. Now we are using it. Some of the others are
scared."
"Let ya in on a little secret, so am I. So am
I"
They walked the rest of the way in silence. What could you really say at a time like this. Nothing to say. John looked up at the glare of the sun. It was beautiful as it reflected of the surrounding snow draped hills. Such a fragile Eden God had given them. Was this all part of Gods plan? Should they simply stand aside and let events occur? No his superiors had already decided. The world would not end. Even if that meant defying the will of God.
As they reached the Camps Hanger he took one last look at his watch. Five more minutes.
The wind had picked up in the last few minutes. Somehow fitting. Even the sun seemed somewhat dimmed in anticipation of what was about to occur.
The hanger had been cleared of the camps two helicopters to make room for the ritual. Lucas stood next to him as they entered.
His men were waiting for him. They stared at him. He looked to their faces. Besides Lucas and himself the church had allowed him to take five others along. Each one a professional. Each man had dedicated his life to the Church. Now in the next few days they would most likely give there lives.
Inside the hanger he saw the circles his men had finished drawing on the concrete. He knew enough about magic to recognize a circle of Summoning. Around the hanger other symbols had been drawn to add to the power.
This was the moment. He could almost feel it crawling upon his skin. Burrowing below into his veins. Tiny moments of pain struck him. The others were just as affected.
Motioning for the rest to take their places, MacKay closed the Hanger doors and endured the wait.
Seconds ticked away.
A small tendril of greenish light snaked out of the air at the center of the circle. Suddenly more tendrils sprang from nothingness. Joining together they expanded outward filling the circle. The glow reached its height and then seemed to shrink down to nothingness. Then it exploded filling the entire hanger.
The light burned the men's eyes for the briefest second. In that second they saw visions of riots, violence, and death. Bodies crashing against each other. Blood soaking into the ground.
It lasted but a second and then the light exploded and was gone.
In a moment MacKay's vision cleared and was surprised to see what now occupied the circle. A few wisps of smoke floated up from floor. Standing in the circle was a motley group of people. They seemed just as shocked as MacKay and his men.
MacKay walked past the circles outer edge cautiously. He could see the group better as the smoke cleared and his vision adjusted after the bright flash.
One of those from inside the circle moved just as cautiously towards MacKay. He held a gun at his side ready to bring it to bear in less then a heartbeat. They all seemed to be armed as if they had just come from a fight. The vision in the light it would seem. MacKay was at a loss as to what was occurring. The book was never specific just eluded to this instance as a moment to stop the end. Who were these people?
He extended his hand in a moment of Trust to the one man who seemed brave enough to move toward him.
"My name is John MacKay. Welcome to Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica" he said.
"What just happened?" said the man though it seemed to echo the thoughts of everyone in the group
A voice from the center of the circle cut off Mackay's response.
"Revelations. We are at the End. We are where we are needed to bear witness"
They all turned to look at the speaker. A very haggard looking man with a dog at his side. His words seemed programmed and ill-fitting for the one who spoke them.
Lepus turned back to the large man before him and slowly gauged who and what he might be. While covered by a thick parka he could see that this man and the others around the room were most assuredly professionals like he was. But the question was who they were working for? Sometimes you just have to take a chance he thought.
"Adolph Lepus", he said to the man before him "Under most circumstances I would say that it's a pleasure but today I don't think we have the luxury." Said MacKay
"Can I ask who you work for and how the hell we got here?" asked Lepus
"Since it seems we are thrust together we are gonna have to trust each other. We are here as representatives of Church. As to how you got here to tell the truth we don't fully know. We knew enough to be here waiting for something. I assume that you are that something." Said MacKay.
"The Church?" asked Lepus
"The Vatican sent us Mr. Lepus."
Lepus took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. As he breathed out one thought just kept pounding away inside his head. Can this get any stranger?
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