Chapter 13

Ashton stood there in the pilot suit. With his red hair, he wondered if Merlin was going to come back. There were a lot less guards outside the amphitheater that now stood nearly empty except the machine knight with Ashton. Mary stood there in the silver outfit that Merlin had given her.

“Well, I guess you are going to have to go now,” she told Ashton.

Breathing in, Ashton nodded. “Well, I am off then. Mary, I’ll see you when I get back.”

Mary nodded, and she then she came up and kissed Ashton on the lips. And for a moment, both embraced each other. The kiss felt for the two lasting for more than an eternity.

They pulled back and barely any time had lapsed as Ashton waved as he walked up the steps to where the machine knight cockpit opened for entry. Walking up the steps, Ashton looked back at Mary who smiled and waved at him.

Waving one last time after rounding the staircase, Ashton walked the small plank that was created by the open cockpit. The comfortable large cockpit still felt odd as Ashton strapped into the command seat.

Pulling the command crown onto his head, everything started to start up. Pushing the button to close the cockpit, the hum of air conditioning started up. Then Ashton pressed a button on a console, the cockpit closed as the lower porch folded up, and the top folded in. For a moment, Ashton sat in the dark as addition armor moved in from the left and right. Then as those pieces locked into place as the three-hundred-and-sixty-degree sphere turned on around him.

Pulling back with the controls, Ashton skillfully maneuvered the machine knight, Quetzalcoatl out of the amphitheater. There were many citizens of the city waving at him as he started to march out. In fact, they lined the streets. It was definitely not a small crowd.

Ashton had to do his best to not to wave with the machine knight. But even in the machine without the microphones queued, he could hear the cheers for Quetzalcoatl. They had no idea who controlled the vast giant. Then again, save for the teteuctin, most had no idea who he was.

Ashton suspected that the people knew Merlin, but he apparently was called the Ancient by the people. No doubt, the wizard confused the people of the cities of the Tlaxcala- they didn’t think to identify them with their gods. Mary told him that Chronos called him Prometheus.

As Ashton neared a turn, he ruminated on that in his head. Ashton had heard Merlin talk about how he had tried to restart aspects of Murau after the disaster. Apparently, Rome and Camelot were attempts to bring back aspects of Murau for Merlin. The Christian Church had aspect of Merlin apparently adding to it during the early days. Ashton wondered if something that he did caused issues later which resulted in the schisms in the church eventually leading to Reformation.

There were many questions that Ashton could ask the old wizard who had no beard. In fact, Ashton had questions of how he was able to perform magic at all. It seemed weaker than he expected of something called magic. In fact, he’d almost be ashamed to say that it seemed to be kind of bad.

Staring to move out of the city, the cheers continued as Ashton thought about the weak bolts of electricity that he had witnessed the wizard do. He expected bolts of lightning, fire from heaven, and not a slight spark of energy. However, it was completely possible that Merlin didn’t show his complete power level.

Ashton noticed looking back for a second that the fires were starting to burn from the side of the buildings to help with travelers from large torches. However, there was something off that Ashton noticed. Because in front of him seemed to be additional fires in the distance near a jungle.

What concerned, Ashton appeared to be a spreading fire in a nearby jungle. It hadn’t been a particularly dry day, and there wasn’t a storm either. Lightning would have been noticed since it wasn’t unusual in this part of the Mexico with the humidity. It reminded Ashton of Houston which is why he appreciated Merlin giving him the Murau clothing. The climate was just a more extreme Houston which explained why the ground grew anything.

Ashton knew exactly what to with the fire. Willing out the sword through the crown, Ashton could cut down trees to prevent from fires from spreading. However, he quickly sped up going towards the fires.

Mary hoped that Ashton was okay as she sat alone in the Amphitheatre on the stairs. That was when Merlin rushed into the empty building. “Great Obelisk! I missed the boy leaving.”

Mary got up and looked at the ancient. “What’s wrong Merlin?”

He walked up to her, and put his hand on her. “We are running out of time. We need to get into the Avalon. All of us.”

Mary looked worried. “What do you need me to do?”

Merlin looked sorrowfully holding out his arms barking to those loyal to him. He looked at Mary. “What I am going to need of you is piloting once again. I suspect Ashton is currently in a trap.”

Mary looked worried. “You think that something has happened, and my machine is . . . ready.”

Barking orders to the troops. “Get down from there . . . I just came from safe house for the remaining priests who committed to the magic that brought you here, and they were taken by Circe. This is an assault that I did not expect.”

Merlin went back to the preparations gathering his troops that had been reduced. Mary saw a still dazed Huitzilopochtli, and she helped him walked down the corridor to the ship. The other soldiers for Merlin guarded the corridor as they all moved into the ship. She smiled up at him. Merlin had his troops orderly enter the Avalon.

Mary went to her quarters to change. Quickly, she made sure no one was watching or could enter. There was already one of Merlin’s drones putting out a pink jumpsuit that Merlin called a pilot suit. No doubt, she wouldn’t have time to get use to the changes to the machine man she had once piloted.

It seemed odd to realize that was only two days ago. Mary smiled as she realized that Merlin had listen to her to make her pilot suit pink. She quickly started to change out of the silverly yet cool clothing.

Merlin sat in the captain’s chair of the Avalon. Already the full control systems had started to turn on. Unfortunately, he would be the only one controlling the bridge as usual. The wizard was the only one who could read the controls, but that meant that the full capabilities of the ship were missing.

“Avalon, I need you to begin engine startup,” he said.

The computer complied. That was easy to do. He hated having to keep the Avalon in the tunnel that he had found, but it was the best way to keep it hidden. Closing the tunnels into the city was what was taking the longest to get the ship ready for preparation. After the door was secured, the gangway had to draw back into the ship. He watched as the data streams indicated that there was something disrupting tracking the machine knight that Ashton controlled.

“Chronos is moving up his game,” mumbled Merlin to himself.

Looking at the data points, he would have to do visual contact of Ashton to help him out with laser communications. However, what he didn’t have to know is that there were fires in a nearby jungle. That was probably what was being used to lure Ashton out.

The shutters began to open on the Avalon bridge revealing the ancient Atlantean tunnels that the ship had been in. He hated telling lies. Merlin did not tell the people of Tlaxcala the truth that they had been part of the warrior caste of the Atlanteans. The legends of the Aztecs even told that they came from a chamber that the Atlanteans created. Merlin knew what that meant, and it still stung.

Watching as the ancient computer starts to pull out the gangways. Doors are sealed. Everything indicates perfect seals.

“Power levels at 40%, Captain.”

Merlin sighed.

“I will need to travel to my secret repair point,” said the ancient.

Though the reactor required to be recharged, he had secretly found a good place to recharge his ship’s fuel and get rid of the older fuel. It was in the distant north of the lands of the Rus. One of the few pieces of his nation that still exists. It was really just a dock. Not a place of culture or place with a lot of writing.

Merlin sat back in the chair as the indicators said that the ship was ready. “And what of the refitting of the machine-man?”

The voice answered. “It is complete. However, the machine is not fully stable. Full refitting at a forge is necessary.”

Merlin sighed. “Can it fight?”

The computer answered in old machine speech Murau. “Yes.”

Knowing this, Merlin nodded. “Then it is time to get this one on the road. Avalon Launch.”

Bubbles rose from the river, farmers seemed to notice this, and the waters seemed to grow as ancient machinery strains to open. The farmers knew something was off, and they fell back as water seemed to flood the river banks.

Screams of flood and other things soon happened, but then something started to come out of the water. Then a dark blue vast vehicle rose. Raising from the sides the wings came a forward swept area, and on each side of the wing, triangular tails aligned.

With words of fear of some sort of leviathan of the sea, the river went back to its normal size, and the vast ship moved overhead with its four mighty engines lighting up. The farmers had no idea about the four chambers on the underbelly of the ship.

Merlin looked at the night sky, and the sensors light up with dots of interference. That did not please Merlin as he starts to control the ship directly from pilot position. Mary stepped onto the bridge.

It looked odd to the girl. “I was expecting something similar to the Enterprise,” she said standing in the lower level below the pathway from the captain chair and control station. Various stations show data that no one will ever read.

“It’s not easy to control a ship even of this size by one’s self, but it is doable when we are not going into combat. The computer does most of the work. I just have to make sure that the fusion reactor stays stable. It needs repairs and refueling, and the best that I can do is patching it at the moment.”

Mary looks concerned as she walked up the small spiral staircase in her pink pilot suit. “So should I be worried about radiation?”

Merlin laughs. “Well, I shouldn’t laugh: you at the least know what radiation is. The ship doesn’t produce negative radiation. In fact, the waste is just water vapor, but the problem is that the fuel is a concentrated hydrogen that I am beginning to run out of. It is easier to find on the moon.”

Mary walked the pathway to where Merlin sat at the pilot controls. “So why are you concerned other than the fuel?”

Merlin sighed. “I am concerned about the magnetic field generator that keeps the reaction from unleashing a small star for a brief second. That wouldn’t be pretty. I will probably have to soon just dock the ship somewhere to keep the ship going. However, I might be able to use parts from a machine man to stabilize the magnetic field generator.”

Mary looked out the large viewpoint. “Where is Ashton currently?”

Merlin nodded. “He has entered the jungle as best I can tell. I am moving the ship slowly at the moment. I don’t want to miss the jungle, so we are using the anti-gravitational system to float slowly towards the jungle.”

Mary almost spoke, but then Merlin spoke up. “I am going to soon put the ship on autopilot, and I am going to get you ready in your machine-man. It’s been upgraded, but it’s not exactly perfect.”

Mary looked worried. “What do you mean? Not perfect.”

Merlin laughed. “Well, it is the best that the Avalon can do. I might be able to do a better job at my secret base north of the lands of the Rus since there is better equipment there. However, it can fight a regular worker machine man easily.”

Mary nodded. “Well, let’s hope it is a solid machine.”

Merlin shrugged. “It’s what I am able to do currently. Unfortunately, I am not an engineer. If fact, it is good that Ashton is as naturally adept with his machine as physically possible. I am just unable to train you beyond what the computers can train you to do.”

That did not set well, Mary. “You don’t know how to use a machine man?”

Merlin laughed. “I am a wizard and priest who worked as a diplomat from an ancient civilization that barely has anything left. I never had an aptitude for direct combat.” Tapping his head, Merlin smiled. “All I have is my mind and wisdom. Though I did learn to pilot a corvette starship over the centuries.”

Merlin then put the ship into autopilot after logging in a flight plan with touch controls with the wizard touching a specific screen to the pilot station’s right.

“Now, let’s get you ready for the fight.” The wizard got up and Mary followed him down a set of spiral stairs.

Mary followed down the stairs. “Are you sure that the ship is stable without a pilot?”

Merlin chuckled. “The computer is a solid-state system. If it has power, it will work.”

“What about computer bugs?” asked Mary.

Merlin laughed. “I turned off the direct radio channels, so the computer can’t have it systems uploaded to.”

Then getting serious, he looked at the teenage girl. “Now come, Mary.”

Ashton sat alone in the jungle. He was using the tip of the sword to make burn lines to control the fire. Looking at another fire in the distance, he saw a river that could be diverted to put out the major fire.

Pushing his machine knight over towards the river, he willed the sword to cool by turning off the heat aspect of the sword with a flick of lever. Steam rolled off the sword as it cooled rapidly. Strolling through several trees that helped create a corridor, Ashton placed the machine knight’s sword down. Laying it down to divert the rushing waters, the water suddenly crashed into the side, and slide down the path that Ashton had created.

“I guess I should think the Walt Disney Corporation,” said Ashton.

Earlier in the year, his mother had gotten a subscription to the Disney Channel on the local cable. One of the programs that had been added had been old Walt Disney Present. One of the episodes had been about forestry, and it had a young man who watched fires. That had taught Ashton what to do.

It was also amazing to him to see what old depictions of the future were supposed to be from the 1950s in other programs from Walt Disney Presents as well. The dumbest response was his younger and older sisters complaining that he was watching Nazis because Werner von Braun had appeared on screen. Neither bothered to listen as he explained Operation Papercut that he had learned about from several books including a history of NASA.

Thinking on as steam rose from the smoldering trees, Ashton wondered if nonsensical people would constantly complain about something that everyone already knew. The various Germans were brought over for various reasons after World War II. One even helps create the special forces and died in Vietnan, but too many people recoiled at being called a Nazi without even understanding what it meant. Too many just heard the word.

‘It’s like forgiveness is impossible,’ thought Ashton.

And then Quetzalcoatl shook. Ashton looked as damage klaxons occurred. It appeared that everything was superficial. That was when Ashton noticed two machine men. One from a distance throwing rocks while another with a club with a rock embedded in it longed towards him.

Ashton pushed Quetzalcoatl up. However, the sword was still on the ground sending the river water towards the embers. The swing of the club came swinging down, but Ashton used the built in rocket to simulate jumping.

“You are better than I expected, boy, but I am a man,” said his opponent.

Ashton shifted on the ground pushing his controls as he landed, and he opened his speakers, and then he dodged another while moving backwards and trying to bank slowly towards the massive sword.

“Is this Juan?” he asked.

The echoes of laughter engulfed the jungle. “And I am shocked that you know of my renown.”

Ashton’s eyes shift looking for a way forward. “All I am aware is that you are a . . . backstabber.”

Ashton chuckled at that dig, but as scanned sliding towards his sword. That’s was when he heard the shout. “BACKSTABBER!”

And that’s when he realized that the club came down, but all he could do was push back to avoid the club with the large boulder attached to it. It shook the ground around him which nearly caused Quetzalcoatl to fall over. The minor lasers seemed to be offline.

“BACKSTABBER! I did what I did for my familia.”

Ashton couldn’t believe it. “Aren’t you German and Chilean?” he asked as he got the machine upright again. The sword laid close to him.

“Throw another rock!” screamed Juan.

That was when Ashton failed to see the boulder hit the machine knight in the face. Ashton’s hands got forced off from the upright position. Quetzalcoatl on its knees. Damage minimal save for the lasers not responding, but Ashton felt fear. Breathing heavily. It took a moment for him to get a look at where Juan stood.

There Juan stood. “Let me show you what a backstabber I am, stupid gringo.”

And for some odd reason, Ashton could swear that he heard an explosion. Then he heard Juan screaming about something else.

“Why are you abandoning me, putto?” screamed an angry Juan.

Ashton noticed that Juan had moved his machine man to look at his partner who had been retreating. Gripping the controls, Ashton started to get up. Quetzalcoatl got to its feet, and there was Juan and his machine man raising the club again.

Ashton stood looking at Juan. “It looks like it is you and me. Why don’t you let me get my sword?”

Juan laughed. “You called me a backstabber. You deserve nothing, gringo. You deserve death for laughing at me. No one laughs at Juan!”

Ashton noticed an odd sound in the distance. The sound echoed like an incredible low aircraft, but it made no sense not in this era.

The still standing trees obscured Ashton’s view out of the jungle. He was so close to the sword. Just a little luck, and this fight would be over.