Chapter 19

Breathing heavily, Bill finished a set of twenty reps at 135 pounds on a bench. Jesse stood at attention spotting him as a good servant, Bill put the weights back into the slot after the third set.

“Archon, are you sure that it is a good idea to stop training for the day?”

Bill rose as he placed a washcloth against his head. Gone was the pot belly that the body had once had, and it had been replaced by a smooth stomach after many months of worked. However, it was not the fit body that the Archon wanted.

Bill felt tired, but he smiled. “I am stopping my training for the today because an incredibly important news program is about to come on.”

They were out in Bill’s parents’ garage. Bill had assembled a bit of a lab, gym, and library. Sitting on one table was a device using some computer chips. In one corner was various exercise equipment. The two walked over to where an old television that Bill had rebuilt to learn more about what technology looked like in this age.

“You did well during the interview Jesse, but it was a shame that you sister disappeared somewhere.”

The two stood there as the Channel 13 anchor came on the screen. A man in a grey suit sat there with a broad stone face and a perfectly parted hair do on his round head. “Welcome back. This is Thomas Davison, and it’s been one year since three youngsters were rescued from a Neo Nazi Immigrant. With more, here is Xander Marv with more.”

An aging man with a white toupee with burnt skin from a bad tan stood in a three-piece blue suit stood outside Houston city hall. “It was an astounding moment a year ago when a press conference was occurring with the Mayor of Houston when she was going to announce a settlement with the city council over budgetary issues when a man in a barely fitting outfit that looked like something out of Nazi German chased after a young teenage girl.”

There was footage of Juan chasing Mary outside of Houston city hall only for Bill and Jesse to restrain him as Houston Police Department helped. The footage still had Juan in his ill-fitted mechanic uniform screaming “Heil Hitler.”

Bill laughed. “I originally wanted to use Joe for the role. Though to be fair, using Juan as a fake Nazi was a stroke of genius that only I the last Archon of Atlantis could have come out with at the last moment. What would I have done with Joe that could have equaled with?”

Jesse didn’t answer. He just stood there, and then he finally spoke almost with his real voice. “Perhaps you could have said that he captured us to overfeed Mary to be one of his girls.”

Bill shook his head. “Joe probably would have hated that as much as Juan does in the back of his mind. You know he didn’t actually like larger women. Juan lost his friend Hector who attached himself to larger women, so Juan made Joe the new Hector.”

The reporter than after talking to Jesse on screen stated something. “And we would have liked to talk to the young woman, but she has been in seclusion according to her mother and grandmother for most of the last year.”

Bill looked at Jesse. “Once again I ask where your sister is, Jesse.”

Jesse answered almost instantly. “Archon, she was sent somewhere in the state to stay with either an aunt or woman’s center. Mother and Abuela have used both around me. They say that she is getting help after whatever Juan did to her.”

Bill was still bothered by that reaction. “That still bothers me. Though Mary cannot say anything against me and by default you. She is still outside my control, and I am still unable to replicate control bugs in this era, and until I get older with more information on the cults waiting for my rebirth, I do not think that it is best to have someone who knows what I am out there.”

That was when the reporter said a name. “The family of the murdered Ashton Penn still seem in mourning. Though their lawsuit against Bally has failed since the four were abducted by Juan in a van outside the park, the memory of the young man has resonated as his sacrifice apparently allowed the other three to escape Juan’s van. In fact, Ashton’s parents even gave his beloved electronics to survivor Bill to continue his friend’s work.”

Bill shook his head. “That van explanation was so weak. We had to tear off license plates quickly and dispose of the real owner’s body. Juan easily claimed everything. Those damn priests just couldn’t pinpoint the correct location or exact time. We ended up two months after we were supposed to pop up, and the only reason that we weren’t noticed as everyone was watching that twat of a leader as we crawled out of the water.”

Jesse looked at the screen as Ashton’s parents appeared on screen wearing dark formal wear along with his sister. Ashton’s father who shared his face holding back tears looked in the camera as he hugged his red head wife who looked gaunt. “I’ve been told that my son died a hero. And despite that amusement park not paying for his funeral which is all we asked, we are getting along I guess, but we miss our boy, Ash.”

Ashton’s mother spoke completely breaking down. “He was so far ahead in his classes. We were talking with the principal of his school about him skipping some grades. . . I just wish that we hadn’t sent him to that damn amusement park that day.”

The younger sister hugged her mother to reveal that the mother’s stomach seemed a bit expanded which the black dress hid. Bill noticed that. “It appears that Mrs. Penn might be pregnant. Another child of their bloodline would be useful if we discover any more Murau tech especially stuff suited for their nobles. Even just some of their blood might be useful,” mused Bill.

“Still his older sister might be useful in the future,” said Bill with a foul look to his face.

Jesse could not fight the control that Bill had placed on him. “You mentioned that you think that you found out what happened to Joe.”

Bill laughed. “Right,” said the young man as he walked over to shelves of book. “The Penns gave me Ashton’s books along with his journals on electronics that has helped me to get a better understanding of the technology of this age, but Ashton had many useless books on tidbits of useless knowledge that most miss the importance of. However, his books on so-called conspiracies have helped me pinpoint many areas of the world that once we have the resources to, we can look and see if some Atlantean or Murau tech might be there.”

The reporter interviewed Bill on the screen as Bill pulled out a book on the fall of the Aztecs, and then he sat down in an old chair that Bill used as a throne. On the chair, there were the rings of Atlantis on it with the red dot.

“I was reading of Cortez’s assault on Tenochtitlan, and there were reports from both the Aztecs and Spanish that a giant threw rocks. It took even a cannon shot or two, but apparently dysentery destroyed the giant. No one found any bones.”

Jesse looked at Bill. “So, you are saying that Joe survived two hundred years.”

Bill closed the book. “No, but more than likely considering that Juan had Joe constantly breeding that the Aztecs could use that machine-man with his children. More than likely, the machine man after the dysentery hit the machine’s pilot- he probably ran out of the city uncontrollable into the jungle only to die.”

Jesse didn’t flinch in the presence of Bill- he could not make any moves whatsoever. When he was outside of Bill’s control, he had a bit of freedom. However, he was nothing more than a slave now.

Bill laughed. “More than likely if someone did a DNA test in Mexico- they’d find traces of Anglo blood where it shouldn’t be. Probably a better outcome for Joe than whatever mind-numbing life he lived before he got pulled to the past. If we had more time to search for Joe in the wreckage of his machine-man, we might have found him.”

Jesse then in a moment when he could express him looked at Bill. “What about Ashton?”

Bill repeated back, “What about Ashton?”

Jesse considering that he could talk about security threats to the Archon freely without reprisal spoke to Bill. “Ashton is still a threat. Considering that he had access to the Murau Wizard, he might still be alive.”

Bill rubbed his clean ebony skinned head. “Unlikely,” he said and then added. “The strange circumstance that gave Merlin Prometheus immortality with the witch Circe requires much sacrifice and a second person to be bound to for eternity. However, they can be killed if you kill both of them at the same time which is tricky. It cannot be a moment off.”

Jesse continued to speak. “However, Archon, it’s more than likely there were other vectors for Ashton to escape death in the past.”

Bill sat back in his chair. “More than likely, he is some skeleton someplace in the world. I wouldn’t worry. I think once I have established my power that it would be good to see if we can find that machine man. It is probably somewhere near Mexico City.”

It was that that point that the garage door started to open, and there was Bill’s mother walking. “Do you boys want some Chicken Fried Steak?”

Jesse didn’t give any opinion, but it was Bill who spoke up. “That would be awesome, Mom.”

The woman nodded. Wearing a pink dress and white apron, Bill’s mom looked trim and proper. “Don’t linger too long in that hot garage. You siblings will eat all the food if you don’t hurry, Willaim.”

The moon had just come out at 7 right before twilight fell. Jesse looked at the Moon still in the blue sky, and his enhanced eyes picked up something for a moment.

Ten Years Later

In a chamber in a secret place. A machine shaped trapezoid started to come to life with the top being smaller than the wider bottom. The front of the machine started to activate as ancient writing on the side. Then a light went down the middle.

The doors of the device opened as hand emerged gripping the side with gas escaping. Another hand also appeared as gas poured out. Red headed and dressed in the Murau jumpsuit; the figure fell to the ground as he exited the machine. His lungs exhaled oxygen that had been inside for nearly seven hundred years.

Still young, the muscles that had been frozen in time started to feel right again as Ashton Penn got up on his legs again. His feet were uncovered, and he felt the metallic floor of wherever he currently was. He looked back at the machine which seemed to be sending out data to somewhere.

There inside the chamber stood the chair that he had been on for what felt like a moment. He had been told that it was more like being in a quantum flux as the machine activated. Trapped in a moment in time for those years made him a bit unstable when he came out.

And then he looked up at the wide and long window finally, and there sat the Earth staring back at him. For a moment, Ashton just could not believe what he saw. It was a sight that he had always wanted to see. The Earth stood there perfect from where he currently sat. He could almost make out the coast of Texas, and he could see Houston. His home still stood there.

“How am I out here?” asked Ashton.

Then Ashton heard the door open to his right, and at first, he thought it was some sort of small alien from the shadow with a bulbous head and small body. Ashton looked for a weapon just in case he had been captured by what his books called greys.

However, the laughter reminded Ashton of his younger sister, and then a small girl with raven hair and what appeared to be a slight tan ran up to him. She smiled with blue eyes that seemed familiar to Ashton.

“Merlin, the young lord has awakened.”

Then a familiar figured walked into the room carrying his staff in his right hand. “Ashton, I am going to apologize, but I miscalculated the time on the suspension chamber. I was off by ten years when you told me that the calendar was off.”

“What year is it?”

“It is as you understand it the year 1995 Anno Domini.”

Ashton looked at the Earth. “It is 1995! Dear Lord, I missed eleven years.”

Merlin then put his hand on Ashton’s shoulder. “Not to worry. We have been preparing here on the Moon for your arrival.”

The little girl looked at Merlin with her arms stretched. “Introduce me!”

Merlin laughed. “And this little one is my latest adoptive ward, Gwen Emrys.”

Ashton felt disappointed. More than like his parents had already buried him, but Ashton decided to knell next to the girl who smiled. “Well, hello, Miss Gwen, I am Ashton Penn.”

Lifting his head once more, he knew that he had long road ahead of him as the girl hugged him. Merlin placed a hand on his shoulder. “Welcome back to the world of the living, Ashton.”

Somewhere in a chamber also in the same complex on the moon, a silent white machine knight responds for the first time in eons. The eyes flash for a moment, and then the optics turn off again. The winged serpent’s master had returned.