Aegis Rising (30 page)

Taken aback, the engineer assessed his options. “Well . . . we have winches and cables. Throw in a couple of blocks with tackles and with sheer manpower we might make it work.”

“Then get to it already.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Ajajdif spun on his heel and headed toward his office, he shouted over his shoulder, “And tell the workers to keep at it! They can use shovels to load the ore onto the conveyor belt if they have to.”

The moment he entered his office, Ajajdif told his assistant to page his geologist and chief mining engineer. “Tell them to come to my office immediately.” She obliged and hurriedly went to put the call out. He hung his coat up and stood by his desk, running his hands over his face into his short, wavy auburn hair and muttering to himself. He took a sip of his coffee, now cold after the call with Adrian Black. He sat down in his chair and stared into his mug, silently cursing in his mother tongue all the bad luck that has been thrown his way lately.

He paused, acknowledging to himself that while he spoke Russian fluently, he’d never learned his father’s language. Actually, he never did remember meeting his father. He had departed before Ajajdif was born to move back to the city in Algeria where he’d been raised. Ajajdif’s mother was left to rear their son on her own in a small, poor Russian town while bouncing around from job to job. Ajajdif spent the first seventeen years of his life in his place of birth, roaming the streets with gangs after dropping out of school at an early age. Sometime after his eighteenth birthday, his mother had pleaded with him to move to America so he could start his life anew and prosper. She gave him the money that she’d been saving and, after some arguing, Ajajdif reluctantly agreed.

When his plane touched down in the new land, Ajajdif found himself on the streets of San Francisco, doing odd jobs just to survive. With his keen mind, he learned English quickly enough to improve his condition but old habits die hard and he soon got caught up in the life of petty crime again. It was at the point of turning from minor to more serious criminal activities that he’d been rescued by the most unlikely person—whom he later found out to be Phoenix Corp.’s founder and boss—who’d seen his innate talent for leadership and organization. It had been a long journey, but he had been well taken care of by the company and owed his allegiance above everyone else to the boss.

“Sir?”

Ajajdif looked up. His assistant was standing at his door with two other people. He thanked her and then addressed the other two. “Sit,” he told them brusquely.

They took their seats on two chairs in front of Ajajdif’s desk. Arianna Abdul, the geologist, exchanged worried glances with the mining engineer, Francis LeChamps.

Ajajdif went straight to the point. “The head office isn’t happy with our pace. We are way behind schedule and they are accepting no more excuses from us.”

“We are doing our best with what we have,” LeChamps answered tentatively. He turned on his iPad and looked at it. “The conveyor belt has broken down three times in the past week alone. The bearings need to be replaced, as do two of the motors, but we are out of spares and the makeshift repairs we’ve done to patch it up won’t hold for much longer.” His eyes scanned as he scrolled down his notes on the touchscreen. “Of our Bobcats, only two are currently working. We need parts to fix the others, and we don’t have those parts.” He looked up at the head of Quest Mining to assess his reaction before continuing. “We placed an order three weeks ago but we still haven’t received them. Also, we are running drastically low on the leaching compounds.”

Ajajdif rubbed his face again, weary. “I talked to Adrian about an hour ago and explained our predicament to him. He managed to track down one of the Ospreys and is sending the plane out to us with the parts and chemicals.”

“When?”

“He said as soon as he could. What else do I need to know?”

LeChamps scratched the top of his head. “Well, nothing else at this point, except for our extreme disappointment with the yield that we’re getting from all our effort.”

“What do you mean?” Ajajdif asked.

“You know. The quantity of the ore that we’ve been able to extract is nowhere near what we were promised by the geological reports.”

Ajajdif turned to Abdul and raised an eyebrow as anger flitted across his face. The geologist knew what was coming and shrank in her seat. “You and your team searched all over the world and, having spent millions of dollars, came to the conclusion that the mineral was in abundance here, in this very mountain.” His voice rose an octave as he tried to control his temper. “Explain to me.” His eyes pierced her. “Explain to me why we are not seeing the yield that we were promised?”

Abdul, though fearful, defended her position. “This is not perfect science. We did our best. We tested, we studied, and we sampled. This still remains the best place on the planet to extract the fenixium.”

“You tell that to the boss,” Ajajdif snapped. “We were supposed to be in and out of here in four months, and we’ve already spent two—
nyet,
three months here now. In case you’ve forgotten, speed is essential because we’re not licensed to mine, only to explore. If the Canadian government gets wind of this, it’s game over. So much is riding on this ore, you have no idea. It would cost us more than you can imagine if we don’t get the required amount.”

The other two sat quietly for a minute, and then Abdul, twirling her red curls nervously, said, “I . . . I can understand your frustration. I’m sorry that we aren’t finding as much as we should. All our tests were conclusive. This mine is the only site that is capable of producing the ore in the quantity we need. It may be slow getting to it, but rest assured, it
is
there.” She waited a while before cautiously adding, “There is something else that I have been very concerned about—it’s the indiscriminate use of the leaching compound outside of the standard process. It’s supposed to be used only inside the vats so that it can be properly contained and disposed of.”

“Using it in the tunnel cuts the processing time, so we can get to the ore a little faster.”

“But if the compound finds a water source, it would have devastating effects on the environment! This is cyanide we are dealing with, sir, not a benign chemical.”

“It doesn’t matter, Arianna. We need the mineral, and we need it fast. Besides, we are a million miles from anything.”

She turned to protest, but Ajajdif slammed his fist on the table, eyes narrowed. “We will get it, whatever the cost.”

With that, he dismissed them.

34

T
he Elders gathered inside the assembly
neyra
for the meeting that Nageau had called. Tayoka was the last to arrive once again. He apologized and gave the best excuse he could: “I am getting old!”

The Elders laughed. “So are we, Tayoka,” Saiyu replied.

They took their usual seats and Nageau looked at his companions. “I called for this meeting today because I think we need to reconvene on what is happening. Tikina, what is the condition of our ill in the convalescence shelter?”

Tikina looked up, troubled. “The four patients in the convalescence center remain in critical condition.” Concerned murmurs rose from the others. “Rest assured, Huyani, Saiyu and I are taking good care of them, but the need to identify and contain this malady is now paramount.”

“Let us hope that the men we have sent out will return quickly with the source uncovered,” Saiyu murmured.

“We should call for a community gathering,” Ashack said gruffly. “The village needs to be informed of what is happening. We must prevent the rest of our kin from falling ill.”

Nageau nodded. “The same thought crossed my mind,” he said. “We have not had a village meeting in a long while. It is time.”

“I could not agree more.” Tayoka turned to the other Elders. “I have been meaning to ask—how fare your apprentices?”

Saiyu smiled. “My time with Mariah has been very rewarding. Her training is progressing quite well, and I see a lot of potential in her strong-spirited ways. How about yours, Nageau?”

Nageau chuckled. “Kody is very energetic, that is certain—I already have my hands full with him. He has some trouble focusing, but when he does, his enthusiasm about the learning process amazes me. What about Aari?”

“Aari is keen on learning as well.” Though Ashack’s voice remained gruff, he couldn’t keep a little bit of pride out of it. “He is a bright young man, he is. He learns things quickly. That will be a great asset for him in unfolding his eventual abilities.”

Nageau gestured at his mate. “What of Tegan?”

“She was a little tentative at the beginning, but she has certainly opened up and is very eager now that she is aware of the powers of the mind that she is blessed with.”

Nageau smiled, then turned to Tayoka. “And Jag?”

Tayoka wore a cheeky grin. “I do believe it will take some time for him to get used to my unique quirks.”

“Your eccentric quirks, you mean,” Tikina sighed.

“Mmh, I suppose.”

Nageau patted the other man’s shoulder. “Go easy on the lad. He comes across as a type who would excel under a serious tutelage.”

“I am preparing him,” Tayoka said.

“For what?”

“To lighten up and learn to laugh at himself. Life has a way of throwing the unexpected at us. He will not always have the luxury of working in secure conditions, and there will be distractions. He is strong physically but he has a tendency to be too rigid in his mind. It will be essential that he learns the value of being open to new ideas, to look at things from a different perspective.”

“And you intend to make the most out of your wiliness to give him a whole range of perspectives,” Saiyu guessed.

“Oh, most definitely.”

The Elders looked at one another. They appeared pleased with each other’s reports, and it gave them a reason to smile amidst the stress bearing down on their shoulders.

Saiyu tucked a loose strand of hair back under her headband. “It has been half a moon cycle since our visitors were brought to us by the Guardians. There are already lots of rumors around. We need to bring clarity to the village in regards to the five and the prophecy.”

Tayoka stroked his thick beard. “The question is, how much do we tell?”

“I think it is time we introduced our guests to the community and reveal what has transpired since their arrival.” All eyes turned to Nageau. He explained. “The five have proven themselves with the crystal assessment, and having trained and observed them during the last three days, we have made the determination that they
are
the ones. The people have a right to meet the five and become acquainted with those who are destined to fulfill the prophecy.”

The Elders nodded to each other. “I will invite them to be at the gathering tonight,” Tikina volunteered.

“Perfect. Now, is there anything to report on the four we have sent out on the expedition?”

“They are due back in about two days,” Tikina answered. “Through the message beads on the courier falcon, we have learned that the two separate groups have met and are heading toward the Ayen Range.”

“So they have not yet found the source?”

“No.”

“Hm . . . They still have a couple more days. Let us pray for the protection and wellbeing of these four brave men. They are in uncharted territory as far as safety is concerned. Our village has never been challenged in this manner since our forefathers established this settlement.” Nageau closed his eyes to hold sacred space in meditation and prayer for the four men. The other Elders joined in.

After the span of silence, Tikina quietly voiced a thought that was at the back of all their minds. “I have been wondering, my friends. We all have a hint as to how powerful the dark forces are. We know that the storm which is gathering is global in nature.” She stared at the floor, pursing her lips. “The challenges that the younglings will be faced with from beyond the boundaries and the safety of our village . . . Will they be able to handle this? I know we have discussed this briefly before, but the feeling of foreboding in my heart remains.”

“I understand your apprehension.” Saiyu reached for Tikina’s hand and squeezed it gently; both women had the same look of concern in their eyes.

Nageau attempted to comfort them. “If they are indeed the fulfillment to our prophecy, then they are chosen for this and as such will be protected.”

Ashack cleared his throat. “Remember, they will not be alone out there in the world. Once they return to the life they know, the Sentries will watch over them. And chances are they have already been watched over as they were growing.”

The women looked at each other, nodding slowly. The Elders were quiet for a few moments more, and then Nageau clasped his hands together. “Let us adjourn. Spread the word that we will be hosting a village gathering as the sun goes down. We want everyone to attend, for what we speak of tonight affects us all. The entire community must be made aware of what is happening.”

*  *  *

The friends were relaxing in the boys’
neyra
after a long day. The girls had dominated Aari’s and Jag’s sleeping bags atop the platforms, sitting upon them proudly while the two boys sat on the ground, scowling. Kody had fought for his sleeping bag, guarding it as if it were his most precious possession.

Tegan yawned. “So how was training for you guys?”

“My mentor’s a complete nut,” Jag muttered. “Do you know what he did? When I was trying to do a front aerial somersault on a log, he tossed this weird vine thing that wrapped around my arms as I was doing the flip, so I didn’t have the balance I needed to land on my feet.” He pulled his shirt up to reveal a bruise on his hip bone. “That’s from hitting the log and sliding off.” He pulled his shirt back down, grimacing. “That man is like a child sometimes. I was wondering why he had that roll of vine. He sure had a good laugh out of it.”

“There’s probably a reason why he did that,” Mariah said.

“Yeah. The reason being he’s completely insane.” Jag sighed. “But let me tell you something. In spite of his seeming craziness, the things I’ve learnt from Tayoka in these few days are mind-boggling. I keep discovering things that amaze me. As odd as he seems, I gotta admit I’ve learned to respect that man.” He looked back at Mariah. “What about you? How’s your training coming along?”