Parallax Fate's Hand: Kat's Story

PROLOGUE: SYNCHRONOUS
Black darkness and a chill wind enveloped him in comforting arms as he stared unseeing, into the night, cursing at the feelings, the thoughts, tormenting him, it was time to embrace his destiny, to bring his inner demons into the light, to become protector, warrior, weapon...
And then she smiled, a wisp of memory, so fleeting yet so haunting, her image lost in the passage of seconds, leaving him floating in the barren wasteland of his world.
He shook away the memory and made ready. Tonight, he would take control! And begin to reclaim a bit of his soul or at least what was left of it...

CHAPTER ONE: JOURNEYS PAST
"Come on, Katy! Katherine will be here any minute to pick you up."
Katy took one last look in the mirror rushing down the stairs to see her father walking to open the door. Katy's mother had died in childbirth but ever since she could remember, Katherine had been like a second mother to her. Katherine Michaels was the daughter of her father's best friend, Jordan Hale and Katy was Katherine's namesake. Katy's parents had just about given up hope when she was born, they in their late forties. By all accounts, Katherine could pass for her mother, especially as she and her husband, Rees, had a son two years older than Katy.
She looked out the open door and into Katherine's sparkling blue eyes and smiling face. Katy grinned and walked forward, that was, until she noticed who else was waiting for her. Standing beside Katherine was the one person Katy really disliked in the ‘rub-his-face-in-the mud-with-a-smile' kind of way. Ten year old Hale Michaels had tortured her unmercifully from the day she was born and if that wasn't the height of unfairness, he had what she'd always craved, a mother like Katherine.
She glanced at his face and found he looked as sulky as she felt... She kissed her father goodbye and they moved to the car; Katherine was taking her clothes shopping. As they sat in the car, Hale opted for the back seat, which was so out of character, Katy shot him a look of surprise. He never missed a chance to act the spoilt Lord of the Manor, "What's the matter with him?" she whispered to Katherine.
"He's got to go in for his flu shot today." Katherine turned her attention to the driveway.
"Oh..." Katy glanced sympathetically at his sulky form as they drove. He looked up just then and took in her sympathetic expression with a startled one of his own. She glanced away, but that was the first time she'd ever felt close to Hale Michaels...
* * * * *
The second time was three years later, on a day that she would wish away for a lifetime.
"Mr. Michaels, is anyone there?" She'd come over as she usually did to talk to Katherine about school and ... girl stuff.
She looked around the doors to the study and what she saw made her cry out in distress. Hale must have been close-by because, suddenly, he was behind her.
"Katy, what....?" his voice trailed off as he saw what had frightened her. He rushed past her into the room and fell to his knees,"Dad! Daddy......" Rees looked up, his eyes haunted but there was a flash of recognition as he looked into his son's familiar blue eyes and he breathed out in pain, "Katherine..."
Hale was at a loss; he'd never seen his father act this way, as though all the life had gone out of him... He was the strongest man Hale had ever known... Panic in his eyes, he looked up at Katy standing still in the doorway.
"Katy, get my grandfather." She seemed to be shaking herself out of her shock, "Hale..."
"Now Katy!"
He was afraid, desperate enough to shout as her so loudly he saw her flinch, but she turned swiftly and ran to get his grandfather.
It wasn't until later that everything became clear. Rees had collapsed from the sheer shock of it; His wife was dead.
An officer had come to the house and told him, Rees had nodded, determinedly led him out and closed the door in his face. He'd been in a daze, making it to his study before he collapsed.
The detective had gone to the back entrance and had been let in by the cook when, after knocking repeatedly, Rees hadn't reopened the door.
Rees was in a guestroom, Jordan Hale and the detective had walked him up. Then they'd come down again. Hale had made the pretense of going to see his father and Katy had gone to the kitchen with the cook.
The study door left slightly ajar, Hale listened to what his grandfather and the detective were saying, he heard every word....
"Senseless attack... Money or probably jewelry... grabbed her... she resisted... a deserted dead end alley, brutally raped... killed her... killed her..."
Hale's eyes glazed over, he didn't see his grandfather clutch at the desk for support as the officer spoke... He heard nothing but those words, spinning in his head, chasing his happiness away. He turned and ran until he stood on the edge of a nearby cliff.
Katy approached him, having seen him fly past the kitchen window. As she took in his desolate expression, she reached out to him, her fingers lightly touching his shoulder in comfort and he glanced at her with that same long ago startled expression and saw that same look of sympathetic understanding. He pulled her into a harsh hug as he began to cry and she found tears coming to her as well as her sobs matched his. They stood there a long time, hugging and crying.
When they stopped, neither of them looked at the other, they turned to face the sea and the setting sun. Hale reached for her hand and she slipped her hand into his. Then he turned, and she with him, they walked back to the house holding hands.
They had become friends...
* * * * *
And they had stayed friends, best friends, as close as Hale could seem to let anyone. He still remained aloof, if not outwardly, inside, sharing little of himself.
Katy grew into Kat and Hale... truly became a Hale.
Rees never quite got over that day, he seemed to have died with his wife even if he wasn't buried with her and though he continued to live from day to day, there was no happiness in him. Jordan took care of his grandson and was the one rock in the boy's life.
Heir to Hale Enterprises, a diversified conglomerate created by his grandfather, Hale had been so named as a gift to Jordan. Rees had always looked on Jordan as a father and after marrying Katherine, they were both proud to carry on the Hale legacy making it an indelible part of their son.
Three years had passed when Rees suffered a severe stroke and became restricted to bed. For the next two years, Hale became more and more introverted, he had no girlfriends and few real friends other than Kat, his life revolved around his father, grandfather, and Kat's father, James Thorne. Then Rees had a sudden massive attack and died...His father gone, Hale seemed to withdraw from them all and at 18, with college as a respite from the memories, he never gave them the chance to try to reach him.
Hale left for Harvard and Kat left for MIT.
In those years away, Kat heard little about Hale, he phoned his grandfather but she'd seemed to cease to exist to him. What little she did hear was through her father and his grandfather. Sooner than she'd anticipated it was four years later, she held a first class degree in her hand and graduated top of her class. She stayed on to complete her second degree in quantum physics and heard Hale had done the same, top of his class at Harvard Business. His MBA was an accelerated program and he finished some months before her but to his grandfather's dismay Hale didn't return home, instead he sent a letter saying there was something he needed to do and promptly disappeared. All their attempts to trace him failed, but he sent letters, if they could be called that, one a month to his grandfather, two lines,
I'm Fine. Don't Worry, I need to do this. I'll be back soon. Be Well, Hale.
Always the same letter, never from the same place, no clues to be found where the letters were traced... No trace of him at all.

CHAPTER TWO: THE PRODIGAL'S RETURN
Four years later, Kat sat in Jordan Hale's office, now in the employ of Hale Enterprises as head of their Scientific Research department, at Hale Enterprises' headquarters in Caulwren City.
She looked at him with a slight smile.
"So what do you think of my pet project?" He looked at her with a knowing smile; she was one of those rare minds that would be up to the challenge this project presented.
"It's interesting...," she tried to sound noncommittal.
"Interesting? Katherine Thorne! I've known you since you were born, you're just chomping at the bit to sink your teeth into that infernal thing."
"Well you have to admit..."
Her words were interrupted as the doors to the office were flung open, Jordan's secretary could be heard in a distraught and apologetic tone, "Sir, I'm sorry, sir I tried to stop him, but..."
Kat, facing away from the door, saw Jordan Hale's face pale, as though he'd seen a ghost...
Kat turned in her chair to see who could have caused such a reaction... She would have fallen down if she hadn't been sitting, her knees were weak and she clutched at the arm of the chair she sat in for fear of slipping into a puddle on the floor, staring into ice blue eyes with a stunned whisper on her lips, "Hale......"
Years older, features more defined, but his eyes were the same... distant... but penetrating... Undeniably it was Hale...
Jordan was up and striding forward before Kat had found her wits again. Jordan stopped in front of him... the boy who had gone so many years ago... standing in the man before him... his eyes misted, but there were no tears, he lifted a hand and rested it on the shoulder of this familiar stranger.... " Welcome home, son..."
Jordan saw the shock on the face of his secretary and nodded to her, stepping to Hale's side, taking his hand away, "It's alright Mrs. Mendel... this is my grandson, Hale. See to it we're not disturbed."
Jordan's secretary nodded and left closing the door behind her. Kat had finally found her voice again by this time and she stood... albeit carefully... she wasn't sure her legs would hold her up. But before she could come forward or speak, Hale looked at her, a sardonic smile on his lips, his voice was deeper than she remembered, "Don't old friends get a greeting? Even if it is the return of the prodigal son... or grandson."
His comments pushed her off balance and she stammered, " Hale... I... of course... it's good..."
But he cut her off before she could finish, " It's good to see you too, Kat."
"Hale Michaels! Whatever's gotten into you?" It was his grandfather that spoke then.
Hale grinned at the tone of his voice, at the sound of the name, at the stern look on the old man's face, even at that discomfited expression of Kat's... It had been so long since he'd seen them....
"Only teasing, Grandad. And Kat's a big girl now."
His gaze fell on her once more with a smirk.
Jordan chuckled, "I suppose she is... Where've you been, lad? We'd scoured every inch of the world it seems... You left without a word of warning..."
Walking forward Hale took the chair across from Kat's, in front of his grandfather's desk.
"Just on a walkabout of sorts, I had things to do," he responded cryptically with a carefree expression and a note of finality on the subject... It was all he was going to say on the subject.
'Damn arrogant swine!' Kat thought, he hadn't been the one who worried... who was left wondering if he were dead or alive from one day to the next... She'd heard Hale's silence for the past four years, she'd heard him loud and clear, she didn't want to hear anything he had to say now... She stood. She looked at Jordan who'd by then returned to his seat,
"Jordan, I've got to go. Work to do. You know the saying, no rest for the weary. I'll just have to see you both later..." Jordan looked at her sharply. His expression didn't betray his surprise though he knew she had nothing pending for the rest of the morning.
"Of course, Katherine."
She turned and faced Hale, "Again Hale, it's good to see you back. Sorry if I hadn't been clearer on the issue before. But naturally you understand the shock."
Hale looked at her with that sardonic look again, and nodded, replying sarcastically, "Naturally." He didn't believe a word of her excuse... but she didn't care at the moment. She felt it wasn't right somehow that he should just appear as he did and act as though nothing had happened. He'd have to have known he'd give them all a shock... She looked at him, closer this time... the traces of the boy she knew were there... but there was a stranger in the depth of his eyes... She nodded her head in acknowledgement of his reply and walked out of Jordan's office.
She smiled at Mrs. Mendel as she walked into the outer office, then took the elevator. Instead of going to her lab which was on sub-level 4, she hit the button for the carpark. She had nothing else to do today, in truth she'd cleared her day, assuming Jordan's 'pet project' might have her occupied for the better part of it. In truth the project had awoken her curiosity as nothing else had before but when Hale had walked in...even that had died. In her car, she headed for her apartment.
She picked up the newspaper at the foot of her door and entered, she'd left at three that morning. She changed her clothes and sat on the couch with the paper. On page 15, she found a story on an attempted robbery the night before, a jewelry store on Lincoln Street, was broken into but the thieves were caught by some good samaritan, who'd subdued the three men until the arrival of the police but he had not been found.
'Probably, afraid... though why a guy who could take on three vandals would be I don't know... Hmmm... perhaps he was a criminal or ex-criminal and wary of the law... Who knows!'
After lunch she went out to a movie, and when she got back in, she had three waiting messages on her answering machine... The first was from her father asking her to dinner that evening, another from the office, a new appointment for tomorrow. The third was from Hale..."Call me, 555-9942, Hale."
She erased the message, because she had nothing to say to him right now, because he should have come rather than phoned, because it was the only way to ensure she wouldn't be able to call him if she weakened later, a million different reasons.
She called her father back and agreed to be home for dinner, in the meanwhile, she grabbed her bag and walked to the dojo where she'd been learning karate for the past year.
She got to the family house around seven that evening and didn't bother to ring the bell, simply using her key. She walked into the dining room, hearing the murmur of voices, head down as she slipped the keys back into her purse. When she looked up she stumbled slightly and would have tripped had Hale not reached out and grasped her arm. 'Damn him, twice in one day...' She fumed.
He looked at her a smirk on his face as their eyes met and hers flashed angrily. He released his grip and she looked at her father, smiling stiffly for his benefit, "Daddy, how nice... I didn't expect Hale to be here."
"Yes, he came by to visit this evening and I invited him to dinner. Quite remarkable to have you back again." He said this last part to Hale.
"Jordan should be here soon as well. So where are you staying, Hale? You haven't said. At Hale manor no doubt."
Hale looked at her father, " Actually, no sir, I've an apartment of my own."
"Well that's quick work." James nodded approvingly
"Yes, sir."
"So where are you staying, boy? Don't keep us in suspense." James chuckled at the tooth-pulling nature of the conversation.
"Arayan Locke."
"What!" That was Kat.
"Well isn't that interesting as coincidences go, that's Kat's building. Isn't it Katy?"
"Well, yes, Dad." Though she was certainly thinking of changing it now...
Hale nodded at James, "Yes, interesting coincidence." And for some reason Kat didn't believe that it was, but just then the doorbell rang and Jordan was ushered in and they all sat down to dinner.
As the evening drew to a close, an hour or so later, Kat rose to leave, only to have Hale suggest he go home with her. He'd hired a car to drop him off as he hadn't got around to getting his own yet. Reluctantly Kat agreed, knowing her father and his grandfather would be very curious indeed if she refused. So they said their goodbyes and sped off along the main highway.
Hale didn't say a word as they drove on, he seemed content to just look out the window at the city around them. Once they'd parked and gotten into the elevators, Kat punched in her floor, she stepped out and turned to say goodnight when she saw Hale exit beside her. She looked at him, confused and he smiled, almost slyly,"This is my floor."
He walked beside her and she didn't say a word. He stopped at the door on the opposite side of the hall from hers... and she knew that her disbelief of this coincidental arrangement earlier was founded. She moved away to her door but he had clasped her arm in a firm grasp.
She looked at him icily,"Let me go, Hale."
He looked back at her, determined, untouched by her sharp cutting tone, "When I'm ready, Kat. For now you're coming in..."
She considered using any of the number of moves she'd learnt in her self-defense class to get away from him but deep inside she knew whatever he wanted it wasn't to hurt her... So she went in and sat down on the couch. The room was similar to hers, but the furniture was sparser, off-white walls, two armchairs, a coffee table, a writing desk and the couch.
Hale went over to a window and opened it, the cool night air, rushed in, he didn't turn to her as he spoke, "What's wrong with you Katy, since I walked in this morning you've been ice-cold. Before I went away, we were friends... That's not the welcome home I expected from my best friend."
Kat bristled at that, how dare he make her feel guilty... He was the one... who left. She stood up and her voice rose in anger, "You never called, you never wrote, how else did you expect me to react to a complete stranger, once upon a time the man I knew, but who forgot I ever existed!"
He finally turned after her tirade and looked at her, almost as though he looked through her. Then he looked up, his eyes sparked, meeting hers, and his voice was harsh when he spoke, "I didn't forget, damn you! I wrote, so many times...."
His voice trailed off as though hesitant that he'd revealed too much. She saw that flustered expression, saw the shutters closing on that one almost revealing moment but she was tired up of his 'never give' attitude and scoffed caustically, "Wrote what, Hale? Imaginary letters? Hell will freeze over before I believe a word you just said. You've made things this way. It was your choice, so you can bloody well keep your explanations and lies to yourself!"
She moved to leave but he grabbed her hand and dragged her into another room, she saw a large desk, there were several files on it and a leather chair, obviously his office. He pushed her into an armchair in front of the desk and grasped a file box from his desk drawer. He threw it onto her lap, the force of the movement knocking the lid off and several folded pages fell out. The box was full of them.
She was confused... She picked up one of the pages, which had slid to the edge of the chair and unfolded it, her attention focused on Hale, who had turned his back on her once more to look at the lights floating on the river beyond his window. She absently glanced down at the date and stunned she looked at him, it was addressed to her...
"This is from our first year of college, a few weeks after we left Caulwren."
He turned back to face her but she had already taken up another page and was scanning it... It was dated two years later, also addressed to her. She looked up at him, confused.
"Hale, I don't understand..."
'Why had he never mailed any of these?' He glanced at her and then looked away, out the window once more, before he responded...
"You were my best friend, in truth, my only friend, it was my way of talking to you, in my own fashion."
She looked at him, feeling stunned, but she found her voice, "Thank you, Hale."
He looked at her then, suspiciously, "What for?!"
"For your friendship."
He didn't speak, just stared at her, she looked down, folded the pages back and carefully replaced them into the box and put on the lid. She slid it onto his desk and rose... She glanced back at him for a moment, but he didn't acknowledge her... She walked to the door and opened it. He'd walked up behind her and she turned back to him once she was in the hallway.
"Thank you for yours... Katy..."
She smiled sadly and walked to her own door, stepping inside and closing it. She leaned against the door, she had found her best friend again... Somehow contented by that knowledge, she went to bed.

CHAPTER THREE: THE RELIC
It was 7:00 a.m. and Kat sat in Jordan's office, Hale sat in the chair across from her. They were both awaiting Jordan's arrival. Hale had already been there when she arrived but aside from a brief nod of acknowledgement as she entered, he'd not said a word. He was seemingly absorbed in the morning paper, Caulwren's Chronicle.
Kat opened her case and scanned the file Jordan had given her several days before. It was a brief report on his latest pet project... It had been recovered 3 years ago in Egypt, Jordan had dubbed it the Axis Stone, but it was an undocumented find. No writings had ever been discovered on the relic and the engravings were in a language that had never before been seen.
'A once in a lifetime opportunity...' Jordan had said and he was right... It was a chance to be part of history in the making. Over the last 3 years, Jordan's task force had come up with very little save the use of computer-based analysis techniques to translate several symbols. From the translations all they'd been able to surmise was that the stone altar had something to do with 'Time...'
Her thoughts were distracted as Hale looked at her over his paper, drawing her attention to an article he'd just read.
"Hey Katy, listen to this. Seems our beloved home town has a vigilante. Our 'Good Samaritan', who vanishes once his deed is done and has never been clearly seen by any of the assailants he captures, last night saved the lives of a group of teenagers. The teens were held up at gunpoint while waiting for the bus, after attending the late show at the nearby Selaris Cineplex.
Their attackers, five in all, were armed and wanted for the murder of an elderly couple a month before in a similar incident; the two had been out for a late evening stroll in Gladden Park. Well, what do you think of that?" Hale glanced at her absently.
Kat had been listening intently, vaguely recalling the story of the couple who'd been killed a month before, "Sounds like the guy's a saint."
Hale scoffed at that, "And you're still a romantic! The guy's a nut! Lucky, but a nut! No one in their right mind takes on five armed men!"
"Typical Hale! Just what I'd expect from a spoilt rich kid!" Kat retorted.
Hale seemed to take offense, then after a moment he grinned, "Don't forget, Katy, you're one too."
And as she could think of no suitably acid reply, Kat was grateful for Jordan's entrance. However, Hale's laughing gaze stayed on her for a few seconds more, further incensing her temper. She took a deep breath, "Good Morning, Jordan."
Hale nodded at his grandfather, "Grandad."
Jordan took his seat behind his desk and turned his attention to them. After looking at them wordless for a few moments, he smiled faintly and abruptly spoke, "Would you two like to see the Axis Stone?"
* * * * *
They hadn't needed to show their assent. Jordan knew them well enough to know they were both too curious for their own good. Within moments they'd taken the elevator to sub-level 8 of the building, as they stepped out, they found themselves standing before a rail line. Jordan explained as he ushered them forward into a waiting sleek, turbo, subway-design rail car.
" This is an old railway system. Hale Enterprises had it renovated and redesigned to support a turbo-rail. It provides easy access to our labs and subterranean warehouses."
Once seated within the turbo-rail car, they began to move off. Somewhat recovered from her awe, Kat turned her attention to Jordan and asked the question that had plagued her since he'd spoken in his office, "Why is Hale along on this project, Jordan?"
"I was speaking to him about it yesterday at length, he expressed a great deal of interest in the entire affair."
Hale was sitting back, legs out-stretched, and eyes closed as though he was napping. Glancing at him, Kat turned back to Jordan, "Do you think that's wise? I mean, Jordan how do you even know for sure he's Hale?"
The last bit she'd said without thinking, perhaps the thought had been hovering in her subconscious, but the minute it was out she regretted the words. Hale's eyes were open and the look he gave her was one of disappointment.
She strove to rectify her idiocy, "Hale... I apologise, I don't really believe tha..."
But it was Jordan who cut her off, "No Kat, it's a fair question, and I admit if there'd been any doubt I'd not have said a word... But there is one way, Hale can always be known to me. A unique insignia no one knows of and even if they did know they'd never be able to reproduce."
Jordan nodded at Hale and Hale proceeded to slip off a silver ring from his right hand.
"This is a family heirloom, it's quite unique. The black onyx gem set atop this ring is flawed, but the flaw is in the form of an 'H', embedded in the onyx. It's impossible to exactly reproduce the flaw itself."
Kat looked at the ring, and saw what Jordan spoke of, within the depth of the black onyx gem there was a subtle flaw in the shape of an 'H', the lines of the flaw took on a silver hue... It was so perfectly defined and yet so slight that no one could unnaturally create it.
Hale retrieved the ring and slipped it on once more. As he did so the car stopped. Jordan stood and they ventured out.
They walked along a corridor one level above the rail line and came to a secured door. Jordan inserted a security card, access granted! Inside was a large room, at the centre of which stood a brown stone altar, veined with grey and gold, and floating lightly centimetres away from the sloped surface of the altar was a solid sphere... The Axis Stone.
The altar itself was in the shape of a cylinder, save for the angled slope of it's top. Along the sides of the cylindrical altar were engravings, but the area above which the floating ball resided was perfectly smooth.
There were a number of people in the room, about seven, and the altar after a distance of 3 metres was surrounded by computer stations and other equipment. Leading out from beneath the altar were several large coaxial cables, linked to one of the main terminals.
One of the members of the task force approached, a young man, possibly japanese, though he spoke perfect english. Noticing, Kat's perplexed expression and the direction of her gaze, the wires, he spoke, "The device seems to generate a sort of electrical energy, the cables are able to send the energy pulses back to the computers for analysis. I'm Dr. Akira Himura."
He extended his hand, Kat took it and smiled at him, "Dr. Katharine Thorne."
Hale nodded, but did not speak. Jordan looked at the young man, clapped him on his back and they walked forward together, "So have we made any more progress today, Akira-san?"
"Sadly, no, Jordan-san." Akira's expression was very dejected and ashamed.
Jordan beamed, "Have no worry my friend, Kat here and Hale will be joining the team. I'm sure they'll have some new ideas that might help you make some head-way."
Akira nodded and then looked at Hale in surprise, " Hale-san? How strange that your name and Mr. Hale's is the same..."
Hale inclined his head and threw his grandfather a rakish expression, daring him to admit their relation. Jordan chuckled, "This rogue is my grandson, Akira. My daughter's son, my name-sake one could say."
Akira nodded and led them forward.
Kat and Hale stood behind listening as Akira and Jordan explained how the lab worked, the various pieces of the latest technology they had available, some of which were not yet on the market, but had been obtained from the manufacturer on special contract.
Curious as to the fact that they hadn't said anything about their hypothesis yet, Kat asked, "What do you think this Axis Stone is supposed to do, Jordan?"
Jordan looked at her solemnly, "We think it may be some form of time travel device."
And that was all he said, after that, Akira and Jordan began to discuss the formalities, Kat turned at last to Hale, "I still don't understand why you're here, Hale. Precisely what can you offer the project? I doubt there's need for a business major on this team."
Hale looked at her with that amused, somewhat superior expression, she'd always hated, "Don't be so quick to judge me, Katy dear. You have no idea what I've been doing the past four years, perhaps I've acquired a degree in quantum physics."
Kat doubted that, but his teasing was grating, "Did you? Why don't you tell me what you've been doing these past four years? Perhaps then I'd have no need to guess."
Hale smiled at that and she caught the slightest sound of a chuckle,"All in good time, Kat."
Jordan once again returned to them,"Care to inspect the Stone, at a closer vantage point?"
He led them forward until they stood mere inches away from the stone, Kat looked at the sphere as Hale stooped to take a closer look at the engravings. 'Amazing, how it's held suspended there...'
Hale looked at the symbols curiously and then seemed to have a moment of divine inspiration, "Interesting..."
He held out his hand and pushed at a symbol located near the edge of the top surface along the side. Suddenly as Kat watched, the ball fell to the top of the stone altar and would have rolled off the sloped surface had Kat not reached out and caught it instinctively. She looked accusingly at Hale as she had it in her grasp, "What did you do?!"
The others in the room were all agape...
Hale straightened and spoke crisply, "I hit the off button."
Kat looked at him as if he'd gone stark raving mad.
One of the lad technicians at the main terminal spoke up amazement in his tone, "He's right, Sir! The energy pulses have completely stopped. We have no spikes registered in the past 90 seconds."
Dr. Himura stepped forward, and spoke to Hale, still in awe, "You mean, you understand the symbols?"
Hale shook his head, "No, not really... But some of the symbols seem familiar, as though they're related to several languages... I just instinctively knew that was the off button, the symbol is similar in part to several variations of Japanese, as well as Arabic lettering among others for the term power. "
His explanation finally penetrated, and with the sphere outstretched before her, she turned to him, "All right then, Mr. Linguist, if you turned it off, how do you propose we turn it back on?"
Hale took the sphere from her and held it above the pedestal, then bent and pushed on a symbol. There was a sudden pull on the sphere in his hand and as he let go, it hovered once more where it had done before. Straightening once more he turned back to Kat, Dr. Himura and his grandfather, "Just have to hit the power button again, Kat, dear."
And he stood back, his eyes amused once again.
Minutes passed, Jordan and Dr. Himura speaking animatedly, before announcing that, Hale would take over translation and Kat would take over time-travel research on the project, while Akira continued overseeing computer model-generation and analysis of the stone and altar.

CHAPTER FOUR: DESTINED
"Salaam, Ahmed."
The young sword maker looked up from his work in surprise, the morning had passed quickly and he had not been aware it was time for his daily meeting with his friend, Umar. Each day he and Umar would meet, a little after midday, and make their way to the mosque for Zuhr Salaat. He was in the process of completing a sword for one of the captains of the Ottoman army. The Ottoman Empire was in the midst of their campaign to take the final Byzantine stronghold of Constantinople
Over the course of the last few years, the Ottoman Empire had spread, under the leadership of Mehmed II, into the Byzantine Empire, capturing much of the decadent Byzantine lands. The latest Balkan campaign was by far the Sultan's most ambitious yet and many of the locals had doubted the success of the venture.
Umar and Ahmed made their way to the swordsmith's home after prayer for a meal but as they were about to enter, they were stopped by an old Bedouin man. He was seemingly blind and as he grasped Ahmed's arm tightly, the young man looked kindly on him in concern.
"Are you alright, uncle?"
The old man lifted his hand to Ahmed's chest.
"Alim Saleem? I must speak with Alim Saleem."
Ahmed looked at the man in surprise and then sadness clouded his expression,
"I am sorry, uncle, but he is no longer with is. He died two years ago. I am his son, Ahmed."
Umar gestured to Ahmed, "Let us all go inside Ahmed, the noon-day sun is very hot for one so old."
So they entered the dwelling and as Ahmed helped the bedouin to a chair, Umar brought him a cup of water. The old man gratefully accepted.
Ahmed looked at the man as he drank, curious as to what should bring him to his father's door.
"Uncle, why have you come seeking my father? Is it something I can perhaps help you with?"
The bedouin seemed to regain some of his hope as his face lifted towards Ahmed's position, "Your father was asked some years ago to make a sword, a scimitar, for a tall fair man who said he would pay him well. He wore a cream tunic and carried a brown leather pouch on a gold chain."
"Well I am swordsmith now, and I do make scimitars, perhaps I could fulfil this promise."
The old man shook his head vehemently, "No, this sword was specially made, the man gave your father specific measurements for its crafting. Without these measurements, a replica is impossible."
"Are you sure, uncle? The scimitars I make are of the highest quality, I assure you."
The old man rose forcefully from his seat and spoke savagely, " No! This sword is special! Special I tell you! Special!..."
And still muttering 'Special!', the old man ambled out of the home. Umar walked to the doorway to ensure he was alright, but when he looked into the walkways outside, he saw no one. The old bedouin had disappeared.
"Strange man." Umar said as he returned to the table. Ahmed nodded and they spoke not another word on the matter.
Later that day, Ahmed returned to the workshed. He had a few last minute things to complete on the scimitar for the captain.
This sword was quite unique, the strongest blade he had ever made. His father had explained the secret of the perfection to him, but he had never attempted it before until now.
It was a difficult process, one a man would likely do once in a lifetime. It was layered steel so thin, it was as light as one of the oriental brand, but it held the power of the scimitar blade along with its sleekness and swiftness. The blade would serve the wielder well. He had sought out a measure of gold to create a molten gold handle for the blade and commissioned an old trader he knew to get him the rarest stones he could find. He encrusted these into the hilt. The sword was a work of art. Complete.
It stayed in its place for several days before the captain came to collect it. He was quite pleased and paid Ahmed well. But the knowledge that he had been given the gift of creating such a unique sword was wealth enough.
The captain rode into the final battle, his scimitar at his side, some days later. Before he could draw the blade, he was killed. The sword was left discarded on the ground in the battle. It's steel untouched and untainted by war, battle or blood but the day had been won and Constantinople was taken by the Ottoman Empire in the year 1453.
It was nearing twilight and the winds blew cold, when a figure came, swathed in black, atop a white stallion. He alighted and came to where the sword lay. He picked it up, his eyes sparkled in recognition. He wrapped the blade in a spare tunic from his horse's pack and with it safely clasped to his back, he mounted the animal and motioned it towards the dawning moonlight.
* * * * *
Hundreds of years passed but the sword remained untouched. It lay protected through the centuries, guarded by those who knew its secret, who knew its destiny. The sword came into the light once more when it was passed on to the last guardian it would serve. He had passed the tests of the protectorate and proven himself worthy, one alone in all the time since that long ago fateful day. It was obvious he was destined to wield the blade, he and the blade were one and so he was Scimitar, forever after.

CHAPTER FIVE: GUARDIAN
Black darkness and a chill wind enveloped him in comforting arms as he stared unseeing, into the night, cursing at the feelings, the thoughts, tormenting him, it was time to embrace his destiny, to bring his inner demons into the light, to become protector, warrior, weapon...
His destiny had risen up to claim him by night, he was to guard, to protect and defend, to seek justice in search of an end to the torment that raged in his soul. He slipped the white scarf into place across his face, lifted his gift off the table nearby and hooked the case to the belt looped at his hip. The gems caught the light off the river and sparkled in the darkness. He rose in a swift motion and leapt through the window.
In midair, he strode forward, gliding smoothly across the nothingness, almost flying, and stepped onto the roof of a building twenty feet away after swiftly paced upward along the face of the structure. He shifted his balance and moved on as lightly as a breeze, floating across the top of the building's roof to a second similar structure standing across the waterway, along the riverbank. His steps were so quick that any who may have glimpsed upward as he passed overhead would have seen naught but a wisp of ghostly white against the darkness as he twisted high in the air, halfway across the distance.
Standing hidden minutes later among the branches of a large oak in the riverside park, he heard the sounds of a struggle several hundred yards away. He made haste moving towards the sounds before being confronted with the crumpled form of a young woman. Her shape was vaguely familiar but her face was turned to the stony ground, so he could not easily recognize her. He stepped down beside her and gently shifted her until he could easily see her face. When he did, his eyes took on a deadly hardness and his lips thinned beneath the white scarf obscuring the view of his nose and mouth. He checked her for injuries quickly before lifting her up and quickly running up the tree's trunk to return his cargo to a safe haven.