THe Sentinal Satellite Read online

  As Edward and Santo spoke, Maria remained as a statue captivated by an entrancing thought. It was only when he stood, she said,

  “Your genetic makeup is from the pure creation is it not?”

  As he wanted to get going there was a touch of annoyance in her sudden question. After a slight pause, he replied,

  “Do you mean free of the aggressive genetic code the Anunnaki inserted into the DNA of the survivors of the First Creation to colonize the earth?”

  When Maria replied in the affirmative, Edward added,

  “So, you understand that you humans today are the survivors of the First Creation, the survivors of the flood?”

  Again, Maria response was a nod and added,

  “I also understand that to preserve the purity of the Second Creation, you have kept your perfect genetics isolated from ours and therefore have not been contaminated with Anunnaki DNA.”

  Edward was surprised at her familiarity of the Second Creation, smiled and said,

  “Very well. I have permission to talk to you about that as well but only if you asked. My problem with this last question is that I am now out of time. My gate will open soon. If miss it, I will be forced to stay in London for another twelve hours.”

  Looking at both, he cryptically asked,

  “Have you ever been to Hyde Park? It is beautiful this time of year. Come, walk with me.”

  Located in the middle of London, Hyde Park consists of large gardens and forests only a few minutes from the deli. Outside, because the cobblestone sidewalk was narrow and the conversation was between Maria and Edward, Santo dutifully followed a few steps behind. As they stood waiting for the traffic light to change, Edward said to Maria,

  “I admire your dedication to a very difficult science regarding alien genetics. It is a complex discipline filled with much conjecture.”

  When the light changed, they stepped in front of a stopped double decker bus and half way across the street Maria thanked him for the compliment.

  Once in the park a few paths were akin to walking through a forest with thick trees on both sides. Because Edward was now close to his gate, he slowed the pace and asked,

  “What is it you wanted to know about my DNA?”

  Maria responded saying,

  “If I had an untainted specimen of human DNA before the Anunnaki incorporated their passive genetic invasion into it there is a possibility that I might be able to create a program reversing the mutation.”

  The last thing Maria expected him to do was start laughing. Nevertheless, he was quick to notice the slight and apologized.

  “I hope you forgive my rudeness. I was not laughing at you but rather at my own ignorance.”

  He then looked solemnly at her. Meaning to sound amused he added,

  “You see Maria while you were my guest at the land of the Little People I already gave you such a DNA sample.”

  Shocked, Maria responded,

  “No you didn’t.”

  “Yes, but the irony of it all is that although I wanted you to have it, I also made you forget about the whole experience with the Little People. How silly of me not to realize that of course you would not remember that I gave it to you.”

  With Maria following, Edward stepped off the path and into the woods. Santo was not happy but maintained his rear guard position. Before reaching a thick grove of trees Edward stopped, faced her and teasingly said,

  “Ahh, the sacrifices I suffer to save the survivors of the Second Creation.”

  He then plucked a few hairs out of his scalp. After handing them to the surprised Maria he said,

  “There is your request. I hope that you are successful in eventually returning the tainted humans back to the creation God had intended.”

  She asked,

  “You mean to be just like you?”

  He smiled, and admitted,

  “Yes, as perfectly created as the Second Creation.”

  Edward then turned to Santo standing ever vigilant just a few feet away. Coming closer, he reached out and handed Santo what looked like a small disc, a coin perhaps. He said,

  “As a sign of cooperation against our mutual enemy, I give you this. Think of it as Ali Baba’s magic lamp. Just rub it and I will appear.”

  After a slow grin Edward elaborated,

  “Okay, I will not appear but I will hear you and maybe answer. But the energy source is the same as the lamp, you have to rub it.”

  Edward then turned and walked into the thick forest. Santo walked up to Maria and both watched as he blended into the shadows and disappeared. Santo said,

  “We have to get one of those.”

  Confused, Maria asked,

  “One of what?”

  “A way to disappear like that.”

  Santo did not miss the comparison of a mysterious advanced society living on Earth to that of what he thought was the advanced technology of the House of the Nazarene. To get home, Edward only needed to step off a path marked with flowers and into a forest. For them to get home, they had to return to their D-wing hidden in a dark alley reeking of sewage. Also, whereas Edward was home in one step, they had a one hour flight to endure.

  Chapter 20

  Tucked between the Sistine Chapel and the Borgia Tower was a small ancient church teetering on the brink of ‘forgotten’. Dust covered the pews and spider webs adorned holy statues. Because tall buildings now surrounded the diminutive church, sunshine no longer beamed through the magnificent stained glass windows as in days of past glory.

  As always, all was dark inside the lonely chapel. An ancient door opened and a creak invaded the gloomy silence. From a secret entrance, five shadows wearing black robes with a cowl hiding their identity entered the central hall with pillars on both sides. Like a serpent slithering through tall grass, they twisted past holy statues and the altar.

  Behind the altar, the leader of the group strolled up to a brick wall and stopped just inches from it. His accomplices dutifully stopped behind him. With his cowl almost touching the wall, the dark shadow reached out and pushed five separate bricks in a specific secret combination. A click was heard and the supposedly solid wall easily swung open. One by one, each entered the secret passage. From a wrought iron bracket on the wall they took five torches and lit them. Another push on a secret location closed the wall behind them.

  Under the guidance of torch light, they entered a narrow passage. Their direction was down, a path very appropriate for their purpose. Soon they entered a large ancient chamber and the torches were inserted into receptacles on the wall. The flickering flames produced eerie shadows dancing throughout the chamber.

  Although the chamber was secreted in the early life of the Vatican, some of the contents in the chamber were of modern times. In a large hermetically sealed glass case bathed in soft yellow light, were fifty-one supposedly lost holy manuscripts. They were the forbidden writings of Nathan the Prophet, the accounts of the War of the Lord, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene as well as the books of Judas, Thomas and Peter. They were the books denied validation at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Behind another sealed glass case was a small wooden goblet of seemingly insignificant importance to the faith but meriting utmost preservation regardless.

  In another glass case were numerous stone tablets inscribed in various languages containing forbidden knowledge forever secreted from the faithful. Solomon’s iron ring seemed unimportant to the doctrine but held great value in the historical proof of God.

  Against the far wall, inside a glass sarcophagus was a skeleton of a female. Upon scrutiny however, it was clearly not a human skeleton but rather the bones of Quastima’s mate. Some years ago this was the skeleton the Duchess Josephine de Meyer-David had sent Santo and Maria to recover. At that time, it was her plan to destroy the Vatican by exposing the alien skeleton to the world. She knew that it would destroy the sanctity of the Faith if known that the Vatican concealed proof that God created others than just in our image. The Duchess now has a different plan to destroy the V
atican.

  Ignoring the dark treasures of the Vatican, the five mysterious figures approached a pedestal in the middle of the chamber. On it sat a chest of acacia wood gilded in gold inside and out. It was forty-five inches long by twenty-seven inches wide and high. At the time of its creation, there were specific instructions not to touch the Ark of the Covenant or suffer the wrath of God. On top of the chest, two solid gold angels were kneeling and facing each other. Wings behind each spread outward beyond the chest. The outstretched hands of the angels were almost touching.

  In unison, the five hooded invaders circled the pedestal and knelt. The secret chamber of forbidden articles now filled with utterances of clandestine ancient prayers. As the rhythmic droning softly echoed off the walls, a glow appeared in the gap between the outstretched fingers of the two angels on top of the Ark. As the prayers got louder and faster, the glow intensified to become a miniature thunderstorm of static charges.

  When the intensity of the supplication had completed its purpose, they all fell silent and the zapping of lightning bolts stopped. What remained in the gap of the fingers was a mysterious glowing orb. From the Seat of God came a voice of great authority that startled them. It was a voice they all hoped was from above.

  “Why do you summon me?”

  Four of the hooded figures were in awe of hearing God’s voice. Their trepidation was not from talking to God for they had talked to God all of their lives. The fear came from actually hearing God’s voice. Never in their prayers had there been a conversation with God. The leader, who remained suspiciously calm, said,

  “We have come asking for your guidance.”

  If they were expecting divine wisdom to be compassionate, all were greatly disappointed.

  “Why do you ask what you already know? You know my guidance. It has not changed since the creation. You know the answer and yet you still seek it. Why do you deny what I have given you?”

  The leader explained the threat of the mysterious cloud and their choices to save the faith or save the Vatican. He ended with,

  “Forgive us. We only seek to do right by you.”

  Again, the reply was punitive and direct.

  “Do not ask for forgiveness for none has been earned. I created you to die. At no time was there intent for you to live forever. I created you to honour me so that I might have purpose. What must live forever is your faith in me. If you must die to preserve that faith then you are only doing what you were created to do. I Command you to keep the faith.”

  All five heard the painful words and understood what was expected of them. The voice from the ark continued,

  “I created you with a pure faith. It was not I who created the lies you now live by and hide what is true to me. It was not I who falsified words and created others words so that you could compete with me for the authority over man. I already have supreme authority over man and always will have. You are the ones who have created false witness against me.”

  The final word from the glowing orb was a death sentence they did not want to hear.

  “Man was made to die so that I may exist forever.”

  The glowing energy between the outstretched hands of the angels faded and returned to wherever it came.

  For the longest time, each man fell into private prayer. When the leader finally stirred, they rose and followed him out of the grotto. In silence, some still praying, they returned to the old church chapel and eventually back to a secluded room where they took off their cloaks. One broke the silence with a trembling question.

  “What did God say?”

  The leader of the group, Bishop Francisco Esposito replied,

  “God said that through the centuries, lies were told to control the masses. Secrets of the vault must never be released for it will destroy the faith. The word of God demands that we become martyrs. We must suffer for the lies of the past.”

  Another, while hanging his cloak on a hook said,

  “How can it be a true faith if built on a foundation of exaggeration and false word? Would it not be better to admit that what we did to the pure faith was wrong? Should we not release the secrets and then rebuild on a stronger foundation, one of the truth of the Word?”

  On their way out, Esposito replied,

  “Such might be true but the Word of God has come down. The faith must survive. Our instruction from God was clear. Of the two choices we have, the faith or the Vatican, it is the Vatican that shall fall.”

  His last words to the stunned men were a dire reminder.

  “Remember well the warning not to leave the Vatican. Martyrdom is a glory and death is just a path to God.”

  A few minutes later, Bishop Francisco Esposito entered his office and fell exhausted into his desk chair. After taking a few deep breaths, he picked up his cell phone and a shaky finger pressed the numbers. A moment later, a voice on the other end asked,

  “Well, did they understand what I said?”

  “Yes your Eminence. Your voice was clear, every word understood.”

  “Good. So they will now spread the word of God’s decision to the others.”

  There was heavy weight in Esposito’s reply.

  “Yes your Eminence. They believed every word.”

  “Do not sound so defeated my son. We only do what is best for the faith. For the faith to survive there must be apostles to spread the word. You were chosen to be one of them.”

  “Yes your Eminence. Thank you.”

  “It is now time to meet as arranged.”

  There was no joy in his reply.

  “Yes your Eminence.”

  Chapter 21

  Niko was busy at his computer desk barely taking the time to shovel snacks into his mouth. By the order of the Duchess, he was attempting to locate one particular survivor of her revenge, Maria. With the help of the new powerful interfaced computer system the Great Grays had given her, he was currently probing a shutdown Nazarene communications satellite matrix and extracting fragmented streams.

  Suddenly he stopped chewing and turned around looking for the Duchess. She was across the cavern sitting in her lounger busy with another computer. He called over to her,

  “One of the names you wanted flagged from a Nazarene communication satellite has come up. Do you want to hear it?”

  Thinking that it would be of no use, she nevertheless shrugged and demanded,

  “What is the name?”

  “Maria. You have it on your capture list as Professor Maria Espinoza.”

  Suddenly excited, she hurried across the floor to his desk and snapped,

  “I know the name you fool. I ordered you to search for it.”

  While looking at the voice identification array as well as the confirmation, ‘Professor Maria Espinoza’, a sneer of evil flashed across her face. She demanded,

  “Let me hear the sound bite.”

  She heard something that sent a bolt of joy through her evil soul. The first sound bite was Maria.

  “I miss you already. You be a good girl while mommy and daddy are gone.”

  Then a little girl’s voice was heard.

  “I will. I love you mommy.”

  Her expression now turned to one of an evil smirk generally reserved for the hopelessly insane. Jubilance again leapt through a soul long ago banned from Saint Peter’s Gate. She sneered through a venomous hiss,

  “So she has a daughter now does she?”

  She demanded,

  “What is the transmission coordinates?”

  He revelled in the fact that he had pleased her. However, there was a twinge of fear in what he had to admit.

  “Because it was randomly bounced between too many satellites it will be impossible to pinpoint a final location. However, I have the frequency, so when another transmission is sent, I will be able to lock into it and let you know.”

  Still hovering over his shoulder, she formulated quick plans that made sense only to a mind determined for revenge. She eventually said,

  “I’m going to need an op
erating budget of about twenty million Euros. How many of my personal accounts have you managed to access?”

  With his fingers still actively flying over the keyboard he responded,

  “None. All the satellites you controlled when leading the House were either shut down or re-programmed. ”

  Disappointed but not surprised that Gustav would change both code and passwords, she demanded,

  “What about access to my corporate assets, the oil fields, telecommunication and shipping lines?”

  Shaking his head, he fearfully replied,

  “Nothing. Those access codes are now on a random switching configuration. Without the Master, it would take ten years to decode something as complex as that. No doubt they change those codes probably daily.”

  However, he was able to ease the pain of failure with some good news.

  “With this new computer system, give me a few days and I’ll have access to all of it.”

  Therein lay the problem. She did not have a few days. Disappointed, she snapped,

  “I need the money right now. What countries have the biggest secret Military Black Budgets?”

  His fingers became a blur and seconds later he was able to report,

  “The United States has the biggest secret military budget followed by Russia, China and India.”

  Suddenly understanding what she was thinking, he quickly added,

  “Yes I can get into them.”

  She demanded,

  “Before you fill your pockets with those accounts, they now belong to me. Take fifty million out of the United States Black Budget and transfer it to my Swiss Bank account. Take the same amount from China and India and three million from Russia. From my new operating account pay yourself one million for your trouble.”