THe Sentinal Satellite Read online

  “You know of only two?”

  Undeterred, Razk got up and pointed to a sofa and coffee table on the far side of the office. Sitting across from each other, Razk proceeded to tell Santo about the strange hole bored through the Sistine Chapel roof and far underground. He then said,

  “I know that you have a Sentinel Cloud protecting your island with the ability to scatter and disperse atomic cohesion.”

  Razk then cast Santo a stern look and asked,

  “Is this cloud one of yours?”

  Santo was shocked to hear that the Sentinel Satellite had moved to the Vatican. He was also stunned by the accusation that it was one of his. Only one such weapon existed in the world. Clearly, whoever controlled it had now set the Vatican in its crosshairs. He was truthful in his reply.

  “Yes, it is one of ours. However, it was mysteriously re-programmed by a power we know nothing about. It destroyed our island killing over half of our people. I will admit that it was ours but clearly is not anymore. May I just say Commander, if it has moved over here then perhaps the Vatican is in great danger.”

  Nodding his acceptance of the warning, Razk reached for a folder on the table and handed it to Santo while saying,

  “Read this letter.”

  Santo sat back and read,

  Greetings to the scourge of the faith.

  You have seen my authority over the evil House of the Nazarene. As I have rained fire and burning sulfur upon the wicked that dwelled there, I too shall turn your House of False Faith into rubble.

  I offer you an opportunity to save your precious Vatican. I demand that you open your secret vault and show your followers the truth of your faith.

  If your vault remains closed then on the seventh day your false holy ground will suffer my wrath.

  Razk saw Santo’s clear shock and dismay. As the mystery of the Sentinel Cloud deepened, Santo confessed,

  “I’m sorry Commander but I honestly have no idea who can be doing this. Clearly, we have a mutual enemy. Have you attempted to trace the letter?”

  “Yes but it was transmitted through scrambled satellites and too many codes. It was impossible to trace.”

  “Would you like my resources to try?”

  Razk reluctantly said,

  “I shall forward the original communication to you.”

  Santo then said,

  “Good. We have initiated new contact codes. I shall send them to you as well. Between the two of us we should be able to accomplish something.”

  Razk added,

  “You understand of course that whatever course we take, the faith will be destroyed. If we open the vault of damning secrets it will destroy our authority over the faithful and if we do not, whatever looms above will destroy the Vatican. We have already attempted to shoot it down. Our Swiss Guard fired at it but to no avail. A rocket was also fired but it disintegrated into thin air before getting even half way to the target cloud. What I’m asking you for is a way to destroy it, shoot it down as it were.”

  Santo told Razk that they were looking into a way of doing just that. He added,

  “I assure you Commander that all available resources are committed to destroying it. May I presume that I have now found an ally in that daunting task?”

  “Yes of course. I will commit whatever resources we have to be at your disposal.”

  Santo knew what he was about to say was at the risk of great Vatican secrets.

  “Why is whoever wrote this letter so sure that what is in your vault will destroy your faith?”

  Regrettably, the conversation had now gone down a road Razk did not want to travel. Santo watched a clearly conflicted man get up and wander over to the window. After a few minutes of struggling with secret thoughts and as Santo knew, struggling to commit to the question, Razk finally turned to face him. With a heavy heart he finally said,

  “You already know most of our damning secrets. We still have the bones of Quastima’s mate from the years the Vatican refers to as our Dark Ages, the years of shame when the Sky People sat at our table advising the Popes. I suspect that you are also aware of the Gospel of Joseph of Arimathea, his account of Jesus and Mary Magdalene’s secret wedding and their children. However, it is the third Fatima secret that bears the most destructive risk to the faith.”

  Razk pointed to the folder still in Santo’s hand and said,

  “That secret is on the second page. Read it for yourself.”

  Santo turned a page and read words quoted from the Blessed Virgin Mary as she spoke to the three children at Fatima.

  “The third thing that I tell thee bears the shame of my son. From a heavenly cloud comes the wrath of God upon the false tellers. Like Sodom and Gomorrah fire and burning sulfur shall fall upon thee.”

  Santo looked up at an obviously distraught Razk and said,

  “The other two secrets did not come to pass so why is this one so frightening to you?”

  “Not to me personally. It is the phrase, ‘from a heavenly cloud comes the wrath of God upon the false tellers.’ It is a direct reference to the cloud and the threat it poses to us. That is what the Blessed Virgin Mary is talking about, a cloud that will destroy false tellers.”

  As to emphasize his next statement, Razk raised his voice.

  “We, the Vatican are the false tellers.”

  Santo could not understand such great fear for a cloud, hence asked,

  “But it’s just words from three children. What strikes such fear into you about a cloud?”

  Razk explained,

  “It is because of our belief that God’s interaction with the creation is through a cloud that bears the threat of the letter. When the Pope and Cardinals hear about this cloud they will falter and do as commanded.”

  “So you have not shown this letter to anybody yet?”

  “No, not yet.”

  Santo added,

  “Perhaps that was wise. With any luck we will be able to neutralize the threat before the seventh day.”

  After a thought Santo slowly asked,

  “But God has spoken to people through other mediums, a burning bush for instance. Why is a cloud so reverent to your faith?”

  Razk again pointed to the file saying,

  “Read the last few pages and you will see examples of the importance of God communicating through a cloud. They are all quotes from the Bible.”

  Santo again looked at the file.

  ‘And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic.’

  ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way.’

  ‘And the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran.’

  ‘On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. At the command of the Lord the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the Lord they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel kept the charge of the Lord ...’

  ‘The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.’

  ‘When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.’

  ‘On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.’

  ‘And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the peopl
e may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.’

  ‘And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

  ‘And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.’

  ‘Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.’

  ‘Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows?’

  ‘When they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.’

  ‘Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him,’

  Santo flipped the pages and saw many more references illustrating the importance and reverence of a cloud to their faith but he had read enough and got the point. When Razk saw Santo understood, he said,

  “So you see? The Pope and Cardinals will not believe that it is a cloud from man but rather a cloud from heaven. They will do what they think is the command of the Lord.”

  Santo raised the paper and interrupted.

  “I do not believe that the Lord types his messages on a piece of paper.”

  Razk had a quick rebuttal.

  “Why not, God communicated to Moses from a burning bush plus two stone tablets.”

  Knowing what the cloud really was and because there existed no evidence of a secret or divine weapon inside the Pope’s secret vault, Santo asked what other secrets are in there that might destroy the Vatican. Razk did not hesitate.

  “We possess a genealogy of the ancestors of Jesus right up to the current children of God. We also have the items that the Templers found in Solomon’s Temple. As well, there is the shocking gospel that Bérenger Saunière found in his church at Rennes-le-Château. Regardless of the damning secrets in the vault, I can assure you that we possess no magic wand or alien weapon if that is what you were getting at.”

  Santo said,

  “I do not mean to insult your faith but I understand that it is a house of cards precariously balanced on adjusted policies through the years. And yes, I wanted to know what you had pertaining to alien technology that might have helped.”

  Razk admitted,

  “We only have the bones of the mate to our angel in the shadows.”

  Razk then paused and asked,

  “If you don’t mind, simply for my own curiosity, after you kidnapped Quastima or should I say stole him from us, whatever happened to him?”

  Not wishing to divulge the secret location of another surviving Sky Person living in the Amazon Jungle, Santo’s reply was brief.

  “He lives in peace.”

  Razk, understanding it was a secret not to be shared sincerely said,

  “I am happy to hear that. It never pleased me that his fate was to rot away in the obscurity of a dark cell.”

  As they walked through the Grand Hall back to his car, Santo said,

  “I recommend that you stall your superiors ---”

  Razk cut in with a quick correction.

  “I have no superiors.”

  Santo smiled and continued.

  “Very well, stall showing anybody the letter for as long as you can.”

  As they stood beside Santo’s car, each understood the folly of shaking hands in public. A slight nod from each became a binding contract to cooperate, at least over this matter.

  Chapter 15

  Three days had passed since the Duchess extracted revenge on the House of the Nazarene. Since then she had contacted an old associate, Niko Waltz, a prodigy computer programmer who once worked for the House of the Nazarene. When he accessed House Codes to skim corporate financing into his own accounts, Gustav dismissed him for conduct unbecoming a member of the House. With those dubious skills, he was exactly what she was looking for. With the promise that he could penetrate as many private bank accounts as he wanted, he eagerly came to her isolated island to become an intricate member of her revengeful plan. He was only twenty years old but already thirty pounds overweight. His big thick glasses were almost bigger than his small mousy face. Junk food and candy wrappers cluttered his desk.

  The Duchess was sitting at a desk next to him by the big window looking out over miles of ocean. She was at her computer feverishly plotting a continuance of her boundless revenge. Niko suddenly stopped and took a deep breath. Curious at the exhausted reaction, the Duchess looked at him and with authority that came naturally demanded,

  “You’ve been sitting there for two days. I don’t need an exhausted hacker making mistakes. Take a break.”

  With a mouth full of a candy bar, he turned to her, flashed a smile and said,

  “I love this Atom Based Frequency operating stepdown system. Where on Earth did you get something like this?”

  Her reply was curt.

  “The same place you will be going if you don’t get some rest.”

  His reply was chirpy.

  “Well, with the help of this computer system I managed to locate a Nazarene satellite they have not bothered to re-code yet and retrieved some information for you.”

  She suddenly showed interest in what he was doing. There was a strong demand in her tone.

  “Talk to me.”

  Pointing to his screen, he seemed boastful in his reply.

  “It’s a list of the survivors and dead from your attack.”

  Through a sneer laced with expectation she asked,

  “What is the status of Gustav Magnus Laurent?”

  “It looks like you got him. He is on the dead list.”

  Jubilation jumped through her malevolent body. After a moment of savoring her victory, she wanted more.

  “What is the status of that hateful creature, Professor Maria Espinoza and her lover Captain Santo Martinez?”

  “Both survived.”

  She pouted a little and said,

  “How unfortunate.”

  She then demanded,

  “I need the location of those two. Is there any indication of where they ran off to?”

  He entered the ‘flag words’ but nothing came up.

  “No, like I said, it’s a low level security satellite. They will probably re-code it soon.”

  Disappointed she said,

  “Very well. Keep searching. I want to know where they went. They had to have gone somewhere.”

  Niko swallowed whatever was in his mouth and proudly said,

  “Not to worry. With this powerful computer, something will turn up soon.”

  Chapter 16

  Because time was of the essence Maria ran to her quarters, changed and prepared for her mission. Waldorf was waiting for her in the great hall and when she arrived, both walked toward the D-wing area. Walking side by side, she asked,

  “Why do you suppose the Great Grays wanted to destroy the House of the Nazarene?”

  He too had given that much thought and voiced his conclusion.

  “I don’t think this is the work of the Great Grays, it is not in their nature to do such things. I suspect there is another force at work here. While you are gone, I’ll try to figure it out.”

  Maria added,

  “Gustav didn’t think it was the Great Grays either. He had an opinion of who it might be but died before he could tell me.”

  Waldorf then suddenly stopped, turned to Maria and said

  “I need you to tell me everything you know about this so called genetic colonization of the true earth species.”

  Although surprised at the seemingly unrelated question, Maria told him what she had come to suspect.

  “Well, as discussed earlier, Gustav and I have always suspected that an aggressive alien DNA time bomb has been programmed into our passive human genome. It is very hostile and has the ability to over-write the code we were created with.�
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  Just to make sure, Waldorf asked,

  “So, if I understand correctly, the purpose is to create a new species here on Earth, that of the Anunnaki.”

  “Yes, over time.”

  After digesting the shock, he asked,

  “Can this genetic invasion be stopped or even hopefully reversed?”

  After a moment of thought Maria responded,

  “Perhaps, now that I know the invading DNA might be Anunnaki. If I can somehow get a sample of their DNA code there might be a chance to disable the aggressive code. However, without a sample of original human DNA before the Anunnaki tampered with it, it would be almost impossible to return to a code that I have nothing to compare to.”

  “Did Gustav not give you something like that before he died?”

  “He tried to give me those computerized codes but the computer was destroyed along with all my records and research.”

  As they started walking again, he said,

  “Well, maybe something will turn up later on.”

  Approaching the D-wing she saw Zak waiting for her. As she climbed into the vehicle, she said,

  “Okay, where am I going and how do I retrieve this great cloud destroying weapon?”

  Zak said,

  “Yes, well it’s not that simple. To make sure that an enemy could not use their Sentinel Satellite defensive weapon against them, they made it in three parts and hid each part in three different remote locations throughout the world.”

  Maria smiled and said,

  “I see they understood the danger of putting all their eggs in one basket.”