Read Online Beyond by Maureen A. Miller - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Maureen A. Miller
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go home."
He shifted, propping his shoulder against the wall so that he could look down at her. She waited for a sarcastic retort, and yet he remained silent. She chanced a look up and found herself locked in the hypnotic gaze of a lion. That gaze penetrated her, leaving her feeling vulnerable. She was aware of his power. This man was not like the others on this ship. They were all fair, slim, and tepid. He was dark, dynamic, and commanding. Were all the warriors like him or was it that he was an alien too?
The elevator jerked to a halt and she nearly collapsed into him. He made a motion like he was going to touch her, but stopped short. Instead, he tapped the floating table, ushering it out into the corridor.
They walked in silence until Zak halted before a wall. It was marked with symbols that formed a ring. Hieroglyphs—and a script that she could not decipher.
"What does it say?" she asked.
Beside her, Zak’s profile looked pained.
"It says , this will bring us home ."
"Oh." A smile tugged at her lips. "Then I think I'm going to like this place."
Eager to see inside, Aimee reached up and waved her hand. She heard a deep chuckle from the man beside her.
"I see you're getting the hang of things around here."
"Apparently not." She settled her hands on her hips. "It didn't work."
"This door is locked," Zak said. "Very few people have clearance to come in here. Only warriors bringing back discoveries, and a select group of scientists."
Zak reached up to one of the symbols and molded his hand and fingers in the same pattern. The symbol lit up. He moved counterclockwise and emulated another icon with his hand. It too lit up. He continued in a random sequence that she paid close attention to, until over half of the symbols were illuminated.
The wall dissolved, but there was no bright room to enter into. Instead, they were welcomed by a dark tunnel. She could see light maybe twenty or thirty yards ahead, yet the murky shroud of the immediate area intimidated her. Zak stepped into the shadows and she wasn't about to be left behind. She trailed after him and felt a whoosh of air as the wall closed behind her, ensnaring her in darkness. She wanted to reach for Zak's arm, but felt uncomfortable doing so. Instead, she focused on the light ahead and followed the sound of his steps.
"What is this place?" she whispered.
"Just wait." His tone was deep. "You'll see in a minute."
It started to grow brighter, but not by much. The light seemed diluted. It rippled on the walls as if it reflected off of water. In fact, she swore she heard the sound of a rushing stream.
Zak paused and maneuvered his table up against the wall. Cast in shadow, he was a daunting sight as he turned towards her.
"This was where you were supposed to go when you were brought aboard the Horus." He stepped back and held his hand out.
Aimee followed his lead and gasped.
She walked out of the tunnel and located the source of the rushing water. A three-story waterfall cascaded down a series of stacked boulders into a churning pool. Something gold flashed beneath the surface, but it was the reflection from above that held her attention. She looked up and whispered, " Oh my God ."
Above her there was no ceiling. For a moment she felt as if she was in the field behind her house, staring up into the night sky—only this black sky was filled with wondrous chunks of life so vivid that she lifted her hand in a mystified attempt to reach for them.
The engineer in her shattered the spell. "How can we breathe?" she challenged.
Zak chuckled. His head was tipped back as well, and for a second she was distracted by the bob of his throat as he swallowed.
"It's not open," he explained. "It may look like it, but there is a shield up there. It is of a composite that can't be seen by the naked eye."
Aimee lowered her head to marvel at the immediate environment. Before her lie a forest—a network of trees and exotic plant life that seemed to span as far and wide as
He shifted, propping his shoulder against the wall so that he could look down at her. She waited for a sarcastic retort, and yet he remained silent. She chanced a look up and found herself locked in the hypnotic gaze of a lion. That gaze penetrated her, leaving her feeling vulnerable. She was aware of his power. This man was not like the others on this ship. They were all fair, slim, and tepid. He was dark, dynamic, and commanding. Were all the warriors like him or was it that he was an alien too?
The elevator jerked to a halt and she nearly collapsed into him. He made a motion like he was going to touch her, but stopped short. Instead, he tapped the floating table, ushering it out into the corridor.
They walked in silence until Zak halted before a wall. It was marked with symbols that formed a ring. Hieroglyphs—and a script that she could not decipher.
"What does it say?" she asked.
Beside her, Zak’s profile looked pained.
"It says , this will bring us home ."
"Oh." A smile tugged at her lips. "Then I think I'm going to like this place."
Eager to see inside, Aimee reached up and waved her hand. She heard a deep chuckle from the man beside her.
"I see you're getting the hang of things around here."
"Apparently not." She settled her hands on her hips. "It didn't work."
"This door is locked," Zak said. "Very few people have clearance to come in here. Only warriors bringing back discoveries, and a select group of scientists."
Zak reached up to one of the symbols and molded his hand and fingers in the same pattern. The symbol lit up. He moved counterclockwise and emulated another icon with his hand. It too lit up. He continued in a random sequence that she paid close attention to, until over half of the symbols were illuminated.
The wall dissolved, but there was no bright room to enter into. Instead, they were welcomed by a dark tunnel. She could see light maybe twenty or thirty yards ahead, yet the murky shroud of the immediate area intimidated her. Zak stepped into the shadows and she wasn't about to be left behind. She trailed after him and felt a whoosh of air as the wall closed behind her, ensnaring her in darkness. She wanted to reach for Zak's arm, but felt uncomfortable doing so. Instead, she focused on the light ahead and followed the sound of his steps.
"What is this place?" she whispered.
"Just wait." His tone was deep. "You'll see in a minute."
It started to grow brighter, but not by much. The light seemed diluted. It rippled on the walls as if it reflected off of water. In fact, she swore she heard the sound of a rushing stream.
Zak paused and maneuvered his table up against the wall. Cast in shadow, he was a daunting sight as he turned towards her.
"This was where you were supposed to go when you were brought aboard the Horus." He stepped back and held his hand out.
Aimee followed his lead and gasped.
She walked out of the tunnel and located the source of the rushing water. A three-story waterfall cascaded down a series of stacked boulders into a churning pool. Something gold flashed beneath the surface, but it was the reflection from above that held her attention. She looked up and whispered, " Oh my God ."
Above her there was no ceiling. For a moment she felt as if she was in the field behind her house, staring up into the night sky—only this black sky was filled with wondrous chunks of life so vivid that she lifted her hand in a mystified attempt to reach for them.
The engineer in her shattered the spell. "How can we breathe?" she challenged.
Zak chuckled. His head was tipped back as well, and for a second she was distracted by the bob of his throat as he swallowed.
"It's not open," he explained. "It may look like it, but there is a shield up there. It is of a composite that can't be seen by the naked eye."
Aimee lowered her head to marvel at the immediate environment. Before her lie a forest—a network of trees and exotic plant life that seemed to span as far and wide as
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