Read Online Children of the Void: Book One of the Aionian Saga by Jack Halls - Free Book Online
Authors: Jack Halls
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of gold.
“What do you think they are?” asked Takomi.
“I don’t know. They’re all similar, but it looks like they’re from different cultures.”
The next page showed the two hemispheres of Earth. There were no borders or markings of any kind, just green and brown land separated by blue oceans. They looked over it quickly, then turned the page again. This time, they both gasped.
“Is that what I think it is?” whispered Gideon.
“It can’t be. Like you said, this book’s got to be hundreds of years old.”
Laid out before them was another map of two hemispheres with familiar continents. Every aionian on the ship would have recognized it immediately. They were looking at an ancient but precise map of Valkyrie.
For a moment, they stared at the page in silence.
Gideon looked up at Takomi. “What does this mean?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Aren’t there any words in this book at all?”
He turned the page again, and nearly jumped back.
The image was of a savannah dotted by twisting trees. To one side, a walled city stood on a hill looking over the plain. People were streaming out of the gate and looking up. In the sky, the sun glinted off the golden hulls of three strange-looking vessels.
“What is that?” said Takomi in a hoarse whisper. “Are those...”
“Spaceships.” Gideon’s mouth remained wide open as he studied the angular bodies of the craft. Despite their odd appearance, and the fact that they were completely out of place, there was no mistaking what they were. The huge ships hovered over the scene as if they were preparing to touch down on the plain.
Takomi elbowed him, waking him from his stupor. “What’s on the next page?”
He pulled back the page, as if he expected a snake to jump out of the book. The next painting depicted one of the ships suspended above the earth. A broad ramp led from the hull to the ground below. Lean, dark-skinned people gathered to watch three tall figures clad in golden armor step out of the spaceship.
Notwithstanding their immense height, the beings had human proportions. Each one wore a different mask; a jackal, a falcon, and what could have been the Egyptian god Ra. The latter figure held up its hand, and in its palm was the symbol of the arcs that formed a person.
“What is this?” asked Gideon.
Takomi was breathing rapidly. “It looks like the book is trying to tell us that the Egyptian gods were actually aliens.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Well, what else could it be? I’m not saying that the book is right, but that’s what it’s trying to say. And don’t forget we saw Valkyrie on the other page.”
Takomi reached over him and turned the next page. The scene was similar to the previous one, but instead of a savannah, the ships were in a clearing surrounded by lush forests. Stepped pyramids rose from the trees in the background, and in the foreground, three of the aliens stood in front of their ship, wearing different headdresses. On the left stood an anthropomorphic jaguar, on the right a tropical bird, and in the center, the face of a serpent ringed with feathers. The humans that had come out to greet or worship them were shorter and stockier than the villagers on the previous page.
Takomi’s face was inches above the page. “I suppose these are Mayans? Maybe Olmec?”
Gideon took a step back from the desk. “Why does my dad have a book about aliens pretending to be gods? What the hell is going on here?”
“That’s what I was about to say.” The new voice made both Gideon and Takomi jump. They looked up to see Commander Devereux scowling at them in the doorway.
“Commander,” said Gideon, nearly stuttering, “we... um…”
Devereux strode forward and reached over the desk, slamming the book shut. “Suits off. Now.”
They took off their suits faster than they ever had in training. Devereux picked up the book and walked over to the shelf, putting it back in its place among the other
“What do you think they are?” asked Takomi.
“I don’t know. They’re all similar, but it looks like they’re from different cultures.”
The next page showed the two hemispheres of Earth. There were no borders or markings of any kind, just green and brown land separated by blue oceans. They looked over it quickly, then turned the page again. This time, they both gasped.
“Is that what I think it is?” whispered Gideon.
“It can’t be. Like you said, this book’s got to be hundreds of years old.”
Laid out before them was another map of two hemispheres with familiar continents. Every aionian on the ship would have recognized it immediately. They were looking at an ancient but precise map of Valkyrie.
For a moment, they stared at the page in silence.
Gideon looked up at Takomi. “What does this mean?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Aren’t there any words in this book at all?”
He turned the page again, and nearly jumped back.
The image was of a savannah dotted by twisting trees. To one side, a walled city stood on a hill looking over the plain. People were streaming out of the gate and looking up. In the sky, the sun glinted off the golden hulls of three strange-looking vessels.
“What is that?” said Takomi in a hoarse whisper. “Are those...”
“Spaceships.” Gideon’s mouth remained wide open as he studied the angular bodies of the craft. Despite their odd appearance, and the fact that they were completely out of place, there was no mistaking what they were. The huge ships hovered over the scene as if they were preparing to touch down on the plain.
Takomi elbowed him, waking him from his stupor. “What’s on the next page?”
He pulled back the page, as if he expected a snake to jump out of the book. The next painting depicted one of the ships suspended above the earth. A broad ramp led from the hull to the ground below. Lean, dark-skinned people gathered to watch three tall figures clad in golden armor step out of the spaceship.
Notwithstanding their immense height, the beings had human proportions. Each one wore a different mask; a jackal, a falcon, and what could have been the Egyptian god Ra. The latter figure held up its hand, and in its palm was the symbol of the arcs that formed a person.
“What is this?” asked Gideon.
Takomi was breathing rapidly. “It looks like the book is trying to tell us that the Egyptian gods were actually aliens.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Well, what else could it be? I’m not saying that the book is right, but that’s what it’s trying to say. And don’t forget we saw Valkyrie on the other page.”
Takomi reached over him and turned the next page. The scene was similar to the previous one, but instead of a savannah, the ships were in a clearing surrounded by lush forests. Stepped pyramids rose from the trees in the background, and in the foreground, three of the aliens stood in front of their ship, wearing different headdresses. On the left stood an anthropomorphic jaguar, on the right a tropical bird, and in the center, the face of a serpent ringed with feathers. The humans that had come out to greet or worship them were shorter and stockier than the villagers on the previous page.
Takomi’s face was inches above the page. “I suppose these are Mayans? Maybe Olmec?”
Gideon took a step back from the desk. “Why does my dad have a book about aliens pretending to be gods? What the hell is going on here?”
“That’s what I was about to say.” The new voice made both Gideon and Takomi jump. They looked up to see Commander Devereux scowling at them in the doorway.
“Commander,” said Gideon, nearly stuttering, “we... um…”
Devereux strode forward and reached over the desk, slamming the book shut. “Suits off. Now.”
They took off their suits faster than they ever had in training. Devereux picked up the book and walked over to the shelf, putting it back in its place among the other
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