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Marlena moved into the dark interior of the room.
She saw several monitors glowing in the dimness, and the people sitting in front of the monitors were staring at the pictures on their screens.
"Hello, Marlena," a voice said.
Marlena saw Balthazar sitting in a chair behind the people looking at the screens. His eyes glinted in the light, and he smiled.
"I'm sorry. I should have checked on you. How's it going? Did you get that communicator working?"
"No," Marlena said, "I don't think I can fix it with the tools I have here."
Balthazar stood from his chair. "Let's talk in a more secure place."
He turned and opened another doorway on the right, leading to a different area of the shelter. The lights were bright and blinded her a little. They walked out into a hallway that was designed in different colors from the other areas. It had a metal gray hue, and she knew they were walking in a secret area.
"Balthazar, is this section only for authorized personnel."
"Yes," he said, "in a manner of speaking. Only Beth and I have been to this section. We have backups of the Illuminati archives on computer and books. I wanted to show you something."
They moved into a large warehouse section.
"So," Marlena said, "you lied to us about how many people can be housed here."
"Not really," Balthazar said. "Most of this space is for storage, and not suitable for living."
Marlena shook her head. "What do you want to show me?"
"It's over here."
He stopped at a black box. It was sat next to other, brown boxes, but it looked different. There was a lock attached to it and the black storage box was thicker.
Balthazar took a set of metal keys from his pocket. He looked through the keys and found one that was long and ancient looking. He placed it in the circular metal hole and turned. The lid opened, and sat on a plush cushion was a long white crystal.
She instantly knew what it was when she saw, it and she was astonished.
Balthazar said, "The Illuminati has not been in contact with the High Council on the Hive for decades. I have never used it. But as one of the leaders of the Illuminati, I knew where it was. Can you use it?"
"It’s a glimmer stone, but I think it’s only tuned in to the High Council," she said.
Balthazar was about to close the lid.
"Wait," she said. "Let me try. I can try to use the crystal to boost my magic."
"Okayay," Balthazar said, "but don't let the others see it."
"I can hide things," she said, and pointed to the Amulet around her neck.
He nodded and bent down, took the white crystal from its holding place, and gave it to Marlena. She touched it, and felt a shot of power course through her hand and into her arm.
"Are you okay?" Balthazar asked.
"I'm fine. I felt magic coming from the crystal when I touched it."
"I didn't feel anything. I think it recognizes you. Do you want to try to use it now?"
Marlena stepped back and looked around the room. "I guess so. But I’m a little scared. The last time I tried to cast a communication spell to talk to Merlin, the Vvong Queen heard me and took over. She nearly destroyed my father's ship."
"It is only us here in this room. I don't think anything will happen. Besides, I have a gun if she tries anything."
Marlena smirked at him. A hand pistol would do nothing to the Vvong Queen. She was immeasurably powerful. Her powers, as Marlena recalled, dwarfed the Alpha’s combined magic. Yet, she knew that right now was the best time to try. She needed to do something.
"Okayay," Marlena said. "We need an empty place without any boxes.”
"Yes, I have another room," he said, and nodded.
He showed her to an adjacent open space. It was a large, dark and cavernous room, the walls a metal gray and smelt like stone. Balthazar touched a switch and two bright lights turned on.
"This is perfect."
Walking into the room she felt the essence of magic pulsating from the ground itself. The white crystal in her hands responded, and started to feel warm to the touch. She stopped in the middle of the interior.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked.
"Nothing, but if something happens, I want you to get me out of my trance," Marlena said.
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"You’ll think of something. Now, I need to prepare."
Marlena held the white crystal in both hands. Focusing her willpower, she absorbed the power of the crystal into her body and mind. She closed her eyes and envisioned her father, the Captain of the Sentinel, the Great War hero who helped the magical races fight against the barbarian aliens. She knew how he smelled and how he looked. She kept that image in her mind.
"Father, can you hear me? Father?"
The crystal in her hand started to glow, and she saw images float before her. The crystal started to home in on the Hive. She needed to divert the magic to finding her father, and not talk to the Hive. Yet she couldn't control it. The crystal flared, and then brightened. The scene before her changed. It was an interior of a room. Then she realized the crystal was being directed by somebody else.
"Merlin, are you doing this?"
"No, it is me, Lazarus."
"Where are you?" Marlena asked.
"I'm trapped inside a crystal," he said.
"I’ll get you out."
"No, I feel that we are encased in this crystal for some reason. I want to show you something."
Marlena wanted to ask him more questions, but the scene before her changed yet again. She was now looking at Duke Volterus. He was second in command of the High Council, and brother to the Elf Queen. She’d recognize him anywhere. His tall elven figure was regal and imposing. She remembered her father telling her that it was Duke Volterus who opposed her mom and him to marry. Yet, when Marlena saw the Duke, he was polite to her.
Duke Volterus couldn't see her. He was walking along a lavish hallway. She knew it was his mansion in the Hive she was looking at. Duke Volterus moved with purpose. He started down the steps into the bottom-dwelling of his house. Marlena always thought his house was too big for one person, especially in a space station that only had just enough room to house all the magical races.
Marlena didn't notice the Duke was holding a cylindrical container in his hand. It wasn’t a drink, because it was closed on both ends. He was muttering something odd. "Yes, Queen Morgana. I'm doing it. I will take them down."
Then a light illuminated the Duke’s face. He was not himself. He looked feverish and sick. His skin looked pale and shallow. Duke Volterus entered the basement of his home. The lights were very bright. A pipe was open at the far corner of the room. Marlena saw water gushing through the pipe.
Duke Volterus held the canister in his hand and popped the top off. A greenish, sickly light came from within the container. It made the Duke’s facial features look predatory and monstrous. He poured the green liquid into the pipe.
Marlena said, "No!"
She knew instantly what the greenish liquid was. It was the disease that was afflicting her mom and the people of the magical race.
Duke Volterus whirled around. "Who's there? I can feel you looking at me. Ah, it's you, Marlena, the hybrid."
Marlena was stunned. She couldn't say anything.
"Yes," Duke Volterus said. "It’s me who’s been poisoning the Elves and the magical races. I will rule over you. Morgana has promised me."
"No, you will never rule," Marlena said.
"Ah, the hybrid can talk."
"Why did you do this?" she asked. Marlena couldn't believe Duke Volterus would betray them.
"You and your kind do not understand. The Elves should be a pure race and should rule the universe. The Trolls and Dwarves should never have come with us."
He bent down and finished pouring the rest of the liquid.
"Duke Volterus," Marlena said, "you don't understand what you’re doing. You need to stop."
"You're the one who doesn't understand. Do you know what evolution is, Marlena?"
"I don't understand why you are talking."
"The Vvong are the extension of us. Now, this conversation is over. I have things to do."
The scene changed again, and she saw an interior of a ship. Her father's face floated before her.
"Father?"
