Page 54 of Abalim

“That is not allowed!” The image of the Lumarian male grew. “It is forbidden to access the chamber of the gods!” His voice thundered, causing the ground to shake and loose dirt and rocks to fall from the ceiling.

No time to waste. “Hang on, JR15!” Abalim grabbed Lisa’s hand and raced to the empty pod. “Come on, let’s go.”

“HALT! You are not allowed!” The booming hologram expanded until his face filled the room. “You must not go into the banned zone!”

The room shook, causing more debris to fall from the ceiling. Rocks the size of fists rained down.

Putting his free hand up, Abalim created a bubble of protection around them.

“Abominations! How dare you invade this sacred temple!” If a computer-generated hologram could go completely insane with rage, this one did. His incalculable anger shone through with his spitting mouth and bared teeth that matched his flaring nostrils. That and his high-pitched scream said it all.

Somehow, when Abalim created the protective bubble around them, it interrupted the hologram of them being Lumarians. Now their true selves were exposed for all to see. And neither of them had a chance to look anything like the fluid forms of a Lumarian.

While the pod had only been a couple of feet away, it took forever to get there. Maintaining the protective dome, Abalim searched the enclosed mirror-pod for a way to open it. He ran his fingers across the top and the sides. “Are you sure this is where we have to go?” Peering into the clear top, all he saw was the bed where a body would lie. “I don’t see anything…”

JR15 flew off his shoulder and landed on the top right corner of the case. A slim rod from the back of his neck slid out and plunged into the pod. With a click, the clear top rolled back and at the same time, the bedding swung away and exposed an opening.

“I WILL STOP YOU!”

Abalim gaped over his shoulder. The hologram turned into a widened mouth, exposing double rows of sharp fangs with lines of black blood dripping down to the tips. The raining dirt and rocks above them increased with each shake of the ground.

“Quick, go in!” Abalim didn’t wait for Lisa to take the initiative. He shoved her inside as JR15 zoomed in right behind her. He made it through before the bedding door slammed close. Grabbing Lisa into a tight hug, he squeezed his eyes shut and struggled to catch his breath. “Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

She gripped his shirt with clenched fists. “No, no. I-I’m fine.” Her voice was muffled, since her face was mashed against his chest.

She pulled back, and he opened his eyes.

Her clear-blue orbs searched his face. “Are you okay?”

He brushed his hand over the side of her head, smoothing her flyaway blonde hair away from her face. “I’m good.” He took in a deep breath and watched JR15 hovering over his face. “You okay, my friend?”

JR15 wobbled up and down in flight. “Yes, Mister Abalim, sir. If it’s all right with you, I’m going back to my place on your shoulder.”

Abalim smiled at the bot. “Of course.” JR15 zipped to land on his shoulder before scuttling to the nape of his neck.

“Where are we?” Lisa asked.

Good question. Keeping his arms around her, he turned them so they could see where they ended up.

Lisa took a step back and put a hand over her heart to settle the vertigo making her dizzy. Before her was an endless, dimly lit corridor made of some kind of metal. Illuminating the hallway, an embedded light of rich deep red gave it an eerie vibe. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear she was in a large submarine during a red alert.

“Where is that signal for the crystal, JR15?” Abalim’s voice was calm and smooth.

She gripped his forearm, desperate to feel his firm muscles under her fingers.

“This way, Mister Abalim sir.” The bot scuttled from his hiding place and stopped at the edge of Abalim’s shoulder. He spread his iridescent wings and buzzed ahead of them. He only went a short distance before he stopped in front of a closed metal windowless door. “The Lumicor signal is inside there.”

The door looked impenetrable. No doorknob, no latch, or anything that could be used to open it.

“How are we going to get in?” Lisa asked as she ran her hand over the surface. Maybe she’d find something by touch. Like a way out of this creepy place.

“JR15?” Abalim addressed the hovering bot. “Any ideas?”

The little guy’s head bobbed. “I can try to infiltrate the system…”

The bot was interrupted by the door sliding up.

“… or we can just go in.”

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