Chapter 6:
The Primeval Heart
PERCY PICKED OUT A PIECE of chocolate before feeling around for A-Ka’s hand and placing the chocolate in the center of his palm.
“This is for you,” Percy said to A-Ka. “Feiluo gave it to me. It’s very tasty.”
It was with this that A-Ka finally realized something: Percy was blind.
“Are you Feiluo’s son?” A-Ka asked.
“Adopted child. My birth father and mother both died, so Feiluo adopted me.”
“Have you been with him for very long?” A-Ka asked.
“Two years,” Percy said. “Thank you for saving my dad. When I heard headquarters announce that the revolution failed, I thought that he’d died. I never expected that he would still be alive. When he came back, I was so happy I couldn’t speak. I don’t know how I could repay you. Thank you, A-Ka. I…” He paused. “When I first boarded the boat, I wanted to say something, but I thought, since you and your friend separated, you wouldn’t be in a good mood…”
A-Ka could never have imagined that his own careless actions had given this orphan boy, living among the clone army, a ray of sunshine and hope in his dark existence. “You’re welcome.” He began to smile as he pulled Percy into his arms. In that moment, he could almost sense the limitless hope and joy overflowing from Percy’s heart, and this intense surge of warm emotion influenced his own mood, leading him out of his inner turmoil.
The moonlight turned peaceful and serene, and the two youths in the cabin snuggled up against each other. Tired, A-Ka closed his eyes and fell asleep.
On January 15, a typhoon swept over Martha Town. The seawater swirled toward the land, and all the humans waiting for aid on the plains scattered toward the mountains. When the typhoon passed, no one knew how many refugees had died from lack of food, drinking water, and medical aid.
Within the darkness of the storm, a group of people were walking single file along a muddy mountain path. Heishi wore a hooded windbreaker as he stood at the head of the squad. He was on the summit of the mountain. Off in the distance, the sea was vast, with no far shore in sight, and only lightning strikes slashed across the sky, building fragile bridges between the heavens and the earth.
“Heishi!” Feiluo shouted.
Heishi leaped down, rejoining Feiluo and his line of people as they moved forward one step at a time. Feiluo said into his ear, “There won’t be any problems.”
Heishi shook his head. His lips moved a little, but the wind and the thunder drowned out all their voices. Feiluo sidled a little closer to repeat himself. “I said, they’ll definitely arrive safely!”
“I’m not worried about the ship,” Heishi replied. “I’m worried about what happens after those two arrive in the new mainland. That they won’t be able to make a living.”
“They’ll be able to do it.” Feiluo smiled. “My friends will take care of them. A-Ka and Percy will live a comfortable life.”
Heishi nodded. In front, another clone officer turned back and said unhappily, “Lieutenant Colonel Feiluo! Are you sure this is the right place?”
Feiluo called loudly, “We’ll be there soon. Hold out a little longer!”
The wild wind was so strong it seemed like it was trying to blow the squad off the cliff. Before them was the end of the path. Feiluo took a few steps back, roaring, “Open up your hang gliders!”
With this strong tempest, they would certainly be blown into the cliffside by the wind as soon as they opened their hang gliders, shattering all the bones in their bodies. But Feiluo led the way and leaped off, opening his glider with a whoosh. In that short instant, Heishi hesitated, until he also ducked down and dove into the darkness. The violent wind gusting by his ear paused for a beat, and the glider shook open. In the quiet night, he flew toward the distant other edge of the cliff.
They were in a dead wind zone.
Heishi opened his eyes, only to see that Feiluo had lit a fluorescent lamp on the other side of the gorge. A cavern was situated high up on the cliffside.
Five special forces troops protected Heishi as they flew toward the cavern. It wasn’t until they landed solidly on the ground that Heishi breathed out. He folded up the hang glider.
This mountain cave led deep into the darkness. It seemed to have been left unused for many years, yet two guards were stationed outside. When they saw Feiluo, they saluted.
“We’re here. This is the place,” Feiluo told Heishi.
“The Primeval Heart.” Heishi stood in front of a set of doors, lifting his head to look at the strange symbols over the doorway. The center of the doors contained a large chunk of a glowing gem.
“According to the investigations the rebel alliance carried out here,” Feiluo said, “this is a historical relic from almost fifty thousand years ago. No ancient sites predate this one in the entirety of the Astrolabe mainland. Just three thousand years ago, this relic was activated for a short period of time. Our people tried to use explosives to open it, but the door’s material…”
When he got to this point, everything grew quiet. Everyone saw what was strange—there was a small hole in the door that was no more than an inch in diameter. It glowed with light.
“Last time I came, this hole wasn’t there, commander,” a clone said.
“I… I don’t know how it got there,” one of the guards said. “When we were stationed here, the hole was already in the door.”
Heishi asked, “When were you guys stationed here?”
“Three months ago.”
“This isn’t right,” Feiluo murmured. “Who would punch through the main doors here? What is the purpose of making such a small opening?” Feiluo shot Heishi a look of disbelief.
“It was the mechanical life-forms.” Heishi had guessed what Feiluo was thinking. “Before we arrived, robots must have already made it here.”
“But that’s impossible! With the troops standing guard, who could have used a laser to pierce through?” Feiluo said.