The Fifth Era of Man by Joshua Banker

Author:Joshua Banker [Banker, Joshua]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-03-20T07:00:00+00:00

Beyond the towering guardians that welcomed them, Peter saw no unique sculpture or artistry. The architectural choices present hinted that the location had not been intended for public use. As best as he could determine, it was an installation for a specific purpose, be it military or administrative.

Already tired from the long day of travel, Peter’s feet began to drag as they continued. The path had stretched two miles before a destination came into view. In the distance, he could make out a lone archway in the far wall.

Once through the doorway, Peter hesitated; the path broke off in opposite directions. To their left was a meeting chamber that featured a steel-framed, u-shaped table with a marble top. After a moment, Peter felt an absence by his side; Prae had already guided the others to the right and descended a circular staircase.

With a hand against the railing, Peter hurried down the concrete steps. At the bottom of the stairwell was a corridor, roughly fifty yards in length, which led directly to a lone room. There were no other doorways. The lack of ornamentation or artistry gave him an uneasy feeling.

“We’ve arrived,” Prae announced as she looked over her shoulder.

“The Repository?”

She nodded once before entering. Through the doorless entrance they followed her, coming to a stop only a few steps inside. Prae strode across the chamber until she reached a massive control center along the far wall. Metal-covered consoles featuring angular desktops in a curious juxtaposition were connected to one another via wires and bronze-coated tubing.

A faint pulse of illumination, soft and cold in hue, began to throb from the creases where the walls met the ceiling. As this light grew in intensity, they noticed four metallic structures arranged like step pyramids, each of which stood almost ten feet in height and occupied the four corners of the room. Except for a metal chair beside the central console, there was no sign that the chamber had seen use. Both ceiling and floor were flat, unbroken surfaces that lacked detail. In all the years that Peter had studied ancient locations of one kind or another, the distinct lack of ornamentation struck him as strange, almost off-putting.

Mounted above the complex machinery was a slab of matte black stone enclosed in a thin alloy frame. Across the face of the obsidian board were a series of pinprick holes, arranged in staggered rows from end to end.

Prae dragged the chair to the console as she sat down. Without a word, she swept both palms across the surfaces. For a second, nothing reacted. Prae’s countenance never wavered. After she repeated the motion, a flicker of red brushed her hands and the device sprang to life, rattled from slumber.

As a series of light formations flashed, Peter held up a defensive hand over his eyes. Once his vision adjusted, he recognized familiar forms in the configurations. Across the desktop was a pair of matching keyboards and row upon row of toggle switches and buttons composed of warm colors.

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