Dominique stares at the image on screen. ‘What’s happening?’

‘Someone’s stabilizing the wormhole, preventing its gravitational field from collapsing.’

‘The Guardian?’

‘Let’s hope. Computer, establish orbit around the planet’s larger moon. Prepare an escape pod to take us to the lunar surface.’

37

ABOARD THE BALAM’S ESCAPE POD

The twenty-seven-foot escape pod circles the lunar base, then descends to what appears to be a docking berth.

Jacob clutches his head, his eyes squeezed shut.

‘Jake, what’s wrong?’

‘Voices … so many voices … probing my mind telepathically—’

A written message appears across the pod’s main viewing screen.

WELCOME HOME.

The pod touches down with a hiss. Alien hydraulics rotate the vessel into position.

Without warning, the entire landing pad and escape pod plummet hundreds of feet below the surface.

Dominique grips her seat, her stomach jumping with the sudden descent, then they are slowing, braking on a cushion of air.

The pod’s outer hatch yawns open, revealing a massive subterranean facility.

Standing before them in absolute silence are hundreds of humanoids, seven feet tall, all possessing silky white hair, bright azure-blue eyes, and elongated skulls.

Jacob and his mother are escorted down a long corridor to a private chamber. Waiting for them inside are three Guardian elders. Two are males, possessing white hair and matching silky beards. The female’s hair is also snow white, her luminescent eyes holding a maternal quality. All three are wearing skintight biopneumatic bodysuits, entwined with biochemical capillary-like vessels pulsating with energy.

The older of the two males, dressed in a black bodysuit, speaks aloud, solely for Dominique’s benefit.

‘I represent First Clan.’

The women, wearing gray, states, ‘I represent Second Clan.’

The younger male, in a white jumpsuit, steps forward. ‘I represent Third Clan. It is an honor to meet you, First-Mother, though your presence was not anticipated.’

‘Who are you?’

The younger male holds up two fingers. Balanced on each fingertip is a dime-sized, paper-thin device. ‘These are bionetic implants. All you wish to know will be downloaded.’

Before Dominique can object, the younger male touches the device to her left temple—

—inhaling her consciousness into darkness.

Where is Immanuel?

He refused to join me.

Illogical. He was programmed to be here.

The Hunahpu gene remained dormant for too long. He possessed free will.

You cannot succeed without him.

My father will assist me.

Your father is lost.

Dominique forces open a heavy eye.

She is lying on a free-floating couch, the room spinning in her head. The three bizarre-looking humanoids are standing before Jacob, their eyes closed as they communicate with him telepathically.

‘Speak out loud!’

They turn slowly to face her, their glowing eyes now open.

‘Who are—’ As her lips purse to form the words of her first question, a wave of information instantaneously washes over her mind.