Chapter CHAPTER XXVI—INDIGENOUS INSCRUTABILITY

“Monte Albán is one of the earliest known pre-Colombian civilizations in Mesoamerica. It served as the center of the Zapotec empire for nearly one thousand years. The ancient people that built the city all but vanished, abandoning the site before 800 A.D.,” Ary spoke in a low, insidious tone that oozed ancient mystery.

There were times when I forgot that Yesenia Arelys Flores Mansi, my longest-standing best friend, was a serious academic, highly respected in her field of study. To me, she would always be Ary, my oldest friend and spiritual sister.

She had written numerous white-papers and magazine articles divulging the intricacies of the lands, native inhabitants, and cultures of Mesoamerica, specifically Southern Mexico. She brought many American and European readers to places that they may never see in their lifetime. She was superb at her job and passionate about her subject matter. I learned so much about my father’s homeland from her which made our friendship that much more valuable to me.

Ary was not only good to me, she was good to the planet. She supported Fair Trade, Organic, Non-GMO, cruelty-free, local, and green businesses with every purchase. Unlike me, she had spent a major part of the last ten years of her life in the field, boots on the ground. Every couple of years or so, she would take time off to teach in the United States.

She constantly invited me to explore the ancient world with her, but I never had, not until now.

“Somewhat outside the world of academia,” she continued ominously, “there are rumors that the indigenous people of Mexico are direct descendants of the Cloud or Sky People.”

“All of them of children of extra-terrestrials?” I asked, my interest finally piqued.

“Or inter-dimensional beings—” added Iris.

“The belief was that the ancestors of the kings and queens, specifically, were not of this world,” Ary clarified.

“In ancient days? How could that be?” I asked skeptically.

“Just as you came to be, Kaya,” answered Iris with a smug grin.

I stared at her dumbfounded. Leave it to Iris to point out the elephant in the room.

“But—” I began to interject.

“But what?” cheeped Iris in a tone daring me to object further.

“But—I’m modern.” I challenged in a stubborn tone. “You know—a recent development.”

I lost logical ground in my own mind, let alone hers, as I contemplated the meaning of my words. Her response was a bewildered look that oozed concern for my mental wellbeing.

“If it could happen in the recent past,” Ary deduced, “It could happen then. Why not?

“The Zapotecs and other indigenous groups, isolated by distance and years from the ‘civilized world’, were far ahead of their time by all accounts. Case and point, there’s an observatory at Monte Albán that was built over two thousand years ago.”

“What do you mean there’s a 2,000 year old ‘observatory’?” I asked incredulously.

“I mean they built a building for the sole purpose of monitoring the heavens!” Ary expounded with patience.

“How could anyone possibly tell that?” I questioned skeptically.

“The reasons are endless. Firstly, Monte Albán was built on a hilltop—and not just any hilltop. The hilltop was artificially flattened by the builders, and it’s perfectly level.

“Secondly, ‘The Observatory’, also known as Building J, is one of the oldest buildings there. Thirdly, it sits at a 45º angle to all the other buildings that were built around it. It faces southwest as opposed the north and south like the others.

“Thirdly and in contrast to Eurocentric beliefs, the Greek astronomer Ptolemy, who is credited with the constellation Auriga’s discovery, was 2,000 years behind the builders at Monte Albán. The pentagonal shape of the Observatory matches the alignment of the Auriga constellation perfectly.

“And if that wasn’t enough, the builders added a hallway that allows the light from the rising sun to shine through it on the first solar zenith passage. The sunlight fills the hallway every year on this particular day. Also—”

“Okay, okay, Professor Mansi—I get it. It’s an oddly unique old building.”

“Also—” she continued as if I had not interrupted her, “Astronomy aside—you will find this tidbit of information particularly interesting, Kaya—”

“Go ahead—” I conceded.

“The Zapotecs of Monte Albán knew how to perform craniectomies.”

“No way! Seriously?”

“Archaeologists have excavated skulls with missing bone flaps and proved that the flaps had been removed prior to the death of the individuals.”

“How many skulls did they find like that?” I asked alarmed.

“I don’t know the exact number, but there were many.”

“But why? How did they know what they were doing?”

“According to legend, the doctors of the time tried to release evil spirits trapped inside the patients’ heads.”

“And who placed the evil spirits there?”

“An unknown assailant.”

“If I was in ancient times, that’s exactly what I would think. A subdural hematoma would feel evil to the person who’s brain felt ready to explode—” I whispered more to myself than to Ary and Iris.

I stared at my former roommate for a long while, amazed and stunned. This story sounded a lot like the ‘disease’ that had shaken Miami to its core before my exile.

“General Hayami,” I muttered. “She—she was here before. In freaking 500 B.C.—”

“We don’t know that Kaya,” said Ary softly, but unsure herself, “But the situation does seem eerily similar to what I read in the Miami Herald and what you all told me about her.”

“It could not have been General Hayami,” said Iris definitively before we could ponder on the matter any further.

I looked at her with doubt in my eyes. I wanted to believe her for my own sanity’s sake, but the evidence compelled me to think contrary to her statement.

Iris could sense the panic rise inside me, and I could feel that she did not share my fears. I could also feel something she tried to suppress.

“The Zux vessel arrived in this solar system along with ours after being impacted by a black hole—a cosmic rip in the fabric of space-time set forth by the destruction of our home planet by an immeasurable cosmic force.

“Some in our party believe that this ‘demotion’ to the third dimension is punishment for disobeying the laws of our genus.”

“And what do you believe?” I asked with batted breath.

“I believe we were sent here to save your kind, to help those worthy among you to ascend to the next dimension—and in turn we will save ourselves.”

No one spoke as we all considered this possibility.

“We’re here,” declared Ary, as she slowed and put the car in park.

A medium-height, young man with a likable face stood beside an old pick-up in the dark. I knew him to be Norberto del Fina, Ary’s boyfriend and local cognoscenti of Monte Albán and all things ancient in the region. Though his formal studies were in physics, his heart laid in archeology and anthropology.

Ary smiled from ear to ear when their eyes met.

Norberto could not see us inside the car with no lights turned on, but Ary looked directly into his eyes with the help of the night-vision contacts. Her emotions ranged from elated to worried, but they existed within her as vast and deep as the cosmos.

I could sense that he felt the same way about her as he waited anxiously in the dark parking lot. Their love for one another soothed my aching heart. A combination of longing, admiration, respect, trust, loyalty, and even a little lust, their feelings for one another were genuine and mutually exclusive.

As I stepped out of the car, the crisp mountain breeze caressed my face. I looked all around me, but from the parking lot, there was not much to see. A vast high ground lay ahead of us, dark and looming.

Norberto explained that we must travel in darkness due to the twenty-four hour security guards present. Some theft in the past had necessitated that Monte Albán was never left unprotected. Normally, I would have found that fact comforting, but we were the bandits this night.

We climbed up a steep hill, avoiding the well-traveled and paved tourist trails. Once at the top of the mound, my eyes took in the vast ancient complex. There were pyramids, tombs, a ball-court, and the Observatory. The odd-shaped building stood out indeed, a unique structure of its own architectural merit.

Though I did not know what all the buildings were at the time, the ancient sight inspired amazement.

Thanks to our Veex ocular enhancements, Ary and I could see everything as Iris did. Norberto had to use a flashlight, but could only do so sparingly. He grew suspicious of the ease to which we traveled without artificial light, but we ensured him that his superb guidance was unmatched.

He did not question us further.

As we approached our destination, I noticed a grand structure on the far side of the archeological site. It had a pyramidal shape with an abrupt flat top and stairs on its face. It resembled the “unfinished” pyramid on the back of the American dollar without the floating eye inside the triangle above the main structure. I had no idea that there were pyramids any place other than the North African country of Egypt. Its existence perplexed me, but there was no time to ask for a history lesson.

Sneaking around in the dark, Norberto led us to the oldest building on-site, The Gallery of the Dancers or Los Danzantes. The dancers sounded like a happy bunch, but in reality they were a band of ancient misfits carved in stone, distorted and disfigured individuals surrounded by indecipherable symbols.

“Why are these artifacts so important?” I whispered, a chill running down my back at the sight of unfortunate ancients.

“You wanted to know if there had been any unusual activity here recently,” Norberto whispered back just loud enough for us all to hear him.

“Yes, precisely,” chirped Iris sharply.

One of the guards is my cousin,” he continued, “They saw some people here a couple of nights ago examining Los Danzantes. They came in the middle of the night, but were not trying to hide or sneak around at all.”

“Who were the people?” Ary asked in a low tone.

“Very strange trespassers. When they were confronted by the guards, they attacked.”

Ary and I took in shocked breaths. Iris did not seem surprised in the least.

This—” he hesitated, “this was no normal attack.” His voice faltered. He cleared his throat and continued. “Only one man lived to tell what happened, my cousin Earnesto.

“He said that there were three male attackers, one man shook the Earth, another created great winds, and the last could actually breathe fire. There was also a woman. That fornicator killed a man with a single embrace! Her victim ended up just like my father, dead as soon as he hit the group.”

“Oh, Norberto!” breathed Ary heartbroken.

With my night vision, I saw the moisture start to build in the corners of her eyes.

“I think she killed mi Papí, Ary,” he sobbed.

It was all he could do to control his tears now. Ary put her arms around him and he buried his face in her shoulders. He sobbed silently for a while as I watched his shoulders tremor and felt the aching of his loss in my heart. He had loved his father very much.

I turned to Iris and said, “What do you think, General Iris?” It felt natural to use her title in our current situation. We were definitely at war with the Zux now.

“The Zux are up to something,” Iris informed us in a low voice. “And I don’t like it one bit. There are more and more of them coming out of their vessel each time which is concerning to me. It is only a matter of time before they try to erect an army of like-minded individuals.”

“Who would they recruit to do their bidding?” I questioned, hesitant to know the answer to my own question.

“I’m sure they would start with some of the other non-Earth-Human inhabitants of this planet.”

Ary gasped and held on tight to Norberto.

“I know of the Zux your friend described,” Iris continued in a whisper. “Fetu can move earth at will. He is and expert at finding rare and/or useful minerals for the Zux to exploit. Who knows why he was here. Vadim is the wind master. He is also their equivalent of an astrophysicist. He most likely was here to examine the Observatory. Commander Yuda, or as Kaya calls him—the fire demon, is their leader. General Hayami is the woman, of course, his ‘muscle’ and his ‘right-hand’ in Earthling terms.”

Norberto lifted his head at the mention of General Hayami. He lifted his head up from Ary’s shoulder and faced us. “I will that bruja! If I die trying, no me importa. Pero, I kill her!” He hardly whispered now.

We all stood still contemplating his half-English, half-Spanish words. I was not fluent in Spanish like Ary, but I was from Miami where Spanglish was a nearly official language. I understood what he meant, but I was not so sure about Iris. It was of little consequence. His message would feel clear enough to her with or without the translation of his words.

Ary gently laid a hand on Norberto’s shoulder, hoping to bring him some solace. The gesture had little effect.

“You may not know who we are, Norberto,” started Iris, “But my comrades and I will do whatever we can to avenge the death of your father and the other innocent humans who have passed into the essence as a result of this killer’s wrongdoing. It is also a crime where we are from to kill without cause.”

“Do what you can about the others, but I will kill the the witch myself,” Norberto promised.

No more was said on the matter in front of Norberto.

“Norberto, were those four the only ones present that night,” asked Iris with purpose.

“Yes. I think so,” he answered, “Pero, I’ve just remembered something my cousin said! He told me that there was a smaller person with them—an older child maybe.”

“Que?” I exclaimed. Now I was the one who barely whispered in Spanish.

“Sí. He would have been eleven or twelve maybe.”

“Dios mío!” exclaimed Ary understanding my shock.

I let out a groan and grabbed my knees.

I told myself.

“What was he doing with them?” questioned Iris calmly.

“No se,” answered Norberto, eying me curiously, “but Earnesto said he was standing in front of this particular stone the whole time the people were here.”

He led us over to the Danzante his cousin had referenced.

“Maybe I can try and gleam some information from the stone,” breathed Ary in her academic tone.

We crept over the roped partition towards the large, carved stones, as my heart began to race with anticipation. When we arrived at the artifact in question, Ary reached out her hand and touched the face of the stone.

What happened next transpired in a quick and astonishing second.

Ary dropped to her knees muffling her own moans with her free hand. Her other hand remained pressed firmly against the stone she had reached out for just three seconds earlier. Her eyelids fluttered like hummingbird wings as she started to wobble, unstable. We all rushed to her side.

“Ary! Ary!” I pleaded in a harsh whisper.

“Yesenia, mi amor!” murmured Norberto urgently at the same time.

“Both of you step back,” commanded Iris with an authoritative whisper.

Cradling the back of Ary’s head with one hand, Iris pulled Ary’s hand from the stone then took out her AABA. She laid Ary carefully on the ground, and inserted the AABA into her facial orifices. Ary quickly came to her senses shortly thereafter and sat up.

“What just happen?” I asked breathlessly.

“What did you see?” Iris posed simultaneously, her hand extended to remove the AABA device. I did not understand her question, but Ary did.

“I saw JJ,” she breathed. Although she answered Iris’s question, she looked intently into my eyes. She felt so remorseful, so apologetic towards me that I scarcely knew what to think. “He was here two nights ago—with the Zux,” she said to me regretfully.

“Doing what?” I asked. “And how—how did you see him?”

“He was as clear to me as you are right now,” she explained in a spacey tone. “He touched this exact stone two nights ago, before that Commander Yuda and General Hayami attacked us at El Tempo de Santo Domingo. He tried to read it for them.”

“What do you mean?”

I finally examined the artifact for myself. It existed as one of many carved in stones in the area. Engraved on the stone’s surface, there was the image of a woman giving birth to a breach baby while standing up. The baby’s arms were strange, each one resembling a pair of ribboned swirls. The woman had an unknown symbol on her chest and another in front of her face.

“This woman died giving birth to this infant. She was a Veex and he was a Veex-Human hybrid with the ability to control water,” Ary spoke in a mystified tone.

“How could you possibly know that?” I asked astonished.

I did not know what else to say.

It was Iris who answered me. “Because she has the ability to see what others have already seen through her touch. It is as I feared from the moment you told me about her.” She turned to Ary and said, “Yesenia, you are a Veex Huzeen as well.”

“What does that mean?” inquired Norberto, finally finding his voice again.

“It means we can no longer be together.” She told him, tears streaming down her face. “I will leave tonight with the Sky People and never come back.”