The Pilgrimage Ch. 03

Everyone sat in stunned silence for nearly a full minute when Kylie finished speaking. Finally, Morrigan spoke.

"Kylie, Uncle Pete is right, you ARE the best at whatever you try to do! I'm amazed by all that you've done and extremely grateful for your foresight. I promise that your archives chronicling Earth's final days WILL become a mandatory part of every child's education for as long as I live. The recordings will never be edited or cut but will be used exactly as you recorded them. I would like you to make at least a dozen master copies of your archives. I would also like your permission to place a SINGLE copy in an historical archive for safe keeping so that every future generation can benefit from your foresight and wisdom. I would appreciate it if you would do me one more favor. Get a video camera and record your own personal introduction to your archives. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just talk about why you made the recordings, what they mean to you, how you felt at the time, and what you hope each child learns from seeing them. I think that future generations will learn more if they can see and hear the woman who recorded the archives in the first place. It might even help them to see things from your perspective and THAT'S exactly the result I'm hoping for."

"Ya know Morrigan, I've known you since the day you were born. I can't count the number of times you spit up on me, or how many times I changed your diaper as an infant. I watched you take your first steps. I sat in the stands with your mom, cheering until I was hoarse, whenever you ran in a race. You never cease to amaze me. Here you are, barely eighteen, queen and absolute ruler of all that's left of humanity. I'd be terrified. But not you, you handle it with a charm and grace that makes me proud to call you my queen. You glow with an inner strength and courage and project a self-confidence that gives us all hope. I'll never forget you're my queen, but I'll always remember you are that little girl I bounced on my knee, and that courageous young girl I cheered on to victory as she ran her heart out."

"There's nothing I wouldn't have done for you then, and there's nothing I won't do for you now. But right now I have my duties to preform and my free time is limited. I'll make as many copies as you want. But can it wait until we've landed? As far as a video introduction goes, I um... I may not be afraid to scram a reactor, but I'm scared shitless of a camera. Would you um... be there for me... with me, when I do it?"

"Of course I will Kylie. I know how you feel about cameras. I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't willing to go the extra mile with you."

Kylie turned to the Goddess Banba. "My Goddess, since we're all here, perhaps this would be a good time for you to tell Morrigan the whole story behind her becoming our queen and the origins of the Arc."

The Goddess Banba pursed her lips thinking for a moment. "You're right Kylie. The full story behind Morrigan's origins and how all this came about SHOULD be told. But I'm not gonna do it, you are. Since you were chosen to be Morrigan's protector and guide before she was even conceived, you're the only human being who knows the entire story. But I also think everyone on board should hear what you have to tell, not just the people in this room. I release you from your vow of secrecy and soothe your fear of cameras. The cameras are rolling. You may begin whenever you're ready"

Kylie took a deep breath letting it out slowly, then swallowing the lump in her throat, she began. "Good morning. For those of you who don't know me, my name's Kylie McDonald. I guess I've been drafted as ship's historian. I have a story to tell you and I hope you find it as fascinating as I do. I also hope it answers some of your many questions."

"Most of you know the story of the first Tuatha Dé Danann, the people of the Goddess Danu and how they were conquered by the Melesians. For those of you who don't, the information is readily available on the ship's internet. If you get some time, I'd suggest reading about it as it provides some fascinating background."

"What most of you don't realize is that Morrigan's story actually begins in 428 A.D. when Dearbhal, a high priestess to the goddess Banba, tried to warn high king Dathi about a danger to his kingdom. The high king didn't like what he was being told. He became enraged, drew his sword and killed Dearbhal. Cearul, Dearbhal's husband, took his infant daughter and fled to Scotland. Seventeen years later Ashling was the first MacCarthy to make the pilgrimage back to Ireland to honor her murdered mother."

"Dearbhal's murder was a vile, heinous act that enraged many gods and goddesses, and the search began to find a chosen one who could lead humanity to a lasting peace, and ensure that everyone was treated with compassion, understanding, and equality. The search went on for more than fifteen hundred years. It could have gone on much longer. But about thirty years ago, the gods and goddesses realized they were running out of time. Humanity was on a collision course with extinction, and this time, there was nothing they could do to stop it. They began looking for a full blooded descendant of the Tuatha Dé Danann to be the mother of the chosen one. They narrowed their search down to two American women. Both women had all the qualities they were looking for, but only one could be the mother of the chosen one. As luck would have it, my good friend Erin met and married a full blooded Tuatha Dé Danann man named William O'Connor and gave birth to our new queen."

"If you haven't guessed by now, I was the other candidate to become Morrigan's mother. The Goddess Banba blessed me, giving me full knowledge of what was to come. She swore me to secrecy, then gave me the honor of being Morrigan's protector and guide. I knew Bill was an asshole, and that he would be the first domino in a chain leading to Earth's final destruction. It tore me up inside, not being able to say or do anything about it. All I could do was make sure Erin and Morrigan were safe at all times, and yes, I had enough power to make damn sure of it. I couldn't kill the bastard, but I could protect them both from harm. I was the one who nudged Pete into joining the Police force. I also used my powers to convince Erin to buy a weapon and learn how to use it."

"Morrigan's pilgrimage was the only time trying to keep them both safe drove me batty. I arranged for Morrigan to have the penthouse suite at her hotel. I stood by the River Lee and wept as Morrigan nearly skewered herself with the Claiomh Solais. I knew Morrigan's destiny, but that didn't stop my heart from pounding in my chest, or the tears from running down my cheeks. I watched with trepidation as Morrigan threw the Sword of Light back towards the river. Did she just throw her destiny away? When the Sword returned, claiming her as its new owner and confirming her destiny, I nearly screamed with joy! I saw the changes in her as they were taking place. The child was gone and in her place stood my queen. I knew from that point on nothing could ever harm her. She no longer needed my protection."

"But you Erin, your life was still in danger. I opened a portal and returned to America. You don't know it, but I was in the kitchen with you the night Bill went wacky. I pulled the battery from your cell phone and set it on the floor, so that you'd keep your pistol aimed at Bill, and your focus on him until Peter got there. I was on the flight with you to Ireland sitting in an 'unoccupied' seat three rows behind you. I have to admit, I was more than a bit shocked when Morrigan's spirit snatched you off the plane. Once you were gone, I had to laugh. Nobody noticed you were missing. Not even the people sitting on either side of where you had been sitting. I knew when you were both safely at Brianna's farm."

"I didn't even get time to breathe a sigh of relief though. I was whisked off that plane the same way Erin was. I found myself in an underground bunker with a whole bunch of people including almost everyone in this room. We split up into teams. One headed by The Dagda and Pete. Another headed by Danu and Joe Thompson. A third lead by Brigit and Gael, and a final team led by Lugh and myself. Together, we came up with a rough outline of the Arc. Trust me, the Arc we're all on now, is a lot different than that first rough shell the teams boarded almost a month ago. She's undergone several major revisions and countless minor ones since then. She was christened 'NASA'S WET DREAM' and believe me, she deserves it. She's the ultimate colonizing vessel. There isn't a single part of her that doesn't serve the dual purpose of getting us where we're going, and meeting our survival needs once we're there."

"Speaking of our arrival, there's something I haven't had a chance to discuss with anyone but Lugh, so everyone will be hearing this for the first time. I've run dozens of computer simulations of getting the individual units on the ground using each of our current landing methods. I don't like the results at all. The best I've been able to achieve is a three percent loss. To me, that's three percent too much. Lugh's suggestion is to have the Goddesses Banba, Brigit, and Danu use their powers to magically land the units. If we mark the spots where we want each unit to land beforehand, they can set each unit in its correct landing spot with absolutely no danger. Once everything is mapped and marked, the landing process itself should take all of about five minutes. That's all I have to share with you right now. I hope you'll understand that I prefer to talk with Morrigan and her family before delving any further into their private lives."

Once the cameras were off Erin said, "I'm so sorry Kylie. I didn't know."

"Stop right there Erin. There's nothing for you to be sorry about. You weren't SUPPOSED to know. Besides, the way I see it, I'm as lucky as you are. Yes, you gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who's grown into an amazing woman. But you also got stuck with an asshole for a husband. Meanwhile, I got to protect you without having to explain how or why. I also got to be there for you both. Although sometimes you didn't even know it. I got to spoil Morrigan rotten, and then send her home to mommy at the end of the day. I can actually count on one hand the number of times I had to say 'no' to Morrigan. I got to watch her grow up. I was right there with you for all of her 'firsts'. You and I are closer than any two sisters I've ever known. On top of that, you and your family have enriched my life in ways I can't even begin to describe. I'd say you and I are pretty even in the luck department. Wouldn't you?"

"Weeeellll, when ya put it THAT way," Erin giggled.

"All right you two, enough already." Morrigan said. "I'm the lucky one. I've got two mothers instead of one and I love them both dearly! Now, can we get back to work please? Goddess Banba, would it be possible for you to show us a real time image of Erie?"

"I could do that without a problem, my child. But, it wouldn't be as good as the image you could project. Remember what Danu told you? You ARE Erie. Just close your eyes and focus on Erie, then open them and project that image anywhere you want."

Morrigan quickly scanned the room. She realized that the breakfast buffet had disappeared and the only things left were the table and the chairs they all sat in. She closed her eyes for a minute or so then opened them projecting an image of Erie in the center of the room. It stood six inches above the floor and hung six inches from the eight foot high ceiling. She stood walking around the slowly rotating image. "WOW! THAT'S AMAZING!! Wait a minute... what's this continent doing here my goddess? I thought you said that Erie was exactly like Earth."

"No, I said 'Earth like', you were one who said 'exactly like'. But it doesn't matter either way, both are correct. Erie IS exactly like Earth WAS, about five thousand years ago, except there are no people on her yet. The continent you're looking at was called Atlantis. It broke up and sank during a major battle between the Olympians and the Titans."

Morrigan spun the image around until the continent was facing the table then froze it. "It's strange. This continent is half way between the hemispheres and its center lies exactly on Erie's equator. It's about 2 thousand miles north to south and fifteen hundred miles east to west."

She expanded the image of the continent floor to ceiling while removing the image of the rest of the planet. After studying the continent for several minutes, she pointed to an area almost dead center of the west coast. "I think we've found our landing site. This appears to be a deep water channel about two miles long curving from south to east, and leading into a natural deep water harbor. The plains around the harbor extend for hundreds of miles east, north, and south. They're fairly flat with an abundance of game. There's a good sized lake about five miles due east of the harbor. There are two smaller lakes close by. One about ten miles south of the harbor and another about twelve miles north east. In addition to that, there are about a dozen small rivers that feed into the lakes. If we extend the city in an arc north, east, and south between the lakes and place the farms on the other side, I think we'd be in pretty good shape."

While Morrigan was talking, Pete had quietly passed the word to have Mark Henning report to the conference room. When Morrigan finished talking she turned around. Noticing another person in the room, she gave Pete a quizzical look.

Pete stood walking over to Morrigan. "Morrigan, this is Mark Henning. He's a city architect and a civil engineer. I asked him to come up here so that he could hear your ideas and help you in any way he could."

"Hello Mark, it's nice to meet you." Morrigan held out her hand for Mark to shake, then tipped her head towards the continent. "So what do you think? Will my ideas work?"

"It's great to meet you too Morrigan. I think if I were looking for a place to put a large city, I'd pick the same area. You might consider curving the ends of your north and south arcs a bit more to the west so that they'd have easier access to the beaches and you'd probably be better off spreading out your farms a bit more to take advantage of those streams and rivers. Other than that, let me know if you ever get tired of being my queen. I'd hire you as a city planner any day."

Morrigan giggled, blushing at the compliment. "Thanks Mark, but I think you're stuck with me as your queen permanently." She looked over at the Goddess Banba, unspoken communication passing quickly back and forth between them. A wireless keyboard and mouse appeared in her hands along with a copy of the data sheets she asked for earlier. "Okay Mark, you know what I want and how I want it. Think you can plan it out in a week?"

Mark chuckled softly. "I don't know Morrigan. All I can promise is I'll do my best." He set the keyboard and mouse on the table as he glanced through the data sheets. "Holy shit! Is this data accurate?"

"My uncle asked the same question Mark," Morrigan laughed. "Yes, it's as accurate as it gets."

"Do you mind if I work with Adam and Rose on this, and is it okay to assign a specific location to each family? That way we can set private homes down in one location and develop separate business and government districts."

"That's fine Mark. I don't care how you get the job done, that's up to you. I know it'll make Rose and Adam's jobs a whole lot easier too. I've tied that image into the ship's main computer along with the keyboard and mouse I gave you. The icons for the editing software will display up the left side of the continent when you activate either the keyboard or the mouse. It's standard city planning software so it's something you should already be familiar with. Both the image and the software are available for download on the ships main computer. You can either sit here and do your editing or work in the comfort of your quarters. Only one of you can be logged on to the actual image at any given time so you'll have to work that out between the three of you."

"Thanks Morrigan. We'll probably work right here. That way we won't be tripping over each other."

"All right everyone, you all have your assignments. It's lunchtime and I'm done in here for today. Megan, you're with me. Everyone else, grab some lunch before you get too busy to eat."

Aileen, Kelli, and Ashling, knew that Morrigan planned on going over some of Megan's duties with her during lunch so the three of them wandered off to a recreation area to get a little exercise.

Once inside her quarters, Morrigan plopped down on the sofa patting the seat beside her. "Ah, alone at last," she giggled. "What would you like for lunch Megan?"

"You're gonna make me some lunch? That's not how it's supposed to work Morrigan. I'm your P.A. I'm supposed to fix YOUR lunch!" Megan exclaimed.

"Oh hush, hot stuff. In here I'm not your queen I'm your friend."

Megan threw her hands up in the air giggling. "Okay, okay, you win. Anything will be fine as long as it includes a nice, cold drink. My throat is as dry as a bone."

"How about a couple of cold meat sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, and mayo along with a nice tall glass of cola on ice?"

"Sounds great. But at least let me help."

"Okay, you can pour the colas while I slap the sandwiches together."

As they sat munching on lunch Megan said, "I thought we were gonna discuss some of my duties as your P.A."

"Later. Right now I just wanna eat, relax, and unwind while I enjoy your company. Okay?"

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Megan, the reason I asked you to be my P. A. is because we have a unique closeness. When you were in that hospital bed you could see into my mind, heart, and soul just like I could yours. What we shared that day was both dramatic and very special. Even my mother doesn't know me half as good as you do. The very fact that you had to ask that question tells me I'm doing something wrong."

"You're not doing anything wrong Morrigan. In fact, as far as I can see, you're doing everything right. It's just that I'm... um... well I guess I'm a little confused."

"About what?"

"I... um... I don't know how I'm supposed to act around you. Am I your P.A. and you my queen? Or am I supposed to be your friend and confidant?"

"Why not be both? I need your help more than you realize Megan. I um... I've become an extremely powerful being. I'm not a goddess by any measure, but I'm not exactly human anymore either. I don't even know WHAT I am for heaven's sake. I need someone who knows me inside out. Someone I can trust to be a bridge between whatever the FUCK I am now and the girl that I used to be. I really need you to be strong enough to get up in my face and scream at me. Tell me when I'm doing something the old 'Lady Banba' would never do. Tell me to 'knock the shit off Morrigan'. Please help me Megan, I'm so afraid of screwing up and hurting people."

"Gods Morrigan, you REALLY are a mess inside aren't you? You're right, I do know the real you, and I can tell you without a single doubt, I'm looking at her right now. You had sex with a man last night and your powers aren't virginity locked anymore, are they? It's all those new powers that have got you so bent out of shape, isn't it? Who else knows about this?"

"Yeah, I um... I had a one night stand with one of Aphrodite's priests last night. The minute he popped my cherry, it was like boom...all these new powers were there. Then he um... he came...you know, um...inside me and zap they all activated. It first it was like, oh wow, cool, but then the more I looked at what I could do the more scared I became. I told the Goddess Banba about how I felt this morning. She told me my being scared of my power was a good thing and if I ever stopped being scared, she'd probably have to kill me. She's the only other one that knows about it and she's probably gonna be pissed that I told you."