The Atirath looked even more imposing the night. The giant dome gleamed in the moonlight, the shadows the darkness making the apex appear miles away. They ran to the entrance and found the gate to be locked. There was a small square copper plate, a about a foot on each side, hung around the lock by a thin metal chain. Even in the darkness they could make out a complex geometric pattern, looking roughly like a twelve sided star, engraved on the plate.
“What is it?” asked Suneeti.
“It’s a tantrik yantra,” replied Karnak, “it is here to prevent anybody from trespassing. I can take care of it, but if I break it, it will immediately alert the tantrik who put it here. But I don’t think we have much choice.”
Karnak held the plate in both hands and began muttering to himself. Gradually his voice became louder until it actually hurt Suneeti inside her skull. Karnak’s hands crackled with energy. He gave the plate a sharp pull and it came off its chain. The plate appeared burnt and mangled. Karnak threw it away. He touched the lock briefly. There was another crackle and the lock broke in his hands.
He pushed the gate open and ran inside, Suneeti following closely behind.
They boarded the Atirath and closed the airlock behind them.
“No one has ever been able to charioteer the Atirath,” said Suneeti, “How do you expect to get it off ground.”
“I think you’re mistaken about the whole thing,” replied Karnak, “I’m sure they were able to get it off the ground. That part is fairly easy. It is getting it to warp that’s difficult. Getting it to warp requires connecting. And to get a vimana this complicated would take one hell of a sarathi. Now I just hope this thing has enough power in its fuel cells to get off the ground.”
“You mean you don’t know whether it has enough power or not?”
“No.”
“I thought this was a plan.”
“It’s become more of a gamble now.”
Karnak smiled cockily as he entered the garbh-griha of the Atirath.
He sat down cross legged on the circular platform in the centre.
“Now,” he said, “I need to concentrate.”
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Suneeti could make out that he was chanting under his breath. One by one, the circular grooves around him lit up and their displays came on, encircling him in concentric rings. Karnak opened his eyes but Suneeti could see that he was not looking at the screens but somewhere beyond them.
Suneeti felt a dull throb coarse through the vimana’s body. Systems were coming online.
She notice that screens had lit up on the walls of the garbh-griha. She moved to the one nearest to her and after some experimentation managed to make them show the view from the external cameras. A team of men was trying to cut through the airlock with laser saws.
“They’re trying to get in,” she said, with a trace of panic.
“What is it?” asked Suneeti.
“It’s a tantrik yantra,” replied Karnak, “it is here to prevent anybody from trespassing. I can take care of it, but if I break it, it will immediately alert the tantrik who put it here. But I don’t think we have much choice.”
Karnak held the plate in both hands and began muttering to himself. Gradually his voice became louder until it actually hurt Suneeti inside her skull. Karnak’s hands crackled with energy. He gave the plate a sharp pull and it came off its chain. The plate appeared burnt and mangled. Karnak threw it away. He touched the lock briefly. There was another crackle and the lock broke in his hands.
He pushed the gate open and ran inside, Suneeti following closely behind.
They boarded the Atirath and closed the airlock behind them.
“No one has ever been able to charioteer the Atirath,” said Suneeti, “How do you expect to get it off ground.”
“I think you’re mistaken about the whole thing,” replied Karnak, “I’m sure they were able to get it off the ground. That part is fairly easy. It is getting it to warp that’s difficult. Getting it to warp requires connecting. And to get a vimana this complicated would take one hell of a sarathi. Now I just hope this thing has enough power in its fuel cells to get off the ground.”
“You mean you don’t know whether it has enough power or not?”
“No.”
“I thought this was a plan.”
“It’s become more of a gamble now.”
Karnak smiled cockily as he entered the garbh-griha of the Atirath.
He sat down cross legged on the circular platform in the centre.
“Now,” he said, “I need to concentrate.”
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Suneeti could make out that he was chanting under his breath. One by one, the circular grooves around him lit up and their displays came on, encircling him in concentric rings. Karnak opened his eyes but Suneeti could see that he was not looking at the screens but somewhere beyond them.
Suneeti felt a dull throb coarse through the vimana’s body. Systems were coming online.
She notice that screens had lit up on the walls of the garbh-griha. She moved to the one nearest to her and after some experimentation managed to make them show the view from the external cameras. A team of men was trying to cut through the airlock with laser saws.
“They’re trying to get in,” she said, with a trace of panic.
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