Divided (#1 Divided Destiny) by Taitrina Falcon Read Free Book Online Page B

around the world, it was going to be very hard to get anything done.
    Looking forward, it was easier to see a future where they were conquered—and maybe trying to fight a rebellion—than it was to see a future where they managed to successfully continue the war and eke out a victory. No, if they were going to win they needed something beyond standard alien technology. They needed a superweapon, or allies; it didn’t matter which.
    Surely, there must be more aliens out there in the galaxy than the Roswell Greys, and if the little gray men made a habit of attacking worlds that had done nothing to them, they presumably had a few enemies. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend , Julian reasoned. If they found that enemy, then they might stand a chance.
    However, Earth hadn’t exactly put much investment into space exploration recently. After the excitement of the moon landing, funding had slowly dwindled over the years. The most recent space project had been the Mars probe, and that just wasn’t going to cut it. If they didn’t have the technology to reach up beyond the stars themselves, then they would have to find it elsewhere.
    One option was to try and steal an alien craft, bring it back to Area 51, and see if they could learn the likely incomprehensible technology. This wasn’t the movies; the heroes couldn’t just storm the alien ship and fly it away with a quick glance. There was perhaps another way, though. He looked at the book he was holding in his hand. It was supposedly non-fiction, but he had picked it up at the airport last year, viewing it as trashy fiction to waste a couple of hours with.
    ‘Magic or Myth? The Truth Behind the Shrine of Iqmir’ was the title. It had been released four years ago, sinking the career of the man who had written it. It was a tale of a platform deep in Aztec territory that had many legends of disappearances and rumors of magic surrounding it. Ordinarily, Julian wouldn’t have given it a second look, but something about it had been nagging at him. Given the circumstances, an alien invasion did blow the concept of ridiculous out the window.
    If the events talked about in the book were in any way accurate, it could be exactly what they were looking for, and consequently it had to be investigated. Julian left his lab and headed for the briefing room, which General Sampson had commandeered as a command post.
    “General, I believe I have something,” Julian began. He handed the thin volume to the general, who read the title and raised his eyebrows. “I realize it looks like a frivolous line of inquiry, but I think it’s worth looking into.”
    “Alright, Doctor Braden, you have my attention,” General Sampson told him.
    “The book describes a number of legends surrounding a platform deep in the Mexican rainforest. Two of the legends are of interest to us. When I saw the footage of those suited aliens just appearing in a flash of light, it sparked the memory,” Julian explained. “One of the legends talks about people disappearing and reappearing in a flash of light and—”
    “You think this platform is some sort of transportation device?” General Sampson interrupted.
    Julian sighed. “When it was published, it all sounded so fantastical. There was apparently footage of a probe disappearing, carbon dating tests, elemental analysis—it was all discredited. However, now it doesn’t sound quite so fantastical, and—”
    “Yes, yes, it could be real,” General Sampson said impatiently. “Get to the point, Doctor. How does it help us?”
    “The second legend. It was first inscribed on a stone pillar, which has since been lost to the elements. Before it crumbled to dust, it was copied by one of the earliest explorers in that region. They thought it an allegorical tale.” Julian smirked. “I expect the truth is a lot more interesting. The tale talked of a being of great power that came to this world from another. Fresh from battle, they swore that never again