The Special People

Chapter 13

How did they die?” asked Carrie.

“We don’t know. Dr. Isaacs found them and called 911. The police cordoned off the whole area when they got here, saying it was a crime scene, so we weren’t able to get in there to document any artifacts ourselves.”

She looked at Dr. Ramsey, who was hanging his head sadly, then turned back to the students.

“I’m sorry. It’s kind of a sensitive subject around here, so if you don’t mind, we should move on.”

She led them toward a short hallway through the back wall to the right of the throne. Wilson walked beside Kristen and asked quietly, “That girl who asked about Isaac —how is it she doesn’t know who he is? Is she not one of your students?”

“No, she’s not. She’s the only one though. I made a special exception. It was Kyle’s request.”

“Kyle’s request?”

“Yeah, apparently she’s got a friend in the class who tells her all about it. I’m assuming it’s Lisa since they seem to be pretty close. That’s her,” she said, pointing to the girl with red hair. “Anyway, when she found out Kyle was chaperoning, she asked him to ask me to let her come. He claims she’s brilliant, and he told me he would take personal responsibility for her, so I said it was okay.”

“So she’s one of Kyle’s students?”

“I don’t know if she takes any of his classes. I know she’s on the dance team, but that’s all I know.”

“Dance team? Why would someone on the dance team have any influence over the physics professor?”

“Oh, you don’t know? Her name is Kora Ludwig—she’s Kyle’s sister.”

They walked into a large empty room. The massive stone walls were covered from floor to ceiling with ancient runes. Kristen turned back toward the class.

“These walls tell the history of the people of this land and of Isaac . I’m going to leave it to Dr. Ramsey to tell the story. He’s much better at it than me.”

The students gathered in closer, eager to hear Dr. Ramsey’s story as he began to speak.

In the year 1440, Moctezuma I, also known as Montezuma, assumed the throne and greatly expanded the Aztec Empire during his reign. Nearby villages and cities were conquered, new research into animals and plants was developed, and enhanced irrigation methods increased farming productivity. With each victory and conquest, Montezuma became consumed by power and greed. He ruled with an iron fist, and executions and human sacrifice became a daily ritual.

A small group of individuals known as the Momaquixtia, meaning “they set themselves free”, led by Montezuma’s own brother, Prince Huehue Zaca, set out to free the people from the tyrannical king. Zaca was the captain general of the armies and commanded great respect and loyalty from his men. But to betray the king meant death, and Zaca needed to guarantee victory. With the advances in animal and plant studies, Zaca turned to science. He and a priest named Quauhtli utilized the resources of Montezuma to research and study different organic components that they hoped to develop into a serum to transform a man into a more powerful being.

They studied the strongest characteristics of some of the most impressive and dangerous animals and plants in the area, and over time, they were able to identify and isolate the biological material responsible for some of these characteristics—the strength, speed, night vision, and sharp retractable claws of the jaguar; the reflexes, heat sensors, and stealth of the viper; the keen eyesight and pinpoint coordination of the eagle; and the intelligence and shape-shifting abilities of the octopus, just to name a few.

They were particularly interested in poisons and venoms and gathered together toxins from every venomous animal and poisonous plant they could find. The problem they ran into was not in obtaining the material needed to make a serum but in administering it safely.

Unaware of his true intentions, the king ordered Zaca to raid some villages in the north, gain claim over their treasures, and establish Aztec rule over them. Village after village fell to the Aztec armies, until one day, they came upon a small village far to the north that had a weapon unlike any they had ever seen. It was a type of dart, similar to the poison darts used in the south, except these darts were made of hollowed-out obsidian with a glowing green liquid filling the cavities that caused unspeakable harm to those hit with them. When the liquid within came in contact with living tissue, regardless of the amount of exposure, it would melt away the flesh and continue to spread throughout the body, destroying skin, bone, sinew, and organs until there was nothing left. But regardless of their superior weaponry, the villagers were simply outnumbered and eventually succumbed to defeat.

Zaca wanted the weapon for himself. He captured the chief of the village and forced him to reveal the secret. The liquid was a mystical substance only found in one place—a secret cave in the north next to a vast canyon. The chief warned Zaca that this substance was not to be trifled with. He called it micoaz atl, meaning ‘death water’. It was said to be the elixir of life or the elixir of death depending on how it was used. By itself, it was lethal. Only when combined with another elixir of death could the substance grant life.

Zaca was so intrigued he decided to ignore the chief’s warnings and seek the liquid for himself. He took five of his warriors, along with the chief as a guide, and headed north to search out this cave. It was located in a rocky hill lying flush against the edge of the canyon. The chief led them to a tunnel. As they entered, they were entranced by wonders they had never seen before. The chief took advantage of their distraction to slip away unnoticed back out of the cave. As they ventured further in, they were attacked by an unknown creature. Only Zaca and one other were able to escape.

They tracked down and recaptured the chief. Under torture, the chief revealed that he had known about the creature guarding that entrance and had intentionally led them into a trap so he could escape. The creature was an enormous snake, and they called it Tepianicoatl, meaning “guardian serpent.” The chief also revealed to them another entrance into the cave that was on the opposite side. This entrance was more difficult to get to as it was located in the side of the steep cliff, thousands of feet above the canyon floor. They returned and reentered the cave from the back. This entrance was not as well guarded as the last, but they still moved quickly to avoid detection by the serpent. As they ventured in further, they found a small glowing green lake filled with the very liquid they sought. They quickly retrieved some of the micoaz atl and made their escape.

Zaca and his warrior kept the existence of the cave and the liquid a secret from the king. He brought it to Quauhtli and told him of the powers it possessed. By mixing it with the serum they had already concocted, Quauhtli was able to use the power of the micoaz atl to complete the serum.

Once completed, Zaca drank the serum himself. For three days, Zaca was very ill. On the fourth day, the illness passed, and he arose full of life. He realized that he had changed. He could lift heavy objects with ease. As he ran, he felt like he was soaring he was moving so fast. He was capable of rapidly absorbing huge amounts of new information with little effort. There were, however, some side effects. His eyes were no longer brown but green. Patches of his skin and hair were lightening in color, and his need for power over the king seemed to be heightening. That night, he celebrated with his wife and awoke the next day with the intention of gathering the armies for a full-scale revolt. But before the men could be gathered, the king had Zaca summoned to the palace. It was a trap. The king had discovered Zaca’s plans, and he was ambushed by the king’s guards. Even with his new abilities, there were just too many of them. Zaca was overpowered, bound and brought to the throne. The king was so angry he walked up to him with a knife and cut out his heart. He ordered that all knowledge of Zaca’s betrayal be wiped from history, that any record of this serum or the method in which it was made be erased, and that all those who knew about it be executed. It would be written that Zaca was executed for boasting and singing too loudly in a way that was offensive to the king’s ears as that would be widely believed.