Job Three: 
They Do Exist

    They were both dressed in relatively normal clothes for the time period of course. On Earth nothing was truly politically correct in the fashion world. Everyone and their brother came to Earth for trading materials and goods, and no one was unwelcome.

    At lest that is how most people felt. Others much preferred to remain conservatives and shun anyone different. It was something that could never be overcome by humans, because they refused to get along.

    Ahura Mazda and Anghiari were at the world's smallest museum in New York City. Since it was the smallest, it had very few visitors in the recent years, but on occasion it had exhibits that would capture anyone's attention. For Ahura Mazda this was the day.

    He had always been fascinated by stories of mythical creatures. From fairies to vampires, he knew all of the myths from south to west from Earth to the Null Region of space. This was an exhibit of rare and mostly unheard of myths. There was also an item that could lead him to one of the greatest treasures in the universe.

    He explained each of the myths to Anghiari, who was quite fascinated by all the things that senescent beings could come up with and believe. She was happy when Ahura had found what he was looking for.

    It gave off the general appearance of a stone tablet or broken monolith. The ruins written upon its surface were from unknown and unspeakable language, and it gave off a rather impending doom feeling.

    Scientist had speculated that it was some from of keeping history, but throughout the ages it had been called the ultimate treasure map. Rumors spread from planet to planet, and eventually the origins became blurred in myth. Some how this famous tablet had made its way into a dinky museum on a small blue-green planet.

    Ahura and Anghiari were not the only ones there. A strange man, by air and appearance, was standing in front of the monolith reading the little plaque below it. He took no notice to either of them.

    Anghiari whispered, "Now what do you intend to do?"

    "Wait," Ahura whispered back.

    "I don't think he's going anywhere."

    "Be patience. In both our occupations we have to be anyway."

    "Well, I did not agree to be stuck in a plane for three straight hours did I?"

    She was perfectly right, but Ahura was not about to admit it. He was just going to wait quietly until the man left and went off to live his own life. Then Ahura could hopefully read the stone in peace.

    It did not go that way. The man remained there and did not move an inch after a few hours. They had left and come back several times, but he was still there.

    Slowly Ahura's patience was ebbing away. What had he done to really deserve this? Had he upset some universal force or was the universal force just mocking him? Maybe he could just ask the man to move. Yes, that would work.

    "Excuse me, Sir? Would you be kind enough to move out of the way so other people can read the monolith?"

    The man gave him a critical look, and apparently shrugged. "Why would someone a young as you be interested in mythical beings?"

    The tablet had nothing to do with mythical creatures. "How did you know that?"

    "Why else would you be here?"

    "To... see the tablet."

    The man let out a small disturbing chuckle. "You know, boy, they do exist. After all you are, indeed, one of them." With that they man walked away, still chuckling to himself.

    Ahura Mazda swallowed hard. What sort of crazy man was that?

***

    It had been decided that they would take a walk through out the city of New York. Currently the two were walking through the mildly dilapidated Central Park. Silence was creeping over them like a very annoying shroud.

     "Osiris? Have you ever heard of the Zai Crystal?"

    "And the Hai Wings. Of course, who hasn't?"

    "Do you know the full story that goes with them?"

    "Full story?"

    "That answer that question," Anghiari hesitated, "It talks about an amazing "magical" force trapped within bodies of two  unsuspecting people. Those people have almost inhuman appearance and excel in many challenging things."

    "So, you mean to tell me, that man was suggesting that I have either the Zai Crystal or the Hai Wings. Sounds a little off the walls to me."

    "You drew your own conclusions. I'm just saying, can you imagine the pain and suffering those people would go through each day? They'd be worse of than..." She trailed off. She was getting to personal for her own liking.

    "Us." Ahura Mazda finished with a note of finality. What she said was true, and he could not deny it. "Do you think they do exist?"

    "I don't know, but we can find out."

***

    Genetic labs were not hard to find in this futuristic time. Finding the right one was the problem. They all, each and everyone, had an area they specialized in. The particular one Ahura Mazda was looking for had managed to illegally manipulate his genes. Since it had done illegal manipulation he would have to use the "underground web" to find them. It was a heck of a lot easier to do this in New York than Italy.

    Ahura slipped out his gun as he rounded the corner, he could never be too careful in a city like this. Making sure the coast was clear he entered the parking garage.

    "Gi," He whispered, "Stay outside, I need you to keep watch."

    "Fine," Anghiari grumbled back, "You're the one who can sneak, anyway."

    With a roll of his eyes he was off. It was time to do his sneaking business.

***

    Ahura held his breath as he slipped through the tiny air vent. Some how things seemed much smaller than usual. Maybe he was gaining weight. With a soft thunk he landed on the metallic ground.

    He quickly scanned the room. It was someone's badly decorated office, that was practically falling to pieces.  According to how messy the desk was he assumed that it was a absent minded head scientist who owned this nasty little office.

    Without the slightest bit of warning the door opened, which sent the thief back into the air vents. As the wholly oblivious person walked in Ahura clicked the air vent shut, hopefully the person would not here him.

    Well, Ahura had assumed correctly that he was in the office of a absent minded scientist. This scientist was, in fact, completely oblivious to everything around her. Her focus was on a small piece of paper that had various calculations on it.

    She was also talking to herself. "What are we going to do? If they find out what happened then I'm dead! My baby's dead too." Now that Ahura Mazda took a closer look she was crying, and her eyes were puffy and red from all of her tears... and for some reason she seemed familiar.

    She flopped into the chair and flumped on the desk to set her head in her arms. Her sobbing, "I'm so sorry,"s could be heard in the air vents clearly.

    Unfortunately this left the thief in a very awkward situation. If he moved, no matter how distraught she was, she would hear him. If he did not move... well he did like to feel his limbs one way or another. It might be possible that the woman would ignore him as he popped out of the vent.

    No... that was a bold faced lie. 'You know what? I highly doubt she has a gun so I'll just pop--' His thoughts were cut short when the vent cover gave way and he landed with the most disgraceful metallic clang.

    So much for stealth of a thief.

    The woman was utterly shocked for good reason. She stood up and looked around frantically. "You! Why are you here?" Tears seemed to well up in her eyes again, as if another wave of sorrow was about to hit.

    Ahura Mazda would have panicked if he was not so confused. Did this woman really know him or was she just insane, and why was no one rushing to see if she was all right. Ahura most certainly was not.

    He groaned as he tried, unsuccessfully, to stand up. It was time to leave five minutes ago, and he had screwed up badly enough.

    The woman would not have it. She came up to him, and kneeled beside him. "You don't remember me?" She asked through sobs.

    "Why would I know a complete stranger?"

    She started to sniffle, which reminded Ahura Mazda exactly why he thought all women were useless. "Ahura Mazda Osiris, also called Project 51439. The lead scientist was Doctor Sabeen Hasib and she devised a safe but painful project to genetically enhance a child only a year in age." The woman had whispered it all. Her tears were finally clearing up.

    It was a shocker to Ahura Mazda, that this horrible woman who had ruined his chances of living a normal life was now kneeling besides him reciting things he had hoped he had left in the past. He could not decided whether to shoot her or to break down and throw her away from him.

    "You know I'm Sabeen now? Good. I have to tell you something--quickly--before anyone finds you." Her voice was beginning to fill with panic. This woman could have been insane or she knew something he did not. "They are after you, because you possess something they can't have. They don't know what it really is. Tell Gi--don't ask how I know her--she's being chased as well. You have to run or they'll get you. They aren't hunting you for doing wrong they--" She cut herself off and looked the the door. "Leave now, you've recovered by now." She forced Ahura to stand up.

    Angrily he batted her away. "What are you babbling about?" His voice was slowly rising, "If you are her then I should shoot you for the hell you put me through--"

    She clasped her hand over his mouth. It was like she had regained all of her sanity in a matter of seconds. "You are the myth. Now go." With that she unclasp her hand and quickly left her room, bolting the door behind her.

    That was Ahura's cue to leave, and he graciously took it.